July 1920
Blaine

Once Blaine has escorted his mother back to his granny's townhouse, he returns to the Berry's and quickly changes into a more casual outfit. Although he enjoys wearing the latest Brooks Brothers fashion, he's more comfortable in denim trousers and a simple cotton knit polo shirt. However, he puts on one of his new bow ties to pull the outfit together.

Blaine still can't believe that his mother has known all along that he's in love with Kurt. They mustn't have been as discreet as they thought they were. He really shouldn't be surprised that she could read the signs that he's queer, a term that Uncle Hiram and LeRoy use to define themselves.

Blaine doesn't like to label himself - it reminds him of titles and expected behavior - however, there is no denying that he isn't attracted to ladies, but rather to men. Blaine wonders what his life would have been like if he hadn't met Kurt just before this 18th birthday. He would probably be living in a luxurious place in Great Britain, with a wife and children filling his days. But how would he spend his nights? Clandestine meetings in the back rooms of gentlemen's clubs, more than likely. Not for the first time, he thanks his lucky stars that he's making a new life in America, with Kurt firmly by his side.

Kurt is expected to arrive in a couple hours, and he can't wait to tell him about his conversation with his mother, among other things. It's been so long since he and Kurt have spent time together, and he hopes to make it special. He wants to make up for all the lost time that he had spent practicing for the showcase. He misses Kurt's wit and sharp mind, his companionship, and the tenderness and love Kurt provides. He certainly misses the kisses and sex, too. Hopefully, tonight they can start to make up for lost time.

Blaine goes to the kitchen to see what he can rustle up for dinner. The weather was so nice earlier in the day, so he decides to prepare a picnic to eat in the back garden. Blaine makes a short trip to the corner deli to buy a loaf of French bread, meats, cheeses, and salads. When he sees fresh blackberries for sale, Blaine buys them to make a special dessert for Kurt.

Once he has returned home, he spends the next hour creating an apple and blackberry crumble and vanilla custard sauce. They both like apples, and the blackberries recall a fond memory of the first time they were in Westerville Abbey's kitchen gardens together. By the time the doorbell rings, Blaine has everything ready.

Blaine frowns when he opens the door to see Kurt soaked to the bone with raindrops trickling down his face. It reminds him of that fateful evening when Kurt was waiting for him in the back alley of Healey's Tavern.

"Are you going to let me in? It's miserable out here."

"I was so busy downstairs in the kitchen, I didn't realize that it was raining."

"Raining cats and dogs, more like it."

Blaine steps away from the door so that Kurt can enter. After taking Kurt's umbrella and setting it into the stand, Blaine gives him a welcoming hug and a kiss.

Kurt holds him tight. "Finally, you have some time to spend with me."

Blaine feels guilty that all his spare time has been consumed by the showcase lately. He has let things slip with Kurt, and he hasn't liked it one little bit. He peppers Kurt's jaw and neck with kisses. "I've missed you, too. I promise it won't happen again."

Kurt gently pushes him against the wall and deepens the kiss, probing his mouth with his very talented tongue. Blaine's heart races when he feels Kurt's thigh between his legs. He sets his hands on Kurt's hips to pull him in so that his cock can get some delicious friction. His shirt is getting wetter by the minute, but it's very much worth it.

Kurt pulls back, and Blaine chases him with his lips, disappointed that he can't feel the warmth of Kurt's body any longer.

"Is anyone else here?" Kurt asks.

Blaine shakes his head. "They all went to the Hamptons this morning and took the staff with them. They're not due back until Tuesday. My mother is attending the opera with Granny this evening."

"No wonder you wanted me to come for a sleepover. It's not often that we have the house to ourselves. I can think of plenty we could do alone on a stormy night," Kurt purrs.

Blaine's eyes darken as he slowly swallows. It seems that he and Kurt are on the same page.

"Please tell me that we're not going out for dinner… Not when we have the house to ourselves."

"No, I made something, but my dinner plans are already ruined." When Kurt gives him a questioning look, Blaine continues, "It was such a sunny day, that I thought we could have a picnic in the back garden, and gaze at the stars."

Kurt smiles. "You really are a hopeless romantic. Why don't we have that picnic in the drawing room instead? It'll be like that time in London before you joined the Great War. Do you remember? We feasted on the food from the Fortnum and Mason hamper."

"That hamper was one of my grandmama's truly inspired ideas. We had a lot of fun that night."

"With any luck, we'll have a lot of fun tonight too," Kurt replies, and winks. "Why don't you set up the picnic while I change into some dry clothes?"

Blaine grabs a fistful of Kurt's shirt and pulls him in. "I have a better idea. Why don't I help you change, and we can think about that picnic later?"

"I like the way you think," Kurt whispers. He grabs Blaine's hand, and they rush up the stairs. Once they enter Blaine's bedroom, Kurt locks the door and turns the deadbolt.

Blaine chuckles, "There's no chance of Cousin Rachel entering; she's in the Hamptons with the rest of the family."

Kurt places a hand on his hip. "Rachel barging in on us having sex once was one too many times, thank you very much. I'm not taking my chances with that girl."

"And what would Cousin Rachel find if she happened to come home in say, ten minutes?"

"She would see her cousin fully naked, spread out on the bed, whimpering and begging."

Blaine is already getting a stiffie just thinking about it.

"Stand still while I take your clothes off," Kurt orders.

Blaine counts his blessings that he has the sexiest man alive wanting him… needing him… demanding him. He stands still, every nerve on edge, wondering what Kurt has planned. Kurt usually takes the lead in the bedroom, and Blaine likes that he doesn't need to think but instead can focus on feeling… touching… tasting.

Kurt undoes his bow tie, and the top buttons of the polo shirt, nipping at the exposed skin. Blaine raises his arms to make it easier for Kurt to take the shirt off. Kurt licks and sucks hard at that point where his shoulder and neck join. Although Blaine knows that he'll have an almighty bruise, he doesn't care… not when it feels this good.

Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt and pulls him closer, until their bodies fit seamlessly together. When Kurt drops to his knees, Blaine lets out a whimper. He closes his eyes to calm his body down. It's been too long since they've been intimate with each other, and just the sight of Kurt on his knees could be enough to make him cum.

Kurt slowly undoes the buttons on his denim trousers and pulls them down to his ankles. He places his thumbs in the band of his underpants and tugs them off with one quick movement. "Wow, Blaine. I don't think I've seen you this hard so quickly in a very long time."

Kurt gives a peck and a kitten lick to Blaine's cock tip, and Blaine can feel heat pool in his belly. "What do you expect when you're in front of me on your knees? It's been far too long since we've been together like this. We need to slow down or I'm going to explode at any moment."

"Why don't you get under the sheets while I undress?" Kurt suggests.

Blaine holds onto Kurt's shoulders while he steps out of his trousers and underpants. He scrambles into bed, and props his head on the pillows so that he has the perfect view. Kurt is making a show of slowly taking off his shirt and wiggling out of his soaking wet trousers. Blaine strokes his cock as Kurt slowly saunters to the bedside table to retrieve the K-Y jelly and slips into bed.

Blaine can't control himself any longer. He pulls Kurt on top of him, and their lips lock. Blaine deepens the kiss, probing with his tongue, while his hands explore every inch of Kurt's back. When Kurt groans and rocks into him, Blaine thrust his hips up to find the friction that his cock needs. Kurt pulls back when they need to breathe again, leaving them both panting.

"Kurt, I need to feel you inside me."

Kurt reaches for the tube of K-Y jelly and unscrews the cap. "I was thinking…"

When Kurt pauses, Blaine looks up and sees his lover's cheeks pinken with an adorable blush. Blaine reaches over and rubs Kurt's thigh. "What is it, my darling? You know I love all your ideas."

"I- I thought we might do it differently this time."

Blaine tries to hide his disappointment. Although he enjoys being inside of Kurt, he really wants it to be the other way around today. He wants Kurt to take care of him; to make him fall apart, then put him back together again. However, he'll do anything that will make Kurt happy. "Do you want me on top?"

Kurt nods. "Yes, but not in the way that you think. How about if you are on top of me while my cock fills you, and you control the pace?"

Blaine's cock twitches while he thinks about this. It certainly is different than anything they have done before, but why not try it? "I'm game for that."

Blaine lies on his stomach while Kurt quickly preps him. Although he prefers to look at Kurt while he's fingering him, Kurt keeps him grounded by peppering kisses on his buttocks and hips. Bolts of pleasure spark when Kurt rubs his prostate, and Blaine can't control his ramblings. "Right there… I can't wait for you to be inside me… I'm ready… If you don't stop, I'm going to cum."

Kurt playfully slaps his buttocks. "I'm going to lie down on the bed, and then I want you to slicken my cock with the jelly."

When Kurt gets into position, Blaine straddles him and rests his weight on his thighs, and slickens Kurt up. He shifts his weight on his knees, and positions Kurt's cock at his entrance.

"Whenever you're ready… I'll lie still, and you take as long as you need," Kurt murmurs.

Blaine slowly sinks onto Kurt's cock, stopping every so often to let his body get used to Kurt's girth and length. He tilts his upper body forward and backwards to gauge how it feels at different angles, and decides that the closer he is to Kurt's body, the better. He studies Kurt's face carefully, looking for signs of what he enjoys, but judging from his smile, Kurt is enjoying everything.

When he finally bottoms out, he feels full and complete once again. Blaine presses his palms to Kurt's chest, and lifts himself up so that only the tip of Kurt's cock is still inside. He slowly sinks down again and rocks his hips. It feels so good that he continues at the slow pace while Kurt lets out short breathy moans. When he experiments with swiveling his hips, it pushes Kurt's cock even deeper, causing Kurt to grab at his hips.

Kurt's touch spurs him to quicken the pace. Blaine can't help but watch Kurt, who looks absolutely gorgeous, biting his lower lip and running a hand through his hair. He's secretly pleased that Kurt is letting himself go and is enjoying this too.

When Kurt starts thrusting forward to the rhythm, his cock presses deep against Blaine's prostate. Blaine throws his head back and moans, eyes screwed shut with pleasure.

"You look so beautiful like this. Use me to make yourself feel good," Kurt urges, smiling up at Blaine.

Blaine leans forward and captures Kurt's lips, but he soon ends up panting. His thighs are screaming at him but he doesn't care. All he wants to do is chase the feeling. "Kurt… I'm close… Does it feel good for you?"

Kurt wraps his fingers around Blaine's cock, and pumps to the rhythm, while the other hand cups Blaine's balls, and rolls them in his fingers. "You know it does. I'm close too. Let me hear you cum. Moan out my name."

Kurt flicks his wrist on the upstride, and Blaine lets out an almighty groan as cum shoots out of him and splashes against Kurt's chest. Blaine stills as Kurt thrusts erratically until his entire body suddenly tenses.

When Kurt slows down and his moans soften, Blaine collapses next to Kurt and wraps an arm around his torso. He nuzzles Kurt's neck, enjoying the scent and the warmth. He can feel the cum ooze out of his ass, but he doesn't have the energy to move.

"That was amazing, Blaine."

"I liked it, too, but I can't move. My thigh muscles feel so tight after that workout."

With a quick, but tender kiss to Blaine's forehead, Kurt gets up to go to the bathroom, and soon returns with a wet washcloth to clean up the mess. His magic fingers start to massage Blaine's legs, loosening the tense muscles. When Blaine hears Kurt's tummy grumble, he chuckles. "We better get you something to eat."

They redress into their boxer briefs and T-shirts before heading down the stairs. They can hear the thunder and the rain pelting against the windows. Blaine decides that in the future he should check the weather in the newspaper before planning another picnic. Kurt lays out a blanket in the drawing room, while Blaine brings up the picnic dinner. They take turns feeding each other morsels of bread, cheese, meats, and cut-up raw vegetables.

"How did your day go with your mother?" Kurt asks.

"It was fantastic. It was a very wise decision to have lunch here in the back garden. It allowed us the privacy to really talk about things. I told her I was in love with you, and that we are in a relationship."

Kurt sits up straight, and wipes his mouth with a napkin. "I didn't realize that you were planning to tell her."

"I wasn't, but you came up in conversation several times, and I felt that I owed her total honesty."

"What was her reaction?"

"Mama said that she knew. All the time in England, when we thought we were being discreet, she knew that we were in love."

Kurt lets out a deep breath, and visibly relaxes. He pulls Blaine down gently so that he's lying on the blanket, and he shifts Blaine's head until it's on his lap. After carding his fingers through Blaine's hair, breaking the stiff pomade so that he can feel the curls, Kurt unwraps a Hershey's chocolate kiss to pop into Blaine's mouth.

"If anyone was to figure it out, it would be your mother. After all, she grew up with Hiram, and probably saw the signs. At least she knows that homosexual relationships aren't all about dark recesses in public bathhouses."

"Not only that, but she understands why we are settling down here in New York City."

"Are we? We've really never talked about that."

"I-I sort of assumed that we would settle down here. It would be very difficult for me to be a chef in a restaurant in England. It's not what is expected of the son of an Earl. People would whisper about why I'm not married, and every eligible lady would be flung in my direction. Things would be a lot different for you, too."

Kurt unwraps another Hershey kiss and feeds it to Blaine. "I guess you're right. I could certainly be a waiter in England, but it would be difficult to try something new. However, I can't imagine not seeing my father again. It's been just over one year since I left Westerville, and I miss him."

Blaine sits up and takes Kurt's hand in his. "Of course you'll see him again. We'll have regular trips to Westerville to visit our families."

"But that costs money, Blaine… Money I don't have."

"I have more than enough money to cover both of our passages."

Blaine can sense that Kurt is uncomfortable with the idea, and can see the beginnings of his walls coming up. "Cousin Rachel provided me with the trust so that I would have the freedom to choose what to do, and with whom I do it. I once promised you that my heart and body will only ever belong to you. I should have also included my money, because I can't imagine visiting Westerville without you by my side."

"I feel like a kept woman," Kurt huffs.

"Don't say that, Kurt. I think of you as my partner in everything. If you don't want to build a life here in New York City with me, we can think of something else. Just tell me that I'm an important part of your future."

Blaine becomes more nervous as Kurt is silent. Has he misread everything? Doesn't Kurt want to spend the rest of their lives together? He would give Kurt the moon if that's what it would take to keep him by his side.

Kurt smiles. "Blaine, I can't imagine my future without you by my side. It makes sense for us to settle in New York City. You've found something you are passionate about and enjoy doing. It's taking me a bit longer, but I have no doubt that I'll figure things out, too. I have a lot more opportunities here than I would have in England. It's also reassuring to see other men here able to find a way to be together rather openly. It's not only Hiram and LeRoy, who have money, but also ordinary people like we saw in Greenwich Village. I can't think of anywhere else we could live like that. So yes, I want to stay in New York City with you."

Blaine lets out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "But with regular visits to Westerville. Seeing my mother this month has reminded me how much I miss her and the others. I also love Cooper's children. I won't have children myself, and they are important to me. I want to be part of their lives."

There's a party going inside Blaine's belly, happy both he and Kurt are on the same page with regards to New York City. He leans in and gives Kurt a gentle and lingering kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too.'

When Blaine sees Kurt hide a small yawn, he realizes that it's getting late. "I think there's a big cast-iron tub upstairs calling our name."

When Kurt stands up, Blaine notices that his eyes wander to the parcel of legal documents that are on top of the side table. "That package is from Coutts Bank in London."

"Yes, I know. Mama brought it over for me."

"I hope that you're not spending so much money that you have to dip into your trust."

"It does have to do with my trust, but it's something completely different. I plan to make an investment. I don't like keeping secrets from you, but can you please wait a few weeks before I tell you? I want to surprise you."

"I'm not sure I like surprises, Blaine."

"I promise it's a good one. Now, I'll clear the dishes if you'll run the bath."

Fortunately, Kurt lets the subject go. Blaine hums to himself as he cleans up from their picnic dinner. He's had this investment idea for a while, and the documents in the package are necessary to make it happen.

When Blaine climbs the stairs and enters the bathroom, Kurt is already soaking in the tub. Blaine quickly strips off his clothes to join him, and settles between his legs. Kurt wraps his arms around him, and Blaine feels his body relax in the warmth of both the bath and Kurt's love.

"What do you think about how we had sex earlier? Did you like it?" Kurt asks.

"Kurt, don't get me wrong, I had a mind-blowing orgasm, but I can't help wonder how you thought of the position in the first place."

"I'm usually the one leading in bed, and thought we might benefit from switching it up a bit."

"But I like you leading, Kurt. It makes me feel that you are taking care of me. It's such an intimate feeling to give your body and emotions freely to someone you love. I can't imagine doing that with anyone else."

"It feels intimate for me too, knowing that I can please you in that way. But I need to honest… I thought that by giving you control while making love, it might help curb the nightmares of being in an uncontrollable situation."

"My mother and I also spoke about my nightmares."

Kurt squeezes his arms slightly tighter. "We're all concerned about you. No one wants to see you experiencing bad dreams, especially ones involving the Great War."

"I know that everyone's concern is out of love, and that really helps me. My mother has a rather interesting idea. It seems that the Allies plan to place certain German officers on trial for crimes committed during the war."

"I read about that only last week in the New York Times."

"The investigators are looking for soldiers and officers to provide evidence. Mama suggested that I might want to testify."

Kurt picks up the washcloth and the bar of soap, and starts to clean Blaine's body. "How did you reply to your mother?"

"I told her I would have to think about it and discuss it with you. There are pros and cons with getting involved."

"I'm listening," Kurt replies.

"On the plus side, I could help bring justice for the thousands of soldiers who were mistreated during their imprisonment. I was the only officer in my POW camps, and I think that my testimony would weigh heavily. I could make a real difference. Knowing that the camp director was behind bars might also alleviate some of the nightmares. There are a lot of reasons why providing evidence would be a good idea."

"But…"

"Why do you think there is a but?"

"There always is," Kurt chuckles.

Blaine takes a deep breath. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I'm scared of coming face to face with Karl Heynen again. He's the meanest bastard I've ever encountered. I'm also scared that my testimony will somehow not matter, and the judges will find Heynen innocent, which he certainly is not. And what if the process increases my nightmares? This whole idea could go horribly wrong."

"Honey, we can't control how we are going to react in a certain situation. I'm sure you've learnt that by observing other soldiers in the war. However, it takes real courage to try and rectify it, and I know that you are a courageous man."

"Would you come with me when I need to testify?"

"You know I would. I'd be there to support you, calm your nerves and dry your tears. I'd be with you every step of the way."

"With you by my side, I think I'll do it. I'll write to father and see what it entails."

The bathwater is now tepid, so they decide to climb out of the tub. After drying off and performing their nighttime routines, they slip into the cool bed sheets. Kurt spoons Blaine from behind, and soon falls asleep. Blaine listens to the rain fall on the rooftop in a steady pattern. Outwardly, he's very happy with his lot in life. He has a loving family and more money than he knows what to do with. He's living in a luxurious townhouse next to Central Park. He has a job that he feels passionate about. He's the luckiest man alive to have Kurt to share his life with.

However, there are old memories of worse times during the war that seem to invade his dreams. He needs to stand up to his enemies and make them accountable for their actions. Maybe this will help not only him but other British soldiers as well. There is one word on his mind as he drifts off to sleep.

Courage.

Author's notes

Many thanks to my fantastic betas - Fearlessly, Lilyvandersteen, Dblmalfunction. I made last-minute edits and performed the final proofreading by myself, so all mistakes are mine.

I'm HKVoyage on Tumblr.

Next up: Blaine has a big surprise for Kurt.