A/N: Okay, I know what all of my usual Glee-fic readers are thinking: WHAT THE HELL, ARI? KLAINE? SERIOUSLY? KLAINE? BUT YOU'RE A PIRATE!
Yeah, okay, I know. I am a pirate. I love Kurtofsky. It's all I ever want to read and write for. But I actually have no qualms with Klaine, you know? After learning more about Blaine's character, I'm totes cool with him. And, really, guys, I have a reason for composing this fanfic:
It's a gift-fic for my friend Sarah. She wanted to read a fanfic like this one, and I decided to give it to her as a surprise for her birthday today (April 23rd). She adores Klaine – it's all she ever wants to read, but like my attitude, she has no qualms with Kurtofsky – so I decided to write this. It's so short – I'm a little too busy working on other things right now to make this epic or multi-chaptered or something, and this pairing really isn't my passion or what I'm comfortable with writing – but I think she'll like it. C:
It's not fair.
He doesn't want to sound like he's a bitchy, spoiled brat, but his father is all he has, you know? And school is so rough right now; Karofsky and Azimio, those jocky jerks, keep picking on him. And everything he's being taught in class is just… blah.
Kurt Hummel wants something more than this. A better education, a better atmosphere, and best of all, a place away from the disgusting bonding going on between Finn and Burt. In Kurt's opinion, anything would be better than this pain. Being anywhere but here would be lovely.
He's only a sophomore, and things could be worse, he supposes, but what's the point in sticking around to find out? The closing of first semester is coming up. He has the pamphlets, and knows that his father has the money. It's just a matter of convincing and arranging, and pretty soon, Kurt can transfer.
He loves his Glee Club, but he has to face the music: these people aren't truly his friends. They act like it, and one or two of them truly are his friends – like Mercedes and Tina – but otherwise? No one. No one truly, actually cares about Kurt Hummel.
At least, this is how he feels.
And so, one night, he brings it up to his dad – the academic and bullying portions of the argument, not the feeling-like-he-was-replaced-by-a-straight-and-much-manlier-son bit – and, after conversing politely with Burt, Kurt got him to agree.
And so, starting second semester of his sophomore year, Kurt no longer has to waste another moment at McKinley High. He's free to join the student sat Dalton Academy.
And sure, he's a little depressed that he won't be able to wear his amazingly stylish clothes save for on the weekend, and sure, Kurt is a little nervous about being openly gay at an all-boys school, but he heard they have a strict no-bullying policy, and he heard that they have a killer show choir, so why not?
Why not, when he knows he'll be getting a better education and will finally be free of Finn and Puck and Karofsky and everyone else who's ever hurt or rejected him?
XXX
The first few days are a pain. Everything is like a labyrinth, and everyone is nearly indistinguishable in their matching uniforms, and Kurt keeps confusing classrooms, teachers, and especially the students. He mixes up names, gets flustered too easily, and the homework is a bitch and no one seems to want to associate with him. They don't pick on him, but they don't talk to or befriend him, either.
The first few weeks blend into the first couple months, and still, Kurt doesn't have a friend in the world. The classes are amazing, though, and isn't this invisibility what he had wanted? Isn't it okay that things are going this way?
But he can't hold up for very long. This school is amazing, but half the students are so absorbed in their own circles of friends, their little cliques, that they ignore the "new kid" completely. And while Kurt does truly love the academics here – the classes are so stimulating and the teachers are very warm toward him – but Kurt doesn't have anyone to talk to about any of it.
And he really is beginning to miss showing off his clothes.
Still, the year comes to a close, and Kurt doesn't plan on returning to McKinley next year.
He keeps in touch with Mercedes, of course, and knows that McKinley is just as bad as it's ever been. So why go back? Why, when things are just as cruel?
Besides, since he's going to be upperclassmen next year, Kurt figures that it's high time to joint he Warblers, the show choir of this school.
And so, the coming year, Kurt is vibrating in his seat with anticipation as he becomes a junior and prepares himself to try out for the Warblers.
But he just can't do it when it comes down to it.
He retreats to the music room, idly playing notes on the piano as he slumps over the keys. Why had he chickened out like that? Kurt Hummel is no chicken. All Hummels are strong and courageous. Where's his courage now?
Sighing, Kurt begins singing the opening lines of, 'I Want To Hole Your Hand' by the Beatles. His father has been getting ill lately, and it's somehow the only song Kurt can think of.
Unbeknownst to him, someone is listening in on Kurt's singing. They smile to themselves, and slip into the music room, interrupting the song.
"That's quite the set of pipes you have there," the suave voice remarks, and Kurt whips around with a startled gasp.
"…Thank you?" he says questioningly, eyeing the stranger. "And you are…?"
"Blaine Anderson, nice to meet you," the guy says with a friendly (almost flirtatious?) smirk. He offers his hands to Kurt to shake, and the soprano twists his body in the piano bench to fix the angle and shake his peer's hand.
"Kurt Hummel. Same," he returns, and he instantly feels tingles shoot up his arm and his stomach flip pleasantly as the guy releases his hand and sits down beside him. This guy… he could replace Kurt's crush on Finn like someone erasing an Etch-N-Sketch and doodling over whatever was previously on it. He's so… dapper, debonair, matured. He seems collected and cheerful, and whether this is all a façade or not, Kurt doesn't even care. This guy is like someone straight out of a magazine, and all Kurt wants to do is ask Blaine what his sexual orientation is so that something like the "Finncident" doesn't happen again.
"You shouldn't be here with me," Kurt states tightly, his nose turning as he moves his shoulders to straighten his back. He looks at the keys and only the keys as he starts plucking again.
Blaine shrugs and joins him. The two play a tuneless piano duet, something without a name or origin. "Why not?" the black-haired boy inquires with a slight frown on his triangular brows.
"Because," Kurt replies stiffly, "I'm the gay kid. Everyone knows that. I didn't even get a single friend all of last year that I was here. Well, second semester of last year, but you get my point."
"Is that why people stopped making comments about me?" Blaine answers with a short chuckle and an embarrassed smile. "And here I thought they stopped making a playful fuss about it because they were used to it. But no, it seems I was replaced as 'the local gay kid.'"
Kurt freezes in place. He turns his head to peer over at Blaine, who's looking right back at him, smiling softly. "You're gay?" Kurt remarks softly.
"Of course. I thought I looked so obvious, too. Did you not notice my bright pink sunglasses dangling from my pocket?" he laughs, indicating said item sticking out of his Dalton jacket.
Kurt's brows rise in interest. "No, I hadn't noticed. But… it's nice to know I'm not alone." And even nicer to know that this guy is actually available and okay to crush on, unlike Mr. Straight, a.k.a. Finn Hudson. He smiles. "Although, those glasses? Yeah. Just a bit tacky."
"What do you mean, 'tacky?' These are totally awesome. I have one in every color for each month of the year. A guy needs to have a signature, and this is mine," Blaine remarks with a wink as he takes the sunglasses and quickly models them for the other boy. "See? I can rock them."
Kurt laughs. He hasn't felt this comfortable and happy with someone in a long time. "All right, I take it back. They do suit you. I could never pull it off myself, however."
"Oh, sure you could! I bet my green or blue ones would work for you. But it's all a matter of the shape of your face," Blaine recounts lightly. He removes the plastic glasses from his face and moves to put them carefully over Kurt's eyes. His fingers brush the tips of Kurt's ears, making them burn with a blush. They linger for a second before retreating. "There. And hey, they look good on you, too." He flashes a grin as Kurt removes the unusual sunglasses, smiling a little to himself.
Kurt frowns suddenly. "Blaine… I don't mean to be forward, but would you like to get a coffee with me at the Lima Bean? I have a hankering for it, and I think I'd like to get to know you better." His face relaxes, and he hopes that he doesn't sound weird for saying that.
The brown-eyed boy smiles. "I thought you'd never ask!" he says dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. It earns another giggling from Kurt. "– But in all seriousness, I think that's a splendid idea. I could use some coffee myself, and I have a feeling we have a lot in common." And he winks again.
And with a flutter in his chest, Kurt knows that he's found the answer to most of his questions.
XXX
The first time they kiss is about five months after they established their friendship with that initial coffee outing.
Their usual outings are like that: mall, movies, coffee, and of course the Warblers, the singing group at Dalton.
Kurt has been entered into Blaine's main circle of friends in the Warblers, too; David, Wes, Jeff, Nick, and half of the other Warblers. They hang out sometimes, and while part of Kurt misses his friends from McKinley after being away for so long, he feels so much like he belongs here even more, because this is where Blaine is.
When they start dating, no one bothers them. No one so much as bats an eyelash. Because anyone can see that they fit each other like puzzle pieces, and that, together, neither one of them is quite alone any longer. Together, they are a couple instead of separate "gay kids." Together, Kurt and Blaine are normal, whereas separately, they're different.
And it's strange to think how that works, like two negatives turning into a positive when multiplied. But that's how it is, and Kurt wouldn't have it any other way.