Chapter 2- Settling In

Kurt smiled at yet another one of Lockhart/Gardner's associates as he made his way to Alicia's office, some photocopying a probable venture like it had been for the past few days. Cary had allowed him to sit in on a deposition as long as he stayed quiet at the back. It wasn't the worst thing, Kurt had decided. Neither was Cary's company, he had come to find out.

"Alicia? You called?"

"Ah, Kurt," Alicia smiled warmly, "This is Kalinda Sharma, our best investigator. Kalinda, this is the assistant I was telling you about earlier, Kurt Hummel."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Sharma."

"Oh, Kalinda, please. Alicia and Cary certainly talk highly of you."

Kurt blushed and Alicia assumed that she knew why.

Kurt and Cary had been subtly flirting with each other all week. Kurt would put extra cream in Cary's coffee and Cary would find excuses to touch Kurt whenever he could, making the younger boy falter in his tracks and concentrate on his breathing. It was the kind of high tension situation that Alicia loved to spectate. It was like a courtroom where silences were just as powerful as the words spoken in between them. A silence could make or break a case in some respects.

"I'm just glad for the opportunity to be able to learn a lot from everyone here," Kurt smiled politely.

Kalinda just smiled back, longing to dig past the veneer and discover the real Kurt underneath the couth attitude and bright smile. Something Kalinda knew about people was that there was always something they didn't want revealed. Something about themselves that was locked up tight beneath so many walls that were impenetrable to most. But Kalinda knew how to dig past them. If the situation warranted itself, she would learn Kurt's secrets, but she wouldn't unnecessarily invade his privacy.

Kalinda smirked and decided to try something, curious about what Alicia had told her. "If Cary's annoying you, just let me know and I'll deal with him."

Kurt, predictably, blushed. He hated himself for that. He was always so well put together until the moment arose where Cary was mentioned or if he saw him or spoke to him. Cary made him crumble and that wasn't something he was used to doing. He knew that Kalinda was trying to catch him off guard and get a reaction from him and, if Kurt could have prevented his blush, he would have stayed stoic and not revealed a thing about himself. The was the way he always did. It was the way he needed to be to ensure that things didn't go south from here.

"I assure you Cary has been nothing but courteous since I started here," Kurt smiled back, pulling himself together at long last.

Alicia nodded. "I know, Kalinda, I'm surprised too. Kurt just seems to make him more tolerable as a person."

Kurt's hand twitched behind his back but, still, he smiled. "I merely remind him that there's a competition going on and that he should concentrate more on his work than on goading the opposition."

"But he loves to goad," Kalinda pointed out.

"I'm very persuasive," Kurt eyes flashed intriguingly before he turned to Alicia. "Was there anything else you needed me for?"

"Not at the moment, thank you, Kurt. Oh, Will wanted to see you in his office."

Kurt smirked. "I hope I don't have detention."

Will Gardner, as Kurt initially thought, was a man about power and authority. And while that was pretty much a kink of his, Kurt couldn't help but be a little peeved by how he displayed it. Over Alicia, whom he took a chance on, over Cary who he clearly disliked. Even over Diane, in some kind of masculinity buffer. Diane had none of it, though Will still tried.

It wasn't news to Kurt that every other member of staff at Lockhart/Gardner had authority over him, and he was used to that. But Will wasn't vague about showing it. With his little baseball flitting in between his hands and a pseudo-welcoming smirk on his face as Kurt entered the room, Will offered for him to sit down.

"I'd like to stand, if that's okay," Kurt replied and knew instantly that Will Gardner did not take well to being challenged. His rivalries within the courtroom were public knowledge, but he silently had a few in the office, too.

"As you wish. I called you in here, Kurt, because I haven't quite gotten to know you yet. On paper I have and what I see is very impressive, but I wanted to speak with you informally, to get to know you as a person, not as an applicant."

Kurt nodded, supposing that was fair. "That's logical."

"You've proven to be quite a hit with the rest of the firm."

Kurt smiled his signature polite smile. "I do what I can. I have a knack for guessing coffee orders and organisation is very important to me."

"Cary and Alicia speak very highly of you."

Kurt clenched his jaw and tried to will away his blush and it worked. "I'm glad I've managed to construct a rapport with the people I'm working most closely with."

"Diane also has a very ameliorative opinion of you."

"I have a feeling you don't share their opinions," Kurt said.

Will tossed his baseball back and forth. "I think that perhaps you were overqualified for an assistant's job."

Kurt sighed. "I simply wasn't ready to jump into being an associate. I felt like I needed more preparation."

"Did Yale not give you that?"

Kurt swallowed heavily. He knew that Will was testing him and it would probably shape a large portion of his opinion towards Kurt.

"Yale was a thoroughly enriching experience. So was taking the BAR. I excelled at both, but personally I felt like I needed more time to fully find myself as a person before entering the field properly. Is there some kind of problem here?"

Will smirked. "No, absolutely not. I just wanted to know why one of Yale's most promising law students decided to not to dive in headfirst into a law firm. I think that your decision is smart and too many people let their hubris overcome logic. I commend your choices, Kurt." Will smiled like he had just given Kurt permission to make those choices.

Kurt quirked his lips. He knew people like this and had dealt with far worse; people who were far more scheming and manipulative and downright controlling. "I wasn't aware that I had to seek your approval. I make choices because I want to make them and I don't need you to validate those as ones that you would have made. If that's everything, I believe Cary needed some case files photocopying done."

"I didn't dismiss you."

"No, I dismissed myself. I'm not here to be monopolised by a named partner. I'm here to assist Alicia and Cary and unless my job description is altered, I'll do nothing more."

Will's eyes darkened. "I was under the impression you possessed the disposition to take on more than your role included."

"I was under the impression that a named litigator of a top Chicago firm would do a better job of disguising his internalised homophobia."

"I will not have you speaking to me this way, Mr. Hummel! I am not a homophobe."

"Oh please, I can smell it on you. I've grown up seeing homophobes everywhere I turn, I know better than to assume somebody is of moral intentions. Excuses only extend the hole you're digging for yourself. Just know that I'm onto you. One word from me and this firm's reputation goes down the drain. Be careful, Mr. Gardner. I know more about you than you may think. Secrets are best kept hidden, am I right?"

Diane chose the correct moment to slip into the office. "Is everything okay here?"

Will plastered a smile on his face as quickly as Kurt had ever seen someone change. "Of course, Diane. I just was taking a chance to get to know Kurt a little better. He has some serious spunk."

Kurt snorted. Diane Lockhart was many things, but she wasn't so easily fooled.

"Kurt, may I speak with you privately for a moment?"

He followed Diane into her office opposite, his back to Will.

"If there's anything you'd like to share, this is a safe space for you to do so."

Kurt shrugged. "Will and I just have some personal differences, Diane. It's nothing major, just some professional disagreement. In fact, I think it will enrich our working relationship. We may even become friends with time."

Kurt Hummel was many things and a terrific actor was definitely one of them. He could play one hell of a part when he needed to. And Diane Lockhart was somebody he needed on his side. He knew that Will wouldn't reveal anything about his wrongdoings to her, no matter how close they were. Diane was a spokesperson for gender, sexuality and race issues nationally and internationally and Will would be foolish to broach the subject.

"I'm glad you're starting to fit in well here. Alicia and Cary have nothing but praise for you and your work."

"I'm learning a great deal from them. They're very promising lawyers. You and Will have one hell of a decision to choose between them."

Diane fiddled with the hem of her cardigan. "Ah, yes, the competition. When the time comes, I believe your input will be useful. Assistants often see what managing partners fail to notice. You're possibly in the best position to choose."

"I wouldn't want to encroach upon personal loyalties, Diane. I am slowly building friendships with both Alicia and Cary and I am wary of offering an opinion that will result in reluctant alienation."

Diane respected that, but also believed that Kurt misunderstood. "Kurt. Cary and Alicia are very professional people. I'm sure any decision would not affect your relationships with them. I am, however, interested to know your opinions of them both."

Kurt frowned. "I'm merely an assistant. Make no mistake, I wish to build a rapport with everyone at this firm and watch it grow, but the food chain, so to speak, ends with me."

Diane smirked. "You know, you're a very impressive young man. I hoped Cary and Alicia would select you."

"High praise indeed," Kurt said sincerely. He respected Diane Lockhart a lot and her opinion meant a great deal to him.

"You flatter me. Though you intrigue me a great deal. I've never seen somebody so young be so collected. I'm sure you're aware that you were vetted by our investigator."

Kurt nodded, even though he had only had a hunch that that would happen. "The lovely Kalinda, I believe. I'm sure she found everything you needed to know." He hid a smirk, knowing the exact opposite would have been true. His tracks were covered very thoroughly.

"Actually, she came up almost empty. Nothing but a few notices of your more prominent accomplishments. However commendable they are, Kalinda is the very best in her field; the fact that she couldn't find anything on you made me wary."

Kurt pursed his lips. "How does this relate to the associates?"

Diane blinked heavily. Kurt was good at deflection, it seemed. She would play along. "I would do well to listen to your opinion. I believe myself a very good judge of character, Kurt, and I know that I was right about you. You have a lot of potential and your views are logical. You leave a lot of questions in one's mind after meeting you."

"I think the same hold true for me. I have a lot of trust issues, Diane, and it takes a lot for me to view somebody in a positive light. So when I finally come to appreciate somebody, it's usually binding. I'm very hesitant with people."

Diane nodded. "I feel like this is going to circle right back to Alicia and Cary."

Kurt quirked his lips. "You don't miss a beat.

"Alicia Florrick is a wonderful woman. I admire her, which is rare for me. I think that she is a well-possessed woman with a brilliant mind. I respect her choices and believe she is going to go far in her career. Will was right to take a chance on her."

Diane winced. She had originally been against giving Alicia another shot, something that Kurt knew and was probably calling her out on in the most respectful way. He was definitely some kind of ninja.

"Not to say you were wrong to go against her. Her lack of recent legal experience would have made me wary, although second chances are often crucial. First impressions aren't always all that they are cracked up to be."

Diane licked her lower lip. "And Cary?"

"Cary Agos is a very spirited individual. He seems to know exactly what he wants and won't hesitate to go after it. Harvard Law chewed him up and regurgitated him into a fine man."

Diane didn't miss the lexical choice Kurt used.

"Even just speaking with him, I can tell exactly how much he wants the position. Not more or less than Alicia, just with a different passion. It's no secret that Cary is a charming man and it makes him naturally adept in dealing with people."

Diane's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Oh. That's how it was. Workplace relationships weren't usually encouraged, prohibited even, as they distracted from work and made certain decisions difficult. But Kurt was an assistant. It was different. Wasn't it? She would have to consult with Will. She would appraise their working relationship. Surely nothing would happen. She liked Kurt and she liked Cary, she thought that they were quite similar in terms of mentality. If a relationship was to begin, it would probably be good for the both of them. Diane would even possibly by a hat. If the situation warranted it, of course.

Kurt couldn't keep the smile off his face as he played back his conversations with both Diane and Will. Will was playing exactly as expected, right into his palms. Diane wasn't being manipulated, as such, but she would be a useful ally when the time came. If the time came, Kurt corrected mentally. His internal spiel was interrupted by a curious voice piercing his content silence.

"What's got you so happy?" Cary grinned as Kurt walked into his office, clutching papers in his hands. Handing them off, Kurt sighed.

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you."

Cary smirked. "Nah, you'd definitely miss me too much if you did."

Kurt leaned against the doorframe. "You might be right."

"Might be? Why, I'm offended."

Kurt gasped. "Well, I wouldn't want that now, would I?"

"As long as I'm happy, I won't bring the thunder down upon you. I could easily double your workload."

Kurt conceded that with a nod. "You could. But that doesn't give me much time for socialising outside of the firm now, does it?"

Cary snickered. "So let's make a deal. As long as your workload remains as is, you should meet me for drinks after hours sometime soon."

"That was so poorly phrased, Mr. Agos. Although after hours does sound rather intriguing."

"What can I say? I get nervous around you."

Kurt slowly ran his tongue over his lower lip before completing the circle. "And why would that be? I'm just your assistant, Cary."

"That god damn tongue," Cary whispered inaudibly. "You're hardly just my assistant seeing as you agreed to have drinks we me. I'd like to think that makes us friends."

"Friends, huh? I think I can do that. You let me know when you want to meet and I'll be there."

"After hours?" Cary asked, his voice dropping in pitch, and Kurt thought it was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard in his life.

"Of course, Mr. Agos. Certainly."

Cary frowned before noticing that Will was lurking outside his office. Seriously, how could Kurt have known that? He was definitely a ninja of sorts. A sexy as fuck ninja, for sure. "That'll be all, Kurt, thanks."

Kurt turned on his heel and glowered at Will before pretending to busy himself in Alicia's office. Will gave Cary a long, hard, piercing look before retreating to the conference room with David Lee. Cary appraised the scene with a bemused expression, sure that something was happening and Kurt knew all about it.

Then again, there were perks of dating your assistant. They could all be sorts of useful, especially when they were crafty and could see right through people immediately.

Whatever happened, Cary Agos was in for a rough ride.