Title from "Collide" by Howie Day. Also posted to my tumblr (geekinthejeep).

Prompt from youareactuallyjokingperce on Tumblr: "Kids!Klaine as orphans in the same orphanage? I always thought it would be interesting…"

Trigger Warnings: reference to past character death

I'm always open for prompts, so feel free to contact me!


The new kid is crying when Kurt wakes up from his nightmare.

Kurt squirms in his bed, face pressed into the pillow as if that will block out the sounds of muffled sobs interrupting his beauty sleep from the bunk below him. It doesn't. If anything, it just makes him feel even worse and he's not sure why. All the new kids do the same thing their first night in the home. They cry for a night or two, then the smart ones figure out that their parents aren't going to come running and stop. The dumber ones might hold out for as long as a week before they wear themselves out with all of the crying. This new kid will learn, too, even if he has been crying since a lady dropped him off earlier with a 'I just can't take it anymore. I thought I could do it, but he just looks too much like my sister. He doesn't stop crying. I can't…' Kurt knows these things. He's been here for months now, ever since the accident when momma and dad -

- He makes one last halfhearted attempt at burying his face into his pillow then, with a huff, pushes himself up. He hooks his arm around Margaret Thatcher dog, scoots to the end of his bed, and in a move perfected over months living in the orphanage, shimmies down the ladder.

The new kid doesn't even seem to notice him.

"Hey." Kurt says quietly, trying not to startle Finn and Noah in the next bed over. They won't be happy with him if he wakes them up at… Midnight, "Hey."

It does startle the boy in the bed, who goes quiet. It takes a minute before he finally sits up, honey-coloured, bloodshot eyes stare back at Kurt. His face is wet, looking as if he'd hastily wiped it off on his pillow. His mouth is still quivering and he's making these funny little choked noises that has Kurt's heart hurting.

Kurt takes a cautious step toward the bed and, when the new kid doesn't flinch back like the others do, he covers the rest of the distance to hold his stuffed animal out, "You can sleep with her if you want." he whispers. The other boy is still staring back at him silently, and Kurt wriggles on his feet, "Her name's Margaret Thatcher Dog. Momma helped me name her."

More staring.

Kurt sighs, pushing Margaret Thatcher Dog into the boy's arms, "Take her. But just 'til you're better, 'kay? She's important." She's the only thing he's got left of momma, and she's already had to be fixed once after Noah stole her and tried to rip her ear off a few months back. Miss Sarah had been nice enough to operate on her, but Kurt was still cautious to keep her hidden under his mattress during the day where she'd be safe, "I'm Kurt." he adds finally, when he realizes the other boy still isn't going to say anything.

The new kid sniffles, arms going tight around Margaret Thatcher Dog and chin pressing against the worn fabric of her head, "Blaine." he whispers finally, golden eyes staring back up at Kurt from beneath overly long dark curls.

Kurt nods decisively, taking a few steps back and reaching out for the ladder, "Well, goodnight."

"Wait!" Blaine's voice rings through the silent room and he immediately reaches a hand up to clap over his mouth. Both boys' attention goes to the next bunk, but Finn just snorts in his sleep and rolls onto his side. Blaine squirms in his bed for a moment before continuing quietly, "We can share her?" he offers, holding Margaret Thatcher Dog up.

Kurt considers it for a moment, eyes flickering between his bed and Blaine's teary eyes. He prefers his own bed, but… Brittany and Santana get to sleep in the same bed all the time, so it's okay, right?

He climbs onto the bed, pressed hip to hip with Blaine to fit, "Okay." The boy responds with a watery smile and a sniffle, laying on his side with the stuffed animal between himself and Kurt. Kurt curls himself in against Blaine, hands clasping his over Margaret Thatcher Dog while Blaine's sniffles slowly fade and his eyes slide shut.

It's the first time in a long while that Kurt can remember sleeping through the night.