"Latte?" Questioned Blaine, while sliding a grande sized cup of coffee across the table towards Kurt.

"Thank you." Kurt murmured in reply, sending Blaine and the two men sitting beside him, a tentative smile.

"This is Wes, and David." Blaine said, nodding his head towards the man on his left and right, respectively.

"It's very civilized of you to invite me for coffee, before beating me up for spying." Kurt said, gripping his coffee cup tightly, his fingers making dents in the Styrofoam.

"We're not going to beat you up." Wes said, his mouth quirking up very slightly

"You're such a terrible spy that we found it almost endearing." David remarked, joining in.

"Which made me think that spying wasn't really the reason you came." Blaine said, enunciating his words carefully, his elbows leaning on the table as he gazed at Kurt with quiet intensity.

A thick silence hung in the air while Kurt considered Blaine's words, swallowing down a sudden lump in his throat. "I-I'm not really sure why I came, actually." Kurt averted his eyes, examining the intricate knots and grooves in the wooden table as he felt a question rise to his lips unbidden. "Are you guys all gay?"

Blaine threw his head back and laughed heartily, "no, no. Well I am, but these two have girlfriends."

"This isn't a gay school, we just have zero-tolerance bullying policy. Everyone is free to be who they are here and treated with equal respect. Regardless of if you're gay, straight, dominant, or submissive" Explained Wes.

Kurt took in a deep breath, his chest feeling tight in spite of it, don'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcry. His vision grew blurry, despite his inward protests, and he felt a tell tale wetness slip down his cheeks. His fingers clutched his cup even tighter in an attempt to regain control, this cup is going to be destroyed by the end of this conversation.

"Can you excuse us for a moment?" Blaine said, turning to look at Wes and David, his voice low and soft.

Wes and David nodded simultaneously, twin frowns tinged with sadness as they got up from the table and left the room.

"I take it you're having trouble." Blaine said, his voice layered with careful sympathy.

Kurt gave a short and hoarse laugh, his voice tinged with bitterness, "you have no idea. Being born a gay submissive male, well, its like I've been cursed. Bullied and shunned everyday since I was little, for things I can't even control, its not fair. What did I do to deserve this?" Kurt's voice shook weakly on the last sentence.

"You did nothing to deserve it. I may have not endured half of what I'm sure you have to, but I know what its like to be mercilessly taunted everyday for being gay, when I used to go to a public high school." Blaine reached forward after saying so, grasping Kurt's trembling hands in his own steady ones. "The people tormenting you are ignorant fools, on a power trip. They bully you since they can't do it to female submissives without getting into serious trouble, you're just someone that they're taking their own insecurities out on."

"I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. I try to be strong everyday, but I j-just don't know how much more I can take." Kurt sniffed dramatically, attempting to dry his eyes with the back of his hand, prompting Blaine to reach into his pocket and grab a red handkerchief, offering it to Kurt.

Kurt smiled despite himself, taking the offered handkerchief and dabbing at his eyes. "Thank you, but really, who still carries handkerchiefs around? I thought that died out about, oh, 100 years ago."

Blaine crossed his arms and furrowed his impressively triangular eyebrows, in an attempt to look affronted, with a tell tale quirking at the corner of his mouth telling a different story. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with old-fashioned. I think its a gentlemanly thing to carry a handkerchief around with you."

"If you say so." Replied Kurt, a teasing lilt to his voice.

There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both sipping their coffees, deep in thought.

"I'm sorry to bother you with my own problems." Kurt began to say, when Blaine raised his hand in a 'stop' motion, palm facing towards Kurt. "I don't mind at all, I want to help you, I really do."

"Thank you." Kurt whispered, "you have no idea how much that means to me, you're really the only person I've talked to about this."

"No problem. Before you leave we should exchange numbers, I mean it when I say I want to help you. We'll figure something out, and if it gets any worse you have to call me right away. I'm not usually one for violence, but I will kick their asses for you." Blaine said, staring Kurt dead in the eye, his voice low and deep, his hands clenched tightly.

"Okay." Kurt's whole body shivered when he felt the command wash over him, sending a strange tingling feeling down his spine, different from the other commands he had received from his peers before.

They exchanged numbers and said goodbye, then as Kurt clambered into his car, preparing for the drive home, he heard a sharp 'ding' from his phone.

'One new message from Blaine.'

"Courage."


A/N: Big thank you and 'xoxo's' to J (guest) and cold kagome, who both reviewed the last chapter. I'm so glad that you're both enjoying it, it means a lot to me whenever I see that new review alert in my inbox, so thanks for taking the time.

Also a big thanks to everyone who followed and favorited this story, I'm glad you're liking it as well, and I hope you continue to. :) 3