Artie loves stars.
No, seriously, just ask him. He can point out any major constellation within his vicinity and recite their names, stories, places. When he was in the 3rd grade, all of the other kids wanted to be things like ballerinas or astronauts, but not Artie. He stood up and told the whole class that he wanted to be an astrologer. There is a moment where the teacher looks at him in astonishment and writes what it means on the blackboard and then Mini-Puck says 'That's the most retarded thing ever. Why would you want to look at stars when you can be with them?" Then there's a chorus of laughter and little Artie sat down, cheeks burning.
It wasn't until after a small girl with a big smile in a skirt and kneesocks came up to him and whispered something in his ear that Artie smiled again as he traced a finger over his books.
'I think you're dream is wonderful. And when I become a star, you can be the first to study me okay? Because who would want to be stuck in space when they could be studying famous stars?'
It occurs to little Artie that maybe he and the girl weren't exactly on the same page with that, but it doesn't really matter, because she thinks his dream is wonderful (wonderful! He's never had that said to him before) and he can't wait to study the little girl with the big smile and the knee socks and skirts when he gets older, because he just knows she's going to be one of the biggestbestestbrightest stars ever for sure, and he wants to be the first.
Artie loves music.
He is eight now, and lying in a cold white hospital bed listening to the thrum and hum of the machines next to and all around him. He closes his eyes and smiles a little to himself (a smile that is much, much too old for his face) for he can hear each individual beep, and it sounds like the most mocking melody he's ever heard. Arties not stupid - knows he won't walk again okay? Can see it on the nurses pitying faces and his dads pinched look. He knows he won't ever walk, or run, or play, or dance and he knows that these stupid machines are what are keeping him from just leaving already, cause he just wants his dad to look him in the eyes again. Suddenly the door bangs open and he jumps a little in shock. The same girl with her over –large smile and skirts is there, only her face is frustrated and scared and sad. Artie is so tired of seeing people sad around him. She makes his way over to his bed with quick and precise steps. When she reaches his bed, she stops and plants her hands on her waist with a tiny huff.
"This will not do" She informs him "I will not in good conscience let you waste your potential like this. While the fact you are hurt is a slight setback, I believe that you are and have been whaleing in self-pity" behind her, a black man murmurs "its wallowing sweetie"
She nods decisively "That's what I said. Whaleing. As I said before, that will not do, do you understand me?"
Stunned, he can only nod his head before she plants a large set of books and films onto his lap.
"Here is a collection of what I believe are the best singers to ever grace the world, along with the publics choice of greatest guitarists. My daddies and I have also compiled a book on famous stars, and other things like that. Just because you may not be able to walk does not mean that you can't do what you love' And then she's is gone in a whirlwind of plaid and brown hair, leaving behind a small boy in a large hospital room with a lap full of what has to be the most thorough gift ever.
He likes the guitarists best, he thinks, as he watches their hands slide up and down the guitar neck. He notices that a great many of them had some sort of disability, or something that would have hindered other people. Artie realizes that someday, he could be like that, telling the world about his accident and the little girl who helped him get through the pain by music. He thinks it's the best idea ever.
When his dad asks him why he's so happy, it takes years before Artie just smiles and says 'D'you think mom would be proud of me if I was a rock star?"
He is sixteen now, and he hasn't seen the little girl in the skirts with the knee socks since. Some days he wonders if she was just a hallucination, while most of the time he barely remembers her at all. He meets Tina, who is dark and gloomy and hates the color pink. But, she loves music (just not his) and when she smiles he can sometimes see his angel through it. At night sometimes, when he is drifting on the edge between sleep and wakefulness, his mind wonders when the skirts in his mind changed from plaid to leather. Socks from argyle to striped, or when the large toothy smiles in his head morphed into small black smirks. Most of his time is spent juggling glee, school, his music, AV club and his after school job at the astrology center to bother noticing it all that much. He has nearly forgotten about his overbearing angle, and is usually too irritated by the second most overbearing person in his life. Rachel Berry.
Oh, the similarities are uncanny. She also wears knee socks and plaid, and her smile is big, certainly. But her eyes don't scrunch up at the ends like the first one did.
It makes it kind of awkward for Artie actually, because whenever he sees Rachel he can't really forget his angel, not to mention how irritating the girl is. So when he tools into the music room and she's sitting there crying he just wants to run for the hills because seriously, not his problem. Tina's enough of a handful right now. However, his conscience propels him onward and she lifts her head with surprise when she sees him wheeling over to her.
"What's wrong?" Artie asks. Rachel straightens her skirt and wipes her face at the same time before plastering a smile on. To be honest, Artie is a little freaked out by how good she is at it to wonder how many times she must have done it to perfect it like this. She picks up her books and eyes him
"There is nothing wrong, I assure you. I am perfectly fine, the stress of regional's must just be affecting me a little bit". Artie eyes her doubtfully. Since Tina, he's gotten better at reading people when they lie, so when she crumples, he isn't surprised.
"There's a guy" She admits tearfully. He can barely smother a groan – Finn, he should have known. " I have loved him for a very long time from afar, but I don't think he even knows I exist. Also, he thinks I am in love with another boy, and I have not done anything to dissuade that notion and said some very hurtful things to him on top of it. Also, he has begun to fall in love with someone else, who is perfectly nice, just not the right type of girl for him and I don't believe shares the same connection we do"
Oh god. Feelings. He just wants the hell out of here. "Well, maybe you should just tell him how you feel?"
She brightens a bit, and then slumps "How do you propose I would do that?"
"I dunno" He raises his hands in defense "Just kiss him or something! And if he doesn't respond, then move on!" He feels slightly guilty for whomever he just sicked Rachel Berry on, but if it gets him out of this conversation, he'll understand.
She stiffens "I would have moved on, as you say so callously, a very long time ago if I had the choice"
"Well. Just try" He cuts her off "What could it hurt, in the long run?"
She stands suddenly "Very well Artie, thank you for you advice"
He nods distractedly, already focused on his guitar. She doesn't leave though, only takes a few steps down the choir rafters. Warily he looks up at her. She's standing in front of his chair, a couple of feet away. There's a distant look on her face as she smiles his guitar. Then her eyes harden suddenly and she takes quick steps away from him.
Artie watches her leave the choir room, confused. Then he shrugs a little and returns to his guitar.
Rachel Berry is crazy.
A week later, it happens again. He eyes her.
There hasn't been any Finn drama recently, at least, not that he knows of from the gleek gossip ring. Read: Kurt and Mercedes. She looks strangely still, and watches him silently.
He opens his mouth "Um, Rachel – Mmph!"
Somehow in the space of two seconds, shes flung herself into his lap. Theres a hard elbow in his gut and it kinda hurts.
Arties a bit more distracted by the lip action happening right now though. Rachel smells like strawberries, and her lips are really soft and so what if he can't stand her? He's a teenage guy and she's a really good kisser and smells good and he just wants moremoremore. A large part of him is mentally flailing and freaking out.
Then she pulls away slightly and his stomach goes whump. Theres a moment of silence when they just stare at each other and then Rachel gives a small squeak and runs off.
What in holy hell was that?
It takes two days for Artie to successfully corner her. Which – isn't actually that long. Huh.
Rachel looks cowed and defiant and fierce all at once, and it makes Arties heart ache. Because Rachel is just so brilliant, she is, and he hates that some days he can't stand her. She's the only one of them guaranteed to get out of Lima though, and some days it makes him want to break something.
But he can understand why Finn and Puck got so hung up about her now. Rachel Berry is like the sun – she burns and wants and feels so much that when she places her full attention on you – well. It's amazing.
She's off talking rapid fire again, which is so obviously a defensive mechanism that it sucks. Artie puts up a hand and she takes an indignant breath in.
"Would you like to go out with me?" he asks.
There's a pause.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
'I would love to"
There's another pause.
And then there is a smile. And in that second, stripes change to plaid, black to pink. This is the story of how a boy who thought would never get his chance went out with a diva whose heart was simultaneously ten times too big and small for her chest.
That's not to say it wasn't a happy ending. There are issues to get through – they fight and they bicker. Artie feels threatened by Finn and Puck and Jesse and sometimes Rachel is tactless and petty and there are times where they can't look at each other.
At the end of the day though, there's a smile, and two kids stretched out on the grass, pointing at the stars.