Prompt #41: Words

Crossover: Glee/Other(s)

Author's Note: This ficlet is loosely based in my Uber Cousins 'verse.

He stared at the letter in his hand, eyelids descending in a slow blink which his mind insisted would snap him out of this strange unreality. Because this couldn't be happening. Things like this didn't happen for Kurt Hummel.

"Are you okay, son?" asked an alarmed Burt.

Kurt blinked again and shook his head. "When did you get here, Dad?"

Burt arched a brow. "About ten minutes ago, kid. I've been trying to get your attention." He paused. "Kurt, why is your hand trembling?" He darkened. "What's that letter? If this is another one of those …"

"It's not," Kurt whispered. "This is … this is unbelievable. It can't be real."

"Well, what is it?" Burt demanded, his paternal antennae standing at attention in search of prey.

Kurt raised his eyes. "They bought it. My book, I mean. They bought the book."

Burt stared and slowly sank down into his chair, almost missing it and collapsing to the floor. "I didn't even know you finished it."

Kurt blushed. "I didn't want to say anything. You know I never intended to publish it. It was just a writing exercise to see if I'd be any good at it."

"You're good at everything," Burt insisted before brightening, "and obviously the literary world agrees." He laughed. "I can't believe my son is going to be a published author! At sixteen!"

Kurt's hand still shaking, slowly held out the papers toward his father. "This is the contract. You'll have to cosign as I'm still a minor."

Burt was astonished. "They're offering you a contract?"

A dazed Kurt nodded. "They want three more." His eyes widened. "What if I don't have three more books in me? You know how long it took me to write just the one, Dad!"

"Aw, that's bull. You've got a brilliant mind, son. I read the early drafts and it was a damn good story. Why shouldn't you be able to come up with more?"

"They gave me an advance."

Burt smiled. "That's real nice. You should get compensated for all the work you put in."

"Dad, it's half a million dollars."

Burt fainted.

"Honestly, Burt, what is all this about?" Carole demanded as she laid the plates on the dining room table. "You told me nothing on the phone!"

An exited Burt danced around the room, placing Chinese takeout cartons in some strategic way only he understood. "Big news, Carole! Huge!"

She rolled her eyes and harrumphed. She knew he wouldn't say anything until he was ready.

"Where's Kurt?" Finn asked, looking around. "I saw the Navigator in the driveway. Is he in his room?"

"Kurt ran over to invite Tina, Artie, and Brittany."

Finn suppressed a frown. Tina and Artie were not very big fans of his and he wasn't anxious to share a meal with them. He hadn't known last year just how close the couple was to Kurt, so he hadn't guessed Kurt would tell them what happened in the basement. Tina had only barely managed to keep Artie from killing him, and Finn suspected she really hadn't tried that hard.

Brittany was okay. She was nice and nice to everyone, but where she went, Satan followed. Santana had been dropping hints about outing their one night stand to Rachel, not for any real reason other than to be a bitch. Well, and the fact that Rachel was more aggressive than ever toward Kurt and Santana kind of thought of Kurt as her favorite pedigreed puppy.

"I feel like I should have dressed up," Carole said.

"You always look beautiful," said an earnest Burt, a soft smile on his face when she blushed.

Finn beamed. He loved how much his mom and Burt loved each other. It was hard for him to show affection to Kurt after last year, but he really loved the little guy. He couldn't wait until they were brothers. And, if they had to share a room, Kurt could decorate it however the hell he wanted. He knew Kurt had way better taste than he himself did.

He flinched when the front door was flung open and Santana's strident voice echoed down the hall.

"What the hell, Tink?" she barked. "Brittany and I had plans at Breadstix and then for some floral arrangements."

Finn pulled a face. Since when was Santana into plants?

Kurt rolled his eyes as he pushed her inside with one hand while rolling Artie with the other. Brittany and Tina, as always, were stationed at Kurt's sides like sentries.

"I don't want to hear about your flowers, Santana. I have no interest in tilling your soil."

Burt and Carole stared as Santana pouted.

"Too bad," she lamented. "I bet your fertilizer is deliciously potent."

Burt blushed for his son, who was far too busy laughing. Very inappropriately, in Burt's estimation. Since when did his shy little boy exchange sexual innuendo with girls? With anyone? With Santana freaking Lopez?

Oh, god! Did Kurt do this with boys? Which boys? What were their intentions? Where did they live?

But most importantly ...

Where. Was. His. Gun?

"Sanny," Brittany interrupted, "Kurty already agreed to make a baby with us after we finish college and I become the President."

Santana nodded as if that statement made sense to anyone who called Earth their home planet.

Finn had to sit down, putting his head in his hands and scowling when he felt Santana smirk at him.

"You … you're going to have a baby?" asked a pale Carole, brows drawn.

Brittany nodded. "Sure! But after we're really old, like, at least thirty-five. Sanny and I both want a baby, but she doesn't want to carry it, so I will."

Burt stared at his son, who offered a meek shrug in reply. That was entirely unacceptable.

"You've got about twenty years to worry about it, Dad," said an unhelpful Kurt.

Burt released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, thinking that his boy's idea was a good one. Twenty years. He was sure he'd come around to it by then. He would never admit it, but he'd always worried Kurt didn't want children. He had reluctantly begun the difficult process of accepting the family line would end with Kurt. It brought him some measure of relief that, perhaps, it might not.

Artie and Tina had sequestered themselves in a corner and were laughing at the entire spectacle.

"So what's going on?" Santana asked, wanting to bring this impromptu gathering back to center.

Kurt turned toward her, eyes dancing with excitement. "They bought it."

Her eyes widened. "Holy shit!"

And then Tina and Brittany were jumping about the room like jackrabbits on crystal meth as Artie wheeled himself forward and threw his arms around Kurt's waist.

Carole and Finn looked at each other with confusion.

Burt cleared his throat. "Perhaps you should tell Carole and Finn your news, son."

Kurt beamed and Burt's heart fluttered. He had rarely seen his boy so happy. That fact made his heart twinge. Kurt was such a good boy, such a good son and friend, and rarely had life been kind to him. He chose to believe that this book was one step in righting the many wrongs Kurt had been made to endure.

"I wrote a book!" a cheerful Kurt enthused, eyes sparkling like the child he rarely allowed himself to be. "And it's going to be published!"

"Wow!" Finn exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"You don't seem surprised," observed a wary Santana.

"Why would I be? Kurt writes all the time. I knew he was working on something, but he was kind of tight-lipped about it. I didn't know he had finished it." He frowned at her. "Besides, Kurt is, like, super smart and knows a lot of big words and when to use them. Why should I be surprised he wrote a book? And someone was obviously smart enough to realize it's amazing, so they're going to publish it."

He shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

Tina, Artie, Brittany, and Santana gaped at him.

Finn pulled a face and looked at Kurt, who was gazing at him with, well, what Finn thought he would never again see after that horrible night in the basement. Kurt loved him, this time as a brother, and Finn loved him right back. So he told him.

"I love you. I'm so proud of you."

"Kurt has an announcement to make!" a joyful Finn bellowed, dragging his almost-brother toward the front of the choir room. He pulled Kurt next to him and laughed when Kurt slapped at his hands, which were attempting to adjust the other boy's already perfect collar.

"The floor is yours, Kurt," Will said kindly.

Kurt nodded and sniffed. "Thank you, Mr. Schuester. I wanted to advise you all that I will be unable to attend the rehearsals scheduled for next week, as …"

"You have to!" Rachel shrilly interjected. "Sectionals are in a month and there's too much to do! I'm sure whatever little concern you have can be …"

"I wasn't finished," Kurt said coolly.

Rachel offered an owlish blink in reply and abruptly shut up.

"I have already memorized the music and choreography for Sectionals, thank you. I did so over a month ago."

"But …"

"Rachel, let Kurt finish," Will said through gritted teeth.

She heaved a gusty sigh and crossed her arms defensively over her chest, staring at Kurt with one brow raised.

"I will be in New York, as I have …"

"Why are you going there?" she demanded. "What are you up to? Who are you meeting? What are …"

Kurt merely picked up his bag and left the room.

"Where is he going?" she screeched. "We have to practice!"

"Kurt doesn't need to practice anything," barked an annoyed Finn. "He knows all the notes and moves. He always does." He shook his head in consternation. "Why did you do that? Why do you always have to … have to … shit on anything good in his life?"

Her mouth fell open in shock and fury.

Santana stared blankly at the wall. "For the second time in two days, I find myself resolutely on Team Hudson." She turned toward Artie. "I'm concerned for my mental health."

He patted her knee. "You can't be insane if you recognize the possibility that you are insane."

She shrugged. "Small mercies, I guess."

He snickered.

Will cleared his throat. "Finn, what was Kurt going to tell us," he paused to glare at Rachel, "before being so rudely interrupted?"

Finn sneered at Rachel and looked at the rest of his teammates. "Kurt wrote a book! It's going to be published next year and then he's going on tour!"

Excited chatter immediately broke out amongst them. Some was incredulous and surprised, but most of it was supportive and ecstatic.

"You always have to steal his thunder, don't you?" Mercedes growled at Rachel. "Even when it has nothing to do with your flat ass."

Rachel lowered her eyes and sunk down further in her chair.

"Wow, when did Kurt have time to write a book?" Mike wondered. "He's in AP everything, plus Glee and Cheerios, and his job at the shop!"

"He's been working on it for a while," Brittany said, "over a year, but I know he was writing a lot more these past few months. I think he just wanted to see if he could actually get it done."

"Did you read it?" Mercedes asked, very bothered that she'd had no idea Kurt was a writer.

Brittany shook his head. "I asked, but he said no. He said writing is very personal to him, something he doesn't have to share with anyone else."

"Yet it's being published," Rachel drawled. "I wonder which vanity press he submitted it to and how much he paid to have it done."

"You know," said a thoughtful Tina, "until this moment, I don't think I ever truly understood just what a petty bitch you really are. You'd think after True Colors I'd know better."

Rachel gaped at her.

"You're such a tool, Berry," Santana sneered. "Vanity press? Are you joking? You've heard Kurt talk for how many years now? He's fluent in how many languages? He's already taken how many AP Lit classes and exams and kicked their asses?"

She shook her head in disgust. "Tink didn't submit his book to the publisher; I did. I found the file on his computer when I was snooping … okay, all of you can stop looking at me like that. I've been through all your computers and phones." She shrugged. "It's a little thing I do.

"Anyway, I found it, read the first three chapters, and copied it to my flash drive. Then I went home, stayed up all night reading it, and submitted it myself. I only told him when he got a letter saying his submission has been received."

"That's gross yet awesome of you," Sam said.

She nodded. "I know. I'm a philanthropist. I'm just like Angelina Jolie."

They blinked at her.

She stared at Rachel. "The publisher is Sutton House."

Rachel's eyes widened. She knew nothing about publishing, but even she was aware of the sterling reputation of Sutton House. Their authorial roster was exclusive and exquisite, both well-received critically and commercially. They routinely dominated the bestseller lists.

"This is so fucking weird, but great!" said a surprisingly enthusiastic Puck. "We should have a party or something. I mean, a kid, someone our age, from this dinky little town, is going to be a published author. That's a big deal!"

Will nodded. "It is, and the fact that his manuscript was acquired by Sutton House clearly demonstrates its quality. They don't publish just anyone. The fact they want to promote the book by sending Kurt on tour is almost unheard of."

Santana gave him a respectful nod. "Kurt is going to New York next week with Uncle Burt so they can sign the contract. Uncle Burt has to go because Kurt is still a minor. The contract calls for three more books and they advanced Kurt half a million dollars."

Will stumbled and grabbed the piano to keep upright. "They must really believe in him."

Brittany smiled. "It's nice that someone does, isn't it?"

Those who weren't close with her wouldn't have read anything more into the comment. Those who were, however, noted the pointed barb aimed right at Schuester's jugular.

Will colored and said nothing.

"How did you even know to submit his book to them?" Sam asked Santana.

"It was pretty much blind luck," she admitted. "His aunt is one of their authors, so I just took a chance and sent it to them. I didn't use her name, of course. Kurt would never want to be accused of nepotism. As far as I know, I don't think he's even told her yet."

"Aunt?" Mercedes repeated. "I thought his aunt worked for the government in DC?"

Artie shook his head. "That's Camille, Aunt Suzanne's sister. Kurt doesn't really talk about it, but he has a huge extended family, though they're spread throughout the country. They all keep track of each other and they all love Kurt; he's the eldest of his generation, so he was really the first kid they all knew. Most of them are in law enforcement, but a few of them are authors."

"Anyone we know?" Puck asked.

Finn shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've read a couple of his Uncle Rick's books. They're really good! I like mysteries. Oh, and that's what Kurt wrote: a mystery. I'm sure it's awesome."

"Uncle Rick?" Mercedes said softly. She didn't remember Kurt ever mentioning this man before.

Finn nodded. "Richard Castle. He writes the Nikki Heat series."

"Dude!" Mike exclaimed. "I love those books!" He wraggled his brows. "Sexaaayyyy."

Finn nodded happily and they exchanged a high five. The girls all rolled their eyes.

"So who's the aunt at Sutton House?" Sam asked.

"His Aunt Jess," Finn said. "Jessica Fletcher. Well, technically she's his cousin a bunch of times removed. Kurt considers her his great-aunt."

"J.B. Fletcher," Artie demurred.

A collective gasp.

"No way!" Puck shouted. "Her books are the shit! You never see the end coming!"

He scowled when they stared at him.

"Yeah, dorks, the Puckzilla can read."