Okay. So. Um… This is my first 'fic in literally years, and first for this fandom, which I'm still pretty new to. Constructive criticism welcome; unconstructive rejected.

I'm pretty sure I know where this is going; it'll probably go from its obvious starting point to the end of season 2. The note in the summary is because I can see the possibility of the 'ship (if any!) changing as I write (which I've already done more of for this than literally anything else I've started). But we'll see.

So, um, well, enjoy, I hope. Tell your friends if you like it. Drop a line.

Kurt Hummel was in another world. Maybe even another universe.

As his footsteps echoed through the hallowed hall of Dalton Academy, he couldn't help looking about him in awe. Every inch of its wood-paneled halls and its fine art screamed "class," class certainly missing from McKinley High's linoleum and garish posters. People actually live like this, Kurt thought. People actually get to spend a good portion of their lives in a place like this.

He quickly shut his open mouth, reminding himself why he was there: as a spy. And he certainly couldn't do that effectively if he was staring and gaping like a fish. He already wasn't sure his suit could pass muster, nor if his story of being a new student would work out. It was best, he decided, if he spied on the Warblers and just got out as quickly as he could.

It suddenly occurred to him that no one even knew he was there; he'd stormed out of the guys' planning session pretty quickly. But then, what would happen to him, really, if he got caught? A brief flash of an image—him being brainwashed into loving those uniforms of theirs—came into his mind, but he dismissed it with a shake of the head.

Besides which, this little jaunt was taking his mind off of other problems, namely two certain Neanderthal football players. They had always been... unpleasant to all the members of the Glee Club. He'd long since resigned himself to the idea that it came with the territory. But in the past month or so, the bullying had begun falling particularly hard on him, especially from one specific individual. Kurt winced just thinking of the falls he'd taken, of the time spent in bathrooms cleaning up, of taunts, of a dozen little things that were quickly adding up. And it was getting worse; he hadn't thought that possible...

Kurt shook his head. Okay, he thought, focus. No sense trying to escape for a while if you're just going to dwell on what you're trying to escape from.

Kurt started up a marble (marble!) staircase, looking up to the second floor with a slight frown. Was this the right way? Who knew what was up there. It could be rooms, if Dalton was a boarding school; his Internet research on the subject had been vague at best and contradictory at worst. Still, if the Warblers were up there, that's where he had to go. But how far could he explore without sticking out...?

Suddenly, the hallways seemed to come to life. Where there were only a few wandering students, now scads of boys in blue blazers were running or jogging in a particular direction. Okay, this was too big to ignore. He had to take a risk and find out what was going on. Footsteps were descending the staircase behind him; this was as good a person as any to ask. "Excuse me..." he started as he turned.

Kurt froze as he came face-to-face with... a stomach. Or was it a sternum? Kurt couldn't tell. Slowly, his eyes rose... and rose... until they finally met those of the teenager in front of him. He was tall and broad-shouldered, bigger than anyone he'd seen yet at Dalton, with short brown hair and, at least at the moment, a half-confused, half-curious look on his face. Even in his standard-issue Dalton uniform, he looked uncomfortably like one of the football players he'd come to Dalton to forget for a few hours. I suppose Dalton would have sports too. Oh, well, no place is perfect.

"Yes...?" the other boy asked, an eyebrow crooked in questioning. Kurt quickly shook himself out of his thoughts. Remember the mission.

"Ah, sorry. I'm, uh, new here, and I was wondering... what's all the excitement about?" He waved at the hall, where students were still charging towards their unknown destination.

"Oh, that's for the Warblers. They're our glee club. They're giving kind of an impromptu performance." His face crooked in a bit of a half smile. "They're kind of popular around here. No idea why, though. Their lead isn't very good." Abruptly, he stuck out a hand towards Kurt. "Oh, welcome, by the way. I'm Dave."

"Kurt." He was mildly disturbed to see how much his hand disappeared into Dave's as they shook. "So... the Warblers, huh?"

"Yeah. Want to give 'em a listen?"

Kurt tried to make his shrug casual. "Sure, why not?"

"Great! It's this way." Dave put a friendly arm around Kurt's shoulders as he led him down the staircase. The contact was rather... warmer than Kurt had expected. It was probably because he wasn't used to contact from another boy that didn't result in him smelling floor wax. He let himself be guided down the hall, towards a room where, indeed, the slowly trickling stream of Daltonites was gathering.

Few details of the room really attracted Kurt's notice, what with the sea of milling blue blazers blocking most of his view. Dave gently carved a path through the crowd with his sheer size alone, Kurt following in the wake before it closed up again. As the two made their way to the front of the audience, Kurt saw the small group standing apart at the back. They were, of course, wearing identical blazers (and here Kurt was uncomfortably conscious of how much his did not match the rest), but gathered in a tight, intimate group. The Warblers, he concluded. The bronze skinned young man at the front was looking about the crowd with a slight edge of nervousness. As his gaze passed Kurt, the edge disappeared with a small smile. Kurt frowned; what was that reaction about?

"Is there some sort of introduction, or...?" Kurt whispered to Dave.

"Nah. Everyone knows the Warblers. I think they're just gonna begin." Dave cast an appraising look at Kurt that made the smaller boy feel a tad nervous. "Hope you enjoy."

"Thanks, I..." He was interrupted by the Warblers suddenly starting to snap their fingers in time.

Whoa, oooh oooh oohhhhhh...
For the longest time...

Ah. Kurt smiled a little, remembering the time his father accidentally tuned into this song in the car. He sang along loudly and proudly, only to visibly wilt after it was over when the DJ reminded them that this was the oldies station. A capella song for an a capella group. Shouldn't be surprised, I guess.

Whoa, oooh oohhhhhh...
For the longest...

Kurt was watching the group so intensely waiting for the lead to separate from them that he jumped when a voice started singing practically right by his ear.

If you said goodbye to me tonight,
I would still have music left to write...

Dave stepped forward from the audience, his rich baritone ringing through the room. For the second time that day, Kurt's jaw dropped. He could tell that the arrangement was perfectly suited for Dave's range, and the Warbler was taking full advantage. God... He's really good. Kurt shook his head ruefully; when had he decided that would be a surprise to him? He felt a little foolish for a judgment he didn't even know he was making.

That's where you found me,
When you put your arms around me-
I haven't been there for the longest time...

As the rest of the Warblers provided their pitch-perfect backup, Dave was working the room, as any good performer would. Kurt couldn't help smiling at the joy on Dave's face, at the way one of the Warblers in the background threw back his head whenever he hit that high note in the chorus. They all love this. And they're so proud of what they can do. And they're able to share that joy without judgment. He tried not to think of the way it was at McKinley.

I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all...

As Kurt watched the performance, a vague thought occurred to him. Was Dave singing towards Kurt's side of the room a little more than the others, casting his gaze towards them a little more than the rest of the room? Kurt let himself look about a little; no, nothing unusual around. Odd.

I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart...

Kurt didn't even notice he, along with a good portion of the audience, was swaying along with the music. Some small part of him was already preparing his report to Rachel and the rest, a report that would surely put them all a little on edge. But he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. All he saw was blue blazer, all he heard was Dave's voice and Billy Joel's words. All thoughts of the bullying ways of Chris Strando and Blaine Anderson seemed so far away...

I want you so bad,
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time...