Kurt didn't want to interfere. He was just going to continue sitting on the large rock that was conveniently located nearby. He wasn't going to tell Blaine that he could pull a car apart in a quick minute and he wasn't going to tell Blaine why his old beat up ride had actually stopped. It did this every single time. What he was going to do was watch Blaine as he leaned over, head first under the hood providing Kurt with the most exceptional view of his life. Kurt rested his head on his hand and smiled to himself. The car could stay out of action for as long as it wanted, Kurt had no desire to be going anywhere else in a hurry.

They had only been driving for around an hour and a half, and from all the road signs Kurt knew that they had been heading in the direction of the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest. It was fine by Kurt. In all the time that he had been in LA, he had never had the opportunity to go. He wasn't exactly the most adventurous outdoor person but if a place had worthwhile scenery, he didn't mind giving it a try.

They were not far off their destination however, when Kurt's junk of a car had inevitably broken down, and Blaine, being the ever true hero, had insisted that his father's bonding endeavors over a '59 Chevy a few years back had provided him with enough skills to fix it. Or so he believed.

Kurt watched on in amusement. He didn't care how long it took Blaine to realize what the problem was because never before had Blaine demonstrated such a show of raw masculinity. The way his veins on his forearms popped as he leaned this and that way, or the way his biceps puckered out as he leaned forward and angled his arms playing with something else towards the back of the engine. And never before had Kurt had a better view of Blaine's ass as he leaned over and examined something else on the other side.

And then, Kurt couldn't believe that it was going to get better. Almost in slow motion, Blaine stood back up and pulled off his shirt in one fluid move exposing the taught and defined muscles over his shoulders. Small beads of sweat flew from his hair as he shook his head gently, and he turned sideways while he tucked the shirt into the back pocket of his jeans revealing his tanned body that was glistening with sweat. Blaine wiped his hand over his forehead and left behind a rough smudge of grease in its wake.

Kurt's mouth dropped open at the sight of Blaine's sweaty, slick body, his six pack showing, his jeans hanging low with just a hint of the top of his butt showing each and every time he moved. Kurt looked around furtively. When had he paid for this soft porn? He swallowed deeply and shifted his hips on the rock trying to give himself more space in his jeans, the material already too tight.

Finally, Blaine gave up and he turned around to face Kurt. "I'm afraid we might have to call a tow truck," he revealed solemnly. "I'm sorry, it must be bad. I've checked your oil, I've checked your radiator, I thought I could fix it but," Blaine shook his head as if the car was a pet on its last legs.

Kurt couldn't put it off any longer, not now, not when all he wanted to do was rip Blaine's jeans off.

'Damn it! Stop Kurt! Think with your head for once and not with your balls,' he berated himself.

He couldn't do anything too rash. Yes, they had gone a little further than what they had intended to the night before, but this morning Kurt had been adamant that he was going to keep things slow for Blaine. But oh boy, with a sight like that it was just too tempting.

He rose to his feet and started towards the car. He was just going to fix it that was all. He wasn't going to do anything else.

Kurt struck a pose, winked at Blaine and leaned down to reconnect the lead that stubbornly insisted on coming lose every 100 miles or so. He gave Blaine a wry smile, "There's no need for a tow truck. I think you'll find it'll work now."

Speechless, Blaine gazed at the car's engine, then back at Kurt and then back at the engine again. A frown became embedded on his forehead as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

"You..." He caught the look in Kurt's eyes and the realization set in. "You knew all along..."

Kurt ignored him, his eyes eagerly raking over Blaine's sweaty chest that was now only inches away, and as he watched, several more beads of sweat began to wind their way down Blaine's stomach muscles where they would inevitably soak into the top of Blaine's underwear.

Kurt tried to swallow down his lust.

But it was no use, he couldn't resist any more.

Fuck the idea of them taking their time and making their next intimate experience mean something. Yes, it was a sudden 180 degrees turn around in his thoughts, but now, in his current desire for Blaine, all he wanted to do was to bend Blaine over and have his way with him.

"It was too much fun watching you get all hot and sweaty," Kurt told him breathlessly.

"You fucking pervert," Blaine tutted, seeing the hunger burn in Kurt's eyes. He licked his lips and was unable to stop the twinkle come to his eyes.

They stared each other down, their eyes piercing into each other for five long seconds, their breaths becoming short, the hearts beating faster, and then, in a flash they moved.

Blaine grabbed Kurt around the waist and pushed him up against the front of the car. Their bodies collided together as their lips met, their hands quickly coming up to rake over each other's bodies and Kurt didn't care one bit that he was getting Blaine's greasy fingerprints all over his clothes. They were sloppy, eager and noisy, too consumed in their passion for each other to give a damn about anything else.

Kurt reached up and cupped Blaine's face, "Just fuck me Blaine. Fuck, me hard. Right here, right now against the front of the car. I know you wanted to wait, but I can't, not anymore. Just fuck me Blaine, fuck me! And if you don't, then I'll just have to whip you over and fuck you instead!"

"Shit, Kurt!" Blaine gasped. He grabbed Kurt around the waist and hoisted him up so he was sitting on the thin piece of metal that wound round the top of the open car. He spread Kurt's legs apart and positioned himself snugly in between his thighs. "We were meant to be taking it slowly but when you fucking talk like that."

Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine locking his ankles together around his back. "Shut up, Blaine. Just shut the fuck up." He pulled Blaine's head back to his and their lips reconnected aggressively. His hands glided over Blaine's sweaty chest and he let his fingers come to rest over one of his nipples making Blaine gasp in agreement. To answer Kurt's move, Blaine wrapped his hands around Kurt even harder, holding onto his butt cheeks so they rubbed against each other pleasingly. They both moaned in pleasure.

Kurt wasn't going to stop there though. He wanted to do this, right then and there in the open. He wanted to touch Blaine. He wanted to touch him everywhere. He wound his hand round to the back of Blaine's jeans and slid his fingers down finding his way underneath the waistband of Blaine's underwear. Blaine gasped again at his touch, louder this time.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this here," Blaine laughed against his mouth. "Maybe we should move to the back of the car."

Kurt gently scratched his other hand down Blaine's chest, his nails grazing over his skin, the dirt and sweat gathering under his fingernails. "No, we're doing this here, right now. The back of the car is too far away."

Blaine's mouth dropped open in delight. He had had sex in more than one public place in his time and he was more than delighted to hear that Kurt was just as adventurous.

Without any hesitation, Kurt met Blaine's gaze and with a devilish wink he slowly began to work the top button of Blaine's jeans free. Kurt maintained his stare and ever so slowly dragged the zip down. Unable to control himself any longer, Kurt lowered his eyes tugging on Blaine's jeans and underwear, heat engulfing his body as he pulled Blaine back against him, now naked but for his jeans that were gathered around his knees.

"You never fail to disappointment," Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips as his hand began to work him over. "You're beautiful."

Blaine closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly at the feel of Kurt's fingers. He swallowed and Kurt leaned in to gently lick his Adams Apple, his eyes alight with the power that he had over Blaine in that moment.

Blaine's lids opened a fraction and a smiled tugged at his lips. "You know, I'm not going to be the only one who's going to get off here."

"Oh!?" Kurt asked and he looked down in surprise. He had been so captivated in Blaine's beautiful face he hadn't even realized that Blaine's hands had also been getting busy. He was already pulling Kurt's zip down.

"You," Blaine spoke, his breath soft on Kurt's cheek, "are fucking gorgeous and I'm going to fucking take you whole in my mouth again just like I did last night."

"Blaine!"

"That's right, you're going to stand above me and hold my head while you fuck into my mouth. And I'm going to take it and swallow every last drop of you down!"

"Blaine!!"

Kurt felt himself pulse at Blaine's words, and that was it, it was too much. His words were like fire.

He jolted up straight hoping that he hadn't already come.

Kurt froze and looked around in confusion.

'What the hell?'

'Noooooooo.'

Kurt's shoulders dropped.

'What a disappointment.'

He had been dreaming.

Dreaming!

The dream so vivid and real, he had to think for a moment as to where it had started and where it had ended because he was achingly turned on and he could almost feel the words they had just spoken to each other. Alas, he realized, as he saw the scenery speeding past outside of the passenger window, he wasn't on top of his car, his car hadn't broken down, and most disappointingly, Blaine didn't have his hands all over him.

"Intense dream?" Blaine asked and Kurt startled again.

There was Blaine, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting in the open window, the wind blowing his beautiful curls into a maddening mess of knots. He looked dashing in his pose, his eyes peering over the top of his sunglasses.

"You could say that," Kurt said sarcastically, images of Blaine all erect and excited flashing before his eyes. He moved uncomfortably in his seat hoping that during his dream he hadn't said anything. He side-eyed Blaine and guiltily noted a satisfied smirk on his face. Oh dear, he might have.

Kurt licked his lips and smacked his mouth together trying to get some moisture back inside it. "Yes, very intense, very intense dream."

Blaine flashed him a cheeky smile but he didn't question Kurt any further, instead he redirected Kurt's attention to back outside the car. "We're nearly there," he revealed.

Kurt leaned his head slightly out of the window into the breeze enjoying how Blaine had refused to keep the windows up and use the air-conditioning. It was nice this way, instead of viewing nature from behind the glass. By having the windows down, they were in it, connected to the living breathing forest that towered above their heads. He breathed deeply and felt his body relax now that they were completely out of the city.

"So, is this where I find out that you're really a serial killer and you've brought me out here so you can get rid of my body?" Kurt asked playfully once he had opened his eyes again. "Because I have to tell you Blaine, people will notice that I've gone missing."

Blaine chuckled at his words. "Would I have given you all that sunscreen earlier if I was going to kill you?"

Kurt shrugged, "Good point. But seriously, where are you taking me?"

"Two summers ago, my brother and I came out here to explore, you know, just get out of the smog. I'm going to take you to where we went." Kurt watched him curiously as the car slowly came to a stop and Blaine handed him a card. "Stick the Adventure Pass up on the window while I get the stuff out of the boot." Kurt looked at the card wondering just when Blaine had purchased it. He must have been asleep for quite a while.

"Come on!" Blaine urged him over his shoulder as he climbed out of his seat. "You won't regret it."

Kurt followed him not wanting to be left in the car that was already heating up. He squinted against the sun despite the fact that he was wearing sunglasses, and he knew straight away that it wouldn't be long before his skin would start to prickle as it began to burn. "Blaine, you've seen my skin, haven't you?" Kurt asked worriedly coming round to Blaine's side of the car. He didn't want to sound over dramatic and he really didn't want to put a dampener on Blaine's excitement but he didn't want to turn into a burnt lobster either. "Sunscreen is not going to help against this!" he exclaimed.

Blaine laughed as he pulled a backpack out from the back of the car. He stopped though just before he put it on over his shoulders reconsidering his actions, and instead, pulled off his short sleeved shirt that he had on over his T.Shirt. Before Kurt could protest, Blaine began to wrap it strategically over Kurt's head so it covered his neck and the top of his arms.

"Not exactly the most fashionable accessory," Kurt muttered.

Blaine laughed and placed a gentle kiss on the top of Kurt's nose. "Come on, Porcelain. Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Kurt groaned. "Please don't call me that, it brings back far too many bad memories!" He watched Blaine continue to pull another bag from the back of the car and he passed it to Kurt.

"It's got a bottle of water inside. We've got a couple of hours of walking ahead of us. You'll need it." Blaine glanced at the trees above him. "And don't worry too much about the sun because most of the trail is going to be in the shade." He flashed Kurt an excited wink. "I hope you don't mind getting wet."

Kurt's mouth hung open. A couple of hours long hike? Wouldn't this be the best time for him to explain to Blaine that while quiet walks in the outdoors was nice and relaxing, Kurt didn't really consider long thrill-seeking hikes his thing, and doing it in the middle of a blistering hot day wasn't either.

He caught a glimpse of Blaine's excited face and swallowed down his instant protest. Kurt didn't want to disappoint him. "Just wait!" he called, "More sunscreen!"

The trail for the most part was not too difficult and it allowed them to chat idly and admire the scenery. But it was hot. There was no other way to explain it, and when Blaine had mentioned that they might get wet, Kurt had been a bit dubious. But to Kurt's relief, the little creek beds that they crossed provided respite from the heat. Whenever they approached a new one, Kurt would sweep down and cup the water in his hands before tossing it over his head to wet Blaine's shirt and his hair. The process seemed to help cool off his body somewhat, but by the time they reached the next stream or creek, Kurt was burning up again. He was also sweating profusely with long big beads that began at his temples, gathered in his hair and trailed down the side of this face.

"I have to say Blaine," Kurt told him while they took a short rest at one of the many creek beds they had passed. "This really is a testament as to how much I'm into you."

By then, they had been hiking for nearly three hours and Blaine looked just as sweaty, but unbelievably, his excitement had failed to wane.

He chuckled at Kurt's words, stopped and pulled Kurt close. "You know when we went past that huge rock about an hour ago." Kurt nodded trying to ignore the way his clothes were sticking to his back. "Well, if we had continued to hike that way for another couple of miles or so, we would have finally come across the Bridge to Nowhere. When my brother and I came out here we decided to explore another route, and we..." Blaine paused and he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "We found something else."

"What did you find?"

Blaine didn't answer but tugged on Kurt's hand and pulled him through some overhanging branches and tall grass. Kurt was just about to start protesting at why they had suddenly left the shorter grass, when all of a sudden, they came out of the shrubs and onto the other side where he couldn't do anything else but gasp. Blaine had led him out onto a rocky outcrop, and it was lucky that Kurt had not been rushing, because if he had, he would have stepped right over the edge and fallen into the small canyon below them.

Kurt took in the sight speechless. Inside the small canyon was a crystal clear river winding its way through the rocks. Trees and shrubs surrounded the waterhole, and as they watched, a bird leapt from a branch and took several powerful flaps of its wings to pull itself out of the canyon and up to their eye level. They watched it soar into the sky where it circled above them, annoyed that it had been disturbed before it continued off to find somewhere else to hunt. It had left the lost paradise behind making it private just for Kurt and Blaine to use.

Kurt looked at Blaine and found that he was watching him.

"Blaine! It's beautiful!" he exclaimed.

Blaine's smile widened, delighted by Kurt's response. "I come here now and then when I want to get away. Apart from when I came here with my brother, I've never brought anyone else here before, but I wanted to share it with you." Kurt quickly glanced at him in surprise realizing that this was Blaine opening up to him even further, letting him in and seeing what Blaine was really all about. "It's better down there," Blaine announced. "Think you're ready for a swim?"

Kurt's face rose in surprise but he nodded eagerly. Yes, he was ready for a swim but he hadn't brought his swimmers.

"Let's go!" Blaine turned heading to the edge of the canyon where he could start to scramble down a gap in the rocks.

"Blaine," Kurt spoke, his voice quiet.

Blaine turned to face him a questioning look in his eyes.

"Thanks for bringing me here. I might have been a bit reluctant at first but it's truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with me."

Blaine smiled and gave him a quick nod of his head. "Come on, the water is going to be amazing."

It only took several minutes to scramble down to the bottom. They helped each other on the way as they negotiated the larger rocks, jumping from one to another before they were able to slide down some gravel to reach the water. It did look very inviting. They dropped their bags and Blaine immediately started to rip off his shirt and pull off his trousers.

"I'll see you in there," he called over his shoulder, and to Kurt's amazement, Blaine didn't stop at his shirt and jeans. He bent down, and in one swift move, ripped off his underwear before he began to run towards the water's edge. He waited until he got to his knees, and then he dived, his body disappearing into the water, his small but shapely form gliding powerfully with just two simple strokes. Kurt watched as Blaine kicked with his legs and disappeared under the dark surface before suddenly resurfacing in the middle of the waterhole a few seconds later. He let out a loud blissful shout when his head came up.

"Oh my god, Kurt! You have to get in here, the water is amazing!"

Kurt was still standing at the water's edge, his hands on his shirt as he looked around nervously wondering if he had the courage to rip off all of his clothes as well. He didn't believe he was a prude and he had no problem parading around without any clothes on at home (when he was alone of course) but he was not an exhibitionist either.

Blaine spied his worried glances. "Don't worry, Kurt," he called over. "There's no one around. It's just us here."

There was nothing more in the world that Kurt wanted than to dive into the water and swim nakedly with Blaine. Who cared if someone came along and saw them, it would be worth it. He stripped out of his clothes and tiptoed to the edge, his hands cupped over himself to keep him modest. He braved a toe into the water and yelped. It was freezing!

"You better just dive in and get it over with," Blaine advised him swimming back over. He was on his stomach, his hands on the small rocks under the water to keep his head up.

"It's like ice!" Kurt cried out.

Blaine only sauntered closer. "Trust me, it feels great once you're in."

Kurt knew it was only because his body was hot. He gasped as his feet fully submerged and braved to wade deeper until the water was up to his calves. The water was so cold it burned and he jumped up and down on the spot in protest. "You've got to be kidding me!"

But Blaine was not going to hear any of it. He suddenly leapt up out of the water, grabbed Kurt around the waist and tackled him down. The landed with a crash, Kurt's eyes all squished together to stop the water from getting into them. He screamed all the way, and then resurfaced still screaming. "I can't believe you did that! How can I ever trust you again?" He gasped playfully.

Blaine let go laughing at the sight of Kurt's appearance, struggling to gain his footing. He reached out for Kurt's fingers and tried to pull him closer, but this time, Kurt turned the tables. He lunged at Blaine to get some revenge and the pair toppled back down under the water, their hands protectively grabbing onto each other once again. The both came up and Blaine's hands that had been holding Kurt around the middle came up to loop around the back of his neck.

"So, are you glad you came?" Blaine asked, droplets of water running down his hair and face.

Kurt couldn't remove the smile off his face enjoying the feel of their wet, slick bodies sliding against each other in the chest high water. "Of course I am," he replied breathlessly and he leaned in and gently kissed Blaine. After all his internal bitching and complaining he was absolutely delighted that Blaine had brought him to this secret location.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Blaine spoke quickly before he leaned back in to finish the kiss.

"You're welcome," Kurt murmured, his lips grazing over Blaine's as he spoke.

Their kiss suddenly deepened both of them all too aware of their naked bodies under the water. Blaine pulled away to catch his breath, Kurt's hand trailing over his chest. "Come with me," he whispered, smiling so seductively Kurt's stomach flopped with excitement. "There's a little alcove over to the left, we can explore the rest of the waterhole later." He tugged Kurt with him and they continued to kiss, Blaine gently pushing Kurt's body in the direction that he wanted to go until Kurt suddenly found his back pushed up against the back of a rock.

"Are we really going to do this?" Kurt asked glancing around stealthily as Blaine kissed his collarbone. Despite the fact that he was sure they were the only ones there and they were quite isolated, he was fearful that someone might see.

"You know," Blaine began kissing his way up Kurt's cool wet chest, "this has always been a fantasy of mine." His lips worked up Kurt's neck and over his jawline, and Kurt closed his eyes trying to remain levelheaded. It was impossible though when Blaine was running his tongue over him like that.

"Well, we just might have to let that fantasy come true then, hadn't we," Kurt decided out loud, his excitement pushing all of his anxieties aside.

It didn't actually last long for either of them. Kurt had wanted to try to get them to come together, but in reality, how often did that ever happen? Blaine, on the other hand, was determined to get Kurt there first even after Kurt had interlocked his fingers and thumbs over both of them and used the water to help with his efforts. But Blaine was devious, in fact, he was conniving. He pushed Kurt up so he was sitting on a rock that jutted into the little alcove they had taken sanctuary in, and it was there, in broad daylight and not under water with his hands that Blaine insisted on going down on him.

The rest of the afternoon panned out quickly while they were locked in their own little world. They continued to swim, talking and holding onto each other in the water. They explored the river, wandering a little way down stream not caring in the least that they were still naked. It wasn't until much later that they took refuge in the shade and ate some of the leftovers from the night before that Blaine had packed in his backpack. There was not a sound until they finished eating, both feeling suddenly ravenous after their long hike. After their meal, feeling tired and replete they lay out flat on their backs, side by side, their hands entwined, and in the happy silence that contained them, Kurt finally attempted to get Blaine to talk.

"Blaine...," Kurt began cautiously trying to keep his words light, "I have to say, you manage to keep this side of you well hidden from the rest of the world. I mean you have the bad boy rocker down really well, but this, this is really a different side of you."

Blaine had nearly dozed off. He let out a sound that started as a laugh but ended in a sigh. "Yes, the bad boy image."

"The bad boy image," Kurt repeated breathing a sigh of relief that Blaine hadn't cut the conversation off like he had the night before. "So... what's the deal with all that? Don't you think you've gone a little too far?" Kurt cringed hoping he wasn't going to ruin everything that Blaine had done for him that day.

Blaine was silent for a moment while he contemplated Kurt's words. He wasn't stupid. He knew full well that Kurt believed that it was his turn to open up. If he did want to move forward with Kurt then this was going to be a conversation that was going to have to take place.

"Well, to be truthful Kurt, the bad boy rocker is me." He flashed Kurt a hesitant glance. "He'll always be a part of me even while I'm sitting here with you escaping from the real world. There's still a part of me that loves doing all the crazy things that you've seen me do because for the most part, it's a hell of a lot of fun."

"You call getting arrested and doing time behind bars and all the other crazy stuff you've been doing, fun?" Kurt exclaimed with just a hint of cynicism.

"Come on, Kurt," Blaine scoffed. "It's not like I'm the first rock star to let loose and run amuck. History is scattered with rock stars' scandalous behavior, and compared to some hard core rockers from the 70s and the 80s, I'm pretty tame."

"You can't say you've been a bit tame over the past couple of months though," Kurt chided rolling onto his side so he could look him in the face. "You've been a bit stupid!"

Blaine rolled over onto his stomach so he could meet Kurt's argument. "Stupid? Stupid would be biting the head off a bat and then having to be treated for rabies, or sticking furniture to my hotel ceiling with cement or blowing up toilets."

"And even when you consider Hunter's behavior, he's nowhere as bad as Iggy Pop who encouraged an all-out brawl with his audience at a concert in 1974 and don't even get me started on Jim Morrison, the first rock star to actually be arrested on stage during a live performance." Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Really Kurt, in comparison to those days, I'm really tame."

"Tame?"

"Yes, tame. And when you look at most rock stars today, most of them have turned into yoga health fanatics who book hotels with suitable amenities for their families. I'm just doing my bit to keep the real rock star image alive and I'm having fun doing it."

Blaine rolled onto his back, his lips pursed tightly and a frown heavy on his forehead. It wasn't really an excuse. It was Blaine just trying to deflect and stop Kurt from getting to the real stuff, the complicated stuff, the stuff that Blaine had been shying away from for a long time.

"But..." Kurt paused just fractionally, worried that he might press Blaine too far, "I'm sorry if I'm being pushy, but I sense something else," Blaine's head suddenly flashed over, their eyes locked and Kurt was almost too afraid to continue. "I sense something within you trying to break free."

Blaine's eyes clouded over and the rigid tension that Kurt had seen before returned to Blaine's body. Kurt was determined, however, to not let this slide. He had gone this far, he might as well continue. He leaned over earnestly and grabbed Blaine's arm, squeezing it tightly for emphasis.

"You are a talented man, Blaine.... I just wouldn't want something bad to really happen to you. Some of the things you've done in the past months have been over the top. You're capable of so much more."

"And why do you think that you know me so well, to think that I'm this so wonderfully talented guy? You don't really know me either," Blaine challenged defensively and Kurt knew full well that he was dealing with that wild crazy man who he saw on stage. The wonderful, gentle Blaine that had brought him to the hideaway canyon had disappeared completely. "All you see is what I show everyone on stage, for the cameras."

"Because Blaine," Kurt said passionately scooting himself up to sit crossed legged beside him. "Do you remember two years ago when you were live on that state fundraiser and you had to fill in for that guy who suddenly got hurt?"

Blaine didn't answer. He was surprised that Kurt had even seen it.

"It was before you went in the National competition, so maybe not many people have seen it or even know about it, but I saw it a couple of months ago on Youtube, and you know what?" Kurt didn't wait for an answer. "You were amazing. You just got up there on the piano, and you started singing these two amazing songs that you later told the audience you had written." Kurt shook his head in awe. "Those songs were incredible."

Blaine sat up, pulling his legs up to his body and wrapping his arms around his knees mirroring the exact same pose from when he had withdrawn from Kurt back in the hotel room all those months ago. Kurt held his breath waiting for Blaine to answer but he could feel the anger, the desperation, the anguish and most terribly the hopelessness radiating off of him.

"Blaine," Kurt finally spoke but his voice was barely a whisper. "What is it? What's holding you back? Why can't you do that now? Why can't you just be yourself?"

The silence after Kurt's words was deafening, and just like the hotel room, Kurt suddenly felt uncomfortable, exposed in his nakedness and he wondered whether he should just quietly stand and give Blaine some space.

"The truth is," Blaine finally spoke out to the scenery before him, "it's not as easy as that. It's, it's Sebastian. All the success that we have created is off this image that Sebastian has made."

"Sebastian?" Kurt asked in shock, shuddering at the thought of the man.

Blaine nodded as if he was trying to convince himself. "It's what I've built my fame off of." Blaine turned to Kurt, "He's a very sharp and clever businessman. I owe everything I have to him. He's right. If I changed it, I could lose everything."

"So, Sebastian believes running yourself into the ground, giving yourself alcohol poisoning and having the possibility of an extended stay at Los Angeles County Jail, is the way to go about building your career?" Kurt stated sarcastically. "Right, I'll keep that in mind the next time I want to be famous."

Blaine's eyes narrowed but Kurt was not sorry, someone had to be brave to say it.

Surprisingly however, Blaine laughed. "Man, I love it when you do that?" He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Kurt's lips, but there, before Kurt could feel completely relieved, something else flashed over Blaine's eyes. Kurt tilted his head quizzically. It had been so quick, he hadn't been able to place an emotion on it, but maybe, just maybe it was Blaine remembering something he didn't want to.

"Sebastian is right," Blaine continued. "If I go about and write my own music, my image will change. I know that, Sebastian knows that, and then it's not just my job that's being put at risk. It's also his job, Rachel's job, everyone on my team. All of them would be affected if things went bad. And if you've seen that Youtube clip, then you know it's true too because you will also know how different my music is." Blaine nodded as if he was reassuring himself. "No, Sebastian has made all the decisions from the start and everything has worked out well. I mean look at me. I wouldn't have any of this success if it wasn't for him." He turned to look Kurt in the eyes. "I won't lie. I would love to have some creative license to make my own songs. I have all these other ideas, for other different kinds of music, but yeah, Sebastian is scared that the fans won't like my softer side."

"Well, even the hard core rockers from the 80s have a softer side," Kurt told him.

Blaine nodded his head, "Hmm, maybe."

They were silent for a few moments until Kurt decided to voice his opinion one last time, "To be honest, I really didn't think that managers had so much control over their artists."

"They don't, but they do, but they don't." Blaine sighed, "It's complicated Kurt."

Kurt watched Blaine brood. There was more, lots more that Kurt could sense in Blaine's pensive expression. Blaine lifted his head and gazed off into the distance and it was obvious he wasn't going to say anything else. For now, whatever it was, Blaine wasn't going to share it with Kurt.

Kurt decided to let the matter rest. He had said his piece, and for the most part, Blaine did not appear too disgruntled with his approach. If his gut feeling was right, Blaine would tell him when he was ready. Kurt forced a smile and glanced at the sky. "Should we brave another swim before we head back?"

Blaine smiled but it was still shadowed with whatever else was hanging over his thoughts. "Sure," he managed.

They tried to recapture some of the delight that they had experienced earlier in the day, but no matter how they tried, it was gone. Even when Blaine came for a second time under Kurt's gentle hands a short time later, his body curled with tense frustration, his face tight with a hidden stress, Kurt knew everything was tainted with that last bit of Blaine's story that he hadn't dared to reveal to Kurt. Instead, Blaine turned Kurt around so his chest was flat against a rock at the water's edge and ran his hands over Kurt's back to massage his muscles. Blaine leaned up and placed a delicate kiss on the back of his neck and as tightly as he could he wrapped his hands around Kurt's body from behind.

"Enjoy," he whispered before he lowered himself down, kissing his way down Kurt's spine until he reached the top of the delicate curve of Kurt's butt cheeks. Kurt held onto the rock in anticipation but it wasn't long until he was struggling to hold himself up as he squirmed delightfully underneath the feeling of Blaine's tongue.

Afterwards, once they held each other long enough for Kurt to catch his breath, Blaine glanced at his watch. "We should make a move," he murmured reluctantly, his head now lying flat against Kurt's thigh as Kurt swirled his fingers through his hair.

"I didn't mean to pry so much before," Kurt whispered worriedly. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't ruin the day for you."

Blaine only wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt and snuggled into his body. "You didn't, you just made me acknowledge what I don't want to face." Blaine lifted his head and met his gaze, offering him a weak smile. "Really, we're fine."

They didn't speak as they swam to the water's edge to dress and gather their things, but they did stop once after they had climbed out of the small canyon. Side by side they stood with the warm sun at their backs taking one last look at the view, their fingers entwined.

"This has truly been an amazing day," Kurt said squeezing Blaine's hand.

Blaine squeezed back. "It's not over yet," he smiled mischievously causing Kurt to turn and glance at him in wonder. "We've still got another three hours of hiking to go to get us back to the car."

Kurt's face dropped and he couldn't help the long groan that escaped from his lips. "I forgot all about that."

Blaine turned tugging Kurt after him so they could start back on the trail, both knowing they wouldn't get home until very late. This time as they walked they walked hand in hand but instead of the joyful chit chat they had experienced that morning, they walked silently. At first, Kurt suspected that it might have been due to their tiredness but something else had crept up on Kurt during the late afternoon, something that he couldn't shake off and it all had to do with that look in Blaine's eyes from earlier.

He gave Blaine a quick smile as he glanced back over his shoulder, his face dancing as the sun shone through the trees. Kurt tried to swallow down the anxious lump in his throat but he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that all of this, all this time that they had spent together was to be short lived. He didn't want to be the pessimist but the next day was Monday, and whether Blaine liked it or not, reality was going to catch up with him and with it, Kurt believed that something in Blaine's past had the possibility to pull apart everything that they had built over the past two days.

Kurt was sure of it.