Chapter 8: Safe. Kurt. Home.
When Blaine woke up the next morning, he was happy to see that Kurt was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled at the boy and cuddled closer to him, only wincing slightly when he moved his aching body.
"Blaine?" Kurt mumbled sleepily, cracking his eyes open to look at Blaine. He smiled groggily at Blaine and hugged him. "Mm, you're safe… I'm so glad you're safe…" he mumbled, frowning slightly as he snuggled against Blaine's side, burying his face in Blaine's shoulder. "I was so worried about you… You almost died…"
Blaine sighed and hugged Kurt tightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I never thought that it would hurt you…" He'd seen the hurt in Kurt's eyes when he found out about what Blaine had been doing to himself. It was unmistakable.
"Of course it hurt me," Kurt said, his voice strained, and looked up at Blaine again. "I never, ever want to see you hurt. And the whole point of this is to save you from dying too young like I did," he added quietly. "You don't deserve that kind of horror… especially not in the ways you've been seeking out. Please, please promise me that you will stop. Promise me that I don't have to protect you from yourself as well." He looked at Blaine with sad, tearful eyes, and Blaine couldn't help but agree. He kissed Kurt's lips softly, reassuringly.
"I promise," he whispered. Kurt nodded subtly and Blaine kissed his forehead. "So, about that 'making me happy for as long as you're here' thing," he began, smiling shyly. Kurt looked at him curiously.
"What about it? I do want you to be happy…"
"I know," Blaine smiled softly. "And do you want to know what would make me really happy right now?" Kurt nodded. "It'd make me really happy if you kissed me," he said, slightly breathless.
Kurt bit his lip before nodding slightly and leaning in. He kissed Blaine tenderly, cupping his cheek and stroking over the cheekbone with his thumb. Blaine smiled slightly into the kiss, moving his lips languidly. He yelped in surprise when Kurt nipped at his bottom lip, and he tried to pull Kurt on top of him, but Kurt lost his balance and fell on top of Blaine's chest, nearly bonking heads with Blaine. Blaine groaned in pain, which soon turned to a whimper. His entire body ached.
"Well, I guess my little experiment didn't work," Kurt teased, smiling as he slowly eased himself off of Blaine's chest.
Blaine's breath hitched as he saw the look on Kurt's face, teasing and full of affection. "N-No, it definitely worked… I-I mean, I liked it," he said blushing. "It just, uh, surprised me, I guess. And then it kind of made me want more…" he admitted bashfully.
Kurt blushed brightly, still cupping Blaine's cheek and stroking his thumb gently over it. "Okay… Well, ah, not too much more, right?"
Blaine's eyes widened. "O-Oh! N-No, I didn't mean—I just meant—ugh, I'm sorry. I just meant that I wanted you to keep kissing me…" He blushed brightly, looking at Kurt with eyes the size of the moon.
"Oh…" Kurt said dumbly, shaking his head in embarrassment. "Right, of course. No, I'm sorry. Anyway, so… uh, what do you want to do today?"
Blaine sighed. "Can we just stay in today? I'm exhausted and it's a Saturday…"
Kurt nodded, smiling. "Of course, sweetie. We can watch movies and eat popcorn and bake cookies. It'll be fun."
Blaine cracked a smile as well. "That sounds perfect. For now, though, I kind of want to go back to sleep. Everything hurts…" he said, wincing when he shifted to pull the blanket on top of himself.
Kurt frowned in concern. "Okay. You can sleep, honey. When you wake up, I want to take a closer look at all of your injuries… Would you be okay with taking a hot bath in a swimming suit so I can look at your injuries without making you uncomfortable?" he asked, blushing.
Blaine nodded, blushing slightly as well. "Of course. Thank you, Kurt. For everything."
Kurt smiled softly. "You don't have to thank me. That's what I'm here for, to help you and make you happy. You deserve to be happy, Blaine."
Blaine looked down, still blushing. "I am happy," he said softly, his eyes shining with sincerity and adoration when he met Kurt's gaze again. "I'm happy as long as I'm with you."
Kurt's smile faltered. That's what I'm worried about, he thought to himself. Blaine was obviously happier since Kurt came into his life, because he had a real friend, someone to love and to love him in return. But what happened when Kurt wasn't around? For the past few weeks, Kurt had been partially absent and Blaine had hurt himself during that time. He was fine while he was with Kurt, but he was back to the lost, scared boy he was before as soon as Kurt left his side. At this rate, Kurt had no chance of succeeding in his mission. How was he possibly going to ensure that Blaine would be okay once Kurt left?
"Kurt?" Blaine asked, bringing Kurt out of his own thoughts. Kurt met Blaine's gaze and blinked a few times, trying to clear his foggy mind and force a smile. "Are you alright?"
Kurt nodded, smile tight. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're happy."
Blaine frowned in concern, but he must have sensed that Kurt wasn't going to tell him anything more on the subject because he forced a quick smile and snuggled closer to Kurt. "Okay. But… um, I'm here if you want to talk, okay?" he said timidly, hugging Kurt's waist. Kurt hummed in acknowledgment and Blaine smiled, a little more relaxed. Sleepily, Blaine murmured, "I love you, my guardian angel."
Kurt smiled sadly and threaded his fingers through Blaine's hair. "I love you, too, Blaine. Go to sleep, sweetheart."
With that, Blaine drifted back to sleep, content to stay in Kurt's arms forever.
When Blaine woke up, Kurt was already awake, smiling softly at him. Blaine returned the smile happily. "Hi," he said.
"Hi," Kurt repeated, chuckling softly. "Are you ready for me to check your injuries?" he asked hesitantly.
Blaine gulped and nodded, sitting up slowly and wrapping his arms around his midsection. "Y-Yeah. Just let me get changed into a bathing suit…" He stood up and walked over to Kurt's dresser to find a pair of Kurt's swim trunks to wear. He didn't have any of his own with him. He found some and went into the bathroom to change.
Once each boy was left to their own thoughts, their minds ran wild.
Blaine's hands shook anxiously as he slipped out of his pajamas, examining himself in the mirror. His bare body was marred with bruises and cuts everywhere. His arm was bruised up from bumping it on the side of the dumpster during one of the daily dumpster tosses he'd received. He had a cut on his shoulder from being shoved against one of the old, dangerously sharp-edged lockers in the boys' locker room. His leg was bruised and he could barely move his wrist; he'd been walking up the stairs when a jock he'd purposely provoked had tripped him and he'd fallen forward, bumping his knee on the hard steps and catching himself with his wrist that hadn't been able to hold his weight. He thought it might be broken, but he'd been ignoring it for the past week since it'd happened.
Blaine looked over his injuries, disgusted with himself because he knew it was hurting Kurt to see him like this, and it was Blaine's fault.
His self-hatred grew when he turned around to reveal the worst of it. Across his back, from his right shoulder to the bottom left bone of his ribcage, there was a red mark, bruised in some places and infected where the skin was broken because he hadn't bothered to clean the injury. It was only a few days ago that it had happened, so the wound was still fresh. He felt tears well up thinking about how he'd gotten the lash. Well, several lashes, to be exact.
Blaine walked inside the house unannounced, and he didn't even bother to hide the sound of his footsteps from his father who was sitting on the living room couch watching football. In fact, he purposely increased the weight of each footfall so that he'd be sure to hear him.
His father turned towards him and his eyes immediately darkened. This time, the hateful look in his eyes wasn't clouded by alcohol and Blaine saw the familiar fire that he knew all too well from many a beating.
He forced himself not to flinch as his father approached him. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded angrily, but before Blaine could answer he continued. "Doing disgusting things with that boy, no doubt," he scoffed, laughing darkly. Then he glared at Blaine, reaching out and grabbing his son by the wrist.
Blaine cried out in pain. It was the same wrist he'd injured on the stairs just days before and he had no doubt that it was broken now if it hadn't been already as his father yanked on it, forcing Blaine to follow him. Blaine whimpered in pain but didn't resist, willingly being dragged up the stairs and into his bedroom.
He hissed sharply in pain as he was practically thrown onto his bed, lying silently on his stomach as tears streamed down his face. He heard a whooshing sound and his eyes widened. He knew that sound; it meant that his father had just removed his own belt and was preparing to use it as a whip.
Now, he was regretting coming here. He'd experienced the feeling before, and his skin felt raw and aching just at the thought.
Panicked, he started scrambling off the bed, but he wasn't quick enough. His father shoved him back down roughly and removed the tie around his neck to tie Blaine's ankles to the bed so he couldn't get away. He tore Blaine's t-shirt from his back to reveal bare, sensitive skin that would soon be raw and red.
Blaine didn't remember much else from that day. All he knew was that Kurt was at the store buying some dinner for them. And he knew that his father was angrier than he'd ever been. He remembered shouting and sobbing in pain as the leather of the belt lashed his bare back several times. Once, his father had even used the side with the buckle. That hurt the most.
After that, he'd sort of blacked out. His father must have left and Blaine must have somehow managed to walk back to Kurt's apartment, because when he woke up he was in Kurt's bed. He remembered rushing to hide any evidence of his visit to his father's so that Kurt wouldn't see it when he returned home.
A knock on the door interrupted Blaine's thoughts. "Come in," he said, his voice a choked whisper. He cleared his throat and repeated himself, louder and clearer.
Kurt entered the room slowly and he gasped softly when he saw Blaine. He was still naked but Kurt didn't even notice. His eyes immediately locked on his red back, his eyes filling with sadness as he took in Blaine's marred skin. "Blaine…"
Blaine blushed brightly. He had forgotten to put on the swimming suit before Kurt came in, and now he was standing before him, completely nude and vulnerable. He gulped self-consciously and wrapped his arms around himself. "I-I…"
"Blaine, I had no idea it was this bad…" he whispered, tears pooling in his eyes as he put his hands gently on Blaine's arms. Then he used one hand to cup Blaine's jaw tenderly and cup his neck with the other hand. He leaned in and kissed Blaine softly. When he pulled away, he looked slightly panicked. "Please tell me I haven't been hurting you by hugging you… Your back, it's… I haven't hurt you, have I?"
Blaine quickly shook his head. "M-My dad… H-He hurt me…" he whispered.
Kurt's eyes widened and Blaine couldn't tell if it was from surprise, shock, pain, or a mixture of them all. "But when did you—I mean—Oh, honey, I'm so sorry I didn't notice sooner how much you've been hurting," he said, sounding utterly heartbroken.
Blaine's bottom lip wobbled tearfully and he finally let himself cry, falling against Kurt and letting the boy hold him. "N-Not your fault," he gasped out. "H-He had a b-belt a-and he just kept h-h-hitting m-me… I-I wanted him to h-hurt me b-b-but I tried to g-get away w-when he g-got the b-belt out… I can't… I-I was so s-scared… N-Not again-n… The b-b-belt… H-He used to…" He broke off with a breathless sob, clinging to Kurt.
"Shh, sweetheart," Kurt whispered soothingly, hugging Blaine's waist with one arm and his shoulders with the other. He rubbed the nape of his neck in calming circles. "You're safe. I promise I'll keep you safe. No matter what, I'll make sure that you're going to be okay."
Slowly, Blaine sank to the floor, his knees pulled to his chest and his head buried in his knees, still cocooned in Kurt's embrace. Gradually, his breathing evened out and he relaxed against Kurt's chest, the majority of the tension leaving his body. Safe. Kurt. Home. Safe. Kurt. Home. He repeated the words in his mind over and over to calm himself down, knowing that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else other than in Kurt's arms. "Safe… Kurt… Home…" he whispered, not realizing he'd said it out loud until Kurt's reply startled him out of his thoughts.
"Yes, you're safe. And you're home. I'm right here, I promise, and I'm not going anywhere."
Blaine relaxed even more at hearing Kurt repeat his words. He finally smiled and looked up at Kurt. "Home," he murmured, grabbing Kurt's hand and twining their fingers together.
Kurt smiled softly, kissing Blaine's forehead. "How about that bath now?" Blaine nodded. "Do you still want to put on the swimsuit?" Blaine shook his head, looking at Kurt with wide, trusting eyes. Kurt felt a lump form in his throat and he swallowed thickly.
"Okay," he whispered.
Kurt started the water and Blaine stepped in once it was warm and the tub was halfway full. He turned the showerhead on and sat underneath the soothing spray of warm water. The shower curtain was left partway open and Kurt sat on the floor beside the tub, watching Blaine in silence.
Blaine had to admit the water felt really nice. It had stung his cuts at first, especially on his back, but once he got used to it the heat was soothing and comfortable. He let his throbbing wrist float in the water and it felt nice to take all weight off of it and let it be soothed by the warm water.
As he did this, Kurt seemed to notice the bruising all along his wrist and hand. He frowned in concern. "What happened to your wrist?" Blaine had been wearing long-sleeve shirts to hide the bruising since it happened, but there was no point in hiding anymore.
"I provoked one of the football players and they tripped me on the stairs," he said, gesturing to his right wrist and the bruising on his right knee. "I don't even know the guy's name, but he's one of Karofsky's friends and he got really pissed when I called him a Neanderthal even though he probably doesn't even know what it means."
Kurt nodded, scooting closer to get a better look at Blaine's wrist. "I'm not a doctor, but my guess is that it's broken. That's exactly how my ankle looked when I broke it a few years ago…"
Suddenly, Blaine looked up at him in horror, his eyes wide. "P-Please don't take me to the doctor… They'll need a parent signature and they'll call my parents and…" He broke off with a choked sound that sounded like a whimper. "Please…"
Kurt gently tugged him close and kissed his damp forehead. "Shh, it's okay. I won't let your dad near you. I was going to use your phone to call my dad. He can sign as your guardian and you won't have to worry about the bill. I promise."
"I-I can't…"
"You can't, what?" Kurt asked softly, gently stroking the back of Blaine's neck.
"I can't accept your dad's money—"
"Shh, yes you can," Kurt soothed again when Blaine started fidgeting. "It's not that bad. My step-mom works at the hospital so we can get you a discount. All that matters right now is that we take care of you."
Blaine gulped, wanting to protest but knowing Kurt wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. "Okay…"
"Are you ready to get out?" Kurt asked with a soft smile as he kissed Blaine's forehead again. Blaine sighed and nodded.
Once Blaine was dried and dressed, they walked out to Kurt's car and drove to the hospital. They sat in the car outside the building for a few minutes while Kurt called his dad.
"Hello?" Burt's gruff voice answered.
Kurt explained quickly, leaving out the part about Blaine getting himself hurt on purpose. He knew Blaine wouldn't want anyone to know that. Within ten minutes, Burt's truck pulled into the parking lot and he got out, approaching the boys' car.
Kurt rolled down the window and smiled at his dad. Burt returned the smile and leaned in to hug his son for what, as far as he knew, could be the last time. Then he looked behind Kurt to see Blaine fidgeting uncomfortably. "Let's get you inside, kid. Kurt needs to stay out here because if Carole sees him there will be too much to explain right now. We need to fix up your arm before it gets any worse. How long ago did it happen?"
Blaine bit his lip, glancing at Kurt guiltily—he knew it would hurt Kurt all over again that Blaine hadn't told him sooner—before looking at Burt. "About a week, sir," he answered, immediately turning his gaze to his hands in his lap when he saw the flash of pain in Kurt's eyes.
Burt grunted in acknowledgment, going around to the other side of the car and helping a reluctant Blaine out. They walked inside the hospital and Burt quickly explained to the receptionist that Blaine's arm had been most likely broken for at least a week now and he needed help ASAP. The receptionist notified the doctor and told Burt to wait a few moments.
Burt sighed as he sat down with Blaine in the waiting area. "I'm sorry, sir," Blaine said suddenly.
"What're you apologizing for, kid?" Burt asked with a soft, disbelieving laugh. "It's not like you snapped your own wrist on purpose."
Blaine opened his mouth to protest that he did get himself hurt on purpose, that this was all his fault, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw the kind smile on Burt's expression. "Sir—"
"None of that 'sir' crap," Burt waved him off, not unkindly. "Look, I can tell that you're really important to my son, so that makes you family. Call me Burt, okay?"
Blaine choked out a surprised squeak and his eyes filled with unshed tears. He nodded quickly. He'd never in his life met a father figure who had ever been this kind to him. It made his heart swell enormously.
"Blaine Anderson?" a nurse called. Blaine nervously stood up and followed Burt and the nurse down a white hallway towards an x-ray room. They took a series of x-rays of his wrist before going to an exam room to ask him some questions. "Blaine, can you tell me how you hurt your arm?" she asked kindly.
Blaine murmured, "I tripped on the stairs, tried to catch myself, and landed wrong," he answered vaguely but with just enough details that she didn't ask for more to the story.
"And how long ago did this happen?"
"Five or six days," he answered, wincing at how bad it sounded now to his own ears. "I tried to ignore it but it just got really bad."
She nodded and took notes in her chart. "And how would you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?" she asked.
Blaine thought of all the times he'd been beaten and belt-whipped by his father. He felt the phantom ache of his dad's beer bottle hitting him in the head and sending shards into his cheeks. Then he focused on the pain in his wrist, which was hardly a dull sting compared to what he'd suffered in the past.
In comparison, this was nothing. He'd had so much worse.
"Six," he answered, only because he knew that was the minimum for them to give him pain antibiotics. He knew from experience. And he really wanted something to ease the throbbing ache.
The nurse nodded, looking slightly confused at his answer. But she left it alone, leaving the room to get the doctor. A few minutes later, a new nurse entered the room.
Blaine looked at her anxiously. He didn't like all of these people being told his secrets.
"Hi, Blaine," she said kindly. "I'm Stacey, and I'm here to give you some anesthesia so you won't have to feel anything when they set the bone in your wrist. The x-rays showed that your bone has already started healing, but it hasn't healed properly so we need to fix it before we cast it. Just try to relax, okay?" she explained, obviously experienced in trying not to freak out the patients. She knew exactly what to explain in order to ease some of Blaine's fears.
"Thank you," he murmured sincerely, resting his throbbing wrist limply on his knee to try and ease the deep ache. Yes, he'd had worse, but it still hurt really badly. He'd tried to ignore it the past few days but it was only getting worse. He honestly didn't know how he'd lasted this long without something stronger than ibuprofen to dull the pain.
He tried not to focus too much as Stacey put an IV in his left arm, preparing to inject the anesthesia into him.
Once he forced himself not to think, the rest of the time went by fairly quickly. They put him to sleep so he didn't feel any pain when they set his arm and casted it securely. When he awoke, it was Burt and Kurt there to help him to Kurt's car. His head was groggy and he couldn't walk straight without assistance. Once he was in the backseat of Kurt's car, he fell asleep almost instantly.
When Blaine woke again, it was to a loud crash as the front door of Kurt's apartment was caved in by the foot of the last person either of them wanted to see.
A/N: Ahhh! I'm sorry that this so long to update! I've been extremely busy with homework and the school play and friends (I actually have a social life—when did that happen?), so I've been scrounging up writing time over the weekends whenever I can. I'm doing my best, I promise.
Anyway, enjoy the cliffhanger ;)
Review and I might end up updating tomorrow night because I'm on a roll with this story and its little plotbunny-inducing powers.
Love you, my lovelies! Don't be too angry with me and don't kill me quite yet! I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve ;)