Blaine pulled the blankets over his head to block out the sunlight coming through the window. His head was pounding and his throat was scratchy. He hadn't slept well, only losing consciousness after crying into his pillow for hours the night before. He finally rolled out of bed and trudged to the shower.

He turned the tap on, leaving it so hot that he could barely stand it. The sting on his skin dulled the pain in his chest. As the water streamed over his head, he thought back to the previous night and tried not to start crying again.

“Get out of here, Curly. You're not the one I'm after. Consider this a warning.” Jessica snarled, digging her fingernails into Kurt's arm.

“Blaine, go. I'll be fine.” Kurt said firmly, his chin lifted in defiance. Desperation shone in his eyes.

“Kurt...” Blaine choked, “I can't just leave you...” Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to protect Kurt, to save him, but Kurt didn't seem to want to be saved.

“GO. Now.” Kurt snapped. Blaine turned and ran up the stairs, tears streaming down his face. He didn't stop running until he reached his room.

Blaine came out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. His roommate was already at breakfast, and Blaine wanted to hurry up and get ready so that he could look for Kurt. He quickly checked the schedule for the morning's activity, and saw the last thing he wanted to see: “Dance Lessons – Teams Bear, Bird.”

* * * * *

Blaine winced as the heavyset girl opposite him stepped on his foot for the third time. He stumbled and grit his teeth, looking at the ceiling in frustration. He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his jaw again.

“Let's try again, Amanda,” he said. “Pay attention. I'll show you where we're going with the pressure from my hands. If I'm travelling forward, you need to step backward.”

He wasn't getting anything out of this lesson, except heartache. Kurt wasn't anywhere to be found in the cafeteria at breakfast time, and Blaine was worried sick. All he wanted was to skip ahead until lunchtime, when he could look for Kurt again. Blaine had no idea what kind of punishment the counselors would manage, but he knew that Kurt was in a fragile state.

Blaine was in agony. The memory of Kurt's wide, blue eyes brimming with tears was fresh in his mind, and he couldn't stand the thought of it happening ever again. He wanted to be able to protect Kurt from any more heartache, and he was simply powerless over the situation. He mentally kicked himself for leaving the night before, even though Kurt had been desperate for him to do so.

The next song to come on was a popular waltz tune that Kurt had played for them the other night at their impromptu dance party. The memories came flooding back to Blaine, and his eyes smarted with fresh tears as he moved through the steps.

* * * * *

Kurt was locked in his room. He had endured hours of lecturing the night before after Jessica had caught him and brought him back to the main building. He was glad that he'd had the presence of mind to toss the empty airplane bottles in the lake on the way when Jessica wasn't looking, or it might have been a lot worse.

Then, first thing in the morning, Jessica had brought him to Wendy McAvoy. The high-strung fuss she had made over the events of the previous night had been difficult to endure from the volume and pitch alone. And, of course, she had called home and reported the incident. Kurt was trying hard not to think about that just yet.

After that, they brought him to the chapel for one-on-one “counseling” with Josiah. That had been worst of all, because Josiah wasn't content with Kurt sitting still with folded hands, going to his place of numbness and faking rapt attention. Josiah kept asking questions and wanting Kurt's input, and it was a lot harder to come up with something neutral to say that still satisfied Josiah, rather than bottling up all of his snark.

That was pretty much all of the punishment they could come up with. He was forbidden to see Blaine, of course, but he had no intention of obeying that rule. Camp was almost over, and he was determined to steal away as many precious moments as possible with his new crush, the boy he was rapidly falling for. The problem was, they were watching him closely and there hadn't been the slightest opportunity to sneak out.

Kurt heard the sound of a key turning in the lock, and Josh walked through the door carrying two peanut butter sandwiches. “They wanted me to just bring you lunch, but I was worried about you so I had them make me one, too,” Josh said.

“Thanks, but I'll be all right,” Kurt said, taking the sandwich. “I'm just glad that they didn't ship me home early.”

“What, is this place rubbing off on you?” Josh asked, with a sad smile.

Kurt chuckled grimly. “No, but it would really piss off my aunt and uncle if I got kicked out of Jesus camp. I don't want any trouble at home.”

“Also, you wouldn't get to see Blaine any more if they kicked you out,” Josh said, studying Kurt's face carefully.

“What's it to you?” Kurt said sharply, eliciting a wince from Josh.

“I didn't mean it like that,” Josh said, “I know how happy he makes you. You haven't exactly opened up to me this week, but I can tell that you're hurting. And I can tell that it gets better when you're with him. The gay thing... it really doesn't bother me anymore.”

Kurt's shoulders collapsed and he choked back a sob. The flood of pain turned to rage as Josh's words sunk in. “How can you SAY that?” he shrieked. “You're the one who turned us in! Go ahead and try to deny it. I could tell by the way you were acting when I got back the other night.”

Josh's eyes grew wide as saucers with horror at Kurt's outburst. In an instant, tears were pouring down his face. “I'm not going to deny it. But it's not what you think. Jessica caught me sneaking back. She didn't even care about catching me. She just wanted to get to you.”

Kurt's face softened as he considered this new information. Josh wiped his eyes and continued.

“Kurt, I'm tired of lying, to myself and to you. That wasn't the whole truth. There was a small part of me that wanted to get you caught. I was jealous, jealous of you, how free you are...” Josh rested his elbows on his knees and ducked his head low, cradling his face in his hands.

“That's not all, is it, Josh?” Kurt said softly.

“N..n...no,” Josh said in a tiny voice. “I was jealous of Blaine too. I still am.”

“I know,” Kurt said, quickly and gently, “I'm sorry, but Blaine and I...”

“Stop, you don't have to explain,” Josh said. “You and Blaine are perfect together. I get it. I meant what I said about wanting for us to be friends.” Josh paused, wrestling with himself, before choking back another sob and continuing. “You've already done so much for me. You have no idea. I'm so sorry for everything. I hope someday I can be as open and caring as you are. Right now, I still have so much hate for myself and what I am. It's all I've ever known.”

Kurt's heart broke for the boy, who suddenly looked so vulnerable. “I know a song that might make you feel better,” Kurt said. “It's about civil rights, but... well, this isn't the time to get all political, but you and I are caught up in the middle of our generation's own civil rights struggle, so it kind of fits.”

Josh sniffled and looked up to Kurt expectantly. Kurt stood near the window, gazing out at the lake in the distance, and began to sing.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night,

Take these broken wings and learn to fly.

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

* * * * *

Blaine paced anxiously around the grounds, missing Kurt at lunch and worrying even more. He hadn't been at any meals or activities. The only place he could be was in his room, but the counselors were circling like vultures and Blaine didn't dare get close enough to try the door.

As he rounded the corner of the dorm building, a beautiful sound, carried on the breeze, stopped him in his tracks.

He knew that voice. The ache in his heart eased. Kurt was okay.