CHAPTER 5

The next time Blaine saw Kurt, it was a chilly Thursday morning. Three days after the initial contact.

Blaine was walking towards the school building, it was too early for most students to arrive to school and the parking lot was deserted except for the handful of vehicles scattered across the lot. He parked his car in his usual spot. He shrugged on his messenger bag and starts his trek to school, his fingers tapping to the beat of the music in his ear buds. Blaine was still optimistic that he would run into Kurt in school somehow, he just needs to give him his space. For past days, Blaine had been helping Artie tap into the school system, giving Artie access to the security cameras around the school, and was familiarising himself with the school grounds. But Blaine cannot help but be disappointed when Kurt did not show up at the end of the day. He tries to push down the nagging feeling that he scared Kurt off. Instead, he thinks of what to say to him when he runs into him the next time.

The next time arrives far too quickly than expected. During a song transition in his iPod, Blaine heard a sickening crunch of body impacting metal. He turned his head to the origin of sound, he discerns Kurt, slouched in front of a dumpster, his face revealing a slight hint of pain but otherwise, indifference. Blaine also spots a group of red and white letter jackets etching closer to him. Blaine could feel his body pumping with adrenaline as he rushes towards the scene, tearing his ear buds away as he tries to capture the jocks' attention by yelling "Hey!"

It worked, all of them turned to face Blaine, curious to see who dared to tilt the status quo: The popular bullying the weak, the weak giving in.

The supposed leader of the letter jackets step out from the group. Leering at Blaine, he smirked.

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business, midget?"

The jock is around 6 and half foot tall; Blaine thinks that he might be the school's basketball player or a linebacker, solely because of his ridiculously tall frame.

"And why don't you pick someone your own size?" Blaine snapped, straightening his back.

The jocks behind the ringleader guffaws, Blaine espies Kurt behind all of them, frozen at his place on the asphalt and captivated by what's going on.

"If we did, we probably have no one to bully, dumbass."

There is a reason for stereotypes, Blaine thinks, he stares at the bully in disbelief. Did he not understand what he said?

"King Kong is an obvious choice, since all of you look exactly like him, but I doubt you have enough brawls to compensate for his brains though." Blaine countered. He could see the gears turning in the jock's head, and the veins popping out at the side of his head as he slowly come to terms to what Blaine said before.

"Are you saying that I look like a monkey?" he threatens, looming over Blaine.

"Well, I think you are a Simian, but that would be an insult to primates in general." Blaine shrugged, keeping eye contact with the towering frame. He didn't think the bully understood him; nevertheless, the burly teenager throws a hook at him. By instinct, and the rigorous spy training Blaine had been used to, he ducks. Throwing the bully off balance with a swift swipe by his ankles, he lands on the asphalt with a loud thud. The others quickly recovered from the sudden upturned of events. All of them rushing forward to try and avenge their fallen leader, Blaine makes quick work of them. Blaine made sure he was not the first to throw a punch, shifting his lithe body around to avoid poorly thrown fists. By the end of it all, a few were left groaning on the floor, and the remaining scattered, cradling a bruised limb or face.

Blaine nods with a satisfied smile, he thinks of the security guard back in the Russian Embassy. This is his usual standards. He picks up his bag where it has fallen when the herd of husky teenagers charged at him, and remembers how the scuffle started. Kurt is still at the exact spot as before, but his stoic features is replaced with aghast.

"Who are you?"

Blaine blanches; he squats down to Kurt's level.

"Oh god, you are having a concussion, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Kurt pushes away the two fingers from his line of sight.

"Blaine, I know you are. But what are you?"

"Let's just head into the school first, okay?"

Kurt stands up with the help of Blaine. He dusts off his jacket and follows Blaine to school, if Blaine was trying to worm his way from an explanation he could might as well forget it, because there's no way Kurt could forget that.

"I thought I had given enough hints to stay away, new kid."

"And why would you do that?"

"Because Blaine nothing good happens when you are friends with the only out gay kid in Ohio!" Kurt snaps, halting in his steps. That was the real motive why Kurt ran out the class three days ago. It was to give Blaine an easy way out. So that it would be easier to let go. His brain unhelpfully supplements.

Blaine stops in his track as well,

"Not anymore,"

"What?"

"You're not the only gay kid in Ohio now."

Kurt turns and looks at Blaine, trying to find any cracks in his humourless joke, he found none. His face was dead serious. Slowly, Kurt seemed to comprehend what Blaine is trying to say.

A surge of unidentified relief washed over him, finally, someone that could understand his troubles, someone that has heard his distress call in the middle of an endless ocean, someone that has thrown a lifebuoy into the vast ocean of solitude. He thinks of just pouring out his heart to this kind stranger, who happens to be gay and saved him the trouble of getting out of another dumpster tossing. But the more guarded side of Kurt's conscience, the one that holds all the bad memories of trusting someone, overpowers that thought.

"Look Kurt, I know you have been through a lot and you're alone and scared but you don't have to be anymore." Blaine walks back to where Kurt stood. His arms outspread and open, his hazel eyes so pure and honest, Kurt is lost in the sincerity in it. Tentatively, Blaine closes in and brings him into his embrace, giving plenty of time for Kurt to pull away. But he doesn't.

Kurt leans to his neck and breaths in the strong scent of Blaine. He shudders, willing his tears to go away. They stay like that for a long moment in comfortable silence, allowing Blaine to hold him while he tries not to cry. After a long moment to what seems like an eternity, Kurt pulls himself away from Blaine. They walk towards their first class together and before the bell announces their first lesson, they had been chatting away like old friends.

They stick to easier topics. Blaine realises they have a lot in common. And being gay in the conservative mid-west did help a lot too. Kurt had an impeccable taste in fashion, it was way too obvious from the moment he met Kurt the first time. Blaine tells Kurt of his Vogue subscription and his obsession with bowties. Not many people would agree to this strange addiction but Kurt shrugs and says "it looks good on you." It made Blaine want to put bowties on every day, and everywhere. Kurt informs Blaine of his family, about how his mother died when he was eight and now he lives with his dad, stepmom, and stepbrother.

As on cue, Finn bursts into the classroom,

"Kurt, I—" he notices Blaine sitting next to Kurt, looking curiously at him, and the class staring at his sudden outburst, his tall form shrinks. "Can I talk to you outside?"

A/N: eeek! I hope it wasn't too angsty, also I hope that's enough to reason why Kurt left during homeroom.

As always, reviews and comments are loved!