"No, he didn't!" Kurt giggled, his eyes extra blue today and dancing with laughter.

Blaine grinned. "I swear to you! His ankle was definitely broken, but he just hobbled through the audience, carrying his skull and kept going! The man who played the grave digger was definitely panicking and tried to pull him back up onto the stage, but then he dropped him!"

Kurt gasped, hand clasped to his mouth. "No, he didn't!" he said again.

"He did! Then they tried to close the curtains, but the grave digger was still dangling from the edge and it knocked him off too!"

Both boys dissolved into laughter, Blaine smacking the table at the memory. "Afterwards, father and I set his ankle, but he was so angry that he fell from the stage that just screamed at everyone."

Kurt wiped a tear from the corner of his eye while still chuckling. "Well, he wouldn't have fallen off if he hadn't tried to push in front of the grave digger to be in front."

Blaine shook his head as he tried to get ahold of himself. He sipped his lemonade and cleared his throat.

"They just kept hopping in front of each other! They looked like rabbits!" He burst into laughter again, Kurt following suit.

They were sitting in the cafe and enjoying breakfast together the week after Blaine had moved there, as they had been doing for several mornings. Thus far, they had been fortunate enough to avoid the more unpleasant people in town. Kurt was in heaven laughing with Blaine as he told him stories from his life in New York. It was so nice to be able to just sit and talk with someone his own age about interesting things without it being awkward. Kurt could admit he was actually having fun and enjoying having Blaine as a friend. An incredibly nice friend who was funny... and sweet... and beautiful...

No. Not exploring that train of thought. Kurt was just really happy to have a friend. That's all.

The two had been getting together for walks and breakfast a lot lately and Kurt didn't want to admit how lonely he had been before Blaine came around.

"Anyway," Blaine sighed, rubbing his face. "Did you and your dad manage to get everything on that big order done?"

Kurt nodded as he chewed his last bite of eggs. "We did. I think he was testing me to see if I could handle it. Like I'm in training or something..." Kurt stifled a sigh thinking about the conversation about his future with his dad. He had the perfect chance to tell his dad the truth about himself and what he wanted, but he had blown it because of fear. He was such a coward...

"Is that a bad thing?"

Kurt lifted his eyes to see Blaine looking at him, head tilted and concern furrowing his eyebrows. The brunet forced a smile and shook his head.

"Of course not! I'm an apprentice now! It's what I was born to do."

He knew his voice sounded off, especially after Blaine's frown deepened. Why could he read him so well when they had only known each other for such a short amount of time? It was very frustrating that he couldn't hide from the hazel-eyed boy like he could the rest of the town. It was like he could see straight into his soul and Kurt kind of hated it. He also kind of liked it, but he wasn't ready to think about why that was. Blaine shrugged.

"It just seems like you don't really believe that. You don't seem... satisfied. At least to me," Blaine said carefully.

Kurt sat back, arms crossed and mouth twisted into a frown. "Oh really? Since you know so much about me, why don't you tell me what I want?"

Blaine missed the sarcasm completely.

"Well, I don't know that because you haven't told me, but you seem to be very interested in theater. You ask about it all the time."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say because Kurt's eyes flashed an icy grey and he clenched his jaw. "No, I don't care. I don't care about your stupid life in stupid New York or stupid theater. I just ask because you don't have any friends and you won't ever shut up about it, so I very nicely let you talk."

Blaine's face fell at the harsh words and he looked down at his hands in his lap. "Sam's my friend too."

Kurt scoffed and looked away towards their shop where he was doomed to spend the rest of his life. Blaine sniffed and picked at a small hole in the tablecloth.

"I'm... I'm sorry if I talk about New York and theater too much. I just miss it and you seemed interested, so I talk. It was kind the thing my father and I did together and since he..." Blaine swallowed past the lump in his throat, not even able to say the words. He was still looking down so he didn't see Kurt's softened expression or the way he was leaning forward. "Well, since we got here I thought maybe I had found someone who might enjoy the happy memories I have... It's stupid." He shrugged and made to stand up. "I'll try to tone it down though."

Kurt leaned forward across the table and grabbed Blaine's wrist, keeping him from standing. Blaine stared at him and Kurt wondered how he managed to look so innocent and sexy at the same time. Wait, sexy? Nope, he was just being silly again. Blaine swallowed again and let his eyes slide down to Kurt's hand on his wrist. Kurt immediately let go, easing back into his seat.

"Blaine, I'm sorry. I was rude. I really do enjoy hearing about your life in New York and theater. I was just... a little jealous. You kind of hit a nerve. Please don't be sad?"

Blaine brightened immediately and Kurt breathed an internal sigh of relief at that.

"You're jealous of me?" Blaine asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Kurt rolled his eyes and tried not to smile back. "Just a little. Don't get excited." He leaned back in his chair again and started to roll up his sleeves in preparation for work. Blaine licked his lips as he honed in on his arms, but then gasped as an angry burn was revealed on his forearm.

"Kurt! You're hurt!"

The young blacksmith stroked the skin around the wound self-consciously. "It's okay. I've had worse, I just got too close to the forge." He gave a little-self deprecating laugh. "Guess I should know better by now, huh?"

Blaine was already hopping up and rushing over to the other side of the table.

"It's not okay! It could get infected!"

"I put ointment on it yesterday. I'm not an idiot."

"Of course you aren't, but it needs to be bandaged!"

Kurt temporarily forgot how to breathe as Blaine kneeled down beside Kurt on the floor and gently pulled the other boy's injured arm towards him. A warm feeling spread through his chest at the caring expression on Blaine's face as he inspected the burn, carefully pressing at the skin around it. At Blaine's insistence (not without much protesting from Kurt,) the taller boy was drug to the clinic after paying the bill. They met Carole there who agreed that the burn should be bandaged which Blaine was more than happy to do. Kurt ended up sitting on the examination table so Blaine would be at the right height to wrap his arm (when Kurt pointed this out, he was shushed.)

Carole bustled off to the back to continue preparing for the day as Blaine dabbed at the wound and Kurt glanced around the room in an effort to ignore the fact that Blaine was so, so close to him. He glanced at the shorter boy and bit his lip as he gently rubbed ointment onto Kurt's arm, the tip of his pink tongue poking out in concentration. It was adorable. Kurt shook his head and looked away before he thought any more stupid things.

"How's Dorian doing?"

He knew it was lame, but he couldn't think of anything else to ask when Blaine's warm, soft hands were on him and his face was so close, causing shivers to shoot up his spine. Blaine smiled sweetly, eyes still on his work and Kurt swallowed a sigh.

"Oh, she's good. Such a good temperament and I discovered she loves the stewed carrots my mother insists on making that taste awful." Kurt couldn't stop that chuckle that bubbled up and Blaine glanced up at him momentarily. "I suppose I will have to learn how to ride now. She would be a good horse to learn on."

Kurt laughed again. "You don't know how to ride a horse?" he asked incredulously.

Blaine shrugged sheepishly as he grabbed up a clean bandage. "I know the basics, but I never got very good at it. I am slightly terrified of falling off, but thank you for not laughing at my ineptitude."

Kurt smothered another giggle behind his hand as Blaine took his arm once again. "I'm sorry, but I just can't believe it. I mean, you're so good at everything else, like never getting lost."

"I'm at least good at bandaging people."

Blaine didn't look up from his work, but still smiled good-naturedly at the teasing note to Kurt's voice. He smoothed the bandage down on Kurt's skin, soft there on his arm, but covering hard muscle. If Blaine took a little extra time making sure it was fastened properly, he would never admit it. The clinical touch became a caress and suddenly neither of them were laughing anymore. Blaine looked up into Kurt's eyes, still rubbing his thumb tenderly along the bandage edge. They stared deeply into one another's eyes, not realizing they were leaning towards each other and Blaine swore he saw Kurt glance down at his lips which made him look at Kurt's very inviting lips.

"Well, I'll be damned. There are some things you're good at," Kurt whispered without looking away from Blaine molten stare.

Blaine swallowed and licked his lips. "I'm good at lots of things."

Kurt's eyebrow arched up in question as Blaine's eyes began to flutter closed.

Kurt is going to kiss me! It's happening!

It was at that exact moment that Carole swished back into the room and dropped a stethoscope, shattering the spell the boys had fallen under. They jerked away from each other, Blaine dropping Kurt's arm like it had burnt him and Kurt scratching at his hair while clearing his throat.

"Oh, darn. Now I have to clean it all over again," Carole grumbled as she disappeared behind the curtain once again.

Kurt slid off of the table and admired his freshly bandaged arm with his usual mask back in place. "Uh, looks good. Thanks again, but I need to go."

Blaine nodded shyly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Of course. You're welcome. I'll see you."

Kurt gave a quick nod and smiled before making a beeline for the door.

"Kurt?"

Kurt whipped around too eagerly than he deemed appropriate for what just happened and hummed in response. Blaine tucked his hands in his pockets, a coy grin on his face.

"Will I see you later?"

Kurt desperately wanted to say yes, he would see Blaine as much as he wanted as long as it made him happy, but he felt hot all over and like his stomach had a million butterflies doing a can-can dance inside and his eyes rebelliously were drawn to Blaine's lips once again. He definitely needed some space to breathe after whatever the hell that just was.

"Maybe," he forced himself to say. Blaine looked a little sad at that and it killed Kurt. "Um, it's just, I have a lot to do and I will work late so..."

He tried to let Blaine down easy, but the boy's big doe eyes were making him feel like the scummy soot at the bottom of the furnace.

"Oh, yeah. I understand." Blaine worried the frayed end of his waist coat, still appearing as though someone had kicked his puppy. Kurt couldn't handle being the reason he looked like that.

"I'll see you for breakfast though?" he asked hopefully.

Blaine smiled again, not as bright, but it was genuine. He nodded and Kurt tore himself away before he could be sucked into Blaine's eyes again. Once on the street, he leaned against the clinic's wall, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

What the fuck just happened? Had he really almost... No, Kurt thought, shaking the thoughts from his head like a dog shakes water from it's coat. I won't go there. I can't! I don't have... feelings for a boy. Not again.

He sighed, trying to force himself to feel something else. This was going to be a long day.

Blaine tried to get comfortable on the stiff chair his mother had purchased for their new home. There was just no way to sit in it and relax at the same time. He let his thoughts drift to other things in an effort to forget about the uncomfortable chair and the uncomfortable reason he was sitting in the chair, which was his mother wanting to have a talk with him. After Kurt left for work, Blaine had stood there frozen in place for several minutes (although it felt like hours) and processed what just had happened. Well, nothing had really happened per se, but something might have happened if Carole hadn't entered the front room.

That alone would have had Blaine's thoughts tangled in knots, his heart racing, and his hopes flying high.

He allowed himself to dream for just a moment that they hadn't been interrupted and Kurt had leaned into him, both their eyes drifting shut. Blaine would have stepped closer, his hands still holding Kurt's arm and Kurt would have cupped Blaine's cheek, pulling them together. Their lips would have met and they would have been kissing. Blaine sighed longingly. He couldn't really imagine how it would have felt because no one had ever kissed him before. At least, not one that counted.

He accidentally kissed his cousin Clara once when he was going to kiss her cheek and she turned the wrong way. It was only a graze of the lips, but he felt a little queasy afterwards, especially since she kept winking at him. Blaine shuddered.

But to kiss Kurt... That would be something Blaine would definitely want to experience. He sighed once again as his mother entered the room and sat down opposite him, handing him a cup of tea. Tea was one of the good things she made and Blaine took it eagerly.

"Blaine, my dear, there is some things we need to talk about."

Blaine eyed his mother, trying not to worry at the awkward tone to her voice. "Alright, mother. What would you like to discuss?" He blew gently into his cup before hazarding a sip.

"Your future."

Blaine choked on the hot tea, spilling it over his fingers. He sucked air through his teeth and waved the burnt fingers around. Pam winced and offered him a towel from her apron.

"What about my future, mother?" Blaine asked as he wiped off his sticky fingers.

"Well," she said, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "I know you were offered a position at the Evan's ranch, but is that what you really want? To be a ranch hand the rest of your life?"

Blaine stopped blotting up the spilled tea and met his mother's eyes. This was it. He had been thinking about how to talk to her for the longest time and the moment had finally come. Blaine knew his mother had no problems with him becoming a doctor, but she kept harping on how they needed to be together so much lately that he was concerned that she would say no. He set his mug aside.

"No, mother. I will do it for the time being, of course, to support you. But, no... What I really want..." His mother smiled at him encouragingly and he returned a nervous smile. "I want to be a doctor like father."

Pam's smile slipped and she looked down at her lap. "I'm afraid you can't, dear."

Blaine felt his stomach drop. "Why?"

Pam frowned. "Blaine, you know we don't have any money. I can't afford to send you to medical school, especially in New York."

Blaine began to feel like the air was being sucked from his lungs. "But... It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do..." He felt weak. "I'll make the money myself!"

Pam shook her head. "I'm sorry, Blaine, but that's going to be impossible. We will need every bit of money you make for food and such. I know it's your dream, but I just don't see it happening."

Blaine told himself not to cry. He would find a way to make it happen. But what his mother was saying was making sense. "I thought it would be nice for you to get an apprenticeship?" She continued with a false brightness that only served to annoy him. "Maybe you could become Cooper's deputy? He's looking for one and you could learn a trade? After all, who better than his brother? It would be very practical."

Blaine snapped his head up from where he had been holding his face in his hands. Of course. It's what would be practical.

"What on earth would make you believe that I would be capable of being a sherif, mother? Is it my horse riding prowess, my intimidating figure, or my extreme grace?"

He knew he sounded spiteful, but he couldn't help it. He had just been informed all his dreams would never come true. Pam forced another smile and sat up straighter.

"Well, you could choose something else, of course. Maybe a baker, or something in the priesthood?" Blaine had jumped up and began pacing, his hands pulling at his hair, but he paused at the last word.

"Priesthood?"

"Now, Blaine, no need to yell-"

"Mother, I'm not joining the priesthood!"

"Alright, you don't have to, but it's just an idea! You can pick whatever you want."

"I want to be a doctor!"

"Anything but that."

Blaine growled and dug his fingers into his hair again. "Mother, don't you understand that this is all I want? It's all I'll ever have!"

Pam looked a bit hurt at that, but she recovered quickly. "You can be happy with something else. Learn to be happy..."

Blaine stopped pacing and dropped his hands down to swing loosely at his sides. He took a deep breath. "That's not... I don't... Look, I'll probably never be married or have children and I want to help people, just like father did."

Pam's face softened and she smiled. "Oh, my dear, you will find love! You're too young to worry about that."

Blaine bit his lip as he thought of Kurt. Finding love wasn't the problem...

"You will meet the right girl one day and fall in love. It will all be fine."

Blaine felt his heart squeeze at the happy smile on his mother's face. Knowing that would never happen and his mother would always be disappointed disheartened him to no end. Now he couldn't have the one thing in his life he always wanted and knew he could have.

"I need to go." Blaine strode to the door as Pam stood.

"Blaine! Where are you going?"

"Away. Out. Just on a walk. I need to clear my head. Think about some things."

Pam hurried after him, concern etched in the furrow of her brows. "But, you'll get lost! Blaine please, stay here and calm down! It will be dark soon anyway."

Blaine stopped at the door, his hand resting on the knob."I already feel lost, mother. At least I'll match how I feel inside."

With that, he was gone.

Pam pursed her lips and tried not to cry. She hated disappointing her son, but she was out of options. Resigned to the fact that she would be eating dinner alone, Pam shuffled into the kitchen, wishing (not for the first time that day) that Jonathan Anderson was still there.

Blaine wasn't the only one who felt lost.

"Whoa, where's the fire, kiddo?"

Kurt skidded to a stop right before he approached the door to the shop. During work, all he had been able to think about was Blaine, Blaine, Blaine and it was driving him crazy. He couldn't shake off the jittery feeling that had begun since that moment in the clinic. In fact, he almost had burnt his other arm in the forge from being so distracted.

After the shop closed, Kurt hurriedly changed clothes and wiped as much grime and sweat from his body that he could before heading off to find Blaine when his dad caught him.

What exactly he would do with Blaine once he found him, Kurt wasn't sure.

"Oh, I'm just late meeting a friend. I thought we would work longer today so I wasn't planning on seeing him, but we got done early so..."

Burt nodded, wiping the grease from his own hands on an old rag. "You're going to see Blaine?"

Kurt cursed his heart for skipping at the sound of Blaine's name and tried to remain nonchalant. His dad had the best poker face in the world and he never knew what the man was thinking. This was no exception.

"Uh, yeah. He's still new and adjusting, so I've been hanging out with him. To be nice."

Burt stared his son down for a few seconds, Kurt squirming under his penetrating gaze. "That's kind of you. Thought you already ate breakfast with him today?"

Kurt nodded.

"Seems like you enjoy spending time with him as well."

Kurt started to panic. What was he insinuating? Had he seen them in the clinic together? Could he read his mind? Was he even asking anything?

"Um, yeah? Yeah! We- we did, but it's nice to have a friend, you know? I love Mercedes, but sometimes it's nice to talk to someone who understands me..." Burt raised an eyebrow. Kurt cursed internally. He definitely wasn't ready to have that talk with his dad and he was in a hurry. "Dead parents!" Kurt burst out quickly. Burt just looked confused, if a little horrified. "Because we both have dead parents... He, uh, we understand each other, you know?"

Burt nodded, looking a little disappointed in the answer. "Well, it's terrible, but I'm glad you both have someone to talk to. Just be home before it gets too dark, okay?" Kurt nodded quickly, grabbing his cap where it hung neatly next to his father's.

"Hey, Kurt."

At his dad's quiet tone, Kurt turned back around curiously. Burt was still standing in the same place, rubbing at his nearly bald head. He looked very uncomfortable, but determined.

"Yes, dad?"

"You know you can always... talk to me too, right? I know I'm not the easiest person to talk to, but I'm willing to try."

Kurt smiled, affection for his dad flooding his chest with warmth. He loved that his dad was always trying, whether it was cooking after his mother died or listening to him rant about the latest men's fashions without grumbling (too much.)

Kurt nodded at his dad, adjusting his hat on his head while Burt stared at his son in a searching way. The boy cleared his throat nervously, not really sure what his dad was looking for.

"Well, I'm going now. I'll be home by dark." Burt nodded, a sad smile on his face.

"Be careful, buddy."

"I will." Kurt replied before rushing out into the street and feeling like he hadn't passed some sort of test Burt had given him.

He played the conversation over and over in his head, but as he finally approached the small home Blaine shared with his mother, he gave up trying to understand. He decided to add it to the list of things he didn't understand that day. Kurt tried to fix his appearance as much as possible before knocking even though he told himself he was being stupid. Mrs. Anderson answered on the second knock, tearing the door open quickly. She looked out hopefully, but her face fell when she realized it was only Kurt.

"Um, hello Mrs. Anderson. I was hoping to speak to Blaine for a moment, if that's alright?"

She smiled sadly and ran a hand over her frazzled hair. "Hello, Mr. Hummel. That would be fine if he was here."

"He's not here?" Kurt asked with a frown.

She shook her head and scanned the tree line over Kurt's shoulder. "No. We had an argument... Well, he was angry with me. You see I wanted him to..." She threw her hands up and then put one over her heart. "It doesn't matter what we said. He stormed out of here about an hour ago and I'm so worried! I'm not sure if you know this, but he is... directionally challenged." Kurt refrained from rolling his eyes. Blaine was hopeless. "I'm afraid he will get hurt."

Kurt's heart flipped at the thought of Blaine wandering out in the woods alone and something happening to him. Pam looked on the verge of tears. He smiled at her with a optimism he didn't feel as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"I'm sure he's fine. How about I go look for him for you? I know this area like the back of my hand."

At his words, a tear finally escaped and snaked its way down her cheek. She wrung her hands. "Oh, would you? I'm so worried! I've been praying the whole time he's been gone, but I don't have any peace."

Kurt tried to smile encouragingly. "Of course. Just stay here and I'll find him."

She nodded, eyes filling with more tears as she watched Kurt walk back down the steps and pathway of their home. He was such a nice boy. Blaine was lucky to have such a dear friend.

Blaine was very lost.

Even more lost than he usually was, and that was saying something. He had absolutely no clue where he was; nothing looked familiar.

After walking in circles and then deciding to climb a tree, then realizing he wasn't tall enough to climb the trees, he happened upon the secret spot Kurt had shown him the previous day.

With a moan of frustration, Blaine plopped down onto a fallen log beside the water's edge. He put his head in his hands, trying to focus on the soothing splash of the waterfall. He contemplated how his life was falling apart. That was how Kurt found him.

It hadn't been too hard to follow Blaine's meandering trail, even when he went in circles for a little ways, but Kurt did feel a huge weight lift from his chest when he saw the missing boy hunched over a few feet from him. At least he was safe and looked unhurt. Kurt allowed himself a smile now that he knew Blaine was fine (at least physically) as he stood with his hands on his hips in front of him.

"We simply must stop meeting this way, Mr. Anderson." Blaine's head shot up at the voice and he gave Kurt a smile, even if it lacked the normal sparkle in his eyes.

"Kurt! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, idiot. Your mother is worried sick." Kurt chastised without any real heat.

Blaine smirked at the gentle insult as Kurt settled beside him on the log. He smelled like woodsmoke and oil and something sweet Blaine couldn't put his finger on, but he knew he liked it.

"Well, I'm sorry I upset her, but I needed to just be alone and think."

"I can go if you want? Or if you want to talk about it..." Kurt scraped at the black under his fingernails as Blaine rubbed his face tiredly.

"I just discovered my dreams were unreachable and I am having a hard time coming to terms with that."

Kurt stopped messing with his nails to watch Blaine talk, his eyes roving the boys sad face. If anyone knew about crushed dreams, it was him.

"That's... I'm sorry, Blaine." He shrugged and blew out a deep breath, letting his hands fall into his lap.

"It was the one thing I wanted for myself that I knew I could have, you know? To be a doctor." Blaine stared off at nothing, his normally bright eyes glazing over. "I know I'd be good at it and I know I'd be happy. But mother says we don't have the money and there is no way I could make enough just working my self." He looked over at Kurt, who was tilting his head in sympathy. "I'm, agreeable Blaine, helpful Blaine. I'm always the one to give in, you know? Cooper was always so headstrong, it was just easier to let him have what he wanted and mother always knew best, so I have always just gone along with anything they said to do. And I didn't mind, but this... this was what I wanted. Something selfish, just for me. I never ask for much, but I won't give up on this. Father wanted me to and I promised." His eyes grew wet and he brushed the offending drops away from his cheek with the back of his hand. "I wish I was like you, so sure of yourself."

Kurt laughed humorlessly as he looked off into the distance. "I understand more than you think."

Blaine looked up at him curiously. Kurt sighed. "I want to sing and act. I don't want to be a blacksmith," he whispered, another weight lifting off of him as he said the words out loud that he only spoke in his head.

Blaine's mouth dropped open in shock. "You can sing?"

Kurt laughed again, but this time he was actually amused at the admiration in Blaine's eyes. "Yes. But my father wants me to take over after him and I can't disappoint him, as I'm sure you understand."

Blaine nodded.

"Additionally, he thinks it's unstable work, which is correct, but god, I don't care! I want to go to New York and at least try. That's part of why I love hearing your stories, Blaine. I'm jealous of you."

The pale boy twisted his fingers into his lap, nervous at what he was going to look up and see in Blaine's face. He had never told anyone about his secret dreams before because he was terrified they would mock him and say he couldn't do it or say he wasn't talented enough. But as he lifted his head, he saw none of those things in Blaine's eyes. He only saw understanding that they both had dreams that wouldn't happen. Blaine rested his cheek in his palm, a sad frown on his face.

"Do you think you should tell him? Maybe he might surprise you?"

Kurt shook his head and slid his palms down his thighs until they rested on his knees. Just the thought of telling his dad these things made him feel nauseated.

"I can't. I don't want to hurt his feelings. I think he really has his heart set on me taking over." Kurt finally turned to Blaine, his eyes a stormy mix of deep green and blue in the failing light. Blaine caught his breath a little at the sight. "We both just need to come to the conclusion that we're stuck forever in this small town and we don't get the future we want. It's a difficult thing to realize, but reality often is."

The way he spoke made Blaine feel he was talking about more than just his dream of going to New York, but before he could question the boy further, Kurt was standing and dusting off his pants. He stretched, rolling his neck and shoulders in an effort to loosen his sore muscles. Blaine found himself transfixed by the way Kurt's shirt stretched over his lithe body and sat on his own hands so he wouldn't reach out to touch the boy.

"I better get you home. Your mother was really worried."

Blaine stood as well and they began to pick their way along the hill and through the trees. Blaine of course followed Kurt since he had no clue where he was going.

They were silent on the walk back, both with their own thoughts coursing through their heads.

Blaine was trying to decide what he was going to do, what goal he could strive for now that the only thing he wanted to do was gone.

Kurt couldn't stop thinking about the moment in the clinic and what it meant. His head started hurting as he tried to think of a way to casually bring it up without sounding forward. Blaine was fast becoming a close friend, if not his closest friend, and he didn't want to say something awkward that would destroy that. He rubbed at his bandaged arm distractedly as Blaine glanced over.

"How's the arm?"

Kurt snapped out of his thoughts and stared wide-eyed at Blaine for a moment before laughing nervously.

"Oh, fine. Fine. You must have the magic touch."

Blaine grinned happily at Kurt's praise before the smile slipped. "I guess we will never know." He watched his feet dejectedly as Kurt scrambled to try and put another smile back on Blaine's face.

"A woman slapped Cooper today. Just, right in his face."

Blaine snorted and looked back up at Kurt. "Well, he is a complete idiot, so I'm not surprised. What did he do?"

"Uh, not exactly sure, but I heard Miss Stetson yell something about seeing him with Miss Benson, the butcher's daughter, and I don't think it was in a friendly way."

Blaine rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. At this rate, neither of them would give their mother proper grandchildren.

"I'd say you're lucky to see such entertainment, but Cooper gets slapped so regularly that I think he enjoys it."

Kurt laughed hard at that and his heart warmed at seeing the bright smile back on Blaine's face. Too soon, they were approaching Blaine's home and his mother was running out the door towards him.

"Blaine!" she sobbed as she pounced. Blaine caught her in his arms, shocked that she was actually hugging him. She sniffed loudly and scrubbed at her wet face with her arm. "My baby! I thought you had fallen from a cliff or were eaten by an animal! Oh, Blaine! Please never do that again!"

Blaine wrapped his arms around his mother slowly, not quite sure what to do. "I'm very sorry I worried you, mother. I was fine, honestly."

"He got lost."

"I had it under control!" Blaine stated, glaring at Kurt. Well, he at least tried to glare at Kurt. He looked back at his mother as she started to pull away. "I just needed a little time to think."

Pam sniffed again and wiped her face with her apron. "Well, you're okay now." She turned to Kurt who was smirking at Blaine. "And you! You saved my boy!"

Kurt's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Me?"

"Yes!" She smiled gratefully and clasped her hands in front of herself. "I simply must thank you!"

"Oh, that's really not necessary-"

"Just wait right here! I just baked some muffins just for something to do while I waited for Blaine- just, stay there!" She held up a finger and scurried off into the house.

Blaine stood there flabbergasted, looking after his mother. She hadn't latched on to him like that in... well, he couldn't remember when. Not even at his father's funeral.

"Wow, the last time I was home late, my dad just threw a rag at my head and told me he would burn all my hats if I let it happen again," Kurt said.

Blaine sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I have no idea what's gotten into her. Don't eat those muffins though. You will regret it."

They both shared a laugh and Kurt took a deep breath."Thanks for talking to me. You're the only person I've told about that... so please don't say anything to anyone else."

"Of course, Kurt!" Blaine said as he nodded emphatically. "As your best friend, I would never tell your secrets! Our conversation is between the two of us only."

Kurt blushed at his sincerity. "I appreciate it."

They were quiet for a few moments before Kurt decided to just be bold and go for it.

"Hey, Blaine... About earlier today... At the clinic..."

Blaine stepped closer to Kurt, his eyes big and hopeful."Yes?" He hoped he didn't sound too eager.

"Um..." Kurt bit his lip and twiddled his fingers. "When you, and I... when we... I was just wondering... I mean, you might not... Ah, this is difficult to ask."

Blaine inched even closer, so close that he could see the faint freckles on Kurt's nose. He had a cute little black smudge by his eye he had missed when he wiped off his face.

"Ask me anything," Blaine said seriously.

Kurt swallowed hard, staring deep into Blaine's eyes."Blaine, what-"

"Here we are! A basket of muffins for you and your family, dear!"

The boys jumped apart as Pam placed the muffin basket in Kurt's arms. He was blushing furiously now and grateful that it was getting darker every moment.

"Um, thank you, Mrs. Anderson."

She nodded and went to stand by her son. He was momentarily distracted by her holding onto his pinkie, but looked back up at Kurt who seemed to be hesitating. As much as Blaine loved his mother, he wished she would have spent a few more minutes in the house so that he would know what Kurt wanted to ask him. It was killing him slowly, he was sure of it.

"No, thank you. You come over anytime! Would you like to stay for dinner?" Pam asked as Blaine pleaded with his eyes so hard that Kurt had to avert his gaze.

"That's so kind, but I promised my dad I would come home at nightfall. Thank you again for the muffins." He lifted the basket a little and smiled at a very disappointed-looking Blaine. "I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow?"

Blaine finally smiled and nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

Kurt waved and turned back down the path, the basket bumping against his hip. He blew out a long breath, pulling off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. He had so many thoughts jumbled around in his head that he didn't even know where to start. He decided to just think about the orders he would have to sort out tomorrow, something safe until he could get back to his room.

It worked, and soon he was home and eating stew with his father. They didn't talk much, but that was normal since they were usually so tired after such a long day, but Kurt did catch Burt giving him an odd look once or twice.

Once they were finished, dishes were washed, and Burt was tucked into his favorite arm chair with one of his mystery books, Kurt rushed up to his room and dropped onto his bed with a tired sigh. Finally, he allowed himself to replay all the images of the day.

Breakfast and the way Blaine's eyes lit up beautifully with excitement as he talked about plays.

How tenderly Blaine held his arm as he wrapped it carefully and how his skin prickled with the feeling of having his hands on him.

The intensity on Blaine's face when they started to inch closer, his smooth lips parted and his beautiful hazel eyes half closed.

His heart constricting painfully when he realized Blaine might be lost or hurt and how relieved he was when he found him unharmed.

Their talk and how Kurt seemed to be unable to keep his walls up around the other boy, no matter how hard he tried. He spilled his secrets out to Blaine uncontrollably. He couldn't stop himself.

Oh no.

Kurt sighed again, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw starbursts of colors. He growled in frustration, not wanting to admit what all this meant. The way Blaine made him feel was something he had been trying to deny for his whole life, but the moment Blaine waltzed in he just blew it all out of the water. Kurt let his hands fall to his sides. He might as well admit it. All he wanted to do when he found Blaine this evening was grab him up by the lapels of his coat, push him into a tree, and kiss him until he forgot his own name.

He wanted to kiss Blaine. He had feelings for a boy.

This was definitely something he knew, but he never wanted to talk about or think about because he didn't want to be any more different than he already was. He had intended to go his entire life denying that part of himself even existed. He intended to stick it in a box and hide it under his bed, never to acknowledge it. But then along came Blaine. Stupid, beautiful, sweet, nosy Blaine. He had somehow stolen the box and smashed it open, exposing Kurt to his own feelings and unable to stuff it all back away.

He was falling in love. With a boy.

What would his dad think? Kurt worried his bottom lip in his teeth. No matter how much he wanted Blaine, he couldn't go on if his father didn't approve of him. He would be heartbroken of course, but his father meant so much to him.

With another sigh of frustration, Kurt began to peel off his clothes in preparation for bed. He had no idea what to do about any of this, but he knew how he felt. And he was relatively certain Blaine felt something for him. He felt a thrill run through him at the thought of Blaine returning his feelings. He would be careful for a few weeks, observe Blaine, maybe even flirt a little bit and see how he reacted. If he rejected him, Kurt wasn't sure how he would recover.

Now he had a plan and as terrified as he was, he was strangely giddy at the idea of finally letting this part of him breathe. He smiled as he snuggled into his blankets and blew out his candle, thoughts of a curly-haired, hazel-eyed boy filling his vision. He might not be able to say it out loud yet, but he had it clear in his heart and his mind.

"Blaine... I like Blaine Anderson..."

Btw, the play Blaine is talking about at the beginning is Hamlet. We are not sure if it was actually on Broadway at the time Blaine would have seen it, but Broadway opened in 1924 so we'd like to think he could have. Anyway, have a great day! - A and K