A few notes at the beginning: This follows Glee until season 2 - "Original song". Blaine never had this "Oh, there you are" moment and Santana tries already earlier to bring Kurt back to McKinley.
Prologue
There are days, hours, moments, that you won't give so much credit to call them life changing. You won't even think about those moments again if it isn't for you to look back on your life quite some time later, realizing – yes at this one moment, I made a decision which changed my life.
We don't realize such moments immediately, because we don't know how our life would look like when we would've decided otherwise. Often those moments go by without us even acknowledging that it was one of those moments. Maybe months or even years later, or if we ever do tell our life story we will remember that one moment and while we are speaking about them, we realize – this was the moment when I made a life changing decision.
The same is happening to Kurt Hummel. He wouldn't even really remember that particular moment until a few years later when he's about to tell the story of his senior year at Dalton and when he has to go a bit further back in history to even explain why he has been a Dalton student at first. Only then he would realize that there was this one evening, that one moment, which changed his opinion on the school and convinced him to stay.
When looking back at his senior year at Dalton, Kurt will always ask himself how he ever had been able to think about leaving Dalton again in his junior year? Yes, there was a time when Kurt was ready to pack his bags again and leave the prestigious private school.
What made him stay? Well, that's easy to tell. It's something that would make everyone of us stay at a certain place – friends. When we find real friends, friends that we can rely on, with whom we can laugh and cry, with whom we can share our deepest secrets and fears, we feel home. Nothing makes us feel more at home than friends.
For a while Kurt had tried to make his way through Dalton without friends, he still was friends with his former schoolmates and for some time, Kurt thought it might work. But he realized, even though he and the New Directions were still friends, they weren't that close anymore. It was at this point that Kurt realized, he felt lonely at Dalton and started missing his old friends, wishing he could just transfer back to McKinley.
Kurt knew that his father wouldn't have made any scene or would have been mad at him if he'd really chosen to leave Dalton. After all Kurt's happiness and safety was all that concerned Burt. The amount of wasted money would maybe be painful, but Burt would never hold it against Kurt.
The lack of friends at Dalton, didn't go amiss with his former schoolmates and Kurt was ready to take Santana's offer of an anti-bullying-police for him if he would return to McKinley. But before he got the chance to say yes to it, there was this one particular evening that changed his mind about leaving Dalton.
It was already dawn outside, when their bus pulled up to the driveway of Dalton Academy's dormitory building. Kurt stared out of the window, not really watching the landscape fly by, just light up by the last few sun rays of the day. The loss of Regionals was weighing heavily on the otherwise chippy talkative mood of the Warblers.
His mind was wandering to the happy smiles on his friends' faces. Former friends, Kurt corrected himself mentally. He knew he could go to Nationals, if he would just go back to McKinley and Santana's explanations of how to prove that Kurt would be safe there, sounded great. It was tempting, indeed.
What friends did he have at Dalton? Except for Blaine? None, to be honest. Kurt hadn't been quite the socialite type at Dalton. Mostly because he wasn't quite sure if he really belonged to this school. His classmates talked about weekends at country clubs, vacation trips to Europe, the Hamptons or other locations, that obviously rich people choose.
Kurt had listened to these talks more than often, but always kept quiet. It had already been much for his father and his step-mother to come up with the tuition for Dalton. There was no way they would go on a skiing vacation in Aspen, not that Kurt would go skiing, but just listening to the stories hurt a little bit. It wasn't jealousy, that could be held responsible for the pain Kurt felt when hearing these conversations, no it was just the feeling of being an outsider again.
Not fitting in, even though they all wore the same uniforms and there was this zero-harassing-policy at Dalton. Kurt felt lonely with the time, especially after he realized that Blaine was in love with someone else, even though that guy didn't reciprocate the feelings.
The awkward tension that started to build between them once Kurt slipped that he had thought Blaine wanted to sing to him on Valentine's day, never really disappeared. Blaine was a good friend to Kurt, but that was about it. He cared about Kurt, but just in a friends way, not in anything romantic.
Kurt's eyes took in the majestic appearance of the dormitory building in the evening sun. Even though it was still quite cold, it had been a sunny day and when the bus pulled up to the main building, Kurt was again breathless at the sight.
He hadn't seen the dormitory building when he had been at Dalton to spy on the Warblers, but when he transferred and saw the building for the first time he absolutely fell in love with the stunning architecture. An architecture that reminded him of the old castles and universities of Great Britain, of royalty and wealthy families.
Kurt remembered how he had spent an entire night on reading about Dalton's history. It was like reading the history of Hogwarts, well just with the difference that Dalton's history was in fact real and the history of Hogwarts arose from JK Rowling's mind.
"It's beautiful." a voice suddenly startled Kurt out of his thoughts. "In the evening sun, you can forget that we're in the 21st Century and that it's a school now." the blonde boy, Jeff if Kurt remembered the name right, added.
"It is. For a moment you can pretend you're on your way to Hogwarts."
Kurt smiled softly at the other boy, who just happened to sit himself next to Kurt in these few last minutes. Why the other boy happened to do that was beyond Kurt's understanding, but he wasn't going to question it right out. No, he wanted to find out without questioning.
"You read Harry Potter?" The voice of the blonde rose a small pitch higher, filled with excitement.
"Who hasn't at our age?" Kurt had to stop the urge to roll his eyes, because that really was a good question.
"Thad." Jeff countered and Kurt had to stop from laughing out loud.
If there was one person who might have not read Harry Potter, even though they did grow up with those books everywhere, it would have to be Thad. Kurt had never spoken with Thad personally, but what he had learned from Blaine, Thad was quite an uptight person and it was definitely fitting, that Thad might have not read any Harry Potter books.
For a moment, Kurt found himself again tempted to ask, why Jeff had just sat down next to him for these last minutes of their bus ride home. Gladly, Jeff seemed to realize that their time was limited and that smalltalk wouldn't help him to get his issues out faster.
"Ummm, I wondered if you had any plans for tonight?" Jeff's question took Kurt quite off guard.
It was not really clear in what way Jeff meant his question and Kurt found himself wondering, if this was Jeff's quite weird attempt to ask him about a spontaneous date? He never had felt any flirty signals coming from Jeff, and Kurt wasn't even sure if the blonde boy even was gay.
It took a mere second for Kurt to realize that he practically knew nothing about Jeff, except that his name was Jeff, that he was a Warbler and obviously in his sophomore year like Blaine. But beyond that? Kurt's mind was lacking anymore information about him.
Kurt's eyes lingered a bit longer than maybe necessary on Jeff's face, trying to figure out in which way the question was meant. But even after the few seconds, close to a minute, that he had stayed silent, trying to process what answer was the correct one, he couldn't come up with a foolproof solution.
"Except for studying?" Kurt mused. "I guess, I don't have plans beyond that."
It was not really the truth. Kurt had studied the last three weeks in the library and when he wasn't at Warbler practice and gymnastics training, Kurt had studied at his room. Dalton's syllabus was stricter and the expected learning outcome much higher than at McKinley. Therefor Kurt found himself struggling to keep up with everything for the first time in his life.
But nevertheless, he had told himself that he wouldn't study tonight, not after Regionals. Well, this plan was made before they lost. After their sectionals win, they had been expected back by all the other students at Dalton and there had been a party going on in the main house of the dormitories until the dorm master had ushered everyone to bed. So Kurt had figured out, it would be the same this time... Well, until they lost to the New Directions.
"Studying? On a Saturday night?" Jeff's face showed concern for a moment and it was clearly visible that Jeff didn't believe that.
"I still have a lot to catch up on." Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "But why do you ask?"
There it was, his curiosity got the better out of him. The question never had been planned and Kurt wasn't quite sure if he should be bewildered that it slipped him or if he should be glad that he finally asked.
A huge grin appeared on Jeff's face, just as if Kurt had asked the right question. And maybe he did? Kurt watched how Jeff's grin only slightly shrank so he was able to speak properly.
"We are holding a comedy movie night." Jeff declared as if it was the best thing that ever happened to someone's life. "We would love it if you join us."
Kurt frowned slightly. He had never been invited to any of the other boys' activities, so why now? And who was we? The last thought might have been verbalized out loud, because Jeff started to rattle off a few people to explain who 'we' is.
Obviously the group who would watch comedy movies this night where Nick, Jeff's roommate as well as Blaine, who was Jeff's other roommate for the three of them shared a dorm room. Maybe Trent would join them, but this wasn't sure because Trent was still sulking over their defeat, Jeff explained.
There was a chance for him to have a nice evening after all. Comedies would be something he could need right now, something to laugh and not think too much about it. Maybe he could also get to know Jeff and Nick better? Maybe find out, if this Niff thing was a couply thing or if they maybe only were best friends?
Yes, curiosity killed the cat was what they said, but Kurt might be like a cat in such things. Hearing rumors without having any proven facts wasn't Kurt's thing. He might like gossiping with Rachel and Mercedes, but he also liked to have solid facts on which the rumors were based.
Within a few seconds, just in time for their bus to stop in front of the main building, Kurt had made up his mind.
"I would like to." The smile on Kurt's face was sincere and soft.
The way Jeff's eyes lit up at Kurt's answer was priceless. And Kurt mentally made a note that Jeff had beautiful eyes when he was happy and that the other was obviously happy showed the hug he got not even a minute later. Kurt felt a warmth in his heart when he saw the joy that he brought to Jeff with his answer.
"I'll see you in 15 minutes in our room."
Jeff has been already up from his seat like about three quarters of the bus, taking his winter coat and scarf from the overhead shelf. With one last wave Jeff sneaked into the line of boys to get out of the bus, leaving Kurt behind chuckling. When the line got thinner, Kurt got up himself to take his winter coat and scarf and leave the bus as one of the last guys.
Maybe this evening would not end with him waiting online on Skype for one of his friends from McKinley to come online, which was quite unlikely since they had every reason to celebrate their win now.
Exactly 15 minutes and 45 seconds later Kurt found himself outside the door of Blaine's, Jeff's and Nick's dorm room. There have been already voices to be heard from the inside and they sounded like more as just the three inhabitants of the room.
Kurt was ready to turn around and just say forget it. But on the other hand, he couldn't quite find a reason why to turn down an offer to have a fun night? And maybe even find new friends? No, Kurt, you're thinking too far ahead. He reminded himself. This evening didn't mean he would be friends with Nick and Jeff afterwards.
No, it was just a polite invitation, maybe even initiated by Blaine, because the latter had somehow noticed in the last few weeks how Kurt was locking himself into his room quite often. Maybe Blaine thought, he had to try to help Kurt to settle better in Dalton. When he had his first day here, it also had been Blaine who showed him everything.
Blaine had been the one who had introduced him to the Warblers, who had given him advice when he hadn't made it in the callback for a solo at Sectionals. Not that these callbacks were important, because in the end it was again Blaine singing all the solos, but at this time Kurt hadn't figured that out.
It had also been Blaine, who had asked the Warblers for their agreement to let him sing a duet, with Kurt. Kurt had somehow the feeling that some of the guys were blaming him for their loss and maybe Blaine thinks that Kurt was blaming himself for it as well, not that this wasn't hitting the nail on the head. Maybe Blaine wanted to make him feel better about their loss, maybe Blaine actually cared for him more than just friends?
Get your hopes down, Hummel. Kurt scolded himself and took a quick glance at his watch. 16 minutes and 25 seconds had passed, so Kurt figured he was now 1 minute and 25 seconds late. Taking a deep breath, Kurt straightened up, shaking off any thoughts about Blaine. It was Jeff who invited him, not Blaine, he reminded himself just before he softly knocked against the door with the golden numbers 209 on it.
The door had been opened with such a fast move, that Kurt was sure, Nick must've stood right on the other side of it. Nick's eyes quickly scanned the intruder and a smile appeared on his face again.
"Kurt!" he yelled out in a volume that Kurt was sure, nearly the entire floor must know by now that Kurt visited the other three boys.
"Ummm, Jeff said something about a movie night." Kurt explained his showing up.
"Sure, sure, come on in." Nick ushered him in.
Kurt has never really been in the dorm room of the three before. Whenever Blaine and Kurt had talked in the privacy of a dorm room, it had been Kurt's. The perks of changing schools mid year had been a double bed dorm room for single use and Kurt's parents weren't even made to pay the prize for a single dorm room, because it wasn't Kurt's fault that there was no free bed in another dorm room.
His eyes took in the room, which was similar to his own. The room was of course larger, especially since the third bed was positioned right in the middle of the other two, which were positioned on each side of the room. The third bed was positioned against the wall that separated the small bathroom and the wardrobes from the main room. The desks were all shoved together against the wall, where three windows let the daylight normally in.
Instead of nightstands like Kurt's dorm room, the beds had overhead shelves. And it were those shelves that gave away, which bed belonged to whom. A big Captain America poster was pinned to the wall beside the bed in the middle, a few Harry Potter books next to a lot of stacked comic books and a few portraits of a family with many children, most of them with blonde hair, gave it easily away that it was Jeff who slept in the middle.
Kurt smiled at the discovery, because somehow he had thought of Jeff as someone who would like superheroes. And the mention of the Harry Potter books on the bus had also been a hint. The family portraits were the last thing that settled it in stone that it must be Jeff's bed.
Kurt's gaze wandered to the bed on the other side of the room. The linens were made perfectly and only a few books were neatly put on the shelf above the bed. A few music sheets for piano, as well as some trophies over singing competition victories and a picture of Blaine and obviously his older brother, made it easy to recognize Blaine's bed.
With two beds figured out, Kurt hadn't to see the third bed, which obviously belonged to Nick then. There were pictures of landscapes, friends, vacations, as well as football game tickets pinned on the wall next to Nick's bed. On the shelf above the bed was a framed autograph of a football player that Kurt was sure he had seen on television at some point when his dad was watching a game.
The screening of the room hadn't even taken a minute. But it took another full thirty seconds for Kurt to realize that in fact there were more people than the three who lived in this room. Kurt saw Thad on one of the desk chairs, as well as the guy who if Kurt remembered right, must've been Trent.
"Since we're all now, I think we can start our movie night." Jeff had jumped from the chair where he had sat between Thad and Trent. Blaine smiled at Kurt from the floor where he was sitting on a big blanket that was spread across it, his laptop was turned on and Blaine was obviously already working on setting up the first movie.
"Hi Kurt." he murmured, before he concentrated back on his laptop.
Yes, things between them had gotten awkward and Kurt wished back the days, when Blaine didn't know, when he hadn't told Blaine. A small sigh escaped him, mostly inaudible for the others, but if you know Kurt you still would've caught it. But he wouldn't have to worry about that here, because he hadn't spoken to one of the boys in this room, except for Blaine, more than maybe a few sentences during Warbler practice. If you don't count the few sentences he had shared with Jeff on the bus today.
"Hi." Kurt greeted back, even so it was unaware if his hi had been only meant for Blaine or if he had greeted everyone with it.
He forced a small smile on his face, his posture being all stiff and literally screaming that he doesn't want to be here. There were definitely different places were Kurt wished to be right in this moment, celebrating with the New Directions would be one of them. But he was here, right in this room and trying to be not completely socially awkward for once.
Nick patted his back sympathetically when he walked by, as if he had caught on some invisible sign that Kurt was sending out. Kurt looked at Nick for a second, before Jeff shoved himself into the picture again, mainly to drag Kurt down with him on the blanket and to interrogate him about movies.
A few hours later, Kurt found that it might've been a good decision to spend the evening with the other boys. He had learned a lot about them and if you could call it after a few hours of talking, laughing and just having a relaxed time, he would say they're friends now.
Kurt learned things about the others, and even though he wasn't normally someone who shared secrets easily, he gave them a few insights on who Kurt Hummel really was. They shared plans over their futures after graduation, even though Kurt would be the only one who was about to graduate next year.
Thad had been really shocked when he learned of Kurt's plans to go to New York. Kurt had learned fast this evening, that even though Thad enjoyed singing in the Warblers, he couldn't imagine a career in the arts.
No, Thad was just as uptight as Kurt had always imagined him, the chess player and mathematics genius, who was just dragged into this funny evening by Jeff, because everyone needs fun sometimes.
Thad had other big plans. His father had a well running business company at the East Coast, near Boston and it was only natural that Thad would try to get one of the most wanted places in the Business program at Harvard, to take over the company one day in the future.
Kurt had asked himself if his father would've expected the same of him. Would Burt expect him to work in the car shop, maybe taking over the business one day? They never had talked about such stuff, Kurt remembered. He helped out his dad often enough to have quite a knowledge about cars and he shared the love for a good car with his dad, but working in the car shop wasn't one of Kurt's future plans. And for once he was sure that his father didn't expect something like that from him.
It was bizarre for Kurt to learn that even though most of these boys were wealthy and maybe even spoiled, there were more often than not plans already laid out about their future without them having a say in it. Dalton was just one of the stations to bring them to the future their parents had chosen for them and the thought bewildered Kurt. Kurt always had imagined wealthy people to be able to choose whatever they wanted to do, he hadn't thought that maybe they not always get what they wanted.
Nick, for example, really enjoyed singing and his parents had always supported his musical education with piano lessons and such. He wanted to play the trumpet instead? No problem, his parents would just find a teacher and buy him a trumpet.
But in the end, they only saw that as a hobby of him. His wish to continue a career in the musical arts wasn't heard. He wanted to become a professional pianist, but his father didn't approve of that.
No, Nick's father had already chosen a university for his son to go after his graduation in two years. The reason for this was mainly because Nick's father was friends with a professor at Stanford university and if Nick's grades wouldn't be good enough, most likely a good donation to Stanford would help Nick to get a place in it as well.
Kurt wasn't sure if he would love his father if he would try to rule Kurt's life like this. They always have had a good relationship, in which Burt might spoil Kurt on some occasions, but also guide Kurt whenever Kurt wanted his advice.
Kurt also knew that Burt would never tell Kurt what to do with his future, he might tell him to think about his choices, to find out what he really would love to do and then go for it.
And that's what made their relationship so great in Kurt's eyes, that they had still this deep connection that just came with having lost Kurt's mother so early. But also being able to look after each other when they needed it. Kurt would call his father also his best friend and he wasn't sure if the other boys in the room would say the same of their fathers.
But they had not only discussed future plans. They talked about their families as well and Kurt found out that Trent was a single child, while Jeff had 4 other siblings and was the oldest. When Jeff talked about his family, Nick would always fall into his word and remind him of another anecdote that happened at the Sterling household. Obviously Nick and Jeff had been best friends since their sandbox days.
It was funny to watch them interact because the other would always know what the other wanted to tell. At some point Kurt felt reminded of Fred and George in the Harry Potter movies, when Jeff finished some of Nick's sentences and vice versa.
If you wouldn't have known that they both came from different families here in Westerville, you could've easily mistaken them for twins. Well, not really, because Jeff was completely blonde and Nick had dark hair, also Jeff was nearly a full head taller than Nick, but the way they interacted really spoke of their long friendship.
Kurt never had imagined this evening to be so funny and relaxed. Before this evening he had thought most of the guys here at Dalton were just preppies and waiting for their trust funds to be available once they graduated. Tonight he had learned otherwise and for once, he really was glad that his family wasn't that wealthy like most of the others here at Dalton.
When he made his way back to his dorm room during the early morning hours, Kurt smiled to himself. He had finally found what he had missed at Dalton before - friends. Of course he wasn't sure how deep their friendship would become or if the other boys would still talk with him after this evening, but he decided to give it a shot and give them at least until the end of this school year. He could always decide during the summer holidays if he would return to Dalton for his last school year or if he would transfer back to McKinley.