Diva

Kurt strolled through the halls of NYADA and rounded a corner only to stop as he heard his name mentioned. He watched as Rachel's two 'sycophants' (as he not-so-affectionately called them) talked about how he only got into NYADA because he was Carmen's pet 'Turtle Face'. While the snarky side of him couldn't help think 'Turtle Face? That's the best they could come up with?' he still couldn't help but feel a little hurt and alone, feeling an awful lot like he did in his early years of high school all over again. Although when he heard Rachel defending him, he felt gratitude well up inside of him – there was the Rachel that was his best friend.

The gratitude lasted for a brief moment. No, he was Kurt Hummel, he didn't need a ten second moment of Rachel remembering she was actually his friend and defending him after weeks of ignoring him and treating him like hired help. A few students teasing him? That was nothing compared to his days at McKinley.

"That's okay Rachel," he interrupted as he strode towards them. "I've dealt with a lot worse than bitchy gossip. However I got here, the point is I'm here. And me, my outfits, and my turtle face aren't going anywhere."

"We'll see about that, at Midnight Madness," one of the two men said with a sniff before they both strode off.

Kurt watched them go before glancing at Rachel, worry lining his face. While he had suggested this diva-off to Rachel in a fit of anger, tired of her attitude and thinking it a way to teach her a lesson, he now realised that him winning or losing was going to mean so much more than bringing Rachel down a peg. He needed this win to validate his place at NYADA to all those who doubted him. He had confessed earlier to Rachel in a fit of anger that he had blown 'Defying Gravity' back in sophomore year deliberately, and he knew that he had been good enough to win that diva-off. But now, with so much at stake (and annoying or not, Rachel was a hell of a performer), Kurt was starting to worry that he had bitten off more than he could chew…

Tina stared absently at the photos of Kurt sitting on Blaine's bedside table. She tried to ignore the fact that it was another reminder that Blaine was unavailable to her and tried to find a positive in her situation.

"Have you ever been with a girl?" Tina asked when Blaine entered the room, a cough announcing his presence. She asked not just out of curiosity but with a tinge of hope. Maybe Blaine was actually bisexual, like Brittany? That way she might just have a shot.

"Nope, perfect gold star gay," he told her in his croaky voice, looking fondly at the photos on his table. "Well, except for that one time that I kissed Rachel Berry."

"That doesn't count," Tina told him with a smile.

"Well it's not that I don't like girls, I love them," he insisted as he put down the tray he had brought in and sprawled on the bed. "They're very kind and sensitive, and their bodies are beautiful."

A pleasant thrill ran through Tina's body at the compliment. "Thank you! You know, on behalf of girls everywhere."

"But loving them that way… it's just not who I am."

The high Tina was riding instantly crashed. Before any hope completely died she added; "We're young – we still have time to find ourselves."

"Exactly!"

Blaine then proceeded to show her a huge playlist of songs that he had put together for her and a smile slowly started to grow. She couldn't believe that even as sick as he was Blaine had still managed to do all of this for her.

Tina flicked through all the songs that Blaine had selected, Blaine in her ear insisting that she would be able to pull it off before a huge yawn overtook him.

"I'm sorry, it's this night time cold medicine, it's really taking it out of me."

Tina looked on in sympathy and suggested he lie down. She wasn't surprised that he was exhausted – even as his cold developed he still was going over the top in 'Diva Week', not just in performing but in helping her find her inner diva.

As Blaine lay down behind her as the cold medicine took its toll, Tina decided she couldn't hold it in any longer – it was time to confess her feelings. Holding back her tears, she let out everything she had been holding back for weeks before waiting for a response.

When a reply didn't come, Tina turned to face Blaine only to find him passed out, completely oblivious to everything she had just said. Fighting back tears, she reached out and cupped Blaine's face, her thumb gently stroking his cheek. He looked so beautiful while he slept that she couldn't find it in her heart to be angry that he had fallen asleep on her.

Blaine stirred slightly in his sleep at her touch, a small smile gracing his features as he gave a soft sigh, and Tina smiled in reply. That was until a mumbled 'Kurt' spilled from his lips.

Tina froze, slowly pulling her hand away. She felt her gaze drawn once again to Blaine's bedside table, to the photos of the man in question whose name Blaine had just whispered. That one whispered word was like the wakeup call that she needed.

"What the hell are you doing Tina Cohen-Chang," Tina murmured to herself. "You are crushing on a gay guy – a gay guy! One who also is totally not single and dating one of your good friends. You have hit a new low."

Sniffing and wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, Tina stood up and grabbed a blanket that was neatly folded on the chair in the corner of Blaine's room. Unfolding it, she gently draped it over Blaine's prone form before pressing a chaste kiss to Blaine's forehead, grabbing her bag and leaving his room, softly closing his door behind her.

The next day at school, Tina was at her locker, still a little down after her completely botched declaration of love from the night before. She had spent all night lying in bed wondering if it was a good or a bad thing that Blaine hadn't heard her confession – what if it had ruined their friendship? Tina glanced down the hall to where Blaine was talking to Artie and despite herself, she felt irrational anger well up inside her. God damn him, why did Blaine have to be so charming and wonderful and gay and therefore so not interested in her? It just wasn't fair!

Ripping off the photo of her and Blaine hanging up in her locker, she scrunched it up and threw it inside before slamming the door shut and stomping towards them. Completely ignoring Blaine's happy (and totally adorable) "Tay Tay!" she proceeded to rip into him, accusing him of taking her for granted as Blaine stared back in shock, all the while a part of her mind screaming at her to stop because the person she was really angry at wasn't him.

Before Blaine could process what had happened, Tina had stormed off and then proceeded to bring down the house with a performance of 'Hung Up' by Madonna. She channelled all of her anger into it, and it wasn't until she had finished that the annoying guilty part of her brain reminded her that she would never have had the idea for that song if Blaine hadn't have given it to her.

Kurt walked down the hall with Adam, the pair discussing his performance at Midnight Madness. While Kurt insisted it was luck that had scored him the win, Adam was insisting otherwise.

"Oh my God Kurt," came a voice from Kurt's right as Sycophant A strode towards them. "Everyone is buzzing about your triumph at Midnight Madness."

"A bunch of us are signing up for Funny Girl open call then getting rush tickets to see Mamma Mia. You have to come with," insisted Sycophant B.

Kurt looked back and forth between the two. "I don't think so," he said, before proceeding to give the two of them a good old fashioned Kurt Hummel dressing down.

"Oh and another thing – if you say one more nasty thing about the Adam's Apples, I'll challenge you to the next Midnight Madness, and I think we all know how that ends." With an overly fake smile plastered on his face, Kurt's eyes flickered between the two as they stared in shock.

Adam chuckled. "That's very impressive. You didn't have to do that," Adam said as Rachel's former 'friends' walked off.

Kurt shrugged. "You and the Apples are my friends, and I'm sick of us getting insulted. It was nothing." Kurt frowned when he spotted a forlorn Rachel staring at the NYADA message board. "I'll catch you later okay?"

With a wave, Kurt walked towards his downcast friend, not noticing as Adam's eyes followed his every step.

Tina smiled down at her trophy, still basking in her win. A throat clearing drew her attention, and she looked up to see Blaine peering through a doorway.

"No diva performance is complete without flowers," he announced, handing her a single stemmed chocolate rose.

"Aw, how sweet," Tina gushed. "Literally."

"Well no one deserved to win this week more than you," Blaine said as they began to walk. "I have been waiting for people to finally see the epic diva that is Miss Tina Cohen-Chang." Blaine paused, before stopping to face Tina.

"I also owe you an apology. I'm sorry if I've been ungrateful this week –"

"Stop right there," Tina said, holding up a hand. "You don't need to apologize – I do. What I said… it was completely untrue. You've been a great friend – I was just angry at myself over something and instead of dealing with it I took it out on you and that was completely unfair of me. So here's me, saying I'm sorry to you, the way it should be."

Blaine smiled. "Apology accepted. There is no way I could not accept – one thing I've realised lately is that you are one of the most important people to me at this school right now. And if I wasn't already going to Mr Shue's wedding with Kurt, I would be the first in line asking you to be my date. So here's what I would like to propose; Miss Tina Cohen-Chang, would you do me the honour of saving a dance for me?"

"I would love to Mr Anderson," Tina giggled, hooking her arm through his and the two of them strolled down the hall to their next class.

A/N: In case you haven't guessed, I am NOT a fan of what the writers did to Tina, and I despise the vaporub scene (and the fact that the writers continue to make a joke out of it). And what's worse, the writers never made Tina apologize for it - instead they had Blaine apologize for 'not being there for Tina' when throughout the whole episode Blaine was nothing but supportive and trying to help. Therefore I tried to find a way to keep the stupid crush storyline without completely destroying Tina's character - I hope I succeeded.

Oh, and for all the people who are worried about Adam - all I can say is trust me (and although the Glee writers say this and then completely let us down, I hope so far I've proven to be faithful to the characters, in particular Klaine).