Three hours and a phone call later Kurt sat anxiously in his apartment awaiting the arrival of the man that he hated and would rather never see again. But, if he was going to do this, protect Blaine, help Blaine, love Blaine he needed to make sure Zach, and the likes of him, were far away from them, so they were never hurt by them again. A part of him thought it foolish, trying to play the hero to make up for all his short comings but despite it all he felt a need to confront Zach in retaliation to his deceit.

He was blisteringly angry. He was angry that he'd been misled, distracted from what truly needed his undivided attention, diverted from just giving in to what he was feeling for Blaine and giving in to Blaine himself. He was angry that Blaine had been tormented by Zach. Used, abused and manipulated into living life from fix to fix simply because there was nothing else he could do about it all anymore.

He thought about everything he knew about Blaine and about how it by no means amounted to a little. It didn't matter so much that he hadn't learnt about Zach and Evan until recently. It didn't matter so much that he still didn't know the truth behind the nightmares or the flinches or Jake, Max and Tommy. What mattered was that Kurt knew Blaine well enough to not need the answers and Blaine knew Kurt well enough to give them to him anyway.

Kurt knew everything he needed to know. Blaine can't sit still for any period of time longer than five minutes. Blaine pouts when he's denied something he wants. Blaine hates it when people say something and mean something entirely different. Blaine likes dogs and he had a Beagle called Flash when he lived back in Ohio. Blaine hates lying. Blaine loves coffee with cinnamon and almond biscotti. He bites his lip and rubs his neck when he's nervous. He needs to touch if someone isn't okay. He likes to tease but he hates waiting. He shuts down if someone points out his flaws. He'll sneeze when presented with paprika. He'll moan if you pull his hair. He'll laugh at knock knock jokes and when tickled. He smiles honestly, tries hard and loves deeply.

There was an abrupt pounding at the door and Kurt stood, legs shaky and palms sweating, before walking unsteadily towards the door. The moment the lock clicked and Kurt had the door unlocked the door was wrenched open sending him stumbling back. Zach stood, leaning against the doorframe, rubbing his gums with his tongue, his eyes wild, red rimmed and blood shot.

Kurt had seen that look before but with Blaine it never looked as dangerous as Zach appeared. In seconds Kurt registered what must have been the cause but it was seconds too late. Before he had time to even flinch, Zach slammed his back into a bookshelf, the shelves biting painfully at his back as he cried out and tried to rip himself from Zach's grasp. With books and knick knacks crashing to the ground Zach's fingers dug into Kurt's shoulders, marring the pale skin underneath his shirt with bruises.

"So you're actually sweet on pretty boy huh?" Zach snarled, his face inches from Kurt's "I should've known, he was all you ever fucking talked about anyway." Kurt attempted to tear himself away again but to no avail. "Nuh uh uh princess you wanted to talk so talk, I'm guessing you already know all about Blaine's pathetic past?" Kurt froze, looking away guiltily and saying nothing.

"Oh so he hasn't told you about how Jake fucked with him," Zach grabbed Kurt's chin forcing him to look at him "and when I say fucked I mean it, princess. Jake made him such the perfect little slut."

"Stop" Kurt said firmly "s-stop, just leave him alone, leave us alone!"

"Oh no can do sweetheart, Blaine's no use to us anymore but you on the other hand-" Zach trailed off, bringing his hand down Kurt's neck and ripping at the buttons of his shirt before pushing his hips forward roughly. His scream was muffled by a clammy hand as Zach's glazed eyes roamed over him with predatory hunger and his hips snapped forward a second time.

By the third Kurt was thrashing back violently against Zach causing him to stagger back. Kurt lunged at him, pushing him towards the door frantically and forcefully before his fist connected with Zach's jaw and his knee to his groin. Zach doubled over in the doorway, heaving and clutching his bruising jaw. Kurt slammed the door, locked and bolted it before sliding down to the floor.

After a while he was banging on the door again and Kurt tried to wait it out shaking and horrified until he snapped and screamed at Zach through the wood. Threatening to make sure he never receives any ‘business' ever again and ensure Evan knew it was all Zach's fault that the police raided their backstreet hide out. He screamed and screamed until his voice was hoarse and he was sure that Zach wasn't ever coming back.

.oO0Oo.

An hour or so past and Kurt hadn't moved. He cried silently both relieved and terrified after Zach's departure. On one hand he was so glad that he could return to Blaine triumphant and certain that they could build on what they had in peace without the temptation and distraction. On the other Kurt was shaken. If he hadn't had been able to fight against Zach he couldn't bare to think of what he might've done. His blood ran cold when he thought about the blank malevolent gleam in Zach's steely grey eyes, or the sharp, painful feel of him as he ground against his hip. An icy hand took a grip of his heart and throat as he thought of him, cool sweat soaked skin, swamping him, trapping him, so excruciatingly different from Blaine.

Blaine was warm and gentle and strong without being overtly overpowering. He was sweet and sensual and exactly what Kurt needed. Who he'd always needed. Kurt stood, showered and dressed methodically, thinking adamantly and only about Blaine's arms and how he was dying to be in them.

.oO0Oo.

It was the middle of the night when Kurt left for Blaine's once more, needing to be with him as soon as possible. Something akin to hysteria was beginning to rise up through his chest and try as he might he couldn't suppress it much longer. A part of him wondered if he should burden himself on Blaine, he had been through so much in the past twenty four hours but Kurt was selfish and needed him by his side despite even the late hour.

Before he even realised it he was opening the door to Blaine's apartment. Standing deflated in the entryway his eyes travelled frantically around the vast, dark living room before landing on Blaine at the grand piano. Their eyes locked and ocean blues met honeyed hazel. Blaine was with him in a heartbeat, wrapping his arms tightly around him as Kurt sagged and clutched at him, his head buried in Blaine's neck. Blaine kissed his wet cheeks and combed his agile fingers through his damp and tangled hair, whispering reverent sweet nothings all the while.

This, they thought. This was worth it all.