Somehow, Blaine always seemed to find himself at the Hummel house when the weather went a little wonky.

It was hot. Like really, really, fucking hot. The kind of hot where a sheen of sweat turns to literal standing water on your stomach. Hot enough to cook you alive at even the smallest suggestion of leaving the air conditioning behind to foolishly brave the unknown fiery world beyond. So hot you could hear the hum of the temperature and its energy outside.

Three boys lounged in a dim, sweltering basement, silent with the effort of merely surviving another breath in the oppressive space. All three of them were shirtless and appeared somewhat damp, although whether that was from sweat or a recent dip in the pool was unclear.

Finn laid spread eagle on the cement floor, hoping to drink up just a small amount of its cool surface. He was staring into space, unable to voice any kind of coherent thought beyond UGH and HOT.

Kurt was half-sitting on, half-falling off a couch in the middle of the room. Although fairly scantily-clad in just navy swim trunks, he managed to maintain an air of upmost style and sophistication. His cheeks were flushed pink, and his usually-styled hair looked effortlessly and perfectly disheveled.

Blaine occupied a chair to left of Kurt, feet in the air, head dangling upside down. His mouth was open in a sort of pant, eyes lolled to the back of his head lazily. His arms were stretched out behind his head, allowing himself to drop his dapper exterior in this extreme circumstance. He could just make out Finn, looking rather upside down himself from this angle, on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. He turned his head to the right a little, relieving a crick in his neck, and caught Kurt's eye, winking. Kurt blushed and smiled, but held his gaze.

The eye contact made Blaine's heart flutter a bit, and then made him break into a full grin, earning a cocked eyebrow from Kurt.

The three of them had been futilely searching for relief from the heat all day. It had been hot for weeks, that August before senior year, but the air conditioning at the Hummel house had broken a few days before. Not that I really blame it, Blaine thought. It's probably exhausted. Burt had promised to fix it as he and Carole had hurried out the door to work that morning, but that still left Finn, Kurt and Blaine eight hours of misery to get through. Somehow, the thought of abandoning what had become their daily routine of hanging out at Kurt and Finn's for the respite of Blaine's or one of the New Directions' houses hadn't occurred to them.

Blaine arrived shortly after Burt and Carole had left, finding Kurt and Finn in the kitchen, both still in their pajamas

"C'mon, guys! Get yourselves together! We don't want to sit around in this sauna all day. Get dressed! We're going out!" Kurt and Finn looked first at their familiarly enthusiastic Blaine incredulously and then at each other, and rolled their eyes as if to say Yeah, right. Just wait till the heat gets to your head like it has ours. Incidentally, the heat did get to Blaine pretty quickly, and all motivation to look presentable enough to get their behinds out of the house was forgotten. They had spent most of the morning watching TV and eating popsicles.

Eventually, though, this ceased to hold their collective attention. Finn wandered off, muttering something about a shower and cold water. Kurt flipped to the weather channel, only confirming what they already knew.

"It's hot." Kurt sighed and flopped down next to Blaine.

"You're hot," Blaine said cheekily, not too sapped to pass up an opportunity to make Kurt embarrassed or annoyed. Plus, he really did think Kurt was hot.

Kurt giggled a little. "Right back atcha, stud." He could be mischievous too, if he wanted. Blaine sat forward a little and kissed his cheek.

The effects of the heat returned to wreaking havoc on Kurt. "I'm hot," ("In both ways!") "and bored. This sucks." He pouted, a little for his own benefit, to make himself feel better, and a little for Blaine's, to give him something amusing to look at.

"Oh, stop complaining!" Blaine chided jokingly. "It's summer, we're in love, and we've just established that you are very hot. Ooh, and," he added as an afterthought, "we are basically totally alone right now. I can think of something that will both cure your boredom and make use of your hotness. At least for me." He smiled deviously, but also had a hint of real suggestion and questioning in his eyes. He waited for Kurt to roll his eyes and then nod before leaning in and capturing his lips in a languid kiss.

They stayed like that for a short time, comfortable and contented, neither of them wishing to end their contact, but neither of them able to muster the energy to deepen the kiss either. Just as Blaine realized the dizziness he was feeling was coming more from the heat (weather, not passion) that threatened to swallow them again than from the heat (passion, not weather) coming from his gorgeous boyfriend's supple lips, he felt Kurt place a hand on his cheek and pull away.

"Blaine, I—"

"Ugh, damnit. I know. It's way too freaking hot for this. My body is giving me such conflicting messages right now," he groaned, and leaned back against the couch, mood ruined.

"Sorry babe," Kurt said. He rested against Blaine, back to chest, before quickly sitting up as he was met with the 98.6-degree reality of another person. Unfortunately, physical contact, one of their favorite pastimes, was going to be out of the question for the day.

Blaine gave him a small smile. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

"I know."

And so they contented themselves with sitting on opposite sides of the couch, facing each other, occasionally brushing toes, chatting about this and that. Mostly, it was enough for them to just enjoy each other's company.

After Finn reappeared, apparently with a new lease on the day ("Seriously, you guys, the water felt so good. You should go take a shower." Blaine waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Kurt kicked him.), the three of them decided to actually move their asses and do something. The only logical choices of destinations were either the mall, where they could find some measure of a/c, or the pool, where they would at least be submerged and hidden from the unrelenting inferno.

As none of them seemed to have any disposable income to speak of, they opted for the pool. Armed with sunscreen and towels, they trudged the two blocks to the community center.

"You know," Kurt mused, "it actually feels a little better being outside. It's not so stifling, and there is a bit of a breeze." Blaine hummed in agreement and linked their hands. Maybe things were looking up.

Finally, sweet, sweet release. They splashed and played, laughed and joked. Their faces became animated and their conversations became rational. Hours passed without mention of their once and future discomfort. But eventually, all good things must come to an end. The pool deck was closed down for cleaning, and the teenaged boys remembered that they were teenaged boys and very, very hungry.

They were able to at least partially extend the coolness beyond the reach of the pool-side gates. As the walk home loomed, they still dripped with chlorine, barely noticing the sun beating down from its midday post. When they entered the kitchen, banging around the cupboards looking for sandwich makings, the dampness of their swimming suits carried them a little further without succumbing to the distress. But by the time they had all three scarffed down their lunches, the dry air had stolen all the remaining water trapped in their shorts, and now they were just hot again.

Someone managed to remember that heat rises ("To the basement!"). That is how they found themselves in their current positions: full, tired, foggy, and positively roasting.

They were quiet at first, all three of them just trying to digest their lunch. Finn was the first to break the silence.

"Smuh hunda."

"Um, huh?"

"I'm s'hotttt."

Blaine, apparently feeling a little better, responded: "Kurt's hot."

"Blaine, ew. That's my brother."

Kurt only rolled his eyes at the typical display of each boy's distinctive, annoying, but endearing personalities. "New rule for the day. No matter how high the temperature climbs, no one is allowed to say the word hot again."

Finn and Blaine reacted at the same time.

"Oh, Kurt, come one. You've been complaining just as much as me all day. Don't even pretend you haven't been."

"Fine, then. Kurt's sexy." He sounded stubborn but sincere.

"Dude, I said ew!"

"Oh, chill, Finn," Kurt said.

"I wish it were chilly! This blows!" And Finn disappeared for the second time that day, pushing himself up from his spot on the floor with a loud Harumph.

Kurt shot a glare at Blaine, warning him to ignore all the dirty-comment possibilities with that last statement from Finn. "Don't you dare."

Blaine flipped his legs over so he was sitting right-side up on the chair, and then thought better of it, tossing his legs over one arm so he was sideways. He really, really wished it weren't so stuffy. Kurt looked absolutely delectable.

As if on cue, Kurt also shifted his position so he was lounging more comfortably.

Conversation turned to the random and strangely deep topics complacency and resignation brings. They knew it was hot, and that wasn't going to change, and, per Kurt's instructions, they couldn't mention it anymore, so they decided they might as well just enjoy their time together. It was nicely light-hearted, but still truly felt. They talked about everything under the (scorching) sun: the Warblers and New Directions, the movie they had seen last week, Blaine's sister's upcoming wedding, Carole's new job. They recounted funny stories of their times spent together and apart. They touched on their thoughts about God, politics, and philosophy. They told each other long-lost memories from their childhoods. They even ventured into the scary and exciting subject of plans for the future.

They tiptoed safely at first, wanting to both subtly convey their desire to spend at least some of that time together, and also not wanting to scare the other off by assuming anything. Blaine was able to tactfully express his dreams for college, and Kurt told him about his plans of deftly decorating a house to his exact specifications.

This sparked a thought in Blaine, and they veered off-topic, the way winding and agenda-free conversations tend to do. "Oh, that reminds me! Sadie and Brian are going to hire me to paint their apartment after they move in. It works nicely for both of us—they get the job done cheaply, and I could really use the cash." Blaine loved his sister, and he knew Kurt liked her too. He relished in being able to relay information about his two favorite people to each other.

"Mhmm," Kurt agreed. "That is nice. Siblings are good for stuff like that. I didn't really get it until Finn and I were living together, and I know we're not really related or anything, and it's only been like two years, but there's a definite camaraderie, you know? And we help each other and keep each other company, and help each other survive our crazy parents, and—" He was breathless at this point, trying to justify his feelings about Finn after realizing the bond they had was probably not as deep as Blaine and Sadie's.

"Kurt," Blaine interjected knowingly. "Finn is your brother. Definitely." He sounded sure and as if the judgment was final.

"Yeah." Kurt smiled.

Blaine reached out a toe from the chair to tap Kurt's calf on the couch. "In fact, I hope our kids can be as lucky to be as good to each other as we've been to our siblings." Kurt's smile faltered slightly.

"Um, what?"

"N-nothing," Blaine stuttered. He could feel beads of sweat running down his neck, but whether that was from the heat they were trying to ignore or the panic he couldn't ignore, Blaine couldn't tell.

"Blaine," Kurt pronounced slowly. "Blaine, what did you say?"

Shit, Blaine swore. And we had been doing so well, sidestepping anything uncomfortable. "I just, I said, I mean, you know, I really think my sister is great. And you and Finn are great. And so are other people, er siblings, that I know. And someday, a long, long time from now if I maybe possibly have kids, I hope they like each other. I hope they're friends." He avoided Kurt's eyes, toying with a loose thread, embarrassed beyond belief. Kurt didn't respond, only looking rather confused and amused. Blaine wondered if he should keep talking and explain himself further, change the subject, or wait for Kurt to say something.

Blaine could feel the sweat on the back of his neck continue to drip, but he just wanted to be able to look Kurt in the eye again.

"Oh, hell Kurt, fine. I love you. I can be honest about this. I think we can do this. We're both in for the long haul. And for me, the vision of my perfect future would include you and maybe some kids. There, I said it. I want to have kids with you."

Kurt turned and they finally made eye contact. He looked so innocent, so happy, so hopeful, so excited, that Blaine thought Oh, screw the damn heat, and launched himself forward so they were holding each other. Kurt caught him as he reached the couch and whispered into Blaine's bare shoulder, lips brushing skin, "Well, duh. Of course. I want to have kids with you too." Kurt pulled away, hands on Blaine's shoulders. "But not for a while. Like a long, long while."

Blaine was so relieved he giggled and pulled Kurt back into their hug. "I know. Trust me, I know." He shook his head. "I don't think we need to worry about any of those specifics right now. I just want you to know, if you're down, I'm down. But we can see how things go." He kissed Kurt's forehead. Kurt could only smile and nod, speechless.

A bang and a rude word sounded from upstairs, breaking the boys out of their reverie. "Hello? Is anybody here? I'm home!" they heard Burt call from the entryway, along with something like "stupid door, could have killed me…"

Blaine sat back on his haunches, surveying Kurt's face. "We good?"

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand. "We're always good, darling."

Blaine kissed his cheek at the pet name and pulled them both up from the couch. "C'mon, let's go get your dad to fix this freaking air conditioning."

"Baby, you read my mind," Kurt said lowly, jokingly, fake-seductively.

And so the evening passed much more pleasantly than the morning and afternoon. (Although Blaine thought his afternoon had been very pleasant, thankyouvermuch.)

The air was fixed, with much clamoring and swearing. Burt and Kurt did most of the technical stuff. Blaine and Finn could only pretend to help, the former doing his best to not stare a Kurt's ass as his bent over the broken console (and then failing miserably to keep his eyes averted and not really feeling too badly about it,) and the latter nodding and humming at opportune times, occasionally handing over tools or supplies ("No, Finn, that's a wrench, not a pliers.").

Blaine stayed over for a nice, cool dinner of grilled chicken salad. Carole almost always invited him to stay for dinner, and in turn, he almost always accepted. Her cooking was delicious, and he loved the excuse to spend even more time with Kurt (playing footsie under the table, careful to avoid any other unsuspecting occupants at the meal). Mostly, though, Blaine liked the feeling of family he felt when with the Hudson-Hummels. He was warmly welcomed into the fold, and their family dinners were much more loving (and loud) than the ones he rarely shared with just his parents now that Sadie was gone.

When the sun went down and the temperature went with it, the whole family sat outside in the breeze, talking for a while. They had to disperse when they became snacks for the mosquitoes. Finn retreated back to the basement to play video games ("It's still cooler down there than out here, ok?"), and Burt and Carole to bed ("Out by curfew, right Blaine?" "Right, sir!"). Blaine and Kurt also headed inside, finding themselves in Kurt's bedroom for the first time all day.

They were quiet until the door was closed and then flopped onto the bed in a familiar position. Blaine sighed and kicked his shoes off, then leaned back against the pillows and crossed his legs on the bed. Kurt followed suit, laying his head down on Blaine's chest just as Blaine put his arms behind his own head and then pressed a soft kiss to the top of Kurt's head.

"This feels so much better," Kurt breathed.

"Mhmm." Blaine traced wide circles on Kurt's back.

"I am never living in a place where it is that hot all the freaking time. I just couldn't handle it. I need the change of seasons," Kurt said. "And to not suffocate daily," he added snarkily.

Blaine chuckled. "Does that mean Arizona is out? I've always wanted to live in the desert…"

Kurt lifted up his head and shot Blaine a Look, and then smiled as he realized they were once again talking about their futures in conjunction with each other. He kissed his cheek as Blaine smiled back, surprised at themselves, but comfortable with the ease of the plans. Kurt returned his head to its position on Blaine's chest, and they just listened to each other breathe in the finally-cool air.

They fell asleep on top of the covers (it was still fairly warm, after all), and Blaine decidedly did not make it out of the house by curfew. Whatever punishment they faced (and it probably wouldn't be too bad, really), it was worth it to spend their first (innocent and sober) night together; the first of many, many to follow.