Because You Live

"Damn it!"

Kurt was startled when he heard the resounding noise of someone punching a wall. He was doing in nothing particular really; just walking down the hallway of McKinley High when he heard someone cussed and literally punched the wall. If it weren't for the fact that he recognized the voice, he would have assumed it to be a jock as the voice came from the school gym.

Slowly, he swiveled on his heel and swung by the corner. Peeking inside the gym, Kurt saw that it was deserted except for the lone figure hunched by the shower stalls. His head was buried between his knees which were drawn together to his chest. The figure was panting rather heavily as if he had been running. When he lifted up his head, Kurt's eyes widened as his suspicions were confirmed.

"Blaine?" he called out carefully.

Oh god, Blaine looked horrible. His eyes were red and puffy; proof that he had been crying, and his cheeks were flushed. Kurt's gaze strayed to Blaine's knuckles where an angry purple bruise started to form. Gripping his satchel tighter, Kurt rushed to his side.

"What happened to you, Blaine?" Kurt cried. "Have you been crying?" he asked softly, his fingers ghosting over Blaine's puffy eyelids.

Blaine turned his head away. "Not really," he muttered. "I'm fine,"

"You are most certainly not fine. You have been crying and look at you knuckles!" Kurt held them up as emphasis. "You hurt yourself!"

Blaine didn't pull his hand away; instead, he repositioned it so his own fingers covered Kurt's. He looked at Kurt and smiled weakly. "I'm not that hurt. It'll heal,"

For a moment, Kurt stared at Blaine. He did nothing but stare. A few silent seconds later, he managed to whisper. "Blaine…are you hurting?"

Blaine looked as if he was about to retort when the real meaning behind Kurt's question began to sink in. Hazel met glasz for a second before Blaine lowered his gaze, Slowly, he pulled his hand way from Kurt's and sighed, eyes staring at the ground.

"I…know what to expect when I decided to transfer McKinley, Kurt. I know very well how harsh public schools could be and the huge difference between them and Dalton Academy," he murmured.

Kurt felt a lump forming in his throat. Is Blaine…? Like he suspected? "Are you regretting your decision?" he whispered, his voice barely escaped shaking.

The moment the words left his lips, Blaine looked at Kurt with a disbelieving expression. His eyes softened and he reached out to stroke Kurt's cheek, who couldn't help but to lean in to the touch.

"Why on earth would you think that, Kurt?" Blaine asked. "I never regretted my decision, never have and never will,"

Kurt smiled softly for a moment before his eyes strayed once more to Blaine's puffy ones. "Then why do you look so sad?"

Blaine didn't answer at first; he merely looked upwards and sighed. Kurt contemplated for a brief second before sitting down on the dirty gym floor. Screw his nice pants. Blaine mattered more than his expensive clothes. Kurt did nothing but wait.

Finally, after two agonizingly long minutes, Blaine let out a slow breath before speaking.

"Let's just say… my first week being a New Directions member really made me think over certain things," he paused before letting out a chuckle. "Or at least, your step-brother made it quite clear that I should think about certain aspects about my life,"

Kurt raised a delicate eyebrow. "Finn? What did he do?"

Then he paused. His mind began to replay all the scenes in Glee Club rehearsals within the first few weeks in school. Now that he thought about it, there was quite a few confrontations between Blaine and Finn, lately. They had shared a few disagreements. The one when Finn thought Blaine had set the piano on fire; the one in the choir room where Finn had told Blaine off because he had sort of cut in Finn's 'pep talk' and a few others. Now that he noticed, Finn had not been exactly friendly towards Blaine.

But they performed together when Puck sang 'Hot for Teacher' the other day. Kurt thought for sure their friendship was alright. Apparently, he was wrong.

"Look, Finn could be difficult at times, but I'm sure-"

"No, Kurt!" Blaine cut off. "I-I…had enough,"

Kurt was rendered speechless. He had rarely become a witness to one of Blaine's sudden outburst. Before he could blink, Blaine had curled himself into a ball.

"I-I tried to fit in, Kurt. I really did. I was trying to be a team member. But e-everything I said," he sucked in a shaky breath. "Finn doesn't seem to make an effort to like me, Kurt. It's frustrating! Everything I said, he would somehow disagree with. Everything I do, he would somehow find it irritating. I d-don't know what to do anymore, Kurt. I really don't," And before Kurt could even say anything, Blaine Anderson began to cry.

Kurt could only stare while Blaine's tears flowed ceaselessly down his cheeks. Blaine didn't cry noisily; he didn't sob or wail, but the sight of his tears rolling down his cheeks while Blaine shuddered a breath truly broke Kurt's heart.

"Blaine, I…"

"I'm useless,"

Kurt suddenly felt as if someone slapped him across the cheek as soon as those two words lefts Blaine's lips. Suddenly, a scene between Kurt and Nick began to play in his head. Two days after Blaine's transfer, Kurt had received a sudden call from one of the Warblers, Nick Duval. He had something that Kurt made sure he would never forget.

He may not show it, but Blaine still suffers some of the effects from his bullying in his old school. Don't be surprised if you ever find him in a situation where he begins to doubt himself…

"I'm useless, useless, useless…" Blaine began to chant. From the look of his eyes, Kurt doubted that Blaine was still aware of the world around him.

Gasping, Kurt got up and grasped Blaine's shoulders. "Blaine Anderson, don't you ever say that about yourself," he said firmly. "You are not useless. Don't let Finn's actions…or any fools' affect you. You are an amazing person, Blaine. Please," he choked. "Don't ever forget that,"

Blaine merely whimpered. Kurt sighed and began stroking Blaine's curls. At this, Blaine's posture began to relax.

"Please, Blaine," Kurt begged softly. "D-don't ever doubt yourself. You are not useless. In fact," Kurt breathed. "If it weren't because I met you, I would not become the person I am right now,"

Kurt meant every word he said. Before he met Blaine, Kurt was practically drowning in his loneliness. He had grown too used to see his friends being so happy being around their significant others while he watched them from the sideways. When the Karofsky's bullying escalated, Kurt honestly had briefly contemplated the thought of suicide. He didn't want to live in constant fear, but the thing that kept him alive was the thought of leaving his dad and friends. Kurt was miserable.

But then, Kurt met Blaine. Blaine had been so understanding towards Kurt as he shared similar experiences and the two bonded. Because of Blaine, he had the courage to stand up to his bullies. Because of Blaine, he had the nerve to answer back Karofsky. Because of Blaine, he accepted his title as Prom Queen when the school crowned him as one as a practical joke. Because of Blaine, he had someone to love.

Because of Blaine, Kurt lived.

And Kurt could not just sit here and do nothing while his loved one was currently hurting.

They sat in silence for a while before Kurt began to hum a tune. Soon, he opened his mouth to sing.

Staring out at the rain with a heavy heart

It's the end of the world in my mind

Then your voice pulls me back like a wake up call

I've been looking for the answer

Somewhere

I couldn't see that it was right there

But now I know what I didn't know

Because you live and breathe

Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help

Because you live, boy

My world has twice as many stars in the sky

It's alright, I survived, I'm alive again

Cuz of you, made it through every storm

What is life, what's the use if you're killing time

I'm so glad I found an angel

Someone

Who was there when all my hopes fell

I wanna fly, looking in your eyes

Because you live and breathe

Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help

Because you live, boy

My world has twice as many stars in the sky

Because you live, I live

Because you live there's a reason why

I carry on when I lose the fight

I want to give what you've given me always

Because you live and breathe

Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help

Because you live, boy

My world has twice as many stars in the sky

Because you live and breathe

Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help

Because you live, boy

My world has everything I need to survive

Because you live, I live, I live

By the time Kurt finished, he was suddenly engulfed in a warm embrace. Blaine's tears continued to fall onto the soft fabric of Kurt's overshirt but Kurt could feel Blaine's lips tugging into a smile.

"I love you so much, Kurt," Blaine whispered, his voice muffled from Kurt's clothes.

Kurt smiled and silently lifted up Blaine's head so that he was facing him. Wordlessly, he pulled him towards himself and their lips met. Blaine groaned and leaned into the kiss. Kurt could taste the salty taste of Blanie's tears as they kissed. He smiled and deepened the kiss, unsaid words being poured into the contact of lips.

You're a wonderful person, Blaine…and I'll always love you…

A/N: Am I dreaming? Have I really successfully written an angst/romance one-shot? HUZZAH!

PLEASE, for the love of all that's holy, REVIEW! :D