When Kurt woke up the next morning, after letting Quinn cry herself to sleep - he really did hate her father almost as much as Puck did - it was to his best friends' little girl sat on his chest poking his face. Quinn was no where to be seen.

"You're lucky you're so cute." Kurt propped his knees up behind the wiggly child as she babbled happily at him, pointing at things that caught her attention around his room. The latest thing that held her attention, something she clearly needed to explain to him, was his glittery skull on the shelves opposite his bed. "D'you like that sweetie?"

"Pwedy."

"Not as pretty as you."

"Oh, I'd take that Beth, Uncle Kurt doesn't tend to think girls are pretty. You must be so lucky." Quinn leant against the doorframe in Kurt's bathrobe, messy wet pink hair surrounding her face, green eyes still puffy and bloodshot from last night.

"You okay?"

"No, when are we ever really okay?"

Kurt shifted himself and Beth over so Quinn could sit on the edge of the bed. "Fair point, how long is he in town for this time?"

"I don't know, he never says, just takes over the house because he claims that it's still his."

"Mama, 'ook." Beth demanded their attention by lifting her pyjama top up over her head and giggling.

"Wow, that's umm, baby why don't you put your top back down and play with your bear while mommy and Uncle Kurt get ready for school kay?"

Kurt climbed out of bed to head to the bathroom for a shower, grabbing his glitter-skull and placing it on the bed next to Beth to play with. Quinn was right; Beth did like pretty things. In fact by the time Kurt was done in the bathroom, she was still staring transfixed at the skull, occasionally running a hand over it in awe.

Quinn was already dressed, grey maxi skirt, combat boots and a dark graphic print vest, sitting at his vanity simultaneously doing her hair and keeping an eye on the baby. Picking out his new favourite jeans - black skinny ones with safety pins down the outside seams and a ratty Ramones top Kurt moved to stand behind her and help with her cropped hair. Running wax through hers to muss it up before ruffling his own and shoving one of many beanies (this time a sock style one) on top, careful to make sure the parts of his hair on show were perfectly messy while Q got Beth dressed.

"Can you do me a favour? I need to go home tonight to get some clothes and bits for both of us, and I want to remind mom not to fall for his crap again." Quinn lifted Beth into her arms as she faced the other skank. "Puck's got work and I can't take her with me. Can you pick her up from daycare after school and watch her for me?"

Kurt looked up from his mirror where he was changing the plugs in both ears, solid violet this time, and cleaning his newest addition of metal to his person (industrial on his left). "You know you don't have to ask me right? Am I still down to be allowed to get Beth if you or Puck can't?"

"Yeah. Okay, say bye-bye to Kurt Beth," Beth gave him a hyperactive wave which he winked at her for, "I will see you at school hot stuff." Quinn grabbed her school bag and Beth's baby one, stopping at his bedroom door before grinning slyly at him "Try not to stare at Bowtie's ass to hard today," before giggling to herself and running down to her car.

"I wasn't staring!"

"Dude! Kurt man, wait up!" Puck waved to him from where he was standing talking to Santana and Mike, saying a hasty goodbye to the other two before jogging over to where Kurt waited for in the middle of the school steps.

"Hey," Kurt rolled his eyes at the rough shoulder clap he got in greeting and carried on walking into the school with Puck. While people may have begun to realise at the end of Junior year that messing with Kurt may not be the brightest idea anymore, it didn't really click with the student population until last week when school picked back up after summer and he and Quinn walked through the halls, brightly coloured heads held high, piercings and tattoos on proud display - daring anyone to say something. Kurt loved it. He revelled in not being the weak little gay boy that every saw him as for the first two and half years of high school.

He may not take part in the odd terrorising of random younger students like Ronnie, The Mack and Sheila and occasionally Quinn liked to do to keep up the fear, but he did like the fear that he was associated with. Nobody, not even the more daring of the Jocks wanted to come near him for the simple thought of what might happen (at Kurt's hand or the combined force of The Skanks and Puck).

Glancing around the mohawked Jock leant in close to Kurt as the headed towards the latter's locker. "How was she last night?"

"Careful there Puck, someone might think you give a shit about the mother of your child."

"Shut up Kurt. Just tell me."

Sighing Kurt grabbed what he needed before shutting his locker door and leaning back against while Puck leant against the one next to his. "It wasn't pretty. Took a good few hours to calm her down if I'm honest...She also may have gotten pissed at Finn and confused him into thinking that me and her were fucking. So good luck with that."

"Finn was convinced he knocked her up in a freaking hot tub. Of course he thinks you're fucking his ex." Puck sniggered before rubbing his hand against his head in frustration. "I really fucking hate her dad, more than I hate mine man. He can talk shit about me all he wants; he's not allowed to do it to them." Pushing himself away from the lockers Puck shook his head frowning, "do me a favour and text me when she gets back to yours tonight? I'm gonna take her out maybe, let her scream at me or something so she doesn't do it near Beth. We both know she doesn't like her seeing her angry."

"I will, but seriously, are you two dating or just fucking because it really seems like you still love her Puck."

"She's Beth's mom dude, course I love her. It's just complicated."

"Whatever," reaching up to adjust the black bell-bar in his right eyebrow Kurt turned to face Puck completely, "look, I'll let you know when she's leaving hers and heading to mine okay? But it's really not that complicated." Nodding briefly at his friend Kurt began to walk towards his math class, he figured he should at least show his face more than once this week.

The bell hadn't rung yet so he was the first one there, heading straight the desk in the back corner - the one no one sat in because it was his desk - threw himself into the chair, feet kicked up on the table and Raybans shoved to hide the fact that he was planning on catching some sleep.

Well, he was until Blaine walked in and sat down in the seat across from his. Blaine with the bowties and the phenomenal ass and million watt smile. Screw sleeping, sunglasses can hide the fact that you're star-checking someone out. The new kid was organising his desk, textbook, notebook and pencil case all perfectly aligned, messenger bag stowed under his seat and his bared ankles crossed. Kurt dropped his gaze when amber eyes caught his before he remember he still looked asleep, head tipped back against the wall, feet up and glasses on. Blaine couldn't - hopefully - see him looking.

So he did, he looked (definitely not stared because he didn't stare at boys anymore, not since Finn and his room) until their teacher walked in behind the rest of the class and started talking. History, English, French and Art Kurt could skip and it had no effect on his grade, the academics in this hell hole were not the most difficult, but anything mathematical went over Kurt's head. He wasn't failing, far from it (he didn't want to completely ruin his chances of getting out of this cow town without a high school diploma), but he was aware that it took hours of painful studying to understand even half of the AP course he was taking.

Groaning quietly to himself Kurt sat up, removed his white DMs from his desk and attempted to follow whatever the hell Mr Davis was going on about. This meant he ended up sketching out a new tattoo idea, after fifteen minutes failing to understand what he was meant to be learning.

Next to him Blaine dutifully took notes. Not that Kurt was paying any attention to the kid beside him. Or the way his arms flexed on the desk when he wrote or rested his head on one hand.

Blaine's golden eyes once again caught his, and Kurt would have panicked had Blaine not blushed, smiled shyly and ducked his head. Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise; maybe those looks he'd managed to catch the other boy giving him weren't bad ones. Turning to face his drawing again Kurt furrowed his brow, and snuck another look across at Blaine to see the boy's eyes darting away and biting his lip. Fuck Kurt wanted to be the one biting that lip.

Kurt walked out of the class when the bell rang a few people behind Blaine, still wondering why the Hell Blaine blushed lightly every time their eyes met. Did that mean he was catching Kurt looking or that Blaine was looking at Kurt as well? Walking back to his locker still trying to understand Blaine's stupid blush - why he was doing that he didn't know, he shouldn't give two fucks about Blaine and his red face...gorgeous red face.

"Kurt!" Quinn was leaning up against his locker, glaring at anyone who so much as looked at her. Kurt grinned slightly, shoving his things into his locker when he reached it before throwing an arm over Q's shoulders and leading her towards the back entrance of the school. They both had art now, something they missed regularly as they would do the work at home.

"The day care know you're picking up Beth later, thanks for doing that by the way."

"You know I love that little girl. I'd do anything for the both of you Quinnie."

Kurt pulled her closer placing a smacking kiss on her forehead tugging her round the outdoors stairs that lead to the courtyard and sitting down with their backs against the chain link fence. Kurt was blowing smoke rings when the door above them slammed open.

"Oh fucking hell," Quinn muttered around an exhale of smoke, they could hear voices upstairs growing louder.

Kurt rolled his eyes as he took another deep inhale, coughing it all back out when he recognised one of the voices.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing fag? Huh?" A shove could be heard this time; Kurt leant forward slightly, trying to get a better idea of who Karofsky was torturing this year.  "Think you're being a big man standing up for a loser?"

What? Quinn mouthed to Kurt, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Kurt shook his head as he pulled out his phone, a text hastily being typed to Puck with his finger hovering over the send button.

Another shove, this one with a pained whimper following. "Answer me new kid!"

Kurt's finger jabbed down on send; he of all people knew exactly what Karofsky was capable of so it wouldn't hurt to have back up. Shoving his phone into his pocket and bag at Quinn who he motioned to say out of sight Kurt quietly climbed the stairs to peak around the corner of the next flight to see the footballer pinning a tiny looking Blaine to the fence.

It was Blaine's eyes that made Kurt step out behind Karofsky without waiting for Puck. Blaine shot him a panicked look, clearly not understanding if Kurt was there to help him or not.

"You know Karofsky, you keep pinning unsuspecting boys into hard surfaces and someone might start to ask questions." He kept his voice light and calm while inside his heart pounded, he couldn't let either of the other two know how much the Jock terrified him still. It worked though, Blaine relaxed as the larger boy let go of his shoulders and spun around to face Kurt.

"Back off Hummel, this has got nothing to do with you."

"Actually it does, you're harassing a friend of mine, and as you know I don't really take kindly to that. So back the fuck off Blaine, or I'll make sure everybody's questions get answered." He was bluffing, Kurt could barely say the words out loud let alone tell people what happened last year but he hoped the bully wouldn't see that.

Karofsky lurched forward a few steps closer to the purple haired teen who managed to give off a bored air despite how fast his heart was beating. "You wouldn't dare faggot."

"Really? You want to test that theory?" Kurt felt all his muscles tense in anticipation of a fight, eyes darting to Blaine's still scared ones and trying to get him to understand to get out of the way. The boy just stared back, face slack with shock. "Your choice Dave."

The jock looked between the other two boys, one trying to take up as little space as possible and the other standing deceptively relaxed against the railing, smirk in place. "Leave Blaine alone, you and I both know what's really going on here Davey."

It was the snide knick name that caused Karofsky to snap, stalking forward and punching the wall beside Kurt's head. Kurt gave himself a mental pat on the back for not flinching, only tensing his shoulders to brace himself and glancing quickly to Blaine. "Fuck you." And then the bully was gone. Blaine let out a shaky breath and slid down to the floor.

"Kurt?!" Quinn's panicked voice came closer as she hurried up the stairs, grabbed both sides of his face and tugged him down so she could look him over, once his face was cleared she ran her shaking hands over his body. "Did he hit you? Puck's on the phone, oh God, are you okay baby?"

"Q, hey...hey Q," Kurt gently grabbed her hands in one of his and used the other to tilt her face up to look at him, heart breaking at the tears she was holding back, "honey I'm fine, he didn't do anything just like I knew he wouldn't, Puck was just back up." He gently pulled her into a hug and took her phone.

"Quinn? Jesus Quinn talk to me, do I need to get there?"

"Puck it's me, I'm fine," He glanced at Blaine over Quinn's head to see him also trying not to cry, keeping his face angles away from the two skanks, "listen can you come and get Q? I'm needed here."

"Yeah just, get her to meet me at the bottom okay? I'm almost there, Kurt... you sure you're okay?"

"I've had worse." Dropping the phone away from his ear he pulled back from Quinn, whipped his thumbs under her eyes to removes the smudged eyeliner, "Go wait downstairs for Puck okay? I'm gonna make sure Blaine's okay."

Quinn nodded after she looked over the shaking boy on the floor, giving Kurt a harsh kiss to the cheek and his bag before lifting the phone to her ear and going to meet Puck.

Kurt let out a shaky breath of his own as he turned around, walked over the Blaine and slid down next to him in silence. From his own past experience with bullies, especially with Karofsky Kurt knew the boy didn't need words right now, just for someone to be there.

It took sometime but eventually Blaine looked over to Kurt, golden eyes searching his face for something, he must have found it because he spoke. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Step in like that, you - you didn't have to." Blaine blushed and ducked his head again, only it wasn't with the flustered look he had in math but almost shame. Kurt frowned and almost reached over to touch the boys polo before remember how he used to hate being touched by boys after something like that.

"I really did, it's exactly what I wanted someone to do for me last year. Couldn't ignore it without hating myself." Kurt tried to get Blaine to look at him again, he had to know what he was thinking, "Hey, Blaine look at me, look at me," he waited until he had the attention of those eyes again before he continued. "Karofsky is a dick. Hell most of the jocks here are, and most of them will leave it at a slushy facial or a locker shove. Some won't, and he's one of them. You can't expect to be able to deal with it all alone, trust me."

Kurt lowered his voice and tensed his hands almost without noticing, "no one deserves to go through that without someone in their corner."

Blaine's eyes cleared a little from left over tears as he studied Kurt. "Does that mean that was you in my corner then?"

"Do you have anyone else?"

"Not really no."

"Then yeah, that was me in your corner."