A/N: Just a little fluffiness rolling around in my brain ;) Enjoy and as always, I'd love reviews!
His dad didn't sing with him in the car on the way to school – Kurt knew that. No matter how much he begged his dad never did. He always said that he'd rather hear Kurt sing.
So he did.
Loud and soft and high and low. Kurt liked to sing. He liked it a lot. But the best part was when his mom joined in. He loved the way her voice blended with his. She always had the most beautiful voice.
"I want my voice to be just like yours, Mommy." He would say after they finished a song. Her eyebrows would meet at the same time her lips pressed together.
"You have such a lovely voice, Kurt. I want mine to be like yours," she would say poking him in the stomach and sending him into a fit of giggles. Car rides with mom and dad were the best.
That is, until his mom died and the car rides turned into long silences and the music within Kurt died along with her.
Kurt holds his dad's hand as they walk down the long hallway, his dad sometimes squeezing his hand as if to make sure he's still there. Kurt likes the safe feeling of his dad's hand around is – it had comforted him after his mom's death like nothing else could.
Small, red lockers are lined up outside every classroom with bright, colorful nametags and butterfly stickers all around them. Kurt briefly wonders whether he will get to decorate a nametag for a locker to call his own. A steady hum of voices can be heard at the end of the hallway in the very last room on the right. They slow to a stop in the doorway of the classroom.
Kurt takes in a brightly colored room and watches a number of different kids playing house or cars or simply chasing each other around the room. He spies a couple of dolls that a few girls are playing with and a tea party set up that isn't being used.
His dad talks with one of the other adults while Kurt is looking around the room, but his dad pats his shoulder to get his attention before saying, "This here is Miss Susan. She's gonna make sure you have a lot of fun, okay bud?"
Kurt looks up warily at Miss Susan, taking in her brightly colored clothes that don't fit in with the brightly colored room at all and her huge smile that seems too big for her face. He gives her a small smile but grips his dad's hand tighter.
His dad feels the extra pressure and kneels down beside him. He looks at Kurt's face for a second before taking both of Kurt's hands and holding them in both of his own. "Kurt. I know it's been really rough for the both of us lately, but I have to take some extra shifts at the shop so I just want you to try this out, okay? It's only for the summer, bud." His smile makes Kurt smile. He nods slightly. He can do this for his dad.
He wraps his arms around his dad's neck. He remembers how he could smell his mom's perfume when he hugged her like this and how they would whisper I love you into each other's ears before letting each other go. Kurt misses his mom's hugs, but he decides his dad's hugs are good too. Maybe he can convince him to wear the same perfume his mom wore. He hears his dad clear his throat before letting him go and giving him a tight smile.
"I love you, Kurt." He said frankly looking into his son's bright blue eyes.
"I love you too, Dad." Kurt said smiling as his dad pressed a kiss to his forehead. With a wave, his dad is gone.
Kurt immediately misses his calming presence, but he takes a deep breath and turns around – right into Miss Susan. "Oh, why hello there, Kurt! You ready to meet some of the other kids?"
The butterflies in his stomach flutter madly, but he nods his head a little. She holds out her hand for him to take and he hesitantly places his small one in hers. It is warm but not strong – it doesn't hold Kurt's hand reassuringly.
They stop in front of a group of boys playing with toy trucks and cars on a carpet roadway. Kurt knows a little bit about cars from when his dad takes him to the shop, but cars don't really hold his interest like tea parties and dolls. Kurt looks longingly across the room at the girls laughing over their teacups.
"Boys, this is Kurt. He's new today." The three boys look at Kurt with confused expressions, taking in the nice shoes, pressed shirt, bowtie, and styled hair.
"Sam, don't put that in your mouth…" Much to Kurt's dismay, Miss Susan leaves his side without so much as a backward glance. The boys stare at him, trucks frozen in the carpet roads.
"Why are you wearing a bowtie?" a boy with dark hair and eyes holding a fire truck asks.
"Why not?" Kurt replies and his response catches the boy off-guard. Kurt reaches for an extra truck only to have it ripped from his hands by the boy. A pressure builds in his throat as he looks at the boy's face.
He whips around, trying to find something else to do so he doesn't have to look at that face anymore. Kurt sees Miss Susan across the room talking to a pale, blonde-haired boy with glitter all over himself. Then, he sees the tea party table and rushes over, quickly sitting cross-legged and grabbing a teacup.
"Hey, you weren't invited to our tea party!" a brunette girl with a large nose on his right says. He looks her up and down. She's wearing bobby socks with saddle oxford shoes and a cute red dress.
"But I love tea parties." Kurt says convincingly. The girl looks at him for a moment, thinking, before giving him a smile and extending her hand.
"I'm Rachel Berry." Kurt shakes her hand like he had seen his parents do.
"Kurt Hummel." Rachel smiles and sets a teacup in front of him and raises the teakettle, "Would you like some tea?" Kurt nods anxiously, happy to have someone to play with. "I like your bowtie, Kurt." His head whips up and locks eyes with hers – there is no meanness in her voice, only sincerity.
"Thanks… most people don't like my clothes." Kurt says staring into his teacup.
"Most people don't like mine either, Kurt. But I like them. Ooohh, ohhh! We should play dress up sometime!" Rachel's eyes shine at the sudden idea, but Kurt is completely shocked that anybody has become his friend this fast. So, he sits there with his mouth open.
Rachel starts giggling. "Your mouth is open really wide. Do you want a cookie?" She holds up a tray of real cookies and Kurt's mouth slowly forms into a smile. She may talk a lot, but Kurt decides he likes this girl.
Taking a bite of his cookie, he hums along to a tune in his head. Until he realizes the tune is not, in fact, inside his head but playing in the very room he's sitting in. Kurt's head snaps up and he looks around wildly until he sees the piano in the corner. A small, curly-haired boy is perched on the piano bench, feet kicking happily underneath it as he plunks away at the keys.
Kurt immediately stands and starts toward the piano. He doesn't hear Rachel's concerned, "Kurt? Where are you going?"
As he nears the piano, he begins to hear the boy singing along to the simple chords. He stands slightly behind the boy watching his fingers move deftly across the keys as he listens to him sing. Kurt likes the soft, smooth quality to it and it reminds him of his mother's voice. He hasn't sung or listened to music much since his mother died, but the boy's voice awakens the music within him again.
"I like your voice." Kurt says and the other boy nearly falls right off the piano bench. He has a bright red bowtie tucked underneath his chin and his hair is slightly shiny from gel. His eyes get wide when he sees Kurt. He admires the gold spots in them and he smiles. "I'm Kurt."
"…Oh, u-um thanks. I – I'm Blaine." As soon as Kurt smiles, Blaine smiles too. His grin lights up the entire room.
"Do you wanna sit?" Blaine asks patting the piano bench. Kurt nods enthusiastically and pulls himself onto the bench. Hip-to-hip they smile at each other for a moment.
"What were you playing?" Kurt asks. He remembers the tune from when his mom would sing to him, but he can't remember the name of the song.
"Love Somebody. It's one of my favorites."
"Mine too. My mom used to sing it to me before she died." Blaine's face crumples at Kurt's words.
"I'm sorry, Kurt." Kurt just nods his head.
"Teach me how to play it?" he asks. Blaine looks surprised but nods eagerly.
"Okay, put your thumb here and then your left hand is right next to it. Press down these fingers," Blaine presses down on Kurt's fingers under his own, "and then play these ones."
Kurt likes the feeling of Blaine's fingers on top of his own. He's never held anyone else's hand before – other than his mom and dad – and he wonders what it would feel like to hold Blaine's hand.
Blaine's attempt to teach Kurt to play piano doesn't last very long. He ends up getting frustrated, but he doesn't want to let Blaine down.
"Will you play if I sing?" he asks and Blaine nods, placing his fingers in the right places and then looking at Kurt with those soft, hazel eyes. Kurt smiles and then nods his head for Blaine to start.
Love somebody, 'deed I do
Love somebody, yes I do
Love somebody, 'deed I do
I won't tell I won't say who
Kurt can hear Blaine's breath hitch when he first starts singing. Their eyes meet and a blush creeps up Blaine's neck and into his cheeks. Kurt can feel the same thing happening to him.
Who's the one that I like best?
Someone very near to me
I might tell who it may be
You're the one, oh can't you see
They're both beaming now and looking into each other's eyes.
"I love your voice, Kurt! It sounds like an angel." Blaine's eyes are all lit up and he's practically bouncing next to him. Kurt giggles.
"How do you know what an angel sounds like?" he asks teasingly. Blaine frowns, thinking.
"Well, it's what angels should sound like," Blaine says knowingly, nudging his shoulder against Kurt's.
Kurt grins at Blaine. Those warm, hazel eyes smile back at him and he feels happy. Kurt can't remember being this happy since his mom was alive.
"Okay, everyone! It's naptime!" Miss Susan calls from the center of the room where she has a bin full of blankets and pillows. "They're fresh from the dryer so they're nice and warm!"
Kurt and Blaine hop off the piano bench and head over to the cluster of kids around the bin. They each grab a small pillow and blanket. Kurt sees Rachel picking out hers while talking non-step to a blonde girl with pigtails.
"Let's go over here," Kurt says turning to Blaine and leading them over to the corner where the pretend kitchen is setup. No other kids want to sleep in the kitchen area because the prime nap spots are on the multiple road carpets around the room. They have the kitchen to themselves.
Kurt and Blaine set their pillows up side-by-side and settle underneath their blankets facing each other. They smile softly at one another but neither is sleepy.
"Will you be my friend?" Blaine whispers and Kurt can hear the hesitancy in his voice – it frequently seeps into his voice when he's around other kids too. But Kurt's heart is thumping wildly in his chest, he's never had a friend before. Of course, he's never sung with any other kids before either. That has to count for something.
"I'd love to be your friend, Blaine." Blaine's smile is contagious and soon they're back to just smiling at each other and just enjoying each other's company.
Kurt really likes Blaine and thinks that he's possibly the best friend he's ever had. He thinks they're friendship will be the best ever.
Remembering Blaine's piano lesson suddenly, Kurt voices the urge he had earlier.
"Blaine, can I… Can I hold your hand?" The hesitancy has found its way into Kurt's voice too, but he holds his gaze with Blaine. The other boy smiles – and Kurt swears that's all that Blaine's face does, but he's not complaining because it makes him smile too – and offers his hand in between them.
Kurt fits his hand in Blaine's. The warmth and comfort Blaine's hand gives him mirrors his father's. "Thanks," Kurt whispers, squeezing Blaine's hand at the same time.
"I like holding your hand too," Blaine whispers back, grinning.
The two young boys lay side-by-side in the play kitchen, hands clasped tightly, smiling softly at each other as they drift off into their dreams.
A/N: I don't know if "Love Somebody" is a popular children's song on piano, but I played it when I was little and I thought it was adorable and fit so, yeah :)