Meet The Anderson's

Hey guys! It's been a really long time and for that I am really, really sorry. I know that I promised more regular updates with the last chapter, but I got an amazing last minute opportunity which meant that I've had pretty much no internet or computer access for months. Anyway, I have got several chapters written now so I'm just working on getting everything typed up and edited and then they will be with you. Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading, reviewing, favouriting and following 'Meet The Anderson's', it really means a lot.

Warnings for homophobic bullying (all in italics, you can skip through it).

Irritating Friends And A History Lesson

"And you are a self centred egotistical bitch Rachel Berry!" Kurt screamed, chest heaving as he glared at his roommate, her own eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Yeah? Well at least I had the decency to hear my ex-boyfriend out when he came to visit before jumping into bed with the next gay guy that I met."

Kurt's eyes widened, his breath leaving his body as his hands trembled, Rachel's own hands slapping over her mouth. "Low blow Rachel, really low blow. Also, can I please remind you that I never so much as kissed Lewis and of whose arms you were already in when my brother arrived at the door?"

"I'm sorry, Kurt, I'm so sorry," She whimpered, advancing towards him even as he backed away.

Shaking his head, the blue eyed boy grabbed his coat and headed for the door of their shared apartment. "I need you to leave me alone, at least for a little while." Without looking back Kurt slipped the door to their apartment open and stumbled out into the brisk late afternoon air, Rachel's hands covering her face as the sobs wracked her small frame, tiny 'sorry's' slipping repeatedly from her lips.

Ignoring the biting cold that surrounded him as he slipped from their apartment block, Kurt tugged the collar of his coat higher and headed for the subway, figuring he might as well wander around the city and maybe even find a diner to hole up in before going back to face his roommate. Feeling the snowflakes start to fall, Kurt frowned deeply, "Well that's just great, just great."

Knocking on the door, his teeth chattering and feeling more than a little out of his depth, Kurt prayed that he had found the right apartment. Having found the little slip of paper which Jude had shoved in his pocket during their last coffee meet up (incidentally the last time he'd needed to rant about his impossible roommate) he had followed the older Anderson's hastily scrawled directions leading him to the newly refurbished apartment block in the Greenwich Village area, with any luck where Jude and his husband were currently residing. He just hoped that Jude's offer of his spare room for the night was still a viable option.

The door swung open to reveal a tall, well built man with longer, shaggier hair than it had been in the only picture Kurt had seen of him, the blonde tips obviously having long grown out too. The man's head tilted to the side curiously, indigo eyes sweeping the full length of Kurt before a small smirk overtook his features.

"Jude there's a hot, soaked through, lost looking kid on our doorstep. Can we keep him?" He called over his shoulder, Kurt still trembling slightly under his probing gaze. Jude stumbled into the entryway behind his husband, clad in a thick grey Julliard sweatshirt and black skinny jeans, thick-rimmed glasses framing his confused emerald eyes.

The elder man's face lit up when he spied Kurt around Ollie's lithe frame, "Claws away Oliver, this is Blaine's boyfriend Kurt." His face turned back to utter bewilderment when he saw the state Kurt was in. Pushing Ollie out of the way gently, he stepped up to Kurt, eyeing him closely, "Kid you're drenched. Have you just been walking around in the snow?"

Meanwhile Ollie's entire demeanour had shifted, a grin spreading over his face as he watched his husband fuss over the nineteen year old. "It's nice to finally meet another survivor of this psycho family."

"Ollie," Jude groaned in exasperation, Kurt letting loose a broken chuckle as Jude wrapped an arm around his shoulder and dragged him inside the apartment. Ollie led the two of them into a spacious living room, the TV quietly playing away in the corner, the latest 'Iron Man' comic and a guitar spread out on the couch where the two men had obviously been previous to their unexpected guest dropping in on them. "But seriously kid, have you just been walking around in the snow for the past couple of hours?"

Kurt shrugged slightly, a few water droplets flying from his shaky figure, "Pretty much. I had a fight with Rachel again and I needed to get out of the apartment so I came into the city and pretty much wandered around Times Square and Broadway before finding your note in my pocket and heading over here."

"Jesus Kurt," His boyfriend's older brother muttered, yanking his coat off and passing it to Ollie who promptly hung it up to dry before returning to Jude's side, concern etched into his defined features. "That literally must have taken hours if all you've done is walk around the city."

The blue eyed teenager shrugged once more, his eyes trained on the floor, "Yeah, I left Bushwick at about four, I guess?"

Ollie whistled lowly and Jude's hand slapped over his eyes, "Blaine's going to kill me. I mean he's actually going to kill me. Kurt it's minus god knows what out there, barely just turned February and it's been snowing for the entire four hours you've been outside. I mean damn kid," Studying Kurt again, the worry in both older men's features felt overwhelming, Kurt struggling to find words to express how sorry and grateful he was in the same sentence.

Smiling feebly, he caught Jude's gaze, "You still can't really call me kid you're only twenty-one and I turned nineteen in December Jude."

Jude rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Twenty two as of last week thank you very much."

"Old man," Ollie sniggered quietly, Kurt's eyes flashing up to him in surprise as Jude's gaze narrowed.

"Fuck you," He growled, glaring at his husband who simply grinned toothily back.

"Well yes I was actually planning on that."

"Oliver!" Jude yelped, causing Kurt to let loose the most care free laugh he'd felt since returning to New York after winter break.

Ollie simply snickered, walking away as Jude herded Kurt over to the couch. "Kurt I'm sure Blainers left some stuff last time he was here, his shit always seems to end up everywhere. Are you comfortable in short stuff's clothes or do you want to borrow some of ours?" Ollie grinned around the doorway to the corridor, his messy hair falling over his eyes.

"Assuming short stuff is Blaine then I'm probably happier in his stuff," Kurt laughed, accepting the coffee Jude was handing him with a small smile.

Ollie nodded thoughtfully, "Sure boyfriend sweats and a hoodie or something coming right up. Ironically for how short the majority of Anderson's seem to be, their clothes are always way too comfortable." Ollie laughed ducking out of the way as Jude flung one of the pillows from the couch at him.

"Don't think I haven't realised that you're wearing my t-shirt Ollie!"

A snort sounded up the corridor, "Don't think that you're getting it back sweetheart, at least not until it stops smelling like you."

Jude rolled his eyes, glancing back to Kurt, "Seriously get out of your relationship now, while you still can. Just run."

Kurt chuckled as Ollie sauntered back into the room, dropping some of Blaine's clothes into Kurt's lap before tackling his husband onto the armchair opposite where Kurt was sitting. "Take that back," He laughed, tickling Jude as the older man yelped and squirmed under him, trying to get the upper hand.

"Never," He gasped, giggling and reaching out to pinch Ollie's upper arms, finally managing to wrap his arms around his husband and hold him still on his lap, Ollie's head flopping onto his shoulder with a contented sigh. "Sorry about that Kurt. The bathroom's just up the corridor, second door on the left. Feel free to have a shower to warm up or whatever and we'll order some take out while you change."

Full of pizza and breadsticks a few hours later, the three young men were curled up together on the couch; Kurt wrapped in a blanket and huddled between the married couple still trying to warm up. 'The Avengers' played on the TV, each of the three engrossed for entirely different reasons.

"He's just so god damn gorgeous," Ollie muttered, Kurt humming in appreciation and swiping a handful of popcorn as both of their heads tilted to get a better view of Robert Downey Junior running, happily ignoring the fact that there were many other actors also starring in the film. Jude turned to them, shaking his head slightly and rolling his eyes. "Don't pout honey, you don't pull it off like the puppy dog twins can." Jude's pout deepened, sliding further down in his seat. Kurt snickered slightly and turned to look at Ollie.

"I cannot believe that 'The Avengers' is on, the most awesome film ever, and you two are discussing how pretty Robert Downey Junior is," He murmured under his breath, rolling his eyes for good measure.

"Benny and Blaine by any small chance?" Kurt grinned, cheerfully ignoring Jude's irritated mumbling.

"How did you guess?" Ollie whispered scathingly, looking to Kurt with one eyebrow raised, "I honestly have no idea how you handle it, he'd get everything he ever wanted if he could pull off that face properly."

"Still here," Jude whined, waving his arms causing the other two to laugh again.

"Of course you are, focus back on the action honey and let me and Kurt ogle Downey Junior some more. You know it's a fair enough compromise."

Jude grumbled bitterly, the three turning back to the screen before Kurt shot Ollie a wicked grin, his own eyebrow quirked up. "What makes you think Blaine doesn't get everything he wants anyway?" He smirked, Ollie choking on his popcorn and Jude blocking his ears, humming to himself and blatantly ignoring them.

"Oh we're keeping you Kurt Hummel," Ollie beamed, flinging a handful of popcorn at Jude who promptly caught it in his mouth, "I think I could corrupt you just perfectly yet."

"God help the world," Jude muttered dryly, throwing a few kernels back at Ollie.

"I swear to god all boys are utter and complete jerks," A British accent drifted through the expansive apartment along with the slamming of the front door, a sandy haired boy stomping into the room moodily moments later. His features merged into shock when he saw Kurt curled up between the couple, coffee mug still clutched tightly between two hands, cerulean eyes wide with inquisitiveness. "Oh, hello," Shooting a look at Ollie, he dropped heavily into the armchair opposite the couch.

"Adam, Kurt, Kurt, Adam. What're you and Joey fighting about now?" Ollie sighed, leaning back into the couch and studying his friend after hitting the pause on their film.

"Boys' are stupid," Adam huffed crossing his arms and falling backwards into the armchair.

"No, Joey's an idiot and we really need to take that key back from you," Jude yawned, ruffling Kurt's hair when the teenagers head fell sleepily to his shoulder, Kurt not even having the energy to swipe his hand away. "What happened this time?"

Sighing, Adam tugged the red beanie from his head and ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter to be honest, we'll be over it in a few days. But until then boys' are stupid."

Ollie rolled his eyes with a small smile, getting up to grab a few cans of Diet Coke from the fridge and passing them round. "Of course they are honey," He cooed, catching Jude's amused glance and biting his lip to stop his laughter.

"Can I crash here tonight? Or possibly for a few nights? Joey's having a stupid party," Adam pouted, smiling at the married couple innocently.

"And there we go. You really don't have party bone in your body, do you?" Ollie chuckled lightly, Adam shaking his head and doubling his pouting efforts. "It's fine Ads. You're welcome whenever, and you know that. But you're taking the couch tonight, Kurt's already claimed the spare room."

"Oh, I don't mind staying on the couch," Kurt spoke up, wincing when his voice squeaked a little with a mixture of tiredness and uncertainty as the three older men seemed to hold a wordless conversation over his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Adam smiled softly, "The spare room's really Blainey's room anyway. I'm just a freeloader from time to time."

Ollie's eyes lit up as he looked between the two guests in the apartment, Jude hiding a soft laugh with a cough. "Ooh, ooh, Adam I totally did not introduce Kurt properly." At both Adam and Kurt's curious looks, Jude snorted, once more hiding it behind a coughing fit when Ollie reached out to tap the back of his head. "Kurt here is Blainey boy's boyfriend, yes he is."

The sandy haired man's eyes twinkled as he looked to Kurt, a grin growing on his face, "Ah so I finally get to meet the illustrious Kurt Hummel." Kurt blushed under his gaze, burying his face in Jude's shoulder sleepily, his potential future brother in law wrapping an arm loosely round him to pull him closer, Kurt feeling Jude's shoulder shake with silent chuckles. "Oh wait does that mean that you're the one who…"

Adam was cut off as Jude started to nod almost frantically, "Yep he would be the one."

Adam winced heavily, yawning and scratching a hand across his stomach as he recalled the events of the previous October. "Ouch. How is Blaine after he decided to find solace in his new best friend Jack Daniels? I haven't talked to him in a while."

"Better and never touching the stuff again apparently," Ollie sniggered, trying to block out the memories of the hysterical Blaine that he and Adam had had the joy of picking up from a bar on that awful October night and instead thinking about the few odd moments that cheerful drunk Blaine kept popping up.

"Hmm he stuck to that at Christmas and New Year's. He was strictly vodka and beer as far as I know at least," Jude grinned, pointedly ignoring Kurt's curious gaze and attempting to look just about anywhere else.

Adam snorted ungracefully, effectively drawing Kurt's attention but somehow managing to miss the signals that Jude kept shooting him to shut him up. "I guessed that he'd be put off it to be fair. He emptied a bottle and a half of the stuff within two and a half hours according to Kyle. How he didn't actually die is beyond me to be honest." The NYADA student tilted his head thoughtfully, shrugging slightly.

"He did what?" Kurt roared, shooting upright as the other three winced.

Ollie patted him gently on the shoulder, simply raising an eyebrow when Kurt turned his infamous bitch glare on him. "Kurt Hummel I invented that look in a boarding school full of stuck up preppy teenage girls' whose Mommy's and Daddy's bought them whatever their emotionless little hearts desired so don't start with me." Grinning, he pushed Kurt back into Jude again, the curly haired man wrapping his arms around the younger boy. "Besides, don't you want to find out what kind of a hot mess your boyfriend was that night?"

"I'd really kind of rather not given that it was my fault he was out there but I have the feeling like I should know." Feeling all three of the men's stares on him he blushed, sighing, "We'd gone back to my apartment but Blaine packed his stuff and left by half nine and I did nothing to stop him."

Jude gaped at the teenager, "We really need to teach you two about the dangers of the city you know that right? This place isn't small town Ohio!"

Ollie sighed, reaching out to run a hand through his husband's curls, Kurt shuffling slightly uncomfortable being trapped in the middle of them. "Sweetheart calm down, you know as well as I do that sometimes you just need to get out of the apartment. Blaine's a fully trained boxer, albeit a tiny one, but he was fine so cool it and Kurt was here before it got too late, so they're not completely dense."

Kurt scowled, huffing and crossing his arms across his chest. "Still here guys! Is anyone going to actually tell me what happened in October or is the furthest I'm getting that apparently my boyfriend decided getting wasted was a brilliant solution."

Adam smiled sympathetically, "Ignore them, they kind of go into their own little world and everything around them tends to disappear when they're together. You would think marriage would've stopped the craziness." He laughed, automatically dodging the pillows thrown his way from his two friends and sticking out his tongue in triumph, tucking the pillows around himself on the chair and looking to Kurt once more. "I can tell you most of the night if you want to know it?"

Kurt nodded slightly, shuffling until he was comfortable, Ollie and Jude laughing at him from where they had effectively become his human pillows. Ollie yawned, stretching an arm around Kurt and over Jude's shoulder, pulling them both tightly to him. "Yay story time, let's go Ads. Although somehow I don't think this will be very PG."

Adam chuckled, rolling his eyes at his friend's childlikeness and Jude shot him a fond glance and even Kurt laughed softly. Leaning forward in his chair, Adam clasped and unclasped his hands, glancing over Kurt in particular. "Okay then, I guess let's start with I'm not exactly unknown around here." Ollie snickered quietly, only stopping when Adam shot him a glare. "My first year at NYADA, it was…well let's just say I wasn't used to having so many openly gay guys around, and more to the point so many who were interested in me. It led to a lot of connections in the city." Seeing Kurt's slightly horrified look he smiled wryly, "Most of them are genuinely good guys Kurt, and they never did anything I said no to, so yeah I ended up in contact with a lot of them still after I met Joey in my sophomore year last year. That also means that I brought quite a few to Ollie and Jude's parties and things around here, not that any of the three of us are really big partiers at all."

Kurt nodded, confusion seeping through his veins as he wondered what on earth this had to do with Blaine. "Well then imagine my surprise when one of them, Kyle, called me out of the blue at midnight and said he had something I might be interested in. In other words Blaine was drinking himself stupid in one of the corner booths of the bar that Kyle was working at and it was closing time. Thankfully Kyle had recognised him from one of the photos round here and convinced the bouncers not to throw him out on his ass." Kurt sighed, burying his face in his hands as Adam continued. "I was already out with Ollie so naturally we raced to 'O'Riley's' and dragged him back here much to Blaine's disgust. He's really not all that easy to coax when he's drunk."

Kurt lowered his hands, a soft, sad smile playing on his lips. "It depends what mood you catch him in, sometimes he's too reasonable for his own damn good."

"I'm not sure which is better to be honest," Jude muttered, shaking his head at the image of his wasted younger brother from that night.

Ollie sighed gently, ruffling Jude's curls even as the man protested. "Basically when we got him back here he collapsed onto the sofa and was just moaning about how it was all his fault and he was so stupid and you deserved so much better. For how drunk he was, he was actually pretty coherent but it was like he couldn't hear anyone else, just his own thoughts and they were pretty scary really. I'd never heard him that completely down on himself and he was adamant that everything was his fault completely and he was never going to be worthy of talking to you ever again." Smiling sorrowfully at Kurt, Ollie shrugged carefully, deliberately having a silent conversation with Adam over Kurt's head until he nodded, both in agreement to avoid mentioning Blaine's hysterical crying and mood swings that had led to some terrifying comments in regard to the youngest Anderson's feelings on his own life from that night.

Kurt's eyes were wide as he protested weakly, "But…but it wasn't his fault, it wasn't his fault at all."

"I know that, you know that, but Blaine is Blaine," Jude sighed, pulling away from the group hug on the couch to turn and look at Kurt directly. "Even when you found everything out, he still believed it was his fault, am I right?"

"Wait you knew? You knew all this time and you didn't tell me or anyone else?" Kurt questioned, his eyes glaring accusingly into Jude's.

The emerald eyed man sighed, hesitating slightly. "Kurt, Blaine is my best friend. He is also my little brother and I would happily lay down my own life in order to protect him. He is everything good about this world practically and he has been through so much shit, that's not to say he's perfect. He's human at the end of the day and we all have our flaws. Eli was just the icing on top of the cake after everything that had happened to him though really. He broke in a way I've never ever seen him break that weekend. I actually skipped classes for the week after and kept him pretty much chained to my side here in the apartment because I was too worried to leave him alone. It was his story to tell you in the end, not mine. At the end of the day, I love you like a little brother and everything, but my loyalty will always, always lie with Blaine. He's my baby brother and I would do anything for him."

"Understandable, sorry," Kurt whispered, his eyes flickering up to meet Jude's warm ones. "I mean Finn and I aren't exactly the closest of brothers, but I'd still do just about anything for him."

"Except when he tried to get you to go tubing in the mud with us?" Jude smirked, Ollie looking horrified behind Kurt and Adam snickering gently.

Shuddering, the blue eyed man giggled lightly, "That was never going to happen. I don't even know how the hell you guys managed to find a muddy area in Ohio in the middle of winter. Everything was covered in god knows how much snow."

"Getting dirty and getting into trouble is kind of the unidentical twins speciality," Adam muttered dryly.

"You know the twins?" Kurt queried, his head shooting up, eyebrows raised.

"Here we go," Ollie murmured failing backwards into the cushions and closing his eyes.

Adam blushed lightly, running a hand through his unruly hair and glancing at Jude who merely shrugged with a grin. "Well I guess it's safe to say you might as well know now, it'll only come out anyway within the next year or so when Yankee Doodle gets here anyway."

Jude shook his head with a sigh, "You have got to stop calling him that."

"Annnnd I will. The second you can get him to stop calling me Brit."

Ollie and Jude glanced to each other with, "Never gonna happen," They laughed simultaneously.

"Exactly," Adam grinned before frowning, "And super creepy, don't do that again."

Kurt scowled, waving his arms around in an attempt to get attention, "Hello? Can we please get back on topic here?"

"Oh yeah," Adam sighed, dipping his head into his hands, looking up with his elbows on his knees, chin rested on his folded hands, "Kurt, exactly how much has Blaine told you about his first high school? Not Dalton but the one beforehand."

"Not much, just that he went to a dance and…" Kurt trailed off, his head snapping up to look at Adam. "You were his Sadie Hawkins date, weren't you?"

Nodding glumly the sandy haired man nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah I was," He whispered, his voice strained from tears he was evidently holding back, "And I know for a fine fact that Blaine won't have told you the full story, but I believe that you deserve to hear it. Actually no, you need to hear it, but Blaine will never tell it."

"I'm listening," Kurt mumbled in the now silent room, his ice blue eyes trained on Adam's deep indigo ones clearly trapped in a past horror.

"I can't listen to this story again. I'm sorry but I can't." Ollie whispered suddenly, pulling away from his husband, "I got to meet Blaine for the first time the summer after Sadie Hawkins and it was like he was in purgatory. I don't want to go back to thinking of that scared, lost little kid as being my little short stuff again."

Jude nodded, pulling Ollie close once more and pecking his forehead lightly. "Go to bed babe. I'll be in soon, but I think I should stay with Kurt for this, and he does need to hear this."

Ollie gripped Jude's hand once tightly, chewing on his bottom lip as he started to back away from the trio. His eyes caught on Kurt's scared looking ones and he managed to smile reassuringly before turning to hurry to his and Jude's room.

Adam took a deep breath, leaning forwards in his seat again as Jude held Kurt tightly, his own apprehension showing in the way he was clutching the sleeve of the hoodie Kurt was wearing.

The sandy haired boy gasped for breath as he sprinted through the glass double doors. Letting them bang shut behind him, he felt the small smirk of satisfaction spread across his face as numerous jocks slammed straight into them, giving him ample time to hide between two of the dumpsters they were so fond of shoving him into.

Crouching low, he breathed a sigh of relief as the group of jocks sprinted down the sidewalk that he'd normally take home. If he spent an hour or two hiding out in the library before heading home he figured that he's be fine. Standing back to his full height the high school senior gently brushed off his pants and rearranged the satchel hanging from his shoulder. Shaking his head at the jocks that he had learnt to put up with during his junior year and the first few weeks of his senior year spent living with his Aunt and Uncle in the States he couldn't help but marvel at the idiocy that they appeared to display without even realising it at times.

Turning to leave, he paused, his head cocking to the side at a banging and faint whimpering of 'let me out' emanating from the larger dumpster. Eyes widening, he flung the lid open, jumping back when a young teenager popped up, practically hyperventilating with the need to breathe fresh air. Noticing Adam staring at him, his golden eyes turned darker and widened in fear.

"Get away from me!" The trapped boy yelled, glaring and brushing his wild curls away from his face, backing up as far as he could in the relatively large dumpster.

Adam's hands flew up, a surprised look overtaking his features at the hostility rolling off of the younger teenager, "Whoa calm down kid. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I'll scream," The younger boy muttered, his hazel eyes still hard.

Rolling his blue eyes, an easy smirk filtered across Adam's features, "Yeah, because that's worked out real well for you so far. Come on short stuff reach over and I'll pull you out."

"I don't need your help and I'm not that short." The boy growled, looking about as fierce as a wounded puppy and causing Adam to bite his lip to stop any laughter flowing out.

"Kid, I can barely see you over the top of the bin, you must be like hobbit size. Now give over and give me your hands."

"And you won't hurt me? Besides what the hell is a bin?" Adam's heart broke a little at the vulnerability in his gaze before a small smile took over his face once more and he shook his head with a soft sigh, his green beanie almost flying from head.

Using one hand to straighten the beanie once more he appraised the boy carefully. "Bloody Americans, bin as in rubbish bin. It's a trashcan in other words. I won't hurt you, scouts honour." Holding up his hand in the honour sign he chuckled quietly.

"You're in America Brit," The tiny kid muttered, his eyes narrowed.

Adam simply rolled his eyes again, letting the laughter flow easily this time. "Yeah, yeah and I'll get the language down eventually now get over here." Reaching out his arms, he smiled when the teenager moved into them and instantly put his hands under the boys arms, letting him walk up the side of the dumpster until Adam could fully lift him out, the pair ending up tumbling to the floor. "Oof well compromising situation here, slightly awkward," The oldest of the pair muttered, gently pushing the hazel eyed teen back from where he was now straddling his waist.

He scrambled back, pressing himself against the dumpster, eyes wide with fright. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Hands flying up again to show he wasn't a danger Adam exhaled heavily, realising that it could take a while for this kid to trust him. "Hey calm down I said I wouldn't hurt you and I'm not going to. What's your name anyway?"

"Blaine. Blaine Anderson."

"Well Blaine Anderson I'm Adam Crawford and it is very nice to meet you."

Blaine's eyes narrowed again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Were you ever even a boy scout?"

"Nope, but it got you to trust me enough to get you out of the bin didn't it? What were you doing in there anyway?" Adam chuckled, wincing and pulling part of a banana skin from Blaine's curls.

Blaine pulled a disgusted face as Adam threw it back into the dumpster, "As if I had a choice. The jocks threw me in, well umm, because, umm because I'm gay." Adam's eyes trebled in size while Blaine skilfully avoided any eye contact. "Go on you can leave now."

"And why would I want to do that?" Adam's eyebrow quirked up, trying to catch the eyes of the teenager who was desperately trying to evade his gaze.

The younger teenager's head snapped up, shock and wonderment flashing through his eyes before schooling them into a more neutral expression once more. "B..because I'm gay? Aren't you scared you're going to catch something?"

Sighing, the blue eyed senior shook his head at the freshman, horrified that someone so young could already feel as low as he seemed to about himself. "Can't catch what you already have…besides being gay isn't something that you catch Blaine, it's a part of who you are. Now come on, the jocks have all left and I have a spare hoodie and my track pants so how abouts we get you a shower and head out for milkshakes and burgers?"

"That was the first time I met Blaine," Adam sighed sadly, eyes flickering over both Kurt, who simply looked horrified, and Jude, who looked conflicted between hurt that he hadn't been there to help his baby brother and the utter need to find the guys' who had dared to hurt him and rip their heads off, pretty much any of the Anderson brothers' reactions when Westerville Central High School was mentioned. "I'm sad to say that it wasn't the last time I found him in those dumpsters or trapped in a locker, not by a long shot. I found him in them far more than I care to share over the following two and a half months but damn he became my best friend. Probably the best one I've ever had. He just understood in a way others didn't. Yankee Doodle just has a way of worming his way into your heart and then not letting go."

Kurt's brow furrowed slightly, "But what does that have to do with Sadie Hawkins?"

Adam smiled sadly and shrugged. "I figured it would be best if you had a little background to mine and Blaine's friendship before I launched into that. Westerville Central High wasn't exactly the best place on the planet to be as an out gay teenager and things just got worse at Sadie Hawkins." Jude's arm wrapped tighter around Kurt's shoulders as he nodded for Adam to continue.

"Hi Yankee Doodle," Adam sang as he danced into Blaine's room having let himself into the large Anderson mansion.

"Stop calling me that," Blaine muttered, his eyes staring intently at his laptop screen, his feet kicking up in the air behind his head.

Adam's eyebrow raised as he dropped his satchel by the door and launched himself across the room, "Stop calling me Brit."

"Never Essex boy." Blaine laughed rolling onto his back as Adam crawled onto the bed beside him, Blaine automatically resting his head on Adam's shoulder when the older teenager drew him close and heaving the laptop onto his chest.

"Well then you have your answer, Yankee Doodle," The British native chuckled lightly.

"Eurgh you are impossible," Blaine whined, attempting to hit his human cushion.

Smirking, the sandy haired boy shook his head, "I learnt from the best."

"Pippin?"

"Exactly. Now what you looking at?"

"Nothing," Blaine squeaked, turning red as he tried to roll out of Adam's firm grip and slam the laptop closed.

"Tuxes? B, what's going on?"

Blaine sighed, "For once in my life I just want to feel normal. I just want to go to that stupid Sadie Hawkins dance like everybody else and have a good time like any normal person."

Adam snorted lightly, ruffling Blaine's messy curls. "Pffft who wants to be normal when you can be the extraordinary Blaine Anderson?"

Blaine just turned away with a sigh, his legs slipping over the edge of the bed.

The senior followed his movements, kneeling up behind the younger teenager. "Hey, you're genuinely upset over this aren't you Yankee Doodle?"

Blaine cracked a small smile but let Adam pull him back onto the bed nonetheless. "Yeah, it's stupid I know. I just want to be normal for one night Ads."

"It's not stupid at all but screw normal, if we're doing this we're doing it our way, like I said who the hell wants to be normal?"

"Adam?" Blaine looked genuinely bemused, his head tilted and eyebrows shot upwards into his hairline as Adam started to laugh.

"Blaine Anderson will you accompany me to the Sadie Hawkins dance as my best friend whereby we can drink undoubtedly sabotaged punch and laugh at the dresses that some of the girls deem acceptable for a high school dance."

The hazel eyed boy's entire expression lit up and he let out a small squeal, "You really mean it?"

Laughing Adam nodded, glad to have made Blaine light up again. "I really do. I mean I haven't been to a dance since I've been here and England's not that big on them really so why not? And with you by my side I shall be invincible."

Blaine scoffed laughing slightly before flinging himself into Adam's arms, "Thank you, Brit."

"You are most welcome Yankee Doodle." Adam returned the hug just as fiercely, feeling the surge of protectiveness that always rushed through him when Blaine was near.

Blaine pulled back suddenly, Adam coughing as he got a mouthful of curls. "Wait, wait, wait. This doesn't mean anything right? I mean I love you Brit, but more like another brother, sorry but I really don't think of you like that I mean ewwie."

"Well thanks for the confidence boost there Yankee Doodle, but nah I know what you mean it would be weird. I love you and all but no thank you. So yeah, we go as friends. Also ewwwie? What are you five?"

"Best friends," Blaine corrected, "And I just turned six actually."

"Best friends."

"That was so much fun!" Blaine squealed, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet and clutching Adam's hand tightly in his, a grin spreading across his face in the moonlight. "I mean can you believe it Adam? A whole dance and nobody said anything," The younger teenager giggled softly, Adam spinning him in a circle before swinging their hands between them, laughing along gently as Blaine's face turned to one of disgust, "But oh my god, did you see Stacey's dress? I mean what the hell possessed her to even think that dress would look good? Tacky, tacky, tacky."

Adam snorted, shaking his head at the overly excited freshman. "Jeez Yankee Doodle, you would think I'd actually let you at that punch the energy rolling off of you." The senior tilted his head thoughtfully, twinkling eyes never once leaving his friend. "Although I'll give you her dress was tacky, but when did you start judging fashion?"

Rolling his eyes, the curly haired boy shrugged, "Puh-lease anyone with eyes could see that lemon meringue thing she thought was acceptable was a mistake. Also do you realise how much 'America's Next Top Model' you make me watch?"

"Pfft, that show is amazing and you know it," Adam laughed, slinging an arm around Blaine's shoulders. "I'm sorry my Aunt and Uncle were called out of the country and couldn't pick us up," He frowned slightly, eyes darting around the dark car park.

"It's fine Brit, it's not like they left us totally alone, they hired that car service after all."

"Hmm true," Adam sighed his eyes still scanning the car park for any sign of their car. Stiffening when he saw a shape move in the shadow, Adam slowly moved his arm from Blaine's shoulder and took his hand once more, gently pushing the younger boy behind him.

"Adam, what's-"

"Sshh Blaine," He muttered feeling the younger boy start to tremble. His blue eyes kept trained on the shadow as five bulky figures moved into the light cast by the streetlight.

"Adam, that's-"

"Blaine quiet," Adam growled sharply, cutting the younger boy off as he started to whimper quietly behind him. "It's going to be okay, I promise that I won't let anything happen to you," He whispered, his voice losing its sharp tone.

"You really thought that we'd let you get away with it?" The leader sneered as the others chuckled softly, fanning themselves around the pair. Blaine's shaking increased as he effectively moulded himself into Adam's back, the older boy closing his eyes slightly in fear before snapping them back open to glare at the hulking football player stood smirking in front of him. "You really thought that we'd let the two of you get away with that faggy display right in front of the whole school? Seriously how disgusting do you have to be to actually flaunt how wrong you are?"

"Leave us alone Richardson we did nothing to you," Adam barked out, his ice blue eyes flickering around the group of seniors that had them surrounded. "All we did was go to the stupid dance, we didn't come anywhere near any of you. We just danced together and had fun by ourselves."

"Exactly. You were there, together. It's disgusting and it's wrong," One of the cronies piped in staring Adam down when the blue eyed teens eyed flickered over to him.

"Yeah it's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," Another chimed in with a scoff.

"Oh you're god damn religious and you've read the Bible now have you?" Adam hissed, "Well then you must be under the assumption that god creates everyone you dipshit so then yeah he did create Steve too you moron." Adam smirked, momentarily proud of the look of utter confusion on the jock's face before Blaine whimpered again, Adam's head whipping around to glare at the boy now behind the duo, stepping ever closer to the young freshman.

"You're lucky that the soccer team needs you if they have any hope in hell of winning anything this year Crawford or I'd take great pleasure in pounding that faggy little face of yours into the concrete. As it is I think we'll save tonight just for Blanderson and teach him a lesson about stepping foot on our campus." The leader smirked again, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward.

Blaine whimpered, the hand clutching Adam's own tightening its grasp exponentially while his other hand twisted up in the back of the older teenager's jacket, his face buried between his shoulder blades. Adam reached his spare arm around Blaine's back, trying to squeeze the hand grasping his comfortingly as he glared the five burly seniors down. "If you think I'm going to let you get anywhere near him you have another god damn thing coming," The sandy haired boy growled, wincing when his friend whimpered and shuffled closer still.

The leader of the pack chuckled dryly, "Crawford, Crawford, Crawford," He muttered shaking his head. "What the fuck makes you think you're going to get an option in that?" Glancing to two of the guys he smirked and tilting his head, "Get him out of the way, yeah?"

Instantly the two surged forwards, grabbing Adam's arms and yanking him away from Blaine even as the blue eyed senior yelped and flailed, yelling for Blaine to run even as a fist collided with his own forehead, the football player's class ring slicing open his forehead with the collision.

"Careful with him, Coach Dayton will come down on us like a ton of bricks if we injure his star player," Richardson snickered, moving to the player who had captured Blaine when he had tried to run back towards the dance. "Oh Anderson, we've been looking forward to this," He laughed, instantly aiming the first punch for Blaine's face even as the freshman tried to wriggle and kick out of the bigger boy's hold.

Crying out in pain, Blaine tried to ignore Adam's screams and yells of frustration as Richardson and the football player yet to do anything started to rain punches and kicks down on just about every inch of his body, the player holding him grunting in pain when few landed on him accidentally. Blaine watched Adam struggle through hooded eyes as he managed to almost get away only to have his arm twisted painfully. At the same moment Blaine felt the powerful arms holding him let go, his head whacking off of the floor with a sickening crack, blood pouring over his already clouded vision as his eyes started to close. He managed to mouth the word 'sorry' to his sandy haired friend before they shut completely, Adam's screams still ringing in his ears.

Adam watched on horrified as the three continued to beat on the unconscious boy, stamping on and kicking at his right leg and his ribs in particular, the curly haired boy having simply stopped moving.

"Jerry, this has gone too far," One of the footballers holding Adam whimpered, scared eyes trained on Blaine's battered form.

"Yeah Richardson, I'm out. He looks dead," The other one muttered, dropping Adam's left side and letting him fall to a sobbing mess on the floor as the football players appeared to take one last look at their handy work and scarpered into the night.

"Blaine," Adam moaned, clutching his arm to himself as he crawled across the small space to the still boy. "Blaine please, god please wake up," He sobbed, managing to pull Blaine's bleeding head onto his lap, trying not to look at the strange angle of the curly haired boy's leg or the blood staining the concrete. "HELP, PLEASE GOD HELP US," He started to scream, pausing to catch his breath before screaming again, attempting to brush Blaine's curls away from his black and blue face with trembling hands as he noticed the crimson now staining his too pale skin. "HELP!"

"Cooper, Cooper I'm so sorry. I tried to make them stop, I tried I did. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," Adam sobbed and stuttered his words and breath failing as he started to hyperventilate.

"Ads you need to calm down and let me know what happened kid, you're starting to scare me."

Adam sobbed, clutching the phone tighter, "They hurt him Cooper. They hurt Blaine. It's really bad Coop please, you need to get back here, as soon as you can. It's bad Cooper, it's so, so bad." The teenager trembled as he heard Cooper's breath catch on the other end of the line, the shaking worsening as two nurses advanced towards him.

"Okay, Adam you need to calm down, are you listening kid?"

"Okay," He whispered, one of the nurses sitting at his side and running a gentle hand up his back.

"I'm booking a flight now and I will be there as soon as I can be which will probably be in the early hours. You make sure that you get yourself checked out and then if you don't need to be kept in make them let you stay in Blaine's room until I get there, unless you think your Aunt and Uncle will get there first?"

"They're in England."

Cooper sighed shakily down the line, "Well then stay in Blaine's room and if they try to kick you out have them phone me or Elijah. I'll make him stay at his place until I'm in Ohio and on the way to you just in case the doctors or anyone need to speak to someone. And Adam, thank you. I know that you'll have tried to stop whatever happened so thank you and stop blaming yourself."

The teenager whimpered softly, curling into the auburn haired nurse still sat with him, "I'm sorry Cooper, it was all my-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Adam Crawford, you got me? Blaine wouldn't have gotten through the last few months without you and you know that. I'll see you soon kid, look after him for me."

Adam whimpered harshly when the phone cut out, turning and burrowing his face into the nurses shoulder, her hand still running up and down his back soothingly, the tears coursing down his face staining her lilac scrubs. "You poor kids," She murmured, tugging him tighter. "I have a son a year older than your boyfriend and believe me seeing this is awful, I'm so sorry."

"He's not my boyfriend, just my best friend," Adam mumbled, swallowing loudly, "Is Blaine going to be okay?" He whispered, lifting his face to scan her worried green eyes.

She sighed gently, squeezing his shoulder, "He's slipped into a coma at the minute I'm afraid, and it's just up to his body if or when he's healed enough to wake up. For now, everything that can be done has been."

Adam nodded solemnly, "Can I go and sit with him?"

"Of course honey, I heard that phone call," She smiled softly at him, "Seems like you're very close to the whole family. He's in room 206, but how about I check you over first? Hmm, that looks like a pretty nasty cut on your forehead." Taking his hand, she led him carefully through the busy ER into a private side room, slipping him something to help his trembling at the same time.

"Af-after everything, Blaine wasn't the same person," Adam whispered, the tears coursing down his cheeks as he scrubbed at his red raw eyes. "He never has been again, he's been getting there over the last two or so years but his true dorkiness is only just starting to show up now. It's a work in progress but you Kurt," Adam laughed softly, "You did something not one of us managed to do."

"Me?" Surprise painted itself across Kurt's face as he tilted his head to study Adam curiously.

"Yeah, you started to bring back Blaine pre-Sadie Hawkins. You have no idea how stunned I was the first time he was sarcastic to me or the pure size of the grin on his face the first holiday I made it back to Ohio after he met you, it was insane. I think you did more for Yankee Doodle than you've ever known you did or that you will ever realise you did. You saved Blaine from himself effectively. We'd all been trying for months to get the grin back on his face and the bounce back in his step, but meeting you, that's what did it effectively."

Jude nodded slowly, a slight realisation dawning on his face. "He's right you know. B, he had a really hard time before he met you Kurt. I mean he was getting better, slowly, but meeting you seemed to just accelerate anything the Warblers and Dalton were already doing by god knows what levels."

"So you and Blaine…" Kurt trailed off, wringing his hands slightly and nerves flashing through his eyes as they flickered back over to look at Adam.

"Blaine will always be the first guy I ever truly loved." Adam admitted softly, taking a deep breath and trying not to laugh a little when the worry lit up once more in Kurt's sapphire eyes, "He helped me be myself and he will always hold a special place in my heart, forever, but he's more of my little brother than anything else really if I'm totally honest." Grinning at Kurt he shrugged slightly, "Besides that, I just told you of Blaine's reaction of and I quote 'ew ew ew ewwie' at the thought of us even going to a dance as dates."

"Fair enough," Kurt smiled softly, "I just wish neither of you had ever had to go through any of that."

"Me and you both Kurt, me and you both. As awful as it sounds the whole thing brought me closer to a family I never thought I'd have and now I have people to go to when I need them," Adam smiled gently, eyes dancing over to Jude whose arm was still wrapped tightly around Kurt's shoulder, tears drying in tracks down his face.

The curly haired college senior turned his head to look Kurt directly in the eye, a mischievous twinkle flickering in his. "Yeah we let Austin and Pippin indoctrinate him into the craziness," Jude grinned, Adam shooting him the finger even as Kurt burst out laughing. Laughing as Kurt yawned widely, Jude hugged him close before releasing him, "Right, bed time for everyone I'm exhausted." Ruffling Kurt's hair, the twenty two year old grinned and flounced down the corridor to where his husband was already waiting for him.

Standing and stretching, Kurt smiled softly at Adam and turned to follow Jude up the corridor before stopping suddenly and leaning on the doorframe, turning back around the study the sandy haired young man still in the room. "Hey Adam?"

"Yeah Kurt?" He yawned, pulling his keys, phone and wallet from his pockets and laying them out on the table. He smiled faintly at the teenager who appeared to be deep in thought and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, bundling it up next to his pillow as he turned his full attention to Kurt.

"Thank you for being there for him." Adam's eyes roamed over the teenager, the confusion in them evident. "Before I was I mean. You were there when he had no one," Kurt whispered, a soft flush covering his cheeks, tainting them pink.

Adam grinned, his eyes flickering to a picture in his wallet. A fourteen year old Blaine was the main focus of the picture, his curls wild and crazy, which had been the customary hairstyle for the young teenager at the time. Pink square framed sunglasses covered his large hazel eyes and an easy grin was spread across his face, glancing at the camera from where he was flying up into the air, a carefree element to his blissful features. Meanwhile a young Adam stood behind him, hands in the back pockets of his stonewash jeans and a blush covering his face, laughing at the boy flying away from him on the swing. "Believe me that was nothing. Blaine is a very easy person to love."

"Yeah, yeah he is," Kurt beamed, his own picture of Blaine forming in his mind.

"Goodnight Kurt."

"Night Adam."

Okay, I genuinely really liked Adam (or well I did until he was mentioned in the season 5 episode at least, but this was written before that aired so meh) – I just never ever wanted him with Kurt – so I was kind of wondering what would have happened if they were both always off limits and a friendship was as far as they'd ever get and this kind of ended up making it's way into the story. So yeah, that's kind of why he's made an appearance here and will probably continue to in New York at least.