Fic: Manipulated By Fate
Title: Manipulated By Fate
Summary: Four times that fate brought Jeremiah with Kurt, seemingly just as a joke, and one time that fate actually gave it’s blessing.
Pairing: Jeremiah/Kurt, Blaine/Kurt (briefly)
A/N: The promised Jeremurt fic I said I would write. Written for all the lovely community members of porcelain_fans, and also for those who love and crave for Jeremurt not only in that community, but also everywhere else~
P.S: Fic is unbeta-ed, forgive me for any flaws.
1.
Jeremiah stood outside the store, keeping up the pretense of looking at the display in the window when actually, he was covertly scrutinizing his own image. His hair was a mess, standing up in all different directions. He wondered if he should have styled his hair that morning.
He looked down at what he was wearing. He didn’t really know anything about walk-in job interviews, but looking for a job as a mere sales retail assistant shouldn’t really require him all dressed up in a three piece suit now, should it?
Black pants, along with a simple dark blue cardigan worn over a white shirt with collar. It should be okay, right?
It was his first attempt ever at trying to get a job, and while he didn’t really need the money, he wanted the experience. He reached up and patted at his hair a few times, but it remained pretty much the same, unruly and curly, dirty blond hair falling all over his face.
He stared at his reflection in the display glass, mind wandering.
The clear and pointed sound of someone clearing their throat alerted him to another presence behind him.
He turned around, and couldn’t help but stare.
Standing in front of him was a teenage boy decked out in a red and white cheer leading uniform. He should be around fifteen or sixteen years old, making him younger than Jeremiah by around four years. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue, piercing and crystal clear, and Jeremiah found himself transfixed under his gaze.
The boy was the single most gorgeous guy he had ever met in his entire pitiful 20 year old existence, and Jeremiah’s breath hitched.
Aside from those perfectly mesmerizing eyes, the boy had pale, almost porcelain skin, which looked smooth and wonderful to touch. His lips were lush and the most attractive shade of red which made them appear to be utterly kissable. His body was lean and yet Jeremiah could see the subtle play of muscles on his arms and chest. He was utterly unique, and so, so gorgeous and handsome, that Jeremiah didn’t realized that he had been staring for longer than deemed to be appropriate.
The boy didn’t seem to notice his blatant ogling though, and instead rolled his eyes when Jeremiah continued gaping at him like a fish out of water.
“Seriously, are you okay? If you are, then please do kindly step aside as you’re not the only person who wants to look at the display.” Even his voice was entrancing, high and breathy, and yet still so unmistakeably male. Jeremiah shivered.
“Um...” He cleared his throat. Smooth, Jeremiah, really smooth.
The boy raised an eyebrow pointedly.
He scrambled to the side, waving his hand haphazardly in the direction of the display. “Um, sorry. Didn’t mean to, uh, block you or anything, just wanted to check my reflection in the window. Um, sorry.”
Drop-dead gorgeous boy stepped forward, head cocking to one side as he scrutinized the leather belt worn on the male model mannequin. Apparently dissatisfied with what he was seeing, he gave a small huff and turned, and Jeremiah jolted, only aware that he was still ogling like a creep.
“Conceited much?” He said.
“Um, what?” Jeremiah wondered when had his brain broken down in this small period of time between checking out his reflection and meeting this boy.
Drop-dead gorgeous rolled his eyes. “You said you were checking out your own reflection in the display glass?”
“Oh, that. Um, no, actually. I just wanted to make sure that I don’t look messy or a complete idiot, you know? I’m a bit nervous, I’m going to ask for a job over at the GAP, and I don’t really know how these things go, so I guess I just want to look presentable....” Jeremiah knew he was babbling, but oh god, he can’t stop.
“And um, now I’ve said too much and made myself look like an idiot anyway, um, sorry, just nerves, I guess. Sorry.” He wanted to murder himself, preferably by smashing his head into the display window, as soon as Gorgeous Boy left.
Instead, the boy in front of him gave him a pointedly scrutinizing look from top to bottom, and gave a small smile. “Well,” He drawled, “I would say that you look fine, and apart from that atrocious bed of hair which I assume is natural and yet you oddly managed to pull off, I can say that no, you don’t look like an idiot at all.”
Jeremiah found himself smiling back in return. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Drop-dead Gorgeous huffed back. As if Jeremiah doubting him was a grave offense.
The boy turned abruptly when a clear shout of “Kurt!” was heard, another cheerleader was standing a few shops away, waving impatiently.
Gorgeous Boy (Kurt, his mind reminded him) turned back to Jeremiah, “Well, that’s my cue to go. Good luck in your interview, and don’t worry, you don’t look like an idiot.”
He gave a final smile and walked away, though after a few steps, he paused and turned back. Jeremiah hoped that he didn’t look as completely breathless and attracted as he felt.
Kurt smirked. “Although, considering the fact that you’re willingly choosing to work at GAP, you might be an idiot after all.” And with that said, he walked away with a flair as if he was strutting down a runway stage.
Jeremiah found himself still staring after Kurt had long gone, grinning like an absolute lunatic.
Kurt. He thought, and went for his interview, suddenly feeling more confident than he had ever felt in his life.
2.
It’s funny how it was a shop’s display window that brought him to seeing Kurt again for the second time.
He had been tasked with changing out the mannequins’ clothes into something from the new season’s designs when a very familiar figure walked past the window, decked out in the most deliciously distracting outfit that Jeremiah had ever seen anyone ever worn in Ohio.
It was unmistakeably Kurt, dressed up in the tightest white pants, and there was clearly a fox tail hung onto the back of his pants, swinging around as Kurt walked by. On his top he wore a shirt that was made of a shimmering golden fabric, and he paired the simple shirt off with a heavy black jacket with golden chains dangling from the shoulders and knee high, laced up black boots.
It was barely two seconds before he hastily dropped down the mannequin’s arm and the shirt he was attempting to put on to it, instead rushing across the store to chase after Kurt.
Luck was not on his side, however, as he bumped into his supervisor as he neared the door.
“Jeremiah, I thought you’re supposed to be dressing up the mannequins?”
He cursed inwardly as he saw Kurt already passing by the entrance to the store, he seemed to be in a hurry, the grocery paper bag hugged to his chest, and even inside the store, Jeremiah could hear the clacking of the boots as they impacted upon the mall’s white marble flooring.
“Um, I was, but I really, really need to get to the toilet, erm, I’ve got a sudden stomachache.” Jeremiah said, completing his act by scrunching up his face and putting an arm around his middle.
His supervisor gave him a skeptical look, but waved him away. “Go. And finish up the mannequins when you get back!”
Jeremiah just waved back hastily, already running out of the store. He ran toward the direction that Kurt had went, determined that this time, he was going to get the boy’s number.
To his dismay, Kurt was nowhere to be seen. He rushed around, peering into stores as he did so, but there was no sign of a head of perfectly coiffed hair and the alluring shimmer of gold.
After around ten minutes of searching, he sighed and gave up.
Guess he won’t be able to get Kurt’s number after all.
3.
Luck might have deserted him the second time, but it was again sheer luck that brought him to meet Kurt again for the third time.
He had gone to a party the night before, and was subsequently suffering from a hangover. It was the pounding headache and the prospect of working until 10pm that night that propelled him to drive to The Lima Bean for a cup of coffee to clear up his head before checking into the store. He was recently promoted to Junior Manager, and he really did not want to make a bad impression this early into his promotion.
The coffee shop wasn’t busy at all, seeing that it was 9.30 am on a weekend, and aside from a few patrons sat around the shop, there was no one else. It was a quiet and serene atmosphere, and Jeremiah placed his order and leaned against the counter, savouring the moment.
He sighed as he remembered his mother’s phone call a day earlier, giving him grief for working in the GAP when instead he could be joining his father’s law firm based in New York. He hated the expectations that they put on him, wanting him to do what they want him to do rather than what he wanted to do. It’s why he chose to leave in the first place. Travelling across the country and taking a few odd jobs here and there along the way in different states. He had never stayed long at one place, and he had been wandering for almost a year before he settled down here in Ohio.
The unbidden image of Kurt, fair skinned and gorgeous eyes and luscious lips, sprang into mind.
He couldn't deny that Kurt actually played a huge reason in why he chose to stay. It was ridiculous, he had only met Kurt once and seen him twice, and yet there was just something about Kurt that made him lose his ability to form any rational decisions and coherent thoughts. He had always been a cool, composed and analytical sort of person, being raised by a lawyer and a surgeon, and he was genuinely surprised that when he met Kurt for the first time, he was actually tongue tied. He had never been at a loss for words before, not when his father loved to talk to him in the form of a debate.
His name was called, and he turned to take his order. He immediately took a large gulp of coffee, sighing in content at the scalding liquid and earthy flavour.
He picked up his ordered muffin with one hand, and his coffee with another, and was about to make his way out of the shop when his gaze was caught by a lone figure sitting in a booth at the side of the large glass pane window.
His breath caught. He couldn’t believe his luck, it was Kurt.
The sunlight streaming through caught at his hair, highlighting them to a shade of brown, and glinted off his eyes as Kurt stared absent-mindedly out the window, turning them to sparkling gems of blue and green. Kurt was drumming the table, the other hand clutching his own cup of coffee, and Jeremiah was mesmerized.
Kurt seemed lost in thought, and he painted such a picture of untouched beauty, that Jeremiah didn’t have the heart to disturb him. Instead, he made his way to a table on the other side, and sat himself down. The table he chose faced Kurt’s booth directly, and Jeremiah could easily stare to his heart’s content without Kurt noticing him.
Somehow, Kurt seemed much more withdrawn and tired from when Jeremiah last remembered him. And he looked much more grown up. His features had sharpened even further, and Jeremiah took a moment to admire the sweeping line of his defined jaw to the slanting and sharp curve of his nose. He had grown much taller too, and the sight of his long legs crossed at the ankle appealed to Jeremiah in ways he didn’t thought was possible.
His hair was less immaculately styled, instead having a soft look to them as a few bangs dropped across his forehead, and Jeremiah trailed his gaze down from the almost elfin-liked pointed ears, to the expanse of seductive stretch of skin exposed on his neck, straight down to the darkened lines that his collarbones made as they peeked out of his round-necked, loose and grey sweater.
There was just something so entrancing about Kurt. This was only the third time that Jeremiah saw him, and yet he just cannot look away. He reckoned that he could actually stare at Kurt all day without the need for anything else.
His breathing had quickened, his pulse elevated, and his heart was thumping painfully hard in his chest, a rapid rhythm of just thump, thump, thump, that seemed to speak louder than words, clearer than silence.
And in that moment, Jeremiah had an epiphany.
Oh.
Oh.
He was in love with Kurt.
Thinking back, it couldn’t be anything other than love at first sight. And Jeremiah had always been a non-believer of fate and destiny, he had scoffed at people claiming the experience of feelings so strong and so sure that one only requires that small split of a moment in time to have completely surrendered their hearts and souls to another person.
But it’s true. All this time he spent disbelieving and skeptical but it was true.
He had experienced it. With none other than Kurt, this mysterious, almost mystical boy who’s so gorgeous, so handsome, so utterly beautiful that Jeremiah’s already in love with him from the first time they met, even though he didn’t know him at all.
It’s crazy. It’s complete madness. It’s so certifiably insane on so many levels.
But god, Jeremiah wants it. He wants Kurt.
It would be the logical thing to just walk away, just tell himself that he’s lost his mind, giving his heart to a complete stranger.
Yet, he’s tired of logic somehow. He wants this disorder in his so-far scheduled out life. He wants to take a chance, to just leap without thinking and fall without caring of the consequences.
Kurt makes him feel alive.
Even if he was a total stranger and Jeremiah might be putting himself up for the utter heartbreak of his lifetime.
Heart set, he stood, determined to seize his chance. However, a handsome teenage boy dressed in a uniform was already sitting himself down opposite Kurt.
Kurt smiled, and Jeremiah could already feel the instant that his heart got torn apart just that little bit. Because anyone with eyes could see how Kurt practically lit up when he saw Uniform Boy, and the radiant smile and bright eyes just goes on to show that he’s completely besotted with the guy too.
Jeremiah took up his half drank cup of coffee--it was already lukewarm, rapidly losing heat--and made his way out. The warm sunlight hit him and wrapped him up in a comforting blanket, but it couldn’t reach what’s in him, and his heart was chilled.
It’s funny, that he should have fallen in love at first glance with the most perfect boy ever, and he wouldn’t even stand a chance.
He finished up his coffee (it tastes so bland now), and threw the empty paper cup into the dustbin. The dull sound it made as it hit the bottom seemed to resonate with his current mood.
He sighed and walked away, not daring to turn back for even one moment to glance through the window.
4.
The fourth time he met Kurt was in a far less harmonious atmosphere.
Ever since that day in which he met Kurt in the coffee shop, he had wondered if he should just give up and move away. But something in him was reluctant, and he found himself staying despite how broken up he felt.
He supposed his heartbreak and mourning was stupid, since Kurt’s practically a stranger and they didn’t even had anything resembling a relationship of any sort in the first place. But he can’t help feeling this way.
It was this insane urge that drove him to go back to The Lima Bean numerous times, and it was during one of these times that he met Blaine.
He and Blaine had accidentally gotten each other’s coffee order, and at the time, Jeremiah had found it painfully symbolic of how Blaine had managed to get what Jeremiah wanted without knowing anyway. He had recognized Blaine, of course, and as much as he wanted to just up and leave like a scorned diva, the stray hope of gleaning any sort of information from Blaine about Kurt made him stay.
They had turned out having a pretty long conversation in the end. Blaine was polite and courteous, but also so visibly eager and interested in him. Jeremiah would have been tempted to flirt back if he had never met Kurt, but he had, and anyone else just seemed insufficient in comparison. But knowing Blaine was flirting at him and confirming that the Warbler was single gave him some measure of hope, as it was obvious that Kurt wasn’t with Blaine.
He supposed he ought to feel bad, seemingly stringing Blaine along by talking to him. But Blaine had actually brought up Kurt first, and Jeremiah couldn't let this chance pass to get to know Kurt better.
He learnt that Kurt was actually Kurt Hummel, and that he studied in McKinley, was a fantastic singer and performer, and judging by the way Blaine was gushing about his friend, a pretty much wonderful person. This did nothing to quell his feelings for Kurt whatsoever, and Jeremiah wondered if it was terribly pathetic of himself to be so elated by just hearing about Kurt.
But he also wondered if Blaine realized that he had pretty much been talking about Kurt non-stop since they started their conversation. Sure, Blaine had flirted with him by asking about the standard questions, such as his age, what did he liked, where did he studied and so on. But he would always add on a “Oh, Kurt likes that as well!” or “Kurt never seemed to understand why I loved 80’s music so much.”
It was obvious that Blaine had feelings for Kurt, but for some reason, he most likely hadn’t noticed it and was keen to put Kurt firmly in the ‘friend-zone’.
Jeremiah felt just a tiny bit of vindictive pleasure that Blaine hadn’t realize his feelings yet. Blaine seemed really eager and interested in him, asking him out to a few more coffee dates. He always went, but he was the only one who knew that it wasn’t because of Blaine that he goes to these dates.
It all accumulated until the fateful evening in which Blaine crashed the GAP and impromptu serenaded him in front of all the customers and his colleagues. He had never felt so mortified, ever. But what made him really angry was actually seeing Kurt shooting him pissed-off looks for the whole performance. It made a painful sting in his heart whenever he caught Kurt’s glare, and in the end he was angry and ashamed and miserable, all the feelings rolling around in the pits of his stomach, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
And when his homophobic boss fired him, he was so angry that it was easy to lash out at Blaine. He didn’t even care that Kurt was just sitting by the side watching him lose his calm, he just couldn’t handle all of it.
He had stormed off then, feeling equal parts angry and ashamed and equal parts miserable and heart broken all at the same time.
5.
So far, Jeremiah had pretty much hated Fate, seeing that it had done nothing but flung his heart around like a convenient toy.
However, it was also thanks to Fate that he met Kurt again in The Lima Bean.
It was nearly two months since his last encounter with Kurt. He had found another job, an Assisting Manager in one of the other clothing stores in the mall. He had seen Kurt around, just faraway glimpses, and the closest he had got to was in the grocery section where he looked up and realized that Kurt was just opposite him and choosing apples.
Needless to say, he ran away like a coward every single time.
However, when he walked into The Lima Bean on a Sunday morning just to relax and have a cup of coffee, he found himself back in the exact situation that he was in just a few months ago when he came in and saw Kurt.
Kurt was seated in the same booth, a book opened in front of him as he drank his coffee.
He looked, if possible, even more gorgeous than he last saw him.
Jeremiah’s heart soared. Yet, survival instincts gave him the urge to flee.
The difference this time was, Kurt looked up at that exact moment when Jeremiah found his resolve wavering, and recognition lit up his face.
Somehow, the fact that Kurt remembered him was the final push he needed to make his way over and sit himself down opposite Kurt in the booth.
Kurt was looking at him with an amused and curious look.
“Long time no see, Jeremiah. I see that you’ve cut your hair.” He smiled. It was oddly enough, without the slightest trace of malice in them.
Self-conscious, Jeremiah trailed a hand through his hair. He had let go during the time when he was heartbroken, resulting in the catastrophe that Kurt was referring to, but he had since cut it, almost similar to the first time he had met Kurt, only that it was even more shorter.
“Ah well, you did state your dislike for my hair, twice in fact.” Jeremiah applauded himself on the fact that he hadn’t gotten tongue tied this time around, nor was he a raving lunatic.
Kurt’s cup of coffee paused halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened in confusion.
“Twice?”
Oh shit.
Kurt didn’t remember that he had met Jeremiah before. And god, it was almost two years ago, Kurt would definitely think that he was a creep for still remembering.
He supposed he could lie, but as he looked up into Kurt’s blue, blue eyes, wide and imploring, he found that he couldn’t do it. (And oh god, he was so whipped, if they ever did manage to get together, one look from Kurt and it would be all it took for him to do anything Kurt wanted. Surprisingly, he was okay with that.)
Delaying the inevitable explanation, Jeremiah took a large gulp of coffee, lamenting the fact that it wasn’t something stronger and preferably tagged with 47% alcohol content.
He could use some liquid courage.
Because he had the feeling that he was going to take the leap of his life.
“Erm, actually, we met before.” At Kurt’s confused look, he added, “Before the last time you saw me actually, about two years earlier. You might not remember me, but...” He trailed off, and looking straight into Kurt’s eyes, he breathed out, a bit shakily, “...I remember you. Never had forgotten you, in fact.”
He supposed his gaze must have been pretty heated and intense, as Kurt’s breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
Emboldened by this, Jeremiah continued on, describing their first encounter, to the subsequent ones that Kurt had no idea about. He never once looked away from Kurt, and took in every single emotion displayed on that lovely face.
Kurt was blushing furiously by the time he finished. It was understandable, given that he had practically poured his heart out and professed his love, lust and utter admiration in the form of the most ridiculously sappy love story which overused every single adjective that he could think of to describe Kurt--gorgeous, handsome, fierce, beautiful, mesmerizing, insanely hot, et cetera, et cetera.
“I know that this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry to put this all out there.” Jeremiah murmured, voice soothing and just that little bit shaky as he was terrified himself. “But, I can’t stop this. I just can’t stop loving you, Kurt.”
He stared right back at Kurt, not wanting to look away even for a moment. Not during the most important confession he will ever make. Kurt was blushing so hard now, his eyes wide and bright, but his breathing was quickened, and Jeremiah took this as a good sign to continue on.
He reached over the coffee table and took hold of Kurt’s free hand, tugging it forward and brushing his lips on it, just a soft and gentle whisper of lips against skin, and the loud hitch in Kurt’s breath was rewarding and filled him with confidence.
Still cradling Kurt’s hands in front of his lips, Jeremiah said: “I love you, Kurt. I know this is crazy and insane and probably frightening. I’m barely more than a stranger to you, as you are to me. But these feelings I have, for you, I’ve never been any more certain of anything in my life. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
He gave a shuddering breath, it was nerve wrecking, but he continued on. “I love you, Kurt. I love you. For the past two years I’ve loved you, so much, even without fully knowing you, even though it seemed so hopeless all the time, I’ve loved you. And I don’t care if it’s mad or irrational, I want to get to know you. I want you to give me that chance. I love you, but I want you to let me love you.”
“Please, Kurt, give me a chance? Just, please?” Jeremiah’s voice broke at the last word, and he clutched Kurt’s hand tighter.
Kurt was just staring back at him, face the most enticing shade of bright red, lips parted to form a disbelieving face. He was silent for so long, that Jeremiah had already begun to despair.
But then Kurt broke out into a smile, shy and radiant, and Jeremiah’s heart beat even faster as he felt a sliver of hope.
“You are without a doubt, the most insane, creepy and scarily intense person.” Kurt said, and before Jeremiah could pull away,
Kurt was the one who was clutching his hand back. “But you also seem to be an amazing, wonderful, charming, and handsome person who’s so in love with me that I can’t even believe it.”
“I can’t say that I reciprocate your feelings, not now, not so soon. But, I’m willing to give you a chance.” Kurt smiled, and Jeremiah smiled back, feeling so happy his heart could burst.
A stray thought niggled at his mind. “What about Blaine though? I thought you were in love with him?”
Kurt sighed. He clenched Jeremiah’s hand tighter. “Blaine is still one of my best friends, but I’m over him already. I confess, I’d thought that I loved him at one point, but I realized that it was just a huge crush, and after he serenaded you, well, I told him about my feelings but he turned me down. Stating that he would prefer us to be friends. But he goes on to give me all these mixed signals, and then I started getting tired of my feelings being on a constant roller-coaster ride, and well, I decided to get over him. And I did, I’ve no feelings for him now, if I do, I would never had wanted to give you a chance, I’m not that cruel.”
Kurt’s gaze was sincere and unwavering, and Jeremiah knew that he was telling the truth.
“So, I did distinctly remember you said that you would give me a chance?” Jeremiah asked, tone nonchalant.
Kurt grinned. “I did, didn’t I? And I meant it. So don’t screw this up, Jeremiah.”
“After pining after you for two years like a besotted idiot? I would kill myself if I ever did screw up.” There was no denying the intensity of Jeremiah’s gaze, and Kurt was blushing again. Jeremiah smiled, even as his gaze was serious. “And I want the full package with you. I want us to go on dates, and I want to meet your friends and parents, and I want to tell you everything about me and for you to do the same. I want you, all of you, Kurt.”
Kurt had lowered his eyes to their joined hands, and the blush was visible even around his neck. “I want that too. But, I’ve got to say, I don’t really have any experience with this whole relationship thing.” He paused. “You’re, well, you would be my first boyfriend.” He whispered, but Jeremiah heard him.
The sudden surge of possessiveness and protectiveness, and just so much elation and love overwhelmed Jeremiah, and he couldn’t help but bring Kurt’s hand up and kissed it, lingeringly, on the top of his knuckles.
Kurt continued on, “And I know, you...erm, you love me, but I don’t think I can say that back to you so soon. I...I hope that you won’t be hurt by that.”
Jeremiah looked up. “Kurt, it’s okay, I won’t pressure you to love me, and you don’t have to feel obligated to say it back either, I’ll just love you and even when you feel the same way back, you should only say it when you’re ready. And I’ll try my best so that you can love me as a man that you deserves.”
Kurt’s eyes were bright, and his smile was toothy and just so adorable and beautiful at the same time as he breathed out: “I have a feeling that you’re a man I deserve, and that I might be halfway there already.”
Jeremiah’s mouth fell open. His heart skipped a beat. He could hear it, even though Kurt didn’t say it.
I might be halfway in love with you already.
He couldn’t help himself, he reached out and curled his hand around Kurt’s neck, leaning forward as he pulled Kurt in. Just slow enough and with the barest amount of pressure on his neck, so that Kurt could move away whenever he wanted to.
But Kurt didn’t, and as they closed the last few inches between them, it was with a last, shaky breath on both sides before they leaned in simultaneously and their lips met in the middle.
It was a lazy Sunday morning, and the warm sunlight streamed in through the windows, lighting and warming up their faces even as their mouths sought each other for warmth and love.
For once, Jeremiah really did love Fate, as it brought him to Kurt Hummel.
~THE END~
Summary: Four times that fate brought Jeremiah with Kurt, seemingly just as a joke, and one time that fate actually gave it’s blessing.
Pairing: Jeremiah/Kurt, Blaine/Kurt (briefly)
A/N: The promised Jeremurt fic I said I would write. Written for all the lovely community members of porcelain_fans, and also for those who love and crave for Jeremurt not only in that community, but also everywhere else~
P.S: Fic is unbeta-ed, forgive me for any flaws.
1.
Jeremiah stood outside the store, keeping up the pretense of looking at the display in the window when actually, he was covertly scrutinizing his own image. His hair was a mess, standing up in all different directions. He wondered if he should have styled his hair that morning.
He looked down at what he was wearing. He didn’t really know anything about walk-in job interviews, but looking for a job as a mere sales retail assistant shouldn’t really require him all dressed up in a three piece suit now, should it?
Black pants, along with a simple dark blue cardigan worn over a white shirt with collar. It should be okay, right?
It was his first attempt ever at trying to get a job, and while he didn’t really need the money, he wanted the experience. He reached up and patted at his hair a few times, but it remained pretty much the same, unruly and curly, dirty blond hair falling all over his face.
He stared at his reflection in the display glass, mind wandering.
The clear and pointed sound of someone clearing their throat alerted him to another presence behind him.
He turned around, and couldn’t help but stare.
Standing in front of him was a teenage boy decked out in a red and white cheer leading uniform. He should be around fifteen or sixteen years old, making him younger than Jeremiah by around four years. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue, piercing and crystal clear, and Jeremiah found himself transfixed under his gaze.
The boy was the single most gorgeous guy he had ever met in his entire pitiful 20 year old existence, and Jeremiah’s breath hitched.
Aside from those perfectly mesmerizing eyes, the boy had pale, almost porcelain skin, which looked smooth and wonderful to touch. His lips were lush and the most attractive shade of red which made them appear to be utterly kissable. His body was lean and yet Jeremiah could see the subtle play of muscles on his arms and chest. He was utterly unique, and so, so gorgeous and handsome, that Jeremiah didn’t realized that he had been staring for longer than deemed to be appropriate.
The boy didn’t seem to notice his blatant ogling though, and instead rolled his eyes when Jeremiah continued gaping at him like a fish out of water.
“Seriously, are you okay? If you are, then please do kindly step aside as you’re not the only person who wants to look at the display.” Even his voice was entrancing, high and breathy, and yet still so unmistakeably male. Jeremiah shivered.
“Um...” He cleared his throat. Smooth, Jeremiah, really smooth.
The boy raised an eyebrow pointedly.
He scrambled to the side, waving his hand haphazardly in the direction of the display. “Um, sorry. Didn’t mean to, uh, block you or anything, just wanted to check my reflection in the window. Um, sorry.”
Drop-dead gorgeous boy stepped forward, head cocking to one side as he scrutinized the leather belt worn on the male model mannequin. Apparently dissatisfied with what he was seeing, he gave a small huff and turned, and Jeremiah jolted, only aware that he was still ogling like a creep.
“Conceited much?” He said.
“Um, what?” Jeremiah wondered when had his brain broken down in this small period of time between checking out his reflection and meeting this boy.
Drop-dead gorgeous rolled his eyes. “You said you were checking out your own reflection in the display glass?”
“Oh, that. Um, no, actually. I just wanted to make sure that I don’t look messy or a complete idiot, you know? I’m a bit nervous, I’m going to ask for a job over at the GAP, and I don’t really know how these things go, so I guess I just want to look presentable....” Jeremiah knew he was babbling, but oh god, he can’t stop.
“And um, now I’ve said too much and made myself look like an idiot anyway, um, sorry, just nerves, I guess. Sorry.” He wanted to murder himself, preferably by smashing his head into the display window, as soon as Gorgeous Boy left.
Instead, the boy in front of him gave him a pointedly scrutinizing look from top to bottom, and gave a small smile. “Well,” He drawled, “I would say that you look fine, and apart from that atrocious bed of hair which I assume is natural and yet you oddly managed to pull off, I can say that no, you don’t look like an idiot at all.”
Jeremiah found himself smiling back in return. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Drop-dead Gorgeous huffed back. As if Jeremiah doubting him was a grave offense.
The boy turned abruptly when a clear shout of “Kurt!” was heard, another cheerleader was standing a few shops away, waving impatiently.
Gorgeous Boy (Kurt, his mind reminded him) turned back to Jeremiah, “Well, that’s my cue to go. Good luck in your interview, and don’t worry, you don’t look like an idiot.”
He gave a final smile and walked away, though after a few steps, he paused and turned back. Jeremiah hoped that he didn’t look as completely breathless and attracted as he felt.
Kurt smirked. “Although, considering the fact that you’re willingly choosing to work at GAP, you might be an idiot after all.” And with that said, he walked away with a flair as if he was strutting down a runway stage.
Jeremiah found himself still staring after Kurt had long gone, grinning like an absolute lunatic.
Kurt. He thought, and went for his interview, suddenly feeling more confident than he had ever felt in his life.
2.
It’s funny how it was a shop’s display window that brought him to seeing Kurt again for the second time.
He had been tasked with changing out the mannequins’ clothes into something from the new season’s designs when a very familiar figure walked past the window, decked out in the most deliciously distracting outfit that Jeremiah had ever seen anyone ever worn in Ohio.
It was unmistakeably Kurt, dressed up in the tightest white pants, and there was clearly a fox tail hung onto the back of his pants, swinging around as Kurt walked by. On his top he wore a shirt that was made of a shimmering golden fabric, and he paired the simple shirt off with a heavy black jacket with golden chains dangling from the shoulders and knee high, laced up black boots.
It was barely two seconds before he hastily dropped down the mannequin’s arm and the shirt he was attempting to put on to it, instead rushing across the store to chase after Kurt.
Luck was not on his side, however, as he bumped into his supervisor as he neared the door.
“Jeremiah, I thought you’re supposed to be dressing up the mannequins?”
He cursed inwardly as he saw Kurt already passing by the entrance to the store, he seemed to be in a hurry, the grocery paper bag hugged to his chest, and even inside the store, Jeremiah could hear the clacking of the boots as they impacted upon the mall’s white marble flooring.
“Um, I was, but I really, really need to get to the toilet, erm, I’ve got a sudden stomachache.” Jeremiah said, completing his act by scrunching up his face and putting an arm around his middle.
His supervisor gave him a skeptical look, but waved him away. “Go. And finish up the mannequins when you get back!”
Jeremiah just waved back hastily, already running out of the store. He ran toward the direction that Kurt had went, determined that this time, he was going to get the boy’s number.
To his dismay, Kurt was nowhere to be seen. He rushed around, peering into stores as he did so, but there was no sign of a head of perfectly coiffed hair and the alluring shimmer of gold.
After around ten minutes of searching, he sighed and gave up.
Guess he won’t be able to get Kurt’s number after all.
3.
Luck might have deserted him the second time, but it was again sheer luck that brought him to meet Kurt again for the third time.
He had gone to a party the night before, and was subsequently suffering from a hangover. It was the pounding headache and the prospect of working until 10pm that night that propelled him to drive to The Lima Bean for a cup of coffee to clear up his head before checking into the store. He was recently promoted to Junior Manager, and he really did not want to make a bad impression this early into his promotion.
The coffee shop wasn’t busy at all, seeing that it was 9.30 am on a weekend, and aside from a few patrons sat around the shop, there was no one else. It was a quiet and serene atmosphere, and Jeremiah placed his order and leaned against the counter, savouring the moment.
He sighed as he remembered his mother’s phone call a day earlier, giving him grief for working in the GAP when instead he could be joining his father’s law firm based in New York. He hated the expectations that they put on him, wanting him to do what they want him to do rather than what he wanted to do. It’s why he chose to leave in the first place. Travelling across the country and taking a few odd jobs here and there along the way in different states. He had never stayed long at one place, and he had been wandering for almost a year before he settled down here in Ohio.
The unbidden image of Kurt, fair skinned and gorgeous eyes and luscious lips, sprang into mind.
He couldn't deny that Kurt actually played a huge reason in why he chose to stay. It was ridiculous, he had only met Kurt once and seen him twice, and yet there was just something about Kurt that made him lose his ability to form any rational decisions and coherent thoughts. He had always been a cool, composed and analytical sort of person, being raised by a lawyer and a surgeon, and he was genuinely surprised that when he met Kurt for the first time, he was actually tongue tied. He had never been at a loss for words before, not when his father loved to talk to him in the form of a debate.
His name was called, and he turned to take his order. He immediately took a large gulp of coffee, sighing in content at the scalding liquid and earthy flavour.
He picked up his ordered muffin with one hand, and his coffee with another, and was about to make his way out of the shop when his gaze was caught by a lone figure sitting in a booth at the side of the large glass pane window.
His breath caught. He couldn’t believe his luck, it was Kurt.
The sunlight streaming through caught at his hair, highlighting them to a shade of brown, and glinted off his eyes as Kurt stared absent-mindedly out the window, turning them to sparkling gems of blue and green. Kurt was drumming the table, the other hand clutching his own cup of coffee, and Jeremiah was mesmerized.
Kurt seemed lost in thought, and he painted such a picture of untouched beauty, that Jeremiah didn’t have the heart to disturb him. Instead, he made his way to a table on the other side, and sat himself down. The table he chose faced Kurt’s booth directly, and Jeremiah could easily stare to his heart’s content without Kurt noticing him.
Somehow, Kurt seemed much more withdrawn and tired from when Jeremiah last remembered him. And he looked much more grown up. His features had sharpened even further, and Jeremiah took a moment to admire the sweeping line of his defined jaw to the slanting and sharp curve of his nose. He had grown much taller too, and the sight of his long legs crossed at the ankle appealed to Jeremiah in ways he didn’t thought was possible.
His hair was less immaculately styled, instead having a soft look to them as a few bangs dropped across his forehead, and Jeremiah trailed his gaze down from the almost elfin-liked pointed ears, to the expanse of seductive stretch of skin exposed on his neck, straight down to the darkened lines that his collarbones made as they peeked out of his round-necked, loose and grey sweater.
There was just something so entrancing about Kurt. This was only the third time that Jeremiah saw him, and yet he just cannot look away. He reckoned that he could actually stare at Kurt all day without the need for anything else.
His breathing had quickened, his pulse elevated, and his heart was thumping painfully hard in his chest, a rapid rhythm of just thump, thump, thump, that seemed to speak louder than words, clearer than silence.
And in that moment, Jeremiah had an epiphany.
Oh.
Oh.
He was in love with Kurt.
Thinking back, it couldn’t be anything other than love at first sight. And Jeremiah had always been a non-believer of fate and destiny, he had scoffed at people claiming the experience of feelings so strong and so sure that one only requires that small split of a moment in time to have completely surrendered their hearts and souls to another person.
But it’s true. All this time he spent disbelieving and skeptical but it was true.
He had experienced it. With none other than Kurt, this mysterious, almost mystical boy who’s so gorgeous, so handsome, so utterly beautiful that Jeremiah’s already in love with him from the first time they met, even though he didn’t know him at all.
It’s crazy. It’s complete madness. It’s so certifiably insane on so many levels.
But god, Jeremiah wants it. He wants Kurt.
It would be the logical thing to just walk away, just tell himself that he’s lost his mind, giving his heart to a complete stranger.
Yet, he’s tired of logic somehow. He wants this disorder in his so-far scheduled out life. He wants to take a chance, to just leap without thinking and fall without caring of the consequences.
Kurt makes him feel alive.
Even if he was a total stranger and Jeremiah might be putting himself up for the utter heartbreak of his lifetime.
Heart set, he stood, determined to seize his chance. However, a handsome teenage boy dressed in a uniform was already sitting himself down opposite Kurt.
Kurt smiled, and Jeremiah could already feel the instant that his heart got torn apart just that little bit. Because anyone with eyes could see how Kurt practically lit up when he saw Uniform Boy, and the radiant smile and bright eyes just goes on to show that he’s completely besotted with the guy too.
Jeremiah took up his half drank cup of coffee--it was already lukewarm, rapidly losing heat--and made his way out. The warm sunlight hit him and wrapped him up in a comforting blanket, but it couldn’t reach what’s in him, and his heart was chilled.
It’s funny, that he should have fallen in love at first glance with the most perfect boy ever, and he wouldn’t even stand a chance.
He finished up his coffee (it tastes so bland now), and threw the empty paper cup into the dustbin. The dull sound it made as it hit the bottom seemed to resonate with his current mood.
He sighed and walked away, not daring to turn back for even one moment to glance through the window.
4.
The fourth time he met Kurt was in a far less harmonious atmosphere.
Ever since that day in which he met Kurt in the coffee shop, he had wondered if he should just give up and move away. But something in him was reluctant, and he found himself staying despite how broken up he felt.
He supposed his heartbreak and mourning was stupid, since Kurt’s practically a stranger and they didn’t even had anything resembling a relationship of any sort in the first place. But he can’t help feeling this way.
It was this insane urge that drove him to go back to The Lima Bean numerous times, and it was during one of these times that he met Blaine.
He and Blaine had accidentally gotten each other’s coffee order, and at the time, Jeremiah had found it painfully symbolic of how Blaine had managed to get what Jeremiah wanted without knowing anyway. He had recognized Blaine, of course, and as much as he wanted to just up and leave like a scorned diva, the stray hope of gleaning any sort of information from Blaine about Kurt made him stay.
They had turned out having a pretty long conversation in the end. Blaine was polite and courteous, but also so visibly eager and interested in him. Jeremiah would have been tempted to flirt back if he had never met Kurt, but he had, and anyone else just seemed insufficient in comparison. But knowing Blaine was flirting at him and confirming that the Warbler was single gave him some measure of hope, as it was obvious that Kurt wasn’t with Blaine.
He supposed he ought to feel bad, seemingly stringing Blaine along by talking to him. But Blaine had actually brought up Kurt first, and Jeremiah couldn't let this chance pass to get to know Kurt better.
He learnt that Kurt was actually Kurt Hummel, and that he studied in McKinley, was a fantastic singer and performer, and judging by the way Blaine was gushing about his friend, a pretty much wonderful person. This did nothing to quell his feelings for Kurt whatsoever, and Jeremiah wondered if it was terribly pathetic of himself to be so elated by just hearing about Kurt.
But he also wondered if Blaine realized that he had pretty much been talking about Kurt non-stop since they started their conversation. Sure, Blaine had flirted with him by asking about the standard questions, such as his age, what did he liked, where did he studied and so on. But he would always add on a “Oh, Kurt likes that as well!” or “Kurt never seemed to understand why I loved 80’s music so much.”
It was obvious that Blaine had feelings for Kurt, but for some reason, he most likely hadn’t noticed it and was keen to put Kurt firmly in the ‘friend-zone’.
Jeremiah felt just a tiny bit of vindictive pleasure that Blaine hadn’t realize his feelings yet. Blaine seemed really eager and interested in him, asking him out to a few more coffee dates. He always went, but he was the only one who knew that it wasn’t because of Blaine that he goes to these dates.
It all accumulated until the fateful evening in which Blaine crashed the GAP and impromptu serenaded him in front of all the customers and his colleagues. He had never felt so mortified, ever. But what made him really angry was actually seeing Kurt shooting him pissed-off looks for the whole performance. It made a painful sting in his heart whenever he caught Kurt’s glare, and in the end he was angry and ashamed and miserable, all the feelings rolling around in the pits of his stomach, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
And when his homophobic boss fired him, he was so angry that it was easy to lash out at Blaine. He didn’t even care that Kurt was just sitting by the side watching him lose his calm, he just couldn’t handle all of it.
He had stormed off then, feeling equal parts angry and ashamed and equal parts miserable and heart broken all at the same time.
5.
So far, Jeremiah had pretty much hated Fate, seeing that it had done nothing but flung his heart around like a convenient toy.
However, it was also thanks to Fate that he met Kurt again in The Lima Bean.
It was nearly two months since his last encounter with Kurt. He had found another job, an Assisting Manager in one of the other clothing stores in the mall. He had seen Kurt around, just faraway glimpses, and the closest he had got to was in the grocery section where he looked up and realized that Kurt was just opposite him and choosing apples.
Needless to say, he ran away like a coward every single time.
However, when he walked into The Lima Bean on a Sunday morning just to relax and have a cup of coffee, he found himself back in the exact situation that he was in just a few months ago when he came in and saw Kurt.
Kurt was seated in the same booth, a book opened in front of him as he drank his coffee.
He looked, if possible, even more gorgeous than he last saw him.
Jeremiah’s heart soared. Yet, survival instincts gave him the urge to flee.
The difference this time was, Kurt looked up at that exact moment when Jeremiah found his resolve wavering, and recognition lit up his face.
Somehow, the fact that Kurt remembered him was the final push he needed to make his way over and sit himself down opposite Kurt in the booth.
Kurt was looking at him with an amused and curious look.
“Long time no see, Jeremiah. I see that you’ve cut your hair.” He smiled. It was oddly enough, without the slightest trace of malice in them.
Self-conscious, Jeremiah trailed a hand through his hair. He had let go during the time when he was heartbroken, resulting in the catastrophe that Kurt was referring to, but he had since cut it, almost similar to the first time he had met Kurt, only that it was even more shorter.
“Ah well, you did state your dislike for my hair, twice in fact.” Jeremiah applauded himself on the fact that he hadn’t gotten tongue tied this time around, nor was he a raving lunatic.
Kurt’s cup of coffee paused halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened in confusion.
“Twice?”
Oh shit.
Kurt didn’t remember that he had met Jeremiah before. And god, it was almost two years ago, Kurt would definitely think that he was a creep for still remembering.
He supposed he could lie, but as he looked up into Kurt’s blue, blue eyes, wide and imploring, he found that he couldn’t do it. (And oh god, he was so whipped, if they ever did manage to get together, one look from Kurt and it would be all it took for him to do anything Kurt wanted. Surprisingly, he was okay with that.)
Delaying the inevitable explanation, Jeremiah took a large gulp of coffee, lamenting the fact that it wasn’t something stronger and preferably tagged with 47% alcohol content.
He could use some liquid courage.
Because he had the feeling that he was going to take the leap of his life.
“Erm, actually, we met before.” At Kurt’s confused look, he added, “Before the last time you saw me actually, about two years earlier. You might not remember me, but...” He trailed off, and looking straight into Kurt’s eyes, he breathed out, a bit shakily, “...I remember you. Never had forgotten you, in fact.”
He supposed his gaze must have been pretty heated and intense, as Kurt’s breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
Emboldened by this, Jeremiah continued on, describing their first encounter, to the subsequent ones that Kurt had no idea about. He never once looked away from Kurt, and took in every single emotion displayed on that lovely face.
Kurt was blushing furiously by the time he finished. It was understandable, given that he had practically poured his heart out and professed his love, lust and utter admiration in the form of the most ridiculously sappy love story which overused every single adjective that he could think of to describe Kurt--gorgeous, handsome, fierce, beautiful, mesmerizing, insanely hot, et cetera, et cetera.
“I know that this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry to put this all out there.” Jeremiah murmured, voice soothing and just that little bit shaky as he was terrified himself. “But, I can’t stop this. I just can’t stop loving you, Kurt.”
He stared right back at Kurt, not wanting to look away even for a moment. Not during the most important confession he will ever make. Kurt was blushing so hard now, his eyes wide and bright, but his breathing was quickened, and Jeremiah took this as a good sign to continue on.
He reached over the coffee table and took hold of Kurt’s free hand, tugging it forward and brushing his lips on it, just a soft and gentle whisper of lips against skin, and the loud hitch in Kurt’s breath was rewarding and filled him with confidence.
Still cradling Kurt’s hands in front of his lips, Jeremiah said: “I love you, Kurt. I know this is crazy and insane and probably frightening. I’m barely more than a stranger to you, as you are to me. But these feelings I have, for you, I’ve never been any more certain of anything in my life. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
He gave a shuddering breath, it was nerve wrecking, but he continued on. “I love you, Kurt. I love you. For the past two years I’ve loved you, so much, even without fully knowing you, even though it seemed so hopeless all the time, I’ve loved you. And I don’t care if it’s mad or irrational, I want to get to know you. I want you to give me that chance. I love you, but I want you to let me love you.”
“Please, Kurt, give me a chance? Just, please?” Jeremiah’s voice broke at the last word, and he clutched Kurt’s hand tighter.
Kurt was just staring back at him, face the most enticing shade of bright red, lips parted to form a disbelieving face. He was silent for so long, that Jeremiah had already begun to despair.
But then Kurt broke out into a smile, shy and radiant, and Jeremiah’s heart beat even faster as he felt a sliver of hope.
“You are without a doubt, the most insane, creepy and scarily intense person.” Kurt said, and before Jeremiah could pull away,
Kurt was the one who was clutching his hand back. “But you also seem to be an amazing, wonderful, charming, and handsome person who’s so in love with me that I can’t even believe it.”
“I can’t say that I reciprocate your feelings, not now, not so soon. But, I’m willing to give you a chance.” Kurt smiled, and Jeremiah smiled back, feeling so happy his heart could burst.
A stray thought niggled at his mind. “What about Blaine though? I thought you were in love with him?”
Kurt sighed. He clenched Jeremiah’s hand tighter. “Blaine is still one of my best friends, but I’m over him already. I confess, I’d thought that I loved him at one point, but I realized that it was just a huge crush, and after he serenaded you, well, I told him about my feelings but he turned me down. Stating that he would prefer us to be friends. But he goes on to give me all these mixed signals, and then I started getting tired of my feelings being on a constant roller-coaster ride, and well, I decided to get over him. And I did, I’ve no feelings for him now, if I do, I would never had wanted to give you a chance, I’m not that cruel.”
Kurt’s gaze was sincere and unwavering, and Jeremiah knew that he was telling the truth.
“So, I did distinctly remember you said that you would give me a chance?” Jeremiah asked, tone nonchalant.
Kurt grinned. “I did, didn’t I? And I meant it. So don’t screw this up, Jeremiah.”
“After pining after you for two years like a besotted idiot? I would kill myself if I ever did screw up.” There was no denying the intensity of Jeremiah’s gaze, and Kurt was blushing again. Jeremiah smiled, even as his gaze was serious. “And I want the full package with you. I want us to go on dates, and I want to meet your friends and parents, and I want to tell you everything about me and for you to do the same. I want you, all of you, Kurt.”
Kurt had lowered his eyes to their joined hands, and the blush was visible even around his neck. “I want that too. But, I’ve got to say, I don’t really have any experience with this whole relationship thing.” He paused. “You’re, well, you would be my first boyfriend.” He whispered, but Jeremiah heard him.
The sudden surge of possessiveness and protectiveness, and just so much elation and love overwhelmed Jeremiah, and he couldn’t help but bring Kurt’s hand up and kissed it, lingeringly, on the top of his knuckles.
Kurt continued on, “And I know, you...erm, you love me, but I don’t think I can say that back to you so soon. I...I hope that you won’t be hurt by that.”
Jeremiah looked up. “Kurt, it’s okay, I won’t pressure you to love me, and you don’t have to feel obligated to say it back either, I’ll just love you and even when you feel the same way back, you should only say it when you’re ready. And I’ll try my best so that you can love me as a man that you deserves.”
Kurt’s eyes were bright, and his smile was toothy and just so adorable and beautiful at the same time as he breathed out: “I have a feeling that you’re a man I deserve, and that I might be halfway there already.”
Jeremiah’s mouth fell open. His heart skipped a beat. He could hear it, even though Kurt didn’t say it.
I might be halfway in love with you already.
He couldn’t help himself, he reached out and curled his hand around Kurt’s neck, leaning forward as he pulled Kurt in. Just slow enough and with the barest amount of pressure on his neck, so that Kurt could move away whenever he wanted to.
But Kurt didn’t, and as they closed the last few inches between them, it was with a last, shaky breath on both sides before they leaned in simultaneously and their lips met in the middle.
It was a lazy Sunday morning, and the warm sunlight streamed in through the windows, lighting and warming up their faces even as their mouths sought each other for warmth and love.
For once, Jeremiah really did love Fate, as it brought him to Kurt Hummel.
~THE END~