I know, right? Actually updating sooner than 5 billion years later? Hahaha, but anyway...

The coolest thing happened about five minutes ago. I was on Facebook, and I added someone to the 'Courage - For Kurt page'. In about a minute, they posted a comment saying "I found this because I read a fanfic, and I don't know who the author is. I just wanted to say that it was SUPER AWESOME and the author had major talent. I also love what this group is about! This is just kick ass, people. Kick ass. :)". It TOTALLY made my day!

I love you all SO much, and I'm SO happy you read what I write. So I just wanted to say thank you to ALL of you. Thank you.

*sniffle* Anyway... onto the next chapter!

Blaine Vs. The Fury

It was weeks later before I had to worry about anything. But of course, as soon as I began to feel safe again, the universe had to go and metaphorically smack me in the head with a crowbar.

I was staying in the gym late to work out. It was about 7:30 when some guy came in and said the 'fairy' was back. My stomach dropped like a rock, and I almost dropped the weights I was working with. I mumbled some excuse about having to go to the bathroom or something, and slipped out into the hallway. It didn't take me long to find them, considering there was no one else around in the empty corridors. To my horror, I realized he wasn't alone. It was that freaking Blaine.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

I hated how my voice trailed off at the end of the sentence, due to the fact that I suddenly realized that this was the first time I'd seen Kurt since the parent-teacher conference a couple months ago. They both turned to face me, and I was relieved to see that Kurt didn't look terrified out of his mind.

He looked… different. It wasn't even just his clothes, which were about a billion times more subtle than before: just a dark gray button up shirt and a pair of dark, charcoal pants. Where the hell did his crazy awesome look go? What the hell did Dalton do to him? I hadn't realized it until now, but he'd have to wear one of those frigging uniforms wouldn't he? Every day, the same damn thing. It just wasn't… him.

But even his voice seemed subdued as he answered, "We're here for the benefit. Don't tell me you're going." Oh, yeah. That stupid benefit concert. I had seen a few posters up about it, and had actually thought about sneaking in and watching from the back of the auditorium.

But now that Kurt so obviously didn't want me to go, I sure as hell wouldn't disappoint. I couldn't help but feed of his sarcasm with some of my own. "I wouldn't be caught dead. I was pumping iron in the gym when one of the guys told me you two were here spreading your fairy dust all over the place." Pumping iron, Dave? Really? Real smooth, dude…

By the end of that sentence, I glanced over at pretty-boy, unable to look Kurt in the eyes as I insulted the both of them. Him. Again. Dammit! Apparently I wasn't making as much progress as I thought I was.

Suddenly, Kurt's little friend began to talk back. "Would you just give it up?" Kurt glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing as he continued. "You can live whatever lie you want, but don't pretend that the three of us don't know what's really going on here." He looked me over with an obvious air of disgust and superiority, impressively for a guy who was about 4'3".

Like what? The fact that I'm in love with your boyfriend? "You don't know squat, buck-boy!" Suddenly he stepped forward and shoved me with as much power he had. Apparently 'not alone' and all that other touchy-feely crap he'd been talking about on the stairs all those months ago had gone straight out the window. I had to admit, though… pretty-boy had some balls.

Too bad he was about to lose them.

I lunged forward and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket. He tried to shove me off, and just as it was turning into a full-fledged fight, Santana Lopez showed up out of freaking nowhere and pulled us apart, shouting at us both to stop.

Suddenly, Kurt was talking to me again. He said sarcastically, "Real brave with your fists, but you're a coward when it comes to the truth!"

Ok, that was just unfair. It was pretty uncalled for, considering Mr. Perfect here shoved me first. I turned to Kurt with hurt in my eyes, and suddenly couldn't look away. He was staring straight at me with an intense, focused gaze. And unlike every other time he fought back to me, his eyes weren't gray. They were brilliantly blue.

I was brought back to reality when Santana turned to him and asked, "Truth about what?" Suddenly, my chest constricted, and I couldn't breathe very well. Pretty-boy seemed in an awfully good mood to spill everything.

My eyes flicked between the two of them desperately, begging them to just stay quiet. Then I stared straight at Santana and replied, "None of your business, J-Lo!"

…Bad idea.

Her face took on a quick 'oh no you didn't!'-type look before she answered, "First of all, anything you do became my business when you decided to toss that Slushie up in my grill." Somehow, when she said 'up in my grill', it managed not to sound lame at all. I glanced over at Kurt for a quick second, hoping he might take pity on me and save me from the crazy chick in front of me. I wasn't hopeful.

I actually felt really bad about Slushying someone after going through it myself, but I had been in a desperate climb to the top last week, and it was something I needed to do to do so. She had just happened to be the first Glee member I had seen. I get the feeling I'm about to regret that, though…

Rather than do the smart thing and walk away, I stood my ground and looked at all three of them. "I think I can take a couple of queers and a girl." I was all talk. There was no way in holy hell that I could ever lay a hand on Kurt again, and Santana honestly scared me too much to go after anyway.

Blaine? Possibly.

Santana stepped forward, chuckling darkly to herself. That was the moment I realized that I was probably in deep, deep trouble. I didn't show it though. I smirked, trying to look cool as I was reduced to a terrified mess on the inside. She looked up at me. "Ok. See, here's what's gonna go down. Two choices. You stay here and I crack one of your nuts—right or left, that's your choice—"

I lost that smirk pretty quickly after that.

"—Or you walk away, and live to be a douche bag another day!" Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, she suddenly added, "Oh, and also? I have razor blades hidden in my hair." I chanced one more pleading look at Kurt and pretty-boy. Help…

That didn't look like it was gonna happen anytime soon. She noticed the panic in my eyes and continued. "Mm-hm. Tons… just all over—" I didn't listen to anymore, and left the conversation with a grunt. I walked away, completely mortified. That was so not how I wanted my first encounter with Kurt to go…