I'm on a bit of an 'IWantKlaineAndIWantItNow' kick, so this is going to be uber Klaine. I'm not abandoning 'Desperate Times' at all, I'll still update that just as irregularly as I have been - don't worry. This is going to take a back seat to that, though, so just heads up :D. Lurve youuu!

Blaine pulled his thin felt jacket tighter around his shivering body as another gust of wind blew through the dark, damp alleyway. He shuddered as he sat huddled behind a wall of trash bags he had hoped would shield him from the worst of the wind, watching as the sky lost the final shadings of its orange tint and transformed completely into black. It would only get colder. Burying his nose into his shoulder, Blaine tried to ignore the stench that surrounded him as he pressed his body closer to the bags in an effort to preserve his own body heat. He must have pushed too hard, because the next thing he knew the stack shifted and toppled over, knocking the two metal garbage cans beside them as well. The traffic from the street was loud, but Blaine knew that to the employees of the restaurant beside him, the sound of the commotion in the alley would be louder. The boy stilled and closed his eyes, hoping that no one would come. But they did.

"Hey!"

Blaine bit his lip, but between the cold and his nerves he couldn't stop his body from shaking. He cursed internally as his tremors rustled the plastic of the bag. Before he knew it, something long and hard had come crashing forcefully down beside him.

"Go on, get outta here, scram! Git!"

Blaine scurried backwards as the baseball bat came down again – closer this time.

"I'm sorry," he called out as he broke free from his nest of bags, "I won't come back, I swear I won't. I swear!"

"Holy shit!" The man with the bat jumped, slipping on a small patch of ice that had formed on the concrete. With a grunt, he fell to the ground.

"Oh my god are you okay? I'm so sorry, sir. I'll leave, don't worry, I'll leave and I won't come back, but are you okay? I'm so sorry I –" The man – or, boy, as it were – hissed as Blaine reached out and placed a careful hand on his shoulder. He drew it back quickly. "I'm sorry."

"No, dude, it's okay I'm fine. You just reek is all."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

It wasn't as if Blaine wasn't aware of the fact that he smelled, but no matter how much he already knew it, it still made him feel so much…smaller than he was whenever it was mentioned. He pretended to wipe his nose with his sleeve as he tried to assess just how bad it was as the other boy struggled to get to his feet.

"Oh here, I can – sorry, sorry." Blaine was almost grateful for the warming sting that his own humiliation brought to his cheeks. He took a step back from the boy who had yet again waved off his offer for help.

"It's cool, man. Sorry I attacked you with the bat – oh, shit! Did I hit you?

"No you didn't, I – "

"Oh man, dude, I'm so sorry! I totally thought you were like a rat or something. Oh my god are you bleeding?

"No, I – "

"Do I need to take you to the hospital?

"Really I'm okay,"

"Or, call an ambulance or something because I kinda just got my car and it's not new but it doesn't smell too bad yet –but if you're hurt that's okay you can sit in it anyway and I'll take you to the hospital and my mom can help you and fix you and I'm so sorry man I swear I didn't mean – "

"It's okay," Blaine said much more loudly than before. The other boy stopped rambling and stared.

"Are you homeless?"

Blaine opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say?

'Yes, that's why I was hiding in your garbage.'

'No, I was just looking for a change of scenery.'

'I'm just casing the joint so I can rob it later.'

Swallowing audibly, he settled on nodding.

"Oh, dude, that sucks."

Blaine laughed.

"Yeah, I know."

"If you didn't smell so bad I'd say you could come home with me."

Blaine's head perked up at the boy's suggestion. He didn't know this boy. Didn't know who he was or where he lived or who he lived with, but Blaine was cold. And hungry. And tired. And this boy seemed simple enough that his offer may have in fact been a genuine one.

"Are you saying that if I didn't smell you'd let me stay with you?"

'No, Blaine. Bad Blaine! Stranger danger, Blaine!'

'You don't have a choice, Blaine.'

"Well, yeah – "

"What time are you off work?"

"Umm… I have like two and a half hours left."

"So if in two and a half hours I can find a way to not smell so bad, you'll give me a place to stay for tonight?"

"Um, yeah, sure. You're not gonna stab me or anything, are you?"

"No."

"Or my Mom or Step-Dad or Step-Brother?"

"I promise you I won't do anything to anybody."

The boy seemed to think about this for a few moments.

"Okay, dude. You've got a deal. But seriously, you can't smell because I think my Mom would be kinda ticked off if I brought home a really smelly homeless guy."

'And she won't mind you bringing me home if I'm just homeless?'

Blaine bit back the question, not wanting to try his luck.

"Do we have a deal," he said instead. The other boy squinted his eyes, staring down the shorter boy before he grinned.

"Sure. I'm Finn, by the way."

"Blaine."

"Nice to meet you, Blaine. So, I'll see you in two and a half hours?"

"I'll be here."

'I hope.'

Blaine watched as the boy went back into the restaurant before he started sprinting down the alleyway and out into the street. He didn't know how, but somehow, Blaine had to find a shower, and find one fast.

Blaine sprinted down the street, unaware of where he was going or even where he was trying to get to. He ran straight, trying to remember how many streets he passed so that he could find his way back again. His lungs burned and he could feel his own sweat turn cold against his skin as he ran farther and farther away from the restaurant.

'Where can I go?'

Blaine slowed his pace and came to a halt on the sidewalk, panting heavily and doubling over to catch his breath. No matter how far he ran, it wouldn't work. He wasn't going to find a shower, and even if he did, he'd have to run back again. If he took a shower he might not smell as much, but running back again would just ruin his efforts. He had to face it: he couldn't do this.

Fighting back tears, Blaine pushed his hands deep into his pockets and began to trudge back to the restaurant. He didn't know how long he had been running for, but it didn't matter anymore. His trek back was slow, and when he finally reached the restaurant again, he kept on walking. If the boy, Finn, came out and found him again he'd probably tell someone, and they might call the cops on him. He didn't want to go to jail.

'At least you'd have somewhere to sleep.'

He shook his head and sped up his pace. He couldn't risk them sending him home. He couldn't go back there – he wouldn't.

Blaine kicked a rock from the sidewalk onto the frozen grass beside him. He sniffed as he looked up at the park. Maybe he could sleep there tonight. The park was deserted, and probably would be for quite a while. In the spring the kids would come back, and when the ice on the lake melted there were sure to be more than a few people coming in to try their hand at fishing. Blaine jerked to a stop.

'Blaine, you idiot.'

Before he knew it he was sprinting across the part to the frozen water, skidding to a stop before the ice started. He peered out at the lake, trying to assess if it was frozen all the way across. It was difficult to see in the moonlight, but the ice didn't look too thick. Carefully, Blaine took a step onto the ice.

'This is the stupidest thing you've ever done in your life.'

Ignoring the voice in his head, Blaine put all his weight on his foot. The ice didn't break. Taking another step, Blaine's body left the safety of land so that he stood entirely on the ice.

'Is it really worth it?'

Yes. Yes it was.

Blaine didn't want to spend another night sleeping in trash. He didn't want to wake up every hour to the sound of some nearby animal rummaging through his bedding. He didn't want to make bets with himself on whether or not he'd even wake up the next morning.

He didn't want to spend another night alone.

Blaine took a few more steps, listening to the sound of light cracking as he walked further onto the ice. He knew that if it were to break now the water would only reach up to his knees. He took another step.

Standing still for a moment, Blaine practiced his breathing. What had initially seemed like a bad idea was now looking like it may be the worst decision he ever made. He didn't know how long he had been away from the restaurant, if the boy would still be there, or even if he would make good on his promise. Blaine trembled in cold, fear, and anticipation.

'All you can do is hope.'

Blaine jumped.

He shrieked loudly as he fell through the ice, the sharp edges ripping at his jacket and skin as he fell through. It was deeper than he thought. Gasping and screaming, Blaine fought to grip the edge of the ice that surrounded him. It was as if his brain had shut down. He couldn't think anymore. The only thing that registered in his mind was the searing pain from the frozen water. Panic set in, and his breathing increased rapidly. Blaine's vision began to blur and his head felt light.

'Breathe, Blaine. Breathe.'

He managed to barely secure his grip, and he forced himself to breathe slowly. It was difficult, and he gasped loudly with shaking breath, not even trying to stop himself from crying.

Facing the shore he used one arm to hack at the ice before him while hooking his other around the ice ledge, fighting to keep himself from being pulled under. He choked back a sob as he felt the ice cutting through his skin, but he didn't have a choice. No one was going to help him. He had to do this alone.

Blaine wasn't sure how he did it, but somehow he found himself touching shore. Pulling himself up, Blaine lay on the frozen mud for a long while, relishing in the scent and feel of the solid ground beneath him. He groaned loudly, trying to keep himself conscious. All he wanted was to be warm again.

'Finn.'

Blaine shook violently as he looked across the park to the glowing light coming from the restaurant. He had to make it.

Blaine crawled further on shore, each movement sent a shooting pain across his entire body. His arms felt like they were being stabbed with each pull and it took everything he had not to collapse.

He blacked out a few times, but somehow he made it.

And when he did, Finn was there.