Blaine tucked himself deeper into Kurts chest, sighing very heavily when a light hand came to his hair, stroking the heavy locks. Finally at peace for the night, Blaine listened to Kurts quiet humming that slowly lulled him to sleep. As soon as he was ready to close his eyes and drift off into pretty dreams in which Kurt bounced around and spun in circles, he snapped one eye open at the sound of feet thudding on the steps. Burt never came downstairs because everything he needed was upstairs, so Blaine wondered what he was up to when he called out for Kurt. Lifting his head when Kurt shifted, he frowned when Kurt murmured through a sleepy voice, "Yes, Daddy?" He stretched his arms above his head and yawned, then he rubbed his puffy eyes.

Burt appeared in their room with a phone tucked to his ear, low mumbles escaping his thin lips. He looked exhausted, but very pleased to be on the phone with whoever was on the other line. For a brief moment, Blaine worried that his parents had called for him to come back, and he whipped away from the phone as if he was in denial of it, but then Burt pulled the phone away from his ear and said, "Kurt, are you up to talking to your mom?"

Both of their weary faces brightened at the thought of Kurts mom, who had also become a mom to Blaine, and he turned back around. Kurt reached out for the phone, and he asked his dad just to be sure, "Maman?" Burt gave his son a small nod, a smile curving his lips at the sight of his sons delight. After he clicked a button so Blaine could hear, Kurt cried into the speaker, "Maman! Ive missed you!"

Blaines heart jumped at the bell-like sound of Elizabeths laughter, and, in the background, Laurices deeper laughter could be heard echoing through the room, "Ive missed you, too, my love! So very much. I cant wait to come home again. Ive been meaning to call, but theres simply been no time." She took a deep breath, and then the smile was back in her gentle voice, "But I just couldnt miss out on calling today. Ive heard rumor that one of my favorite, little boys is now a big boy! Is Blaine there, darling?"

Kurt happily snuggled into Blaines side, "Yes, hes here! Do you know how old he is?" As if he knew something that no one else could possibly know, he clapped his hands, "Hes seven years old!" Giggling to himself, Kurt covered his mouth with his tiny hand, "Thats so old, Maman!"

"Yes, it is!" Elizabeth agreed with a laugh, and then she put in, "And youll be just as old in only three months!" At that, Kurts mouth fell open as if he hadnt considered that notion before, and while Kurt was left speechless-something that rarely happened, Elizabeth quieted her laughter and said, "Happy birthday, my old man. Have you been having a good day? I wish I could be there to celebrate with the three of you, but Ill send you a thousand kisses instead."

Blaine managed a tiny smile as his cheeks turned red, embarrassed that Elizabeth had taken time out of her busy schedule just for him. But he was grateful for her call when she was just the person he needed. "I love you." He said softly, and he heard Elizabeth take another breath.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She promised, making his smile widen, "Youll get better with every year that goes by." Pausing for a moment and getting nothing out of Blaine, who was just as speechless as Kurt from all of the love she lavished on him-he was still trying to figure out affection and adoring when hed had so little of it in his beginning years, Elizabeth continued with an even softer voice, "I might not be there right now, but you know that you and Kurt mean more to me than anything else in this entire world. Do you remember how much I love you, Blaine?"

Blaine nodded, then realized she couldnt see him. Before he could reply to her, Laurice suddenly shouted into the phone, "We love you, Blaine!" Elizabeth laughed at her sister, then she turned her attention back to the two on the other end of the line.

"You two should get some sleep... and your aunt should, too!" She said something to her sister, and then she murmured to the phone, "Goodnight, my darlings. Ill be home soon, okay? I promise!" After Kurt chirped his goodbyes, Blaine was left to whisper goodnight and that he loved the two who had become family to him, even though he wished he was able to ask them to come home sooner. With that, the call clicked off, and Kurt handed the phone back to his grinning dad.

While Kurt wriggled into his pillows and prepared for his beauty sleep, Burt came around to the edge of the bed and kissed both of them, but he hovered over Blaine for a minute longer, drawing the blankets up to his shoulders. "They will be back, bud. But, for now, youll be okay with us." That was the most emotional thing Blaine had ever heard Burt say, and as he turned away, Blaine smiled at him.

"Ill be okay." He repeated, his voice nearly silent so he didnt disturb Kurt, who had already curled into a ball and, if not asleep, would be in only moments. As he looked up at Kurts soft face, he accidentally passed his eyes over the mirror that was resting on the nightstand. It was the mirror that Kurt had presented to him earlier that day, a very pretty mirror that didnt need to be tarnished by ugly things. But, when he looked into the mirror, he didnt see anything ugly. He just saw himself. He certainly wasnt the kindness that Kurt had made him out to be-he was still too rough around the edges-but he was okay. "Ill be okay." He said as he turned toward Kurt and rested his head next to him.

Blaine lazily rolled over onto his stomach, resting his chin on the backs of his hands, his knuckles digging into his jaw. Cocking his head to the side, Blaine felt his cheek squish as he melted into the soft fabric. From the way he laid, he had the perfect view into the kitchen, where Kurt was cooking dinner. In the time he had to wait for the vegetables to heat up, hed sat down at the table and pulled Archer into his lap. Both of their noses were turned down to a book, and Kurts finger traced along the words as he softly said them. Archer seemed elated by each page that Kurt flipped to, and Kurts sweet smile widened every time Archer clapped his hands when something good happened. Amused by his husband and son, Blaine twisted around again, landing on his side.

On the other couch was Keegan, his eyes idly flickering over the TV, which showed a movie that Archer had left on. When he tired of seeing puppies and kittens dance across the screen in tutus, he covered half of his face with his hand, and he took a deep breath. Drawing his legs up, Blaine turned all of his body to Keegan, and he said lowly, "Keegan?" When that blond head lifted, revealing a pair of dim, turquoise eyes, Blaine muttered, "Have you ever done something stupid that you wish you could take back?" Blaine didnt know where the question came from. Itd been two years since high school had gone away, when Blaine was at his lowest point and doing the dumbest things, and he hadnt thought about it in so long. But, months after Hunters death, Blaines mind found its way back more and more often to the thing that had caused all of this, Karofsky. In a way, Blaine was almost glad for the man who had destroyed his everything, because, before he had ruined it, he had made it. Hunter was the only gift that Karofsky had bestowed on him that Blaine treasured.

Across the room, Keegan moved from his lounging position, and he sat up and pushed himself against the back of the couch. Even though his brows were furrowed as if he didnt understand the question, he still answered Blaine, "Well... sure. I mean... when I was a teenager, I was a wreck. And even before that, I still didnt have a clue what I was doing." Tilting his head at Blaine, Keegan leaned against the arm of the couch and said, "What are you thinking about, Blaine?" When Blaine didnt respond but only pursed his lips, Keegan continued with a heavy sigh, "Ive never had a lot of things figured out. I dont know if Kurts told you... but I had an older brother. He would be twenty eight now... but he was killed in the car accident... with my parents. He was the perfect one to my parents, so I just... let him hold the limelight. I was never close to my parents like he was... Nothing I ever did was good enough. So, by the time I was old enough to think for myself, I had very low standards of what I could accomplish."

Blaine immediately thought of his own brother, who always tried to be the best thing he could be for Blaine, even though he did take up all of the attention of their parents. Keegans lips parted again, but he didnt say anything for a moment, and he reached back to rub his nape, "After my family was killed, I didnt have much to live for. I had no money... no education... no home. It wasnt until Kurt and his aunt took me in that I had something like a real family. But... I still didnt get it. I was just as reckless as I had been before I met Kurt. Nothing was... holding me in place. I came back to Kurt every night, but during the day... I would just wander... looking for something better. Thats when I found Evie... and he was my rock for the longest time. After he died... I guess I never... snapped out of my head. Withdrawing was the only thing that kept me sane." Shrugging his shoulder to show Blaine that that was all he had to say and there was nothing else to his life, he rolled his head to the other side and muttered, "Is it... Karofsky that has your mind on this?"

After twenty one years, Blaine still didnt understand how he was so easily read, and he doubted that he would after another twenty one more. Slouching into the couch, Blaine turned his head again and saw through the kitchen door. Kurt, at some point in the last few minutes, had stood up to check on the food, while Archer had his face pressed into the book, trying to read on his own. He must have been reading aloud because every few seconds Kurt would turn around and smile his approval or murmur a correction or two. He hadnt realized that he was rubbing the side of his face until he felt his cheek burn from his scratching fingernails, and he pulled his hand away. Before he could reply, Keegan went on to say, "Blaine... would you tell me what he was like? I only saw him that one night... and he was awful... but there had to be more to him. No one can be that cruel. Did he ever smile?"

At the thought of Karofskys smile, a weary one curved Blaines own lips, "Yes." He whispered, unsure if Keegan even heard him, "He smiled. He laughed. He was human." Lowering his brows, Blaine shook his head, "I cant deny the feelings I once had for him... as much as Id like to. Keegan, I loved him. I dont know if I was ever in love with him... but he had my heart. He made me feel beautiful... and safe. Nothing could ever hurt me when he was there... except for him." Blaine made a bitter noise after that, and his jaw jutted as if it was trying to protect itself against the memories of his hits. "We met when I was young... I was only fifteen. He was sixteen. I was very shy... I didnt talk to many people. I stayed in my own world with my best friends, Finn and Puck. But... Karofsky approached me on the first day of school. He asked for me to sit with him. He didnt want Finn or Puck near us. I went with him... I told my friends that I would come back to them later. And I liked Karofsky... he was funny. He made me laugh and smile. He knew exactly what to say."

Blaine felt his throat tighten as his life with Karofsky became more difficult, and his words were suddenly strangled, "My friends and I often had sleepovers... we hung out all the time. I invited Karofsky, of course... and he came... and he wouldnt let me be around them. He always pulled me aside and tried to do other things with me... and... when my friends interfered, he would hit them. He used to fight all the time... he got so angry with anything that didnt comply with him. One day, he told me to stay away from Finn and Puck... he said that if he meant anything to me, I would choose him instead of them. He said he liked me more than they did. By that time, Finn and Puck had started to pull away... and it wasnt because of me... it was because he was wherever I was. But I didnt know that at the time, so... I believed him. I chose him. After that, he didnt speak to me for a time... he wouldnt let me approach him. He wouldnt answer my calls. I was completely alone because my friends were gone... and he was, too. One day... he finally walked up to me... and he slapped me across my face. He said he was angry that he wasnt the only choice for me."

Opening his eyes that he hadnt realized hed closed, Blaine blacked out the abrupt images of Karofsky that became more terrifying as time with him went on, "We got older together... and I began to fear him. He was constantly asking things of me, and if I didnt do them, he would hit me. We started going to parties together... and when he was drunk, he... touched me. He used to kiss me... and grab me. He would try to get me drunk, and... for the most part, I cant remember anything. But I remember him taking me into the shower... and laying me on the bed. I just cant remember if he... did anything. But he must have known that I wasnt completely unaware of what he was doing because he told me to join the football team... and date girls. The first girl I was ever involved with was Quinn... she was the one who looked to me for taking care of her and her daughter. She took me back to a bedroom... Karofsky urged me to go with her. I was confused and scared, but I willingly went... because I wanted to please Karofsky so he wouldnt beat me. She... uh... she climbed on top of me and put my hands on her chest. I dont remember anything else... I think I closed my eyes. All I was thinking was that it had to be over. Id never had an orgasm before, but Karofsky told me about them. He tried to show me once... but I got nervous and made him stop. I didnt even know what I was doing, but I forced myself to orgasm. I dont remember what made me orgasm... I think I saw blue."

Blaine slowly pushed himself up, and he crossed his legs under him. Casting his eyes down to the pale fabric on the couch, he said quietly, "Thats how I lost my virginity. After that, I got involved with more girls. Sometimes... I didnt even know their names. Karofsky called them my girlfriends, and I had to go along with it. Things went on like that for a while... but... there were some days when Karofsky was gentle. He could be beautiful to me when he was like that. But... Karofsky had already showed me what he was truly like... and I didnt want to accept it. But I didnt have a choice anymore. I felt like I had brought him onto myself, and I couldnt get rid of him. So... I decided that if I couldnt change Karofsky, I had to change myself. I walked like him and talked like him... and I knew that what I was doing was bad, but everything in my life was bad. I wasnt trying to veer away from the harsh path that everyone in my life had laid out for me. I had given up on finding my way back. But thats when I found Kurt... and..." a slow smile tugged at Blaines mouth, and he helplessly shrugged his shoulders, "after so long of fighting villains, he was my happily ever after."

Time had passed since the cold day that Hunters vision had gone away from not only him, but also Karofsky. Besides his heart, which had been left behind with his family, it was the only part of him that had managed to escape the brutal torturing that was left for the rest of him. Hunter couldnt see Karofskys viciousness anymore, but he could feel, smell, hear, and taste it. Itd been a couple of weeks since Hunter had come into any contact with another living being, the last interference being Karofsky, when Hunter had run into him on a trip into the kitchen for a quick meal. Theyd said few words, but that time, Karofsky had dared to press on the line that Hunter had drawn around himself with the mutter, "Do you ever get lonely, baby?"

Hunter had lifted his head to where the low grumble had come from, and hed shaken his head, then walked past Karofsky and returned to the task hed set in front of himself. Karofsky didnt bother him again. Hunter knew that Karofsky was lonely. As far as he could tell, Karofsky didnt talk to many people. When he came inside, he never found him chatting away on the phone, or visiting with friends. He simply laid on the couch, staring at the TV. Hunter almost pitied the miserable life that he lived. He realized that neither of them could go on living like this, both with so little company outside of their little world. With the urgency of being outside in his head, Hunter decided that he would accompany Karofsky on his next trip out. He certainly didnt want to be near Karofsky, but Hunter needed to see normal people, just to know if they still existed. After months of being cramped up in his small cellar, Hunter was bursting at the seams with his desire to soak up sun and air and conversation, at least the kind that didnt involve psychopathic grumbles of threats.

As he usually did at least four times a week, Hunter felt his way over to the steps, and he climbed them very slowly, so he didnt trip. Pushing up the door to his room, Hunter popped his head up and frowned at the warm air that hit his face. Sometimes he forgot how very chilly his new room was. The stagnant heat made Hunter believe that it was nearing, or in the middle of, summer. When he first came to his new home, the air had been freezing, and snow had packed around his feet. Months had passed since Hunter had arrived here. It had been months. Frowning at the thought of being away from his family for so long, Hunter pulled himself out of the cellar and sat down on the crunchy grass. He boosted himself to his feet and continued along the path hed made from his secret place to his faux home.

Hunter stepped over all of the right things, the log that had fallen long before, and the roots that stuck up from the ground, and a few flowers that Hunter simply didnt want to crush. In a world of very limited beauty, Hunter wanted to preserve all of the good things that he could. Within minutes, he found himself standing at the edge of the porch, and he climbed up the stairs. Pushing open the door, Hunter heard the noises of the TV, what sounded like some kind of sports game. At least Karofsky was here today. Following the muffled sounds, Hunter stepped into the living room, where he heard Karofskys slow breathing. Since hed lost his sight, his other senses had drastically improved, giving him sharp hearing. "Karofsky?" He said quietly, and somewhere to his right, fabric shifted and a groan pushed its way into Hunters ears. Hunter assumed that Karofsky was stretching after so long of being cooped up on the couch. "Im hungry."

Karofsky took a minute to answer. Hunter wished he could see the expression on his face. After Karofsky smacked his lips a few times, he said very lowly, "What do you want to eat, baby? Do you want me to make you something?"

Hunter shook his head, then he touched his stomach, which really was gurgling as his head tempted it with the thought of food. For so long hed been eating whatever Karofsky picked up at the store, which started to revert back to pop and chips and cereal now that Hunter wasnt there to supervise his shopping decisions, and Hunter was desperate for a real, filling meal. "Can we go out?"

Karofsky hesitated for at least another few seconds, and then Hunter heard him moving again. His ears picked up on his heavy footsteps, and he traced them all the way over to where he was standing. He might have jumped when he felt a sudden, heavy hand on his back had he not had his ears there to observe Karofsky in place of his eyes. "Sure." Karofsky sounded like he wanted to say more, but a violent cough cut him off, and he spat like he often did. Hunter figured that hed been recently smoking one of those sticks. "Go out to the car. Ill meet you out there after I take a piss."

Hunter winced at the foul language, and the brief thought of Karofsky urinating, and he hurried away from him. Going back over to the door, Hunter twisted the knob and let himself out. Hed walked Karofskys driveway only a few times, but he managed to find the car when he thudded into it. Backing up, Hunter held his hands out and felt his way to the door, and he opened it for himself. He climbed inside and frowned at the stench of beer, puke, and those things that Karofsky smoked, but he told himself over and over that this couldnt be avoided. Hunter needed to see other people before he went crazy.

Within moments, Karofsky opened his own door and stepped inside, and he reached over for Hunters buckle. After he strapped him in, he worked on his own, then he put the car in reverse. "Do you want to go to a diner? Its near my work. The food is alright... and they have an arcade. Ill buy you a few games."

Hunter wasnt interested in playing games, not that he could see them, anyway. He wanted food, and more than that, he wanted someone. "Karofsky?" He suddenly asked, feeling an abrupt gush of wind steal his words when Karofsky rolled the windows down. Hunter made out the click of a lighter, and then the odor of those sticks left Hunter breathless. He realized that no car ride with Karofsky would ever be comfortable. "Am I going to school?"

Karofsky inhaled deeply, and then he blew out from between his lips. Smoke brushed against Hunters face, and he desperately fanned it away. "Im sure you will... eventually. Youll probably go to the school that I went to. It was cheap and it taught me what I needed to know. How does that sound, baby?"

Hunter leaned back in his seat, his head idly swinging back and forth, as if he turned his head in one particular direction, he would magically be able to see again. His parents didnt talk much about school to Hunter and Archer. The only way he really knew about it was from the commercials about all the different kinds of schools he was offered. He knew his parents had once gone to school, from the time that they were little until they were teenagers, but no one ever brought up years that had already passed. But Hunter knew that school would be a chance for him to leave the house for a few hours, and then come home and be swamped in homework that would keep him busy, and away from Karofsky, until night fell.

By the time they finished their conversation about Hunters future, Karofsky had gotten into town. The diner was a few more miles up the road, and Karofsky finally pulled into a parking space and stopped the car. Hunter threw open his door and climbed down, but he stayed planted where he was, unwilling to take a few steps forward and risk revealing his lack of vision to Karofsky when he bumped into something. He heard Karofsky coming around the front of the car, and he held his arms up. "Will you hold me?" He asked quietly, instantly feeling the tension that radiated from Karofsky, who had never been faced with this problem before.

He could tell that both of them were extremely uncomfortable as Karofsky bent to collect Hunter, but it was the only way for Hunter to keep his weaknesses to himself. Squished to Karofskys large chest, Hunter laid his hands on his shoulders, and he rested his head against Karofskys neck. Even though he reeked of all the bad things in the world, Karofsky felt strong, something his daddy had, too. He wanted to cling to the idea that it was daddy there instead for as long as he could.

Hunters ears perked up at the sounds of chuckling and chortling, and voices echoing from all around him. And his nose turned to the ceiling at the smells of frying grease and old onion rings. The food certainly wasnt appetizing, like the meals he used to get, but it would fill him up better than a few chips would. The two of them were led back to a booth, and Karofsky placed Hunter on one side, while he took the other. Shifting around on the ripped and cold material, Hunter reached up for the table and felt around for a menu, then remembered that he couldnt read it. Panicking because he wasnt sure how to go about deciding what he wanted without giving his problem away to Karofsky, Hunter thought through everything a cheap diner might have, but hed never been exposed to this kind of setting before. He didnt have a clue what to pick!

Luckily, Karofsky read over a few things on the menu, and he said to Hunter, "Baby, do you want milk? Or juice?" When Hunter didnt reply because he was still in shock that hed let himself be fooled by his own plan so easily, Karofsky told their waitress, "Get him both. Well take one home if he doesnt drink it." The waitress marked down their drinks, and then she took off after she promised shed be back in a minute for their food. Once she was gone, Karofsky considered the menu again and said, "What are you in the mood for, baby? They have macaroni and cheese... sandwiches... hot dogs."

Hunter was so hungry that he could have eaten everything on the menu, but he settled for a peanut butter sandwich and a side of macaroni and cheese. After Karofsky ordered himself a burger and fries, they settled back into their seats and stared at the table, neither sure of what to say or do. Finally, Karofsky broke the silence by clearing his throat, and Hunter gasped when something cool touched his finger. Laying his hand over it to figure out what it was, Hunter felt what he thought was a quarter. "Do you want a stuffed animal?" Karofsky asked quietly, and Hunter turned his head over to where noises of beeping and honking were coming from. "I have a few quarters... if you want a toy."

Lowering his head as he thought of how tempting it would be to cover his bed in stuffed animals that he could snuggle with at night, Hunter sighed because there was no way he would ever be able to tell what he was grabbing with the claw. "Im not good at that game." Hunter said, even though hed never played it before. Suddenly, Hunter heard what he thought was a chuckle, and he was even more alarmed at the smile that was threaded through Karofskys voice.

"Come on, baby. Lets go win a stuffed animal." Karofsky stood from the table, and Hunter felt his big body hovering over him. Those beefy hands reached down for him, covering his shoulders, and Karofsky drew him out of his seat. As he walked Hunter over to the games, his hands became very gentle on his back as he nudged him over to the claw machine. Hunter nervously held his hand out and hoped that he could make it onto the machine, and, to his relief, his fingers closed around the handle.

Karofsky put in his first quarter, and Hunter flinched when a voice yelled at him to get ready to move the claw. Hunter didnt even know where the claw was. As soon as the game started, Hunter moved the handle from side to side, trying to avoid keeping it in one spot for long just in case he was actually holding it over nothing. Before he had the chance to hit the button on his own, the time ran out and the claw lowered, capturing nothing. "Its okay." Karofsky murmured from behind him, "I can help you, baby. This game is hard, huh?" Feeling his fingers quiver when Karofskys wrapped around his, enveloping his in an iron fist, Hunter tightened his grip as Karofsky moved his hand around when another game started. "Push the button, baby."

Hesitantly raising his thumb to the top of the handle, Hunter pressed the button and heard the claw drop. For several seconds, he didnt know if they had grabbed anything, but then he heard a thud from within the box where prizes were claimed. Karofsky knelt down behind him and pushed the flap aside, reaching in for the toy. "Here, baby. Do you like him?" Pressing the toy into Hunters hands, Karofsky sat down and kept his hands on Hunter as he searched his toy, feeling every inch of it. He gasped when he realized it was a fuzzy teddy bear, like the one Archer had given to him, and he squeezed it to his chest. Burying his face in the fur, Hunter took the ear between his teeth and chewed it until it was slobbery.

Grateful for the toy hed been given, Hunter clung to him as he thought about how to thank Karofsky. Then, before his mind could reject the idea, he tossed himself at Karofskys chest. Suddenly worried that hed made a terrible mistake, Hunter shivered as Karofskys arms wound around him, the first hug hed been given in months. "Oh, Hunter..." Karofsky whispered through a breathy voice, and he turned his lips down and kissed the top of his head. "I love you so much, baby."

Helplessly purring as Karofsky softly stroked and rubbed him, Hunter nuzzled closer to him. Karofsky hadnt yet touched him like he usually did, and Hunter hoped that it meant things were changing between them. Maybe if Karofsky became nice enough, he would take him home. "I love you, too." Hunter murmured to him, wishing that the love he felt for him now would be forever, like the love he had for his real family.