He was having the best dream.
The weather was picturesque like it came straight out of his storybook he had when he was a kid. He had gotten it for Christmas. Maybe. He couldn't remember.
Anyway, it was beautiful as he lay on his fragrant cloud, the sun beaming warmly as a blonde girl rode by on an obese cat.
"Your highness," she greeted him, bowing her head. He waved back as she continued on. "Come on, Lord Tubington. We have to go to your AA meeting."
He shrugged at the strange girl as a group of men rode by on horses. Their faces were fuzzy, but he could hear them clearly. They were chatting about the weather until one of them laughed. He really wanted him to laugh again. The guy with the pretty laugh was a prince too, his brain supplied. So technically, they could get married.
"We could get married." The prince agreed as if he had read his mind. How had the prince gotten so close to his face so quickly? He didn't really care, he just wanted the prince to stay. He could smell that lovely smell now that he was closer. It must have been him. Then the prince stroked his lips softly with a fingertip and he thought he would die. The prince was going to kiss him!
Then the prince sneezed. He didn't feel the sneeze on his face, but it scared him.
"Ow!" He said, feeling pain shoot all through his body, especially in his head.
"Fuck, Nick! You scared the shit out of me!" The prince said, but his voice sounded different.
"He's waking up!"
He was dreaming? That's right he was! He wasn't on a cloud or in the sun, he had collapsed on a stranger's bed...
He sat bolt upright, knocking his already throbbing head into the bunk above him.
"Ow!" He hissed as his hand shot to his injury and then he hissed in pain again when he touched the welp on his head. The screams of other people startled him, causing him to scream as well. His eyes finally focused enough to see five terrified faces staring back at him. They were all boys, three of them clinging to each other while another boy stood off by himself looking more wary than scared. The last boy was crouched in front of the bed and looking him over with... concern, maybe? They were all dressed the same in some type of uniform.
"Are you a prince?" He asked the boy in front of him. He didn't mean to say it, but the kneeling boy had the same eyes as the prince from his dream and his head still felt murky. The boy smiled and shook his head. He had a friendly smile.
"No, I'm afraid not. But I would really like to know who you are and why you're in my bed."
The injured boy jumped up as if he was burnt, trying to get out of the bed before another wave of dizziness hit him and he swayed. The hazel-eyed boy in front of him grabbed his arm gently and helped him lay back down. His vision was starting to focus now and he noticed small details he hadn't before. Things like how the guy helping him back under the covers was the guy who's bed he was in and up close he was really handsome. He also noticed the other boys in the room looked scared. Why were they so scared? Well, all the other guys besides the tall one leaning against the bed and looking like he would rather be anywhere else.
"Why is everyone screaming? I'm trying to nap!" A drowsy voice came from behind the boys causing everyone to yelp again.
"Oh my gosh, David! Can you not do that? We are having a crisis here!" said the smallest boy as he fanned himself. David, presumably, scratched at his chin and yawned obnoxiously.
"Sorry, T. What's our crisis?" His gaze fell on the terrified boy in the bed and his eyes grew wide. "Oh. Hello, crisis." David turned to the irritated looking boy. "Seb, is this one of your conquests? You know Wes said not to have them in the house anymore after that one guy..." Seb looked down his nose at the him in thinly veiled disgust.
"Are you kidding me? I do have some taste, David."
The boy wanted to be offended, but he had no idea the state of his hair or face.
"Seb, don't be rude." The kind-looking one in front of him said. He turned back to the boy and smiled reassuringly. "So, let me introduce everyone. This is Sebastian, David, Nick, Jeff, Trent, and I'm Blaine," he offered gently. Everyone besides Sebastian waved as their name was called. "This is our home. Can you tell me your name?" The boy had grown more calm at Blaine's soft voice. He wracked his brain for his name, but he just couldn't quite remember it. And it wasn't just his name, he couldn't remember anything about who he was or how he got hurt. Tears pooled in his eyes as he shook his head.
Blaine frowned at the boy's reaction. Maybe he was a runaway and didn't want to tell them in fear of someone. He stroked the beautiful boy's cheek, partly to try and calm him and also just because he wanted to see how soft the boy's cheeks were. They were very soft.
"I... I don't remember. I can't quite... it's like it's right there, but I just can't get it. I'm sorry..." He dug his fingers into his brown hair as if he could shake the memories loose. The tears spilled out and Blaine was quick to wipe them away.
"Hey, it's okay! Please don't cry." At his sudden tears, the other boys had relaxed as well and were all gathered around Blaine's bed. Sebastian still leaned against the bed frame and tried to look disinterested, but he was listening too.
"You can't remember your name?" Trent asked sadly as he patted the boy's foot. The injured boy shook his head and Trent looked like he might cry too.
"What happened to you?" asked Nick. He and Jeff had let go of each other in lieu of holding the injured boy's hand between their own. The boy shrugged.
"I'm not sure. I think..." He swallowed hard. "I think maybe someone was trying to kill me." The boys all gasped and Sebastian rolled his eyes. Sebastian thought he was probably lying, but he guessed his injuries didn't look self-inflicted.
"Do you remember anything?" David asked from where he had wiggled in between Jeff and Blaine and was cuddling the boy's arm like a teddy bear. The boy shook his head and teared up again.
"No, just waking up at the bottom of the hill by the road. I think someone dumped me there, like they were trying to dump my body." Another gasp rose from the boys on the floor. "I must have hit my head. I woke up and didn't feel well... I threw up... but I started walking and I found your house... I'm so sorry I just barged in, but no one was home and I thought they might still be after me... I can leave..." The boy made to get up again, but all the others protested at the same time, pushing him back down. Blaine gently stroked his cheek again and eyed his injury.
"I think you might have a concussion, but Wes will know. He's technically our home manager, but he's also going to medical school. He's basically like a big brother to us. Let's clean up your injuries and he can look at you when he gets home." Blaine smiled and looked into those sad but beautiful eyes a few seconds longer before turning to Sebastian.
"Hey, Seb, will you go get a wet cloth and the first aid kit?"
Sebastian scoffed and continued his examination of his cuticles. "I'm not a nurse, Blaine. Why don't one of you go get it? I'm busy." Blaine and all the other boys glared at Sebastian.
"We are comforting poor... uh... we are helping!" Nick said. "Go get what Blaine asked for or I'm telling Wes you were the one who forgot to water his begonias!"
Sebastian shot him a dirty look, but unhitched himself from the bed post and stomped away towards the bathroom. Everyone went back to doting on the injured boy and he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Blaine saw that panic start to rise and stood up, silently asking the others to follow him into the hallway.
"I think he's getting a little crowded." Blaine said when they had all gathered in front of the shut door. "Why don't you guys let me treat his injuries and maybe someone could finish dinner?" They all nodded, glad to be able to help.
"You sure you aren't just wanting to be alone with him 'cause he's pretty?" David asked while nudging Blaine in the ribs. Blaine blushed and swatted at him.
"That's- I mean- Yes, he's attractive but I don't... he needs help guys!" Blaine sputtered. Sebastian heard him as he brought the requested supplies and shoved them onto Blaine's chest before stalking away again. The others shrugged, used to his attitude.
David laughed before scrubbing his hand in Blaine hair. "I'm just kidding! Relax, B! I'll work on dinner with Nick."
Nick shook his head and searched his pockets for a tissue as his nose started to drip again. Jeff wordlessly pulled the small packet out of Nick's back pocket and handed them to him. Thanking the blond, Nick poked David's shoulder. "No, I will work on dinner and you will do the laundry like you are supposed to do. Don't like it, blame the chore chart. Jeff was helping T with his homework."
"Ugh. Fine. As long as you wash your hands first."
Everyone split up to go about their duties (David grumbling) and Blaine entered the bedroom quietly.
The boy had pulled the covers to his chin and was staring at Nick and Jeff's bunks, but his eyes were glazed over like he wasn't really seeing them. Blaine cleared his throat so he wouldn't startle the boy as he knelt back in front of his bed and started sorting through his supplies. The blue-eyed boy watched his every move anxiously and bit his lip.
"I have this wash cloth to clean you up. It might sting a bit, but we need to get the dirt out of your cuts so they don't get infected." He helped the boy sit up slightly and gently took one of his hands in his own. Blaine tried not to think about how warm and soft his hands were as he gently wiped away the dirt. Once his hand was clean, Blaine saw that the cuts weren't that bad. He was struggling to think of anything he could to talk to the boy, but every question he thought of, the poor guy wouldn't be able to remember.
"Are you the little boy in the photo?" The boy croaked as he tilted his head towards the picture of Blaine and his mom. Blaine nodded and smiled a little crookedly.
"Yes, I am. That's my mom. She had the best sense of humor. She was always making me laugh, even when I didn't want to."
The boy looked at him with sad eyes. "Had?"
"Yeah, she passed away a few years ago." Blaine smiled again.
Some niggled in the back of his mind about his own mother. A picture flashed in his mind of laughing blue eyes and walking in her sensible heels. Then flowers everywhere, the scent of them mixing with perfume and cologne and coffee. He was holding someone's calloused hand... Just like that, the memories vanished and he shook his head. Blaine seemed oblivious to his realization as he continued to dab at the cuts.
"How could you tell it was me?"
"Your hair. I didn't realize at first because of the gel, but it's curly. The eyes too."
"Well, my hair gets a little crazy so I have to tame it with gel." Blaine tried not to self-consciously touch his hair.
"I think it's kind of cute." The boy gasped as he realized what he said and Blaine tried not to blush.
He thought Blaine's hair was cute! That's a thing he said!
"Thanks." Blaine said instead of, I think you're adorable! or, What else do you like about me? Blaine could definitely control himself. For sure. He set the boy's arm down and reached for the other one. The boy hissed in pain and grabbed his shoulder.
"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" Blaine said worriedly. The boy shook his head and gave Blaine his arm.
"No, I think I hurt my arm too when I hit my head. My shoulder really hurts." Blaine cleaned that arm even more gently than the other one and rinsed out the cloth before cleaning the wound on his head.
"Now, this is probably going to hurt the most." Blaine warned. "It's a cut on top of a welp, but I'll be as gentle as I can." The boy nodded before squeezing his eyes shut in preparation. Blaine thought he looked cute, like a kid waiting for a shot. He took the boy's hand, causing him to open his eyes in question. "Why don't you squeeze my hand if it hurts? You won't hurt me, I promise." The boy smiled a little and nodded as Blaine leaned in to clean the gash. If he thought the guy was attractive before, up close he was even more breathtaking. Blaine noticed some adorable little freckles sprinkled across his nose and how much more complex the boy's eye color was. He couldn't even say what that color was, but it was his new favorite color. The boy did squeeze his hand a few times in pain, but Blaine tried to be as gentle as possible so that he wouldn't hurt the poor angel.
"Sorry about your- ow! Uh, sorry about your bed. I felt a little bit like Goldilocks when I was looking around at the beds." He chuckled a bit and Blaine beamed. He liked seeing him come out of his shell a little.
"Hey, it's okay. We have some extra sheets somewhere. Just out of curiosity, what made you pick my bed?" The boy dropped his eyes shyly and worried the hem of the blanket.
"Well, I liked all your pictures, but then I saw your flag and I thought that if you were okay with the rainbow flag, you would be okay with a gay guy sleeping in your bed." Blaine froze his ministrations and stared at the boy until he looked into his eyes.
"You're gay?"
He nodded. "Strange that I definitely can remember that, but not my own name, huh?" He laughed nervously and Blaine's heart did backflips.
See, we are meant to be!
"Me too," Blaine whispered. The boy raised an eyebrow and it made Blaine a little weak in the knees.
"You can't remember your name either?" he teased.
"No... I mean, of course I know my name! I mean, I'm gay. I'm gay too." The boy laughed again and it sounded like music.
"I kind of figured with the flag and all." He blushed a little and Blaine thought it made him look even prettier.
"Well, now you know for sure." Blaine winked at the boy and went back to cleaning his cut.
Wes Montgomery drove the beat up old van down the bumpy path to Dalton House. He was exhausted from a day full of work and school, but he couldn't wait to get home to see the guys.
They were all like his little brothers and he cared for each one. Growing up in the same group home he knew the system and once he aged out, he decided he wanted to help other boys like himself. So, he studied and became the youngest group home manager in Ohio. It was difficult going to school, working, and running the home, but Wes knew he was making a difference and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Parking the van, he sat for a minute after a very long day. He stared at the beloved old cabin for a few moments before rolling his shoulders and climbing out. After grabbing his bag, Wes started up the path to the house when he heard a familiar grunting sound followed by the smack of flesh against something solid. He sighed.
"Hey, Seb. What's going on?"
Sebastian was hitting his already bloodied knuckles against a small tree, sweat pouring down his face and neck.
"None... Of... Your... Business... Wes..." Each word was punctuated with a hit and Wes tried not to wince at the pain he must be feeling.
"Did you follow your steps?"
Sebastian laughed humorlessly. "Definitely. I'm combining three and four. Getting exercise and taking a timeout at the same time." Wes shook his head. "Aren't you proud of my multi-tasking?"
"How about what we talked about? You know, using your anger to fuel a creative outlet?"
"I'm not ready to take up needle point. Butt out, Wes." Sebastian went back to hitting the tree and Wes sighed.
"You better stop that or I'm letting Trent pick out your splinters, you dumb ass."
Wes walked away as Sebastian saluted him with a sarcastic smile. He knew Sebastian would respond badly to being coddled, so tough love was best. He stopped to check his plants and sighed again. His begonias weren't faring well and he didn't understand why.
When he entered the house, it was eerily quiet. The boys were probably just hiding after doing something to antagonize Sebastian. It looked like they would be having a sharing circle later. Wes really just wanted to relax tonight, but it seemed he wasn't so lucky. He noticed textbooks spread out in the living room had been abandoned as he set his bag down and stepped out of his shoes. The kitchen was also empty and that night's dinner was boiling over on the stove.
"What the hell..." Wes muttered as he turned the burner down. It wasn't like Blaine to just leave the stove unattended like that. Maybe he and Sebastian had gotten into it. As he was giving the soup a stir, Wes heard voices coming from down the hall where the bedroom was.
"What are they saying?"
"I don't know! You keep talking and I can't hear them!"
"Shhh! I think they're flirting!"
"You know they are! Did you see the way they were looking at each other? Blaine is smitten and it looks like that boy didn't mind one bit."
They all snickered as Wes snuck up behind them with arms crossed.
"What are we going to tell Wes?" Jeff whispered, wringing his hands. "I don't want him to be mad at us..."
Nick patted Jeff's hand from his spot at the door. They were all four crouching at the closed door with their ears plastered to the wood. Wes decided it was time to speak up.
"Why would I be mad?" It was almost comical how wide their eyes got and how fast they whipped their heads around to look at their leader. "Could it be because someone pissed off Sebastian and he's currently outside playing Rocky with a tree? Or the fact that your homework isn't done? Or maybe because you guys almost ruined dinner and we don't have enough stuff to replace it? OR BECAUSE NO ONE IS RESPECTING THE CHORE CHART?" The boys winced and bowed their heads in shame as Wes continued to steam. "I mean, why even bother with the chore chart if no one is going to adhere to it! We all have to do our parts to keep this place running smoothly or it's chaos!"
Nick decided it was time to calm Wes down before he really got going. The Wes Montgomery lecture was not a fun experience.
"Okay, first of all, Sebastian is always mad at the world, so that's not our fault. And we're sorry about everything not being done, but we have kind of been distracted."
The other boys nodded emphatically as Wes narrowed his eyes at them. "What kind of distraction? And where's Blaine?"
The boys exchanged glances and David shrugged. "Might as well just let him see."
Wes huffed with impatience. "Let me see what?"
Trent opened the bedroom door and immediately honed in on Blaine knelt down in front of his bunk. On his bed sat a boy about Blaine's age, but he looked beaten up pretty badly. Both jumped as the door swung wide, like they had been caught making out or something. Wes pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Okay, you guys have about five seconds to explain what the hell is going on here."
So they did, from coming home to the unlocked door to finding the boy to the moment Wes got home. The boy remained silent, obviously scared and more than a little shaken up. Wes quickly assessed that he had to have gotten a concussion from what they told him and nodded in approval at how they had handled everything. After they finished speaking, Wes turned his attention to the boy.
"So you don't remember a thing, huh?" He shook his head and Wes didn't miss the way Blaine covered the boy's hand with his own and gazed at him fondly. Oh, boy. He had the heart eyes going on.
"Can we keep him?" Trent begged and the others nodded their agreement.
"Guys, he's not a puppy!" Wes sighed. "I'm sure his family is probably looking for him. We need to go to the police."
"No!"
The boy finally spoke up. He looked like a rabbit that had been corned by a fox. "I... I don't know who I can trust. Can I please just stay here for a little while? I promise I won't be trouble. Just for awhile..." He trailed off and brushed at the single tear that left his eyes and suddenly all the boys were giving Wes puppy dog eyes.
"Please, Wes?"
"Don't make him go, Wes!"
"We will be good! Please?"
Blaine finally did him in. "I'll give you my share of the Warbler money to make up for him, Wes. Please? He needs our help."
Wes groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly. "Oh my god! Fine! A few days. But I will be checking for missing persons and if anything seems fishy, we are going to the police. Just stop with the pitiful faces for the love of god!" There were whoops of joy from everyone and a small smile from the boy.
"I was under the impression that we voted on these types of things, but of course my opinion doesn't matter," Sebastian said cooly from where he was leaned against the door frame. He was holding a bag of frozen peas to his bloodied knuckles. The room grew quiet as Sebastian slid from his perch and slunk over to the group.
"We all want him to stay, Sebastian. But if that's the way you feel, no one is arguing." Nick said, a challenging light in his eyes. Wes groaned internally. These two were always poking at each other and it was the bane of his existence.
"Good to know where I stand." Sebastian smiled, looking down at Nick coolly. Wes got in between the boys and Jeff moved to pull Nick back. He was the only one able to get through to him sometimes.
"No, Seb is right. We do vote on all important issues, so let's vote. All in favor-"
"Don't I get to plead my case?" Sebastian asked, his eyes a green fire. The ones who knew him best were aware he was close to losing his temper again.
"Go ahead." Wes said, gesturing vaguely.
"Thank you, Wes." Dropping the peas on Trent's head, Sebastian clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced the room. "Now, as you stated earlier, Blaine, we can't even afford Nick's antihistamines, so what makes you all think we can financially support another boy?"
The others frowned, seeing his point but not wanting to concede. He didn't wait for an answer as he continued. "Furthermore, we already have too many chores to go between all of us, so how would it be fair to add another person's laundry, dishes, and shower to the fray? Our shower schedule is abysmal as is and frankly, I don't see how it's fair to expect more from me than I already give."
He smiled in triumph at the boy's saddened faces. They knew he had a point, but they all wanted their new friend to stay. Wes ruffled his hair and looked straight at Blaine who looked the most disappointed of all.
"I don't eat much now, but I'll share with him." Piped up Trent. The others smiled at him fondly.
"I can do extra chores." David offered.
Jeff cleared his throat and spoke without meeting anyone's eyes. "I'll only wash my clothes once instead of three times... even if it does help me pass my math class..." He flashed a shy smile towards the boy before ducking his head in embarrassment.
"I'll skip washing my hair to cut down on shower time!" Nick added in and was met with strong disapproval.
"No way, man! You're like a giant grease ball! Wash your damn hair." David said as he shoved at Nick. "It will take five minutes, tops."
"He can wear my clothes... if he wants." Blaine said earnestly while still holding the boy's hand.
Sebastian was fuming in the corner at their complete ignorance before Wes spoke up again. "Guys, guys. This all sounds very nice and it's sweet of you to want to help, but I think Sebastian's right. Even if we stretched our resources out, that wouldn't leave you all enough time for homework and preparing for the Warbler concert Sunday. I'm sorry, but I can't let you guys neglect school work."
"I also agree with Sebastian." The boy said quietly, shocking everyone (including Sebastian.) He took a deep breath and looked them all in the eyes. "I don't want to put any extra strain on you all. It's very sweet of you to try to support me, but I will just go."
Blaine grabbed at his hand frantically. He couldn't leave now! He just got there! "But you're hurt and we have no idea who your family are or if someone is after you! You have to stay!"
The boy bit his lip and allowed Blaine to continue to grip his hand. "I can cook... I think... and do chores. While you are at school tomorrow, I can work around the house and that way you all can focus on school and important things."
Wes scratched his chin thoughtfully as the others nodded and smiled.
"That works for me!" David exclaimed. "Let's vote, because I'm hungry!"
"All in favor of... whatever his name is staying, raise your hand!" Everyone raised their hands besides Sebastian, the boy, and Wes who decided to stay out of this one. "All opposed?" Sebastian growled and stormed out of the bedroom amid cheers from the boys. Blaine beamed and hugged the boy, much to his surprise.
"Alright, alright! Now, I need you all to shoo because I need to examine his injuries and all of you have things to do." They all scattered except for Blaine who hung back by the door. Wes waved him away with a teasing grin. "You too, B. I promise he won't disappear."
"But, Wes," he whined. "He's scared without me."
Wes shook his head. "Go finish dinner, Blaine. I need him to take off his clothes and I don't want him to be uncomfortable. We will be done in just a few minutes," Wes said firmly, but kindly. Blaine reluctantly left the room and Wes turned to the boy.
"Okay, I'm just going to look over all of your injuries, check your eyes, and bandage you up. Is that all right?" The boy nodded and started to slowly take his shirt off. "I'm a nurse, by the way. One day I hope to become a doctor, but I want you to know I know what I'm doing."
The boy hesitated a bit when it came to his pants, his hands hovering above his waistband. Wes smiled as he got his light out. "Don't worry about your pants. You can let me know later if there's any cuts on your legs." The boy nodded in relief. Shivering a little as he was shirtless, he watched Wes pull out some bandages and ointment from the first aid kit. His shirt was probably ruined with tears and stains, but his pants seemed okay. Blaine's shirts would probably fit him better than his pants anyway, so that was good. He felt his face warm at the thought of wearing the gorgeous guy's clothes. He might have a little crush on Blaine, but he couldn't help it when the curly-haired cutie was constantly saying sweet things and holding his hand.
After shining the light in his eyes, checking his shoulder, and bandaging his head, Wes started to pack up. "Well, you definitely have a concussion. I say you need to go to the hospital to get checked out, but it's your call. I think your shoulder is just sprained a little. Try not to over-exert it and it will feel better soon. Other than that, I think you'll be fine."
"Will I ever get my memory back?" The boy asked in a small voice. He was staring at his knees.
Wes shrugged and put a hand gently on his uninjured shoulder. "I can't really answer that for you, but a lot of people do. Just don't stress about it too much, okay?"
The boy nodded before Wes left him alone to put on a clean shirt of Blaine's
So first of all, we appreciate all the reviews on our story and we hope everyone is enjoying it! Secondly, we are not doctors so please go to the hospital if you think you have a concussion lol. We focused on the boys here a good bit, but the next chapter we will hear from Burt and Sue as well. Let us know what you think! -A and K
