His head turned to face her and he nodded. Sending the friend he was with off, he walked to stand in front of her desk mahogany. "Of course, Mrs. Hummel. Was something wrong with my essay?"

"Of course not, Blaine. You got an A," she said offhandedly.

"Wow, awesome," he grinned, bouncing slightly on his toes; his parents would be proud, or as proud as they ever were of him.

The air in the room was warm, a cozy warmth that blanketed everything. Coupled with the warm colors of the browns of the wood it had a homey feel to it. Elizabeth Hummel also had personal touches such as a few framed movie posters and personal pictures on her desk.

"I've been your teacher for over a year now, and you're such a responsible, strong young man. I wouldn't be asking this of you unless I was desperate," she sighed, running a hand through her soft, golden waves. "I need your help with a personal matter." Blaine looked at her quizzically. "I've heard you're gay." Looking at her oddly, Blaine wracked his brain, trying to understand what his teacher could want that'd involve his sexuality. Ignoring his questioning, he nodded.

"My son is the only outwardly gay person at his school," she said sadly, "and the jocks give him a really hard time." Slowly, Blaine's look of question melted off his face and it was replaced by one of interest and understanding. "He has no friends who really understand and more and more one guy's abuse seems to be getting more targeted. Ideally, I want him here where but he loves his friends at McKinley and in New Directions, McKinley's show choir, too much to leave.

"I was just wondering if you'd possibly be willing to get coffee with him, anything. Just befriend him. I think you two could get alone really well. And maybe, if you can get him here, show him around Dalton a bit, introduce him to the Warblers." Elizabeth looked up at her student from the chair she sat in, hope filling her blue eyes to the brim.

Blaine smiled his charming, dapper, smile. "Of course I will, Mrs. Hummel."

"Thank you, Blaine. I can't tell you how much this means to me," she said heavily. "I'm just so afraid that something terrible is going to happen to him." Tears threatened to escape at the idea of something happening to her perfect little boy. She'd always been protective of her son, especially since she lost her husband; she couldn't handle any more pain and seeing her son so unhappy crippled her. On the news there were always stories about gay teens committing suicide because of bullying. Although Kurt wasn't suicidal, she'd do anything to keep him away from that dangerous ledge.

"After what happened to me, Mrs. Hummel, I'd be glad to help someone else so they don't have to go through what I did," he said seriously. He smoothed a hand over his leg, looking down sadly.

"You are truly wonderful." She smiled at him before grabbing a pen and paper. "Here's his phone number." In perfect, excessively feminine handwriting, she scribbled down the ten digits. "Are you free tomorrow at noon?"

"Yeah, our lord and master, Wes, canceled our monthly Saturday practice," said Blaine as he was handed the slip of paper.

Elizabeth laughed at the Warbler's antics. "I know it's a ways away from here but, do you know the Lima Bean?"

"I do. I love that place."

"Can you meet my son there at noon? His name is Kurt by the way."

Blaine smiled widely. "Like the Sound of Music?" he asked.

"What can I say? I'm a fan," chuckled Elizabeth softly, brushing a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear.

Blaine laughed. "That's awesome. I'll be there."

"Thank you again, Blaine." He nodded, smiled, waved and walked out the door. Elizabeth watched the boy and smiled to herself in a self-satisfied way.

XXX

The door closed softly as Elizabeth's heels clicked on the hardwood floor. "Kurt, I'm home!" she called to her son.

"Hi mom," he said quietly from the kitchen. Placing her bag down, Elizabeth kicked off her shoes and padded into the kitchen. There sat Kurt, working on homework. Sunlight poured through the window on the fall October day, drenching him in the warm light. His hand cast a shadow as it moved furiously across the paper. He was dressed down, wearing his one pair of lazy black yoga pants and a light blue t-shirt. His eyes looked bloodshot and irritated and his skin had a few red splotches on it. His hair was wet and pressed flat against his head.

"Slushied again?" she surmised with a sigh, kicking off her heels. "Kurt, darling, seriously-"

"Don't start today, mom," he groaned. "I said I'd think about it and I will."

"Okay," conceded Elizabeth, walking over to her son, her stockings brushing against the cool tile of the kitchen floor. "Give me a hug. It'll make me feel better."

Kurt stood up and obliged, curling into his mother's arms. His head rested on her shoulder and she gently stroked his wet hair. Her soft, pink lips pressed against his forehead softly. When Kurt pulled back, she looked him in the eyes and gave him a supportive smile. "So, I did something that might make you a little angry," said Elizabeth, her hands running up and down her son's soft, porcelain arms.

"Did you borrow something then get a stain on it?" asked Kurt, a panicked look etched onto his face.

She giggled melodiously. "No, of course not, my love. You know I know better," tut-tuted Elizabeth. "I just may have talked one of my students into having coffee with you tomorrow."

"Mom-" he cried indignantly, taking a step back from his mother.

"Don't mom me, Kurt," she said, giving his arm a supportive squeeze. "You need someone you can talk to."

"I have Mercedes."

"But she isn't the same. You need a gay friend," she emphasized.

"Ugh. But now this boy, who ever he is-"

"Blaine Anderson," she interrupted.

"Blaine Anderson," Kurt corrected himself, "is going to think I'm a little idiot who needs his mommy to make friends for him."

"No, Kurt. I made it clear that you didn't even know I was doing it or that you wanted me to do it. Blaine's a great kid. And even though he's at Dalton, I think he could use a friend like you." Kurt stayed quiet. "Will you go?" Elizabeth reached up to push her son's hair back lovingly. The wet locks slicked back against his head, exposing more of his porcelaneous face.

"Well, of course. It'd look awful if I didn't," he huffed and rolled his blue eyes. "When and where?"

Elizabeth excitedly threw her arms around her son, squeezing him to her chest. "The Lima Bean, noon tomorrow." She pulled back, looking at him seriously. "I'm glad you're doing this."

Kurt simply nodded in response, solemn and still. "I'm going to go get some homework done."

"Good boy," said Elizabeth. Smiling in a self-satisfied way, Elizabeth went to grab her bag to start working as her son walked out of the kitchen.

XXX

Blaine strode into the commons later that afternoon to find Wes and David sprawled out with their homework on the coffee table. The room was warm from the sun streaming in the window. It covered the room like a blanket, warming it and keeping it lit. "Hey," said the curly haired boy.

"Hey, Blaine," said Wes, a medium-height Asian boy with short brown hair. He sat on the floor, legs stretched out in front of him. "We heard someone got a talking to from Mrs. Hummel. Is little Blainey in trouble?" Wes nudged his friend's legs playfully.

Blaine rolled his eyes and collapsed on the couch above where his friends were stationed on the floor. "Actually, she wanted me for a personal matter," he responded.

"She does know you're gay, right?" smirked a tall black boy. David sat with his long legs crossed, his eyes trained on the math problems in front of him.

"Shut up." Blaine leaned forward and shoved his friend. "She wants me to talk to her son."

"Son?" questioned Wes, looking up from a dauntingly large physics book.

"Yeah, he's gay and some bullies are giving him a hard time," Blaine sighed, running a hand through his curls.

"Mrs. Hummel has a gay son?" asked Wes disbelievingly.

"Yeah, I guess he's your age," shrugged Blaine. He stretched languidly out on the couch like a cat; his head rested against one arm while his feet were propped up on the other.

"I'm seeing potential boyfriend material for our little Blainey," said David, poking his shorter friend in the ribs; Blaine squirmed away.

"As do I," input Wes.

"Guys, I think he just needs a friend who gets what he's going through," he groaned. "I wouldn't mind having one too."

"Hey!" exclaimed Wes and David indignantly.

"I meant a gay friend," Blaine sighed.

"Fine, if we're not good enough," teased David, moving to stand

"Sit down, Thompson," groaned Blaine. "Anyways, she wants me to bring him by here at some point. She's trying to get him to move to Dalton. He's apparently at McKinley right now."

Wes's eyes widened then narrowed to glare at Blaine. "The competition? Is he in New Directions?" said Wes quickly.

"Yes, the Warblers are actually a selling point for him to come here."

"Well bring him by. All the guys will be excited to meet your new boyfriend," teased David, effectively stopping the rant about spying he knew would come from Wes.

Groaning, Blaine threw his palm to his forehead in annoyance. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet," chuckled Wes, seemingly forgetting his tirade about spies. He remembered how broken Blaine had been when he first got to Dalton and knew how much it'd mean to Blaine to help someone else.

"I've never even met him. What if he's an asshole?"

"Oh come on, Mrs. Hummel's son?" said Wes. "How could she raise an asshole? She's so nice. And he's got to be attractive, just look at her!"

"Someone's got a crush on teacher," teased David before starting to sing.

"Shut up, ass face," snapped Wes. David and Blaine broke out in a fit of laughter, Blaine nearly falling off the couch.

Calming down, Blaine sighed. "We'll I'm going to actually do some homework and I'll never get any of it done with you two goons distracting me," joked Blaine, with a serious meaning; the other two boys smiled at him. "I'll tell you guys about it tomorrow if you promise to quit it with the boyfriend stuff."

"Fine," agreed Wes, rolling his eyes.

"We'll stop," said David.

"For now," Wes added quietly. Rolling his eyes, Blaine walked out of the commons and back towards his dorm.

XXX

Kurt sat awkwardly at a table for two in the Lima Bean, one leg crossed over the other. He fiddled with the coffee sleeve on the cup in front of him. His mother shoving him out of the house had made him ten minutes early for the coffee date so he sat alone in the Lima Bean. Raising the cup to his lips he took a small sip before putting the coffee down and going back to fiddling with the sleeve. He shifted his legs, uncrossing then crossing them again. His eyes stayed fixed on the coffee cup as he twisted the sleeve around the hot cup.

"Excuse me," he heard a heavenly male voice say. Startled, he looked up to see a short, well dressed boy standing in front of him. The boy wore a striped light-gray and white cardigan, a white shirt, a solid-gray bow tie, and gray paints. His schoolboy appearance earned high approval in Kurt's mind. Kurt looked up to have his eyes clash with the most amazing hazel eyes he'd ever seen. The face connected to them was perfect; his skin was a darker tone and his hair was slicked back but tiny little curls made themselves known under the heavy force of the gel. He had a cute button nose with a small bump on the bridge that gave his otherwise flawless face a bit of character. Dark triangular eyebrows that would normally look terrible gave his face an even sexier quality. His lips were light pink and Kurt thought they looked utterly kissable. "Are you Kurt?"