Blaine Anderson walked into his home that afternoon, his pocket feeling ten times heavier with the weight of his phone. The phone that now held Kurt's cell number; he'd been trying to wait an appropriate amount of time to text him so he'd held himself back the entire way home. Tossing his bag on the floor he flung himself onto the couch in the living room. It was hot. Walking home did him no good when it had to have been at least ninety degrees outside. He peeled off his sweaty t-shirt and flung it on top of his bag, leaving him in his undershirt and khakis. A fine set of bruises painted his back and upper arms.

   Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his touchscreen, winced a bit at the pain in his shoulders and smiled. Seemed that Kurt had texted him first instead, past ten minutes ago. In a panic he sat up and replied with a greeting, then headed into the kitchen to get a snack. He was searching through his fridge when he got a reply from Kurt, and on it went through the night and into the wee hours of the morning. It was well past midnight when the two boys finally gave up on trying to stay awake and called it a night.

   Blaine lay awake a little after his conversation with Kurt had ended, he'd walked around with a grin on his face for most of the night. Lucky for him his dad had to work late and didn't question him for it. It was impossible to lie to his father, the man was like a human lie detector test...and he always seemed set to make Blaine's life a living hell. He wasn't always that way, but after Blaine had come out Mr. Anderson had changed; he wasn't really Blaine's father anymore. Blaine's mother was far too afraid of his father to do anything about it, so she sat most nights drunk off her ass, watching as Mr. Anderson took out his shame on his son.

  Blaine hated that his back was covered with bruises from his father, and he hated that he had to move because of his new job as well. But in a last minute of hope, he'd decided to make the best of his move. Which worked out in his favor because now he had met Kurt. Smiling to himself again, he turned on his side and let himself drift off into sleep.

~0o0~

   Kurt sat again, on the outskirts of the lunchroom. Noticeably happier and enjoying his food. He couldn't believe that yesterday had actually happened and was waiting to wake up from this dream and be forced back into the nightmare that was his life. The counter tenor had been ecstatic yesterday when he and Blaine exchanged numbers and texted him almost right away.

  All night they'd talked and it had lightened his mood considerably. Enough for his father to notice because his dad had asked him why he was so cheerful. Kurt just shrugged it off and went up to his room, happily helping Blaine pick a song to use for his audition. Today was the day that Blaine was going to audition for the New Directions, and thanks to a little help from Kurt he now had the perfect song to use.

  Kurt saw the shadow approach him this time and smiled up at it assuming it was Blaine. Instead he got hit in the face with a fist that felt the size of a truck. "Hey faggot." Kurt looked up through his un-injured and teary eye, seeing David Karofsky standing there. Kurt let out a choked sob, his right eye was in tremendous pain and his left was shedding tears. "What do you want?!" Kurt shouted, feeling under his nose and was surprised to find blood there. "For you to meet me in the boys locker room today, after school. Got it Fairy? Otherwise you'll get what you got today tripled." Karofsky turned and walked away from the slumped over body.

   Kurt lay there, gathering his thoughts and trying to stop the tears that were pouring. He hated David Karofsky with every bone in his body, but there was nothing he could do about it. It killed him to know how weak he was compared to the lineman. Pushing his lunch away half heartedly he rose from his spot. Wincing as blood poured from his nose, he turned and almost ran directly into Blaine. "Hey Ku-oh my god." Blaine dropped his lunch on the floor and grabbed the taller boys hand, dragging him in the direction of the bathroom. Kurt looked down and let himself be guided, he heard every snicker coming from his classmates as they took in his appearance.

  He would admit he looked a mess, his eye was now swollen and blackening and his nose was bleeding. He was almost positive it was broken. He felt Blaine stop and turn to face their classmates; "Find something else to laugh at you ingrates." Blaine said, venom seeping into his smooth voice; then he turned on his heels dragging Kurt to the bathroom with him. Kurt heard the sound of hurried footsteps following them. Opening his good eye he saw that Rachel Berry was following them into the boys bathroom. A look of terror on her face.

 "What happened?!" She asked. Getting in the way of Blaine as she fussed over Kurt. " Excuse me," Blaine said, nudging the smaller girl out of the way and dabbing wet toilet paper at Kurt's sore nose. "Karofsky." Is all Kurt muttered as he winced away from Blaine's touch. "Get back here, I've got to clean you up. I can't save your shirt though. And who in the fuck is Karofsky?" Blaine asked, angrily as he mopped at Kurt's face as tenderly as he could manage.   

   Rachel answered him, leaving out what he'd done to Kurt in the past. "He's only a bully." She whispered catching Kurt's good eye. Blaine nodded, then turned to the girl: "I know you're worried about him but I think you should leave before you get in trouble for being in the boys' bathroom." She thought about it for a moment then leaned down to hug Kurt gently. "I'll be outside." The girl stated and then she was gone with a soft bang of the door. Blaine walked over to it and locked it behind her before turning to Kurt again.

  "Tell me everything." He said as he perched Kurt on the bathroom sink and began working again to clean his face. "It's exactly what she said." Kurt responded, guilt filling him for lying to his friend. "No, it's not. You look terrified and if anything you should be pissed. Now tell me." Kurt sighed and looked at Blaine, he was debating if he could trust him or not. Blaine looked back at him, eyes stern. The boy caved and spilled everything to Blaine.

   "Tell me you're not going after school, Kurt." Blaine pleaded as he pressed a cold soaked paper towel to the boy's eye. "I have to, or he'll mess me up worse than he did today...and he did this for freaking shits and giggles!" Kurt began to cry again, tears falling from both eyes and falling onto Blaine's fingertips as he tried to wipe them away.

   "Look, you're not going through that by yourself. I'm coming with you after school." Kurt was shaking his head no urgently. "You can't! He'll destroy you! I won't let him hurt you! He's done it before and he'll do it again." Kurt reached and grabbed Blaine's hand, not noticing his sleeve roll up. "You can't." the porcelain skinned boy said. Blaine looked down at their conjoined hands, and did a double take. "Let me see your wrist." He said. Gripping Kurt's hand so he couldn't weasel away. He repeated himself to the boy who stood like a deer in headlights in front of him. Sighing heavily, Kurt rolled his sleeve up revealing the several deep red and pink cuts covering his wrist and upper forearm.

  Blaine stared for a moment, then looked up at Kurt. "Why?" Kurt finally snapped, "Because everyone at this school seems to have it out for me! I only have three friends here out of hundreds of students! No one cares to be my friend! No one wants to! Besides the fact that an in the closet bully likes to get his hands on me whenever and no one seems to care or notice! That's why. I do it to feel something, to tell the voices in my head that repeat everything said to me daily to just shut. The fuck. Up." Kurt inhaled deeply and looked up at Blaine, who now had tears in his eyes. The shorter boy paused for a moment then leapt at Kurt, pulling him into a bear hug.

   "Kurt, listen to me. You can't do this anymore." Reaching down, Blaine pulled a silver sharpie out of his backpack and uncapped it. Pulling Kurt's abused arm towards him, he drew a detailed butterfly onto it then put his name under it. "I'll retrace it every day if I have to. You've heard of the Butterfly Project before right?" Kurt nodded. "Good, then please don't kill my butterfly Kurt."

   Kurt fought back more tears, and wrapped Blaine into a hug. Pulling back and looking into those golden eyes, he felt safe. "Why do you care so much?" the boy asked, as he rolled down his sleeve. Blaine shrugged and looked away and he stuffed the marker back into his bag before answering "We all have our secrets Kurt, and the ones you hide are deadly. I just met you and I'm not ready to lose you yet." Kurt smiled weakly at him, wincing at the pain in his nose and eye.

   "Come on now, let's get you an ice pack from the nurse. And some food. It's gonna be a logn day and we've got a bully to see after school." Helping Kurt off the sink they unlocked the door and walked out, heading towards the cafeteria; and despite his aching face and the unknown danger coming at the end of the day....he smiled.