Kurt wasn’t sure what had come over him.
He had been walking down the vacant halls of Dalton with every intention of informing their Headmaster that both Jeff and Wes were in injured. It was nothing major, but informing Headmaster Smithe had become protocol. Although most of the boys at Dalton weren’t orphans they had no one to look after them but Smithe and each other. They weren’t allowed to contact outside friends or family until after their eighteenth birthday, and even then they were urged not to.
Which was why Kurt was worried.
Not about Jeff, or Wes, he knew they’d be fine. He was scared for Sam. He saw the way he was struggling and it terrified him. Kurt saw how close he was to giving up and as selfish as it may sound it scared Kurt to think he could be losing the one person who understood him.
The fact that the alluring new boy with magnetic eyes might be in the Headmasters office hadn’t even crossed his mind. Kurt had been rattling his brain trying to think of ways to help Sam.
It was the loud bang of the heavy maple doors that stopped Kurt dead in his tracks. He was suddenly alert and very aware of his surroundings.
He hid as he heard footsteps pounding against the marble floors.
The repeated sound of the footsteps all but disappeared as Kurt focused. Soon the only sound that echoed in his head was the sound of his heartbeat hard and fast as he focused in on the one spot he knew the footsteps would soon fall on.
Kurt had been ready to attack. He watched hidden in the shadows as a boy with tousled curls and fear in his eyes halfheartedly ran past him. There were tears streaking his face and his hands seemed to be balled into fist. He abruptly felt the other boys agony, and distress. It hit him like a cold bucket of water and he gasped when it soaked him to the core.
He wasn’t sure when or why he’d done it but the next thing he knew he was sprinting after him.
At the time he had not realized he was chasing a stranger, all he knew was that this boy was scared and upset.
He inexplicably felt how the boy had lost all sense of control and he knew he was going to try and run out which was bad, very bad.
Kurt knew exactly what happened to those that chose to run away, and he didn’t want this boy to end up that way.
He grabbed him, and flung the first door he could reach open. The boy protested his voice rough. “Let go!”
Kurt ignored him and tugged him into the room. He could feel him practically boiling angrily and he realized just how dangerous and stupid this had been. The boy had no self-control. He could potentially hurt him or worse, end him.
Kurt pushed the thought away and focused on suppressing his fears as well as the other boys.
“Shh calm down, it’s okay.” He whispered as soothingly as he could, but his voice was high-pitched, dripping with fear and panic.
Kurt watched the other boy anxiously, his body rigid, anticipating a fight.
Instead the boy began to slump against the wall his eyes shut tight, arms firmly wrapped around himself as he shook his head relentlessly.
Kurt watched him helplessly. He immediately realized that the boy crying before him was not a threat.
Kurt leaned down over him, careful not to startle him and spoke.
“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay,” he whispered.
The moment the words left his lips the boy before him began to fall apart his shoulders shaking violently, his face buried in his arms. Kurt wanted nothing more than to hold him and make the pain go away except he didn’t know if that was possible. His future was bound to be filled with more hardships and uncertainty and Kurt didn’t feel it was right to sugarcoat that.
So he watched hopelessly and waited.
**
“Why did you stop me?” Karofsky growled angrily “I could have gotten him I could have stopped him!”
“So could I” Smithe said evenly his eyes hard and challenging.
Karofsky lowered his gaze.
“I just don’t get why you’re letting him get away.” He spat his eyes still glued to the Arabian carpet.
“When have I ever forced anyone to stay?”
“I didn’t say you had to force him jus-just stop him.” Karofsky sputtered.
Smithe cocked his head to the side as he stood in the middle of his office and observed the fuming boy before him.
“I need him to trust me and he won’t do that if I hold him hostage. As for you, the reason I didn’t send you was because the last time he saw you, you attacked him. Remember?” Smithe asked voice raised.
Karofsky nodded bitterly
“So you just let him go and hope he comes back? What if he attacks another student? You saw him he wasn’t thinking rationally.”
Smithe grinned “He would have done it already.”
“What?”
“If you had been paying attention you would have realized that someone else was approaching when he ran out.”
Suddenly the door burst open. “Sorry to interrupt. Jesse St. Fucking James sent me to check up on Kurt since he hasn’t come back but I said Kurt could fend for himself, right Kurt?”
Puck stood in the doorway the playful smirk on his face quickly fading as he evaluated who was standing in the room and who wasn’t.
Karofsky turned to Smithe eyes wide. “You let Kurt handle him?”
Puck looked from Karofsky to Smithe he knew he had obviously missed something. If Karofsky’s tone and posture didn’t give it away the tangible tension in the room most certainly did.
Then it clicked like a light switch being flipped the situation all seemed to come to light.
“Wait, where is the new kid?” Puck asked his eyes darting around the office as if he had hidden behind a desk or bookcase.
“He stormed out of here.” Karofsky replied flatly eyes dropping when he met Smithe’s gaze.
“You let him leave? Why? You can’t let him get away! “ Puck cried in disbelief. He turned to directly address Headmaster Smithe, “Look I know you said this was none of my business but I know there was someone else watching him. And not just anyone. There were a bunch of mysterious attacks wherever he went that he wasn’t involved in. We risked our lives to get him. He’s not safe out there.” Puck yelled angrily shoving his hands into the pockets of his white Dalton uniform and turning away from Smithe.
There seemed to be a hint of amusement hidden in Smithes eyes as he listened. He smiled faintly before responding.
“I understand that Puck. However that boy you came looking for is with him right now so you have nothing to worry about.”
Pucks forehead furrowed as he processed Smithe’s last statement
“Now if you will both excuse me I must see what Jesse needs. Karofsky”?”
“Yes Sir?”
“Stay here. When Blaine returns please come find me.”
“ Wait is he with Kurt?” Puck asked puzzled
Apparently the light switch had been faulty because Puck was barely registering why Karofsky had been so upset.
Karofsky rolled his eyes and Smithe nodded before stepping out of his office.
Puck followed him shortly after.
**
“Blaine get away from there! I have to take this call.” Artie said pointing to his phone.
“Mmmm yeah go ahead an do tha-tah” Blaine slurred as he walked along the railroad tracks.
He stuck his hands out in an attempt to steady himself. Then stared up at the sky, the sun nearly blinding him, he shivered as the cold wind beat against him nearly tipping him over and causing his unbuttoned denim shirt to flutter behind him, the slick grey t-shirt underneath clinging to his torso, little ripples dancing on the fabric.
He giggled and sighed contently. For once in his life Blaine felt free.
They had been driving for days with absolutely no destination just looking to get away. Blaine felt eternally grateful that Artie had come along. He had no idea what he would have done without him.
He watched Artie walk away. His permanent scowl in its rightful place as he walked deeper into the forest. The moose printed beige sweater was soon hidden within the trees.
“I don’t understand why I have to keep doing this.” He growled into the phone “This isn’t what I signed up for,” he paused to listen. His cold blue eyes cut across to Blaine “But you’re grandson is worthless you’ve said it before.”
Blaine’s mind felt cluttered there were so many painful thoughts and memories rapidly filling his every thought.
His smile was lost and his gazed dropped to his brown leather shoes.
Why didn’t anyone love him?
Why did it feel like everyone just tolerated him?
Why wasn’t he good enough?
He knew he was lucky. “You’re privileged Blaine,” his mother had repeatedly told him “What more do you want?”
He knew he had nearly everything but there was always something missing.
It was the one thing he craved above all else, but he’d never known how to ask for it.
Yes, he was privileged.
He had a nice house, and everything he’s ever asked for. People at school never bothered him even after they heard he was gay; however they never bothered to get to know him either.
All Blaine wanted, all Blaine needed, was love.
He wasn’t sure if he’d ever been loved. He must have been loved when he was younger but it all seemed so far and completely unattainable now. The more he yearned for it the more he wondered if it even existed.
He had thought running away would fix that but once again the thought of happiness was shattered because the one person he trusted, the one person he had begun to call a friend was just another traitor. To make matters worse this traitor had been hired by his grandfather.
Blaine chuckled a cynical smile creeping up his lips. Did Artie really think he couldn’t hear him?
He jumped off the tracks and walked right up to him grabbing the phone and throwing it on the ground not even registering that he’d snapped it in half.
“Is that why you’re here?” Did my grandfather send you to look after me? Since when does that asshole care if I-muh dead or alive” he slurred angrily
“You heard me?” Artie asked stunned his icy blue eyes widening.
“Yeah I heard you” Blaine said shoving him aside.
“But don’t worry I wont bother you or anyone else ever again. I’m done!” He yelled throwing his hands in the air and with that he walked off the side of road away from the trees and railroad track and into the oncoming traffic.
Blaine watched unblinkingly as a large truck came speeding steadily towards him.
He never flinched.
He simply closed his eyes and waited for the end. Not even the deafening sound of the car horn scared him because Blaine really was ready to end it all.
He was done.
Nonetheless death never came.
All that came was a sharp pain as his body was tackled onto the dirt floor. The autumn leaves crinkled beneath him as he hunched over and groaned in pain. Blaine glared up at Artie.
“Why? Why did you do that?” He yelled indignantly hot tears swimming in his dulled golden eyes.
Artie stood up and looked down at him his face wrinkling in disgust, “I didn’t do it because I wanted to I did it because I had to.” he said then he turned around and walked away.
Blaine watched him seething.
He was hastily coming to terms with just how much he hated Artie Abrams.
What kind of bullshit answer was that? If he bothered him so much why hadn’t he let him die?
Maybe he enjoyed watching him suffer.
Blaine was livid with rage. He hated Artie so much he wished he would die.
Blaine’s gaze followed Artie, his eyes burning into the other boys back. It was in that very moment that Artie winced. He spun around and glared at him.
Blaine screamed in terror as he felt his insides burn then suddenly everything went black.
**
The sorrowful low sobs slowly subdued.
It was as if all the pieces to his broken puzzle were finally falling into place and Blaine hated it.
He hated it because it meant it was real. So he’d shut his eyes and prayed that it was all a nightmare yet there he sat on the floor of an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar boy.
Now the only sounds that filled the room were his shaky breaths as Blaine attempted to compose himself followed by the steady breaths of the boy next to him. It was strangely soothing.
Blaine hadn’t bothered to look up yet. This was partially because he was ashamed and partially because he was afraid. He was afraid of facing a reality that should have been a fantasy but he was ashamed for various reasons.
For one, he was now certain he was capable of killing his own father and he was ashamed to admit that the mere thought delighted a certain part of him. He was ashamed that he hadn’t figured it all out himself. There had been multiple signs that he had chosen to ignore and he wondered how he had been so naive. He was ashamed that he had run away. That he couldn’t face the truth. Lastly he was ashamed that he was crying over it because crying seemed too weak, too human and he wasn’t either of those things.
Despite the internal and external chaos Blaine was relatively calm; which is why when a captivating voice broke the silence he couldn’t help but meet the gaze of the soul it had come from.
“Want to know something funny?” The painfully beautiful boy with porcelain skin and sapphire blue eyes asked him.
He turned to meet Blaine’s gaze and smiled blushing at the intensity of Blaine’s gaze.
“This was the room I used to hide in and cry when I first came here.”
Blaine eyes saddened.
“That’s not funny at all.” He whispered voice broken.
They were sitting directly next to each other shoulders touching, backs arched against the wall.
Kurt sighed. “Maybe not….but you’ve got to admit it’s a little ironic that of all the rooms in this mansion we call Dalton, we ended up here.” He teased his eyes surveying the small study area filled with dusty books.
Blaine couldn’t help but chuckle, “yeah I guess you’re right.”
Once again the room was silent.
“Thank you.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, “for what?”
Blaine paused taking a shaky breath.
“F-for stopping me.” He stuttered.
“I honestly have no idea where I was going but the more I think about the more I realize I belong here. I have no other place to go.”
It was Blaine’s turn to blush under Kurt’s gaze.
“In that case you’re welcome. I’m glad I was able to come to your rescue.”
Their eyes locked and neither one of them felt the need to break away.