"Would you stay over tonight?" Elliott asked. Calling early in the day to make arrangements for that night was unusual but Elliott wanted to plan their time.

"Sure. Any particular reason?"

"Winter solstice. Longest night of the year."

"Um, yeah... Am I missing a significance? Is that something you celebrate?"

"No, I'm not pagan, but...sort of? I think you'll like what I have in mind."

"Ooo. Color me intrigued, my dear Elli. Should I bring anything?"

"How about those two boxes I caught you examining at the bodega?"

"Now I really like where you're going with this! See you tonight."

"Bye, hon."

~KHEG~

"I don't want you to think that I misled you or anything. Let's eat and I can tell you what I'm thinking," Elliott said when Kurt arrived with Thai takeout.

"Okay," Kurt agreed. He was comfortable trusting Elliott.

They settled in on the couch to eat, casually leaning each against an arm with their stockinged feet tangled on the middle cushion.

"I think I've told you that sex for me is about more than the physical," Elliott began. Kurt nodded. It was something he liked about him.

"So while I was hoping you'd feel like making the most of the longest night of the year with me, and I'm feeling ready to take another step in the sexual side of our relationship, I want to be intimate with you in other ways tonight, too."

Kurt's head tilted and he smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

"Talking."

"About anything in particular? We talk, like, all the time."

Elliott took a deep breath. "I want to tell you about that stuff in my past. I want you to feel comfortable telling me anything you want to tell me, too. I want to know you, better, deeper and I want you to know me."

Kurt's face opened up in a beautiful, touched expression.

"That sounds amazing."

~KHEG~

Snuggling close naked in Elliott's bed, because Elliott wanted to be literally and symbolically vulnerable to Kurt, Elliott spoke softly of a neighbor when he and Evan were little who had indulged Elliott's interest in music and himself in Elliott's body.

"I started faking sick a lot to not go to school and eventually, Evan cornered me and demanded to know what was wrong since I was having nightmares. I told him, and we went to mom and she called the police but the guy had already moved out."

"You're talking so calmly about it," Kurt observed, tears making his own eyes swim while Elliott's stayed dry.

"Years of therapy. I've talked about it in every possible way and learned and truly understand that it wasn't my fault in any way. I even think all that has made me more confident when it comes to sharing myself with another person."

"I guess that makes sense. So does your comment about wishing I had never had to experience something like being force-kissed. That seems really dumb in comparison to what you—"

"No. Don't compare. Comparison is an act of violence against the self."

"That's...profound, Elli."

"Iyanla VanZant, one of my favorite personal growth speakers."

"Elli, can I confess that your self awareness makes me feel rather...frivolous?"

"Comparing," Elliott sing-songed, then kissed Kurt on the nose. "I don't think you're frivolous. The things that are important to you are important to me because you care about them."

"I love you," Kurt said, looking serene. Elliott's eyes widened. "I've never been the first one to say it before, but I know it's true. I've known it's true for a while now."

"I love you so much, Kurt," Elliott returned, his eyes overflowing.

"Oh, Elli... I don't have any big confessions to make right now. Well, other than the one I just did. So...can we move on to the sex marathon?"

Elliott laughed through his tears. "Yes, honey, I think that sounds perfect."