Well, angst.
Sometimes plotbunnies decide to lodge themselves in my brain.
And sometimes, they're sad.
This is one of those times.
This is shorter than I had originally intended on it being, but I feel alright about it.

Reviews are like candy and sunshine and magic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. What else is new?

Dalton Academy was...different.

For now, that was all that Blaine was going to describe the private school as. He had only been attending Dalton for about a week and a half, but he honestly had no idea how he would ever adjust to a place like it. The atmosphere was so juxtaposed to his old school that Blaine couldn't even begin to put it into words.

Actually, he hadn't used any words to do anything in a little over a month. Other blazer-clad students would pass him in the regal hallways and say hello, usually very loudly, but Blaine would merely nod in response. He was too paranoid to speak to anyone at Dalton Academy, regardless of the zero tolerance bullying policy.

After all, the last time he had spoken had been right before those stupid football players had beaten him senseless in the parking lot.

Blaine shuddered as the all too vivid memories flooded his mind, catching the attention of his roommate, David Thompson.

"Blaine? Are you alright?" Blaine looked up from his half-finished pre-calculus homework to meet David's concerned gaze. He bit his lip and nodded, hoping that the other boy didn't push the issue. The sound of footsteps shuffling across the floor proved that was exactly what he was going to do. Blaine hid his face the best that he could manage as he felt David's weight on the bed beside him.

"I know that math can be scary, but I have a feeling that's not what's going on.'

When he didn't respond, David took a breath and continued, "I'm not sure what happened at your old school, but...just know that no one is going to hurt you here."

With that, Blaine felt the sudden pressure of a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively flinched away from the touch, his breath catching in his throat as he subconsciously braced himself for an attack.

David removed his hand as if he had just touched a burning surface, "Whoa. Okay. Look at me for a second, Blaine."

He didn't.

Slowly and steadily, David spoke, "Blaine, please? I'm not going to hurt you."

There was a tense silence, but eventually Blaine released the shaky breath that he had been holding and turned his head to peer at his roommate. David could see the fear in his wide eyes, and it made him wonder what put the boy in such a broken state.

"You're safe here. You know that, right?" David asked him quietly. Blaine continued to stare at him like a deer caught in the headlights for quite a while, only shrinking back to a normal size after David's word's slowly sunk in.

"S-safe?"

David fought back the urge to do a double take, because there was no way that he had just heard actual words escape Blaine's mouth. Blaine didn't seem to notice the inner struggle, only staring at him with desperate eyes. Keeping his face calm and composed, David nodded.

And then Blaine broke. David didn't even have the time to comprehend what was happening as Dalton's newest arrival all but tackled him, tears freely flowing down his face. He felt Blaine's body spasming violently beneath him as he sobbed, his hands gripping his shirt as if he was a life raft in the middle of a thunderous ocean.

But as David cautiously wrapped his arms around the shaking boy, he realized that Blaine might just be regarding him as such.