The sand still held onto the summer heat even at this late hour. He felt it as the grains made their way over his toes and into his sandals. The feeling always brought back memories of being here on this same beach when he was younger; when the most important worry of the day was if he could jump more waves than the day before or build a bigger sand castle than Cassandra and Turner, the kids who summered next door to his grandparents.

"You look like you're a thousand miles away right now," he heard murmured into his ear as a pair of arms encircled his waist. He felt the coolness of Kurt's skin through his thin t-shirt. "I can't tell if it's good and wistful or deep and angsty." Blaine let the crash of the waves breaking against the shore hold as the soundtrack to his pause.

"A little of both," Blaine explained, smiling slightly as he leaned back against Kurt. "It's been a few years since I've been back here. So much has changed, but so much is still the same you know? I don't think I'll ever not love it here. This place was so important to me when I was younger, magical even."

Blaine's summers always wrapped with spending the last 3 weeks of his vacation at his grandparent's house on the south shore of Long Island. Sometimes it was with his parents in tow, but as he grew older more often than not, he was sent off alone. His Nana and Gramps Anderson always doted on their favorite grandson and had a special place in their hearts for him.

"I can't tell you how many nights I would sneak out of bed to come down here to sit on a blanket and count the stars. I think you can see more here than you do back home. I'd always try to find a falling star, you know, to make a wish and all," Blaine trailed off, looking back up to the sky.

Kurt's heart felt for Blaine in that moment. He knew Blaine wasn't as lucky as he was growing up. His father sat and had tea parties with him; let him cut up old sheets to make his first crude dress designs. There were lofty expectations woven in Blaine's, between his sliding around in the mud with his soccer ball and piano lessons.

"They didn't care, you know? Nana said as long as I was happy and smiling her favorite smile, that's all that mattered to her. Gramps too, he would just ruffle my hair and remind me to just always be myself and fuck the rest of them." Blaine chuckled at the last part. "Nana would get on his case, telling him not to curse in front of me, but she would wink at me when she'd scold him. The two of them are such spitfires, even at their age. We'd do so much together in those weeks here. Nana would take me to Bingo to show me off, helped me create the perfect strawberry lemonade, taught me how to catch fireflies. Gramps would take me beachcombing, schooled me on how to boogie board, how to set the perfect crab traps. I'll always be grateful for that."

Kurt held him a little tighter, nuzzling into his neck with a slight sigh. "I'm really glad they invited us out here for the week. This place is amazing and the house is beyond stunning. I could just live in your Nana's craft room alone. I think I love them more than you. I'd totally move in with them, screw you and our tiny apartment."

Blaine laughed a full body shaking laugh, whatever tension that was soaked in his body just flying away. "This is why I love you so much. Come on, Nana said they were having music, fireworks and a bonfire up near the pier. I have a perfect place to watch it all with some semblance of privacy," he explained with a slight smile creeping up. As he turned out of Kurt's grasp, Blaine grabbed the basket to the left of them and held out his other hand to Kurt.

"What's in the basket?" Kurt asked, as they made their way up the beach hand in hand, ducking through some of the dunes and sand grass.

"It's a surprise. Just have a little patience, you'll see when we get there. I think you'll like it. We're almost there. We'll be close enough to watch the fireworks and hear the music, but far enough back that I can cuddle and have my way with you," Blaine said slyly.

Walking over one more set of dunes, they finally came to a stop. Pulling out a well worn, large blanket out of the top of the basket, Blaine started to set things up. Once the blanket was spread out along the sand and the corners weighted down with driftwood, he started to unpack the rest of basket. Kurt settled down in the one corner, watching Blaine with a curious eye. "Is that what I think it is?" Kurt questioned, picking up the two large glass Mason jar. "This is…"

"There's probably two dozen in each of them there, enough to make it the perfect lantern. Not too bright, but bright enough. That's what I did on my walk before when you were in the midst of your post shower routine. Some habits die hard," Blaine said with a shrug. "We'll set them free before we head back."

He went back to unpacking pulling out a jug of sparkling strawberry lemonade, a few small Tupperware containers of sliced fruits, creamy fruit dip, some mini dark chocolate drops and Kurt's new favorite, his Nana's oatmeal caramel lace cookies.

"Too much?" he asked as he settled down on the blanket and into Kurt's side, wrapping an arm around his waist to draw him closer.

"Never," Kurt whispered, sliding down the blanket slightly so he could drop his head against Blaine's shoulder.

"This is part of what I wished for you know," Blaine began, trailing his fingers lightly over Kurt's arm, tracing haphazard loops. "I wanted someone to have nights like this with; someone who'd understand me, just love me for being me."

"You'll never need to change Blaine, ever. I love you, every single part of you, even the ones that drive me crazy. I wouldn't want you any other way," Kurt said, his voice full of emotion.

Blaine looked down at Kurt, wedged tightly into his side with Kurt's head nuzzling his chest and his hand drawing heart shapes over his. He shifted, drawing Kurt into his lap. Blaine held him close, one hand weaving its way through the hair at the nape of Kurt's neck, the other on the small of his back to hold him in place.

Blaine meant to kiss him soft, slow and languid like he does when he wants Kurt to feel deep down how much he loves him. Though the moment his lips skate down from Kurt's jaw line to meet his lips, his plan was shot to hell. The sheer force of emotions that Blaine ran through this evening poured through in this kiss. It was wet, full of tongue and teeth, intense to the point that only a few seconds in Blaine knew his lips were already bruising.

Blaine felt Kurt's whine reverberating all the way in the back of his throat as Kurt's hands found their way from resting on his shoulders to tracing their way from his face to thread into his hair. Kurt tried to inch closer, but they were already as close as possible, instead he rocked up against Blaine desperately. It was Blaine's turn to moan, not expecting that reaction from Kurt at all. All he wanted was to continue, to drag his hands over the swell of Kurt's ass and rut against him until they were lost to anything else. He was tempted, but then Blaine remembered where they were with the backfire of a firework charge booming in the background. He slid his hands slowly up the slope of Kurt's arms to cup his hands over Kurt's and squeezed over them lightly.

They pulled apart, foreheads leaning against each other as they tried to catch their breath. Blaine knew better than to push it much farther. As hidden as they were, it was still a public beach. When their eyes met, they both seemed to understand that fact. They both slid down onto the blanket, lying down wrapped around each other. Fireworks started to dot the sky as they settled into the blanket.

"I love you too, so much. You taste like my favorite memories of summer," Blaine whispered against his lips before jumping in to kiss Kurt again.