More about Amber! This takes place a year after Kurt was introduced to Amber. I've decided that Someone Has To Know Me is going to be put into chapters, instead of different stories. Sorry to all who were confused when I put that story in as being complete. I think Amber deserves more storyline, so I've giving it to her. Here you all go, I hope you enjoy.
As always, I don't own Glee, Dalton or pretty much anything else. XD
Kurt Hummel had found his voice with the Dalton Academy Warblers; now he was trying to help Amber Harrison find hers.
When Kurt had met Amber, she had been nearly eight years old; a victim of circumstance, and hadn't talked in over three years.
With his help, she had overcome her speech problem, which was less of a problem and more of an ingrown habit. Her Uncle Ted, whom she had fostered with for a short time while she was three, had been fond of silence; and he had hit her repeatedly when she wasn't quiet.
Once she had been removed from his care, she had found his logic to be correct, as most people seemed to leave her alone when she refused to speak. And so she went, for most of her life, without speaking a single word. Until she met Kurt.
When she met him, he had been part of a large group of teenagers, who were volunteering at a group home. Her home. And she had been too reticent to join in with the girls who were skipping with Blaine. So she stayed on the outskirts, until Kurt had wandered up to her.
He had startled her, at first. His quiet "Hi," had soothed her a bit though, and she knew instinctively that this boy would never hurt her. So she had replied with her own soft "Hi," back. And had effectively silenced every single worker who had spent time with her at the home before then, including the Tweedles.
It was now a year after meeting Kurt. Amber had grown four inches since then, her front teeth had finally come in and she actually liked her smile.
Unfortunately, it was really the only thing about herself she did like.
"Come here, pretty lady, and give me a hug," Kurt's gentle voice never failed to make Amber smile, and she ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Hi, Kurt!" He still towered over her, she thought morosely to herself. Oh when would she be able to have that growth spurt everyone kept talking about? And no, the four inches over the past year didn't count!
Kurt looked at Amber out of the corner of his eye, slowly studying her face. As she watched him watching her, her face coloured and she turned her eyes down to the floor, biting her lip softly.
"Ha Ha!" Kurt laughed at his favourite protégé. "You've almost mastered it! Try not to let the blush reach your cheeks next time, and you'll totally have it! No boy is ever going to be able to resist you!" He laughed again, and she joined him with a little giggle.
What Kurt didn't know wouldn't hurt him, Amber thought, as she smiled winsomely up at him. That she had practised for hours, so that he would look at her, just like that. His heart would be hers very soon. Never mind the age difference. Nor the fact that he pretended he was gay. She knew he loved her. Now all she had to do was make him see it.
He stopped laughing at her, and sized her up. Tilting her his head at her, he studied her complexion, and her hairstyle. She wasn't sure if she passed the grade or not, but he spun on his heel, grabbing her hand, and together they dashed to Mrs. Hayes' office.
"Hi, Mrs. Hayes!" Kurt's countertenor voice startled the elderly lady into looking up from her computer.
"Oh, hello Kurt. Hello Amber. What can I do for you?" She asked, pulling off her reading glasses and staring at the two.
"Mrs Hayes, I'd love to take Amber out and get her some new clothes, and possibly a new hairstyle. Would that be allowed?" Kurt asked, his voice breathless from the run to the office. Amber held her breath nervously, wondering if Mrs. Hayes could tell how much she wanted to go shopping with Kurt.
"Oh, Kurt, don't you think you spoil her enough, already?" Mrs. Hayes frowned a little, looking over to Amber, scrutinising her. Amber's face coloured as she bore the scrutiny.
"No, Mrs. Hayes, I think I haven't spoiled her at all," Kurt advised gently, as he looked askance at Amber.
Mrs. Hayes sighed a little, and gave them both a smile.
"All right, Kurt, if you think you can handle her for a while, I can let you take her to the mall. No going anywhere else, though. And she has to be back to the house by dinner." Kurt grinned in unison with Amber, they both cheered a little, and Kurt pulled Amber from the office with a quick "Thanks!".
Together they bounded to Amber's room, making sure to pick up Amber's little purse, and then they ran out the door to Kurt's parked Navigator.
As Kurt drove them to the mall, all Amber could think about was the fact that she was getting to spend the afternoon with her favourite man in the whole world, and the size of her grin was enough to make Kurt giggle softly.
"You look like the cat who swallowed the canary," He quipped, a tiny giggle ruining the effect. Amber looked back at him, still grinning wildly.
"Maybe I am," She retorted. "Keep your eyes on the road, Mister Hummel," As Kurt turned back to the road, Amber began plotting ways to get Kurt to hold her hand, and maybe even kiss her. She may only be nine and three quarters, but she was pretty, Kurt was always telling her so. And she was smart too, even her teachers said it. She was one of the smartest in her class, and she was extremely proud of that. The fact that Kurt helped her with her homework twice a week was all to her benefit. She got some extra assistance, and more time to spend with Kurt.
When they arrived at the mall, Amber didn't have to invent an excuse to hold Kurt's hand; he took hers in his and her little heart fluttered at the contact. He was so into her, she thought to herself.
They wandered around, looking at everything. They went into every store that sold clothes her size. The only problem with that, was that all the stores they went into, were children's stores! She couldn't wait until she was old enough to shop at the stores for adults. Her body may have been that of a child, but her mind was definitely ready to be an adult, or so she believed.
Once they had picked out seven new items of clothing, including a gorgeous scarf for Kurt, they made their way to the food court, chatting amicably about anything and everything.
"Hey, white boy! Fancy meeting you here! I thought you had volunteering today?" Mercedes Jones appeared, as though out of nowhere, and she dashed up to Kurt and Amber and threw her arms around her friend in a hug. Amber gave a little scowl, but made sure not to allow Kurt to see it. Jealousy wasn't a trait Kurt enjoyed seeing in others.
"Mercedes!" Kurt squealed, hugging her back, and when he released her, he turned to introduce Amber. "Mercedes, I would like to introduce you to Amber. This is the girl I've been mentoring for over a year. Amber, I'd like you to meet Mercedes Jones." He smiled at both girls softly, and Amber felt herself die, just a little inside.
"Hello," She murmured quietly, and slowly slid sideways so that Kurt was between Mercedes and herself. Kurt turned a questioning glance on her, and she coloured slightly. Ducking her head, she listened to the two converse for a few minutes, talking about Kurt's glee club, which Mercedes seemed to also be a part of. They made plans to get together later on that week, and then Mercedes left.
Kurt turned to Amber with a shocked look on his face. He lifted her chin, and for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart fluttered gently against her chest.
"Amber, you haven't been shy with anyone in a long time. Are you all right?" He asked, carefully studying her face for any signs of nervousness or repressed fear. She shook her head at him, more to clear her mind than anything else.
"I'm fine," She offered, removing her chin from his fingers, and flounced over to the juice bar. "May I have something to drink, please?" She asked, flashing him the special smile she used only on him. Kurt laughed softly, and wandered over to the counter.
"Of course you can. What would you like?" And he whipped out his wallet, ready to order.
"I'd like something adult, please," She said to the woman manning the counter. The woman smirked gently, and considered the drinks' menu.
"Well, we have a very nice Pina Colada I think you might enjoy. That's pretty much the most adult thing we have here," She added, with a small wink in Kurt's direction. He grinned back, and nodded an okay at Amber.
"All right," She acquiesced. Now Kurt had to believe she was adult enough to be his girlfriend. And she launched herself into a fantasy world, where Kurt was her Prince Charming, he rode a white horse, and they rode off into the sunset together. And had babies. There were always babies at the end of those stories, too.
Kurt paid for the drinks and the lady behind the counter smirked at him.
"Well, I haven't seen a little girl so infatuated with someone in a long time," She snickered softly, trying to avoid disturbing the daydreaming youngster.
"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, one eyebrow raised in query as he handed over a ten-dollar bill.
"Look at her," The woman answered. "She's holding your hand, daydreaming, smiling winsomely at you; she has a crush on you, sweetie. Don't tell me you didn't know," Kurt felt himself blush to the tips of his ears, and he took a quick look at Amber from out of the corner of his eyes. Then everything clicked, and he blushed even deeper, realising that what this woman was saying was true. His mind whirled around in circles, and he grabbed the drinks without even getting his change.
He dashed to one of the tables, and sat down heavily, passing Amber her drink without speaking a word. Amber grinned at him, but as the silence stretched on, she became concerned.
"K-Kurt?" She asked tentatively, blinking softly when he flinched at her voice. "Kurt, did I do something wrong?"
Kurt looked at her, really looked at her, and allowed a small smile to flit across his face.
"No sweetie, you haven't done anything wrong. Not at all. I think I may have, though. I'm sorry I'm being quiet, I just have a lot on my mind. I'm sorry, hon. I think it's time for us to go back to the house, okay?" His pained smile made Amber frown, but she knew deep down that to try and force any type of information from Kurt was like trying to open a jelly jar that was sealed shut. It would take an adult to get it to work, and chances are she wouldn't be allowed to help anyway.
Amber nodded gently, and Kurt led the way back to his Navigator. He didn't hold her hand this time, and she was very confused. The first couple of times she had tried to grasp his hand, he had dropped it as though it had burned him. She tried very hard to not take it personally, but the longer she went without him looking, touching or talking to her, the more distraught she became.
By the time they reached the car, silent tears were rolling down her cheeks, and Kurt hadn't even noticed. They clambered in, and Kurt passed her a couple of tissues from the Kleenex box on the back seat. So he had noticed; he just didn't care. Amber was devastated.
As they drove back to the house, Kurt had a lot of time to think about the girl sitting on the seat beside him. How many times had he told her she was beautiful? Hundreds? And how many tricks had he taught her to deal with boys? He wasn't sure, but he knew it was a lot. And she had been using them on him.
He had naturally assumed she had been showing them off, proving to him how good and capable a student she was. Never once, in the entire year he had been visiting her, did he think she would have developed feelings for him. She was barely ten years old, she shouldn't have been developing those kinds of feelings for boys yet; especially not him!
As the silent tears continued to stream down Amber's cheeks, Kurt felt horrible. He couldn't even cuddle her and make her feel better, because what if she took that the wrong way and her feelings got more convoluted? His heart was breaking but he knew that he would have to sit her down and explain why he couldn't be her boyfriend. But he didn't think he could do it right away, so he opted to wait until their next study session.
He dropped Amber off at the house, walking her to the door, and made sure she had all of the clothes he had bought her. They hadn't had time to go to the hairdressing salon, so he hair was still the same, but she did have some new clothes, so the trip wasn't a total bust. Her tear streaked face turned up to him, asking silently for a hug. His shoulders stiffened, and he was on the point of refusing, but he simply couldn't. She looked so miserable, he had to do something. So he leaned over, and gave Amber the softest, gentlest hug, and pulled away as soon as he could. The hurt look in her eyes burned his soul, and she turned and ran from the room, her sobs echoing through the hallway, and following her to her room on the second floor.
Mrs. Hayes came out of her office at the commotion, and took in Kurt's miserable features.
"Wait," She said into the silence of the house; every soul had stopped what they were doing when Amber had run past. "You didn't realise Amber liked you?" She shook her head pityingly, and clasped Kurt on the shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you've realised now. Did someone point it out to you?"
Kurt nodded. "The woman at the juice bar at the mall. Said she had never seen a child have a crush that hard before. I was oblivious. I feel…" A small tear slid down his cheek, as he finished his sentence in a breathy voice. "I feel horrible. Like I've betrayed her. Betrayed our friendship. I can't even stand myself right now," And he began to turn, ready to leave and never come back from shame.
"Woah, hold on there, young man," Mrs. Hayes pulled Kurt back by the arm, and led him into her office, shutting the door quietly behind her. She sat him on a chair, and set a kettle on for tea.
"Now you listen to me, Kurt Hummel. And you mark my words, because they are important." Kurt sniffled a little, and looked at the ground in misery. Mrs. Hayes poured hot water into a cup, adding a teabag, and handed Kurt the cup; he placed it on the coaster on the desk in front of him.
"You are not to blame, Kurt." Mrs Hayes added gently, her grey eyes taking in the sight of the utterly defeated young man in front of her. He looked up at her, his red rimmed eyes slowly leaking tears down his cheeks, and he sobbed softly, his breath catching in his throat.
"How can I not be?" He berated himself. "She's had a crush on me for a year, and I never once noticed it! I'm such an idiot," He added quietly, and hung his head in shame.
"Kurt! Look at me, right now!" Mrs Hayes' sharp voice cut through Kurt's wallowing, and he jerked his head up to stare into her eyes again. "You are not to blame, do you hear me? Amber is a wonderful girl. But she's not quite ten yet, and she sometimes doesn't think things through," She added in a slightly softer voice.
"So you're trying to tell me this is Amber's fault?" Kurt asked harshly, unwilling to place any blame whatsoever on the girl he cared so much for. Mrs Hayes sighed gently, and walked around to stand beside Kurt.
"No, Kurt, I'm saying it's no one's fault," She replied, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "It's something that happens sometimes, and we have to deal with it. I'm going to go get her and bring her in here. I think the three of us need to talk." Kurt nodded miserably, and Mrs Hayes left the room to go get the stricken girl.
She led Amber back to her office, and the girl sat on the chair beside Kurt, not looking at him or talking to him in any way.
"Amber, do you know why I brought you in here?" Mrs Hayes asked gently, her eyes glancing back and forth between Kurt and Amber. The young girl shook her head softly, then a low voice whispered into the room: "Kurt doesn't like me anymore."
"Oh, Amber," Kurt's voice broke, his heart breaking at the same time. "It's not that I don't like you. I love you, honey. But I think you like me in a different way than I like you," He added, tears streaming down his face.
"I love you, Kurt," Amber blurted out suddenly, jumping up and throwing her arms around Kurt in a possessive hug. "I wanna marry you when I get older. Maybe when I'm twelve!" Her tears stained his new shirt, but Kurt didn't give a damn about that. He choked when she mentioned she wanted to marry him, and he gently disentangled her arms from around him, holding her gently at arm's length.
"Oh, honey." He began, more tears slipping from his eyes. "I love you, I really do, but you're still way too young for me! I'm twice your age, and honey, I'm pretty sure I've told you before that I was gay," Mrs Hayes' eyebrows shot up at that; she'd had her suspicions, but to have them confirmed was a completely different matter. She didn't care, one way or the other, but it was nice to know her gay-dar was still working.
"I have a boyfriend, Amber," He added softly, his voice breaking again and she slumped in her seat. "We've been dating for over a year now, and I love Blaine, so much," Amber's breath hitched as he mentioned the dark, curly-haired boy that she had wanted to skip with the first time she had ever met Kurt.
"Wait," she asked hesitantly. "Blaine is your boyfriend? Oh, Emily will be so jealous! She's had a crush on him forever!" And her sniffles slowly abated. She looked up into Kurt's blue-green eyes, her hand slipping softly into his.
"I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm sorry I had a crush on you. I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Amber added in a small voice, her head hanging down in embarrassment.
"I love you, but I don't really know what love is, yet." She pulled her sleeve over her eyes, wiping away the last traces of moisture. "Will you still be my friend?" She asked hesitantly, her voice small and scared at what Kurt's answer might be.
In answer, Kurt pulled the small girl into a rough hug, crushing her to him but being careful too. "Always," He returned. "I will always be your friend, Amber. Even when you're eighty and I'm ninety. And we'll have your great grandchildren running around the backyard, and we'll be sipping lemonade in the shade of the porch. I promise," He concluded, pulling her back in for just one more hug.
"You'll have grandchildren too," Amber said softly, looking deep into Kurt's eyes. "I'll find you the perfect lady to adopt from, and you and Blaine would be the daddies. I think you guys would be great daddies," She added shyly, her arms reaching around Kurt again.
Mrs. Hayes took in the touching scene in front of her, and for the first time in the thirty years that she had this job, she had to grab some tissues for herself.