August had come and gone and September was nearing its end, while Kurt and Blaine became accustomed to the upperclassmen and their new tormentors, having been dumpster-tossed a total of twelve times and locker-slammed sixteen. They both found new routes to classes, shortcuts and long ways around the main bullies –but some day, they find themselves running late, or they’re found on their different paths and they can’t avoid the abuse, so they have to bear whatever comes their way. These days, they hardly ever get a warning that they’re coming; it’s usually just a sly grin, and the cold eyes of older, larger boys heading their way.

Despite the bullying, they came to generally enjoy high school. The classes weren’t a complete waste of time, and they got to each lunch ever day together, and once the weather cooled off they could sit outside most of the time and have a little slice of their school day to spend with just each other.

Kurt had decided to suffer Rachel Berry and her gold star attitude and join Glee Club after he’d seen a sign-up sheet on the school bulletin board. He’d been trying to get Blaine to join too, but he got shy and changed the subject whenever Kurt brought it up, forcing him to give up the crusade.

Though, after a particularly bad incident on the bus that had ended with Blaine’s favourite book torn to pieces, he refused to ride it and started sitting in on Glee rehearsals so he could ride home with Kurt, which only caught Rachel’s attention and since she caught his scent, she wouldn’t stop bothering Blaine about joining.

The first time she’d asked him, Blaine was left with an eerie feeling that Kurt would be right about her.

A small brunette girl marched up to him the day after his third sit in. She started walking next to him.

“I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Rachel Berry, unofficial captain of Glee Club.”

“Uh, hi?” Blaine gulped.

“I already know you’re Blaine Anderson. As you’re aware, we need three more members before we can compete at Sectionals-“

Blaine stopped her short.

“Oh, Kurt’s already asked. I-I’m not really interested in joining.”

She didn’t look put out by his opposition- if anything, she looked more determined.

“It’s okay if you can’t sing; I could always use another person swaying in the background to make me look good.”

Blaine could tell that Kurt was going to be right.

“It’s not that. It’s just not something I’m interested in doing.”

Rachel look at him like he’d grown an extra head and continued on.

“Well, I think you would be a great addition, and you’re already there every day so it’s not like you have schedule conflicts! So just pick out an audition piece, and I’ll see you in Glee! Bye!”

He watched as she walked away –ignoring his half-hearted protests- down another hallway, just as the bell rang.

Today was one of the days that Rachel wouldn’t take one no for an answer.

It had been raining all day so Kurt and Blaine were forced to sit in the very back of the cafeteria by themselves. They’d just gotten up to throw their trash away, talking about what their plans for the weekend were when Rachel appeared out of nowhere, shoving her way in between them.

“Hi, Kurt –Oh, hello Blaine.”

They answered at the same time in a barely concealed monotone.

“Hello, Rachel.”

“So, Kurt, I was just about to ask Blaine whether he’s though more about joining Glee –we only need two more members now…”

They shot each other looks over Rachel’s head as she went on, all the way to the trashcans, about Blaine joining. Blaine was about to give her a resounding no, when it suddenly felt like they’d run into a wall of ice.

Which oddly tasted like Cherry.

The three of them stood in shock for a moment before wiping their faces as best they could, and looking at the three lettermen jackets walking away from them with slushy cups in their hands. Blaine recognized the blonde jock, who’d taken to slamming into lockers when he looked back directly at Blaine and sneered and gave him a pointed look that was surely a warning. Blaine could feel his eyes watering and was about to reach out for Kurt when Rachel turned to stand in front of them.

“I know where we can get cleaned up.”

She started walking away and Kurt looked at Blaine with a ‘we might as well follow her’ look. They quickly caught up to her. She licked around her lips, a displeased look on her face.

“They could at least have chosen a better flavor. Cherry is too sweet.”

Kurt looked at her incredulously.

“This has happened to you before?”

She looked from him to Blaine.

“Yes. Don’t tell me this is your first time being slushied?”

Blaine nodded his head.

“Lucky for you this isn’t my first.”

They approached the closest girl’s restroom, and Rachel started pushing the door open when a small stream of smoke came through and she quickly closed it.

“Let’s use a different one.”

She started walking down the hallway again, leaving Kurt and Blaine to catch up.

“What’s wrong with that one?”

Blaine really wanted to get the slushy out of his hair.

“Skanks.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow at her.

“Excuse me?”

“The Skanks. They’re a group of juvenile delinquent girls who terrorize anyone in their path.”

Blaine made a slightly stricken look at Kurt who returned it. More people to look out for, just what they need.

“Oh.”

They made their way to a deserted girl’s bathroom on the second floor and Rachel started pulling a small towel out of her shoulder bag.

Ten minutes later all three had damp but slushy free hair, and Rachel was helping them finish cleaning off what had gotten on their clothes, paying particular attention to Kurt’s jacket –designer jacket, he reminded them. When they departed for class, Kurt and Blaine agreed that Rachel might be a drama queen but she wasn’t all that bad.

“I think I can accept that she’s just a very intense person.”

Kurt laughed.

“That’s one way to put it, but yes, I think there might be more to her than a diva attitude.”

Blaine eventually decided to join Glee, not that he let Kurt or Rachel know.

00

The rest of the day went by without incident.

Kurt and Blaine were standing out by the pillars after Glee when Kurt realized he’d forgotten one of his books.

“Crap, I actually need that book too. Will you come with me?”

“Yeah, of course.”

As they walked through the emptying halls towards Kurt’s locker, Blaine made sure they were alone before grabbing Kurt’s hand, walking close enough that their shoulders touched. He only let go when they arrived at Kurt’s locker, and he leaned back against them, watching as Kurt opened and went through it.

He heard people turn down the hallway and looked up out of habit, his eyes widening when he saw the blonde jock from earlier and a few of his friends heading their way.

“Kurt.”

Kurt –who hadn’t noticed the other boys or the way Blaine tensed up next to him- replied in a lilting tone.

“Blaine.”

Blaine reached up to grab Kurt’s arm as he put his found book into his messenger bag to drag him away, but the older boys were already too close and Blaine braced himself for a body slam that never came.

He looked up just as they were walking by, but the usual attention he got wasn’t there; instead, the blonde focused on Kurt, looking him up and down with a poorly concealed leer just as Kurt was closing his locker door.

“Faggot.”

Time seemed to slow as he watched Kurt stiffen at the name, giving no other indication that he either heard or cared.

Blaine, however, cared.

He felt a surge of rage at the word –maybe because it reminded him of his father or maybe because it was directed at Kurt. He didn’t really take the time to think about it.

Before he realized what he was doing, Blaine had dropped his bag on the floor and ran after the boy, grabbing his arm and swinging him around, bringing up his fist to meet the boy’s face with as much force as he could muster. The boy stumbled backwards, having been caught off guard, and Blaine just stared, stunned at what he’d just done.

He felt hands grab at the back of his shirt and pull him down the hallway and away from the other boys. Once around the corner, Blaine came out of his shock and realized it was Kurt who had dragged him away and saved him, no doubt, from retaliation.

They ran to the far side of the school, well away from Kurt’s locker. He led them into the girl’s bathroom that Rachel had directed them away from earlier that afternoon, where they hid themselves in the handicapped stall.

Kurt sat on the top part of the toilet, resting his feet on the lid, as he watched Blaine pace back and forth, shaking out his hand. He’d never seen Blaine angry before, only sad and happy and somewhere in between but never this. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t even a little bit scared.

“Blaine, what the hell were you thinking?”

Blaine stopped pacing for a moment and looked up from his aching hand, glad to find that Kurt didn’t look angry. Perhaps concerned and confused, but not angry which, he thought, was probably the best outcome he could hope for.

“I wasn’t.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes and turning to slump face-first against the wall. “I’m just so tired of putting up with that guy. I’m not strong like you are, Kurt.”

Kurt stood and walked up behind Blaine where he had stopped pacing. He laid a firm but gentle hand on Blaine’s shoulder and turned him around; frowning slightly at Blaine’s closed eyes. Kurt cupped Blaine’s face between his palms.

“Open your eyes?”

Kurt waited until the honey of Blaine’s irises met his blue.

“Blaine, you are strong. You may not think so, but I know so.”

Kurt removed his hands from Blaine’s face and Blaine was about to pull them back when Kurt pulled him into a tight hug that he readily returned. Kurt rubbed his back, only letting go when Blaine relaxed against him.

“We should go. Mom’s probably been waiting for a while.”

Blaine nodded in agreement and grabbed their bags from where Kurt had dumped them, shouldering both and taking Kurt’s hand, letting himself be led through the school, both being careful not to encounter anymore students.

When they walked through the doors, they dropped each other’s hands and headed straight for Elizabeth’s van, one of the few left waiting. They clambered in, putting their backpacks on the far side of the middle bench seat, taking their seats right next to each other.

“What took you boys so long?”

“Oh, I just forgot a book in my locker.”

Kurt put his hand over Blaine’s bruised one, gently rubbing it and smiled.

00

They stayed up later than usual that night; neither could sleep, and Blaine’s parents had returned home a day earlier than expected, so he didn’t get to spend time with Kurt after school like they normally did to relax and unwind. It was close to midnight now and their parents were all asleep, but they sat awake, next to each other under Kurt’s window, wearing their pajamas and sharing a blanket.

Blaine had his head on Kurt’s shoulder, Kurt resting his atop Blaine’s.

“Are you excited for the carnival this weekend?”

Kurt could feel the excited thrum that went through Blaine’s body.

“Yeah! I’ve never gotten to go before because of school.”

“I think you’ll have fun. My favourite part’s the Ferris wheel.”

“See? I’ve never even been on a Ferris wheel before.”

Kurt lifted his head, looking down at Blaine’s.

“What!? I’m going to take you on every single ride they have.”

Blaine laughed.

“Okay.”

Kurt smiled, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been on a Ferris wheel before.”

“I’ve never been to a carnival either.”

“Crazy.” Kurt tsked at him.

Only for you, Blaine thought.

“Your parents are going to be gone again, right?”

“I think so.”

Kurt laid his head back on Blaine’s.

“Good. I don’t want to give up our sleepover.”

Blaine grinned widely.

“Neither do I.”

Kurt loved whenever he got to sleep next to Blaine. It was never awkward in the mornings anymore; they usually stayed in bed as long as they could, long after they’d woken up. Most of the time they didn’t talk, they just enjoyed the other’s warm presence.

“Thank you, by the way. I don’t think I told you at school.”

Blaine lifted his head from Kurt’s shoulder so he could look at him.

“What for?”

Kurt weakly smiled and cast his eyes downward, his eyes pooling with tears.

“Nobody’s ever stood up for me before.”

Blaine tugged Kurt into his lap and held him.

“You’re my best friend, Kurt. I would do anything for you.”

Kurt squirmed around a little until he could wrap his arms comfortably around Blaine’s waist.

Kurt mumbled into Blaine’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to go inside.”

“We could stay out here, but I don’t think either of us would appreciate waking up cold and sore.”

“Yeah, and I don’t think your parents would appreciate finding me in your bed.”

Blaine snorted.

“Yeah, probably not…I could probably get away with tucking you in though.”

“Would you?”

“Of course.”

Both boys stood up and quietly crawled through Kurt’s window, walking to his bed. Kurt curled up under his comforter and look up at Blaine with wide, innocent eyes.

“I feel like you should be reading me a story.”

“Ha ha –only in your dreams, Hummel.”

Kurt mumbled something that sounded a lot like that’s not what we do in my dreams but Blaine didn’t say anything if he heard.

Blaine pulled the comforter further up Kurt and ran a hand through his hair, making Kurt close his eyes and make a content humming noise.

“Goodnight, Kurt.”

Kurt opened his eyes, watching as Blaine walked towards his window. He didn’t want Blaine to leave, he wanted to hold him and wake up next to him and feel his warmth when he woke up in the middle of the night.

“Stay?”

Blaine stopped in front of the open window.

He looked over his shoulder at Kurt, where he was curled in the middle of his bed, his hair messy and wearing one of Blaine’s shirts. He knew he shouldn’t but he also knew he could get away with it. His parent’s never checked on him in the mornings, and they knew Elizabeth drove him to school every day –he could easily make up an excuse.

He closed the window and walked back over to Kurt’s bed, climbing under the comforter and moving until his back was against Kurt’s chest.

Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine’s waist, grabbing the hand Blaine had put against his chest. He leaned up and quickly kissed Blaine’s temple; he was sure Blaine could feel his heart beating rapidly as he lay back down.

“Goodnight, Blaine.”

Blaine swore he could feel Kurt’s heart beating in time with his own as he drifted off.