10

Reflections

"Can I go to school…please?" Blaine begged, unable to meet this monster's eyes. His father grabbed the chain, yanking hard. Blaine cried out in pain, jerking forward, his wrists tearing open again. A fist latched into his hair again, yanking his head up.

"Since when do you want to go to fuckin' school?" He snarled. Blaine stared at him, praying that the fear wasn't showing in his eyes.

"I need to practice for section-"

SLAP! He winced, his head jerking. "Singing and dancing…can you be more of a queer?" He didn't answer.

"I just want to go to school," he whispered, staring down at his bloody wrists, knowing Mommy dearest was standing just outside the door, listening to everything.

"I don't think so," he said firmly. His heart fell.

LET ME SEE KURT! His heart screamed. LET ME SEE HIM! IT'S KILLING ME THAT I'M NOT SEEING HIM, PLEASE!

"Can I at least have my phone?" He croaked.

"So you can call the fuckin' cops? I don't fucking-"

"Have I ever called the cops?" He retorted. "Dad, please…" It was the first time he'd uttered those words since he was very young.

"David," a voice, a woman's voice, said from the door. The abuser turned, looking at his wife with skepticism. "Give him his phone. He doesn't get to piss when he wants to, at least give him his phone."

Blaine couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe that his mother had actually stuck up for him. Surprisingly, his father tossed the device at him, turning on his heel. He paused at the doorway, getting incredibly close to his mother's face.

"Don't you ever, ever tell me how to raise him again, do you understand me?" He snarled. She nodded, eyes closed. She didn't open them until he walked away. She looked at her son, who was shaking just a little. She sighed, jumping when the front door slammed closed, signaling that he'd left for work.

"I'm gonna close this," she said, shutting his window. He said nothing, merely stared at her, clinging to the phone for dear life. She draped his comforter around his shoulders, never touching him once as she left the room. "I'll be in with your lunch later."

She shut the door.

Blaine nestled himself into his blanket, desperate for warmth, tears in his eyes again. He turned his phone on, praying that his father hadn't looked at his messages, or sent anything to Kurt to make him think…

He quickly checked his messages finding dozens from Kurt that were unanswered. He sighed, relieved. He decided to answer the most recent message, which read Blaine, are you alright? You're really starting to scare me.

Yeah, I'm alright, he replied. This fever's really kicking my ass. I'll be back soon.

He didn't have to wait long before he got another message.

I hope so. I really miss you. He smiled sadly, more tears in his eyes.

I miss you too.

Well, I'll talk to you at lunch. I have to get to class. Get better!

He sat back, leaning his head against the wall, holding the phone tight in his hands. I miss you more than you know…and I hope you never have to know.

"Kurt, Blaine's here," Rachel said, watching his face light up.

"He is?"

"Yeah," she said, watching him come toward them. "Kurt, he's hurt again."

"What?" He breathed. "What's wrong?"

"His face…it's all bruised and scratched…he has a black eye again," she said, concerned. Kurt sighed, just wishing Blaine was in front of him already.

Blaine quickened his step, watching curiously as a group of boys in letterman's jackets walked past Kurt, one with a large cup in his hand. He gasped when they stepped away, laughing, leaving Kurt covered in red juice and ice.

"HEY!" He bellowed barreling toward them.

"Blaine, don't!" Kurt sputtered as Blaine bolted passed him.

"You look at me when I'm talking to you, you meat-headed mother fucker!" Blaine snarled, grabbing the jock's shoulder and turning him around, despite how much bigger than him he was.

"And who the hell are you?" He spat.

"Your worst fuckin' nightmare. You ever, ever come near Kurt again and I swear to God I'll beat the ever loving shit out of you," he swore, glaring at him.

Dave laughed it off with the others behind him. "Look, why don't you go back to the Shire with your queer? He'll need someone to show him how to get there anyway."

Blaine nodded, jaw set, looking at the ground for a moment before he leaped at him, diving to absolutely rip him to pieces. And he would have, if not for Puck, Mike and Finn grabbing him to stop him.

"Don't, man!" Mike warned.

"I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Blaine snarled. "You EVER touch him again and I will END YOUR FUCKING LIFE!"

"Calm down!" Finn hissed. "If a teacher comes out here-"

"You're not gonna do shit, queer!" Karofsky called back. Blaine writhed out of their arms, so murderously angry. He swung at the jock's face, smiling when he connected with his jaw as the others pulled him back again.

Dave staggered back before walking away. Blaine shook his head, shrugging out of their grips again.

"What the hell, man?" Puck asked.

"He chucked a slushy in Kurt's face," he snarled. "As long as I'm around no one is ever gonna touch him." His chest was heaving hands shaking. He wiped his nose, which had started bleeding again.

"You did that for Kurt?" Finn wondered, skeptical.

"There's a lot I would do for Kurt," he said, eyes dark. "Does shit like that happen a lot?"

"Yeah," Puck said truthfully. Blaine turned away, going back to Kurt.

"Aren't you supposed to be his brother?"

Finn looked at the ground, ashamed.

Kurt stood there spluttering, after Blaine walked away, his eyes burning horribly, such awful stinging that stabbed and spiked through him. The ice seeped into his clothes, making him shiver.

"Kurt…" Rachel said, helping him wipe off his face.

"Where'd Blaine go?" He coughed, choking on cherry syrup. He could feel it drizzling down his neck and his back, so cold and soon to be very sticky and disgusting.

"I don't know, he followed Karofsky," she said.

"No!" He exclaimed, trying to move away from her. "If he gets into a fight he'll go back to Juvie-"

"Kurt." It was Blaine's voice this time. He took the handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the ice and juice from his cheeks.

"What did you do?" He asked, slightly exasperated.

"Made it clear what will happen if he touches you again," he said simply. Kurt sighed. "All I got in was one punch."

"Blaine-"

"He won't do anything, baby. Trust me," he assured, holding his face. "Let's go get you cleaned up."

"Blaine," Kurt said, leaning away from him. "Blaine, it's not like Dalton here. If you're all over me like that…"

"As long as I'm around no one is ever going to do a damn thing to you, alright? You're safe. You're right here, with me, and you're safe," he assured. Kurt sighed, leaning back into his hand.

You're in the dark anyway, he thought to himself. You can't see the looks they'll give you. Who gives a shit? Be here with him, with Blaine.

"C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up." He said softly.

Blaine got the paper towels to clean him off, went to his locker for him to get a change of clothes and his toiletry bag with various skin and hair-care products.

"Thank you for this," Kurt said from inside the bathroom stall. Blaine smiled, taking his clothes as they came over the door, putting them in the plastic bag in his hands.

"No problem," he said softly. "It's kind of my job, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt chuckled. "You're my 'seeing-eye boy'?" Blaine smiled, shaking his head.

"That's not what I mean," he said. He turned when Kurt emerged from the stall, breath gone for a moment. It was amazing how breathtaking he could make himself in just a few minutes, and after getting that disgusting liquid splashed all over him.

"Then what?" Kurt asked, worried. Blaine smiled, stepping toward him. He wrapped his arms around his waist, smile growing when he saw the blush rising in his cheeks. He rested his cheek against his chest, sighing happily. Blaine ran his fingers through his hair, breathing slowly, at peace for the first time in days, happy at least for a moment, and he'd have this to use tonight when the beatings came. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He asked, as if reading his thoughts.

"Maybe someday," he said truthfully. "Not right now. You have enough to worry about without thinking about that, okay?" Kurt nodded, still not liking the idea, but what choice did he have? Blaine turned his head, still cradling him so close. He connected their lips, delving them into a slow, warm, languid kiss. Kurt hummed into it, still blissful when they broke apart. "Hey, Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you…Would you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?" His voice was so soft Kurt hardly heard him, which was certainly saying something. He felt his cheeks get hot almost instantly, palms sweating, mouth dry.

"You want me to…to be your boyfriend?" He said, skeptical to his statement

No one wants a blind boyfriend. This has to be a trick of some kind he can't be telling you the truth. He can't.

"Of course I do," he breathed. "You're…God, Kurt, you're everything. And you're a helluva lot more to me than a boyfriend but…but that's the label people use. So…?"

He was dumbfounded, to say the least. Blaine really did want that. "You're serious?" Blaine chuckled softly.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" He wondered.

"Yeah," Kurt nodded, voice soft. "Why would you…?" Blaine kissed him deeply, gently cupping his cheeks, trying to do his best to convey what he felt without saying it because god damn it he didn't know how.

"Because you're the best thing that's ever, ever walked into my life and I plan on hanging onto you as long as I can. So please, Kurt, answer me?"

"Yes," he blurted. "Yes."

What if he's lying?

He hasn't lied to me yet. I'd know if he was lying now. He isn't. I know he isn't.

They kissed again, in each other's arms.

Blaine smiled to himself, knowing that no matter what hell met him when he went home tonight, no matter if he used the chain or not, if he beat him so badly he needed to go to the hospital. He could not take this away from him. He pushed his class ring into Kurt's hand, trying not to smile as much when Kurt turned magenta.

"What's this for?" He squeaked.

"You're my guy, right?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded vigorously. "Well, I wanna make sure the whole world knows it."

Kurt grinned, slipping it on his hand, incredibly elated. "Okay."

"Hey," Blaine began, forehead pressed to his. "Why don't you come to choir practice with me?"

"Isn't that spying?" He asked. Blaine grinned.

"I think you have to see to be considered a spy," he teased. They laughed. Happy. Together.