Remember when I said I'd update tomorrow? Yeah, didn't really work out. I was called into work =[. Better late than never though, right? And the good news is that it didn't take as long as usual! So we do have some small graces. Anyhoo, on with the chapter!

Chapter 17:

"Hey...are you alright?" Blaine and Kurt were sitting on the couch in Kurt's apartment, watching a movie on TV. Blaine had managed to slip past his parents, but ever since he'd arrived, Kurt had been just...off. He was quiet, his eyes were glazed over...He wasn't all there. He had greeted Blaine with a quick peck on the lips, turned down all offers to go to the beach or the park, and just kind of collapsed on the couch silently.

"'m fine," Kurt mumbled, not making eye contact. In spite of the situation, Blaine couldn't help but smile. The days when Kurt's english was nothing but prim and proper were definitely over. Jersey shore was clearly having an impact on him.

"You're lying," Blaine state, draping an arm over the slender male's shoulders. He nuzzled into Kurt's neck and inhaled deeply. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" He asked. Kurt seemed to melt into his embrace, resting his head on top of Blaine's.

"I want to tell you everything," he whispered, so quietly Blaine almost didn't hear him. But he did. He could feel his heartbeat begin to quicken in his chest, and he prayed to God Kurt couldn't feel it. Was he finally going to learn the reason they couldn't be together?

"So tell me everything," Blaine said simply. Kurt was clearly teetering on the edge of shutting down altogether and opening up completely-uncertainty clear in his eyes. Finally he took a deep breath and blurted,

"I'm a Prince," surprisingly enough, Blaine was not surprised. He knew Kurt was special, he was practically flawless. He'd be more surprised if Kurt wasn't royalty of some sort, to be perfectly honest.

Kurt was watching Blaine's face, gauging his reaction. To his shock, Blaine seemed to be taking it very lightly.

"Do you have a palace?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah...kind of,"

"Cool," It was silent for a moment, before Blaine said casually, "Did you think this would change the way I feel about you?"

"There's more," Kurt said before he could stop himself.

"Let me guess," Blaine interrupted, "You're immortal too, aren't you?" Kurt stared at him in shock, pulling away from their embrace.

"How do you-"

"Because that's how it is," Blaine shrugged. "That's how it always is. Loving a mystical creature...first we have to overcome the obstacle of your title, and then your immortality," He grinned broadly. "But we end up together in the end, right?"

Kurt gave him a look of pure disbelief.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Books,movies,Fanfiction," Blaine waved him off. "Ever heard of 'The Sidhe'?"

"No, what's that?"

"Nevermind." It was quiet for a moment, pleasantly so in Blaine's case. So these were Kurt's secrets? They weren't so bad. They'd find a way to overcome them together, and when they did, they'd be forever. Forever together. Blaine was living a fairy tale, and that's how all fairy tale's ended, right? Kurt, on the other hand, looked troubled. Blaine seemed to honestly believe they were permanent. Their relationship.

"There's more," he whispered again. Blaine gave him a look of confusion because really, what else could there be? The clock was ticking on the wall overhead, the ocean roaring right outside the window. Day was slowly descending into twilight, and Blaine would have to leave soon.

"Do you have a fiancee?" Blaine asked, because what's a love story without a little competition anyway? Kurt grinned and looked down.

"No," He replied. He stood up and stretched, before walking out to the balcony. He and Blaine had taken to leaving the sliding door open whenever the two of them were alone in Kurt's apartment. It was just nicer, being able to smell and hear the ocean. Kurt sat down in a lawn chair, waiting patiently for Blaine to join him, which the curly haired male did. It went silent for what felt like the billionth time, until Blaine hesitantly leaned forward and placed a hand on the merman's knee.

"Kurt...?"

"Can I tell you a story?" Kurt asked, turning to him so abruptly Blaine reeled back in surprise. Blaine bit his lip, a little concerned at the odd way his love was acting. Tell a story? What happened to his secret?

"Of course," Blaine responded gently, taking Kurt's hand. The merman smiled bashfully at him. Before starting his tale.

"Okay. Once upon a time...Over two hundred years ago...There was a little girl."

"Was she human?"

"Yes, but please don't interrupt me."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Anyway, this little girl was, well she was absolutely perfect," At this, Kurt's expression softened, and Blaine got the feeling that this story was a bit more personal then Kurt originally let on. "She was bright and funny and so sweet. And she believed in mermaids. She believed in them with her entire heart. She was...pure.

"Mermaids, we're like fairies. We survive off of belief. I don't understand why-" Kurt sighed in exasperation. "But when people stop believing, we...we die. We just die. It was an especially bad time for us. We were dropping off by the hundreds. And not just in my colony, but everywhere. It was the turn of the Century. People no longer needed to believe in mermaids, the era of fishermen was over. We instilled fear in their hearts, we were the explanation for the unexplainable...I don't know, we just were. We existed to them. And then we didn't anymore. So we were dying.

"But this one beautiful little girl, she never stopped believing. She wasn't even scared of us. She loved us. Her name...It was Elizabeth." Kurt paused for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing. "Our God Poseidon, he loved her. Not in the romantic sense, but like a daughter. He adored her. Of course she didn't even know of his existence, but he was always watching her.

"He saw a way out. He saw a way to save us," At this his voice became extremely emotional. "He could see how much she believed in us, this one thought in her head. So he took it."

"Took what?" Blaine knew he wasn't supposed to interrupt, but he couldn't help it.

"The thought," Kurt responded, almost morbidly. "He took the thought right out of her head. Plucked it like some sort of flower. She didn't believe in us after that, couldn't even remember our existence. Some say she had an encounter with a mermaid, and that's why she so desperately believed. But after that, she didn't even remember." For some reason, Blaine felt a little guilty. No longer remembering? Sounded a bit familiar.

"Poseidon amplified the thought ten fold, made it that much more powerful. Merfolk, we stopped dying altogether! But our God, he's a busy God. He couldn't take the time to watch over this thought every minute of the day, and it seriously needed that much attention.

"If he didn't care for it the right way, it could burn out altogether. So he decided to make it more concrete, so it could take care of itself. He-He made a mermaid out of it. Out of the thought. He fashioned a mermaid. He named her after the little girl-Elizabeth. And after that, she became the source of life for merfolk everywhere. When the belief wasn't enough, we had her. And now, in today's day and time, when almost nobody believes anymore? She's all we have. Had." Kurt sat back, as though he was finished with his story. Blaine blinked once, twice. He was beyond confused. Not about the story, of course. But the purpose of it. Why had Kurt told him all of that?

"I-I don't understand," Blaine stuttered. Kurt leaned forward, pleading with Blaine to understand.

"Elizabeth was my mother."

"I'm still not following."

"Blaine," Kurt whined, leaning even further forward, "My mother died. She left the thought-our life source-behind in me. If I ceased to return to the ocean, if I just tried to live a human life, the entire merfolk world would cease to exist," Kurt took a deep breath. "They would all die. All of them. Every last one. And it would be my fault."

Blaine was speechless. He most certainly did not see that one coming. This was nothing like a fairy tale. He and Kurt...they really couldn't ever be together. No, he couldn't accept it that easily.

"But-But your mom! Wasn't she immortal?" Blaine asked, looking desperately for a plot hole.

"Immortal, yes. She didn't age," Kurt responded sadly. "But that doesn't mean she couldn't be killed. Which she was, by fishermen,"

"If you were born after she was killed though, doesn't that mean-"

"Blaine!" Kurt cried, grabbing the frantic hazel eyed male's hands. "I told you from the get go, this was only for a month. Two at the most." Kurt said gently, squeezing his hands. For someone who was telling his lover they could never be together, he was surprisingly calm. His eyes were dry of tears, and he seemed very at ease with his fate. Blaine however, was the opposite. His eyes were clouding over with tears, and his bottom lip was beginning to tremble. He felt foolish, not that it really mattered. He had heard Kurt the first time he said they couldn't be together, he just didn't want to believe it. He wanted it to be a fairy tale. He believed it would be like a fairy tale. He had too. Kurt cradled his face in his hands, brushing his tears away with his thumb. "Oh Blaine," Kurt mumbled, pressing a kiss to Blaine's lips. "It's going to be okay. It'll be fine. I love you so much." It hit Blaine like a ton of bricks then, he loved Kurt. He was in love with Kurt. And he would do anything to keep Kurt by his side forever.

TBC...

And there you have it! The last of Kurt's secrets =]. Although he didn't mention the whole burning up in the sun thing but whatever. It'll come up eventually. Anybody notice my little shout out to 'The Sidhe'? =] One of my absolute favorite fanfictions. if you haven't read it, go look it up! So next chapter, the return of Santana and Blaine's gonna meet Puck. You can imagine how well that's going to go. Also, the topic of sex will finally come up for Kurt and Blaine! (I was a little worried I'd have to bump this story up to T rated, but rest assured I will not) R&R!