On Monday morning Blaine made his usual solitary trek to school. He hadn't spoken to any of his classmates except Finn and Kurt since Friday afternoon and he was dreading both the Glee Club's reaction to Kurt and how the Cheerios and jocks would treat them now.

He parked quickly and hurried inside of the building. It was still fairly early, so a lot of students were just pulling up, yawning and moving slowly. As he swept into the main hall Mike appeared, patting him on the shoulder as he fell into step beside him.

"Gonna be a rough day," Mike greeted. "History test first thing, and then... whatever happens with Kurt."

Blaine nodded in dread as they turned the corner towards his locker. He didn't ask how Mike had found out about what had happened. By second block on Friday the entire school had probably known, maybe even before that. He'd been trying to forget about all the possible reactions he could walk into this morning since he'd left Kurt's on Saturday. For most of Sunday he'd tried to completely remove Kurt from his mind just so he could focus on his school work. But the other boy was permanently lodged in there, and all of the things Kurt might do this morning scared Blaine just as much.

Tina and Mercedes were at their lockers next to Blaine's when he and Mike stopped. Mike leaned down and kissed Tina on the cheek, but she barely noticed it. Mercedes closed her locker, and then leaned back against it, eyeing Blaine.

"So I know there better be a damn good reason you ignored all my texts," she said sassily, poking Blaine in the shoulder as he tugged his locker open.

"I was uh, busy," Blaine decided. "Got three tests today."

"Uh huh, sure," Mercedes said, clearly not believing anything he'd just said. "You also disappeared right after Kurt took that slushy for you."

"Just– please, please, don't push this right now," Blaine requested weakly. "It's all so complicated and I don't know how anything is going to work out... "

"I still can't believe he did that," Tina said after a few minutes. Mike hugged her from behind as Mercedes nodded in agreement.

Blaine made no further comments and instead busied himself digging through his locker for various notebooks and binders. His friends continued to chat next to him and Blaine tuned it out. Larger groups of students started passing by and as Blaine closed his locker with a soft click he realized that the thunderous murmur of voices up and down the hall had dropped to a buzzing whisper.

"Blaine... "

At Mike's hesitant voice Blaine turned and found the hall parted in a very similar fashion to when he was about to be slushied. He tensed on reflex, but then he caught sight of Kurt and Finn at the other end of the hall. They were standing there, looking over the staring crowd and muttering to each other. After a few more words Finn shrugged and moved forward, heading straight over to Blaine and his friends. Kurt hung back, though, eyeing everyone is obvious terror at what they might do to him if he dared to move forward, too.

Blaine had to fight down the impulse to walk over to him and help urge him forward, but he knew he couldn't. Kurt had to do this on his own when he was ready. He'd already made that mistake once before Kurt was ready. Blaine wasn't about to let it happen again.

"Hey, guys," Finn greeted, slapping hands with Mike and offering the girls a bright smile. "Did anyone have any good ideas for that Sectionals song Mr. Schue wanted us to think about?"

Nobody was listening to Finn, though. Tina, Mike, Mercedes, and Blaine were looking over at Kurt, smoothing out his uniform top and taking a deep steadying breath before he traced Finn's footsteps down the hall and stopped between his step-brother and Blaine.

"H- hi," Kurt said, his voice high and breathy as the whispers around their group turned into an angry buzz like a swarm of bees.

Blaine smiled slowly as Kurt pressed closer to him, shoulders brushing as the other boy's bright eyes darted back and forth along the hall. He knew how much courage and strength it had taken for Kurt to make the ten foot journey over here to get that one simple word out, but as he tangled his fingers into Kurt's he saw him visibly relax. Nobody was throwing things in their faces or shouting slurs. Not yet at any rate.

Kurt squeezed his hand tightly, a tentative smile spreading over his face.

"Hey yourself," Blaine murmured. "I didn't think you'd... maybe tomorrow, but not today... "

"I had to come over and say good morning to my boyfriend, didn't I?" Kurt reminded him, cheeks turning pink. He bit his lip for a moment and then ducked in and pecked Blaine on the cheek. "Good morning, boyfriend."

A giddy rush surged through Blaine, starting from where Kurt's lips brushed his cheek and shooting out through his limbs. The feeling settled pleasant and warm in his chest, then down to the hand clasped by Kurt's. This was more than he'd ever hoped to find in high school, especially after the disaster of his freshmen year. He'd never expected to have anything with Kurt after that, but here they were, slightly uncertain and nervous, but together in a crowded hallway of McKinley with a handful of friends around them.

"It definitely is now that you're over here," Blaine agreed brightly.

When he turned back to the rest of their group he was greeted with mixed reactions. Mike and Finn were grinning broadly, but Tina looked unsure and Mercedes was downright hostile.

"Oh, no, I don't– "

Blaine cut her off quickly with a pointed look at the eagerly listening crowd. "Please, not here, Mercedes. For me?"

"I– fine, but don't think that– " Mercedes bit her lip, gave Kurt a fierce look and then huffed in annoyance. "I've got to get to class. We'll talk at lunch, boy."

She hugged Tina, Mike, then Blaine, and gave the Hudson- Hummel brothers a untrusting look before she left. Blaine watched her go as the warning bell rang overhead. The crowd around them started to shuffle off in disappointment, as Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand a little tighter and Tina slid in on his other side with Mike.

"It's a good thing Mr. Jenkins is blind as a bat," Tina told him, "because you and I are going to be passing a lot of notes until you've explained this."

Blaine expected to feel slightly annoyed at her words, but he wasn't. He was simply glad she wasn't shouting, arguing, or making this transition even worse than it was going to be. There was no way this would simply be allowed as the day progressed, but he had some hope. His friends were there, and Kurt's hand was soft and reassuring as it hugged his own. Somehow they'd make it through this day, no matter what it brought.

Blaine was relatively surprised when his mother didn't ask questions. She picked him up without a word, ushered him up to his bathroom in his numb, silent state, and drew a hot bath. When Blaine remained immobile and shivering at her side after she shut the faucet off, Lyra sighed sadly and started to unbutton Blaine's damp shirt. It was that touch that nudged Blaine back to the present.

He pulled away slightly, sniffling. "I've got it," he mumbled weakly, starting to remove his stained shirt.

"D- do you need anything, sweetheart?" his mother asked gently. "Soup? Ice cream and a movie marathon perhaps?"

"No, I– maybe some soup," Blaine relented, sliding his shirt off his shoulders and biting his lip so he didn't wince. His right shoulder was already sore and stiff from hitting the lockers an hour ago. In the morning he wouldn't be surprised if he found a dark bruise stretched over the area.

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll put some on for you."

But she remained where she was, watching him with a pained expression. Blaine tried to ignore it as he kicked his shoes off and sat down on the toilet to remove his socks. He didn't want to explain any of this, or even to remember it. Even though Blaine knew his mother wanted to help and make sure he was fine he also knew there was no real way he could convince her of that. Not right now in the state he was in. What did she think had happened? Would she go into school with him on Monday and demand to speak with Figgins about her concerns?

"Blaine, I– Cooper begged me not to, but," his mother's voice faltered, a sharp edge of agony ringing in her last words. Her knees appeared in front of him. She bent down then, stroked his cheek gently, and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I... I won't force you to tell me until you're ready, but you're my little boy and you've been hurt. I don't know by who or how and what was done, but I'm here and I love you, sweetheart. Just d- don't forget that, okay? We're all here for you. Me, your father, Cooper, Kurt– "

At the sound of the other boy's name a stiff coldness spread through Blaine's chest, freezing his lungs mid-breath. He managed a strangled noise of agony before he was swept into his mother's arms, off the toilet and down into her lap where she cradled him against her tightly.

"S- something happened with Kurt, baby?" she asked, sounding heartbroken.

Blaine nodded against her neck. She wrapped him up in her arms more tightly and murmured soothingly to him. Despite the raw ache pulsing in his chest Blaine's eyes remained dry.

"It hurts, Mama," he murmured, burying his face into her long, thick curls.

"Oh, sweetheart, I know, I know," she soothed, rocking him slowly. "First loves are always the one's that hurt the most."

They stayed there on the bathroom floor for a long time, until the tub water was cold and Blaine's shirt was dry. When they finally pulled apart Blaine found that his mother was crying. If this had been an hour or two ago he might have been, too, but he'd left all of his tears back at McKinley. There weren't any more left in him right now.

"I'll go make your soup, set out your pajamas, and grab a few movies," his mother decided, helping him to his feet.

Blaine nodded, closed the door behind her, and stripped off his remaining clothes. He turned back to the tub and pulled the drain. As he sat on the side, tugged the faucet on and watched some of the cold water drain while warmer water filled it's place he tried to imagine the same thing happening inside of him. But even once he'd finished changing the water out and sunk into it he didn't feel any warmer. Not on the inside at least. He felt desolate and cold, but there was also a little spark of something else he'd never really directed at Kurt before.

Anger was slowly seeping into him now that his head was clearing a little. How dare Kurt do this to him. After all he'd done for his best friend, and this was the thanks he got for trying to make Santana's blackmail easier to bare. But part of him still couldn't be angry at Kurt, because Blaine knew how difficult it was to admit to the truth right there in front of everyone. It had been worse for him with his father, but wit that large crowd looming around, closing in until it was almost suffocating...

He shivered and hugged his knees to his chest. Kurt would call him or text. Some type of apology or explanation for his stupidity and cruelty. Maybe it had been Quinn's hand that had forced his arm forward... maybe Kurt had been so shocked by that that he'd been unable to think, let alone move. It would take a lot of time for Blaine to forgive him, regardless of what had happened, but Blaine knew he could if Kurt was truly sorry and still on his side.

The Kurt he knew would want forgiveness, because his Kurt valued their friendship and trust more than anything else. By the end of the night Kurt would search him out, through a phone call or a visit. Blaine was certain of it. He had to be. There was very little else he could count on now, and if he lost Kurt to all of this he'd have nothing.

There was a surprising lack of hostility from their classmates as Monday progressed. It unnerved Blaine, because at every corner he was expecting a slushy to the face or a shove into a wall or locker. Everyone was giving him and Kurt a wide berth though, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the assaults truly began. The jocks and Cheerios, who were all ignoring Kurt, were probably regrouping to form an attack plan for the rest of the week. The boys might get a free day to adjust themselves a little, but after this they'd most likely never get a break again.

Even though Kurt's friends weren't talking to him he didn't seem too upset. After several dozen note exchanges with Tina in first block she was now being tentatively friendly and Mercedes merely grumbled under her breath when Kurt joined them in second block and then at their lunch table. The afternoon was filled with several exams for Blaine and then after the final announcements he rushed to Glee, where he met Kurt.

A few heated kisses were exchanged before the next person, Rachel, arrived, and she looked amazed and slightly miffed.

"Really, Blaine? I have two gay dads and I'm the last to know?" she complained immediately. "Did you practice for our duet or can I give your part to Finn?"

"Can I give your part to Kurt?" Blaine retorted as Kurt settled down in his seat.

"Absolutely not!"

"There's your answer then," Blaine said simply.

Rachel huffed and began running through her vocal warm-ups as Blaine dropped down into his seat. The rest of the group steadily arrived until only Mr. Schuester was absent. When their teacher did appear he looked quite pleased with himself.

"New assignment, guys!" he hollered over their conversations, clapping his hands and grabbing a marker from the whiteboard up front. Blaine watched him scribble a short word out onto the board and then spin to address them once more. "Duets! Every competition we have a duet– "

"Between me and our best male singer," Rachel added pointedly, batting her eyes at Finn, who looked a little scared of her.

"Not this time," Mr. Schuester said, and Rachel's face fell in absolute horror. "We're going to have a little competition of our own, and our winning pair will perform their duet at Regionals."

"But– "

"You have an equal chance just as the rest of the group," Mr. Schuester cut in. Rachel glared at him and pouted, looking very upset by all of this. "This assignment is going to spam several weeks, so make sure you practice a lot if you really want that spot. Oh, and the winners will receive– " Mr. Schuester dug something out of his back pocket and held it up "Dinner for two at Breadstix!"

The group murmured excitedly as Mr. Schuester instructed them to pick a singing partner by Thursday's club meeting. Rachel immediately dived at Finn while Mercedes looked between Artie and Tina, who was already pestering Mike. She seemed to realize getting Tina away from Mike would be next to impossible and left Blaine's side to team up with Artie. Blaine clasped Kurt's hand as the other pairs broke off and started to discuss their possible song choices.

"So... will you sing with me?" Blaine asked nervously, despite being certain of the answer. It was still a little strange to have such a constant, positive response from Kurt.

Kurt nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the only one I want to sing with," he admitted. "Finn's the only other one who would and well... I'd hate to fight Rachel for my step-brother."

Grinning a little, Blaine glanced over to where Rachel was prattling on enthusiastically about some Broadway show, while Finn tried to discretely slide his chair as far away as possible. He honestly couldn't blame the jock. After knowing the other girl since middle school, and being fully aware of what Wicked was, Blaine was still rather frightened of her zealous passion.

"Dunno, I think he'd be quite glad to be away from her," Blaine mentioned teasingly. "Then you and her could sing Broadway and me and Finn would try some powerhouse 1980s rock."

"Nuh uh, no," Kurt chided as Rachel's voice began to echo around the choir room. "Stick to Katy Perry and P!nk. You've got to leave Finn with at least one genre."

"What about Destiny's Child?" Blaine asked as he turned away from Finn's startled expression and smiled at Kurt. "I've been thinking of turning Bills, Bills, Bills into an a cappella number. That's the Warblers' fault."

"The who?"

"Oh, the Warblers. They're the Glee Club at Dalton," Blaine said quietly, in case Rachel miraculously heard him over the sound of her own voice. "Cooper took me up there to check it out last week."

Kurt's face was a mixture of surprise, happiness, and dismay. For a second Blaine didn't understand why, but it registered not long after. Kurt was scared of losing him to Dalton. After all Blaine had left the option of transferring open at any point in time, and if he did so now... Kurt would be out and alone, left to deal with whatever horror McKinley could create for him.

"I'm not transferring," Blaine rushed to reassure him, and Kurt relaxed a little. "Cooper just wanted me to see the place, make a few friends. I've been texting a few of them, and they're really nice. And get this, Kurt, none of them cared that I was gay. It didn't even surprise them or anything. It was just... really nice to be there. To feel like the world saw me as normal for a change."

"You really should have gone there all along," Kurt said regretfully. "Maybe none of this would have– "

"Shh," Blaine murmured, cutting him off with a quick kiss. "Yeah, all of this has sucked, but... maybe it's better that it did happen. Back in ninth grade I... I idolized you so much. You were everything and I pretty much had love blinders on when it came to you, Kurt. Now I don't and we can both see each other for who we really are. It might have hurt a lot to get here, but it's worth it, I think."

"You'll always be worth it," Kurt assured him, dropping his head onto Blaine's shoulder and snuggling closer as Mr. Schuester finally stepped in between Finn and Rachel. She had stopped singing and started yelling at him for not knowing what Wicked was.

"Any ideas for our duet, then?" Blaine asked.

"Not really. We could go to your house after school and listen to some?" Kurt offered.

A little warm bubble expanded in Blaine's stomach, because somehow he didn't think they'd be listening all that much to the music. They'd be curled up on his bed, pressed close and exploring each other even more than before. He blushed slightly at the thought, but agreed quickly. He loved spending his afternoons with Kurt, and they ought to end this last day of peace well. No doubt tomorrow would be the worst kind of hell.