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Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?
anonymous
January 28 2012, 20:26:46 UTC
Finn, who has somehow managed to remain rapt with attention and questions through the entire four hour production, claps vigorously as Rachel comes out for the curtain call, wearing a huge smile that even from the sixth-to-back row Kurt can tell is strained.
“Shall we go congratulate the cast?” Finn asks eagerly. Before Kurt can correct him that there is no cast, and congratulations at this point would seem cruel, Finn’s running towards the stage, nearly losing an unlaced shoe in the process. Feeling as though he might as well use this waste of a night as ammunition for when he next needs to call on Rachel for a favor, Kurt follows.
There’s no real security, and the audience has dwindled to a few napping teachers and parents, so he simply climbs onto the stage directly.
“Kurt! You came!” Rachel’s face doesn’t betray the slightest embarrassment, despite the fact that her hair is still smoking slightly from a ‘lighting mishap’ during the finale. “I was worried they might not let you in, especially since I can see you didn’t come in proper theater attire.”
Ignoring her comments he swiftly kisses her on the cheek like the suave men in movies do and says, “The direction was crap, the set was horrendous and most of the musicians left after the first act. Your voice, painful as it is for me to admit, was flawless.” She beams at him, and he decides this is certainly worth two favors at the very least. Rachel may be a pain in the ass, but theirs is a symbiotic relationship.
“Oh, Kurt. You know what they say, ‘a failed performer makes the best critic.’” She hugs him against his will as he wonders if anyone, ever, has said that, but doesn’t fail to notice the way she squeezes his shoulder as she lets go. It’s as much of a thank you as either of them are capable of.
“Yeah, what he said. I mean, about your voice, not the mean stuff.” Finn, apparently, is lurking. Rachel jumps in surprise (likely at the fact that there are two students who made it through the play without falling comatose) and fixes him with an intense stare.
“Finn. Well, thank you. Praise, despite coming from the most untrained ear, is still appreciated.” With that she turns on her (broken) heel, flipping her hair impressively and stalks off towards a pair of middle aged men in tailored suits holding out a bouquet of white roses.
“Did she just insult me?”
Kurt doesn’t respond, but wonders how he ended up with the most popular boy in school trailing him like a lost puppy.
“Are those her dads?”
“Yes,” he answers absently, checking his watch.
“They’re uh, they’re not very nice, are they?” Kurt follows his gaze to where Rachel is standing with a fixed smile as her fathers critique her performance scene by scene, the roses held limply at her side.
“Everyone’s got their burdens,” he says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Well, I should be going.”
“Wait, uh...” Finn’s looking at him with a half apologetic smile.
“Oh for chrissake,” Kurt mutters. “Fine, but this time no touching the radio.” Finn grins and smacks him on the back in a manner that he assumes in jock culture is meant to be endearing.
On the way out a couple of hastily picked white lilies abandoned carelessly on the floor backstage catch his attention, their stems uneven, tied together with a shoelace, and for the first time it occurs to him to wonder why Finn Hudson is at a school play on a Friday night.
Re: Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?themillerssonJanuary 28 2012, 20:39:43 UTC
Ooh, this is still so appropriately bitter and almost awkward to read, but I mean that in the best way possible - it reads like Kurt's POV would in this situation, you know? And I still love the slow reveal of backstory and the subtle show of how all the relationships have changed without glee club happening. Rachel and Kurt's borderline-tolerance/frenemy relationship is especially perfect.
Re: Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?
anonymous
January 31 2012, 18:25:26 UTC
Thank you so much! I wanted it to be kind of brusque and uncomfortable, so I'm glad it worked for you :) And Rachel/Kurt as sort of friends sort of enemies is just so much fun to write.
Re: Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?
anonymous
January 29 2012, 02:09:41 UTC
Omg, this is SO interesting!! I mean, it was interesting before, but after this part it's just really making me realize just how au this is. Rachel's dads are mean to her?! D: Finn and Kurt are actually becoming semi-friends? I find Furt very amusing, so yay! (I know I suggested it, but I thought there'd be more douchebaggery between them before it was likely :P)
and lol at the trainwreck of a play. Though it's actually really sad how Rachel had to go back and forth... a one woman show. (With Mr. Ryerson yelling and waving in the background and stuff. Rachel should still get him fired without Schue taking over glee club somehow. o_o) The tentative friendship between Rachel and Kurt is great, as well (I was really surprised by Kurt actually going!). Of course, Kurt is thinking in her returning a favor and Rachel is earnest about... having a fan? or actually wanting to be his friend? hmm, I don't know. But Finn being there is what really, REALLY surprised me. Could it be he has a crush on her? (a shoelace bouquet? wth? lol - kind of reminiscent of the time Finn was going to give Rachel a lily but saw her with Jesse, if I remember it correctly...) or because he actually has nowhere else to go because Carole is not usually home and he just hangs around after school waiting for someone to give him a ride home? :P
and yeah you don't need to answer my questions, author!anon. I'm just thinking out loud. Loving this story!
Re: Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?airgeerJanuary 29 2012, 16:43:01 UTC
This is a really interesting idea. I'm really enjoying your characterizations, and the way that I can catch glimpses of what's changed for each of the three characters we've seen so far from canon. Nice work!
Re: Comes and goes (in waves) 2c/?
anonymous
January 31 2012, 18:28:50 UTC
Thanks! It's a lot fo fun to explore what would (or wouldn't) change for each of them if glee hadn't happened. And as a sidenote, I really love your fics :)
“Shall we go congratulate the cast?” Finn asks eagerly. Before Kurt can correct him that there is no cast, and congratulations at this point would seem cruel, Finn’s running towards the stage, nearly losing an unlaced shoe in the process. Feeling as though he might as well use this waste of a night as ammunition for when he next needs to call on Rachel for a favor, Kurt follows.
There’s no real security, and the audience has dwindled to a few napping teachers and parents, so he simply climbs onto the stage directly.
“Kurt! You came!” Rachel’s face doesn’t betray the slightest embarrassment, despite the fact that her hair is still smoking slightly from a ‘lighting mishap’ during the finale. “I was worried they might not let you in, especially since I can see you didn’t come in proper theater attire.”
Ignoring her comments he swiftly kisses her on the cheek like the suave men in movies do and says, “The direction was crap, the set was horrendous and most of the musicians left after the first act. Your voice, painful as it is for me to admit, was flawless.” She beams at him, and he decides this is certainly worth two favors at the very least. Rachel may be a pain in the ass, but theirs is a symbiotic relationship.
“Oh, Kurt. You know what they say, ‘a failed performer makes the best critic.’” She hugs him against his will as he wonders if anyone, ever, has said that, but doesn’t fail to notice the way she squeezes his shoulder as she lets go. It’s as much of a thank you as either of them are capable of.
“Yeah, what he said. I mean, about your voice, not the mean stuff.” Finn, apparently, is lurking. Rachel jumps in surprise (likely at the fact that there are two students who made it through the play without falling comatose) and fixes him with an intense stare.
“Finn. Well, thank you. Praise, despite coming from the most untrained ear, is still appreciated.” With that she turns on her (broken) heel, flipping her hair impressively and stalks off towards a pair of middle aged men in tailored suits holding out a bouquet of white roses.
“Did she just insult me?”
Kurt doesn’t respond, but wonders how he ended up with the most popular boy in school trailing him like a lost puppy.
“Are those her dads?”
“Yes,” he answers absently, checking his watch.
“They’re uh, they’re not very nice, are they?” Kurt follows his gaze to where Rachel is standing with a fixed smile as her fathers critique her performance scene by scene, the roses held limply at her side.
“Everyone’s got their burdens,” he says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Well, I should be going.”
“Wait, uh...” Finn’s looking at him with a half apologetic smile.
“Oh for chrissake,” Kurt mutters. “Fine, but this time no touching the radio.” Finn grins and smacks him on the back in a manner that he assumes in jock culture is meant to be endearing.
On the way out a couple of hastily picked white lilies abandoned carelessly on the floor backstage catch his attention, their stems uneven, tied together with a shoelace, and for the first time it occurs to him to wonder why Finn Hudson is at a school play on a Friday night.
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Rachel's dads are mean to her?! D:
Finn and Kurt are actually becoming semi-friends? I find Furt very amusing, so yay! (I know I suggested it, but I thought there'd be more douchebaggery between them before it was likely :P)
and lol at the trainwreck of a play. Though it's actually really sad how Rachel had to go back and forth... a one woman show. (With Mr. Ryerson yelling and waving in the background and stuff. Rachel should still get him fired without Schue taking over glee club somehow. o_o)
The tentative friendship between Rachel and Kurt is great, as well (I was really surprised by Kurt actually going!).
Of course, Kurt is thinking in her returning a favor and Rachel is earnest about... having a fan? or actually wanting to be his friend? hmm, I don't know.
But Finn being there is what really, REALLY surprised me. Could it be he has a crush on her? (a shoelace bouquet? wth? lol - kind of reminiscent of the time Finn was going to give Rachel a lily but saw her with Jesse, if I remember it correctly...)
or because he actually has nowhere else to go because Carole is not usually home and he just hangs around after school waiting for someone to give him a ride home? :P
and yeah you don't need to answer my questions, author!anon. I'm just thinking out loud. Loving this story!
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