Glee fic - Courage to Take Control - Part 10 of 10 [COMPLETE]
Media: Fic
Type: Multi-Part
Title: Courage to Take Control: 10 of 10
Rating: R
Word Count: 3,250 (this part); about 26,000 in total.
Genre: General, Drama, Romantic bits
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine established and the focus; but most characters turn up
Spoilers: Nope - although obviously we’re in between s2 and s3. Suspect this might be AUish once s3 starts.
Warning: Nah I don’t reckon.
Disclaimer: I’m borrowing all the characters and universe of Glee. They’re not mine, but I’m grateful to have a little play-time with them J
Summary: Blaine wants to transfer to McKinley for senior year. He just has to convince those people closest to him that it’s a good idea. This chapter, the denouement.
-------------------- [Chapter 1] | [Chapter 2] | [Chapter 3] | [Chapter 4] | [Chapter 5] | [Chapter 6] | [Chapter 7] | [Chapter 8] | [Chapter 9]
Author’s note: So we’re finally here. This serves as both final chapter and epilogue… more notes at the end.
--------------------Chapter 10
Kurt sat in his car in the McKinley carpark again, watching the world around him. It was so much busier than he remembered it the year before. So many students pouring off buses, out of cars, and streaming in from the streets around. It was lighter, brighter and busier than it had been the night of the PTA meeting too, as he’d waited outside with Blaine and some of the other Glee kids to hear the result. Somehow, on that bright morning it seemed scarier than it had in the dark - even though that night they’d half expected trouble that never came.
A knock on the window made Kurt jump, and he looked up to see Rachel and Mercedes waving at him enthusiastically. Realising it was now or never, he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door to a barrage of excited conversation.
“Kurt!” Rachel squealed. “Isn’t this exciting? Our senior year!!”
Kurt rolled his eyes, “I’m not quite sure exciting is the adjective I’d use, but it’s good to see you too.”
Mercedes winked at him, hand on her hip. “C’mon boy, tell me you’re not looking forward to seeing a certain handsome transfer student pull into the parking lot.”
Kurt smiled tightly, “Yeah of course… I just hope-”
“Hope what?” Blaine bounded up from behind him, putting both his hands on Kurt’s shoulders and leveraging off him for a short excited jump. “Hey guys!” He said to Rachel and Mercedes, before trailing his hand down Kurt’s arm and squeezing his hand for a moment. “Hey.”
Blaine and Kurt stood looking at each other for a moment, the other students around them suddenly part of a swirling background that didn’t concern them.
“Earth to Kurt…” Mercedes had ducked her head directly in front of Kurt’s - between him and Blaine - and was waving her hands in front of him.
“Hey!” Blaine objected good naturedly, “you’re blocking the view, Mercedes - and a nice view it is!”
“Damn straight,” Kurt laughed, bumping Mercedes out of the way but linking an arm in hers, the other in Blaine’s as they started to walk towards the school entrance. He was glad the girls were there. That way, it wasn’t so obvious that he and Blaine were walking in together. Everyone knew they were a couple - most of the seniors would recognise Blaine from Junior Prom at least - but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be awkward.
“Ah, finally!” a couple of jocks turned around from their huddle next to the lockers just inside the school as the four Glee club members entered. “My hands were starting to get cold waiting for some losers.”
Kurt, Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes were suddenly breathing very fast with the shock of ice cold liquid against their skin and clothes.
“Bahahaha!” One of the jocks laughed like a hyena. “Awesome suggestion to get different flavours dude - rainbow slushie effect!”
The rest of the students didn’t pay much attention, just parting to walk around the disturbance, heads low so as not to attract attention on themselves. The jocks didn’t pay much attention after that either, just turning around and ambling down the corridor, high-fiving all the way.
“Wow, it’s so cold,” Blaine was shaking his head quickly, trying to get the cold, if not red and stickiness, out of his hair.
“Yeah - it’s almost worse on a warm day because the shock is too great to be refreshing,” Rachel said, wiping the purple ice shards out of her eyes. “C’mon, let’s go to our usual bathroom and clean all this off.”
In the bathroom, Kurt made quick work of the ice-cold green liquid on his face and neck, changed his shirt, and then turned to help Blaine. Students were coming in and out, ignoring them. They were in the girls’ bathroom of course, but they were used to seeing Kurt there - only the cheerios still laughed at them.
“Hey,” he said, using a paper towel to wipe around Blaine’s ears.
“Hey,” Blaine said, inspecting the damage on his shirt. “I’m glad I took your advice and didn’t wear a new top today - and that I wore a black one. Once this dries it’ll be fine, and I’ll smell sweet like sugar all day,” he grinned at Kurt through the mirror.
Kurt tried to laugh, but ended up sighing instead. “I know you’re trying to be good-humoured about this…”
“No, Kurt,” Blaine stopped him, turning around and putting his hand over Kurt’s mouth. Kurt resisted the urge to taste the remnants of slushie on his palms. “This is part of the deal, and I came here my eyes wide open,” he blinked a couple of times. “About that, remind me to close my eyes before they shove ice-cold sugar-water in my face again will ya? They’re still stinging.”
Kurt nodded, putting a smile on his face. “You smell sweet like sugar to me, whether there’s a slushie involved on not,” he said.
“Oh. My. God. Shut UP,” Santana had entered the bathroom. “If you guys are going to carry on like this all year I’m going to be a size zero in no time from all the hurling.”
“Hahaha, hey Santana,” Blaine grinned at her as he wiped away the last of the slushie, scrunching the paper towel in the bin. “Nice to see you too.”
“Yeah, well, I’m serious, so keep it in your pants,” she said, brushing past Blaine to check her make-up. “There’s some big assembly to start the day today - that’s why I came to find you guys. We’re meant to be in the gym, like now.”
The four of them followed Santana and were suddenly in the throng of students, who had all got to their homerooms only to be told to leave again for the gym.
Filing into the gym, the students’ voices became hushed as everyone tried to figure out what was going on. Principal Figgins, Coach Sylvester, a couple of suits and police officers were all standing in a row looking grim.
“Quiet please children,” Principal Figgins seemed to be praying into the microphone; he certainly wasn’t speaking into with any real authority. “Quiet please.”
Suddenly a piercing whistle caused at least a third of the students to slam their hands against their ears.
“Listen up!” Coach Sylvester boomed, her new whistle dropping from her lips. She returned to her ‘at ease’ stance next to the Principal and nodded at him, as if giving him permission to speak.
“Children,” Principal Figgins began again, his voice already droning, “it is a new school year, and this year there is a new policy at McKinley high. Now I know you will give a warm welcome to the Superintendent Chalmers.”
The gym was silent, and the Superintendent coughed slightly as he walked to the microphone. While no one spoke in the crowd, a lot of people were glancing around and at each other. They all knew what the announcement would be - that there was some new anti-bullying policy. Most of their parents had told them that much. Most of them didn’t care - they figured it wouldn’t actually change anything.
It took a while before some of the students started to realise that this wasn’t like other recent ‘policies’ the school had introduced. This wasn’t like the recycling policy, or the anti-plagiarism policy. A low rumble moved across the gym as the Superintendent mentioned instant expulsions for re-offenders, CCTV footage in the halls, classrooms and grounds, the fact that the policy extended to outside of school grounds and outside of school hours, and the fact that police would be involved very closely with the school’s administration for even the smallest of incidents. Sure, there were some derisory smirks from the usual suspects in the crowd, but for the most part the school was in shock.
Kurt, Blaine, and the rest of the Glee club were watching these reactions carefully, trying to spot those who would seek to test it.
“Dude, I almost want one of those punks to try something on, just so we can see what happens,” Puck whispered to Kurt from where he was sitting behind him.
Kurt whipped his head around to look at Puck, his eyes narrowed.
“Hey, I said almost,” Puck shrugged.
“Silence!” Ms Sylvester’s voice barked, halting dozens of murmured conversations.
“I’m going to make it my personal mission to see that this school has an exemplary anti-bullying record from this point on,” her eyes flashed, left to right, singling out certain individuals under her gaze. “I know the temptation is high. I know the targets are many. I also know that each and every one of you wants to win. The condition of success is winning - and here at McKinley high we’re going to win; we’re going to be the best at being tough. We’re going to make headlines for being the safest damn public school in the state.”
The students looked around at each other in confusion as silence descended on the space again.
“What is she up to?” Kurt leant over to Mercedes to ask, who just shrugged in response.
The murmuring was rising steadily as Principal Figgins when he returned to the microphone. “That is all. Have a safe day,” he said, just before the noise was too loud for anyone to hear him anyway. The noise level was back to normal and the chaos resumed of students walking every which way, gossiping about the policy and heading to their classes.
“I can’t believe we don’t have one class together today,” Kurt was pouting at his timetable, walking next to Blaine. “What’s the point of you transferring if we’re not even going to be together?”
“Hey that’s not the point remember, contrary to popular opinion - and we’ve both got a free period later,” Blaine elbowed him softly before stopping outside what he thought was his classroom. He took a deep breath and looked around him. No-one was paying that much attention to them, but he could still see the sideways glances. Kurt had his head held high in the way he knew meant he was rising above it all. Blaine couldn’t help it, but he still felt intimidated; and yes, scared. He took in a deep breath, letting it slide out through his lips slowly.
“I’d forgotten the stress,” he said quietly, as student started moving past him into the classroom.
Kurt squeezed his arm. “Don’t leave the classroom til I get back here at the break,” he said, looking intently into Blaine’s eyes, “promise me.”
Blaine nodded in response, and mouthed ‘love you’ quickly before turning to go into the classroom.
As Kurt rushed down the hall, a hair’s breadth from being late for his own class, his ears pricked at the low rumblings of Coach Sylvester’s voice. He slowed his pace and lingered just behind a corner to listen.
“You will go with this new initiative,” she was hissing quietly, “because it’s part of the plan. Do you know how many football and hockey students are sabotaged by the distraction of putting losers in their place - let alone ending up in detention for it? How many former cheerios - so bright eyed and bushy-tailed like yourselves at first - have been sidelined thanks to tattling losers and fatties? The key to success, ladies, is strength. Put all that energy into the cheerios. Get your pimple-faced poor excuses for boyfriends to do the same for football, basketball, hockey - and don’t you ever question me again, got it?”
Kurt heard a couple of squeaks and two young-looking cheerios came scurrying around the corner.
“Nice work coach,” he heard Becky say.
“Thanks Becky,” Sue said, sounding like she might actually be smiling. “Once we’ve got the sporting teams back on top in this school, and winning, we’ll finally be able to destroy the arts program - and that stupid no-talent Glee club that can’t win anything - once and for all.”
Kurt rolled his eyes - another year, and it was another Sue conspiracy. He moved on, sighing and shaking his head at the typicalness of it.
He didn’t spend much time thinking about it for the rest of the day as the usual first day machinations taking over - sorting out the curriculum, testing the teachers’ patience and generally panicking that this was the last opportunity they would have to get good grades for those college applications. At each break he found Blaine and they faced the school together, usually with two to three other Glee club kids with them. There was no trouble, but they couldn’t relax either. They both had final period free, but needed to stick around for Glee club, so decided to hang out in the choir room, tinkering on the piano and other assorted instruments in the room.
“It’s more like a hospital than I remember,” Blaine said, sitting behind the drum kit, fingers tracing over the cymbal. “Public school, I mean.”
“Hmmm,” Kurt was sitting cross-legged in front of the tiered platforms, near the drumkit. “It’s all the disenfectant they need for their futile attempts to wash out the miscreant.”
Blaine laughed, “You are different here,” he said. “No, no, not in a bad way,” he added hastily, seeing the look of alarm on Kurt’s face. “It’s like you’ve got this armour on - you give off such a show of strength, you’re always ready for whatever’s coming, untouchable. I feel stronger with you.”
“I guess,” Kurt sighed, turning the page of the magazine in front of him. “It’s tiring having to keep it up all the time though.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that,” Blaine said, standing up and moving around the drum kit to sit next to Kurt.
“It’s easier with you here though,” Kurt added, still flipping pages absent-mindedly, enjoying having Blaine so close to him. “Everything’s easier with you.”
“Hey, hey it’s the new celebrity couple,” a snide and familiar voice broke into the space. Azimo and a couple of guys had stopped by the door. “Don’t worry princesses, we won’t enter your palace,” he sniffed at the air, “too fruity - is that raspberry slushie I can smell?”
“What do you guys want?” Blaine said evenly, keeping his body-language calm.
“Well, I want to come over there and bitch-slap you back outta this school to that gay private school you came from,” Azimo drawled, “but we can’t always get what we want now, can we?”
“Oh I don’t know,” Kurt challenged, “I’d enjoy seeing you suspended and expelled - all chances of that football scholarship and future taken away from you. That could be fun, right Blaine?”
“Definitely,” Blaine nodded, acting all earnest and serious. “it’d be worth the black eye too.”
They both looked at Azimo and his grunts, staring them down until suddenly Azimo threw his hands up in the air.
“What a fucking disaster,” he said, turning to walk away, “this year’s going to be no fun at all.”
Kurt and Blaine watched as the guys disappeared from view, and both leaned back a little, letting out the breaths they’d been holding.
“Like I said,” Kurt breathed, “tiring.”
“Exhausting,” Blaine nodded in agreement. “But still worth it,” he turned to look at Kurt, “I know nothing’s guaranteed - but it’s worth it; this is my choice.”
They looked at each other, both weighing up the risks of sneaking a kiss, when suddenly Mr Schuester appeared at the doorway, Rachel’s shrill voice following only inches behind.
“I know you think that would be a good song choice for our first group number at Sectionals, Mr Schue,” she was saying even though he looked like he was trying to block out everything she said. “But yet again it’s neither a Broadway classic nor is it even a good song!”
Will dumped his pile of books and sheet music on the piano, and looked across at Kurt and Blaine.
“Hi guys,” he said, trying to ignore Rachel’s rambling, “how has your first day been?”
Kurt and Blaine both looked at each other, smiled, and shrugged. “One more year til we’re free, Mr Schue,” Kurt smiled. “You know how it is.”
Will nodded as the bell rang, and the halls filled with activity again. Glee club members started filing into the room and were soon hugging and high-fiving each other in greeting for the new school year.
“Ok!” Will clapped his hands to get some attention. “Everyone take your seats - Kurt, Blaine, that means on actual chairs please.”
Everyone took their seats obediently and waited for the usual pep talk.
“So another year and another shot at Nationals - yeah!” Will tried to infuse as much enthusiasm into the room as possible. “First up,” he turned to the board and wrote as he spoke, “NEW BEGINNINGS.” He turned back around to face them. “Today is a new beginning for our new McKinley High School student - Blaine Anderson - welcome Blaine.”
“Woo!” Rachel exclaimed and clapped vigourously while Kurt just smiled at Blaine and the rest of them clapped politely.
“And,” Mr Schue continued, “it’s a new beginning for us too. A new year, a clean slate - we’re going to move on from last year, start from scratch and take it all the way to New York and beyond - and I’ve got the perfect song to get us started.”
“Mr Schue!” Rachel had bounded to her feet, “I know my fellow Glee clubbers will be polite in the face of your suggestion, but I really think…”
“Oh man, here she goes,” Tina sighed.
“Every. Single. Time…” Santana rolled her eyes. “Why you gotta be annoying before we’ve even done anything?”
Rachel ignored them, and certainly ignored Will’s protestations as she spoke faster and louder to be heard over the hubbub.
“I know we’re all very excited and these are exciting times.” She beamed at them, oblivious to their annoyance. “I know we’re all particularly excited by Blaine’s addition to our group, finally giving me a an appropriate duet partner - not only in terms of vocal ability but also in terms of the visually aesthetic and appropriate height difference between us.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Mercedes cut in loudly. “You do not automatically get all the bit parts this year.”
“And what do you mean appropriate duet partner?” Finn blurted out, surprising most of the others in the room. “You’ve never had a problem with my voice or height before?”
“Yeah until you sucked on her face on stage at Nationals,” Santana was standing up, clawing towards Finn, despite Brittany’s efforts to pull her back down. “You ever try that again…”
The room descended into semi-chaos as the Glee kids all tried to talk over each other, and Mr Schuester vainly tried to get Rachel to sit back down so he could take control of the class again.
Blaine was sitting at the end of the first row, next to Kurt, just watching. He’d heard these practices were like, but had never really believed it before seeing it.
“Wow,” he whispered to Kurt, as Mercedes and Santana started turning on each other, arguing about their respective diva qualities.
“Uh huh,” Kurt said, his lips curling into a grin as they hovered just near Blaine’s ear. “Welcome to McKinley High.”
They felt everything melt away just, like it had that morning - the noise and chaos again became a swirling background, leaving them, just them. This time, they didn’t just stay fixed on the spot looking at each other. This time, they leaned in until their lips were touching, and they kissed without fear or hesitation, because right at that moment, everything was ok.
END
--------------------
Author’s comment thanks: We made it - and in good time before the season premiere where this will be jossed!
I really hope you enjoyed this - I loved writing it.
This chapter was more like an epilogue because the Transfer was never really in question; it was people’s acceptance of Blaine transferring; of Blaine being Blaine that I sought to explore (even if I didn’t realise it at first). Just so you know, I never intended to have a chapter on the PTA meeting, so you didn’t miss something - I’m sure it could have been written, but again, the point of this story was Blaine’s journey, not really the school or community’s journey, and I felt I didn’t need it and didn’t want to get too preachy.
Thank you to those who have commented along the way, giving me a confidence boost. Particular thanks to jennacorinth for being there during a very odd week in RL.
Type: Multi-Part
Title: Courage to Take Control: 10 of 10
Rating: R
Word Count: 3,250 (this part); about 26,000 in total.
Genre: General, Drama, Romantic bits
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine established and the focus; but most characters turn up
Spoilers: Nope - although obviously we’re in between s2 and s3. Suspect this might be AUish once s3 starts.
Warning: Nah I don’t reckon.
Disclaimer: I’m borrowing all the characters and universe of Glee. They’re not mine, but I’m grateful to have a little play-time with them J
Summary: Blaine wants to transfer to McKinley for senior year. He just has to convince those people closest to him that it’s a good idea. This chapter, the denouement.
-------------------- [Chapter 1] | [Chapter 2] | [Chapter 3] | [Chapter 4] | [Chapter 5] | [Chapter 6] | [Chapter 7] | [Chapter 8] | [Chapter 9]
Author’s note: So we’re finally here. This serves as both final chapter and epilogue… more notes at the end.
--------------------Chapter 10
Kurt sat in his car in the McKinley carpark again, watching the world around him. It was so much busier than he remembered it the year before. So many students pouring off buses, out of cars, and streaming in from the streets around. It was lighter, brighter and busier than it had been the night of the PTA meeting too, as he’d waited outside with Blaine and some of the other Glee kids to hear the result. Somehow, on that bright morning it seemed scarier than it had in the dark - even though that night they’d half expected trouble that never came.
A knock on the window made Kurt jump, and he looked up to see Rachel and Mercedes waving at him enthusiastically. Realising it was now or never, he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door to a barrage of excited conversation.
“Kurt!” Rachel squealed. “Isn’t this exciting? Our senior year!!”
Kurt rolled his eyes, “I’m not quite sure exciting is the adjective I’d use, but it’s good to see you too.”
Mercedes winked at him, hand on her hip. “C’mon boy, tell me you’re not looking forward to seeing a certain handsome transfer student pull into the parking lot.”
Kurt smiled tightly, “Yeah of course… I just hope-”
“Hope what?” Blaine bounded up from behind him, putting both his hands on Kurt’s shoulders and leveraging off him for a short excited jump. “Hey guys!” He said to Rachel and Mercedes, before trailing his hand down Kurt’s arm and squeezing his hand for a moment. “Hey.”
Blaine and Kurt stood looking at each other for a moment, the other students around them suddenly part of a swirling background that didn’t concern them.
“Earth to Kurt…” Mercedes had ducked her head directly in front of Kurt’s - between him and Blaine - and was waving her hands in front of him.
“Hey!” Blaine objected good naturedly, “you’re blocking the view, Mercedes - and a nice view it is!”
“Damn straight,” Kurt laughed, bumping Mercedes out of the way but linking an arm in hers, the other in Blaine’s as they started to walk towards the school entrance. He was glad the girls were there. That way, it wasn’t so obvious that he and Blaine were walking in together. Everyone knew they were a couple - most of the seniors would recognise Blaine from Junior Prom at least - but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be awkward.
“Ah, finally!” a couple of jocks turned around from their huddle next to the lockers just inside the school as the four Glee club members entered. “My hands were starting to get cold waiting for some losers.”
Kurt, Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes were suddenly breathing very fast with the shock of ice cold liquid against their skin and clothes.
“Bahahaha!” One of the jocks laughed like a hyena. “Awesome suggestion to get different flavours dude - rainbow slushie effect!”
The rest of the students didn’t pay much attention, just parting to walk around the disturbance, heads low so as not to attract attention on themselves. The jocks didn’t pay much attention after that either, just turning around and ambling down the corridor, high-fiving all the way.
“Wow, it’s so cold,” Blaine was shaking his head quickly, trying to get the cold, if not red and stickiness, out of his hair.
“Yeah - it’s almost worse on a warm day because the shock is too great to be refreshing,” Rachel said, wiping the purple ice shards out of her eyes. “C’mon, let’s go to our usual bathroom and clean all this off.”
In the bathroom, Kurt made quick work of the ice-cold green liquid on his face and neck, changed his shirt, and then turned to help Blaine. Students were coming in and out, ignoring them. They were in the girls’ bathroom of course, but they were used to seeing Kurt there - only the cheerios still laughed at them.
“Hey,” he said, using a paper towel to wipe around Blaine’s ears.
“Hey,” Blaine said, inspecting the damage on his shirt. “I’m glad I took your advice and didn’t wear a new top today - and that I wore a black one. Once this dries it’ll be fine, and I’ll smell sweet like sugar all day,” he grinned at Kurt through the mirror.
Kurt tried to laugh, but ended up sighing instead. “I know you’re trying to be good-humoured about this…”
“No, Kurt,” Blaine stopped him, turning around and putting his hand over Kurt’s mouth. Kurt resisted the urge to taste the remnants of slushie on his palms. “This is part of the deal, and I came here my eyes wide open,” he blinked a couple of times. “About that, remind me to close my eyes before they shove ice-cold sugar-water in my face again will ya? They’re still stinging.”
Kurt nodded, putting a smile on his face. “You smell sweet like sugar to me, whether there’s a slushie involved on not,” he said.
“Oh. My. God. Shut UP,” Santana had entered the bathroom. “If you guys are going to carry on like this all year I’m going to be a size zero in no time from all the hurling.”
“Hahaha, hey Santana,” Blaine grinned at her as he wiped away the last of the slushie, scrunching the paper towel in the bin. “Nice to see you too.”
“Yeah, well, I’m serious, so keep it in your pants,” she said, brushing past Blaine to check her make-up. “There’s some big assembly to start the day today - that’s why I came to find you guys. We’re meant to be in the gym, like now.”
The four of them followed Santana and were suddenly in the throng of students, who had all got to their homerooms only to be told to leave again for the gym.
Filing into the gym, the students’ voices became hushed as everyone tried to figure out what was going on. Principal Figgins, Coach Sylvester, a couple of suits and police officers were all standing in a row looking grim.
“Quiet please children,” Principal Figgins seemed to be praying into the microphone; he certainly wasn’t speaking into with any real authority. “Quiet please.”
Suddenly a piercing whistle caused at least a third of the students to slam their hands against their ears.
“Listen up!” Coach Sylvester boomed, her new whistle dropping from her lips. She returned to her ‘at ease’ stance next to the Principal and nodded at him, as if giving him permission to speak.
“Children,” Principal Figgins began again, his voice already droning, “it is a new school year, and this year there is a new policy at McKinley high. Now I know you will give a warm welcome to the Superintendent Chalmers.”
The gym was silent, and the Superintendent coughed slightly as he walked to the microphone. While no one spoke in the crowd, a lot of people were glancing around and at each other. They all knew what the announcement would be - that there was some new anti-bullying policy. Most of their parents had told them that much. Most of them didn’t care - they figured it wouldn’t actually change anything.
It took a while before some of the students started to realise that this wasn’t like other recent ‘policies’ the school had introduced. This wasn’t like the recycling policy, or the anti-plagiarism policy. A low rumble moved across the gym as the Superintendent mentioned instant expulsions for re-offenders, CCTV footage in the halls, classrooms and grounds, the fact that the policy extended to outside of school grounds and outside of school hours, and the fact that police would be involved very closely with the school’s administration for even the smallest of incidents. Sure, there were some derisory smirks from the usual suspects in the crowd, but for the most part the school was in shock.
Kurt, Blaine, and the rest of the Glee club were watching these reactions carefully, trying to spot those who would seek to test it.
“Dude, I almost want one of those punks to try something on, just so we can see what happens,” Puck whispered to Kurt from where he was sitting behind him.
Kurt whipped his head around to look at Puck, his eyes narrowed.
“Hey, I said almost,” Puck shrugged.
“Silence!” Ms Sylvester’s voice barked, halting dozens of murmured conversations.
“I’m going to make it my personal mission to see that this school has an exemplary anti-bullying record from this point on,” her eyes flashed, left to right, singling out certain individuals under her gaze. “I know the temptation is high. I know the targets are many. I also know that each and every one of you wants to win. The condition of success is winning - and here at McKinley high we’re going to win; we’re going to be the best at being tough. We’re going to make headlines for being the safest damn public school in the state.”
The students looked around at each other in confusion as silence descended on the space again.
“What is she up to?” Kurt leant over to Mercedes to ask, who just shrugged in response.
The murmuring was rising steadily as Principal Figgins when he returned to the microphone. “That is all. Have a safe day,” he said, just before the noise was too loud for anyone to hear him anyway. The noise level was back to normal and the chaos resumed of students walking every which way, gossiping about the policy and heading to their classes.
“I can’t believe we don’t have one class together today,” Kurt was pouting at his timetable, walking next to Blaine. “What’s the point of you transferring if we’re not even going to be together?”
“Hey that’s not the point remember, contrary to popular opinion - and we’ve both got a free period later,” Blaine elbowed him softly before stopping outside what he thought was his classroom. He took a deep breath and looked around him. No-one was paying that much attention to them, but he could still see the sideways glances. Kurt had his head held high in the way he knew meant he was rising above it all. Blaine couldn’t help it, but he still felt intimidated; and yes, scared. He took in a deep breath, letting it slide out through his lips slowly.
“I’d forgotten the stress,” he said quietly, as student started moving past him into the classroom.
Kurt squeezed his arm. “Don’t leave the classroom til I get back here at the break,” he said, looking intently into Blaine’s eyes, “promise me.”
Blaine nodded in response, and mouthed ‘love you’ quickly before turning to go into the classroom.
As Kurt rushed down the hall, a hair’s breadth from being late for his own class, his ears pricked at the low rumblings of Coach Sylvester’s voice. He slowed his pace and lingered just behind a corner to listen.
“You will go with this new initiative,” she was hissing quietly, “because it’s part of the plan. Do you know how many football and hockey students are sabotaged by the distraction of putting losers in their place - let alone ending up in detention for it? How many former cheerios - so bright eyed and bushy-tailed like yourselves at first - have been sidelined thanks to tattling losers and fatties? The key to success, ladies, is strength. Put all that energy into the cheerios. Get your pimple-faced poor excuses for boyfriends to do the same for football, basketball, hockey - and don’t you ever question me again, got it?”
Kurt heard a couple of squeaks and two young-looking cheerios came scurrying around the corner.
“Nice work coach,” he heard Becky say.
“Thanks Becky,” Sue said, sounding like she might actually be smiling. “Once we’ve got the sporting teams back on top in this school, and winning, we’ll finally be able to destroy the arts program - and that stupid no-talent Glee club that can’t win anything - once and for all.”
Kurt rolled his eyes - another year, and it was another Sue conspiracy. He moved on, sighing and shaking his head at the typicalness of it.
He didn’t spend much time thinking about it for the rest of the day as the usual first day machinations taking over - sorting out the curriculum, testing the teachers’ patience and generally panicking that this was the last opportunity they would have to get good grades for those college applications. At each break he found Blaine and they faced the school together, usually with two to three other Glee club kids with them. There was no trouble, but they couldn’t relax either. They both had final period free, but needed to stick around for Glee club, so decided to hang out in the choir room, tinkering on the piano and other assorted instruments in the room.
“It’s more like a hospital than I remember,” Blaine said, sitting behind the drum kit, fingers tracing over the cymbal. “Public school, I mean.”
“Hmmm,” Kurt was sitting cross-legged in front of the tiered platforms, near the drumkit. “It’s all the disenfectant they need for their futile attempts to wash out the miscreant.”
Blaine laughed, “You are different here,” he said. “No, no, not in a bad way,” he added hastily, seeing the look of alarm on Kurt’s face. “It’s like you’ve got this armour on - you give off such a show of strength, you’re always ready for whatever’s coming, untouchable. I feel stronger with you.”
“I guess,” Kurt sighed, turning the page of the magazine in front of him. “It’s tiring having to keep it up all the time though.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that,” Blaine said, standing up and moving around the drum kit to sit next to Kurt.
“It’s easier with you here though,” Kurt added, still flipping pages absent-mindedly, enjoying having Blaine so close to him. “Everything’s easier with you.”
“Hey, hey it’s the new celebrity couple,” a snide and familiar voice broke into the space. Azimo and a couple of guys had stopped by the door. “Don’t worry princesses, we won’t enter your palace,” he sniffed at the air, “too fruity - is that raspberry slushie I can smell?”
“What do you guys want?” Blaine said evenly, keeping his body-language calm.
“Well, I want to come over there and bitch-slap you back outta this school to that gay private school you came from,” Azimo drawled, “but we can’t always get what we want now, can we?”
“Oh I don’t know,” Kurt challenged, “I’d enjoy seeing you suspended and expelled - all chances of that football scholarship and future taken away from you. That could be fun, right Blaine?”
“Definitely,” Blaine nodded, acting all earnest and serious. “it’d be worth the black eye too.”
They both looked at Azimo and his grunts, staring them down until suddenly Azimo threw his hands up in the air.
“What a fucking disaster,” he said, turning to walk away, “this year’s going to be no fun at all.”
Kurt and Blaine watched as the guys disappeared from view, and both leaned back a little, letting out the breaths they’d been holding.
“Like I said,” Kurt breathed, “tiring.”
“Exhausting,” Blaine nodded in agreement. “But still worth it,” he turned to look at Kurt, “I know nothing’s guaranteed - but it’s worth it; this is my choice.”
They looked at each other, both weighing up the risks of sneaking a kiss, when suddenly Mr Schuester appeared at the doorway, Rachel’s shrill voice following only inches behind.
“I know you think that would be a good song choice for our first group number at Sectionals, Mr Schue,” she was saying even though he looked like he was trying to block out everything she said. “But yet again it’s neither a Broadway classic nor is it even a good song!”
Will dumped his pile of books and sheet music on the piano, and looked across at Kurt and Blaine.
“Hi guys,” he said, trying to ignore Rachel’s rambling, “how has your first day been?”
Kurt and Blaine both looked at each other, smiled, and shrugged. “One more year til we’re free, Mr Schue,” Kurt smiled. “You know how it is.”
Will nodded as the bell rang, and the halls filled with activity again. Glee club members started filing into the room and were soon hugging and high-fiving each other in greeting for the new school year.
“Ok!” Will clapped his hands to get some attention. “Everyone take your seats - Kurt, Blaine, that means on actual chairs please.”
Everyone took their seats obediently and waited for the usual pep talk.
“So another year and another shot at Nationals - yeah!” Will tried to infuse as much enthusiasm into the room as possible. “First up,” he turned to the board and wrote as he spoke, “NEW BEGINNINGS.” He turned back around to face them. “Today is a new beginning for our new McKinley High School student - Blaine Anderson - welcome Blaine.”
“Woo!” Rachel exclaimed and clapped vigourously while Kurt just smiled at Blaine and the rest of them clapped politely.
“And,” Mr Schue continued, “it’s a new beginning for us too. A new year, a clean slate - we’re going to move on from last year, start from scratch and take it all the way to New York and beyond - and I’ve got the perfect song to get us started.”
“Mr Schue!” Rachel had bounded to her feet, “I know my fellow Glee clubbers will be polite in the face of your suggestion, but I really think…”
“Oh man, here she goes,” Tina sighed.
“Every. Single. Time…” Santana rolled her eyes. “Why you gotta be annoying before we’ve even done anything?”
Rachel ignored them, and certainly ignored Will’s protestations as she spoke faster and louder to be heard over the hubbub.
“I know we’re all very excited and these are exciting times.” She beamed at them, oblivious to their annoyance. “I know we’re all particularly excited by Blaine’s addition to our group, finally giving me a an appropriate duet partner - not only in terms of vocal ability but also in terms of the visually aesthetic and appropriate height difference between us.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Mercedes cut in loudly. “You do not automatically get all the bit parts this year.”
“And what do you mean appropriate duet partner?” Finn blurted out, surprising most of the others in the room. “You’ve never had a problem with my voice or height before?”
“Yeah until you sucked on her face on stage at Nationals,” Santana was standing up, clawing towards Finn, despite Brittany’s efforts to pull her back down. “You ever try that again…”
The room descended into semi-chaos as the Glee kids all tried to talk over each other, and Mr Schuester vainly tried to get Rachel to sit back down so he could take control of the class again.
Blaine was sitting at the end of the first row, next to Kurt, just watching. He’d heard these practices were like, but had never really believed it before seeing it.
“Wow,” he whispered to Kurt, as Mercedes and Santana started turning on each other, arguing about their respective diva qualities.
“Uh huh,” Kurt said, his lips curling into a grin as they hovered just near Blaine’s ear. “Welcome to McKinley High.”
They felt everything melt away just, like it had that morning - the noise and chaos again became a swirling background, leaving them, just them. This time, they didn’t just stay fixed on the spot looking at each other. This time, they leaned in until their lips were touching, and they kissed without fear or hesitation, because right at that moment, everything was ok.
END
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Author’s comment thanks: We made it - and in good time before the season premiere where this will be jossed!
I really hope you enjoyed this - I loved writing it.
This chapter was more like an epilogue because the Transfer was never really in question; it was people’s acceptance of Blaine transferring; of Blaine being Blaine that I sought to explore (even if I didn’t realise it at first). Just so you know, I never intended to have a chapter on the PTA meeting, so you didn’t miss something - I’m sure it could have been written, but again, the point of this story was Blaine’s journey, not really the school or community’s journey, and I felt I didn’t need it and didn’t want to get too preachy.
Thank you to those who have commented along the way, giving me a confidence boost. Particular thanks to jennacorinth for being there during a very odd week in RL.