Blaine wasn't sure what he expected out of school now that he was officially in Glee, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to be grilled in first period Calculus.

"Why didn't you tell me you could sing, Mijo?" Santana Lopez demanded as she dropped into the seat next to his, leaning forward on the desk and raising one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

Blaine gaped at her, not sure what she expected out of him, since she had been studiously ignoring him since the first day of class.

"Oh my god, do you ever talk?" 

"I talk," Blaine replied indignantly. 

"It's a miracle!" Santana praised, throwing her hands in the air. "Now, tell me all about yourself, Blaine Anderson, the gossip chain is demanding your full life story."

Blaine stared at her.

"Come on, don't be shy! Girlfriend?" Santana leaned in with her hand on her palm, eyes full of wicked mirth.

Blaine blushed and ducked his face back to his notebook.

"Boyfriend?"

Blaine's head shot back up, eyes wide. Santana grinned and she leaned in closer, face bright with satisfaction.

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought."

--

Kurt scoured the cafeteria, tray in hand, but he didn't see the familiar head of dark curls anywhere. He sighed, frowning a bit, and walked over to join his friends. He set down his tray and dropped into his seat next to Finn.

"There you are, Hummel." Santana grinned at him. "We were just talking about you."

"Hello, Satan," Kurt replied with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"We were talking about Anderson," Puck said, leaning forward across the table towards Kurt. "You gonna hit that? Santana thinks that you two should hook up."

“It’d be hot,” Santana said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, w-what?" Kurt spluttered, looking back and forth between his friends. Puck was waggling his eyebrows at him, Santana was bursting with her normal brand of conniving evil, and the rest of them seemed genuinely curious.

"I don't even know if he's gay!" Kurt finally managed, still more than a little stunned that his friends were trying to play match-maker.

"He's gay." Santana grinned at him. "Trust me."

--

Blaine bought his food and turned towards the tables, considering where to sit. For a moment, he thought about sitting with Kurt. But the boy was talking to his friends, and Blaine wasn’t sure he should interrupt.

Blaine turned towards his regular spot on the far side of the room when he saw several hands shoot up and wave at him eagerly.

"Blaine, over here!"

Three girls from Glee were beckoning him over to their table and Blaine smiled thinly and walked over to them. As he took a seat across from them, he heard Kurt's voice in his head, you don't have to be alone, Blaine.

"Hi, Blaine!" Rachel greeted him. Her eyes were bright and they focused on him with a startling intensity. "We are so glad you came in to audition yesterday! You were absolutely wonderful!"

"Thanks," Blaine replied, giving the girls a small smile.

"Oh, this is Tina and that's Mercedes," Rachel introduced. "I don't believe you got to meet them yesterday."

"Not formally," Blaine said. He nodded at them. "It's nice to meet you."

--

Kurt's attention drifted as his friends grew bored of talking about Blaine and moved on to other topics. Kurt wasn’t listening, he was rather distracted.

He had seen Blaine sit down with the girls on the other side of the room, and Rachel was talking about something with expressive enthusiasm. Blaine's back was to Kurt, and Kurt was using the opportunity to admire the form and shape of Blaine's back. His well-muscled shoulders tapered into a trim waist, and the fit of his jeans was perfectly tailored to show off the firm roundness of his ass.

Kurt mentally groaned and closed his eyes.

--

Blaine sat quietly and listened as the girls chattered about the boys in the group. Blaine was able to pick up that Rachel was dating Finn, the abnormally tall one. Who was apparently Kurt's brother? Blaine really wasn't sure how that worked. And Mercedes was dating Sam, while Tina was dating Mike. Blaine had yet to figure out who Sam and Mike were, but he catalogued the information for later.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Blaine?" Tina asked.

There it was again, Blaine's least favorite question. It was so easy to just say “no” and move on, and such a very big part of him wanted to do just that. But he knew what would follow; he knew that sooner or later they would start trying to set him up with girls, and then he'd have to come up with creative excuses to not date them. Lies and more lies.

"I... don't date girls," Blaine finally replied, voice small and a little bit nervous.

"You don't date..." Rachel seemed confused for a moment, and then her eyes went wide. "Oh, I'm so sorry for assuming! You're gay, aren't you? I really should have known. I have two gay dads you know, so I'm totally OK with-"

"What the girl is trying to say," Mercedes said, cutting her off. "Is that we don't care if you're gay. We're cool with it."

"Yeah," Tina agreed. "And you're not alone, either. Besides the obvious..." She made a hand gesture that Blaine didn't quite understand. "You haven't met Dave yet, but he's gay and also on the football team. And Santana, of course."

Blaine's eyebrows rose, and he turned to look over his shoulder at the table where the football team sat with the Cheerio girls. He didn't know which one was Dave, but he noticed that Santana was sitting rather close to a very pretty blond girl. Blaine's eyes involuntarily drifted to Kurt, sitting next to the two cheerleaders.

Kurt noticed him looking and he smiled at Blaine. Blaine gave him a small smile in return and quickly turned back to the girls, not wanting to be caught staring.

"You and Kurt seem to be rather good friends already," Rachel said, smiling at Blaine.

"I've only spoken to him twice," Blaine replied, trying not to sound defensive.

"He was pretty adamant about you getting a chance to audition," Tina said. "I'm glad you're getting to know him, the two of you have a lot in common."

After a few more minutes of chatter amongst the girls, Blaine made up a reason why he needed to leave lunch early and quietly slipped out of the cafeteria. The girls were nice enough, but Blaine could only stomach the lunch crowds for so long. He walked down the quiet halls with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his head down but his eyes wary. The halls were quiet.

Blaine reached his locker and switched out his books for the afternoon and when he was done he closed his locker and turned around. 

Just in time to be hit in the face by a wall of something cold and red. It temporarily blinded him, the dye stinging Blaine’s eyes, and it was so cold that it was actually quite painful.

"Welcome to McKinley, fag!" Someone jeered, and several voices laughed.

Blaine gasped and wiped at his face, managing to get his eyes open. Terror, colder than the ice, froze him where he stood. Three boys in hockey jerseys stood in front of him, glaring down at him. How the hell did they already know?

"We have enough gay in this school, what made you think we needed more?" The boy closest to Blaine sneered at him, and Blaine couldn't help but back himself against the lockers. He tried to tell himself to run or fight back, but with the way the three of them were flanking him, he knew he wouldn't get away even if he tried.

"Fuck off, Rick!" 

Suddenly, Kurt pushed between Blaine and the other boys and a fist landed squarely on the jaw of the boy who had thrown the slushy. The boy, Rick, hit the ground hard and his two friends took a wary step backward.

Before Blaine could entirely process what was happening, a half dozen huge and apparently angry boys were crowding around him, and he recognized several boys from Glee, leading the charge.

Rick scrambled to his feet, and the boy with the Mohawk shoved him, hard.

"Don't make me kick your ass!" Puck yelled as Rick hurried away from the crowd.

"I hate that guy," Finn muttered.

Kurt was still standing in front of Blaine, shielding him. When Kurt finally turned around Blaine was a little stunned by the clear anger on Kurt’s face.

"Are you OK?" Kurt asked, putting a hand on Blaine's arm.

Blaine could only nod and a chunk of slush dropped from his hair to the floor. His whole body was starting to vibrate with rage.

"Come here." 

Kurt used the hand on Blaine's arm to steer them into the boy's bathroom, and Blaine followed willingly. 

Once inside Blaine walked straight to the sink, ran hot water and splashed it on his face. He blinked when he found a paper towel in front of his face, but he took it from Kurt and roughly scrubbed at his face with it. When he was done he looked up at himself in the mirror and he winced at the sight of the red goop, all down the front of his shirt and sweater vest. He pulled at the material and winced at how it clung to his skin.

"Fuck."

"I am so sorry," Kurt said, eyes worried. "I should have known they were going to do that. They think everyone in Glee is gay, I should have warned you or stopped them or-"

"I don't need you to protect me," Blaine snapped, not able to look Kurt in the eye. He tore his soaked shirt and sweater over his head in one clean go, leaving his chest bare. "I'm more than used to this type of shit."

Kurt was silent, and Blaine quietly rinsed the red die from his clothes in the sink, hoping to get it out before the stain set. 

"And for the record," Blaine started up again, anger making him brave and reckless. "I am gay, and I don’t care who has a problem with that." Blaine scrubbed at his sweater a little harder than was strictly necessary and he blinked back a couple angry tears, determined not to cry in front of Kurt.

“Those guys are assholes,” Kurt said. “But nobody in the Glee club will care that you’re gay, I can promise you that.”

Blaine stopped scrubbing with a sigh, and his whole body drooped with defeat and a little relief. He dared a glance over at Kurt and found only concern in his kind eyes.

 "I have a spare tee shirt," Kurt offered, tentatively. "If you'd like to borrow it."

Blaine nodded, not quite trusting himself to talk.

Kurt dug into his bag and pulled out a simple black shirt. "I keep it in case I need a spare after football, but we don't have practice today." He smiled as he handed it over, and when Blaine tugged it over his head, he missed how the blue eyes raked over his bare chest before it disappeared under the shirt.

"Thanks." Blaine almost smiled. The shirt was a little big, but it would do. "You're on the football team?" He really wanted to change the subject. He gathered up his sticky clothes, trying to bundle them to contain the mess, and shoved them into his bag.

"Yeah, I'm the kicker," Kurt said with a shrug.

Blaine let out a breath and felt himself relax, and then he shivered involuntarily. It wasn't terribly cold, but the slushy had chilled him to the core.

"Here." Kurt shucked off his letterman's jacket and wrapped it around Blaine's shoulders. "Borrow my jacket." 

Blaine blushed a little, wishing he could read further into the action, but knowing better. 

"Oh, OK, thanks," Blaine stuttered, pushing his arms into the sleeves of the jacket. He wasn't used to such kindness from another boy.

"You're welcome," Kurt said, smiling as he moved towards the door. "See you in Glee, Blaine," he said, and slipped out of the bathroom.

Blaine turned so his back was to the mirror, looking over his shoulder to read the name that was printed there. Hummel.

Blaine wrapped the jacket tighter around himself and sighed.

--

"Bro, where's your jacket?" Finn asked, leaning over to Kurt as he took his seat in the choir room.

Kurt shrugged, but kept his mouth shut, smiling just a bit.

"Seriously, dude," Puck said as he dropped into the seat next to Kurt, kicking at his foot. "We never see you out of that thing."

It was true. For three years, Kurt's jacket had been his shield, ever since he made the football team in freshman year. At fourteen Kurt had been scrawny and awkward. Only his skills as a kicker and his letterman’s jacket had kept him safely in the popular crowd. That and his friendship with Puck and Finn. 

But Kurt wasn’t small or scrawny anymore. And suddenly, Kurt had a better use for the jacket, and he was walking through the choir room door.

Puck whistled and punched Kurt on the shoulder. "Damn, dude, you move fast!" he crowed, before moving over a chair, leaving an open seat between him and Kurt. "Yo, Anderson! Over here!"

Blaine looked over at them, and Kurt had to admit it felt amazing to see the boy wearing his jacket. And his shirt, for that matter. Blaine smiled at them and walked over, tentatively taking the seat that Puck had opened up.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow your jacket," Blaine said, smiling at him shyly.

"You're welcome." Kurt smiled back, resisting the urge to sling his arm over the back of Blaine's chair. Just because he was wearing his jacket, didn't mean he was Kurt's boyfriend. Not yet, anyway.

Kurt felt something poke him in the ribs and he looked back to see Finn grinning at him. Kurt rolled his eyes and turned away, but couldn't help but smile, just a little.

--

Blaine tried to ignore how great it felt to sit next to an incredibly good looking boy, wearing his letterman's jacket. He kept telling himself it didn't mean anything, Kurt was straight. He was just being nice.

Who was he kidding - he was completely failing. This definitely counted as crushing on a straight boy.

Class had barely begun when Kurt, Finn and the Asian boy (oh, that's Mike!) all assembled with Puck on the floor. Puck and Finn began to play and Blaine recognized the Van Halen song pretty quickly.

Kurt was dancing and singing back-up for Puck. He and Mike moved easily through the complex choreography, transitioning quickly from one move to the next. It seemed as if every other move was overtly sexual, and Blaine felt himself blush to the roots of his hair when Kurt grabbed his crotch and thrust his hips around aggressively. 

At the bridge, Kurt sauntered over to his brother at the drums, posture relaxed and confident.

"Ah, I think the clock is slow, man!" Kurt complained, looking from Finn to Mike.

"I don't feel tardy." Mike shrugged.

Blaine tried to focus on something, anything else, as the song ended. He willed the redness in his face to go down as they finished and everyone cheered enthusiastically. 

At the end of rehearsal, when Blaine pulled off Kurt's jacket and handed it back to him with a quiet “Thank you,” he completely missed the flash of disappointment in the boy's blue eyes.

--

Kurt was anxious to see Blaine the next day at lunch, eager for a chance to talk to the boy again. But when lunch finally came around, Kurt couldn’t find Blaine anywhere. Kurt frowned at his plate, disappointed; he had been looking forward to seeing him all morning. 

“Where’s your boy?” Santana asked, leaning across the table to talk to Kurt.

Kurt shrugged, trying to hide how much it worried him that Blaine hadn’t shown for lunch. After the run-in with the hockey boys, Kurt wanted to keep Blaine close, to keep him safe. The little he knew about Blaine’s history only made the feelings stronger.

Kurt spent the rest of the day searching for Blaine, but he couldn’t find him anywhere. He finally heard from Puck that he’d seen Blaine in the Astronomy room, eating his lunch alone.

The idea of Blaine eating lunch alone in an empty classroom didn’t sit well with Kurt.

Kurt didn’t have football or Glee that afternoon, so he was planning on dropping by the shop to see if his dad needed any help. But as he passed the gym he stopped, glancing into the weight room. He wondered if maybe...

Blaine was there, just as Kurt had seen him before, fighting the faceless punching bag. He was in gym clothes again, a simple white tank top and sweat pants. He didn’t look quite as angry as he had the last time, but the emotion was still obviously there.

This time Kurt opened the door and walked in.

Blaine froze, looking at Kurt in the door way, only relaxing a little when he made eye contact. He went back to the bag without a word, but he glanced at Kurt out of the corner of his eye as he stuck the bag.

Kurt didn’t say anything, he just silently crossed the room to stand behind the large bag, bracing it with his hands and his body weight. Blaine gave him a small smile of thanks and continued to work the bag with a steady rhythm.

“Your form is pretty good,” Kurt said, eyes following the movement of Blaine’s hands and body. “How long have you been boxing?”

“Only a couple months,” Blaine replied, a little short of breath. “I found a class at the YMCA this summer.” He jabbed with his left, followed by two quick strikes with his right. “Figured if I had to go back to public school, I should be prepared.”

“You’re a fast learner,” Kurt said, impressed with how much Blaine had picked up in such a short time. “But you’re a little off with your shoulders, can I try something?”

Blaine hesitated, but he nodded, so Kurt moved around and behind him. He gently rested the palms of his hands on Blaine’s bare shoulders. 

Blaine’s shoulders were strong under Kurt’s hands and his skin was warm, but his whole body was tense and Kurt was a little confused by the reaction. Kurt squeezed his shoulders and worked the stiff muscles with the pads of his thumbs, and he was pleased at how Blaine began to relax under his touch.

“OK, continue,” Kurt said, voice a little softer.

Blaine took a breath and started on the bag again. Kurt used his hands to gently guide Blaine into better posture, helping Blaine to properly square his shoulders. After a couple minutes he dropped his hands and stepped away, watching as Blaine continued, carefully holding the proper posture as Kurt had instructed.

“You box?” Blaine asked. His face was flushed, Kurt figured from exertion, and Blaine’s eyes stayed locked on the bag as he continued to hit it.

“Puck taught me,” Kurt said, by way of an answer. “I practice during weightlifting class.”

Kurt crossed the room and picked up the padded target mitts, pulling them on this hands.

“Come here,” Kurt said, gesturing for Blaine. He held the mitts up in a defensive position. 

Blaine eyed him for a moment before he stepped closer. He squared up before he took his first swing at Kurt’s hand. Blaine’s blows were strong, but Kurt held up against them without too much trouble. Kurt observed Blaine’s technique for a few minutes before he spoke again.

“Be careful, you’re dropping your guard after your left jab,” Kurt said, reminding Blaine to protect his face with his gloves.

They were quiet for a few minutes, only speaking when Kurt had recommendations for Blaine’s form. After a while Blaine seemed to tire, and the anger had been long since drained from his system.

“Do you want to call it?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Blaine replied, arms dropping in exhaustion. “Thanks for the coaching; that was pretty good.” Blaine offered up a half smile as he pulled the gloves off and put them away.

“You’re welcome,” Kurt said, putting away the target mitts next to Blaine’s gloves. “Anytime.” 

Blaine slipped into the adjoining locker room to change, and Kurt waited. When Blaine stepped back out in his street clothes he seemed surprised to find that Kurt was still there.

“I’ll walk out with you,” Kurt said. He had no intention of letting Blaine walk the halls alone, at least not when it could be so easily avoided. 

Blaine seemed confused by this offer, but he didn’t comment on it, just nodded. Kurt held the door open for Blaine as they left, and the two of them walked quietly through the empty school. Even though neither spoke a word, Kurt couldn’t help but simply enjoy the company.

They reached the parking lot and they both stopped, about to part ways and head home for the weekend.

Kurt hesitated for a moment, then pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and pressed it into Blaine’s hand, giving him an expectant look.

Blaine just looked from the phone to Kurt with a bemused expression.

“For your phone number,” Kurt said with a laugh. “You text, right?”

Blaine stared at him for another moment, before he blushed and started to type his number into the phone.

“Um, yeah, of course,” Blaine stuttered, filling out his name and number before handing the phone back to Kurt. “Here.”

“Awesome,” Kurt said, taking the phone and firing off a quick text.

From Kurt

Starting Monday, you eat lunch with me. OK? :)

Blaine looked at the phone, blushing again, and it definitely made something stir in Kurt to know he could draw such a reaction out of the boy. Blaine tapped out a reply.

From Blaine

Ok. :)

Blaine looked back up at Kurt and smiled, just a little bit brighter than before.