A/N: Okay, so I decided that I had to write tonight but I wasn't sure what for. My muse is running all over the place so I eventually decided just to start writing and see what happened. I ended up coming up with this. Hope you like it! I'll be working on my other stuff again soon too. But this is just the first chapter for this idea, so let me know what you think. I had no idea it was going to turn into this. It started with just the urge to start a story, with "The clock." Hope you enjoy!


The clock.

Time is really the only constant in our lives. If you think about it, time is the only thing that never really stops. But what if you had the ability to physically stop a clock and freeze a moment in time? A moment so that you could hold it for as long as you want? And you can do it all with the use of a simple accessory, a watch.

My name is Kurt Hummel and I am a timekeeper.

You may be wondering what a timekeeper is. Well, I'll tell you. We're meant to steal patches of time and keep them. It's almost like taking a memory from your head and giving it back only when you're meant to remember. You ever have those times when you couldn't remember what you were doing at this time? Well, that's where we come in. It's usually because we stole that patch of time from you. We keep it. Sometimes permanently!

It also can apply to the phrase, "Where has the time gone?" You know, when time seems to go faster? Yeah, that's us too.

Most timekeepers go about their daily jobs and professions as any normal person does. But me, I'm rare. Not that there aren't any others like me. It's just very rare these days to be born a timekeeper than it is to be presented with the ability later in life, usually when one is an adult.

But no, I was born with the gift of the timekeeper. I'm likely the only teenager for miles who is a timekeeper. That's how rare my kind are.

And tonight, there is a meeting. But I have one thing guarding me. The clock.

I know what you're thinking. Why would a clock stand in my way? Normally it wouldn't, but in this case, it means that the hours at school are dragging out and I only have so much time to prepare for the meeting. It's a crucial mandatory meeting.

So instead of listening to my teacher talk about the civil war, I'm staring at the clock, tapping my pen impatiently on the desk. "Mr. Hummel are you bored?" the teacher asked. I flitted my gaze to her quickly and she had one eyebrow raised.

"No Miss. Panton," I said softly. "I apologize." I glanced at the watch on my wrist, the one that is the timekeeper watch. No one else knows that though. "I'm just pressed for time today is all." She pursed her lips and shook her head at me, clearly disappointed. I felt bad. Normally, I am a rather capable student. Even in honors and college AP classes, I find the work at William McKinley High to be particularly easy.

She stared at me for several more moments before seeming to dismiss the issue, placing her hands on her hips and going on with her lecture. I let out a breath and stared at my notebook. Not a single note had been taken for history that day.

Glancing back at the clock, I flipped to the front of the notebook. The meeting memo was sitting there. Introduction was the first point. That was what had me so anxious. It meant that a new member to the Ohio State Timekeepers was to be introduced.

These introductions always caught my attention. So far, none had been much of interest to me. All the new timekeepers got a mentor for their first year or so on the job. But I never got any of them because I was still a teenager. Like I said, not another of my kind for miles. I'm the only born timekeeper in Ohio as far as I know. My peers are all grown, much older then me with the youngest being in their late twenties.

I knew better than to get my hopes up every time I saw that word. But I couldn't help it.

Finally, after what seemed like a gruelingly long class period, the bell gave way to the end of school. I stood hastily from my seat and shoved my notebook into my book bag. I was only grateful that there was no Glee Club meeting that afternoon.

Glee Club. What did you expect? Yes, I Kurt Hummel, am a timekeeper. But really, other than that I'm a perfectly normal teenager. I have goals. I have dreams, one of which is to be on Broadway some day. I love to sing. I love fashion. I read Vogue magazine and one of my favorite shows on television is Project Runway. Get where this is going yet? My point now, I'm also gay. The only out gay kid in my school and I have just one thing to say about that. It sucks.

Ohio, especially my small town of Lima, is not very accepting when it comes to the gay community. I've spent my entire high school career being tossed in dumpsters, slammed into lockers, and slushied. Though the last is something that happens to anyone in the Glee Club. We're kind of the bottom of the food chain, even below the special ed and disabled kids and nerds. Glee Club at McKinley is considered a joke. It's really kind of sad because the other kids don't see that we can really sing. We go places.

Hell, last year, we placed twelfth at the National competition of show choir. Not really bad considered it was out of fifty. But it's more important to place top ten.

This year is our year though. I'm sure of it. We just need an extra something.

"Hey Kurt!" I stopped in my haste to hurry to the front of the school and out to my car, a Navigator. Turning my head, I noticed my stepbrother Finn jogging up to me. I raised an eyebrow and folded my arms across my chest. "Any chance you can give me a ride home?" he pleaded.

I gave him a rather apologetic look. "Sorry Finn. I have to go to a timekeeper meeting. If I'm to get there on time, I have to start driving now," I told him. Not like it's a big secret or anything. Some people know about it. But mostly, just our families.

Finn looked crestfallen. I felt bad and patted his shoulder. "Oh, right. Will you be staying overnight this time?" he asked. I knew he only wanted to let my dad know for me.

I looked at him for a moment, trying to wager whether I'd be staying overnight. "I probably will," I said. With an introduction at the start of the meeting, it would last a bit longer and it was quite a drive to the meeting this time. Meetings never take place in the same location twice in a row.

Finn nodded his head. He sighed, spotted Rachel and hurried after his girlfriend.

Not going to lie, I hated letting Finn down. He and I are pretty close, which means a lot to me after two years previous. I used to have this massive crush on him and things are a little awkward but we're as good as brothers. Forget the fact it's only by marriage.

My dad married Finn's mom the previous year. I'm a senior in high school. So is Finn. I don't like to talk much about my junior year though. I was bullied so bad that I got threatened with death. My parents wanted to take me out of McKinley and send me to this school called Dalton Academy where they have a zero tolerance no bullying policy. But it was a private boy's school and although I seriously considered doing it, I couldn't bring myself to make them pay money they didn't have just so I could be safe. So I stayed at McKinley and toughed it out.

In a bizarre turn of events, my friend Santana got in under the skin of the guy who'd threatened to kill me and he did a complete one-eighty. By the end of the year, he and Santana had formed an anti-bullying club. It worked brilliantly and they acted kind of like my bodyguards.

His name was David Karofsky. And he transferred schools this year.

All of this was reeling in my head as I climbed in my car and pulled out of the parking space. I had a long drive ahead of me.


It was nighttime by the time I reached the meeting hall. But I wasn't late. I had made it with five minutes to spare. Grabbing a cloak from the backseat of my car, I climbed out and headed into the building.

"Ah, Kurt, just the person I was waiting for." I cocked an eyebrow.

"Hello Stefan," I said. Stefan is the current head of the timekeeper council. He runs the meetings. Or he will until we have our next election at least. Each term lasts for months and any timekeeper can be elected leader. There is also no limit to how many times you can be leader, but you can only do it for two consecutive terms at a time. Stefan is on his first.

"I trust you had a safe drive from Lima?" he asked me kindly. I nodded my head. "Good. Come on, I'd like to introduce you to someone before the meeting starts."

This was new. I couldn't lie. I was intrigued. I knew what that line meant. But I had to wonder why.

"Stefan?" I questioned as he lead me into the hall where the others were. "Are you sure I can do this job?" He looked at me and smiled.

"My dear Kurt. You are the only one for the job this time," he said. I was slightly surprised.

Stefan led me across the hall to where a boy who was quite obviously around my own age stood awkwardly in a corner, staring into his drink and apparently trying not to look too small. One thing about this kid stood out to me more than anything right at that moment. He was wearing a Dalton uniform.

"Kurt, this is Blaine Anderson. Blaine Anderson, meet Kurt Hummel. He's a born timekeeper too."

My jaw dropped just from that statement alone but as the boy looked up and my eyes met his beautiful hazel ones, I felt my breath catch. Good God this kid was gorgeous. He was definitely a right dapper gentleman. His dark curls were helmeted to his head by a thick layer of gel. I thought that he could have eased up on it a bit. He had triangular eyebrows and a winning smile. And sure, he was an inch or two shorter than me, but that just added to the whole effect. This kid was absolutely perfect.

"Hello Kurt," he said and I immediately fell in love with the smooth tone of his voice. Oh Gaga! This guy was already tying my stomach in knots.

Stefan clapped me on the shoulder. "I'll leave you two for a minute to get acquainted. I'm going to set up. Be sure to join the others when I call order. Blaine, you will meet me at the head table." I watched the other boy nod and Stefan hurried off to set up.

"You're…a born timekeeper?" I said slowly. Blaine flushed lightly, adding brilliant color to his gorgeous olive skin. He nodded his head. "Wow, I was pretty sure I was the only one in Ohio," I commented. My eyes were wide and I now knew what Stefan said I was the only one for the job.

"So was I. You go to public school?" he asked, looking at my fashionable attire, which was still partially covered by the cloak.

I flushed and pulled the cloak off. Folding it neatly in my hands and throwing it over my arm. "Yes. And you go to Dalton Academy in Westerville." He looked impressed. "My parents wanted to transfer me there last year. I didn't have the heart to make them spend the money on it."

Blaine frowned slightly. "Might I ask why?" he questioned. It was gentle and not meaning to pry. I could tell.

I sighed and shook my head gently. "There was this Neanderthal at my school. He…was harassing me and well, he threatened to kill me. I didn't feel safe." Blaine's eyes were wide with surprise at the words.

"Oh Kurt, I'm sorry," he said. "If it helps, I get it. I ran from my situation though. You're so brave for sticking it out." I looked at him, wondering what he meant.

But before I could ask him to elaborate, Stefan was clapping for order. I gave him a smile, which he returned. He walked to the head table and I took my designated seat in the front row.

"Welcome to our monthly Ohio State Timekeeper meeting," Stefan began. A smatter of applause broke out among us. I clapped politely. "First order of business, we have an introduction to make tonight," he went on. Stefan indicated for Blaine to step forward and he did. I flashed him a small smile, which he returned nervously. "I'd like you all to meet Blaine Anderson. Blaine is a particularly special addition to us. Fore like our very own Kurt, he too is a born timekeeper."

Silence filled the hall at first and than there was muttering and whispers and gasps of awe and oh and I even heard someone wonder why he hadn't been found before now if he was born.

Stefan waited for the hall to settle down before he went on. "As such, the selection of Blaine's first year mentor was quite an easy one." With these words, he looked directly at me. I blushed and sunk a little in my seat, noting some of the others looking my way. "I am entrusting him to you Kurt. Are you up for the job?"

I looked at Blaine and locked my eyes with his. We both just stared for several seconds before I nodded, feeling slightly bad for the boy because I knew what it meant. "I would be honored to mentor him your leadership," I said, standing and bowing my head politely.

It dawned on me than what this meant. Introductions and their mentors were not required to stay the rest of the meeting after being paired. They were sent off immediately to get fully acquainted.

Stefan cleared his throat and smiled. "Very good. Than Kurt, you and Blaine are excused. I trust you picked up your room key for the Hilton across the street on your way in?" I nodded my head. "Good, Blaine will be rooming with you of course. You know what is expected of you."

I bowed my head again. "Yes Stefan."

"Excellent. Off you go than."

Unfolding my cloak, I moved back through the aisle beckoning for Blaine to follow me. As he did, I threw the cloak back over me and proceeded outside. Blaine looked a little confused when I opened the passenger side door of my Navigator for him. We were only going across the street.

"I don't feel safe leaving it parked over here all night when we'll be over there. I'd feel better if it were in the hotel parking lot." Blaine seemed to get it. The thing you need to know about my car. It's my baby. Yes, I am as flamboyantly gay as they come, but I love cars. My dad works in a tire shop that he owns. He's a mechanic so I know quite a bit about working with cars. It's probably the one masculine trait I have.

After Blaine buckled his seatbelt, I slid in and started the car, throwing the cloak in the backseat again. It only took a minute to drive across the street and find a place in the hotel parking lot.

The two of us climbed out of the car and headed into the hotel in silence.

"So, Kurt," Blaine finally said when we had stepped into the elevator.

"Hmm?" I said, suddenly shocked from my thoughts. I jumped slightly, not having expected him to speak. I was mulling over what I knew I had to tell him.

Blaine looked slightly nervous. He was wringing his fingers. "What school do you go to?"

The elevator dinged on the sixth floor and we stepped out, proceeding down the hall.

"McKinley High in Lima. That's two hours from Westerville," I said softly.

"Oh." He seemed a bit worried. I looked over my shoulder at him and he was biting his lip. Damn, that was rather hot. I tried to contain myself. This kid probably wasn't even gay.

"Something wrong?" I asked, reaching our room and unlocking the door.

Blaine ran a hand down his face and shook his head lightly. "It's just, I'm wondering how you're going to mentor me if we're two hours apart from each other."

I froze with my hand on the handle, ready to push open the door. Oh boy. Here it was. I had to tell him something I was kind of sure would cause him to flip. Sighing, I pushed the door open and indicated for him to enter. "Why don't you have a seat?" I said, swallowing a lump that was starting to form in my throat. I could do this. Stefan was counting on me.

I followed Blaine into the room and sat myself on the bed, not really realizing at first that there was just the one. That was the furthest thing from my mind right at the moment. Blaine chose to sit right beside me and I shuddered. He was so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. Oh Gaga! This was starting to make me lose my nerve.

Without thinking, I took his hands. "Blaine, I'm afraid there are some sacrifices that will need to be made," I said finally.

"What do you mean?" he asked looking down at his hands in mine and blushing.

I took a breath. "Blaine, I know you feel safe at Dalton but because I'm your mentor, I have to ask you to transfer to McKinley." I bit my lip and he raised his eyes to mind. Hazel stared back into my own glasz. I hated having to do this to him.

For a moment, he seemed to be thinking about the whole thing. "Is it mandatory for the mentee to move?" he asked finally. I shook my head.

"No. The mentor can move too, but I've already told you that my parents can't afford Dalton. And the mentor and mentee have to be in the same place for the entire year." Blaine looked at me.

"I understand," he said.

"I'm sorry Blaine. I really hate do to this to you but after the year, I promise you can transfer back."

I looked at him. The wheels in his head seemed to be turning and I wondered what he was thinking. I bit my lip. Sometimes the rules of being a timekeeper really bothered me. But than, I had never expected to find myself in the position of mentor, at least not until I was an adult.

Silence befell both of us and I realized I was still biting my lip. Oddly, his eyes seemed to be focused on my lip. I blushed deeply, forcing myself to look away. My eyes fell on the bed and it was only than that I realized that there was only one bed.

"Um…Blaine?"

"What?" he said, seeming to snap to attention!

"Did you realize there's only one bed in this room?" I asked.

I heard him swallow and could feel him move as he shifted to follow my gaze. We were both staring at the lone bed.

"I can sleep on the floor," he said almost automatically."

"What? No, don't be ridiculous!" I said almost at once, turning to look at him. "I'll sleep on the floor. It won't bother me none. You should have the bed."

He didn't say anything. I wondered if we were both thinking the same thing. I wasn't about to say so out loud but my body was aching to sleep in the same bed with this boy. Was that weird considering we had just met each other? I was pretty sure it was. I swallowed hard.

"We can share it?" he asked. I looked at him.

"Do you really want to share a bed with someone you only known maybe twenty or thirty minutes?" I asked.

He shrugged. "You seem pleasant." I had a weird feeling he wanted to say something else.

I bit my lip yet again and looked down at the bed. "I should probably tell you…I'm gay…" I said finally, feeling pretty certain he would back out of the idea with this information.

What I was expecting was him to throw me a look that seemed to be rather pleasantly surprised. Kind of like he was happy about it. "Blaine?" I asked, curiously.

"Oh Kurt, this is great!" he said, clapping his hands together. I stared at him in surprise.

"It is?" I asked, confused.

"Yes! Because, well, you see, I'm gay too!" My surprise became more eminent on my face. Well, I certainly hadn't been expecting that. Blaine struck me as this incredibly gorgeous dapper gentleman type. I was sure there was no way someone that perfect – yes, I already thought he was perfect – could ever be gay like me.

The surprise on my face melted into a warm smile, one that he returned. "Well than, maybe it won't be so bad after all," I said in a quiet voice.

"Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you," he replied in an equally quiet voice.

"It doesn't bother me," I said, smiling even wider. He smiled back.

I stood from the bed and fetched my bag from the chair where I'd set it down, pulling a pair of my pajamas from it, followed by my many face creams and moisturizers. Yes, I'm very particular about skin care. I'll go crazy if I don't do my routine morning and night.

Blaine watched me curiously as I headed into the bathroom. Inside, with the door carefully shut behind me, I stripped my clothes and put on my pajamas. I was tired.

I was about halfway into my skin routine, standing in front of the bathroom mirror when he knocked on the door. "Come in!" I called, not at all really embarrassed. I massaged cream into my cheek as he entered the bathroom. Through the mirror I noted that he was wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that said 'Dalton Academy' on it.

"I hope you don't mind," he said quietly. I took a moment to throw a smile over my shoulder and went back to rubbing the cream into my cheek. "I got kind of lonely." Butterflies started to flutter in my stomach. I barely knew this boy and he was getting lonely with me in the bathroom?

Wiping my hands on a towel, I screwed the lid back on the jar and picked up a bottle of lotion. I turned and looked at him as I worked the lotion into my hands. "Awww, you were getting lonely without me?" I teased, smiling playfully.

He blushed. I'd be damned if it wasn't the cutest thing in the world.

"Yes," he admitted in a small voice.

All of this was enough to tell me that Blaine and I were going to get incredibly close, incredibly fast. My best friend Mercedes would have a field day over this. Good thing she didn't know.

"And your phone was going off. Someone named Mercedes texted you," he said, still blushing and holding the phone out. Speak of the devil. I wiped my hands on the towel again and took the phone from him.

Kurt, where you at white boy? I thought we had a movie date tonight. – Mercy

I sighed heavily as I looked at the text. "Damn, I forgot to tell her I couldn't go," I said to myself.

"Couldn't go where?" Blaine asked. I looked up, having forgotten for a moment that he was in the bathroom. Shutting my phone, I set it on the counter.

"It's nothing. Mercedes is my best friend. We were going to do a movie tonight but than the meeting came up and I forgot to tell her," I told him. He frowned slightly, probably a bit worried about what would happen with my other commitments now that he kind of sort of got in the way.

"Are you going to reply?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not now. It's late. She's likely already asleep. I'll call her tomorrow."

He nodded and I went back to my skin routine. We stood there in silence with me rubbing more and more into my skin until finally, I was finished. I yawned heavily and brushed my teeth, moving over so he could do the same. "Come on," I said softly. "Let's go to bed.

He smiled at me and held his hand out for mine. I stopped and blushed. He wanted my hand. I couldn't help the giddy feeling that lit in my stomach. I slid my hand easily into his, shuddering with butterflies as I realized how perfectly our hands fit together.

And the whole rest of everything seemed to fall in naturally. I didn't know why I was immediately so incredibly comfortable with Blaine. It was as though I had known him for years. But the moment we climbed into the bed, he encircled his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. I literally decided that I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world and glanced at my watch sitting on the nightstand. For the first time in my life, I wanted to stop time for my own pleasure and benefit.

It took all my willpower to fight against that urge and I soon found myself succumbing to sleep, still battling the urge to stop time. Oh well, at least I was in Blaine's arms and at that moment, that was surprisingly all that mattered.


A/N: And there it is! The first chapter to something that could turn out to be a highly interesting story. Of course, it is AU. But there will definitely be Klaine! Reviews make me smile! Love you guys!