Because this was in my head and Kitty Kurt will forever be adorable :3
Everyone knows who he is, the guy never seen without a hat flattening his hair. He's the boy who rarely talks to anyone, who keeps his eyes trained on the floor when he walks to class, who never makes eye contact with anyone whatsoever; the gay guy who sounds like a girl. The rumours and mockery are never ending.
"That's Kurt Hummel," Rachel Berry supplies when Blaine asks about him, still trying to get the hang of this new school. The glee club are welcoming enough and Rachel is more than happy to give Blaine a run-down of things, in fact, she insisted upon it after she heard him sing at his glee club audition.
"He used to be in glee too, one of the first members, actually," she continues as Blaine rests his head in his hand and looks to where Kurt sits alone on an otherwise empty table, "he has an amazing voice but…he just quit right before our sectionals competition after Mr Schue told him he couldn't perform while wearing his hat. He's weirdly attached to that thing."
Blaine is certain he has never seen Kurt without it since he started attending McKinley. It's almost like it's glued to his head yet somehow he can't help but find it endearing.
All he wants is to talk to the other boy. Blaine is anything but shy, he has the confidence and charisma of roughly five men yet every time he even comes close to starting up a conversation with Kurt, the other boy somehow manages to avoid him.
Of all the people in school, Blaine had to choose possibly the most awkward one to be determined to befriend.
Perhaps it's because he's simultaneously the most beautiful. Maybe not in a conventional way but there's something about his solidarity that Blaine, always the extrovert, can't help but be drawn to. All he wants is to know him.
And maybe kiss him a little but that's another matter entirely.
Another peculiar thing about Kurt Hummel is that he has somehow managed to get a permanent pass from gym class so Blaine is somewhat taken by surprise when he hears his voice, rare as it is to hear him speak, in the locker room of all places several weeks later.
"But Coach -" Blaine can hear him arguing.
"I don't care what your Dad says, Hummel, you can't be excused from gym forever unless you have a clear medical condition or a note from your doctor. I expect to see you in the gymnasium next week and that's final," Coach Beiste bellows before leaving the locker room to prevent any room for argument.
So maybe not quite a permanent pass, Blaine thinks.
Blaine can hear Kurt sigh heavily as he moves to leave too. He appears from around the corner only to be faced by a wall of boys.
"Hey, girl's locker room is next door, you fag," a huge, terrifying looking jock says. Blaine has yet to learn their names, only knows that he should stay away from them if he wants to stay alive at this school.
Kurt ignores them as he moves towards the door.
"Hey," the jock says more firmly, moving to stand in front of Kurt again, blocking his path with his huge frame, "don't ignore me. I don't want no queers in here staring at my junk, okay?" Kurt makes a face of disgust as he tries to push passed.
"I'd rather puke," Kurt scowls but as the sentence leaves his mouth, the jock shoves him forcefully up against the lockers, causing Blaine to jump in surprise just as he's shrugging his coat on. He watches the scene in panic.
"What did you say to me?" the guy says as some of his friends begin to crowd Kurt, "You think you're better than us, huh?"
"Hey, back off!" Blaine warns, deciding now is the best time to intervene. Kurt's head snaps to the side to see Blaine, eyes wide and alert but the jocks take no notice as one punches him in the stomach, sending Kurt forward as the air rushes out of him with an oof. "Leave him alone!" Blaine cries, attempting to put himself in between Kurt and the attackers but his efforts are for nothing as they take no notice of him, pushing him aside as they would swat a fly.
One manages to snatch Kurt's hat from his head and Kurt's hands immediately fly up to grasp at his hair as he sinks to the ground in a rapid blur.
He's curled up into himself and looks so pitiful that the jocks finally leave after one last kick to the side. Blaine's chest heaves as he watches them go. He clutches at the bruise sure to be forming on his arm, realising that they're alone. He turns to Kurt who's head is nestled between his knees while both hands remain firmly planted against his head.
"Hey," Blaine says softly, crouching down to his knees so he's level with Kurt. "Are you okay?" he asks worriedly. Kurt nods gently but he doesn't raise his head. "It's…it's Kurt, right?"
Kurt does raise his head this time, just barely enough so he can see Blaine's concerned face. Blaine offers a friendly smile as Kurt begins to nod again, hands moving with his head.
"My name's Blaine!" he introduces, offering a hand for Kurt to shake and intending on helping him to his feet again. Kurt stares at the proffered hand, eyes wide, clearly panicking but he does not take it.
Blaine frowns at the way Kurt clutches at his head, wondering if maybe they hurt him worse than he thought.
"Have you seen my hat?" Kurt asks instead, frantically looking about the now empty locker room.
"Uh," Blaine stutters, taken off guard by Kurt's strange reply, "No, I-I think they took it. I'm sorry." Kurt's face falls into sheer horror.
"No," he whispers, rising to his feet a little awkwardly while his hands are still plastered to his head. "No, they can't do this," he sobs.
"I-do you need any help…?" Blaine offers, taking a hold of Kurt's arm and steadying him. If he's honest, he's beginning to feel a little worried. It's apparent to Blaine now that Kurt's not simply overly attached to his headwear, he must be concealing something with it.
"No. I just-I need to be alone, can you go?" Kurt begs.
"Hey, come on. It's okay. I've had some pretty severe haircuts in the past, I won't judge!" Blaine tries to assure with a friendly smile as he takes a guess at what Kurt could be hiding. Kurt just pulls his arm out of Blaine's grip.
"It's not a bad haircut," Kurt sneers though his voice is quiet. He begins pacing back and forth in the locker room, hands never leaving his head. "Look, pleasecan you just go?!"
"Kurt, you can't just stay in here all day by yourself," Blaine insists and Kurt actually seems to listen. He stops at Blaine's words and seems to realise that he's stuck.
"I…I have no idea what to do," he whimpers as he falls back against the lockers and begins sliding dejectedly back down to the floor.
"Let me help, just tell me what you need," Blaine suggests, eager to help.
Kurt looks up at him, clearly debating his options before he finally sighs, eyes softening.
"Do you, maybe have a hat I can borrow or something?" he whispers, hands tightening around his head.
"I'm really sorry. No, I don't," Blaine says with a grimace as he shakes his head. Kurt's head falls back, hitting the lockers as he groans in defeat.
"Do you have anything? A spare shirt or a towel or…?" Kurt begs desperately.
"Yeah, in my locker but…Kurt you're not seriously going to spend the rest of the day with a towel wrapped around your head are you?" Blaine asks as he sits beside Kurt on the locker room floor. "You'll just draw attention to…whatever it is you don't want people to see if you do."
"I just need to get to my car," Kurt whimpers, eyes looking longingly to the door. "I need to go home. I just wanna go home."
"Hey, I don't know what you could possibly be so insecure about. Please don't - God I hope you don't think I'm a creep but, Kurt, you're gorgeous. Whateverthis is, well I'm sure it's nowhere near as huge as you think it is. I bet no one would even notice!" Blaine is still running through a list of possible things Kurt could be hiding, unable to think of anything.
"You know, the rumours hurt," Kurt says, seemingly changing the subject. His eyes stay focused on his shoes but he keeps talking. "I've heard people talking a lot over the years. Some say I'm bald or prematurely grey, some think I have lice, I even heard some people saying that I can't wash my hair because I'm actually homeless. It…It's really hard to hear people say these things about me every single day but it's still better than them knowing the truth, trust me. I just… no one can find out about this, it's as simple as that, okay?"
Blaine frowns, wondering what on earth could be under Kurt's hands.
"So you're just…never going to talk to anyone? Ever?" Blaine can't imagine living such a life. Kurt sucks in a breath.
"I don't need friends," he says.
"But I want to be your friend," Blaine admits. Kurt stares at him incredulously for what seems like forever, looking as if Blaine had just spoken in an alien language. His lips quiver as they begin to form the beginning of a question but the words die before they reach his lips. Blaine smiles tentatively before ducking his head.
"Sorry, I tend to be kind of…forward. Honestly, I've been trying to talk to you for weeks." Kurt's lips twitch in a nervous smile before it falls into a calculating frown.
"You just want to know what I'm hiding," Kurt states.
"What? No!" Blaine rushes, "Honestly! I don't care about that, that's not why… I think I've made it quite clear that I like you," Blaine says, feeling his cheeks heat up.
"You're gay," Kurt says as more of a statement than a question to which Blaine replies with a nod.
"I'd uh, I'd hold your hand but I'm not so sure of that's a good idea right now," Blaine says, nodding towards Kurt's hands, still cupping whatever it is on his head that he's so determined to hide. Kurt actually laughs at this and Blaine swears he sees Kurt's hands slacken a little, relaxing just a fraction but it's enough to let Blaine know that he's earned at least a little of Kurt's trust.
"Here," Blaine says, taking his coat off, "you can wear this. It has a hood so you can cover your head."
"I…are you sure? It's freezing outside!" Kurt objects but Blaine insists, rising to his feet. Kurt follows though he still looks unsure.
"I'll be fine," Blaine assures, moving behind Kurt and holding the coat up for him to slip his arms through, momentarily forgetting that his hands are occupied. "Oh, uhh," he fumbles as there is no way for Kurt to put the coat on without taking his hands away from his head. "Do you want me to turn around while you…?" he offers while he still holds the coat behind Kurt.
"No one has ever helped me like this before," Kurt murmurs quietly, almost questioningly. Blaine raises an eyebrow, curious as to what he's thinking. "Y-you have to promise me Blaine, no one can know…"
"I-I…" Blaine stutters but before he can make a coherent response, Kurt's hands slowly part from his head and he slips them gracefully into Blaine's coat. Blaine gapes at the back of Kurt's head only to find…
Nothing much out of the ordinary. Where his hands were moments ago are two thick tufts of hair and Blaine honestly can't see what the big deal is.
Until Kurt turns around.
Oh.
Blaine can't help it. His mouth hangs open slightly and he stares for probably a good ten seconds or so because protruding from Kurt's head are a pair of what looks like cat ears.
One twitches slightly as Kurt looks down, teeth clenched and cheeks stained pink as he tries to stop himself shaking in embarrassment and self-consciousness.
"Are those real?" Blaine asks, kicking himself the moment the words have left his mouth. Kurt looks up, scowling.
"No, I just stick cat ears on my head every morning for the sole purpose of hiding them all day," Kurt spits back.
"No, wait," Blaine says just as Kurt is about to turn on his heel and walk out. His hands are clutching at the hood defensively but he hasn't put it up yet, he's still leaving himself in a vulnerable position and Blaine likes to think it's because he still holds a smidgen of his trust. "I'm sorry I just… Kurt you - "
"I'm a freak," Kurt cuts in miserably. Despite that fact that Kurt is sprouting cat ears Blaine still can't draw his gaze away from his eyes. They're shiny with unshed tears and in a terrible way this makes them all the more beautiful, makes Blaine all the more drawn to him. Kurt looks so broken, like he's certain no one could possibly see him as anything other than a freak, an anomaly, and Blaine wants nothing more than to prove to him he's wrong.
"You're not, okay?" Blaine tries but his words don't seem to make a difference. His eyes keep flickering up to his ears, cursing himself for being so insatiably curious but he knows not to ask, it's clearly a sensitive subject for Kurt and the fact that he has shown him them is enough. "You're one of a kind! You're special!"
Kurt smiles briefly before hastily pulling the hood over his head, covering his ears. He holds the sides tightly, as he exits the locker room.
Blaine follows, walking beside Kurt as he speedily makes his way through the hallways. There are still plenty of students about and Blaine can almost feel Kurt's anxiety radiating from him.
"It's okay," Blaine tells him as they round a corner, "I won't tell anyone about this, you have my word."
Kurt's eyes flicker back and forth to Blaine.
"I know," he responds, voice pitchy and uneasy before he stops abruptly in the middle of the hallway, "I just…this isn't me, I'm not this reckless, telling complete strangers about…this just because they were nice to me. I-I'm sorry and now you have this huge secret to hide and, oh my god I'm so sorry - "
"Hey, hey," Blaine says, he takes hold of Kurt's arm and begins to pull him along gently, they're close to the front doors now. "You've clearly worked hard to keep this a secret, I don't blame you for just wanting to tell someone and I'm flattered that it's me, really. I'm not going to tell anyone."
"No," Kurt mumbles mostly to himself, "No, I know. You won't tell anyone,"
"It's our little secret?" Blaine asks, hand sliding down Kurt's arm to slide their fingers together. Kurt smiles, the first real, unrestrained smile Blaine has seen from him as he squeezes Blaine's hand back in return.
"Our little secret," he confirms as they walk outside into the freezing air.