Blaine's POV

Blaine stopped. What had just happened? Was Kurt really standing in the school parking lot covered in a slushie that had just been thrown by a football player? Who did that?

Blaine's mind was racing a million miles an hour.

No. This was not right. Blaine was the new kid. Blaine should have been the target. Not Kurt.

It should have been me, he thought. Kurt doesn't deserve this.

"Kurt,...I..." he started, not knowing what to say. After all, what were you supposed to say to someone who had just had a slushie thrown in his face?

"...are you okay?" he continued lamely. Of course he wasn't.

"I'm used to it." Kurt started, sounding quite defeated. "I'd like to say that this hasn't happened before, but that would be a lie. Really, I'd just like to get home. Shower. Wash the syrup out of my eyes. They're starting to sting." Kurt sighed, as if he was bored of the whole thing, almost like it had happened to many times before to make much of an impact this time.

Without even thinking, Blaine offered to drive Kurt home. Kurt seemed a bit out of it, and he wasn't entirely sure it was safe for Kurt to drive in his current state.

Kurt didn't even argue. He seemed too exhausted. Not physically tired, but emotionally. Blaine knew how he felt, he had been there himself.

"...but my car?" Kurt asked, "It'd still be at school."

"I could drop you back here after the Lima Bean, if that is still happening...?" Now it was Blaine's turn to be unsure. He had never had a slushie thrown in his face, but he had been bullied before, and he knew that it left you feeling hollow. Blaine had always just wanted to go home, curl up in bed and sleep. Mainly so he would stop analyzing everything that had happened. Over and over again. That was the downfall of the overactive mind.

And so he couldn't imagine that Kurt, who was covered in melting, sticky slush, would still want to go out after all that had happened. Blaine knew he wouldn't have wanted to if he were in that situation.

But then, maybe for Kurt he would.

"Of course, silly." Kurt nudged Blaine in his side. "I wouldn't just ditch you. You aren't the one who threw this in my face, after all. It's not your fault. Just a side effect."

A side effect of what? Blaine thought. Kurt had trailed off as if he hadn't finished saying everything that he had wanted to. But he didn't continue.

Blaine considered asking Kurt what he had meant, but he didn't want to push. After all, Kurt had been nothing but patient and kind to him today. Maybe he would ask Kurt about it later.

Kurt's POV

The drive to Kurt's house was mostly silent. Blaine was focusing on following the directions that Kurt had given him, and Kurt just didn't really know what to say. He was embarrassed. He had known that Blaine would find out about the slushie, Kurt himself had planned on telling him (on account of Kurt having to go home to change first) but he had not expected (or ever wanted) Blaine to actually see him getting slushied. That was a whole new low.

The silence wasn't awkward though, it fact, it was rather peaceful. Neither of them felt compelled to make small talk, which was really nice, Kurt thought. It just felt comfortable the way they were. As if they had known each other for a long time.

And not just a couple of hours.

It was sort of weird, Kurt thought. That he could feel this at home with someone he had only known a few hours. But in all reality, he didn't actually know Blaine that well. Or well at all, in fact. All he knew about Blaine was that he had a strained relationship with his parents, he liked Harry Potter and Disney, and his favourite colour was complicated. Not all that much to go on when he really thought about it.

Blaine was new. He was unknown. But Kurt wanted to get to know him.

"It's that one," Kurt pointed to his house, just as Blaine pulled up to the curb.

"I'll just wait here," Blaine answered "Take as long as you need".

Kurt shook his head, "Don't be silly. You can come in."

"Are you....?" Blaine started.

"Yes," was all he got in reply.

And so they walked together up Kurt's path and to his front door. It was already unlocked, so Kurt knew Finn must be home. Maybe he'd parked his car in the garage for some reason.

"Finn, I'm home!" He yelled up the stairs, but didn't wait for a response. "Blaine, I feel really awful just leaving you here, but I really need to take a shower," Kurt said, laughing, looking over himself. Pink syrup was still dripping from his hair.

"You can sit on the couch, watch whatever you want on the tv, and if you're desperately hungry and can't wait until we go out, don't hesitate to grab something from the kitchen, which is right through there," he pointed. "Take anything really. No one will mind."

"Uh...thanks. You have a lovely home by the way." Blaine smiled.

"Seriously Blaine?" Kurt asked, laughing. "With you it's just manners, manners, manners, isn't it?"

"Well, I..." Blaine started, not knowing what to say.

Kurt had been making his way up the stairs, and when he reached the top he turned back around, and so quietly, that Blaine may not have even heard it, he said, "I like it."

Blaine's POV

Blaine had been sitting on the couch for 10 minutes. He didn't dare turn on the tv. He knew he was allowed to and that Kurt wouldn't mind, but he just....it just didn't feel right to him. Was it rude to sit in someone else's house and watch their TV alone? Probably not, but he felt like it was. Etiquette had featured heavily in this childhood. So had rules stipulated by his parents.

Blaine had lived a very privileged – and sheltered – life. He had always been taught to use the best manners, and to work hard for everything, but that did not mean he didn't get everything he wanted. He did. He worked very hard at school and was rewarded with excellent grades. He had worked hard at his music, and was now an incredibly accomplished and classically trained musician. He had been the perfect child, a joy to show off to his parents' friends, and so he was continually rewarded. A TV for his room, a new laptop, a new cello, a car. Everything came easily to Blaine. Until it didn't.

Everything had changed when he had come out. At home and at school. He was no longer 'Blaine Anderson, the perfect child'. It had been – and still was – very hard for his parents to accept. He was not punished; nothing was taken away; in fact nothing changed all that much. Except that slowly, over time, he began to feel this distance between his parents and him. Now their relationship strained at best. For one, they never seemed to be home. Oh and how could he forget the big one – taking him out of Dalton and sending him to public school. Which to be honest didn't seem to bad so far, if you didn't count the fact that Kurt had been slushied.

But Blaine did. He missed Dalton. He missed his friends. Nothing like this would have ever happened at Dalton. Blaine stopped himself. Of course this would never happen at private school, but not everyone was lucky enough to go there were they? Was it fair that Blaine had been sheltered from the cruel world, while there were people like Kurt who had to suffer through it everyday? (Admittedly he had suffered, quite badly, at his first school, but he had also enjoyed two sheltered years at private school).

The answer was simple – no, it was not fair. For the first time since he had originally been told about McKinley, were looking up. He had never looked at McKinley as a way to face his fears, but in fact that was is exactly what it was. He had braved his first day at school, and he was determined to show everyone, including his parents, that he could cope. In fact, he would come out on top shinning. He already had friends at McKinley, real friends, after only one day. And then there was Kurt, who wanted to hang out with him after school, after only knowing him a few hours. And that is more than Blaine could have hoped for.

Just then Blaine heard footsteps coming down the stairs, so he stood up expecting Kurt.

It was not Kurt.

A middle-aged man, wearing overalls and a baseball cap, was standing at the base of the stairs, a somewhat confused look on his face.

"Good afternoon, sir. I am Blaine Anderson," he stuck out his hand to shake, "and I know it is probably very strange for you to come downstairs in your own home and find a perfect stranger sitting on your couch. I apologise profusely. Kurt told me I should sit there, but in hindsight it seems quite rude. I did not know you were home otherwise I would have introduced myself sooner-"

"Hang on there kid. Take a breath. Why would I be mad? Sit where you like. It doesn't bother me. I'm Burt Hummel by the way, Kurt's dad. I'm guessing you're his friend from what you've told me?"

Blaine exhaled the breath he didn't know he'd be holding. "Yes, I am. Today was actually my first day at McKinley and Kurt was nice enough to help me, and then invite me out this afternoon. I wanted to return the offer. I drove him home after he'd been slushied." As soon as Blaine said it, he regretted it. What if Burt didn't know about Kurt being bullied? Blaine thought Burt ought to know, but it was definitely not his place to say anything.

"Again?" Burt sighed. "Well that was very kind of you. Nice bow tie by the way, no wonder Kurt took to you. He loves all that fashion stuff. It goes right over my head, it does, but I try to understand it. I'm not very successful though." He laughed.

"I try to be close to Kurt, but it is hard sometimes. Kurt and I...we are very different. He needs a good friend. He can get very lonely sometimes. Now, I don't know anything about you, but you seem like a very polite, well-put together young man, and if you are friends with Kurt then that is great."

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel. You seem like a wonderful father, if only we could all be so lucky."

"Be so lucky about what?" Kurt asked, as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Neither Blaine nor Burt had heard him coming down.

"The fact that your curfew is 10pm tonight." Burt answered, a small smile playing across his lips.

"But it's usually 9. Tonight is a school night." Kurt raised his eyebrows in question.

"Is it really?" Burt asked, pretending he hadn't remembered. "Oh well, can't go back on my word now. Be home by 10." And with that he turned to leave the room, but not before he turned back around to say one more thing, "It was nice meeting you Blaine, and Kurt," he looked directly at him, "Blaine's a nice kid, don't scare him away, alright?" And he left the room.

"Kurt, you're dad-" Blaine started but Kurt interrupted him.

"I'm so sorry Blaine, he's not normally that...weird. I didn't even know he was home. I thought it must have been Finn. That must have been really awkward for you-"

But Blaine was hardly listening to Kurt ramble. All he could think about was how open and nice Mr Hummel had been. What a change from his own father. "Kurt," he said a little too eagerly, "...your dad is great."

Kurt's POV

A huge smile spread across Kurt's face, mirroring the one on Blaine's. "Yeah," Kurt agreed, "he kinda is." It had only been in the last few years that Kurt had really begun to notice how amazing his dad was. For years Kurt had been worried about coming out to him, and when he finally had, Burt had embraced him with open arms. Once the air had been cleared, weirdly, they had become much closer. It was still hard work, and they didn't always see eye to eye, but his dad tried really hard to make it work. And that was all Kurt needed. To be accepted and loved. And he had both, unconditionally. He was very lucky in that sense, and from what he had heard from Blaine earlier, it could have been a lot worse.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Blaine asked "Are you ready then? Should we leave?"

Kurt smiled again. He did that a lot around Blaine. He just couldn't seem to help it. Blaine just seemed to brighten his mood. Here was this boy, who was obviously having a difficult time – transferring schools, his relationship with his parents, and who knows what else – and yet he carried himself with so much class and kindness. He should be bitter and jaded, but he wasn't. And that inspired Kurt. It would be nice to be like that.

"Why yes I am, kind sir. Shall we head to the car then?" he said, putting on his best "gentlemanly" voice.

"Now who is the one with the ridiculous manners?" Blaine asked, jokily mocking Kurt.

"Still you." Kurt said, pulling Blaine towards the front door, "Come on, the coffee is calling."

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought. Oh, and once again, I do not own Kurt or Blaine *defeatist sigh*