Hi everyone!
This is an idea I've had in my mind for a while... every time there is a scene with Kurt and Blaine, I wonder what happened before and/or after (the number one moment like this for me is in Prom Queen after Kurt shows Blaine, Burt, and Finn his outfit and then kind of storms off... I KNOW Blaine got up after that and went after him, and I really want to know what they said to each other in private about it! We'll get there in this story eventually...)! So, this is my shot at telling the "extended edition" of Kurt and Blaine, so to speak! I'm going to do each episode of season 2, starting with 2x06: Never Been Kissed - Blaine's first episode.
It's going to be canon as much as possible – I'm not trying to alter the story, so if I write anything that ends up being contradicted in season 3 or something, we'll just forget that it's here. ;) The scenes from the actual show will go exactly as they do on the show in terms of dialogue and etc. – all of my original stuff will happen immediately before and after. You'll understand after you read the first bit, I think! :) In terms of the songs, I use the lyrics that they sing on the show. So, for example, the version of Teenage Dream that they sing in this episode is shortened from the full version.
I think that's really all you need to know... I hope you enjoy!
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun.)
KURT
"Dude, why don't you make yourself useful and go put some rat poison in those old folks' Jell-O or visit the Garglers," Puck snapped.
"The Warblers," Kurt corrected.
"Whatever. See what they're up to. And you can wear all the feathers you want. You'll blend right in."
Wearing feathers is not going to turn you gay, you idiot! Kurt shouted silently. He could see that Finn was not comfortable with the direction this argument was headed, but the taller boy did not speak up.
After a moment of contemplation (dominated by a mental image of dragging Puck outside and introducing him to the inner workings of the dumpster), Kurt decided that he didn't want to argue. The other boys were clearly not interested in Kurt's plan for their mash-up, and arguing was only going to make working with them all week impossible.
"Fine." Kurt gathered his posters and stormed out of the room. It was nearly time for lunch, but Kurt did not relish the thought of sitting around with the other members of New Directions. He decided to eat lunch in his car. He needed to put the posters there, anyway.
By the time he arrived at his vehicle, tears of embarrassment and anger were burning in his eyes. He shook his head and attempted to blink them away. He was not going to cry over a silly argument.
It was more than the argument, though. He was sick and tired of Lima, Ohio.
The moment the thought entered his head, Kurt's mind was made up. Puck had instructed him to spy on the Warblers, hadn't he? Westerville, Ohio was less than 100 miles away. It would take him less than two hours to get there. If he went now, he could be back by dinner.
He whipped out his cell phone, fired off a text message to his father (Staying after school to work on a history project. May be late to dinner.), and was pulling out of the parking lot before a plan had even firmly cemented itself in his mind. He just knew that he needed to get away.
BLAINE
Blaine's books were all packed into his bag by the time the bell ended his final class of the day. He leapt out of his seat and joined the throng of students moving down the hallway toward the stairs.
He allowed his mind to wander as he started down the building's ornate spiral staircase. Sectionals were rapidly approaching, and The Warblers' performance in the senior commons was going to be a convenient chance to gauge an audience's reaction to the song that they had been working on all week...
KURT
Dalton Academy was not what Kurt expected. He had imagined an upscale version of the generic school buildings that made up William McKinley High, but Dalton was a campus of beautiful mansions. Kurt managed to make his way to the second floor of the building where, according to the sign outside, the music rooms were located. If he was going to find any information about the Warblers, he assumed that this building would be a good place to start.
He was so busy admiring the architecture and décor that he was startled when a shrill bell rang. Suddenly, there were boys everywhere. And all of Kurt's fascination about the quality of the school buildings turned to panic.
They were wearing uniforms.
He hadn't even thought about it. In his hurry to get away, he hadn't done any research. He had just put the private school's name into his GPS to lead him here. He had changed into a nice shirt and tie, and his best leather jacket. It was perfect private school attire. He had not considered the possibility that the students at Dalton would be wearing uniforms.
Although he was panicking inside, Kurt decided that acting cool would allow him to blend in more than running away into the nearest restroom or closet to hide. He allowed himself to be moved along in the crowd; everyone was moving in the same direction down the hallway.
Suddenly, there was a large skylight above him, and Kurt gawked with such intensity that he nearly fell down the accompanying staircase. As he regained his composure and started down the stairs, he noticed that the boys were all chattering excitedly. Students rushed by him down the stairs, and he kept to the inside and the safety of the railing. How was he going to spy on the Warblers, anyway? He felt a wave of apprehension at the possibility of being caught, but the excited atmosphere around him was intriguing enough to keep his anxiety level low. He needed to figure out what was happening. Maybe he could pass as a new student.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Kurt realized that he still had his sunglasses on. He pulled them off and tried to catch the attention of the nearest boy rushing past him on the stairs.
"Excuse me," he reached out with his voice.
As he finished descending the stairs, the young man turned in response to Kurt's words. Kurt's confidence faltered slightly at the sight of the young man's handsome face. Internally rolling his eyes at the new flutter in his chest, Kurt continued.
"Um, hi," he tried to sound casual, "Can I ask you a question? I'm new here."
The young man took in Kurt's lack of uniform, and for a moment Kurt was sure that he was caught. But then the boy stepped forward with a smile and an extended hand.
"My name's Blaine."
Kurt reached out and shook Blaine's hand. "Kurt," he supplied.
"So, what exactly's going on?" Kurt tried to keep the excitement from rising in his voice.
"The Warblers!" Blaine said enthusiastically, "Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance in the senior commons. Tends to shut the school down for a while."
Kurt was sure he misunderstood. "So, wait, the glee club here is kind of cool?" he asked incredulously.
Blaine smiled brightly. "The Warblers are like rock stars!" he confirmed.
Kurt's eyebrows went up in shock as Blaine smiled up at him. After a moment, Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand. "Come on, I know a shortcut."
Kurt's heart fluttered wildly as Blaine pulled him down the remaining few stairs and away down a hallway. Blaine's grip on his hand was gentle, but firm.
In his wildest dreams, Kurt had not imagined that this afternoon would involve being led around by a handsome Dalton student. For a moment, as Blaine pulled him down the empty hallway, Kurt imagined how he was going to explain this to Mercedes. She was never going to believe him.
At the end of the hallway, Blaine released Kurt's hand and pushed open a set of double doors. Kurt found himself in a room full of uniform-clad students again. The Warblers. Kurt remembered why he had come to Dalton. He was a spy. But what exactly was he supposed to find out? He already knew that The Warblers were an a cappella group, and their stellar record at show choir competitions was well documented.
"Oh. I stick out like a sore thumb," Kurt expressed his anxiety before he could stop himself.
"Well, next time don't forget your jacket, new kid," Blaine teased, reaching out to fix Kurt's jacket collar, which was crushed under his bag's strap. Blaine winked, "you'll fit right in."
Kurt felt completely flustered, but now it had nothing to do with his lack of a uniform and everything to do with the handsome student who had just told him that he would fit in. Nobody had ever said that to him before.
On an unspoken cue, The Warblers began to sing the introduction to their song, reminding Kurt once again why he was there. Blaine smiled.
"Now, if you'll excuse me."
Blaine turned away, and suddenly the room was quiet and he was singing.
Before you met me, I was alright.
But things were kind of heavy; you brought me to life.
Kurt felt numb. Blaine was a Warbler. Of all the boys in this school, he had managed to grab the attention of one of the Warblers' soloists. So much for being discreet.
Now every February you'll be my Valentine.
Blaine turned and looked straight at Kurt as he sang, and Kurt was suddenly absolutely sure that this was a dream. No boy had ever looked at him like this in a private setting, much less in a room full of people.
Valentine.
The Warblers began a synchronized dance to the song, and Kurt knew that he should be paying attention to their style and their form but all he could do was watch the singer in the lead.
Let's go all the way tonight.
No regrets. Just love.
We can dance until we die.
You and I will be young forever.
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream.
The way you turn me on.
I can't sleep.
Let's run away and don't ever look back. Don't ever look back.
Kurt felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. He was in a room full of boys his age. At a school where a glee club composed only of boys was singing a girl's song. And the other boys in the room were completely into it. He made a mental note to thank Puck for giving him the idea to come here.
Let's go all the way tonight.
No regrets. Just love.
We can dance until we die.
You and I will be young forever.
Blaine was looking directly at Kurt again, and Kurt allowed himself to forget why he was there. He was lost in a sea of song and enthusiasm, and he allowed himself to just enjoy it. He could pretend that Blaine was flirting with him. He would never know either way.
BLAINE
Blaine had been looking forward to singing Teenage Dream in the senior commons all week. Next to not worrying for his safety every time he flirted with another guy, being a Warbler was his favorite part of being at Dalton. This particular performance was enhanced by the addition of the sharply dressed young man who had practically begged Blaine for information in the hallway. Based on Kurt's facial expression when Blaine had mentioned the Warblers, he had decided to bring Kurt along. Maybe Kurt would want to join.
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream.
The way you turn me on.
I can't sleep.
Let's run away and don't ever look back. Don't ever look back.
Imma get your heart racing in these skintight jeans.
Be your teenage dream tonight.
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream.
The way you turn me on.
I can't sleep.
Let's run away and don't ever look back. Don't ever look back.
My heart stops when you look at me.
Just one touch. Now baby I believe.
This is real.
So take a chance and don't ever look back. Don't ever look back.
Imma get your heart racing in these skintight jeans.
Be your teenage dream tonight.
Blaine was enjoying this performance even more than usual. Despite all the insecurities that his first high school experience had instilled in him about his sexuality, performing made all of that go away. He wasn't always sure that his lack of inhibition during a performance was a good thing, but on this particular day he felt amazing. His desire to flirt with this new student (if, Blaine mused as he sang, he was actually a Dalton student. He had never known a new student to forget to wear their uniform before) flowed freely, and he didn't care if everyone noticed. Wasn't that the point of flirting, really? To be noticed?
Let you put your hands on me in my skintight jeans.
Be your teenage dream tonight.
The song ended, and Blaine smiled as the team congratulated each other on a stellar performance. He glanced back at Kurt, who was clapping wildly. He looked incredibly happy.
"Hey," someone clamped a hand down on Blaine's shoulder, "who's the spy?"
"What?" Blaine turned to find Wes smiling down at him.
"You are clueless," his friend laughed. "That boy you brought with you – the one without a uniform, also known as the one you were shamelessly flirting with throughout the entire song – he's from McKinley. I noticed him when we were looking at videos of New Directions this morning after we got our competition list for Sectionals."
Blaine glanced over his shoulder at Kurt, who was now leaning on the wall, looking a bit nervous. The joy from the performance was still in his eyes, though. Blaine sighed. "You aren't supposed to watch videos of our competition," he pretended to scold. Wes ignored him.
"Pretty brave of him to come on the same day that the list came out," David laughed, coming up beside them. "He's so obvious."
Blaine frowned. "I don't know," he said to his friends, "If he's here to spy on us, then why did he stop me on the stairs? He would have done some research beforehand, and he would probably have recognized me from our most recent competition videos."
"Blaine," Wes feigned seriousness, "the world does not revolve around you."
Blaine smacked Wes' hand off his shoulder. "Thanks for that. Let's just talk to him."
"Let's go," David said dramatically.
KURT
"Latte?" Blaine offered, sliding the drink across the table to Kurt, who was stuck in an emotional place between anxiety at being caught spying and excitement at the prospect of sitting across the table from his handsome new acquaintance.
"Thank you," he mouthed, feeling guilty for the selfish reasons that had compelled him to come to Westerville in the first place. He was going to be in so much trouble when Mr. Schu found out that he had been at Dalton.
"This is Wes and David," Blaine introduced his friends.
Kurt decided it was best to just come clean. He wasn't going to be able to lie fast enough to keep a conversation going. He hadn't thought any of this over beforehand, so he would have to admit that he was not, in fact, a new student. And suffer the consequences.
"It's very civilized for you to invite me for coffee before you beat me up for spying," he said, trying to sound as casual and polite as possible.
"We are not going to beat you up," Wes said immediately.
"You were such a terrible spy. We thought it was sort of endearing," David added.
"Which," Blaine said pointedly, "made me think that spying on us wasn't really the reason you came."
A million things flew into Kurt's mind at once. Lies he could tell. Excuses he could offer. But instead, he found himself starting the question that he wanted to know the answer to most of all in the entire world in this particular place in time. "Can I ask you guys a question?"
The boys gave silent approval, and Kurt hoped that someone would come for his body after they were done beating him up.
"Are you guys all gay?"
His question was met with immediate laughter, and Kurt knew he had been wrong to think that this was a good idea. He had a fleeting thought that maybe the dumpster at Dalton was cleaner than the one at McKinley.
"Uh, no," Blaine answered his question, still smiling brightly. As disappointment cemented itself in Kurt's heart, Blaine elaborated.
"Well, I mean, I am," he gestured at himself before opening his arms to indicate his friends, "These two have girlfriends."
Kurt had to take a drink from his coffee to keep the joy that surged into his heart from shining on his face. He had just flirted with a gay man. Or, had been flirted at by a gay man.
"This is not a gay school. We just have a zero tolerance harassment policy," David explained, and Wes chimed in with "Everybody gets treated the same, no matter what they are. It's pretty simple."
The tears that Kurt had pushed away after his argument with Puck sprang back to his eyes before he could stop them, and they brought along a lump that solidified in his throat and made speaking impossible.
There were places in the world – in Ohio – where people didn't have to worry about being beaten up for being themselves. He understood why Blaine was able to be so flirty during the performance without fear of someone noticing. Kurt felt overwhelmed. He felt hope that safe places like this existed. He felt ill at the thought that he would never experience this kind of environment. And he felt butterflies in his stomach at the sight of the smiling, dark haired boy across the table.
BLAINE
As soon as Kurt asked if they were gay, Blaine knew that he was definitely not a spy. The look on Kurt's face was too familiar. Kurt's sexuality was clearly a problem at his current school, and he had been unprepared for the sea of equality that was Dalton Academy. Blaine watched Kurt's eyes fill with tears, and decided that maybe an audience wasn't what Kurt needed right now.
"Would you guys excuse us?" He asked his friends, hoping that they would depart without questions. Fortunately, they both seemed to understand, and they got up from the table.
"Take it easy, Kurt," Wes smiled as he and David departed.
Blaine focused all of his attention at Kurt. He knew this wouldn't be easy for him, but clearly Kurt needed some reassuring.
"I take it you're having trouble at school."
To Blaine's surprise, Kurt didn't hesitate, although his voice shook with emotion. "I'm the only person out of the closet at my school," Kurt explained, "And I tried to stay strong about it, but there's this Neanderthal who's made it his mission to make my life a living hell."
Kurt paused, his eyes focused on a memory, and Blaine knew what he would say next, because it was always the worst part.
"And nobody seems to notice."
"I know how you feel," Blaine voiced his sympathy, "I got taunted at my old school, and it really pissed me off. I even complained about it to the faculty, and they were sympathetic and all but you could just tell that nobody really cared. It was like 'hey, if you're gay, you're life's just going to be miserable. Sorry, nothing we can do about it'."
Kurt looked away, but didn't speak, and Blaine continued. "So I left. I came here. Simple as that."
It hadn't actually been as simple as that, but Blaine knew that Kurt hadn't come to hear about someone else's problems. He was looking for answers.
"So," Blaine continued, trying to sound upbeat, "you have two options. I mean, I'd love to tell you just to come enroll here, but tuition at Dalton is kinda steep, and I know that's not an option for everybody. Or, you can refuse to be the victim."
Kurt waited, and still said nothing, so Blaine elaborated again. "Prejudice is just ignorance, Kurt. And you have a chance, right now, to teach him."
Kurt's eyes were dull – the result of too many attempts at teaching people that being gay was not a problem. "How?" he asked sadly.
"Confront him!" Blaine leaned forward in his chair, hoping that his eagerness would instill some courage in Kurt. "Call him out!"
Kurt looked unconvinced, or maybe just sad. So Blaine decided to try a more personal approach.
"I ran, Kurt, I didn't stand up. I let bullies chase me away, and it is something that I really, really regret."
Blaine had never admitted that to anyone before. But something about Kurt made it feel so easy to say it out loud. Blaine hoped that his confession would save this young man from a life of torment. Because presently, there was little but torment in Kurt's eyes.
Kurt sighed heavily, blinked a few times, and attempted a little smile. "Thank you," he said softly.
"I'm glad you came, Kurt." Blaine said, and leaned over to dig through his bag. He came up with a small piece of paper and a pen. "Here's my number," Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but Blaine continued quickly, "Please, I know you feel all alone at your school. And maybe you are, at least physically, alone in your experience there. But I've been where you are, and there's no reason for you to suffer through it alone when I'm only a text message or phone call away."
Kurt looked like he was going to cry again, but Blaine needed to make sure that he understood, so he continued.
"You have the courage inside of you to stand up to this bully, Kurt. You're probably never going to regret standing up for yourself against his ignorance, but trust me. You will regret doing nothing and allowing him to control your life. I regret it every single day." He slid the paper with his phone number on it across the table, and watched as Kurt took a deep breath.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Kurt teased, rolling his eyes at his problems as he reached across the table to grab Blaine's pen. He ripped the bottom portion off of the paper, scribbled down his name and number, and pushed it back across the table.
Blaine laughed. "Honestly? I'd love to know if you think our performance earlier was competition-ready."
"Oh, yes," Kurt breathed without hesitation, before reigning in his enthusiasm and blushing slightly, "I mean, I think so."
Blaine stood up with a laugh. "Thanks, Kurt."
Kurt sprang up, and shoved the paper with Blaine's number into his bag.
"No," Kurt said, in a voice that begged Blaine to understand the sincerity of his words, "thank you."
Blaine stepped forward and clasped his hand on Kurt's shoulder with a bright smile. Kurt smiled shyly and Blaine allowed his eyes to linger on Kurt's as the taller young man shouldered his bag and nodded a goodbye.
As Kurt walked away, Blaine sat back down at the table for a moment and thought about a time when he was in the same situation as Kurt. He rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. Things had not ended well at his first high school.
With a sigh, Blaine leaned over to pick up the strip of paper, still on the table, and entered Kurt Hummel's number into his phone.
KURT
"Hey Kurt," Burt called cheerfully as Kurt slammed the front door and practically skipped past the living room on the way to the stairs. "How's the project?"
"What?" Kurt leaned around the corner to look at his father, who was watching a game on the television.
"The project," Burt repeated, twisting around in his chair to look at Kurt. He took in the huge smile on Kurt's face and raised an eyebrow. "I guess it's, uh, good and everything?"
"What–" Kurt started to ask, but he suddenly remembered the lie he had told to explain his late homecoming. "Oh, it's great, yeah," he attempted nonchalance, but the look on Burt's face told him that he had slipped up.
Burt paused the game and shifted in the chair so that he was facing Kurt. "Where have you been?" he demanded.
Kurt let out a long breath. "I went to Westerville," he mumbled.
"You went where?" Burt said, his voice rising. He stood up and moved so he could see Kurt completely. Kurt groaned in defeat.
"And when, exactly, were you planning on letting me know about this little excursion?" Burt demanded.
Kurt floundered for a moment. He could feel Burt's eyes on him. "I want the truth, Kurt," his father said quietly.
"I went to Dalton Academy," Kurt admitted.
"And what possessed you to visit this 'Dalton Academy'?" Burt asked firmly, making air quotation marks around the name of the school.
"We're competing against their glee club at Sectionals," Kurt said, attempting to remain as calm as his father. He still felt the high of the afternoon's events, but he knew that grinning wildly during this conversation would not help him. "I went to see if I could find out anything about them."
Burt narrowed his eyes. "Did your coach– er– glee club teacher tell you to do this?"
"Mr. Schuester," Kurt reminded him. "No, he didn't. I went on my own."
His father sighed heavily. "I don't really understand glee club politics or any of that stuff, and I don't want to be that parent who flies off the handle whenever my teenage son does something without my permission, but come on, Kurt. I need to know where you are."
Kurt felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Dad."
Burt stepped up and grabbed the bottom of Kurt's chin gently to force him to make eye contact. "Don't lie again."
"I won't," Kurt said solemnly.
Burt stared into his eyes for a moment, and Kurt could tell that his father was trying to make sure he was telling the truth. Finally, Burt seemed to believe him and he moved back across the room to his chair. As Kurt was turning around to flee to his room, Burt's voice stopped him.
"So... if you went all that way... what'd you find out about that other glee club? They any good?"
Kurt's heart hammered in his chest. "Yes," he said, hoping that Burt wouldn't catch the slight hysteria in his voice, "they're fantastic."
"Alright then," Burt said with conviction. "Well, that's something, I guess. Dinner was leftovers tonight, so just get whatever out of the fridge if you're hungry."
Kurt finally allowed the smile that had been building up inside of him to free itself. The small talk was his father's way of letting him know that he was forgiven. "I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Kurt," Burt answered. "I'll see you in the morning."
Kurt didn't need any further incentive to retreat to his room. As soon as he closed the door to his bedroom, he ran across the room and flung himself face-down onto his bed with a happy squeal.
"Today was a dream," he mumbled into his pillow. The argument with the boys of New Directions earlier in the day felt like it had happened a week ago. He rolled onto his back for a moment, contemplating everything that had happened.
As he thought about Blaine, he jumped off the bed and grabbed his bag. He pulled out the piece of paper with Blaine's name and phone number and studied it for a moment. He smoothed out a fold in the corner of the paper and skipped over to tack it to his corkboard, which was covered with photos of his friends and cutouts from various fashion magazines. He stepped back to admire the new addition to his board.
His phone vibrated on his bedside table, and he rushed over to the edge of his bed to pick it up. He felt guilty when he felt a twinge of disappointment that it was Mercedes' name.
"Hello?" he answered the phone.
"Hey Kurt," Mercedes said, "Are you okay? You disappeared before lunch..."
Kurt sighed happily and fell back onto his bed. "Mercedes," he said brightly, "you are never going to believe what happened this afternoon."
KURT
The girls of New Directions were rocking their mash-up, and Kurt was enjoying it immensely. Since his visit to Dalton, everything seemed brighter somehow. More enjoyable. He didn't even feel jealous that the girls might crush him and the other guys in the competition.
He was already thinking about Blaine when he heard his phone vibrating from inside his bag. He reached down to grab it, and discovered a text message from Blaine.
Courage.
Kurt smiled, happy that he had given Blaine his number.
He pulled up the message again as he walked down the hallway after class. It made him feel stronger, knowing that there was someone out there sending him positive vibes.
Suddenly, his phone was on the ground and he was flying into the row of lockers that lined the hallway. The physical pain of hitting the lockers was minimal in comparison to the flood of panic that lurched into his heart.
Courage.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he was chasing David Karofsky down the hallway, calling after the person who was making his life at McKinley a living hell. He could hear Blaine's voice in his head. I ran, Kurt, I didn't stand up. I let bullies chase me away, and it is something that I really, really regret. Kurt didn't want that regret.
"I'm talking to you!" Kurt screamed as he chased Karofsky into the locker room. He fought for balance as panic threatened to overtake his moment of courage.
"Girl's locker room is next door," Karofsky quipped, not even turning around to acknowledge Kurt's presence. Anger and embarrassment flooded through Kurt.
"What is your problem?" Kurt yelled as he moved quickly across the room toward Karofsky, hoping that he looked somewhat intimidating. He felt surer about this every second. Blaine had triggered this with his encouragement, but Kurt knew that this had been inside him all along, waiting for permission to break out.
"Excuse me?" Karofsky stepped forward aggressively, clearly unhappy with Kurt's lack of deference.
"What are you so scared of?" Kurt leaned forward into Karofsky's space. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins.
"Besides you sneaking in here to peek at my junk?"
"Oh, yeah, every straight guy's nightmare: that all of us gays are secretly out to molest and convert you," Kurt fumed, "Well guess what, hamhock? You're not my type!"
"That right?" Karofsky challenged, stepping forward until he was within arm's reach of Kurt.
"Yeah," Kurt confirmed, feeling strangely calm, "I don't dig on chubby boys who sweat too much and are going to be bald by the time they're thirty." It was mean; Karofsky wasn't completely unattractive. But Kurt wanted to fight fire with fire. He needed to be harsh.
An emotion that was more complex than just rage flashed across Karofsky's face as he stepped forward again, raising his fist. "Do not push me, Hummel."
Kurt looked at Karofsky's fist, so near to his face. He had been thrown in dumpsters and shoved into lockers, but he had never been beaten up before. His confidence waivered for a moment as he contemplated the amount of physical pain that he was about to find himself in. He had heard stories of people who were beaten up by their ignorant peers for being gay. He was about to become a hate crime statistic.
Courage.
He wasn't a statistic. And he was not going to let this ignorant thug run his life. He thought of Blaine, and let his adrenaline push him forward. "You gonna hit me?" Kurt challenged, "Do it." He was ready. He was not going to back down again.
"Don't push me!" Karofsky threatened again, slamming his locker closed.
"Hit me," Kurt confirmed, bracing himself for the physical pain, "Because it's not going to change who I am. You can't punch the gay out of me any more than I can punch the ignoramus out of you!"
"Get out of my face!" Karofsky roared, but Kurt was not going to stop.
"You are nothing but a scared little boy," Kurt brought his hand up, pointing directly at Karofsky's face to reinforce his point, "who can't handle how extraordinarily ordinary you are!"
Karofsky lurched forward, grabbed Kurt's face in both of his hands, and kissed him.
All the courage that had built up inside of Kurt during the confrontation vanished in that instant. He felt equal parts horrified and detached, like the kiss was happening to someone else and he was watching it. When the kiss ended, Kurt was frozen. His hand was still clutched near his face from when he had been pointing at the taller student. He couldn't even think.
Karofsky looked simultaneously relieved and tormented. Before Kurt's coherency could return, Karofsky leaned in to attempt to kiss him again and Kurt's hands flew out, pushing the bigger boy away. The shove moved them both back, away from each other. Kurt brought his hand up to his face in an unconscious effort to protect himself from another kiss.
Karofsky let out a cry of frustration and slammed his hands on the wall of lockers. He stormed past Kurt and out the door before Kurt could move or think or feel anything.
As the door slammed, Kurt felt himself returning to his body. He had anticipated physical contact, but not this kind of physical contact. He wished that he had been punched in the face.
The adrenaline that had aided him in the argument was fading fast, and Kurt's hands shook as he reached into his bag for his phone. It wasn't there. It was on the floor in the hallway where Karofsky had knocked it out of his hands.
He dug into his bag and pulled out his Chapstick. He applied a heavy layer of the cherry-flavored lip balm to his lips before licking it all off and applying it again. By the time he finished, it was all he could taste.
His heart was still pounding and his hands were still shaking, but Kurt knew that he had to go out and get his phone. And make it through the rest of the day. He stood up to his full height, straightened his clothes, and checked his hair in the mirror. The walk to his locker was a blur, and he was relieved to see his phone still on the ground. It had been knocked against the wall by the foot traffic in the hallway, but it seemed to be undamaged.
He quickly found Blaine's number in his contact list, and the phone was ringing against his ear before he thought about what he was doing. As the phone rang, he had a moment of doubt. He hadn't even known Blaine for a week yet.
"I've been where you are, and there's no reason for you to suffer through it alone when I'm only a text message or phone call away." Blaine had been adamant. Kurt took a deep breath as the Dalton student's voicemail urged him to leave a message.
"Hey, uh, Blaine? It's Kurt. Hummel. From the other day," he could hear his voice shaking, and he realized that he wasn't sure how to articulate what he wanted from Blaine, "Sorry to call so soon, but I— something— do you think you could call me back when you have some free time? I— thanks."
BLAINE
"Hey, Kurt!" Blaine saw the young man waiting for him as he parked in a visitor parking spot and climbed out of his car.
Kurt attempted a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Blaine jogged over and shook Kurt's hand firmly, clasping the side of Kurt's arm with his left hand.
"I'm sorry," Kurt sighed unhappily, "I panicked yesterday."
"Well," Blaine attempted to lighten the mood, "I panicked a little too... I couldn't decide what to wear!" He swept his arms out to draw attention to his Dalton uniform.
Kurt's smile reached his eyes briefly, but there was still anxiety there too. "Lunch just started," he said halfheartedly.
"Lead on!" Blaine said dramatically, hoping that his light tone of voice would ease some of the fear.
As they walked, Kurt told Blaine the full version of events that had culminated in Karofsky's kiss the day before. Blaine felt a mix of emotions. He felt sad and angry about what Karofsky had done, and he felt anxious because he knew that things could escalate from a rough kiss to something more violent.
"Thanks again for coming," Kurt said as they began to climb the stairs near the school's courtyard. Kurt assumed that Karofsky would be upstairs, eating with his friends from the football team.
"Don't worry about it," Blaine responded, "Just let me do the talking." Blaine wasn't sure what he was going to say, but Kurt had called him for help. He was trying to help Kurt find his courage, so he would attempt to do the same.
"There he is," Kurt suddenly breathed, and Blaine could feel the nervousness radiating from his new acquaintance.
"I've got your back," Blaine offered confidently, hoping that Kurt couldn't feel his nervousness.
Blaine addressed Karofsky as cheerfully as he could manage, "Excuse me."
"Hey, lady boys," Karofsky scoffed as he looked at the two boys in front of him. He motioned at Blaine, "This your boyfriend, Kurt?"
"Kurt and I would like to talk to you about something," Blaine ignored the question, but he felt his heart accelerate at Karofsky's confrontational tone.
Karofsky pushed past them, and Blaine didn't hear what the larger boy was saying as he watched Karofsky reach out and shove Kurt into the wall.
"Kurt told me what you did," Blaine challenged.
"Oh yeah?" Karofsky returned, turning around to face Blaine and Kurt, "what's that?"
Blaine wasn't sure if he should call Karofsky out in such a public place. It could be best to be vague and avoid making a scene. Before he could make up his mind, Kurt spoke up for the first time and made Blaine's decision for him. "You kissed me."
Panic flashed across Karofsky's face as he looked around to see if anyone had heard. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kurt looked at Blaine for help. Despite his anger regarding Karofsky's actions toward Kurt, Blaine decided to try a compassionate approach. Blaine had never had a problem admitting to himself that he was gay, but he had certainly had a hard time telling other people. He tried to imagine how Karofsky must be feeling.
"It seems like you might be a little confused," Blaine suggested gently, "and that's totally normal."
Karofsky certainly looked confused.
"This is a very hard thing to come to terms with," Blaine continued as Karofsky began to walk away, "and you should just know that you're not alone."
Karofsky stopped at the base of the stairs, and for a moment Blaine felt a spark of hope. But when Karofsky turned back to face them, there was anger on his face.
Blaine felt his heart lurch as Karofsky charged back up the stairs, grabbed the front of Blaine's blazer, and shoved him back into the fence. Instinctively, Blaine threw his hands up and hoped that surrendering immediately would reduce the chance of violence.
"Do not mess with me," Karofsky threatened. Blaine couldn't speak. Before he could decide if he wanted to shove Karofsky off, Kurt intervened again.
"You have to stop this," Kurt sounded desperate as he pushed Karofsky away from Blaine.
For a moment, all three of them were silent. Kurt was breathing heavily, obviously upset, and Blaine tried to feign nonchalance. Before anyone could say another word, Karofsky turned and hurried away.
Blaine's knees felt weak, and he leaned back on the hand rail. "Well, he's not coming out any time soon," he quipped, half to lighten the mood and half to distract himself from his racing heart.
Kurt was already moving to sit down on the stairs. He looked exhausted. Blaine welcomed the distraction and focused his attention on the taller young man. "What's going on?" he asked, moving to sit next to Kurt on the stairs, "Why are you so upset?"
Blaine knew it was a ridiculous question. Clearly, Kurt was upset because he had been verbally and physically assaulted, and his assailant had just lashed out at both of them. But he hoped that the question would get Kurt talking.
"Because up until yesterday," Kurt admitted sadly, "I had never been kissed. Or, at least, one that counted."
Blaine didn't know what to say to that, so he pursed his lips and waited to see if Kurt would say anything else. When he didn't, Blaine decided that maybe what the unhappy young man needed was a distraction.
"Come on," Blaine suggested, "I'll buy you lunch."
KURT
Kurt silently agreed to Blaine's lunch invitation. As they walked down the stairs, he took a moment to consider his new acquaintance. They had only known each other for a few days; this was only their second meeting. Yet he felt comfortable with the trim young man.
Maybe it was because he was also gay. Blaine understood, and that was something Kurt had never had before. Kurt knew that he was fortunate to have a loving and accepting father and caring friends, but having someone who understood without any explanation was something else entirely.
Maybe it was because Blaine was a talented performer. Kurt felt a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety when he thought about Blaine's talent as a singer and his status as a soloist. He thought about competing against Blaine at Sectionals, and knew that he was going to take (possibly not-so-secret) pleasure in beating his new acquaintance and the other Warblers.
Maybe it was because whenever he looked at Blaine his heart fluttered like it was trying to beat out of his chest.
As they sat down to eat their lunch on one of the concrete steps in the courtyard outside, Blaine smiled brightly at Kurt, and Kurt decided that it was probably a mixture of all of those things. And maybe some things he couldn't put into words.
"I'm sorry that was so..." Kurt trailed off as he tried to think of what their confrontation with Karofsky had been.
"Intense?" Blaine suggested.
"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "Did he hurt you?"
Blaine took a bite of his apple and shook his head no. "Are you going to tell anyone?" the darker hair boy asked quietly.
Kurt considered for a moment. "I don't know," he admitted, "I thought about it all night last night."
"He assaulted you," Blaine said gently as he looked up from his food.
Kurt picked at his food. He was not particularly hungry. "I don't want to out him. It's not my secret to tell."
"It stopped being his secret to tell when he forced himself on you," Blaine offered, but Kurt could see in Blaine's eyes that he wasn't going to press the issue. "I'm glad I was here," Blaine continued.
"Me too," Kurt knew that it would be impossible to describe the extent to which he was glad that Blaine had been there.
Blaine smiled. "Change of subject?" he offered lightly.
Kurt sighed heavily and returned the smile. "Please!"
They spent the rest of Kurt's lunch period chatting about food, music, favorite colors and classes. When the bell rang to signify the end of lunch, both boys were startled.
"I can find my way back to my car," Blaine said as they both hurried to clean up their lunch, "you should get to class."
Kurt wanted to say that he would just cut his afternoon classes so they could continue talking (Blaine was cutting his afternoon classes to come to Lima, after all), but he knew that he needed to go to class. He had cut class to visit Dalton earlier in the week. He had dodged the bullet of his father's disapproval that day, but he knew that Burt was watching him more closely now.
"Do you want to hang out sometime?" he asked instead, "Just... for no serious reason?"
"Absolutely," Blaine accepted, and Kurt straightened his coat happily, "I'll text you later?"
Kurt nodded. "Thanks so much for coming, Blaine."
"You did great today, Kurt," Blaine said seriously.
The second bell rang as Blaine turned to walk back to his car, and Kurt rolled his eyes as he realized that he was late for class. But as Blaine disappeared from sight and Kurt scrambled to get to class before anyone noticed his absence, he felt like he could take on the world.
The end! (Or... the end of this episode!)
My GOAL is to finish by the time Glee's third season starts on September 20th... that day is rapidly approaching, but I will try. I'm finding that these early episodes are the most difficult... I just want Kurt and Blaine to be adorable boyfriends, but they're still just friends for now! It does make me laugh, though, because remember how crazy we all felt wanting them to get together? But now, looking back on it, I think the pace of their relationship was perfect.
The next episode will be posted tomorrow! :)