TRIGGER WARNING: violence, non-con, severe bullying

"Do you ever feel like Belle?" Kurt asked Brittany as they were walking to their last class of the day. They were both finishing up their first week of high school at McKinley High, and Kurt was already ready for graduation. So far, he'd been slushied twice and knocked into lockers during almost every passing period. Not to mention Kurt had been called every derogatory name he could think of by most of the hockey team and some of the football team.

The only time the football jocks left him alone was when Blaine was walking with him, and that only happened between his first and second hours and right after lunch. They knew that if they had any shot in hell at winning anything this year, they'd need their star running back. The jocks knew about Kurt and Blaine's friendship, and they didn't want to chance pissing him off too much. So, they stuck to the slushies and locker checks when, normally, they'd be throwing Kurt in the dumpsters, too. The hockey jocks, though, had no such qualms about the football teams' wins. They saw an easy target and struck whenever they could.

"What do you mean, Kurtie?" Brittany asked him. That damn nickname had stuck since preschool, and Kurt didn't have the heart to ask her to change it.

"Yeah, Kurtie." A sneer and then a shove came from behind.

"I mean..." Kurt said as he took a breath and then straightened up, glaring at the jock heading the other way toward the locker room. They continued to walk toward their lockers. "Don't you ever feel like you're living the same day over and over again, and nothing ever changes?"

Brittany could see the resignation in his eyes. "Have they been doing that to you a lot?" She honestly didn't know since this was the first bullying she had witnessed.

"They're just idiots who are trying to let everyone else know where they stand," Kurt said, eyes downcast. He had worked so hard to keep things like this from getting to him all of his life. It seemed like he couldn't catch a break, no matter what school he was at.

"I don't like seeing you sad," Brittany said once they reached their lockers.

"Why are you sad?" Blaine asked. His locker was right next to Kurt's, and he had to put his things away before practice started in 30 minutes.

"He got—" Brittany started but was cut off by Kurt.

"No reason," Kurt said, feeling more grounded than he had since right after lunch. "You'd better get to practice before Coach Beiste makes you run extra laps."

Blaine didn't quite believe him, but he didn't have time right now to figure out what was really happening. He had to get to practice before Coach had his ass. Football, surprisingly, came easily to Blaine. He was small and quick which lent itself perfectly to a running back. According to his teammates, his coaches, and his dad, he was going to be McKinley's secret weapon.

"I'll call you after practice, Kurt," Blaine said and kissed his cheek on impulse before running toward the locker room.

Kurt was in shock at that. They'd never gotten anywhere near physically intimate before, not even holding hands. Sure, they would hug every once in a while and they might sit right next to each other, thighs touching, when they'd watch a movie. And, fuck, if those weren't the best moments ever. Kurt's heart would race, and it would feel full at the same time. It was an odd combination, but it was the best feeling ever.

"He's yours, and Tana's mine," Brittany said offhandedly. "Tana gives me flutters in my tummy and makes me feel like I'm not floating all of the time. You don't. That's gotta mean something, doesn't it?"

Kurt had never once talked to anyone about the feelings he experienced when he was around Blaine. But he knew exactly what his friend was saying, because he felt it, too. "I think you just might be right," Kurt responded and made his way out of the school to walk home with his friend. They lived close enough to each other that this was their routine, at least when it wasn't raining or too cold. When the weather was bad one of their parents would pick them up.

"Can you make me a promise?" Brittany asked him before they parted ways to head toward their respective homes.

"I can try," Kurt answered, unsure what his friend could be wanting.

"If it gets too bad, the bullying I mean, will you tell someone, please?" Brittany asked him with her bright blue eyes shining sincerely. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and I know you're strong and kinda stubborn and don't want to bother anyone. But, I also know that all of us have a breaking point, and I just don't want you to get to yours. So, promise me?"

Kurt took a deep breath. His friend, one of his best friends, could see right through him. He thought he had always done a good job of hiding these things, yet here Brittany was, reading him like he was an open book. "I promise," he said and meant it. Now, he just had to figure out how far was too far.

The rest of freshman year went on in the same manner. Kurt continued to endure weekly slushies and daily locker checks and insults, and Blaine went on to be the MVP of the football team that year. Kurt never let on how much he was being harassed to anyone. Brittany would ask him every once in a while how things were, but he always told her that they were the same and that he was okay.

Sophomore year was when everything changed. Brittany and Santana had joined the cheerleading squad along with Jeff. Nick had joined the football team along with Blaine and Finn. Kurt was alone as he didn't want to join either of those teams. He wanted to do something, but in his mind, the only thing he was good at was singing. And, there weren't any singing clubs.

Kurt was heading outside to walk home by himself after the first month of classes when Rachel stopped him. "Have you heard there's a new club starting up?"

"What club would that be, Rachel?" Kurt asked, knowing that she wouldn't stop talking to him until he heard her out.

"The New Directions," Rachel answered like it should be obvious what that meant. When Kurt continued to look at her like he had no idea what she was talking about-because he didn't-she elaborated. "It's McKinley's new Glee Club, if they can get enough members that is. I remember that you always liked to sing when we were kids and thought I'd ask if you wanted to sign up."

"I'll think about it, Rachel," Kurt said and continued to walk out of the school. He was glad that his mom was picking him up today. There was a new neanderthal that had apparently gotten the message that Kurt was the kid to pick on to make yourself feel bigger and stronger. Well, he wasn't necessarily new to Kurt but new to the school this year. Last year, he had been at the other high school in town and was hoping to make a career out of playing football. When McKinley's team had done so well the previous year, his family had decided to have him transfer here this year. That morning, when Kurt was walking to one of his classes by himself, Karofsky had knocked him into a locker so hard he had a dark bruise starting to form on his shoulder blade.

"How was your day, sweetie?" Elizabeth asked her son.

"Fine," Kurt said, trying to be as upbeat as he could.

Elizabeth could tell her son was lying to her. She had been noticing him hiding more and more over the past few years, and she knew that he didn't want to bother her or Burt with what he was going through. She also knew that it wouldn't do any good to push Kurt to tell them what was going on. This would only cause him to shut down, and that was something she didn't want. So, she and Burt had agreed to keep an eye on him and step in when and if they needed to.

"What would you think about me joining a club that would meet after school a few times a week?" Kurt asked.

"I think that'd be great, honey," she said. "What one are you thinking about?"

"There's a new one starting that Rachel Berry told me about," he explained. "It's a Glee Club that the Spanish teacher is trying to get people interested in. I thought it might be fun since all of my other friends have after school activities already."

"You know your dad and I would be at every performance you had," Elizabeth told him. "We love your voice and miss hearing it so much."

"Thanks, Mom," Kurt said and started running through ideas for songs in his head.

The following day after classes had let out, Kurt signed his name up for the Glee Club, right under Rachel's. He was happy to see that a few of his other friends had also signed up, and, though he wasn't quite sure how some of them would swing it with their other after school activities, he was hopeful that it would all work out. He saw that auditions would be held on Thursday after school. As he turned to walk away from the sign-up sheet, he ran right into Karofsky, who knocked the books he was carrying to the ground and pushed him into the wall.

"Watch where you're going, fairy princess," he sneered and walked toward the locker room to get ready for practice.

Kurt closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath. He was so lost in his head that he didn't hear Blaine approach him. "Kurt, sweetheart, are you alright?"

Both of them were so caught up in what had just happened that neither realized what Blaine had said. It wasn't until Blaine touched Kurt's shoulder that Kurt realized he was there. The touch startled him, and he cowered away from it, not once opening his eyes.

What in the fuck has happened to you that this is how you're reacting to me? Blaine thought.

"Kurt," Blaine said with a little more volume, hoping to snap Kurt out of whatever fog he was in. "It's Blaine. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw the concern in his friend's eyes, he started to cry. He had so much pent up hurt that it finally spilled over.

"I've got you," Blaine said and rushed to hug him. He knew he'd be late for practice but right now it was the furthest thing from his mind, and he knew Coach would understand. He waited until Kurt had calmed down before he said anything else and took a guess at what he thought might be wrong. "How long has it been this bad?"

Kurt just laughed darkly. "It's been progressively getting worse since kindergarten, honestly. But ever since Karofsky came here, it's been about this bad every day. He locker checks me whenever he sees me, and I'm almost always by myself since none of my friends are in any of my classes. And, at least three times a week, I get a slushie facial. I was lucky today and just got the locker checks and that wall slam."

Blaine was pissed. Kurt was feeling lucky because that's all that had happened. "That's bullshit, Kurt. You need to tell your parents. They can help."

"I will," Kurt said honestly. "I'm starting to feel scared just to come here. I will tell them this weekend, alright? I just need to get through this week and Glee tryouts. Then, I will tell them. You can even be there when I do if you'd like." Please say you'll be there. I'm going to need you to do this.

"You couldn't keep me away if you tried," Blaine said. "Glee Club, huh?" he asked then signed his name right under Kurt's. "Is one of your parents picking you up today?"

"Not today," Kurt said, remembering that he'd have to walk home.

"I'll walk you home and then ask my mom to come and get me," Blaine said with a no-nonsense tone.

"You have practice," Kurt reminded him.

"We'll run by the field, and I'll tell Coach that I can't make it today," he said. "I won't tell her what happened until after we talk to your parents, but I've never done anything like this; she's pretty perceptive and understands when someone really needs to do something and when they're skipping for dishonorable reasons."

"I really don't want to be an inconvenience, Blaine," Kurt said, gently bending down to gather his books that were still scattered on the floor. His back and shoulders were throbbing.

"You're not," Blaine said and helped Kurt pick his books up and then stand back up. "You never could be. You're my best friend, Kurt. There's not a whole lot I wouldn't do for you."

"Ditto," Kurt said, blush rising on his cheeks.

The talk with Coach Beiste went well, and the boys started their walk to Kurt's house. They talked about audition choices and anything else that came to mind. It was nice to have time to just talk and be with each other. Since starting high school, their time together had been cut due to various other priorities and activities. They were both realizing how much they'd missed it and how much better they both felt after spending this quality time together.

Blaine called his mom to come to get him after they got to Kurt's house and was in luck, because she had gotten off of work a little early and could come to get him before the Hummels got there. The boys didn't want to raise suspicion before they were ready to talk to them. Blaine also asked if his parents could be there when they talked about what was happening at school. He said that, if needed, they could help to come up with solutions from another angle since Blaine's dad was a lawyer. Kurt agreed, though Carter Anderson still made him a little nervous after all these years.

"Thanks for walking me home, Blaine," Kurt said.

"You're welcome, Kurt," Blaine said and then pecked Kurt's cheek when his mom honked from the driveway.

The next couple of days continued in a similar fashion for Kurt. Whenever he didn't have someone with him, he would get harassed. He always just shrugged it off, knowing that there was a deadline for him finally coming clean to his parents.

That Thursday was audition time for Glee. Kurt confidently took the stage when his name was called, knowing his best friends, all of them, were in the audience, also trying out.

"Hello, my name is Kurt Hummel. I am a countertenor, and I will be singing 'Little Town' from Beauty and the Beast."

Very fitting, Kurt, Blaine thought and smiled widely.

"Little town
It's a quiet village
Every day
Like the one before
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say"

Kurt loved this song and felt it was fitting. He was living the same day over and over again, nobody around him changing. Always the same taunts, the same shoves, the same fucking slushies.

"There goes the baker with his tray, like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Every morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town"

I can't wait to get out of here. I need something, anything, to change in my life. It's almost too much sometimes, Kurt thought as he was singing.

"Oh, isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part because you'll see
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!"

My Prince Charming is sitting out there. I know it's him. I just have to wait until I get the second letter of my mark to prove it. Kurt looked out into the crowd and found Blaine. It was like there was a beacon on his soul that Kurt could always find, no matter where they were.

"There must be more than this provincial life!"

Fuck do I want more than what I've been living though, Kurt thought as he finished his song.

Applause rang out in the auditorium. He had totally killed that song, and his beacon was shining brighter than anyone else's there. Blaine looked so proud of him. Kurt bowed then took his place by his friends, receiving more congratulations from them again.

Blaine went up and sang his piece, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, hitting every note perfectly as charisma oozed out of his pores and vocal chords. After rejoining Kurt in the seats, both boys decided that they would hear the rest of the auditions. A couple more people sang their audition pieces, and Kurt excused himself to go to the bathroom.

He went to the closest men's room, which, thankfully, was one of the lesser-used ones, so it was much cleaner than others in the building. After he was finished and washing his hands, he heard the door open, and then, someone stepped inside. His heart picked up speed, and when he looked up, what little color he had in his pale complexion drained. Karofsky was blocking his way out, and he looked deranged.

"What do you want, Karofsky?" Kurt asked, hoping that his fear wasn't seeping into his speech.

"For some fucked up reason that I can't understand," Karofsky spat, "I want you. So, here's what we're going to do. You're going to keep your princess mouth shut, and if you tell anyone what happens, I'll fucking kill you. Don't think I won't either." And, with the end of his sentence, Karofsky lunged at Kurt and kissed him right on the mouth, muffling the scream that Kurt let out.

He had been planning this, thinking about it since the first time he felt Kurt's lean body after he shoved him against a locker. He knew that Kurt liked Blaine; he could see it, and it pissed him the fuck off. When he saw that Kurt had signed up for the Glee Club, he hoped that he would have a chance to get him alone. When he saw him come out of the auditorium and head toward the bathroom, he took a calming breath and put his plan into action.

Karofsky was prepared for this very moment, knowing that if he was ever able to follow through with his plan, Kurt would likely put up a fight. He brought out some pre-cut strips of duct tape that he had stuck on his belt. He put one over Kurt's mouth and then another covering that one, careful not to cover his nose. He didn't want him to pass out; no, he wanted him fully conscious for everything that he had planned. When the screams were sufficiently muffled, Karofsky looked into Kurt's frightened eyes and then down his pale neck. He noticed Kurt's mark peeking out of the top of his shirt. This seemed to infuriate him even more, and he bit it. Hard.

"You're mine," he said. "I don't care about marks. You're going to be with me even if I have to kidnap you."

Karofsky then began sucking a large, dark hickey over Kurt's mark, effectively trying to cover it up while simultaneously grinding against him.

Kurt was crying, praying to a god he didn't believe in to please let someone find him before this went too far.

He's been gone for way too long, Blaine thought. Just then, he felt a pang in his heart and heat on his mark. He jumped up, knowing that something was wrong. Blaine rushed to the nearest bathroom, not noticing Nick, Jeff, Brittany, and Santana following him. They had all been sitting next to each other during the auditions, and when they saw Blaine jump up, they got the sense that they needed to follow him.

The group arrived at the bathroom and noticed that Blaine had already pushed his way in. When they all shoved their way inside, they saw something they'd never forget. Kurt was on the floor, curled up in the fetal position, tape over his mouth and tears streaming down his face. Blaine and Karofsky were throwing punches at each other, both getting in some good blows. Jeff and Nick both grabbed Karofsky while Santana grabbed Blaine. Brittany went to Kurt, shielding him from what was happening.

Thankfully, Coach Beiste and Coach Sylvester were walking down the hall and heard the commotion. Coach Sylvester called an ambulance while Coach Beiste took over holding Karofsky. When Blaine noticed the adults in the room, his rage left, and all he could think was Kurt, Kurt, Kurt.

Blaine scooted Brittany gently out of the way and knelt down by Kurt. "Kurt, sweetheart, I'm going to take the tape off, okay?" They both noticed the term of endearment that time.

Kurt nodded his head, and Blaine got to work taking the tape off. Brittany was holding his hand, and Santana had gotten behind him and was stroking his hair. Coach Beiste and Coach Sylvester had taken Karofsky to another room, giving Nick and Jeff instructions that they were all to stay in the bathroom until the ambulance came. Kurt was zoned in on Blaine's eyes, even though they weren't looking back at him, in favor of paying attention to taking the tape off as gently as he could.

Once the final piece was off, Kurt was in Blaine's arms, sobs returning violently. "I'm so sorry," Kurt kept repeating. "It was supposed to be yours, always yours."

Blaine didn't understand what Kurt was talking about, and when he asked, Kurt just cried harder.

That night, after Kurt had been released from the hospital and Karofsky had been booked into juvenile detention, Kurt, Blaine, and both of their parents were sitting at the Hummel residence, listening to what all had been happening to Kurt since kindergarten. He didn't leave anything out.

When he got to the events of that afternoon when Karofsky had kissed him, he looked at Blaine apologetically. Blaine knew then that that was what Kurt had meant when he said it was supposed to be his.

Blaine looked back at Kurt and whispered to him while their parents were talking about a game plan, "It will be, sweetheart. That didn't count. You didn't give that to him. He took it. When you give your first kiss away, to whomever you choose to give it to, that will be the one that counts."

"I want it to be you," Kurt whispered back, tears leaking out of his eyes and down his cheeks. "I've always felt so much better when you're around. I want it to be you so much."

Blaine nodded and wasn't sure if Kurt was talking about the kiss, his mark, or, hopefully, both.

They would both find out that night in their respective rooms, but something happened that nobody could have predicted while they were sitting on that couch that evening.

A/N: The song used is "Little Town" from Beauty and the Beast.