In a lot of ways, New York isn't exactly what Kurt expected. If he's honest, the picture he had painted in his mind might have been a little naive. He'd envisioned a cosy apartment in the upper west side, close to Central Park where he could go jogging in the early mornings before class. He hadn't anticipated an old, run-down loft all the way out in Bushwick with creaky wooden floors and a heater that barely works. Still, he's in New York, he's made it and he is more than ready for his dreams to start coming true. The only thing getting him down is that all around him is evidence of dreams not coming true.

Rachel spots him first. Peeking out at the limited view they have, she sees a positively scruffy looking man, huddled up with his knees pressed against his chest, looking more desolate than Kurt has ever seen anyone look before.

"Isn't it just heartbreaking?" Rachel comments, closing the curtains and shutting the image out of her life just like that. "But that won't be us, Kurt. We're really doing this, all of our dreams are going to come true, I just know it!" Kurt smiles to appease her, easily forgetting about the man outside. With the curtains closed, it's far too easy to pretend he isn't there, along with the tens of thousands of other homeless people in the city. It's illogical to feel responsible for any of them, it's not exactly a problem that Kurt can fix so why waste time worrying? Live and let live, as he always tells himself. Kurt's in New York, the city where dreams come true, there's no way he's letting the cold, harsh reality of life get him down.

He doesn't even give the man a second thought until he sees him a second time, after his first day at NYADA. Sitting in the same spot, Kurt recognises him immediately. Without thinking, he stops momentarily, maybe it's curiosity, maybe he wants a closer look at the suffering of another human being to make him more thankful for what he does have, Kurt can't say. He stops and in that split second, the man looks up just as Kurt discovers that he's not a man at all but a boy. The thick beard and shaggy hair had been deceiving enough for Kurt to estimate his age to be somewhere between thirty and forty perhaps but sitting across the street from him is a boy barely older than himself if even that. Shaken, Kurt makes his way back up to the loft, suddenly the vision of him is not something he can just shut out as easily as closing the curtain. Suddenly the weight of his misfortune falls upon Kurt much heavier than before. It's stupid, it's incredibly foolish to feel guilty yet Kurt can't help but feel the shame like an unreachable itch inside him. Here he is, living out his dream and all he can do is complain that the loft could maybe do with double glazed windows while outside is that boy who has nothing.

Kurt passes him again the next day, it seems that the alley must be a permanent spot for him. He's never had to think from the point of view of a homeless person before but once Kurt takes a moment to consider, he can understand why. There, he's shielded from the wind and mostly sheltered from the rain. There are enough passersby to drop a few coins beside him and nearby are enough stores for him to purchase what he can whenever he's saved up enough money. Although it isn't yet cold, autumn is fast approaching and the nights are becoming cooler and cooler every day and spending every moment outside must take its toll. As a college student, Kurt doesn't exactly have much money going spare, nonetheless he still roots through his pocket to drop a handful of coins next to the boy. Before he even has a chance to look up, Kurt hurries on his way.

It becomes a routine. He doesn't tell Rachel, he doesn't want to know what she'd say if she knew he was squandering all of his extra cash on a person he's never actually spoken to before, but every day, Kurt drops whatever small amount of change he has next to the boy, rarely stopping for longer than a few seconds before he hurries upstairs. One week Kurt does the math and it adds up to a mere $6.34 in one week, barely enough to feed him each day but it's all Kurt can afford. Besides, it's better than nothing and it manages to ease his guilt slightly at least. He still can't figure out why exactly he feels so responsible.

Before he knows it, Kurt finds himself opting for cheaper brands at the supermarket, walking instead of taking the bus, even cutting down on his online shopping just to have a little extra to give each week to the boy outside.

"Thank you," a voice says before Kurt has the chance to hurry away. Instead, he stops at the sound, again the beard and long shaggy hair had deceived him and the boy's voice is not gruff and cracked liked he had imagined but velvety smooth.

"You're welcome," Kurt says, rushing back before he has a chance to say anything else. Once he's back in the loft, he realises he's shaking and he can't figure out why this boy has him so intimidated. Kurt might be burdened with this sudden guilt but he's sure the other boy doesn't blame him, or at least not him personally. Kurt hates it, standing on this pedestal of privilege and no amount of money that he gives to the homeless stranger seems to be enough. Every day he passes him and every day he's still living on the streets. Every day the weather grows more bitter, a constant reminder that the nights are getting colder and longer.

Then disaster happens. One freezing cold morning in mid-November, Kurt is already running late and his frustrations run at an all-time high when he's standing cold, naked and shivering in the bathroom, dripping wet and muttering elaborate curse words under his breath. While he was showering, the water had suddenly ran ice cold and now he's faced with the decision of either going to class with shampoo still in his hair or braving the cold shower. In the end, he decides to just stay home.

The problem remains, however, that he and Rachel are in desperate need of a new boiler, and with hardly any savings between them they find themselves stuck. In the end, Kurt lives for a total of one week without central heating or warm water and it is one of the most challenging weeks of his life. When such simple necessities are denied, life suddenly becomes impossible. Kurt can't shower in the mornings, instead he and Rachel are forced to spend hours in the evening heating up pots of water on the stove (which doesn't exactly do wonders for their gas bill) in order to bathe in a half filled tub. Kurt has never felt less glamourous.

In the end, they manage to hire someone to fix it but with labour and parts, the bill isn't cheap. On top of that, the two of them both know it won't be a permanent fix, the thing is at least twenty years old and they need to start saving to get a new one for the next time it inevitably breaks down.

The sound of glass clinking on the table interrupts Kurt from his copy of Vogue as he glances up to see Rachel has placed a fairly large jar on the table.

"We need to start saving," she declares and just like that, she unknowingly denies a poor homeless boy down below food for god knows how long. There's nothing Kurt can do, he can't exactly refuse to contribute, and the money his dad sends him along with what little he has left of his savings can only stretch so far.

What he really needs is a job.

Kurt avoids the alley on his way to class Monday morning, feeling a little more human thanks to his first decent shower in over a week but he can't bear to see the boy, knowing that he now has nothing left to give him. He'd been dropping spare change beside him every day without fail for the last two months, he's certain the boy will notice when that support suddenly stops. And Kurt really doesn't know him at all, perhaps he's violent, maybe he'll confront Kurt and rob him of everything he's got…

It's unlikely judging from the sweet smile Kurt has received from him in return every day but the fear still niggles at the back of his mind.

On his way home, despite sticking to the other side of the road and keeping his eyes trained sternly ahead of him, Kurt still sees him there in his peripheral vision, hungry, cold and dirty. He crosses the street and the boy smiles up at him as he always does and Kurt's heart simply breaks.

"Hi," he says. It's the second time they've ever exchanged words and Kurt still feels his heart beating in his ears, wondering how a simple boy he hardly even knows has the capability of making him this way.

"Hey," he replies politely, the smile still stretched across his bearded face. Kurt sometimes likes to pretend he's happy to see him rather than anticipating the money but today he can't force himself to do that.

"I…I just…I'm so sorry," Kurt's voice breaks as he forces the words out. The boy frowns and Kurt guesses that he's finally figured out that he probably won't be receiving anything from him today.

"Why?" he asks calmly, the confusion clear in his brow.

"I have nothing for you today," Kurt tells him, voice small and ashamed as what he's done finally comes into perspective. He's denying this boy a few measly coins that could make the difference between having dinner or going to sleep hungry so he can have warm showers in the morning. Annoyingly, the boy merely shrugs.

"That's okay."

"And…and I'm not going to have anything for you for a while either," Kurt sighs, deciding he might as well be honest though he can't figure out why he feels like he owes this stranger so much. "We need to start saving up for a new boiler and…well, we're struggling enough as it is."

"It's fine, honestly," the boy is quick to assure, "you've already given me so much. I don't even know how I'm supposed to thank you enough as it is," he says with a small laugh. Kurt frowns, wondering how he can stay so chipper despite everything. Kurt wants to cry just looking at him and here he is, trying to cheer Kurt up for feeling so bad for him. He feels like the worst kind of person

"What's your name?" Kurt asks kindly, kneeling down before taking a seat beside him on the cold ground. The boy looks stunned before finally finding his voice to answer.

"Blaine."

"And how old are you, Blaine?"

"T…twenty two." Kurt raises a disbelieving eyebrow until he speaks again. "Eighteen," Blaine admits with a sigh.

"You're so young," Kurt says sadly. Blaine shrugs once more, eyes trained on his feet. Kurt can tell it's not really something he wants to talk about.

"Yeah, well…" he says dismissively.

There's a part of Kurt that just wants to invite the stranger upstairs with him, to feed him and keep him warm but he knows he can't do that. Rachel would go insane for one thing, they can barely afford things as it is without supporting a third and besides, he still doesn't really know him. He doesn't want to consider what his dad would think and he really doesn't want to be that guy that people will read about in the newspaper because he invited a murderer up to live with him.

"I'll be right back," Kurt says, rising to his feet and hurrying upstairs before Blaine even has a chance to respond. Rachel is thankfully not home as Kurt rummages through the kitchen, putting together whatever he can find. He packs it up and grabs an old coat that he doesn't wear any more before making his way back to alley to find Blaine exactly where he left him. His eyes widen considerably at the sight of the coat and he immediately begins to shake his head as Kurt hands it to him before he takes a seat once more.

"I can't-"

"Please?" Kurt begs.

"It's too much,"

"Nonsense!" Kurt says before presenting the food and placing the small tub in Blaine's free hand. "We didn't have much but there's a few sandwiches - I hope you like cheese - and there are some potato chips and half a pack of cookies."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Blaine asks, voicing the question that Kurt has been asking himself for weeks. "Not that I don't appreciate it! But, why? Most people just walk past, barely even giving me a second glance."

"I don't know," Kurt answers honestly. "I just know that I can't sit by and do nothing."

"I can't thank you enough," Blaine says, eyes drifting down to the meal he holds in his hands.

"Trust me, just seeing you smiling every day is enough for me, I promise." Predictably, Blaine smiles again and all that follows after that is a somewhat awkward silence. "I should probably get back," Kurt says, thinking that he can't exactly stay out there all night and immediately feeling guilty for the thought because Blaine has to.

"Wait!" Blaine's voice sounds as Kurt rises to his feet once again. For a moment Kurt thinks he's going to ask him to stay. "It's just you never told me your name. I want to thank you properly."

Kurt grins.

"It's Kurt."

"Thank you, Kurt. So much. I mean that," he says as earnest as is possible.

"You're welcome. And I mean that," Kurt replies before bidding him a good night and returning home.

From then on, a new routine forms. Every morning, Kurt makes two lunches, one for Blaine and a considerably smaller one for himself, Kurt is lucky enough to get breakfast and dinner, sacrificing his lunch isn't such a big deal if it means Blaine can have a little more. He hides his doings from Rachel, discreetly packing the two lunches in his bag while she showers and luckily, she doesn't notice the missing food. He starts leaving before Rachel in the mornings, claiming that he prefers walking and as he begins his commute he drops off the food to an ever grateful Blaine.

He has to admit that it's strange being on a first name basis with a homeless stranger, but then he supposes that it's even more unusual to make him lunch every day.

On his way home, Kurt will greet Blaine, sometimes staying for a while to chat. They don't talk about much, Kurt keeps him updated on what's happening on the world, sometimes bringing him a newspaper to read. Blaine likes to ask Kurt about NYADA and gets this faraway look in his eyes whenever Kurt tells him about his classes. He doesn't like talking about himself though, it feels too much like bragging but Blaine doesn't seem to mind. If he asks, then Kurt will talk.

On the days when Rachel is with him, Kurt will instead send a discreet smile Blaine's way as Rachel continues chatting none the wiser.

As to be expected, the weather grows bitter as December falls upon the city. Although Kurt frequently spots Blaine huddled up and shivering, he feels at least a little comforted by the fact that his old coat is being put to good use. He knows full well that Blaine wouldn't have lasted long with the light jacket he had worn before. Still, as the days get colder, Kurt begins to worry, no one should be subjected to this kind of weather day in day out and the thought that maybe Blaine won't make it through the winter echoes louder in his head each day.

He finally begins to consider if maybe he should just let Blaine stay with him. He'd have to talk it over with Rachel first but he certainly trusts Blaine by now. Things may be difficult financially but Kurt is certain that he won't be able to live with himself if something should happen to Blaine, knowing that he could have prevented it.

He makes the decision to at least talk it over with Rachel, deciding that she should probably know by now what has been going on.

It's an impossibly cold Saturday morning when Kurt wakes, having made the decision the night before to mention his newfound plan to Rachel. The fact that Kurt can see his own breath in his bedroom only solidifies his intent. When he finally forces himself out of bed, opening his curtains to get some light into the room, he is met with a sheer whiteness that is almost blinding. Once his eyes adjust, Kurt discovers to his horror that the city is layered with a thick blanket of snow.

Without thinking, Kurt grabs the first outfit he can, stuffing his feet into a pair of boots as he rushes out to the front door.

"Kurt! Have you seen? Isn't it beautifu-" But Kurt doesn't stay to chat, he rushes out of the door before Rachel can even finish her sentence.

Blaine isn't there. Kurt's heart pounds as he searches the alley to find not a single trace of Blaine, not even any footprints. This fact alleviates his panic a little as Kurt can only assume that Blaine had left before the blizzard had gotten too severe but he can't help but worry. Blaine was…well he'd like to think that they were friends by now and now he has no way of knowing where he is or if he's okay at all.

Trudging back upstairs, Rachel is waiting by the door with a concerned look.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing," Kurt responds absently.

Later that day, he and Rachel make a trip up into Manhattan to visit central park in the snow. It really is magical. The vast park has a fairy-tale quality to it that can't be beat. The ground glistens with ice while all around are children making snowmen and having snowball fights and yet all Kurt can feel is misery. How many people are frozen right now? How many people wondering if they'll even make it through the night while everyone around them marvels at how wonderful the silent killer is. Kurt has always loved the snow, ever since he was a kid, but now he's not so sure if he can feel the same way anymore. All he can wonder is whether or not Blaine is warm.

The next day, the city tenaciously carries on all around him. People are plowing snow in the streets, making the place functional as everyone continues business as usual. Kurt and Rachel attend class, shivering constantly until they finally return home, make themselves hot chocolate and try to warm up. The snow may have seemed beautiful and novel at first but now even Rachel is complaining about sore fingers and frozen toes.

The snow eventually melts as snow tends to do. The green grass slowly begins to poke through the thinning layers of ice as things start to return to as they were. The temperature becomes a little warmer but not by much and it's still next to impossible to keep warm in the loft. Kurt ends up wearing at least two sweaters whenever at home and he's never without socks on his feet.

He's not sure what exactly he's expecting regarding Blaine. It's been two weeks since he disappeared and now that the snow has almost completely melted, a little part of him anticipates his return, looks forward to seeing him still bright and optimistic against the dreary weather.

Blaine does not return that winter. Christmas comes and passes. Kurt decides to stay in New York and instead his dad comes up to visit while Rachel spends the holidays with her own dads. It's quiet, different to any christmas Kurt has ever had before, but still pleasant.

Needless to say, Kurt doesn't mention Blaine to his dad. Blaine remains his own little secret that Kurt wonders if he'll ever tell anyone else about. If he never sees him again, he highly doubts that he will tell anyone and it's kind of nice to have a whole person all to himself, even if he might not ever get to see him again.

Then, in a blink of an eye, Christmas is over, Rachel returns, and the year is over. January falls, colder than ever but thankfully dry and, as Kurt's classes resume in the New Year, he is able to keep his mind focused solely on his studies.

He still thinks of Blaine occasionally, when he passes the alley in the mornings or when he accidentally makes two lunches instead of one. It's been almost two months since he last saw him and Kurt can't believe that it's taken him this long to realise that he misses him.

But what can he do?

It's a bright, fairly warm day in March when Blaine finally returns.

Kurt doesn't realise he's there straight away. He's walking home with Rachel when he sees an oddly familiar figure in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he spots him leaning against the wall, rubbing his hands together - the air is still a little chilly - and all Kurt can do is pause for a moment. Rachel walks a few steps ahead before she notices Kurt has stopped and her gaze follows what he's staring at.

"Kurt?" she says but he doesn't hear her. A smile spreads across his face as the boy in the alley looks up and Kurt can confirm that yes, it is him.

"Blaine?"

"Hi," he greets while all Rachel can do is stare at the two confused.

"Kurt? Do you know him?" she asks and Kurt finally remembers that she's still there.

"It's a long story," he says, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

Then he turns back to Blaine and "Where have you been?!" he demands, cringing a little at how accusatory his voice sounds, like an overbearing parent whose kid was out past curfew.

Blaine shrugs.

"I went south for the winter," he says with a smile that is actually kind of adorable. "well, north actually."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"The snow came so suddenly, I didn't have a choice," Blaine defends, the smile falling from his face, leaving Kurt feeling guilty for being the one who wiped it away.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be…I guess I was just worried."

"A-about me?" Blaine asks uncertainly and Kurt nods. "I was fine, Kurt. I stayed at a shelter in Harlem most nights."

"I missed you," Kurt admits. Blaine's eyes widen as he stutters for something to say but comes up with nothing. "Why don't you come inside?" Kurt offers, feeling Rachel's disapproving glare on the back of his neck.

"Oh, n-no I couldn't, I just came back to thank you for everything…everything you've done for me. I-I'm not expecting you to…" Blaine stutters, eyes wide with a panic that Kurt doesn't understand.

"Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay. I was just offering."

"I couldn't."

"Please?" For a moment, Kurt is sure that Blaine is about to give in and accept the offer but instead, he shakes his head. He can't very well force Blaine inside and he knows he still owes Rachel an explanation. There's nothing Kurt can do except feel the relief that Blaine is okay.

He eventually tears himself away at Rachel's insistence that she was cold and reluctantly said farewell to the once stranger to follow her inside.

"I'm going to hold my tongue until you've told me what's going on. Just know that from what I saw, it looked a hell of a lot like you invited a homeless person to stay with us," Rachel says with a calmness that is certainly out of character for her.

He tells Rachel everything. From finding the boy all alone on the street, to dropping off his spare change every night right up until the day that it had snowed and Kurt had ran outside frantically searching for him.

"So you were just going to invite a homeless person to stay with us?" Rachel says, her voice a little more accusatory now but she still doesn't seem quite as angry as Kurt had anticipated.

"I don't know what else I can do for him, Rachel."

"Kurt, there isn't anything else you can do, he's homeless but that's not your fault. You don't owe him anything. You've done everything you can and it seems to me that he's grateful enough for that. You can't just invite strangers into our home, okay? Especially not without asking me first."

Kurt knows she's right, but he still can't help but feel like there's more he should be doing.

As though the winter never happened at all, Kurt begins seeing Blaine every morning as he had before. The same smile greets him every morning as he leaves the loft and once again every afternoon as he returns home. Blaine seems content enough, as though having nowhere to live is just a small detail that he puts up with. He seems satisfied with his lot and that is probably what's most confusing to Kurt. He doesn't seem to try to move forward, but he supposes there is no such thing as 'forward' when in a position such as Blaine's. Kurt brings him food again, only this time Rachel knows about it and he doesn't have to be so secretive about the portions he gives away. They're still trying to save up some money each week but Rachel understands if some weeks Kurt has a little less than usual after buying Blaine a cup of coffee on a particularly bitter morning. She even begins helping out a little too, preparing Blaine's lunch when Kurt is running late or offering to buy an extra loaf of bread when they run out early.

Then Santana shows up and declares herself as their third roommate. Kurt will admit, there are some perks to her moving in. The rent is now split three ways, meaning he has a little extra pocket money each week, and doesn't have to live with the constant worry of how he's going to get by. He starts treating Blaine occasionally, bringing him cakes from the bakery from time to time, loving the surprised look on his face each and every time he does so. Santana even reluctantly agrees to put a little money in the jar each week which is only fair since she's the only one out of the three of them who actually has a job, though this doesn't stop her from complaining about it.

"Is that the disgusting vegan ham that Rachel buys?" Santana sneers, walking into the kitchen to discover Kurt making sandwiches, they'd ran out of ordinary ham so Kurt had to make do. "Whatever, I don't care, I'm starving," she says, reaching over to grab a few from the stack he'd set aside for Blaine.

"Santana!" he yells, as she takes a bite from one, scowling at the taste.

"What?" she says, swallowing down the first bite before taking another and continuing with her mouth full. "You're telling me all five of these are for you?"

"Of course not! They're for Blaine," he says without even thinking to which Santana raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Who's Bl-"

"No one," Kurt snaps as he begins to butter more bread.

"Look at you, all domesticated, making sandwiches for your man. Can't say I'm surprised," she scoffs before taking another.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Kurt says petulantly.

"Then who is he, and why are you making him lunch?" Kurt doesn't know which fact surprises him more, the fact that Santana thinks Blaine is his boyfriend or the fact that she actually seems to care. He sighs before deciding it can't hurt for her to know the truth.

"He's the homeless guy who lives outside."

"Very funny, seriously though."

"I am being serious. I make him lunch every day, he appreciates it," Kurt tells her, smiling a little at the thought of Blaine's adorably happy face whenever Kurt brings him food, as though every time he does so is the first time.

"And is there a reason you're feeding the homeless now or have you just full on slipped into Disney Princess mode?"

"Mock me all you want, I wouldn't expect you to know a good deed if it hit you in the boobs." With that, he wraps up the remaining sandwiches and heads downstairs.

Kurt doesn't think much of the confession to Santana for the rest of the day. He drops off Blaine's lunch, stays to chat for a short while before heading off to class, the feeling of doing a good deed still swirling ecstatically within him. It's not until he's headed home and finds Blaine's usual spot to be empty that he realises he may have potentially made a terrible mistake.

"What did you do?" He accuses the moment he walks through the door. Santana is lounging - as she usually does - on the sofa watching some kind of Spanish reality show, and barely raises her head in inclination towards Kurt.

"Pretty much this all day," she admits followed by a mouthful of popcorn.

"What did you say to Blaine?"

"Who?"

"The guy I told you about this morning!" Kurt exclaims growing more and more frustrated with every second.

"You mean the one that's not your boyfriend? Homeless Jim?" Kurt sighs, nodding with a pronounced roll of his eyes despite the fact that Santana isn't even looking at him. "Why would I say anything to him?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you're evil and he's suddenly vanished."

"Hey, just because you lost your pet hobo doesn't mean you can take it out on me," Santana defends, looking legitimately offended. "I swear I haven't left the loft all day."

The good thing about having a friend as heartless as Santana is that she usually admits to her exceptionally cruel acts without a single bat of her eyelashes. It's because of this that Kurt knows she's telling the truth.

"So where did he go now?" he mumbles to himself, peaking out of the window in the hopes that he might spot him but with no such luck.

This time, Blaine stays missing for just two weeks, returning on a Wednesday afternoon as Kurt is making his way home. Kurt has by now realised that he has no claim to Blaine, he has no say in what he does and where he goes. Kurt doesn't ask where he had been this time, feeling a distance between them that he hasn't felt before, a feeling as though he's looking at Blaine through a screen rather than right in front of him. Nonetheless, Blaine is happy to bring the subject up all by himself.

"Sometimes I just like to go for walks," he admits once Kurt greets him and welcomes him back with a polite nod. "New York was…is the city of my dreams and I hardly ever get to actually see it. Plus it's always nice to stretch my legs for a while."

"That was one long walk," Kurt jokes and Blaine looks down as though he may actually be blushing but the beard prevents Kurt from being able to tell.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Blaine says a little sheepishly.

"You don't need my permission," Kurt answers, "I just need to know that you'll come back." Blaine smiles at that.

"Always. I promise."

Things finally become easier when Santana manages to get Kurt and Rachel a job at the spotlight diner. The uniforms may be tacky but it pays well and the tips are great and that's all that Kurt is worried about. The extra cash means a lot more room for luxury when it comes to their humble home at the loft. They manage to decorate somewhat, the floor is still bare but the walls aren't quite so bleak and Kurt may have gone a little overboard with his flea market bargains. He has to admit though, the place looks great, far better than the dreary old warehouse it was when he and Rachel first moved in. The place finally looks like a real home, the home he had been dreaming of ever since he was a little boy when he first imagined his own place in the big city.

Despite splashing out on certain luxuries for himself, Kurt, of course, does not forget about Blaine. The extra money in his pocket at the end of each day is split between his savings and Blaine. Though all the extra gifts Kurt is now able to afford and the extra money he is able to drop beside Blaine every evening does not go unnoticed.

"Kurt, please. This is too much, I can't accept this," Blaine says with a miserable look on his face as he tries to hand back the thermos full of fresh coffee and the fifty dollar bill. Kurt had had an incredible week at the diner, earning more in tips than his actual wages and he had been excited to share his earnings with his unlikely new friend.

Kurt's face falls as he refuses the money, he's about to insist before Blaine is talking again.

"I'm serious, Kurt. You can't…you can't keep doing this. You have your own bills to pay and everything, I can't keep taking your money for no reason."

"No reason? Of course you have a good reason, you need it."

"I…I appreciate everything you've done for me, I swear," Blaine promises, "but honestly, I feel terrible. I don't deserve the kindness you've given me, especially when there's nothing I can do for you in return. Please Kurt, please just keep it it's yours."

"Blaine…" Kurt's voice breaks. He has no idea what to say, all he knows is that he wouldn't feel right keeping this money, not when he has everything he needs, not when Blaine is outside suffering. "When's your birthday?" He asks, quickly coming up with a thought. Blaine frowns.

"April 9th, why?"

It was now May.

"Happy Belated Birthday!" he says with a cheerful grin as he tries again to push the money into Blaine's hands.

"Kurt…"

"I'm serious. I want you to have it. I don't need it. All I want is to know that you're safe." Blaine studies him for several moments, the frown creasing his brows and making him look older than he really is. "Please." Slowly and with great care, Blaine clasps his fingers around the note, holding it out in front of him as though he were studying a text in a foreign language.

"Thank you," he says in a small voice that breaks Kurt's heart.

It has occurred to Kurt that Blaine accepting his help and being so entirely dependent on him may be damaging to the other boy's pride, that he may feel so terribly small when being offered such acts of charity but Kurt doesn't have room to care. He's passed the point of doing this simply because he feels bad or out of the goodness of his heart. He truly considers Blaine a friend and what kind of friend would let Blaine live outside?

He's offered countless times, Santana and Rachel weren't happy about it but they didn't tell him he couldn't. He's offered Blaine a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over his head but Blaine refuses each time, sporting a polite smile and shaking his head firmly.

It becomes easier as the months grow warmer. Blaine no longer sits there shivering, leaving Kurt feeling wretched in his thick, fur lined coat. He no longer get drenched by the rain, curly hair matted to his face to the point where he looks like a stray pup. As the season grows hotter, it's clear to Kurt that living outside isn't nearly as unpleasant as the winter, though perhaps the smell is. He can't blame Blaine, but he does wish he'd take up his offer for nothing else than for the shower.

Once class finishes for the summer, Kurt is readying to return home and spend some time with his dad. He's told Blaine of his leaving, made sure that he has plenty of money to last him the two months that Kurt will be gone and kindly begged Santana to make sure he doesn't want for much in his absence to which she reluctantly agrees. The only thing Kurt isn't prepared for is how much he is going to miss Blaine. It's just nice having his constant optimism greet him every morning. It's nice knowing that even when everything falls apart, even when nothing goes his way, that people like Blaine exist and are still smiling in the face of hardship. They still get by.

Once packed, Kurt skips down the murky steps of his building to say one last final goodbye to Blaine. He can't help himself as he throws his arms around Blaine, hoping to anything that might hear him that he'll still be there once Kurt returns. The embrace is followed by shy glances and awkward smiles but as Kurt waves his final goodbye, he can't help but wonder what the strange feeling in the pit of stomach could be.

The summer goes by in a blur of stifling heat waves and shopping trips with his old friends. Kurt doesn't buy much, determined to be wiser with his money but even as he wanders around the mall with Mercedes on his arm, he can't help but spot things that Blaine would like. It's like he's become obsessed, like a doting parent or a clingy boyfriend…

He stops as soon as his mind wanders to that thought, shaking it away entirely because of its ludicrousness.

Kurt doesn't mention his new found friendship with his family, knowing they wouldn't understand and that it would take far too much explaining. He instead tries for a relaxing summer without worrying about his job or numerous assignments that are due. It works for all of two weeks until he finds himself itching to go back, just to make sure that Blaine is okay. It's ridiculous, he knows, but he almost feels as though he's abandoned him by returning home. He begins calling Santana just to double check that everything is okay but is only met with obnoxious expletives and her telling him to get a hobby. Kurt supposes she has a point

For Kurt, fall can't come fast enough and by the time he's packing his bags to return back to New York, back home, Kurt is practically ecstatic to leave. It's not that he hates being with his family, it's just that Lima is not where he belongs and it never has been. New York is where he longs to be, even if his apartment has creaky floorboards and cracks in the walls and the furniture is mismatched. New York will always welcome him back.

Blaine isn't in his spot when Kurt returns but he tries not to let it worry him too much. Kurt didn't give him a date for his return and he knows it's likely hard for Blaine to keep constant track of what date it is and even if he did know the exact moment when Kurt was to return, he doesn't exactly expect a welcome back parade from the other boy. Still, he's anxious just to see him again, to be certain with his own eyes that he's still keeping strong.

It takes Kurt a few days to get settled, unpacking his clothes carefully and falling back into his old routine, preparing for classes to start. It's not until four days later when Kurt catches a glimpse of Blaine again. He's in a hurry to catch the bus to the diner, and doesn't have a chance to stop and greet him but the mere sight of him at least puts Kurt's mind at ease.

Much to Kurt's pleasure, Blaine is still there when he returns home. It's the early hours of the morning and Kurt is seriously questioning his sanity for agreeing to work the night shift when he stumbles past a very much wide awake Blaine.

Kurt supposes he's going to be tired whether he goes to bed now or in an hour.

"Hi!" he greets taking a seat on the ground beside Blaine. The boy smiles.

"Welcome back," Blaine says. They chat for a while, Kurt forgetting about his tiredness as they catch up and Kurt is overjoyed to find out that Blaine has a job. "It's nothing much," Blaine informs him, "Just handing out pamphlets by the subway. It doesn't pay enough for me to get off the streets but it stops me from going hungry at least," Kurt smiles, knowing he would never let that happen whether or not Blaine had a job. "And hey, maybe once I've saved up a little I can start paying you back for-"

"No," Kurt cuts in before Blaine can finish. "Please, no."

Blaine sighs, knowing they'd get nowhere by arguing over it and instead just enjoying the company for a short while longer until Kurt decides he really does need to catch up on his sleep.

Busy with his new job, Kurt sees even less of Blaine than before. He comes and goes for weeks at a time and Kurt isn't quite sure how he's supposed to feel about it. Of course he's over the moon that Blaine is making money and finally getting back some of his independence - Kurt rarely has to bring him food any more - but he misses his constant presence. He supposes now that Blaine is starting to get back on his feet, he should just move on as well. Kurt has no need to feel guilty any more, though his reasons for helping Blaine have long since developed since the first week he started dropping off his spare change.

When Blaine does occasionally return, Kurt always makes sure to welcome him with a thermos of soup or perhaps a coffee which Blaine will without fail accept with a heart melting smile. It's the little things that Kurt does, rather than the big gestures, that seem to make Blaine smile the most and that's what Kurt finds himself striving for at the beginning of every day.