Written for prompt on glee_angst_meme:
After Artie and Tina broke up, Artie took to confiding in Kurt. He was his friend after all. Problem was Tina was Kurt's friend too, and when Artie finds out that Kurt still hangs out with Tina, he's upset. He lashes out angrily, because really Kurt maybe an honorary girl, but it's supposed to be Bros before Hos. He says some things he really doesn't mean, and doesn't really think about what he's saying. It isn't until Kurt leaves the room nearly in tears that Artie realizes just what exactly it was that he said. He would love to apologize, if he could get Kurt to stay in the same room with him for more than a nano-second at a time.
"Oh my gosh, could they be any more conspicuous?"
Artie feels bad about interrupting Kurt in the middle of his rant on Dolce and Gabana but the moment is perfect.
Kurt spins around to look in the direction that Artie's staring. Tina and Mike are sitting all alone at one of the window seats. Mike is laughing as he feeds Tina a mouthful of his spaghetti and from their vantage point Kurt and Artie can see that their legs are intertwined under the table.
"Do you want us to move?" Kurt's eyes are worried; he can tell that seeing his ex like this is upsetting Artie.
"No, it's okay" Artie lies, covering it up with a fake smile.
"No it's not Artie. Even Brittany could see that you're hurting".
And it's true. Artie is upset. Despite being put on the football team and singing Stronger (albeit in a dream but singing it nonetheless) he's still not over Tina.
Tina. Even thinking about her makes him shiver. She had been the greatest six months of his life. And he had pushed her away.
"Do we really need to talk about this now Kurt? I was having a good day". Artie sighs and sadly takes another bite out of his hamburger.
Kurt shakes his head, whether at Artie's bad eating habits or his inability to talk about things God only knows.
"Listen Artie, I know it may seem hard but you need to get over Tina. She's with Mike now. And trust me, no girl would want to leave someone of his…..calibre" at this Kurt eyes Mike with a strange look in his eye. "Maybe take like a month or two to discover yourself. I know it sounds stupid but it actually works. Don't even think about girls and focus instead on bettering yourself. If it doesn't get you Tina back then I can assure you it will get you some other girl".
It's strange. Artie could almost swear that Kurt was talking from previous experience. But everyone knew that he was the only gay guy at McKinley so how could he be?
But the advice does actually help make Artie feel better. "Thanks Kurt, that was like really insightful of you".
"It's a pleasure" Kurt replies "now put that burger down before I call Sue Sylvester.
"That may have been the worst movie I've ever seen. Scratch that, it may just be the worst movie ever made".
Artie chuckles at Kurt's hyperbole- Vampires Suck was bad, but not as bad as he was making it out to be.
They're on their way home from the mall. Since Kurt's car is the only one with enough space for a wheelchair he is usually the person designated to drive Artie back.
"Omg, I forgot to ask you how the Tina thing went!" Kurt shrieks, making Artie jump "what happened?"
It's been two weeks since their lunchtime conversation and since then Kurt's been an instrumental force in helping Artie to "improve himself". Tonight was the night that everything was supposed to come together.
Kurt had organised for everyone in Glee to go to the movie. It was Artie's job to get Tina as alone as he could and ask her if she would ever take him back.
"Well, not really that good" Artie admits "she said that she would never go out with me again because she knew that I could never commit myself". Even remembering the event stabs knives into Artie's heart and, despite himself he feels hot tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
Artie hears Kurt suck in a breath of air in shock. Shame, the poor kid had picked out an outfit for the occasion and everything.
Even if Artie had wanted to he wouldn't have been able to hear what Kurt had to say. He was too busy crying.
In the back of his mind he's aware that Kurt is doing something but it's only a few minutes later, when he sits up straight again, that he sees that Kurt has pulled over and is now looking at him with the most heart-breaking expression that Artie has ever seen.
And as he collapses into another embarrassing fit of tears Artie is aware of the other boy's hand resting on his shoulder, consoling him and hearing things like "it will be okay" and other sweet lies.
They stay there for a long time- until Artie feels okay enough to stop crying. And then Kurt drives him home and tells him to call if anything else happens because he will always, always be there should Artie need any help.
Which may just be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him.
Kurt's easy-wipe tissues make it easy for Artie to conceal the fact that he's been crying from his parents and he manages to wheel himself to his room without any discomfort.
And then, like the sad idiot that he is, Artie continues to cry.
The next day is a Saturday and Artie pretends to be sick so that he can stay in bed. Despite it being hours and hours after the incident, he can't stop replaying Tina's cruel word in his mind over and over again.
"I'll never go out with you again".
And if Tina didn't then who would? When everyone was making fun of him or ignoring him Tina was always his rock. And without his rock where would Artie drift.
By Monday his mother is adamant that Artie must be better so he's forced to go to school.
He thinks that after an entire weekend to contemplate the situation he'd be better off but after seeing Tina and Mike in the distance after first period he's still just as hurt and confused.
And it's Glee today so that means being in the same room as her.
The nice thing about Kurt? He doesn't elaborate. Artie has both bio and trig with him but he doesn't mention the incident once. He's looking forward to having Kurt's presence at glee, it will probably make him feel better.
But as Artie enters the music room he's surprised to see that Kurt isn't there. Which is strange because Kurt is usually the first to arrive at glee practices, sometimes even beating Rachel and watching her arrive second while smiling and holding his sheet music smugly.
Tina isn't there either but, just to be sure, Artie takes the seat furthest from the other empty seats, which happens to be in the far corner with Puck.
The two boys just exchange nods, they've never really been close.
Then, as Artie looks up, he sees it. Kurt and Tina arriving together.
They're smiling and laughing, Kurt has probably made some fashion joke. And they're just so….friendly with each other.
For some reason this makes Artie angry and for the rest of glee practice he can barely concentrate. He just hopes that no one notices.
After it's all over he just sits there. His wheelchair, once comfortable, is now hard and painful to sit on. He just feels so betrayed. Of course Kurt is friends with Tina, that's obvious. But could he just ignore her for like a day after what Artie told him?
"Artie? Is something up?" It's Kurt. He's standing in front of Artie, the only other person in the now deserted room.
Artie can't help it. He just snaps.
"Yes something is up Kurt! What's up is that you're talking to Tina like she didn't just break my heart into a million little pieces! Do you have no empathy whatsoever? Do you realise how much that hurt me to see you and her talking and laughing like that?"
Kurt's eyes are wide and shocked. "Artie, Tina's my fri-"
"Your friend? Does it look like I care? I'm your friend Kurt! And that means that you take my side for things! Or are your girl friends more important to you than your guy friends? I guess that's to be expected"
A tear makes its way down Kurt's cheek. "Are you forcing me to take sides in this Artie?"
"Well I see how stupid that would be for me to do now! It's clear who you care about more!"
Kurt is full out crying now. He grabs onto the piano for support as the tears stream down his face.
"And I was stupid to ask you for help in the first place!" Artie continues, having no idea where he's going with this. "You've never even had a relationship and probably never will at the rate things are going!"
Artie is aware that he's crossed the line when Kurt runs out the room but at the present moment he's finding it impossible to think coherent thoughts through the burning rage.
It's only when the door slams harshly, leaving him alone in the room that Artie realises that he's lost a friend forever.
The next few days are slow and painful. After Kurt comes back to school after a mysterious absence Artie attempts to speak to but is just ignored or abandoned.
He wishes he could apologise but he also wonders if Kurt will ever accept an apology from him.
Why does he always drive away those who he cares about?