Hello peoples! This story was commissioned by someone on deviantART. Yep, I do commissions on there! Very cheap ones! ^^ So if you have an account and would like me to write anything for you (doesn't even have to be Klaine, but it can be ;3) then the link to my account is on my profile page. Do it! I want more commissions! Lol XD

So anyways, this is my slightly AU ficlet, Helping Hand.

Kurt sighed, gazing at the picture hanging up his locker. Chocolate brown eyes stared back at him. He knew that it would completely weird Blaine out if he knew that Kurt had a picture of him in his locker, but Kurt was beyond caring at this point. Looking at the picture wasn't as good as looking at the real thing, but it was something at least.

Blaine Anderson had transferred into McKinley a few months before, and had taken the entire school (and glee club) by storm. He was somehow able to be popular despite the fact that he was in glee and gay, an achievement that Kurt envied with scorn, and yet admired with a passion. The two got on ok, Blaine always trying to make more of an effort than Kurt did, but they weren't close. The truth was, Kurt was afraid to get too close to Blaine. He had fallen for him hard, but he didn't want Blaine to know that; he was a bright star, and Kurt was scared that he'd get burnt if he got to close.

So stolen glances and a secret picture in a locker would have to do.

Glee club was cancelled that day (half the members had come down with the flu) so Kurt was making his way to the car park, when he felt someone grab him from behind. He spun round to face Karofsky, Azimio, and two other football jocks, all four faces plastered with cruel smirks.

"What's up, faggot?" Karofsky spat. Kurt swallowed nervously, but put on a brave face.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Well, it seems to us," Azimio began. "That no matter how many times we toss you in a dumpster or give you a slushy facial, you don't seem to get the hint."

"Yeah. You're still sprinkling your faggy faerie dust everywhere!" one of the other jocks added.

"And we don't like it," Karofsky concluded, giving Kurt a shove. He fell back onto the tarmac, his lips set in a defiant scowl.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," he hissed, hoping that his voice didn't waver. "But I don't plan on changing any time soon."

He'd barely gotten the last word out of his mouth when he felt Azimio's foot connect with his ribcage. Kurt gasped, struggling to take a breath as he felt someone kick him in the back. He was yanked to his feet by his hair and punched in the face by one of them, he wasn't sure who. All he was aware of as he stumbled back to the ground was dizziness and cruel laughter. And then a voice.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kurt looked up, but the punch had made his vision blurry and he couldn't make out who had suddenly stood himself between him and his tormentors.

"Out of the way fag!" someone spat. Fag? Who could they be talking to? Oh, wait...

"Why don't you just leave him alone? What the hell did he do to you?" the boy who Kurt now realised was Blaine demanded.

"Stay out of this!"

"If you think I'm just going to walk away, you are sorely mistaken."

"We got no problem messing you up too!"

"Go ahead. But you'd better make it quick; the teachers are coming out any minute now."

The boys grumbled in defeat. "This ain't over!" Karofsky promised, before they all trudged off, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone. Blaine knelt down next to Kurt, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok?" he asked softly.

"Fine," Kurt said through gritted teeth. He tried to stand up, but doubled over from the pain in his chest.

"Hey, careful! Come on, let me help you."

"I don't need your help!" Kurt insisted, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. His face flushed with shame. Why did he have to see me like that? He probably thinks I'm pathetic and weak. He probably pities me right now.

"At least let me drive you home. You're in no state to drive right now."

"What about my car?"

"You can come into school with your brother and Puck tomorrow. It'll be safe until then. Come on."

Kurt refused to let Blaine help him walk to the car, but the dark haired boy walked very close to him, bracing himself to catch the other boy if he fell. When they got to the car, Blaine opened the passenger door, and Kurt got in, mumbling something about not being a girl, and Blaine chuckled in spite of himself.

The car ride to Kurt's house was silent except for the odd giving of directions. When they eventually pulled up to the Hummel-Hudson home, Kurt mumbled "thank you," and hurried to his front door.

"Hey, wait!" Blaine called, getting out of the car and going after Kurt, who had just stepped into his house.

"I can take it from here Blaine," Kurt huffed, as the other boy stepped into his hallway.

Blaine tilted his chin up, examining the forming bruise on his face with a wince. Kurt tried to keep his hammering heart under control. He's not interested in you Kurt! He just feels sorry for you!

"You need to get an ice pack on that cheek."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself."

"Kurt. I'm not pitying you or anything. I know what this feels like."

Kurt looked up at Blaine, who was looking at him, not with pity, like Kurt had assumed he would, but with understanding. He nodded and let the boy follow him to the kitchen.

"You don't seem the type go get the ever-loving crap beaten out of you. Everyone loves you. Even those jocks backed off when you told them to," Kurt muttered sadly as he put some ice in the ice pack.

"Wasn't always like that." Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him a couch in the living room. "In middle school and at my first high school, I was picked on every day. I got my fair share of dumpster tosses and locker slams. Once we got to high school, they started to get worse. I'd 'get the ever-loving crap' beaten out of me once a week."

"Then what?" Kurt asked. Blaine took the ice pack from his hand and held it gently to Kurt's cheek.

"I ran. I went to Dalton Academy. It's an all boys private school. They have a zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy. Everyone treated everyone with respect. No one ever bullied me there."

"So why did you leave?"

Blaine chuckled softly. "Dalton isn't the real world. I knew I had to face up to people like the one's I ran away from. Prepare myself for the big wide world."

Kurt nodded. "It's easy to fake confidence, huh?"

"Yeah. It is."

Fake confidence. Kurt was loaded with it. He had confidence in his talent, yes. In himself, sometimes. But that wasn't the same as the confidence to be yourself. The confidence to stare adversity in the face and tell it to fly a kite. Because it was times like that that confidence had to be faked, in order to hide the frightened little child that Kurt still was deep down.

Blaine lowered the ice pack, noticing that Kurt was furiously blinking back tears.

"You can cry if you want to."

Kurt shook his head, but he couldn't hold the tears back any longer. His face crumpled as he finally began to cry. He didn't even protest when Blaine wrapped his arms around him and let him sob into his chest.

"It's ok to cry you know. Nobody can be strong forever."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Kurt asked, pulling away. "You've been nice to me since you transferred, but I keep shrugging you off."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I figure you need someone to relate to. Maybe I'm being selfish and I'm just looking for someone I can relate to. Or maybe..." Blaine paused, gently wiping a tear from Kurt's cheek. "Maybe it has something to do with that picture of me in your locker."

Kurt's eyes widened. "B-but how did you... I mean I..."

But he was cut off by Blaine pressing his lips against his own. Kurt froze. This cannot be happening! Blaine Anderson cannot be kissing me!

But apparently, Blaine mistook Kurt's shock for disgust and pulled away. "Kurt, I ... I'm sorry! I shouldn't have... I mean I thought that... I have to go." He shot up and tried to leave the room, but Kurt went after him.

"Blaine, wait! Don't go."

Blaine turned to face Kurt, but avoided meeting his eyes.

"Why did you kiss me?" Kurt asked.

"I just thought..." Blaine shook his head. "I thought wrong. I'm sorry."

"You didn't think wrong," Kurt whispered, taking a step forward and bringing their lips together. "You thought right."

"Good," Blaine breathed. He cupped Kurt's uninjured cheek and kissed him gently. Kurt tried to deepen it, but Blaine pulled away. "Not now. You'll hurt yourself."

Kurt pouted adorably, and Blaine couldn't help but laugh and plant a chaste kiss on the boys' lips.

"So, does... this mean we're... together?" Kurt asked bashfully.

"Who would be crazy enough to turn you down?" Blaine said, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist. Kurt blushed and nestled his face into Blaine's neck.

"So," Blaine smiled. "How did you get that picture?"

Kurt laughed. "You will never know."

Because seriously, how did he get that picture? Ah, I suppose we shall never know. So what did you guys think? Loved it? Hated it? Hopefully not the latter lol. Review and let me know! And remember; check out my deviantART and commission!

Plus, someone commissioned a sequel, so look out for chapter two!

Until the next chapter! xxx