Chapter 3
Thank you to everyone for your reviews! Feel free to let us know what you think! We tried to make it fairly obvious, but I would love to know if anyone has guessed which Warbler is which dwarf lol
Now on to the story!
*we do not own Glee!*
"Maybe we could guess your name?" Trent said in between bites of soup and bread as they all ate dinner together.
Blaine watched his new friend carefully as he tilted his head like a cute little kitten. They hadn't technically said they were friends, but Blaine already considered him to be his friend.
"Would that work? I still can't remember anything so far." He scratched at the edge of the bandage plastered to his forehead. Wes had given him some pain killers as well, so he was feeling much better. Trent shrugged.
"Maybe not, but we could try."
The boy smiled at Trent as he put the spoon to his perfect lips. Blaine swallowed a sigh and tore his eyes away from the sight. He already had been struggling with the fact that the beautiful lost boy was shirtless in his room and on his bed earlier when he had to go finish dinner. Ever since then, he was struggling with keeping his thoughts from not being creepy. This poor guy needed help, not someone leering at him all the time. Blaine knew what that felt like living with Sebastian. He just couldn't help himself. The boy was sweet and sassy and so cute.
"Well, Trent, why don't you take a guess then? What do I look like to you?" The boy asked, holding back a smile. Trent studied him carefully for a bit before guessing.
"Chris. You look like a Chris," he decided.
The boy looked up thoughtfully and hummed. "That's fair, I think I could pull that off. Doesn't ring a bell though."
"Paul!" Nick guessed next. The boy shook his head and smiled again. Blaine thought it was nice to see him relaxing a little bit.
"I don't think so."
"He's obviously a Carson." David stated matter-of-factly. The boy raised his eyebrow.
"Nah."
"What about Tony?" Jeff tried. The boy shook his head after nibbling on his bread.
"Nope."
"Russel." Wes threw in as he dipped his bread into the soup.
"No, that doesn't feel right either." He turned to Blaine. "What about you? Any guesses?" His lips quirked into a smile and Blaine thought he might faint. He honestly couldn't think of a name that was perfect enough for the boy. He just blushed a little and shrugged.
"I got nothing." The boy looked a little disappointed. He pouted adorably and Blaine almost missed his mouth with his spoon. Yeah, the pure thoughts weren't going so well. David caught Blaine's look and rolled his eyes. He was so obvious.
"You're missing a great opportunity here though. You can name yourself!" Blaine nudged him as he dared to wink at the boy and felt a smug satisfaction when the boy's cheeks pinked.
"Looks like a pansy to me." Sebastian muttered into his bowl just loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone shot him a dirty look before Nick leaned over Jeff to get closer to him. Sebastian didn't even bother looking at him, but swayed away from the brunet. Jeff looked very uncomfortable.
"If you're just going to be an asshole, why don't you do us all a favor and go on to bed?"
"Seb," Blaine tried to be diplomatic. "We are just trying to help. No need to be so grumpy." Sebastian rolled his eyes away before dabbing at his mouth delicately.
"What? I am trying to help! Jeez, no need to be so curt."
The boy's eyes suddenly widened and he dropped his spoon. At the clatter, everyone turned to look at him and he smiled widely.
"Kurt! My name... yes! It's Kurt!" Kurt laughed and ran a hand through his hair as everyone smiled at each other.
"That's a great name." Blaine whispered to Kurt, his eyes glowing with warmth. Kurt bit his lip and looked at Blaine through his lashes.
"You think so?" He asked softly.
"Definitely." Blaine replied, eyes never leaving the boy in front of him.
Nick smiled sweetly at Sebastian. "Thanks, Seb! You were a big help after all!"
"Don't mention it," Sebastian hissed through gritted teeth. "Ever."
They finally finished their dinner, a jovial mood settling on them all after discovering Kurt's name and Kurt found himself in a conversation with David. (Blaine tried to monopolize all the conversation with Kurt, but David shamelessly stuck himself in between them as Blaine pouted in the corner.)
"So, what are you guys getting ready for on Sunday? You said you were going to a concert?" Blaine opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, David threw an arm around Kurt's shoulders. Blaine scowled at him.
"Back when Wes was still in the system, the boys here wanted to find a way to make some extra money, so they formed the Warblers. We are an acapella singing group and every few weeks we put on a little concert in the park. Tends to shut it down." He leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head. Blaine took this opportunity to scoot over to the other side of Kurt.
"That sounds pretty fun, actually," Kurt said. Blaine grinned at him, his eyes wide with excitement.
"It's so fun! We could show you if you want?"
"Yes! I would love to see!" Kurt clapped his hands together in excitement as Blaine rallied the boys. Wes was in favor of them practicing any way possible and he helped Nick push the table and chairs back for some space. Sebastian refused to sing, instead perching on the kitchen counter to sulk while everyone else shuffled into position. Blaine drug a chair out in the front center of the group. Grabbing Kurt's hand, he pulled him to the chair with a huge grin on his face.
"Kurt, please enjoy the Warblers! Now if you'll excuse me..." He backed away with a wink as the boys started humming and singing, with Blaine taking the lead.
Before you met me, I was alright,
But things were kind of heavy
You brought me to life
Now every February, you'll be my valentine, valentine...
Kurt watched in awe. They were all so talented, especially Blaine. His voice was amazing, but he had such a warm presence and charm that was irresistible. Kurt was just drawn to him like a roaring fireplace on a wintery day or a fuzzy blanket that was soft to the touch. He couldn't take his eyes off of the boy.
After they ended their song, he couldn't stop himself from standing and clapping in excitement then feeling a bit foolish for doing so. It seemed to make the Warblers happy though, so he felt a little better.
He had another flash, as he referred to them in his mind. They were like trying to remember a dream after you woke up. It was so frustrating, being so close to the edge of remembering and then losing it all like water through his fingers. He saw a stage and lights and brightly colored shirts. Music swelling around him as people (his friends perhaps?) grinned at him and sang with him. He could smell lemon cleaner they used for the floor...
And then it was gone.
Kurt sighed and scrubbed at his hair in frustration as the boys all began to fix the chairs and clean up dinner. Blaine drifted back to Kurt's side and placed his hand on his back.
"You okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked as he rubbed his back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Kurt let out a huge breath and let his shoulders drop.
"It's just... my head..."
"Were we really that bad?" Blaine teased him. His fingers were still on his back, tickling him a little bit. Kurt's eyes widened and his cheeks went pink.
"No! You guys were great! I just get these flashbacks, but they slip away before I can really remember anything..."
Blaine nodded in understanding, even though he really couldn't understand. He just felt so bad for his friend.
"Well, I think you will get there. It's good you're already remembering some things. Don't pressure yourself," he said while bumping his shoulder with Kurt's. Then he flashed Kurt a devastatingly beautiful grin. "Look on the bright side! If you never remember, you could just stay with me forever."
Kurt colored all over again as Blaine mentally smacked himself for saying such a idiot thing out loud. Before he could recover, Wes clapped a hand on both boy's shoulders, causing them to jump.
"It's bedtime boys. You have school tomorrow, Blaine and Kurt needs some real rest after the day he's had."
Wes gently guided Kurt towards the bathroom, promising to bring him some extra clothes. Blaine, of course, volunteered his clothes. It made his tummy do floppy things to think of Kurt in his clothes. Wes agreed and waved him away to retrieve the items.
"After that, you need to get into bed! All of you do!" Wes said as he shooed all the boys towards their bedroom and helped up Trent along the way after he tripped on the rug. He watched the them trudge off, pride blooming warm in his chest at his boys. That's how he thought of them. His boys.
He was definitely worried about the new kid, but he would do anything he could to help him. With a sigh, Wes checked the kitchen for any appliances left on and flopped onto the couch to start in on his own homework. He yawned, his jaw popping as he pulled his laptop out of his bag. Might as well start knocking out the damn research paper.
As the boys all came clamoring into the shared room, Blaine finished agonizing over which shirt to bring Kurt and carefully folded them with the sweatpants he had just as carefully selected. David snickered to himself as Blaine dug around for his best socks.
"Blaine, it's not like your picking a major. Just take the poor guy some clothes. He's probably standing in there naked." David said as he scrubbed a hand through Blaine's curls. Blaine swatted him away and tried to hide his red face.
"I just want him to have something nice and comfortable to wear."
"You know, I'm surprised Blaine can even find socks because he doesn't ever wear any!" Nick laughed as he high-fived David on the way to his bunk. Jeff giggled quietly as he climbed up into his own bed.
"Shut up and leave me alone." Blaine muttered as he snatched up his carefully folded pile of clothes and stomped off to the bathroom. Sebastian just rolled his eyes and wordlessly climbed up into his own bunk. The boys knew he was seriously irritated if he didn't even make some snarky comment on the situation instead of pulling the covers to his chin and rolling over. Nick, Jeff, and Trent shared a look before they all shrugged and began getting comfortable in their beds.
Blaine knocked on the bathroom door gently. "Kurt? I have your clothes. Well, they are technically my clothes, but I thought you could use them-"
Blaine was silenced by the bathroom door opening and Kurt peeking out sheepishly. Blaine's brain ground to a halt at the glimpse he got of the boy. He could see a towel wrapped around his slim waist, flushed, pale skin and wet hair falling into his bright blue eyes. Kurt didn't look up but grabbed the clothes and hurried to close the door with a whispered, "Thank you." Blaine heart beat fast as he floated all the way back to the bedroom where he was sure the other boys would tease him mercilessly, but he didn't care.
He was in love.
Kurt shyly padded into the bedroom, freshly clothed and clean. The hot water had felt so wonderful on his sore head and muscles although it had stung his scrapes a bit. He couldn't believe Blaine had seen him almost naked though. He was thoroughly embarrassed about that. Five pairs of eyes watched him enter the room with delighted curiosity. Kurt was surprised David was still awake but thankful Sebastian looked like he was asleep. The slightly taller boy seemed to hate Kurt on sight and he wasn't entirely sure why. Kurt's head hurt too much to try and figure that one out.
Someone had made up the empty bed with an assortment of mismatched sheets and blankets and a wildly floral pillowcase, but Kurt was never so happy to see a bed in his life.
At least, as far as he remembered.
"Is it okay?" Jeff asked softly while he worried a tear in his own blanket. "I even did hospital corners like Wes taught us."
Nick wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve and smiled up at the blond from his lower bunk even though he couldn't see it. Kurt smiled as well.
"It's perfect, Jeff," he replied. "Thank you."
Jeff blushed and wiggled into his covers like Nick was currently doing. David propped his chin on his elbow and shot Kurt a wink.
"Now if you get scared, you're more than welcome to come cuddle with me."
It was Kurt's turn to blush and Blaine sat up abruptly from his bunk.
"No!"
Everyone turned to look at him except for Sebastian. He licked his lips and studied the pattern of his tattered quilt.
"I mean, Kurt can come to any of us." He looked up at Kurt through his lashes. "I just don't want you to be frightened."
The others nodded and Kurt smiled appreciatively. "Thank you guys. I think I'll be alright though."
Kurt was cut off by a growl coming from Sebastian's bunk.
"Oh. My. God! If you all don't shut the hell up and go to sleep, I'm going to lose it!" Nick pursed his lips in an effort not to smile and David waved Sebastian off.
"Seb is right guys! Go to sleep!" Wes called from the living room. The boys complied, not wanting to get on their fearless leader's bad side.
"We better do as he says," Trent whispered into the darkness. "You all remember his gavel phase? No one wants that again."
The other boys shuddered and nodded in agreement. Kurt started to question Nick who was across the room from him, but the dark-haired boy shook his head gravely.
"You don't want to know."
"Goodnight, Kurt." Blaine whispered. Kurt smiled into his rose covered pillow case.
"Goodnight, Blaine. Sweet dreams."
"Well. I see how it is." David muttered.
Kurt laughed softly. "Goodnight David. And Jeff, and Nick, and Trent. Even Sebastian."
A chorus of, good nights were said besides Sebastian who might have actually been asleep at that point, but also could have just been ignoring him.
"Boys! I mean it! Go to sleep!"
Blaine awoke to the heavenly aroma of vanilla and cinnamon tickling his nose. Maybe Wes was baking some cinnamon rolls. He sat up as much as his bunk allowed and stretched, noticing he was the last one in the bedroom. Scratching his head, he tried to remember the last time he was the last one up. He usually beat Trent because the boy would get tangled in his sheets and always David to whom sleep was practically a religious experience. The whole last day and night flooded back to him and he jumped up to inspect Kurt's bed to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
He wasn't.
The bed was neatly made and Blaine resisted the urge to curl up with Kurt's pillow and just breathe him in. Laughter and chatter floated into the bedroom from the kitchen, causing Blaine to dress hastily. Still tying his tie, he tripped into the kitchen holding his shoes and blazer draped over an arm. He immediately froze at the scene before him.
David, Nick, and Trent were fighting over a stack of what looked like the most delicious, fluffy pancakes Blaine had ever seen. Sebastian had claimed a stack for himself and was devouring them on the other end of the table while wielding a butter knife to discourage anyone from taking his. Wes was literally licking his plate while Jeff nibbled on his own stack and giggled at the antics of the other boys.
Then there was Kurt.
Blaine felt his knees melt into jelly at the sight of the lovely creature who was smiling to himself as he scrubbed at the stove. He had changed back into his own pants and the old shirt of Blaine's, but the clothes were covered by the apron Wes used before their grill blew up. His hair was neatly pulled back by a red kerchief to keep it from getting in the way. His cheeks were a pretty pink from the labor and his forearms covered in bubbles. Suddenly he looked up at Blaine and immediately brightened. He was adorable.
"Hey, sleepyhead. I made some breakfast." Kurt said, wiping his hands on his apron then nodding towards the table. "You better hurry before they eat everything."
"Forget it," David mumbled around a mouth full of pancakes. "These little slices of heaven are all mine!"
"Stop being such a pig, David!" Nick shoved at him and dove for the pancakes before David recovered and shoved him back. Trent slid in on the other side of the two boys and snatched another one.
"Kurt made them and they are so delicious!" Jeff chirped happily. He picked up his glass to show Blaine. "And look! He even squeezed fresh orange juice!"
Kurt blushed and looked down at his socks, his hands clasped behind his back. "I woke up super early for some reason and I couldn't sleep... Those oranges looked like they would go bad, so I made juice..."
"And he's been cleaning everything! Look how shiny he got the fridge!" Wes chimed in. "He even got that scuff out where Trent skated into it! If I could only clone him..."
Kurt blushed again. "It's no big deal. I want to be helpful since you all are going out of your way for me."
"You're amazing." Blaine said, his eyes shining. Kurt smiled at him shyly through his lashes. A chair scraped back abruptly and all eyes fell on Sebastian.
"I find it ridiculous that we are all giving Kurt praises for doing the same things we do every day. He's right; it's not a big deal." Sebastian sneered, his nose in the air as he deposited his plate into the sink.
"Yet you've never made freshly squeezed orange juice," Nick retorted as he shook his empty glass at Sebastian. "And I noticed you cleaned your plate after three helpings, Sebastian. So don't act all high and mighty with us."
Sebastian just sniffed and walked outside, slamming the door on his way out. Besides a long-suffering sigh from Wes, the other boys didn't even react to Sebastian's flouncing, choosing instead to resume fighting over the last pancake. Kurt giggled behind his fingers at their antics as Blaine sidled up to him.
"I guess there is no food left for me, huh?"
Kurt's eyes sparkled with mirth at Nick threatening to sneeze on the pancake. "Maybe you should wake up on time and there will be food." Kurt teased him with a hand on his hip. Blaine felt giddy at the rapid improvement of the taller boy, but there was no way he was admitting that he stayed up way too late trying to catch a glimpse of Kurt or thinking about dozens of romantic situations they could find themselves in.
"I know you wouldn't be that cruel to me, Kurt. I'm your favorite, right?"
Kurt looked upwards and tapped a finger to his chin. "Perhaps. Although David did ask me to marry him after he took a bite of my food and Wes nearly shed tears with gratitude that you guys wouldn't have to eat cereal again."
Blaine mock gasped and stuck his lip out. "You know neither of them are gay, right?"
Kurt shrugged. "I don't think that matters to either of them."
"But I'm way cuter than them, right?"
"True..." Kurt instantly colored and looked down at his feet again while Blaine felt the butterflies in his stomach go crazy. They both smiled awkwardly, Blaine scratching at his neck and coughing.
"Are you feeling better today?" Blaine changed the subject to spare both of them. Kurt nodded and bit his lip.
"Much better, thanks. Wes gave me some Tylenol for the pain and the rest helped a lot too." Blaine grinned and accepted the plate Kurt handed him. "I saved you some since I figured no one else would." Kurt winked (yes, he winked!) at Blaine before Wes broke up the flirting.
"Blaine, eat your breakfast so you can get to school. You don't need to be late and lose your scholarship. David, stop trying to stab Nick and get your tie on! Trent... you're using salt instead of sugar again."
"Sorry, Wes."
A flurry of activity followed as Jeff rinsed off his plate and handed it gratefully to Kurt who had begun to wash the breakfast dishes.
"I guess I better make the lunches. Sandwiches okay again?" Jeff asked everyone quietly. The boys groaned.
"Actually," interjected Kurt. "I took the liberty of making you all some lunches as well. I hope no one has any food allergies. It's Mac and cheese casserole, roasted veggies, and grilled chicken." He finished a bit bashfully.
Wes just stared at him in awe and took the bagged lunch with a shocked nod. "Wow, thanks Kurt! Seriously, I want ten of you."
"Mac and cheese is my favorite!" Trent exclaimed.
"I mean it," David said while he sniffed appreciatively at his bag. "I'll make you happy, Kurt! Marry me!"
Blaine narrowed his eyes at David as he was finishing his plate and trying not to propose to Kurt himself at the drool-worthy food. A paper bag with his name scrolled in beautiful penmanship was placed in front of him and he looked up to see Kurt smiling at him. Blaine returned the smile and really, really wanted to kiss him, but he knew it wasn't the right moment. He wasn't even sure that Kurt would return his feelings, especially in the state he was in.
"Thank you, Kurt. You're amazing." Kurt acquiesced with a tilt of his head and resumed his work at the sink.
The boys scurried to finish getting ready and Kurt had started on the laundry. He waved at the boys as they headed off but caught Blaine by his sleeve. "This is Sebastian's," he said, handing him another brown bag like his own. "He might not eat it because I think he hates me, but here it is anyway." He shrugged again as Blaine beamed.
"I'll give it to him." They stood there for a few moments, getting lost in each other's eyes before Wes clapped his hand on Blaine's shoulder and drug him away.
"Thank you Kurt! Have a good day. This guy needs to get to school."
Blaine waved goodbye as best he could while holding the sack lunches as he stumbled along beside Wes. Kurt giggled a little to himself and rubbed at his sore shoulder before he continued hanging the wet laundry on the line.
It was so peaceful and beautiful outside with nothing but his chores and the birds chirping to keep him company. He could get used to this. Kurt let himself imagine, just for a moment, staying here forever with the other guys... He could run the house and cook while the boys did their school work and sang.
He would laugh with Nick and try to pry Jeff out of his shell. (There was definitely something going on with those two. He just knew it.)
He would try to keep Trent out of trouble while fending off David's joking marriage proposals.
He could help Wes out as much as possible and win over Sebastian with his awesome cooking. (He knew the way to a man's heart was his stomach.)
And then there was Blaine... Kurt sighed happily when he thought of the beautiful boy. He was pretty sure Blaine liked him too. David kept hinting at it and Nick would smile knowingly at Jeff, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. Maybe Blaine was just nice and friendly to everyone. Kurt frowned as he pulled a wet shirt from his basket. What if he didn't though? What if Kurt was making it all up in his head? His mood plummeting, Kurt wondered what the old him would have wanted. Shouldn't he be in school? What was his life like before he got hurt and forgot everything? Did he have a nice family or was he running away from a terrible situation? He had so many questions pounding through his head, his temples began to throb. He rubbed them for a moment with eyes closed and then opened them to check the shirt he just hung on the line was straight. It was a flannel shirt, soft and well-worn and it filled him with such a longing he almost couldn't stand it. Puzzled at the odd feeling, he examined the shirt closely. He pressed the fabric to his nose, inhaling deeply with closed eyes. Wrong. It smelled wrong. It was supposed to smell like motor oil and comfort and home. He felt the weird feeling again like a wave of nostalgia he couldn't remember. Kind eyes and a warm embrace. Then, just like smoke on the wind, it was gone. With a grunt of frustration, he snatched the now empty basket and stomped back into the house.
The door slid shut with a hiss behind Wes who was checking his voicemail and juggling his thermos of coffee. The Westerville police station was quiet in the morning with a few officers standing beside a plant drinking coffee and chatting while the woman behind the front desk typed at her computer.
Wes suppressed a shiver at a few unpleasant memories that tried to swim to the surface of his mind. He had a few bouts with the law over the years even though he hadn't been any trouble and cops made him nervous.
"Can I help you sir?" The woman at the desk questioned Wes as he pocketed his phone. He wiped his palms on his scrub pants before clearing his throat.
"Um, perhaps. I would like to see where you put up your missing persons flyers."
She smiled and pointed towards a cork board off along one charcoal colored wall covered with lots of papers. He thanked her and made his way over to the board, giving the two officers a wide berth. After scanning the board for several minutes, he glanced at his watch and realized he needed to leave soon so he wouldn't be late to work. There was no sign of Kurt on any of the posters anyway which was a relief and worrisome at the same time. He frowned at so many missing children's faces on the board that looked like they had been there awhile. Checking his watch once more, Wes darted towards the door and nearly bumped into a stout man in a baseball cap and t shirt.
"Excuse me." He murmured as the man nodded back and clutched a cardboard box to his chest.
"Hey, Gina."
"Oh, hey Representative Hummel! How are you?"
Burt smiled weakly at her as he sat the box down on the desk. "It's still Burt. I only go by Representative Hummel when I'm in DC. I hope I haven't changed that much since high school."
"Of course not," she replied with a warm smile. "Now what brings you here? I thought you were living in Lima still."
He nodded again, tired after a sleepless night. Kurt still hadn't come home and Burt was trying very hard not to break down.
"I am but I was hoping I could put some of these up here at the station and around town." He withdrew the top paper from the box and showed her. Her smile immediately fell.
"Oh, Burt! Is that your boy? He's missing?" Burt could only nod sadly. Gina took the missing persons flyer and scanned the page. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Do you know what happened?"
Burt shook his head as he pulled his ball cap off and rubbed his head. "No. He was at school yesterday and no one heard from him after he left. I flew back from DC last night and I've been making calls all night, but no one has seen him. He went to cheerleading practice..." Burt took a shaky breath before replacing his cap and willing himself not to cry. "One of my son's friends in his glee club made these. He's good with computers... Anyway, I know I could have sent these or something, but I just wanted to make sure they made it..."
Gina patted his hand in a comforting manner and gestured to the cork board on the wall. "These look great, Burt. That's a good picture of him. Feel free to put them up around town. I'll even take one to put up at my apartment building."
He thanked her and tacked up the missing person flyer in a semi empty place while trying not to think about the other faded posters surrounding the fresh one of his boy. Kurt's smiling face stared back at him. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest and he wondered if it was possible to die of a broken heart. He wouldn't give up though. Not until he found Kurt.
Burt waved as he toted his box out the door and Gina wished him luck in finding his son. With a downtrodden sigh, he immediately turned to go into the restaurant next door to ask if he could put a flyer up.
"Becky! Get in here!" Sue yelled as the Cheerio scrambled into her office.
"Yes, Coach?"
"We have a problem," the Cheerio coach said as she chewed on her lip. "They are starting a manhunt to look for Porcelain and I'm beginning to think we've made a mistake." She thrust one of the missing persons flyer she found plastered all over the school that morning. Apparently Burt Hummel found out faster than she anticipated that his son was missing. In her jealous rage, she may have reacted a bit dramatically. Maybe.
"We need to find him and bring him back home before the police catch on to us," she continued. "I'll be able to dodge a sentence because my lawyer is Gloria Allred, but I'm afraid of what they will do to you."
Becky gulped. "But how will we keep him from talking, Coach? Won't he be mad?"
"You leave that to me, Becky. I've got some experimental steroids from Russia that should make him forget, but we will take care of that when we have him. Go back to where you dumped him and drag him back."
Becky saluted and ran out to do Sue's bidding. Sue sat at her desk and crumpled up the flyer in front of her with Porcelain's annoying, flawless face on it. She wasn't sure how she would get out of this mess, but she would find a way.
Songs used:
Teenage Dream- Katy Perry (We had to lol)
*we do not own any songs used/mentioned*
