A year later, not much had changed for Kurt and Blaine. Kurt had started speaking a little more than he used to and was in school. Blaine was still working the same boring job, except it was different. He was happy, and that had happened when Kurt came into his life. Blaine was slightly worried about Kurt though. He never spoke much about school or his friends and he never seemed to be with anyone when Blaine came to pick him up everyday. He was certain, however, that something was wrong when he went to pick Kurt up from school one day and the now seven year old came running out of the building crying and practically pounced on Blaine.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, picking Kurt up as the boy sobbed into his shoulder. Kurt just shook his head and buried it further into the fabric of Blaine's jacket. Instead of prying, Blaine decided that he would talk to Kurt when they got home and proceeded to take the seven year old to the car and carefully buckle him into the back seat. Kurt was completely silent the whole car journey home and seemed very reluctant to speak even when they got home. "Kurt, I need you to talk to me or I can't help you." Blaine said softly as he and Kurt sat on their sofa.

"I-I was t-talking to one of my friends," Kurt began, hiccuping his words. "And h-he asked me w-who I thought was c-cute and I said I t-thought one of the b-boys were cute and he s-said I was weird and wrong for t-thinking that a boy was cute." He explained through sobs and Blaine sighed before enveloping the small boy in a hug.

"Kurt, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you thinking that boys are cute. Did you tell a teacher?" Kurt shook his head the best he could from where it was squished up against Blaine's chest. "Okay, I'm gonna talk to your teacher tomorrow. Promise me that you'll tell me if anything else happens?" Kurt nodded in response and Blaine pulled back to look Kurt in the eyes. "Promise me." He instructed softly, brushing Kurt's hair out of his eyes.

"I promise." Kurt sniffed.

"Thank you," Blaine smiled. "Now, do you wanna come help me with dinner?" He asked, getting off the sofa and holding his hand out for Kurt. Kurt nodded, jumping off the sofa and taking Blaine's hand.

The next day when Blaine took Kurt to school, he spoke to his teacher who said she couldn't do anything unless Kurt told her who it was teasing him, which would be hard because Kurt still hardly spoke unless it was to Blaine. Blaine sighed.

"I'll try and get him to tell me,"Blaine said to her before going back over to Kurt and kneeling down to be level to him. "Kurt, I need you to tell me who was being horrible to you so that your teacher can make sure it doesn't happen again," Kurt didn't answer but instead stared intently at one boy in the classroom. "The one in the blue top?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded in response. "Okay. Can I have a hug before I go?" Blaine asked, smiling and holding his arms open for Kurt who happily stepped into them and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine left shortly after telling Kurt's teacher who was teasing him, praying that nothing else happened to the seven year old.

Thankfully, when Blaine went to pick Kurt up later that day he seemed happy enough again. He came running out of the building grinning at Blaine and holding something behind his back. Blaine knelt down as Kurt showed him what he was hiding behind his back. There was a piece of paper with Kurt's familiar, childish handwriting scribbled over it.

"What's that?" Blaine asked enthusiastically, smiling at the small boy.

"We had to write a story in class and Miss Carson said mine was really good." Kurt said happily.

"That's amazing!" Blaine replied. "Well done!" He smiled as Kurt lowered the paper and just grinned at Blaine. They went home and Kurt insisted that Blaine read his story before making dinner. Blaine sat down at the kitchen table, Kurt's story in hand, and tried not to laugh at the way Kurt seemed to be inspecting his every move.

"Stop laughing." Kurt pouted. Blaine mimicked zipping his lips and continued to read the seven year old's story, smiling at his childish, yet adorable, handwriting.

"Kurt," Blaine said sweetly. "This is amazing. I'm so proud of you!" Kurt smiled so wide at that point, Blaine was afraid that he'd break his face. Blaine stood up and walked to the fridge where he proceeded to stick Kurt's story to the door with a magnet before walking back to the table and kneeling down in front of the seven year old. "Okay, I'm gonna start dinner, and Wes is coming over. Go get changed into your pyjamas because you're the messiest eater I've ever met and I know you'll get it all over your clothes." He said, laughing as Kurt giggled at Blaine's statement. Kurt jumped off his chair and ran up to his bedroom just as Blaine heard the door knock. He got up from his spot where he was still knelt on the floor and answered the door to reveal Wes.

"Blainers!" Wes exclaimed when Blaine answered the door.

"Wes!" Blaine mimicked.

"Where's the little munchkin?"

"I swear you only come here for him," Blaine laughed. "He's getting changed. I'm making spaghetti and I didn't think it was a good idea for him to eat it in his clothes..."

"Probably a good idea," Wes agreed as Kurt came running downstairs in his pyjamas. "Kurt!" Wes exclaimed and Kurt just giggled and ran into the kitchen.

"Ha!" Blaine exclaimed victoriously.

"Shut up," Wes deadpanned. "He loves me."

"Mhm, of course he does," Blaine said sarcastically, following Wes into the kitchen. Kurt was sitting at the kitchen table drawing when Blaine and Wes entered. He looked up at Wes and started giggling again, hiding his face in his hands. "He's insane." Blaine laughed, shaking his head at the adorable seven year old.

"I'm not surprised, he lives with you." Wes pointed out.

"Shut up or I'm not feeding you."

"Well I'd talk to Kurt but all he wants to do is laugh."

"He's laughing at you."

"Okay, I deserved that," Wes admitted. "What are you drawing?" He asked Kurt, sitting opposite him at the table. Kurt giggled again and held up a piece of paper showing what seemed to be a starfish, although it was coloured in purple. "Of course." Wes laughed. Kurt giggled again and left the drawing on the table before running into the living room. Blaine looked behind him at the drawing from where he was starting the dinner and laughed at the picture he saw.

"He's so predictable."

"I don't understand what's so fascinating about starfishes to be honest." Wes replied.

When Blaine finished cooking the spaghetti, he went into the living room to find Kurt asleep on the sofa; he'd fallen asleep watching the TV. Blaine smiled at the seven year old, but that quickly faded when he realised that he had to wake him up. He walked quietly over to the small boy and knelt down on the floor before gently shaking Kurt's shoulder. The seven year old slowly fluttered his eyes open and looked at Blaine confusedly before sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

"Hey," Blaine said softly, gently stroking Kurt's baby soft cheek with his hand. "Dinners ready."

"Okay." Kurt yawned before jumping off the sofa and following Blaine into the kitchen. After dinner, Kurt, Blaine and Wes watched a movie where Kurt managed to fall asleep yet again, so Blaine decided to carry him up to bed before rejoining Wes on the sofa. Blaine sat down with a sigh and pulled his fingers through his hair.

"You okay? You seem kinda stressed." Wes asked, concerned.

"Yeah I just...Kurt been getting teased at school. He ran out of school crying yesterday. I mean everything was fine today but I don't like it, especially after what happened to me in high school."

"What? Why?"

"I..." Blaine stopped to think for a second before facing his best friend. "I think he's gay..."

"Why?" Wes asked, raising his eyebrow.

"He said he was getting picked on because he said he thought a boy was cute..."

"He's seven, Blaine. Just because he said a boy was cute now doesn't make him gay."

"I know but the other boys in his class thought that girls were cute..."

"Okay, so let's say he is gay. What's the problem?"

"Nothing!" Blaine exclaimed as if he was being accused of something. "Nothing, I just...I don't want him to go through anything like what I went through, Wes. I mean, he's seven and he's already starting to get teased."

"I think you're the single most caring person I've ever met, Blaine." Wes said sincerely, enveloping Blaine in a hug even though he was sitting facing Blaine and Blaine was still sitting sideways.

"I just don't wanna see him get hurt. He's been through enough already."

"I don't really know how to make you feel better, but don't worry about it for now. He seemed happy enough today."

"Thank you," Blaine sighed. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, I'm kind of exhausted."

"I should probably get going anyway, you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Blaine smiled. "Thank you again."

"Anytime, Blainers," Wes replied, ruffling Blaine's hair which resulting in Blaine slapping him. "Night."

"Night." Blaine laughed, closing the door behind Wes before making his way upstairs where he proceeded to all but collapse on his bed. About five minutes later, Blaine heard his door opening and a small voice coming from the doorway.

"Blaine?" Kurt said quietly. Blaine sat up and smiled at the small boy standing by the door.

"Yeah?"

"I woke up and I can't get back to sleep."

"Come here," Blaine said, outstretching his arms and making grabby hands towards the seven year old. Kurt immediately left the doorway and climbed onto the bed, crawling into Blaine's arms as the twenty six year old pulled the blanket over him. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and kissed the top of his head as the small child shivered in his arms. "Kurt, you're freezing," He said and Kurt cuddled up to him impossibly closer, probably trying to soak up his body heat. Blaine quickly pulled the covers back and got off the bed, lifting the seven year old up and eliciting a small whimper from him as he buried his face into Blaine's neck. "Sorry, I just wanna go and get your hoodie before you end up getting sick," He continued, opening the door to Kurt's bedroom and digging his hoodie out of his wardrobe with one hand while holding the shivering boy against his hip with the other. Blaine sat Kurt down on his bed and gently pulled the hoodie over his head before picking him back up and carrying him into his own bedroom. He laid Kurt down in his bed before climbing in the other side and wrapping his arms around the small boy when he snuggled up to Blaine's side. "Night." Blaine said, smiling when he realised that Kurt was already asleep.

The next morning, Blaine woke up at about half ten. The first thing he noticed when he awoke was Kurt plastered to his side. Blaine was lying on his back and Kurt had managed to wiggle his way in between Blaine's body and his arm in the middle of the night and was clinging onto his T-Shirt while resting his small head on Blaine's shoulder. The twenty six year old smiled softly at the small boy before slipping out of the bed, eliciting a small whimper from Kurt but thankfully without waking him up.

Kurt woke about about an hour later and sleepily dragged himself into the kitchen where Blaine was sitting, once again, with Wes. Kurt rubbed at his eyes and looked between the two friends, not entirely sure what to do with himself until Blaine noticed him standing there and smiled softly at the seven year old.

"Hey sleepy head," Blaine smiled, opening his arms for Kurt who crawled into his lap and snuggled up to him. Blaine had come to realise that Kurt was a very cuddly child, especially when he first woke up, but it was one of the things he loved most about him. "You hungry?" He asked and Kurt just shook his head in response and buried it further into Blaine's chest.

"Okay," Wes said suddenly. "So what do you wanna do today?"

"No idea. Got anything in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do..." Wes trailed off.

And that's how the three of them found themselves in the middle of a park having a picnic. How Wes came up with the idea, Blaine didn't know, but it was a good idea nonetheless. Kurt seemed fascinated by the triangular shaped sandwiches that Wes had made, claiming that Blaine only made rectangular ones. Wes just laughed and poked his tongue out at Blaine, who threw a grape at his best friend's head, eliciting a giggle from Kurt.

"You're such a bad influence!" Wes gasped, covering his mouth in mock horror. This time it was Blaine's turn to poke his tongue out at Wes.

They continued like that for about two hours; snacking on the food they brought and just being silly and laughing until they finally decided it was time to go home. When they got back to Blaine's house, Wes got into his own car and went home while Blaine took Kurt inside where the seven year old proceeded to watch TV and scoff down as much ice cream as he could, even after the huge picnic they'd just had. Eventually, Kurt fell asleep on the sofa and Blaine smiled softly, covering him up with a soft fleece blanket and sitting on the opposite side of the sofa. He changed the TV channel to something more interesting than the kids' programs that Kurt was watching and all but grinned at the day he'd had, hell the year he'd had. He was so much happier now that he had Kurt and enjoyed looking after him a lot more than he'd expected to. Things were kind of...perfect for Blaine.