Kurt ran home crying. He was so upset and he didn't even know why everything that Blaine said set him off and made him so emotional. Everything was so incredibly overwhelming and he was let down and disappointed once again-really no surprise. He didn't want to deal with this cold, cruel world anymore. All he wanted to do was crawl under a rock and never see the light of day again.

It started raining while he was running and that scared him deeply. He didn't even want to be out here anymore, let alone in the rain. After carefully maneuvering every turn, crosswalk and annoying driver on the road, he finally pulled up to his apartment building. When he got to his apartment, he immediately stopped crying. He stood behind his front door, trying to slow his breathing. He didn't realize he was panting as hard as he was until he was hit with his mother's perfume and the silent apartment that was now only occupying one person. That's when it hit him-this was home now. And although nothing to the actual physical building had changed, it had changed Kurt. Home-it didn't fit right, at least, it didn't anymore.

Silence would have to be his new normal. The only noises coming from this place were noises from the kitchen appliances, toilets flushing, tubs draining, water running, nail biting, food wrappers, papers in magazines flipping, few footsteps, and soft crying throughout the day and night. How would he even pay the bills for this place? For food and who knows what else? He didn't own a car but his parents owned one and that was the one that was completely destroyed last night with his parents still in it. How in the world was he supposed to stick it out completely alone?

'What am I going to do with this place? I can't just sit and let everything in here rot.' Kurt scanned the living room in front of him. Aquamarine and lime colored walls encircled the small room and seemed more dull due to the little sunlight that the sun was providing through the dark rain clouds and Kurt's mood and imagination weren't helping one bit. There was a small, tan colored love seat pushed against the wall facing a small, partially broken television set. There was a soft, cozy matching chair next to the little couch that were both very warn and used-but that's what made it feel like home to Kurt. The room was scattered with magazines, newspapers, empty and partially empty water bottles, stay socks, and an assortment of mish-mashed remotes were set on the center coffee table with coasters and pencils.

A glass wall that was on the opposite wall of the front door where Kurt stood, motionless, lead to a balcony that was two stories off of the ground. The view was magnificent, especially at night because it overlooked the entire city of Lima, Ohio. This apartment building was up on a hill and Kurt had always loved it, for as far back as he could remember.

'Well, there's always yard sales and craigslist.' He thought as he saw his dad's old briefcase, his mom's purse and soft, yellow leather gloves perched on the shoe cubby near the door.

Kurt went to his room, carelessly look off his shoes, laid down on his bed and carelessly pulled the blankets up to his face and cried for hours into the night. He let his mind wonder. Thinking of his childhood with his parents up until his last moments with them yesterday.

He remembered the last time he had gone to church, thinking of Blaine. He was with his parents and it was Christmas time. He was roughly 8 or so years old. He sat in between his mom and dad as they sat amongst many other families with kids of all ages, old and young couples, and teenagers as well. Kurt was usually in the Sunday School with kindergarten to fifth graders but not today because it was Christmas Eve! They would sing songs, do crafts, and play with the thirty year old toys that were always there. But no matter what crafts they did or what toys Kurt got-he was always by himself.

He tried making friends, but no one talked to him. This didn't stop at church when he was little, it carried all through elementary school, junior high, and now-his senior year at McKinely. It was supposed to be fun, memorable, and amazing, but so far, it was the opposite.

He never really knew why his family left that church, probably because when Kurt was discovering he was gay, and 'traditional' people didn't approve. And his parents weren't completely committed to the church or religion either. They went on Christmas Eve and maybe Easter, but once Kurt turned 8, they just stopped going altogether and he didn't really care.

'And why in the world does Blaine want me to go back there?' Kurt thought to himself over and over through tears and sniffles. His pillow had been soaked with salt water and snot for hours now but he didn't care, he was to upset and depressed to even function properly. 'What does he want with me?' 'Should I talk to him again? Apologize?' 'Go to the shop and see him again? Maybe apologize there?' He thought as he finally drifted off to sleep.

It wasn't for long, however. Night after night Kurt had the same, continuous nightmares of watching Blaine drive a car and smash into another-the car that he parents were in when they were killed. Next, his parents' bodies were carried out, covered in white cloth and taken away. Blaine would look out his window and drive away, not caring who he had hurt and what exactly he had done.

Kurt would wake up after the same dream screaming and shrieking. Then he would cry because part of that dream is real-his parents are really dead and never coming back again, ever.

"Blaine! Hello!" A slightly irritated voice interrupted Blaine's thoughts of Kurt, the ring that he left behind, and everything that happened last week.

"I'm sorry Quinn, what was that?" Blaine was leaning back up against the front counter after serving a young man who reminded him so much of Kurt. He really thought it was Kurt at first, but alas, it wasn't.

Quinn took a deep breath, trying her best not to get frustrated and explode in Blaine's face. "Please frost these cupcakes with the new chunky monkey frosting and tomorrow, Rory will come in and do the rest of the decorating. Also, cut up these Snickers and Reeses' in half, I believe there is twenty of each, and Rory will use them tomorrow as well."

"Right on it, I'm sorry for spacing out on you, I've got a lot on my mind." Blaine dropped her gaze, feeling a little ashamed, thinking 'another thing to add to the list of things I've done wrong recently.'

"It's ok Blaine, I understand, just try to be more alert when you're here since we're so short on staff already." Quinn lightly patted Blaine's shoulder, turned and headed towards the kitchen to whip up another batch of red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day, which was next week.

"You've got it boss." Blaine called after her as the curtain settled behind her.

Blaine's mind had been everywhere since last week when Kurt Hummel stepped into his life, and may have vanished as quickly as he entered it. That whole almost 'date' kept replaying in his mind. The way he stood there in front of him in this very shop with the most broken, painful look on his face. The way he played with that ring that was new resting in Blaine's pants pocket, just in case Kurt happened to walk into the shop at any moment. The way he pulled his legs against his chest, almost trying to contain himself, his emotions so he wouldn't sell too much of himself away to anyone, the way he was completely hurt and broken only hours before they met. When Kurt got upset in that coffee shop and how dumb Blaine looked in front of everyone, too stupid to keep his own mouth shut once he got on his church rant.

'God' Blaine thought to himself as he closed his eyes, tilted his head up a little, knowing the big man upstairs was listening 'I know I really screwed up with Kurt, and I'm sorry, but just give me one more chance with him, at least to clear things up. Help him with everything that is worrying him and help him find hope, happiness, and comfort nonetheless, in this hard time. I love you, God, amen.' And with that Blaine looked to the trays of plain cupcakes and the still wrapped Snickers and Reeses' candy packages that were waiting for him on the counter.

As he worked, the shop was mostly silent except for the annoying radio station that was quietly playing. It was almost closing time and so far, there hadn't been a customer since 5:30 and he wished someone would come in and buy something because he needed to get Kurt and everything with him off of his mind, the sooner the better.

'Should I go visit him?' Kurt thought as he flopped onto the living room sofa after another boring, familiar day at school. He scanned through last month's Vogue and the Wanted ads in the newspaper because he really needed a job and to try to get his mind off of Blaine. 'No, he won't listen to me and I don't need a sales pitch as to why I should go to church and get into all of that Jesus stuff.' Kurt set down his magazine and noticed that he wasn't wearing the silver band on his finger.

"Oh shit! No!" Kurt yelled. It was the first thing he said since yelling at Blaine last week. He immediately started tearing apart the still apartment. He looked under the sofa, picking up the cushions, flipping everything in his room upside down. Looking in the trash, dirty clothes hamper, dishwasher, kitchen sink and cabinets, his pockets-which he always forgot about-and looked through every nook and cranny in his car.

He looked for hours and hours and finally gave up, for the day at least. He dragged himself to his room and cried for the rest of the day. He lost the ring. He lost that freaking ring and it was gone forever.

'What more could go wrong?' He thought as he somehow drifted off as the sun began to rise over the city.

"Hello Blaine, how are you doing?" Blaine walked into one of the buildings of his church later that night for collage group and ran into one of his very good friends, Mercedes.

"Hi Mercedes." Blaine said with a sigh, giving her a hug. She pulled back after a moment and gave him a confused look. He thought of using the casual 'I'm just tired' or 'School and work, same old same old' excuse but Mercedes knew him much better than that. That and she's slapped him straight across the face when he's previously used those 'cop outs' to answer her question of how he is really doing.

"Blaine, what's wrong? I know you and when you sigh like that, something is insanely wrong. Come on, let's sit over here." She took his hand and walked over to a small couch that was against a bright light blue wall. "Now spill, I'm listening." She said as they settled into the cozy couch.

"Uh, well I met someone last week at work. Kurt Hummel. You know I started working at Quinn's last month, right?" She nodded and he realized he had already told her because Quinn went to church will both of them and he promised Mercedes a large M&M cookie every Tuesday. "Well anyways, this guy walked into the shop and I immediately knew something was up with him. He was spacing out on me when I tried talking to him and he just wanted to sit and sulk in the shop on the bench along the wall. He looked so broken and lost, like a little kitten and something inside of me wanted to talk to him, find out what was wrong with him and what he was so upset about. What was looking like it was destroying him from the inside out."

"So I told him he could sit there in the shop until my shift was over and when it was he'd probably have to leave and then I could talk to him. He was very quiet and kept playing with this ring he had on his finger. I talked to him and we got coffee. I somehow started talking about church and God and I totally screwed things up. Once I started talking, I couldn't stop and he got upset with me because I was being way too pushy with the whole 'church' thing, never letting him talk and he doesn't go to church. He stormed out into the rain and left. He left his ring on the table, I ran after him but it was too late. I never even knew what he was upset about; what was eating him up inside, tearing him apart, and I surely didn't help any of that."

"Oh Blaine, I'm sorry. First off, I'm glad you had the courage to talk to this stranger, spent money on him and gave him your time, sounds like people don't do that for him. Secondly, that's great that you brought God into the conversation, but next time, take it in little chunks. Especially if they aren't a churchgoer. And that that's ok, but we need to gently nudge them into it, not shove it all in their face, right?"

"Right. You always know what to say, Mercedes, thank you." Blaine held his arms to her and gave her a big bear hug.

"You're welcome. Now have you seen this boy since that day?"

"No, I've been praying I'll get a second chance with him and at least apologize. I still have the ring too and I want to return it to him." Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, dainty silver band with a little clear stone placed on it. There was a faint engraving inside the band. 'B+E-until death do us part'.

Mercedes took the ring from Blaine's hands and examined it carefully, holding it up to the light. "Blaine, this looks like a promise ring or a wedding band. Have you had a good look at this yet?" She handed the ring back to him.

"Not this close, not until now. Geez, it must have been his mom's or something."

"Yeah, and you said you never knew what was wrong with him, right?"

"Right."

"Well if you do happen to run into him again, return it and maybe he'll say. But don't get too nosey, ok?"

"Ok, thanks again Mercedes."

"Blaine! Mercedes!" A girl with long, straight black and blue hair ran up to them and seated herself on a comfy chair across from their couch.

"Hi Tina." Blaine and Mercedes said in unison.

"What's up, you ok there, Blaine?" She gave him that same curious, suspicious look Mercedes gave him a few moments ago.

"Blaine met some really really sad kid at work, he took him for coffee and wouldn't shut up about church for two seconds and the kid got mad at him and walked out. He left behind this ring and Blaine's sad because he ruined the kid's day even more." Mercedes said for him, giving the summarized version of the story to Tina.

"Thanks." Blaine said.

"What did you do to the poor kid?" Tina half laughed, not on purpose, just a nervous habit she always had.

"I don't know what came over me, I just wouldn't stop talking about this place and I screwed up big time after he said he didn't go to church." Blaine looked down at his shoes, hating himself for the whole thing. "He yelled at me in front of the coffee shop. I'm such a hypocrite."

"No you're not." Mercedes and Tina said in unison.

"Blaine, we all screw up and say crappy things, it's ok. Don't let this one slip up get you down." Artie Abrams wheeled his wheelchair next in between Blaine and Tina.

"Artie, did you hear everything?" Blaine asked looking back up at his friend next to him.

"Yes, I-"

"Way to go Mr. I-Don't-Eavesdrop-on-everything." Sam Evens said as he rounded the corner and sat on the ground between Artie and Tina.

"Well look who's talking." Quinn Fabray said as she joined everyone in the chair next to Tina.

"Alright, who else is listening in on this, anyone?" Blaine asked loudly, hoping no one else was listening in on everything he was saying.

"Sorry Blaine, we didn't want to interrupt and then these kids over here ruined it and joined you." Sam pointed to Artie and Tina who were on either side of him.

"Hey, this is partially your fault too, you know." Artie looked at Sam and smiled down at him as Sam leaned up and kissed his lips briefly, reaching for Artie's hand after and didn't let go. Sam and Artie started dating last summer and even though it was a surprise for everyone, everyone was totally fine with it. Another reason Blaine loved his church and the people that made it a church so much. They have all accepted each other for who they are and not what they wear, what music they listen to, and what they look like.

That's why Blaine wanted Kurt to at least give this church a try. He will be accepted, prayed over, and loved-something that looks like it hasn't happened to Kurt in a while, or at least that's what Blaine was assuming based on the lostness that was portrayed by Kurt's facial expressions and quietness.

"Hey guys," Blaine said shyly, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Since we all know what's going on now with this guy I met, could you guys pray for him for him?"

"Absolutely." Quinn replied without hesitation.

"Sure Blaine." Tina chimed in.

"Of course." Mercedes said, rubbing Blaine's small back. Mercedes was Blaine's mentor and almost like a mother to him. Except Blaine already had a mother and Mercedes was only a year older than him.

"Thank you very much guys, I appreciate it. I'll let you know if anything happens and all that jazz."

"Group hug!" Artie yelled out, releasing Sam's hand as he flung his arms into the air above him and everyone moved over to Blaine, reassuring him that he had a huge support system that he could count on here.

Blaine arrived to work a few days later at noon after going to his morning government class and grabbing a quick bite to eat at his favorite sandwich shop down the street. He noticed Rory hadn't decorated the cupcakes that he left out for him last night and Blaine quickly picked up the frosting bag from the fridge and began icing each cupcake with delicate, practiced strokes, trying to get every detail just right.

A few hours or so passed and making roughly $100, Blaine was in a much better mood. He smiled at every customer, whether they bought something or not, made quite a few tips and officially perfected his talents with covering cupcakes with syrup-he always made a complete mess and thought he wasn't made for dealing with the sticky concoction-but today, that all changed and he couldn't be happier-or so he thought.

"Blaine? I have an announcement." Quinn said at closing tias he was finished cleaning the front counter and straightening up all of the candy jars on the floor to ceiling shelves behind the counter.

"Yes, what is it?" Blaine asked, climbing down the small latter and facing her, giving her his attention-hey, it wasn't his fault that he was on the shorter side.

"We have a new employee joining us tomorrow morning. He's a newbie so be patient with him, help him start off with little things and build up. I just hired him this afternoon, so we'll see how it all goes tomorrow."

"Great, I'm glad I'll get a partner in crime." Blaine said as he folded the miniature latter and placed it in between two cabinets behind him.

"Do you want to meet him, he's in the kitchen?"

"Sure, why not?" Blaine took off his apron and hat and hung them up for the day, following Quinn into the kitchen.

"Kurt?" Blaine exclaimed in shock as he saw a slender figure turn around at the sound of footsteps that belonged to Quinn and Blaine when they entered the kitchen.

So for the record, I did not create Sartie (Sam+Artie), but think about it, everyone who Artie's dated/had a thing for has left him...Tina, Brittany, Sugar. So why not, he deserves happiness like all of us, right?

Thanks for reading, more to come soon : )