Trigger warning: alcohol misuse, violence, bad language

Chapter 10

"Wait up, Kurt!" Blaine quickened his pace to walk beside his ex and reached out to hold him by the arm and offer some support. He was afraid that Kurt might stumble and hurt himself in his drunken state.

"I can walk on my own!" Kurt insisted and yanked his arm away; however, the sudden forceful movement caused him to tumble against the railing.

"Really?" Blaine asked with a doubtful raised eyebrow.

Kurt threw him a pointed look that clearly told him to shut up.

"I can walk on my own," Kurt repeated and slowly made his way towards the stairway.

Blaine followed him on his heels, making sure to be able to catch Kurt in time in case he stumbled again.

Kurt descended the stairs slowly and as gracefully as possible with a drunken head. Blaine was left admiring the catlike way Kurt moved in his tight clothes. The silver top was glistening in the disco lights and the black jeans were quite a delight on their own, because they were highlighting Kurt's behind in such an advantageous way that it was impossible for Blaine to avert his eyes.

"So sorry, I can't drive you home," Kurt said over his shoulder.

"Pardon?" Blaine didn't quite catch his words, because the volume of the music was increasing with every step downstairs.

"I said..." Kurt turned around to talk to him, but the swift move was too much for him. He swayed on the spot and grabbed the banister just in time. Blaine jumped forward and took hold of Kurt's arms to steady him.

"Please, sit down," Blaine said, anxious that his ex might fall down the rest of the stairs.

"I can't drive you back home, because, well, apparent reasons," Kurt muttered airily with a wave of his hand and lowered down on the steps.

"It's okay," Blaine replied, sitting down next to him. "Are you sure you're not going to be sick?"

"Just let me sit for a minute until the world stops spinning..." Kurt wrapped one arm around his middle and leaned his forehead against the cold metal banister.

"I really don't like this place," Blaine murmured with a sigh. "And I don't like this music and I don't like Andrew."

"Do I look like I care about what you like or not, Blaine?" Kurt said, turning his sad blue eyes on him, and Blaine knew it was a lie, because actions spoke louder than words and up until now Kurt had been so kind and sweet to him that Blaine knew that Kurt still cared about him.

"Well, just for the sake of completeness I also don't like you getting wasted," Blaine said with a sigh, adding quickly, "And I'm not judging you, I'm just worried."

"No worries, my dear, it's just another typical Friday night at Babylon," Kurt slurred and started giggling again.

"Oh, my," Blaine muttered under his breath.

"Remember the last time we sat here? Right on this spot," Kurt patted the small space of metal step left between them. "You asked me why I was doing all this and I didn't have an answer."

"Kurt, it's the first time I'm here," Blaine reminded him softly. "We never sat here before."

"Not the real you," Kurt replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But the one who's following me around."

Blaine furrowed his forehead and scooted closer to Kurt. "What are you talking about?"

"If you ask me again tonight, I still don't know what to say to you," Kurt went on drowsily. "Because I don't have a clue what I'm doing."

Kurt propped his elbows on his knees and hid his face in his hands, sighing heavily.

"I know that feeling," Blaine said. "Most of the time I don't know what I'm doing myself. Especially that day when I was with this guy... I honestly don't know why I did what I did. I... I didn't even enjoy it, Kurt. I just... I felt so incredibly lonely that I needed to do something, feel something, and I needed to go someplace where I was welcome, even if it was at some random guy's house and... I know you don't want to hear about this."

Blaine blinked back tears. It wasn't fair to play the victim when he had been the one destroying their relationship. He drew a deep breath to compose himself.

"You said something weird earlier," Blaine said, trying to figure out what was going on with Kurt. "You said you'd almost forgotten that I am here for real. And that I kind of follow you around. What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, right," Kurt heaved a sigh. "Why not humiliate me further by having me admit that I imagine you by my side wherever I go? Even talking to you, showing you things. It's silly, I know."

"It's not silly," Blaine replied with a slight tremble in his voice. "I'm doing kind of the same thing. I just can't stop thinking about you, Kurt. You're with me everywhere I go."

"Yeah, right," Kurt huffed.

"It's the truth," Blaine insisted.

"The truth? What's the worth of your truth when I don't trust you anymore?" Kurt replied, miserably. "Not since the night you broke up with me."

Blaine stared at Kurt open-mouthed. "I... I never broke up with you, Kurt!"

Kurt got the giggles again up to the edge of hysteria. Blaine rubbed Kurt's back helplessly and watched tears of laughter escaping Kurt's eyes.

"Sorry," Kurt managed to wheeze, "I get awfully giddy when I drink."

Kurt held his stomach and took a couple of deep calming breaths. Finally he managed to calm down enough to focus on Blaine again.

He licked his lips and spoke in a whisper. "You telling me that you'd been with someone else and blaming me for making you feel lonely pretty much felt like a break up to me."

The visible pain in Kurt's eyes was killing Blaine.

"I never meant to break up with you," Blaine said with a catch in his voice. "I needed you to forgive me."

Kurt shook his head slowly. "And you think forgiving is so easy?"

"I know it's not easy," Blaine admitted. "How can it be easy when I'm not even able to forgive myself? I just wish you'd give me a second chance to prove to you how much you mean to me. Kurt, I hate myself for doing this to you, to us. I have hated myself every single day ever since."

"I only wish you'd talked to me about how lonely I made you feel," Kurt said hoarsely, looking miserable. "I know you tried, but I was too busy being excited about New York. I would have done anything, Blaine, anything if only you'd told me you were unhappy."

"Kurt," Blaine said, struggling with his own emotions. "I'm so sorry I blamed you for not being there for me and that I made it sound like it was your fault and..."

"No, you're right. It was my fault that you felt lonely and I'm sorry for not seeing it," Kurt went on, his face crumbling. "I just don't understand why you didn't give me a chance to do better. You could've given me a warning. You could have screamed at me! You could have kicked my ass, telling me how bad a boyfriend I was and how I let you down. Instead you did this! You made out with another guy, you made me feel like a complete failure, making it impossible for me to forgive you and to trust you again."

And then the worst thing happened.

Kurt started crying.

He hid his face in his hands and leaned against the railing, sobbing hard.

Without asking Blaine pulled him into his arms, and Kurt immediately surrendered and leaned into his embrace, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder.

The world around them stopped turning.

The music drowned out, the people vanished, there was just him and Kurt now, shaking against Blaine in utter despair. Blaine had never seen Kurt cry like this before, not even the night he had confessed his infidelity to Kurt. Of course back then Kurt hadn't been drunk. Still, seeing Kurt like this shattered Blaine's heart into pieces.

Men stepped carelessly around them, nobody granted them a second glance. Apparently Kurt was just another heartbroken guy weeping on the stairs on a Friday night in Babylon.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt, please, please, don't cry." Blaine swallowed down his own tears; he had to stay collected to be able to comfort his friend.

Kurt was heaving sobs, so hard that he couldn't breathe. His black eyeliner was smeared all over his cheeks as tears soaked his face.

"Take this," Blaine offered Kurt a tissue out of the back pocket of his jeans.

Kurt took the tissue and wiped his eyes, smudging the make-up even more, and blowing his nose.

"Breathe, Kurt," Blaine told him calmly.

Kurt was coughing now and drawing deep breaths that sounded very hurtful.

"Your scarf is bound way too tight," Blaine said and unknotted the scarf that was choking Kurt. He loosened it so Kurt was able to breathe, but he wasn't prepared for what he'd reveal.

There were bluish violet marks on the side of Kurt's neck. Blaine knew what love bites looked like and these definitely weren't hickeys. These were bruises from someone who had put his hands around Kurt's neck and strangled him.

Blaine couldn't take his eyes away, although seeing the strange bruises made him feel nauseated. That's why Kurt only wore turtlenecks or scarves in summer.

"What has he done to you?" he asked in a low voice, too quiet for Kurt to hear him.

Kurt was still in tears, resting his heavy head in one hand with his eyes closed, not realizing what Blaine was doing or else he'd have stopped Blaine from discovering his bruises.

With dread Blaine tugged at the tight sleeve covering Kurt's arm and gently pushed it up, revealing Kurt's right wrist. Blaine let out a choked gasp, feeling sick to his stomach. He clutched his hand to his mouth to keep from crying out.

The wrist he was holding was swollen with purple-colored fresh bruises.

"Oh, my God, Kurt, what's he doing to you?" Blaine blurted out in horror.

Kurt's eyes flew open and he was wide awake again. He yanked his arm away from Blaine and pulled his sleeve down, his face flaring.

"Kurt, talk to me," Blaine begged, but Kurt was on his feet again, swaying, but on his determined way downstairs.

"Please, wait!" Blaine wanted to stop him, but didn't dare to take his arm. Who knew how many more bruises Kurt kept hidden under his shirt?

"Drew!" Kurt called out as Andrew came into sight. "DREW!"

"Kurt, no!" Blaine stepped in front of him to block him out of sight, this time grabbing Kurt's shoulders and beseeching him with his eyes. "Come with me! I'll take you home to Rachel's! Don't go back to him."

"Leave me alone," Kurt said, pushing Blaine out of his way.

"What's going on?" Suddenly Andrew was right next to them. "Are you crying, babe?"

"Take me home," Kurt ordered. "Now! Get me home now!"

"Don't go with him, Kurt," Blaine pleaded, taking hold of Kurt's hand. "You can't go with him!"

"Hey, what's your problem?" Andrew put a firm hand on Blaine's shoulder to keep him off Kurt.

"You are my problem!" Blaine shouted out.

"You're damn right I'm your problem, dwarf!" Andrew yelled back. "Stay the fuck away from Kurt! Make him cry again and I'll break your ugly nose!"

"Drew, go and hail a cab," Kurt said, turning his boyfriend's attention back to practical things. "Give me your chip, I'll get our coats."

"What about him?" Andrew jerked his thumb at Blaine.

"I can handle him," Kurt replied drily. "Would you just go and get a cab? Please?"

With a last menacing glance at Blaine Andrew ran outside.

"Kurt, please!" Blaine followed his ex to the coatroom. "Don't let him treat you like that!"

Ignoring Blaine Kurt gave the staff member two chips, claiming their coats.

"Don't forget your jacket, Blaine."

Standing next to Kurt, Blaine put his own chip on the counter.

"Kurt, please talk to me," he whispered insistently. "Whatever is going on you can trust me. I'll help you."

"Nothing is going on," Kurt replied with a light laugh. "Don't jump to conclusions just because you've seen some nasty bruises."

"Then tell me he's not responsible for them. Tell me he's not abusing you, Kurt."

Kurt received his clothes and held them out to Blaine with an inquiringly raised eyebrow.

Blaine helped him into his vest and his coat, more and more layers to cover up the truth, when really Blaine wanted to undress him and no matter what he would see, he would kiss every inch of Kurt's flawless body.

Kurt buttoned up his coat and turned to walk, but swayed on the spot and muttered some curses under his breath.

"Let me help you." After Blaine had taken his own jacket, he offered his arm to Kurt.

With a sigh Kurt linked his arm with Blaine's and let Blaine guide him to the exit.

"See, accepting help isn't that bad," Blaine joked, but with deep meaning behind his words. Kurt hadn't answered his question yet, and he knew he wouldn't get an answer, because sometimes a yes could be very hard to choke out.

"Come with me, just for tonight," Blaine offered. "We can eat more of Rachel's apple crumble and watch a DVD or whatever you want."

On the way out of the club Kurt remained silent. Outside he let go of Blaine's arm and looked around for Andrew.

The hot smoky city night made Blaine gasp for air, yet he was shivering. This couldn't be happening. Kurt couldn't go with this monster.

"Kurt, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, please, let me bring you to Rachel's. It's okay if you don't want me around, I can go and sleep at my dorm. But I don't want you to go with him. I want you to be with someone you can trust."

"At the risk of sounding like a broken record myself," Kurt replied with a faint smile, "trust is a flexible word, honey."

To Blaine's surprise Kurt got some money out of his wallet and gave it to Blaine.

"Take a cab, please. I don't want you to get home by subway."

"I'm not taking money from you," Blaine protested.

"Don't make a fuss, I know you're broke, so just take it, please! I want you to get a cab, it's too dangerous taking the sub at night." Kurt stuffed another couple of tens into the front pocket of Blaine's shirt. "Promise me you'll take a cab. I'll call Rachel and make her check on you."

Blaine shook his head. "I don't understand why you want to go with him."

"No need to worry about me," Kurt assured him. "I've got everything under control."

"Under control?" Blaine repeated with a humorless chuckle. "How do you control an abusive shit like him?"

"You don't know what's going on, Blaine."

"Then tell me what's going on!"

"I'm fine," Kurt said, moving to shove more money into the front pocket of Blaine's shirt, but Blaine caught his hand.

"What will I have to do, Kurt? What do you want me to do to change your mind? I can't let you go with him. I just can't."

Before Kurt could answer an angry yell startled them both.

"Hey, take your hands off of him!"

Without further warning Andrew pounced on Blaine, grasped him by the collar and shoved him backwards against the brick wall.

"Listen to me you little shit," Andrew hissed at Blaine. "I want you to leave Kurt alone, you understand me? He's had enough of your shit."

"ANDREW! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Kurt yelled with a shrieking voice and grabbed Andrew's arm.

"I'm just giving him a little lecture in manners, baby," Andrew replied nonchalantly, giving Blaine another hard shove against the wall.

"Back off, Drew, I mean it!" Kurt hissed.

"Don't be such a scene queen, Kurt," Andrew let go of Blaine with a chuckle. "I didn't hurt him. Much."

"You can't shove my friends around like that!" Kurt exclaimed, clearly outraged.

Even Blaine was intimidated by how furious his ex was. Also, he was amazed that Kurt was fighting for him.

"So, we're on friendly terms with him again, are we?" Andrew snarled at Kurt. "I bet he wants to be your best buddy again."

"It doesn't concern you who I choose to be friends with," Kurt snapped.

"It does when it's your disgusting and cheating ex-boyfriend," Andrew shot back, and added in a mean voice, "who by the way told me all about your freaky sex lives and how you used to love to go down on him."

Kurt's eyes widened, appalled. "You told him what?" he barked at Blaine.

"I never said such a thing!" Blaine objected instantly.

"Your reaction's really funny, baby," Andrew said to Kurt, chuckling again. "So you used to go down on him, didn't you? You told me you were a total virgin, never seen a dick before, and I fucking believed you. But turns out you're a liar, just like the rest of them."

"Don't you dare comparing me to any of those Babylon sluts," Kurt snarled at him. "I never lied to you. You knew what you were getting into with me right from the start. I told you I didn't want to have sex and you respected that. You just guessed I was a virgin and I never corrected you. I told you right from the start that I was useless boyfriend material, but you were so captured by my pretty face that you didn't mind."

"Whatever, Kurt," Andrew waved off tiredly. "Just get in the cab and let's go home."

"He's staying," Blaine interjected, stepping up next to Kurt. "He's definitely not going with you."

"Says who?" Andrew turned to Blaine. "The jackass who just made him cry a minute ago?"

"At least I'm not beating him up," Blaine shot back.

"Fuck you!" Andrew's fist was faster than anyone could have foreseen. He hit Blaine's chin and knocked him off his feet.

Blaine fell on his butt and was seeing stars dancing in front of his eyes. Sitting up, he felt dizzy. From the corner of his eye he could see Andrew coming at him again, but Kurt blocked the way.

"Touch him again and I'll kill you!" Kurt hissed.

"What? That piece of garbage is finally in the gutter where he belongs," Andrew said with a shrug.

"Shut up, Drew!" Kurt barked at him and crouched down next to Blaine. "Are you okay, Blaine?"

Blaine nodded, although he tasted blood and touched his jaw carefully.

"You coming or what, Kurt?" Andrew asked, annoyed.

"Give me a fucking second!" Kurt yelled back at him. "Get in the goddamn cab and wait for me!"

"Hey, no fighting in front of Babylon," the bouncer of the dance club took a step in their direction. "If you have to break one another's bones take your fight down the street."

"We'll be gone in a sec," Andrew replied to the bouncer and walked off towards the cab which he had hailed for Kurt and himself.

Blaine was glad to see The Boyfriend leave and grasped Kurt's hand again.

"Don't go with him, Kurt!" Blaine pleaded, on the edge of tears.

"I can handle him," Kurt replied, truly sounding like a broken record now. "Don't worry about me."

"Hey guys, what's going on? Is there anything I can do?" Chandler approached them carefully. "Blaine, are you hurt? I saw Andrew hit you and I'm a bit freaked out right now. Should I call an ambulance?"

"Chandler!" Kurt looked up at him in pure relief, as if he was a savior. "Please, get Blaine home! Take a cab and take him back to Bushwick! Don't leave his side, promise me!"

"All right," Chandler replied solemnly. "You can trust me."

"I know," Kurt said with a thin smile. "Thank you, Chandler."

"Don't go, I'm begging you, Kurt," Blaine said once more, not letting go of Kurt's hand. "Don't go."

"I'll call you tomorrow," Kurt promised and pried Blaine's fingers off to free his hand.

A faint smile on a tear-streaked face with black eyeliner smudges on the cheeks was the last image Blaine got to see of Kurt this night. Then he was gone and Blaine was left with the painful truth.

Andrew was abusing Kurt. There was a huge difference between thinking something and knowing the worst you had imagined was true.

Blaine hunched over, clutching his knees and taking deep breaths. He felt like throwing up.

Thank you for reading!

There's going to be one more chapter with Blaine's POV before I change to Kurt's POV.

Please remember that this is not canon!Kurt. Some of you might not like Kurt's POV very much. It involves a lot of self-hatred and self-harm, so please remember the trigger warnings and please don't send me hate in case you don't like the way I write Kurt in this story. Thanks for your understanding.