Six hours earlier…

Blaine tucked his feet under the fluffy wolf blanket Kurt had brought into the living room. He lifted up the bowl of popcorn so that Kurt could scoot back underneath, now that he'd loaded the DVD.

Kurt's toes wiggled next to Blaine's as he whispered, "Movie time!" and hit the play button. "This one has a special message for you," Kurt had explained. "Plus, singing penguins. You really can't beat singing penguins."

Blaine started grinning as soon as he felt Kurt's feet tickling his own. Kurt was right—"Happy Feet" was full of mashups, and the way one song blended seamlessly into another made something in Blaine's brain tingle. He watched Kurt's lips move ever faster, trying to whisper-sing both parts of the songs. His own foot tapped rhythmically, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to join Kurt in making beautiful music.

A short while later, Blaine watched as Mumble's father explained sadly why Mumble had to leave. He wasn't normal. He was threatening the whole penguin community with his crazy dance. Mumble shuffled off, and Blaine blinked away tears he hadn't realized were forming.

Oh.

Oh, I get it now.

I'm Mumble. And I… I have to go.

Cold crept through Blaine as the realization sank in. Mumble's travels only brought him into more and more danger, and when he was kidnapped and kept in a tiny room…

No.

I can't breathe.

Let him out! Please let him out.

Blaine looked over to see tears dripping down Kurt's face. He grabbed the long fingers so close to his own and held tight.

"Sorry," Kurt sniffled. "I know it's just a kids' movie. But…" Blaine nodded, unable to explain the weight in his chest. He just held on tighter.

Blaine couldn't remember how the movie had finally ended, but when the music stopped and Kurt turned to him, he gulped and blinked hard.

Blaine knew what was coming.

He only brought bad energy to this house, and Kurt was going to tell him, just like the penguins, that he had to leave. For the good of the family. He had known this couldn't last forever.

At least Kurt was letting him down gently.

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, and brought both of Blaine's hands close with his own. Blaine looked away, unable to stomach what he knew would come next.

"Blaine, sweetie, do you know why I wanted you to watch this with me?"

Blaine's head dropped to his chest. "Y-yeah." He stuttered as he gathered his legs beneath him and prepared to stand up.

Kurt only held his hands tighter. "You're so special. It's okay to be different-even if you're a penguin. Mumble saved everyone because he was different."

Blaine couldn't understand why Kurt was being so kind to him.

"But he was… bad."

Kurt gave Blaine's hands a squeeze as he stifled a laugh.

"Honey, no! Mumble was different. But his difference-his dancing-is what saved all the penguins. Maybe your words aren't working that well right now. But you've got a lot of things you can do. And those things-the things that make you special-are so important."

Blaine silently considered this. If Kurt wasn't trying to tell him to get out… then what?

Blaine couldn't remember the end of the movie, he'd been trying so hard not to freak out about the little penguin locked away in the zoo.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to decode the message of the movie.

"Wait right here, Blaine. I've got something that'll help you understand." Kurt flung the blanket aside and Blaine, startled, gripped his hands tight.

Don't go… I don't understand what's happening…

"It's okay, I promise. I've got a present for you. I'll be right back." Kurt locked eyes with Blaine and breathed a few slow breaths, bringing Blaine back to safety as Blaine nodded and released his grip. As Kurt stood, he dropped a soft kiss on Blaine's forehead that soothed the ache in the younger boy's chest.

This is Kurt.

Kurt keeps his promises.

Kurt always comes back.

In just a few moments, Kurt returned with something held behind his back and a wide grin on his face.

Blaine's curiosity piqued, he angled his neck around, but Kurt quickly sat down next to him again and said, "I've got a story for you. This little guy…"-and he brought out a small, gray penguin with a wooden tag around his neck-"came all the way from New York City to snuggle you."

As Kurt placed the penguin in Blaine's lap, Blaine noticed that the tag read NEW YORK AQUARIUM: CONEY ISLAND.

"When did you…?" As Blaine tried to ask the question, he saw Kurt bite his lower lip and take a deep breath.

"My mom took me."

Blaine nodded, holding eye contact. He could see that this wasn't going to be an easy story for Kurt to tell, but he needed to tell it.

"I was eight that summer. She said it was an important trip for just the two of us. Dad stayed home… I think he already knew. She must have been sick for a while then." Kurt swallowed and closed his eyes for a second. He'd never told anyone about this trip.

"We had an incredible time. She took me on the subway all the way to Coney Island and we saw the ocean. I remember how hot the sand was and how cold the water… it went on forever, just forever. Like nothing I'd ever seen. We went to the aquarium to see the sea lions, and one of them jumped right up in front of my mom and splashed us. She… she laughed, Blaine. I hadn't heard her laugh in so long." Kurt paused and reached a hand out to the plush penguin, stroking it softly.

"She told me I could have anything I wanted from the gift shop. Anything at all. I'm pretty sure I picked up every item in the shop before I stumbled upon this little guy. He was at the very bottom of the bin of stuffies, the only one like him left. I remember Mom asking me why I chose him and… I told her that is was because he was different. Special. The only one like him."

Blaine's heart warmed at those words, the same ones Kurt had just used to describe him.

Maybe Kurt was trying to tell him something good?

"I want you to have him."

Shocked, Blaine shook his head. This family had given him so much already… he couldn't possibly accept such an important-

Kurt reiterated. "He's yours, sweetie. My mom would have loved you, just as much as I-as we do. She'd have wanted you to be a part of this family, and I want you to understand how special you are."

Blaine curled his hand around the fluffy penguin. Special. He liked the sound of that… being someone's special something.

Kurt's special something.

Pleased with Blaine's acceptance, Kurt continued. "The next day, we went to see a Broadway show. Have you ever seen anything like that?" Blaine shook his head. His parents had always left him home on trips. He'd have just gotten in the way.

Kurt grinned. "You'd love it. We went to see a matinee of Phantom of the Opera. You should have seen the costumes! They were frilly and elegant and wonderful. I remember thinking how incredible it was to see all of the actors dancing and singing so dramatically. I remember looking at the other people in the audience and I was so surprised. They weren't laughing at them or making fun of how... over the top... they were. It gave me hope."

Blaine smiled back, thinking of a little Kurt so entranced with the theatricality of the show. He'd be surprised if Kurt hadn't tried to wear a Phantom mask to school after that trip.

"After the show... I couldn't even talk. It had been so breathtaking that I didn't even know where to begin. We got on a city bus and went up Madison Avenue for a little bit. There were so many fancy shops! Gucci, Armani, Prada-Ohhh they had this black messenger bag you would have LOVED!-Louis Vuitton, Cartier-did you know you can buy a pen for $700? A PEN! My mom couldn't believe it!"

Blaine couldn't contain his giggle as Kurt's eyes widened. Sidetracked, Kurt went on about all of the amazing things he couldn't find back home.

"Of course we couldn't afford much, but we pretended! She let me try on all the clothes I wanted and then she bought me my very first Marc Jacobs ensemble. It was a silky black button down vest with a breast pocket and a tiny silver chain with room for a handkerchief. Matched with a pair of tailored pinstriped trousers and my very first fedora-"

Blaine openly laughed at the thought of little Kurt adjusting the brim of his new fancy hat.

"Yeah, you laugh, but let me tell you, I was the best-dressed eight year old in the city that night."

Kurt's proud chin lifted and Blaine could once again see the sparkle in his eyes. It brought warmth back to his own body and he breathed in air that seemed to finally fill his lungs again. It was going to be all right. Kurt was here, holding his hands and telling him a special story.

"So we went for ice cream afterwards-Mom had to keep track of my cone so I wouldn't drip it on my vest. I think she got more of it than I did! But that was probably the plan." Here, Kurt sat back deeper into the couch and crossed his legs, smoothing his pants down with hands that suddenly felt sweaty. Blaine leaned in, eager to hear more.

"We walked all the way to Central Park, where there's a huge castle by a pond. The pond is full of tiny little turtles, and we sat on a big flat rock together and talked. Just talked, just the two of us, all evening until it started to get dark."

Kurt's voice halted and he gripped his knees. "She told me it was okay to be myself... To not let people dictate how I live my life or tell me who I was meant to be. I'm pretty sure she knew I was gay before I did."

Blaine realized what Kurt was sharing with him. This wasn't really about a penguin. This was about little Kurt, needing to know that it was okay to be different.

Okay to be different, Blaine thought.

"She finally told me that afternoon that she was sick." Kurt swallowed hard. "I remember curling up in her arms on that rock and crying. She cried too. A lot. Then she told me that even after she was.. gone, that I needed to be strong and stand up for what's right. And to fight for what I wanted."

Blaine wasn't sure where this was going. That didn't sound like an entirely good thing.

"F-fight?"

"Yeah… I always think of her when I'm fighting for you." Kurt looked up again and held Blaine's eyes in his own. "When you need backup. When it's too much to fight on your own. She… she told me to fight for you."

"But… s-she didn't even know me…"

"No, but I do." Kurt was silent for a moment. "What I mean is… she told me I was going to need to be strong. And we didn't know it yet, but… we're stronger together, Blaine. Just like she said. We've got to stay strong. Because… because we're different, but it makes us special. My mom knew that."

"She was p-pretty smart." Blaine managed a smile through the tears that suddenly clouded his vision.

So that was what Kurt had meant.

No one was going to be sent away.

There was nothing to fear… nothing here, nothing now.

Kurt reached for him and pulled Blaine closer.

"So, do you want to know what I named him?" Kurt whispered into Blaine's curly hair.

Blaine nodded. He could hear the smile in Kurt's voice as he answered, "Versace."

"Of course." Blaine repeated with a soft smile. He squeezed both Kurt and the adorable little penguin just a little bit tighter.

That night, Versace and Thumpy accompanied the two sleepy boys under the covers.

"Fun fact," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's shoulder, "My mom had Thumpy before I was born. She even took pictures of him sitting next to her pregnant belly. So he really has been with me through everything."

Blaine relaxed into Kurt's words and closed his eyes.

Within minutes, they both slipped into a peaceful slumber, holding each other close and breathing in perfect synchronicity.