Chapter Fourteen

"Blaine!" Kurt jogged after his boyfriend, frowning slightly when finally Blaine turned around to acknowledge him. "Hey. I called you like three times."

Blaine stared at him for a beat too long before he seemed to shake himself, "Sorry. I'm just a bit t-tired I guess." A yawn punctuated the offending word, before the other boy pulled a dulled yet happy smile onto his face, "How was your weekend?"

They started heading to their lockers, and Kurt's hand found Blaine's fingers, cold in the morning air. He gave them a squeeze, wishing not for the first time that he could sense Blaine through just the grazing of their fingertips. It was getting easier, when they kissed. Kurt was quicker to let go, to feel that spark inside him that was all Blaine. But still, he couldn't help but wish for more. It was like a drug; now he knew what it could feel like, he only wanted more.

"It was pretty good. I missed you though. Skyping isn't the same." They had tried to reach a happy medium without causing a repeat of the disastrous phone call.

Blaine grimaced, "Tell me about it."

"Oh come on," Kurt smiled fondly. "You are getting better at it. And it is quicker than texting."

"Seeing you helps." Blaine conceded, "But it's still really... odd. Not being able to, you know." The words sense you were left unspoken, heavy in the air. They didn't want anyone to know, especially anyone at school. Because if people knew that Blaine could sense Kurt, that would bring forth a whole slew of questions that neither teenager wanted to face. Kurt's dad was a different matter, and although he hadn't actually asked, he was pretty sure that Blaine had told his family. At the very least, Cooper must know; of that Kurt was certain.

"Now you know how everyone else feels around me." Kurt sniped dryly as a pair of cheerleaders gave them a wide berth. Blaine rubbed his thumb softly over the back of Kurt's hand. "Oh shoot, I forgot I need to grab a book from the library before second period. See you at lunch?"

Blaine smiled amiably, "Sure. I'll text you where." He gave Kurt's hand one last squeeze, his skin now warmed from their hand hold, before the pair of them split ways.

Except...

Kurt wasn't able to find Blaine for lunch, because he was held behind in biology to go over a stupid group project. He managed to fire a text off to let Blaine know though, and got a response (Don't worry about it! I found Sam – he wanted to practice for glee. In auditorium if you get out xx) so he wasn't worried.

No, the worry came when he met Blaine after school, looking even more tired than he had that morning. He brushed it off as nothing, and to start with, Kurt let him. They got takeaway coffees from the Lima Bean and went back to Blaine's to (attempt) homework. By the time Kurt had to leave, his face slightly flushed, Blaine was looking much more alert, and the sparking electric attraction that sang through them when they kissed hadn't dwindled. All worry was forgotten.

Until glee practice the next day.

And again on Wednesday, when Blaine had to cancel their cinema plans at the last minute.

By Thursday, he looked ready to drop, to the point where Santana actually called him out on it in glee practice when he played more than one off note during her solo practice. Blaine just mumbled an apology, which only served to annoy the girl even more.

"Drop it, Santana!" Kurt snapped, "You should be grateful you have someone as talented as Blaine willing to accompany you."

Blaine rubbed a hand over his face, which brought a concerned Mr Schue forth from where he was sitting, "Blaine, you okay?"

The hand reaching out to him had Blaine stumbling to his feet and backwards in a tangle of clumsy limbs. He steadied himself on the piano, "'M fine, Mr Schue. Just tired."

The teacher looked unconvinced, as did the majority of the club, but still he pulled back and nodded, "It has been a long week. Okay guys, great job. Don't forget at lunch tomorrow we're going to hear from Mercedes. See you all then!"

Kurt was at Blaine's side as quickly as he was able without being insanely obvious, "Okay, let's get you out of here." Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear, hoisting him by his arm.

Blaine shook his head stubbornly, "I'm fine, honestly. Just tired."

He wasn't fine. A blind man could see that Blaine wasn't fine. Even Santana was starting to look concerned at Blaine's behaviour.

"Hey, Kurt, maybe you should let go of him. Blaine's really don't look so good, and no offence, but touching you probably isn't helping." Mercedes was on her feet, worry shining in her eyes.

Kurt was torn between staring incredulously at his friend and flying off the handle. Blaine made the decision for him, "Well who the hell asked you?"

What?

Kurt had never heard Blaine's voice sound so... angry and bitter. Not directed at someone else, anyway.

"I..." Mercedes stuttered, as shocked as the rest of the glee kids.

Blaine swayed, blinked rapidly, staring at nothing, "Sorry... sorry, I..." His hand fumbled, fingers finding purchase in the fabric of Kurt's shirt.

Sam was out of his seat. Kurt knew that out of all the kids in glee, Blaine had become the closest with Sam, so why on earth did Blaine just flinch in his arms? "Dude you really don't look so good."

"He's fine." Kurt snapped, pulling Blaine closer to him. "I'll drive him home. See you guys tomorrow." He knew that he was being unfair, that they were only worried for Blaine, but Mercedes' automatic assumption that it was Kurt's close proximity to Blaine that was causing his boyfriend to feel bad... The accusation had really gotten to him.

The drive to Blaine's house was quiet, with the other boy leaning heavily against the glass of the window, eyes closed. Kurt kept Blaine's hand in his the whole drive, and couldn't dispel the horrible fear that clenched at him when he felt the tiny tremors under his grip. When he pulled up outside Blaine's house he spoke softly, "Is your dad home? Or your mom?"

Blaine simply nodded listlessly, "I'm sorry."

Kurt's mouth thinned, "For what? For feeling tired? For something you can't control?"

"For screwing up again." Blaine shrugged, twisting to get out of the car.

"Blaine you didn't-" Kurt tried exasperatedly, but Blaine was already making his way up the drive.

Kurt ground his teeth in frustration, jumping out of the car after his boyfriend.

As soon as they were through the front door, Blaine's mother was on them, "What happened?"

Kurt made to answer, but Blaine was already twisting away, shrugging off his mom before she could reach him and making for the stairs, "Nothing."

"Don't you try and pull that line with me, Blaine! Please come back here." Her hands were on her hips in a false attempt at looking threatening, but her eyes belayed her genuine worry.

"No. Leave me alone." He had one foot on the stairs, and Kurt was feeling genuinely confused and out of place. Should he leave? Should he follow Blaine?

He knew what he wanted to do, but looking at Blaine's mom it didn't look like she would approve of the choice.

"Blaine!" A violent hissing rebounded against her raised shout, and Kurt looked over to see a very irate cat frozen stiff under Blaine's feet, responding to her owner's emotions.

"No." His voice was cold and flat, laced with a strange resigned anger that Kurt found hard to identify. "Just, for once Mom, leave it."

Kurt watched his boyfriend trudge up the stairs, and even took a step forwards to follow, when Blaine's mother ran a hand through her curly hair, finally seeming to recognise that she had a second teenager standing in her hall, "Kurt, I think you should head home."

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to leave Blaine, not right now. "But I could help?"

The woman sighed, "Well you can start with telling me what's happened. He's been like this all week – you've been with him, so tell me."

Kurt frowned, "No... No, I've hardly seen Blaine at all. I've had an assignment to get done in my lunch breaks, and apart from Monday, he's been busy after school with family stuff?"

Blaine's mom shut her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose, "No. He's been out. And he said he was with you. Wonderful. Now my son is lying to me."

Kurt didn't know what to say. 'Sorry' seemed a little out of place, and to be honest, he was feeling pretty hurt himself.

A door slam echoed through the house, making them both wince. "I really think you should go, Kurt."

The dismissal was clear.

Nevertheless, despite how hurt he was that Blaine was hiding something from him, Kurt couldn't just ignore Blaine all evening. Minutes, hours ticked, and still no word from Blaine. He could barely focus.

Text me when you're free to talk? Or if you're not just to say how you are? xx

Sorry if I made things worse with your mom – I didn't know you were using me as an alibi.

That was harsh, I'm sorry. Please let me know you're okay xxxxx

Will you be in school tomorrow? X

We can talk Blaine please don't shut me out xxx

Until finally, at a little past ten:

I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry I didn't say anything but it's not my secret to tell. I'll see you in school tomorrow promise. Thanks for being there at glee today xxxx

It didn't explain what had happened today, or even how Blaine had been feeling all week. If anything, Kurt felt even more in the dark.

And further still, in the dark recesses of his mind, where he really didn't want to go, there was that lingering thought. Sure, Blaine could tell him what was going on, sure, he could explain and they could get over this little bump and the pair of them could keep moving forward.

But what if forwards only brought more bad days? Kurt didn't think he could handle feeling as helpless as he had felt today. He couldn't stand the not knowing, the way Blaine's mom had just casually isolated Kurt.

He couldn't stand the thought that someday, perhaps even sooner than he had ever thought, Blaine would start having more bad days than good, until there were no more good days to be had.

TBC