Like Kurt thought, being Blaine's boyfriend isn't too different than being his friend.

Except now when they walk through the halls, Blaine attaches himself to Kurt's hip and gives everyone this self-satisfied smirk because Kurt Hummel is his, be jealous, fuckers.

Most people can't give less of a shit. Kurt Hummel is that weird gay kid, and Blaine is a stereotypical bad-boy that's going to end up dead or in jail in ten years. Kurt doesn't feel the need to correct the brain-dead troglodytes that go to his school because he doesn't need their validation anyway.

One person cares, though.

And he scares the hell out of Kurt.

When Kurt walks down the hallways with Blaine's arm hugging him to his side, he sees Karofsky's furious face. Thick fists clench tight at the sight of Blaine, and Karofsky's eyes promise something horrible.

Kurt just presses a little closer to Blaine and ignores it.

He feels like the proverbial ostrich hiding his head in the sand.

But talking to Karofsky will tip the scales and force something to happen, and Kurt's just not ready to deal with that. So he pretends not to see the anger and jealousy on Karofsky's face.

He's still not talking to Rachel.

Kurt knows he should forgive her, or at least talk to her, but he's always had a problem with holding grudges and he sees no reason to stop now. She betrayed his trust in more ways than one, so she can sweat it out for a little while longer. Also, she might actually learn something after all this.

Yeah, and the sun rises in the west.

Kurt shuts his locker with a hard slam.

"Jesus, you got something against that poor door?" Blaine raises an eyebrow from where he leans against the wall. Kurt rolls his eyes and ignores him. But he doesn't protest when Blaine slides his arms around Kurt's middle and rests his chin over Kurt's shoulder. "Seriously though, you ok, babe?"

Stupid nicknames should not have such an effect on him, but Kurt feels a flood of warmth anyway. "Yeah, I'm fine," he says, smiling at Blaine. Rachel walks bye with a hesitant wave, and Kurt turns away.

"You're going to have to talk to her eventually, you know." Blaine watches her face crumble. "You know that no one's talking to her but Finn? And that might not even last because Quinn's starting to edge into her 'scary' mode."

Kurt turns on his heel and stalks off to AP history. He really loves Blaine, he does; but sometimes Kurt wants to take that stupid cigarette-smoking moron and beat him upside the head with his damn leather boots.

"Kurt, come on. You're angry, yeah, but it worked out, right?" Blaine tries to slide his hand into Kurt's, but Kurt brushes him off. "This is getting ridiculous."

"I'm going to be as angry as I want for as long as I want." Kurt hisses. "Leave me alone." He leaves Blaine in the hallway.

He doesn't see Karofsky listening around the corner.

Rachel corners him after Glee. She's been off all week; her pitch variable and her solos rocky. So much so that even Mr. Schue was giving him weird looks. Regionals is in a few weeks, and they supposedly need Rachel on point to win. Not that there weren't twelve other members perfectly capable of carrying a tune.

"Kurt, can I please talk to you?" She wrings her hands, eyes huge and brown and wet. Kurt just wants to burn her stupid dress. It's lime green with tiny baseballs on it.

"No." Kurt finishes packing up and starts for the door where Blaine waits. All he wants is to go back to his house and cuddle with Blaine and maybe make out for a while. He's getting better at kissing and there's a spot just under Blaine's chin that turns his boyfriend into a whimpering mess that warrants further exploration.

But Rachel is apparently a bigger idiot than Kurt anticipates. "Kurt, please, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say those things about you and Blaine, I—" She cuts herself off with a sob. "I just…I miss my best friend." Rachel finishes in a whisper, looking down at her shoes.

He should forgive her. Just a few words and he'd have his musical-loving best friend back.

Then he remembers the look on her face when she told the entire club about his unrequited crush on Blaine and how boys would never like him more than her.

"You have thought about that before you tore me down publically to make yourself look better." Kurt gives her a significant look before walking over to his boyfriend. Blaine opens his mouth to say something but closes it at Kurt's expression. Instead he winds his arm around Kurt's waist and gives him a light peck.

After finding the razor and pills, Blaine seems pretty determined to make sure Kurt knows he's loved by at least one person. Even if that person is equally fucked up. But Kurt really doesn't mind.

"Movie date on your couch?" Blaine asks. "I vote for Wrong Turn."

"That's a horror movie, isn't it?" Kurt snorts as they walk down the hallway. "You just want an excuse to hold me and maybe cop a feel."

Blaine bursts out laughing. "Like you wouldn't enjoy it anyway," he says with a wink.

Their banter is cut short when they get to Kurt's car and Finn is waiting against the door.

"What do you want?" Kurt snaps, unwinding himself from Blaine's arms. He saw that look of apprehension on Finn's face. It's one thing to know your step-brother is gay, but another thing entirely to see him act on it. And Finn, even though he's grown since last year, evidently still has some issues with Kurt dating.

Finn colors and avoids Kurt's eyes. "Um, Rachel wanted me to talk to you."

Good fucking Lord. Kurt narrows his eyes and ignores Blaine's comforting back rub. "About?" he says, voice icy.

"She, um," Finn glances at Blaine, then Kurt. "She's like, really sorry and stuff. And I think you've dragged this on long enough." He finishes, a little bolder.

Kurt feels cold. "I've dragged it on enough, have I?" He wonders if Finn knows how close to death he is. Judging by Blaine's warning glances, Blaine certainly knows what Kurt's tone is implying.

"Yeah, man." Finn waves his arms. "Like, Regionals is in a couple weeks and Rachel's still upset over what went down between you two and she's having trouble singing. And she's apologized a lot and really means it, so you should forgive her already. As co-captain of New Directions, it's my responsibility that everyone performs to the best of their ability for every competition."

"And Rachel can't if I'm still pissed at her."

"Exactly!" Finn grins, clearly missing Kurt's effort to not destroy the big lump in two seconds. "We need to win so we can go to Nationals, and if we go to Nationals, then the club won't be so hated and we can get slushied even less!"

Some days, Kurt wonders how Finn made it to seventeen.

"Okay. I'm going to explain something, so you better listen up. This goes for you too, Blaine." Kurt begins. He bites back a laugh at how Blaine's eyes go wide at being singled out. "What's going on between me and Rachel is just that. Between me and Rachel. I am still angry at her, and I will be for a while. You can't make me forgive her any faster. I will hate her guts for a while and quite frankly Finn?" Kurt takes a deep breath. "I don't give a flying fuck about Regionals. Rachel is not the only singer in the club, and maybe you and Schuester should remember that once in a while. I'm done talking about this." Kurt rips the car door open and is about to climb inside when Finn ruins everything.

"I think you're being really selfish right now Kurt."

Somehow, Kurt manages to avoid a murder charge. He needs to punch something. So instead of killing his idiot brother, Kurt throws his keys at Finn's head and runs back to the school. The weight room should be empty by now, and he still has an extra pair of gloves and gym clothes in his gym locker. He hears Blaine yelling at Finn, but he just can't be there. He needs to kick the shit out of something. Like a punching bag.

The weight room is empty when Kurt finally walks in. He's wearing his sweats and a grey tank top with his hands taped up. The gloves weren't in his locker, but Kurt really doesn't care at the moment. His body still vibrates with energy and adrenaline. He wants to punch the hell out of something, and the pain might even feel good.

Kurt stands in front of the punching bag.

Anger, annoyance, and frustration bubble up through his skin.

But not fear. For the first time in a while, Kurt's not afraid.

He lets loose one hard punch, feeling the impact reverberate up his arm. It's release. Kurt hits the bag again, then again. He loses track of time, pounding the bag harder and harder. Grunts and cries echo in the empty room, and Kurt lets go of everything.

The bag is Rachel, a selfish, self-entitled bitch that would step all over him to get what she wants even if it hurts him in the process.

It's Finn, so blinded by his love for Rachel that he doesn't see how it hurts Quinn. A shitty leader that puts his popularity before his own brother.

It's the teachers of McKinley, who turn a blind eye to the crap Kurt goes through every day.

It's David Karofsky, who gets more terrifying and unpredictable with every glance.

It's Kurt, who is still a weak little boy that doesn't deserve love.

Kurt punches the bag until his hands stop hurting and he's just numb all over.

Blaine finds him.

He waits until Kurt tires himself out before letting his presence be known. By the end, Kurt's just weakly hitting the bag, using it to keep standing. Sweat drenches everything, even Kurt's hair. He has dried tear tracks on his face and his knuckles are bloodied. Kurt turns his head to see Blaine in the doorway and sighs.

Fucking typical.

He lets Blaine guide him to the locker room and unwrap his hands. The wraps are stained red, but it doesn't hurt. Nothing hurt. Blaine runs his hands under cool water and gets the first aid kit from Coach Beiste's office. He gently cleans the cuts and bandages them with skill.

The silence kills Kurt.

"You're good at that." Kurt says, barely above a whisper. He watches Blaine's hands. They're darker and little thicker than his own, but they move so carefully. Like Blaine doesn't want Kurt to be in pain anymore.

Blaine smiles ruefully. "Lot of practice," he mutters. Kurt's heart clenches. He sees a young boy with wild black curls wrapping his ribs after another beating by the man that used to love him.

He wants to cry again and he doesn't even know why.

"How long were you watching?" Kurt asks instead, though his voice is rough from screaming in the weight room. He hadn't been that angry in a long time.

"Most of it, I think." Blaine finished the right hand and moved on to the left. "After I yelled at Finn for being a first-class shithead, I came here. You looked like you could use the release." His hands shake slightly, but Blaine steadies them before Kurt can be sure. "Are you feeling better?" His eyes watch Kurt carefully.

Kurt shrugs.

"Finn's right," he mutters.

"About what?"

A sob threatens to rip through his chest, but Kurt chokes it down. "I am selfish." He whispers. Then breaks completely.

"Oh, Kurt, no," Blaine gathers him into his arms in seconds, gripping tight. "No, Kurt, you aren't, you're amazing, you're—"

"—The kid that almost killed himself." Kurt says into Blaine's shirt. He grips Blaine's shirt tightly. "I wanted everything to end and I didn't stop to think about anyone else, not you or-or my dad, or F-Finn or Carole." He's crying too hard to speak properly, and Kurt hates that, hates how he can't control his emotions for one goddamn second, and Blaine deserves so much better than him. He deserves someone normal. "I just wanted to die, and fuck everyone else."

Blaine draws him in closer. "But you didn't."

"Because you stopped me."

"Because you let me stop you." Blaine wipes away his tears with his thumbs, hands framing Kurt's face. Kurt can't escape Blaine's eyes. Blaine grins. "You, Kurt Hummel, do not let anyone control you right? Otherwise you wouldn't have worn that purple quilt-thing the other day."

"That was a poncho, Blaine, and its fashion." Kurt quips automatically, because duh. But he smiles weakly.

"You're such a brat." Blaine ruffles his hair, dodging Kurt's swat. "But anyway, Finn's an asshole. He's not worth your time." He tugs Kurt to the floor and leans against the wall, letting Kurt rest his head on his shoulder. He's gross and sweaty and probably smells, but Blaine doesn't seem to care. They sit for a while, Blaine stroking his thumb over Kurt's waist. Kurt listens to Blaine's chest rise and fall. Lets himself relax. Breath.

Fuck, he's so in love with Blaine.

Later, Kurt sneaks Blaine into his room. They make out for hours, hands roaming and lips hot and bodies pressed close. Blaine tries to make Kurt feel wanted and loved and it works for a while.

But then night comes and Blaine leaves.

And the nightmares come.

The next week, Karofsky finally cracks.