A/N: Thank you to everyone for your wonderful reviews! The response to this has been amazing - the traffic and number of alerts/favorites is stellar - so I couldn't stop myself from posting another chapter . I must warn you now, though, updates won't be this fast or regular until around the 18th of June. I'll get another chapter or two up between now and then, hopefully, but after that I'm on my summer holidays and will have looooooooaaaaaaads of time to write haha. Also, this is the chapter with the scene from my dream, I'll tell you what it is at the end! Thank you so much, again, to everyone!

Blaine awoke with a start when Wes came barreling into his room, "Blaine, dude, come on! Halo war in the commons!" he declared excitedly and Blaine groaned. He'd fallen asleep on his History text book and now the page on everyday life during World War Two was crinkled and a little wet from drool. He rubbed his hands over his face and moved to straighten the page. 'Why do I even have to learn this? Everyday life? Really? Why did I take History…' He thought bitterly before slamming the textbook closed and pulling off his tie.

When he checked his phone, Kurt still hadn't replied to his last text. All Blaine wanted to do was help him, but he feared he may be in way over his head. When he met Kurt, he figured he was like him. Bullied for being gay and proud, scared of what everyone thought of him, and wondering if people would make assumptions about him and place him into a certain category his whole life because he was gay.

Now he's not so sure. Now, he thinks Kurt's problems run way deeper. Kurt is beating himself up over everything and is terrified of his tormentors. He's strong, definitely, so he won't let it show that it gets to him. He'll put on a brave mask and face the world every day without fail. But Blaine knows it's getting to him. He knows it's affecting him deeper than he'd like to show - and affecting him in awful ways - but there's nothing Blaine can do. He can't convince Kurt to talk to anyone professional, can't convince him to transfer to Dalton, can't even convince him to open up properly to Blaine himself. There's a brick wall Kurt has constructed all around himself and Blaine has only managed to crack through the first few layers. He wants the whole damn thing to come down. He wants Kurt to see how beautiful the world is beyond that fortress; how much everyone he has placed outside it - and he has placed everyone outside it - loves him and wants to help him.

Still, he thinks hopefully, he's only known Kurt a number of weeks, and he's already managed to work himself through the first few layers. Maybe he needs to smash it to pieces from the inside. Yeah, he'll get Kurt to open up to him completely, he'll get himself behind that wall that Kurt thinks is protecting him, and rip it down brick by brick to help him.

Kurt's going to hate him. He's going to despise Blaine, at least for a while. But Blaine reasons that it's worth it. Once Kurt realizes Blaine has helped him and lets him back in, all the angry looks and spiteful words will be worth it. Blaine has seen people destroyed by inner demons. He's seen people he loves ripped to pieces by their struggles and refusals of help, and he won't let Kurt be one of those people. If it takes him months, years, his lifetime, he will help Kurt get the help he so desperately needs and he'll stay right beside him the whole time. Whether Kurt wants him there or not.

Blaine thinks this through as he showers and changes into fresh clothes, and as he's walking to the common room in his dorm house, he has a small smile on his face.

Kurt storms his way through the rest of the school day, furious at Blaine. But by the time he's driven home and started his homework, he just misses him. He reads over the last text he received from him again and smiles faintly. For all that he'd been furious at Blaine for trying to tell him what to do, he can't deny that he feels that inexplicable pull towards him too. Blaine is the only person Kurt has ever felt truly comfortable around. He feels like he can tell him anything without being judged or abandoned, but the fear is still there. The fear that Blaine will think he's an idiot who's overreacting and getting monumentally upset over absolutely nothing. Deep down, he knows Blaine would never think that, but his problems have always been brushed aside by his friends and family as temporary and it has made him insecure.

Kurt knows this stems from his childhood. His parents were loving and affectionate, would always kiss his injuries better and hold him when he was upset. But he also remembers them saying that kids on the playground making fun of him and calling him names were just being silly and that they'd get over it. Even when he was terrified of his bullies to the point of not being able to sleep, they'd said it would pass. That it was just a phase. His cousins called him stupid and made fun of his clothes and voice and now he just can't trust people. Family are meant to support you and take your problems seriously, but Kurt's never did. Now he can't tell them his problems because he's afraid they'll react that exact same way. He knows they're bigger and more justifiable now, but that fear always lingers. So he simply doesn't tell them. He doesn't want them to brush it off again, because then he'll know he's an idiot and that his problems are nothing and his own to deal with.

Kurt closed his Math book with a thud and barely resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at it childishly. He prided himself on being a straight A, honor roll student, but he couldn't find it in himself to concentrate on freaking algebra, so he figured one night off from Math wouldn't harm anybody. He could just quickly copy the answers from Mercedes on Monday morning. She was an honor roll student too, but they often let each other copy work if they hadn't been feeling up to doing it the previous night or weekend.

He rubbed his hands over his face and pillowed his head in his arms briefly before pulling himself down to the kitchen. He felt like a dead weight in his own body, walking around sluggishly like a zombie. He knew he should text Blaine, but he felt slightly embarrassed at his outburst and knew it would be an awkward conversation when he did text him. He poured himself a glass of water and, thinking "Now or never…", plucked the phone in the kitchen from it's cradle.

He tapped in the digits he knew so well and waited as it rang.

One ring…

Two ri- "Hey Kurt."

He sighed, whether in relief or anticipation of the conversation to come, he didn't know. "Hey Blaine." Upon hearing the loud noises in the background - shouting overshadowed by fierce wooping - he continued, "Uh… is now a bad time?"

"No, no. Now is fine, the guys are just having a Halo war and being extremely loud about it!"The last five words were obviously directed at the other boys in the academy, who quietened down and apologized.

Not ten seconds later, however, Kurt could hear David yell "Hey, wait a minute! We're totally allowed to be loud! Get out of here if you want a quiet conversation, Anderson!" Kurt laughed humorlessly, and waited for Blaine to leave the room.

"Sorry, I maybe should have left when I heard my phone going off." Blaine's voice came down the line after some rustling and a quiet thump.

"No, it's fine. Uh… I just wanted to apologize about earlier. I know I kind of blew up at you and well… sorry."

Blaine smiled, he knew Kurt would come around. "It's fine, Kurt. I totally understand. I'm sorry for pushing you."

"It's fine. Just a rough day, you know? Again."

"Yeah, no, I know. I'm just really worried about you.""I know," Kurt sighed, "But you don't have to be. I'll be fine, Blaine, I promise."

"I know you think that, Kurt, but… I'm not so sure about it. What if things get worse?"

"They won't. I don't think he'd be brave enough to do anything much worse."

"We didn't think he'd be brave enough to bring the kiss up again, or do anything worse, and yet, here we are."

"Can we just drop it, please? I'm not in the mood to talk about this."

"Sure."

The line was silent for a few minutes as neither boy knew how to continue the conversation. They listened to each other's breathing until, finally, Blaine broke the silence. "Can I ask you a question, Kurt?"

"You just did."

Blaine groaned. "Come on."

"That depends… what kind of question?"

"You never answered me properly earlier… do you harm yourself in any other way? Before you answer, I'm not gonna judge you or run off telling people, just in case that's what you're worried about."

"No, Blaine, I do not harm myself in any other way." Kurt scratched at his hip guiltily. 'It doesn't count as lying if I haven't done it in forever' he reassured himself.

"Ok… hey, it's a Friday, you doing anything tonight?"

"Nope. Homework and TV, most likely. Why?"

"Awesome. You wanna meet at Lily's?"

Kurt smiled into the phone. Lily's was a little diner about halfway between Lima and Westerville, situated in a small town that didn't have many shops. He and Blaine had taken it up as their little meeting place in the days immediately following their meeting. Kurt loved it there. "Yeah, sure. See you in an hour?"

"Perfect. See you then, love." And the line went dead.

Just under an hour later, Kurt pulled his navigator into an open space in the small parking lot to the side of Lily's. He pulled his jacket closer around himself before slipping on his scarf and gloves and jumping out of the car. He spotted Blaine immediately, leaning casually against his own car, looking into the clouds. His eyes flicked towards Kurt when he heard his footfalls crunching on the snow, and his face split into a wide smile. Kurt smiled back and greeted Blaine with a brief hug.

"Jeez, Blaine, you're freezing. How long have you been waiting out here?"

"Only about five minutes. I probably would have headed inside soon enough if you hadn't shown up. Come on, I'd die for a coffee right now." Blaine turned promptly and almost ran to the door of the diner, pausing when he got to it and waiting for Kurt just inside. Kurt slipped his jacket and gloves off and Blaine scrutinized his frame. Kurt had always been thin, but toned. He had long, lean limbs and subtle muscles, but now he looked like nothing more than skin and bone. He looked decimated. Kurt noticed Blaine's observation after the waitress had led them to a booth, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

Blaine diverted his gaze quickly after realizing Kurt had noticed and ordered them both coffee.

Silence pressed in on them while they waited for their coffee, but neither found it uncomfortable. Kurt stared out the window while Blaine examined Kurt's profile and his own fingernails alternately. Blaine was the one to break the silence, again.

"I'm worried about you, Kurt." Straight to the point.

Kurt exhaled a long suffering sigh and turned to Blaine slowly. "So you keep saying. I'm fine, Blaine. Really."

"I don't think you are. Please tell me what's going on. I know you're struggling with Karofsky and your dad, but that isn't reason to be this upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Really? Because you've barely said a word to me today and made less eye contact. You've lost probably half your body weight since I saw you last and those bags under your eyes sure as hell aren't designer." The waitress brought their coffee over. "Thanks" mumbled Blaine, before turning back to Kurt. "So, would you like to tell me what's going on? I'm worried Kurt. This is not normal."

"Nothing is going on. You said it yourself, I'm having problems with Karofsky and I'm worried about my dad. That's it. That's all."

"Bullshit!" Kurt threw Blaine a filthy look over the table, and he immediately receded back into his chair, from which he'd flown out of slightly in frustration. "Ok, fine, not bullshit. But that is not it, Kurt."

"I'm not having this conversation here." Kurt got up and walked to the bathroom huffily and Blaine rolled his eyes. He soon spotted Kurt's iPhone sitting on the tabletop and he reached for it, hoping he didn't have a pass code on it. He discovered, to his delight, that he didn't. He pulled up Kurt's contact list and scrolled through it quickly, glancing toward the bathroom every few seconds. He took Mercedes' number out and put it in his phone quickly, before putting Kurt's phone back on his side of the table. He looked to the restroom door a few seconds later, and saw Kurt just emerging. He threw the rest of his coffee down his throat and, seeing Kurt had finished his, threw a note down on the table and grabbed his and Kurt's belongings.

"Come with me." He said, handing Kurt his things. He gave him a small smile to show he wasn't angry or upset.

When Blaine pulled Kurt in the opposite direction of the parking lot, Kurt immediately became suspicious. "Uh, Blaine, where are we going?"

Blaine smiled over his shoulder, "You'll see!" he said excitedly.

After running down a few roads and turning abruptly more than once - to Kurt's annoyance; running on ice and snow was bad enough! - Blaine pulled Kurt down a narrow, barely concealed alley. He dropped his hand and disappeared down another alley. Kurt rounded the corner to see Blaine halfway up a mostly hidden ladder, leaning back so he was in Kurt's sight and beckoning him up.

When Kurt got to the top of the ladder, he was speechless. They were on a rooftop two stories above ground level, facing the entire town. Blaine turned towards him slightly as he got to the top, smile evident even though his features were bleached out by the dying sun. All Kurt could see was Blaine's silhouette, outlined by the brilliant pinks and purples of the sunset they were facing, and the town below them, twinkling in the same light. He could see some lights being turned on in the homes of the townspeople, but the town was mostly filled with long shadows and the reflection of the sunset off the snow and ice. The buildings were also bleached out in the light, and it appeared as if everyone - everything - was turned toward the waning sunlight, saying goodbye for another 12 hours. It was beautiful. Kurt felt the overwhelming need to take a picture of the black shapes of buildings and Blaine's back against the bursting mix of pinks, purples, oranges and even blues of the sunset. He turned to Blaine when he was beside him and could see him properly, mouth agape and eyes wide. Blaine's smile grew.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He whispered, as though speaking loudly would shatter the image before them.

Kurt nodded his head and turned back to face the sun. "How did you find it?"

"I was walking around a few weeks ago. I don't really remember exactly how I found it, but I'm glad I did."

"Can we stay here for a while?"

"Of course."

Kurt sat down on the cold roof, surprised there wasn't any ice, and Blaine mimicked him. They sat in more silence for a while, watching the goings on of the town. Kurt was quickly distracted by the icicles on the buildings directly across the street. The ones hanging on the sides of the shops seemed to capture the sunset's light before throwing a spectrum of color out in every direction. It was beautiful, and Kurt knew that the icicles must have been stunningly clear for it to happen. He spent a while thinking, and the sun was almost completely down when he began speaking.

"I feel it too, you know." He began without looking at Blaine.

"Hmm?" Came the response.

"The inexplicable pull. I've never felt it before and, to be quite honest, it scares me. I feel so comfortable around you, like I can tell you anything, and I've never felt that way. What if it's too good to be true? What if I scare you off, or it's all just a trick?" He looked down at his hands fidgeting in his lap. "I don't think I'd be able to handle it"

Blaine's hand entered his line of sight to grasp one of his own and pull it to his lap, where he cradled it gently between both of his hands and waited for Kurt to look at him. "First of all, that's wonderful to hear. I'm glad we're both feeling… this. And second of all, Kurt, I will never leave you. Not by choice, and you couldn't ever scare me off. Do you think anything I did or said would ever be able to scare you off?"

"No." Kurt didn't miss a beat.

"Because of that pull, nothing you do or say will ever scare me off either. Believe me, I've seen awful things, so nothing will ever scare me off. This is the first time I've felt this too and yes, it scares me, but… you don't. Nothing about you intimidates me or makes me second guess myself or you, and that's how I know it'll be alright. Even if it's a foreign feeling and neither of us understand it, I know it'll be ok. So, don't be scared, and if you feel comfortable around me, tell me what's going on. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He squeezed Kurt's hand in his own to put emphasis on his point. He really did not plan on ever leaving Kurt's side.

Kurt gave Blaine a watery smile before looking away again. "It's just so difficult, you know? Telling people about what's going on." Blaine moved closer to Kurt's side and turned to face the sun, also, without letting go of Kurt's hand, sensing it was easier for Kurt to talk without eye contact or eyes on him. "I mean, I've never had anyone to go to. I never had friends until I joined New Directions, and I'm not even that close to them. There's always so much drama in that club, I don't see the point of adding my stupid problems in to the mix. Sometimes, I don't even know what's wrong with me. The smallest things will make me feel awful." There was a brief pause. Blaine rubbed his thumbs over the back of Kurt's hand encouragingly. "Like, sometimes Santana will crack a gay joke - not even directed at me - and I'll just feel like crap. I know she isn't doing it on purpose to make me feel bad - she never would - but it still hurts. The way everyone uses "gay" as a synonym for lame or bad just makes me feel like I'm wrong. I don't know. I don't know why I feel like this half the time, I just do."

There was silence again while Blaine tried to find something to say. He didn't know what to say. Kurt didn't deserve to feel like that. Blaine never wanted him to feel like that. "Kurt, if you ever feel like that, don't be afraid to say something. Tell Santana, or whoever makes the comment, that it hurts. Even if they aren't directing it at you, let them know. I'm sure they'll try their best to stop. And please don't be afraid to call me. All I want to do is help, and I'm more than happy to listen to you. Whether you think your problems are stupid or not, I don't, and I never will." He squeezed Kurt's hand and released it, standing and offering him his own. "Come on, let's get out of here. It's beautiful, but it's getting colder."

Kurt took the proffered hand, feeling somewhat better at letting Blaine in a little bit, and pulled himself to his feet. Pins and needles blossomed in his legs, but he ignored them, following Blaine back to their cars and hugging him goodbye. He texted him when he sat into his car and set off for home.

Thank you for listening. - Kurt xxxx

He checked his messages when he got home, and smiled at the one waiting for him from Blaine.

No, thank you for letting me. - Blaine xxxx

A/N2: The rooftop scene is from my dream :P I don't think I did it justice, to be honest. I'm a bigger photographer than writer, so it obviously looked better, to me, as a picture. Thanks for reading! If you've gotten this far… why not drop me a line? :D The review button is right there… ;)

Oh, also, before anyone's like "Santana would totally make gay jokes at Kurt's expense, it's who she is!", I would like to point out that it isn't, actually. Santana and Kurt, to me, have always seemed on good terms and Santana is not at liberty to make gay jokes with much substance given her current sexuality crisis, so, I don't think any gay jokes she cracked would be intended to hurt Kurt's feelings. (Yes, I remember her comment in Never Been Kissed, but even then, it wasn't directed at Kurt (: ) There was something else I meant to point out, but now I forget… Ah well, someone will let me in know in reviews and I can amend it then (:

Much love, Beaut x