But, truth be told, Kurt was kind of used to the bullying now.  It was March, meaning he’d survived almost a whole school year.

That didn’t mean he felt any better about it, but it wasn’t reducing him to tears instantly like it once had.  He didn’t have to call Blaine at every time something went wrong.  It helped that his dad knew he was being bullied and was more sympathetic to him, but he still felt somewhat accomplished about being able to handle the whole thing on his own.

By the time April rolled around, Kurt was starting to wonder when the next time Blaine would come home would be.  He missed his friend, and the fact that he hadn’t completely mended things with Rachel yet wasn’t helping either. 

They had talked it out, but she was still obsession over Finn.  And as long as that was going on, Kurt knew she wasn’t going to be much of a friend.  Yes, he still ate lunch with her and hung out with her outside of school, but all she talked about was Finn and how Quinn didn’t deserve him and whatever else it was she ranted about.

All Kurt really wanted to know was where Blaine was and why Blaine hadn’t been home for months and how come he barely ever called Kurt anymore.

“Rachel,” Kurt sighed one day, interrupting the girl mid rant.

“Yes?” She asked, sitting up from where her head had been hanging off of the couch.

“Why hasn’t Blaine been home?”

Kurt cringed at how soft his voice sounded, and how tentative and cautious it came out.

“He’s busy trying to get a solo for the Warblers,” Rachel told him, giving him a sympathetic smile before getting up to sit beside him.  “He misses you, though.”

Kurt sniffled a little, and really, Kurt, why are you crying over something like this?

“Kurt,” Rachel cooed, throwing her arm over his shoulder and pulling his head to her own, her motherly instincts kicking in again.  “It’s okay.  He’ll come home soon.”

“I just miss him,” Kurt whispered, his voice cracking a little.  “He’s my best friend and I haven’t seen him in forever.”

“I know,” she said softly.  “You guys kind of need each other to function.”

Kurt snorted but nodded, because he knew it was true.  “Why hasn’t he been talking to me, though?” He asked.  “I mean, I guess I’m not really initiating conversation either, but…”

Rachel sighed and reclined on the couch a little.  “I don’t know,” she said, he voice quiet.  “You should just call him though.”

….

Kurt was going to call Blaine that night.  He really was.  But by the time he got home it was already ten at night and he was dead beat from the long week of school, simply tossing his phone on his nightstand and going to sleep.

He awoke the next morning, his waist uncomfortable from where his belt had dug into his skin all night.

That was the last time Kurt slept in his clothes.

Groaning, he sat up and felt around for his phone, slowly unlocking it and looking at it with blurry eyes.

1 New Message

Kurt felt his heart flutter, knowing that it was from Blaine somehow.  He didn’t think twice about why his heart was fluttering, simply opening the message and smiling.

Rachel talked to me last night and I feel like a terrible friend I’ve just been really busy and I’m sorry if you think I’ve been ignoring you.

Kurt smiled and sent him a quick reply, telling him that it was okay and that he didn’t contact him either and that they’d catch up as soon as he took a shower.

I’m coming home next weekend, so…

That was Blaine’s response to Kurt’s long message, those 6 simple words being enough to cause a grin to split across Kurt’s face.

Setting his phone down and hopping into the shower, he quickly cleaned himself and got dressed, pocketing his phone and shoving a few dollar bills into his pocket.

“Dad,” he called.  “I’m walking to the Lima Bean.  Do you want anything?”

He heard his father’s murmured ‘no’ in response.  Kurt grabbed his coat and shrugged it on, carefully buttoning it up before wrapping his scarf around his neck.

The weather was warming up, but it was still cold for it being the beginning of April.  There was no longer snow on the ground, but the air was still chilly enough for it to bite uncomfortably at Kurt’s ears.

Luckily, the trek to the Lima Bean was only about ten minutes long.  Sighing as he came into the comfort of the warm shop, the smell of coffee wafting around him, he made his way to the small line, fishing out his money from his  pocket.

He ordered his coffee and went to sit in a window seat, noting that it was the only available table left.

So he should have expected that someone would ask to sit at his table.

But then again, people tended to avoid him like a plague.

That’s why it surprised him when there was a tap on his shoulder.

Kurt didn’t turn around, simply humming in acknowledgement as he stared at the window.

“Can I sit here?” The voice said, and if Kurt was hearing correctly, the voice sounded familiar.

“Mhmm,” Kurt murmured, taking a swig of his coffee and not so much as glancing at the person as they sat down across the table from him.

“You seem lost in thought,” the voice went on.

Kurt really couldn’t place the voice, and, curiosity getting the best of him, he glanced over at the person and almost dropped his coffee.

It was Blaine.

Blaine Blaine.

His Blaine.

Kurt blushed as the last thought coursed through his head, because really, Blaine was far from his.  He was just his friend – Kurt had no claim to him.

But that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty about not recognizing his voice. 

“Oh my god,” he murmured after a moment.  “How come I didn’t recognize your voice?”

Blaine laughed and shrugged, his eyes twinkling as he took a sip of his coffee.  “I guess that’s what happens when you don’t talk for a few months,” he answered.

Kurt looked him over, taking in his appearance.  The few months had done Blaine well.  His shoulders were broader than before – although it looked like he hadn’t grown.  His cheeks had thinned out, no longer the pudgy baby cheeks they’d been when they first met.   His hair was even more gelled down than before – if that was even possible - and he just looked older.

Kurt coughed awkwardly into his napkin, taking a small sip of his mocha.  “I’m sorry I never called you or anything,” Kurt murmured after a moment.

Blaine shrugged.  “It’s my fault too,” he said.  “Luckily Dalton lost power today, so everyone within the vicinity was sent home for the weekend.”

“It’s only Thursday,” Kurt retorted, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Which means I’m here until Sunday evening.”

Kurt grinned, knowing that the corners of his eyes were crinkling.

They caught up then, Kurt telling Blaine about everything he’d missed and Rachel’s Finn related shenanigans, Blaine talking about the Warblers and how he was that close to getting a solo.

Kurt hadn’t heard Blaine sing yet, but if he was anything like Rachel, he’d have on in no time.

The New Directions, on the other hand, were simply struggling with finding enough members.  Rachel had somehow gotten Finn Hudson to join, which then resulted in Quinn, Brittany, and Santana joining and a few other football players, but they still were a few short.

“Well you still have the beginning of next year to find some, too,” Blaine said.  “You should be fine.”

Kurt nodded, hoping that they could convince some more people to join somehow.

In the middle of them making plans to hang out Saturday evening, Kurt remembered something.

It was the second weekend in April.  Meaning that the spring dance for the underclassmen was Saturday.  And Kurt had promised he’d go with Rachel.

“Blaine,” Kurt interrupted him.  “I promised Rachel I’d go to a dance with her on Saturday.”

Blaine perked up, his eyes widening with what Kurt could only assume was excitement.  “Can I come?” Blaine asked, his face lighting up.  “Please? I can hang out with you and Rachel and meet your Glee Club friends.”

“Do you really want to?” Kurt asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.  “I don’t even want to go.”

“Come on,” Blaine begged.  “Live a little, Kurt! We can go have fun together!”

Kurt tried very, very hard not to think that it would be as close to a date for the dance as he would get.

“If you’re sure,” Kurt sighed.  “I can’t guarantee we’ll have any fun though.”

“Oh we’ll have plenty of fun,” Blaine replied.  “How could we not have fun when we’re together, making fun of Rachel and her lame attempts to woo Finn?”

Kurt snorted and rolled his eyes, knowing that Blaine did have point.

“Fine,” he sighed.  “Just don’t wear your Dalton uniform.”            

“But I love my uniform,” Blaine pouted, jutting his lower lip out.  “It makes me look refined.”

“Wear a tux,” Kurt supplied.  “You’ll look even more refined then.”

…..

Kurt waited in his dad’s car outside of the gym on Saturday for Rachel to pull up, not wanting go in by himself.

“If you feel uncomfortable at all, call me,” his dad kept saying.  “If anyone gives you any problems –”

“Call you, I know,” Kurt sighed, rolling his eyes fondly.  “I’ll be fine.”

“Take care of Blaine,” he said, noting that the Anderson-Berry’s van had pulled into the parking space next to them.

“I’ve got it, Dad,” Kurt said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek.  “Pick me up at ten.”

“Will do.”

Kurt waved as he drove away, walking over to where Rachel and Blaine were piling out of the car.  Rachel was dressed in a frilly pink dress, her hair done up in soft, long curls.  She smiled at him, adjusting his tie a little before leading the way into the school.

Kurt fell into step beside Blaine, really looking at his outfit for the first time.  He was wearing a simple black suit with a red tie – Kurt thinking that it was his way of somewhat resembling his Dalton uniform.

But his hair…

It wasn’t plastered to his head, but it wasn’t crazy and free either.  It was gelled just the right amount, enough to control his curls but still let them be free to some extent.

“You look…” Kurt trailed off, searching for the word.  “Nice.”  He cringed, because he really couldn’t think of anything else at the moment.

Blaine cleared his throat, a blush tinting on his cheeks.  He turned his head slightly, and Kurt’s brain paused for a moment.  Where had he been looking before? Was he checking out his –

Kurt shook his head slightly, clearing all of those thoughts out of his mind.

“So do you,” Blaine said after a moment, clearing his throat again.  “That jacket – uh – it looks nice on you.”

Kurt blushed and ducked his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Come on,” Rachel called from the entrance.  “Stop flirting and hurry up!”

Kurt sighed and walked a little faster, not wanting to make the girl too irritated.  They handed their tickets over to the collector, Kurt glancing behind him to make sure Blaine was still following.

As they entered the gym, Kurt instantly regretted coming.  The room was too dark and the music was too loud and it was just something that Kurt wouldn’t enjoy.

“Come on!” Blaine yelled over the music, tugging Kurt and Rachel by the elbow and over to a table.  “We can put our stuff here!”

Kurt sighed and relented, knowing that there was no getting out of this now.  Blaine looked absolutely thrilled, the excitement practically radiating off of his body.

“Do you want something to drink?” Blaine yelled at them, bouncing on his heels.

Rachel nodded, and Blaine grinned at her before setting off towards the table full of probably spiked punch and water.

Kurt glanced around him, noting that most of the freshman and sophomore student body was in attendance. 

But then his eyes caught sight of a group towards the opposite corner of the gym, his heart practically stopping as he began to panic.

It was Karofsky and his group of friends – but there were more.  They were bigger, obviously having to be from a different school since Kurt had never seen them before.

“Rachel,” Kurt hissed, gesturing with his head towards the group.

Rachel paled, her eyes widening.  “Just – Just stay away from them,” she stammered.  “Don’t do anything to like, draw their attention or anything.”

“So making out with Blaine isn’t an option, then?”

He’d meant it like a joke, but it didn’t come out jokingly.  It sounded almost…disappointed?

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows at him for a moment before seeming to realize that he was kidding.  “Just be careful,” she hissed, spotting Finn across the dance floor.  “Oh,” she chirped, smiling.  “Quinn must be in the bathroom.  Now’s my opportunity…” She trailed off, glancing guiltily at Kurt.

“Go,” Kurt laughed.  “Enjoy it while you can.”

Rachel ran off, leaving Kurt standing by the table by himself.  He glanced over at Karofsky and his friends, hoping that they didn’t even know that he was there.

Luckily Blaine returned at that moment, setting the drinks down on the table and glancing around.

“Karofsky’s here,” Kurt whispered in his ear.  “And he brought friends that don’t go here.”

He could see Blaine stiffen beside him, his eyes widening a little.

“Do you want to go?” Blaine asked, turning to him with worried eyes. 

“No,” Kurt responded.  “I’m fine.”

“Let me know if you want to leave,” Blaine said.  “We’ll call your dad.”

Kurt nodded and watched as everyone danced around them, the song changing to a slow one a few moments later.

“Oh my god,” Blaine turned to Kurt with wide eyes, a grin on his face.  “This is High School Musical.”

Kurt laughed, rolling his eyes at Blaine’s excitement.  “You are such a child,” he said in between laughs.

Blaine grabbed Kurt’s hand, tugging it gently.  “Dance with me, Kurt,” he pleaded.  “Please? This is my favorite song.”

“Blaine,” Kurt struggled to get free.  “Karofsky…everyone else…”

“They won’t notice,” Blaine practically begged.  “Please, Kurt.”

Kurt sighed but relented, letting Blaine tug him out onto the dance floor, slightly away from everyone else.

“Erm,” Kurt said, his arms at his side awkwardly.  “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”

“Here,” Blaine said as he lifted Kurt’s arms and placed them over his shoulders, his own wrapping gently around his waist.  “Like that, I think.”

Kurt could feel himself blushing at their proximity.  Besides that one sleepover, this was the closest he had ever been to Blaine.

Take my hand
Take a breath
Pull me close
And take one step
Keep your eyes
Locked on mine and let the music be your guide

Blaine started to sing along, his eyes glowing as he twirled Kurt in beat with the music.  Kurt let out a peel of laughter, his eyes catching Blaine’s hazel ones and never leaving.

It's like catching lightning
The chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million
The chances of feeling the way we do

Kurt felt Blaine’s grip on his waist tighten a little as he pulled him closer, Kurt leaning in to rest his head on Blaine’s shoulder as Blaine continued to sing in his ear softly.

And with every step together
We just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance? (Can i have this dance?)
Can I have this dance?

The song drifted to a close, Kurt assuming that they didn’t want to play a whole High School Musical song for fear of sparking a rebellion.

He pulled away from Blaine, instantly missing his warm body pressed against his own.  He felt cold now, like he was missing something.

Their eyes stayed locked for a moment, Kurt looking away when the gaze became too intense.

“I – I need some air,” Kurt murmured before quickly walking outside, going out the back doors of the gym.

Nobody was out there.  He took a deep breath, inhaling the clean air and just watching the night sky go by.

“Well, you’re the resident fairy I’ve heard so much about.”

Kurt froze, his whole body tensing as he heard the voice.  It wasn’t one he recognized, but it contained the same, chilling tone that Karofsky’s did whenever he jeered at him.

Kurt slowly turned around, his heart thumping in his chest.  Three guys were standing behind him, wicked grins on their unrecognizable faces. 

“We’re going to teach you a lesson,” one of them hissed.  “Show you why you shouldn’t dance with your boyfriend at our dances.”

Kurt gulped and closed his eyes.  He could run, but he would only get so far before he wouldn’t be able to see anything in the dark.

They got closer and closer, Kurt practically already feeling their fists in his stomach, his nose spurting with blood as one collided with it.

But nothing had happened yet.  He just wanted them to get it over with, wanted it to be done and over.

“Get away from him,” a low voice growled from somewhere to his right.  Kurt cracked his eye open to see Blaine standing there, his face furious and his fists clenched to his side, but Kurt could see he was shaking.

And then he remembered what Blaine had told him during one of their first conversations.

“I got beat up in sixth grade,” Blaine whispered.  “Me and Rachel went to a different public school and – and some jerks came and beat the crap out of me.  It was pretty much the same week when I realized that I was gay for sure and – and it wasn’t so much the physical but –”

He could tell Blaine was thinking back to that.

“Blaine, no!” He cried.  But the boys advanced on Blaine then, their smiles even wider and larger than they were before.

“Blaine!” Kurt cried again, trying to move his feet, Blaine’s firm gaze on him keeping him in place.

Run, he mouthed to Kurt as one of the bully’s stepped impossibly close to him.  Kurt knew Blaine looked like an easier target to them – after all, he was standing there shaking.  But that didn’t mean he had to take the punch for Kurt.

Go, Blaine mouthed again, his eyes blazing with intensity.

But Kurt didn’t move.  He whimpered a little as the smallest of the three threw a punch into Blaine’s gut, causing a huff of air to come out of him as he clutched his stomach.  They proceeded to punch and kick at Blaine until the boy had collapsed onto the ground, curled in on his side and whimpering.

Kurt then took things into his own hands, his feet finally unfreezing from where he was standing and running over to them.

“Help!” He cried as he tried to shove the bullies off of Blaine.  “Someone help me!”

The three boys, knowing that they could be caught at any minute, took off, laughing and jeering at Blaine and Kurt as they ran off into the night.

“Oh god,” Kurt said as he knelt down besides Blaine, who was still curled in on his side and moaning in pain.  “Blaine, you idiot.”

“Couldn’t see you get hurt again,” Blaine gasped, wincing at the pain.

Kurt fished out his phone, and called his dad, leaving him an urgent message quickly explaining the situation when it went to voicemail.

“I’m going to get someone,” Kurt whispered after a moment of just staring at Blaine, not sure what he should do.  “Just – stay there.”

“Can’t really go anywhere,” Blaine grunted, closing his eyes and groaning again.

The first person he saw was Quinn, who was sitting at one of the tables.

“Quinn,” he said, knowing that his face was tearstained and that he was a wreck.

“Kurt,” she stood up, her eyes concerned as she placed her hands on his shoulders.  “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Blaine,” Kurt rushed out, trying to convey how urgent the situation was to her.  “He – those guys Karofsky brought with him – they –”

Quinn nodded, ushering for Kurt to take her to Blaine.

She knelt down beside Blaine instantly, Kurt noting how hard it was for her not to cringe at the sight.  “Did you call someone?” She asked Kurt, sitting down next to Blaine and trying to calm him down.

“My dad’s coming,” Kurt said as he checked his phone.  “He just left me a message saying he’d be here in a few minutes.”

Kurt knelt down on the other side of Blaine, gripping his hand in his own and shushing him.

“Shh, Blaine,” Quinn cooed beside him.  “You’re fine.”

“This has happened before,” Kurt whispered to her.

“Oh.”

Burt pulled up then, instantly running out of the car to where Kurt was knelt beside Blaine.  “Are you okay?” He asked, looking at Kurt.

Kurt nodded but looked over at Blaine, his eyes worried and panicked. 

“I’m going to kill them,” Burt murmured.

“They don’t even go here, sir,” Quinn supplied.  “They can’t get expelled or anything.”

Burt huffed but nodded.  “I called his parents, and they’re going to meet us at the nearest ER.”

“ER?” Blaine muttered, his eyes wide, the tears starting to well in them.

“Yeah, bud,” Burt said, squatting down next to him and rubbing his shoulder soothingly.  “It’s gonna be okay.  They’re just gonna check you out, make sure your ribs aren’t broken.”

“A few are broken,” Blaine supplied.

“How do you know?” Burt asked, furrowing his eyebrows at the crumpled boy on the ground.

“Because I’ve been beaten before,” Blaine whispered.  “I’ve had broken ribs before.”

Kurt saw his dad swallow the lump in his throat, quickly turning to Quinn.  “Can you go find Rachel?” He asked her.  She nodded and ran off.

Burt knelt down beside Blaine again, rolling him over onto his back.  “I’m gonna pick you up and get you into the car, okay?” Burt asked.  Blaine nodded, whimpering a little as Kurt watched his dad place his arm under his knees and effortless lift him up.

He gently placed Blaine in the backseat, backing away from the door.  “You should sit back there with him,” he whispered to Kurt gently.  “He’s pretty shaken up.”

Kurt nodded and slid in beside Blaine, the boy instantly placing his head in Kurt’s lap. 

Kurt wanted to cry.  Blaine – his Blaine, his strong, comforting Blaine – was so broken.

“Shh,” Kurt said, running his fingers gently through Blaine’s hair.  “Shh, you’re okay.”

Rachel hopped in the front seat then, her eyes frantic as she looked back at Blaine.  “Shit,” she swore.  “Not again.”

Blaine whimpered again and burrowed his head further into Kurt’s lap.

“Rachel, shush,” Kurt hissed at her.  “Be comforting!”

Rachel grumbled a little before falling silent, Burt starting the trek to the nearest hospital.

“It’s okay, Blaine,” Kurt whispered, “You’re going to be fine.”

…..

Kurt never knew waiting was this excruciating.

He must have sat in the ER with his dad, Rachel, and the Anderson-Berry’s for hours, just waiting for the doctors to say they could see Blaine and that he was okay.

He gave up pacing a while ago, his legs becoming too tired to do anything except just sit there impatiently.

And then finally (finally!) the doctor came out into the waiting room, clipboard in hand.

“How is he?” Hiram stood up, Leroy following quickly behind him.

“He has three broken ribs,” the doctor said, “Some small internal bleeding, and a slight concussion.”

The men let out a sigh of relief, Kurt assuming that it wasn’t as bad as last time.

“But…” The doctor trailed off for a moment before resuming.  “He’s not…handling it very well.”

“Well of course he’s not!” Leroy all but yelled, his voice reverberating off of the quiet waiting room.  “The poor boy was held back a year last time he was beaten up.”

The doctor sighed but nodded.  “He can have visitors now,” he said.  “Only for an hour, though.  He needs his rest.”

They all nodded, even Rachel from where her head was rested on Kurt’s shoulder, her eyelids drooping.

“Oh, and he keeps asking for someone named Kurt,” the doctor, turning around before walking into another room.

They all nodded again, the doctor giving them a small wave before departing.

“You go first, Kurt,” Leroy said gesturing towards the hallway where Blaine’s room was located.  “If he wants you, he’s not going to accept anyone else until he talks to you.”

Kurt nodded and slowly stood up, his legs shaking a little under him.  He knew he looked ridiculous, wearing his suit in a hospital, but he couldn’t care less.  It was his fault Blaine was in the hospital.

He stood outside the room for a moment, just staring at the name outside the door.

Blaine Anderson.

Willing himself to not cry yet, he slowly opened the door.

Blaine was sitting up on the bed, a big bowl of ice cream on his lap.

He looked…well, like Blaine.

He caught Kurt’s eye and smiled, though it didn’t fully reach his eyes.  He patted the bed next to him and scooted over, making room for Kurt.  Kurt slowly walked over and leant back against the headboard, careful not to jostle Blaine too much.

“How are you?” Kurt asked, cringing because Blaine obviously wasn’t okay.

“Better than I was last time.”

Kurt sighed, lowering his head and staring at his hands in his lap.  “You should have done that for me,” he murmured a moment later.

“I wanted to,” Blaine replied, reaching out and squeezing Kurt’s hand gently.  “I wasn’t about to stand there and let my best friend, who’s been tormented for weeks get beat up.”

“But that’s basically what I did to you,” Kurt whispered.  “I – I just stood there, and –”

“But you didn’t,” Blaine interrupted him.  “Right when I hit the ground, you were over there smacking them and yelling for help.  If you hadn’t done that they – they could have done a lot more damage.”

Kurt took a shaky breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Thank you, then,” he whispered, his eyes still closed.  “Since you won’t let me take the blame…”

Blaine sighed and shifted his head so that he was looking directly at Kurt.  “I don’t regret it,” he murmured.  “I didn’t want to have to deal with what I went through.  I – It already happened to me once, so it wasn’t as traumatic for me as it would have been for you.”

“You were shaking,” Kurt whispered.  “Blaine, you were –”

“I was scared, yes,” Blaine said.  “But so were you, and you weren’t even the one with the injuries.”

Blaine had a point, and Kurt knew it.

“Thank you,” Kurt said again, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Blaine’s cheek.  He froze as he did so, his eyes widening and a blush forming on his cheeks.  “Umm…”

Blaine laughed and rolled his eyes, leaning up and pressing his own kiss to Kurt’s cheek.  “There,” he murmured, resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder.  “Now we’re even.”