The two drunks seemed to be coated in a miasma of alcohol fumes and cigarette smoke. As the shorter, stockier one leaned over to leer in his face, Kurt noticed that his eyes were pus-yellow, bloodshot and filled to the brim with hatred.

"Hey Ed! Look what we have here! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to dress like a girl, Fairy?"

"Actually," Kurt smirked, "She died when I was eight years old."

Speaking in this way almost ripped his heart in two, but Kurt knew that his words were his only form of defence. It worked. The two men glanced uncomfortably at each other. Why wasn't the little shit scared? They had no way of knowing that Kurt had honed his defensive skills against bullies all throughout high school, and that these skills were now razor sharp. Ready for the kill, as it were.

"Probably killed herself. Couldn't stand the shame of having a homo like you for a son." The taller, skinnier one now tried his luck, snarling.

Saliva sprayed from his mouth, like water droplets from a garden sprinkler, landing on Kurt's face. Kurt resisted the compulsion to rub the sticky substance off vigorously with his jacket sleeve. The thought of what this would do to the article of designer clothing in question, however, was marginally more revolting than the alternative.

"Mummy," a seven-year-old Kurt piped, his small voice as sweet and clear as the sound of a flute, "why are there only princes and princesses in all the Disney movies? Why don't two princes get married? Or two princesses?"

Elizabeth Hummel sighed. She had hoped to save this particular talk for when her son was older. But Kurt always had been an extremely perceptive child.

Elizabeth was also beginning to suspect that there was more to this question than simply innocent curiosity.

"A man and more likely to be married than two men or two women, darling."

"But two men can be married?"

"Yes sweetie, but it doesn't happen very often."

"Why not, Mummy?"

Elizabeth hesitated, screwing up her face like a used tissue as she tried to figure out how to phrase her answer,

"Because most people fall in love with someone of the opposite gender. Some people don't, but that isn't as common. Because it doesn't happen as much, some people find it confusing. They don't believe that one man can love another man. So they can be rude to them. In fact, there aren't many places where two men are allowed to be married."

Kurt's raspberry lips squished together in a pout,

"But that's mean! If two men love each other they should be able to get married!"

"Who knows, sweetie? Maybe by the time you've grown up they'll be able to," Elizabeth smiled gently as she smoothed back her adorable little angel's hair, "would you like that?"

Now Kurt smiled as well. His mother had been right. Here Kurt was in New York, one of the few places where gay marriage was legal, living his dream of studying at NYADA. And then these thugs had to stomp up and ruin it all.

Kurt glanced up and noticed someone watching him. The man had just jogged around the corner and now stood stock still, seeming chained to the pavement in shock. He was quite short, with slicked-down curly hair and cute triangular eyebrows.

'Oh crap. Get a grip, Kurt! Now is hardly the time to be turning into a big pile of goo just because you find a random stranger's eyebrows attractive!'

But then their eyes met, and Kurt suddenly found himself thinking how the stranger's eyes looked just like a mixture of honey and melted chocolate. He felt as though he could drown in them forever, and never become bored with their numerous highlights.

Kurt was wrenched roughly back to reality, however, as Ed grabbed the front of his striped merino vest.

"Hey Kyle!" he grunted, "Pixie's back in Fairyland!"

"No one ignores us, not even a crappy little homo like you! Now answer our question, Lady, unless you want to meet Mr. Knuckles!"

"I'm sorry, I find it difficult to comprehend you when speak in that peculiar language of yours. What is it? An obscure dialect of... Ape?" Kurt may have appeared outwardly calm and catty, but inside his heart was the drummer in a rock band, and his tightly clenched fists were shaking slightly, quite like a scared rabbit.

"Alright, that's it!" snarled Kyle, drawing back his fist to punch Kurt.

"Really, if you're going to punch someone, you have to do it properly. Now, I've been boxing for more than ten years; in fact I was the Ohio lightweight champion for three consecutive years. Therefore I can safely say that that punch will have next to no power behind it," with this, the cute stranger stepped forwards, "I'm Blaine. I'm also gay. you're welcome to try and beat me up too, but if you value your skeletons in one piece, I suggest you leave now."

The two thugs hesitated for a moment. Then,

"Keep your boyfriend, lover boy! We sure as hell don't want him!" Ed snarled. They both peered around edgily. Spotting no passerbys in the near vicinity who could witness their humiliating defeat, Ed and Kyle crept away like spooked deer.

Kurt just stared at Blaine, litres of gratitude evident in his clear ocean gaze.