For the rest of the week Kurt avoided Karofsky like he was the plague. He made sure that he was always with somebody from glee and had to hold his bladder until he returned home after school, or till he got to the Lima Bean with Blaine.

He was going every other day to the Lima Bean and he was learning so much about the other boy. They alternated who would be paying for the coffee each time they went and it was nice to just relax after the stresses of the day. He knew that Blaine had noticed that something was up but he still refused to talk about it. Kurt thought it was funny how Blaine noticed Kurt had changed when his friends in New Directions hadn't noticed a thing.

He was slowly uncovering information about Blaine, like about how there was tension with Blaine's family. But Kurt learnt the most when Blaine wasn't talking. His reactions painted a pretty clear picture. It as through things like the sad look in his eyes whenever Kurt talked about his dad, or the crossing of his arms when he didn't want to talk about something.

Kurt didn't have the right to push him to tell him things when he himself was hiding something. But he didn't see any possible way that he could tell him now. It wasn't just that it made him disgusting anymore. He knew, now, that if he told Blaine about what had happened, Blaine would confront Karofsky, most likely with violence. Kurt didn't want Blaine to get in any more trouble and he'd prefer it if Blaine didn't get into fights anymore. Kurt was pretty much a pacifist, he hated violence. Besides he couldn't burden Blaine with his problems, when it seemed he had so many of his own.

Kurt was pretty sure Blaine would never have to find out. That was the theory anyway.

XXXX

The first mistake that Kurt had made that day was assuming that Karofsky was off ill. The second was heading to his locker afterschool by himself.

That morning Kurt noticed that Karofsky was missing from his Spanish class. It was also a class that he shared with Blaine and since they had started going out for coffee Blaine had moved so that he was sat next to Kurt. Having Blaine next to him brought a sense of safety to Kurt, which meant he could normally ignore the fear the spread over him when he saw Karofsky. But today when Kurt had walked in and seen that the bullies seat was empty he could relax completely and he chatted easily with Blaine, even getting told off for talking too much.

Kurt was free today and the freedom felt great. Everyone noticed that he was happier and to Kurt the whole atmosphere improved. After a week of living in fear, this single day was so refreshing.

Throughout the day he flirted easily with Blaine. At lunch he went out to sit with Blaine under the bleachers and they shared hesitant kisses. Kurt was hesitant because this felt like a major step in their relationship and Kurt still wasn't sure what they were. Blaine was hesitant because it seemed so unlike Kurt to do anything like this and he didn't want to push Kurt into anything.

Kurt's hands were on the back of Blaine's neck; his fingers were playing with the curls that had been left untouched by the gel. Blaine had his arms loosely around Kurt's waist. Their lips met softly together, though both of them wanted to ravish the other.

Kurt was falling in love with this Blaine.

"Whoa! What the hell?!"

Blaine and Kurt broke away from each other and turned to face who had caught them.

Puck was staring at them looking shocked. His eyes were wide, his mouth had dropped open. It took him a second before he collected himself. Blaine and Kurt waited for him to say something.

"Wow, Hummel! Fooling around with the bad boy. I never thought I'd see the day." A grin stretched across his face.

Kurt blushed but said nothing. Blaine didn't say anything either, he didn't know where to begin.

"I'm gonna go. I'll leave you guys to it." Puck winked at them before walking away.

The boys watched him go before turning to each other.

"You know he's going to tell everyone." Blaine said.

"I'm not ashamed, Blaine." Kurt mumbled.

And it was the truth. It may have been a little unsettling that rumours about them would spread through the school like a wildfire but he didn't care. He wanted to be with Blaine.

"You wouldn't mind being paired with me?" Blaine asked him.

"Of course not." He couldn't tell Blaine that he'd preferred to be paired with him.

"Well..." Blaine cocked his eyebrow. "You could come back over here."

Kurt went to him willingly, their lips meeting with more pressure than before.

XXXX

When Kurt headed to his locker before glee he was still on an emotional high.

There had been a lot of gossip and people staring at him and Blaine. But Blaine had walked Kurt to his next class after lunch and it had felt so comfortable. People had starred and while Kurt had kept his head down, Blaine walked with his usual swagger down the halls.

Maybe they could have a relationship, Kurt thought to himself as he stood in the deserted hallway. Of course he couldn't assume that Blaine felt the same as Kurt but if he was kissing him it had to mean something. And Blaine had said that it did when they first kissed. Kurt could feel himself getting his hopes up and he really hoped that they wouldn't be forced to crash and burn.

Kurt's thoughts were so occupied that he didn't hear the footsteps that echoed in the hallway. There was nothing that Kurt could do because by the time he had noticed that he was no longer alone, there was a hand around his neck, cutting off most of his air supply.

The hand dragged him back a little till he was against whoever the hand belonged to and the smell of aftershave filled his nostrils. He knew that smell anywhere. That smell had followed him into his nightmares but Kurt knew that he was awake now.

"Did you think you were safe?"

Tears leaked from Kurt's eyes as he fought to swallow air. His mouth was too busy trying to feed his lungs so he couldn't say anything.

"Fooling around with Anderson and spreading your disease? Did you think that I wouldn't find out about it, Hummel?"

"Please..." Kurt managed to choke out.

Karofsky's cruel laugh sounded right next to Kurt's ear. His other hand moved to grope Kurt's ass, the hand around Kurt's neck loosing a little.

With foresight what Kurt did next was probably one of the most stupid things that he had ever done. And that was saying something. Kurt's wit always had a habit of showing itself when it really, really shouldn't.

"For someone who sees it as a disease, it sure seems like you like to grope me." The words slipped out of Kurt's mouth before he even had a chance to think about what he was saying. He instantly regretted it. Was his head trying to get him killed?

Karofsky's hand tightened around his throat again but with more pressure than before. Kurt felt his air supply get cut off completely. Then he released Kurt as he sent him flying head first into the lockers.

XXXX

Blaine was headed to the bathroom when he heard the loud thump of something hitting the locker. It had made him jump because he hadn't expected anyone else to be wandering around the school and instead of heading to the bathroom he headed to where the sound was.

Rounding the corner he saw Kurt cowering on the floor by the lockers with Karofsky standing over him.

"Do you wanna suck on me while you're down there, you fag?" Blaine heard Karofsky say.

Blaine instantly launched himself at Karofsky, rage over taking him. He had taken the larger boy by surprise and he had stumbled, tripping over Kurt's legs and falling onto the ground. Blaine pounced on him and started smashing his fists, with all the force he could muster, into Karofsky's face. He heard a crunch and blood started pouring from Karofsky's nose.

"Blaine... Stop... Please." Kurt whimpered from behind him.

Kurt's voice seemed to make the anger that had filled Blaine, leave just as quickly as it had come. He left Karofsky lying on the floor bleeding and crawled towards Kurt.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice sounding shaky.

Kurt nodded more tears spilling onto his cheeks.

Blaine pulled him into his arms, holding him tight and never wanting to let go. It hit Blaine then that this is why Kurt had been acting strange. He wanted to turn back to Karofsky and hurt him some more but he couldn't make himself let go of Kurt. He should have put the two things together earlier. He should have been there for Kurt.

Blaine pressed kisses all over Kurt's face in an attempt to calm him down. Kurt responded willingly to the kisses, granting Blaine access to his mouth. Blaine kissed him deeply, tasting his salty tears. Blaine forgot about Karofsky who was groaning in pain behind him. It was like only Kurt existed. Kurt clung to him and Blaine felt his heart shift.

Breaking off the kiss, Blaine crushed Kurt's head to his chest.

"You're everything." He whispered, tears forming in his own eyes.

XXXX

Kurt was still being held tightly in Blaine's arms when Principle Figgins appeared in the hall.

"What is going on here?" He asked, shocked.

Kurt tried to look towards him but Blaine didn't move, as if he hadn't heard the Principle.

"I might have known you'd be involved Mr Anderson." He said kneeling down by Karofsky. "Get into my office now. I'm going to take Mr Karofsky to the nurse. Mr Hummel, I suggest you get yourself to glee club. You really need to think about who you befriend."

Kurt was about to say something in Blaine's defence but Blaine squeezed him a little tighter and then let go heading to the Principle's office, leaving Kurt sat on the floor.