This is NOT a song fic. Well, it kind of is, but in a not so annoying song fic kind of way. (sorry to all those songfic fans out there, but I rarely like those)

Anyway, this is going to be an 8 chapter story about Blaine and Kurt's relationship inspired by Darren Criss's song, Not Alone. It picks up from the end of Special Education, so if you're reading this fic after subsequent episodes, be warned that it probably won't take into account the things that have happened in those episodes.

Hope you all like it. ^.^

(And yes, I do HIGHLY suggest buying this song or finding it on youtube and listening to it while reading this fic. It's just more fun that way.)

I've been alone

Surrounded by darkness

I've seen how heartless

The world can be

Blaine walked through the halls of Dalton, his hands tucked into his pockets, his mind wandering from one subject to the next. Mostly, however, his brain seemed determined to think about one thing in particular, one thing that Blaine was for once trying his hardest not to think about: Kurt. He was sad that the bullying at McKinley had finally gotten bad enough to force him to transfer to Dalton, but he certainly wasn't complaining about getting to see him more often.

Ever since that faithful day when Blaine and his friends caught Kurt spying on them, there had been an undeniable connection between the two. Sure, some of that was probably because they'd both been through some pretty rough patches with bullying, but it was more than that. After several weeks of hanging out with him, Blaine could see that. Kurt was a great guy. The two of them had a lot in common, and even when they didn't like the same things, it was still so easy to talk to each other about them.

Then there was his voice. Good lord that boy had a beautiful voice! During his solo audition, Blaine couldn't help but stare in wonder. Of course, every other person in that room had been staring as well, but Blaine still felt a bit conspicuous afterwards. Despite all the rumors, there weren't a whole lot of gay guys at Dalton, and before Kurt showed up, Blaine was the only gay man in the Warblers. At least, he was the only one who was openly gay. He had his suspicions about a few of the guys. Not that this had ever really been a problem. Dalton had a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, which the staff and faculty took very seriously. Even the slightest hint of bullying, and you were called to the principal's office immediately. If there was anything more than a hint, you were suspended. Everyone at Dalton knew the policy and knew how rigidly it was enforced. As a result, they hadn't had a single case of bullying reported in three years.

Of course, whether people were saying anything or not, school policy couldn't change how people thought. Despite the fact that he had many close and accepting friends here at Dalton soon after he transferred, he still got the occasional weird look from people passing him in the halls. They weren't threatening or even disdainful looks. Their eyes didn't say, "I hate you." They just said, "You're different." And as much as Blaine tried not to let those looks get to him, they did.

He wasn't sure when it happened, or even if there really was a particular time it started, but slowly, over the years, Blaine had become more and more like everyone else at that school, less different. There were times when Blaine felt bad about that, but mostly, he just felt relieved.

For years, he had put up with constant name-calling, harassment, and even physical beatings just because of the fact that he was different. He remembered coming home from school and trying to hide the tears and bruises from his parents. He felt ashamed that he couldn't stand up for himself and take care of this problem on his own, so he was determined to at least endure it on his own and not bring anyone else into this mess. He stopped hanging out with his friends so that people would stop calling them "fags" for hanging out with a gay guy. Deep down, he knew that he didn't deserve this, that he should get a chance to be happy, to be able to just be himself and not have to feel bad about it, but all he felt was hopelessness. And nobody seemed to care.

Finally, he came home with a face so covered in bruises that there was no way to hide it from his parents. They took him to talk to the principal, but there was nothing they could do, or at least nothing they were willing to do. He claimed that because the beatings took place off campus, the school couldn't do anything about it. And as for any other actions that could be taken against those boys, it was Blaine's word against theirs for what happened. He said they had jumped him for no reason and he fought back. They said he was the one who started the fight.

Frustrated with the school's apathy, his parents took him out of public school and enrolled him in Dalton Academy. The tuition was steep, and though money had never been a problem for his family, he knew that they were making a big sacrifice for him, and he wasn't about to let them down. Things would be different at Dalton. And they were different here. He was different here, and that was OK. At least, it was OK until he met Kurt.

Blaine saw a lot of himself in Kurt; albeit, Kurt was much more flamboyant than he ever was. Hanging out with him, Blaine could feel a bit of his old self resurfacing, the part of him that was different and proud of that fact, the part of him that wasn't afraid to hide his love for Vouge and Patti LuPone. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he missed that old self. Not that he wasn't proud of his new self. He had learned a lot in his time at Dalton and grown a lot. He just wished he could have all that and still be able to talk openly about everything he cared about, not just the things he knew everyone else cared about too. In a lot of ways, he wished he could be more like Kurt.

And now his mind was finally back to the subject that had driven him to wander the Dalton halls aimlessly in the first place: the advice he had given Kurt earlier that week.

"Don't try so hard next time. Did you notice we all wear uniforms here? It's about being part of the team."

The advice he gave Kurt was true. He wasn't going to make it as a Warbler if he only cared about standing out. That really wasn't what this school was about. It was about fitting in, and if Kurt wanted to be successful there, he'd have to find a way to fit in too. But the more he thought about that, the less comfortable he was with it, for both him and Kurt. He had let himself be pushed into this mold, let himself become what others wanted him to be, not what he wanted to be. And now he was trying to do that to Kurt.

Blaine was lost. He didn't know what to do about this. He was so used to things at Dalton. It had become a security blanket for him, protecting him from the darkness of the world outside. He knew how heartless the world could be to people who were different, but instead of trying to change that, he had let himself be pushed to the side. Now he was letting the same thing happen to Kurt. That was what really bothered Blaine. He could accept that he had brought himself to this place, but not Kurt. He wanted something better for him.

But in the end, it was Kurt's decision. Blaine couldn't make it for him. If Kurt wanted to continue going to Dalton and to fit the mold, Blaine would have to be supportive of that. Still, maybe together they could keep those parts of themselves alive in their friendship.

Blaine's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that the text was from Kurt.

"Come to the commons, quick. Something's wrong!" Blaine slipped the phone back into his pocket and headed down the hall in Kurt's direction, quickening his pace with each step. When he got to the room, he saw Kurt sitting on the edge of his seat, staring worriedly at Pavarotti.

"I got your text. What's wrong?"

"It's Pavarotti, I think he's sick! I'm taking good care of him, but he won't sing and he's loosing his feathers." Blaine leaned down to examine the bird.

"Oh he's just molting. He's growing a new set of feathers, so his body has to shut down a little. Don't worry about it. He's got food, water, he seems to like his cage. Just give it a little while. He'll be singing again in no time." Blaine realized as he was speaking that it wasn't Pavarotti he was talking about anymore. It was Kurt. But he was no longer sure that it would be true. He turned to Kurt, mustering up a smile.

"Don't forget, Warbler practice tonight at five. Regional's here we come!" With that, he stood up and left the room. His mind was all over the place today, and he needed some more time to collect his thoughts. Pavarotti would be fine, at least, physically, but some birds needed to fly free. Blaine wasn't sure if he could take seeing Kurt in the Dalton cage.

So, what did you think? Reviews are love. ^.^

Also, for anyone who's afraid this story might get a bit too... angsty, don't worry. There's more action to come in the future. More angst too, but well, this is high school we're talking about, right? How can there be a fic about that without a bit of angst?