No One Else Compares (7/?)
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
A/N: Okay, so I'm fairly new to LJ, but I'm getting the hang of it. I'm warblingaway on tumblr, as well as fanfiction. I try to update this story once a week, and so far that's been successful :) Enjoy :)
Go to: Chapter 1
“Bud, come on,” Burt yelled to Kurt’s room from the kitchen a few weeks later. “You’re appointment’s in ten minutes!”
Kurt huffed as he quickly touched up one last strand of his hair. “Hang on,” he hollered back while he grabbed his coat.
“The dentist doesn’t like to be kept waiting!”
Kurt groaned and ran down the stairs. It was his last day of Christmas break, the last thing he wanted to do was go to the dentist. His ideal day would have been to call up Rachel or Blaine and just hang out, maybe watch a movie or go shopping.
But no. He was going to the dentist.
“Finally,” Burt said when he saw him, practically pushing him out of the door. “Now get in the car!”
Kurt sighed and hopped into the passenger seat. It wasn’t that he hated the dentist, more of the fact that it wasn’t where he wanted to be that day.
“Oh, stop moping,” Burt told him as they pulled out of the driveway. “It’s just a cleaning - half hour tops.”
Kurt sighed again but nodded. Maybe he could call Blaine once he was done. Blaine was going back to Dalton on Monday as well, meaning that Kurt would only be able to see him on the occasional weekend.
Burt must have noticed his change in mood. He turned his head towards him, cocking it slightly to the right. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “You got all quiet there. And you look kind of mopey.”
“It’s nothing,” Kurt replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Burt grunted and gave his attention back to the road. “Right,” he scoffed. “Like I’ll believe that.”
Kurt sighed again but didn’t reply.
“Is it Blaine?” Burt asked.
Kurt flushed a little before nodding tentatively. “He’s going back to Dalton tomorrow,” he said quietly.
Burt nodded. “You guys got pretty close over the break.”
Kurt shrugged. It was true. After Christmas, and their small kiss under the mistletoe, things had changed. But it wasn’t the weird, awkward kind of change they had been expecting. Instead, it just made their friendship stronger - the fact that they shared their first kiss with each other seeming seal their friendship.
“I’m glad it was with you,” Blaine had said a few days after the kiss. “I mean, I’d rather have it with you than with someone I’m not comfortable with.”
And Kurt agreed 100%. He was glad he got to at least somewhat enjoy his first kiss, even if it had meant nothing.
Sometimes, however, he would be sitting there, thinking if it really had meant nothing. Or if it had actually meant something, but he was just too young and naïve to see it.
“I guess,” Kurt responded. “He’s really one of the only friends I have.”
Burt sighed as he pulled into the parking lot, turning to face Kurt once they were stopped. “You’re an amazing kid, Kurt,” he said, placing his hand on Kurt’s knee and squeezing gently. “I know you’re kind of going through a tough time right now, but the other kids - they just don’t know what to think. But there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”
Kurt nodded, ducking his head so his father couldn’t see the tears threatening to pour out of his eyes.
“And if anyone starts giving you crap about it - like real, bullying crap - you come straight to me, got it?”
Kurt froze. He couldn’t respond, couldn’t look at his dad in the eye, couldn’t move.
“You understand me?” Burt asked again.
Kurt took a deep breath and nodded.
“Good,” Burt said, patting his shoulder before getting out of the car. “Now let’s get this thing over with.”
They walked into the dentist’s office, but Kurt felt extremely guilty. He didn’t know how he’d just lied to his dad like that, but he had. He knew about the middle school bullying - the slurs, the occasional shove - but he had no idea how it escalated at McKinley.
The dumpster tosses, the slushy facials, the locker shoves - he knew that was the kind of thing his dad was referring to.
And he knew he should tell him. Blaine had told him to tell him.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t worry him like that. He’d already had to worry about Kurt more than he should have since his mother’s death, he didn’t need more to worry about.
Kurt took a shaky breath as he sat down in a waiting chair, distracting himself with a magazine.
“Kurt,” the hygienist said after a few moments, in which Kurt had eventually realized he was holding the magazine upside down. “You can come back now.”
Kurt nodded and stood up, following her into the back. Instead of individual rooms, all of the chairs were placed in a circle in a large room, all of the patients conveniently located in one area.
“Alright, take a seat in the third chair and we’ll be with you in a minute.”
Kurt nodded and did as he was told, making himself comfortable as he stared up at the ceiling.
He heard a small whimper from a few chairs over. There were only a few people there, each a few chairs away.
But that whimper - well, it made Kurt curious.
Glancing over, he prepared himself for the wave of sympathy he was about to feel for whatever child was crying.
So what he saw completely surprised him.
The boy was turned away from him, curled in on his side a little while it looked like he waited for the dentist to come. But he looked about Kurt’s age, his hair curly and his appearance stressed and perplexed and -
The boy shifted a little then, Kurt catching a glimpse of his face. His jaw dropped a little, his eyes widening.
It was Blaine.
He whimpered again, shifting a little more so that he was sitting forward in his chair, his hands clenched in front of him and his bottom lip quivering.
Kurt didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go over there and talk to him or something, but he didn’t want to embarrass Blaine.
But then Blaine sniffled and let out a little sob, reaching into his pocket to pull out a tissue.
Kurt’s heart broke. Blaine was prepared. He must have been expecting this then, meaning that he was probably afraid of the dentist.
Well that settled it.
“Blaine,” Kurt whispered, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. “Blaine.”
Blaine slowly looked over at him, his eyes watery and his forehead creased.
Kurt figured that the hygienist wouldn’t be back for a while, so he quickly got up and dropped into the chair at Blaine’s side.
“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked, not sure what to do. “Are you okay?”
Kurt blanched at his own question. Of course Blaine wasn’t okay. His cheeks were tearstained and his lip was quivering.
“Blaine, it’s okay,” Kurt soothed, grabbing one of his hands and giving it a squeeze. “It’s okay.”
Blaine sniffled again and looked down at his lap. “I don’t like the dentist,” he mumbled. “I told my dads that I’d be fine this time and that they didn’t have to stay, so they didn’t, but -”
“But you were just trying to be brave,” Kurt finished for him. “It’s okay to be scared of the dentist. I don’t like the normal doctor.”
Blaine nodded a little, gripping Kurt’s hand a little tighter as some piece of equipment came from a few chairs over. “But you probably don’t cry,” he said after a few moments.
“When they give me shots I do,” Kurt told him. “I don’t like needles.”
Blaine’s hand started shaking in his a little again, Kurt gripping it tighter and running his thumb against the back side of it.
“Shh,” Kurt cooed as Blaine pinched his eyes shut again. “It’ll be fine.”
“No it won’t,” Blaine all but sobbed, the tears starting to well up in his eyes again. “Kurt, they’re filling a cavity and - and what if they do something wrong and they chip my tongue or something - and -”
“Blaine,” Kurt said, his voice stern but comforting. “Calm down. It isn’t going to help if you work yourself up like that.”
Blaine nodded, but his breathing was still hitched.
“Take deep breaths,” Kurt told him. “Come on, calm down.”
Blaine did as he was told, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes, attempting to calm himself.
Kurt kept his hand firmly on Blaine’s, knowing that Blaine needed any kind of reassurance he could get right now.
“Alright, Blaine,” the dentist said as she came over and sat on the other side of him. She looked at Kurt curiously for a moment. “Is this one of your friends?”
Blaine nodded, and Kurt could feel his pulse rising as the panic started to take over him again.
“I know you’re here for your own cleaning,” she said, “But do you think you could maybe stay while he gets his filling? I saw how calm you got him.”
Kurt nodded instantly. He could stay a little longer to help Blaine.
“I’ll send the hygienist out to tell your dad,” she said. “Thank you. I was a little apprehensive when I saw his parents leaving.”
Kurt sighed, giving his attention back to Blaine, whose bottom lip had started quivering again.
“Blaine,” the dentist said. “The sooner you open your mouth the sooner I’m finished, okay?”
Blaine opened his mouth a little.
“Come on, Blaine,” Kurt said, gripping Blaine’s hand a little tighter. “Just a little more, okay?”
Blaine did so after a few moments, cringing as the dentist got to work. He clenched his eyes shut, his grip on Kurt’s hand so tight Kurt was concerned he was going to lose feeling in it. But Blaine needed this - Blaine needed him.
God, it felt weird saying that. Blaine was always the one giving him advice, always the one helping and comforting him.
It felt nice being needed.
Kurt saw tears bubbling out of Blaine’s eyes again as the dentist took a tool out and turned it on, starting to move it into Blaine’s mouth.
“No, no no no,” Kurt said. “Please don’t cry, Blaine. Don’t cry.”
But it didn’t help - the tears continued to pool out of his eyes.
By that point, Kurt was pretty sure his hand was going to fall off. He continued to rub his thumb against the top of Blaine’s hand, trying to keep the boy at least a little calm.
About twenty minutes later, the dentist stood up and took off her gloves. “You’re all set, Blaine,” she said. “I think your parents are in the waiting room now.”
Blaine didn’t move, keeping his eyes shut and his body tense.
“You did a lot better than usual this time,” she told him, smiling a little at him as she patted his hair fondly. “You didn’t bite me this time.”
Kurt chuckled a little, watching as Blaine cracked a small smile. She laughed and patted his hair again before walking to a different chair.
Blaine’s eyes opened as soon as she was gone. They were bloodshot and red rimmed, making him look like he’d just gone weeks without sleep.
He released Kurt’s hand, Kurt instantly flinching as the tingling pain that shot through it.
“Sorry,” Blaine said, flushing a little. “I’m told I have quite a grip at the dentist.”
“I have proof,” Kurt replied. “Once my hand falls off, I can show it to everyone who may have to endure this in the future.”
Blaine laughed. “Thank you, though,” he said after a moment. “It - You really helped.”
Kurt shrugged. “It wasn’t a problem,” he replied. “You would have done the same for me.”
Blaine grinned and pulled Kurt in for a hug. “You are really the best friend I could ask for,” he whispered into Kurt’s shoulder. “Rachel wouldn’t even do that for me.”
Kurt laughed again as Blaine released him, blushing slightly at how close they were.
“For the record,” Kurt said after a minute of just standing there awkwardly. “I’m glad that our kiss didn’t change anything between us.”
“Me too,” Blaine responded. “I was actually worried about that. I didn’t want things to get awkward between us, and -”
“I know,” Kurt interrupted him. “I was afraid of that happening, too.”
…..
That week, school was the same as it had been before the break. It was almost as if there hadn’t been a break at all. Kurt found himself returning home after Glee rehearsal and shutting himself in his room with his homework, only emerging when his father called him for dinner.
But, even though it may have seemed that the bullying had at least been toned down a little, it hadn’t. He was thrown into a dumpster right away on Monday, slushied on Tuesday, lunch tray dumped on Wednesday.
It was something every day, and every day Kurt felt just a little worse.
It wasn’t that he was ashamed with himself. It was just that he was tired of this. He was tired of the bullying. He just wanted everyone to accept him for who he was.
But this was Ohio. He knew that it wouldn’t happen for a long, long time.
But Thursday was particularly bad.
Kurt walked into school like normal, avoiding attracting any attention to himself and keeping his head down and his book bag light so that if he was pushed into a locker he wouldn’t fall as hard. He’d learned that one the hard way.
Try as he might, though, it seemed like Karofsky had radar on Kurt. His ability to find him amongst a crowd was practically uncanny.
Which is how Kurt found himself closing his locker and finding a group of seven jocks surrounding him, each with a slushy cup in their hands.
“Well, looky here,” Karofsky sneered, taking a small step closer.
“Leave me alone,” Kurt squeaked as he pressed himself against his locker. “Haven’t you tortured me enough this week?”
Karofsky laughed, followed by the laughs of the other jocks. “Come on, Hummel,” he said, his voice practically filled with venom. “You deserve this.”
“Why?” Kurt asked, and he felt something in him practically explode at Karofsky’s words. “Because I’m gay? What’s so wrong with that, Karofsky? I’m still a person.”
“Not really,” Karofsky jeered. “You’re a fairy.”
Kurt could feel himself snapping. He clenched his fists beside him, taking a deep breath in order to control himself. He couldn’t lose it in front of all those jocks - he wouldn’t make it out alive.
“Just get out of my face,” Kurt said between clenched teeth.
“I will,” Karofsky replied. “Right after this.”
And then there were eight cups of slushy being thrown at his face, the cold, sticky ice splashing on him everywhere.
He heard the sounds of their laughter as they walked away, their loud talking and their praise of Karofsky.
The slush was stinging his eyes, and god it was so much worse when it was more than one. He was shivering, his clothes completely soaked in blue corn syrup and -
Oh god, it was the blue kind.
Kurt felt his stomach clench as he dry heaved into his mouth, quickly stumbling up and into the girls’ bathroom.
He hated blue slushies. Ever since that one time when he was little and he threw one up, he hadn’t been able to drink one without feeling sick.
He stumbled into the nearest stall and promptly threw up in the toilet.
Once he had finished and his stomach was empty of all contents, Kurt slowly stood up. He continued to shiver as he made his way to the sink, turning the water on and waiting for it to heat up. He was good at this by now, but it was going to be a lot harder since he had more than one cup’s content worth of slushy on him.
As he cleaned up his face, one of the bathroom stalls slowly opened. A slim girl with blonde hair, dressed in a cheerios uniform, walked out of the stall, her expression sheepish.
“Oh,” Kurt said, because yeah, he was a boy in the girls’ bathroom. He didn’t know if girls would actually care or not since he was gay, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here. I can just -”
The girl shook her head. “No, it’s fine,” she reassured him. She looked him over once, and if Kurt wasn’t mistaken he noted a bit of sympathy in her eyes.
Kurt nodded and continued cleaning himself, wincing as he attempted to get the stickiness out of his hair.
“Here,” the girl said after a moment. “Let me help you.” She took a few steps closer before grabbing the paper towel out of his hands, dampening it and wiping the slush off of his lips. “The taste makes you sick, doesn’t it?”
Kurt nodded. He didn’t even know this girl’s name. All he knew was that she was a Cheerio and that she really shouldn’t be helping him.
“I know how it feels,” she said after a minute.
Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes a little.
“No, really,” she said. “Everyone used to make fun of me at my old school. I was fat and had red hair and wore glasses. I know what it’s like being an outcast.”
Kurt sighed, trying to keep the tears in his eyes.
“I’m Quinn, by the way,” she said after a moment. “And you’re Kurt.”
Kurt nodded but didn’t reply. Normally, he’d ask why the girl even knew his name. But right now he just didn’t care.
“How long has this been going on?” She asked after a few minutes.
“Since the first day of school,” he told her quietly.
“Have you told anyone?”
Kurt bit his lip for a moment. “Only my friend and her brother know,” he said softly.
The girl threw the paper towel away and went to get another one. “You should tell an adult,” she said. “This isn’t something that should be taken lightly.”
“I can’t tell my dad,” he replied. “He worries too much.”
“You have to tell someone,” she insisted.
Kurt shook his head. “No, no it’s fine,” he whispered. “I’ve gone this long handling it by myself.”
“But it’s getting worse,” Quinn stated. “And it’s only going to get worse.”
“If it gets any worse, I’ll tell someone,” Kurt snapped, and he knew he really shouldn’t be snapping at her since she was helping him. “But for now I don’t need to.”
“…Okay,” she said after a moment. She went back to attempting to get the slush out of his hair.
“I’m sorry, you know,” she said after a moment. “I’m sorry everyone gives you crap for being gay.”
Kurt shrugged, his eyes trained on the tiles on the ground.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with that,” she said.
“Well, it doesn’t matter if I should or shouldn’t,” Kurt replied sharply. “Because I do.”
Quinn sighed but moved to wipe the slushy off of his arms.
“How long were you in there?” He asked. “You must have been in there before I got here if you heard me throw up.”
Quinn nodded, her expression almost sheepish. “I - yeah,” she said. “I was hoping you would leave and not notice I was in here, but then I realized you wouldn’t be leaving for a while.”
Kurt looked at her, cocking his head to the side and studying her - her sheepish stance, the way she avoided his glance.
“Why?” He asked.
“Because I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
Kurt looked at the girl, finally noticing her red rimmed eyes and her tear stained cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” He asked. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, her eyes misting a little again. “It’s just stupid boy drama,” she said. “Just my boyfriend being a jerk.”
Kurt nodded slowly, patting her shoulder awkwardly.
She smiled softly at him, her eyes lighting up a little. “Don’t go into a relationship blind,” she said after a moment. “Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Kurt nodded. “Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’m definitely not ready for anything like that.”
She threw her paper towel away, gave him one last smile, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Kurt to ponder for a moment.
How come the only person on his mind during the last part of his conversation with Quinn was Blaine?
…..
“Dad, I’m home!”
Kurt had walked home after Glee rehearsal. It was nice enough outside, and it was better than waiting for his dad to come and pick him up.
But he walked into the house to find him sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.
“I got a call from your school today,” he said stiffly.
Kurt froze, his eyes widening. “Uh - what about?”
“From the principal,” he went on. “He said you’ve been missing a lot of classes.”
Kurt should have known something like this would eventually come up. He practically was forced to miss class whenever he was slushied or tossed into a dumpster - those things took some time to clean up.
“I think you owe me an explanation,” Burt said.
Kurt didn’t respond. He dropped his eyes to the floor, standing still and avoiding any eye contact.
“Kurt,” Burt scolded. “I’m not sending you to school so you can skip class. What are you even doing during that time? If you’re getting in a bad crowd and are smoking and doing drugs and -”
“I’m not doing that kind of stuff!” Kurt yelled. “God, why would you even think that?”
“Well I’m sorry I’m confused,” Burt replied, his voice growing louder. “I’m having a little trouble trusting you right now when I just found out you’ve been skipping classes.”
“I’m not skipping classes!” Kurt replied.
“Yes, you are!”
“Not on purpose!”
“Don’t go blaming this on someone else, Kurt. You’re old enough were things are your own responsibility. I expected more from you, and -”
“DAMMIT,” Kurt yelled. He’d been on edge all day. Ever since he had the urge to throttle Karofsky that morning, all he wanted to do was throw something at his wall and scream into his pillow.
“Watch your language, young man,” Burt scolded. “Now I want an explanation right this minute.”
“I’m missing class because I’m having slushies thrown at me and am being tossed into dumpsters on a daily basis!” Kurt screamed, the angry tears burning his eyes. “Are you happy? Is that the answer you wanted?”
His dad’s face instantly paled, his clenched fists loosening at his sides.
Kurt glared at him once more before storming down to his room, slamming the door behind him.
So much for not telling his dad.
Are you coming home this weekend?
Kurt waited for Blaine to respond, simply curled up on his bed and clutching his phone.
I wasn’t planning on it. Did something happen?
Kurt sighed, pressing Blaine’s number again and holding it to his ear.
“Hello?” Blaine picked up on the second ring. “Kurt, is everything okay?”
So Kurt told him. He told him everything - about the eight-part slushy, about his conversation with Quinn, about his fight with his dad.
“Well at least he knows now,” Blaine said after a few moments of silence.
“I didn’t want him to know,” Kurt whispered, not even sure Blaine could hear him.
“But Kurt,” Blaine pleaded. “It’s better that he knows in case - in case it gets worse.”
“I’m not worth his worrying,” Kurt said. “He shouldn’t have to worry about me.”
“Kurt,” Blaine said. “Kurt, you are worth it. You’re his son and he’s proud of you. He loves you. He’s your dad - it’s his job to be worried about you.”
“I’m such a hassle though,” Kurt replied. “All I ever do is bring anxiety to his life.”
“Kurt Hummel, you stop that right now,” Blaine said. “Look, you’re amazing and I don’t know why others can’t see that. You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
Kurt sighed. He knew Blaine was right. It was just that sometimes he let it get to him, let himself actually believe that he was as worthless as the bullies always said he was.
“Blaine,” he said softly after a moment.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
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
A/N: Okay, so I'm fairly new to LJ, but I'm getting the hang of it. I'm warblingaway on tumblr, as well as fanfiction. I try to update this story once a week, and so far that's been successful :) Enjoy :)
Go to: Chapter 1
“Bud, come on,” Burt yelled to Kurt’s room from the kitchen a few weeks later. “You’re appointment’s in ten minutes!”
Kurt huffed as he quickly touched up one last strand of his hair. “Hang on,” he hollered back while he grabbed his coat.
“The dentist doesn’t like to be kept waiting!”
Kurt groaned and ran down the stairs. It was his last day of Christmas break, the last thing he wanted to do was go to the dentist. His ideal day would have been to call up Rachel or Blaine and just hang out, maybe watch a movie or go shopping.
But no. He was going to the dentist.
“Finally,” Burt said when he saw him, practically pushing him out of the door. “Now get in the car!”
Kurt sighed and hopped into the passenger seat. It wasn’t that he hated the dentist, more of the fact that it wasn’t where he wanted to be that day.
“Oh, stop moping,” Burt told him as they pulled out of the driveway. “It’s just a cleaning - half hour tops.”
Kurt sighed again but nodded. Maybe he could call Blaine once he was done. Blaine was going back to Dalton on Monday as well, meaning that Kurt would only be able to see him on the occasional weekend.
Burt must have noticed his change in mood. He turned his head towards him, cocking it slightly to the right. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “You got all quiet there. And you look kind of mopey.”
“It’s nothing,” Kurt replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Burt grunted and gave his attention back to the road. “Right,” he scoffed. “Like I’ll believe that.”
Kurt sighed again but didn’t reply.
“Is it Blaine?” Burt asked.
Kurt flushed a little before nodding tentatively. “He’s going back to Dalton tomorrow,” he said quietly.
Burt nodded. “You guys got pretty close over the break.”
Kurt shrugged. It was true. After Christmas, and their small kiss under the mistletoe, things had changed. But it wasn’t the weird, awkward kind of change they had been expecting. Instead, it just made their friendship stronger - the fact that they shared their first kiss with each other seeming seal their friendship.
“I’m glad it was with you,” Blaine had said a few days after the kiss. “I mean, I’d rather have it with you than with someone I’m not comfortable with.”
And Kurt agreed 100%. He was glad he got to at least somewhat enjoy his first kiss, even if it had meant nothing.
Sometimes, however, he would be sitting there, thinking if it really had meant nothing. Or if it had actually meant something, but he was just too young and naïve to see it.
“I guess,” Kurt responded. “He’s really one of the only friends I have.”
Burt sighed as he pulled into the parking lot, turning to face Kurt once they were stopped. “You’re an amazing kid, Kurt,” he said, placing his hand on Kurt’s knee and squeezing gently. “I know you’re kind of going through a tough time right now, but the other kids - they just don’t know what to think. But there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”
Kurt nodded, ducking his head so his father couldn’t see the tears threatening to pour out of his eyes.
“And if anyone starts giving you crap about it - like real, bullying crap - you come straight to me, got it?”
Kurt froze. He couldn’t respond, couldn’t look at his dad in the eye, couldn’t move.
“You understand me?” Burt asked again.
Kurt took a deep breath and nodded.
“Good,” Burt said, patting his shoulder before getting out of the car. “Now let’s get this thing over with.”
They walked into the dentist’s office, but Kurt felt extremely guilty. He didn’t know how he’d just lied to his dad like that, but he had. He knew about the middle school bullying - the slurs, the occasional shove - but he had no idea how it escalated at McKinley.
The dumpster tosses, the slushy facials, the locker shoves - he knew that was the kind of thing his dad was referring to.
And he knew he should tell him. Blaine had told him to tell him.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t worry him like that. He’d already had to worry about Kurt more than he should have since his mother’s death, he didn’t need more to worry about.
Kurt took a shaky breath as he sat down in a waiting chair, distracting himself with a magazine.
“Kurt,” the hygienist said after a few moments, in which Kurt had eventually realized he was holding the magazine upside down. “You can come back now.”
Kurt nodded and stood up, following her into the back. Instead of individual rooms, all of the chairs were placed in a circle in a large room, all of the patients conveniently located in one area.
“Alright, take a seat in the third chair and we’ll be with you in a minute.”
Kurt nodded and did as he was told, making himself comfortable as he stared up at the ceiling.
He heard a small whimper from a few chairs over. There were only a few people there, each a few chairs away.
But that whimper - well, it made Kurt curious.
Glancing over, he prepared himself for the wave of sympathy he was about to feel for whatever child was crying.
So what he saw completely surprised him.
The boy was turned away from him, curled in on his side a little while it looked like he waited for the dentist to come. But he looked about Kurt’s age, his hair curly and his appearance stressed and perplexed and -
The boy shifted a little then, Kurt catching a glimpse of his face. His jaw dropped a little, his eyes widening.
It was Blaine.
He whimpered again, shifting a little more so that he was sitting forward in his chair, his hands clenched in front of him and his bottom lip quivering.
Kurt didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go over there and talk to him or something, but he didn’t want to embarrass Blaine.
But then Blaine sniffled and let out a little sob, reaching into his pocket to pull out a tissue.
Kurt’s heart broke. Blaine was prepared. He must have been expecting this then, meaning that he was probably afraid of the dentist.
Well that settled it.
“Blaine,” Kurt whispered, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. “Blaine.”
Blaine slowly looked over at him, his eyes watery and his forehead creased.
Kurt figured that the hygienist wouldn’t be back for a while, so he quickly got up and dropped into the chair at Blaine’s side.
“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked, not sure what to do. “Are you okay?”
Kurt blanched at his own question. Of course Blaine wasn’t okay. His cheeks were tearstained and his lip was quivering.
“Blaine, it’s okay,” Kurt soothed, grabbing one of his hands and giving it a squeeze. “It’s okay.”
Blaine sniffled again and looked down at his lap. “I don’t like the dentist,” he mumbled. “I told my dads that I’d be fine this time and that they didn’t have to stay, so they didn’t, but -”
“But you were just trying to be brave,” Kurt finished for him. “It’s okay to be scared of the dentist. I don’t like the normal doctor.”
Blaine nodded a little, gripping Kurt’s hand a little tighter as some piece of equipment came from a few chairs over. “But you probably don’t cry,” he said after a few moments.
“When they give me shots I do,” Kurt told him. “I don’t like needles.”
Blaine’s hand started shaking in his a little again, Kurt gripping it tighter and running his thumb against the back side of it.
“Shh,” Kurt cooed as Blaine pinched his eyes shut again. “It’ll be fine.”
“No it won’t,” Blaine all but sobbed, the tears starting to well up in his eyes again. “Kurt, they’re filling a cavity and - and what if they do something wrong and they chip my tongue or something - and -”
“Blaine,” Kurt said, his voice stern but comforting. “Calm down. It isn’t going to help if you work yourself up like that.”
Blaine nodded, but his breathing was still hitched.
“Take deep breaths,” Kurt told him. “Come on, calm down.”
Blaine did as he was told, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes, attempting to calm himself.
Kurt kept his hand firmly on Blaine’s, knowing that Blaine needed any kind of reassurance he could get right now.
“Alright, Blaine,” the dentist said as she came over and sat on the other side of him. She looked at Kurt curiously for a moment. “Is this one of your friends?”
Blaine nodded, and Kurt could feel his pulse rising as the panic started to take over him again.
“I know you’re here for your own cleaning,” she said, “But do you think you could maybe stay while he gets his filling? I saw how calm you got him.”
Kurt nodded instantly. He could stay a little longer to help Blaine.
“I’ll send the hygienist out to tell your dad,” she said. “Thank you. I was a little apprehensive when I saw his parents leaving.”
Kurt sighed, giving his attention back to Blaine, whose bottom lip had started quivering again.
“Blaine,” the dentist said. “The sooner you open your mouth the sooner I’m finished, okay?”
Blaine opened his mouth a little.
“Come on, Blaine,” Kurt said, gripping Blaine’s hand a little tighter. “Just a little more, okay?”
Blaine did so after a few moments, cringing as the dentist got to work. He clenched his eyes shut, his grip on Kurt’s hand so tight Kurt was concerned he was going to lose feeling in it. But Blaine needed this - Blaine needed him.
God, it felt weird saying that. Blaine was always the one giving him advice, always the one helping and comforting him.
It felt nice being needed.
Kurt saw tears bubbling out of Blaine’s eyes again as the dentist took a tool out and turned it on, starting to move it into Blaine’s mouth.
“No, no no no,” Kurt said. “Please don’t cry, Blaine. Don’t cry.”
But it didn’t help - the tears continued to pool out of his eyes.
By that point, Kurt was pretty sure his hand was going to fall off. He continued to rub his thumb against the top of Blaine’s hand, trying to keep the boy at least a little calm.
About twenty minutes later, the dentist stood up and took off her gloves. “You’re all set, Blaine,” she said. “I think your parents are in the waiting room now.”
Blaine didn’t move, keeping his eyes shut and his body tense.
“You did a lot better than usual this time,” she told him, smiling a little at him as she patted his hair fondly. “You didn’t bite me this time.”
Kurt chuckled a little, watching as Blaine cracked a small smile. She laughed and patted his hair again before walking to a different chair.
Blaine’s eyes opened as soon as she was gone. They were bloodshot and red rimmed, making him look like he’d just gone weeks without sleep.
He released Kurt’s hand, Kurt instantly flinching as the tingling pain that shot through it.
“Sorry,” Blaine said, flushing a little. “I’m told I have quite a grip at the dentist.”
“I have proof,” Kurt replied. “Once my hand falls off, I can show it to everyone who may have to endure this in the future.”
Blaine laughed. “Thank you, though,” he said after a moment. “It - You really helped.”
Kurt shrugged. “It wasn’t a problem,” he replied. “You would have done the same for me.”
Blaine grinned and pulled Kurt in for a hug. “You are really the best friend I could ask for,” he whispered into Kurt’s shoulder. “Rachel wouldn’t even do that for me.”
Kurt laughed again as Blaine released him, blushing slightly at how close they were.
“For the record,” Kurt said after a minute of just standing there awkwardly. “I’m glad that our kiss didn’t change anything between us.”
“Me too,” Blaine responded. “I was actually worried about that. I didn’t want things to get awkward between us, and -”
“I know,” Kurt interrupted him. “I was afraid of that happening, too.”
…..
That week, school was the same as it had been before the break. It was almost as if there hadn’t been a break at all. Kurt found himself returning home after Glee rehearsal and shutting himself in his room with his homework, only emerging when his father called him for dinner.
But, even though it may have seemed that the bullying had at least been toned down a little, it hadn’t. He was thrown into a dumpster right away on Monday, slushied on Tuesday, lunch tray dumped on Wednesday.
It was something every day, and every day Kurt felt just a little worse.
It wasn’t that he was ashamed with himself. It was just that he was tired of this. He was tired of the bullying. He just wanted everyone to accept him for who he was.
But this was Ohio. He knew that it wouldn’t happen for a long, long time.
But Thursday was particularly bad.
Kurt walked into school like normal, avoiding attracting any attention to himself and keeping his head down and his book bag light so that if he was pushed into a locker he wouldn’t fall as hard. He’d learned that one the hard way.
Try as he might, though, it seemed like Karofsky had radar on Kurt. His ability to find him amongst a crowd was practically uncanny.
Which is how Kurt found himself closing his locker and finding a group of seven jocks surrounding him, each with a slushy cup in their hands.
“Well, looky here,” Karofsky sneered, taking a small step closer.
“Leave me alone,” Kurt squeaked as he pressed himself against his locker. “Haven’t you tortured me enough this week?”
Karofsky laughed, followed by the laughs of the other jocks. “Come on, Hummel,” he said, his voice practically filled with venom. “You deserve this.”
“Why?” Kurt asked, and he felt something in him practically explode at Karofsky’s words. “Because I’m gay? What’s so wrong with that, Karofsky? I’m still a person.”
“Not really,” Karofsky jeered. “You’re a fairy.”
Kurt could feel himself snapping. He clenched his fists beside him, taking a deep breath in order to control himself. He couldn’t lose it in front of all those jocks - he wouldn’t make it out alive.
“Just get out of my face,” Kurt said between clenched teeth.
“I will,” Karofsky replied. “Right after this.”
And then there were eight cups of slushy being thrown at his face, the cold, sticky ice splashing on him everywhere.
He heard the sounds of their laughter as they walked away, their loud talking and their praise of Karofsky.
The slush was stinging his eyes, and god it was so much worse when it was more than one. He was shivering, his clothes completely soaked in blue corn syrup and -
Oh god, it was the blue kind.
Kurt felt his stomach clench as he dry heaved into his mouth, quickly stumbling up and into the girls’ bathroom.
He hated blue slushies. Ever since that one time when he was little and he threw one up, he hadn’t been able to drink one without feeling sick.
He stumbled into the nearest stall and promptly threw up in the toilet.
Once he had finished and his stomach was empty of all contents, Kurt slowly stood up. He continued to shiver as he made his way to the sink, turning the water on and waiting for it to heat up. He was good at this by now, but it was going to be a lot harder since he had more than one cup’s content worth of slushy on him.
As he cleaned up his face, one of the bathroom stalls slowly opened. A slim girl with blonde hair, dressed in a cheerios uniform, walked out of the stall, her expression sheepish.
“Oh,” Kurt said, because yeah, he was a boy in the girls’ bathroom. He didn’t know if girls would actually care or not since he was gay, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here. I can just -”
The girl shook her head. “No, it’s fine,” she reassured him. She looked him over once, and if Kurt wasn’t mistaken he noted a bit of sympathy in her eyes.
Kurt nodded and continued cleaning himself, wincing as he attempted to get the stickiness out of his hair.
“Here,” the girl said after a moment. “Let me help you.” She took a few steps closer before grabbing the paper towel out of his hands, dampening it and wiping the slush off of his lips. “The taste makes you sick, doesn’t it?”
Kurt nodded. He didn’t even know this girl’s name. All he knew was that she was a Cheerio and that she really shouldn’t be helping him.
“I know how it feels,” she said after a minute.
Kurt scoffed and rolled his eyes a little.
“No, really,” she said. “Everyone used to make fun of me at my old school. I was fat and had red hair and wore glasses. I know what it’s like being an outcast.”
Kurt sighed, trying to keep the tears in his eyes.
“I’m Quinn, by the way,” she said after a moment. “And you’re Kurt.”
Kurt nodded but didn’t reply. Normally, he’d ask why the girl even knew his name. But right now he just didn’t care.
“How long has this been going on?” She asked after a few minutes.
“Since the first day of school,” he told her quietly.
“Have you told anyone?”
Kurt bit his lip for a moment. “Only my friend and her brother know,” he said softly.
The girl threw the paper towel away and went to get another one. “You should tell an adult,” she said. “This isn’t something that should be taken lightly.”
“I can’t tell my dad,” he replied. “He worries too much.”
“You have to tell someone,” she insisted.
Kurt shook his head. “No, no it’s fine,” he whispered. “I’ve gone this long handling it by myself.”
“But it’s getting worse,” Quinn stated. “And it’s only going to get worse.”
“If it gets any worse, I’ll tell someone,” Kurt snapped, and he knew he really shouldn’t be snapping at her since she was helping him. “But for now I don’t need to.”
“…Okay,” she said after a moment. She went back to attempting to get the slush out of his hair.
“I’m sorry, you know,” she said after a moment. “I’m sorry everyone gives you crap for being gay.”
Kurt shrugged, his eyes trained on the tiles on the ground.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with that,” she said.
“Well, it doesn’t matter if I should or shouldn’t,” Kurt replied sharply. “Because I do.”
Quinn sighed but moved to wipe the slushy off of his arms.
“How long were you in there?” He asked. “You must have been in there before I got here if you heard me throw up.”
Quinn nodded, her expression almost sheepish. “I - yeah,” she said. “I was hoping you would leave and not notice I was in here, but then I realized you wouldn’t be leaving for a while.”
Kurt looked at her, cocking his head to the side and studying her - her sheepish stance, the way she avoided his glance.
“Why?” He asked.
“Because I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
Kurt looked at the girl, finally noticing her red rimmed eyes and her tear stained cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” He asked. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, her eyes misting a little again. “It’s just stupid boy drama,” she said. “Just my boyfriend being a jerk.”
Kurt nodded slowly, patting her shoulder awkwardly.
She smiled softly at him, her eyes lighting up a little. “Don’t go into a relationship blind,” she said after a moment. “Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Kurt nodded. “Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’m definitely not ready for anything like that.”
She threw her paper towel away, gave him one last smile, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Kurt to ponder for a moment.
How come the only person on his mind during the last part of his conversation with Quinn was Blaine?
…..
“Dad, I’m home!”
Kurt had walked home after Glee rehearsal. It was nice enough outside, and it was better than waiting for his dad to come and pick him up.
But he walked into the house to find him sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.
“I got a call from your school today,” he said stiffly.
Kurt froze, his eyes widening. “Uh - what about?”
“From the principal,” he went on. “He said you’ve been missing a lot of classes.”
Kurt should have known something like this would eventually come up. He practically was forced to miss class whenever he was slushied or tossed into a dumpster - those things took some time to clean up.
“I think you owe me an explanation,” Burt said.
Kurt didn’t respond. He dropped his eyes to the floor, standing still and avoiding any eye contact.
“Kurt,” Burt scolded. “I’m not sending you to school so you can skip class. What are you even doing during that time? If you’re getting in a bad crowd and are smoking and doing drugs and -”
“I’m not doing that kind of stuff!” Kurt yelled. “God, why would you even think that?”
“Well I’m sorry I’m confused,” Burt replied, his voice growing louder. “I’m having a little trouble trusting you right now when I just found out you’ve been skipping classes.”
“I’m not skipping classes!” Kurt replied.
“Yes, you are!”
“Not on purpose!”
“Don’t go blaming this on someone else, Kurt. You’re old enough were things are your own responsibility. I expected more from you, and -”
“DAMMIT,” Kurt yelled. He’d been on edge all day. Ever since he had the urge to throttle Karofsky that morning, all he wanted to do was throw something at his wall and scream into his pillow.
“Watch your language, young man,” Burt scolded. “Now I want an explanation right this minute.”
“I’m missing class because I’m having slushies thrown at me and am being tossed into dumpsters on a daily basis!” Kurt screamed, the angry tears burning his eyes. “Are you happy? Is that the answer you wanted?”
His dad’s face instantly paled, his clenched fists loosening at his sides.
Kurt glared at him once more before storming down to his room, slamming the door behind him.
So much for not telling his dad.
Are you coming home this weekend?
Kurt waited for Blaine to respond, simply curled up on his bed and clutching his phone.
I wasn’t planning on it. Did something happen?
Kurt sighed, pressing Blaine’s number again and holding it to his ear.
“Hello?” Blaine picked up on the second ring. “Kurt, is everything okay?”
So Kurt told him. He told him everything - about the eight-part slushy, about his conversation with Quinn, about his fight with his dad.
“Well at least he knows now,” Blaine said after a few moments of silence.
“I didn’t want him to know,” Kurt whispered, not even sure Blaine could hear him.
“But Kurt,” Blaine pleaded. “It’s better that he knows in case - in case it gets worse.”
“I’m not worth his worrying,” Kurt said. “He shouldn’t have to worry about me.”
“Kurt,” Blaine said. “Kurt, you are worth it. You’re his son and he’s proud of you. He loves you. He’s your dad - it’s his job to be worried about you.”
“I’m such a hassle though,” Kurt replied. “All I ever do is bring anxiety to his life.”
“Kurt Hummel, you stop that right now,” Blaine said. “Look, you’re amazing and I don’t know why others can’t see that. You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
Kurt sighed. He knew Blaine was right. It was just that sometimes he let it get to him, let himself actually believe that he was as worthless as the bullies always said he was.
“Blaine,” he said softly after a moment.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”