A/N: This wasn't really part of the story when I first thought of it, but then the idea came to me and really, how could I NOT write an entire chapter about Blaine giving Kurt a massage? No change of rating here (aka, no smut, but I'd still trade places with Kurt in a heartbeat). I feel a responsibility to add a PSA: Kids, it may not be the wisest thing to accept an offer from a guy you just met to go into his apartment, get half naked, and let him give you a massage. However, this is Klaine fanfiction, so we're in a safe space here…

The next thirty minutes both dragged and flew. Kurt was in a panic. What the hell had he gotten himself into? And what was he going to wear?

Twenty nine minutes and fifty seconds later, Kurt was standing outside Blaine's door. He had chosen a pair of yoga pants which were both loose and clingy in just the right places, a tank top and a soft cotton pullover with a wide neckline, not really knowing what to expect. He raised his hand to knock, and hesitated momentarily out of nerves. Shaking it off, he reached the rest of the way to knock lightly upon the door.

Knock knock knock

The door opened almost immediately, as if Blaine had been standing at the door waiting for him. He graced Kurt with an easy, open smile. "Hi, Kurt," he greeted, his voice a little lower and softer than when they'd spoken before. Blaine had changed his clothes, too, opting for a fitted t-shirt and a comfortable-looking pair of casual pants. His feet were bare. "Come on in," he encouraged, stepping aside to let Kurt enter and guiding him with a gentle touch to the small of his back.

Kurt looked around the apartment briefly, but the lights were rather low, so he couldn't make out much detail. Off to one side, he saw a large, padded massage table. Nearby, several candles were flickering softly. Instrumental music lilted through the apartment, but Kurt couldn't see the exact source. Blaine had basically re-created a spa atmosphere in his tiny, fifth-floor Midtown apartment.

"You like it?" Blaine's soft voice behind him startled Kurt a bit. "I try to create a calm, soothing environment. A relaxed mind promotes a relaxed body, right?"

"It's nice," Kurt agreed, the tone of his own voice having reflexively quietened to match Blaine's. He wondered if it was part of Blaine's training to speak that way.

Blaine led him over towards the table and leaned against it, facing him. "You still okay with this?" he asked first. Kurt nodded his assent. "Have you ever had a professional massage before?" Kurt shook his head. Blaine smiled softly. "Okay. We're going to make this nice and easy for you. I'll work on your upper body – just your back, neck, shoulders and arms. It's easiest for me if you aren't wearing a shirt, but if you aren't comfortable with that, you can leave your tank top on. I won't go below your waistline, so your pants can just stay on. They look nice and comfy, so they'll be perfect." Kurt blushed, but let Blaine continue.

"This will be a nice, smooth, relaxing massage. I'll work a little on that spot on your neck, but nothing too deep. Nothing I do should hurt. If it hurts, you raise your arm and let me know, okay?" Kurt nodded. "Also, if I do anything you don't like, just raise your arm. You won't offend me. This is all about making you comfortable and relaxed, okay?" he finished with a smile. Kurt might have been annoyed at the almost patronizing tone from anyone else, but from Blaine, it simply sounded like he was trying to put Kurt at ease, and it was charming and endearing.

He was in so much trouble.

"Shall we get started?" Blaine asked.

"Okay," Kurt replied, feeling the need to say something instead of just nodding along.

"Great, Kurt," Blaine said, pushing off of the table and turning to pull back the top sheet. "Have you decided what you want to do about your shirt?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, um…" Kurt paused, and then answered, "I can take it off if that is what works best. That's fine," he said with more confidence than he felt.

"Perfect," Blaine replied. "I'll step into the other room for a moment to give you your privacy. You can leave your clothes over here," he indicated a nearby chair, "and lie on the table on your stomach. You can cover with the sheet if you're chilly. I'll be back in a moment," he placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder briefly, smiled, and stepped away.

Kurt took a deep breath, then removed his pullover and tank, folding them neatly before placing them on the chair. He quickly put his hands to his hair to fix any damage that may have been done. As a last thought, he toed off his shoes and tucked them under the chair, as well. With nothing else left to do, he got himself situated on the table, lying on his stomach with his arms folded and his chin on his hands. His leg started to bounce nervously, and he couldn't tell if he wanted Blaine to hurry up and come back or if he wanted to bolt back to his own apartment and lock the door.

The choice was taken from him seconds later when Blaine returned. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," Kurt responded, smiling and willing his twitchy leg to be still. Blaine approached him cautiously, seeming to sense Kurt's anxiety.

"You okay?" he asked, tilting his head and looking Kurt in the eyes. He hadn't looked past Kurt's face, which Kurt found reassuring. Blaine wasn't some letch who was trying to take advantage of him. He was a professional, and while this was an intensely personal situation, he didn't make Kurt uncomfortable at all.

"Yeah, just a little nervous," Kurt admitted.

"That's understandable," Blaine said reassuringly. "It's always weird the first time you do this. I'll take good care of you, though."

Kurt smirked. "You know, for someone who isn't prostitute, you say a lot of prostitute-y things," he remarked.

"What?"

"It's always weird the first time you do this? I'll take good care of you?" Kurt mimicked Blaine's words back to him in an exaggeratedly low, seductive tone.

"Oh, my god," Blaine said, rolling his eyes. He walked over to Kurt and began adjusting the sheet a bit. "Maybe you just need to get your mind out of the gutter," he teased.

"Whatever you say, Blaine," Kurt drawled, finding the banter to be incredibly helpful at alleviating his anxiety.

"Okay, okay," Blaine said, his quiet, soft tone returning as he got things back on track. "Now," he said, his hands touching Kurt's upper arms and slipping towards his elbows, "I'm just going to have you move your arms to your sides, all right?" he asked, guiding Kurt to slide his hands out from under his head. He arranged Kurt's arms to lie straight at his sides, then grabbed a small pillow from somewhere and helped Kurt lift his head. He placed the pillow underneath and Kurt then rested his head back down, facing sideways so he could see Blaine. "There we go," Blaine soothed. "Shall we begin?"

Kurt nodded and watched Blaine pour what appeared to be an oil of some sort onto his hands from a small bottle. "This is a body oil that will help my hands move smoothly. It's an apricot and peppermint blend – I find it's a lot lighter than some of the floral oils out there, and doesn't leave as much of a residual smell. Plus, it's good for your skin, too," he said, rubbing his hands together to warm the substance.

The first touch was to Kurt's shoulder blades. Blaine's hands were warm, but not sweaty (thank goodness). They felt strong, as Kurt imagined the hands of a massage therapist would be, but supple. He started with easy, circular strokes, working the oil into Kurt's skin and warming him up, gradually increasing the pressure every couple of strokes. "It's okay if you close your eyes," Blaine was saying in his calm, soothing voice as he rubbed his fingers in broad circles across the center of Kurt's back. "It's okay if you fall asleep a little, too. That happens. Just relax and let me make you feel good."

At the last sentence, Kurt raised his head and looked pointedly over his shoulder at Blaine, who caught on and huffed out a laugh. "Okay, that time I heard it, too."

Kurt grinned in a self-congratulatory way and returned his head to the pillow. Within moments, his eyes fluttered closed.

Blaine's hands were heavenly. He worked up and down Kurt's back for a few moments, then glided up to his neck. He quickly found the spot that had been giving Kurt trouble earlier. He moved one hand to the place where Kurt's neck met his shoulder, and kept the other warm and heavy on Kurt's neck, rubbing the spot firmly with his thumb, slowly going deeper and deeper but never really pressing too hard. Kurt could feel his head wobble with the motion, but found that he really didn't care.

Having worked on that spot to his satisfaction, apparently, Blaine moved on, returning both of his hands to Kurt's neck and gently massaging with his fingertips, scooting up just past the base of Kurt's hairline and then back down again before repeating the pattern. Kurt's neck was always one of his most sensitive spots, and before he knew it, certain part of his lower body was showing appreciation for the attention.

Crap.

Kurt instantly tensed up. This was not happening. No, this was not…

"Kurt, is everything all right?" Blaine asked, his hands moving to a spot between Kurt's shoulder blades and going still.

"Mmm-hmm," Kurt answered, his voice strained.

"Because you got sort of tense on me all of a sudden and I…"

Kurt shifted his hips involuntarily, but the movement was not unnoticed by Blaine.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine admonished, sliding his hands to Kurt's shoulders and squeezing lightly as he realized the source of Kurt's discomfort. "Don't worry about that. It happens all the time."

"Just kill me now," Kurt grumbled into the pillow, having moved his head so he was face down.

"Come on," Blaine said quietly, taking Kurt's head in his hands and turning it to the side once more. "Seriously, it's fine. Just calm down. We'll take a moment. Listen to the music, and focus on your breathing. Then we'll keep going. Once you relax, it'll go away and you'll be fine. I promise. It's no big deal."

Blaine returned his right hand to rest in the space between Kurt's shoulder blades and held it still there. He didn't exert any pressure to make Kurt feel like he was being held down. He just let it rest there. The gentle weight and warmth made Kurt feel grounded, and with a few deep breaths, he began to relax again (and his little problem receded, too).

"That's it," Blaine soothed, returning to his ministrations when he felt the tension leave Kurt's body.

After that small hiccup, the rest was pure bliss. Kurt had never felt so pampered. Blaine's hands were magical, he decided, as he alternated between firm rubs and lighter touches. Kurt was hopeful that the wasn't actually making the tiny sounds he heard when Blaine worked his way down his arms, stopping to massage each finger individually before returning his then completely lax arms to the table.

He felt the heel of Blaine's palm as it worked circles into the small of his back just above his waistline. He giggled when Blaine found the ticklish spot on his side, barely hearing the whispered "Sorry" that Blaine offered as he moved on.

All too soon, the touches became lighter and lighter, with Blaine running his fingers in slow, gentle strokes from the base of Kurt's neck to the base of his spine. There was one last feather-light pass, and then Blaine's hands were flat on his back again – one in the center of his back and the other in the dip above his waistline. The warmth seemed to radiate out from those hands into every muscle and nerve, surrounding Kurt with safety and contentment. Gradually, the hands lifted, and Kurt felt the sheet being drawn up to cover him. Blaine's fingertips softly brushed over the sheet across his shoulders and down his arms to his fingertips, then they were gone.

Kurt's eyes had been closed for a while, and his breathing had become shallow and even. He'd never been this relaxed in his life. He heard himself give a little whimper when he realized Blaine's hands were no longer upon him. The thought occurred to him that he should get up.

He tried to shift but instantly Blaine's hand on the back of his head. "Shh, Kurt," Blaine whispered. "Don't try to get up right away. Just stay there for a little while." The hand stroked his head softly once, twice, the retreated, and Kurt drifted off to the quiet music playing in the background.

xoxoxo

Kurt blinked his eyes open. He felt calm, and peaceful, and limp. He squinted as his vision tried to focus, then he remembered where he was. He was at Blaine's. Blaine had given him a massage – possibly the best massage in the history of the freaking world, if anyone was asking, but whatever.

He tilted his head slightly on the pillow and his gaze landed on Blaine, who was seated in a chair he had drawn up next to the head of the table, looking at Kurt with a fond smile on his face. "Hi," Kurt said, his voice a little rough.

"Hey there," Blaine answered, his voice still smooth and low. "How do you feel?"

Kurt took in a deep breath through his nose and stretched underneath the sheet. "Amazing," he answered, drawing the word out in his sleepy haze.

Blaine chuckled quietly. "Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it." He rose from the chair and came to stand beside Kurt. "You ready to sit up?"

Kurt nodded and went to turn over, wondering why Blaine was making such a big deal about him sitting up. When he tried to prop himself up on his arm and it slipped out from under him, he was grateful that Blaine was there to catch him. "Easy," he cooed. "It takes more out of you than you know," he said, answering the question before Kurt could ask.

"Here, I thought you might want this," he held out a soft white robe to Kurt and started easing him into it before Kurt could even respond. "Would you like some water or something?" he asked, eyeing Kurt carefully to make sure he was okay in his now upright position.

Kurt took him up on the offer of the water and gratefully sipped from the glass Blaine handed to him. Blaine took a seat next to him on the table on top of the now rumpled sheet. It suddenly occurred to Kurt that he'd fallen asleep and he had no idea what time it was. "Um," he began warily, "I fell asleep, didn't I?"

"Mmm-hmm," Blaine answered with a self-satisfied smile.

"Ugh, I'm sorry. How long?" he asked, dropping his head in embarrassment.

"No worries, Kurt. Like I said, it happens a lot. You were only out for about fifteen minutes. You're fine." Blaine reached over, tilting Kurt's chin up and towards him. "It's okay. It just means that I did my job and got you to relax. I take it as the highest of compliments."

They sat quietly for a few moments as Blaine let Kurt come back up from his state of relaxation. Kurt felt himself beginning to awaken a bit more, and he sighed contentedly. "You really are very good at your job, Blaine," he complimented.

"Thank you. I enjoy it. I was always a very…tactile person, I guess, and I like helping people. This seemed like a good way to put both of those things to use."

"I'd say it's a very good way. There was a part there in the middle when you did my arms – I think if I'd had the power of speech, I would have proposed," Kurt said, nudging Blaine next to him and flushing at his boldness.

Blaine shrugged and replied, "You wouldn't be the first."

"What?" Kurt exclaimed, turning slightly to face Blaine.

"Mrs. Moskowitz," he whispered conspiratorially, a proud grin lighting up his face.

"No!"

"Yep. Two weeks ago." He laughed at Kurt's mock look of horror. "She has bursitis in her shoulder. I worked on it for her and she said it was the best it had felt in years. Offered to marry me on the spot."

"I hope you let her down easy," Kurt said, dramatically laying his hand on Blaine's arm.

"The wedding's next Saturday," Blaine answered, clasping his hands over his heart and gazing ahead with a dreamy look in his eye.

"Darn," Kurt sighed. "And here I was going to ask you to dinner tomorrow night."

Blaine's head snapped to the side to look at Kurt. "Really?" he asked, all hint of their teasing game gone.

Kurt gave him a shy, small smile. "Um, yes?" he said, making it more of a question than a declaration.

Blaine moved his hand to cover Kurt's where it lay on the table between them. "I'd love to go to dinner with you, Kurt." Kurt turned his hand over and laced their fingers together, looking down at their intertwined hands and then back up at Blaine. The flickering light from the candles in the apartment made his eyes sparkle. Blaine shifted a little closer and said quietly, "I really want to kiss you right now. Is that okay?"

Kurt thought his heart was going to pound out of his chest. "Well, I'm currently in your apartment, late at night, half-naked under this robe and you just spent the last hour with your hands all over me, so I think a kiss would be all right."

Blaine blanched and pulled back. "Kurt, I'm sorry. If that's out of line or if I'm making you uncomfortable, I – mmph."

His rambling was cut off by Kurt's lips on his. Kurt couldn't help himself. This gorgeous, smart, kind, charming (did he mention gorgeous) man before him was just too good to resist.

The kiss was brief, but sweet and tender. They parted, but stayed close, looking into one another's eyes.

"Do you kiss all the guys you give massages to?" Kurt asked coyly, his fingers toying with a curl at the nape of Blaine's neck, where his hand had somehow ended up during their kiss.

"Only the cute ones who think I'm easy," Blaine retorted, pressing another quick kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth.

"Hmm, good to know. I hate to be a homewrecker, but I'll have to insist you break it off with Mrs. Moskowitz," Kurt continued, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder and humming contentedly as Blaine began rubbing lazy circles on his back through the robe.

"She'll get by. She's been married six times. I don't think she'll miss me. Besides, I caught her sneaking a peek at the pizza guy's butt the other day."

When Kurt didn't come back with a snappy reply, Blaine glanced down at the man who was now leaning heavily on him. Kurt's eyes were closed, and he nuzzled into the crook of Blaine's neck in an attempt to get comfortable.

Blaine looked fondly at him then patted his back lightly. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered, helping Kurt to slide off the table and holding him up as they shuffled toward the door. "Time for you to get some rest." He managed to collect Kurt's clothing and shoes from the chair and his keys from the table where he'd deposited them upon his arrival. He walked him across the hall, maneuvering with one arm wrapped around Kurt's waist as he opened Kurt's door and led him to the bedroom.

He sat Kurt on the bed and removed his robe, helping him to slip beneath the covers before tucking the blankets around him. He bent down and pressed a tender kiss to Kurt's forehead, then turned to go. He was stopped by a delicate touch to his wrist.

"Good night, Blaine," Kurt's sleepy voice called out.

"Good night, Kurt," Blaine answered quietly, lifting Kurt's hand to his lips and kissing it. He placed Kurt's hand on the bed and went back to his own apartment for the night.

Kurt slept soundly for the first time in months, dreaming of warm hands and soft words, happy and content. It looked like his dating hiatus was finally over.

A/N: I wasn't planning to post this until tomorrow night, but I didn't feel like waiting. We writers get to be a little capricious, right? Thanks so much for reading. I really, truly appreciate it more than you know. Chapter title is courtesy of Bon Jovi – you know, that American group who sang that song that one time…kidding again! Be well, and be kind to one another.