The Warblers had just won Nationals, yes Nationals, making them the first ever all acapella show choir to take the title. Kurt could have never asked for a better end to his first experience in New York. Of course he felt terrible for beating his former New Directions family to get there —they had planned on getting there together since their 'Empire State of Mind' performance. But Nationals was Nationals and the Warblers had won! Lima would always be Kurt's home but the more time he spent boarding at Dalton, the more it felt like home too. The crazy, unique, dedicated and for majority of the time lovable boys were slowly making themselves at home in Kurt's heart. And to Kurt's horror, so were their insane and general craziness in his, usually sane, brain! Kurt still couldn't believe that his time at Dalton was coming to an end already, after all his dad and Carol's honeymoon money only paid till the end of the year at the prestigious zero tolerance private school and Kurt knew he would have to return to McKinley after the summer holidays for his senior year…without Blaine…

After their win and miraculously successful impromptu victory party, the boys had set out on planning the ultimate celebratory event in Warbler, and even Dalton, history. Kurt knew his friends were rich but was flabbergasted to find out just how rich they were from their ideas! The plans they discussed on their flight ranged from jetting off to one of their parents' mansions around the world, to sailing in the tropical islands of the Caribbean. But all debates had stopped when the boys were all splayed out across the common room, some on chairs finding new uses for the arm rests, some on the plush carpets and others, well David, on the grand piano bench, all gawked at Kurt in shock. They had arrived from the airport and were so exhausted from their late flight that they had just collapsed wherever their tired legs had led them, which wasn't far considering how they were all in the common room, the closest room to the doors. But even exhaustion couldn't prevent the heads of every Warbler in the toasty, fire-lit room from staring at Kurt in shock. Kurt was accustomed to their antics by then but as far as he could tell, their sudden interest in him was unexplained. All he had said was that he had never been camping before…

"You've never been camping before?" The astonishment had been written all over Wes's face. Nick had slowly pushed Jeff's jaw up while David tried to pick himself off the floor, slowly rubbing the spot on his head where the piano had hit him in his momentary lapse of balance. Blaine had just looked at Kurt sympathetically, only to add to the blush hat had crept up to his best friend's cheeks. Unlike the first rush of blood to his face, caused by the unexpected attention, this rush was accompanied by a drop in Kurt's IQ and the almost unhealthy increased rate of Kurt's heartbeat… All he did (read: could manage) was nod his head in confirmation and before he knew it the room had erupted into plans of camping, hiking, water-skiing, swimming and how some kind of Annual Warblers Camping Trip was awesome enough for their victory celebrations and Kurt's first ever camping experience. Kurt found himself very skeptical about how much the boys had gotten to know him over the months because roughing it out in the woods with all that potential sun damage to his skin, not to mention the insects and dirt, was definitely not his cup of tea! Blaine had explained more to Kurt in their shared dorm room later that night…

"Basically," he had begun, as he made himself comfortable at the head of Kurt's bed, "It's kinda been a tradition for the Warblers to take a camping trip two weeks into the summer holidays. It's been going on for years. I think Wes is the only one who really knows how it started —the rest of us just go for the fun. To be honest I just enjoy watching the Warblers out of the confines of Dalton…they get even crazier!"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Blaine's last statement as he finished his moisturizing routine…surely they couldn't get crazier, could they? . Blaine's amused smile answered Kurt's unspoken question as Kurt gracefully plopped himself down next to his best friend (of course nobody could replace Mercedes…but it was different with Blaine). It had amazed Kurt when he and Blaine first started having their wordless conversations, but by then it was second nature. They had even found themselves using it when they didn't need to hide things from the others…like then. He could hardly believe that he had only known the dapper Warbler for just seven months…

Blaine had tried his best to keep the descriptions of the past Warbler camping trips to a minimum so Kurt could experience them for himself, but he needed to win Kurt over first. As much as he loved spending time with his Dalton family, these four months with Kurt were some of the greatest he had ever had. He had finally found someone who could actually relate to him! Someone to read the latest copy of Vogue with, someone to join him in his caffeine addiction and someone to just talk to about…well everything! Kurt coming on the trip would just make everything that much better.

Blaine realized he had been talking too much when he felt Kurt's adorable giggle into his shoulder after he had almost lost balance and nearly fell off the bed while flailing his arms to imitate Jeff's first poison ivy encounter. Of course Kurt was taller than him (who wasn't?) but somehow Kurt always managed to make himself comfortable in that position. Blaine couldn't help the pleasant shiver that ran down his shoulder to the rest of his body. Nor could he help his increased heart rate, his sudden inability to form a single coherent thought or the desire to pull Kurt closer to where he knew Kurt would fit perfectly into the crook of his neck…

But of course he couldn't. Kurt was fragile and still needed time to get over what that stupid excuse for a human, or Neanderthal as Kurt liked to refer to him, David Karofsky had put him through. Blaine couldn't help his blurred his vision or his clenched fists as he wondered how someone could even think of hurting someone as wonderful as Kurt.

His vision had soon cleared as relaxed and he returned to their comfortable position on the bed with Kurt's giggle slowly fading as he got sleepier and sleepier. Blaine found it adorable how even at seventeen, an age where most teenagers were desperate to push curfew and party all night, Kurt was still reliably needy for sleep by ten every night. But sleepy Kurt meant a Kurt willing to agree to almost anything to avoid those dreaded dark circles and bags under his eyes. So Blaine decided to make his final attempt. Using hi so called 'puppy-dog eyes', as Wes, David and Jeff had named them, he turned to Kurt.

Blaine hadn't anticipated how close this action would make them until he had moved and was quite awe-struck at the beauty of the boy next to him. Surely he must have imagined the way Kurt had looked back at him, almost mirroring his emotions: his glasz eyes glazed over, his plush lips slightly parted in equal awe and his breathe coming a little faster. So he had taken a deep breath which had hardly helped the situation as it was laced with the scent of vanilla and lavender with just a hint of rose and something he could only describe as being Kurt (after months of trying to figure out what it was!).

Get a hold of yourself Anderson, Kurt is right next to you! , he had chastised himself until his body finally decided to give him back full control.

Blaine sat up and crossed his legs. Mustering all his courage he took Kurt's hand and looked into those magnificent blue-green eyes and went for it…

"Kurt, I know it's not exactly your idea of a perfect holiday but would you please come on the trip," …okay that was a good start… "It would make it a whole lot more enjoyable" …good… "And I'd really miss your company and…well… you" …too much!... "Uhmm I mean, the guys are already so excited about it —they're even willing to miss out on their two week hibernation so we can all road trip together to make your first camping experience memorable before it actually starts. And it would really mean a lot to me," …gah!... "And the guys!"

Kurt couldn't decide if he had dreamt what Blaine had mumbled —after all when did the dapper lead Warbler soloist mumble— but dream or no dream he could never find it in him to deny those buttery hazel eyes. Hoping his voice wouldn't squeak from the thought of him, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, making Blaine freakin' Anderson mumble, Kurt feigned exasperation "Okay, I'll go" …just for you… "But my luggage will not be limited, got it?" he added in his honest sass. Blaine had grinned a heart-wrenching smile in return, "Got it!"

Finals had passed with all the boys clinging to their coffee mugs as if their lives depended on the caffeine. Kurt had even found himself biting his nails and missing his moisturising routine at night with all the stress! Blaine had noticed this and made it his duty to make sure Kurt took study breaks...which turned into them watching Ellen everyday with their respective medium drip and grande non-fat mocha latte in hand. Finals at Dalton definitely weren't like those at McKinley. The students actually studied when they got the rare study day, instead of meeting up at the mall or the arcade to hang out. But they were still teenagers and with the camping trip getting closer and closer as finals came to an end, the Warblers found themselves convened in each others' rooms finalising plans. So when the final bell rang to signal the end of their last exam and the school semester, one couldn't expect anything less than the mobs of boys bursting through doors and throwing, now unimportant, study notes into the air as they rejoiced in the freedom the summer held in store for them. The Warblers somehow found each other in the bustle of "goodbyes" and "whoops", all practically running to the dorms to fetch their bags and hit the road.

That's how Kurt found himself standing in the middle of the foyer, watching a slightly higher level of madness ensue as Warblers flashed from room to room trying to finish up their packing. Kurt was proud to say he had packed two days earlier and was totally prepared…or so he thought...