Author's Note: This is an old story I had on file with original characters that I changed a bit to fit the Glee characters. It is an AU one shot and takes place when the boys are still in middle school. Kurt has not admitted he's gay yet, and Karofsky is completely oblivious. Because of this, it's not slash or even pre-slash. Finally, I don't own Kurt or Dave. Enjoy!

EDIT: Have made revisions since first posting.

Who Do You Think You Are?

I stood in front of the closed bedroom door, wishing I were anywhere but here doing anything but this with anyone but him. Knowing that I couldn't stand in the hallway all afternoon, I raised my hand and knocked.

The door was wrenched open, the short, feminine boy standing on the other side glowering at me. "You're late!" he said.

"Yeah, I'm late, Hummel. Sorry," I said flatly as I pulled my sweatshirt off and adjusted the collar on my polo shirt.

Hummel shook his head "Your remorse is about as convincing to me as a knockoff Coach bag, Karofsky. If I were a real teacher, I would have given you a detention by now."

"Trust me, the shame of my friends knowing I'm here is punishment enough."

He glared at me, silent, for a moment. I thought for a moment he was going to bite my head off, but he just sighed and tucked a stray, light brown hair into place.

"Y'know what, it's your first day. But don't let it happen again."

I nodded, a little surprised by his mild tone. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Got it."

Kurt ushered me into his room, which nearly blinded me with its whiteness. I mean seriously, 90% of the room was white. It didn't surprise me how pristine the room was – Hummel was so finicky about his appearance, why wouldn't his room be the same? Still, it was like I'd stepped into one of my mom's chic magazines (which I only, y'know, look at when I'm bored).

Speaking of Hummel's appearance, what the heck was he wearing today? It looked like something a band geek would wear: dark blue jacked with gold, military-style trim, and freaking shoulder pads. And those tight black pants and boots he was wearing looked extremely uncomfortable. How could he walk around wearing tight clothes like that all the time? Not only was it embarrassing for a boy, but it looked downright hard to breathe. I liked my polos and jeans just fine, thank you.

"By the way, what did you tell your friends we were doing?" Kurt asked as he crossed to the windows and pulled the curtains closed.

"That you were tutoring me in... I think I said English?" I responded, scratching my head.

He raised an eyebrow, looking poised even when he was confused. "That doesn't make sense. You're an honors student."

I shrugged, my hands in my pockets. I honestly had not wanted to tell Azimio or the others anything about this meeting. But they kept egging me on about why I couldn't play touch football in the park today, so I had to tell them something – anything but the truth. "I wish it were as simple as that," I muttered, to myself more than to him.

Kurt gave a tittering laugh. "Oh, come on!" he said as he turned back towards me, smirking. "You're telling me you'd rather I was tutoring you in the finer points of grammar than teaching you ma– "

"Don't say it!" I groaned, closing my eyes, wishing this was some sort of crazy dream. "Man, I shouldn't be here. This is freaking weird. Like Twilight Zone weird." I opened my eyes again and glared at Kurt. "I mean, am I the only one who thinks this is seriously messed up?"

Kurt put his hands on his hips. "Are you kidding? I still can't believe a neanderthal like you would have anything in common with me, let alone this. But, here we are, so let's get on with it."

I groaned. Why me?

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It all started the morning before when I found a mysterious note in my pocket telling me to go to the library during recess and tell no one where I was going. The fact that someone had been able to slip that in my pocket without me knowing weirded me out a bit. Still, I decided to go, figuring it was some secret admirer. 'After all,' I had thought, grinning to myself, 'Who wouldn't want some of this?' (Although I had to admit, if a girl was waiting for me I'd probably feel really awkward. Not sure why). So, I arrived in the school library around noon. I found Kurt Hummel pacing in the aisle by the Young Adult fiction section, his eyes focused on his fancy shoes as he fast-walked back and forth. It took me a moment to process what I was seeing, but I realized, 'Jesus Christ! He has a crush on me? I knew he was gay.' But, I snapped out of the stupor and marched down the aisle, ready to "crush" his crush, because there was no way I would let this continue. "Hummel?" I whispered hoarsely to him.

He stopped and turned to see me. He pursed his lips and walked towards me, arms crossed. "Thanks for showing up," he said softly. "I must admit, I wasn't sure if you – "

"I'm gonna stop you right there," I said. "It's not going to happen."

He tilted his head to the side. "What? I don't – "

"I won't go out with you. I'd beat you up if we weren't in a library."

Kurt blinked a few times, his delicate mouth hanging open. "Wait, you – you think that I... wow, I really didn't think you were that conceited."

"What?"

He glared up at me. "You really think after torturing and mocking me all these years, I would develop a crush on you? Honestly?" he snorted. "That's actually really insulting. Plus, I'm..." he faltered a bit. "I'm not gay."

I snorted. "Then why did you ask me to come here? Alone?"

He glanced up and down the aisle. "Ah, well that's... that's a lot more complicated to explain..."

"Well, I don't have all day," I said.

Kurt slid his finger along the row of books next to him, still not looking at me. "You turned thirteen recently, didn't you?"

"Yeah, on the seventh. Why? Want to get me a late birthday present?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Don't be ridiculous. I just meant...well, the other day during gym class, you nearly fainted after that ball slammed Scott Cooper in the head and gave him a nosebleed. Do you have any idea why?"

I shrugged. "How should I know?"

He clicked his tongue, then continued. "Were you angry at Scott during the game? I remember he was really aiming to hit you."

I leaned on the bookshelf next to me, thinking back. I was really pissed at that skinny, smirking Cooper kid. I knew he was out to get me during that game – he's never liked me. Never been able to really do any damage because I'm bigger than him, but a bit of a pain in the ass all the same. And I had a math test later that day, so that wasn't helping my nerves. "Yeah, I guess I was. What's your point?"

Hummel trained a sharp glare on me, the lighting making his eyes seem bluer than usual. "You felt something, didn't you."

'How could he know...' I stepped back. "Felt something? What do you mean?"

Kurt sighed. "I mean your hands felt like they were on pins and needles, your blood sizzling, about to boil over. Then your chest seized up and you could barely breathe. But just as it got really intense, it all seemed to flush out of you as fast as it started, and that's when you swooned." He tilted his chin upward. "Am I right?"

I gaped at his."Uh, well," I stuttered, "Yeah, that's- that's right. Except, y'know, guys don't swoon." I recovered from the shock quickly and eyed him, suspicious. "And how do you know?"

Kurt glanced towards the bookshelf again. "Let's just say I've had a similar experience and leave it at that for now." He closed his eyes. "Karofsky, you didn't see who threw the ball that hit Scott, did you?" He said it in a low, sly voice, as if he knew something I didn't and was dangling it over my head.

I drew myself to full height and cracked my knuckles. "Are you trying to insinuate that I threw it? Is that what this interrogation is about?"

The shorter boy stepped towards me, glaring up at me. "As a matter of fact - yes."

I almost stepped back from him, surprised at the answer. What was it about the kid that was so freaking resilient? He couldn't just back down like everyone else would at my threats? I chuckled halfheartedly, "You're crazy Hummel, I never touched that ball."

He crossed his arms, eyes still glinting. "I never said you did."

This time, I did step back. "What?"

He sighed. "I was benched early on in the game, so I was able to see the whole court while you neanderthals were pummeling each other. I saw this one ball, lying on the edge of the court. It started moving funny – twitching. And then, I swear on Alexander McQueen and Gucci, it flew through the air and hit Scott. No one touched it. And a few moments later, your knees buckled for no reason and you had to be taken to the nurse with Scott." He crossed his arms. "Coincidence? I think not."

I stared at him, completely speechless, my mind blank. Then slowly the horror and the sheer insanity of what he was suggesting dawned on me. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to speak, but I couldn't even string a few words together as the idea threatened to overwhelm me. Finally, I managed to say, "You're crazy, Hummel, I'm out of here." I turned to march out, but felt a small hand grasp my right wrist and swing me back the other way with a strength that seemed impossible.

Kurt glanced up at me with his multi-colored eyes. "I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you leave me no choice." Kurt then shut his eyes and murmured something under his breath.

Suddenly, I felt his hand grow unnaturally warmer, the fingers curled around my wrist buzzing against my skin. Before I could pull my wrist away, I felt something shudder in my chest, as though responding to the touch (which majorly creeped me out). It slithered down my right arm before intensifying into a stinging pins-and-needles sensation at my wrist, similar to what I remembered feeling during dodgeball, only more focused. Suddenly, it felt like the heat leapt up from under my skin, and then … 'What the hell!'

I finally ripped my arm out of his grasp and stumbled back, holding my hand up to my eyes. I nearly shouted as I realized that the dark green glow emanating from my skin was real. My gaze darted to Kurt."What the hell did you do to me?" I cried, breathing heavily.

"Ssh!" he said in a low voice, completely calm. He held his hand up, which was a surrounded in a swirling, shifting, pale violet glow of its own. As both auras quickly faded out of sight, Kurt stepped towards me. "Well, I've always wanted to say this," he muttered. "I just can't believe I'm saying it to you." He hesitantly put his hand on my shoulder and looked up at me. "David – you're a wizard."

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So, after I nearly fainted from that revelation, Magic Boy explained to me that magic awakens at a certain age – for him, it was eleven (woke up floating over his bed. Of course he'd do something flashy like that). And for whatever reason, I got it when I turned thirteen (as if the number wasn't unlucky enough). Kurt had inherited magic directly from his mom, but apparently no one else in my family had had it for at least a few generations, if ever, so it was a bit of a mystery that I received it at all. Then, he forced me to agree to come to his house the next afternoon for, of all things, magic lessons, because he didn't want me hurting anyone accidentally. Of course I disagreed, but then he threatened he'd turn my hair pink if I didn't.

And that's why I now sat cross-legged on Kurt's bedroom floor, the pencil in front of me that I was supposed to be levitating still in the exact same place as it was twenty minutes before: on the ground.

"Karofsky, come on. Focus! You have to concentrate or nothing will happen," Kurt cried, standing above me.

"I am concentrating," I groaned, combing a hand through my hair. I hissed as my head throbbed with a dull pain. "I'm concentrating so hard my head's splitting. Can't we stop for a bit?"

He gave me a hard look. "Once more, then we can rest."

"Fine," I muttered. I closed my eyes (again).

"Breathe in...and out..." Kurt said softly. "Cast your thoughts aside. Breathe from your diaphragm, not from your chest. Focus only on your breathing. Find your center..."

God, he sounds like a yoga video, I thought. What am I doing here?

"Once you find that, you – "

DEEDLE-LEE-LEEDLE-LEEDLE-LEEDLE-DEEDLE-LEE-LEEDLE-LEE...

My eyes shot open at the noise from my pocket that echoed in the room. Crap.

Kurt walked in front of me, glaring down at me with his arms crossed. "Really, Karofsky? Really?" he cried. he then held out his right hand and called,"Sumnus!" I nearly toppled over as my phone wrenched itself from my pocket and flew into Kurt's hand. He shut it off and kept it in his grasp.

"Hey! That's mine!" I said, standing up.

"I told you not to bring your cellphone with you, Karofsky," he said, throwing up his arms. "You're not taking this seriously! I feel like you're not even trying. There's only so much I can give you, you have to make an effort here!"

"I am," I said. "It's not my fault I suck at this. And it's not like I asked you to help me."

I grabbed my sweatshirt off the floor and pulled my cell phone from Kurt's hand. He guffawed in shock at the move, but I didn't turn back as I headed for the bedroom door. But, as I reached for the door, a bright purple wall of light sparkled into existence in front of me. I groaned and turned to the caster. Kurt Hummel stood firm, his hair unruly for once, possessed of an energy that made him seem taller and more extensive than the short, unimposing, overdressed boy I had known and disliked for years.

"The lesson isn't over yet, Karofsky," Kurt said in a low voice, glaring at me with pale purple eyes.

"I don't care!" I cried. "I'm done with this, Hummel! I'm not a freak like you. Now let me leave."

He stood very still for a moment, staring at me, then, before I realized what was happening, he stormed up, grabbed my wrist and pulled it towards his, palmside-up. "Aurum!" he chanted, a few purple sparks flying from his hands.

I felt the blood drain from my face. I tried to pull my wrist away. But, it was no use. Tingling heat lept under my skin again as the aura reappeared. I groaned, but found I couldn't take my eyes off my damned hand.

"News Flash, Karofsky: you are a freak like me. Can't you get that through your thick skull?" Kurt asked in a low voice. "Your powers may have only awakened when you turned thirteen, but you've had magic since the day you were born. You can't ignore that. If you do, you'll destroy yourself." his expression softened, and he sighed. "Look, I'm just trying to help, Dave. I don't know what else to do."

I pulled my wrist away from him. I looked down and saw the glow had disappeared. But, if I concentrated, I could still feel that energy crackling under my skin. "I just – I don't like this," I said to no one in particular. "I'm not a wizard, Kurt. Magical glowing mark or not, I'm just... not. I can't be. You've always been weird, so it's easy for you. Me? I'm just... too normal."

"You want to be normal?"

I bit my lip. "Yeah."

Kurt studied me for a few moments, his nose wrinkled. Then, he grabbed my shoulder and led me to the mirror on vanity (only Hummel would have such a thing), and stood behind me so the mirror's reflection would mainly show me. "What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

I stared into the brown eyes of my reflection, then skimmed over the large, slouching body, the plain brown crew-cut hair, the red sweatshirt, the plain blue jeans. Nothing extraordinary, as it should be. No glowing. No girly clothes or make-up or hair gel. "It's just me," I said. "Same old Dave Karofsky."

He nodded. "Okay, now close your eyes. Imagine you are surrounded by... fire. Crackling, bright orange tongues of flames surrounding you, the heat pressing in on you all around." And I did imagine it, so vividly I almost broke a sweat. "But you aren't afraid of the fire. Not even a little. Because you know it won't hurt you. You won't let it. Not only could you make it go away in the blink of an eye, but you can control it, with just your will and your magic. Feel that magic, your magic, rushing under your skin, and know that it is stronger than any mortal fire and any boundary." He grabbed my shoulder. "And so are you."

And I could see it. I could see the fire bending away from me as I pushed away with my outstretched arms. A tingling, pulsing energy ruhed through my arms and chest, a smile coming over my face as I thought how amazing this felt.

"Now, open your eyes."

My reflection stood in the same place it had before, but something had shifted. It wasn't just that I was standing straight with my shoulders back, making me look taller than usual. It wasn't even that my eyes now tinged green (which actually didn't bother me as much as it should have). It took me a moment to put the sense into words, but I realized, with a jolt, that it was just like the change that came over Kurt when he was casting that spell, an invisible sense of power and strength. I looked... like a wizard.

I turned to face Kurt. He beamed at me and held out the pencil. "Shall we continue?"

I'd really appreciate some reviews for this, even if you thought it was just OK. What did you like? What could be better? Thanks!

~Astraea