Broken

XIII

POV: Jeff

I giggle, pulling Nick down the corridor behind me. "Come on, Nicky! Kurt went somewhere with Sebastian so we will have the place to ourselves!" I whisper, trying to avoid detection.

We get closer to my dorm room and hear a faint voice. "Who's that? We don't have a countertenor in the Warblers," Nick says. When we get right outside my door, we can hear it clearer.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

The song continues until the end, when there is the sound of water being shut off. I can't believe what I just heard. I look to Nick whose jaw is practically on the ground.

"I thought he said he couldn't sing?" he asks, lost.

"Change of plans," I say, pulling him to the library.

When we get there, I use one of the computers and google the name Kurt... "Wait, what's his last name?" I ask.

"Hummel, I think. This is some high-class FBI shit, you know that right?"

"Well, you can call me your 'high-class FBI shitting' boyfriend then," I say, giving him a kiss on the nose and typing in the last name. "Any clue about his middle name?" Nick shakes his head. "Alrighty then."

I press enter and immediately gasp at the results.

I hear Nick over my shoulder, reading them aloud. "Kurt Hummel, Single Ladies- better than Madonna? Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, 14-minute-French-Celine-Dion-Medley-WMHS-cheerleading-nationals-Cheerios!"

"He was a cheerleader? He can sing? In French?" My eyes are practically popping out of my head. I click on the video, and we watch the entire thing.

"The voice matches up," is all I can say.

"Except his voice was so sad and emotional when singing 'Blackbird' and he's a happy cheerleader in this video. I know it's a different style, but nobody can fake or act out those emotions that well," Nick adds.

I go back to the main page and something in the News page catches my eye. I click on it. "Hummel House Fire, two survivors, one dead." I click on it and gasp. "Eight year old boy and his father rescued and burned severely, woman found dead in fire, suspected to be mother. More information when survivors are conscious."

"That could explain why he's closed off. I feel likes there's more, though," Nick says. "That article is old."

"Definitely. But it's not online," I add.

Just in case, we search the internet a bit more. Nothing. Since we know Kurt is in my room, Nick drops me off with a kiss and a promise to reschedule. I unlock my door and find Kurt, again, with a pack of makeup remover wipes. I decide not to hide in the doorway again and walk into the room.

His pajamas aren't long necked this time and when he hears the door open he jumps to face me, with one hand covering his neck and the other hiding the makeup remover wipes behind his back.

"Hey," I say, walking past him to collapse on my bed. I can see him trembling and looking at me apprehensively.

"What?" I ask, feigning ignorance but feeling bad about making him so nervous.

"Uh, I, er, nothing."

"No, it's not nothing. You can move your hand," I say gently, not wanting to scare him away. "I saw it. And the makeup remover behind your back. I don't want you to be uncomfortable with me, but may I ask how you managed to get such a violent hickey on your neck?"

He slowly lowers his hand and puts the makeup remover back in his bag.

"It's not a hickey!" he exclaims quite loudly, forgetting the door is open. "I, uh, ran into a filing cabinet," he says, quieter.

"Yeah, right. You know, I'm your roommate. And your friend. You don't have to hide anything from me."

"We're friends?" he asks softly, his eyes watering.

"Well I'd hope so, or this is about to get extremely awkward," I say dryly. I didn't anticipate his next move.

He breaks down crying- no, sobbing. I run over to him and hold him in my arms, hugging him gently. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, it will be fine. Calm down," I say softly. He seems not only distressed, but terrified. I glance to the doorway and see a shadowy figure disappear down the hall.

POV: Kurt

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, it will be fine. Calm down."

The words bring back a flood of memories.

"Shh! I'm not going to hurt you, it will be fine. You will enjoy it as much as I will, disgusting fag**t. Calm down! Shut up!"
I lay cowering on the tile floor. School ended, no one to hear my screams.
"Get off me!" I say weakly, breaking.
"You ask for it, Hummel. Tight jeans showing off that fantastic ass." The longing in his voice made me feel sick. "Be glad, who else would do this with you? You're unnatural, you infected me and everyone else with your fairy dust, pretty boy. No one will love you, this is the only way you could ever lose your virginity. No one would love a fat fag**t like you. Lose some weight, would you? Be easier to get your pants of your fat thighs," he says as he struggles with the zipper. I gasp, knowing what is about to happen and despising myself more and more with every minute.

POV: Jeff

Kurt starts shaking and yelling in my arms. "No! No!" he shout, whimpering. And I can't do anything.

Suddenly a brown haired figure runs into the room, and I have never been happier to see his face. He stands in the doorway for a minute before snatching up Kurt and rocking him in a soothing and hypnotizing movement. Kurt calms down instantly and clings to Sebastian like a life raft.

I have never seen such care or concern in the boy's face as now. "How did you do that?"

He looks to me, a broken look in his eyes. "I've had practice," he whispers, his voice cracking.

I get up off Kurt's bed and into my own and fall asleep instantly, trusting Sebastian will show himself out.

What I didn't notice was that the shadowed figure was back.