You've Got a Friend in Me Chapter 1, a glee fanfic

Author's Note:

Well, I've got to say that this is by far the longest thing I've written. It feels like everyone has close friends in Glee club except for Tina. There's Kurt/Mercedes/Rachel, Quinn/Brittany/Santana, Puck/Finn/Sam/Mike (okay, well kind of), Puck/Lauren, etc. I think Blaine would be a nice friend for Tina, especially to help her with speaking up more.

Italics are thoughts unless they're song lyrics (and you'll be able to tell)

I do not own Glee, or anything else that may be referenced.

Well, this feels strange.

Blaine walked into the choir room two weeks after he transferred to McKinley for his senior year. Though he's been at Glee club for a week, today it felt especially strange since Kurt was home, sick.

"You'll be fine Blaine. They know you. They like you. You don't need me to be there to have fun in Glee club," Kurt had told him when Blaine called him during lunch.

Blaine wasn't so sure. Yeah, he talked with them and hung out with them before, but it was all with Kurt. He still felt like an outsider intruding on their little family.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he sat down in an empty chair. He was the first one here, so he took the time to check his phone. It was a text from Kurt. It contained just one word. Courage. He smiled as he remembered the first time he sent that text to Kurt and how much had changed between them since then. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the rest of the Glee club come into the choir room.

He was brought back to reality when he realized there was someone sitting next to him.

"Hi Blaine! Sorry to hear that Kurt's sick. It must feel weird that he's not here with you," Tina said.

Blaine was taken aback. This may be the first words that Tina had ever spoken to him. Sure, she was nice and they talked when they performed together at prom, but this was the first time she really talked to him.

"Hi. Yeah, it does feel a little strange. I still feel like I'm intruding on what you have here," he replied as he looked around the choir room. He didn't really notice before, but everyone was sitting coupled off. Sam and Mercedes, Puck and Rachel (something happened there over the summer), Finn and Quinn (back together again), and Santana and Brittany (finally). And oddly, Lauren and Artie, though Blaine was pretty sure they weren't a couple. Then Blaine realized that there was someone missing besides Kurt.

"Where's Mike?" he asked Tina.

"He's sick too," she said simply.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Tell him I hope he gets well soon."

Mr. Shue walked into the choir room and started their lesson. This week: solos.

As Blaine read what was written on the board his eyes went wide. Was that because he was here? His thoughts were interrupted by Rachel's voice.

"Mr. Shue why do we all have to do solos?" she asked.

"This year for sectionals, we are holding a fair competition for solos. Everyone comes up with one, and we vote for who we want to sing a solo at sectionals" he explained. "So everyone come up with a song that you'd like to do and have it ready later this week."

The room started buzzing as they each started to think of songs that they would like to do. Blaine was mulling over possible songs. Maybe that new Katy Perry song would work. He would consult with Kurt later. He turned to look at Tina. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Are you okay Tina?" he asked. "Tina?"

She just looked straight ahead with her eyes wide. Blaine put his hand on her shoulder, really worried about her. That seemed to bring her back.

"Sorry, I just – I can't do it," she whispered.

Would Mr. Shue understand that she couldn't do it? Maybe she'll pretend she's sick for the rest of the week. She had never been able to finish a solo before. For some reason, she just broke down during it. She always ended up crying.

"I could help you if you want," Blaine said.

"Thanks, but it's not worth it," she said sadly. "I can't finish a solo. Never have. I get worried about what people think, or I get extremely emotional."

"I'm sure you've done great solos" he said simply. "Although I've never seen you solo, you have an amazing voice and I'm sure you were great," he said as he recalled her singing at prom.

Tina gave him a skeptical look.

"Tell you what, how about you come over to my place after school and you can try to prove me wrong. But when I'm right, I get to help you with this assignment."

Tina hesitated but said yes. Blaine gave her his address and with a cheery "See you after school!" he was gone.

"I'm sorry I can't come over Kurt, I told Tina I'd help her with her Glee assignment," Blaine said into the phone.

"It's fine Blaine. I don't want you to get sick anyway. Go and help Tina," Kurt responded.

"I love you. Feel better," he said as he ended the call.

Truth be told, he was a bit nervous about Tina coming over. Other than Rachel, he hadn't had any time with any member of the Glee club without Kurt. He was great at putting up a facade to hide his insecurities and emotions. He did that when talking to Tina earlier. But, she had been so honest with him earlier that he felt slightly more comfortable.

The doorbell rang and he took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face.

"Hey Tina, come in."

"Hi Blaine, thanks for helping me out," Tina said as she walked in. "Wow, nice house."

"No problem. Do you want anything to drink before we start?" Blaine asked, ever the gentleman.

"Can I have some water?"

"Sure, no problem."

Tina sat in the living room and waited for Blaine to come back from the kitchen. He came in and handed her the glass as he sat down.

"So," he said. "Do you have a song in mind?"

"Not really," she said.

"Hmm…well do you have a song that you can sing now so I can hear your voice?" he asked.

"Umm yeah. We did this song in Glee a couple years ago."

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize it's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
The darkness still inside you
Makes you feel so small

But I see your true colors shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
Are beautiful like a rainbow

Show me a smile then
Don't be unhappy
Can't remember when I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up because you know I'll be there

And I see your true colors shining
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
True colors are beautiful like a rainbow

"That was beautiful Tina," Blaine said when she finished singing. "Did you sing lead on that song?"

"Yeah, but the rest of the Glee club was right behind me," she said.

"You just sang it in front of me. Without the Glee club," he retorted.

Hmm. That's true. I didn't really feel nervous either. It didn't feel like he was going to criticize me and I didn't feel overcome with emotion so I had to stop.

"You're right," she said as she thought about it. "I guess I'm comfortable around you. I know you're not going to judge me."

Blaine smiled as she said that.

"And I won't judge you," he said while he stood up. "Do you want to come in my room? I have all my music in there. We can look for something for you to sing."

Tina followed Blaine to his room. Damn. He wasn't kidding when he said he had all his music in here. There were CDs and records everywhere. He had a huge Katy Perry poster on his door. There was a guitar in the corner and sheet music strewed about.

"Sorry it's such a mess," he apologized when he looked at the state of his room.

"Don't worry about it," she said as she sat on his bed.

"So, do you know what you're going to sing yet?" she asked him.

"I was thinking maybe that new Katy Perry song," he answered as he powered up his laptop.

"Last Friday Night?" she asked to clarify.

"That's the one."

"Very Top 40," she commented.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"No, but you seem to do a lot of Top 40 songs," she explained.

"At least with the Warblers. And Kurt may have said something about you and Katy Perry," she said with a smirk.

"I guess I can think of a new song then," he said as he was going through the catalogs in his head.

"So what kind of song do you want to do?" he asked her.

"Maybe something sweet and upbeat," she said.

"Oh I think this will work. It's a cute song. Let me find it," he said as he searched YouTube.

He found the video and clicked play.

"That's perfect!" she said excited. "It's not too emotional, and it's fun."

"Great! If you want, I can help you practice, and I can play the guitar for you at Glee," Blaine said.

"Thank you! You're an awesome friend Blaine!" Tina said.

Blaine smiled. His first friend at McKinley that seemed to enjoy spending time with him without Kurt present.

"Tina, can I ask you something?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course you can Blaine."

"What do the other Glee kids think of me?" he asked while staring down at the floor.

"They like you," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," he responded still looking down.

Something's going on there. I know everyone likes him. I wonder what's wrong.

Suddenly Blaine jumped up.

"I know what I should sing!" he said.

"What is it?" Tina asked, curious.

"You'll see. Let's work on your song now."

They worked on her song until dinner when Tina's parents called her to go home.

"I'll see you tomorrow Blaine!" she said as she left.

"See you tomorrow!" he said as he waved from the front door.

Blaine sighed as he went back to his room.

"So how did it go with Tina?" Kurt asked when Blaine called him after dinner.

"It went well," he said. "I helped her pick a song and I helped her practice."

"That's good. I know she's worried about not being able to finish her song."

"She was able to sing in front of me though, so hopefully that'll boost her confidence."

"I hope so. She's great. Quiet, but she's very nice," Kurt said before he coughed.

"Do you think you're going to school tomorrow?" Blaine asked.

"I don't think so."

"Good, you should rest. I'll call you tomorrow; maybe I'll bring you some soup after school. I love you."

"I love you too," Kurt said before he ended the call.

The next day, Blaine was actually kind of excited for Glee club even though Kurt wasn't there. He could talk to Tina.

Everyone else had gotten to the choir room before him. They were sitting, as usual, in their pairs. He looked around and saw Tina. He was about to sit in the open chair next to her when he noticed Mike sitting on her other side. He quickly changed directions and sat in the empty chair in the back corner.

Tina saw Blaine walk in and look around before heading towards her. She was about to call to him when he suddenly went to the back of the room to sit.

That's weird. Why is he sitting there by himself? There's an open seat next to me. He could have sat there.

She turned to look at him in the corner. He was slumped in his chair with his head down, looking at his feet.

He looks sad. Maybe he just misses Kurt.

Then she remembered what he had said yesterday.

"I still feel like I'm intruding on what you have here."

Oh. That's why he went to slink in the back. It must feel even worse when no one is really making a point to talk to him. He also asked what we think of him…oh. Oh. He thinks we only tolerate him because he's Kurt's boyfriend. Well, that's about to change.

"Hey Blaine!" she called out. "Come sit up here with me and Mike."

When he heard his name, Blaine looked up. He was surprised to see that Tina was gesturing to the chair next to him. He smiled and got up to move. Just as he sat down Mr. Shue came in. Tina turned to Blaine.

"Are you ready Blaine?" she asked him.

"Whenever you are," he replied.

"Then let's go before my nerves kick in."

"If you get nervous, just look around the room at someone. I find that helps me. You can do it. Just like we practiced."

"Does anyone have their solo ready?" Mr. Shue asked the class.

Before Rachel could even stand up Tina shot up and said, "I do."

"Great, well Tina, the floor is yours," he said.

As Tina made her way in front of the piano, Blaine got up and grabbed a guitar from the corner. He started playing while he looked at Tina.

"Breathe," he mouthed to her.

Will you count me in?
I've been awake for awhile now
You've got me feeling like a child now
'Cause every time I see your bubbly face
I get the tingles in a silly place

As she's singing she starts to look at Mike and she starts getting butterflies in her stomach that begin to work their way up.

It starts in my toes
And I crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes, I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for awhile now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

"Maybe if I don't look at Mike," she thinks as she switches her attention to Rachel.

The rain is falling on my window pane
But we are hiding in a safer place
Undercover staying safe and warm
You give me feelings that I adore

Looking at Rachel made the butterflies even worse. Now it seemed like there were more of them. "Maybe if I focus on Blaine playing the guitar…" she pondered as she turns to look at Blaine. He smiles at her as he silently sings along. The butterflies stop fluttering in her stomach.

They start in my toes
Make me crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes, I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for awhile now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

What am I gonna say
When you make me feel this way?
I just, mmm

Tina was finally enjoying herself singing her solo. Her nerves quieted down after she started to focus on Blaine. Seeing him encouraging her and enjoying her performance had helped.

It starts in my toes
Makes me crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes, I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for awhile now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

I've been asleep for awhile now
You tuck me in just like a child now
'Cause every time you hold me in your arms
I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth

"I'm almost at the end!" she thought as she took a chance and looked to the others.

It starts in my soul
And I lose all control
When you kiss my nose
The feeling shows
'Cause you make me smile
Baby just take your time now
Holding me tight

Wherever, wherever, wherever you go
Wherever, wherever, wherever you go

"I did it!" Tina cried out as soon as Blaine finished playing. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"

She was so excited that she was jumping up and down. She ran over to Mike and hugged him.

"That song was for you," she whispered in his ear.

She turned to Blaine who was putting the guitar back on its stand.

"Thank you so much Blaine!" she said as she hugged him tightly.

Blaine was taken aback by the hug.

"You're welcome Tina, but I didn't really do anything but play the guitar. It was all you," he said.

Tina just smiled.

The rest of Glee club went on as normal; Rachel sang a show-stopping Broadway solo, Mercedes killed her song, and Artie nailed that Michael Jackson song. Blaine watched the others sing half-heartedly and only politely clapped when they were done.

As the bell rang signaling the end of the school day Tina asked Blaine when he was going to sing.

"As soon as Kurt comes back," he said as he walked out the door.

"Kurt, I need to talk to you about Blaine," Tina said over the phone.

"What about Blaine?" he asked with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I think he's feeling left out at Glee," she told him. "I think he thinks that we only care because he's your boyfriend."

"What?" he said in astonishment. "That can't be true."

"You haven't seen him here without you," she said.

She told him about how he seemed down in class and about his question from the other night.

"I –I guess he does. What can I do to help him realize that the Glee club cares about him for him, not because he's dating me?" he asked her.

"I thought that maybe we could sing to him," she offered. "I think I know the perfect song. I just have to call everyone else."

"Are you going to school tomorrow?"

"Yes. I feel much better today. Let me know when we're practicing."

"I will," she said before she hung up.

"I can't believe he thinks that!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Well, the rest of you haven't really been talking to him when Kurt's not around," Tina said. "From his perspective, it makes it seem like he's just a package deal with Kurt."

"She's right," Sam said. "I felt the same way when I first joined Glee, except I wasn't attached to anyone. It just felt like I was intruding on a family."

"That's pretty much what he told me," Tina said.

"Okay, so what are we going to do about it?" Mercedes asked. "Talk to him more? Is that it?"

"I was thinking we could sing to him," Tina replied. "To show him how we feel about him. That he's a great friend."

"Sounds good to me," said Finn. "What song?"

"I was thinking 'You've Got A Friend In Me' from Toy Story," she said.

"Awesome! I love that song!" Sam said, excited.

Tina smiled.

"So here's the plan…"

Kurt and Blaine walked into the choir room the next afternoon hand in hand smiling. Mike and Tina were the only ones already there, and they sat by them when Tina pat the chair next to her.

"So Blaine, are you singing today?" she asked.

"Sure am," he said with a wink.

The rest of the club filed into the room followed by Mr. Shue.

"Does anyone want to go first today?" he asked.

"I'd like to go Mr. Shue," Blaine said as he raised his hand.

"Of course Blaine. The stage is yours."

As the band (who always happen to be there) started to play, the rest of the club minus Brittany and Kurt started to giggle. Kurt rolled his eyes while Brittany turned to Santana to ask what was so funny. Blaine just smirked.

We're no strangers to love
You know the rules, and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand

Kurt was both amused and internally cringing at the same time. "Rick Astley?" he thought. "Rick Astley? Really?" However, he started to laugh when he realized Blaine was dancing like Rick Astley while singing.

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

In addition to the Rick Astley moves, Blaine started to do his literal dancing to compliment his singing. His hands began to gesture up and down.

We've known each other for so long
You're heart's been aching but
You're too shy to say it
Inside we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see

Of course when Blaine was singing he started to belt it out and point to Kurt. The song was for him after all.

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Never gonna give, never gonna give
Give you up
Never gonna give, never gonna give
Give you up

Blaine watched the rest of the club's reactions to his song. "They seem to like it," he thought.

Blaine pulled Kurt out of his seat to the front of the room and started dancing with him. Immediately, Kurt's cheeks flushed red.

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Blaine ended the song with a laugh as he watched Kurt's face. The rest of the club applauded him enthusiastically.

"Great job Blaine!" Mr. Shue said.

"Yeah Blaine! That was awesome!" the rest of the club chimed.

Blaine sat back down in his seat with a smile. Performing always made him feel better.

"Who wants to go next?" Mr. Shue asked.

"Mr. Shue? The rest of us want to sing a song," Tina said. "For Blaine."

Blaine was surprised although Mr. Shue wasn't. Apparently it was a common thing for New Directions. He just smiled and took a seat in the back.

"Blaine, I know that you feel like you're intruding on our little Glee family, but you're not. You're one of us now. And not just because you're dating Kurt," Tina said. "We're all your friends here."

Blaine looked up at the twelve people in front of him. Tina's words made him start to tear.

The band started to play and Blaine smiled when he realized what song they were singing to him.

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Finn sang as he smiled at Blaine.

When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed

Sam joined Finn as he sang. Blaine could feel his tears threatening to overflow.

You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me

All the boys had joined Finn and Sam, and Blaine could no longer hold in his tears.

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got trouble, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

The girls sang as they started to huddle around Blaine, Brittany wiping away Blaine's tears.

Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am

Brittany sang as she sat on Blaine's lap.

Bigger and stronger too
Maybe

Rachel sang as she quickly hugged Blaine.

But none of them will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you boy

Kurt sang with a smile as he led Brittany off Blaine's lap and pulled him up.

And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see
It's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

The club sang as a whole while mobbing Blaine in a group hug.

You've got a friend in me

Tina finished off the song as she sang into Blaine's ear.

They hugged for a little longer before they started to break apart, leaving Tina hugging Blaine tightly.

"You're a great friend Blaine. I'm really glad that you transferred and joined Glee club," she told him.

Blaine hugged her harder and whispered, "Thank you. You're a great friend too."

A/N: I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this going, because honestly I have no idea where it would be going.

The songs are:

"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (done in S1 of Glee)
"Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat
"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley (You have been Rick Roll'd in a fic! But really, I'm dying to hear Darren as Blaine sing that song)
"You've Got a Friend in Me" by Randy Newman (from Toy Story)