Chapter twelve.

On Tuesday, Isabelle had asked Blaine if Kurt wanted to come over for dinner that evening as it had been a while since she had seen him.

"I swear she loves you more than me." Blaine laughs sitting on the end of his bed next to Kurt as they wait for dinner to be ready.

"You know that's not true." Kurt says turning round and lying down so his head in resting on Blaine's legs.

Blaine smiles and runs his hand through Kurt's hair gently. Kurt always loved when Blaine did that. Only Blaine could get away with it. "So anyway…my dad wants me to go over to his tomorrow, I think he's taking me and Cooper to a football game or something."

"You hate football." Kurt sniggers.

"I don't mind it… not my favourite thing ever though."

"At least he's trying, right?" Kurt says looking up.

"Yeah, I suppose." Blaine says giving a small smile. "… He wants to see my mom, like actually see her."

"He does?" Kurt asks looking a little confused.

"Yeah… I talked to her about it, she's not too sure…I mean she's…getting there but…she's not ready for that right now."

"Especially with Andrew and everything… she'll not be sure what to say to your dad about him."

"I know, my dad understands anyway… I think he just wants to be civil for mine and Cooper's sake, y'know."

"Boys... dinners ready!" Isabelle shouts upstairs.

"Okay mom!" Blaine shouts back down and heads downstairs with Kurt for their dinner.

The next night Kurt is sitting at his desk in his dorm room finishing off some homework while Blaine is out with his father and Cooper. He is in the middle of writing the last paragraph of his essay when he hears a knock at the door.

"Come in." He says still writing, not lifting his head up.

"Hey…Kurt?" A quiet voice says opening the door and walking in.

Kurt puts his pen down. "Jamie? Hey… what's up?" He asks sensing something was wrong automatically as a tweedle had actually knocked on the door.

"Can I talk to you about something?" He asks closing the door.

Kurt looks at him confused. "…Of course you can…"

Jamie walks in and sits on the end of Kurt bed. "We're friends, right?"

"Yes, Jamie, we're friends." Kurt honestly did consider him a friend, and a good one at that.

"I'm just gunna ask you…" He said a little nervously. "…h-how did you know you-you were y'know…gay?"

Kurt shrugs. "I…I guess I was never really into… girls that way. I mean I looked up to them more as idols rather than drooling over them I guess… then I dunno it… I guess I always knew that I was different to the other boys…I just never knew that I was gay until sophomore year… if that makes any sense."

"A little." Jamie laughs.

"Why do you ask?"

"I asked because… i- I think I'm y'know…gay." Jamie confessed shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Kurt looked at him shocked. "But…you…you had a girlfriend." He said and bit his tongue to keep quiet. "Okay… i-okay." He smiles, knowing how difficult this can be for people. "So… what made you…y-know…"

Jamie shrugs. "I… okay so there's this guy, in my geography class… Danny." Kurt notices Jamie's grin. "…i…we're friends but-"

"You have feeling for him but not sure how he feels about you?" Kurt finishes.

Jamie nods. "Yeah… how did you?"

"Been there." Kurt shrugs and laughs. "…i-I had feelings for Blaine as soon as I met him but obviously didn't know he felt them same."

"How do you do it Kurt? I mean… be so… out there and proud and…"

Kurt thinks about it for a second. "I guess y'know… my dad was just very supportive and so were my friends…" He smiles, but that soon fades a little. "But… it was hard. There are a lot of people out there who will just go out their way to make your life unbearable. It's not easy, but…it does get better…You just need you're friends and family around you to support you."

Jamie looks down and stares at his now ever so interesting hands.

"Oh my god." Kurt says realising something. "You haven't told anyone else, have you? …not even Justin…"

Jamie shakes his head. "No… I haven't." He half laughs.

"I…why? I mean, not that I'm flattered that you came to me but… he's your twin."

"I know… and I will tell him… it's just… I wanted to talk to someone who understood y'know?"

Kurt smiles. "I get it."

Jamie smiles at him. "Thanks Kurt."

"Hey… no problem… happy to help."

"I better be going. Jus will be looking for me." He says and stands up.

"Okay… see you tomorrow." Kurt says and hugs Jamie before he left.

"Hey squirt!" Cooper said when Blaine and his dad walked into Blaine's dad's house that evening.

Blaine laughed. "That seriously isn't going anywhere, is it?"

"Nope… definitely not." Cooper laughed too going over to hug his little brother.

"I just have to go upstairs to do some work." Blaine's dad said. "I'll only be an hour or so then we can go see this football match!" He said and went upstairs.

Blaine walks into the kitchen with Cooper. "So squirt…how's life?"

"Oh you know, school…studying…school, more studying." Blaine replied apathetically.

"By life I meant Kurt." Cooper smiles then laughs.

"Oh! Well…we're fine…" Blaine says, smiling.

"Good to hear…so…out of the blue question… have you guys done the dead."

Blaine glared at his brother. "Cooper…. Wearenothavingthisconversation." Blaine rushed out, blushing.

"Hey! I'm only asking!" The older of the two defended him self.

"Well I'm not answering."

"Jeez okay… grouchy."

"Sorry… It's just…"

"S'okay… I get it."

"No… no Cooper you don't… you don't know the half of it." Blaine said and immediately regretted it. Maybe this whole James thing was getting to him too much.

Cooper looked at Blaine and saw frustration and tiredness in Blaine's eyes. Something was getting to him. "Blaine… what's been going on?"

Blaine sighed audibly and sat down on counter top. He looked at Cooper. "There's just this guy who…"

"Wait, are you cheating on Kurt? Because, little brother, that is not cool."

"No! No Cooper I am not cheating on Kurt." Blaine said annoyed at the accusation. "Let me finish." He said childishly and Cooper pretended to zip his mouth closed and let's Blaine continue. "As I was saying…there is this guy called James, my ex," He adds and internally shudders. "Who is trying to split me and Kurt up."

"Ah, I see. Jealous ex? …I've had my fair share of those."

"No… it's way more than that. He… you don't know what… what happened between me and him… It… it got real messy and… and."

"Blaine, tell me." Cooper ordered. This must have been due to the fact that a few tears of frustration and sadness had escaped Blaine's eyes, which Blaine had only just realised. He wiped them away with his hand.

Blaine closed his eyes. "He…he used to…hit me and…say things to me and now that I'm with Kurt…he…he's trying to get me to see that…that I'm his." Blaine said. He would tell Cooper about it in more detail another time.

Coopers jaw was hanging open in disbelief and guilt. He snapped it shut. He needs to say something. "…Blaine, I…I had no idea…" Cooper says walking over to him and hugging him.

Blaine sobbed onto his shoulder. "You…you didn't know…how could you?"

"I can't believe someone would do that to you… i…how come you never told me before?"

Blaine shrugs. "Because it's in the past…i… I try to not bring it up. But, you know…he's just there all the fucking time and…"

"And you just want to be happy with Kurt?"

"Yeah. I mean… not that I'm not happy, I am…it's just…I see how hurt he is by some of the things James says to him, I know he doesn't believe what he's saying but…"

"Woah… woah Blaine." Cooper said holding Blaine by the shoulders. "While I think it's lovely that you care so much about how this is affecting Kurt…have you taken time to…y'know… think about how it's affecting you?"

Blaine sniffs and looks up. "What do you mean?"

"Well…its obvious isn't it?"

"I'm not following."

"I'm your brother…I can see how much this is hurting you…it's okay to let it out…have you had a good ol' cry over it?"

"No Cooper…I–"

"You used too when you were little. I know you don't remember but when something upset you or something you would always cry and then you would move on and forget about it."

"I can't…when I think about it, all I do is get angry and frustrated and then I stop thinking about because I don't want to feel that, I just want to feel happy." He said. Yes, he was happy with Kurt, more than. But deep inside, he knew that, he, himself, wasn't.

Cooper wordlessly hugged Blaine again and Blaine cracked. Not the usually crying that he sometimes did when he was frustrated, the hot, angry tears that you can just blink away and forget about. No, he sobbed. He sobbed onto his brother's shoulder letting out everything he had felt, all the pain and hurt and everything that he had just let build up since James had started hitting him and abusing him and Blaine just couldn't keep it building up inside of him anymore.

"I wanted to hurt him." Blaine said a few minutes later after he had calmed down a little. "I wanted to hurt him so bad."

"I know Blaine, I don't blame you…he sounds like such an ass."

"He is." Blaine mumbled. "But…I had never wanted to hurt someone before, not really."

"Blaine… he broke your heart…" Cooper says. This was the truth no matter how much Blaine tried to deny it–

"No Cooper."

"Yes, Blaine. I know it's difficult for you to get your head around that but he did. He made you trust him, and…and then he…well…I'm not saying you're still in love with him…I know you're not. I'm just saying that it's okay to be mad."

Blaine looked at his brother. Yes, he had a point. Blaine was most definitely not in love with James anymore. His heart was only for Kurt. He had to be careful with whom he let have it after what James did but he knew Kurt would look after it.

The fact was, Blaine was mad. He was very, very mad.

However, Blaine was supposed to be calm and collected right? He was dapper Blaine, and dapper Blaine wouldn't have such thoughts of hurting someone else, would he?

He took a few deep breaths through his nose and clung onto the counter tightly, eventually, letting go and sighing.

"You're right." Blaine says.

"Of course I am, I'm your big brother… I'm always right."

"Not…always."

"Okay, most of the time then, but hey… this will pass. James or whoever will get bored because he will see that you and Kurt are like…made for each other." Cooper said dropping one of his hands from Blaine's shoulder. Blaine smiles at him. "He doesn't stand a chance when it comes to Kurt, even I can see that."

"Well James seems to think that he does…"

"So you and Kurt are just going to have to show him, aren't you?"

Blaine just glares at his brother. "…we…we have. That's the point…he still doesn't get it."

"Try something else…" Cooper shrugs. "Trust me."

"Why do I feel nervous about trusting you?" Blaine worries his lower lip to his teeth.

"I'm your brother?" Cooper offers.

And that was it. Cooper was his brother, his family. Of course Blaine trusted him. He trusted Cooper just as much as his mom, his grandparents, Kurt and even his dad these days. He may not have been a major part of his childhood life or had been around a lot. But that's the beauty of the people you love unconditionally. They don't have to be.

But still…

It was nice to have them around.

At that, they heard their dad come downstairs. "Sorry I took so long boys. Marking is very time consuming."

"That's alright." Blaine says hopping down of the bench.

"Are you going back to Dalton after the game?"

"Yeah… I have class early tomorrow so…"

"Are you sure?" His dad asks. "It's no problem if you wanna stay here."

"I know, it's just it'll be easier and less on an inconvenience…Thanks though."

"Suit yourself." Michael says and walks into the hallway to get his coat.

"You just wanna see Kurt." Cooper says walking past Blaine and out to the hall too.

"So?" Blaine laughs and get's his coat too.

As it turns out, the football game was better than Blaine had expected. All three of them joked around and cheered along with the crowd for their team. They hugged each other when their team scored and Blaine was glad he had decided to go out.

He missed this.

That night when Blaine get's back to his dorm, Kurt was asleep. Blaine had told Kurt he would be back late and to not wait up for him. He walks in a puts his dim bedside light on while he get's into his pyjamas. Because Blaine was a pyjama kind of guy.

"B-Blaine… is that you?" A sleeping Kurt mumbled a few minutes later turning around and rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah… it's me." Blaine says walking over to Kurt's bed and sitting on the edge of it. "Go back to sleep." He says stroking Kurt's face.

"But mm'cold." Kurt says nuzzling into Blaine's touch.

Blaine just laughs. "Do you want me to cuddle you?"

"Mm'please."

Blaine slides under Kurt's duvet and wraps them up in a warm little cocoon. "Better?" He asks a few minutes later.

"Much." Kurt replies nuzzling into Blaine even more.

"Go to sleep, love." Blaine says quietly.

"I love you." Kurt says before quickly falling back to sleep.

"I love you too." Blaine says kissing his boyfriends forehead before falling soundlessly asleep in his arms.

Blaine wakes up the next morning before the sun has even started to peak through the dorm room curtains.

He realises that he has shifted quite a lot in his sleep as he is now facing the complete opposite way to when he fell asleep. He was now little spoon instead of facing Kurt.

He remembers the dream he has last night. It was just memories and flashbacks of events that happened with James.

So needless to say Blaine was not in the best of moods that morning.

He got up silently, making sure not to wake up Kurt in the process. He jumped in a quick shower as he felt disgusting; he could feel James hands all over him, even though it was only a dream.

Once out, he got a pear of sweat pants and a tank top from his drawer, got changed into them and made his way down to the gym. Yes, facilities at Dalton where open at all times for students.

Once there, Blaine picked up a pair of hand wraps and boxing gloves. It felt like forever since he had actually been down here, he had no need, but today…today was a different story.

Blaine walked up to the punch bag eyed it and immediately swug a punch, his fist colliding with the side of it.

From there, Blaine doesn't hold himself back. He punches for all of the hurt that James had caused him, for every bad memory he had of him. He punched it for all of the bullies in his old school, for every offensive name they had called him, every sneer and look and for every hit he took at the Sadie Hawkins dance. He punched because he was angry at his dad for being such as asshole during his childhood, all the things he did to him and his mother. Some things you can forgive for, but some you can't ever forget.

Heck, Blaine was even punching for all of the hurt that Kurt had been through. The whole ordeal of being slushied, being thrown into dumpsters, shoved into lockers… Karofsky. This was one Blaine was not holding back for. He hit and hit that punch bag until he was exhausted. Until he was crying to the point where he just had to stop, he was practically hugging the punch bag letting tears fall down his face.

He took a few deep breaths as he let the adrenaline settle back down. He caught his breath. He hadn't even realised that he had been punching that bag so hard. He was sweating; the little beads of moisture trickling down his face.

Even though Blaine felt disgusting again, he needed another shower, he felt so much better, letting all of that anger out like that had never felt so good.

He felt relieved. It was as if some of the weight had been lifted off his shoulders and had just vanished.

Blaine took the gloves and hand wraps back off before going back up to his and Kurt's dorm, deciding to have a shower there.

When he opened the door, he found Kurt was awake, sitting in bed reading.

"Hey." Blaine said closing the door. "You're up early."

Kurt turned to look at him. Okay, so a slightly out of breath Blaine, in gym clothes and red cheeks and who's hair was slightly damp sort of made Kurt have thoughts…un-dapper and, okay…he should probably stop staring now.

Blaine gave a cheeky smile.

Kurt shook his head out of his thoughts. "I…yeah. I woke up and you weren't there… so I figured I'd read till you came back." Kurt says closing his book. "I could say the same to you…you look as if you've been…busy."

Blaine nods and sits on the end of his bed. "Yeah… I woke up and just needed to…let out a little stress, that's all."

"And why is one Blaine Anderson stressed?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, um….y'know…school work and stuff." Blaine lies.

"Blaine…you're ahead on your school work. I know this, and I can tell when you're lying and the fact I had to stop you from falling out the bed tells me otherwise." Kurt states simply. "What's really going on?"

"Okay… it's just this whole thing with James." Blaine says and Kurt rolls his eyes. "No… it's not just that… it's just he gets me so mad and angry that it just brings up everything else as well so I went down to the gym to vent I guess." He shrugs. Kurt smiles slightly, not needing to push Blaine for further details. "I'm gunna go have a shower." Blaine says and goes into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Kurt get's up out of bed and goes through his drawers to get out his uniform out and get's changed and starts on his moisturising routine. One does not just simply wake up looking fabulous.

Blaine walks out of the bathroom a few minutes later in his grey slacks and shirt, just like he does every morning. See, they have this routine. Kurt showers in the evening and Blaine showers in the morning. That was just the way it was.

Once school starts, Kurt and Blaine have a lesson together first, so… maybe Blaine's morning wouldn't be too bad.

That thought, however, swiftly changed after English literature that day.

Kurt and Blaine were walking out of the class room, hand in hand of course laughing and talking about their upcoming project. Which of course, they would totally be working on together.

They had a study period next so, they planned to go to the Lima bean to get a coffee and discuss some things for their project.

They could get coffee from Dalton's cafeteria, but… well…it's the Lima Bean, duh!

They walk out to the car park to get to Kurt's car.

Kurt is talking about some clothes he has seen in the latest issue of Vogue magazine when he suddenly stops, mid sentence.

"Kurt, what's wrong?" Blaine asks seeing Kurt has pretty much frozen in his spot, his eyes going wide and looking somewhere in front of them.

Blaine snaps his head around to see a large figure walk towards them. A figure he was not expecting to see.

A figure that quite frankly made his toes curl and make the anger and adrenaline pump through his body.

Blaine narrowed his eyes and immediately stands in front of Kurt. "Karofsky." He mutters as the jock approaches them.

"Your not still around, are you butt boy?"

"I'll always be around, dickhead. Get used to it." Blaine spat. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"Came to talk to fairy boy." He says glaring over Blaine's shoulder. "Who obviously can't talk for himself?"

"To be quite frank, I completely understand why."

"Blaine… just let it go." Kurt says quietly, just for Blaine to hear, he was still staring at Karofsky. "What is it?" He says moving forward but still holding onto Blaine's hand.

"You think you got it easy now, don't you?"

"Yes, David. Because my life has been one big Disney movie hasen't it?"

"Still got you're pathetic, sarcastic attitude then." Karofsky states.

"More than you know. Like it was stated before, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Just came to let you know that I'm still around. Just because you ran off like the pathetic little fairy that you are, doesn't mean that this is over with."

"Yes it does." Blaine says firmly.

"Sorry…what was that hobbit?"

"I said…" Blaine says moving towards Karofsky a little. "That yes it does. This stops."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Karofsky says harshly. "Stay out of this."

"No, how many times do I have to tell you! Kurt is my boyfriend. I am not going to let people like you treat him the way you have treated him in the past, I'm sorry but I can't let that happen."

"Get out of my way." Karofsky said and moved forward to shift Blaine out of his way.

"No." Blaine said standing firmly shoving Karofsky back a little.

Yes, Blaine realised that Karofsky was much bigger than him, on paper; Karofsky should beat Blaine to a pulp in about 30 seconds. However… Dalton fight club and a hatred for the boy in front of him might just even the odds.

Blaine eyed Karofsky, the two of them getting closer and closer…

"STOP!" Kurt says pulling Blaine back. "Both of you, stop it. Karofsky…just leave. I don't even want to know how you knew I was here…but just leave." Kurt said carefully.

"I'm not going anywhe–"

"Yes you are." Kurt cut him off. "Leave, get out of my life before I get the police involved."

"You wouldn't do that." Karofsky said faltering slightly unsure im himself.

"Yes I would." Kurt said clearly. "Leave." He said a final time looking Karofsky straight in the eyes. His heart was beating so fast with fear but didn't let it show.

Now that was progress.

Blaine's eyes went between Kurt and Karofsky, getting ready to step in if needed, although, it didn't seem as if he needed to. Kurt looked confident. Yes looked, because he knew Kurt and knew that inside he was trembling, but the fact he was even saying this? Well… that just made Blaine even more proud of him.

"You're bluffin' Hummel."

"Am I really though, David? After everything you've put me through… why shouldn't i?"

What happens next is probably the last thing Kurt and Blaine had expected.

"…I'm sorry." Karofsky says after a few seconds of silence, obviously thinking about it.

Kurt and Blaine look at each other in confusion. They mentally start having a conversation between them.

"Did he really just?"

"Yeah. He did."

"I though so…what do we do?"

Blaine shrugs

Kurt looks at Karofsky. Normally he would have the heart to forgive, but in this case, he just couldn't. "And…what?" Kurt's sassy side came out. "You think that's enough?"

"I-No…but… it's a start right?"

"A start of what?"

"I don't know, Kurt." Karofsky says looking down to the floor.

Kurt's eyes widen, as does Blaine's. This is the first time he has ever called Kurt by his name rather than 'Hummel' or some sort of offensive name.

Kurt clears his throat. "Well I hope you'll understand that I appreciate your apology, but right now it's going to take me a while to…accept it per-say."

Karofsky nods, which is absurd in itself. "Okay."

Blaine is trying to get his head around the fact that Karofsky is apologising.

"Well…this is…sufficiently awkward… we're just gunna go and…get coffee."

Karofsky sighs and nods and heads back to his car.

"Well that was weird." Blaine says as they get in his car and drive to the Lima Bean.

"I know… really weird."

"Do you think he meant it?"

Kurt shrugs. "I don't know… he seemed as if he meant it."

"Don't count on it."

"I'm not…don't worry." Kurt says as Blaine's pulls up in the car park. They get out and walk into the Lima Bean and stand in the line to order their coffee.

They get their coffees and sit in their usual seat and discuss their English project.

"James, you are being ridiculous. Leave them alone." An angry Wes says the next day at lunch. Kurt and Blaine are sitting together and James was going over to cause them some trouble.

"I'm just going to talk to them? …no harm in that, right?"

"But why?" Justin says who also got involved. "They do not need you in their life! That is just not cool."

"…They're just so wrapped up in their own little bubble, aren't they?" James says bitterly.

"And that is the way everyone intends it to say. They can be wrapped up in their little Klaine bubble for as long as they want to be." Wes says. "I'm not seeing my best friend go through what he had to because of you, again, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah Wesley…sure." He says looking at Kurt and Blaine who are oblivious to what is going on.

Little did they know, that James Sutherland was finally going to get between them whether they liked it or not.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.