"Kurt, please, you're suffocating me!"

"Sorry," Kurt chuckled nervously as he pulled away and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Let's sit, okay?" Blaine winced as he sat on the couch in the abandoned senior commons. Kurt noticed, but he didn't say anything. "Why are you here? Spying isn't cool, Kurt. Although for some reason, I think you out of all people could've gotten the dress code right," he laughed. "But seriously, what's going on? There's a lot you have to tell me."

"I... there's this kid at my school, Karofsky, who hates me and thinks my life is his to ruin. I came here to see if it really was as amazing as it sounds, but besides you, I've only had an encounter with one other person and he was a jerk."

"I only know one jerk at this school and that's... Sebastian," Blaine's insides flared at the use of the name. "Was he tall, skinny, brown hair?"

"Yeah, he was."

"You had an encounter with the wrong person. We'll talk about Karofsky later, okay? There's something more important we need to talk about." Blaine paused, "Us."

Kurt sighed. He had known that this was coming. That's why he'd tried to escape.

"Why did you cut me off, Kurt? It wasn't right... what you did. Then you come around all of a sudden, wanting to get in touch, but when I try you decide not to talk again? You practically ran out of here, but when I called your name you came back and hugged me like we were two twelve year old boys again. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm so, so, so sorry. I don't know where to start."

"From the beginning?" Blaine raised an eyebrow and leaned, resting his head on one arm.

"Okay, well, when you moved... I don't know, Blaine. I knew that you were my best friend and that I was gay, but I guess I never knew if I felt romantic love for you. When you left, I realized I did. I didn't want to be friend zoned, so I stopped our talking. My computer broke, I deactivated my phone. Then, my dad got me a new laptop. I logged on to that ancient video chatting service and read all of your mottos from over the years. I saw you had been leaving them, constantly, and I was your only friend on there. It made my heart ache even more. I looked back on pictures of us and saw the tint in your eye I'd never noticed before. But it was too late, Blaine. Even with that in mind, I called, I texted, I messaged you, I left mottos. When I went to Boston, I didn't want to speak to your mom, I wanted to just leave my notes and stuff for you. When you woke up, my dad and I were just leaving. In that moment, I realized that what I was doing was wrong. You weren't that twelve year old boy anymore and neither was I." Kurt shrugged. "Things changed."

"Kurt, throughout high school, I had one boyfriend. I broke up with him because I couldn't get you off of my mind. Any time we kissed, I kept imagining you. What about you?"

"I never could bring myself to crush on anyone else. But if you aren't dating anyone, explain that limp in your step. Unless you got married without telling me."

Blaine shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Kurt lifted Blaine's chin. "But hey, I'm still always going to be here for you."

Blaine's eyes glistened and all he wanted was to embrace Kurt and hold him, just like so long ago. But Kurt had been right, things weren't the same. "We lived our most important years without each other, Kurt. Things... things will take a while if we want to keep this up."

"I know."

"Can we go back to my room, please?"

"I..." Kurt stuttered.

"Not like that," Blaine assured him. "I just want to talk in private."

"Of course," Kurt sighed, reassured.

-

"Sebastian," Blaine muttered as he was curled into the corner of his bed. Kurt had just come out of the bathroom, Blaine had given him some sweatpants and a tee shirt to change into, as his fake Dalton uniform was rather uncomfortable.

"What was that?" Kurt sat on the bed next to Blaine, but didn't get too close.

"Sebastian," Blaine repeated, staring at the spot on the bed where he knew the mattress was stained with blood.

"Get up," Kurt jumped up and started pulling on Blaine. "Sit on the other bed."

"Why?" Blaine snapped out of his trance.

"Do it, no questions." Kurt led him to the other bed and ripped the sheets off of Blaine's. "Blaine, be honest with me. Did you and Sebastian have sex?"

"Kurt, I-" A tear formed in Blaine's eyes.

"Answer me, Blaine!" Kurt was holding the sheets in a ball in his hand.

"Y-yeah," Blaine swallowed.

"Did you want to have sex, Blaine?"

"Sebastian did," Blaine avoided the real questions.

"That's not what I asked," Kurt slowly losing the firmness in his tone.

"I didn't," Blaine whispered, breaking into sobs.

"Shh, it's okay," Kurt walked over and patted his shoulder. "Want me to hold you? Even though you used to hold me most of the time, I know that when you got really upset you always liked to be held."

Blaine nodded silently. Kurt climbed next to him and held Blaine to his chest, trying to brush his gelled hair. 

"Tell me all about it, honey." Kurt froze at the use of the old nickname.

"I like when you call me that, don't worry." Blaine felt Kurt's body tense up, so he wanted to assure him that the old nickname was welcome. "I'm ashamed, Kurt. Ashamed of what happened."

"I know, honey, I know. Please tell me though, okay? Someone has to know about this." Kurt kissed Blaine's forehead.

Between sobs, Blaine spilled out the story. "God, Kurt, he didn't even use lube or a condom... it hurt so badly. He didn't start out with one finger or anything, he just went into me. It hurt, Kurt. It hurt," Blaine kept repeating the phrase as he sobbed into Kurt's chest.

"Oh, honey..." Kurt squeezed him and rubbed circles into his back. "It's okay, I'm here now. Shh, nobody's going to hurt you."

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered after about an hour of lying silent.

"Yes?"

"I still love you."

"I still love you, too."

"Kiss me?" Blaine looked up and his eyes became pools of melted chocolate for Kurt. He gently kissed Blaine's lips and smiled when he pulled away. Blaine raised his lips to Kurt's again, trying to make entry into his mouth with his tongue.

"No, Blaine."

"Just like when we were 12, huh?" Blaine chuckled.

"No, just not when you're so upset. I would love," Kurt tapped Blaine's nose, "To kiss you another time. I should get going."

"Can you stay?"

"Blaine, I have school in the morning. It's nearly past my curfew and I have an hour drive back to Lima."

"Oh... I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Blaine." Kurt nodded as he opened the door. "Text me." He shut the door and walked out to his car.

-

"Hit me all you want because it's not going to change who I am."

Then he kissed Kurt. He kissed Kurt like he'd never kissed any girl, like he actually meant it. For the first time in his life, Dave Karofsky kissed someone who mattered. Someone who he meant it with.

"Kurt, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"It's not that bad, at least it wasn't my first kiss," he elbowed Blaine's side and they both laughed.

"We're going to go confront him."

"Blaine."

"That's not okay with me, nobody hurts my best friend."

"I'm still your best friend?"

Blaine pulled up his sleeve to show his bracelet. Kurt smiled and pulled the small chain off of his neck. They connected the two sides of the heart, which made a spark shoot through their fingertips.

"Let's go, Kurt. We can still catch him before lunch."

"You'll miss class!"

"Kurt, you skipped school to be here," Blaine gestured at the dorm. "It's fine."

Hand in hand, they left the building.