Hello everybody! I decided all of a sudden today, that I wanted to join the Klaine Advent challenge this year. I don't know if I'll be able to write for each day, but I thought it could be a fun exercise for me to write something quick and short, in just one day, by being given a single word to work from. So I'll gather my Advent drabbles here. They might be both canon and AU, but I will let you know before each one in case of spoilers.
So let's start with December 7th, the word being Grace, and this is alternative first meeting.
Central Park may be Kurt's favourite New York-cliché. He knows from years of experience what a tourist trap it is, but Central Park also belongs to New Yorkers. After six years in the city, Kurt likes to think he moves around as if he belongs here, and is beyond the wide-eyed and naïve Lima-teenager he once was.
Now and then, he indulges in a leisurely stroll in the park, taking time from a busy schedule to breathe in the green lung – or white, at this time of year. Christmas is within reach, but still too far away with how homesick he's been lately. He hasn't seen his dad or Carole in months, but in two weeks' time he'll be on a plane to Ohio.
Maybe he's sentimental, but the sound of Christmas music makes him stop by the skating rink. It isn't too crowded out there, but he's wearing too tight jeans for any acrobatic achievements today. He should try to cajole Rachel to join him this weekend. On a whim, he decides to splurge on a spectator ticket, which also gives him the opportunity to buy a large cup of hot chocolate and a small bag of burned almonds. It's almost Christmas, after all. When he's seated on a not too dirty bench, he extricates his phone from his pocket, takes a quick selfie with the goodies, and sends it to Rachel to start enticing her.
Finally settled comfortably, allowing himself to spend half an hour doing nothing – something remarkable considering the pace he usually keeps – his sight drifts across the ice, people-watching and taking in those enjoying themselves in this particular way today.
He may consider himself a New Yorker by now, but you can't entirely extricate the Ohio out of the boy, so his heart stutters pleasantly when he notices two men skating together with a girl between them. Kurt isn't used to kids, none of his friends have any of their own yet, but he guesses the child is maybe four or five. She has pigtails the same colour as the taller man's hair, and Kurt briefly wonders if he's the biological father. Her dress isn't exactly suited for this, and she has wet spots on the knees of her light tights, revealing she's fallen at least once. The shorter man smiles at the girl, his daughter, and lets go of her hand to skate backwards, saying something that makes her let go of her other dad's hand, and trying on her own, again. The taller man films them with his phone.
With a smile gracing his face, Kurt watches the trio with a fond expression. One day. One day that'll be him. He wouldn't mind a little girl or boy either down the road, even if he currently is longing for a boyfriend. It's been long enough since his last breakup that his heart has healed, so long that he misses all the wonderful elements of being in a loving relationship, and so long that he's forgotten every way his ex annoyed him.
The tallest man is a decent enough skater, and keeps close to the child, ready to help her whenever she loses balance. The shorter man is who captures Kurt's attention, though. He glides on the ice without a trace of effort, and Kurt could bet good money that the man must have some training in dancing with the way he holds his body and has control over his movements. He spins around the girl and his partner, making swirls and pirouettes that makes the child giggle loudly, and Kurt laughs with her. Even if the man is simply entertaining and encouraging his daughter to let go on the ice, he oozes grace and elegance. He may be on the shorter side, but his posture and movements capture attention, and he owns that ice rink, he fills it and reaches out to his audience of one Kurt Hummel.
The little girl tugs at her taller dad's coat, and he squats down to talk with her. She is speaking with her entire body, and points dramatically towards the little stand where Kurt bought his hot liquid and candy. The man laughs, gets up, and gestures to his partner. Boyfriend, husband? They are both wearing gloves. As if Kurt could have spotted rings from this distance, anyway. It's just something about watching married gay couples that warms his heart a little bit more, after so many years and decades of fighting for equal rights.
The other man nods and waves, and as the child and her taller dad skate slowly towards the exit, the shorter man takes one last lap around the rink, as if he still has more fun and movement eager to get out through his toes and skates. Kurt follows him with his eyes, as if he's watching a spectacular show on Broadway. It's a particular satisfaction in observing someone creating art simply with their body just like that. The man ends the lap by leaping fairly high into the air doing a split. Beautiful, graceful art.
It doesn't take long for him to catch up with his family, and they walk carefully closer to where Kurt is sitting. He feels like such a stalker, but he can't stop observing them, and he's waiting for them to come even closer. He just wants to know how they look. He just wants to learn the face of the artful skater.
They are now so close that Kurt can hear them talking, even if he can't decipher the words yet. And with a skipped heartbeat and blood flooding his face, he realizes that he may be a persistent stalker, but he's a terrible fanboy. Who manages to observe their teenage celebrity-crush for half an hour, without recognizing him? Kurt would hit himself, if it wouldn't undoubtedly draw unwanted attention. He knows this is a once in a lifetime-opportunity, and his younger self would be so disappointed in his future version if he didn't embrace this stroke of luck. So he dives into his satchel for his sketchbook and a pen, before approaching the trio now sitting on a bench further away, with their snack purchases.
"I'm sorry to disturb," Kurt squeaks, and clears his voice to sound more like the grown up man he likes to think he is. "Mr. Cooper Anderson, it's such a good surprise to find you here. I'm a huge fan; I have been ever since your career started with the free credit rating-commercials."
"No worries, my good man," Mr. Anderson grins, and from the corner of his eyes Kurt can see the other man rolling his eyes. And he realizes he's never heard or read any words about Cooper Anderson being gay. He's always been open and including, but his limit has been drawn by his family life, so nobody has ever spotted him on a confirmed date. There have been speculations about his sexuality, after numerous accounts of positive and supporting statements from the actor to the LGBTQ-community, and he even openly criticized a minister who refused to office a wedding ceremony between two women, even if that state had legalized marriage equality five years prior.
"Would you like my autograph?" Mr. Anderson offers, and Kurt blushes, agreeing a little too readily. But the actor smiles earnestly at him, and with a graceful swoop signs his name across the entire page in Kurt's favourite sketchbook.
"You looked amazing out there, really… graceful," Kurt lamely compliments the younger man, because his skating had been breathtaking. So he decides to tell him so. "I couldn't keep my eyes off of you, you have the grace of a true dancer," he admits.
Up close, the man is even more striking, with eyes Kurt could drown in. He looks familiar somehow, and Kurt wonders if he may have seen paparazzi shots of the two of them together before. But he's not that kind of fanboy. He's not the one who snoops in the personal lives of celebrities. He just interrupts in their midday midweek family date.
"Thank you," the man smiles sincerely, and ducks his head briefly. "It's nice of you to notice," he blushes, and Cooper The Actor Anderson playfully shoves him.
"Aww, Baby-B stole my limelight," he teases.
"It was impossible not to," Kurt blurts out, and blindly accepts his belongings from the actor. "But I won't interfere with your family outing anymore. Thank you for your kindness," he smiles shyly, and waves awkwardly at the little girl as he backs away. He clutches the sketchbook between his crossed arms and chest, and he thinks that damn, that's one lucky girl. Regardless of which of the two men are her biological daughter, she has some stunning looks to inherit.
Kurt is still debating if he wants to hang around some more, or if his stalker tendencies have had their fill and he should head home, when someone grabs his shoulder.
"Excuse me?" a voice he recognizes prevents him from leaving. Kurt turns slowly around, wondering what Cooper Anderson wants with him. "I know this seems really weird, but would you mind accepting this twenty, and buy two hot chocolates to share with my brother? He's horribly bad at flirting with cute men, so I'm his dedicated, self-appointed wingman."
"Brother?" Kurt asks dumbly, and Cooper nods towards his daughter, where the graceful skater is hiding his face in his hands. "Brother?" Kurt repeats. Aren't they happily in love and have a daughter together?
"Yes, Squirt is my little brother, but don't call him that, it's my special nickname for him, brother's privilege and all, you know," the actor grins.
It's an understatement to say that Kurt is confused, but he's not one to decline free hot chocolate, so in a daze he accepts the money, executes the purchase, and hesitantly approaches the young man, who looks like he'd prefer if the ice suddenly melted and swept him away on a cold wave. Cooper is back on the ice with his daughter (or whoever the child is to him, Kurt doesn't trust any of his assumptions anymore).
"So this is a tad presumptuous, but I hope you'd like one more hot chocolate," Kurt feigns nonchalance, but is exposed by how he's chewing his bottom lip.
"I'm so sorry my brother is being a weirdo!" the young man apologizes wideeyed, but accepts the paper cup.
"So he is your brother?"
"Yes. Unfortunately."
"And you are gay?" Kurt asks carefully.
"Yes. Fortunately," he smiles shyly, looking at Kurt through his eyelashes.
"And to think your brother said you're bad at flirting," Kurt laughs.
"Blaine," the young man offers, extending a hand. Flattered and impressed by the gesture, Kurt accepts his hand, shaking it gracefully and gives his own name.
"So is this a common thing, your brother setting you up with random men?"
"Not as often as you'd think, but still more frequently than I appreciate," Blaine sighs.
"I can go," Kurt offers softly. "You don't have any obligations to me."
"No, please stay," Blaine rests a hand on his wrist. "At least these days he has the decency to only hijack the guys he understands I'm attracted to, and not just anyone who might be gay."
"So he understood your… instant attraction to me?" Kurt laughs, and laughs even more thrillingly at the sight of Blaine's blush.
"I may have been unable to keep silent about how stunningly gorgeous you are," Blaine admits with a groan.
"You, my good sir, is very good at this flirting thing," Kurt chuckles, nudging him playfully with his shoulder.
"You're one to talk. As if your compliment back there was generic and off-handedly," Blaine nudges back.
"Okay, so I think we've established that we're equally terrific or terrible at flirting. Now what?"
"We could go for a walk?" Blaine suggests, and with a hand gestures at the park in large, outside the skating rink. So they do that, after some quick texting to let his brother know where he disappeared.
They've been dating for almost two weeks, when Kurt finally connects the dots. Cooper Anderson's brother is obviously Blaine Anderson, the star of the latest Broadway production, so captivating that Kurt's already seen the performance twice.
Blaine smiles gracefully when Kurt admits what a terrible fanboy he is, but adds playfully:
"At least I know you didn't accept my brother's arranged date because of who I am."
"Nah. I accepted because of who he is," Kurt winks back. Blaine sticks his tongue out, Kurt scoops up a wad of snow to make a ball, and soon they're running through Central Park throwing snow at each other.