“I’m sorry, Blaine,” said Jermaine as soon as Blaine entered the room. “I’m rea- wait, what’s he doing here?”

“Moral support,” said Blaine. He found Kurt’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

“What’s going-”

Blaine took a death breath; this was going to take all his reserve, all his strength, just everything he had.

“It’s over,” Blaine said simply, hoping that would be enough, though he knew it probably wouldn’t.

“No, it’s not it not over until I say it is!” Jermaine yelled, lunging at Blaine, but Kurt got in front of him before Jermaine could hurt him.

When Jermaine backed off Kurt side stepped so that Blaine could see Jermaine. Jermaine needed to see what he’d done to this sweet, amazing, beautiful boy - he needed to see Blaine’s anger, his hatred for what Jermaine had done to him.

“I’ve put up with your crap, Jermaine, and I have had enough. I should have left you weeks ago! When you started hitting me, asking me to stop hanging out with Kurt, quitting Glee. Just all of it.”

“Well, you kept hanging out with him and with all your extra-curricular activities and tutoring I hardly ever saw you!”

“Well maybe you should have given something up. That’s how relationships are supposed to work, we were supposed to work things like that out. You don’t make your boyfriend give up everything he loves!” snapped Blaine; Jermaine and he should have talked it out, compromised.

“Isn’t that exactly what you are saying we should have done? But instead of you giving up stuff I do?”

“No, I’m saying maybe you should have given up an extra-curricular and I should have given up the one that we had on the same day; that would be a compromise. But you basically got me to give up Glee, tutoring a person who, I must admit, was the best pupil I’ve had,” said Blaine glancing towards Kurt, “drama club, and school council!” said Blaine with a new found confidence.

“None of my extra-curricular classes could win competitions without me.”

“Glee club needs him Jermaine!” said Kurt finally sick of staying quiet. “After I quit they struggled to find a new male lead and then Blaine came along. Brit, Q., and Santana say he’s sensational; they need his voice!”

“Back off, Kurt! This is between me and Blaine!”

“I’m tired of you walking all over him. Treating him like he doesn’t matter! He is an amazing person with the biggest heart; he forgave every scratch and bruise you gave him because he loves you…”

“If he loved me so much, why was he cheating on me with you?”

“I wasn’t, Kurt is a friend…We hang out, that’s what we do. You didn’t see Tom getting all worked up because I hung out with you, that we were friendly, and shared secret jokes,” said Blaine, tears rolling down his cheeks; he’d tried not to cry but it was no use, especially now that he’d brought up Tom.

“But we never met up in secret. It was suspicious.”

“WE NEVER HAD TO! Tom knew we were friends and that was all. He even knew that I had a small crush on you back then; he’d seen me blush and grin when your arm brushed past me, when you grinned, laughed. He’d seen it all, but he trusted me… I’d never cheat on anyone,” Blaine yelled, hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

“But-you-um-”

Jermaine had nothing - he knew what Blaine was saying was true. Tom had never said an ill word about their friendship.

“I’m sorry, JJ, but it’s over. I still love you, you will always, always have a piece of me. We’ve been through so much together. This whole mess aside, I’m glad that I arrived late and the only seat left was next to you. I don’t want to even think about not having you as a friend. I hope we can still be friends.”

“Please, Blaine, give me a second chance,” pleaded Jermaine. He didn’t want to lose to Blaine, he could change because he really loved Blaine.

“No! Jermaine, I can’t…”

“Please, I can- I can change!”

“No, you won’t. It’s over. You should know that this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but I can’t do that to myself, I can’t keep overlooking all the pain, forgiving you for that because you were never really sorry. If you were you would have stopped.”

“Will you- will you two start dating?” said Jermaine quietly, forcing back sobs.

Blaine glanced at Kurt.

“Honestly? I don’t know. I need time to think, to figure myself out.”

“Oh, well, I wish you the best in life, Blaine. I’m sorry I just don’t think I could see you in the arms of another guy again… It killed me to see you with Tom. I’m really sorry for everything. Goodbye, Blaine.”

“JJ?”

“Yeah?”

“Where are you staying tonight? I don’t want you out in the cold and rain.”

“I think I might try going back to my dad, see if he’ll let me go back to Dalton.”

“Okay, just don’t hide yourself from him anymore.”

“I-I won’t. Th-thank you for helping me with that, Blaine. Any guy who gets you is really lucky. I’m just sad I blew my chance,” said Jermaine, now having let the sobs take over completely, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“You’re welcome, Jermaine. I’m sorry too. Maybe if you’d told me sooner, this might have gone better. Goodbye, JJ.”

“Yeah maybe,” said Jermaine, internally cursing himself over the fact that that was probably true.

Blaine gave Jermaine a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before allowing him to leave. When the door shut there was a long silence. Blaine started to sob uncontrollably; he collapsed to his knees - that had just taken all the strength that he had. Kurt settled next to him, holding him to his chest, stroking his curls.

“Blaine Theodore Anderson, what on earth is going on?” yelled Richard Anderson, poking his head round the door.

“Nothing. Sorry, Mr. Anderson, I’ll be quiet now,” said Blaine, quickly composing himself.

“Well, you two better be quiet!”

“Nothing will happen, Sir. You won’t even know we are here.”

Richard Anderson left Kurt and Blaine. After another long silence Kurt finally spoke.

“Come on, Blaine, let’s get you ready for bed - it has been a very long day. I think you need some rest.”

“T-thank you, Kurt.”

Blaine walked to his ensuite to get changed into his PJ’s. When he returned he saw Kurt folding back his comforter with a glass of water and some painkillers on his bedside table.

“Here, take these. They’ll stop your injuries from hurting too much and help you sleep better.”

“You’re amazing, Kurt,” said Blaine, taking the tablets and laying down in such a way as to not put pressure on his injuries.

“I know, Blaine. Goodnight,” he said pressing a soft kiss to Blaine’s cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

“No! Kurt, stay… please,” he pleaded getting slightly panicky.

“Okay, Blaine, I’ll stay.”

Blaine snuggled down into his bed falling asleep almost instantly. Kurt stared at his sleeping friend’s face. God he was beautiful when he slept. Kurt quickly dialled his dad’s number on his phone.

“Hey, dad,” he whispered as to not awake the sleeping Blaine.

“Where are you son?” Burt snapped.

“I’m sorry, dad. Please, don’t get mad but I’m round at that guy Blaine’s…”

“You’re coming home right now!” Burt demanded.

“No, dad, I can’t, Blaine needs me. His boyfriend beat him up, he’s just sleeping. I think he just needs a friend in case anything happens… Please, dad,” he pleaded in hushed tones.

“Are his parents okay with this?”

“Yes, they are fine,” Kurt lied, he knew his dad would kick off if he knew how Richard treated Blaine.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow after school then?”

“Yes, dad. Goodnight, I love you,” said Kurt before hanging up the phone.

~~~
Meanwhile

Jermaine was driving along the dark freeway; it was raining sheets. Tears streamed down his face: why had he been such an ass to Blaine? Blaine had never given him any reason to think that he was cheating on him, any real reason other than his friendship with Kurt. Why did he have to hurt the only guy he’d truly loved?

He took a sharp turn. Suddenly he was hydroplaning - he lost control of his car. There was a flash of light, a beep of a car horn, a taste of blood, the shattering of glass, the crush of aluminium… and then everything went black.