The rest of Kurt’s day passed along in a haze of images flashing through his mind. The moment Blaine had tried to kiss him lingered between the scenarios his brain was making up about the confrontation between Blaine and the Glee guys. Soon Kurt was haphazardly throwing an outfit together (he had been doing that a lot lately) before getting back in his car to drive to the mall to meet Mercedes. The two spent hours trailing through every single shop in the mall, closely inspecting every item of clothing they came across. By 8pm they were both starving and stopped at Applebee's for a quick dinner, nothing special but cheap and easy. Kurt ordered a stir fry and merely picked at his food; his mind finally drifting back to Blaine. The shopping had been a good distraction but Kurt didn’t take much of an interest in food and his mind was wandering again. He was straying into dangerous territory.

Kurt barely made it through dinner, once more resigned to noncommittal nods and one word answers. He had no idea how Blaine reduced him to such a mess when Kurt was one of the most articulate and confident people you would ever care to meet. As the two best friends finished up their food they exchanged hugs and promises of a movie over the weekend if they finished all of the homework each had.

Kurt waved goodbye to Mercedes as they exited the mall, having ended up parked at opposite ends of the parking lot. Kurt walked around the back of the gas station in the lot and stood stone still at the sight that met his eyes.

Kurt felt his heart drop into the souls of his Alexander McQueen shoes and his movements were stiff, almost robotic as he took the last few steps towards the shape before him. The boy was motionless sitting on the ground; head in his hands, his leather jacket open, revealing a blood stained white and grey V-neck, what was once gelled hair breaking free of its restraints and curling in every direction.

Blaine looked up when he heard the click of shoes on the tarmacked ground, and Kurt could see the surprise on Blaine's face when he realised who was walking towards him, but surely Kurt’s face was held more surprise to find Blaine Anderson on the ground.

“B-Blaine?” Kurt stuttered walking forward a couple of steps, his hand outreached in front of him. Kurt was nervous, and unsure as to why he was stopping to help his tormenter but something, the same something that had whispered that there had to be more to Blaine, told Kurt to give him this chance.

“Are you… what happened?” Kurt tried to ask Blaine how this had happened before he was cut off by Blaine's words as the dark haired boy rose to his feet, wincing in pain.

“Think you’re a big boy too, do you, Hummel? Getting your footballer friends to beat me up?” Blaine growled, looking more intimidating than ever with two black eyes, a bust nose and a cut down the right side of his face.

Kurt didn’t even notice himself take a few cautious steps backwards, his jaw dropping. "They did this to you?” Kurt muttered, his voice barely audible now.

“Don’t be stupid, those girls couldn’t do this to me!” Blaine growled again, his tone becoming even harsher.

Kurt let out a small sigh of relief, for a moment he was worried Puck or one of the others had done something really stupid.

“I- I didn’t want them to do anything, it wasn’t my idea, honest.” Kurt babbled, barely able to form a coherent sentence as Blaine moved closer to him once more.

But the slightly shorter boy swayed on the spot and fell to the floor. However much Kurt hated his tormenter he was concerned for him, that flicker of hope that Blaine was more than this bad boy image resurfacing. Something more than the Glee guys’ confrontation had gone on in the week since the two boys had last seen each other.

Kurt crouched down beside Blaine who, fortunately, hadn’t passed out Kurt was relieved to see, but had lost his balance which in itself was worrying.

“Blaine?” Kurt whispered softly, “What happened to you?” he asked with a flash of concern in his voice.

Blaine opened his eyes and looked directly at Kurt. He seemed unable to sit back up, never mind get to his feet now. “Just some guys from Dalton, no big deal,” Blaine answered forcing himself back into a sitting position, brow furrowed in pain.

“But I thought Dalton had a zero tolerance no bullying policy.” Kurt interjected, though secretly questioning this as Blaine had attended the school.

“Yeah, well, not much they can do when people are so good at hiding,” Blaine let out a dry, sarcastic chuckle.

“But who are they? Why would they do this?” Kurt looked over Blaine, wondering why someone would do this. Yes, Kurt had had his fair share of trips into the dumpster and being shoved into lockers but he had never been beaten up to this extent.

“Oh just some old friends of mine...” Blaine laughed again, darkly, hysterically. Kurt looked at Blaine with intense concern and was surprised when Blaine continued.

“This one guy, Sebastian, has always had it in for me,” Blaine added, an odd glazed look in his eyes. Kurt knew there was more but he didn’t press Blaine. Even in his current state Kurt didn’t trust that pressing Blaine wouldn’t end in bad consequences considering how fast his mood had swung in the short time since Kurt had found him.

“How long have you been here? You don’t look like you’ve moved in days.” Kurt asked as he eyed the dried and scabbed bloody injuries on Blaine's face and hands, changing the subject slightly to avoid an outburst from Blaine.

Blaine looked up surprised at the concern in Kurt's tone. No one ever held concern for Blaine, not in a long time. This tone of concern caught Blaine off guard and the walls he built around himself crumbled with lack of energy to keep them up any longer mixed in with this new feeling.

Blaine's tone changed from the one of anger and dryness he had presented to Kurt earlier. “Well, it was still light when I got here so a couple of hours maybe,” Blaine merely shrugged though his calm tone, surprised himself, and he pulled his knees up to his chin in a defensive way like a small and scared young child.

That was how Blaine felt right now; he was so lost and alone. He felt like his thirteen year old self that had been abandoned emotionally by the father he looked up to, the man he craved to please, the man he knew he could never make proud but so desperately wanted to. Blaine knew his parents didn’t care; they had made that quite clear that he was a disappointment, especially his father. Blaine had been just thirteen years old the first time his father… don’t think about it Blaine he cursed himself.

“But Blaine it’s late and its dark! Won’t your parents be worrying? Aren’t they wondering where you are?” The worry was even more prevalent in Kurt's tone now, a concern that Blaine didn’t understand. Was Kurt worrying that Blaine’s parents didn’t worry? That made no sense to him. Why did Kurt even care? Blaine had spent the past five years pushing away anyone he got too close to, anyone who showed a hint of interest in him so that he wouldn’t be disappointed and let down like he was before.

“Nah, I don’t worry about them, they don’t worry about me, it’s an easy life” Blaine replied lightly. It still hurt him deep inside but he took all these feelings and stored them away in a little space buried deep within his heart and never let himself experience them again after the first cut they made.

Blaine saw Kurt bite his lip and had noticed that Kurt always did this when he appeared nervous. Blaine reached out his right thumb to brush Kurt's lip. It was the smallest sign of affection but to Blaine it was a leap, like Bungee jumping; feeling the free fall, praying for the moment, anticipating the moment when the elastic cord would snap back and recoil, tugging you backwards like a lifeline.

Blaine snapped his thumb back when he heard Kurt let out a small gasp, leaving Blaine's head reeling. Affection was alien to him. No one showed Blaine affection and he showed none in return, even having sex there was nothing affectionate about a one night stand, no contact beyond turning each other on and getting the job done as it were. Definitely no affection.

Blaine internally cursed himself; he had been letting himself get in too deep. This was just another game to Blaine but Kurt hadn’t given in as easily as all the others did, usually it took a couple of days with the boys, but when he was at a club he could reel them in within the hour. Kurt had put up a fight and this had made Blaine more determined than ever and his attraction to Kurt had become undeniable to himself.

Attraction was an odd concept to Blaine; yes he was attracted to those guys he had those flings with but nothing more than physical want, and half of them well it wasn’t even that, it was just because there really aren’t that many openly gay guys in Ohio. But something about Kurt attracted Blaine to him. It was his confidence Blaine thought, the way Kurt would hold his head up high no matter what the bullies did to him, no matter what they shouted, Kurt would always be himself. Blaine thought Kurt was strong when he was able to bypass all those things the bullies did say. But Blaine had seen Kurt cry now and Blaine just didn’t understand why. Surely it wasn’t because of him?

Blaine’s flirtatious advances had never made anyone cry before. Why would someone coming onto you make you cry? Blaine just didn’t understand Kurt at all. This made Blaine anxious to advance with the boy, he wanted to get inside his head, know why he acted the way he did. Blaine hated not having full understanding and control, that’s all he ever wanted. He didn’t just want it, he needed control.

Blaine watched Kurt check the time on a beautiful leather watch wrapped around his delicate wrist and then turned his gaze back to Blaine. “It’s after 10pm, Blaine, you can’t stay here. I don’t care if you say your parents won’t notice but its dark and it can be dangerous around here at night.” Kurt said in a soft tone.

“I don’t need protecting, Hummel.” Blaine half shouted, the walls going back up as fast as they had fallen. He wasn’t about to let anyone think he was weak, especially someone who intrigued him so much.

“Well, it looks to me like you do.” Kurt retaliated, pointing at the cuts and bruises on Blaine's face.

“I DO NOT!” Blaine shouted, his voice echoing, bouncing off the walls of the gas station at the edge of which they sat.

*

Kurt surprised himself at his confidence as he stood firm and didn’t back away from Blaine, but the harsh exterior Blaine put up didn’t fool him anymore. Kurt could see a part of himself in Blaine. That young boy who had been constantly on edge, not letting people in, on the defensive all the time. Kurt had begun to get over this side of his persona since joining Glee club. He had found people who understood him to a certain extent but never fully, but at least some level of connection had helped Kurt relax a little and he could see this was what Blaine was; he was defensive and Kurt wanted to help him.

Kurt decided in that moment he would help Blaine Anderson no matter what it took.

Kurt looked at Blaine with a look of sadness in his eyes. “How did you get here, Blaine? Can you get home alright? You really need to get out of here before anything else happens.” Kurt said, his eyes boring into Blaine’s, not losing focus for a second, needing Blaine to see he wasn’t going to drop this.

“My bike,” Blaine said simply, pointing around the corner of the building.

Kurt sighed, there was no way Blaine would be able to ride in his condition, he had barely been able to stand on his own two feet for more than a minute without collapsing back onto the floor.

“Blaine, let me take you home?” Kurt asked tentatively, unsure as to Blaine's reaction. When he had been that defensive and enclosed boy he had just wanted someone to reach out to him but Blaine had created this persona, an aggressive bad boy image, something which was alien to Kurt.

Kurt didn’t know why Blaine was this person, he had no idea what made Blaine like this. Was there something in his past? Was it his family? Was it something to do with these boys or this Sebastian? Kurt couldn’t help his mind wander and wonder what had caused this.

Kurt reached out his hand to Blaine who ignored it but rose to his feet, “I can get home without your help, Hummel.” Blaine spat, beginning to walk towards his motorbike, but swaying almost dangerously just walking along the flat ground. Kurt ran to catch up with him and stopped in front of the slightly shorter boy.

“It’s pretty clear you can’t, Anderson.” Kurt retorted. He put his hands forcefully on Blaine’s shoulders, steering him to the navigator.

*

Blaine allowed Kurt to push him into the big black navigator and Blaine watched as Kurt got in the other side. Blaine didn’t know why he was letting Kurt take him home; he knew it was a bad idea. He was getting too close to the chestnut haired boy and that was dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous the sight of his father flashed through Blaine's mind as he gave Kurt his address to type into the satnav on the dashboard.

“But don’t pull up to the house. My parents wouldn’t be happy to see me bring someone back to the house.” Blaine added as an afterthought after giving Kurt his address.

Blaine could see a look of curiosity in Kurt's face, wondering why his parents wouldn’t want to see him with someone else, be it a friend or anyone else. But Kurt never asked the questions Blaine could only imagine Kurt had. Blaine was thankful that he didn’t start an inquisition but instead said he could bring Blaine back here tomorrow if he needed to get his bike back. Blaine merely nodded and the rest of the journey continued in silence until Kurt pulled up at the end of Blaine's street where his house was two houses from the end of the block.