Blaine woke up to the first break of morning sun. He attempted rolling out of the comforter, but a heavy arm held him secure. Kurts pale limb was draped across his torso and he had his warm fore head pressed to the back of Blaines shoulder. Carefully, the small boy lifted Kurts arm and slipped out of the bed, trying not to disturb his peaceful roommate. Blaine remembered lying awake for hours, confined to a meer sliver of the mattress, while Kurt was snoozing, body splayed across the mattress. However, he had zero recall of the moment Kurt had sidled up to Blaine on his half of the bed. 

The carpeted ground felt grimy under Blaines feet as he wadded to the bathroom. He needed to shower and wash off his remaining Munday muggies and the unshakable feeling of bed bugs crawling on his skin. Also, the warm feeling everywhere Kurt had been— his arm and his shoulder and back. He let the warm water rid him of it all.

After he was bathed and clothed, Blaine returned from the bathroom to find Kurt still sleeping. It was already 10. Blaine considered ordering room service, but he figured it wouldnt taste very good, if they even had it. The same went for the buffet. He looked back to Kurt, who clearly was not waking anytime soon, and decided hed have to wait for food. So, he curbed his empty stomach and retrieved Mr. Penumbras from the night stand and proped up a pillow on his side of the bed. Nearly the instant the mattress shifted under Blaines weight, Kurt rolled over to coil around Blaines waist, head on his stomach. Blaine hesitated and stilled his breathing, carefully reading his book high enough that the pages wouldnt brush the unruly chestnut hair when he turned them. Everytime Blaine shifted on the squeaky mattress, Kurt would nuzzle closer to seal the gap between their bodies. Half of Blaines body was cloaked in the warmth of his roommate. It made him hyper aware of the growling in his stomach and the beating of his heart. More importantly, it drew attention to the stirring in his stomach, like bats on steroids, and the tightening of his pants. That was the deciding factor for Blaine to wake up Kurt. Carefully, he shimmed out of Kurts grip to kneel down at the bedside. 

"Hey, Kurt?" Blaine called softly, reaching out to squeeze Kurts shoulder. He waited for a response, then tried again, this time shaking his shoulder a little. "Come on, Kurt, we gotta hit the road." Sleeping beauty grumbled and rolled over. Blaine sat back on his haunches. Then, he got an idea and got up, leaning his body over Kurts. "Hey," he said softly, lips over his ear, "remember, youre going home today to see youre family. All you gotta do is get up and we can go." Blaine leaned back and watched as Kurt began to stir. "Can you do that, can you get up?" Kurt sat up, rubbing at his eyes. Blaine didnt know if he realized hed been nodding in response to Blaines question. He stretched his arms above his head, then turned to blink up at Blaine.

"Hey," his voice was deeper and raspy in a way that made Blaines stomach twist. "What time is it?"

"11:30." Blaine replied.

The answer sent Kurt into a slow, stumbling frenzy. He was still groggy and delayed, but he was shooting out of the bed and changing from his sweat pants to jeans right in front of Blaine and running to the bathroom to brush his teeth, all the while, apologizing for not leaving sooner.

"Its alright, Kurt, you dont have to rush."

"But I promised you we could leave early." Kurt peeked his head out of the bathroom door, brush in hand. "How long have you been awake, anyways?"

Blaine shrugged and rubbed at his eyes. "Not too long." Truthfully, hed been awake earlier than eight, so it was actually quite awhile. But, Kurt already seemed pretty sorry. "And I honestly dont mind. You can take your time." Kurt didnt respond, but Blaine could hear the distinct sound of hairspray streaming from a nozzle. It was something Blaine had grown accustomed to since living with Kurt. A moment later, his roommate emerged from the bathroom.

"Im ready." He announced, stepping from the bathroom and snatching the car keys from his bed side table. "Come on." And Blaine did, dragging their bags with him.

Kurt drove again and Blaine, surprisingly, kept his eyes open. Hed lost track of time when the trees that lined the road began to blur together and all of the highway signs seemed to look the same. When Blaine was younger, thatd be the point when hed fall asleep in the back seat of his parents car. But, he wanted to keep Kurt company. So, instead of sleep, he grabbed another donut from their dwindling dozen in the back seat and inched the volume up just a little on the music.

There were two original glaze donuts left, when they began drawing near to Lima. Blaine didnt need to look out his window to know. Just the look on Kurts face of recognition and reminisce and joy was better than any landmark or street sign. It was around then that Kurts phone rang. Blaine retrieved it from the cup holder and informed Kurt that the contact name was "Momma Carole."

"Oh yes, gimme." Kurt beamed, reaching for his phone with his eyes still trained ahead. "Hi Carole!" His smile was audible.

"Hey, sweetie, how far away are you?" She asked him. Kurt glanced at his surroundings and estimated their time based on experience from all of the years hed lived there.

"One hour tops." 

"Would be willing to do me a huge favor and stop at the store? I just havent had time to pickup a few things, I can text a list to you." She said, sounding like she really didnt want to ask him, but hadnt any other choices. "Unless youre too tired, I can always go out later."

Kurt started waving her off. "No, no, I dont mind. I just had some coffee, so Im set." Kurt lied, signaling to turn into a passing Starbucks. He didnt miss the bemused look Blaine directed at him.

"Thank you so much, sweetie. And I promise its a short list." Carole added. Kurt chuckled. "Your dad and I are here waiting, we are very excited."

The list was short, but Carole kept texting in last minute items as she remembered them. And of course the grocery store was packed with last minute thanksgiving runs. Kurt and Blaine had to stay close. They knew if the frenetic shoppers severed them, itd be awhile before they found each other. However, as they moved down the aisle in search of condensed milk, Blaine wished Kurt was on the other end of the store, or anywhere else but by Blaines side. Hed spotted a man contemplating over which brand of low fat milk was a better deal. He was about average height and built cruely well. His hair, which was neatly styled, had one loose curl falling into his face like Superman. Over his dusty blue polo and pressed kahiaks, he wore a leather jacket. Blaine had no doubt who it was.

"I told you the condensed milk is in the baking aisle." Kurt stated, turning the shopping cart in the other direction. He began rambling about how its canned, so it technically isnt a dairy product and he shouldve know better than to listen to Blaine about cooking. But, Blaine stayed grounded, eyes cautiously trained on the familiar man. Kurt turned back to see he wasnt following him. "I told you its not here. Come on, Blaine."

Blaine wanted to shush Kurt or drag him into another aisle. Maybe hed just run and leave Kurt. But, it was too late for any of those tactics, because the familiar man was looking and recognizing and then he was approaching them.

"Blainers! What a sight!" The guy clapped his arm around Blaines shoulder, pulling him into a tight "bro hug", as he called it. "I thought you werent coming home for the holiday. You think you can just move to the city and never see your big br-"

"Cooper!" Blaine thought quickly, trying to shut him up. "This is Kurt, my roommate."

"Its so nice to meet you." Kurt smiled, extending his hand. 

Cooper looked at Kurt as if he was just noticing him. Politely, Cooper shook the proffered hand. "Roommates?" He asked, a sly eyebrow raised. 

"Cooper." Blaine demanded in warning.

"Or..." Cooper began.

"Roommates." Kurt clarified. "And how do you two know each other?" Kurt inquired, gesturing between Cooper and Blaine.

"Hes an old friend." Blaine quickly interjected. Cooper searched Blaines face for an excuse to his odd behavior. Blaines eyes were pleading, begging Cooper to just go along with it.

Cooper picked up on Blaines que, rescuing him. "Yep, I was actually an old mentor for Blaine. He kinda idolizes me." Blaine looked more confused than Kurt, but only momentarily. Then he was simply annoyed and trying to conceal it. Leave it to Cooper to turn everything to his favor. "Im an actor, so you probably recognize me."

Kurt was being polite, as he bit his lip and pretended to search his mind. "I dont know if I do."

"Ah, sure you do. Everyone has seen the commercials. Freecreditratingstodaydotcom"

"Slash savings!" Much to Blaines horror, Kurt enthusiastically joined Cooper in singing the end of the jingle.

Kurt turned his eyes on Blaine, "you never told me you knew him!"

Moments like this was exactly why Blaine didnt want people to know. "You didnt even recognize him."

"But then he did the jingle." Kurt stated, crossing his arms defensivly.

"Its all in the jingle." Cooper chimed. Blaine considered leaving the two of them there, so Kurt could fawn over him and Cooper could thrive in the attention. Yet, he didnt move from the diary aisle, because he had precautions with which he had to now take. And they were very important.

"Will you sign my shopping list?" Kurt asked, because to him this was Cooper Anderson, a star. Or at least a very good looking man that advertises credit scores on TV.

"Kurt." Blaine said, his patience dwindling. "Speaking of grocery lists, maybe you should go find the condensed milk." Kurt glanced at Cooper, who winked at him, and Blaine. "Hes not that cool, Kurt, I swear." 

The blue eyes flashed at the baking aisle, back behind him, and at the crowd, then back to Blaine. Protectively, he stepped back into the close proximity, which theyd adopted so neither got lost. "But,"

"Ill meet you there, just give us a second." Reluctantly, Kurt nodded and left, backing the shopping cart away with him. Blaine watched, waiting for him to be out of earshot.

"I see you checking out his butt. You two are definetly more than roommates." Cooper smirked, teasing him.

Blaine rolled his eyes, hoping his brother could be serious for a minute. "Cooper, you cant tell them Im in town."

"Come on, Blaine, thats ridiculous. Im not gonna lie to them." Blaine scoffed, because they both knew it wouldnt be anywhere near his first time. "At least not about this. They miss you, ya know? They said they havent heard from you since..." He chuckled humorously. "Well, since you left, Blaine. If you werent sending them your bills, they would think you were de-"

"Theyre not going to hear from me." Cooper started to speak again, but Blaine cut him short. "And I dont need a lecture." He jammed his hands into his front pockets and turned to leave.

"Wait, Blainers," Cooper reached out and pulled his brother into a tight hug. "Take care, little bro."

Blaine grinned at his brother, "I will." He promised. "Ill see you around." The brothers, again, parted ways as they had those few years ago. 

As promised, Kurt was waiting for Blaine at the end of the baking aisle. While they completed Caroles list, Blaine noted a number of concerned glances casted by Kurt. But, neither of them brought it up. All Kurt had said on the topic was, "Cooper seems nice. And handsome."

In the final stretch of their journey, it dawned on Blaine what exactly was about to happen. He was meeting Kurts parents, and staying with them for—well, Blaine had no idea how long. They knew he was coming. That was some reassurance. There were times when Tina would guarantee he was welcome over when he needed somewhere to go. Of course her parents were always delightful hosts, but Blaine could tell they felt imposed upon by his frequent, unannounced, arrival. This time Blaine was invited, and welcomed, by both fronts.

The thing that worried Blaine was who was welcome? How much had Kurt told his father about Blaine? How much has Kurt told Blaine about his family? There was the debriefing theyd had at IHOP, but beyond that, Blaine was going into this blind. And it terrified him. What if he was too quiet? Or he made too much small talk and never said anything of substance? He hated guys like that. Will he be that guest that uses all of the hot water? Therell be more than one shower, right? And what if there isnt and he uses it for too long or his hair gets caught in the drain? What if he clogs the toilet? Besides, where is he supposed to sleep? With Kurt? Technically, after their previous night, that wouldnt be unheard of. But, Blaine had noted his personal lack of restraint around Kurt sometimes, so sharing a bed in his parents house seemed unwise. If its all they have to offer, though-

"So, youre from Ohio?" Kurt spoke, interrupting Blaines thoughts. They both glanced, from their respective windows, making eye contact. Kurt broke it first turning his attention back to the road. "Cooper said something about you not coming home."

"Uh, yeah, just outside of Westerville."

Kurt thought for a moment, mapping out Ohio and finding Westerville in his mind. "We grew up pretty close then. Small world." Blaine agreed. "How come you never told me you were from Ohio?"

Blaine shrugged, "never came up."

Kurt rolled his eyes towards the road. It never came up, because the only way to get Blaine to spill any information is to relentlessly pester him until he cracks. "I guess it makes sense. I dont really know any other Dalton Academies, especially all boy ones. You know, I almost transferred to Dalton. And my schools Glee club, the New Directions, decimated them at regionals my senior year. So, sorry."

Blaine waited, respectfully, for Kurt to finish his rant, before asking, "howd you know I went to Dalton?"

Because I read your yearbook when you were gone. Blaine wouldnt like the truth. Kurt turned on his left blinker, pulling onto a residential road. "I saw your sweatshirt." He lied, miraculously remembering the bulky top from the last time Blaine had worn it. It was the morning of the lucky charms catastrophe nearly two months into the past. Kurt had a penchant for Blaine in that sweatshirt, because it reminded him of home and he liked the way its just a little too short for Blaines torso, leaving his hip bone exposed.

"Oh yeah. I packed that actually. I was feeling a little nostalgic." Blaine shrugged, thankfully, believing Kurts lie.

Kurt chuckled, "you? Nostalgic? It seemed to me like youd never go home. Youre like Peter Pan."

Shurgging, Blaine looked out the window, "Ill take that as a complement." Kurt smiled at him, slowing the car down enough to turn into a driveway. A house stood before them, like a smaller White House. Somewhere Blaine couldnt help but picture Kurt growing up in. Playing in the lawn, which was now lightly dusted with snow. Sitting on the front porch, daydreaming or talking with his friends. Sneaking out the window and climbing down the tree that grew towards it.

"So, um, this is it. I guess." Kurt cut the cars engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. But, he didnt move to leave the car. 

Blaine began garnering his belongings, which hed had with him in his seat, and stuffing them into his small bag. "You coming?" Kurt nodded. He took a deep breath in and shoved open his door. The frosty air nipped at his nose, but Kurt didnt mind it too much,  because he was home.

He turned back to Blaine, still sitting in the car, "are you coming?" He asked. Blaine smirked and climbed out his side of the car, swinging his bag over his shoulder. Both boys met at the trunk to unload their— Kurts— exuberant amount of luggage. That was when the front door of the house swung open and a short lady came bustling out, wrapping herself tightly in her thin cardigan. She was followed by a man, who moved with less celerity, but he still got there in time for the two of them to pull Kurt into a group hug. Theyd said things like "we missed you" and "thank god you made it alright" and "howd the car do in the weather." Blaine felt mildly uncomfortable. He taken a step back to distance himself from the scene, before quickly realizing he had nowhere else to go. Retreating to the car would be weird and rude. Entering their home for the first time would be awkward, and quite possibly also rude. Instead, Blaine dropped his bag on a less snowy patch and waited.

"Oh," Kurt spoke as if hed been startled into remembering Blaines existence. "Dad, Carole, this is Blaine."

Suddenly, Blaine found himself enclosed in the tight embrace of Carole. He decided he liked her, because she gave good hugs and smelled like coffee and pumpkins. Like a coffee shop in autumn. "Ive heard so much about you!"

Blaine chuckled, "all good things I hope." Thats something Charismatic Cooper wouldve said, Blaine noted.

"Of course. Just looking at you makes me doubt theres any bad things." If only she knew, Blaine thought. "Come on in, its freezing out here." Carole proclaimed, her and Burt helping to grab the grocery bags and bringing them inside.

Their house was very nicely adorned. It reminded Blaine of a Pottery Barn magazine. It smelled like the home of most Americans the day before Thanksgiving, like turkey and pie. The walls were dressed with pictures of all three of them in various points of their lives. Some were Kurt when he was younger with either Burt or a lady Blaine assumed was Kurts mother. Other photos were Burt with the same woman or him with Carole. Or Carole with her former husband or her son. Or Burt or Kurt with her son. It made him a little sad to see how many times Kurts family had been chipped at, full pieces of it breaking off at a time. An untimely time. Yet, they still found each other in the wreckage and managed to build something out of it, something well worth keeping.

"So, I thought Kurt, youd want to go back to your old room and Blaine could maybe take Finns old room." Carole said it like she meant it, but in her face everyone could see the pain surfacing.

"Actually, I was thinking Blaine could take my room and Ill just sleep on the couch." Kurt stepped in, rescuing Carole who silently thanked him. "I think wed all be more comfortable with that arrangement."

Burt answered for Carole, confirming Kurts insinuation. "Unless, of course, you two wanted to share a room. Youd be more than welcome to."

"Ill sleep on the couch, dad."

"Alright, just making you aware of all of your choices." He defended. "Why dont you go show Blaine where hell be staying?" 

Kurt rolled his eyes fondly at his father. "Yeah, come on, Blaine. Its just right the upstairs."

The Hummels home was very warm. Not temperature wise, although it was starkly different from the chilly outdoors. It was warm like a smile. Blaine could feel the whole house grinning, welcoming him. The walls were hugging him, without suffocating him like some do. It was lovely. Speaking of lovely things, Blaine decided he was going to take up permanent residence in Kurts room. The cabinets and walls were all white, but the shelves housed colorful decorations that outlined Kurts upbringing. And then his bed. This big mattress, with an inviting red comforter and white pillows. It looked like a hotel bed, but it wasnt. It was Kurts bed, which he slept in for years. He and Rachel, maybe even Mercedes, probably sat up for hours watching movies and sharing secrets on this bed. Maybe, Kurt lost his virginity in this bed and now Blaine is going to sleep in it. Itll help if he pretends its a hotel bed.

"Okay, here we are." Kurt announced. "You can make go ahead and make yourself at home. And Im just going to leave my bags here, if thats alright." He said, rolling his suitcase into the corner near the door.

Blaine shrugged, "go ahead, its your room."

"Right, uh," Kurt gave him a slight smile and nodded. He lingered for a moment as if there was something else he wanted to say. Hed had this under-spoken vibe since they saw Cooper. "Well, Ill leave you to your settling in. And I have to go make a call to Mercedes. Feel free to come join us down in the living room, just like whenever."

But, Blaine knew he wouldnt want to join him later. Although he probably should. He was aware that it was rude to stay hidden away in someones home, but Blaine didnt know what he would say to them. Hes never really been a skilled socializer. So, instead, he hid Kurts room, "settling in." Blaine wasnt sure how much he could look around before it became snooping. However, he did stroll along the cabinet covered wall, observing Kurts photos and souvenirs hed lined up. There was a lot of him and Rachel or him with Mercedes or their glee club. The New Directions. Blaine recognized them. Then there were pictures of Kurt with his family, just like Blaine had seen when he first entered the house. A lot of the pictures had Finn in them; a well built and handsom football type, who had significant height over Kurt. Blaine was surprised to find a picture of not just Finn, but also Kurt adorned in their high schools football jersey and full padding. Theres no way Kurt was on the team, Blaine wouldnt believe it. Although he had read that a lot of professional players take ballet classes, so maybe thats where Kurt got his start in dancing. Blaines favorite of the pictures were Kurt with his mom. She was tall and think, like Kurt, and they shared the same enchanting blue eyes. A pale little chubby baby sat on her lap, holding his toes between his small fingers and laughing at the camera. He looked so precious and gleeful, and it made Blaine very happy to know that hed now seen a picture of baby Kurt.

Feeling accomplished in his browsing, not snooping, Blaine lay back on Kurts bed and pulled out his book.

After knocking and waiting, then knocking and waiting again, Kurt cracked the door open and peeked in. Blaine was curled into a small ball, sleeping. Really, Kurt shouldve know that was what happened. He quietly walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress next to Blaine. 

"Hey, Blaine?" His hair was mused in every which way, but his face looked relaxed. Kurt lifted a hand to soothe down his curly mane. "Blaine, wake up." It didnt take much more coaxing than that for Blaine to peek open his eyes. 

"Oh, Kurt, hey." He said. His face was wide-eyed and startled, but his voice was still groggy. "Sorry, I-I fell asleep."

Kurt giggled, "I can see that. Well, if you arent too tired, we are going to go out for dinner in about 20 minutes."

Blaine nodded, "okay, Ill get ready."

"Alright, come on out when youre ready." Kurt said, heading back to the hallway. "Oh and Blaine, try not to fall asleep again." He added, with a mocking smile.

Quickly, Blaine rolled off the bed and dug out his hair brush. He worked to smooth back the unruly curls on his head and then he set to work on figuring out what on earth he was supposed to wear. Kurt didnt tell him if it was a nice restaurant or some place casual. Maybe they were just going to a fast food place and then Blaine might look over dressed and ridiculous. He wished hed taken inventory of what Kurt had on when he came to wake Blaine up. Although he wasnt certain, he thought it had been the same clothes hed put on this morning. So, Blaine hoped his dark red jeans and slightly disheveled white cable knit sweater would suffice.

Kurt and Blaine rode together in Mercedes car, while his parents rode in Burts truck. The party of four had met up outside of Breadstix, so they could all walk in together to be seated. Burt and Carole sat across from the boys, while Kurt caught them up on his past semester. That consisted of mostly Nutcracker drama. They also filled him in on their lives, Carole had some interesting patients at the hospital and Burt recently fixed up the car of one William Schuester. Kurt, for reasons unknown to Blaine, found that to be exciting. Carole had pitied Blaine, who took great interest in his menu, by trying to keep him in the know. "Mr. Schuester was the director of Kurts Glee club back in high school," shes informed him.

However, once their orders had been taken and Blaine no longer had a menu to hide behind, theyd exhausted the topic of catching up. "So, Blaine, are you from New York or did you just move up their for college?" Burt asked. He made the conversation seem warm and inviting, but Blaine couldnt help but feel cornered.

"I, umh, actually grew up right outside of Westerville." Blaine stuttered nervously. He hoped Kurt couldnt feel him shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I went to Dalton Academy."

"Really? Thats such a nice school. We were actually looking to send Kurt there a few years ago."

Blaine nodded, "yes sir, Kurt told me about that."

That got a deep chuckle from Kurts dad. "Relax, kid, you can call me Burt."

"Okay, thanks, Burt." At Blaines noticeable blush, Kurt leaned over to bump shoulders with him. He found Blaines hand under the table and gave it a little squeeze. Blaine waited for him to let go, for the warmth of Kurts palm to retract. But, it didnt and it made the pit of Blaines stomach stir.

"How are you liking New York so far, sweetie?" Carole inquired, sipping her iced tea.

"Its, uh, big. But, I dont know, I kinda like it." He glanced to Kurt, who smiled at him, encouraging him to keep talking. "Coming from Ohio, its a nice change. Theres a lot more interesting things and people to experience, I suppose."

Carole nodded, in what Blaine assumed to be accord. "And are you also studying at NYADA?"

Blaine shook his head, "Im majoring in photography at NYU."

"Oh, thats very cool!" Carole proclaimed.

"So, are you looking to go into photojournalism or more commercial based?" Burt asked.

Blaine thought about it for a moment. For all the times hes asked this, he still doesnt have a very good answer. "Im still not sure yet. Travel photography would be pretty cool, because youd get to visit so many amazing places. But, I dont know how ideal that is. However, I can safely say that I will never be a school photographer, doing like yearbook photos and such."

Kurts thumb rubbed against Blaines, getting his attention. "I think youd be good with kids." He told him.

Blaine shrugged, "maybe. Its not the kids that I mind. Those pictures are just so simple. You place the camera on its mark, the kid sits, you press a button and send them back to class. Theres no art to it."

Burt chuckled, "spoken like a true liberal arts student."

After dinner, Carole and Burt had decided to turn in early, knowing they had a busy day of cooking ahead of them. Kurt had followed Blaine to his room, saying he needed to get a few things from there. He retrieved his sleeping clothes and toothbrush from his bag. When Blaine was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, which was thankfully attached to Kurts room, Kurt had joined him. The two had to share the sink, which theyd never done together, even though theyve been sharing a one bathroom apartment for months. 

"Uh, Im gonna shower now." Blaine said. 

Kurt nodded, stepping out of the bathroom, "go for it. Ill be out here." Blaine thought it was weird how he was lingering around, but then he remember that it was Kurts room and his alternative to being here was downstairs sleeping on a couch. 

Kurt lay back on his bed, closing his eyes for a moment and thinking back to high school. He missed his old room, a lot actually. However, he wasnt in here to remember. He came to talk to Blaine. The whole interaction with Cooper had seemed off to Kurt. Honestly, Kurt didnt want to antagonize Cooper, he liked him. He just didnt like the way he made Blaine so tense. It had occurred to him that maybe Cooper had somehow been detrimental in Blaines past. Kurt thought back to the pictures in Blaines yearbook and how he was significantly happier then. Perhaps, Cooper had done something to Blaine. Kurt didnt know how to ask him, though, because he didnt want to pry, he was just curious about his roommate. Or, maybe, Blaine is the way he is now from losing his parents and being orphaned. Kurt mused that idea, until his thoughts were interrupted by a phone vibrating on the mattress. He lifted Blaines book, which rested next to him, to find Blaines phone. The screen was lit up to show he was receiving a call from mom.

Kurt considered answering, but what would he say to Blaines mom? So, instead he let it ring and cut to voicemail. Thats when Kurt noticed that "mom" had already left Blaine a great number of voicemails and missed calls, including one from Cooper. Suddenly it made sense. Cooper wasnt some terrible ex or past tormentor. He was Blaines brother. Blaine had a family and they were very much alive and greatly concerned for his current whereabouts.

When Blaine stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in sweatpants and hoodie, he only glanced at Kurt. Then, he did a double take, when he noticed a Kurt sitting upright on the bed, Blaines phone is his lap, and fixing the younger man with a glare of betrayal. "Is that my phone?" He asked.

"Yeah," Kurt tossed it to him, "and your mom called." Blaine fumbled the small device, nearly dropping it. He unlocked the small screen and swore under his breathe. "I didnt there was such good cell reception in the afterlife."

"Kurt, I can explain."

"Can you?" Kurt asked, with a biting sharpness in his voice.

"Yes, please," Blaine pleaded, stepping towards the bed where Kurt sat.

"Im sure you have a perfectly good explanation for how your mother is calling you from the dead. Or why you lied to me about not having a family. Id love to hear it." The harsh sarcasm in his voice wasnt new to Blaine at all, he knew how to compose himself in the face of his rage. "You know, I opened up to you. I told you about my brother and I thought we, I dont know, bonded or something over losing our moms. But all you did was lie to me. You have a family, Blaine, and they clearly love you," he gestured at the phone. "So, why? Why pretend they dont exists?"

"Because they dont really love me." Blaine confessed.

"Bullshit." Kurt snarled. "Stop trying to create angst in your life, Blaine, its annoying and not cute."

"Im not, I swear. They dont. I guess Cooper does. And my mom tries to be nice, because shes my mom and shes feels like she has to and she needs to me to complete her perfect family portrait. But, do you want me to he honest, Kurt?"

"Well, itd be nice to know at least one true thing about you." He retorted.

Blaine breathed in deeply and bit into his lip, seating himself on the edge of the bed. "So, hum, I guess this kinda comes with a bit of a story. If thats okay?" Kurt nodded, looking rather impatient and mildly irritated with Blaines stalling. "Okay, well, when I was a freshman, I took my best friend at the time to homecoming with me. And he thought it was just as, like, a joke or whatever. But, I dont know, I was naive and stupid and I tried to kiss him. And of course he went off and told the whole school. So, these kids started bullying me, but I was too scared and ashamed to tell anyone. But, um, Cooper, it was his senior year, he noticed and told my parents. So then they called the principal and a handful of people kind of got involved. And, so uh, we ended up having a parent meeting with the principal with both of my parents and my friends parents and the parents of the kid who kinda led the bullying. And thats how I came out, because they all wanted to know why they were picking on me and those dicks werent going to say anything, so I had to. My dad was really angry, not at them, but at me just for being who I was, I guess. He thought I was trying to embarrass him and mom. I wish hed handled it the way she did, and just ignored me." Kurt was statutory, silently watching Blaine speak. It was impressive how emotionless he seemed, with all things considered. "It got to the point," Blaine continued, "where my mom would find any excuse to be out of the house. Ya know, grocery shopping, work, brunch with her friends. Whatever. And sometimes when she wasnt home, my dad would make Cooper mow the lawn or send him to his room. And, he, uhm, he would-" he was breathing in choppy bursts and his shaking hands were fidgeting with the ends of his sweatshirt.

"Its alright, Blaine, you dont have to tell me." Kurt reminded him, his voice as soothing as he could make it.

But, Blaine forged on as if Kurt hadnt spoken. "Hed take me down to the basement and..." His words trailed off, because he couldnt find it in him to speak what he need to say. Instead he clutched his sweatshirt in his hands and pulled it over his head. Now exposed, Kurt saw the deep bruises and scars denominations his olive skin. It reminded Kurt of the marks on his own skin, but Blaines scars were from a far more cynical crime.

"Your father did this?" Kurt whispered, already knowing the answer. It wasnt until Kurts hand reached out to touch Blaine shoulder that he finally started crying. It was a deep, choked sob that hed been holding back for years. "Its okay, Blaine, its okay." Kurt cooed, placing a kiss lightly on the dip between Blaines shoulder and neck.

"No, its not!" He shouted, tearing away from Kurts grasp. He jumped up off the bed as of the mattress had scalded him.

"Shh," Kurt reminded him, glancing at the door. "I know its not, Im sorry. But-"

"You dont know! Everyone says they know, but how many people do you think has been through something like this? You certainly havent! Your dad treasures you, Kurt. And this lady, who isnt even your mom, loves you too! Its not fair! Your life is so easy."

"Alright, Blaine, thats enough." Kurt effectively cut off his rant. "Now, you can cry and be upset. Youve earned that much. But you cant do is pretend that youre the only one thats ever had pain in their life, because that is a fucking lie."

"I-I..." He stood, stuttering and indignant for a moment, wanting to yell back. But, he was tired and he knew Kurt was right. "Im sorry." 

"I accept your apology." Kurts statment was followed by a knock at the door. Burts voice came through the solid wood, "everything alright?" Kurt glanced at Blaine, handing him his sweatshirt, before slipping out of the room.

Blaine balled up the fabric and threw it on the ground, grunting quietly with his remaining frustration. Then, he sighed and picked it back up, putting it on. He sat at the foot of the bed, waiting for Kurt to return. He didnt know what he was going to tell Burt. He didnt care either, he trusted Burt.

When the door opened, Kurt came in followed by his father. He walked up to Blaine and sat next to him on the bed. Then he looked him dead in the eye, imploringly. His face was serious when he said, "I just want you to know that youll always be welcome here. We Hummels dont turn away family." Blaine silently formed the words thank you even though no sound came from his mouth. "Of course, kid." Burt said, patting Blaines knee. Then he stood and walked back to the door. "You boys get some rest." He turned the light off as he left.

Once the door was closed, Blaine used his remaining energy to crawl to the head of the bed and slip under the covers. Kurt moved to head out the door, but Blaine stopped him. "Can you stay for a little while, please?"

"Yeah, of course." Kurt nodded, lying down next to Blaine. They placed their heads on the pillows, so they were facing each other in the dark.

"Your dad is pretty cool." Blaine whispered.

"Hes the coolest." Kurt agreed, smiling. They were silent for awhile, but Kurt knew Blaine was still awake, because he could see the whites of his eyes against the black of the night. "Did all of this happen at Dalton?"

"No, uh, eventually Cooper figured out what my dad was doing and he was in local production of Les Mis, ya know the musical, with this guy, Wes, who went to Dalton. So Cooper convinced my parents it was some religious correctional school that would help me, so I could go there as a boarding student to get away from home and my old school. And he could also have Wes look out for me when he graduated and moved out."

Kurt couldnt tell if Blaine was crying again or not, so he just scooted closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Your brother is pretty cool."

"The coolest." Blaine said, softly. And they lay there in the darkness and the silence, until Blaines breathing slowed down and the whites of his eyes slipped away. Then, Kurt got up, disrupting the stillness of the night, to tiptoe downstairs and make his bed on the couch.