Kurt Hummel loved people fairly easily, he just didn't show it. 

He had his walls up constantly, hiding what he wanted, how he felt, what he thought, because he put everyone else before himself. 

The pain he felt was worth it if the ones he loved were satisfied. 

"So, how's it going?" A voice scared him out of his masochistic reverie. 

"Blaine," he smiled nervously as the curly-haired boy pulled him in for a tight hug and sat in the desk right next to him. 

"Hi! Yay! We have a few classes together! Are you ready to get our 'Speare on?"

"What?" Kurt faced the gorgeous teen, smoothing invisible wrinkles out of his shirt.

"You know? We're reading Shakespeare today?"

"You could've just said that."

"Well, I'm not normal."

"I never said you weren't normal."

"Well I'm not. Deal with it." Blaine pouted like a child, making Kurt roll his eyes. 

"You're an oddball, but it's sort of endearing." With that, Kurt turned away from Blaine and began to write anything and everything. 

After a few minutes, a warm body was pressed against his and a strong arm was wrapped possessively around his waist. "What are you writing?"

Kurt blushed at how much of a touchy-feely person Blaine was. "I-it's nothing. Just part of a story I'm writing."

"Are you always so perfect?" Blaine asked absentmindedly as he looked over Kurt's flawless work. 

Kurt turned his head away, feeling offended and hurt. He wasn't even close to perfect.  He should've been flattered, but the way Blaine threw the word around so easily made him feel a little more worthless. 

Class began, and as more people entered the classroom, Blaine pulled away from Kurt as if he had been electrocuted. The hurt look on Kurt's face was enough for Blaine to feel guilty and constantly send Kurt apologetic looks, but the damage was done. 

Kurt was naive if he thought anyone would want to be seen with him. 

-xXx-

Blaine honestly didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to find himself, but he really didn't know what he was doing, especially with the boy that was so insecure and so brokenly beautiful. All he knew was this angelic creature was a perfect way to figure out who he was, no matter who he hurt the process, no matter how selfish he was being. 

"Kurt?" he asked nervously as him and the pale boy studied one afternoon. 

Kurt looked up from his books to find Blaine at the foot of the bed, staring at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. 

Blaine stood to take Kurt into his arms gently. "Look, I know we haven't known each other for very long, and I would never be a candidate for the perfect boyfriend award, but I really... Care about you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Kurt knew he could get hurt badly, but he didn't care. Thoughts of Blaine kissing him before they went to class or pulling him close when all he needed was someone to hold him blinded him from reality. These thoughts urged Kurt to say yes. Kurt leaned up to kiss Blaine softly. 

For Kurt, it was nothing short of perfect. Blaine's lips on his made him feel safe, wanted. All he wanted was for Blaine to always hold him and never let him go. 

For Blaine, it was completely different. The spark he had expected wasn't present, but the silent plea in the way Kurt's lips pressed desperately to his own kept him from pulling away. "You are beautiful, Kurt Hummel."

Kurt rolled his eyes and curled into Blaine's side. "Did you just quote The Lovely Bones?"

"No, I'm stating a true fact." Blaine wrapped his arms around his new boyfriend, his eyes not as bright as they should've been, his heart not beating as fast as it should've been. Kurt was too blissfully happy to notice as he pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek. 

-xXx-

"Why are you being like this, Kurt? It's not a big deal!"

Kurt hid his face in his hands, trying to hide his tears. "Yeah, you're right. It's not a big deal when the most gorgeous, gay boy in all of Ohio decides it's perfectly okay to put his hands all over my boyfriend." He knew it was only a matter of time before Blaine found someone actually worth it. 

Blaine moved forward, awkwardly, to pull Kurt to his chest. "Sweetheart, I only want you."

Kurt's cinder-cyan eyes met Blaine's. "A-are you sure?"

"One hundred percent." If only he could love Kurt one hundred percent without that hollow feeling in his chest. 

Kurt had stayed the night, staying as far from Blaine as possible at first. 

"I feel like I can mess this up so easily," Kurt whispered to himself shakily as he curled up on the other side of the bed, facing away from Blaine. 

Blaine pulled Kurt close to himself. "No way are you sleeping on the other side of the bed the night I have you all to myself." 

"I-I thought you'd want your space."

"Of course not. I just want to hold you tonight." Kurt wanted to cry the second he heard those words. He tentatively rested his head on Blaine's chest, listening to his heart beat steadily. Maybe now, he didn't have to feel alone anymore. 

Maybe Blaine didn't have to feel so empty as he held Kurt in his arms. 

But maybe would never be definitely. 

-xXx-

The next morning, Kurt had never felt so worthless and unwanted as he woke up to find that Blaine had let go of him in the middle of the night and had faced the other way. 

Kurt silently got up to get ready for another day of his incomplete world.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," Blaine greeted, walking into the kitchen to find Kurt writing. 

"Hi." Kurt offered a small smile. 

Blaine leaned forward and gently gave Kurt a chaste kiss, making Kurt bite his lip to stop him from bursting into tears. 

Blaine was trying too hard. Kurt could tell, and it killed him to know that Blaine had to actually try in order make himself look like he was happy. Kurt knew, he knew every single time.

Blaine wasn't happy with him, and Kurt could sense that. Blaine never kissed him before class, he had only held Kurt once or twice, his emotions were robotic and unresponsive. Because of this, the start of Kurt's depression seeped its way into their lives. 

One morning, Kurt put up his usual fake smile. 

One day, Kurt forgot how to laugh. 

One night, Blaine went over to Kurt's house, only to hear the quiet sobs that echoed throughout the empty house every night. 

"Kurt, I think you need to get some help," Blaine said quietly as he watched Kurt bake one afternoon. 

Kurt quirked a minuscule smile. "Why would I need help? I've been baking since the age of three."

"That's not what I meant, Sweetheart."

Kurt turned away from the oven to face Blaine. "W-what... What did you mean then?"

"I think you need to see somebody. About your depression." 

"I'm not depressed."

Blaine moved forward to pull Kurt gently into his arms. Kurt weakly tried to push him away. "You are. I hate seeing you like this, and they can put you on medication-" the hot tears running down Kurt's face cut him off. 

"If only I knew me needing medical attention would make you notice, I wouldn't be in this mess," Kurt laughed bitterly. 

Blaine hesitantly wiped away the tears, but more quickly streamed down Kurt's face. "Make me notice what?"

"That I need you! The bullying gets worse every single day, and I don't have anyone to hold me whenever I've been beat senseless and can't breathe."

"Kurt-"

"I can tell that... That you don't feel anything for me. That's what kills me every day. It's all I think of every day, it's what I remind myself every day, it's what I use to hurt myself every day." Kurt let out a broken sob, and all Blaine could do was pull him close and feel guilty, because he didn't feel anything. 

After a few minutes of tears, Kurt pulled away and began baking again. 

"I'm fine." 

This is when the lying begins.