A/N: So far it did not matter, but now it does, so I need to tell you: Blaine is still at Dalton in this story even though we are already a couple of weeks into Kurt's senior year at McKinley when the boys go to the cinema together in chapter one of this story. Yes, I consider it so important I put it in bold type. And yes, I wrote it this way, in part at least, because I was never really happy with how the show handled the transfer. Those of you who have stuck with me for a while know I am prone to rewrite storylines I did not completely love.
I love you completely though my dear readers.
Set Alight
Blaine wakes up that night, several times, Kurt tossing and turning beside him.
He is immensely relieved when they make it to the next morning, the heaviest stormclouds having finally passed and with them part of the cold and the dark.
Blaine is awake long before Kurt this time. He watches the sunshine wander around the room until the boy in his arms stirs, unknowingly attracting Blaine's full attention.
Blaine can feel his heart beginning to race when Kurt moves to look up at him. There is a smile on his boyfriend's lips and a slight sparkle to his eyes. And then those lips are on Blaine's, and in no time the whole boy is pressing Blaine into the mattress.
Blaine feels a rush and an excitement only Kurt has ever made him feel and part of him wants to never stop but as Kurt moves to straddle Blaine, pressing him deeper into the mattress with a thrust of his hips, Blaine knows he has to stop this now or he will not at all.
He turns his head to the right, dragging his lips away from Kurt's, who only sees the movement as an invitation to press hot open-mouthed kisses along Blaine's neck.
"Kurt," Blaine tries but sounds too needy and not nearly stern enough.
Blaine cannot help thrust back when Kurt's hips come down again, and Kurt lets out a moan right into a gasping Blaine's left ear.
"Kurt," Blaine tries again, hands taking hold of Kurt's hips, stilling their persistent movement.
Eyes meet and Kurt is confused by what he finds in Blaine's.
"I thought you wanted it too," Kurt asks looking taken aback, a slight frown and a whole lot of self-doubt written on his face.
Blaine not wanting to confuse Kurt any further, and knowing words can too easily be misunderstood lets his right hand slip into Kurt's hair and gently guides him down into a kiss. Lips caressing Kurt's with a light touch, the kiss turning deep, while remaining slow and gentle, as both boys open their mouths and tongues meet.
Minutes pass before a panting, smiling Kurt draws back, and allows his head to settle half on Blaine's shoulder, half in the crook of his neck. Kurt's whole body relaxed into Blaine's.
Passion is beautiful and brilliant and Blaine loves the feel of it, but not as much as the feel of Kurt relaxing into him.
Yes, sex is wonderful, amazing really, but Blaine cannot help find more meaning in being able to be this close to each other with their clothes still on. Comfort and the feeling of closeness, so far they have not figured out how to combine that with, translate it into their sex life, always getting carried away in the end. And Blaine thinks that is not what either of them needs right now.
They stay in each other's arms for neither boy knows how long, Blaine's arms around Kurt's middle, fingers splayed on his lower back and Kurt's hands resting next to both sides of Blaine's head, not quite tangled in Blaine's curls but in part touching them lightly, breathing together.
There is a knock on the door and Blaine is surprised that the often otherwise jumpy Kurt does not move.
As Blaine looks down from the ceiling he has been staring at to Kurt's face, he notices the boy is fast asleep again.
When the door opens slowly and his eyes meet Carol's Blaine blushes. And as Blaine makes to move out from under Kurt Carole whispers "He looks so peaceful, please don't, not on my account."
Blaine nods, although still feeling slightly awkward then remembers that he really should not, after all there have been enough Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons that they have spent cuddled up on the living room couch much like this, with the rest of the family sitting somewhere around the room watching a movie or some TV.
Carole moves to speak again when Kurt stirs and his eyes flutter open, "What is it?", a light voice can be heard.
"Hey, you are awake," Blaine coos.
"Is that what it looks like?" Kurt half jokes.
Carole is smiling when she speaks again, drawing both boys attention to herself, "I just wanted to make sure you two are okay before I go meet some friends. I know it is Sunday but your dad was called to the garage on an emergency and you know him, he never passes up an opportunity to challenge himself a little," Blaine thinks that sounds a lot like someone else he knows, "and Finn is…"
"Over at Pucks," Kurt says.
"Yeah," Carole says, smile growing wider.
"We will be fine," Kurt murmurs into Blaine's chest, and Blaine just gives a small tilt of his head in affirmation.
"I left you some fruit salad in the fridge and we still got some cream cheese and bagels.
"Thank you Mom," Kurt says in reply.
Blaine has never heard Kurt call Carole that before, and maybe it is because he is still sleepy, but Kurt does not seem to think it in any way out of the ordinary.
Carole '…does not look surprised, more excited,' Blaine thinks looking back at her, and it makes him suspect that yes it has happened before but probably not that often.
"I see you latest at dinner. I will start preparing for it around half seven tonight in case you should decide you are interested in helping out. Bye now sweeties," Carole says turning to leave.
"Bye, and thank you," Blaine replies.
"Bye," Kurt echoes his boyfriend before he lets out a contented sigh.
xxxx
The morning passes with more snuggling, and with the sun still out when Kurt and Blaine finally leave the bed Kurt suggests a picnic in the backyard.
"Open air eating. I love it," Blaine says.
And after Kurt and Blaine both have changed into comfy sweatpants that all had belonged to Blaine at some point, but somehow have found their way into Kurt's closet in the last months, they both pull on t-shirts, comfy sweaters and extra warm socks.
As they make their way downstairs they are already holding hands again and Kurt a picnic blanket he has always stored in the summer section of his closet.
After a quick stop in the kitchen to fetch the food and make some hot honeybush tea, they enter the backyard.
The silence is comfortable as they drink and eat, and Kurt snuggles back into Blaine's side, resting his head on Blaine's right shoulder as he chews on his bagel.
Blaine is tempted to ask several times. 'But what exactly would I ask for?' he thinks every time, so after short deliberation with himself Blaine decides that Kurt deserves the break he seems to be able to give himself today and really who is Blaine to destroy that.
xxxx
Blaine learns a lot that day about the area surrounding the Hummel's house.
Kurt points out that there is a forest, and of course Blaine has to go explore.
"Can we?" Blaine asks eyes wide with arrant excitement.
"Of course," Kurt replies beaming himself, Blaine's childlike excitement contagious a so often.
Stepping into the forest Blaine immediately notices that it is late enough in the year already to find trees set alight with color.
"I love how the trees branching out furthest draw circles of color under themselves on the ground. So beautiful," Kurt's voice sounds soft and the boy himself deep in thought adding the last sentence.
Blaine does for once not feel the pressure to hold back with his affections with nothing but the beauty of nature surrounding them, and so instantly takes both of Kurt's hands, running his thumbs along the backs of them, gently caressing the skin there.
They have stopped under a tree that is still holding on to some leaves but mainly has shed them effectively coloring the ground the boys stand on yellow.
And as the sun comes out again behind a quickly passing cloud, driven by the wind, the boys now kissing soft and deep are bathed in the light of the warming autumn sun, seemingly setting the ground they are standing on alight with a yellow, in spots almost golden glow.
The rest of the walk passes in silence, all the boys need to know already communicated in the way Kurt's left and Blaine's right hand hold and caress each other.
The boys pick some especially colorful leaves both finding them inspiring in their unique appearance created by nature alone.
When they get back to the house, daylight already fading outside Carole and Burt are both there.
An hour later the four of them sit down for dinner, Finn having called saying he is staying at Puck's for that.
Some time into the meal Blaine notices Burt gradually looking more and more worried.
He also notices that Carole too keeps looking between Burt and Kurt.
Blaine knows there are lines forming on his forehead right now, but he relaxes a bit when Kurt, sitting to Blaine's left, reaches over with his right hand and places it over Blaine's left squeezing it affectionately, and smiling at Blaine for the rest of the meal whenever he is not looking down at his plate of food.
All the attention from Kurt makes Blaine feel warm and fuzzy that is until the realization hits him.
Kurt has been avoiding eye-contact with his father all through dinner, in fact ever since they came back from their walk.
And Blaine remembers Burt talking about Kurt's eyes being filled with love instead of fear now that Blaine is in the picture, but suddenly, unlike the night before, Blaine is not so sure anymore that this is an entirely good thing, or even entirely real.
'How much of an act is Kurt really putting on?' Blaine cannot help but think and instantly feels a little hurt by the possibility alone.
'Would Kurt use me to try and throw Burt of his tracks?'
And suddenly Blaine finds himself worrying that to Kurt this is all still more about others and keeping them happy than about himself and getting better.
It is then that Blaine knows there won't be another way. He will have to confront Kurt with all he now thinks he knows, and hope his boyfriend won't shut him out, or worse, shut down completely.
xxxx
It is a quiet evening and night at the Hummel's. At least on the surface it seems that way, but none of the people having had dinner together fall asleep easy that night.
xxxx
The next morning, confronted by Burt, Kurt refuses to talk; and Burt wonders whether that means he actually remembers something distinct this time.
Burt suspects he sometimes does remember things very specific, and that those have always been the times the recovery from this took the longest, can take weeks, not just days, or hours - in the most fortunate of cases.
xxxx
Blaine never once leaves Kurt's side in the days to come, both boys taking of the week from school.
The school year still being so young, there is not much to miss that cannot be made up for in the weeks to come, before the first exams that really count for something, even at Dalton.
xxxx
The morning of day six of Blaine's stay at the Hummel's, a Thursday, has Burt and Carole huddled up in the kitchen, the sound of their conversation - made up mainly of hushed whispers - filling the ground level of the house when Kurt and Blaine step out of Kurt's bedroom and make their way down the stairs.
Burt thinking back to Sunday's dinner has to wonder whether them being that inseparable is really such a good thing. He, after all, is the parent, and "It is my job to question whether the things, even the things and people Kurt thinks are good for him, really are simply that," he tells Carole.
Carole agrees but also reminds Burt that Kurt and Blaine need to get the opportunity to help each other through tough times like this "You cannot take that from them, we already talked about that Burt. And Burt," she pauses until he looks her in the eyes, "Blaine understands in ways we don't."
"I know."
"So give him a chance to help Kurt truly get better. Just sending Kurt back to Dalton will not help him in the long run. And we both know this is not because of something new going on at McKinley right now."
"We all know that it isn't that," both his parents spin around as they hear Kurt's voice coming from the entrance to the kitchen.
Kurt does not look angry but there is something else playing on his face.
The day before Kurt and Blaine had finally talked and Kurt now feels maybe not exactly ready but confident enough - and sure enough of himself - to try, at least try and deal not only with his own pain but with the unnerving, because in big parts unpredictable, reaction he might get from his family, allowing them closer.
A/N: From next chapter onwards this story will be rated M. But don't worry my dear readers, only for good reasons, very good reasons some of you might say. Want to take a guess?
