Pointing his toes at the ceiling, Kurt laid back on the white bench with the sparkles glittering on it. A camera flash made him blink, but he managed to paste a smile onto his face and pose for the photo shoot. He lowered his legs and his little skirt fell onto his thighs, his tight bodice hugging his stomach. "Beautiful, superstar," Stanley encouraged him while they snapped pictures. "Work the cameras. Lift your legs again."

He laid his cheek on the cool bench and closed his eyes, softly humming to himself to tune out the constant click of the camera. Touching his hand to his hair on command, Kurt wriggled so his hip was pressed to the hard surface. He opened his eyes again, looking straight at the bright camera. Glancing around, Kurt spotted Unique handing a glass of tea to Stanley, and a few boys behind Stanley. He rested his lashes on his cheeks.

The camera stopped flashing but Kurt stayed where he was, peacefully lying on the bench. He didnt want to lift his head and have his hair yanked at and combed this way and that, new gloss smeared on his lips, or his outfit to be straightened or tightened. It was already clenching his stomach so tightly that he was having trouble getting a full breath of air. He wanted to stay like this.

Someone dabbed blush onto his cheek, "Can you turn your head? I need to get your other side."

Kurt hesitantly sat up and kept his eyes closed as his cheeks were brightened. "Im tired." He whispered, really feeling exhausted. He wanted to go home with his aunt and curl up on her lap and shut his eyes. Or call Blaine, who was very good at keeping him awake.

Stanley ignored him, "Alright, superstar, for the next fifty frames I want you to straddle the bench. Spread your knees wide."

Kurt helplessly yawned, his chin drooping. "Im sleepy." He tried again, but Stanley turned his back on him.

"Can we get another two hours with you for a discount?" He begged the photographer, who he was paying by the hour.

As soon as the makeup artist finished touching up his makeup, Kurt lay back down and closed his eyes. Theyd been going at this for three hours, perfecting his pictures, throwing him into dressing rooms for outfit changes that were starting to chafe his skin, pulling his hair, swiping his eyes with liner, and he was exhausted. He yawned again.

A few of the guys snickered, and Kurt looked up at them. "I bet you are tired after all that youve been giving up."

Another guy laughed aloud, slapping the first on the chest, and he lowered his voice, "I bet his ass is so plump because its full of semen."

Kurt blushed and pulled away from them, "Thats not very nice."

They frowned at him as if hed offended them, "Whatever... slut."

Kurt sat upright, startled by the sudden mean name. "That was very mean." He whispered to no one in particular.

He jumped when another guy approached him, "Thats okay... Ignore them. Id totally do you. I think you have a nice ass." Holding his fingers up to his ear and mouth, he whispered, "Call me, okay?"

"Hm?" Kurt looked at the other men in the room, some of them turned away but others staring at him. Surprised, Kurt made himself as small as possible and kept his eyes on his lap. His fingers trembled and his toes curled.

Another person stepped toward him, but Kurt recognized the voice, "Dont bother with them. Theyre assholes."

Kurt looked up at Unique, "Why is everyone mad at me?" he peeped, avoiding looking anywhere except at Uniques face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You cant be serious." She put a hand on her hip, rolling her eyes. "You cant just get involved with Brody Weston and not expect guys to think youre a slut. Brody Weston is the biggest man-whore in France. Hes slept with every guy and he doesnt take relationships seriously. Besides, youre already engaged and it looks bad if youre hugging Brody Weston. Dont be stupid about this, Kurt."

Kurts eyes widened to the size of saucers, "But Brody Weston and I arent-" He stopped talking when she lost interest and walked away. Pulling his knees to his chest, Kurt dared a peek at the men around him, and he was startled to find them still looking at him as if he was something they scraped off their shoes.

His eyes blurred with tears.

What had he done wrong?

Blaine laid the babies on their bellies and watched them wriggle across the bed, squirming only a few inches and almost hitting their heads on each other. He smiled and patted Archers bottom, rolling onto his back and picking him up. He held Archer above his head, staring into his blue eyes. "You have Kurts eyes..." he whispered, and Archer blinked, his fan of black lashes batting against his cheeks. "Round and blue."

Hunter shrilly squealed from beside of him, and Blaine glanced up and rubbed his back. "And you just like attention." Batting at Blaine, Hunter spastically kicked his feet. Blaine laid Archer down beside of Hunter, and the two babies snuggled into each other. Blaine laid his head down beside of them and nuzzled Archers thick curls with his nose and lips. "My little babies..."

Interrupted by a knock on the door, Blaine glared over his shoulder as Finn kicked it open. "Hey... Blaine." He shut the door behind himself and cleared his throat. His skin was pale and he seemed shaken by something. "Theres something I need to show you."

Blaine furrowed his brows, and he lifted himself into a sitting position. "What is it?"

Finn stayed glued to the door, "Listen... um... you know my brother loves you." Blaine arched his brows, but he didnt say anything. "Blaine... if K-Kurt-"

"Just show me." Blaine snapped, holding his hand out for the magazine Finn was clutching. Finn reluctantly handed it over, his hand shaking as he set it in Blaines palm. "Is Kurt okay? Did he call you?" Looking at the front of the magazine, Blaine arched his brows at the picture on the cover. A blond man who looked like he could be a model dominated the picture, his massive body covering a tiny boy who Blaine instantly recognized. Kurt looked very startled, his round eyes staring up at the blond man. The blond man was holding Kurt so tightly, his face very close to Kurts.

Blaines bottom lip trembled, but he managed to read the caption at the bottom, New beau? What about the old one? The last two words were circled with an arrow pointing from them to Kurts engagement ring.

Shuddering, Blaine kept staring at the intimate picture, the blond mans body practically wrapped around Kurts. "Blaine..." Finn tried, laying his hand on Blaines shoulder.

"Whats his name?" Blaine choked, his eyes directly on the blond man. "Who is he?"

"I dont know-" Finn tried, but stopped talking when Blaine dropped the magazine to the floor. "Blaine, are you okay? You want me to call Kurt? He probably has a reason for doing it... it might just be a one-time thing." Blaine didnt respond, his eyes glued to the blankets, never moving, never wandering to Finn. "Are you okay?" Finn asked again. "Blaine-"

"Get out." was the only thing Blaine said. "Get out before I punch you."

Finn stayed by the bed, "Its probably not what it looks like-"

"I know what it looks like." Blaine whispered, his eyes stuck to the bed. He clenched the sheets in his fingers, "That he was better for Kurt... that he was nicer... he didnt have a temper... he never fucked women... he was never raped... he didnt have a fucking psycho obsessed with him."

Finn swallowed, "Blaine, if you would just call Kurt-"

Blaine suddenly held up his palms, showing him the white scars slashed across them, "For what, Finn? I was fooling myself all along! I could see him getting more distant, and now I know that hes-" Blaine pointed at the blond man, "-why. Kurts so beautiful and kind... and what the fuck am I?" Slamming his fist into the wall, Blaine heard the babies start crying and he collapsed to the bed. He should have seen this coming. He was everything Kurt wasnt, everything Kurt didnt need... like a toxin. Karofsky had poisoned everything good in him and Kurt was finally with a man who was better for him.

Blaine should have been happy for him... even Blaine wanted to move on from himself. But he could actually hear his heart breaking, a low thunder in his ears. Falling onto his side, Blaine screamed into his palms, hard bumps from the scarring rubbing his cheeks. He dug his fingernails into his skin and started peeling. He thought he heard Finn telling him to stop, but he didnt listen.

He wanted to bleed... distract himself from the pain in his shattering heart.

He would never love again, not after the way he felt about Kurt.

Kurt sat down on his bed and finished tying his robe, his damp hair falling over his forehead. He pushed it off his face and lay down on his stomach, tucking one hand under his chin. Opening the laptop, Kurt typed in an IM to Blaine, Blaine?

His aunt knocked on his door, "Hey, sweetie. Im going to make some toast before I go to bed. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you." Kurt shook his head, happily smiling when she kissed his forehead.

She glanced at his laptop, "Skyping Blaine? Tell him I said hi." Rubbing his shoulder, she started to leave.

Kurt glanced back at his laptop and waited for Blaine to call him, then frowned when after a few minutes he didnt get a reply. He typed in another message, I miss you. I want to see your face.

He waited about ten minutes but nothing happened, so he called Blaine on his own. Blaine didnt answer.

He wasnt here anymore.