This story is based on In A Heartbeat, a short, five-minute animation on YouTube.
In A Heartbeat
"Dad, will it be okay?" Kurt Hummel asked his father.
The older man, Burt Hummel, looked down at his nine-year-old son and smiled softly.
"It will be fine Kurt," he said.
Today was the anniversary of Kurt's mother Elizabeth unfortunate death. It was a sad day for both of them and Burt had decided to spend it honouring his wife's memory more than normal. The two of them had been at the grave this morning; they had quietly sung songs and told stories about how their lives were going. Then they spent the afternoon with Elizabeth's parents after they had bumped into them in the churchyard.
After arriving home, Kurt watched as his heart tried to pull his father's heart into the living room to watch movies. Movie Monday was something Burt had started after Elizabeth passed away and Kurt knew his mother would still want them to continue it today. However, as Kurt's heart (slightly swollen from crying but still excited as ever) tried to drag his fathers, it was met by resistance.
Burt turned and sighed as he hugged his son, "why don't you choose a DVD while I make us some sandwiches hmm?"
Kurt nodded slightly, "Dad, will it be okay?" he asked referring to his father's heart as it slowly moved into the kitchen.
Burt smiled softly (even though Kurt saw tears in his eyes).
"It'll be fine Kurt," he replied, "he just misses Lil E."
Lil E was what they had called Elizabeth's heart. The same as Burt's heart had the name 'Lil B' and Kurt's heart had the name called 'Lil K.'
Hearts were precious to everyone. Hearts were a part of everybody and the small creatures went around trying to get their assigned human to act on their true desires. Nobody really understood why the organ seemed to have a life of its own. All scientists could understand was that when a baby was 2 weeks old the heart shaped lump on a baby's chest would glow and come to life. The more puzzling aspect about hearts was how they managed to travel through the rib cage and skin without hurting the human. Sure tests had been done, but in 1915 the world leaders decided it was wrong to force some people into testing as any damage that was made to the heart would affect the assigned human emotionally, even if they were miles and miles away.
The world had come along way with hearts. Modern scientists were allowed to suggest theories but hearts were a normality. After all, they were only a mere reflection of the assigned human's true self.
Kurt definitely knew his heart was a reflection of his true self, especially after what had happened at school the day before.
Kurt knew he was born with an ambitious heart, sometimes it annoyed the hell out of him. If he got an answer wrong in class it would start crying and embarrass him. If he saw something interesting it would try and drag him out of the window. The teachers were sympathetic of course, but Kurt knew his heart seemed to be more ecstatic than most. When his father had taken him to see a therapist the doctor stated that it was because Kurt was an ambitious child, and the heart (and emotions) can't be controlled.
Sometimes Kurt wished his emotions could be controlled, today was one of those times. His dad had dropped him off outside the shop on the way to school and everything seemed to be going well. His heart was being good and sitting securely in his chest. Kurt had been trying desperately hard to teach his heart to be a little more settled, he just wanted to get through one week without being the centre of attention for the rest of his classmates!
Kurt was at the till purchasing his usual packet of crisps and sandwich when the bell to the store chimed. The young boy watched as another boy from his school walked into the store, Blaine Anderson.
Blaine Anderson was in a different class to him but Kurt was sure he was the same age. The other boy had apparently been held back a grade after being bullied at another school, although nobody knew for what.
Kurt was surprised to see him in the shop. The shop was only a block away from the school itself but everyone else usually hung out at the candy store next door.
The first thing Kurt had thought when he saw Blaine, was that he had looked like Prince Charming; and if the way his heart reacted was any indication, he loved Prince Charming.
The nine-year-old felt his heart start to beat as he watched Blaine with slight interest, and quickly gave the money to the cashier.
"How are you today?" the cashier asked him.
"I-um," he stuttered as he looked behind him, "I'm good."
He noticed Blaine had grabbed an apple from the fruit selection and was now heading towards the tills. He had his head stuck in a book and was smiling at whatever he was reading.
As soon as the cashier gave him his change, he paced to the store door and then made a run for it. He could feel his heart beating hard, it had sensed Kurt's peaked interest and wanted to come out. "No!" he growled as he stopped running and put his hands on his knees, "just no!"
He stood there practically panting and groaned as his heart burst out of his chest and looked around. "You're too late," he said as he rummaged around in his bag pack until he found his water bottle.
The heart pouted and Kurt sighed, "You need to stay in my chest today Lil K," he said as he tried to unscrew the lid. The small heart hovered over Kurt's hand and then helped him undo the lid.
The two of them had just managed to unscrew the lid when Blaine Anderson walked around the corner. Kurt realised in that moment how stupid he was for stopping, of course, Blaine would be walking the same destination. Kurt dropped his water and grabbed his heart as he started running again. The heart was resistant and kept trying to peer over Kurt's shoulder as the boy tried to guide him back into his chest.
"Get in!" he shouted, "get in!"
An elderly couple chuckled as he ran past them, "oh I remember those days!" Kurt heard the older man say as he wrapped his arm around the woman.
As Kurt approached the school gates he was finally able to force Lil K into his chest and he turned to see if Blaine was behind him. Blaine was still hot on his tail as he continued to read his book and spin his apple on one finger.
Kurt gasped and dived behind a nearby bush, hoping Blaine wouldn't see him. He heard Blaine walk by the bush so Kurt quickly sprinted to a tree nearby and quickly climbed to the lowest branch. He mentally thanked his father for sending him to camp the previous summer and watched as Blaine continued to walk towards the school. Kurt wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel like this, but the professionals on television stated, "the heart wants what it wants, it cannot be changed."
Unfortunately, this had just made Kurt think he had been 'wired' wrong. Maybe his heart was deformed or maybe he was just a freak of nature. Kurt watched as Blaine got closer to the tree and smiled happily, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. Kurt no longer felt these things, society may have thought a lot of things but the conversation he had with his dad a couple of weeks ago had really helped him.
Kurt looked over at his father's heart as it watched the Cars cartoon on the screen with joy. He then looked up at his father who appeared to be uninterested but his eyes looked amused, "dad I think adults are allowed to like cartoons!"
Burt looked over at his heart and then laughed at his son's comment. "You caught me!"
Kurt's heart fluttered around excitedly because of the boy's triumph and Burt laughed more, "Kurt you gotta teach that heart of yours to calm down."
Kurt's heart landed on his lap and pouted. Kurt tried to hide his heart in the palm of his hand but his dad gently ruffled his hair and smiled kindly, "I was only joking kiddo."
Burt knew instantly he said the wrong thing. To most people it was okay to say, "your hearts very excited" or "calm your heart," but not to Kurt. Kurt was slightly sensitive to the topic because many people made fun of him for having a very over ambitious heart, so Burt knew he had crossed a line.
The child looked up at the screen as the sound of the car engine and Burt took Lil K into his hands, "it's okay to show how you feel Kurt, I was only joking."
Kurt looked up at his father and saw Lil B hugging Lil K gently. Kurt smiled softly at his father, and his heart smiled. "I know… I was just excited that you admitted to liking this movie."
"This movie is every mechanics dream!" Burt said, making his son laugh.
Burt leaned forward and grabbed the remote, pausing the movie.
"Listen, Kurt," Burt said, "a lot of people are going to make jokes like that. They're not trying to offend you…"
The child listened as his father spoke.
"Just remember that it's okay to show your emotions and that it's okay for your heart to express how you feel… okay, kiddo?"
Kurt nodded as he smiled and leaned into his father's side as they continued to watch the movie. Those were the words Kurt needed to hear, the words that hold him he was not a freak. They were words that told him that everyone has different emotions and everyone reacts differently to different situations. They were also clearly the words that Lil K needed to hear to be even more annoying.
Kurt smiled softly and tried to get even higher so he could see Blaine better. The other student continued to read and tossed the apple in the air a couple of times before making it spin on his finger again. Kurt smiled and knew from what his father had told him that it was normal for him to feel this way.
As Blaine got further away, Kurt needed to get higher to see him. He used one hand to hoist himself up onto the branch above him but then ended up smacking his head on the branch a little higher up. He quickly got behind the tree as he balanced himself on another branch. He was glad that the branch had been there, he would hate to embarrass himself in front of Blaine. His heart sensed Kurt was nervous and Kurt had to force Lil K to stay silent by clasping his hands over his chest. When Lil K didn't stop beating profusely Kurt when bright red and hoped Blaine couldn't hear him as he told his heart to be quiet.
Kurt watched as Lil K started to emerge from his chest, he pursed his lips and shoved the organ back into its natural habitat. With Lil K silenced the playground fell silent, all that could be heard was a bird singing in a nearby tree.
When Kurt heard footsteps, (which he assumed was Blaine walking), his heart flew out of his chest and even though Kurt fought to keep a hold of it Lil K wanted to follow Blaine. Lil K pointed at Blaine but Kurt was hesitant to move. So the little heart grabbed Kurt by the thumb and dragged him out of the tree.
It was a small tug of war between the boy and his heart as Blaine got closer and closer to the school's entrance.
Kurt pulled back hard which caused his heart to go flying into the air. The boy fell back slightly but managed to balance on one of the branches. He watched in astonishment as his heart knocked Blaine's apple and fell into the other boy's palm.
Blaine was so engulfed in his book he didn't realise he was tossing and catching Kurt's heart in his right hand instead of his apple. Kurt knew he had to act quickly, his heart was gushing and reveling in the fact that it was being held by Blaine. Kurt ran quickly and went to grab his heart. He then pulled his hand back, anxious that the other boy would turn and see him.
He gritted his teeth and nervously twitched his fingers. How was he going to get himself out of this mess? Kurt was silently trying to form some kind of plan when he watched the other boy trying to eat what he thought was his apple, without taking his eyes off his book. In half, a second Kurt thought, "wow that book must be interesting," and then he thought, "OH MY GOD HE'S GOING TO EAT MY HEART!" He panicked and tried to grab Lil K, but then his heart jumped out of Blaine's hand. This ended up with Kurt awkwardly holding the other man's hand.
Blaine looked down at his hand and then up the boy who had interrupted his reading. Kurt pulled back nervously and clapped his hands together as he hissed through his teeth out of embarrassment. He was about to explain his weirdness to the taller boy when Lil K come out of hiding. It had hidden in Blaine's book and was now smiling at Kurt. Kurt knew he had to get Lil K back in his chest and without thinking, he leaped forward and tried to catch his heart.
Lil K dived out of the book and went behind Blaine. Kurt followed him and they both began to run rings around the other boy who was very confused. Kurt reached out to grab Lil K and smiled at his success as he clasped his other hand around his hand to secure Lil K couldn't move anymore. He then looked up at Blaine who now had Kurt's arms around him and cleared his throat.
"Are you alright?" Blaine asked him.
Kurt was about to answer when he heard footsteps approaching. He quickly pulled himself off of Blaine and quickly climbed into a nearby dumpster and slammed the lid shut. He watched through a small gap as Blaine waved at a blonde haired boy who walked past him and then looked over at the dumpster.
Kurt was scared that Blaine would come over and start to question his awkward behaviour. He could see Blaine looking at the dumpster in question and began to question if Blaine could see that he was watching him. As Kurt contemplated just getting out and running back home, the school bell rang. Blaine looked at the school and then back at Kurt's location one final time before walking to the building.
Kurt stood up and threw the lid off himself. He watched as Blaine continued to read the book as he made his way towards the steps to the school. Kurt's heart escaped Kurt's clasp and dragged Kurt from the dumpster. Kurt dragged his heels and tried to pull the heart to the stop. Unfortunately, a hearts physical strength definitely outweighed the hearts. As they neared Blaine, Kurt leaned to the left causing him and his heart to glide to the left instead of into Blaine.
Nevertheless, Lil K was persistent. It turned itself and Kurt around and the young boy braced himself for impact. He closed his eyes and held his breath. This was going to be the most awkward moment of his life! Then, he felt something hit his foot, he and Lil K flew into the hair and he gritted his teeth together. How is this even possible? He thought. He looked down as the two of them flew over Blaine and Kurt held his breath as he watched Lil K touch the top of the boys gelled quiff; he was stunned that Blaine didn't seem to feel a thing.
Kurt landed hard and groaned at the impact. He had leaves in his hair, dirt on his clothes. He was considering his dad and asking if he could just go home, it wasn't unusual for Lil K to make him miss a day of school.
Kurt reached for Lil K in his chest but then gasped at the empty feeling inside of him. He looked up to Blaine opening the school door and fumbled as he tried to stand. His heart had slid through the gap before the door closed and Kurt knew he had to get to it before it caused any more trouble.
He ran to the school's entrance, as fast as his little legs could carry him, this day really was not going well. As he reached the school's entrance he saw Blaine on the floor and Lil K rubbing up against his cheek. There were students around him and Kurt even heard someone say, "Isn't that Kurt's heart?"
Kurt quickly tried to grab Lil K. His heart was taken by surprise but it refused to let go of Blaine. It held onto Blaine's index finger and Kurt was forced to come face to face with Blaine Anderson. The first thing Kurt saw was confused, then he saw realisation. Kurt looked up and down nervously and Blaine looked around at their peers who had gathered in a semi circle. Kurt watched as fear seemed to become Blaine's next facial expression and also took a moment to look at the crowd that had formed around them.
He felt Lil K pull towards Blaine. He knew his heart was only trying to do what he wanted but even if his feelings were completely normal, society just wasn't ready for it. He tried not to make eye contact with Blaine as he tugged on his heart. He heard Lil K crack and Kurt knew his heart was breaking; but even so, his heart continued to stay strong and hold onto what Kurt really wanted.
Kurt looked at his heart with worrying eyes and then back at Blaine. Blaine was still looking at the crowd and when he looked at Blaine again the other boy hung his head down in shame. Watching Blaine look at the ground as if he was ashamed to even be associated with him is what finally broke Kurt's heart. As Kurt gave a final yank to his heart, Lil K cracked and Kurt ran out of the school's entrance unaware he had left Blaine with the other half of it.
The doors closed behind him and he felt tears trickle down his face. He had heard stories that heart break broke but this felt absolutely awful.
"Hey, what did you put on?" Burt asked as he came back into the living room with some sandwiches.
"The Little Mermaid," Kurt said happily, "and then Arthur and the Invisibles!"
Burt laughed as he sat on the couch, "good choices buddy."
Kurt had been sat behind the tree he had been hidden in for the past five minutes. He had a tear stained face and he was starting to question whether someone could physically die from embarrassment. He really wanted to ring his dad and ask him to pick him up, but that required going to the school reception, which required … going back to the school…
He sighed and looked down at what was left of Lil K. You only got one heart each life time, and he had already broken his. He knew it was possible to fix his heart but he had no idea where the other half of Lil K was now. He sniffled and looked down at the broken piece of himself.
He clasped the broken piece tightly and thought about how plenty of people lived with broken hearts. He knew he would be okay, even if it took transferring schools and telling his dad Lil K had chased a boy. He had to believe everything would be okay.
Kurt felt himself on the brink of tears again leaned back against the tree and looked up before shutting his eyes, he was trying desperately hard not to cry. He heard a rustle nearby and when he opened his eyes he saw Blaine was stood behind a bush nearby.
The boy flinched and wiped his face on the side of his shoulder. He kept his heart hidden in his hands and tried really hard to focus on a blade of grass as he heard Blaine get closer.
The taller boy knelt down in front of him and Kurt watched as he reached out for his hands. Kurt pulled away nervously and looked up at Blaine. The boy gave him a small smile and Kurt slowly opened his hands and allowed him to look at what was left of his heart.
The boy blushed as Blaine put one hand under Kurt's hand and use his other hand to place the missing half of Kurt's heart next to the piece already in Kurt's hand.
Blaine gently pushed the piece together and then wrapped his hands around Kurt's and used Kurt's hand to squeeze the pieces together.
Kurt's father had told him that the only people capable of fixing someone's heart were the person themselves or someone that cared deeply for the heart that they were trying to fix. Kurt smiled as he watched Lil K come back to life. Then it hit him, Blaine cared about him! Blaine didn't even know him, but he cared about his heart deep enough to fix it!
Kurt was stunned when Blaine sat next to him against the tree. Lil K smiled widely and Kurt found himself blushing, (again). Kurt watched as Blaine's heart left his chest.
"Blainers…" Blaine said as he gently put his heart back into his chest.
"B-Blainers?" Kurt asked nervously.
Now it was Blaine's turn to blush, "don't tell anyone I call it that…"
"I won't," Kurt said.