I don't own Glee, again. I really, really, REALLY wish I did. But then they might have to rename it "Jeff Sterling's Life at Dalton Academy with Nick Duval and the Warblers (Also Starring Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson) [And Sometimes Brittany S. Pierce]". But I don't own Glee, so it stays the "Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson Soap Opera".

When Nick woke up, he was confused. He had things sticking out of his arms, something constricting his head, and was wearing a six-sizes-too-small backwards plastic Snuggie. And the room was bright white.

Nick hated white.

His first thought was that he had been abducted by aliens. Next, he remembered Wes and David turning on him, so he thought he was dead. But when Jeff walked through the door carrying a McDonald's milkshake and some fries, he knew he was just in a hospital, recovering from whatever those boys had done to him.

"Oh, you're awake," Jeff said.

Nick blinked rapidly. "Yeah," he finally said. He didn't know what Jeff was thinking. Instead of sitting down, the blonde was still standing by the now closed door.

"That's good."

"I…I guess."

Jeff finally broke eye contact and stared at the monitors. "The doctors said you'd be okay to come back to school in about a week. I think they're letting you out tomorrow."

"That's good. I don't like this room."

"Neither do I."

Jeff still hadn't looked back at Nick. After a few minutes, Nick finally spoke. "You can sit down, if you want."

"I'm alright."

Nick sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere with the blonde.

Jeff stood there awkwardly. Nick, in all honesty, looked terrible. He was pale with prominent circles under his eyes. One eye was almost completely black and bruises were also visible on his arms and neck. He had medical tape wrapped around his unruly hair, and his wimpy covers and over-exposed skin made Jeff think that Nick might be really cold.

Either that or the doctors were testing Jeff to see if he'd finally confess his feelings and jump Nick.

Jeff took a sip of the milkshake to give him something to do.

"So…" Nick said.

Jeff sighed. "I should probably go now."

"NO!"

Nick's arm was outstretched towards Jeff, a broken expression on his face.

"I mean…please don't leave."

"Why?"

Smooth, Nick. Real smooth.

"I just…I don't want to be alone."

Jeff bit his lip. He'd always been a sucker for the puppy dog face, no matter who it was.

"Well…I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little bit."

Nick's face lit up. That's when Jeff knew he'd made the right decision.

Jeff sat down in the visitor's chair, putting the French fries on the arm rest. "How are you feeling?"

"Shitty."

"Oh."

"Sorry, that probably wasn't the best answer. My head hurts."

"Fry?"

Nick almost gave a half-smile. "Am I allowed to?"

"Beats me. But you were never one for rules."

"Oh yeah."

Just then, Kurt and Blaine ran in. "Nick!"

"Yo man, what happened?" Blaine demanded. "All we knew is that you and that fag didn't come to school for the past two days."

The past two days? And Jeff didn't go either?

"You look terrible!" Kurt said, grimacing. "Absolutely beat. What the hell-"

"Wes and David turned on me."

"For?"

Nick glared at Blaine. "Why do you think?"

"You ordered them around too much?"

"It's because he's gay," Jeff said quietly. "They turned on him because he's gay."

Blaine and Kurt froze. Kurt was the first to move, turning slowly, almost afraid. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting until he woke up." Jeff stood. "Now that you're here, he…he should be fine. See ya, Ni-Duval." Jeff shrugged and nodded to Nick before walking out the door.

Nick sighed, frustrated. "Guys-"

"Maybe that's why."

Blaine nodded at Kurt's vague statement. "Maybe."

"Excuse me?"

Blaine winced at Nick's tone. "We…uh…"

"We think that you might-"

"Kurt!"

"-Maybe, just a little-"

"Kurt!"

"-Possibly have feelings for-"

"KURT!" Blaine finally shouted. "Don't tell him!"

"Well it's true!"

"Feelings for whom?"

"J-"

"Kurt, if you say one more thing, I swear, I will-"

"You aren't scary, Hobbit," Nick said. "Kurt, who might I have feelings for?"

"Jeff."

Nick gulped, but didn't deny it nor approve it.

"Do you?" Blaine asked quietly.

Nick stayed silent.

"Nick, if you do, then we don't have a problem with it. We thought Wes and David were joking when they said that they were going to turn on you-"

"Wait, you knew?"

"We didn't think they would!" Blaine shrunk under Nick's glare. "We're sorry, Nick."

"We really are!" Kurt said.

Jeff heard the friends bickering and sighed. Jeff didn't have many friends. Actually, none at all. No, he was alone.

Because no one wants to be friends with the fag.

Jeff sighed and drank some more milkshake. Yes, eavesdropping was usually considered bad, but Jeff didn't mind. He was actually waiting for those two to leave so he could go in and sit with Nick some more. Nick was actually being civil, and then he looked almost…hurt, maybe, when Jeff said that he was going. Jeff liked this soft side of Nick. That gave Jeff hope that maybe, just maybe, the other boy could be a friend in the coming years.

The chances were slim, however.

"You guys are fucking assholes! Why didn't you tell me?" Nick shouted, almost on cue.

"We're sorry, Nick! We didn't think they'd actually go through with it. We thought they were just having a bad day and were being…uh…"

"You know. Assholes and stuff."

"Can one of you get Jeff, then both get out?"

Jeff's heart leapt. Did he just imagine that, or did Nick really just ask for him?

"Nick, are you serious?"

"Yeah. He gets me. Somebody, go get him."

"What if he left?"

"Go see, why don't you?"

The next thing Jeff knew, Kurt was looking out the doorframe. "Oh, hello, Sterling."

"Yes?"

"Nick wants you."

"I've heard."

Kurt glared at the blonde. "Go."

Blaine and Kurt squeezed through the doorway, trying not to touch Jeff as he walked in. Nick smiled when Jeff walked in, inducing a confused look from the latter.

"Jeff-"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Why are you so happy to see me? Me? I'm just the fag from school."

"No you're not."

"Aaand apparently, you're still delusional."

"No, I'm not."

"Nick, you don't like me."

"And who said that?"

Jeff pretended to think for a minute, then said, "Well…oh yeah! You."

"Can I still have a fry?"

Jeff blinked. Nick was acting like a puppy dog, which was a funny comparison to how he had been acting two or so minutes ago.

"I-"

"Please?" Nick pulled the puppy dog face out again.

"I-I guess, but-"

"Yay!" Nick bounced up and down as best he could in his position.

"Nick, I think the loss of blood is getting to your head."

"Jeffie, please. All I want is a fry."

"That's my point."

"What?"

Nick didn't like that suddenly Jeff wasn't being very friendly. In fact, Jeff was being almost dismissive. Deflective, even. And confusing, too.

"Nick, before two days ago, you would never have called me Jeffie unless you were mocking how gay it sounded. Now, you kicked your friends out of your hospital room and asked for me because I 'get you'? Seriously, what the hell?"

Nick bit back a frown at Jeff's harsh words. "Well you do."

"How?"

"You're the only one who truly knows what it's like to be gay."

"And that's supposed to make a difference?"

"Well, yeah." Nick bit his lip and looked out the window. "You're comfortable being…you. And…and I'm not. I admire you." Admire, not like. Admire, Nick reprimanded himself.

Jeff blanched. That's exactly what he had been thinking about Nick not 72 hours ago.

"Nick-"

"It's okay, you don't have to stay. I don't mind if you want to go." Nick's eyes were closed and his expression resembled that of a kicked puppy.

"Nick-"

"Jeff, you heard me, you can go."

"I-"

"Get out, Sterling."

"And what if I don't?" Jeff finally demanded. "What if I don't want to leave?"

"You kinda implied that you did."

"No, I just didn't know what was going on. Why you were suddenly being so…so nice. To me."

A few minutes of tense and awkward silence passed between the two before Nick finally spoke.

"Can I still have that fry?"

Jeff smiled. "Sure."

"…and I am sorry about that," Nick finished.

"You've said," Jeff said teasingly. The boys laughed.

They'd just spent the last two hours talking (and in Nick's case, apologizing) to each other.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"You never did answer me," Nick said suddenly.

"What?"

"A few weeks ago, when you came in all bruised and stuff. You never told me who did it."

Jeff bristled, remembering. "Oh. That. It was nobody."

"Of course, Odysseus came and attacked you."

What? Jeff thought. Then, OH! Nohbdy, Odysseus…The Odyssey!

"Ha ha, very funny."

"But seriously."

"I…I can't tell you."

Nick frowned. "Oh."

"Nick-"

"Why?"

"I-well, he-"

"Who?"

"My-" Jeff sighed, his head in his hands. "Fine. It was my dad. My dad did that to me."

Nick straightened up, looking at the blonde. "What?"

"Yeah. My dad. He beats me. It's…common for the gay community." Jeff shrugged and looked away.

Nick didn't know what to say. He'd never heard of that happening-in real life, that was. In stories, sure, but never real life.

"Jeff, I-"

"If you're going to apologize, I'm advising you right now not to. I don't need it from you."

"You need it from him?"

Jeff nodded. How was it that Nick Duval, the only other gay person that Jeff knew, who had never been in that situation, know Jeff so well?

"If I could, I'd beat the crap out of him," Jeff found himself saying. "Make him feel what I feel at least two times a day. Maybe three, if you contribute."

Nick took in a sharp breath that Jeff was too distracted to notice. "Make him feel what I feel at least two times a day. Maybe three, if you contribute." The words rang in Nick's ears. He helped? He made Jeff feel like that?

"It would be nice to give him just a taste-a small, miniscule taste-of his own medicine. What he gives to me, double fold. Just for once."

Nick shuddered at the seriousness in Jeff's voice. "Jeff, he is your dad."

"No he isn't. He may be my Father, but he will never be my-my Dad." He let his head drop.

"My mother is the same way. They may have raised you, but that doesn't mean they raised you right."

Jeff almost smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

Nick was grateful that Jeff didn't press to know what Nick was really talking about.

A few more minutes passed in silence before the nurse came in.

"Time to go, boys. Visiting hours are almost over."

Jeff looked up. "Visiting hours don't end for another forty-five minutes," he protested.

Nick smiled at the blonde's stubbornness to leave.

"The doctor needs to look at Mr. Duval-alone-and he can not have any visitors for that."

"Well-"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I am going to have to ask you to leave now."

"Jeffie, come back tomorrow after school." Nick gave a half smile. "It'll give you a reason not to go home for a while."

"Thanks, but it's not going to solve anything."

"Then go get my-dare I say it-homework. Maybe you can teach me to do math."

Jeff laughed and agreed, leaving a few minutes later. The doctor poked and prodded at Nick before saying he could go as soon as he had a parent or legal guardian sign him out.

"Can I just get Jeff to?" Nick asked.

"Are your parents not in town, son?"

"Er…something like that."

"Mr. Duval, I'm afraid I must have a parent or legal guardian's consent before I release you."

"They don't want me. My parents."

Nick was hoping the doctor would take that as an answer. Apparently not.

"Then we must call human services."

Nick froze. Human services? If they found out-if anyone found out-

"No! Wait, I have-I have an uncle who takes care of me. Let-let me call him."

Nick didn't actually have an uncle, but he was sure Kurt's dad would be kind enough to pretend. Mr. Hummel had a slim respect for Nick for keeping his son safe-Nick was the only one who knew (besides Kurt's dad) that Kurt was at least bi-curious. Nick had never told anyone, and not even Blaine knew.

Nick held the phone up to his ear after dialing.

"Hello?" Kurt answered.

"Hey, cuz."

Kurt laughed. "Hello, cousin. To what do I owe this surprise call?"

"Can I talk to your dad?"

Kurt seemed to catch on. "He needs to be your uncle, doesn't he." It wasn't necessarily a question. "Alright, hold on. DAD!"

Nick winced at Kurt's loud voice. In a muffled tone, Nick heard the boy talking to his dad and explaining the situation.

"Hey, Nick," Mr. Hummel said a few seconds later. "What do you need?"

"Hey, Uncle Burt. I'm…I'm in the hospital. Can you come sign me out?"

"Those other boys making trouble for you? Do they know about Kurt?"

"Not really and no. I still haven't told anybody about that." Nick glared at the eavesdropping nurse. "His secret's safe. But yeah, it was Wes and David."

"Alright, I'm coming."

Nick gave Mr. Hummel a few more instructions before thanking him profusely and hanging up.

"He'll be here," Nick said, handing the phone to the nurse.

"Wonderful," he said. "I'll get the doctor and tell him."

Nick waited for a few minutes before he got bored, so he started playing with the buttons on his beside remote.

He pushed the first one and his bed sat up. He smiled; this was much more comfortable.

He pushed the second one. Nick laughed when the bed sat back down before pressing the first one again.

He pushed the third one. The mattress started vibrating.

"Mr. Duval?"

Nick looked up. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Duval, is your uncle coming to get you?"

"Tomorrow."

"Very good."

The next day, Nick knew Burt-his "uncle"-wasn't coming until after work, so the injured brunette waited anxiously for Jeff to come.

10:00 A.M.

Nick woke up, sat in bed, and watched the shitty TV for a little while.

11:00 A.M.

Nick was bored now. He didn't have his phone-it was in his locker.

12:00 noon.

The nurse brought in some crappy soup. Nick didn't know if it was chicken noodle or barf.

1:00 P.M.

Only about three more hours, Nick reminded himself.

2:30 P.M.

Nick watched some Judge Judy before taking a quick nap.

7:00 P.M.

Nick woke up from his "quick" nap.

He looked around-maybe Jeff had stayed, or even just left his books.

There was no sign of the blonde. However, Burt was just walking in.

"Hey, kiddo. How're you feeling?"

"I've been better," Nick mumbled. "Fucking assholes, what the fuck were they thinking?"

"Hey, language, Nick."

"Sorry." Nick sighed. "Am I getting out?"

"Yeah. They're gonna disconnect you first, then we can go."

"Good."

Twenty minutes later, Nick was in Kurt's Navigator in the backseat with Kurt. Burt was driving-and grilling Nick about what happened.

"So what provoked them exactly?"

"I-" Nick gulped. "I said something, and they said it sounded gay, and I said it didn't, and then they beat me up."

"What did you say?" Kurt asked timidly.

"Nothing," Nick answered quickly.

"Nick," Burt said in a warning tone. "What did you say?"

"I…IsaidthatJeff'soutfitwaskindacute," he said in a rush. "Don't compliment anybody's outfit."

Kurt glared at Nick. "Are you sure that it was because you were gay and NOT because you complimented Jeff?"

Nick was about to slap Kurt in the arm before he realized the tall brunette might be right.

"Kurt, I-"

"I know, you don't feel that way about Jeff."

"Kurt-"

"But he obviously-"

"Kurt, shut up!"

"Hey, don't speak to my son that way," Burt said angrily.

"Dad, it's fine. I talk way too much, and Nick's just helping me figure out when I've said enough-"

"Kurt."

"Sorry."

Burt laughed a little. "Okay, fine. You boys know how to handle each other, I'll let you be." Meanwhile, they pulled up outside the Hummel-Hudson house. "You go inside and rest, okay, Nick? I don't want you getting hurt anymore."

"Yes sir."

Kurt let Nick go upstairs before turning to his dad. "Dad?"

"Yeah, Kurt?"

"Nick has been protecting me, but I'm going to stay away from Wes and David for a while."

"Good boy."

"So I won't be going out as much."

"You don't have many other friends, do you?"

Kurt shrugged. "Well, I have Blaine."

"Blaine's a good kid."

"Yeah. Just…thought I let you know. In case you started wondering. And I could help out with the shop, if you want. I like working on cars. See, I'm not gay. Hey, maybe I'll take Brittany out for a while. She'd like that. We could go to the zoo. Or I could take her horse riding, but put horns on the horses, and she'd think they're unicorns!" Kurt smiled and jumped up and down. "She'd love that. But what if the horns fall off? She'd be so upset. I hate seeing Brittany upset. She's so fragile-"

"Kurt?"

Burt jumped. He hadn't heard Nick come back downstairs.

"Yeah, Nick? Wait, aren't you supposed to be upstairs? Nicky-"

"Shut up and come upstairs."

When Kurt laughed, Burt decided he wouldn't have to beat Nick up for being rude to his son.

Yet.