Author's Note: Sooo, what does everyone think? Reviews would be very much loved! :) Also, I'll probably update ATPP next, for those of you who are waiting for the next chapter.

Author's Note: Hello! I just updated ATPP, and now I'm getting right back to this. They tell you that keeping up with writing fanfiction is easy… they lie! ;) Haha, but it's definitely worth it. I hope that some people are enjoying this story? Review if you like (I shall mentally hug you in return).

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the show Glee.

~Chapter 2: Tough~

Kurt's morning tutoring session had been graciously uneventful. Only one student had come in for help, and he had simply looked too tired to cause any trouble. Kurt had given him a few tips, waited for him to show some level of understanding, and then sent him on his way with a stack of worksheets that he would probably never use. He had spent the next hour or so mindlessly browsing YouTube on his phone. Kurt hadn't forgotten about the events of that morning, but it seemed silly to dwell on them. Boys could be jerks sometimes. Whatever. He had dealt with worse from Puck and Azimio.

It was on Kurt's lunch break, however, that he was at last met with some relief. He had just sat down at one of the empty cafeteria tables with a school-issued lunch in front of him, when a small girl with long, auburn hair and a refreshingly friendly smile approached. "Hi," she said, sounding a bit shy. "I'm Lacey. I heard it was your first day volunteering here? It's mine, too."

Kurt, feeling grateful for this pleasant breath of fresh air in a place so devoid of kindness, grinned instantly and motioned for Lacey to sit beside him. "I'm Kurt," he replied.

She nodded and slid into the seat, placing a container of fresh salad on the table in front of her. Kurt sighed down at his tray of unidentifiable meat; he would definitely be taking the same initiative the next time that he spent a full day here.

"Do you go to school around here?" Lacey asked curiously.

Kurt nodded. "McKinley," he answered. "You?"

"I'm homeschooled, actually. It's so weird being here… in a real school, I mean. Plus, all the guys kept giving me these creepy looks like they had never seen a girl before." Lacey smiled wryly, rolling her eyes. "I was on food-serving duty all morning. I've never had to ask 'eggs or pancakes?' so many times in my entire life."

Kurt nodded sympathetically. He was glad that he hadn't had to put up with quite so much social interaction with the students. "I was tutoring in the room across the hall," he explained. "I spent most of my time in there alone, thank goodness."

Lacey laughed softly and started to say something about how Kurt should start tutoring in the library, where she would be spending her weekday afternoons restocking the shelves. Kurt, however, was having trouble focusing, as his gaze was now locked on the dark-haired boy across the room.

Blaine.

He walked casually, all confidence, and although Kurt knew that he probably hadn't seen him, just thinking of that possibility made his stomach clench.

Lacey noticed Kurt's frozen stare and followed his gaze. She let out a thoughtful hum. "Oh… I got a word or two in with that guy earlier," she said. "Interesting character. Do you know him?"

With his eyes still on Blaine, Kurt shook his head. "No," he replied. "I talked to him for a few minutes this morning, though. He is interesting."

Lacey was silent for a moment. "He seemed… different from the others, somehow," she remarked, her voice hushed in spite of the fact that Blaine was well out of earshot. "I don't know what it is about him. He didn't look at me the same way as the other guys did."

Blaine's words echoed in Kurt's mind… Ever kiss a boy before? Suddenly, something clicked, and Kurt felt his eyes widen a bit at the realization. "I… I think he has some secrets," he said.

"Of course he does; he's a reform school boy," Lacey pointed-out with a little smile. "I just… I feel like he must have such an interesting story, you know? Where he came from and all that."

Lacey's eyes were on her salad now, but as Kurt's continued to trail Blaine's movement, he was suddenly taken off-guard. Blaine turned around, his gaze meeting Kurt's instantly, without even searching him out. It was kind of eerie, in a way, and way too intense. Kurt looked down hurriedly, his cheeks burning, and pushed away from the table. "Um, if you'll excuse me for a minute-" he stammered, already out of the cafeteria before Lacey could even respond.

The hall was thankfully quiet. Kurt leaned back against the lockers, trying to recollect his thoughts. Why was it that this particular boy made him freak out like that? Blaine had helped him to find his way this morning, after all. He couldn't be all bad.

Abruptly, the silence in the hall was broken by a handful of boys heading for the cafeteria. They were all loud, brawny, and tall… Kurt felt himself shrink back a bit at just the sight of them. At McKinley, he knew that every one of them would have been pulled straight into the football team before they could even learn the name of the principal. One of them, a bulky guy with cropped brown hair and a sneering grin, looked Kurt over curiously. "Well, look what we've got here, boys," he jeered. "Fresh meat."

All too hesitantly, Kurt moved to get out of the way, but the group of guys had already surrounded him, boxing him in tightly. Oh, no. These were his fears coming to life; the toughest of the tough seemed to think that he was no more than a wimpy new student who needed a little shaking up. Trying not to show any emotion, Kurt cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the breaks between the bodies around him. "May I help you?" he asked.

The sneering boy gave him a little shove toward one of the other guys. Kurt stumbled forward, making them laugh cruelly. "You're kinda small to be hanging out around here, kid," the lead guy said. "What're you in for? Insulting displays of gayness?" He gestured to Kurt's outfit pointedly.

Kurt rolled his eyes. He had heard better. This guy was just a big Neanderthal. "What are you in for?" he retorted. "Insulting displays of stupidity?"

While the other boys snickered and jeered at his comeback, Kurt watched their leader's face turn to a stone-cold glare. "Hey!" he barked, quieting the others instantly. "Watch your mouth, you little-"

Suddenly, Kurt felt himself falling, and then being shoved and pushed and shoved again. The boys were tossing him around like a plaything; this was just a game to them, after all.

So this was how his first and last day here would end, then. A quick math tutoring lesson, a relatively friendly conversation with a stranger over a disgusting lunch, and a black eye or split lip. Or both.

Perfect.

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impending doom. He wondered how much it would hurt.

"Hey! Lay off, guys! You hurt any of the new volunteers and Burkes will lock you up in the basement for the rest of the semester."

No. Way.

Tentatively, Kurt opened an eye, and there- sure enough- was Blaine. He stood just outside the circle of guys, a look of legitimate authority on his face, despite the fact that he was much smaller and less built than the others. The pushing stopped instantly.

Kurt blushed, scrambling to pick up his fallen messenger bag. He had just been saved by Blaine. What was that supposed to mean?

The lead guy rolled his eyes, giving Blaine an annoyed look, as if he had just called the police to interrupt a huge party. "Whatever," he grunted, and shoved Kurt forcefully into a locker before directing his entourage into the cafeteria.

Kurt crumpled to the floor and sighed shakily. He stared at the ground, unable to make himself look back up at Blaine. Would he want something in return?

A moment later, Kurt heard movement, and then Blaine was crouched down in front of him. Their eyes met. "You wouldn't last five minutes as a student here," Blaine declared solemnly.

Kurt glared at him. He had just been through a relatively traumatizing experience… and that was all that this boy had to say to him? "I have no reason to go here," Kurt retorted huffily. "And if I did, I'm sure I'd be tougher."

Blaine smiled a bit and stood up. "That's an amusing mental image," he commented, and- to Kurt's surprise- offered him a hand up.

"I'm sure it is," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes. Still, he was grateful for the kind gesture. He took Blaine's hand.

In one swift movement, Blaine had yanked Kurt onto his feet and pressed against him, forcing both of their bodies together against the lockers. Kurt barely had time to react to the sudden closeness. He bit his tongue to hold back a gasp.

"I haven't forgotten this morning, you know," Blaine breathed against his ear.

Kurt sucked in an unsteady breath and bit his lip nervously. So Blaine did expect something in return. He should have known. "What do you want from me, Blaine?" he shot back, although his voice came out much softer than he had intended.

"I think you remember what I said." Blaine's eyes were far too calm, staring into Kurt's as though he could see all the way to his soul. It was nerve-wracking.

Kurt's eyes widened a bit. "You were serious?" he asked, mind racing. Ever kiss a boy before?

"Dead serious," Blaine replied. "Best part is, I think you secretly want it."

And just when he had thought that things couldn't get much worse… Well, of course Blaine was extremely good-looking. He was probably a good kisser, too; some things were just inevitable. But, then, Kurt had yet to have his first real kiss, and he did not want to give it up to some snotty reform school delinquent. "Why would I want it? I don't even know you." Kurt grimaced, leaning his head back as far away as he could from Blaine's.

"Yes, but you can't say that you're not at all attracted to me, now can you?"

Crap. Kurt was a terrible liar. Blushing, he turned away, trying uselessly to pull out of Blaine's grasp.

He smirked. "I thought so." Abruptly, Blaine stepped back, allowing Kurt to move away.

He didn't. If Kurt hadn't known it before, he certainly did now: Blaine definitely liked guys. And- perhaps- he even liked Kurt. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. "You aren't as tough as you seem, you know," he told Blaine softly, searching his eyes. There had to be a weakness there, somewhere…

There, that was it. For a moment, Blaine's eyes flashed in surprise. He caught himself quickly, covering it up with a hardened gaze, but it was enough. Kurt knew the truth now; Blaine was truly not all that he appeared to be.

"Hey, watch out for that Karofsky kid and his gang of idiots, okay? They'll start trouble for everyone if you let them."

Kurt nodded. Then, on the sudden impulse that he had to establish some kind of understanding between himself and the mysterious boy in front of him, Kurt leaned forward. He kissed Blaine's cheek lightly.

As he pulled back, cheeks tinged pink, Kurt could see that Blaine was trying to hide his shock. He looked at Kurt unsurely. "What was that supposed to mean?" he asked incredulously.

Shrugging, Kurt met Blaine's eyes. "Thanks," he replied. He wasn't entirely sure what had made him do it, but- mostly- he just wanted Blaine to know that he was thankful for the ways in which he had helped him that day. And, also, he felt that Blaine should not feel alone in having to keep his true self under wraps at times. Kurt could certainly relate.

"Oh," Blaine said simply, and looked away. He nodded once, and then turned to walk down the hall.

Kurt turned away as well, back to the cafeteria, smiling just a bit. He knew that he had left his mark; the only question now was whether or not he would regret it later. "You're not fooling me, Blaine," he commented, just for good measure.

Although Blaine did not look back, Kurt could distinctly make out the sound of a wry smile in his voice. "Think what you want," he replied. "See you around, Pretty Boy."