When you're five, it's easy to be caught in simplicity and routine, missing how much more there is to even the smallest things. Kurt would wake up at the same time every day to his mother's careful murmurs and prods. He'd attend school-save for weekends-though he hardly found it necessary because it was 'so easy, please'. While he waited for his mom to pick him up he complimented Mercedes' outfit, even if he didn't like the way it clashed with his own just because he was that good of a friend. Then he would watch cartoons with his dad, insisting that it not involve racecars, football, or stirrup pants. His mom would whip up some dinner that they all ate together. His parents let him play outside afterwards. Then, after a bath, he went soundly to sleep. It was simple, repetitive, and easy. It was all a toddler should have needed.

Blaine was never part of that routine until Kurt found him. Then it was like he had always been there

On a simple day no different from any other, he was released outside by his giggling mother who stepped back inside, leaving him to the tea party he had planned. His stuffed animals surrounded the table where the plastic cups were arranged. In Kurt's mind, it was a beautiful get-together worthy of royalty. But there was something missing-

"Flowers!" he proclaimed, grinning at his realization. He picked his way through his mother's garden, careful not to step on any of them, but brutally yanking off any he found pretty. He would probably be in huge trouble later, but it really seemed worth it at the time. By the time he reached the edge of the yard, however, the flowers lay in the dirt. Kurt's jaw dropped with them.

At the corner of the garden, curled up in a ball, was a skinny little boy with thick black curls. He appeared to be asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, but his face was twisted in discomfort. His curls were unruly, but Kurt found himself growing fond of them as he stepped closer. What was really catching his eye, though, was that the boy was even thinner than he first appeared. Skinny arms held a gaunt face above the soil, contrasting his pale skin. Kurt plopped on the ground next to the boy, and brushed the hair back from his face the way his mother always did for him to wake him. Golden eyes shot open as the boy struggled to sit up quickly to take in his surroundings. Kurt backed away quickly on his knees to give him space, observing the boy as he relaxed a little.

"Hi there! I'm Kurt. What's your name? Why were you sleeping on the ground? Where do you live? How old are you? Are you homeless? Do you have parents? Are you an orphan like Annie? Are you hungry? You look hungry," Kurt rushed out, leaning forward as the boy stared at him in surprise. "Umm... I mean, do you want some food?"

"I-yes, please," said the boy softly. "I'm Blaine."

Kurt grinned at him, holding up a finger to signal he would be back. He ran inside and into his kitchen, grateful that his parents were upstairs, and gathered fruit and sandwiches in his arms to bring outside. Blaine brightened at the sight of him walking out the door, Kurt laying the food on the table of his abandoned tea party. They both sat down to talk through Blaine's mouthfuls of food. They were close in age, though Blaine was a year behind him in school. And, to Kurt's quickly-hidden disappointment, he was not an orphan, nor was he homeless.

"My dad got really mad again," he explained. "And I thought I'd stay here until he's not mad or goes to bed."

Kurt didn't really understand because his dad was a big pushover, but he nodded along all the same. Blaine fished the food rather quickly, giving Kurt more time to interrogate him. They talked endlessly, topics ranging from their mothers' Vogue to whether Britney Spears was better than *NSYNC. When Blaine announced he had to leave, Kurt wrapped him in a tight hug that was reciprocated after a moment. Kurt thought he heard a sniffle from the other boy, but dismissed it as his imagination.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Kurt asked as he pulled away. Blaine simply smiled and nodded before climbing over the fence and disappearing.

And suddenly, Kurt's life had a whole new routine.