He doesn’t think it’s silly that his watch was set back six hours so that he could try to picture what Kurt was doing. Blaine liked the fact that whenever he looked down at his watch during class he knew Kurt was sleeping, and wondered what he was dreaming about. His friends would complain whenever they asked for the time and it took him a while to read the watch face and add six hours to get whatever time it was in Rome, but Blaine thought it was one of the most practical things he had ever done. It made him feel closer to him, especially when they couldn’t be talking.

But he didn’t have to look down at his watch, which was nearly impossible to see in the darkness of his room to tell that it was unusually late and Kurt still wasn’t online. The clock in the corner of his laptop stared back at him, and Blaine took a deep breath before refreshing his dashboard hopelessly.

A red block hung over his inbox, and Blaine frowned slightly in confusion. Kurt never had to message him on tumblr because of Skype, and before opening the message he switched windows and checked his Skype, but Kurt’s name was grey. Taking a deep breath, he went back to his bashboard and clicked the red block, knowing that it was probably just one of his followers asking what movie the gif he had just reblogged was from. Something typical like that.

But the real message left in his ask stared back at him and Blaine swallowed hard as he read the hard text.

‘I’m not getting online today. Go to sleep, Blaine.’
He panicked. What had happened? Had he done something? Had it been something he said? Was it the fact that a few nights ago, Blaine had fallen asleep on camera? Blaine’s mind instantly started to blame himself, scolding himself, wondering why he could never do anything right. The first person he really felt like he could be close with in a long time and he had already screwed it up. But almost as quickly as that thought came, Blaine put it away.

What if something had happened to Kurt? What if something was wrong? Blaine knew he was overreacting, but it was as if he could sense that something was wrong, and that mere fact both scared and confused him. He couldn’t ever explain it to himself how he just knew something was bothering Kurt sometimes, but it had come in handy during their many conversations. However, right now, he had a bad hunch that something wasn’t right, and he wasn’t sure if it was if it was his fault or if it had to do with school, but he knew something was wrong.

But what could he do? His heart was racing, but he felt helpless. Kurt was an ocean away and then some and it wasn’t like Blaine could hop in a car and drive to him, talk to him and ask him what was wrong. He felt utterly powerless sitting there on his bed with his laptop on his lap, unsure of what to do.

And then he had a crazy idea. Putting his laptop down at the end of his bed, Blaine walked over to his bag and felt around, finally finding his wallet. His fingers traced over the cold leather, before he found the plastic card and stared back at it, trying to make his decision.
---------------------------------------------------

The buzzing snapped him out of his review, and Kurt frowned, wondering why he hadn’t turned his phone off when he had gone to lay down. Sitting up, he reached for his phone and looked at the screen. Even through his blurry, teary vision, he made out the number, but didn’t recognize it. Frowning more, he sniffled a bit and wiped away his tears, before touching his screen to pick up the phone.

“Who is this?” he asked, hoping his voice didn’t sound too strained, too mucus-y and wrong. Most of all he hoped they were just someone with the wrong number so that he could go back to laying down.

“Kurt?” the voice on the other side was hardly a whisper, but Kurt heard it. He heard it and he knew who it was. He had learned to recognize that voice on command.

Eyes growing wide, Kurt stared at his phone for a moment before pressing it against his ear in disbelief. It took him a moment to answer, his voice shaking and not because of the tears. Had he suddenly gone insane? Perhaps this was all a dream…that made the most sense. Because this was impossible.

“Blaine?” he choked out, both incredulously and stunned. This can’t happen, but he knows that that voice belongs to no one else. “How are you calling me?”

He laughs, and Kurt winces. He hasn’t heard anyone laugh all day, but the sudden way that the sound vibrates into his ear and down his body is different. Blaine feels closer, somehow, even if he can’t see him. The laugh went from startling him to making him feel calm, and Kurt closed his eyes for a moment to take it all in.

His voice was still a whisper, and the brunette wondered why until he remembered it was nearly two in the morning for Blaine and he needed to be quiet. Suddenly, he felt bad for having waited so long in telling him he wouldn’t be online, but listened instead, “I bought a calling card. I mean, my mom asked me to buy one so I could call my grandma in Connecticut on her birthday next week, but I bought two instead.” There was a pause, and Blaine seemed to clear his throat before adding, more to himself than anything, “Just in case.”

Kurt’s heart pangs, and he knows he had worried Blaine with his message. But he couldn’t have spoken to him today. His eyes are red and puffy, his cheeks stained with tear tracks. If there’s anything in the world Kurt doesn’t want to do right then, it’s let anyone see him this way. Even Blaine, the boy who had already gotten him to say so much.

“Blaine,” he sighs, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have…”

But the curly haired boy interrupted him, and Kurt’s eyes grew wide as he listened. “I know I shouldn’t have. And you probably think I’m weird and crazy, and probably a bit obsessive…but I was worried maybe you hated me or were mad at me for something. And then I realized that was stupid…but I got even more worried that you…you were hurt.”

There’s pain in Blaine’s voice, and despite all his own pain, Kurt wanted to hold onto Blaine’s voice, hold onto Blaine, and take away all the hurt. Kurt had never felt like this before, putting his own pain aside and concentrating on the one in Blaine’s voice. Was it the worry that made him sound like that? Or was it something else completely? He wished he hadn’t been so…awfully terse in his message.

“I’m fine,” Kurt breathed out, sighing as he pulled his pillow closer to him, now laying down on his bed again. “I’m not hurt. I’m just…I didn’t want to be online. ”

The line goes silent for a moment and Kurt closed his eyes as he listened to Blaine’s steady breathing. He wondered what he looked like right now, in the darkness of his own room across the ocean. He wondered what color was his shirt and if he still had his laptop on his lap. Kurt then wished he could see, but realizes this felt better.

“What happened?” Blaine asked his voice quiet and hesitant.

It took Kurt a minute to find any words. His heart is heavy in his chest, and he sniffles as if not to cry, trying to push out the way he faintly hears Blaine’s own breath catch as he heard Kurt. Part of him wanted to push Blaine away like he did the other day. Dismiss it and tell him he doesn’t want to talk about it, change the subject and take Blaine’s mind away from it. His indecision prompted Blaine to go on, though.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he whispered into the phone, heavy into Kurt’s ear. “I just…I know how bullies get. And I know what it’s like to feel like no one cares. But I care, Kurt…”

His voice wavers and Blaine takes a breath, but doesn’t continue. Kurt wondered why he stopped, but blinks back the tears that have reached his eyes again. Taking in a deep breath, he knew it was his turn to speak now.

“I know,” he said, his voice trembling. Wiping away his tears, Kurt took in a labored breath before continuing, “I know you care. I just didn’t want to worry you and I didn’t want to ruin our conversation, so I figured I wouldn’t get online. I’d wait and it’d be better tomorrow and we could talk about something nice.”

He feels ashamed for saying that, and Kurt hates this whole honesty thing. Even if he is used to being open with people about what he thinks, he never outright says how he feels. Years of having to hide his real emotions, his real feelings, have condition him to keep that part of him inside. And he hates Blaine Anderson for changing that.

“I’m your friend, right?”

Blaine’s voice reached his ear, and Kurt’s eyes sprung open at once. It was still a whisper, but somehow it had been loud, but not imposing at all. It was a simple question, a simple and extremely honest question.

Kurt nodded furiously, before he realized Blaine couldn’t see. Sighing, he wiped his tears away and whispered, “You’re my best friend right now, Blaine. You make…you make it easier.”

He adds a little laugh, and it feels weird to laugh. But he has to laugh when he realizes it’s true. Blaine makes it so much easier. Even from across an ocean.

It’s like he could hear the smile in Blaine’s voice as he whispered into his phone, “You’re my best friend too. I just want you to have someone to talk to…it makes all the difference.”

There’s a lot hanging in his words, and Kurt swallows hard. He nods, but it’s to himself. One day, he’ll ask Blaine what he means by that. One day he’ll whisper into Blaine’s ear and ask him what had happened to him, but it’s too much right now. One ghost, one demon at a time.

“The football team…They kind of ganged up on me. They didn’t hurt me, so don’t…don’t start getting worried about that. They just said some…things. And I was able to walk away before anything happened, but they…got to me, okay? Usually its okay, but I couldn’t take it today. And I didn’t want you to see me cry.” Kurt stopped, wiping his tears away and taking in a deep breath. He chuckles though, and adds, “I don’t look good when I cry.”

Blaine laughed at that, and Kurt smiles just hearing it. The sound of it fills him with much needed warmth, and Kurt stops crying. “I doubt that,” he whispered, and Kurt pretended not to hear it, pretended not to feel his heart skipped a beat.

He humed softly, and pressed his head deeper into the pillow. The sun had already set for him, and his room was dark aside from the slight glow from orange light in the hallway and outside from his window. It was quiet, and over Blaine’s breathing he could hear the television playing downstairs as Finn and his dad talked about football. Carol was doing the dishes, and he felt guilty for not helping her, but he doesn’t want to get up. He doesn’t want to lose Blaine’s soft breathing in his ear.

“You should sleep,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

His answer was a slight chuckle, and he pictured Blaine shaking his head as he smiled, his gelled hair (or had he washed the gel off by now? He knew Blaine took a shower after school on Mondays and Thursdays after Polo and fencing, but he couldn’t be bothered to remember what day it was) moving back and forth. “I’m fine, I’m not tired at all,” he replied, and Kurt smiled at his voice.

Kurt opened his mouth to reply, before yawning and frowning at himself after. Suddenly he realized just how tired he was, and he wasn’t happy. “Apparently I am…” he said to himself out loud, before sighing. Reaching down to the end of the bed, Kurt pulled his throw over himself, not caring that he was still in his school clothes, not wanting to put the phone down long enough to change into something sleep appropriate. Hugging the fluffy brown blanket, he breathed out, his voice hushed, “I can’t believe you got a calling card for me.”

He sensed the pause and didn’t know how to read it, but somehow knew it wasn’t bad. It was heavy, but in a good way, and he took a deep breath as Blaine whispered into his ear, “I never thought I’d have the courage to call you with it.”

It’s said, and Kurt just smiled. There’s nothing else said after it, and he lets Blaine’s breathing once again wrap around him like the blanket he’s successfully gotten to envelop himself in. He felt warm, and protected, and it was the most amazing feeling in the world. With his eyes closed, Kurt could sense himself nodding off to sleep as he heads Blaine start singing softly, hardly audible.

‘Hey Kurt, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better…”

He remembered the night, a few weeks ago, a few days after they had first met, when Blaine had sung the song to him over tumblr. But this was better. This was intimate, and soft, and perfect. It was the best ending to one of the worst days of his life.

He was too sleepy to say anything, whispering the words ‘thank you’ in his head, and listening to Blaine as he continued to sing, replacing ‘Jude’ with his name every time, saying him instead of her when the song called for it. As he finally drifted to sleep - before Blaine waited a few minutes to hang up and let Kurt continue sleeping - Kurt couldn’t help but feel like Blaine was right next to him, lying beside him in his bed, smiling at him as he sang, pushing his hair out of his forehead and trying to take away all the troubles much in the way his mother had whenever Kurt had tripped or broken something as a child, and he realized just how much he wished that were possible.