“No, Blaine, please stay. Don’t go. Just please stay with me tonight,” Kurt pleaded, latching onto Blaine as though his life depended on it. Blaine hugged him back and wordlessly steered him towards the bedroom. He sat Kurt down on the bed and took his hand.

“What’s going on, babe?” Blaine asked softly, smiling a little as Kurt’s cheeks blushed from the endearing term.

“I just really want to be close to you tonight,” Kurt whispered, gripping both of Blaine’s hands so tight that his already pale hands were turning even whiter. Blaine knew something was wrong and couldn’t let Kurt get away with that answer.

“Please, Kurt. Tell me what’s going on? You’ve been acting weird since last night at the restaurant? Did someone do something to you?” Blaine’s brow furrowed in concern as he pulled Kurt closer, needing to comfort him as much as he needed to be comforted.

“It’s just…” Kurt sniffed and extracted one of his hands to wipe his eyes.

“You can tell me, Kurt. You can tell me anything,” Blaine assured him. “I love you and nothing is going to change that.”

“It’s about…my past. And I’ve been trying to forget these things because I’m here now, doing the show and being with you and I don’t want to remember and I don’t want you to break up with me because I have all these problems and…”

“Hey,” Blaine interrupted softly. He brought one of Kurt’s hands up and laid it flat on his chest, his palm resting right over Blaine’s heart. “We’ve all got demons from our past. I would never judge you.”

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight away the tears. He silently cried for a few minutes, and Blaine held him as he did, waiting for Kurt to be ready to tell him. Finally, Kurt pulled away and looked down at his lap.

“When I was on Broadway, right when the show really took off, I started getting a lot of fan mail. And flowers. And gift baskets. All those good things you imagine when you think of being a star. My picture was everywhere and I was doing nightly shows and loving the attention. I realized after about a month that there was one guy in front row of every show, and he always waiting by the back doors wanting my autograph or to give me a letter or something. The letters were loving and doting and I thought someone really loved me.”

Kurt’s voice broke and Blaine’s heart ached, but he didn’t say anything as he waited patiently for Kurt to continue.

“After a while, he started putting his business card in the letters and I was so…I was so flattered by this guy’s attention that I actually called him. We went out on a few days and he was nice, but he didn’t respect my boundaries. He tried…numerous times…to take advantage of me. He tried to tell me I had to let him because he was my boyfriend. He tricked me into giving him the key to my apartment. Then one night he…he came in when I was asleep and tried to…”

Kurt trailed off and he covered his face as he tried to stifle a broken sob. Blaine felt a surge of anger that someone would even try something on his beautiful Kurt. He wrapped his arms around Kurt’s shoulders and pressed his face into the side of Kurt’s neck, staying close to him for comfort but also silently thanking him to trust him and let him in after that.

“I called the police, but when they came he just told them I was off my medication and making false accusations. Then the next time he came near me, I called the police again, but…no one believed me because he was a cop! He was a cop, Blaine, and he had a fucking perfect record so no one believed that he could even try those things on me because they thought he was married to this woman with three kids!” Kurt sobbed as he pressed his whole body against Blaine’s chest.

“I’m so sorry, Kurt,” Blaine whispered, stroking his hair and rocking him gently as he waited to hear more.

“I was so terrified of him that I started staying with Finn and Rachel just so I wasn’t alone. But then he found me there and I changed my phone number and he still found it. I tried to get a restraining order against him, but no one believed me. Finn and Rachel did, but they hadn’t actually witnessed him harassing me. He finally stopped after I couldn’t sing anymore, like that was what fueled it. But then last night in the restaurant he was in the bathroom and he was waiting for me, and he said he’d kill you if I didn’t break up with you!” Kurt hugged Blaine tighter, almost too tight, but Blaine didn’t want to let go.

“Please don’t, Kurt,” Blaine whispered. “Don’t break up with me for that.”

“He’ll kill you. I can’t…I can’t lose you,” Kurt whimpered.

“You won’t. I’m not going anywhere.” Blaine pressed gentle kisses to Kurt’s neck and jaw and cheeks, cradling him in his arms, refusing to let him go.

“He’s the reason why I’m still a virgin,” Kurt whispered against Blaine’s chest. “He didn’t respect my boundaries and he scared me out of ever wanting to let anyone in.”

“It’s ok, Kurt,” Blaine whispered. “I’ll be here for you. Always. I promise.”

And somehow, Kurt knew it was a promise Blaine would never break.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Eight: Paternity
Scene 1

(INT. Chris is lying in bed. It’s dark and silent, until a heart wrenching sob is heard from down the hall. Chris tries to pull a pillow over his ears, but he can still hear it. He wants to be mad at Darren, but he loves him and Darren is hurting right now. He climbs out of bed and heads down the hallway. Pausing outside Darren’s bedroom door, he listens to him crying before opening the door and slipping inside. He lays down on the bed and curls up behind Darren, resting his head on Darren’s shoulder and draping his arm around him.)

DARREN
Chris?

CHRIS
Nope, I’m the boogeyman.

DARREN
I don’t want this.

CHRIS
Me, or…

DARREN
The baby. I don’t want a kid. I don’t want Serena. I want you.

CHRIS
I know. (Kisses the back of Darren’s neck softly) I want you too.

DARREN
Why did this have to happen? I thought she was on birth control.

CHRIS
That stuff is never one hundred percent, you know. I was conceived through a condom and birth control.

DARREN
Why couldn’t I have found you sooner?

CHRIS
I don’t know.

(Darren grasps Chris’s hand and squeezes it tight. Nothing has felt more comforting to him than having Chris with him)

DARREN
Now I understand why you don’t like girls.

CHRIS
(chuckling lightly) Too much drama.

DARREN
(Rolls over so he’s facing Chris. They’re still very close, their hands clasped between them) Can I ask you a very large favor?

CHRIS
I will do anything for you.

DARREN
I need to borrow some money. I know you have some saved up for your sister, but I need to make Serena get a paternity test and Lord knows she won’t pay for it herself.

CHRIS
Anything that’ll help us be together.

DARREN
Can I kiss you?

CHRIS
Only if you answer one question first. What are we gonna do if it is yours?

DARREN
She’ll try to make me marry her, but I can’t do that. I don’t love her. I’ll imagine if she wants my help raising it, she’ll have to accept that her baby will have two dads.

CHRIS
Since when are we assuming that I want anything to do with this kid?

DARREN
Aw come on, you’d make an amazing Uncle Chris.

CHRIS
I don’t want kids, Dare. I never wanted kids.

DARREN
So if it’s mine, you don’t want to be together?

CHRIS
I guess, if it’s yours, I’ll just have to learn to love the damn thing.

. ~ . ~ .

Kurt’s cellphone rang on the bedside table, pulling him out of the blissful sleep he was in. Blaine was curled around him tightly, the hairs on his chest scratching Kurt’s bare back as he tried to sit up. After Kurt finished telling Blaine about his troubles, they’d eased the pain and fear with blow jobs and cuddles. Now Kurt was awake and aware he had to face his problems.

He picked up his phone after kicking Blaine’s legs off him and saw a private number on his phone. His brow furrowed, he clicked answer and pressed the phone to his ear.

“This is Kurt,” he said. Blaine sat up beside him, yawning and stretching. Kurt smiled and reached out, putting a hand on Blaine’s chest.

“Hello, Kurt,” the chilling voice on other end said. Kurt panicked and dropped the phone, hurriedly hanging up and jumping towards Blaine.

“What happened?” Blaine asked, scrambling to put his arms around Kurt, who trembled uncontrollably.

“D-Dave! He got my phone number! Oh my God, Blaine, what if he’s here!” Kurt clung to Blaine, staring at the phone as it began to ring again. Clutching Kurt in one arm, Blaine reached for the phone and answered it.

“Listen you asshole, you fucking leave Kurt alone or I’m calling the fucking police,” Blaine growled, gripping the phone so hard his hand was starting to ache.

“Hello there, Blaine,” Dave said calmly. “Have you fucked him yet?”

“That’s none of your business,” Blaine snapped.

“No? That’s because he’s mine. He’s waiting for me, like a good boy. And he’ll get me soon. I’m coming for him.” Dave’s voice was surprisingly even and threatening at the same time. It sent a chill through Blaine, who was thankful the man couldn’t see.

“He doesn’t want you. He never wanted you. Leave it alone.” Blaine hung up and turned Kurt’s phone off, holding him close for a long time.

“He’s coming, isn’t he?” Kurt said in between sniffles.

“It’s gonna be alright, Kurt.” Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt’s forehead, hugging him tightly.

. ~ . ~ .

“I will not have one of my actors being threatened,” Patrick declared. “You’ll have a full security detail at all times, and I think someone should always be with you.”

“I’ve got that covered,” Blaine said.

“Someone else. You’re being threatened too, Blaine,” Patrick said, holding up a hand.

“I have a couple of neighbors,” Kurt said, gripping Blaine’s hand and pulling him closer to him as they stood in Patrick’s office. “They’re sharper than razors and fiercer than Lady Gaga herself. They’ll do anything for me.”

Patrick nodded and picked up his cellphone to call for guards to escort Kurt and Blaine home.

“If this guy comes near you, make sure there are witnesses. We can get him arrested and get the biggest restraining order we can get on him. We’ll make sure he can’t even be in the same state as you,” Patrick assured them.

Kurt wiped his eyes and muttered a few words of thanks, somehow not finding comfort in any of this.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Eight: Paternity
Scene 4

(INT. Doctor’s office. Serena is pretending to look through a magazine, sitting two chairs away from Darren, who looks incredibly nervous, and Chris who is sitting with his legs crossed and flipping through the latest People Magazine)

SERENA
He’s not coming in with us.

CHRIS
(not looking up from his magazine) Wasn’t planning on it.

DARREN
(Rolls his eyes) Please get along.

CHRIS
Hey, she’s the one who hates me.

SERENA
Just shut up. You weren’t invited.

DARREN
Yes he was.

SERENA
He is not going to be involved in our baby’s life.

DARREN
If it is our baby, then he is.

SERENA
Is this gonna be like Brokeback Mountain? Where you two are bestest friends who go off ‘camping in the woods’ three times a year while you’re really just screwing each other?

DARREN
If you cared about me at all you wouldn’t do this to me.

(Before Serena can reply, the doctor comes out and calls for her. She stands and looks at Darren expectantly. He puts a hand on Chris’s thigh and manages a sad smile)

CHRIS
I’ll be here when you get out.

DARREN
Thank you.

(Darren follows Serena into the doctor’s office and stands by awkwardly as she gets up on the examination table)

DR. WILLIAMS
What are we here for today?

SERENA
He wants a paternity test.

DR. WILLIAMS
Alright. You must understand there are some risks to performing a pre-natal paternity test. I will have to make certain both you and the baby are healthy enough to perform the procedure. You’re twelve weeks along according to your chart, so if you are both healthy, I can perform a chorionic villi sampling, or CVS, which takes a sample of the placenta and contains DNA we can use to test.

SERENA
Do whatever you need to do.

(Focus on Darren, who hasn’t said a thing, but looks frightened)

. ~ . ~ .

Blaine sat beside Kurt, who was sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He clutched a warm cup of tea in one hand and a copy of the next script in another, reading over his lines. Standing by the window stood Mercedes, and by the door stood the neighbor down the hall, Santana, who Kurt described as “a vicious lesbian who had razors in her hair and a soft spot for the gay boy down the hall”. Blaine had taken it upon himself to provide them all with food and drink, busying himself around the apartment.

“What if he doesn’t come?” Kurt asked.

“He will,” Blaine said. “He wants you too bad. And when he does come, we’ll be here to protect you.”

Santana spoke loudly from the doorway, “This asshole better get here soon. Britt gets home from her dance classes at nine and I wants to get my mack on.”

Blaine chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kurt, holding him close. He laid his head on Kurt’s shoulder.

“Want to read lines?” Blaine asked, pressing soft kisses to the fabric of Kurt’s shirt over his skin.

“Yeah,” Kurt sighed. “Sure.”

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Eight: Paternity
Scene 6

(INT. Doctor’s office. Darren and Serena are anxiously awaiting the results of the test)

DR. WILLIAMS
We have the results of the test.

DARREN
Well, am I the father?

DR. WILLIAMS
According to the results, I’m certain that yes, you are the father.

(Everything else the doctor says is lost as Darren stares straight ahead.)

SERENA
Dare? Darren! Earth to Darren!

DARREN
My life. Is over.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Eight: Paternity
Scene 7

(INT. The living room. Darren is on the couch, his head in his hands. Chris sits beside him and puts his arm around him, resting his cheek on Darren’s back)

CHRIS
I’m really sorry, Dare.

DARREN
I can’t marry her. I’ll pay child support. I’ll visit the kid. I’ll do anything, but I cannot marry her.

CHRIS
Look, you can’t worry about me. You have to do what you think is right. Just know that no matter what happens, I’ll be here for you. I’ll be your best friend of you need, and your lover if you want. (runs his fingers through Darren’s hair and pushes it away from his ear, kissing the outside of his ear softly)

DARREN
I love you.

CHRIS
(runs his hand down Darren’s arm and rests his hand over Darren’s) I found out a few days ago. My script is gonna be turned into a movie. And I’m gonna star in it.

DARREN
Oh my God, Chris, that’s amazing.

CHRIS
I’ll be really busy for the next six months, but I’ll still be around. Don’t make your decisions based on me, because no matter what I’m just a phone call away.

DARREN
I was finally getting things together.

CHRIS
I’ll always be here for you, I promise.

DARREN
Will you kiss me? Before you can’t anymore?

CHRIS
Yeah. I think I can manage that. (Leans forward and kisses Darren, sweet at first, then growing more heated until Chris finally pulls back, flushed and out of breath)

. ~ . ~ .

Kurt was afraid. As night came nearer, he spent his time with his arms around Blaine, clutching onto him as they waited for something to happen. There was one thing they both knew for certain: Dave would not give up on Kurt.

“Santana and Mercedes are out there and I’ve got 911 on speed dial and everything is going to be alright,” Blaine promised, stroking Kurt’s hair as they laid on the bed, on top of the covers, still in their clothes.

Three hours passed and Kurt finally drifted off to sleep, his muscles never ceasing their quivering. Blaine stroked his back, ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair, pressed gentle kisses all over where he could reach, and thought about nothing but keeping Kurt safe.

Just as Blaine felt his eyelids get heavy, a noise in the living room startled him. He bolted upright, startling Kurt. He covered Kurt’s mouth with his hand and motioned for him to be quiet and to go into his closet. Kurt nodded, his eyes glistening with tears. He trembled, remembering the last time Dave had come into his apartment, attempting to take from him what he was only willing to give to Blaine.

Kurt hid inside the closet, on the floor behind three large suitcases. He pulled his knees up to his chest and tried to quiet his heavy breathing. He heard footsteps – hopefully Blaine’s – heading away from him, then a moment of silence followed before a heavy thud echoed through the walls.

Kurt’s hand shot up to cover his mouth as his heart stopped.

Then he heard the footsteps again, heavy on the floor, coming back towards the bedroom.