Disclaimer- I don't own glee.

It felt weird, Kurt thought, being in the coffee house. He had never ditched school before, though he wasn't particularly in the mood to be educated. He still felt tired, depressed. What was he doing? Coming here with Santana of all people?

He stopped. Just turn around, you don't need her rubbing salt in your wounds. Santana looked at him, puzzled "Kurt," she frowned "Come on."

He closed his eyes, thinking, though Santana couldn't see now he had reapplied his sunglasses. She huffed and walked back to where he was lingering "Look, I know me and you aren't exactly BFFs but I think... I think I know what you're going through."

Kurt was sceptical. How could she possibly? This was a mistake, Kurt turned around- making his way back to his car. "Kurt! What the hell, Kurt!" Santana grabbed hold of him.

"I just don't think this was a good idea." He mumbled in response. Santana narrowed her eyes.

"You're here now," Santana began, trying not to sound too harsh. He seemed more fragile than normal and she didn't want to tip him over the edge. "At least just get a coffee or something, you look awful." It was her best attempt at 'comfort'.

Kurt sighed. He was here now, and Santana couldn't possibly make him feel any worse than he already did. One coffee couldn't hurt.

"Grande non fat mocha."

The two shuffled into some seats and sat silently for a moment. Kurt breathed; he was going to tell Santana what happened- despite his better judgement telling him not to. He went over it in his head for the moments they didn't speak, trying to find the words that made him sound less pathetic.

To his surprise, Santana waited- and patiently at that. It seemed as if she had something on her mind also, and from her slight face movements, it seemed as if for once in her life she didn't have the words to voice it.

Kurt breathed out, a long drawn out sigh to centre himself and brace for a wave of Santana's hate. "I think Blaine broke up with me." He said at last, removing his sunglasses to look at Santana.

Santana was taken aback, though, immediately she felt compassion- something alien to her. She sympathised. She looked at Kurt for a long hard moment. How could he just open up to her like that? He of all people knew what she could do to vulnerable people.

"I- I'm sorry..." She tried, not really sure what to say to make him feel better. He understood, he was merely grateful she didn't insult him. Kurt twirled a stirrer through his coffee absently and then looked back at Santana.

"It's not your fault." He said dryly, with no real intention to sound cold or bitter. He was just tired and confused. "Blaine said something like being gay was a lot to handle right now and he needed some space to come to terms with his identity." Santana's brow furrowed.

"That's why you broke up? Is that the best he could do? Damn, even Brittney can come up with something better than that,"

Kurt rubbed his fingers hard against his temples, Santana stopped speaking- she gathered that there was more. "Is there something else?" Kurt managed a minute nod.

"He wouldn't say it to me himself; he wouldn't want me to feel guilty...though I knew because some guys from Dalton told me." Kurt mused over the events in his head, saying it more to himself than Santana.

She looked at him, puzzled. Kurt sucked in a breath of air.

"Some kids from our school beat him up, Santana. Said they'd kill him." Kurt's words were clipped as he looked down, a new feeling of guilt washing over him. Santana's jaw dropped in disgust.

"Oh my..." she raised a hand to her mouth, unable to finish the sentence. Suddenly she found inspiration to comfort Kurt, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Kurt that's not your fault! Don't blame that on yourself!" She was intense, worried- something Kurt hadn't seen in her before.

"I-I'm not," Kurt answered, his voice quavering in self doubt "It's just... I honestly thought people had gotten over this homophobia thing. I know how it feels, Santana- I know how terrifying it is. I understand why Blaine said we should go on a break; it just hurts so much to know those damn bullies have even taken him away from me." Santana watched, empathising with Kurt as his tears began again.

"I don't know why I didn't just stay and work it out with him. But I was so... so heartbroken that he would just dump me like that. I couldn't bear to hear what he had to say." Kurt continued, almost forgetting Santana's presence "I only heard what he told me afterwards. It's only now I know it was a cover up... he was probably scared." He covered his head beneath his hands, sniffling through silent tears. x

Santana felt heartbroken, just watching him pour everything out to her. She felt awkward, unable to offer anything to support him. She replayed his words in her heard, searching for something to say.

She placed a hand on his shoulder carefully, not really sure how to act around him. Though they had never been more than just acquaintances she felt some sort of connection, something that meant he could tell her this. She had to help him, she had to say something.

"It's not too late." She whispered, surprised at how quietly the words came out. Kurt looked up slowly, wiping his tears. He squinted at her "What?"

"It's not, Kurt. You know the real reason why Blaine broke up with you; maybe he just wanted to protect you from getting hurt. He's strong and he's proud plus he's crazy about you; he would never dump you because he was scared for himself or because of some stupid identity crisis." Santana felt her power, like she did whenever she believed wholeheartedly in what she was saying.

Kurt stared at her intently, his eyes glistening as he listened to her.

"Nothing's stopping you from just telling him you know why he did what he did and that you're not scared. Because, hell Kurt, you've come back to McKinley to face the person who did just this to you. You and Blaine could face it together if you tried. And it's changing at our school- we're making it change. We would never let anything like that happen to you or Blaine- you know that right?" Santana sucked in a large breath of air after she had finished- the words had just spewed out of her without control.

She stared gingerly at Kurt and his eyes widened at her. Another tear rolled out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh..." He began, his lips trembling. He was speechless. It took him several minutes to compose and digest Santana's words. She waited, unsure how he would take what she had said, did she over step? Was it really any of her business, or was he just venting? She sat still, letting him think.

Kurt blinked several times "Thank you." He breathed, raising a hand to his forehead to collect himself. Her expression morphed into surprise at his words, all she could manage was a nod in return.

Kurt got up, dazed and wobbly- feeling ghost-like and hazy. He hung on to the table for support. Santana stood also, bracing herself in case Kurt's legs gave way.

"I've- I've got to go home." He said, his voice mimicking his appearance- unstable, shell-shocked. Santana managed another nod. "Thank you," he repeated, this time with more conviction "for everything."

Santana let a weak smile trickle across her lips, she felt weird, helping Kurt in this way. They had never really been friends though they were acting like just that.

Santana absorbed what Kurt had said to her, how he had been so honest with her and had easily opened up.

Why? Why was he so willing to just tell all of this to her?

A thought crossed her mind. Maybe he thought she could help, maybe he thought she could give him advice. Though that theory was faltered, what with her tendencies to give negative feedback and hateful comments, it was however still a possibility. Maybe he could sense that they were more alike than Santana liked to let on.

For some unknown reason Kurt trusted her. He was honest with her, like they had known each other all of their lives. Maybe she could trust him; maybe she could be honest with him?

She felt a burning ache in her stomach with the anticipation of admitting this not only to Kurt, but to herself. She felt it, like tears that desperately needed to escape but were being choked back, she felt it needing to escape- to air itself to someone, anyone. It was bubbling inside her, effervescent and ready to boil. She had to tell someone, she couldn't lie anymore.

There was no one else who would understand. There was no one else in this situation. Kurt had come out; he knew what it was like- he knew how to help. He would help her. She knew he would.

Her lips went pale with anticipation. She was going to tell him.

Through her thoughts Kurt had awkwardly waved her goodbye, still dazed by what she had said and had slowly taken few steps forwards. She called his name. She needed to tell him. She was going to tell him, here and now. "Kurt?"

Kurt stopped, happy to answer "Uh- Yeah?" He asked, turning around to look at her.

She froze. Tell him! Tell him now!

"Oh, nothing."