“Kurt honey you seem down, not yourself, is something going on at school?” Carole asked kindly, not at all forcefully, just a worried tone in her voice.

Kurt looked over at his father’s face that was hidden behind the newspaper in his hands but his eyes were on his wife and son.
“I, it’s just this guy at school.” Kurt sighed; he couldn’t be bothered to make up some lie.

Burt’s face looked angry now, but he let Carole deal with it like they had agreed the night before.

“Honey I hope he isn’t hurting you?” she said hopefully. The look on Kurt's face over the past week had been a cross between infatuation and something deeper, darker, and painful.

“No, no he’s just, well, he’s flirting I think” Kurt forced the words out, his brow furrowed, he still hadn’t worked out what was exactly going on with Blaine and whatever it was he didn’t like it. But he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, especially not to his dad and Carole, it wasn’t their problem, Kurt was tough enough to deal with it on his own, or so he thought.

Carole smiled, her heart lightening, at least the boy wasn’t hurting Kurt even if Kurt didn’t reciprocating the feelings. “If he goes too far let us know dear, we want to protect you, if you don’t like him just make sure you ask him to stop” she said kindly, hoping there wasn’t any more to it, she knew Kurt would ask for help if he needed it, he had always been good at that and after the pregnancy scare with Quinn and Finn last year Carole was sure she could handle just about anything a teenager could throw at her.

Kurt nodded and continued to help with the washing, feeling his father’s eyes staring into the back of his head the whole time.

Monday came around all too soon after the conversation with Carole and Kurt braced himself for the day. It was going to be a long day waiting and anticipating third period English. Kurt was even more apprehensive this week than the week previously because after Kurt had shouted at Blaine Kurt had no idea what the boy with the bad reputation would do. All of the stories Kurt had heard about Blaine made him fearful of what Blaine might do to him, beating him up was very likely, it wouldn’t just be a toss in the dumpster with Blaine.

Kurt flinched when Blaine sat down beside him and leaned into the wall, as if he were trying to sink straight through it. Mercedes and Sam turned around and glared, a look that was like a warning, right at Blaine who seemed to ignore it, before Ellis called the class to attention.

Kurt tried to bury his head in his book and ignore Blaine presence but the shorter boy leaned in closer. Blaine was practically breathing in Kurt's ear as the class was forced to sit in silence and read more of Romeo and Juliet whilst taking notes.

The metallic clang began once more and Kurt huffed, Blaine was probably only trying to get a reaction out of him and Kurt certainly wasn’t going to play along to this game. The noise was driving him insane, though over the weekend it had finally hit him in the face when he realised what the sound was; a tongue ring of some description hitting against his teeth in a repetitive manner, almost as if it were clicking along to a non-existent tune.

Kurt was half glad Blaine was still being his usual annoying self as it meant he wasn’t actually doing anything to physically harm Kurt… yet. Kurt's only hope was that Blaine kept this up. On the other hand if Blaine gave up the torment and just beat him up the torture would be over. Or maybe luring Kurt into a false sense of security was Blaine's plan. Kurt shook himself internally; he was playing mind games with himself now. He would deal with whatever Blaine had in store for him when it came along, for now he needed to concentrate on ignoring Blaine and getting on with his work.

Kurt was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore Blaine, the way he kept glancing at Kurt with a hunger in his eyes each time their eyes met, the way he would readjust his position, leaning so close to Kurt that their bodies almost touched with a heat reflecting off each other’s skin. The smell of Blaine's masculine scent washed over Kurt every time Blaine moved or breathed out.

Kurt humph’d whenever Blaine distracted him and Kurt spent most of the lesson rereading the same two pages because each time Kurt was distracted he ended up reading the same line over and over again. At least the physical advances had stopped a little, there were less forward attempts by Blaine to touch Kurt and their legs only touched, Blaine did not reach out and stroke Kurt's leg with his booted foot.

Finally the class ended and Kurt let out a breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding until that moment when the class ended. Blaine picked up his books and practically sprinted out of the classroom today which made Kurt scowl with confusion, he was usually the one stalking out of the room first, not the other way around. But Kurt didn’t care as long as one of them was putting distance between the two.

Kurt finally picked up his belongings and stuffed them silently into his bag, waving at Sam and Mercedes saying he would catch up with them later. Kurt walked slowly from the room, eyes closed, fingers pressed to his temple. Thankfully he had one of his few free periods now as he heard the buzzer sound for next class as he walked the halls of McKinley High School.

Usually this period he would meet Rachel in the library and they would discuss their future careers on Broadway and the like whilst doing homework. Today Kurt didn’t want to sit for a full hour and listen to Rachel babble on about nothingness so instead Kurt found his feet leading him instinctively to the auditorium. But he did not stop, Kurt walked in one door and out of the opposite one and across the hall and into the bathroom on the other side.

Kurt stopped in the doorway, his breath held, chest restricted as he saw none other than Blaine Anderson once more in the bathroom. Blaine was splashing cold water on his face, he looked like he had just run a marathon, he appeared to be panting for breath, his usually slicked hair was beginning to curl over his forehead and his leather jacket was dumped with his bag on the floor, showing off his toned arms, his white V-neck hugging his slender body.

Kurt's jaw dropped when he saw Blaine turn to look at him. A second later Blaine had half dragged Kurt by his collar and had him pressed against the cold tiles of the wall where Kurt had slid down just days before.

Blaine's mouth leaned forward as if to attack Kurt's own mouth and the look of fear, of that scared and lonely child who had lost his mother, returned to Kurt's pale face.

From somewhere deep inside Kurt dug out strength he didn’t know he possessed, a red haze flashing across his sight, he pushed Blaine backwards, who stumbled in surprise, giving Kurt the chance to make his escape.

Kurt ran and ran and ran, his heart racing, feeling as though the muscle was trying to burst from his chest.
Kurt felt hollow, empty, the pain had filled him so much that all other feelings were gone. He was numb.

He had spent his whole life running; from the sadness of losing his mother, to the sting of the bully’s words, and finally the ache of loneliness. Now here he was once more running from his fears, from that which caused him pain.
Kurt soon slowed down, his emotional exhaustion preventing his body from carrying on. Was this going to be the way he would spend the rest of his life, running away?