Nick wished they had.

Jeff's birthday was coming up and Nick had enlisted in Kurt's help for a shopping partner. Kurt had eagerly agreed and they had made plans. The two of them went after school, Nick's mother dropping them off. Blaine had given Kurt a rather sweet goodbye and told him to come to his house after they had been shopping.

"Have fun, Nick," Jeff beamed, giving him a quick yet sweet kiss.

"I will. I'll call you later," Nick beamed and hugged his boyfriend tightly. Blaine and Jeff watched as their boyfriends' slid into the car and drove away.

"So what were you thinking of getting Jeff?" Kurt asked as they headed to the nearest mall.

"I have no idea," Nick blushed. "I've bought him presents before but this is different."

"Because you're dating now," Kurt nodded. "I understand. We'll find something."

Nick's mother dropped them off and promised to pick them up in an hour. The two boys immediately scanned the shops, trying to collect ideas of what to give Jeff.

"There," Nick beamed, pointing to a games store. "Jeff been playing Gears of War lately and he hasn't gotten the third one yet."

"Sounds perfect," Kurt agreed. "Let's go."

Nick grinned and they hurried to the store. Kurt wasn't into video games much but Nick seemed to know his way around the store. He came to a sudden halt and Kurt almost ran into him.

"Sorry," Kurt apologized and Nick just smiled at him.

"This is it," he beamed, pulling the game off the shelf. Kurt let Nick read the back of the game and he waited patiently. Kurt scanned the shop and froze when he saw a couple of boys enter. He instinctively took a step back, knocking into Nick.

"Hey, you OK?' Nick asked, seeing Kurt freeze and his slightly panicked look.

"Fine," Kurt squeaked. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll go pay now," Nick nodded. He quickly grasped Kurt's arm and propelled him forward to the counter. Nick placed the game down and the man behind the counter started scanning it through.

"How would you like to pay?" The man asked.

"Card," Nick answered, handing it over. It swiped it through the machine and Nick entered his pin, taking his card back.

The man slipped the game into a plastic back and handed it over with receipt. "Enjoy," he said and Nick nodded.

"Ok, let's go," Nick turned to Kurt, who nodded eagerly. They were nearly at the door when one of the boys Kurt had seen walk in called out.

"Hey princess," he sneered. Kurt shivered and Nick's grip on his arm tightened. "Where's your boyfriend, fag?"

"Back off," Nick growled and the boy laughed.

"Hiding behind some else," he sneered. "You're a coward, you little fag."

Kurt whimpered quietly, trying to glare at the boy but it wasn't having much effect.

"He's not a coward," Nick snarled.

"Yeah he is," the boy sneered, "and he's a waste of space."

Nick glared and quickly stepped forward, pulling his arm back and punching the boy across the face. One of his friends quickly punched Nick in the stomach and he coughed. Kurt sprung forward and his fist collided with the boy's jaw. Kurt was shocked at himself and quickly moved back to help Nick up.

"Enough! Break it up," a security guard snapped, pushing the boys back as they attempted to get to Kurt and Nick again.

Nick and Kurt quickly grabbed their things and hurried out of the store. "Nick, are you OK?" Kurt gasped as they headed towards the exit.

"Fine," Nick wheezed. "Are you?"

"I can't believe I punched someone," Kurt breathed and Nick saw him shaking. "I punched someone."

"Whoa, it's OK," Nick said, grasping Kurt's shoulders. "It was self-defence."

"Oh God, what's Blaine going to think?" Kurt whimpered, his breathing getting harsher.

"Breathe Kurt," Nick instructed but Kurt couldn't. Fear was coursing through his body. Fear from seeing his former tormentors, of what Blaine was going to think. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sob. He felt Nick wrap him up in a hug and he flinched but Nick held tight. "Regulate your breathing Kurt," Nick pleaded but he couldn't. He couldn't. He felt Nick shifting but he couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"Blaine! I need your help," Nick cried and Kurt whimpered. "Kurt's having a panic attack and I can't calm him down."

Kurt sobbed again, chest tight and he felt something being pressed to his ear. "Kurt, baby, it's me," Blaine's voice sounded in his ear. "I need you to breathe."

"C-a-n-t," Kurt gasped out.

"Please Kurt," Blaine pleaded. "Try and calm down. You're safe with Nick, I promise, just try and calm down."

Kurt inhaled deeply, trying to breathe properly. He listened to Blaine's soothing words and he desperately tried to calm himself down.

"My mum's here," Nick told Kurt, still holding the phone to Kurt's ear. He propelled Kurt forward and opened to car door, helping Kurt in and sliding in next to him.

"What's going on?" Nick's mother asked, turning her seat to look at them.

"Panic attack," Nick told his mother. "Can we go?"

She started driving, glancing back in the rear-view mirror occassionally. "Does he need a hospital?" She asked.

"No," Nick shook his head. "Just take him to Blaine's house."

She nodded and continued driving in the direction of the Anderson's home.

Kurt had managed to regulate his breathing, Blaine still murmuring in his ear. Kurt laid his head on Nick's shoulder in exhaustion, far too tired to keep up the pretence of staying strong. When they arrived at the Anderson household, Blaine and Annie were waiting for them out the front. Blaine quickly ran to the car door and opened it. Nick slid out, taking his phone back and Blaine gently helped Kurt out, wrapping a strong arm around his waist.

"Oh Kurt," Annie sighed sadly, stroking his forehead. "Get him inside, Blaine."

Blaine nodded and, with Nick's help, they got him inside and laid him on the couch.

"Thank you, Nick," Blaine thanked, voice thick with tears.

"Are you OK?" Nick asked, touching Blaine's shoulder. He nodded, unable to speak.

"What happened?" Annie asked, coming in with Nick's mother.

"We were shopping and these guys started calling Kurt names and being awful," Nick explained and Kurt whimpered.

"From our old school?" Blaine demanded and Kurt nodded shakily. Blaine growled and Kurt exhaled sharply.

"It's OK, Kurt," Annie soothed, shooting Blaine a look that clearly said 'control yourself'.

Blaine nodded and took a deep breath.

"Were you hurt?" Annie asked.

"No," Nick shook his head. "I mean – I got punched but Kurt punched him back."

Blaine looked at Kurt with wide eyes and his boyfriend buried his head into the pillow.

"Thank you, Nick," Annie smiled at Nick.

"It's no problem," Nick assured her.

"We'll get out of your hair," Nick's mother said and Annie nodded.

"Thank you for bringing him home," she smiled.

"Not a problem."

"I'll see you later Kurt," Nick said softly, gently rubbing Kurt's back.

"Thank you Nick," Kurt whispered and the boy smiled at him. He grabbed his things and left with his mother.

"Do you need anything?" Annie asked Kurt and he shook his head.

"I'll be in my office if you do. I'm going to call Burt," Annie told them and let the two boys have some privacy.

Blaine sat on the couch and moved Kurt so he was between his legs, lying on his chest. Blaine ran his hands through Kurt's hair, surprised when his boyfriend made no protest.

"Sorry," Kurt murmured.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Blaine said firmly. "They should be apologizing to you. They attacked up in a public place. That is not OK, Kurt. You didn't even do anything to provoke them!" Blaine was getting worked up and Kurt gently placed a finger over his lips.

"Shh," he whispered.

"Why can't they leave us alone?" Blaine whispered and a tear rolled down his cheek. Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine and squeezed him tightly.

They held each other in silence. Blaine was just glad that his boyfriend was OK. "Do you need anything?" Blaine asked a while later.

"Just you," Kurt murmured, his eyes closed and on the verge of sleep. "Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Blaine promised and continued to stroke Kurt's hair, lulling him to sleep. Blaine was on the verge of falling into a deep sleep when he heard voices but couldn't bring himself to wake up fully.

"- they brought him straight here," Annie was saying, "they haven't moved since."

"Was he injured?" Burt asked.

Huh, Burt's here. When did he get here? Blaine thought.

"No, he just had a panic attack. Nick couldn't get Kurt to calm down so they rang Blaine," Annie explained.

"When does end?" Burt sighed. "Why can't they be left alone?"

"I don't know," Annie sighed. "They're strong though. They'll get through this."

"I just want to protect our boys," Burt protested.

"Me too," Annie said. "Especially against this. Burt, you are a wonderful father. Not many gay children have such accepting parents."

"Well, those other parents are idiots," Burt grunted and Annie laughed softly.

"Come on, I'll make you something to eat," she said and then they were gone.

Blaine tried to make sense of what happened but Kurt shifted in his arms and Blaine's focus was pulled back to him before he fell into a deep sleep.