Author's Note:

Hello all my lovelies. Thank you so much for your alerts, favorites and most especially your reviews! Every time one comes to my email it is encouragement to keep writing and it makes my heart so happy!

I am excited for Glee tonight. Should be great material coming my way in the next few episodes for Way Out! Yay!

Thanks to my beta, Potikanda, and send some congratulations her way for passing an important test at work. She's the best and you should all go read her stories if you're not.

I do not own Glee, but it seems Glee owns me. You know which of my words belong to them.

Running Away, Born This Way

Blaine sat with Kurt and his friends at the Lima Bean. Blaine had realized at the benefit concert how much Kurt had missed them and he encouraged him to call and invite them out. They sat with Santana, Mercedes and Tina. Rachel had been busy doing something with Finn. Blaine knew that Mercedes and Tina were close to Kurt but he was surprised when Santana decided to tag along. That was until he noticed her eyeing Brittany and Artie, who were on a date at another table, since the moment they had sat down. And Blaine was fairly certain that Santana did not have her eye on Artie. Blaine may be clueless about his own love life, but he could be pretty astute when it came to other people's.

"You haven't asked us anything about our New York trip," Mercedes mentioned.

"Is it because it's too painful?" Tina asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Kurt's sarcasm dripped. "But while the New Directions are preparing to perform at Nationals, the Warblers are preparing to perform in a nursing home, in a strip mall next to a national bank." Blaine smiled. It was killing Kurt. His boyfriend hadn't stopped complaining about the irony and unfairness of the situation since the rehearsal Wes had with Kurt. Kurt had made Blaine swear never to leave him alone with Wes again. It was one of the reasons Blaine had suggested this meeting. "I'm so proud of you guys!" Kurt finished caustically.

"We miss you so much," Tina assured him.

"Isn't there any way you can come back to McKinley?" Mercedes begged, looking at the two.

"I told him I would be all for it if it wasn't for Karofsky." Blaine hated seeing Kurt miserable. Kurt was desperate to perform with his friends. He belonged on a stage, not in the dining hall of a nursing home serenading old ladies who wanted nothing more than to pinch his cheeks. And Blaine had another motive. He was growing fearful that someday his father might decide to just stop by Dalton to make sure his son was following through on his promises. With Kurt there, that scenario could only end in disaster. No, he was definitely safer with Kurt at McKinley…where he should have always been. But only, of course, if Kurt were out of harm's way.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Santana asked.

"Kurt needs to be safe," Blaine stressed.

"Can we please change the subject?" Kurt urged, rolling his eyes embarrassed. The two boys had discussed this a few times over the past few days and they kept coming to the same conclusion. Of course, Kurt didn't know about Blaine's situation, and the boy had no intention of telling him. It didn't matter. Kurt's safety was paramount to Blaine. He had been taking care of himself for a long time and he would continue to do so if necessary.

Suddenly, Santana stood up. "I've gotta gay… go! I've gotta go!" Blaine grinned widely and watched Santana leave. He knew it!

"I hate to say it guys, but we should go too," Kurt said linking his fingers with Blaine.

"Yeah," Mercedes said, "we all have school tomorrow. Love you Kurt!"

"Love you baby girl." Kurt hugged Tina and Mercedes and Blaine gave them a wave as Kurt and Blaine walked hand in hand to their cars.

"You're awfully quiet," Kurt said, leaning against his car.

Blaine combed his fingers carefully through Kurt's hair. He had learned that the later it was, the less Kurt cared about the perfection of his hairdo. "I just want you to be happy. And I don't think you are. Not at Dalton and not at McKinley. I want you to be safe and happy."

"I am," Kurt promised him. "Anytime with you. I am safe and happy."

Blaine smiled and pulled Kurt in for a soft kiss. "I am happy with you too," Blaine said, opening Kurt's door and closing it behind his boyfriend.

He went to his own car, his stomach twisting. He was happy with Kurt, always happy. But safe was something he believed that he would never be.

"Kurt where are you?" Blaine answered his cell. Kurt had missed class and Warblers practice. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Blaine. My dad and I went in to talk with Principal Figgens at McKinley this morning. Seems Karofsky has changed his mind about killing me and is instead going to protect me."

Blaine rubbed his head. Nothing Kurt said just made sense. "Kurt, I don't understand."

"I don't know exactly Blaine. Santana is behind it so goodness knows what she really has up her sleeve. But the point is, I'm safe at McKinley. David's not going to do anything to hurt me."

"Oh." He should be happy. This is what he wanted. This was what he needed. Kurt safe. Kurt not at Dalton. Why wasn't he happy? "That's great Kurt." He tried desperately himself upbeat.

"I'm…um…on my way to Dalton now. I'll finish up classes today and then… get my things." Blaine heard the sadness in Kurt's voice as well. Despite it being what they both wanted, they were losing a lot as well.

"Ok, I'll see you when you get here. Bye."

As he hung up the phone, he turned back to the guys. He was in Nick and Jeff's room and the boys were playing video games after a pretty rough rehearsal with Wes and his gavel. He sat on the bed in disbelief.

Nick noticed first. "Blaine, what's the matter? You look like someone died."

Blaine looked at Nick and struggled to even say the words. He swallowed hard. "Kurt's leaving."

Blaine stood against the wall across from the lockers in Dalton's classroom building. He watched sadly as Kurt slowly gathered up his belongings from his locker. Kurt had just finished up his last class at the private school and was packing up to head back to McKinley on Monday morning. Blaine had so many mixed emotions going through his head, but right now his heart just felt heavy.

Kurt closed the locker and turned to Blaine. Blaine had been having trouble looking at Kurt all day, and he realized Kurt was having the same problem. When their eyes finally met, they both saw tears and Blaine reached his hand out. "Come on," he said, "I think you have a few things in my room."

Kurt took his hand, and Blaine knew that more than classes, more than lunch, more than Warblers practice, he would miss having Kurt's hand to hold in the hallways of Dalton. They had been doing so since the day they met.

The two headed up to Blaine's room and the dormitory was thankfully mostly empty as boys were off at their various after school activities. Blaine laid down on his bed as Kurt started going through the room gathering up his things. Kurt packed some hair product and moisturizer and some extra clothes he had kept here. Hard as Blaine tried to convince Kurt he wouldn't need them, years of being slushied made Kurt anxious to not have a clean outfit or two at the ready. Besides, occasionally the boys went out after school and Kurt sometimes preferred to change out of his uniform.

Blaine noticed Kurt was very quiet, far from his usual bubbly and talkative self. He got up and walked up behind him, placing his arms around his boyfriend's waist and resting his head on Kurt's shoulder. The two just stood like that for a minute, and Blaine closed his eyes, breathing in Kurt's scent, feeling the softness of his body against his own. Suddenly, he felt Kurt trembling beneath him.

Blaine turned him around to face each other. "Hey, hey don't cry," he hushed, wiping Kurt's tears as moisture pooled in his own eyes. "It's going to be ok, we'll see each other all the time," Blaine said, assuring himself as much as his boyfriend.

"I know," Kurt sniffled. "And in a lot of ways I'm so happy to go back. But there is so much about Dalton that I will miss."

Blaine again took Kurt's hand and held it tight as he walked his boyfriend over to sit together on his bed. With his other hand he stroked Kurt's cheek, again wiping away the tears. "Tell me," Blaine urged.

Tears formed in Kurt's eyes again as he listed everything he would miss. "I'll miss walking down the hallways without the fear of a slushie facial. I'll miss the smiles as I pass and applause when we sing. I'll miss a show choir that works hard and rehearses for perfection. I'll miss the guys' crazy antics and even Wes' gavel." Blaine grew lost in Kurt's eyes and his own began to tear once more as Kurt continued. "I'll miss being able to escape with you up to your room when things get hard, or just when we have a free period together. I'll miss kissing you anywhere and anytime I want." Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's locked away curls and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "But most of all I will miss holding your hand down the hallway as we walk from class to class, or building to building, not afraid of anyone or anything, being with each other openly and honestly in just the little moments. I will miss the little moments most of all."

Blaine did not hesitate. He grasped Kurt firmly and pulled him toward him in a desperate kiss to hold onto this moment as long as he could. He was letting Kurt go, letting his father win, knowing all the time that it was once again him running away, even though this time it was Kurt leaving. He poured his emotions into the kiss and moved to deepen it, sucking in Kurt's bottom lip and nearly begging Kurt for entrance. Kurt's lips parted for him and allowed Blaine to taste him for the first time. Blaine reigned in his passion, deliberately slowing his movements. He grew soft and gentle, wanting in no way to frighten Kurt or make him uneasy. Kurt moaned into the kiss, and Blaine couldn't help but smile. Kurt pulled away and smiled as well.

Blaine gazed deeply into Kurt's eyes, still holding his boyfriend close to him. "I will miss everything about you, Kurt," he whispered. "Every second I don't see you I will miss you. The halls will be empty without you."

"Remind me again why I'm going?" Kurt begged him.

"Because McKinley is your home and New Directions is your family. You were never meant to be one of a hundred Kurt, you were meant to stand out. You were never meant to do-wop behind me, as you so eloquently pointed out," he teased smiling softly. "You were born to shine."

Blaine took a deep breath as he and the Warblers arrived. Petrified would have been an understatement if he tried to describe how he felt. This wasn't the Gap. It wasn't Sectionals, or Regionals. This was the courtyard of McKinley High School, in front of hundreds of students who enjoyed throwing food and slushies at performers. And who never helped Kurt for one day when he was being bullied for being gay. And here he was, about to declare his love for Kurt in front of every one of them.

Just as he decided this was a horrible idea and turned to walk away, Jeff patted him on the back. "Come on dude, this is gonna be awesome. Kurt's gonna love it!"

Blaine looked at the other Warblers and they all smiled at him. They had his back. And New Directions now had Kurt's. Blaine walked down the steps with Wes and David behind him and there he was, his gorgeous boyfriend in a black top hat and white jacket, looking stunning and so very very happy. Blaine smiled. That was what it was about, seeing that smile on Kurt's face. Watching his friends embrace him. It settled his stomach as he reached the landing and Kurt turned to him.

"Kurt, Dalton's gonna miss you. You were a great addition to the Warblers, and you made us a better team. I'm sad to see you go, but we all know that this is something that you really want." He spoke as the lead singer now, for all of his brothers. Blaine's personal feelings, well, they would come out much better in song. "And I'll still have you after school and on the weekends but these guys won't, so, we wanted to say goodbye."

"And thank you, Kurt," Wes said.

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand.

When Blaine sang, he felt every word. He didn't know when, and he didn't know how, but Kurt had slowly turned from the hardest thing in his life to the simplest. He had become Kurt's rock, the only one he could truly rely on. The idea of going each day without seeing him broke the singer's heart, but he also knew it was for the best for both of them right now. As he sang, he was so overcome with emotion for Kurt; love, he knew he was falling in love. It scared him, for so many reasons. And he knew that Kurt's move to McKinley allowed him to keep doing what he always did…run away. But this time, it wouldn't hurt Kurt in the process, and maybe in the long run, it would even bring them closer together.

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go, somewhere only we know.

He had to start letting Kurt in, or it would be the end of everything. Now that they wouldn't be together all the time, the distance that Blaine tried desperately to keep would tear them apart. It was time to start tearing down the walls. Time to start opening up and letting Kurt know more about him. It was time for Blaine to start being more honest. Slowly, carefully, but he had to let him in.

He watched Kurt say goodbye to the Warblers, tears streaming down his face, and he watched as Kurt embraced his brother and his best friend. Tears pooled in Blaine's eyes as well. No matter how surrounded by the Warblers he was, every minute without Kurt would be lonely.

Somewhere only we know, Somewhere only we know.

They gazed into each other's tear filled eyes until Kurt fell in Blaine's arms and Blaine rushed forward to embrace him. "I'll never say goodbye to you," he heard Kurt whisper in his ear and chills went up his spine. If only there truly was a place that was free of both their fathers, somewhere that only they knew.

But Blaine knew there wasn't and he knew that if he didn't let go of Kurt he would kiss him and never let him walk away. So he let go and he walked away, his Warbler brothers offering comfort as he did. He turned back , he couldn't help it, to see Kurt's smile as his friends surrounded him. Blaine smiled and nodded. This was right. As hard as it was, this was right.

Blaine: I'm here in the parking lot whenever you're ready.

Kurt: Be there in a minute, we're just finishing up.

Blaine rocked out to Katy Perry in his car while he waited for Kurt to finish up with New Directions. It bothered him that he felt a need to take a look around for Karofsky before relaxing. Kurt had assured him that things were different now, that Karofsky wasn't a threat, but there was still no love lost for the guy that had threatened his boyfriend. Still, he thought, without the bully he and Kurt maybe never would have gotten together, so perhaps he owed him something. Blaine shook that thought from his mind immediately. No, if Kurt had never transferred, it all would have been so much easier. Well, at least he was back here at McKinley now.

Blaine was startled out of his reverie by Kurt who opened the door and breathlessly dropped himself down in the passenger seat. "Oh my gaga, Blaine, it was amazing! It went so well. I so hope we can do that number in front of an actual audience. I totally think we should do it for Nationals, but Mr. Schuester thinks it would be too controversial…well, I would be too controversial. I think it would be amazing."

Blaine laughed at the extremely excited animation and the ramblings of his adorable boyfriend, and wanted desperately to just kiss his lips to make him stop. Instead, he reached over to Kurt's button down and began undoing the buttons. "Let me see!" He grinned widely.

Kurt giggled as he brushed Blaine's hands away. Blaine unbuttoning his shirt was making his mind wander to activities far too inappropriate for the McKinley High parking lot. He finished unfastening the shirt and opened it dramatically to reveal his "Likes Boys" shirt. He looked at Blaine, who studied it quietly. "Well," Kurt said, a little anxiously as his grin turned to a concerned frown. "Don't you like it?"

Blaine frowned as well. "I don't know Kurt," he said. "I'm not sure I like this "S" here at the end. I mean, who are these boys?" Blaine slowly grinned at Kurt. Teasing was so much a part of their everyday conversation. It eased the tension for Blaine…the hated tension that his secrets created and…other tension that he loved, that Kurt created by being the most interesting, incredible and sexy boy in the world that Lord, he missed so much.

Kurt rolled his eyes and stuck his chin in the air. "Well, I am pretty popular with the gentleman," he taunted playfully. "Of course there is kind of a special someone."

Blaine felt his stomach flutter and his body flushed with heat. "Well, I bet that if that special someone were here right now, he would want nothing more than to take you in his arms and kiss you until you gasped for air."

Blaine gave a satisfied smile when he saw Kurt's face blush, but Kurt did not miss a beat. "Well then good sir, you best take me to him, because I think he can be kind of jealous," Kurt eyed him sideways as he put his seatbelt on. "And you are a pretty handsome gentleman yourself, if I do say so."

Blaine's laugh was bursting as he put on his own seatbelt and shifted into gear, racing to the Hummel/Hudson household for Friday Night dinner. "Then there is no time to lose!"

Author's Note: Did you like? Reviews pretty please :-)) Only one more chapter left – PROM! Then I am all Caught up! See what I did there?