Blaine woke up with a gasp, immediately sitting bolt upright. His eyes flickered to where Kurt lay on his cot, face still relaxed with sleep. He scrubbed a hand across his face, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt vaguely sick. He'd never had a dream be so vivid before. He glanced back at Kurt, calming himself by watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

He turned his head to look at his alarm clock; it was already 6:30. He knew there wasn't a chance of going back to sleep. He wasn't even sure he wanted to go back to sleep if dreams like that were what awaited him. He threw off the covers and padded to the bathroom, taking extra time washing his hands afterward, just letting the warm water wash over his hands.

Finally, he sighed and shut off the tap, grabbing the hand towel and drying off quickly. He decided to go downstairs and plan possible meal choices for Kurt. He was surprised when he opened the refrigerator and saw a small assortment of fruit. He reached in and pulled out a few, shutting the door with his foot as he did his best to busy himself making a smoothie for Kurt's breakfast. He hoped that the whirring of the blender would be enough to distract him from his dream.

It had worked. He lost himself in making Kurt's breakfast and soon he was able to think of all the things he wanted to do that day. By the time Kurt's smoothie was done, he'd made a mental to-do list. He poured the contents of the blender into a glass and rooted around for a straw, grabbing it and making his way back upstairs.

He pushed open the door and opened the curtains to let some light in before walking over and to sit down gingerly on the edge of the cot, gently shaking Kurt awake. "Kurt, wake up," he said softly, sliding a hand across the boy's upper arm, removing it quickly when it brought back a memory of his nightmare.

Kurt's eyes fluttered open and Blaine smiled in an attempt to remind Kurt that he was safe and that he didn't need to be afraid. "Good morning," Blaine greeted quietly. "Sorry to wake you up so early, but I'd like to get an early start today, if that's alright."

Kurt sat up slowly, nodding and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced down at Blaine's hand, an inquisitive expression on his face when he saw the glass. "Oh," Blaine said, lifting up the glass for Kurt to see. "I figured you'd be pretty sick of tomato soup by now, so I made you a strawberry banana smoothie."

A wide smile spread across the other boy's face as he slowly took the drink from Blaine's hand. He took a tentative sip before his smile widened and his sips became less careful.

"Is it good?" Blaine asked politely.
Kurt nodded in a quick bob. "It's delicious, Blaine! Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

Blaine stood up and moved to his closet, rooting through too-small t-shirts to find one that might fit Kurt. He found one and laid it out on top of a pair of Cooper's old jeans that he'd salvaged from a storage box. Blaine didn't think that Kurt, being fashion conscious, would want to go around all day in a pair of jeans that were inches too short on him, so he'd found a pair of Cooper's that, even though they might still be a little big in the hips, would come down to the top of Kurt's feet.

He tossed a belt on the pile of clothes and turned to Kurt. "What size shoe do you wear?"

Kurt looked up at him and Blaine recognized his 'deep in thought' expression. "The last time I wore shoes, I was a size eleven."
"How long ago was that?" Blaine asked, trying to ignore the way the words The last time I wore shoes made his stomach roll over.
"Last spring, I think," Kurt said easily.

Blaine turned quickly back toward his closet, pulling out a box of a pair of size eleven shoes. He thanked the powers that be that his mother had never quite figured out his shoe size either, so he had a pair in pretty much every size. "Here," Blaine said, lifting the lid off the box. "When you get done with your breakfast, try these on, okay? They should fit."

Kurt nodded and Blaine continued talking. "Today, I'm going to take you shopping. I don't have much money right now, but we can get you a few outfits, I think. I cleared out a drawer for you in my dresser, but it's only temporary until you move into Coop's old room."

Kurt kept his eyes locked on Blaine as the younger boy paced back and forth across the room, ticking off all the things they were going to do that day. Finally, he slowed down and turned to Kurt. "How are you feeling today?"

The older boy gave a small smile. "Better, actually. That smoothie was really good."

Blaine laughed quietly, crossing the room to take the glass from Kurt. "There's some left in the fridge. You can have it for lunch if you want."
Kurt smiled and nodded. Blaine clapped his hands once. "Okay, let's get you dressed."

Kurt dressed quickly in the clothes Blaine provided him. He walked with a slight limp, but his movement definitely seemed better than yesterday.

"How's your leg?" Blaine asked as he led Kurt over to the mirror that was hanging behind his door.

"Better, thank you," Kurt answered quickly.

Blaine didn't know if it was the truth or just Kurt's go-to answer for whenever someone asked him a question. Come to think of it, Blaine had never actually heard him say that anything wasn't 'okay'. He made another mental note to pay closer attention to Kurt in order to assess his progress. He was pretty sure that he couldn't trust the other boy to tell him if something was wrong.

He watched Kurt appraise himself in the mirror, turning himself around to see his outfit from all angles with a small smile on his face. "Sorry again about how loosely the clothes fit."

"They're perfect," Kurt said, distracted by his own reflection, his tone a bit happier than Blaine had heard it so far.

Blaine smiled and lightly clapped his hand onto Kurt's shoulder before walking toward his closet. He'd forgotten to find Kurt a jacket. He opened the door and pulled the string to turn on the light, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had no less than six winter coats. He turned back to look at Kurt again, trying to figure out which jacket would go best with the outfit.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. "Hey, Kurt, come here," he called softly, beckoning the other boy over with a wave. Kurt came to stand at his side. "I can't figure out which jacket would go best with your clothes, so I figured I'd let you pick."

Kurt's eyes widened, suddenly flickering back and forth between Blaine and the closet. "R-Really?"

Blaine nodded and gestured toward the open door. "Pick the one you like best."

The taller boy took a hesitant step toward the closet, stepping inside and turning to face the rack of coats. He brought his hand to cover his mouth, an unconscious reaction that Blaine had quickly learned to mean that he was deep in thought about something. He slowly reached out and pulled down a navy-colored pea coat. "T-This one?"

Blaine was sure that Kurt knew that it was the best match for the outfit, but his voice was still hesitant as if he was asking permission. Blaine smiled and reached forward to take it from him. "Perfect."

Kurt stepped out of the closet. Blaine shut off the light and turned around. He opened the coat up for Kurt to put his arms through the sleeves. As the other boy started buttoning the coat closed, Blaine darted to his dresser, pulling out a scarf and a pair of matching gloves. "Here, these came with that coat."

He threw the scarf around the back of Kurt's neck and wrapped it loosely around the pale column of his neck. He handed Kurt the gloves as he guided him back toward the mirror. "You look amazing, Kurt. Navy goes really well with your skin," Blaine complimented, squeezing Kurt's shoulder's lightly as he watched wide, blue eyes appraising the figure in the mirror.

Kurt brought a hand to the front of the jacket as though he didn't quite believe it would be real beneath his fingers. Blaine stepped away to shrug on his own, much less remarkable, jacket, the same one he'd wrapped around Kurt the day before to keep him from freezing.

He patted the pocket to make sure he had his keys. He reached in to pull them out and a wide brass band fell out, clattering to the floor. Blaine stomach sank as he realized what it was. He'd put it in the pocket in such a hurry yesterday that he'd all but forgotten about it. Kurt's eyes flashed to it and his face fell.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine breathed, picking up the band from where it landed on the floor.

It had been so easy to try and forget that Kurt was actually, legally Blaine's property. In fact, Blaine had done his best to push it out of his mind, a task that would be nearly impossible now. He turned the cold metal band around in his hand, the brass was tarnished, dirty.

Blaine had never seen a slaveband up close before. The metal was stamped with his name and phone number so that someone could call if they found Kurt wandering somewhere he "shouldn't" be. His eyes darted to Kurt's arm and back to the band. There was no way he was going to be able to bring himself to put it on him.

All slaves were required by law to wear a metal band around the top of their arm, around their bicep. Most owners made their slave wear them at all times, but others only made them wear them when they would be somewhere they'd be seen. If Blaine had his way, Kurt would never wear it at all. It was like a brand that marked him as something different, something less.

His free hand unconsciously moved to cover his mouth. He felt himself start to break as he realized that, if they were going out, Kurt had to wear the armband. The idea made him physically sick. He knew the stigma behind it. He heard the way people would laugh as the slave followed behind their owner, marked for what they were by a wide metal band that wrapped like a noose around their arm. He swallowed back the bile in his throat.

"What's the matter, Blaine?" Kurt asked quietly.

"I can't do it, Kurt." His voice cracked around the words. "I don't own you. I can't put this on you. It looks like it belongs on a dog. You can own a dog! You can't own a fucking person!" Blaine threw the slaveband at the floor with enough force to dent the wooden boards. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

Kurt stepped forward and leaned down to pick it up, wincing as he stood back up. He kept his eyes on Blaine as he put his hand through the middle of the band and slid it up his arm. The tarnished metal stood in contrast with the navy blue of his jacket.

Blaine felt almost sick. All he could do was mouth, "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry."
The taller boy gave Blaine a sad smile. He took a small bit of comfort in the fact that it seemed as though Kurt understood how much Blaine hated all of this. He felt the need to say it anyway.

"Kurt, I need you to understand that, no matter what the law says, I do not own you. You are not my property. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. It kills me that you have to wear that thing." He pointed in disgust to the band on Kurt's jacket sleeve, unable to even bring himself to call it by its name.

He took a deep breath and continued. "I am not your owner. In my eyes, we're equals, and I don't care what anyone else says. Your wants and needs and dreams matter just as much as everyone else's. Please, don't let anything ever let you forget that."

Blaine had managed to pull himself together by the end of his speech. Kurt had been watching him with a sympathetic expression. Slow and tentative, Kurt took a step toward Blaine, lifting his hand as an invitation. Blaine reached forward and put his hand inside Kurt's, watching as Kurt brought his other hand to cover Blaine's so that he was holding Blaine's hand between both of his own.

"Blaine, I don't think that you'd ever let me forget." He squeezed Blaine's hand gently, a small, kind smile on his face. "Thank you. For everything. You're the only person who's treated me like a human being in three years."

"That's because you area human being, Kurt," Blaine whispered, his voice low and quiet. "And you shouldn't have to wear that damn armband. I hate it."

Kurt gave him another sad smile and squeezed his hand again.

"So, we'll hate it together," he answered softly, patting Blaine's hand before letting it drop easily. He turned around to face the mirror, surveying his outfit again.

Blaine took a deep breath, feeling comforted by Kurt's words. He would do his best to keep from noticing the brass band on the other boy's arm and vowed that the moment they walked back through the front door, it would be taken off and put somewhere that neither one of them would have to see it again until absolutely necessary.
He picked up his keys from where they'd fallen to the floor and walked up behind Kurt, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Kurt turned away from his reflection and nodded. Blaine opened the door and led them both to the hallway, wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist to help him down the stairs. If Kurt had leaned against the railing, he probably could have made it by himself, but Blaine didn't want to take any chances.

The air was bitingly cold as Blaine shut and locked the front door behind them. Kurt looked around, distracted, as he was led to the car. He went to stand by the back passenger's side door, waiting for Blaine to unlock the car.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked, confused, before sighing. He realized that it was another submissive gesture. Blaine opened the front passenger's door. "No, you ride up front."

Kurt gave a small smile and climbed inside. Blaine closed the door behind him before crossing around and dropping into the driver's seat, turning the key and pulling the door shut in the same motion. The air blowing from the vents was just as cold as the air outside, so he adjusted the control to a lower setting until the car warmed up.

Blaine clicked on the radio to fill the silence. It was a song they played on an almost constant loop. Blaine drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and sang along quietly. He was sick of the song, but it was familiar. He glanced at Kurt and saw his face lit up with an unnamable expression. "What are you thinking about over there?" Blaine asked easily.

"The song. It sounds familiar, but I don't think I've ever heard it," he answered quickly.
Blaine smiled. "Do you like it?"
"Very much," Kurt answered, a small smile gracing his features.

"They play it all the time. It's Lady Gaga," Blaine said cheerfully, thrilled to have gained another bit of insight into Kurt's personality. "It's called, You and I. It's really popular."

A small smile graced Kurt's features as a look of recognition dawned in his eyes. "She was just starting to get popular when I was in school. We did a couple of her songs for a glee assignment." He seemed a bit more relaxed than usual, seemed to be drawing some sort of comfort from the memory.

At a stop light, Blaine reached into the glove compartment, pulled out a CD and put it in the player. Kurt's eyes lit up as he recognized the song.

"I don't listen to this CD much, but since you like it…" Blaine trailed off. The Fame Monster wasn't his favorite, but anything that made Kurt happy was in his good graces.

Kurt drummed his fingers on his knees in time with the music. Blaine quietly sang along with the music, hoping that Kurt would feel comfortable enough to sing as well. He wanted to get Kurt out of his shell. He'd been discouraged from making any sort of noise for so long that it had caused him to revert into himself.

Blaine could tell, even from what little he'd learned and observed, that Kurt was one of a kind.
In all of his other houses, that trait had been seen as a downfall, but Blaine wanted nothing more than to nurture it. He wanted to know Kurt for who he was, not what he'd been forced to become. He wanted to know the Kurt who was in glee club and had dreams of being a fashion designer.

It had been so long since Kurt had been allowed to be that person. There were momentary flashes of that Kurt. They would happen when he didn't think Blaine was watching. He could see it in the way Kurt's lips would twitch up into a smile when he'd see something he liked in Vogue or in the way his eyes would grow distant and thoughtful whenever something would remind him of a memory.

There was nothing that Blaine wanted more than to bring that person back. Not just in short bursts, but for good.

Blaine pulled into the parking lot of the thrift store and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He opened it and showed Kurt the money they had to spend. "It's not much, but I'm hoping it will get you something of your own."

Kurt's eyes widened as he counted the money. Blue eyes flickered to Blaine's face. "A-All of that? There's at least two hundred dollars there," Kurt squeaked, his eyes still locked on Blaine's hand.

"You need clothes, Kurt. Mine don't fit you, and I'm sure you don't want to wear my brother's pants. I don't buy a lot from here, but I think you'll like it. It's where all the rich people bring their clothes. They've got fancy clothes for pretty cheap."

Kurt was speechless, but his emotion was plain on his face. He didn't need to say anything for Blaine to see that Kurt was beyond thankful. Blaine cleared his throat and dropped his eyes to the space between them, feeling awful for what he was about to say.

"I don't know if any of your past owners took you into stores, but there's a certain way you have to act. Most stores don't even like it when you bring slaves inside, but as long as you stay quiet and just follow me, no one will say anything. As long as you've got your armband on, you should be okay."

Kurt nodded his agreement. Blaine wondered idly how far this would set Kurt back in his progress to accepting that he wasn't inferior. He opened the door and stepped out, quickly crossing to the other side of the car to open Kurt's door. It wasn't something that owners normally did for their slaves, but Blaine was desperate to feel in control of this situation in some way. Usually it was the slave's job to open doors for their owner.

He reached into the car and helped Kurt out, reminding him not to put too much weight on his right leg. As they walked toward the front of the building, Blaine whispered to Kurt. "Anything you like, point to it, alright? You won't be allowed to try anything on, because slaves aren't allowed to touch anything, but there's an old sewing machine in Cooper's room. We can make the clothes fit."

"I can sew," Kurt said, his voice sounded excited. Blaine was going to protest, thinking it was just another of Kurt's insistent pleas to help, but he stopped himself. The tone of Kurt's voice made him think that sewing was something that Kurt actually enjoyed. He'd have to get the sewing machine out of storage as soon as they got home. Blaine nodded and gave Kurt a small smile, patting his arm quickly before letting his arm drop.

They were now where people could see them. Blaine could feel Kurt completely shut down beside him, his eyes cast toward the ground as he reached forward and opened the door for Blaine. He fought the urge to thank Kurt. It was a reflex reaction that would have garnered disapproving stares. It was unheard of for an owner to thank their slave for tasks they were supposed to do automatically.

Blaine led Kurt to the men's section. Thankfully, it was empty, so they were able to act a little more freely. Kurt's eyes sparkled as he pointed to the different articles of clothing that caught his attention. Blaine had to cover his mouth to stifle a laugh at Kurt's expression when Blaine gestured jokingly to a green paisley shirt as a suggestion. Kurt had looked nothing short of horrified.

He put the clothes on the checkout counter and watched as the woman rang them up. He risked a glance at Kurt. Though they were cast submissively to the floor, his eyes were bright and excited. The cashier finished putting the clothes in bags and glanced toward Kurt, obviously expecting that he would have taken them from the counter already.

Blaine did his best to feign annoyed frustration. "The bags, Kurt," he sighed, his tone impatient.

Kurt's head snapped up. He quickly took the bags from the counter and stepped behind Blaine, dropping his gaze back toward the floor. Blaine paid for the clothes and turned to walk toward the door, Kurt falling into step behind him. He opened the door with his arms full and held it open for Blaine.

As soon as they were around the side of the building where no one could see, Blaine took the bags from Kurt's hands and pressed the button to open the hatch of his Volvo, walking over to put the bags inside before turning to Kurt. "You okay?" He asked, eager to make sure that his tone inside the store hadn't actually hurt the other boy. "I'm sorry I was a jerk at the counter. The cashier would have suspected something if I'd tapped you on the shoulder or said something nicely."

Kurt looked toward Blaine's face, and Blaine breathed a sigh of relief to see that the hardened mask hadn't returned. He still looked okay, almost happy even. "I understand," he whispered. He kept his voice quiet on the off chance someone was listening.

"Let's get home so that you can try on these clothes," Blaine said, actually feeling a bit excited about the prospect of seeing Kurt in his new clothes. Kurt had impeccable taste. The clothes he picked were amazing. He would gesture silently to the pieces that would be combined to form an outfit. They were all original, never something that would be the obvious choice for a combination, but it worked. It could definitely be said: Kurt had a flair for fashion.

They made it home just around lunchtime. Blaine had suggested that Kurt drink the last of the smoothie in the refrigerator before trying on his new clothes. Kurt seemed impatient, drinking the smoothie down much faster than he had before. Blaine was barely able to hide his smile. It was kind of adorable to see Kurt so excited about something. The taller boy's socked foot tapped restlessly against the tile floor as he drank as quickly as he could.

Blaine had to remind him more than once that he needed to take it slowly, because he was still getting better. Kurt finished the drink and stood up all at the same time. Blaine chuckled and took the glass from Kurt's hand. "Alright, let's go," he laughed, wrapping an arm around the other boy's waist. He wanted to take as much weight off Kurt's bruised leg as possible now that no one was around to see.

They'd no more than made it into Blaine's bedroom before Kurt hurried to the where the bags were waiting on the bed. Blaine climbed onto the bed and slid back against the headboard, watching Kurt separate the clothes into their respective outfits.

They'd done well for their budget, finding Kurt four pairs of jeans, seven shirts, two pairs of shoes, and two belts.

Kurt tried on the outfits one at a time, appraising himself thoughtfully in the mirror and scrunching up fabric where it hung loosely. Blaine could see him figuring out how he was going to tailor the clothes to fit him perfectly.

"Oh," Blaine announced, climbing off the bed. "I just remembered something. I'll be right back."
He walked past Kurt, giving him a quick squeeze on the shoulder before dashing out of the room.

Blaine wiggled his way between the boxes that were stacked floor to ceiling in Cooper's bedroom, doing his best to try and get to the closet, praying that once he got there, he'd actually be able to open the door. When he got to the back of the room, the door would open, but just barely enough for him to squeeze inside. He pulled the string and dug around under a mess of blankets and clothes to donate to charity. He made a note to let Kurt look through those later to see if there was anything he might want.

Finally, he found what he'd been looking for buried under a comforter. He tucked it under his arm and picked up the box beside it by the handle, wiggling backward to make himself and the objects fit through the door. He didn't even bother to close it before hurrying out of the room.

"This is for you," Blaine said cheerfully, setting down a small sewing machine and a box of assorted sewing things. His mother had tried to explain what each one was when he was younger, but he had lost interest quickly, usually opting to go play Power Rangers instead.

"Me?" Kurt asked, pointing to himself for clarification. "You're giving those to me?"
"Yeah, I mean, it's not much, but I'm sure we can pick up what you need as you need it. Just go through there and make me a list, and I'll go buy what you need." Blaine looked down at the box. Kurt had already popped the latch and was setting things aside, grouping items together as though they related to each other in some way. It all looked very confusing.

Blaine scratched his head. "On second thought, why don't you make a list and we'll both go shopping for what you need. I don't think I'd know what to buy. All of that stuff looks the same."
Kurt smiled in Blaine's direction, his eyes full of emotion. "Thank you, Blaine. So much. It's been so long since I've done anything like this. I didn't realize how much I missed it."

"You're welcome," Blaine answered, smiling. He was glad that he was able to make Kurt happy. Even if it was with such a small thing.

"Oh, there's a bag of clothes in Cooper's room too. I think they were his, so they'd probably fit you if you wanted to try them on. I mean, you'd have to fix them like you're doing with the new clothes, but…." Blaine broke off, realizing that he was rambling. "Just know that they're there if you want them. All you have to do is tell me and I'll bring them in for you to look through."

The smile on Kurt's face was breathtaking. Blaine realized why he'd been rambling. He'd been so desperate to try and keep the smile in place. Kurt's smile lit up his entire face, making his nose crinkle slightly and causing his blue eyes to sparkle. That was the expression that belonged on such a beautiful face and Blaine would do whatever it took to try and keep it there.

-xXxXx-

Blaine lounged on his bed, trying to concentrate on his English homework and listening to the steady thrumming of the sewing machine as he tried to get through yet another chapter of The Great Gatsby. Kurt had quickly decided exactly what he wanted to do with the clothes he'd bought and Blaine suggested that Kurt set the sewing machine on the desk to work and he'd just do his homework on the bed.

Kurt had asked him no less than ten times if Blaine was sure he didn't mind. He was obviously still not used to the idea of someone sharing a space with him. Blaine had finally laughed and grabbed Kurt's hand to pull him off the bed, taking the boy and the sewing machine and depositing them both at the desk.

He'd pulled out the desk chair and pointed to it with an insistent order of "Kurt, sit."

The other boy had smiled and dropped down into the chair. Blaine brought the rest of his supplies to him and rubbed a hand across his back quickly before walking back toward the bed.

The room was silent aside from the noise of the sewing machine. Blaine smiled to himself as he realized that the silence wasn't awkward. It was just two people comfortably occupying the same space. Blaine stretched out on his bed, lying flat on his back and holding the book above his face.

The only break in the silence was when Kurt paused his work and quietly asked if he could use the bathroom. Blaine patiently reminded him, for the third time, that he didn't need to ask. Kurt thanked him and ducked out of the room. Blaine picked his book back up and made another futile attempt to get interested.

There was just something about F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing that didn't appeal to him. It was boring, but he knew there would be a test, so he had to at least try to get through the chapter. He sighed deeply and turned to his side, trying his best to get involved in the story.

-xXxXx-

He wasn't exactly sure when it happened, but apparently he had fallen asleep. He glanced over toward his clock. It was already past six; he'd been asleep for four hours. He sat up, feeling groggy and disoriented after such a long nap. The room was dark, so he clicked the light on, surprised to see Kurt sitting on his cot, his back resting against the wall. "Kurt?"

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" He asked nervously.
"No, you didn't wake me. Why were you sitting in the dark?" Blaine's voice was still thick with sleep, so he cleared his throat. "You could have turned a light on. God, you must have been bored out of your mind."

Blaine threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. His stomach growled loudly, so he put a hand over it and turned to Kurt. "Are you hungry?"

Kurt nodded, so Blaine tried to remember what food they had in the kitchen. He'd been planning to run to the store to pick up something for them both to eat, but he'd fallen asleep instead. He helped Kurt downstairs, pleased that he seemed to be moving a little better.

Blaine had no idea where his parents were. They'd stopped bothering to tell him that they were going out a long time ago. It didn't even faze him anymore to wake up and go to bed in an empty house. It had been better when Cooper was still living there, but he'd managed to make do living by himself.

"We still don't have much, but I'm thinking that maybe you can try something a little bit more substantial today. You handled the soup and the smoothies well. I don't want to give you too much before I make your appointment tomorrow. I'd like you to see the doctor first," Blaine said, turning to busy himself in the cupboards.

He could feel Kurt's eyes on him, watching him work. He wondered how it felt for Kurt to have someone waiting on him when he was so used to being the one who worked his fingers to the bone for no thanks at all. He wondered if he'd ever understand what any of this looked like to Kurt: Someone cooking for him, buying him clothes, giving him a bed, and not forcing him to work (or do anything else) against his will.

Blaine plated their food and poured them each a small glass of milk before returning to the table. "I know it's a terrible dinner, but I don't want to give you too much of anything. I've heard it's really, really bad, and I don't want to accidentally hurt you somehow."

Kurt smiled as he looked down at what was on his plate, a single piece of toast coated with peanut butter. He reached forward and squeezed Blaine's hand lightly. "It's not terrible. I like peanut butter." As if to prove it, he lifted the toast to his mouth and took a deliberate bite.

He was sure that Kurt was just saying that to make him feel better, but it worked. He lifted his own toast to his mouth and ate it quickly. He was much hungrier than he'd originally realized. His stomach growled in protest of only having one piece of toast, but he wasn't going to eat anything more than Kurt could eat. He drank his milk to try and fill the empty space in his stomach.

As he gathered the plates from the table and set them in the sink, Blaine asked, "What's your favorite movie?"

The other boy seemed caught off guard by the question. "Oh…um…I'm not sure," he responded after some thought. "I'd probably say, Moulin Rouge."

Blaine spun on his heel, turning to face Kurt quickly. "Well, then why don't we go watch it? I've got it upstairs. Hang on a second, and I'll go get it. Why don't you go make yourself comfortable in the living room, and I'll be down in a second, alright?"

Kurt nodded and slowly stood up. He looked a little uncomfortable with the idea of Blaine leaving him alone in the living room. Slaves generally weren't allowed to sit on the furniture or be unattended in rooms that didn't belong to them unless they were cleaning or were directly ordered to be there.

Blaine was going to offer him reassurances that it was okay and that he was free to do whatever he wanted, but he figured that Kurt just needed to get used to the idea, so he left it alone, darting out of the room with a parting touch to Kurt's shoulder.

When he came back downstairs, Kurt was sitting on the very edge of the couch. His posture radiated discomfort and apprehension. Again, Blaine decided to ignore the elephant in the room and chatter idly about the movie as he put it in the DVD player and dropped down next to Kurt. He kept his tone conversational and light as he finally decided to broach the subject.

"Y'know, Kurt. You can make yourself comfortable. As long as I'm here, this is your house too."

Kurt inched a little to the side as the movie started, obviously uncomfortable but trying not to show it. His eyes were glued to the screen as he watched the figures dance around. He reminded Blaine of a child on Christmas morning. But still, he sat bolt upright, looking almost in danger of falling off the couch if he made a sudden movement.

Finally, Blaine couldn't take anymore, he stretched his arms out and pulled Kurt back against the back of the couch, wrapping his arms around the other boy's waist and pulling him close to his body until Kurt was almost leaning against his side.

He had looked startled at first, clearly a protective instinct kicked in, but it seemed as though he quickly dismissed it when he remembered that it was Blaine. The thought that Kurt felt comfortable around him made Blaine's heart fly. Kurt laughed out a small, nervous sound and pulled his legs up beside him on the couch.

Blaine smiled, keeping his arm wrapped around Kurt's middle. "Better?"
Kurt turned his head toward Blaine and grinned. "Much."
About halfway through the movie, he felt Kurt shiver against his side. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," Kurt answered too quickly.
"Kurt."

The other boy sighed deeply and bit his lip, clearly anxious about saying whatever it was he was about it say. "I-I'm a little cold."
"Well then, we should make you a little warm," Blaine joked, reaching behind him to grab the blanket from the back of the couch, spreading it over both of them. "It is a little cold in here, isn't it?"

Kurt nuzzled unconsciously under the blanket, and Blaine felt his body slowly begin to relax against his side, leaning further and further into him until eventually, he felt Kurt's head rest against his arm. Blaine laughed quietly as he heard the soft snores coming from Kurt. He pulled the sleeping boy closer to his side and let the movie play itself out. As the credits rolled, he lifted Kurt gently off the couch and carried him upstairs, covering him with his blankets after laying him down on his cot.

He stood for a moment watching Kurt sleep. His exhausted face was relaxed into something that almost resembled peaceful. He couldn't believe that it had been less than two days. It felt like an eternity. Even in such a short time, the change that had come over Kurt had been amazing.

It was a testament to just how strong he actually was. There was something about Kurt that Blaine knew was unique, and he was relieved beyond all explanation that all the torture and abuse hadn't been able to squash it. As hard as all his past owners tried, they just couldn't completely break him.

Blaine smiled softly and carded his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair before turning to leave. He went back downstairs to do up the few dishes in the sink and fold the blanket on the couch before returning to his room to settle into his bed.

After sleeping for four hours that afternoon, he wasn't particularly tired. He went to his desk to grab his laptop, putting his earbuds in and dropping back down, cross-legged, on the bed.

He opened the laptop and was listening to music on YouTube when his curiosity suddenly got the better of him. He moved his cursor to the search box and typed in "New Directions Midwest Regional Show Choir Competition 2009" and hit enter.