Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.

Author's Note:

*Shifty eyes*Hi guys…I know, I know, you hate me! I hate me, too! Life decided to happen and I left you for longer than anticipated! I swear, I definitely didn't mean to. What's way cool is one of my best friends began reading this story and after texts and facebooking, she hounded me for an update and got me to finally sit the hell down and WRITE. Guys, I've been meaning to write this out for weeks, really, I have. Luckily, I've gained back my writing muse and am ready to once again provide my regular updates for this story! No more hiatus's…we get enough of that from the actual show…lol. So, without further adieu, the much anticipated chapter 21! Yayyyyyy!

Also, as always, reviews are extremely beneficial to my being, feedback is always the best! I've missed you guys!

Casey

Chapter 21. "The Decision"

Kurt allowed his fingers to wander absentmindedly through Blaine's curls as he watched over his boyfriend's resting form. Blaine, whilst unconscious, looked far from peaceful. The stress and constant expression of fear had etched an all too permanent familiarity within his features making him appear to be so much older than he was, yet the pain and torment had also seemed like it aged him backwards. It was all a mess that Kurt didn't know how to begin scratching the surface of. He blinked a few times to try to keep his focus straight; he felt like he hadn't slept in days and all of the mental fatigue was starting to catch up with him.

He had been sitting protectively at Blaine's bedside for hours after Azimio had ran off, not bothering to move for anything or anyone. He was also too stuck in his thoughts to leave. 'All right world, are you finally going to let Blaine be? Hasn't he had enough of your sick game?' Kurt thought to himself bitterly as he tenderly brushed the curls back from Blaine's forehead which immediately fell back into place after the fact. He had overheard that Azimio had been found hiding in the park about 5 miles from the hospital and was now in police custody so there was at least one positive in this whole situation.

"Kurt?"

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts as he took in his father's form in the doorway.

Kurt retracted his hand from Blaine's hair and rubbed at his eyes that at the current time were burning from lack of sleep.

"Hi dad," Kurt greeted sleepily.

Burt took a few hesitant steps into the room and took in his son's form for a minute before speaking.

"You're comin' home with me, Kurt. You look ready to drop at any second."

Kurt stood from his chair and felt his legs groan in protest; he hadn't stretched them in hours.

"I would come home, but what if—"

"Blaine wakes up?" Burt finished with a chuckle as he took in Kurt's shocked expression from his dad precisely finishing the words he was about to say. "Kurt, you're my son, I know full well you would camp out in this room for weeks if you could but the truth of the matter is, you need some rest. You look dead where you stand and you know and I both know that Blaine would want you to take care of yourself. You standing guard by his bedside isn't doing anyone any favors, least of all you. Just come home for the night, get some sleep and if you want to come back in the morning I won't stop you. Just do yourself a favor and take the night for yourself; you need it."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly realized that he couldn't offer a proper rebuttal. His dad was right and he knew it.

"You're right."

Burt raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Kurt managed a small grin, but it was lacking the normal Kurt Hummel spark. "You're right," Kurt repeated, nodding his head for added effect.

"Kurt, I was expecting to throw you over my shoulder and drag you out of here. You're gonna give me another heart attack from shock, kiddo."

"Normally that would be the scenario that would play out, but you're right. I'm so tired and stressed that I can barely see straight. I need to get out of here for at least one night…it's just—dad, I'm just so tired," Kurt fell back down in the chair. "I just don't know what to do. I want to be strong for Blaine but, it's getting harder and harder. As soon as I think I have things under control and think they're going to get better, something else happens. I'm just so scared; Blaine was always the strong one and now here I am trying to be strong for him. I don't know if I can anymore, dad. I look at him suffering and I'm just so scared. He's so fragile right now and I'm trying so hard to be strong for him and I-"

Burt didn't hesitate, he closed the distance between himself and Kurt and he pulled his son right out of the chair and enveloped him in a fierce and much needed hug. Kurt cried into his dad's chest until he felt dehydrated from the lack of water in his system. All the while Burt kept muttering things like, "Shh, it's going to be all right, let it out, let it all out." His father's jumpsuit from the tire shop was soaked from all of the crying, which Kurt felt a bit guilty about, but right now what he needed more than anything was for his dad to hold him and tell him everything was going to be all right.

"You needed to let that out, buddy," Burt encouraged as he brushed a few of the stray tears from Kurt's cheeks. "You've been stronger than you think."

Kurt didn't think so, he felt as if he was letting Blaine down with his weakness. He wanted to be what Blaine had been for him in the past, but he doubted his ability. On top of it all, if he could go one day without crying, he would love an Oscar for his efforts because it seemed that every time he turned around, he was crying. He had never cried this much in his life; he really wasn't a crier by nature, but all of this had made an emotional wreck of him and he honestly didn't even know who he was anymore at this point.

"Thanks for the compliment, dad, but I don't think I could ever live up to the strength Blaine gave to me," Kurt admitted with a sniffle.

Burt placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders and held him so that they were seeing eye to eye. "Kurt, relationships are all about balance. Both parties need to be there for one another. Blaine was strong for you when you needed him to be and now you're doing the same for him. Don't doubt what you've been doing for a second. I haven't seen a stronger man in all my time aside from the man standing before me."

Kurt felt his heart swell at his father's words. Hearing that his father was proud of him made him feel a little less doubtful of himself.

"Dad, I'm just so scared that I'm failing him," Kurt let out in a whisper.

"Kurt, this is something that no one should have to go through. You're handling it with bravery well beyond your years and it's going to be a tough road ahead, but from what you've shown me, I think everything will end up right in the end; just give it time," Burt finished as he led his son from the room to take him home.

Blaine lay in bed not meaning to eavesdrop, but as soon as he had woken up, he heard Kurt and Burt having a discussion and didn't want to interrupt anything by his waking up. He hadn't been meaning to listen in and he really wished that he hadn't. He felt his heart shatter while Kurt cried; nothing was worse than seeing or in this case hearing him cry and in this situation it was far, far worse because he was crying over him. Hearing that Kurt didn't feel like he was strong enough for him was something he had never expected to hear and in all honesty, it destroyed him.

He opened his eyes and stared out at the now vacant room, his hazel eyes blinking back tears from the exchange he had just witnessed. It broke his heart to hear Kurt talking like that, he couldn't stand the fact that Kurt felt as if he was failing him. Blaine wanted to hit himself for not being strong enough through this and placing the entire burden on Kurt. He wanted to spring up from the hospital bed, run after Kurt, pick him up in his arms and swing him around until they both got dizzy, all the while telling Kurt that he was better now and that he would take care of everything.

Blaine wished that he could do that more than anything, but he couldn't. He was still torn to pieces inside and as much as he wished he had made progress with his healing, he hadn't even made a dent. He wanted everything to be right again; he wanted to just get out of the bed and go home as if this was all just some horrific nightmare, but unfortunately that just wasn't his reality. He couldn't help the burning tears of frustration that were leaking from his eyes. He had to do something; Kurt was breaking from the pressure of being at his side on a constant basis.

It came to him like a slap in the face, in that instant Blaine knew what he had to do. If he couldn't be better for Kurt, he had to make it seem like he was. Facades came naturally to him. He was known for his ability to pretend that he had a firm grip on everything; he had told Kurt so a year ago on Valentine's Day. He kept the pressure and pain from his past hidden from everyone: the teasing, the bullying, the feeling of failure when he came out to his dad, the Sadie Hawkin's Dance, the pressure of being a leader for the Warblers. Putting on a brave face came naturally to him and he could do this for Kurt…he had to do this for Kurt. He had nothing left to lose; he had made his decision.

Kurt woke up from his comatose state feeling better than he had felt in weeks. He knew he had been tired, but it had truly been put to the test as soon as he had arrived home. Without a word he had gone straight upstairs, fell onto his bed. and passed out as soon as his head had hit the pillow. He couldn't even remember the last time that he properly moisturized before sleeping, that is if he actually slept at all. He could feel the dryness of his skin as his face moved against the pillow and cringed. He definitely had to moisturize once he had taken his shower.

He sat up and stretched as he glanced at the clock: 12:57 PM. Kurt's eyes widened in surprise; he had been asleep for nearly 16 hours. He couldn't remember ever sleeping that long in his entire life, even when he was sick. He was sure that the record for most sleep he had gotten in once night was maybe 12-13 hours due to being sick, but never 16. From how he felt today, he knew his body was thanking him for finally letting it rest. He also felt relieved that he hadn't woken up in that chair at the hospital; that chair had never made for a comfortable sleeping arrangement. He was also immensely grateful for the fact that it was Saturday. If it had been a school day, he wouldn't have felt nearly as well as he did. He knew his school work was suffering these past few weeks and he knew he couldn't afford to take any more days off; not during his senior year.

Kurt pulled back the comforter and made his way to the bathroom to take that much needed shower. As soon as he got in, the hot water immediately began to ease and loosen his tense muscles and washed away all of the stress of the prior day. He felt like there was a weight being lifted off his shoulders and washing away with every drop of water. While he scrubbed at his face, his father's words echoed back to him: Don't doubt what you've been doing for a second. I haven't seen a stronger man in all my time aside from the man standing before me. His father thought he was handling everything well. For some reason when his dad said so, it seemed like a fact rather than an opinion.

He finished up in the shower, wrapped a towel around himself and tentatively glanced at the mirror to take in his appearance. He didn't look nearly as haggard as he had the past few days. The bags under his eyes had mostly faded and his face looked immensely more lively than it had in weeks. Kurt smiled lightly and wasted no additional time as he began his daily moisturizing routine; he could feel his skin thanking him as he helped it begin to rejuvenate. He hadn't realized how rough his skin had started to become before today, but it made sense: no moisturizing leads to rough, dry skin.

After he had thrown on some skinny jeans, a sweater ensemble complete with a tie, and his black combat boots, he felt like he was ready to finally take on the day. He made his way downstairs and found the whole family gathered in the kitchen. Carole was at the stove cooking something that smelled like it descended from heaven, his father was drinking a cup of coffee and looking over a mechanic's magazine and Finn was just sitting at the table jabbering about McKinley's 32-4 win at football the night prior.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Carole greeted when she noticed Kurt's presence in the kitchen. Kurt smiled back in response as he made his way over to fix himself a cup of coffee. It was after one in the afternoon, definitely a bit late to be considered morning. He was appreciative of the sentiment and the availability of coffee.

"How you feelin' kiddo?" Burt inquired, glancing up from his magazine.

Kurt finished pouring his coffee and joined his dad and Finn at the table. "Well, for sleeping 16 hours straight, I should say I'm feeling a million times better," Kurt replied, sipping at his steaming coffee.

"16 hours? Damn, dude!" Finn exclaimed, wide eyed.

"Kurt needed the rest," Burt explained to Finn. "I'm glad to hear it, kid, you looked about ready to keel over last night and your body needed it."

Kurt nodded in response. As Carole brought over steaming bowls of what looked and smelled like vegetable beef soup with freshly made bread.

"Oh my gosh, Carole, this looks so delicious!" Kurt exclaimed in surprise by the effort it must have taken to make it.

"Well, you've had a hard week and since you were still asleep and missed breakfast, I thought I'd do something special for lunch," Carole explained with a smile.

Kurt gratefully gathered up his spoon, scooped a large portion into his mouth, and felt his taste buds explode.

"This...is...amazing," Kurt confirmed as he took a bite of the bread that evidently was still fresh from the oven. Carbs or no, there is nothing like freshly baked bread. Kurt ate in record time and felt even better than he had when he woke up that morning if it were even possible. He felt like a whole new person and ready to take on any challenge that came his way. The person he was yesterday cast nearly no reflection as to who he was today. He couldn't believe how run down he let himself get but it didn't matter now; he felt as if he could take on the world.

As soon as lunch was finished, Kurt made his way to the key rack and retrieved his car keys. "I'm going back to the hospital for a while. I'll be back a little later," Kurt announced.

"Here, honey, I wrapped some of the bread and soup for Blaine," Carole called as she picked up the containers from the counter and handed them to Kurt.

"Remember what I said yesterday, Kurt," Burt reminded him with a look of sincerity.

Kurt nodded with a grateful smile and left for the hospital.

As soon as Kurt arrived, he felt a little less certain of himself as he had felt before as he made his way down the depressing hallways he had become too familiar with. He greeted the hospital staff that he had also become too familiar with. He felt his confidence falter more and more with each step to Blaine's room, but he kept repeating his dad's words in his head and he felt a tad stronger. He was a new person today; the Kurt Hummel from yesterday was gone and he was ready to be the shoulder that his boyfriend sorely needed.

Blaine was awake; as soon as Kurt entered the room, he found the smaller boy sat propped up in his bed reading his old worn-out copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Kurt felt the corners of his lips twitch into a smile. He placed a hand on his hip and smiled down at the boy he loved with every ounce of his being.

"Don't you ever get tired of reading the same book over and over?" Kurt teased.

Blaine jumped as soon as Kurt announced his presence; he was still very jumpy and was usually very attentive to the motions of the room, but he had been distracted as he was caught up in his book. As soon as he identified that the words belonged to Kurt, he smiled and took a breath.

"Prisoner of Azkaban never gets old, Kurt," Blaine shot back with a smirk. His hazel eyes shined with more life than they had since before he was taken.

Kurt looked back in surprise. Blaine sounded exactly like his old self, apart from that quick look of fear he had seen when he walked in, he never would suspect that Blaine had been through what he had in the past months. As he looked into Blaine's eyes, he could see there was still a lot more hidden deep within them even if it didn't appear so on the surface.

"If you say so, honey," Kurt responded, masking his surprise as he made himself comfortable in his usual chair. He dug into his messenger bag and pulled out the containers that Carole had given him and a spoon. "Carole thought you might want a break from all of this hospital food…" Kurt explained, pulling out the tray to set the food on for Blaine.

"Aww, how sweet. This hospital food really does get old after a while," Blaine responded taking the spoon from Kurt with a warm smile and began to eat the soup.

"Delicious, isn't it?" Kurt asked.

"Mmm," Blaine responded, in between bites.

Kurt remained silent as Blaine ate probably the best meal that he had had in the past week. Kurt couldn't help but smile slightly at how elated Blaine looked to be eating something that hadn't come from the cafeteria down stairs. If he hadn't been attacked at school, he wouldn't be forced to eat this hospital food again. He felt himself frown as the thought crossed his mind. He really needed to stop beating himself up for that, but it was difficult. He had known that it was a bad idea to let Blaine go back to Dalton, but he had allowed it anyway. You allowed him to go back? Since when did you become so controlling? Kurt felt at war with his thoughts; Blaine must have noticed Kurt's demeanor change as he glanced over at him and his lips mirrored Kurt's frown.

"Are you all right?" He inquired, tenderly as he put the spoon down and placed his full attention on Kurt.

Kurt couldn't help himself, he let out a dry laugh, which initiated a look of confusion from Blaine.

"You're asking me if I'm all right? I should be asking you that," Kurt explained.

Blaine shook his head and took one of Kurt's hands that had been resting on his lap into his own. "I'm fine, Kurt."

Kurt gazed into his eyes and thought differently. "Blaine, you've seemed to have pulled a complete 180 overnight. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you so lively, but it seems almost too good to be true," Kurt admitted, glancing down at the tiled floor sadly. So much for feeling like a whole different person today. Leave it to this damn hospital to suck the life out of everyone who entered it.

He wasn't staring down at the floor for long, because soon his face was being inched upward again by Blaine's other hand tilting his chin up gently.

"Hey," Blaine said softly, "I'm all right, you don't have to worry. I'm—I'm getting better, I really am."

Kurt smiled, but it was laced with a trace of sadness. "I'm glad, sweetheart, but it just seems like too much too soon. I know you're amazing and you can do anything, but it's OK to be scared. I know I have been."

Blaine looked lost in thought for a moment which Kurt took as an opportunity to keep talking.

"You don't have to be strong for me, Blaine; I can be strong for you."

Blaine smiled at Kurt as if what he had said was the silliest remark he had ever heard. "I know you can and you have been. You've been amazing, Kurt, really. You've blown me away with how supportive you've been while I've been—just...you've been nothing but wonderful, but I'm getting better and I just want to get things back to the way they were before all of this happened."

Kurt couldn't help it, but despite Blaine's admission, he got the feeling that Blaine was no where near as better as he insisted he was. He wasn't Blaine and he didn't know what he was feeling so all he could do was guess.

"All right, sweetheart. Just know that I'm here for you always, whether you're better or not. I can take care of you, I can," Kurt insisted.

"And I appreciate it more than you'll ever know," Blaine responded, placing Kurt's hand that he had still been holding to his lips and kissing it softly.

Kurt closed his eyes at the feel of Blaine's lips. A part of him basked in seeing the old Blaine again: the expressions, the mannerisms, the everything. It felt so wonderful that he wanted to give in to the idea that Blaine was 100 percent himself again. He never wanted to let go of the feeling that everything was all right again and he had never felt more selfish.

"I've missed you, Blaine," Kurt whispered with a lone tear running down his cheek. He kept his eyes shut as he got lost in the feeling of Blaine's hand in his. He thought he had said the sentiment to himself, but when he heard Blaine respond, he realized he had said it out loud.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, Kurt. I promise I won't leave you ever again."

Hmmm, quite an emotional roller coaster of a chapter methinks. Soooo, what did you guys think? Man, I've missed writing this story. It felt nice to sit and write a new one. I was just so busy and lost where I wanted to go, but I've found it again and hope you guys enjoyed it! It's great to be back! So, review and let me know what you thought, or you can just review to let me know how much you want to kill me for leaving you, either way, I'd love to hear from you as always! And as per usual, Reviews = inspiration! =D Also, I feel my writing muse has returned! *Cheers*

Casey