Kurt was ecstatic when he saw his boyfriend's goofy face smiling back at him outside his locker. When he transferred near the end of last year, he was more than happy to continue his relationship with Blaine from two different schools.

Actually, it was going quite well.

But now, as he looked into his hazel eyes, he realised that this year would be the best school year yet.

Not only had the bullying died down, but now he could see both the New Directions, and his adorable boyfriend at the same time. The two stuck close together as they walked down the hallway (neither one of them wanting to do anything else-after all-the bullying hadn't completely stopped).

"So, you'll be auditioning for Glee Club, right?"

"Well, I-"

"No, Blaine. That was rhetorical. What I mean is, when are you auditioning?"

There was a smile on his face and Blaine returned it, before chuckling lightly to himself, "Relax babe. My audition is on Wednesday. I'm thinking of singing something by Katy Perry-what do you think?"

Kurt stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to Blaine, with a serious look on his face, "Oh-no honey. They'll all be expecting that."

"They Will?"

He nodded, "Yeah. How about something like, it's not unusual? That could be good."

"Tom Jones. I'm impressed."

Kurt smiled and nodded with pride, but narrowed his eyes at Blaine, trying to figure out what he was missing. Finally, it clicked, "What are you hiding, Blaine?"

"What? I'm not hiding anything. See." He put his hands in front of him for Kurt to see. He rolled his eyes, "No, silly. I mean there's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

Blaine looked at the ground, sheepishly. Then he muttered something so quiet that not even Kurt could hear him, so he asked him to repeat it. Blaine cleared his throat before replying, "I said I was thinking about trying out for football."

"Football? But why?"

"Well because the football team bullied you because you're gay, right? So I thought that if I tried out for it and made the team, then they might sort of-I dunno-ease of on the bullying a bit more."

"Can you even play football?"

"Well I can play a bit. My dad used to play with me and Cooper all the time, and then when I first joined the warblers we played a few times. Trust me, I've picked up a thing or two."

He winked, which caused Kurt to blush a deep scarlet. Blaine laughed and put his arm around Kurt's shoulder, "Come on. I'm trying out at lunch if you wanna come see me."

"I'm not sure, Blaine."

"I'll be all sweaty."

Normally, this would have made Kurt recoil in disgust, but to see Blaine sweaty would be a pleasure.

He wasn't a baby penguin any more, after all.

"Okay, fine. I'll come."

True to his word, Kurt had gone along to try outs to see Blaine, and although he might have received a few comments from the rest of the football team about coming to try outs to see them work out, Kurt just brushed it off and took a seat on the bleachers.

As it turned out, Blaine wasn't actually that bad. In fact, Kurt would go as far as to say that he was great. Coach Bieste did look impressed with him-and the fact that he took his shirt off when he was finished was an added bonus.

By the end of it, Blaine was panting like a dog. He waited until Coach Bieste was done talking to him before he jogged across the field over to Kurt, his top left discarded in a pile.

"So. What did you think?"

"I-I-Uh-" But Kurt was too occupied with his boyfriend's physique to concentrate on forming any sort of words, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "It was hot!"

"Hot, huh?"

He immediately turned red and looked down. Blaine chuckled before taking a seat next to Kurt and placing one hand on the small of his back, "It's okay, Kurt. You're allowed to think your boyfriend is hot. Actually, I'd be rather offended if you didn't. Now come on, it's nearly the end of lunch."

The two headed off to their next class and started to plan Blaine's glee club audition.

Obviously, the Glee Club audition went off without a hitch, leaving the two teens both waiting for Friday, when the new Glee Club and football members would be posted.

Friday rolled around soon enough. Blaine met Kurt by his locker, as usual, and they headed towards the notice board, where both Mr Schue and Coach Bieste were pinning something up.

Kurt looked at Blaine, "You take the football and I'll take the Glee Club?"

He nodded and they headed to their allocated list. After mere seconds Kurt came bounding over to Blaine, "Blaine! You made it! I knew your audition was amazing! How did you do in football?"

Blaine looked upset and Kurt's face fell, "I'm sorry Babe-there's always next year." But then Blaine's features changed. His face lit up and a wide grin grew on his face, "I'm in Kurt!"

The two hugged, not caring who saw and pulled back after a minute or two when Coach Bieste cleared her throat behind them. They looked sheepish, but Bieste simply patted Blaine on the back and handed him a red and white letterman jacket, "Congratulations Anderson. Practice is on Monday. See you then."

"Thanks Coach."

Then she was gone.

"So. My boyfriend the jock, huh?"

"I guess," he looked at his watch and smiled suggestively at Kurt, "I'd say we've got about 20 minutes before Glee Club starts. Wanna sneak off?"

"And go where exactly?"

"McDonalds of course. I am starving."

Kurt rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's childlike behaviour, "Blaine-it's barely nine in the morning."

"So? We could still get a breakfast."

"Fine. But we need to be quick."

"Of course."

Kurt had to say, having a jock for a boyfriend was quite useful. Nobody really bullied him any more-not even the occasional slushie. Everything was going great.

Well, for him at least.

He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something going on with Blaine. He was quieter at lunch, he hardly ever joined in the conversation at Glee Club, and wouldn't come over his house any more.

Every time Kurt had asked him about it, Blaine had shrugged it off, and said he was fine. But Kurt knew better. He knew there was something wrong-he just had to figure out what.

"Blaine. Please tell me what's wrong. I can't help if I don't know."

"There's nothing wrong Kurt, I swear."

"Blaine, seriously. I know when you're lying and now is one of those times. You can tell me anything. Honestly-I won't care."

"I-"

Kurt thought that Blaine was finally going to open up, but then the bell rang, signalling the end of classes. Blaine stopped what he was saying and looked up at the clock, "Sorry Kurt-I-I have to go. Can't be late for football practice." Then he ran off.

Kurt knew that there was only one way to find out what was going on, and-call him a stalker-but that way was to follow his boyfriend. He waited until nobody else could see him, before heading out to the field to hide under the bleachers.

He frowned when nobody came out. Coach Bieste hadn't been in the past week, but the team still practiced. They usually just went through plays, or practiced the parts where they were the weakest.

Still frowning, Kurt made his way back inside. Maybe they were just running late. He tip toed over to the locker room entrance and hid behind the door frame. He could hear noises coming from the inside-but they weren't the usual noises you'd expect to hear coming from a football team.

They were noises of pain.

And it sounded like-Blaine?

Kurt put his ear to the door and realised with regret that it was indeed his boyfriend crying out for help, his sounds becoming quieter by the second. It was then that Kurt realised it was Wednesday. Football wasn't on after school on that day.

Bringing his hand to his mouth, Kurt ran to Mr Schuester's office, knowing that he would still be there. The teacher looked up from his marking when he saw Kurt enter, "Kurt? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home?"

"It's Blaine. I think he's in trouble. Please Mr Schue, you've got to help me."

"Alright. Show me where he is."

Kurt thanked the teacher and ran as fast as he could to where he was just standing. Will could hear Blaine's voice straight away and he immediately rushed into the locker room. What he saw made him feel sick.

Kurt gasped when he followed Mr Schue in, and his heart broke.

Blaine had been shoved into the corner of the locker room and was surrounded by the rest of the team. Sam, Mike, or Puck weren't there, he noticed, but someone else was.

Finn.

"What the hell is going on here? You lot! In my office! Now!"

The team scampered out of the door and headed in the direction of Will's office. He left Kurt with Blaine to deal with the others, knowing that Blaine needed Kurt at the moment.

And nobody else.

Kurt pulled Blaine into his arms and allowed the younger boy to cry into his chest. He didn't ask Blaine what had been happening. But he didn't need to-because Mr Schue had given him the full story after his talk with the football players.

"Kurt, come on man! Just talk to me!"

"You stay away from me Finn Hudson! You are a monster! And I swear to God, if you ever try to speak to me again, I'll-"

This is how Burt Hummel and his wife found the boys walking through the front door. He stood up, "Woah-what's going on boys? I'm sure you can work out this argument."

"This is not just and argument dad."

"Then what is it?"

"You'll find out tomorrow-I can't even say it-but you've been invited to an assembly by Principal Figgins. Just like the rest of the football team's parents."

Burt shared a confused look with Carole, but they allowed their children the time they needed to think alone.

The next day was the assembly. Burt and Carole sat at the back and were wondering if anybody would ever tell them what was going on when the Principal walked out.

He effortlessly walked up to the microphone and cleared his throat into it, "I am sorry to inform you all, but the McKinley Football Team has been cut." There were multiple gasps around the room, while the football team looked down in shame, "I feel like this is a necessary action I must take to deal with the recent activities. Yesterday, members of the team were caught red handed, performing something known as hazing. I would like to remind you all that this act is against the law, and the police have been informed. I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Blaine Anderson, who appears to have been the victim, and would like him to know, that Ms Pilsbury's door is always open, should he need to converse with her."

Although his choice of words seemed a bit old fashioned, and his face seemed to show no emotion, Burt could tell that Figgins' monotonous apology was heartfelt.

"Now, to offer their support for their fellow Glee Club Member, please welcome the New Directions."

The curtains opened, revealing the New Directions-minus Kurt Blaine and Finn-Finn was standing ashamed with the rest of the team, while Kurt was sitting with Blaine, rubbing his thumb across Blaine's knuckle.

And for the first time during a New Direction performance, Burt noticed, the rest of the student body stayed silent.