Kurt is sitting at a table in the Lima Bean, head buried in his laptop working on an English paper when he's startled by an excited voice.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry, but I just had to come over here and let you know that that hippopotamus brooch is amazing."
Kurt looks up to see a slim boy who looks to be about his age, with blonde hair and glasses smiling widely at him.
"Oh, thanks," he replies, a little taken aback; if strangers are going to make a comment about his fashion choices, it's not usually positive feedback.
"Actually, that whole outfit is fantastic. You must get compliments all the time," the boy adds.
Kurt laughs a little. "No, actually, I don't," he says, but can't help but smile back; this boy's enthusiasm is kind of infectious.
"Well, everybody else must just be too intimidated, then," the boy says with a grin, then pulls out the chair across from Kurt, "do you mind if I sit with you?"
"No, go ahead," Kurt says, gesturing to the chair.
"Thanks," the boy replies, taking a seat then extending his hand over the table toward Kurt, "Chandler Kiehl."
"Kurt Hummel," Kurt says, reaching out and shaking the boy's hand.
"What are you working on there, Kurt Hummel?" Chandler asks.
"Oh, just an English paper," Kurt says offhandedly, closing his laptop, "but it's just about finished. What brings you to the Lima Bean?"
"Well I just stopped in to pick up a coffee on my way to the library to work on a history paper, it's going to be about the cultural impact of musical theatre in the past century which is a really exciting topic and I'm just dying to research it, but then I got distracted by this really attractive guy and I just had to come over and talk to him."
Kurt tries to fight the blush. Chandler is just being so forward, and it would creep him out a little if the other boy didn't seem so genuine and sincere; it reminded him of Blaine just a little, cheerful and upbeat. But Kurt doesn't flirt with people, he isn't flirted with, doesn't really know what to do in this situation, and he has a boyfriend for god's sake, so he just brushes off the comment and focuses on the paper Chandler is meant to be writing, which really does sound pretty interesting.
"That's a really interesting topic! Was it assigned?"
"No, of course not," Chandler says with a laugh, "no way any teacher at North Lima High would give that out as a topic. We got to choose our own topic and it was approved, with some reluctance which I don't understand at all but approved none the less so I'm not going to complain!"
"I know what you mean," Kurt agrees with a sad smile, "I go to William McKinley and no teacher there would assign that either, sadly. Except maybe our Glee coach."
"Oh you're in the Glee club?" Chandler asks excitedly, bouncing a little in his seat. "The New Directions, right?"
Kurt nods, surprised. He didn't realize anybody outside of, well, the Glee club, cared about the Glee club. Especially nobody outside of their school.
"That's so great! I tried to start a Glee club at my school, but there wasn't enough interest to keep it going, sadly. I am so jealous!"
"We almost didn't make it either, somehow our coach convinced some of the football team and the cheerleaders to join, so we just have enough for competitions now."
"You have football players and cheerleaders in your Glee club? Wow! That's amazing! I'm lucky if I go a day without a football player throwing me in a dumpster at my school," Chandler says wistfully, but the boy is somehow still smiling and Kurt just can't help but still be smiling back.
"Well, that still happens," Kurt replies with a chuckle.
"That's too bad. But it's so amazing that you have a Glee club! Maybe I should try to get our Glee club up and running again. Even just so I can have it to put on my college applications. I'm planning on applying to as many musical theatre programs as I can, and every little bit will help. Are you planning on doing musical theatre in college as well?"
"That's my plan. I've looked at NYADA in New York, but I haven't really looked into any other programs," Kurt admits.
"Oh, I would absolutely die to go to NYADA," Chandler gushes, "or NYU, or California-Irvine, or- well, there's just too many to list! I'm sure you could get into NYADA though, you sound like you must have an absolutely angelic voice."
Kurt feels the light blush colour his cheeks again. "Well, we'll see."
Chandler glances down at his watch. "Well, I really should be going now, I hate to say it, but could I get your number and maybe we can meet up for a proper coffee sometime?"
"I'm um- I would love to but I uh... I have a boyfriend," Kurt says, blushing furiously now and offering what he hopes is an apologetic smile.
"Of course, the cute ones always do," Chandler says wistfully, "but we could still meet up for a coffee sometime, just as friends, of course. I'd love to get to know you and be your friend. No pressure, not a date, just a hangout as friends, I promise."
Chandler is still smiling and how does he do that?
"I... Yeah, okay," Kurt agrees with a tentative smile.
"Okay, great!" Chandler says excitedly, sliding his phone across the table for Kurt to fill in his contact details. "I'll send you a text so you have my number too, and we can meet up sometime and maybe brainstorm some audition song ideas and it will be so fun."
"Yeah, sure. That sounds fun," Kurt agrees, sliding the phone back to Chandler after adding his number.
"Well Kurt Hummel, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon," Chandler says as he stands, and extends his hand out to Kurt for another handshake.
"It was nice meeting you as well," Kurt replies, shaking the extended hand.
"I'll see you around soon!" Chandler says cheerily, and then he's disappearing out the door, and Kurt is left sitting there alone with a lingering warmth in his cheeks and a dumb smile on his face.
True to his word, Chandler texted Kurt less than an hour after he left the Lima Bean that day, and they've been texting every day since. Chandler is full of compliments and praise for Kurt, and it had made him a little uncomfortable at first, but he quickly realized that this isn't Chandler flirting, this is just how Chandler is, and besides, the attention and confidence boost is kind of nice, so he's not complaining.
He's smiling down at his phone, reading the most recent text from Chandler about how uniquely beautiful his voice is, when Mercedes' voice interrupts his thoughts.
"I see you have everything all sorted out with Blaine then," she says with a smirk.
He puts his phone down on the table and looks at her. "What do you mean?"
"You've done nothing but smile down at that phone all week," she explains "clearly whatever was going on between you is smoothed over now."
"Oh, no, it's- that wasn't Blaine," Kurt says.
Mercedes rolls her eyes at him. "Yeah right, Kurt. I know that look."
"Really, it's not."
"Then who is it?"
"Uh, Chandler."
She narrows her eyes at him. "Who's Chandler?"
"This guy I met at the Lima Bean," Kurt explains. "He goes to North Lima, and he's planning to apply to some musical theatre programs, so we've been talking a lot about music."
"Is he gay?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Kurt asks defensively.
"Is he?"
"Yes, so what?"
"Kurt."
"What?"
"What about Blaine?" she asks.
"What about Blaine?" Kurt counters.
"Does he know about this Chandler guy that you're texting all the time?"
"No, but it's not like it's a secret," Kurt says.
"If it's not a secret then why haven't you told him?"
"Because there's nothing to tell. I don't tell him every time I talk to you or Rachel or Tina."
"Kurt. You haven't stopped smiling at your phone for the past week. I know what that means, I'm not stupid."
"Just because he's gay doesn't mean anything is going on, 'Cedes," he huffs, rolling his eyes, "we're just friends."
"Yeah, well that's what you said last time too, wasn't it?" she counters.
"You're being ridiculous."
"You're being purposefully obtuse."
"I'm not- I can have gay friends, Mercedes!"
"He's not just a friend if you're smiling like an idiot every time he texts you!"
"This is absurd. Chandler is just my friend, there is nothing else going on."
Mercedes reaches across the table and grabs his phone before he can stop her.
"Your voice sounds like if a siren and an angel had a baby. If you were a fruit, you'd be a fine-apple," she reads as she scrolls through the texts, "Kurt, seriously? What are you doing?"
Kurt snatches his phone out of her hand and slides it into his pocket. "I'm not doing anything, we're just talking. So he's nice to me, shouldn't friends be nice to you?"
"Kurt, this boy is flirting with you."
"He knows I have a boyfriend, Mercedes, this is just what he's like."
"And I'm sure you don't mind that one bit," she scoffs.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he says, narrowing his eyes at her.
"You can't go out and find some other boy to make you feel good just because your boyfriend is busy, Kurt."
"That isn't- I'm not! Chandler is a friend. I'm allowed to have friends," he argues, exasperated.
"Then why doesn't Blaine know about it?"
"I'm not- this is- fine, okay? I will tell Blaine that I have a new friend, will that make you happy?"
"Very," Mercedes replies with a smug grin.
"You are impossible," he huffs, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair.