You are perfect to me

Kurt couldn't help but smile as Blaine fell to his knees in front of him, grasping his hands in his own, singing up to him with a smile. Blaine might be a little bashful declaring his feelings in a conversation, but the boy could drop every inhibition when he sang, and he did it with his usual flair and charisma.

"We should have done that one for regional's." One of the boys grumbled as the song came to an end. Other members joined in to agree or protest. Wes slammed his gavel on the table, shouting for order.

Blaine brushed his knees off and straightened his tie, opting to smile and wink at Kurt as the rest quarreled. A typical Friday at Warblers' Practice. When Wes's gavel banging proved ineffective, Blaine finally intervened. His hands went into the air as he called for peace, "Warblers, I am flattered by your admiration of the song, but I must say that our songs for regional's were well decided and well performed by all. Maybe next year."

The group conceded a little begrudgingly, but nonetheless fell quiet as David began to discuss other matters on their agenda for practice. Kurt's eyes drifted toward the window where the sun shone brightly through. He felt a hand brush his knee, and when he turned his attention away from the April day outside, he found Blaine's eyes on him. "Hi." He mouthed.

Kurt glanced at David to ensure he wasn't going to become irritated by their inattentiveness before resting a hand lightly over Blaine's. As they left practice, Blaine slipped an arm around Kurt's waist, tugging him a little closer as they made their way to Blaine's car. Blaine had been exceptionally affectionate all week. Even showing up in Kurt's driveway that morning, a coffee in each hand, to drive him to school. They had plans to pick up Mercedes and Rachel at McKinley when New Directions ended their own glee club practice. Kurt laughed when Blaine sang every sappy song on the radio he could find, pulling Kurt's hand against his chest, an overdramatic look of adoration directed toward him at every stop light. Yes, Blaine was exceptionally Blaine that week. Silly, sappy, and endlessly confident. Kurt drank it all in and found himself infected with his lover's bottomless cheer as he took his turn crying out the songs on the radio. The couple continued their silliness until they sat in the McKinley parking lot and Blaine cut the engine. Even with the radio off, Blaine seemed to pulsate with barely contained enthusiasm. Mercedes had been right about finding new parts to Blaine once he and Kurt had become a couple. Sure, he'd seen Blaine's awkwardness earlier- the Gap Attack incident, his mindless babblings before he'd kissed him for the first time, but there were so many more sides of Blaine he had found since the kiss. Blaine being seductive- his eyes going intense and his smile sultry, Blaine's endless determination to get what he wanted, and of course Blaine's enthusiasm and sheer folly, that had previously been contained under a cool exterior. It had frequently made appearances over the past few months— he had only licked him upon that one occasion, but in moments like these where he seemed to almost bounce in his seat, Kurt was reminded of a child on a sugar high.

Suddenly Blaine's eyes turned toward Kurt. He flashed him a quick smile, mellowing enough to rest the side of his face on the headrest of his seat, "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Kurt replied, mirroring Blaine's sitting position.

"You're giving me a look." Blaine replied.

"Just admiring the view." Kurt shrugged with one shoulder.

Blaine opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak they were both startled by a loud thump from the hood of the car.

Kurt's breath caught momentarily when he saw David Karofsky glaring at him from the other side of the windshield. He felt warm, reassuring fingers slide over his own.

"Shh. He's just trying to scare you." Blaine's voice was gentle, even.

"It's working." Kurt snapped back, Karofsky had both hands on the hood of the car, glowering in at Kurt.

"He can't do anything," Blaine soothed, "The car's locked, and Rachel and Mercedes will be out soon."

Kurt felt Blaine's hand slide more fully into his own. He squeezed it tight and held David's gaze.

After a moment, Karofsky straightened up, still looking sourly between Blaine and Kurt.

"Jealous. That's all. Jealous I get you and scared to be himself." Blaine's voice was silk, his grip firm on Kurt's hand.

"Fags." Karofsky mouthed, giving them one last scowl before moving away from the car.

Kurt let out a long shaky breath and loosened his hold on Blaine's hand.

"Ya see? It's over." Blaine twisted in his seat and took up Kurt's free hand in his own. "All over."

Kurt's eyes drifted back to where Karofsky had been. "For now."

"You're at Dalton now. With me. You're safe, Kurt," Blaine raised both of Kurt's hands to his mouth and kissed them lightly, "Safe."

Kurt nodded absently, relieved to see Rachel and Mercedes coming toward the car. He wanted out of that parking lot as soon as possible.

The girls offered cheerful greetings as they slid into the backseat, but both immediately looked concerned upon seeing Kurt's face.

"You two okay? You look paler than normal, Kurt." Mercedes looked between her best friend and his boyfriend.

Kurt tried to swallow down the lump in his throat, "We had a little run in with that Neanderthal, Karofsky."

"Did he do anything to you? If he touched you, you know Puck and the boys would have his ass on a platter." Mercedes leaned forward, looking Kurt over for any sign of injury.

Blaine let go of one of Kurt's hands and rubbed his arm soothingly, "Nothing like that, he just stood outside the car- made his presence known. You're just a little shook up, right, Kurt? We're okay."

"We can leave right now; you don't even have to worry about it," Rachel gave Blaine a look to indicate he should start the car.

They pulled out of the lot and Rachel smiled at Kurt in the rearview mirror, "See? No more McKinley."

"Until my parents can't afford Dalton anymore." The fear had been a dragging sensation in the pit of his stomach ever since he'd overheard his father and Carol murmuring over how to pay tuition a few weeks earlier. A fear he had quietly kept to himself.

Blaine reached a hand over to squeeze Kurt's knee briefly, concern causing a line to form between his eyebrows. "Not yet. You've still got time."

Rachel's arms came up from behind the headrest to squeeze him around the shoulders, her chin resting on the seat behind his ear, "And when that happens, we'll all be here to take care of you. Finn won't let them touch you."

Kurt nodded slowly, swallowing again and again to try and regain his composure. He felt Blaine's hand squeeze his knee briefly. Kurt caught a glimpse of the scar, mostly hidden beneath a carefully gelled wave of hair, but with Blaine's face set in a frown, it showed ever so slightly. He couldn't think about that right now though, he was too focused on keeping the tears that stung the corners of his eyes from falling and he felt a twinge of guilt at having been able to kill Blaine's weeklong bliss so quickly, "You're right, it's stupid to worry about it when it hasn't even happened yet. Thanks guys."

Rachel kissed him on the cheek before settling back in her seat. Blaine offered one last reassuring squeeze, but before he could put it back on the steering wheel, Kurt caught his fingers with his own. Their hands rested above the cup holder between them.

"You ever get bullied at your old school, Blaine?" Mercedes asked after a brief silence.

Blaine nodded, glancing briefly in his side mirror as he changed lanes. "It's why I left."

"They ever knock you around?"

Kurt watched Blaine, but Blaine's eyes remained focused on the road. "Sometimes. Bullies have to show off whose boss somehow."

"Did you have someone to stand up for you?" Rachel asked.

Blaine paused for a moment. "Not in the end. No."

"That was the last straw." Mercedes concluded.

Blaine's hand twitched in Kurt's ever so slightly. "Yeah, I went to Dalton; I was sick of it. All's well that ends well though, right? And I'd say things have ended up pretty nice."

Kurt felt Blaine squeeze his hand and their eyes met briefly, a smile on Blaine's face. "We're seventeen, I'd hardly call things over."

"Not until we win Nationals." Rachel sing-songed, grinning at Mercedes.

"Not until we're all stars on Broadway." Mercedes corrected. All four cheered at that. Blaine turned the radio back on.

Much later that night, after dinner and a karaoke bar, Blaine drove toward Rachel's house.

"Spend the night, Blaine! My dads aren't even home. Even if they were, Kurt stays over all the time," Rachel wrapped her arms around Blaine the same way she had done to Kurt earlier that night, "Please?"

"I should head back; I don't have a rainstorm alibi this time for my mom." Blaine smiled at Rachel, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to squeeze her arm affectionately.

"Blaine Anderson, you're no fun at all. Come on; tell her you're staying with a friend. Be a little dangerous," Rachel and Mercedes had been sneaking shots from a friendly bartender all night; they'd even convinced Kurt to take a few once Blaine had reassured him he didn't mind. Blaine could smell the sweet scent of blueberry vodka on her breath.

Blaine hesitated, "I really shouldn't."

Rachel turned her head toward Kurt, keeping her arms wrapped around their chauffeur, "Kurt, convince your boyfriend to stay and have fun with us. Sing to him. That always works."

Kurt reached over and put a hand just above his boyfriend's knee, "Blaine, darling, sweetheart. Pretty please with a Prada purse on top will you stay with us?"

"Tempting…" Blaine tried to think of another way to worm his way out, but with Rachel wrapped around his neck and Kurt's eyes looking so invitingly sweet…

Confident in the darkness of the car and the alcohol flowing through his veins, Kurt's hand slid up higher on Blaine's thigh, "Please, Blaine; for me?"

Blaine's breath caught. "…okay."

"Okay?" Mercedes and Rachel both chimed, anticipating his confirmation.

"Okay. I'll stay." Blaine would have laughed when Rachel and Mercedes both cheered and Rachel kissed both he and Kurt, but he was simply too focused on Kurt's hand that slid from the top of his leg to his inner thigh. He swallowed down a gasp of pleasure that had nearly escaped his control.

Upon arriving at Rachel's house, he called his mother to inform her that he and Wes were still working on some Warblers' background arrangements and he'd be home later the next day. The four paraded down to Rachel's basement, taking turns singing on the little stage until enough alcohol had faded from their systems to settle down for a movie and finally sleep.

Mercedes was curled on one end of the bed and Rachel on the other, Blaine and Kurt wedged between them. Kurt watched Blaine briefly. He looked…nervous.

"Can't you sleep?" Kurt whispered.

"Not just yet." Blaine murmured, looking at Kurt out of the corner of his eyes. "Can't you?"

"I'm uncomfortable." Kurt complained.

Blaine rolled over onto his stomach, facing Kurt. Kurt tilted his face down and kissed Blaine once, softly, quietly. Blaine snuggled his head into Kurt's chest, his hair brushing the bottom side of his chin. "Better?"

"Much better," Kurt settled into the little space opened up on the mattress. He looped a hand under Blaine's arm, wrapping his arm around Blaine's back, "Now to get you to sleep…"

Blaine laid still, Kurt's hand smoothing his back, but he did not drift off. He remained tense.

"Still can't sleep?" Kurt whispered somewhere above his head.

Blaine nodded against Kurt's chest.

"What's keeping you awake?" Kurt kneaded small circles in the tense shoulders below him.

A slow shrug of one shoulder was all Blaine gave as a response. Maybe he could slip out once Kurt fell asleep…

"Are you scared you'll have another nightmare?"

Kurt felt Blaine's body tense beneath his hands for a moment then still once again.

"Blaine?" Kurt pressed when Blaine remained silent. He was surprised and a little relieved when he felt Blaine's head nod against his chest once again.

Blaine tried to think of a snide remark, a sarcastic joke about feeling emasculated by the possibility of acting fearful twice in front of his boyfriend, but his mouth didn't want to work; his vocal folds refused to produce sound.

"Do you have nightmares a lot, Blaine?" Kurt's voice was soft. When Blaine remained mute he knew he hadn't fallen asleep—his body was still tense, his breathing neither deep nor even, "After my mom died, I used to have a reoccurring nightmare that I would get buried alive. I just had it again last year." Kurt shuttered a little at the thought.

Blaine's hand on his chest rubbed briefly up and down, "Do you still miss her?"

"Sometimes," Kurt murmured back, "Not as often as it used to, but it still hurts the same when I do."

Blaine nodded again; he could hear Kurt's heart beating below his ear. He could feel his own heart beating in time with it. He took comfort in synchrony, he always had: voices in unison, pounding hearts; fingers that fit together neatly. A shiver went down his spine-- unexpected and inexplicable.

Kurt felt the quick shudder. He squeezed his arm around Blaine tighter, that involuntary movement telling him more than Blaine's words ever did, "Your nightmares repeat themselves, too."

Blaine considered saying, "Sometimes…not as often as they used to, but it still hurts the same when they do."

He considered it, but he didn't. Instead he stared off into the darkness of the room around them, inhaling the smell of laundry detergent and cologne from the body so close to his own, "Kurt?"

Kurt felt Blaine's warm breath through the fabric of his t-shirt. He wanted to be able to see Blaine's face, but the darkness of the room-- with no moon outside and no artificial light to penetrate it-- was too complete, "Yeah?"

"I love you."