Title: Once Upon A Time
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Kurt, Blaine, or the other characters on Glee.
Note: For Plumey, who (over on Tumblr) asked for a bedtime story, and set my brain on fire.

Author's Note: OH MY GOODNESS. I have absolutely no excuse for being so horrifically slow on updating this story. Well, I suppose I do, since for the entire summer I was working in a place that wasn't exactly conducive to writing fanfiction...it's only been recently that I've had enough time to dedicate to finishing this baby. This is the final chapter of Once Upon A Time, and I want to thank absolutely EVERYONE who has read and reviewed this story. It means so, so much to me!

Blaine smiled as a heavy cloak was set around his shoulders, the luscious fur tickling at the back of his neck. He didn't take his gaze away from the sky, watching the stars flicker and burn in the distance. Kurt sat down beside him and Blaine reached out, wrapping an arm around his Prince's waist and pulled Kurt tightly to his side. The fabric around Blaine's shoulders shifted as Kurt pulled it around the both of them and leaned his forehead against Blaine's temple.

"Anything?" he asked, voice quiet and breath warm against Blaine's neck.

"Not yet," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's waist. "Just the stars and you, so I can't complain. The lack of fire breathing dragon is an advantage to the night, I must say."

Kurt hummed against Blaine's cheek, lashes fluttering as he closed his eyes. "Pav's one of the best hunters I have ever seen," he murmured. "I find it doubtful that he won't return to us without the dragon, as soon as he possibly is able."

Blaine sighed and felt his shoulders slump in resignation. "Spectacular," he muttered. Kurt just smiled.

Suddenly, a piercing cry split the quiet air and Pavarotti burst back into their view, swooping over the treetops at a high speed. The gryphon circled overhead, calling out to the men below before descending. The creature landed heavily in the grass beside them, feathers on his great head puffed menacingly and the arch of its spine indicating his eagerness to defend his master at any moment.

Blaine and Kurt scrambled to their feet, both of their gazes firmly affixed to the night sky. A rushing noise, faint at first but steadily growing louder, reached their ears and Blaine's hand flew to his sword. Kurt laid his palm against Pav's feathers, stroking the gryphon's neck in an attempt at relaxing the tense animal. Pav clicked his beak at Kurt, body still tensed for a fight.

"Kurt," Blaine said, voice tight. "I think this is our moment of truth."

An obscenely loud roar slammed into their eardrums as the dragon swooped suddenly over the treetops, its massive body blocking out the light of the moon. Four massive, clawed feet slammed into the ground with a force that threatened to knock Kurt and Blaine down into the grass, and the dragon flicked his tongue out at the two of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" it hissed, its one good eye glancing between the two of them. "You dare call me out of my slumber for some chat by firelight? Was I not clear last time, little Prince?" The dragon stepped forward, coming closer to Kurt. Blaine withdrew his sword from its scabbard and Pav snapped at the behemoth, hackles raised dangerously.

Kurt stepped forward and held out his hands, staving off both of his protectors. "I want to talk to you," he called out, swallowing the nerves that threatened to choke him. "I…I needed to talk to you."

The dragon's lips curled back, exposing long and deadly teeth. Its shoulders rolled smoothly underneath large, onyx scales as it crept slowly closer. "Fool," it whispered, putrid breath wafting into their noses. "What does it take for you to learn that I am dangerous? That I will kill you and all you love, because it is in my nature."

Kurt extended an arm out towards the dragon, fingers twitching. Fear suddenly spiked into the blood red eye leveled in his direction. Kurt's breath caught in his throat and he had to repress the memories of the last time he and this dragon had been this close.

Had to forget that he had nearly died.

Blaine's presence behind him was reassuring and unwavering, so he soldiered on. "I need to talk to you," he repeated, not once moving his eyes away from the dragon's blood red iris, still glowing brightly in the darkness. "I…I want to help you."

The dragon snorted, smoke billowing through its nostrils and the smell of sulfur permeated the air. "Lies! All lies, my little Prince, I have seen your kind before!"

Kurt couldn't help the dry laugh that escaped his lips. "Somehow, I very much doubt that." He cast his gaze backwards towards Blaine. "I have it on good authority that I am one of a kind."

Blaine's mouth twitched upwards at the corners, but his steely gaze never left the dragon's looming figure.

"How sweet," the dragon purred, large nose wrinkling into a sneer, "that two such…unique individuals should find each other." Its eye roved up and down Blaine's form and the rage that followed the flash of recognition was violent in its onslaught. "You!" the dragon bellowed, shaking the ground beneath their feet with its roar. "You, you insolent, pathetic human! You dare to face me after all you've done? After you destroyed my eye and I left you for dead? You have the gall!"

When Blaine spoke, his voice was strong and determined, fearless in a way that Kurt had never heard before. "I am here to fight for Kurt," he said, gripping his sword and setting his feet firmly into the dirt. "And I will defend him with every bone left in my body, especially from the likes of-"

"Blaine," Kurt interrupted, voice sharp and regal – a Prince commanding his knight. "I need you to stand down."

Blaine's eyebrows drew together. "Kurt-"

"I said, stand down," Kurt said again, and took another step towards the angry beast in front of him. He turned his palm upwards towards the sky, exposing the soft flesh of his hand as a conciliatory gesture. "I need to do this. You know that."

Blaine grit his teeth but stayed put. "Kurt," he bit out, hands twisting around his sword. "Kurt, I can't lose you. I won't."

"You won't," Kurt agreed, looking back over his shoulder. "Blaine. You and I will have forever, alright? But right now, I have something I need to do."

And with that, he broke into a sprint towards the dragon, running between its massive legs until he was standing underneath its belly.

The dragon let out a burst of flame in its rage, turning in circles as it tried to scare Kurt out from under it. Soon, a ring of fire blazed around them, shocking Kurt with its heat and causing sweat to break out across his forehead almost immediately. Dimly, over the crackle and roar of the fire, he could hear Blaine's desperate calls of his name. Kurt drew in hot, ragged breaths and reached upwards, slamming his palms against the smooth underbelly rocking over his head.

"Listen to me!" he yelled, pushing hard. "Listen! Dragon, this is it! I will no longer allow you to kill or maim the people of my kingdom! They are loved,by my father,by me, by their own families and you are destroying them without a second thought!" A growl rumbled through the beast, vibrating almost painfully against Kurt's hands. "You may claim that it's in your nature, but I won't believe it! Do you hear me? I won't believe it! You are capable of controlling yourself! You don't have to push around those smaller than you, you don't have to hurt anyone, not anymore!"

"What trickery is this?" the dragon roared, twisting and turning its massive body until Kurt stumbled and his hands lost contact. He struggled to regain his footing and reestablish that vital contact, his arms waving and careening around until his hands slapped against the dragon's belly for the second time.

He took a deep breath, inhaling all the kicked up dirt and the smoke from the fire, and called out as loudly as he could, "I forgive you!"

The dragon's writhing body suddenly froze above him, going as still as a statue. Kurt splayed his fingers out, running them against the soft scales above. "I forgive you," he yelled again, voice scratching painfully in his throat. The smoke and dirt clogged his throat and burned his eyes, making breathing and sight hard to come by. "I…for everything." He paused as his body was wracked with harsh coughs, tearing his throat and sending blood sputtering between his lips. "I forgive you," he whispered before dropping his arms and falling to his knees. He crawled across the churned land towards one unmoving, giant foot. He slumped against the limb and wrapped his arms around it the best he could. "I forgive you," he murmured; blood dribbled down his chin and smeared, unseen, against black scales.

A white blue light seared his vision, even through the smoke and dirt and he shut his eyes against it. It continued, hot and bright until he could see nothing except for it behind his eyelids, and it was all too much, too much, and he distantly felt his arms slip from around the monster's foot before a great weight slammed into him. All of the air forced itself out of his lungs and the world went utterly blank around him as the enormous dragon overhead collapsed.

When he finally opened his eyes minutes, hours, eternities later, the world was blurred around him. He rolled onto his side, coughing weakly, and squinted. The circle of fire around him had all but died, flickering strongly enough to cast light onto the trees. He could see the glint of Blaine's armor as the knight kneeled next to something.

His vision cleared a bit more, and he realized Blaine was kneeling next to someone. A large, burly looking silhouette sat by a tree, head in his hands.

The dragon was nowhere to be found.

"It worked," Kurt whispered, then coughed violently from the effort. Blaine's head swiveled towards him and he immediately scrambled across the dirt and braced his arms on either side of Kurt. "Kurt," he said urgently. He pressed a palm against Kurt's cheek, trying desperately to get the prince's attention. "Kurt, thank the gods you're finally awake. Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Kurt merely dazed up at him with hazy eyes, gaze utterly unfocused and blood drying around his lips. "It worked," he murmured again.

Blaine watched in horror as Kurt's eyelids fluttered and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He couldn't do anything but cry out Kurt's name desperately as the prince's body went limp in his arms.

OOOOO

Kurt awoke with a gasp that dissolved into a wrenching cough, upper body shaking violent with the force of it. His chest heaved as he regained his breath and he slowly raised himself up onto his elbows, feeling weak with exhaustion. He pushed his hair away from his face and leaned into his hand, eyes shut and breath slowly evening out.

"You're awake."

The voice, however soft, startled Kurt so badly that he almost fell off the side of his bed. Two broad, warm hands caught him gently and coaxed him back against lush pillows. A calloused thumb swept across Kurt's cheekbone, and Kurt lifted his own hand to encase Blaine's.

"Blaine," he whispered, lifting his eyes to meet his knight's. "Oh, Blaine-" He reached for Blaine the same moment that Blaine reached for him, and they drew together, opening their mouths to one another. They kissed for a long moment before drawing apart. Blaine's eyes were squeezed tightly shut as they leaned their foreheads together, and his grasp on Kurt bordered on desperate.

"How long was I unconscious?"

Blaine exhaled heavily through his nose, the air puffing against Kurt's lips. "Two weeks," he said, and carded a hand through Kurt's thick hair. "Rachel put you into something she called a Healing Sleep…said it would accelerate the process…but Kurt, I was scared. You…you were so foolish and impulsive; you literally ran to the belly of the beast. You risked your life to keep your kingdom safe. To…to give a man his life back." He kissed Kurt, hard. "And I have never loved someone the way that I love you."

Kurt's eyes opened wide before they fluttered shut once more in an attempt to stave off the tears that insisted on falling. "You…"

"Very much," Blaine said against his mouth.

"Oh." Kurt bit his bottom lip, breath hitching in his chest. "I...I love you. I love you, Blaine."

They embraced each other tightly, unwilling to let go after the trauma they had endured. Kurt had his forehead pressed against Blaine's shoulder when something clicked inside his head. He drew away slowly. "Wait a minute," he said, furrowing his brows in thought. "You…you said I gave a man his life back." An image flickered in his head; a large figure, slumped by a tree and illuminated by the dim firelight, no dragon to be seen—

"It worked, Kurt," Blaine said. "Whatever you did...no matter how stupid or frightening, it worked."

"The dragon?" he questioned.

A smile tugged at the corners of Blaine's lips. "I think you'll find he prefers to be called David."

OOOOO

After an emotional reunion with his father and step-mother, followed swiftly by a stern and thorough reprimanding, Kurt found himself moving slowly towards the library, supported all the while by Blaine's strong arms.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Blaine asked, the worry clear in his tone. "You've not been awake for long. I don't want you to push yourself."

"I want to," Kurt grit out, pain still lancing through his upper body. "Please, Blaine. Just…get me to the library. I want to see him."

The journey was slow, due to Kurt's unsteady legs and Blaine's unwillingness to move them whilst Kurt showed any signs of pain. Eventually, though it took three times as long as usual, they found themselves standing outside the grandiose wooden doors to the library. Blaine reached out and gripped the door handles and pushed forward, opening the heavy doors slowly. Standing by the large stained glass window was a man that Kurt had never seen before.

He was a large man, both in height and girth, and he was wearing clothes that must have belonged to another knight. His shoulders were slouched, as though he were used to hunching them under the strain of a great weight, and when he turned Kurt could see an ugly, ragged scar that marred one side of his face.

"Dragon," Kurt breathed, moving forwards.

The man winced and shut the book he had been holding. He stepped towards the both of them, his gait unsteady and strange, and Kurt guessed that it was hard to get used to walking on two legs after always moving around on four. When he spoke, the voice was quiet, but ever so familiar. "It…It's an honor," he rumbled. A large hand extended outwards. "Your highness. I must thank you for…for everything."

Kurt hesitantly slipped his hand into the stranger's, feeling the rough, cracked skin and was vaguely reminded of scales.

The man swallowed heavily. "Call me David," he murmured, one good eye cast away from Kurt's face.

"Hello, David," Kurt said, and Blaine tightened the arm looped around his waist.

David's breath started to come deeper and faster, and Kurt barely had time to see a tear slip from one bright brown eye before he was being pulled into a firm embrace. The man holding him was shaking, crying, and apologizing all at once. Blaine's hand was still pressed against the small of his back, offering support, and Kurt circled his arms around David and patted a hand between his shoulder blades, trying to be as reassuring as possible without agitating his ribs. "Thank you," whispered David, brokenly. "I…I never thought it possible that someone would rescue me. I had long since given up hope that I was worthy of someone like you." He drew back and pressed his hands against Kurt's shoulders, and leveled his one eyed gaze against Kurt's startled blue eyes. "I cannot possibly put into words how very sorry I am, for all the pain I caused you…" David's eye moved until he was looking at Blaine. "And your knight."

He knelt before Kurt and bowed his head, gripping onto Kurt's hand. "I swear my loyalty to you," he intoned, voice gruff with emotion and honesty. "I swear I will never again let you come to harm. I will protect you with my very life, in exchange for the freedom you have granted me."

"Stand up," Kurt insisted quietly, urging the former dragon to his feet. "You don't need to bow to me. I told you," he gave a small, wry grin. "I forgive you."

David's smile was tremulous and watery, his eye filling with tears. Blaine pulled at Kurt's waist, gently pulling him out of the room. "David," he said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. They made their way from the library, moving slowly through the halls once more.

When Kurt looked backwards toward the library, he saw David kneeling on the floor, face tilted towards the ceiling and his body awash in colors from the stained glass. His great shoulders were shaking still, and Kurt could imagine the tears trailing down his face. The echo of David's pledge whispered through his mind, and he turned away.

Blaine pulled him close for a kiss when Kurt had finished looking towards the library. Their lips met, soft and wet and lingering, and when they pulled away Kurt pushed his face against Blaine's neck. "I love you."

Blaine smiled. "I love you," he whispered into thick brown hair. His own gaze flickered towards the library. "So, your Highness. Now that you've tamed a dragon…what would you like to do now?"

Kurt hummed against his skin. "Well, to be perfectly honest, my skin and hair are in desperate need of a cleaning. I think a bath is in order."

Blaine smirked and cocked an eyebrow. He bent at the knees and lifted Kurt into his arms, one arm slung around the Prince's shoulders and the other hooked underneath his knees. Kurt gave a startled laugh and began to squirm in protest. "A bath, you say? I think I can arrange that." Blaine brought his lips close to the shell of Kurt's ear. "I find myself suddenly inclined to a bath as well. What say you we spare a chambermaid several trips to the kitchen and…conserve water together?"

The sound of Kurt's laughter echoed through the castle as Blaine carried him to his quarters.

And, as it goes with all the soulmates of lore, they lived happily ever after.

The End