Just that smile that was in the mirror. It was rare to see and even when he did see it, it really never meant he was okay; he just wanted people to think he was okay.

That smile was Kurt's.

It was the next day after the taking a chance, after the kiss. Kurt had left Blaine in his classroom last night finishing correcting the student's tests. Kurt didn't want to go, Blaine didn't want him to leave, but then of course life was still there and Hayley and tests.

Kurt fixed his hair a little, even though not a hair looked out of place, as he looked into the car review mirror, waiting for Hayley to come out of school. After he finished messing with his hair, he hoped out of the car and walked up to the main door and waited for Hayley to come out of school and maybe, just maybe, someone else, hopefully. Kurt had just stopped in front of the door when he heard laughing and screaming coming from the back of the school. He looked around him to only realise now that no other parents were standing with him. Kurt heard the screaming and laughing still and decided to take a trip to behind the school. When he got around to the back of the school, a lot of the kids were running around the football pitch, while some students stood to the side and some parents, cheering the kids on. When Kurt got closer he saw them playing football. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and he noticed some of the teachers to.

"Mr Anderson, over here, come on!" one of the boys shouted to him to kick the ball over to him. Blaine did and then before Kurt could stop himself he looked over to Blaine. Kurt didn't notice Blaine out of breath, kicking the ball, sweat running of him, he just noticed Blaine.

"Fine, but if it goes anywhere, but to you don't blame me!" Blaine shouted back laughing and kicked the ball as hard as he could. As hard as he could meant it going into the ditch.

"Mr Anderson!" a load of the kids moaned, but laughed at their teacher and Blaine laughed at himself. The whistle blew and a man, one of the teachers Kurt guessed, was the one to do it and shouted game over, Miss McKinley's team wins.

Cheers came from the winning team as Blaine's team all went over to him and all gathered him in a big hug anyways. Kurt couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he saw Blaine's face light up even after they lost and his kids still gave him a big hug.

Kurt didn't know how long he was started because Hayley was now by his side, looking up at her daddy who hadn't seen her yet.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kurt finally saw her and kneeled down in front of her.

"There's my little girl. How was school today?" and Kurt drenched having to hear it wasn't a good day.

"Fine. We got to play games for the rest of the day after lunch today…because it was sunny and Mr Anderson said it's like never sunny near the end of November." She said happily. She was happy and Kurt decided not to ask if anyone was mean to her today.

"Did he now? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah…lots and lots."

"That's my girl. Now, how about you go get your school bag and coat and we will head home in a few minutes?"

"Okay." Hayley said with a smile before going back into the school with some of her friends. Kurt got back up from kneeling down and looked towards the direction Hayley had gone in before she disappeared. Kurt looked back to Blaine was standing last time he saw him, but he wasn't there anymore. Everyone had started to leave the pitch and head home.

"Hey!" The voice behind Kurt came and it was just the voice he wanted to hear. Kurt turned around and of course it was Blaine standing in front of him, with a grin on his face and a bottle of water in his hand.

"Hard day of teaching?" Kurt joked and earned himself a laugh from Blaine that made Kurt's heart jump a little bit…okay, a lot.

"Funny. Wasn't a hard day, but it was fun, like being-in-a-water-park-all-day, fun."

"Dork!" Kurt chuckled trying not to let Blaine know that Kurt thought it was actually adorable. That Blaine was adorable right now. Like he was yesterday playing the piano, his voice singing ever so…

"Kurt?" Blaine's voice interrupted Kurt's thoughts and thank god they did. Kurt smiled towards Blaine and pretended like he hadn't got distracted.

"Yes, we were saying you're a dork."

"Actually you were saying that. I sir…was trying to be the cool teacher."

"Well, at least you're honest." Kurt rolled his eyes playfully. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Kurt managed to look away.

There was silence between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable and for Kurt it was always uncomfortable with people he didn't know well, but Blaine, this was something different and new.

"Did you get your papers corrected last night?" before Kurt could take it back the words were already out of his mouth. Damn, I just had to bring up last night.

Blaine tried to bit back a grin and he nodded his head. Blaine could feel his cheeks getting a little red and it should be an embarrassing feeling, but it wasn't, not around Kurt. Kurt looked around him to see that there was hardly anyone standing on the pitch now. He wanted to just say it, but he was scared Blaine would say no, would Blaine say no? Did that kiss mean anything to Blaine? Oh god, Kurt just ask him. Just say…

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" oh crap, oh crap, oh cr…

"Yeah, yeah I'd love to."

Did I really just ask him that?

Did he really just ask me that? Don't grin like a jackass Blaine, just don't.

Okay, he's smiling, that means he just didn't say yes because he felt like he had to, did he?

"Blaine, do you really…" Kurt was cut off by a kid shouting towards them. A boy with short black hair, his football gear on and his face looking upset.

"Mr Anderson, hurry, there's a fight, Hurry! It's Hayley!" Kurt was already running towards the school before Blaine had a chance to say anything. Shit. Blaine legged it after Kurt and his student Bobby.

"Kurt! Kurt!" Kurt couldn't hear Blaine shout after him, he was already in the school and hallway down the hall before Blaine got to the main door.

Kurt had passed Bobby out in the hallway and now bust through the door, that Kurt knew Hayley would be in, Blaine's room. He had heard shouts coming from the classroom and that had only made him run, run faster. When he got through the door Ted had his hands pushing down Hayley's head on the desk and laughing.

Kurt just exploded, he was sure of it.

"Get the hell away from my daughter!" Kurt shouted and it was enough to get all the kids to go silence. Ted still didn't move away from Hayley, he was only silence.

"I said…get away from my daughter, now!" only then did Kurt see Hayley's tears. Ted moved away, he was scared now, so scared of Kurt, scared of him shouting again. Ted backed away from Hayley and backed himself into the crowd of other kids that looked towards Hayley. Ted wasn't quick enough backing away because Blaine had seen what he was doing to Hayley. Blaine stood at the door with Bobby and looked towards Hayley as Kurt wrapped his arms around her crying body. She didn't say anything, she just cried and cried.

"Kids you're parents are waiting, I think it's uh, it's time to go home." The kids slowly started to walk out of the room, some asking if Hayley would be okay and Blaine just nodded his head. Bobby went to and then Ted slowly walked up to Blaine.

"Mr Anderson I…" Blaine cut his of before he could say anymore.

"I don't want to hear it Ted, just go home." Blaine didn't even look at him; his eyes were still looking towards Kurt and Hayley. Ted had just stepped out of the room when Kurt let go of Hayley and got up and looked towards Blaine, Kurt's expression unreadable.

"You just let him go. He hurt Hayley and you just…"

"Kurt, I can't, I need his parents with him and…"

"Get out of my way. Look after Hayley. I need to know what that crappy Burton thinks of this." Kurt had walked by Blaine and down the hall before he knew it. He walked quickly over to Hayley, kneeling down beside her and she wouldn't look up.

"Hayley, sweetheart, I need you to come with me, okay?" she looked up at Blaine, her big red puffy eyes looking scared but she nodded slowly and Blaine picked her up in his arms and got out of the room and down the hallway as fast as he could.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door slammed against the wall as Kurt entered the principals' room, and he was in no humour for bullshit. Mr Burton looked up in surprise or shock but before he got to say anything Kurt was already talking.

"My daughter is just after having her head pushed down full force onto a desk by Ted, he wouldn't let go of her until I screamed at him. She is in tears now, and I know she is either not going to sleep for days now or if she does she will have nightmares. Now, you tell me why the hell that happening? Why kids are just allowed to do that to other kids? That you are letting bullying happen in this school and why you, Don't. Give. A. Fuck!" Mr Burton was taking back by this, but he would not let anyone come I here and talk to him like this. Kurt got closer and closer to Mr Burtons desk.

"Mr Hummel, how dare you come into my office and talk to me that way. You know right well I am trying to sort this out." Mr Burton snapped back and this wasn't going to end well.

"Okay, Hayley, promise me you will stay here while I go to Mr Burtons office." Blaine said softly and he was kneeled down in front of Hayley sitting on a chair a few feet away from Mr Burton's office. He could hear Kurt's voice he needed to get in there.

"I…I made daddy u-upset." Hayley cried as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"No, no you didn't. Daddy is not mad at you, okay? I promise." She only nodded her head.

"Good girl. I will be back with daddy really quick." Blaine looked at her one more time, not wanting to leave her, but he couldn't bring her into the office either. He got up slowly and walked to the office as quick as he could. Blaine got into the room just as Mr Burton was talking.

"…you know right well I am trying to sort this out." Something snapped. Something inside Blaine just snapped at those words because trying to sort this out wasn't good enough. This should of never of happened.

"Trying? Maybe, do you think just maybe, if you had gotten your head out of your arse a long time ago that this wouldn't have happened. That a little girl of eight wouldn't be crying her eyes out right now, hey!" Blaine shouted.

"You both need to calm down…"

"No, don't you dare! You're going to listen! I was Hayley, Kurt was Hayley, and we both got bullied over and over again and no way, is that going to continue to happen to that little girl out there." Blaine had walked right up to the desk and put his hands on the edges of the table, gripping onto it and looking Mr Burton right in the eyes.

"You better start caring about these kids. Stop giving a damn about the money, when your holidays are, complaining about how much paperwork you have to do and actually open your eyes and see, see that there are kids getting bullied, fighting to live another day, ending their lives over bullying, crying themselves to sleep, drenching the next day they have to go to school, putting a fake smile on for the rest of the world, feeling like they have no one to talk to. And don't tell me I don't know because I know because I was that kid once and my principal didn't give a shit either…so, I understand." Blaine had forgotten Kurt was in the room. His angry was boiling and Mr Burton just looked at him like this was nothing, that it had all happened before.

"Before you say anymore, I suggest you and Mr Hummel clam down. Hayley will want her dad with h…"

"Now! Now, you give a crap!" Blaine turned away from Mr Burton to Kurt. Kurt was almost in tears as he walked closer to the desk. "You son of a bitch…y-you s-so of a…" and that was It, Kurt broke down. Blaine pushed himself of the table and put his arms around Kurt, who cried into Blaine's shoulder.

"Mr Anderson, leave before you lose your job and before…"

"Screw your job!" Blaine snapped back at him before taking Kurt out of the room without another word. Blaine let the door slam behind him and Kurt and Blaine where now stepped outside the office and into the little hallway area to go into the principal's room after the main hallway. And Blaine thanked god for that because he couldn't of let Hayley see Kurt like this and he sure as hell wasn't staying in that office.

"Kurt, hey…look at me." Kurt was stood in front of Blaine and Blaine held Kurt's shoulders lightly as Kurt looked up slowly from the ground to look at Blaine. The look on Kurt's face was enough to break anyone's heart.

"Forget about this. Just think of Hayley now, be there for your daughter and let me sort the rest out."

"B-Blaine I…"

"Kurt, ssh…come on, it's okay, it's going be okay, sweetheart." Blaine pulled Kurt back into his arms, trying to calm him down before going out to Hayley. She couldn't see this, it would just make it worse, it would make her more upset and Blaine wasn't going to let that happen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurt gave a gently kiss to her forehead before getting up slowly and quietly from the bed, not wanting to wake her up. Kurt walked to the door, turning of the light, looking to his sleeping daughter one last time and leaving the door opened if she needed him.

It was eight o'clock and Blaine had drove Kurt and Hayley back to their home, not letting Kurt drive in his state. He was grateful for that because the whole way home and until now he never let go of Hayley. She had stopped the tears two hours ago, but there shouldn't have to be tears in the first place.

Kurt walked back into the sitting room and looked over to Blaine sitting on the couch, looking towards the TV. Kurt walked over to sit beside him on the couch and that's when Blaine looked up.

"Is she asleep?" Blaine asked with so much concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I read her a story and she's asleep for now." Kurt ran a hand through his hair as he took a seat, sitting on the edge of the couch, letting his head bow between his two arms that his elbows rested on his knees. "I…just don't know what to do. How, how do I make her safe, I tried to…I-I…" a lump was in Kurt's throat as he tried to hold back more tears, using all the strength left in him not to cry again.

Blaine moved himself to the edge of the couch now, putting his hand on Kurt's back and rubbing it gently, he did it, because he didn't know what to say to Kurt. He wished he had an answer, but he didn't and that was the worst part.

"What if you lost your job? Because of me and…"

"Hey, Kurt, no, it is not your fault. You did nothing expect for stand up for Hayley in there and you had every right to be that mad, I would be to." Blaine stopped rubbing Kurt's back when Kurt lifted up his head and moved his position from the way he was sitting and sat sideways, looking towards Blaine. Blaine let his hand fall onto the couch and didn't take his eyes of Kurt when he turned to face him.

"So did you, Blaine…and you will never know how grateful I am for you doing that? You are…you're just amazing." Kurt whispered the last words before leaning in slowly to Blaine's lips. Kurt's eyes flickered back and forth from Blaine's eyes to his lips. When Blaine realised Kurt was going to kiss he leaned in to, forgetting everything else about today.

Kurt's lips were so soft. They tasted of coffee and just of Kurt. The taste was amazing, Kurt was amazing and this was turning out to be better than their first kiss. Was every kiss they had always going to feel better than the one before?

Blaine let his hand rest on the back of Kurt's head, while Blaine moved himself in a comfortable position moving his body move sideways onto the couch and let his other hand fall onto Kurt's waist and pull him closer.

Kurt pushed Blaine down to lie down on the couch and Blaine's head lying on the cushion against the arm of the couch. Kurt's right hand was resting in the crook of Blaine's neck and the other trapped between the couch and Blaine's back. Their bodies were against each other, legs tangled, lips together.

"You know…you…taste of coffee?" Blaine mumbled against their lips with a smile and Kurt opened his eyes to meet Blaine's smiling ones.

"Does it taste good?"

"Um..the best." Blaine leaned back into Kurt's lips to give another kiss. "But this can wait till another time because you are worn out." Blaine let his hand push the bits of hair that had fallen down on Kurt's forehead and ran his hands through Kurt's hair slowly, over and over again.

"I guess you're right. Instead of making out with me then, you can kept doing that with my hair, because it feels really good." Kurt would usually kill anyone who messed up his hair, but it was probably already messed up and Blaine's fingers through his hair felt really good.

Blaine nodded his head as Kurt let himself fall in-between Blaine and the couch, half his body resting on Blaine, the other on the couch. Before Blaine started running his fingers through Kurt's hair again, Kurt looked up to meet Blaine's eyes, hesitating for a minute before speaking.

"You…you called me sweetheart today, outside the office." Kurt couldn't hide his smile as he remembered that. Even in the state he was in, he remembered that.

"So I did." Now Blaine let his fingers start to run through Kurt's hair again. Blaine looked down and met Kurt's curious eyes.

"What?" Blaine chuckled as Kurt just kept smiling at Blaine.

"Do you call everyone, sweetheart?"

"Yes, maybe…no. Just the kids and I guess you now." Oh god, Kurt was making him blush over a word, one word.

"Okay." Kurt said before resting his head on Blaine chest. "Going pretty fast there, Anderson." And that made the both of them burst out laughing. Kurt leaned his head back again to see all of Blaine's face.

"You're terrible."

"I'm just saying, second day after we kissed and now you're going all sweetheart on me. It's going…"Kurt was cut off by the lips against his. Their lips didn't move against each other's, they just lingered there for a few seconds. They both fell deep into that kiss for those few seconds. When Blaine slowly pulled away, he rested his forehead against Kurt's, never taking his eyes of Kurt's for a second.

"Where's your family?"

"Dad and Carole are gone to their friend's wedding and won't be back till tomorrow night. And Finn is gone to visit his friend Puck for a few days. It's a good thing because if they were at home they wouldn't have been long going into that school."

"They seem like such a caring family."

"They are. You must have a really caring family to." Kurt waited for an answer, but didn't get one.

"Blaine…"

"Not today, Kurt. I'll tell you another day." Blaine said gently and Kurt nodded to show he wouldn't ask any more questions. Blaine put his right arm around Kurt's waist and moved his head a little to the left and closed his eyes. Kurt rested in Blaine warm embrace letting his eyes close just for a few seconds, but they never opened for the rest of the night and neither did Blaine's.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hayley quietly walked down the stairs and into the living room where she saw her daddy and Mr Anderson asleep on the couch. They looked really peaceful and Hayley decided not to wake them up. They might be cold thought. Hayley wandered over to the armchair and picked up the blanket that was on it. She then made her way back to the couch, and threw the blanket over them. She tried to fix it as best as she could before turning of the TV and reaching up to turn of the switch for the sitting room. She made her way back to the sitting room door and turned around to look over at her daddy and Mr Anderson. She had only even seen her daddy like that with her papa. Maybe Mr Anderson and her daddy were getting to be best friends now, and she hoped so because Mr Anderson was really nice. She smiled before going back upstairs but she didn't go into her room, she went into her daddy's and into his bed. His bed always felt safer, it felt safer when he was here, but that's okay, once her daddy was safe, she was to.

Hayley looked over to the clock on the wall, it was twelve at night. At least she didn't have school tomorrow. And at least she hadn't had a nightmare yet.

Her daddy was never far away when she needed him anyways, she knew that.

But her papa, he was still in New York and she hadn't seen him in months and she missed him lots. She had told her daddy that once before, but he had gotten upset and tried to pretend he was okay, but she knew he wasn't. So she never asked again. Her papa would come and live with them in Lima one day with all her family, she was sure of that. Wasn't she?