Pain erupted in Blaine's stomach as he ran out of the bar, hailing a cab and wrapping his coat over himself. He vaguely thought he heard Thad's voice calling him but he didn't dare turn back. In breathless pants, he barked an address at the driver, a place he knew that Kurt wouldn't look.

His thoughts overwhelmed him. While he knew what Kurt could do, this… this took him unawares. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected him to do what he'd done. His hands shook as he drew money out of his coat pocket to pay the cabbie. He staggered into the building he'd been dropped outside, when the doorman stopped him.

"Is Mr Smythe in?" he rasped, leaning against the doorjamb.

"He is, but I can ask if he's taking visitors." The doorman dialled a number. "Mr Smythe? I have someone asking for you. Just a minute. He is asking for your name," he said to Blaine.

"Anderson," said Blaine, wheezing. The doorman relayed the message. After a pause, he nodded.

"Mr Smythe will see you," he said, directing Blaine to the elevator.

Blaine staggered into the elevator, thanking his lucky stars Sebastian was in, and willing to meet him. The door to Sebastian's apartment opened before Blaine could ring, bringing a smile to his face, before everything went blank.

Sebastian had only just got in when the intercom went off.

"Mr Smythe? I have someone asking for you."

"Can you please ask his name?"

He heard an exchange before the doorman got back on the phone. "Anderson."

Sebastian's world began spinning. The only Anderson he knew was Blaine, but there was no reason for Blaine to be there. "Show him up," he said, realising that the doorman was waiting for an answer, and then hung up.

Hearing the soft footsteps outside his door, Sebastian opened the door, only to have Blaine collapse onto the carpet in his doorway.

Cursing under his breath, he noted the bruises to Blaine's jaw, and a tear to his shirt on one shoulder where his coat had slipped off. He now understood the slight urgency he'd sensed in the doorman's voice. Scooping Blaine into his arms, noting he was rather light, he gently walked to the couch and lowered Blaine onto it.

With swift movements, he filled a glass with water, bringing it to Blaine's lips, rubbing his throat to ease it down his tract. He was rewarded with a sputtering noise as Blaine tried to resist and ultimately awoke. Sitting back on his haunches, he watched Blaine open his eyes, and smile faintly at him.

"Blaine? What the hell happened?" he asked, helping Blaine into a sitting position. "I thought… that we'd agreed to not meet each other, because Hummel…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"Yes, we had," began Blaine, and Sebastian stared at him, given how raspy his voice sounded. "Ian, something happened today."

"What happened, Blaine?" asked Sebastian, warmth filling him at the nickname, despite how haggard Blaine's appearance looked. "Your clothes are tattered, you're bruised and you showed up here, at my house knowing your husband hates me, and hates that we are friends, despite all the bad blood between me and him."

"Ex-husband," corrected Blaine, making Sebastian blanch. He patted the space on the couch next to him, and Sebastian obliged.

"When?" asked Sebastian. "And why didn't anyone tell me? Thad, Nick, Jeff, none of them!"

"That's because no one knows, Ian," said Blaine, unconsciously slipping into the nickname. "We got divorced around 7 months ago."

"But Blaine, that's not even 3 years into your marriage."

"H-He was cheating on me," said Blaine, softly, averting his gaze. "With a colleague."

"But why didn't you tell anyone this, Blaine?"

"Because," said Blaine, turning back to Sebastian. "Ian, I needed to be sure, of who I am, of who I truly love. I realised a year into my marriage, that while I loved Kurt, I wasn't in love with him. And I didn't know where I stood in his life. Our divorce was messy and only Sam was a part of it."

Sebastian nodded. That made sense to him. Sam Evans had even stood for Blaine when he'd married Kurt. "When did you know?"

"Two years in, I had proof, though I suspected it earlier on. He kept odd hours, and barely ever made it home on time, and was pretty much barely pulling through classes."

"I'm so sorry Blaine. I don't mean to be rude, but what brings you here today?"

He regretted his question as Blaine's expression morphed into one of sadness and near shock.

"Kurt accosted me," said Blaine, slowly. "I was at the bar and saw Thad, Jeff and Nick, so I decided to reconnect. Kurt didn't like the Dalton boys, but now he has no say, so I just decided it, like a spur of the moment thing."

Sebastian nodded, and rose to fetch both of them some whiskey. Pouring the drinks out he handed one to Blaine, indicating he continue.

"Kurt must have seen me, because the minute I went to the back to take my brother's call, he was there. I hung up with Cooper and he punched me without any warning. I tried talking to him, reasoning, but he didn't listen. He wanted to make sure I would go grovelling back to him.." Blaine swallowed, and Sebastian's eyes widened at the implication.

"He.. Blaine," he didn't know why he did it, but he took Blaine's face in his hands. "Blaine, did he lay a hand on you?"

Blaine swallowed again. Closing his eyes, because for some reason he didn't want to witness Sebastian's reaction, he nodded. "He tried to, but I kind of kicked him, and ran out." Blaine's voice shook with the effort of not crying. "I heard Thad calling out, but I didn't stop. It would be great if you would tell Thad I am here."

"I can, but Blaine, you can't keep it in, you n-"

"I need to what Ian?" said Blaine, his voice rising. "Cry? Because I spent a year doing it. If it had been the first time, maybe," he added, in an undertone, not meaning for Sebastian to here it.

"What is that supposed to mean, Blaine?"

Belatedly, Blaine realised that Sebastian had heard him. "Ian," he began, gripping Sebastian's hand in his. "Ian, it's not what y-"
"Don't tell me it isn't what I think because I cannot have mistaken what you said." His eyes were like chips of ice, his hands clenched and unclenched.

"Ian, calm down," said Blaine, gripping his hand tighter. "Please, please, calm down. Can I call Thad from your phone?"

Sebastian took a large sip of his whiskey and nodded, handing his phone over to Blaine. Even for Hummel, this is low, he thought, with mounting horror. That scum dared laid a hand on Blaine, I will rip him to pieces for it.