Blaine showed up at the shop every day after that. He would arrive in the morning in his mother’s Toyota right when the shop opened, bearing coffee and donuts for Kurt, Mark, and Burt. He would sit on the metal stool near Kurt's work space, strategically out of the way, and strike up a conversation, or read, or sometimes just watch quietly as Kurt fixed cars and interacted with customers. Blaine would leave only briefly in the afternoon to bring back lunch. Then he would help Kurt wipe down his tools and organize his cabinet so that he could take a break to eat.
On occasion, he would lend a hand cleaning windshields or vacuuming carpets. If Blaine’s constant presence bothered Burt, the older man never mentioned it. As time passed, Kurt figured that his dad was just happy that his moody son had finally found a friend – a friend that might make him forget about how much he missed California for a while.

Kurt began to realize that this routine they had developed, this quiet friendship of simply being around each other and comfortable in one another's company, was becoming important to him. He relied on it. He looked forward to Blaine stopping by the shop. He felt lonely when he left to go get lunch. He kept an ear tuned for the sound of Blaine’s car pulling up outside. His heart raced when he heard Blaine’s footsteps on the cement floor. Blaine was occupying a spot in Kurt’s life that Kurt hadn’t realized was vacant – a spot he didn’t realize he wanted so desperately to fill.

Blaine stayed well into the evenings. After Burt left for home, Blaine would leave to switch out the Corolla for his Mustang. Then after the shop closed, he rode in his Mustang beside Kurt's Eclipse when he left for the races. Since the summer races would soon come to an end, the Dalton Crew kept Kurt extra busy. With the exception of Jeff, they drove their cars way too hard and took advice from no one. Because no one listened to him, Kurt was up to his elbows every night diagnosing foreign rattling noises, replacing slipped belts, changing flat and sometimes shredded tires, and in the case of Sebastian, reconnecting NOS lines.

It killed Blaine to watch the Dalton boys run Kurt ragged, Sebastian especially. The smug teen always found some way to get Kurt to linger at his GT-R longer than any other car. He invaded Kurt’s personal space, trying to cop a feel. The most infuriating part was that Sebastian seemed to know exactly when Blaine would be watching. Then Sebastian would make some lewd gesture behind Kurt's back. Once, he tried to run his hand over Kurt's ass while Kurt was bent over his engine. Blaine was prepared to storm over and handle the situation once and for all, but Kurt moved swiftly out of Sebastian's reach and Sebastian was left momentarily caressing thin air, scowling when Blaine broke out into a fit of condescending laughter.

Blaine stayed with Kurt until Kurt decided to leave, and then he would meet up with Kurt's Eclipse and drive beside him home. He parked at the curb outside Kurt’s house and walked Kurt to his door. With a quiet good night, he would kiss Kurt's hand and leave for home.

Every night, Kurt watched Blaine drive away, not making a move to open his door and enter his house until Blaine’s crimson brake lights disappeared into the night.