AN: Another chapter up!:) Just so you know, I heavily encourage reviewing;) (Seriously though reviewers get cookies ehem)
Disclaimer: Still, Glee does not belong to me. And the song used here belongs to the makers of Footloose and Ella Mae Bowen.

Holding Out for a Hero

Blaine doesn't know why he's here.

Doesn't know why he drove all this way, doesn't know why he snuck past the people in the front office, doesn't know why he's watching a group of kids his age as they talk amongst themselves while their teacher does something at the front of the room, doesn't know why he can't keep his eyes off of the boy sitting in the back – the one with the barely-there bruises and scabbed cuts.

He wishes he hadn't come.

He wishes he had the strength just to mind his own god damned business.

But he was never very good at that, keeping his own selfish wants in check.

He just couldn't help himself.

Ever since that night a week ago, he can't get Kurt out of his head. And now, being so close brings everything back – the urge to protect and care for the boy. The strange, knotted thing that twists and turns in his stomach as he does all that he can not to step into that classroom just to say, "Hey, I'm here for you."

It's all so stupid.

He's out of his mind.

Kurt doesn't care about him.

They said their thank-you's and their goodbyes. If anything, the boy appreciates Blaine, but doesn't like him – doesn't need him. His life will go on just as it would without Blaine.

Unless he changes things. Unless he stops being a coward and takes a step or two forward – just enough to make himself visible to the unaware Glee Club members.

"Kurt!"

Blaine jumps a bit, caught off guard by the chipper voice of the Glee Club instructor as he holds out hand for the boy.

"Ready for your solo?"

Solo?

Kurt was going to…

He was going to…

And Blaine will get to hear it?

This really can't be happening. Obviously, he's dreaming. Obviously.

But that doesn't scare him away. Because even if it's all a dream, at least it's Kurt.

So, the boy stands up, and Blaine notices the way his hands shake. Stage fright? Doubtful. Something about Kurt makes that impossible to believe, like he was made for things like this.

The teacher seems to notice but says nothing as he steps aside, making way for the boy with the broken eyes, his own eyes watching with the careful patience of someone used to broken people. "Whenever you're ready, Kurt."

Kurt nods but stares ahead at the floor, ignoring the hopeful and eager expressions of his fellow Glee-clubbers. He waves his hand and a man sitting behind him, previously unseen by Blaine, starts strumming away on his guitar.

Blaine swears to God he's never heard anything so beautiful – so pure. So heartbreaking.

His heart hits the floor and the rest is just history.

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and dream
of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

His feet, he swears, move of their own accord. He can't really blame them, though. Anything to be closer to that voice.

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear that there's someone somewhere
Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like the fire in my blood

It's on the last note that their eyes meet.

It's on the last note that Blaine realizes that it can't possibly be a dream because the force that pulses through his veins is just too damned strong.

It's on the last note that he can't help but smile because he's all of a sudden so determined to make this boy happy.

"Kurt," he nods, still smiling even as that last note rings in the air, nearly choking him with its bittersweet beauty. "You sounded…brilliant."

The room is silent as every eye lands on him, including Kurt's.

"Blaine, what are you doing here?" Kurt asks calmly.

Blaine shrugs. "I just wanted to check up on you. You know, make sure you were okay?"

Kurt turns to look at everyone, but they all turn away and pretend that they haven't been staring the second they saw Blaine step into the room.

He cocks his head to the side and sighs. "Let's go outside, Blaine. I think we need to talk."

So, Blaine follows.

They're somewhere in the hallway when Kurt spins around and there's fire in his eyes. "You can't just drop in, Blaine! You can't just stroll in here, all nonchalant and smiling, wanting to check up on me! It just – you can't just do that around here!"

Blaine doesn't understand, but his confusion doesn't stop the small, inevitable sting that comes with knowing that Kurt doesn't want him here. "Why not?"

"Because people don't know, okay? They don't know about what happened, and seeing you here might just make them think…" He trails off with an agitated sigh before shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't regret coming here to check on you. I saw the way you were that night and…I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. Not everyone knows how to bounce back so fast from something like that."

"Like you would know," Kurt snaps, and there's so much venom in his voice that Blaine can feel the poision in his veins.

"Actually, I would." His voice is low, almost a whisper. Because, all of a sudden, reality is smacking him across the face.

Again, he realizes that this is not his right – to be talking to Kurt and checking on Kurt and just making sure that he's okay. They do not know each other; they are not friends. Just like they were last week, they're still strangers. Nothing has changed. Kurt never called or texted Blaine – will probably never call or text Blaine.

"Right," Kurt hisses, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms defensively over his chest. "Look, Blaine, I appreciate what you did for me, and giving me your number was really sweet, but you cannot drag this here – not in front of my friends. Not ever again."

Blaine can only nod, if not a bit sadly. After hearing Kurt's song, he had been so hopeful, so high on his own misguided happiness. He doesn't know why Kurt – a stranger in nearly every right – does this to him; drives him crazy.

He guesses it all falls back on that silly want to take care of something broken, to fix it until it works like new again. All he wanted was to fix Kurt, to make him better. But, in the end, he doesn't know if anything's actually wrong with the boy. Maybe he's always quiet – shy, even. Maybe Blaine's not good at first impressions and got it all wrong.

Still…

His feet don't carry him away like they should.

He doesn't want to leave.

"Why won't you tell your friends what happened, Kurt? Does anyone know?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how that's any of your business."

Frustration floods Blaine's senses, but he doesn't let it show through. He's pretty good at that, actually. Keeping his temper under control. "I was the one that found you, remember? I-I saw you…"

He thinks Kurt should understand. He doesn't want to believe that he's wrong when he's been agonizing over this boy for days.

He takes a step closer. "Kurt, I'm not leaving. I'm not walking out those doors until I know that you're okay. And maybe that's crazy, maybe that makes me crazy, but I can't help worrying about you! You didn't even text me just to say that you were okay, and I know that's not what I asked for but still…"

"I did."

Blaine's a little lost. "What?"

"I texted you – on Sunday. You just didn't get it, I guess." Kurt looks away like he can't stay mad if he doesn't.

"Kurt, I…I honestly didn't…"

"It doesn't matter. Either way, I don't want you here. I can't have my friends drawing conclusions. They're not as dumb as they look."

His voice is so rough with emotion that Blaine actually flinches, and it's like his heart is falling out of his mouth when he says, "Fine, I'll leave, but you're calling me tonight. You're calling me tonight or I'm coming back here on Monday and every day after that until you finally decide to talk to me."

If he's being honest with himself, he sounds more like a stalker than a concerned almost-stranger, but he's willing to live with it as long as this isn't the last time he sees Kurt.

Kurt rolls his eyes, but his lips pulls back the slightest bit, and it's all Blaine needs to leave without a heavy heart. "You sure are stubborn, huh?"

Blaine smiles, breathing a sigh of relief. "I just care too much, that's all."

"That's not always a good thing, you know."

He angles his head, and it feels to Blaine like he's being inspected for flaws, but he doesn't flinch and keeps his smile, although it falters a bit. "So, you'll call me then?"

Their eyes meet, but Kurt breaks the contact before it can really mean anything. "Is this usually how you make friends? By stalking them?"

"Not usually, no, but I'm willing to work outside of my comfort zone every now and then."

The boy chuckles lightly, and it really is no wonder that Blaine can't stop thinking about him. "Fine, fine, I'll call you! Now, do me a favor and leave before people start growing suspicious!"

And Kurt's pushing at his back, and it's strange how they've gone from angry to hurt to happy, but he doesn't question it and let's himself go, his feet carrying him when Kurt stops pushing and turns back with a quick "goodbye" tossed over his shoulder.

Ducking his head so as to not be seen by the woman in the front office, Blaine can't help but smile.

Because maybe, just maybe, he and Kurt can be friends.

Sebastian rolls over with a groan, rubbing his eyes in order to adjust them to the sudden burst of light coming from the open door. Blaine closes it quickly, smiling sheepishly and whispering sorry, sorry, sorry under his breath.

"And where in the hell were you?" Sebastian asks, sitting up and frowning.

Blaine smiles in such a way that says he won't really tell, and maybe he seems a bit guilty, but Sebastian's tired and doesn't have the time to deal with this. "Seriously, Blaine, I'm not in the mood. Either tell me or…"

"Alright, hush!" he hisses, although he's still smiling and it's all Sebastian can do not to groan into his pillow because damn, that smile! "I just went to see someone for a little bit, that's all! I grabbed some dinner and shopped around a bit, but I didn't buy anything because I spent all my money on dinner so…"

"Woah. First of all, you're rambling, which means you're keeping something from me. Second of all, I'm pretty sure you're trying to hide the name of whoever it is that you went to see. Now spill."

"No, no, no," Blaine mumbles, waving his hands and spinning around in circles in an attempt to find some clean – or at least not horribly dirty – pajamas. "You go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"You're only saying that because you think I'll forget by morning."

Blaine stops long enough to smile warmly at his friend. "Not at all, Seb! Now, do me a favor and get some sleep, okay? I hate when you're grumpy."

Sebastian sits on it for a moment, allowing himself to enjoy watching Blaine frantically searching the dark room, only to give up and flop on his mattress, still clad in jeans and a sweater. Finally, he decides that it doesn't matter either way and allows himself to fall asleep, forgetting all about whoever it is that's taking up Blaine's time when he's not around.

"That's the third time you've spilled something this morning, Kurt," Burt mumbles, bending over to help his son with the mess of coffee-soaked paper towels. "Is everything alright?"

"Yah, yah, just fine," he replies distractedly. He's heading for his sixth cup of coffee when Finn stops him, eyeing him warily.

"Dude, I think you need to slow down."

"Oh, shut up, Finn. I'm just thirsty…"

"Then drink water."

"Really, son, too much coffee and…"

"Alright, alright!" Kurt makes a point of tossing his mug in the sink, not even wincing when it crashes. Everyone in the room watches him, but Carole's the only one smiling as she sips at her own glass of coffee. "Ready to leave, Finn?"

"Uhm, we still have, like, twenty minutes before we need to go."

"Well, it's cold, so I guess I'll just go warm the car up…or something."

And so he stalks out of the kitchen, grabs his coat and bag, and slams the door behind him. He doesn't mean to act so distant, and he hates himself for being so, but he can't control the nervous butterflies or the caffeine high, and it's all a little too much to handle right now.

Courage, Kurt. Courage.

It's a little scary how heavily he depends on a stranger's words to give him comfort.

It's a little scary how much he needs said stranger.

It's a little scary how his fingers are fucking shaking as he pulls his phone out of his pocket.

It's absolutely terrifying when he lets out a shriek of surprised excitement because there, right fucking there, is Blaine's name, all lit up and Kurt literally can't breathe.

He wasn't expecting much when he texted Blaine earlier that morning. Maybe nothing, like last time. Maybe a quick hey in response before it was all over and they never spoke again. But this – this is exactly what he wanted but was too afraid to hope for.

Kurt? Seriously? You TEXTED ME? I'm so happy you don't even know:D

It's a little strange – surely not was he was expecting – but it makes Kurt laugh because, for some reason, it fits the boy.

His fingers shake over the keys before he finally decides to text back.

You're welcome:)

When Sebastian wakes up, Blaine's staring at him.

"Seriously, Blaine, what's up with you lately?"

"Did you delete my text from Kurt on Sunday?"

"Uh…what?"

"I gave Kurt – you know, the kid we found? – my number, and apparently he texted me on Sunday, but I never got it. I've checked my inbox, like, fifty times, too. So, either he's lying or you deleted it."

"Sorry, Blaine, but I really don't know what you're talking about. When was the last time you got a decent night's sleep? I'm really beginning to worry about you."

"Just tell me, Seb. I won't be mad."

Sebastian sighs and buries his head in his pillow. Of course he deleted it, but only because he knew what was right for Blaine. Communicating with a stranger? Not right. "Alright, fine. But I only did it because I was worried for you! Already, you're a crazy insomniac, and ever since that kid came around, you've been just plain crazy! I just thought…I thought I was looking out for you." His voice goes soft at the end, and it's so classic Sebastian that Blaine can almost stay mad.

Almost.

"Well…thanks for looking out for me, I guess. But, you don't need to worry because he's actually a really nice guy."

There's some part of Sebastian that pushes him to ask why, but he doesn't because he's already gone too far and this is Blaine. "Alright, alright. Enough talk. I gotta get ready. How in the hell are you already dressed, by the way?"

Blaine shrugs. "Crazy insomniac, remember?"

Later on, in the middle of breakfast, he'll jump out of his seat and shove his phone in Sebastian's face. "He texted back, Seb! He actually texted back!"

And Sebastian will grow even more worried.

Because it's Blaine.

And Blaine is his.