A/N: Okay, I'm going to be real honest with you guys. This chapter is not very exciting. I am facing an extreme case of writer's block/apathy in this and my other story right now. I'm trying to fight through it, but I think sometimes you just need to let times like this pass, otherwise you end up with mediocre work, and I don't want that to happen.

So...I'm not sure when my next update will be. I'm working on getting back into the groove, but it may take a little time. Thanks for your patience and support. I'll try to snap out of it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading.

I don't own Glee.

Chapter 5

"And...go!"

At the sound of the whistle, Blaine and Kurt both took off. Blaine could hear the thud of his feet pounding the packed dirt track and the thud of his heart slamming against his chest after only a few short seconds. This was their second trial sprint of the morning and it was becoming obvious to him that he wasn't on par with the athletic abilities of the other rescuers or even Kurt. He cast a glance toward Kurt who was slightly ahead of him already. He admired the way Kurt moved so gracefully, even as his arms pumped fast and hard with the effort of maintaining top speed.

Blaine's whole morning thus far had been a study in the way Kurt Hummel moved as he completed the various obstacles set up by Thomas, the leader of the rescue team. It was imperative, according to Thomas, that each member be able to take care of him or herself. It wasn't enough to have a desire to help save others, such as the curious desire that Kurt had expressed. A weak link on a rescue mission could mean the difference between life and death.

As they crossed over the threshold marked at the end of the track by two wooden posts staked into the ground, Blaine slowed to a stop and rested his forearms on his bent legs. Although he was nearly doubled over, he hoped that he didn't look as tired and in pain as he felt.

Kurt slowed to a trot and ran wide circles around the posts before coming to a stop, lacing his fingers behind his head and approaching Blaine.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. As hard as it was, Blaine forced himself to stand straight and shake his feet out a bit.

"Yeah," he answered as nonchalantly as possible. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Fine," Kurt said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Alright guys," a voice called out to them from behind. They both turned around to find Thomas approaching. "That was good. Blaine, I'm going to send you over to Katherine to work on target practice a bit more. Kurt, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Kurt nodded. He turned to Blaine and gave him a quick smile and a wave goodbye as Thomas pointed out where Katherine, the designated weapons expert of the group was situated by the firing range at the west end of the makeshift training facility right outside of New Lima's borders. As soon as Blaine was out of earshot, Thomas leaned in to Kurt. Kurt already knew what he was going to say before the words ever left his mouth.

"He's not cut out for this," Thomas whispered bluntly.

"I know," Kurt sighed. "He's still recovering from his injury."

"No, it's not just that," Thomas responded. "Mentally, he's...listen, why did you want to join the rescue team?"

"Because it's all I can see myself doing," Kurt answered simply. "I can't imagine doing anything else now that I know this team exists."

"And why do you think Blaine is doing this?"

Kurt paused as he thought about it. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to say it out loud for Blaine's sake.

"Because he loves me and he thinks that supporting me means he has to do this too, even if it's not what he wants."

Thomas nodded, as if Kurt just confirmed everything he was already thinking.

"I can't have someone with that mindset on my team," he finally said gently. "You know why, right?"

"Yeah."

Thomas offered him what he hoped was a comforting pat on the back and a small smile.

"You're perfect for the team, Kurt, and we would be honored to have you join us. But I'm going to have to break the news to Blaine that we can't bring him on."

"Will you let me do it?" Kurt asked suddenly. He wasn't sure why it was so important, but he felt like he needed to be the one to tell him.

"Sure," Thomas agreed. "Why don't you head over and grab some lunch. I'll go get Blaine from Katherine and send him your way."

With that, the two men separated and Kurt trudged slowly back through the entryway to the community. He tried to map out what he was going to say to Blaine, how he was going to let him down, and he tried to predict how Blaine might react. Preparing himself for the worst, he grabbed enough food from the outdoor kitchen to feed both of them and went to their usual meal spot to wait for Blaine.

After speaking with Thomas, Blaine made his way back inside the borders to find Kurt. During his short walk, he tried to get himself in a better frame of mind. He was exhausted and his side hurt, but he didn't want to let on to Kurt that he wasn't feeling well. The last thing he wanted was for Kurt to start worrying about him again.

As he drew closer, he made eye contact with Kurt who acknowledged him and indicated that he'd grabbed their lunch already.

"Hey," he greeted with a wide smile. "Tough morning, huh?"

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. He sounded somewhat distant to Blaine, like his mind was elsewhere, despite how much attention he seemed to be paying to his sandwich.

"I think it's going well though," Blaine spoke again, plopping down next to Kurt and stretching his legs out. "In a few days, I bet all this climbing and jumping and shooting will be second nature."

Kurt winced, and this time he wasn't able to hide it from Blaine.

"What?" Blaine asked innocently.

"We need to talk," Kurt began.

We need to talk. That was never a good start to a conversation. Blaine nodded in agreement, even though he wasn't quite sure what he was agreeing to, before tilting his head to the side and waiting for Kurt to continue the conversation.

"Thomas thinks, and I think, that maybe...I don't know, maybe...it's just that-"

"Kurt, spit it out."

"The rescue team isn't a good fit for you," Kurt finally said, spitting the words out in a rapid fire stream. "You're not fully healed-"

"But I will be," Blaine interjected. "I just need a bit more time. Trust me, I can do this."

"It's not just that," Kurt sighed, as if it was physically painful for him to be having this discussion. "You're only doing it because of me. It's not what you truly want to do, and Thomas thinks it's going to cause problems on missions."

Blaine could feel his face heating up with a combination of embarrassment and anger.

"And what do you think?" he asked simply. Kurt couldn't help but look away from him.

"I think he's right," Kurt answered quietly, still not making eye contact with Blaine. He stayed still, with his eyes cast on the ground in front of him until he felt Blaine getting up. He opened his mouth to call after him, but no sound came out. What was he going to say, anyway? He just needs some time, Kurt thought to himself. Once he cools down, this will all be a relief to him.

Kurt finally looked up once Blaine was a safe distance away and watched as he stalked off. He couldn't tell where Blaine was headed off to, but it didn't really matter. Kurt needed to get back to the training grounds any way. He just hoped that by the time he was finished that evening, Blaine would be calm enough to see the truth and love in what Kurt had told him. All Kurt wanted was to protect Blaine and serve on the rescue team and he hoped with everything he had that choosing one wouldn't cost him the other.