Chapter 13

Kurt's jaw dropped.

Wait, what?

He blinked furiously, trying to calm himself, as the steady stream of tears that had been freely flowing down his flushed cheeks slowly diminished.

Surely he hadn't heard that right. Right?

Karofsky and Azimio appeared baffled. They glanced at each other, one obviously hoping that the other would be able to fill in the blanks.

Several seconds later, it was like a light bulb clicked on above Azimio's head and his eyes widened as he finally realized what Blaine had just admitted to.

"Holy fuck, Dave! Anderson is a fag!"

Karofsky laughed nervously, and then looked back at Blaine, who remained standing in front of Kurt, not smiling. He then returned his dumbstruck gaze back to Azimio and lifted an eyebrow, as if to say 'for real?'

Azimio only nodded.

"Jesus Fuck 'Z'! It's getting worse. The gayness is spreading!" Karofsky cried with a disgusted sneer. "And it's all 'Homo Hummel's'fault." He used exaggerated the angry slur by using air quotations.

Azimio backed away from both Kurt and Blaine, with his hands raised in front of his face in mock surrender. "Puh-puh-please don't infect me! I don't want to be turned into an ankle-grabbing faggot!"

Blaine's eyes instantly narrowed and turned intensely dark. He gritted his teeth momentarily before launching himself once again at the football player with an almost inhuman growl.

He leapt up and grabbed the hulk of a teenager by the collar and was about to land a left hook when his tightly clenched fist was grabbed from behind by Karofsky. The bulky teen twisted Blaine's arm around behind him, effectively pulling the boy away from Azimio. With his left hand restrained, Blaine hastily swung his right arm around and clocked Karofsky above the eye with a wicked backhand.

Karofsky howled and swung Blaine around by his arm, smashing him back into the concrete wall.

Blaine's nose was the first point of contact with the wall. Kurt heard an appalling crunchbefore blood began to pour down his rescuer's face.

"Enough!" Kurt screamed, now putting himself between Blaine and the two jocks. "That's enough!

Karofsky faked a lunge towards Kurt but the pale boy held his ground and remained still.

Azimio scoffed and grabbed Karofsky by the arm of his football jacket, "Come on man, let's get the fuck up outta here. Leave these fuckin' fairies be." His voice was still an octave or two higher than usual, Blaine's elbow having obviously caused the jock lasting discomfort.

Kurt's stomach clenched when Azimio spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with blood, which landed on Blaine, who was still crouched on the floor pinching his actively hemorrhaging nose.

Blaine, looking entirely appalled, shot up from the floor and was about to launch himself at the teen yet again when Kurt put an arm around his waist, successfully holding him back.

"Blaine! Leave him! It's not worth it!" He struggled to maintain his grasp on the boy who, Kurt learned, was significantly stronger than his stature suggested.

"Yeah, Blaine, listen to your girlfriend." Karofsky taunted.

The rumbling growl that came deep from Blaine's throat sent a shiver up Kurt's spine.

As Karofsky and Azimio started to leave, Azimio turned back around and looked at both boys in disgust, "Fuckin' queers."

The moment they were gone, Kurt hurried over and locked the bathroom door and turned around to face Blaine, who had since slid back down to the floor and was still bleeding profusely.

"Blaine?"

No answer.

"Blaine?" Kurt said again, walking cautiously towards the other boy as though he was walking into the den of a family of lions.

Blaine looked up suddenly, still pinching his nose and noticed Kurt staring at him.

"Are you okay Kurt?" His voice now had a nasally pitch to it, as he was still struggling to control the bleeding.

Kurt almost laughed at the hilarity of Blaine's question. There he was, sitting on the floor, black and blue and bleeding like a stuck pig and he was asking Kurt if hewas ok.

Who is this guy?

Kurt nodded, "Are you? Why did you say all those things?"

Blaine seemed to be confused momentarily, and then it was as though he instantly recalled the proceedings of the past several minutes and a look of trepidation was briefly etched his swollen face.

Still he said nothing.

"You shouldn't have said those things Blaine. You shouldn't have done that just for me." Kurt whispered gently, offering the boy a hand.

Blaine hesitated, then took Kurt's hand and clumsily got back onto his feet.

"I didn't." He stated matter-of-factly. "I did it for me."

Kurt paused, looking directly at the shorter boy, trying to get a read on what he'd just admitted.

"So... It's true?" He asked hesitantly.

Blaine sighed and leaned over the sink, allowing several droplets of cherry red blood drip from his nose into the white porcelain sink. As each drop connected with the white surface, it spread wide, mixing with the remnants of water in the sink, and leaving an ugly trail of red streaming down towards the drain.

Blaine still hadn't answered the question, so Kurt took a few steps off to his left and gathered a handful of paper towels before moistening them under the faucet.

"Can I help?" He offered with an innocent, toothless smile.

Blaine only nodded.

Kurt gently dabbed the handful of damp towels against Blaine's battered face and the two boys shared a brief moment of gazing deep into each other's eyes. The stare, albeit brief, sent shivers up Kurt's spine until he was forced to look away. That minuscule gaze, deep from the soul of one boy to the other, had answered Kurt's question.

He continued to gently clean the blood from the other boy's face in silence as he contemplated what this development meant.

Blaine was gay.

Kurt deliberated silently for several minutes, trying to decide what an appropriate next course of action would be. Should he ask him about it? Or should he pretend he didn't know and let Blaine decide if and when he wanted to discuss it with him?

Kurt recalled not long ago when he was struggling with his feelings and emotions when he first came out. It hadn't been easy, and he would have killedto have had someone to talk to.

Kurt decided to test the waters.

"Does anyone else know?"

Blaine continued to stare into the sink. Kurt thought the boy was going to evade yet another conversation until he finally spoke up in a broken, meek voice that Kurt could hardly recognize.

"I'm sure most of the school knows by now. They've probably already spray-painted it on the walls."

Kurt's heart broke for the boy. This was obviously not how he'd planned to come out.

If he had even planned to come out at all.

Blaine's voice displayed every ounce of pain that he was feeling and Kurt couldn't help but feel like he was to blame. Where was the brave hero that had just saved him, moments ago, from certain death? Well, maybe not death, but certainly some serious pain and anguish.

His heart ached for the other teenager. Kurt knew all too well how difficult it was to come to terms with something as significant as his sexuality. He had a sudden urge to reach for the boy and simply hold him in his arms, lift the blood soaked curl off his forehead and tell him that everything was going to be alright.

But it wasn't going to be alright, Kurt silently admitted. It was going to be a rough and horrible experience.

Being 'out' in Lima, Ohio was not an experience for the faint of heart. Kurt shuddered as he recalled all of the times that he'd been bullied and tormented for being who he was. It broke his heart further when he realized that Blaine was about to embark on a similar journey that would no doubt lead him into the same murky waters. Kurt felt a sudden desire to protect the smaller boy. He wanted to shield him from what he knew was inevitable; a life of torture and pain.

The majority of the blood was now wiped from Blaine's face. Kurt could now see that underneath that layer of blood was some significant physical damage. Blaine's nose had still not stopped bleeding, there was a deep reddish-purple bruise on the left side of his chin, and he noted a sizable lump forming on the back of Blaine's head, visible beneath the mass of dark curls. The boy also wore a nasty gash above his right eye, which had thankfully stopped bleeding, but still appeared red and angry.

Kurt stepped back away from the boy and tossed the now-bloodstained towels in the garbage bin before retreating into the bathroom stall and unwinding a handful of toilet paper. He walked back over to where Blaine was still leaned over the sink, aimlessly staring at himself in the mirror, an empty look of hopelessness carved into his masculine features.
"Here." Kurt offered, handing the wad of tissue towards the boy. "Roll some of this up and stick it up your nose. It will help stop the bleeding."

Blaine didn't turn around, but he moved his glance towards the reflection of Kurt in the mirror, obvious doubt written on his face.

"Oh just shush and try it." Kurt chimed. "I'm sorry, but I left all my heavy-flow tampons at home. They work wonderfully."

Blaine's eyes grew large.

Kurt rested his hand on the boy's shoulder with a sigh. "Blaine. It was a joke. Relax."

Blaine still remained silent.

Oh.

Kurt continued to look at Blaine's dishevelled appearance through the large mirror over the sinks, while the boy rolled up a few squares of toilet paper and carefully stuck them in his left nostril, effectively controlling the bleeding.

"What do you say we try and clean some of the blood off your jacket?"

Blaine looked down at the angry red stains as though he hadn't expected them to be there. The light spatters of blood almost blended in with the crimson felt fabric of his jacket, but were significantly more visible on the beige sleeves.

He looked back up at Kurt with sad eyes. "You don't have to help me." It was hardly more than a whisper.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Kurt exclaimed. "You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me. I'm the reason you're all smashed up!"

"No, you're not Kurt." Blaine replied quickly. "You'd never hit me."

"You're right, I wouldn't. But nevertheless Blaine Anderson, today you were my knight in shining armour and I vow my allegiance to you." Kurt said theatrically, taking an exaggerated bow. "Or at least to offer my expertise in removing stains from assorted fabrics."

This time Blaine caught the joke, and although he didn't outwardly laugh, that tiny sparkle that Kurt loved so much, returned to his eyes momentarily.

Kurt helped Blaine shrug off his jacket and proceeded to scrub away at the stains, while Blaine scrubbed his hands feverishly, removing layers of dried, crusted blood. Kurt hadn't missed the slight wince from the boy as he pulled his arm out of its sleeve. Apparently the punch from Azimio had done some damage underneath the skin as well. Kurt decided not to push the issue, he was just glad that Blaine was accepting his help.

When they were both finished, Blaine looked almost presentable. He shyly ran a hand through his hair, which was now a slightly frizzy mass of curls; Kurt's scrubbing having gotten rid of the majority of whatever hair product he'd been using to control his mane. He looked back through the mirror at Kurt's reflection and gave him a subtle but effective nod.

Thank you.

Kurt acknowledged Blaine's silent appreciation by squeezing his shoulder again.

Kurt excused himself, as he went into one of the stalls and changed into his regular clothes. He returned moments later, wearing a pair of tight black pants and a flamboyantly constructed designer top with a scarf around his neck, happy to discover that Blaine had still waited for him.

"Much better." Kurt smiled. "Wanna get outta here? It reeks of smelly boys."

The corners of Blaine's mouth curved upwards ever-so-slightly as he suppressed a grin. He nodded.

"I know a quiet place that not too many people know about. Let's go sit and talk."

Blaine took a deep breath and nodded again. "Okay."

As they walked out of the bathroom, Kurt took a quick survey of the hallways to make sure no one was hanging around. School had let out a while ago, so he was almost certain that they'd be left alone. After pausing momentarily to pick up his messenger bag and allowing Blaine to sling his duffle bag over his left shoulder, Kurt grabbed Blaine's right hand in his and pulled him into the hallway.

"Come on, I know a shortcut."

Kurt led Blaine through the corridors, strolling quickly to avoid detection. Since both boys had the straps of their bags on their left shoulders, it was an almost awkward arrangement, having Kurt's right hand interlocked with the fingers of Blaine's right hand. The shorter boy just stared in wonder as he was led through a hallway he was certain he'd never been down before.

Their pace quickened, and Blaine was forced to jog a few steps to keep up with Kurt's long and graceful strides, never once releasing his grip from the other boy's strong but delicate grasp.

They finally slipped through a door marked 'Emergency Exit Only'and for a fleeting moment, Blaine was worried that they would set off some type of alarm. But they exited the school without hindrance and made their way into a courtyard behind the school that Blaine didn't know even existed.

"It's the elementary courtyard. We're safe here." Kurt explained as he set down his bag.

He removed a sweater from his satchel, placed it on the ground and sat down on it under a large oak tree. The majority of the leaves had already fallen from the tree, providing a soft and comfortable pillow for him to sit on. He motioned for Blaine to join him, and after only a moment's hesitation, he dropped his duffle bag and took a seat next to his new friend under the tree.

Both boys sat quietly under the shade of the tree with a cool autumn breeze whistling around them. It hadn't yet begun to freeze in the evening and no snow had yet fallen, but the bitter wind of the afternoon sent a quick shiver up Kurt's spine. Perhaps this hadn't been the best place to bring Blaine.

He probably thinks I'm trying to freeze him out.

Several moments later, Blaine was still staring off into space and Kurt was busying himself by braiding several long blades of yellowing grass together. He then proceeded to fold the three chains of the grass into one, creating a unique looking bracelet which he expertly tied around his own left wrist.

It was as if both boys were unsure of how to proceed. They both knew that there were issues to discuss, but neither of them knew where to start. After several more moments of silence, Kurt turned towards Blaine and took his hand once again.

It's now or never.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it right now, but I just want to say thank you Blaine. What you did back there, standing up for me like that - no one has ever done that before. So, for what it's worth, it really meant a lot. "

Much to Kurt's surprise, Blaine, though still refusing to make eye contact with Kurt, responded immediately.

"I'm just sorry that it took me so long."

Kurt smiled, released the boy's hand and looked back out across the yard. "I'm sorry that you got hurt. You probably hate me for that."

Blaine finally turned his head back to face Kurt, his eyes dark and sincere.

I could never hate you.

Blaine shook his head and replied boldly. "I'd do it again tomorrow Kurt."

Kurt blushed slightly and smiled, unknowing what to say in response.

"I wanted to tell you."

It was said in such a hushed whisper that Kurt couldn't be sure that he hadn't imagined it. He looked at Blaine, who sat motionless, staring down at the ground, anxiously waiting to see if the boy would say more.

"B-but I was scared about what you might think of me, and I wasn't ready for everyone else to find out." Blaine finally lifted his head to look at Kurt. It was apparent by his facial expression that he was worried about what the other boy would think of his lack of courage.

"Do you hate me?"

Kurt's face softened.

I could never hate you.

"Of course I don't hate you Blaine." He said sympathetically. "Why would you even think that?"

"You're so proud of who you are Kurt. I mean, look what you're wearing..." Blaine said pointedly, gesturing towards the taller boy's unique ensemble. "You are not afraid to show people who you are. But me? I can hardly admit it to myself."

Kurt sighed deeply. "Blaine. It has taken me years to get to this point. And look at all the crap that still gets thrown my way. I am not exactly comfortable with displaying who I am to the world just yet. I'm just getting really good at faking it and pretending that it doesn't bother me."

Blaine smiled and looked down again. "I just wish I had your courage."

"What you did today in that bathroom took more courage than I'll ever have."

Blaine didn't reply, and both boys sat silently once again for several more minutes until another chill found its way up Kurt's spine.

He was about to suggest that they move their little discussion inside when Blaine spoke up again.

"It's not the first time I came out at school."

This was news. Kurt nodded slowly to Blaine, encouraging him to continue.

"I was fourteen when I finally came to terms with... things." He hesitated. "I think I knew long before that but I tried for a long time to change it."

Kurt felt a pang in his chest.

Been there.

"Some of the kids in my class started making jokes about the gay guy on some TV show. When I wouldn't join in, they started making fun of me and calling me a..." He paused, and looked up at Kurt who indicated with a nod that he knew the exact word that he was implying.

Blaine took a deep breath before continuing. "They started spreading rumours all over school about me and finally one day I just admitted that it was true. I guess I hoped that they would stop bugging me about it if I came clean."

"Did they?"

Blaine scoffed.

"Hardly. It was ok for a few days but then it got pretty bad. It really... pissed me off. I even complained about it to the faculty. They were sympathetic and all, but you could just tell, nobody really cared. It was like 'Hey, if you're gay, your life's just going to be miserable. Sorry, nothing we can do about it'." Blaine finished off with a dark stare.

He paused again, obviously re-playing a memory though his mind before continuing. "There was a Sadie Hawkins dance. I asked a friend of mine, the only other gay guy in the school."

Kurt could tell that Blaine was having some reservations about telling this story, so he shuffled slightly closer and pulled the boy's hands into his own and offered him an encouraging smile.

Blaine gulped and forced the faintest of smiles before continuing with his tale.

"While we were waiting for his dad to pick us up..." His voice faltered as his mind searched for the words. Kurt noticed that Blaine's eyes were growing increasingly moist and were close to spilling tears down his already bruised and battered cheeks. It was obvious to Kurt that Blaine was trying to remain strong. He was a tough guy – he'd already proven that, and Kurt knew that Blaine would likely be more upset if he let himself cry. He watched as the boy sniffled and nonchalantly ran a sleeve over his eyes to remove the excess moisture before it had a chance to cause him any further emotional turmoil.

Blaine paused only briefly before continuing, "These three guys...ummm..." He shrugged slowly and paused again, a lone tear had now escaped and was streaming down his cheek. "...beat the living crap out of us."

Kurt stared in disbelief.

"I-I'm so sorry." He whispered, gripping the other boy's hands tight.

Kurt would have liked to have learned more about the tragedy but didn't want to pry any more information from the already emotional Blaine.

They just sat, hands intertwined for several more minutes until Blaine had collected himself once again.

"I've never told anyone that story."

"Thank you for telling me Blaine. I know it was hard for you." Kurt answered, again offering the boy a simple smile.

Blaine nodded.

"We need to stand together now Blaine." Kurt announced. "We need to show those Neanderthals that we are not afraid of them and refuse to be pushed around."

Blaine looked at Kurt and nodded with a hopeful glance for the first time that day.

"And," Kurt added, pointing a finger upwards for dramatic effect, "We're gonna tell them that if they don't like us. Too bad, we're here to stay."

Kurt knew that he had gone slightly overboard with his pep talk. It wasn't as though things were going to change dramatically overnight. He knew that it was still going to be a long and hard road. But he took comfort in the fact that he didn't have to travel down that road alone anymore. And he could tell by the new look of optimism in Blaine's eyes that he too believed that things could only get easier from here on in.

"Look Blaine, I'm not saying that everybody at school is ready to 'embrace the gay', but maybe at least they've evolved enough to be different."

Blaine looked slightly less hopeful.

"If you and I stay strong, maybe we can make a change Blaine."

As much as he appreciated the sentiment, Blaine had a very difficult time believing that people could be willing to change. But he liked the idea of not running away from his problems. Again.

"After I got out of the hospital, my parents transferred me to a different school. Dalton Academy. It's a private school with a zero-tolerance harassment policy."

Kurt noticed that Blaine's features brightened slightly at the mention of the all-boys boarding school.

"It was a nice change." Blaine admitted. "I was accepted there. No questions asked."

Kurt released Blaine's hands and tilted his head.

"Why did you come here then?"

The brightness vanished as fast as it had appeared.

"A-are you cold? I think we should go back inside."

Blaine's attempt to change the subject was far from subtle.

Kurt knew there had to be significantly more to Blaine's story but didn't push it. He nodded with a smile and stood up, dusted the leaves off of his sweater and stuffed it back into his messenger bag.

Blaine quickly followed suit and shrugged his football duffle bag back up onto his shoulder.

They slowly and silently walked back around the school towards where Kurt had parked his Navigator.

"Do your parents know?"

Blaine stumbled slightly.

Damn it.

"Y-yeah, they found out after I was taken to the hospital."

"Ouch."Kurt winced. "I bet they weren't too impressed finding out that way, hey?"

Blaine scoffed.

"You have no idea."

The words were said with such acidity that it chilled Kurt more than the cool weather could have. Again, he was certain that there was more to the story than Blaine was providing but this time, he couldn't help himself.

"Did they accept it? Are things okay with you now?"

Blaine chose to blatantly ignore Kurt's questions and once again changed the subject. He made a show out of pulling a silver pocket watch out of his jacket and checking the time. He then adjusted his duffle bag up higher on his shoulder and pointed a finger back towards the school.

"I should go. I don't want to be late."

Okay Blaine. Obviously you're not ready for that chat yet.

Kurt decided to ease the obvious tension and lighten the mood.

"Late?" He questioned mockingly. "Late for what, White Rabbit?"

Blaine cocked his head to the side, looking momentarily puzzled. Then, as he recognized the reference, he grinned and shook his head in comic disbelief.

"I have to get to football practice."

Kurt stopped walking and looked at the shorter boy incredulously.

"You're kidding right?"

Blaine's triangular eyebrows furrowed. "No."

"Blaine. Have you forgotten what just happened? Karofsky and Azimio are going to be there."

"Kurt. I know. But I can't miss another practice. Coach Beiste told me that if I miss one more, I'm off the team." Blaine shrugged.

"But..."

"Kurt. I can't get kicked off the team. Football is my ticket out of here. I'm gonna get a scholarship and leave this place as soon as I graduate."

Kurt still looked at him in disbelief.

"Plus," Blaine started as he walked towards the entrance of the school. "I need to stand up to those guys. You said it yourself. I need to show them that I'm not afraid of them."

"Blaine. They are going to kill you." Kurt squeaked as he watched the other boy walking away.

"Let them try." Blaine said in the most courageous voice he could muster. "I'm done hiding in the closet."