#dannahwrites

[dannahthornton]

Please, Swallow Your Pride

Hey, guys! Long time no see! There was no prompt for this, I just watched Prom Queen earlier, and I just saw this in my head (along with another scene I’m hoping to post later in the week!) So, enjoy?..

TW: mentions of Sadie Hawkins, mentions of bullying

"Sorry, girls, if you'll excuse us, I have a private fashion question for Hummel." Santana smiled, reaching for Kurt's hand and dragging him over to a quieter area of the changing room.

Kurt grinned around at the others as he headed across, heart still beating wildly at the thought of taking Blaine to prom. Santana turned to face him and looked across to the others to make sure nobody was listening in.

"Have you really asked Blaine to the prom?"

"Well, yes, actually-"

"And did he tell you about last time?"

Kurt's smile faded as he recalled the conversation from Breadstix. "Yes. He told me a friend of his and a date had a run in with some bullies at the Sadie Hawkins dance."

Santana sighed with a harsh tut, rolling her eyes and throwing her head back in exasperation. "Of course he did."

Kurt furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? There weren't bullies-"

"Oh, there were bullies." Santana snorted. "But I'm guessing he didn't really tell you what happened."

"No, but I didn't think it was my place to ask."

Santana seemed to mull this over. "Look, it's not my place to tell you," She laid a hand on Kurt's arm, "but you deserve to know more. You need to ask my brother what happened, or get Nick to tell you, but prom's going to be a lot harder than he's making out. It's not something you can just get over like that." She clicked her fingers for emphasis.

Kurt was speechless, concern churning in his gut. Had he forced Blaine into this? What had happened in Westerville? Was prom really such a good idea?

"Can we get out of here before the shops shut?" Tina asked, snapping the duo out of their reflections. "I need to grab some shoes before we leave."

Santana smiled at the others. "Of course." She slid around Kurt, shooting him a glance as she passed.

"I-I'm going to head home." He voiced, not glancing back. "I've got a bit of a headache, but I'm sure you can all find some sensible footwear to match those gorgeous dresses." He forced on a smile and headed out towards the carpark before any of them had a chance to respond.

*

It took him barely half an hour to reach the Anderson residence, letting himself in with the spare key and following the sound of music along the corridor to Blaine's room, where said occupant was sat by his keyboard, pencil held tightly in his lips as his fingers danced across the keys.

"New Warbler arrangement?" Kurt asked to grab Blaine's attention once the song was over.

Blaine looked up, startled, and grinned when he saw the figure leant against the doorframe.

"That would be telling now, wouldn't it?" He grinned. "I thought you were out shopping with the girls." Kurt's smiled faded as he remembered why he had come here. "Did something happen? Santana didn't say something stupid now, did she?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, not something stupid." Blaine's face became serious. "She said I should ask you about Sadie Hawkins." There was a pause. "I don't want to push you into-"

"Don't you?" Anger flashed through hazel eyes, and Kurt was startled at this side to his boyfriend. "Because, being here, asking, it's like you want to know the gory details!"

"I want to help. I just want to know what happened so I can stop it happening at McKinley."

Blaine scoffed at that. "You can't stop it from happening at McKinley. Even Santana with her little Bullywhips campaign can't do anything about what happened. She should just keep her nose out of what doesn't concern her!"

"She wanted to help. She was just trying to-"

"Well, I don't want her help. Why don't you run back and tell her that?"

"I-" Kurt stammered.

"Just go, Kurt, please." Blaine was clearly trying to get his emotions back in order, turning back towards the piano, hands clenched in his lap.

Kurt turned on his heel and lef the house, heading back towards his. Sitting in the driveway, however, an idea formed his head, a brief recollection of what Santana had said, and he reversed back out, hitting the highway towards Dalton.

*

Nick looked up at the rapid tapping on his door, more than willing to drop the Shakespeare text he was trying to decipher.

"Come in."

He wasn't expecting the slim, brunette boy that stood at the door, but he beckoned him in anyway. It wasn't like he hadn't seen Kurt around the hallways before - hell, he'd sat next to him in German for most of the fall semester.

"Hey, Kurt. Looking for Blaine?"

"No, actually." Kurt settled on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to ask something. I was talking to Santana about prom, and she mentioned something about Sadie Hawkins."

Nick's face paled and he looked a little uncomfortable. "You should ask Blaine about that. It's really up to him-"

"I did!" Kurt yelled, before composing himself. "Sorry, I don't mean to yell. I've just been hearing all these things about the Sadie Hawkins in Westerville, but nobody will tell me any details. So instead I have these horror movies playing in my head, trying to fill in details however they can, and it's driving me crazy."

Nick offered a sympathetic smile. "I can tell you what I know, but you and Blaine need to discuss it properly, really. He told me you were going to prom, by the way - congratulations!"

Kurt smiled at that, but nodded for Nick to continue with the story.

"Blaine moved here straight after Sadie Hawkins, but I gather he'd been in the hospital for quite a while before that. Santana was there the day he moved in, and boy did she give me the evils the whole time I was helping move his stuff from the car. Then Jeff swung by at breaktime when we were unpacking and after she'd seen him stuff his tongue down my throat, I think we were OK." Nick smiled fondly at the memory.

"Anyway, it took me weeks to find out any of the details, and it was only because I invited him to the Warbler's Christmas Ball as my plus one. From what I gather, he was waiting outside with Fraser when three guys jumped them. Punches were thrown, I think one of them had a knife, and neither of them were conscious when the guys wandered away. It kind of guts your moral when you've only just come out, particularly with a dad like they have, but Santana seems to be a great big sister, despite all the scariness she comes with."

Kurt gave a small smile at that.

"But, besides that, Blaine didn't tell me too much, and I don't want to betray his trust. Look, I know stuff with you and Karofsky was bad, but as bullies go, there's a lot worse. Did you know Jeff has eight pins in his leg after the attention he got at his first high school? And I'm sure you've read about those kids that don't make it to graduation because someone decides to pick out a reason to hate them. I'm not trying to belittle it or anything, but you have to understand where Blaine's coming from as well."

Kurt nodded. "Thanks, Nick. I just- I needed to understand the background so I can understand him." Nick nodded. "I want to help him, I really do, but I can't do that if I'm going to end up putting my foot in it every time." Both boys were quiet for a while, until a vague disturbance sounded from the end of the hall. Kurt gestured blindly in the direction of the door. "I should leave you to whatever you were up to before I rudely interrupted. Besides, it sounds like Blaine's come back, and I'm guessing Santana's a little pissed as well."

Nick smiled. "Enjoy refereeing the family fight. And have fun at prom!" He added, as Kurt left with a wave.

*

"-don't get it. You weren't sitting there for two weeks waiting for your brother to wake up, or dealing with the worried looks the doctors tossed about when they stopped by to visit, or even the straight months of screaming when you finally did wake up, so don't tell me you get it!"

"We both lived it, San. You saw the aftermath, sure, and I've told you a million times I'm sorry, but I was there. I-"

"Don't let me stop you." Both the Anderson siblings had frozen, staring at the newcomer stood in the doorway. "Or do you want me to leave here as well?"

"Kurt, I-" Blaine paused. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you earlier. I shouldn't have shouted. I just don't like having to relieve that winter or really think about that. It was darkness, and I don't want it to be part of what we have."

"It's part of your past, Blaine. You can't change that, and no matter how hard you try and deny it, it's going to have an impact on you, and us, OK? But that doesn't mean we can't move past it."

"Why do you always know the right thing to say?" The younger boy smiled, stepping forward, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"It's a talent."

Santana snorted at that, but neither boy seemed to hear her. As the two settled in for a kiss, she cleared her throat. "I'll leave you guys to it, then. Just don't be late for cheerio practice tomorrow, Hummel." She moved her gaze to her younger brother. "I'm sorry for the agro, I just worry, OK? I'm not going to forget any of it in a hurry, and if you're going to go back to a school dance, I thought Kurt deserved to know." She turned heel and left the room.

After all, Blaine was her little brother. That little bundle of curls and joy that never stopped buzzing around as a kid, jumping up onto the furniture and singing his heart out. She'd always been there for him, and then some kids had stomped in and-

She was cut from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her brother where he'd clearly chased her down the corridor, no longer the little bean with bright hazel eyes she'd once raced to the cornerstore when they'd broken into Cooper's piggy bank. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not mad at you. Maybe I was, at first, but you're right - Kurt needed to know, and now that he does, it feels a lot better. So thanks."

"I did good?" She asked, harking back to a childhood long ago as she pulled her brother in for a hug.

Her brother smiled, clearly remembering the same nights, hidden under blanket forts in torchlight. "You did good, 'Tana."

Best wishes, Dannah :)

[dannahthornton]

If You Ever Fell

Yes, I’m still here. Writing has been slow lately, but then I got this prompt yesterday and couldn’t get this out of my head. So thanks to the anon who prompted and managed to finally get me inspired to put ink to paper. Hopefully it’ll set off a chain of inspiration on some of my other half-finished works.

And, yes, it is Seblaine. I know some of you don’t like that, but it was a request, and Seblaine isn’t really a TW...

TW: injuries, hospital (setting),

"Did you finish that assignment for Charms?" Sam asked, falling into step with his friend.

"Uh, yeah. Tina and I worked on it down in the library last night."

"Oh. Can I borrow it?"

"Sure, yeah. It's up in the dorm at the minute."

"Cool. I'll grab it after the game." He took the opportunity to eye Blaine up as they ambled across the grounds towards the stadium. His quidditch slacks were neat enough, goggles perched precariously upon his loose curls. "You seem to distracted. Everything OK?"

"Just thinking about the game."

"The game?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Or a certain player?"

Blaine's cheeks flushed and he ducked his head. "The game. If we win this, we've a whole two game lead on Gryffindor."

"We don't need a lead on anyone. You're the fastest seeker Hogwarts has seen in years. Even Sebastian admits to that." Blaine's cheeks flushed again at the mention of his boyfriend's name.

"Seriously, Blaine, you're not fooling anyone. Is something going on with the two of you?"

"I-It's just- he hasn't spoken to me all day."

"Is that it?"

"We had Care of Magical Creatures together first period, and he made Santana partner with him. Do you think he's mad about the Christmas ball?"

"You turned him down?"

"No. I don't know. I haven't said anything yet."

"That was three days ago, and you were all cuddly at dinner last night. It's probably nothing, Blaine." They arrived at the entrance to the stand where Tina was already waiting, red and gold scarf hanging loosely around her neck. "Go out there and grind them into dust, alright? And eyes on the snitch, not your boyfriend!" Sam called back as he headed up towards the staircase.

*

Once he was in the team's shower room, his nerves calmed a little. He took a deep breath and followed their captain, Jeff, out onto the field. On the other side he could see Hunter leading the Slytherins out as well. He was flanked by his sister's best friend, Quinn, and his sister herself, who sent a friendly smirk across the field. Madame Hooch murmured her usual spiel about a clean game, and they were off. Without so much as a second glance across at the Slytherin team, Blaine mounted his broom and kicked firmly off from the ground.

*

It was about half an hour into the game that it happened. He was still waiting for a sign of the small, golden ball. Between Jeff and Wes they were already 50 points up, but if Sebastian caught the snitch first, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Hey, killer."

The voice arrived in his right ear, the presence of a body hovering dangerously close. Blaine dived sharply. He couldn't afford to get distracted during the game. Whatever was (or wasn't) going on between him and Bas could wait until after the game. Evening classes were off due to the match anyway.

"Playing dirty, killer? Think you can just fob me off with a fake snitch spot?"

"I'm trying to play quidditch, Bas."

"What do you think I'm trying to-" Blaine was waiting for Bas to finish, but the figure he could sense in his periphery disappeared, soaring higher. The telltale golden glint had Blaine cursing himself for getting distracted, and then he was off, hot on the tail of his boyfriend.

Trent was off the mark as well. With his cry of "Get him, Blaine!" that signalled (in Hufflepuff code) an incoming bludger, Trent swung his bat towards the two seekers. Santana was on the ball as well, diving to intercept the bludger heading straight for her team-mate, swinging wildly with her bat to knock the ball of its current trajectory towards the skinny Slytherin.

With all this focus on one bludger, nobody noticed the other. In fact, nobody knew quite what path the other was on, but it was too late. The snitch dived, followed closely by both seekers, hands already stretched towards the golden ball. Meanwhile the second bludger meandered a path across the pitch. Paths which, by sheer coincidence, crossed at just the wrong time.

Sebastian had his eyes on the ball, determined to catch it before his boyfriend, who was currently hovering at his left flank. One moment the golden ball was in his vision, and then there was a blur ahead, a dull thud, and Blaine was tumbling from the sky, from his broom and towards the grass below.

Snitch be damned, Sebastian dove as fast as he could, intent on catching the boy before he collided heavily with the cold November field.

*

By the time Blaine woke up, everyone had gone to the Great Hall for supper. Sitting alone on the wooden chair, Sebastian watched as first the hand in his twitched, and then the eyelids flickered. Slowly, Blaine opened his eyes and lifted his head to look around. Or he tried to.

"Hey." Sebastian stood up, leaning over the bed, brow crinkled slightly. Blaine took in the worried lip, dishevelled hair and red, swollen eyes, but he didn't comment on them.

"B-Bas?" He started to cough. Sebastian offered some ice chips, which Blaine drank willingly. "What happened?"

"Quidditch accident, Mr Anderson." Madame Pomfrey offered as she reached the bed. "I'm going to just check on a few things now you're up."

"How long have I been out?" Blaine kept his gaze fixed on the nurse.

"A few hours or so. Nothing unusual."

"Just a fall?"

"A rather tall fall from what I've heard." She looked across at Sebastian, almost in warning. "Mr Evans did what he could to slow the collision. A quick-thinking friend you've got there."

"Right. I'll thank him when he gets back."

"Visiting hours are closed until tomorrow." Before Blaine could question Sebastian's presence, the nurse continued. "It all looks fine to me. You need to get some rest, but you should be good to go in the morning." With that she turned on her heel and left.

The boys waited in silence for a minute or two, hands still linked but gazes not meeting.

"What are you doing here, Bas?"

"Your sister's bringing me some supper."

"I didn't mean supper. You've been ignoring me all day. Are you pissed about the ball?"

Sebastian raised a hand to the other boy's cheek, turning it so they were looking at one another. "No, B." His expression was meaningful. "If you don't want to go to the ball, that's OK. I was-" He paused with a sigh. "I was planning a celebration for after the game. I was going to sneak us out to Hogsmede. I've been planning it all week. I just didn't want to ruin the surprise by bursting out with it mid-arithmaincy."

"Really?" There were unshed tears in both boys' eyes.

"Really." Sebastian confirmed, dropping a kiss to his boyfriend's forehead.

There was another pause as the two drank each other in.

"So, what happened out there?"

Sebastian looked away, turning to drop to his seat, but a hand on his wrist stopped him.

"What is it?"

"Madame Pomfrey said it was best you remembered in your own time."

"Screw Madame Pomfrey."

"I’d rather not.” Neither boy smiled at the joke. “You hit your head pretty hard, B. You could have fractured your skull."

"But I didn't."

"Look-"

"No, Bas. Tell me what happened."

"I don't really know."

"Like hell you don't. I'm sure you interrogated Sam."

Sebastian looked torn, before he settled back on the bed, hands clasped around Blaine's and staring at the sheets.

"It was a stray bludger. It wasn't tampered with in anyway or anything." He took a deep breath. "We dived for the snitch and you were catching up fast." A smile blossomed on his cheeks at the memory. "And then you put out your arm. I guess you were probably standing on the footholds, but no sooner had you grasped the snitch, then the bludger collided with your wrist. There was nothing anyone could do. You fell a long way, B, and I couldn't stop you. Broke your wrist. Possible head injury. Even with Sam's spell you hit the ground quite hard..." He trailed off.

"It's not your fault, Bas."

"Isn't it though?"

"No. Of course not. Did you hit the bludger?"

"A few seconds earlier and it would've been me. If I wasn't distracting you earlier, one of us might've seen it-" He stopped when Blaine raised a hand to his cheek, raising an eyebrow in a 'shut up'. It seemed everytime one of them got injured there was a game of should've/could've/would've. It was something they'd been working on at Santana's insistence.

"You know I wouldn't have let you get there a few seconds earlier." It sounded sincere, before a small smile danced at his lips. "Can't have Slytherin winning the match. Imagine what that would do to my impeccable reputation."

Sebastian grinned back. "Oh, it's on, Anderson."

Yep, inspiration may have struck, but I still can’t write endings. Best wishes, Dannah x

Prompt: I know you're British so I'm kind of assuming you've read Harry Potter. It's Seblaine week so I was wondering if you could do some sort of Seblaine fill with a Hogwarts AU. It doesn't have to be for one of the prompts, I'd just love to read something. THANKS!

[dannahthornton]

It Just Gets Harder To Find

Please find the original prompt at the end of the post.

TW: asthma, hospital (setting)

Tony really didn't think sometimes, and that was something he was going to have to improve on now he had a kid running about the place. Well, that being said, Blaine had been on his feet for four years now, and Tony still hadn't got any better at thinking. Yes, that was really something he should get on to.

The particular morning that raised this idea, he was in the basement working on a new chest of drawers for Blaine's bedroom. The younger boy's room was being redecorated for his birthday, and Tony could find no furniture that adequately fitted the theme. He'd finished drilling the basic frame together, and was just about to get started on sanding down some drawers when Pepper came running into the room, Blaine in arms.

"A couple of the managers have dropped by about our latest merger, Tony. I can't keep them waiting." Oh, right, Pepper had been down a little earlier to come and ask him to watch Blaine.

"Go ahead." He waved a hand aimlessly at the door. "Dummy and I can watch Blaine."

Pepper looked dubious for a moment, but placed the squirming boy on the ground and headed back upstairs.

"Hey, daddy." Tony jumped as Blaine suddenly appeared at his elbow, curly head not even the height of the workdesk. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just sanding a bit of plywood for a surprise. You like surprises, don't you?"

"I love surprises!" Blaine bounced up and down on the balls of his feet eagerly. "Is it a surprise for me?"

"You'll have to find out."

"OK." A pause. "Can you play-" Something caught his sight out of the corner of his eye, and his head snapped to the left. "Oooh. What's that?"

"Just don't touch anything hot, sharp or dangerous." There was a vague mmhmm as the younger boy dashed off to investigate whatever it was he'd noticed further along the bench. Tony lowered his safety goggles and turned the sander on.

Not even a minute later, Tony was impressed with the wood panel, and turned to fetch another from the pile. With the sander off, he noticed the real quiet in the room. There was no joyful squeals, telltale banging or even little voices as Blaine entertained himself (and Tony was used to all three when the boy was in the workroom with him). That only meant trouble - either Blaine had done something he shouldn't, or something had happened to Blaine.

"Blaine?" He looked to where he'd last seen the boy head off, to his left, and dropped the panel instantly. The young boy was sitting on the floor, clawing on the collar of his shirt and choking noiselessly as he struggled to draw in a breath. His lips were already turning blue and there was a look in his eyes that Tony could only describe as sheer panic.

"JARVIS!" Tony called, dropping to his knees beside the younger boy, hands scrabbling for anything anything he could do to help the younger boy. He unbuttoned the top button of Blaine's shirt, rubbing his other hand soothingly along the younger boy's back. "Get Pepper down here with his inhaler! And get Happy to bring the car around - we need to get Blaine to the hospital."

He turned to Blaine, voice dropping. "It's going to OK, B. Pep's going to bring the medicine and it'll be better, OK?" Blaine nodded as he struggled to take another wheezy breath. He could see the younger boy trying to protest, even as he gasped for air.

Trust Tony not to think. Blaine had been diagnosed with asthma two years back, yet Tony hadn't even hesitated in turning on the sander, churning up sawdust and other particulates into the air. How long had he been working that Blaine had been struggling for breath? He was turning blue for goodness sake!

"Tony?" He heard the door swing open and Pepper's footsteps charging into the room.

"Behind the desk!" He called, and then softer to Blaine. "See, Pep's here now. She's going to make everything OK."

The footsteps came clattering around the desk, and Pepper dropped to her knees beside the duo. She held the inhaler to Blaine's lips.

"Big breath for me now." She smiled as she administered the medicine. "Good boy." The trio sat in near silence, the only sound Blaine's struggling breaths, as Pepper helped administer another three pumps. Then Tony stood, lifting the small boy into his arms and climbing the stairs to meet Happy. Pepper followed close behind, offering the inhaler when needed on the journey.

*

At the hospital, Blaine was whisked away into a room with Tony hot on his heels, whilst Pepper and Happy waited anxiously outside. It was a good half an hour before Tony emerged from the room, face more serene but still pale.

Pepper was up on her feet in an instant. "How's Blaine?"

"He's good. Sleeping right now, but they managed to stabilize his breathing and get rid of the-" he shook his fingers in disdain "blue. They want to keep him here for a couple of hours just to check it doesn't start up again."

"You should go sit with him. He won't want to be alone when he wakes up."

Tony nodded, but made no real movement. "I just-"

Pepper placed a hand on his upper arm. "The Tony Stark I know never admits when he does something wrong." She tried a smile. "Every parent makes mistakes, Tony. Just be there for him when he wakes up."

Tony tried a smile in response, but was cut off when a nurse appeared from Blaine's room.

"He's looking for you."

"Go." Pepper urged.

Tony took one look at Happy, also nodding for him to rejoin Blaine, and turned, striding back to the room. He took a deep breath at the doorway and stepped inside.

"Daddy." He beamed, his voice still soft.

"Hey, Blaine. How is my brave little boy?"

"I-" He looked down at the sheets, fiddling them between his fingers. Tony reached across and took his hand in his.

"What is it, kid?"

"I don't have to eat lots of soup for a week now, do I?" His face was one of utter seriousness, brow crinkled and eyes concerned. "Only this boy at kindergarten, Wesley, his mum made him eat lots and lots of soup when he came home from the hospital, and I don't like soup. 'Specially Pepper's chicken soup." He made a face.

Tony laughed. "I'll tell you a secret - I don't like her chicken soup, either." Blaine grinned. "How about we get you out of here and go for ice cream? How does that sound?"

Prompt: That one time Tony Stark didnt think about Blaine and things went wrong... On an Andertark high right now. Thanks

Best wishes, Dannah x

[dannahthornton]

Resolution 2014: December

Agh! So this has been in my drafts for eternity. Sorry I should have posted.

Week 48: 26/11/2014 - 02/12/2014

Nights Are Long Alone (Part A)

Week 49: 03/12/2014 - 09/12/2014

Nights Are Long Alone (Part B)

Week 50: 10/12/2014 - 16/12/2014

Nights Are Long Alone (Part C)

Week 51: 17/12/2014 - 23/12/2014

Danced With Monsters Through The Night

Week 52: 24/12/2014 - 30/12/2014

Before It Gets Better

Favourite Fic of the Month: Nights Are Long Alone (Part B)

If you want to prompt me, feel free - I'm always open to them. I have a ton to get through, but progress is being made.

Best wishes, Dannah x

[dannahthornton]

Hangin’ On The Memory

I’m back, and working on all of these prompts that I have (though more are welcome). Most are half done or at least planned, so we’ll see how this goes. I don’t know if anyone still reads Blangst or Glee fanfic, but I feel bad not fulfilling prompts people once gave me.

This is a prompt from anon, which can be found at the end of the post.

TW: PTSD, panic attacks, mentions of Sadie Hawkins (brief)

"It's OK. I'll have Happy take your car around to the garage, shall I?" Tony called over his shoulder. He was in the kitchen of their Westerville manor, making himself a drink whilst he thought over the mechanics in his latest boots. "When did you get so lazy, Blaine Anderstark? I must be rubbing off on you."

"Erm, Tony-" Kurt began.

"So long as you've called your Dad, it's OK with me if you guys-" He cut off as a loud beep was heard, and JARVIS' report flashed up on the screen of his tablet. He rapidly turned on his heel, abandoning the drink and hurrying down the staircase from the elevated kitchen area.

"The sofa. Put him on the sofa." Tony muttered, wiping the clutter off the coffee table in front so he could sit in front of the boys. "JARVIS, get Banner up here with Blaine's meds." He turned to the boy in question, voice calming as he asked. "Blaine?"

Blaine was a state to say the least. His breathing was erratic and his hands were clawing at whatever they could reach - his hair, his clothes, even just thin air. There didn't seem to be anything obviously wrong (no blemishes, bruises or scrape marks), which supported JARVIS' findings, but Blaine's blood oxygen level was low, he was sweating profusely and he couldn't seem to stop crying.

"Blaine?" Tony tried again, reaching out to take a hold of one of Blaine's hands.

"I wouldn't-" Kurt began, but was cut off as the younger boy reacted violently, darting across the couch from his father's reach, a gargled scream of 'don't touch me!' falling from his lips. Tony looked taken aback.

Kurt shuffled slightly closer to his boyfriend. "Blaine? Blaine, I need you to breathe for me, OK?" He reached out gently as he shuffled closer to Blaine, until the two were once more side by side. His words, however, seemed to be having little effect.

"What happened?" Tony asked, looking shocked at the state of his son, but not making an effort to move closer to the duo. "I've never seen an attack this bad."

"Sir, if I may-" JARVIS began, but cut off at a wave of Tony's hand. "Master Anderstark."

"J-JARVIS?" Blaine choked out.

"Yes, Master Anderstark. Help is on its way. I just need you to breathe for me, OK? In, one, two, three, four, five. Hold, one, two, three. And out, one, two, three, four, five."

"He has them regularly?" Kurt asked, looking up from where he'd been stroking Blaine's hand in soothing circles, letting JARVIS continue his counts.

"He used to. After Sadie Hawkins. They calmed down after a few weeks at Dalton. Wesley got quite accustomed to dealing with them, though, I believe. He's never not responded to my voice though." He took in the crown, still perched atop of Kurt's head. "Prom royalty?"

Kurt's face wrinkled as he remembered the offending device, removing it with his free hand and throwing it unceremoniously across the room. Blaine jumped at the clatter and his breathing, which had begun to slow, picked up again.

"Sorry, Blaine!" Kurt apologized, mentally berating himself for the lack of forethought.

"It's OK, Master Anderstark. There's no threat. Just continue breathing for me. In, one, two..."

Kurt glanced at Tony, expecting an angry expression, but all he got in return was a raised eyebrow.

"They thought it'd be funny to vote me for Prom Queen."

"And this-?" Tony nodded to Blaine, whose breathing seemed to be calming, hands no longer clenching unnecessarily.

Kurt shook his head. "He seemed-."

He took a breath.

"He seemed good with it, or- at least, he handled it well. Even joined me for the first dance when the Prom King ran off. But-"

Another pause.

"But then we were going to the car and a couple of the jocks called out 'night, princess' or something, and-" He nodded towards Blaine, and Tony nodded in understanding.

"Blaine?" He asked, noticing that JARVIS had significantly calmed the younger boy, but tears were still streaming down his cheeks.

"D-dad?"

"Blaine!" He slid along the coffee table until he was sitting in front of his son. "Hey, Blainey."

"Dad, I- he- they-" Blaine's eyes darted around wildly, unseeingly.

"Hey, Blaine." He extended a hand and placed it on the younger boy's knee. He flinched, but didn't make to move away. "You're not there, OK, sweetheart? You'll never be back there, I promise. We're at the house in Westerville. Kurt's here. God knows how he got you home without you lashing out, but he's here. In a kilt."

"K-Kurt?" Blaine's eyes found their target and he raised a hand to wipe the loose tears. "You- I- How did we get home?"

"I drove us here. It's not too far from the school if you know the backroads."

"I-" His brow crinkled in concern. "You're crying."

Kurt brushed away his own tears.

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know, B. I know."

"I love you."

Neither boy noticed as Tony slid away to join Bruce and Pepper who'd just come running in from the lab, explaining softly the situation and ushering them back downstairs.

"I love you too, B." He leant forward to rest his forehead against Blaine's. "And I'll never let anyone hurt you again, I promise."

"You can't-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Kurt raised a finger to his boyfriend's lips, silencing the protest. "You don't know half of what Sue taught us in the Cheerios." Blaine raised an eyebrow and went to respond, but Kurt silenced his words with a kiss.

"Good to know I have my boyfriend to protect me." He murmured as they broke apart.

"Forever, B. Fearlessly and forever."

Prompt: Blaine Anderson-Stark plz!!! Blaine freaks out about Sadie Hawkins after the prom where Kurt is crowned the queen.

Best wishes, Dannah x

[dannahthornton]

Every Breath You Take

Please find the original prompt (BPoTD #997) at the end of the post, or via the link. This is just another short drabble as I try to bust through this writer's block...

TW: blood, Finn (mention), stress, exams

They’d spent weeks revising for the test. Blaine had a mid-term in French, and it was the only subject where he wasn’t getting an A. Kurt was in AP French so had willing volunteered to help his boyfriend out with the language, and their consequent evenings spent together had been conducted entirely in French. Blaine was getting a lot better and was more than ready for the test.

Still, Kurt thought it would be nice to meet him outside the classroom and buy him lunch to celebrate afterwards. In fact, he still thinks it would have, but they didn’t get around to it. He turned up to the classroom, watching for the thick gelled skull to pass by, or the hazel eyes to flash up to his own. It didn’t happen. Nick offered him a small smile as he left, and a couple of the other boys looked his way, but his boyfriend didn’t appear.

He glanced inside the classroom. It was empty. Where was Blaine?

“Excusez-moi, Monsieur Retillion?” He inquired, knocking politely.

“Ah, Mr Hummel. Can I help you?”

“Have you seen Blaine?”

Monsieur Retillion glanced across to Blaine’s usual seat, frown wrinkling at the boy’s stuff which was still on the desk. “No. He left a few minutes ago. I assumed he’d be back to collect his belongings.”

“Do you know where he went?”

“He muttered something about the nurse’s office.”

“Oh. Well, thank you. Do you mind if I take his things?”

“Of course not.” Monsieur Retillion extended an arm in invitation, and Kurt nodded his appreciation. He began collecting Blaine’s things into his bag. Where had his boyfriend got to? Had he left early, or was he too busy freaking out? Kurt was a little unsettled. “Did Mr Anderson leave his paper?”

“Oh, uh, yes.” Kurt looked up, having forgotten that there was someone else in the room. “It’s here.” He lifted it up to hand across to the teacher. There was a spot on the top of the page that looked remarkably like blood. He frowned. “Thanks for your help, Monsieur.” Kurt offered him a small smile as he left the room.

*

He glanced left and right, but the corridor was empty – everyone was at lunch. He took a wild guess and turned right, heading for the nearest bathroom. It wasn’t the nicest on the floor, but that only meant it would be quieter. He swung open the door, finding what he was looking for. To an extent. His boyfriend was stood there, leant over the sink. Blood, however, was streaming from his nose, no matter how hard he was trying to stop it.

“Blaine?” He didn’t know why it was a question – it was clearly him. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Blaine’s hazel eyes flickered across, before he returned to concentrating on what he was doing. Kurt immediately took over, hurrying to his boyfriend’s side and helping to pinch the bridge of his nose – Blaine’s hands were shaking so much there was no way he could effectively do it himself.

“It’s alright. Are you OK?”

“I messed up the test, Kurt. I failed it.”

“It didn’t look like that to me. You’d answered most of the questions.”

“I got to the end and I panicked. It was all about the futur proche and I am awful at that!”

“You’re getting loads better!”

“I freaked out and look where that got me.” He gestured to the sink which was tinged red with blood.

“It’s alright. I think its stopping.”

“But I wasted the last five minutes of the test – I didn’t even answer the question.”

“Monsieur Retillion will let you answer the last question I’m sure. And if not I’m sure you’ve done well enough to get an A anyway.”

“I don’t know.”

“I believe in you. You’ll have done terrifically.” He paused. “Look, it’s stopped. See? Everything’s going to be OK.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Blaine leaned back onto his boyfriend’s chest.

“You’d be terrific. You’ll always be terrific. Now let me clean this mess up, and then I’ll buy you lunch.”

“I should probably change first.” Blaine glanced down at his shirt which was spattered with blood.

“It’s barely noticeable, and I know a great way for getting it out later. No-one will care for the last two classes. You can change before Warbler practice – I’ll tell Wesley. It’s better to get some sustenance in you and raise that blood sugar than to worry about what you’re wearing.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow at him. “Who are you and what have you done with Kurt Hummel?” He asked with a grin.

“Hush, you.” He teased in response.

“Thank you, Kurt.” He replied, his face suddenly serious.

“It’s OK – it’s what boyfriends are for.”

“I thought they were for teaching French.” He teased.

“So that’s why you’re dating me!”

“Of course not. You’re just irresistible.”

Kurt’s stomach soared at the words, but he kept his face serious. “What do you say about coming back to mine this weekend?”

“OK… I thought you were going shopping with the glee girls on Saturday?”

“I am. I just thought Carole could sort out something for you.”

“I can entertain myself here. I’m a big boy. There’s always Wes or Nick to wind up.”

“I meant for the nosebleeds.”

“Oh.”

“Stress nosebleeds are pretty common. Finn gets them all the time, and there’s some techniques Carole has for dealing with them. I thought I could ditch the shopping and we ask Carole for some help.”

“I can’t ask you to ditch Mercedes!”

“You’re not asking.”

“We could do it on Sunday instead.”

“What about our date?”

“The Lima Bean’s no Cartoni’s, I grant you, but it’s always had a special place in my heart.”

“Glad to hear it.” Kurt pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek. “Sunday it is.”

Best wishes, Dannah :)

Prompt: Blaine gets a stress nosebleed during an exam. He starts freaking out in the bathroom because there’s so much blood and he’s trying not to make a mess. Kurt finds him and helps him out.

[dannahthornton]

Before It Gets Better

This is for an original prompt from anon that can be found at the end of the post. I’m not really feeling in a writing mood today, but I know if I didn’t write this now I’d lose what inspiration I did have. So it’s here, and if it’s shocking, I apologise.

TW: drunkeness, violence, abuse, injuries, blood, Blainofsky elements

He let Kurt go. He wasn’t cruel – much as he wanted right there and then to blurt out his feelings, he was a Dalton alumni. It wasn’t proper to throw Kurt’s world out of kilt like that, particularly not with Walter there. Kurt deserved an enjoyable moment every now and then, and Walter hadn’t done anything cruel to Blaine – if Kurt was dating him, he was probably a nice guy.

Tomorrow.

He’d talk to Kurt tomorrow.

For now, he just needed to find somewhere to stay. There was always Dalton? It was a two hour drive away, but the Dean would certainly let him borrow one of the spare rooms. Unless there wasn’t a spare room? And what kind of professional brought their personal issues to work? No, Dalton wouldn’t do. In the past he’d always relied on that, or the Hummels. Which was certainly not an option. Was it? He shook the thought away. Of course it wasn’t!

That left Dave’s. In his own way, Dave had supported this. He’d told him to go after Kurt, hadn’t he? So he wouldn’t be mad if he came crawling back, right? It was just for one night after all, and he certainly couldn’t go ruining Kurt’s date. Yeah, Dave’s was a good idea.

*

Dave’s was not a good idea.

(Read More...)

[dannahthornton]

Before It Gets Better

This is for an original prompt from anon that can be found at the end of the post. I'm not really feeling in a writing mood today, but I know if I didn't write this now I'd lose what inspiration I did have. So it's here, and if it's shocking, I apologise.

TW: drunkeness, violence, abuse, injuries, blood, Blainofsky elements

He let Kurt go. He wasn’t cruel – much as he wanted right there and then to blurt out his feelings, he was a Dalton alumni. It wasn’t proper to throw Kurt’s world out of kilt like that, particularly not with Walter there. Kurt deserved an enjoyable moment every now and then, and Walter hadn’t done anything cruel to Blaine – if Kurt was dating him, he was probably a nice guy.

Tomorrow.

He’d talk to Kurt tomorrow.

For now, he just needed to find somewhere to stay. There was always Dalton? It was a two hour drive away, but the Dean would certainly let him borrow one of the spare rooms. Unless there wasn’t a spare room? And what kind of professional brought their personal issues to work? No, Dalton wouldn’t do. In the past he’d always relied on that, or the Hummels. Which was certainly not an option. Was it? He shook the thought away. Of course it wasn’t!

That left Dave’s. In his own way, Dave had supported this. He’d told him to go after Kurt, hadn’t he? So he wouldn’t be mad if he came crawling back, right? It was just for one night after all, and he certainly couldn’t go ruining Kurt’s date. Yeah, Dave’s was a good idea.

*

Dave’s was not a good idea. He was a little, less himself, than he had been when he’d left. He’d knocked, but when nobody answered he took out his own key and let himself in. The apartment stank of alcohol, but he didn’t let that deter him.

“Dave?” He called out hesitantly. There was no reply. “Dave?” Maybe he’d had some friends over and they’d all gone out.

There was a clattering in the living area, so he took a few more steps until he could see clearly. Dave was standing (or more accurately swaying) in the middle of the room, his eyes red-rimmed and a bottle in his hand.

“Oh, it’s you.” It was slurred, and the way it was spat, Blaine felt on edge. He’d seen Dave drunk before, of course he had. They were regular customers at Scandals and he’d been the designated driver many a time, but there was something different. Dave had never been this drunk, and in all honesty it reminded him of the first time they’d met. In the grounds of McKinley when it had only been Kurt that had kept him from running.

“I was just- um –“ He stumbled over the words. Did he want to stay here with Dave in this state? Even more, was it safe to stay here?

“What? You what?”

“I-“ He rose the keys in his hands as if to make an excuse without having to come up with something.

“We went halves on the apartment, if you remember.”

“So it’s OK for me to stay the night, then?”

“It’s half mine.”

“Yeah, I-I know.”

“Good.”

“Cool.” He turned to head towards the spare room – might as well let Dave have his own space. The bottle smashed onto the kitchen counter, not even a foot from where he was standing, littering the floor with its unfinished contents and shards of glass.

“Dave, what-?”

Another one landed even closer than the first, this one thankfully empty, and then another one hit its target. He was shocked to say the least. Too shocked to notice the fast approaching figure until it was too late. He soon found himself flat up against the kitchen wall, Dave’s face in his.

“It was always him wasn’t it?” He struggled not to retch at the stench of breath invading his personal space. “There was never any us. There was never going to be any us, and you let me think there was. You knew it, you always knew it, and you thought you could play your way through all of this.” The hands dropped from his shirt collar, and quick as a flash he ducked under Dave’s arms and sprinted for the door.

Only when he was outside did he stop for breath, wiping the glass from his hair. His hands came back a little bloody, and with the adrenaline fading quickly, he began to feel a little dizzy as well. He needed to get somewhere safe (in case Dave decided to leave the apartment) and he needed to do it quickly (or he’d end up passing out in the street.)

*

He rang the doorbell, praying Kurt was still at Breadstix, and fighting as hard as he could against the dark tendrils at the edge of his vision. Burt answered.

“Blaine?” He took in the boy’s state. “Jeez, kid, let’s get you inside.”

“Burt?”

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“Is Kurt home?”

“No, not yet. He was going to Breadstix with Rachel. I’m sure he’ll be back shortly. I can-“

He shook his head, stumbling as the dizziness worsened and sighing an internal breathe of relief. “No. He can’t know.”

“I don’t know yet. What happened? Did you get in a car wreck? I can deal with the police or-“ Burt cut off as Blaine shook his head again.

“It’s not important.”

“Not important? Kid, look at the state of you!”

“Shouldn’t be here.” His eyelids felt like lead and his speech was becoming less and less coherent.

“It’s not an issue, son. Carole’s due home from work any minute and Kurt’ll be back shortly. Hell, even if it’s just me in the house you’re welcome anytime.”

“M’tired.”

“You look dead on your feet, kid, but you’ve got to stay with me at least until Carole gets home. You can tell me what happened.”

“Fight.”

“A fight? Like at Dalton? Or as in beating?”

“I-I- I couldn’t tell Kurt and Dave was drunk.”

“Dave did this?!” He didn’t bother to answer. “How long’s this been going on? I thought he’d changed!”

“He’s not- I-“ He shook his head to clear his thoughts, but then the sofa tipped on its end and the world went black.

*

“- let him rest.”

“He’d be down like a shot. Blaine asked-“

*

“-like fifteen hours.”

“It’s just the shock. You said yourself you don’t know how long it’s been going on. Maybe he feels safe here?”

“I’m just-“

*

“ –up this time?”

“I- Burt?” He blinked open his eyes, taking in the surroundings. Burt, as he’d predicted from the voice, was settled on a chair at the desk. He himself was on some sort of bed. In an office?

“Good to have you back with us, kid.” He smiled over, closing a window on the computer, before approaching the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“A little confused. My head aches.”

“You should take some painkillers.” He sat up, noticing his cardigan, bowtie and shirt were gone, replaced with an old McKinley PE shirt.

“I-I don’t remember changing.”

“That was Carole. She didn’t want you sleeping in your things. She’s going to put them in the wash tonight.”

“Thank you.” He took the cup and the tablets offered, swallowing them quickly.

“I don’t know what to say. Where are we?”

“I converted Kurt’s room into an office after he moved out.”

“Where is Kurt?” His heart was heavy – had he stayed at Walter’s?

“He’s staying in the guest room upstairs. I thought it was easier to keep you hidden down here. It’s a sofa-bed for starters, and then I could also keep an eye on you without Kurt getting suspicious. You should tell him, though.”

“I- He wouldn’t understand.”

“He’s head over heels for you, kid. That’s why he came back.”

“He’s got his own life here now. I’m too late.”

“You’ll never be too late. He’s never going to stop loving you, no matter how much you both convince yourselves to the contrary.”

“I-“

“I know that after Dave you might not want a relationship, but friends is a good start. And with time, and maybe some help, we can get the old you back.”

“After Dave?”

“You said he did this.”

“Karofsky did this. Dave-Dave’s not like that.” Burt raised an eyebrow. “He was drunk. Really drunk and I shouldn’t have gone back to rub it in his face. I just needed somewhere to stay whilst Kurt was with Walter.”

“Walter?” The doorbell went, but they both ignored it.

“I-uh-he’s Kurt’s boyfriend.”

“Like hell he is. I’ve not even heard of him!”

“Oh, I-“

“Dad!” Kurt’s voice echoed down the staircase. “Dad!”

“What is it, kid?”

“Can you get the door? I’ve got flour all over my hands.” Right, the door.

“I’m on it.”

Burt rolled his eyes at him, and he offered a small smile in response, before leaning back against the headboard.

*

At some point he must have closed his eyes, but he opened them as he heard the tell-tale creak of the stairs.

“You still awake?”

“Yeah.” He lifted his head, forcing his eyes open to look at Burt. Despite his long sleep he was still knackered.

“What you said about Dave and Karofsky, it was true, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah, he was just drunk. He’s never been like it before.” He paused. “Why?”

“He’s upstairs. He wanted to see you, said he figured you’d be here, but I didn’t want to lead him straight here in case-“

“It’s fine. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and then I’ll come up.”

“Dad?”

“Kiddo?”

Kurt’s footsteps sounded down the first few steps before they stopped. “Blaine?” He lifted his eyes until they met the glasz pools of his ex. And then Kurt’s feet were pounding down the stairs. “Oh my god! What happened?”

“Dave and I had an argument.” His voice was small and he cursed himself for making it sound so.

“He did this to you?!”

“No! Well, yes, but he was drunk.”

“Drunk or sober – you look awful!”

“Thanks.”

“I-How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know.” He answered, as Burt said “since about eight last night.”

“Eight last- why didn’t you tell me he was here?!”

“I told him not to!” Blaine interrupted before Kurt could go on.

“Why?” Kurt looked heartbroken.

“You were busy with Walter.”

“I could’ve dropped everything.”

“You were happy.”

“I’m happier when I’m with you.”

Burt cleared his throat.

“Wait, if Dave did this, then why is he upstairs on the couch?!”

“I need to talk to him.”

“I’m not letting you anywhere near him! Your skin-tone is more like a plum than an olive. He’s not getting to touch you again!”

“He won’t.” Kurt raised an eyebrow in challenge.

He sighed. “He won’t, Kurt. Last night – that wasn’t him. He was really drunk, and I’m not condoning violence in any form, but I think that’s why he’s here. He wants to apologise. He really messed up, I’ll give you that, but I want to hear his apology.”

Kurt glanced at Burt as if to say ‘and you’re going to let this happen?’ but one look later he deflated, taking a deep breath. “Alright, but he so much as touches a hair and I’ll be in there like a shot.”

“He won’t.”

“He’d better not, or you might finally end up seeing some of the moves Sue taught us cheerios in her self-defence phase.” He smiled at that, washing away any doubts he had. He needed to face up to Dave, or he’d build up his fears and make things worse. And if Dave tried anything, he had the Hummels here. Maybe things really could go back to normal.

Best wishes, Dannah x

Prompt: What happened to Blaine after the end of 6x07? He had nowhere to live, unless he went back to Dave’s…