Kurt woke up feeling the most rested he felt…well he can't exactly remember how long it's been since he felt this rested. When his eyes opened they immediately looked around the room. He also can't remember being in a room like this since he left home.

His eyes found a soft yellow colour wall which surprisingly went well with the size of the room, beautiful antique furniture such as a desk and a small chair and table for only 2 people to sit on. He could see a bathroom connected in the back of the room. Then his eyes fell to the night stand where 3-4 vogue magazines were sitting with a mocha and sandwich with a note underneath.

Hi Kurt!

Hope you slept well

We didn't want to wake you; it looked like you really needed the sleep

If you're awake just know that we won't be long, the boys were getting restless and wanted to get dinner, they already ate the sandwiches and cookies by lunch time (I managed to save you a cookie and a sandwich, they eat like animals) we will be back in a couple of hours to check up on you, or I will anyway. Make yourself at home.  I think the others want to do some sightseeing but for now enjoy the magazines and the coffee and if you get bored feel free to use the TV in the living room, and if you feel like going out, there's the spare key on the living room table, also cheesecake is in the fridge, don't feel guilty I tried some and you made a good choice

Take care,

Blaine Anderson x

(Oh and also this is my number; 0438783281 if you need to call me for anything at all)

“Blaine Anderson, you really are something,” Kurt said aloud smiling.

He happily took a sip of the coffee which was cold, he figured hed put it in the microwave to warm up. Kurt glanced at his nightstand clock which read 6pm. He must have slept the day away. No wonder the boys got restless.

He considered abandoning the room and going back out on his own but not back to the park, somewhere different, the thought crossed his mind last night in the cab but he had been too tired.

He felt like he had no right to their kindness, but at the same time he couldn't do that to Blaine, just up and leave without even thanking him, and also the boys did pay for him to stay there, it would be a poor way of repaying them to just run away because he was scared of feeling like he actually belonged somewhere.

He got out of bed not being used to the warmth and the security of the blankets and took the coffee and a magazine with him into the living room. He placed both on the table and found the cookie that Blaine managed to save for him in the kitchen with a stickynote ‘for Kurt – enjoy'

Kurt ate the cookie while watching reruns of America's next top model and flipping through the magazine. By the time the TV went into commercial's his stomach growled. He was used to forcing himself to ignore the hunger, but knowing there was cheesecake for him…

 Screw it. He could give Blaine the $5 in return but this was cheesecake you're arguing with.

Finn it's just a moist toilette what's your problem!

MY PROBLEM? MY …PROBLEM?

My Problem! Is that you're hiding in the closet, you don't tell anyone your gay when we all know it's true, you're forcing our parents to be together so that you can get closer to me and make a move on me! That's not okay, Kurt. I'm not like you.

Like me?

I'm not a faggot!

The tears fell angrily down Kurt's face as he stared surprised at Finn for being the one to say those words. He could understand Karofsky…and Azimio, but Finn?

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

Dad?

Burt Hummel stood in the doorway with his workclothes on

Mr Hummel did you know Kurt's gay?… Go on Kurt, you have the perfect opportunity to come out, tell him that's why you wanted him and Carole to get together, tell him that's why you fancy me…

Kurt please tell me this isn't true… Burt was closing his eyes like he didn't want to believe it. He looked so disappointed. Kurt didn't know how to react, he stared dumbly at the floor before he looked at Burt with tears in his eyes. He looked frightened and unsure as he answered “It's not true dad…”

Why is he saying all this then? You calling Finn a liar? Finn's a smart boy, or so Carole tells me…he wouldn't make this up

(I wonder if Carole knows her son throws other kids into dumpsters)

I wanted you to be happy…I wanted Carole to make you happy…Finn just doesn't understand tha..

Kurt stop lying to me and tell me the truth!

I'm not lying dad! Finn's just exaggerating…I'm not -

Burt only meant to slap him lightly to knock some sense into him, but his hand went at an awkward angle and hit him across the cheek really hard making the impact worst. Kurt fell on the floor gasping and staring terrified at his father.

Burt's anger suddenly disappeared instead it turned to worry and shock as he saw the blood on Kurt's face and the way his son was looking at him like he was one of the bullies at his school, “Kurt…” He looked disheartened by the way Kurt was shrinking away from him.

Burt went down to touch his son but Kurt scrambled backways on the floor. “Kurt I'm sorry…” Kurt's back hit a bookcase and he used his hand to pull on the shelves to lift him up and he ran from the room before though whispering “What would you do to me if I were gay?”  Kurt was sobbing not looking at his father or Finn as he ran out of the house ignoring Carole who was calling out for him …

“Kurt?”

Blaine's hand was wiping away the tears on his face “Hey…hey what's wrong?”

Kurt was lying on the couch, he must have fallen asleep when he woke up sweating.

“Bad dream?” Blaine asked as Kurt sighed and sat up with Blaine's help “Bad nightmare more like it,”

Blaine handed him a fresh coffee “I got this for you on the way back,”

“Thank you,” Kurt whispered as he gratefully took a sip while Blaine smoothed back his hair on his forehead. His hand lingered there for a bit.

“I see you read the magazines,” Blaine commented pointing to the stack on the edge of the couch's armrest. “I'm glad you were able to entertain yourself. I was worried it would be too boring for you,”

Kurt smiled “No, I love Vogue, Thanks for that, I missed catching up on the latest fashion,”

“What was your favourite issue?” Blaine beamed as Kurt made room on the couch for him to sit as he had his own cup of coffee.

Kurt forget the memory of why he ran away as he talked animatedly about his favourite Marc Jacobs collection and the new fashion line for the 2010 magazine, he approved of some of Blaine's opinions on what some of the men were wearing and debated with him on the shoes and bowties section.

Kurt then asked how the guys were and Blaine talked about some of their sightseeing they had done while Kurt was asleep. Blaine appeared how Kurt had appeared when he first arrived in New York. Excited, overwhelmed, shocked, did he mention excited?

“Oh and the people Kurt! I've never seen so many people in my life, and there's people playing drums on the street, the buildings are beautiful, and the snow, and the Christmas decorations, everything is… it's just magical,”

Kurt gave a delighted cackle and smiled widely. “It was the only place I wanted to go to when I left home,” Kurt admitted and then bit his bottom lip as Blaine watched him carefully.

Blaine put a hand on Kurt's knee. “You don't have to tell me anything Kurt. Whatever happened is none of my business,”

Kurt nodded. “I trust you, and will tell you eventually. I'm tired of hiding and of keeping it to myself all the time, but if I when I tell you…can you promise not to tell the others?”

Kurt had been thinking of doing this all day. He hated taken them for granted when they didn't know his situation, who he was, what happened. They had let a complete stranger into their mist and Kurt didn't want to pretend anymore that he had a right to that. He was just too tired of running away. Although he was scared, he was terrified that Blaine would react the same way as his father or Finn at least, if that was the case, Kurt was ready to give up.

He was tired of fighting who he was. Whatever happened would happen.

Blaine nodded eyes gleaming with curiosity. Still Blaine's hand squeezed Kurt's leg “Of course Kurt,”

When Blaine looked back at Kurt a moment later, the boy was quiet obviously not paying attention to what was happening on the screen. He had continued to watch America's next top model with Kurt and they both ate a piece of cake with their other coffee.

 “When I was in highschool before I went to Dalton,” Blaine began out of nowhere. Kurt stopped lifting the piece of cheesecake that he was about to put in his mouth and stared at Blaine. “I was in a public school,” He added when seeing Kurt's face.

“These guys, they wanted to make my life a living hell. Of course they only ever bullied me when it was after school so the teacher's couldn't say anything,” Kurt didn't want to seem rude so he continued to eat while he listened, eyes gazing at the screen but every so often looking at Blaine.

Blaine shrugged and looked somewhat frustrated. “People acted like they just didn't care you know…” Kurt looked confused and Blaine sighed “I'm gay Kurt,”

Kurt dropped his fork then and nodded slightly “Me too,” He whispered and waited for Blaine to say what he needed to say. Blaine smiled “I'm glad, it would have been awkward If I was developing a crush for a straight boy,”

Kurt chuckled and blushed in response “You have a crush on me?”

“Do you have any idea how handsome you are?” Blaine said teasingly with a smirk “You can't not know that,” Kurt looked away self-consciously before Blaine changed his face to one of seriousness “Anyway…after I came out…” Blaine stopped midsentence looking sad. Kurt wanted to kiss that sadness away or to at least hug him, but it was kind of hard with food in-between themselves.

“After I came out, I was basically bashed to the point where I was put in hospital just because they didn't like who I was,”

Kurt gasped. Hell, Blaine had it worse than he. He only ever had threats, and pushes and shoves but nothing to that extreme.

“Blaine…” Kurt looked disturbed and he reached a hand out to put it on the other boy's shoulder since that's all they were able to do at the moment. Blaine however was surprised by the touch and stared at Kurt's hand at which Kurt went to take it away as though stung by a bee but Blaine quickly grabbed it before he could and brought it to his lips. Watching Kurt to make sure it was okay, he kissed Kurt's knuckles and then laced their fingers together.

Kurt's hand was still tingling as it was held by Blaine's soft ones. “It's okay…it gets better,” He promised squeezing Kurt's hand.

“That's where I met Jeff. Did you know Jeff and Nick are also gay?”

Kurt's eyes widened as he shook his head.

“They're couples too…Jeff was performing songs for patients and sometimes Nick would join in, and when they saw my condition, they did everything they could to cheer me up. I was basically at the lowest point of my life at that time in my life. My mother had just gone through a messy divorce with my father, so I didn't want her to have problems with me as well, so I didn't tell her that I was bashed when it happened. I told her I fell down a flight of stairs”

“How did they manage to believe that? Didn't they see the bruises?”

Kurt was the one rubbing soothing circles over Blaine's knuckles now.

“Doctors are homophobic in Westerville or they just didn't care like I said, they believed the story and told my mother what I told them. They gave me basic treatment to help the scarring, and just made me stay in hospital for a while, keeping me away from seeing people which is why I was thankful for Jeff and Nick's appearance. I didn't really have any friends to speak of till they came along.

It didn't help that this crazy idiotic teacher was on the news preaching about how we were young and didn't know anything yet, to know what we were… ”

“That was Sue Sylvester,” Kurt commented dryly.

Blaine looked astounded as he agreed “Yeah Sue's Corner, you watched it?”

“She was a psychopath teacher in my old school, it was kind of hard to miss” Kurt answered. He wasn't going to lie to Blaine, particularly after what he just told him.   “So what happened?” Kurt pressed as Blaine's face changed into a more happy look. His eyes lightened up again from the dark thoughts that had occurred recently.

“And then nothing…they told me they were from Dalton, and that they were running short of singing vocalist and if I had the opportunity I should consider changing schools. They knew I could sing because I sang with them one time, when they encouraged me to join in. I told them the whole truth, because like you I was tired of hiding. I hadn't come out to my mother yet, they said singing would make me feel alive…

My mother got a lot of money from the divorce, and when she noticed how unhappy I was she asked if there was anything that would change that which is when I suggested Dalton, I said I'd pay it back when I got a job, and that I really wanted to go, but she said it wasn't necessary. My father owed this to me, she said and so I moved to Dalton, I board there and I love it, things don't always seem so bad after a while Kurt…they do at first, but there's a light at every tunnel,”

“Can I ask you something?” Kurt asked as he smiled and then went serious at Blaine's finished response. There was a small embarrassed silence as Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and said “What is it?” 

“Did your dad know you were gay?”

Blaine nodded “Yeah, my dad was the only one who knew actually; I eventually told my mother and brother of course. I was scared of their reaction because of the bullies, but eventually Jeff and Nick helped me through it, and they were fine with it, my mother was more upset that my father knew first actually, but he knew since I was 7. My father and I got along well except for when he tried to make me straight by fixing cars, or singing duets with girls,”

“Did he ever hurt you?” Kurt said briskly.  Blaine was also quick to answer “God no, not like that- he might not have been overly happy of my choices, but I was still his son,”

Kurt went quiet then and Blaine could sense he hit a weak spot.

“Kurt?”

“My dad hit me,”

Blaine's eyes extended and his mouth was agape as Kurt shook next to him in confusion, in hurt, in a range of emotions.

“I…”Kurt's voice trembled. “He hit me Blaine,” Kurt sounded wrecked. He sniffled as he recalled the nightmare he had that day…

“I was so scared, I never seen my dad in such rage…such hatred, running away was the only thing I could think of, I know what you got was way worse but every time I thought I should go back, my thoughts went back to what my father looked like before hitting me, how angry he was…and Finn, I never heard Finn used the word Faggot before, I was so scared Blaine, so I left,”

Blaine moved both his and Kurt's cheesecake to the table because there was no way he was going to let Kurt cry without holding him.

Blaine scooted right next to Kurt and opened his arms “Come here,” Kurt went to him.

Kurt sobbed. At first he hesitated before moving into Blaine's warm embrace. Blaine rocked him on the couch when Kurt's hand clenched the bottom of his blazer “I'm so sorry Kurt,”

Kurt didn't tell Blaine about the bullies, he didn't think he needed to when Blaine was already feeling upset at that part of the story. “I'm so sorry,” Blaine whispered again and then he pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead. “You're strong you know,” Blaine said softly rubbing circles in his back.

Kurt shook his head and Blaine moved his hands so he could cup his face and nodded “Yes you are. You could have stayed, you could have gotten beaten up, or kicked out of the house or something who knows now but you went were you felt was safe, and Kurt…it takes courage to leave everything you know behind, it takes courage to go on your own path,”

“I don't feel strong,” Kurt let Blaine wipe away his tears before lying down. Kurt looked down at him strangely.

“Maybe not right now at this second, but when you look back at yourself in future, you'll understand what I mean,”

“When living on the streets Blaine...starving, cold, hot, smelly, feeling worthless everyday of my life. I missed home. I missed glee club. I missed my bed, I missed food…I kept thinking of how I messed my life so much by that one moment, how things might have been different had I just acted more straight, I wanted to die when you found me, and some part of me thinks that what my dad this was nothing. There are bullies every where you go, nowhere felt safe, and what he did wasn't that horrific, but even if I wanted to get home, I got no money to do so,”

“You don't need to act more straight, it's your job to be who you are Kurt. You knew those people in the park didn't you?” Blaine used this conversation as a way to bring that up, it had been eating on his mind.

Kurt closed his eyes as he nodded and lifted up his shirt. Blaine had already seen it before though, it made him sad to see the purple bruise again.

“They gave me that when I wouldn't move from my bench one night, I had been walking all day trying to find a seat to sleep on, and I refused to give it up to assholes,”

“Kurt…why don't I help you get home?”

Kurt shook his head straight away.

“My family is not in New York, they're far away from here…and I'm not sure if I'm ready to face them yet,”

Blaine sighed as he rubbed Kurt's shoulders. He looked oddly determined as he demanded “Then come home with me,”

Kurt stared at Blaine. His eyes lowered as Blaine smiled and repeated his invitation “Come back with me Kurt,”

Kurt didn't have time to respond though as loud voices interrupted them at the door.

Kurt told Blaine he was going to go to the bathroom to wash his face as Blaine sighed heavily annoyed at having not heard Kurt's answered and glared at Thad and Trent who were the loudest, his glare softened when the beamed at him and showed him a bag “We brought you and Kurt back some dinner since you didn't eat any when we got some too worried about him,”

“Wes wanted everyone back in here so we can practise,”

“I'm not so sure practising in the hotel room is a good idea,” Blaine laughed trying not to appear so distressed in front of his fellow Warblers.

“Why not?” David asked who was using a fork to take a bite of cheesecake from the box at which Blaine scowled at him. “What there's a whole cake here!” He defended himself as Blaine rolled his eyes. Trent also got a fork out to do the same and they both debated on how delicious the cake actually was.

“It's a 7 out of 10” Trent commented as David playfully hit his arm “Nah man it's a 10.5 out of 10! What's wrong with you? This is the best cheesecake I ever tasted, I bet that honeybunny at the café made it,”

“There's no such thing as 10.5 out of 10 David, no wonder you failed Maths,”

“EXCUSE ME, you're the one in beginner class! I'm in advanced Maths,”

“GUYS!” Blaine shouted which caused them to look at him “Where is Wes anyway?”

“I don't see why we shouldn't practise in the lobby,” Wes mentioned from the back where

Both Wes and Kurt came out then as Trent had pointed in that directions when responding to Blaine's question “I was just giving the newbie his new uniform,”

Blaine stared at Kurt. The boy was beautiful. His face clean and fresh again, he smiled at Wes and Wes must have had a conversation with Kurt beforehand because he gave him a silent approved nod, which meant only one thing.

Wes was on your side, and the only way Wes was on your side is if you proved yourself worthy of his trust.

Blaine walked up to them and smoothed out Kurt's lapel “Welcome to the Warblers Kurt,”