The night is dark and Blaine can't help looking out of the window for the 23rd time. Rachel returned from dinner just over an hour ago and when he'd asked where Kurt was she said he'd just gone for a little walk. A little walk shouldn't last an hour.

"Dude he's probably just got distracted or something." Sam says in a way that's supposed to be soothing but it just makes Blaine glare at him, honey eyes fiery in that way they do when someone says something about his fiance that he doesn't like.

"He shouldn't be out this late and Kurt doesn't get distracted." He snaps and Sam rears back. He'd probably feel guilty if his mind wasn't filled with the vigil the four of them went to the other night and blood on cement.

"Blaine's right," Rachel says worriedly. "He knows better than to wander around New York on his own. We should go looking for him." She smiles reassuringly at him and Blaine bites back the desire to yell at her, to remind her that SHE let him wander around on his own, she should have been with him. Instead he gets up and gets his coat, Sam following him. They walk down to the street and down the road to retrace the steps back to the restaurant. They don't get far, just a couple of streets when Rachel looks down an alleyway and screams. Blaine turns his head to where she's looking and his blood turns ice-cold. Down the alleyway is a figure on the ground, a figure he'd know anywhere, a flash of red around his neck and his mind floods with the image of wrapping the scarf around his fiance's neck hours before, pressing a loving kiss to his Kurt's full lips, his hands full of the scarf before letting him go. They race down the alley and he kneels by his love, combing his hair back from his face. He doesn't look badly hurt, a few small cuts litter his face but he can't see under Kurt's clothing and he'd not conscious, not a good sign.

He dimly hears Rachel on the phone and Sam apologising over and over but he can't care about them. All of his focus is on Kurt, his precious Kurt and the blood covering his gorgeous face. “It's okay, Kurt. You're okay. I'm here,” He whispers and jolts when Kurt groans a little, moves and grips his arm. “Don't move sweetie, lay still. I'm here.”

The paramedics come, telling them all how lucky he is after what happened not long ago and he's whisked off to hospital. He's checked over and deemed ok. He's bruised, cut up and Blaine fusses over the bandage they have to wrap around his ribs but he's okay. He's alive and lucky and past the fear and anger Blaine feels, he's more than a little proud that his Kurt tried to help someone, and saved him, the man being attacked is fine and turns up, thanking them. It turns out he's a barista at the coffee shop they like going to and was being mugged, not bashed thankfully but he still thanks Kurt and before the guy can give Kurt his number Blaine steps in, his eyes dark and thanks the man for his wishes to his fiance. The man for his credit shakes his hand and disappears.

The pride lasts until the next day when Kurt tuts at him for fussing and Blaine's patience snaps. He tries, he tries so hard but he can only take so much and his fiance should be happy he cares, happy he understands, happy he's here, not tutting and pushing his hands away when he tries to help. He tells Kurt this and gets a stunned silence, followed by Kurt's harsh voice, the one he almost never uses with Blaine.

"I'm fine, Blaine! I don't need to be coddled and I am happy, I am appreciative that my wonderful fiance is here for me but I'm okay!"

"You're okay? you're okay? You're not okay!"

"Yes I am!"

"The hell you are, Kurt! If the doctors say you're not okay, if me finding you lying in an alleyway says you're not okay you're not fucking okay! I tell you when you're okay!" He winces at his own words, they never swear unless they're truly angry at each other and he can see how much the word gets to Kurt, more than the overbearing words after it. He's told Kurt he owns him before, as Kurt has to him. It's a little co-dependent but that's the way they are and it works. He can see Rachel and Sam cowering behind her partition but he doesn't care. He's so angry and if he has to terrify their friends to get through to Kurt, then that's that.

"Blaine!" Kurt starts but Blaine cuts him off, he has more to say.

"Where the hell were you, anyway? Why did you think it was a good idea to wander around New York? Why weren't you with Rachel?"

Kurt huffs and turns around, gesturing to the apartment and looks back at Blaine. “Because I'm always with her, or Sam, or you, or Starchild or someone. Look, I love you, Blaine. I love you so much but I'm not used to this, sometimes it's too much. I was on my own with my dad, then Carole and Finn then you came along then it was Rachel and I, then Rachel, Santana and I. Rachel had her boyfriend around, Santana had Dani around but they weren't there all the time. I'm so happy you're here but sometimes it gets too much and I just wanted ten minutes on my own without everyone else around all the time.”

Blaine blinks and stares. He gets it. Sometimes their friends are annoying, sometimes he's clingy, okay he can be very clingy but Kurt should know better and now he's looking at him with shame in his eyes, those ever-changing eyes he made a promise not to fill with tears again. “Oh Kurt,” He whispers, all of the anger drained out of him. He walks over and gathers his fiance in his arms, kissing him gently. “I know, okay? I understand but you can't put yourself in danger like that. I just…We've been through so much, I can't lose you again, I won't.”

"I'm sorry, Blaine." Kurt chokes out.

"We'll work it out." He whispers into his neck.

They return to the scene later on after Kurt meekly asks to go back, now he understands. Blaine agrees barely and keeps their hands locked together as they walk down to the little tribute site, flowers over the pavement and a picture tacked to the pole. Kurt looks at Blaine and the look on his face breaks his heart. He's looking at the flowers with those wide, deep hazel eyes, tears making them sparkle but he can't admire, not when his fiance is in this much pain and he wonders if Blaine's seeing his own bashing years ago, Russ', or Kurt in the alleyway. Blaine hadn't spoken much after their argument. They'd held each other then made lunch, Blaine quiet and reflective, not speaking to him or Rachel or Sam who came out of their hiding place for lunch. They'd eaten in relative silence and as soon as it was done Blaine had gotten up and walked into their bedroom, shutting their curtain firmly behind him with a look of ‘let me be alone' on his face. It was the first time he'd actually been scared that Blaine would leave. When he'd asked to go back the black-haired boy had nodded, gathered up their coats and helped Kurt into his with a firm hand. It was nice, now he wasn't trying to reject it, that his fiance loved him enough to help him, to want to take over and be his protector.

"It could have been you."

Blaine's voice, cracking and weak startles him and he looks down, feeling Blaine rests his head on his shoulder, his cheek rubbing the cloth of his coat and in a sudden moment he sees it. He sees himself through Blaine's eyes, the fear, the panic, the sheer terror at seeing him on the ground. He sees how it could have been him, sees how Blaine felt surreptitiously for a pulse, sees the pain and relief when the pulse is there slowly throbbing beneath his fingers. He sees, finally after trying back when Blaine told him, Blaine's bashing, the horrific event that changed him forever. He sees broken bones and blood and jeering laughs and deep hazel eyes rolling back and he gets it.

He gets it.