Symphony

by LeBelle

Seasons 2-6 done... differently. Klaine AU. Rated T up to about Chapter 6, then M, definitely M.

5. Chapter 5

–

AN: Let me apologize for how quick and dark I got with Karofsky (and it will continue). My original intention was to make his part of the story a bit more in line with what the writers had intended by including his thoughts and feelings on the matter (his push and pull with who he was and what society would deem acceptable and how it was different for him than Kurt because of who they were growing up/size/reputation/type) but I've also wanted to explore what nobody really talked about when it came to his behavior toward Kurt in the show – they kept calling it 'bullying' but it was more than that, it was sexual harassment/assault and that part won out in this particular story (it was unacceptable and no matter what D.K was going through, should he have done that to Kurt who only wanted to help and support him but he was acting out...but I digress). I'd had other stories that I've started that focused on that part from the beginning but he was nonredeemable in those stories and I scrapped them. I'm still writing this story and I can't say whether or not he will be but I'm interested to see where it goes. Stories direct me, not the other way around. I came in with purer intentions for all of these guys – a deeper dive into D.K and a lighter love story between Klaine dealing with Kurt's dislike of being touched and Blaine's inability to not touch Kurt and Kurt's loneliness changing per the song that inspired it and I was going to have there be a lot more tension between Klaine because of each's need but how Blaine only wanted to touch Kurt and Kurt was only ok with Blaine touching him and yet not because they weren't dating and he was annoyed because he didn't want to be touched so much by someone who didn't feel that way toward him but knowing that Blaine liked him despite the lies to himself...but that kind of disappeared around chapter 3 too... Yikes, sorry. I just couldn't keep these two apart, they were begging to just get together! And when both of them beg me for the same thing that I want, I can't say no. ;)

One day I will be able to write 1 or 2 stories that do focus on each part of my original intention, whether in the same story or separately. In the meantime, I hope you guys are enjoying this story. And I know that in terms of Klaine it will swing back around to the lighter/more uplifting version I was intending.

–

Chapter 5

A rhapsody for you and me
And every melody is timeless

–

Blaine found Kurt in the common room after class in one of his weird contortions sitting in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a book spread out in front of him. He was just taking a moment to study while on campus, the time his dad set for today was pretty late and they didn't have glee practice today as they were all saving their voices for their fall showcase on Saturday. Or at least that had been Kurt's plan but he was just staring off into space by the time Blaine found him.

"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you." Kurt usually went to the sophomore's common room to wait for Blaine if he finished early even though most people recognized that Blaine was really a junior stuck in the grade behind like a Peter Pan and let him in without murmuring any protests, especially as his boyfriend was an older junior for their grade. "I've been texting you. I thought maybe you went home."

Kurt looked up at him in confusion for a second and then recognized his boyfriend in front of him, he had been lost deep in thought. "Oh, sorry." He looked at his phone and frowned. "Dead."

"What do you do on it all day that it doesn't even last the school hours?" Blaine laughed, it had been a new phone and had an incredibly long battery life.

Kurt shrugged. "Fashion blogs?"

Blaine shook his head and sank down onto the chair opposite Kurt who was on a couch. "What's going on?" He sounded concerned, knowing there was something on Kurt's mind. Blaine slid out his charger from his pocket and plugged Kurt's phone in while Kurt didn't even notice him doing it, they had a plug right in the middle of the table for phones, computers, what have you, Kurt didn't even think about doing that. He sighed in contentment when he saw the bar that showed that it would be charging quickly with this outlet. It would be full by the time Kurt left and he turned it on, it would be faster while off but he didn't want to get a phone call from Burt demanding to know why Kurt wasn't picking up and he wanted to make sure his texts all went through.

It was a Wednesday some time after the wedding and the next day would be Thanksgiving. Blaine actually had go back to his parents' house for the holiday but he'd be back here Friday. Cooper would be home too, fresh off his brand new commercial success. His parents would have nothing but negative things to say despite how important this was for him and the mega achievement this was. In fact if anyone was lost in thought and worry about what was next, it should have been Blaine. He always disliked the times he was required to spend time with his family; but he wasn't, he just knew this was a duty he had to perform and then he'd be right back here with his friends. Kurt wouldn't be, they didn't have school on Friday. They hadn't really talked about their plans for this weekend, if they were even going to spend any time together for this long weekend except for the showcase. It was strange, usually they had the weekends planned out weeks in advanced now.

Kurt was lost in thought again and Blaine reached across the table and put a hand on Kurt's knee. "Kurt? Earth to Kurt?" Blaine was starting to get worried, what was going on behind those amazing blue eyes?

Kurt shook his head. "Ugh, I'm sorry Blaine, I'm not trying to ignore you, sorry." Kurt yawned. "I'm just tired, I guess. I've been helping Finn nightly with his thriller dance the New Directions, Cheerios and football team are doing in order to psych out their competition."

That was the first Blaine heard of it and he looked at Kurt in surprise, usually this was exactly the kind of thing Kurt talked about non-stop. "Why haven't you told me before now?"

"I- I haven't?" Kurt asked this time he was the one surprised. "I feel like that's all that's been talked about the last few days" He shook his head and laughed at himself. "Wow, I'm really up in my own head space recently. I'm sorry."

"It's fine..." Blaine was watching him carefully. "This doesn't seem like a normal event for the New Directions."

"It's not, Finn and Karofsky both got detention on Saturday after they got into a physical brawl and Finn came home with a black eye. Really it was more the eye and a good portion of his cheek." Kurt was feeling guilty over the fight but it wasn't just about him and so he didn't dwell on it, he just helped Finn with icing it. "The story is a lot longer but they've been forced to work together. I got a text this morning saying that Karofsky and several of the other football players decided to walk off the team and now they might not even be able to play. Then Rachel said that she and the other girls were going to gear up and that they 'had a plan'."

Blaine hated that he was just hearing all this now but he did have to admit that the last week leading up to Thanksgiving had all been in prep for tests and papers and it was a busy time for all of them, including the Warblers who were practicing hard for both the showcase and sectionals. There was hardly any time to breathe, much less talk about what was happening at another school, even if Kurt's brother attended it. Kurt hadn't been any more quiet than usual and so he didn't think Karofsky was the problem here, or at least he didn't think it was? The time that Kurt and Blaine had been able to sneak off together and spend on their own was usually hot and heavy with kisses and giggled conversations and flirting, not able to fit anything else in there.

"So what has you so lost in thought?"

"Well... the big game is on Friday and I wanted to go."

Ah, that was the problem. "You're worried about supporting the very people who want to hold you down so Karofsky and his ilk can shine because you have to pay for a ticket. But this time you're not supporting the football team but all of your friends and brother."

"Exactly." Kurt looked up at Blaine, he just got it.

"Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil to do good things." Blaine shrugged. "Go to the game, don't feel bad." It was as simple as that for him. "And if they don't come back, all the better, as long as they win." Even if it did support the sponsors who made all this terror possible without consequences.

"Want to come with?"

"I would be offended if you didn't ask." Blaine squeezed Kurt's knee when Kurt grinned at the response, relieved that he wanted to. "Sounds like a lot of fun and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

–

Thursday wasn't as hellish as Blaine thought it would be. His parents were actually pleasant to both the boys and congratulated Cooper on his success but didn't talk about it otherwise. It was stilted but it was fine, there was no arguing, no nasty or pointed comments about either of them and he and Cooper got along ok then too. It was really a nonevent with these people he barely knew but was required to spend time with.

Surprisingly they didn't ask either child about their romantic relationships or if they even had one. There were some other family members there too and some business associates but everyone was very polite and Blaine had too much wine at dinner to bother heading back to Dalton that night. In the morning he just got dressed in black trousers, a long-sleeved dark red sweater over a long sleeved button up shirt with a bow tie, despite Kurt's insistence that he couldn't possibly own anything with sleeves that didn't show off his biceps other than his uniform. His favorite black heavy winter coat and bright red scarf completed his look and he wore sensible wintertime black shoes that were still stylish. He was probably dressed too preppy for a sports game but he didn't care, it's what he wanted to wear and he would actually be matching Kurt for classy today.

He headed directly to the Hudson-Hummel house from his parents' with his worn clothes in a bag to wash once he was back at Dalton. Kurt pulled him into the house, excited to have him there during a week day and not for any alternative reasons than just having fun during holiday weekend. The house was warm and decorated for the seasons and it smelled delicious. "Did you make treats?" Blaine asked Kurt who nodded happily and Blaine matched his smiles.

He'd made pie and cookies and even made a pumpkin cheesecake pie concoction. They had some time before the late afternoon game since he got there at 10 am and they were just lying on Kurt's bed, Blaine's legs were hanging off the side of the bed and Kurt was curled up onto his chest and was looking down at him and peppering kisses over his face occasionally and Blaine laughed when Kurt did it again. He was tickling him with his cold nose and Blaine was super ticklish and he squirmed under Kurt's administrations, legs flailing. Kurt laughed with him and this was a perfect little moment between the two of them.

Burt walked by and couldn't help himself, he stopped and leaned against the frame and watched the two of them for a minute, they were so sweet and cute together and he was glad they found each other. He didn't feel like he was an interloper watching them, they had the door wide open and knew it too. He had only asked that they kept it open at least 4 inches but they kept it open for everyone to see them and watch if they wanted and they didn't give a flying rat's ass if they were seen. He had to stop himself from chuckling at how these two were so different from most couples in how at ease they were with others seeing them be a couple. They only gave the others space from their cuteness by going upstairs and into Kurt's room.

Which reminded him... He went over and knocked loudly on Finn's door. "I said 4 inches, buddy!"

Rachel looked bemused when she opened the door. "The draft must have closed it." She said it so boldly and confidently and Burt almost believed her if the windows hadn't been closed and double protected from losing heat with storm windows on too. They all heard Kurt crack up when he overheard Rachel's response.

Burt couldn't even scold Rachel for lying because he hadn't heard Kurt so happy for far too long and it just made Burt so happy. He wagged his finger at her. "You- you- just leave it open."

"Ok." Rachel blushed and nodded and she kept it halfway open this time before going back to Finn who had fallen off the bed when she had opened the door, not wanting to be seen in his state.

"And stay in visible range of the door, no hiding behind the bed, Finn." Burt said.

Both Blaine and Kurt laughed hard that time and their amusement could be heard throughout the house.

They went with Rachel and Finn to the school, it was too early for them to find their seats but Finn and Rachel had to warm up and Kurt wanted to show Blaine his old school and where he had spent most of his time over the last few years. They started upstairs and slowly wound their way downstairs and Blaine tugged Kurt away from that terrible locker room when he stopped and stared at it for a moment, unable to even say what it was but Blaine understood and asked about something down the hall and Kurt caught up with him and started talking again.

Blaine sighed, Kurt was happy with him at Dalton but he was incomplete. "You miss it." Kurt gave a sad shrug, he did, he wouldn't deny it, even with the hardships he'd loved school and his friends.

"I was told the princess was back." Karofsky's voice was next to them. His scowl was evident when he saw Blaine was with Kurt. He had to have been hoping to catch Kurt on his own, no such luck bud, never again, Blaine thought. "What are you doing here? You don't go to school here anymore."

"I wonder why that is." Kurt's tone was dry in response, not even jumping at Karofsky's presence anymore and Blaine slid his hand into Kurt's and Karofsky sneered at the gesture. "You're only hurting yourself Dave."

That made Karofsky mad. "You can't use my name, I don't give you that permission."

"And I haven't given you permission to do any of the things you've done to me. In fact I told you I didn't want it and you did it anyway, Dave." Kurt was antagonizing him now and Blaine wondered where this was coming from. He was glad that Kurt wasn't just cowering away or backing down but Kurt hadn't been angry or defensive about him when they'd talked briefly before coming today. Kurt had told him though that he was done letting Karofsky walk over him and Blaine was right behind him, smirk on his face as Karofsky visually struggled with his anger and shuddered in annoyance at Kurt using his name.

"You can't say my name in that way, Hummel." Blaine looked at him, trying to figure out what Karofsky was really mad about, the fact that Kurt used his name or used it derisively? Was this all just because Karofsky actually wanted Kurt for himself and because he couldn't have him, he was lashing out? That was... really disturbing... if it was. Maybe it was all of it and that was just sad.

"Why aren't you out out there warming up with the team, Dave?" Kurt lifted a brow, daring him to say something back, do something. "Isn't that your only ticket to being able to stay here?"

"Shut up Hummel!" Karofsky took a step toward him, well aware of what Blaine was capable of but finding that he was willing to risk it in his anger. "Or I'll make you shut it."

"Oh yeah?" Blaine stepped in front of Kurt and a step closer to Karofsky and right in his face even though the other man towered over him, anger and confidence radiating off of him as he glared, waiting for the opportunity to let loose and show Karofsky just what he wanted to in regards to how he'd treated Kurt. "You want to go again with me? Because you have to get through me before you could even get close to him."

"Oi, break it up lovebirds." Santana's voice sounded loud and clear from the girl's locker room and they all looked at her.

"Stay out of this Lopez."

"Ah no, you didn't just say that. See you have 2 options, leave now or I pop one of your grapes and lead you around by your good one, your choice which one I pop."

Karofsky didn't want to deal with all 3 of them and if he hurt Santana then he would be expelled, she was a girl on the Cheerios and a different type of minority than Kurt and if the rumors about her were true then she was 2 types of minorities and 3 individual specially protected classes. "This isn't over Hummel." He hissed.

"So you keep saying." Kurt bit back.

Once he was gone, Blaine was all sorts of calm and charm again and he turned to Santana. "We could have handled that."

"But it was so much more fun to do it together." That was something Kurt would remember for life and she was right, when the 3 of them got together to do something, it was always a lot more fun, especially when it was to take bullies down a peg or two.

Kurt smiled and wrapped his good arm around Santana's and his arm still in the brace around Blaine's. "I agree, that was well worth spending time in Karofsky's presence to hear you threaten him like that."

"I've got practice." Santana bemoaned not being able to spend more time with them. "Thanks for coming and cheering us on, I need to go join the others. I'll see you out there. We're all going to Breadstix after if you want to come."

"Of course." Kurt wouldn't miss it for the world and he looked at Blaine who looked at him for a second with a furrowed brow wondering why Kurt was even asking because he was in complete agreement and would have thought that anything that would mean spending more time with him was a given; and then he nodded happily and excitedly to reassure them both and it was well worth it to see Kurt's beaming smile.

The moment with Karofsky didn't seem to even faze Kurt and Blaine didn't mention it again. Kurt was healing and getting over the terror Karofsky had instilled, he had taken his power back from the bully. Life was too short to spend time talking or thinking about him when there was so much more they could talk and think about, more important things. He was less and less of their life.

The game was so entertainingly hilarious and it was too bad they were losing by halftime but the halftime show was amazing and they disturbed their opponent enough to get enough points to tie by 3rd quarter. Or at least that's what Blaine said trying to explain football again to Kurt, it just didn't stick in his head. He could rattle off all the fine details about a garment and it's historical significance and how to tell what period it came from due to the material in the stitching that really didn't matter to 99% of the population other than Rachel and other theater nerds but a national pastime like football would always be a mystery to Kurt, no matter how many times his cute Blaine explained it. He probably knew more than he pretended to, but always wanted Blaine to explain it to him because it was so cute to see him riled up about it, excited about the game and Blaine always told him about it, never begrudging him for forgetting because he wanted to share it with Kurt if he asked, because he was interested enough to hear what Blaine had to say about it, even if he didn't retain it or have anything to say in response.

"Save your breath." Burt told Blaine when he was explaining again why this down was important and Kurt surprised both of them when he said something smartly accurate about the play that they hadn't thought about then.

"See, he can learn." Blaine beamed at Kurt who only shook his head in amusement.

"I'm going to go get some hot chocolate, want one?" He asked the group and they all ordered one too. Burt nodded for Carole to go with Kurt because both he and Blaine didn't want to miss the play but neither did Carole, it was her son in the middle of that huddle. "Stay, watch." Kurt would be fine, he wasn't going far, just over to the stands. They could still see him if they looked but their attention was firmly on the game. Burt didn't even realize that Carole was still standing there beside him. "You're back already?" Burt asked once the play was done and they gained another down. Carole shook her head, she'd never left but she forgave him for his sole focus, it was a guy thing. She was cheering her son on as well.

Kurt was in line when he heard the cheer and they must have done something good. He ordered 4 hot chocolates and paid for them and carried them back. He let Blaine take two of them and handed the other two off to the parents. "You shouldn't have gone on your own." Burt said a little disappointed and disapprovingly.

"I'm in a massive crowd of people who know me and Karofsky, besides, he's on the field." Burt looked over to where Kurt was pointing and sure enough the team members who'd walked off were back for the glory the others had achieved.

"Typical." Burt took a sip of his hot chocolate and made a face. "Did I ask for this?"

"Yes." Kurt rolled his eyes, seriously, boys and football. Then he grinned like a school girl who'd been asked out by a crush as he wrapped his arm around Blaine's soaking in his warm while he was a bit cold, the hot chocolate helped, he was definitely ok with this boy's glee over football, it was so darn cute and would never get old. Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's shoulders offering him even more warmth but his arm was off his shoulders again as he raised his arms to cheer McKinley on. Ok, maybe he was too excited while watching sports, Kurt huffed and tried to warm himself up on his own. The arm came back around him again and Blaine touched noses and foreheads with Kurt looking at him, not missing that annoyance and then he kissed Kurt quickly before going back to the game. Kurt blushed a little and forgave him again and smiled because Blaine was his.

Finn intercepted the ball and made a mad dash toward the end zone that would get his team more points. Burt was overly excited too but he'd grown up watching his dad be that way. "That's my boy!" Burt roared loud enough for Finn to hear him on the field after he got to the end zone and he looked for Burt, proud and pleased by Burt's attention. Kurt smiled into his cup, this was another one of those perfect moments where he was just so proud of his little family and he was just so happy. The crowd cheered them on. McKinley won not just the game but the championship with that game, and it was a home event and everyone was running on a high afterward where even Finn and Karofsky hugged after the game and then quickly split apart.

Most of the football players ended up at Breadstix too but Finn, Puck, Mike and Artie were of course with the New Directions, Blaine and Kurt.

They were standing in line, waiting for their table when the remaining football players walked by and they pushed pass the ones that had helped them win with their Thriller routine and had enough players on the field so they wouldn't lose but that wasn't good enough for them. They left the actual football players alone and tried to shove Blaine and Kurt out of the way as their table was already ready. In the mass of people in that little lobby Kurt jumped and spun and Blaine didn't miss it whatsoever. Kurt knew who did it without having to see him and he was already down the aisles and sitting at the table, getting in before the New Directions, even though it was the New Directions who had basically won the game and had reserved the table. The football players got preference here too.

"What happened?" Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear, not wanting to gain the other's attention or lessen their excitement over the day's events. He had stood his ground and pushed back but Kurt had been shoved and he'd caught him before he could fall into anything.

"That asshole groped me." Kurt hissed back glaring daggers at Karofsky. He felt violated as the hand had slid between his legs from behind as they walked by. Karofsky puckered his lips at him and sent him a mock kiss and then made a slashing motion across his neck. Blaine wasn't looking at Karofsky, just Kurt and misinterpreted that, thinking Kurt was saying Karofsky squeezed his butt cheek, not realizing just how much worse it was than what he was already thinking.

"Do you want to go?" Blaine was looking over at Karofsky now with anger in his eyes too.

"No. I'm staying here with my friends. I don't get to see them very often and he's not going to take this from us." Kurt shifted uncomfortably, unable to get that quick touch out of his thoughts, he'd never been touched there before and he really didn't like it when Karofsky had done it. Blaine's fingers tried to tangle with Kurt's but he crossed his arms over his middle, he didn't really want to be touched right then and there.

"Kurt, I thought you said he wasn't going to take anything from us." Blaine's voice was soft and a little hurt and Kurt looked over at him, the haunted and hunted look back in his eyes and Blaine's jaw dropped. "Oh shit, no." He now realized what Kurt had been saying. It would have been a violation and inappropriate had he just grabbed Kurt's butt or just touched it or smacked it but Kurt would have been annoyed but could get over it with a sassy toss of his head and a quick comment that would have embarrassed Karofsky, he'd done the same to Finn in jest before and didn't view it as all that private, boys slapped each other on the butt all the time without it meaning anything or violating the other's space or bodies, girls did too with each other and it was often a spot to help with lifts or holds in a variety of sports. It was less appropriate when boys did it to girls but the other way around was a gray area. Karofsky just touching Kurt's butt like that would have been another gray area, even if he'd just smacked it, clearer intentions if he'd squeezed it. Except, Kurt had been touched much more inappropriately. "I'm sorry."

Kurt took a moment to look at Blaine and knew he understood now and with a bravery he didn't feel he uncrossed his arms and linked their fingers like Blaine had intended to do earlier. They weren't palm to palm while holding hands, just their fingers. Blaine nodded, understanding how much it took for Kurt to do that then Kurt slid his hand out from Blaine's but only to hold hands with their palms touching now and hand in hand they walked passed the football players, and to their table. Blaine smacked Karofsky on the back of his head as they walked by and nobody saw it or pretended not to see it. Just like everyone pretended not to see the other smacks he got by the glee club kids as they walked by. Kurt was touched in a very good way when he saw all of those actions. The football players had tried to come to his defense, wondering what they were doing but they all played innocent. He raised their joined hands and kissed the back of Blaine's hand in plain sight of everyone, even Karosfky and the homophobes and he didn't care what retaliation would come his way just then because he wasn't afraid to be out and about with Blaine and out with him.

Kurt and Blaine didn't even know they were doing it most of the time but their heads were always right next to each other, sharing each other's space and secret sounds and comments and giggling at a second conversation only they were having while maintaining the conversations with the ones around them. They were each other's bubble, not just within it.

Mercedes just started laughing at them all of a sudden, she hadn't seen them together much since Kurt went to Dalton. "You two are just so darn cute, I want to shrink both of you and keep you in my pocket and pull you out whenever I need a cute pick me up."

Tina nodded her agreement to that plan. "I want a copy of you two too."

Both Kurt and Blaine blushed and pulled away from each other, they hadn't realized they'd been practically in the other's lap until Mercedes pointed it out. "I didn't say that so you would stop. I liked watching you two." Mercedes sounded disappointed that they separated but they kept looking at each other and their hands never once separated from the other. "Forget it, you're still so cute together."

Kurt struggled to take an interest in what everyone had been up to over the past couple of weeks. He'd still seen most of them on the weekend and he did care, but he was having trouble because he just wanted to stay cocooned with Blaine, they saw each other most days but only in passing and with others around usually. He didn't want to be that person though where the romantic relationship swamped a person so much that they forgot all about their friends and family. So he pushed Blaine's head off his shoulder and told him to listen so they could both remember what was said and talk about it later. Kurt was being playful with his actions and words and so Blaine didn't take it too seriously.

Blaine pouted and put his head back on Kurt's shoulder. "I am listening." He scolded but snuggled in to Kurt even more.

Blaine had met these kids enough now to know who they all were and get a good idea of their personality and character too and liked all of them, even Puck. People missed that Santana and Brittany were also holding hands under the table while they acted like everything was completely normal. Blaine had confirmed Kurt's suspicions about Santana, he could see it too now that Kurt pointed it out. Rachel was actually sitting on Finn's lap as they all chatted and had fun together. She had a seat next to him and only sat there when they were eating.

They closed the place down, even the football players once done eating had gotten up and sneered at them but left and their group stayed for many more hours, to the annoyance of the waiters and waitresses who couldn't turn their table over for a better tip but they all left a generous tip and so they didn't grumble in the end and would give them preferential seating in the future, over the football players.

–

They got home after curfew but the three of them were together and nothing bad had happened as far as Finn knew and he text Burt that they were heading home, he'd driven the three of them to school and then to Breadstix. They dropped Rachel off on the way.

Burt wasn't awake when they got home, he trusted Finn's assessment of what was going on and slid into bed next to his wife and slept. He hadn't had much reason to be concerned for a few weeks now and slept much easier knowing both Blaine and Finn were with Kurt.

He didn't hear as Finn headed to bed on his own or Blaine and Kurt heading downstairs regardless that Kurt had his own bedroom upstairs too. Kurt was giggling with Blaine and despite a few tiny hiccups today, had a fantastic day and put the rest out of his memory and was just enjoying the quiet of the night with Blaine 2 floors away from his parents. He did close the door to the basement this time, he didn't want anyone spying on them for what he had planned.

He pushed Blaine back onto the bed and Blaine went easily, trustingly and Kurt crawled over him, one leg on each side of Blaine's hips and bent to kiss Blaine slowly and seductively and Blaine groaned and tried to muffle the sound but Kurt smiled and worked endlessly at his lips before sucking his lower lip into his mouth and nibbling on it and sucking it before kissing him again. His mouth left Blaine's lips to his great disappointment but that only lasted a minute as Kurt's lips tantalized him in other areas of his jaw and then down over his Adam's apple and then to the tender flesh right above his collar bone below his neck and Blaine arched into his mouth, it was fantastic and too much at the same time and he never wanted it to stop as his mouth and tongue and teeth touched him there and that moan was so much louder this time.

He was panting and so incredibly turned on. "Kurt!" It was his turn to fear exploding in his pants due to Kurt just touching him, kissing him in a spot that shouldn't have inspired such a reaction but did. He and Kurt had played this game too many times though and he got hard so much faster than he used to, either through a learned reaction to being touched by the other man or because they weren't able to find that release that they should and so was a lot hornier than they otherwise would be. Or maybe it was both or maybe even if they had had sex every time this happened, they probably would still get hard that quickly because of their desires for the other, they just turned each other on that much. "Kurt, Kurt, Kurt." He couldn't stop saying his name and Kurt's mouth covered his again, not out of fear of someone hearing a very loud Blaine but because Blaine saying his name like that had turned him on so hard that he couldn't help but kiss him. They were tormenting each other but in the most delicious, sweetest way. Waiting was going to be well worth it for both of them, would only make it better and every time after that would also be just as powerful.

His hips thrust upward and their bulges touched and while they'd touched before it wasn't in quite that direction and Kurt froze over him for a second and Blaine had a split second of fear that he triggered something before Kurt came down and rubbed against Blaine who was on his last frayed nerve and they thrust and rubbed against each other through their clothes and Blaine came and came hard and he grabbed Kurt's hips, pulling him against him in just the right direction that found him the most exquisite release.

He wasn't quite so lost as to know that Kurt was still uncomfortably hard and now that Blaine wasn't as hard, was harder to find that groove, that same friction and Blaine didn't even think, he just reached between them and touched Kurt with a firm finger starting at the base of his shaft and then upward and then rested his palm at where he thought he felt Kurt's tip and cupped his hand over it and felt Kurt come and jerk against his hand several times uncontrollably and collapse onto Blaine's chest.

Blaine moved his hand, he could feel the heat and a bit of stickiness where it had been but he wrapped his arm around Kurt and kissed the top of his head. He was very careful as he spoke. "That had not been my intention."

"To help me come?" Kurt asked, his words braver than normal when it came to intimacy in this way.

"For either of us to do so." Blaine knew it was a big leap in their relationship and it was all at once and before just then they hadn't done more than touch each other on the chest or kissed each other shoulders up.

"Blaine, I was the one who straddled you and pushed you to that point. I'm sorry, I should have given you space when I knew you were about to lose it but I couldn't help but kiss you."

"There is a big difference though, I thrust up at you, I should have held myself back."

Kurt sighed and shifted so he could snuggle with Blaine. "I thrust and rubbed back. Don't take it all on yourself. It's fine, I'm fine."

"I touched you." Blaine felt the guiltiest for that.

"I know, and it was amazing." Kurt curled around Blaine with his legs across Blaine's. "I'm not a fragile flower."

"You weren't ready for sex." Blaine countered.

"And I probably am still not. This was just both of us getting carried away. We'll go back to slowly getting there, for both our sakes."

Blaine supposed Kurt was right, this wasn't exactly sex, more dry humping and a little bit of touching. He and Kurt had rubbed against each other in the past and had both almost exploded then too but one or both had the wherewithal to pull away first and let them calm down but they'd skated this edge many times before, it was bound to happen where they fell over and crossed that line. Blaine didn't want to be the only one who came and so he had consciously crossed a line to help Kurt experience what he had, he couldn't be the only one their first time going that far. He would try to keep his hands north of the border from now on until they both talked about it and agreed to go further – later.

"Except..." Kurt had a mischievous smile and Blaine wasn't sure he wanted to know where his thoughts just went. "Just for tonight, do you mind touching me down there again?" Blaine's eyebrows were all the way up his forehead with that request.

Kurt laughed and brought Blaine's hand to his crotch. "I know you masturbate but I haven't even really touched myself down here except to keep it clean. Show me what you do."

Blaine's hand curled around Kurt and he wanted to, oh god he wanted to, had wanted to for ages but he slid his hand off of Kurt. "Not tonight." He didn't feel like this was the right time. Blue eyes were crushed and incredibly hurt and Blaine leaned forward to kiss Kurt's forehead. "We just did something neither of us were planning and while we're in an incredibly good place, this is leap-frogging a lot of steps. I know other guys can have sex the day they meet but that's not us, once we start we're not going to want to stop and if I do this with you now, I'm going to want a lot more than what you're ready for. What we're ready for. I don't want to hurt our relationship by going too fast. Things change after sex and this would be a form of sex." The dry humping – was another form of sex but they'd been fully clothes and except for the final release, nobody had touched the other and neither were responsible for not being able to control that unintended release from Blaine.

Kurt's lips twitched at the word but despite a slight pout, he sighed and sat up. "You're probably right." He massaged the back of his neck. "Damn hormones."

Blaine sat up too and started pressing kisses to the back of Kurt's exposed neck and Kurt's face could only express the hormones he just cursed as he found such pleasure in that as he bore more of his neck to Blaine and his mouth. He was getting hard again and so was Blaine.

"What were you trying to teach me before? Cold showers are good?"

"Warm ones if you want to masturbate and get the jizz off better from your clothes." Blaine had been uncomfortable in his pajamas in the morning more than once after meeting Kurt and he'd woken up and needed to clean both himself and his clothes.

Kurt's reaction to the word was priceless and he knew he had been right, Kurt couldn't even hear the words, he just wasn't ready. He may never be comfortable with the dirty talk but he had to stop blushing like a middle schooler when he heard or thought about it and then maybe... maybe even then, it was cute and maybe he would only stop blushing like that once they did have sex a few times. He was still having a hard time though with hearing the basics without wanting to clam up and box it out, that wasn't ok for Blaine though, he needed them to be able to have an honest conversation about what they liked and didn't like so they didn't cross any lines and both could be comfortable. Maybe the dirty talk would always cause him to blush, but he had to be able to talk and tell Blaine if there was something he didn't like and explain it and discuss modifications and hear when Blaine said he didn't like something. Everything he'd ever read told him that, that they needed to communicate constantly about preferences and expectations and those could change too and may not always be able to explain why it was ok the day before but not today but tomorrow may be ok again.

He pulled Kurt back onto the bed with him and pinned him to his chest and kissed Kurt on the mouth. "Cold showers help turn down the hormones without getting yourself off, when they work." Maybe he could educate Kurt like this, he was willing to learn between kisses but he still saw the blush creep up his boyfriend's neck and it was hot for Blaine to be able to teach Kurt in this way, especially if it was the only way in which Kurt would listen.

He flipped them so now Kurt was beneath him and he settled between Kurt's legs and braced himself on his elbows. This was a very dangerous position for them right now but as long as they didn't touch and help with either of them, it could be ok too. It was a natural reaction and you could come and come comfortably and without being in the throes of sex or being touched in those ultra-intimate spots, as he and Kurt had proven again and again. He started rocking against Kurt who looked at him in surprise despite all that they said. "I'm not touching you, you're not touching me and we've done this several times. If you're ok with this, we can keep doing this and to an extent what we did before." As long as clothes were between them, it could be ok and he said as much and Kurt nodded his agreement, excitement flashing in his eyes. They'd both already came in their pants, what was a little more at this point?

Blaine's head lowered and did exactly to Kurt what he'd done to Blaine at that juncture between neck and collar bone and it was Kurt's turn to moan and thrash and come first. Blaine didn't need Kurt to touch him and he held Kurt's good hand above their heads and stroked Kurt's upper underarm to keep the braced arm from trying to reach between them too to help him come. He didn't even need Kurt hard to like the feel of being between his legs and pressing into him intimately. Kurt still wasn't completely flaccid but more so than last time. Blaine ground against Kurt, only using their hips and then lips crossed over Kurt's as he came again too.

They were both spent and replenished at the same time and replete and Blaine had a hard time keeping himself from lowering all his weight onto Kurt and crushing him. Kurt wrapped his braced arm around Blaine's shoulders and pulled him all the way down and Blaine dropped all of his weight onto Kurt with his guidance and acceptance. Kurt didn't seem surprised by the weight of his muscles on him and only hugged Blaine tighter to him.

They cuddled and loved being in each other's arms after that, even without that. "You're right." Kurt mentioned as he spun his fingers through Blaine's hair lazily. "I've been thinking about it and that is a big jump, we haven't even seen the other without a shirt on, much less touched each other's chests under our shirts or backs." Blaine stiffened, Kurt didn't sound freaked out but he was still waiting for it, waiting for him to come to regret what they'd already done. "On the other hand, not really, we keep doing everything above clothes so that's just more of the same." There was a small one shoulder shrug and Blaine relaxed back against Kurt, his ear resting above Kurt's heart and listening to that amazing sound in his chest, his favorite sound. Blaine would take it and wouldn't argue with him or point anything out that would ruin this moment. He didn't want to move from this very spot. He could get behind doing this with each other from now on and not doing anything more ever in the future, this way it got them both off and they could pretend that it wasn't sex since there was no touching, just kissing above the shoulders and they were fully clothed the whole time. They were both aware that they were pretending that it wasn't more.

To avoid suspicion, Kurt had jumped into the shower and washed his clothes clean and hung them up to dry in the bathroom, changed into his pajamas that he had stashed down there and then brought his wet clothes upstairs to hang dry in his own bathroom. He knew that his dad would still be suspicious if he walked in there. Blaine did the same thing but hung the clothes up and kept them in the bathroom downstairs with him, he had a set of clothes for the night from his visit with his parents and also another change of clothes with him too, knowing he was going to spend the night there.

–

"Where is your brace?" Burt asked that morning when he looked at his smaller son wearing his Dalton uniform. Blaine hadn't made his way upstairs yet, which was a surprise, Blaine was always the first up and about. Finn beat him downstairs today.

"And why are you dressed like that? It's Saturday." Finn had one eye closed as if it was too bright with both open and it probably was if the wince he was sporting was anything to go by.

"There's a Fall Showcase at Dalton, although they call it the Autumn Showcase today." Kurt educated Finn.

"Oh, I didn't realize that was today." Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "Ok if Rachel comes?"

"I've already gotten her a ticket. And anyone from New Directions who wanted to come." Kurt hoped they all showed up, including Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury.

"The brace?" Burt repeated, waiting patiently.

"I'm waiting for it to dry, it gets yucky smelling if I don't do that every so often." Kurt scowled at his arm, it would only be another week before he was done with it, he hoped. He had another check up. "I don't get it, the police were warning Blaine that Karofsky would press charges for breaking his arm but they never came and he was playing since he came back from suspension. He did break his arm, I swear I heard it."

"It was only a fracture, not a full on break like yours." Finn felt awkward talking about the other boy, it wasn't a name that came up often in here anymore. "And athletes often get injections to help them power through the pain during important moments. It usually makes the injury worse in the long run but the pain is passable. I've never done it myself but I've seen others do it and he had. Plus it wasn't his throwing arm."

"No, just his hitting arm." Burt scowled and plated their food and set one out for both Carole and Blaine too. "I don't want to talk about him, unless he's done something new to you."

"Nobody does, I was just trying to figure out how he wasn't still in a cast." Kurt explained. His had been a complicated situation, he knew that and so he was patient and waited for it to heal and didn't argue with the steps. He didn't want it to heal incorrectly and have to deal with a weakened arm forever, that would put a damper on his musical theater plans. As it was, it was his dominant hand, he was in many ways glad that he wasn't left handed and had to sit through all those jokes and combined jokes with his gayness that people would try to link together. It was just unfortunate that he now had to learn how to write somewhat legibly with his left hand and used it to type a majority of his work. He was getting better at it though, every day. He may keep that skill up in the future.

"Good morning." Blaine appeared also in his uniform and came up to drop a kiss onto Kurt's cheek. Kurt turned his face up to get a proper morning kiss and he returned the quick peck on the lips before Blaine took his spot at the table and waited for the others to start eating,

Burt was looking at Kurt expectantly to answer his other question. Kurt sighed, he shouldn't have brought him up but he also said that he would be honest with Burt. "He sought me out in the hallways of McKinley before the game but Santana and Blaine scared him off." Kurt told his dad and Blaine's body went from relaxed to appearing twice his size as he realized what the trio had been talking about before he got up there, he didn't even need a name to catch up. He was surprised when Kurt told him the rest too, but he supposed Kurt did promise not to keep anything back anymore. "Then at Breadstix he groped me as he passed."

"How did I miss that?" Finn was furious.

"It was quick." Blaine explained. "I was right next to him and I didn't know it either except for Kurt's reaction but by then Karofsky was already at the table." He was snarling as he spoke. "I can't believe he had the gall with everyone standing right there."

Burt rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "I'm so glad you're not at that school anymore Kurt. With the way he's escalating we're lucky we got you out in time before he did some serious damage to your psyche." Although he knew there might still be a chance for that. "Maybe I should get you into counseling too."

"Dad." Kurt was appalled at the thought but Blaine shrugged.

"I am, after my own experiences with my bullying and even though it's been years, I still find it beneficial whenever I'm having a rough day." Blaine admitted and Kurt looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"I didn't know that." Kurt had thought that he'd just worked through it on his own, didn't know he was still working through it.

"Everyone needs someone to talk to, even if they're being paid to listen, it helps. They're the one that suggested starting up boxing so I can get some semblance of my power back and they were right. It's not going to be the same for everyone, everyone has a different solution that helps them process what's been done to them."

Kurt pursed his lips and took several moments to answer. "I'll think about it."

That's as much as Burt needed for now and Blaine didn't push, the merits weren't the same for everyone and not everyone warmed up to the thought right away. He just knew that it had helped him. Maybe Kurt wouldn't need it, maybe he'd need it down the road, Blaine wasn't going to judge, Kurt could make his own decisions.

–

Kurt was floored that all of the New Directions, Mr. Schue, Sue, Miss Pillsbury, his dad and Carole had all shown up to cheer him and Blaine and his new school on. It was so nice of them to come and he accepted all the flowers they gave him with grace and tears in his eyes and Blaine came over to talk with them too and had been surprised when they all gave him flowers too. Blaine's tears ran down his cheeks, he'd never been so touched in his life by an outpouring of love and cheer from anyone.

"This isn't actually done here." Blaine joked but he was so delighted by it and they knew it too.

"You two were fantastic and it's no wonder we're tied for sectionals." Rachel praised and kissed them both on the cheeks. "We're going to beat you there but I wish you all the best luck."

"Rachel." Kurt warned, loving her but also needing to constantly reminding her that she was out of line. Yet if she didn't say things like that, he wouldn't be motivated to beat her and she wouldn't be herself.

"What?" She looked put out for being scolded. "It's true. You'll be very surprised."

Sectionals was a week away and he'd probably talk to her before then unless she did one of her 'Diva Spirals'... who was he kidding, she was definitely going to do one of her diva spirals. Kurt decided that he'd let her reach out to him before sectionals if she wanted to talk because he didn't want to get into the middle of that. Kurt turned away from Rachel and mouthed something to Blaine and the look on Kurt's face was priceless and Blaine's grin could barely contain his laughter.

"Let's not let the competition know our plans, hmm, Rachel?" Santana said and winked at Kurt then and Kurt was liking Santana more and more every day. He was starting to understand her now. She was still a terror and up to no good but she was also up to some good when she cared about it, she just approached it in a different way.

"Oh yeah." Rachel reminded herself and stood up straighter and put on a more serious face. Blaine did laugh then but he tried to hide it into Kurt's shoulder.

"Your friends are just too precious." Blaine only meant that in a good way and Kurt was glad that nobody else heard because they might have called him out as a prep-school snob. Kurt knew that's not how he meant it but it was hard to explain it to the others. Yet Kurt agreed with him, his friendship with them were precious to him.

"Hey, Burt?" Finn asked once he and Rachel spoke for a moment and Burt was just congratulating Blaine on a job well done when he heard his older boy's tentative voice.

"What's up?" He wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulders and kept it there and Blaine didn't mind, he liked it.

Finn came closer so he wasn't talking over everyone. "Do you think Kurt could stay here this week?"

Burt lifted an eye brow in suspicion. "Why?" But Blaine was suddenly gleeful. "Settle down or my answer will be no." He whispered in an aside and Blaine grinned bashfully and tried to calm himself.

"Well, we're going head to head next week and we don't want the possibility of the two of us hearing each other's song selections ahead of time."

Burt frowned at Rachel, knowing it was her who said anything. "I don't really like the idea of Kurt being away from home for so long."

"It'll be like a mini-trip somewhere. I've been gone for a week before, to camp." Kurt had been to a few different camps over the summer growing up, mostly because Burt made him.

"You never wanted to go to those and you never had your boyfriend there." Burt countered and Kurt shrugged.

"We could always have Kurt stay with Nick or Jeff and the other could stay with me." Blaine's eyes sparkled because it wouldn't stay that way.

"I know the four of you pretty well by now." Burt warned Blaine, well aware what thoughts were going through Blaine's head. "I am pretty sure you're just putting me on so I'll say yes. I'm going to say yes anyway so don't bother rearranging the rooms."

Blaine and Kurt high-fived like a couple of boys. They were boys but young boys who had just been told that they could go see Die Hard by themselves.

"Finn, you just became my favorite person." Kurt announced loudly and hip-checked Rachel as he walked by to hug him.

"It was my idea!" Rachel protested.

"Yeah, I know." He made a face at her and she made a face back.

"You'd think it was those two who were siblings." Blaine commented to Burt who still had his arm around his shoulders.

"Eh, Blaine..?" Burt asked and he looked up at the man. "Don't do anything inappropriate with my son while he's here, ok?"

"Of course, we wouldn't do anything here this week that we wouldn't do under your roof." Blaine was so honest and his eyes so trustworthy and genuine that Burt almost believed him, but he'd changed the wording in his promise and it made him think that more had happened than he knew.

"Blaine." Burt warned. "Nothing inappropriate."

"Ok, nothing inappropriate." Blaine agreed and again those eyes were so deceivingly sweet that Burt pushed him away and ruffled his hair.

"You're an incorrigible scoundrel, aren't you?"

Blaine smiled and shook his head. He was going to have so much fun with Kurt here for an entire week.

Blue eyes found his across the room and the look in them had winded Blaine, for they were thinking the same thing.

–

Their classmates may not have realized that they were even here as they only attending class, glee and then slipped back into Blaine's room to lay in his bed together and study together. Or at least they did for a little while but there was always something that distracted them. One time it was Kurt tapping his pencil's eraser against his lips and then found himself suddenly pinned onto his back while Blaine pulled it out of his hand and tossed it across the room before his lips found Kurt's.

Another time they were both lying on their stomachs, looking at their text books and Blaine lifted his head and to stretch out his neck and he turned his head to find Kurt looking at him and then Kurt's mouth was hungrily on his.

Another time they were just sitting at the desk, Kurt's feet on Blaine's lap and Blaine's hand was stroking Kurt's shin and calf and then Kurt was pulling him away from his desk on their wheeled chairs so that they were right next to each other and Blaine was right there with him and not confused in the slightest with his intention and they kissed each other. He'd done it again a few minutes later but this time his legs were moving up the chair while he still sat in his so they were face to face and his legs were on either side of Blaine's hips and he was leaning forward to kiss him. Blaine had somehow managed to go back to studying both times but then grabbed Kurt's legs and pulled him over to him and once their chairs were close, he pulled Kurt onto his lap and locked lips again. That night studying was long forgotten.

Or another time they were back on his bed and Kurt reached for the next page just as Blaine was frowning and was going to reference something from before for clarification and their hands brushed against each other and it wasn't long before the rest of them did too.

Sure, they could have pushed the beds together for more space but they preferred to share the single bed, something about it was just more intimate and they had to be pressed together more to both be able to fit on it, and both definitely did.

"That's enough!" Nick shouted from outside their room and shouldered his way in and was disappointed to find them both innocently on their own beds studying. That was until he realized 3 things- Blaine had a stupid smile on his face, Kurt's hair was not perfectly coiffed and Blaine's book was upside down and unless he was working on reading upside down as a skill, this scene had been set and he didn't think Blaine needed to work on that skill but needed to get better at pretending to be innocent when pretending he didn't do anything just now with Kurt.

Jeff strolled in slowly after Nick and he clapped slowly. "And the award for best drama queen goes to... Nick."

Nick stuck his tongue out at him and turned back to the boys. "You've been staying the night for a week, it's about time Blaine shares you, Kurt!"

Kurt laughed as Nick pulled him out of the room and towards the common area and Blaine followed slowly after. Nick basically attacked Kurt with questions and some of them had Blaine blushing hard but Kurt fended them all easily and lobbied it back at Nick without giving anything away. Blaine nodded along, Kurt had this, he didn't need to worry about cutting in and defending Kurt or helping him, this was definitely in Kurt's wheelhouse and he did it so flawlessly one would be forgiven to think that he had always been one of them.

God, Blaine thought, he was starting to sound like a prep-school jerk, Kurt was right. He and Kurt had gotten into a mild argument on Saturday night when Kurt suggested not saying things like that when the McKinley students were around and Blaine had blown up in response. "Just because I know the correct way to say something, doesn't mean I shouldn't!" It was a sore spot with him because he often messed up what he was saying when he wasn't being especially careful with saying it right and he'd been made fun of all his life for saying the wrong things. Now they were annoyed at him for saying the right things.

Kurt had only stared at him completely flabbergast as Blaine stormed out of the room. He'd never seen Blaine angry with him before and it was quite a shock and was annoyed that he didn't know why Blaine had snapped at him just then and his boyfriend had stormed out like Rachel rather than talk to him about it or listen to what he was actually saying.

They had slept in separate beds that night and Blaine had so been looking forward to Kurt being there all week. Some time during the night, Blaine couldn't sleep and he slid into bed with Kurt, apologizing with his actions and showing that he'd calmed down enough now to talk. "Sorry." Kurt murmured and snuggled in. "I should have said it differently."

"I shouldn't have taken offense, you were just trying to make sure we all kept getting along. We all talk a little differently, I know that. I'm sorry too. I wasn't actually mad at you. I hope you can forgive and forget that I did it." Blaine had seen a few of them tossing him eye rolls for a few of the things he said or did and he realized belatedly it was because he'd said it properly or had accidentally corrected them, even Rachel. He'd made them feel small and dumb and he hadn't wanted that, he'd felt that way himself. "I need to work on how I talk to them."

"No." Kurt shook his head and hugged Blaine tightly around his waist. "You have no reason to change, you are who you are and I like how you talk and how smart and kind and generous and talented you are." Kurt was kissing his neck as he said it. "It's just that they don't see it yet, they need time to get to know anyone and they only see you as the person who stole me away right now and I just want them to like you." Kurt was glad that he'd seen Blaine flare up too, it taught him so much about his perfect boyfriend, he definitely had flaws. He wished he was special and didn't get to see the anger directed at him, but he supposed he was special, Blaine did a pouty not listening anger that Kurt found both frustrating and cute with him and a somewhat scary anger with anyone who threatened Kurt or their relationship.

Blaine shivered with what Kurt's mouth was doing and hugged Kurt tightly back. He didn't say anything more on the matter and it was dropped. Yet he knew he needed to tell Kurt why it had been such a touchy subject for him soon.

Now it was Wednesday and he didn't think they'd get much 'studying' done before they had to go to sleep. Nick brought out a bottle and drank out of it before offering it to Kurt who shook his head no and then to Blaine who also declined, not wanting to be a sloppy drunk with Kurt sober. Nick shrugged and drank some more before handing it to Jeff who had a sip and then hid it in a pocket.

They were all roaring with laughter by the night's end and Blaine couldn't keep looking at Kurt's column of fine throat and neck without needing a different kind of night cap. He pushed Nick away from Kurt when he was up in Kurt's face about something and swung his boyfriend over his shoulder.

"Woah, Blaine, what are you doing?" Kurt had never been carried like this in his life. He'd been having fun, what was happening now?

"I'm taking you to bed, Hummel." Kurt turned bright red and Nick chortled the whole time they were in the hallway. "I can't stand not having you in there right now." Blaine explained as he dropped Kurt onto his bed but the taller boy only glared at him. "What?"

"That was incredibly rude."

"Oh, Nick? He's used to it. I push him off things all time time and leave him to his own devices."

"No, you tore me away from a bonding session with your friends and lead them to believe that you and I, that we-"

"That we what Hummel?" Blaine asked pointedly. "If you can't even say it, then no we darn well haven't."

"That was both of our decisions!" Kurt protested.

"Yeah and every day I'm regretting that decision to wait. Every day I'm ready for the next step but you can't even bring yourself to use it's name." Blaine was mad and he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he was horny, they hadn't repeated what was done in Kurt's basement mostly because they didn't want to sully their uniforms and have to keep washing them but he still had needs.

"Is that true?" Kurt asked unsure.

"Yes? No. God, I don't know. I just know that I need and want you and at the same time I'm worried about rushing this." Blaine dragged a hand through his hair. "Truthfully Kurt I have no idea what I'm doing. I've had boyfriends in the past but they've all been in name only. You're the first real boyfriend I've had and I care so much about you and for you and I don't want to ruin things. I'm great at pretending that I do or appearing like I do but I haven't a single clue if what I'm doing is right or wrong or if – I'm good at acting things out in song and on stage but in real life- I'm terrified that I'm going to ruin everything with the wrong word or action and things don't end when the scene cuts or the curtain drops. There's always so much more than what can be fit into the story or on the stage to a real relationship, more than anyone ever talks about."

"Blaine, don't you know that you can be yourself around me? I like you for who you are." Kurt pulled him down onto the bed with him. "Yes I might get mad at you for something you've said or done, the same will happen the other way around, I'll say something or do something that'll make you mad. Nobody at our age knows what they're doing, maybe nobody ever truly does. They just feel it out, together and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. You can just hope for the best and do your best and hope your best is good enough.."

"I don't want to lose you." Blaine took Kurt's hands in his.

"And as long as we're honest with each other and talk about things before we do something crazy and apologize when we know we've done wrong, then I don't see why we wouldn't. We're always going to be learning and growing and understanding new boundaries we hadn't thought about before when it matters to one of us, we just have to explain it to the other and hope they'll understand. We're not going to be changing each other, but hoping we can respect the other's side of things." Kurt tilted his head as Blaine processed all of that. "What's going on today?"

"I just saw you sitting over there with Nick and your head was tilted back while you were laughing and I just wanted to pounce on you. I'm sorry, I should be better at reigning in my impulses."

"Show me what you wanted to do." Kurt tipped his head back and Blaine smiled silkily and his mouth fluttered lightly over the column of his neck and they weren't even real touches, just skimming of lips on him but it had Kurt groaning and moaning in pleasure, whimpering for more. Then he added more pressure and then a tongue and Kurt's eyes rolled back into his head as he tried to predict where that mouth was going to go next.

Thursday, Kurt wanted to go off campus and he invited all the Warblers with him too. They went downtown and had a lot of fun wandering the city and the city streets. They even sang and just enjoyed themselves.

They closed down the city center with an impromptu show and they gathered quite a crowd. Who cheered them on and wanted more songs. Nick spun Kurt and had an impromptu duet with him. Jeff jumped in and pushed Nick aside to sing with Kurt too and it was the same song but Kurt kept the same part while Jeff took over Nick's.

Then he backed away and gestured for Blaine to come in and they sang another duet and the crowd clapped even harder and whistled. "They certainly love you." Kurt praised.

"No, they loved us." Blaine said as he dipped Kurt who raised an arm up in cheer and a wave to the crowd. He always had a pose he hit perfectly and without thinking and Blaine was just his support in this one. He looked ok doing it but he could have done it with more flourish but if he had then it would have pulled attention from just Kurt whereas Blaine was good on his own but he was more the support to show off just how good Kurt was. That was exactly what Blaine wanted to be for Kurt in life too, just his support. "Watch, I'll prove it." He didn't need to prove it to Kurt but he was off even as Kurt was saying so.

He did a jump spin and pulled Nick into a duet and the clapping was nice afterward but the audience kept looking over to Kurt, wanting him back in center stage. Then he held out his hand for Kurt, "Yo, VIP" Blaine teased and Kurt took his and was pulled to the center and then left there on his own. Thankfully he knew the song that the Warblers were introducing and it was a bit sassy and fun and totally not what anyone would have expected from him. It wasn't exactly a Warbler typical song either but Kurt took on that challenge. Females in the crowd squealed and the guys laughed and they started dancing along too.

The crowd roared when he finished with a typical b-boy pose even though he'd only done the simplest steps through the routine that fit the style. He bowed towards the crowd and then turned to look at the Warblers with incredibly in his eyes. "Seriously? Ice Ice Baby?!"

"Could have also been Under Pressure." Nick teased and Kurt thought about it for a quick second wondering if he'd been the one to take it the wrong way but no, they'd started the lyrics before he jumped in when Blaine called him up to take the lead solo spot again.

The crowd waited to see if they would perform anything else and they did one more song with all 4 lead soloists returning back again. This band wasn't as well known as they should have been because they did split the lead parts to all members of the group.

They sang A Long and Happy Life by Delta Rae. It was the perfect song for these specific 4 guys and the crowd because it had a country vibe but it seemed to speak to those singing as well.

Then they all took a bow, they had to finish for the day. Friday they'd rest their voices again before the big show-down on Saturday. The crowd pretty much dispersed after another round of applause but a few came up to Kurt and started talking to him. A few others went to a few of the other Warblers to ask a few questions but Kurt was just surrounded by a crowd and separated from the rest of his friends. He was started to feel claustrophobic in this group even though he did a good job not showing it and answering everything they asked him, or thanking them for their compliments or chatting with them. Blaine had a few people asking him a few things but he kept looking for Kurt in the crowd that submerged him but it wasn't getting smaller, in fact more people joined them and he chatted with the Warblers a bit but the frown was firmly attached to his lips as he started feeling his own anxiety rise from not being able to see Kurt, knowing that Kurt was probably feeling some himself being cut off from what he knew and surrounded by such a large group so close to him and not being able to see past the first couple of people in front of him.

He left the Warblers without saying anything and wormed his way into the group and found Kurt in the center sparkling and charming everyone and making them laugh with his wit. His arm in the guard was wrapped tightly around his waist and it was the only outward indicator that he was internally stressing out. Blaine's fingers slid through Kurt's and he just stood next to him, not saying anything or interrupting or drawing focus to himself. He continued to let Kurt shine but he was there and an anchor, a lifeline for him and Kurt's head turned to him instantly and seeing who it was, he smiled broadly but continued talking to his admirers and squeezed his hand in thanks.

They slowly left and Kurt got a few cards which Blaine took for him since his own hands were otherwise occupied and a lot of compliments and was told they'd be looking for his records in the future which Kurt had blushed but he hadn't been intending to go that route. "When I'm on Broadway, I'll be sure to send you one of the CDs they make, I'll be on those. I won't forget my first audiences before getting my big break." More papers with names, addresses and phone numbers were piled into Blaine's hands and he laughed. He really wanted to kiss Kurt but waited until the crowd left before kissing his cheek. "I told you they were all clapping for you."

"It's such a strange feeling. I was always the one that got pushed off the stage because I was too theatrical..."

"It's just high school. There are always going to be people who don't understand or cave into peer pressure but once you're out in the real world, more people will recognize your talent for what it is. The world at school is just too small and people have tunnel vision."

Kurt supposed he was right, people made fun of Rachel telling her to stop singing but she was a big reason for why they'd made it to Nationals last year. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always being in my corner." Kurt shook his head. "I'm the older one, I should be the one helping to guide you and be your mentor through all of this."

Blaine shrugged. "That's another thing that only matters in school, age. Once we're both out of high school it won't make any difference. It's not like we're 20 years apart or anything big like that, it's just 10 months and we'd be a year apart in school even if we were a few days apart and born in the same year, it happens all the time. It's more about experiences than time or age." Kurt supposed that was true too.

He squeezed Blaine's hand. "All the same, thank you. I want to be your support too."

"You are. You don't know how much you are because I'm not faced with quite the same big obstacles at this time but you being in my life is such a support to me, makes my life so much better." Blaine reassured and Kurt believed him and he was glad, he always wanted to support Blaine in whatever he chose to do, big or small.

"Come on lovebirds!" Nick called out, his hand was resting on Jeff's elbow so had no room to complain but Kurt understood that they wanted to head back. It was cold out and practically December and while it had been a lot of fun and they hadn't noticed until then, after dancing and singing and getting so much warmer than before, the cold snapped back extra cold even if it was only a few degrees colder than before. Kurt adjusted Blaine's scarf so he'd be warmer and then did the same for himself and then slipped his hand back into Blaine's.

"We have my car here, we'll meet you back on campus." Blaine called back and stopped Kurt who was going to go join them. "We're going to go grab a hot drink."

"Oh." Kurt smiled at Blaine, warming up to that idea instantly.

"Ok." Nick waved goodbye with a tossed kiss their way and he and Jeff headed back with the others.

"See, you're not the only theatrical one." Blaine teased, he was as guilty as the rest for that when he wasn't with the group, just he toned it down to fit in better but couldn't help but get the leads and the Warblers were popular because they were cute and had fun and were open to being theatrical, just a contained theatricality they could all partake in.

"You were so good." Kurt praised and Blaine had had his fair share of admirers too who had said he should have sang more but Blaine waved it off. "No, seriously. I'm always proud when I get to sing with you, you're my favorite duet partner."

"You have to say that because we're dating." Blaine was feeling good though, he liked Kurt's compliments and his ego was growing.

"No, I thought that before we even met, I thought how good we'd be together and I was right, but just more than I really realized." Kurt laid his forehead against Blaine's shoulder. "We're going to have to wait for drinks though."

"Oh?" Blaine looked around, wondering why he'd just said that, they had to walk to their car first and then drive down to the coffee shop, it was just a bit too far to walk in this weather.

"Yeah, time always slips away from us. I have that doctor's appointment today." He lifted his arm and Blaine frowned.

"Back in Lima?" He didn't want Kurt to drive all the way there and back today, it was darker earlier and by the time he got back it'd be late and would be better off just staying at home.

Kurt shook his head. "Remember that I switched it to one nearby? So I wouldn't have to drive back and forth not knowing what the weather was going to be like? I switched it ages ago, maybe I forgot to tell you."

"Ages ago?" Blaine frowned, trying to remember and then he did, it was shortly after regionals when Kurt had to drive back through the downpour and thunderstorm to make it to his appointment in Lima and despite having great traction, being a great driver and a fantastic vehicle, it had scared all of them enough that until Kurt was back in Lima fully, he might as well have his doctor appointments near Dalton unless it coincided with Kurt already being home for the day. When it came to school, he could at least arrive late or not go for the day.

He'd forgotten that Kurt went through with that. He grinned. "Well that's great!" Blaine drove him to his appointment and they did some more scans and told Kurt he was done with the brace but let him keep it for any time he was going to put some strain on it for now or any time he lifted more than 5 pounds with it and then in a month he'd have another appointment just to make sure he didn't re-injure it and would give him his new weight limit for it. He would go through physical therapy sessions now too to help strengthen it in the right way and the right speed.

Kurt threw his guard into his bag and lifted his arms in happiness. "Freedom!"

"Kurt!" Blaine looked at him in shock and Kurt spun to him in confusion. "Your arm!"

"What?" Kurt scowled back. "I'm not putting any weight on it or straining it." He thought for a second that he was doing the opposite but refrained from saying so, in fact it did take different muscles to lift your arm up over your head and there was more gravity pulling the higher you were.

Blaine shook his head, they would disagree about it if they could but he didn't want to argue, this was a time to celebrate and he slid his hands over Kurt's now unhindered arm and Kurt sank into his touch with a happy sound. He wasn't even touching skin this time. It felt good to be touched there by Blaine, he'd ran his own fingers along the muscles when they hurt after opening the brace up to do so but Blaine hesitated to touch anything that wasn't already exposed, not wanting to accidentally put too much pressure on it. The muscles loved being massaged and Kurt loved Blaine's fingers on him.

Blaine drove them back to the coffee shop and Kurt called his dad to let him know what the doctor told him and Burt was glad for his son. He said hi to Blaine too, knowing Blaine was there without having to ask. They chatted for a bit longer, Burt missed having his son around and Kurt missed him too. Blaine didn't do anything but smile, liking that relationship so much, that he couldn't do anything but smile.

They forewent coffee for hot chocolate at the cafe since it was getting pretty late even though they still had to study. Blaine's thumb was stroking Kurt's newly freed arm while they sat across from each other at the cafe both in comfy chairs and just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Neither were wearing their blazers or outer coats for a change as they sat near the fireplace. There were other couples in more intimate positions around the room but this felt pretty darn intimate to them and only they would know that. "I love you." Blaine said just as Kurt was taking a sip out of his drink.

Kurt could have choked on his drink with Blaine's poor timing but he was careful to swallow it correctly and then beamed at Blaine with all the warmth and happiness he felt toward Blaine, he had been thinking the same thing for ages now. "I love you too."

Blaine didn't lean across the table to kiss Kurt nor did Kurt do it either, they just continued sitting in their same positions and Blaine's thumb continued to stroke Kurt's forearm and they just looked at each other smiling and drinking their hot chocolates. They hadn't needed to kiss the other to confirm their words, their eyes were doing it for them. They were already so connected on all the important levels.

They lingered well after their drinks were done, they were just enjoying this quiet moment with each other, not even doing anything or even talking. Each hoped this would be something they could say they still enjoyed even when they were 90, just being in each other's presence and life and not needing to do anymore than than be within reach of each other.

Music was playing in the background and Blaine slid over to join Kurt in his 1+ person seat and Kurt's head moved to rest on Blaine's shoulder, their hands moving to a new holding position, still physically connected right down to their fingers. Blaine's head rested on Kurt's and he closed his eyes and just soaked this moment in, all the sights, smells, warmth, feelings and sensations. Kurt was doing the same thing and they felt it was incredibly rude to ruin that for them when a barista cleared their throat and touched each on their shoulder.

They looked at her, waiting and she sighed adorably, she hadn't wanted to interrupt them but had to. "We're closing." She nodded towards all the tables that had been cleaned and chairs lifted and placed on the tables so the cleaning staff could do a good run over the floor that night. There was no other patrons in the cafe anymore. They blushed as they realized they'd fallen asleep between the comfortableness of the chairs, the warmth of the fire, the time and the embrace.

"Sorry." Kurt said sheepishly disentangled himself from his position. He'd been in one of those poses that looked incredibly uncomfortable but he seemed to like. Blaine just had to sit up and stand. He helped Kurt out of his spot and smoothed down his shirt sleeves then helped him put his blazer back on then helped him with his coat and scarf before putting his own on. Kurt helped him with his coat and wrapped Blaine's scarf lovingly around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him. "Thanks!" He called out to the barista as they left and she closed the door behind them and locked it and worked on finishing up the last few details before she also left for the night. "She was sweet."

Blaine nodded, he was still completely distracted by that kiss. He had never felt more loved than he had in that moment and it was messing with his thoughts and head, he loved this boy, who's hand he was still holding, so much. He would never be able to pick the barista out of a lineup if he had to, he'd only ever be able to see Kurt's face as he wound the scarf around his neck and the promise in his beautiful blue eyes.

–

Kurt was humming to himself as he walked down Dalton's hallway. He was thinking about Blaine and for some reason Katy Perry's Teenage Dream kept playing on repeat. He was smiling goofy and couldn't keep his thoughts from drifting to his boyfriend. He was having a very hard time focusing on classes today and there's been some comments from teachers and friends about how he seemed distracted but happy and so they didn't push him to focus too hard today.

"Ow." Kurt didn't know why his face was suddenly up against a wall. He didn't remember tripping, was he so distracted as to not even remember how to walk and it took pain to pull him out of his daydream?

No, that couldn't be right, this was too painful to have just been a misstep and using his good arm he pushed himself away from the wall and looked around in confusion. A teacher was standing between Kurt and his eyes adjusted to the big guy in the red football jacket and the blood drained out of Kurt instantly as he realized what had happened. Dalton didn't have any lockers to push him into, at least not in the way McKinley had it set up and there would never be any of those metal lockers littering the halls here. People usually just used the books in the library or the ones the school provided in each classroom. The students otherwise kept their own books in their dorm rooms or at home and they only had to bring their laptop around with them to classes if they wanted to take notes or a pen and notebook. They didn't have a need really to bring anything else with them from class to class and so it saved their backs from having to shlep things around. They didn't even need to go through the outdoor weather to get to class as there was a hallway that connected the dorms to the school on every floor of this building. Unless they were like Kurt and commuting to class and then there was a coat room that they could leave their coats and wet shoes in.

"I am so sorry Mr. Hummel." The teacher was saying and Kurt focused on him for a second, it took a lot longer than it should to recognize him as his French teacher. Karofsky had pulled Kurt's full attention and he had never felt fear in Dalton's halls before and he wasn't sure if he would ever feel totally safe in these walls again.

"W-wh-what are you doing here?" Kurt asked, finding his voice again. He'd been so cheeky and confident the last times he saw Karofsky because he knew he had Dalton to run away to.

"I'm taking a tour." Karofsky responded just as cocky as ever and looked smug at Kurt. "I'm thinking of maybe joining your school."

"This kind of behavior young man is not tolerated here and you would not be a good candidate. I must ask you to leave."

"That's all right, I got what I came here for. It's a sissy school for sissies."

"Mr. Karo!" The French teacher was just absolutely stunned and appalled. "You must leave at once!"

Kurt was glad the teacher was sticking up for him, but he didn't want to have to seek Karofsky out again to ask this. "How did you find me?"

"Someone let it slip that you were now going to Dalton. You ran away like a baby and while I knew the uniform meant private school, it wasn't until I heard Dalton that I was able to locate you. The internet is a handy device, it not only told me where it was located but how to get here and offered options on touring the campus during school hours without me even having to ask."

"You planned all this, David Karofsky?" Kurt was shocked, he used Karofsky's full name purposefully as he'd heard the truncated version used earlier and the French teacher gasped in shock. The French teacher was calling security and of course they had it, but Kurt had never seen them before, hadn't even thought about it. He was glad now that they had it.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Hummel, we didn't have pictures in the records on who was harassing you and so we didn't even think twice about letting him tour this school. Had we known, we would have made sure he never got through the front gate."

Kurt was sure he would have found a way, he'd had to have lied about his age too to get in anyway, why would they think a 2nd semester senior would want to switch? "It's not your fault, it's his. He just can't leave me alone. One would think that he's obsessed with me, it's obscene." Kurt was finding that confidence again and Karofsky's face twisted and a snarl started to form across his face and he pushed the teacher out of his way easily and was suddenly in Kurt's face, his hot breath revolting to Kurt but he didn't back down or back up and glared right back at him. "Leave. Me. Alone." Kurt stated each word carefully as if he couldn't understand the words in a sentence otherwise.

"Oh Hummel, that's the last thing I'm going to do." His forefinger came up and stroked under his chin hard and flicked it off, then his thumb and forefinger came back and gripped the end of his chin hard and his face was inches from Kurt's. "See you around, baby." He winked as security showed up and the French teacher was trying to squeeze his way between them, a lot braver than Kurt had originally given him credit for. They led Karofsky away and he didn't even resist and went willingly. Kurt's breath whooshed out of him and he collapsed back on the wall shaking and pale once Karofsky was out of view, he hadn't realized he'd been holding himself so tightly together with so much effort until then.

The French teacher was at his side with a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry. Let's get you to the nurse so she can help you calm down. I'm sure it was quite a shock and he'll never be allowed on campus again."

It didn't matter, Karofsky now knew where he was and could be waiting for him any time he left campus. The nurse gave him some tea and a relaxing medication that he didn't want to take at first but he did once she convinced him and also a painkiller for the smarting on his face.

Then he spent the next hour in the administration's office.

Burt showed up an hour and a half after the incident and Kurt heard him arguing with the administration who had all come to talk to Kurt and reassure him that he was still safe here and it would never happen again. "How did he even get on campus?" Burt demanded.

"He wanted to have a tour of the campus, we don't generally refuse requests to see what we're all about." The head office member explained.

"I've given you his name and you have all the records, he should have been flagged instantly." Burt argued.

"We do have those records but we never thought he'd come here and he lied about who he was, but you're right, it was inexcusable, we should have flagged any variations on the name and given the understaff and security his picture. We're sorry, we won't let it happen again, we're going to make sure anyone who poses a threat to your son or any of these students will have their names, possible alternatives and pictures with security from now and they won't be allowed on campus. Karofsky's picture will be hung up in every office as a person that is never allowed onto campus, even if his name is completely different than anything we can postulate. If we see them hanging around the campus outside our walls we'll call the police. Your son will be safe here."

Blaine came running in and skidded to a halt outside the windows to the office, he'd just heard that Kurt was in there but nobody had been able to tell him why. He'd been looking for him for hours. Kurt hadn't even thought to look at his phone. "Burt? What are you doing here? Kurt? What happened? Is everything all right- you're not-"

Kurt was numb from the relaxing pill that the nurse had given him and was feeling sluggish as he looked over to Blaine. He wouldn't be taking that again, he felt disconnected and separate from his body. Blaine's body spasmed as he took a look at Kurt and then was there in front of him. "What happened?" He asked again and his cool hands cupped Kurt's injured face and he leaned into the cool soothing touch. "Who did this?" He didn't move away but his head turned to look at the administration with anger in his voice and gaze too. "You're going to expel whoever did this, right?"

"We can't Blaine." The one who seemed to know him fairly well responded and continued before Blaine could interrupt. "He doesn't go to school here."

Burt briefly explained that Karofsky had gotten in via a ploy of being interested in attending this school. Blaine was just as furious as Burt and was chewing into them now and standing next to Burt. Kurt couldn't tell which one was more so and that made him giggle. Both of the Bs in his life looked at him in bafflement on what he could possibly find funny in this situation and his thoughts continued to make him giggle. The Bs! And their faces!

They were slowly going from shock to wonder to annoyance. Kurt was having a hard time following them but he knew Burt turned towards the administration and barked something at them and Blaine was back at his side on his knees with his hands on Kurt's leg and face peering up at him trying to understand something in Kurt's face and talking to him and Kurt looked at him with a lifted brow and Blaine's head swiveled towards the others and said something. Then his shoulders sank and his head hung low and shook too in annoyance, looking back to Kurt before he spoke again.

"Well, they're not going to give you that pill ever again." Blaine's words filtered through and he frowned, pill? Oh yeah...

It was probably another hour before they finished talking and by then Burt was calmer and Kurt was more with it. Blaine hadn't left his side the entire time and held his hand. "Come on Kurt, I'll take you home."

"No, he's safer here than anywhere else." Blaine spoke back to Burt and Kurt looked between them wondering what would happen next, Kurt had never seen anyone talk back to his dad, he had tried growing up but Burt was always so damn reasonable first and was very candid and easily put Kurt back in place before he could get too off the rails. He'd only ever seen his dad mad and unreasonable when it came to his bullies and then he listened. He'd been that way with Finn too when attacking Kurt with the term fag but he'd always been patient with Kurt and kind and every time since he's been that way with Finn too and he'd only ever seen him that way with Carole. Burt had been patient and kind to Blaine too as far as he knew, he hadn't had to put Blaine in his place yet nor had seen a need where Burt would.

"You can honestly say that to me after what happened today?" Burt rounded on Blaine.

"Yes." Blaine was the most serious he'd ever been with Burt. "He was in the hallway when it happened, in the school. Karofsky didn't get into the dorms and in the dorms Kurt has all of us looking out for him. Now the school is on guard and they made a mistake but they're going to rectify that. There are several layers of walls here and security and people. We were lulled into a false sense of security when we let him wander the halls on his own between classes, we won't make that mistake again."

"Geez guys, you're talking like Karofsky is a cat burglar/assassin and I'm the crown prince of a country where they're trying to either kill me or kidnap me." Kurt stood and made his opinions known for the first time. "I'm safe both at home and here, both of you chill."

"Welcome back." Blaine said testily.

"It's not my fault I took what the nurse prescribed and it made me loopy." He remembered everything that happened, he just couldn't process things normally before.

"I would have never given you anything." Burt grumbled. "Just the painkillers."

"Maybe it was the combination?" Kurt suggested.

Blaine shook his head. "Either way, we won't try it again."

"When did you become in charge of Kurt's care?" Burt pierced Blaine with a stare and Blaine opened his mouth and closed it again. He was put in his place just then but he also didn't want to try and explain it all to either of them right then. Kurt knew he'd be as opinionated as Blaine if it were Blaine in trouble.

"Sectionals are tomorrow." Kurt commented and Blaine had totally forgotten that and he looked at Kurt in shock. "I'll come home after them." Blaine was about to protest and he shook his head no. "You can come too Blaine."

Burt was about to protest but then he processed what Kurt said and replied, knowing it was better to not argue with Kurt right now, his mind was made up. "I guess that will be fine, but if anything, and I mean anything feels wrong tonight, you'll call me."

"Of course." Kurt agreed instantly and Burt held Blaine's eyes for a long time even after Kurt answered.

"That goes for you too, don't hide it from either of us, if there's even a whisper of something going down, I need to know." Burt said and Blaine nodded, his arm going around Kurt, he would protect Kurt and Burt knew it too and it was in that moment that Burt knew he'd lost his son to a romantic interest and he had to toe a very careful line to not lose him completely because Kurt may just choose Blaine over him if he wasn't or made Kurt choose between them. He didn't want to make Kurt choose, he wanted Kurt to have both and he liked and trusted Blaine and couldn't think of a better equal or partner in a relationship with his son.

Not because he knew many gay guys or didn't know them, Blaine was the kind of person he'd always envisioned Kurt with, what he'd hoped any child of his would meet and view as a match. Rachel did that for Finn too, even if she was sometimes a little crazy and not his favorite person, she pushed and pulled Finn to be better and supported who he already was and didn't get upset about the parts of him that weren't quite to the level she wanted but accepted those parts too. Finn wanted to be better for Rachel too.

They'd been dating for over a year now and had talked often for longer and had been aware of each other since grade school, so it was easy to see it, see what they were for each other. Blaine and Kurt had only known each other for a couple of months and Burt had thought it was too fast but now he was seeing that time had nothing to do with it, they were the same, same as Rachel and Finn, same as he and Carole, same as he was with Elizabeth. No two relationships were the same, but the balance between them was good. Hell, he'd met Carole a year ago and now they were married. Many people thought that that was fast.

Kurt started the hug that he gave his dad before he left and Burt held him firmly against his chest and kissed the top of his head, he still had some inches on his son so he could still do that. "I mean it, I'll be back here with the National Guard if I have to."

As soon as he said it, Burt realized that he probably could call them out. He would have to look into whether or not the job came with perks like personal security for his family or a pay that would let him send Kurt here full time. He hadn't started yet but he was in talks with his team, he hadn't known he'd have a team until they called. It was such a surprise to him, nobody but Will Schuester had helped him win the elections but now there was a whole new world open for him.

People congratulated him all the time but he'd been so wrapped up in his children's plights and achievements that he had totally missed the solution right in front of him. A slow smile crossed his face and he buried his head in Kurt's hair. "Mmh, you smell good." It was soft too.

"Thanks dad." Kurt was red, Blaine could tell that he was embarrassed by the comment even though he always smelled good and people commented on it all the time. The back of Kurt's neck was red and Blaine wanted to laugh. So it wasn't just sex talk that had him like that, it was any kind of comment that put him in the spotlight, he'd have to pay more attention to that because that was the opposite of the Kurt he thought he knew, or at least the Kurt he was when he was with Blaine, free and fearless.

They'd had a small celebration the weekend before Thanksgiving with just the family and Blaine and Kurt had been so proud of him. He'd gotten Burt an extremely healthy cake when he'd won, had it made the day before, sure it was going to happen. Kurt was confident that Burt could do whatever he put his mind to and knew everyone else would love him too. Burt wanted to be that guy for his son, be worthy of that pride and complete trust in his eyes. He would make sure his son was ok, this would be the absolutely last thing that happened to him.

Anger was a good word to describe Burt when he found out that the only benefits afforded his family was through local police if he worked with them to establish something but were unlikely to guard his family, just him as he went around his district talking to those who lived there and listening to what they had to say, their concerns; being able to now afford that private school tuition with the nearly $200,000 annual raise he'd be receiving and maybe being able to hire his own security team when needed. He had been given different numbers, somewhere between $900,000 and $3 million to use towards travel expenses among other things in official capacity and to put towards a place to stay when he was in D.C. But that number kept changing with everyone he spoke to and it wasn't clear if that was per term or year.

So his options were: keep Kurt on Dalton campus the entire time, pay for private security or prove to the police all over again that Kurt's life was in danger and that the danger was because he was being used as a target to get Burt to back off of his campaign promises of inclusiveness for all, especially his gay rights stance, but he couldn't do that until there was a vote on the floor that he could participate in and that his son's life being at threat would have influenced his vote... Or the police had to think it was a viable threat on Kurt's life and safety regardless of Burt's politician status. He'd called the officer who had been partial to Kurt during the cafe meeting and updated her on the latest activity over the last week, including the very inappropriate touching; she said she would add it to her notes but it still wasn't enough, nobody had seen it, even though all knew it was true. The events at Dalton were again unfortunately a school matter and since he hadn't been hurt other than the bruise or overtly threatened (although she acknowledged that it was definitely implied) they didn't have jurisdiction there and it was n a different city. She would put a tail on Karofsky though since that was stalker behavior and they wouldn't always be able to have one on him.

Kurt would not appreciate a bodyguard detail but Burt was seriously considering it even though he practically had one through his friends. Burt was also loathe to force Kurt to stay there and not see his other friends or brother. Kurt would not listen to him if he did that, while he was having fun with Blaine while staying on campus with him, he was not the type to be constantly with someone else, he'd go insane if he wasn't given his alone time too. He was both an introvert and extrovert at the same time or at different times, he needed both time with others, needed it, thrived in it and he needed time alone with his thoughts and projects and to regroup. Maybe it was because he'd learned to be alone but Burt knew it was mostly because he had a variety of interests and not all of them were as bold and loud as he made himself seem, but he was definitely those too.

He was stuck in a sit and wait game with this bully. Burt would take a crowbar to his knees if he ever hurt Kurt again. Now that he knew who it was hurting his child, he would not be held back from doing the same.

While Burt was receiving all this bad news on the way home after he got in touch with his interns, Kurt and Blaine were in the Junior sitting area next to the fireplace. Kurt didn't say anything about what went down with Karofsky but he did snuggle in with Blaine with his legs across his lap and the other guys- David was a senior but wasn't currently present, Wes, Jeff & Nick were juniors- were hanging about in the room too. Jeff was pacing the floor and Nick sat at the window, looking out of it distracted and distraught. Wes sat in the couch facing the door to the hallway that led their common room to others. He had his feet up on the table and he was just glowering at it as if Karofsky was going to come barging in at any time.

Kurt thought it was nice of them, but really just overkill because he wasn't coming back in here. Blaine had been right, the problem was fixed and this was the safest place on the planet for Kurt right now. He was just tired and Blaine pressed the ice pack back onto his face and he jerked at the cold he wasn't expecting in the really warm room and it woke him up from his nice daze he was in earlier, Blaine's chest was just as warm as the fire. "It's fine Blaine-"

"No it's not." He snapped. He'd tried to get Kurt to talk about it earlier but he just stayed silent. "The painkiller made it worse." He said it more gently now and pressed the ice against it again.

"Worse than Finn's bruise?" He'd used the bruise in the makeup he'd helped Finn with and when Blaine was silent, he knew he was right but was unsure how it could be. He untangled himself and headed over to a mirror above the fireplace and he turned his head to look at it. Oh, Blaine was right. The painkillers were only marginally responsible for this bruise's size and intensity. He'd smacked his face pretty good into that wall, had he'd gone nose first, his nose would have broken, easily, and so he was thankful for small miracles. He'd fallen into his left side thankfully and the bruise started at his forehead and went all the way down to his jaw and went from ear to nose. He winced at himself, no wonder Blaine had been beside himself when he'd come in to see Kurt in the office and only saw it once Kurt turned his head. Finn's bruise started at his eye and ended at his mouth.

"I wish I had broken his back."

"No you don't." Kurt didn't even look at Blaine while he admonished him but Blaine didn't respond and he looked over to the stubborn face of his boyfriend and raised both eyebrows, seriously?

"No, you're right, I don't." Blaine wasn't happy about that administration. "But I do wish I caused more damage that would have discouraged him from ever touching you again."

Kurt sighed and looked back at the mirror and probed at it carefully, trying to see if it hurt and he worked his jaw but he seemed fine. He wasn't sure if tomorrow would be any better or worse, definitely worse in looks and he wasn't sure if he could cover it up for the competition but he'd try, he didn't want this distracting the judges from their performance. He spun towards the others. "I'll drop out from tomorrow's competition if it's going to be a hindrance- this doesn't exactly go with the harmony and clean boy group image you've cultivated."

Wes snorted. "We revamp our image all the time, it's our reputation we've only ever been worried about and you not performing will definitely ruin our chances of winning." Wes paused. "Sorry, that didn't come out like I meant it – I just mean we don't give a damn about your face being bruised by that bully or what the judges think caused it, hell, it could have been a car accident and you still showed up to perform. We just care about you and want you up there with us and you're one of the reasons we're going to win tomorrow." Wes suddenly grinned despite his sullen mood. "And sorry Kurt but you're definitely not going to convince anyone that you're anything but a sweet little boy with that baby face and cute hair style." He didn't mean the taller look he'd started to sport more and more but the one that he wore when he was at Dalton, the one he wore when he was still hiding at McKinley, the side part with hardly any volume. He was trying to keep himself toned down here with these guys because it was his interpretation of being part of the mass, one face could be lost for another with their uniformity but even if he did sport that taller hair style, he would still look sweet and innocent with only a slight edge – put there with attitude and desire, not actually a real edge. "And then after that, you damn well better wear your hair all spiky again. The clean cut baby boy look is adorable but not you or befitting your fire and sass, you should have your outside matching your inside."

Truthfully Kurt was surprised Wes had seen so much of Kurt's inner struggle, he liked Wes but hadn't spent as much time with the straight older boy as he had with the others since coming. Yet some days he felt like that inside Kurt was that shy, sweet little boy still that wasn't sure if he wanted to be out and bold or in and hiding and on those days he wore his hair that way and the other days he kept the volume to a minimum, especially since he was away from what he knew.

Wes caught the look on Kurt's face through the mirror and he read Kurt far too easily, he was cursed and blessed with such an expressionate face. "I had time to read you, you were the only new person in my life for over a year now and you had to get to know all these jokers too. I had the benefit of being secure and knowing where everything is and everyone and not fearing for my well-being. You on the other hand were thrown into the deep end and only sort of knew Blaine and asked to perform and survive all at the same time with a weight around your ankle trying to drag you under. And you're a lot easier to read than I am." Wes winked.

Kurt was glad that Wes was out of his foul mood and stopped just staring at the door but now it was Blaine's turn and he sighed and looked to Wes for help who shook his head, he wouldn't help him there.

"Stop poking at it, you're only going to make it worse!" Blaine's voice cut through the new silence. Kurt's hand clenched next to his face and his back muscles tightened and suddenly Blaine was there wrapping himself around Kurt and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell or snap at you. I'm just pissed he had the ability to do this to you in our safe space." He gestured around the room and Jeff stopped pacing to give Blaine a warning look but Blaine looked right back at him and Jeff grumbled and went back to pacing.

"You have a right to be mad at me, all of you do. I brought a bully into your safe space. If it wasn't for me, you'd all still be secure in here."

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't bring him here. You came here because you needed the safety this place offers just as much as the rest of us." It was Nick who spoke and Kurt had never seen him so mellow or his voice so quiet that he almost didn't hear him.

Blaine placed the ice pack against Kurt's face again and led him back to the couch, his temper mellowed again and he knew he had to be calm for Kurt but Kurt's calmness had only riled him. He had wanted to hear all the details but Kurt was quiet but not distraught. He was thankful for that but it gave Blaine the space to go from caring lover to furious protector without anyone there to protect Kurt from at the moment, his anger had no outlet unless he dared leave Kurt's side, which he wouldn't. Whereas Kurt would have preferred him to be closer to the first and if he was going to be more like the second, then he could go to the gym and wear off some of that angry energy.

Blaine sat down against the arm of the couch and tugged Kurt down to sit in front of him on the couch but between his legs and his legs were next to Kurt's on the couch and pulled him back to lean against him so Kurt's back was lying against Blaine's chest and they were both reclining against the couch together and he wrapped his arms around Kurt's chest, holding him close and chin resting on Kurt's shoulder. It was a very adorable pose.

Nick pushed himself away from the window and came to sit next to them on the couch and Jeff was instantly behind him with a hand on his shoulder, offering support.

"I had a similar situation but different." Nick grasped Jeff's hand with both of his and he looked up at his boyfriend. "I had to leave my last school because I got drunk and started making out with a boy who kept guiding me to relieve some of his tensions but laughed cruelly when I asked if he'd return the favor and kicked me out. Meanwhile I didn't know that he was filming it or taking pictures. He posted them up all over the internet on our school boards and publicly with his face blurred. I wasn't out yet but it's followed me everywhere I went, public school after public school and then I was lucky enough to find this school and it's been a safe haven and while we've gotten it taken down and the internet scrubbed, at any time it could blow up in my face all over again. Thankfully nobody here would look at me any differently." Kurt nodded, he definitely wouldn't if he ever got a pop up of what Nick was describing on his computer some day. He would close it and let Nick know that it was back and be there for him, whatever he needed. He could see why Nick said it was the same but different, the terror followed you to every school and move you made, whether it was just remembered terror, virtually or a real person.

Jeff cleared his throat. "I was catfished." Only Nick had heard this story before and Blaine tensed, not sure where it was going and not sure he wanted Kurt to hear.

But Blaine had to remember he too was vulnerable and could be effected by the story too, perhaps Kurt wasn't sure he wanted Blaine to hear about any more terrors, especially after what he'd gone through himself in the past and what Kurt was living through now; with him in such close proximity, and unable to stop anything from happening, just stopped it from going further. It was like like the past and but different because now it was someone he cared about and he couldn't stop it and sometimes torturing someone was more effective when you went after a loved one rather than physically hurting the one you were trying to torture. This was torture for Blaine too.

That and this story was about one off his good friends, it would hurt anyway.

Blaine knew that this was just wrecking his emotional and mental well-being and hearing all these stories tonight was helping and hurting at the same time. He had already booked a therapy session on Monday so he could talk though everything and a boxing session for Sunday so he could work through it too. The only thing the therapist could say that would make things worse is if they recommended Blaine put some distance between him and Kurt – that was not happening. He'd found his soul-mate and he wasn't letting him go, they'd have to just work through all of this together.

Jeff continued after a beat while he tried to gather his courage for this story. "I thought I was meeting up with a guy who I'd had this amazing connection to online. I realize now that it was very scripted and was only stroking my ego when I went back and looked at the messages again. But I met up with the guy I thought I was meeting but it definitely wasn't a match to the pictures. Turned out he wasn't alone either – they beat me up and dumped blood all over me, saying I should get used to it if I wanted to be the girl in a relationship."

Kurt was pale listening to Jeff. "I'm so sorry that happened."

"It's funny though, because now I want to be an OBGYN doctor; you'd have thought that much blood would have turned me off." Jeff had taken his adversity and turned it into his strength and Kurt hoped he could do the same thing.

"So you see, you're not to blame, you were just living your life and someone else decided to make it their business to disrupt it -because he could never ruin it- and made sure it followed you. He's not worth your apologizes, you didn't do anything wrong. You got away from it and tried to stop the situation but he has followed you. He won't come back here again, but don't ever blame yourself for his actions."

Kurt took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He knew they were right and when Blaine placed the ice back on his face, he didn't protest, Blaine just needed to be the caretaker right now and appear like he was making a difference. It wasn't just appearances, he was making a difference, it was just that Kurt didn't want to give Karofsky any more power by dwelling on it for even a second longer. But Blaine did need to hear, had heard everything else and wouldn't be happy to be left out in the dark about something that happened in his school. The school where he'd convinced Kurt to come to and where they thought he'd be safe at the expense of leaving his friends and familiar surroundings.

"Karofsky surprised me, that's all. I wasn't expecting him, my head hasn't been on a swivel since coming here and he was out of place. I don't know if he pushed me or body checked me, those bruises will show up later and will give me my answer." He knew exactly which size and shape went with the different body parts that could push him into the wall or lockers. Blaine's mouth compressed at the idea that Kurt could tell the difference because it had happened so often. The other three were upset about that knowledge too.

"All I know is that I ended up against a wall and turned to see him there. We exchanged some words, someone let slip that I was at Dalton and that's how he found me. I wouldn't blame any of my friends for this – nobody probably even thought twice about saying the name of the school, nobody, myself included would have ever thought he'd follow me." Kurt stretched a little, the tension was in every bone of his body again and he wanted to move it out with his movements, knowing that's not how it worked.

"Even when he's not actually touching me or doing anything it's something in his eyes that creeps me out, he's gay but denying it and taking his aggression out on me but also somehow he feels safe acting out his sexual desires onto me despite my own feelings on the matter. He's very intimidating just when he's standing close to me, like he'd be happy to squash me under his shoe like a bug at the same time he wants to dominant me in a sexual way. I don't know if in his warped mind he views me as his, as if we're somehow dating in his thoughts and has a right to the different parts of me any time he wants it while simultaneously saying that every part of me is wrong and a crime against nature."

Blaine had come to the same conclusions about Karofsky's behavior. There was seriously something wrong with him and his mental health and he needed to get help, soon, before he went to a place that he could never come back from. Blaine feared though that the point where someone of authority would finally step in and take care of Karofsky would be a point too late for the once in a life-time male in his arms. The world without Kurt Hummel would be a poorer world and not only for Blaine. Kurt had so many unique talents and gifts that had never been seen before that the world needed to be exposed to, even if they weren't furthering their cause directly or at all. Kurt may say that his one and only goal was to get on Broadway and do Broadway shows but Blaine knew that once he was there, he'd find a million other goals and would achieve them.

The other boys left to go back to their bedrooms a few hours later, hoping by now, if there had been any threat, it would be over for the night. Blaine stopped Kurt from getting up. "There's more, isn't there?"

Blaine knew Kurt too well already and he sank into Blaine's arms again but shifted so he could look up at Blaine when he spoke. "He was just being his typical borderline zealot/sociopath." That was the best he could come up with to describe it.

To lighten the mood, he chuckled. "One would think Rachel's hired him to ruin our chances at Nationals."

Kurt groaned and buried his head into Blaine's chest. "Don't joke about that. I'm hoping she wouldn't go that far with her own inhibitions stopping her but you don't know what she's done. She's hired the bullies to slushy us so someone she just thought was better than her wouldn't dream of joining the team. She sent that same girl to a crack house when she thought she was auditioning and this poor girl was from another country and tiny."

"Even smaller than Rachel?"

"A lot smaller." Kurt confirmed and Blaine was shocked.

"I didn't think she had it in her."

"Nobody gets in Rachel's way, even if that means making another team stronger than ours." Kurt closed his eyes and shook his head. "She's so stupidly crazy sometimes. Like asking Finn to ask my dad for me to stay here this week so I wouldn't overhear what they're planning. Like I don't talk to 90% of them on a daily basis. The only reason I don't know right now is because I wanted to respect their wishes and asked not to be told but I have a feeling it's something outrageous, like original songs."

"Any idea if they're any good?" Blaine asked a little uncomfortable with the topic but also curious. He wanted to crush the competition but he also knew they were Kurt's friends.

"If Brittany humming My Headband on repeat is anything to go by, probably not." Kurt shook his head. "But of course they would probably aspire to better songs than that."

"They would have to since they lost their best singer." Blaine ego-stroked.

"The point is-" Kurt got back on track. "She could have had an amazing partner in this competition but instead made her the enemy. I don't know if our friendship alone would be enough to hold her back from doing something really insane."

"You honestly think she could be encouraging Karofsky?" Blaine asked a bit skeptically and Kurt shrugged, at this point, he couldn't picture her not doing something like that, especially now that he was on an opposing team and a serious threat to her winning. "She has done crazier things." She never actually cheated on Finn but she had seriously tested his patience with flirting with the idea or asking him what he'd think or do if she started spending more time with Jesse and Puck.

"She may not even know she's doing it. Like she could very well have been the one to tell him where I was, maybe while she was ranting about how she was glad I was gone so I would be safer here than with him and used the name of the school without thinking. Or he could have overheard any of the probable numerous conversations about me. I don't know. I hope she hasn't."

Kurt really just didn't know how much he trusted Rachel, she was also growing and learning and he would keep giving her chances because when she was a good friend she was a really good friend. When she was a bad friend, oh she was a very, very bad friend. She was also very good at self-sabotaging, out of all her skills, that was probably her best.

Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head with a sigh. "I guess tomorrow will be a big deciding factor for all of us." It would, Kurt agreed. "Now, don't think I didn't notice you redirecting the conversation."

"There's really nothing to say about it Blaine, it wasn't worse or better than anything else." It was just different.

Blaine finally let the matter drop, Kurt would tell him if he wanted to, when he wanted to, Blaine just wanted to make himself accessible to tell.

They didn't fool around that night but still slept in the same bed with Blaine's head on Kurt's chest, listening to the familiar and constant heart beat. He placed a kiss over the spot before he settled in there and smiled in his sleep as it's rhythm lulled him to sleep with dreams of dancing with Kurt.