Chapter 14

It seemed like the worst night of their lives. They were dead tired, hungry and homeless, and to top it all, as they dragged their feet along the road towards Millersburg, the heavens opened, drenching them with heavy spring rain in seconds. Kurt did his best to bite back tears, but he was mostly moved by what Abraham had said to them as they were leaving; he wouldn't have expected anyone to show him any trace of kindness in case his secrets were revealed. He'd been planning leaving for years now, and he was prepared for life to be rough on him at first.

But Blaine had been hoping all the while that things would get sorted out, that somehow his leaving wouldn't mean him losing everything he'd ever known and held dear. Even Kurt's presence and the warmth of his hand within Blaine's couldn't ease the pain that he was feeling. He didn't even bother trying to conceal his tears, letting them flow freely, mixing with the rain on his cheeks. Kurt would've seen through him anyway, there was no point pretending.

Kurt didn't need to look over at Blaine's face to know how much his boyfriend was hurting. It was as if Blaine's pain was seeping through his skin and into Kurt's bloodstream.

And all Kurt could think of doing to somehow diminish it, was stroke Blaine's hand with his thumb gently, trying to rub the ache away.

It didn't work, but it was comforting.

They'd been walking for over an hour, when a car slowed down and stopped next to them, catching the boys by surprise. The window on the passenger side rolled down with a wiz, revealing a plump woman in her thirties, smiling kindly from behind the veil of pouring rain.

'Hey, boys, do you need a ride?,' she asked them. Her eyes slid down to their hands just as they quickly untwined their fingers. It didn't seem to bother her.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look, hesitating. They were worn out and soaked through, but neither of them had much experience with the outside world, so they were wary of people.

'Oh, come on, you much be drenched! Are you going to Millersburg? I could give you a lift,' the woman said, reaching over the passenger seat to open the door for them. 'I'm Sandy, and you?'

With another glance at each other, they decided their night couldn't get much worse anyhow, so they took a step towards the car.

'I'm Kurt, this is Blaine,' Kurt introduced them, opening the back door for his boyfriend.

'Nice to meet you, Kurt, Blaine,' Sandy said as they settled in. 'Rough night, huh?'

'You could say that,' Kurt said, wincing.

Blaine stayed silent, which wasn't a good sign, and sitting in the back, he was deprived of the little comfort that Kurt's hand had provided.

'Been there,' Sandy said. Kurt barely managed to stifle a snort, but the woman could tell he found her words patronising. 'I've had some of those myself when I was around your age.'

'Were you ever kicked out of home?,' Kurt asked dubiously.

'No. Nobody at home cared enough to kick me out.' She shrugged, but Blaine caught a glimpse of her expression in the rear view mirror; it was far from indifferent.

'Sorry,' Kurt muttered.

Sandy gave him a smile. 'No need.' She turned back to watch the road. 'So do have some place to go?'

'We don't know yet if we do.'

'Oh?'

Without sharing too much, Kurt explained what they intended to do, and she nodded along his story. Every now and then, he would glance back at Blaine, who now seemed wrapped up in his own suffering. Finally, Kurt slipped his hand between the front seats and put it on Blaine's. The other boy responded with the faintest of smiles and a look of relief and gratitude; even if everything else was gone, Kurt was still there and he wasn't going anywhere.

A little while of conversation made Kurt decide that they were lucky; not only wasn't Sandy patronising, she knew something about finding herself stranded and alone. She hadn't told them her life story, but Kurt managed to piece enough together to understand why she stopped to help them.

They were soon on the outskirts of the town, and Sandy slowed down, thoughtful, before asking if the boys weren't hungry. Kurt almost began telling her no, trying to convince her to just drop them off at some place where they could catch a bus, but his stomach grumbled loudly, replying instead of its owner. So Kurt only bit his lip and nodded.

'Dinner's on me, then,' Sandy said with a smile, as she turned into a narrow parking lot by a shabby-looking diner.

Slightly uncomfortable, but without protesting (they were too exhausted for that), Kurt and Blaine tumbled out of the car. They followed the woman into the small establishment. Despite its unwelcoming appearance, the smell that wafted through the air from the door, which had just slammed closed after one of the patrons, immediately made their mouths water.

'We can pay for ourselves, you know,' Kurt mumbled as they neared the entrance.

'You're gonna need every cent, honey, believe me.' Sandy patted him on the shoulder. He thought he probably should've felt offended or treated like a child, but he was pretty sure she was being honest and compassionate, rather than anything else.

'We don't want to cause any trouble,' Blaine said quietly. 'You've helped us already.'

'Oh, just stop being nice before you starve! Inside, now,' Sandy laughed, nudging them forwards. 'I know it may not look like much, but the food's great.'

They took the booth furthest from the door, and ordered what Sandy recommended them – bacon cheeseburgers with a side of French fries and soda (they had to admit the food was delicious). They also decided to get a strawberry milkshake to split, but they insisted to pay for the treat themselves, and Sandy finally caved. It was nothing more than an artificially flavoured cold beverage that they were sipping through two straws out of one tall glass, yet it managed to make them feel a little more English, a little more normal. A little happier.

'So you don't know anyone in town?,' Sandy asked them, watching the boys sip their milkshake. She couldn't remember seeing a couple as adorably and innocently in love as the two of them.

'No. Or in Lima. We'll just take a bus there and- I'm not sure how, but we'll find my dad.' Kurt shrugged. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they didn't have a choice anymore. Being hopeful was all they had.

Sandy nodded with understanding. A thought had been brewing in her head ever since she picked the two up in the middle of nowhere. Sure, maybe it would be a mistake, she didn't really know them after all, but she did believe in helping others, especially those whose situation she could so easily sympathize with...

'We'll just wait till morning, there has to be bus service to Lima then,' Blaine added in between sips.

'Where are you going to wait? It's night, it's cold and rainy, and the bus station is really not the best accommodation, even for a few hours,' she countered.

Kurt felt the glimmer of hope in him flicker.

'We don't have much of a choice.'

Sandy hesitated just for a split second. Oh, just screw it, she thought.

'You do. You can spend the night at my place.' She could see they were about to protest, unease seeping into their expressions. 'It's nothing much, you'd have to somehow fit onto the sofa together, but it's better than a bus station. It's warm and dry, at least.'

She smiled at them pleadingly. She couldn't deal with them turning her down. Things were going to be bad for them, if she could help in any way, she was determined to do it.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a long look. They didn't need words to know they were on the same page. As great as it seemed to have found help so easily, they hated to be an imposition. But simultaneously, they had to admit Sandy was right; it was their best option.

So, with many thanks and much relief on both sides, they said yes.