Chapter One

'Follow me,' the angel smiled; he was too pure, too beautiful, and too perfect to possibly belong to this world. Blaine tried to move his feet but they were too heavy. He wanted to go with the angel; what did he have to live for anyway, back at home? Using all of his energy and all of his willpower, Blaine mustered up the strength to live up his left foot – it felt like lead and it crashed back down to the ground, taking him with it.

That was the first time Blaine dreamt of the angel. That was the first time Blaine woke up, wishing he were asleep again, because here, his home, it seemed like hell compared to his dream.

Blaine was huddled up on the kitchen floor, his head still throbbing from where his father had hit him last night. He was alone now; his mother had left them a long time ago and his father only ever showed up when he was drunk – Blaine didn't care, he didn't want his father around. It was better to be alone because at least he wasn't afraid for his life when he was alone. Last night was too much. The dried blood that coated his hair, sticking it to his head was proof of that. Blaine had to get out of there, before he was killed.

He wandered the streets; carrying what little items he had in a ragged bag. All he had to find was somewhere he would be inconspicuous – somewhere he could hide. He was still in the bad part of town; if someone found him sleeping he could be attacked or even shot. So Blaine kept walking and anyway, the further away the better because he never wanted to see his father again - he never wanted to feel the fear and the hurt that he felt around him. It was a while before he found a place he deemed suitable. It was a small clearing, a little way from the road and hidden by a tangle of overgrown bushes. Still, it was a while before Blaine gathered up the courage to close his eyes, and longer still before he finally fell asleep, tired out physically and emotionally.

'I've been waiting for you,' said the angel. He was back. He was somewhere – he didn't know where. Anyway, it wasn't really anywhere, this place. It was too full of – well, nothing. It was hard to describe, really, he was standing on nothing and it just was nothing. It was all nothing except him – and the angel.

'Are you… are you an angel?' he asked shyly. The angel laughed. 'No, I'm Kurt. Nowhere near an angel. Who are you?'

'Blaine. I don't know how I got here.'

Kurt looked at him thoughtfully. 'Neither do I, really. I've been here for a while. I don't come and go – not like you. I missed you. Usually I'm just alone.' There was a touch of sadness in his voice and a touch of envy.

'I wish I could stay here all the time. With you.' Kurt's face brightened at that and he gave Blaine a smile. Kurt looked even more beautiful when he smiled. He was radiant. Blaine decided he would do anything and everything to make Kurt smile again. 'Where are you… usually?' Kurt asked.

And there it was. He could say his usual answer – 'Oh, well, you know. Places. Home.' Or he could open up to Kurt and tell him where he really was, like he couldn't do to anyone else. Kurt who he had only just met – in a dream, or somewhere no one knew where – he was thinking of telling everything. Blaine opened his mouth. He was going to tell him everything. He was going to trust Kurt, like he had done with no one else, because he just knew that he could. 'Right now… I'm living-'

He was back. He had returned to his small clearing, the dampness from the dirt soaking into his jeans. Through the mass of weeds and bush he could see the light of the approaching morning and the pain in the pit of his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten for two days. But that didn't matter to him right now. All he wanted was to be back, back in his dream world with his dream boy. Kurt – that was his name. Kurt, the beautiful, gorgeous boy who he wanted to stay with, forever even though he had just met him because there, in the land only they knew of, he didn't feel tired or hungry or pain. He just felt happy and he could live there forever because how could it be worse than where he was now? But now he was back in the land he hated and he had no idea when he'd get there again. He at least had to last the day. A day was ages – too long for Blaine. He finally let himself hold his head in his hands and sob away his feelings. His pain from his father almost killing him and his hunger and the fact that he didn't know how long he'd last being homeless. But most of all Blaine cried for pale, perfect Kurt. The angel that he wanted to be with forever but who he only seemed to be able to stay with for less than an hour. Blaine cried because he hadn't cried for years and all the sadness and pain had built up inside of him. Blaine cried because at last he was letting all the sadness and pain out. Blaine cried because he needed to.