As Sung By

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: So, I think you guys are going to love or hate this chapter; I'm leaning towards the latter. But I wanted to update soon after the last, because I owed you one, but one of the comments got to me and I realized I needed to work on a certain friendship.

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Chapter 11: The Saltwater Room

Time together isn't ever quite enough
When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time... (Owl City)

Adjusting the strap of his Marc Jacob's bag Kurt headed for the double doors of McKinley High, head held high. It had been two weeks since he and Noah had started things up and since then Kurt found himself in a much better and relaxed mood. He felt the fact that the gorillas of the football team had backed off of him, too; no dumpster dives and slushie facials since things with Puck had began. Kurt wasn't sure what Noah had said to the Neanderthals, but whatever it had been, he was grateful for it.

He made a mental note to express his gratitude to Noah later on.

Kurt had made it not ten feet from the door when a strong hand pulled at his forearm, breaking his stride. The small boy tensed and sighed. It looked like today would put an end to that no dumpster diving streak.

"Kurt."

The petite brunette relaxed right away. It was a football player, but he wouldn't mind an encounter with this one. He turned with a friendly smile, "Hello, Finn."

The abnormally tall teen greeted Kurt with a goofy grin, "What are you doing here so early?"

Kurt couldn't help but to keep smiling, he found Finn's charm and lopsided grin adorable, "Sometimes I come early to use the choir room to practice by myself."

Finn's smile faltered for a moment at Kurt's choice of words and fought the slight blush that was rushing to his cheeks, "That's cool."

For a moment an awkward silence descended. Kurt hadn't seen much of Finn since he and Puck started "practicing" (as they told Burt whenever he got home early from work). "What about you? I did not figure you the type to get to school early."

Finn chuckled and stuffed his fingers into his front pockets, "I'm usually not, but Coach called an emergency moral…no, that's not right. Morale!" Finn pulled his right hand out of his pocket and snapped his fingers, "That's it, a morale meeting for the team this morning."

Kurt smiled, "That seems like an effective thing to do. How did it go?" He was genuinely interested, well more so in conversing with Finn and less about the team's morale, but then again that was important to Finn, so it was important to him. Friends were allowed to care about the things their friends cared about, right?

Finn shrugged and frowned slightly, slipping his right hand back into his pocket, "Eh, it could have gone better. Most of the guys don't take it seriously." Finn scrunched his brow for a moment; he seemed to be thinking about something really hard, "They should, though. It's important. We'll never win if they don't try harder, you know?" By now he was looking back at Kurt.

Kurt nodded, "That's true, but you guys did win one this year! That's something." His smiled beamed up at the other boy.

Finn's smile grew into more of a grin, "Yeah, but then we lost our best asset: our kicker."

Kurt blushed at the compliment, "I wasn't that good."

Finn reached a hand out and put it on Kurt's bicep and the smaller boy unconsciously leaned into the warmth of the touch, "You were awesome!"

Kurt continued to smile, "Thank you, Finn."

Soon a silence began to settle, but this one wasn't anywhere near awkward, it was comfortable and filled with smile, "Hey, Finn," Kurt went on, "Would you like to keep hanging out while I practice inside?" He motioned back toward the doors as he spoke. Finn nodded happily and followed Kurt into the school.

While the two friends wondered off inside they were unaware of a pair of narrowed brown eyes watching them from across the parking lot.

I'd sooner buy, defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
And you won't bring me down!

Kurt's melodic voice filled the auditorium and once he had taken a moment to catch his breath he stepped a bit closer to Finn, who sat a few feet back on the piano bench watching him with wide eyes and an impressed expression.

"I told you I could hit." Kurt stated matter-of-factly.

It took him a moment, because he was still taken aback by how perfect Kurt's voice had been through the course of the song. His teasing the boy about not being able to hit a high "F" had been facetious, but when Kurt had demanded Finn allow him to prove that his loss at the Diva Off had been a fluke, Finn allowed him the chance to prove himself.

"You're amazing." Finn spoke without thinking.

Kurt blushed and for a moment things threatened to get awkward, but Kurt did his best to fight it and smiled graciously, "Thank you. From you, Mr. Hudson, that means a lot." And he offered a little bow before taking a seat on the bench next to Finn.

Finn smiled for a moment, but it soon disappeared, "Can I ask you somethin', Kurt?" Kurt nodded and Finn went on, "If you could hit the note you needed, why didn't you?"

Kurt took a breath, he hadn't talk about think with anyone, but Finn was his friend and he had nothing to be ashamed of. "My dad." Kurt said simply.

Finn's normal expression of semi-confusion and blankness grew more confused, "Did he not want you to sing that song."

Kurt quickly shook his head in the negative, "No, no, no. It was nothing like that." Kurt sighed looking down for a moment; however when he raised his head his gaze strategically did not meet Finn's, "The day before the Diva Off, my dad got a call." Finn still looked confused, "Someone called and told him I was a fag."

Finn's expression changed to one of horror, "That's horrible! I am so sorry Kurt."

Kurt shrugged, "It is nothing I'm not used to, but my dad…" Kurt trailed off; he hated thinking about the pain it brought his father when Kurt was harassed for his sexuality. "He is not used to that kind of thing. I mean while he has sort of always known and we have come to peace with it, it's never been maliciously thrown in his face and when I saw how hu-hurt," Kurt's voice quivered and Finn put a hand to his thigh, causing Kurt to finally look him in the eye, "He was so hurt, Finn." Kurt frowned and so did the taller of the two. Kurt took a deep breath and sighed, "I knew if I got up on a stage and sang a girl's song in front of hundreds of people, it would just get worse. I love who I am and I love music, but not more than I love my dad."

Finn offered a small smile, "You're really classy, Kurt." Finn's brow tightened, "Wait, that is a good word, right?"s

Kurt laughed at that, he couldn't hold it back, "Yes, it's a very good word. And, you're a very good friend. Thank you, Finn." Kurt leaned closer and hugged the boy; he was surprised at how tightly Finn returned the hug.

Even though the moment was innocent and simple and friendly, from afar it could have seemed like more. Especially as a tall figure watched the boy who had openly liked Finn watched, cloaked in shadow and their fists tightened.

The figure stormed off through the open side-door that had concealed them in a dark silhouette, a new mission embedded in their mind and heart.

By the time Glee practice came at the end of the day, Kurt Hummel would pay!

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Author's Note: Ooh, cliffhanger! Okay, not really. I think we all know who's in the shadows. What will they do?! What will become of Finn and Kurt? How will this affect the Glee club?! Dun, dun, dun!