Running away isn't that easy. The second you leave, you can't turn back. There's a difference between leaving and running away and Blaine wasn't sure whether he was coward enough to say he was running. Running meant leaving everything behind, including his sense of self. If he was going to run, he was leaving Blaine Anderson behind.

So maybe Running wasn't the best idea. He wasn't brave enough for that. Yet.

"hey, sorry for the late reply I fell asleep" he typed into his phone "sounds great though. How about sevenish?"

He tapped his knee while he waitd for a reply, hoping he hadn't waited too long in responding. The vibration next to him seemed to speak otherwise.

"No problemo! Okay awesome. I'll just text Elwy and check with hm. That's the other friend btw"

"Oh sure yeah okay"

"He say's that's fine. See you tonight?"

"Sure thing"

As if of its own accord, Blaine's body moved from room to room, double checking that he wasn't leaving his father alone with Cooper should he return. It seemed not. He passed the front door, pausing only to grab a jacket and his keys, making his way instead toward the back door to the garage. He hadn't driven in…weeks? Months? He hadn't needed to; his bike had been his lone companion in the long Ohio summer, turning dreary days into adventures.

This time however he bypassed it and slid into the bigger, much more powerful vehicle sat slightly dusty from misuse. He ran his hands over the leather steering wheel cover, inhaling the musky scent of the Porsche. It reminded him of coffee dates with the Warblers and flaming anger fuelled drives in the rain when everything had begun to fall apart. It smelled of autumn and pain and joy and a whole cascade of emotions in between. He may only have had this car for a little over a year but in that time life seemed to have scorched the car into every sad evening spent on the highway around Westerville; every happy reunion upon his return to Dalton. Blaine's return to its leather confines was bittersweet. "Come on darling" he breathed, patting the steering wheel once again as he put the car into neutral and pulled out of the garage and onto the road smoothly "lets get our heads sorted shall we?".

He headed straight onto open road out of his unfamiliar home in Lima, swerving in and out of the sparse traffic with ease. The soft rumble of the engine beneath him was comforting, familiar. Blaine pressed his foot firmly onto the gas as he left Lima - and his thoughts - far behind. When he drove, he let his mind wander into crevices he dare not creep into while conscious of what he was doing. He rolled down the window and stuck his arm out, waving it along the air as if the wind itself created visible waves for his fingers to rise and fall upon. The first block in his thinking came when the name Kurt Hummel flashed across his vision.

He sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly.

The issue there was trust, and assumptions. When it came to Blaine being self aware he considered himself higher up the ladder than most of his peers but with Kurt…it seemed as if he had found someone to share the rung with. But that was exactly it. Could he trust Kurt not to pull him down if he fell? After the…incident at McKinley nearly a week ago Kurt had seemed to become even more guarded. The thing that had first struck Blaine about Kurt was his inability to let pain get in the way of his desires. And there was definitely pain behind those cyan eyes, plenty of it. Blaine knew enough from watching his own demeanour change over the years to notice it in other people too. Maybe that was his downfall, like Kurt, he somehow managed to care too much but not quite enough to interfere. Or maybe that was a courage thing. God knows his courage had been shattered years ago when his father had first raised a hand in threat. A threat was all it had taken to show Blaine that life itself was not the fairytale he had grown up believing but in fact, a mass of corruption and fear that he observed had began to consume his brother. He was helpless, lost and frightened. And Kurt…he seemed to have drawn up the same walls around himself as Blaine, although perhaps these walls were a two way mirror, the pain only visible to those who dared to get close enough. Or indeed if the subject himself decided to flick a switch and let light flood out for a moment enough for the outsider to shrink back in guilt at the misery he harboured but hid well. If nothing else, he just hoped Kurt wasn't posing as his friend out of guilt. He didn't think he could bear any more masquerading.

So this dinner. He could go about it two ways he thought: approach it as if oblivious to the curiosity Kurt prompted, furthermore distancing himself from the potential (if non existent) friendship even more. Or, he could go in all guns blazing with the purpose of discovering what lay beneath that glass shell encompassing everything that was Kurt Hummel. Either way he wasn't going to get anything done while he was…twenty two miles out of Lima. Well crap. He pulled the car around easily and shot off back into town. He spotted a familiar gas station about ten miles down the road and pulled in to the lot attached, making his way into its tiny shop. He purchased a bottle of Coke and on the spur of the moment a single red rose, blushing slightly when the Cashier asked who it for with a smile. He shrugged

"A friend"

"Maybe want to be more than a friend?" she laughed at his embarrassment. "No worries, I'm sure she'll be wooed" Blaine sighed as he passed over his money. He should be used to it of course, but the assumption still stung.

"It's actually a him" now it was her turn to glow red. She looked flustered as she handed over his change

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have assumed…" she looked anywhere but at him

"No worries" he stated picking up his bought items "I'm sure he'll still be wooed" and with that he left her nervously picking at her nails with guilt. Perks of living in Ohio. He placed the flower down fondly on the passenger seat, putting his bottle in the glove compartment. The journey back home was a little slower than the one outward. More because he was dreading having to face his father upon his return. He could of course head to the mall or to the Lima bean but where was the sense in avoiding it? This way, time could be spent de-stressing and syking himself up for his date with Kurt. Woah holy hell Blaine slow down man. You're not even going to be alone. A new stab of panic hit him at that. Blaine had been nothing short of social, or at least as social as he got anyway, since moving to McKinley. Spending an indeterminate length of time with two guys, one of which he hardly knew and one he didn't at all was more than a little bit daunting however. He'd dress carefully, avoid triggering conversations and steer it back towards them any chance he got. Simple.

Or so he hoped.

There was nothing simple about the man he was heading back to face though. He re-entered Lima all too soon, weaving through the unfamiliar streets to his new home. New being the relative term; his parents had bought the property just before he had enrolled at Dalton so it had only really been the odd holiday here and there that he'd really spent any time in the place. The others had been spent with Cooper or his other Dalton buddies. When he turned the corner onto the avenue, he was met by a scene quite a bit out of sync for the neighbourhood. He pulled up onto the curb and stepped out, not even bothering to pull into the garage. A suitcase was sprawled half full on the front lawn, the door agape. Blaine picked up stray clothes as he moved forward, chucking them into the case and stepping inside. His father was stood looking gravely at the ground while who he assumed was Cooper moved around upstairs. A prickle of fear crawled across his skin. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on but just at that moment his brother came thundering down the stairs, shoving more clothes into a hold all. He stopped in front of his father and looked him up and down.

"Well, Thanks for everything Dad."

"Cooper…" his father raised a hand but Cooper merely stepped backwards out of its range. His father sighed, letting his arm drop. Cooper let out a disbelieving huff of air and pushed past Blaine into the front garden. Blaine shot his father a look and then followed Cooper out.

"Coop what-"

"Our father has kicked me out of the house. Should have seen it coming really"

"What?! Why?"

"For standing up for you" his heart sank. Cooper looked up to see Blaine standing guilt ridden and resigned "no hey little bro. This isn't your fault. I'm surprised it's taken this long for us to blow up at each other to be honest. But look" he closed his bag with a click and then made his way over. He looked tired, more tired than Blaine had seen him since his high school days. "Why don't…why don't we go for coffee? I need to pick up some stuff at the mall anyway. we can grab a Starbucks or something huh?" Blaine nodded, glancing back to the door which still stood open "Come one, he won't miss you. Plus I need a ride to my apartment"

"Your apartment…?"

"Coffee Blaine." He said with a wink. A little weary perhaps, but none the less it helped Blaine brush off a little bit of the panic settling into his limbs. "I'll explain. There."

"o-okay"

"So he just expects you to side with him? He knows Mom is indifferent"

"I think he regrets not trying to convert Mom like the rest of us"

"He did shove it down our throats a bit didn't he" Cooper nodded over his latte. They had sat and watched the lot outside fill slowly, in silence for the most part. Neither of them fancied talking about what had just happened. The air needed to be cleared however so Blaine placed his cup down and asked the question he had been avoiding like the plague

"Where are you going coop" it was more a statement than a question but his brother's face, to Blaine's great surprise, lit up.

"Actually, I've found a place here in Lima. "

"…no way?"

"Yes way little brother. I thought it through and balanced the numbers. I was actually thinking of applying to McKinley….if that's okay" he smiled "wouldn't want to cramp your style" Blaine stared, stunned at the words coming out of his brothers mouth "that is…okay right?" his face began to fall

"No coop it's brilliant. Seriously!" he sighed heavily, relieved. "you're actually gonna be here"

Cooper smiled softly "you'll be safe. And you can come over anytime you want. Maybe we could even consider a semi permanent basis" he raised his eyebrows. Blaine smiled widely.

"That would be awesome" he trained his eyes on the door again just to come up short at the pair who walked through, laughing and in the taller boys case chatting animatedly "wait Coop one sec" he slid off his chair, in such a good mood at the prospect of his brother moving to town that he didn't even hesitate at having to be introduced to the smaller of the two boys. He shuffled over, tugging his sleeves halfway down his hands.

He tapped the boy with the coifed hair on the shoulder, smiling brightly.

"Blaine!" the boy looked like he was about to throw his arms around Blaine's neck and he was glad he held back

"Hey. Coincidence much. Didn't take you for a Sunday shopper Kurt" he added sarcastically. Kurt hit him on the arm playfully

"I will shop any place, anytime. And what is Mr dapper pants doing in Lima mall on a Sunday?" Blaine reddened at that seemed to have become some form of endearment between them. He pointed Cooper out who waved.

"We had a bit of drama at home so we're here until cooper can pick up the keys for his new apartment"

"He's moving?"

"Yeah he's actually applying to McKinley"

"Fabulous! Hold on we'll come and join you and you can fill us in." the other boy cleared his throat awkwardly. Kurt broke his happy gaze with Blaine abruptly, clearing his own throat "oh yeah sorry err Blaine, Elwy - Elwy, Blaine" the two shook hands, Elwy adding a two fingered salute non-chalantly.

"I've heard a lot about you Blaine. Kurt literally would not shut up about you" he spoke in an accent Blaine couldn't place. To Elwy's amusement both boys blushed.

"ahem okay lets get drinks shall we" Kurt continued, turning back to the queue.

"awr cariad, did I embarrass you? Bechod" Blaine was lost on the conversation. He just nodded and made his way back over to his brother

"Friends of yours?" he asked with a smirk

"Kurt and presumably the guy he wanted me to meet. Dude was speaking another language" Cooper laughed

"That's the guy isn't it?" Blaine blushed even further and nodded. He didn't think it wad possible to get any redder "very…you, Blaine. I approve" Blaine scoffed

"Please. He's way out of my league" Cooper shook his head but was saved an answer by Kurt and Elwy making their way over. The latter managed to commandeer a chair on the way over but Kurt was left floundering around "here" blaine staid and swung his own chair across, pushing it in neatly as Kurt sat "thank you" he said quietly

"No problemo" he grabbed another chair and turned back to Kurt, who arched an eyebrow at his use of language.

"Seems I'm rubbing off on you"

"Sorry. Won't steal your terminology again"

"Be glad I like you Anderson"

"Oh don't worry. I do" something heavy seemed to settle on the exchange, shifting the dynamic into something much more electric. They met each others eyes over their respective coffees, some unspoken understanding drifting between them. However as usual, Blaine came up against a wall behind Kurt's eyes, softer than it had been, but still evident

"You two lovebirds done?" came Elwy's voice. They snapped out of the moment, bewildered at the amused look on their companions' faces. Blaine swallowed. Cooper just shook his head.

"So" Kurt said into the silence, aiming his words at the pair that had arrived earlier "Blaine said you were thinking of applying to McKinley?" Cooper placed his cup down, nodding

"As long as my little bro's alright with it. I was at drama school but things…fell through" Blaine dropped his head at the bitterness in his brother's voice "so I got a teaching degree in the same thing. There's an open spot seeing as your performing arts department has gotten so popular"

"Well you have Glee to thank for that"

"So I've heard" he smiled at Blaine

"Were you two planning on staying around long?" Kurt asked, sipping his coffee.

"Only as long as Blainers here needs to" Blaine shot his brother a glare. Kurt smiled. Elwy snorted.

"Failed actor Cooper here is only here until he gets the call for his apartment and then we were gonna head over there." He said brightly, earning another eye roll. "Why, are you guys sticking around?"

"Well Elwy here has a makeover on the cards and I was just wondering if you know…" he fiddled with the edge of his paper cup "you maybe fancied helping out. I could always use help from the one and only Mr dapper pants" he nudged Blaine's shoulder with his own gently, then looked up at Cooper "if you don't need him of course"

"Well actually…" Blaine started but Cooper cut across him, chirpily

"I can get a cab. It'll be no trouble little bro"

"Great!" Kurt Exclaimed, Elwy groaned

"Brill. Another fashionista trailing me around the mall." Blaine rolled his eyes and then turned to his brother

"You sure you'll be okay?" he nodded, draining the last of his coffee

"Come to mine when your done? I'll text you the address" he stood, considered for a moment and then added "don't go home without me Kay?"

"Sure."

"Have a good time boys!" and with a one handed wave and a wink he was out of the coffee shop. Silence fell for a few moments, on Blaine's part mostly caused by his brothers sobering words. They had escaped the net of worry for a little while, but it was always ther, hovering in the background. He only hoped they would have enough between them to cushion each other from the fall. Kurt spoke up first

"So. I have a list of places to visit and then it's across town for your hair and maybe we can head to Breadstix a bit early?" Blaine nodded, trying to push down the panic rising in his chest. A whole day? Suddenly that rose idea didn't seem so great

"I don't have much choice do I?" Elwy muttered "please tell me you're not as bad as him" he directed at Blaine. Kurt leant over and hit him across his head but Blaine just smiled as well as he could

"As far as I can tell, no. I have no idea how Kurt affords half of his stuff. I have a fairly lenient allowance…but i suppose that's about to end" he trailed off, staring grimly off out the window. Kurt touched his arm, brow creased with concern

"hey, you okay?" Blaine shook himself back to the moment and nodded. Kurt raised his eyebrow and dipped his chin sceptically.

"Not now" he added, almost a whisper. Kurt rubbed his arm in understanding and turned back to Elwy.

"You ready? We can take these with us" he suggested, motioning towards the two remaining coffees. Nothing like a bit of systematic desensitization on a Sunday afternoon Blaine thought grimly.

The day actually passed much more smoothly than he'd expected. They spent a lot of time sat outside changing rooms with Elwy strutting around in various outfits, Kurt barking his approval or screaming the opposite. There was a lot of groaning on Elwy's part, Kurt simply kept his cool and ordered him from one place to the next. Blaine stayed quiet, adding his opinion here and there tacking a laugh onto the end for good measure. Neither of his companions seemed to notice anything was amiss until Kurt slid onto a seat next to him while they watched Elwy have hair sheared from various parts of his head. His stomach had been an uncomfortable mess of roils all day, growing steadily in strength until he was crossing and un-crossing his legs constantly, playing with the hem of his sweater. Kurt noticed the movement and placed his hand atop Blaine's, pulling it away and placing it between them. When he looked up to meet the other boy's eyes, rather than seeing annoyance or frustration he was met by sadness. And not the pity sort, it was…empathy.What?

"What's going on Blaine?" he asked quietly "and don't try the 'I fell asleep excuse' again. I know for a fact you never go to bed that early" a sudden wave of anger surged through him. Was it his business what Blaine decided to do with his evening? He pulled his hand from beneath Kurt's, scratching at the itching beginning to irritate his wrists. When it began to sting he flinched. Kurt took his chance and repeated his earlier motion, gripping Blaine's hand firmly beneath his own. He looked hurt. Blaine's anger melted away quickly to be replaced by a cold guilt

"Sorry" he replied, staring into his lap "bad night"

"I can tell. What was Cooper talking about before?"

Blaine rubbed a hand over his face, limbs suddenly heavy. His entire frame sagged with weariness.

"My dad…kicked him out. There's been quite a bit of animosity between them since Cooper started college. That's why he's a teacher now not an actor. Things just blew up I guess"

"Why didn't he want you to go home without him?"

"My dad can get…violent…" Blaine looked up at Kurt to see his face drawn with disgust. He rushed to repair the situation. Kurt was already too deep in his affairs, he didn't need this niggling at him as well "he hasn't done anything in years, he just threatens every now and again its no biggy"

"Blaine this is serious"

"No Kurt honestly, I don't really care anymore. Who knows, maybe I'll move in with Cooper" he shrugged. There was a few beats of silence

"Did he…you know…when you talked about things being tough when you came out…" Blaine cringed at the memory

"Yeah."

"That's…I can't imagine. Well I can, but from my own-" Blaine cut across him, not wanting to do anymore reliving

"Kurt, forget it. It's in the past" his voice commanded finality. Kurt took a deep breath, as if to continue but at that moment Elwy came sauntering over

"ta-da! How do I look? Any less Welsh?" Kurt tried to smile up at him.

"It looks great. Brill."

Elwy cheered silently and then turned away, whacking out his card for payment. When they exited, Blaine felt an odd emptiness in his hand. It wasn't until he reached his car that he realised it was because it wasn't fit closely with Kurt's.

They pulled up to Breadstix with about ten minutes to spare before their reservation hit its mark. Blaine stared down at the flower in the passenger seat, sighing before stepping out. Kurt was making his way over alone, hands tucked into the pockets of the tightest jeans Blaine had ever seen. He smiled, grabbing the rose behind his back with a last surge of courage. If Kurt was who Blaine thought he was, he would at least appreciate the sentiment.

"Ready?" Kurt asked. Blaine steadied his breath

"Actually I wanted to give you this…before we go in" he pulled the flower from behind his back and presented it to Kurt. The other boy fell silent, taking it gently

"What's this for?" he said quietly. Blaine shrugged

"A thank you. You knew I wasn't okay last night and no-one has ever known before so I wanted to thank you. For being…okay with all this." he looked away, digging his hands into his own pockets. He heard the breath escape Kurt's lips a second before he was being pounced on, arms wrapping tightly around his neck. Blaine stumbled, tensing like he had the first time before relaxing into the other boys hold.

"Thank you" Kurt's breath tickled the hair by his ear as he spoke, sending shivers along his spine. Blaine chuckled, resenting the lack of warmth when Kurt pulled away. The other boy was smiling; so soft and comfortable and…familiar, it took his breath away. He just stood there, gazing into Kurt's cyan coloured eyes, willing nothing to break the moment…

…As it happened, they had a dinner reservation and even as Blaine felt himself rocking forwards towards Kurt, sure the other boy was about to do the same, Elwy yelled over;

"Oi you two!" Blaine jumped and then let out a stuttered breath. Kurt looked confused as he motioned to the door.

"We should err, get going"

"Yeah" Blaine replied, laughing weakly. They walked to the door in silence, Blaine with his hands tucked into his pockets watching Kurt roll the rose between his fingers

"Shit!" Kurt cursed, dropping the flower and examining the bead of blood blossoming at the tip of his finger. Blaine stooped to pick it up, carefully mind, and then turned to help Kurt. The blood had traced a path down his forefinger, pooling in his palm. Blaine had to grit his teeth at the sight, willing the subconscious urge to melt away.

"Here" he pulled a pack of tissues and a plaster out of his pocket

"Why do you have…" Kurt trailed off "Oh. Oh Blaine…" there was that pity again. Blaine shook his head

"Hold the tissue to it for a sec" he dug around in his bag and pulled out a half used tube of antiseptic cream, squeezing a spot onto his finger before pulling the tissue from Kurt's hand and throwing it into the trash can next to the door they were no more than a couple of feet from. "this is gonna sting a little" Kurt hissed as Blaine began to massage the cream into the miniscule cut on his finger "it's always the little ones that hurt the most. Like scorpions" he smoothed the plaster over the broken skin and deposited the cream back in his messenger bag. He smiled p at Kurt to se him staring down with something akin to pity on his face. That empathy again "Don't look at me like that" he said quickly, meeting Kurt's eyes. The other boy blinked.

"Like what?" he asked innocently, shifting his features swiftly.

"Like I'm about to run off and…I'm not fragile Kurt." Kurt opened his mouth to reply but Blaine cut him off again "let's just go in shall we?" he handed the flower back and flourished Kurt in before him as he held open the door.

Elwy looked up at their approach.

"What took you two so long?" he questioned. Kurt held up the Rose and plastered finger in response.

"Plonker" Elwy breathed, shaking his head. Kurt shot him a watered down version of his bitch face, slipping into the booth and sliding along to allow Blaine entry. Blaine cleared his throat and perched next to him, not oblivious to how close they were sat. In any other situation he would be buzzing with the kind of energy only Kurt could trigger but right now, he was having to concentrate more on keeping his breathing steady. Fuck not now, please not now.

"This place hasn't changed a bit then?" Elwy raised an eyebrow at the menu in front of him, Kurt pursed his lips as he scanned his own. Blaine peeked over his shoulder and let his eyes slip down past the various dishes. Kurt looked up and then shifted slightly to give Blaine a better view. They shared a smile, all tension melting away in the wake of the small bout of awkwardness outside.

After a minute he looked away, noticing for the first time how loud it had become in the restaurant. Kurt and Elwy fell into easy banter, pausing only to order drinks. They were laughing away brightly, apparently unaware of the way Blaine's hands were balling around each other in his lap, or how his occasional smile didn't quite reach his eyes. As the inside jokes began to trickle faster Blaine felt himself slipping away at a buzzing in his ears. He shook his head. Kurt looked over at the motion, brow creasing slightly

"You okay?"

"Fine. Actually would you excuse me? Bathroom" he tried a smile again, feeling it turn into more of a grimace as he stepped toward the bathroom, trying to keep his stance soft and relaxed.

He found the bathroom blissfully empty, and sunk low over a sink almost instantly. The whirring in his head was growing. Not now please not now…he pressed a hand to his temple and another to his chest, trying to will away the panic rising steadily upward. His lungs constricted painfully as he tried to take a breath, stumbling back against the wall to the left of him. his breaths began to come as stuttered gasps, dizziness washing over him in waves as he sank to the floor. He needed a grounder…something…his hand was halfway to the small box in his pocket when he felt fingers wrapping around his wrist, pulling them away.

"I need…" he gasped

"shhh, breath" came…Kurt? He felt his body moving and his cheek was suddenly pressed up against the blue fabric of Kurt's shirt. He took another breath, and another, his body shaking with unshed tears. It wasn't until his mind began to clear that his frame drooped onto Kurt fully, sobs wracking his body while Kurt rubbed soothing circles across his back and hairline.

He didn't know how long they sat like that, nobody interrupted them. After a while, his breath began to slow back to normal rate.

He swallowed hard and pushed himself into a sitting position. Cold and disoriented he turned to Kurt

"I'm sorry" he croaked. Kurt turned on the spot and picked up a glass of water sat behind him

"Drink this" his own voice wavered. Blaine gulped down the water.

"I'm disgusting" he stated after placing the glass down. Kurt laughed

"Yeah you kind of are. Can you stand up?" Blaine blinked a few times, took a couple of breaths and then nodded. Kurt stood first, half hauling Blaine up with him. He recovered for a moment but nodded when Kurt went to step away. He watched him move to the sink with a wad of toilet paper, before he turned back to Blaine and began pressing the damp tissue across his face

"Kurt…"

"Shush" his face was expressionless. "You think you're the only one who's ever had a panic attack? You're coming home with me"

"But-"

"No buts. My stepmom is a nurse." he stopped then, as if this fact made arguing invalid.

"Cooper…"

"You left your phone out there. I text Elwy, he's calling him now" they both fell silent. Kurt stepped away. "you think you're okay to get to the car?" Blaine nodded again. Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist, causing the heat to rise in his face for what had to be the gazillionth time that day. He'd just been sobbing into the boy's chest for heavens sake and now he was getting all bashful at an arm resting around his torso? He let Kurt lead him out; the cool air was soothing as it hit his face. "Crap…" Kurt murmured "do you trust Elwy to drive your Porsche? He can drive don't worry" he assured quickly "he just doesn't have his licence finalized over here yet" in Blaine's mind he wasn't really bothered who drove his car, as long as Kurt kept his arm around him. He fished his keys out if his pocket and handed them over. Next thing he knew he was being enveloped in the warm interior of Kurt's car, clipping in his seatbelt. He let his head fall back against the rest as Kurt slipped in beside him and started the engine. They backed out of the lot and headed away in silence. Blaine inhaled, absorbing the scent of leather and coffee and…something fresh and airy that he couldn't quite place. He could see Kurt looking over at him every few seconds and heaved another deep sigh, turning to meet his eyes. The other boy obviously hadn't expected it because he blinked quickly and turned his attention back to the road. He smiled, straight forward. "Sorry"

"For what?" Blaine asked

"Doing that thing again. You said you were fine." He shrugged, flicking his eyes to Blaine once more "I trust you"

"You trust me…?" he was taken aback at the simplicity in the statement, the apparent non-chalent way that Kurt just threw those three words at him.

"I do. I shouldn't have made assumptions before, after the rose incident. But I trust you Blaine…as hard as it is" Blaine got the feeling they weren't really talking about him anymore.

He hesitated a moment.

"Kurt, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure"

"Do you… I mean, have you had…issues with trust…before?" Kurt stiffened and chewed his lip.

"I…I've lost some people in my life and I guess…there was a time where I was more venerable than other people and in that time I wasn't really in the environment I should have been. Believe it or not, I wasn't always as out and proud as I am now. Things were hard" he shrugged again "I'm sure you can relate" he glanced over, smiling sadly.

"Yeah, I guess…" Blaine chewed over Kurt's words for the remainder of the journey. The silence was comfortable, and for some reason he felt himself being pulled closer and closer to the boy next to him, his fingers slowly picking away at that glass shell. He was beginning to understand some of Kurt's motives, the reason for his occasional sombre demeanour but also the positivity he seemed to simply radiate. Unlike Blaine, Kurt had actually tried to surround himself with good, healthy relationships whereas Blaine had retracted from the world around him. Kurt had become a happy medium between the intro and extrovert. As far as he could tell anyway, although he suspected that there was still much more hidden beneath his tight fitting clothes.

By the time they reached Kurt's house he was suitably calm, if tired out of his mind. All he felt now was a growing sense of shame and guilt.

"Come on you" Kurt stepped out, Blaine mimicking him. It was a few seconds before he realised he was about to meet Kurt's parents for the first time and he wasn't best pleased at the circumstance. They marched up to the front door, Blaine trailing behind by a few feet. Kurt slid his key into the lock and pushed his way inside. Blaine followed warily, hands buried deep in his sleeves "Dad? Carole?" a rumbled answer came from upstairs and then a man in flannel and jeans came jogging down the stairs, smiling, his face taking on a whole new expression however, when he noticed Blaine. He turned to Kurt. Blaine swallowed

"And who might this be?" Kurt flushed.

"This is Blaine. Is Carole home? I could use her advice." he turned and hung his jacket on the hook by the door, motioning for Blaine to do the same. Blaine gave him a pointed look and Kurt's eyes widened before he nodded in understanding.

"Not yet. What was it you needed? Maybe I can help" Kurt rolled his eyes

"Sorry dad but this is a Carole essential conversation. We'll be upstairs okay?" he grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him up the stairs. Burt Hummel stared after them for a moment before yelling up;

"Door open!"

Kurt sighed and led them to what had to be Kurt's room. It would have been obvious to anyone who knew him. The whole place screamed Kurt, from the neatly arrayed cushions on the neatly made bed to the piles of vinyl piled up beside a vintage deck. Blaine smiled around as Kurt stood awkwardly beside his bed

"Verdict?" he asked. Blaine smiled wider

"This place Is awesome. I see you're a fan of the old stuff" he pointed to the deck. Kurt laughed

"Most of them were my Mom's. I wouldn't let my dad throw them away. The rest are things I've collected over the years. Elwy has contributed a bit too"

"You guys are close huh?" he walked over to examine the pile. Behind him, Kurt shrugged

"We went through a lot together. Me with my mom and…other things" his tone of voice made Blaine turn. Kurt was perched on the end of the bed, hands squeezed between his crossed thighs.

"Kurt…I know you probably won't give me an answer but…why did you decide to help me?" there was weight in his words. Kurt met his gaze steadily.

"I'm your friend. You're mine. Does there need to be anything else? And I don't know. Maybe I…saw something of me in you. Of what i used to be anyway." He let out a dry laugh

"I don't think your dad likes me…" Blaine added. Kurt snorted

"You're the first guy I've ever brought home. Trust him to jump to conclusions. We'll wait until Carole gets back and then you can drive back to Cooper's or wherever you were going" Blaine's heart fell at his words. For some reason he had expected them to rearrange their plans and still spend the evening together. Or at least that's what he had hoped.

"Oh. Yeah, I suppose" he breathed, looking at the floor. Kurt continued to speak, his tone uncertain

"Or…you could just…stay. Your brother said he didn't want you going home alone right? Maybe this is a solution. And I don't really think you should be driving after what just happened." Blaine looked up to see him smiling hopefully over at him. He smiled warmly in response. There was no niggling voice in the back of his mind, urging him out of the situation. It just felt…right. He nodded enthusiastically

"As long as I wouldn't be a bother"

"Oh come on, you're the most gentlmanly guy I know. Finn will be happy anyway. We usually get food in when we have guests but with it so last minute we'll order in I guess" he grimaced at the idea. "Come on, I'll go tell him" he dragged Blaine as far as the furthest door from his own and then dropped his hand, rapping sharply on the wood.

"Mom?" came a muffled voice Blaine recognised instantly.

"Yeah, I've come to scold you for having your door closed with Rachel over" he rolled his eyes at Blaine.

"Oh Kurt hey come on in" Kurt pushed the door open, preceding him in. Finn was sat on the floor with an X box controller in one hand, Rachel sprawled on the bed behind him with sheet music lay out messily in front of her.

"Blaine" she acknowledged coldy. Finns's eyes went wide.

"Oh hey Blaine, look man I'm really sorry about the other day I'm such a klutz" Blaine shook his head.

"No worries. All's well that ends well" Finn sighed in relief

"Cool man"

"Kurt" Rachel piped in "I could use your help. I need something wow worthy for Glee this week"

"You'll wow with anything Rachel. Just pick anything. Except Run Joey Run" he added sternly. Blane picked up on the frustration radiating from Rachel. It seemed his assumption that she liked to hog the limelight had been correct.

"As captain of Glee club I need to assert my authority."

"hey! Co-captain!"

"yes, Finn dear" she patted his shoulder as one would a child. They seemed the epitome of the domestic couple. Finn turned back to his game as Kurt spoke up again

"Blaine's staying for dinner. I was going to order Pizza. Is that okay?" Finn nodded but Rachel looked uncertain "don't worry, the place we like does salad. We can get one to share" Rachel shot him a grateful look and turned back to her sheet music. Kurt stood from the chair hed been sat on "we'll be downstairs if you need us"

"We will?" Blaine spoke up

"My Dad isn't going to eat you Blaine. Come on, I'll make proper introductions" Blaine followed him as Kurt practically skipped down the stairs and came face to face with his dad halfway to the kitchen. He had changed and was now wearing a much sharper outfit, one he saw on his father often. "Dad! Hold up a sec" he motioned for Blaine to follow him all the way down the stairs and he did so, smiling weakly up at Kurt's father. "Dad, I would like to formally introduce you to my friend, Blaine Anderson" Blaine noticed the emphasis he put on the word and had to smile as he held out his hand to be shaken

"Pleasure to meet you Mr Hummel"

"Likewise. Have you been at McKinley long Blaine?"

"Since the beginning of this year. I recently transferred from Dalton Academy in Westerville"

"Dalton? Bit of a step down to come to McKinley isn't it-" Kurt thankfully cut across him, sensing the direction of the conversation. Blaine found himself silently thanking Kurt for his sense

"We were going to order in. Elwy will be over in a bit" Burt nodded, pulling on a suit jacket.

"Finn was thinking of having a few more of you Glee kids over later on anyway I think. Weren't you supposed to be eating out? Where is Elwy?" Burt glanced between the two boys suspiciously

"Err they, erm double booked. Elwy just had to nip home for something" Burt seemed to eat it pretty quickly before fishing around in his wallet and pulling out a fifty and handing it over to Kurt.

"Don't wreck the place okay? I'm meeting Carole at work and we're having dinner out. My flight gets to DC early morning so I'll speak to you sometime tomorrow okay?" Kurt nodded. Burt picked up the carry on he had placed at his side and pulled Kurt into a one armed hug. "Be safe kiddo"

"I will dad"

"Nice to meet you Blaine" he nodded and then made towards the door. Kurt waved his father off before closing the door softly, looking guiltily at Blaine

"What?"

"Are you sure you're okay to stay? It's only people you met in the caf the other day. Puck, Santana, Sam…they all liked you. You don't have to stay if you don't want to" his eyes went wide and he began to ramble "not that I don't want you to stay, I do, I just want to make sure you're happy and comfortable and if you don't-" Blaine interrupted him with a hand on his arm

"I'm fine Kurt, honestly. I feel a lot better." Kurt took a breath and smiled, just as the door was pushed open into his back and he went stumbling into Blaine's arms. They both stepped back a few paces. Blaine kept them balanced and Kurt let out a nervous laugh as he stepped clear of Blaine to turn to their new guest. Elwy held up the spare key apologetically before chucking Blaine's own to him.

"sorry I took so long. That's one hell of a car you have there Blaine"

"Isn't it just" he smiled and tucked the keys into his pocket. Kurt clapped his hands together and then turned and glared sternly at Elwy

"Okay now Elwy, you have to promise to be on your best behaviour this evening okay? The majority of Glee club will be here and that means Puck and the cheerios…" Elwy rolled his eyes

"I'won't make any promises, but Finn seems okay I guess?" he shrugged

"Great! Urgh I'm excited. Okay, so what am I ordering?"