Kurt had been so excited. He hadn't had any quality time with Mercedes in far, far too long. The two of them had been moving in different directions as of late; her focused on her new romance with Sam and him spending every spare moment of his time with Blaine. Between new romances, potential romances, school obligations, Mercedes' new job at her father's dental office and Kurt helping his dad out at Hummel Tire and Lube, the two of them hadn't gotten together in what felt like weeks.

Well, technically it had been only two weeks but Kurt was used to hanging out with Mercedes almost daily and the separation had been hard on him, despite having Blaine as a distraction.

Kurt and Mercedes had initially bonded over their mutual loves of music, fashion and desire to get the hell out of Lima. They had eventually become one another's sounding boards and secret keepers, confidants and champions, best friends and biggest supporters. They'd had their share of differences and disagreements but nothing, not Kurt's atheism or Mercedes' tendency to jump to conclusions, could ever divide them for long.

Boyfriends-or in Blaine's case potential boyfriends-were proving to be the apparent exception to that rule.

As he sat next to Sam and Mercedes, listening to them flirt and coo at one another he finally understood what it meant to be the proverbial "third wheel".

Kurt was trying hard not to be resentful. Mercedes was an amazing girl and it had taken her a long time to find Sam. She'd had almost as little dating experience as Kurt; a super secret crush on Matt Rutherford that left her distraught when he moved, a few dates with a jock who turned out to be a jerk and an ill advised and never to be mentioned again blink and you missed it relationship with Noah Puckerman comprised Mercedes Jones' Greatest Romantic Hits.

Her relationship with Sam seemingly came out of nowhere, but it was making her blissfully happy. Once Kurt had gotten over the shock, he had to admit Sam and Mercedes made a good match. They balanced one another out. Mercedes got Sam to stop obsessing about every carb and calorie and he got her to admit fried was not a food group. When he was too content to allow himself to be shoved into the background, she forced him to seize the limelight and when she was having a diva moment to rival Rachel Berry's he pulled her back from the brink. Sam's sweetness complimented her sass and her savvy compensated for his geekiness. They had similar family values and religious views and they were both extremely loyal and genuinely nice people.

They were genuinely nice people who were currently getting on Kurt's last nerve.

Kurt had been disappointed when he'd shown up to pick up Mercedes for their movie date and Sam had answered the door. The blonde had looked so sheepish and hopeful when he'd asked Kurt if he minded him tagging along that Kurt hadn't had it in him to deny the request.

He was currently wishing he had.

Mercedes hadn't said more than a handful of words to him the entire evening. She and Sam had been permanently attached at the lips and were now snuggling into one another making out instead of watching the movie.

Kurt glanced at the screen and had to admit they weren't missing much.

He dug out his phone and fired off a quick text to Blaine.

-help! I'm bored. I need to be entertained. –K

The answer came back almost instantaneously.

-You must have me confused with Adam Lambert :P What's up? I thought U were w/Cedes 2nite?-B

Kurt sighed and typed out his response.

-Sam came with so they've been making out nonstop. I'm lonely :( -K

Blaine frowned. When Kurt had changed their movie plans from Friday to Saturday in order to hang out with Mercedes, Blaine had been a little annoyed but acquiesced because Kurt had seemed to genuinely miss his best friend. .

Blaine had also been a little relieved. He still hadn't quite come to terms with everything he'd learned about the extent of Kurt's problems and wasn't sure how to deal with his rapidly developing feelings for the other teen. He'd needed the distance to help gain some much needed perspective.

Misgivings aside, hearing that Mercedes brought her boyfriend along and then ignored Kurt the entire evening made Blaine wish he'd put up more of a fight to keep their date. Or at the very least insisted they double.

-Leave. It's still early. Come see me. Meet u halfway? –B

Kurt smiled. He was happy Blaine was willing to ditch whatever Friday night plans he had to spend time with Kurt-at the last minute at that-but he couldn't leave.

-I can't. I drove. –K

Blaine shook his head and scowled.

-So? They can thumb it back home. Or take a cab. Ditch 'em. –B

Kurt frowned. That was rather cold. As annoyed as he was with his friends he couldn't just abandon them to forage for a way home.

Even if part of him kind of wanted to.

-Bad Blaine! That is not dapper Dalton behavior. –K

Blaine laughed and texted back.

-Ur a public school ruffian. U can totally get away w/it. I want 2 C U. –B

Kurt's heart sped up. Blaine wanted to see him. He wanted to see Blaine too, but he couldn't ditch Sam and Mercedes. He steadied himself and replied.

-I kind sir, am a gentleman. You'll have to settle for my texts tonight. –K

Blaine had figured as much. Kurt might be prone to dramatics but he wouldn't abandon his friends to find their own way home. Blaine was just going to have to wait until tomorrow to see Kurt.

But that didn't mean he couldn't get under the countertenor's skin.

-oh yeah, sext me baby ;-) –B

Kurt laughed out loud. Several people turned to glare at him.

"So…the family's faithful dog dying from wounds sustained defending little Susie from a wolf attack tickles your funny bone?" Mercedes whispered to Kurt incredulously.

Kurt gaped. No wonder everyone had given him the hairy eyeball.

"No…I was…Blaine. You and Sam were busy and I got bored so we were texting and he…there's a dog?" Kurt whispered back.

Mercedes gave Kurt a curious glance. "Honey, the name of the movie is Man's Best Friend. Of course there's a dog." She glanced at the screen. "Well, there was a dog. Blaine huh? I should have known he was what was putting that smile on your face. What's your boy texting you that's got you so giggly?"

Kurt turned bright red. No way was he going to show Mercedes that text.

"It was…just a joke." Kurt murmured.

"Mmmm Hmmm. Must have been some joke," Mercedes said clearly not believing him.

-No sext for you! You got me in trouble with your undapper thoughts. – K

Blaine smirked. Kurt had no idea just how undapper his thoughts were.

-Trouble? How? Why? And you love my undapper thoughts. –B

Kurt bit his lip. Mercedes was watching him now, with a huge smile on her face. He knew he was blushing and he was grateful they were in a dark movie theater.

You made me laugh. Unfortunately it was right when the courageous dog in the movie bit the dust. The entire theater thinks I'm Mike Vick. I hope you're happy. –K

Blaine grinned.

-That's what you get for laughing at my smoking hot sexts. –B

Kurt laughed again. Unfortunately it was during the funeral scene for the family dog.

"I'm just gonna…I gotta go to the restroom," Kurt whispered to Mercedes.

"Riiiight, of course you do," Mercedes said rolling her eyes. "The movie's got about ten minutes left. We'll meet you in the lobby."

Kurt made his way up the aisle, biting his cheek to hold in his laughter. When he got to the men's room he dialed Blaine.

"You are horrible! You are worse than Frankenstein on Broadway!" Kurt laughed into the phone as soon as the other boy picked up.

"How am I horrible when you're the one laughing at Lassie's noble sacrifice?" Blaine teased.

"Shut up and consider yourself warned: I don't know when and I don't know where, but I'm so gonna get you back."

"Bring it on, Hummel."

"Consider it brought. You shouldn't have pushed it, Blaine," Kurt teased.

"Oh Really? I thought you'd want me to push it. I thought you'd want me to p-push it real good."

Kurt cringed.

"Wha-What?" He asked, trying to push back his growing horror.

"You heard me."

"Oh please no. No, no, no, no, no," Kurt moaned.

"Ah, push it."

"Blaine, I can explain-"

"Ah, push it."

"Blaine-"

"Oooh baby, baby-"

"Oh my gosh, Blaine I was young and I didn't know any better-"

"Get up on this!"

"I TOLD Rachel those videos would come back to haunt us! Blaine, I swear I-"

"This dance ain't for everybody-"

"BLAINE!" Kurt whined.

Blaine laughed. "Relax Kurt. Salt 'n' Pepa is classic. I don't hold that against you. "

Kurt exhaled.

"The fanny pack on the other hand is a different story. What in the name of McQueen were you thinking?"

"I wore that under protest!" Kurt yelped. "Mercedes and Rachel made me! I was coerced into terrible, terrible fashion. Fuck my life, there's video of me wearing a fanny pack on the internet? I'm going to die. I'm going to lie down right here in the men's room of the Lima Starplex and just die," Kurt moaned.

Blaine laughed. "Death by fashion. That will be one interesting obit."

"I am going to haunt you. I am going to haunt you so hard. I'm going to be Kurt the fashionable and not so friendly ghost."

"You haunt me and I'll just walk into a department store. You'll get so distracted you'll forget all about me."

Kurt checked his watch and breathed a sigh of relief. The movie had ended five minutes ago.

"As wonderfully mortifying as this has been I have to go. The movie's over," Kurt explained.

Blaine sighed. "Text me when you get home so I know you got there safe?"

"Of course I will," Kurt cleared his throat. "Thanks for keeping me company tonight, Blaine," he added softly.

Blaine felt warmth seep through his chest. "No thanks needed Kurt. I enjoyed talking to you. I always enjoy talking to you. Til later, babe."

Blaine hung up and Kurt stared at his phone.

Babe? Blaine had called him babe. What did that mean? Did that mean anything? Kurt didn't have much time to ponder it because the door to the men's room swung open and Karofsky came strolling in.

"Look what we have here," the jock said, a predatory grin appearing on his face.

Kurt swallowed.

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and groaned into his pillow.

Babe? What the hell was that?

What the hell was Kurt doing to him?

Blaine didn't chase anyone, yet he'd initiated most of the contact he'd had with Kurt.

Blaine didn't date, yet he was taking Kurt out the next night.

Blaine didn't t do pet names, yet he'd just bestowed one on Kurt.

Blaine didn't get attached, yet he found himself becoming increasingly attached to Kurt.

Blaine didn't know how he'd lost control of the situation so quickly. None of his other conquests had ever affected him like this. There had been boys he'd legitimately cared for in the past, but none of them had made him feel so off balance, unsure, possessive and…happy.

Kurt made Blaine genuinely happy. It was new and he was sure he couldn't trust it but Blaine was going to try to enjoy it, enjoy Kurt, as long as it lasted.

And he was going to do everything in his power to make it last as long as possible.

"Karofsky," Kurt said coolly, firing off an emergency SOS text to Mercedes and then placing his phone in his bag. He began to walk around the jock when an arm shot out and wrapped around his bicep.

"Why are you leaving, Tinkerbell? Wasn't this what you were waiting for? Weren't you hanging out in here waiting on some innocent guy to wander in so you could get a peek at his junk? You trying to get a look at my goods, Hummel?" Karofsky sneered, marching Kurt backwards until he had him crowded against the wall.

Kurt felt anger course through him.

"I assure you Karofsky, even if I was some type of sexual predator trolling the men's room of the Starplex looking for unsuspecting victims, you would be completely safe."

"What's that supposed to mean, Fancy?"

"What that means, Troglodyte," Kurt snapped, "is that I would be celibate for life before I lowered myself to 'trying to get a look at your goods', as you so eloquently put it. What that means is that if you were the last man on earth, you'd still be at the top of my least wanted list! What that means is that if you were the last person on earth, I'd resort to bestiality before I was desperate enough to even give you a second glance! What that means is that-"

"You think you're too good for me? Fuck you fag!" Karofsky spit.

"I know I'm too good for you!" Kurt fired back. "And I wouldn't let you fuck me even if you used somebody else's dick!"

Karofsky turned white, then red and slammed Kurt into the wall, hands closing around Kurt's face. Kurt panicked, brought his knee up hard into Karofsky's groin and then brought his hands up and jammed a finger into Karofsky's eye. The larger boy released his hold on Kurt and Kurt frantically scrambled to the door.

"Ow, ow shit. You fucking fuck! You god damn queer! That shit hurts!" Karofsky roared, stumbling blindly after Kurt for a few steps before dropping to his knees.

The door to the men's room flung open and one of the theater employees stepped inside. "What the hell is going on in here?" He demanded, looking from Kurt to Karofsky.

Kurt didn't stick around to explain. He bolted out the open door and didn't stop running until he was safely inside his Navigator.

Where the hell were Sam and Mercedes? Kurt checked his phone. He'd texted her SOS ten minutes ago. He called her.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Kurt!" Mercedes answered, sounding slightly breathless and more than a little annoyed. "What?"

Kurt stared at his phone. "I texted you SOS, 'Cedes! Where the fuck are you two?" Kurt barked.

"Oh hell to the no, I know you didn't just cuss at me!"

"Oh I'm sorry. My manners seem to be a bit lacking at the moment since I was nearly strangled in the men's room by Dave fucking Karofsky!" Kurt fired back.

"Oh my God!" Mercedes screeched. "Sam, Sam stop boy! We have to go! Oh God, Kurt are you ok? What happened? I'm so sorry, Sam and I were…where are you? Are you safe? Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I call your dad? Are you-"

"Merecedes!" Kurt snapped. "I'm…fine considering. Just, where are you? I'm in the parking lot locked in my baby."

"Sam and I are still in the theater. We'll be there in like two minutes tops. Just keep the doors locked and until we get there don't you dare hang up," Mercedes instructed.

Kurt could hear Mercedes and Sam making their way out the theater and in no time the duo appeared at the Navigator.

Kurt was shaking so badly it took two tries for him to get the doors unlocked to let them in.

"Kurt, baby boy, are you ok?" Mercedes asked, taking his face into her hands.

Kurt nodded. "I'm ok. I'm ok. I'm ok. I'm ok" He babbled, unsure if he was answering Mercedes or trying to convince himself he was NOT just almost gay bashed in the men's room of the Starplex.

Sam got out and walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle and opened Kurt's door.

"Kurt, dude, I need you to look at me. Can you do that for me? Look at me Kurt."

Kurt slowly turned his head and looked in Sam's general direction.

"I know how you are about your ride, but right now, you need to give me your keys and let me drive. I know it's like Captain Kirk handing over control of the Enterprise but you're in no shape to drive, man." Sam cupped a hand around Kurt's jaw and made eye contact with the brunette. "You're spending the night at Mercy's right? Let me drive us there. We'll watch a couple movies, make some snacks, and just chill out for awhile alright? I'll get us there, you just get in the back with Mercy and I'll take care of the rest."

"Let us take care of you, Kurt," Mercedes pleaded.

Kurt nodded and handed his keys over to Sam. He climbed into the backseat and Mercedes quickly joined him as Sam started the car.

By the time they reached the Jones' Kurt had regained enough of his equilibrium to be mildly horrified he'd let someone else drive his baby. The trio made their way down into Mercedes' basement and flopped on the sofa.

"Kurt, I know you probably don't want to talk about it," Mercedes began, "But maybe you should."

"Yeah Kurt. Look, it's cool if you don't want to tell us what happened, but you should tell someone. You could tell your dad or Mr. and Mrs. Jones maybe? Hell, the cops even. Mercy said the guy tried to strangle you. That's like, assault man," Sam said seriously.

Kurt swallowed. "I…it's over. I'm fine. I don't…I can't. My dad's sick, and Morris and Evie would tell him if I told them. I can't call the cops because if I filed a report my dad would be sure to find out and I just can't…" Kurt trailed off.

"Kurt, you have to tell someone-," Mercedes began.

"Mercy, don't," Sam said forcefully.

"What do you mean, don't?"

"This is Kurt's choice. Even if we think, for the record, it's a stupid, stupid, wrong choice, it's still his to make. He's the one who has to live with what the consequences would be, not us," Sam said

"Thank you Sam," Kurt said quietly.

"Don't thank me," Sam said quickly. "Like I said, it's a stupid, wrong choice."

"Yes it is," Mercedes agreed.

"But it's mine to make," Kurt said quietly.

"It is," Sam sighed. "So I say we make some popcorn, watch Howard the Duck and table this entire discussion."

"I'll go make the popcorn, you guys set up the movie," Mercedes announced, getting up from the sofa and heading toward the stairs.

Kurt looked at Sam and Sam arched an eyebrow.

"I suppose we should discuss giant rainbow elephant in the room," Kurt sighed.

Sam laughed. "Kurt, everything is copasetic man. You and I are as cool as the other side of the pillow. I mean, unless you have a problem with me dating Mercy, or something."

"No!" Kurt said quickly. "You make her happy and…I like seeing her happy. It's just that Mercedes and I are really close and that means I'll be around a lot and-"

"Kurt," Sam held up hand. "Stop. Mercy and I have had this conversation. She explained it to me. You two are like, uh, Buffy and Xander-"

"Will and Grace," Kurt corrected automatically.

"Stanford and Carrie," Sam smirked.

"And this is why you ping my gaydar," Kurt quipped.

"Hey, they showed boob on Sex In The City. It was old boob but it was still boob," Sam said seriously.

Kurt blanched. "I don't…I can't even…that is so wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to begin."

Sam laughed. "The point is, I have no problem hanging with you man. That's kinda why I crashed tonight, to show Mercy, and more importantly you, that I don't have a problem with you. You're a little high maintenance-"

"Pardon me for being fabulous," Kurt sniffed.

"But overall you're a pretty cool guy," Sam continued. "And Mercy adores you. So…you and I are gonna be the Cory and Shawn to her Topanga."

Kurt smiled at Sam. "I can deal with that."

"Good." Sam went back to setting up the movie. "Just so you know, this goes for when we're at school too. If Karofsky gives you any problems you come to me, Kurt. Karofsky, Azimio, hell, even Puck or Finn, I got your back."

Kurt was touched. Sam, sweet, nerdy, popular, straight Sam was willing to have his back, publicly, at school. Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"Thanks Sam," he said quietly.

As Sam finished getting the movie ready, and Mercedes came down the stairs with popcorn and drinks, Kurt remembered to text Blaine.

-Sorry this took so long. Had some trouble but everything is good now. At Mercedes house w/her and Sam safe and sound. –K

Blaine read Kurt's text and found himself dialing immediately.

"Blaine I-"

"What do you mean you had some trouble?" Blaine demanded.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone and Blaine heard a door open and close and water begin to run before Kurt finally began speaking.

"Don't freak out," Kurt started.

"Uh huh, see starting out like that implies that there is in fact, something to freak out about and pretty much guarantees whomever you're talking to will in fact, freak out," Blaine interrupted.

"Blaine! It's fine. I'm fine…it all worked out ok in the end."

Blaine closed his eyes and prayed for patience. "What worked out, Kurt?"

"I had…there was an incident with Karofsky, the jock I told you about that's made it his life's work to torment me." Kurt's voice broke slightly over the last words and Blaine felt rage begin to roil in him.

"What kind of incident?" He asked evenly.

"He…I was in the men's room after the movie and he came in and hassled me. It wasn't a big deal," Kurt added quickly.

Blaine knew that if Kurt was saying it wasn't a big deal that the odds were it was a very big deal.

"Kurt," Blaine said harshly, "I want the truth. The unedited, unvarnished, uncensored truth and I want it now."

"Blaine…"

"Tell. Me. What. Happened."

"I…I was in the men's room and K-Karofsky came in and he…" Kurt took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, "He called me Tinkerbell, which I admit is a rather clever play on his usual greeting of fairy, and then made some snide remark about me waiting around the men's room so I could…sneak a look at other men's…genitalia."

Blaine clenched his jaw together so hard his teeth began to ache.

"Then I…I may have implied that if I were doing such a thing he would be perfectly safe because I'd never be desperate enough to perv on him."

Blaine smiled wryly. "I take it that didn't go over well."

Kurt gave a watery laugh. "No, no it didn't. He ah, he called me Fancy, another of his delightful monikers, and I sort of snapped. I don't really remember what all I said but I kind of told him I'd go in for bestiality before I hooked up with him."

Blaine's jaw dropped. Then he shook his head. "Kurt…that was-"

"Not smart, I know," Kurt admitted. "But I was so angry and well…I tend to speak first and regret later when I'm mad. We exchanged some insults and he..ah, he said "Fuck you" to me and I…remember I don't really have the best control of my mouth when angry…so I told him I wouldn't let him fuck me even if he used someone else's dick and he went all pale, then turned beet red and put his hands around my face and neck and I freaked out and kneed him in the groin and thumbed him in the eye-"

That's my boy, thought Blaine.

"Which only made him really mad and he was coming after me but an employee came in and I just…I just ran Blaine."

"Thank God you weren't hurt," Blaine breathed. "Where the hell were your friends while all this was going on?"

Kurt cleared his throat. "They were, uh, sort of in the theater…making out."

Making out? Kurt's was being assaulted and his friends were too busy playing tonsil hockey to notice?

The more Blaine learned about Lima, McKinley, and New Directions, the more he was convinced he had to get Kurt the hell away from there.

"But it worked out ok. Sam-that's Mercedes' boyfriend-it turns out he's a really great guy."

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "Is he now?"

"Yeah, he doesn't have a problem with me being gay and wants to get to know me better and offered to have my back at school."

Blaine chose his words carefully. "You can certainly use the support," he said neutrally.

"That's what I was thinking too. So see, I'm fine. Everything worked out ok. I'm gonna go finish the movie with Sam and Mercedes. I can't wait to see you tomorrow though. Sweet dreams, Blaine."

"Have fun, Kurt. I can't wait until tomorrow either. Night."

Blaine hung up, thinking about Kurt nearly two hours away in Lima and wondering why he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd rather him in a room across the hall and wondering just how far he'd be willing to go to get him there.