Previously: Nick felt guilty, but then relieved at the same time because he was going to tell Jeff about Kurt tonight. He had been carrying the secret for a few months now, but it felt like it had been years since he had found out. Jeff knew how to keep a secret, but Nick was worried about how he would treat Kurt now that he would know. Would Jeff be the same, or would he act strangely around Kurt?

Blaine could feel his stomach drop as he pulled into his familiar parking spot between Jeff’s light blue Ford Focus and Wes’s tall green colored jeep. He knew he would be dealing with the taller blond sometime during the day because of what he had said to Nick, but he didn’t’t think it would happen at school. Actually, he had expected Jeff to call or even drive to his house to tell him off, but it never happened. It would have been better that way, the whole school wouldn’t’t have had to see and no one but their little group of friends would have known how horrible it had been.

As Blaine turned his key over, his thoughts plummeted while the car’s engine died down. Perhaps it really was better like this in some odd way, considering he would actually be ‘punished’, or more humiliated then he already was. With another sinking feeling Blaine realized that Jeff could be waiting just for that opportunity... He knew the other Warbler would never throw a punch at him or anything like that because it just wasn’t the way he was, but he also knew he deserved whatever his friend came up with.

With a small sigh and a soft groan he finally opened his car door and stepped out onto the smooth pavement of the parking lot. Quite a few people were still milling about in little groups around their cars, no doubt talking about their Thanksgiving vacation with one another. A few of the boys stopped when they saw Blaine to give him a wave or a pat on the back as he passed. Blaine managed to smile and say hi to a few in return even though he felt his stomach crawling up his throat as he walked closer to his dorm building.

Sliding his card key took him longer than normal; probably because he knew what waited on the other side of the locked door was something he really didn’t’t want to face. Thankfully no blond was waiting on the other side to attack or accuse him. The entrance was relatively calm with people carrying luggage towards the stairs and down different hallways. Blaine found his nerves settling slightly as he walked towards the stairs that would take him to the senior dorm rooms. Maybe he wouldn’t’t run into Jeff so soon after all.

Of course, that sense of comfort ended once he rounded the corner to see Jeff and Nick in the hallway. Jeff’s arm was wrapped around the shorter Warbler's waist as they stood outside the open door to Kurt’s dorm room. He finally realized he had stopped walking when another senior brushed passed him, grunting out some sort of apology before walking further down the hall.

“Oh, hey Blaine.” Jeff said when he finally noticed him.

Blaine frowned, noticing that the normally happy-go-lucky junior was staring at him with a dark look. Nick wouldn’t’t even look up from Jeff’s shoulder to acknowledge him. Biting his bottom lip he slowly began to walk down the hall once again, chiding himself mentally as his heartbeat seemed to increase as he drew nearer to the couple.

“Blaine?”

Blaine froze when he heard the familiar soft voice call out to him. He turned towards the open door to see Kurt standing there watching him with a small smile. “Kurt.” He managed to say, a smile breaking out on his face despite the other two standing beside him. Even though he had just seen him a few days ago, he couldn’t’t help but be in awe by the way the junior looked.

Kurt's hair was perfectly styled like it normally was, but it looked a bit shorter than usual, like he had gotten it trimmed since the last time Blaine had a chance to examine it. His pale cheeks were flushed slightly and his eyes seemed to shine with something Blaine couldn't describe. The dark colored sweater he wore clung to his chest in a way that the Dalton blazer could never give justice. Fitted, light denim jeans also offered something more than the usual gray slacks did.

Kurt's stomach fluttered when the other warbler returned his smile, feeling his own stretch even more. "Hi."

"Hey." Blaine said, glancing to his side when he heard someone clear their throat. Jeff had his brow raised as he looked at both of them, a small grin appearing as he continued to stare.

"So, like I was telling Kurt, we should totally go get coffee later, you know?" Jeff said, his arm around Nick's waist tightening when the shorter boy leaning against him shifted his forehead against his shoulder slightly.

"Oh, right." Kurt said, finally exiting whatever little world he had escaped to at the sound of Jeff's voice. "Are you coming, Blaine?" he asked hopefully, looking into the pair of hazel eyes he had just been staring at again.

Suddenly Blaine's mouth felt dry and uncomfortable, his right hand picking nervously at the hem of the simple grey sweater he had chosen to wear. He should really say no, he really should, considering he knew it was an obvious set up. How could he say no when Kurt looked at him like thatt though? It only took him a few more seconds to answer considering Kurt's stare had never left his own. "Yeah, sure. Wouldn't miss it. Are Dave and Wes coming too?" he asked hopefully, knowing the other seniors' presence would make it harder for Jeff to bring anything up about Nick in front of Kurt.

"I haven't asked yet, but you know how they are about coffee. I think Wes would live off of it alone if David let him." Jeff said, shrugging slightly when Kurt glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

Blaine watched as Jeff shifted his arm around Nick's waist, his thumb rubbing across the shorter male's hip. It was such a simple gesture, something almost all couples did, but the way Nick smiled in return made Blaine feel a little jealous. He glanced at Kurt, who for some reason was diverting his gaze from the entwined boys.

"We'll come get you two in a few then, once we find the others of course." Jeff said with a smile in Kurt's direction, never giving Blaine the same. Kurt smiled back, something which would always make Blaine's stomach flip flop, no matter how many times he saw it.

"Okay, I'll just feed Pavarotti real fast then." Kurt said quietly, watching as the two Warblers walked off together down the hallway. That's when he turned to Blaine, his eyes bright and lips curled into another one of those heart stopping smiles. "How was your Thanksgiving?" he asked after a few moments, his voice quiet and soft like it normally was.

Blaine was still trying to get over the intensity of Kurt's eyes, which he still couldn't quite pinpoint the color of, when he had asked. "Oh, fine, I guess. Boring and a bit repetitive... we always seem to do the same thing each year." he answered. "Yours?"

Kurt smiled, looking into Blaine's eyes for a brief moment, causing said boy's heart to skip a beat for a second before answering. "It was nice." Kurt began, looking down the hallway when a few seniors came out of a room. "Small and quiet. I got to see my aunt too." he said after the boys had left, still looking in the direction they had emerged from.

Blaine smiled, tilting his head slightly as he thought about his next question. "You get along with your aunt then?" He was surprised when Kurt's face seemed to light up at his words, an excited spark now in his eyes that had somehow found Blaine's own again.

"Yes, she's amazing. When she lived down here we used to do all sorts of things together." Kurt said excitedly. "Anything from movies, plays, and board games."

"Board games?" Blaine asked, a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth as Kurt's own seemed contagious as he continued to talk.

"Never underestimate me when it comes to Monopoly." Kurt said with a small laugh, looking to his right as a few more seniors passed. He watched as one of them playfully punched Blaine's right shoulder before continuing, making sure they were well out of earshot.

"I haven't seen her since she moved to New York though, so it was nice." Kurt's face fell slightly, his eyes turning away from Blaine's face to his shoes instead.

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, noticing the sudden mood change. "How long has she been in New York?" he asked quietly, not knowing if it was the right question to ask when a strange look crossed Kurt's pale face in response.

"Ever since my mother passed away," Kurt began, slowly bringing his gaze up to meet Blaine's. His heart fell even more when he noticed the worried look on Blaine's normally smiling face. "She and my dad didn't really agree on everything that was happening at the time, so..."

Blaine nodded slightly, really regretting that he had asked anything at all. He just couldn't help himself though. Anything new about Kurt excited him, but perhaps he should use more restraint. Kurt had been through so much, and asking about things that obviously upset him wasn't a smart idea. Why did he have to have this realization after he had already asked?

After a few moments of awkward silence Kurt finally spoke up again. "So you really do the same thing every year, nothing different?"

Blaine took the shift of subject gladly, rocking back on his heels slightly as he thought of his own Thanksgiving. "It was the normal, I guess." he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"The normal?" Kurt asked, leaning against his door frame.

Blaine smiled at Kurt's questioning look. "Well, we do the same thing every year, really." he said, explaining further when Kurt tilted his head to the side. "We go to my mom's parents’ house the day before, then we go to my dad's the next."

"Oh, do your grandparents live far from each other ?" Kurt asked, nodding his head in understanding. He knew of a lot of families that had two or even three dinners to attend to on Thanksgiving because of distances.

"No, not really." Blaine said, looking down the hallway. He suddenly wished Jeff and the others would appear. Of course they wouldn't actually interrupt when he needed them too. He had a bad feeling this was going to turn into another awkward conversation.

Seeing the confused look flash across Kurt's pale face he decided to continue. "They live just a few streets over from each other, actually, but they don't exactly..." he paused for a moment, resisting the urge to run his hand through his gelled curls once again. "They don't exactly get along. I guess it's really my fault though." he said quietly, refusing to meet Kurt's eyes now.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, reaching out to press his hand against Blaine's shoulder, quickly pulling it back as if he had been burned once he had realized what he had done. It had been automatic. Seeing the face Blaine had made caused his stomach to twist in an unpleasant way. In that moment he had felt the need to do something to offer some sort of comfort.

Blaine was looking at him now, something showing on his face that Kurt didn't understand. The hand he had just pulled back quickly clenched into a fist at his side, the top set of his teeth quickly biting down on his lower lip before he spoke again.

"Blaine, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Blaine said, a smile gracing his lips. He had enjoyed the feeling of Kurt's warm hand against him. It had felt like the touch had grounded him, but maybe that wasn't the way to think about it. It had just felt right, for that one second the warm palm had rested against his shoulder.

"My father's side of the family doesn't exactly support the fact that I'm gay." he said quietly, watching Kurt's face as he spoke. "My mother's side of the family has no problem with it though. They can't stand that my father's family has basically chosen to ignore my existence."

"Oh Blaine, that's..." Kurt stopped, he didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell him how messed up it was, that he was sorry that he was treated that way by them. But if he did that, all he would be doing was giving Blaine pity.

Kurt closed his eyes as the memories of people looking at him with looks that most people saved for injured animals flashed across the forefront of his mind. Everyone had said they were sorry, that it shouldn't have happened to him. That he was weak, so he couldn't help it even if he tried. No one ever... well no one ever tried to move past it. It was always the same things they said, making him feel like he would drown in the pity parade they threw whenever he was around. It was like he would never be able to move on from what had happened.

Kurt took a moment to take in Blaine's expression, noticing that the bright light that was normally behind his bright hazel eyes was gone. Even though he was smiling, Kurt knew better than to think it was a real one. He had used the same smile himself after all, so many times before.

"They don't deserve you, then." Kurt said softly, looking into Blaine's eyes as he spoke. He wanted to see that light again, that spark of something dancing behind hazel.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, just as quiet. His brows furrowed together like they often did when he was confused.

"If they can't accept the person that you are, then they don't deserve you in their life." Kurt continued, a little louder this time. "You are an amazing person Blaine, with so much to offer. If they can't see that past what sexual orientation you are, then they really don't understand what family means."

Blaine felt his heart thudding against his chest as Kurt spoke. Amazing...? He didn't think of himself as so, but Kurt had said that he was. He wiggled the fingers on his left hand slightly, trying to figure out if this was a dream or not. If it were, he prayed he didn't wake up. Ever.

"Do you really think that, Kurt?" he asked, smiling as he watched the junior's cheeks redden.

"Yes." Kurt answered softly, without hesitation. "Blaine, don't let them bring you down. You don't deserve that, no one does."

Blaine managed to swallow after a few moments, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. Maybe it was the intense way Kurt seemed to be staring at him. Then, as if a shift in the air caused it, he watched Kurt's shoulders drop. It was strange, seeing such a shift in his stance, even his facial features changed from determined to something he had seen before. It was like Kurt had just pulled a mask over his face, covering the emotion Blaine had seen seconds before.

"They didn't ruin your whole break, did they?" Kurt asked quietly, hands still clenched at his sides. He hadn't meant to get so worked up, but once he realized he had, he quickly calmed down. Just what he needed, Blaine thinking he was crazy. He couldn't help it, though, because he couldn't stand the fact that someone might treat Blaine the way he had been.

"No, of course not." Blaine said with a quick shake of his head, still confused and curious as to where the other Kurt had disappeared to. "My older brother always manages to make it here for the holidays, so that's always a plus."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a brother?" Kurt asked, curious. He had always just assumed that Blaine was an only child, considering he had never mentioned anything about having one before.

"Yeah." Blaine said, a small smile on his face as he thought about the taller man. "He's annoying and gets on my nerves more than what can be considered healthy." he said, laughing when Kurt nodded.

"Your stepbrother does the same?" Blaine asked, mirroring Kurt's smile.

"More than you know." Kurt said, a hint of a laugh in his own voice.

"Well, even though mine is annoying and a brat most of the time, he has always supported me. He was the first person I told actually, you know... about being gay." Blaine continued when Kurt nodded toward him. "Whenever we're at my grandparents, he never really leaves my side." he admitted. "When someone decides to say something not too pleasant to me, he always seems to come up with something even nastier to say to them."

"Your brother really cares about you, then." Kurt said, another smile flashing across his face as he thought about Finn for a few seconds. The big oaf really did care about him, even if he showed it in odd ways.

"Yeah, I guess." Blaine said sheepishly, grinning. "He has this stupid habit of pointing at the people he insults. It's kind of embarrassing and I'm scared that he's going to poke someone's eye out one day."

Kurt couldn't hold back his laugh, he just couldn't, especially when Blaine demonstrated a stance that he assumed the other's brother did often. He felt his face flush slightly when Blaine sent him a grin, his eyebrows wiggling slightly.

Blaine glanced to his left as a rowdy bunch of students rounded the corner, stopping just a few doors down from Kurt's. His smile faded as their shouts and laughter bounced against the walls, making him realize that he and Kurt didn't have the hallway to themselves any longer.

Kurt's focus was now on the large group down the hallways. It probably wasn't that big to most people, but to him it was enough to make him nervous all the same. He looked away from them when one of them called out a greeting to Blaine. He didn't notice how tightly he was gripping the door frame until he felt the wood digging into the pads of his fingers.

Blaine noticed how tense Kurt was now, and made the connection as to why when another student shouted, causing Kurt to jump. "Hey, why don't we go wait for the other four in one of the rec rooms downstairs?" he asked, noticing the relieved smile he got in return.

Kurt quickly walked inside his room to check on Pavarotti before grabbing his wallet and card-key. He glanced at his reflection in a small mirror beside his closet door, making sure his hair was still in place before walking out. He made sure to listen for the automatic lock to click in place before walking away from the door, smiling at Blaine and giving a slight nod when he was asked if he was ready to go.

Blaine led Kurt down the hallway and then down the stairs to the large entry way. He stopped for a moment, trying to decide which room would be the least crowded. Finally deciding, he began to walk towards the end of the hallway, turning to his right to walk into an open entry way.

Kurt had almost questioned why they had suddenly stopped, but thankfully Blaine had started moving again. He walked into the room, realizing that this was one of the ones that he hadn't actually been in yet. It seemed smaller than most of the rec rooms that Dalton had, but it wasn't uncomfortably small either.

There were a few couches pushed against the side walls, a wide screen T.V that seemed to be the norm for most of Dalton's rooms mounted to the back wall above a small fireplace. A smaller love seat was positioned in the middle of room with a good amount of distance from it to the screen of the television. The thing that caught his attention the most was the piano in the corner, its glossy black surface catching the light of the long florescent bulbs above it.

Blaine walked toward the love seat, thankful that the room was empty. He knew it was usually the more deserted ones because of its size. Even though it wasn't suffocatingly small, it still wouldn't hold a large group of teen-aged boys that normally occupied the larger rooms. Normally only a few students were seen in this room, mostly the odd ones out that craved silence in the normally loud dorm building.

Kurt watched as Blaine sat down, hesitating before walking over and joining him when the other had patted the seat next to him. Their legs brushed together slightly as he sat down, his shoulder bumping Blaine's as he moved forward slightly. "Sorry." he said, smiling slightly when Blaine sent him a smile of his own.

"I don't mind." Blaine said, loving the way Kurt's smile made his stomach flutter. He watched Kurt for a moment, taking in the bright eyes and small upturn of his lips. "Kurt, can I ask you a question?"

Kurt felt the bottom of his stomach drop suddenly, his hands clenching on top of his crossed knees where they rested. "Sure." he finally said, looking away from Blaine's face. He wasn't sure what he was going to ask, and part of him wanted to disappear into the couch so he could avoid it all together.

"That night your parents took us out to eat." Blaine began, watching Kurt bite the bottom of his lip once again. "When we were outside, you said there was something you wanted to tell me." he continued, confused when Kurt's shoulders seemed to relax slightly. "You never did get a chance."

Kurt was thankful but nervous at the same time now that he knew what the question actually was. He himself had thought about the same night many times before. He had regretted not being able to say what he needed to that night, but sometimes he was thankful he had escaped before he had opened his mouth.

Staring back at Blaine, his own eyes staring into the hazel of Blaine's, he decided to go ahead and say what he meant to say that night. "Well, I wanted to-"

"There you two are."

Kurt's gaze snapped from Blaine to the head full of blond hair that had appeared around the entry way. He smiled at Jeff when the taller boy flashed a toothy grin in his direction. "Hey Jeff." he said quietly, looking back to Blaine when he heard the senior let out an audible sigh.

"Well, we finally found Wes and David, so we're ready to go." Jeff announced, leaving the entry way just as fast as he had appeared.

Blaine stood up from the love seat, feeling their knees touch once again as he did so. "Well, better not keep him waiting. You know how he gets." he said in a flat voice, suddenly regretting his decision to go along. He still wasn't sure what Jeff was up to, but whatever it was it couldn't be good.

Kurt frowned at the sudden tone Blaine's voice took, quickly standing up beside him and smoothing the wrinkles in his jeans. He stood up straight once again, finding Blaine's eyes focused on him once again. "I-"

"Come on!" Jeff called out impatiently, his head popping back into view.

Blaine held in another sigh and forced a smile in Kurt's direction, walking out with Kurt following him a few steps behind. He had wanted to know, so badly, what Kurt had wanted to tell him that night. Just moments ago he thought he had a chance to actually know, but of course fate and a certain blond had something to say about it.

Kurt didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed as he followed the chattering group down the hallway and into the entryway. He glanced at Blaine, noticing how quiet he was. Was he mad because he hadn't told him? It wasn't like he hadn't tried after all. He looked down to his feet once they finally walked out the front doors of their dorm building.

Maybe it was for the best, after all why would someone like Blaine even feel the same way about Kurt himself? Kurt didn't deserve Blaine, he never would. Blaine was meant for someone with so much more to offer than he ever could.

Needless to say it was a quiet and awkward ride to the mall, Blaine didn't even talk as Jeff rambled on about his own Thanksgiving break. Nick was quiet as well, but Kurt had noticed over time that that seemed to be normal. Blaine didn't even look at him the whole ride there, maybe he was mad at him after all?

It was for the best, though, even if it did make Kurt upset. He wouldn't show it, no, he couldn't. It would hurt Blaine because for some reason he seemed to care for him, and it would just inconvenience him.

He would never tell Blaine anything that he wanted to. It would never work.

The mall parking lot was crowded and full of people coming and going as they pleased. Wes and Blaine eventually gave up on finding two parking spaces close together, deciding after a quick phone call that they would just meet up at the little coffee shop inside.

"This place is packed even more than usual." Nick said as their group of four slowly pushed through a throng of people gazing at a large display window that house Christmas ornaments and other decorations. "Remind me why we had to go to the mall coffee shop and not the one just across from campus?" he asked, tilting his head back to look at Jeff.

"I need to check that comic book place again." Jeff explained, a large grin appearing on his face when Nick groaned in return.

"Of course, should have known you were dragging all of us here just to go to that stupid store." Nick grumbled, face lighting up when Kurt sent him a sympathetic smile. "Kurt!" he said excitedly.

Kurt jumped slightly, the loud outburst not common from the shorter male. "Yes?" he asked, dodging a little girl that was running down the overcrowded hallway they were walking through.

"Instead of Jeff dragging me to that dust trap, why not we just let him and Blaine go?" Nick said, sending Kurt a hopeful look and ignoring Jeff's slight pout. "Unless you like small little stores that smells like something has died in the back?"

Kurt smiled, holding back a small laugh at the desperate look he was receiving from Nick. "Not in particular, no." he glanced at Blaine for a moment, confused by the strained look he had plastered all over his face. "That's okay, right?" he asked, deciding it was better to ask since Blaine had given him a ride there after all.

Blaine forced a smile, his stomach flip-flopping unpleasantly when he noticed Jeff staring at him intently. "I...yeah that's fine." he managed to say, subconsciously moving away from Jeff a few paces as they continued their way to the coffee shop.

Kurt watched Blaine's strange behavior, wondering what had caused it so suddenly. Was it something he had said or done earlier, or was Blaine really that upset that they had been interrupted? He didn't know, but he couldn't help but feel like it was his fault somehow.

"Finally." Nick said when they had stopped just outside the coffee shop. "I thought we would never get here." he mumbled, leaning against Jeff's shoulder. He had noticed Blaine's strange behavior as well, but he wasn't going to say a word to him. At least not yet, anyhow. They had both said things out of anger that night, but what Blaine had said really did hurt. Nick wasn't one to normally hold grudges, but in this case he felt he couldn't let go what had been said so easily.

As they waited outside the shop Nick couldn't help but notice the way Jeff was staring at the shorter senior within their group. He still hadn't told his boyfriend what had been said exactly, so the blond had been itching to get Blaine alone. Nick had made Jeff promise him that he wouldn't do something stupid, but he knew that if Jeff wanted to know he would eventually get what had happened out of one of them. Honestly, Nick knew Blaine was the easier target for Jeff, and that worried him.

Now that Jeff was in the loop about Kurt, Nick was constantly worried he would let something slip. He didn't know why though, Nick had told him almost all his secrets and fears and the blond had never much as hinted at knowing anything around other people. Perhaps it was because it wasn't his own secrets, but someone else's besides his that he now had to keep safe that caused him to worry.

He silently pulled on the sleeve of Jeff's light blue jacket, giving him the look. It was only rare occasions that he had to use it, but when he got a sheepish smile in return he knew that Jeff had understood. Even if Blaine had upset him, he was still one of his only friends. Though he doubted Jeff would actually get physical with him, he still didn't want the taller teen to do anything too drastic to the shorter senior.

"I knew this place would be crowded, but I didn't expect it to be this bad." Wes complained when the other two had finally walked up, pushing through another group of people that stood in front of the little shop.

David laughed slightly, smiling towards Kurt when he noticed how tense he seemed. "What did you expect with it being so close to Christmas?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when he saw Blaine. The shorter teen hadn't looked this nervous in a long time, making him wonder what had happened.

"Alright there, Blaine?" Wes asked next, confirming David's thoughts.

"Oh, yeah." Blaine said, forcing another fake smile before leading the small group of Warblers into the already overcrowded coffee shop.

Kurt had to hunch his shoulders and walk sideways to get through the large crowd, every brush of the shoulder and slight shove causing him to be further on edge each time. He jumped slightly when someone yelled over the loud voices of the other customers, biting his bottom lip nervously when Blaine gave him a worried look.

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice raised to be heard over the other people. He watched Kurt for a little longer, worried when he saw him sway slightly on his feet.

Kurt's vision began to blur as the volume of the room seemed to grow louder the closer he got to the counter. "I..." he said, his voice sounding more like a croak since his throat had dried. He tensed even more when he felt a warm hand close around his wrist.

Kurt suddenly panicked, forgetting where he was and who he was with as his thoughts began to spiral towards the dark part of his mind, causing him to yank his arm back as hard as he could. The voices in the room quickly began to turn into an unintelligible roar in his ears that caused him to screw up his face in concentration as he tried to distinguish sounds once more. He didn't understand what Karofsky was doing as he pulled back again. He was normally safe in larger crowds or where people could see! Did he not even care anymore? Was he finally tired of sneaking around that it didn't matter who saw or what was said?

"Please." he begged in a tiny voice, the grip on his wrist still strong and unrelenting as he continued trying to pull his arm back. "Please don't, I can't." he whispered, head swimming as he felt his body rocking back and forth.

"Kurt!" Blaine said, his hands now on his shoulders as he tried to shake him out of whatever trance like thing he had entered. He didn't understand what was wrong with Kurt, it was like he was somewhere else.

"Stop it, you idiot!" Nick snapped, his hand on Kurt's wrist tugging once again. "I'm going to try and get him out of here." he said, nodding to Jeff and David who were using their backs to push against the wall of people surrounding them to make a small path.

"Here, just let me hel-"

"No! Just let me handle this, you're only going to make it worse." Nick shouted at Blaine after noticing how much more Kurt seemed to shut down when Blaine began shaking his shoulders earlier.

Blaine glared at Nick, reluctantly loosening his grip and letting Kurt slip out of his grasp when Wes voiced his agreement. He watched as Nick struggled with the other resistant junior until the small of Kurt's back disappeared into the mass of people standing around them.

Kurt struggled as much as he could, eventually giving up when something slammed against his chest, knocking the air from his lungs and making him wheeze. The roaring in his ears seemed to lessen as the air grew colder. He blinked a few times, trying to see more than just odd shapes and colors in front of him.

"Kur-" Nick called out, pushing the person who had just run into the both of them to the side roughly.

Kurt tilted his head, hearing a familiar voice that he couldn't quite place. He knew it wasn't Karofsky's normal gruff one, but that didn't make sense. Wasn't he the one that was dragging him down the hallway towards the janitor's closet like he always did?

"loo...lis...ease..

There it was again, this time only louder. Was it maybe one of the other jocks dragging him to the dumpster again, is that why it didn't sound like his normal attacker? A sharp pinch to his arm caused a small noise escape the back of his throat. He began to pull away again, hearing the other voice a little more clearly now that the loud noise that had pushed against his ear drums was growing softer the further he was pulled along.

Nick was growing more worried the further he drug Kurt down the crowded halls. The taller teen hadn't responded to him at all and struggled the whole way causing people to point and stare as they passed. He shot most of the onlookers a dirty look of his own as he continued, finally finding a smaller hallway off to the side that lead to a restroom.

Kurt registered something solid and cool to the touch pressing against his back causing his eyes to widen in panic. Were they in the janitor's office after all even though the person who had drug him there didn't seem to be Karofsky? "Don't." he pleaded once again, feeling helpless.

Nick slowly un-wrapped his fingers from around Kurt's wrist when he noticed he had stopped struggling as much. He stepped back a few feet, letting Kurt have room to breathe as he tried to figure out what to do. Pinching him earlier clearly hadn't worked and had only made him struggle against him even more. He had tried talking to him earlier but that hadn't seemed to work either. He decided to try talking again since it was really his only option besides calling an ambulance and he knew Kurt wouldn't appreciate that once he came back from wherever he had gone.

"Kurt, I know right now something is happening that I don't understand." he began, watching Kurt's face as he continued to speak. "You are safe, no one can hurt you here, remember?" he asked hopefully, noticing the rapid breathing that Kurt had began earlier slowly lessen as he talked.

"We shouldn't have gone in there, it was too crowded." Nick said, watching as Kurt seemed to be trying to refocus his eyes on his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't even notice until it was too late."

Kurt's brow furrowed as his heart beat lessened. He didn't understand why nothing had happened yet, or where he was. There was no punching or kicking like normal when the jocks had managed to corner him, and nothing in the norm was happening when Karofsky had him alone. He began to steady his breathing, concentrating hard on the dark blur in front of him.

"You know Jeff is going to say something really stupid when they finally come out of there." Nick said, starting to just chatter about anything that came to mind as Kurt slowly seemed to be coming around. He remembered learning that telling a person to calm down during a panic attack only made things worse, not that he was sure Kurt was having one. He had never really been around a person who had had one before, but he wasn't going to chance it if he were.

"He keeps making up these weird stories about the coffee rangers and how they can save the world, one coffee bean at a time." he continued, a small snort of laughter leaving him as he remembered how ridiculously invested the blond had been when he had told him about them a few weeks ago.

Kurt began to realize slowly that he wasn't actually at McKinley. The black marbled floor beneath his feet was too nice to ever be in the school's hallways. It also didn't smell like the cafeteria food that penetrated the air either, although the smell wasn't exactly pleasant, he knew it wasn't the same.

"-at and the fact he gets so excited over the normal Power Rangers makes it even more annoying."

Power Rangers? It wasn't Jeff who was talking to him though, no this voice was softer and not as excited as the other. Green eyes and dark hair finally came into focus when titled his head up to look, a worried expression sprawled across the face he was slowly beginning to recognize.

"Nick?" he asked hoarsely, looking around quickly as he came to. His surroundings made him realize exactly where he was now, and what had just happened. "I'm..." he started, his voice wavering slightly. "Sorry." he finished, confused when Nick hesitantly stepped closer to look at his face.

Nick felt relief flood throughout him when he heard Kurt's strained voice say his name, stepping closer when the shaking in the taller Warbler's hands seemed to lessen slightly. "Don't be sorry." he said quickly, looking into Kurt's still panicked blue-grey eyes. "Do...do you need to go to the hospital or-"

"No!" Kurt said, quickly pushing away from the wall and falling forward as his right foot caught his left in a clumsy stumble. He was surprised when Nick caught him before he could fall on his face, gently leaning him against the wall again.

"Okay!" Nick said, after he had helped Kurt back to the wall once again. "I was just offering, I didn't know if you-"

"I'm fine, really." Kurt cut him off again, looking away when Nick gave him a not so believing look. "I'm just..." he paused for a moment, trying to think of some excuse. "I'm just really claustrophobic." he said quickly, the words stumbling out of his mouth in a rush.

Nick decided not to mention the near breakdown he had witnessed and the fact that he didn't believe that excuse for one second. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, watching Kurt's face closely.

"Yes. Well, I think so." Kurt admitted quietly, leaning the back of his head against the wall now. "I didn't mean to-"

"Kurt, it's okay. Friends take care of each other, it's kind of in my job description." Nick said, smiling when Kurt let out a wheezy laugh. "I can get Wes to take you back to Dalton if you want?" he asked, thinking it would probably be the best thing to do.

Kurt thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He could go back, hide in his room the rest of the night and not have to face anyone until the morning, or he could stay and have the courage to face his friends now. The urge to just crawl under the covers in his dorm room was strong, but something in the back of his head began to nag at him.

"Kurt?" Nick asked when the other seemed to close himself off to the world again. He was surprised when Kurt's head snapped up all of a sudden, a look of determination mixed with something else he couldn't quite place flashing across his face.

"Deal." Kurt said, taking a few moments to steady himself before pushing away from the wall, noticing how quickly Nick had stepped by his side in case he started to sway on his feet again.

Nick wasn't sure if this was a good idea, letting Kurt go back through the crowds and towards the coffee shop again. He couldn't very well tell him no when he saw that face so determined and set, like he could conquer whatever he was fighting at that moment. Needless to say, he stayed by Kurt's side, smilingly gratefully when he noticed the other Warblers standing outside of the shop, a bit away from the large crowd of people. Wes waved them over and Nick noticed that both Blaine and Jeff had an extra cup of coffee in hand.

Kurt smiled nervously at them for a moment, surprised when Blaine pressed a warm cup of coffee into his hands. "You bought my coffee?" He asked, quickly reaching for his back pocket to grab his wallet. He stilled when fingers brushed across the hand he was using to hold his coffee cup.

"Don't worry about it." Blaine said quickly, looking Kurt over worriedly. The other three hadn't let him follow them out earlier, so dejectedly he had settled on ordering Kurt's normal cup of coffee. "Are you okay ?" He asked, glad to see that the severe look of panic he had seen just a few minutes before had almost vanished from Kurt's face. "What happened?"

Kurt could feel how red his face was, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth as he tried to think of something to say. He could feel the grip of his hand on his cup tighten and could even hear the groan of protest the Styrofoam material gave as he did so.

"Claustrophobia." Nick said quickly, not missing the thankful look Kurt shot in his direction. "He got overwhelmed." He explained further when Blaine looked at him with raised eyebrows. He knew it wasn't the truth exactly, he had never seen anyone react that way with claustrophobia, but it was what Kurt had told him.

"You're okay now, right?" Blaine asked, smiling slightly when Kurt gave a nod. "You had me worried for a little bit there." He admitted, confused when Kurt's face darkened.

"I'm sorry." Kurt said softly, feeling guilty. He was surprised when Nick cleared his throat.

"Well, while you two go to the comic store I think I'm going to borrow Kurt and go to that second hand book store."

Jeff rolled his eyes before leaning over to press a kiss to Nick's forehead, pressing the cup of coffee he had gotten him into his outstretched hand. "Yet you call my store a dust trap." He said, grinning when Nick huffed in return.

"We are going to that sheet music place on the upper level to look for something for sectionals if you need us." David said, gently patting Kurt's shoulder as he and Wes passed them.

Blaine frowned once he realized the group was already splitting up to go their separate ways considering they couldn't really sit at a table with their coffee with it being so packed. "I think I'll go with Kurt and Nick, Jeff." he said, stepping towards the other two, frowning when he felt Jeff's heavy hand land against his shoulder.

"Come on, Blaine." he said with a tilt of his chin. "Are you really going to make me go all by myself?" he asked, frowning as the shorter Warbler shrugged off his hand. "Besides, I think Nick and Kurt need to go have fun, they haven't been able to see each other over the holiday." he said, giving Blaine a knowing look that caused said boy to look away guiltily.

"See you guys later, then." Nick said, smiling to Kurt as they turned to head the other direction. "Oh and I swear if you bring back another box full of those stupid comics!" Nick called over his shoulder in warning before continuing, weaving in and out of the crowds as carefully as he could while Kurt followed.

"Yeah, like I can pass up a good deal when I see one." Jeff snorted, taking another look at Blaine before throwing his long arm over the other's hunched shoulders. "Finally, I never thought we would have a chance to you know, talk." he said, his voice slightly lower than normal. "Did you really think you could hide for too much longer?" he asked, ignoring the squirming senior beneath his outstretched arm as they walked towards the other end of the mall. He knew Nick could get lost for hours over those old books he liked to look at, so he had time to find out what he wanted.

Blaine stared at the floor as they walked, not saying anything in return. True, he had known it was coming, but it didn't mean he wanted it to. Fearing the worst, he allowed Jeff to guide him in the direction of the comic book store, just knowing that the day wasn't going to end very well.