Blaine agreed to see a therapist much more easily than Kurt expected. He thought he'd have to persuade him, but Blaine, although still a little nervous, seemed determined to get the help he needed.

"I want to do this," he'd said firmly. "I want to be able to move on and I don't want to have another panic attack."

Kurt had reached out to brush his thumb over his boyfriend's jaw soothingly, withdrawing quickly at the sound of footsteps before he remembered that their relationship was no longer a secret. Feeling a thrill at the thought, he'd raised his hand to Blaine's face again, cupping his jaw and smoothing his thumb along his cheekbone. Blaine tensed, until he too remembered, and then he relaxed and leaned into Kurt's touch, eyes closed in a way that had Kurt smiling fondly.

"Carole knows a therapist, and she says she's very good and has experience with similar situations to yours, so you'll be in good hands," Kurt had told him.

Blaine had nodded and nuzzled into the palm of Kurt's hand. "I trust you," he'd murmured. "All of you."

Kurt had frozen and stared down at his boyfriend. "Even- Even my dad?" he asked hopefully.

Blaine had taken a moment to answer and Kurt felt the hopeful bubble inside of him shrink a little; it hadn't been that long ago Blaine had admitted to still being wary around Burt.

Blaine opened his eyes and looked up at him. "I do - or at least, I'm almost there." He'd smiled softly when Kurt reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm glad," Kurt had said in a voice full of emotion. He bent down to kiss Blaine. "And I know my dad will be pleased as well."

Blaine's smile had widened and he'd reached up to cup the back of Kurt's head, sliding his fingers into the soft hair there, to pull him down for another kiss, this one deeper and lingering. The hopeful bubble inside of Kurt had swelled with happiness.

Now there was just the actual meeting with the therapist for Kurt to worry about.

He was sitting in the living room with a copy of Vogue spread open on his lap while Blaine and Finn played some war-themed video game. Normally he would immediately vacate the room when Finn reached for the console, but when Finn had - only slightly hesitantly - asked Blaine if he wanted to play with him, Kurt had decided to stay. Even though Finn had been nothing but friendly towards Blaine since the pair had talked on Christmas Eve, and despite Blaine assuring Kurt that he held no anxiety or resentment towards Finn, Kurt still wanted to make sure things remained that way, especially after Blaine's panic attack.

A slew of bangs issued from the TV along with shouts from both Finn and Blaine. Kurt pretended to be engrossed in his magazine, but instead watched Blaine as he mashed buttons on his controller and scrunched up his face adorably at the screen.

"Watch that dude to your right!" Finn shouted suddenly. "Don't-" He broke off to stare intently at the screen as he frantically pressed buttons.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Finn's groan of despair and looked away to check the clock on the mantelpiece - Carole would be home soon. He absently scanned an article in his magazine as he listened to Blaine and Finn complain about characters in their game.

Carole had promised to talk to the therapist she knew about Blaine today to see if she was able to meet with him. He wanted Blaine to see one as soon as possible, preferably before the new semester was due to start. For Blaine to fulfil his wish of returning to school and graduating, he'd need to start attending classes as soon as possible.

The sound of a car engine had Kurt's gaze shooting up from his magazine, only for him to lower it again when he saw it was only one of the neighbours. Flicking a couple of pages, he smiled as he watched Blaine's tongue peep out of the corner of his mouth in his concentration. A curl fell over his eyes and Kurt eyed his boyfriend's hair critically, making a mental note to get him a cut; it was far too long.

He was still watching Blaine when he heard the sound of a car and spotted Carole pulling into the driveway. Tossing his magazine aside, he jumped to his feet.

Blaine and Finn both looked round at the sudden movement.

"Dude, are you still here?" Finn exclaimed in surprise.

Ignoring him, Kurt stared out the living room window as Carole got out of the car. Blaine followed his gaze and seemed to understand immediately, joining Kurt in his silent, anxious wait for news.

Finn glanced between them, clearly having forgotten all about it. "What are you-?" He fell silent when Carole walked past the window on her way to the front door and Blaine shuffled closer to Kurt. He took in their tense faces and the way Kurt laced his fingers with Blaine's. "Oh."

The three of them stood staring in silence at the living room doorway as they heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by footsteps in the hall.

"Boys?" she called out.

Finn announced their location and Kurt gripped Blaine's hand tighter when Carole drew closer. She smiled when she greeted them, but that didn't relax Kurt any - Carole always smiled.

Thankfully, she cut right to the chase.

"I spoke with the therapist I told you about today," she informed them as she set her bag down on the floor. Blaine nodded and Kurt inhaled shakily. Finn awkwardly cleared his throat and turned away to switch off his game console. "I explained everything that I know, Blaine," Carole continued, "and she said she'll be able to start seeing you straight away."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kurt loosened his death-grip on Blaine's hand. He smiled gratefully at Carole before glancing to his boyfriend. He must have been masking it earlier as he played video games with Finn, because now it was clear that Blaine wanted to see a professional just as badly as Kurt wanted him to.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hummel," Blaine said sincerely.

Carole reached out and patted his arm. "You're welcome, dear - and call me Carole." She bent and picked up her bag. "I'll be able to take you tomorrow, if that's ok?" she added.

Blaine nodded, and Carole smiled again before leaving the room.

Kurt turned to beam at his boyfriend. "This is great," he said, swinging their joined hands slightly. "If it goes well you might be able to start the new school term with me."

Blaine returned his smile, but Kurt caught the fleeting flash of nerves in his hazel eyes. "Yeah," Blaine agreed in a small voice, "that would be awesome."

Kurt stepped closer to him and kissed first his forehead and then his mouth. "You can do it," he whispered encouragingly. "I believe in you." He brushed another kiss across Blaine's cheek and Blaine squeezed his hand in response.

He repeated the encouragement. "I can do it."

Kurt grinned at him until Blaine's face fell as he was struck by a sudden thought.

"How are Burt and Carole paying for this? Therapists are expensive."

Kurt hesitated before replying; he had - rather childishly - hoped that Blaine wouldn't think about this as he knew his boyfriend wouldn't like to know how much his dad and Carole were paying for him to talk to someone who could help him.

"Well," Kurt began reluctantly, "Carole is friends with the therapist so she gets a discount because of that and because the therapist normally works with people in situations similar to yours she keeps her fees as low as possible to make her services affordable to as many people as possible."

Blaine sighed. "They're still paying a lot of money for me to see her."

An idea suddenly popped into Kurt's head, one so perfect that his mouth curved up into a wide smile and he almost started bouncing on the spot in his excitement.

"If it's money you're worried about, why not get a job and pay my dad and Carole some of it back?"

"Kurt, I can't get a job in my sit-"

Kurt shook his head at his boyfriend. "Not like a work-in-a-supermarket type job, but one where you play for tips." At Blaine's look of incomprehension, he elaborated, "You are incredible on the piano - you play beautifully, you're amazing at sight-reading, and you write your own music - so why not play the piano for tips somewhere? I've been in a couple of restaurants that have people who do that in them. With your level of talent you're bound to make a decent amount."

Blaine didn't look completely convinced. "I don't know, Kurt, would I really make that much? And there can't be that many restaurants around here looking for someone to play piano in them."

"There might be," Kurt said, shrugging. "We won't know until we look." He squeezed Blaine's hand. "Just think about it, ok? You don't have to worry about anything like that until you've been to see this therapist."  

Kurt kept a close eye on Blaine for the rest of the day, assuming his nerves would get worse the closer his meeting with the therapist got. Other than spending more time playing the piano, though, Blaine showed no signs of worry. Still, knowing that Blaine was good at hiding his true emotions left Kurt feeling anxious.

It was this that spurred him to suggest they watch a movie in his bedroom for the rest of the evening. He let the shorter boy pick out the movie - some superhero movie of Finn's - and they sat together on Kurt's bed against some propped-up pillows. Kurt paid very little attention to the film; he focused instead on carding his fingers slowly and soothingly through Blaine's hair. Blaine hummed appreciatively and, after a little while, he slid deeper into the pillows and let his head rest on Kurt's shoulder.

As the movie progressed and Blaine snuggled closer until his head was pillowed on Kurt's chest and his arm was looped around his waist, Kurt felt his eyelids grow heavy and a pleasant drowsiness settled over him from the warmth of Blaine's body, the lulling rhythm of his boyfriend's soft breathing, and the dim lighting. The hand threading through Blaine's hair slowed and after a few weak attempts to keep his eyes open, Kurt let them fall shut, his hand stilling completely as his head dipped forward, his cheek resting against Blaine's curls.

The sounds of the movie became fainter and the sound of Blaine's breathing seemed to increase as he drifted. He vaguely registered a soft, mumbling sound coming from Blaine as the other boy nuzzled against his chest, but before he could begin to process what this meant, sleep pulled him under.

Over breakfast the next morning Carole made an announcement that caused Kurt to drop his spoon in disbelief - she would be the one to accompany Blaine to his meeting and it was best if nobody else came.

"B- But you can't just expect me to stay here," Kurt stammered. "I have to go, too."

Carole smiled apologetically at him over the top of her coffee mug. "I'm afraid not. It's for the best."

"How?" Kurt demanded, starting to get angry. He shoved his cereal bowl away from him so he could rest his forearms on the table, leaning forward. "How is it better for Blaine if I stay here? I'm the one whose been helping him all this time! I'm the one closest to him!"

Under the table, Blaine placed a hand on his thigh and rubbed it in an attempt to calm him down.

Carole set her coffee aside. "And that's exactly why you shouldn't come. You can't always be the only one at his side. You can't be the only person he relies on and trusts," she explained calmly. She turned her attention to Blaine. "Blaine, you need to learn to open up to others. Not just Kurt."

Kurt looked sideways at his boyfriend to see his reaction to all of this. Blaine looked nervous and Kurt saw the movement of his throat as he swallowed before nodding.

"I- I'm sorry, Kurt, but I think Carole is right. I can't keep running to you all the time; I know it's affecting you more than you're letting on."

Kurt sighed as he let his hands slide off the table into his lap in resignation. He could see Carole's point and he knew it was all for the best, but he still wished he could be there for him. He could feel the sulky pout on his face as he finished breakfast in a moody silence, but he tried to wipe it away as he stood by the front door with Blaine as he got ready to leave.

"I think you're more worried about this than I am," Blaine observed, letting Kurt knot his scarf around his neck.

Kurt smoothed the shoulders of Blaine's coat. "Just don't worry too much when you get there, ok?" He kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. "You can do this. I believe in you."

Blaine moved in closer for a kiss and Kurt cupped his cheek, his other hand sliding up Blaine's back and holding him close. Blaine deepened the kiss and leaned into Kurt's hand.

"I love you," Kurt murmured when they parted.

As footsteps approached, Blaine darted forwards and kissed Kurt deeply again. "Don't worry about me too much," he said quietly when Carole reached them.

"If you're ready, we'd better be going," she said, taking out her car keys and pulling open the front door to a blast of cold air. "See you when we get back," she added over her shoulder to Kurt as she headed outside to the car.

Kurt brushed back a few stray curls that had fallen over Blaine's face. "I'll be waiting to hear about it when you get back."

Blaine brushed a chaste kiss across Kurt's cheek. "I'll see you later." He smiled at Kurt one last time before stepping outside, pulling the door closed behind him.

Kurt stood in the hallway until the sound of Carole's car faded and then he moved through to the living room to sit on the couch with a clear view of the clock to wait. He didn't even attempt to try and distract himself; he just sat and stared unseeingly ahead, occasionally coming out of his trance long enough to glance at the clock or out the window. Blaine had told him not to worry, but he couldn't help himself - his imagination was running wild with all of the possibilities.

He shot another glance at the clock; Carole and Blaine had been gone for well over an hour now. Kurt didn't know what was worse: waiting here or sitting with Carole at the office. Both had their pros and cons, but at least if he was actually there he would be able to see Blaine the moment he stepped out of the room.

Unconsciously nibbling on a fingernail, Kurt thought of everything Blaine had shared with him and how hard it had been for him to talk about the first time round. He knew how easily Blaine closed himself off. Kurt drew his legs up to his chest, rested his chin on them, and fixed his gaze on the clock as he waited, and waited...

Another hour passed before the sound of an approaching vehicle made Kurt lift his head to look out the window. He shot to his feet when he spotted Carole's car.

Sprinting into the hallway, he waited anxiously for Blaine to walk through the front door. He rocked backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet as he listened to the sounds of the car pulling up in the driveway, Carole and Blaine stepping out, and then walking up to the front door. Kurt rocked himself forward again as the door opened.

Blaine smiled in greeting when he spotted Kurt. He made a beeline for him while Kurt checked for any visible signs of stress or anxiety. He found none.

"How did it go?" he asked, smoothing his hands across Blaine's shoulders and down his arms.

"Great," Blaine said with conviction. "I mean, I was scared at first, but she didn't pressure me and we moved at my pace..." Blaine met Kurt's eyes and captured the hand that was hovering near his waist with his own. "It really helped - talking to her about everything. She gave me advice on how to cope with things and she made me realise a lot."

Kurt squeezed his hand and felt the last of his tension and worry leave him. "That's so good to hear. I want you to get the help you need, Blaine. Are you going to see her again?"

Blaine nodded. "In a few days. I'll see her twice a week until I feel comfortable enough to reduce it down to weekly."

Kurt leant closer and kissed him. "I'm so proud of you for doing all of this," he whispered. "I know it can't be easy."

Blaine nuzzled his nose against Kurt's. "It isn't," he agreed. "But I really want to do this."

Kurt kissed him again - once, twice, three times - before saying, "Not wanting to sound like I'm trying to pressure you or anything, but do you think you'll be ready to attend school when classes start back up?"

"I'm going to try my hardest to make sure I will be," Blaine assured him.

Kurt smiled and pressed a trail of tender kisses from his cheekbone down to his lips. "And I have every faith you can do it."

Blaine's therapist agreed he could return to school if he felt he was ready for it. He was actually looking forward to going back. Plus, it would be good to interact with people his own age other than Kurt, Finn, and Rachel. His sessions were doing more than just giving him the confidence to return to school; he had opened up more with Burt and Carole, and as a result, he no longer felt that he was imposing on their lives by staying with them. He no longer stuck to Kurt's side whenever Burt was in the room and was able to have a conversation with him without sweaty hands, a racing pulse, or a tremble in his voice.

His new acceptance of Burt gave Kurt's dad the chance to do something he'd probably wanted to do for a while: give Kurt and Blaine a set of dating rules to follow. They weren't allowed to be in either of their bedrooms with the door closed, they were to keep their behaviour appropriate at all times while in the house, and they were forbidden from sneaking into the other's bedroom at night. He'd said this last rule with a knowing look at the pair of them, as though he knew that they had shared a bed in the past.

Kurt had grumbled a bit about these restrictions when they were alone later, but Blaine had no complaints; it could have been a lot worse. At least he was still allowed to stay with them and be with Kurt.

Between his meetings with his therapist, preparing for his first day back at school, helping with chores around the house, and going on another date with Kurt - this time to see a movie - Blaine forgot all about Kurt's promise to tell his family about his bullying until the afternoon before the new term began. It was only when he remembered this that he realised he'd soon have his chance to do what he'd wanted to do since the first time he found out about Kurt's bullying - stand up for him.

"Kurt?" he began tentatively as he watched Kurt pick out an outfit for him to wear to school tomorrow.

Kurt hummed to show that he was listening as he held a shirt against a pair of jeans and eyed it critically.

"Are you- Have you thought about talking to your dad and Carole about the bullying?"

Kurt froze in the midst of hanging the shirt back up and Blaine fidgeted as he waited for his boyfriend to respond. A few seconds ticked by. Then Kurt hung the shirt up and slowly turned to face Blaine. He looked pale as he nibbled gently on his bottom lip. "I said I would tell them before school went back, didn't I?" He set the pair of jeans he was holding down on the bed next to where Blaine was sitting. Before Blaine could say anything, he spoke again.

"I should tell them today. I'm sick of hiding things from them - my dad especially." He sighed and joined Blaine on the bed, folding his legs under him as he sat down. He looked young.

"Hey." Blaine placed a hand under Kurt's chin and gently tipped the other boy's head up until he was looking at him. "I said I would be with you when you told them and I stand by that." He slid his hand up to cup Kurt's face.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered, turning his head and pressing a kiss into Blaine's palm.

Blaine heard the faint sound of an engine followed by the rumbling of the garage door opening - Burt was home. Kurt stiffened against him, before straightening up and setting his jaw determinedly. He clambered off the bed and Blaine stood with him, holding out his hand. Kurt took it with a grateful smile. Blaine laced their fingers together, giving Kurt's hand a squeeze, before leading the way out of his bedroom.

They followed the sound of Carole and Burt's voices to the kitchen. They both looked up when Kurt and Blaine entered the room, their conversation dying when they saw their expressions. Carole set down the knife she had been using to slice tomatoes, a look of concern immediately appearing on her face. "Is everything alright?"

Kurt swallowed and exchanged a quick look with Blaine, who smiled and gave his hand another reassuring squeeze.

"I have something to tell you both," Kurt announced, his hold on Blaine's hand tightening. "Something I should have told you a while ago."

Carole's concerned frown deepened, but Burt's expression held more of a wary curiosity. "What is it, bud?" he asked lightly.

"I-"

Blaine smoothed his thumb over Kurt's knuckles. He heard Kurt take a steadying breath.

"I- I'm still being bullied at school," he admitted quietly. "It- And it's gotten worse."

Burt's narrowed eyes widened and Carole looked horrified. She opened her mouth to say something, but Burt beat her to it.

"How much worse?" he asked coolly.

Kurt bit his lip. "Quite a bit. They shove me into lockers all the time now and on the last day before Christmas break they- they threw me into a dumpster and I got some pretty bad bruises."

"He had a long cut on his ribs, some smaller scrapes on his back, and lots of bruising," Blaine informed them, anger and pain filling him at the memory. "It was bad."

"Before Christmas," Burt repeated.

Nobody said anything to this and Blaine shifted nervously on the spot. "Who's ‘they'?" Burt asked.

"Mostly a group of football players - Karofsky and his friends," Kurt replied.

Burt nodded, his jaw clenching and his eyes hardening. "Karofsky was the one giving you a hard time before, wasn't he?"

It wasn't really a question, but Kurt nodded anyway.

"And he's still at it? Even after we talked to Figgins about it?" Burt's anger was building with each passing second and his hands had balled into fists at his side.

Kurt was watching his dad worriedly, his expression strained as he took a step closer to him. Blaine suddenly remembered something Kurt had told him back when he'd still been living in the attic - Burt had suffered a heart attack last year.

"Dad," Kurt said anxiously. "Please, calm down. Your heart..."

"I will not calm down, Kurt," Burt said loudly. "That school of yours knows its students are being harassed and nobody's doing a thing about it!"

Carole said something to him in low, soothing tones, obviously worrying about his health as well, but all it seemed to do was make Burt realise something else.

"Where was Finn when all of this was happening?" he demanded.

Blaine shifted his weight between his feet. The raised voices were making him want to flinch away.

"He stopped it happening when he saw it, but most of the time they only harassed me when I was alone or when they knew nobody around would help me," Kurt explained hastily. Burt's expression hardened and Kurt added, "Finn couldn't follow me around all day just in case they went for me and we don't share a lot of classes, so our paths don't cross much."

Burt nodded and adjusted the cap he was wearing. "I know, I know," he said in a less aggressive voice. "I'm just pissed off that everyone at that school lets you be treated that way." He sighed in frustration and there was a short moment of silence that had Blaine fidgeting and nibbling on the inside of his bottom lip, before Carole spoke.

"How about we go down to the school tomorrow to see the principal and demand that some action be taken to stop this?" she suggested mildly.

Burt nodded in agreement. "We'll do that, and we're not leaving until I'm fully convinced he'll do something about it and Kurt can be safe."

Carole patted Burt's shoulder and made a noise of approval. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes," she added over her shoulder to Kurt and Blaine as she turned back to the salad she was making.

Surprised that nobody pointed out that Kurt had kept it a secret, Blaine allowed Kurt to tug him from the room. He guessed it had been forgotten in the anger and shock of the news.

Kurt led him upstairs and back into his own bedroom, where several articles of clothing were still lying on the bed. Kurt took one look at them before tugging Blaine to the empty end and sitting down.

Neither of them said anything at first. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and Blaine slid an arm around his waist, holding him close.

"They took it a bit better than I thought they would," Kurt said quietly. "I mean, who knows what will happen tomorrow after they speak to Figgins. But at least I didn't have to talk about it too much." He sighed softly, his breath warming Blaine's neck. "That's the worst part: talking about it, reliving it all over again."

Blaine lifted a hand and ran his fingers through Kurt's hair, smoothing his thumb over Kurt's forehead. Kurt's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. "It is hard," he agreed softly. "But if you don't tell people everything that happened, nobody will realise how serious it is or be able to help you." He lightly kissed each of Kurt's closed eyelids. "You just have to be brave."

"I'll never be as brave as you," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's neck, his lips brushing the skin as he spoke. Just as Blaine was about to reply, Kurt added, "You don't have to worry about school tomorrow. You'll be fine and I'll be there with you." He paused as a small yawn escaped him, causing his nose to crinkle adorably. "Everyone will love you."

"Even if I wear that pink bowtie?" Blaine asked with a grin, his eyes on the clothes lying on the other end of the bed.

Kurt smiled and opened his eyes to look up at him. "Especially if you wear that pink bowtie - though it makes you look about twelve."

Blaine laughed and kissed the top of Kurt's head. Kurt was right - he shouldn't be worrying about tomorrow. He was more than ready to go back to classes again, and with Kurt there with him, what was there to be nervous about? A small voice piped up in his head, helpfully reminding him about Karofsky and the rest of the meatheads bullying Kurt. He set his jaw determinedly. If he ran into any of those homophobic jocks he wouldn't cower away like he had done in the past. He would stand his ground and make sure they never insulted or laid a hand on Kurt ever again.