Blaine hooked his backpack over his right shoulder and handed $80 to the Cabbie as he exited the car. Having been in this town once or twice before, he knew that picturesque structures were as normal as strip malls in middle America, but he wasn't prepared to see the gorgeous building that sat tall and regal before him. It was named "The Corner," and for good reason. The window-paned walls wrapped around the corner, bending into Broadway and 72nd street. Sending a quick text of gratitude to his accomplice for the address, he breathed deep and stepped through the distressed-glass entry. A plush, ultra-modern couch sat low to the ground, taking up the left wall of the lobby. A back-lit white front desk sat before him with a sprite blond receptionist. She greeted him kindly and directed him to the elevators down the hall.

The interior of the building was lush. From the lighting to the door handles, not a single detail was overlooked. The hall that led to the elevators was lined with floor-to-ceiling bubbled, fogged-glass panels. Blaine walked into not one elevator in a corner, but an entire room of elevators. He clicked the "up" button on the elevator panel, feeling underdressed for the chic surroundings. The elevator to his immediate left chimed, and the doors opened. Blaine stepped in and pressed "11."

As the elevator slowly rose, Blaine thought back to the past six weeks. Kurt landed two principle roles out of the four auditions he gave that week after he'd broken down in Blaine's kitchen. Kurt was hugely excited and chose to accept both roles, but it meant that every moment he wasn't at school or work, he was at home memorizing his lines and running through the songs. It also meant not visiting LA until

his next official school holiday- Thanksgiving. He simply couldn't afford to leave behind everything for an entire weekend, so their skype sessions continued. They texted, and called, and sent each other pictures on their phones. Blaine laughed as he remembered the picture he'd received of Kurt feeding a squirrel in Central Park on a warm fall day in September. It was bittersweet to know that while they were thousands of miles apart, they were also just a touch away.

The elevator chimed at the 11th floor. Blaine stepped out and scanned the L-shaped hall for apartment numbers. He turned to his right, and just as the hall curved to the left, he caught sight of the number he needed. Blaine pulled out his phone and dialed. It rang once... twice...

"Hi Bee."

"How are you, Sweetheart?"

"I'm good. Just about to make some dinner and head to bed. I'm looking forward to seeing you on skype tonight."

"Actually Babe, I can't skype tonight. I went out of town for the weekend. The house was feeling so empty without you. I just needed to get away for a little while. I hope that's okay."

Kurt tried to hide his disappointment, "No it's totally fine, Bee. I'll survive a few days without seeing your pretty face. Oh... hold on- someone's knocking on my door."

"It's okay Love, I gotta go anyway, I just arrived at my destination. Sleep well tonight. I love you."

"I love you too. Goodnight Bee." Kurt hung up the phone just as he reached the front door. His study session was scheduled for next Friday, so he wasn't sure why anyone would be knock-

"Blaine?" Kurt yelled in surprise when he opened his front

door. His boyfriend stood in the doorway: tired and smiling, and more gloriously beautiful than Kurt had remembered. Blaine dropped his backpack and opened his arms. Kurt launched into them, nearly knocking Blaine backwards onto the hallway floor.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me? I can't... I can't believe..." Kurt gripped Blaine tightly in his arms, and lifted his legs to wrap around Blaine's waist. He quickly locked his ankles around Blaine's' backside. He couldn't stop the tears of joy that fell from his eyes.

"Carole gave me your address. I couldn't wait any longer to see you. I hope that's okay."

Kurt hugged Blaine's neck even tighter, fisting the fabric of Blaine's jacket in his fingers. "It's always okay to come see me Bee."

Blaine held onto Kurt for several moments in the doorway, kissing Kurt's cheeks, his lips, and down his neck each time Kurt nuzzled his face into Blaine's. Kurt's tears moistened Blaine's lips with each kiss, dampened Blaine's neck, and stained his shirt. His breath hiccupped against the plane of Blaine's chest and the hold of his arms. The reunion was even sweeter than Blaine had planned, and dreamed, and hoped for .

Eventually Kurt unhooked his ankles and slid down the length of Blaine. He grasped Blaine's hand and led him inside. The apartment was huge, especially for New York standards. The front door opened into the massive living room that was situated in the very center of the building's bend, giving it a panoramic view of the outdoors. It was posh, simply decorated, and deliciously modern.

"C'mon, I'll take you on a quick tour." Blaine took off his

jacket and shoes, and set his backpack just inside the door. Kurt tugged Blaine down the left hallway. Two bedrooms sat on the right side of the hall, each with their own bathroom. The first room was what Kurt dubbed his "Inspiration room." The walls were covered in original Broadway posters and displays, signed Playbills, photos of himself with the stars he'd met in New York, and bookcases worth of Vinyl, cds, and books. In the center of the room sat a couch and a few oversized chairs, with a few standing lamps next to the furniture, meant to illuminate the room dimly while he read.

The second room was Kurt's sewing room. Half of the room was taken up by Kurt's wardrobe. Rows of movable clothing racks lined the walls, each full of all sorts of couture and Kurt- made clothing. The actual closet was full of reams of fabric and extra sewing supplies. A sewing machine was set at a large, long table on the wall opposite the entryway, pressed against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

They walked back down the hallway and passed the front door on their tour of the other half of the house. The kitchen was open-ended and situated just past the living room. It was altogether sleek and modern, but somehow Kurt's decorations made it feel lived-in and homey. The door at the end of the short hallway opened into Kurt's spacious bedroom. Just to the left of the entrance was a master bathroom so beautiful, he didn't know how Kurt managed to actually use it.

"Your home is stunning, Kurt." He blushed, "Thank you."

"So, you were about to make dinner before I interrupted. Can I help you cook?"

Kurt nodded. "Definitely. I was planning on making a few fondues. Does that sound good to you?"

"That sounds lovely Kurt. Let's do it."

They wandered back down the hall and into the kitchen. Kurt gave him a quick tour of the cabinets so Blaine could find his way around. Blaine unearthed the cutting board and applicable knives while Kurt set out all but one of the finger foods for Blaine to prep. Among them were vegetables, fruit, specialty breads, and several cheeses. After rinsing the vegetables and fruit, Blaine organized separate trays by food group. Kurt simultaneously took care of three pots and one pan of food on the stove. He melted two kinds of cheese, one pot of dark chocolate, and cooked a breast of chicken for Blaine.

Blaine finished prepping and filling the trays just before Kurt was done melting and cooking. "Would you take the trays into the living room?" Kurt asked.

"Sure, Babe." Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's cheek and carried the trays out to the coffee table. He re-entered the kitchen and offered to take out drinks. Kurt suggested sparkling cider.

"I can't wait until next year. I feel like such a kid, with bubbly apple juice being the fanciest thing I can legally drink." Kurt complained while flipping the sizzling cubes of chicken over in the pan.

"Mmm we don't need any alcohol to have fun," Blaine light- heartedly reassured. He found the bottle of Martinelli's in the fridge and removed the foil and extra lid off the top.

"Champagne flutes are in the cabinet to my right," Kurt instructed.

Blaine found the flutes and took them with the Martinelli's into the living room. Kurt poured the cheese and chocolate into fondue pots, and brought the cheeses to the table.

"Bee, could you scoop the chicken out of the pan and bring it out?"

Blaine rushed back into the kitchen and did as Kurt asked. Kurt grabbed the chocolate fondue and took Blaine's hand.

"Everything smells amazing, Kurt. And I'm so hungry! Thank you for cooking."

"You're very welcome. Thank you for preparing the finger foods."

Blaine bit Kurt's neck lightly and playfully purred into the delicate flesh before Kurt towed him to the living room. Blaine set down the plate of chicken and settled into the long white couch while Kurt padded to the armoire and turned down the music that he'd been singing along to before Blaine had shown up at his door.

"Oh! I forgot the skewers!" Kurt grabbed them, along with two plates, and joined Blaine on the couch.

Blaine poured sparkling cider for the two of them, and Kurt scooped a variety of foods to dip.

"Bon Appétit!" Kurt toasted. They ate on the couch together.

"Mmm Kurt the chicken tastes so good with the cheeses you melted," Blaine exclaimed around his bite.

"Thank you! I'm glad you like it. The veggies are the perfect shape and size for dipping. You did a great job on them."

"Thank you, and you're welcome," Blaine replied, rubbing his hand lovingly on Kurt's leg that rested closest to him.

About twenty minutes into their meal, Kurt tried the chocolate. "The chocolate is fantastic, and the strawberries are super sweet. Try one?" Kurt offered. He dipped a

strawberry in the fragrant chocolate with his skewer, plucked it off, and held the berry in his hand towards Blaine.

Blaine leaned forward and bit the chocolate strawberry slowly, holding Kurt's eyes as he pulled back and licked his lips clean of the warm liquid chocolate. Kurt ate the other half of the berry. His eyes never left Blaine as he watched him dip his finger in the chocolate pot, and brought the sweetness into his mouth. He cupped the back of Kurt's neck and drew him forward. Their lips met and Blaine teased open Kurt's mouth with a tug of his bottom lip. With a drawn-out lick, Blaine dipped his tongue onto Kurt's and let him taste the chocolate. Kurt hummed and held Blaine's chin with his fingertips. Slowly the chocolate spread and melted further onto their tongues. The kissed continued for a moment after the chocolate had all been swallowed.

"Mmm you taste better than chocolate-dipped strawberries. I should just have you for dessert." Kurt praised when he pulled back and licked his lips.

"Ditto." Blaine couldn't disguise his half-lidded eyes, or the octave drop in his voice.

Meanwhile, Kurt couldn't stifle the yawn that had been building in his chest for the last few minutes. He stretched his arms into the air and brought them down into his lap with a light smack. "Bee I would love to make out with you and dark chocolate all night, but I'm super tired. Can we take a rain check?"

Blaine scooted back from Kurt and reached for the pots of fondue, "Certainly Love. Go get ready for bed and I'll clean up our dinner."

Kurt mumbled his gratitude and padded down the short hall to his bedroom. Having changed into PJs before Blaine arrived,

he only had oral care left before he could collapse heavily and happily into bed with a nice, big flop.

While Kurt rinsed out his mouth of toothpaste foam, his favorite curly-headed human walked into the bathroom with his PJs on. His toothbrush and paste were wrapped in his hand.

Side by side, Blaine brushed and Kurt flossed.

They made funny faces at each other in the mirror.

Kurt didn't want to stop seeing and feeling and experiencing Blaine, for even a second; so instead of leaving the bathroom when he finished flossing, he pressed his body flush with Blaine's backside, wrapped his arms completely around Blaine's middle, and perched his chin on Blaine's left shoulder.

They Eskimo-kissed.

Blaine flossed.

Hand in hand they left the bathroom and turned down the covers of Kurt's bed. Blaine let Kurt settle in his usual spot, and then took the other side.

Kurt smiled at the beautiful sight of Blaine in his bed. "Can I hold you for a while?"

Blaine beamed, "Of course, Gorgeous. I'll never turn down cuddles."

They inched towards each other until they met somewhere in the middle. The sheets twisted and tugged, pulling taut from their tucked-in corners.

"Ham, or cheese, Love?"

Kurt giggled. "What?"

"Ham, or cheese?"

Kurt sat up on his elbows and looked down at Blaine with the

silliest playful expression, "What in the world could you mean?"

"You haven't heard the phrase? It's a cuddling term- the person on the bottom is the 'ham' and the person on top is the 'cheese'- like a ham and cheese sandwich. The mattress and comforter are the bread. The pillows are tomatoes and lettuce. The sheets are mustard and mayo."

Kurt threw his head back and laughed good and long at the endearing nonsense that had just come out of Blaine's pretty mouth. He eyed Blaine suspiciously, "I have a feeling that you just made that up- but I'll go with it because it's painfully adorable, and I missed you terribly for the last six weeks. You could pretty much do no wrong at this point."

"Oh really?" Blaine wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes, but don't abuse it. I don't want a new wall mural in the living room, or a slip n' slide in the kitchen when I wake up tomorrow."

Blaine pouted, but recovered quickly. "So...?" Blaine turned his head to the side and gave a big, toothy smile.

"So... I'll be the cheese." Kurt conceded.

Blaine gathered Kurt onto his chest and snuggled him close. "Mmm come here my little Parmesan."

He lifted the flat sheet and tucked it in around Kurt's neck, making sure to wrap him up completely in warmth. "There's your mayo."

Blaine grabbed the comforter and pulled it up all the way over their heads. "...and our last slice of bread. We are now a complete meal."

Kurt giggled, his body vibrating on top of Blaine. "I have a feeling I will regret asking, but why 'Parmesan?'"

Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead, "Because you're sharp, and strong, and you smell lovely all the time."

"Aww thank you. And you're a great ham because you're funny, and smart, and gentle, and you go really well with cheese."

Blaine rubbed Kurt's back in long strokes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were becoming as mushy of a romantic as me, Mr. Hummel."

"I think I am. I love you Bee."

"I love you, Kurt."

They gazed at each other for a few hushed moments.

"Thank you for surprising me. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you after so long."

"Oh, I think I do." Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and settled further into the pillows and sheets beneath Kurt's comforting weight and warmth. "Goodnight Love."

Kurt woke mid-morning to an empty bed and the chime of pots and pans shuffling around in the kitchen cabinets.

His heart fluttered.

The new morning brought with it a fresh round of disbelief and excitement that Blaine came over last night for a surprise visit. He made the bed and laughed as he remembered that his bed was now a "sandwich." He brushed his teeth, peed, and washed his hands as quietly as he could, so that Blaine's beautiful singing was still audible through the open bedroom door. Kurt washed his hands and checked his complexion in the mirror. Though he knew Blaine wouldn't notice the difference, he chose to wash his face. After he's washed and rinsed his skin, he patted his face with the face towel and heard Blaine change songs.

"Good morning, Love." Blaine offered, and leaned away from the stove to peck Kurt's lips as he entered the kitchen. Kurt returned the gesture.

"Mmm you're minty," Blaine noted as he flipped the pancakes in the pan.

"I brushed." Kurt clarified. He sat at a stool on the opposite side of the kitchen counter, watching Blaine's back as he cooked.

"Breakfast is almost ready." Blaine made a plate of fruit and scrambled eggs while the first round of pancakes finished cooking. He handed the plate and a fork to Kurt.

"This looks delicious, Bee. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Sweetheart. Juice?" Blaine went to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice.

"Yes, please."

Blaine poured two glasses and set one next to Kurt's plate. The first three pancakes were done, so Blaine stacked them in the pan and carried them with the spatula to Kurt's plate.

"The pancakes smell amazing! You really should open your own restaurant," Kurt complimented.

"Maybe in my next life, I'll own my own diner." Blaine winked.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be your head waiter. Can I have the jam?"

Blaine got a knife from the utensil drawer and set it with the organic strawberry jam, next to Kurt's plate.

"Thank you."

Blaine made a dozen more pancakes, and Kurt ate everything Blaine piled onto his plate for him- including the second helping.

"I've never seen you eat this much, Babe," Blaine noted with a grin.

Kurt swallowed a bite of his fifth pancake. "I can't say 'no' to your cooking; besides, I haven't had the time to cook anything this nice since the last time I saw you. After a fourteen-hour day, the last thing I want to do is slave in the kitchen for an hour. I've been eating simple things like sandwiches, burritos, salads..."

"Do you ever just go out or order in?" Blaine wondered.

"Sometimes, but it's hard to wait for it to be delivered to eat, and I don't remember half the time to order before my last client of the day comes for their appointment. Thus, most of the time I end up just eating something quick here that I can make."

"Which restaurants are your favorite?"

Kurt took a moment to think. He counted the restaurants on his hand as he mentioned them, "Ummm I like the pizza place down the street because they've got organic veggie pizzas... There's a fabulous Chinese restaurant that delivers until midnight during the week... Oh! The best twenty-four-hour breakfast diner in New York actually delivers if you are a loyal enough customer, and I'm really persuasive," Kurt smirked at his own genius. "There's a nice sushi place two blocks down, and a German one- I can never pronounce the name of the place, but the food is to die for... hold on," Kurt stood and walked around the counter to the cabinet next to the fridge. He pulled out a small stack of takeout menus and flipped through them. "Ha! Here it is. They make the best potato soup I've ever had."

Blaine took the menus and sifted through them. "Awesome! So all your favorites are in here?"

Kurt nodded and returned to his stool.

Blaine joined him on the other side of the kitchen counter, and ate. "What do you have planned for today?"

Kurt rested his left hand on Blaine's right thigh, lazily running his hand up and down the length of it. He leaned his elbow onto the counter towards Blaine. "I have one mid-term left, so I need to study for that. I need to run through my lines, and then you can have me for the rest of the day."

"Are you sure Babe? I don't want you to get behind. I would be happy to just sit with you all day while you study if you need to."

Kurt kissed Blaine's pancake-stuffed cheek and replied, "No it's okay. I've been studying my lines so much that I've nearly got them memorized already. I'm yours after two pm."

Blaine smiled around his big bite of fruit he'd just taken into his mouth. "I look forward to it. What do you wanna do when you're free?"

Kurt thought for a moment. "Well, we could go to the iconic parks and museums, the Statue of Liberty, all the tourist stuff... Halloween is just a few days away, so there's lots of scary exhibits, parades, and events to attend."

Blaine perked up, "Scary stuff sounds awesome. New York is so full of history; I bet there are loads of ghost encounters and such here."

Kurt hopped down from the stool and grabbed his laptop. "Actually I just heard about a haunted mansion tour that's supposed to be really good." Kurt did a google search and found, "The Merchant's House Museum Tour: the most haunted home in all of New York. The place is nearly two hundred years old, and most of the furnishings are original to the home. The tours are by candlelight after dark. Wanna try

it?"

"Totally!" Blaine agreed readily. Kurt set the laptop down and moved to help with the dishes.

"No Baby, I've got it. You go ahead and get started with your day."

"You sure?" Kurt wondered.

"Yes. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be done and I can have you all to myself."

Kurt left the kitchen with a kiss to Blaine's lips, and a snug hug. In the bathroom he started the shower and grabbed a set of clothes from his bedroom closet (he kept each new week's outfits in there so he wouldn't have to cross his apartment each morning to get something to wear). When he returned, the water was warm and ready. He stripped and stepped into the tub, letting the water cascade down from head to toe. Normally he would linger in the shower, taking extra time to wash and rinse, and let the heat seep into his bones before he was done. Today he showered quickly, not forgetting for a second who was waiting for him in the living room. He dressed simply and blow-dried his hair. A hint of tinted moisturizer was massaged into his face, and hand lotion spread onto his hands, and he was finished. He stepped out of the bathroom and went to his inspiration room to get his notes and scripts.

A whistle sounded from the living room as he passed. He swung his hips a little wider in response.

Blaine sat on one end of the couch with his legs stretched out on the cushions with a book in-hand. Kurt walked to the opposite end of the couch and sat down.

"Mm-mm," Blaine protested. He pulled his left leg up in half, pressed vertically into the couch cushions, and brought his

right leg in horizontally, Indian style. He patted the seat cushion in front of his right leg. Kurt smiled. A hint of beautiful blush colored his cheeks as he sat right in front of Blaine and leaned back onto his chest. His head fit comfortably atop Blaine's left shoulder.

"Much better," Blaine approved, and kissed the top of Kurt's head.

Blaine read the novel he'd borrowed from Kurt's library, while Kurt studied his class notes. The time passed peacefully, quietly. Every so often Blaine would run his fingertips along Kurt's arm, or Kurt would turn over to kiss Blaine. Loving looks were exchanged, and both would settle back down into each other and their reading material.

Around one o'clock Kurt switched from notes to his script, and stood to stretch before he read through it a few times. Blaine took the opportunity to take a quick shower. When he came out to the living room and resumed his spot behind Kurt on the couch, he lost interest in his book he'd been reading. He noticed that Kurt mouthed his lines silently while he read, and Blaine watched him practice. He'd missed those pale pink lips for far too long. There were days during their six weeks apart that it felt like Kurt was just a very good dream he'd had for many summer nights in a row. The skype sessions kept fresh in his mind that Kurt was real, and very much his, but it still wasn't enough to fully convince him of the reality of Kurt. Of them. It felt like Blaine led two separate lives- one at his work, and the other on his computer.

Just as he was about to come out of his thoughts and continue reading, a pair of lips pressed into his neck, and cleared the fog of deep thoughts in his mind.

"I'm all done. I'm yours for the rest of the day."

Blaine dropped the book on the floor and wrapped his arms around Kurt's back.

"You've just made your boyfriend a very happy camper."

Kurt grinned.

"What would you like to do first? It's only..." Blaine looked at his watch, "two-thirty, so we've got five hours until we have to leave for the tour."

Blaine felt Kurt's hands slide down his chest and stop at the hem of his shirt. Kurt lifted an eyebrow in question, and Blaine nodded. "Itching to see me naked, Hummel?"

Instead of fending off Blaine's joking advances like usual, Kurt just went with it. "Always," he teased, helping Blaine remove his white v-neck tee. Blaine settled back into the wide arm of the couch and Kurt tossed the shirt on the floor. Kurt repositioned Blaine's legs to stretch out straight on the couch cushions, and Kurt straddled his thighs.

Kurt leaned forward and pressed his hands into the couch at either side of Blaine's waist. He stopped a few inches before his lips met Blaine's, and confessed, "I've missed you so much, Blaine. I've missed your tan skin. Your beautiful, chocolate eyes."

Blaine blushed.

"Your feathered eyelashes. Your unruly curls. Your inappropriate humor that's always at the tip of your tongue."

Blaine laughed softly, creasing sweet wrinkles around his eyes. Kurt sat back on Blaine's thighs and ran his hands along Blaine's bare skin.

"I've missed the way you hold me. The feeling of your lips on mine. The gentle way you take care of me. Your spontaneity. I've missed reading to you. Cooking with you, and for you.

You have become a large part of who I am, and even though we're not together as much as I'd like, I don't regret any of the changes you've sparked in me."

Before Blaine could pull Kurt in for a kiss, Kurt slid off the couch and onto the floor. He curled a finger towards himself to signal Blaine to join him. Kurt took the folded blanket off the opposite side of the couch and laid it out on the floor. He patted the soft warmth and Blaine followed onto it.

"Lay down Bee, and rest your arms out at your sides. Palms up."

Blaine did so.

Kurt knelt at Blaine's left side, just below his left arm, "Besides my heart and my head missing you, my body missed you too. Would you mind if I give your body a bit of love before we engage our minds and hearts, and join the outside world?"

Blaine nodded, words failing him.

"Don't worry yourself with reciprocating right now, because I can see those wheels turning. Just relax and feel."

Kurt leaned down to Blaine's wrist and puckered his lips into the sensitive skin. His right hand came up to rest in Blaine's palm. Kurt's breath exhaled from his nose, and ran hot over Blaine's skin, causing goose bumps to rise. "That's it, Bee." Kurt licked his wrist in one long motion, eliciting a hum from Blaine's throat. He kissed a trail of love up to Blaine's elbow and lifted Blaine's forearm to bend his arm a bit. Kurt sucked the skin at the crease into his mouth, and licked the inner hinge of his arm. Blaine's legs stretched and tensed in response.

"Feel okay?" Kurt prompted.

Blaine's head lolled to the side, "Mmhmm," he responded dreamily.

Kurt left another trail of kisses up to his shoulder and down his chest, stopping just before Blaine's piercing. He stared at it for a moment, before deciding, and covered the darkened circle of skin with his mouth.

Blaine's toes curled and his knees bent, trying so hard to stay still for Kurt, but unable to control his physical reaction. Kurt let his tongue run over the ends of the jewelry, and flick over the bud in the middle. Blaine's arms flew up and gripped the back of Kurt's shirt in his hands.

"God Kurt that... God I just... God please don't stop doing that..." Blaine choked out in breathy, chopped sentences, pulling down the hem at the back of Kurt's shirt for leverage, and running his heels along the hard wood floor.

Kurt lifted off of Blaine's nipple and raised his head to see Blaine, writhing and turning red with the rush of hormones, "Feeling extra religious today, Anderson?" He cocked a mischievous eyebrow.

"Until that blessed mouth stops, I'll be singing His praises." Blaine smiled weakly, all at once lethargic and on fire, that shown through his half-lidded eyes.

Kurt sucked on Blaine's nipple like a straw, "I love how," –suck- "easy it is to," –suck- "get you going with your nipple. It's almost like a start button for your sexuality."

At this point Blaine had a light sheen of sweat on his chest and forehead. His nipples were far more sensitive than either of them would have guessed. He bit his lip and tried to breathe slowly through his nose. Kurt moved over to Blaine's other nipple and gave it the same attention as the last. Little noises hummed from Blaine's throat in praise of Kurt's

successful efforts. Blaine felt a warm energy and pressure build up throughout his body, and between his legs. To bring the feeling on stronger, Blaine acted on instinct and pulled Kurt's right hand up and over his pierced nipple. Kurt understood and moved his fingertips around the bud of skin while his mouth held vigilance on his other. Blaine's breath was ragged and heavy, sounding as if wind was blowing in through an open window.

"How ya doing Bee?"

It took a few breathes to get the sentence out, "Mmmf

amazing... Love... just don't-" exhale- "stop."

Though Kurt was a virgin, that didn't mean he was naïve. He gave one last long suck to each nipple, licking circles around them both, before he let his fingertips take over, and let his mouth wander farther south.

Blaine released Kurt's shirt and his arms fell lax and limp at his sides. The waves of ecstasy rolling over his body became too much to fight, so he let them take over. Kurt pressed kisses down the center of Blaine's chest, following the little trail of dark hair to his navel. Kurt circled his nose around the edges, and dipped his tongue into the hollow of Blaine's soft flesh. Blaine cried out, clearly nearing the proverbial edge they'd never breached in front of the other before. Kurt traced his nose across the bare skin just above Blaine's jeans from one hip to the other.

"Blaine, look down."

He did so and watched Kurt's head move a few inches lower. Kurt pressed his nose to the base of Blaine's clothed erection and drew all the way up to his tip. The sight and sensation threw him yards off of the edge, and he fell fast and hard off the blessed cliff. He could have sworn that for twenty

seconds, the entire world was silent and stopped. When he came to, he exhaled heavily.

Blaine tugged Kurt back up and onto his body. His breath was pushing and pulling out of his lungs. "You have... the most talented... face and fingertips. Ever."

Kurt smiled in happiness and triumph. "And you have the most perfectly sensitive skin I could have ever hoped for."

Blaine smiled, looking as if he'd been drugged and was loopy from the side effects. "I think I need... another shower..."

Kurt giggled, "I bet you do. How about I run you a bath, and you can relax for a bit while I read to you. Then we'll do dinner and the haunted mansion."

Blaine closed his eyes, on the brink of sleep, "Mmm. Yes. I'd like that."

Blaine soaked in the bubble bath for half an hour. Kurt sat on the toilet with his bare feet perched on the lip of the tub, and read to him from Shakespeare's Sonnets. They played footsie.

An hour later they wandered outside and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the pizza place Kurt mentioned earlier that day. Kurt showed him the special way to order their pizza, since there were so many options to choose from. Besides the usual toppings, there were several kinds of sauces, different doughs (even sour bread!), and over a dozen freshly grated, imported cheeses to choose from. Blaine asked Kurt to order his favorite dish. Kurt was right, the vegetable pizza was fantastic.

From the sidewalk, the 1830's merchant house looked like a typical historic home in New York. It was three stories tall, with an orange-red brick construction, and three large windows on each floor. The shutters were a deep green, and so wide that they nearly touched each other when opened

wide. The only unusual thing about the place: all of the lights in the house were off. The front door, molding, and columns were a stark white. The house seemed to have been built for a very rich family.

Kurt and Blaine were invited inside and huddled into the foyer in a group of fifteen people. Only a single light was on: a lamp hanging from the vaulted ceiling in the doorway. Each was given a tall white candle- the kind that were typically used in festive dinner table decorations, with a cup fitted about halfway down its length, to hold in the waxy drips. After each person received a candle, the host lit them.

The rules and guidelines of being in the home, as well as emergency procedures should anything happen, were quickly discussed.

They stepped further into the home.

Kurt reached for Blaine's hand and held it tight. Blaine switched his candle into his left hand, and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist.

"You okay, Boo?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear.

"Yeah. I love scary stuff, it just... scares me. I give in easily to suggestion."

"That's what makes this fun. You'll be just fine. They've done these tours for over seventy years without significant negative incidents."

Kurt gave Blaine a bewildered look. "How did you know that?"

Blaine smiled and shrugged. "I read the informational sign at the gate."

Kurt lightly smacked Blaine's arm, feeling lighter and better about walking into a place where the original owners of the home still lingered in their vaporous, milky white forms.

Though they weren't sure they would see anything more than a pretty, old house tonight, they were sure of this: the Tredwells were rich. Filthy rich. It made Kurt's posh, upscale, luxurious apartment look like something out of an Ikea catalog. Every opportunity to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary was taken. There were two parlors, both of which were decked out in ornate, large furniture; there were four vertical rows of crown molding where the walls met the ceiling, and the elegantly detailed carpet looked more like a fancy rug that ran from wall to wall.

"They must've had very dry sex lives," Kurt whispered to Blaine as their group was shown Mr. and Mrs. Tredwell's separate bedrooms, complete with desks for work and correspondence, fireplaces, and wardrobes.

Blaine giggled under his breath and nipped Kurt's ear, "It was normal for husbands and wives to sleep in separate rooms back then. But I agree, it would make for an interesting sexual situation..."

Kurt continued the thought Blaine didn't voice, "How do you decide which room, and who initiates? Maybe back then it was only the man..." Blaine nodded.

"Thank God we live in the twenty-first century. There ain't no way you could keep me out of your bed as your husband." Kurt replied flippantly, not realizing the gravity of his statement. Blaine tucked it away for safe-keeping.

The two noted a stark contrast between the living quarters for the family, and the area where the servants worked and slept. The kitchen was barren with plain hardwood floors and just barely enough furniture to get work done. The walls were unadorned except for a single clock on the far wall, and only two lamps hung from the single electrical unit in the ceiling. The top floor was cramped and bent to the shape of the roof

above. The servants' beds were less than half the size of the couple's beds, and made with thin, pitiful framing.

The garden was like something out of a Jane Austen movie. The cement blocking, and shaped shrubbery made Kurt feel like he'd stepped back in time, more so than the entire interior of the house.

When they gave back their candles and left through the front door, they assessed their experience.

"What did you think, Baby Doll?"

Kurt pondered as they made their way back home. "It was fascinating to see what life was like for people two hundred years ago. But I think it was only creepy because of our candles being the only light we had. It didn't feel haunted to me. How about you?"

Blaine tugged Kurt into his side, "I definitely believe in ghosts, but this place felt more like history and hype, than haunting."

When they got home, they readied themselves for sleep and hopped into the bread, mayo, and mustard. They decided tonight to both be ham, so they could spoon. The tomato and lettuce cushioned the fall of their heads, and they slipped into a beautiful sleep.

Sunday was uneventful, but beautiful all the same. They drank peppermint tea in the morning to warm themselves against the cold winter's chill. Kurt did more studying on the couch against Blaine's back. They spooned the afternoon away and watched an action movie on Kurt's flat-screen. They finished off the leftover fondue and pizza from the day before, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They played twenty questions, and "Have you ever?" with the rest of the Martinelli's. The best confessions were that Kurt was a ballerina for Halloween when he was five-complete with pink

tutu, and Blaine had drunkenly made out one night with an entire Sorority in college. By choice. Kurt taught Blaine how to sew in a straight line. Blaine taught Kurt the chords of a Top 40 pop ballad that was currently on the charts.

Eventually they gave up on trying to stay awake all night, and gave in to sleep. Blaine was ham, Kurt was parmesan.

Blaine had planned his departure to the airport on Monday at the same time Kurt left for school in the morning, so the transition would be easier. Kurt pulled Blaine in for a long, loving, kiss on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building. He scratched his fingers along Blaine's scalp. Blaine slipped his hands beneath Kurt's un-tucked button-up and raked his fingers over the silky skin.

A honk sounded, announcing the arrival of Blaine's taxi. They pressed their foreheads together.

"I love you." Blaine whispered.

"I love you. Thank you for coming." Kurt's eyes shined with tears, but he was smiling.

"I'll see you soon. Thanksgiving will come before you know it," Blaine tried to convince them both.

Kurt took one more kiss, and squeezed Blaine's hands. "Call me when you land. I'll pick up even if I'm in class."

"Will do."

They hugged in parting, and Kurt waved as Blaine's taxi pulled away from the sidewalk.

The day after Blaine returned to Los Angeles, a hot, fresh, organic meal from one of Kurt's favorite local eateries showed up at Kurt's door ten minutes after he arrived home, with instructions that there was no bill to be paid- and to enjoy the meal. It happened again the next day, and the day after that,

for the whole week and into the weekend.

Kurt would later find out that Blaine had scheduled, planned out rotating menu items, and paid for, Kurt's dinners to be delivered from his five favorite restaurants, for every single night of the week until he came home to California for Winter Break, two months later.