The Masquerade
Author: GleekShip
Spoilers: Season 4
Summary: The opportunity from Vogue leads Kurt to a party for opportunity, but finds the chance for love. However, after a brief departure, Kurt's love is left to find Kurt with only a single clue.
Pairings: Kurt/Adam
The Masquerade
Kurt sighs as he sits back, frowning as Isabelle lets out a contented sigh before rolling over on his bed. He's slightly irritated at her, but he decides to leave her in peace since she's one of his few New York friends. As he stands up from the bed, he finally lets out the annoyed groan that he's been holding in since Rachel had drug him away from A. He was ticked that he had so little time with what seemed to be a sweet and perfect guy . . . but he'd get over it. Nice things in his life are a fantasy.
And it was just his luck that he got stuck with babysitting the one person that wanted him to go, and the one person that promised to help him have a good time. It was perplexing, but he was used to it. He's sure that both woman would apologize to him and offer him some free food to make up for his loss. He'd just be better off to not talk about A and that fantasy of what could have been.
Adam sighs as he rolls the small hippo broach in his hands, his thumb being pricked on the sharp tooth on the lower jaw. He removes his free hand and pockets the broach, looking down the now empty hallway. He had called out for the other man, and had even went to the end of the hall, but he was nowhere insight. With all of the masks and tuxed men under the dim light of the ballroom, he doubted that he'd be able to spot him from afar. It was sad because for the first time in a long time . . . he had made a connection
As he makes his way back down to the kitchens, refusing to go back to trying to make a connection now that his thoughts were on K, he holds the broach tight in his pocket. It's silly, in all honesty. He barely new the other man yet he was holding onto such a small object that belonged to him like it was his lifeline. He wanted to connect more with the man, but a broach wouldn't do that. He only had the hopes that he'd be able to one day return it with a smile and the hopes that he is still interesting enough to capture the hopes of the other.
"Adam." Adam glances up as he passes the kitchen, Joey approaching him from the opposite direction with a wide smile. "Well? Did it work? Are you going home with a sugar mama or daddy tonight? Or at least one that will let you grope them until next time."
Although Joey winks and smirks, Adam gives him a grim smile. "Nope. Sorry. I guess I just don't have the charm that people think I do."
"What is this? What's going on here?" Joey stops Adam from moving on by putting a hand on his shoulder. "You went up there with nothing but a smile and a nice bod, and now you're moping. What happened?"
"Nothing . . . happened. Nothing happened." Adam repeats in a stronger tone before giving Joey a smile. "Just some food going down the wrong pipe is all."
"And here I thought you didn't swallow." Joey mutters as Adam makes his way back to the kitchen.
Kurt walks towards a nervous waiting Rachel on the couch, a frown on his own face. He doesn't put all the blame on her, but he's still upset with the whole situation. As he sits down, she leans forward and places her hand on his knee.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was my place to tell Isabelle not to drink. And then when she was getting drunk, no one was stopping her. They were just laughing at her as she made a fool of herself. You were the only one that I could think of that would be able to help me get her home." Rachel gives Kurt a small smile and a nudge with her knee against his. "I'm sorry."
"I know." He can't even bother to give her a small smile. "It's just frustrating, you know? we were hitting it off so well and it had to . . . well it had to end. It'll end up being just a brief flicker of hope and happiness in my life that I probably won't ever relive."
"No. That's not true." Rachel shakes her head and Kurt has to smile as he sees the wheels in her head trying to come up with something. "Everyone has that one person out there for them. You were single in high school, but now you're out here in the big city. You have a bigger chance of finding that guy."
"In a city with millions of people, you expect me to find one guy who's face I didn't even see for the most part. Yeah." Kurt snorts before unfolding his arms and standing up. "As much as I would love that, this is reality. I can't expect for things to just fall in my lap. If I am to find the right guy one day, it most likely won't be A. Not anymore." Kurt looks down to his bare feet on the floor before letting out a shaky breath. "I'm going to go to bed for the night. Busy day at Vogue tomorrow and you have classes. Do you want me to wake you before I leave?"
"No." Rachel quickly shakes her head, a hesitant smile crawling onto her face as she takes in Kurt's sudden change in demeanor nervously. "Just head out. I don't have class until noon anyways. I'll call you on my way though."
"Yeah." Kurt nods before he turns around, his back popping, and starting back to his bedroom where he would gather up his alarm clock and spare blankets before venturing into his dreams. "G'night, Rach."
Rachel purses her lips and looks down to her hands, snapping them into fists when she sees that they were shaking. It really does hurt her when she sees Kurt down on himself, and it's even worse because she knows she contributed to that. Kurt's never been the best when it came to the romance department and she had more or less just removed a giant stepping stone for him. She had made it easier for him to fumble and it's not what she wanted at all.
In all fairness, she is a realist. She's not expecting this mysterious guy to be Kurt's one true love that he could spend the rest of his life with, but he seems to be someone that Kurt could have a good relationship with. If it lasted, then great, but if it didn't then it would be something that would be apart of his life. The good, and the bad, would all project him into the next relationship as a wiser man.
Rachel reaches up to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her hair before rubbing her hands together and taking in a deep breath, deciding that any further thought would be best left for the next day.
"You owe me." Kurt cringes as Rachel's true words ring through the phone.
"I know." Kurt groans as he leans back in his chair, his eyes wandering around the small lobby area where he worked. "But I figured you'd cash in your favor in a few weeks, not the day after a giant Vogue party."
"Well life has to go on." Rachel laughs into the phone as a loud horn from the New York streets overpower her next words.
"Great, Rachel." Kurt mutters as his hands tap rapidly on his desk, desperately wanting to reach up and end the call that's going into his headset.
"Great." Rachel's loud voice makes him almost jump as he returns to the conversation. "Head over here after work, then. It's just a small get together for the ballet class. Food will be provided so don't be late and blame the cafe down the street for it."
Kurt chuckles, loving that she knows exactly what he would do. "Fine." His eyes flicker to the movement in his boss's door and he sits up straight and clears his throat. "I have to go, Rach. Work."
"See you lat-" Rachel's cheery voice is cut off as Kurt ends the call and stands up to greet Isabelle.
"How are you feeling?" He asks quietly, secretly amused at her hangover and her repeated outfit from the previous day.
"Better." She smiles softly at him before taking a seat on the edge of his desk. "Just wanted to apologize to you again for letting you lose the beau. And for taking your bed last night. And for not paying for the cab to work today."
"You're fine, Isabelle." Kurt smiles, his words genuine. "I know what a bad hangover is, so I'm not expecting much from you today."
"You're kind." She murmurs as she reaches up to cup his face, a sadness in her eyes. "I really am sorry, though. I could tell this morning when I asked you about that guy that you did feel something."
"Well something or not . . ." Kurt stops to catch his breath, but continues with a smile. "Life has to go on." He repeats Rachel's words and frowns. "With bumps or not. Anyways-"He clears his throat as the phone rings at his desk. "What would you like me to do?"
Rachel keeps tapping her phone as she walks through the Nyada lobby, her mind still on Kurt. She had almost messed up on her runs when she saw a flash of blonde hair in her class, but it was just some boy. She'd blame Kurt for her mind tricking her into seeing A, but it was her own guilt.
"I guess it's time I get him a new boyfriend." Rachel mutters as she pushes her way through the busy lobby towards the direction of her classes. "And ease both of our minds."
"Adam's Apples!" Rachel looks up at the warm voice and good looking man in the middle of the crowd addresses the audience. "We're looking for some new recruits for Nyada's current glee club and-"
"No." Rachel turns sharply and leaves the crowd, determined not to join another glee club no matter how charming that voice and accent was.
Sorry for the massive delay. I took a break on all of my stories because I had many personal things to deal with. However, I'm back now and I'm attempting to update everything within a timely manner and hope to continue that pace.