“Yea dad, it’s me,” Kurt said as he racked his brain for a good excuse as to why he’d brought a stranger into their home.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t get home in the rain,” his father said when he entered the hall. “Oh. And who’s this?” Kurt noticed immediately how tense Blaine got; his back straightened to an impossible polite stance and his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. He lifted his chin slightly, but looked nothing short of terrified.

“Oh, um, this is, eh, Blaine. A friend.”

“Where do you know this friend from?” Burt asked suspiciously.

“Um, he’s-“

“Kurt was so kind as to pick me up and let me stay here until the rain lets up, sir,” Blaine interjected with a clear voice. Kurt wanted to smash his head against the nearest wall. Why couldn’t Blaine just let him figure out a little white lie so his dad wouldn’t worry? And why did he suddenly sound so serious? He hadn’t once spoken so clearly - or loudly - in the car.

“Oh? Picked you up where?” The older Hummel turned his full attention on the soaked teen.

“Just outside town, sir.” Elbows in. Chin up. Square your shoulders. Otherwise your head will be against the wall. Or maybe his will. Blaine shivered.

“Kurt, you know I don’t like when you do stuff like this. Picking up a stranger - no offense kid,” he said directed to Blaine and continued. “Is not like picking up a homeless cat. You can’t just-“

“But dad it’s raining so much he’d have drowned if I hadn’t picked him up!”

“Kurt.” Burt’s expression grew stern, like it always did when Kurt started to whine.

“I can just walk to my brother’s. It’s fine, really. I don’t want to be a bother,” Blaine said softly.

“You’re not!” Kurt exclaimed.

“Kurt, it’s okay.” Blaine turned to Burt. He knew better than to ask any other than the household’s head of this. “Could I borrow your phone to call my brother, sir?”

“Oh, yea, sure,” Burt said, finally taking in the stranger in his home. The boy spoke to him as if he was a superior, and as much as Burt appreciated respect, the kid’s tone was pretty disturbing.

“You can just borrow my phone,” Kurt said and pulled said phone out of his pocket. Blaine sent him a tight smile and dialed his brother’s number. He didn’t leave the room like he normally would have, because he really had no idea where else to take the call.

“Coop.” Blaine’s expression looked most of all like he was trying really hard not to cry. “Yea, it’s me.” He waited for the other person - his brother presumably - to speak. “I’m… fine.” Kurt frowned. It sounded like Blaine was weighing his words very carefully.

“It’s… happening,” he said quietly. His gaze flickered nervously to where Kurt and his father stood. “He… was there. In front of them.” His expression became even more pained. Kurt tried to think of who ‘he’ could possibly be. But then he figured it must’ve been Blaine’s boyfriend. For them to find out he was gay.

“They, um, they kicked me out.” His voice broke on the last word and Kurt felt a tug on his heart. He ached for the other boy. At least he was lucky enough to have his dad. He sent Burt a small, but sad smile.

“I’m, um, at…” Blaine looked at Kurt with big, glossy eyes but before the brunette could muster up an answer, Burt told Blaine their address and the dark haired boy repeated it into the phone.

“Cooper, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I don’t want to be a bother to Kurt and his father.” Blaine listened for a few seconds before he sighed heavily. “I- Yes, okay.” He looked up at Burt and swallowed audibly.

“Um, my brother would like to speak to you, sir.”
Burt was surprised, but quickly took the phone Blaine handed to him and spoke into the receiver.

“Burt Hummel speaking.” He listened for a few moments while nodding even though Cooper couldn’t see him. “Yes. That’s fine. See you in a bit.” Burt turned to the two boys and handed Kurt his phone back.

“Your brother’ll be here soon, you can wait in the living room,” he said and walked towards said room.

“Thank you, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine said and stepped out of his soaked shoes. He looked down at his sweater and shivered slightly. Kurt bit his lip when Blaine pulled the wet material over his head and stood in a thin t-shirt, which was also soaked through.

“You can borrow one of my shirts, if you’d like?” He suggested gently.

“Oh no, it’s fine, I’ll just-“

“Blaine, your shirt is practically see-through from all the water. Let me find you a dry one at least.”

“I- yes please.” Blaine ran a hand through his hair nervously, and Kurt noticed for the first time, that he had curly hair. The dark curls were slowly drying and un-sticking from his wet forehead. Kurt gulped. He didn’t know why, but he felt like running his own hands through those dark locks. He shook his head and headed up the stairs quickly. You’re not creepy! He chanted as he walked into his room and over to his closet.

“Oh, wow.” Kurt turned around to see what had Blaine so speechless. The dark haired boy was staring in awe at his closet. “You have the most amazing closet,” Blaine mumbled with big eyes.

“Oh, this old thing?” Kurt joked with a laugh. He pulled out a navy colored shirt and handed it to Blaine, before making his way out of the room. “I’ll just, um, wait in the living room.”

Kurt walked down the stairs and into the living room, where he collapsed on the couch and sighed.

“Where’s the kid?” Burt asked from his place beside the television.

“Blaine, dad,” Kurt reminded. “And he’s changing into a dry shirt.”

“A friend, huh?” The older Hummel said with a frown after a moment of silence.

“Well, you wouldn’t have let him inside if I’d said he was a stranger, would you?” Kurt defended.

“I might.”

“Dad.” He used the same stern tone Burt himself had used a few minutes before.

“Okay, maybe I wouldn’t. But you can’t blame me. What’s the deal with the kid, anyway? His brother sounded like he was having a panic attack.” Kurt looked up at the stairs but then decided he’d better tell his dad the truth if he wanted to see Blaine again - and for some unknown reason, he really wanted to.

“He’s gay, dad.” And suddenly Burt’s expression changed. He had heard the conversation Blaine had had with his brother too. Or at least part of it. ‘They kicked me out’ spoke volumes. Blaine hadn’t been as lucky on the parent-front as Kurt had.

“He goes to McKinley?”

“No, he went to Dalton Academy. But I guess he might transfer soon,” Kurt sighed.

“Because of his parents?”

“Yea.”

Neither of the Hummels heard Blaine walk down the stairs, nor did they see him stand still on the last step; listening to their conversation.

See. They pity you. They think you’re a fucking loser. Blaine took the last step with more than enough noise to make the two men in the living room notice him. He forced on a polite smile and stepped into the room.

Kurt’s eyes bugged out and he coughed to cover up the way he was choking on his own spit. He hadn’t estimated Blaine’s size correctly, apparently. The other boy’s chest was slightly more refined and his shoulders were a bit broader than Kurt’s. All in all, the shirt was very tight across his upper body, and Kurt’s saliva appreciated the sight quite a bit. Quite a bit too much, actually. He discretely wiped his mouth before talking to Blaine.

“It fits you.” Barely, and boy, am I suddenly glad I’m not overweight.

“Um, yea. It’s a bit tight, but I’ll live,” Blaine replied with a slightly awkward laugh. Kurt patted the space beside him on the couch and Blaine slowly walked up to him. He looked like he was debating every single step in his mind, but he sat down nonetheless.

“So, um, I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to, but I told my dad why you’re here,” Kurt said a bit awkwardly. Blaine looked at Burt who just nodded and turned on the TV.

“Since I’m gay too, he knows what to… expect,” he added with a tight smile. He still remembered all the nasty phone calls they’ve received earlier in the year.

“Oh. Right. That’s… That’s fine. I’m not ashamed or anything, I don’t wanna hide it,” Blaine mumbled. Kurt smiled a bit at that. At least his parents hadn’t made him want to tiptoe back into the closet.

“So Blaine,” Burt addressed the dark haired boy. “You gonna transfer to McKinley?”

“Dad!” Kurt exclaimed. That was so rude to ask mere hours after the boy had been kicked out of his home.

“Oh, um. I’m not sure really, but…” Blaine’s voice got thinner at the end and his eyes trailed down to his lap. Then his head suddenly snapped up and he said with a clear voice, “Yea, I’ll probably transfer.”

“Really?” Kurt looked surprised. “I have to warn you though; it’s not exactly heaven for guys like you and me.” He felt slightly guilty. He didn’t know what kind of school Blaine came from, but everything would be better than the hellhole McKinley was.

“But at least now you’ll have m- someone else, who understands there with you,” Blaine smiled that small smile again and Kurt forgot about guilt. There would be another gay boy at his school - a gorgeous one to boot. And he didn’t seem repulsed by Kurt in the slightest. A bit shy maybe, but we can fix that - what would he think of Glee club? Kurt was just about to ask him if he could sing, when there sounded a knock to the door and Burt rose from his seat. He opened the door to reveal a tall man with light brown hair and blue eyes. Eyes that all but screamed his worry.

“Mr. Hummel?” He questioned, slightly out of breath.

“Yea, you must be Cooper, c’mon in,” Burt replied gruffly and gestured inside the house.

“Oh no, no, I’m just here for- Blaine!” Cooper exclaimed as his younger brother stepped into the hall. He forgot all about the man in the doorway and ran into the house to grab his brother and bring him into a bone crushing hug. “Oh God, B. I was worried sick,” he mumbled into his hair.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine murmured back and gripped his brother tightly.

“Oh god no, don’t you dare apologize,” Cooper said and tried to send him a reassuring smile. But then his eyes caught the dark circles under Blaine’s eyes. “He didn’t… here?” He whispered so only the younger Anderson could hear. Blaine shook his head with a deep frown. Not really, at least. Cooper heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Burt.

“Thank you so much for taking care of my baby brother. I’m sorry if he’s been any trouble to you.”

“Oh no, not at all,” Burt said and put an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Kurt here told me about Blaine’s situation and even though it’s not quite the same, we get it at least.”

“Blaine’s situation?” Cooper’s eyes grew to double their normal size and he looked down at his brother. “You told them..?”

“That I’m gay. And mom and dad don’t approve. Yes,” Blaine quickly explained and Cooper visibly relaxed, even though he tried to cover it by smiling.

“Well then I am extra grateful. Thank you Mr. Hummel, thank you both.” He sent Kurt a small smile too, before making his way to the door. “If there’s any way I can repay you for this…”

“You just take care of your brother,” Burt said and Cooper nodded. Blaine slipped into his shoes and held his soaked sweater close to his chest.

“Um, Blaine?” Kurt called just before they got out of the door. Blaine turned around. “Um, I was wondering if I could maybe… Get your number? If you, y’know, decide to transfer,” he added quickly, not wanting to sound like he was trying to pick Blaine up in front of his own father and Blaine’s brother.

“Oh, well, I kind of left my phone at my parents’ house…” He trailed off; looking unsure.

“Oh. Right.”

“Well, you have my number somewhere from when Blaine called me earlier, right? You can just use that for now,” Cooper supplied with a charming smile. “I needed to get a new phone anyways. Now let’s go, Blaine,” he said and pushed Blaine out the door gently. “Thank you again!” And then the door closed.

Both Hummels sighed and then looked at each other with small smiles.

“I think I’ll just go to bed early,” Kurt said and headed for the stairs. “Thanks again for letting Blaine stay, dad.”

“For someone you just met today, you seem to care about him a lot already,” Burt said with a knowing smile. Kurt just frowned.

“I just know where he comes from. I understand more or less what he’s going through,” he reasoned. He might be slightly blinded by Blaine’s looks, but he really just wanted to help. It wasn’t his fault if helping involved talking a lot to each other, was it?

“Goodnight Kurt,” Burt huffed out a laugh and turned to the living room.

“Night dad.”