“Good morning, Mr. Hummel,” he said formally. Kurt glared up at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked again and Blaine gave him an innocent look.

“I’m fixing this terribly hazardous roof before it breaks apart and injures one of the children.” Kurt rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t agree to this,” he argued but Blaine dropped his jaw in feigned disbelief.

“You would knowingly put the children in danger when someone more than capable of mending the problem is willing to help? Mr. Hummel, I have never-”

“You know, your self-confidence is a little over bearing. I hope you don’t disappoint,” Kurt said and walked into the small building. He walked over to his desk and smiled faintly as he heard the rhythmic pound of Blaine’s hammer against the roof a minute later.

Kurt sat down behind his desk and took a deep breath. Blaine was just lending a helping hand. He was doing it for the town and for the kids, not for Kurt. He needed to get a grip on reality. Blaine wasn’t like that; he didn’t have those feelings for Kurt. Not the way Kurt did for him. Blaine was always eager to help people in need, and this was just another friendly act of kindness.

A few hours later, the sun was shining through the two windows in the school and children were on their short break, getting a breath of fresh air before they’d begin another hour of learning. Kurt began to walk to the door to call them all back inside, when another body walked through the open door. “Hello, Blaine,” Kurt greeted and the man dipped his head courtly.

“All finished up there. I promise it’ll last at least another twenty years.” Kurt smiled at him graciously.

“You know, you didn’t have to.”

“Oh, I know,” he said, and he looked at Kurt with a cheeky grin.

“I guess you’re here to collect your payment?”

“Have dinner with me,” the other man said quickly and Kurt thought his eyes might actually pop out of his skull. Seeing Kurt’s shock, Blaine tried to cover himself. “I mean, if you want. I just thought- I mean you wouldn’t let me do it for free so I figured- obviously you don’t have to- I just thought it might be nice- I’m just going to go,” he rambled and turned on his heel but Kurt grabbed his arm before he could move away. Blaine looked down at Kurt’s hand on him before his gaze slid up to Kurt’s face.

“Dinner sounds wonderful,” Kurt said and smiled at the other boy. He still couldn’t believe that Blaine had asked in the first place, but Kurt would be damned if he didn’t accept. He’d dreamt of this for years but never thought it was tangible that Blaine could like Kurt back. Blaine looked at Kurt hopefully.

“Don’t say that because you feel like you have to; because I already fixed the roof. I said at the beginning that I’d do it for free and I meant it. Don’t agree because you feel oblige-” Kurt covered the other man’s mouth with his hand and Blaine’s eyes widened a fraction.

“Dinner sounds wonderful,” Kurt repeated and after a moment of staring into Kurt’s eyes for any sign of wavering, he felt Blaine smile beneath his palm. Kurt dropped his hand so he could see that smile, but Blaine caught his hand on its way down. He held it between his hands and stared at Kurt with such excitement and care that Kurt felt winded.

“Come by my house at six,” Blaine said softly before lifting Kurt’s hand back up to his mouth and kissing the inside of his palm delicately.

And just like that, he was off. Kurt felt his breath hitch and he watched the boy’s retreating form as he raced home, most likely going to get everything ready. Kurt slowly reached up and pinched himself hard on his forearm, half expecting to be woken up. Instead he inhaled sharply at the pain in his arm.

“Why are you smiling?” a voice called from in front of him, pulling Kurt back to the classroom. Standing in front of him was a short girl, about nine years old, with beautiful red hair that was pulled back into a braid. Kurt placed a hand on her head.

“Nothing, Katherine. Can you call in the others for me?” Katherine looked delighted to be given such an assignment and nearly bounced back out the building. Kurt shook his head and bit his lip, wondering just what would be in store for the night.