No One Else Compares (4/?)
Title: No One Else Compares
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend
"So, Kurt," Rachel said at lunch on Friday as she glared at her plate. "I was thinking that first we could watch some musicals, and then -"
"Rachel," Kurt laughed, shaking his head fondly at the girl. "You don't need to make an agenda. We can just do whatever." He paused and watched as she took a bite of the meat on her plate. "How do you eat that? It doesn't even look like meat."
Rachel just shrugged and took another bite. "I dunno, once you get past the fact that you don't really know -" She trailed off, her face tinting green before she put a hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom.
Kurt sighed and chuckled a little before taking his and Rachel's trays and throwing out their garbage. He walked out of the cafeteria and towards the girls' bathroom, cringing when he heard the sound of what he presumed was Rachel retching in the toilet.
"Rach?" He called. "You alright?"
She groaned in response before he heard her flush the toilet. Her face was pale as she walked out of the stall, her cheeks still with a greenish tint to them.
"Never eating meat again," she mumbled. "I'm now a vegetarian."
Kurt laughed and dampened a paper towel before holding it against her forehead. "I did tell you not to eat that," he said after a moment.
"And, like I said," she replied. "I am never eating, never touching anything animal related ever again."
Kurt laughed and rolled his eyes at the girl. And, as extreme as that was, it was just so Rachel. She never did anything halfway - so of course she wouldn't just be a vegetarian. No, she would be a vegan.
"Alright," Kurt responded once his laughter had subsided. "I won't try and stop you."
Rachel rinsed out her mouth and fixed her hair, turning to Kurt once she was done and giving him a dazzling smile. "You're still coming over tonight," she told him. "Oh my god, Kurt, my dads are going to freak when I tell them I'm now a vegan."
Kurt laughed again as the two walked out of the bathroom. "Rachel, it's not like you're coming out to them," he said. "They're just not going to make you meat anymore. It's honestly not that big of a deal. Loads of people do it."
Rachel just shrugged as they walked toward their next class. "So you're coming over right after school?" She asked, efficiently changing the subject.
"Well I have to go home and get my stuff," he told her, "So I think my dad can have me over by five."
Rachel nodded and gave her attention to the teacher, ending the conversation.
If there was one thing Kurt Hummel had learnt about Rachel Anderson-Berry, it was that she somehow always managed to control a conversation, whether the other person liked it or not.
"Dad, really, it'll be fine," Kurt assured his father as they drove to Rachel's house later that afternoon.
"Kurt, I don't know her parents, and -"
"Her dads are gay," Kurt told him, wondering how he hadn't mentioned that before. Because, really, it was kind of a major detail.
"Oh - really?"
Kurt nodded and looked down at his hands in his lap. If he was being honest, he would admit that he was kind of nervous. He'd only ever met Rachel's one dad - Leroy, if he remembered correctly - and he had really only known the girl for a week.
And then there was the fact that Blaine was going to be there.
But why did that even bother Kurt? Why was that something he was feeling nervous about? Blaine had proved himself a good friend - a better friend than Kurt ever had before. So why was he nervous about the possibility of seeing Blaine again?
"Turn here," he told his dad, signaling in the direction.
"And you're sure you're okay with this?" Burt asked him again, glancing at Kurt out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes," Kurt sighed. "I'll be fine."
"And Blaine?"
Kurt froze at the name, because why was his dad asking him about Blaine?
"What about him?" Kurt responded a few moments later.
"Well, he's gay," Burt replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "And you two seem to get along, and -"
"Dad, he's in eighth grade," Kurt told him. "And there's nothing like that going on between us."
"I dunno, kid," Burt said. "Something -"
"No," Kurt shook his head, cutting his father off. "It's fine, Dad. Honestly. There's nothing going on. And just because I came out to you, it definitely doesn't mean that I'm ready for a boyfriend."
"I'm just saying, Kurt," his father replied. "Just - be careful, okay?"
"He's just a friend, Dad," Kurt scoffed, because honestly, how long was his dad going to go on about this? "Okay? That's all he is to me."
Burt sighed as he pulled into the Anderson-Berry driveway. "Have fun, okay?"
Kurt nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing his bag and hopping out of the car. He waved as he pulled out of the driveway, making his way towards the front door.
With his finger poised above the doorbell, Kurt felt his heart fluttering with nerves again.
Come on, Kurt, he told himself. You're a big boy. You can handle a sleepover.
And with that, he rang the doorbell.
"Rachel! Your friend's here!" Kurt heard someone call from the inside, and then Rachel's shouted reply that she was busy and that someone else needed to get it.
And then the door opened, revealing a pajama-clad Blaine.
His hair was curly - not gelled like it had been the previous times Kurt had seen him. His smile was wide and his eyes were warm and inviting.
But that wasn't what sent Kurt into a fit of laughter, giving him the feeling that his heart was melting.
No, Blaine was wearing pajamas with puppies on them.
Puppies.
And Kurt, honest to God, thought that Blaine was now officially the most adorable person he'd ever seen.
"Hi Kurt," Blaine said, still grinning and opening the door wider to let Blaine in.
"Hi," Kurt replied as he entered the now familiar house, feeling a little strange because it was the first time he'd been here without having some sort of problem.
Kurt turned back to Blaine, cocking his head in confusion as the younger boy glared at him.
"…What?" Kurt asked hesitantly.
"You're not in your pajamas."
Kurt opened his mouth to reply and then closed it, knowing that he did indeed look like a fish.
"It's Friday," Blaine went on. "Meaning that it's only normal to get into your pajamas the second school's out."
Kurt's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, a small smile playing at his lips.
"So," Blaine continued. "Why are you still in your clothes?"
Kurt looked down at his outfit - a pair of skinny jeans and a nice blue sweater that he knew made his eyes pop - before glancing back up at Blaine and noting that he was actually serious.
"Ermm," Kurt replied, unsure of what he should say. "I can go put them on?" He phrased it like a question, because he really had no idea of what Blaine wanted to hear.
But that must have been the right thing, since Blaine's face broke out in that same grin Kurt was now used to seeing on him, watching as he nodded vigorously. "Yes," he replied excitedly, bouncing on his heels a little. "Go do that! Rachel's busy getting things ready right now anyway."
Kurt sighed before trudging to the bathroom with his bag in tow.
He emerged a few minutes later, adjusting his t-shirt and picking a stray piece of fuzz off of his plaid pajama bottoms.
"Good," Blaine said once Kurt walked into the kitchen. "I approve of your pajamas."
Kurt laughed and sat across from Blaine at the table - sitting in the exact same seats they had a few days before.
"What is Rachel doing, anyway?" He asked, glancing around him as if the girl would suddenly appear.
Blaine shrugged and took a sip of his water. "I don't know," he replied. "I never know what she's doing half the time."
Kurt chuckled and rolled his eyes fondly. "Did she tell you she's a vegan now?"
Blaine laughed, setting his water down gently before spilled it from his laughter. "Yeah," he said. "I honestly don't know how she's not going to eat anything animal related. It's just…"
"Bizarre?" Kurt supplied, smiling when Blaine nodded in approval.
"I guess that's Rachel for you, though," Blaine said after a moment.
Kurt nodded and was about to respond when Rachel walked into the room, clad in pajamas and holding a bundle of blanket.
"Hi, Kurt," she squealed, jumping up and down a little. "C'mon! We're going to watch my pirated copy of Wicked, and The Sound of Music, and -"
"Okay, okay," Kurt laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I am your musical slave for the rest of the night."
Rachel grinned and grabbed Kurt's hand, dragging him down the hallway and towards the stairs.
Kurt glanced over his shoulder, waving at Blaine with his free hand. Blaine grinned back at him - that same grin that he always seemed to wear.
"Kurt, stop making googly eyes at Blaine and come on," Rachel sighed as she started pulling him up the stairs.
"What?" Kurt spluttered. "I - I'm not -"
"Deny it all you want," Rachel replied, dragging him into her room and shutting the door firmly behind her. She threw the pile of blankets in her arms onto the bed. "But I think you have a crush on Blaine."
Kurt's eyes widened, feeling his cheeks tinting with color. "Rachel," he huffed. "I don't like Blaine."
"Not yet," Rachel said, waggling her eyebrows at him. "But I guarantee that once he's in high school, you will."
"Whatever," Kurt replied, shaking his head a little. "Can we just get on with this musical marathon now?"
Rachel nodded and got up to insert the first disk into her DVD player, giving Kurt a minute to think.
He didn't know why everyone was assuming that he liked Blaine. Just because Blaine was gay, it didn't mean that Kurt had to instantly fall for him. Yeah, sure, he was cute and smart and kind of adorable, but -
Oh, so maybe he did have a small crush on Blaine.
But then again, Kurt thought that pretty much everyone with a sense of fashion and good bone structure was adorable, so that wasn't saying much.
And, besides, Blaine was still in middle school. And Kurt had just come out. He didn't feel nearly ready for a relationship.
"How exactly did you get a pirated version of Wicked?" Kurt asked once Rachel sat back on the bed beside him.
And, just like that, the conversation swayed away from Blaine. Apparently it only took that one question to get Rachel going - because once the girl got talking about musicals, there seemed to be no stopping her.
After Wicked, The Sound of Music, and Rent, Kurt found himself sitting next to a completely passed out Rachel. Checking the clock, he noted that it was only 10:30, and, since he'd had about four cups of coffee that day, he wasn't even close to being tired.
And then there was the fact that caffeine made his bladder feel like it was about to explode.
Cringing as the bed creaked, Kurt slowly sat up and got off of the bed, careful not to jostle it too much so as not to wake Rachel up. From what he knew about the girl, he figured she wouldn't be the most pleasant person if he were to wake her up.
He quietly made his way to the bathroom, noting that her dads had gone to bed and that the door next to Rachel's room - which he assumed was Blaine's door - was cracked slightly.
Once he found the bathroom, he made quick work of his business, cringing as the flushing of the toilet sounded like a tornado was running through the house. Really, the last thing Kurt wanted was to be a nuisance to the Anderson-Berry's.
But then as he neared Rachel's door again, he realized how he felt like he had enough energy to last him another few hours.
What he was going to do in a sleeping house by himself for that long, Kurt had no idea.
So he quietly padded down the stairs, suddenly thankful that he hadn't taken his socks off, cringing at just the thought of how cold the hardwood floor would feel against his feet.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Kurt opened the cabinet he saw Rachel open earlier and pulled out a glass. He held it under the faucet and slowly turned it on, once again wincing at how loud the noise sounded in the silent house.
"Kurt?"
Kurt froze, his eyes wide as the water started to overflow out of the cup.
And then he heard feet padding closer to him, the sound getting louder and louder with each passing moment.
"I figured it was you," Blaine said from beside him, a small smile on his face. "Rachel fell asleep on you, didn't she?"
Kurt nodded before realizing that the water was still running, blushing slightly as he quickly turned it off, dumping some of the excess water out of his glass.
"You can come watch some TV with me," Blaine said after a moment, gesturing with his head towards the living room. "I mean - only if you want to."
Kurt took a sip of his water before setting it down on the counter, nodding slightly. "Sure," he replied quietly, still not wanting to wake any of the sleeping inhabitants.
Blaine grinned again and walked into the living room, Kurt trailing behind him.
"You don't have to worry about being quiet," Blaine told him. "All three of them sleep like hibernating bears. They won't wake up until morning."
Kurt nodded and sat down on the couch next to Blaine, leaning back against the arm rest.
He glanced at the TV, and he instantly respected Blaine just that much more.
"The Lion King?" Kurt questioned, raising an eyebrow at Blaine.
Blaine blushed. "Guilty pleasure?"
"Don't be embarrassed," Kurt replied, a small smile on his lips. "It's my favorite movie."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Kurt chuckled and settled a little more into the couch, pulling a nearby blanket over his legs and resting a pillow under his head.
The chatted for a little bit, but Kurt was mostly entranced by the movie. There had always been something about this movie that Kurt had loved, because every time he watched it, he watched it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Blaine slumping a little into the couch cushion, his eyes drooping closed for a few moments at a time before they popped back open.
But apparently, once Kurt noticed how tired Blaine was, he noticed that his caffeine buzz was finally wearing off.
And then he felt his own eyelids drooping, the soft blanket warm and comforting, causing his body to practically beg for sleep.
Not really caring that Rachel would murder him for being on the couch when she woke up in the morning, Kurt dozed off to sleep, the pillow underneath his head smelling fresh and vaguely like cinnamon and pine, a smell that he thought he could get used to.
Kurt woke up to the light streaming through the blinds. He squinted, the sudden brightness practically blinding him.
Groaning, he buried his face in his pillow and tried to fall back asleep, not feeling nearly rejuvenated enough.
And then he felt something warm resting on his legs, cracking one eye open to see a mop of curly brown hair resting on a pillow on his legs.
Blaine was, really and truly, the most adorable thing Kurt had ever seen.
Really, Kurt couldn't blame him for wanting to stretch out a little more. There wasn't a lot of room on the couch, and, if Kurt's suspicious were right, Blaine had gotten into that position while he was sleeping.
But that still didn't stop the small butterflies Kurt felt in his stomach.
And why, why, did Kurt always get that feeling around Blaine?
He didn't know, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
He watched Blaine sleep for a few more moments - realizing that he did sound like a bit of a stalker, but at the moment he didn't really care - noting how his curls fell into his eyes, how his fingers clutched the pillow under his head and how his eyebrows were completely relaxed, not a single line or wrinkle to be seen on his face.
And then of course the moment had to be completely ruined by the sound of Rachel stomping down the stairs, the faint noises of her muttering something under her breath alerting Kurt that she was most certainly not happy.
Kurt, deciding that it was in his best interest, dropped his head back onto his pillow and pretended to still be sleeping. He slowed his breathing, and, if he stayed like this for long enough, he probably could have potentially fallen asleep.
Kurt assumed that she saw Blaine sleeping against Kurt's legs, since he heard her mutter something about how it was always Blaine that ended up spending time with Kurt.
"Kurt," she hissed after a moment of muttering. "Kurt, you better wake up right now."
Kurt cracked an eye open and groaned, more out of annoyance at Rachel for being irritated at him than anything else.
"How long have you been down here?" She hissed once she was sure he was awake.
"Since last night," Kurt groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes to shade them from the light. "You kind of fell asleep on me and I was wound up on caffeine."
"So you had a sleepover with Blaine?"
Kurt felt himself blushing as he glanced at the boy sleeping on his legs, hoping that he was still asleep.
"We were just watching a movie," Kurt explained, "And then we fell asleep, I guess."
Rachel huffed again before standing up and walking into the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes," she told him. "And what time do you need to be taken home?"
"Ten thirty."
Rachel nodded before rounding the corner into the kitchen.
Kurt closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the fact that Blaine was sleeping on his legs, that his warm head was pressed against his calves.
"Mmmmnahhhggg."
Kurt chuckled as he saw Blaine's curls move slightly as he lifted his head up, his eyes squinting in Kurt's direction.
"Hi," Kurt said after a moment.
"We fell asleep?"
Kurt nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
The two remained silent for a moment, Kurt watching as Blaine gradually adjusted to the light around him. He listened as Rachel made pancakes in the kitchen, hoping that she made them as good as he did. Because really, when he was as good of a cook as he was, it made his standards for others just that much higher.
"Kurt?"
Kurt hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes focusing on the patterns in the paint on the ceiling.
"What do you think Dalton will be like?"
Kurt's eyes shot down to Blaine, is heart instantly aching in sympathy for the boy in front of him. His face was creased with worry, a small wrinkle forming between his eyebrows.
"Oh, Blaine," Kurt all but cooed. "You'll be fine. You'll have all the other eighth graders and - and everyone will be nice to you."
"You mean they won't bully me," Blaine whispered, his eyes focusing on the blanket around him. "I don't know how you did it - going to a new school and getting bullied."
Kurt just shrugged and subconsciously scooted a little closer to Blaine. "It'll be okay," he said softly, patting his knee gently. "And, hey, if you ever need anything, you know where I live."
Blaine laughed, even though his smile didn't completely meet his eyes. "Too bad Westerville's so far away."
Kurt nodded in agreement, thinking about what his life would be like if he were to go to Dalton.
And then he thought about how he would be able to wander the hallways safely, without any fear of being pushed into locker or having slushies thrown at him
So he forced himself to stop thinking like that. He was stuck at McKinley, so there was really no use in even thinking about his life being any different.
"Kurt," Blaine said again after a few moments.
Kurt looked up at Blaine, whose eyes had been so nervous a few moments ago, now were filled with sympathy. "Everything will work out," he told Kurt, his eyes never leaving Kurt's blue ones. "I know it seems a little hopeless now, but…"
Kurt shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, I guess," he said. "It's just a little different now, but nothing I can't adjust to."
And then Rachel called them for breakfast, and their conversation was sufficiently ended.
But Kurt couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't have to get used to bullying. He shouldn't have to get adjusted to it.
Because, really, he shouldn't be getting bullied at all.
Chapter 5
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend
"So, Kurt," Rachel said at lunch on Friday as she glared at her plate. "I was thinking that first we could watch some musicals, and then -"
"Rachel," Kurt laughed, shaking his head fondly at the girl. "You don't need to make an agenda. We can just do whatever." He paused and watched as she took a bite of the meat on her plate. "How do you eat that? It doesn't even look like meat."
Rachel just shrugged and took another bite. "I dunno, once you get past the fact that you don't really know -" She trailed off, her face tinting green before she put a hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom.
Kurt sighed and chuckled a little before taking his and Rachel's trays and throwing out their garbage. He walked out of the cafeteria and towards the girls' bathroom, cringing when he heard the sound of what he presumed was Rachel retching in the toilet.
"Rach?" He called. "You alright?"
She groaned in response before he heard her flush the toilet. Her face was pale as she walked out of the stall, her cheeks still with a greenish tint to them.
"Never eating meat again," she mumbled. "I'm now a vegetarian."
Kurt laughed and dampened a paper towel before holding it against her forehead. "I did tell you not to eat that," he said after a moment.
"And, like I said," she replied. "I am never eating, never touching anything animal related ever again."
Kurt laughed and rolled his eyes at the girl. And, as extreme as that was, it was just so Rachel. She never did anything halfway - so of course she wouldn't just be a vegetarian. No, she would be a vegan.
"Alright," Kurt responded once his laughter had subsided. "I won't try and stop you."
Rachel rinsed out her mouth and fixed her hair, turning to Kurt once she was done and giving him a dazzling smile. "You're still coming over tonight," she told him. "Oh my god, Kurt, my dads are going to freak when I tell them I'm now a vegan."
Kurt laughed again as the two walked out of the bathroom. "Rachel, it's not like you're coming out to them," he said. "They're just not going to make you meat anymore. It's honestly not that big of a deal. Loads of people do it."
Rachel just shrugged as they walked toward their next class. "So you're coming over right after school?" She asked, efficiently changing the subject.
"Well I have to go home and get my stuff," he told her, "So I think my dad can have me over by five."
Rachel nodded and gave her attention to the teacher, ending the conversation.
If there was one thing Kurt Hummel had learnt about Rachel Anderson-Berry, it was that she somehow always managed to control a conversation, whether the other person liked it or not.
"Dad, really, it'll be fine," Kurt assured his father as they drove to Rachel's house later that afternoon.
"Kurt, I don't know her parents, and -"
"Her dads are gay," Kurt told him, wondering how he hadn't mentioned that before. Because, really, it was kind of a major detail.
"Oh - really?"
Kurt nodded and looked down at his hands in his lap. If he was being honest, he would admit that he was kind of nervous. He'd only ever met Rachel's one dad - Leroy, if he remembered correctly - and he had really only known the girl for a week.
And then there was the fact that Blaine was going to be there.
But why did that even bother Kurt? Why was that something he was feeling nervous about? Blaine had proved himself a good friend - a better friend than Kurt ever had before. So why was he nervous about the possibility of seeing Blaine again?
"Turn here," he told his dad, signaling in the direction.
"And you're sure you're okay with this?" Burt asked him again, glancing at Kurt out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes," Kurt sighed. "I'll be fine."
"And Blaine?"
Kurt froze at the name, because why was his dad asking him about Blaine?
"What about him?" Kurt responded a few moments later.
"Well, he's gay," Burt replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "And you two seem to get along, and -"
"Dad, he's in eighth grade," Kurt told him. "And there's nothing like that going on between us."
"I dunno, kid," Burt said. "Something -"
"No," Kurt shook his head, cutting his father off. "It's fine, Dad. Honestly. There's nothing going on. And just because I came out to you, it definitely doesn't mean that I'm ready for a boyfriend."
"I'm just saying, Kurt," his father replied. "Just - be careful, okay?"
"He's just a friend, Dad," Kurt scoffed, because honestly, how long was his dad going to go on about this? "Okay? That's all he is to me."
Burt sighed as he pulled into the Anderson-Berry driveway. "Have fun, okay?"
Kurt nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing his bag and hopping out of the car. He waved as he pulled out of the driveway, making his way towards the front door.
With his finger poised above the doorbell, Kurt felt his heart fluttering with nerves again.
Come on, Kurt, he told himself. You're a big boy. You can handle a sleepover.
And with that, he rang the doorbell.
"Rachel! Your friend's here!" Kurt heard someone call from the inside, and then Rachel's shouted reply that she was busy and that someone else needed to get it.
And then the door opened, revealing a pajama-clad Blaine.
His hair was curly - not gelled like it had been the previous times Kurt had seen him. His smile was wide and his eyes were warm and inviting.
But that wasn't what sent Kurt into a fit of laughter, giving him the feeling that his heart was melting.
No, Blaine was wearing pajamas with puppies on them.
Puppies.
And Kurt, honest to God, thought that Blaine was now officially the most adorable person he'd ever seen.
"Hi Kurt," Blaine said, still grinning and opening the door wider to let Blaine in.
"Hi," Kurt replied as he entered the now familiar house, feeling a little strange because it was the first time he'd been here without having some sort of problem.
Kurt turned back to Blaine, cocking his head in confusion as the younger boy glared at him.
"…What?" Kurt asked hesitantly.
"You're not in your pajamas."
Kurt opened his mouth to reply and then closed it, knowing that he did indeed look like a fish.
"It's Friday," Blaine went on. "Meaning that it's only normal to get into your pajamas the second school's out."
Kurt's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, a small smile playing at his lips.
"So," Blaine continued. "Why are you still in your clothes?"
Kurt looked down at his outfit - a pair of skinny jeans and a nice blue sweater that he knew made his eyes pop - before glancing back up at Blaine and noting that he was actually serious.
"Ermm," Kurt replied, unsure of what he should say. "I can go put them on?" He phrased it like a question, because he really had no idea of what Blaine wanted to hear.
But that must have been the right thing, since Blaine's face broke out in that same grin Kurt was now used to seeing on him, watching as he nodded vigorously. "Yes," he replied excitedly, bouncing on his heels a little. "Go do that! Rachel's busy getting things ready right now anyway."
Kurt sighed before trudging to the bathroom with his bag in tow.
He emerged a few minutes later, adjusting his t-shirt and picking a stray piece of fuzz off of his plaid pajama bottoms.
"Good," Blaine said once Kurt walked into the kitchen. "I approve of your pajamas."
Kurt laughed and sat across from Blaine at the table - sitting in the exact same seats they had a few days before.
"What is Rachel doing, anyway?" He asked, glancing around him as if the girl would suddenly appear.
Blaine shrugged and took a sip of his water. "I don't know," he replied. "I never know what she's doing half the time."
Kurt chuckled and rolled his eyes fondly. "Did she tell you she's a vegan now?"
Blaine laughed, setting his water down gently before spilled it from his laughter. "Yeah," he said. "I honestly don't know how she's not going to eat anything animal related. It's just…"
"Bizarre?" Kurt supplied, smiling when Blaine nodded in approval.
"I guess that's Rachel for you, though," Blaine said after a moment.
Kurt nodded and was about to respond when Rachel walked into the room, clad in pajamas and holding a bundle of blanket.
"Hi, Kurt," she squealed, jumping up and down a little. "C'mon! We're going to watch my pirated copy of Wicked, and The Sound of Music, and -"
"Okay, okay," Kurt laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I am your musical slave for the rest of the night."
Rachel grinned and grabbed Kurt's hand, dragging him down the hallway and towards the stairs.
Kurt glanced over his shoulder, waving at Blaine with his free hand. Blaine grinned back at him - that same grin that he always seemed to wear.
"Kurt, stop making googly eyes at Blaine and come on," Rachel sighed as she started pulling him up the stairs.
"What?" Kurt spluttered. "I - I'm not -"
"Deny it all you want," Rachel replied, dragging him into her room and shutting the door firmly behind her. She threw the pile of blankets in her arms onto the bed. "But I think you have a crush on Blaine."
Kurt's eyes widened, feeling his cheeks tinting with color. "Rachel," he huffed. "I don't like Blaine."
"Not yet," Rachel said, waggling her eyebrows at him. "But I guarantee that once he's in high school, you will."
"Whatever," Kurt replied, shaking his head a little. "Can we just get on with this musical marathon now?"
Rachel nodded and got up to insert the first disk into her DVD player, giving Kurt a minute to think.
He didn't know why everyone was assuming that he liked Blaine. Just because Blaine was gay, it didn't mean that Kurt had to instantly fall for him. Yeah, sure, he was cute and smart and kind of adorable, but -
Oh, so maybe he did have a small crush on Blaine.
But then again, Kurt thought that pretty much everyone with a sense of fashion and good bone structure was adorable, so that wasn't saying much.
And, besides, Blaine was still in middle school. And Kurt had just come out. He didn't feel nearly ready for a relationship.
"How exactly did you get a pirated version of Wicked?" Kurt asked once Rachel sat back on the bed beside him.
And, just like that, the conversation swayed away from Blaine. Apparently it only took that one question to get Rachel going - because once the girl got talking about musicals, there seemed to be no stopping her.
After Wicked, The Sound of Music, and Rent, Kurt found himself sitting next to a completely passed out Rachel. Checking the clock, he noted that it was only 10:30, and, since he'd had about four cups of coffee that day, he wasn't even close to being tired.
And then there was the fact that caffeine made his bladder feel like it was about to explode.
Cringing as the bed creaked, Kurt slowly sat up and got off of the bed, careful not to jostle it too much so as not to wake Rachel up. From what he knew about the girl, he figured she wouldn't be the most pleasant person if he were to wake her up.
He quietly made his way to the bathroom, noting that her dads had gone to bed and that the door next to Rachel's room - which he assumed was Blaine's door - was cracked slightly.
Once he found the bathroom, he made quick work of his business, cringing as the flushing of the toilet sounded like a tornado was running through the house. Really, the last thing Kurt wanted was to be a nuisance to the Anderson-Berry's.
But then as he neared Rachel's door again, he realized how he felt like he had enough energy to last him another few hours.
What he was going to do in a sleeping house by himself for that long, Kurt had no idea.
So he quietly padded down the stairs, suddenly thankful that he hadn't taken his socks off, cringing at just the thought of how cold the hardwood floor would feel against his feet.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Kurt opened the cabinet he saw Rachel open earlier and pulled out a glass. He held it under the faucet and slowly turned it on, once again wincing at how loud the noise sounded in the silent house.
"Kurt?"
Kurt froze, his eyes wide as the water started to overflow out of the cup.
And then he heard feet padding closer to him, the sound getting louder and louder with each passing moment.
"I figured it was you," Blaine said from beside him, a small smile on his face. "Rachel fell asleep on you, didn't she?"
Kurt nodded before realizing that the water was still running, blushing slightly as he quickly turned it off, dumping some of the excess water out of his glass.
"You can come watch some TV with me," Blaine said after a moment, gesturing with his head towards the living room. "I mean - only if you want to."
Kurt took a sip of his water before setting it down on the counter, nodding slightly. "Sure," he replied quietly, still not wanting to wake any of the sleeping inhabitants.
Blaine grinned again and walked into the living room, Kurt trailing behind him.
"You don't have to worry about being quiet," Blaine told him. "All three of them sleep like hibernating bears. They won't wake up until morning."
Kurt nodded and sat down on the couch next to Blaine, leaning back against the arm rest.
He glanced at the TV, and he instantly respected Blaine just that much more.
"The Lion King?" Kurt questioned, raising an eyebrow at Blaine.
Blaine blushed. "Guilty pleasure?"
"Don't be embarrassed," Kurt replied, a small smile on his lips. "It's my favorite movie."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Kurt chuckled and settled a little more into the couch, pulling a nearby blanket over his legs and resting a pillow under his head.
The chatted for a little bit, but Kurt was mostly entranced by the movie. There had always been something about this movie that Kurt had loved, because every time he watched it, he watched it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Blaine slumping a little into the couch cushion, his eyes drooping closed for a few moments at a time before they popped back open.
But apparently, once Kurt noticed how tired Blaine was, he noticed that his caffeine buzz was finally wearing off.
And then he felt his own eyelids drooping, the soft blanket warm and comforting, causing his body to practically beg for sleep.
Not really caring that Rachel would murder him for being on the couch when she woke up in the morning, Kurt dozed off to sleep, the pillow underneath his head smelling fresh and vaguely like cinnamon and pine, a smell that he thought he could get used to.
Kurt woke up to the light streaming through the blinds. He squinted, the sudden brightness practically blinding him.
Groaning, he buried his face in his pillow and tried to fall back asleep, not feeling nearly rejuvenated enough.
And then he felt something warm resting on his legs, cracking one eye open to see a mop of curly brown hair resting on a pillow on his legs.
Blaine was, really and truly, the most adorable thing Kurt had ever seen.
Really, Kurt couldn't blame him for wanting to stretch out a little more. There wasn't a lot of room on the couch, and, if Kurt's suspicious were right, Blaine had gotten into that position while he was sleeping.
But that still didn't stop the small butterflies Kurt felt in his stomach.
And why, why, did Kurt always get that feeling around Blaine?
He didn't know, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
He watched Blaine sleep for a few more moments - realizing that he did sound like a bit of a stalker, but at the moment he didn't really care - noting how his curls fell into his eyes, how his fingers clutched the pillow under his head and how his eyebrows were completely relaxed, not a single line or wrinkle to be seen on his face.
And then of course the moment had to be completely ruined by the sound of Rachel stomping down the stairs, the faint noises of her muttering something under her breath alerting Kurt that she was most certainly not happy.
Kurt, deciding that it was in his best interest, dropped his head back onto his pillow and pretended to still be sleeping. He slowed his breathing, and, if he stayed like this for long enough, he probably could have potentially fallen asleep.
Kurt assumed that she saw Blaine sleeping against Kurt's legs, since he heard her mutter something about how it was always Blaine that ended up spending time with Kurt.
"Kurt," she hissed after a moment of muttering. "Kurt, you better wake up right now."
Kurt cracked an eye open and groaned, more out of annoyance at Rachel for being irritated at him than anything else.
"How long have you been down here?" She hissed once she was sure he was awake.
"Since last night," Kurt groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes to shade them from the light. "You kind of fell asleep on me and I was wound up on caffeine."
"So you had a sleepover with Blaine?"
Kurt felt himself blushing as he glanced at the boy sleeping on his legs, hoping that he was still asleep.
"We were just watching a movie," Kurt explained, "And then we fell asleep, I guess."
Rachel huffed again before standing up and walking into the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes," she told him. "And what time do you need to be taken home?"
"Ten thirty."
Rachel nodded before rounding the corner into the kitchen.
Kurt closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the fact that Blaine was sleeping on his legs, that his warm head was pressed against his calves.
"Mmmmnahhhggg."
Kurt chuckled as he saw Blaine's curls move slightly as he lifted his head up, his eyes squinting in Kurt's direction.
"Hi," Kurt said after a moment.
"We fell asleep?"
Kurt nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
The two remained silent for a moment, Kurt watching as Blaine gradually adjusted to the light around him. He listened as Rachel made pancakes in the kitchen, hoping that she made them as good as he did. Because really, when he was as good of a cook as he was, it made his standards for others just that much higher.
"Kurt?"
Kurt hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes focusing on the patterns in the paint on the ceiling.
"What do you think Dalton will be like?"
Kurt's eyes shot down to Blaine, is heart instantly aching in sympathy for the boy in front of him. His face was creased with worry, a small wrinkle forming between his eyebrows.
"Oh, Blaine," Kurt all but cooed. "You'll be fine. You'll have all the other eighth graders and - and everyone will be nice to you."
"You mean they won't bully me," Blaine whispered, his eyes focusing on the blanket around him. "I don't know how you did it - going to a new school and getting bullied."
Kurt just shrugged and subconsciously scooted a little closer to Blaine. "It'll be okay," he said softly, patting his knee gently. "And, hey, if you ever need anything, you know where I live."
Blaine laughed, even though his smile didn't completely meet his eyes. "Too bad Westerville's so far away."
Kurt nodded in agreement, thinking about what his life would be like if he were to go to Dalton.
And then he thought about how he would be able to wander the hallways safely, without any fear of being pushed into locker or having slushies thrown at him
So he forced himself to stop thinking like that. He was stuck at McKinley, so there was really no use in even thinking about his life being any different.
"Kurt," Blaine said again after a few moments.
Kurt looked up at Blaine, whose eyes had been so nervous a few moments ago, now were filled with sympathy. "Everything will work out," he told Kurt, his eyes never leaving Kurt's blue ones. "I know it seems a little hopeless now, but…"
Kurt shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, I guess," he said. "It's just a little different now, but nothing I can't adjust to."
And then Rachel called them for breakfast, and their conversation was sufficiently ended.
But Kurt couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't have to get used to bullying. He shouldn't have to get adjusted to it.
Because, really, he shouldn't be getting bullied at all.
Chapter 5