Kurt found himself in the diary room later on that evening. He had managed to avoid spending any time there apart from dropping off his red jeans and so far he hadn't been called. He had wanted to avoid the tiny room with its single camera, giving off the air of a locked room in a mental institute with its padded walls. Kurt approached the camera as he entered as if it might give him cooties and finally sat down.

He had entered voluntarily so he wasn't even sure if anyone would be there to listen. Eventually a voice spoke.

"Hello Kurt, how are you finding your stay here?" Kurt laughed. He wasn't sure it was the hotel he was expecting.

"Ok actually," he said, "I wasn't sure I'd like it here but the task we had earlier made me think about all the friends I could make in the house and not necessarily people I would ever have considered talking to. I guess people surprise all the time and these kinds of experiences are what you make them."

"Do you have particular friends here Kurt?"

"Yeah I think I probably get on best with Blaine and Faye though Nicola has surprised me today. I guess people are more complex than they look when you first meet them."

"Is there anything you would say to people at home if you could Kurt?"

Kurt seemed to blink and hold back tears at the mention of home. It had seemed the act of being chained to someone he didn't really like had helped him to re-evaluate his priorities and remember to be grateful for what he did have. Being away from his safety net had made the need much more prevalent.

"Yeah," Kurt said, his voice trembling slightly, "I think experiences like this help you to realise how important people are, especially family. I don't know what I would have done without my dad and I think being in here has made me realise just how lucky I am." Kurt blinked back tears and smiled.

"Well thanks," he said getting up, "I guess that's all I wanted to say."

"Have a nice evening Kurt," the usually monotone voice seemed to display a little more emotion than usual and Kurt waved to the camera - the only indication that someone was really listening.

Blaine was hovering around the kitchen when Kurt came out of the diary room, everyone in the hot tub, bedroom or garden area. Anisa and Claire were feeding the chickens and making silly dances which made Blaine laugh as he watched quietly from the French windows.

"What are they doing?" Kurt asked suddenly as he reappeared and Blaine jumped as he saw Kurt's reflection in the window.

"Sorry," Kurt said apologetically as he started making coffee, hunching his shoulder awkwardly. Blaine laughed.

"So how was it?" Blaine asked, "The diary room I mean," he said in answer to Kurt's confused expression.

"Oh right. Yeah it was just what I needed actually," Kurt seemed to finish and he avoided Blaine's gaze as he continued the coffee.

"What happened between you and Nicola while you were handcuffed?" Blaine asked quietly as he came closer to Kurt in the kitchen. Kurt looked up at him, his perfect blue eyes swirling with something that Blaine couldn't decipher.

"I don't know really," Kurt said, "I guess I found out what she was really like, her dreams, her family issues. I never knew she was so complicated, I guess I judged her too early." Blaine looked mildly surprised and smiled as he took the coffee Kurt had made. They settled on the sofa.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while and Kurt could reflect on the whirlwind of emotions that had coursed through him in the space of a few days. Everything seemed a little fake here, polite conversation exchanged and only skin deep observations made; Kurt took a moment to look outside and really wonder who would actually be a friend in the real world. He turned round to find Blaine looking at him, his hazel eyes soft, his smile sweet.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It's a little crazy here don't you think?" Kurt said, "How do you know anyone is genuine? How do you know what people are really like?"

"You don't know but actually people will always reflect the character they want to portray, even in real life. Nothing is truth," Blaine said and Kurt laughed lightly.

"That's a little too profound for a reality TV show don't you think?" Kurt said.

"I guess but you looked like you'd had your own profound moment when you came out of the diary room." Kurt wasn't sure if it was meant as a question but it sounded like one.

"Hearing Nicola earlier, I just realised that my dad is the most important person in my life and I don't let him know enough. I suppose I know how lucky I am now."

Blaine nodded in understanding. "When I said goodbye to my mum and dad before I came on here, I knew that I would miss them like crazy but when you see them waving you off, when you know they're proud of you no matter what you do, well, that's a really nice feeling."

"How were they when you came out?" Kurt asked.

"Not too bad, I've heard worse horror stories so I guess I was lucky in some ways. My dad wasn't keen on the idea and I think he doubled his efforts to spend time with me in the hope that I would 'turn' straight. We re-built a car together, watched sport but he soon realised those things were always going to be in my life anyway, that being gay didn't change who I was, it was just a part of it. I think he's finally come to terms with it but I don't know how he'll feel if I'm openly gay on this programme. I guess I'll find out sooner or later."

"My dad took some time to get used to the idea I think but when I told him, he said he always knew and although my mum always dealt with anything emotional in my life, he really came through for me when I was being bullied or when I felt sad."

"Sorry Kurt, tell me if I'm prying and you don't have to answer but you speak about your mum in the past tense..."

"Oh yeah, she died when I was eight, I thought I told you.... Must have been Faye I was speaking to."

"I'm sorry Kurt," Blaine began, "That sounds really trite but I do mean it."

"I know it's still terrible but I feel like she's frozen in time now, almost like I can't touch her or ruin her memory. She's too perfect."

Kurt and Blaine spoke well into the night as the others trickled in from outside to go to bed and they barely noticed the goodnights and the comings and goings. Memories were shared, opinions expressed and although they remained apart on the sofa it seemed they were so much closer. It was after three in the morning when they wandered to bed almost forgetting the cameras were all around and it was only as they saw people in the beds near them that they remembered. Blaine faced Kurt despite the fact they were in separate beds and the only thing he could see were the whites of his eyes blinking in his direction. He smiled at Kurt sleepily thinking that Kurt looked beautiful in this light, only a shimmer from the high windows falling on his porcelain features and high cheekbones. Kurt fell asleep wondering what it would be like to kiss those lips that were stretched into a sweet smile.

---

A few days passed with no consequence. As they all passed the task with the handcuffs, everyone remaining polite, they had earned their double food allowance and they ordered food and drink for many a fun evening. As the days wore on conversations were shared and friendships forged no matter how vague and paper-thin. It seemed that people seemed to gravitate towards early kindred spirits and Kurt and Blaine were no exception. Nothing was ever achieved in the house but Kurt found himself talking to most people at least once a day and forging friendships with some that he thought might last outside the house. The day for nominations arrived and they were suddenly given a new task: they had to perform a signature dance move, created and decided before the day started which they would perform at the sound of a familiar tune. Sometimes they would be required to dance with a partner and if they didn't do it in the time allowed and in a space specified they would lose the task. If anyone lost the task they would have to go a day in silence, if they all completed successfully they would earn the house money for a party in honour of Claire's birthday.

"It's your birthday?" Heidi asked as they were all seated in the living area.

"Tomorrow, yeah," Claire said sheepishly, obviously hoping to get away without sharing the information. "I didn't think they would disclose that. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Anisa exclaimed incredulously, "Of course it is. How old will you be?"

"20," Claire said.

"Well then we have to win the task," Anisa said smiling, "We need a party."

They all chose their dance moves, Kurt choosing a spot in the bedroom to perfect his move while Blaine practiced in the bathroom. Michael and Bradley were clearly going to choose theirs on the spot, while some of the girls practiced together. They wouldn't know when the gong would go off and Kurt just hoped he wouldn't be in the toilet when it happened.

The gong didn't go off for a few hours and Kurt wasn't in the bathroom but Blaine was half way through changing in the bedroom, so as he rushed outside to the makeshift stage he was shirtless and wearing only a pair of boxers. He rushed out completely unaware of Kurt gaping as he got to the stage and started gyrating his hips to the music. Kurt nearly forgot the reason he was there and shook his head to remind himself not to leer at Blaine, who was thrusting rhythmically with a big grin on his face that he had made it in time. Kurt placed his hands on the tops of his thighs and swung his hips in the opposite direction to his head, wearing his red hat and shifting his shoulders in time with the music. He looked like a complete diva and was in his element. As the music stopped Blaine suddenly seemed to realise he was nearly naked and he blushed with embarrassment, looking around to see who had noticed him, when his eyes alighted on Kurt who was just finishing his little dance. Kurt was wearing a different outfit from the morning and Blaine stared at him, perfectly attired in an outfit that accentuated all the right parts. He gulped at the sight just as Kurt looked at Blaine and smiled. Blaine looked gorgeous, his chest and arms toned, his little stomach cute and his hair ruffled. Kurt couldn't help but stare which suddenly made Blaine realise again that he was nearly naked and he returned to the bedroom.

Kurt cleaned and fussed in the kitchen for a while then decided to wander to the bedroom, hoping that Blaine would have finished changing. As he entered he noticed Blaine in the corner by his bed, clearly putting away clothes and sorting his stuff. He had his back to the door so he only turned when he heard a slight noise.

"Oh hi," Blaine said, smiling as he saw Kurt enter, "That was fun, I thought I wouldn't make it in time."

"Yeah there was a slight panic," Kurt said laughing, "Faye was in the toilet!"

"Aww poor Faye," Blaine said smiling and sitting on his bed. "Your dance was...." He looked down, his voice fading away as he realised he couldn't possibly describe that movement in simple words. "You were good," he finished with a smile and Kurt blushed slightly.

"So were you," Kurt said, "I liked the outfit you wore," he said laughing but Blaine's eyes widened at the flirting and his brain scrambled for ways for it to continue.

"Yeah, that was embarrassing," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at his toes as they rested on the bed. Kurt had decided to sit on his own bed next to Blaine.

"No, you looked great," Kurt said sweetly, "Not embarrassing at all."

"Hey you seem really far away over there," Blaine said, pretending to stretch his arm across the bed towards Kurt. "Come over here."

They had gotten close enough over the last few days for this to be completely normal but Kurt hesitated for a moment. He was oh so eager but he was worried he would be too tempting, that it would be so easy for him to come too close and he had to remind himself he was on national television. He hovered in between the beds for just a second before he moved onto Blaine's bed. He was never one for dramatic affection and being a little closer to someone couldn't actually hurt he decided.

"Do you like being here?" Kurt asked after a while as they leant on the wall behind them, the single bed they were lying on just enough room for their legs to sit side by side, their thighs touching.

"Yeah I think I do," Blaine said, looking at Kurt from his sideways position and smiling. "I think the boredom might get to me after a while but I've met some really great people," he said, his eyes flickering over Kurt's face. "What did you hope to achieve by coming here?"

"I think I wanted to challenge myself, test my limits and see how much performing could be a part of my life," Kurt said, "I guess I've always been interested in how people see me. Do you ever just wish you could come outside of your body just for a moment to see you how others see you? I've always feared that I give the wrong impression and I know here that you can't hide. How you are perceived is what is termed 'real' to the outside world and there's no hiding. No one can keep it up for that long."

Blaine looked at Kurt carefully, clearly not expecting such a response to his question. He thought about what Kurt had said.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Blaine said, his eyes twinkling, "I think you're pretty awesome and a great friend and I've only known you for a week." He laughed slightly then noticed Kurt's serious expression and his face softened. "You really are beautiful Kurt," he said sincerely, "Inside and out, I know you don't have to worry about how others perceive you."

Kurt didn't know what to say. No one had ever called him beautiful and he was so used to derogatory comments at high school and bitchy asides as people discussed him at NYADA that he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"You think I'm beautiful?" he whispered. Blaine nodded and his eyes flickered again over his blue green eyes, swirling with colour and down to his lips.

"Yes," was all Blaine said and Kurt's eyes softened even more and he swore he could feel his heart skip a beat. He glanced down to Blaine's lips and wondered for a moment what it would be like to kiss them, to feel their warmth and Blaine's hand snaking along his cheek. A sudden gong broke him out of his reverie and made Blaine jump.

"Oh gosh, we have to go," he almost shouted and he grabbed Kurt's hand that had been resting next to his own on the bed and pulled him up. They ran outside to the stage, joined by the others and proceeded to dance, hips gyrating again and faces swivelled in a diva like fashion but this time their eyes were on each other and smiles graced their lips.