*4

Kurt had been broken.�
He knew that deep inside. All of the hits, shoves and general abuse had worn him down to the point where he was just raw nerves. McKinley was slowly killing him. He had to leave.�
���
The first day he walked into Dalton was the first day since freshman year that he hadn't been slushied or pushed into a locker. Even without the bullying, though, Kurt was still on edge. He stayed under the radar, putting off joining the Warblers, avoiding making close friends, and throwing himself into his academics.�

�� He kept up with his old friends. Kurt went shopping with the New Directions girls every weekend and hung out with some of the guys when they were at his house visiting Finn.�
���
But Kurt was missing something. He wanted someone who wanted him for more than fashion advice and to borrow hairspray from. He wanted someone to touch him, and hold him, and just to make him feel wanted. Kurt thought that he wouldn't get that until he left Ohio for New York.�
���
Nearly three months after his transfer, Kurt ran into Dave Karofsky at Breadstix after a shopping trip with Tina and Rachel (Mercedes was sick) and they ended up talking until the restaurant closed. Kurt was laughing and crying and high off the feeling of finally talking to someone who understood what it meant to be gay in Ohio. He could forgive Dave for all of the scars he had given Kurt, both physical and emotional, because now someone had given Dave wounds of his own. They got each other on a level other people didn't usually get them, so at the end of the night when Dave held Kurt's hand and told him that he wanted to do it again sometime, the honesty in his voice made Kurt say yes with only �a trace of hesitation. Plus, the look in Dave's eyes right after Kurt agreed was just so happy that it made Kurt's heart swell just a little knowing he could do that to someone.�

�� Three "dates" later, when Dave officially asked Kurt to be his boyfriend and gave him a stuffed animal in the shape of a pink puppy covered in hearts, Kurt kissed him for the first time since the locker room incident.�

�� It wasn't perfect. Not even close. But it was with a boy who obviously cared about Kurt, and who made Kurt feel happy, and cared for, and wanted, and that was more than Kurt had ever thought would happen. They kept on dating without a major fight, without any problems, and all of Kurt's friends tolerated it, even if they weren't thrilled by the couple.�
���
It was Dave who got Kurt to try out for the community theatre, he was the one who had stayed up until midnight quizzing Kurt to help him study for a test even though Dave had a game the next day, and it was Dave who finally convinced Kurt to join the Warblers.�

�� And now, Kurt was content. He wasn't being bullied, he had fantastic grades, was appreciated for his voice instead of ridiculed for it, and he had a boyfriend.�
���
He was worried when he found out he would have to take care of Pavarotti. He was notoriously bad at taking care of small things, like birds, or plants, or pet rocks. He definitely WASN'T, however, expecting one of his old friend's�cat to eat the canary within three hours of having him.�

�� When he discovered Pav's empty cage and Lord Tubbington devouring his corpse, Kurt screamed and Blaine Anderson, lead soloist for the Warblers, burst into the room he shared with Wes, dragging along a boy he recognized as David before quickly shoving said boy out and hugging Kurt.�

�� Kurt was painfully aware that he was shirtless and had an avocado smeared on his face. Early on in his time at Dalton, Kurt had been infatuated with the charming Warbler, but seeing as how Kurt had wanted to be ignored, he never spoke to Blaine, and then he started dating Dave.�
���
In all of those Blaine-centric months, though, Kurt had never expected Blaine to be so perfect.��Blaine didn't yell when Kurt got avocado on his blazer, and he even took Kurt out to buy a replacement bird. Kurt was warming up to Blaine, who didn't laugh when Kurt starting singing and dancing in public, and who was nice enough to offer to buy coffee for a boy that Blaine had never spoken to before.
���
He wasn't terrified to touch Kurt, like most people were. They were afraid that they would either catch some of the abuse Kurt got by associating with him, or people who had seen his bruises were afraid that Kurt would shatter if they so much as breathed on him. �Blaine didn't do that. Blaine wasn't physical in a sexual way, (there was no flirting, no advances) he was just there. Unafraid to be close to Kurt, unafraid of breaking him with an ounce of pressure. Kurt was almost positive that Blaine knew what it felt like for people to think you were made out of glass, (or porcelain, Kurt thought wryly to himself) and was determined not to treat Kurt that way.�

�� At the coffee shop, Kurt was excited to see that his boyfriend was there. Kurt sat next to him, and told him that he was there with a friend. Dave smiled and kissed him quickly before breaking away when Kurt caught sight of Blaine holding the coffee and making his way towards the table. His smile faltered for just an instant, and then it was back up.�

�� "Well hello!"�

Blaine sat down gracefully, clutching his coffee in his hands, smiling a friendly smile at Dave and Kurt.�

"My name's Blaine Anderson, I'm a friend of Kurt's. I'm assuming that you're his boyfriend?"

�� Dave grinned back; the word "boyfriend" always made him smile.�

�� "Yeah, I am. My name's Dave Karofsky. I went to school with Kurt last year. "

�� Blaine relaxed a little at Dave's friendliness. Kurt could see how the almost imperceptible tension drained out of his body.�

�� "That must have been tough. I know how homophobic public schools can be. I'm really impressed that you still had the courage to come out. "

�� Blaine was still smiling, seemingly unaware of David's discomfort. Kurt tensed up though, ready for the onslaught of awkwardness and judgement.�

�� "Um...yeah. It was really tough on Kurt. "�

�� David looked a little ashamed. Kurt relaxed, relieved that they had dodged the subject successfully.�

�� "Hey, well it was nice meeting you Blaine. "�

Dave said, grabbing his coffee and standing up.�

�� "And I always love seeing you!"

He added, pressing a quick kiss to Kurt's lips.�

�� "But the Buckeyes are playing in an hour, so I gotta go! Bye Kurt!"

�� David hurried out of the coffee shop, the bells on the door ringing behind him as he left. Blaine turned to Kurt, raising an eyebrow questioningly.�

�� "Well that was interesting. "

�� Blaine took a sip of his coffee, waging an internal war. �

�� "Kurt,"�

He hesitated for a second, looking down at his coffee before glancing up at Kurt.

�"The Buckeyes don't play until Sunday."�

�� Kurt stiffened, looking away from Blaine.�

�� "As a matter of fact," Blaine said, looking at Kurt probingly, "There isn't any football at all on today. What's up with your boyfriend? Is he alright?"

�� Kurt whipped his head around, looking at Blaine with a shocked expression on his face. Of course Blaine would assume the best in Dave, that he had something distracting him. Blaine was too positive to ever think that Dave had been Kurt's main tormentor for three years.�

�� Blaine was still looking at Kurt worriedly.�

�� "Did I say something that made him leave? Oh no-"�

Blaine said in a panic, leaning forward and staring intensely at Kurt with his big, amber eyes.

�"Kurt I'm sorry, I swear I'll apologize the next time I see him. "

�� Blaine looked so terrified that he had upset him, that Kurt just had to laugh. It was a bit of a forced laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.�

�� Blaine narrowed his eyes in confusion and leaned back in his chair.�

�� " I just singlehandedly drove your boyfriend out of a coffee shop. I think I'm missing the joke. "

�� Kurt quieted down, looking at Blaine. It would be so easy to just lie, and have one person who didn't automatically judge him for dating someone who had injured him more times than Kurt could count. It was a little crazy, Kurt knew that, but he cared about Dave a lot. Sometimes it seemed like people forgot about that.�

�� On the other hand, this was Blaine! This was the boy who, despite only meeting him a few hours ago, Kurt trusted and connected to deeply, in a way that freaked him out a little. �He knew that if anyone were to accept Dave and Kurt without question, it would be Blaine.�

What was he supposed to do?