So this chapter is short, kind of filler-ish. But I promise some angstiness next chapter! I gotta say, I was a little disappointed with the response to last chapter; only four reviews. But it's cool, I only cried a little, I promise. So I have no rights to anything but this alternate timeline, review, don't do drugs or something. Love-Maya

Rachel called an "emergency Glee meeting" after school, with instructions for Kurt to ask Adam to attend "since he forgot to give me his number." Kurt arrived with Noah's arm draped around his shoulders to find Adam cornered by Rachel, nodding and smiling uncomfortably as the girl spoke intensely at him. Adam's eyes lit up with relief at Kurt's approach.

"Rachel," Kurt sighed. "For the last time, he is not here to scout you."

Rachel turned away from Adam to face Kurt with an impatient huff. "It's not about that. It's about our duet."

Kurt lifted a brow. He could feel Puck shaking with silent snickers as he covered his mouth to hide the laughter. "You're singing a duet with Adam?"

Behind her, Adam shook his head rapidly, and Rachel drawled, "Obviously. As the female lead, it's my job to sing one-on-one with any and all guests we might have." She gave Kurt her Crazy Eyes. "This could be a big moment in my career. You wouldn't be trying to stand in the way of that, would-?"

"Actually!" Adam cut in, sounding a little alarmed. He stepped around the short girl to companionably link arms with Kurt. "I was hoping to sing with Kurt, here. He is the reason for all this."

Kurt blinked up at him, glancing (not fearfully) at Rachel. "Uh…"

Adam turned bright, expectant eyes on Kurt, a big smile on his face. "Will you sing with me, Kurt? Please?"

Kurt stared at him some more, only a little slack-jawed, then gave Rachel a flat look. "You can't ask me to say no." Rachel pouted at him on principle, but sighed and gave a relenting wave of her hand before flouncing away to lecture Mr. Schue.

"That went well." Adam gave Kurt a quick grin, then looked at Noah, whose jaw was tense and arm still around Kurt. "Alright if I steal him for a few minutes? I'll give him right back, I promise."

Noah scowled, but Kurt rolled his eyes and made the call for him by shrugging out from under his arm. Wrapping his fingers lightly around Noah's wrist (he'd found that Noah liked his touch, even if neither of them ever acknowledged it aloud), he told him, "Be right back." Noah relaxed a little at that, if almost imperceptibly, but it was enough for Kurt so he let Adam lead him away.

"So," Adam said briskly once they were out of earshot, "your bodyguard is nice. Possessive, but nice, I think."

Kurt chuckled. "He actually is my bodyguard, self-proclaimed. You know about my whole—" he glanced around before lowering his voice surreptitiously "—bullying situation. Noah found out and decided to step in, is all." He frowned. "And he's not possessive, he's… protective. What would he have to be possessive over, anyway? It's not like we're dating; he's totally straight."

"Hmm." Adam's eyes slid to Noah, who was attempting to listen to Quinn. "Does he know that?"

"What, that he's straight or that we aren't dating?"

"Both."

"I don't think either is even a question."

"Hmm." Adam watched the mohawked kid for another second, then turned to Kurt. "Well, I wanted to ask you about something else. Your song yesterday." He ignored the visible stiffening of Kurt's shoulders. "it was for the kid you talked about in your video, right?"

"Yes," Kurt answered quietly, not quite looking at Adam.

A soft smile crossed the man's face. "That's sweet of you, Kurt. Does he know you're there to talk."

Kurt's eyes fell to the floor. "Well, I didn't sing it to him—he wasn't in the room—nor did I explicitly say to him at any time 'I'm here for you,' I mean, how could I? but the offer is there, if not plain. I think he just doesn't think he's allowed to…come to terms with it. He thinks he has to make it go away somehow."

Adam reached out and gripped his shoulder encouragingly, though his eyes were downcast as well. "He'll come around."

"You don't know that."

"I don't." Kurt looked up to see Adam watching him with a sad smile, his eyes full of sympathy.

With a clearing of his throat, Kurt squared his shoulders and took control, asking, "So what did you want to sing?"