Kurt stepped out of the shower the next morning with his eyes slightly puffy. He had had the same dream as before and had needed to cry. After leaving Blaine in bed, Kurt had spent forty minutes in the shower, letting his tears mix with the spray of the shower. Now, he stood with a towel around his waist and was holding a cool, damp flannel to his face, trying to take away the blotchy pink-ness that surrounded his eyes and rosed the tip of his nose. He didn't want Blaine to know that he had been crying, it would only worry him and lead to him asking numerous questions that Kurt couldn't – and wouldn't – answer.

A pair of arms snaked around Kurt's waist and sat on his stomach. His eyes went wide and he froze for a moment, but he blinked it away, and smiled when he removed the flannel and turned his head to see Blaine's chin resting on his shoulder. Kurt pecked him on the cheek and said "Morning, beautiful.", smiling down at his boyfriend sweetly.

"I was gonna' say that!"

"Too bad." Kurt replied, laughing. It never ceased to amaze Kurt how much of a child Blaine was, how he could act so grown up and have an air about him that emitted so much authority and general grown-up-ness but then act like a complete and utter toddler when out of the public's eye – though sometimes even when in public.

"Fine. Morning, sunshine. How'd you sleep?" He said, grinning over Kurt's shoulder, talking to the taller boy's reflection.

"Okay, thanks. You?"

"Like a baby; I had my guy's arms around me, keeping me safe." Blaine smiled proudly, like he was boasting about Kurt... to Kurt.

"Oh. So, now I'm 'your guy'?" Kurt raised an eyebrow and stared at Blaine.

"Well, it's better than being my girl, isn't it?" A lopsided grin sat smugly on Blaine's lips, testing Kurt, challenging him to have a good comeback.

"Oh, shut up, Fritzie."

In response to the use of his pet-name, the shorter boy scowled at Kurt, the grin dropping from his lips instantly, and muttered "Bitch."

"Well, yeah, Lady's a female canine. Good job, Fritz." Kurt grinned cheekily before dropping a kiss on Blaine's nose and untangling himself from Blaine's hold to go in to the bedroom and get his clothes.

"So, lover, are we ready to make pancakes and cocoa?" Blaine asked Kurt once both boys were ready, clothed, with hair styled to perfection and ready to stand strong through a hurricane with the amount of product holding each barnet in place.

"I'm always ready for pancakes and cocoa!" Kurt replied, smiling brightly.

"But what about last ti-"

"Fritzie! I said, I'm always ready for pancakes and cocoa." Kurt snapped, silencing Blaine. Blaine rolled his eyes and made his way to the stairs. Kurt followed after him and the two went in to the kitchen.

"Would you like me to make yourself and Kurt anything for breakfast, Blaine?" One of the kitchen staff, a short, chubby man wearing white, asked.

"No. No, today is a pancake-cocoa day, which means we're giving you guys a break." Blaine answered.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm happy to ma-"

"No. Thank you, but no. Go on, go and relax, do whatever and we'll sort out breakfast and the cleaning." Blaine shooed the man and the two other members of staff away before clutching Kurt's hand and pulling him further in to the kitchen.

After Blaine had finished the pancake batter, he handed it to Kurt and let him cook them; he could never flip them like Kurt could, when he had last tried, that had resulted in Kurt having to re-do his hair as Blaine had flipped the pancake backwards and over his shoulder, rather than up, and straight on top of Kurt's head, who had been standing behind his boyfriend, looking over his shoulder to see the extent to which his domestic skills stretched, wondering if he really was perfect, or if he had any flaws.

Kurt cooked the pancakes, flipping and turning with such skill, looking over his shoulder occasionally to smile at Blaine whose arms were around his waist while his chin rested in it's usual place: on Kurt's shoulder. As he was pouring in the last of the batter for one final pancake, he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. He turned his head but saw nothing, so he went back to the pancake. Just as he had flipped the pancake, he felt something land on his face: flour, he realised when he had to blink a few times to regain the ability to see clearly again. By then, the pancake had made it's descent and was now hanging limply from the edge of the marble work top. "Blaine," he muttered, exhaling lightly from his nose and staring straight ahead.

"Yes, my love?"

"Run."

"What?" Kurt made a dash for Blaine, and ended up chasing him around the kitchen for nearly ten minutes.

"No. No, please, no!" Blaine cried out as Kurt straddled his hips with the can of squirty cream aimed at his face. Blaine had finally collapsed from exhaustion, and Kurt had instantly seized the moment, putting Blaine in this current predicament.

"No. You deserve it, it's only fair. I mean, just look at my hair; you got flour in it." Kurt then pressed the nozzle and let the cream fall on Blaine's face – his beautiful face.

Blaine scrunched his face up, squeezing his eyes closed, as he felt the sweet, white substance land on his cheeks and then his nose. He opened his eyes when he felt something, besides the cream, on his nose. Kurt's face was centimetres away from his, and the boy on top of him was licking the cream from his nose, moving on to his left cheek after, followed by his right. Blaine grinned underneath Kurt. Their chests were pressed together, and Blaine so wished that they weren't wearing their shirts at that moment. "Kiss me." Blaine whispered lightly as Kurt licked the second application of cream from Blaine's left cheek.

"No. You've been a bad boy; only good boys get kisses." Kurt replied before he ran his tongue across Blaine's cheek and then put it right to the corner of his mouth, just brushing the small area where his lips met and drew to an end with the tip of his tongue, feeling Blaine trying to fidget beneath him. "Ah, ah!" Kurt chided, pulling back and looking down at his boyfriend, grinning broadly soon after. And then... oh no. "Blaine, no! No, not the eyes!" Kurt cried as he tried to resist Blaine's puppy dog eyes. Soon, the pressure became too much for him and he leant down and crashed his lips with Blaine's.

"You messy pup." Kurt giggled as he looked down at Blaine, still breathing heavily after their kiss.

"Have you seen yourself?" Blaine countered, an eyebrow raised as he smirked.

"No, but shush."

"Come here, let me up and I'll get the worst of it off."

Kurt sat back a little so that Blaine could sit up, and smiled at the glint in the hazel eyes looking back at him. When Blaine sat up and began to place open-mouthed kisses on Kurt's cheeks and nose, pulling his lips to a close after each one and taking the cream from his skin, Kurt smiled and put his arms around Blaine's neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

The couple had gone to Kurt's house after eating and cleaning up, and were now sitting on his bed with their fingers lightly intertwined as Kurt moved his fingers in swirls across the top of Blaine's hands.

"Kurt, when do I get to see you next?" Blaine asked, smiling as he looked down at their locked fingers.

"I dunno'. I can see if you can come over for Sunday dinner if you want. How 'bout then?"

"I think it sounds like a plan." Blaine nodded, smiling lightly.

"And today: you've got me all afternoon, remember. Finn's staying at Rachel's, and Dad and Carole are out of town until this evening. So, you won't be short-changed, my friend, don't you worry tu lindo trasero." Kurt then put a leg on either side of Blaine's and leaned in to kiss him, hearing Blaine quickly breathe out an 'I love it when you speak Spanish', pressing their lips together and nibbling on Blaine's bottom one. After having tangled tongues with Blaine for some time, he pulled back and started to pepper kisses along his jaw and down his neck line, stopping when he got to the spot where his shoulder and neck met. Kurt then proceeded to kiss the spot, letting his teeth graze over the skin, biting slightly at times. He was soon sucking on the the spot, his teeth still pressed in to the skin slightly, ignoring Blaine's protests about his not suiting bruises at all.

"Baby, as much as I love you, I'm not loving this mark." Blaine said as he admired Kurt's handiwork, looking at the red skin that was already starting to turn in to a nice, blue-purple bruise. Kurt smiled innocently and shrugged.

Soon, Kurt was looking at his own neck in the mirror and saying "You had to give me a hickey high enough that I can't even cover it with a scarf, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. Call it payback."

"No. Cruelty. It's worse for me, I bruise easier and have pale skin; it shows more."

"I know. I'm marking you as my own, though; wear that hickey with pride. Have a little courage and walk tall."

Kurt grinned at Blaine as he recycled his old 'Courage' saying. "Two things: one, I'm not just some tree you can come and pee on, you silly pup; and two, I'll always walk tall... compared to you, anyway." Kurt winked and giggled lightly.

"Oh! Oh, you did not go there. That's it, come here!" Blaine then went towards Kurt and the two ended up running back in to Kurt's room before Blaine toppled Kurt on to the bed and proceeded to try and kiss him senseless.

Burt and Carole had arrived home at just gone six, and had walked in to Kurt's room to see the two boys spooning on the bed, their deep breathing being the only sound that carried through the house. Burt smiled at the sleeping couple and linked his fingers with his wife's, saying that they should let them be for at least a couple more hours, and that they'd order in a pizza and put a movie on. It was one of the things Kurt loved to do when they were all there.

Blaine woke to the sound of a doorbell ringing and turned his head, looking at the face of his sleeping angel. The light coming in from the hallway, and the street lights through the window, showed the planes of Kurt's face, highlighting his beauty. He turned his head back and looked to see that the clock on the bedside table read seven fifty. Then, Blaine turned his head back again and pressed his lips to Kurt's, nibbling on his bottom lip slightly.

Kurt's eyes fluttered a few times before they opened fully and he realised it was Blaine's lips on his own that had woken him up. "Hey." He breathed out when Blaine pulled back.

"Hello, beautiful"

"Are you talking to yourself again, Frodo?"

Blaine smiled and said "You're beautiful and you know it."

"Yeah, but I just wanted to make sure that you weren't losing it."

Blaine dropped a light kiss on Kurt's nose and said "It's nearly eight, we should get up."

"Yeah. Dad and Carole will be back." Kurt then moved his hands apart and retracted his arms so Blaine could get up. After, he got up himself and the two of them headed towards the stairs, bumping in to Burt who was coming up them.

"I was just coming to wake you guys up. We got pizza and a movie."

"Ooh! Movie night!" Kurt clapped his hands and the three of them made their way down the stairs.

Kurt, Blaine, Burt and Carole were all sat in the lounge, Kurt and Blaine on one couch and Burt and Carole on the other, and they were just finishing the last of the 'meat feast' and 'vegathon' pizzas they had as Yes Man played on the TV. When he finished his food, Kurt leant against Blaine's chest and snuggled in, smiling as he saw Carole do the same with his father.

Kurt was dreading practise. From the moment Blaine had left on the Sunday evening, he had felt his mood and comfort levels drop considerably. With Blaine, he had not had to think about it, he had been so happy that he had forgotten, actually, but now it was the only thing on his mind. All of his classes seemed to go by so fast. It was now lunch, and he made his way to the choir room for an impromptu Glee meeting.

"Okay, guys, settle down and we'll begin." Mister Schuester said while the rest of the Glee club talked animatedly amongst themselves. Once the group had settled down and Mister Schuester had started to speak, Kurt stopped paying attention – not that he was paying very much to begin with – and sat in a bubble of worry, fear, and silence. It was like in his mind, multiple scenarios of what may be waiting in store for him were playing and he was the spectator. There was one reoccurring thing in each scenario: Kurt couldn't do anything but suffer in silence, take it, and try not to let it affect him too much.

"Boo, are you okay?" Mercedes asked as she matched Kurt's pace and put a hand on his arm. "You were really quiet in there, and it kinda' seemed like you weren't really with us. What's up?"

Had he been that obvious? "Oh, er, nothing. I was just thinking." Kurt replied, not looking straight in to Mercedes' eyes.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Now, I'll see you tomorrow." Kurt said as he dropped a kiss on her cheek and split away to go to his Science class while his friend made a puzzled face as she slowly drifted towards her own class.

Kurt soon found himself torn between going to practise and going home to hide under his duvet for the evening.

"Come on, Hummel, let's go." A voice said from behind him.

Kurt turned to see Dave standing next to him and gesturing to the locker rooms. Kurt flinched when he realised who it was and shrank back when he saw the sublime, sickly smile that the larger boy wore. He bit his lip as he felt the other boy pushing him slowly.

No matter how fast Kurt got ready after a very long and dragging practise, he was still one of the last few people in the locker room, and began to feel his heart stop at every noise he heard.

"Please. No. Please, please, do-" Kurt's plea was cut short as Dave pushed him against the sink and thrust his body against Kurt's, holding on to his shoulders tightly and smashing his lips on to Kurt's. When Kurt felt Dave's member pressing in to his thigh, the horror and shock rushed to his face and his eyes went wide. The moment Dave took Kurt's hand and placed it over the bulge in his pants, Kurt squeaked and tried to pull away, biting hard on his lip and tasting blood on his tongue.

"Hummel, you feel that? You can't just leave me like this. Come on, help me." He paused and put his face closer to Kurt's, as if it were possible, and growled "Help me.", through gritted teeth. Kurt shook his head as tears brimmed his eyes, trying to look away from his bully.

Before Kurt knew what was happening, Dave's pants and boxers were down and his hand was being placed – with a force strong enough to stop him from pulling away – on to Dave's hard cock. Kurt flinched and tried to pull away, but Dave's hands tightened around his so that his hand was clutching his cock and squeezing lightly before it was moving along his length and starting to pump harder, faster. Rougher. Kurt so badly wished he was dead now, wished that Dave had followed through with his threat and had done it one winter night when it was dark and Kurt was heading to his bike. No, that could never happen; the fates had already decided that Kurt could never live a quiet, happy life. He kept his eyes scrunched tightly closed and bit the inside of his cheek hard as tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks. He had tried to block all sounds out, stop listening, but Dave's moans and comments seemed to be excluded from his filtering. It made him cringe and turn away.

"That's it. Yep, I'm gonna'... I'm gonna'-" Dave's cries stopped as he moaned his way through the rest of his orgasm and came all over Kurt's waistcoat and hand. Dave then ripped away Kurt's hand, pulled up his boxers and pants, and walked away. Just like that. Kurt shed his waistcoat as fast as he could and ran to the sink to wash his hand. He then crumpled to the floor and began to sob, feeling himself shake violently.

When he finally managed to stop shaking and crying so loudly, he pulled himself up, gripping the wash basin, and looked in to the mirror. He looked away when he saw 'coward' and 'cheater' written on his face, hating how he felt. Kurt went straight to his things and crushed them in to his bag before pulling his helmet and jacket straight on. Kurt was soon running from the school and speeding away on his bike, tears blurring his vision as house after house, tree after tree, and rational thought after rational thought passed by him in a blur.

He was walking, walking down a small, dimly lit pathway that looked like it was going through a forest. Running water and happily chirping birds could be heard as high-standing trees and wild flowers decorated the outers of the pathway. This place felt safe – too safe? – unbelievable – unreal? – artificial – fake? – not normal.

"Kid? Hey, kid!"

A – wall? – appeared in front of Kurt, blocking his path as these words echoed through his mind. He stepped forward to examine the wall, and an image flickered on it, as if being projected.

White. Then black. A worried face.

All was fine and Kurt continued to walk, whistling a light and cheery tune as he did. Wow, this really was a long path, Kurt just seemed to be able to keep walking without even meeting a bend or pothole, not even a pebble.

Kurt walked the path for what seemed to last a life time. He felt warm and airy, safe and happy the whole time.

He didn't belong here – his life was far more chaotic – but he didn't want to leave. Ever.