Blaine was sitting beside Kurt in their History class. The teacher had yet to arrive so both boys were currently leant over the latest copy of Vogue. Blaine enjoyed fashion and would probably subscribe to vogue and other fashion magazine’s if he had the money. Of course his clothes were all cheap or second hand. In fact the one time he’d got angry with Kurt had been because Kurt had tried to reinvent his look. Even if Kurt’s ideas were good, Blaine couldn’t implement them so he’d eventually snapped, telling Kurt to drop it. He’d felt bad afterwards but hadn’t divulged his family situation to Kurt. He wasn’t exactly eager to let anyone at school know he was living in a trailer. 

“Hello class,” Mrs Wright said as she entered the room. “Class projects, pair up and write a biography of a historical figure of your choice.” The class room buzzed with students discussing they’re pairing. Blaine turned to Kurt.

“Partner?” he asked with a grin. Kurt nodded. He marked his page in vogue and set the magazine aside. He flipped his notebook open to a clean page and wrote. Ideas?

“What about a past president, like Lincoln?” Blaine suggested. Kurt frowned slightly. “You don’t like that idea do you?” Blaine laughed. Kurt shook his head. “What do you want to do?”

Queen Elizabeth I, she was quite an influential woman you know. Kurt wrote in his book.

“Was she now? Ok, let’s do her then,” Blaine replied after reading Kurt’s words.

You don’t mind?

“No, it sounds interesting.”

Really? You don’t have some urgent desire to do the project on Lincoln?

“No, honestly, it was the first name that came to my head.” Kurt nodded in reply. “I’ll go tell Mrs Wright, then,” Blaine said before he got up and walked to the front of the class.

*

The end of the school day found Blaine leaning up against Kurt’s locker waiting for him. He saw Kurt before Kurt saw him. Kurt’s face was set in his usual sad expression, it broke Blaine’s heart to see that look on his face but with the life he’d had it wasn’t unsurprising that it was there at all. Kurt’s expression changed, a tiny smile pulling at his lips as he saw Blaine waiting for him.

“So want to start work on the project tonight?” he asked. Blaine, while a good student, was not usually that eager to start a project but any excuse to spend the evening with Kurt. Kurt nodded his agreement. “Great. Shall I come over to yours then?” Blaine replied. Kurt frowned and shook his head. That wasn’t the reply Blaine had been expected. He watched Kurt pull his battered notebook from his bag and flip to the back, which was already littered with his side of conversations with Blaine. Pulling the pen out of the spine Kurt quickly wrote a note before handing the book to Blaine.

Finn has been incessantly practicing the drums recently. It’s too noisy to work, or think, or talk or anything really. What about your place?

Blaine’s stomach knotted slightly at the thought of taking beautiful, elegant Kurt to his trailer. He had wanted to keep his living situation quiet at school but it’s wasn’t like Kurt would blab. Blaine sighed, Kurt was looking at him, waiting for the reply, he was looking anxious, biting his lip like he thought he’d asked the wrong question. Blaine realised he’d taken too long to answer what was seemingly a simple question.

Kurt was Blaine’s best friend at this school, or in fact, at any school. If there was anyone he could trust with this it was Kurt, so he nodded slowly. “Sure.”

Kurt quickly grabbed what he needed from his locker, before the pair made their way silently out to the parking lot. They stopped by a chain link fence where Blaine had chained his bike, because Mckinley didn’t provide actual bike racks, before walking to the Kurt’s car. Fortunately, it easily had enough space for Blaine’s bike. Kurt opened the back door and placed his fashionable satchel down on the backseat then gestured for Blaine to add his. The battered, worn backpack looked out of place on the leather seats.

Once in the car, Kurt turned on the radio lowering the sound so he could hear Blaine over the top of it. Blaine, for his part said very little apart from giving directions to his home. He was nervous. Though Kurt lived in a tiny box room, in a tiny house he was relatively well off, as indicated by the car and his nice clothes. It made sense really, he probably had money from his Dad. Blaine wondered what Kurt’s reaction to his little trailer would be.

Logically, he knew Kurt would not turn away from him for something like this but he couldn’t help but worry. Mostly, he was worried Kurt would pity him, he didn’t want that, he didn’t need pity, he was fine.

Finally, after what felt like forever and not nearly long enough, Kurt turned the car into the trailer park where Blaine lived. Once the navigator was parked Kurt turned to look at Blaine. It wasn’t a pitying look, like Blaine had feared, nor was it disgust, instead it was merely questioning.

“We don’t exactly have a lot of money,” Blaine said by way of explanation. Kurt nodded slightly before hitting the trunk release and climbing out of the car. Blaine followed, heading to the back to grab his bike, which he chained to railings outside his trailer. He then led Kurt inside.

As soon as the pair were inside Blaine remembered he hadn’t cleared the breakfast dishes away. He dived forward, stacking bowls and mugs next to the sink before turning sheepishly towards Kurt.

“Sorry about the mess,” he said, quickly glancing at the sofa-bed to check he hadn’t left dirty clothes lying around. He hadn’t fortunately, or his mother had picked them up. “We can work at the table,” he added, pointing at the newly cleared table. Kurt nodded and sat down, placing his bag on the table and sliding out notebooks he’d need.

Blaine grabbed his laptop from where it was slid under the sofa and put it down on the table. As he sat, Kurt slid his notebook too Blaine. Relax, it read. Blaine smiled softly and looked back at Kurt.

“You know you’re the first friend I’ve ever bought back here,” Blaine said.

Why?

“I don’t want people to judge me or my Mom and I don’t want their pity either. People at my old school knew I lived here, it was just another reason for them to bully me.”

You can trust me.

“I know, I do.”

So Queen Elizabeth?

“Right, work yes, fun,” Blaine said sarcastically. Kurt shook his head at him slightly before the boys bent their heads and began to work.

They worked until they were disturbed by the door opening again.

“Well that was a hell of a day… oh hello,” Harriet said as she looked up and saw a visitor to her home. She looked at the unfamiliar boy; his eyes were sad and looked as though they had been for a very long time. “Well you must be Kurt, it’s nice to finally meet you I feel as though I’ve known you forever the amount Blaine talks about you.”

“Mom,” Blaine groaned and banged his head lightly onto the table. Kurt had stuck a hand out to shake in greeting but Harriet ignored it instead wrapping her arms around the boy, who stiffened then relaxed. She then walked around the table to the kitchen, stopping briefly to ruffle Blaine’s hair on the way.

“Would you boys like some coffee?” she asked.

“Yes please, and Kurt says yes,” Blaine replied, helpfully adding Kurt’s answer, who had nodded rather enthuastically, as Harriet was still turned away. As she began to make the drinks she turned back to the boys.

“So what are you working on?” she asked.

“History project, we are writing a biography on Elizabeth the first. She did a lot in England during her reign,” Blaine answered. Harriet nodded as she placed mugs on the table in front of the boys.

“Well I’ll leave you too it then, I need to go change.” She took her mug and disappeared into her bedroom.

Neither boy noticed Harriet open her door again, once she had changed out of her waitress uniform. Kurt’s head was bent over a notebook as he jotted something down. Blaine, however, was watching Kurt. Harriet smiled softly as she saw the look on her son’s face, it was obvious he cared deeply for Kurt, he was probably on his way to falling in love.

*

Blaine sat opposite Kurt, in his usual seat, at lunch the next day. Kurt’s notebook was open next to him and Blaine watched as Kurt glanced at it, as if there was something he wanted to write.

“Just write it,” Blaine said encouragingly. Kurt sighed, dropped his fork and picked up a pen to write with. Blaine chewed his sandwich and watched Kurt as he wrote. Eventually Kurt slid the book towards him.

You don’t have to answer this, but is it just you and your Mom?

“Yes,” Blaine answered, sliding the book back to Kurt, who wrote again.

She looked really young. Blaine sighed when he read that. Looking up into Kurt’s honest blue eyes he decided to tell him about his family. After all if he ever wanted Kurt to be comfortable enough to tell Blaine about his past he would have to trust Kurt too.

“My Mom was only fifteen when she got pregnant with me,” Blaine started, Kurt’s eyes widened slightly in surprise but there was no judgement there. “My father was a senior at the time, I think, he basically told my Mom to get lost, said I was her problem. I’ve never met him.” Blaine shrugged slightly, sometimes it hurt, most of the time he didn’t really care. “My Mom’s parents were really angry with her, they disowned her, kicked her out of their house, I’ve never met them either.

“My Mom’s maternal Grandparents took her in. We lived with them ‘till I started school. My Mom was worked in the office of a logistics company. She got us an apartment; it was small but really nice. I liked that place. Anyway, when I was about fourteen, shortly after I came out, the company went under. My Mom lost her job, and then we lost the apartment. We agreed we didn’t want to have to live of her Grandparents again so we ended up in the trailer and she ended up working as a waitress.”

Your Mom, sounds amazing.

“She is, I guess because she got kicked out of her house she made extra sure I knew there was nothing I could do that would make her turn her back on me. I wasn’t really nervous when I came out because I knew she’d always love me.”

When Blaine looked up he noticed a tear trickle down Kurt’s face.

“Oh, hey don’t cry,” he said, slightly panicked as got up and moved around to the seat beside Kurt pulling the older boy into his arms. “I’m sorry, whatever I said, I’m sorry,” he added, unsure what had made Kurt cry. Kurt shook his head, pulling away slightly but not completely he picked up his pen once more. Blaine gently rubbed Kurt’s back as he wrote.

I was so scared to come out to my Dad. I mean absolutely terrified, he was all I had and I didn’t know what I would do if he suddenly stopped loving me. I tried to pretend to be straight, I said I was dating Tina, I joined the football team as the kicker but in the end I couldn’t keep it up, so I told him. He told me he had known since I was three, and then he thanked me for actually telling him. It was hard for him I think and it wasn’t perfect, especially when he started hanging out with Finn, I felt I had to measure up. He told me to just be me and that he’d always loved me. He gave up going to a football game because he knew something was up with me. That was a big deal for him.

Blaine read what Kurt had written, still rubbing his back. He didn’t know what to say, this was the first time Kurt had ever mentioned his father. Suddenly Blaine was overcome with a, rather heart-breaking, desire to meet this man. He wished he could have. Kurt was still quietly crying so Blaine decided to not keep talking about family, instead he tried to lighten the mood.

“You were the kicker?” he asked. Kurt snorted slightly, it was probably the closet to a laugh Blaine had ever heard from Kurt.

For one game, which we won, in fact I think it was the only game that Titans won that year.

“Well you’re modest,” Blaine commented. It was at the point he realised sitting next to Kurt was dangerous because Kurt had really pointy elbows. “Ow,” he moaned as he rubbed his side where Kurt had just elbowed him.

For his part, Kurt just rolled his eyes and shoved things back in his bag. Blaine quickly scrambled to gather his things as well. When he turned back, Kurt was reaching a hand out for him. He took it and the pair left the dining hall hand in hand.

Blaine was far too wrapped up in how perfect Kurt’s hand felt in his that he forgot exactly where they were, at least until a jock took it upon himself to remind them. It had been Kurt who’d been shoved, he stumbled into Blaine who hit the lockers hard.

“Disgusting,” the jock hissed. Kurt had gone very still. Blaine was biting his lip, trying not to cry at the pain in his shoulder. He had his arms around Kurt, a move he’d automatically done to protect the other boy, though the added weight had probably made the impact on his shoulder harder. He let his arms drop and suddenly Kurt was sprinting away from him. Blaine dashed after him.

He found Kurt in one of the lesser used bathrooms. He was slumped against a wall, shaking slightly, with his head buried in his knees which he’d drawn up close to himself.

“You ok?” he asked, sliding down next to Kurt. Kurt shook his head, still half hidden. Sighing Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt once more. Kurt uncurled and wrapped his arms around Blaine, burying his head into the younger boys neck. Without much thought Blaine gently nosed Kurt’s hair and kissed his head. “It’ll be ok, one day we’ll both get out of this town and away from these backwards hicks,” he said holding Kurt tighter. The bell rang but neither boy paid it any attention.

Kurt shifted his hand slightly, pressing it against Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine hissed as Kurt pressed on the sore skin, making Kurt pull back, his eyes full of concern. With blue eyes locked on hazel Kurt gently tugged Blaine’s sweater, pulling it up until Blaine got the hint and removed it. Underneath he wore a soft t-shirt, once upon a time it had been black but it was now grey, faded from its many washes. It was not well fitted, a little too big for Blaine, all though he filled it out a lot better than he had when he’d first worn it. The looseness now allowed Kurt to easily roll the sleeve up and expose the red area. There was a cut on his shoulder, which explained why it hurt so much.

Kurt placed Blaine’s hand on the rolled up sleeve so it was held in place the got up. Moving to the sinks he wetted some hand towels then walked back to Blaine. Gently, he cleaned the cut. His eyes were focused on the work so Blaine was free to watch him. It was then, as they sat on the bathroom floor, while Kurt cleaned a wound Blaine had got from a homophobic attack that Blaine came to the sudden and over powering realisation that he was in love with Kurt.

He opened his mouth to speak, to say those words to Kurt who probably hadn’t heard them in a long time, but then his brain caught up. He’d barely known this broken boy for any length of time, they weren’t even dating and Kurt was broken, Blaine had no idea how he’d react to that kind of declaration, especially when Blaine had made no indication of any such feelings before.

He closed his mouth and sighed causing Kurt to look up at him. Blaine smiled, albeit weakly. “I’ve had worse,” he said. He probably wouldn’t have even noticed being knocked into lockers at his old school. The look Kurt gave him then was one of sorrow and anger. It was a look that said: You shouldn’t have.

Kurt got up once more and threw the towel away, the rummaged in his bag before pulling out a small first aid kit.

“Wow, you’re prepared,” Blaine said smiling as Kurt gently stuck a plaster over the cut. Kurt shrugged in answer, putting the kit away and standing up. Blaine followed suit, pulling his sweater on. “Thanks for that,” he said smiling at Kurt and pulling him into a tight hug, Kurt held him back just as tight.

“We are so late,” Blaine said after a second. Kurt huffed out a breath pulling from Blaine and shrugging. The decided not to bother with the classes they had that period.