Undertow

Blaine let the cold water run over his skin in lines. The bathroom was silent and somewhat daunting in the darkness. He couldn't tell if it's just the time of night, or the feeling of frustration when he thought of Kurt being trapped in this building. It had taken a while to relax Kurt completely after running into Karofsky in the corridor. Blaine checked himself in the mirror again. The bruise he thought we would get never came, and for that he was thankful. But the anger still boiled inside him. The image of Kurt's trembling form when Karofsky rounded on him set his very being alight with something much darker and heavier than anything Blaine had ever experienced.

Turning his wrist over, Blaine noticed he still had fifteen minutes before the intermission ended. He didn't want to leave Kurt alone for too long. His boyfriend's hand had gripped his own so tightly Blaine feared Kurt might run. Run from the school, run from him. The dull clunk of the door opening tore Blaine from his thoughts of Kurt. He stared straight into the mirror and saw the small eyes of David Karofsky stare back at him.

'What are you doing in here?' The words were harsh, almost manic and Karofsky's tone was dripping with contempt. Blaine shook his hands of the water before turning to face the boy that made Kurt... run.

'Using the bathroom, what do you think?' Blaine replied coolly. Karofsky shifted as though he was going to leave, but instead he just avoided looking Blaine in the eye. Something stirred within Blaine. Something angry. 'You have a lot of nerve coming up to Kurt like that.'

Karofsky's face flashed dangerously at the words, but Blaine remained stoic.

'That fag? He shouldn't have even had the nerve to come back here!' Karofsky snapped, his words sounding clumsy. The beast in Blaine's stomach growled fiercely.

'Don't call him that,' he snarled through gritted teeth. Karofsky looked thrown by the intensity of Blaine's statement, but his silence was short-lived.

'Or what? You gonna go for me like before?' The word ended in a bitter laugh that made Blaine feel sick. Karofsky smiled thickly, his voice sounded oily. Greasy. 'You already proved to your little butt-buddy you're not man enough to take me! Hummel really slummed it up with you, didn't he?'

Something roared inside Blaine as he struggled to think of something to say. But nearly all his thoughts were concentrated on keeping his fists clung to the sink, not plunged into Karofsky's face. He needed to be strong. For Kurt. He needed to be the better man.

Karofsky walked up to Blaine, towering over him just inches away. Blaine smelt his sweat and the thought of this thing being so close to Kurt made his fists twitch. Karofsky seemed to sense he was touching a nerve somewhere and he elicited something from it.

'If Hummel had gone and got himself a real man-'

'What? Like you?' Blaine cut across him. Something crossed over Karofsky's face and realisation hit Blaine. A truth stared out from Karofsky and presented itself to Blaine in the artificial light of the bathroom. The creature inside him snarled in triumph.

'You want him, don't you?'

'I don't know what you're talking about fa-'

'Of course,' Blaine continued, ignoring Karofsky's attempts to speak. He stepped away from the boy and paced the bathroom steadily, enjoying the panicked look spread all across Karofsky's face like ink spelled on paper. 'It all makes sense now, doesn't it? Tell me, David. What exactly irks you so much about me?'

Karofsky's mouth opened and closed twice, but not noise came out. Blaine smiled to himself; watching Karofsky squirm like this did bring it's fair dues of pleasure. But it wasn't enough. He wanted to hit him. Hard. The twisted image from Blaine's imagination of Kurt being kissed by that- thing raged inside him like boiling water. Karofsky seemed to feel Blaine's control over himself wavering.

'Bet Hummel loves to think that, doesn't he?' Karofsky replied, almost as slickly as Blaine had spoken but the words shook. With anger or fear, Blaine couldn't tell anymore. 'Loves to think everyone's after him. When the truth is he's nothing but a fag. He's better than you though.'

Blaine froze and watched Karofsky. His monster reared it's ugly, fierce head within himself, waiting for the next blow.

'Hummel could've gotten anyone,' Karofsky said, quieter than previous. Blaine felt his eyebrow quirk, but whatever sentiment was in the statement was short-lived. 'You've never seen him out of his queer-parade, have you?' Blaine felt like he lost his footing, and he knew Karofsky could sense it.

'He may seem all proper-like in that jacket and tie, but before that he dressed like a faggot, a whoring fag.'

The words hit Blaine in crashing waves and every cell of his being roared in anger. Everytime Karofsky used the word to describe Kurt, his Kurt, the string holding his reason became closer and closer to breaking point. Karofsky started to step towards him, but Blaine stepped up first. He was ready for battle. He wanted blood.

'You better take that back.'

The words were not said, they were demanded.

'Why should I?' Karofsky challenged. 'It's not like he's your boyfriend, it's not like you've got any ownership, or whatever. I can say what I like!'

'You know what, David,' he started, watching Karofsky's eyes narrow. 'I am his boyfriend. And you know what else? That even before I was, I still had more claim over him than you ever will in your entire life.'

Karofsky's mouth twitched. Oh, Blaine thought. That's hitting home. But this thought only fuelled the fire as a consuming wave of jealously wrapped itself around Blaine like tendrils, strangling him. Choking the words almost, but they fought to get out. Blaine was sick of being the better man.

'And I know that that kills you. It kills you knowing that you are always going to be those two inches too tall to fit in under his chin. It kills you knowing that when he kisses me, he kisses me.' Blaine relished in the short-lived thrill of watching Karofsky crack beneath his words, but his growling, envious monster was too angry to let that be it.

'And I know, oh, I know that it just murders you that you're not his type.' Something like recognition glinted in Karofsky's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. 'And that I am. And always will be.'

Karofsky launched himself at Blaine, his sweaty hand sweeping him up like he was nothing and thrusting him into the wall. Blaine cried out as he made contact with the hard surface. Karofsky went right up to Blaine's face, so close their noses almost touched and Blaine could see his own furious reflection in Karofsky's eyes.

'Did Hummel tell you that he kissed me?' Karofsky hissed.

'Like I'm ever to believe anything you say over Kurt-'

'Well, how about you ask him. Because here's something I bet you didn't know,' Karofsky's grip tightened, as if the mere thought of Kurt's lips coiled him like a spring. Blaine's jealous flared viciously again.

'When we kissed, he didn't stop it. Didn't even try. I was the one who stopped kissing him.'

The words were cold, but something heavy and almost twisted was within him. Something that shook Blaine to the very core. Karofsky dropped him abruptly and he landed in a heap on the floor. Anger burned inside him. With a shout, Blaine rose from the ground and tackled Karofsky with all his might. Karofsky grabbed Blaine by the arm and flung him away, before punching him heavily in the chest. Winded, Blaine fell back against the wall.

'Blaine? Where are you? The show starts in-'

Kurt froze in the doorway. Whatever colour he had in his pale cheeks drained from them as his eyes met Karofsky. His left arm twitched to his right, but he composed himself quickly. But Blaine could see it in his eyes. The fear. The pure terror that emanated from the beautiful green eyes he was falling in love with. Blaine pushed himself up from the wall.

'Blaine!' His movement seemed to alert Kurt to Blaine. Kurt rushed to Blaine's side, his small hands clutching at his chest and waist, hoisting Blaine up to his full height. 'What did you do to him?'

Something soothed the beast at Kurt's words. It was the concern, the panic. The anger that Karofsky had dared to assault him. Blaine felt the air returning him, like Kurt was all he needed to breathe. Karofsky looked like he was about to say something, but seemed to decide against it. He threw Blaine a look of pure hatred and what Blaine could finally identify as jealousy. He stormed out past them, shoving into Kurt's shoulder on the way out. Blaine felt compelled to hit him again.

'Blaine, what happened?'

'Nothing, Karofsky and I were just having a little chat,' Blaine replied aloofly. Kurt gave him the look he knew so well. That look of concern and fear whenever Blaine mentioned the thing's name.

'Please, just let him go. He doesn't matter now,' Kurt said soothingly. Blaine stared into the boy's face, tracing each curve and dip into his mind. But something nagged inside him. Karofsky's last words still hung in the air between them. Blaine pulled Kurt into a hug, his arms holding onto Kurt's waist tighter than he could ever remember doing.

'I just don't want you to be scared,' he murmured into Kurt's shoulder. The boy pulled back and green met brown as he looked straight into Blaine's eyes. Karofsky's words seemed to ring louder in his ears.

'I'm not scared, not when I have you. Blaine, you're amazing.' Blaine felt the anger and doubt inside him subside. A strong surge of emotion flooded through him, extinguishing the fires. It soothed him and Blaine felt the love that was becoming so sure return and envelope him.

Blaine's eyes flickered past Kurt for the briefest moment, and he caught Karofsky watching them from outside. His eyes met Blaine's. Raising his hands, Blaine took Kurt's beautiful face into his fingers. Their lips met and Kurt melted into him, the way Blaine knew only he'd ever be able to do. Blaine took his time, he let himself rediscover Kurt's mouth, let himself move as his boyfriend reciprocated so fully that Blaine could never doubt him.

He cast his eyes beyond Kurt and met Karofsky's again. Kurt's arms snaked around his waist and Blaine pulled his face even closer. Karofsky turned sharply and almost ran down the corridor. Blaine caught his face before he vanished. Something far stronger than anger was seething across his features and Blaine felt victorious.

Kurt Hummel was his. And would never let Karofsky forget it.

This is almost like a missing chapter from my other story "Unwanted", but because that story is in Kurt's POV, I decided instead of scrapping this, I'd post it as a oneshot. :) I would really like to hear your opinion of my writing of Blaine. I wanted him to be different from Kurt. Less... compliant, I suppose. Blaine always seems to be far more intense, more open. Poor Kurt, he just keeps everything bottled up. :(

Thank you for reading. :) x