I don't know how I feel about this chapter. The next chapter is Kurt and Cooper talking so... I may include more of what happened during the attack, but maybe not. And eventually, though if it's in the next chapter or not I can't tell you... Blaine will ask more questions. Hope you like this chapter. I don't own anyone.

Beyond sharp words and stand-offish behavior, Blaine hadn't spoken to Kurt since the day before day, and that didn't change, even as Kurt signed the discharge papers. Burt had left to go get the apartment ready, then he had to go back to D.C., making Kurt promise him that he'd call every night and update him. Kurt would glance up at him every few seconds, only to find Blaine still staring straight ahead, arms crossed and Kurt shook his head. He wondered if this is what it would be like when they had a child, he really hoped not.

"How long are you going punish me for this?" Kurt asked softly, not looking at Blaine as he asked, but rather continued to fill out paper work.

"I deserved to know," Blaine replied without a hint of kindness to his voice. Kurt looked up at him to find him glaring,

"I wasn't hiding it from you! I just hadn't gotten around to telling you, I thought we had bigger problems than that!" Kurt sighed softly, realizing he'd raised his voice, "Sorry." Blaine watched him for a moment for going silent once more and staring straight ahead. "Look, can we just…" Kurt paused, pressing his lips into a tight line. "Can we just tolerate each other for a while, I'm taking you home today, and you can't hate me forever," Blaine looked at him once again.

"I don't hate you, I just… I don't know you, I know that hurts you, but I can't help it," Kurt nodded as he looked down, blinking back tears. "The past two times I have woken up in the hospital it has been because someone didn't like how I lived my life, or in this case who I choose to love. I think the world is sending me a message," Kurt looked at his husband, shocked.

"You don't believe that. You can't possibly think that the universe is punishing you for being who you are," Blaine shrugged half-heartedly. Kurt forgot that Blaine was angry at him and walked up to him and grabbed his face gently, but firm in his hands, "You are exactly who you are supposed to be, we love each other and most of the time it is fantastic. You are my home, you are everything I want and everything i need, they can do whatever they want, I will still love you. Nothing anyone does can change that for me," Kurt refused to look away from Blaine's eyes, trying to force him to see it the way Kurt did.

"Looks like you're good to-oh," Blaine pulled away quickly when the doctor entered and Kurt sighed in annoyance and turned away from Blaine, "I'm sorry if I interrupted something." Kurt and Blaine both shook their heads and Kurt motioned for the doctor to continue, "As I was saying, looks like everything is clear, once you finish the paperwork, you can go home." Kurt smiled gratefully at the man,

"Thank you, doctor." He held out his hand which the doctor took, smiling gently,

"You are lucky, Mr. Anderson-Hummel," the doctor looked past Kurt to Blaine, "Most partners don't handle crisis as well as yours has. And yours is more severe than most." Blaine blinked unsurely, but nodded as the doctor turned to leave, Kurt inhaled and picked up the paperwork once again,

"Let's get this filled out so we can blow this joint." Blaine studied Kurt as he continued to write and circle, it wasn't fair, neither of them deserved this.

FMNFMNFMNFMNFMNFMNFMNFMNFMN

"Oh finally," Kurt let out a moan of relief when they entered the apartment. Blaine was taken aback, it was a stunning flat, decorated to perfection, tasteful and classy, and Blaine had to hold back a smile. "Let's take your stuff to the bedroom, I'll sleep in the guest room for the time being,"

"Fine," Blaine replied curtly. Kurt shook his head and just walked back into the bedroom, and Blaine assumed Kurt didn't care whether he followed or not. He chose not to and looked around the room, the walls were creamed colored and the furniture was navy, the crown molding was nothing short of breath taking. The floors were dark hardwood, a gorgeous oriental rug lay proudly in the middle of the room, Blaine wondered how much Kurt paid to have an interior decorator come in.

"I'm starving, you want me to fix something," Blaine jumped slightly as Kurt reentered the room.

"Yeah, but I want a shower first," he admitted. Kurt nodded,

"You can take a shower while I cook, I'll fix your favorite, that ok?" Blaine looked at him a moment, his eyes narrowing,

"What's my favorite?"

"Peanut chicken with pan tai noodles," Kurt claimed, though now that he thought about it, that probably wasn't his favorite when he was fourteen.

"I don't remember ever having that, but whatever," Blaine said unimpressed. Kurt nodded,

"Bathroom is second door on the right, the bedroom is connected and your causal clothes are in the second drawer." Blaine headed in the direction Kurt told him to, and he blinked back the burning in the back of his eyes. He was in a strange place, with a virtual stranger, and as beautiful as the apartment may be, and as understanding as Kurt was, Blaine was so out of his element and he just wanted to go to the house he grew up in, with his parents ignoring him and his guitar sitting in the corner.

Once in the shower he let the tears flow, why did it have to be him? He wouldn't wish it on Kurt or anyone really, but this would be the second time, that he knew of, that he had been beaten up because of his sexuality. He understood why when it was after the Sadie Hawkins Dance and it was a bunch of ignorant, high school boys, but this was 2020, Blaine would have thought times would have changed, that people would have changed. He stayed under the water, letting it beat down on him until his fingers were pruned and he felt like Kurt would come check on him soon if he didn't get out. As he got out of the shower and saw himself in the mirror he gasped, he had filled out nicely, he had to admit. His abs were defined and cut, his arms were toned without being overly muscular, though he wasn't as tall as he would have liked he didn't hate what he saw. He immediately set out to find the hair-gel, surely he had kept some, but after searching through every single drawer in the bathroom, he found none and groaned as he toweled dried his curly hair.

He easily found the bedroom, which may have been even more beautiful that the living room, and quickly found his 'casual clothes' as Kurt had called them. He pulled on a pair of 'NYU' sweatpants and a plain white, slim fitting tee-shirt. Just as he was heading off to find the kitchen, a knock came at the door, he stood back, waiting for Kurt to answer. As soon as Kurt did, Blaine breathed a sigh of relief, he started forward, but stopped short when Cooper pulled Kurt into a fierce, familiar, welcomed hug.

"How you doing, Kurtsy?" Cooper asked, Blaine didn't miss how Kurt held Cooper tighter and shook his head before pulling back. "You look like crap," Kurt apparently smiled, because Cooper smiled for a second before his face fell again. Blaine could see the silent conversation that was happening as Cooper nodded at whatever Kurt's eyes had told him, "Where's the hobbit?"

"Right here," Blaine said softly as he walked out of the hallway. Kurt took a step back, and this was apparently unheard of as Cooper looked at him concerned and sad.

"Oh BB, the things you manage to get into," Cooper pulled him into a hug and Blaine let out a sob at the feeling of his brother's arms around him. They were just as strong and comforting as they always had been and Blaine collapsed into them, feeling Cooper grunt as he was solely supporting his brother's weight before carrying him over to the couch. Blaine inhaled Cooper deeply, he was wearing a different cologne than he used to but the overlying smell was still Coop. "Blaine you have to breathe," Cooper whispered, only then did Blaine realize he was heaving in an attempt to catch his breath.

"I-I wi-i-s-s-h th-i-s-s h-ha-d-dn-n't h-h-a-ap-pen-n-ed" Blaine sobbed and Cooper shushed him gently,

"I know Baby Boy, I wish that too," Blaine flinched violently, leaning deeper into his brother when he felt something being wrapped around his back. He looked back, almost angrily, but faltered when he saw it was only Kurt, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. He blinked rapidly for a moment before reburying his face in Cooper's chest. He could feel Cooper looking at Kurt and shaking his head,

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes," Kurt whispered, the hurt and pain clear in his voice. This time Cooper nodded and it was only then that Blaine realized that a delicious smell had permeated the apartment. It must have taken at least another ten minutes before Blaine was ready to sit back and actually look at Cooper. It had obviously been twelve years, Cooper had the beginnings of wrinkles, not badly, but they were there just the same. He had scruff on his cheeks and jaw though whether that was normal or just from traveling to get there, Blaine wasn't sure. He was wearing jeans and a black teeshirt, his hair was cut shorter than it had been when he was twenty four and it was graying slightly, but only enough to make him look more distinguished.

"Feel better?" Coop asked and Blaine nodded, smiling softly, "Good, then you need to stop being such an ass to Kurt." Blaine was taken aback, he hadn't expected a scolding, "Whether you remember or not, that man is your husband, and he has worried himself sick over you, and I think you need to quit acting like any of this is somehow his fault."

"Cooper I-" But Cooper just shook his head,

"You were both jumped and Kurt nearly got himself killed trying to save you." Blaine looked up at Cooper confused, he hadn't heard anything like that, and Kurt didn't appear to be that hurt. "According to what Burt told me, the doctor said, at one point they almost pulled his arms out of the sockets because he was struggling so hard to get to you. They kneed him in the chest to stop him from moving and if it had been an inch higher it would have hit his heart and killed him, luckily I think he just has a nasty bruise. So you need to quit treating him like he's the one who did this." Cooper always did have the ability to make him feel more guilty than anyone else on earth, and he hadn't known Kurt had gotten hurt that badly. "When you remember him Blaine, you are going to hate yourself for treating him this way, he won't blame you, but you will never forgive yourself."

"Lunch is ready," Kurt called from kitchen, and Blaine stomach rolled, he still sounded hurt.

"Come on, Kurt's cooking is the best," Cooper grabbed his arm and hoisted him to his feet, wrapping his arm around Blaine's shoulder, smiling softly at his brother.

In the kitchen Kurt gulped hard when Blaine entered, and once more Blaine wondered how he knew that meant Kurt thought he was about to be hurt.

"Divorce my brother so I can marry you," Cooper said as he entered, Kurt face softened and he chuckled softly,

"You say that every time I cook for you, the answer is still 'No'. I refuse to marry a straight guy."

"Insinuating that if I did swing that way, that you would leave him for me," Cooper teased and grinned at Kurt, who rolled his eyes but smiled. Blaine liked it, when Kurt smiled.

"No, I told you when you asked when I was 21, I like curly hair better, and I've seen you naked and Blaine is...well-" Kurt played back and Blaine stared at Kurt who had just hinted that he was better endowed than his brother. Wait, Kurt had seen Cooper naked? An unfamiliar heat burned in his stomach, he wasn't even sure what it was, only that he didn't like that Kurt had seen Cooper without clothes on.

"Okay, first of all, the water was cold, and secondly..." Kurt had an entertained smirk on his face as he put the plate of noddles on the table.

"Excuses, excuses," Kurt sung, "How does it feel, Coop? Knowing that despite your brother is two inches shorter, he is two inches longer than you..."

"If you hadn't just gotten out of the hospital I would kick your ass Kurt Hummel-Anderson," Cooper claimed. Kurt merely looked back at him,

"Ha, you could try." Were they always like this? And if they were, how did Blaine stand it? He didn't remember being in love with Kurt, but his gut twisted at the way Kurt and Cooper were with each other. "Water okay, Blaine or..." Kurt asked, his voice softer than it was when he was talking to Cooper. Both Cooper and Kurt must have noticed Blaine's scowl, for Kurt was looking his hands shyly and Cooper had raised his eyebrows warningly,

"Water's fine, thank you." The 'thank you' seemed to take Kurt aback as he nodded slowly, but then Cooper moved forward,

"I got it." Kurt was about to protest but Cooper just looked at him and Kurt sighed, letting himself be helped.

Once the waters were sitting on the table, the boys all sat, the beginning of the meal was filled with awkward silence, that is until Blaine bit into his chicken.

"Oh my God!" He flat out moaned, "This is the best chicken EVER!" Kurt and Cooper both laughed, and Blaine looked up at them confused, his mouth full as he asked, "What?" This made them laugh harder, Cooper harder than Kurt but Kurt still looked more amused than Blaine had seen him before. "Seriously what?" Cooper shook his head,

"Nothing, you are just... acting like Blaine again." Blaine looked at him, was that an insult or a compliment? And were those tears in Kurt's eyes?

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