"You're dead, Blaine," Wes said immediately.
"Huh, I- What?" Blaine finally tore his eyes away from the gorgeous boy on the screen.
"You're dead," Wes said again.
"I- I know that." Blaine looked back at the screen, but this time he didn't just focus on the boy's face; he also saw a room behind him. Kurt's bedroom, Blaine supposed.
"Do you? Because it looked to me like you might have forgotten for a moment," David added.
"No, I didn't. I just..." Blaine looked at the screen once again, longing in his eyes.
"Will you be able to handle this, Blaine? Or will you fall in love with him?" Wes said as Blaine once again tore his eyes away from the screen. "You can't be with him, Blaine."
"I just wish...Never mind. I will," Blaine promised firmly. "I can do this. When do I begin?"
"Right now," Wes smiled. "See you later Blaine."
"What...? I-"
Suddenly Blaine felt like he was flying, falling. When he looked up again, the room had changed. He wasn't with Wes, David, and the other Warblers anymore. He was in Kurt's room now. He took a minute to look around, his eyes falling on the bed. He walked over and sat down slowly, hoping he wouldn't fall through. When he didn't, he laid back onto the pillows and closed his eyes.
Not for the first time, Blaine wished he was back in his own bed, in his own house, with his mom.
"Who are you?" someone screamed, and Blaine jumped off the bed. He turned quickly, and his breath caught in his throat. If Blaine thought that Kurt was beautiful on the screen, it was nothing compared to seeing him in the flesh.
"I- I-"
But Kurt cut him off. "Why the hell can I see through you?" he shouted, eyes widening.
"Kurt, please calm down. Please. I'm here to help you," Blaine said as calmly as he could.
"Help me?" Kurt snapped, his voice lowering a bit. Blaine watched as he walked around the room, muttering to himself. Blaine caught words like 'crazy' and 'officially insane.'
"No, no! Kurt, you're not insane. I was sent to help you!"
"Help me with what? You're a freaking...what the hell are you?" Kurt sunk down on a chair in the corner of his room, continuing to stare at Blaine, horrified. "Are you actually real? I'm dreaming, right? I must be."
"No, I'm real! Well, as real as I can be." Blaine almost started to approach Kurt, but thought better of it. He didn't want Kurt to die of a heart attack. He could tell that Kurt was trying to calm himself, his breathing leveling out, his stare growing somewhat less intense.
"Then...what the hell? Explain."
"I don't really know everything myself." Kurt looked at him incredulously, eyebrows furrowing. Blaine immediately backtracked. "No, I mean, I do!" He sighed, running his hand through his curly hair. "It's a long story."
"I'm willing to listen," Kurt said coldly, eying Blaine's transparent body.
Blaine stuttered for a moment, trying to put into words his situation in a way that would make it sound believable. He quickly realized that there was nothing he could say except the truth. "I...I died. Apparently, my job in death is to help you. I was told – I went to this strange Council after I died, they were the ones that sent me here – that you were getting bullied, just like I was. And that I should do all that I can to help. So...here I am!" He gestured to himself, forcing a grin onto his face and trying to calm the erratic fluttering in his gut; the mere presence of Kurt seemed to have an unprecedented effect on him.
"That...doesn't make any sense at all. You're a ghost, for god's sake. How did you die, anyway? And the bullying is fine, I can handle it. I don't need a ghost running around helping me."
Blaine recoiled slightly; he hadn't really expected Kurt's words to cut so sharp. He was trying to help – it wasn't exactly his fault that he was dead. "I know you don't need anyone Kurt, but please let me explain." Blaine took a deep breath, walking over and sitting on a chair on the other side of the room. "I died a couple of days ago. I- I'm gay. And I had a crush on this guy. He was one of the most popular guys in school. He asked me to the dance, and I accepted. What I didn't know was that I was being set up, and – to spare you the gory details – they literally beat me to death. I know it's not an excuse, but they were drunk." Blaine turned away, afraid tears would fall, but they didn't. He continued anyway. "I had to watch it all. It was like everything was on fast forward. I watched as the teachers found me, I watched as the ambulance picked me up and took me to the hospital, and I watched my mother cry at my own funeral." Blaine felt them then; the tears were falling freely down his face and he closed his eyes, willing them to stop.
"Oh Blaine, I'm so sorry. I- I didn't know." Kurt walked over to Blaine and knelt in front of him. "I'm gay too, though you probably know that already. I'm not saying that I'm going to be able to get used to this right away, but I hope you'll still stick around after the way I reacted."
Blaine wiped his nose across his sleeve and laughed lightly. "No, it's fine. I get it; I would be scared, too."
Kurt backed away from him and took a deep breath. "How exactly are you supposed to help me?" he asked as he sat down on his bed.
"I'm not sure," Blaine admitted, looking sheepish. "But I do know that I will do whatever it takes to help you."
Kurt nodded. "Can anyone else see you?"
"I don't know that either. You're the only living person I've talked to," Blaine admitted, sadness in his eyes.
At that very moment, an older man walked into the room. He looked somewhat like Kurt, though he was bald and he was dressed like a fisherman. "Kurt, who were you talking to?" he asked as he took a look around the room, passing right over Blaine.
"Oh, uh-" Kurt looked at Blaine, then quickly back to the man. "Sorry, Dad, I was practicing for an audition for the school play coming up."
The man – Kurt's dad – raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Well ,good luck, Kurt." The man smiled, and just from that smile Blaine could tell how important Kurt was to his father, and that only made him want to help this boy more. He watched as Kurt's dad walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Kurt looked back over at him.
"Well, that answers that question."
"Your dad loves you a lot," Blaine said, looking into Kurt's eyes. I could tell."
Kurt smiled at him, almost fondly. "We've been through a lot together. He doesn't understand me, sometimes, but he tries and that's all I can ask for."
"Does he know about the bullying?" Blaine asked hesitantly, leaning forward on his chair. Kurt nodded, crossing his legs, and Blaine couldn't help but notice how elegant and thin they were in those skin-tight jeans he was wearing. He looked away, clearing his throat.
"Yes, but I try not to let him know the full extent of it. I don't want to worry him; he had a heart attack not too long ago and I don't want to give him any extra stress."
Blaine nodded in understanding. "I suppose. But...I was sent here to help you. That means they think you're in need of help. So you didn't want to go to your dad?"
Kurt sighed, flopping back on his bed. "I still think I can handle it myself, if you must know. It's only another year, and then I can finally leave this town." Kurt glanced towards him from his position on the bed and Blaine saw his eyes softening slightly. "I am kind of glad you're here, though. I've never met someone like me before...even if you are dead." Blaine chuckled, glad Kurt was finally letting some walls down. "And I really am sorry about your death. No one should have to go through that."
Blaine paused for a moment, a smile covering his face. "I'm just glad I'm here."
Before Kurt could answer, Blaine felt that familiar swoop, and suddenly he was no longer in Kurt's room – he was back in the Council chambers at Dalton.