He’d watched Blaine do this night after night, and multiple times up close today and he had practiced this unlit what felt like a million times. Blaine had watched him carefully making sure he had the technique perfected, giving him advice and making small adjustments here and there. Kurt felt ready, he could do this, Blaine had even said so.

Blaine had showed him again at his request, moving the torch into his mouth with controlled practiced movements. Slow and precise, the flame gliding into his mouth, stabilized by his hand and tongue. Kurt watched in awe as the flames licked at Blaine’s lips as they pulled in at the corners and tightened to suffocate the flame. He noted how the flame had gone out but Blaine still waited an extra second before removing the now extinguished torch from his mouth, his face relaxed yet set in a look of concentration.

“Um, once more?”

Blaine just gave him a small smile and a nod as he pulled the lighter out of his pocket and relit his torch. Kurt watched Blaine yet again, paying as much attention as possible this time. He saw how fearless Blaine seemed despite the foot tall flame he was bringing towards his face. He watched each small motion Blaine made, the way his tongue came out to guide the wick in, he noted the aperture of Blaine’s mouth and counted exactly how long he held the torch in before removing it.

He knew exactly what he had to do, he had practiced the best he could, and he was ready. Or so he thought, but once it was lit and there was a huge column of flame moving towards his face, things changed a bit. After the sixth failed attempt to even put the torch in his mouth, Kurt was well on his way to giving up. The idea of putting that flame inside him, no matter how safe Blaine said he would be…he couldn’t even fathom it.

It was almost as if Blaine could sense his trepidation when he held out his hand and spoke to Kurt softly, “Here Kurt, hold my hand, that might help.”

Having Blaine’s warm hand in his did help, he felt braver with Blaine touching him, safer. This was so much different from silks, sure he could fall and hurt himself there, but the fabric wouldn’t hurt him, fire though? Fire could hurt him, fire was something he had no control over and it gnawed at his stomach and caused his heart to race, beating hard in his chest. Blaine’s hand in his did nothing to slow his heart, but it did help him to focus and feel calm. He set out to try again, resolute, he would accomplish it this time, and he would at the very least get the flam into his mouth.

Ten minutes later the closest he had gotten before he pulled the flame away was about four inches from his mouth, but the second he felt the heat he promptly freaked out, yanking his arm away so fast he nearly threw the still lit torch across the tent. Thankfully Blaine had grabbed his hand and removed the torch before that could happen.

Finally, after the ninth attempt, Kurt was ready to throw in the towel. He’d made little progress, finding himself unable to get past the fear and actually take that final step. He knew that if he could just put the flame in his mouth he could put it out, but he didn’t know what to do to go against all his instincts and actually get the flame in there.

Laying the eating torches down between the two of them he looked up and finally spoke. “Blaine, I don’t think I can do this. It’s fire and you want me to put it in my mouth.” He left out a sigh of disappointment, mentally chastising himself for not being able to do this; he should be able to do this. He could climb 30 feet in the air on fabric with no safety net below him and twist himself up and do drops but he couldn’t put out a flame in his mouth?

Blaine sat silent for a few moments, looking down, his mouth moving slightly as if he were talking to himself. He looked like he was debating until finally he nodded once, almost imperceptibly before he spoke.

“Well, there is one other thing we can try…” Blaine looked up from where his eyes had been fixed on his torches and locked eyes with Kurt. “It might help you become more comfortable with the idea of a flame in your mouth, I mean if you want to that is.” He looked hopeful, excited yet scared that Kurt might actually say yes.

“Well what is it?”

“A tongue to tongue transfer. I light my tongue on fire and you have some fuel on your tongue and then I transfer the flame from my tongue to yours.” Blaine said blushing slightly. He didn’t quite meet Kurt’s eyes, choosing instead to look down at his equipment, occupying his hands with the torches, checking each one for something, Kurt wasn’t sure what.

They sat there in silence as Kurt thought through the idea, it seemed fairly harmless, how big of a flame could Blaine really have on his tongue? But at the same time…this was Blaine, and Blaine’s tongue would be touching his.

“We touch our tongues together…but they’re on fire? So it’s like a…a flaming kiss?” Kurt asked raising one eyebrow and looking at Blaine with far more understanding than he was comfortable with.

“Um yea, I guess. I mean our lips won’t touch, just our tongues. We don’t have to, we can just stop here if you want.” He looked almost forlorn, like he couldn’t help but be upset at the idea of not doing this with Kurt.

“Okay, let’s try it. If you think it will help I’m in.”

Kurt couldn’t help but feel warm at the huge grin that spread across Blaine’s face as that, at how excited he looked at the idea of Kurt going along with this seemingly ridiculous plan of his. He sat there as Blaine explained the trick to him, he would take a fueled wick and press it to his tongue to deposit fuel, then sit there and wait as Blaine lit his own tongue, brought the flame to Kurt’s, transferred it, and then Kurt just had to close his mouth the make his own flame go out. It was simple really, and Kurt felt confident in his ability to follow through this time.

The first few tries were unsuccessful, Blaine was too eager, moved too fast and the flame went out on his way to touch it to Kurt’s tongue. Other times Kurt panicked, he constantly told himself it was because of the flame from the torch and the proximity to him, or else due to the closeness of the flame on Blaine’s tongue, though if he was being honest with himself, it was probably because of how close Blaine was. Not the flame on his tongue, but Blaine’s tongue, Blaine himself, with his warm hands and sparking eyes and his smile that made Kurt’s knees feel weak.

Finally Blaine took Kurt’s hand in his and that feeling of warmth rushed from his hand to the rest of his body. Blaine smiled at Kurt and then opened his mouth to press a fueled torch against his tongue as he nodded at Kurt to do the same.

Blaine lit the torch and Kurt leaned in close to decrease the distance between their tongues. This time Blaine brought his tongue towards Kurt’s and Kurt didn’t pull away, he allowed Blaine’s tongue to brush against his lightly before Blaine pulled away shaking his head. Kurt felt a rush of heat in his tongue and then further back, spreading a shiver down his spine. It hadn’t worked that time, Kurt could tell by the lack of flame on his tongue and the look on Blaine’s face. He ignored the heat he had felt, writing it off as being due to the proximity of the flame to his tongue, rather than Blaine’s tongue against his.

They tried again. Kurt pressed the fuel hard into his tongue being sure to lay down enough in a small area. This time Blaine’s tongue bearing the flame skated across Kurt’s and the flame jumped from Blaine’s tongue to Kurt’s. He could feel the moment that it happened, the way his tongue prickled with heat, the strange sensation almost like a hot tickle. Different from the heat he felt before, it was sharper, more visceral.

Blaine pulled back and looked directly at Kurt, their eyes locked as they both brought their tongues back into their mouths and closed them to extinguish the flames. Their gazes stayed fixed on each other as Kurt blinked slowly and they stared, silent until Kurt began to blink slowly and then looked away, a slight flush creeping up his neck and staining his cheeks.

“That was um…” Kurt breathed as he leaned towards Blaine just slightly, eyes flicking back up, a minute shift of muscles under pale skin propelling him gently, subtly towards Blaine, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips that were now dry from the heat of the flame.

There was no denying the feelings he had for Blaine anymore; the rush he felt when Blaine’s tongue touched his, the tingle that went up his arm when their hands connected, the ever present spark between them that he felt every time they locked eyes in the changing rooms before performances, during dinner, really whenever they were close to one another.

“Yeah, it was,” Blaine murmured as he shifted as well, moving towards Kurt, adjusting his body and slanting his shoulders forward slightly, putting his face just inches away from Kurt’s. They continued to lock eyes, slowly inching towards each other until they could feel the heat of the others breath on their skin once more.

“That was really good, Kurt” He signed, his breath falling hot against Kurt’s face.

Kurt quirked up the left side of his mouth into a half smile before his lips fell loose once more, parked, waiting.

“Thanks,” his eyes fluttering closed tongue sliding out again, brushing against Blaine’s lips as well this time as they were only millimeters apart.

Then Blaine pushed forward that final bit and their lips met.

Kurt felt heat like he had never experienced before, like flames slithering down his spine. Like the tingling heat from the flame trails Blaine had placed on his arm before but more intense and focused around his lips.

It was perfect, Blaine’s soft lips gliding slowly over his, parting gently before closing again, separating and coming back together unhurriedly and exploring the way they could move together. The barest flick of tongue over his lower lip, testing; Blaine’s hand reaching up to cup the side of his face.

Blaine’s lips parted slightly and Kurt followed suit, their lips opened against each other and then closed, Kurt’s lower lip now trapped between both of Blaine’s. Blaine sucked lightly, just the barest pressure, before they broke apart and reunited, this time with Kurt in control.

Their tongues slithered out to touch lightly between their mouths, softer and faster than during the flame transfer, yet infinitely more erotic. It was exhilarating, as though they were linked together by a trail of flame, heat spiraling between them. Kurt felt like they were trapped in their own little world in this corner of the tent, created by and existing only for them.

It was the most perfect kiss Kurt could ever imagine, almost too good to be real. He thought about what they must look like entwined; he imagined they looked beautiful, because something this pure couldn’t be anything other than stunning.

Kurt tilted his head just a hair farther to the left as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into Blaine’s mouth to roll over his, pushing, gliding, then pulling back before coming together once more. They were moving together yet in counterpoint, Kurt retreating as Blaine chased, then changing roles, a constant give and take.

Then suddenly they were shifting, sliding down. Kurt didn’t even realize it until he felt Blaine’s other hand on his lower back supporting him. Kurt slid his hand behind Blaine’s neck and he was drawing him down, pulling Blaine on top of him. Blaine’s thigh grazed Kurt’s half-hard cock as they shifted and Kurt let out a small moan.