Kurt was just pulling on his raincoat when his dad yelled down the stairs, "Hey, buddy, you expecting company?"

"Yeah, a friend is picking me up!" Kurt called back, grabbing Blaine's umbrella and his own before hurrying upstairs. "We're going to Breadstix, do you want me to bring you something back for dinner?"

"Wait, friend? Who is it?"

Kurt huffed out a sigh, "Just a friend, dad."

"Is it that kid Sam was telling me about?"

"Yes, Dad," Kurt said peevishly. "We're doing an assignment for glee together and he couldn't meet me after school, so we're going to dinner instead. Yes or no, do you want me to bring you something back?"

"No, I'm all right, but Kurt-"

A knock on the front door interrupted him and Kurt turned, hurrying to leave before his dad could start again. "Bye, I'll see you later!"

He opened the door to find Blaine standing on his porch, hand raised to knock again. He was shivering slightly, his face damp from the rain. "Ready?" Kurt asked, stepping outside and closing the door behind him quickly.

"As I'll ever be," Blaine said with a grin. Kurt flicked open the borrowed umbrella and handed it to Blaine, but when he went to open his own, the other boy waved him off. Looping his arm through Kurt's, he led him to the car, umbrella held over the both of them as Blaine opened the door for him and then rushed around to the driver's side. Kurt watched him, unable to fight the blush tingeing his cheeks at the sweet gesture even as he shifts uncomfortably in the seat. His seat belt clicked into the buckle just as Blaine opened his door, hurrying to close the umbrella and drop it behind his seat before closing his door.

"Oh, you're all wet," Kurt said in surprise, taking in the damp skin and slightly curling hair.

"Yeah, I didn't have an umbrella when I went up to the door," Blaine admitted sheepishly as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. He glanced at Kurt's face but didn't say anything about the uncomfortable look on his face.

Kurt felt the heat that had slowly been dissipating rush back with a vengeance. "You didn't have to-"

"Nope, but I did anyway," Blaine cut him off with a grin.

They make small talk during the short trip to the restaurant and once they're seated at the table and they've offered their food, Blaine pulls a paper from his back pocket. "I went ahead and wrote down some ideas for songs that we could do as a duet, if you want to look at it." He looked slightly embarrassed. "Obviously I'm open to any thoughts or suggestions you have, I just wanted to write mine down so I wouldn't forget."

Kurt nodded as he smoothed the paper out on the table. It had been easy to ignore his dream in the hurry to leave and in the dark of the car, but now that he was face to face with Blaine in the brightly lit restaurant, the memory of Blaine's mouth on his cock came rushing back and he found himself unable to look at him for more than a few seconds. "I fell asleep while doing homework, so I didn't think of any songs."

"Oh, I'm sure you have a whole mental list of songs," Blaine said, brushing off Kurt's words with a sweep of his hand.

His eyes flicked up briefly, accidentally landing on Blaine's lips, so pink and soft and bad, Kurt, very bad! He glanced down at the paper in front of him. "Um, yeah, but most of those are solos." His brow furrowed as he scanned the list. "Like these-"

"Yeah, a lot of mine are too," Blaine started saying at the same time. He laughed, a bright sound that filled Kurt's chest with happiness. "I was thinking we could either do a mash up or turn one into a duet. I'm pretty good with making arrangements."

He read over the list, approving and dismissing songs as he went, before his eyes settled on one in particular. "Come Together by The Beatles?" He looked up to find watching him and shrugging.

"I was flicking through my iTunes and came across it, I thought it might make a good one."

"No, I like the idea, but what about With A Little Help from My Friends instead? I mean, that one is a duet already and would keep more in line with Mr. Schue's theme." He couldn't help how his lips drift to where Blaine's lips are puckered as he considered it. His mind flickered back to the image of those same lips wrapped around his cock and sucking and, oh, Blaine was talking again.

"I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts, can you say that again?" Kurt asked, moving his hands off the table as the waitress returned with their orders. He was thankful that he had something other than Blaine to look at as they thanked the woman and started eating.

"I was saying, I really like that idea and, like you said, it's already a duet, so it wouldn't need to be changed, except maybe we can sing more of the chorus together than the original calls for." He went on to talk about the song and arrangements and Kurt found himself zoning out, trying not to look at Blaine. Every second seemed like it was a second closer before Blaine would know. His skin was crawling and his stomach was twisted with nerves, making eating difficult. "Hey, are you okay?"

Kurt's head flew up. "What?"

"I've been talking for five minutes and you haven't said anything. Did-Did I do something to upset you?" He looked so concerned that it was Kurt's hearts' turn to twist.

"Oh, god, no, Blaine, I'm sorry, I just... I was just thinking how much fun it's going to be to sing together and I got lost in my head, that's all. I'm sorry." His hand twitched before he gave in and reached over, patting Blaine's hand. Just a brief touch but it felt like his palm was on fire. He stared at the middle of Blaine's forehead, still unable to meet his eyes but not wanting him to think he was ignoring him. Things weren't as awkward as he had feared, but he still felt like his dream was etched onto his face, like Blaine could see every dirty thought in his head if they dared to lock eyes for more than a second.

Oh god, what is Blaine was a telepath?

Are you a telepath?

Blink twice if you are.

Was that two?

Okay, how about, cough into your left hand if you are.

Wait, you wouldn't tell me if you were, would you?

Scheming bastard.

"Do either of you boys want some dessert?" the waitress asked, appearing so suddenly at Kurt's side that he jerked, his hand hitting his glass and knocking it over, sending ice and water skittering across the table. Quick as lightening, Blaine was there, grabbing the mostly empty cup and throwing his napkin over the liquid before it could fall over the table's edge and into Kurt's lap.

The waitress apologized as she hurried to get some more napkins. Kurt yanked his own off his lap and started trying to help, but Blaine was already curving his around to scoop up the ice, thanking the woman as she hands him a stack with more napkins than he'd need. Between the three of them, the mess is gone in less than two minutes and she was offering them free dessert, which they politely declined after reassuring her that it was okay, accidents just happen. Once they had paid and were heading back out to Blaine's car, he offered his arm to Kurt, his other hand holding his umbrella.

"Shall we?"

Kurt met his eyes for a brief moment and flushed as his mind flashed to them, so close to his own, the iris' blown with lust as Blaine fisted his cock. He forced a smile as he looked away and gingerly set the tips of his fingers on the offered arm. They would have to stand close under the umbrella to avoid the rain and he didn't want to make it any more awkward than it was.

"Ready when you are."

888

The first time Blaine saw the bullying actually happening, he hadn't realized that it was bullying. He had just assumed that Kurt had saved a seat for a friend and that everyone else was seated with their own and the other chairs were empty by coincidence. He soon learned from two huge Doms that shared his lunch hour that everyone looked down on Kurt and, if he didn't want to be the shit on everyone's shoes, he would stay away from him and the glee club. Blaine had politely thanked the muscle heads and then promptly ignored them. He had seen the look on Kurt's face that morning and knew that the boy was probably lonely. He had seen that same look in his own eyes after years of being ignored by his parents. It wasn't until Copper had moved away four years ago and took him with him that he had grown into his own.

He took to watching Kurt when he thought he could get away with it. The boy rarely spoke to anyone and when he did, it was a short and often cutting remark. Taunts were frequently thrown his way, from both Doms and subs, the other students never stopping to think of the adverse effects they were causing. Kurt didn't appear to care, so why should they? But Blaine knew how badly words could hurt and he had done his best to glare at any sub that was rude to Kurt. He didn't like Dominating if he could help it, especially not when he was in a new place, but he couldn't not do something. Glaring made him feel a little better.

He tried again and again to get Kurt to talk to him until he had finally snapped and yelled at him. It had been upsetting and almost threw him off his game when he went to audition for glee and saw Kurt sitting in the audience, but Blaine was nothing if not a performer. Once again, the only free seat had been beside Kurt and it saddened him that, even here amongst the misfits, Kurt was considered an outsider.

When Kurt was approached (okay, lifted off the ground like he weighed nothing) by another Dom while Blaine was making his peace offering, he had immediately backed off. Cooper had always told him not to mess with another Doms sub and, for all his faults, his brother was a gentleman. His acting advice might be weird but he had never led Blaine wrong in other areas of life. The fact that the other Dom had practically draped himself over Kurt when he noticed Blaine standing there and how he followed Kurt around sealed it in Blaine's mind. Whether they were just casually dating or were still in the courtship phase of soulmate bonding, he wasn't going to push his luck.

But once he found out that Sam was actually with Mercedes, his world flipped and suddenly the option to become friends with the lonely boy he wanted so badly to be close with was there. Thankfully, Kurt had agreed to give him a second chance and the two had become tentative friends. Kurt was still leery of opening up to people and Blaine didn't want to push him like he had before. Over their various coffee dates, Blaine noticed how little Kurt spoke about his own life, preferring to coax Blaine into talking about his own instead, though Blaine didn't call him on it. However, once he heard about the bullies, more and more pieces of the puzzle slotted into place.

That was why Sam was always with Kurt and why most of the hateful looks had stopped with the blonde had showed up. He knew there was still more to the story but no matter how many times he asked, Kurt refused to tell him more. Until three days after their dinner at Breadstix (and Blaine was just hoping that the awkward tension in the air was all in his head) when he saw for himself.

He was heading to his locker after lunch, humming mindlessly as he dug through his bag, when he heard a loud BANG followed by a gasp of pain. His head flew up and he spotted Kurt at the end of the hall, surrounded by a pack of Doms. Kurt was pressed against the locker as they taunted him, their words disappearing behind the roaring in his ears as he hurried over and shoved one of the guys in the outer ring out of his way.

Taken by surprise, they all moved easily until he was standing in front of Kurt, arms spread out over the other boy. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?" he yelled, glaring at them.

"Just putting this little sub in his place," a big black guy sneered. "Walkin' around like he's better than us when he's not fit to lick my shoe."

Blaine's fist curled into a fist, but he held himself back. "He's a human, just like you. Better than you, actually, because at least he doesn't have to bully people to make himself feel better about his life. Yours must be pretty pathetic if you go around picking on people smaller than you."

The boys' face twisted in anger as he grabbed Blaine by his shirt, his fist raised and poised to strike. "How about I start with you, you little prick?"

"HEY, HEY, BREAK IT UP, BOYS!"

Coach Sylvester was there, shoving the Doms out of the way until she reached Blaine. "Get to class, all of you," she barked. Once the group had dissipated, she turned back to them. "Well, Porcelain, looks like you found yourself a pocket protector, huh?" she said, eyeing Blaine, still in a protective stance in front of Kurt.

"Um, Coach, this is-"

"Don't care, get to class." She shooed them along before moving down the hallway, glaring at anyone who dared get in her way.

Blaine looked at Kurt, who, to his surprise, was glaring at him. "I don't need your help."

"I know you don't, but I've been looking for an excuse to fight them," Blaine lied easily. "They're outfits are pretty atrocious."

Ah, there it was, the rare real smile. "I would say that's not a good enough reason to fight people, but I would be lying."

"Come on, walk me to class so I don't get beat up, will you?"

Kurt laughed and damn it if that wasn't the cutest thing Blaine had ever heard. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

888

After that, they started spending more time with each other, even after they won the duet competition. Getting coffee together became a near daily activity and as the days shortened and the weather grew cooler, Blaine watched Kurt unfurl like a flower in the spring. Where he once held himself tightly inside, he now spoke animatedly about his childhood. Stories fell from his lips like a waterfall, pooling in Blaine's chest as he built a picture of little Kurt in his head.

And then, one particularly cold day in early November, he told Blaine about the accident that had taken his mother's life.

"I was eight at the time and I was so excited because I had just gotten some new shoes for my birthday." The noise in the Lima Bean seemed to fade into the background as Kurt stared at his cup, nervously spinning it around on the tabletop. "I remember we needed milk, flour, and peanut butter from the grocery store so that we could make my dad's favorite cookies to take up to the shop and surprise him with. My mom let me sit in the front seat for the first time and I felt like such a big boy for being allowed to, even if it was only three miles down the road and back." Kurt paused, swallowing thickly. "I remember being irritated because I wanted her to look at my shoes but she wouldn't. I-I never got to say goodbye to her or tell her I loved her one last time and I've always regretted it." He swiped angrily at his eyes and drew a heaving breath.

"What happened?" Blaine coaxed gently when it didn't appear Kurt was going to continue.

"Woman had a seizure behind the wheel. She wasn't even supposed to be driving because of how frequent she had them. Walked away with a few scratches. I was unconscious for twelve hours and I blacked out most of what happened just before impact, but I've gotten a few memories back, like how she threw her arm out to steady me."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry," Blaine began, but Kurt shook his head.

"No, it's fine, I just get a little sad when I think about it. I never wore those shoes again, though, and those cookies stopped being my dad's favorite."

Blaine took one of his hands and squeezed before tactfully changing the subject.

888

Once he and Blaine had started becoming closer, Kurt found himself trying to get Sam to be more friendly towards the other boy. He was still ridiculously protective of Kurt, but once he saw that Blaine's intentions were pure, he stopped glaring as much. And once he found out that Blaine was an avid superhero fan, the two bonded quickly. Before long they were playing video games and hanging out almost as much as they did with Kurt, though the three rarely hung out all at once.

November brought with it biting cold and looming Sectionals and, unsurprisingly, the end of Sam and Mercedes courtship phase.

As was tradition, once two people found out they had each others soulmarks, they began a period of courtship, which usually lasted one to three months, after which they exchanged rings. The courtship period allowed the two people to become more familiar with each other and decide if they wanted to be together. Just because two people were soulmates didn't mean they should have been together and some couples would part ways. Some people would chose for their ring moment to be a small, private moment, and the others preferred a big flashy ceremony. The couple could do it however they wanted, but in the end, the Dom would have the subs silver ring on their right hand and the sub would have the Doms black ring on their left hand.

Sam and Mercedes chose to have theirs in a somewhat small ceremony with both of their families and the glee club in attendance. They sang two each other, then sang together, before exchanging their rings. They were still too young to go through the bonding ceremony, but Mercedes would be moving in with Sam and his parents.

After the ceremony, they had a reception and everyone ate and sang and danced. It was during one slow dance that Kurt leaned further into Blaine's embrace and murmured, "We've been friends for awhile now, right?"

He could feel Blaine's nod against his cheek. "Yeah, I would like to think that we are, why?"

Kurt pulled back. "My dad wants to meet you."