Hey guys. I know it's been a while since I've posted a chapter, but here it is none the less. School has been crazy crazy crazy, but I've finally finished this! Yay! Thank you to all of you that are still here to read this. I never thought that I would have a thousand people see this story. I was hoping for twenty or thirty maybe. But a thousand! That's crazy! Thank you all! I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this one because I wrote it in so many different pieces, and I had so many different ideas at different times. But it's done and I hope you guys enjoy it! And thanks for reading!
(I do NOT own Glee or anything affiliated with Glee. Ryan Murphy would hate me if I did)
Together We Are Chapter 17
Last Breath
"Kurt. There's someone here to see you," Burt shouted up the stairs.
"I'll be there in a second," Kurt yelled back. "I have to go Blaine. I'll see you tomorrow."
Blaine sighed. "That seems so far away."
"I know. But it's not. It's okay," Kurt said reassuringly.
"Tomorrow," Blaine said to himself.
Kurt laughed. "I miss you," he whispered.
"You'll see me tomorrow," Blaine mocked.
Kurt rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Kurt!" Burt yelled again.
"Okay, I really have to go," Kurt said. "I'm coming dad!"
"I know," Blaine said sadly. "I love you Kurt."
"I love you too Blaine. See you tomorrow," Kurt said quietly, hanging up. He walked to his door and took a deep breath as he opened it.
"Quinn," Kurt said happily as he walked down the stairs.
"Hey Kurt," Quinn said, walking in the door and past Burt.
Burt smiled and walked back into the living room.
"Let's go upstairs," Kurt said, taking her hand and pulling her along.
"Did I interrupt something?" Quinn asked as he closed his door.
"No. I was just on the phone with Blaine, but it's okay, I'll see him tomorrow," Kurt answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm positive. So, what's up?"
Quinn looked down. "I just, um, wanted to talk to you about the fight we were having before..." she said, trailing off.
"Oh," Kurt mumbled, not sure what to say.
"Look, Kurt. I know I was kidnapped, and I know that you wanted to find me, and you were worried. But I'm back, and you still have every right to be angry with me."
Kurt looked up at her. "You're right. I do have every right to be angry. But Quinn, when I found out that you were missing, I realized that the last thing that I said to you was that I couldn't forgive you. You've always been a good friend to me, even when everyone else wasn't and I couldn't have lived with myself if you had died. I was so scared and I know you lied to me and to Puck and to everyone else, but I never want to have that feeling again."
"So w-where does that leave us?" Quinn asked, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Kurt reached out to wipe the tears away. "Well, if you'd be interested, I'd love to be friends again," he said, smiling.
Quinn smiled back and nodded. "Of course," she said happily, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Blaine?" Jasper asked, knocking on his door lightly.
"Yeah," Blaine replied, looking up as Jasper walked in.
"Since Coop's at work and Kimmy's out, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk and get some coffee," Jasper said slowly.
Blaine smiled. "Yeah, sure."
Jasper smiled back and gestured for him to follow him.
Blaine pulled some shoes on and followed behind him quickly.
They walked out of the back door and into what looked like a park.
"So how's life?" Jasper asked.
"Good. Better than ever," Blaine said, smiling to himself.
"How so?"
"We just finally have a chance to be happy together. And that makes me happy," Blaine answered, laughing lightly.
"I'm happy for you," Jasper said, laughing too. "I assume you're talking about Kurt."
Blaine nodded, smiling at the thought of his boyfriend.
"Can I ask you something?" Jasper asked quietly after a few moments.
"Yeah, of course," Blaine said curiously.
Jasper hesitated. "Are you okay?"
Blaine looked at him in confusion. "Yeah. Why?"
"It's just that Coop asked me to check on you the first night you were here, and you looked like you were having a nightmare. That night and every one since," Jasper answered slowly.
"Oh," Blaine said, looking down.
Jasper watched him carefully. "I don't mean to intrude or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Um." Blaine hesitated. He knew the nightmare that he was referring to. He had been having it since they found the knife outside of Simul, but it had gone away until he had left Kurt.
"You don't have to tell me," Jasper said quickly, not wanting to upset him.
"No, it's okay. It's just, a flashback, I guess you could call it," Blaine said quietly.
"A flashback of what?" Jasper asked slowly, still not wanting to pry.
Blaine hesitated again. "Do you remember that night I came by the house to talk to Coop?"
Jasper looked down. "Yeah I do," he said quietly.
"Do you remember what we talked about?"
Jasper nodded. "I remember you saying that the kid that tried to rape you isn't the one you should be afraid of. Does that have something to do with this?"
"Yeah. Exactly that actually," he paused. "After I got away from him, this other boy sliced my chest and face because I kept trying to get away. I finally got away, but he sort of did the same thing to Kurt and he's the one that kidnapped Quinn. It's also not the first time he did something like that to me."
"Oh my god, Blaine. Have you reported him?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah, multiple times, but nothing's happened to him yet."
"That's awful," Jasper said, more to himself than to Blaine.
"Will you do something for me?" Blaine asked after a long moment of silence.
"Of course," Jasper said, gesturing in the direction that they were turning to get to the coffee shop.
"The next time it happens, will you wake me up?" Blaine asked cautiously, not really wanting to ask that of him, knowing what would happen.
Jasper smiled, happy that Blaine had asked. "Sure."
Blaine gave him a small smile in return. "Thanks."
Jasper just nodded and then pulled the door to the shop open, holding it for Blaine. "What do you usually get?"
"Just a medium drip," Blaine answered.
Jasper turned to the counter to order, but Blaine wasn't paying much attention. He was too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention.
"You okay?" Jasper asked as they sat down.
"Huh?" Blaine asked, looking up from where he was staring. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
"I didn't mean to make you upset, I just-"
"No, it's okay," Blaine said, cutting him off.
Jasper nodded and looked away, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Can we, um, go walk outside?"
"Of course," Jasper answered, standing up.
Blaine stood up and followed him outside.
Jasper watched Blaine carefully. He could tell that there was something on Blaine's mind, and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
"Can I ask you something now?" Blaine asked quietly after a few minutes, not really wanting to ask, but knowing that he needed the answer.
"Sure. I think I've questioned you enough that you deserve an answer or two," Jasper said, trying to lighten his mood.
Blaine smiled, but it quickly faded. "It's sort of related actually. A few days after that night at your house, Kimmy came up to me before practice and asked if we had talked about anything that might have upset you. At the time I was so focused on Kurt that I didn't remember you seeming upset, but thinking about it now, I do. And I guess that's not much of a question, but I was just curious as to if you actually were upset or if it's just my memory playing tricks on me, which is completely plausible."
As Blaine looked up at Jasper, he saw that he was frowning.
"I'm sorry if that's too intrusive of me to ask," Blaine said, trailing off quietly.
"No. No, it's okay. Like I said, you deserve answers too. Especially to a question like that." He paused thoughtfully. "I was upset. It was just when you started talking about that boy that tried to rape you, it reminded me of what happened to me when I was little."
Blaine immediately started shaking his head after seeing how reluctant he was. "No. Jasper you don't have to..."
"It's okay Blaine. I want to tell you. I think it might help," Jasper said quietly.
Blaine nodded.
Jasper took a deep breath. "When I was little, my parents died, and Kimmy and I were sent to live with our aunt and uncle. I was molested by my aunt all the time. I was really young, and I was aware that what was happening to me was wrong, but I was too scared to tell anyone for a really long time. The first person I told was the social worker that came to check on me once a month, but that wasn't until I was thirteen or fourteen. The social worker, her name was Holly, she confronted my aunt about it, and my aunt fully admitted to it. She said that she just needed to feel dominant around someone, since my uncle would beat her every night. Both my aunt and uncle were taken into police custody to be questioned, and my aunt killed herself there. By that time, Kimmy was already in college and I was sent to live in about a dozen different foster homes before I finally ran away. I'm sorry," Jasper whispered, seeing the look on Blaine's face.
Blaine looked up at Jasper as they walked. "It's okay."
"I shouldn't have told you all th-"
"No, no I swear it's okay Jasper," Blaine reassured him.
Jasper looked down at his feet as he walked. "I just thought that maybe it would help you. I mean I understand how hard it is to talk about things like that, but talking really does help. Just don't keep it all bottled up."
Blaine nodded to himself and stared off into the distance. He couldn't help but think of Kurt, and how he had gone through the same thing. It made him sick.
As they approached the house, Coop walked outside.
"Hey guys," Coop called from the door.
"Hey," Blaine said dully, walking straight past Coop and into the house.
"You guys okay?" Coop asked, seeing the same expression on Jasper's face.
Jasper quickly smiled at Coop and nodded unconvincingly.
Coop followed them inside slowly and watched as Blaine walked upstairs and slammed his door.
Jasper jumped slightly at the sound of the door and moved towards Coop to rest his head on his shoulder.
"Is he okay?" Coop asked softly, wrapping his arms around Jasper gently.
"I don't know."
"What happened?"
Jasper hesitated. "I told him about my aunt," he whispered.
Coop nodded, understanding Blaine's anger.
"Maybe I should go talk to him," Jasper said, pulling away.
"No. Just let him be. If you go in there right now, he's just going to get angrier. Let him calm down," Coop said, pulling Jasper back to him.
Jasper sighed and leaned back into Coop slowly.
Jasper yelped as Coop started tickling his side.
"That's not what I meant," Jasper said in between laughs.
"Then what did you-"
Coop stopped mid-sentence when he heard a blood curdling scream.
Jasper immediately got up and ran to Blaine's room. When he got to the door he realized that Coop was still behind him. Jasper shook his head slowly and gestured for him to go back to their room.
Coop hesitated but then complied and walked slowly back to their room.
Jasper took a deep breath and opened Blaine's door slowly.
Blaine was thrashing around and still screaming occasionally.
Jasper walked over and kneeled down on the floor next to his bed, as he didn't want to get hit from Blaine's thrashing.
"Blaine?" Jasper asked softly, wrapping his hand around Blaine's wrist. "Blaine?"
Blaine jolted awake and stared in terror at Jasper for a moment before he started sobbing.
Jasper got off the floor and sat down on the bed, pulling Blaine into his arms. "Shhhhh, it's okay," Jasper cooed softly. "You're safe."
Blaine buried himself farther into Jasper, staining his hoodie with tears.
As Blaine calmed down, he pulled away from Jasper and sat up.
Jasper pushed the hair out of Blaine's eyes and handed him a tissue.
Blaine took the tissue and held it to his eye. "What time is it?" he asked hoarsely.
"One or two I think," Jasper answered, picking up a blanket and wrapping it around Blaine when he saw that he was shaking.
"Were you just checking on me, or did I wake you up?"
"You didn't wake me up, we haven't gone to bed yet. But you were screaming," Jasper answered quietly.
"Oh," Blaine said, looking away.
"Same dream or a different one?" Jasper asked after a moment of silence.
"Same one."
"Do you want to talk?"
Blaine shook his head.
Jasper nodded. He moved closer to Blaine and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Kurt," Blaine whispered after a few moments.
"What about him?" Jasper asked.
"I need to know that he's okay."
"Why wouldn't he be?"
Blaine looked into Jasper's eyes for the first time and immediately Jasper understood.
"That's what your nightmare was about."
Blaine nodded slowly. "It was different this time. It wasn't me that Sebastian was hurting, it was Kurt. It started the same way. He tied me up and pulled out his knife, but then he walked away, and when he came back he was dragging Kurt. He started ripping his clothes off, and then he started slicing him. Everywhere. I couldn't do anything but watch. And I could hear his screams, and it kept getting worse, and-"
"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe and he's safe," Jasper whispered into Blaine's ear, hugging him protectively.
As Jasper said this, Blaine started to sob. He stood up abruptly and kicked over his night stand.
"He's not safe! I'm not safe! You don't understand! He won't quit until he finds everyone I care about and hurts them all! He's trying to torture me, and it's working!"
Just then Coop came running in. "Blaine. Calm down."
Blaine turned on him. "Don't tell me to calm down," he snapped. "None of you get it! He'll come after you too. No one is safe around me!"
"Coop," Kimmy whispered, touching his shoulder lightly and pushing him out of her way. "Tell Jasper to go get my phone and call Jeff, tell him to get here fast. His number is in my contacts. Then you come back here."
Coop nodded and gestured to Jasper to follow him.
Blaine was facing the wall beating it softly with his hand just as Kimmy came up behind him.
"Blaine," Kimmy said softly.
"What?" Blaine growled at her.
"I know you're angry and scared, but you can't keep doing this. You need to stop and relax."
"You don't get it either," Blaine mumbled.
"What was that?" Kimmy asked.
"No one understands."
Coop walked back in and laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder.
Blaine ignored it at first, and just looked out the window and down to the street.
"Let us help you Blaine," Coop whispered.
Blaine stared down to the street for a few more seconds and then turned slowly to face Coop and Kimmy.
Kimmy had seen him like this before, but Coop was shocked by how bad Blaine looked.
Coop reached out to try to take Blaine's hand and reassure him, but Blaine jumped back against the wall and slid down it slowly.
Kimmy turned to Coop. "Jeff?" she questioned.
"He should be here in a couple minutes," Coop answered.
Kimmy nodded. She gestured for Coop to follow her, and they sat down against the wall across from Blaine.
Coop watched Blaine, horrified by the way his brother was acting.
Kimmy laid her hand on his knee and looked at him sympathetically.
A couple minutes later Jasper pushed the door open slightly and whispered, "Jeff's here," to Kimmy and Coop.
The pair stood up and walked into the hallway.
Coop walked to Jasper and hugged him tightly.
"What's going on Kimmy?" Jeff questioned worriedly
Jasper pulled away from Coop slightly and quietly explained what had happened.
Jeff nodded when he finished and then turned back to Kimmy.
Kimmy held her hands to toward the door. "Good luck," she whispered.
Jeff sighed and walked into the room.
Blaine was still curled up into himself on the floor against the wall.
Jeff walked towards him slowly and sat down across from him. He reached under Blaine's hand and tried to lift his head up.
Blaine pushed Jeff's hand away violently.
"Blaine. It's me," Jeff said softly, touching his hand.
Blaine looked up slowly.
"Hey. What's going on?" Jeff asked just as softly.
"I'm scared Jeff," Blaine whispered hoarsely.
Jeff reached out and wiped some of the tears from Blaine's cheeks. "I know you are. But why are you getting so angry at everyone?"
"Because maybe if they all didn't care about me, he wouldn't hurt them."
"Blaine." Jeff sighed. He slid around so he was sitting next to Blaine. He wrapped his arm around Blaine, who immediately laid his head down on Jeff's shoulder and hugged him close.
"I'm so scared," Blaine said, crying again.
"I know you are. I am too," Jeff whispered back.
Blaine looked up slowly. "Why are you scared?"
"He's been doing this for a long time. I've been scared of him for a long time." Jeff sat quietly for a long minute and stared at the wall. "But I'm also scared of what this is doing to you."
Blaine had been staring at Jeff, but quickly looked away as he said this.
"For real Blaine. This, you right now, scares me. It scares them too," Jeff said, pointing to the door.
"But they don't unders-"
"Yeah I know they don't. I've been dealing with people who have just been telling me to get over it and that things like this only happen in the movies. But they aren't doing that. All they want is to help you. To make you feel better. And right now, all you're doing is pushing them away." Jeff finished softly, and then pulled Blaine closer.
Blaine let Jeff comfort him until he had calmed down.
Jeff just held his sobbing friend, wishing there was more that he could do for him.
"I'm sorry," Blaine finally whispered.
"For what?" Jeff asked.
"For putting you through this all the time," Blaine answered.
Jeff shook his head. "Don't worry about it Blaine. You know how I said that all they want is to help you? That's what I want too. I can't stand to see you like this."
Blaine looked away again. He jumped when he heard Jeff's phone ring.
Jeff rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. "Hey. What's up?"
Blaine faintly heard Nick's voice on the other end of the phone, but couldn't quite make out what he was saying.
"Yeah. I put them in the cupboard above the sink. Why? What are you doing?"
Nick's answer was short and Jeff sighed.
"It's like two in the morning," Jeff said.
"I know. But you left, and I didn't know what else to do. I thought we might as well get a head start. How is Blaine by the way?" Nick asked.
"He's," Jeff looked over at Blaine, who was still shaking, but not crying as bad anymore. "He's scared."
"That's understandable," Nick said.
"No. You don't understand. I'll tell you later okay? I have to go," Jeff said.
"Okay. I'll see you when you get back. I love you."
Jeff smiled slightly. "I love you too." He shifted so he could put his phone back in his pocket and then turned back to Blaine.
"Please don't tell Kurt about this," Blaine begged softly.
"Are you sure?" Jeff asked.
Blaine nodded.
"Okay," Jeff replied, squeezing his shoulder. "Do you wanna know something?"
Blaine looked up at him expectantly.
"It's gonna be okay," Jeff whispered. "I promise."
"How?" Blaine asked quietly.
"Do you know how many people there are in Simul and in Dalton that would protect you?" Jeff asked.
"Why would anyone want to protect me?"
"Because you, my friend, are worth something. Everything. They would do the same for me, for Kurt, for anyone. Because that's what we do."
"But what about people like Douglass?"
Jeff shook his head. "Don't worry about them. They're few and far between. You're safe at Dalton. We're your family, and we'll always protect you. Just remember that."
Blaine stared away thoughtfully.
"I see that little smile there," Jeff teased, poking his cheek gently.
Blaine's smile got bigger and he rolled his eyes.
Jeff reached over and wiped some of the tears from his tear stained face.
Blaine sighed and relaxed a little. "Thank you."
Jeff smiled. "You don't need to thank me."
"Yeah I do."
Jeff sighed. "Well, you're welcome. Anytime. You should probably go talk to Jasper."
Blaine nodded. "Yeah. You're right."
Jeff stood up and held out his hand. "Come on."
Blaine took his hand and stood up.
Jeff wrapped his arms around his best friend and hugged him tight. "It's okay."
Blaine relaxed into his arms and closed his eyes. He pulled away and took a deep breath.
Jeff wrapped his arm around Blaine's shoulder, and they walked into the hallway together.
"I'll see you tomorrow. You can come as early as you want," Jeff said, smiling.
Blaine nodded and then looked at Jasper who had been sitting on the floor and was now getting up.
"Thank you," Jasper mouthed to Jeff.
Jeff smiled and nodded. "Where's Kimmy?"
"Waiting for you downstairs," Jasper answered.
"Alright. Bye guys," Jeff said, waving as he walked down the stairs.
Blaine waved back and then turned to Jasper. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Jasper shook his head. "Don't be."
Blaine walked to him and hugged him.
Jasper closed his eyes and let a tear spill over.
When they pulled away, Jasper studied him carefully. "Do you want to try to sleep?"
Blaine shook his head.
"Okay. Let's go downstairs and see if we can find a movie or two," Jasper said.
Blaine smiled and followed Jasper down the stairs.
"Hey guys," Jasper said to Kimmy and Coop as they walked downstairs. "We're gonna watch a movie. Do you want to join us?"
Coop and Kimmy both smiled and nodded.
"Let's make some hot chocolate Jasper," Kimmy said.
Jasper nodded and followed Kimmy into the kitchen, leaving Coop and Blaine alone.
"Hi," Blaine said quietly.
"Hi," Coop replied.
After staring at each other for a few seconds, Coop walked towards him and hugged him.
"I'm sorry," Coop whispered.
Blaine pulled back. "Why?"
"Because I haven't been a very good brother to you," Coop answered.
"What? No. We hadn't seen each other in close to ten years. It's weird to get used to the idea of still having each other," Blaine said.
Coop nodded. "But still."
"But still nothing," Blaine said. "It's okay."
Coop smiled and hugged him again.
"Okay, four cups of hot chocolate. Seven Harry Potter DVDs. I think we're all set," Kimmy said.
Blaine laughed and the four walked into the living room.
Jasper and Coop moved the coffee table out of the way and piled blankets on the floor while Blaine and Kimmy put in the first movie and brought in the hot chocolate.
They all curled up under the blankets and soon Jasper and Coop had fallen asleep.
"Are you okay?" Kimmy asked Blaine quietly.
Blaine nodded. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Kimmy answered.
"How did you know to call Jeff?"
Kimmy sighed. "We've talked about it before. I used to notice that you seemed upset during practice some days, and I asked him if he knew if you were okay. He told me that if you were ever over here and started having problems, to call him and he would be here as soon as he could."
"Oh," Blaine said, looking down.
"It's a good thing I did though. Because I wouldn't have known what to do," Kimmy admitted quietly.
Blaine nodded. "I'm sorry."
"No. Don't be. I've seen so many kids in your same situation. And I never knew what to do for them. But I'm so glad that you have a friend like Jeff." She stopped for a moment. "If it's possible, will you do something for me?"
"Of course," Blaine said, turning back to her.
"He needs a friend like he is to you too. He's been through a lot. More than he's told you I'm sure. Just be there for him. Because he hasn't always been as strong as he seems now," Kimmy said.
Blaine looked at her, a little confused. But then he nodded, knowing that he didn't need to know everything.
Kimmy smiled. "Now let's watch this movie."
Blaine smiled and turned towards the TV, happy that he was able to enjoy his favorite movie and Kimmy's company.
"When did he say he was going to come?" Nick asked.
"He didn't say," Jeff said. "I just told him to-" He was cut off by a knock at the door. "Maybe that's him," Jeff said, walking to the door.
Jeff opened the door to find an exhausted looking Blaine.
Blaine smiled lightly as Jeff went to hug him.
"Hey," Jeff said. "Come on in."
Blaine walked in slowly. "I'm not really sure what you meant when you said this was a hotel. This is a freaking castle."
Nick and Jeff both laughed. "Yeah. Kind of, well this is the pent house," Jeff said.
"Well that would be why it's on the fifteenth floor," Blaine said.
Nick walked towards Blaine and hugged him. "How are you?" he asked.
"Tired. But I'm okay," Blaine answered.
"Yeah, you look kinda tired. Did you sleep after Jeff left?" Nick asked.
Blaine shook his head. "No. We stayed up and watched movies. Well I should say Kimmy and I did. Coop and Jasper passed out."
"Do you want to sleep now?" Jeff asked.
"No. But some coffee would be nice," Blaine said, smiling.
Jeff laughed. "It's right over there. Help yourself."
Blaine walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup and then sat down on a barstool with Nick and Jeff.
Jeff looked down at his phone and typed something and then looked up at Blaine. "Follow me. I have something to show you. I thought that it might do you some good."
Nick smiled and took Jeff's hand, walking towards the door.
Blaine stood up nervously and followed them into the hallway. They got into the elevator, and Blaine became even more confused when Jeff hit the button for the tenth floor.
"What room number is it?" Nick asked.
Jeff pulled out his phone. "Um, 1036."
They stepped out of the elevator and into a long, quiet hallway.
"Where the hell are we going?" Blaine asked, becoming irritated.
Jeff smiled. "If we tell you, it won't be a surprise."
Blaine glared at his friend, but kept walking.
"I think it's right up here," Nick said to Jeff.
"Yep. It's right there," Jeff said, pointing to a door that read 1036 in large numbers, with a sign under it that said 'Reserved'.
"I wonder if she stays here a lot," Nick thought aloud, looking at the sign.
Jeff nodded. "She probably does," he said. "But let's worry about it later." He turned to Blaine as he knocked on the door and smiled.
Blaine was becoming more and more irritated, but all of that washed away the second she opened the door.
"Santana," Blaine whispered.
She smiled softly at him. "Hi Blai-" She didn't get to finish because Blaine ran at her and threw his arms around her neck.
She almost fell over from the force of his hug, but steadied herself and laughed. "It's good to see you too Blaine," Santana said when he let go of his chokehold grip on her.
He smiled at her and then turned to Nick and Jeff. "Thank you," he said, hugging them.
"No problem," Jeff said. "We'll let you two catch up. I'll text you when Kurt gets here."
"Okay. See you guys in a little while," Blaine said, turning back to Santana.
"Come on in," Santana said, closing the door behind him.
"So what are you doing here?" Blaine asked as they sat down together at a table.
"I stay here on most breaks like this that we have. Just to keep away from my family. Well my mom and grandma. I stay here with my aunt. She's a maid here and they let her stay in this room since she can't afford a place of her own, and she lets me stay with her."
Blaine nodded and looked at her sadly.
"But it's okay. I like it here. And she's okay with me having Britt over," Santana said, smiling.
Blaine smiled. "How did Jeff find out you were here?" he asked.
"Well I texted him a couple days ago and told him I was staying here and it turned out that he was staying here too and he told me that you would be here today. I was going to surprise you later at your party, but he told me about last night, and I decided I wanted to see you now."
"Oh," Blaine said quietly.
"Which is probably a good thing because you don't want Kurt to know right?" Santana questioned.
Blaine nodded silently.
"Well he's going to know something's wrong the second he sees you. Because you look like shit Blaine."
"Yeah, I've been told."
She smiled. "Come here."
Blaine followed her into a bedroom and then into a bathroom.
"Rinse your face off with cold water and I'll be right back."
He grabbed a towel and did as he was told.
She came back with a chair and a bag of creams. "Sit," she said, pointing to the chair.
Blaine did as he told and sat in the chair in front of the mirror. He jumped a little at his own reflection.
"Yeah," Santana said. "But it's okay. I can fix it. Close your eyes."
Blaine closed his eyes and relaxed. Kurt was the first thing that filled his thoughts. He couldn't wait to see him. Then he began to think of what Jeff had told him. The more time he spent away from them, the more it seemed unreal that he had a family like them that cared for him.
"Blaine?" whispered a soft voice. "Wake up."
"Hmmm?" Blaine groaned.
Jeff laughed. "Wake up. Kurt's almost here."
Blaine's eyes snapped open and he stood up a little too fast, almost falling over.
"Whoa now," Jeff said, steadying him. "It's okay. He's not here yet. You still have time."
Blaine nodded, still trying to calm down. After a few seconds, he turned to Santana.
"Thank you," Blaine said quietly.
"Of course," she said, hugging him.
"I'll see you later," Blaine said, pulling back.
"Oh yes you will," Santana said, smiling. "I'm definitely going up to your little party later."
Blaine smiled back. "Good. I'll see you there."
Santana nodded. "Go see your man."
Blaine rolled his eyes and walked into the hallway with Jeff.
"You look a lot better," Jeff observed. "The dark circles and the bags are gone."
Blaine nodded, but stayed quiet.
"Do you feel any better?"
Blaine just shook his head this time, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the elevator wall.
Jeff rubbed his back gently. "Just a few more minutes.
Blaine smiled to himself. "Yeah," he whispered.
They walked back into the room and found Nick sitting with Trent and David in the kitchen.
"Hey Blaine," Trent greeted.
Blaine smiled in return.
"Kurt's on his way up," Jeff said quietly to Blaine. "Why are you shaking?" he asked, holding Blaine's hands steady with his own.
"What if he sees that something is wrong?" Blaine asked nervously.
"Then just tell him. You should trust him with that."
"I do trust him. I just don't want him to worry," Blaine replied.
Jeff nodded and opened his mouth to say something just as there was a knock at the door.
Nick got up to open the door, and Trent and David followed him.
After Kurt had greeted the three boys, his eyes landed on Blaine.
Blaine stated at him for a long second before running to him and throwing his arms around him.
"Oh my gosh. Are you okay?" Kurt asked, feeling him shaking.
Blaine nodded and pulled away to kiss Kurt.
When Blaine pulled back, Kurt held him tighter.
"Okay, something is wrong," Kurt whispered. "You don't usually kiss me like that."
Blaine pulled back and smiled. "I'm fine."
"Okay," Kurt said.
Blaine sighed and reached down to take his hand.
Some of the other guys got there just then and Jeff led everyone into the pool room.
"This is really cool," Kurt said to Blaine, smiling.
Blaine was staring up at the ceiling in amazement. "Uh, yeah," was all he managed to say.
The pool in the center of the room was big. And it was ten feet deep at its lowest point. There was also a hot tub and a sauna, and tables lined with food. And the ceiling was made of glass, so even though it was almost winter, it could still look and feel like they were outside in the summer.
"This is kinda crazy man," Cameron said as he walked toward the hot tub.
Blaine was completely blown away by the room he was standing in, it was all so amazing to him, but he couldn't keep standing there with Kurt. He was beginning to panic. Kurt could tell something was wrong and he didn't want that.
"Hey," Blaine said to Kurt. "I have to go change. I'll be back in a few."
"O-okay," Kurt stuttered. "I'll be here."
Blaine nodded and then walked back into the hotel room. He started pacing, running his hands through his hair continuously.
"Hey Blaine where's the-" Dustin started to say, but stopped immediately when he saw Blaine. "Oh my god Blaine. What's wrong?"
"Just go get Jeff," Blaine said quietly, barely able to say anything at all.
"Not Kurt?" Dustin questioned.
"No," Blaine said authoritatively. "Jeff."
"Okay," Dustin said, a little shocked by his tone.
After Dustin ran off, Blaine sat down on the couch and pulled his knees to his chest.
"Blaine?" Jeff asked, walking in from the pool room, looking around for him. "Blaine," he said when his eyes landed on him. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting down beside him.
"I can't do this," Blaine whispered. "He can tell that something's wrong."
"Well it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to see that right now," Jeff said. "Why don't you just tell him?"
"Because then he'll worry," Blaine answered.
"Blaine, he's your boyfriend. Trust him. Don't worry about if he'll worry about it. That's what he's supposed to do."
Blaine closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
"Maybe he can help you," Jeff offered.
They sat in silence for a few minutes. The silence was interrupted by the door to the pool room opening as Kurt walked through.
Jeff watched him walk in and gestured for him to come over. "Just tell him," he whispered. "He deserves to know."
Blaine nodded and then laid his head down on his knees, rocking back and forth slowly.
As Jeff walked past Kurt, he leaned in and whispered, "Just let him know he's not alone."
Kurt looked confused but nodded. He walked over to Blaine and sat down on the couch and tried to take his hand.
Blaine let Kurt take his hand, but didn't look up at him.
"Blaine," Kurt said softly. "What's going on?"
Blaine shut his eyes tighter. "I'm scared," he whispered almost inaudibly.
Kurt reached over and brushed the hair away from Blaine's eyes and tried to tilt his head up.
Blaine fought against him and turned his head away.
"Blaine, please look at me," Kurt said, touching his leg softly.
Blaine slowly turned so he was facing Kurt and opened his eyes.
"Why are you so scared?"
Blaine reluctantly told Kurt what had happened the previous night and when he finished he laid his head back down.
"It's okay Blaine. You got scared. What happened is understandable," Kurt said.
"No it's not. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I shouldn't have let it affect me like that," Blaine said angrily. "I'm no good. I get angry with people for no reason. I break things. I hurt people."
"Hey. Stop," Kurt said, taking his other hand. "Stop thinking like that. You are perfect. You've done nothing wrong. You don't hurt people. Please believe that."
"But it's true."
"No Blaine. That's what he wants you to think. That's what he's trying to do. He's trying to get to you. And it's working. You have to show him that he can't hurt you. That you're better and stronger than him."
Blaine was quiet. He closed his eyes and held on to Kurt's hands as if he were about to fall.
Kurt moved closer to him and let go of his hands so he could hold him.
Blaine relaxed into him and the two just sat there.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked after a few minutes.
Blaine nodded slowly. "Jeff was right. Telling you helped."
Kurt smiled. "Do you feel up to joining the party in there?"
"Yeah," Blaine said, a little unsure though.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I just-" He stopped. Not wanting to say anything else.
"What is it?" Kurt asked.
"I don't want to swim," Blaine mumbled.
"Why not?" Kurt asked, smiling because he was expecting much worse.
"The scars," Blaine whispered.
Kurt's smile faded. "You don't have to swim."
Blaine nodded.
"Come on. Let's go see our friends," Kurt said, standing up and grabbing Blaine's hand.
"Wait," Blaine said, smiling slightly.
"What?" Kurt asked, smiling back curiously.
Blaine stood up and stood right in front of Kurt. He reached down and took his other hand and slowly leaned in to kiss him.
"I love you," Kurt whispered against his lips.
"I love you too," Blaine whispered back.
"Blaine. Come on. Wake up."
Blaine flopped over on his bed and pulled a blanket over his face.
"Blaine. You have to get up. You have to check back in by three this afternoon," Coop said.
"What time is it?" Blaine groaned.
"It's twelve," Coop answered.
Blaine sighed and sat up.
Coop sat down beside him. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
Blaine thought for a moment. "Better."
"Are you sure? Because if you want to stay here a couple more days, I'm sure Kimmy could talk to the dean or something," Coop offered.
"No. It's okay. I need to go back. I need to be with him. I need him," Blaine said quietly.
Coop smiled at his brother. "Then get up so you can get back to him."
Blaine smiled back and got up slowly.
He hadn't seen Kurt since Tuesday at the hotel and he missed him. He had had fun with Coop and Jasper and Kimmy, but he still needed Kurt. He needed to go back to his real home.
"Good afternoon sunshine," Jasper said, laughing as Blaine walked down the stairs.
Blaine rolled his eyes and laughed too. He walked out to his car and loaded up his bags.
"Where's Kimmy?" Blaine asked.
"She's already back at Dalton. She had to help out with check-in," Jasper answered.
Blaine nodded. "I'll see you guys soon I guess."
Jasper smiled and hugged Blaine.
They pulled back and Blaine turned to Coop.
"Come here Blaine," Coop said, holding out his arms.
Blaine smiled and walked into Coop's arms.
Coop took a deep breath and smiled at his brother.
"Thanks for having me. It was fun," Blaine said. "Bye guys."
"Bye Blaine," Coop said quietly.
Blaine waved and then walked out.
"Hey," Jasper said, walking up to Coop. "It's gonna be okay."
Coop nodded. "I just feel like its going to be a while till I see him again."
"Hey Blaine."
Blaine turned around to find David walking up behind him. "Hey David."
"Did you have a good holiday?" David asked as they continued walking towards Simul carrying their luggage.
"Yeah. It was pretty good. You?"
"Mine was terrific. My family went up to New York to see my cousins. It was incredible!"
"Sweet," Blaine said.
David began telling Blaine about all the different places that they visited.
"Hey guys!" Nick said, opening the door for Blaine and David.
"Hey Nick," David said. "I'll see you later Blaine. I'm gonna go unpack."
"Okay. See ya later." Blaine smiled at him. "Hey Nick. Is Jeff in yet?"
"He should be here soon. He was getting the rest of his stuff and he had to check out when I left thirty minutes ago."
Blaine nodded. "How was the rest of your break?"
"Relaxing," Nick said laughing.
Blaine laughed too. "Well I'm gonna go unpack too."
"Okay. Have fun," Nick said, watching him leave.
Blaine walked into his room and dropped his stuff by the door. He sighed contently at the familiarity.
He unpacked his things and sat down on his bed, looking out of his window at the lightly falling snow.
"Hey," Jeff said quietly, scaring Blaine.
Blaine looked up at his best friend and smiled. "Hey."
Jeff smiled and walked over to the bed and sat down beside Blaine. "How are you?"
"Great," Blaine said, smiling.
Jeff watched him. "Blaine. People have been asking you how you are all day and that's what you've been saying. But it's me. I can see that that's not true."
Blaine's smile disappeared and he looked down.
Jeff reached over and hugged his friend. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But you don't have to hide it either."
Blaine nodded. "I should go find Kurt."
Jeff smiled. "Okay. Let's go." He stood up and waited for Blaine, who didn't get up. "What is it?"
"Can we talk later?" Blaine asked quietly.
"Of course," Jeff said. "Let's go find Kurt."
Blaine smiled and stood up. He walked to his bathroom to grab his water bottle, but it slipped out of his hand.
Jeff laughed. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Blaine said, laughing too. "Let me just grab a towel." He walked out of the bathroom and Jeff threw him one from a stack that was on his desk. "Thanks."
"Sure thing," Jeff said, still laughing slightly.
Blaine walked back towards the bathroom. When he stepped onto the wet vinyl he slipped, but caught himself. He could see Jeff running to help him from the corner of his eye. "I'm okay," he said, laughing again.
"Okay," Jeff said, sounding unsure.
"I'm fine," Blaine repeated. He took another step and slipped again. He didn't catch himself this time. He fell and his head hit the side of the counter.
Jeff was quick to react. He ran towards him again and carefully walked into the bathroom and kneeled down beside him. "Blaine?" Jeff asked.
There was no response from Blaine and he wasn't moving.
Jeff carefully turned him over and found blood pouring from a gash on his face.
"Hey Blaine!" Kurt said happily, but his eyes immediately landed on Jeff and the figure on the floor that he was crouched over. "Oh my god," he said, running over to him.
"Be careful Kurt," Jeff said, pointing to the puddle on the floor.
Tears filled Kurt's eyes when he saw that it was Blaine on the floor. "Should I call Mr. Mike?"
"No," Jeff said. "Call 911. Then call Mr. Mike."
Kurt stared at Jeff and pulled out his phone with a shaky hand.
Jeff laid a hand on Kurt's and took his phone. "Come here. Lay his head in your lap and see if you can wake him up."
Kurt nodded and moved to where Jeff was sitting. He sat on the floor and let Jeff lay Blaine's head in his lap and he began stroking his face.
Jeff started to walk away but stopped when he heard a hysteric sob come from Kurt.
"Jeff," Kurt cried. "He's not breathing."