Kurt spent the next few days keeping his head down and slowly changing codes in the computer system that no one would (hopefully) notice until it was too late. He had a deadline to meet, Founder's Day. The only holiday celebrated under WG rule. A day to celebrate the founding of, well, of the World Government. Founder's Day was approaching and Kurt couldn't afford to mess it up.

He sat at a corner table during lunch. By himself and out of sight. So Kurt was extremely surprised when his solitary lunch was interrupted by a lunch tray being set down in front of him. Kurt looked up from his food to see Blaine standing there with a nervous smile on his face.

“May I sit here?” He asked.

Kurt thought he probably could say no. Sometimes people didn't like even small changes to their routine. If he said no it would be understandable. He should say no.

“Of course!” Kurt said and then wanted to hit himself.

Blaine's smile grew and he sat down across from Kurt. “I've been wanting to talk to you for days. I've been thinking about it.”

“Thinking about it?”

“Yes. Thinking about my job and if I like it and why I like it if I do.”

“Okay...” Kurt answered slowly “And what have you come up with?”

Blaine chewed a bite of his lunch before answering. “I do like my job. Partly because I am good at my job. It gives me a... a feeling of accomplishment. I don't get to accomplish much in my life. Have you ever thought about that? How little we do? And I like it because it helps people. You know what I realized? I really like helping people. How did I not know that before? Do you think everyone feels that way? I think everyone must feel that way a little bit. Do you?”

Kurt just stared at Blaine for a moment, he had said all of that nearly in one breath. It was the most he had heard anyone talk the entire time he'd been in Principle City. Blaine blushed and ducked his head. It was adorable.

“Sorry.” He said. “Am I bothering you? Or interrupting your routine?"

“No. No not at all.” Kurt said quickly. “Not bothering me at all.” Kurt smiled. “Wow. You've been thinking a lot, huh?”

Blaine smiled back. “I've never heard anyone talk the way you do.” 

Kurt's stomach dropped. Why did Blaine make him forget all of his training? Blaine could be so dangerous to him. 

“I like it.” Blaine added. 

Kurt sighed, “I don't think everyone feels that way.” He said changing the subject. 

“Excuse me?”

“I don't think everyone likes to help people. I'm glad you do.”

Blaine ducked his head again before looking up at Kurt through his long eyelashes. “Do you?”

“Like to help people?” Kurt swallowed, of course he did. That's what this whole mission was about, right? “Yes. I do.”

“What else do you like?”

Kurt laughed. “What? Do you want me to list things I like?”

“I made a list!” Blaine answered eagerly. “I had never thought about it before.” 

The thought of someone as sweet as Blaine never even taking the time to consider what he liked in life made Kurt hurt inside. “What's on your list?” He asked instead of answering the question himself, the less they talked about him the better. 

“I like colors.” Blaine answered. “Bright colors. Not this tan we all wear.” he said pinching his shirt. “Or the gray of the buildings. I like the bright blue sky and the green grass. Once on a learning trip as a child I saw a field with flowers in it. They were red and purple. It was amazing. And I like sounds. The way different sounds fit together, like doors shutting in time with feet walking. Or the sounds of peoples' voices. Some are low and some are high. I... I like all of that.”

Kurt could not believe how much Blaine was talking, almost as much as he couldn't believe the lump forming in his throat at Blaine's little speech. He'd only seen flowers once? Blaine loved colors and sounds and he lived in a gray, music-less world.

Kurt hated the WG. He'd always hated the WG but Blaine was reminding him why. Tina had been right, the people here didn't even understand the freedom they were missing out on. 

“That's beautiful Blaine.” Kurt couldn't help but answer.

Blaine opened his mouth to say something else and a chime rang out through the room. A signal that this lunch shift was over. Kurt looked around at the people standing from their tables and walking orderly out of the room.

“Could we... would you like...” Blaine started and stopped, looking nervous. “Would you like to eat lunch together again tomorrow?” He asked. 

Kurt smiled at him brightly. “I would like that very much.”

Kurt had panicked at first when he got back to his “home” from World Government Central. He'd been avoiding Blaine and now he was going to become his new lunch buddy? Kurt knew enough about people in WG cities to know they didn't change their routines lightly. If Blaine wanted to have lunch with him it would very likely turn into a regular thing. They had spoken briefly again at the shuttle stop too. Though Blaine had been quieter. Not talking as much when others were around. Kurt wanted to spend time with Blaine, but could he really afford that distraction?

Kurt's desire to get to know Blaine warred with his need to work against the WG. Kurt had been raised to hate the WG.

Years ago. his parents had met and fallen in love, against the mandates of World Government law. They might have been able to keep their relationship secret a while longer if his mom hadn't gotten pregnant with him. 

They arrested his mother and father. They only got away because they happened to be kept in a prison with a leader important to the resistance. They got out when rebels came and broke out their leader. They'd been part of the resistance after that and Kurt was born into freedom.

His mom died years later, she got sick and the resistance didn't have the means or medicine to really help her. That had just straightened Kurt's hatred of the WG. He knew he'd live his life to bring them down. Now he had a chance to do that and some guy was turning his head?

It isn't just some guy though, Kurt thought. Blaine was... he was so innocent and kind and nothing like what Kurt thought people in Principe City would be like. 

Kurt sighed. 

There was no reason Kurt couldn't complete his mission and spend time with Blaine. They weren't mutually exclusive. He'd just be careful. He could do that.

The days went by as Kurt found his own routine in Principle City. He hated itx but he was learning to manage here. The more Kurt's hours became routine the more time he spent with Blaine to try to offset the feeling of becoming someone who actually lived in Principle City. Kurt started to feel relaxed and he started being less careful.

Kurt's laugh rang out in the cafeteria. He quickly covered his mouth and looked around at the people glancing at him. Many of them just looked bored while some shot dirty glances his way. Kurt had been in Capitol City for a couple of weeks now and eating lunch with Blaine was one of the few things about his routine he enjoyed.

“Sorry.” Kurt said, “I didn't mean to be so loud.”

Blaine just smiled and shook his head. “It's fine. I like your laugh. You are only one of two people I know who really laughs.”

“Who else do you know that laughs?”

“My neighbor Mercedes. She smiles like she means it and she laughs when she's happy.”

“Don't you laugh when you’re happy Blaine?” Kurt asked raising an eyebrow.

Blaine looked contemplative for a moment, fork scooting food around his plate. “I don't know that I'm happy very often.”

Kurt stomach felt a little queasy at Blaine's statement.

“I'm not... I'm not sad.” Blaine continued. “Or I haven't been... I just don't think I feel happy either.”

“You haven't been sad but now you are?” Kurt asked quietly.

“No. No. I'm not sad. I guess I've just been thinking more about happiness than I ever have recently.” Blaine finally looked up from his plate to smile at Kurt. “Since I met you actually. And I wish I was happier than I am.”

Kurt nodded slowly trying to think of a way to cheer Blaine up. “You just need more of the things you like in your life. More colors and sound. Maybe you could spend more time with Mercedes? If those things make you happy.”

“And you.” Blaine added.

Kurt stared at him hoping he meant what Kurt thought he meant. “And me?”

Blaine's smile grew. “You are one of the things I like. One of the things that make me happy.”

Kurt swallowed deeply, blushing all the way up to his ears. Oh god, he was in deep. He was about to tell Blaine that he was on his list of things he liked too when a young man with sandy colored hair and a round face walked up to their table.

“Blaine.” He said.

“Hello Trent.” Blaine answered.

“It has been over a week since you've eaten at your table.” He said nodding back towards a group of people watching them. “Would you like to join us?”

Kurt glanced back and forth between Trent's solemn face and Blaine's expressive one. He never thought about whose routines were interrupted by Blaine having lunch with him every day.

Please don't go. He couldn't help but think.

Blaine scrunched his brow for a moment before answering. “I have lunch with Kurt now.” He said, “But you are welcome to join us if you'd like too.” Blaine turned to Kurt. “Kurt, this is my friend Trent. Is it okay if he eats with us?”

Kurt looked up to see the upset look on Trent's face and felt bad for him. “Of course he can. We'd love it if you joined us.”

Trent looked angry for a moment before the lines of his face smoothed out. “No. Thank you. I don't like to change my routine.” He said and then turned on his heels and walked back to his regular table.

Blaine sighed. “Trent has a hard time keeping up with his routine sometimes. I hope I haven't messed it up for him.”

“You can sit with them if you want.” Kurt answered.

“I want to sit with you.” Blaine said shaking his head. “I rarely get to choose anything. So in this I am going to chose what I want.”

Kurt bit his lip and tried to hide the huge grin he could feel spreading across his face. The mission was taking more time than expected. More firewalls than Kurt had planned for. He knew he had a deadline and should be focusing on his job, but that didn't mean he couldn't do something for Blaine too. He couldn't really do anything for the mission after work hours anyway. A plan started forming in his mind.

“What do you do after work?” Kurt asked.

“Nothing really.” Blaine answered. “I haven't been assigned any learning courses in a while because I've been keeping up with my routine. I just go home.”

“Want to go somewhere with me after work one day?”

Blaine looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I have something I want to show you on my way home.”

“How would I get there?”

Kurt laughed, “You'd just get on my shuttle with me.”

Blaine's eyes widened in disbelief. “How would I get home?”

“A Blue Shuttle stops near where I live, you could always take it back home afterward.”

Various emotions flirted across Blaine's face. Confusion, worry, doubt but it settled on a happy little smile. Blaine leaned forward and whispered. “Okay. I'll do it.” He said like it was a really big deal.

Kurt gulped. Of course it was a big deal. Blaine had never even realized he could get on another shuttle besides his own. Kurt really hoped he wasn't making a mistake.