Blaine carefully opened the door with his hip as quietly as he could to not wake up the beautiful sleeping man in his bed. He couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips as he admired Kurt. His chestnut hair was an absolute mess, the way he was snuggling the pillow was nothing short of adorable, and the peaceful expression on his face made Blaine melt, and wish he would never have to wake him up.

He placed the tray he was carrying on the nightstand (on top of a pile of books that was taking up most of the space, of course), careful not to spill the coffee, and then climbed back into bed to lean over Kurt. He gently trailed soft kisses down the back of his neck and his shoulders, waiting for a reaction. After a few seconds, Kurt shifted and stirred very slowly.

"Mm," he hummed, half in protest, half in contentment, as Blaine dropped one more kiss on his temple before pulling away.

"Good morning, sunshine," Blaine murmured happily. "I have breakfast ready."

Kurt cracked an eye open and fixed it on Blaine. "Coffee?"

"Of course," Blaine said, smiling down at him. "Just the way you like it."

"You're amazing," Kurt mumbled, struggling to sit up. He tried patting his hair down, frowning when he noticed how out of control it was.

"It doesn't look as bad as you think, stop worrying," Blaine said fondly and reaching for Kurt's coffee. "Plus, it's Sunday. You're allowed to have bedhead today."

Kurt accepted the cup from Blaine and took a sip, almost moaning when the hot liquid went down his throat. "Oh god."

"I feel like I should probably be jealous of that coffee," Blaine teased, biting his lip.

"Maybe," Kurt took another sip. "I mean, it's a pretty damn good coffee."

Blaine got comfortable next to Kurt before setting the tray between them, carefully. There was scrambled eggs and ham, some bacon, a couple pieces of toast and a small stack of pancakes. "I wasn't sure what you'd want, so I made a little bit of everything."

"Everything smells really good," Kurt said, reaching for a fork and scooping up some eggs.

They ate breakfast mostly in silence, comfortable enough with each other to not need words. They even fed each other, laughing at how ridiculous they were. Every single day, they found themselves doing something new, something that brought them even closer, something that sent a thrill down their spines, even though neither of them dared to admit it.

When the last crumb was gone from the plates, and the last drop of coffee was drained from the cups, Kurt snuggled back down against the pillows, letting out a pleased sigh.

Blaine chuckled as he moved the tray back to the nighstand. "What are you doing?"

"Your bed's so warm and cozy," Kurt murmured, nuzzling against the pillow. "I don't think I ever want to leave it."

Blaine grinned as he leaned down to pepper a few kisses over the curve of Kurt's naked shoulder. "Maybe you should just stay right there forever."

"Mm, tempting," Kurt smiled lazily, his eyes so blue, so bright. "I wish I could..."

"You're welcome to visit me and my bed whenever you want," Blaine murmured. He found himself holding his breath, half expecting to be rejected.

"Just shut up and get in here with me," Kurt replied, lifting the blankets to let Blaine slide in beside him.

It wasn't a reassurance, but it wasn't a rejection, either, so Blaine took a deep breath, and snuggled against Kurt's warmth without pushing for more.

*

When they woke up the second time (because of course they fell asleep again), Kurt said he needed to leave. Blaine tried to protest, even though he needed to go to the bookshop to finish preparing for the grand opening the next day.

Kurt kissed his collarbone. "I'm sorry. I really have to go. I promised Carole I'd teach her how to make a soufflé. Her and dad's anniversary is in a few weeks and she's decided to cook him a romantic dinner."

"That sounds really nice," Blaine said, brushing a loose strand of hair off Kurt's forehead. "Are you sure you can't stay for lunch?" He pouted, hoping that would have the desired effect, but Kurt laughed.

"No. I'm already late, to be honest," he pecked his lips quickly. "Do you mind if I take a shower before I go?"

"Of course not. Go ahead," Blaine whispered against his mouth, and then watched him walk to the bathroom, swaying his hips in a way that could only be on purpose.

*

Walking into the book store later that day was quite a shock to Blaine. He'd gotten used to entering a construction site, with tools and cans of paint everywhere, but now he was standing in the place he'd dreamed of his entire life, and it felt completely surreal.

He put his things down on the counter and immediately began emptying the last boxes that still held books, putting them in the right sections.

He had no idea where he'd gotten the courage to finally do this, but he was so glad he'd actually done it. It felt like everything was different now. He felt more confident, like anything was possible. He had done something worthwhile with the money his father had left him. He'd learned that no dream was pointless, no matter how big or small it was. And, besides all that, he'd met Kurt. This bookshop, this place he'd pictured so many times since he was a kid, had brought him Kurt. He had no idea where they would be in a year, a month, a week, but right now... he was happy. Blaine Anderson was happy, and that wasn't something he'd gotten to say very often.

It all came down to having enough courage to take that first step, and then everything else had followed, every single thing that made him smile now.

Maybe, just maybe, he could find enough courage to actually ask Kurt out, officially. One date, just one, would be more than enough to see if Kurt was willing to consider something a little bit more real with him.

Blaine wanted it all: he wanted to go home to Kurt every night, to wake up next to him every morning, to call him his man; he wanted to be Kurt's man. He wanted to be there to comfort him if he had a bad day, to be able to call him at random times just to tell him how much he meant to him, how much he loved him, how much better he made Blaine's life. He wanted a relationship. He just needed to know if Kurt was going to be in it with him.

Courage, Blaine thought.

*

On Monday, Blaine couldn't stop smiling. He was tired, since he had stayed very late at the bookshop putting the final touches on everything, but he couldn't deny how happy he was. When he flipped the sign on the door to open, he felt a bubbly sensation in his stomach. This was it, he had done it.

Most of the people that came into the bookshop came out of curiosity and didn't buy anything, but Blaine was still very charming to everyone, just happy to have people show some interest. His smile grew impossibly wide when two twin girls ran to the children's section and began looking through a book with ballerinas in it, exclaiming at the pretty pictures, until their father told them it was time to go. The girls pouted until the man caved and bought the book. Blaine relished at the sound of the register when he rang in the very first sale.

By mid-afternoon, things were a lot quieter. He dusted and tidied the shelves, just to keep busy. The cute little bell he had placed above the door chimed while he was shelving a cook book in its spot. He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see a huge bouquet of orange lilies walking into the shop.

"Uhm" he muttered, confused. "Hello?"

He wasn't expecting Kurt's head to peek from behind the flowers. "Hey, you. Happy opening day."

"Kurt!" He gasped. "Oh my god, what are you doing here?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't come by to wish you luck on your first day?" Kurt rolled his eyes. "These are for you."

"Kurt," he repeated softly, this time with a dreamy sigh, as he accepted the bouquet. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much. You didn't have to..."

"I wanted to," Kurt interrupted, and Blaine was sure he was fighting a blush. "So, how is it going?"

"A little slow right now, but I don't mind," Blaine said, lips stretched into the biggest smile they had worn all day, as he found a perfect place for the flowers on the counter. He buried his nose in them, taking in the scent, hoping Kurt couldn't hear his heart trying to pound its way out of his chest.

"I love the Alice in Wonderland thing," Kurt commented, pointing back to the window over his shoulder. "It looks even better than I imagined."

"Thanks," Blaine answered. "It took a lot of time, but it was worth it. And I wouldn't have been able to do it without the dress you made for her..."

"Oh, shush," Kurt rolled his eyes again and leaned against the counter to look at Blaine. "You look really happy."

"I am," Blaine nodded. "This is all I've ever wanted."

Kurt reached across the counter, put his hand on Blaine's and squeezed for just a second before letting go. "Good. I'm glad." For a few seconds, they did nothing but look into the other's eyes, and then Kurt inhaled sharply, as if he was tearing himself away from a daze. "Uhm. So. I noticed you found a name for the shop?"

Blaine missed the warmth of Kurt's hand on his already. "I did," he grinned.

"Courage?" Kurt frowned, confused. "It sounds... unusual."

"It's what I need," Blaine replied, quietly. "What I needed. What took me to where I am right now." His hazel eyes were intent on Kurt. "Everyone needs to find courage in their lives, Kurt. I found it in books for many, many years, and now I have it here, in this place..."

In the short silence that followed, Blaine made up his mind. It was time. It was time to ask Kurt out, for real. It was time to take that jump.

"I..."

"So..."

Kurt bit his lip and looked down when they both spoke at the same time. Blaine chuckled nervously and motioned Kurt to go first.

"I wanted to..." Kurt continued, stopping to take a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you if you'd like to have dinner with us on Friday."

Blaine blinked, shock etched onto his face. "Us?"

"My family," Kurt clarified. "I told you about our Friday night dinners..."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember..." Blaine didn't know what to say. Was this really happening?

"I understand if you don't want to," Kurt hurried to say, and the clearly visible embarrassment on his face made Blaine realize how hard it had been for Kurt to scale his walls and ask him this. "It's fine. I just thought..."

"I'd love to," Blaine interrupted before Kurt could get any redder. He looked up at him with wide gray eyes. "Maybe I can bring dessert or..."

"No, no, it's okay," Kurt said a little breathlessly, his smile breaking through. "I'll pick you up on Friday when you close?"

Blaine was sure he had lit up like a Christmas tree, but he didn't care. He simply nodded, knowing it was obvious how excited he was.

"Great," Kurt cleared his throat and stood straighter. "I have to go now. I need to look into a possible new job."

"Okay," Blaine smiled. "Good luck with that. And thanks so much for the flowers. They're really beautiful, Kurt."

"No problem. See you later, Blaine," and just like that, he walked out of the shop, slipping his Wayfarers on, taking Blaine's heart with him.

*

Later that same day, Heather came to see the bookshop for the first time. She waited until Blaine was done with a customer and then pulled him into her arms, full of joy.

"Oh, Blaine. Congratulations, dear. This is absolutely wonderful..."

"Thanks, Mom," Blaine beamed.

"And the Alice window! That's so original; I loved it!" Heather cupped his face in her hands, watching him with bright eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Blaine. You dreamed of something, and you worked so hard to make it happen."

Warmth spread all through Blaine. "Mom..."

"Oh, look at these precious flowers!" She muttered, moving towards the counter.

"Yeah, those are from Kurt," the smile on Blaine's face was so big that he could feel his muscles stretching almost painfully. "He stopped by earlier today."

"How is he?" Heather asked, an edge of teasing in her voice.

"He's great. We're having dinner with his family on Friday," Blaine couldn't help but bounce excitedly a little on his feet.

"So this is getting serious, then!" Heather exclaimed, delighted. "Fantastic, Blaine. He's such a lovely man. I'm happy you two found each other."

Blaine caressed one of the soft orange petals of the lilies, blush high in his cheeks and his eyes full of love.

He was happy he'd found Kurt, too.

*

On Friday night, Kurt arrived at Courage after Blaine had already closed. He was sweeping the floors and putting some books back when he heard the knock on the glass door. Kurt waved at him and Blaine hurried to let him in.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "Come in. I just need to finish cleaning up and then we can go."

"Do you need any help?" Kurt asked wearily. Blaine's smile faltered a little when he noticed how tired Kurt sounded.

"No, it's fine. You can take a seat, if you want," he gestured towards one of the armchairs. When Kurt dropped heavily into it, Blaine frowned, concerned. "Kurt... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," he answered halfheartedly. At Blaine's insistent stare, he huffed out a sigh. "Fine. Maybe I'm not so okay. I actually think you've spoiled me for all my future employers, you know..."

Blaine took the seat next to Kurt's and leaned to rest his hand on his knee. "What happened?"

"I'm rebuilding a bathroom for this old guy, Mr. Donovan," Kurt explained. "He still remembers me from my high school years, when I used to parade around town in my designer outfits. Apparently the only reason he hired me and not, I quote, a real man, is because at least with a fag like me he doesn't have to worry about leaving his wife in the house while I'm working and he has to go out."

Blaine gasped, incredulous. "Kurt..."

"Oh, it's not that bad," Kurt made a vaguely dismissive hand gesture. "I suppose I've heard a lot worse."

"But that doesn't make it right!" Blaine exclaimed, anger seething through his veins. "Did he really call you a... a... that?"

"What do you want me to do about it, Blaine?" Kurt said in a tired tone, tilting his head against the back of the armchair. "This is the way things are. If I want to work..."

"It isn't fair," Blaine insisted, trying to hold back the tears prickling in his eyes. He couldn't bear all the abuse people threw at Kurt. "Kurt... you don't deserve that treatment."

"Hey, no..." Kurt's eyes went wide and he moved to kneel in front of him. He cupped his cheeks in his hands and wiped at the few rebellious tears that had managed to roll down. "Don't cry, Blaine."

"I'm sorry," Blaine sniffed. "It's just... you're such a wonderful person. I don't understand why everyone can't see it..."

"Baby..." Kurt whispered feelingly, and Blaine startled at the endearment, a rush of warmth and love coursing through him. "I don't care what those assholes think. I don't care if they talk trash behind my back. They're not worth getting upset about. It gets exhausting sometimes, yes, I admit, but this is the life I have to live, this is the best I can do with it, and I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of letting them affect me in any way."

Blaine was kissing him before he realized what he was doing, hands grabbing at Kurt's shirt. He didn't care that they were in plain sight of anyone walking by the shop, he just cared about being as close as possible to this man, this man that drove him crazy, that made him feel things he'd never felt before.

Kurt whimpered into his mouth in surprise, but then he kissed him back eagerly, for once forgetting about possibly being seen. His fingers were suddenly tangled in Blaine's curls, pulling him in to kiss him deeper.

When they finally pulled away, Kurt's lips looked so throughly kissed – red and a little swollen – that Blaine was sure that no matter who looked at them, they'd know Kurt had been kissed within an inch of his life. Blaine found himself hoping his lips looked just as bruised, so no one could doubt who was responsible.

Kurt's voice was a little hoarse when he spoke. They were still close, his hands in Blaine's hair, their bodies angled towards each other. "We're going to be late for dinner."

"Dinner?" Blaine repeated, slightly dazed, staring at his mouth.

"With my parents," Kurt replied.

"Oh," Blaine's eyes went wide. "Your parents."

Kurt couldn't help the laugh that escaped him then. "Yes, Blaine. Dinner with my parents. That's why I'm here, remember?"

"Sort of," Blaine swallowed, trying to force his brain to work again. He cleared his throat. "Uhm. Let me get my stuff and turn the lights off, then. I'll finish the rest of the cleaning tomorrow before I open."

Blaine tried to stand up, but Kurt's hand reached for his, stopping him. He looked up at him. "Will you stay at my place tonight?"

A smile tugged at Blaine's lips. He leaned down for a quick peck of reassurance. "Of course."

After he had locked the door, they went out to his car. Kurt had walked there so they could drive together. He gave him directions as Blaine told him about his day at the bookshop. It was comfortable, easy, so far from their interactions when they had first met. If someone had told Blaine he'd end up falling in love with Kurt Hummel, the most hostile man he'd ever met, he would've laughed in derision.

The Hummel's house looked homey and cozy even from the outside. Blaine parked the car in the driveway, careful to leave space for another vehicle, since Kurt said his dad's truck wasn't there yet, which meant he still wasn't home from the garage. Kurt gestured for Blaine to put his satchel down by the door when they went inside. They could already smell delicious food in the making.

Blaine followed Kurt closely. He saw a woman, with short brown hair and an apron tied around her, working at the counter. The kitchen looked well-lived in, with the wooden table, pictures stuck to the fridge door with big magnets, the cluttered countertops where endless family meals had been prepared, and the stove sizzling with whatever it was the woman was cooking.

"Hi, Carole," Kurt said as they entered. She looked over her shoulder with a big welcoming grin at the sound of his voice.

"Hi, honey! You're just on time to help me with these vegetables!" She put the knife down and crossed the kitchen to envelope Kurt in a warm hug, before turning to Blaine. "And you must be Blaine!"

"Yes, ma'am, nice to..." Blaine began, only to get his hand crushed between their bodies when Carole enveloped him in a hug, too.

"Warning: she's a hugger," Kurt smirked at him, as he opened a cabinet and tied on an apron. "Carole, let him breathe, please."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she stepped back, blushing a little, but still smiling happily. "It's just so nice to have you here at last! We've been bugging Kurt to bring you for dinner for a long time now!"

"Well, I couldn't say no," Blaine said politely. "After those cookies you sent me – which were delicious, by the way. Thank you so much – refusing a dinner invitation would've been a crime."

"He's here just for the food," Kurt teased as he started chopping red peppers. He pointed at him with the knife. "But if you want to eat, you'll have to help. So unless you prefer to wash the dishes later, I'd suggest you grab an apron and come over here to chop this leek."

"I'd love to help," Blaine said, still very polite, as he accepted the green apron Carole handed him.

"I like him, Kurt," Carole said, not bothering to lower her voice, as she nudged her stepson with her hip. "He's handsome and a gentleman." Blaine blushed and muttered something under his breath that went completely unnoticed by the other two. "Though I wouldn't expect you to date anyone who wasn't."

Blaine's head snapped in Kurt's direction, looking at him with wide eyes. He expected Kurt to say they weren't actually dating. They were... friends. Sort of. Friends who had lots of passionate sex and acted like a couple when they were alone. So he just waited for the words, and prepared himself for the pain of rejection.

Kurt's blue eyes fixed on him appraisingly. The silence extended for a few more endless seconds. He licked his lips, gave Blaine an almost imperceptible smile, and then went back to chopping. "You know my taste is impeccable, Carole."

She laughed and patted his shoulder affectionately, not realizing Blaine was having an emotional meltdown next to them, a million bubbles of happiness bursting inside him.

*

The delicious scent of roasted chicken in the oven was filling their senses and making them all incredibly hungry by the time the front door opened again and the sound of voices carried down the hall. It was only a few seconds later that Burt walked into the kitchen, closely followed by a young, very tall man that Blaine recognized from Kurt's pictures as his stepbrother Finn, and a woman around their age, with long auburn hair and big green eyes.

"Hey everyone!" Burt said, as he leaned to kiss his wife's cheek. "Something smells good. Hi, Blaine. Nice to see you again."

Blaine quickly wiped his hands clean in the apron before shaking the hand Burt was offering. "Nice to see you again, too, Mr. Hummel. Thank you for having me."

"No problem at all, kid." Burt gave him a pat on the back. Kurt immediately went to stand next to him after kissing his father's cheek.

"Blaine, this is my brother Finn, and his fiancé, Carly," Kurt introduced them, his warm hand settled on the small of Blaine's back as he shook their hands as well.

"Hi, nice to meet ya, man," Finn said with a goofy smile.

Carly smiled at him, too. "It's great to finally meet you. Coming to Friday night dinner for the first time can be a little overwhelming, but I can assure you, you'll survive very nicely."

"Thank you," Blaine smiled back. "That is very reassuring. Though I'm doing quite well so far, right, Kurt?" He turned to Kurt with a hopeful expression on his face.

Kurt rolled his eyes fondly. "Of course you are, silly." To everyone's surprise, especially Blaine, he gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, before turning back to the counter, where they had been working on making brownies for dessert.

Blaine knew he was blushing furiously, and he tried to hide it by turning to the counter to help, but his eyes found Burt's anyway. He was pleasantly surprised and reassured, when he saw that the older man was smiling at him in a way that could only mean he was happy with what he was watching.

Blaine was sure this night couldn't be any better.

*

Dinner was loud. There were several conversations going on at the same time. Carole and Carly were talking about their wedding plans, which Carly explained to Blaine would be in the winter (I just love that season so much. The snow is so romantic, and we're going to Vermont for our honeymoon, so it'll be perfect!); Kurt was arguing with his father about Burt not getting enough exercise ("the doctor said you needed regular workouts, Dad. Just give it a try; Carole said she'd do it with you. Maybe you could try some yoga...?" "I'm not doing yoga, Kurt. I would look ridiculous."), and Finn was mostly busy eating, but he managed to interject a few comments into both conversations between bites.

Blaine felt okay with just watching and listening. This family had an amazing dynamic, so different from his. He tried to stop himself from imagining dinners in the future, with his mother as an added guest, discussing very similar topics – "Autumn is Kurt's favorite season, so we're having the wedding then." "And Blaine's always wanted a honeymoon in Europe, so that's where we're going. Maybe a few weeks in Italy?" – He caught himself but it was far too late. The ideas were already entrenched in his mind.

They all made sure to include him in their conversations, whether asking for his opinion about something or inquiring about his life. Burt was particularly interested in the book store, and Blaine was more than happy to talk about it.

"I think I'll stop by at some point next week," Carole said with a smile. "I've been meaning to get a new cook book. The ones I own are so outdated..."

Blaine beamed. "I'm sure we can find one that you'll like."

Kurt's hand found his under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Everything felt so perfect.

*

Apparently, it was Finn and Carly's turn to do the dishes that week, so the rest of the family stayed in the dining room, chatting amicably while they took the dishes into the kitchen.

"Everything was wonderful, Mrs. Hummel," Blaine said.

"Oh, honey, please just call me Carole," she answered with a wink. "And I hope you still have room for those brownies..."

"I don't think I could say no," Blaine nodded politely.

"Be careful or Kurt will try to get you to sign up for some weird gym class, too," Burt groused, leaning back in his chair comfortably.

"Blaine is perfectly healthy and at his ideal weight," Kurt protested. "You've got heart problems..."

"It was only once," Burt insisted, rolling his eyes.

"Almost twice. Remember that scare last year? Because I do. Vividly," Kurt said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You know he's taking good care of himself, Kurt," Carole intervened, in a soothing voice. "He's eating properly and doing everything the doctor told him to..."

"Except for exercising..." Kurt muttered, as Carole went into the kitchen to get the dessert.

"That was only a suggestion," Burt huffed. "And if you want me to do exercise, I have a few boxes in the basement that I need to..."

"No way," Kurt interrupted, already standing up. "No heavy lifting. What do you need done?"

"I'm not a kid, Kurt," Burt said, frowning, displeased.

"That's exactly why you need to take care of yourself," Kurt replied, and now he sounded almost pleading. "Please, Dad. Do it for me."

Burt sighed. It was obvious he wasn't able to say no to his son. "Fine. I need..." he lowered his voice and checked to make sure Carole didn't come back while he was speaking. "I need the box with our home movies. I know she has a bunch from before we were married, and I have all of those from when you were a kid, and the wedding, and all of your Glee competitions. I want to put something together for our anniversary. Like a movie of our lives, or something."

"Oh, Dad," Kurt's eyes were suddenly full of tears. Blaine hadn't suspected how much of a romantic he was until that moment. "That is a beautiful idea. I'll go get them for you right away."

"Thanks, kid," Burt nodded with a grin. "I'll go distract her. You take Blaine with you so you're done before she gets back with dessert."

"Sure," Kurt stood up and tugged on Blaine's hand so he would follow him, while Burt trailed into the kitchen.

The basement was small, and as soon as they entered, Blaine knew that if Kurt had no idea where those tapes were, they would spend the rest of the night looking for them. The place was packed with boxes, some in a metal rack against the back wall, others piled around the room. Some were labeled, and some weren't. The first box they opened was full of old car parts that Burt obviously didn't need to keep at the garage.

"I think it'll be faster if we search separately," Kurt said with a sigh. "I keep telling them that they need to get rid of half of this stuff. They're turning into hoarders."

"Okay, I'll start on this side, you on that one, and we'll find them in no time," Blaine smiled encouragingly.

They started searching, commenting on the things they found every now and then. Kurt didn't make the job easy: every time he found something that he didn't think was worth keeping, he put it aside to talk Carole into throwing it away or donating it to charity. Most of those things were Finn's older clothes – "they aren't even good enough for charity. Look at this, Blaine! Who would wear this vest?" – or old magazines.

Blaine also found an interesting variety of things, from Burt and Carole's wedding tableware, to old photo albums that Kurt set aside for Burt, in case he wanted to use them for his project, too.

But then Blaine opened a box that had no label. It seemed like someone had simply thrown it there in a rush, as if they only wanted to get rid of it. He didn't know what he was expecting to find, but it was certainly not this.

It was full of drawings – sketches, actually. They could only be Kurt's. Blaine would've known that even without the little black KH at the bottom of every one of them. They were his designs: dresses, jackets, suits, even shoes, all very detailed, lines forming figures in a way that seemed effortlessly but that he knew must have taken Kurt long hours. There were clothes for men, and clothes for women, and Blaine could easily imagine those drawings turned into actual clothes, fabrics that would wrap someone's body perfectly. He could see those clothes displayed in the most expensive stores in New York, with Kurt's name on the label. He gazed at the pages in his hands, unable to believe that all this talent was going to waste. Instead Kurt spent his days knocking down walls, painting and renovating bathrooms for the homophobic people in this town that had no idea what a gem Kurt truly was.

Blaine had never been a terribly impulsive guy. He usually liked to think before he acted. But now... with these sketches in his hands, knowing Kurt's potential... he didn't think. He simply grabbed as many as he could without being noticed and shoved them under his clothes, hoping Kurt was distracted enough not to realize before he could safely stash them in his satchel.

"Oh, here they are!" Kurt exclaimed, triumphantly. "One would think they would keep our most precious family memories in a more accessible place." He grabbed the box and turned to Blaine, who did his best not to look guilty. "I'll take them to my old room, you go back to the dining room before Carole gets suspicious."

Blaine nodded, briefly diverting to the hallway immediately as he heard Kurt go upstairs. He put the sketches in his satchel and took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was planning to do with them, but he had promised himself he'd find a way to help Kurt. He would've been an idiot not to take this chance.

Blaine allowed himself a moment to erase any traces of furtive guilt from his face, before he went back to the dining room to join the conversation.