a/n: Had to write this when I wondered if Kurt would tell Blaine about Karoksky and what Blaine's reaction would be

Lima Bean, February 15th

"Hey," Blaine smiled brightly at Kurt despite the earliness of the hour. He took the seat opposite Kurt at the little table. "I got your text. What's so important that it couldn't wait for school to start?"

Kurt smiled wanly at Blaine and slid him the medium drip coffee he ordered for him while he waited. He'd debated about telling Blaine this last night but he didn't want to ruin their Valentine's and Blaine's first night out since the surgery.

"Thanks for coming," Kurt said.

"Anything for you," Blaine smiled warmly still in afterglow from the Valentine's night. He reached out and gave Kurt's hand a brief squeeze and might have kissed him if they hadn't been in public. "What's up?"

Dread only made the knot in Kurt's stomach twist even tighter. "There's something I need to tell you."

Something about Kurt's tone sobered Blaine. "What is it?"

Kurt took a deep breath and started, "This past week, I kept getting these Valentine cards, and yesterday, I got a Gorilla Gram signed from a secret admirer. Then I got a message to come early to Breadstix." Then Kurt hastened to add, "I thought it was you."

Blaine's face was neutral. He said quietly, "Who was it?"

Kurt had to fight back the urge to bit his lower lip while he pulse raced. "Karofsky."

"Karofsky!" Blaine exploded but when heads in the coffee shop all turned around to stare at them, he fought to get back his composure. He lowered his voice but there was no mistaking his anger. "Karofsky? The nerve of this guy." Then Blaine was reaching for Kurt's hand again. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. You should never had to face him alone."

Kurt suddenly realized that Blaine had completely misunderstood. "No, Blaine, he wasn't harassing me." Then he remembered that he had never told Blaine about seeing him at Scandals. "I forgot to tell you, he was there that time we were at Scandals. He was trying to accept who he is. I mean, he's not out at his new school, but he's changed. He's really trying."

Blaine drew back from Kurt, pulling his hand away and sitting back in his chair, frowning. Then even his eyes slid away from Kurt's, he whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kurt flushed. So many emotions gripped at his heart just then. Fear, he had since high school couples break up over far less and he could see Blaine pulling away from him, and it was so unfair! He hadn't done anything to provoke this. Dave came up to him at the bar not the other way around, he hadn't flirted with him or done anything to encourage this, but now somehow he was going to be blamed for it!

"Well you were dancing with Sebastian," Kurt started a little defensively before collecting himself. Nothing was going to be solved if they began accusing each other. "I-I was going to tell you, but we got into that fight and then we weren't really talking until after the play and we…." He blushed even harder. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you, I just forgot about it."

Blaine didn't say anything but his eyes came back up to Kurt's again.

"I had no idea that since then he's been… that he's…" Kurt shook his head, he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, it was still too surreal.

"He has feelings for you?" Blaine finished for him.

Kurt fell silent and that silence stretched until Kurt couldn't take it anymore. "Please, say something! I didn't do anything to encourage this!"

Blaine's expression is startled. "God, Kurt, I wasn't— I know that. I know you would never do anything like that."

He reached out and took Kurt's hand to reassure him and Kurt was profoundly relieved. "You're not mad then?"

"No, not at you, Kurt," Blaine answered without hesitation.

"But at Dave?"

"Yes!" Blaine couldn't help the spike of anger at Kurt's use of his first name. He pulled his hand back again but this time to rub his face trying to come to grips with riot of feelings over all of this, trying to keep calm and talk about this rationally.

Kurt waited for him to collect himself. Blaine shook his head. "First, some guy hits on my boyfriend the minute I'm not there. I'm not crazy about that, but I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. I can't expect to be the only one to see how amazing you are and to want a chance to be with you."

Kurt blushed a bit at that bit of flattery but he had never seen Blaine struggle so openly to maintain his Mr Nice Guy demeanor.

"But of all the people it could have been — Karofsky!" Blaine's jaw clenched. "After everything he's put you through. The nerve to come to you and put his feelings on you and… and expect you to return them!"

"It's okay, I don't even think he knows—"

Blaine can't hide his anger anymore. "Don't make excuses for him. He can't just keep coming into your life and putting his issues on you."

"Blaine," Kurt tried to soothe.

"No, Kurt." Blaine didn't want to hear Kurt defend him. "Look, I know he's struggling to be honest with himself about who he really is, and he's trying to be a better person and maybe he's even looking for redemption, but he has no right to keep doing this to you!"

"It's not like that," Kurt said and Blaine pulled up short at that.

"Don't defend him. This is not okay!"

"I'm not saying that it is!" Kurt snapped back, his own anger flaring. "But I know how he feels."

Blaine was stunned. "How can you— Are you saying you have feelings for him? He threatened your life! He terrorized you! How could you possibly—"

"Blaine!" Kurt shouted to get his attention before lowering his voice again. "Oh my God, would you listen for just one minute! That is not what I'm saying."

Blaine closed his mouth but he was clearly not happy about it.

"I haven't forgotten how he treated me," Kurt began, "but I understand how he feels. I still remember how it feels to be all alone with no one to really talk to, no one to look to. To have all these feelings and to see everyone around able to say their feelings to others and know that can never be you. I was so desperate to care about someone and have them care about me that I crushed on Finn - of all people - who could never return my feelings, even to the point of being kind of inappropriate about it, but not having anywhere else to direct all those feelings.

"But I got lucky, I found you. But Dave doesn't have anyone. I can never return his feelings but I still remember how it feels to be that lonely. I haven't forgotten but I also can't hate him."

Kurt reached his hand out across the table asking for Blaine to understand.

Blaine closed his eyes a moment and then he reached out with both of his hands to take Kurt's and bring it to his mouth and kiss it before looking up at Kurt. "You really are the most moral and compassionate person I've ever met. If you can forgive him, then I guess I can too. Don't want to, but I will."

They smiled at each other.

a/n: I was afraid that Glee was going in this direction with Karofsky even before season 3 started which was why I wrote the chapter Jealousy where Blaine is actually warning Karofsky to stay away from Kurt, that he doesn't deserve him which was just me talking through Blaine.

I hope that Karofsky is finally able to accept himself and live openly and find happiness. I don't even begrudge him redemption but - oh my god - not with Kurt. I was personally horrified by that forced kiss from season 2 and, yes, I get where Karofsky was coming from, but even so part of me can never forgive him for that.

I'm glad that Kurt is such a great person that he can forgive Karofsky and even feel for him but I pray that's as far as Glee takes it because I just cannot accept anything more than that. I don't think I could keep watching the show if they did that. Ugh, too many feelings!