When the car stopped in front of a tiny store named Spin Blaine was sure there was some sort of mistake. Surely this couldn't be where they were actually going...

But Tim was standing there along with another camera crew (apparently the one in his face the entire ride over wasn't enough) so Blaine was forced to face the music.

"Hello designers," Tim said with an almost manic grin. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we are standing in front of this darling little place. " Many of the designers grumbled their agreement although Blaine's sure they'd all pretty much figured it out by now. "With so much of the music industry happening online these days, Spin was opened by Annie and Tim" - a young couple off to Tim's left, presumably Annie and Tim, waved at the mention - "a few years ago in an attempt to keep the tactile side of music alive.

"But getting to the reason we're here," Tim continued, "today Spin will be host to our unconventional challenge!"

Unconventional challenges were just how they sounded; unconventional. Instead of using normal fabric, the designers were forced to create a garment out of other materials.

"Now as I'm sure you all are aware, music and fashion are very interconnected. Not only does music accompany and set the mood during runways shows, but many lines are based off pieces of music. For this challenge, along with creating an outfit, you will choose a song that relates to or inspires your piece in some way. The chosen song will be played as your piece goes down the runway but make sure you pick a song with meaning and not one that just sounds nice.

"Everybody got it? Excellent! Annie and Tim have graciously lent out their store today so you will have 20 minutes and fifty dollars to find the materials for your garment in there. But first, the next thirty minutes will be sketching time, so get to work!"

Everyone quickly dispersed once Tim was done speaking and began frantically sketching but again Blaine found himself stuck. This should be an easy challenge for him. Not because it's unconventional, he's actually a bit worried about that since he'd never made an outfit out of anything but fabric before, but because it incorporated music. Music was the focus of his life for a long time, and although it'd been pushed to the side in recent years, he still loved it with a passion.

Blaine heard a couple of the other contestants grumbling about coming up with a song and he's again thankful for all his experience with this subject. With access to the internet being outlawed during all parts of the competition, the song chosen will have to come from memory.

When Tim called time up for planning and opened the door to the shop madness ensued. This little store was not made to have thirteen people plus a camera crew running amok in it and it wasn't long before a shelf was knocked over. After that people calmed down a bit by necessity but it was still incredibly hard for Blaine to think.

Without any real direction, he found himself walking the aisles aimlessly until he saw a package of blank cds. He'd seen some cds with actual music on them near the front but there hadn't been a ton. Vinyl records seemed to be the preferred medium of music in the store.

It was risky but Blaine decided it was time to go big or go home, literally. Doing some quick calculations he grabbed four packs of the cds (which would equal out to forty individual disks) and used the rest of the money to buy rolls and rolls of gorilla tape which was found near the front of the store.

He checked out before he could chicken out and ended up using every bit of money he was given.

With ten minutes to spare, Blaine felt an almost magnetic pull to the back of the store where a baby grand was on display. He'd forced himself to ignore it earlier so he could focus on shopping but it hadn't strayed far from his mind. It had only been a couple days since he was at home with his own piano but it felt much longer than that. Josh, his roommate, complained all the time about how often he played, especially when he was trying to watch TV, but Blaine knew it was done jokingly.

Blaine ducked under the thin rope surrounding the piano and sat on the bench, his entire being finding comfort simply by sitting there. When he closed his eyes he was no longer in a store surrounded by strangers but in his own living room on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

"What are you playing?"

Blaine hadn't even registered he was playing at all but his fingers were indeed flying softly across the keys. "Uh, I don't exactly know," he said, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

"Oh don't stop on my account," Kurt said quickly. "You looked so relaxed."

"I was," he said, finally looking at the man. "Playing, it's comforting for me."

"You're really good."

Blaine scoffed quietly. "Now how could you know that just from hearing that little bit."

"I can just tell," Kurt responded, a smile lighting his face.

Kurt was hovering still behind the rope but seemed to be leaning towards him, as if he wanted to get closer. Blaine scooted over a little on the bench leaving the option open and Kurt took it. As soon as he sat down Kurt's hands instinctively went to rest on the keys and Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"You play?"

"A little," he said with a shrug. His finger took up playing a familiar tune and Blaine let out a breathy laugh before joining in.

"My brother taught me how to play this when we were kids. I thought he wanted to spend some quality time together but he actually just did it so he could impress his girlfriend with his playing skills."

"Hmm, he seems like quite the charmer," Kurt said flatly.

"Alright designers time's up!" Tim's voice brought Blaine back to reality and he reluctantly followed Kurt back outside, throwing one last glance at the piano over his shoulder.

Most people had gone for the more usable items, like sheet music and posters and soft guitar cases, and Blaine tried not to let his worry show. He could see the other designers eyeing his cds and tape with curiosity and amusement.

If he could pull this off though, there's no way wouldn't win.

&&&&&

Although it wasn't often advertised, using muslin for these types of challenges was allowed. Kurt didn't want to do that however. The most impressive garments were the ones that looked great and were made straight from the weirdest materials possible. A lot of people went with cop out materials like paper or just made something out of muslin and glued on a bunch of crazy stuff as a way to sort of avoid the challenge.

Kurt knew it would be smarter to do that, because if his idea didn't pan out he would almost certainly be sent home, but it wasn't in his nature to play it safe.

The material Kurt decided to work with was firewire cables. He had been surprised they were even sold in the store considering their pretentious attitude towards the technological side of music but he wasn't complaining. Not only would it allow for a big wow factor (the shiny silver color of the wires gave it an extra punch), but it also held the needed symbolic resonance.

Connections.

Kurt realized he was different from most kids his age pretty early on and it led to a lot of lonely nights with only his dad for company . He had acquaintances, and people he could chat with at school, but it wasn't until he joined glee club that he made true, lasting friendships. Their love of music brought them together even when they didn't have much else in common.

Then, when Kurt got to New York, fashion did the same thing. In the weeks before he got his job at Vogue, Rachel was pretty much the only person he talked to. It seemed that while he fit better in New York, he was still too different. But then the Vogue internship fell into his lap and suddenly he was in a world with people who had the same goals and interests as him and he finally felt like he belonged somewhere.

Fashion and Music were the two things that really allowed Kurt to connect with other people so it fit perfectly with the theme for this challenge.

As for the song, it had taken all of about thirty seconds for Kurt to choose Not the Boy Next Door. It had basically been his anthem when he first came to New York and even if there were some bad memories associated with it (the failed audition) there were some good ones too (Carmen Tibideaux's praise).

This was going to be a good challenge for Kurt, he could feel it.

&&&&&

Well, Blaine thought, here it is, the moment of truth. If Tim hated it then he was completely screwed. He had no other materials and nowhere to go. The bodice was almost finished and Blaine was extremely proud of it, he just hoped Tim would be too.

"Blaine," he gasped as he approached, "that's stunning. What's it made from?"

Blaine ducked his head to hide the smile and look of relief. Tim hadn't even done his normal intro. "I took a bunch of cds," he said, gesturing to the boxes that surrounded him, "broke them up, and glued them to the cardboard shell underneath." Since the cds were facing backside up, the result was a shiny, multicolored, top that sparkled in the light.

"That's amazing," Tim muttered and he circled the piece. "What's your plan for the bottom?"

"I was thinking black down the middle and then more of the cd piece along the sides?"

"Yes, good, go with god." Then he straightened back up and said more seriously, "Don't doubt yourself, you have great vision and you don't need anyone else to tell you that."

Blaine nodded and thanked him, practically glowing from all the praise. He was so excited to keep working on his garment that he had to leave the room to stop himself from doing any more. Until his model got there and he made sure everything fit he didn't want to go any further. Finally Anita arrived and after gushing over the dress she tried it on and it fit perfectly.
Once that was over Blaine was able to get back to work and work he did, even if his thoughts kept drifting to Kurt.

They're conversation earlier had been pleasant but definitely a surprise. He'd tried to talk to him, to apologize, the night before but Kurt had ignored him entirely and Blaine didn't blame him for that. The turnaround though, the fact that he sought Blaine out to talk to him, it was confusing.

And worst of all it did nothing to help Blaine get over his feelings for him. His stupid, distracting, feelings.

&&&&&

"Will the following designers please step forward... Kurt, Blaine, Mary Jane, Alexander, Danielle, Austin."

A rush of pleasure surged through him as his name is called because Kurt knew there was no way he was in the bottom. His dress was sexy and cool and blew the competition out of the water. Well, besides Blaine that was. His had looked amazing as it came down the runway, shimmering in the light, and he would get an a plus for using difficult materials. Rumour had it he used only cds and masking tape which was crazy considering how professional it looked.

Blaine was called first to explain and Kurt perked up because he was desperate to know the meaning behind Blaine's song choice. Kurt had recognized Barbara's The Way We Were the second it started playing and he wondered if Blaine had based his piece on some old flame.

"Blaine you're up first, tell us about your piece," Heidi said.

Blaine took a deep breathe and began, "Music has been a big part of my life ever since I was a little kid. I used to spend hours holed up in my room listening to my cd collection. A collection I still have even though cds are neither modern enough to be convenient or old enough to be cool."

He let out a self deprecating laugh at that, a sound Kurt was coming to find way too cute for his liking. Kurt had been all ready to forget Blaine and keep his distance when he'd heard him playing in Spin. Nothing of what he planned mattered after that because Kurt couldn't walk away from him then. As Kurt had watched he'd seen how much the music was a part of Blaine, how passionate he was about it, and he knew he'd regret if he didn't find out a least a little bit more about him.

"So that's what these pieces are," Blaine said as he pointed to the bodice, "bits of broken up cds."

The judges hummed and tittered and leaned forward in their seats to get a closer look.

"And those are on the skirt too?" Nina asked as she shielded her eyes from the bright stage lights with her note card.

"Yes, except they're a different kind which is why they look slightly different."

"The effect is amazing, especially when it was coming down runway and all the lights were bouncing off it," Heidi said.

Blaine offered a shy smile and a thank you in response.

"So tell us about your song choice," Michael prompted.

"Oh right! I chose the song The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand and well, I know the song is actually about like an old lover, but I applied it more to missing my past and childhood and stuff. Things were so much easier before-" Blaine cut off and seemed to hesitate before saying, "I mean, just, life was easier as a kid you know? So basically all the cds and this song brought me back to my childhood in a way."

Kurt tuned out partially after that to focus on his own speech to the judges. It was no secret that sob stories often gave you a leg up and while Kurt liked to think his design would be enough, there was no harm in giving himself a little boost. Now he wasn't going to lie about anything, he wasn't that desperate, but he wouldn't censor himself either. Interestingly enough, it seemed like Blaine did. Kurt wondered what he was going to say before he unceremoniously cut himself off.

Mary Jane also received praise from the judges, earning her the second spot in the top three, for her dress made from a soft guitar case, and Kurt began to sweat a little bit. But then the next two, Alexander and Austin, were knocked down and looking over at Danielle's poorly constructed sheet music dress, Kurt knew he had it made.

His dress was tight along the chest and gradually got wider, forming perfect circles, until it stopped at the model's upper to mid thigh. He would have liked to extend it a little further but he ran out of cables. At the last minute, to make sure it stayed on, he added a simple criss-cross halter strap, made from wire, that clipped onto the previously strapless bodice.

"Kurt, tell us about your look."

"Connections," Kurt proclaimed, straightening his shoulders and widening his smile. "I never really fit in as a kid, especially after coming out in a town like Lima, Ohio, but my love of music allowed me to meet people and bond with them. Then, when I came to New York, fashion did the same thing. And so I chose the song Not the Boy Next Door, by Hugh Jackman, because it reminds me of how far I've come and that this," he gestured around him, "is what I'm meant to be doing."

"And it's made out of..." Michael trailed off.

"Firewire cables," Kurt said. "They connect things, get it?"

"Very clever," Heidi said with a small laugh. "And the effect is gorgeous, how'd you make it?"

"I coiled the wire so the shape would gradually grow and super glued it all together."

"The only thing I would say is it's a little short," Nina said.

"I agree," said Michael.

Kurt was about to chime in that he wanted to make it longer when Heidi said, "I don't know, with the strap making it more conservative on the top I don't mind seeing a bit leg."

As the judges continued with their critique Kurt realized that he had a good chance of winning this challenge. Mary Jane wasn't going to win, that was clear, so it was between him and Blaine. The scary part was, he didn't want to win nearly as much as he should have.

&&&&&

Blaine decided if he had one hour left to live he would go the the Project Runway waiting room because that would ensure it would be the longest hour of his life. He didn't even get to talk to Kurt because he was sitting across the room and it would be weird if he broke the hushed tone to shout something at him. Alexander was pouting next to him because of the judge's criticism even though Blaine has assured him there was no way he was going home. That fate was going to fall upon Austin.

Austin had bought a bunch of t-shirts from Spin and then ripped them up and made a dress out of them. Not only was the result hideous but there was also question of whether he cheated by using real fabric instead of some alternative material. In Blaine's mind he was already a goner.

As for the winner... he was trying not to think about it. Blaine couldn't deny that he wanted the win, and wanted it badly. He took a big chance with this challenge,refused to play it safe, and he wanted that to pay off.

When thirty minutes had passed Tim told them the judges had made their decision and the six of them left to room together. Blaine was able to whisper good luck to Kurt as they entered the stage and Kurt wished him the same.

The winner was always decided first because it wasn't as exciting to watch as the person being sent home and Blaine could barely keep still as Heidi read off the opening line.

"Mary Jane... you're safe, you may leave the runway," Heidi finally said.

So it was between him and Kurt, just like he expected. Blaine glanced over and met Kurt's eyes for a split second before turning back to face the judges.

"And the winner of this week's project runway is... Blaine."

White noise filled Blaine's ears and a warm feeling shot through him. I won, I won, I really won. Years of lukewarm responses to his accomplishments from his parents made every recognition Blaine did get feel even better. His lips were cracking his smile was so wide and he squeaked out his thanks before leaving the runway. On the way out he passed Kurt who squeezed his hand and congratulated him with a genuine smile on his face.

The waiting room suddenly seemed much brighter and happier than before. The girls, and some of the guys, cooed at his shell shocked expression and he quickly closed his gaping mouth. But the best part was Kurt's celebratory hug. Blaine immediately melted into it, and he probably held it too long, especially considering the cameras were on them, but Kurt smelled so good and his head fit perfectly on his shoulder and Kurt didn't seem to want to let go either.

When Alexander came in, safe for another week, Blaine made a big show of hugging him too but he's not sure anyone was fooled. At least Alexander hadn't seen it because then he wouldn't have heard the end of it. Austin did get sent home and Blaine was honestly sad to see him go. He was a nice guy and he'd much rather share an apartment with him than Harry.

"Hey, congrats again," Kurt said as he slowed down to walk with Blaine.

"Thanks! Your dress was really great too you know."

Kurt hummed in agreement and silence fell. But after only a few seconds he broke it. "What were you going to say earlier on the runway? It was something about things being easier before?"

Blaine startled a bit but tried not to show it. He hadn't wanted to jinx anything so he didn't prepare what he was going to say before the runway show and that turned out to be a mistake. This was Kurt though, not the thousands of viewers, so he could tell him. "I- I was going to say that things were easier before I came out. I stopped myself though because I didn't want it to seem like my parents were cruel or anything. They still loved me after I came out and everything... they were just a little more distant."

Blaine paused but Kurt just nodded at him to continue so he did. "I actually grew up in Ohio too," Blaine said and Kurt made a surprised noise, "in Westerville, but bully in school wasn't my main concern. After an incident freshman year I transferred to an all boys school, Dalton Academy, which had a strict no bullying policy. So the main difference really came at home. It was like- my parents- it's not that they didn't want me home but-" Blaine groaned and ran a hand through his hair. For some reason he just couldn't find the right words. Everything he tried made it seem like his parents were awful people.

Taking a deep breath he started again, "Dalton was a boarding school and even though I only lived about thirty minutes away I stayed there. And even on the weekend my parents were never begging for me to come home. I could if I wanted to of course, but they, especially my dad, didn't really encourage it."

"Blaine," Kurt said softly, squeezing his hand again, "I'm sorry."

Blaine dug his hands into his pocket and shrugged. "It's not really a big deal, people have it much worse."

"'Even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.'"

"... Did you just quote The Perks of Being a Wallflower at me?" Blaine asked, his tone teasing.

"I might have," Kurt said, a smile lighting his face.

Blaine chuckled softly and the grin didn't fade until he drifted off the sleep that night.