Matt hated this. He hated everything about it. He hated the way idiots treated Kurt just for being different. He hated that Kurt seemed…used to the treatment he got from his fellow jocks. And most of all, he hated the look of guilt Kurt had on his face at that moment, as if the other boy thought he was the one responsible for the pummeling Matt had just received, like he didn't even feel as though he had a right to be here at all.

"Kurt," the nurse said as they came in. "You're not on the receiving end this time, I see."

"No, Gwen," Kurt said with a sigh. "Take care of my friend for me, will you?"

'Friend?' Matt wanted to ask, wondering if that's how Kurt wanted things to remain.

"Do you want me to stay?" Kurt asked, obviously seeing the look on his face.

"I'll be fine…go to class," Matt said, trying not to wince as the nurse dabbed rubbing alcohol on the cut on his chin.

A waifish looking girl came into the office looking pale. "Hey Kurt," she said weakly. Then she turned to the nurse. "Gwen, I need my insulin," she announced.

"All right Amelia," Gwen said with a sigh. "Come on, hon, I'll fix you up. Kurt, do me a favor and take care of him? You know the drill."

"You know the drill?" Matt repeated. "This happens to you on a regular basis?"

He was aware that Kurt was teased, but injured enough on a regular basis to know the drill for care of cuts and bruises? That was just so….wrong.

Kurt just shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's what I get for being me in this town."

"How can you just accept it? How can you just let stuff like this happen to you?"

"The gay kid verses the football team? Yeeeeah, I see that argument going over reeeeally well in court. Besides…it heals. You get used to it. Finn and Puck have come to my rescue more than once since Glee, so it's gotten a LOT better. Kind of makes putting up with Rachel Berry worth it."

Matt looked at the floor, unable to face Kurt, suddenly feeling guilty himself for not coming to Kurt's defense before now. "I'm sorry I wasn't a big protector before. Seriously…if those idiots give you any more trouble from now on, and not just because…"

Kurt couldn't even face Matt at that point and busied himself with getting cotton balls and alcohol wipes from jars on the counter, along with antibiotic ointment.

Kurt just sighed and bit his lower lip. "Matt, I've taken care of myself for a long time," he said as he dabbed the blood that had begun to dry that before had just been trickling down his nose with the alcohol wipes.

A shiver went down Matt's spine, that wasn't an entirely a bad feeling as Kurt's feather-light touch glanced across his jaw line. "I should get some ice for that. It'll hurt like a bitch tomorrow," he said, shaking his head.

He busied himself again and knew exactly where the cups were in the cabinet and where to find a plastic baggie in one of the drawers. He also took care to wrap a couple of wash clothes around the bag so the ice wouldn't be too cold and held it there for what seemed like an eternity.

Matt couldn't tell if he was getting light-headed more from the alcohol on the wipes being breathed in directly or because of the fact that Kurt was inches away from him, taking care of his wounds with a tenderness he'd never really known before. Matt released a shaky breath. Blue eyes locked with brown ones and he cleared his throat.

Kurt's hand rested on Matt's for a split second, but Kurt seemed to remember himself and treated Matt's hand as though he'd just touched a burning stove, and the guilty expression he wore.

"I'm, uh…." Kurt stammered... "You should just hold this on your jaw for about half an hour, and then do it again when you get home tonight. I really should head back to class. And Matt…I…uh…just wanted to um, thank you. You didn't have to do what you did."

"Yes, I did," Matt said softly, unable to even look at the other boy as he left. "Nobody should be treated that way. Least of all someone as…" he stopped himself. 'Amazing as you' he was going to say, but thanked all the stars in heaven for giving him the sense to not add that last bit.

It was just sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. And even if it was amazing, Kurt was already skittish as it was and with good reason; Sam really had done a number on him, and he didn't want Kurt to head for the hills. "…nevermind," was what he finally settled on.

"See you in Glee on Wednesday," Kurt said, and then almost as an afterthought: "Oh, hey, even if, you know, Kendra's not your type, I still think you should go ahead with the performance."

Matt shook his head. "Snowball, say hello to hell. I can't get up there all by myself…it'll be a disaster. Singing with people on stage is one thing, but…a solo?"

"Baaaawk bawkbawkbawk" Kurt said, doing an uncanny immiation of a chicken.

"Kurt, that's your thing, not mine," Matt insisted.

Kurt leaned inches from Matt's face. "You're reeeeally talented Matt," he dropped his voice to a whisper "You've got good rhythm. You're good at going with the moment. You're good at a lot of things. And I'm not just talking about music."

Matt flushed at that. Kurt gave him a big, lopsided grin, and left.