The Lima Bean wasn’t great, but hey coffee was coffee.

‘Oh I didn’t think it was that important’. Rachel explained, ‘Also he’s quite a private person.’ Rachel took a sip of her mocha and checked the time on her phone.

‘Wait, so he told you?!’ Rachel asked.

‘Yeah he told me about his bullies, and Dalton and wanting to you know, ‘face his demons” Kurt explained.

‘Interesting’ Rachel said, once again taking her phone out and checking the time.

‘In a rush?’ Kurt asked.

‘Blaine’s meant to be picking me up but he’s running late.’ Rachel sighed, ‘I’m going to call Finn and get him to pick me up, I have to practice and if I get home any later than 5 my whole schedule get’s thrown off.’ Rachel picked up her bag, and threw her coffee cup in the bin. ‘I’ll text Blaine and tell him I’m going home, but if he comes in here just let him know’

Rachel walked over, kissed Kurt on the cheek and went outside and called Finn.

Kurt didn’t really want to go home yet, ever since his Dad got home from the hospital he never really got time to do nothing. So he decided he’d stay at the Lima Bean and try and do his French homework in peace and quiet.

About half an hour had passed, and Kurt had nearly finished the reading excercise Madame Martin had set.

‘Have you seen my sister?’

Kurt looked up and saw Blaine, wearing an old McKinley p.e shirt and tracksuit bottoms.

‘Uh yeah she had to leave. She waited for you, but she said something about her schedule and got a lift with Finn’ Kurt explained.

‘Oh okay. Sorry to bother you.’Blaine turned to leave.

‘Blaine. Wait. Is everything alright?’ Kurt asked.

‘Uh no not really. I should be heading home’. Blaine explained and walked out of the door.

Shit. Kurt packed up his stuff and found Blaine sitting on a bench outside, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

‘Those aren’t good for you, you know?’ Kurt smiled, sitting next to him on the bench.

‘It calms me down’ Blaine explained, exhaling and filling the air around them with smoke.

‘Are you okay?’ Kurt asked. Blaine didn’t answer, he just laughed.

‘I guess you were right about me being an idiot’

‘Hey I didn’t mean that. I was just upset.’ Kurt explained.

‘No, you were right. I’m such a fucking idiot.’ Blaine said, putting his head into his hands.

‘Blaine. Did something happen?’ Kurt asked.

‘That stupid jock, Karofsky? He threw one of those stupid slushie drinks over me, called me a fag and slammed me into a locker’. Blaine inhaled and ran his hands through his hair, ‘Coach Beiste lent me these’ he looked down to the battered uniform.

‘I’m sorry.’ Kurt said. Kurt wanted to reach out and hug Blaine but that would probably be a little bit creepy, right? They didn’t know each other that well. But Kurt had been through this, hundreds of times and Kurt had always wished someone would have been there to hug him.

‘Don’t be’ Blaine smiled sadly, ‘I did this to myself’

‘Hey, don’t say that. You didn’t do anything. Trust me, Karaofsky is just a bad guy’ Kurt said, ‘And about what I said earlier… I just didn’t want you to have to go through all this, trust me I know what it’s like.’

‘I just thought..’ Blaine inhaled once again, ‘I thought that if I could be proud about who I was, then maybe people would accept me. I’m tired of hiding, and that’s all I did at Dalton. Don’t get me wrong, the guys knew, but I was never really myself around them. I just want to be proud you know?’ Blaine threw the cigarette on the ground, and rubbed at his eyes.

Fuck it, Kurt thought. Kurt reached out and rubbed his hand against Blaine’s back.

‘I’m sorry, Blaine.’ Kurt sighed.

Blaine looked at Kurt and smiled, ‘Well I’ll put up with the Slushies if we get to hang out afterwards’. Kurt laughed.

‘We can hang out without you being slushied, Blaine.’

‘Good’ Blaine smiled, ‘I better head off, Rachel will be worrying about me’.

‘Hey, you could come back to mine if you want?’ Kurt blurted out, ‘I mean, I have this good conditioner you could borrow, it helps get the slushie out of your hair, and I could give you tips on how to avoid those idiots?’ Kurt asked. ‘Also Finn’s at yours, so I don’t think Rachel will mind if you’re.. you know a bit late?’

‘Okay’ Blaine replied, ‘I forgot to say, sorry about earlier.’

‘Don’t apologise.’ Kurt smiled, ‘You’re still a bit of an idiot though’ Kurt laughed, standing up and walking towards his car.

‘Oh trust me, I know that’ Blaine smiled.

‘Just follow me’ Kurt said.

And Blaine would, Blaine decided he would pretty much follow Kurt anywhere.