The next day was like torture for Kurt and Blaine.

Having to pretend nothing had happened around their friends and Kurt's family was bad enough, but they had started to notice each other a lot more. Kurt had picked up on the fact that Blaine sucked the end of his pen when he was thinking in class, and Blaine had noticed that Kurt ran his hands through his hair a lot more than he'd originally thought. They kept throwing each other suggestive glances throughout the day that could only mean one thing – they both definitely wanted to be intimate again.

Cooper had text Blaine in the middle of the day to tell him he was picking him up right after glee. Kurt was a little irritated; it was obvious that he wanted some 'alone time' with Blaine. On the other hand, he was thrilled – it would be nice for the two brothers to have a proper catch up, one that didn't include him.

It one way, it was a relief for Blaine to spend some time away from Kurt that evening – it would certainly distract him from his not-so-dapper thoughts. But in another way, it was torture. He just wanted to hold him. They'd barely even kissed in school, knowing just how homophobic the other students were.

Cooper Anderson knew something was bothering his little brother from the moment he got into his car. Blaine was unusually quiet – sure, he'd never been much of a talker, but it was unnatural how silent he actually was. For the first ten minutes of the journey Cooper was silent, hoping that Blaine would speak up. When he didn't, he asked the question that was on his mind

"Okay squirt, what's wrong?"

"Mm?" Blaine said, turning away from the window to look at him.

"You've barely said three words since you got into my car. Has something happened?"

"Oh, no… Everything's fine."

"Then why are you so quiet?"

Blaine frowned. He looked up at Cooper and sighed. "I just keep thinking about Kurt."

"Have... have you two had a fight or something?" Cooper said, mentally preparing himself for the flow of emotions that were sure to come from his younger brother.

"No! It's the opposite of that actually. Me and Kurt… we're wonderful."

He rolled his eyes. "You're going to have to give me a bit more than that Blaine, I can't read minds. You should know by now – you can tell me anything."

"Um… I don't know if I should… it's personal."

"Okay, now you've got to tell me!" Cooper said. Judging from the grin on his face, he'd already caught on. "What did you do?" Blaine turned his head away, his cheeks tinged with pink. Cooper smirked. "Okay, I get it. But I know what you're like. I'm guessing you didn't go all the way?" He shook his head. "Thought not… but judging by your face, you did a lot. Ooh, how was it?"

"Eurgh, Coop, I'm not going to tell you about my sex life!"

"Okay, okay," he said, unable to hide his laughter. "Anyway, we're here now. Get your ass out."

Blaine rolled his eyes and got out of the car. His jaw dropped, taking in his surroundings. Cooper moved to stand next to him, grinning.

"I hope you're hungry Blainey."

"Coop, when you said you were taking me out to dinner, I didn't think you meant here."

"Why? It's a nice place."

"But this is… this is The Water Dragon; do you have any idea how expensive it is? How the hell did you even manage to get a table, it's always got reservations…"

"Blaine, you're forgetting that I'm a TV actor, people see my face and explode. Come on, I got us a nice table!"

He rolled his eyes and allowed his brother to lead him past the queue of people, walking into the restaurant. He didn't even have to speak before they were being led through the restaurant by a pretty blonde waitress. She looked flustered and stammered as she watched them sit. Blaine thought it was funny, but Cooper seemed to take pity on her.

"Are you okay darling?" He asked in a sweet voice. She flushed and nodded a little too eagerly. Once they had ordered their food, she walked away to where a cluster of girls were waiting. They immediately burst into a fit of giggles and disappeared through a door.

"Don't you ever get sick of that?" Blaine asked Cooper, his eyes still fixed on the door the girls had gone through.

"Mm? Oh, no… Not really. It's kind of sweet. You should read some of the letters I get – they say I'm an inspiration. I'm not sure why but hey, I'll take it."

Blaine rolled his eyes.

Over their dinner, the two Anderson brothers spoke about anything and everything. Blaine had to admit, he'd missed Cooper a lot more than he'd originally thought. They both promised to talk to each other more, whether it was by visits, phone calls or even Skype messages. Cooper told him about his plans for their mother's funeral and when Blaine asked if he could sing a song he'd been working on, he agreed. It was going to be small and simple; the only people going were Blaine, Cooper, Kurt and his family, Cooper's best friend Sean and Nick and Jeff, who'd both agreed to support Blaine. In a way, it was tragic; nine people attending a funeral for one woman. But she was special, to the two brothers at least. They also talked, very briefly, about the trial and what the outcome would be. Neither of them had to admit their fear – it was obvious.

There were a lot of interruptions to their evening. Giggling girls kept approaching their table and asking Cooper for photos and autographs. A few of them even eyed Blaine hopefully, which he couldn't help but laugh at. If only they knew.

"That last one seemed to adore you," Cooper said as they were leaving the restaurant. Blaine just rolled his eyes and got into the car. "Aw, come on B! Surely it's flattering that they find you hot?"

"Yes, but there's also the fact I'm gay Cooper."

"There's no shame in finding a girl attractive."

"They were attractive yes, but boobs do absolutely nothing for me."

Cooper barked out a laugh and started the engine. Oh how he'd missed Blaine and his witty comments.

"You've still got that smart mouth then."

"The Anderson-Attitude, as you used to say," Blaine replied, the corners of his mouth twitching.

They didn't say much more on the journey home, but they didn't need to; the silence wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. Only when they were outside Kurt's house did Cooper speak.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" He asked quietly. Blaine gave a nod and swallowed.

"Yes. I won't sleep much tonight but I'll be alright. Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt myself or anything."

"I just want to make sure B. When Burt told me how they found you before…"

"How do you know about that?"

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't be in contact with him Blaine? You're staying at his house for crying out loud."

"No, I get that but… how?! You barely spoke to each other."

He snorted. "He gave it to me when we shook hands – sneaky right?" Blaine believed him, which made Cooper laugh even harder. "Oh man, you should see your face right now! I'm messing with you Blaine, I messaged him on Facebook. He seemed to agree that I should have his number and he should have mine, in case of an emergency."

Blaine punched Cooper's shoulder, also laughing. "I hate you sometimes Coop!"

"Nah you don't, you love me. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Blaine nodded. "Hey… keep your chin up. No matter what happens in that courtroom, I'll be here for you. I promise you, I'll keep you safe."

"Thank you," he whispered. Before he could say anything else, Cooper pulled Blaine into a tight hug. "I love you."

"I love you too Blaine. I'll see you soon."

He gave a small wave and walked into the house. Why did it hurt to watch the car drive away? He was seeing him the next day. Sure, the circumstances weren't exactly perfect, but it wasn't like he'd never see him again… He shuddered. The trial was going to be hell and he knew it. It didn't matter that he wouldn't be in the room; he'd still be able to seehis father on the screens… He was still going to be there.

Blaine shook the feeling off and walked through the house, which was unusually quiet. Burt and Carole were at work, and Finn was obviously out. With a small sigh, Blaine walked down to the basement bedroom, ready to run into Kurt's arms.

What he didn't expect to see was Kurt curled up in a ball, crying.

"Kurt?!" He said, dropping his bag immediately. He rushed over to the corner Kurt was in and crouched beside him. When he tried to put his arms around him, Kurt just wailed even louder. "What's happened?"

"K-Karofsky," he managed to say. "Karofsky…"

Blaine's stomach dropped. What the hell had that bastard done now?! Very slowly, he managed to get Kurt to stand and move from the corner to the bed. He sat him on the edge, brushing stray strands of hair away from his face.

"Come on honey, you can tell me anything. You know that."

Kurt's eyes were wide and fearful as he looked at Blaine. It was obvious he was trying to speak, but didn't know how. "I… I was setting up a bath for us again, because I know how much you liked it yesterday." Blaine nodded, encouraging him to go on. "W-Well my phone went off. So I answered it without looking. I didn't know if it was you."

"And it was him?!"

"No," Kurt said. Blaine fell silent immediately. "It was a police officer, I don't know who… Oh Blaine, it was horrible!" He wailed again and buried his face in his hands. Blaine knew he couldn't force it out of Kurt, but he also knew it was important. He slowly persuaded Kurt to meet his eyes again, his heart breaking as he did so.

"Come on sweetie, you have to tell me. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

"She told me that K-Karofsky wasn't in police custody. They'd c-caught up with him at the school b-but he'd been released on bail and hasn't been seen since. He's gone, Blaine!"

"Oh Kurt," he whispered, pulling him into a protective hug. "I'm so sorry… I really am."

"So am I," Kurt breathed. "Because I deserve all of this… if I hadn't paraded it around in everyone's face when I was younger, he wouldn't have done it."

"No-"

"YesBlaine. Oh god, why didn't I just hide it like he did? Why didn't I just pretend I was straight? None of this would have happened!"

"Kurt, stop it!" He shouted.

"This is my fucking fault. If I'd kept my fucking mouth shut then none of this would have happened; I wouldn't be getting nightmares every night and I could go on pretending like it didn't fucking happen. For fuck sake, why am I so stupid?"

"Kurt, please! It wasn't your fault!"

"Blaine, you don't get it! I was raped. My virginity was stolen from me by someone I physically can't stand. He made me feel sick before he did this but now, I want to rip his face off!"

"Kurt-"

"No! You don't get it; you haven't been through the same thing. Your dad beat you, I know he did, but he didn't rape you. Karofsky attacked me in more than one way, you don't fucking get it! Do you have any idea what it's like for me, having nightmares, waking up feeling his hands all over me, what it's like, especially now, to walk down the street? Karofsky isn't in police custody anymore Blaine, he could be outside this house right now, just waiting for me to be alone. Why do you think I'm down here, and not upstairs watching TV or anything? I'm terrified he's waiting to attack me!"

"Please honey, please. I know you're upset but please-"

But Kurt ignored him. He hugged his knees to his chest and began sobbing again. Blaine knew he wouldn't listen to whatever he had to say. So, why speak? He started off humming a tune, knowing it would catch Kurt's attention. His cries quietened and by the time Blaine was actually singing, they had stopped completely.

"Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me

But bear this in mind, it was meant to be

And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks

And it all makes sense to me

I know you've never loved the crinkles by your eyes

When you smile, you've never loved

Your stomach or your thighs

The dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine

But I'll love them endlessly

I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth

But if I do, it's you; oh it's you they add up to

I'm in love with you, and all these little things.

You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you

You'll never treat yourself right darling, but I want you to

If I let you know I'm here for you

Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you, oh

And I've just let these little things slip out of my mouth

'Cause it's you, oh it's you; it's you they add up to

And I'm in love with you, and all these little things."

Kurt stared up at his boyfriend, his face glazed with tears. Blaine was so fucking perfect, it was almost painful. He curled into his protective embrace, small whimpers still escaping his lips. Blaine said nothing. He didn't need to – he kissed the top of Kurt's head gently, still humming quietly. Eventually, Kurt spoke.

"Thank you," he whispered. Blaine stopped humming and smiled.

"You don't have to thank me, Kurt."

"I do. I'm sorry… That was a pretty stupid thing to say, wasn't it?" Blaine nodded slowly. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I don't even know why I shouted at you."

"Kurt, stop apologising. None of this is your fault and it never will be. K-Karofsky attacked you; what he did was disgusting and it was awful. I wish you never had to go through all of that… I wish I could take away all of your pain, but I know I can't… So the only thing I can do is be here for you. If shouting at me helps you, then I want you to shout at me; anything to make you better. Okay?"

Kurt let out another sob and buried his face in the crook of Blaine's neck. What did he ever do to deserve someone like him? Hell, he didn't deserve Blaine and he never would.

"I love you," he said, his voice muffled slightly.

"I love you too," Blaine replied, kissing the top of his head. "I always will. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," He admitted. "I think I just…"

"Panicked?" He finished for him. Kurt nodded and gave a small smile. Blaine smiled back and kissed the top of his head once again. "I know you did, and I understand. I won't let him hurt you."

"Thank you."

They sat in silence. Neither of them wanted to move – Kurt felt safe in Blaine's arms. It was strange; he'd actually allowed himself to fall in love with someone. They'd only been together for a month, and he was already head over heels.

Eventually, Kurt and Blaine fell into an uneasy sleep. Kurt, even though he felt safe with Blaine, couldn't shake the feeling that Karofsky was watching him. Blaine had tried to keep his mind anywhere but the trial. At first he was afraid, but now he was petrified. How the hell did they expect him to just sit there and watch his father on a camera? He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until there were no tears left. If his dad didn't get sent down, then there would be hell to pay. If he did then… well, he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Blaine awoke first. A glance at the clock told him it was seven-thirty. The trial wasn't until midday, so he had plenty of time. He untangled himself from Kurt's body carefully, not wanting to disturb him. Kurt gave a quiet, sleepy moan. He turned and hugged the pillow beside him but didn't wake. He looked peaceful.

Blaine stretched and walked into Kurt's bathroom. A shiver went up his spine the minute he stepped into the room. He couldn't help but stare at the spot on the floor where his blood was still slightly visible. This annoyed him – as if the room itself wasn't enough, there was a permanent reminder on the floor, despite all of his efforts with bleach. He swore to himself and stepped into the shower. The steady flow of hot water seemed to calm him. Before he even knew what was happening, Blaine was singing. At first, his voice was soft and gentle, but it rose gradually until he had an audience screaming at his feet as he sang his heart out. Or, so he imagined.

Once he was washed and changed, he went back into the bedroom, only to see Kurt sitting on the bed, staring at his phone. He was pale and his eyes were wide.

"K-Kurt, what's happened?" Blaine asked quietly, moving to sit beside him.

Kurt's fingers were trembling as he handed him his phone. Blaine took it and read quickly, his stomach clenching at the message on the screen.

Mercedes Jones: 8:03am

Hey honey, I'm sorry if I wake you.

Just wanted to let you know, Santana saw

You-know-who outside the record store, near Blaine's

house today. I just thought you should know.

Rach told me he'd been released on bail, the bastard…

Hope you're okay honey b, I miss you

Call me if you need anything, okay?

Give Blaine my love for today!

Love you sweet-cheeks!xx

"Oh no…" Blaine whispered. Kurt just stared at him, his bottom lip trembling. "M-Maybe he was just… um, I don't know… Maybe he was looking for a new record?"

"Save it Blaine, we both know that's bullshit. He's looking for m-me again, isn't he?!"

"I don't know," Blaine said. When Kurt gave a quiet cry, he pulled him into his arms. "I'm not going to let him hurt you. Tell you what, after the trial today we'll go and find Rose. We'll show her the text Mercedes sent you and we'll ask her to keep an eye out for anything. I'm sure she'll know everything. How does that sound to you?"

Only one word of this seemed to register in Kurt's mind.

"Oh fuck… the trial! What the hell is wrong with me? I'm sat here crying over some stupid text when you have your dad's trial in…" he glanced at the clock. "Four hours… Shit, I'm sorry. I'll go and shower and then we'll find our outfits."

"Kurt-"

"Quiet Blaine," he snapped. Blaine stopped talking instantly. "We'll talk about this later, okay? We'll show Rose, like you said, but right now you are the most important thing."

Kurt disappeared into the bathroom and Blaine heard the shower running. Damn… Kurt was naked on the other side of the wall and it was all he could think about. He could feel the heat washing over his body and shook himself. No, now was not the time.

The shower cut off and Kurt re-entered the room, his body glistening with droplets of water. He smirked at Blaine and crossed the room. Blaine bit his lip. How was it even legal for someone to look so beautiful naked? Even Kurt's back, which was all that Blaine could see as he looked in his wardrobe, was perfect.

"I know you're staring at me, Blaine." Kurt said rather suddenly. "And don't apologise," he added before Blaine could speak. "You're allowed to stare, you're my boyfriend. But the answer's no. If we do anything now, then we probably won't be able to stop ourselves and the last thing we want is to be late today."

Blaine could see the sense in Kurt's words and smiled. It didn't stop him from watching Kurt as he sorted through his clothes, trying to decide on what to wear. Once he had his outfit sorted, he moved to Blaine's clothes, hanging on the other side of the wardrobe.

"Right, so you need to look smart," he muttered, more to himself than anything. "But we don't want it to look like you have a pole up your ass. No, looking stuck up would not be good. Hmmm, what can we…? Aha!"

He pulled out a simple white shirt, black fitted trousers and a slim grey tie. Blaine said nothing as Kurt laid the clothes down on the bed.

"What do you think? You'll have a jacket too, so you'll look pretty damn smart. At the same time, you'll look hot. Okay, so I know it's court and you don't need to look hot, but if you look like a snob or whatever then it won't go down well."

"It's… damn Kurt."

"Is… is that a good damn or a bad damn?"

"Good," he replied, wrapping his arms around Kurt and pulling him onto his lap. He pressed their lips together gently.

"That's good, because you're going to lot H-O-T!"

Blaine blushed and smiled against Kurt's lips.

"Do you know if I'm allowed to be in the little room with you or no?" Kurt asked.

"I have no idea. I hope you can; I don't like the idea of being on my own."

"I don't like the idea of you being alone either," he whispered.

At half past ten, Burt came downstairs. He told them that they needed to get moving if they were going to make it to the court on time. They agreed and followed him back up the stairs, where Carole was waiting.

"Do you want to take my car or yours?" Burt asked his son.

"Mine. I don't mind driving."

"Sure thing buddy, Carole and I will sit in the back, okay?"

Kurt nodded and they climbed into his car. Blaine sat in the passenger seat, wringing his hands together. He'd barely said two words in several hours, and it was obvious just how much it was affecting him.

The car journey passed in silence, neither of them seemingly able to find anything to say. By the time they reached the court house, Blaine was trembling from head to toe. His breath was coming out in short, panicked gasps. Kurt seemed to sense this because the minute they stepped out of the car, he pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug, humming quietly. Blaine relaxed instantly at his touch.

"Come on honey," Kurt whispered. "This'll all be over soon. Tonight we'll be laughing at the fact we were actually worried."

Blaine could only nod. He allowed Kurt to lead him through the grand oak doors that led to the marble reception area. Burt went to the receptionist and she led them through another set of doors, into a small waiting room. They were only in there for ten minutes before Rose appeared, Cooper just behind her.

"Blaine!" She said, her face breaking into a smile. Blaine couldn't help it – he smiled back. "It's so good to see you. You're looking so much better than when I last saw you."

"Hey squirt," Cooper said, squeezing his shoulder. "Are you doing okay?"

"I… I honestly don't know how I'm feeling."

"Neither do I," the older Anderson admitted. "I'm terrified right now. But listen, no matter what happens we'll always have each other. I can promise you that, okay Blaine?" He nodded.

"Ahem."

They all turned to see an elderly man stood in the doorway.

"Which one of you is Blaine Anderson?" He asked in a soft English accent.

"That would be me," Blaine said quietly.

The English man gave a small smile. "Very well Mr Anderson, if you would like to follow me. The rest of you are now free to enter the main courtroom."

Blaine's heart stopped. "Isn't… isn't anyone allowed in with me?"

"I'm afraid not son. Say your goodbyes; you'll see them again in a little while."

Kurt let out a noise like an angry cat and pulled Blaine into a tight, bone-crushing hug. Blaine gave a shaky laugh and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Stay strong," Kurt whispered, his voice breaking.

"I will. I'll see you soon."

Blaine gave a small wave to the others and followed the English man. He was led into a small room with a desk and a chair. On top of the desk was a laptop and on the screen, Blaine could see the courtroom, now filling up with people. He heard the words clearly, as though he was in the same room

"All rise. Judge Eleanor presiding," there was a few seconds of silence. "Please be seated."

Blaine swallowed hard. He knew that in a few seconds, he would see his father again.