First off, thank you so much for the awesome reviews on the last chapter! I really fretted over that one a LOT and reading how much people enjoyed it really touched me. Of course, now I fear letting you down for the rest of the fic! LOL Just, thank you again. I really love the reviews.
This is a day later than I had anticipated (my graduate work is getting in the way of fanfic—what is that?). It is also four scenes shorted than I had planned because these scenes ended up longer than expected. So it just means I decided to split the day in two. The next part should be up tomorrow. This is fluffier than the last chapter, so you're getting a break from angst. Also, the Warblers kind of take over this chapter. I am kind of in love with all of them, but you may notice a few in particular.
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It's the oddest feeling in the world, but when Kurt wakes up the next morning, he realizes he can breathe. And he does. He just lays in bed, staring up at the ceiling, and breathes. It's as if the last few months, the last year—everything that's happened—has been this suffocating weight pressing down on him, stifling him, forcing him to turn in on himself. And now, while still present, the weight isn't all consuming, all overpowering. He closes his eyes, and breathes in and out, in and out, and the tips of his fingers tingle. His entire body is humming with energy.
Today, he thinks, and smiles.
Slipping out of bed, he makes his way around Finn's bed, where his stepbrother is curled up in an extremely tight fetal position just to fit on the mattress, and pushes the small curtain aside from the porthole to look out. Behind him, Finn groans and Kurt hears the bed sheets rustle as he apparently pulls them over his head. The port of Castries in St. Lucia is magnificent—turquoise colored water surrounded by land that is lush and green. There's a small marina filled with sailboats, and up on land, almost hidden by palm and banana trees, is a cow, munching on grass, a thin rope tied from his neck to a nearby tree. Kurt doesn't see a house anywhere nearby and can't help but wonder who the cow belongs to—there isn't a fence in sight.
"What time is it?" Finn mumbles from under the sheets.
Kurt leans over to look at the phone display, which holds the only clock in the room. He's wondered if that isn't done on purpose. "Six forty-five."
"Shouldn't you be at rehearsal or something?"
"Nope. We have the day off." Kurt steps away from the window, leaving the curtain open; he then picks the schedule off the desk and reads it over. "Right here—excursion in St. Lucia. Half hour performances tonight in the Cova Café and Ocean Bar."
Finn groans again. "Then why are you up?"
Smiling, Kurt walks over to the bed, and yanks the sheets away from Finn's head.
"Dude!" Finn drops an arm over his eyes.
"Because I'm happy. You hear that Finn?" Kurt pokes at his shoulder. "I'm happy, and I want you to be happy with me."
"I am so rethinking this stepbrother thing right now."
"No you're not. Come on. Let's go have breakfast."
Finn yanks the covers out of Kurt's hand and burrows himself under them once more. Shrugging, Kurt heads over to the closet to glance through his clothes and choose his outfit for the day. Considering that Celebrity Today claims it's supposed to be warm and sunny, he settles on a pair of black and green plaid bondage shorts, white silk button down and black cardigan with his biker boots. Glancing over his accessories, he decides to wear the comedy and tragedy broach Carole bought him for Christmas.
It isn't until a half hour later when he's almost finished with his morning moisturizing and application of sun block that he remembers the Warblers…and the disastrous performance the night before.
"Oh, crap! Oh, crap!" Kurt knocks over half of his grooming products as he spins around in the tiny bathroom, yanking the door open and stumbling into the room where Finn is finally sitting in his bed attempting to wake up. "Oh, crap! Oh, crap!"
Kurt yanks on his boots, falling into the wall twice before he throws himself at the nightstand to grab his passcard, and yank his messenger bag from off the floor.
"Dude, what the-"
"Sorry, Finn, gotta go!"
"I thought we were going to breakfast?"
"I'll meet you there!" Kurt calls over his shoulder as he pulls the stateroom door open and hurries into the corridor.
Dammit. What was Wes' room number again? 5023? 5025? He's just down from Blaine's room, if Kurt remembers correctly. He rushes down the hall, glancing at each of the room numbers, nodding in response to each of the cleaning staff he passes who all want to say "Good morning" and apparently chat, but he can't because he was monumentally irresponsible the night before and may have just ruined his chance to ever sing with the Warblers again.
Finally deciding that 5025 has to be the correct number, Kurt takes a deep breath, mentally composes the many apologies he is about to offer, and lifts his hand to knock.
The door is pulled open to reveal Blaine, and they stare at one another for a brief moment before they simultaneously say:
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Kurt flushes at Blaine's bright smile, and he's staring, he knows he is, but Blaine is wearing cargo shorts and a loose v-neck t-shirt, and his hair is all fluffy with curls, and he looks positively gorgeous. All reasons as to why Kurt is there have fled, along with some of his IQ because he's quite certain he's never quite been this happy to see someone in his entire life. He's sure there are stars in his eyes, and probably a big stupid smile on his face, but he really doesn't care at the moment because Blaine is looking at him in very much the same way.
"I like this." Blaine reaches out and brushes his fingers over the broach. They linger ever-so-briefly on Kurt's chest before pulling back.
Kurt tries not to lean after his touch. "Thanks. Carole gave it to me for Christmas. She also-"
Someone clears their throat and that's when it hits Kurt why he's there and what he has to do. He pulls his gaze away from Blaine long enough to see Wes leaning against the other side of the threshold, arms folded over his chest, waiting.
"Wes. Umm, hi. I just wanted to say-"
The Warbler holds up his hand, interrupting Kurt's apology. "I'm going to say this just once, Kurt. If this ever happens again, you are out of the Warblers. Understand? I told Blaine the exact same thing." He glances at the boy beside him and Blaine nods slightly. Wes continues, "I don't care what you two do outside the group—although, honestly it's about damn time you got your acts together-"
"Amen to that!" David calls out from inside the room.
"But if it ever again interferes with the Warblers-"
"It won't," Blaine tells him.
Kurt nods. "I'm really sorry, Wes. It was my fault. I promise, it won't happen again."
Wes sighs and pulls a face at both of them. He glances over his shoulder. "What do you think? Should I let them off for now or put them through some specially designed torture?"
"You could always force them to hang out with Jared for the day." David walks up to join the group at the door. "They might both end up in a trash can or their heads glued together or something."
"Actually, I should make them both go to Ramsey's room and apologize to him." Wes is frowning again. "Do you realize I had to make every excuse under the sun for you two last night? He flat out asked me who even let you guys in the group. I had to convince him that the early show had been great. Luckily, Steve backed me up. You guys seriously made us look bad, and you'd both better goddamn shine tonight or I'll follow through with the Jared threat."
"Duly chastised, Wes," Blaine says. Kurt can't really think of anything to say because he currently feels about eight inches tall. Getting lectured by Wes is worse than getting lectured by his own father.
"Good. It won't be mentioned again." Wes finally smiles. "We've got an hour and half before we have to meet on the dock for the tour. Run along and be boyfriends or whatever the hell it is you are now."
David starts making shooing motions behind Blaine, pushing him out the door. "Go on. Be adorable. We know you want to!"
The door slams behind them.
"Sometimes I question their sanity." Blaine stares at the door.
"That actually seems to be a common theme among the Warblers."
They look at each other and smile. And it occurs to Kurt that Wes had just referred to them as boyfriends, and that means that Blaine must have told him at least some of their talk last night, and—
Boyfriends.
Kurt worries his lower lip for a moment as he gazes at Blaine, and the other boy looks like he knows Kurt wants to say something, so he just stands there, waiting ever-so-patiently. Kurt can't imagine there's anyone in the world luckier than him right now. He knows what he wants to ask but he doesn't know how to ask it—he doesn't want to sound like an idiot, after all, or too desperate. And he knows Blaine told him he pretty much has full control over where this thing between them is going, but the problem is he just doesn't know how! It's all so new and unbelievable, and he's still kind of coming to terms with it all being right there and available to him. Like, someone just handed him carte blanche to Marc Jacob's upcoming collection, and of course he wants it and it's the greatest thing ever, but there's got to be a catch, right?
"What are you thinking about?" Blaine reaches out and presses his fingers against Kurt's forehead. "It's making you frown, and that'll cause premature wrinkles, you know."
Kurt laughs because Blaine is perfect and funny and can read him like a book. "Nothing. Sorry. Just… well, it's kind of what… Crap."
"Boyfriends?" Blaine asks, reading his mind again.
Nodding and flushing, Kurt drops his gaze for a moment so that he can hide his nervousness from Blaine. "Yeah."
"Do you want to be boyfriends?"
Kurt's head snaps up. "Yes-" Oh God, did he really have to respond that quickly?
Blaine smiles, and wow, Kurt thinks he actually sees a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "Okay."
Okay.
Okay.
Kurt is certain he's forgotten how to breathe. His hands tighten around the strap of his messenger bag, and he tries to keep his smile to a minimum, tries not to start jumping up and down in place or throw his arms around Blaine or just pass out right there in the corridor. This happens every day, right? Teenagers become couples. Hell, his friends in New Directions pair up so often he's actually started keeping a PowerPoint chart just so he doesn't lose track. Just because he never thought it could happen to him doesn't make it any more special or noteworthy, right? It's stupid to feel this happy. It's ridiculous that if he allowed himself, he could totally cry right now.
You're being ridiculous, Kurt, he mentally chides himself. It's not that big of a deal.
Blaine steps closer to him and tilts his head and smiles in that little way of his that always causes Kurt to believe it is totally possible for a human being to go from a solid mass to liquid in seconds.
"It's okay to be excited, Kurt," Blaine says softly. "To be honest, I'm totally freaking out right myself..."
Kurt blinks. "You don't look much different than usual."
"I've got my game face on."
"Ah." Kurt nods, and thinks his boyfriend—O.M.G.—is a total dork.
"Want to grab breakfast?" Blaine asks as if this is just a normal day and not clearly the most spectacular—wait, what day is it?—Monday ever.
"Yeah. I promised Finn I'd meet him there. You know, after I groveled at Wes' feet and begged him not to kick me out of the Warblers, however deserving a punishment that might have been."
Blaine nods and turns and they start walking down the corridor toward the aft staircase. "It'll be all right. Wes gets that things happen—I mean, he may not act like it , but he's a teenager, too, and is prone to just as much drama as the rest of us. You should have seen him the last time his girlfriend dumped him. He broke two gavels."
Kurt can't help but laugh at the image.
As they walk, he finds himself slowly drifting a little closer toward Blaine, his fingers flex nervously and he shifts his hand out just a little more until his knuckles graze against the back of Blaine's hand. And then he feels Blaine's index finger brush along his own, and suddenly their hands slide together, fingers interlocking as they continue down the corridor. It's nothing and it's everything because it's so much more than it ever was before. Kurt can't contain his smile as they make their way up the stairs to deck ten, moving past other passengers. Blaine is always polite, greeting everyone they see with a "Good morning," and they're holding hands.
His boyfriend is holding his hand.
When they reach the Ocean Café, they briefly let go of one another to take a few drops of the offered hand sanitizer that crew around the ship are always insisting the passengers use.
"All this stuff does is dry out skin," Blaine mutters as he rubs it between his hands.
"I have lotion." Kurt pats his bag.
Blaine smiles. "My hero." And they mutually reach for one another's hands once more.
As they enter the buffet restaurant, Kurt looks around for Finn, and finally notices him sitting over by the windows with his dad and Carole. It hits him then that he needs to let his dad know about Blaine, and for a brief moment he considers just keeping it to himself , he can't ignore the fact that he always tries to be as honest as possible with his dad. Plus, the idea of pretending that things haven't changed between him and Blaine for the rest of the cruise—especially with his dad chaperoning during excursions and all—would be extremely stupid.
Plus, he just wants to tell him.
"Change your mind about eating?"
Blaine is smiling at him and Kurt realizes he's stopped in the middle of the restaurant. "Oh. No. Sorry. I just—my family is over there."
"Oh." And he really should have thought that explanation through because Blaine's face kind of falls for a moment, before he plasters that 'everything is fine' stoic expression back on and begins to tug his hand from Kurt's.
Kurt tightens his grip before Blaine can pull away. "No, no. I didn't mean that. I was just thinking about how much I want to tell my dad about us."
"Really?"
Blaine looks at him in disbelief and it takes Kurt a moment before he gets it. He can tell his dad about them and he knows that while Burt Hummel may decide to play the role of overly protective father, he's still going to be okay with it. Kurt knows for a fact he won't be introduced to Blaine's father in the same manner any time soon.
"Really." He squeezes Blaine's hand before turning and tugging him up the ramp to the seating area.
Finn notices them first and waves, causing Burt and Carole to look up. Finn's gaze drops to their still clasped hands and before he gives Kurt a 'thumbs up.' It's enough to soothe Kurt's sudden nerves as he realizes his dad has noticed their hands as well and is staring pointedly at them.
"Good morning!" Kurt offers them a cheerful smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Hummel, Carole. Finn."
Kurt tries not to analyze the fact that his dad has yet to tell Blaine to call him Burt. He's never been one to stand on ceremony with the whole 'mister' thing, but he continues to let Blaine do it.
"Morning, you two." Carole's beaming at them both. "Do you want to join us for breakfast?"
"Yeah." Kurt sets his messenger bag down on one of the empty chairs. "We'll just grab some food and be right back."
"Your dad was giving me a look," Blaine whispers as they walk toward the buffet lines.
"Well, you are a gay boy holding his gay son's hand. Of course, he's going to give you a look. It's entirely possible you'll get some kind of threat with a shotgun, too."
Blaine is silent for a long moment as they get in line and he hands a tray and wrapped utensils to Kurt. "Seriously?"
Kurt shrugs and glances through the crowd toward the table where his family is to see his dad and Carole talking. Whatever it is they're saying has Finn very interested. "I don't know, honestly. This is kind of new territory for both of us."
Blaine nods and they're both silent as they move through the line for their breakfast. Kurt sticks to mostly fruit and a croissant while Blaine goes for an omelet with pretty much everything and lots of bacon on the side. Kurt can't help but be amused by his friend's—boyfriend's appetite. There's nothing about him that says he's capable of putting away a lot of food, and yet Kurt's seen him eat six pieces of pizza plus breadsticks and a salad at one sitting. Blaine has a spectacular metabolism, obviously, and is fairly hyper as well—he doesn't handle sitting still for too long. Kurt may tease him about the food he puts away, but Blaine's never in one place long enough for the calories to count.
When they get back to the table, the conversation is remarkably normal. They discuss the upcoming excursion—a four-hour tour of St. Lucia, ending with a lunch on one of the banana plantations. Carole spends time gushing over the performance last night. Blaine and Kurt share a quick look, both thankful that they didn't see the late performance, and Finn makes a comment about how he thinks it would be kind of cool to be in an all-guy group, and that sets Blaine off on an entire history of the Warblers. Kurt has heard most of it during Warbler practices but Blaine goes into a little more detail, with dates and names and little tidbits like the Warblers in the '40's and '50's who actually toured with the USO for the troops over the summers, and the Warblers of '67 who were invited to perform for Queen Elizabeth. Every time it seems he's done with his history lesson, Finn seems to ask another question, and Kurt begins to wonder when his stepbrother decided to co-op his boyfriend. Carole look fascinated with the stories. His dad just looks bored.
"We probably oughta be heading out," Burt says when Blaine pauses. "We're supposed to meet on the pier at nine fifteen."
"Are all of the Warblers going today?" Finn asks as they stand and gather their things.
"Yeah." Kurt nods, smiling his thanks at Blaine as the boy hands him his messenger bag. "And yes, Finn, that means plenty of other guys to talk sports with."
"We don't just talk sports." Finn rolls his eyes at Kurt as they head out of the restaurant. "There's girls and music and movies. Holden has all of the "Die Hard's" like, memorized and stuff. It's pretty cool. He can totally quote them."
"And he frequently does," Blaine mutters. Kurt laughs and leans in to bump their shoulders together.
When he looks up, he finds his dad still watching them. He gives a small smile but it isn't returned.
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When they board the bus, Carole and Burt take the right side of the first row. Blaine starts to sit on the left but Kurt gives him a quick shake of the head because, really, he doesn't want to spend the first day with his boyfriend in direct view of his dad. Blaine gives a little nod and leads him just a few rows back, behind Kurt's parents. Finn seems to make the same decision, following his stepbrother and sitting down in the seat across from them where he's quickly joined by Holden.
Kurt leans over to Blaine. "I think that's turning into a full-blown bromance."
Blaine nods with a smile. "I feel bad for Brett. His brother seems to have forgotten he even exists."
The bus is a nice one; air-conditioned with large windows, plenty of room in the seats, and a nice sound system for the driver to speak to them through. His name is James, and he's a local with a mellifluous accent that he explains is a mixture of Creole and patois, a mixture of French and Spanish. He's a fountain of knowledge, immediately informing them how the port itself is actually a flooded volcanic crater that stretches for seven miles, covering the majority of the island. The volcano itself, Mt. Soufriere, is part of the tour, where they'll have the chance to walk right up to the sulfur springs. They will also visit the viewpoint at Marigot Bay, the Diamond waterfall, Soufriere Bay, the Pitons, and end with lunch on a plantation in Soufriere.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of chatter amongst the other sixteen boys, and Kurt has trouble paying attention to James and alternately listening to snippets of conversation around them. He knows that if it gets much worse, his dad will probably say something, so he tries to let it go for the moment. Staring out the window, he listens to James explain how the island was hit by a hurricane six weeks earlier, destroying ninety-five percent of their homes and the entire banana crop, and how they're still rebuilding. He goes on to say that the people here band together, helping one another rebuild their homes and businesses, and Kurt smiles at the thought.
"It's definitely a beautiful island," Blaine says quietly. Kurt hadn't realized how close he is, turning to find Blaine leaning into him, his face mere inches away, gazing out the window with him.
Kurt has to swallow once before he can respond with a simple, "Yeah," because he's staring at Blaine's ridiculously long eyelashes. Blaine shifts slightly against him, and their hands touch, fingers curling together discreetly between them. When he smiles, Kurt smiles back, and it feels wonderful how they're just both kind of stare at each other. Before today, Kurt always felt embarrassed when he thought Blaine had caught him staring, but the way Blaine is looking at him right now, his eyes just sweeping over Kurt's face like he's never seen it before and Kurt is fairly certain he'll always want to take his time to return the look. He's dating someone who looks like a cross between a young Marlon Brando and Cary Grant. He has a sudden urge to dress Blaine up in tailored suits, sports jackets and fedoras.
Their quiet moment is abruptly brought to an end when Kendrick leans forward between them. "I can see what's happenin'..."
"What?" Flint asks from beside him.
"And they don't have a clue!"
Blaine pulls back from Kurt and drops his head into his hands, moaning softly.
"Who?" Galen calls out.
"They'll fall in love, and here's the bottom line." Kendrick stands up and announces, "Our group is down by two!"
Kurt doesn't even mean to, uttering, "Oh," when he finally catches on. Blaine turns to look at him as if to ask, Did you really just do that? Kurt shrugs helplessly.
"Ze sweet caress of twilight," Kendrick begins to sing in a horrible fake French accent. "There's magic everywhere! And with all this romantic atmosphere… Disaster's in the air!"
"I honestly don't know why I remain in this group," Blaine mutters. Kurt starts giggling as half of the Warblers start singing, and the other half add in the background vocals, with Holden doing his ever-present beat box:
"Can you feel the love tonight?
The peace the evening brings
The world, for once, in perfect harmony
With all its living things"
David leans over from the row in front of Kurt and Blaine, and begins singing toward Kurt:
"So many things to tell him
But how to make Kurt see
The truth about my past? Impossible!
He'd turn away from me"
And then there's Galen, slipping out from his seat a few rows back, bending on one knee and laying his hand on the armrest of Blaine's seat:
"He's holding back, he's hiding
But what, I can't decide
Why won't Blaine be the king I know he is
The king I see inside?"
They all come together once more, singing:
"Can you feel the love tonight?
The peace the evening brings
The world, for once, in perfect harmony
With all its living things
Can you feel the love tonight?
You needn't look too far
Stealing through the night's uncertainties
Love is where they are"
And then Kendrick is singing behind them again, sounding forlorn and sniffling for effect:
"And if he falls in love tonight
It can be assumed…."
Flint responds:
"His carefree days with us are history!"
And together they finish in harmony to the applause and hoots of every boy on the bus, except Blaine and Kurt:
"In short, our pal is doomed!"
Kurt can no longer see over the seat in front of him as he's slid down between the chairs. Beside him, Blaine's head is still in his hands and he's muttering to himself, and Kurt tries to pretend he doesn't hear words like "kill, maim, destroy" come out of his boyfriend's mouth. Honestly, the whole performance would have been really funny and pretty damn charming in his opinion except for one little thing:
His freakin' dad is on the bus with them!
He can hear Finn laughing across the aisle and even hears Carole giggling up front, telling the boys how hilarious and adorable that was. Over the speaker, the bus driver asks, "Is this something you do regularly?"
To which he receives a resounding "Yes!" from the Warblers.
David is still leaning over the seat in front of them, grinning from ear to ear. He reaches out and pats Blaine on the shoulder. "So, yeah. Consider that payback for the hell you two put us through last night."
And yeah, what he says makes sense but still… Kurt gives David an angry look and points forward emphatically for a few moments until the council member seems to catch on. His eyes widen a bit as he glances over his shoulder, and then, "Oh. Heh. Yeah. Didn't think about that."
"And yet somehow you have a 4.0." Blaine finally raises his head to stare David back into his seat.
"Why don't you boys try giving James your undivided attention for the next few minutes?" Burt calls out, and Kurt hopes that's amusement he hears in his dad's voice. It's enough to get Kurt to sit back up, reaching over once more to take Blaine's hand in his.
The Warblers mumble their assent and a few apologies then grows quiet as James continues to tell them all about St. Lucia.
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Their first stop is Marigot Bay, which is really just a viewpoint of Marigot Bay, but it's probably one of the prettiest places Kurt has ever looked at in his life. He and Blaine are leaning over the railing from the viewpoint post, which is mostly a tourist trap with two little stores set up beside each other selling baseball caps, t-shirts and coffee mugs displaying "St. Lucia". There's a little food stand as well, where James is describing some of the local products like banana ketchup and banana barbecue sauce. A couple of the Warblers are lined up for samples.
Blaine is kind of squinting as he stares at the view spread out before them of the little cove tucked among bright white beaches, crystal clear water and soaring palm trees. The intensity of his expression makes Kurt ask him what's going on.
"Everything about that spot down there looks familiar."
Kurt looks again but doesn't really see it. It's just pretty.
"No. No." Blaine's fingers tap against the railing a moment before he turns and starts scanning the crowd. Kurt's curiosity grows. "Hey, Flint!" He waves the Warblers over to him.
"What's up, buddy?" Flint claps him on the shoulder as Blaine waves toward the view.
"Why does that look familiar?"
Flint tilts his head slightly, staring at the cove for approximately ten seconds. "Pirates of the Caribbean"."
Blaine snaps his fingers. "That's it! I think they've used it on all three."
Shaking his head, wondering how he's found himself together with a movie geek, Kurt turns and looks for his dad and Carole, who he spies, walking toward them. He smiles as they approach. "Get a new hat, dad?" He points at the "St. Lucia" cap sitting on his dad's head.
"Figured I'd pick one up in every port and start a collection."
"Oh, what an amazing view!" Carole gazes at the cove below them. "Why don't I get a picture of you, Kurt, with the cove in the background? Blaine, honey? Get in there with Kurt."
Kurt bites his lip as Blaine slips up slightly behind him. They don't touch or anything, but Kurt thinks about the fact that this is his first photo with his boyfriend, and he knows that sucker is getting printed out and framed the moment he gets home. He looks up to find his dad standing behind Carole, arms crossed over his chest, watching the whole proceeding like a hawk watching his prey. Kurt tries not to let it bother him—he knows his dad just wants him to be safe and happy.
"Smile!" Carole tells them.
And they do.
And the picture probably would have been perfect if Flint hadn't been making rabbit ears behind them both.
Kurt's beginning to think that "kill, maim, destroy" is entirely appropriate in relation to the Warblers.
Their second stop is at the Diamond Waterfall, and as they exit the bus they are immediately swarmed by locals trying to sell them everything from cans of soda to necklaces. James explained on the bus that if one of the locals approached with an offer to take a photo with them, it was customary to give them a dollar for doing so. Kurt understood what he meant when they were immediately approached by some women in traditional dress, balancing enormous baskets filled with fruits and vegetables. Carole called Finn over to take a picture of her and his dad with the women, and they were handing out dollar bills to those around them.
Smiling, Kurt follows Blaine further into the little tourist area where Kendrick is talking excitedly to a man holding an adorable little monkey. "Dudes!" he says when he sees Blaine and Kurt. "You can totally get your picture taken with this monkey! Here—take mine!" He pulls out his cell phone and tosses it to Blaine.
Opening it, Blaine holds the phone up as the monkey's owner sets the creature on Kendrick's shoulder, and Kurt can't help but laugh at the expression of sheer delight on the boy's face as the monkey shuffles around a bit before placing its paws right on Kendrick's face.
"Her name is Jackie," the man holding her leash says.
As Blaine takes the picture, Jared walks past. "Cool, Kendrick. I didn't realize your mother lived here!"
"Excuse me." Kendrick shoos the monkey off his shoulder and tosses a dollar to her owner, before turning and racing after Jared.
"Boys." Kurt sighs. "Can't take them anywhere."
Blaine laughs and slips Kendrick's phone into his shorts' pocket. He starts down the winding path toward the waterfall and Kurt follows. They pass a man holding a leash attached to an iguana that is currently resting on Finn's arm as Carole takes a picture.
"Coolest thing ever!" Finn says when he sees them.
Up ahead they hear a screech, and then Jared letting out a string of curses. There's another screech and both Kurt and Blaine hang back as Burt heads down the path toward the noise. He disappears from sight and they glance at one another, trying to listen carefully as Carole and Finn join them, but they don't hear a thing. They continue down the path toward the waterfall and Kurt wonders if anyone else is thinking what he's thinking—did his dad just break their necks and be done with it? When they round the corner, Kendrick is rubbing his head, and Jared is rubbing his knee and they both look ashamed as Burt just stands over them, glaring.
"What's going on?" Carole asks as she steps beside her husband.
"Oh, I tried selling these boneheads to the locals, but they didn't want them."
"Oh, God, Burt." Carole tries to hide her laughter but doesn't really succeed.
Smirking, Blaine and Kurt move past the adults, crowding around Kendrick and Jared. Kurt looks questioningly at Kendrick as he continues to rub a spot on his head.
"He totally pulled my hair out! Look!" He holds out his other hand, displaying a fairly large chunk of straight black hair.
Kurt and Blaine stare at Jared. "What? He kicked me in the knee, the little rodent."
"We're totally going to get kicked off the island," Kurt comments. Blaine nods in agreement beside him.
Their next stop is the Mt. Soufriere volcano hot springs, which unfortunately is spewing sulfur so thickly into the air that Kurt actually gets a little dizzy when he exits the bus.
But worse still are the fart jokes. Kurt just covers his face with his hand as all the boys around them are accusing each other of farting. Blaine sighs beside him like he's suffering some great, eternal punishment, and Kurt loves him just a little more because his boyfriend would never stoop to such immature and classless jokes.
Until, of course, he says, "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"
Holden, Finn, Brett and Byron all high-five him for the classic reference.
And Kurt is glaring when Blaine turns to him with a smile. "A "Star Wars" reference? Really? Do you know how 2002 that is?"
Blaine just laughs at him before he gets pulled into a "Star Wars" quoting contest with the others.
Moving as far away from the sulfur springs as he can without leaving the vicinity of the group, Kurt leans his back against the fence surrounding the area and watches as his boyfriend and stepbrother begin reciting a scene between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo word-for-word. For a moment, Kurt tries to imagine being with someone who didn't seem to automatically get along with everyone, someone without Blaine's impeccable manners or ability to zero-in on a person's interests and make them the focus of his attention. He honestly can't picture it, not after having met Blaine. He wouldn't settle for less.
"Hey, Kurt."
Bristling slightly at the familiar voice, Kurt glances over to find Nick standing beside him. "Nick," he acknowledges before turning once more in obvious dismissal.
"So I guess you and Blaine are an item now?"
Apparently, Nick doesn't know a dismissal when he sees one. Kurt turns back to him. "Yes. Do you have problem with that?"
"No."
Kurt blinks. "Oh. I…" He frowns and stares at the boy a moment. "Then why were you telling Blaine yesterday that I was just going to break his heart?"
Nick raises an eyebrow. "You heard that?"
Kurt nods.
"Wait, is that why the two of you were acting so stupid last night?"
Well, Kurt wouldn't use the word stupid… He doesn't even respond.
"Look, Kurt, I just…" Nick pauses as if trying to search for the right words. "Blaine's a great guy, and I was kind of an idiot when we first met, and I guess sometimes I get over-protective because he's kind of, well, oblivious when it comes to people. He tends to think everyone is as good-hearted as he is, and then when reality smacks him in the face, like it always tends to do; it leaves him kind of… I don't know. Less than himself, I guess." Nick shrugs.
Kurt can only feel confusion at the moment. He'd been preparing a whole speech in his head for how he wanted to tell Nick off, and here he finds out that Nick's honestly and completely looking out for Blaine's well-being. And, well, that makes Kurt kind of like Nick, like him enough to be completely honest with him.
"I'm not going to hurt him, Nick."
The Warbler looks at him in disbelief.
Kurt adds, "He's kind of… everything to me. Everything I never thought I'd have but always wanted."
Nick's expression changes ever-so-slightly, and nods. "Well… you seem like you're cool, Kurt. And I really like your parents. And Finn's cool, too. Truce?" He holds out his hand.
"Truce." Kurt takes his hand and shakes it. Feeling much better, he looks over his shoulder to see Blaine and Finn heading toward him. The group seems to be making their way back to the bus.
Kurt can hear Finn talking to Blaine. "…And I totally wouldn't want to but I'm kind of like his big brother now, so that makes it my duty. Or whatever. Just so you know. I wouldn't hit you too hard, or anything. I honestly don't like fighting but I'd kind of be expected to at least give you a black eye."
"Totally understandable." Blaine nods and flashes a smile in Kurt's direction.
Kurt stares after them incredulously. Beside him, Nick says, "On a happier note, I didn't threaten you with bodily harm."
