Author's Note:

I am SOOOO sorry for how long this took to update! I don't even have any cool excuses… Life just kinda got in the way a little bit and I was hard-pressed to find the time to write.

Anyways… I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! As my gift to all of you… here is a MASSIVE chapter!

ENJOY!

XOXO

-RH

~ Thanks for reading and reviewing. Your words inspire mine. ~

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Check out Blaine's journal on Tumblr: Courage-Journal to see the journal entries, texts, photos and lots more!

*** TRIGGER WARNING ***

This chapter may contain depictions of violence, coarse language and non-consensual sexual acts.

~~~ This story is rated 'R'. ~~~

Viewer discretion is STRONGLY advised…

Chapter 26 Part II

"Blaine? We're home now."

Kurt leaned down and spoke softly, while gently smoothing the unruly dark curls that dangled loosely above Blaine's left ear.

It broke his heart to see his friend laying on the car seat next to him, curled into a ball with his knees pulled into his chest and his eyes tightly closed.

It didn't take a doctor to see that Blaine was in an incredible amount of pain.

As hard as the boy had tried to hide it, Kurt had felt the fingers on Blaine's right hand dig harshly into his own every time the car slid over another pothole in the road. Several times the bumps were bad enough that Blaine couldn't prevent the pain-filled gasps and whimpers that slipped through his clenched teeth and pursed lips.

The nurses at the hospital had predicted this outcome, and had insisted that Blaine take a dose of his pain medicine before they started their journey home but he had flat out refused.

As much as it saddened Kurt to see Blaine in such a horrific state, he could understand why he would do this to himself.

He was still incredibly paranoid about what drugs were being injected into his system.

Kurt sighed as he ran a thumb over Blaine's cheekbone, which was striped with salty tear tracks.

Oh Blaine, what did they do to you?

"Blaine? Can you hear me?"

Blaine was breathing in sharp, pained gasps and still refused to open his clenched eyes.

Kurt looked up as his father climbed out of the front seat and walked around to open up the rear car door.

Instantly, a wave of cold air pooled into the cab of the vehicle, sending a shiver snaking up Kurt's spine.

He shuddered slightly.

It's getting colder outside.

He leaned back over Blaine's trembling form and squeezed his hand.

"Blaine, we're home now. It's okay. We don't have to drive anymore."

Another torrent of pain screamed through Blaine's body and he whimpered into the blankets that surrounded him.

Even though the vehicle was no longer moving, his pain had reached a crescendo.

Blaine couldn't continue to pretend to be strong anymore.

He clenched his hand so hard that Kurt could feel the capillaries in the alabaster skin of his own hand burst under the added compression.

There would be bruises, but he didn't care.

All he wanted to do was wrap this boy securely in his arms and take him inside, where it was warm, soft, and safe.

"Blaine, we have to move you to get you inside the house now." Burt explained from where he stood outside the car.

He too could see the immense amount of pain that Blaine was undoubtedly in and he cursed himself for allowing the boy to leave the hospital without having taken the painkillers.

He was supposed to be watching out for this kid now, acting as his guardian of sorts.

Burt couldn't help but think that he was off to a rocky start.

Blaine needed direction. It was obvious that he had been left to fend for himself for far too long already, and that needed to change.

But Burt was hesitant to try and convince Blaine to do anything that he didn't feel comfortable enough to do on his own.

He'd been through enough of that already too.

It was important to allow him to be in control right now.

"Blaine?" He repeated, after he'd received no response. "Buddy, I know you're hurting but we have to get you inside."

Nothing.

Burt looked at his son, who was sitting with Blaine's head held gently in his lap, and had tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

It was like watching Elizabeth cry.

He'd hated it when Elizabeth had cried.

Those beautiful blue eyes should never look so sad.

"Kurt, I need you to go get Finn."

Kurt's eyes instantly narrowed as he looked up at his father in confusion.

"Wha-why?"

"Just go, Kurt." His father replied sternly. Then he saw the concerned look on Kurt's face and added, "Please?"

For a brief moment, Kurt looked as though he was going to challenge his father's request but the look of concern in Burt's eyes made him reconsider.

He nodded sadly, and returned his gaze to Blaine, who'd remained curled into himself, completely unaware of his surroundings.

However, as soon as Kurt lifted Blaine's head, just enough for him to slip out from underneath him, the boy's honey-hazel eyes flashed open in alarm.

Blaine didn't even need to speak to express his concern; it was written all over his face.

Please don't leave me.

"Shhh… It's okay, Blaine." Kurt whispered, sitting back on the seat next to him. "I'll be right back, alright?"

Blaine's face broke into a devastating grimace and tears pooled down his cheeks once again.

"P-please don't…"

Kurt swallowed the lump of sadness in his throat and wiped away his own tears. "I'm going to get Finn. He's going to help us get you into the house, okay?"

Blaine shook his head desperately.

"I c-can't." He sobbed. "It h-hurts too much."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." Kurt replied, placing a gentle kiss to Blaine's trembling forehead. "But we have to get you inside."

Kurt forced himself to maintain eye contact with Blaine for several seconds, silently encapsulating him with a feeling of total trust.

"I'll be right back, okay?" He tried to make his voice sound strong and confident.

He failed.

"I promise." He added weakly.

Blaine closed his eyes for a moment, as though trying desperately to cling to that sensation of trust and honesty before he re-opened them and nodded.

I trust you.

Kurt smiled sadly and placed another soft kiss above Blaine's left eye before he climbed out of the car and ran towards the house.

Burt couldn't help but shake his head at the exchange.

The connection that these boys share is astounding.

He retuned his attention to the ailing boy in front of him and his facial expressions hardened instantly.

Even within the few seconds that Kurt had been gone, it was as though Blaine had completely lost the rest of his strength and composure.

He was breathing erratically in pained gasps and grunts and the dark features of his face were scrunched tightly in obvious distress.

It was as though he let down the walls he'd held up to protect Kurt from sharing his pain.

"Hey buddy." Burt said softly, leaning further into the car. "He's gonna be right back, okay?"

Burt looked up towards the house, silently praying to see his son returning with the bulky quarterback.

Nothing.

He considered calling Carole out to tend to Blaine, but realized that there was little they could do until they got him inside.

Blaine's agonizing groans grew louder, causing pangs of sadness and helplessness to weave themselves into and throughout Burt's chest.

He leaned over the boy and placed his large callused hand next to where Blaine's fingers remained clenched tightly onto the frayed edge of one of the many blankets that he was wrapped up in.

"You can… uh… hold my hand if you want to." Burt stammered.

Blaine shook his head sharply between pained gasps.

Burt grimaced, wishing there was more he could do.

"I know they're not soft like Kurt's." Burt said honestly. "Mainly from working in the garage and all."

Try to take his mind off the pain.

"Plus he uses all of those ridiculous creams."

There wasn't even a twitch at the corners of Blaine's lips at Burt's intended humour.

Instead, the boy reached up with trembling fingers and pulled the heavy blanket further under his chin.

The movement sent a new wave of pain surging through Blaine's body; his eyes shot open once again and a deafening scream seeped past his chapped lips.

Blaine clenched his fingers together in a tight fist, while trying to regain control of his breathing. Even the fingers of his left hand, while still secured snugly in its sling, were squeezed tightly together.

Just when Burt was about to pull his hand away from Blaine, the boy reached out and desperately grabbed it firmly in his fingers.

Burt, albeit slightly surprised, felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He squeezed his fingers gently against Blaine's reassuringly.

"That's it, buddy. Just hang in there, okay? Kurt will be back soon."

Burt's eyes widened as Blaine's grasp on his hand tightened significantly. His much smaller fingers were gripping onto Burt's hand so firmly that they'd turned completely white and were shaking violently.

Burt brought his free hand up and pushed the curls out of Blaine's face with a delicate touch as he'd seen both Kurt and Carole do in the past.

"It's okay Blaine. It's gonna be okay."

He wasn't sure if his words were meant to convince Blaine or himself.

The teenager began taking deep, exaggerated breaths in through his nose before allowing the air to slip out through his clenched teeth.

He repeated this cyclic breathing process for several minutes until Burt was comforted to see that his shoulders began to relax slightly.

Kurt arrived back at the car seconds later, with Finn in tow.

He propelled himself back inside the car next to Blaine and his heart both swelled and cracked slightly when he took in the view before him.

Blaine was gripping onto his father's hand as though it was his lifeline.

Burt, obviously relieved to have Kurt back to take over, released a sigh of relief and pried Blaine's tense fingers from his hand so Kurt could resume his rightful position.

As Burt stood up outside of the car with a groan, a confused looking Finn Hudson met his eyes.

"Uh… Kurt said you might need my help?"

"Yeah…" Burt started. His voice sounded weak and emotional, so he cleared his throat and began again.

"Yeah. Can you carry Blaine into the house? You've got the longest reach and I think you'll be able to do it the easiest." Burt explained. "We don't want to hurt him any more than we have to."

Finn looked puzzled.

"Carry him?" He asked. "Wha-why can't he…?"

Burt sighed.

I knew I should have had Carole sit down with him and try to better explain what's going on.

"Finn, we'll talk about it later. We just need to get him in out of the cold, okay?"

Finn nodded. "Okay, whatever you say Burt."

He leaned his long frame into the car where he saw Kurt clutching onto Blaine, who was lying on his side in obvious pain.

When Finn leaned into the car, Blaine felt the intrusion behind him and tensed up immediately. When he looked up and saw Finn only inches away from him, his face fell into a look of sadness mixed with shame and disgust.

"He's just going to help you inside, okay?" Kurt reassured, as though reading Blaine's troubled mind.

Blaine looked thoughtful for a brief moment before nodding hesitantly.

Kurt smiled, and pressed a third gentle kiss to Blaine's brow before looking over to Finn and giving him a nod, signalling him that Blaine was as ready as he'd ever be.

Finn reached one hand around Blaine's torso in attempt to roll the boy onto his back to get a better grip on him, but when Blaine shifted into this new position, his pain levels skyrocketed and he let out another agonizing scream.

Finn immediately dropped him back onto the seat and receded away from the car with wide, terrified eyes.

What the fuck?

Kurt meanwhile, had reached back and pulled Blaine's head into his lap and was whispering reassuring words into the hysterical teenager's ear.

"Blaine, we have to get you inside." He cried. "I'm sorry that it hurts, but we have to move you to get you out of the car."

Blaine shook his head; tears still slipping freely down his cheeks.

His lips formed around the word 'no', but he couldn't speak between the sobs and pained gasps.

"Blaine you have to trust me, okay? Finn isn't meaning to hurt you. But we have to get you inside."

Blaine's face filled with devastation as he looked into Kurt's eyes.

"Do you trust me?" Kurt whispered softly.

Blaine, still breathing in short, pained gasps kept Kurt's stare for another full minute before he swallowed and nodded slowly as another salty tear slipped down his cheek.

"Okay." Kurt replied. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's forehead. "I'm going to get out and be ready for you when Finn gets you out of here, okay?"

Blaine nodded.

"Deep breaths alright? I'm not going to lie to you, Blaine. This is going to hurt."

Another hesitant nod.

Kurt climbed out of the car and ran around to the other side where he looked up at Finn with the best bitchface he could muster.

"If you hurt him…"

Finn's eyes widened.

"Kurt, he's doing his best." Burt warned from somewhere beside him. "Let's just get the kid into the damn house, alright?"

Kurt nodded and peeked his head inside the car door.

"Hey. Finn is going to carry you now, okay? I need you to be brave for a few minutes."

Blaine nodded without moving to look at him.

Just as Kurt was about to pull his head out of the car, Blaine spoke in a pained whisper.

"W-where's my journal?"

Kurt smiled.

"It's on the seat next to you. I'll bring it inside, okay?"

Blaine hesitated.

"I promise to protect it. No one will look inside, alright?"

"Okay."

Kurt pressed his hand onto Blaine's knee reassuringly and stepped out of the car once again.

He nodded to Finn, who, after receiving specific instructions from Burt on how to lift Blaine, reached inside the car and carefully picked the boy up into his arms and pulled him outside the vehicle.

Blaine winced as he felt Finn's strong arms wrap around his upper torso and under his knees, but as the quarterback lifted him out of the car, the majority of the pressure was reduced off his backside and he felt almost immediate relief.

As Finn stood up outside the car with the much smaller teen held securely in his arms, he looked down at Blaine, who was trying his hardest to avoid his gaze.

"I-I'm sorry about before Blaine, I-I didn't know…"

Blaine frowned and continued to look away.

Burt, seeing the awkward exchange, stepped in and patted Finn on the shoulder.

"Let's get him inside."

Kurt reached into the car and grabbed Blaine's journal before rushing up the snow-covered lawn to open the door in time for Finn and Blaine.

After the gangly quarterback sidestepped into the house, careful not to bang Blaine's head on the doorframe, he stopped on the floor mat in front of the door and hesitated.

Carole appeared out of nowhere and rushed to his side. She'd apparently been watching the scene unfold from the kitchen window.

"Don't worry about your boots Finn, just bring him in… quickly."

Finn hesitated as he walked into the foyer.

"W-where do I put him?"

Carole guided him into the living room.

"Just lay him on the couch for now. On his side. I'm going to get him some warm blankets."

Finn carried Blaine in and set him on the couch carefully, while Kurt and Burt quickly kicked off their boots in the front entrance.

After he'd laid Blaine on the couch, Finn stood back awkwardly, unknowing what to do or say next.

Kurt rushed in then, and skipped between Finn and the couch, kneeling down next to Blaine's side and helping him adjust into a position of comfort.

Blaine had returned to his initial state of short, ineffective gasps and once again, had his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

Carole hurried in carrying several heavy quilts, which she opened up and laid on top of Blaine before retreating back to the kitchen with Finn.

"Thank you." Burt acknowledged, giving Finn another pat on his shoulder.

Finn nodded, and started to walk towards the stairs leading to his bedroom.

"Honey, I'll come down and talk to you in a little bit, once we get Blaine settled in, okay?" Carole said softly while rummaging through the bags of Blaine's medications that Burt had set on the kitchen counter.

Finn shrugged and continued his way to the basement, completely confused about what had just transpired.

Carole pulled the bottle of pain medication from one of the white pouches and filled a glass with water. She was just about to re-enter the living room when Burt stopped her.

"Just wait." He said softly.

"But… He needs these pain pills, Burt. He's in an awful amount of pain right now."

Burt smiled sadly and pressed a kiss to Carole's cheek.

"Kurt's with him now. He'll calm him down first."

"What do you mean? How…?"

"Just watch." Burt said with a knowing grin and a sparkle in his eyes.

Carole turned to see Kurt kneeling next to Blaine on the couch.

Blaine had rolled back onto his right side and had the palm of his hand pressed firmly into his forehead, grasping desperately onto his own curls. He was breathing so shallowly and painfully that Carole was certain he was hyperventilating.

Kurt reached up from where he was kneeling on the carpet next to him, and pulled Blaine's hand away from his face, holding it firmly in his own.

Kurt started taking exaggerated breaths in time with Blaine's, as though coaching him into controlling his own respirations.

After several seconds, Carole was shocked to see that Blaine had slowed his breathing and looked significantly more relaxed.

Carole couldn't hear what Kurt was whispering to Blaine, but it sounded like, 'I need you to open your eyes and look at me.'

When Blaine's eyes slowly slid open, he looked deep into Kurt's blue orbs for several seconds before his face fell into a sad frown and he began to sob.

Kurt reached up with his free hand and brushed a loose curl away from Blaine's forehead before he leaned in and pressed his own face so close to Blaine's that their noses were almost touching.

Kurt began to whisper, so softly now that Carole couldn't make out any of the words, but she suddenly had this overwhelming feeling that she was imposing on something very intimate.

She turned towards Burt with wide eyes, but couldn't possibly find the words to portray her scattered thoughts.

Burt sighed, and reached his own arms around her and pulled Carole in close for a loving embrace.

"I know." He whispered eloquently, before placing a kiss to the top of her head. "I can't explain it either."

Burt and Carole stood in the doorway to the living room for several more minutes, watching peacefully as Kurt maintained his contact with Blaine.

The boy had seemingly transformed before their eyes.

Gone was the frail little boy who'd been riddled with pain and breathing in short, ragged gasps only minutes ago. Replaced by Blaine Anderson, lying quietly and peacefully on the couch, though still desperately holding onto Kurt's hand.

Kurt had positioned himself on the couch and was now gently supporting Blaine's head in his lap, gently rubbing his free hand over the top of his shoulder in smooth, comforting circles.

Carole stepped into the living room and padded over to the couch slowly.

She noticed that Blaine's eyes had drifted closed so instead, she made eye contact with Kurt.

The boy looked exhausted.

She smiled gently when Kurt's pale blue eyes finally looked up and met her own.

"How is he?"

Kurt's face fell into concerned frown. But instead of speaking, he merely shook his head slowly.

Not good.

Carole nodded gently before kneeling down on the carpet in front of Blaine.

"Blaine, sweetheart?" She whispered softly. "Can you hear me?"

Blaine's tired eyes slipped open dazedly.

When he was finally able to focus on the woman's face in front of him, his caramel eyes softened instantly.

Carole.

"Hi, sweetie." Carole smiled. "Are you feeling better now?"

Blaine took several breaths before opening his mouth to speak. His lips fumbled slightly, as though trying to remember how to form the words his brain had chosen, but no sound came out. Instead, he gulped and nodded silently.

Carole brought her hand up and cupped his cheek gently and carefully, as not to alarm him.

"Honey, I know you don't like to take your pain medicine, but I think it's a good idea right now. You need to rest." She explained softly. "You've had a hard morning and that trip home took a lot out of you."

She was expecting Blaine to furrow his eyebrows and shake his head.

But he didn't.

Instead, the exhausted teenager looked at her with sad eyes and nodded.

From across the room, Burt Hummel watched as Carole gently lifted Blaine into a position where she was able to set the pills onto his tongue and help him sip water from a straw.

Burt sighed sadly.

Blaine must be really hurting if he was actually in favour of taking the pain pills.

This poor kid.

I wish there was something more I could do for him.

After he'd taken a second tiny sip of the water, Blaine laid his head back down into Kurt's lap and blew out a relieved sigh.

He returned his gaze to Carole, who still remained at his side. His eyes were round and soft, and filled with emotion.

He didn't have to speak; she knew exactly what he was trying to tell her.

"You're welcome sweetheart." She said with a sad smile. "Now, try and get some rest, okay?"

Blaine nodded silently and closed his eyes, relaxing his body into the soft cushions of the couch.

Kurt resumed painting his gentle patterns onto the back of Blaine's shoulder and once again sought out Blaine's fingers, intertwining them within his own.

As Carole stood up from the floor, she looked to Kurt and nodded.

You did good.

Kurt smiled and nodded in return; there was still no need for words.

Thank you, Carole.

Carole picked up the glass of water and the amber bottle of Blaine's medication from the coffee table, but before she stepped away from the couch, she leaned into the already sleeping boy and pressed a loving kiss to the top of his head.

"Welcome home, Blaine."

Blaine awoke several hours later to a tantalizing aroma tickling his taste buds.

He traced his tongue over his lips as he tried to pry open his sleep-filled eyes. The smell was making his mouth water, and his stomach grumbled as he tried to rouse himself from his slumber.

When he was finally able to crack open his eyes, he was met by an unfamiliar setting.

His eyes shot open and he looked around, desperate to re-orientate himself.

Where am I?

A sudden overwhelming feeling of panic set in as he realized that he was not in his dorm room at Dalton, as he had been in his dreams.

Nor was he at Sebastian's apartment.

Or Abby's Bakery.

And judging by the amount of light and warmth in the room, he was not back in his motel room either.

Thank god.

He sat up slightly and looked around the room, trying to put together the pieces, when suddenly everything fell into place.

The motel room.

The cage.

The hospital.

I am still in the hospital?

Blaine felt the slightest of movements next to him and turned his body to see a tall, pale boy sitting behind him, with his eyes closed, resting peacefully.

Kurt.

The remainder of the missing puzzle pieces finally slipped into place as Blaine looked around once again.

This time, the living room looked slightly less unfamiliar.

He'd been here once before.

He recognized the walls and decorations, although they now appeared slightly different, as though a woman's touch had been added.

The photos of Kurt remained on the walls, only now there were a few of an awkward looking Finn Hudson next to them.

The piano that was only partially hidden underneath the sheet in the opposite corner of the living room remained seemingly untouched.

I'm at Kurt's house.

They brought me home with them like they said they were going to.

Home.

The single word sent a gentle chill up Blaine's spine.

After he'd stretched out his sleepy legs and stifled a yawn, Blaine shifted back into his previous position on the couch, slowly as not to disturb the sleeping teenager behind him.

He reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out his iPhone, and pressed the home button so the phone illuminated, informing him it was just after 5:30pm.

There was another text from Nick.

Blaine's former classmate had texted him the day before but Blaine hadn't felt like returning the message at the time.

He slid open the locking mechanism on the phone, opened the message and sent a quick reply.

The pair exchanged a few messages before Blaine returned the phone to his pocket and nestled back into the couch.

He turned his body slightly and carefully as not to disrupt Kurt, until he was laying in a comfortable enough position, looking upwards at the dozing teenager next to him.

Kurt was propped up on the couch with his head leaned back above the fluffy cushions, causing the porcelain skin of his neck to be pulled taut over the delicate structure of his throat. Blaine couldn't help but stare at the way the cartilage of Kurt's Adam's apple protruded from his neck, and watched as it bobbed just slightly with every subtle breath he took.

Soft, gentle snores emanated from between his thin pink lips, leaving only a whisper of breath to escape each time his chest relaxed.

Blaine's eyes continued to climb upward until they came to rest on the adorable, slightly upturned nose and the long and beautiful eyelashes splayed out from the ends of Kurt's lightly closed eyelids.

He was fully aware of what immeasurable beauty remained temporarily hidden behind those closed eyelids.

Endless pools of blues, greys, greens and sparkling silvers with only the most subtle flecks of gold.

Endless pools of emotion, comfort, trust and love.

Blaine sighed, as his own eyes soaked up every inch of Kurt's flawless skin. He felt the tips of his fingers twitch just slightly, begging his brain to permit them to reach up and touch the unfaultable elegance that was Kurt's face.

A real-life Sleeping Beauty.

Blaine allowed his frozen and damaged heart to warm slightly as his eyes lingered on Kurt's sleeping form for several more minutes.

He looks so peaceful.

Comfortable.

Beautiful.

Blaine stayed staring at Kurt, unapologetically watching him sleep for several minutes, trying to remain as still as he could until his eyes wandered and he began to fidget. He couldn't help but chew on his bottom lip when his toes began to wiggle involuntarily.

He had to pee.

Several more minutes passed and Blaine became more and more desperate. He tried to take his mind off of it by thinking of other things, but for the most part, the images and memories that popped into his head were worse than anything.

He considered reaching for his journal that sat on the end of the coffee table next to him but he didn't want to risk waking Kurt while moving to pick it up.

He's been so busy taking care of me that he must be exhausted.

I have to let him sleep.

Blaine closed his eyes and tried mentally singing some of the songs from Kurt's playlists but the lyrics all eventually turned into silent and desperate pleas for the bathroom.

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

Shit. I thought about it.

Blaine was to the point now where he thought his bladder would explode if he didn't relieve himself soon.

He glanced back up to where Kurt remained sleeping, secretly hoping that the other teen would hear his unspoken pleas for help and open his eyes.

When Kurt's state of consciousness remained unchanged, Blaine decided to take matters into his own hands.

He was truly desperate.

Blaine held his breath and sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth as he gingerly lifted his legs up off the couch and pivoted his feet towards the floor.

He moved at a snail's pace, trying desperately not to jostle Kurt, but when it came to the point of him lifting his head out of Kurt's lap, he knew he was fighting a lost battle.

Kurt began to stir before the weight of Blaine's shoulders was even lifted from his legs.

He awoke with a quick intake of breath and his hands instinctively reached out to find Blaine.

Blaine, now realizing that his plan had failed, continued his efforts to sit up before turning to face the still sleepy looking Kurt.

His hair was slightly tousled, a sight not familiar to Blaine. Kurt's hair was almost always expertly coiffed, though Blaine had no idea how he managed to keep it that way.

He offered Kurt an apologetic look as the other teen struggled to regain his alertness.

"Sorry." Blaine whispered. His neck retracted slightly towards his shoulders and his eyes were wide and remorseful.

Even with a foggy brain, Kurt couldn't help but notice that Blaine looked like a puppy that had just chewed the newspaper.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, his voice sounding even sleepier than his eyes looked.

Blaine winced, feeling even worse for waking him from his obviously much-needed slumber.

He cursed his inability to take care of himself.

"I have to use the bathroom." He admitted bashfully.

Kurt's eyes crinkled as his face fell into a lazy smile.

"Why didn't you just wake me up?"

Blaine looked at him doubtfully.

"I did."

Kurt chuckled. "I meant earlier. I wouldn't have minded."

Blaine shrugged.

Kurt shook his head playfully as he stretched out the sore muscles in his neck and back and stood up from the couch.

"Come on… I'll help you up."

Blaine sighed, wishing once again that he didn't have to appear so helpless.

He reached his hands up and connected them with Kurt's and together, he pulled himself carefully to his feet.

Once standing, Kurt placed a gentle hand on Blaine's abdomen and slung his other arm around his torso.

"How are you doing?" He asked. "Feeling okay?"

Blaine sucked in in exaggerated breath, as the familiar dull ache made itself known once again.

He closed his eyes and nodded a few times before opening them once again and looking at Kurt.

"I'm okay."

Kurt kept his eyes fixed on Blaine's watching carefully for any signs of untruthfulness.

When he determined that Blaine was telling the truth, he nodded and took a tiny step, encouraging Blaine to step alongside him.

The first few steps were the hardest, as Blaine's taut muscles fought the movement, but soon he found himself able to take longer strides and cover more ground without escalating the pain.

They carefully stepped through the living room, side-by-side until they reached the hallway leading towards the bathroom. It was too narrow for them to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, so Kurt removed his arm from around Blaine and stepped in front of him, still facing him, but now walking backwards and holding Blaine gently around his waist.

"Are you okay like this?"

Blaine nodded, not moving his gaze from where it remained on his feet. He was focusing extremely hard on taking each calculated step, trying desperately to get to the bathroom as quickly as possible.

"It's not hurting as much now." He replied, and Kurt could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

It was still obviously taking a lot out of him.

They arrived at the bathroom door minutes later and Blaine finally looked up from the floor.

"D-do you… uh… mind waiting out here?" He stuttered, a light flush reaching around his neck.

Kurt's eyes widened slightly.

He was immeasurably happy to hear that Blaine was becoming more and more comfortable speaking to him.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Kurt asked. "I don't want you to fall."

The coloration deepened on Blaine's neck and spread towards his face.

"I'll be okay." He replied bashfully.

Kurt nodded and stepped out from his place inside the bathroom door.

"Just… shout if you need me, okay?" He said sincerely. "I'll be right outside the door."

Blaine sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and nodded before reaching his hand out and sliding it smoothly along the wall as he stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him with a click.

After several minutes of agonizing silence, Kurt pressed himself closer to the outside of the bathroom door, listening for any indication that Blaine might need assistance.

Nothing.

Not a sound.

He debated on calling out to Blaine and asking him if he was okay, but refrained.

Give him time.

He needs to do this for himself.

Seconds later, the unmistakeable sound of a toilet flushing startled him and he jumped away from the door with a start.

He heard Blaine take a few staggered steps towards the sink before the sound of water rushing out of the faucet filled the air.

After a few tiny squeaks of the towel holder swinging back and forth, Kurt heard Blaine grasp the door handle and watched as he swung it open and cautiously sidestepped around it.

When their eyes met, Kurt noticed several new emotions filling Blaine's hazel orbs.

Relief.

Gratitude.

Pride.

But he also noticed how exhausted Blaine looked suddenly.

Kurt reached his hand towards him, and offered him a wide smile.

"Can I help you back to the living room?"

Blaine sighed with a half smile and nodded before reaching out to accept Kurt's hand.

"Thank you."

Kurt noticed that Blaine leaned just slightly more onto him on the journey back to the living room.

Such a small and seemingly insignificant endeavour had obviously taken quite a toll on the battered boy walking next to him.

As they approached the entrance to the living room, Kurt stopped and turned towards Blaine.

"Would you like to sit in the kitchen or go back to the couch?"

Blaine thought for a moment but simply shrugged non-committedly.

Kurt smiled and nodded his head towards the living room.

"Let's go back to the couch. It's much softer."

Blaine nodded, silently thankful for Kurt's decision.

As they made their way towards the living room, Carole suddenly popped out of the kitchen.

"Hello boys!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "Glad to see you up and about, Blaine."

They both smiled and nodded at Carole's enthusiasm and Blaine offered her a grateful nod.

"I set up a couple of TV trays in the living room for you. I'll bring in some soup once you're settled back in."

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and Kurt couldn't help but giggle when Blaine's stomach chose that exact moment to let out a hungry grumble.

"I wondered what smelled so good." Kurt grinned.

They walked back into the living room slowly, where Kurt helped Blaine into a seated position on the couch.

Blaine let out an exhausted sigh as Kurt plopped down next to him.

He turned to face to Kurt and gave him an appreciative smile.

"Thank you." He whispered. "I really needed that."

"Next time don't be afraid to ask for help sooner, Blaine." Kurt chuckled. "I really don't mind."

Blaine smiled a full smile and nodded.

They sat in a comfortable silence for less than a minute before Carole entered the living room carrying a tray filled with two steaming bowls of homemade chicken soup and a plate stacked high with whole grain toast.

When she finished handing each of the boys their meal, she looked down at Blaine.

"Are you feeling better, honey?" She asked. "You finally had a good rest."

Blaine nodded.

"That's great to hear." She smiled warmly. "Enjoy your soup. I'll pop back in a little while to collect your dishes, okay?"

Blaine nodded again, but this time Carole didn't miss the look on his face.

He wanted to say something further.

She waited patiently for several seconds, though casually enough not to force him into speaking the words if he wasn't completely ready to.

Blaine's forehead creased slightly and he closed his eyes as he struggled to make his brain and lips work in synchronicity.

Carole sensed his frustration and was about to intercede when she noticed Kurt take Blaine's hand and give his fingers an encouraging squeeze.

Blaine reciprocated the gesture before swallowing and taking an exaggerated breath.

He lifted his eyes to meet Carole's warm green ones and his breath stuttered slightly as he finally found the words he'd been searching for.

"T-thank you, Carole."

Carole's heart soared at Blaine's gallant effort and her eyes filled with proud tears.

"You're so welcome, sweetheart." She said happily, pressing a kiss to Blaine's forehead.

She took a moment to stare proudly at the pair of boys in front of her before she turned around and walked back towards the kitchen.

Kurt and Blaine started in on their soup then, Kurt diving in hungrily and Blaine taking only a few small bites.

Kurt noticed Blaine's hesitation and turned to him.

"Don't you like it?"

Blaine's eyes widened and a look of obvious guilt crossed his face.

"No… I-I mean… yes." He stumbled. "It's really good."

"Then how come you're not eating it?" Kurt frowned. "You have to be hungry."

"I-I'm sorry." Blaine sputtered. "I won't waste it, I swear."

Kurt was bewildered.

"Blaine, I'm not mad. At all." He explained, dropping his spoon and turning towards the troubled teen. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"I'm okay." Blaine shrugged. "I'm just not used to it…"

Kurt frowned. "Used to what?"

Blaine hesitated, as though he'd said too much. He spun his spoon mindlessly around his bowl and thought for several moments before choosing his words carefully and proceeding, without making eye contact with Kurt.

"I haven't really… eaten that much lately."

Kurt's eyes widened.

"Blaine, I…" He didn't even have a clue what to say to that.

Blaine shrugged and continued to stare into his bowl of soup. "It's not that big a deal."

Kurt could hardly believe what he'd heard. He shimmied towards Blaine and pressed a hand onto his forearm.

"Of course it's a big deal, Blaine." He said reassuringly. "Only eat what you want to, okay?"

Blaine nodded, but still found his eyes avoiding Kurt's gaze.

"And don't worry about wasting anything, okay? Dad and Carole won't be upset either. I promise."

Blaine breathed a sigh of relief and finally turned towards Kurt and nodded.

"Okay."

Kurt smiled, twisted back towards his own tray and picked up his spoon.

The pair of teens sat in a somewhat awkward silence for several minutes. The only noises audible in the living room were messy sounding as they both slurped their soup.

Kurt's lips formed a secretive smile as his mind drifted back to that evening when they'd sat in almost this exact same position eating peanut butter smothered toast.

Just as he was recalling that same memory, Blaine's voice pulled Kurt from his reverie.

"I like soup."

The noise that came from Kurt's throat was unfathomable.

It sounded like a hybrid choke/chuckle combination.

He was so busy trying to clear his obstructed airway that he didn't notice the genuine shimmer that appeared in Blaine's eyes.

"Oh my god, Blaine!" Kurt choked. "You have to stop doing that - You could have killed me!"

Blaine tried desperately to control the smile that was playing at the corners of his mouth.

He shrugged non-committedly and kept his gaze attentively fixed on the bowl of soup in front of him.

"At least you didn't snort."

The boys continued slurping away at their bowls of soup, Blaine not eating much more than a quarter of his and Kurt finishing his bowl as well as polishing off two slices of buttered toast.

He'd just set his spoon back into his now-empty bowl with yet another giggle when Burt strode into the room with a grin.

"There's that giggle we've been missing for the past few weeks!" He said happily, looking at Kurt. "Thanks for finding it, Blaine. We've missed it around here."

Kurt cheeks flushed, as he looked at his father in mock disapproval.

He knew deep down that what his father said wasn't far from the truth. Having Blaine back, even in the condition that he was currently in, was a huge weight off Kurt's shoulders.

He'd been so worried about him.

Even as Blaine lay in the hospital bed unconscious for all of those days, Kurt remained at his side, holding his hand, whispering positive thoughts and singing gentle lullabies.

Yes, he was very glad that Blaine was back safe and sound.

Kurt knew that it was going to be a long and bumpy road to recovery for the curly-haired teenager, but moving in with him and his family was undoubtedly a step in the right direction for Blaine.

Burt stepped closer to where the boys sat on the couch and flashed Blaine a friendly smile.

"Are you boys all done with dinner? Blaine, there's something I want to show you…"

Blaine's eyes widened and he turned his head to face Kurt, who sat next to him and gave him a nod and a knowing grin.

Blaine returned his eyes back to where Burt stood in front of him and nodded unsurely.

"Well… Come on, then." Burt said, nodding his head in the direction of the hallway.

Blaine pressed his palm to the top of the wobbly TV tray and pulled himself to a standing position with little more than a tiny wince. He'd just bent over to pick up his soup bowl when Carole entered the living room with the same tray as she'd carried everything in with.

"I've got it honey. Just leave your dishes." She said with a smile.

Blaine looked at her briefly, before lowering his gaze to his still almost full bowl of now-cold soup.

Carole didn't miss his hesitation.

"Is it alright if I put the rest of your soup in the refrigerator? In case you maybe want some more later?" She smiled knowingly.

She knew that Blaine would have a problem wasting his food.

He'd obviously not eaten properly while in captivity and before that, when he was living on his own, who knows how often he'd been fortunate enough to enjoy a proper meal.

Blaine looked thin. Almost gaunt.

His cheeks looked slightly hollowed and the once prominent musculature of his upper arms and chest was depleted and indistinct.

That fact, combined with his tangled mess of dark curls made him look even younger than ever.

Blaine avoided Carole's gaze as he picked up his dish and handed it to her carefully, to avoid sloshing out any soup onto the carpet below his feet.

"Thank you, Blaine." She said genuinely. "I'm glad you were able to eat something. I know you haven't had much of an appetite lately."

He looked back up, finally allowing his eyes to meet Carole's and swallowed.

"It w-was really g-good." He stuttered. "T-thank you."

Carole smiled and ran the backs of her fingers down his cheekbone gently. "Don't worry about your leftovers. I made a giant pot of this soup that even Finn couldn't finish."

Blaine, finally satisfied that he wasn't going to be in trouble, nodded and attempted a half smile.

Kurt reached over and put a hand on his forearm and nodded towards Burt.

"Let's go see what my dad is all excited about."

They went down the same hallway, this time with Blaine walking almost fully under his own steam. There were a couple of moments where he faltered slightly, but Kurt was right there beside him to offer him an arm for support.

Blaine was thankful for Kurt's almost constant vigilance.

'I'll never let you fall.'

Blaine was surprised to see Burt stop in front of a closed door directly across from the door leading into the bathroom.

A wide grin spread across Burt's weathered face as he turned the knob and opened the door.

"I'm sorry it's kind of small - up until a couple of days ago, it was only used for storage." He said, stepping into the room. "It used to be Elizabeth's sewing room."

Blaine's triangular eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Huh?

He and Kurt stepped towards the doorway and when Blaine was finally able to see what was inside the room, his breath caught and he felt his knees grow slightly weak.

It was a bedroom.

A real bedroom.

The walls of the room were covered in dark green vertically striped wallpaper, which made the room appear slightly smaller, but added a touch of comfort at the same time.

There was a twin-sized bed along the opposite wall with red and white plaid-stripped sheets and a comfortable looking heavy mink blanket on top of it with two gorgeous wolves printed into the material. Two large fluffy pillows lay near the head of the bed in light grey pillowcases next to a soft looking sand-coloured cushioned headboard.

Next to the bed was a small nightstand and on top of it, stood a tall blue table lamp with a white shade, a small silver clock with green digital numbers and a black iPod charging dock with matching speakers. Next to that stood a tall glass vase containing a bouquet of gorgeously fresh looking lilies whose strong florid scent filled the room. A tall floor lamp sat on the opposite side of the bed, which was already turned on, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Next to it, sat a large red leather armchair with a red and black plaid blanket hanging over its low back.

Blaine stepped further into the room with wide eyes as he looked around, noticing a large antique-looking wooden dresser on the far wall and a large square mirror hanging above it. On the top of the dresser Blaine could see a basket containing personal items; a comb, bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a toothbrush, deodorant and the rest of the supplies Kurt had brought him to the hospital.

There was even a bottle of hair gel.

There was also a small black flat screen TV affixed to the wall facing the bed. Below it was a shelf filled with numerous DVDs and VHS videos. Blaine couldn't supress the smile that inched its way onto his face when he noticed the plethora of old Disney VHS cases on the shelf.

In the opposite corner of the room was a tall bookshelf, with an assortment of novels, magazines and even a stack of old superhero comic books. Blaine smiled once again when he saw the complete set of Harry Potter hardcovers staring back at him from the middle shelf.

Next to the bookshelf was a simple wooden desk made from dark-coloured oak. On top of the desk was a small silver desk lamp, a tray containing many different coloured pens and writing supplies and a second vase of lilies. A well-cushioned, expensive looking chair with wheels sat next to the desk.

A large bulletin board hung neatly above the desk, and contained a calendar, several candid photos of Kurt, one of Burt and Carole and even one of Finn wearing his football uniform.

But what caught Blaine's eye immediately was the collage of multi-colored letters obviously torn from different magazine pages, which spelled out the word 'courage'.

A shiver ran up Blaine's spine.

Kurt did this for me.

He felt his breath catch once again and tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.

They all did this for me.

Blaine never dreamed that the Hummels would let him sleep in a real bed, let alone occupy an actual bedroom during his brief stay in their home.

He figured he would just sleep on the couch for a couple of nights before heading back out on his own to figure things out.

And start over.

Blaine's lips trembled as he searched for the right words, but he was too dumbstruck to even think coherently.

Burt seemed to read Blaine's thoughts perfectly, having watched the boy look around the room in obvious astonishment.

"Blaine." He started slowly, turning to face the boy and pressing firm hands to the tops of both of his shoulders. "This is your room."

Blaine's eyes widened even further at Burt's words and he couldn't help but release a shocked gasp.

"We don't just want you to be a guest here for a few days, buddy." Burt assured. "We want you to live here with us. And be part of our family now."

It was too much.

Blaine suddenly felt completely overwhelmed and numerous thoughts began to swirl in his mind behind his still-unshed tears and another shiver streaked up his spine.

Kurt reached over and pulled the desk chair closer to Blaine's trembling form and assisted him in sitting down.

Blaine couldn't even fathom what had just happened.

Family.

They want me to be part of their family?

They don't even know me.

They don't know about the things I've done.

"Blaine?" Kurt said from in front of him. "Are you okay?"

Kurt's voice sounded distant, as though he was speaking from underwater.

Blaine remained silent, staring straight ahead, seeming miles away.

Why are they being so nice to me?

No one has ever been nice to me.

Dozens of incomplete thoughts swirled around Blaine's mind, clouded by both distant memories and recent nightmares.

'Get out.'

'But… dad?'

'Get the fuck out of my house.'

'You're disgusting.'

'Your dad won't find out.'

'What do you mean that's all the rent money you have?'

'You're going to have to pay for this motel room somehow.'

'You know you wanted it.'

'Stop crying.'

'I'll make you feel good.'

'You're worthless'

'He'll do whatever you want him to.'

'Filthy little slut.'

'Open your eyes or I'm going to slit your fucking throat.'

"Blaine?"

This time it was Burt who'd moved in front of Blaine and was looking into the boy's empty eyes.

"Kurt, go get Carole, please. Now."

The taller teen wasted no time in darting from the room and running down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"Blaine, buddy… can you hear me?"

Blaine's eyes suddenly snapped up and connected with Burt's and he shook himself visibly.

"Hey there." Burt chuckled. "Where'd you go? Are you alright?"

Blaine looked around the room, re-orientating himself to his new surroundings.

I'm okay.

I'm safe here.

They won't hurt me.

He shuddered, allowed his eyes to drift closed and he clenched his fists for several seconds until he felt more composed.

When he opened his eyes again, Kurt had returned and was standing next to Burt, with Carole kneeling down in front of him.

"Blaine, honey? Are you okay?"

Family.

They want me to be part of their family.

Blaine nodded unconvincingly.

"We must have overwhelmed him with all of this." Burt shrugged. "He kinda just zoned out for a bit."

Kurt's eyes remained wide and filled with concern, he'd never seen Blaine just drop off the map like that before. It had been instantaneous.

"I'm okay." Blaine said weakly.

The words were spoken with so much uncertainty that no one was sure if he was trying to convince them or himself.

"Honey, do you need a drink of water or something?" Carole asked, still obviously concerned.

Blaine shook his head.

No one really knew what to say, so the four remained silent in the room for several minutes before Kurt finally cleared his throat and broke the ice.

"What do you think of your new room?"

Blaine's head popped up and he met Kurt's eyes. He immediately noticed that they were wider than usual and still held the faintest touch of apprehension.

Blaine nodded his head and forced a weak smile to his lips.

"I-it's perfect." He stammered. "T-thank you."

Several relieved sighs filled the silence and Carole stood up from her position on the floor.

"We're glad you think so." She said warmly. "We wanted you to be on the main floor so you don't have to tackle the stairs just yet, and it's right across from the bathroom too."

"Our bedroom is right down the hall if you need anything." Burt explained. "And Kurt will be almost directly below you in the basement."

Blaine's eyes widened at Burt's last statement.

Kurt isn't going to stay in here with me?

He quickly tried to hide his disappointment and anxiety with a nod.

"Blaine, I have one more thing for you." Carole said stepping towards the dresser. She opened up the top drawer and pulled something out before walking back over to where Blaine remained seated on the desk chair.

She smiled and placed the item into Blaine's lap.

It was his football jersey.

It was neatly pressed and folded, proudly displaying the number '16' on the front of it.

It looked brand new.

There were no bloodstains saturated into the fabric anymore, and the few tears had been expertly repaired.

Blaine's eyes clouded over with tears and his lower lip trembled slightly.

When he finally looked up at Carole, who stood directly in front of him with a loving smile, his emotions bubbled to a climax and took over.

He stood up from the chair clumsily and threw himself into Carole's unsuspecting arms.

Instantly, upon contact, tears began to slide freely from his eyes and he shook with emotion as she clutched him tightly into her chest.

"It's okay sweetheart." Carole cooed, running her fingers through Blaine's curls. "It's going to be okay now."

Blaine continued to sob into Carole's chest for several minutes as she continued her reassuring affirmations.

When he finally pulled away from her, a feeling of warmth spread across his face and he suddenly felt rather ridiculous for having lost his composure as he had.

Blaine glanced around the room (his room!) expecting to see Kurt and Burt standing next to him awkwardly, but was surprised to discover that he and Carole were now alone.

Carole immediately picked up on his insecurity and brushed away several of his tears with the back of her fingers.

"They stepped out a moment ago, Blaine." She reassured. "They thought we could use a moment of privacy."

Blaine nodded thankfully, and wiped the end of the sleeve of his sweater across his nose.

"You really weren't expecting this, were you?" Carole asked, running her fingers down his tear-stained cheekbone once again.

When Blaine sucked in a stuttered breath and shook his head, Carole's heart filled with a combination of both sadness and comfort.

This poor boy has never been properly taken care of.

He's been through so much. I'm glad he finally has people to love and watch out for him.

"Well, this is all for you." She said proudly, pressing her lips to his forehead. "And we're happy to have you live with us."

Blaine's head tilted to the side in disbelief as he heard the words spoken once again.

They really mean it.

They want me to live here with them.

"T-thank you." He sobbed.

"Awww honey." Carole sighed. "You're important to us. You're an amazing boy; so brave and strong. It's our pleasure to have you stay with us."

Blaine, at a complete loss for words, just gaped at the woman in front of him.

"Now." Carole announced, breaking the silence moments later. "What do you say to a nice hot bath before bed?"

Blaine's eyes widened.

A real bath?

Like… in a tub?

Carole smiled.

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

Blaine nodded eagerly.

"Alright then." Carole said, taking the football jersey from Blaine's hands and refolding it neatly before placing it on the desk. She walked over to the dresser, opened the bottom left drawer and pulled out a new pair of blue satin pyjamas with white piping on the collar. "I think a nice bath will make you feel like a new man."

Blaine's hazel eyes twinkled slightly and his lips turned up at the corners of his mouth.

He took another long look around his new room, as though trying to commit every detail to his memory before he followed Carole back into the hallway.

Carole led Blaine into the bathroom across the hall and put the stopper in the tub before turning on the hot water.

She reached underneath the cupboard and pulled out a large jug of lavender bath liquid and poured a generous amount into the water streaming out of the faucet. Instantly, a mound of fluffy white bubbles formed on top of the water, creating a mountain of sparkling fluff.

Carole turned around and saw that Blaine's gaze was fixated on the growing pile of bubbles and smiled.

He looks so innocent. So young.

"You haven't had a bubble bath for a long time, have you?"

Blaine's head shot up, as though he'd forgotten that Carole was still standing next to him.

He nodded sadly after he'd considered her words.

"M-my dad said that bubble baths are for little girls."

Carole's heart sunk and she had to turn away from Blaine's vulnerable gaze and bite her tongue.

That son of a…

"It's okay honey, don't think about that. This bath is going to be just what you need." She said despondently.

Blaine gulped but nodded slowly.

He watched as Carole reached back into the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a small white carton. The poured the contents of the carton into the bathtub before turning back towards him.

"Epsom salt." She explained. "It will help your muscles relax once you get into the water."

As soon as the tub was filled and the bubbles had come close to sneaking over the edge, Carole tested the temperature of the water before turning back to Blaine once again.

"It's ready now." She said. "Can I help you take off your sling?"

Blaine looked back at the tub before nodding.

Carole gently reached up and loosened the wide elastic strap on the rear of the sling before sliding it carefully off his shoulder.

"You should only need this for another few weeks until the muscles in your shoulder get their strength back." She explained.

Blaine winced slightly as he pulled his arm away from his body only inches. There was no real pain in his shoulder, but he could feel a tingling, almost numb sensation in his limb from weeks of disuse. He turned his hand over experimentally and was please to see that he could wiggle all of his fingers without causing any further discomfort.

Carole smiled. "See? You'll be good as new in no time."

Blaine looked back up at the older woman and smiled.

They both stood silently for several minutes before Carole asked the inevitable question.

"Blaine, honey?" She started. "Can I help you out of your clothes now?"

Although he'd been expecting the question, Blaine's eyebrows immediately furrowed, causing thin creases to form on his forehead.

Carole recognized the look that crossed the boy's face instantly.

Shame.

"It's okay, honey. I know you feel uncomfortable. But you know that you are safe here, right?" She asked. When she got no reply from the teen, she added. "No one is going to hurt you, or judge you, okay?"

Finally, Blaine looked up from the floor and nodded, although he remained hesitant to make eye contact.

"Okay sweetheart." Carole said softly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Let's take your sweater off first, okay?"

Blaine nodded and together, they were able to pull off the zip-up sweatshirt without causing Blaine to feel much discomfort.

Now feeling incredibly exposed, Blaine wrapped his right arm around his bare stomach self-consciously, as though trying to hide himself from Carole.

His eyes returned to the floor and he remained silent.

Carole's face scrunched up in concern, but she knew she must press on.

"Okay Blaine, is it alright if I help you take off your sweatpants too?"

The strangled breath that slipped from Blaine's lips sent pangs of empathy and sadness surging through Carole's chest.

"We'll just go slow." She quickly added. "If you are uncomfortable, you let me know, okay?"

Again, Blaine nodded without making eye contact.

Carole slowly reached forward, but before touching him, she looked up at Blaine once again and explained exactly what she'd be doing before she physically did it.

She carefully loosened the string on the pants, causing them to slacken over his bony hips.

"Are you ready?"

Blaine finally looked up into Carole's eyes and was instantly met with a feeling of comfort and trust. His lower lip quivered slightly and he could feel his knees trembling more than they had been minutes earlier.

I can trust her.

Carole helped me before when I was in the hospital.

She's seen me.

All of me.

And she won't hurt me.

Blaine lifted his hand from the waistband of the pants. He hadn't even realised that his fingers had been clutching at them desperately, without his consent.

He remained staring into Carole's eyes, once again seeing nothing but honesty and trust, took a deep breath, gulped down the lump that had resided in his throat, and nodded.

Carole nodded once in confirmation, and allowed the cotton pants to slip slowly and gracefully from Blaine's waist. Her eyes never left his, watching carefully for any signs of panic or discomfort.

There were none.

Blaine's entire body shuddered the moment his pants hit the cool tile floor.

He was naked.

Blaine's breath hitched as he considered his situation.

He was standing in an unfamiliar place, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable.

Completely naked.

Carole immediately noticed the increased trembling and how Blaine's breathing had become slightly irregular.

"It's okay honey." She said soothingly, her eyes never leaving his. "You're doing so well."

The trembling increased, until Blaine was shivering so much his teeth were chattering audibly.

"Let's get you into the warm water, okay?"

No reply.

Carole carefully laid her hand on the back of Blaine's shoulders and turned him to face the tub. She reached over and placed her hand on a pristine white handle that was fixed onto the side of the porcelain.

"Burt went out and got this and installed it yesterday. He figured it would make it easier for you to get in and out of the tub."

Still no response.

"This is going to make you more comfortable too, Blaine."

Carole pointed to a large white inflatable cushion that was fixed to the inside of the tub with clear plastic suction sups. It was lined with smooth velvety layer and had several contoured portions to provide extra support to his most delicate areas. The top of the cushion had a second, much smaller inflated cushion attached to it to provide a makeshift pillow.

"I also picked up a little bench seat we can set inside the tub for you to sit on when you're strong enough to have a shower, okay?"

Blaine shrugged. Barely.

"Okay, Blaine." Carole said, taking his hand. "There are a few ways we can do this."

She tried her best to protect his modesty, but his trembling was growing worse and she knew it was crucial to get him into the warmth of the tub.

"I don't think you're going to be able to step over the side of the tub, so why don't you try sitting on the edge and I'll help you swing your legs in?"

Blaine finally snapped out of his haze, picking up only bits and pieces of her suggestion, but nodded nevertheless.

Carole placed a folded towel on the edge of the tub to act as a barrier against the cold porcelain and assisted Blaine in sitting down on top of it. He winced slightly on contact, but nodded, indicating that he was ready for the next step.

While Blaine clutched onto the white handle, Carole knelt down beside him and carefully lifted his legs together, painstakingly slowly, until they were up over the side of the tub and she could help him pivot towards the inside.

The moment Blaine's toes reached the water, he gasped audibly and immediately retracted his feet.

"Is it too hot?" Carole asked worriedly.

Blaine nodded his head. "I'm sorry."

"No honey, don't be silly." She reassured. "I'll run a bit more cool water in, okay?"

Blaine nodded and watched as she reached for a large bath towel and placed it around his shoulders, wrapping him up tight to prevent further heat loss. She then turned on the cold tap and allowed it to run for several seconds while she swished her hand through the water, effectively lowering the temperature of it.

"There we go." She said, pulling the towel off Blaine's shoulders. "Let's try this again, okay?"

Blaine nodded and dipped his toes back into the water.

Much better.

Carole helped him stand up inside the tub and pivot until he was facing the right direction, and then held his right arm as he lowered himself into a seated position on top of the cushion.

The moment Blaine's lower half connected with the warmth beneath the bubbles, the salty water caused a pained hiss to escape the lips of the trembling teen.

"I know, honey." Carole said, rubbing his back. "It's not going to feel nice for the first few seconds, but I promise it will get better."

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the white handle until his knuckles nearly matched its color. He held his breath as he lowered himself onto the softness of the cushion with an agonizing whimper.

"You're doing so good Blaine." Carole encouraged. "Almost there."

Rough staccato breaths slipped from between his tightly clenched teeth as he came to rest completely on the cushion. He kept his eyes closed for several seconds, trying desperately to recompose himself.

"Blaine, honey? Are you doing okay?"

I'm fine.

I shouldn't be so upset about a stupid bath.

It shouldn't hurt this much.

Stop being a baby.

He nodded without opening his eyes, but felt Carole readjust the inflatable pillow that cushioned the back of his head.

"There you go sweetheart." She whispered, running her fingers across his forehead and moving several curls. "You're gonna be okay now."

Blaine focused his efforts and consciously took in several deep breaths. The sharp pain below his waist eventually subsided into a dull ache. He could feel the warmth of the water surrounding him and tried his best to relax his body into the cushion.

"That's it." He heard Carole say next to him. "Just relax sweetie."

Still with his eyes closed, Blaine took in another deep breath, filling his nostrils with a sweet mixture of lavender and chamomile.

He relaxed his hand on the white handle on the side of the tub and let his fingers slide off of it and immersed them into the water next to him.

Within seconds, he could feel the aches and pains in his body disappear and the cloudiness in his brain dissipate.

I'm okay.

I'm safe and no one can hurt me.

I'm okay.

He allowed his eyes to slip open for the first time since he'd sat down and he was shocked to see that the massive mountain of bubbles was now almost completely covering his body.

Blaine kept his left arm draped over his chest, and swirled his right one through the water experimentally and could hear the gentle crackling as the billions of tiny bubbles popped around him.

"Are you doing okay, Blaine?"

He lifted his sleepy eyes from the water and looked to where Carole remained kneeling next to him on the floor of the bathroom and nodded almost immediately.

She watched as Blaine allowed his fingers to slice through the mountain of crystal white bubbles and smiled, lifting herself from the cool tile floor with a tiny groan.

"See?" She said with a grin as soon as she'd gotten back up to her feet. "With all those bubbles, there's no need to be shy. You're all covered up!"

Blaine looked back up at her, bringing an armful of bubbles up and covering his chest.

"Thank you, Carole." He said sincerely.

Carole smiled.

Such little things mean so much to this sweet boy.

"You're very welcome, Sweetie. Do you need anything else? A glass of water?"

Blaine shook his head, grabbing yet another handful of bubbles and flicking them away with his fingers.

"I'm okay, thank you."

She nodded and smiled at the boy's apparent fixation with the bubbles.

"I'm going to leave you in peace for a little bit, okay? Make sure to holler if you need anything."

Blaine nodded. Somehow a small speck of bubbles had made it onto the middle of his forehead, but he seemed to have not noticed.

Carole smiled and turned to walk out the door.

"Carole?"

"Yes, Blaine?"

"I – uh, changed my mind. Would you mind bringing me something?"

"Of course, honey. Whatever you need."

It was more than half an hour later when Blaine was startled slightly by a faint knock on the bathroom door.

He'd been almost asleep, comfortably resting on the cushion in the bathtub with his eyes closed. The water had turned cool already once and he'd released some of it down the drain before adding more hot.

For the first time in a long time he was comfortable.

Relaxed even.

It felt great.

"Blaine?" A soft voice whispered from outside the bathroom door. "How are you doing in there?"

Kurt.

Blaine sat up in the tub immediately and pulled some of the still overabundant bubbles up higher, effectively covering himself once again.

Seconds later, the bathroom door creaked open a fraction of an inch.

Kurt didn't peek his head in, but Blaine could hear his voice more clearly.

"Blaine, are you okay?"

"Uh huh."

"Ummm… Can I come in?"

Blaine looked around the small bathroom and subconsciously pulled more bubbles into his lap.

"Uhhh, okay."

This time Kurt peeked his head inside the door and looked towards Blaine.

"Do you need anything?"

Blaine shook his head.

"No, thank you."

Kurt stood awkwardly in the doorway for another full minute before coming up with something else to say.

"That's… a lot of bubbles."

Blaine looked back down to the bubbles piled up on his chest. There was still a large mound of them floating on top of the water down by his legs, but more than half of them had already disappeared.

The left corner of his mouth turned up into a partial grin.

"You shoulda seen 'em before."

Kurt's face, which had been filled with caution and concern instantly split into a smile.

"Yeah, Carole said that she kinda went overboard with the bubble bath."

Blaine smiled, but returned his gaze to the pile of white suds on his chest. He scooped up a pile of bubbles in his hand and stared at them for almost a full minute.

"They look so clean." Blaine uttered mindlessly.

Kurt tilted his head in wonder. He was happy to hear Blaine speaking more openly. And the fact that he was starting a conversation on his own…

Progress.

"They're untouched. Perfect."

Kurt's face fell slightly.

Oh.

I see where this is coming from.

He looked around the bathroom and saw that a heavy layer of fog had clouded up the mirror behind the sink. Carole had evidently picked up Blaine's clothes and set them inside the hamper next to the door and the new pair of navy blue satin pyjamas that Kurt had picked out were laying folded on the counter next to a fluffy green bath towel.

The rich smell of the lavender bath liquid still emanated through the air and filled Kurt with a feeling of relaxation and comfort.

For the first time since he'd popped his head inside the bathroom door, Kurt noticed that Blaine's journal lay on top of the closed toilet seat next to the tub. A black pen sat neatly on top of it.

When did he bring that in here?

He turned to look back at Blaine, who was still sitting in the tub staring at the bubbles piled high on his chest.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Blaine only nodded.

Kurt frowned.

He's so not okay.

"Would you like me to wash your back for you?" Kurt blurted.

He cursed his blatant stupidity when Blaine's head snapped towards him with wide eyes.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Kurt fumbled. "I-I shouldn't have…" He turned to walk back out of the bathroom, but before he could take half a step Blaine spoke up.

"Okay."

Kurt came to an abrupt halt. He back-stepped into the bathroom and turned to face Blaine once again, with a deep shade of pink coloring his pale cheeks.

"A-are you sure? I didn't really mean to ask that."

Blaine shrugged.

"I can't really reach very well by myself, so I'd appreciate it."

Kurt smiled and stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He grabbed a second fluffy bath towel, laid it on the floor next to the bathtub and sat down on the floor. He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them without looking at Blaine, who remained in the tub next to him.

If not for the thick porcelain wall of the tub, they would have been sitting shoulder to shoulder.

The boys spent a few minutes in an awkward silence before Kurt decided to break the ice.

"Sorry if we overwhelmed you back there."

Blaine shrugged.

"I'm sorry I freaked out."

It was Kurt's turn to shrug.

Blaine stared at the faucet near his bubble-covered feet.

"I just couldn't believe it."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked. "Believe what?"

Blaine kept his gaze intentionally away from his friend; he was suddenly very interested in the small clump of bubbles on his elbow.

"That anyone would ever do all of that. For me."

Kurt didn't know what to say.

The room that his father had prepared for Blaine was tiny at best. There was no closet, only a small south-facing window, and barely enough room to fit in the desk and the bookcase.

But still, Blaine was so awestruck that it was… his.

Both teens sat speechless for several minutes before a slight chill ran up Blaine's spine.

The water was cooling off again.

Blaine reached for the bar of soap on the ledge to his left, but when it slipped from his grasp and squeezed out of his hand, flying out of his fingers and landed in the water near his feet with a pronounced 'sploooush', Kurt couldn't help but giggle.

Blaine struggled to reach that far down and trap the slippery bar of soap with only one hand, much to Kurt's delight.

When he finally caught a hold of it, he brought it up out of the water, displaying it proudly to Kurt, as if to say, 'See? I've got this…'

And then it slipped out of his fingers again.

The soap rocketed out of his fingers and crashed into the wall of the tub before landing heavily in the water; the splash causing several tufts of white bubbles to stick to Blaine's face.

This time Kurt let out an audible snort.

Blaine ignored the runaway bar of soap and turned to his friend with a look of mock-disapproval.

Kurt tried his best to keep a straight face, as he looked Blaine in the eye.

Epic fail.

Their stare-off lasted about three seconds before Kurt burst into a fit of laughter.

"You shoulda seen your face!" He howled.

Blaine couldn't help but smile at Kurt's amusement.

"You try doing everything with one hand." He pouted, wiping the bubbles off his face with wrinkled fingers.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Blaine's comment, but when the other boy didn't seem to realize the weight of what he'd said, Kurt let the potential innuendo go without being spoken.

"I'm sorry." Kurt said solemnly, settling once again into his spot on the floor with his back against the wall.

Blaine looked at Kurt out of the corner of his eye. "You better be."

He lifted his drenched right hand up out of the water and flicked it towards Kurt, effectively covering the taller teen with speckles of water and gobs of white bubbles.

"Gak!" Kurt yelped. "You did not just do that!"

Blaine grinned.

"You totally asked for it!"

This time it was Kurt who shot Blaine a look of disapproval, and this time, they both fell into a fit of giggles.

Kurt smiled.

Blaine was laughing.

For the first time in… weeks… Blaine was actually laughing.

I could listen to that angelic sound forever.

Once their giggles had subsided, Kurt looked at Blaine with a more serious face.

"Is the water getting cold? You should probably get out before you catch a chill."

Blaine nodded.

"Do you want me to wash your back now?"

Almost instantaneously, the tension in the tiny bathroom was back full-force.

Blaine glanced down to ensure that enough bubbles remained in the tub to appropriately cover himself before he looked to Kurt timidly.

"If you feel uncomfortable, I'll stop as soon as you ask me to, okay? I promise."

Blaine swallowed, picked up the bar of soap, handed it to Kurt and nodded.

"Okay."

Kurt smiled, taking the soap into his fingers. He pushed himself up to his knees and leaned over towards the cupboard under the bathroom sink. He opened the drawer and pulled out a fluffy green face cloth before leaning back over the side of the tub. He looked at Blaine for permission and once receiving a nod of approval, he ran it under the hot water from the faucet next to Blaine's feet. Next, he grabbed a small bottle of body wash from the ledge of the tub and poured a generous amount onto the cloth.

"This is one of my favourite cleansers." Kurt explained, manipulating the cloth until it was covered in fresh, citrusy-smelling lather.

Blaine inhaled the scent almost immediately, it reminded him of something fresh and cheerful.

Without saying a word, Blaine looked at Kurt one last time before leaning forward slightly, letting his back lift off the bath cushion behind him.

Kurt nodded to Blaine silently, as if reiterating 'let me know if you need me to stop', and gently pressed the warm cloth over the back of his right shoulder.

He continued to trace slow, intricate patterns over Blaine's skin, reaching over to the far side of the tub and running the cloth down his left shoulder, carefully, as not to cause Blaine any pain.

"Is this okay?" Kurt whispered.

Blaine nodded.

Kurt's touch was so soft; almost non-existent, but still he could feel it through to his core.

His gentle grazes seemed to sooth his skin and relax his tense muscles.

Kurt brought the cloth up and gently ran it down the side of Blaine's neck and proceeding down the top of his chest.

Blaine closed his eyes.

As good as he was feeling, and as much as he wanted to simply disappear into the comfort of Kurt's touch, Burt's haunting words from that day in the hospital continued to echo through his mind.

'They found some abnormalities Blaine.'

'There is a possibility that you were infected with something.'

Blaine tried to wish the words away and allow himself to enjoy the gentle touches, but he just couldn't.

Kurt shouldn't touch me.

I'm dirty, used, and damaged.

If I'm sick, then he could get sick too.

Kurt felt the exact moment when Blaine's body tensed up. He became rigid and his breaths were nowhere near as relaxed as they'd been.

"Blaine?" He asked cautiously. "Are you okay? Do you need me to stop?"

The internal battle which was raging between Blaine's heart and his mind continued on.

He barely heard the words that Kurt had spoken to him, but he shook his head.

It's fine.

He's fine.

He won't touch me… down there.

"Okay." Kurt replied. "Let me know if you're uncomfortable okay?"

Blaine nodded absently.

Kurt continued on with his careful pace, gently pressing the cloth against Blaine's darkened skin. He avoided dragging it too low on Blaine's back or allowing his hand to slip too far below his chest.

The dozens of scars and bruises on Blaine's body were almost enough to make Kurt sick to his stomach. There were many more imperfections on the boy's torso than there had been before.

Tiny, circular scars were spotted throughout his chest now, and Kurt sucked in a silent breath when his brain finally concluded that they were cigarette burns.

Multiple scars on Blaine's back indicated that a whip, or something equally as horrific had struck him multiple times, leaving behind many sadistic looking mutilations that had no doubt been incredibly painful when inflicted.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurt whispered hoarsely.

The hum of approval that slipped from Blaine's lips was enough to convince Kurt to continue.

He slid the cloth carefully down Blaine's right arm, leaving a thick trail of white soapsuds as it went.

There were bruises surrounding both of Blaine's wrists, along with several scrapes and burns.

From the handcuffs.

A silent tear streaked down Kurt's cheek as he recalled the various instruments he'd seen hanging on the motel room wall that night.

But the physical oddity that hit Kurt the hardest was not the bruises, cuts or scars.

It was the fact that Blaine's ribs were protruding grotesquely from his torso.

He looked sickly, far too thin to be healthy.

Even his skin color was not as gorgeously olive toned and it lacked its usual shimmer.

He looked weak.

The Blaine Anderson that Kurt had met in the hallway that first time had not looked weak.

The Blaine Anderson that was an all-star football player only months ago had not been weak.

The Blaine Anderson that had stood up to Karofsky and Azimio had definitely not been weak.

This was not Blaine Anderson.

This was a small, weak little boy that had seen too much, and had been forced to do terrible things because no one in his family gave a damn about him.

Kurt sighed as he ran the cloth over Blaine's shoulder one last time.

He missed his Blaine.

After draining the water, Kurt helped Blaine out of the tub and wrapped him tightly in the fluffy green towel that Carole had set out. After he'd assisted Blaine in changing into his pajamas, he led the shorter boy out of the bathroom and across the hall, where he carefully helped him sit on the edge of his new bed.

Kurt had brought with him a second towel and used it to rub dry Blaine's headful of dark curls. He gently pressed his fingers into the towel, both drying Blaine's hair and massaging his scalp at the same time.

Blaine closed his eyes and leaned into Kurt's touch once again. The feeling of Kurt's fingers massaging his scalp sent tingles down his spine and made him shiver just slightly.

When Kurt pulled the towel away, Blaine's hair was full of volume and his curls were sticking out in all directions. Many of the still-damp ringlets fell down into Blaine's face, causing him to look incredibly young.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Kurt said, lifting Blaine's chin gently so their eyes met. "I'm going to go get some detangling cream for your hair."

Blaine nodded without lifting his head and ran a finger over the impossibly soft mink blanket, which covered the bed.

His bed.

The eyes of the two fierce-looking wolves printed into the fabric stared back at him.

I should be afraid of them.

But for some reason he was not afraid of the feral beasts. Instead, he felt oddly comforted by their ferocity.

Maybe they'll protect me.

Kurt re-entered the room then, and noticed Blaine's sudden infatuation with the mink blanket on his bed.

"I know it doesn't really go with the décor in here, but Carole insisted on it so you stay nice and warm."

Blaine remained quiet as Kurt squirted some of the detangling cream into his hair and worked it through with his fingers mindlessly.

"Blaine?" He asked. "Are you… afraid to be in here alone?"

The question caught Blaine off guard.

How does he always know what I'm thinking?

He hesitated for a moment before realizing that Kurt likely already knew the answer.

There was no point in trying to hide it.

He nodded sadly without looking up at the taller boy.

Kurt finished massaging the cream into Blaine's curls and wiped his hands on the towel before kneeling in front of Blaine and taking his face gently into his hands.

"I'm going to be right downstairs." He explained. "I'll keep my phone with me. You can text me anytime you need me."

Blaine still looked uncertain.

Kurt stood up and pulled Blaine to a standing position by taking his hand.

"Come with me, I want to show you something."

He led Blaine over to the door of the bedroom and pointed to a shiny silver deadbolt that had been installed on the inside of the door.

"My dad just put this lock on your door." Kurt explained. "You can lock it at night if it makes you feel safer."

A skeptical look graced Blaine's features.

"I know that the lock at the motel didn't work. So… you don't have to use this one, but just know that it's an option."

Blaine shuddered slightly at the mention of the motel, but nodded once Kurt had finished speaking.

"You're safe here, Blaine." Kurt reassured, squeezing Blaine's hand. "I promise."

Both boys jumped slightly when there was a gentle knock on the door next to them.

Carole entered the room carrying a glass of water and the bottles containing Blaine's medications.

"Hey guys, you doing okay?" She asked softly.

Both Blaine and Kurt nodded slowly and followed Carole back over towards the bed.

"Blaine. I have your night time meds." She explained. "Would you like to take them now?"

He nodded and reached for the glass of water.

Carole handed Blaine several pills, explaining what each was for and why he was taking it.

"Here are your antibiotics." She said, dropping the last of the tablets into his outstretched fingers minutes later. "Because you had your spleen removed when you were in the hospital before, you are more susceptible to infection, so we have to be very careful about keeping up with your antibiotics."

Blaine nodded and swallowed the pills.

"Would you like to take any of your pain meds or sleeping pills that the doctor prescribed for you?"

Blaine shook his head, which was not a surprise to Carole at all.

"I'm okay, thank you." He replied politely.

"Okay honey, that's your decision." She pressed a tender kiss to the forehead of both boys. "If you change your mind, let me know okay?"

Blaine nodded.

"Have a good sleep you two." She said turning to leave. "Blaine, just remember that we are right down the hallway if you need us, okay?"

He nodded again.

"Goodnight Carole." Kurt and Blaine said in unison.

They watched as Carole flashed them one last pride-filled glance, before turning and walking out of the room and down the hallway towards her and Burt's bedroom.

Kurt turned towards Blaine, who'd become stalk still and silent as ever.

He gently picked up Blaine's hand and held it gracefully within his own.

"Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

Blaine felt sheepish.

Once again, Kurt had read his mind.

He nodded silently and happily allowed Kurt to lead him to the bed.

Kurt pulled back the covers and allowed Blaine to climb in first and when he appeared to be comfortable, Kurt snuck in and lay down beside him before leaning over and shutting off the bedside lamp and pulling the covers up to their chins.

Neither boy spoke for the longest time, causing Kurt to be almost convinced that the teen lying beside him had fallen asleep before Blaine's hushed whispers broke the silence.

"This was your mom's room."

Kurt turned his body so he was facing Blaine and looked at the other boy, who was staring aimlessly at the ceiling.

"Yes. She did a lot of her sewing in here." Kurt explained. "She was always designing new clothes for me."

"Does it make you sad to be in here?"

Kurt was slightly unprepared for the question.

"I didn't come in here very much after she died." He whispered moments later. "I guess it made me sad to think about her back then."

"But does it make you sad now?"

"Maybe a little bit." Kurt admitted woefully. "I still miss her a lot."

Blaine nodded, but didn't speak any further. He felt Kurt reach over, find his hand and interlock their fingers together.

He instantly felt more relaxed, so he closed his eyes and allowed his body to settle into the bed comfortably.

Kurt remained in his position, staring unabashedly at the boy lying next to him for several minutes.

Blaine's long dark eyelashes were splayed out over his cheeks and his curls were starting to dry, making them spring up into tighter, less controlled twists.

Kurt watched as Blaine's breathing rate deepened and his mind finally allowed his body to let go and he drifted off into a deep slumber.

He didn't dare move a muscle for several minutes after Blaine had fallen asleep in fear of waking him up, but finally, Kurt slipped out from underneath the blankets and pulled them up tight around Blaine's chin, effectively tucking him in.

He pressed a lingering kiss to Blaine's forehead before he carefully slid off the bed, but before he silently stepped out the room, Kurt turned back once more to stare at the peaceful looking boy in the bed.

"Good night my sweet Blaine."

From their bedroom down the hall, even through the walls and Blaine's closed bedroom door, Burt and Carole awoke several times to the boy whimpering and crying in the night.

The first few times, Carole quickly got up out of bed, put on her robe and went in to sit with Blaine until he calmed enough to fall back asleep.

The third time, Burt whispered softly "It's okay Carole, I'll go this time."

He quietly slipped into his moccasins and his own robe and headed down the hallway into Blaine's room.

As Burt approached the bed, he saw Blaine tossing and turning underneath the covers, with a scowl on his face.

He was still asleep, but his unconscious mind appeared to be in the midst of a horrible nightmare.

Blaine's fingers were clenched tightly around the edge of the mink blanket and his lips were trembling as desperate words began to spill from his mouth.

"P-please don't hurt him."

Burt's heart ached as he sunk down on the bed next to the terrified boy.

"Shhh, Blaine, you're okay. It's just a dream." He whispered softly.

The scowl on Blaine's face deepened and his voice grew weaker and more pained.

"I'll do w-whatever you want. P-please just l-leave Kurt alone."

Burt's stomach dropped.

The acidic taste of bile rose in his throat as his brain calculated the significance of Blaine's words.

Blaine went through hell, literal hell, to protect my son.

That bastard forced him into god-knows-what by using Kurt as a bargaining chip.

Burt sniffled away an angry tear as he pried Blaine's fingers off the edge of the blanket and squeezed his hand.

"It's okay, buddy." He sobbed, running his thumb over the back of Blaine's whitened knuckles. "Kurt is alright."

Blaine's muffled pleas continued for several minutes until Burt felt him relax slightly and his breathing returned to a normal, rhythmic rate.

Burt sighed as he took in the sight of the now slightly more relaxed boy in front of him.

"It's okay buddy." He repeated over and over. "Kurt is alright."

"You saved him."

A terrified scream pierced through the silence of the Hummel household about an hour later, causing both Carole and Burt to wake up with a start.

Burt shot out of bed, forgoing his slippers and robe and darted down the hallway in his boxers and undershirt.

When he reached the door leading into Blaine's bedroom, his eyes widened when he turned the knob and found that the door was locked.

A second wail sounded from behind the closed door, sending chills up Burt's spine.

"Blaine?" He pounded on the door with his fist. "Blaine! Open up the door, buddy."

When Burt received no response from Blaine, he continued pounding on the door, cursing himself for thinking that installing a lock on the inside of Blaine's room had been a smart idea.

"Come on, Blaine, its Burt!" He shouted. "Please unlock the door!"

The terrified screams had turned into frightened whimpers, and Burt found himself at a loss for words.

"Blaine? You're safe here! No one can hurt you!"

Nothing.

Kurt came running up the stairs at that moment, with his normally perfectly coiffed hair strewn all about and wide, worried eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked frantically.

Burt turned around and threw his hands up in the air in defeat.

"He locked the door."

Kurt's heart sunk.

Oh.

Blaine didn't feel safe.

Even here, he didn't feel safe.

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted as Burt continued knocking heavily on the door.

"Stop!" Kurt yelled, pulling his father's hand away.

Burt turned to look at his son in confusion.

"You're probably freaking him out pounding on the door like that." Kurt explained. "Let me try."

He leaned into the door until his face was only inches away.

"Blaine? It's Kurt." He spoke softly, but loud enough that his voice should carry into the room. "Can you hear me?"

No reply.

"I'm here, Blaine. And my dad is here too." He continued. "We're worried about you."

Nothing.

"I know you're scared Blaine, but you're okay. You're safe here."

Kurt sighed.

At least he's not screaming anymore.

He turned around to face his dad, giving him a hopeless shrug.

"I don't know what to do."

Burt frowned and cupped a hand over his son's shoulder reassuringly.

"Me neither, buddy." He said sadly. "Me neither."

Kurt placed his hand on the door for several seconds before knocking gently.

"Blaine? Are you okay?" He asked. "Please just let me know that you're okay."

No response.

Kurt was beginning to lose his composure. He could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes and his stomach was clenching with every breath.

What is he doing in here?

Is he okay?

A horrific thought flashed into Kurt's mind.

Has he hurt himself?

His breath caught as he considered this new development. He spun around to face his father with a look of horror.

"Dad… you don't t-think he'd ever… do anything… d-do you?" He stuttered.

It took Burt a moment to understand what Kurt was suggesting, but when he did, he visibly paled.

He wouldn't.

Would he?

Kurt placed his trembling fingers over his mouth in shock and took in a stuttered breath before turning to knock on the door once again.

"Blaine, please!" He cried. "You're scaring me!"

By this time, Finn and Carole had joined them in the cramped hallway, anxiously waiting to see how everything developed. Carole looked seriously concerned and Finn looked… disheveled.

He'd obviously been sound asleep.

Kurt's heart raced as thousands of thoughts spun through the depths of his mind like a wobbly-filmed home movie.

Blaine didn't feel safe here.

He's so depressed after everything that's happened.

He might hurt himself.

What if…

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted by a metal-sounding click from the other side of the door.

He froze.

With wide eyes, Kurt turned to face his dad who was still standing next to him with his hand on his shoulder.

The elder Hummel nodded, confirming Kurt's suspicions.

Blaine unlocked the door.

Kurt took a deep breath and hesitated slightly before reaching forward and placing his fingers around the doorknob.

He closed his eyes as he turned the knob and held his breath as he slowly allowed the door to creep open only an inch.

"Blaine?" He whispered. "It's Kurt. Is it okay if I come in?"

After receiving no answer, he slid the door open several more inches and popped his head inside.

Blaine was standing between the bed and the dresser on the far side of the tiny room, looking fearfully at Kurt with wide eyes. He had his right arm wrapped around himself protectively and he was shaking visibly.

Kurt released the breath he'd been holding as he made eye contact with the obviously terrified teen.

Scared but unharmed.

"Hi." Kurt whispered softly.

Blaine gulped but did not reply, and his eyes never strayed from Kurt's. He looked hesitant to believe that his friend was standing only feet away from him.

"Thank you for unlocking the door, Blaine." Kurt stepped towards him slowly. "We were worried."

Blaine's terrified eyes softened and filled with tears.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah, Blaine. It's me." Kurt replied sadly. "I'm here."

As soon as Kurt saw Blaine's lower lip begin to tremble, he rushed over and took the boy into his arms. Blaine's knees gave out from underneath him seconds after Kurt took him into the embrace and the taller teen helped him down until they were both seated on the floor, with Blaine curled up in Kurt's lap.

"I t-thought it was him. I thought he was t-trying to get in here…" Blaine sobbed, leaving tearstains on the front of Kurt's satin pajamas.

"It's okay sweetie." Kurt breathed delicately next to Blaine's ear. "I've got you. You're safe now."

"I thought I was back there again."

"It was just a nightmare, Blaine." Kurt reassured. "He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know." Blaine sniffled. "But it was just so real."

Kurt sat cuddling Blaine on his lap for several more minutes, whispering reassurances in his ear and gently brushing dark curls out of his face until the boy grew significantly calmer.

Burt, Carole and Finn watched sadly from the hallway, wishing there was more they could do to help.

Finally, after another few minutes, Carole instructed Finn to return to bed, telling him that the worst was over.

Blaine was going to be okay.

Burt peeked his head into the bedroom and silently asked Kurt if they were okay, using several unofficial hand gestures.

Kurt nodded sadly.

We'll be fine.

Burt and Carole returned to bed solemnly, leaving the two boys comforting each other on the floor of Blaine's bedroom.

After about ten minutes, Kurt shifted uncomfortably underneath Blaine, whose head shot up immediately.

"I'm sorry, Kurt." His voice was rough and pitchy from crying.

"Oh Blaine, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

Blaine's gaze fell to the floor shamefully.

"I woke everyone up."

Kurt sighed, pulling Blaine closer.

"They're fine. We were all just worried about you, that's all."

The remorseful look on Blaine's face intensified.

"Shhh…" Kurt hushed, before adding with a grin, "Let's move back up onto the bed, shall we? I lost feeling in my butt a while ago."

Blaine nodded, wiping the remaining tears from his cheeks and stood up slowly.

Kurt helped him into bed once again before crawling in next to him and turning off the lamp.

"You don't have to stay in here." Blaine said gruffly.

Kurt turned towards him, confused. "You don't want me to stay with you?"

Blaine shook his head. "I'll be okay now."

"Are you sure?" Kurt said unconvinced. "I really don't mind."

"I'm fine Kurt."

"Well… Want me to stay until you fall asleep again?"

Blaine shrugged.

Kurt's heart broke.

Something is wrong.

He's still not okay.

He carefully pulled the covers up to Blaine's chin before resting his arm over his torso and closing his eyes.

Please let me in Blaine.

Tell me what's going on inside your head.

Blaine feigned sleep for twenty more minutes until he felt Kurt slip out of the bed wordlessly and leave the room.

His heart ached and he felt cold, empty and alone in his bed.

He pulled the covers off of him and slipped off the edge of the bed before padding over to the desk and pulling out his journal once again.

Blaine scribbled on the page for several minutes before switching off the lamp on his desk and slipping back into his bed.

He lay awake for a while after that, silently cursing himself for waking up the entire household and freaking everyone out.

He missed Kurt.

Get a grip, Blaine.

You're not a child.

He really missed Kurt.

Finally, he climbed back out of bed and padded over towards his desk and clicked on the lamp once again.

He took his phone off the desk, slid it open and opened the camera app. He brought the phone up and snapped a picture of the 'courage' collage that hung on his bulletin board. The flash that resulted from the camera lit up the room and stung his eyes.

Blaine climbed back into bed with his phone and messed around with the settings until he had the photo saved as his background image.

He clicked the off button on his phone, sending his tiny room into a state of darkness and set it back on the table next to his bed.

Twenty more minutes passed, Blaine completely awake and unable to relax into a comfortable position in his bed. He kept tossing and turning, trying to forget about the millions of thoughts and memories that shuffled through his mind.

I wonder if Kurt is asleep.

He debated on picking up his phone and texting him, but he knew that if Kurt was indeed sleeping, the text would certainly wake him up again.

I shouldn't wake him.

He's done so much for me.

But, he did tell me to text him if I needed him.

But technically I don't really 'need' him…

I miss him.

He's probably asleep.

Blaine's scrambled mind continued to hold a debate against itself for another long while as he lay in the darkness of his room.

He turned to stare out the small window, hoping to at least see some stars, but was saddened to see that the garage next door obstructed his view.

I like stars.

I wonder if Kurt likes stars.

He mentally scolded himself.

Stop. Thinking. About. Kurt.

He fumbled around in the dark until he found his phone on the nightstand and slid it open once again, squinting as the brightness of the screen pierced his eyes.

Blaine opened up his address book and scrolled to find Kurt's number and typed a short message asking if Kurt was awake.

Then he decided he'd better not wake Kurt up, so he closed out the messenger app before sending the message and played a game of Angry Birds instead.

After a few minutes of unsuccessful pig smashing, Blaine gave up, re-opened the messenger app and finally sent Kurt his message.

Kurt's reply came back seconds later with a delicate sounding 'ding'.

Apparently he was still awake.

They messaged back and forth for a few brief seconds (with Blaine still pretending that he didn't need Kurt to sleep next to him) before the older teen informed Blaine that he was coming upstairs.

And he was bringing a guest.

"You came."

"I said I would."

"Will your dad be mad?"

"Nope, now squidge over."

"Squidge?"

Even in the darkness Blaine could see the mock-annoyance on Kurt's face. He could even make out the faint outline of his raised eyebrow and the way he held his hand on his hip.

Blaine smiled to himself and pulled back the covers on the opposite side of the bed and wiggled over, making enough room for Kurt to climb in next to him.

The feelings of loneliness and fear disappeared the moment Kurt laid down on the bed next to him.

He no longer felt cold and alone.

Both teens laid on their backs for several seconds looking up at the ceiling in silence.

"I miss the stars." Blaine whispered suddenly.

"Did they go somewhere?" Kurt replied with a quiet chuckle, finally turning onto his side to look at the other teen.

Blaine remained staring at the empty ceiling and sighed.

"I used to have this big window in my room at Dalton, right above my bed. Sometimes I'd just lay awake at night and stare at all the stars that twinkled in."

Kurt smiled, still staring at Blaine. That was the most he'd spoken at one time since he'd first met him.

"Some night when it's warmer out and you're feeling better we will go for a walk outside and do some star-gazing."

Blaine finally turned his head to face Kurt and smiled.

"I'd like that."

They remained in their positions for several minutes, enjoying a comfortable silence before Kurt reached over and hesitantly intertwined his fingers with Blaine's.

A shocked gasp slipped from Blaine's lips and he pulled his hand away quickly.

Before Kurt's brain could even form an apology, Blaine slid over on the bed, farther away from Kurt.

"You shouldn't touch me."

Kurt, after taking a moment to collect the pieces of his shattered heart looked at Blaine with a hurt expression.

"I'm sorry Blaine… I just thought…"

"I'm sick."

Kurt thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Blaine, I know you might think…"

"They didn't use protection Kurt."

Blaine struggled to pull himself into a sitting position on the bed and turned his head away, refusing to look at Kurt.

Kurt swallowed the lump of sorrow in his throat and pulled himself into a similar position, still sitting an arms length away from Blaine.

He didn't know what to say.

Part of him wanted to reach out and pull Blaine into his arms and never let him go, but the other part of him knew that Blaine needed some distance right now.

"Blaine, it's going to be okay."

"No, it's not okay!" Blaine replied angrily, his voice rising above a whisper for the first time. "Nothing is okay, Kurt."

Kurt shied away.

He hadn't seen this coming.

"I'm sick." Blaine repeated. "And I don't want you to get sick too."

Seconds passed.

"I don't want you to ever feel like this."

"Like what?" Kurt asked quickly.

Keep him talking.

"Like…" Blaine hesitated. "Like you're dirty, and disgusting, and worthless."

With each word he spoke, Blaine's voice became closer and closer to breaking. Waves of emotion rolled off of him; anger, embarrassment, shame, fear, and… hopelessness.

Kurt cringed at Blaine's admission.

He reached over and took Blaine's hand in his own and squeezed his trembling fingers.

"Oh, Blaine." Kurt sighed. "You're none of those things."

Blaine scoffed and continued to look away.

"You're beautiful and pure and amazing."

Each word that rolled off Kurt's tongue sent pangs of emotion through Blaine's conflicted heart.

The tears that had been gathering at the corners of his eyes began to slip down his cheeks and he finally turned to look at Kurt with the saddest eyes the older teen had ever seen.

"You're just saying that." Blaine sniffled.

"I am saying it." Kurt replied, wiping his thumb down Blaine's cheek, clearing away the tears. "And I mean every single word."

Blaine's face crumbled and a second wave of tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Kurt wiggled closer to Blaine and opened up his arms, indicating to Blaine that he wanted to hold him.

Blaine hesitated before he too finally shimmied closer and lay himself down into Kurt's lap.

They sat together, each with their own tears for several minutes until Blaine's sobs slowed to sporadic hiccups.

"They did things to me Kurt. Horrible things."

"Shhh, sweetheart, I know." Kurt cooed, running his fingers through Blaine's curls. "I know."

"I let them."

Kurt clenched his eyes closed at Blaine's words, causing additional silent tears to streak down his porcelain face.

"I should have fought harder to get away, but I was so scared. They said they'd hurt you if I left. This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault, Blaine." Kurt whispered hoarsely. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'll never be clean. I'll never be pure."

This time, Kurt didn't know how to reply, so he merely held Blaine tightly in his arms and continued running his long and delicate fingers through his curls.

It was quite a while later that the tears finally came to an end and both boys slid back down into their original positions, only this time, with their fingers laced together comfortably.

After a few minutes like this, Kurt reached behind him and pulled a stuffed plush bunny off of the floor and set it on the bed between him and Blaine.

"Blaine, this is Thumpy." He said with a grin. "Thumpy… meet Blaine."

Blaine picked up the toy and turned it around in his hand.

"Thumpy, hey?"

Kurt grinned. "Don't make fun of him. I've had him since I was little."

"He's cute." Blaine admitted, rubbing his fingers over the bunny's soft ears. "But why Thumpy?"

"You've seen Bambi, right?"

"Like years ago." Blaine admitted.

"The rabbit on it is named 'Thumper', but when I was little, I couldn't pronounce my r's."

Blaine chuckled.

"Don't laugh." Kurt pouted. "It was a legit problem. I had to see a speech therapist and everything."

"Oh?"

"Yup. And by the time we got that figured out, I'd lost a bunch of my baby teeth and I called him 'fwumper' for a while. It's a wonder the poor little guy didn't suffer from an identity crisis."

Blaine smiled. He was imagining a gap-toothed Kurt with a messy bedhead wearing onesie pajamas and dragging the plush rabbit behind him.

"He looks like he's in really good shape for a bunny who probably went everywhere with you from the time you were little." Blaine commented. "His fur looks brand new."

"I kept really good care of him." Kurt replied. "He bathed almost as often as I did growing up."

Blaine nodded.

"Plus – he was the last toy that my mom got for me, so I always kept him safe and protected."

"I want you to hang on to him for a little while." Kurt said several minutes later, reaching between them and giving the bunny a gentle scratch. "He's gotten me through some really tough times, so I think he'll be a good friend for you. He's a really good listener."

Blaine smiled sadly.

"Like when your mom died?"

Kurt nodded. "Yup. He was there for me every night. I remember trying to be brave and not letting my dad see me cry. It used to make him very upset when I cried, so I think my little eight-year-old brain figured that if I didn't cry, then he wouldn't."

Blaine nodded.

"What was she like? Your mom, I mean."

Kurt's eyes twinkled in the dark. "She was gorgeous. I mean, mostly I just remember her from pictures, but she was absolutely stunning."

Blaine sighed.

I see that.

"She was so friendly to everyone. Not a mean bone in her body. Everyone loved her." Kurt added fondly.

"Dad told me that they fell in love in high school. 'Love at first sight', even. They got married right after high school and dad opened up the Tire Shop and mom worked at the Elementary School. She was a first grade teacher."

Blaine smiled.

"She sounds perfect."

Kurt's grin faltered slightly.

"She was."

After several minutes of silence, Blaine finally gathered the nerve to ask the question that had been burning in his mind for so long.

"Can I ask you how she…"

"Cancer." Kurt interrupted. "Breast cancer."

Blaine nodded once.

"They didn't catch it in time, it was already progressed too far. She was given six months but only lasted three."

"Oh Kurt, I'm so sorry." Blaine said solemnly. He reached over and squeezed Kurt's fingers gently.

"I remember being at the hospital a few times when dad and I went to visit her. But I don't remember much when she was closer to… the end. I think dad wanted me to remember her the way she was when she was healthy - when she was mom."

The pair of teens remained quiet for several minutes, both lost in the depth of the conversation they'd just had. It was a different feeling for them – they hadn't really shared much about their pasts to each other directly.

It felt… oddly comfortable.

"Why didn't you want me to stay?" Kurt finally broke the silence.

"Hmmm?"

"Before, when you had that nightmare, you didn't want me to stay in here with you."

Blaine gulped and looked back towards the ceiling of his bedroom.

"Was it because you thought you might be sick?"

Blaine shrugged.

"Kind of. Maybe, I guess."

"Blaine, I know you're scared to get those test results back. But I want you to know that you're not alone. I'm here with you and I'm not going anywhere. No matter what the tests say. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

"Okay." Blaine agreed hopefully.

Kurt's heartfelt words were exactly what he needed to hear. The weight that had been pressing down on his shoulders instantly lifted and he felt just a little bit more relaxed.

Thank you, Kurt.

What would I do without you?

"Was that the only reason?" Kurt asked.

Blaine thought for a moment.

"No." He sighed.

"I didn't want you to be sad."

"Sad?" Kurt asked inquisitively. "Why would being with you make me sad?"

"It's your mom's room. You said before that it made you sad to be in here." Blaine's head fell slightly as he admitted to Kurt the real reason why he'd regrettably asked him to leave.

"Oh, Blaine…" Kurt sighed. "The room doesn't make me sad! Maybe it did a long time ago, but not anymore. I mean, sure… it's kind of weird being in here again, but it's also kind of…refreshing. It reminds me of her – but in a good way."

Blaine smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay. Then I guess you can stay." Blaine grinned, and his eyes twinkled with a devious little sparkle.

"Oh, can I now?" Kurt quipped with a raised eyebrow.

The boys rolled over onto their sides, now fully facing each other with only 'Thumpy' separating them.

Kurt reached down and clasped Blaine's hand into his own and squeezed his fingers tenderly.

"I'm glad you're in this room." He said softly. "My mom would have liked you."

Blaine smiled and returned the gentle squeeze.

"Now she can watch over you while you sleep and keep you safe."