Disclaimer: Someday I will steal Glee but for now I don't own it.
Carol didn't know much about Kurt. He used to be all happy and outgoing but lately he had been withdrawn. She wasn't all that crazy about the thought of hanging out with him that Friday night when Blaine cancelled on him and Burt and Finn went to see a football game. Kurt normally wasn't around her, usually he was either out with Blaine or in his room and he hardly talked anymore. That Friday he was in a particularly good mood and decided to hang out with Carol for a What Not to Wear marathon.
"Oh god," Kurt shook his head at the TV, "is she really wearing that? This is scarring, I'm going to need therapy after this."
Carol laughed and took a handful of the fat-free popcorn that Kurt had made, "It gets so much worse!"
"She looks like a six year old prostitute!" Kurt gasped.
"What?" Carol laughed some more, "How do you even know what that looks like?"
Kurt just shrugged and leaned back, "I could never deal with those people who just ignore them and buy back their old clothes."
"I know! I mean really? Poodle skirts?" Carol pretended to throw up. It was silent for a few minutes then Carol spoke up, "You seem really happy today."
"Yup," Kurt tilted his head and smiled dreamily, "I am."
"Blaine?" It was more of a statement.
"He got tickets for us to see Lady Gaga!" Kurt smiled and bounced a little in his seat, "I am planning on proposing to her after the concert." He joked.
"Poor Blaine, he gets you tickets and you marry someone else." Carol played along.
"Nah," Kurt waved a hand, "It can be a three way marriage, I wonder if Gaga accepts polygamy. Oh god what is she wearing?"
They watched their show for a few minutes, making fun of people's awful fashion senses and talking about other subjects. Carol noticed that Kurt avoided bringing up school. She didn't think much of it until she put a hand on his shoulder and he flinched as though in pain but quickly composed himself. She didn't bring it up until it happened again when he had to scratch his shoulder.
"Kurt," Carol said finally, "are you okay?"
"Of course I am." Kurt looked down at his hands. She reached over and prodded his shoulder and he made a squeaky noise which made him blush a little, "Stop doing that."
"Kurt," Carol paused the TV, "take off your shirt."
Kurt's eyes widened, "Carol that's gross."
"You know I didn't mean it that way Kurt." She crossed her arms.
"I have to use the bath-"
"Kurt." Carol said firmly. He sighed and pulled off his, no doubt, expensive shirt. Carol gasped as she saw the dark purple bruises running up his sides and arms, "What the hell happened?" She demanded.
"It was just from the locker slams." Kurt sounded defensive, "It's not a big deal, it's nothing new."
"Kurt, it is a big deal. This shouldn't be happening at school! I'm calling your father, he'll know what to do."
"Carol, please don't!" Kurt pleaded, "He's sick, I don't want to cause stress on his heart."
"Not telling him will stress him out!" Carol argued, "He's been so worried about you for a while. That stresses him out Kurt! If you tell him what's going on then he won't have to worry that it might be something worse."
Kurt sighed, "Can I put my shirt back on?" Carol nodded and handed the shirt to him. He eyed it and complained, "It's wrinkled."
"Wait," She said when he went to put it back on. She walked into the bathroom then came back with a tube of some kind of lotion, "This should help them heal." She spread it onto his wounds, apologizing every time he flinched.
"Thanks Carol." Kurt tried to smile but couldn't shake the feeling of anger that he had ruined their bonding night. His father had to beg him to have bonding time with her, "I think I'm going to go to bed." He said as he pulled his shirt back on.
Carol realized that Kurt was retreating back to his unhappy self, "Kurt," She said before he could leave, "I worry about you too."
Kurt sighed and sat back down, "I wish people would stop worrying about me." He wasn't some scared little kid. He took care of problems at school for years and he could still take care of them.g
"We will as soon as there's nothing to worry about." Carol gently patted his knee.
"There isn't anything to worry about." Kurt insisted.
"Kurt, another student threatened your life, worry is normal." Did Kurt even realize that he could be in danger?
"But I didn't tell- um, nevermind." Kurt stood up again, "I'm getting tired." But Kurt knew Carol wouldn't let his little slip of the tounge go.
"Kurt what did he tell you not to tell? I want the truth this time." Carol demanded, grabbing onto his wrist.
"What makes you think it was a lie?"
"Even Finn thought it was a lie." Oh wow it was that obvious?
"It's not my place to tell." Kurt sat back down again, "It's not my secret."
"Why do you even care anymore? This guy has tortured you for years and you're still protecting his secrets." Carol crossed her arms.
"Because I understand how it feels to not want anyone to know something. It's scary especially when someone else knows the secret too. You either have to trust them not to tell or make sure that they can't." Kurt looked down at his hands again.
Burt had told her about Kurt's struggle with his sexuality and how defensive he was, before he came out, when Burt said it was okay if he didn't like girls. He even started calling random stuff gay to convince people that he wasn't though he never thought about changing his style and trying to act more masculine. He would never do that.
"I... I understand," Carol patted his back, careful to avoid bruised spots, "you don't have to tell, but... be honest with me, is it partly because you're afraid of what he might do?"
Kurt thought for a second, "I'm not sure, I don't think he'd follow through but I still have a strong fear that he might."
"You shouldn't have to be afraid at high school," Carol frowned, "you should be safe."
"And people shouldn't discriminate but just because it's wrong doesn't mean that no one will do it. There are just people who do wrong and they believe in it as much as we believe in what's right." Kurt gave her a small, conforting smile.
Carol was holding back tears now, "Kurt you're so brave, even when these people put you through hell you stay so strong."
"Not brave enough to actually do something about it, just stupid enough to put up with it." Kurt glared at his lap.
"You're not stupid," Carol wanted to hug him, make him happy but it would probably just hurt him, "It's them, they're the Lima Losers, you're going to be someone Kurt."
Now Kurt was about to cry, "Thank you." He whispered.
"I love you honey." Carol smiled and resisted the urge to envelope him in a motherly hug.
xXx
"We're sending you to Dalton." Burt said.
"But, my friends, glee, I can't just leave all of that!" Kurt argued.
"Kurt, this boy threatened you're life, you just pissed him off, you're not staying here." Burt looked down at his small son.
"But your honeymoon-"
"We can have a honeymoon later." Carol smiled sweetly.
"Get your stuff," Burt said, "whether you like it or not, you're transferring to Dalton."
xXx
A/N: Poor Kurty-poo, his wonderful skin is flawed by bruises. Oh well. Okay I'm going to try to update Phantom tonight sooooooooo don't flip if you're one of the three whole people who actually read it. Someone else should write some Carol/Kurt hurt/confort Okay review because I'm worried about all of my hurt/confort stuff, I'm bad at making him sad.