Author's Note: Hello hello!

Here's some more Klaine (kisses) and a little Furt (awkwardness). Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the show Glee.

~Chapter 8: The Fine Line Between Shelters and Cages~

"Won't your dad wonder what's going on?"

Kurt led Blaine up the front steps and fumbled for his house key. They were both shivering; it would certainly feel wonderful to put on some dry clothes at this point. Distractedly, Kurt shook his head. "No… he and my stepmom went to a party or something. They won't be home for a while. Besides, you should really get some rest before we try to figure all this out."

Blaine smiled a bit, following Kurt in through the door. The warmth inside was incredible. "You're hiding me away for the night, then?" he teased.

Kurt rolled his eyes. Only Blaine would still be making wisecracks after a day like this one. "I'm giving you a chance to not be interrogated so soon after a traumatic experience," he answered pointedly. "If you think you're up for it, though…"

"…Maybe I'll pass."

"I thought so."

As they made their way to Kurt's room, Blaine couldn't help but to take in everything. He couldn't get over how it delightfully normal and lived-in the house looked. Home for him, after all, had always been a bit of a disaster zone. This was a much more welcoming environment than he had come across in a long while, it seemed.

Walking with Blaine, Kurt realized that he couldn't remember the last time he had had a boy in his room, aside from the occasional visit from Finn. That alone was setting him on edge… not to mention the fact that said boy was to be there in secret, and that he was a boy for whom Kurt had an obnoxious amount of strong and confusing feelings. Kurt knew he would just have to find some way to focus on helping Blaine. Awkwardness or tension was the last thing he needed after all the difficulties he had been through tonight.

"I like your room," Blaine said, smiling softly as his eyes danced around. Kurt's room was very organized, very chic… very Kurt. Clearly, every detail of the furnishing and decorating had been carefully thought out, in the end producing something both highly fashionable and down-to-earth in one.

Suddenly shy, Kurt dropped his gaze to the carpet. "Thanks," he replied. He paused before glancing up and walking to his closet. "I can lend you some clothes, if you want. They might not fit quite right, but at least you won't catch pneumonia."

Blaine smiled appreciatively. "That'd be great."

Kurt offered Blaine a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt before directing him to the bathroom. Finally alone, Kurt changed into his favorite warm pajamas and collapsed onto his bed with a sigh. The abandoned textbook lay open beside him from his attempt to study before Blaine's call. Already, that felt like a million years ago. Kurt reached over and closed the book.

This was turning out to be a very long day.

It took a few moments for Kurt to gather his thoughts. The reality of spending the night alone with Blaine was a little too much for him to handle. Of course, he knew that he would have to be sensitive to the fact that Blaine had been through a lot tonight already. And he would have to figure out a way to eventually explain the situation to Burt and Carole. Great.

Then again, Kurt really didn't regret getting involved. He was glad to be the one Blaine trusted, the one who could help. The one who got to see the real Blaine.

"I can't thank you enough for all of this."

Kurt bolted upright, surprised to find that Blaine had already returned. He strolled in through the doorway, bringing with him the fresh scent of shampoo, and stood in front of Kurt's bed. He looked better, cleaner, the dried blood washed away and the color returned to his face. The borrowed white shirt was a bit tight, the grey sweatpants a little too long… nevertheless, Kurt had to drag his eyes away in favor of staring.

"…Kurt?"

Oh, yeah. "It's nothing, really," he answered, gaze fixed on his comforter. "It's the least I could do."

Kurt sensed movement beside him and looked up. Blaine sat down beside him, the mattress dipping just slightly under his weight. Kurt's breath caught as their eyes met. "I disagree," Blaine said. "I haven't done anything for you to earn this sort of treatment in exchange. It's much more than I deserve."

"You've done wonderful things for me," Kurt protested quickly. "You helped me get through my first few days tutoring at Dalton, you saved me from Karofsky, you got me through that awful-"

Kiss.

Blaine couldn't take it anymore; Kurt was too perfect. He knew he shouldn't have been worthy of a boy like this, the sort of boy who would willingly rescue him and care for him and still manage to think it was the "least he could do." Kurt had to know what it meant to him.

With Blaine's lips suddenly against his own, Kurt could feel his resolve beginning to crumble. He melted into the touch, gasping slightly as a longing he hadn't known he possessed blossomed inside of him. Kissing back, Kurt found one hand rising to cup Blaine's cheek, pulling him closer, while the fingers of the other clutched tightly at the duvet beneath them.

Blaine didn't even hesitate. Kurt's reaction was more than he had expected, and he deepened the kiss, leaning over Kurt as he lowered himself to lie back on the mattress.

Kurt felt drunk off of Blaine's touch, the taste of him, every noise and smell and sight that filled his senses. How could he have gone from expecting to spend all of high school hopelessly single, to making out with a guy in his bedroom in just one week?

It was the sound of someone walking down the hall that instantly startled both boys to full attention, Blaine leaping to his feet before Kurt could even register what was going on.

"Hey, Kurt, Rachel said to tell you-" Finn appeared in the open doorway, stopping mid-sentence. His eyes widened a bit as he took in the sight before him. "Um… hi…?"

Kurt sat up quickly, cheeks burning. He'd forgotten that Finn was only off visiting Rachel for a few hours that night. Of course he would be home before their parents. "Oh…" Kurt blinked, hopelessly trying to smooth his tousled hair. "Um, hey, Finn. This is… uh…" Helplessly, Kurt turned to Blaine. How was he supposed to explain? After all, he had never been one to bring home many new friends, and Finn knew all the ones he had at McKinley.

"Blaine Anderson." Introducing himself, Blaine offered Finn a hand to shake. In response, Finn's eyes darted from the bruises on Blaine's skin, to the scar over his eyebrow, to the flushed look on Kurt's face. It was clearly not the sort of situation to which he had expected to come home. He looked to Kurt questioningly. Blaine dropped his hand.

"Finn, it's not… it's not what you think," Kurt rushed out, fighting to keep his composure. "Blaine and I met at Dalton this week, and he needed a place to stay. His dad kicked him out." Well, that was the short version of the truth, anyway.

Finn's eyes narrowed skeptically. He raised an eyebrow. "You mean he's a student there? At the reform school?" he asked, his mind clearly buzzing with assumptions as he snuck another quick glance at Blaine. "Does Burt know?"

Kurt shook his head slowly. "Not yet, but he's going to be out late. I'm sure it would be a lot less stressful for everyone if we all just talked about this in the morning?"

Finn seemed to understand then, his eyes softening slightly as he took in the pleading tone of Kurt's voice. "Okay," he reasoned hesitantly. "I guess… I guess that makes sense…"

Kurt let out a breath. "Thanks, Finn," he said. "I know this seems strange… I swear, there is an explanation. Blaine's not just some arbitrary reform school kid, honestly."

"Right…" Finn glanced over both of them again, visibly trying to put the pieces together. After a moment, he seemed to decide that whatever was going on was out of his hands, and shrugged. "Well… just… don't get into trouble. Or whatever. I'll see you in the morning."

"'Night, Finn." Kurt watched his stepbrother turn to walk back down the hall, and waited a moment before getting up to close the door. Blaine blinked at him in silence.

With a sigh, Kurt settled back against the pillows at the head of his bed. That had been just a little too close; obviously, things with Blaine were not about to be kept secret for very long. Kurt frowned and tucked his knees to his chest, wondering what exactly they were supposed to do next.

"You okay?" Blaine asked carefully, coming to sit beside Kurt and leaving a noticeable distance between them.

Kurt shrugged, and then nodded. He wasn't sure how to feel. "Yeah," he answered softly. "I'm fine."

Blaine's eyes searched his face. "I'm making things difficult for you, aren't I?"

"Since when do you care?" Kurt snapped back without thinking. He regretted it instantly.

Blaine blinked in surprise. Yes, he knew that his personality was multiple-sided, and he certainly hadn't made a very stable first impression with Kurt. He had been a jerk, a helpless reject, and a good friend- more or less- all over the course of a week. But how could he show Kurt his true self when even he had lost track of who that was?

"I'm sorry," Kurt started gently, his eyes sincere and apologetic. "That was harsh; I didn't mean to-"

Blaine shook his head. "It's alright." He paused, turning to face Kurt more fully and meeting his gaze. "You deserve to know me… the real me. And you have to understand that I'm not that guy, Kurt… the one who doesn't care. I never wanted to be. I do care, honestly."

Searching Blaine's eyes, Kurt was suddenly taken aback by the desperation he found there. Blaine had been trapped- that much was obvious. Now, suddenly, all Kurt wanted to do was to set him free. "I know."

It was with this reassurance that time began to slowly fade into nothing, and exhaustion took over in its place. Inch by inch, the two boys found themselves drifting closer together and nearer to sleep, until Kurt's head had settled against Blaine's chest. Drifting from consciousness, their arms became securely bound around each other, as if to keep from falling apart.