Kurt found that the school looked immensely different at night. During the day, the parking lot was full with teachers and students but now it was completely empty. There was a lone streetlight shining bright on the school. Kurt hated this part, the part where he had to sneak out and lie to his father. The part where he was basically alone at night with a murderous spirit and could possibly end up dead as well.

Well.

Kurt Hummel was born for this.

He wasn't really sure how he had managed it, but somehow he'd been able to break into the school. He was sauntering down the hallway now, his eyes darting back and forth to see if he was really alone.

But he wasn't.

Kurt saw him, just leaning against his locker as if it was the most casual and normal thing to do. And Kurt supposed it must have been, back when he was alive. To Karofsky, this was a daily habit when he was alive and in school. Why would it change now?

He had on his letterman jacket, Kurt could tell, emblazoned with a large 'M' and plenty of patches and awards scattered across. He was big and burly and Kurt might have even thought he was cute in that bear cub sort of way, if he didn't have that sneer across his face. That look of disgust and a look that told Kurt he was a pompous asshole with one hell of a grudge.

"This was the mediator they sent to try and get rid of me?" Karofsky laughed and it wasn't a nice laugh, either. "A fairy boy?"

Kurt chose to ignore that comment even though he could feel his anger starting to boil. This was not going to be as easy as he thought. "Karofsky, I think it's time that you and I had a talk."

"Why would I want to talk to you, homo?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at Karofsky. He'd heard all the insults. It wasn't as if Karofsky was being creative. "Give it up, Karofksy. Mr. Schuester told me all about you, if you catch my drift."

Karofsky's eyes widened at this. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Really?" Kurt ground out at him. "You're dead, David. There's no use hiding now. I'm the only who can hear you now and your secret is safe with me."

"So what do you want, pretty boy?" Kurt sensed an air of desperation from him, and it hit Kurt just how alone and broken David was. And had been in his previous life, too. "You think you can just come into my school and – "

"It's not your school anymore, David, remember?" Kurt stated gently. "Finn rejected you. And instead of picking up the pieces and moving on, you gave up. It would have gotten better. It really would have. But instead, you took the easy and the selfish way out."

David's grew bigger than Kurt had ever seen. "Shut up."

"You decided to run away and grab that belt and wrap it around your neck and end it all," Kurt continued steadily and he could see David's blood boiling right before him. But he continued to push. "Because you were too ignorant to realize that no boy, not even Finn Hudson, is worth losing your life over."

"Shut up!"

This time he didn't just say it, but he screamed it. So loudly that he had to ball his fists up to get that momentum, and close his eyes with his shoulders squared. Normal people couldn't hear ghosts scream but Kurt sure could. He even saw the lights flicker a few times before him and the way the lockers slightly shook.

"I know you made a mistake, David. And it must not feel very good to know that you did that in the heat of the moment and you can't ever take it back. But you have got to stop this, David! You can't go around hurting people just because you killed yourself and you're mad because you're stuck here!"

"I just want my life back!" David's eyes were filling with tears and his face was scrunching up in pain. "I want to go back!"

"You can start over, David!" Kurt said, trying to use his eyes to get him to understand. "It doesn't have to be this way!"

Karofsky sniffled and stopped in his tracks. "You mean, I can go back?"

Kurt nodded fervently. "You can start over."

"All I have wanted since it happened was to go back."

"No, David," This time, Kurt shook his head. David wasn't getting the message. "You misunderstand me. You can never have your old life back. But you can start over with a new one, a new life. It has to be better than this, than being alone and going around hurting people."

"You said I could back!"

Kurt realized, all in a flash, that he had lost David. The ground beneath him was beginning to shake and the lockers that weren't occupied were started to rattle. Pictures and posters were being ripped of the walls and a trophy case nearby shattered, glass flying to the floor. Everything was starting to shake and rattle violently around him.

Kurt could see that David had been practicing.

Kurt knew it was time to get out of there.

He moved so fast that he thought hasn't noticed him trying to escape. But he had, and Kurt knew that he wasn't too pleased that Kurt was trying to bail already. In retaliation, without really lifting a finger, the mascot that was perched on the wall above them came hurtling towards Kurt. It hung in the air momentarily and what was the usual smile from the Titan was now a twisted, demonic sneer that knocked Kurt right off his feet and straight to the ground.

"Get up!" Kurt heard a voice boom harshly in his ear. "I thought you were supposed to be good at this!"

Kurt turned and widened his eyes as the Titan exploded right next to his cheek. Things had gotten way out of hand way too quick.

And then there was Blaine, gripping him and pulling him up from underneath his arm. "Jesus Christ," Blaine sputtered, panting as leaned on the wall with Kurt next to him. "You said you could take care of yourself. You said you could get rid of him. Right!"

Kurt chose to ignore Blaine that moment. Although, he was immensely grateful that Blaine was there to save him. He would never admit this to Blaine but Karofsky was too much to handle on his own and he needed all the help he could get.

"Cadaver breath," Blaine breathed out, his chest rising and falling heavily. "You realize that's what you called me? That hurt, you know, sweetheart. It really did."

"Just shut up for five seconds and let me think!"

Blaine scowled at him. "I would appreciate if you wouldn't make disparaging remarks about my breath!"

"Look, Blaine," Kurt began. "Stop worrying about that right now. Don't you have any suggestions?"

"Run."

It was the only word that left Blaine's rosy lips but Kurt wasted no time in taking his advice. He ran, Blaine following closely behind him, into an empty classroom and he watched as Blaine flung just one of the chairs towards the window to break it. Behind them, they could hear the banging and the wailing and Blaine shot him an impatient look. "Hurry, please?"

Kurt didn't need to be told twice. He slung his legs over the window and hopped down, dropping straight into the parking lot. When he looked back up, he could see Blaine still holding himself against the door to block Karofsky from getting to either of them. He wondered, if Karofsky was able to get in, if Blaine had any cool tricks like the ones Karofsky had pulled to use against him. But Kurt didn't want to leave Blaine in Karofsky's range. "Blaine, let's go!"

Kurt was no coward, it was true. But even he knew when enough was enough and when he was up against a force greater than his own. It was perfectly okay to run. But it was not okay to leave others behind.

"Blaine!"

"I thought I told you," Blaine's irritated voice came from behind him. "To run."

"Oh my, God, Blaine," Kurt had never been this scared in his entire life. And here was Blaine, standing right in front of him, the ghost who'd just saved his life. He couldn't help it; he reached out and grabbed the front of Blaine's cardigan with both hands, pulling him that much closer. "Are you okay?"

Blaine looked taken aback and surprised that Kurt had even asked. And he supposed it was stupid to ask. It wasn't as if Karofsky could have killed Blaine. He was already dead.

"I'm okay. Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice so soft and concerned as he looked at Kurt. Kurt felt almost embarrassed under the gaze of those honey colored eyes. They were so expressive and so intense that Kurt just could not look away. Bright and dancing and so incredibly close to Kurt now, he noticed every speck as Blaine looked him up and down, his iron grip firm on Kurt's shoulders. "Kurt, you're bleeding…"

Kurt looked down at the small stains flowering the pavement and to his wrist, where a tiny vein was open and leaking blood just slightly. He saw that there were patches similar to the ones on the ground on Blaine's shirt. He didn't even know how he'd gotten it and it didn't hurt, but he knew it was probably when Blaine had broken that window and he had climbed out.

He stood there, staring at his wrist dumbfounded , watching as the blood oozed out. Ever the gentleman, Blaine stuck one hand into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a handkerchief, wrapping it snugly but not too tight around Kurt's wrist. He didn't say anything to Kurt while he was doing this, just concentrating on placing the makeshift tourniquet over his skin. Kurt had never had a ghost perform first aid on him but Kurt was positively swooning at this.

He was falling for Blaine. Fast and hard.

"There you go," Blaine snapped him back to reality with that ever dazzling smile of his. "Did that hurt?"

Kurt shook his head at Blaine, unable to form the words. He could feel the tears threatening to spill and the last thing he wanted was for Blaine to see him cry. "Thank you, Blaine."

It was the only response he could muster without breaking. But of course, Blaine seemed to notice and gave him another smile, a special one, Kurt knew, just for him. Because Blaine didn't have anyone else but Kurt and he hadn't for a very long time. And it was that caring smile, a gentle one and a knowing one, one that stretched up to Blaine's eyes and made them crinkle. "My pleasure."

No ghost had ever been like this to him. Where was his mother when this was all happening? She tried; Kurt could say that, she really did. But she had never exactly come through for him in a crisis like this one.

But Blaine. Blaine had come through for him. And Kurt hadn't even asked him to.

"I really mean it, Blaine," Kurt managed to choke out and oh, hell. He couldn't stop them now. He could feel the warm, saltiness slide down his cheeks and Blaine reached up to wipe them away, stilling Kurt in his tracks. "Thank you for this."

And Kurt wasn't exactly the biggest fan of people touching him. He especially hated it when ghosts touched him because usually, it turned into less than amazing results. Ones that had him with a fist in his face, was how it normally would have gone.

But there was Blaine, who was looking at him with those golden eyes and Kurt could see the hesitation in them. Blaine was working something over in his head and Kurt wanted to know just what it was. He moved a thumb to swipe over Kurt's cheek, brushing away the last tear that had fallen. And his strong arms, the one's Kurt had longed to feel around his body, were around his torso, pulling him in for a tight hug.

Blaine was clinging to him. He was holding onto him like he never wanted to let go, and he buried his face in Kurt's neck, breathing him in. As if he were trying to make sure Kurt was really there and not just a part of his imagination.

Kurt couldn't resist the urge to hug back and he closed eyes, letting himself go into the embrace. He realized that this was probably the only contact that Blaine had had in over fifty years and it felt so good. Kurt could feel Blaine's warm breath on his neck as he said in just above a whisper, "Let's go home."

Kurt really liked the sound of that.

He could get used to this.