Blaine was showing Kurt round Dalton the Sunday before his first day. He had offered to show Kurt his room in case Kurt ever wanted to go and see him. Which made Kurt smile, because of course he would. Kurt looked around the room that Blaine apparently shared with Wes and David in awe. It was huge. Big enough for three double beds, three desks and three wardrobes anyway.

"Wow. I knew I was lucky to bag a room to myself and I'll lose it if anyone else transfers, so is it unusual for three to share?"

Wes and David were already in the room when Kurt and Blaine entered and the three of them exchanged looks.

Kurt had been in enough awkward situations in his lifetime to understand. "Oh. Okay. Apparently I've just put my foot in it so we'll change the subject and you three can tell me in the future when you know me better…"

Several month later Blaine was Kurt's boyfriend and he still wasn't comfortable enough telling Kurt why they shared the only three person room in Dalton.

He should have known Kurt would have found out soon enough.

xxxxx

Blaine was spending the night in Kurt's room. Wes and David would cover for him when room checks were made and he would hide in the wardrobe when they checked Kurt's. It was nice, having an entire night to themselves. They weren't going to do anything either. Certainly nothing sexual but it was nice to relax with one another without having the Warblers around, or without Blaine receiving death threats every five minutes from Kurt's friends.

"Blaine how the hell are you so skinny?"

"What do you mean?" Blaine's reply was rather muffled due to the huge amounts of toffee popcorn in his mouth.

"You've demolished that popcorn and we still have two more films to watch!"

"Well you made it so delicious so it's your fault."

"My fault your fat?" Kurt smirked.

"Just go and make some more. It's soooo good." Kurt had made his own toffee sauce and poured it all over popcorn for Blaine who had since been rolling round in delight and stuffing himself with it.

"I might do. If you're good."

"My hands are all sticky."

"Wonder why."

"You put the next film on and I'll wash them. Kiss me first though."

"No."

"Kiss me or I'll wipe my hands on your jeans."

Kurt smirked and kissed his boyfriend who whooped in victory.

"Blaine I think you're on a sugar high."

Blaine's giggled reply was cut short by a massive yelp of pain.

"Blaine! What happened? What did you do?" Kurt rushed to the bathroom to find Blaine collapsed on the sink, gripping it painfully.

"Tripped down the step into the bathroom and fell into the sink."

Kurt couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of his mouth at this. "Blaine all the bathrooms are built the same way, you knew it was there."

"Well I was happy and I fell."

"Come here you big baby." Kurt pulled the others shirt up and his mind raced at the sight of his boyfriends wonderful chest. He ran his fingers lightly over it. "You're going to have one hell of a bruise but I think you'll be fine."

"Will you make me more popcorn?"

"Only because you're wounded."

xxxxx

Blaine, Wes and David were all chilling out in their room. Blaine stood up announcing "I'm nipping in the shower." He took his shirt off and slung it on the back of his chair grabbing a towel out of his wardrobe. "Guys?"

Wes and David were just staring at him. The three of them shared a room and were best friends and so had done away with modesty almost immediately. Both of them were undeniably straight, so they were neither shocked or aroused by Blaine's behaviour and yet Blaine had no idea what was wrong.

"Blaine what happened?"

"David what are you on about?"

"Your chest Blaine. It looks like you spilt black paint down yourself."

"Oh. Oh! No, its, nothing happened. I fell – hey Wes where are you going?" Wes had stood up at Blaine's words and had immediately left.

"Blaine." David was looking right into his eyes, Blaine could see how concerned he was, he placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders. "How did this happen?"

"I fell! Seriously, I was kind of hyper and fell down the step into Kurt's bathroom and my chest met his sink."

"We've heard that before." David's hands gently touched the bruises and Blaine flinched but not out of pain. He was so stupid. Of course he was.

"Oh." Blaine leant forward and hugged his friend tightly. "Honestly. Nothing like that. I swear."

"So Kurt didn't -?"

"No! God no. Of course not."

"If someone did this on purpose you'd tell us this time wouldn't you?"

"I promise. I was stupid before. Never again though."

"Good." They smiled at each other for a minute before David's eyes followed to the door Wes had just slammed shut and he swore. "Wes. Shit Blaine I think Wes might have gone to find Kurt."

"Oh no." Blaine grabbed his shirt and pulled it on as they ran down the hallway to Kurt's room ignoring the pain. When they got there they could clearly hear shouting.

xxxxx

Kurt jumped violently as someone pounded on his door. His cheeks coloured and he was glad no one had seen. He wrenched the door open glaring at the culprit, who happened to be Wes. "What the hell? Wes what's wrong? Ow Christ that hurt!"

Wes had just shoved his way into the room and had banged into Kurt in the process. He was usually so calm and collected, Kurt had never seen him like this. Something serious must have happened.

"Blaine's hurt."

Kurt's heart sank. "What? Oh my god what happened? Is it serious?"

Wes was snaring and Kurt was shocked. "I would say its pretty serious yeah Kurt. Don't act like you don't know what happened!"

"Wes calm down! Why are you shouting at me?"

"I'm shouting because Blaine is covered in bruises right now."

"Oh. Wait on his chest?" Wes scoffed. "Yeah he banged into the –"

"He didn't bang into anything! I've heard those lies before! I've believed them before! I will not fail him this time I won't stand by while he's hurt."

"Wes. Listen. To. Me. I watched him do it! He was pissing around and fell down the step into my bathroom and banged into the sink. It was hilarious. So what exactly are you accusing me of?"

Kurt's voice was sharp but Wes' was worse. "What did you do to him Kurt? He's head over heels for you he would never fight back."

Kurt felt sick. How could Wes ever think that he would harm Blaine? "Wes! I cant even-"

Then suddenly David and Blaine tumbled into the room. Kurt couldn't imagine what he looked like right now, red in the race from shouting, ruffled from running his hands through his hair in utter confusion and red rimmed eyes from where he was seconds away from crying.

"Oh. Wes what did you do?"

"What did I do? What did Kurt do?"

"No," David's voice was soft. "Kurt didn't do this. Look at him." And everyone did look at Kurt, because this was serious. Wes was furious over something that he was blaming Kurt for and David and Blaine obviously knew the truth but Kurt knew there was something huge he didn't know.

"Thank you David. At least one of you hasn't lost your fucking mind. I didn't do a damn thing to Blaine. He's my boyfriend and after what I went trough at school? How could you ever think that I would?" Kurt was shocked at being treated that way by his friend.

Blaine crossed the room and hugged Wes. It made his chest hurt but he didn't care. He only broke it when Kurt broke the silence.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on here?"

David whispered, "You need to tell him Blaine."

"Kurt. I…I owe you an apology." All four of them sat on Kurt's bed together, Blaine tightly held onto Kurt's hand. "When you first came here you asked me why all three of us shared a room together. I should have told you and when we started going out with each other I defiantly should have told you. It's just hard to admit…I hate talking about it."

"When Wes and David saw my bruising and I told them I fell they had reason not to believe me. You deserve to know that reason. Wes thought that you hit me "

"What?" Kurt yelped and then he whispered, "I would never."

"I know that…but, when I first came here the guy I shared a room with, Howard, he…he and I, we went out. I had no friends, I was so awkward and I was scared of everyone. He was amazing, and I never thought that he could be interested in someone who had been their old schools punching bag. He wasn't very nice Kurt."

Blaine had his gaze focused on his lap now, too ashamed to look at Kurt. Kurt however, wanted to see those gorgeous hazel eyes so he gently tipped his boyfriend's face upwards.

"He was abusive?"

"Yes. I was such an easy target. No one had any reason to suspect what happened until one day, he lost control and hit me in the face. Now that got noticed immediately and I was sat in the Dean's office with Wes and David and everyone was asking me all these questions until Wes asked if it had been Howard, and I couldn't lie any more. He was expelled immediately and I was told countless times how stupid I was for keeping it to myself. I know that I was, but I didn't believe that a school could truly ever be zero tolerance and I was scared, but it really honestly is. You just don't think like that when you're in that situation."

Kurt felt like crying. He couldn't believe that his wonderful boyfriend had been made to suffer through that. It was awful. He himself had found it hard enough talking about his bullies at school he had no idea how he would react if Blaine ever hit him.

"I told you to be brave and to have courage and its because I didn't want you to end up like me Kurt. We all share a room because I was too scared to have a new roommate and I had a few nightmares to begin with. Because it was a genuine accident I never thought to hide the bruises from that sink, or to warn Wes and David about the bruise, and they had already heard the 'I fell excuse' a hundred times before."

Kurt flung his arms around his boyfriend. "Thank you for telling me. I can't believe you had to go through that, I promise though, I'm going to treat you how you deserve. I'll make you all the toffee popcorn you want." Blaine let out a shaky laugh.

Kurt turned to Wes and David. David had his arm comfortingly around Wes and offered him a weak smile and Wes looked ready to throw himself at Kurt's feet. "Kurt I'm so sorry."

Wes looked terrible and Kurt knew why, it was so obvious they blamed themselves and Wes had said so hadn't he? He had watched it happen before, and now he would do something about it.

"Wes it's okay. If I thought someone was hurting him I would have done the same. I promise I will never hurt Blaine, I don't want you feeling guilty about this. It just proves you're a good friend yeah?"

They left Kurt and Blaine alone soon after.

"Kurt…I'm sorry I never told you."

"Blaine it's okay, we've only been together a few months and something like that is extremely heavy and personal, I understand. You know I would never hurt you don't you?"

"Of course I do."

Kurt was standing outside Blaine's room, him, Wes and David were in there waiting for him. There was a reason Kurt was in the warblers. He loved to sing and he loved that through music, you had the power to explore your emotions. New Directions always focused on personal assignments where you would explain yourself through song, and Kurt didn't think music to be a passion in his life without good reason.

He had a song to sing to Blaine. One that he hoped would ease the insecurities Blaine had expressed to him that he would leave him, or that he cared in the wrong way about his past relationship.

Kurt walked into the room and lightly pushed Blaine onto a bed. He grabbed his hands and knelt in front of him as he sang.

"You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against him,
You, have knocked him off his feet again,
Got him feeling like he's nothing.
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling him out when he's wounded.
You, pickin' on the weaker man"

"Well you can take him down,
With just one single blow.
But you don't know, what you don't know"

"Someday, he'll be living in a big old city,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, he'll be big enough so you can't hit him,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?"

Blaine's hands were shaking but he was smiling so Kurt knew he had made the right song choice. It was perfect.

"You, with your switching sides,
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You, have pointed out his flaws again,
As if he can't already see them.
He walks with his head down,
Trying to block you out cause he'll never impress you
He just wants to feel okay again."

"I bet you got pushed around,
Somebody made you cold,
But the cycle ends right now,
You can't lead him down that road,
You don't know, what you don't know"

"Someday, he'll be, living in a big old city,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, he'll be big enough so you can't hit him,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?"

"And I can see you years from now in a bar,
Talking over a football game,
With that same big loud opinion but,
Nobody's listening,
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things,
Drunk and grumbling on about how he can't sing."

"But all you are is mean,
All you are is mean.
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life,
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean"

"But someday, he'll be, living in a big old city,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean. Yeah,
Someday, he'll be big enough so you can't hit me,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?"

Blaine let out a sob as Kurt finished and pretty much lunged at him wrapping him in a giant hug.

"Blaine you are amazing and you don't deserve to be told otherwise. That Howard guy, he was mean and a liar and pathetic and he will be alone forever because he will have lost you. He'll regret what he did to you Blaine." Kurt was echoing the song lyrics in the hopes it would sink in. "You're going places Blaine, you can do whatever you set your mind too and I hope you want me along for the ride. I'm not like that. I care for you so much. All he is, is mean."

It was a mean world. Kurt and Blaine each having been chased from separate schools, Blaine being hurt by someone who was supposed to care about you. It was mean that things happen in the world that make friends doubt each other, but after something mean, you find comfort, and as they hugged each other for a full ten minutes each of them just knew that they didn't want comfort from the mean world from anyone but each other.

xxxxx

So, if you read this, thank you :)

The song is Mean by Taylor Swift, and I think it's beautiful. I know it sucks I put all the lyrics in here (which I did alter by the way) but I couldn't decide which ones to take out.

I don't think this turned out quite the way I wanted it to, but I liked the idea and had to write it. I hope someone enjoyed this.

If you read 'In Safe Places' you can expect an update soon!