Because he was pretty sure the Disney version didn't include the prince trying to wake the princess up by sucking and biting her neck.

Kurt moved his hand up and stroked Blaine's hair gently.

Blaine hummed in answer and looked up, smiling at Kurt's sleepy eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?" He said, planting a kiss on Kurt's lips, and moving to lie completely on top of him. He groaned softly at the feeling of their naked bodies pressed against each other.

"Like a baby…" Kurt smiled into the kiss, letting his hands wander over Blaine's back, lower and lower, until they cupped his ass.

Blaine responded by grinding lightly into Kurt. Those simple actions were enough to make them both hard as a rock. "Hmmm, it seems you're well rested, indeed." Blaine teased, rolling his hips a bit more insistently, drawing out a deep groan from Kurt.

"Blaine?"

"Yes, baby?" Blaine asked, sucking on Kurt's neck.

"Could you please shut up and fuck me?" Kurt breathed.

Blaine chuckled. "Your wish is my command…", and then he leaned to whisper into Kurt's ear, "master…"

Kurt snorted and giggled… and after that, he moaned.

A lot.

When they finally made it out of bed, they took a much-needed shower (including an even more needed make-out session); got dressed and headed to the kitchen to have breakfast.

Kurt found that the pantry and the fridge had indeed been filled with all kinds of food and ingredients. It was enough to feed an entire army, actually. He pulled out various items and started fixing a quick breakfast for the two of them.

As Blaine sat back and watched Kurt preparing the food, he couldn't help but think back about all the times Liz had stood in that same kitchen, doing the exact same thing. After they had separated, the things he missed the most were not the big declarations of love or the nights of passion. It was the being-alone part that had been the toughest to deal with. Waking up alone. Having breakfast alone. Coming home at night and not being able to share your thoughts and experiences with someone else. Yeah… he had been really lonely. He had missed his soul mate. Because that was what Liz had always been to him. He had loved her so very much. But he had also taken her for granted, and that was what had ultimately destroyed their marriage. By the time he had realized it, it had been too little, too late.

But now he had Kurt.

Sweet, lovely, amazing, sexy, beautiful Kurt. And Blaine would be damned if he would allow himself to make the same mistake twice. He would never take Kurt for granted. Never. And he would do everything to keep him happy. Because he would NOT lose Kurt. No fucking way.

"A buck for your thoughts?" Kurt asked, as he put a plate of food in front of Blaine.

"A buck, huh…?"

"Yes, well, this is New York City, prices are much higher here, right?" Kurt laughed. "I'm sorry, lame joke… what were you thinking about then? You seemed miles away."

"About how much I love you…" Blaine said. "Lame too, right?"

"Lame, maybe… but very sweet." Kurt smiled, sitting down across from Blaine with his own plate of food. "I love you too. And I love having sex with you, but it has left me famished. So, bon app�tit!"

"Yeah, you wore me out too… but anyway, the food looks great." Blaine said, as he took a bite. "God, and it tastes even better… I'm so glad you know how to cook."

"Honestly, that's not even cooking, it's just toast and some eggs and bacon. Surely you can make those too… Oh my God, you CAN'T?" Kurt almost choked at Blaine's sheepish expression.

"Um, no I can't… I can hardly boil water, okay?" Blaine sulked.

"Oh honey, I'm just teasing you." Kurt laughed. "It doesn't matter, you've landed yourself a cook right here."

Blaine's face brightened up again.

"So, what are you going to do today, while I'm at the conference?"

"Well, I was thinking about going to the Metropolitan Museum. They have this Alexander McQueen exhibition I am dying to see. It's called "Savage Beauty". I've seen some pictures online and it looks really awesome. And then afterwards, maybe I'll take a walk down Fifth Avenue… I'm not sure yet." Kurt pondered.

"Sounds good." Blaine nodded. "And a lot less boring than my day will be, I guess."

Kurt grinned. "What time will you be home?"

Home.

"Around 6 PM I think. I'll send you a text when I'm on my way."

"Great!" Kurt piped "Dinner will be ready!"

"Dinner? Kurt, you really don't have to, we can go eat out if you want –"

"No, I'd really like to cook us dinner. And I'm sorry, but it will be healthy food." Kurt grinned.

"I'm sure I'll love it." Blaine smirked back, looking at his watch. "Damn, I have to go. It's a twenty-minute ride on the subway, and I can't be late." He looked back at Kurt. "You'll be alright? If there's anything, just call me, okay? Don't forget the keys when you leave the penthouse, I left the spare ones on the counter over there," Blaine pointed, "and be careful when you cross the streets, this isn't Lima, traffic is pretty crazy here."

Kurt had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud and saying 'yes, dad'.

Instead he jumped off of his high kitchen chair, moved towards Blaine, pulled him to his feet by his tie, and kissed him lovingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be perfectly alright. You go to your conference, and I'll promise to be careful… and try to have fun at the same time." Kurt smirked. "And tonight, maybe we'll have some fun together…"

"Ugh… damn you for putting wicked thoughts in my head right when I have to leave." Blaine grunted. "And don't even get me started on what you're wearing…" He took in Kurt's outfit. He was wearing a pair of tight black jeans with a narrow white leather belt, knee high black boots and a black fashionable hoodie. It was elegant and stylish; casual chic with a hint of sexy.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Dr. Anderson. You really rock that suit; you look very smart in it. And I love it when you wear a tie. Gives me something to hold on to." Kurt said, with a gleam in his eyes, still fingering the item in question.

"Fuck you. I'm outta here." Blaine growled, throwing Kurt a mocking glare.

"You can't do both, you know!" Kurt shouted in laughter, as Blaine left through the front door, turning around to quip.

"Oh, I totally can! Only not at the same time! Just wait till I get home, okay?"

Kurt was still grinning as he cleaned up the kitchen.

Blaine could be so endearing. Honestly, there were so many sides to this man. He was the serious, intelligent, kind, capable doctor to his patients and their families. The doting, loving father to his daughter. The amicable, dependable, right-minded head to their ward.

But to Kurt, he was so much more. He had become his best friend. His trusted confidant. His strongest supporter. And let's not forget, his very passionate, very flirtatious, very sexy lover. Because, damn, the sex had been wonderful. Blaine had played his body just as perfectly as he had played the piano the night before; touching, caressing and fucking him with the exact pressure and rhythm needed to have him reach the highest levels of bliss. Kurt was a satisfied man.

Hell yeah.

And sore too.

Kurt's musings were cut short by a loud ringing sound. He almost dropped the plate he was holding in surprise.

What the hell?

Kurt quickly located the source of the noise. It was the phone, attached to the kitchen wall.

Odd.

Why didn't Blaine have his connection terminated after moving out? And more importantly, who could be trying to reach him here? Either someone who didn't know he had left New York, or somebody who knew he was here for a few days. Or maybe some dumbass telemarketer. Kurt shrugged mentally and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" He said tentatively.

An angry voice shouted into his ear. "Blaine? Finally! Why the hell don't you pick up your damn cell when I call you? Listen, what's all this crap about you traveling to New York out of the blue? Philip had to tell me, I didn't even know! You better have a damn good explanation, you can't leave the hospital like that on such short notice! Well?"

"Um… I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not Blaine. He's not in right now…"Kurt was taken aback by the man's rudeness.

"What? Well, who is this then? And what are you doing in Blaine's penthouse?" The angry voice answered.

Kurt cleared his throat. "I'm Kurt Hummel. And Blaine has left for the conference twenty minutes ago. Who am I talking to, if I may ask?"

He heard the man huff. "I'm Bruce Anderson. Blaine's father. Now would you please tell me what the hell you are doing at my son's place, and explain why isn't he answering his goddamn phone?"

Oh sweet holy mother of God. His father.

Fuck.

"I… um… Blaine was going to this conference… and he invited me along…"

Oh great, really eloquent, Hummel!

Blaine's father seemed to be slightly mollified by this information "Ah… okay then. That sounds logical. But… Hummel, you say? I don't know any Dr. Hummel. At which hospital do you work exactly?"

"I work at LCH… just like Blaine… I'm not a doctor, I'm a nurse, actually." Kurt said in a small voice.

"A nurse?"

Bruce Anderson was silent for a while.

Kurt started to get antsy and was about to speak up, as the other man started talking again, this time in a deadly calm voice.

"I see… right… now I understand what's going on here…"

"Can I give Blaine a message?" Kurt blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

"No. Not necessary. I have all the information I need." And he ended the call, without any further acknowledgement.

Kurt felt shocked and confused. He didn't really know what to think or feel about that last sentence.

But it wasn't good. That was for sure.

Kurt decided not to dwell on the bizarre conversation he'd had with Blaine's father. As soon as he stepped outside, he allowed himself to soak up the Manhattan atmosphere again, enjoying the ten-block-walk to the main entrance of the Met.

Inside, he went through the security check, bought an entrance ticket and made a beeline for the McQueen exhibition.

Well. Not quite a beeline perhaps, because the place was really huge, and the little map he picked up at the entrance wasn't really helpful. But after asking for directions twice, he finally managed to find the first exhibition room.

As Kurt entered the room, he let out a small gasp in awe. He was looking at some exquisite designs from the 'Highland Rape' and 'Widows of Culloden' Collection. Both were very heavily influenced by McQueen's Scottish heritage.

Kurt approached the mannequins to study the silhouettes more closely. They were so ethereal and breathtaking. Kurt wished he could just reach out and touch the fabrics, but he wasn't allowed, obviously.

Instead, he took his sweet time, taking in all the intricate details of the designs.

As he went on to the next room, he gasped again. "Oh my God…" he whispered to himself, walking towards the displays, which held some of his most favorite designs.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" A voice behind him said.

Kurt snapped out of his trance and turned around.

A smiling, nice looking man was moving towards him. Kurt appraised him. The man was about 5'7", had short, brown hair, wore glasses, and looked like he was in his late thirties.

"So, you like McQueen?" He asked, nodding towards the display.

"Yeah…" Kurt smiled back "I love him… I've always admired him. This is my favorite collection actually."

The other man nodded. "Ah yes, the 'It's Only a Game'-collection. I remember that runway show, it was one big game of chess. I thought the queens looked amazing."

"And the kings too." Kurt said, pointing to another silhouette.

"Did you know McQueen was inspired by that giant game of Wizards' Chess in the first Harry Potter movie for that show?"

"Yes, I do. That's what I liked so much about him. He was all about inspiration. To inspire others, and to be inspired himself. And the way he allowed himself to get inspired by all kinds of things. You never knew what to expect ahead of the shows. It could be anything really." Kurt laughed.

"True." The man said. "He just kept surprising us all."

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. "He did… that man wasn't a designer, the way I see it. He was an artist; in every sense of the word. His art touched my heart and soul…" Kurt suddenly looked down in embarrassment. What the hell was wrong with him, telling stuff like that to a total stranger?

"You're right. I feel the same way about him." The other man smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Samuel by the way. But call me Sam."

Kurt froze for a split second.

Sam. Yeah. Sure, why not.

"I'm Kurt." He smiled and shook Sam's hand.

"Well, Kurt, I take it you work in the fashion industry then? Are you a designer? Or a model? Because you could be both if you'd ask me." Sam grinned.

Kurt smirked. "I'm neither."

"So you must be a student then? Me too. I go to Parsons. You go there too?"

"Oh no… no no… I'm not in the fashion industry at all. I live in Ohio. I'm a nurse at the local children's hospital." Kurt confessed meekly.

Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry for making all these assumptions. It's only… well, I really had the impression… So, anyway, fashion is more of a hobby then?"

"Um… yeah… something like that." Kurt said. He bit his lip as his eyes wandered back to the display in front of him.

"So, you want to check out the next room? I can guide you through it, it's the sixth time I've come to this exhibition." Sam grinned.

Kurt turned his eyes towards Sam, and the warm and friendly expression on his face immediately won Kurt over.

"Okay, excellent." Kurt nodded, as he followed him into the next section.

They spent the next hour and a half browsing through the various rooms, discussing the designs on display, and having an animated conversation about art and fashion in general. After they exited the last room, Sam accompanied Kurt to the museum shop, where Kurt bought the exhibition catalogue.

Walking out of the shop, Kurt turned towards Sam.

"Thanks for showing me around, and for your company" Kurt grinned. "It was really great, being able to talk about this stuff again."

"It was my pleasure, Kurt…" Sam smiled, suddenly halting his step. "Hey… listen, would you maybe like to join me for lunch? There's a nice caf� on the first floor where they serve decent food. We could talk some more?"

Okay. This was awkward.

Kurt wasn't used to these kinds of questions. Well, at least if you didn't take Blaine's numerous wooing attempts into account.

"Um… I don't know, Sam…", Kurt fiddled with the zipper on his hoodie collar, "I have a boyfriend." He blurted out, throwing a nervous glance at Sam.

Sam frowned in confusion for a second, and then laughed. "Oh! Of course you have, sweetie! Look at you; only a blind man wouldn't fall for you."

Kurt blushed.

"Just to be clear, I'm not hitting on you. I have a boyfriend myself, actually." Sam grinned. "I only thought it would be nice to sit down and chat for a little while longer, nothing more, but if you don't want to, that's-"

"No!" Kurt held his hand up and smiled at Sam. "I'd love to… That would be nice."

The caf� was crowded, but Sam and Kurt found a spot at the bar. They sat down on the high chairs and ordered a sandwich and a coffee.

Sam folded his menu looked at Kurt. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here, all alone in New York?"

"Oh, I'm not alone. My boyfriend is here for a conference and he invited me along. We're staying at his place."

"That's nice. First time in New York?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Sam… can I ask you a personal question?" he said, toying with the edge of the placemat in front of him.

"Sure?" Sam turned toward Kurt and crossed his legs, relaxing against the back of his chair.

Kurt peered at Sam's face. "Well, if you don't mind me saying so… you look a bit old to be a student…"

Sam chuckled and nodded. "You're right, I'm certainly not in my twenties anymore."

"So… how come you're still a student then?"

"Well… I've always liked the fine arts. When I was a kid, I loved to draw. I was pretty good at it too. I really wanted to do something creative when I left high school." He sighed. "But my parents didn't like the idea. They said I needed to get a real job. And since they paid for my studies, I really had no choice. So long story short, I went to law school, got my degree, became an attorney at a law firm here in Manhattan, and I earned a lot of money in the process."

"Oh…" Kurt nodded. "So what changed then?"

"I did." Sam replied, without missing a beat. "I wasn't happy Kurt. Sure, I was good at what I did. I didn't hate my job, but it wasn't my passion either. I don't even know, some people said I was suffering from an early midlife crisis." Sam smirked. "But anyway, I quit my job, and enrolled into Parsons. It wasn't easy to get in, but I did it. And now I'm really, truly happy, for the first time in my life. I'm creating art through my designs, and I met a boyfriend who I can share this with. He's a designer too." Sam explained.

"Awesome…" Kurt was enthralled. "So you just switched your life around, then? That takes a lot of courage."

"No, it doesn't. It actually was the easy way out for me, to tell you the truth. Staying at that firm, continuing that boring, empty life… now that would have been hard! I just couldn't do that anymore." Sam shrugged.

"Well, if you put it that way, but still, it can't have been an easy change?" Kurt wondered.

"Easy? No. Worth it? Totally. And you know what I have learnt through all of this? That it's really never too late to become who you might have been." Sam pointed his finger at Kurt to emphasize his words.

Kurt remained speechless.

6:20 PM

Kurt tossed the chopped vegetables in the stir fry pan, causing a loud sizzling sound. Blaine would be home any minute. He'd sent a text fifteen minutes earlier to tell he was heading towards the subway.

Kurt had actually needed to hurry to be home in time. After lunch, Sam had walked along Fifth Avenue with him, to check out the store windows of the designer boutiques, and comment on the latest arrivals on display. All in all, it had been a wonderful day. Sam was a really nice guy, and they had swapped e-mail addresses as they'd said goodbye to each other. Not that Kurt was planning on contacting him again anytime soon…

But still, talking about fashion and designing had been nice for a change. It had been his life and passion for so many years. He hadn't spoken about his past as a fashion student to Sam though. It was still very much of a sore spot, and Kurt didn't like opening up old wounds, there really was no point in that, was there?

Like he had said to Blaine, the night before; those dreams he'd talked about… they had never been real anyway. Life was real. Blaine was real. Him being a nurse, that was real. And he was happy with what he had.

Yep.

Kurt smiled as he heard Blaine entering through the front door.

"Honey! I'm home!" He shouted.

Kurt rolled his eyes and snorted. "Over here in the kitchen, darling!" He called back in a singsong voice.

Blaine laughed as he entered the kitchen, and planted a kiss on Kurt's cheek, hugging him from behind.

"Hmmmm… smells nice… and the food too!" Blaine grinned playfully.

Kurt smirked. "Dinner's almost ready- Hey! Stay away from those chicken pieces!" Kurt slapped at Blaine's hand, which was reaching towards the plate on the counter. "Those are still raw on the inside! Do you have a death wish?"

Blaine backed away. "Oh… sorry, baby, I'm starving, I wasn't thinking."

"Well, it's almost ready, you go sit down and I'll feed you in a few minutes, okay?" Kurt threw in the chicken and started stirring again.

"By the way, you look very sexy in an apron." Blaine growled into Kurt's ear, nipping at his earlobe.

Kurt jerked away and dropped his spoon, as his hand flew to his ear. He felt a wave of panic course through his body.

"Oh my God, Kurt, what's wrong?" Blaine looked horrified as he stepped towards his cowering boyfriend.

Kurt shook his head. "N- Nothing… I just… I don't like it. Don't suck or bite at my earlobes. Just don't."

Blaine frowned in confusion. Then it dawned on him.

"Oh fuck… I'm so sorry Kurt… this is about what Karofsky did, right?" He laid his hand on Kurt's cheek.

Kurt let out a ragged sigh. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I shouldn't freak out about something like that after ten years. I'm such a wimp." He shook his head.

Blaine kissed him gently on the lips. "Shhh… I won't do it again. And you are not a wimp… you are the bravest man I know."

Kurt smiled, before he turned his head towards the stove.

"Fuck! The food!" He reached for the knob to turn off the gas burner. "Damn! I hope it's not ruined!"

"It doesn't smell like it's ruined…" Blaine shrugged. Honestly, he was so hungry he'd eat any food, even if it was incinerated.

Fortunately, the food wasn't ruined at all. Blaine ate it with gusto, as Kurt picked at his food, listening to Blaine talk about his day at the conference. It hadn't been as boring as he'd expected, and he'd met a few old college friends as well.

Half an hour later they were both sprawled on the couch. Blaine was leaning against the armrest, with Kurt leaning back to rest against him, laying in between Blaine's legs, and nestled in his arms.

Kurt almost purred in contentment as Blaine was nuzzling his neck.

"Blaine?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Why do you still have an active phone number here?"

Blaine pulled back. "I have? Wait… yeah… you're right… I never got it disconnected. Forgot about that. But… how did you know? Did somebody call?"

Kurt nodded against Blaine's chest.

"Your dad."

Kurt felt Blaine tensing up behind him.

"You're kidding me." He huffed. "I saw he tried to reach me on my cell. Didn't feel like picking up. I would have, if I'd known he'd be harassing you. What did he say?"

Kurt shrugged. "Not that much… something about why the hell you were in New York… and I'm pretty sure he figured out what I was doing here with you."

Blaine sighed. "Great…" He kissed the top of Kurt's head. "Don't worry about it, baby, I'll deal with it."

"Okay…" Kurt caressed Blaine's thigh absently.

"So, tell me about your day. Did you have fun? Did you go to the Met?" Blaine asked, as he continued pressing kisses into Kurt's hair.

"Hmmm… oh yeah, it was awesome. I bought the catalogue, I'll show you later. The whole exhibition was amazing. I loved it. " Kurt said, staring out of the window. "Oh, and I also met someone at the museum . Some guy called Sam; he's a fashion student at Parsons. We went through the exhibition together, and this afternoon we've taken a walk down Fifth Avenue. We had a great time."

"Really now? Do I need to be jealous?" Blaine chuckled, caressing Kurt's arms.

Kurt slapped his arm mockingly. "Of course not. I'm all yours. Didn't I prove that to you last night? And this morning?" He wriggled himself free from Blaine's grasp and turned to kneel towards him.

He shivered at the desire that flickered in Blaine's eyes.

"Maybe I need some more convincing…" Blaine said huskily.

Kurt smirked, slowly running his hands down Blaine's chest, and up again. As he reached his collar, he started to loosen the buttons. "Maybe you do…" he breathed. He unbuttoned the rest of the shirt and spread it wide to reveal Blaine's chest. As Blaine reached up and stroked his hands through Kurt's hair, Kurt softly kissed him all over his face and neck.

Blaine lowered his hands down Kurt's back, and started to tug at the hem of his hoodie. Kurt sat up and quickly pulled the garment over his head, tossing it behind the couch. He lowered himself onto Blaine. Both men groaned softly as their naked chest touched each other. Kurt pressed his lips against Blaine's.

The kisses grew more intense, and pretty soon they were devouring each other's mouth.

"Bedroom?" Blaine grunted against Kurt's mouth, as he came up for air.

"Yeah, good idea…" Kurt breathed. "I don't want to put up a show in front of these windows."

Blaine smirked. "You're right, though it would be better and hotter than any Broadway show!"