A/N: This is a one-shot fairy tale type story. I have written quite a bit, handwritten but my hand got tired of writing so I'm copying and continuing on here. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I love fairy tales. I love Glee! I love Klaine! I own none of them.
We all believe in fairy tales. Okay, not all of us but most of us. One boy who had failed to continue to believe was Kurt Hummel. When he was a boy, a child most particularly, fairy tales were his whole world. He dreamed of his Prince Charming taking him away on his noble steed. For even then, Kurt knew that he wanted a prince, not a princess. And so he dared to dream. But all that began to change when Kurt turned eight years old.
Elizabeth Hummel was a kindhearted soul who loved her son and husband very much. She read fairy tales to Kurt every night and never complained when her son wanted to watch Disney films over and over again. But alas, her reign as queen in the Hummel kingdom was not to be long lasting. Elizabeth fell deftly ill. She passed on when Kurt was only eight. That was the day, Kurt stopped believing that life could be a fairy tale.
Eight years later, when Kurt was a high school sophomore, he stopped believing in fairy tales altogether. The curse was started by one David Karofsky, a jock who made it his mission to make Kurt's life a living hell.
The following year, the bullying escalated and Kurt was reaching his breaking point. But then the clouds parted and a ray of hope shone down on him. His name was Blaine Anderson. Kurt was smitten from the day he laid eyes on him.
It was because of Blaine, Kurt found the courage to deal with Karofsky's hatred of him. Even when the boy revealed himself to be a closeted gay by kissing Kurt in the boys' locker room when the junior found the courage to stand up to him. Kurt held his head high and pressed on.
Blaine became Kurt's best friend and mentor and though Kurt could never find the courage to confess as much to Blaine, the boy he fell desperately in love with. As such, Kurt was overjoyed when Blaine transferred from his safe haven of Dalton Academy to the hell that was McKinley High in Kurt's senior year.
And then came Sebastian.
This is where our story begins. And because this is a fairy tale, there will be a happily ever after.
Kurt was miserable. He didn't get it. He should be happy. It was his senior year, Blaine had transferred to McKinley, Karofsky had transferred out of McKinley, and the bullying had died down tremendously. So why was he so unhappy? Two words: Sebastian Smythe.
The meerkat faced boy had waltz into McKinley and taken over everything that was important to Kurt.
Sebastian was gay, a sleazebag, and an excessive flirt. It was clear he wanted one thing. Blaine. The bad part, Blaine was either oblivious or enjoying his advances. It broke Kurt's heart to see the boy he loved react positively to Sebastian's heavy flirting. To make matters worse, Blaine had started breaking plans with Kurt to hang out with Sebastian. This told Kurt one thing. He was losing him.
On this particular day, Kurt decided he'd had enough. He was going to tell Sebastian to back off. He caught up to him after glee club that afternoon.
"Sebastian!" Kurt called, stopping the boy in his tracks as he walked smugly down the hall. The meerkat faced boy turned slowly to face him, sneering at Kurt.
"What do you want gay face?" he spat. Kurt boldly approached him.
"I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully," he replied darkly. "Stay. Away. From. Blaine."
Sebastian scoffed. "Or what?"
"Or i know quite a few people who would pound your face in," Kurt said.
Sebastian scoffed again. "As if! I got news for you gay face! I'm the new glee favorite. Blaine is too good for you and I can't even understand why he calls you a friend. I have much more to offer him than you ever could. He's into me, which is just what I planned. So. Back. Off!" By this time, Sebastian had backed Kurt against the lockers. The hallway was empty as most people had gone home. Sebastian slammed a hand against the locker, dangerously close to Kurt's head.
"You don't deserve him," Kurt spat.
"That's where you're wrong gay face. It's you who doesn't deserve him." Sebastian was so close, Kurt could smell his breath and he didn't like that smell at all.
He took a moment to compose himself. "Take your STD infected dirty ass and get the hell out of my school!"
Sebastian snapped. He grabbed Kurt by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him against the lockers. Kurt's head snapped back and hit the cold hard metal with a resounding crack. Pain throbbed through his head and his vision clouded over, blackness sinking in around him. He felt disoriented.
The last thing Kurt heard was someone shout his name before the blackness consumed him and he collapsed to the floor.
"Porcelain!" Kurt blinked his eyes open at the shout. He expected to find himself lying on the hallway floor with a concerned Coach Sylvester leaning over him but that was not the case. Coach Sylvester was leaning over him but she was not concerned. In fact, she looked downright irritated.
Kurt took a moment to take in his surroundings. He was seated at a table in the massive basement kitchen of a cottage. There was a potato peeler in his hand and a pile of potatoes on the table. A bowl filled with water was in front of him. There were already peeled potatoes in the bowl. When Kurt looked down on himself, he was horrified to find that he was dressed in rags and covered in soot.
This feels like something out of Cinderella, he thought.
"Porcelain!" Sue shouted again and Kurt jumped. "I do not recall giving you permission to fall asleep peeling potatoes! Now get back to work! Your stepbrothers are starving!"
Sue left the kitchen, slamming the door behind her. Kurt blinked. Did she say stepbrothers? What stepbrothers? Kurt only had one stepbrother. Finn. And last he checked, Sue wasn't his stepmother, he didn't live in a cottage, and he wasn't dressed in rags or covered in soot.
Yep, this is exactly like Cinderella, he thought. I'm Cinderella, I guess. I'd hate to think who my stepbrothers are. But who is Prince Charming?
At that moment, the door slammed open. "Hey lady boy, get the door!" Kurt froze. He knew that voice. It was Karofsky.
"Hey gay face, Dave gave you an order!" came another voice. Oh God, Sebastian too?! Kurt couldn't think of a worse pair of stepbrothers. But he couldn't let it show that this was bothering him.
A knocking sound came just then and Kurt's attention was drawn to the door that lead out for the first time. He tried to remember the details of Cinderella but it had been so long since he bothered to read the real story and Kurt highly doubted this was going to be exactly like it.
Not wanting to be yelled at again by meerkat face and closet gay, Kurt got up from the table and went to open the door. A man with a scroll stood there and he unrolled it, clearing his throat.
"Dear citizens of the Kingdom of Lima, I, Prince Blaine Devon Anderson of Castle Dalton, am pleased to inform you that you have been cordially invited to a royal ball that is to be held in my honor three nights from the current date. Every eligible bachelor is to attend, as I will be seeking my future husband. Until then, I bid you adieu. Sincerely, his royal highness, Prince Blaine Devon Anderson of Castle Dalton."
The man rerolled the scroll and handed Kurt an envelope before to the awaiting carriage. Kurt shut the door.
Blaine. Of course he would be the prince, Kurt thought.
Two loud squeals broke into his thoughts. Kurt turned his head to see Karofsky and Sebastian jumping up and down in unified excitement.
"Prince Blaine is giving a ball!" Karofksky shouted.
"To find his future husband!" Sebastian added.
"He's a dreamboat!" Karofsky continued.
"He's sex on a stick and sings like a dream!" Sebastian threw in. Kurt scoffed. "What's your problem gay face?" Sebastian spat, clearly having forgotten Kurt was even there.
"Please," Kurt snapped. "As if the prince would be interested in either one of you two." Sebastian and Karofsky looked ready to say something and Kurt hurried on. "Prince Blaine has a kind heart. I highly doubt he'd want to marry a meerkat faced sleazebag or a chubby boy who will be bald by thirty."
Karofsky came right up to him and held a fist in his face. "Don't push it lady boy! You'll get a piece of the fury!" Kurt just smirked.
"Right David. Keep that up and I'll tell Sebastian about the incident."
Fear wrote itself across Karofsky's face. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, I would," Kurt replied shortly. "And anyway, it says every eligible bachelor. That means I can go too."
There was a moment of silence before Karofsky and Sebastian burst into laughter.
"Yeah right!" Karofsky choked out.
"Like he would really be interested in you either, with your rags and sooty gay face!" Sebastian said. The two of them continued to laugh.
"Excuse me your highness, would you mind holding my broom?" Karofsky mocked and they laughed some more.
"Face it gay face, the only part of this ball you'll be involved in is the making of our suits!" Karofsky suddenly panicked.
"Oh my God Seb! We need new fabrics! Let's go find mama Sue." Sebastian nodded and he and Dave left the kitchen, closing the door with a slam. Kurt just stood there staring after them. He would go to the ball, he would.
The next few days were a blur. Kurt was kept busy, mostly making hideous suits for David and Sebastian. He had no time to work on an outfit for himself, which was probably the point.
The day of the ball finally arrived and Kurt found himself rushing around, putting the finishing touches on his stepbrothers' awful outfits that they both thought dashing.
"Kurt, my zipper broke!"
"Kurt, where's my hat?"
"Kurt, fix my tie!"
"Kurt, fix my hair!"
"Kurt, mama Sue needs you!"
The eighteen year old was utterly exhausted by the time he collapsed among the cinders of the fireplace after seeing his stepfamily off to the ball, Sebastian promising to send photos from his and Prince Blaine's wedding.
When he was sure he was alone, he broke out in tears. Kurt wished with all his heart that he could go to the ball. He had dreamed of meeting the prince since the first day he had ever laid eyes on him. For Kurt, it was love at first sight and now it seemed that the chance of having that with the prince was ripped away from him. He buried his face in his arms and sobbed harder.
"Why are you crying boo?" said a voice. Kurt's head shot up.
"Who said that?" he asked, looking all around the kitchen. His eyes landed on a dark-skinned girl who was now standing in the kitchen.
"I did white boy," she replied, smiling at him.
So Mercedes is my fairy godmother? Kurt thought to himself.
"Who are you?" he asked instead, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
She was still smiling at him. "I'm your fairy godmother boo. Now why don't you take a deep breath and tell me why you're so upset." She sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm upset because I can't go to the ball. I want to meet Prince Blaine."
"Who says you can't go to the ball?" she asked. "You have just as much right as anyone else to be there."
Kurt wiped his eyes again. "My stepbrothers. They say he'll laugh at my rags for clothes and the soot all over my face."
"That can be fixed white boy," she said, producing a wand from her pocket.
I know this is a fairy tale but she really has the wand? Kurt thought.
"Stand up Kurt," she said. Kurt did as she told him. She pointed the wand at him. "Now, very slowly turn around," she added. Kurt started to turn around as sparks flickered from the end of her wand. When he had turned fully, she waved her wand once more and produced a full length mirror. "There, what do you think?"
Kurt moved to stand in front of the mirror and gasped at what he saw. His skin was clean and clear of ash and soot. He was dressed in a white suit with baby blue trim for the vest and tie. Instead of suit pants, he wore a kilt and on his feet were knee high baby blue and white shoes laced up to perfection. His hair was perfectly coifed and to finish the look off, a delicate silver tiara was perched atop his head.
"Mercedes!" he gasped. "It's positively stunning!" She grinned at him.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get going to that ball and win the prince's heart white boy."
Kurt frowned. "I have no way of getting there." Mercedes tapped her chin for a moment.
"Come with me, I have an idea. I saw an old car out front." She grabbed his hand and lead him out the door. Sure enough, there was an old beat up car sitting in front of the house. Mercedes pointed her wand at it and waved it once more. In an instant, the beat up car, was gone and in its place was a Navigator. Mercedes produced a key and handed it to him. "Now remember, you much be back here before midnight because the magic will end then. Your clothes will become rags once more and the Navigator will turn back into a beat up old car. Don't forget."
"I'll remember Mercedes," Kurt said as be climbed into the driver's seat of the Navigator. "I promise."
"Have a good time!" she called out as Kurt drove away.
At the ball Prince Blaine was dancing with potential suitor after potential suitor, except none of them were really striking his fancy. Always the kind and charming one, he was still polite to every single one of the young gentlemen, though each thought he had the eye only for them. It was clear few knew it was just the prince's way.
He had just bowed in greeting to Sebastian and taken his hand for a dance when he noticed half the room was turning their attention to the grand staircase that flowed from the entrance to the ball room.
Blaine dropped Sebastian's hand and gazed up at the stairs. Standing atop them was the most beautiful the prince had ever laid eyes upon. Sebastian turned quickly to see what the prince was so transfixed by. He scowled when he saw the mystery boy at the top of the stairs.
Kurt stood frozen in place at the top of the stairs, feeling all eyes on him. Nobody moved.
Slowly but surely, he began to make his way down the stairs into the grand ballroom. He could see people whispering behind each other's ears, wondering who the beautiful mysterious boy was.
"He must be a prince," Kurt heard someone remark. "He's too beautiful for a commoner." It took all his resolve not to blush at the comment.
And then Kurt stopped dead in his track as his eyes found the body swiftly moving through the crowd to the stairs. It was the prince.
Blaine reached the bottom of the stairs and held a hand out for Kurt's. It took Sebastian a of two seconds to realize what was going on and he pushed his way toward them.
"Pardon me your highness, but I believe this dance belongs to me," he said. Without giving the prince a chance to reply, he grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Kurt, shooting a glare over his shoulder at the mysterious boy. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt noted the smug look on his stepmother's face. Of course. She would have instructed them both to do everything they could to keep the prince's attention on them. To her, they were the best choices for a husband.
Blaine pulled his hand free from Sebastian's a moment later. "Pardon me but I believe you are not authorized to make my decisions for me," he said, firmly but not unkindly. "Excuse me."
Kurt watched in awe as the prince returned to the stairs and held out his hand once more.
"May I have this dance?" he asked and Kurt felt butterflies in his stomach.
Reaching a hand out to slide into the prince's, he smiled softly. "Yes, yes you may," he replied.
The prince gracefully lead him the rest of the way down the stairs and out onto the dance floor, where he wrapped one arm snugly around Kurt's waist and the other clasped his hand gently. The music started and Kurt felt himself whisked into the dance. Her felt like he was flying or floating on air. He'd thought it was love at first sight for him but this was something more, something he had never dreamed of.
"Who is he?" Karofsky spat as Sebastian stood angrily beside him.
"No idea but he has no right to waltz in here and take away my future husband."
Karofsky turned to look at him. "How do you know he would marry you? He could choose me you know."
Sebastian laughed outright. "Oh please Dave. As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I agree with Kurt about the whole chubby boy, half by thirty thing. In short, no one will ever want you. You'll be alone for the rest of your life. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prince to get back." He stormed off, leaving Karofsky both very angry and very confused.
While Sebastian tried to formulate a plan to get Blaine back, the prince had whisked Kurt right out into the palace courtyard where they had a moment alone.
"Do I know you?" Kurt shook his head and glanced down shyly.
"No, I don't think so your highness," he replied softly.
A smile wrote itself across Blaine's face. "Please, call me Blaine. None of that your highness stuff. It's way too formal."
Kurt looked up in surprise. "Are you sure? I really don't wish to bestow disrespect."
"I'm quite sure. And you are being a perfect gentleman." Kurt blushed. Blaine smiled again. "You're really quite beautiful, especially when you're flushed." Kurt only blushed harder.
"Thank you," he replied quietly.
"Are you sure you're not a prince from a neighboring kingdom?" Blaine prompted.
Kurt shook his head gently. "I'm sure. I'm really just a nobody." Blaine raised an eyebrow. How could this beautiful boy think he was no one?
"I find that hard to believe," he said. Kurt finally raised his eyes to look into Blaine's and the prince's breath hitched when he noticed the amazing swirl of color in the other boy's eyes. He raised a hand to lie upon Kurt's cheek. "How can someone so beautiful be just a nobody?" he whispered breathlessly.
Kurt stared back at him in wonder, his insides flipping over and over again. He'd be damned if he didn't want to just close the distance and lock their lips together in a long awaited kiss.
Long awaited? Right. This was a fairy tale. It wasn't real. Kurt wasn't really here. It was a fantasy his brain had cooked up. Where was he really? He tried to remember but details were very fuzzy and the most he could come up with was that Sebastian has something to do with it. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't make the most of this fantasy right? It wasn't as if all his reactions were pretend. He honestly felt that if Blaine said these things to him, he would go weak on the knees and fall deeper in love than he had ever been before. But Blaine didn't like him that way.
And that was when it dawned on him. His brain was scared so it had hidden in a fantasy world where everything fell into place how Kurt's subconscious imagined it. He wanted Blaine so badly but obstacles stood in the way, a large one of which was Sebastian. That was why he was the stepbrother who was so intent on winning Blaine's hand. But Kurt dreamed that Blaine only had eyes for him, hence why Blaine was Prince Charming and Kurt was Cinderella. It all made perfect sense to him now.
"Are you all right?" Blaine said, pulling Kurt from his thoughts.
"Huh? Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, just zoned out a bit there. Please forgive me."
Blaine chuckled and God how Kurt had always loved that sound. "You're forgiven. Have a lot on your mind?"
Kurt nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I suppose I'm just a little overwhelmed. I-" But he was cut off at the bong of a clock. "Oh I'm so sorry, will you excuse me?"
Before Blaine could protest, Kurt was already hurrying back through the ballroom and up the stairs out of the castle. He could barely make out the sounds of the prince calling for him to wait and that he didn't know his name. The slight distraction tripped him up and he somehow managed to lose one of his perfectly laced shoes, causing him to take a bit of a tumble down the stairs on the other side. But he ignored all that, clambering to get into the Navigator and make for home.
Kurt had just barely managed to pull the car up outside his house and scramble out when the clock finished striking midnight and the spell broke. Kurt was left once again in his rags and sooty face, with the exception of one perfectly laced shoe that remained on his foot.
Dashing into the house, Kurt removed the shoe and hid it under a loose floorboard. He then curled up on the mat beside the fire and drifted off to sleep, the prince's beautiful face placing his dreams.
"Kurt...Kurt..."
"...Kurt!"
The pale boy let out a groan and slowly blinked open his eyes. Blaine was leaning over him, concern filling his whole face. It took a moment for Kurt to realize he was on the floor of the hallway of McKinley. Blaine was kneeling beside him stroking his head. He realized there was something cushioning his head against the ground.
"Kurt!" Blaine said again.
"What...happened?" Kurt managed to croak out. Blaine was still stoking his head.
"Shhhh, honey don't talk okay?" Had he just called him honey? "Oh Kurt I'm so sorry. If I had known Sebastian would get like that-"
Kurt cut him off by shooting upright into a sitting position, immediately regretting that decision as his head throbbed painful in protest. But he ignored it. It was coming back to him now. Sebastian. Argument. Hallway. Head slamming against a locker.
"Where is that little fucker?" Kurt spit out. Blaine carefully wrapped his arms around the pale boy and pulled him down so he could cradle Kurt's upper body against his chest, Kurt's head ticking under his chin. Kurt didn't protest.
"I got rid of him. Don't worry Kurt. I'm not going to hang out with him anymore. He hurt the most important person in my life."
Kurt pulled away slightly so he could look up at him with wide eyes. "I'm the most important person in your life?" he whispered.
"Of course you are dummy," Blaine replied affectionately.
Kurt had no words to reply to that. Instead, he finally found the strength and courage to do what he had been wanting to do for so long. He reached up and pressed his lips to Blaine's. He was met with a surprised gasp from the other boy and for a moment, Kurt feared he had done something wrong but then Blaine kissed him back, wrapping his arms more firmly around him.
It was the most intoxicating feeling Kurt had ever had in his life. Their lips fit so perfectly together and the way Blaine's lips moved with his own was like a dance. That idea made him giggle.
All too soon they had to break for air. Kurt stared into Blaine's hazel eyes, finding all the love and warmth in them he had always wanted to see.
"I love you..." He whispered breathlessly.
Blaine smiled at him gently. "I love you too," he replied softly and Kurt felt his breath hitch and his heart stutter as the words he had been dreaming of Blaine saying to him finally fell from the curly-haired boy's mouth. "By the way," Blaine went on, rummaging in his bag for something. "You wouldn't happen to know who the owner of this shoe is would you?"
Kurt's heart stopped when Blaine pulled out a knee high baby blue and white shoe with the laces untied and tangled. It couldn't be though. That dream wasn't real, was it? Blaine's sudden wink was enough to tell him that he may never know the answer to that.
A/N: Yay! I finished it! I know not the entire story of Cinderella was included but it worked with how I was writing it. I actually have rather enjoyed writing this lovely little one-shot for you all. What did you think of the ending? It just kind of jumped out at me as an interesting and awesome way to end it! Reviews make me smile! Happy reading!