Chapter 6: The Truth: Pt 1

BANG!

Blaine flinched and the tears flowed freely down his face when his father slammed the front door open. Mr. Anderson's eyes were cloudy in his drunken state, but those same eyes were still filled with hatred and anger.

"Blaine!" he slurred angrily, holding a glass bottle in his hand. He was definitely drunk, Blaine realized in horror.

Blaine refused to let go of Kurt's hand as he looked at his father. He needed it clasped in his own in order to find the courage to stand up to his father. "D-Dad—"

"Who's 'er friend?" he shouted, taking a step towards his son. Blaine flinched but held his ground, moving in front of Kurt.

"This is Kurt," he said shakily, and he scolded himself for sounding so weak.

"You've been skipping class with him?" his father spat in disgust, his eyes clouding up in hateful fire as he stumbled forward and stabbed a finger at Kurt's chest. Kurt said nothing, just squeezing Blaine's hand. "This fag is why you missed school?" Mr. Anderson thundered angrily.

"Don't you dare talk about him like that," Blaine snapped, and he knew the hit was coming even before his father swung his fist around. He closed his eyes and braced himself, but he felt nothing. He felt nothing but the loosening grip of Kurt's hand in his as Kurt's pained cry filled the air. Blaine's eyes snapped open and he looked down to see Kurt on the ground, his lip bleeding and tears streaming down his face. "Kurt…" he choked out as he knelt beside his friend.

"Go," Kurt begged. "Get out of here. I can take it. Go to the car, Blaine," he demanded more firmly, rising to his knees to take another hit that was meant for Blaine.

"Kurt, no—"

"Blaine, please leave!" Kurt choked out, his face throbbing. He grabbed Mr. Anderson's wrists when the man tried to follow a crying Blaine out to the car, only to take another strike that knocked him to the ground.

"You're an idiot," Mr. Anderson laughed, turning to Kurt and kicking the boy in the ribs. Kurt cried out again, trying to get to his feet but failing when the drunken man kneed him in the stomach. That hit left Kurt on his hands and knees, coughing and trying to catch his breath. "He doesn't deserve anyone protecting him," Mr. Anderson spat before storming out of the room and up the stairs.

Kurt had barely caught his breath before he was sobbing. His tears soaked the carpet as his trembling arms supported his kneeling figure. His vision blurred as images from one year before flashed through his mind. He sobbed breathlessly and brokenly as he remembered that night.

"See you tomorrow, Nick," Kurt said cheerfully as they parted at the doors of Dalton Academy. After saying goodbye to his best friend, he started walking towards his own home. He'd been at Dalton for quite a long time and he was used to being safe, so he didn't pay much attention to the fact that it was past nightfall.

When he was about five or ten minutes away from home, he heard something. He turned around and saw a group of three guys walking behind him, and he quickly turned to start walking again, faster now. But just as he turned to keep walking, he was met by a guy who was at least a foot and a half taller than him.

"C-Can I help you?" Kurt asked, fear bubbling up in his chest.

"Yeah, you can get your little fairy face away from me," the stranger laughed, shoving Kurt roughly in the chest. Kurt gasped and he was prepared to fall flat on his back until he was caught by another pair of arms. He looked up to see the smirking face of one of the three who'd been walking behind him. "Hit him," said the stranger who had pushed him.

And that's when Kurt felt a punch to his face and he fell to the hard concrete, shocked and scared. Then he felt one of the four strangers kick him in the gut and he tried to cry out in pain but it was nothing more than a gasp for air. He tried crawling away from the group but he was picked up by his shirt and trapped in a headlock. The guy who had his arm wrapped around Kurt's neck whispered menacingly in his ear. "We're going to hit you so hard you won't even remember what happened to you," he hissed. Kurt whimpered and clawed at the stranger's arm, trying desperately to get away.

The rest was a blur. The last thing Kurt remembered was being hit over and over and over again while the man behind him trapped him with his arm. He remembered crying as they tossed him to the side, but he didn't remember the death blow. He did, however, remember standing up and seeing his dead body lying there, blood pouring from his head. He'd known he must have hit his head when the strangers pushed him to the ground, and he knew that'd been the instant killer.

"Kurt," Blaine murmured as he knelt beside his friend and pulled the hysteric boy into his lap. "Kurt, it's okay… I'm here…"

"Car," Kurt managed through his tears. He stood with Blaine's help and walked slowly and unsteadily to Blaine's car. He climbed into the driver's seat, knowing that Blaine couldn't drive with his broken ankle. But he also knew that he couldn't drive, not when he could barely see through his teary eyes. He simply collapsed against the steering wheel, sobbing and struggling to catch his breath as Blaine rubbed his back carefully. He assumed that Kurt was crying simply because he'd been beaten by Mr. Anderson, but there was so much more than that beneath the surface.

"I can drive if you need me to," Blaine told him quietly. "It's my left ankle that's hurt so I can still use the pedals just fine. You're in no condition to be driving…"

Kurt just nodded as he got out of the car and rushed around to the passenger side, throwing his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine ignored the slight sting on his back, just wanting to hold and comfort his friend. But they had to get to Kurt's place, away from Blaine's father. He kissed Kurt's forehead before hobbling over to the driver's side. He carefully started driving away from his house, but then he realized he didn't know where Kurt lived.

"The apartment complex by the mall," Kurt told him, as if reading his thoughts. Blaine nodded and drove the short distance to Kurt's apartment.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived and Blaine helped an injured Kurt out of the car. They helped each other up the two flights of stairs to Kurt's door. The minute Blaine closed the door behind them was when Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck and sobbed into his shoulder. "I have to tell you something," he whispered, choking out another sob immediately after he said the words.

"Okay," Blaine said gently, rubbing Kurt's back and holding him close. "Alright. Let's go lie down. Then you can tell me." Kurt nodded against Blaine's cheek, wiping his wet, red, and puffy eyes to clear away tears. But new salty droplets took the place of the old ones. He led Blaine down the hall and to his bedroom, where they immediately climbed into Kurt's bed and Blaine wrapped him up in blankets. "Kurt, you're shivering…" he murmured worriedly.

"I'm fine," Kurt lied. His tears had stopped falling for the most part but he still clung to Blaine as they lay side by side. "I just have something I need to confess," he whispered, his voice breaking. But he knew he had to tell Blaine the truth now. He would understand, even if he would most definitely be pretty shocked. Besides, Kurt was very nearly having a panic attack after reliving the memories of that night in his head. And he needed someone—needed Blaine—to know why.

"You can tell me anything," Blaine encouraged while also assuring Kurt that he wouldn't judge him.

Kurt nodded and turned on his side, resting his head against Blaine's chest as Blaine turned on his side as well. Kurt cleared his throat. "Please don't interrupt until I'm done. I know it will sound crazy but just… hear me out," he began. He felt Blaine nod and heard him whisper a soft 'okay,' so he continued. "The reason I panicked when he started hitting me is because… I've been attacked before. And it just… triggered old memories…" He paused, closing his eyes to collect himself. "The thing is… I didn't go to the hospital. Because they'd already killed me."

"How—"

"Let me finish," Kurt choked out, barely holding himself together long enough to explain. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, because I'm right here with you. But I'm…" He took a shaky breath. "I'm dead. I have been for a year now." He looked up to meet Blaine's eyes, only to see them wide and shining with tears. "Please say something," he breathed out.

"So…" Blaine cleared his throat. "Are you… some sort of ghost or something? I thought—"

Kurt smiled slightly. "Not exactly. I'm really here, it's just… different. I'm like… a guardian angel, so to speak," he said. "I don't know exactly how it works, either, but sometimes they let angels come to earth in our strongest form so that we can watch over someone in particular."

"And you were… assigned to me?" Blaine asked, looking hurt. "So this is all a mission for you… Helping me… and… and… and being my friend. You don't even care about me at all—"

"Blaine!" Kurt said, shaking his head and grabbing Blaine's hands. "No! No, that's not it at all. I was sent to protect you because I wanted to. I was worried about you because… Well, because I didn't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to me. I died because those guys didn't like who I am. Just like the bullies at McKinley."

"And my parents," Blaine whispered, feeling ashamed for thinking that Kurt would use him like that. "My dad could easily do to me what those guys did to you…"

"That's why I'm here," Kurt murmured, scooting up closer and resting their foreheads together. "My job is to make sure you're safe. And I'm not going to let him hurt you, because I care about you. I…" he paused, his heart racing. "I love you."

Blaine let his tears fall and he hugged Kurt tightly, but he loosened his grip immediately in fright when Kurt groaned and winced. His shirt rode up on the side and Blaine could see an awful bruise forming on his ribs. "Did he—"

"He kicked me," Kurt nodded, wincing again.

"I'm going to go get the bandages and I'll wrap you up," Blaine said quickly before kissing Kurt's forehead and leaving the room to get the bandages from the car. When he came back, barely hobbling into the room on his crutches, he saw that Kurt was asleep. He smiled and kissed the boy's forehead lightly. He climbed onto the bed and propped Kurt up against his shoulder so that he could wrap the ace bandage around his torso. He was gentle so as not to wake Kurt up, and Kurt didn't even stir as Blaine laid him back down on his pillows. "I love you, Kurt," he murmured, kissing Kurt's forehead again before lying down beside his friend.

Blaine fell asleep easily, able to dream peacefully knowing he was safe at last and in Kurt's arms.

Kurt, however, didn't have it so easy. He dreamt of the night of his attack, over and over and over again. After seeing the pictures flash across his mind like a horror movie at least six times, he felt like he was falling. He saw only white until suddenly he wasn't moving anymore. He was back in his room, but not the one on earth. He saw Sonia sitting on his bed and he sighed. He knew he'd be talking to her after he told Blaine the truth.

"Hello, Kurt," she said, but she didn't make eye contact.

"Hi, Sonia," he replied, sitting next to her on the bed. He didn't actually need a bed because he didn't need sleep when he was dead, but it was comforting to have some sort of familiarity.

"You told him," she said, looking at him for the first time. Kurt nodded. "And he reacted surprisingly well. I think he's taken quite a liking to you, Kurtie," she said, smiling a little. That made Kurt smile. He truly loved Sonia like a sister. Sure, she could be intimidating when she meant business, but she was actually the sweetest girl Kurt had ever met.

"I've grown quite fond of him as well," Kurt said with a smile. "But he—"

"Oh, shush," she rolled her eyes, knowing what he was thinking. "Of course he loves you! Don't be silly. And stop rejecting his confessions. That won't help anything."

"But when I have to go away—"

"At least he'll have had a mind-blowing, epic romance," she interrupted once more, smiling sweetly at Kurt. "I think, more than anything… even more than needing a friend, he needs someone to love him. He needs someone to prove to him that he's someone worth loving. That's where you come in."

Kurt sighed, biting his lip lightly. If he was being honest with himself, the thought sounded amazing. More than amazing, actually. He wanted so badly to be with Blaine in that way, as more than a friend, but he was afraid of getting hurt and of hurting Blaine.

You're hurting me now.

Blaine's words rang through his mind like a tormenting chant. He was hurting Blaine by choosing to be kept at a distance. He was hurting Blaine by lying to the both of them and saying that he didn't want to be with Blaine. No matter what he did, he would end up breaking Blaine's heart. So, wasn't it better to excite and build Blaine's heart before he broke it more than it had already been broken? There would be less heartache that way, he thought.

"I think you've already made your decision," Sonia said with a soft smile, patting Kurt's shoulder. "Go on. Tell him you want him, lover boy," she said with a wink before disappearing. Then Kurt was back in his apartment, in his bed, next to Blaine, and his eyes snapped open. He turned his head and saw Blaine sleeping, and his smile immediately softened as he kissed the boy's forehead.

"I love you," he murmured, hugging Blaine close and falling asleep easily with the boy's warmth surrounding him.

He didn't notice the way Blaine smiled ever so subtly in his not-so-much-sleeping state.

A/N: So, this is a shorter chapter because I wanted to get it out tonight and also I just need to SLEEP, but the next one will be out tomorrow because it is part two of THE TRUTH.

Hope you enjoyed it :)

Review please.