“Why don't you make me understand Blaine?!” Sebastian's voice damn near shook the walls as he yelled and Kurt pulled the blanket up over himself and Romeo.  They were already locked and hidden in his room, but it still didn't feel secure enough.  The blanket helped - a little.

“He's my roommate Sebastian.  I don't see what this is such a big deal…”

“You're having dinner with him?  You bought him a gift?”

“He's my friend!  Answer me!  Why is this a big deal?!”

Kurt knew.  Kurt knew from where he hid, nervously trying to open his pack of cigarettes in the dark of the blanket, his fingers stumbling all over the package.

“Because…. ugh… don't you see Blaine?  Don't you know?”

Kurt heard something thump heavily - maybe a fist against the wall or a foot against the floor.  Even though he could hear everything it was still muffled by all the barriers between him and the rest of the apartment.  He finally got a cigarette out and the next effort would be getting it lit.  Where did he put that lighter?

“What is it Sebastian… what are you getting at?”

There was a hush, and suddenly the voices outside the door weren't so clear.  Oh yah… the lighter was on the window sill.  He pulled the blanket down and reached over to grab it, flicking it over and over until a flame held and he could light up.

“I already knew that Sebastian.  How did you know that?”  Blaine's voice said steadily, calmly.

“I've seen him… out there…. only so many male whores with pink hair…. even in this town.”

“He doesn't do that.  Not anymore.  He's my friend.”

“He's a goddamn whore Blaine… and my boyfriend, that I haven't even seen naked after MONTHS of dating is living with him.  No wonder you won't put out.  You're probably getting all you need from him.”

Kurt trembled and shoved the window open as he took in long puffs, holding the cigarette by the window when it wasn't between his lips so the night air dragged the scent away.  As if he knew, Romeo licked Kurt's free hand and looked up at him sadly.  Somehow, the damned dog knew.

“Don't you call him that Sebastian!  He's my friend and you're supposed to be my boyfriend.  There is nothing, NOTHING, going on that way between him and I.  If you can't see that then you're blind.”

“How the hell did you befriend a whore anyhow Blaine?  I really don't think the prep school your parents had you at included those kind of extracurriculars.  Or is it at that charming state school you go to?”

“Really Sebastian, really?  Now you're pulling this elitist bull on me?”

The cigarette didn't last as long as Kurt needed since he was sucking it back hard and quick.  Another cigarette fell from the packet as he shook and another set of flicks before it lit up.  They were stomping around out there, yelling at one another like amateurs.  It must have been their first fight.

“You bought him a gift for god's sake Blaine!?  Who does that?  We didn't even go out for our four month anniversary last night!”

“Because you said you were busy Sebastian!  You're the one who made that call and when I suggested we do it Friday or tonight you said you'd get back to me and never did!”

“I wanted to surprise you by coming over tonight!  Come on Blaine! You always bitch at me to come over and now that I do you don't even want me here!”

“That's not it at all!  I would have loved to have you come in and have dinner, but the second, the SECOND, you saw him, you freaked out.  Whatever he's done in the past, he's my friend and roommate now and you either respect that or don't.  That's up to you, but I won't let you dictate who I can and can't have in my life.”

“Fine.”  Several more stomps and then a door slammed for the second time that day resulting in a heavy sigh from Blaine.  

Kurt was on his fifth cigarette by the time Blaine made his way over to his door and knocked.  “Kurt.  Please.  I'm sorry.  Come out.”

He stubbed out his cigarette, leaving the window open to suck out the rest of the stink.  In a moment his door was opened and he realized the smell must have carried with him once he saw Blaine's eyes immediately water and his nose twitch.  Oh well, collateral damage.

“Stop apologizing Blaine.  You're not at fault for this.  You know that.”  Kurt said, leaning in the doorway of his bedroom.  

Blaine sighed, running a hand back through his hair, “Please… come out and finish dinner.  Let's just… I need a distraction while I process.”

Kurt nodded, following Blaine out and back to the table.  The food had gotten cold in their absence, not that it stopped Kurt from downing several chicken balls in succession.  Blaine picked at his food meanwhile, looking sadly at his plate where he insisted on putting his food even though eating straight from the take out boxes eliminated the need to clean up dishes.  

“Okay… “  Kurt sighed and reached for the little box in blue foil wrapping in the center of the table, “Should I still open this?”

Blaine looked up, forced a smile, and nodded.  After a moment of hasty paper peeling, Kurt looked down at the small box in his hands.  

“A phone?”

Blaine nodded, “When Wes and I are on campus… it'll let us get ahold of you and vice versa… so… if you have a hankering for chinese I can pick some up on the way home.”

Kurt took in a soft breath and opened the box, pulling out the sleek little black phone.  No duct tape, no cracks, no chips, no missing corners or scratches.  It was new.

“I can't accept this Blaine… you already pay for everything and…”

“And nothing.  It would make me feel better.  Please?”

Kurt just nodded.  Pressing the button at the button so the phone lit up.

“I already programmed my number and Wes' number in.  Everything else is up to you.”

Kurt chuckled.  “I don't have anyone else I can add.”

“Maybe not yet.. but you will Kurt.”  

Doubtful.

Dinner was finished in silence, with Kurt eating the majority of it as usual.  When he had been chasing his highs, he was never hungry, now it was like he always was.  Wes warned him that he'd have to reign it in sooner or later, or start working out more, but for now, Kurt was still gaining weight back and was safe.

Once they were done, they moved to the couch, turning on a movie and assuming the usual positions - Blaine sitting up in a corner and Kurt spread out along the length of the couch with his head on Blaine's lap.

It was thirty minutes into the movie when Blaine found his voice and asked the question Kurt had been dreading.

“Have you seen Sebastian before tonight?”

Kurt took in and held his breath.  

“Kurt… please…”

He winced.  He didn't want to talk about this.  Not this.  Not now.  Not when he was in his safe place.

“Did he tell me the truth?  Did he just see you when he was going around town?”

There were two ways this could play out.  He could lie, or he could tell the truth.  Neither one appealed to him for various reasons.  In one case he would be blowing Blaine's relationship wide open and maybe even Blaine's ability to look at him, in the other case, he might have to continue to see Sebastian around, deal with him and his snottiness, and let him wedge himself between Blaine and himself.

“Because when he came in… it was like you both automatically knew who the other was…. and you ran to your room.  It didn't seem like it was only him that recognized someone tonight….”

“He just looked mad Blaine… and he was unfamiliar…”

“Are you sure?”

“Fuck Blaine… you know I'm not all right in the head.  I can't even think about leaving this place without shitting a brick.  Someone new?  Fucking scares my dick up into hiding.”

Blaine's hand found Kurt's hair and stroked it gently, and Kurt let his eyes close as he let the waves of calm fall over him in time with the strokes.  

“Okay.  Just… you shouldn't be afraid of him no matter what he says.”

“You've defended me twice this weekend against people you shouldn't have had to…”

“Don't Kurt.  Don't degrade yourself… “

“But you shouldn't have had to.”

“You're my friend.”

“You keep saying that… but what kind of friend am I that causes trouble with your other relationships?”

“You haven't done a thing Kurt.  Rachel's a crazy diva and Sebastian… well… I haven't move further along with him because of doubts I've had.  There's not a thing wrong with you.”

Kurt sighed and went back to letting his body relax bit by bit until he was asleep, woken again when the credits were rolling down the screen and pulled along to the bedroom where he fell back down, slumped against Blaine where he could listen to his heartbeat and bring him back to his dreams.  

“God… if Sebastian knew about this….”  Blaine murmured quietly.

Sebastian would freak out.  Sebastian would call someone…. he might call Cole in fact.  Suddenly Kurt's heart began to race, thumping wildly in his chest as the fear that had hit him earlier suddenly manifested itself in his mind.  Sebastian knew Cole.  Sebastian knew where Kurt was.  If he told Cole… if Cole found him… No.  That couldn't happen.  He needed to stop Sebastian from letting Cole know.

“You should talk things out with Sebastian Blaine… he was right to be upset… for all he knew you had just picked me up off the street…”

“But I didn't -”

“And he came in expecting to have a romantic evening with you and saw you with a known streetwalker and jumped to a bad conclusion.”

“I suppose but -”

“I would have been upset too Blaine.” Kurt lifted his face so his eyes met Blaine's. “I wouldn't want to think that someone I loved might have been cheating on me.”

That quieted the kid down, and then, “You called me Blaine.”

“Huh?”

“You always call me Trust Fund… I just noticed though… you said Blaine.”

“So?  That's not exactly what we were talking about here.”  Kurt mentally cursed himself for letting that particular wall fall.  

“I know… I just… I like it.”

Kurt groaned and put his face in his palms, “Can we not have a totally sappy moment here?”

“Okay… okay… I'll talk to Sebastian… doesn't mean he should have been so rude about you though.”

“You'll make it better Blaine… I know you will.  It's what you do.”

“You said it again!”

Fuck.  

“Whatever.  Just… he obviously cares about you since he's worried about me being around.”

“Do you think he actually loves me?”

Kurt frowned to himself.  That was one thing he knew he couldn't judge on since he'd had no experience in that department.  “I know that you're worth loving… and he's got no reason not to love you.”

“That's sweet Kurt.”  Blaine brightened, “Thanks.”

“You're welcome I guess.” Kurt grunted, shutting his eyes again, “Can we sleep now?”

“Sure.  Sleep tight.”

“Sleep tight…”