Rachel didn't notice Kurt until she saw him sprawled out on the couch, wearing joggers from his Sophomore year that was too big for him and a pale blue t-shirt, his face blotchy. That was not right.

"Kurt, when was the last time you got out?" She asked, more demanding than soft.

"Erm. . ." Kurt trailed off quietly, placing the remote for the TV down onto the coffee table. "A few days ago?"

"Why?" Rachel prompted, sitting down tentatively next to him, not wanting to catch any germs. He sniffed quietly, picking at the hem of his t-shirt, obviously upset about something. She had to deal with him before, but she hasn't seen his this weak since McKinley.

"Where do you think you're going?" A harsh voice called out, pulling Kurt by the back of his collar.

"Let go!" Kurt sobbed, pulling at his collar to get some air.

"Don't think so, Fag!" The man pushed Kurt down onto the concrete floor of the mans garage, somewhere that Kurt never wished he knocked on. He was only collecting some sheet music that Rachel found online for a very small amount of money. Kurt felt suspicious that the sheet music was at someone's house, but now he regrets being so naïve. He now gets forced to go back, or else the guy threatened to kill him and his family.

Kurt's shirt gets unbuttoned slowly, making sure that there would be no evidence after.

"Get off me!" Kurt pushes the man, taking a risky move. The man's expression turns grey, and he suddenly stands up, walking over to his desk, where he pulled open a drawer and held a belt tightly. Kurt swallowed, feeling the tears prick behind his eyes.

"Shut your mouth, slut." The man snapped, throwing Kurt's shirt away. Kurt trembled, wrapping his arms around his chest tightly, sitting up on his knees. The man grinned, running a hand down Kurt's soft back.

"Let me make your back look manly." He growled, whipping Kurt sharply with the metal of the belt. Kurt let out a sharp cry, letting the tears flow.

"Rachel." Kurt breathed abruptly, stunning Rachel. She looked at him for one second before she was pulled into a strong hug. She knew Kurt wasn't a big fan of touching, so she was pleasantly surprised.

She wrapped her arms around him, feeling him tremble and feeling something wet on her shoulder. Sweetie. "Kurt, it's okay," she said, confused at him.

"No." He mumbled, his voice rough.

"Let me help you." Rachel cooed, moving her hand across his back. He let out a strangled cry, and that was where Rachel was forced to sit back.

"No." Kurt looked down, wiping his face.

"Show me." she demanded, pulling Kurt onto her lap. Even if he was much taller than her and much heavier, she could stand it if she was helping him. He squirmed around, stopping only when Rachel wrapped her arms around his torso. "I am not leaving until you show me."

"I refuse." Kurt hissed, scrambling off her lap, falling onto the hard floor, "craaap."

"If you want the privacy, come in my room." Rachel offered, trying to pull him up by the armpits, retreating when he slaps frantically at her. "I will get rid of your curtain so that you will never have privacy if you don't tell me!"

"No!" Kurt shouts, making Rachel flinch. "Go away!"

Rachel cups his face gently, moving her thumb across his for too prominent cheekbones, "Look at me. I won't hurt you."

This seemed to trigger Kurt, making his scurry away, sniffing furiously. He went into his "bedroom", and shut the curtains. Rachel wasn't going to give up, but she decided to continue tomorrow, where he would be more calm.

"No!"

Rachel sat up, terrified that someone has got into the loft somehow, but got relaxed after she found out that Kurt was having a nightmare. He had one every so often, and Rachel had gotten used to the night terrors. He would scream, mumble something and fall back asleep, which would seem weird to someone who didn't know him, but it wasn't strange to Rachel.

She laid back, hearing Kurt pant from across the loft, wanting to help him calm down. He always told her to go away when he was sleepwalking or having a nightmare, but she couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with what happened earlier.

Sliding out her bed, Rachel wondered over to Kurt's "room", and opened his curtains ever so slightly so that she could walk in. He was curled up in a ball, his back bare from sleeping in only his boxers - due to the hot weather - and bawling his eyes out into a pillow that he was curled into.

Rachel swallowed, shuffling towards his bed, laying down behind him, letting her hug his strong torso. She ran her hands over his chest in a comforting way, so that he would hopefully calm down.

Not long after, Kurt screamed again, kicking her away unconsciously. She pulled back, huffing, and pulled on his waist until he turned over. She curled up in front of his chest and pulled his arms around her, barely comfortable as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"It's okay, Kurt." She mumbled, putting her hand that wasn't trapped underneath her into his soft hair, running her fingers through his golden brown hair.

Kurt let out a strangled cry, gripping onto Rachel tighter. He probably stopped her from breathing for a few seconds, but she was too busy trying to calm him down.

As she ran her hands over his shoulder blades, she felt a few lines of skin where the skin was raised and felt like cuts. Kurt cried out as she ran her fingertips over the raised skin, making her suspicious. Was Blaine hurting him when he went over to Lima a few weeks ago? If so. . .

She laid him down on his stomach, stroking his hair comfortably. After a few minutes he went back to snoring softly, sniffing every so often. Rachel smiled and placed a kiss to the nape of his neck, happy that she stopped his nightmare.

Reaching for Kurt's phone on his nightstand, she sat on top of him, straddling him. He sniffed, shuffling into a more comfortable position. She froze, switching on his phone silently, using the phone light for a flashlight. She gasped at his back.

Every hit Kurt cried out, pushing his nails so hard in his wrists and elbows to try and distract himself. His back felt like it was on fire, and every kick and whip to his back made the pain worse until it was unbearable.

"Stop!" Kurt spluttered out.

"Say the magic words." The man emphasized each word with a whip. Every whip Kurt cried out, biting into the soft flesh of his hands.

"I-I -ow- I will c-come back." Kurt sobbed, feeling a pat to his head and the restraints on his ankles, that made sure he wouldn't run away, was un-cuffed and taken off his poor ankles. The guy threw him into his car, forced him to get changed whilst he was still bloody, and drove him back to a candy shop near-ish Kurt's loft. Kurt flat out refused to tell him where he actually lived, and told him that he lived on top of said candy shop. Kurt would always get uber's to the man's place, and let his drive him to the candy shop so that he could stagger back. Rachel was always at the diner in the evenings, so Kurt had a good few hours to sob and get cleaned before she gets back and notices the blood everywhere. He came to a few close calls but other than that, she will never know.

She followed the cuts and bruises down his back with a feather light fingertip, getting off his back to sit by his side so that she could trace down his calves, which had red rings and angry bruises covering them. Restraints. From who? Blaine wouldn't do this, right? His ankles were swollen and looked very sore and tender, so she avoided touching them. She put a hand to her mouth and blinked quickly, staving away tears that were threatening to fall. Who would do this to such a kind and beautiful man, that hasn't done anything wrong but is usually on the receiving side of every bad thing that the world can imagine to give him?

He twitched violently in his fitful sleep, scaring Rachel out of her thoughts. She looked down at him for a few seconds, before deciding to sleep with him, even if there will most likely be consequences.

Kurt hugged the slightly unfamiliar body next to him. . . Wait. a body? Kurt squeaked, moving back quickly and slamming a shoulder blade on his bedside table that stuck out slightly next to his bed. He swore quietly, flopping back down to analyze who was next to him. A mop of hair trailed down the back of who he assumed was his roommate Rachel, who was curled up next to him, and he was spooning her. Eww.

He didn't remember much from the night before, but he was only in his underwear and felt sticky, meaning that he must have been hot or/and had a nightmare. Then he realised that he was shirtless. And had a nightmare that woke up Rachel. And Rachel must have seen everything. Shiiiiit.

He was once again sprawled out on the couch, and Rachel could hear the rumbling of his stomach from the kitchen. When she woke up, she saw him on the couch wearing a plain blue t-shirt and matching khaki pants, watching yet another documentary. She decided not to push the situation just yet, and went to make breakfast.

"Kurt! I have made breakfast!" She called out, placing the plate in front of him. He made no response, or movement, so Rachel sat down next to him. She placed a hand on his knee, rubbing gently, letting him know that he can talk to her.

After a while, Kurt sighed, reaching out to place his hand over Rachel's.

"I am sorry." He murmured.

"About what?" Rachel acted oblivious, one of her good skills that she had learnt by dating Finn and Brody.

"About everything. About lying."

"Apology accepted." Rachel smiled, stroking his hair softly. He butted his head towards the hand, liking the affection.

Rachel swallowed, not sure if she should ask a question "I. . . Have one question though."

"Uh-huh."

"Can I see?" She asked tentatively.

"I-I I don't. . ." Kurt stuttered, running his hand through his hair.

"Let me be honest. . .I have seen it." Rachel stopped his moving hand and held it on his thigh.

Kurt felt his throat block up, and his breathing quickened, "no, no, no, no," he chanted quietly. Rachel started to coo at him and tried to calm him down, and settled for letting him climb onto her lap and to hold and cry into her hand. Rachel's free hand tangled in his hair, moving in and out his hair in a slow pattern, soothing him.

He burrowed his face into her stomach, sniffing and crying. "He is going to kill you!" Kurt cried.

"What?" Rachel asked, trying not to shreak and scare him.

"He said he would kill anyone who knew."

Rachel felt Kurts breathing quicken once again, a start of a second panic attack, "Okay, okay, calm down Kurt."

She stroked his hair, kissing his forehead. He hummed, reaching for her hand and squeezing it.

"It's going to be okay. He can't hurt me when he is in prison."

"No! He will!" Kurt was near hysterics.

"It will be okay." She wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Kurt or herself.

Rachel started to shuffle in her seat, making Kurt know that she wanted to move. He sat up, and Rachel had to wipe her eyes to make sure that she wasn't crying at his unusual outbreak. She led him over to her room, where she shut the curtains securely just on the rare occasion that Santana came back from Dani's house.

Kurt curled up in a ball, wrapping himself in Rachel's pink fleece, basking in the warmth that was frequently taken away from him.

"This is very unlike you Kurt." Rachel pointed out, pushing the hair off his sticky forehead.

Kurt hummed low, picking at his t - shirt, almost like he was agreeing.

"Do you want a drink? I can get you one. . .Or do you want me to stay here?" Rachel asked.

"Stay."