“Do you want some dessert, Blaine? There's some of the Dutch apple pie I made yesterday still in the kitchen. I was going to have a piece and watch a movie before heading to bed,” Kurt offered. He needed to wind down after the day he'd had and he suspected Blaine did, too.

“That sounds wonderful,” Blaine said, smiling at Kurt. He wanted to go to sleep, he was dead tired, but he wanted to sit with Kurt even more. He'd liked Kurt from the beginning, recognizing a kindred spirit from the first moments. Plus, Kurt was intelligent and kind. His good looks were just a bonus.

Kurt led him into the den and waved his hand at the stacks of DVDs.

“Pick anything you want, or I have a subscription to Netflix if you want to pick from there,” Kurt smiled. He handed Blaine the remote and got him comfortable before going to the kitchen and dishing up the apple pie. After heating them the slices in the microwave, he put a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on each one. Going into the laundry room, he put Blaine's things into the dryer before taking the dessert into the den.

“Here we go – I hope you like your pie a la mode?” Kurt asked as he sat next to Blaine on the sofa.

“I love it,” Blaine grinned.

“Did you find anything you wanted to watch?” Kurt asked and Blaine blushed. Kurt's eyebrow went up in question and Blaine blushed harder.

“I was...well, you had RENT and I had never seen it. It isn't something I could watch at home, you know?” Blaine said, looking anywhere but at Kurt. He knew Kurt was gay, but it was so different than his own life experience. His dad had made it clear that he was okay with Blaine's orientation, but still it was not something he'd ever been able to talk about. It wasn't something that The Anderson's did. Feelings and sensitive subjects like that just weren't in their wheelhouse.

Blaine was searching the movies in the book case, his eyes reading the titles of so many films that he'd heard of but never seen: Brokeback Mountain, Philadelphia. My Beautiful Laundrette. Were The World Mine. Milk. He saw a lot of musicals, too, and had considered watching Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but chose RENT instead. It wasn't hard to guess that these probably weren't Burt's choices.

“Your dad...he doesn't mind that you watch things like this?” Blaine asked, pulling Priscilla out and reading the list of songs on the back cover.

“Of course not. I don't mind that he watches John Wayne and every sport known to man. We respect each other's space and choices for the most part. Why? Isn't it like that in your family?” Kurt asks, looking sadly at Blaine.

“My folks...they know I'm gay and they have never tried to change me. Well, not outright. I think the whole restoring the car might have been an attempt on my dad's part to nudge me in that direction,” Blaine rolled his eyes. “But no, they don't bash me for it. At the same time, I don't think it would go over well if I were to turn Brokeback Mountain on in the living room while we had the Junior League president over for cocktails.”

Kurt snorted as he took this in, but didn't want to comment on it. So, Blaine did have a family. Hmmm.

He turned on the TV and put in the movie. They ate their apple pie and drank glasses of cold milk while they watched the movie. Kurt had seen it a dozen or more times and sang along with the actors. It was chilly in the room and Kurt got a quilt from the shelf and draped it over the two of them. Sitting next to Kurt under the warm quilt made Blaine sleepy and he closed his eyes several times, finally resting against Kurt's side and falling asleep.

~

Burt came down to start breakfast in the morning to find the two boys asleep on the sofa, Blaine's arms around Kurt as they slept. He shook his head, smiling at them.

“Hey, sleepy heads. Time to rise and shine!” he chirped in a bright voice, opening the drapes to see the sun rise.

Kurt and Blaine blinked awake, Blaine blushing bright red as he realized he'd fallen asleep with Kurt on the sofa. He was so ashamed of himself, acting this way in another person's house. What would Burt think of him?

“I'm so sorry, Mr. Hummel...I must have fallen asleep...” he stuttered, not knowing where to look.

“Don't worry about it, kid. Let's get some breakfast and get to work. You two have a task already waiting for you,” he said, waving his arm towards the window. Blaine sat up, tapping Kurt's shoulder as he looked out. The yard was covered with a thick layer of bright snow.

Kurt closed his eyes and thanked his lucky stars – and his father – for bringing Blaine home with them last night. He would be frozen by now if he'd slept in the cardboard box. He looked into Blaine's eyes and knew he realized this, too.

“Thank you, Mr. Hummel, for all of your kind generosity. I think I owe you a lot,” he whispered.

Burt came over and patted the boy on his shoulder.

“You're welcome, son.”

~

After breakfast, Blaine got his freshly cleaned clothes from Kurt and got dressed. He kept bowing his head to smell the fresh scent of the shirt. He had no idea how much he had missed this scent over the past six weeks.

They shoveled the walks and cleaned up the breakfast dishes while Burt left to check on things at the shop.

“I have something I need to get done this morning, Kurt,” Blaine said, knowing he could not put this off another minute. He'd been thinking last night and finally came up with a plan he should have thought of a long time ago. He needed to go to his locker at the bus station and get his shoes. His Hermes blue calfskin suede shoes his mother got him for his last birthday. He loved those shoes more than almost anything, but they were worth a lot of money and maybe he could sell them at a consignment store for enough to save his dogs. The Pound was not open on the weekends, but he had until Tuesday to pay their fines. He prayed there was enough time to sell the shoes.

“What can I do to help?” Kurt asked.

“I'm not sure where we are. How close do you live from downtown Lima?” Blaine asked. He needed to get to the bus station and then the shop he'd seen on the next block over from that.

“Not far. I'll give you a ride. I need to get the grocery shopping done today. Can I drop you off and then we can meet up for lunch?” Kurt asked.

“That would be great,” Blaine tried to smile, but the problems dragging him down kept it from reaching his eyes.

Kurt gave him a quick half-hug and they put on their coats. Kurt handed Blaine the thick woolen scarf, the knit hat, and the pair of warm gloves that he'd loaned him when they shoveled the walks. They were on their way.

Blaine walked into the bus station and over to the lockers, taking out the key. He opened the locker and took out his clothes: the navy sport jacket and linen shirt, the gray Dalton uniform trousers and finally the blue shoes. He hugged them to his chest, blinking back tears as he thought of the day he opened the brightly wrapped package and found his heart's desire inside. A lot of time had gone by since that day. A lifetime it seemed.

He put the rest of his clothes back in the locker and took the shoes, zipping them inside his coat and leaving the bus station. He walked down the street to the consignment shop, pushing the door open to the sound of a ringing bell.

The owner came to the counter, a smile on his face as he looked Blaine up and down. The old man was schooling his face to tell the boy he did not buy used Levis or whatever the poor kid was trying to sell, but his face changed as the shoes were placed on the counter.

“Well, well, my young friend. And what are you doing with a pair of this season's Hermes Napoli derby shoes?” he asked, a smile on his face.

“They were...a birthday present from my mother, but I need the money. Can I sell them to you?” he asked.

“Of course, of course. You know how this works, right? You sign them over and I put them in the shop. When I sell them, we split the proceeds fifty-fifty. Simple,” the man said.

“Is there...is there any way I can just sell them to you?” Blaine asked. He knew the shoes retailed at over $800.

“We might work something out, my boy. You know that would be even less for you, though. I can't just give you a lot of money, I don't keep that kind of cash in the shop,” he said. He noticed how very difficult this was for Blaine, he saw the held-back tears and the quivering chin as Blaine tried to show a brave face to the shop owner.

“I can give you $250. How is that?” he asked and Blaine's face paled. He thought he could get at least $400. “I'll write you a check right now.”

“Oh, I need cash. I can't cash a check...” Blaine said, his eyes astonished as he thought of the problems of trying to cash a check before Monday.

“I can't help you there. I'm ready to put them on consignment for you, though,” he said. “I'll ask $600 and that would give you $300 when they sell. Would that be better?”

Blaine stood there and thought, not sure if it would work. With Kurt's $160 and his $90...yes, that would be enough to redeem both dogs.

“How soon do you think they might sell?” Blaine asked.

“I have a guy that usually buys all my high-end stuff. He's due in here on Monday morning, so I'm guessing I will have the money for you by Monday afternoon, though that is not a guarantee.”

“I'll take it,” Blaine said with tears in his eyes. He'd thought long and hard about this and he had finally decided that the dog's lives were worth more than the shoes. He was ashamed it had been such a hard decision, lives of innocent animals meant so much more than a pair of shoes.

Having done his business, Blaine walked down the street to the grocery store and found Kurt inside. He walked up and down the aisles with his new friend, answering questions about what he liked to eat, what he knew how to cook, what he knew about eating healthy. It was the kind of mindless chatter that helped him get his mind away from his problems.

Things were better this afternoon than they had been the day before. He had a job – finally. While he hadn't talked over salary with Burt, it was a million times better than singing in the park. He felt okay using some money to spring Sandy and Ranger from doggie jail and still getting on track to earn the $7000 to repay the Children's Hospital Foundation. He felt optimistic for the first time since that fateful morning when he carelessly lost the charity money.

~

The rest of the weekend went well. Blaine, with his new-found optimism, was better company than he'd been in the weeks before. Kurt didn't know exactly what had happened, but he was glad to see his friend blossoming before his very eyes. He'd liked Blaine from the first moments he'd met him and that just grew as they spent more time together.

They went down to Burt's shop on Sunday morning so Kurt could show him the yard he'd fixed up. He thought the dogs could stay there while Blaine was working and then come home with him in the evenings. Blaine was overjoyed at the thought the dogs would be with him once again. He had come first to depend on them for warmth and companionship and it had grown into love.

The boys spent most of Sunday cleaning the shop for Burt and then coming home to cook a nice supper. The next day, Monday, was the start of Thanksgiving Holiday for Kurt. He was ready to go with Blaine in the afternoon to get the dogs and bring them home.

~

“Did you sell the shoes?” Blaine asked as he walked into the shop. He hadn't been able to get away from Kurt, so the boy was with him today.

“Ah, my fine young friend with the expensive tastes,” the shop owner greeted him, a smile on his face. “No, I'm afraid I haven't yet. My usual buyer was delayed by the snow, but he will be here by Wednesday. I told him about the shoes and he is anxious to see them. I think you have a sale in your future.”

“Wednesday is too late...” Blaine said in a sad voice. He realized suddenly that he had pinned all of his hope on this sale. He turned to leave, but Kurt took his hand.

“I guess I'll take the shoes back then,” Blaine said reluctantly. He stood by the counter as the man took them out of the window and placed them in a bag for Blaine. Kurt's eyes were out on stalks as he saw the blue shoes. He knew Hermes when he saw it and these... these were the new line. Hermes Napoli calf-skin suede derby shoes, featured in GQ magazine just a few months ago. Who was Blaine?

Walking to the Navigator, Blaine just hung his head. He was back to deciding which dog he would save. He had finally decided on Sandy. She would be easier to feed and she had saved him from the rat, he supposed. They got in the SUV for the ride home and Blaine rested his head on the back of the seat, his forehead wrinkled in deep thought.

Ranger might be the better choice – Sandy was cute and maybe someone could fall in love with her tomorrow? Damn it, he just could not choose.

“I talked to Dad last night, Blaine. He said he will give you an advance on your wages. I explained the rules at the Dog Pound and he understands, he doesn't want the dogs put down, either. We'll go in tomorrow morning and get them. Okay?” Kurt tried to soothe his friend.

“That is so kind of him. I won't let him down, Kurt. You can trust me....” Blaine said, then burst into tears. Those were the very words he'd said to his dad just before he'd set out to take the charity money to the bank.

Blaine was inconsolable.

Kurt pulled over and tried to reason with him, assuring him over and over again that everything was going to be okay. Blaine couldn't even speak to Kurt, his crying gone to the stage of non-verbal sobbing. Kurt finally reached over to cup Blaine's chin, bringing his face up so he could see his eyes. They were so very warm with beautiful golden highlights in the mahogany depths.

“Blaine, we are going to fix this. I promise. Now, calm down and we can go home and fix supper for Dad. Okay?” he asked and Blaine nodded his head.

Blaine could not make himself eat that evening. He pushed the Sunday roast around on his plate, ate a few mouthfuls of the mashed potatoes but just could not force himself to take it in. He asked to be excused and went to the guest room to sit on his bed and think over his life.

He missed his folks, missed them desperately. He had an idea that he could, with much determination and hard work, be able to remedy his huge mistake. He'd make up the money to the charity, but he had little hope of redeeming himself with his parents.