“I don’t like you.” Blaine says, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed protectively over his chest.

Kurt stops himself from squawking and shoots an apologetic look at the doctor. “Baby, Doctor Lewis just wants to help. Why don’t you just talk to him?”

“No.” Blaine growls and gets up, walking out of the office.

Kurt sighs and gets up as Doctor Lewis does. “I’m sorry. He’s not usually like that. He’s picky about who he talks to.” He apologises, glancing at the door.

The therapist smiles and shakes his head in understanding. “It’s ok Mr Hummel; I see it a lot in abuse victims. He doesn’t feel safe with me for some reason in his mind and we have to understand that. I hope your next doctor is the one he likes and if you need any more options don’t hesitate to call.”

Kurt lets out a breath, feeling happier, at least if the doctor has seen it before it means that someone will be able to get through to Blaine. “Thank you. I will. Take care.” He says, shaking the doctor’s hand and leaving.

Blaine’s standing outside, his eyes closed and breathing deeply. Kurt’s come to see it as both a comforting thing and a way to relish that he’s here, where he’s dreamed of for years. Kurt stands and rests his hands on his hips, a fond, amused smile on his face.

Blaine opens his eyes and looks at him sheepishly. “Are you angry?” He asks quietly.

Kurt shakes his head, walking over and slipping his hand into Blaine’s. “I’ll never be angry at you for how you feel. You didn’t like that one, maybe the next one.” He says and cups Blaine’s cheek. They kiss and walk away, slipping their shades on against the sun.

“He didn’t like the doctor. That’s the fourth one,” Kurt says, sighing and glancing over his shoulder to check Blaine isn’t listening in. “I understand but it’s frustrating. What if he never finds the one he likes?”

Cooper’s voice crackles over the line, a deep sigh resonating across the states separating them. “He will Kurt, just trust him. He’ll find the right one.”

It takes three more doctors before Cooper’s prediction and Kurt’s hopes come to fruition. Doctor Max Needham gains Blaine’s interest the second he walks into the room and greets Blaine. He smiles and shakes both Kurt and Blaine’s hands and tells them he’s happy to meet them. He doesn’t look at Blaine with sympathy or talk about him like he’s not there. He asks about Blaine’s interests, his passions and, to Blaine’s joy and Kurt’s astonishment, asks Blaine to sing. He’s not a victim to the doctor, he’s someone who needs a hand and a willing ear, though deep down Kurt knows it’s a way of dealing with his patients that he’s obviously learned or worked out through years of working with the deepest, most broken minds.

Kurt goes to work each day after dropping Blaine off at the plaza where the therapist’s office is. The wide, open space has a garden in the middle with seats and a path through it. Decking surrounds the garden and they lead off to the various shops and offices around it. There’s a couple of coffee shops, various different clothing shops and a shop comprising singularly of retro clothing including the shirts, jackets and bowties Blaine loves. It’s not unusual for Blaine to come home with a few bags, as well as stories about what he and Dr Needham talked about that day. It takes him about eight days before he gives in and starts calling the man Max.

“Kurt,” Dr Needham says as Kurt turns to leave the office, walking with him to the door and grasping his arm lightly. “Have you thought about sitting in on a session? I’d really like you to.”

Kurt blinks at him, thinking about the nightmares that haunt him every few days and wonders what Blaine has told the doctor. “I don’t…” He trails off, unsure of how to really respond.

Dr Needham steps closer, glancing back to where Blaine is examining a model head much like the one that he used to have in his room. “I’ve treated and helped a lot of victims of abuse, just like Blaine but I’ve also treated partners. You witnessed Blaine being attacked and from what Blaine tells me you used to be bullied excessively in high school, like him. He tells me you got each other through that but Kurt you’re not getting each other through this. Let me help.”

Kurt blinks back tears he didn’t feel forming at the passionate plea from the doctor that evidently wants to help him. He’s not used to someone he’s not related to wanting to help him so badly, and even his family wasn’t sure how to handle things completely. Kurt nods and smiles. “Tomorrow,” He says quietly. “I’ll come in tomorrow.”

Dr Needham nods, smiling. “Thank you Kurt. See you tomorrow.” He says and walks into the office. Blaine waves at Kurt as the door closes and Kurt waves back feeling lighter from the thought of someone wanting to help past the screaming sessions Kurt manages sparingly and heavier from the nervousness for tomorrow and what the doctor would have to say about him.

"Thank you for coming Kurt," Dr Needham says as they shake hands and sit down. "Now, before we talk about you, I want to talk about Blaine and your relationship." He says, motioning to them both.

Kurt smiles at Blaine and slips his hand into his. "My favourite subject." He says lovingly and Blaine beams back at him.

"Now, it seems to me from observing you both and what Blaine has told me in his session that while he'll come up with big, grand gestures like the times he's sung for you in the courtyard at school and moving schools to be with you, your part in the relationship is the more stabilising, creative force. You'll make the smaller gestures, the bigger decisions but putting them into retracted, meaningful light," Dr Needham says and watched both men nod. "What I've been trying to see in the sessions when we talk about you and the relationship you share is how you affect Blaine and how you affect him in comparison to say, how his brother affects him, or his friends and yours. Blaine talks about you practically non-stop and I think the reason for that is that you make him happy, and I don't mean that in the love and loving way; I mean that in the pure basics of human composition. We're all drawn to forces that make us happy, sad, bring us good things and bad. We're drawn to experiences and things that will give us something, and through those things we, as people, find our makeup. Blaine has had many bad things and good make him up, as have you, as have I but down to Blaine's pure basics, all of the best things have had you involved. That makes Blaine's brain link good things with you and you with good things and gives him the thought that you will always make things better. To Blaine you really are the sun that shines because in his pure make up he needs you to make him happy, give him the stability and at his core, ability to proceed with life. In his mind he has to make sure he's near you or has you there in some way or he'll fail or something bad will happen and if you think back, I think you'll see how I mean. Blaine had to move schools to be with you or he wouldn't survive at Dalton, he had to love you or he'd be unloved and he had the confidence to try out for the lead role in West Side Story because you were there and you'd be proud of him."

Kurt's mouth dropped open. He could see it, he could understand and his mind tugged at the memory of the time around West Side Story and the flowers he'd given Blaine. "I gave Blaine flowers before the cast list went up to show my support and to say if he got it over me I wouldn't be mad. That in Blaine's mind was a reward. He was right; he'd done the right thing."

Dr Needham smiled and nodded." Exactly. I think you both give each other happiness and confidence but I want to talk to you today about you and see if you need anything, how we can help you. Now what was your childhood like? Blaine tells me it was very different from his."

Kurt nodded and felt Blaine squeeze his hand. "My parents are very loving and supportive. My dad is amazing. He's loving and caring, supportive, would do anything for anyone, he has for me. He brought Blaine in like he was another son when I started dating him. He did that with Finn too, that's my step-brother, and Cooper. I was so scared of telling my dad that I was gay but he knew and he never let me forget that. He used to have tea parties with me when I was a kid, uh, he danced to Single Ladies for me as a graduation gift 'cos I danced it once in the basement of our old home and he caught me. He'd tell me I could do anything and to go for it then tell me where I was going wrong or going too far then let me do it to see what I did with it. My step-mom Carole is really loving and she's a great friend. She's got a huge heart and is an amazing cook. We have cooking wars sometimes. My mom died when I was eight."

Dr Needham looked up from his notes and looked at Kurt. "What was she like? How did that affect you?"

"She was beautiful. She used to teach me all these things like told me how things worked when other parents would just goo-goo over their kids she'd be talking to me like an adult, dad did too. She was loving and I think she would have supported me and my sexuality and adored Blaine. Everyone who knew her tells me I'm so like her. I like that, I want to think she was determined and happy and went for everything that seemed scary and would do her best for any one she loved. I was eight when she died. I didn't really understand why she couldn't come back. My dad and I became each other's support systems, we did everything together. I miss her." Kurt said, smiling as he felt Blaine's fingers wipe his tears.

"Kurt, you use the words loving and supportive a lot, do you realise that?" Dr Needham asked.

Kurt blinked and opened and closed his mouth a few times, thinking. "I didn't realise, no. What does that mean?"

Dr Needham rested his elbows on his knees, leaning in. "It usually means the person craves love and support. In Blaine's case he craves attention and affection to tell him he matters and love and support to prove that he's right in his actions and matters to those around him. To you I think it speaks of all the love and support you've had and give. It's very important to you to be loved and give love, you've been filled with love from early age which is fantastic and you've been supported by those closest and looked for it from those around you, eventually gaining it through your own methods."

Kurt gasped and sat back, stunned. "Wow."

"It also means, Kurt that while you were bullied at school and had those experiences, those wouldn't have prepared you for watching Blaine get attacked or the aftermath of what happened. As a coping mechanism you've carried on, prepared, sorted, worked all of the things that have happened with Blaine and him being with you and you both being in L.A into your life but the trauma needs a release. You need to talk about things and deal with how you feel and how you've been affected or it will create bigger issues down the road. Blaine tells me you've having nightmares. Have you had any way of dealing with it or, I'm sorry, but bottling it up?" Dr Needham asked.

Kurt shook his head. "I guess but when Blaine came home from the hospital my dad drove me out into the woods and told me to scream and cry. I did and it felt so good. I try to do that here but I work and spend time with Blaine, it's hard to do everything."

"I'm glad you're not completely bottling it up and screaming is a good release but I think talking here with Blaine and I would be good for both of you and to be honest, Kurt I think you could do with getting away for a while and doing nothing. You've been in school, gone straight to New York and worked incredibly hard, had to deal with the attack and having Blaine so far away and now you're here working very hard and trying to do everything for Blaine and work."

"I have too much to do; I can't just take time off." Kurt said.

Dr Needham sighed. "I think you need to. Your work will understand, they know about Blaine and he tells me your boss is very nice. You need to relax."

Kurt sighed and looked at Blaine who was watching him hopefully. "I'll think about it."

Dr Needham smiled. "Thank you Kurt. Now, I'm afraid our time here is up. Will you come again?"

Kurt looked up at the clock in shock, how had an hour gone by so quickly? "Wow, I didn't even realise. Yes, I think I will come again. Thank you." Kurt stood and shook Dr Needham's hand and waited as Blaine did the same before the doctor walked them out, waving as they left his office.

Kurt glanced at Blaine as they walked and laughed as he looked again and his boyfriend was staring at him with the same awe-struck look as before. "What?"

"Just looking at you. I don't know if I've ever seen you like this." Blaine replied.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what?"

Blaine smiled and looked down at their hands clasped together. "Human. You're beautiful."

Kurt stopped and looked at him, staring at Blaine with the same awe-struck look his black-haired love had been looking at him with. "Blaine Hummel, you're the most beautiful creature that I've ever, or will ever meet. I'll love you for the rest of our lives. Human, both of us. Perfect and flawed."

Blaine tilted his head to the side, curious. "You can be both?"

"Didn't you tell me that once?" Kurt asked.

Blaine blushed. "Perfectly imperfect." He whispered.

Kurt nodded. "Yup. In the end Blaine, there's no such thing as perfect or normal. None of this is the be-all end-all. Therapy won't magically cure us; it'll just help us understand that flaws make us what we are."

Blaine grinned at him. "And we are?"

Kurt leaned in and kissed him happily. "Right now, two happily in love young men with flaws and good fashion sense."

"Hell yeah." Blaine giggled and they kissed again, walking up the road in the Californian sunshine, never noticing the man that watched with smiling from his office window, thinking.

People like Kurt and Blaine were why he'd gotten into his profession, like a calling to help and make people understand themselves a little more, to make a difference in a world so hard and cold. He'd almost forgotten that, but the phone call from his friend and fellow doctor in Ohio about a broken young man had reinforced his desire to help and as soon as he'd met Blaine, he'd realised how much he could help heal this sullen, pain filled teen; and the moment he'd looked into Kurt's eyes, he'd seen himself as a young man. A desire to succeed, to help the world, to be there for the love of his life and to be happy. He dug out his phone and dialled a number he hadn't in a while.

 It was answered on the second ring by a familiar, deep voice. He listened to the other man breathing for a second and then whispered into the phone. "I'm ready to come home."