"Kurt, Kurt, Kurt," Blaine kept whispering his name, though it came out in choked, strangled noises.

"Blaine, I'm here. Tell me what you need. What do I do?" Kurt was desperate. He didn't want to leave Blaine's side but he needed someone who knew what they were doing. He needed someone who knew what was wrong.

"Kurt," Blaine said again, "Bottle."

"Bottle? What bottle Blaine? Tell me," Kurt sobbed, his vision clouded by tears.

Blaine's hand moved to grip his forearm and his eyes fluttered open to stare into Kurt's, before shifting focus again to the desk under the window.

"Drawer," Blaine gasped, clearly using up the rest of his energy on that one word.

Kurt pried himself away from Blaine as the boy on the floor closed his eyes once again. He stumbled over to the desk as fast as he could and pulled the drawer open with such force it came out of place and its contents spilled onto the carpet. Kurt's hands fumbled over everything until he felt the smooth, round, plastic object he was searching for. He crawled back to Blaine, who's breathing had all but stopped by now, and unscrewed the lid with shaking hands. He tried to tip just one of the tiny blue tablets onto his palm, but in his haste to help his friend he ended up pouring them all over Blaine's bare, damp chest. His fingers managed to grasp one and he dropped it between Blaine's slightly parted lips before rushing to the bathroom for some water. When he returned, cup in hand, Blaine's breathing came out raggedly between long intervals and when Kurt put his hand on the boy's chest, he felt his heart beating softly at an unnaturally slow pace. He tipped the cup so the tiniest trickle of water made its way into Blaine's open mouth and he urged the boy to swallow while his own tears mingled with Blaine's sweat.

Blaine didn't know where he was anymore. He felt weightless, yet so heavy he couldn't move any of his limbs. He couldn't decide whether the images he was seeing were real or in his own imagination. Vivid, swirling pictures that couldn't be distinguished as any specific thing. He felt a sudden wetness fill his mouth and felt as though he was drowning. He swallowed down the water and as soon as he thought he wouldn't be able to manage another breath he could feel the air filling his lungs. He drew in great, deep breaths of rich, thick oxygen. He never knew air could taste so wonderful. Then suddenly out of the haze he could see Kurt, shining with a light that was heavenly and almost blinding. But it couldn't be him, Kurt was always happy and smiling but this person was crying. Kurt didn't cry. Kurt was the strong one. Kurt could handle anything.

Kurt couldn't handle the thought of losing Blaine though. Now that Blaine was breathing, now that his heart was beating normally and his eyes were open, though not focussed, he could appreciate how close he had come to losing the one person he cared most for. And Blaine really was the person he cared for the most. He realised that now. He looked down to see Blaine staring at him and he couldn't help but smile.

It was Kurt, Blaine decided. Now that he was smiling he saw that it really was Kurt, and boy, he had never looked so beautiful. He knew he didn't have much energy, but he used what he did have to throw himself at his saviour, flinging his arms around him and bringing them both crashing back down to the floor. Blaine let out a laugh that rang out loud and clear. He buried his face into the crook of Kurt's neck, sighing with the happiness of the moment. He was alive. The pain was gone and it was all thanks to Kurt.

Kurt thought it was nice feeling Blaine on top of him like this. He didn't mean that sexually, but it was nice being this close to a person. He felt comforted knowing that Blaine wasn't going anywhere and now there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, they could be like this in the future. But wait, what had just happened. Why had Blaine collapsed like that? What were all these little blue pills for?

What was Blaine not telling him? He could feel Blaine's warm breath against his neck and his hands on his back. Kurt's own hands were on Blaine, but he removed them and wiggled out from underneath the shorter boy. Blaine looked up with surprise, wondering why Kurt had moved out from under him and was now sitting on his knees, looking at him with a puzzled and concerned expression. Then Blaine remembered everything that had just happened. How had he forgotten? He had been so caught up in the moment, so filled with joy that he had forgotten what had brought him there in the first place.

"I'm so sorry Kurt," he whispered and got up to put some clothes on. Kurt didn't move, but instead followed him with his eyes.

"Wait, what are you sorry for? Blaine what just happened?" Kurt asked, finally coming to his senses and walking over to stand beside Blaine.

Blaine refused to look at him though. Instead he just kept filing through his drawer till he found what he was looking for. He then hurriedly put on the pants and shirt he had just found and moved past Kurt, heading for the door. Kurt was quicker though and blocked his way.

"Blaine. Blaine! Look at me!" He said forcefully, grabbing the other boy's shoulders.

Blaine looked everywhere else except Kurt's face. He couldn't imagine what Kurt would be thinking right now. He probably thought he was weak, like his parents thought. Or he might think he was insane, that was another option. Either way Blaine didn't want to stay to find out. He needed to be alone. He needed to get away so Kurt couldn't see how ashamed he was. Kurt's hand moved underneath Blaine's chin and he lifted his face up, forcing Blaine to look at him. Blaine's eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears and his bottom lip was trembling. He looked so sad, so defeated, it broke Kurt's heart.

"Blaine, I need you to tell me what the hell just happened," he said softly and calmly.

Blaine whimpered and attempted to push past Kurt but Kurt just grabbed him and pushed him so his back was against the wall and they were separated by only a couple of inches. In any other instance, Blaine would have been delighted to be in this position, but right now he would have killed to be anywhere else.

"Now listen to me," Kurt began, "I don't know what just happened, and I don't know what it means, but I want to help."

"Kurt," Blaine began.

"No, Blaine, I know you're going to try and tell me not to worry, and that it doesn't matter and to just forget about it all but I am not going to let that happen. Something's up and you need to tell me. Just think, what would have happened if I didn't come back? Where would you be right now?" Kurt hesitated before saying these next few words, "You would be dead and I would be without my best friend. So I think I deserve to know what's happening."

Blaine sighed. He knew he couldn't escape from this one. Kurt was stubborn and wouldn't rest till he got an answer. But how could Blaine tell him that he was dying without Kurt thinking of him differently? Blaine was the one who always told everyone else to have courage, so maybe now was the time he took his own advice.

"Okay Kurt, I will tell you. But first you have to promise me something."

"Anything, just tell me what's wrong."

"Promise me that you won't try to help. Cause you can't."

Kurt wasn't expecting that, but he agreed anyway. So Blaine grabbed his hand and led him over to his bed. They sat there for hours as Blaine explained how he was sick, how the doctors didn't know how to help him and how every once in a while he suffered these attacks. He told Kurt how he had to take five different types of pills, three times a day and how once a week he had to inject himself with horrible chemicals that made him throw up. Kurt sat silently, tears leaving glistening tracks down his cheeks. He tried to absorb everything Blaine was telling him, while trying to think why he hadn't realised that something was wrong before now. He should have known, the way Blaine was always up before him, dressed and ready. The way Blaine disappeared to the bathroom every single lunch time, insisting to go alone. The way he spent an age in the bathroom every night. And the way he disappeared for an hour every Saturday. Kurt had never really thought about what Blaine was doing at that time, he just always knew he went away and returned later perfectly normal. So it had never really worried him.

Blaine knew that he would have had to do this eventually, but he hadn't realised it was going to be so soon. He hadn't prepared himself for Kurt's reaction either. Kurt, who was just sitting there with this sad, sad look in his shining eyes. He didn't want Kurt to feel sorry for him; he didn't want to be pitied.

"Kurt don't feel sorry for me. I've lived with this since I was seven and—"

"Seven! You've had to live like this for all these years? And you didn't even think to tell?" Kurt asked abruptly, cutting Blaine off in the middle of his sentence.

"I didn't want you worrying about me! I'm fine," Blaine replied.

"Fine? You call what I just saw fine? You almost died Blaine."

"I know, but they usually aren't that bad—"

"You mean it's getting worse?"

"I don't know Kurt! I don't know anything okay? I just know that this is my life and I've learned not to analyse it too much." It was Blaine's turn to start crying now. He was getting frustrated at Kurt for caring so much. He was getting frustrated at himself too for letting Kurt see him like this.

Kurt just wiped away Blaine's tears. He understood why Blaine didn't want him to know, but he thought he should have been told anyway. He and Blaine were best friends. They should be able to tell each other anything. Well now he knew, and that's all that mattered. Now he could be there for Blaine when he needed him. He could be anything Blaine needed, a friend, a mentor, a shoulder to lean on.

But Blaine wanted him for more. Blaine wanted to be with Kurt. He wanted to be held, to be cuddled and hugged and kissed. He wanted them to stay up late in each other's arms watching movies and sharing secrets. Kurt was the person Blaine could see himself growing old with. They fit so well together, and Blaine didn't understand how Kurt couldn't see that too. Kurt was totally oblivious.

The next few days were spent with Blaine in bed and Kurt comforting him. The weird thing was, Blaine didn't mind either. He thought he wouldn't be able to handle having Kurt helping him but the truth was, he was just glad that they could be this close. It wasn't awkward and it wasn't tense, it was just them doing what anyone would do in this situation. Blaine had shed all his tears on the first day and so had Kurt. Now they just talked about everyday things. They gossiped about school and Kurt shared his memories from McKinley. Blaine told Kurt how his parents annoyed him by acting as if he was a lame dog that was sentenced to death and Kurt mentally vowed to never act like that. When Blaine slept Kurt would do some research on his laptop, trying to find out what Blaine's symptoms meant and what disease he might have, but he was never successful.