Notes: Time to find out a little more about Devon, and why Kurt is working at a diner
-x-x-x-
Chapter 3 – The Start
Kurt and Devon ended up naked next to each other on the beach, Kurt declining the offer to borrow Devon's shirt. He wasn't cold, just shivering from Devon's touch. The sand was still warm from a day full of sunshine and temperatures above 85, and it felt nice against Kurt's bare skin.
It was completely dark now except for the moon hanging low, reflecting it's yellow-white light in the ocean by the horizon. Kurt sat with his knees pulled up, arms wrapped around them, looking out at the ocean and the waves rolling against the shore.
Devon sat next to him, legs drawn up too, but he leaned back, resting his elbows against the sand. He obviously wasn't bothered about the whole being naked thing in front of Kurt.
"How did you find this place?" Kurt asked. He tried not to stare at Devon's naked body, but it was right there, on display, and it was difficult not to. It was such a beautiful sight, too, all that skin and muscles, and he found his eyes lingering between Devon's legs. Kurt was grateful his own private parts were hidden by his legs and arms because seeing a naked man, especially a naked Devon, did things to him.
"I grew up around here, found it one day when I was biking when I was younger." If he noticed Kurt staring, Devon didn't let on.
"Where exactly is here?" Kurt knew they had headed south but didn't know how far or for how long he'd been on the back of Devon's bike.
"Just south of the city, close to the small town of Palmetto."
"Never heard of it," Kurt said, but then again, he'd never been south of the city.
"Not much to be heard about," Devon shrugged. There was an indifference in his voice that made Kurt wonder if he didn't like his hometown.
"Well, this part here is very nice." Both views in front of Kurt were very nice. "You take all the guys you pick up here?" Kurt teased. It wasn't any of his business, of course, but he couldn't help asking, couldn't help being a little curious.
"Nope." Devon didn't offer any further explanations. Instead, he sat up and put his arms around his knees just like Kurt.
Did that mean Kurt was the only guy he'd brought to this place? Did that make Kurt special? Kurt liked the idea of being special to someone, but he also knew he and Devon had just met and it was too soon for those kinds of ideas. This, coming here, had been just about sex. Yet, there they were, with no intentions of going home.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Devon asked then.
"What, because I've never heard of Palmetto?" Kurt asked and laughed.
"Your accent is different. Your vowels aren't typical Floridian."
"True," Kurt admitted. "I'm from a small town in Ohio, I moved here to study."
"Aha, I see. Why here? I mean, you must have plenty of universities in Ohio."
Kurt sighed. He had asked himself the same question a number of times over the past year when he'd gotten homesick and missed his friends. "To make a long story short, I was supposed to move here with a friend. This was her choice, I wanted to move somewhere else, but she brought me all these brochures about how beautiful it was here and what an excellent university it was, and I let myself get persuaded. I thought it would be fun to get the whole college experience together with her."
"What happened?"
"She met a guy last summer, fell head over heels and decided to travel the world with him and take up college one year later. It was too late for me to change schools by then, so I moved here alone."
"And you don't like it here?"
"I do, it's been great, but I miss the snow and the cooler summers. This place is too hot for me." He missed his dad, too. Most of all he missed his dad, but he couldn't say that to a guy he'd just met.
"Why didn't you go back over the summer? Why stay here if you rather be there?"
"Well…" It was another long story, one Kurt found he wanted to share. Kurt looked out over the ocean as he spoke. "I want to become a writer. I study creative writing and was promised an internship at a publishing house this summer. I was excited about it and told everyone back home. But then it fell through because I messed up. I didn't tell my dad, was too embarrassed, so I stayed here. And work at the diner instead. It sucks, but it's better than not working and since the friends I've made here have all gone back home for the summer I have plenty of time to write." Kurt had tried hard to find the positive things with being alone in a city he didn't really care for, and this was what he had come up with.
"Well, think of it like this, if you hadn't worked at the diner you wouldn't have met me." Devon elbowed him playfully in his side.
Kurt looked over at Devon who wore a teasing smile and mischievous eyes, and Kurt couldn't help but let out a laughter. "I guess there was one additional perk with staying here."
Devon's smile widened, became mock proud, and Kurt laughed and shook his head. Devon was silly and fun, in addition to hot and flirty.
"What do you write?" Devon asked.
"I guess you can call it fantasy/romance. I like to create my own worlds, place some evil in it and two characters who unexpectedly find each other there but due to circumstances can't or won't realize their destiny is to fight the evil together even though they think they can't stand the other. They make all kinds of mistakes and sabotage for each other before they inevitably come to terms with the fact that the hate they feel is actually love in disguise. Or at least that's what I've been working on the past year."
"You have created this whole world of your own in here?" Devon said and tapped his index finger lightly against Kurt's skull. "That's pretty cool."
Kurt had never thought of it like that. Stories had sort of always appeared in his head out of nowhere. It was so normal to him he didn't really think about it.
"I guess," he shrugged. "What do you do, Devon?"
Kurt had talked enough about himself, he wanted to know more about the hot stranger with the motorcycle. He turned his face from the ocean to Devon and saw him smirk to himself.
"I ride my bike," Devon answered.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant. Do you work somewhere? Or are you also studying?"
"I ride my bike, that's what I do," Devon insisted. He slid his hands into the sand, lifted them and let the sand run through his fingers.
"Okay… So you don't have a job?"
Devon shrugged no.
"What do you do all day?"
"I ride my bike."
It was clear Kurt wouldn't get an answer, but he didn't believe that's what Devon did. He needed an income, needed to survive somehow. But perhaps he still lived at home, or perhaps he had rich parents who paid his rent and food. Wouldn't that be typical, a rich brat on wheels.
"Do you still live around here?" Kurt asked to try to find out more. He was asking too many questions, he knew that, but Devon being secretive made him intrigued.
"No, I moved to the city some years back, but I like to come back every now and then."
So, Ethel had been right, Devon was a local. Oh well, you can't spot them all. But that wasn't what was important now.
"To visit your parents?" Kurt asked.
"Sort of." Devon's voice went blank and his face too. "They're dead, but they're buried in Palmetto." Devon looked out at the ocean turning away from Kurt so Kurt couldn't see his face any longer.
Kurt was stunned. What did he say to that? Devon had been very low-key about himself and then suddenly he dropped this.
"I'm sorry, Devon." Kurt put his hand on Devon's shoulder not sure if he'd appreciate it or shrug it off.
"My name isn't Devon."
"Huh?" Kurt asked, slowly removing his hand. "What do you mean your name isn't Devon?"
"My name is Blaine," he said, turning his face back to Kurt.
"Blaine?"
Devon, no Blaine, nodded.
"Okay…" Kurt was confused. "Why did you tell me your name was Devon then?"
Blaine shrugged. "I usually don't give out my real name. Devon is my middle name."
Kurt let the words sink in for a moment. Then he drew his own conclusion. "You use 'Devon' when you pick up guys you mean?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
Guess? What did he mean? Kurt felt exposed suddenly, and shy, sitting there naked next to a guy who he wasn't sure who he was anymore. Was he lying before or was he lying now? Kurt pulled his legs closer to his body, wished he had clothes on.
"It's just easier that way," Blaine said but that just made Kurt even more confused and made him feel like pulling away even more. Blaine seemed to notice how cautious Kurt became because next he explained, "Let's just say I had an unpleasant experience once when I used my real name and after that I always use Devon."
The explanation didn't make Kurt less confused, but maybe it was better not to know too much. There was something else he was curious about.
"Why are you telling me your real name?"
"I usually don't spend much time talking to guys I meet, but with you it's different," Blaine said. "You don't seem like someone who would get me in trouble."
What kind of guys did Blaine meet and what kind of trouble had he ended up in? Who was Blaine? There were so many questions circling in Kurt's head. How many guys were there? Was Kurt one in a long line of conquests? Did he really care if he was? Wasn't Blaine just one in Kurt's not so long at all line of one-time hook ups?
He tried to push the questions away, told himself it was better not to get too deeply involved. But for some reason he did care.
That wasn't good at all. He couldn't be interested in a guy like Blaine who lied about simple things and then told him his parents were dead. Someone who he didn't know if he was lying about more than his name.
"I usually sneak out before there's a chance of trouble," Kurt said. He needed to make the moment light and casual, it was too weird to have serious conversations. And by keeping it light, by joking, he could smash his feelings before they grew into something.
Blaine laughed and shook his head. "I can imagine that."
"I can't sneak out of this place though."
"Do you want to go home?" Blaine immediately asked, suddenly serious. "I can take you home if you want to."
Kurt thought about it for a brief moment. He knew the answer should be yes, but instead found himself shaking his head. "No. Unless you want to leave."
"I kind of like it here," Blaine answered and smiled sweetly.
Okay, that smile did nothing to help Kurt not like this guy. It was a shame really that this night, this chance meeting, would soon be over. Blaine wasn't the type who had relationships, that much was obvious from his talk about 'the guys he meets'.
Then Blaine did something unexpected. He turned to Kurt and placed a quick kiss on his lips. Just as quickly he turned his face back towards the ocean. Kurt could see him bite his lip like he was shy about what he'd just done. Like he'd done something he shouldn't.
Kurt's pulse fluttered as heat spread through his body. He smiled to himself. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the only one who felt something.
They sat in silence then. Kurt tried to figure out what his next move should be, but all his ideas felt like either too much or not enough. Should he pull Blaine in for a deeper kiss, show him he was interested? Should he ask something about Blaine's hobbies and in that way show his interest?
Instead, it was Blaine who asked the first question.
"Tell me more about your writing," Blaine said after minutes of silence.
So Kurt did. Kurt talked about his writing, why he loved it and what he struggled with. Something changed then and it was like they both had decided to not venture into the too personal questions. They talked about books they'd read and liked, talked for hours about everything and nothing. Kurt was surprised that someone like Blaine had read so many of the classics, but then he felt superficial for thinking that. Just because Blaine looked and dressed like someone who'd never picked up a book didn't mean Kurt could assume things.
They counted stars and talked about constellations. They leaned closer to see the particular star the other was pointing out until they sat right next to each other, arm against arm, thigh against thigh. Kurt had never spent a night like this, never experienced anything similar. It was uncomplicated, unpretentious, and just... simple.
They talked until the sky started to turn orange on the horizon and the seagulls began to squawk again. Until night slowly transformed into a new day and Kurt had been leaning his head on Blaine's shoulder for the past twenty something minutes.
"It's time I take you home," Blaine said when Kurt couldn't hold back a yawn.
Kurt wanted to protest but didn't have the energy to do it. He wanted to stay in Blaine's proximity, feel his skin against his own, for the night to never end, but he was tired too and had to work in a few hours. He needed to get some sleep between now and then. So Kurt ended up nodding instead.
Blaine stood up and reached out his hand to Kurt and for the first time in hours Kurt became aware of their nakedness. Blaine stood naked, unbothered, in front of him. Kurt didn't feel as unbothered when he accepted Blaine's hand. Sure, Blaine had seen him naked, hell he'd had his dick in his mouth, but that was hours ago, before they'd spent the night talking and when Kurt had thought Blaine's name was Devon. Everything became different once Blaine told him his real name, more personal, and Kurt had developed feelings he didn't have then.
But if Blaine could be unbothered, Kurt could at least pretend to be unbothered. He dropped Blaine's hand and brushed sand off his butt and legs. They walked in silence back to the bike and put their clothes back on. Kurt stole some last glances at Blaine's body when Blaine wasn't looking, he couldn't help himself. He wished he could have touched more of it, reciprocated the favor he received… Yeah, Kurt really wanted that, but it was too late now.
"Where do you live?" Blaine asked when he handed Kurt the helmet.
"I live close to the university, but you can drop me off at the diner, my car is there."
Two seconds after he said it, Kurt regretted it. He should have let Blaine take him home, convinced him to come with him to his apartment. But Blaine would probably not have accepted the invitation and Kurt needed his car so this way Kurt would save himself the embarrassment of rejection.
Blaine got on the bike first and Kurt sat up behind him. Blaine didn't need to ask Kurt to hold on tight this time, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist instantly. He pressed his body against Blaine's as they left the beach and drove off on the small gravel road.
They passed empty streets and dark houses on their way to the highway, a small town still sleeping in the early morning hours. Kurt rested his cheek against Blaine's back and watched the sky change in color. Once they hit the highway there was more traffic but still not much and they could cruise freely and without having to change lanes on their way north. The city was only just waking up as the bike rode through the suburbs and they passed by garbage trucks and newspaper cars.
Blaine was warm and strong under Kurt's tight hold. He didn't loosen it when Blaine throttled down, didn't want to think about this night soon being over. Once he had to let Blaine go, he didn't know if he would see him again and that wasn't something he wanted to think about. Instead he held on tighter the closer they got to the diner.
Blaine parked his bike next to Kurt's car. Someone would soon come and start up the diner for the morning rush, but this early Kurt's car was the only one in the parking lot. Kurt held his arms around Blaine's waist even after he'd killed the engine and didn't let go until Blaine asked him if he was awake. Then it was with reluctance he let Blaine free so he could get off the bike.
Blaine ran his hand through Kurt's hair and ruffled it up when Kurt returned the helmet. The action was more intimate and less sexually charged than the first time and Kurt closed his eyes and let out a humming noise. He opened them again when Blaine's hand disappeared from his head. His eyes met Blaine's, eyes that were a golden honey in the early morning sunlight, and he was mesmerized by how they changed in color so easily, he'd never noticed that in another person before.
Blaine's gaze was warm, a little tired too, but mostly just affectionate and tender. Kurt got a little lost looking into them and didn't see it coming when Blaine leaned in and kissed him. Those warm, soft lips on his own took him by surprise but he acted on instinct and parted his lips and accepted Blaine's tongue into his mouth. Their tongues swirled around each other in a soft, slow dance but the way Kurt's heart beat was anything but slow. He moved his arms up around Blaine's neck like Blaine was his to hold. Blaine's hands held firmly on Kurt's hips. He pressed his lips harder against Kurt's, a little too hard, but Kurt was completely his.
Blaine pulled away too soon, too abruptly. "I'll see you around, blue-eyes," he said and loosened Kurt's arms around his neck.
"Yeah..." Kurt felt dizzy, drunk almost. He wanted more of that kiss, wanted Blaine to keep taking his breath away, for the night to never be over.
Blaine put on the helmet, straddled the bike and started the engine. The sound sobered Kurt, cleared his mind enough for him to find some words to say. "You know where to find me, don't be a stranger!"
He wasn't sure Blaine heard him over the engine because shortly after he took off and left Kurt standing alone in the deserted parking lot with his heart a little shattered, wondering why he didn't do more.
It wasn't until later, when Kurt was in his car driving home, that it hit him that he should have asked for Blaine's number. Now he had no way of contacting Blaine and he had to wait for Blaine to come back to the diner. He suddenly wasn't sure Blaine would. Sure, Blaine had ended their night with a kiss, but he had also driven off without saying goodbye or asking Kurt for his number.
-x-x-x-
Notes: Reviews are always welcomed :)
