Music was playing loudly when Kurt got home. Kicking off his shoes and hanging up his coat, Kurt shook his head. It was still an odd feeling to come home and have someone already there. In his space. 

Coming around the corner, Kurt saw Blaine in the living room. He was doing sit-ups on the rug, concentrating hard as he ran through the repetitive motions. Finishing the set, he flipped over and started doing push-ups, his muscles tight with effort. 

Kurt was frozen in the doorway, his eyes tracing over Blaines body. He was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt Kurt had lent him, and the fit was a bit snug. Kurt had never seen him in anything like that. The clothes revealing so much, and so much skin on display... 

Swallowing hard, Kurt turned and went into his bedroom instead. As he changed out of his work clothes, his breathing went back to normal. 

Kurt hadnt dated anyone for ages, and hadnt had a lover in even longer. It was normal to react like that when in such frequent contact with someone attractive. 

By the time Kurt had calmed down, he heard the music being shut off and soon after, the shower starting. Imaging Blaine naked, rubbing soapy hands all over his skin, flashed into Kurts mind. He needed a couple more minutes before he left his bedroom. 

Walking through the living room, he automatically straightened things up. He picked up all the dirty dishes, gathered up the newspaper that was scattered all around and put it into the recycling bin. Straightened the sofa cushions and draped the throw neatly over the back. Picked up Blaines discarded dirty clothes from the floor and put them in a pile near his air mattress. 

In the kitchen, he spent another few minutes tidying up. The peanut butter jar had been left open with a knife sticking out of it, and the bread was nearby, and not properly back in its packaging. Kurt put everything away, wiped down the counters, and looked at all the dirty dishes in the sink with a sigh. 

Not feeling in the mood to cook now, Kurt called for pizza delivery and pulled out vegetables to make a garden salad. He had finished making it and was washing the dishes when Blaine came out of the bedroom, wrapped only in a towel around his waist. 

"Hey, Kurt!" Blaine smiled his way as he went into his bedroom area. It was in a bit of an alcove, so Kurt didnt see him again until he emerged dressed in a tee and sweats, towelling his damp curls. 

Coming into the kitchen, he opened the fridge door. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure, grab me a Diet Coke." Kurt replied, hanging up the dish towel to dry. He took the drink from Blaine and joined him on the sofa. 

Blaine popped open his beer and switched on the TV, settling on a show about boarder guards. 

"I didnt feel like cooking, so I ordered pizza." Kurt took a long sip of his coke. 

Blaine smiled. "Sounds good."

"So, any new developments today?" It had been about ten days since the initial arrests. 

Blaine shook his head. "Not much going on, really. But I realized that Im probably going to have phone problems soon. I get billed in a few days and my account is frozen." 

"Can you pay the bill with cash?" 

Blaine shrugged. "Probably, but I hardly have any cash left and the plan is pretty pricey. Maybe I can find a cheaper option. Plus, changing phone numbers will help avoid the media." He kept his ringer on silent, since there still were so many calls from reporters who somehow got his cell number. 

"Tina got a new phone lately. Maybe you could just activate her old one. Just make sure you transfer all your old contact info and everything else from your phone soon." 

The door buzzer sounded, and Kurt got up, dealing with the pizza delivery man. 

"So, any ideas about what youre going to do next?" Kurt asked as he took a bite of his pizza. 

Blaine shook his head. "No fucking idea. Im only experienced in finance stuff, and everyone I know in the industry is treating me like a leper. If it wasnt for you, Id probably be selling myself on the streets like Fantine."

Kurt chewed a mouthful of salad, thinking. "Well, if you dont mind working in something more menial, I probably know some people around here who could use you."

Blaine brightened up at that. "That would probably work best, actually. The case is still getting so much media attention, and they keep showing my picture. I was thinking of even going off the grid, you know? Try to look different and maybe even using a different name."

"Like a super spy!" Kurt chuckled. The image of Blaine having a briefcases of fake identities and fake noses flashed into his mind. 

"Maybe being stuck in this apartment and seeing all the media attention is skewing my perception of everything. But if the investigation is going to be going on six months or more, I need to find a way to have some kind of life." Blaine had obviously been thinking about this a lot. 

Kurt nodded, considering. "Let me ask around. I might know someone who could give you a place to live if you worked for him. It would be pretty rough, pretty basic, but youd have your own space." 

Blaine smiled. "Really? That would be so good. And I dont need anything fancy. I just need to figure out the basics of food, clothing and shelter."

---

Two days later, Kurt was following Blaine and Tom up some creaky stairs in an old building. 

"It hasnt been used for a year. I used to live up here ages ago, before I got married." Tom explained, as he unlocked the door and flicked the light on. 

It was a small apartment, the air a little musty and stale. There was a sofa and other simple furniture. One wall had a kitchenette, and other doors led to a tiny bathroom with only a shower stall and a bedroom with a single bed. It was basic, but functional. 

Blaine nodded. "So, I will work for you five days a week in exchange for this place and a bit of store credit?" 

Tom nodded. "Yes, kind of a barter, right?"

Blaine nodded and held out his hand, and shook Toms. 

---

It was strange now coming home to an empty apartment. Blaine had been there less than two weeks, but his presence seemed to haunt it. 

Well, at least his mess is gone! Kurt kicked off his shoes and sprawled on the sofa, not in the mood to make dinner yet. 

Blaine had quickly moved into his tiny apartment. It was clean and he didnt really need much. The kitchen cupboard even had some mismatched old dishes, pots and pans. Kurt gave him an old blanket, thinking he could use it on the bed or on the sofa. There was no TV, but Blaine said he planned to just watch movies on his laptop or read. 

Tom ran a small grocery store, an old mom and pop style one. Blaine worked during the days, bagging groceries, stocking shelves, sweeping the floors. Kurt had stopped by and smiled to see Tom showing Blaine how to sweep the floor. It was probably the first time Blaine had ever picked up a broom. 

Blaines hair had grown out a little, and he was letting a light beard grow in. He also was wearing dark-framed glasses when he was out in public. When Kurt had asked about them, Blaine blushed a little and said they were in his knapsack, and he should probably be wearing them all the time. 

---

Popping by the store, Kurt looked at Blaine from a distance, as he worked, stocking a shelf. Wearing Kurts ill-fitting clothes, and with the glasses and scruffy beard, he was quite unrecognizable from his preppy, businessman look. 

Walking closer, he smiled as Blaine looked up. "Hey, hows it going? You are almost done your first full week of work."

Blaine rolled his shoulders, and sighed. "Its good, but Im looking forward to vegging out on the sofa all weekend, sleeping and doing nothing."

"Real work kicked your ass?" Kurt joked, but he really felt proud of Blaine. 

"Totally. So much harder on the body than working on computers all day."

Kurt tilted his head to the side a little. "So, I was thinking of inviting you out for supper, but if youre too tired..."

Blaines eyes widened. "Im not too tired! Mmmmm....real food after having to fend for myself all week."

Kurt laughed at Blaines enthusiasm. It was good seeing him looking more like himself. "So, should I come pick you up in an hour or so?"

Blaine pushed the rest of the soup cans into the shelf. "Im done for the day now, actually. But Id like a quick shower and change before going out. You could just wait on my sofa. Im quick."

Kurt agreed, and they headed upstairs after waving goodbye to Tom. 

Blaine opened the door and went over to his closet, grabbing some clothes.

"Make yourself comfortable, Kurt. Ill be out in a few minutes." He quickly disappeared into the bathroom. 

Kurt was still standing at the doorway, shocked. It looked like a hurricane had hit the tiny apartment. Newspapers, dirty clothes, and dirty dishes were all over the floor and every available surface. The kitchen counter was littered with frozen food packages and the makings of PB&J sandwiches. The sink was full of dirty dishes. 

Moving some things out of the way, Kurt perched on the edge of the sofa, waiting for Blaine. 

Kurt tried to imagine Blaines life. His family seemed wealthy for a few generations, so he probably had always lived in beautiful houses with maids, cooks and gardeners. Hed probably never done laundry, cooked, or cleaned. Even when he moved out here, he probably had a maid service. 

It was so different from Kurts life, it boggled his mind. When Kurts mom had died, he had stepped up and done most of the cooking and cleaning. His dad would take him to the grocery store each weekend, watching with pride as Kurt consulted his shopping list and compared prices. If you didnt do stuff yourself, it just didnt get done. 

---

"So, about your apartment, Blaine..." Kurt started, not quite sure how to approach it. "Um... You know it doesnt come with maid service, right?" He deftly picked up a piece of pepper with his chopsticks, loving the spicy, gingery sauce on it. 

Blaine looked down, a little sheepish. "Oh, I know it looks horrible. I keep meaning to tidy it all up, but when I get home from work, my feet are aching and Im just exhausted. I keep thinking Ill do it tomorrow." 

He was eating his Kung Pow chicken with a fork, and the quick way he was eating made Kurt wonder if he was getting enough to eat. 

Kurt nodded. "You will do it tomorrow, because Im coming over at 9:00 am to help you with it. Youll lose the apartment if Tom saw how bad it looks, Blaine."

"OK, Kurt. Thanks again for your help. You are such a good friend to me." Blaine reached over, resting his hand lightly on Kurts. 

And Kurt could feel that tingling touch for minutes after Blaine moved his hand away. 

---

As promised, Kurt showed up early with coffee and pastries. After breakfast, they got to work. Kurt was mostly just guiding Blaine in how to do things. Getting him to do most of the work. It was Housework 101. 

A couple hours later, all the garbage was cleared away and everything was clean. 

Kurt grabbed the full laundry basket. "Are there laundry machines in the building or a laundromat nearby?"

"There is a laundromat around the corner. But Ive never been there, and I dont know..." Blaines sentence drifted off, as he looked down. 

Kurt patted his shoulder. "Its ok. Do you have laundry detergent?" 

Blaine nodded, and grabbed it. 

Walking across the street, Kurt passed the laundry basket to him. He needed to get used to doing these things for himself.  Welcome to the real world. 

It turned out that Blaine was completely out of cash, so Kurt paid for the laundry machine cycles. After showing him how to fold and hang the clothes, back at the apartment, Kurt saw how few clothes he had. 

"Blaine," Kurt turned towards him with a smile, "have you ever heard of Value Village?"

Blaine hadnt heard of it. After a quick lunch, Kurt drove him there. 

---
"How can a shirt this fantastic be only $2??!" Blaine gushed, adding it to the huge pile of clothes in his shopping cart. 

Kurt chuckled as he sifted through the coats, pulling out a 3/4 length brown leather coat. It had a real 1970s look to the cut, and Kurt threw it into his overflowing shopping cart.

He used to hunt the used clothing stores so much, growing up, but lately he was able to afford things new, or at least from the sale rack. Hed forgotten how much fun it was to dig through the crazy outfits, looking for hidden treasures, occasionally trying on the more outlandish stuff. 

Blaine had resisted coming in at first. "Kurt, I have no cash. My credit cards dont work. Whats the point of shopping?"

"Blaine, how about I loan you $500. I can afford it and youll be able to pick up what you need. If you buy clothes here, you can probably get tons of stuff for less than $200. Then we can pick up some socks and underwear, and youll still have money left over for things that come up later."

It took a little arguing, but Blaine finally conceded, as long as Kurt agreed it was a loan. 

They had fun in the dressing rooms, modelling the clothes for each other, trying to make each laugh. Kurt came out in a purple, polyester pantsuit, complete with bell-bottoms. 

"You should get that for Halloween!" Blaine gasped, he was laughing so hard. 

He was dressed in brown suit with a wildly patterned polyester shirt with wide lapels, the top buttons undone and pulled open to reveal some chest hair. 

"Im tempted to wear this next time the SEC calls me in. Maybe wear some gold chains and platform shoes with it." Blaine posed in the mirror beside Kurt. 

In the end, they got a good working wardrobe for Blaine, in styles and colours that suited him better than the stuff Kurt had lent him. Theyd even found some things for the apartment in the furniture and housewares area. 

Kurt saw Blaine touching an acoustic guitar lightly. "Do you know how to play?"

Blaine nodded, and fingered the price tag. 

"You should get it, Blaine." Kurt said softly. 

Sighing, Blaine turned away. "No, I dont need it. There are other things I need more."

Kurt nudged his shoulder. "Well, if you are any good, you could busk and make some cash with it."

Blaines eyebrows lifted, and he picked the guitar up, looking it over carefully. Strumming softly, he tuned it, and then played it softly, listening closely to the instruments tone. 

He nodded, and added the guitar to his cart. Luckily, it came with a beat-up old case that had guitar picks and some spare strings in it. 

Kurt drove Blaine home. They were both tired after their long, busy day. Kurt helped him take all the stuff upstairs. 

"So, I guess Ill see you on Tuesday?" Kurt lingered in the doorway. 

While cleaning the apartment, Blaine had confessed to not knowing how to cook. Kurt offered to teach him the basics, and they had arranged that Kurt would come over a couple times a week so they could cook dinner together. 

Kurt also was glad for an excuse to check in on Blaine. Hed been through a lot of changes in the last month, and Kurt knew it was hard for him to ask for help. But Kurt was happy to do it.

Blaine stepped forward, and gave Kurt a long, tight hug. "Thanks, Kurt. You have been so incredible."

"Um, yeah..." Kurt said, stepping back. He patted Blaines shoulder. "Ok... Goodnight."

Kurt turned and headed down the stairs. 

Yeah, he definitely needed to get dating again. Just feeling Blaine pressed up against him for that hug made Kurt crave more. It was obvious that he had been ignoring that part of his life too long. Just being around Blaine more, and those casual hugs and touches, made Kurt aware of how much he missed it. 

---

-Disclaimer: I own nothing.

-Thrift Shopping: Just for fun, heres a video of Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.