AN: this is part of a personal challenge/project filling all the prompts of past Kadam weeks, and posting one every day from March 28 to May 8th, 7 prompts per year 5 previous rounds (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 last two managed by vcg73) the first week of May 2-8 will present to you the offering for the Kadam Week 2021 you can search for more on tumblr.
Welcome to Kadam Week 2021, prompts gently provided by vcg73
day 4: I Had the Strangest Dream (AU)
It was a rather well known fact that Nyada, being so exclusive and with limited opening every year, had a policy to never take more than a single student from the same school, even if there were more than one valid finalists.
What was not that well known, and certainly not at all advertised, was that such rule did not apply to supernatural beings.
If prospects were inclined toward the arts, and willing to join at least for the time of their education, the colony and the current ruling council.
Then they would be evaluated more on aspirations and skills, disregarding the presence of other finalists from the same school.
Once evaluated they would then be offered a position within one or more of the majors the school had that were in tune with the candidate's ability and affinities, rather than the candidate's preferred and declared choices.
Sometimes those two things matched, other times they didn't match at all.
In the end, once the offer was made, and it was cleared up that it was a non negotiable one, the prospect had to choose whether to accept the position offered by the Nyada's council, or simply choose to attend a different school.
When Kurt aced his audition he could hear the gears in Madam Tibideaux's mind turning, and humming pleasant vibrating sounds all around her. She was not at all like Kurt expected her to be, she felt like more, a more he couldn't place.
His dad had always been larger than life, Carole simply didn't have the same presence about her.
And he knew that, despite loving how good she was for Burt, Kurt had yet to properly warm up to Carole. She was ok, he guessed, and she made his dad smile and feeling happier than Kurt could remember since his mom died.
But also she felt different... He felt awful for thinking so, but she sort of felt less...
Kurt had no idea who had come to examine him, or better he knew who she was, he just did not know there was also a what she was part that was making Kurt feeling even more invigorated and able to express himself fully.
Rachel on the other hand choked up, on a song she knew by heart, that she had sung so many times she should have muscle memories of how to produce those lyrics...
When the time got closer for their letters to arrive Kurt started to receive condescending looks full of pity, especially from his boyfriend.
When Rachel's letter arrived and she miraculously got in, everyone felt like they simply had to come to Kurt and offer their condolences and unique brand of what was supposedly comfort…
And worse of all Blaine had been the first in line to do so…
"Oh Kurt it's so bad you got to compete against Rach for the position at Nyada, but on the bright side you can stay here with me until I graduate and then we can move together to New York. Of course you'd have to wait another year before you'll be able to try again join Nyada, but at that point at least you'll have worked enough that maybe your cv won't look so anaemic..."
Kurt went rigid at Blaine's words and pressed his lips "Excuse me? Are you implying that you know already and more importantly you fully believe that I've been rejected when my letter didn't even arrive? And you dare to talk to me about my CV after you took the male lead part that was supposed to go to a senior in our only production? When you knew I needed it"
Blaine didn't even have the good grace of looking ashamed nor did he even give any indication of understanding why Kurt might be upset.
"Oh come on Kurt don't be so dull, we all know that only one student per institution can get in. And Rachel got her acceptance letter already, so clearly you've been rejected, but as I was saying it's ok. It even works out better this way. You'll stay here with me while I graduate and then we'll move to New York together, and we'll have enough money to have our own place"
That things with Blaine hadn't been that good was neither a good nor a new news, but this was taking the cake and Kurt huffed irritated "So you expect me to fail in reaching for my dreams, stay in Lima of all places, waiting a year for you to graduate and then do what exactly? Move to New York to work before I try to join my dream school, is that what you see and hope for my life?"
Blaine frowned confused "There's nothing wrong with that Kurt come on, you know what I mean, it's not like you're what people expect from a leading man anyway... I mean I support you but you do stand out too much, and you know, there's being a star and then being a little too unique to ever get a role. It's not a bad thing, it's just, it makes things difficult and I don't want you to fail, I just want you to have realistic expectations... You know I love you, it's just you can be a little too much for people who don't get you..."
With every additional word that kept pouring out of Blaine's mouth, Kurt felt something changing and growing at the very centre of his being.
Something he hadn't felt since he was a small child, and got so mad for the first time in his life that he pushed back one of the other kids that were tormenting him...
An action that then his mom scolded him thoroughly, making him promise to never seek violence as a way to solve a conflict. To always take a step back when he felt the sensation of something crawling under his skin ready to explode and make whatever was troubling him disappear.
This time however, it was starting to become harder to resist the temptation to just let it all go, just for this once.
Was this really how love was supposed to be? Because it was starting to seem like he was the only one with expectation to fulfil. And the worst of those expectations was the fact that apparently he was supposed to be the one making compromises…
It was becoming tiresome to say the least.
"Blaine tell me honestly is this what you think?"
Kurt's tone was clipped when he asked that, and yet Blaine once more gave no indication of seeing what was going on.
On the contrary, the boy had the gall to start getting upset, his voice turning into a whine
"Kurt come on, why are you being so difficult, I'm trying to be considerate here but you always make such a fuss about nothing, You're such a drama queen"
And with that something inside Kurt broke...
Whether it was something finally breaking free or simply a dam breaking down he did not know. Nor did he know whether where or how the growling sound reverberating in his throat originated from…
But one thing he did know. This was it, he had reached the point where he couldn't stand the being in front of that, that boy anymore...
With what was Kurt's iciest tone he said "If this is how you feel, then I believe we have nothing else to do. You are never around even for things you planned and scheduled. You don't answer when I call, and if you do answer my messages it's hours later without apologies or explanations. And if what I've been told is correct, you'd rather spend your time with your friend Sebastian rather than staying with me"
Blaine didn't even let Kurt finish as he started countering "It's not my fault if you seemed so intent on leaving me behind as soon as you'd get your diploma from here. I was just trying to survive without you . Excuse me for being happy about not having to worry about being left behind by my boyfriend. Who I might add, was all too happy to discard me like yesterday trash for a shiny new life in New York, over six hundred miles away from me. How is it a bad thing being happy about having more time together?"
And Kurt was beyond furious "So as long as you are not left behind who cares if my life and my dreams get destroyed? Seriously what's wrong with you. You always comment on how supportive I am of you, and I've tried even when it hurt, even when to be honest I shouldn't have. So why you never ever try to reciprocate? Why does it always have to be me, the one compromising?"
Blaine assumed that half irritated, half hurt that seriously implied that Kurt was being unreasonable and hurting him for futile reasons, as once again he started to talk over Kurt "Kurt stop being so unreasonable, why are you hurting me? I never asked you to compromise, in fact how can you even say such hurtful things? I was the one who left Dalton to transfer here for you, I was the one who didn't audition for Tony even if I could have used the role as well… It's not my fault if Artie, coach Beiste and Miss P thought I was a better Tony than you. Why are you blaming me for the decisions of others? Especially since it's not exactly my fault if you keep flaunting such extravagant outfits at all times... Why do you ask me that? It's not a matter of your dreams going up in flame or your life being destroyed, don't you see that was exactly what I was talking about... You're just being overly dramatic instead of taking things with a pinch of maturity, you are such a crybaby at times, can we please stop this nonsense? It's just upsetting me, and it's not like it'll change the content of your nyada letter anyway. There's no need for us to fight over something so stupid..."
Then Kurt relaxed and nodded, and for the first time he saw exactly the moment when Blaine's expression shifted from hurt and pleading to a complacent one, clearly thinking that once more things had gone his way...
To a certain extent he was right, Kurt was going to at least partially grant him his wish for this to stop…
The only part Blaine might not yet realise was that Kurt would make it stop forever.
This was it, any chain, any bond that could have ever existed before, was now absolutely left in tatters on the floor as Kurt was going to soar high in the sky and fly free.
"You're right"
Blaine nodded and grabbed Kurt's hand patting it condescendingly.
Kurt hastily removed his hand from Blaine, motion that provoked Blaine's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise as he started to say "What.."
Kurt took a leaf out of Blaine's own book and started talking over him continuing with determination "You are right that we need to stop this nonsense, clearly you feel this way and I'm not going to ask you to change your mind."
Blaine's surprised expression softened into a pleased smile as he nodded, only to turn into a shocked frown as Kurt continued unrelentlessly "But I won't change my mind either. Whether I've been accepted or rejected from Nyada it won't matter. For one, I have other colleges I've applied to that I could attend coming fall, some of which I already have acceptance letters from. Something that had you been around like a boyfriend ought to be, you would have already known. So either as soon as I graduate or at the end of the summer I will leave Lima behind. But don't worry I won't leave you behind then"
Blaine was still frowning but offered a tentative smile and a nod. That until Kurt smiled back at him, in the same icy and sarcastic way that he had seen Kurt smile at Sebastian in those moments, right before and after they started one of their rounds of bickering.
"I won't leave you behind then, because I'm breaking up with you right now. Clearly we want different things from life, and hey we both know we had problems long before now... Who sets up appointments to make out? I might not have had other experiences before, but I can tell you this is not what I expected being with someone to be like. And you are not living up to the teenage dream you promised me either. So here's me growing up and taking things with a pinch of maturity. We're done."
Blaine blinked confused and looked up at Kurt with his patented wounded puppy eyes, and for the first time Kurt started to wonder if what was going on wasn't as much as adorable obliviousness, as he had always assumed, but rather a masterful use of emotional manipulation.
Kurt looked down at Blaine, and for the first time he felt the bile rising up at the mere thought of having bowed down to this for over an year now, for having allowed himself to become nothing more than a spineless whipping boy. And in exchange for what exactly? For a boy who apparently had no care for him at all despite proclaiming his love? For a relationship in which he was the only one having to renounce things to make the other happy?
He didn't know anymore, and he wasn't that sure he even wanted to know at this point. He just wanted out of this situation for good.
Blaine was still staring like he couldn't understand Kurt at all as he voiced his confusion "What? I don't understand... Why are you trying to get back at me this way Kurt? Look I'll leave now, you clearly need the time to cool down, don't worry I won't hold this against you. I can see you're upset, and I do get how much it must hurt not having been accepted to the only school you applied to. There is no need to invent stories about how you applied to other schools and how you'll leave Lima after graduation or at the end of the summer just to get back at me. Rach told me you both applied only at Nyada and she got in, so clearly you would have no other place to go to..."
Kurt shook his head and felt the profound disappointment in seeing that even now Blaine simply either wasn't listening to him or didn't care at all about what Kurt had to say...
In a way it was a pity, he looked around and for the first time he was grateful that there were witnesses listening into every word they were exchanging, in fact Kurt thought he had also seen Jacob Ben Israel...
So he simply shrugged and left to go to his locker. He picked up what he needed, then simply walked out of the school without a second thought. Just to be on the safer side he sent a quick text to the whatsapp group chat that had all the glee club members on it that read simply 'I just broke up with Blaine, I will never get back together with him so if someone is not happy with it either keep your mouth shut and your nose out of my own business or feel free to stay the hell out of my life for good. This is all I'll say on the subject and that's not up to debate. I hope we'll manage to finish the time we have until graduation with civility. Kurt'
Then as a second immediate action, he went and changed his status on facebook making a quick work of removing any trace of him and Blaine together from his albums and shared pictures, proceeding to repeat the procedure also on instagram and from his own phone.
The more he purged his profiles of Blaine, the more he noticed how much of a shadow of his former self he had become in the time they had been together. It was staggering seeing how, by removing Blaine from his storyline, only few traces were left of what happened to him in the past year.
Shaking his head he shot a quick text to Finn, letting him know he was going to pass by the garage to see dad before going home, and that he was leaving immediately because he didn't want to be cornered by anyone wanting to talk about the fact he broke up with Blaine.
Finn simply sent a smiley face and two thumbs up, apparently, despite all his fears, Kurt was still going to have someone on his side by the end of the tragedy... It was a comforting thought.
He relished in it as he drove to the garage, once there he called out "Hey dad do you have a minute?"
Burt called out from the farther aisle, and Kurt smiled and waved at Carl and Kenneth as he passed by the two other mechanics at work.
Once Kurt was close by, Burt tensed and looked completely frozen in worry and surprise a low growling "Damn" escaped Burt's lips as he grabbed the rag and cleaned his hand "Kurt we need to talk"
Kurt smiled and nodded "Yeah we do I just broke up with Blaine and I'd really appreciate your support if you could make sure to not let him into the house next time he comes around. Because despite telling him I was breaking up with him, he was acting like he wasn't listening to me, so I just wanted to make sure you knew. I am going to tell Carole as soon as we get back home, but... Dunno why, I felt like I had to come to you first and that it couldn't have waited till you'd get home, I'm not sure exactly on the reason behind such reasoning"
Burt kept a close look on his son and then said without preambles "Something else happened, didn't it?"
When Kurt didn't say anything but reluctantly nodded once, before looking surprised he had done that, Burt had all the answers he needed.
Kurt was as a dagon just like himself, just like Elizabeth had been, it was strange that it took so long for his supernatural heritage to pick that up, he should have taught so many things to Kurt already, but he never smelled like a hatchling or a youngling, Kurt had always smelled faintly like his Lizzy did... And a doubt started to creep up on Burt, Elizabeth and him had never discussed their supernatural heritage, he had always assumed that it was because Elizabeth was an orphan and she had ended up in Lima living with a distant relative that didn't have any trace of supernatural vibe to her, hence making the subject taboo in her household.
But now he wondered if she was simply not sure about Burt's own knowledge on the subject, or even possible reactions, if he was honest he could admit to have never been that interested in properly grooming that side of himself. He was more than happy to pass his live as a good mechanic, restoring cars to their original beauty.
He always felt too out of place in the sanctuaries, or trying to fly with other dragons living in the neighbourhood. He was nothing as impressive as the others, his own scales dull and his wings barely able to lift him off the ground and be serviceable, nothing like the spectacular acrobatics of the likes of Alexander Smythe or even Matt McNamara.
But that was still at a time when Lizzy was still alive. When she died, he simply didn't want to see the signs of what losing his mate had done to him, he had a normal kid, who apparently wasn't really normal at all, and in his grief he never looked deeper.
But something must have happened, because for the first time his son smelled like mint honey and rosemary, not at all like the sweet vanilla and ginger that was Lizzy's scent, nor his own sandalwood and musk, nor was his son's scent a mingle of those two scents as it would have been for a youngling.
Kurt had already grown into his own individual, and Burt had not prepared him yet for what it meant to be a dragon... And on top of that his kid was more than ready to leave and abandon this small town to live his life as soon as possible, giving Burt even less time to try to remedy to the many years they had already lost.
He was wondering exactly what happened for Kurt to break through, what probably was meant to be a temporary block that Lizzy had put on their child when he was very young, maybe to help him control his emotions, preventing emotional escalation and incidents that could have revealed their supernatural status to people without any prior knowledge of it, in a traumatic way.
"Let's go take a ride son and you can tell me what happened in details"
Kurt blinked confused, he had seen his dad looking at him rather surprised and then contemplative, and to be honest Kurt hadn't really intended to say or let his dad know that something had happened, mainly because he couldn't really explain it, he wasn't sure what had happened, even if he was sure something did…
While lying to his dad had not been an option, even when he managed to keep his mouth shut, preventing what seemed insane rambling to escape his lips, a part of him had wanted to just obey.
Somehow recognising the authority Burt still had over him, and it was a strange feeling, nothing like he had felt before, not that he didn't respect his dad, but at the same time he had never felt compelled to cower enough to tell him the whole truth…
As they walked out the garage Burt said softly "Do you want us to take the Navigator or shall we take my truck? We are going to do some off the road driving"
Kurt looked at his dad through slitted eyes, "I'll tell Finn to get a lift to pick my baby and take her home, we're taking your car to go wherever you want us to go, without me having to scrub mud from my baby for the next fortnight."
Burt chuckled and while Kurt took care of talking with Finn, he made a quick call to Carole telling her that something had happened with Kurt beside him breaking up with his boyfriend, and that he needed to get to the end of it, see if he could get his son to talk, and that he would tell her later what he found out...
He left behind that probably what he was going to share was going to be an edited version of what happened if his suspicions were proved correct. Burt, in a sudden strike of inspiration grabbed from the locker room Kurt's coverall and the changing bag his son had taken to keep here at the garage, if his nose wasn't wrong, then those might come in hand to make their journey back home more comfortable if things went wrong.
It took less than Burt remembered to reach the sanctuary's valley, and the closer they got, the more he could see Kurt's fascination growing, "So buddy what else happened, tell me please, even if it sounds crazy I want to know what went down with you"
Kurt looked a little worried before starting speaking "This might end up sounding crazy, but it felt like something broke, and at the same time it felt like I was free to fly for the first time... The way Blaine was speaking was making me so mad, and I know, I know I promised mom that I would never try to go with violence as a way to find a solution to an unpleasant situation. But I swear if you could have heard the bullshit he was saying, he was so condescending... Did you know that they are all assuming that just because Rachel got her acceptance letter from Nyada, that I would be automatically rejected? And I mean Rachel choked on her audition... If she did get in and I didn't I'm not even sure I'd want to get into a school with such screwed up criteria of selection."
Burt nodded, in that sea of words there were some things that clearly resonated with him. If Lizzy thought she and Kurt were the only dragons in their family then she probably had put a block around Kurt's powers to keep them tamed while he was growing up. Probably expecting to be there when he should have started to learn control over his abilities, around his twelfth birthday…
Burt hummed and nodded, totally understanding his son's point of view, and then prompted "And how did it felt? I'm not judging, but you sounded more surprised rather than upset about this whole ordeal"
Kurt took a deep breath and looked outside the window "I felt free... Like things were finally right, and Blaine, Blaine felt all wrong. Like I couldn't even believe why I had him in my life, like he wasn't supposed to be next to me at all. And it made me mad seeing that he wasn't even listening to me. I was there, telling him I was done with him and he left saying that he would not hold against me things I said when I was clearly upset... As if his assumption of me being rejected by one school would be the reason why I'd broke up with him, and it wasn't for example how he expected me to stay in Lima for another year until he graduated, in the meanwhile while I would surely fail again to get into nyada because he was applying..."
Kurt's rage was rapidly brewing up, and Burt could hear his son's breathing slowly turning into steam, only for his son to surprise him taking a deep breath and exhaling it with just a low hiss.
"He made me so mad I really fished to roast him, incinerate him right there where he standed, but alas even if I could have done that it was going to create so many problems that it wouldn't have been worth the satisfaction of doing it..."
Burt grinned amazed at his son's natural control, or maybe it was just that he trained in a whole different way than Burt himself had been trained...
He stopped the car and then patted his son on the shoulder "You did good son, I'm so proud of you, now come with me there's something I need to show you,"
Kurt felt himself preening under the unexpected praise. Burt directed them to what looked like the edge of a rather deep canyon, and Kurt looked worried at his father as he asked questioning "Dad?"
Burt smiled softly, in a way that Kurt hadn't seen since before his mom got sick "Buddy I don't know how else to do this, and I really wish your mom was here to help me out, so please forgive me for what I'm about to do."
The words made Kurt's blood freeze inside his veins, and in less than a second Burt had taken three steps back and was falling over the edge.
Without even realising he was moving, Kurt dived in after his father, and all of a sudden his vision changed, the world got blurred for a moment and the image of Burt falling body blurred as well, before being replaced by a bulky reptilian dragon, with sturdy wings to carry the compact body.
Kurt felt the wind offering resistance to his fall, and in a blink of an eye what was resistance was actually offering him support. Instead of keeping him from falling, like it had seemed in the beginning, Kurt found himself raising up above the canyon and into the sky.
And the dragon that used to be where his father was, suddenly raised up into the sky as well, emitting a sound that Kurt knew were not words, but that he could surprisingly understand anyway. They were directions telling him to land down on the clearing in the middle of the trees on their left. Kurt saw exactly the spot and dive in with surgical precision, landing exactly where he wanted, on the sandy patch on the lake shore.
Once there, in what felt a little mixed up curiosity and vanity he peered on the water to see his own reflection, and discovering that indeed he looked like a dragon too, he could see a silvery reflection, and he could feel something in on the top of his head, floating, he instinctively knew those appendices were having the same function as a cat's whiskers.
As he tried to look at himself the only difference he could see, compared to what he saw of his dad, was that where his father was compact and sturdy, with wings short and strong, his own figure seemed to be made for agility and precision, his wings complimenting his agile body shining in the afternoon light.
With a lot less grace than Kurt had, Burt landed in the middle of the clearing where the grass was, he then turned into his human form to smile at his son "You did well buddy, now can you figure out how to return to your human form or do we need to find a way for you to get home this way?" the tone was teasing, and Kurt wasn't amused at all.
He didn't know exactly how it happened, but he could distinctly feel the need to express his frustration into a way this form's language would not be able to properly express.
There was no such sound he could find that would carry on the meaning of your stunt scared me to death or the you don't get to make jokes like that.
There were some words that could be translated but even putting them together Kurt knew they wouldn't be able to carry on the same message he needed to rant at his father.
So there was no other option but having access to his human mouth, that was what he needed at the moment, and without even realising what he did, Kurt found himself standing in front of his grinning father.
He took exactly ten milliseconds of taking in his father's expression for him to take a breath and starting to deliver a well deserved dressing down to the other man for his actions.
"How could you do that to me? I was scared to death, you made me think you were committing suicide in front of me. It sounded like you were saying goodbye and instead you just wanted to go for a fly? What the heck dad? Come on couldn't you have sat with me, safely inside your truck, and told me calmly Kurt we are dragons we can transform in giant flying reptiles and that's ok it's just who we are and there's nothing wrong with it, and then maybe actually telling me how that happened instead of jumping that way?"
If Kurt had been less scared and traumatised, maybe then he would have noticed the mischievous look into his father's eyes, as things were he completely missed that and when Burt opened his mouth and started answering Kurt's immediate reaction was to groan "Well son, when a female dragon meets a male dragon and they love each other very much, they end up mating in human form, and the the female becomes pregnant, and then their offspring has high chances of having their supernatural heritage as well, meaning that he is born a dragon as well..."
Kurt scoffed irritated "Funny dad, very funny ah-ha"
Burt chuckle stopped and he sighed softly as well before saying sincerely "I'm sorry Kurt, I didn't want to scare you or upset you that much. I just didn't know how to do this. And I really didn't want to do to you what my pa did"
Kurt raised an eyebrow in silent question as he crossed his arms on his chest, realising for the first time that he was wearing clothes, and that those ere not the ones he had on before he transformed...
Burt shrugged and offered a tight smile "He was doing very much a lion king scene, you know that moment when Mufasa is telling to Simba about one day having to rule over all that was touched by the sun moment…"
Kurt nodded slowly releasing his arms listening as Burt continued "Only for him to then give me a pat on the back that sent me flying over the edge, making me feel like I was falling to my death before I figured out how to transform and fly"
At the scandalised look that Kurt was sending his way he simply shrugged "These were other times buddy, and I was a lot younger than you are... He didn't know any better, and that was exactly how his father had been taught him."
Kurt wrinkled his nose unsatisfied "I'm not sure I would have like any of those options…"
Burt scratched the back of his head and said wistfully "All I knew for sure was that I didn't want to do that to you, like ever, but now I'm not so sure my own was that much better"
Kurt sent him a levelled glare and shook his head, Burt then continued "But I had promised myself that I wouldn't do that to my son"
Kurt's eyes softened, as Burt finished softly "I wish your mom was here, she would have probably have handled all of this a lot better than I am"
Kurt smiled softly "If you can manage to avoid other scares like that, I'd appreciate it very much, but it's not like you're doing a terrible job of it dad"
Burt hummed softly and grinned "If you think you can figure out how to shift at will we can then head home and call it a day, putting all of this behind us."
Kurt attempted the shift a few more times, each time getting faster and easier than the time before. He kept repeating the action until both of them were satisfied with the results.
Burt smiled proudly and said "You are doing great son, once we're at home we'll get you a couple of books that will be useful and that you really need to read before leaving town."
Kurt nodded and simply followed his dad, they both shifted into their dragon form and flew to the car, before driving back home.
Once they reached the house, Carole hugged them both and then offered Kurt a sealed envelope "This was waiting for you when I arrived home."
It was the Nyada's letter Kurt was waiting for. As soon as he took it in his hands, and it got within Burt's sniffing distance, his dad frowned and took a step closer so he could read its content over Kurt's shoulder, as he opened it up and read the school's decision.
To his immense surprise and relief it was an acceptance letter. As he kept on reading he discovered some strange peculiar notes that made him frown.
For one, he was offered a double major in stage combat and musical theatre with a minor in costume design. No other option, no choice about having only a single major, or even only one major and one minor. The whole affair seemed rather weird to him, but at the same time the price tag to it was not as inflated as he thought it would be.
The tone of the letter made it very clear, it was either accepting the offered position, or reject the suggested plan and choose a different school, no changes allowed for any reasons.
But Kurt reasoned that it wouldn't be too much of a problem, he wasn't afraid of working hard, and it wouldn't be a greater economical burden.
He knew he could do it, even a perfect stranger at Nyada, after seeing his audition had thought he could do it, so he couldn't see why he shouldn't believe in himself in the same way.
The second weird part was that they requested a private interview with him at his earlies convenience to work out living accommodation for the duration of his studies and that more would be explained in person.
Third even more puzzling part was the final note that any concerned parents were allowed to join into those informal interview.
When Burt reached that line the small distressed growling sound he had been emitting faded into nothingness.
Looking up from the letter and still seeing the expectant looks on both Carole and Finn's face Kurt smiled and said simply "I got in, they asked for an interview to better manage the living arrangement"
Both of them grinned and congratulated him and then Finn continued "Man you're so lucky, maybe the interview is to set you up with a cool room mate. Wish other school did that as well."
Kurt hummed pondering on Finn's guess, if that was the case then it would be really cool indeed, however he had a slight suspicion that wouldn't be the case, more likely it would have to be something connected to his newly discovered supernatural heritage.
Kurt didn't know exactly what to expect, but he reasoned that he would find out soon enough at that meeting, after all he had still time before he needed make a decision whether to accept his place or not.
Burt was considering their options then said "We should call the school hear if they do those fancy meeting on a short notice basis, we could even make a long weekend trip out of it, some family time"
Kurt looked intrigued "You thinking about getting the car and drive the ten hours there, the train or flying?"
Burt shrugged sending a warning glare at Kurt's teasing emphasis on the last one "I do have free miles we could use to get tickets there, all those times flying to DC must bear some fruits somehow…"
Finn started looking uncomfortable... "If we all go, can we please not saying anything to the others? Like can we totally avoid mentioning anything to Rachel in specific?"
Carole, bless her soul asked worried "Why there's something wrong with having a family trip together?"
Finn looked down and started shuffling his feet "It's just Rachel is going to blow things out of proportion, and either demand we take her with us because we're almost married and thus practically family already. Or she would give me hell for not telling her about this."
Kurt allowed a small scoff leaving his mouth "You know that the easiest solution of all would be not getting married to her in the first place right?"
And for the first time Finn looked as lost as he really was "She's still my girlfriend.."
Kurt opened his mouth ready to retort, but seeing the confused look still in Finn's eyes, he choose instead of closing it up again and pressed his lips in a thigh line.
He was raging internally at how Rachel was making his brother feel like he had no other options, but it would be counterproductive if he started to say anything about it before Finn was ready to hear and listen to what Kurt had to say.
Sadly he had a very good idea that Finchel wouldn't survive Rachel's New York aspiration .
As he had just asked few hours ago to not have people interfering in his own private life he couldn't very well barge uninvited into someone's else. However Finn was family, so he simply offered him a lifeline saying calmly "If you want to talk about it, you know where to find me"
The grateful look on Finn face would have been enough, but the added looks of pride present in both Carole and his dad's eyes made it all even more worthwhile.
The phone call to settle and schedule the date of the interview solved Finn's problem easily enough, when it was explained that the concerned family allowed in the interview were solely blood relatives sharing the same heritage as the student.
Namely it was a pretty neat line to make it clear the supernatural aspects of Kurt's life were the one going to be addressed.
And while it sounded a little discriminatory, it was also pretty understandable why other supernatural beings wouldn't want to admit or talk about such things in front of people not able to fully grasp the situation.
At least they were helpful and suggested that if only his dad was a blood relative, to simply saying that their interview would allow in only one parent anyway. So that the meeting wouldn't be cause of tension or distress for their family.
It worked neatly, and Carole was very understanding, once they were alone Kurt asked curiously "So air plane flying or you flying flying?"
Burt snorted and shook his head "Come on kiddo what do you expect? Have you seen many flying lizards around the news?"
Kurt shrugged and chuckled "No but we are in Lima, I doubt such news would even pass the local censure..."
Burt found himself chuckling as well and patted his son back "Nah no need to get exhausted when a plane could do all the work for us and without even having to learn the way..."
Upon arrival at the school they were met at the front door by Madame Tibideaux, the same person Kurt auditioned for.
To his credit, he blinked his surprise away and put on an easy calm smile on his lips within the first minute, noticing how the woman's smile grew after that as she nodded approvingly
"Mr Hummel, Kurt, please follow me we can have our talk in my office, it's this way."
As they started following her Kurt noticed a very faint and intriguing smell reminding him of sugar and cinnamon with a hint of peppermint.
It was a very attractive scent and he unconsciously licked his lips. The knowledge he'd soon be here to properly chase it down, until he found to whom this scent belonged to, was the only thing that kept him from going into a frenzy search right in that instant.
He had remained a step behind as Madame Tibideaux was giving his dad the selling pitch.
Kurt got distracted by a couple of students sneering down pointing alternatively at a poster and at the tall redhead they were badmouthing.
Their interaction escalated quickly to the point the duo started to physically push the read headed guy.
Something in Kurt roared to life at the mere sight, what were just darkening embers turned into molted lava, and he could feel the low growl reverberating in his chest.
He didn't even throw a glance at the two adults to see where they were going, he wasn't even sure why he felt that he needed to step in, he simply knew he had to.
He walked up to the snotty duo and asked in an icy tone "Is this how supposedly topnotch talents from all around the country behave in this school? I thought this was a college not a kindergarten, but if I am mistaken, then someone ought to be put down for a nap for being so cranky"
His words had frozen all three students, but Kurt didn't even take notice of that, instead he went directly to help up the redhead, receiving a small grateful smile in return and a look of awed admiration
"Thank you, I don't think anyone else would have dared to go against them, but it's too late for you to be a second semester student and I'm sure I would have seen you before..."
Kurt smiled sincerely and offered his hand "Kurt Hummel, and no I'll be a freshman starting from september, just to know beforehand, am I to expect more of this once I start here? Because honestly it's a little bit of a put off for me"
The redhead took the hand and shook it smiling brightly "James Porter, and well the school has its own internal working, but I can tell you it's not as bad as it looks, most of the times. This was really nothing, they would have just continued throwing some more insults at me and at the group I'm part of, and then left once they reached their daily quote of mean girls attitude"
Kurt frowned and for the nth time his eyes fell back onto the poster as he started to point it with a finger, almost reaching up "So I guess you're part of the Adam's Apples then?"
James offered him a bright smile noticing how Kurt's eyes kept returning to the poster every once in a while "Indeed, I can see you like our poster, would you like to take one with you home? So you know exactly who to search for when you come back here in the fall?"
Kurt smiled grateful at the offer, and this time he didn't fought the instinct of reaching up to touch reverently the precious piece of paper.
It was… he didn't know what it was or what it had around it, but for some weird reason being close to it just felt right, in a way he didn't recall anything else ever feeling that way before.
James chuckled at the besotted look on Kurt's face, then proceeded to remove the poster from the bulletin board and roll it up.
He fished a couple of rubber bands from his pocket and secured the poster in position before offering it to Kurt, admiring how it was accepted like a precious treasure.
He then looked around and asked Kurt "So how come you're here all alone?"
Kurt said before even looking around "I'm in here with my dad for an interview, Madam Tibideaux is leading us to her office"
James' eyes grew larger and then he nodded "I can take you to her office before they notice you've lagged behind, one suggestion as thank you for what you've done, when you get back home if someone else from your school had been accepted, try to keep under wrap that you came here for living arrangements. That is the kind of information you don't want people to know upfront."
Kurt look taken aback and blinked in surprise, he had not realised that in getting in the middle of this situation he would risk to lose his guide.
However the new information that James gave him made sense, he simply nodded his understanding. Despite the warning he could not feel threatened by having shared that information with James, so he took it as a sign that maybe the redhead was trustworthy, he surely felt that way.
Instead Kurt asked "Can you please take me there now then?"
James nodded then after few steps he looked back at the two still frozen students, and asked "What about them?"
Kurt turned to look and then waved his hand dismissively "They are free to go when they have cooled their hot tempers enough to know that sometimes it's better holding one's tongue."
And true to his words, as soon as Kurt said that, the snotty duo scrambled away sending incensed looks, but kept their mouth shut, to James' satisfaction.
The older boy grinned at Kurt and nodded, then proceeded to take a shortcut to the vocal performance dean's office.
True to James' promise Kurt walked right behind his father as if he had been there there the whole time.
From a afar, James noticed that the poster had found its way safely and discreetly into Kurt's messenger bag.
Feeling extremely pleased and satisfied with the outcome, he carried on with his day after sending a message to the other Apples that they were more than likely to gain a new member in their group in the the fall.
When later that afternoon Adam came to James asking "How can you be so sure of that?"
James grinned like he knew something important, something that they were all going to figure out on their own, when they'd finally meet the new freshman "Because I met him, his name is Kurt Hummel, and he stepped in to defend me, in the main hall when the snotty duo was throwing their daily dose of insults my way..."
Adam looked just as impressed as James had been "Mind if I ask you how he did it?"
James' whole body language became neutral and his smile placid, not giving anything away, and yet that level of neutrality was a tell in and on itself.
"He had few chosen words to say and they were very effective, but the part I think you'd probably should find more interesting, was that he kept looking longingly at our poster. Like he couldn't take his eyes off of it, and he had reached to touch it more than once. Though I doubt he'd even consciously realised it, so I took it off and gave it to him."
Adam's breath caught at that and he looked up at James hopeful as he asked in a low rumbling voice "And?"
James offered a small genuine smile "And he looked like I had handed him a treasure, I didn't even notice how or when, but before he went on with his day as we parted ways, he had already put it safely away, I suppose in the messenger bag he was clutching for dear life.
Adam's grin grew as he closed his eyes briefly whispering softly "Just one last summer and then we'll meet. Thank you so much for telling me James, I appreciate it"
James only hummed in response, basking in the happiness this day brought.
Once inside Madam Tibideaux's office, Kurt discovered that, as James had promised, his absence had not been noticed. In fact it seemed as if the time he spent with the other students hadn't passed at all.
The way the two adult were talking, it seemed as if his presence or input wasn't at all needed nor necessary.
He was getting quite lost in his own thoughts, when suddenly Madam Tibideaux asked him if he felt comfortable in shifting and letting her see his form.
Something in that request rubbed him in the wrong way and he couldn't stop himself from asking "And exactly why would you need to know that?"
Burt offered the dean a knowing smirk and a shrug of his shoulder, as if to say 'told you so… Feel free to try to convince him'
Madam Tibideaux, smiled in what probably was supposed to be a reassuring and friendly way, but to Kurt it just felt off, "We just want to make sure your accommodation would be comfortable, allowing you the downtime to relax in your more natural form"
The words had the shiny appearance to seem aimed to aid him, but something, more than one something actually, felt so terribly wrong.
If he was to reveal his form, he was pretty sure it would be listed somewhere, information that then would be stored somewhere inside or anyway connected to the school.
Kurt might not have been aware of his supernatural heritage for a long time, but having lived in such a small town as Lima had taught him that there were things best left unknown to the general populace. Some things were private and were supposed to stay that way.
James' advice was also still ringing in his ears. If he wasn't supposed to be that liberal in sharing the fact that, as supernatural being, he had been granted living accommodations.
Then more than likely he wasn't supposed to share exactly what he was or allow any record of it, or even pictures to be added to his name in some file cabinet or database.
Returning an equally friendly and placid smile, just as fake as hers, Kurt replied politely "I'm sure that such organised school as yours has rough shape classification catalogue or book that could be used to indicate a student's shift dimension. Probably even cut in categories like small, medium and large if not able to go in even more details. I'll be more than willing to pick from those lists the current size of my shifted form."
Madam Tibideaux looked like she had been handed a basked full of lemons to swallow, but still she managed to smile "I see your point Kurt, in that case let me pick the shape size book for you."
Burt quipped smiling "I'd say you probably should take directly the medium large part of it"
Kurt managed to restrain himself and didn't look as shocked as he was feeling.
He simply allowed his father to lead the discussion, he wouldn't have said that he was that big, but to be honest during the times he shifted he had been more preoccupied with other things like grooming and flying lessons on top of other similar activities that were supposed to be taught early on.
And with his late awaken he had to have crash courses to be sure of being ready by the time he left home.
Madam Tibideaux put the shape book in front of Kurt and he tried to gauge what to do. Clearly his dad was suggesting he'd declare a larger shape than his current one.
Maybe he still had growth sprouts left in him, at least as far as his shift shape was concerned.
Looking at his dad he noticed he was pointedly looking up at the sky outside the window, and a small smile formed on Kurt lips.
He kept reverently pass over the shapes as he had done before and then shook his head moving forward to bigger ones, as if he had been looking longingly wishing he had a smaller size than his actual one, instead of trying to gauge which one would be more a more accurate one.
If he was supposed to have enough space to fly then he was going to declare to be at least trice as big as he actually was.
Adjusting the book's position in his lap he didn't notice that his bag shifted, and a whiff of that faint scent of sugar, cinnamon and peppermint reached his nose making him stop for a moment.
They were going to gauge the living accommodation to house his size, but that scent made him want to have a nest.
A place he would be able to keep beyond his school years, and that meant he had to be redirected to external sources rather than take 'advantage' of the 'opportunities' the school offered.
On a whim he closed the book and reopened it on the last page before commenting softly "Dad I might be wrong, but I don't think even the biggest one in this book is quite as large, what do you think?"
To his credit Burt barely blinked, he took the book that Kurt was passing to him with the hand that had inconspicuously petted the poster, and carried on it the new scent that was quickly becoming important to to Kurt.
Burt's eyes glimmered for a moment, almost assuming a reptilian pupil, that returned normal in less than a blink of an eye. He hummed making a show of looking between the book and Kurt and then nodded "Indeed you're right son"
Then he turned to Madam Tibideaux and asked "Are those all the dimensions you can accommodate?"
She hummed thinking throughly. She was clearly trying to decide whether the two men in front of her were serious in their affirmation, or if they were toying with her, in the end she decided to answer neutrally "That is the top rage that we can accommodate on school properties. We do have though contacts of other friendly places where accommodation could be found. But I'm afraid then that the school would not be able to provide for the costs of such option. It would be exactly as if Kurt was an off campus student, while if instead he could manage to stay within school properties, that expense would be taken care by the school"
Kurt raised an eyebrow and tilted his head asking innocently "But weren't you the one saying just now that I was supposed to feel comfortable and able to relax in my shift's natural size?"
And with that Madam Tibideaux knew she had lost any chance to actually have Kurt under the school's watchful control. She sighed internally and nodded "You're correct, in that case let me offer you the list of agencies that will know exactly what to offer you and be discreet about it if you mention that you're going to be a Nyada's student."
Burt raised an eyebrow and questioned "And will those report back to you and tell you which place we might end up renting?"
Madam Tibideaux smiled intrigued and then shook her head "No, they will only report how many of their special heritage friendly places have available, nothing more."
Both Kurt and Burt nodded pleased at the news, then Burt collected the list then said "Guess we are all good then?"
Madam Tibideaux nodded and stood up soon followed by the two men "Can you gentlemen find your way out or shall I take you back to the entrance?"
Burt smiled and said swiftly "I'm sure we can manage to find our way out, thank you so much for your time. It has been a pleasure"
Once out, Burt looked at his son and asked "So are we going to check the places now and try to see if we'd get a good deal?"
Kurt looked surprised, "You know that if we do that I'll be in here probably from the beginning of the summer?"
Burt nodded "I know son, point is you have already shown me you can deal with most of the issues that might came out. Mind you kiddo, I don't really want to push you out of the house, but I also know you are ready to fly away from the nest, and that you'll do wonderfully"
Kurt hugged his dad and said in his ear "Then can we please do it now and see if we can land a place already?"
To their surprise their search didn't last long. On the second name on the list had exactly what felt like home to Kurt, it was a big empty loft in Bushwick, it was a top floor with private access to the roof.
It required quite some work and care, in fact the agent showed it only because it was the biggest they had available, but warned them it was very much a rundown property that probably wouldn't suit the needs of the younger man.
However, when they walked into it, Burt saw just how enamoured Kurt was of the place…
Kurt was striding through the whole space with a sure footing, touching the walls every so often, and looking like he could already see what the place would be like, rather than how it currently was.
So Burt asked all business like "Is there a rent to own option for this place?"
The agent looked surprised and then checked twice on her phone "Actually, could you give me a moment there's something I need to double check"
Burt nodded and the lady went to the very opposite end of the open space. Kurt was checking on the state of the bathroom, finding it in perfect conditions, clearly a recent renovation.
Both Burt and Kurt tried to not overhear the rather frantic call the agent was having, but it was sort of difficult when her voice sounded crystal clear in their ears
"Are you sure that number is correct? Yes, yes I know, and yes I know that those were the exact words but… I know, look it's just weird I… Yes, of course, of course I didn't mean to be disrespectful. Yes sir, yes I'll talk to them, I'll let them know and bring them back to the office to sign the papers… Yes Sir"
Kurt at that point had stopped running around the place and returned to his father's side.
The agent then returned to them with an embarrassed smile and said with some hesitancy "To answer your question sir, yes there is the option of rent to own, but you see, it's something that the owner would like to discuss at the agency, if you're really interested, you know so you could talk things through."
Both Burt and Kurt looked at each other and then nodded. The ride to the agency was silent, the agent clearly wasn't that comfortable, but neither men felt the inclination of starting some small talks just to ease the tension in the car.
Once they reached the office the owner of the agency came out to greet them with a big smile.
Kurt was quickly starting to pick up that everyone who felt more whole, this far had ended up being somehow connected to the supernatural, a world he was still growing accustomed to.
Burt was met with a firm handshake and a smile, when it came to Kurt's turn something tingled in his mind and without really knowing why, Kurt returned the offered handshake with a smile of his own as he said "Kurt Hummel, Ser Leonids, a pleasure to meet you"
And to the agent's surprise, the owner of the agency smiled extremely pleased. The British Ser Lionel Leonids, had been living in the states for little over four decades, he never lost the birthright to his title, but he also never advertised or even used it. So Kurt, in all honesty, shouldn't have been able to known about such detail, even less knowing to use it.
And if someone had asked later on, Kurt himself wouldn't have been able to pinpoint exactly what made him say that.
However, that was all the proof Lionel needed to exclaim "I'm so glad you've finally arrived. Come in, come in, let's clear up all the pesky legal details and set up to the conditions..."
Burt was pretty surprised by it all, and when they all sat down, Lionel asked to Kurt "So tell me have you already met many of your future classmates?"
Kurt blinked and then shook his head "Just three, two of which I could have done without, but James sounded like a good friend to have and he seemed friendly enough with me"
Lionel dug a little more, evidently both curious and in search of something in particular "And does your friend also have a last name"
Kurt looked straight into the older man eyes, trying to gauge his intentions. Instead of answering like he felt slightly compelled to, he offered a smile of his own and replied gently
"Of course he has one, but I don't see how that would be important, or even relevant to me signing a lease for the loft in Bushwick."
If Kurt was honest with himself, he thought he would have received the stinky eye for offering such a borderline rude answer. Burt for sure was looking at him like he was torn between being proud and wanting to scold him.
To everyone's surprise Lionel laughed pleased "Well done boy. I was worried for a minute that you'd be too soft for New York, but you'll feel right at home here. You've chosen one of the best places to build a nest in. And it will come to serve you well. Here's my offer, I'll give you one year of lease in your name, so you can built your credit score. In one year time you'll return and let me know if you want to keep the lease as it is or if you've found someone else to be added as co owner."
Burt frowned at the insinuation, while Kurt found himself both curious and intrigued by the notion, Lionel continues as if he hadn't taken notice of the two men reactions.
"If you have found someone, I'll give you a further year of lease so you'll both will have better credit score, and then it's going to be officially yours, with the rest of the payments to be paid in monthly instalments until you have reached the whole sum, or until you gathered the whole amount needed to finish buying it off. How does this sound?"
Burt raised an eyebrow the incredulous snort in his words barely concealed "A little too good to be truth in my opinion..."
Lionel smiled and nodded "It's not an offer I would have done to anyone else. Let's put all our cards down on the table, shall we? "
He waited until first Burt and then Kurt nodded their agreement and then Lionel continued
"We're all dragons in here, and from the still settling scent I can get from young Kurt here he had most likely already scent marked the loft as his territory"
Burt raised an eyebrow thinking about it and then nodded slowly "I suppose that was what he was doing. I didn't realise that."
Kurt blushed especially as soon as Lionel smiled and asked again "And weren't you doing that while holding something precious? Already trying to picture where it would be the best place to hang it, so you could see it from every angle of the loft and get comfort from it?"
Kurt instinctively wrapped his arms around his bag making sure it was close and the poster inside was still safely there.
Lionel just chuckled at the gesture and raised his arm in surrender "Peace young one peace. It was not an attack, I was merely pointing out that I already know this happened because in my bloodline there was a strong affinity for the foresight. I knew there was going to be a young strong couple that would settle in my city, and who will need help to have a nest worthy of their position and of the work they were going to do for our community. I didn't have any names, or dates only, few exact details, All I had to do was be there at the right time waiting for them. So I settle down and waited. And now you're here..."
Kurt fund himself purring softly in agreement, it was a very soft and low sound that made Burt look at his son with tenderness, and a little bit of fear, seeing his son so ready to take over and live his life as an adult standing on his own.
Lionel continued "So do you find my terms agreeable?"
Kurt nodded happily, his mind flying already back to the loft, and the promise and potential it held.
Lionel chuckled and took out the papers, Burt asked to see them first and Kurt didn't mind his dad's interference at all. It felt like it was going to be one of the last things his dad would be able to do for him.
After all the highs and lows of the day it took a surprisingly short amount of time to set everything up. The lease would start from July, allowing Kurt a whole summer to work on the loft and to make a home out of it.
Lionel promised to have the loft cleaned and fixed up into working condition with a neutral coat of paint so Kurt could decide to decorate as he pleased without having to wait for the paint to dry.
Once they returned back to Lima, with the promise that Kurt could drop by the agency on July first and pick up the keys of his new home, the first thing they did was talk with both Carole and Finn about how the interview was not something offered and available for everyone. They explained that it was a special scholarship open to only to a limited number of candidates, and it was better not let people know that Kurt had been offered it.
Kurt actually took his brother to the side and asked earnestly "In fact could we please not mention at school that I've got in? I rather not have to hear Rachel complaining on how unfair it was that I could get in without doing all the 'hard work' she had to do to convince Madam Tibideaux to let her in... Is that ok with you?"
Finn looked almost relieved "Yes please, no offence lil bro but I really don't want to hear her moaning and groaning about that all the time. It's going to be difficult enough if I don't get any letters from New York..."
At that Kurt looked worried and asked "I'm not the one to judge, you know I've wanted out of here since forever, but is that what you really want?"
Finn just shrugged "Isn't it too late now to think about that?"
Kurt shook his head "It's never too late. Just please consider thinking and searching for something that you enjoy doing, and not something that could support Rachel's dreams and fits her fantasies..."
Finn looked like he had swallowed a stone "You don't think we'd survive New York do you?"
Kurt bit his lower lip and asked softly "what answer do you want to hear?"
Finn looked up and asked worried "What answers do you have?"
Kurt started listing and counting on his fingers "The one meant for comfort that's not necessarily truthful, the brutally honest unadulterated truth, and the one where your worried brother tries to give you an honest opinion without being too rough on you."
Finn looked up and asked in an almost child like manner "Can I have brother answer then?"
Kurt gently patted Finn's shoulder and invited him to sit down on his chair while Kurt himself sat on the nearby stool
"I think that Rachel is very focused on reaching her own goal, uncaring of what are the costs she and the people around her have to pay. I think that you are a sweet guy who wouldn't really mind the midwest way of life of getting married right out of high school, and get a job to take care of the family you're building."
Finn was nodding along glowing at the praises, and the Kurt squeezed Finn's hand gently "And I think Rachel is not really mature enough to have the kind of relationship where both people make compromises and meet each other in the middle."
A confused look started to form on Finn's face as he listened, as if there was something he didn't quite understand or figured out. Kurt still continued talking.
"That is the kind of relationship you deserve. One in which you are and your partner are equal, a relationship where your desires and dreams are just as important as your partner's"
Finn frowned confused and then showing an hindsight not as rare as it might have seemed, he said "But your relationship with Blaine wasn't like that, you always did what he wanted. Just like I do with Rachel…"
Kurt smiled sadly and nodded "You're right it wasn't like that, and that's precisely why I ended things with Blaine. It was not the kind of relationship I wanted or deserved, so I got out of it."
Finn nodded looking lost in thoughts. Kurt gently patted his back and mechanically Finn raised from the chair and went back to his own room.
Graduation came and passed, Blaine was still under the illusion that Kurt would come around, despite the fact that Kurt had made sure to prepare and return to the boy, a box full of all the stuff borrowed, gifted or in any way connected to Blaine.