Media: Fic

Title: The Otherside

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Kurt/OC; Blaine/Kurt

Spoilers: None

Warnings: Infidelity

Summary: Kurt was everything to him, but apparently he wasn't everything to Kurt. Blaine Anderson was and always would be Kurt's heart.

Disclaimer: Do not own Glee, however, I do own Anthony and Joshua and other random characters in here.

Author's Note: This is part 1 of 2 follow-up to my drabble No Strings. This piece is from Anthony's POV and takes you up to the affair and slightly beyond, the next part will be from Joshua's POV. There will possibly be a third part or fic with the aftermath but for now, this is what I have. So I hope you enjoy. ^_^

The Otherside

Anthony Collins had never felt himself to be attractive. He was tall, he supposed, just shy of 6'1", and pretty well built for any athlete. He'd played two years of JV Football and a year of Varsity tennis but he'd never really was hardcore about his work outs. Personally he felt like his eyes were a dull dark brown, and his hair could never be tamed. It wasn't curly per se but it was unruly and never wanted to lie flat against his head, no matter how hard he wished it would. By age 21 he just gave up and started to slick the dirty blonde locks into a ponytail, and that may or may not have been the influence of one Kurt Hummel.

Anthony was born and raised in West Fargo, North Dakota and was often thought to be a farm boy even if he'd never stepped foot on a farm before. He hailed from a Mormon family, under the influence of his stepfather who was a strict Mormon man. His birth father had passed from lung cancer when he was just 2 but only certain circles knew that little fact. Needless to say his parents were not pleased when he came out as homosexual at 18, just a week and a half before graduation. He assumed they took the natural course all parents did and told him he was confused and it was a choice, his stepfather even suggested sending him to a seminar where they'd convince him that heterosexuality was the only option.

He hadn't expected a happy reception to the revelation and had already planned ahead. As such he applied to every out of state college he could, his dream college being NYU. For as long as he could remember he'd wanted to live in New York city, it was his dream and when he got the acceptance letter he'd cried in joy. His mother had been happy for him, almost like nothing had changed their relationship.

It'd taken a better part of the summer but he succeeded in moving into a dorm room; he succeeded in moving to Manhattan. Manhattan. Of course, big city life wasn't all it was cracked up to be, only in dreams was it flawless. Even at a private university like NYU he's experienced many small thefts of his possessions, from then on he locked his room down tight, even if his roommate called him paranoid. It took him two years to find a job in such a huge city, and when he finally got a call back about a waiter position in a Greenwich Village restaurant he jumped on it. This was where his entire life changed.

He'd come into work as usual, Lucy making her daily joke about his hair. Lucy had become his friend and confidant even if the red-head insisted on playing matchmaker for him, even going as far as dragging him to a few gay clubs. He had appreciated the efforts but clubs weren't exactly his thing, he'd even avoided high school parties, large crowds of bumping and grinding and earsplitting music just wasn't his idea of a good time. Since he was resistant to the clubs she'd taken to making him wait on tables with cute men, and today was no different. "Table 10," she'd whispered, pushing him in the direction once he was clocked in.

Needless to say when he came upon Table 10 his heart jumped into his throat. The man seated at the table was gorgeous, more than gorgeous, he was a literal angel sent from heaven. His skin was flawless and smooth, obviously well taken care of. His hair was a light brown, styled and coiffed perfectly, completely away from beautiful bluish-green eyes that seem to shimmer with amusement. He wore some kind of purple jacket and scarf combination, and sat perfectly straight, perched pristinely on his chair. "I'm Anthony, and I'll be your server today," he said, hoping he hadn't stuttered. The girl sitting across from the angel giggled meaning he had apparently flubbed his introduction.

"I'll start with a iced tea, extra ice, and don't put the lemon in the glass. Rachel?"

"Same, but feel free to drop the wedge in," the brunette woman smiled. He nodded and walked away, watching the two closely. They seemed to be close, but he wasn't sure how close they were. Was Lucy wrong? Was that man actually straight?

"I don't understand, Kurt, you two dated for 3 years and now you just break up?"

"Rachel, I can't do long distance. Blaine has one dream, and that's to get into Harvard law even if his father is pushing for Yale. It was easy enough when we were in high school, but it's been two years of long distance and it's already killing us. He's at OSU, I'm at NYU, it's hard," Kurt answered, making Anthony's heart both soar and plummet at the same time. On two hands not only was the boy gay but he went to NYU, on the versa he'd just got out of a relationship and it was never nice to be a rebound.

From that point, he tried not to stare but couldn't help it. Kurt was beautiful and gay, that was reason enough to stare, right? When they left Kurt and Rachel both had given him small thankful smiles and even though that was normal for customers Anthony had wanted to pretend it was so much more.

Kurt visited the restaurant often, usually with his friend Rachel, and they usually ordered the same thing. Two iced teas, a Caesar salad for Kurt, and a baked potato soup for Rachel, he'd grown use to their presence. So accustomed that when Kurt made a snipe at his hair he'd merely smiled.

"Seriously," Kurt sighed. "You can't tell if you have eyes under that atrocious mop. Try pulling your hair back, it'll elongate the face and actually accentuate the jaw bone."

"Uh, I'm not exactly good at all that stuff, I usually just ruffle my hair out of bed or comb it quick."

"Dear lord," Kurt gasped, hand to his heart. Promptly he grabbed a napkin and scribbled onto it before handing it to Anthony. "That's my number, call me when you're ready for a make-over, alright?"

It might have been obsessive but Anthony stared at those 10 digits for a week before getting the urge to actually call Kurt. When Kurt's voice answered Anthony had to calm himself down before stuttering out something incoherent about a make-over. He could hear the glee in Kurt's voice as he asked if he knew where NYU is.

"Actually, I go to NYU."

"Really? You never mentioned that. So do you know where the Fine Arts building is?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Go past that and take a right, go about half a mile till you see the mailboxes, the building on the left is mine. Meet me outside and I'll take you to my hairdresser, she's fabulous, after that I'll decide if you need a new wardrobe."

Anthony didn't even take a second to think about it, he was out the door faster than he could grab his NYU hoodie. The first thing Kurt did when he came to pick him up was laugh. "Are you serious with that outfit?"

Apparently there was something wrong with wearing university sweats and a hoodie with sneakers. But he didn't care because Kurt had gotten into his car giving him instructions to a tiny salon in downtown Manhattan. All the employees seemed to recognize him and confirmed his appointment with a woman named Sandra. It was a flurry or instructions as Kurt told her how he wanted Anthony to have a trim and possibly some highlights to accentuate the blonde in his hair. Possibly a sleeker look. "Think Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride," he remarked with a laugh. When they were done and his hair was colored, cut, and pulled tightly back into a small ponytail he felt he looked like an entirely different person. "Now we can see those lovely brown eyes of yours," Kurt had cooed, hands on his shoulders.

"Will you go out with me?" he blurted out right then without thinking.

Kurt had laughed playfully. "Not dressed like that, let's take you to keep some real clothes, and then we'll talk about a date."

They'd known each other for roughly a year since their first meeting in the restaurant but Anthony realized he knew nothing about Kurt. The date had been so enlightening in so many ways. He'd finally learned that Kurt's last name was Hummel and that he was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. His mother had passed when he was 8 years old and it had just been him and his father, Burt, for roughly another 8 years. Anthony absorbed every bit of the story and everything Kurt had to say. He skimmed the details of his first boyfriend, Blaine, merely saying they thought they were in love. Anthony felt for him, but Kurt seemed to be over it, having trying to date another man soon after named Tyler, but it was a relationship that lasted less than two months. Apparently Tyler was not receptive to fashion.

Anthony, on the other hand, was receptive to everything Kurt gave or told him. Kurt was perfect in his eyes, even his imperfections made him perfect. Anthony was more than happy to be dating someone like Kurt, and they told each other everything which was even more wonderful. Rachel, Kurt's rather ambitious friend, even approved of him and called him just what Kurt needed. After a year of dating when Anthony finally had the courage to ask Kurt to move in with him, Rachel had approved even helping them apartment search in Greenwich Village. It touched his heart when Rachel had demanded he be included on ganging up on Kurt for transferring schools."It's Parson's School for Design, Rachel. It's still in Greenwich, it's not like it's on the other side of New York."

"Anthony? Help me out here, tell him to stay at NYU."

"Sorry, Rach," Anthony shrugged. "I have to agree with whatever Kurt wants."

Kurt had smiled smugly at that, giving Anthony a grateful smile. That night was the first time they ever had intercourse, and it was everything Anthony had hoped for. It was messy, uncomfortable at times, and very fumbly, but perfect in all these aspects of the act. That was the moment Anthony realized he was in love with Kurt, truly, deeply in love with him.

Soon after Kurt asked him to come home to Lima with him. Anthony was properly introduced to Burt and Carole Hummel, Kurt's parents! Not only that he was introduced to his brother, Finn, who wasn't as tall as Kurt had claimed him to be. But that might be due to the fact Anthony was rather tall himself by most standards. They were wonderful and accepting, unlike his own parents who refused to meet Kurt. That was until Anthony told them he was planning to propose to the boy. They'd question his sanity then, asking if he really wanted to marry another man. He was only 23, he was to young to make such a big decision but he didn't feel like it was. In fact he felt like it was a no brainer.

With the help of Rachel he'd picked out the perfect engagement ring, and had set up a dinner at the restaurant where they first met. Anthony no longer worked there, having got a full time internship at a therapy clinic, but the employees were all to willing to help one of their own. Lucy scolded him and told him he better not put the ring in champagne or desert, he'd laughed and told her it'd be nothing like that. In fact, he was planning to restore Kurt's faith in Valentine's Day. His boyfriend had told him about every horrid Valentine's Day he'd had, and how Anthony would never restore his faith in the over hyped holiday. The past two years they dated Anthony never dared to do anything on Valentine's Day but this time was an exception.

He'd invited Rachel and Kurt's family to dinner, even got a hold of Kurt's old friend Mercedes, who eagerly jumped on a plane from LA. They'd gotten a long table, everyone smiling and chatting in friendly conversation. Anthony had felt the weight of the ring in his pocket all through dinner, scared to touch the felt until the moment he got down on one knee. When Burt announced it was getting late and they should turn in, Anthony stood up.

"Can you wait just a second longer, Burt?" he asked, Carole and the man looking at him questioningly. Mercedes and Rachel were the only ones in the know of what he was about to do. Burt gave a shrug and sat back down giving Anthony his cue to lower to one knee, Kurt's hand in his own. Kurt's breath visibly caught and Carole gave a shuddering gasp of excitement while Mercedes and Rachel shared equal yips of excitement. Finn continued eating his cake, looking over the scene.

"3 years ago, we met in this exact spot," he had began, Kurt's eyes looking around to reassure himself it was the exact spot, and sure enough it was. "I was the awkward psychology student and you were the pristine fashionista who ordered iced tea with lemon and a Caesar salad made to his exact requests down to the chicken. You were the most picky customer I'd ever encountered. For almost a year we traded conversation as waiter and customer until you got fed up and gave me a make-over."

"One you needed," Kurt jumped in, to make sure he knew, and lord did he know.

"You're everything, and I fell in love with you, even through all your nitpicking of my wardrobe. You're such a prima donna, Kurt. You make sure everyone looks up when you make an entrance, and they always do. When they look up they see Kurt Hummel, but now when they look up I want them to see Kurt Collins." He pulled the ring out of his pocket, pulling the lid open, happy with the way Kurt's eyes shined. "You told me every year how you hate Valentine's Day, but I hope I can restore some faith in the holiday. I know it's cliché and you'll no doubt berate me the moment we're alone but Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?"

He nodded and nodded and nodded before finally giving a whispered, excited, 'yes'. The moment the ring was on his finger he was cheering with his mother and friends, already setting out to plan the wedding. Burt nodded giving a congratulations, Finn still ate his cake, giving a small 'congrats' behind three layers of cake.

It was common knowledge after nearly 4 years that Kurt Hummel did nothing half-assed. One would call him a bride-zilla but he truly wasn't, he merely wanted everything perfect. He planned the entirety of their wedding, designing every suit and dress himself. He was thorough in every detail of their wedding, from the chairs to the plates, and in the end it was a news print worthy affair, one that earned Kurt his start in the fashion world. But that was not the thing that stood out for Anthony, rather a guest, a guest that Kurt had hugged and practically had to be pulled away from. The man in question was in no hurry to let Kurt go either.

This was the first time Anthony had met Kurt's ex-boyfriend, Blaine Anderson. The man was rather serious looking, one may describe him as dapper and he was attractive, if curls were your thing. Anthony didn't want to think himself jealous, yet, he knew he was. The way Kurt had hugged Blaine Anderson, it seemed like they'd never fallen out of love. Kurt reassured his new husband that he was just excited to see Blaine, he had thought they'd never be friends again. After their break-up they'd never really reconciled, just left a sense of animosity in the air, it was the closure he needed. Anthony accepted this as Blaine announced he was proposing to his own boyfriend soon and would love for Kurt to come out to Massachusetts for the wedding and even design the suits, as Blaine had no sense of fashion.

Anthony gave into Kurt's every whim and going to Blaine Anderson's wedding was also one of those whims. Any jealously that Anthony seemed to feel was nothing compared to Joshua, Blaine's wife or rather husband. The petite boy seemed to not like Kurt as all, even though he'd never met him. Sky blue eyes spent the entirety of a the reception glaring at Kurt, daring the man to make a move. When Blaine asked Kurt for a dance, Joshua had taken a seat next to Anthony.

"Keep your husband away from mine, understood?"

He had been confused, naturally. "If you think they're still not in love, you'll be in for a rude awakening. I love Blaine, and I'm not giving him up to Kurt Hummel, understood? Keep your husband on a leash and away from mine."

As it turned out, Joshua had nothing to worry about. The two men hardly ever talked for three year after Blaine's wedding. Kurt poured himself into his flourishing business as a fashion designer, if it wasn't New York's fashion week it was Paris, or Milan. Kurt never had time to even talk to his own husband, let alone another man's. It carried on just like that. Kurt poured himself into his work, and Anthony worked as a child therapist.

They shared married conversation, Kurt complaining how he had a twill disaster and Anthony told him how another partner blamed their child's bad behavior on ADHD and demanded medication. Which, of course, he refused to give. Naturally a 4 year old has trouble sitting still, they're 4, he'd be more worried if they weren't hyper.

"Oh," Kurt had stated one night. "Blaine is moving to New York so I'm helping him find a place."

That was when their marriage officially changed. Anthony had let Kurt help his friend, it was hard to find a place in New York, and he'd never thought anything more of it. They'd had four years of happy marriage, and helping Blaine find an apartment wasn't going to change that. But it did, oh, it did.

Suddenly Kurt was staying late at his office, not that in itself was unusual but Anthony would get 2 am calls from Meredith asking for Kurt's opinion. Anthony would promptly reply Kurt was there only to here he left 2 hours ago. Worry and trepidation was all he felt till Kurt came home at 3 am apologizing about Meredith. "I had a bride crisis, she was trying on her dress and ripped the train, almost completely off. I just spent the last 2 hours trying to get her to stand still enough for me to fix it. I swear to god she puts that dress on again and it's NOT the day of her wedding I'll kill her."

Believable, Anthony deemed. He knew of the bride in question and she'd already need repairs six times in the past two weeks. It was until their sex life began to lose fire that Anthony really doubted anything 95 percent. Kurt had begun giving him excuses that he was exhausted, that he was stressed, that his body was just tired. All reasons not to have sex and when they did have sex it was, messy and annoyed on Kurt's part but Kurt would always apologize with a show of tears. Kurt blamed himself saying he was overworking, their marriage was being ruined because of their careers. Anthony believed him without question.

A year of this went by, but the final straw came when Kurt stumbled in, his wedding ring missing.

"Kurt, where's your ring?" Anthony asked gently.

Kurt looked down at his finger, eyes widening. "I-I don't know. I swore I put it back on after I was done with that dress, the needle kept hitting it so I took it off temporarily."

He didn't know what possessed him to do it but he harshly grabbed the other man by the arm, pulling the collar of his shirt down before pushing him away.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed immediately. The mark on Kurt's neck was barely there, would easily go away by morning if Anthony had not checked.

"Who is he?"

Kurt's eyes darted to the floor. "No one, just a fling, I swear."

"Please do not lie to me. If it was no more than a fling you wouldn't have taken off your ring. Who?"

Kurt gulped, holding himself, his walls immediately coming up. "You know…" he whispered.

"Blaine! Blaine Anderson!"

Kurt nodded. "I'm sorry. I am! I just, we just, it was nothing but old pent up emotions, unfinished business. Untouched emotions, I'm sorry!"

"At least you're not giving me the 'it was a mistake' speech. It was a fling, right? Nothing more."

"I swear to you, it was nothing more than a roll in the sack. NOTHING! I love you, I married you!"

Anthony nodded. "You're not to see Blaine again unless I'm with you, that understood?"

Kurt had nodded, telling him they'd get coffee with Blaine tomorrow and tell him it was over.

Anthony had gone along, Blaine looking horribly guilty as he returned Kurt's wedding ring requesting they not tell Joshua. They'd talked briefly before assuring Anthony everything was over.

Things went back to normal after that, Kurt was happy again, it was like the affair never happened. Kurt didn't talk of Blaine or talk to him and everything was good.

So good they agreed to have a family Christmas gathering. Anthony's own parents even made a short appearance, sizing Kurt up before leaving. Blaine came as well, Joshua firmly at his side. Anthony wondered if Joshua knew about the affair but chose not to question it as it was long and over with. Only when Kurt and Blaine greeted each other he saw something he hadn't expected. Their greeting was cordial as they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Anthony closed his eyes, blocking the site out. Kurt's happiness wasn't because of him, it never was since Blaine came back into his life. He waited till after the New Year to see if things changed but they didn't. Kurt was as happy as usual, working without complaint, loving life. Anthony hadn't caught him against as proof but he was 1000 percent sure he knew the truth in his heart.

It broke his heart but come February he filed for divorce under 'irreconcilable differences'. He sent the papers out before he even realized the date. It was February 14th.

-Part 1 end-