Kurt Hummel hated waking up in the morning to go to William McKinley High School.

He'd never particularly liked school. The other kids had always treated him different. Maybe it was the fact that he wore bow ties instead of polo shirts in kindergarten. Or maybe it was because he'd rather spend recess under a tree with a thick book or a magazine.

Maybe it was his looks. How he was always pale, no matter how long he stayed outside. Or how he was small and skinny, then tall and thin. Maybe it was his features and how they'd never be rough and rugged but graceful and regal.

Kurt thought it might be his attitude. How he ignored the names and the shoves and slushies. How he knew he was superior to all those Neanderthals that were his classmates. How his pride kept his head high and his eyes up.

But most of all, Kurt knew he hated school because of how he was treated like shit on a daily basis because he was gay and absolutely no one noticed.

He was wrong, though.

Someone noticed.

But Blaine Anderson couldn't convince himself to do anything to help.

And he hated it.

Blaine watched Kurt take the daily abuses—shoulder checks, trips, dumpster tosses. The works. He watched Kurt stand back up and mouth off to his tormentors day in and day out—or just stalk away as if the jocks weren't worth his time. He watched Kurt stand tall and proud and unafraid—and he hated himself because he couldn't do the same.

Blaine Anderson was gay.

But no one knew.

Not even Kurt.

And that tore Blaine up every day.

Blaine Anderson, quiet, normal, slightly nerdy Blaine Anderson, had a crush on the gorgeous, perfect, beautiful Kurt Hummel. But he couldn't make himself step out of the closet. He was a coward.

Today seemed worse than usual. Blaine was getting his books from his lockers when he saw Kurt rush past him to his own down the hallway. He was moving faster than normal, and Blaine saw a stray chunk of lettuce in Kurt's other flawless hair as Kurt ripped open his locker door.

Then he saw how Kurt's eyes were slightly glassy and how his cheeks were flushed. Blaine paused in the process of taking out a book. Kurt had just climbed out of a dumpster. Which made it the third time this week. And it was only Wednesday.

He was suddenly aware of Kurt's glare. Blaine had seen that expression on Kurt's face before, but not directed at him. Usually it was directed on the bystanders after a particularly hard collision with the lockers. Blaine swallowed and shoved his books in his bag, closing the locker door and walking away. His throat closed up and his heart hurt. The look of anger and betrayal in those blue-green eyes didn't leave him.

Blaine wanted to help Kurt so bad.

But he couldn't.

Blaine walked into AP English, hating himself a little more.

When Kurt walked in a few minutes later and sat three desks away, looking tidy and clean and flawless, Blaine wanted to cry.

He wished he wasn't so pathetic.

Kurt's day started off bad, and steadily got worse. English wasn't so bad because it was too advanced for most of the football players. He noticed Blaine staring at him, but Kurt brushed it off.

History was awful because they were discussing discrimination during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War and Kurt's all-white class kept cracking racist jokes. He wanted to say something because one of his best friends, Mercedes, was black and didn't deserve that kind of shit in 2010. Then again, he was getting the same treatment now as African-Americans got then and it still wasn't fair because at least Mercedes had some laws to protect her.

Between periods he was shoved into a locker and Kurt just knew his McQueen jacket had ripped but he was too frustrated to check the damage.

Study hall was spent in the choir room with the rest of Glee club, where Rachel proceeded to inform all of them about how she was getting the solo for Sectionals and none of them could do a thing about it. Kurt had had enough of her self-centered attitude and told Rachel that he wanted a solo for Sectionals, and that he wanted to sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' Rachel thought for a minute and smiled. Kurt thought that was a good sign and began to relax, but then Rachel told him that while his opinions were lovely because it fostered a spirit of camaraderie between the group, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was much better suited for her own voice and surely Judy Garland would prefer her song to be sung by someone who truly understood the meaning of the song, right? So she would sing that song and Kurt could provide lovely backups. Then she began hounding Finn on a perfect duet song for the two of them.

Kurt never wanted to punch Rachel more.

He, however, bit his tongue and sat back in his seat. Mercedes was too busy arguing with Tina over the hotness of Joseph Gordon-Levitt to notice Kurt trying to keep his composure. The boys had long ago tuned Rachel out and none of them cared enough to fight for Kurt. Not even Blaine. Blaine, who saw Kurt this morning and walked away. Kurt crossed his arms around himself and tried not to cry as he waited for the day to just be over.

One day, he would be in New York and selling out theaters left and right. Kurt Hummel would not be stuck in Lima for the rest of his life because there was a better place for him over the rainbow, a world where he would be taken seriously and not harassed. Where he could be himself and sing without persecution and ridicule. Where he could live without fear.

As Kurt sat silently, Blaine watched from across the room.

One day, Blaine would stand up for Kurt.

But not yet.

When he got home that night, Blaine wrapped up his hands and spent an hour pounding on the heavy bag his father had set up in the basement. Then he sat down and cried.

Kurt made it through the day. Just like he always did. He threw his books in his rooms and changed into a t-shirt and shorts, grabbing his iPod, a bottle of water, and a towel on his way out. At the gym, Kurt pounded out three miles and tried to convince himself that everything would be alright.

Thursday was more of the same. More bruises were added to Kurt's back, more cuts were etched into Blaine's heart. After one particularly hard locker shove where Kurt's phone screen wound up smashed, Kurt snapped and ran after the jock in the locker room.

Blaine saw Karofsky come out of the locker room some time later. The jock looked both ways nervously, walking quickly with his head down. Blaine wondered. He waited until he saw Kurt open the door. He was hiding behind a corner so Kurt couldn't see him.

Kurt was a mess. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair ruffled, one delicate hand pressed tight against his mouth and the other arm wrapped firmly around his stomach. Blaine saw Kurt's shoulders hunched over and shaking and heard the boy's muffled sobs. Kurt didn't stop; didn't see Blaine watching; he just walked down the hallway and left the school.

Watching Kurt leave, Blaine was frozen. Once Kurt was out of eyesight, Blaine whirled around and punched the nearest locker hard enough to dent the metal door.

He was going to do something.

Tomorrow.

Blaine couldn't believe how much weight fell off his shoulders with that decision.

No one noticed. No one ever noticed.

Kurt walked through the hallways the next morning in a daze. He felt like he was sleepwalking. His head was a constant battle to keep up appearances and not break down, to not give away for a second that everything was not okay. It worked. No one noticed.

Blaine was watching him again, but Kurt had given on that ship long ago. Because while Blaine was gorgeous and funny and smart, Blaine was straight. Just like every other boy in this damn school.

Other than Karofsky.

Kurt almost gagged but got to his locker without throwing up.

Mercedes and Tina had spared a second to say hello before running off to their math class. Rachel felt the need to talk to Kurt all about her plans to get to New York after high school and how all of her solos were going to help her get into an amazing school and how she and Finn were still going strong and that she was sorry it didn't work between him and Finn or him and Sam because they were straight and Kurt was not and that not to worry, Kurt might find someone one day. Maybe in New York.

Briefly Kurt considered taking Rachel's stupid kitten sweater and shoving it in a wood chipper. He thought about her being in it when it happened. Then immediately felt guilty because as a victim of constant violence, Kurt made an effort to be different.

But sometimes it was hard.

Glee practice was at the end of the day. Kurt couldn't wait to leave. So he could go to his room and stop pretending. Stop the fake smiles and hiding the pain when someone touched his back. So he could cry about his first kiss being taken from him in a dirty smelly locker room by a closeted homophobe.

Kurt sat, arms crossed and eyes lowered while everyone else carried a million conversations around him.

He had never felt so alone than when he was in a room with all of his friends.

When Blaine suddenly announced that he had a song to sing, Kurt didn't even look up. He heard Blaine stand, but Kurt couldn't be bothered to watch him perform. Blaine had probably decided which of the girls he'd want to date. He transferred to McKinley at the beginning of the year like Sam, but hadn't had a girlfriend yet even though it was almost two months into the semester. Kurt had heard many conversations about Blaine once Sam started going after Quinn. He knew Blaine could snap his fingers and have any girl in the room, with the possible exception of Tina.

Unlike most of the club members, Blaine didn't stop to explain his choice. He just started playing an acoustic guitar, picking the chords to a slowed song. The tune was familiar.

"Down in a local bar,
Out on the boulevard,
The sound of an old guitar
Is saving you from sinking"

The song didn't sound like a love song. Blaine's voice was low and rough but beautiful. Kurt lifted his head to see Blaine standing in front of him.

"Back like you never broke
You tell a dirty joke
He touches your leg and thinks he's getting close
For now you let him just this once
Just for now
And just like that - it's over"

Blaine didn't move from his spot in front of Kurt as he sang. Kurt glanced around at the other Glee kids. They seemed as confused as Kurt, half staring at Kurt and the other half staring at Blaine. Listening to the lyrics, Kurt felt a lump in his throat growing.

"Don't turn away
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Life is always hard
For the belle of the boulevard"

There was no way Blaine Anderson was singing this song to him. But his voice had so much feeling—as if he meant every single word. Kurt thought no one had noticed him.

Maybe he was wrong.

He kept his expression carefully neutral and Blaine kept singing, his voice emotional and his eyes looking at Kurt with something Kurt couldn't recognize.

"Please hold on,
It's alright
Please hold on,
It's alright"

Kurt tightened his arms around his waist. He watched Blaine lay his heart bare for the whole room. If Blaine really meant what he was saying…maybe Kurt could make it.

"Don't turn away
Darling, dry your eyes, dry your eyes
Don't be afraid
Keep it all inside, all inside
When you fall apart
Gonna dry your eyes, dry your eyes"

Blaine let go of the guitar and knelt in front of Kurt, prying the boy's hands from their position around his waist and holding on tightly. Touching Kurt's hand was even more amazing than Blaine had imagined and he smiled as he looked into Kurt's eyes.

"Life is always hard
For the belle of the boulevard."

No one spoke after Blaine let the last note trail off. Kurt blinked rapidly, trying to will his tear ducts to not start overacting because he was sick of crying. But Blaine was gazing at him with those beautiful hazel eyes that were filled with something Kurt still couldn't recognize. He took a deep, shuddery breath, which seemed to wake Blaine from his trance.

"I'm sorry."

Kurt just stared and waited. He tried to pull his hands back, but Blaine tightened his grip and Kurt saw a flash of panic fly across his eyes. So he settled for staying silent.

"I want to tell you something, Kurt." Blaine said quietly.

In the months since Blaine's transfer, Blaine hadn't spoken more than two words to Kurt. He would see Blaine snicker after a particularly witty comeback or would catch Blaine watching him from across the room, but Kurt never approached him.

Boys didn't like it when gay guys tried to talk to them.

But Blaine wanted to tell him something. So Kurt nodded slightly.

Blaine's voice was thick with emotion and pain. "I know you don't think anyone sees you. That you're invisible." He saw Rachel open her mouth to protest but Blaine rushed on. "You think no one notices when you come in here with ripped jackets or garbage in your hair or how you never sit back against the chairs because your back is too sore from being shoved into lockers every day." He gripped Kurt's hands even tighter and swallowed. "I notice, Kurt. And," Blaine fought to keep his voice steady but mostly failed. "And I'm so sorry I let you suffer like that alone."

Kurt spoke for the first time. "Blaine, it's fine," he whispered. He wasn't used to anyone else caring about him and now Blaine was on his knees crying while everyone else stared.

But Blaine jerked up at that, voice turning cold and angry. "No, Kurt. It's not fine. You don't deserve this and I need to tell you something I should have told you long ago." Kurt waited while Blaine took a steadying breath.

"I love you, Kurt." Kurt felt like the floor had dropped out from under him. But Blaine kept his eyes fixed on Kurt's face and smiled radiantly. "God, that feels amazing to finally admit. I'm in love with you, Kurt Hummel, and even if you don't feel the same, I promise to be there for you and fight with you for as long as you'll let me."

When Blaine tugged lightly on Kurt's wrists, Kurt fell out of the chair and wrapped his arms around Blaine. He felt the tears spill over when Blaine hugged back.

"I would really like for you to fight with me." Kurt whispered.

"Always." Blaine hugged him close.

Kurt Hummel still hated waking up in the morning to go to school.

But at least now, he had someone to live for.

He got out of the car and waited for his boyfriend to lock the doors. With a quick peck and a hand sliding into his, Kurt and Blaine walked into school.

Life was hard, but everything was going to be alright.