(Author's note: Kurt's last day in LA. Adam surprised me again. Warnings for spanking and bondage and sexy times. The news story at the end is what prompted this whole mess. I did not cry while writing the last scene. There is an epilogue to come. Enjoy - amy)

Kurt's dreams were seldom anything like Puck's. He wondered sometimes what it would be like to remember the details, like the ones that Puck told about from his dreams, and to try to make sense of them in the real world. When Kurt remembered his dreams, they tended to be feelings and impressions instead of conversations or scenes, and by the time he was awake and out of bed, they inevitably faded into shadowy memory.

Today before he woke, however, Kurt was aware of several things, and he couldn't quite tell whether they were dreams or reality. The first was that he couldn't move his legs. They didn't feel numb, but they were definitely immobile. It was a pleasant sensation. The second was Adam's scent filling his nose. He took a deeper breath and felt pressure on his chest as well. Something was on top of him.

The third was a quiet music, drifting through his semi-consciousness. It was live, not recorded. He sometimes awoke to Puck playing the guitar, but this wasn't a guitar. Eventually he was able to identify the lyrics, and he smiled as he opened sleepy eyes.

Because they told me I can't behold ye till weddin' music starts playin'
To ease my longin' there's nothin' wrong in my standin' out here and sayin'
Come to me, bend to me, kiss me good day
Darlin', my darlin', 'tis all I can say,
Jus' come to me, bend to me, kiss me good day
Gie me your lips an' don't take them away

Adam was leaning over him, intent on what he was doing, but aware of Kurt waking up, glancing up at him occasionally as he sang under his breath.

"It's my ringtone for you," Kurt mumbled. He stretched, or tried to, but Adam held him effectively still.

Adam smiled. "Do you know what my ringtone is for you?"

His brain hadn't quite woken up yet, but Kurt was pretty certain he hadn't been told what it was. "No?"

Adam switched to another song, still a familiar one, and Kurt listened with delight:

Some people claim that you are to blame as much as I
Why do you take the trouble to bake my favorite pie?
Granting your wish, I carved our initials on that tree
Just keep a slice of all the advice you give so free

Don't praise my charm too much
Don't look so vain with me
Don't stand in the rain with me
People will say we're in love

"That was definitely the moment I realized I was crossing a line," he went on, casually. "My intention got ahead of my awareness, until that evening when you sang with me on the phone. I talked with Kris on the phone about it the next day. Thank god he gave me the heads up as to what I was doing. He's the one who encouraged me to send you flowers, and what colors to choose."

Kurt laughed. "My interpretation of what was going on there was a little different. I thought maybe your Top had told you to make amends with me for the drunk-dial."

Adam raised an eyebrow. He was still doing something with his hands, just below Kurt's line of sight. "My Top?"

"Well, I didn't know, but it was a guess. My limited experience tells me everyone can benefit from having a relationship with someone they trust that much. Even Tops need Tops."

He nodded soberly. "As you have, with Finn. As Finn has, with Carl. And Carl, with Mistress Tess, or so you tell me... and Tess, with Beau."

Beau. Kurt hadn't heard his name spoken before, but he knew Adam had some connection there, through Jacob. He could believe Tess might need someone quite strong and capable indeed to make her feel safe. "Yes, perhaps?"

Adam worked in silence for a moment. Kurt could feel tugging on the skin of his arms, but he couldn't quite tell what was going on. I must trust him, he thought, or else I would never allow him to do - something - without asking what was happening. He felt little more than mild curiosity. In any case, he knew Adam was far too much of a diva to keep whatever it was from him for long. It made him smile in anticipation.

"The boy from Noah's dreams," Adam said at last. "The one at the club. You saw him?"

"No, I never saw him. I was dancing, and I didn't realize what had been going on until we went home." He sighed, remembering that night's debacle. "I'm afraid I overreacted rather badly. But it was the first time Noah and Finn and I had had an encounter with another person, before you or Carl or anybody, and I - was threatened, I think. It felt like he cheated."

"By anybody else's definition, he did." Kurt felt Adam's forearms pressing into his chest, and he sighed in contentment. He felt mildly turned on to have Adam there on top of him, but it was enough to just be together, having this conversation. "Did he think he cheated?"

"I think he was afraid of... being a bad boy." Kurt watched Adam pause for a moment, his eyes closing in a wince, and then continue what he was doing. "Breaking the rules only mattered in that he didn't want me to be upset with him. He did what he did because that's the way he loves: completely and without limits. It wasn't about me at all. Finn helped me sort out my feelings, in any case, and we let him know he hadn't done anything wrong. We went through some of it again, when he met you, but I'm beginning to think that's just how things are when you're attempting a relationship like this."

"It's new for me," Adam said, "but I have friends who've been in relationships with more than one other person. I've never seriously considered it before, but now... it just seems so effortless, with you and Noah."

Kurt let himself smile, staring up at the mirrored ceiling. In the dim light, he could only see Adam's bare back on top of him, and his lovely ass outlined in his grey and purple patterned pants. "I know just what you mean. I have to wonder at myself, because I've always been cautious about people, but I don't want to be cautious about you at all. I want to..." He took a breath. "Want to let you do anything you want to do. To me."

Adam chuckled. "Is that right? Hold that thought, please." He tugged again at Kurt's arms. By now, Kurt was pretty clear what Adam was doing, but still he waited, feeling his arousal build as gradually as his anticipation. "But this boy... Noah gets guidance and discipline from you and me, and Finn, I would assume. And Noah, he - wants that, with this boy?"

"I'm not sure it matters," said Kurt. "He's not likely to see him again."

"Why not? You could take him back to the club, and see if you can find him, right?" Adam smiled, sitting up. "Okay. I think I have it the way I want it. Can you see, or do I need to turn up the lights?"

"Oh," Kurt breathed. Adam moved off him to lie beside him, lightly stroking the slender ropes that fastened his ankles and wrists together. It wasn't simple, what Adam had done. He stared at the patterns Adam had crafted with knots and lines. The symmetry itself was breathtaking, but there in the center, between his wrists, folded and bound across his chest, he saw a perfect heart knot. As he gazed, he felt something settle inside himself. He opened his chest, letting his lungs fill with air, and out again.

"You must have been working on that for a while," he murmured.

"Yeah," Adam admitted, still smiling. He looked proud, his eyes sparkling, stretched out beside him, and leaned in to kiss him gently. "I didn't expect you to stay asleep as long as you did."

"I could kind of tell you were doing something, but I wasn't worried?" He pulled a little against the restraints, testing them; they were secure. Nothing felt too tight, but there wasn't a lot of wiggle room. "I'm just..." He laughed, shaking his head. "I'm remembering the first time I saw Finn order Noah onto his knees, and told him to wait."

Adam blinked, catching his breath. "Ah... yes?"

"It was amazing, of course, and beautiful, and so hot. But I couldn't help wonder how he could do that, without being held there. He just did it, because Finn told him. I thought I wouldn't, unless somebody made me, that it would feel... stressful? Like, I wouldn't enjoy it; I'd just be pissed off."

"Yes," Adam nodded, understanding. "But this doesn't make you feel that way, does it."

"No." Kurt arched into the restraints, feeling them again, the way they held him still. It wasn't Adam's command that was keeping him in one place, it was the ropes. The ropes, which Adam had put there, for him. "I feel... so loved."

"Oh, honey," whispered Adam, leaning in again, "you are. You really, really are."

This time his kiss was more passionate, and Kurt felt himself respond immediately, seeking contact, but there was none to be had. He thrust into the air, which was hot all by itself, and saw Adam's hand move lower onto his belly. But it wasn't to stroke him. Instead, Adam wedged a hand under his bottom, turning him on one side, so they were face to face. Kurt's body relaxed into the complicated rope restraints, and although they felt tight, they weren't at all uncomfortable. The large number of ropes provided enough surface area to balance the tension.

"I'm going to put you on your knees," Adam said, and although his voice was steady, Kurt could see the way this was affecting him. Kurt nodded, already feeling his words slipping away. "I need to be certain this is what you want, before we proceed. Would you give me consent, please?"

"Yes," Kurt made himself say. "I want you to... put me on my knees."

Adam's strangled groan made Kurt snap his hips forward again, but he didn't seem to even be paying attention to Kurt's arousal. "Yes. So good. And, honey, I'm going to fuck you like that, you on your knees. Do you understand?"

Kurt knew, even though Adam wasn't framing it like a question, that he could at any point say no, I don't want that, and Adam would stop. But Adam's expectation, that Kurt would not only not say no, but that he would want Adam to take control - that was far more erotic than he'd expected. He moaned again.

"Kurt."

The word was soft, not a command at all, but it prompted him out of his lassitude, and he responded with a hurried, "Yes, yes, please, fuck me, on my knees."

"I'm not quite ready to do that yet. I want to see you like that, on your knees, first. Would you please tell me if this is uncomfortable?" Adam rolled him another quarter turn, so he was lying flat on his stomach. Kurt took advantage of this position to grind into the soft mattress for a couple moments, taking the edge off his tension. Adam didn't tell him to stop, but he did put a hand on Kurt's behind, letting it rest there until Kurt stilled his actions.

"How does that feel?" Adam asked. He sounded completely cool and relaxed, which was amazing under the circumstances.

"Like you're going to take care of me," Kurt said, his voice coming out dreamy. Adam's hand slid around the curve of his ass and between his legs, brushing the sensitive skin of his balls, then coming back to his back again to make gentle circles on the small of his back.

"I'm definitely doing that, honey. I'm going to raise you up on your knees, here. You won't be able to open your legs much, because of the knots on your ankles, but... let's see... I think you'll still have enough stability." He lifted Kurt's chest off the bed and wedged a pillow underneath, giving him a little support under the knotwork across his chest and back. Kurt could feel the ropes better now, how they connected, and how each part of him was supported by the knots and layers of binding in each other part. It was such a profound relief to feel that kind of balance, he could only smile at Adam as he helped him onto his knees. "There. Oh, you have no idea how amazing you look like this."

Kurt reveled in the thrilling tone he heard in Adam's voice, so low and erotic. He felt the muscles in his ass contract rhythmically, and hearing Adam notice, and respond, was almost more than he could stand. He thrust forward again, nearly losing his balance.

"Careful," Adam said, catching him, laughing. "It's okay if you fall; I won't let you go far." He cupped the cheek of Kurt's ass in one hand. "I don't get the sense you're like Noah. You don't need a spanking."

Not today, Kurt thought, but he smiled, shaking his head. "Not like Noah does, that's for certain."

"No. But that doesn't mean you can't have one, if you want it." He leaned over to whisper into his ear. "Do you want a spanking, Kurt?"

"Oh god," Kurt whined.

"Not because you're bad, or out of control." Adam's fingers slid down again to caress between his legs, along the center of his body, the perfect balance between the ropes on either side that held him stable. His cock twitched, feeling Adam's fingers so close. "But because you want it."

"I - I want it," he begged. "Not - not too hard."

"I know, honey. I'm going to give it to you just the way you want it. Then when you're ready, I'll slide into you. Does that sound good?"

"Good." Kurt gasped, pressing back, seeking Adam's fingers. "Want you."

"Not yet. There's one more thing you asked for, and I'm going to show it to you in a minute. But you need a way to tell me to stop, honey, if it feels too intense, or for any other reason... and you're not going to be able to use words."

Kurt felt his own stuttering breath, his cheek pressed into Adam's soft pillow. "Okay."

Adam kissed his cheek, right next to his ear. "Can you hum this back to me, please?" He hummed a familiar four-note pattern, the first four notes of Adam's "Soaked" from his album. Kurt echoed it back, using the same tempo. "That's it. If you've had enough, you make that pattern. I'll take it as a wait, unless you do it twice. Then we'll stop. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he said, hesitating, then added, "Adam."

Adam moved his face so it was nose to nose with Kurt's, and kissed him tenderly, for several long moments. "You want to be my good boy, honey?"

"Ohhhhh," he groaned, letting the words reverberate inside him. "I really, really do."

"Yeah... you can be that. I'll take care of you." He kissed him once more. Then he reached over to the side table and brought forth a simple device. Kurt hadn't ever seen something like it before. It was a bar, about five inches long, connected on either side by two leather straps and two buckles. "You ready to put this on now?"

"I - what is it?"

Adam stroked a thumb over Kurt's lips. "This is a bit gag, Kurt. Not quite as drooly as the ball gags. I thought you might prefer it. Do you want me to show you how it works before you put it on?"

Kurt hesitated, but he shook his head. "I trust you."

"That's my good boy." Adam pushed his thumb gently between Kurt's teeth, opening his mouth, and slipped the bar inside. Kurt bit down automatically, holding the bar between his teeth and feeling it push gently against the corners of his mouth. He could still swallow, could still breathe, but he couldn't really talk.

As Adam buckled the gag around the back of his head, Kurt could hear him talking quietly: "Such a good boy, being so good for me... ready to take whatever I give you, just the way I want you..." It gave him another large push into subspace. He and Finn had never done anything like this together, even though he knew Finn had, with Carl. He'd talked with Puck about doing it with him, collars and leads and cuffs, and watching Adam with him made Kurt feel a lot more certain that he could handle it himself. But now, with Adam, he could feel the difference. They'd been egalitarian up until now, trading the energy back and forth. Now Kurt was finally giving it up, letting Adam take it from him. I'm his boy, he thought, and it was both terrifying and breathtaking.

Adam coated his fingers with lube and drew gentle circles on the opening to his ass, pushing a little once Kurt let go. Adam stopped murmuring as he drew up on his knees beside Kurt, giving him a little push to check his stability, and without preamble began to swat his behind. It was gentle, rhythmic, and reminded Kurt so much of Finn and the flogger that he was instantly thrown into a state of blissful contemplation. Each impact was almost imperceptibly harder, so that by the time Kurt began to feel anything close to pain, the swats had become startlingly loud. He tried to say something before remembering the gag, and hummed the four-bar motif once. Adam stopped immediately, rubbing the sensation away with the flat of his hand.

"You're doing so well, honey," he said, his voice so full of pride and love that Kurt almost wished he had a free hand to hold Adam's. Almost. Instead, he gave a little full-body shiver, opening his legs wider. Adam chuckled. "I think you need a little more. How would that be? Can you nod for me if you'd think you could take that?"

I can take anything you can dish out, he wanted to say. Floating on endorphins like this, it almost felt like the truth - although Kurt was certain he wasn't ready to feel Adam's lexan paddle, and there was no way he would provoke him into trying it. But he nodded, and after another moment of gentle circles, Adam resumed the spanking, focusing on keeping it balanced: three on the right, three on the left, two on the right, two on the left. He rocked back and forth with the motion of Adam's hand, feeling the balance of the bindings against his flesh as he leaned into them. It was more than just sexual; it was deeply satisfying.

At some point, however, the sexual began to overwhelm everything else, and Adam swung a leg over him from behind, keeping one hand on Kurt's sensitive flesh the entire time. He felt the wet, cool pressure of his fingers first, and as welcome as they were, Kurt almost wished Adam would leap to the last sixteen bars. He was so ready for the big finish, he could feel himself leaking on Adam's bedspread.

"That's my boy," Adam hummed, and carefully grasped Kurt's hips before spreading him open with both thumbs and sliding effortlessly inside him. After that slow, torturous build, Kurt's response was nearly immediate, and Adam reached around to jack him equally slowly as he came, crying out with each of Adam's thrusts. "Oh, honey, so good... you tell me, now, if you can handle me taking what I want? If it's too intense, I can stop at any time."

Kurt nodded emphatically. Being done like this had never been number one on his list of favorite activities, but the entire experience of Adam's hand on him, Adam leaning over him, it was almost as if he expected another climax, it was so brilliant just to have Adam inside him.

Now he could feel Adam let go his control. The growl that was ripped from Adam's throat as he drew out and thrust into Kurt made him cry out again. Just as with the spanking, each time Adam fucked him was more intense, making his vision white out.

"That's it," Adam said, hoarse and tightly focused, "such a good boy, so hot, on your knees for me... god, Kurt, you have no idea how much this turns me on."

Kurt thought he might have some idea, actually, because Adam shifted his body to press Kurt into the bed, holding him down with hands and thighs and forearms. That was almost more hot, if that was possible. By the time Adam came inside him with a final shout, Kurt was half-hard again. He rolled his head to one side, wiping his mouth on the pillowcase, trying to watch Adam over his shoulder.

Adam didn't look like he was planning to slow down and enjoy that orgasm for any length of time, and before Kurt could even make a noise, he fisted a hand in the ropes that spanned Kurt's back, drawing them taut against Kurt's skin. Kurt gasped against the bit; if he hadn't been hard before, he certainly was now.

In one smooth motion, Adam reached up with his other hand and released the buckles on the gag, drawing it out from between Kurt's teeth. He rolled Kurt over, none too gently, and tugged him down to allow access to Kurt's mouth, kissing him hard.

"You're not done, honey. But this part isn't up to you. Let it go - let me take control of your pleasure." Adam's voice went sharp. "I demand it."

Kurt felt the pleasant ache of emptiness, still tempered with desire to give Adam what he wanted, to be just what he needed. But there was still residual uneasiness that Adam might take him places he wasn't ready to go. He opened his mouth to hum the four-bar motif, then realized the gag was gone, and he was free to speak. It made him laugh a little.

"I - don't know if I can," he said, breathless.

Adam immediately crawled up to lie beside Kurt, kissing him on his face, his neck, putting one hand on top of the knotwork that held his hands restrained.

"I'm not asking you to know that," he said. "I'm telling you, it's not your responsibility. You might not come, or you might - and that's up to me to decide. To make you do it, or not, as I choose." He put one hand on Kurt's stomach, just as he had earlier.

Kurt bit his lip. "You won't be disappointed?"

Adam just raised an eyebrow, his hand cupping Kurt loosely. "You just let me tie you up, gag you and fuck you until I came, really hard. Does that sound like the actions of a disappointed man, honey?"

Kurt laughed, letting his head drop back onto the pillow, and gave himself over to Adam's ministrations. It wasn't a bad sensation, to give up the worry for just a little while. That's what being Adam's boy feels like, he thought, and his face relaxed into a smile.

"Okay," he said. "I'm all yours."

"Maybe not all." Adam drew his hand back up Kurt's stomach, to the bindings across his chest, and then back down to touch him again. "But that's okay. I'm not asking for that. You can belong to anyone you wish, and I'm still going to do this to you."

It was, incredibly, that awareness - that no matter how much Kurt might or not might have wanted it, whatever happened, it was Adam's decision - that drove him over the edge the second time. He wondered if Adam was going to try for a third, and what he would have to do to get out of it.

Oh, he thought with startling clarity, that's how Noah feels, all the time, about everything.

"Uncle," he grunted, and Adam laughed, kissing him on the neck with a rich, full sigh.

"You're done now. And honey, you gave me just what I wanted."

It wasn't until that evening, as Kurt was about to text Finn, that Jacob walked through the front door, gripping Timothy's wrist in one firm hand. Kurt watched surreptitiously as Jacob wordlessly bullied Timothy into the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later. They could hear the sound of running water before he shut the door.

"Please, boss, tell me we're going to the party at Avalon Club tonight," he said through gritted teeth. Adam leaned on both forearms over the kitchen counter.

"I was thinking about it. Why, exactly?"

"Because I need an ordinary evening. One where I'm watching you have fun and keeping the crazies to a minimum. Ordinary. Okay?" His eyes were pleading. Kurt tried not to smile as he made eye contact with Adam.

"Okay," Adam said mildly. "You up for a party, Kurt?"

"Definitely. I wouldn't leave LA without attending a party, would I?" Kurt had actually assumed he would do exactly that, but the expression on Jacob's face was hard to ignore. He smiled. "Just tell me what look I'm going for, and I'll do my best to pull off twenty-one."

"They'll have underage guys there, so I don't think you need to worry about that," Adam assured him later as they rummaged through his closet. He thrust two shirts at Kurt. "This one's a little small on me, it might fit you. How's Finn doing?"

"He's on a date." Kurt made a face. "I'm not complaining about the shirt - it's, um, two girls? They decided Finn's girl-virginity was too much a detriment to his popularity. That's the story they're passing around, anyway. If he can get everybody to believe he's a stud, it'll draw attention away from the stories Karofsky's starting to tell about the three of us."

Adam frowned. "That's not what you want, honey. Forcing Finn deeper into the closet? How is that going to help any of you?"

"It's going to keep the social worker from catching on that Noah and Finn and I are doing things an adopted son definitely shouldn't be doing." Kurt gazed back at him soberly as he buttoned up Adam's shirt. It wasn't too big on him. "I already feel guilty about coming out about our relationship while Noah was in Santa Fe. Hard to stuff us back into the closet, though, so I suppose we go on from here and hope for the best. Finn is really worried about it."

"He... wants to take care of things." Adam looked up as Jacob appeared in the door, dressed for work. "How's he doing, J-Baby?"

"Pissed," Jacob said frankly. "And cranky and exhausted. I'm thinking he might stay put if I give him a place to sleep and feed him something with milk in it."

"There's hot chocolate mix in the cupboard next to the stove." Adam gave him a sympathetic smile. "I think between the two Puckermans, you might have drawn the shorter straw."

"Fuck you," retorted Jacob, with enough heat to make Adam take a step back. "I'm just getting started. I have to back off; if he runs this time, I can't resort to cuffs. He'd never trust me again."

"He'll trust you," Adam assured him. "Come on, I'll show you where that chocolate is."

Kurt attempted to recreate the vaulted, gelled hairstyle Luis had tried on him on Sunday. It felt only a little silly, and Kurt liked the way it looked in the mirror. Here in LA, it's ordinary; in Lima, it'll be trendsetting, he told himself firmly.

When he came out of the bathroom, the lights in the living room were turned down low and Jacob was seated beside Timothy, tucked under the quilt on the couch. His hand rested on Timothy's head for a few minutes before he stood up.

"I don't think he's moving until morning. We'd better get out of here if you're going to see Drake at all. He said he wouldn't be around much past midnight."

Kurt was startled as Adam placed the keys to the 'Stang-and-a-Half into his hands. "Drake? Drake Labry? Your ex?"

"Don't look at me like that. We're still friends. He's a lot happier with this breakup than I ever was. Well, until now." Adam smiled fondly at him. "Don't tell me now you're going to be jealous. Jacob and I will take my car, and you follow us to Avalon. This is going to be hopping with press, so watch what you say and to whom. Ordinary conversations have a way of finding themselves into the paper."

Jacob tucked what looked like a flyer into Kurt's hand. "Invitation," he said. "You didn't get it from Adam. Use Tommy as your cover, if you need it."

It felt more than a little impossible to be driving his dream car through Los Angeles, following Adam's Mustang into downtown. He seriously wondered if they would take one look at him at the door and toss him out. But no one questioned his invitation, or his reason for being there.

"Is that Reese Witherspoon?" Kurt whispered to Jacob in the coat room.

"This is the place to be tonight. I'll find you someone to sit with during dinner while Drake throws folks off the scent."

Kurt tried not to stare at the man sitting across from Adam, smiling and speaking in an undertone. He kept touching his leg under the table, ignoring the rest of the guests beside them. The dinner was good, but he barely paid attention to what he was eating. All he could think was maybe he'd actually rather be here with him.

When Kurt looked up again, however, Drake was sitting there at his table, smirking.

"Cute," he said. "And maybe a little young, but definitely Adam's type. A lot more than that kid with the mohawk was."

"Noah is Adam's," Kurt told him tightly. Don't you trash-talk my boyfriend, bitch. Our boyfriend.

But Drake laughed, eating a tomato off Kurt's salad plate. "I'm not standing in his way. He just spent the last half hour telling me how fucking happy he is. You and Noah, you've done the impossible. I tried to make him happy for over a year, and I never quite managed it."

"Well," said Kurt, tossing his head, but his gelled bangs stayed where he'd put them, "I'll tell you my secret."

Drake actually looked intrigued. "If you'll share it?"

Kurt leaned across the table toward him. "Adam needs to be needed. Actually needed, not shown off like a trophy."

When Drake stood, Kurt followed suit, but he was surprised when Drake motioned subtly for him to follow. Kurt wandered around the room a little before making his way to the same door where Drake paused, speaking with Jacob.

"He's in the back room," said Drake. "I'm going to stay out here and be loud and obnoxious while the two of you eat your dessert, but don't let anybody see you. Jacob tells me there are already press agents sniffing around you. You didn't talk to anyone, did you?"

"No." Kurt stared at Drake. "You're trying to help us? Why?"

Drake shrugged vaguely. "Maybe I want him to be happy, even if it's not with me. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Forgive me, but I've read most of the magazines with you and Adam getting back together and breaking up and getting back together again."

Jacob snorted, scanning the room. "Don't assume they've got it right, either. Everybody likes to tell that story, no matter what's really happening."

It made Kurt wonder, but it was so good to be able to smile at Adam again, and to sit beside him and eat with him, that he didn't question it too much.

"Drake was so helpful," he said, holding his hand and feeding him a bite of truffle cake. Noah would have done it better. Adam interlaced their fingers together.

"He knows I'd rather be home with you than at this party. And speaking of that... I say we wrap this up. This is really our last night together, now, and there are so many other things I'd rather be doing than hiding from the press in the back of the Avalon Club." He kissed Kurt's fingers. "Come on, honey. I get to take you home one more time."

www. eonline news/162999/caught-adam-lambert-runs-into-former-f lings

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

"[Drake and Adam] were sitting at a private table with friends, but the two of them could not keep their hands off of each other. Drake was stroking Adam's leg, and Adam could barely take his eyes off of him. They both seemed to be in a great mood and were keeping more to themselves instead of mingling with nearby friends. Adam had a few past flings in attendance. It was an interesting evening for all!"

Timothy didn't leave the couch Tuesday night. He was still there early Wednesday morning when Kurt and Adam were gathering up the last of Kurt's things. Adam didn't have much to say, but he made them eggs, and Timothy and Kurt sat side by side at the table eating them and watching Adam not sit down.

"He's kind of freaking out," Timothy observed, when Adam went into the other room for the fifth time. Kurt sighed.

"I don't think I can blame him," he said. He thought of the cuffs, safely packed in his suitcase, and Adam's functional-not-commitment collar, which he'd left behind. "This is all moving pretty fast."

"Tell me about it," Timothy said heavily, and Kurt smiled at him. He didn't look all that unhappy about it.

"You'll stay here," said Kurt. Timothy nodded. "And we'll see you at Tessera, for Valentine's Day?"

He shrugged. "If you don't, you'll know that things went to hell for us."

"I don't think that's likely." Kurt risked reaching for Timothy's free hand, and squeezed it once before letting him go. He wasn't going to hug him; Timothy would have hated it.

Adam made another whirlwind pass through the house, setting Kurt's suitcases by the door. When he opened it, Jacob was there, taking the bags without a word and loading them into the trunk of Adam's Mustang.

"Your car will be waiting for you," Adam said lightly, nodding at it as they climbed into the back seat together. "Maybe Timothy can drive her, so she doesn't pine for you?"

"I wouldn't want her to be lonely," Kurt agreed. He pulled the door shut and leaned against Adam, stifling his sigh as he watched the now-familiar parking lot and condo retreat behind them.

He managed not to cry until they were within view of the airport. Adam dug Kurt's own handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his eyes, kissing his cheeks.

"One month," he said. "Honey, please, it's not going to be so bad."

"No." Kurt blew his nose. "It's going to be worse."

"Skype. And you and Noah will call me every night, just as before. And we'll have so much more to talk about once you join the cheerleading squad." Adam raised both eyebrows, obviously baiting him.

"Maybe I will," Kurt retorted.

"That's my boy," he crowed. "Make a big noise, honey. You'd be the hottest cheerleader that squad's ever seen."

Jacob was the one to take Kurt by the hand and pry him out of the back seat. "If I leave this car, there will be pictures," Adam said. He looked significantly smaller and more uncertain sitting there by himself, but Kurt controlled himself and did not crawl back into the car for one more kiss. He took his second bag and smiled through his tears.

"I had - an amazing time," he said. "I don't think I had any idea how amazing it would be. We'll call you tonight."

Adam smiled back. "I'll look forward to it."

Jacob closed Adam inside the car, then hugged Kurt. "You're going to take care of him," Kurt demanded.

"As much as he'll let me." Jacob nodded. "I'll make him eat and take showers and stuff. I can't promise much more than that. Security's not a license to Top."

"I hope things with Timothy go okay."

That made Jacob's face harden. "Yeah, well, he can push it all he likes. We'll see how long I can resist spanking that crap out of him. I'll be around." He took Kurt's suitcase and led him up the ramp toward the terminal. "And I'm guessing I'll drag him kicking and screaming to Iowa in February."

Kurt waited until he was through security, his bags checked, before sending his dad, Finn, Noah and Adam identical texts. Boarding now. I love you.

See u soon, baby, Finn sent back first, followed by his dad's Can't wait to hear all about your trip. He wasn't surprised not to hear from Noah; he hated using the phone. Kurt wiped his eyes one more time before he could read Adam's reply: One month isn't so long. I love you too, honey.

The last text he sent before the flight attendant told him to put his phone away went to Mercedes. We're going to audition for the Cheerios, you and me. And we're going to get in, and we're going to be amazing.

Space aliens took over Kurt Hummel's brain in LA, Mercedes replied. Film at eleven.

It's just love, making me a better me, Kurt told her. I can't explain it any other way.