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Beta-readers: lyingxiscariot (FFnet), FangirlingFanatic (FFnet), and stulti.

Summary: Blaine Anderson is a prostitute whose client is murdered before his eyes. He is thrown into witness protection together with Special Agent Kurt Hummel, whose job is to keep him safe. But, with nosy neighbours and a notorious crime family snapping at their heels, it's not that easy. Especially when feelings get involved.

Warnings: Dub/con, alcohol use, minor OMC death, mention of child abuse, mention of domestic violence, mention of various kinks

Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Sugar/Artie, Quinn/Puck, Cooper/OFC

Length: 65k; 16 parts altogether

Updates: Weekly on Sundays or Mondays

CHAPTER V: OF CLUB MEMBERS AND CHILDREN II

Blaine and Kurt arrived at Sugar's punctually, to find that only Starchild had come before them. They hadn't known who had been invited but since the coffee table in the living room was set for five people, Blaine assumed they were waiting for Quinn.

"Hello, buddies," Starchild greeted them with a wide smile.

"Hi," Blaine said, taking a seat next to the man while Kurt sat down on his fake husband's other side. "Cool watch," he commented on the accessory politely.

"Yeah?" the man looked at the elegant black watch he was wearing and took it off, offering it to Blaine. "Take it. I have too many."

"Are you serious?" Blaine didn't make a move.

"I'm always serious except when I'm joking," Starchild said, and took Blaine's wrist, putting the watch on. "Fabulous."

"Well, thanks?" Blaine looked at the watch, dumbfounded.

"So if I say 'cool hat', would you–" Kurt began, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Sorry, off limits," Starchild laughed. "But, I have a brooch that would go nicely with that purple shirt you were wearing yesterday… I'll have to find it for you."

"I was just joking. I actually have a large collection of brooches myself," Kurt said.

"I never joke about accessories, Kevin, and neither should you."

They couldn't get more deeply in the discussion because at that time Sugar, Quinn, and a little girl who was holding her hand came into the room.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. My babysitter called last minute and told me she couldn't make it," Quinn explained, out of breath. "This is my daughter Beth. Say hi."

"Hello," Beth said, and took a tiny bow.

"She's recently started dancing lessons at Sugar's kindergarten," Quinn explained to the charmed men, and took a seat next to Sugar.

"When I grow up I will be a cheerleader like my mommy," Beth said proudly, standing by her mother's side.

"That's so cool! I was on a cheerleading team once," Kurt said excitedly.

"You were?" Blaine asked before realising what he had done.

Quinn laughed. "You didn't know your husband used to dance?"

"I was on the team for like a week, no big deal," Kurt explained. "I didn't save any photos and it just never came up in a conversation. Until now."

"Everyone needs secrets in their lives," Quinn nodded understandingly. "Puck still doesn't know some things about me."

"What doesn't daddy know, mommy?" Beth asked, cocking her head.

"Go play, Beth," Quinn said, giving her daughter her cell phone. Blaine noticed some game on the screen.

"I once read that soil on Mars is good for growing asparagus," Starchild said casually as the girl walked away with the phone.

Blaine watched as she went across the room and sat down on the carpet.

"What are you talking about?" Quinn looked at Starchild, confused.

The man shrugged. "Thought we might have some gardening enthusiasts here. Apparently not," he said, smiling widely.

"Alright…" Quinn said slowly. "So, Sugar, you've been awfully silent. You are the president of the book club after all."

"Oh yes, of course, books…" Sugar said absentmindedly.

"Is everything okay?" Blaine asked, seeing that her thoughts were far away. "We can reschedule if you are not up for this today."

"I'm fine, really, just work stuff," the woman said, shaking herself. "Here we go, back to normal," she flashed them a fake smile. "Today, we are going to set a reading list from the books we all chose to recommend. Quinn, be a sweetheart and tell us about your choice."

Beth kept tapping the phone, but soon she placed it on the ground and began picking at the carpet.

"Brian?" Kurt tried to get his attention. Blaine didn't react and Kurt patted his knee.

"What?"

"Do you want to read Quinn's book?" Sugar asked. She now had a notebook and a pen in her hands.

"Um, yeah, sure," Blaine said, having no idea what he was agreeing to. He wasn't paying attention.

"It's two against three then," Sugar said. "Sorry, Quinn, as much as we would like to read your old Yale professor's autobiography, it won't be on our reading list. Next…"

Beth was now lying on her back, making 'snow angels'.

"Brian?" Kurt poked him again.

"What?"

"It's your turn to present a book, honey."

Blaine looked around at expectant faces. "I'm suggesting 'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer. Now, excuse me," he said, and pushed aside the book he had actually brought to the meeting. After that he left the table.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asked but Blaine didn't answer.

He walked up to the girl and sat down in front of her. She sat up and looked at him questioningly.

"Hey, I'm Brian," Blaine smiled at her. "I was bored with the adults there and thought maybe you would let me join you? Pretty please?"

The girl looked him up and down and nodded. "Only because I like your bowtie."

"I'm glad I wore this one today," Blaine said in mock relief. "What do you want to do?"

"You could tell me a story," she requested eagerly. "But not Sleeping Beauty or others that my mommy reads to me before bed."

"Um, okay, I can try…" he said, thinking hard. "Ever heard the story about Beauty and the Beast?"

"Yes, I watch Disney movies all the time," Beth nodded.

"You know what," Blaine said slowly, "I once met a princess who used to be locked up in a tower by a dark wizard. Would you like to hear about her?"

"Yes."

"Not long ago, in a land not that far away… you know Europe?" he asked, and waited for the girl to nod. "Well, there lived a princess. Her name was Bethany."

"Was she pretty?"

"Just like any girl. Her beauty shone through her flaws," Blaine said, aiming for being poetic, but ending up confusing the girl.

"What?"

"I mean, some people thought that her nose was too big or that her freckles tainted her face, but nobody could deny that her piercing blue eyes and soft chestnut hair made her stand out in the crowd. So yes, I would say she was very beautiful."

"Freckles are beautiful, my best friend has them."

Blaine nodded. "They are beautiful to me too, but some people don't like them. That's why I didn't say outright that she was pretty. Because someone would say yes, others would say no. It's okay to have preferences."

"Like how I think that my mommy is very beautiful, but her hair colour is not while my daddy likes it?"

Blaine heard the others giggle and only then realised that everyone was listening to them.

"Something like that."

"Okay," Beth said. "What happened to the princess?"

"One day she was kidnapped by a vicious wizard and taken to this magical forest, so thick that nobody could enter without special spells," Blaine said expressively.

"Was she guarded by a dragon there?"

"How did you know that?" Blaine asked, widening his eyes. "She was indeed. But it was a friendly dragon that did its best to protect her from the wizard."

"Really?" Beth asked, surprised. "But, how did the dragon end up in the wizard's tower then?"

Blaine hadn't thought about it. "Uh, it was a… very smart dragon."

"And?"

"He… pretended to be on the wizard's side, you see," he continued, "but the whole time he just tried to help his victims."

"Oh, that's so cool!" Beth clapped her hands in excitement. "What happened to them?"

"I'm sorry, guys," Sugar suddenly said, standing up, "but we will have to reschedule after all. There is an emergency at the kindergarten and I have to leave."

"That's okay," Quinn said and walked up to Blaine and Beth. "Beth, we are going home."

"Nooo, I'm listening to a story!" the girl argued, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"You can finish next time," the woman said, looking down at Blaine expectantly. "Right?"

"When?" Beth asked Blaine, looking at him with big watery eyes.

"You know what, I could write it down and maybe your mommy would read it to you before bed?" Blaine suggested, as he had no idea when he would see the girl again.

"What will you say, Beth? Mister Brian will write you a personal story that no other girl has ever heard," Quinn asked, helping her daughter up.

"Okay," Beth said in a small voice.

"By the way, it's very cute how you talk about your husband," Quinn winked at him. "It's obvious you love him very much."

"Why do you say that?"

"Piercing blue eyes, soft chestnut hair, and beautiful freckles? It's beyond adorable," the woman said, and left Blaine speechless. It was the second sign he was screwed.

"Starchild insists we come over to check out his brooch collection," Kurt said when Blaine walked up to them. "And I must admit I'm curious."

"That was a neat story," Starchild complimented him, throwing his arm over Blaine's shoulders. "You have to give me a copy when you finish it. I have a niece who likes dragons."

"Absolutely," Blaine said with a light blush as they walked out of the house. "I have to make it perfect, can't disappoint two girls... But, no pressure, right?"

"As long as someone rides a dragon it should be fine," Starchild said. They were at his house and the man unlocked the front door. "I apologise for the mess, didn't have much time to tidy up."

"What do you do for a living?" Kurt asked, looking around the house. It was perfectly tidy as far as Blaine could see.

"I'm an inventor, sort of," the man said. "I should totally show you the room I work in. But after I bring my brooches. Please, make yourselves comfortable," he said, gesturing towards the living room, and left.

They walked to the couch and sat down, not daring to invade Starchild's privacy by snooping around.

"So what was Sugar's emergency? Did she say?" Blaine asked.

"Apparently one of the teachers came out as transgender recently, and some parents are not happy about it," Kurt explained, checking something on his phone discreetly.

"Oh," was the only thing Blaine said before Starchild came back with a large box filled with little boxes.

"Apparently I left most of my collection at my sister's. I only brought ten or so," he said, setting the box on the coffee table. He then proceeded to open one small box and took a small silver key brooch out. "This is the one I was talking about."

"It's very beautiful…" Kurt said, looking at the accessory in awe. "Are you sure you want to give it to me?"

Starchild nodded with no hesitation. "I can always make more."

"So, what, you are an inventor who designs brooches?" Blaine laughed, opening another box which revealed a green, owl-shaped brooch.

"Accessories are my hobby," Starchild explained. "Other than that, my goal is to create stuff that will make people's lives easier. Like a cup that holds cookies on its bottom. That was genius… I should have thought of it first."

"What have you invented so far?" Kurt asked, putting the last brooch back into its box.

"Come, I'll show you," Starchild said, and led them to the basement. "It's my sanctuary so, please, only bring positive energy."

Now there was the mess Starchild had warned them about. Things were scattered everywhere. Not only the surfaces of numerous chairs and the washing machine were blanketed with weird stuff, but also the floor. Starchild had actually made a path to what appeared to be his work desk. Blaine feared he would step on something important. He wondered if a sane person needed that much stuff lying around.

"I'm not a hoarder if that's what you are thinking. I need all of these," he voiced Blaine's thought as they slowly made their way to see the man's newest invention. "I'm currently working on making this pen emit enough light when switched on that you could easily write something at night. I will advertise it to kids whose parents don't want them to draw or write at night. I think I will call it 'Parents' worst nightmare'. Or something similar. It's not set in stone yet."

"Um, keep brainstorming," Kurt said politely, and picked up a weird ball with many wires hanging out of it. "What's that?"

"I'm trying to invent a comfortable way to store wires," Starchild said and took the ball from Kurt. "That's one of the failed attempts."

"What about this shirt?" Blaine asked, picking up the white item that was lying on the table.

"That's an undershirt," Starchild said.

"And what does it do?"

"Covers your body?" he asked, looking at Blaine as if he was crazy.

Blaine blushed under the man's gaze. "Oh, I thought it was one of your inventions as well."

"That's insane. Why would I be inventing an undershirt?" Starchild laughed.

"Yes, Brian, what were you thinking?" Kurt quipped.

"You two are mean," Blaine said, putting the shirt down. "I should go start writing that story. You two can hang out here and make fun of me behind my back."

"Nah, where's the fun in that?" Kurt asked with a smirk. "We should get going anyway. I only have a week to read 'Twilight'. I hate you both for that, by the way."

"Wait, what?" Blaine asked confused. "Why do you need to… oh…" he suddenly realised his mistake.

"Exactly, oh," Kurt mocked him. "Everyone but me wanted to talk about it next week. All thanks to my genius husband."

"In Brian's defence, this is a great book for the club," Starchild defended him. "It has many interesting issues. Like the fact that the main characters fit the definition of an abusive relationship."

"It might be interesting, but it still means that I'll have to read it," Kurt whined.

"We all need to make small sacrifices in life," Starchild shrugged. "Before you go, you should know that pharaoh Tutankhamun's penis was mummified erect."

"What?" Blaine couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Let yourself out, please," Starchild smiled at them and sat down by the desk. He started working on something and didn't even glance at the couple until they left.

"Why do you think Egyptians mummi–" Blaine asked Kurt on their way out of the house.

"No idea," Kurt said before Blaine could finish his question. "But I'm definitely looking it up as soon as I get to my laptop."

"Oh, speaking of which… Would you lend it to me so I can write that story for Beth? I don't think Quinn would be able to read my handwriting easily."

"Sure, no problem. As soon as we get home, it's all yours."

"You're the best," Blaine said, smiling at the man. He got an equally fond smile in return.

Soon Blaine found out that writing was a tough challenge. He hadn't had to write any story since high school, and it didn't help that Kurt had the newest Windows version installed. The library only had XP.

Technicalities aside, coming up with an interesting plot appeared to be more difficult than he had initially thought. At some point, when it was nearing evening already, he deleted everything he had written and started over. Before that, he took Lucas' photo and set it beside the laptop. That way he could imagine he was telling the story to his nephew.

After three days of hard work, Beth received the story. Her smile and a tight hug were worth his dried, reddened eyes. Compliments from their neighbours and especially from Kurt were an added bonus.

Weeks passed, and November came with its harsh winds, rain, and falling leaves. Light jackets were replaced by coats and scarfs. Normally Blaine would hate this cold, dark season, but this time he didn't. He enjoyed it. He spent evenings with Kurt in their warm house, and whatever they chose to do on any given day was still considerably better than roaming the streets with revealing clothes.

Kurt wasn't perfect, Blaine learned through time. He sometimes chewed with his mouth open and often left his dirty dishes in the sink, saying he would wash them later. He listened to TV too loudly for Blaine's liking. He occasionally ran late and Blaine would have to wait until he got ready.

Blaine wasn't perfect either, he knew that much. He tended to doze off while daydreaming and Kurt would have to repeat half of what he had said. Every so often he would forget to do laundry and have to either borrow something from Kurt or wear dirty clothes. And while Kurt chewed with his mouth open, Blaine sometimes talked with food in his mouth.

They weren't perfect and yet they fit perfectly. They worked surprisingly well as a team. A team that was sometimes dysfunctional, but managed to get things done. They learned how to coexist. When watching TV with Kurt, Blaine would sit just a little further from the TV. Kurt made a habit of telling Blaine when he was doing laundry and asking Blaine if he had Kurt could add to the load. In return, Blaine would wash Kurt's dishes.

Imperfections aside, Kurt was the man of Blaine's dreams. If he had thought he was screwed before, now he knew for sure he was in a lot of trouble. Kurt was caring and compassionate. He seemed to always know when Blaine needed company and when he preferred to be left alone. His jokes made Blaine laugh until he cried, and a single touch made his skin tingle. They both loved books and shared many favourite TV shows and movies. They both read Vogue and had similar taste in music. Blaine could imagine being with someone like Kurt. Being with Kurt.

Blaine didn't know if it was just his imagination, but sometimes Kurt looked interested in him. Why else would he glance at him with soft eyes and let his hands linger when he helped him with a bowtie? Kurt wouldn't have a shy smile when inviting him to join for a cup of coffee if he didn't have a crush on Blaine. At least that's what Blaine thought when he got to bed every night and reflected on the previous day, looking for hints that his hopes and heart would not be shattered.

It was difficult not to get his hopes up. Kurt had hinted enough that he was gay and single. They already lived together and had to pretend to be married in front of other people. It didn't help that their outings always resembled dates. It wasn't easy to stay away from a romantic mood when star gazing from the top of the Empire State Building.

"Beautiful, huh?" Kurt asked, looking up at a surprisingly clear night sky.

"Beautiful..." Blaine agreed, glancing at Kurt. "Makes me wonder, you know..."

"About?"

"Aliens, of course," Blaine said, and was pushed toward Kurt by a lady who was trying to pass them.

"What about them?" Kurt asked, pulling Blaine closer, making sure there was enough space for others to get by. He didn't remove his arm from around his waist. Blaine's heart made a hopeful jump.

"Do you think they poop just like humans do?" he said, knowing well enough by now that his silliness would make Kurt laugh.

He was right. "Oh my god, you are ridiculous," Kurt chuckled, looking at him… dreamily?

"But seriously, how awesome would it be?" Blaine asked, admiring the sky.

"Knowing about alien pooping routines?" Kurt asked and followed his lead, looking up.

"No. That would be cool, too, but just meeting someone from another planet..."

"And getting probed by them? I prefer humans for that, to be honest," Kurt said conversationally, missing the surprised look on Blaine's face. Kurt was never the one to mention sex, especially not this casually.

"Excuse me, there are children around," someone hissed at them, and Kurt blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," he muttered and Blaine had to look away to hide his smile. "It's getting pretty cold up here. Let's go home," he suggested.

"Sure, of course, it's only because of the weather," Blaine teased him.

"Exactly," Kurt said and grabbed his hand. He didn't let go until long after.

As they walked down the street, Blaine looked at an electronics shop window and saw a photo of John Travis staring at him from a TV screen, while the reporter said something he couldn't hear.

And there was that. A little more than two months had passed since Travis had been killed, and nothing had changed. The investigation was still taking place and police hadn't had much luck with it. On the bright side, there was no word on the streets about Changs looking for Blaine. Kurt had granted him freedom, but Blaine had yet to use it. He didn't mind spending time with Kurt, after all.

Blaine had mixed feelings about the stagnation of the investigation progress. On one hand, not having as much freedom as he used to have was frustrating, and pretending to be someone else was hard. On the other hand, life was good. Kurt was amazing, and he had actually made friends with some of the neighbours. He didn't have to sell his body, and Kurt had promised he would look into the possibility of Blaine getting some sort of a job as Brian while he was under protection.

Truth to be told, he was dreading going back to his old life. While he wanted the criminals to be locked up he didn't look forward to being fucked by strangers again. At least he felt ready for the exams, and then he could graduate high school and start a new life. He selfishly hoped he would still be in witness protection by then.

Not much had changed on their street. With Artie back from LA, they expected Sugar to cancel the club, but she didn't. They all had fun. Not only did they share opinions on books, they also gossiped and baked together. They began rotating with hosting, and it was the host's responsibility to select a dessert that they would make together. Artie joined them shortly after coming back. Once he'd been drowned in flour by accident. He said he would rather join their shenanigans than become an onlooker victim.

The first meeting in November was held in Thompsons' house. Kurt had noticed he had forgotten to get butter for cookies, so he went to a grocery store together with Starchild. While Sugar and Quinn chatted in the kitchen, Artie asked Blaine to have a private word with him. They ended up by the staircase, just far enough from the girls.

"We should be fine here," Blaine said when they stopped. "Why the secrecy?"

"This just felt like a one-on-one conversation," Artie said casually, lowering his voice just a little. "Remember the story you wrote for Beth? Sugar gave it to me. It was very good."

"Oh, well, thank you," Blaine said, pleased with himself. Not every day a famous person complimented him.

"Are you a writer like Kevin?"

"No way," Blaine shook his head. "It was a fun thing to do, but I'm more into teaching kids than writing."

"That's actually what I was hoping to hear," Artie smiled. "Sugar and I have been talking. We need a wider selection of extra-curriculars at the kindergarten. We've been thinking of introducing theatre. Would you be interested in producing a play based on your story?"

"Sure, you can use it. I don't mind."

"No, you misunderstood me. We want you to do it," Artie clarified to a stunned Blaine.

"What? You mean like working at your kindergarten?"

"Yes," Artie simply nodded. "It would be an after-school extra for the ones who want to act. Two or three days a week only. A couple of hours of work on those days. Would you be interested? I know it's not really your field…"

"Wow, I don't know. It's very sudden, you know. What does Sugar think about it? It's her kindergarten, after all," Blaine asked, trying to win some time to think.

"It was her idea. Only then did I read the story. It has potential to be a fun, educational play for kids."

"It sounds fun, but I need to ask…" what was Kurt's fake name? He was too shocked to remember it, "my husband," he finished.

"I'm sure he will be delighted. It would add some income, seeing how you are still not able to find a job. Give it some thought, okay?"

"Of course," Blaine promised, and Artie was happy with the answer. They went back to the kitchen, and as soon as Kurt and Starchild came back, they proceeded with the meeting.

The topic of Blaine's employment stayed untouched throughout the afternoon. Only when everyone was leaving did Sugar whisper in his ear to 'think about it'. Kurt gave them a curious look and jumped on the case the moment they were left alone.

"I hope you are not cheating on me, my dear husband," he asked, smirking.

"Is Brian bi?" Blaine asked. They went to the kitchen to tidy up the mess from baking. The house smelled like heaven. "I never thought about it before."

"He can be. As long as he only loves Kevin, he can goggle girls and guys, I don't care," Kurt said, looking helplessly at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. "You wash, I dry?"

"As always," Blaine said, rolling up the sleeves, ready to tackle the monster mess. "Artie offered me a job. It was Sugar's idea."

"And what's the job?" Kurt asked, walking up to him with a kitchen towel in his hands.

"Directing a play in their kindergarten," Blaine said, and poured the water over the dishes to let them soak for a bit. "Based on my story."

"Sounds awesome! Do you want to do it?"

"It sounds like fun," Blaine shrugged, turning around to face Kurt. "It's only a few hours a week, but it's still something to do, and they would pay me. And since you have granted me freedom…"

"So you want to do it," Kurt stated. "I think it's great. But, are you sure working with kids is something you can and want to do? No offence, but you don't have experience, so it might be harder than you think."

"I know, but I want to try it. Most jobs start with a probation period, right? So I can back out at any time," Blaine said, and he felt his voice rising in excitement just thinking about having a respectable job. "And maybe I will find that I like it and I'm good at it?"

"Then go ahead and take it," Kurt smiled at him encouragingly. "You are always so good with Beth that I have little doubt you will be great at it. As long as you enjoy it, I'm fine with you being out of the house for a few hours a week. I'll miss you though."

"I'll text you," Blaine sent him a wink. "They will probably want to run a background check on Brian."

"They have done it already," Kurt said, and added upon seeing Blaine's questioning look. "I got a call recently from my boss and he said someone was checking the legitimacy of Brian's education. They must have remembered when you mentioned graduating Ohio State University."

"So that's it? I say yes and become a teacher?"

"It seems so."

"Do you think it's morally right for me to work with kids?" Blaine asked, turning back to do the dishes to avoid Kurt's gaze.

"Why not?"

"Prostitution?" Blaine said, his voice wavering a little. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not ashamed. It's not an ideal job, but I'm good at it and it pays. I may not like what some people do to me, but it's not permanent. But, working with kids, it just feels…" he couldn't find the right words to express himself.

"When you are playing with Beth do you feel more like a teacher or a prostitute?" Kurt asked, earning himself a confused look. "I'm just saying that as long as you don't act like a prostitute in front of the kids, you should be fine."

"It sounds wrong using the words 'kids' and 'prostitute' in the same sentence," Blaine said. "But you have a point… I think I'm going to do it."

And so he did. Come Monday, Blaine was officially a theatre teacher at the private Sugar & Spice Kindergarten. He couldn't have been more excited.

"I went to school with Sugar and she introduced me to the other teachers. They were awesome. This guy Sheldon looked scary at first, but he was very sweet. He coaches football at the same time I do theatre. And there is also Will who runs a glee club so that kids can sing and dance. And they have some other cool classes. I don't remember them all. It doesn't matter.

"We then went to this small auditorium, which is where I will be teaching my class. Twenty three students signed up for my class! Can you imagine? Twenty three! I will have to write in some new characters. I don't feel like telling kids they will be trees…

"Anyway, Sugar introduced me and then just left me. That was terrifying. I had thought about the first lesson, but everything left my mind suddenly. And the kids were all looking expectantly at me! So I figured, what do I need to do first? I need to get to know them. So we sat down on the stage in a circle and went around, telling our names with an interesting fact so it would be easier to remember each other. After all, those kids are from different groups, so they don't know each other either. And so…" he ran out of breath and started coughing.

"Blaine, breathe," Kurt laughed over his glass of juice.

"…I introduced myself and I told them that I'm currently taking lessons from my husband on how to use sai swords. You should have seen their faces! They were that impressed.

"The kids are really cool. Samantha has a pet tarantula. Angela is taking ballet classes. Timothy has a cat named Captain America…

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" Blaine asked, seeing Kurt's stare.

"Yeah, a genuine smile. It suits you," he smiled and gestured for him to go on.

"Well, it was awesome, what's not to smile about?" he shrugged and took a sip of juice, all the talking making him thirsty. "After everyone introduced themselves, I told them about my idea for the play and asked them if they had any suggestions. And they did! I mean, not all were great, but some will definitely be in the play. We then did some acting exercises. Some kids have natural talent. I was thinking of giving everyone a week to practise, and then we will hold auditions for parts and start rehearsing next week. I also need to change the script…

"Oh and one girl said I was her favourite teacher when the class ended. I know kids tend to exaggerate, but it was so sweet!"

"I'm sure you deserved it," Kurt smiled at him. "You are very… lovable."

Blaine stopped for a second, but decided not to read too much into his words. "Thank you. It means a lot to have your support. I haven't had that in years, so… thank you."

Most evenings went the same way that week. Blaine would come back from work and tell Kurt all about his short day at the kindergarten. He told him how much he loved working with the kids and how much they loved him. He boasted about the progress the kids were making and shared his thoughts about the casting. He had already found a perfect girl for the princess' part. Kurt guessed it was Beth, but Puck and Quinn's daughter was actually planning to audition for the role of the dragon. Blaine couldn't imagine a more suitable candidate.

On Friday, Kurt proposed a celebration of his first successful week as a teacher. They opened a bottle of wine and rested on the couch, sitting close to each other, invading each other's personal space, but still comfortable.

"To your first week," Kurt saluted, and they clinked their glasses.

"Couldn't have done it without you," Blaine smiled and sipped the sweet drink. "It's still hard to believe that I'm earning money by, basically, playing with kids."

"You are good at it, so why not? I talked to Sugar yesterday and she said you exceeded her expectations. And Quinn said Beth doesn't shut up about her theatre class and the perfect teacher. You could consider it for your career in the future."

"I would need to get rid of the shadow of my past first," Blaine said, not meeting Kurt's eyes. "Employers ask too many questions. It would be difficult to explain why I graduated high school at the age of twenty-three or four."

"People take years off for various reasons," Kurt shrugged.

"Yes, after school, not at the age of sixteen…"

"It still baffles me. You were only sixteen… how did you cope with… you know?"

"Living on my own and fucking for money?" Blaine offered. "It was difficult at first. Especially losing my virginity… But later it got better, when I realised that I could be worse than this. Me selling sex doesn't make me a bad person. I'm not killing or raping anyone. As soon as I came to this conclusion it got easier to live with myself."

"You lost your virginity to a…"

"Client, yes… Middle-aged closet case. His wife was supposed to come back home in half an hour, so he was very quick to fuck me. Not the nicest way to lose my virginity, but that evening I got to eat dinner, so it paid off," Blaine said and took a large sip of wine. His chest warmed up immediately and he pushed the memory aside.

"A friend of mine was raped at a party," Kurt began, and Blaine looked up, curious where he was going with it. "In society's eyes she lost her virginity that night. But you know what she told me? She said, 'I will lose my virginity when I choose to – with a person I love and when I consent to it'. So I guess it depends on how you view the concept? I don't think you lost anything that day. You were fighting to survive; that's forced consent."

"I never thought about it that way…" Blaine said, playing with the glass. "Where have you been all my life?" he cracked a smile.

Kurt laughed. "Well, I'm here now. You know, your future boyfriend will be one lucky man. You are an amazing person."

"In a far, far future, maybe," Blaine said, hoping it wouldn't be that far. "It's kind of hard to find someone who would want to be with a guy who fucks other guys for money. Maybe when I'm done with it, someone will want to be with me…"

"I don't see why not. You are smart, funny, caring, and… handsome," Kurt finished with difficulty, blushing at his boldness. Blaine emptied his glass and refilled both his and Kurt's.

He inhaled the smell of the wine deeply, ignoring Kurt's words, and said, "Light cherry and other red berry aromas, with delicate bullshit flavours. On the palate it shows medium tannins, whatever they are, with a delicious finish."

Kurt started laughing. "That's the best Quinn impression," he said and took a tiny sip of the drink. "The taste buds are awakened by the knowledge that the cherry tree was fertilized by fish heads."

"Shit, you are perfect," Blaine laughed.

He didn't notice how close to Kurt he was sitting. Not until the man leaned in and whispered, "I want to kiss you so much right now…"

His hot breath tingled against Blaine's skin, and there was nothing he could do but give in and connect their lips. He could feel Kurt smiling into the kiss, and smiled himself.

Suddenly his pants were wet.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry," Kurt apologised, wiping the wine he had spilled on Blaine's pants.

Blaine took Kurt's glass and set both on the coffee table. "No more hazard," he said hoarsely, hoping that Kurt hadn't changed his mind.

He hadn't. Soon their hands roamed each other's bodies and their tongues explored each other's mouths.

"Should we… move upstairs?" Kurt asked.

"Are you sure? We had wine, maybe it's just alcohol talking…" Blaine asked. He needed to be sure Kurt really wanted it. He hoped he did.

"We barely had a glass each. Only enough to give me courage to tell you that I like you and I want you. Tell me you feel the same," Kurt pleaded, looking at him with wide, lustful eyes.

"I do, I really do."

"Let's go," Kurt said, tugging him off the couch.