AN: I am so terribly sorry that I haven't updated this. I know I promised to over the hiatus and it didn't happen. Basically, I got a job so yay money, boo no free time. Plus, this is so dang hard to write when Kurt isn't there. He needs to get his butt back to McKinley. Anyways, I've combined three episodes in this chapter and a majority of it is phone conversations for obvious reasons. If anyone is still following this fic, thank you and enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING.
There had been multiple times since his transfer that Kurt wished he had been able to stay at McKinley, and this was definitely one of them. Watching the entire Glee club (sans the Cheerios) in full football gear huddle together made him almost want to pull his old jersey on and join them. Instead he had to contend with sitting in the stands and watching them.
This proved to be quite a painful decision. While by no means an expert when it came to football, Kurt had gleaned some knowledge of the game during his time period playing for the team last year, and he knew that they didn't have much of a chance. Or any chance at all, for that matter. The boys knew what they were doing, and he sure didn't want to be the guy that Lauren would be going up against, but they were going to be lucky if they made it out alive, let alone win.
Kurt wasn't exactly sure what happened between the first and second halves, but suddenly the guys on the team were dancing with them, and then playing again. He did have to admit that it was incredibly strange to see Azimio, Karofsky, and the rest of them singing and dancing around.
After the game ended, the four of them hung around in the stands, waiting for the crowd to dwindle down, so they could meet up with Finn. The girls were the first ones out of the locker room, closely followed by Artie, who was being pushed by Puck. Kurt bounded down the bleachers to greet them. The girls greeted him with hugs and squeals. (Lauren settled for a high five).
"You guys were amazing!" Kurt exclaimed as he accepted the fist bump from Puck.
"Well yeah," Artie replied cheekily, causing Kurt to swat at him before leaning down to give his friend a hug as well.
"Dancing during a football game though? Wonder where you got that idea from," Kurt said jokingly. Mercedes and Tina giggled.
"We were taking lessons from the master," Mercedes said. Kurt preened for a moment, waggling his hand back and forth in a familiar fashion.
"A chorus of Single Ladies would have made a bigger impression than 'brains' though," he said mock seriously.
At this point, the rest of the guys made their way out of the locker room. Finn gave out a yell when he saw Kurt, and the next thing he knew, the counter-tenor was buried under a pile of his friends. The ones who were already standing there happily joined in on the group hug.
"Oof," came the muffled reply from Kurt somewhere underneath the human pile that was New Directions. Laughing, the kids pulled themselves off their friend and Kurt found himself getting back pounds from Mike and Sam.
"Finn, you saw me like two hours ago," Kurt said, with a futile attempt at fixing his now-ruffled hair. "What gives?"
"I was feeling the love dude," Finn replied. "We won!" And with that, the group broke into raucous cheers. Kurt couldn't help but laugh along with his friends, the excitement infectious.
"You know what's kind of lame though?" Puck interrupted. "We have not won a single game unless we've had one of these dorks on the team." With that he pointed at both Artie and Kurt.
"Dorks?" Artie asked, pretending to look offended.
"You're seriously protesting that?" Mercedes asked him.
"Well I am," Kurt interjected. "Although Puckerman has a point. You guys suck. Seriously." This raised a protest from the three boys on the team while Sam stared at Kurt in confusion.
"You were on the football team?"
"Last year. Only one game though," Kurt replied with a flip of his hand. "Helped them get their only win of the year."
"With Beyonce," Artie grinned reaching up to high five Kurt. Sam's expression of confusion only deepened. "I'll show you the video sometime."
"You have that on video?" Mercedes asked.
"I have lots of stuff on video," Artie replied with a grin. "You know, all our performances at competition, us goofing around in the choir room, Kurt's performance of Pink Houses –"
"WHAT?" Kurt all but shrieked. "No, no no no no. I don't know how you have that, but you are going to delete it!"
"Yeah right," Artie scoffed. "That's pure blackmail material."
"How do you have that?" Mercedes demanded. "And when can I watch it?"
Ignoring Kurt's spluttering protests, he gestured to Lauren who was standing behind them. "Lauren had the choir room rigged that week, remember? I'm in the AV club with her; I've got access to all of that stuff. And Kurt won't be there to stop me from showing everyone now."
At this point, Burt and Carole had made their way down to the rest of them, with Blaine trailing awkwardly behind them and Burt managed to hold Kurt back before he tackled Artie.
Artie was doing his homework when his phone vibrated on the desk next to him. Flipping it open, he answered,
"Who dis be?"
"You have caller ID, don't you," came Kurt's dry reply from the other end of the line.
"Why hello to you to Kurt," Artie answered him, grinning. "To what may I owe this pleasure?"
"What are you planning on doing on Valentine's Day?"
Brow furrowed, Artie answered, "Well Brittany and I were going to see a movie–"
"No, you're coming to Breadstix," Kurt interrupted him.
"…Okay. Why am I going to Breadstix?"
"The Warblers are performing there," Kurt informed him. "So you're all coming to support me. While on the topic, run by me who's dating who. I honestly can't keep track anymore and I'm not going anywhere near Finn if I can help it."
"Well," Artie started. "It's me and Britt and then Mike and Tina. That's about all that's remained the same." Kurt let out a deep, frustrated sigh.
"Finn and Quinn both have mono so neither of them can come and we're pretty sure that they made out at one point. So that means Sam, Rachel, Mercedes, and Santana are flying solo."
"Ignoring the idiot that is my stepbrother right now. Continue please. What about Puck?"
"He's with Lauren."
"Lauren?"
"Yes."
"Zizes?"
"We were just as confused as you are."
There was a moment of silence on Kurt's end of the line before he exclaimed, "I leave for a couple months and everyone goes insane!"
"Pretty much," Artie replied cheerfully. "So what about you? I know you hate the holiday with a burning passion, but do you have a hot date?"
"No," grumbled Kurt. "I don't want one anyways."
Artie furrowed his brow. "What about that Blaine guy that you're always hanging out with nowadays?"
"We're strictly in the friends zone," Kurt grumped. "It's a long story. Just another reason for me to hate this stupid holiday."
"One day Kurt," Artie teased. "One day you will take back every word you've said about Valentine's Day, and I will never let you forget it."
"Over my dead body," Kurt shot back, smiling slightly. Even though Artie had actually experienced romance, he still held the same view of the holiday as Kurt, although he wasn't quite as bitter about it now.
"So you'll be there?" Kurt pressed.
"Yeah, I'm sure she won't mind," Artie agreed. "Besides, their food is pretty good. And free entertainment? Hell yeah!"
Kurt had to laugh at his friend's enthusiasm. "Just save me a breadstick, will you?"
"I will," Artie promised. "I can't say anything on Brittany's behalf. I swear, for someone so dang skinny, she can eat a ridiculous amount of food."
"If only we could all be that lucky," Kurt sighed. "Are you doing anything else for her?"
"Well, I sang to her in Glee club, and I'm going to get her flowers tomorrow morning, and I've bought her a necklace."
"Oooh, pulling out all the stops huh?" Kurt replied. "Nicely done."
"Thanks," Artie smiled. "I got you something special too."
Kurt snorted into the phone. "I'm touched Artie. I didn't know I meant so much to you. What is it?"
Artie grinned broadly at his friend's response. "You'll have to show up to find out. Actually…I have to show up to give it to you. Never mind then."
Kurt just laughed and bid Artie goodbye. He then started down his list of contacts to see who was next to invite.
Everyone ended up meeting at Breadstix around seven that following evening, and seated themselves at tables near one another. The Warblers were grouped together, recognizable by their trademark jackets. As they gathered up on the makeshift stage, Kurt separated himself from the group to introduce them. The performance was a collection of classic love songs, (most a bit more classic than the ones that they had sang during Glee club, Artie had to admit.) Afterwards, the Warblers and the New Directions members mingled, introducing themselves and sharing some of the restaurants iconic breadsticks.
Kurt made the rounds, catching up with all his old friends, spending the most time at the table with Mercedes and Rachel. As he made his way over to where Artie and Brittany were, the blonde girl jumped up and flung herself at Kurt.
"Hi Brittany," he gasped, caught a little off guard at her enthusiastic greeting.
"Hi!" she exclaimed. "Yay, you're not dead!" Kurt gave Artie a questioning look over her shoulder, but Artie just shrugged in response. He hadn't heard her theory on that one, (although she had told him an interesting one that involved the school cafeteria meat and aliens.)
"So where's my present?" Kurt asked playfully, sitting down across the table from Artie. In response, Artie pushed a wrapped package across the table at him.
"I saw this in the store the other day and I thought of you," Artie said with a grin. Kurt tore off the paper and pulled out a book.
"Canaries (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual)," he read. "Seriously?" he looked up at Artie who was now laughing.
"Don't want the same thing that happened to Whiskers to happen to this one,"
"I'm not going to kill Pavarotti," Kurt said with a sniff. "Your lack of faith in me is astounding."
"You have a bird?" Brittany piped up. "Did he teach you how to fly yet?" Both boys gave her a confused stare before Kurt leaned over to give her a hug.
"Oh Britt, I've missed you."
"So I'm in a band."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, Sam started up a tribute band."
"A tribute to whom?"
"Justin Bieber."
"…"
"Kurt? Are you still there?"
Feedback is much appreciated as always. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I promise to update much sooner next time.