From Kurt

Do you want to hang out with me at the shop today?

Blaine felt almost giddy with excitement as he pushed open the shop door and walked into the front room. Burt was there, talking to another man in coveralls.

"Hello, Blaine." Burt smiled at him. "I don't believe you've met Joe yet, have you."

"No, Mr. Hummel, I haven't," Blaine replied, putting out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sir."

Joe was tall and broad, and looked like the type of man who didn't take shit. He raised an eyebrow at Blaine and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Kurt's new boyfriend?" 

It took all of Blaine's carefully learned manners not to gape at the other man.

"Oh, yeah." Burt grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, kid, that bit of information has kinda spread like wildfire. My guys here are all rather fond of Kurt."

Blaine wasn't really sure what to make of it. These two men worked in a tire shop and they seemed pleased that Blaine was dating the owner's son. He managed to smile politely at them and nod.

"Come over for Friday night dinner this week, kid," Burt said, smiling. "Carole is dying for us to have you over now that you and Kurt are finally an item." 

"Oh, um," Blaine stumbled.

"Dad." Kurt's voice came from the door. "Are you trying to traumatize my brand new boyfriend? You'll scare him away."

Blaine turned to Kurt, so relieved to see him. He wore shop coveralls today, and he was smiling warmly at Blaine. It was clear Kurt didn't believe for a second that Blaine could be scared off. Kurt held out his hand for him and Blaine crossed the room quickly to take it, letting Kurt lead him out of the room while the two men chuckled kindly.

As soon as they were out of sight, Kurt stopped and pulled Blaine into his arms, pressing a warm kiss to his lips. Blaine returned the kiss eagerly, happy to be held in his boyfriend’s arms. Kurt pulled back and smiled at Blaine.

"Is that OK?" Blaine asked. "Can I come over for dinner on Friday?"

"Of course." Kurt smiled. "You don't have to ask, you know."

"I know." Blaine blushed. "But I’d rather have permission."

Kurt seemed to consider Blaine for a moment, and then Kurt's arms tighten around his waist, possessively.

"Come to dinner on Friday night," Kurt said, voice sure and strong. 

"OK," Blaine replied, closing his eyes and shivering as he felt stress and tension drain from his body.

Kurt leaned in to press a kiss to Blaine's forehead.

--

Blaine spent about an hour watching Kurt work on somebody's Camry. The car had gone up on lifts, which had been quite impressive to watch for the first time, and Kurt had rotated the tires before bringing it back down.

Kurt changed the air filter in the car, talking Blaine through the process as he went along. Blaine was happy to listen, handing Kurt tools when asked. Blaine was trying to pick things up as quickly as he could, eager to be helpful.

In-between Kurt’s lessons, the two of them chatted easily, mostly about Glee and football. The conversation was relaxing and pleasant, and Blaine found himself smiling the whole time.

"Alright then!" Kurt grinned, dropping the hood of the car with a bang. "All set." 

Kurt pressed a quick kiss to Blaine's lips, smiling when he pulled back.

"I have to watch the front desk for a while," Kurt said as he walked over to a work station to clean his hands. "Come hang out with me."

Blaine just nodded as he watched Kurt unzip the coveralls and strip out of them. Underneath them he wore skinny jeans and a black tee shirt. Again, Blaine found he couldn't help but stare at Kurt's arms.

Kurt turned and noticed Blaine watching him and he grinned. He walked over to take Blaine’s hand, leading him out of the shop and into the front office. Blaine was happy to be led and followed as Kurt sat down in the single chair behind the front counter. When Kurt tugged him onto his lap Blaine blushed and looked about nervously, but sat none the less.

"You're OK, babe," Kurt murmured and pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot behind Blaine's ear, making him shiver. "The guys here are all busy in the back. And we'd be able to see a customer coming long before they could see us. Just relax, alright?"

Blaine relaxed into Kurt's arms, realizing he was right. They could see all the way down the road from the front office, as long as they paid attention, no one would sneak up on them.

"That's better," Kurt whispered, pressing a kiss to Blaine's lips.

Blaine opened himself up to the kiss, feeling as if his whole body was melting into Kurt. His hand reached out and tentatively curled around the bicep of Kurt's arm, and he felt as if there was electricity crackling under his fingertips. Kurt's skin was warm and the muscle under Blaine's hand was strong and firm.

Those same strong arms wrapped around Blaine’s waist, pulling him close. Blaine pressed into the kiss, gasping when Kurt pulled back to trail kisses down his neck. Kurt's mouth was hot and wet as he sucked and kissed, finding a spot where Blaine's neck met his shoulder that was particularly sensitive. A soft moan slipped from Blaine's lips as Kurt sucked and nibbled at the spot, and the knowledge that Kurt was going to leave a hickey made Blaine’s pulse quicken. His cock was quickly growing hard, responding to the very possessive way that Kurt was marking him.

"Mine," Kurt almost growled into Blaine's skin before he pressed a soft kiss to the spot he had branded.

"Yes, yours," Blaine whispered, surprising himself with his quick response. Growing bold, he straddled Kurt's lap and nuzzled his face against the boy's neck. He wanted to grind his aching cock against Kurt's lap, but he didn't. He sat still instead.

He wanted to give everything to Kurt. But even more than that, he wanted Kurt to take it.

Kurt’s hands held Blaine’s hips in a possessive grip, and he tugged Blaine closer to him. Blaine’s cock strained in his jeans, desperate for friction, but Kurt left a frustrating inch between them.

Kurt came back up for deep kiss and Blaine let out a small moan as Kurt’s mouth took his own. Kurt’s tongue was insistent as it thrust past Blane’s lips, and Blaine opened for him, letting Kurt explore him. Their kisses became more heated and Blaine’s heart was racing from the intensity.

After a few minutes, Kurt finally pulled back from Blaine with a groan, as if leaving Blaine’s lips was physically painful.

“I think we’re moving a little too fast, babe,” Kurt said softly, breathing hard as he pressed a kiss to Blaine’s temple. He tugged on Blaine until he twisted to sit on Kurt's lap in a slightly more chaste manner, both legs off to one side again.

Blaine just sighed, trying to slow his heart as he snuggled into Kurt, accepting that this wasn't the place for them to get carried away. Blaine knew he should be more concerned about being caught -  Burt was only in the other room - but something about being in Kurt's arms made him feel safe.

"I can't wait to walk down the halls with my boyfriend tomorrow," Kurt said.

Blaine felt a twinge of nerves in his stomach at the thought of school. Somehow, knowing that people had thought that he and Kurt were already dating didn't really help Blaine feel more confident.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice was soft and he cupped Blaine's cheek in his hand. "What's wrong, babe?"

Blaine hesitated for only a second before answering.

"I'm nervous. About people knowing, I guess," Blaine whispered. "But I’ll be OK. I feel better when you're with me," he added, tucking in closer to Kurt.

Kurt leaned in to press a kiss to Blaine's lips, soft and gentle.

"I have an idea," Kurt said with a smile when he pulled back from the kiss. "Stand up."

Blaine did as he was told, rising to his feet next to Kurt's chair. He watched in confusion as Kurt got up and walked to a closet that Blaine hadn't noticed before. Kurt reached in and came back with a familiar red jacket. Kurt's letterman's jacket.

Blaine watched as Kurt came back and wrapped the jacket around Blaine's shoulders. Immediately, Blaine felt the same warmth in his chest he had felt the first time Kurt had given him the jacket. Only this time, Blaine was wearing his boyfriend's jacket.

"I want you to wear this tomorrow," Kurt said, pressing a kiss to Blaine's temple. "And every day if it helps," he added, whispering in Blaine's ear. "Wear it so when we're not together you'll still be able to feel me wrapped around you. Protecting you."

"Thank you," Blaine whispered back, leaning back against Kurt's chest. He felt safe in his boyfriend's jacket, knowing that 'Hummel' was clearly stamped on his back. 

The reality that the whole school knew he was gay was terrifying. But for some reason, everyone knowing exactly who he belonged to? That made him feel invincible. 

--

On Monday morning, Kurt stood on the front step of the school, waiting. He tapped his foot, feeling a little anxious as he scanned the parking lot for his boyfriend. Being separated from the boy was becoming more difficult all the time; if Kurt could get away with it, he would keep Blaine by his side every minute of the day.

Kurt shook his head, that sounded crazy, even to himself.  Although he couldn't be the first teenager to wish he could spend more time with his boyfriend. And surely everyone wanted to protect the people they cared for.

A familiar dark head of gel slicked curls appeared between the cars, and Kurt let out a relieved breath. He couldn't help but grin when he spotted Blaine in his own letterman's jacket. The jacket was just a bit too large for Blaine, the cuffs hung a bit low and the shoulders were too wide. It gave Kurt so much pleasure to see his boyfriend wearing his jacket; the knowledge that Blaine wore Kurt's name for everyone to see sent a thrill down his spine.

Blaine met Kurt's grin with a shy smile and pink cheeks. As he got closer, Kurt could see Blaine's eyes tracking up and down Kurt's body.

"Wow," Blaine whispered as he reached Kurt's side. His hand reached out to touch, fingertips brushing the black leather.

Without his letterman's jacket, Kurt had taken the opportunity to be a bit more adventurous with his clothes than he usually dared. He was still within the realm of what McKinley kids considered normal, he hoped.

He wore a pair of jeans that were a bit more fitted than he usually wore at school, and a black leather jacket over a grey henley. The cut of the jacket had an edgy look, almost biker style, and Kurt hoped it gave the impression that he would end anyone who dared to mess with Blaine. Because he would.

"Good morning to you too," Kurt said with a grin, looping an arm around Blaine's waist.

Blaine blushed and leaned into Kurt. "Sorry," Blaine chuckled nervously, pressing his hot face to the cool leather on Kurt's shoulder. "You just look amazing."

"Thanks, babe." Kurt grinned at Blaine, squeezing his waist affectionately. "You look stunning."

"Thanks," Blaine said, smiling a bit and biting his lip. His eyes warily tracked the crowd of kids around them as Kurt led him into the school. A few people gave them curious looks, and a cluster of freshman girls giggled madly, but mostly they were ignored.

They reached Blaine's locker and Kurt pulled back from Blaine to lean against the next locker while his boyfriend unloaded some of his books. The vantage point allowed him to carefully watch for any type of threat while he continued to chat with Blaine about Glee.

"Sup, dudes?" Puck grinned at them both as he approached.

"Hey, Puck." Kurt grinned, putting out a hand, which Puck slapped with a grin, then knocked his knuckles against Kurt's fist.

"Hey bro, hey Blaine," Finn said with a grin, suddenly appearing out of the crowd of students. Sam and Mike were with him, and they nodded at Kurt.

"Hey guys." Kurt smiled and warmth filled him as he recognized what his friends were doing. He wondered if Blaine realized they suddenly had an entire entourage to escort him to his first class.

Safe in the security of his friends, Kurt took Blaine's hand in his as he walked his boyfriend to first period. For the first time, Kurt was the odd man out, the one not in a letterman's jacket, but he couldn't even care. He could only hope it imbibed Blaine with confidence, the way it had for Kurt all these years.

--

After parting from Kurt and the other boys in front of his Calc class door, Blaine had found his usual spot in the back next to Santana.

"You know, until Friday night, I didn't even think you knew how to smile."

Blaine looked at Santana with raised eyebrows, realizing that he'd been grinning like an idiot since Kurt had left him for his own first period class.

"It's actually kinda nice." Santana actually seemed genuine as she spoke. "The constant cloud of doom over your head was getting rather depressing."

"Thanks, Santana," Blaine said with a smile and an eye roll.

"You're welcome." Santana smiled sweetly, and if Blaine had known her better, that would have been his first clue. "Now tell me." She leaned in closely. "Has Hummel fucked you yet?"

"What?!" Blaine spluttered, shocked at her brashness. "No! I- I mean- that's none of your business!" 

"Oh, it's always my business," Santana replied with a grin. "The sexual exploits of my friends are most interesting to me."

Blaine blushed. "If you want to know what Kurt is getting up to, you can ask him yourself."

"I'm not asking Hummel, am I?" Santana raised an eye brow at him. "I don't need to, I can read him like a book," she said with a grin. "I was asking you, Blainers."

"Are you suggesting we're friends?" Blaine asked, tentatively.

"If I did, would you tell me all the dirty details?"

"No," Blaine said.

"Hmm." Santana playfully glared at him. "Well, we can be friends anyway."

"Uh, OK," Blaine managed, still more than a little shocked.

"Besides." Santana leered at him. "I don't really need you to tell me when Hummel finally gets the job done," she said with a saucy wink. "Trust me, I'll know. Nice hickey, by the way."

Blaine was at a loss for words, and all he could do was blush and slap a hand over the mark on his neck. He wasn't sure if he should be glad to have made a new friend or absolutely terrified.

Probably the latter.

--

Kurt made sure to take his usual detour after first period, wanting to check in on Blaine and make sure he was OK. He had started the habit to help Blaine, but he felt it helped himself just as much. Kurt needed to know that Blaine was safe and happy- the boy was quickly becoming the most important thing in Kurt’s life.

Kurt was surprised to find Blaine walking down the hall with Santana, the two of them chatting and smiling. Based on Santana's grin and Blaine's blush, Kurt had an idea of what they might be talking about. His suspicions were confirmed when Blaine spotted him and blushed brighter, even as he grinned at him.

"Hummel." Santana sighed dramatically. "Your boyfriend refuses to share the saucy details of your relationship with me."

Kurt grinned and reached out for Blaine, slipping a hand under his own jacket to grab Blaine's hip and tug him close. He pressed his mouth to Blaine's ear.

 "Good," he whispered.

Kurt felt Blaine shiver under his hand and relax. Kurt wished they weren't in school so he could press a kiss to the spot just below Blaine's ear, but Kurt knew how far he should press his luck.

Kurt pulled back and grinned at Santana, his arm wrapping around Blaine's waist.

"That's because he's a good boyfriend, Santana." Kurt smirked at her.

"Yeah, yeah." Santana rolled her eyes. "Come on, Anderson, we're going to be late for class."

Blaine looked to Kurt, who nodded and squeezed his waist before letting go. Blaine grinned back before he turned to Santana and kept walking down the hallway.

Kurt knew that the two of them did not have second period together, so he was relieved to know that Santana was going out of her way to walk with Blaine. Kurt was pretty confident that no one would mess with his boyfriend with Santana at his side, and he smiled as the two of them disappeared around a corner. 

"God, this school is just over run with queers now, isn't it?"

Kurt turned quickly, finding himself face to face with Rick. The other boy's face was twisted with a cruel expression as he looked Kurt up and down. 

“Go to hell,” Kurt said with a growl, squaring his shoulders.

“I’m not the one going to hell,” Rick replied. He started to advance on Kurt in a threatening manor. “All you faggots are going to burn, and Anderson is so flaming I’m sure he’ll burn brightest.”

Reacting on protective instincts, rage swelled in Kurt’s chest and his fist smashed into Rick's face before he even registered what he was doing. His anger blinded him, and he didn't react fast enough when Rick came back at him with a fist of his own. Sharp pain bloomed across Kurt's face as the fist connected with his cheekbone and sent him flying backward. 

But Kurt was quick to react this time, and he was up and on Rick in seconds, dodging a blow and landing another.

"Shut the fuck up about Blaine!"

"Then stop trying to fuck him in the hallways!"

There were suddenly strong hands on Kurt's arms, pulling him away, and several boys in letterman's jackets pushing Rick in the opposite direction.

"Kurt." Finn's voice was in his ear. "Kurt, common, we gotta get out of here before a teacher shows up."

Kurt was vibrating with rage as his brother and Puck pulled him down the hall and into the boy's locker room. Kurt ripped himself out of Finn’s grip and stalked away from him, but Finn grabbed him again and pressed him down on the bench. Finn took Kurt’s chin in his hand, turning his face to get a better look at where Rick had hit him.

"You're going to have one hell of a black eye," Finn muttered. "But I don't think there's any serious damage."

"That was badass, Kurt." Puck grinned darkly, appearing with an icepack.

Kurt took it and pressed it to the side of his face with a groan. The rage was draining from his body, leaving him feeling weary and worried.

"I shouldn't have done that," Kurt mumbled.

"Fuck that guy, Kurt. I'm sure he fucking deserved it," Puck snapped.

"Totally." Finn nodded sagely.

Kurt sighed and stared at his feet.

"So, what did he do?" Puck pressed, sitting down next to Kurt.

"Talked shit about Blaine," Kurt said, then added as an afterthought, "And me. All I did was wrap an arm around my boyfriend."

Kurt sighed. He had been playing loose and not thinking about the consequences of his actions. He might be popular, but that didn't mean some people wouldn't still take issue with him "acting on his gayness." 

"I shouldn't be so touchy with Blaine." Kurt frowned. "I'm going to get him hurt."

"Hey," Finn said sharply. "Don't start thinking you brought this on yourself or something. Rick's an asshole and he'll always be an asshole. You don't have to encourage it to make it happen."

Kurt just glared at his clenched fist, the other hand still pressing the cold icepack to his face. He would do anything to keep Blaine safe; he would fight Rick every day if he had to.

--

Blaine smiled to himself as he walked into the cafeteria, scanning the room for his boyfriend. They hadn't crossed paths in the last passing period, but Blaine was feeling great, had been all day. He didn't see Kurt right away, so he got in line and bought his lunch, carrying it over to the table where he spotted Finn and the others, but still no sign of his boyfriend.

"Hi," Blaine said, sitting down next to Santana. "Where's Kurt?"

"He just got in line," Puck said, nodding his head in Kurt's direction.

Blaine looked over and saw his boyfriend, his back to Blaine, buying lunch. Blaine couldn’t help but admire the way the black leather jacket clung to Kurt, fitting him perfectly.

Blaine turned back to the others with a small smile on his face, but it faded as he picked up on the tension in the air. Something wasn't quite right. Puck and Finn kept scowling at someone across the room, and Santana was unusually quiet.

"Hey, babe," Kurt said as he sat down next to Blaine, putting his food down next to Blaine's.

"Hi..." Blaine trailed off when he turned to Kurt and was faced with a blooming black eye across the right side of Kurt's face. He felt as if all the air left his lungs in a rush and he felt fear prickle at the base of his spine.

"Kurt!" Blaine gasped, reaching out to touch but stopping himself, fingertips ghosting over the surface of the bruise under Kurt's eye. "What happened?"

"It's not important," Kurt said.

"It's not important?" Blaine was shocked. "You're hurt, of course it's important!"

Kurt frowned and glared at something on the other side of the room. He seemed to be struggling to find an answer and he looked at Blaine with uncertainty in his eyes. Kurt reached out and took Blaine's hand in his own, under the table, holding it tight.

"It seems that there are a few people who take offense to our relationship," Kurt said carefully. "One of them decided to tell me as such, so I hit him and he hit back. End of story."

Blaine stared at Kurt, fear and anger fighting for dominance in his mind. He looked over to where Kurt was glaring and finally noticed the cluster of hockey boys, one of them sporting a matching black eye. Blaine didn't know who he was afraid for, himself or Kurt, or both. He felt the beginning of a panic attack as it really sunk in that his boyfriend had gotten in a fight because someone didn't like that they were gay. That they were gay and together.

"Blaine, please," Kurt begged, gripping Blaine's hand and resting his other on Blaine's knee. "I promised to protect you; I promised you would be safe here. You are safe here, they won't dare touch you. He never would have hit me if I hadn't hit him first."

"You don't know that," Blaine whispered, he felt the prickle of tears in his eyes but he fought them back.  "You never know what they're capable of until it's too late."

Blaine knew how quickly a situation like this one could escalate. He wanted to share his story with Kurt, to explain what had happened to him and why Kurt should be careful. But Blaine couldn’t, he never spoke about that night, not to anyone.

"It will be OK, Blaine," Kurt insisted. "Please, eat your lunch? You need to eat."

Blaine frowned at his plate. He wasn't hungry anymore, but he did as he was told and started to eat. All he really wanted was to have Kurt's arms around him, to feel the possessive strength that  reminded him who he belonged with. Who he belonged to.

But Kurt was suddenly distant with his affections; he held Blaine's hand, but only where it was hidden under the table. And where he had never shied from wrapping an arm around Blaine before, regardless of who was around, suddenly he was keeping a respectable space between them.

Blaine wanted to lean into Kurt's shoulder, but he wasn't sure it would be welcome. So he held tightly to Kurt's hand and didn't let go until long after his meal was finished.

As they all stood to leave for class, Blaine looked to Kurt, expecting, needing him to wrap an arm around his waist. Or take his hand, at least. 

But Kurt only frowned and kept his hands to himself, walking close to Blaine but not touching him. 

Blaine stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to ignore the part of him that was desperate to be held. He was scared and upset and all he wanted was for Kurt to wrap him up and tell him it would be OK. 

But Kurt still didn’t touch him, and as much as Blaine wanted to reach out and take Kurt’s hand in his own, he didn’t. 

Blaine wasn’t sure whether he was allowed to.