A/N: In this universe, Kurt never transferred to Dalton.
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, don't own glee.
Kurt stood in front of his floor-length mirror, scrutinizing his reflection with a furrowed brow. He rarely second-guessed his fashion choices, but tonight was a special occasion and he felt pressured to get it just right.
Blaine had extended an invitation to Dalton's Annual Holiday Bash, and Kurt had enthusiastically accepted. Not only did he love the holidays and the atmosphere they inspired, he also loved any chance he got to spend time with his charming new friend.
To say he had developed a tiny little crush on the fellow singer would be a definite understatement, but Kurt just couldn't help himself. After the Finn debacle he had promised himself he would be extremely cautious of falling for another guy, even if this particular guy wasn't straight. Just because he was gay didn't guarantee that any feelings he had would be reciprocated.
It was for that very reason why Kurt kept his admiring thoughts to himself whenever he was around the older boy. There was no way he could be certain of any romantic intentions Blaine could have for him since he had never shown Kurt anything other than concern for his bullying situation. Which was very nice of him, but he was just lending a helping hand because he was once in a similar position. It didn't really mean anything.
Besides, Blaine was an extremely handsome, confident openly gay man in an all boys school; surely he wasn't the only homosexual student there. And the guy could have his pick of anyone he wanted, why would he pick Kurt? The boy who couldn't even defend himself from being bullied, and the only one who'd shown any interest at all was a heavily closeted meathead who probably couldn't even spell his own first name.
Kurt sighed, exasperated with his self-deprecating thoughts. He turned on his stylish heel and surveyed the alternate view of his ensemble. He was wearing snug, black dress pants, with a burgundy button-up underneath a black, silk vest. Overall, he was satisfied with his festive look, but he couldn't decide whether or not he should add his red, silk bow tie to the mix.
Shrugging at his own image, he decided to forego the accessory , and give himself one last once-over. Contented with his appearance, he walked away from his beloved mirror, grabbed his long, cashmere coat, and walked up the stairs.
His father was reclined lazily on the couch watching a Deadliest Catch marathon and eating the sodium free, butter-less popcorn Kurt had forced him to buy. He grimaced exaggeratedly with every mouthful.
"Dad," he called, "I'm getting ready to go."
Burt tore his eyes away from the television and inclined his cap covered head in his son's direction. "Alright, kiddo, be careful, the weather person said that we could get some snow later on. And be sure to call me if you're going to get home one minute after midnight," he warned, giving him a pointed look.
Smiling at his father's concern, he nodded. 'No problem, dad, I'll be careful. I'll see you soon, okay? Love you."
"I love you too, kid. Have fun at the party," Burt replied as he shoved the popcorn off his lap with a look of distaste. "And don't be kissing any boys," he called after Kurt as he walked out of the room.
"Dad," he muttered, his cheeks flushing lightly, "don't worry about it." Kurt quickly made his way outside before his father could warn him about kissing, or God forbid, other things.
Thankfully, his father had let him have his baby back for the night since Dalton wasn't exactly close by. Kurt relished the feel of his gorgeous leather interior as he began the journey to his destination. All the while, visions of a certain dark-haired boy swam through his head…
Kurt shivered underneath his jacket as he made his way to the decorated entrance of Dalton Academy. It was definitely cold enough to snow, and the wind cut right through him, making him hurry his pace. Blaine had texted him saying that he'd meet Kurt inside the main entrance so he wouldn't get lost trying to find the party room. Kurt was definitely thankful for that because Dalton was extremely spacious, and a virtual maze of hallways and classrooms.
Stepping inside, Kurt relished the toasty feel of the heat as his nearly frozen blood began to circulate normally again. His heart rate sped up excitedly as he caught sight of the dark-haired boy that occupied his thoughts so frequently. Blaine had his back turned to Kurt and was conversing animatedly with another student he didn't recognize.
Smiling to himself, Kurt sauntered briskly over to where he stood and tapped him on the shoulder. Blaine whirled around, ceasing his conversation mid-sentence. A large grin spread across his handsome face at the sight of Kurt.
"Kurt! I'm so glad you could make it," he exclaimed, his contagious smile making Kurt feel weak in the knees.
Smiling in return, and hoping that Blaine would blame his flushed cheeks on the cold, he replied, "Well thanks for inviting me. And, uh, sorry for interrupting."
Up until then Blaine seemed to have completely forgotten about the other student he'd been talking to. The unidentified boy shook his head, his flame-colored hair falling over his forehead with the movement. "It's cool, man," he stated. "I'll catch you later, Blaine."
"See ya," Blaine uttered distractedly as the boy walked away, his eyes still on Kurt. "Come with me," he said, taking Kurt's hand in his larger, warm one the same way he did the first day they met. "I'll take you to the party."
"The place looks amazing," Kurt commented as he was led down a long corridor with extravagant, but tasteful, holiday decorations. He could hear music and voices in the distance, so he assumed they were getting close.
Blaine nodded. "Yeah, the faculty usually goes a little overboard with the decorations, but it looks really nice this year. Last year there was so much tinsel strewn about you could barely even walk through the hallways."
Kurt chuckled softly, then took the time to give the older boy a once-over. He looked as suave and debonair as usual, but Kurt really enjoyed seeing him out of uniform. His outfit was similar to his own, only Blaine wore a well-fitting maroon sweater, showing off the toned contours of his body, much to Kurt's appreciation. But the thing Kurt liked best was his hair. Instead of his usual gelled coif, his shiny, dark curls were loose and messy.
I'd like to run my fingers through them, he though to himself.
"We're here!" Blaine announced, pulling Kurt through a large, elegant doorway.
The impressively spacious party room was decked out with themes of red and green, and holiday music poured from the sound system. Everywhere people were dancing and laughing.
"Looks like fun," he commented, giving Blaine a grin.
"Oh, it is," Blaine agreed. "These parties get wild every year, but we always have a great time."
"Wild, huh?" he teased, smirking. Kurt looked around the room, observing the people, when a certain group standing in the far corner caught his eye. "A-are those people singing to the wall?" he asked, flummoxed, and pointed over at them.
Blaine followed his finger and laughed. "It appears so. The eggnog here is really potent, and it shows. Sooner or later they'll realize they're caroling to drywall."
"Wow," Kurt muttered, shaking his head.
"Come on." Blaine led him over to a cluster of tables, stopping at one where only two other people sat. "Kurt, you remember Wes and David, right?" he asked, gesturing to the two boys in front of them.
"Of course. Nice to see you guys again," he greeted, smiling at them.
"Hey Kurt," they chorused, giving him equally wide grins.
"Have a seat," Blaine offered, letting go of his hand. Kurt had been enjoying the feel of Blaine's hand wrapped around his, and felt disappointed at the loss.
Kurt plopped down in the chair beside Wes, unbottoned his jacket, and draped it across the back of his seat.
"Do you want something to drink? Punch or some seriously Rum-tastic eggnog?" Blaine questioned, his intense hazel eyes focused on him.
"Uh, punch is fine, thanks," Kurt managed to say. Whenever Blaine looked at him that way his ability to speak plummeted drastically.
"Get me some more punch too, Blaine," Wes ordered, holding out his empty glass.
Blaine rolled his eyes. "Get your own, Lazy, I'm not your maid." He turned on his heel and headed off towards the refreshments table.
Wes scoffed mockingly while David tried and failed to hide a smirk. "Well," Wes drawled languidly, "it looks like our dear Blaine likes you a lot better than me."
Kurt could feel the blood pooling in his typically pale cheeks and failed to come up with a response.
"So I'm assuming he hasn't made a move yet? I would've thought he'd have asked you out already since he talks about you enough." Wes stated, either oblivious to, or purposely ignoring Kurt's lobster red cheeks.
Kurt's eyes widened comically. "Made a-" he started, but was interrupted by David slamming his elbow in Wes' side and proclaiming, "Shut up, dude!"
David turned to Kurt and shrugged lightly. "Nevermind him, man, he's been in the eggnog tonight."
"Uh, it's fine," Kurt replied uncertainly. Wes had definitely been implying that Blaine liked him, but Kurt was finding it hard to believe that Blaine was harboring a crush on him. Even though his mind and heart desperately wanted to believe it. The thought of Blaine reciprocating his feelings left a warm, satisfied feeling in his chest.
"So, do you-" Wes began, but broke off when Blaine arrived back at the table, holding two glasses in his hands.
"Here you go, Kurt." Blaine smiled dazzlingly at him as he sat one of the cups in front of him, before sitting down on the other side of him.
"Thank you," Kurt replied, giving him a small smile in return. He had to stop himself from gasping out loud when Blaine's thigh accidentally brushed against his underneath the table.
"No problem. So what were you three talking about while I was gone?" he asked, taking a sip of his punch, while Kurt's eyes lingered on his way too inviting lips.
David shot Wes a warning look which he pointedly ignored. Wes' eyes kept moving from Blaine to Kurt, smirking lightly at how close they were sitting. "Oh, not much," he said in a far too innocent sounding voice. "I was just asking Kurt here whether or not you'd finally got the guts up to ask him out since you talk about it to us all the time. That's all."
David rubbed his temples and mumbled something about 'tact', while Blaine's jaw dropped open and two spots of color appeared high on his cheeks.
Kurt stared open-mouthed at Wes, not believing what he'd just heard, before shooting a furtive glance at Blaine, trying to guage his reaction. Blaine seemed to be either really shocked or really embarrassed, Kurt couldn't decide which.
"I...you...I can't believe that...I just..." Blaine sputtered, his cheeks turning darker as he glared daggers at Wes.
"Hey, chillax dude," Wes said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just trying to help you out. I swear!"
Unfortunately for Wes, Blaine didn't seem to be buying it. "How exactly was that supposed to help me?" he demanded through clenched teeth.
Meanwhile, Kurt felt his poor, lovesick heart pound in his chest. Maybe Blaine really did like him. The thought made him want to grin and dance around like an idiot, but since that wasn't an option, he settled for sitting passively in his seat, dancing on the inside. He was also beginning to worry for Wes well-being, if Blaine's clenched fists were anything to go by.
Deciding to step in before Wes could dig himself any deeper, David grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go."
"What? Go where?" Wes asked, attempting to pull his arm free, but David was having none of it.
"Over there," was all he said before dragging Wes all the way to the opposite side of the large room.
Blaine exhaled heavily, dragging his long fingers through his curls, before hesitantly turning to face Kurt. "Look, I'm sorry about that. What can I say, Wes is kind of an idiot." He offered Kurt an apologetic smile.
Kurt felt his heart plummet to his feet. All the hope he'd been filled with about Blaine's possible feelings for him vanished. Apparently Wes had just been joking, trying to embarrass his friend. "Oh, um, it's alright," Kurt said, straining to keep the disappointment out of his voice and off his face.
Blaine looked vaguely concerned for an instant, but the look disappeared as quickly as it came. "So, how have things been at McKinley?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Well," Kurt began, failing to keep some of the sadness out of his voice, "things have been about the same. Dumpster dives, slushie facials, and Karofsky's favorite, the locker shove."
Blaine's eyes seemed to darken in anger. "So it's not letting up at all?" he questioned, his voice tight.
Kurt shook his and scoffed derisively. "No. If anything it's gotten worse. Karofsky's got it out for me and he's not showing any signs of stopping."
Sighing, Blaine took a sip of punch then reached over and placed his slightly larger hand on top of Kurt's. "I'm sorry, Kurt. You deserve so much better than that."
Kurt couldn't control his heart's fluttering. Any physical contact with Blaine did this to him, but he tried to squelch it, telling himself that Blaine was only being a good friend. And he needed to stop reading so much in to it. Before Kurt could respond, Blaine spoke again.
"Speaking of Karofsky, has he made any other...uh, advances towards you?" Blaine's voice was hard and he and he had a strange look in his eye that Kurt couldn't decipher.
"He hasn't tried to kiss me anymore, thankfully. But he's been following me around a lot. Everytime I turn around, there he is! Its extremely disconcerting and I'm getting sick of it."
Blaine squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Something needs to be done about him, Kurt. It's understandable that he's confused about being gay, but it is not acceptable for him to abuse you because of it."
Shrugging, Kurt heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I know. But nobody's willing to do anything about it. And if someone did try to help me out, it would just come down to my word against his. So...what's the point?"
Blaine shook his head, giving him a sympathetic look. "Maybe you should tell your dad, Kurt," he suggested, stroking his thumb over the back of Kurt's hand soothingly. "This can't continue on, he could really hurt you."
"I can't tell him, Blaine. He just starting to recover and this would really upset. I just can't take the chance of him having another heart attack," Kurt insisted, his voice wavering. After his dad's heart scare, he was constantly afraid that he'd have a relapse. One that he couldn't come back from.
"I understand why you don't want to tell him, really, I do. But a time may come when you don't have another option."
Kurt stared down at the table, not answering, and Blaine sighed. "Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even brought up McKinley. Parties are supposed to be about fun, not..." he paused.
"Angst?" Kurt suggested, smiling faintly.
"Yeah," Blaine gave a small laugh. "Tell you what, how about we ditch this angsty conversation and go dance like a bunch of maniacs to cheesy holiday tunes we've heard a thousand times and have a gay old time, no pun intended." He winked.
Kurt glanced over at the crowded dance floor. Maniacs, indeed.
"Or," Blaine said, before Kurt could answer, "we could forget about the party and go have a movie night in my room. Your choice."
Hmm, crazy dancing or time alone with a gorgeous guy in his dorm room? Kurt didn't even have to think about his answer.
He grinned. "I think I'm going to have to go with the movie night."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Blaine stood, pulling Kurt up by the hand he'd yet to let go of, much to his satisfaction. "Let's hurry before Wes and David see us and try to come along," he teased, leading Kurt over to the door.
Kurt looked over his shoulder at the two boys in question. They were both doing some peculiar version of the robot to the tune of "Jingle Bells". Smiling, Kurt squeezed the warm, comforting hand in his, looking forward to whatever the rest of the night had to offer.