Kurt really liked Blaine. More than he should have allowed himself in the short time they had known each other. But, it was difficult not to like Blaine. For starters, he was gorgeous. Kurt was instantly captivated by those eyes the moment Kurt placed his coffee order one chilly Monday morning before school. Blaine had flashed Kurt this brilliant smile and for a moment, Kurt glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Blaine was smiling at somebody he knew behind him. Because that smile…it was something Kurt didn't see often. It wasn't every day that a gorgeous boy smiled at Kurt like he had known him for years. Like they were good friends when in reality, he hadn't even known Blaine's name at the time.

Getting along with Blaine was easy and took absolutely no effort. Every single time Kurt would receive a text message from Blaine, Kurt's heart would skip a beat and his stomach would fill with butterflies. The first time Blaine had called him, Kurt was almost too nervous to answer the phone. After a few moments of just staring at the screen, he decided to press his finger against the 'answer' button and carefully raise the phone to his ear. He knew it seemed silly, but there was something about hearing Blaine's voice so close to his ear that felt kind of intimate. Like it was just him and Blaine and no body else. It made Kurt's heart race as little feeling of absolute giddiness settled deep within his stomach. He was in pure bliss. The text messages had slowly turned into phone conversations that lasted for one hour each night. They would talk about each other's day. Kurt hated mentioning his run-ins with Karofsky, but for some reason, Blaine would always ask about them if Kurt didn't mention anything. And Kurt hated lying Blaine because he really, really liked Blaine. It almost felt as if he lied about something, somehow he would be letting his friend down.

The last time Kurt had grown so close to someone so quickly was with Mercedes. They had immediately clicked upon meeting, quickly finding that they had something fabulous in common: their incredible taste and love for fashion. And, of course, their personalities. Both Kurt and Mercedes were sassy and were divas. Sure, their taste in music differed a bit, but that didn't matter. They both enjoyed music which was enough.

That's kind of how it was for Blaine. The boy didn't seem to be as fashion crazy as Kurt was, but it was enough. He loved Vogue enough to name off his favorite Vogue cover and know what shoes went with what pants. He also had this incredible love for Broadway and, of course, singing and performing. He loved the spotlight and he loved being on stage. The first time Kurt had seen Blaine performing, his knees nearly went weak. It was during a visit to Dalton Academy. Kurt hadn't told Blaine about it, simply driven over to check the school out because secretly, he had been considering transferring out of McKinley. After the kiss, things with Karofsky were starting to get ugly. The shoving was becoming numerous and so was the name calling. At first, Kurt would just glare heatedly at the taller boy. But after a few weeks, he was beginning to grow tired of it all. He was drained and he reached the point where he would just lean against the lockers for several minutes, avoiding the little glances that people gave him as they walked by. They looked at Kurt. They watched Karofsky throw him into the lockers, yet they did nothing. They said nothing. So, yes, Kurt was considering a transfer to another school and the first on his list was Dalton Academy. It was like a safe haven with the zero tolerance policy Blaine had talked about. It was like this safe haven designed for kids like Kurt and Blaine. Upon returning home the night of his visit, though, Kurt ended up ruling the school out, seeing how incredibly expensive the tuition was. Not only was Dalton a private school, it was also very large and prestigious. He knew very well that his dad and Carole could not afford a place like that, no matter how perfect it might have been for Kurt.

Blaine was kind. Possibly one of the kindest people Kurt had ever met. Did Kurt also mention that he was gorgeous? Because he really, really was. He had one of the brightest smiles Kurt had ever seen. He had this smile that drew the attention of a room and shined light into any negative situation. For that reason, Kurt loved spending time with Blaine. He never turned down an opportunity to hang out with his new friend because, really, it took his mind off of all of the trouble that was brewing at McKinley. Kurt had even turned down a date with Mercedes to spend time with Blaine and Kurt felt awful for doing such a thing to his best friend but, really, it was so hard to say no to Blaine. To pass up an opportunity to disconnect himself from McKinley if only for one evening. Kurt loved his friends in the New Directions, he really did. But he hated the school. He hated the lack of education he was getting there and he hated the fact that nobody (besides his friends) would give him a second glance when they saw that he was very obviously being harassed.

Kurt was beginning to develop bruises on his back. Really, it should have been something he should be used to, but not to this extent. This wasn't the first time he would be slammed into lockers. Noah Puckerman had done it to Kurt last year, but that had been two, maybe three times. With Karofsky, it was escalating to something of a daily basis. Kurt found himself being thrown into that harsh metal three, sometimes four times a week. Kurt would find himself jumping, startled at the sound of a slammed locker. Nearly flinching when he would close his own, waiting for that face and those eyes to be staring him down. Threatening him. Harassing him. Kurt used to love going to school. Now he dreaded it. He hated forcing himself out of bed every morning and silently convincing himself that it would be worth it in the end. That he would graduate top of his class and gain the recognition he needed to get into a good college. A school far away from this stupid city that didn't understand him or what he was about. A place where people would admire Kurt for everything he was. He deserved more, so more much more than anything Lima, Ohio had to offer him. Kurt had big dreams and he intended on making them a reality. All of that would be possible if he just held on and kept strong through this.

It was hard, though, as he stood in front of his bathroom mirror. Kurt had his back to it, half dressed, hair still dripping wet. He stared at his battered back. Some of the fresh bruises from earlier today were still red while some others were fading into that disgusting yellowish color. Kurt hated the way his back looked. It made him sick. He was so conscious about his skin and always made sure it was flawless-and it was, save for his back. He was thankful that he could at least hide it from everyone. This was something even his dad didn't know about and Kurt intended on keeping it that way. His father suffered enough simply knowing that Kurt was being harassed by Karofsky. As far as he was concerned, Karofsky's abuse was only verbal. Kurt refused to tell his dad about the locker shoving because that gave his dad more of a reason to worry. His dad had been through enough with his heart condition, he didn't need something like this. Besides, his dad knowing wouldn't change a thing. It wouldn't stop Karofsky, so it didn't really matter anyway.

All of this stress was taking a toll on Kurt's body. He was losing weight and he was always tired, no matter how much he slept. One Saturday, he ended up sleeping in until noon, and it had been years since Kurt had slept in that late. And despite the fact that he had about thirteen hours of sleep that night, Kurt was still exhausted. So, when he heard the news about his dad and Carole officially getting married, Kurt was ecstatic beyond belief. This would give him something to look forward to. It would shine a little bit of light into his life, knowing that his dad had found a woman that truly made him happy. And Kurt loved Carole-oh, he loved her so very much. She would never replace his mother and she had made it very clear that she wasn't trying to. But she filled that hole in Kurt's heart. She filled that maternal little spark that Kurt had been missing in his life for so many years. He promised Carole that her wedding would be absolutely amazing because he would be the one planning it. And, honestly, Kurt was so incredibly excited because this would be the first time Kurt planned a wedding. It was a dream come true.

"Kurt, that's amazing," Blaine was saying as he took a seat across from Kurt after gathering up some sugar and a stirrer for his coffee. It was a little weird seeing Blaine out of his work uniform and in his Dalton blazer in The Lima Bean. It seemed like every time Kurt saw the older boy he was in some kind of uniform.

"Gosh, I know!" Kurt nearly squealed, bouncing in his seat. "I'm an amazing match maker and I was sure they would get along but, honestly, I didn't think they would be getting married this soon!" He sighed almost dreamily. "It's incredible. They're so in love and the way they just look at a each other is just…so beautiful." And that was the hopeless romantic coming out of Kurt.

Blaine only smiled as he stirred the sugar into his coffee before raising the little stick to his mouth, sucking at it for a moment and placing it down on the table. Kurt arched a brow, silently counting the empty packets of sugar that were sitting beside Blaine's coffee as he snapped the lid on. "Three packs of sugar, Blaine?" Kurt asked slowly before sighing and taking a drink of his own coffee, a nonfat mocha, of course. "Do you really need that much sugar in your coffee?"

"Yes." The answer was simple and straight to the point. Blaine grinned across the table at Kurt in a way that made his stomach do this weird little flipping motion. Blaine shrugged. "It's really good. You should try it sometime."

"No, thank you." The answer was sharp and quick. "I'd like to live a long and healthy life."

Blaine rolled his eyes with a little laugh. "Oh, please." And then he took a drink of his coffee.

"So, I was wondering…" Kurt began slowly, he couldn't help but feel like he was asking Blaine to be his date for the wedding. He wasn't, though. They were just friends. He didn't want to creep Blaine out or anything, but damn, he would be the happiest boy in that room if Blaine agreed to be his date for the night, even if it was kind of unofficial. "If you would be interested in coming to my dad and Carole's wedding next weekend. I know it's a little short notice and if you can't make it, that's fine. You probably already have plans-"

Blaine cut him off with a little laugh. "Kurt." Why did his name sound so amazing when Blaine said it? "I'd love to. It sounds like fun. It's all you've been talking about for the past three weeks and I'd really like to see how it turns out."

It was difficult to keep himself from bouncing up and down from excitement when Blaine agreed to going to the wedding-actually, he said he would love to and that made Kurt feel extremely giddy. He grinned before taking a sip of his mocha. "Oh, I promise, you will be impressed."

Blaine laughed.

Kurt's heart raced.

-----

The ceremony was wonderful. Perfect, actually. No one tripped during their dance routine down the aisle and his father and Carole's vows to each other were amazing. The tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks were difficult to hold back throughout everything, but Kurt managed. He didn't want to turn into this sobbing mess in front of everyone.

The after party was turning out to be just as wonderful. His father hadn't stepped on Carole's feet and Kurt nearly sighed in relief when the dance came to end. And then, Finn was giving a toast that suddenly turned into a promise to Kurt. A promise to stand up for him and an apology for not being a man. Before Kurt knew it, the entire Glee club was up on the dance floor and they were singing to him. Again, he was trying not to cry as Finn tugged him out of his seat to dance. This night was turning out to be much more amazing that Kurt could have hoped for. Once the song had ended and Finn and Kurt shared a hug, Kurt returned to his table, glancing back at Blaine who was sitting at one of the tables that was now empty due to the New Directions moving to the dance floor of the number they put together for Kurt. When Kurt had glanced back at Blaine, he noticed the older boy had been watching him and Kurt's stomach flipped just as Blaine smiled at him. Turning away from Blaine, Kurt leaned over to his dad who was idly chatting away with his new wife.

"Hey dad, I'm gonna go sit with Blaine. He looks kind of lonely over there."

His dad bumped Kurt lightly on the shoulder before nodding. "Sure thing, kiddo." And then he was returning to his conversation with Carole as Kurt stood and made his way towards Blaine. As he approached the older boy, Blaine spoke up. "You have some pretty amazing friends, Kurt," he said, watching as Kurt took a seat beside him.

"Yeah." Kurt smiled softly as his eyes trailed back over to the dance floor just as the DJ spoke into the microphone.

"Alright, guys, what do you say we turn down the lights and get this party started!" Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the cheesiness of that statement and turned to look back at Blaine just as the room dimmed down a bit. Blaine was still watching him with that little smile as Kurt spoke up, "They're the reason I haven't left McKinley."

By this time, music was blasting out of the speakers as people began flooding into the dance floor, his dad and Carole included. Kurt tried his best to keep his voice loud enough so Blaine could hear him. "So, what do you think?" he asked, gesturing around him.

"I think it looks amazing. You're quite the wedding planner, Kurt Hummel." At this, Blaine's hand lightly fell on Kurt's knee as he grinned. It was almost too overwhelming for Kurt. The physical contact and that gorgeous smile. Thankfully, the room was dark enough to hide the blush that crept over Kurt's cheeks as he returned the smile just as Blaine stood, and Kurt's eyes followed him curiously. They were one of the few people who were still sitting at the tables.

Kurt's eyes found Blaine's outstretched hand as Blaine said something Kurt couldn't really hear. Eyebrows hiked as Kurt shook his head. "What?" he called over the music.

Blaine leaned down and spoke into Kurt's ear. "I said, will you dance with me?"

Kurt swallowed nervously as Blaine raised his head to look down at Kurt again, smile soft and inviting and, duh! Of course Kurt would dance with him! What the hell kind of question was that? Kurt nodded as he took Blaine's hand and was lead to the dance floor just as he did a new song began. "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz. And from beside him, he heard Puck yell, "Oh, yeah!" excitedly as he danced along. Kurt looked back at Blaine, watching as he sang along bouncing along to the song. And soon enough, the beat was picking up and Kurt found himself dancing with Blaine. After a minute or so, the chorus was rolling out of the speakers and Kurt and Blaine were singing to each other, grinning. And then, Brittany was behind Kurt, grinding up against him, making him burst out laughing before Santana was tugging her away to dance with her. Then, the song was ending and flowing into a new one, "Like A G6." And Blaine was grabbing and Kurt's wrist, tugging him closer. Kurt had never been this close to another boy and it sent little chills down his spine and it made his heart race at this ridiculous speed. He was blushing wildly. Kurt was loving every second of it and that giddy smile on his face refused to leave as he watched Blaine dance and, damn, that boy had a ridiculous amount of energy that only made Kurt like Blaine even more than he already did. That little crush that he had on Blaine was starting to turn into something more and he didn't care because Blaine was amazing. Blaine cared about Kurt. Blaine had asked Kurt to dance with him tonight and he wasn't holding back or keeping a ridiculous amount of space between himself and Kurt. He was close and it felt nice to be close to this boy Kurt had grown to like so very much.

The wedding after party was over before he knew it and soon enough, the lights were on and there was only a handful of people left. Half of the New Directions had gone home and Kurt's dad and Carole were packing the wedding presents into the car as Kurt gathered one of the main flower arrangements to take home. They were simply too amazing not to. Blaine helped Kurt pack the arrangement into the back of his Navigator. Once Kurt had said goodbye to everyone and promised his dad he would go straight home from here "because it's late" he was walking back to his car with Blaine who offered to walk Kurt before he headed to his own car. Stopping at the driver's side, Kurt unlocked the door and tugged it open before looking at Blaine. "Thanks for coming with me tonight," he said with a small smile.

"Are you kidding?" Blaine grinned. "I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. Tonight was amazing, Kurt. Thank you for inviting me."

Kurt couldn't help but smile in return. "Well, this was all a part of my big plan, of," he said. "Of course, it had to be absolutely amazing."

Blaine shook his head with a little laugh as he opened his arms a little. "Do I get a hug goodbye?" he asked with this expectant little look that just made Kurt's heart melt into a pathetic little puddle.

"Only because you asked so nicely," Kurt said before stepping forward and pulling Blaine into a gentle embrace. And for those few moments, everything was so perfect. Blaine's body was warm against Kurt, keeping the cool air of the night at bay, and his hands were equally warm against Kurt's back. And then that perfection was gone when Kurt realized that those hands were touching over those horrible bruises that no body knew about. That Kurt was afraid to tell his father about for fear of making him sick. That Kurt was afraid to tell Blaine about for fear of being a burden.

Just as quickly as that moment had come, it had gone when Blaine pulled away to smile up at Kurt with those pretty eyes and that amazing smile.

"Call me when you get back to your dorm?" It was a silent little agreement between Kurt and Blaine. Whenever Blaine would drive back to Dalton when it was late, there was this unspoken promise that Blaine would call Kurt as soon as he got home to let him know he was safe.

Blaine nodded. "Of course." And then a little pat on the arm. "Good night, Kurt."

Kurt hesitated for a moment, those thoughts about the bruises on his back clogging his mind. The idea of maybe opening up to Blaine soon and telling him about them just because Kurt wanted someone to talk to. "Good night." His smile was a little weak as he turned to his car and climbed in.

Blaine had become that person that Kurt believed he could relate to. The first person who understood Kurt. So, why was it so hard for him to open up about something so simple as some stupid bruises on his back?