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In Kurt’s defense, he told Blaine that he didn’t do the beach.
“Coach Sylvester doesn’t call me ‘Porcelain’ for nothing,” he had said. But then Blaine had dropped a few strategically placed kisses and soon they were on their way to Target to pick up SPF-a million sunblock.
“I’m just impressed you got him here,” Mercedes says when they find her among the dozens of beachgoers mulling around, enjoying the July heat.
Blaine smiles. I have my ways is implied, and Mercedes laughs a little, because Blaine doesn’t need to use his ways (Kurt just likes the added perks that are involved when he does).
Behind them, Kurt is setting up an umbrella so large its edges shade the couple set up ten feet away from them. They glare at him and move to get up, but if Kurt notices, he pays them no mind, bending at his waist and slathering his legs in sunblock. Blaine shoots them an apologetic glance and turns to rub lotion into the back of his boyfriend’s neck.
He doesn’t question why he’s doing it again if they just sunblocked each other before they left, both of them shirtless in Kurt’s bedroom.
“Do you want me to…” Kurt asks, gesturing behind him towards Blaine’s body. Santana, laid out in the sun somewhere to their left, sniggers and drawls, “Get some!”
“Satan,” Kurt greets. Blaine finishes rubbing, the last of the cream disappearing, and squeezes Kurt’s shoulders.
“Nah,” he says. “I think I’m going to go check out the water. You want to come?”
Kurt raises his eyebrows. “Sunblock, sweetie. And besides, salt water is terrible for my skin.”
Blaine smiles, and heads off towards the water.
Halfway there, something hits him in the head.
“Ow,” he says, without bite. A football falls at his feet and feebly rolls away from him.
“Um, sorry about that,” he hears Finn call out as he runs up. “You ok?”
“Fine,” Blaine says, still rubbing at his head, frowning a little. He’s trying really hard to ignore the sound of his boyfriend’s laughter under the umbrella. “You’d think guys on the football team would have better aim, though.”
Finn rubs at the back of his neck as Artie rolls up next to them, seated in a beach wheelchair Kurt had been telling him about on the car ride over. “You would think,” Artie says, “but you’d be wrong. Sun and wind and all that. Wanna play?”
And that’s how Blaine winds up shirtless (again), sprinting ahead of a literal team of football players, the warm leather of the football clutched to his chest.
He thinks he hears Kurt cheering, but he can’t turn back to check because there are two giants bearing down on him and if he’s learned anything about being the tiny guy in a game of touch football with guys who are nowhere near as tiny, it’s that touch football will eventually become tackle when the testosterone kicks in.
He scores, spiking the ball into the sand, and he hears a wolf whistle from behind him. Spinning around, he sees Kurt laughing loudly. Rachel and Tina, standing beside him, nod approvingly.
Blaine shoots Kurt a thumbs up, and Kurt rolls his eyes.
Blaine laughs and blows a kiss. Kurt rolls his eyes again, but he blows one back.
“Man, you are so whipped,” says Puck.
You have no idea, Blaine thinks, but he just shrugs. “I didn’t see you fighting Lauren when she told you to switch teams.” Puck pats him on the shoulder and Blaine looks up. Puck’s smiling, eyes crinkled. Blaine smiles back. “There’s worse things.”
Puck nods and looks back towards Kurt, who is now watching them curiously.
“What are you doing to my boyfriend, Puckerman?” Kurt calls out, his tone accusing.
“Don’t worry, Hummel, you’ll get him back in one piece. Maybe two if he loses some speed.”
“Do I have to sic Lauren on you?” Kurt asks.
“I’ve got him,” Lauren says reassuringly, coming over to wrap her arm around Puck’s neck. “Your little guy is safe with us.”
Blaine scoffs at being called Kurt’s “little guy,” but lets it go. It’s all said with love anyway.
They play for a little while longer until someone suggests dipping in the water to cool off. Blaine has never been one to turn down a swim, so he dives in, feeling the others splash in behind him.
When he comes up for air, he spots Kurt standing at the edge of the water. He’s pulled on the white long-sleeved t-shirt and wide-brimmed sunhat he had brought for the inevitable moment when he’d have to be in the sun. The waves lick at his ankles and he wiggles his toes, burying himself deeper into the sand. Blaine climbs his way out and over to stand beside him. Kurt takes a step back, keeping his distance from his sopping wet boyfriend even as his eyes rake over his chest appreciatively.
“You decided to come out of your cave?”
“It was getting too hot. I had to cool off a little… Plus I could use a little change of scenery.”
The two of them get splashed as Finn runs past, scooping Rachel into his arms and running her into the water.
Blaine’s eyes flash, joyous mischief flooding them as he’s hit with an idea.
“Blaine, what are you…” Kurt’s eyes go wide when Blaine takes a step towards him, dripping on the sand.
“Blaine Anderson, don’t you dare—“ but Blaine is already on him, draped around his shoulders and hugging him tight. He’s soaked from the contact with Blaine’s body alone, but he’s laughing, so Blaine pushes his luck. Keeping himself plastered to Kurt’s body, Blaine starts towards the water.
“No, Blaine, seriously, don’t—“ but then he’s hit by a wave, suddenly drenched and blinking against the droplets falling from his hair.
Blaine stops for a minute, standing himself up and realizing they’re only waist-deep. He looks down at his boyfriend, trying to gauge how much trouble he’s in and how many shopping trips he’s going to have to follow Kurt on to make up for this.
He sees Kurt glaring up at him, and he offers a hand to help him up. As Kurt puts out his hand to be pulled up, Blaine, too late, sees him biting his lip; it’s a sure sign that Kurt is up to something.
“Kurt, are you-“ and then he’s pulled back down, feels water crashing over him as his boyfriend chuckles, riding the waves easily.
They’re joined moments later by the others, Tina on Mike’s back, Puck and Lauren dunking each other somewhat violently, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Finn, and Rachel playing Marco Polo, Sam and Mercedes splashing each other from a respectable distance (“Who do they think they’re fooling?” Blaine whispers low in Kurt’s ear, but Kurt just shrugs and wraps an arm around his waist, so he forgets about Sam and Mercedes altogether.).
They spend almost a half hour in the water together when Blaine hazards, “So I take it I’m forgiven for pulling you in here?”
“Oh, not even close,” Kurt answers, looking around to see whether anyone is watching, “but you’ll just have to make it up to me.” He leans in close, until his lips are two inches from Blaine’s. Blaine chuckles.
“I think I can do that,” he breathes before leaning in to close the gap and kiss him softly. And this, this is different because it’s chaste but it’s in public and this is so new for them, a whole new level of trust. They don’t intend for it to last long (although Why can’t it last a while? an irrational part of Blaine’s brain whines) and soon they’re interrupted by catcalls. They both turn around to find their friends, watching them with smiles on their faces (and Finn, with his eyes trained towards the sky. “I’m not cheering for my brother getting action,” Blaine thinks he hears him choke out when Rachel elbows him in the side.).
Kurt flips them the finger and ducks underwater, pulling Blaine down with him.
Later, when the sun goes down and everyone is bundled in the sweatshirts they had stashed in the bottoms of their beach bags, they huddle around a bonfire. The light flickers, but they pay it no mind.
Rachel sits on a log with her head on Finn’s shoulder, putting together a plate of graham crackers and chocolate with Lauren, who has Puck leaning back against her legs, roasting marshmallows with Quinn . Mike spins Tina off to the side, dancing to music that only they can hear. Brittany tries to teach Sam some kind of complicated dance move just outside of the circle while Santana, Artie, and Mercedes practice vocal runs, laughing and cheering each other on.
Kurt and Blaine are straddling the log opposite the others, Blaine’s arms wrapped around Kurt’s middle. Kurt watches his friends with a smile on his face, just letting himself enjoy the moment and create the memory. When Blaine rests his head on Kurt’s shoulder, he turns into it, leaning in to kiss him, slowly and sweetly. No one blinks an eye.
Kurt leans back against Blaine’s chest and turns to discuss the latest developments in act two of “Pip Pip Hooray!” with Rachel. Blaine watches the fire flicker and listens to his boyfriend’s excited chatter.