I'm back with a new Glee story!

Here's the thing, I really like the idea with the whole "X + 1 times" thingy, so I thought I would finally give it a go (plus, this idea wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote it ;P).

ENJOY! :D

I. Take the Bad With the Good

Nick loved eavesdropping. He didn't really want to admit it -it was kind of a guilty pleasure to him- but that was the truth. And by now pretty much all of his friends knew. Especially the Warblers. It irritated the heck out of them, but it wasn't like he always planned it. Sometimes he just accidentally did it. If he walked by a door and heard a familiar voice, he would stop and listen. Innocent enough, right? And if the conversation seemed interesting, he couldn't help but stay.

That was the case the first time Nick had eavesdropped on his new roommate, Kurt Hummel. It would have been just a matter of time anyway. Kurt was the newbie, he didn't know about Nick's bad habit... Not yet at least.

So, yeah, he hadn't exactly planned on eavesdropping the first time. He had actually forgotten he had a roommate. After all, a mere week ago he had been the only one of the Warblers blessed with not having to share the room with someone. However the case may have been, he had stopped in shock at the quiet voice coming from inside his room.

"What do you mean I sound upset, Finn? I'm not upset."

Then he remembered. Kurt. He had a roommate now. So he just continued to reach for the room, frowning slightly at his roommate's words. Even through the door Nick could tell that Kurt was upset, but it wasn't really his place to judge. Sure, he and Kurt were roommates as well as teammates, and he liked to believe that they were starting to become friends. But they weren't really that close yet. Kurt hadn't really opened up, to anyone. Well, anyone besides Blaine. But then again, Blaine knew what had happened at Kurt's old school; he was probably the only one who truly knew why Kurt had transferred in the first place. Nick only knew Kurt had had it pretty rough there.

"It's just I-... I hate being here."

Nick froze again just as his hand landed on the handle at the countertenor's words. A feeling of hurt spread throughout him. Kurt hates being here? Was Dalton really that bad? Was it really worse than his old school? Blaine had said something about Kurt coming to Dalton because he needed a safe place... Dalton couldn't be worse than whatever had forced Kurt to need that, right? Was it really that bad being part of the Warblers? Was it really that bad sharing a room with him?

Not knowing what to do Nick simply let his hand drop in defeat. He hadn't been overjoyed with having to share his room at first, but he really liked Kurt. As friends that is; his heart belonged to someone else. He had thought the other boy had felt the same as well. Or at least would, when he'd warmed up a bit more to him. But apparently he had been mistaking, deeply. Because Kurt hated being there.

"Okay, fine. That was a bit harsh..." Kurt mumbled inside the room and Nick found himself nodding. It definitely was harsh. But then again, so were most truths.

"It's actually really nice here." Kurt continued and Nick's head snapped up. "I-... I kind of love it here actually."

Wait, what? He loved it here? B-But he just said he hated it...

"Yeah..." Kurt admitted after a moment of silence and Nick could hear the tears in his voice. "I mean sure the classes are harder, but the challenge of that can be a nice change too. And the Warblers are wonderful! Talented, nice... popular."

Kurt laughed slightly at the end of it and Nick smiled because of the compliment -okay, he did maybe see him as a future friend after all- though he still frowned as he thought about what he'd learned about Kurt's old school and the glee club there. The New Directions of William McKinley High School were... the absolute losers. Nobody gave two hoots about them, and that really made Nick sad. The glee club was the best thing that had happened to him, and at Dalton everybody loved it.

"Nothing's wrong, Finn. I'm just being dramatic, and..."

Nick looked down at the floor again as the joy once more left his roommate's voice.

"And you really miss your friends." Nick stated, before slapping a hand over his mouth as he realized he had said the words aloud. For a moment he thought that Kurt had heard him, but then the other boy continued speaking. Now with a smile in his voice.

"Since when did you get so smart? But, yes, I really miss you all. So freaking much, and it feels so weird to be here."

Nick knew he should leave, that he should stop listening. But he stayed. because it was interesting and he wanted to know more about the school's newbie.

"But it is really nice here. It's safe..." Kurt mumbled and Nick found himself wondering about exactly how bad McKinley had been. He knew Kurt had been bullied; it had been so bad that he had come to Dalton for safety. Just how bad do things have to become to make you run away from friends and everything familiar? Especially when you absolutely don't want to.

"Yes, I told you. They are nice and very welcoming... Cheesus, you sound like a worried mom... That's a compliment, Finn. Thank you... It's just the Warblers are... different. I mean they're not New Directions. Not even close."

Once again, Nick found himself leaning closer to the door. He really didn't know what "different" meant, nor how the New Directions were. It made him curious...

"It's just a bit to adjust to, I guess, but I'm getting there... I know. I don't want to have to either, but we are where we are, Finn, and it's not that bad here."

"Nick, what are you doing?"

To say that Nick played it cool and slowly turned towards Thad couldn't have been a bigger lie. Nick jumped high and spun around fast, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Thad!" he exclaimed, his voice raising in pitch. "I was just-... Uhm... I dropped something..?"

Even he himself heard how fumbling his words sounded as he bent down and pretended to pick up something, and to make the whole thing worse he could hear the deafening silence from the other side of the door. Crap!

"Oookay, if you say so." the other Warbler replied with a smirk. "Just be careful so you don't scare your roomie."

And with a wink the boy turned another corner and disappeared. Nick sighed and tried to keep his cheeks from burning as he opened the door. He gave a quick nod to Kurt, who was sitting on his bed with his phone still pressed to his ear, before disappearing into the bathroom. God was he embarrassed! Sure, Kurt would probably have found out about his habit sooner or later, but he had kind of hoped for it to be later.

"Ehm, anyway, Finn, I kind of have to hang up now." Nick could hear Kurt say as he rested his head against the cold wall. For a school with as fancy and sort of expensive standards as Dalton Academy, you would think they could afford more soundproof doors.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just, you know, have studying and stuff to do. But you can tell dad that everything's fine and that neither of you have to check up on me all the time. I'm a big boy now... How clever of you, Frankenteen, but I'm at least older than you."

Nick had to bite his tongue to stop himself from laughing. Having a roommate maybe wasn't that bad after all.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I got to go now, bye. Tell everyone I miss them."

And then he hung up and the room behind the closed door once again fell silent. Nick stayed quietly in the bathroom for another few minutes before exiting again. He plopped down on his bed and started playing with his phone, though he kept glanced up at Kurt every now and then. The boy was sitting on his bed, reading his French textbook. Well, that probably was as much of a cover up to escape the awkwardness of the moment as Nick's phone was. Kurt might have only been at Dalton for a week, but even after one French class Nick had realized that his roommate was freaking fluent in the language.

At the fourth glance Kurt looked up as well, meeting Nick's gaze.

"Were you eavesdropping on me?" he asked straightforward as he put away the book. The question, however, didn't sound accusing, just curious.

"No..?" Nick answered, though it sounded more as a question as he felt his cheeks burn a little again.

"You sure?" Kurt questioned with a small smirk.

"Maybe..." Nick admitted and Kurt's gaze dropped to his hands. Nick couldn't really tell if the other boy was bothered or amused by the fact. Maybe both? "Sorry, it's a bad habit." he hurried himself to continue and Kurt looked up at him again.

"Well, you would have gotten away with it. But..."

"I know!" Nick groaned. "I'm pretty sure Thad wanted me to get caught." he continued with a pout, and then smiled when Kurt laughed.

"You do it a lot or something?"

"No... Or, well, not anymore. For some reason everyone gets annoyed at you when you do." Nick replied and Kurt laughed again.

"Wonder why?" he said sarcastically, though he was still smirking.

"Probably jealous." Nick suggested, thankful for the light-hearted conversation.

"So, who were you talking to?" Nick then asked. Kurt looked at him surprised and he raised his hands in surrender. "I've already been caught. Why not take advantage of it?" he said and Kurt chuckled again. It was a nice sound, Nick decided. The sound of a friend's laugh. Because Nick had decided then and there that he and Kurt would become good friends.

"Finn." Kurt said and nodded towards the phone on the nightstand. "My so-called big brother. Or well, stepbrother actually."

"And he's younger than you?" Nick asked, a bit confused because he was sure he had heard Kurt say that he was older.

"Yeah, by a few months. But he's 6'3, so little brother doesn't really feel right." Kurt explained and now Nick was the one to chuckle.

"Understandable." he said and nodded his head. "And I take it that's the reason for the nickname? 'Frankenteen'?"

"Yes!" Kurt laughed. "I wasn't the one who come up with it, but it seemed to fit so now pretty much everyone's using it."

"Everyone?" Nick questioned curiously and tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, everyone in glee club." Kurt explained.

"You guys are pretty close, huh?"

"Yeah..." Kurt simply mumbled and Nick felt bad for the boy.

"I'm sorry," he said and Kurt looked at him surprised. "I can't imagine not being with the Warblers. It can't be easy, but I hope it's not all bad here."

"Well, you already know how I feel." Kurt commented and Nick felt a new wave of heat hit his face.

"I am sorry about that, you know." Nick mumbled and the other boy just shrugged.

"It's a lot different here though."

"Yeah, you said something about that. That we are different?" Nick couldn't help but say.

"I don't mean anything bad with it." Kurt immediately explained. "It's just... The Warblers, Dalton... There's a lot of differences from the New Directions and McKinley."

Nick nodded as Kurt seemed to contemplate whether or not to explain further. Then he just shook his head.

"It's a lot to adjust to here, that's all." he said. "Plus, I'm the newbie here. I haven't been that since freshman year."

"If it changes anything, I think you're doing pretty well. Especially considering how sudden the change was." Nick said with smile, before chuckling. "I don't think Miss André has ever taken a liking to someone that quickly."

"My mother's family is French, so she started teaching me the language at a young age." Kurt explained. "But thanks."

"No problem, I was the new guy once too, you know."

Kurt chuckled lightly before his smile dropped. "We got a newbie to the glee club just a while ago." he mumbled. "Boy, did that turn disastrous."

"How come?" Nick asked, intrigued and relieved that his roomie was finally opening up to him. "Bad singer or just bad guy? Or girl."

"No, nothing like that. Sam's an excellent singer." Kurt said as he looked at a spot on the wall distantly. "I just wanted to sing with him."

"Why is that disastrous?" Nick asked dumbfounded and Kurt let out a humorless laugh.

"In case you haven't noticed it, I'm gay." he announced gesturing to himself.

"So? I am too, and Jeff and Blaine. How does that change anything?" Nick questioned, still not really seeing the problem, and Kurt's lip twitched slightly.

"Sam's straight." he pointed out. "A straight guy can't sing a duet with the resident fag."

Nick flinched at the last word and how easily it came out of the other boy's mouth. But he still understood what Kurt meant. McKinley was not Dalton. Nor was the students as accepting.

"Oh..." he mumbled, his gaze dropping for a moment. "So he ditched you?"

"Not at all. Sam's apparently a man of his words." Kurt explained, a small smile playing on his lips once more. "He was all for doing the song with me. It was Finn who had a few complaints. He was certain that Sam would get so much crap from the jocks that he would quit glee, and we really needed him to stay. We were already one man short after Matt transferred before the school start. My dad also agreed that it was a poor idea. So I let him go."

A silence fell over the room as both Kurt's smile and gaze had fallen. Nick watched him quietly as he wrecked his brain for a solution. Then it suddenly hit him; the perfect idea. To both lift Kurt's mood and ease him into the gang.

"You know, that's a good example on the differences between McKinley and Dalton." Nick said with a smile and Kurt looked up at him confused.

"What is?"

"The fuss about you wanting to sing with Sam. It wouldn't be a problem at all here." Nick said. "Though if you came and said you wanted to sing with a girl, then it might be another story."

Kurt laughed as Nick winked and jumped off the bed.

"Come on, I know what we should do." he said and sent off a quick text to Jeff. Kurt stood up as well, a bit uncertain.

"What exactly are we going to do?" he asked.

"I might not be able to fix that singing with Sam wish of yours, but I can let you sing with a straight guy. Though there are some doubts around here about whether or not he really his completely straight, but it's the best I can do right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're going to go to Jeff and Trent's room and play Trent's karaoke board game." Nick declared as they left the room and closed the door behind them. "If you now are going to be here, you might as well take the bad with the good."

And there it is: chapter 1 of 5! Hope you like it! Reviews are always appreciated! :D

By the way, this story will contain both Klaine and Niff; though the main focus will be Kurt/Nick friendship! :)

Until next time! :) /Libra