Disclaimer: The author of this piece does not, in any way, profit from the story and all creative rights to the characters from Glee belong to their original creators.

Notes: This is a relatively AU story taking place about 10 years after high school in a different city. Blaine and Kurt never dated in this one, and Blaine is now a teacher. Characters that will make an appearance are: Blaine, Sam, Cooper and Puck, while Mark and Becca are original characters. The person Blaine starts of with in this story is not necessarily the one he ends up with. Eventual 'Plaine'.

I was inspired to write this after following the storyline of coach Beiste in the last couple of episodes from season 3, finding them very moving and thought-provoking.

At least another two chapters are already written.

Summary: Blaine is a 27 year old teacher stuck in between a bad situation and the return of someone he thinks he once might have loved.

Warnings: This story will deal with domestic violence and the issues that can surround such a situation. However, nothing is very graphic.

Update: Right now I'm planning on completing the story within four chapters.


"So, what's your big announcement?"

"Well…We are moving in together."

"Oh my God Blaine, congratulations!" Cooper smiled from ear to ear and dropped the bag of books that had just been handed to him before engulfing Blaine in a big hug.

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it. We move my stuff in on Saturday. Not that there's very much to move really since my place is furnished, shouldn't be a lot of work." Blaine smiled back while trying to wriggle his way out of his older brother's arms.

"Well kid, then I should be expecting a dinner invitation to see your new pad on Sunday right?"

"Uhm… let's make it Monday, Sunday would be kind of tight." Blaine laughed.

"Of course, I should know you'll be busy. Ah, to be young again…"

"Hey! First of all, Mark is not that young seeing as he's like three years older than you. Secondly just… shut up!"

"Ok, ok! Take it easy kid!" Cooper took a moment before continuing "You don't think you're moving a little fast though? I mean, you've only been seeing each other for what, like six months?"

"I'll have you know we've been together for 9 months." Now it was Blaine's turn to take a pause before going on "His place is big enough, my cardboard box of an apartment is definitely overpriced and I'm on a teacher's starting salary. Besides, we're always at his place as it is so I'm basically just paying rent each month to store my clothes somewhere which, by the way, would be a lot more convenient to have over at his because my students are starting to notice my recycled outfits. For kids who thought the Titanic was 'just an old movie, right?' they can be surprisingly clever."

"Easy there tiger! Did you practice that little monologue on your way here? Maybe you should have become an actor as well."

"Very funny, no I did not… Besides, he asked me. So I said yes."

"Well kid, don't take my overprotective brotherly love in offence, I'm really happy for you. If you're happy then so am I." Cooper brought his hand up on Blaine's head and ruffled his hair up a bit "Great, now my hand is covered in some kind of superglue."

"Yeah well that's what you get for messing up a guy's do." Blaine grabbed Cooper's arm and pulled it off his head while getting a quick look at his brother's wristwatch "Would you look at that, it's time-to-go-a clock! I actually have some classes to plan which I want to get done before heading over to Mark's so I should bounce home."

"Well thanks for stopping by with the books and congratulations on your big news. And don't be a stranger now, just because you're moving a couple of blocks further away it doesn't mean your big brother should have to hang out with you any less." Cooper squeezed Blaine's shoulder with one hand while trying to wipe away the remnants of gel from the other on the hem of his t-shirt.

"You're welcome, and I promise I won't be a stranger. I'll try to set up something on Monday then." Blaine brought his hand up to Cooper's where it was resting on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "See you later then!" And with that, Blaine was on his way down the flight of stairs leading down from Cooper's apartment.

"Catch you later Blaine!" Cooper shut the door.


"Honey! I'm in my soon-to-be-as-of-this-Saturday's-new home!" Blaine pulled the strap of his leather briefcase off his shoulder and threw it on the chair standing in the hallway before sliding out of his casual blazer and hanging it on a hook by the door.

"There's my guy, finally. I was beginning to fear you had gotten cold feet and skipped town or something. In which case, you know I'd find you and drag your ass back to where you belong." A tall, laughing figure appeared from the kitchen holding two glasses of red wine. Handing one to Blaine, who gladly took it and had a quick sip, he gave the shorter man a kiss on his forehead. "Here, this one's for you."

"Thank you very much, exactly what I needed." Blaine brought his glass up to connect with Mark's while giving a little "Cheers" before taking another sip.

"Did you get a chance to return those theater books for your class back to your brother?"

"Yeah I did, then I went to my place to plan some classes and I also got a couple of papers graded. Cooper wants to come over for dinner on like Monday by the way if that's Ok with you. How was your day?"

"Of course it's Ok Blaine. My day was way too exhausting and uninteresting to talk about. Let's just say a couple of deals went through and a couple did not. Chinese?"

"Yeah, I'm starving! Let me just jump into the shower, apparently my landlord decided that no one in the building needed warm water today." Blaine kicked of his shoes and made his way down the short hallway "You can order in the meantime if you want, I'll take number 11!" he shouted over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen while downing the rest of the wine and put the glass on the counter, before continuing to the bedroom as he started unbuttoning his shirt. Mark appeared in the doorframe, watching Blaine get undressed.

"Come to think of it, maybe I'll just have you for dinner." The older man smiled behind his wineglass.

Blaine was down to his boxer briefs as he passed his boyfriend in the door, walking to the bathroom. "As nutritious and appealing as that sounds, I'd love to have a couple of spring rolls before I let you devour me."

Mark followed Blaine to the bathroom door as he chuckled "Oh so you'll let me, now?" gesturing a hand towards himself "Look who's calling the shots all of a sudden! Seems like someone's been getting a little overconfident lately" Mark leaned against the doorway and finished his glass with one big sip before turning his attention back to his boyfriend standing by the sink "Maybe someone needs to be taught a little lesson?"

Blaine laughed and turned around, pushing the taller man out of door "Maybe someone reeks and would love to shower first!"

Suddenly Mark found himself facing the shut bathroom door "Maybe somebody likes you when you're a little dirty!" he shouted while grabbing the phone off the wall and dialing the number he had memorized many moons ago, hearing a faint "Number 11! And get some ice cream while you're at it!" from under the sound of a running shower. "Hi, I'd like to order a 15 and an 11, and which ice creams do you have again?" He walked into the kitchen and pulled the stuffed cork out of the wine bottle before pouring himself another glass. "Great, then I guess we'll have the rocky road."


"I told you I'd be late, we shouldn't have…" Blaine was attempting to stuff his shirt into his pants while sitting buckled up in the passenger seat of his boyfriend's car. He glanced at his watch before catching his reflection in the side-view mirror, trying his best to smooth back a couple of locks of hair.

"Oh I'm sorry, so this morning when you practically screamed 'fuck me, please don't stop', what you really meant was 'stop fucking me, please stop'? Because this language barrier could eventually get really confusing for me." Mark shot back with a smile from where he was driving the car. The sight of his disheveled boyfriend next to him made him chuckle.

"It's not funny! And I didn't say that…" Blaine retaliated. "Now I didn't even have time to eat breakfast. I can't teach a bunch of fifth graders on an empty stomach, that's a nightmare. I don't have time to go get cash to buy something from the vender either, fuck me…"

"Again? Or is this just you telling me not to fuck you, am I getting a hold on this lingo correctly?" Mark said with a raised eyebrow as the sight of their destination was becoming visible at the end of the road. "There's a 20 in my wallet, why don't you just take that and get yourself a bagel and a coffee."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course kid"

"Ugh, please don't call me that, my brother calls me that." Blaine reached into his boyfriend's pocket and pulled out his wallet, finding the 20 "Thank you." The car came to a halt.

"You're welcome."

Blaine gave his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car, only to reappear in the backseat door to get out his briefcase.

"Hey, what did your father used to call you then? I wouldn't mind it if you started calling me 'daddy'." Mark couldn't say that one with a straight face.

Blaine looked horrified as he was back peeking in through the window by the passenger seat, bag over shoulder and shirt neatly tucked into pants. "You are mortifying me, I work here!" Blaine showed the 20 dollar bill back into the car "Here, I don't need your stupid pocket money, 'dad!'"

"Ooh, I like it!" Mark pushed the wrinkled up bill back into Blaine's hand, whose lips were finally cracking a smile "Don't be silly" The taller man got readjusted in his seat. "Well now I'm running late, come to my place after work?"

"Of course, love you!"

Blaine was just starting leave. "Hey, Blaine!"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow it's 'our' place."

"I know." Blaine said, unclear if his face was lighting up from the sunshine that was hitting it or the wave of happiness that rushed through him at the thought.

"Ok, see you tonight 'son'. Love you!" And with that a laughing Mark drove off before Blaine got a chance to object at his use of the term of endearment.

At the coffee-vender in front of the school Blaine caught up with a fellow bagel-buying teacher colleague "Good morning Blaine! Or so it hopefully will be once I've had my dose of caffeine"

"Good morning Sam, and my sentiments exactly, by the way."

"Hey, who was that guy in the car with you? Your dad?"

Blaine sighed while digging for the 20 in his back pocket and muttered under his breath "You have got to be kidding me…"


Moving in was easy and painless. A van was loaded up with Blaine's belongings, which mostly consisted of books, clothes and a couple of things from the kitchen, and unloaded into the home they now shared together. Blaine was preparing dinner when Mark came home on Monday evening. He heard the door open and shut, a "Hello", followed by footsteps until he felt two strong arms embrace him from behind. "Hello there" he smiled.

"What are we cooking?"

"Well, 'I' am cooking lasagna. You can prepare a salad if you feel like being helpful but I can just do that late… Ouch!" A sharp smack landed on his backside. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That, my friend, is what you get for being a smartass" Mark popped a cherry tomato into his mouth and continued, putting on a southern accent "Now you better behave boy, or I'll have to go get my belt and take you out to the toolshed."

"Promises, promises…" Blaine sighed with a hint of a smile. "Hey, someone called Laura called, she said she wanted to talk to you and it was kind of urgent so you should probably get back to her"

Mark's expression suddenly went stern.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'll call her back, tomorrow. Can you fix me up a whiskey; I need to shower before Cooper and Company arrive."

"Already? Just have wine like the rest of us, it's like six a clock on a Monday."

"Blaine just… fucking do it, ok? I had a rough day. I'm done in ten." And with that Mark disappeared from the kitchen.

Blaine turned to the liquor cabinet, muttering under his breath "What the hell is his problem now…" when a light turned on in his head "Hey! Is Laura your ex-wife?"

Before the bathroom door was shut violently, all Mark had to say was "Don't push it, Blaine." The shower went on. Blaine took a swig of whiskey. "Fine then…"


"Oh, and you'll love this! On Friday a colleague saw Mark and asked if he was my dad!" The dining room was filled with laughter. "I thought you were out at work?" Becca, Cooper's fiancée asked curiously while continuing to giggle behind her recently finished glass. "Well I am, basically, but no one has really met Mark so he just assumed" Blaine refilled the empty glasses with wine.

"I am Not old enough to be your father!" Mark chuckled. He took a big swig and refilled his glass of whiskey. "Tell that to the pregnant 15 year old at my school" Blaine quickly shot back with a grin on his face, then turning to Cooper "Smoke?"

"Smoke." The two brothers stood up and headed for the balcony, Blaine passing behind Mark's chair on his way out who gently grabbed his arm and gave it a little tug. "Again? How about you take it a little easier?" he asked with a slightly worried expression yet keeping the playfulness in his voice.

"How about you mind your own business, old man" Blaine answered with an annoyed tone yet also managing to not be too serious "Maybe I'm just too cool for school and you can't handle it!" He was probably beyond tipsy and heard Mark explain to Becca "Yeah, well too bad he happens to work in one" before finding his brother waiting on the balcony, one cigarette between his lips and one in his hand being offered to Blaine who was grabbing a lighter from his pocket. "Thanks man" he lit up and handed the lighter to Coopers.

"Heard anything from dad lately?" Blaine asked curiously while taking a deep drag, subsequently blowing some impressive smoke rings which he could only do after a couple of rounds of drink. Yes, he was beyond tipsy.

"Dad can go fuck himself. Can we talk about something else" It wasn't really a question even, though it was phrased as one. Cooper took an angry drag of his cigarette and stared down the street at nothing in particular.

"Yeah ok, I thought he was getting worse…"

"He is not getting worse and I'm not going to waste any time thinking about a person whose actual last words to you were 'go fuck yourself, or find some faggot to do it for you' so my opinion is that he can, in fact, go fuck himself. Happy?"

"Ok, sorry. Fine."

"I'm sorry, let's just talk about something else." A long pause filled the chilly evening spring air.

"We should probably throw back some shots" Blaine put out the butt of his cigarette against the railing of the balcony. Cooper flicked his down the street, repeating his brother's words "We should probably throw back some shots", putting an emphasis on the 'should'.

Inside Cooper and Blaine were pouring up tequila in the kitchen when they heard Mark raise his voice "Blaine, Don't you have work tomorrow? You know, at that school that you're too cool for?"

"Yeah well, you can go fuck yourself, dad. Cheers" Blaine said in a voice only his brother could hear. Cooper's almost hysterical laughter filled the whole apartment. Mark and Becca wondered what was so funny. "Cheers kid!" Blaine felt buzzing. "Smoke?"

"Smoke."

Later at night, when everyone had returned to theirs, Blaine let out a raspy whine into his pillow after suddenly having been flipped over, half-awake now from his from his dizzy sleep. "Shh, it's Ok" he heard somewhere behind his ear, feeling his underwear haphazardly being pulled down. "Ok... Be quick…" he whispered, too tired to wonder what and if it actually was 'Ok' while desperately trying to fall back asleep in his drunken state, but failing miserably when he was dragged up on his knees. He felt confused, let out a soft "No."

"Shh, it's Ok."

15 minutes later, Blaine could fall back asleep again.


"Why the hell are you looking so perky today?" Blaine looked up at a suit-dressed Mark brushing his teeth from the floor where he was seated, hugging the toilet.

"Because I'm more worldly and wiser than you" Mark replied with a chuckle as he rinsed off his toothbrush, tossing Blaine a bottle of aspirin before kneeling down and handing him a glass of water "If you want me to give you a ride you have to be ready in 25 minutes." "You have to drive me, or I'll die" Blaine whined as a hand came up to stroke his cheek.

"Shh, it's Ok"

And all of a sudden, Blaine felt something heavy tug at his heart.

Mark stood back up and headed to the kitchen, where Blaine could hear the sound of coffee being poured. There was a hint of a sting somewhere deep inside him. "Ok, Ok, I'll be showered in ten!" The hung-over mess on the floor reached to turn the shower on, as he proceeded to throw up into the toilet bowl. 20 minutes later he was dressed and sipping a cup of coffee in the kitchen, curiously watching his boyfriend read the newspaper all the while feeling something uneasy in the pit of his stomach.


Even though Blaine had promised his brother not to become a stranger once he had moved, he could slowly feel himself falling into that territory. He was reminded of this as he heard the phone ring, assuming it was Cooper calling for the hundredth time wanting to yell at him for not coming over as often anymore and was momentarily confused when he heard a woman's voice on the other line.

"Hi again, Blaine. This is Laura. I called maybe two months ago, asking about a Mark Kellan?"

"Oh hi, yeah I remember. Did he not call you back? I told him to call you back and he said he would, I'm sorry. "

"It's Ok! It's not your fault, I think I know why he hasn't called. But I do need to speak to him as soon as possible, do you know a time when he's likely to be at home.

"Yeah sure, uhm like, later tonight probably. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yes of course."

"Are you his ex-wife?"

There was a short pause. "Yes. Are you his boyfriend?"

Blaine just realized this woman probably had just any many questions as he did. "Yes."

"Can you tell him that the order has been lifted?"

"What order?"

"He knows. I should go, it was nice talking to you Blaine. Have a good night!

"Maybe I'll talk to you later then if you'll call again…" The line went flat. Blaine grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter, reaching for his blazer as he exited the front door. He felt like a smoke.

When he came back home he found his boyfriend leaning back on the couch as he was hanging up the phone, glass of something with ice in his hand. "Where have you been?"

"Just took a walk around the neighborhood, haven't gotten much of a chance to explore my new living area yet" Blaine said as he leaned down to kiss Mark on the cheek.

"Did you smoke?"

"Maybe. Hey was that Laura on the phone? She called again, said you never called black the first time"

"Does it matter?" Mark said, suddenly irritated as he kept swiveling the ice around in his glass.

"Uhm, maybe? I don't know, I don't know anything about her but apparently you were married. I didn't even know her name until an hour ago when I asked her since you wouldn't tell me."

"Blaine just, stop talking for a second. Can I just relax for a bit, I seriously just came home 10 minutes ago."

He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't stop himself "Did your ex-wife have a restraining order against you?"

The silence, although only lasting for a couple of seconds, could have been cut with a knife.

"Blaine, I swear to God… "

"You swear what exactly?" Why couldn't he just stop talking?

Mark was standing up now "No, my ex-wife did not have a fucking restraining order against me, where the hell would you come up with something like that?"

Blaine automatically took a step back. "I don't know. I don't know why I said that." He probably shouldn't tell him that the woman this conversation was dancing around practically just told him.

"Good. Now I suggest that you go ahead and mind you own business out of my sight for a bit while I watch some football and relax, after I've had a hard fucking day at work mind you, before I knock that pretty little head of yours into next fucking week."

Blaine took another step back. "Ok.. Ok."

"Good." Mark sat back down on the couch before turning up the volume of the TV.

Turning around and going into the kitchen, Blaine grabbed a beer from the fridge trying to make as little sound as possible, before sneaking out on the balcony where he took a seat on a chair. He was shaking a bit, but felt like a beer and a cigarette would probably help. "What the hell just happened?" he asked himself under his breath.


Mark found Blaine hunched over the kitchen table next to probably four empty beer bottles, and took the liberty of gently shaking his shoulder "Hey, let's go to bed" he whispered into his ear.

A startled Blaine grabbed his hand blinking himself awake. "Yeah… Ok" He was lead to the bedroom with two strong hands on his shoulders, assuming their fight was over but not yet entirely sure. "I can also just sleep at Cooper's tonight, if you want some space." He was yawning and the idea over crossing half the city to go to bed, or rather a couch in this case, didn't seem very appealing, but Blaine wanted to make sure.

"No, no. I want you here" Blaine felt himself being sat down on the bed, the strong hands now tugging his t-shirt over his head. "I'm sorry Blaine" One of those strong hands cupped his cheek. "I didn't mean any of the things I said."

"I know. I'm sorry too."

"Don't be."

"Make it up to you?" Blaine had a goofy grin plastered on his face as he sunk down from the bed down on his knees in front of Mark, reaching up to unzip his boyfriend's pants.

"Sure…" Blaine heard the chuckled reply above him, as the pair moved until Mark's back was leaning against the bedroom door.

"You can show me how sorry you are later" he said, feeling a hand caressing his head as Mark let out a laugh from deep inside his stomach, and just like that almost every bad feeling Blaine had swiftly left the room. Almost.


"Hey Sam! Wait up!"

"Hey Blaine, good. I was looking for you earlier." The two teachers walked into the teachers' lounge, Blaine proceeding to pour two cups of coffee handing one over to Sam who promptly gave a quick "Thanks" before they sat down at a table.

"You were looking for me earlier?"

"Yeah, I wanted ask if I could see your schedule. If you could take one of my classes next week you would do me a massive favor"

"That can probably be fixed" Blaine reached into his bag and pulled out a folder, handing it over across the table.

Sam glanced through the folder while sipping on his coffee.

"Finding anything interesting on?"

"Yeah, Thursday looks great, I'll make a note and you can check it out later. Hey, you'll never guess who I ran into at a bar last week"

"No idea."

"Someone from high school"

"Really? Still no idea"

"Puck! Apparently he lives here now, and, check this, he's a doctor, believe it or not."

"Puck is a doctor? How?"

"Or an intern or paramedic whatever the hell you call it."

"Well, which one is it?"

"I'm pretty sure he said he's a paramedic."

"Really? Wow..." Blaine felt his heart flutter lightly at the thought of his old classmate. Puck had been sort of a bad seed during the majority of his years in school, but at some point something had shifted and everybody got along. He was always going on about the fact that people could change, and how frustrating it was that people always tended to judge him for the way he used to be. Blaine had been harboring a, what he hoped, was a secret crush on the boy pretty much all through high school which had resulted in a sloppy kiss and some awkward groping in a dark corner of a bedroom at some graduation party, followed by Puck shoving him face first into the wall telling him to 'stay the hell away from him' leaving Blaine with a fractured nose, a quick 'shit… I'm sorry' before storming out into the night. He told everyone he had gotten hit during a game of baseball. It had taken Blaine years to get over his feelings for the other boy, feelings that perhaps weren't that over after all judging by the sudden skip of a heartbeat which was ridiculous, by the way, because Blaine was 27 years old living with his partner in a loving and mature relationship for God's sake.

"What hospital does he work at?"

"Downtown"

"Ok... Where downtown? I live there, there's more than one hospital at the 'lower part of town'."

"How the hell should I know? That's all he said. Why don't you get in touch with him on Facebook and ask him yourself?"

"I doubt he wants to talk to me"

Sam gave Blaine a confused look "Why not? You guys were buddies" reminding Blaine of the fact that he hadn't actually told anyone about the last time he saw Puck, for the sake of not outing him. Although for all Blaine knew Puck wasn't even slightly bi-curious, just really, really wasted.

"Oh, no reason. Yeah, I'll check Facebook"

"I have to go now, please have a think about Thursday. See you later!"

"No problem, Sam. Later."

That night, once Blaine had drifted off to sleep, he dreamt of being kissed by a certain boy with a mohawk.


"Did you not get the car washed?"

"No, sorry. I must have forgotten. I have like, a million things on my plate right now, and I had agreed to take this extra class from a colleague for today".

"Well, so do I and I asked you, and you said you would do it. I can't show up to work with a car looking like that."

"I said I was sorry. I told you I'd do it to be nice but it turns out I actually didn't find the time. I can't do everything for everybody all the time."

"Have you been smoking?"

"Oh my God, what is this? An interrogation? I'm stressed out, sometimes when I'm stressed out I have a fucking cigarette."

"And when you're upset, and when you're drinking, and when you're happy, and when you're on vacation…"

"Shut up"

"Don't you talk to me like that. "

"Don't talk to 'me' like that! It's condescending. I'm 27 years old"

"Yet you're acting like a spoiled brat. Where are you going?"

"Out. To a place full of unwashed cars and cigarette smoke."

"We are having a discussion."

"Let go of my arm, Mark."

"I will, once you let go of your bad attitude."

"I'm serious."

"So am I…"

"… Thank you, geez."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know! Out. Bye"


"Little brother! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"To Mark's incomprehensive mood swings, that's what." Blaine passively accepted Cooper's embrace and was shuffled into the apartment.

"What? Why, what happened?"

"Nothing. I, I forgot, or actually didn't have time to, get his stupid car washed. Then he got on my case about smoking, just being annoying."

"Sure you weren't also being a bit annoying? He does drive you around all the time and apparently, or so I've heard, smoking is bad for you." Cooper said with a smirk while lighting up a cigarette and pushing freshly opened bottle of beer into Blaine's hand while the two got seated at the kitchen table."

"Probably. Hi Becca!" Blaine called out the last part to the Laundry room where he saw the redhead folding towels through the slightly ajar door.

"Hi there kiddo! Nice to see your face around these parts again!"

"Are you going back tonight? You know my couch is always there for you if you need it." Cooper suddenly had a hint of concern across his face, which was gone within half a second.

"No, yeah I'm going back of course, thanks though." Blaine took a big swig and pulled out a cigarette of his own which he proceeded to light. "It's just. I don't know"

"What?" Cooper took a drag and dipped the tip of his cigarette against the wall of the ashtray that was placed on the table.

"Nothing. Hey, we should catch a movie or a game or something soon, feels like we haven't properly hung out in ages."

"Yeah, of course kid" They sat in silence for a while. "Another beer?"

"Please."


"Shit!" Blaine tried to keep quiet after walking right into the chair standing in the unlit hallway. Suddenly, it wasn't unlit anymore.

"It's one a clock at night."

Blaine was startled for a second, but tried his best to regain his composure despite the level of alcohol flowing around in his body. "Sorry, why are you still up?"

Mark didn't say anything. Blaine threw his jacket on the floor and kicked off his shoes, leaning up to give his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, who remained unresponsive. "You're still mad?"

"Could you not throw your shit on the floor?"

"Ok, you're still mad." Blaine slipped past the taller man and peeked into the living room, noting the empty bottle of what used to contain whiskey standing on the coffee table. "I'm going to bed. Or should I sleep on the couch? I can also just go out again, if that's what you want?" Suddenly there was a strong hand with a tight grip on his upper arm.

"You, my little friend, are not going anywhere."

Blaine turned to see if Mark was playing around, like one is want to do, but he didn't look like he was playing anything.

"Mark, just calm down, I know you had a bit to drink…"

"Oh, so now we are having little opinions as well are we?" The grip grew tighter, as it was joined by a mimicking motion on the other side of his body. Mark was shaking him now. "I can smell the fucking cigarettes and beer on your breath" Their faces were inches apart.

"Oh yeah? And I can smell the whiskey on yours."

Suddenly the hand gripping his left arm was gone. It was actually dangling fuzzily somewhere in front of his face, but only after its knuckles had connected with his left eye. Hard.

The arm with a hold of his right arm was gone too now, and Blaine found himself on the floor holding his head in his hands with his back leaning against the hallway wall, somewhere between a rock and a hard place.

A couple of things he wanted to say came to mind, but he thought it best not to say anything for a little while now.

"Blaine… shit. I'm sorry."

Blaine could feel his heart pounding in his eye as he witnessed how the perpetrating hand was now reaching down to him, offering. Mark's voice sounded broken.

Blaine managed to raise his head, getting a look at the towering figure above him through his fingers.

"You better be."

The next day, as Mark dropped Blaine off at school after handing him 20 dollars and a quick kiss, Blaine tried hard not to look at the purple bruise forming around his eye in the reflection of the dirty side-window of the car.