No One Else Compares (5/?)
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.
The following week was slow, at least in Kurt's opinion. But maybe that was because his first week of school had been so cram-packed with everything. Luckily for him, Karofsky had - for now at least - stopped with the physical bullying, now only using the slurs.
But they still hurt.
He saw a lot less of Rachel after the sleepover. Granted, now that school was now in full swing and the homework load was steady, they were busier. Glee had started but that - well, that was different.
Monday came and went, Kurt finding that he could actually enjoy himself when he didn't have to worry about the possibility of Karofsky lurking around the corner. Glee, while different, was nice. Granted, there were only five of them, but they all generally got along. He talked to Rachel a little, and even got to know Mercedes a little more.
He'd talked to Blaine a little on Tuesday, via texting, of course. His first few days at Dalton had went well enough, and everyone there was genuinely nice.
I told you so, Kurt had responded, adding a winky face for good measure.
And that's how the month went on. Not much drama happened - a few slushie facials, a dumpster toss here and there. Each time, he'd just walk into the bathroom, change his clothes if necessary, and go about his day.
So Kurt's life continued, September turning into October, the leaves falling off the trees and the first snow fall happening around mid-November.
There'd been a few more sleepovers with Rachel - each of them not quite living up to his standards that the first one had supplied, but that was mainly due to the fact that Blaine was at Dalton now and would only be home for breaks.
And with Thanksgiving around the corner, Kurt almost felt giddy at the fact that he might be seeing Blaine again soon. He'd missed his friend. He wasn't sure what he would do if things had still been as bad as they were that first week of school.
But then Burt had announced that he and Kurt were going to visit relatives in Missouri, and all of Kurt's hopes for seeing Blaine were quickly dashed away.
But then, the day school started again after Thanksgiving break, everything changed.
Kurt walked into school as normal, feeling refreshed from the few days he'd had off. With a slight bounce in his step, he opened the doors and walked into the familiar hallway, walking towards his locker.
But everybody was staring at him.
Everybody.
Ducking his head, Kurt walked a little faster and flung his locker open, sticking his head in as if to hide himself from the rest of the world. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, seeing that he had several missed messages from Rachel.
Kurt I'm so sorry
I didn't mean to Kurt
I'm sorry
Please forgive me
I need to explain
Kurt
Where are you?
Kurt had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he knew that his friend had something to do with why all the other students had been watching him.
"Kurt!"
Kurt turned to see Rachel jogging towards him, her eyes wide and her voice panicked.
"What's going on?" Kurt demanded.
"Kurt, I'm sorry," Rachel said, her voice soft and pleading. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to and -"
"What didn't you mean to do?" Kurt asked, his eyes narrowing.
Rachel took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before responding with a simple, two word phrase. "They know."
Comprehension sank into his mind.
And Kurt ran.
Where he was running, Kurt didn't know.
He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, but he left it. He couldn't deal with Rachel right now. Whatever her excuse was, he didn't want to hear it.
He thought she had understood. She had promised.
But now the whole school knew, and everything was going to change.
Kurt continued to just run down the street, not really caring - or knowing - what direction he was going in. He couldn't go home, since his dad wouldn't have left for the shop yet. He couldn't seek Rachel's aid, obviously.
And, really, the only person Kurt had left was Blaine, who currently was at boarding school.
Deciding on instinct, Kurt ripped his phone out of his pocket, ignoring the messages from Rachel, and dialed the now familiar number.
After a few rings, the phone answered.
"Kurt?" Blaine's voice said. It sounded like he was whispering, and oh, right, he was probably either in class or out in the hallway or something.
Kurt sniffled a little before opening his mouth to respond. Except, instead of words, a wet, hoarse sob escaped his throat.
"Hang on," Blaine said after a moment, his voice urgent, and then a muffled, "Ma'am, I need to use the bathroom."
A few moments later, Blaine was talking again. "Okay, I'm in the bathroom," Blaine said. "What's wrong?"
"Rachel - " Kurt stammered, but he couldn't form a complete sentence.
"What did she do this time?" Blaine asked, his voice stiff.
"Everyone knows," Kurt whispered into the receiver, hoping that Blaine would know what he was talking about. "And I wasn't ready - I didn't want them to know yet."
Blaine was silent for a few minutes, making Kurt wonder if they'd lost the connection.
"Did Rachel do this?" Blaine asked sternly.
"I think so," Kurt replied, his voice quivering. "I don't know all the details, but she was apologizing and - and -"
"Kurt, you're okay," Blaine said. "You'll be fine. This happens to everyone."
"But now it's going to get worse," Kurt said softly, shaking his head a little as he continued to just walk down the street.
"What is?"
"The bullying."
"Oh."
The two were silent, Kurt's pace slowing.
"You should tell your dad," Blaine said after a moment.
Kurt shook his head, even though Blaine couldn't see him. "I can't."
Because he couldn't. He knew that his father wouldn't take it well. And he couldn't do that to him. Not yet.
Later that evening, after Kurt had holed himself in his room for the night, he finally decided that he should probably talk to Rachel and listen to what she had to say.
Dialing his phone, he waited for her to answer.
"Kurt!"
Kurt cringed at the volume of her voice. "You have some explaining to do."
Rachel sighed, and told him everything.
She told him how, since he was gone for Thanksgiving, she'd been bored and went to the movies alone. She met Finn Hudson there - a quarter back on the football team who Rachel may have had a bit of a crush on. And then they'd apparently 'got talking.'
"And what does this have to do with me?" Kurt asked.
And then Rachel explained how Finn had asked if he was gay, and how Rachel, caught up in the moment of talking to the 'adorable, lanky boy,' had said yes almost immediately.
"And I'm sorry Kurt," she pleaded. "I'm so sorry. And then I didn't think he'd tell anyone, but…"
"Of course he was going to tell," Kurt sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He may not have told everyone, but he at least told someone. And then someone always leads to everyone. You know that by now, Rachel."
And Kurt knew she did. He knew that that had stung. But he felt that she deserved it.
"I gotta go," Kurt said after a moment.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Rachel replied before Kurt hung up.
Really, it wasn't the worst way he could come out of the closet. But it definitely wasn't the most ideal.
And, as he thought about the following day, he had no idea what he was going to do.
Walking into school the next day, Kurt had felt like every eye was on him.
And it was the same for the rest of the week.
He would walk around the school, head low and his arms wrapped around his books, holding them to his middle as if it could protect him.
He could hear the words people were whispering, the ones that had always stung him the most. Except it was different when they were coming from everyone in the school.
Kurt hadn't spoken to Rachel since their phone call on Tuesday, but he knew he couldn't avoid her forever. Maybe just for the rest of the day. Then he could have the weekend to himself before having to come back to the staring eyes and the all-knowing gazes.
When he arrived home after Glee rehearsal - which had become much more tense since he and Rachel were temporarily not on speaking terms - he buried himself in his room, not even bothering to come out when his dad arrived home.
"Kurt?" He yelled down the stairs, into the basement.
"Yeah?"
His door cracked open, Burt's head sticking through the doorway. "You okay?" He asked. "It's Friday night and you're buried under a pile of blankets."
"'M fine," Kurt mumbled.
"You've been out of it since Tuesday," Burt said as he came down the stairs, perching himself on the edge of Kurt's bed. "Want to tell me what's going on?"
"No."
Burt sighed and fixed Kurt with a stern gaze. "Kurt," he warned, his voice tense, letting Kurt know that he wasn't going anywhere until Kurt talked to him.
Kurt took a deep breath, clasping his hands in front of him under the blankets. "They - everyone at school - they all found out that I'm - that I'm gay."
Burt's eyes widened as he brought his hand up to pinch between the bridge of his nose.
"And it's Rachel's fault," Kurt added hastily, hoping that his dad wouldn't catch it.
"I'm sorry," Burt murmured after a moment. "And I'm sure Rachel didn't mean it."
Kurt nodded and looked down again. "She didn't," he replied softly. "But it still hurts."
"I know it does, bud," Burt said, smoothing his rumpled hair down gently, like he used to when Kurt was little and upset. "But everything will get better."
In hindsight, that probably would have been a good time to tell him about the bullying - which had gotten worse. Now all of the jocks knew - not just Karofsky and his cronies.
But with his dad murmuring soothing words into his ear as he stroked his hair, Kurt didn't want to add another worry to his father.
"Kurt?"
Kurt's eyes opened the next morning. Why was his dad waking him up on a Saturday? Really, after everything that had gone down during the week, all he really wanted was to just lay in bed and have a nice, relaxing, stress free Saturday.
"Kurt, someone's here for you!"
"Tell Rachel I don't want to talk to her today!" Kurt yelled back. He heard his father chuckle, but there was another laugh along with it. He could make out the faintest of murmurings before the door to his room cracked open.
"I said that I didn't want to see Rachel -" Kurt started, but the small laugh that resounded immediately made Kurt stop talking.
"Blaine," he said, because, wow, he was actually there.
"Hi," Blaine said as he neared the bed, sitting on the edge tentatively.
"You're - you -"
Blaine chuckled and nodded. "I came home for the weekend," he explained.
"Why?" Kurt asked, and really, Kurt, did that matter?
"You've had a rough week," Blaine said, his eyes soft. "And, from what I've gathered, you can't really talk to Rachel about it."
Kurt nodded and ducked his head a little.
"I've been through this, remember?" Blaine said, moving his head a little so he could meet Kurt's gaze. "I know that you really just need someone to talk to."
Kurt looked back up and really looked at Blaine then. He was still in his Dalton Uniform - making Kurt wonder if they had to wear them on Saturdays too. His hair was gelled back like it had been the first time they met.
And, like Blaine had predicted, it all made him look older than he actually was.
"Told you," Blaine smirked, somehow reading Kurt's thoughts.
Kurt blushed and Blaine settled himself on Kurt's bed beside him, turning his head to the side and raising his eyebrows, prompting Kurt to just let it out.
And Kurt did. He vented about school, Rachel, Finn Hudson, and just everything and everyone. And Blaine just sat there and listened, nodding when appropriate and occasionally adding a comment every now and then.
An hour passed, and Kurt found his head resting on Blaine's shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured.
"No need to thank me," Blaine responded. "This is what friends do."
Kurt raised his head, smiling a little. "We are friends, right?"
Blaine nodded and smiled back at him. "Yeah," he answered. "And," he added after a moment. "I would even go as far as to say you're the best friend I've ever had."
Kurt's grin widened as he looked at Blaine, noting the small twinkle in the boy's eyes. "Well," he said, "Since Rachel totally threw the best friend ball out the window, I think I can agree with that statement."
And then Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine, hugging him tightly. "I don't know how I would have gotten through all of this if you hadn't been here," he murmured.
"You would have," Blaine responded. "You're strong, Kurt. You would have found a way."
But Kurt didn't want to think about that. Because he did have Blaine, and he didn't have to do this on his own.
Kurt walked into school on Monday holding his head high. Whenever someone looked at him, he would meet their gaze, causing them to avert their eyes immediately.
He spotted Rachel at her locker, walking up to it immediately.
"Rachel," he said, causing the girl's eyes to widen at the sound of his voice. "I forgive you."
"You - you do?"
Kurt nodded and linked arms with her. "It was bound to happen eventually, right?" He said as they walked to their first class. "And now I don't have to hide anymore."
Rachel beamed at him. "Kurt, that's great!"
Kurt shrugged and blushed a little. "Well…Blaine may have helped a lot."
Rachel's eyes softened at that. "He's good for you," she stated.
Kurt, not knowing how to respond to that, continued to walk in silence.
"He talks about you a lot, you know," Rachel went on after a few moments.
"Well, we are good friends."
"Is that all you are?"
Kurt turned to Rachel, meeting her with a level gaze. God, he hoped he got a growth spurt soon so he'd be taller than her.
"Yes," he said. "For the ten thousandth time, we're just friends. He's younger, for Christ's sake."
Rachel laughed and held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay," she said with a laugh.
They arrived at the classroom then, and Kurt felt everything slipping back to normal.
At Glee that afternoon, Mr. Shue said he didn't really have a plan for the week so they were just going to take turns singing solos.
Kurt wanted to sing. After everything he'd been through in the past week, all he really wanted to do was sing.
But he didn't know what to sing. He didn't have anything prepared, he hadn't sung in ages, and -
It hit him then, feeling similar to being hit by a tidal wave.
"Mr. Shue," Kurt said as he raised his hand. "Can - Can I sing something?"
The choir director grinned and nodded, motioning for Kurt to come down to the front.
"Well," he said, addressing the small group of people. "As you probably know, I had a rough time last week." They all nodded, their faces filled with sympathy. "My mom always used to say that singing was therapeutic," he explained. "So…I'm going to sing it now."
Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
Kurt felt his voice choking up a little, watching as Rachel pulled out her phone and typed something quickly before tucking it back into her bag.
Trying hard to reach out
But when I'd try to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Kurt remembered back to those long, grueling months in the summer when no one had no, when he'd been alone - just him and his mind. And, now that it was out in the open, he felt free.
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I pray
I could breakaway
He lived in Lima, Ohio, a small, conservative town. What he was - gay - was frowned upon. He knew that, once he could, he was going to leave the town and go somewhere he would be one hundred percent accepted.
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I loved
I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Kurt glanced around the room, noting that Rachel, Mercedes, and Tina were a little teary eyed while the boys and Mr. Shue all looked at him with respect and awe.
He wasn't necessarily accepted yet, but he was well on his way, at least within this small group.
Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging 'round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway
Kurt took a deep breath and slowly walked back to his seat.
The room was silent for a moment, and then he heard everyone getting up and running over to him, lifting him out of his chair and encircling him in a tight hug.
Kurt laughed as a few stray tears slid out of his eyes, burying his head into Rachel's shoulder.
Mr. Shue dismissed everyone early, knowing that no one else really wanted to go after Kurt's moving performance.
Rachel tugged his hand as he was walking out of the room, stopping him in his path. She put her phone in his hand, screen up, and gestured for him to look at it.
"I told him you were singing," she said softly. "Blaine."
Kurt glanced at the phone, smiling at the message.
Tell him that he's amazing, Rachel. Tell him that I've never met anyone like him.
Kurt felt his heart flutter a little as he smiled at the message.
"I don't know what you two have," she whispered after a few moments, extracting her phone from Kurt's hands. "But it's something good. Don't lose it."
Chapter 6
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.
The following week was slow, at least in Kurt's opinion. But maybe that was because his first week of school had been so cram-packed with everything. Luckily for him, Karofsky had - for now at least - stopped with the physical bullying, now only using the slurs.
But they still hurt.
He saw a lot less of Rachel after the sleepover. Granted, now that school was now in full swing and the homework load was steady, they were busier. Glee had started but that - well, that was different.
Monday came and went, Kurt finding that he could actually enjoy himself when he didn't have to worry about the possibility of Karofsky lurking around the corner. Glee, while different, was nice. Granted, there were only five of them, but they all generally got along. He talked to Rachel a little, and even got to know Mercedes a little more.
He'd talked to Blaine a little on Tuesday, via texting, of course. His first few days at Dalton had went well enough, and everyone there was genuinely nice.
I told you so, Kurt had responded, adding a winky face for good measure.
And that's how the month went on. Not much drama happened - a few slushie facials, a dumpster toss here and there. Each time, he'd just walk into the bathroom, change his clothes if necessary, and go about his day.
So Kurt's life continued, September turning into October, the leaves falling off the trees and the first snow fall happening around mid-November.
There'd been a few more sleepovers with Rachel - each of them not quite living up to his standards that the first one had supplied, but that was mainly due to the fact that Blaine was at Dalton now and would only be home for breaks.
And with Thanksgiving around the corner, Kurt almost felt giddy at the fact that he might be seeing Blaine again soon. He'd missed his friend. He wasn't sure what he would do if things had still been as bad as they were that first week of school.
But then Burt had announced that he and Kurt were going to visit relatives in Missouri, and all of Kurt's hopes for seeing Blaine were quickly dashed away.
But then, the day school started again after Thanksgiving break, everything changed.
Kurt walked into school as normal, feeling refreshed from the few days he'd had off. With a slight bounce in his step, he opened the doors and walked into the familiar hallway, walking towards his locker.
But everybody was staring at him.
Everybody.
Ducking his head, Kurt walked a little faster and flung his locker open, sticking his head in as if to hide himself from the rest of the world. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, seeing that he had several missed messages from Rachel.
Kurt I'm so sorry
I didn't mean to Kurt
I'm sorry
Please forgive me
I need to explain
Kurt
Where are you?
Kurt had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he knew that his friend had something to do with why all the other students had been watching him.
"Kurt!"
Kurt turned to see Rachel jogging towards him, her eyes wide and her voice panicked.
"What's going on?" Kurt demanded.
"Kurt, I'm sorry," Rachel said, her voice soft and pleading. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to and -"
"What didn't you mean to do?" Kurt asked, his eyes narrowing.
Rachel took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before responding with a simple, two word phrase. "They know."
Comprehension sank into his mind.
And Kurt ran.
Where he was running, Kurt didn't know.
He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, but he left it. He couldn't deal with Rachel right now. Whatever her excuse was, he didn't want to hear it.
He thought she had understood. She had promised.
But now the whole school knew, and everything was going to change.
Kurt continued to just run down the street, not really caring - or knowing - what direction he was going in. He couldn't go home, since his dad wouldn't have left for the shop yet. He couldn't seek Rachel's aid, obviously.
And, really, the only person Kurt had left was Blaine, who currently was at boarding school.
Deciding on instinct, Kurt ripped his phone out of his pocket, ignoring the messages from Rachel, and dialed the now familiar number.
After a few rings, the phone answered.
"Kurt?" Blaine's voice said. It sounded like he was whispering, and oh, right, he was probably either in class or out in the hallway or something.
Kurt sniffled a little before opening his mouth to respond. Except, instead of words, a wet, hoarse sob escaped his throat.
"Hang on," Blaine said after a moment, his voice urgent, and then a muffled, "Ma'am, I need to use the bathroom."
A few moments later, Blaine was talking again. "Okay, I'm in the bathroom," Blaine said. "What's wrong?"
"Rachel - " Kurt stammered, but he couldn't form a complete sentence.
"What did she do this time?" Blaine asked, his voice stiff.
"Everyone knows," Kurt whispered into the receiver, hoping that Blaine would know what he was talking about. "And I wasn't ready - I didn't want them to know yet."
Blaine was silent for a few minutes, making Kurt wonder if they'd lost the connection.
"Did Rachel do this?" Blaine asked sternly.
"I think so," Kurt replied, his voice quivering. "I don't know all the details, but she was apologizing and - and -"
"Kurt, you're okay," Blaine said. "You'll be fine. This happens to everyone."
"But now it's going to get worse," Kurt said softly, shaking his head a little as he continued to just walk down the street.
"What is?"
"The bullying."
"Oh."
The two were silent, Kurt's pace slowing.
"You should tell your dad," Blaine said after a moment.
Kurt shook his head, even though Blaine couldn't see him. "I can't."
Because he couldn't. He knew that his father wouldn't take it well. And he couldn't do that to him. Not yet.
Later that evening, after Kurt had holed himself in his room for the night, he finally decided that he should probably talk to Rachel and listen to what she had to say.
Dialing his phone, he waited for her to answer.
"Kurt!"
Kurt cringed at the volume of her voice. "You have some explaining to do."
Rachel sighed, and told him everything.
She told him how, since he was gone for Thanksgiving, she'd been bored and went to the movies alone. She met Finn Hudson there - a quarter back on the football team who Rachel may have had a bit of a crush on. And then they'd apparently 'got talking.'
"And what does this have to do with me?" Kurt asked.
And then Rachel explained how Finn had asked if he was gay, and how Rachel, caught up in the moment of talking to the 'adorable, lanky boy,' had said yes almost immediately.
"And I'm sorry Kurt," she pleaded. "I'm so sorry. And then I didn't think he'd tell anyone, but…"
"Of course he was going to tell," Kurt sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He may not have told everyone, but he at least told someone. And then someone always leads to everyone. You know that by now, Rachel."
And Kurt knew she did. He knew that that had stung. But he felt that she deserved it.
"I gotta go," Kurt said after a moment.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Rachel replied before Kurt hung up.
Really, it wasn't the worst way he could come out of the closet. But it definitely wasn't the most ideal.
And, as he thought about the following day, he had no idea what he was going to do.
Walking into school the next day, Kurt had felt like every eye was on him.
And it was the same for the rest of the week.
He would walk around the school, head low and his arms wrapped around his books, holding them to his middle as if it could protect him.
He could hear the words people were whispering, the ones that had always stung him the most. Except it was different when they were coming from everyone in the school.
Kurt hadn't spoken to Rachel since their phone call on Tuesday, but he knew he couldn't avoid her forever. Maybe just for the rest of the day. Then he could have the weekend to himself before having to come back to the staring eyes and the all-knowing gazes.
When he arrived home after Glee rehearsal - which had become much more tense since he and Rachel were temporarily not on speaking terms - he buried himself in his room, not even bothering to come out when his dad arrived home.
"Kurt?" He yelled down the stairs, into the basement.
"Yeah?"
His door cracked open, Burt's head sticking through the doorway. "You okay?" He asked. "It's Friday night and you're buried under a pile of blankets."
"'M fine," Kurt mumbled.
"You've been out of it since Tuesday," Burt said as he came down the stairs, perching himself on the edge of Kurt's bed. "Want to tell me what's going on?"
"No."
Burt sighed and fixed Kurt with a stern gaze. "Kurt," he warned, his voice tense, letting Kurt know that he wasn't going anywhere until Kurt talked to him.
Kurt took a deep breath, clasping his hands in front of him under the blankets. "They - everyone at school - they all found out that I'm - that I'm gay."
Burt's eyes widened as he brought his hand up to pinch between the bridge of his nose.
"And it's Rachel's fault," Kurt added hastily, hoping that his dad wouldn't catch it.
"I'm sorry," Burt murmured after a moment. "And I'm sure Rachel didn't mean it."
Kurt nodded and looked down again. "She didn't," he replied softly. "But it still hurts."
"I know it does, bud," Burt said, smoothing his rumpled hair down gently, like he used to when Kurt was little and upset. "But everything will get better."
In hindsight, that probably would have been a good time to tell him about the bullying - which had gotten worse. Now all of the jocks knew - not just Karofsky and his cronies.
But with his dad murmuring soothing words into his ear as he stroked his hair, Kurt didn't want to add another worry to his father.
"Kurt?"
Kurt's eyes opened the next morning. Why was his dad waking him up on a Saturday? Really, after everything that had gone down during the week, all he really wanted was to just lay in bed and have a nice, relaxing, stress free Saturday.
"Kurt, someone's here for you!"
"Tell Rachel I don't want to talk to her today!" Kurt yelled back. He heard his father chuckle, but there was another laugh along with it. He could make out the faintest of murmurings before the door to his room cracked open.
"I said that I didn't want to see Rachel -" Kurt started, but the small laugh that resounded immediately made Kurt stop talking.
"Blaine," he said, because, wow, he was actually there.
"Hi," Blaine said as he neared the bed, sitting on the edge tentatively.
"You're - you -"
Blaine chuckled and nodded. "I came home for the weekend," he explained.
"Why?" Kurt asked, and really, Kurt, did that matter?
"You've had a rough week," Blaine said, his eyes soft. "And, from what I've gathered, you can't really talk to Rachel about it."
Kurt nodded and ducked his head a little.
"I've been through this, remember?" Blaine said, moving his head a little so he could meet Kurt's gaze. "I know that you really just need someone to talk to."
Kurt looked back up and really looked at Blaine then. He was still in his Dalton Uniform - making Kurt wonder if they had to wear them on Saturdays too. His hair was gelled back like it had been the first time they met.
And, like Blaine had predicted, it all made him look older than he actually was.
"Told you," Blaine smirked, somehow reading Kurt's thoughts.
Kurt blushed and Blaine settled himself on Kurt's bed beside him, turning his head to the side and raising his eyebrows, prompting Kurt to just let it out.
And Kurt did. He vented about school, Rachel, Finn Hudson, and just everything and everyone. And Blaine just sat there and listened, nodding when appropriate and occasionally adding a comment every now and then.
An hour passed, and Kurt found his head resting on Blaine's shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured.
"No need to thank me," Blaine responded. "This is what friends do."
Kurt raised his head, smiling a little. "We are friends, right?"
Blaine nodded and smiled back at him. "Yeah," he answered. "And," he added after a moment. "I would even go as far as to say you're the best friend I've ever had."
Kurt's grin widened as he looked at Blaine, noting the small twinkle in the boy's eyes. "Well," he said, "Since Rachel totally threw the best friend ball out the window, I think I can agree with that statement."
And then Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine, hugging him tightly. "I don't know how I would have gotten through all of this if you hadn't been here," he murmured.
"You would have," Blaine responded. "You're strong, Kurt. You would have found a way."
But Kurt didn't want to think about that. Because he did have Blaine, and he didn't have to do this on his own.
Kurt walked into school on Monday holding his head high. Whenever someone looked at him, he would meet their gaze, causing them to avert their eyes immediately.
He spotted Rachel at her locker, walking up to it immediately.
"Rachel," he said, causing the girl's eyes to widen at the sound of his voice. "I forgive you."
"You - you do?"
Kurt nodded and linked arms with her. "It was bound to happen eventually, right?" He said as they walked to their first class. "And now I don't have to hide anymore."
Rachel beamed at him. "Kurt, that's great!"
Kurt shrugged and blushed a little. "Well…Blaine may have helped a lot."
Rachel's eyes softened at that. "He's good for you," she stated.
Kurt, not knowing how to respond to that, continued to walk in silence.
"He talks about you a lot, you know," Rachel went on after a few moments.
"Well, we are good friends."
"Is that all you are?"
Kurt turned to Rachel, meeting her with a level gaze. God, he hoped he got a growth spurt soon so he'd be taller than her.
"Yes," he said. "For the ten thousandth time, we're just friends. He's younger, for Christ's sake."
Rachel laughed and held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay," she said with a laugh.
They arrived at the classroom then, and Kurt felt everything slipping back to normal.
At Glee that afternoon, Mr. Shue said he didn't really have a plan for the week so they were just going to take turns singing solos.
Kurt wanted to sing. After everything he'd been through in the past week, all he really wanted to do was sing.
But he didn't know what to sing. He didn't have anything prepared, he hadn't sung in ages, and -
It hit him then, feeling similar to being hit by a tidal wave.
"Mr. Shue," Kurt said as he raised his hand. "Can - Can I sing something?"
The choir director grinned and nodded, motioning for Kurt to come down to the front.
"Well," he said, addressing the small group of people. "As you probably know, I had a rough time last week." They all nodded, their faces filled with sympathy. "My mom always used to say that singing was therapeutic," he explained. "So…I'm going to sing it now."
Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
Kurt felt his voice choking up a little, watching as Rachel pulled out her phone and typed something quickly before tucking it back into her bag.
Trying hard to reach out
But when I'd try to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Kurt remembered back to those long, grueling months in the summer when no one had no, when he'd been alone - just him and his mind. And, now that it was out in the open, he felt free.
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I pray
I could breakaway
He lived in Lima, Ohio, a small, conservative town. What he was - gay - was frowned upon. He knew that, once he could, he was going to leave the town and go somewhere he would be one hundred percent accepted.
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I loved
I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Kurt glanced around the room, noting that Rachel, Mercedes, and Tina were a little teary eyed while the boys and Mr. Shue all looked at him with respect and awe.
He wasn't necessarily accepted yet, but he was well on his way, at least within this small group.
Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging 'round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway
Kurt took a deep breath and slowly walked back to his seat.
The room was silent for a moment, and then he heard everyone getting up and running over to him, lifting him out of his chair and encircling him in a tight hug.
Kurt laughed as a few stray tears slid out of his eyes, burying his head into Rachel's shoulder.
Mr. Shue dismissed everyone early, knowing that no one else really wanted to go after Kurt's moving performance.
Rachel tugged his hand as he was walking out of the room, stopping him in his path. She put her phone in his hand, screen up, and gestured for him to look at it.
"I told him you were singing," she said softly. "Blaine."
Kurt glanced at the phone, smiling at the message.
Tell him that he's amazing, Rachel. Tell him that I've never met anyone like him.
Kurt felt his heart flutter a little as he smiled at the message.
"I don't know what you two have," she whispered after a few moments, extracting her phone from Kurt's hands. "But it's something good. Don't lose it."
Chapter 6