Summary: Kurt needs a new dream. Broadway was a let down and all he has left is his kitten, Toffee, after Rachel and Quinn got married. Now, at 23 years old, he is looking for inspiration. But what will happen when he sees a tiny shop for sale with an owner that had a very handsome son? Could this be more than just a shop? Could this be a love story too? eventual klaine! AU
Word Count: 2,468 (My longest yet!)
Rating: PG-13 (For now)
Chapter notes:I'm very, very sorry if I have copied anyones work. It was not intentional. Please don't beat me up. I haven't read anything like this yet so I thought I would try and write something a little different. Again I'm really sorry if you feel I've copied you. I always worry that I have. :D I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it too. Please leave a comment. :P
If I was being totally honest, Broadway wasn't everything I thought it would be. Yes, its glamourous and it's an amazing feeling to be on the satge, but I think I overestimated myself. I dont doubt that my voice is very good, but the problem is that the producers can't seem to find a place for such a 'unique' voice in the broadway casting these days.
So that is why, I, Kurt Hummel am wandering the streets and avenues of Manhatten feeling like I need a new dream. Rachel moved out months ago when her and Quinn tied the knott and became wives.
I'm so happy for her but I can't help but feel that pang of jealousy that I get in my heart when I think about how much love they have for each other, and how much I want that. But anyway, I have decided to walk the streets in search of some kind of inspiration.
And thats when I saw it.
A tiny little building on the street corner. It was perfect for me. Why hadn't I thought about this before. There was a sign above the door that read: For Sale.
This was the perfect oppurtunity. I could turn my life around. With my interior design skills, I could transform this place. I have some money saved up. Why not.
I could see somebody in the tiny shop so I decided to inquire about what the price was and who else was offering to buy. I musn't get my hopes up too high though. Its probably too much.
I opened the door to the little shop and that little bell that was hanging above the door jingled and I felt my heart swell in my chest. The man infront of me turned around and looked at me, a suprised smile on his face. He was a middle adged man with square glasses. Fairly thin and quite tall but not out of proportion with blue eyes and short greying brown hair.
"Um, excuse me for just barging in but I couldn't help but notice this place is for sale? I was wondering how much it would be or if you have any other offers?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous under this mans gaze.
"Oh good god, thank the lord somebody is actually interested! Whats your name young man?" he asked me, peering through his glasses and holding out his hand for me to shake. I accepted and answered.
"Kurt Hummel, sir. I am very interested indeed. I just hope its not too expensive for me." I stumbled to find the right words( I had always been nervous in situations like this).
"Well Kurt, I'm Andrew. Andrew Anderson. I dont think you need to worry about the price if I'm honest. But if you would like to join me and my son for coffee, then maybe we could disscuss the matter further?" He questioned, looking very hopeful.
"Are you available now?" I asked, almost jokingly. He did a little celebration, which made me giggle.
"Okay, I'll just call Blaine and get him to meet us at the coffee shop down the road. Blaine's my sons name by the way. He used to live in the flat upsatirs but we are selling it off with the shop here." Blaine, what a nice na- wait! There was a flat too! Could this place get any better?
- "So as you can see, the price of the shop and the flat would come to just over- Oh Blaine! Over here!" Andrew interupted himself.
I looked up and forgot how to breathe. My brain froze in my skull and my limbs turned to jelly as I made eye contact with this man. His hair was wild and curly, but in cute ringlets that stood away from the rest of his mini afro, and his eyes were like smoldering hazel orbs which i could find myslef getting lost in again and again and countless times more. In contrast to his father, he was short for his age (Which I'm guessing is around mine? Hopefully), and he was very skinny, but well toned. He has olive skin, which seemed to glow in the orange lighting of the small coffe shop. He was beautiful. Ive known I was gay since I was twelve, but I have never felt anything so strongly in all my life.
"Blaine, meet Kurt Hummel. He is interested in buying our shop on 32nd avenue and the flat that we just moved you out of. Kurt this is Blaine Anderson. my son." He introduced us and Blaine offered me a dazzling smile and a hand to shake.
Electric. Thats how it felt to touch his skin. Like having fire rage through your finger tips, up your arm and all the way to warm your heart. And that smile. So contagious that I found the corners of my mouth twitch up unintetionally, like I had no control over my body anymore.
"Pleased to meet you, Kurt. So, your interested in my little shop then?" Blaine asked, taking a sea and sipping his coffee adorably, licking his lips when some foam stuck to his top lip, which made laughter bubble up inside me, just wanting to be released.
"You too, Blaine, and yes. Very much interested. Its a precious little shop and I've been looking for a project like this for so long. I just want something that I can put all my heart into and be proud of myself when I'm finished" I answered, feeling proud of myslef for being able to string the word together in the correct order.
"Well, the poor old thing has been abandoned for over a year now. We only kept it because it would be unpractical to sell whilst I was stilll living there. Would you move into the flat if you bought this?" He asked me, keeping eye contact all the time whilst his father was looking through the papers in front of him trying not to disturb the moment.
"Oh yes, definatley. It is just what I'm looking for. When I do something, I tend to pour all of my heart and soul into it, so it would definatley be neccessary to live there too." I answered confidently, braking eye contact to take a sip of my own coffee, but still feeling his strong gaze on my face and when I looked up and met his gaze, he blushed and looked down before looking back in my eyes and smiling so wide that teeth were visible.
"What would you plan om doing with the little place then? Like a café, or maybe a bookstore or what?" he inquired, looking genuinly interested, which suprised me and filled me with warmth that he was actually listening intently and not just because he had to.
"I was thinking maybe a bakery slash coffee shop. I've always had a passion for baking and I thought maybe I could get like a musician or something to play during the day sometime. Something along those lines" I said, filling every word with my ambission.
"Oh wow, that would be great, wouldn't it dad?" He said very enthusiatically, looking very happy. His dad looked up from his papers, smiled fakely and carried on with what he was doing. Blaine smile dropped and he sighed, which he quickly replaced with another smile, hopign I hadn't noticed the frown. But I had. And I knew something was wrong.
"Oh here it is!" Andrew exclaimed, pulling out a piece of paper from under the vast pile. "Here is the floor plan for the coffee shop and the flat above it.."He carried on talking and I saw Blaine shift uncomftably in his seat at the sight of me interacting with his father. What was going one here?
"Here. Keep this." he handed me the floor plans and began rummaging again. Blaine looked up at me again and smiled. A genuine one this time, which happily returned.
"I cant wait to see what you turn it into! Oh, and if you are ever looking for a musician. I play the guitar and I like to think I can sing, so I could help with that!" Blaine exclaimed getting more excited by the second. His father scoffed.
"Blaine. No. I told you that you need to stop your music and concentrate on somehting real. Broadway isn't real Blaine, you know that." His father scolded Blaine. I looked up to see that Blaine had tears in his eyes which he was trying to blink back but it wasnt working. He swiftly wiped a stray tear from his cheek and put on that smile that I could tell was just a fake one to charm people, nothing like the one he had given me earlier. I smiled appoligaticly and took another sip of my drink. I was positive that you could cut the tension with a knife.
"Soo. The price that we are selling the shop for, including the uspstairs appartment for is $98,987. This is including the small piece of garden at the back of the shop where there is a patio and you could set something up there. So what do you think?" He asked me, looking the same as he did earlier. Very hopeful.
I all honesty, I was very pleasantly suprised. If I could sell my appartment, that would be around $78,000, added to the money I had saved up over my college and broadway years, I would be able to pay, and maybe I could ask my dad to help me with the money for the decorating.
Obviously my emotions showed on my face as clear as I was thinking them because they were both looking at me with a gleam in their eyes. And Blaines smile was dazziling.
I knew what I had decided immediatley.
"When can I move in?" I asked, jokilingly. They both cheered and stood up. Andrew offered to shake my hand, which I did. Blaine however just pulled be into a bone-crushing hug that would put even Rachel Berry's crusher grips to shame and laughed in my ear.
My new favourite sound.
"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.." he said over and over again before realesing me and almost blinding me with a smile where all his white gleaming teeth were showing.
Andrew gave me his phone number and told me to call him when I was ready to sign the papers, and Blaine just gave me his... actuall, why did Blaine give me his? Oh well, who am I to complain!
- "Honey! I'm home!" I called out into my appartment.I heard the pitter patter of excited footsteps and my heart swelled as I heard a meow. Toffee appeared from around the corner and I scooped her into my arms. She nuzzled my cheek adorably and licked my chin with her rough tongue. I giggled and set her down on the creme carpet, where she immediatley started rubbing herself against my legs.
I walked into the kitchen, and she trotted after me, to warm my chinese up in the microwave. I decided to call dad and tell him about my exciting new adventure in New York and then watch RENT until i fell asleep with Toffee.
The ping of the microve pulled me from my thoughts. I took the carton out of the microwave and scooped it onto a plate.
I then went to the cupboard and pulled out a whiskers packet and emptied it into Toffee's bowl. I retreated to the living room, knowing from previous expearieance that she like to be left alone when she eats.
When I had cleaned my plate of all chinese food, I opened up my macbook and pulled up skype. Luckily, dad was online. I hit call and waited for the annoying beeping sound to stop, signalling that he had answered.
"Hey kiddo, how are you?"I heard the familiar voice of Burt Hummel, my hero, filter through my speakers. Toffee came and climbed onto my lap and snuggled into my leg before immediatley falling asleep. How she does that, I will never know.
"Hey dad, I have some news! Exciting news!" I replied, feeoling giddy all of a sudden.
"Hang on a sec, I'll just get carole. CAROLE!" I laughed, typcial dad, expect her to come to him.
"Oh hello Kurt honey, how are you sweetie?" Carole said sweetly, reminding me of my high school years and filling me with home-sickness.
"I'm fine thankyou. I have some good news! I was walking down avenue 32 today, and I came across this tiny little shop on a corner. I just completely fell in ove with it. It had a for sale sign above the door, so I thought I might as well inquire as to how much it would cost. He was called Andrew Anderson and.." I carried on telling them everything about my new adventure. "So I said that I would take it and he told me to ring him when I'm ready to sign the papers because I need to sell my appartment first! Isnt that great!"
Dad and Carole had huge grins plastered to their faces as I told them,
"Oh Kurt, thats brilliant, but are you sure you're ready for such a big project, I mean this is restoration almost?" dad asked softly, obviously trying not to offend me which made my heart swell just a little more.
"I'm sure dad, I'm so excited! I'm putting my flat up for sale tomorrow! This is like a dream!" I cooed. Carole put her hand over her heart as I yawned. I heard then both chuckle at me.
" You'd better get to bed kiddo, you had a very busy day. Ring us again when you have an update okay!" Dad told me, that last part alsomt sternly.
"Ofcourse dad. I love you both, so much. I can't wait to see you at christmas!" I said, pouring all my love into the words. It was these times that I wish they were here with me.
"We love you too, darling! Bye bye Kurtie pie!" Carole called as I pressed the end call button. I sighed contently as I closed the lid of my laptop.
"Come on Toffee, bed time sweetie" I said, as she stretched and meowed sleepily. I giggled as I picked her up and carrie her to my room. The second I put her on ther bed, she crawled near the pillows and fell asleep again. I just shook my head and chuckeled as I changed into my Wicked! pjamas! Just because I'm not on broadway, dosent mean I cant still love it.
I crawled under the covers, Toffee snuggling into my side, and switched off the light.
Yes. Life was looking up.
A/N: Urgh super tired now! Its 00:05 and I need to sleep! I'll update this week agai, fairly soon.