Chapter 1- Assistance

As much as Connor Walsh loathed asking people for help, he wasn't beneath doing so when he needed to. And with Annalise Keating practically breathing down his neck waiting for him to slip up after receiving the trophy, he needed to impress. He was charming, but not in the way that Michaela was. Connor often capitalised on his conventional good looks. Sometimes they were enough; sometimes they weren't. It was pretty much a roll of the dice. The dice of personality. If the guy (or girl, on occasion) was shallow enough or drunk enough, Connor's slicked back hair and smirk would be enough to gain himself the advantage and request anything he wanted. If not, then he would resort to compliments. He was sure that the other members of the Keating Five were doing the same thing. He knew that Laurel and Michaela were, that was a given, but Connor doubted whether Asher and Wes had the smooth tact that he possessed. Asher was a tight ball of awkward whereas Wes was too much of a puppy to think about deception. Or perhaps Connor was misjudging them. He didn't think so, but it was possible.

Annalise had briefed them with a store manager accused of shooting a customer on allegedly racial grounds. It was the task of the Keating Five to investigate and find evidence that the racial motivation was in fact there. If he could do that, he would score major points with Annalise. As confident as Connor himself was, Annalise terrified everybody. Everybody.

He found his answer in the guy tipping back vodka shots on his own at the bar. Store employee Kurt Hummel. Connor stretched his smirk into its rightful place and swaggered over to the bar, thanking whoever he felt like that he was wearing his tighter pants today. He would need them.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked politely enough, causing Kurt's head to turn. Connor had never seen this boy before, but he was definitely glad that he had been given the opportunity to.

Kurt looked at him, taking in the view and placed his shot glass onto the bar in front of him. "That depends. Are you secretly married?"

A shake of the head.

"Looking for a drug mule?"

Another.

"Straight?" Kurt smirked.

"Definitely not," Connor perched himself on the seat and ordered two more vodka shots. "Looks like you're drinking away your night. I would be glad to join you, to lend an ear…or to be a bedfellow. I don't mind which."

"Thanks for the drink. Tell me something…"

"Connor Walsh."

"Kurt Hummel. Tell me something, Connor. Do you have an ex that screwed you over and made you feel like nothing would ever be the same afterwards? Did he tear your heart into a thousand pieces?"

Connor winced at the harsh words, thinking of the face that he swore to himself that he would never bring up again. Ever.

"I do. What did yours do?"

"He proposed to me," Kurt coughed out after another shot. Connor was impressed with his eloquence given the level of alcohol in his system. He put that down to good tolerance levels.

"How dare he?" Connor pretended to gasp.

Kurt slapped his arm. "Shut up. I wasn't finished. He proposed to me, setting up this elaborate surprise in the park for me. I said yes, naturally. When you're in love, you tend to want to get engaged. So anyway, we go out for a celebration dinner at this fancy restaurant and everything is perfect."

"Let me guess," Connor interjected. "Did you catch him fellating a random stranger in the restroom?"

Kurt snorted. "I wish that happened. No, the dinner went perfectly. Good food, he paid, you know the score. Anyway, we get back to our place and there's a naked woman in our bed. Naturally, I'm confused and a little bit repulsed. And then she's all like "Oh, is tonight not good for you, babe?" and that's when I realise. He's been hitting some whore on the side. And she comes over expecting sex on our engagement night. So I left, breaking it off."

"Yet you're still wearing the ring…"

Kurt looked down, shrugging. "Huh, I guess I am. Oh my god, I'm a mess. Look at me. Spilling my soul to a guy I've just met. I'm wasted and alone. I must look so dishevelled right now."

Connor had never disagreed harder with anything in his life. Even inebriated and sad, Kurt looked flawless, like a newly polished gemstone. "If this is your dishevelled look, I can't even imagine what you look like when you're making an effort."

"You're sweet," Kurt remarked. "But I just broke off my engagement."

Connor tutted. "You think I'm that guy?"

"Apologies. My expectations of guys right now are at an all-time low."

Connor shrugged. "I don't blame you. That guy sounds like an ass. Clearly he doesn't appreciate quality."

"Yeah, just quantity. Apparently, he failed to mention the bisexual part of his life. And the adulterous part. I would have been fine with his bisexuality because that wouldn't have been about me."

"Until it's revealed that he's sleeping with a girl."

"Bingo," Kurt hiccupped. "So what brings you here? No hot date tonight?"

Connor smirked. "I like to think that you're my hot date for the evening."

"This isn't a date, cowboy. I'm spilling my drunken secrets after breaking off an engagement. You're a hot mysterious stranger buying me drinks. This isn't a date. I'll repeat. What brings you here?"

"I'm new here. Trying out a new spot to hang out."

"I wondered why I've never seen you before. Now you I think I would remember."

Connor adjusted his position on the chair. "And why is that?"

"Oh, come on, Connor," Kurt slurred. "Don't make out like you don't know you're probably the most attractive person in this town. Probably in the country."

"Are you always this forthcoming or is it the alcohol?"

Kurt shrugged exaggeratedly. "Do you always deflect compliments?"

"Not always. Next time we hang out you can compliment me all you like."

Kurt eyed him pointedly. "There's going to be a next time?"

"Is there any reason why there wouldn't be?"

"Not that I can think of," Kurt said.

"Alright then. We've established that there is going to be a next time. As for right now…what do you do?"

"I work at a store."

"Oh, the one across the street?" Connor segued.

Kurt narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Why does it matter?"

And then he figured it out. Sober, Kurt would have figured it out immediately, but his drunken, grieving heart leapt at the opportunity to talk to a hot guy who wanted to talk to him. Instantly, he knew why exactly Connor was talking to him.

"You're a cop. Or a detective or some shit. You want to talk to me about the shooting. Well, I'm sorry if I've ruined your evening, but I'm not talking about that. It was hard enough to witness, never mind be grilled about it by a guy who talks to me under false pretences. Just go, Connor."

"Kurt, you don't have to talk about it. I'm not a cop. I'm in law school. I've been hired by Annalise Keating and she's taking the case."

"So you knew who I was when you came over here?"

Connor nodded, wincing.

"Fantastic! Apparently I attract guys who don't tell me the whole truth. I just get the portions that they don't mind revealing. How lucky I am!"

"I knew who you were. I knew your name, but that was it. I didn't expect to enjoy your company so much."

"Oh, save it for court! As of now, I am going home. And I hope not to see you here again anytime soon."

Connor thought of something. "Where are you staying? I thought you left your fiancé?"

Kurt huffed. "You're right. I kinda just stormed out. I didn't get my things. And I don't want to go back there and see him fucking her."

"I—."

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to go home with you."

Connor appraised him evenly. "I'm not trying to be harsh, Kurt, but do you have anywhere else to go?"

Kurt looked down at his shoes and shook his head. "No."

"Well, it's settled. You're not wandering the streets all night. You're coming back home with me. We won't do anything, but you need to sleep off this hangover. Do you have work tomorrow?"

"I got laid off," Kurt admitted and Connor wondered when this guy was going to catch a break. First a store shooting, a breakup, and then a dismissal from work. "Apparently, Liz needs all of her money to pay your boss. That includes using my salary. So I'm single and unemployed. At least I'm drunk."

Connor chuckled and tilted his head. "You're in no fit state to walk, Kurt, but it's only two blocks away so I don't justify calling a cab. Do you want me to carry you bridal style or on my back?"

"I can walk!" Kurt protested weakly, trying to jump from his seat and stumbling.

"Clearly," Connor drawled. "Bridal style or on my back, Kurt?"

"I suppose being carried on your back is less humiliating. But no fireman's lifting. That makes us seem like that BDSM couple. You know, you being the Dom heading back to punish the naughty Sub."

Connor blinked at the boy's logic but a smile stretched across his face anyway. "You won't be punished."

"I might like it."

"I thought we weren't going to have sex?"

Kurt shrugged. "Just get me somewhere I can vomit and still retain my dignity."

And Connor, with a nod that would begin a long chain of events involving Kurt Hummel, obliged.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this! I LOVE HTGAWM and Connor Walsh so so much! This is kinda an experiment so let me know what you thought.