AN: I guess you could call this a fluffy chapter. Kurt's need a few good weeks...

Chapter 9: The Good Days...

Kurt

The following weeks, Kurt caught himself smiling a lot more than usual, and not just fake smiles, real ones. Blaine's dad had issued a standing invitation for him to join them for Friday night dinners and to his surprise his mother had allowed it. He suspected she was afraid of Burt finding out what was going on in their home and was trying to buy his silence by letting him do something that made him happy.

It wasn't that his dad had stopped hitting him all of a sudden or that his mom was suddenly saying only nice things, but he hadn't missed a single day of school in the last three weeks and it was easier to ignore his mother's insults when Blaine was nice to him throughout the day.

Mr. Schuester had asked him to join the club for their number for Invitationals but Kurt had told him he didn't feel ready for it. There was no way in hell he'd perform in front of a school that hated him so much, and the less people knew about it, the better.

He was however looking forward to Sectionals, trying to ignore his nerves about having to perform in public. Mostly he sat with Blaine and Rachel, wary of the football players and cheerleaders in the club at first, but apart from a few crude remarks from Santana and some looks from Finn, which he thought were targeted at Blaine, they left him alone, and Kurt gradually managed to relax around them.

Rachel was on a mission again to make him her gay best friend but he had to admit it was nice to have someone to talk to between classes.

The other girls in the group, Mercedes, Tina, Quinn and Brittany, liked to talk to him as well, after they had discovered he knew how to talk about fashion despite the clothes he was wearing and had started begging him to take them shopping. Invitations to sleep overs came next. It sucked having to come up with excuses as to why he couldn't, the second being easier than the first because he just had to tell them he wasn't allowed to have sleepovers with girls.

He hated letting people know he didn't have any money, but he knew it was the only thing that would get him out of going to the mall. So he told them he didn't want to see all the nice clothes if he could never really afford them, ignoring their looks of pity and also told them there was no way in hell he'd allow them to buy him things.

They had backed off after that but at least they still wanted to talk about clothes with him.

His worries about Blaine had been unfounded as well. Even after their project was finished – earning them an A of course – Blaine insisted they'd keep meeting in the library for lunch. After a few days, Kurt had stopped fighting Blaine about sharing his lunch, though he was sure Blaine was just pretending to hate at least half of the food he 'accidentally' bought.

Yes, he didn't want charity and he was embarrassed Blaine had figured out he didn't have money to buy lunch at school, but he swallowed his pride because he really liked not having to go home hungry, where he never could be sure if there would be dinner or not.

All in all, things were going surprisingly well. He hadn't had another one on one run in with Karofsky now that either Blaine or Rachel were usually by his side between classes and while the large jock still used every opportunity to shove him into lockers and slushie him when Blaine wasn't around – Rachel really wasn't a match for the bully and mostly got slushied with him – he had at least kept his disgusting lips and hands to himself.

He just hoped the football team wasn't plotting their revenge for the now nearly impossible dumpster tosses, because he caught himself letting his guard down from time to time and he really didn't want to be caught off guard by them again.

Blaine

Blaine loved all the time he and Kurt got to spend together now. As promised, his dad had driven over to the Andersons again and had invited Kurt to all Friday night dinners, saying he and Blaine could use a familiar face around because they didn't really know that many people yet.

Hearing Kurt talk so passionately about fashion had come as a surprise – and he felt a bit guilty about that because just because Kurt couldn't afford nice clothes didn't mean he had no taste in them – and so, when he let Rachel and her girl friends drag him to the mall, where he spotted a gorgeous cardigan he thought would look great on Kurt, he quickly excused himself and ducked into the shop to buy it.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked Kurt a few days later. "My dad bought me this cardigan that is really not my style nor does it fit properly, but he looked so proud when he gave it to me, I didn't have the heart to tell him I hate it."

"What's the favor? Do you need me to alter it?" Kurt asked and Blaine chuckled. "It's not that I don't believe in your mad sewing skills but I doubt that even you could make me like it. No, I thought you might want to take it off my hands if it's something Kurt Anderson would wear," he said as he pulled the 'offending' article from his bag.

Kurt's eyes lit up. "You really don't have taste, do you?" he joked and Blaine pretended to be offended.

"Well, than would you do me the favor and take it?" he tried again. Blaine could see Kurt's internal struggle and waited patiently for him to make the decision. Finally, Kurt shyly reached out for the cardigan, reverently running his fingers over the material.

"Well, if it's to save your dad from possible heartbreak, I suppose I have to take it," he said then, probably to cover any embarrassment over accepting the gift but Blaine just gave him a big smile. "Awesome. My dad's heart thanks you."

He watched Kurt walk away and as he put the cardigan in the back of his locker, feeling strangely accomplished. He couldn't wait to see Kurt in it.

Kurt didn't disappoint and slipped into the cardigan after Blaine had dropped him off at his locker the next morning. Blaine's breath got caught in his throat, because he had been right, Kurt did look amazing in it. Kurt never wore his cardigan in the mornings when he picked him up or when he drove him home after school, but Blaine assumed he didn't want his parents to know because of his pride and the not wanting to accept charity thing. Well, it wasn't charity for Blaine. All he wanted was to make Kurt happy, and if a piece of clothing could do that, he would gladly buy the mall for him if he could afford it. And as long as Kurt proudly wore his gift at school and Blaine kept it from getting ruined by slushies he was happy as well.

Kurt

Friday night found Kurt at the Hummels for dinner again. He had volunteered to cook once he had realized that neither of the Hummel men really knew how and he and Blaine had spent the afternoon at the grocery store, acting like little kids, racing their carts while trying to find healthy ingredients for dinner.

He was also proud that this time he hadn't even flinched when Burt had hugged him hello. While Blaine's dad was watching some car show in the living room, he and Blaine were chopping vegetables next to each other in the small but homey kitchen in companionable silence.

Burt entertained them with stories about incredibly stupid costumers, machos who thought they knew everything better but actually made things worse and bored housewives who brought in their cars just so they had someone to talk to, and Kurt found himself laughing out loud at some of them.

Luckily no one ever asked too many invasive questions about his parents, apart from the obligatory how are they doing, and what are they up to now? Sometimes he felt like Burt was watching him closely with an unreadable expression on his face but Kurt brushed it off, because he wanted to enjoy his time at the Hummels.

"Ready to commence operation teach Kurt Anderson all about musical?" Blaine asked after dinner, Burt having offered to do the dishes as a thank you for Kurt making dinner – and wasn't it interesting how other people handled things like this at their houses. Kurt nodded and followed Blaine upstairs to his bedroom, which was covered in posters of Kate Perry, Pink and some older musicians Kurt didn't know.

Blaine's choice of the night was 'Singing in the Rain' and Kurt settled on Blaine's bed making sure to keep an appropriate distance between them as Blaine put the DVD into his laptop and put it in front of them.

His eyelids starting dropping before the main characters had even finished their first big number and at some point he must have fallen asleep because the next time he opened his eyes, the DVD menu was on the screen of Blaine's laptop. He internally freaked out when he realized his head was on Blaine's shoulder and he had even drooled on him a bit. They were sitting together way too closely and somehow their hands had ended up intertwined between them.

To his relief Blaine appeared to be asleep as well and Kurt carefully extricated his hand from Blaine's and wiped Blaine's shoulder with his sleeve when his eyes fell on Blaine's alarm clock on his bedside table. Kurt froze, before he started to shake Blaine awake.

"Blaine, it's after ten. You need to drive me home, now!" Kurt kept shaking Blaine until he blinked sleepily. "You're comfy. Stay over," Blaine mumbled before he blushed and sat up. "I mean, why don't you call your parents and asked of you can sleep over? We have a guest room/ office that never gets used," he suggested but unfortunately Kurt had to say no, because he really shouldn't push his luck with his parents.

Blaine was grumbling to himself, slowly getting off the bed, but Kurt couldn't stop to obsess over Blaine's adorable behavior, too anxious because he was supposed to be home more than an hour ago and he wanted to go to school on Monday.

Blaine must have sensed his inner panic because he drove ten miles over the speed limit. "We missed most of the movie," Kurt remarked, breathing out a sigh of relief when he saw his house was still stark when Blaine parked the car in front of it. Hopefully his parents were getting wasted at a local bar and no one would tell them Kurt came home late.

"There's always next Friday," Blaine smiled at him and Kurt's heart skipped a beat. Too bad he and Blaine never would be more than friends, but just having some to spend Friday nights with now was more than he had ever expected to have while he was still in Lima.

Blaine

Luckily the football team won their first game, Blaine managing to contribute to their win as well with one of his kicks. Sam, Puck and Mike pulled him into a bone-crushing hug afterward and even quarterback Finn deigned to congratulate him.

The atmosphere in the locker room was still tense however, Karofsky glaring at everyone who dared to congratulate Blaine. "What's your problem?" Blaine finally snapped. "You said you'd leave me alone if I helped you win and I did."

"I want you to stay the hell away from Anderson," Karofsky growled and Blaine didn't like how possessive the big linebacker sounded. If he didn't know any better, he would think Karofsky had a crush on Kurt. Wouldn't that be just great if the most homophobic guy in school was a closet case, Blaine thought darkly.

"Seriously, Karofsky. Back off!" Puck interrupted. "What the little home converted you too now?" Karofsky sneered and Sam and Mike moved to stand next to Puck. "He's part of the club now and I for one would like to win a competition this year. So leave him alone," Puck repeated.

Blaine had never been more glad he had managed to convince Kurt to join Glee club than he was now.

"Have you all gone crazy?" Karofsky yelled. "We put people like Anderson in their place not invite them to join us. It's been too long already with Hummel being Anderson's bitch, so I say we teach the little fag a lesson he won't soon forget. Who's with me?" Karofsky looked around the looker room expectantly but to Blaine's relief most of his teammates shuffled their feet awkwardly.

"Dude, Anderson isn't worth getting thrown off the team over. We already put him in his place daily so I don't think we should risk doing something more drastic," a big wide receiver piped up. "And as long as Hummel keeps his eyes to himself and helps us win, who cares who he hangs out with," another student joined the argument, one that always looked a bit uncomfortable when Karofsky started with the gay slurs.

"Fine," Karofsky spat, " more for me than." Now Blaine really didn't like the look on Karofsky's face. He'd have to make sure Karofsky never got anywhere near Kurt when he was on his own.

"Thanks for your help in there," he told Puck as they left the locker room, Blaine not being in the mood to join the football team for a celebration party and Puck having a 'hot date'.

"No problem, dude. I told you I have no problem with you screwing who you want. The Puckzilla knows a man got needs." Blaine decided not to ask who Puckzilla was.

"And Anderson's not too bad. Boy got pipes and I like his snark. Calling Lopez out on her bitchy behavior was priceless." Blaine chuckled as well. It had been great seeing Kurt come out of his shell and Santana had definitely not expected Kurt to talk back when she had made an offensive comment about his clothes. Her reaction to him telling her she should ask if she could keep her uniform for her future as a pole dancer had been priceless.

"Well, see you Monday dude. Don't leave the ladies waiting but always leave them waiting for more," he shared his sage advice with Blaine before strutting off and Blaine rolled his eyes, before hurrying out to his car as well, before one of the angrier members of the team could catch up with him. Because he knew that meeting an angry Karofsky in a deserted hallway would not turn out well for him.

Kurt

Kurt left the guidance counselor's office with a spring in his step. Ms. Pillsbury had asked him to stop by to talk about his plans for after graduation to see if he shared the other glee members aspirations and when he told her that yes, he did want to perform in the future, she had given him brochure about the different performing arts colleges and their requirements. He knew he wouldn't be able to do anything like theater to better his future application but joining Glee was a step in the right direction and with his grades Ms. Pillsbury had thought he would have a chance to get into a good school and even get a scholarship.

He dodged Karofsky on his way to the choir room, briefly hiding out in an empty class room until the jock had passed by, clearly confused by Kurt's sudden disappearance. Glee made his day even better, as Mr. Schuester announced their first number for the competition. Kurt could barely stay in his seat when the teacher announced that he, Blaine, Rachel, Santana and Mercedes would do a number together, and he was beyond grateful for Blaine showing him all those musicals when Mr. Schuester told them the number.

Rachel and Blaine would start them off on 'You can't stop the beat' – and boy did Finn look pissed during this announcement - and Kurt and Santana would take over from them, with Mercedes finishing them off. Mike and Brittany would add a dance number and the rest of the club would join in on the chorus.

"Are you excited?" Blaine leaned in to ask and Kurt had to suppress a shudder a constant reaction now whenever Blaine got too close. He really had to get a grip on himself, because this whole unrequited crush thing was getting ridiculous.

"So," Kurt told him. "Before, I would have been scared to sing with Santana but I think I actually earned her respect when I told her off."

Before he could add anything, Mr. Schuester interrupted them by passing around a piece of paper.

"Sectionals will be held at a school a town over, so please let your parents sign the permission slips for the bus ride there," he explained and Kurt's stomach lurched. Not even Blaine was aware that Kurt didn't have permission to be in Glee and now he was supposed to produce a signed permission slip?

He stuffed the paper into the bag, hoping Mr. Schuester would just forget about it. He was also hoping that as a sort of soloist, Mr. Schuester would have to let him perform, signature or not, if he didn't want to change their entire routine hours before the competition.

Following the out of sight out of mind philosophy, he threw himself into rehearsals and told Mr. Schuester his parents were away on business at the moment but he would get back to him as soon as they were back.

They had also agreed on Tina, Brittany, Quinn and Artie singing 'True Colors' and Puck, Mike, Finn and Sam doing 'It's my life' and Kurt couldn't wait for Sectionals to happen.

A week before Sectionals he was humming the lyrics to his song as he watched Blaine drive away and walked up to the front door. Immediately stopping when he opened the door, he walked into the living room, where his father was sitting, cell phone in front of him.

"I just got off the phone with a Mr. Schuester. Want to tell me what that is all about?"

Up Next: Mr. Anderson's reaction to Kurt being in Glee and Blaine makes a shocking discovery.