The smell of the rabbit cooking in the rich gravy was mouth-watering. Blaine had asked Kurt if he knew how to make a pie crust, so Kurt was rolling out the dough on a wooden table with a hand carved rolling pin, flouring and turning the circle of dough as he stretched it out across the table. Kurt found it kind of hard to roll out the dough, his ribs were so painful and it hurt to even think after a while with his head pounding from the gash – but he didn't want to disappoint Blaine in any way. Especially after the boy had gone to so much effort and trouble to accommodate him, Kurt thought it would be poor manners to bring attention to his pain. Years of being slammed into lockers and pushed and shoved made him used to the pain of bruises and he sucked in his breath and stiffened his spine. He could get through this.

He had already made two crusts and Blaine had put them in the small oven to blind bake before filling them with the rabbit and gravy, this would be a top crust for the first pie and he had just enough to top the second pie. Kurt had never had rabbit, but it certainly smelled delicious. They had cut up bits of bacon and then browned the rabbit pieces in the grease from that, adding chopped onion and those garlicky ramps that Blaine had gathered on the way home earlier that day.

Potatoes, carrots, celery, and herbs were chopped and added to the pan, then flour and some water to make the gravy and it had been simmering on the back of the stove for hours. Following Blaine's directions, Kurt had removed the rabbit pieces, deboned them and chopped the meat in pieces to put back in the gravy and it was now ready to put in the pot pies.

The two of them worked together like they had been doing it all of their lives. Blaine hummed as he did the chores, happy to have someone to just be there with him. He was lonely a lot because his brother was gone to cut trees most of the time. He would quickly glance over at Kurt from time to time, marveling at how such a beautiful boy had just shown up at the time Blaine had been at the camp office, just in time to save him from the bouncers. He wondered how long Kurt might be persuaded to stay. Even though Kurt was trying to hide it, Blaine could see the pain dragging the boy down. His eyes were bruised of course, but the dark circles underneath them were bad, too. He had asked several times if Kurt was okay, but the boy just smiled and said he was fine. Blaine could tell he most definitely was not fine. He regretted asking Kurt to make the crust. He hadn't thought about how much physical labor was needed to roll it out, but he didn't want to hurt the boy's pride, so he just let it be. He had a few ideas on how to help Kurt tonight when they went to bed. He would make a poltice like his father taught him to draw out the pain.

Kurt wasn't a person that liked contact. He was okay with hugging his father, but he didn't do well with the half-hug that Finn did as if Kurt were one of his football jocks. The girls he considered 'his girls', ie. Rachel, Mercedes, Quinn, Tina, Santana, and Brittany gave him hugs, but that was different, too. That only happened if they won Regionals or something. Casual contact, skin to skin, wasn't on Kurt's agenda. Ever.

On the other spectrum, Blaine seemed to touch a lot. He brushed his shoulder against Kurt's arm when he handed him the flour container, took his wrist when he moved Kurt out of the way to get into a cupboard, put his hands on Kurt's waist when his humming had become singing and he added a dance move to his kitchen routine. Kurt had jumped when Blaine did that, not used to it, but Blaine seemed oblivious to Kurt's discomfort and continued to swing Kurt around by his hips to do a close dance move while he sang and Kurt had finally begun to enjoy it a little.

Kurt was in no position to complain. He had no idea where he was exactly and apparently he couldn't just go walking around the camp with the logging company employees looking for him for riding in the empty car. Kurt was under no illusion that they would listen to his explanation as to how he ended up in that car, so he was safer for the time being with Blaine. Plus, he was getting to like the quirky guy, he was fun and intelligent, and rather good looking if Kurt was looking, which he wasn't of course.

“How long do you bake the rabbit pies?” Kurt asked to get his mind off of the silky black curls and the big hazel eyes that followed him wherever he went.

“Oh, until you can smell them out by the wood pile,” Blaine answered absently, busy peeling apples for a dish he was planning.

“Really? I mean, the temperature must vary in that oven since it's wood fueled, so don't you have to time it pretty accurately?” Kurt asked, a bit confused.

“That is accurate. Don't worry, I've been making rabbit pies since I was five years old, I know when it's done,” Blaine smiled.

“Have you lived here all your life?” Kurt asked, unable to imagine never having lived in a house where they had running water, a stove with temperature settings, a furnace.....wow.

“Yes. I was here since I was a baby, so I don't remember anything else. My dad and brother brought me up, but I'm too small to be a lumberjack, so I work in the kitchen sometimes. Mostly I live here in Dad's cabin, but I can take care of myself. What about you?”

“I was born in Lima. I lost my mother when I was eight, and learned to cook because my poor dad was not a natural born cook at all. Let's just say I knew the staff at all the fast food places within a mile of the house,” Kurt laughed.

Blaine just looked at him. “Fast food?”

“Yeah, burger joints, pizza parlors, Chinese take-out?”

“Ah, I have no idea what any of those are. I mean, I know what a restaurant is, I've read about them in books, but I don't know what fast food is? What makes it fast?” Blaine asked, clearly confused.

“I guess because when you order it, it comes to the window fast,” Kurt explained. Was this kid for real? Never been to a taco place?

“Why would it come to a window? Don't you eat on tables?” Blaine said, cocking his head a little like a puppy. Kurt thought that was adorable and laughed good naturedly.

“No, you drive up to the window in your car and order your dinner. They pass it to you through the window,” Kurt told him, only to get another puzzled look from Blaine. “Don't worry, it's not important. I like the way you do it here,” Kurt smiled at Blaine, getting a heart-warming smile in return.

“I'm glad you like it, Kurt,” Blaine said and put his arms around Kurt, who stepped back in shock at the intimate gesture. “Oh, sorry, what's wrong?”

“I guess I'm just not used to so much touching. Don't worry, it's fine, I didn't mean to offend you, Blaine, we just don't hug much where I come from,” Kurt blushed, embarrassed he made Blaine's smile fade.

“Why not?” Well, if nothing else, Blaine was direct, Kurt thought. This was getting uncomfortable, but he decided to answer as truthfully as he could.

“It's mainly because I'm gay. I'm the only 'out' gay kid in my high school and most people treat me like I'm a leper because of it. They go out of their way not to touch me,” Kurt blurted out before he could change his mind. He didn't know how that would sit with Blaine, because Kurt thought Blaine might have been raised in a very conservative environment and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable if he had issues with gay people.

“That is ridiculous! C'mere,” Blaine said and to Kurt's shock he pulled him into a warm embrace. Blaine held him close until Kurt relaxed and returned the hug, his mind reeling. He found that he didn't want Blaine to let go – he was warm and cuddly and smelled good, like pine trees and wood smoke. Kurt moved out of Blaine's arms reluctantly.

“T-t-thank you,” Kurt whispered, not knowing what he was supposed to feel or do. Blaine patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

“You're gay?” Blaine asked.

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Kurt was already on the defensive, but Blaine just continued to smile at him as if he'd just asked Kurt what his favorite color was or what zodiac sign he was born under.

“Nope,” Blaine said.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Kurt asked, assuming Blaine was heterosexual by the way he dressed, then was shocked at himself for stereotyping like that. Of course Blaine wouldn't wear Alexander Wang here in the lumber camp, what was he thinking?

“No. The only woman I really know is Cookie's wife, Shannon. Cookie is the camp cook. Shannon's married and probably 40 years old, so...no, no girlfriend. No boyfriend, either,” Blaine said, back to chopping apples into a wooden bowl.

“Oh, are you gay?” Kurt asked, his heart giving a little flutter at the thought someone so easy to talk to, not to mention gorgeous, might be gay.

“Nope. I don't like to pigeonhole people like that, Kurt. When I fall in love, it will be with a fantastic person and I don't think it will matter if it's a man or woman. Does that make sense?” Blaine asked, cocking his head to one side and looking into Kurt's blue eyes. Kurt forgot what they were talking about for a moment as he got lost in the beautiful depths of Blaine's golden hazel eyes.

Kurt thought for a minute. “You know, it does make sense. I never thought of it like that. I guess I am influenced by the world I live in, and every media source out there tells you what to think, how to act, what to judge. I guess I let it all influence me too much. Thank you, Blaine, you gave me a lot to think about.”

Blaine smiled once again, thinking he liked Kurt a lot. He was thanking his lucky stars he'd been there when the train stopped because Kurt looked like he was going to be a great friend to have.

They sat in the little kitchen, which was just a corner of the cabin, and talked some more while Blaine put the cut up apples in a little water, added a bit of sugar, and set them on the back of the wood stove to cook.

“Want to play a game while we wait for that to cook?” he asked Kurt.

Kurt looked around before realizing there was no television, not even electricity, to play video games. “What sort of game?”

“Cards. I have a cribbage board or we could play gin or Canasta?” Blaine asked.

“Oh, my grandparents played cribbage, that's the one where you have to get groups of cards to add up to fifteen, right?” Kurt asked.

“That's it. Want to play?” Blaine looked excited, so Kurt agreed and Blaine brought out the board. It was carved from a 2 x 4, holes drilled in groups lined up on each side, two nails sticking in the holes on each side. Kurt hadn't played in a long time, so Blaine went over the rules first, but Kurt caught on fast and they began to play in earnest.

“.....and a six makes twenty-eight,” Kurt said, laying the card down on the table in front of him.

“Go,” Blaine said.

“And a three makes thirty-one for two pegs,” Kurt grinned. “Let's count.”

“Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six and a pair is eight,” Blaine counted up the points in his hand.

Two full games later and each had won a game. They agreed to keep a running score, a penny a point to be paid on New Year's Eve.

“I guess we'll have to go for a tie breaker.” Kurt said, wanting to play again. “So, you think I'll still be here in New Year's Eve then?”

“Maybe, but it smells like the pie is done, so I need to get it out to set for a while. Want to go with me to get water?

“Of course, I'll just get the coats,” Kurt smiled. He hadn't smiled this much in years and his cheeks were starting to hurt.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hi, Cookie,” Blaine said, smiling at the old man. Cookie was probably around 40 or 50 years old, bald with a ruff of hair around the lower part of the back of his head like one of Snow White's dwarfs. He wore old khakis with a white t-shirt and an ancient apron, covered head to toe in flour. He smiled a crooked grin upon seeing Blaine and his eyes followed Kurt as he walked in behind Blaine.

“Hey, Blaine, who's your friend? Oh, the boy they threw off the empty this morning? Better keep him inside your cabin for a few weeks, the company police are looking for him,” Cookie said, patting Blaine on the back with his huge hand, leaving a white handprint behind.

“Yeah, this is Kurt. He got thrown on the train a long way away, not his fault at all, but I'll keep him with me. Can I get some water?” Blaine asked.

“Sure thing, kid. Help yourself. Hey, I got something for you...wait a second...” Cookie left the room and they could hear him rummaging around in a storage room in the back of the building. Kurt's eyebrows raised as he looked at Blaine, who put his finger to his lips for Kurt to be silent. Then he winked, making Kurt's gut wrench just a little. This boy was not to be believed: kind, smart, and really good looking. Not that Kurt was looking. Not at all.

Cookie returned, a small sack in his hand, and handed it to Blaine with a smile. “Enjoy, kid,” he said, once more clapping the boy on the back and smiling.

“I think Cooper and Dad are due back in a few days, Cookie, maybe I can get them to come around for a card game?” Blaine promised. A strange look passed over Cookie's face, but he caught it and changed his face to neutral quickly, before Blaine saw it. Kurt saw, but he didn't know what to make of it, not knowing this man.

“Sure thing, Blaine. I look forward to it,” Cookie said, “You better make tracks, Porter and Chase might be back soon and you don't want Kurt to get caught. You take good care of the tenderfoot, Blaine, he doesn't look like he's from around here,” Cookie looked through Kurt as though he wasn't there and Blaine nodded his agreement before taking Kurt's hand and taking his leave. Between them, they carried the water bottles back to the cabin, which was a ten minute walk from the Company cook house.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the cabin, Kurt helped Blaine unpack the bottles and set them on a shelf. Just thinking about what it took to get something as simple as a drink of water made Kurt appreciate every sip even more. He sat on a willow settee at the back of the cabin, resting for a few minutes as he watched Blaine open the sack from Cookie. The boy's eyes sparkled when he looked at the contents of the sack, grinning as he showed Kurt what was in it.

“Look! Cookie sent me some brown sugar, some cinnamon, and a tiny bag of raisins. Wow, how generous! I can make rolls now,” Blaine crowed, obviously thrilled at the small presents. Then Blaine reached into the sack again, bringing out a fabric-wrapped thing that looked like a tiny hockey puck. Kurt looked at it in puzzlement and Blaine grinned, thinking Kurt must live in a strange place if he didn't know what this was. He moved closer and held it out for Kurt to sniff.

Kurt snuffed obligingly and wrinkled his nose. “Ewww...what is that? Wait..I know that smell. Oh, it's a cake of yeast!”

Blaine grinned at him.

“Yeah, we can make sweet dough for the cinnamon rolls with this. Haven't you ever had cinnamon rolls?”

“Yeah, but I buy them at a bakery. I've never baked my own,” Kurt told his new friend. Blaine stood with his mouth open for a second before he realized how rude he was being.

“Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me. Well, I can teach you how, okay?” he asked, not sure what else to say.

“That would be fun. I'd love to learn!” Kurt said, actually enthused to be doing something to take his mind off of the present circumstances.

“We can bake them in the morning, I'll have to get some eggs and things first. But for now, I think the rabbit pie is ready. Are you hungry?”

“You bet I am,” Kurt grinned, taking a breath of the delicious smelling food. His mouth was watering. “Are we waiting for your brother and dad to get here?”

“Ah...no. They might be here later in the week, but there's a big job up the canyon and they have to work on it. They stay with the crew until it's done, so I don't know when they'll be here. I just go ahead and eat when I'm hungry, I can always heat some up when they get here,” he said, looking a the door as though he expected it to open at any moment.

“Okay, what can I do to help?” Kurt asked.

“Set the table, I guess. I'll go get some milk and be back in a few minutes.”

Blaine left and Kurt put the spoons, forks, and plates on the table. He looked around the room, wondering …...well, just wondering. There was something a little off, a bit strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Blaine seemed like a nice guy, and Kurt was grateful for him, but he was a mystery. He'd said he lived here with his father and brother, but there was little evidence of that. There was a closet with clothes, but it was dusty and didn't look like anyone had been here to use them for a long time. Plus, the look Cookie gave Blaine when he said his dad and brother were coming home...

“Here we go. Fresh from Betsy herself!” Blaine said, cheerful as he poured the milk from a stoneware pitcher into two glasses and set them on the table.

They sat down, Blaine spooning large portions onto the tin plates. Kurt broke his slice open, the golden crust just the right flakiness, the rich savory gravy and tender meat smelling so good as he put the spoonful in his mouth. It was like heaven and Kurt groaned as he chewed and swallowed the wonderful food, the crust melting in his mouth. His smile didn't leave his face as he ate more, never knowing food could taste this good. He took a sip of the milk, stopping for a moment as he realized it was indeed fresh – which meant it was warm and thick with cream. His tongue came out, licking the drops from his lips before he took another bite of the rabbit. Kurt closed his eyes, the sensuous experience almost too much.

“Want more?” Blaine asked, searching out the blue-gray eyes of the boy sitting across from him. He found himself a bit aroused at the sounds Kurt was making. If he got this sensual just eating dinner...? Blaine brought himself back to the present with a gulp of his milk.

Kurt shook his head, not sure for a moment what Blaine was asking him. “Oh...yeah, I'd love some more. This is the most delicious food I've ever had, Blaine. Thank you.”

“You are most welcome, Kurt. Have as much as you want, there's plenty,” Blaine grinned, intrigued to have such an appreciative audience.

“Tell me more about where you're from,” Blaine suggested.

“There isn't much to say about Ohio. It's not like here. I live in Lima, which is a small town in the northwestern corner. It doesn't smell as good there, with all the factory pollution. The rivers are clogged with trash in some places and there's cars everywhere. It's a stark contrast to this place,” Kurt told him. “But, my family is there, and I miss them. My dad doesn't know where I am, and I'm scared he will think I'm dead...”

Blaine got up and went to stand in front of Kurt, leaning over to put his arms around the grieving boy. “We'll find a way to let him know. I'll ask Cookie if we can do anything tomorrow. There isn't any phone service, but there is a wire that goes down the mountain, maybe we can get something on there. We'll just have to be careful: the company owns everything here, and they're looking for you because they found you riding an empty. If we send a wire and they discover it, they'll find you. I can't keep you safe if they find you, Kurt,” Blaine said bluntly.

“Okay. I'll be careful,” Kurt said, feeling suddenly worn out and tired. The pain in his ribs was getting almost unbearable, his head hurt and he was just sore all over. He wanted to lay down, but didn't want to be rude to his host. He took a deep breath, determined to get through this.

Blaine walked over to the stove, taking a pot off of the back and spooning two servings into small earthenware bowls. He set them on the table and poured some cream over the top, then sprinkled on some cinnamon. He nodded at Kurt to dig in.
“Oh! That is delicious! This is...the apples and blackberries?” Kurt asked, taking another spoonful.

“Yeah, I just skinned the apples and chopped them in a pan with the blackberries and a little sugar and a touch of rubbed sage. It's kind of like a pudding, or an apple sauce I guess. I don't know the name, but Shannon taught me to make it.”

“Thank you, Blaine, it's delicious,” Kurt grinned, scraping the edges of the bowl to get every drip.

“Let's go to bed,” Blaine said, getting up to put some coal in the brazier for the night and banking the fire in the stove. He could see how much pain Kurt was in, and he could see how stubborn the boy was. Blaine doubted Kurt would admit to the pain, so he would just have to take control and get him in to bed for some rest. He hoped Kurt wouldn't resist the cure Blaine was going to prepare. Blaine went to the corner where there was a bed and turned a stick at the end.

“What are you doing?” Kurt asked.

“Just tightening the bed,” Blaine said, looking at Kurt's puzzled face. Apparently he'd never seen a rope bed before. “It's made of boards with holes drilled into the sides, and a rope is threaded into these holes to hold the mattress. The rope is natural material, hemp, so it stretches and I tighten the rope once a week so it doesn't sag. A ratcheted gear holds it in place,” Blaine explained. Kurt was fascinated, he'd never heard of such a thing.

Blaine got his pajamas out of the trunk: wool socks, flannel top and pants put on over a thermal T-shirt and long thermal pants. He went to another trunk, the one where he'd gotten Kurt some clothes earlier, and produced a set of similar pajamas for Kurt, in a larger size, and set them on the bed. He turned and walked to the front door, motioning for Kurt to follow him. They donned coats and mufflers as protection against the wind and Blaine led the way to the outhouse where they took turns and walked back to the cabin. Kurt stopped, mouth open as he looked up at the stars.

“Wow!” he gulped. “There are a million more stars here than in Ohio!”

Blaine started giggling. “Really, Kurt? And here I thought they were the same ones.”

“Ah....yeah, of course.....but you can really see them here. Can we just look at them for a minute?” he begged, still amazed at how many he could see.

“Of course. We can bring out a blanket and lie here and look at them one night. I used to do that with my dad and Cooper, my brother, when I was little. Dad knew the names of so many of them. Look, there's Orion's Belt, and there's Venus.”

“Oh, the Seven Sisters!” Kurt put in, a little impressed with himself that he was able to find it.

“It's cold out here, Kurt, and you look so tired. Let's get inside and we can stargaze another night maybe?” Blaine was worried about Kurt – he had only been off the train for less than a day and his injuries looked bad. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles, so Blaine wanted to get him into a warm bed as soon as possible.

Back in the cabin, Blaine took two hot pads and lifted the kettle off the back of the stove, pouring some steaming hot water into a basin with cool water, feeling the temperature as he did so. When it was to his liking, he set the kettle back on the stove and got several wash clothes and towels out along with a cake of soap. He handed a washcloth to Kurt, then proceeded to strip off his clothes, not shy at all. He stood naked and began to wash himself, starting with his face and down his neck, across his chest. He glanced over at Kurt -who was just standing there staring at Blaine, a hunger in his eyes. Blaine stopped what he was doing, wondering what was wrong.

“Kurt? Do you need something?” he asked. Kurt blushed to his roots.

“Ah, no, I'm fine. Sorry, I guess I'm just zoning out, I'm awfully tired.”

“Oh. Okay. Tell me if you need anything,” Blaine went back to washing. Kurt slowly removed the clothes he had borrowed, then finally his silk boxers. He had never once taken off his clothes in front of another person, well, not since he was six or seven years old anyway. But if Blaine thought it wasn't a big deal, Kurt was not going to make him think anything was up. He took the washcloth and dipped it in the hot water, rubbing the cake of soap across it and began washing his face. He distracted himself by imagining what his skin would look like by the end of the two months with no moisturizer.

Blaine had his back to Kurt, scrubbing his leg which was propped up on a chair, affording Kurt a view of his balls hanging loose between his legs. Kurt gasped, but managed to make it sound like a cough. Blaine was just...beautiful. His golden skin looked sun-kissed and the dusting of hair on his butt just enhanced the shape of the perfectly round cheeks. Kurt tried to look away, but it was like his eyes had a mind of their own and he couldn't. His breath was coming in ever increasing pants and he closed his eyes for a moment to gather his courage and will his cock not to harden any more than it already had.

Blaine was rinsing in another basin and dried off with the towel before he slipped on the thermal pants. He turned to look at Kurt and saw the boy struggling with washing his back with the terrible bruises.

“Wait a minute, I'll help you. You shouldn't try to move so much, you might hurt your back. Those bruises are bad...I think I better make you a poultice,” Blaine said, moving close to Kurt and taking the washcloth out of his hand. He dipped it in the warm water and rubbed the cake of soap on it before moving closer to Kurt and began washing his back, gently down his spine before going around his ribcage, being very soft and tender so as not to hurt him. He washed under Kurt's arms, making him giggle, and then rinsed him. Kurt's worries about how his anatomy would respond seemed to be unfounded as he relaxed in Blaine's capable hands and he felt better than he had for days. He was able to finish washing by himself, but Blaine was back with a towel to dry his back.

“Lay down on the bed on top of this towel and I'll get a poultice to draw out the soreness from the bruises.”

Kurt lay naked, face down on the bed and Blaine covered him from the waist down with a blanket. Blaine struggled to keep his eyes from the perfect round ass displayed in front of him, closing his eyes for a moment before going to the stove to get the steeped herbs into a flannel cloth and wrapping it up. Kurt felt the warmth of the poultice as it seeped into his skin and he groaned in relief. He had been hurting quite a bit, but hadn't realized how much until Blaine had placed the hot poultice on him. He had it on for twenty minutes before Blaine removed it, covered the place with a piece of flannel, and helped Kurt get into the thermal underwear and the pajamas. He pulled on the warm woolen socks and when Blaine pulled back the blankets on the bed, he was grateful to just climb in and close his eyes.

“What's in this? It smells familiar, but I can't place it,” Kurt asked, indicating the poultice.

“I used some comfrey petals and leaves, calendula, and marjoram. It's the wrong season for a lot of stuff I usually use, but these should work. I can ask Shannon tomorrow if she has anything better.”

Blaine emptied the basins and cleaned up everything, then put out the lamp and got into the bed beside Kurt. He handed him a knit stocking cap and pulled one on himself.

“Why are we wearing hats to bed?” Kurt asked, amused at the brightly striped knit cap in his hand.

“It keeps your body heat in. Just put it on, you'll be glad of it come morning, it will get pretty cold during the night.”

There had been no discussion about sleeping arrangements, and Kurt could see no other bed. He wondered where Blaine's father and brother slept when they were home, but didn't feel comfortable asking, so he let it go. He'd find out soon enough he thought.

The mattress was soft, the blankets warm, and Kurt was tired beyond thinking. He closed his eyes and began to drift off.

“Are you comfortable, Kurt? Do you need another pillow?” Blaine asked.

“No, I'm fine, Blaine. Thank you. Can I ask a question, and you won't think it's too dumb?”

“Ask away,” Blaine smiled.

“What is this mattress made from? I've never felt anything so soft in all my life. I know you said the bed is made of ropes, but the stuffing is...?”

“Down. Goose down. They call it a feather bed, but really it's just the down, not the whole feather. I collected the down for a few years to make this,” he smiled, proud of the job he'd done. “Wow,” Kurt said, impressed, “It's like I fell into a time warp and woke up a hundred years in the past.”

Blaine blinked and looked a bit shocked. The lines around his mouth turned down, starting to quiver a tiny bit. Kurt looked over and saw what his comment had done to Blaine and took in a sharp breath.

“Oh, Blaine! No! I meant how wonderful all of this is. It wasn't a criticism, not at all. The way you live here, it's so different than anything I've ever experienced and I'm just in awe of it all – in awe of you.” He smiled at the boy with the mop of curly hair and the bright hazel eyes and got a dazzling smile in return.

“You mean that, Kurt? I have never known any other way to be. I have read a lot of books, but this is the only place I remember living at all, so I have nothing to compare it to,” Blaine said sincerely.

“I just want to thank you for letting me stay with you, Blaine. It was kind of you and I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done.”

“It was nothing, I'm just glad to have a friend. You will be my friend, won't you, Kurt? Because I really like you.”

“I really like you, too, Blaine. Of course we're friends.” Kurt yawned, he was so tired but didn't want to be rude to his host. Burt Hummel raised a polite boy and Kurt had always wanted his dad to be proud of him.

“Here I am keeping you awake, I'm sorry. Dawn comes early, let's get some sleep,” Blaine said and turned over to face the wall. Kurt pulled the blankets up over his shoulder and closed his eyes. While the air in the cabin was cool bordering on cold, the nest they had made in the feather bed with woolen blankets made it toasty warm and Kurt was asleep before he had a chance to think anything more.

~*~*~*~*

“Aaaaaaahhooooo!”

Kurt jumped up, looking around but seeing nothing in the dark. He could hardly see his hand in front of his face and he began to panic, not knowing where he was and what that awful sound was. A shiver went down his spine and he was immediately gathered into a warm embrace from behind with a gentle voice in his ear.

“It's okay, babe, it's only a wolf. You're safe here with me, okay? They can't get in the cabin – unless they crawl down the chimney and then they'll land in the soup pot and we'll have wolf stew for breakfast.” He felt Blaine shake with laughter at his joke and a smile crossed his own mouth.

“I just forgot where I was for a minute, I'm fine,” Kurt said, trying to sound braver than he was. Wait...did Blaine just call him 'babe'? No, he must have misheard it because Blaine wasn't laughing or smiling, no, it must have been a trick of his imagination.

His heartbeat was calming down from the sudden fright and he began to remember where he was. His ribs hurt and the bruises were sore, but he knew he was okay. In addition, he was freezing cold. Apparently he had kicked the blankets off during the night.

“You're cold, Kurt. Come here and I can warm you up,” Blaine said, scooting closer to Kurt and winding his legs in between Kurt's. He already had his arms wrapped around Kurt's torso, and Kurt was feeling a little uncomfortable. He lay there, stiff and confused, but Blaine made no awkward advances, so Kurt began to relax and enjoy the warmth provided by the furnace – in the form of a gorgeous boy he was sharing the blankets with.

Kurt closed his eyes, still very sleepy, and turned away from Blaine. He scooted his back up against Blaine's chest to get close enough to share the warmth, but Blaine stopped him.

“Kurt, if you're cold, then you need to face me, the heat of your body is more concentrated in the front where your vital organs are, so if we cuddle close facing each other, you'll stay warmer. If you're okay with that,” Blaine said in a soft voice.

“Okay,” Kurt returned, flipping over to face Blaine and smiling when Blaine cuddled close, his head fitting just under Kurt's chin and his arms holding tight as his chest followed the contours of Kurt's chest. He kept his legs tangled between Kurt's and Kurt wished for just a second that Blaine was not so good to look at, or that he didn't smell quite so nice. It would be hard to hide any arousal from this angle.

“Goodnight, Kurt. I'm glad you came,” Blaine whispered.

“I'm glad I did, too.” Kurt murmured into Blaine's curly hair as he closed his eyes to sleep.