Kurt's eyes flew open at the sound of his ringtone. It had been three long days since his decision, since he'd woken up in Blaine's arms and looked at those long lashes and just known that he couldn't let anything happen to the other boy, even if he had to die to protect him.

Blaine had stirred and pursed his lips and opened big hazel eyes and smiled and said, "Good morning." He was completely unaware that he had doomed his best friend.

It was the image of Blaine in his mind, so beautiful and sweet, that gave Kurt the courage he needed. He pushed the accept call button on his phone, and pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello, Karofsky."

He whispered, making sure that he didn't disturb Eric, who was asleep on the other side of the room. His alarm clock read 5 a.m. two hours before anyone would be getting up for the day. The room was pristine, all visible traces of what had happened gone. But Kurt could still practically feel Pavarotti's blood on the carpet beneath him, and he shifted uncomfortably in bed as Karofsky's voice chimed in his ear.

"The police pick anything up?" The tone was light.

"No. No, I didn't tell them anything," Kurt said.

"Good boy. Now, I need you to do something for me. Think you're up to it?"

Kurt trembled. "Yes."

"Good. Now I want you to stand up and – quietly, don't want to wake your roommate – walk out the door."

Kurt did as Karofsky said, throwing his covers aside in silent haste. The sound of the door opening was sharp, like a gunshot, making Kurt freeze and stare, wide eyed, at where Eric was still asleep. His roommate snorted and shuffled around on the bed, but didn't make another sound.

Kurt waited until the door clicked back into place before speaking again, "It's done. I did it."

"I know. I can see you."

The cold laugh sent shivers down Kurt's spine, heavy with the weight of eyes on his body. He looked around, but didn't see anyone, only a million places for Karofsky to be hiding. Kurt took a deep breath, willing his heart to slow down. "Is that all you wanted?"

"No. Walk outside, Kurt."

Kurt did as he was asked, shivering as the cold early morning air bit through his green cotton pajamas. He hadn't thought to put on a jacket, and now he wished he had. He hadn't even put on shoes; the dew from the ground was soaking his feet, the cold air stinging them. He followed Karofsky's instructions and walked away from the school, finally stopping when Karofsky told him to.

He was standing in a grove of trees, shivering as they towered over him, covering him from view of the school. No one who passed by would see anything that happened here, Kurt realized. He shuddered again.

"What would you like me to do?" He asked politely, hearing Karofsky's breath stutter with obvious pleasure at his tone.

Nausea rolled low in Kurt's stomach as Karofsky took a moment to collect himself. "Nothing. Yet. Just let me look at you."

"O-okay," Kurt stood there for several minutes, shivering , trying to ignore Karofsky's lecherous observations flowing through the phone line.

"Yeah, you work out, don't you Hummel? All long, skinny legs and pretty ass. I'm a total ass man myself. Can't get enough of a nice, round, firm backside, and you have exactly what I'm looking for. A little chubby around the face and hips, but that can all be fixed in time you know. I like your skin, too. All creamy and smooth, oooh I just want to lick you from head to toe… Take off your shirt."

Karofsky moaned the last bit, and Kurt's breath was trapped inside his chest, "What?"

"Take off your shirt, Hummel? Do I need to be more clear? I want to see that pretty chest more clearly."

Kurt pulled the phone away from his ear to fumble with chilled, shaking fingers at his shirt buttons. Karofsky's exaggerated moans and whistles bled through to his ears with each new strip of skin. Soon Kurt was shirtless, standing there with tears burning at the corners of his eyes. He refused to let them drop, knowing they would only make his cheeks even colder.

"Oh, you have such pretty pink nipples, Kurt. They look so hard, like they could cut glass. Are they hard, Kurt?"

"Yes." Kurt trembled, and one of the tears broke loose, tumbling from his eye.

"You're so pretty, Kurt. Now take the pants off, I want to see your thighs more clearly. You can keep on whatever underwear you're wearing." Kurt obeyed, pushing down the fabric before his mind could catch up with what he was doing. "Good. Now I want you to hang up and stand there. Let me look at you. Don't move, don't yell. You can leave when somebody finds you like this, a little message that you belong to me, understood?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then. And may I just say, Kurt? I approve of your new attitude. I hope it stays that way." And Karofsky hung up, no doubt focusing on staring at him through the trees.

Kurt stood there for three hours, trembling, watching as the sun rose, giving a tiny bit of relief to his chilled frame. He waited, occasionally jumping at the sounds of crunching twigs behind him, wondering if Karofsky would grow tired of watching him and come out to play with his new toy. The thought made more tears fall from his eyes, freezing on his cheeks.

He heard the calls of his friends looking for him twenty minutes before he was found. There was Eric's voice, nervous and barely audible, Wes' loud "Warbler Kurt?" echoing through his tiny circle of hell. David's voice was booming and several times so close that Kurt had to fight not to scream for help. Karofsky was probably in the trees right now, watching, making sure Kurt followed his instructions.

It was Blaine that finally found him, walking through the trees and screaming, "Guys, I found him!" Before he took in Kurt's disheveled, half naked form. "Kurt?" He asked, tentatively, pushing Kurt's hair away from his eyes as soon as he could do so. Kurt didn't answer him, numb aside from the terror. "What are you doing out here? Kurt, your lips are blue. Are you okay?"

Kurt didn't answer, afraid that it would be breaking one of Karofsky's precious rules if he did. He merely stared at Blaine, eyes numb and unfocused, until Blaine put a warm, heavy hand on his shoulder and stared at him with something very close to panic.

Then Kurt fainted.