"Shit." Blaine hissed as his music sheet fell to the floor, hitting the muddy puddle in front of him. He watched as the notes became distorted, swirling with the brown and leaving beautiful trickling patterns of black ink. He bent down his hand reaching towards it and,"Oh."

Another hand brushed his. A very soft, slender hand. His eyes followed the porcelain skin to a canvas of bright purple covering a thin arm finally meeting large, shocking blue eyes. "Hi." a soft, warm breath ghosted his face as they stood slowly, Blaine's now unreadable music in held out in a perfectly manicured hand, a clear umbrella twirling absentmindedly between long fingers in the other.

Blaine's breath hitched as he stepped back to see a handsome boy staring at him flashing a dazzling smile. "Hi there." he breathed, taking the paper and putting it back in his jeans pocket with shaking hand. "Thanks."

"What are you doing busking outside in this weather?" the boy giggled slightly tilting his perfectly coiffured head to the side. "I saw you here yesterday too, are you crazy?"

Blaine froze, watching a pink tongue flick out to caress plump rosy lips. "Y-you could say," he stammered, watching the brown haired man blink slowly, smiling softly at him, "I'm just trying to earn my living."

"Here, let me help you." He slipped a black gym bag from his shoulder, placing it down onto the wet pavement along with his umbrella and began to pick the money off the red velvet that lined the battered guitar case. Blaine put his guitar away and managed to zip it up quickly and the rain began to beat harder against them. "$8.60 not too bad for a day like this."

Blaine took the money, slipping it into his pocket and hoisting his guitar case over his shoulder. "Um, thanks, I have to go now," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I've got quite a way to walk." he began to turn but a warm hand on his shoulder stop him.

"You're walking?" The boy asked, his angelic face scrunching up with concern, hand still firmly squeezing his shoulder. "But its raining?"

"Look, no offence or anything but..." he trailed off, pressing his lips together into a thin line, "just go away?" It was freezing, it was dark, he was soaking wet and the only light came from the coffee shop across the road, illuminating the path and casting dancing shadows around them. However, the guy didn't budge, he just looked at him completely un-phased, arms folded. "I cant afford a taxi alright?" Blaine admitted, blushing furiously once more, pulling up hood to hide his face in attempt to disguise his embarrassment.

"Well i'm going to get coffee, will you at least sit with me till the rain dies down. Please?" The boy asked softly and Blaine rolled his eyes in silent agreement.

"Brilliant! I'm Kurt, Kurt Hummel!" Kurt extended his hand for Blaine to shake, bouncing slightly in his purple Doc Martins, grinning from ear to ear.

"Blaine Anderson."

"Come on," Kurt linked his arm with Blaine walking him across the road.

"Hey Leroy!" Kurt greeted the barista, he was old, with fuzzy white hair and he reminded Blaine very much of the Doc from Back To The Future. He stopped shuffling behind by the till to turn around, hunched over slightly as he lent on the counter.

Behind his thick, dark frames, wrinkles formed in the outside corners of his chocolate brown eyes as his mouth formed a friendly smile. "Oh hey Kurt, the usual grande non-fat mocha?"

"Yes please and my friend Blaine here will have a... err, well I don't know. Blaine what are you having?"

"Oh, no I-"

"-No please!" Kurt interjected, reaching over and pulling down the hood of Blaine's navy blue hoodie. "it'll be on me."

"A medium drip please." Blaine squeaked in surprise, reaching up to try and cover his hair which was now limp curls, dripping and soggy.

The Barista told them he would have someone bring them their coffees soon so Kurt led them to a dimly lit table in the corner. "Your hair is amazing! Your curls... wow!" Kurt reached over, pulling a curl free and twisting it in his fingers. "Gorgeous hair, gorgeous!"

Blaine blushed furiously again, muttering thank you's and suddenly finding interest in a blood stain on the knee of his jeans.

"I'm sorry, people don't usually see me like this, I usually don't look rained on or sweaty, honest!" Kurt peeled away his dark purple mac, to reveal baggy grey sweatpants and a large white crop top which hung off one shoulder and showed a pale but very toned midriff. The neat brown hair was now drenched and flat, sticking to his face. "I've just come from the gym, hence the attire." He giggled, a high pitched sweet high pitched noise that made Blaine's heart leap in response

Coffees were brought over, along with some complimentary banoffee pie. "So Blaine, I heard some of your music, you're really good, an amazing singer you know."

"Thfmks." he mumbled through a mouthful of pie. "ohmiawrgod, thiff piye."

Kurt raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Hungry are we?"

"Mmhm, haffnt eeaterrn n' aghles."

"So what happened to your nose?"

Blaine had forgotten about that. It had been a couple of days so the pain and throbbing had decreased but it was still very swollen and a blackish purple bruise had broken out twisting purple pathways across his nose and around his eyes.

He gulped down the piece of pie lodged in his mouth. "You ask a lot of questions don't you? I-um, I caught a step as I was going up it, slipped over and smashed my face on the pavement." Kurt looked questioningly at him, as he began to shovel more pie. "Whhrtt t'ss t-yoo?"

The blue eyed boy sniggered as he watched the cream that had been dangling dangerously on his chin, drop down onto his hoodie. "Dalton Academy huh?" Kurt questioned reading the large white letters on the material. "As in Dalton Academy, the boys school in Westerville?"

"Yeah, I went there for my junior and senior year. I'm graduated now of course."

"Oh, I went to McKinley in Lima. We competed against Dalton's Glee club, the Warblers. Of course we whipped their asses." He added with a wink.

"Um," he frowned, his dark triangular eyebrows furrowing, "you were in the Glee? The New Directions was it? I was lead of the Warblers."

"Yup." He said proudly, "The New Directions. Wow, so for a guy who went to a rich boys school and was lead of their Glee club, how come you're busking outside coffee shops?"

Blaine's fork clattered to the floor, reverberating for a few seconds before he was muttering swift apologies and profanities under his breath. "Sorry Blaine, I didn't mean to pry I just-"

"-no!" Blaine insisted, wringing his hands together, "no, no its just when I think about it, I... I um, just didnt get into the college I wanted when I graduated last year and it kind of went downhill from there. Like I said, i'm just trying to earn a living."

"Oh, I’m so sorry." Kurt reached over, laying a hand on Blaine’s. For the first time in his life Blaine saw someone who felt genuinely sorry for him. "You know, if it’s any consolation, I didn't get into the college I wanted to either. I take it you don't have another job then?"

"No, I don't. I do odd jobs sometimes, car washes and stuff. Err, so, where did... where did you apply for?"

"NYADA. I wanted to be a singer but I didn't get in, nor did my friend Rachel but now she's on Broadway and I've just started my second year studying fashion. It was a second choice but I take singing lessons and dance classes in my spare time so its all good."

"So that makes you what, 21?"

"Yep." He took a quick sip of coffee, smiling reassuringly over the cup at Blaine. "So trust me, just because you don't get into your college of choice doesn't mean it'll all work out badly you know."

The younger man snorted, "well, it does for some people."

Kurt's smile dropped and Blaine immediately wished he hadn't said anything. "What do you mean by that?"

Blaine finished his mouthful of pie, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Nothing, I err, I should be getting back home."

He stood up quickly, the table shaking as he caught his knee. "Shit, shit fuck!" he hissed in pain, clutching his knee.

"Blaine you have blood all over your jeans, what-?"

"-its nothing, its nothing. Thanks for the coffee." Blaine slung his guitar over his shoulder and was already making his way to the door.

Kurt was standing too, gathering up his bags and coat as fast as he could. He threw a $20 onto the table, calling for the barista to keep the change as he ran towards the door. "Blaine, stop!" He yelled, running across the road. "At least let me drive you home!"

"What is with you being so nice to me?" Blaine walked faster still. "I can walk home on my own you know?"

"Blaine will you just stop for a second! I know I went to the gym but i'm not that fit."

Blaine stopped to look at Kurt, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You just look like you could do with a break okay?"

He let out a sighed, defeated. "If you drive a couple of block and take a right just past the traffic lights, I live down there."

They'd been stopped by traffic lights before Blaine broke the awkward silence. He had watched Kurt open his mouth and snap it shut quickly again, clearly unsure of what to say but he felt it bubble up through his chest and the words burst out of him suddenly, "I'm sorry."

Kurt's eyes flickered over to Blaine, "For what?"

"Being rude and telling you to go away earlier."

"It doesn't matter," He shifted in his seat, palms flexing against the steering wheel. "Besides, I was kind of forward."

They pulled off and Kurt took the first right past the traffic lights. "Um, its down just here, where that... oh dear god, where that guy is sat actually."

There was a loud cackle of drunken laughter and Blaine cringed as he hopped out of the passenger seat. "Oh look who it is, little Blainey Anderson. Looks like someones got a new little homo buddy. You know what happened to your last little boyfriend so keep it out my face or he'll be getting more than a black eyes."

"That's fucking mature isn't it Peterson? Just fuck off and go bother someone who cares yeah?" He turned back to Kurt, "Look, thanks again for the ride and the coffee and everything."

Kurt however, wasn't even listening, he had his eyes fixed on Derek. "Who the fuck is that?" he hissed, opening his car door and sliding out, eyes not moving from the drunk sprawled out across the steps.

"He's just my room mate. He's nothing but a dick, I mean he's drunk so i'll just leave him be and- Kurt wait, don't!"

"-Hey douchebag!" Kurt yelled rounding on Derek. "What the hell is your problem?"

Derek let out a cold laugh, cold squinty eyes flickering from between them. "Anderson, get rid of this joke and give me your fucking key, I locked myself out.

"Right." Kurt grabbed Blaine's wrist, tugging him to the car and forcing him in. "Come on." he was seething, slamming on the accelerator.

Blaine shot forward, throwing his arms out to stop himself going any further than the dash. "What the hell?"

Kurt chewed his bottom lip in frustration. "You're staying at mine tonight okay? And no isn't an option, not tonight."

"Not tonight?" Blaine raised an eyebrow. "There will be other nights."

Kurt didn't respond, he just kept driving until he reached his apartment. It was on the fifth floor so there was quite a walk, especially because the elevator was currently out of order. He took Blaine's guitar and lent it against the squishy red sofa in the corner.

"I'm sorry its kinda small, its a studio apartment but we, my room mate Rachel and I, we're hoping to get a bigger one soon."

Blaine shifted uncomfortably as he watched Kurt move around, "um, no its a great apartment. Perfect."

"Luckily for us Rachel is out at her Pilates class then she'll be stopping at her boyfriend Finn's. I love her but she does not stop talking! She'd talk your ear off if she was here. Well, make yourself at home!"

Blaine was silent. He couldn't seem to bring himself to say anything, he wasn't sure whether he was more shocked that some crazy stranger had kidnapped him or that he was the first person that reached out to him. Maybe a little bit of both.

"Blaine?"

He released his bottom lip from between his teeth, looking up through his long, dark eyelashes. "Mmhm?"

"You think i'm absolutely insane right?"

Maybe a little."

Kurt laughed again which brought a smile to Blaine's face. "Look, no offence but you kinda look like you need a shower. So i'll get you some sweatpants or something and then i'll make food and then we can sleep okay?"

Before Blaine knew it he was laying on the comfiest sofa he'd ever slept on in his life with a thick duvet wrapped around him, damp curls spread out on a feather bed beneath him. His sleepy mumble drifted through to the kitchen. "Mm'Kurt?"

"Yes?" Kurt lent on the wall, arms folded watching Blaine's honey hazel eyes disappear then reappear over and over with each sleepy blink.

"You better have a good explanation for kidnapping a guy you've only just met."

"I do."

"Although I have to say, you're the nicest kidnapper I've seen so far."

Kurt made a small 'pff' noise and wafted his hand. "Kidnapping, saving, its all the same thing."

"Saving?" his dark eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Just think carefully because you have all night. I want an explanation in the morning m'kay?" He grinned once before all that could be heard were soft, light snores.

Kurt looked down at the boy. He didn't have to know his life story to know he was alone. He didn't have to know anything, but to just look in those sad honey-hazel eyes to tell he just needed someone and as soon as Kurt laid eyes on him, he felt drawn to him and as soon as he saw his homophobic, abusive roommate, knew he'd be that someone.

"