"What the fuck are you doing?" Blaine shouted, his livid voice just shy of a growl. Kurt had never heard him be so sharp and angry. He flinched automatically at the sound.

A flurry of activity happened very suddenly. Kurt felt himself being wrenched out of Sebastian's grasp. He fell limply against Blaine's bed, sliding down the side and coming to rest on the floor, his knees pulled tightly to his chest.

Blaine grabbed Sebastian roughly by the front of his shirt as he barked out a question in the same furious tone, shaking the taller boy like a rag doll. "How dare you touch him? How dare you come into my house and try to hurt him?"

He shoved Sebastian backward roughly, sending him sprawling to the floor before hauling back and kicking him hard in the hip. "Get up!" Sebastian didn't move so Blaine shouted again. "I said get up!" He delivered another swift kick to the other boy's hip.

Sebastian scrambled to his knees before making it all the way to his feet. He finally spoke. "It was just a little Quid Pro Quo, Blaine. He gets me off and I don't have my father tell the Department about what you've got going on here."

"So, you come in here and threaten Kurt? What gives you the right? Who the fuck do you think you are?" Blaine's voice seethed with hatred.

"I'm a free citizen, Blaine, just like you are. Except I don't pretend that I'm not better than slaves. They need to know their place, and I was just trying to show it to him," Sebastian said, his sarcastic wit was coming back as he regained his composure.

Blaine cocked back his fist and landed a hard punch to the other boy's nose. Sebastian's hand flashed to check for blood. "You just wait and see what happens. That little boytoy of yours will be gone before the fucking weekend," Sebastian threatened, his voice rough and angry, pointing harshly toward where Kurt was curled in on himself on the floor.

He spun around to leave only to run smack into Cooper's chest. Sebastian faltered back a step as he took in the intimidating stature of the man he'd just run into.

Cooper smiled and stepped forward, poking a finger into the boy's chest. "I don't think he will. I know all about you and your high powered daddy, but he's shit compared to me, kid. You just try and get the law involved in this and see how that works out for you."

Sebastian stumbled over his feet as he backed toward the door, Cooper crowding him menacingly. "You may be able to get away with a lot because of who your father is, but let me tell you something. If you come into my house and threaten my family, you're going to pay the price, got me?"

Sebastian made it to the door but wouldn't take his eyes off Cooper who was less than a few inches away from the front of his body.

Blaine stood in the middle of the room, his eyes locked on Kurt's shaking body, completely over the exchange. He needed to find out what the damage was. "Coop, will you get rid of him?" He asked, his voice thick with worry and barely concealed rage.

Cooper nodded and gave Sebastian a shove to get him the rest of the way through the door before shutting it behind him.

The door had no more than closed before Blaine crossed the room and dropped down next to Kurt, wrapping his arms around the other boy's shaking frame and pulling him closer. "You're okay, Kurt. It's alright now. I've got you."

And with that, Kurt dissolved into tears, his entire body going slack in Blaine's arms as sobs ripped through him. "I was—I was so scared, Blaine," he choked out, burying his head into the crook of the shorter boy's neck.

Blaine rubbed a soothing hand across Kurt's back, shushing quietly into his ear. "I know. I know. You're safe now. He's not going to hurt you anymore. He can't touch you anymore."

Kurt's body was still trembling as Blaine picked him up and set him on the bed. He sat down, sliding back against the headboard, and pulled Kurt back into his body, cradling him in his arms. He let Kurt cry himself out against his shoulder, murmuring soothing nonsense as he rocked him gently. Kurt's body slowly started to relax before finally withering, exhausted, in Blaine's arms.

Blaine pressed a kiss to the top of Kurt's hair. Finally, he whispered, "God, Kurt, when I saw him touching you, I swear I wanted to kill him. Why didn't you fight back? Why didn't you tell him to stop?"

Kurt's body stiffened and a quiet, whimpering sob escaped him. "He—He said he knew about us. He said he'd report you if I didn't let him do whatever he wanted. He said that if I said anything, he'd report you. Don't let them take me, Blaine."

Blaine's heart broke as he Kurt's voice crack before breaking off into another fit of sobs.

"Hey," Blaine soothed softly. "He's not going to do anything. He's terrified of Cooper. He won't say anything."

He tried not to think about what was going to happen when Cooper went home. Would Sebastian still be afraid to say anything or would he feel safe knowing that Cooper wasn't there to stop him. The Department could have Kurt taken away before Cooper could even have a chance to get back to Ohio. Blaine shuddered and pulled Kurt closer.

Kurt continued to cry against Blaine's chest, whimpering quiet pleas of, "Please, I don't want to go."

Blaine didn't know what to say to calm him, so he just gently rocked him until the sobs quieted.

Finally, Blaine spoke. "Kurt, I need you to look at me, okay. This is really important." Kurt's fingers stayed twisted in the front of Blaine's shirt as though he was afraid to let go, but he pulled away slightly to look at Blaine's face.

The younger boy took Kurt's hands from his shirt and held them in his own while looking meaningfully into his eyes. "I need you to understand something, okay?"
Kurt nodded, sniffling quietly. Blaine swiped away Kurt's tears with his fingers.
"Kurt, I will never let anything or anyone take you away from me. I don't care what it takes; I won't let them take you. I will keep you safe. I love you, Kurt."

Kurt's eyes widened as fresh tears began to fall. His voice was whisper quiet and thick with emotion. "I love you, too, Blaine."

Blaine wrapped himself around Kurt's body, pressing a kiss to the top of the crying boy's head and repeating the mantra of: "You're safe. I've got you."

Kurt tangled his arms around the back of Blaine's neck and nuzzled his face against the hollow of his shoulder. In that moment, he seemed so innocent and vulnerable. Blaine let a thumb slide across Kurt's cheek, warmth flooding through him as he felt Kurt lean into the touch. Kurt followed Blaine's hand as it pulled away from his face.

He sat up straight by Blaine's side, facing him, as he grabbed Blaine's hand and brought it back to rest against his cheek, covering it with his own hand. Kurt's eyes were bright and almost hopeful. Blaine couldn't help himself; he leaned forward and captured the beautiful boy's lips, whimpering softly as he felt them move against his own without any hesitance or fear.

Not breaking the kiss, Kurt began to lie down, taking Blaine with him.

Blaine stretched out half on top of Kurt, bringing their lips together again. Kurt's hands stayed on Blaine's face, seemingly trying to memorize every bump and slope. Blaine rolled a little further until he was mostly on top. Kurt's lips stilled against his own.

Self-consciously, Blaine asked, "I-Is this okay?"

Kurt smiled and slid his thumb across the other boy's jawline before reverently whispering, "It's perfect."

Blaine returned the smile, his entire body relaxing now that he's assessed that Kurt was okay. This was the first time they'd gone this far. Things had been shifting, progressing. He'd felt the change in the way their hands would start drifting while they'd kiss, in the lingering stares and soft touches, but he never wanted to push Kurt toward anything that might make him uncomfortable.

What worries Blaine, even now, as Kurt's lips are sliding, warm and loving, against his own is that they haven't talked about this. He hasn't asked Kurt for boundaries. While Kurt is stretched out under him, warm and trusting, Blaine doesn't really know how Kurt really feels about all this. He doesn't want to break away and ask, for fear of saying the wrong thing or being presumptuous, so he lets Kurt lead but keeps a close eye on his body language.

Kurt's arms wound around the back of Blaine's neck, his hand resting on the back of the younger boy's curls, dragging his fingers through them and scratching lightly at his scalp with his fingernails. Blaine can't help the quiet, satisfied sound that slips past his lips at the sensation, and he can feel Kurt's lips turning up into a smile against his own.

Kurt's free hand started to slide across Blaine's back, rubbing circles against his shoulderblades. Blaine felt Kurt still beneath him and breaks the kiss. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" He asked, his voice concerned, bringing his fingers to stroke Kurt's cheek.

Kurt bit his lip and it looked as though he was thinking very hard about what he wanted to say. His cheeks flooded with color and he cast his gaze down to avoid Blaine's eyes. "Will you take your shirt off?"

Blaine pressed a quick, comforting kiss to Kurt's lips before leaning back and sliding to his knees, straddling Kurt's waist and pulling his shirt over his head. He let his hands drop to slide up and down Kurt's sides as he lifted his gaze to meet Kurt's wide eyes.

The quick motion of Kurt's hand lifting off the mattress before letting it fall back down caught Blaine's eye. He smiled and took Kurt's hand, pressing a kiss to it before holding it against his chest and resting his own hand over it. "Kurt, you can touch me."

The words came out gently and caused a delicate smile to grace Kurt's features. The sight made warmth flood through Blaine's body. He patted Kurt's hand lightly before letting his own hand fall to rest against Kurt's waist. Slowly, he felt Kurt's fingers move to slide along his bare chest. The touch was hesitant and fleeting at first, but it grew a bit surer as his fingers trailed down the length of Blaine's stomach, brushing lightly over the sparse trail of hair at his navel before retreating back up toward his chest.

Blaine smiled encouragingly as he felt Kurt's other hand come to rest on his hip. Kurt's eyes were bright, burning with emotion. Blaine couldn't imagine what all this meant to Kurt. After years of having control stripped from him, being used as a means to an end, Kurt was finally feeling as though someone cared what he wanted. He couldn't fathom what it felt like for Kurt to know that he finally had control over the situation.

As he felt Kurt's hands exploring his torso, Blaine finally allowed himself to fully take in the image in front of him. Though he'd seen Kurt shirtless many times, somehow this felt different, as though he was truly seeing it for the first time. The delicate blush on Kurt's cheeks had spread down his neck and colored the top of his chest. He let his fingers skate across the flushed skin. Kurt's hands stilled, resting on Blaine's hips, his eyes intently interested in what Blaine's hands were doing.

He felt Kurt's eyes on him and glanced up from watching his own fingers exploring the other boy's chest to meet his gaze, a soft, adoring smile touching his face. He leaned down to press his lips to Kurt's, dark red and just a little swollen from kissing. "You are so beautiful, Kurt." The words came out no higher than a reverent whisper. "So perfect."

Kurt's face lit up into a blinding smile that quite literally took Blaine's breath away. He couldn't fight the urge to lean back down and kiss Kurt until he was breathless as well.

Kurt whined as Blaine sucked lightly at his bottom lip. His hips arched off the bed and into Blaine. Another whimper slipped out of Kurt at the sudden friction, the breath ghosting against Blaine's lips.

Blaine was frozen, his face less than an inch away from Kurt's. This was new. This was all new. Kurt kept his gaze, his eyes a shade darker than Blaine had ever seen them but holding silent reassurances. Almost hesitantly, Kurt closed the miniscule distance between their lips, sliding his tongue across Blaine's bottom lip and causing Kurt's name to slip out in a whine. Kurt's hands slid up from where they'd been resting against Blaine's hips to cradle the younger boy's face, holding it still as he deepened the kiss before pulling back, eyes still locked with Blaine's, and rolling his hips with deliberate purpose.

Blaine's eyes rolled back as he felt Kurt pressing against him. He tried to school his expression back into something that resembled neutral, trying hard to think past the fog caused by the hard line repeatedly pressing, rubbing, against his ass through his jeans. He swallowed thickly and willed himself to form a coherent thought.

"K-Kurt..." He winced at the way the word came out in a wrecked whimper. He steeled himself and tried again, a little more in control of himself. "Kurt, stop."

Kurt froze beneath him, worry flitting across his face. Blaine was quick to erase the panic, dropping a kiss to his lips and brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. Blaine let his thumb slide across the apple of Kurt's cheek and continued. "Kurt, this is...this is new and I need to make sure that you're really okay with all of this, comfortable with it, and you're not just doing it because of what happened with Sebastian."

Kurt flinched at the name, but relaxed easily under Blaine's touch. Kurt bit his lip shyly. "It—It's not him. I've wanted this—wanted you—for awhile."

Blaine felt the actual moment when his brain short circuited, but he pushed past it. He couldn't focus on the thought that Kurt had thought about this.

He felt himself relenting, his resolve melting away just as quickly as he felt his brain melting. "You're sure?" He had to ask, had to make sure. Always make sure. Kurt smiled softly, letting his fingertips slide across Blaine's cheek, and nodded. The expression on Kurt's face was sure in a way Blaine couldn't ever remember seeing it before, serene.

Blaine leaned down to kiss him again, sliding his tongue across the seam of Kurt's lips until they opened in silent invitation. As Blaine deepened the kiss, letting his tongue slip past Kurt's parted lips and into the warm cavern of his mouth, he ground his hips down in earnest, swallowing the eager moan that escaped Kurt's throat at the action.

He stretched out until he was mostly lying on top of Kurt, rolling his hips against Kurt's. Everything was new. He had no idea what he was doing, but judging by the way it felt and the little sounds that vibrated out of Kurt, he was doing something right, so he repeated the motion.

Underneath him, Kurt's head had fallen back against the pillow, and his eyes had fluttered shut. His cheeks flushed crimson, the evening light catching on the barely-there sheen of sweat. Blaine was sure that he'd never seen anything more beautiful. He brought their lips together again, kissing languid but building.

Blaine felt a heat pooling in his stomach and he began to focus on the way he could feel the hard line in Kurt's jeans against his own, the way they were perfectly fitted and sliding together causing friction to charge every nerve in his body. He listened to the little whines pouring out of Kurt's mouth as his hips lifted to meet each roll of Blaine's hips. They were no longer kissing, but their foreheads were pressed together as they breathed each other's air, occasionally whispering soft endearments and pressing fleeting, uncoordinated kisses to the other's lips.

Kurt's whines were growing more intense, and Blaine could practically feel the older boy's body shaking under his own. He dropped his head to mouth along Kurt's jaw, earning himself a broken moan and a tightened hold on the back of his hair. Kurt's head dropped back against the pillows again, giving Blaine better access to the pale column of his neck.

Kurt's fingers dig into Blaine's shoulderblade in the most perfect way and a high keen slipped past the older boy's lips. "B-Blaine...I'm close..."

Blaine kissed along where Kurt's pulse was fluttering rapidly beneath his lips, sucking just hard enough to leave a mark. "It's okay, baby, I've got you. Just let go..." Blaine mumbled against Kurt's skin. He started rolling his hips faster and lifted his head to surge their lips together as he heard Kurt cry out once before arching his back off the mattress and keening out a broken version of what sounded like Blaine's name.

Blaine followed almost immediately after, crying out his release as he continued to grind his hips against Kurt's. Both boys were unwilling to separate their lips even though they were only panting into each other's mouths as they came down from highs. Kurt was the first to be able to form a complete thought, whispering I love you as he carded his fingers through Blaine's curls, staring into his honey-colored eyes with a look of absolute adoration and affection.

It was all Blaine could do not to completely collapse on top of Kurt, sated, boneless, and awestruck by the beautiful, amazing boy beneath him. He rolled off of Kurt and pulled him into his arms, wrapping them tightly around the Kurt's shoulders as he nuzzled closer against his side. Kurt pressed a kiss to the still-heated skin of Blaine's chest before resting his head there. Blaine's fingers instinctively went to thread through Kurt's hair, smiling peacefully and feeling heavy with contentment.

He craned his neck to drop a kiss to the top of Kurt's hair, reveling in the contented little sound the action produced. Kurt's eyes fluttered closed and soon his breathing evened out into the peaceful rhythm of a deep, comfortable sleep. Blaine pulled the comforter up over them both and quickly allowed himself to succumb to his own tiredness, feeling content and gloriously sleepy.

-xXxXx-

Blaine woke up to the feeling of fingers tracing idle patterns across his chest. He was hesitant to move, unwilling to risk ruining the moment, but he slowly let his eyes flutter open, glancing down to meet Kurt's, bright and shining with unreadable emotion, a soft smile gracing his features.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Kurt teased gently, his fingers still sliding across Blaine's chest. He turned his head to press a kiss to the bare skin.

Blaine chuckled softly and craned his neck to drop a kiss to the top of Kurt's head, mumbling sleepily, "Hey. What time is it?"

Kurt hummed out a content sound and burrowed further Blaine's arm. "About six, I think."

Blaine stretched indulgently and pulled Kurt tighter to his side. Kurt laughed when Blaine's stomach suddenly growled.

"We should start thinking about what we're going to have for dinner, huh?" Kurt said quietly, amusement in his voice as his fingers slid across Blaine's stomach. He shifted against Blaine's side, wrinkling his nose at the action. "I think I need a shower first," he said, laughing.

Blaine dropped a kiss to the top of his head and rolled out of bed. "Why don't you just lie here for a little while. Let me take a shower first and then I'll have dinner ready by the time you get out."

Kurt grinned and burrowed back under the blankets. "That could work," he sighed, nuzzling his head against Blaine's pillow, a sleepy grin on his face.

Blaine couldn't resist the desire to dart over and kiss his lips softly, letting his fingers trail across Kurt's cheek. He was just about to turn to leave when he heard Kurt call his name, his voice anxious and quiet. Kurt stretched his arm out to take Blaine's hand.

"Kurt, what's the matter, sweetheart?" Blaine asked, worried, sitting down beside Kurt. He started rambling. "Are you okay? Was that too much? It was too much. I knew it. We shouldn't have-"

Kurt cut off the anxious babbling, shaking his head. "No. Blaine, I'm fine. That was amazing. It just-" He took a deep breath and continued, looking into Blaine's eyes deeply. "I wasn't lying when I said I'd been thinking about this for awhile."

Blaine's eyes widened. "K-Kurt?"

"I really love you, Blaine. I—I just want you to know that you don't have to be so careful around me. I know that you know about most of the things that happened to me, but I know that you'd never hurt me." Kurt's voice was soft and comforting, his thumb sliding across the knuckles of Blaine's hand.

Blaine swallowed past the lump in his throat, smiling sympathetically as Kurt continued.

"Please don't worry about making me uncomfortable. There's nothing you could do that would make me not feel comfortable with you. You are the most amazing person I've ever met, Blaine. You're sweet and funny and genuinely kind. You make me feel safe and taken care of. I don't know what I could have ever done to deserve you, but I love you more than anything in the world. You're the only person I trust completely, because I know you'd never do anything to hurt me."

Blaine sniffled quietly, at a complete loss for words. He surged forward and captured Kurt's lips with his own, wrapping his arms around the older boy's shoulders in a tight hug. "I love you, too, Kurt. I'll always keep you safe. I promise." The words were whisper quiet and came out a bit choked, voice roughened by tears.

Dinner was forgotten in the moment of closeness, neither boy willing to leave the embrace. They stretched back out on the bed and curled into each other, taking comfort in the other's presence.

-xXxXx-

Things were different after that night. Easier.

There was a brightness to Kurt that Blaine hadn't yet seen. He'd stopped jumping and flinching at every loud noise and once, Blaine had walked in on Kurt arguing with Cooper in the kitchen over some trivial aspect of making dinner. Kurt was right and, for the first time, he was arguing to prove it.

Blaine had sat and listened with rapt attention as Cooper's voice turned sheepish when he realized he was wrong. Smugness radiated out of Kurt and Blaine couldn't resist the desire to cross the kitchen and pull him in for a kiss, ignoring the confused, giggled-out, "What on Earth was that for?"

That's why, when the day came for his parents to return home from wherever they'd been this time, Blaine was honestly scared. He'd watched Kurt come out of his shell when it was just Cooper hanging around, but he was terrified of what would happen when Kurt had to resume the role of a submissive slave. The thought made Blaine sick. He'd lie awake at night thinking of any way to avoid it, but inevitably, the day came.

He hadn't even been able to stay home that day. Cooper had forced him to go to school.

He'd been on edge all day. Paying attention in class had been nearly impossible. He felt trapped at school knowing that his parents would be arriving home at any moment, if they weren't home already. Blaine was stuck in a classroom while Kurt was at home with his parents. He knew that something was going to go wrong. He just knew it.

His tension went flying through the roof as he felt his phone buzz in his pocket for the third time in five minutes. He tapped his toe anxiously on the floor as he waited for the teacher to stop lecturing long enough for him to ask to be excused. Finally, he got the chance and bolted for the bathroom, pulling his phone out of his pocket and quickly shutting himself into a stall.

He glanced down at the screen.

3 missed calls from Cooper

His heart kicked into overdrive. Something was wrong. It had to be. There was no other reason Cooper would call him during school oncelet alone three times. He dialed the number and flashed the phone to his ear.

"Blaine?" Cooper's answering voice was panicked.
"Coop, what's going on?" Blaine was already planning his escape to his car.
"It—It's Kurt. Something happened and you need to come home now. He won't talk to me and he won't come out of your bedroom. I'm afraid to go in. I don't want him to freak out again. I just don't—you need to come home. Please."

The desperation was clear in Cooper's voice and Blaine could almost see him pacing the floor, dragging his hand through his hair in frustration.

Blaine was already digging his keys out of his bag. The blood in his veins felt like ice ever since he heard the words something happened. He threw the bag over his shoulder and offered a hurried "I'm on my way. Bye." to his brother before sprinting to his car. He hoped no one had seen him, but honestly, he didn't care. He just had to get home to Kurt.

He slammed the car into park the second the tires hit the driveway, cutting the engine and throwing himself out of the car with the same motion. Cooper was pacing just inside the door when he entered.

"Coop, what happened?" Blaine called, not slowing down as he ran up the stairs. Cooper was right behind him.

"Dad came home. Kurt was watching television or something. I don't really know; I was in the kitchen, but I came running into the living room just in time to see dad punch him." Cooper's face shifted from panic to rage. "He reached down and pulled Kurt up by the hair. I tried to stop him, but he just kept yelling about respect. I tried to pull dad off of him, but I couldn't. He threw Kurt down and-" Cooper's voice broke, full of sadness and frustration. "God, he just laid on the floor and took it, Blaine. He looked so broken. After dad stormed out, I tried to get him up, but he wouldn't move. I wasn't thinking, I-"

Cooper looked down, sheepish and ashamed.

Blaine spun to face him, his expression livid. "What did you do, Cooper?"

"I-I didn't want dad to come back in the room, and I panicked. I grabbed him by the arm and told him to get upstairs. He looked so scared though, Blaine. I think he thinks I was mad at him or something. I was just—I was just trying to protect him."

Blaine's hands shook with his barely concealed rage, but he tried to tamp it down. He knew Cooper didn't do well under pressure. He had good intentions, even if it was hard for Blaine to see them at the moment. He stopped right outside his door and grabbed his brother's shoulders. "Where is dad now?"

Cooper's voice was low when he answered. "He's in the garage, I think."
"Keep him away from here," Blaine ordered, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Cooper nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I screwed up big time. Just please tell Kurt that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare him."

Blaine patted his brother's arm and nodded. Cooper looked down at his feet and turned away, going back downstairs. Blaine took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Kurt, it's me. I'm coming in, alright?"

He opened the door as he finished his sentence. He knew it was important to respect Kurt's rights by asking, but Blaine couldn't not be with him right now. He opened the door just enough to squeeze inside and immediately closed it behind him.

Panic set in quickly when his eyes darted to the bed and didn't find Kurt lying there. "K—Kurt?"

There was a quiet sniffling coming from the far corner of the room beside the piano. Blaine's eyes immediately followed the sound and found Kurt sitting in-between the wall and the side of the piano with his knees pulled tightly to his chest.

Blaine crossed the room quickly, dropping down next to Kurt and stretching his arms out toward him. Kurt just stayed curled in on himself in the corner, his face buried in the cradle of his arms.

"Kurt, it's okay. I'm here." He reached forward to touch Kurt's hair, but the terrified boy flinched away from the contact. Blaine couldn't take it anymore. He reached forward and pulled Kurt into his arms. The angle was awkward, but it didn't matter.

"Hey, it's just me," he said soothingly. "Kurt, look at me."

Kurt sniffled again and slowly lifted his head. Blaine's heart clenched painfully as he saw the dried blood under Kurt's nose and the dark bruise that marred his cheekbone. Rage burned through him. He had to work to keep himself from screaming. He knew that the anger would come flying out later, but for now it was all about Kurt.

Blaine brought his thumb to carefully swipe away the tears falling from Kurt's eyes. "You're going to be alright now. I won't let him hurt you anymore." Kurt's scared eyes were still shining with tears. "Come on, let's go sit on the bed, okay. You can't be comfortable like this."

Blaine stood up and extended his hand. Kurt hesitantly took it, wincing as he tried to stand up. Blaine reached down and put his hands under Kurt's arms like a toddler and lifted him to his feet, steadying him with an arm around his waist as soon as he was on his feet. He sat Kurt on the bed and eased him back against the headboard.

"Where did he hurt you?" Blaine asked, seething. Kurt shook his head slightly, tears still sliding silently down his cheeks. Blaine huffed out a breath and willed himself to calm down, at least until he assessed the damage. He knelt down on the bed, shuffling closing to Kurt and reaching for the hem of his shirt. "Come on, sweetheart, arms up."

Kurt sniffled but lifted his arms for Blaine to remove his shirt, wincing slightly at the action. Blaine tossed the shirt aside, his eyes immediately scanning Kurt's body. His breath hitched as he took in the angry purpling marks dotting the pale skin. He looked as though he'd taken at least two hard kicks to the ribs and at least one to the middle of his stomach. There were also finger shaped bruises marking his upper arm. Cooper must have grabbed harder than he'd meant to.

He kissed Kurt's forehead and darted out of the room to get a warm washcloth, returning quickly and dabbing softly at the dried blood beneath Kurt's nose. Once he got Kurt's face cleaned up, he slid in beside him and pulled him close. Kurt rested his head against Blaine's shoulder and took a deep, shuddering breath.

Blaine tightened his hold and dropped a kiss to the top of Kurt's hair. All of this was pretty much his nightmare come true. He knew it wasn't going to get any better as long as Kurt was in the same house as his parents. "I love you, you know that don't you?"

Kurt nodded against the hollow of Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine took a deep breath and forced himself to do the very last thing he ever wanted to do."I don't feel safe leaving you here, Kurt. And with Cooper going home soon, you'd be alone here all day until I got back. I'd be worried sick that something was going wrong." He took a steadying breath. "I talked to Cooper and he's willing to take you back to New York with him a little early."

The thought of Kurt being so far away killed Blaine, but he would rather Kurt be safe in New York than abused in Ohio. Kurt's breath hitched and he burrowed further into Blaine's side. "Kurt, I just want you to be safe. And—I can't keep you safe here if I'm not home. We were going there over Spring Break anyway, but I was thinking you could go back with him when he goes on Wednesday. I'll be there on Friday."

He squeezed Kurt tighter and waited. Kurt's voice was low and sad when he spoke. "Cooper doesn't want me."

"Kurt, sweetheart, who do you think called me?" Blaine asked. "He was scared to death about you. He only did that because he panicked. Kurt, he loves you. He'd never hurt you on purpose. You know that. He was just trying to help, but whenever he tries to help, he usually just makes things worse. But he always has the best intentions."

Kurt sniffled again, his thumb sliding idly at the collar of Blaine's t-shirt. Blaine's heart broke as he felt lips press softly against his neck. It was such an innocent, heartfelt gesture. He brought a hand to the back of Kurt's head and cradled him against his shoulder. "I just want you to be safe, Kurt," Blaine sighed, defeated. "I love you and I need you to be safe."

Kurt looked up. His eyes were brimming with sad understanding. "I—I know." He cast his eyes toward his lap. "I love you, too, Blaine. I don't want to leave you."

Blaine lifted Kurt's hand from his collar and held it between both of his own. "Honey, you aren't safe here. My dad—Well, I don't know what he'll do. He doesn't understand. I want you to stay. I want to be with you every day, but, Kurt, I can't have you living in fear of my father."

Kurt pressed a kiss to the back of Blaine's hand. "It's worth it."

"No. Nothing could be worth that." Guilt surged through Blaine. Kurt was willing to stay in a home where he was treated as something less than human just to be with him. "Please, Kurt. I'm not going to force you to do anything, you know I would never do that, but please think about it." He hated himself for playing this card, but he was willing to do pretty much anything to get Kurt to really give the idea a chance. "It would make me feel so much better knowing that you were somewhere that you could be free."

Kurt froze. "Free?" He looked as though the idea terrified him.

Blaine quickly tried to put him at ease, softening his tone. "Think about it, Kurt. You could go out and buy your own clothes, we could go out to eat. Sweetheart, you could even go back to school. They've got programs and stuff to help with things like that. I could come see you on the weekends plus I can spend the whole summer there. I'll show you all around the city."

Kurt's eyes still looked sad, but the light behind them was back. Blaine could see that Kurt was honestly considering it. "But what about when summer's over? You'll have to go back home for the whole year."

"We'll figure something out," Blaine said quickly, though he didn't have anything in mind, really. He could just see that Kurt was close to accepting the idea.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand tightly. "O-Okay. But...I'm going to miss you so much." A tear slid down Kurt's cheek, but Blaine thumbed it away quickly, shaking his head and smiling softly at Kurt.

"I'm going to miss you too, but there's so much more out there for you than this." He gestured around the room. "Kurt, I want to see you go back to school and get your degree in fashion just like you always dreamed about. But none of that can happen while you're stuck here. I'd be selfish if I made you stay."

"But...I don't feel stuck here. I don't want New York if I can't have you too."

Blaine was shaking his head again, quickly dismissing Kurt's words. "Kurt, you have me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours." He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to Kurt's lips. "I'll still be yours no matter what. Whether we go to sleep together every night or just get to talk to each other on the phone until we fall asleep, nothing will ever change the fact that I belong to you."

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's shoulders and pulled him closer, kissing him softly on the lips, before nuzzling back into the hollow of Blaine's neck, whispering a soft I love you into the skin.

Blaine pulled them both down until Kurt was able to stretch out. He curled into Blaine's side, throwing his arm over the younger boy's chest and resting his head against his shoulder. Blaine dropped a kiss to the top of Kurt's hair. His voice was barely above a whisper when he asked, "So, you'll go?"

Kurt nodded against his skin, his voice sad but accepting. "I'll go."

He slid his hand across Kurt's bare back, trying to commit everything to memory. Kurt yawned delicately and instinctively curled in closer to the warmth of Blaine's body. Blaine realized he must be exhausted from the adrenaline and tears so he pressed a kiss to the top of his head and whispered, "Go to sleep, Kurt."

Kurt stretched up to kiss Blaine's neck before settling into his side. Blaine hummed quietly and slid his hand across Kurt's back. Soon, the other boy's breathing evened out into sleep and Blaine was left to contemplate what the immediate future was going to be like. Now that Kurt was asleep, Blaine let a few stray tears fall at the unfairness of it all. He managed to stifle a sob that threatened to escape but he felt the anger building inside him. Fresh tears of frustration burned his eyes. He pulled Kurt closer in the hopes of quelling the anger, but it didn't seem to help.

Suddenly, his father's livid voice broke through the silence. "Blaine!"

Rage flashed through him and he felt his hands start shaking. He slowly and carefully slid out from under Kurt, dropping a kiss to his forehead and brushing away a stray lock of hair before turning toward the door to go downstairs and face his father.