Riley and I spent Friday night and Saturday together like we had originally planned for her birthday.  I don't think it was really what either of us was expecting, we had a lot of mending to do after Friday, but I could tell that she loved it.

She found all the clothes that she and Kurt had gone searching for online after school Friday and if she found anything she liked in the store that wasn't preapproved she called Kurt before she bought it to make sure it would go with everything she was getting.  I swear I spent half the day just waiting for Riley and Kurt to stop gushing over a photo she would send him or an idea for an outfit she would get and have to call to ask him about it.  But I loved them both and if they were getting along I was in no position to complain.

After the mall she and I went to go see a movie and grab some ice cream.  All in all it was a perfect day for us both, but by the end I was completely exhausted.

"Kurt, I don't know how you can do that all the time.  I'm tired and my feet hurt and I just want to curl into a ball and go to sleep."  It was late Saturday night and Riley was at home showing Rachel everything she had bought.  After about two minutes of the girls pining over the first shirt Riley showed Rachel, Riley said I could go back and hang out with Kurt for the night.   

Kurt laughed and walked over behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and laying his chin on my shoulder.

"It's a gift."  I turned around and kissed him lightly.

"You're a gift."  He rolled his eyes at my cheesy comment.  "I'm completely serious, Kurt.  These past couple of days you have been an angel.  First, you made the most delicious dinner for Riley at her party, and then you stood up for her yesterday against Karofsky.  And you didn't even get insulted when she was yelling at me about how you and I spend too much time together."

"Well, it's like she said, I care about her.  Riley is a great person who has gone through more things than most people couldn't dream about going through.  She needs someone to just show her that people can care.  You do an amazing job of that, Blaine.  You and Riley have this connection that I will never understand, but you are part of those memories that she tries so hard to forget."

"So you think I need to back off her?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all.  Come here."  Kurt took my hand and pulled me over to the bed, "It's like right after my mom died I could barely look at my dad because he reminded me of her so much.  That didn't mean I needed him any less, it was just harder to be around him."  Kurt put his hand under my chin and lifted my head so our eyes could meet, "Riley loves you, Blaine.  You mean everything to her, you are all that she has and that thought terrifies me because what if you're not around one time when she just really needs someone.  Finn and I talked about this while you spent your nights at the hospital with her right after everything happened and we both agreed that we were going to do whatever to takes to make sure Riley had friends and people in her life that she could trust to help her.  That's why he has been so overwhelmingly supportive with her, and that's why I am so glad that she has opened up to us both."

Kurt moved so he was leaning on his headboard and then pulled me into his lap.  We sat there for a while in silence while I rested my head on his chest and he played with my hands. 

"Kurt?"  My voice was quiet and I tried to cover up the sadness that clearly rang through.

"Ya?"

"Do you think I'm a bad brother?" I grabbed Kurt's hand so I was holding it tightly, "And don't just disagree because you are you.  Just seriously think about it.  I have lived with this hope that one day my mom was going to get away from my dad and everything and that is what has gotten me through the past year, besides you and Riley of course.  And then just yesterday I find out that Riley didn't even have that glimmer of hope, you know?  Like she has been living in this dark cruel world where her only escape was me and then I went and transferred to Dalton and I was gone more because the commute everyday was like an hour.  And then today when I saw that football player bullying her I couldn't even rough up enough courage to go and stand up for you, you had to do that."  I let the tears fall from my face and onto Kurt's shirt.

"Do you hear what you just said?"

"Ya! That my sister's life has been hell and I didn't even notice."

"No, that you were her only escape."  I sat up so Kurt could lay down and he pulled me down with him so our faces were inches apart.  "You and Riley have been through so much and all you had for a lot of it was each other.  Riley will not ever see you as a bad older brother; she will see you as someone who has always been there for her.  In her head, and in everyone else's for that matter, you are not the cause of anything, your dad is.  You just happened to set him off and that's something that you cannot control.  Anybody watching you two interact could see how much you love Riley I don't think anyone would ever say otherwise.  The only person who I need to convince of that is you."   He closed the gap between us and gave me a quick kiss.

"Thank you, Kurt.  Sometimes I wonder how I got so incredibly lucky to have someone like you."

"Believe me.  I'm the lucky one."

Kurt and I lay there just staring into each other's eyes until I could feel sleep begin to take over and I drifted away.

The next morning I rolled over groggily before pulling the comforter up to chin to protect against the cold.  My entire body filled with the smell of Kurt which was weird because the blankets on the couch had never smelled of him before.  Come to think of it, we don't have a comforter on the couch, only quilts.  Instantly my eyes pop open and all I can see is Kurt sleeping under a lump of comforter as well.  He looked like an angel, well, if I'm being honest he really didn't; he was curled in a ball with a leg hanging out the bottom of the covers and his mouth was hanging wide open, but to me he was an angel. 

I pushed passed my confusion as to why Burt didn't force me to move to the couch last night and decided to just enjoy the fact that I just woke up next to the person I love.  I reached out and wrapped Kurt in my arms and pulled him as close to me as possible.

He stirred as I pulled him but then turned around in my arms to look at me.

"Hey you."  He had a groggy smile on his face and his words were a little slurred.  "My dad came in after you fell asleep last night and decided it would be too much to move you.  Besides, you've had a hard long week."

"Oh, well I'll be sure to thank him later."  I gave him a light kiss.  "You should go back to sleep.  It's pretty early."

"No.  I want to enjoy waking up with you next to me."  Kurt looked down and stared to play with my shirt.  I instantly recognized the look in his eyes.

"There was more to that statement?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kurt, I know you too well.  What's on your mind?"

"Nothing.  I promise."

"Fine, then can I say something?"

"Of course."  Kurt looked up from his hands and straight into my eyes.  I was taken aback for a second as I let my eyes sink into his deep blue ones. 

"I love you."  Kurt opened his mouth like he was going to say something but I stopped his before he could start. "Please, let me finish.  I have had love ripped away from me time and time again.  My parents used to tell me they love me, and then they would turn around and yell at me.  My grandparents stopped coming around when I was very little because my dad chased them away.  All of my friends' parents wouldn't allow them to come over anymore once they found out how much my dad drank.  Obviously I love Riley, but she's my sister and she's the only person that I have been able to trust.  I never believed in love.  I always thought that if God decided put me in such a terrible home there is no way he had a plan for me to fall in love, that he wanted me to wonder through life lonely.  And then one day I was going to meet some friends from Dalton downtown and I missed my bus and who should walk up but you.  And you complimented me on my outfit and I was instantly intrigued.  It wasn't love at first sight by any means.  It took me a long time to figure it out because love isn't easy, especially for me.  It is hard, it takes a lot of work, and it brings you down sometimes.  Sometimes I don't want to love you because I feel like I don't deserve you and you just settle for someone who is so broken.  But at the end of the day I need you.  You and Riley have become my solid rocks in life and I don't know what I would ever do without you.  I love you with all of my heart and I never want to stop loving you.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kurt.  And I just hope that I can be enough for you and that one day you will want that too."

Kurt had tears filling his eyes and a smile spread across his face.  I had never seen him so genuinely happy and knowing that I was the cause of it made my heart smile.

"Blaine Michael Anderson, you stole the words right out of my mouth; I was just too afraid to say them because I didn't know if you wanted me for forever too.  I love you; now and forever, with all of my heart.  It gives me butterflies when I hear you talk about your feelings for me, and when you kiss me, and when you hold my hand, and especially when you look into my eyes and I can just tell that you are seeing me for who I am.  I want to be yours forever.  I want to wake up every morning just like this, in your arms, and I never want to see you hurt again."  Kurt kissed me and I lost myself in the moment.

The second Riley, Kurt, Finn, Rachel, and I walked into school on Monday I could just tell that something about today wasn't going to be right, there was just this weird feeling in the air.  I had the perfect weekend.  I got to spend a day with my sister and then I got to spend a day with the guy I love, and now that perfect weekend was over. 

Just between second and third period I saw Karofsky corner my sister again but this time I wasn't going to stand idly by and watch it happen.  This time I marched up right next to her and took her hand.

"Oh, finally decided to stand up for your sister, Anderson?  Well guess what, you're never going to be a man.  I was just telling your sister here how much your daddy must have loved you guys to let you live as charity."

"You better watch yourself Karofsky."  I was actually kind of proud of how intimidating my voice sounded, despite my legs practically giving out in fear.  It obviously had no effect on him.

"Ya, well don't worry about me, I don't talk to fags like you or bruised up, broken, ugly girls like your sister here."

I could feel my hand clench and I had to drop Riley's so I didn't hurt her.

"You know what Karofsky?"  I looked down at my sister shocked as she took a step toward him getting closer than I was comfortable with.  "You are so lucky that I have had a shitty passed, you know why?  Because everything that I have gone through in this god forsaken world has made me so much stronger; now when I come across assholes like you I don't let your words scare me."  I couldn't believe that Riley was standing here saying this to him.  "You talk down upon people and you should probably be told that your words don't go unnoticed.  Yes, my dad beat me and my brother.  Yes, my mom never loved us.  Yes, I am living off money that the government forces my parents to send every month, but at least when I go to bed at night I know that I never hurt anybody like they have hurt me.  I see the coward that you are.  You hide behind your words.  But I think it's time you learned a little lesson; your words may not have any effect on me and my life, but one day you are going to say something to somebody and it is going to change their life for forever.  People like you are the reason that the teen suicide rate is so high.  Next time you go spitting off your big-ass ugly mouth, maybe you should think about what you want to say first, because you never know when your words are going to be the last thing someone hears."

I stood there completely jaw dropped while Karofsky scoffed and walked away.

Looking up I realized that the entire glee club and some other students had stood by and watched the whole thing go down.  Kurt came up and pulled Riley into a hug and kissed her cheek.  Everyone else gave nods of approval or quiet quick claps for her.  As cheesy as the crowd's reaction was Riley started laughing and turned around to hug me.

I had never been more proud.

Once school was over I was thoroughly excited to go to glee rehearsal because Mr. Shue had announced that we were going to start working on numbers for our next performance.

"All right guys, this Friday night is our annual Parents' Night.  For our new members who don't know what that is it is a night when all of the glee members invite their parents to the school and we put on a big show for them.  Each member will perform one song for their parents and at the end we will do a big group number.  So everybody start listing off their song ideas."

I felt the blood drain from my face.