AN: Sorry to everyone who's been waiting on updates, but my laptop decided it didn't want to work any more, and took all my unfinished fic with it. I'm back online courtesy of an old laptop I found in the attic, but am recreating everything from scratch.
I'm stymied on a couple fics at the moment, so this is my attempt to cleanse my palate with some good old-fashioned non-crossover fic.
This was originally conceived as a Kurt/Jeff fic, but I'm still suffering latent Warbler rage from 'Michael'; and so as Sassy Warbler was the only one to not get on my shit list in that episode, I give you Kurt/Trent...
Warnings: Fluff and Angst. Blaine-bashing.
Disclaimer: If it were mine, it would be pay-per-view only...
Sweet Porcelain: Chapter 24- That Makes You My Equivalent (Silly Love Songs)
Kurt couldn't bring himself to go sit by Blaine. The curly-haired teen was sitting on a bench with a good view of The Gap's entrance, no doubt so he'd be sure to see Jeremiah when he left. Kurt still didn't understand where Jeremiah had come from; Blaine had never mentioned him before, but now he was ready to publicly announce his intentions, and with THAT song no less? And speaking of which, how did he get the Council to sign off on his song choice? David he could understand, but Wes and Thad took the dignity of the Warblers seriously as representatives of Dalton, Blaine really must have the whole group wrapped round his little finger to pull this off.
He had tried his best to be supportive of Blaine's sudden interest in The Gap's junior manager, but it still stung that he'd been wrong once again about a guy actually being interested in a relationship with him. Blaine had given him what Kurt had thought were all the signs; the hand holding, the little possessive gestures like straightening his uniform tie, even the paying for his damned coffee. He'd honestly thought the other teen had been close to making a move, and apparently he had, just not on Kurt. It had been bad enough that Finn had turned out to be almost painfully straight, but Blaine was gay. Was Kurt honestly that bad of a prospect that even gay guys would rather date homeless looking Gap employees than him?
Well, if Blaine couldn't see what a good catch Kurt was then fuck him. His type might be older, badly dressed and with a mop of unwashed hair; and that was all well and good, but Kurt wasn't going to stick around and let Blaine trample all over his feelings. He was starting to hate the way Blaine made him feel about himself, and that shit was so played.
He was shaken from his introspection by a figure settling against the wall next to him, turning with an inquisitive eyebrow raised he was met with the warm features of Trent. His fellow Warbler all but beamed up at him, and Kurt found himself swept up by the force of the other teen's enthusiasm, smiling back automatically.
Trent tipped his head in Blaine's direction, a slight smirk replacing the smile on his features; the gel-headed singer had apparently progressed to biting his nails, so unattractive, and he all but sat up and wagged his tail when Jeremiah walked out of the Gap, and strode purposefully toward him. They were too far away to hear what passed between the two, but Blaine slumped in on himself and by the end of the conversation his lip was quivering; Jeremiah turning his back and walking away without a backwards glance. Blaine was clearly trying to hold himself together while in public, but whatever Jeremiah had said obviously hit him hard, as he stood and made a beeline for the nearest restroom, surreptitiously wiping at his eyes.
Kurt sighed softly, trying to decide if he cared enough to go and help make Blaine presentable after he'd cried himself out, but was thoroughly distracted when Trent leaned into his side slightly; it wasn't an imposition on his personal space, just a light touch to draw his attention. The slightly chubby teen had an odd smile on his face as he spoke,
"You know, the only reason any of us voted yes on his ridiculous 'Gap Attack' idea was because we assumed he'd be singing to you? If we'd known he was gonna drag us out here to serenade some college drop-out shop assistant we'd have shut him down no matter what arguments he presented."
Kurt scoffed almost soundlessly,
"I wasn't the only one who thought he was interested in me then?"
"Not in the least, we all thought it. He's not normally a touchy-feely guy, and with the way he's been acting around you since you transferred we all assumed he was just marking his territory so to speak, warding the rest of us off."
"Don't know why he bothered, not like anyone else was gonna be making a move on me anyway."
Dead silence greeted this comment, and Kurt turned to see Trent's mouth had dropped open comically, his eyes wide. The other Warbler seemed to struggle for words for long seconds before just blurting out,
"You're kidding right? Half the Warblers have been wanting to get into your pants since you showed up to spy on us during Teenage Dream. Hell, I half expected Wes to jump you right there and then, if we hadn't been mid-performance he probably would have. If he weren't dating David now he 'd be making a move on you as we speak. Jeff too, though he and Nick might just invite you for a threesome."
Kurt blushed scarlet at that, making a faint gurgling noise before he regained control of himself. Trent seemed delighted at eliciting such a reaction, one hand coming up to muffle his quiet giggles. Kurt smacked his arm lightly, and the other teen clutched at it while pouting at the countertenor. Kurt himself broke down laughing at the ridiculous expression, and when he was able to meet Trent's eyes again he blushed again at the intent look in them.
"As for myself," Trent mused, "I never even entertained the notion that someone who looked like you could ever be interested in someone who looked like me." He indicated himself with a sweep of his arm, insecurity colouring his voice as he thought on what he saw in the mirror every day. He knew he wasn't what anyone would consider a prize, knew he was too fat; that had been made clear to him by every guy he'd ever shown the slightest interest in. But he refused to give up. Refused to accept he was meant to spend his life lonely and alone.
The downward spiral of his thoughts were interrupted when Kurt placed a soft hand on his arm, and he leaned into the slight contact before he could stop himself, it had been too long since anyone had touched him without it being either violent, or pointedly merely friendly. The willowy brunette gently tipped Trent's chin up with his other hand, meeting Trent's warm hazel-green with his own glasz, unshed tears glimmering in their depths.
"You shouldn't listen to people who say things like that, you might not be the peak of physical perfection, but who is? You're definitely cute, you're smart, and you're a nice guy. Any guy would be lucky to have you."
Trent blushed, and Kurt found himself blushing in sympathy, reaching out tentatively and taking hold of Trent's hand, squeezing it gently.
Trent stared at their joined hands, and his blush grew more pronounced, crimson staining his pale cheeks as he took in the sensation of a soft, smooth, perfect hand holding his own. He slowly raised Kurt's hand so he could brush his lips across the knuckles, startling a gasp from Kurt, whose own cheeks quickly flushed with colour.
Another gasp echoed Kurt's, and they span to see Blaine had left the restroom, eyes red from tears, and was staring at them both, eyes dark with anger. His mouth opened, but Kurt cut him off before he could say anything.
"Save it, Blaine. You've made it clear you prefer your guys older, and with much worse hair. I'm not prepared to sit around forever for you to decide you can't do any better, for you to settle for me. Just once I want to be someone's first choice, rather than an afterthought."
Blaine gaped unattractively for a second, then nodded curtly, and marched away, spine stiff with anger. They watched as he marched into Starbucks, snapping at all the Warblers who were grabbing a drink while waiting for the Dalton bus to come back and collect them. Obviously Blaine's tone wasn't appreciated, as Tristan calmly picked him up and carried him out the door, depositing him on the bench he'd been occupying earlier, and levelling a glare at him that had the soloist blanching and shrinking away from him. Tristan looked over at Kurt and Trent, bestowing upon them a minute nod of approval, before rejoining the group in the coffee shop. Seconds later, the faces of several Warblers were pressed unashamedly against the windows, staring out at the blushing pair. A chorus of cheers went up when Kurt impulsively planted a quick kiss on Trent's cheek; the shorter Warbler pressing a hand to the spot where lips had touched, feeling like a blushing maiden.
Kurt softly wrapped an arm round Trent's shoulder, steering them both in the direction of a smaller, non-chain coffee shop he remembered from a previous visit to this mall. He jumped minutely when Trent's hand trailed down his back to settle just above the curve of his ass, but he leaned into the touch after a second, drinking in the sensation of being honestly desired by someone, someone who just wanted him. No ifs. No buts. No 'if this other guy isn't interested then maybes'. Just wanted him.
Trent trembled with nervousness as he rested his hand low on Kurt's back, sure he was going to be pushed away. When Kurt instead seemed to melt into his side, he groaned low in his throat and blessed the hideous uniform slacks for their boner-concealing qualities. This beautiful boy was everything he'd ever dreamed of; everything he'd convinced himself he would never have. Never deserve. He was going to do everything he could to help Kurt forget Blaine Anderson. Forget the way Blaine had kept Kurt around as a backup, bestowing scraps of affection so Kurt would stick around in case Jeremiah turned Blaine down. Forget how Blaine had driven away any other boy who might have dared show interest in Kurt.
Trent knew what it felt like to have no-one want you. And he was determined to help Kurt forget that feeling had ever existed. The countertenor was beautiful and brave, and he deserved a hell of a lot more than the world had given him. Trent wasn't sure if he deserved Kurt, but he was damn sure going to do his best for whatever time he and Kurt were together. He casually wrapped his arm around Kurt's narrow shoulders as they walked into the coffee shop, pulling the chestnut-haired boy closer to him, and breathing in the warm, delicious smell that was simply Kurt. Kurt hummed softly in approval, planting another kiss on Trent's cheek before leaning up to whisper softly in his ear,
"You know, the whole 'not afraid of public affection' thing you've got going on right now is gonna win you all sorts of points when you meet my dad."
Trent's mind went into overdrive at this statement, his imagination filling his head with images of being introduced as Kurt's boyfriend to the bear-like man who had come with Kurt when he registered as a Dalton student. He whimpered slightly, causing Kurt to burst out laughing at him. He joined in the laughter after a second, as he imagined the look on his face in that moment must have been priceless.
Seated in an intimate booth with their drinks moments later, the two boys slowly began to get to know one another without the looming presence of Blaine or any of the other Warblers. There was laughter, tears and much coffee as the day wore on, until the other Warblers dragged them from the shop because the bus was waiting.
When they got back to Dalton, Kurt walked with Trent to his dorm room, and before they parted for the day, Kurt gathered his courage and pressed a soft kiss to Trent's lips, both of them all but reeling from the contact. As they parted ways, both reflected that it wasn't how either of them had imagined their Valentines plans playing out, but was infinitely better for it. And was perhaps, already shaping up to be the best Valentines day either of them had ever known.
AN: A bit disjointed, a bit odd in places. But still, it's the first thing I've managed to get written in nearly 6 weeks, so I'm gonna post it up and see what people think.
There's an awful lot of me in Trent, more than I usually put into a character, so please let me know how you think the character works.
I want to thank everyone who has been reading, reviewing and favouriting my fic during my involuntary hiatus. You're all wonderful :)