Blaine looked over his shoulder cautiously as he swam away from the castle. If Cooper, or worse his father, caught him sneaking to the surface again he would be in for it this time.
When Blaine had decided that the coast was clear, he swam through his secret passage to a nearby beach. When he reached the surface he breathed in the warm air, reveling in the heat warming his skin.
He pulled himself on top of a rock overlooking the beach area. Blaine was risking a lot showing off his tail on the surface, but he ignored the nagging voice in his head telling him not to. The warmth and breeze of the surface felt so different than the water.
Blaine spent the afternoon splashing around in the shallow water, singing songs and day dreaming about what it would be like to have legs, and be able to walk!
The sun was setting when Blaine decided to return to the castle before his father came looking for him. If he found him on the surface again, Blaine would be grounded for months! His father was not found of humans and had a strict rule about staying away from the surface.
As he turned to leave, still humming his happy melody, he heard a voice not far off.
"Hello. Is somebody here?" The mysterious voice questioned.
Blaine stopped humming immediately, diving behind a rock to hide his tail.
"I swear I heard someone singing on the beach," the voice continued.
"I heard it too," another voice chimed in. "That doesn't matter, whoever was here is gone. Now we have to talk about the ball next week."
The couple appeared on the beach, emerging from the forest.
Blaine hadn't had much experience with humans before but the two that appeared in front of him did not appear to be dressed for the beach.
The first voice he heard belonged to a handsome man. He had porcelain skin and perfectly set hair. His clothing showed off all of the right parts, the strong arms, the long legs. Blaine caught himself blushing behind his rock. His tail involuntarily twitched with excitement.
"What was that?" the man cried.
"Probably a fish or something, calm down Kurt."
Kurt, Blaine thought over and over again. He smiled as he whispered the name aloud "Kurt." Yes, Kurt was a good name for this man.
As for the girl, she wore a long puffy dress that looked too warm for the summer time. She had long brown hair and spoke with an annoying tone towards Kurt.
Blaine felt like swimming over and protecting this new boy from her controlling tone, but what was he supposed to do when he couldn't walk?
Instead, Blaine stayed behind the rock, eavesdropping on the couple's conversation. As every moment passed Blaine, knew his chances of being caught increased, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of the mysterious boy.
"Your father has arranged for eligible women from across the land to come meet you at this ball, so be on your best behaviour. I have put a lot of work into planning this for you and-"
"Shut up, Rachel," Kurt snapped at the girl.
She took a step back, not expecting Kurt to be so harsh with her.
"You know why I don't want this ball. I don't want to meet eligible women. I don't want to spend the night dancing with fake women who just want money from me. I don't want to marry a woman. You and I both know I am interested in men, and I am not marrying for power or money. When I get married it will be for love!"
She almost laughed in his face.
"I also know you have to marry a woman if you want to be king someday," she replied bitterly.
"Maybe I don't want to be king. Besides being an openly gay king is unheard of. It's different to be a worker or a knight, but a ruling king-" He cut himself off, sighing harshly. "Some people don't understand that it's just who I am," he explained to Rachel. Kurt balled his fists in anger at the discrimination against higher class men not being able to love other men.
"Well I'm sure Finn would love to be king," she replied, not helping at all. "He isn't blood related but he is Burt's step-son, and then I would be queen. Actually this is sounding better and better as I keep talking. You should marry who you want Kurt, then I can be Finn's queen!"
Before Kurt could snap at her, another man appeared from the forest.
"Finn!" Rachel squealed, rushing over to kiss him on the lips. Blaine pulled a face.
"Hey," he said, pulling Rachel closer to him. "Uh, Kurt, Burt wants you to go back to the castle. The first girl for your ball has arrived."
Kurt let out a sigh and disappeared into the dark forest.
Blaine swam back to his castle in a hurry to make it home before his curfew.
"And where have you been?" Cooper questioned Blaine the moment he returned home.
"Nowhere," Blaine replied dryly.
"That means you were either drooling over mermen or you went to the surface again."
"Neither. I was practicing my singing." Well that wasn't a complete lie.
"Whatever, little bro. I don't care, just don't let dad find out."
"What, that I'm gay? Or I like humans?"
"Both."
Blaine's father was not accepting of same sex couples. He tolerated them in the kingdom but had made it very clear to Blaine and Cooper that no son of his will like mermen.
This was becoming more of a problem because Blaine couldn't help but think of Kurt the whole night. He was a man and worse a human, exactly the opposite of what Blaine's father wanted for him.
I'm going to die alone, Blaine thought to himself.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Kurt lied.
This was the first girl of many and he was already tired of them. This one had overdone hair and large jewels drooping from her ears. Her boobs were almost falling out of her dress. Not that Kurt was looking, but when he bent over to kiss her hand he almost got a face full of breast. He guessed it was that easy to win over some princes, but not Kurt. He was on a whole different team, and had a whole different reason to wed.
"My friend Rachel will escort you to your room," Kurt said through a fake smile.
"I look forward to seeing you around," she winked and took off with Rachel.
"Dad, do I really have to do this?" Kurt complained as soon as they were out of earshot.
"You're going to have to find a wife somehow."
"But dad…" Kurt trailed off. He wanted to tell his father the truth but he was scared of his father's reaction.
"But what?" Burt questioned.
"Nothing dad, I'm going to the beach."
"Be home by sunset, the princess from the West Castle will be arriving then."
"Can't wait," he replied sarcastically.
Blaine had returned to the beach where he'd seen Kurt every day since his first appearance in hopes that he would see Kurt again. He was not disappointed; Kurt had spent most of his time on the beach. Blaine learned from listening to Rachel that Kurt was hiding from his potential wives at the castle.
"You only have a few days until the ball. You should be there meeting the girls," Rachel told Kurt. "You know you have to pick a wife before your 21st birthday or the throne is passed on to the next eligible male- Finn. Your father can't handle being king anymore because of his heart cond-"
"Shut up about my dad, Rachel. Shut up about my future. Just leave me alone," Kurt cried. All of his built up anger about his father being sick and Kurt being forced to marry a woman was coming out now. Unfortunately for Rachel she was there to receive the brunt of Kurt's frustrations.
He waited until Rachel had stomped back into the forest, head held high, before he threw himself onto a rock with a huff, pouting miserably. He bit his lip to keep back his tears, but they started rolling down his cheeks anyway.
Blaine poked his head out from behind the boulder he was hiding behind to see the man better. He wanted so badly to comfort Kurt but he couldn't bring himself to reveal his tail. Humans believe that merpeople were just myths, and surely finding out about Blaine would just add to his distress.
So instead of speaking to him, he did the next best thing he could think of. He began to hum his favourite song. Blaine couldn't tell Kurt that he would one day find his true love but he could sing it, right?
Blaine started off quiet, but as his confidence grew so did the volume of his voice.
Kurt stopped crying to listen to the beautiful sound coming from the distance.
"Who is it? Who's there? Please show yourself, don't be scared," Kurt spoke to the mysterious voice from the ocean.
Blaine considered swimming out to him but he couldn't risk being caught. He regrettably swam away, still singing the song to Kurt.
He could hear Kurt's pleads for him to stay but Blaine couldn't. If his father caught him with a human, and not just any human, a human boy, one that Blaine was quickly developing a crush on, he would be dead.
"Where have you been?" a stern voice asked Blaine as soon as he arrived home.
"Uh, out," was all that Blaine managed to come up with.
"Out where?" his father insisted.
"Um, I was-" But Blaine's father cut him off before he managed to give his lame excuse of hanging out with a friend. Blaine didn't have friends.
"One of the mermaids told me she saw you go to the surface. Is that true?" his father accused harshly.
"Well, you see dad, there's umm, this boy-" The moment the words left his mouth Blaine regretted them. His heart thudded in his chest with panic as his father spun around to face him.
"A boy! Why are you going to the surface to see a boy?" Blaine's father demanded, moving closer to Blaine, his face red with anger.
"I didn't mean- He's just- What I am trying to say is, that well um-" Blaine stumped over his words trying to back away from his father.
"What are people going to think when you go to the surface all the time to look at human boys?" he cut in. "I thought I raised you better than this! It's a disgrace, Blaine. How could you do this to me?"
"I'm not doing this to you, it's just who I am!" Blaine shouted, shaking with anger. "It's my life, so I don't care if you or the whole kingdom thinks I'm a freak. At least on land they accept gay people, they aren't all a bunch of stuck up idiots like you are. I don't need your approval, and I don't need you!"
His father glowered at him, stunned into silence.
Blaine could hardly believe what he was saying, but he didn't have the time to overanalyze the situation, that he'd just come out to his father and that he'd basically told him to screw off.
"You're grounded," his father finally said, anger simmering just below the surface. "I forbid you from going up to see the humans again. I forbid you from seeing mermen. Actually I forbid you from leaving this castle until you learn to behave like a proper prince."
Blaine didn't reply to his father, he couldn't think of the words to explain to his father how cruel he was being. Instead Blaine swam. He swam and he swam. He left the castle, he left the city, he swam for hours to calm himself down.
After hours of swimming Blaine found himself in an unfamiliar part of the ocean. It looked darker than home, and the water felt cooler. There were no fish around and the coral was all dead or dying.
"Hello there, handsome," Blaine heard a voice from the shadows of a darkened reef. Blaine looked around in shock, ready to swim away at a moment's notice. "Don't be scared I just want to help."
"You can't help me," Blaine huffed, trying to see through the gloom.
"I can do almost anything if I put my mind to it. Try me, darling." A merman with a slick black tail eased out of the shadows, swimming up too close to Blaine's face.
"Um, well I like this boy. And not only does my father despise me for being gay, but this boy is a human. It'll never work, because I'm a merman and my father will never let me marry a boy," to his own surprise Blaine found himself pouring out the information to this mystery merman. "What is your name anyway?"
"I'm Sebastian, and I'm sorry to hear your story. No one should come between true love, but I might just have something that could help," he said, smirk alighting his lips.
"You do? Oh I would do anything to meet him," Blaine said, instantly hooked on the stranger's words.
"Anything, you say?" he pressed.
"Anything," Blaine repeated desperately, wanting the help of the merman.
"Come with me then," he replied, swimming off in a hurry.
Blaine followed him, swerving around rocks, and dead plant life to keep up with him. Blaine had never been to this part of the sea before and didn't care to return to it.
Eventually they arrived in a cavern.
"Where are we?" Blaine asked.
"Doesn't matter. Let's get to business."
"Alright, what do we do?" Blaine inquired, filled with curiosity.
"Here's the deal. I can make you a potion that makes you human. You have three days on the surface. You either make this boy love you, then kiss you, and stay human. Or, you realize he isn't that great, you don't kiss him, you become a merman again and return to the sea. Everyone wins."
"That sounds great. Let's start!" Blaine was filled with excitement at the thought of kissing Kurt.
"I just need one little thing from you to make it work."
"Sure, whatever you need. I have gold, treasures-"
"No, no, no. I don't want any of that."
"Then what do you want?"
"Your voice."
"My voice?" Blaine repeated, hand going to his throat in horror. "What do you need my voice for? How will Kurt fall in love with me if I can't even talk to him?"
"Your voice is the only thing that will make the potion work. And look at your body- you don't need to talk to make a boy fall in love with you. Anyone would be lucky to have this." He dragged his hand along Blaine's chest. Blaine grimaced and floated carefully away from him. "And once you kiss him, the curse is broken anyway. You get your voice back.
Blaine gulped. "That sounds dangerous."
"Trust me, I've helped lots of lonely and lost merpeople." He winked at Blaine, dragging his hand down Blaine's arm. "So do we have a deal?"
Blaine deliberated, but it wasn't like he could go back home anyway. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life locked away in the castle.
"Deal," he said extending his arm to shake hands with Sebastian.
Sebastian quickly got to work on the potion. He swam around the cavern, throwing bottles and items that Blaine wasn't sure he wanted to know what they were into a large caldron.
"Sing Blaine, sing!" he demanded.
Blaine sang his heart out, thinking about how he would soon be looking into Kurt's eyes.
"Keep going," Sebastian urged.
After a moment Sebastian thrust a small bottle into his hand. "Now take a sip of the potion."
Blaine did as he was told. As soon as the liquid touched his tongue, Blaine felt his body begin to violently shake. He looked down to see his tail split in two and form into legs, his green scales disappearing in front of his eyes. The pain came a split-second later, and he slammed his eyes shut. A scream tore from his throat, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. His fingers dug into his neck in desperation, but his gills had vanished.
"Swim to the surface! Humans need air," Sebastian ordered with a roll of his eyes. He went back to his cauldron without a look back.
Blaine struggled to move his new legs, getting a feel for how they worked. He swam as fast as he could out of the cavern, towards the light above him. He struggled to make it to the surface, and to the air that he suddenly, desperately needed to fill his lungs.
Finally, Blaine's head broke through the surface of the water. He gasped down deep breaths of air, his throat stinging with each breath. Blaine panicked and began trying to bring himself to shore.
"Hey, are you alright?" a familiar voice called.
"Kurt! Another princess has arrived. This one is beautiful, come meet her," Kurt's father called from down the hall.
"Dad, I'm sick of meeting these girls. They're fake and just want money and power and they can get that somewhere else, not from me."
"Kurt, some of these women are genuinely interested in you."
"Too bad I'm not interested in them," Kurt mumbled to himself.
"What did you say, kid?"
Kurt was tired of lying to his dad about who he was. He couldn't keep this secret forever and there was no way he was going to marry a woman who he could never love. He had to tell his dad, and the risk was worth his possible reaction.
Now was as good as any time to tell him, Kurt figured, and maybe if he admitted to his father his interest in men, he would lay off about the girls and the ball.
"There's something I should tell you, dad." Kurt said nervously, lowering his head to hide his face from his father's curious gaze.
"What is it, Kurt?" Burt asked, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Is it about the ball? I know you don't like meeting all these women, but it's the easiest way to meet all the ladies throughout the land."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to talk to you about, actually," he replied, wringing his hands. "Um, the thing is, I know I'm not going to fall in love with any of these women."
Burt sighed. "Kurt, you can't just write them all off like that-"
"I can write anybody off who's not a man," he blurted, hiding his face in his hands.
"Wh- what do you mean, Kurt?" he asked slowly.
"I-I just I know I prefer men. To marry and… love. I don't feel like that about any of these girls, and please don't be mad that I'm not going to provide an heir for you and god, dad, please don't make me marry a woman just for that. I can't," he breathed. His throat was tight and his heart was pounding against his ribcage while he waited for his father to respond.
"I- okay. I understand, I-" Burt pulled Kurt against his chest, wrapping his arms comfortingly around him. "It's okay. We'll work something out, Kurt."
"Okay," Kurt said lightly. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.
"I'm glad you told me. I love you no matter what; I just wish you had said something sooner so we wouldn't have all these girls here. It's too late to cancel the ball now, but after this we'll start looking for a suitable prince. And about the heir, there are lots of children in the orphanage who would love to have a father like you."
"Dad, do I have to marry a prince? Can't I just fall in love with someone like normal people?"
"I understand where you're coming from, bud," he began, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But you're royalty, so you're not gonna be anything like 'normal' people. You complain that all these girls are just after money and power, but do you really think that most commoners aren't gonna be worse?"
"I- I guess," he sighed, shoulders falling
"Look, there's nothing wrong with the love of your life being royalty, Kurt. I know you don't want to think about it this way, but it creates connections with other lands. It means that you'll be able to rule more efficiently. Marriage is about love, but it's politics, too."
"I don't want politics anywhere near my love life," Kurt muttered petulantly.
Burt chuckled. "I know, kid. But you're a prince. That's how it's going to be." Kurt still looked despondent, so he added, "And you're not going to marry someone you absolutely hate, I promise."
"If that ended up happening, I'd run away," he mumbled.
"Don't joke. Come on, gimme another hug and I'll deal with this girl that's been dying to talk to you."
After he'd finished talking to his dad, Kurt made his way down to the beach. He needed time to process what had just happened. He came out to his father and he was alright with it. He wanted to find Kurt a boy to marry. Even if he didn't even up marrying someone he loved at the time, at least there would be a possibility of it happening later. That's what happened with his mom and dad.
Also Kurt could still be a father. Burt was fine with adoption.
Kurt was strolling along the beach, optimistic about his future for the first time in what felt like years, when he saw a man struggling in the water.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, jogging over to help the boy.
The boy was gasping for air, flapping his arms around and splashing in the shallow water.
"Stand up. Come on, it's not that deep," Kurt instructed the panicking boy.
The boy slowly did as he said and stood up in the knee-deep water.
"Whoa, cover yourself!" Kurt shrieked, his heel grinding in the sand as he spun away from the completely naked boy. He threw his hands over his blushing face. He'd never seen another man in his entirety before and he hadn't really planned for the first time he did for it to be today at the beach, and worse, for it to be a complete stranger.
The stranger hadn't said anything- apologized, asked for help or explained what the hell he was doing almost drowning completely naked along the royal beach.
Kurt turned around, peeking at him from between his fingers to see if he was still there. He was, and he was just staring at Kurt's back.
"Where are your clothes?" Kurt asked carefully, wondering if the other man was dangerous.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he just ended up shrugging and hopelessly throwing his hands up in the air.
That meant his hands were no longer covering his dick, so that's exactly where Kurt's eyes ended up.
"Oh, oh god," he breathed, slamming his eyes shut. He shrugged off his long overcoat and held it out for the boy to take. He heard light splashing as the boy clumsily stepped forward to take the coat, and after a few moments he opened his eyes warily.
Kurt sucked in a deep breath at the sight of the young man, who looked to be about the same age as him. He had dark curly hair and the brightest eyes that Kurt had ever seen. He was smiling widely at him, apparently completely unaware of how odd the situation was. A drop of water trailed down his strong jaw down to his collarbone, to the top half of his chest, which was still exposed from the partially open coat. Kurt could feel his heart beat increasing, and his face returning to an incredibly bright red.
"Uh, I'm Kurt Hummel, prince of this land," he stumbled over his words, trying to not embarrass himself in front of the attractive stranger. He held out his hand. "What's your name?"
The boy shook his hand but didn't answer his question. Instead he put his hands around his neck and stuck his tongue out.
"Either you're dead or you can't speak," Kurt joked.
The boy smiled encouragingly and nodded his head.
Well, now finding out what the hell was happening was going to be a much more difficult task.
"I'd prefer if I knew your name. Can I try and guess it?" Kurt asked. A name would be the first step in figuring out who the mysterious stranger was.
The man answered with a nod.
"Alright, does it start with an A?"
The boy stuck out his tongue, which Kurt took as a no.
"What about B?"
The boy threw up his hands in excitement, as a huge grin covered his face.
"Okay, B. Brendon? Bob? Ben, maybe?"
The man shook his head at all the names he guessed.
"Hmm… Oh, I have another one. Blaine?"
This time the boy jumped up in excitement, the overcoat flying up dangerously close to exposing Blaine's dick. Before Kurt could look away, Blaine had stumbled over to where he was standing. Kurt took his elbow before he fell to the ground
"Let's get you to the castle, Blaine," Kurt said. He kept his grip on Blaine's arm, since he was acting like he was either really drunk or had just learned how to walk. Kurt couldn't figure it out because he sure didn't smell like alcohol. He smelt more like fish.
"Do you live around here?" he asked, on their way to the castle.
The boy shook his head.
"Are you visiting family?"
The same response.
"What are you doing here?
He just smiled a bit and held his free hand up helplessly, the loose sleeves of Kurt's coat falling down to his elbow, revealing his corded muscles along his forearm.
Kurt had a moment of worry about bringing this man to the castle. He stopped for a moment, putting his hands on his hips and looking him over again, this time with a critical eye instead of appreciation. "Are you dangerous?" he asked.
Blaine's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently.
"That's exactly what a dangerous person would say," he sighed. "Don't make me regret bringing you to the castle, okay? Do you have anywhere else to stay? Probably not. You can stay in the castle for a bit if you'd like to until we figure out what to do. But if you turn out to be some sort of criminal…" he let his threat trail off ambiguously.
He didn't feel uncomfortable with this man at all, and what sort of evil person would plan to wash ashore naked? It was his duty as a prince to protect his subjects, and he had to assume he was at least of his kingdom, if not the immediate area.
Plus, helping out such a gorgeous man couldn't possibly hurt. Right?
Blaine responded with an impossibly wider grin and a sure nod of his head.
"Okay, don't hurt yourself," he muttered, continuing to guide him the rest of the way to the castle.
It had to be a sign that the first person Blaine met after transforming into a human was Kurt. He couldn't believe it, but he was so much more mesmerizing in person. And he'd invited him back to his castle even though Blaine couldn't even explain why he'd been struggling in the ocean without clothes, which was apparently not a common past time.
But soon enough, they'd fall in love and kiss, and then Blaine could explain everything.
When they entered the enormous castle, Blaine took in a deep breath at its magnificence. It reminded him of home the way it was decorated with paintings of the ocean, and ships, but it was also so different than anything he'd seen before. There were so many objects that Blaine didn't know the uses of. He wanted to know the names of everything he saw, he wanted to explore what it was like to be human, but he would have lots of time for that later. Right now his focus was on getting Kurt to fall in love with him.
"Just wait here a moment," Kurt said before running up the grand staircase.
Blaine stayed where he was, still unsure of these strange new legs. He enjoyed the décor while he waited. Before long, the woman from the beach walked into the large front entrance of the castle.
"Who are you?" she asked Blaine in an accusative tone. "And where is your clothing?" she exclaimed, shielding her eyes from him.
He pulled the coat closed around his waist, still unsure about why everyone found clothing so important, and could only shrug at Rachel's demanding questions.
To Blaine's immense relief, Kurt returned at that moment, his arms full of material.
"I found him at the beach. The poor guy can't talk," Kurt answered Rachel's questions before turning to face Blaine. "Here are some of my clothes. There's a washroom you can change in up the hall, second door to the right
Blaine nodded and followed his instructions, walking slowly to take in the most he could of his surroundings and to keep himself from falling.
It took him quite a while to figure out how to get dressed properly. Kurt had given him so many articles of clothing that Blaine doubted that all of it would ever actually end up on his body. He was thinking back on every picture he ever saw of a human to try and figure out what layer goes over what. He also fell to the floor at least twice trying to put his legs through the proper holes.
He had just straightened up from stuffing his feet and the excess material of his pants into his boot when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He was surprised by his reflection. The clothes fit him differently than they did Kurt, but he still looked more human than he ever had before. He liked looking even remotely like Kurt, because it was just one step closer to Kurt realizing how perfect they were for each other.
He took a while in the washroom looking through cupboards and shelves, inspecting all of the human things that he didn't understand. He came across a jar labeled "Hair Gel", which piqued his curiosity. Blaine opened it and rubbed the sticky substance between his fingers. He had seen pictures from sunken ships of men with their hair slicked back. Blaine had always admired the look and decided to try it out for himself.
A few minutes later he found that he was impressed with his hair molding skills, while he looked himself over in the mirror.
Blaine finally left the bathroom and made his way over to where Kurt and Rachel were having an argument over him.
"What is your dad going to say about a stranger staying here?" Rachel asked with a huff.
"It's not any different than these random women here for the ball." Kurt replied, pointing at the two young ladies looking in at him from the top of the grand staircase. They quickly ran off when they saw Kurt pointing at them.
"Okay, but when all your gold is missing because he stole it," Rachel began, gesturing to Blaine absentmindedly admiring artwork, "don't say I didn't warn you."
Rachel stomped off in anger leaving Kurt and Blaine alone.
"Oh good you're back," Kurt said, relieved to have ended his conversation with Rachel. "Don't worry about Rachel, she just gets emotional sometimes. Those fit you nicely, and I love the hair."
Blaine blushed at the thought of impressing Kurt.
"So I'm going to get some people to try and figure out if there have been any ship wrecks or anything of the sort lately to figure where you've come from. You can stay here as long as you need- as the rulers of this land it's our duty care for our people. If you can't figure out where you're from, I'm sure we can find you a job here in the city. Would you like that, Blaine?"
Blaine nodded. He could hardly believe how well things were going with Kurt and they had only just met.
Blaine spent the night exploring the castle with Kurt. They had such a fun time going through the rooms, and hiding from the girls on the prowl for Kurt.
They saw one girl rounding the corner who walked in a way that made her butt stick up and Blaine chuckled at her funny booty walk. Kurt hushed him, placing his finger over Blaine's lips. He pulled Blaine into a shadowy alcove that was smaller than they both expected.
"Well isn't this cozy?" Kurt joked, trying to adjust his body so that he wasn't leaning on Blaine.
Blaine shrugged, enjoying the proximity between the two of them. He could feel butterflies in his stomach, but he wasn't nervous. Blaine was comfortable being so close to Kurt.
After a few minutes of silence Kurt popped his head out and gave the Blaine the all clear. Kurt pulled him out of the alcove, keeping a tight grip on his hand long after it was needed, leading him down the hall.
Kurt let go of Blaine's hand, turning to him and laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. Blaine smiled back, enjoying the sound of Kurt's laughter filling the room.
Kurt explained to him why there were so many women around.
"There is a ball in a few days where I am supposed to meet all the women from the surrounding kingdoms so I can find a wife. My father is sick and he needs me to take over the throne but I must be married before I take the crown, and besides that I need to marry for political purposes. And the worst part is I don't even like gi-" He stopped abruptly, face blooming red.
After a few moments of awkward silence Kurt lead Blaine to a sitting room, both of them took a seat on the fancy sofa.
"Can I tell you something?" Kurt asked, lowering his head.
Blaine reached over and slipped Kurt's hand into his. Kurt took this as a yes.
"Well, the problem is I don't really care for women. They're nice and all but I want to marry a man. My dad said that I can marry a boy but it should be a prince, and there are no gay princes other than myself, that I know of anyway, so I'm sort of stuck."
Blaine nodded, taking in Kurt's story. He wanted so badly to tell Kurt that he knew how he felt- that he was a prince and he was gay, and he could totally solve his problem because he was interested in Kurt.
Blaine removed his hands from Kurt's and began pointing to himself trying to explain that he was also gay.
"What are you trying to say?" Kurt giggled, relieved that Blaine hadn't left after his confession.
Blaine decided to take a different approach. He pointed to himself then put his hands into a heart. Then he flexed his arms to try in an attempt to represent men.
"You love… muscles?" Kurt guessed, raising an eyebrow.
Blaine shook his head in frustration. He repeated pointing at himself, and forming a heart with his hands, but this time using a riskier move and pointed at Kurt.
"You like me?" Kurt said. Blaine swore he could see Kurt keeping back a smile.
"Oh! You're gay too!" Kurt guessed.
Blaine nodded in agreement. He was happy he was making progress and Kurt seemed really happy about it.
"Then I guess you understand, it's nice to meet someone else who is in the same boat as myself. Now come on dinner must be ready by now," Kurt said, leading Blaine to the door.
The next day Blaine woke up giddy with excitement, because Kurt had asked him to help set up for the ball and even asked Blaine to attend the ball!
Blaine had decided this would be the perfect opportunity to kiss Kurt. Blaine hardly slept that night, his head was to busy thinking about the two of them dancing together in Kurt's fancy clothing which Blaine was beginning to get accustomed to. Blaine wasn't even worried that he had never danced and was still getting used to his legs, he would let Kurt guide him across the dance floor.
Blaine was shaken from his day dream when Kurt knocked on his door. Blaine moved from his bed eagerly, and walked across the bed room to let Kurt in.
"Hello there sleepy head," he mocked ruffling Blaine's hair.
Blaine giggled moving out from under his hand. They locked eyes for a moment, Blaine completely forgot what was going on he was lost in Kurt's beautiful blue eyes.
Kurt looked down from Blaine's gaze blushing bright red.
"Get dressed we have a lot to do today," he said a smile returning to his face as he closed the door leaving Blaine alone to change out of his pajamas.
The next day Blaine woke up giddy with excitement, because it was the day of the ball. Kurt had asked him to help set up and had even asked Blaine to attend as well!
Blaine had decided this would be the perfect opportunity to kiss Kurt. They would have a wonderful night at the ball, which Kurt had worked so hard on even though he wasn't excited about the reason for it. After a night full of dancing and romance Blaine would whisk Kurt away to somewhere a bit more private and kiss him and he'd get his voice back and they'd fall in love and they'd live happily ever.
He was sure of it.
Blaine was shaken from his plans for the day when Kurt knocked on his door. Blaine moved from his bed eagerly, and walked across the bed room to let Kurt in.
"Hello there sleepy head," he greeted with a crinkly-eyes smile, ruffling Blaine's hair.
Blaine pretended to frown and moved out from under his hand. They locked eyes for a moment, and Blaine completely forgot what was going on because he was lost in Kurt's beautiful blue eyes.
Kurt looked down from Blaine's gaze, his cheeks bright red.
"Go get dressed. We have a lot to do today," he said with a smile as he closed the door and left Blaine alone to change out of his pajamas.
They spent the day together preparing for the ball. Kurt had to meet a lot of girls and Blaine pretended to be an important right-hand man to Kurt. Really he was just there so Kurt could complain to him after each girl had done her little speech about how much she would love to marry him.
The next morning Blaine didn't see Kurt at all because Rachel monopolized all his time with fixing his hair and make-up and planning his outfit.
Blaine spent the day mentally preparing for the night to come. It was his last night of being human and if he didn't kiss Kurt before the sun rose the next morning then he would turn back to a mermaid and he'd have lost his chance to be with Kurt. The ball was his last and best opportunity to kiss Kurt. They had to lock lips tonight.
Kurt held his head high as he made his way down the grand staircase to the dance floor where regally dressed guests bowed at his entrance.
As he reached the dais at the front of the room the crowd quieted to listen to the prince speak. Blaine stood at the back of the room and noticed a pretty blonde girl looking him over from the corner of his eye.
He turned his attention to Kurt who was giving a speech thanking everyone for attending and wishing them a pleasant evening. Then the music started playing and the waiters started pouring through the doors with platters of hor d'oeuvres and glasses of champagne. Kurt was whisked away by the first women in the long line-up of people who were eagerly waiting for their chance to dance with Kurt.
Blaine wanted to join the line-up of giddy women but he also didn't want to make a scene. Kurt wasn't quite out yet, so Blaine stayed back and decided to wait for when Kurt had a moment so they could dance in private.
While he was practicing dancing by himself, the blonde women he noticed from before approached him. Her hair was up in a high ponytail that curled softly behind her and she wore a long, light blue dress that sparkled when the light caught it.
"Hi, my name is Brittany," she said in a bubbly tone. "Would you care to dance?" she asked. Instead of waiting for Blaine's answer, she pulled him to the dance floor instantly.
He was surprised at how quickly he caught on to the dance steps and soon he was soaring across the floor with Brittany.
"You're really good at this," she complimented. "Are you having fun?"
He nodded and smiled.
"Good! I'm having fun, too. I love balls, even if the prince isn't actually going to end up with any of us princesses."
Blaine raised his eyebrows in question, because how could she possible know that?
She giggled behind her hand. "Oh, you must know. I saw the way you were looking at him."
He ducked his head, blushing.
Brittany squeezed his shoulder and he looked back up at her tentatively. "I've known Prince Kurt for a while, actually. My father wanted us to get married for a really long time, but our time spent together never worked out the way he wanted. Anyway, he looks happier than I've ever seen him, and I'm guessing you're the reason why…"
He bit his lip to prevent his grin from taking over his face.
"Hey Blaine."
Blaine jumped in surprise at hearing Kurt's voice behind him. He spun around, wondering if he'd heard what Brittany had just said. But he didn't let anything on.
"Oh is that his name?" Brittany asked. "He's kind of quiet."
"He can't speak, Brittany," Kurt smiled. "Are you enjoying the ball?"
She nodded. "You did a great job putting this together!"
"Thank you, I'm glad you could make it. How's Santana?"
"Awesome! But she's busy fighting dragons, or else she'd be here, too."
"Next time, I'm sure," he smiled. He put a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Mind if I steal him?"
"It's your ball!" She kissed each of them on the cheek and then went to find another dance partner.
"Ugh, I've known her forever. She didn't say anything embarrassing, did she?" Kurt asked Blaine.
He shook his head and then raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"Oh, I'm not telling you anything, buddy," he laughed. "Care for some fresh air?"
He agreed and Kurt led them out to a nearby balcony swathed in moonlight. The sea spread out in front of the castle, the light glittering off the dark water and making it seem like diamonds were hidden in the waves. It was a beautiful view, but Blaine wasn't focused on anything except the man in front of him.
"Are you having a good time?" Kurt asked.
His fingers twisted his silver cufflinks and Blaine wondered if he was nervous. Blaine knew he was, because this was the perfect moment for them to kiss. If only he could tell Kurt how he felt for him instead of relying completely on his face to express how head over heels in love he was with him.
He nodded, keeping his eyes on Kurt's in hopes that he would realize just how wonderful these past few days had been.
Kurt bit his lip, looking more nervous than Blaine had seen before. "I was wondering if you wanted to dance? We can still hear the music out here, and we get a bit of privacy, which is nice…"
Blaine grinned, heart swelling as he took Kurt's hand in his own and placed his other hand on his hip, tugging him closer. Kurt smiled at him, softly like a secret, and his hand came up to rest on his shoulder. They began to dance together slowly, so close their heat was shared between them in the cool night air.
Blaine never wanted their dance to end; he had never felt such a sense of rightness in his life. He'd lived under the water for almost twenty years, but he had never felt more at home than on land in Kurt's arms.
"This might sound crazy, but I feel like I've met you before- um, before a few days ago, I mean," he cut himself off, chuckling quietly. "I just… I really feel connected to you, you know? Like I was meant to find you washed ashore naked for no apparent reason."
The corner of his mouth twitched up absently; he was amused but he was much more focused on the rest of what Kurt had said. Kurt felt the way he did. Like they were destined to be together.
Now all he had to was let him know he reciprocated his feelings. He swallowed nervously as he cupped Kurt's face in his palm. Kurt's hand tightened around his own, keeping his gaze intently on Blaine's face as he tilted his head forward.
Kiss. They were going to kiss and then Blaine would be a human permanently and they could live happily ever after.
His heart stuttered in his chest as his eyelids slid closed.
Kurt could hardly believe what was happening. Was he really about to kiss Blaine? A man he hardly knew anything about, whose existence was shrouded in mystery and who he'd never even heard speak.
He knew that Rachel thought he was crazy, but Kurt had never felt so connected to someone in his life. Even without speaking, Blaine made Kurt feel like the most special and interesting person in the world.
His lips were just a hairbreadth away from Blaine's when he heard a beautiful sound coming from the ballroom.
Kurt froze; the singing voice was too familiar to ignore. It took him a moment to recognize the sound. It was the mystery voice from the beach who sang to Kurt when he was alone and miserable, crying on the beach. The song had raised his spirits when he thought he was doomed to marry someone he would never love.
He let go of Blaine and spun around to face the ballroom, where a handsome man was walking toward him with his father.
"Hey kid, I just found this lad wandering around the castle. This is Prince Sebastian of North Shore Castle, and he accompanied his sister here to meet you. He'd love to get to know you," Burt introduced with an exaggerated wink.
Kurt stood there, mouth agape. He was with Blaine, who he really liked, but this man must have seen him at the beach and sang to him when he really needed to feel better. Plus, he was a prince, which was exactly what his family wanted for him. Blaine was an enigma that could be a prince, or could be a peasant, but he'd probably never know because he was incapable of speech.
Blaine was fully expecting Kurt to kiss him, so it came as quite a shock when he pulled away at the last minute to gape at… Sebastian.
In human form.
With Blaine's voice coming out of his mouth.
Blaine watched in dismay as Kurt's face light up in interest when his dad told him that Sebastian was a gay prince.
I am too! He wanted to scream.
It was the first time that he'd been seriously frustrated that he couldn't speak to Kurt.
Probably because Sebastian had his voice, and the only reason he'd helped him in the first place was to later use his voice to get to Kurt. Had Sebastian been watching Blaine? He must have been. Sebastian had just been singing the same song that Blaine had sung when Kurt had been crying on the beach.
How dare Sebastian come up here just as Kurt and he were about to kiss, and he would finally turn human and regain his voice? Who did he think he was?
He clenched his fists in anger, glaring daggers at Sebastian before Kurt laid a hand on his arm.
"Blaine? Do you know this man?"
"I don't believe we've met." Blaine's voice dripped from Sebastian's mouth. He still managed to sounds smarmy. Sebastian stuck out a hand, smirking. "Sebastian Smythe. What's the matter, cat your tongue?"
He didn't think, he just shoved him in the chest. If Sebastian hadn't stolen his voice, Blaine would have demanded that he tell Kurt the truth and there was no way he could trick Kurt into falling in love with him, but he had no words so physical assault would have to do.
"Hey, hey," Burt reprimanded, putting a palm on Blaine's chest. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Blaine."
He turned around to see Kurt, whose face was a mess of confusion and worry. But Blaine couldn't explain what was happening, he couldn't soothe his concerns. He was totally helpless.
"Look, this man is obviously unstable," Sebastian began.
He tried to go at Sebastian again, but Burt prevented him. "What's wrong with you, you had too much wine? I think you need to go back to your room. Sleep it off."
"I'll walk him," Kurt said, taking his hand.
"You're staying here," Burt said, pointing a finger at him. "This is your ball. And Prince Sebastian is dying to dance with you."
"Dad-"
"I'm not arguing with you." He snapped his fingers and a royal guard appeared at their side. "Please escort Blaine back to his room."
Sebastian just smirked at him because he knew that he couldn't go back to his room. If he didn't kiss Kurt by sun rise, he'd turn back into a merman and he'd never be able to get back to the sea from the castle with a tail.
But the king now thought he was a drunken loon and probably never wanted Kurt to see him again.
He couldn't do anything except run away, with the legs he only had for a few more hours.
He pushed past the guard and weaved his way through the happy couples dancing in the ballroom to get back to the beach as fast as he could.
His feet dug into the sand, and he tripped and fell into the soft waves crashing against the shore. But the water didn't comfort him; if he tried to go back home right now he'd drown. His tears mixed with the salty water as he willed the transformation back to his true form to begin.
He was sure he wouldn't be let back into the castle after his actions. Trying to convince Sebastian into telling the truth with force had been foolish, but there was nothing else he could have done.
There was no way he could explain himself to Kurt, the situation was hopeless, and he cried himself to sleep until he awoke to a searing pain running through his body.
The sun was just peaking above the horizon, filling the sky with red and orange.
Blaine struggled to shuck off his pants before his tail became fully formed, despite the agony of bones fusing and scales sprouting. His shirt was still covered by a vest and overcoat, but his fingers couldn't work the buttons when all he could focus on was the pain, so he just lay in the shallow water, panting until the sun had risen fully and his transformation was finished.
He tiredly tugged the supping wet material over his head and threw it on the beach and dragged himself into deeper water. He slowly began to swim, salt water filling his lungs and letting him breathe, just as it used to. But it didn't feel the same.
He had lost everything, his home, his life, both mermaid and human.
And he still didn't have his voice back.
Blaine had no idea what to do. He had already decided to run away from home so where was he supposed to go?
He was just swimming aimlessly through the water when he caught sight of Cooper.
Blaine thought about hiding but there was no point, he was already shooting towards him.
"Little bro!" he screamed, pulling Blaine into an enormous hug. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick. Dad has the whole kingdom going crazy looking for you. I've been coming to the surface everyday hoping I'd see you. Please come back home, Dad isn't angry anymore. He just overreacted and he realizes that now and wants to apologize."
All Blaine could do was cry into his brother's shoulder. It felt so good to have Cooper there comforting him.
"Come on, say something," he begged Blaine.
Blaine wanted to; he wanted to tell Cooper everything. But nothing came out of his mouth, which only lead to more sobbing.
"What's wrong, what happened? Tell me, bro. Come on, I'm starting to get really worried here."
Blaine moved his hands to his throat to indicate he was unable to speak.
"I don't understand what's wrong with you," Cooper almost shouted shaking his head in frustration. "Come on, let's go see father, he'll know what to do." He grabbed Blaine by the arm and started to lead him home.
Blaine had missed his father but he wasn't sure if he was ready to see him after the fight but it wasn't like he had many options.
"Oh, Blaine," his father cried when they entered the castle.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to confirm for themselves that Blaine had really returned.
"I've missed you, don't you ever do that to me again. You understand, son? I love you, don't you ever leave me again," he blubbered, pulling Blaine into a tight hug. Blaine couldn't remember the last time his father had hugged him. "Listen Blaine, I've thought about it and if you're gay, that's alright. I will learn to accept it. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but never run away again. I haven't slept since you left."
His father went on like this for a while until Cooper interrupted. "Dad, there's something wrong. Blaine's not talking."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he seems to be incapable of speech." He gestured to Blaine who opened his mouth to talk but still there was no sound coming out. "See? Something's wrong."
His father turned to Blaine, concern clear on his face. He put his hand on Blaine's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
"Blaine, did that scummy sea wizard, Sebastian, do this to you?"
His eyes widened in surprise that he knew what had happened so quickly. He nodded earnestly, hoping his eyes would convey how apologetic he was for what he did.
"How dare he hurt my son?" he spat, tossing items around the castle in a rage. "I am going to find him and lock him up and make him pay. He is going to regret ever touching a hair on your head. Where is he?" he demanded.
"I found Blaine near the royal beach. I bet Sebastian wouldn't be far away. He didn't just mess with Blaine for fun, he was after something," Cooper replied.
His father groaned. "Damnit Blaine, I hate going to the surface. Fucking Sebastian. Come on, Cooper, we're going to find him. You stay here Blaine; I'm not risking losing you again."
Blaine violently shook his head. He needed to go to the surface; he had to see if Kurt was alright. He was so angry at himself for just running off like that. Who knows the horrible things Sebastian could be doing to him?
He stared him down and then sighed in resignation. "Fine. But don't do anything stupid."
Blaine led his father and brother to the royal beach and pointed to the castle in the distance.
"That's where the scoundrel is?" his father asked. "Damn, we're going to have to transform into humans. I haven't done this for a while. Stay still boys."
"Wait, what?" Cooper began, reflecting Blaine's confusion.
Their father shot his hand out and a bright light streamed out of his palm and as soon as it hit Cooper and Blaine, their tails split into two and their lungs filled with air. Not only did their father make the three of them human but he also made clothing appear on their bodies.
Blaine had so many questions. He knew his father had magic but was unaware that he had the ability to turn himself and others human.
Blaine was also astonished at how painless it was, unlike Sebastian's formula.
As they made their way out of the water, Cooper spotted Sebastian making his way to the beach.
"Ready boys?" their father asked as they advanced on him.
Kurt listened to his father's orders; he didn't want to disrespect his family by causing a scene at his own ball. He planned to dance with Sebastian for a little while then he go to Blaine's room and make sure that he was alright. And maybe even pick up where they left off?
"May I have this dance?" Sebastian asked with a slight bow of his head.
"Of course," Kurt replied. He took his hand but stood just far enough away that their bodies didn't touch.
"So, I guess you must have seen me at the beach?" he questioned.
"Yes, I didn't mean to spy but you are just so handsome," he replied smoothly. "I couldn't think of the right words to comfort you so I sang."
"You have a lovely voice." It was true- Sebastian's voice was perfect and made Kurt's heart melt, but it just didn't seem to fit his body. He was disappointed that the lovely voice didn't seem to match this man's personality.
They continued the rest of the evening with half-hearted small talk. Kurt was barely paying attention; he was more concerned about what had made Blaine run off.
The morning after the ball, Kurt got up early to look for Blaine. He began to grow concerned because he wasn't in his bedroom, so he searched the castle but Blaine was nowhere to be found. Kurt's panic increased, and he made his way to the beach to see if maybe he had wandered off.
Kurt ran into his father on his way out of the castle.
"Isn't Sebastian great?" Burt asked. His eyes were alight with excitement.
"Yeah, he was fine," he replied in a rush. He didn't really have time to engage in small talk with his father, he needed to find Blaine.
"He's looking for a husband too, you know," he said, raising his eyebrows encouragingly "An eligible bachelor just happens to come to the ball, and genuinely seems interested in you. Looks like a match made in a heaven."
"Calm down there, dad," he said, putting his hands up in a 'stop' gesture. "We only just met."
"I know, son, but these things happen fast and Carole is really pushing for a wedding as soon as possible. You know with my health I can't handle the responsibilities that come with being king much longer."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to get married to somebody I've only met once."
Burt put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I know it's scary being thrown into a relationship so quickly, but it worked out for your mother and I, and I'm sure the same will happen to you."
"Thanks dad," Kurt said pulling Burt into a hug. "I think I'm going to go to the beach and look for Sebastian, I want to get to know him a bit more."
"No problem, kid."
Then Kurt continued his journey to the beach to find Blaine.
When Kurt arrived at the beach, he stopped when he overheard an argument between Sebastian and a man he didn't recognise.
He ducked behind a tree to find out what was going on. Standing behind Sebastian and the stranger was Blaine, and another man Kurt didn't know.
He was relieved to see that Blaine was alright, but he was curious about his company. The man arguing with Sebastian had a long white beard and an intimidating presence and the other stranger kind of looked like Blaine. Could those men be his family? Maybe the mystery of Blaine would finally come to an end.
"I can't give Blaine his voice back," Sebastian said, arms crossed smugly. "We made a deal and he failed to deliver, so now it's mine."
Blaine's voice? What were they talking about? Kurt tried to make sense of their argument, but was coming up blank.
"What deal was that?" the older man demanded, his face turning red with anger.
"The deal to turn Blaine human," Sebastian replied.
Kurt's jaw dropped open in surprise. He expected the men to argue in outrage because of course Blaine was a human, he didn't need to make a deal to change that, but they just continue glaring at Sebastian, waiting for more of an explanation.
"Your boy had a bit of a crush on Prince Kurt, and he came to me for help."
The definite confirmation that Blaine was interested in Kurt forced him to cover his mouth to prevent an excited squeal from leaving his lips and giving away his position.
"Worst idea ever," the man standing next to Blaine muttered, nudging him in the ribs.
"Your standard deal," Sebastian continued. "Blaine traded me his voice for three days as a human. If he kissed his true love, he'd get his voice back and stay a human forever. If not, well… You're looking at it."
But he was about to! Kurt thought in indignation.
Kurt was done with this shit. Time to exercise some royal power and kick Sebastian's butt out of his kingdom.
As he made his way out of the treeline, the older gentleman said to Sebastian, "Why the hell did you want my son's voice in the first place?"
"To get to Kurt," he replied with a shrug. His back was to Kurt and didn't see him heading across the beach towards them, but Blaine did. His eyes widened as Kurt advanced on Sebastian. "I saw Blaine singing to him on the beach, so I figured that'd give me an in. You ruined my life under the sea, so I decided to start anew on land, marrying into a family with lots of riches. Merman wizard scum to human prince. I thought it was a pretty stellar plan."
"Wait. Merman?" Kurt blurted, completely thrown off. "Like mermaids?"
Sebastian spun around to find Kurt less than a foot away from him. "Kurt! Shit! What are- what are you doing? How long have you been there?"
"You're a mermaid wizard who stole Blaine's voice to get to me and Blaine loves me and you're an asshole and I'm not marrying you," he surmised, hands on his hips.
"So all of it, then!" the man standing next to Blaine grinned.
Sebastian's face darkened. "Luckily, I have spells to deal with most of life's twists and turns."
He raised a hand, a smoky white ball appearing in his palm.
"Sebastian, as king of the seas I order you to stand down!" Blaine's father shouted, raising a hand of his own. "I will not let you, or anyone else, stand in the way of Blaine's happiness anymore."
"We'll see about that," he snarled before hurling the orb in Kurt's direction.
Out of nowhere, Blaine threw himself in front of the oncoming missile and landed with a thump in the sand in front of Kurt.
"Blaine!" Kurt cried, dropping to his knees next to him. Blaine's eyes were closed, but his chest was still rising and lowering gently. Kurt cradled his head in his lap and whispered his name, but he didn't respond.
"That was the last time, Smythe!" Blaine's father roared. He made a yanking gesture at Sebastian and sent a glowing stream at Blaine's throat.
Blaine's back arched off the ground before he coughed and opened his eyes.
"Blaine. Blaine!" Kurt said anxiously, running his fingers through his wet hair.
"Kurt?" he mumbled, brows furrowed. "Wass goin' on?"
"Great question. Here's another: Are you a mermaid?"
"No," he replied instantly. "I'm a merman. Wait, how do you know that?"
"I- I just heard you guys talking about it. Before Sebastian tried to hit me with that thing," Kurt said. "Don't you remember?"
He groggily rubbed at his eyes. "Nuh uh."
"Take that! And that!" the other man, who must have been Blaine's brother shouted as he pounded Sebastian into the sand.
"Wait, I have my voice back," Blaine said in surprise.
"Yeah, and you lost your memory. Awesome," Kurt sighed sarcastically.
"No, just-" Blaine sat up and took Kurt's hand. "Just since I got back out of the water. Did I tell you I was a merman?"
"No." Kurt rubbed his thumb over Blaine's knuckles. "Sebastian mentioned it, among other things…"
"Like what?
"Like why you wanted to become human in the first place."
He tilted his head to think it over, and his eyes widened. "Oh. Yeah. I wanted to tell you so badly, Kurt but I-"
Kurt almost felt bad about cutting Blaine off because he'd just gotten his voice back, but he decided that interrupting him with a kiss was acceptable. He threw his arms around Blaine's neck and pulled him close, pressing his mouth against his. Blaine moaned against his lips, fingers scrabbling to clutch at his collar and keep him in place.
It didn't just feel nice though, it felt perfect, like he was holding the person he'd spend forever with in his arms.
"I love you," Blaine breathed against his lips.
"I love you, too."
Blaine's eyes were wondrous, staring into his own. "I've known we were meant to be since I first saw you on the beach, and I had to meet you and get to know you and I'm so glad I did because these last few days have been the happiest days of my life, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with you."
Kurt's heart swelled, even though he knew he had bad news. "I feel the same, but-"
His face fell. "But?"
"You know my dad wants me to marry a prince, Blaine."
Kurt felt his shoulders slump in relief under his hands. "I am, though! My dad's the king of Dalton, the underwater realm."
"What?" he asked in shock.
"As long as you're dad doesn't think I'm a disorderly drunk anymore, I think he'd accept me as your husband." His grin was practically blinding.
Kurt laughed, tears blurring his vision. "That's perfect!"
"Kiss him!"
"I did already," Blaine said, looking up at Cooper with a frown.
"I did," Kurt corrected.
"That's quite enough of that argument," Blaine's father cut in, arms crossed over his chest.
Kurt hopped to his feet, pulling Blaine up with him.
"Sir, hello. I'm Kurt Hummel," he said, as he put out his hand out to introduce himself to Blaine's father. "It's a pleasure to meet you.
"And, you. I-"
"Hey, did Sebastian get away?" Blaine asked, looking around the empty beach in confusion.
Cooper held up a small red crab in his palm. "Dad has lots of powers we didn't know about apparently."
"You mean…?"
He held up the crab's claw and made it wave at them. "I'm Sebastian," he imitated in a squeaky voice. "I'm a little butthead who- Ow!" He dropped the crab to the ground. "Fucker bit me."
"Let him go, son," Blaine's father said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "He can at least have his dignity."
"Good riddance," Blaine said. "Um-" He looked at Kurt for what to do next.
"Would you mind coming to meet my father?" Kurt asked Blaine's family. "I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
"I suppose we'll have to meet the rest of the family sooner or later, eh Blaine?" his father asked, ruffling his hair.
He ducked his head, blushing. "As long as I'm not grounded anymore."
"Well since you're going to be traveling between land and sea constantly, I suppose that wouldn't be too practical," he replied.
Blaine's eyebrows rose. "I can do that?"
"I can't have you on land all the time. You still have responsibilities in the water. And I suppose Kurt will, too."
"I'll what?" he repeated, unsure he'd heard right.
"I can transform you into a mermaid, too," he said. "How else are you supposed to help rule Dalton?"
"My father will be so happy to hear that," he laughed.
"Well, let's go meet him," Cooper said, throwing his arms around Kurt and Blaine's shoulders. They all started walking back up to the castle. "Tell me Kurt, you got any cute sisters?"
"Cooper!" Blaine groaned.
"What, you're the only one who gets a human love interest?"
He sighed and shook his head, mouthing 'Sorry' at Kurt. Kurt shrugged out from under Cooper's grasp, taking Blaine's hand in his.
"Did I ever actually ask you to marry me?" he asked.
"No, but please don't reconsider the decision because of my brother."
"I should get a ring."
"You should just ask me."
"You should answer my question," Cooper interrupted.
"You should get out or you're not invited," Blaine shot back.
"Screw you, I'm best man," he pouted, stomping off to where Blaine's father was up ahead.
Kurt pulled Blaine closer and they held hands as they approached the castle.