All He Needs
"Kurt— stop staring at Adam and give me a hand with this mess!"
Everyone's singing died down within seconds even as the loud beat of I've Got a Feeling played on in the background. In the middle of taking his short break on a wooden stool, Kurt blushed. As if in slow motion, ten heads swiveled around and revealed various expressions: a few annoyed pouting faces, several more mischievous grins. Of the many, one smiling figure broke the silence with his cheery, smooth voice— Damn. Am I developing a thing for foreign accents?— and unbelievably charming laugh:
"Kurt, care to join us up at the front where you can have a better view?" A girl standing near Adam suppressed a giggle, making it sound like a nasty, wet sneeze and prompting a few glances of its own.
Oh Adam, your ego knows no bounds. After giving a reflex-driven eye roll for all of Adam's Apples to see, Kurt slipped his phone back into his beige jacket pocket and sauntered, trying his best to look carefree and unperturbed, off the stage area. His choirmates were now in the zone once more: some were humming the next verse and others looked to Adam for some signal on what to do. As he watched Adam out of the corners of his eyes, Kurt noticed that the bright smile had faltered noticeably.
I guess it was rude of me to just ignore him… But is he more disappointed that I didn't say "Yes?"
Oh, what are you thinking, Kurt! Don't kid yourself; Adam is simply having a good time seeing you vulnerable.
Kurt was nearly halfway down the steps connecting stage and audience pit when he heard Adam clear his throat and command the group towards the task at hand, "Back to our song! 5, 6, 7, 8. I've got a feeling…"
Part of Kurt wanted to turn around and listen to the rest of the performance. After all, he was a new addition to the team and fitting in with the group's dynamic was something he still needed to figure out. But more than that, he loved hearing Adam's crisp, clear, and subtly playful voice move through the song like a child running through a wheat field. Where the hell did that come from?
I've got to get more sleep and watch fewer Lifetime movies; note to self, ask Rachel and Santana to stop bringing over boys for loud "whatever" tonight.
Kurt half-heartedly walked over to the cause of all his grief and this short emotional roller-coaster and stood arms crossed and weight leaning on his right leg. He directed a sharp, snappy question towards a girl holding in her hands a several tangled cords: "You needed help, Marcie?"
Grinning sheepishly, Marcie apologized, "Didn't mean to call you out like that. These cords are just too much for one person to handle as you can probably tell. Won't you be a kind friend and lend a helping hand?"
Kurt gave a small sigh as he grabbed the end of a cord and attempted to find its beginning somewhere within the jumble of rubber lines. "It's not fair for me to be angry at you anyway." Granted, I hadn't been staring at Adam at that particular moment, but a few hours ago when I watched him speak to another guy I think the entire room knew what (or rather, who) I was looking at.
What is it about him that makes him so likeable? Am I just finding a replacement for the attention I gave to Blaine when we were still together?
"Well, if it makes you feel better, he's so into you; I can tell!" Marcie's cheerful comment, accompanied with a quick wink made Kurt turn pink.
Geez, I can feel my temperature rising. I don't even know him that well; we're friends, that's all… Right?
"I don't care about that," Kurt said instinctively, giving a forceful tug to one of the cords that he'd almost completely freed. Marcie gave a frown and silently continued with her work separating cords.
"You know," Marcie whispered after a few moments, "I heard that Adam's never this nice to NYADA freshmen. I think…" Marcie considered what she should say next, "you should ask him out."
Unnaturally focused with the cords in front of him, Kurt responded in an equally quiet tone, "I already have— or at least, I think I did. We had coffee the day before yesterday and it was nice and friendly, just not— you know— flirty or romantic."
"Hold up. You want your first coffee-date with an upperclassman to be flirty? I might not have much experience with relationships, but even I think you're expecting too much. You see, darling Kurt, the walls have ears— and I'm sure this will come as a shock to you, but we aren't in "Population Zero" Ohio. News travels faster than people, so any hint of flirting between Adam and you would buzz through the school, making you the next "Kristy" and Adam the new "Greg" of everyday gossip." Marcie's voice picked up speed and volume throughout her rant, as if she were a professional on giving advice.
Well, I would hate to be called for Adam or me to be called the "sluts of the century" like those two. Kurt thought of all the insults and behind-the-back jokes made about the (honestly, quite sensible and adorable) couple: the beast with two backs, theatre "down"-under studies, Friday-hookup disaster, the list went on with progressively more crude names. And it all started with a casual conversation about their recent break-ups that was overheard during a Friday-night party. How quickly the exaggerations begin to multiply and turn into lies…
Marcie's advice went on, "Besides, not everyone's like your Blaine. You want to be wooed from the start, but adult relationships aren't like that. You've got to connect to your love interest, find out what'll make them want you."
Finally, as the last few clumps of cord fell apart, Kurt responded, "I know. I just don't know what to make of this whole mess."
Jokingly, Marcie held up two of the cords Kurt had freed. "What do you mean? You singlehandedly took care of my mess."
"Haha." Kurt replied, not amused, in monotone. "You know what I mean."
"I'm just trying to say that you don't give yourself the credit you deserve. Don't be so afraid of 'this whole mess' and take it slow for a while." Marcie seemed genuine about her last statement, "You should get some more rest, Kurt. I know New York has been amazing for you, but you got to get in the rhythm of things again."
It's like she read my mind. Or maybe she saw the circles under my eyes.
"Yeah. I just need a way to convince my roommates to cooperate." Kurt groaned. "I wish life and romance were easier."
"You be quiet. I haven't even had a serious relationship yet!" Marcie complained with a fake frown and theatrical sadness that made Kurt genuinely smile for the first time in days.
