Fic: Think of It as Personality Dialysis 5/11
Well, um, since Puck is doing stupid things...
Title: Think of It as Personality Dialysis 5/11
Author: hattalove
Beta: Nope. Still.
Fandom: Glee
Character(s)/Pairing(s): the Dalton guys, OFCs; Kurt/OFC
Warnings: Unbetaed. Het ahead. Some tiny, unpopular (Kurt's) opinions about Quinn, just so you're aware.
Rating: R
Spoilers: Up to season two - Dalton an'all.
Word count: 6,199/50,588
Summary: Kurt seemed happy at Dalton, but when he comes home after two months straight of living at the boarding school, he's not the same boy. Burt and Finn are the first to notice when Kurt sits down to watch a football game with them, and knows the stats better than either of them. The girls notice when Kurt doesn't want to shop or sleepover with them anymore. Puck notices when Kurt tells him that Dalton's made him see the light and the relationship they'd hidden for so long, it was wrong. And now Kurt wants to help Puck see the light.
Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, it would already be a big gay fairytale. Nothing's mine. I'm just playing.
a spoilery A/N: You should've seen me writing the Kurt/Alona scene. I was sitting at the desk, sipping on my tea and cackling like a witch. I even wrought my hands together.
I am a horrible, horrible human being.
I also admit to doing almost no research on Westerville, sorry. State Street exists, though; I'm pretty sure Gloria's is made up.
Chapter Five
On Saturday, Kurt was woken up by someone banging on his door like the school was on fire. One look at the clock told him it was actually half past one in the afternoon. Maybe someone was worried.
Except, when he turned the doorknob, the door revealed a very happy-looking Adrian with Sebastian, Blaine and a few others from the group by his side. By the looks on their faces, they weren't there to ask why he hasn't attended the meeting yesterday (the reason was simple - he didn't want to and he was too much of a coward to say it into their faces).
"Um, guys? What-"
"We're going to town!" Sebastian interrupted him excitedly, bursting into the room and opening the closet before Kurt could even blink.
"Oh come on, don't stare like that," Adrian reprimanded, also walking in and motioning the others over, "we're going to introduce you to some of our best lady friends, it's going to be fun."
The feeble objection of 'I don't want to' died on his tongue when Sebastian pulled his baggiest jeans and a pyjamas t-shirt out of the closet and sent him into the bathroom to change.
As it turned out, Westerville on a Saturday afternoon was pretty much the city of the dead. They got out of the bus in the centre, and except for a few happy mothers with strollers and little children dancing around their feet, there were no people in sight. Most of the shops were closed and it seemed like even the wind had given up on brushing through the perfectly trimmed trees and bushes on front yards.
However, all the others seemed to know exactly where were they headed and walked on without stopping.
Kurt couldn't quite believe that in the four weeks he's been at Dalton, he'd never even thought of taking the bus and going to see the city. His mind was on other things, of course, but Westerville was a nice change, compared to the familiar, perfect green hedges and intimidating historical buildings of the school.
After just a few minutes of walking, Blaine motioned for them to turn right. The plate with the name said State Street, and it looked a little less dead than the rest of the city - a couple of teenagers were sitting in front of a café and laughing out loud, a cheery old lady sweeping the sidewalk a few feet over and on the other side of the street, a man was perched on a stool, apparently selling sunglasses. In fall.
Kurt took in the atmosphere and smiled. He was definitely a big city person and living in a place like this his whole life would probably make him jump off a bridge, but it still felt a little bit like home, the sleepy coffee shops and empty streets he was used to.
The place they stopped in front of was something between a café and a bar. The banner above the entrance, red letters on yellow background, said Gloria's and while there were no cute, small outside chairs and tables, they were completely made up for inside.
The place really couldn't be described as anything else but a hybrid. It was dim, with low orange lights scattered around without a pattern, and it smelled like baking. In the middle of the room stood an actual bar, full of bottles of whiskey and beer and things Kurt haven't seen in his life; behind it sat a plump older woman with red cheeks, reading a magazine, looking like she was cut right out of a movie.
The rest of the room, instead of dark, private booths and dingy corners, was filled with round, wooden tables covered in white-and-red checkered tablecloths and sturdy chairs with complicated ornaments.
Despite the café absolutely not being his style, Kurt immediately liked it.
"Gloria!" Adrian shouted, crossing the room in a few long strides. The woman behind the bar looked up, curls bouncing around her heart-shaped face, and rewarded the boy with a brilliant smile.
"Addy!" she shouted, immediately scrambling to get out from behind the counter and give Adrian a hug. "How are you, you little skank? Too busy with that crazy school of yours to pay good ol' Gloria a visit?" She spoke with a heavy accent, slurring the ends of her words together just a bit. She pinched Adrian's cheeks, then turned and opened her arms in invitation.
"Sebby, Blaine-bear, Granty, boys! Come in, come in!" her voice echoed around the walls, loud and happy, and Kurt found himslef grinning. Blaine-bear?
Each of the guys received a hearty hug, Adrian smirking into the background, until Gloria reached Kurt. Her smile didn't fade one bit, but a clear question appeared in her eyes. Sebastian stepped up.
"Gloria, this is Kurt, he's a new member of our group. Kurt, this is Gloria - she makes the best coffee and buns."
"Aaw, stop it, you're making me blush!" Gloria waved a hand, like she was trying to swat a fly. "It's incredibly nice to meet you, sweetheart," she turned back to Kurt, "I hope these boys of mine have been treating you right. Come here a bit, into the light, so I can see-oh my, you're way too scrawny to be healthy! Come on, to the bar, now." Kurt followed, bemused and more than a little taken aback. Gloria dissapeared under the counter, rummaging the cupboards, and re-emerged a few seconds later with a triumphant expressions and a plate of cinnamon rolls.
"There you go, sweetie," she winked. "Boys, come over here and have some, too, can't let Kurtsie here get himself a stomachache. By the way, the girls are on a supply run, they'll be back in a few, since I'm sure you're only waiting for them!"
She dissapeared into the shadows and what Kurt thought was a kitchen. Sebastian and Blaine took a seat on either side of him, grabbing a cinnamon roll each and closing their eyes at the first bite.
Curious, Kurt broke off a piece - it was like heaven in his mouth. The dough was light and airy, full of taste and the filling had so many subtle tones of cinnamon and vanilla it was hard to grasp. Sebastian wasn't lying - Gloria really was the best.
After finishing his piece of pastry and 'discreetly' grabbing another, Blaine leaned over to him before Kurt could realized he should pull away.
"Don't worry about the nickname. She gives one to everybody, it's a bad habit of hers." And really, Kurt only just realized what had she called him. Although, Kurtsie didn't seem so bad, compared to-
"Blaine-bear? Seriously?"
Blaine shrugged. "She likes me."
Kurt shook his head, rolling his eyes. "I can't see why."
Surprisingly, he found out he didn't really mean it. He should be hurt and vindictive and snap at Blaine for dragging him into See the Light, for playing some kind of a game, but really, looking at the group of boys sitting behind the bar, joking and eating cinnamon rolls, he couldn't really bring himself to even muster up a mild curse.
Blaine looked hurt, though, and Kurt quickly scanned his mind for something different to talk about.
"Who are 'the girls', anyway? Gloria said something about you only waiting for them…"
Blaine grimaced. "It's just a group of local girls, really, there's nothing so special about them, but they're kind of cool. One of them, Emma, is Gloria's daughter, and the rest are her friends, but this is basically their second home. Sebastian's dating Cathy and Grant was doing pretty good with Jenna last week."
And suddendly, it all clicked into place.
"So I'm here to be made into a straight guy, is that it?" he spat out angrily, pushing the plate with the pastries away.
"Calm down, Kurt, no. They just want to introduce you, because they believe that once you get to know the girls, you'll see the light."
Kurt raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"
"Of-of course I do. That's why I'm in the group in the first place, right? Because I've already seen the right path and all that," Blaine blushed and locked his gaze on the counter and Kurt's suspicion grew another few degrees. There was some sort of a game involved; Blaine definitely didn't sound convinced about what he was saying.
Gloria magically appeared again a few minutes later, carrying a tray of mugs. She set one in front of every one of them, winked at Kurt and turned her back, grabbing the magazine she left lying on one of the shelves.
"Tea?" Kurt's eyebrows flew up to his hairline; he'd have expected something along the lines of hot chocolate.
"Just wait 'till you try it," Blaine smirked and took a sip, smiling wide.
Kurt dubiously eyed his own mug (white with red polka dots), then brought it to his lips.
Blaine was, of course, right - the tea was unlike anything Kurt had ever drank before. He could taste several different kinds of herbs, somehow creating a perfect harmony, and a hint of lemon. When he swallowed, a spicy aftertaste hit his tongue, almost like chilli.
"Wow," he whistled silently under his breath.
"She also makes chocolate tea," Blaine mumbled into his mug,"a family recipe, she won't let anyone have it. This whole place runs on secrets traded ear-to-ear; her grand-grandmother used to have a bakery in Lyon and rumour has it, she was the best."
Kurt didn't even stop to think how could Blaine possibly know that much. From what he'd seen of Gloria so far, it was pretty clear there wasn't much she held back.
They sat in silence for another couple of minutes, sipping and smiling, the turning pages of Gloria's magazine the only sound.
"Hey, Mom, we're back!" an energetic voice suddendly called from the front entrance, followed by a loud crash. Kurt didn't have to be a genius to guess - the girls have arrived.
Sure enough, only seconds later, a tiny brunette his age stumbled in, barely walking under the weight of the four shopping bags she was holding.
"Oh, sweetie!" Gloria cried out and rushed to her help. The bags were overflowing with little jars of spices and dried herbs and baking powder, bags of flour, packets of raisins and dried fruit - everything Gloria could possibly need to continue baking the best pastries in town.
There were four more girls, seemingly trying to push through the doors all at once; they were carrying a bag each, and when they handed them off to Gloria, they just stood for a while, panting and brushing invisible dust off their clothes.
Kurt had to admit - all of them were beautiful.
The one with long, brown hair, big green eyes and high cheekbones was, apparently, Cathy - at least judging by the way she tackled Sebastian the moment she spotted him and proceeded to try and suck his soul out through his mouth.
Jenna had Asian features and long, black hair. Her smile was kind and she looked like a genuinely nice girl - Kurt felt a little sorry for her for being just-turned-straight-Grant's guinea pig.
The remaining three girls were Emma, Gloria's daughter, Alona, a tiny, but very self-sufficient blonde, and Naya, a stunningly beautiful and fiercely independent Latina. They all introduced themsleves in a polite manner, shaking his hand and giving him a fleeting kiss on each cheek.
Kurt could sense they were holding back, though - probably trying not to freak him out. Both Alona and Naya were eyeing him hungrily, their cheeks flushed and eyelashes batting way more frequently than they necessarily needed to.
"So, Kurt, you new at Dalton?" Emma asked meanwhile, hopping up onto the bar, her skirt riding up a little, revealing even more of her legs.
Kurt took a sip of his tea. "Yep, I transferred, a month ago."
Something in Emma's gaze told him she knew the reason without asking - and, frankly, he was grateful.
"How are you liking it so far?" He noticed she had a little of her mother's accent - it made her sound genuine.
"It's…well, it's not bad, but I miss my old scho-my old classmates," he flushed.
Emma nodded understandingly. "So you're probably not from Westerville, huh?"
Kurt had to laugh a little. "No. I'm from Lima, born and raised. This is the first time I've been away for so long. I kind of miss it a bit, even though…"
"Even though you hate it, right?" she smiled and her eyes sparkled.
"Yeah. I miss the little things, you know? My Dad's garage, my car, my stepbrother sneaking into the neigbor's garden and playing basketball, because we don't have a hoop…" Kurt laughed at the memory. Mr.Singer hadn't been very happy when a ball smashed through his window in the middle of the night and almost knocked him out.
"Any…special someone you might miss?" she angled her body more in his direction, obviously interested in whatever he had to say.
Kurt wouldn't normally share something like that with a total stranger in a room full of hetero radicals, but something about her honest, blue eyes made him cave.
"I…have a boyfriend."
There was no outraged reaction; in fact, she barely raised an eyebrow. "And you're here with the See the Light guys?"
"I didn't exactly come voluntarily," he shrugged. Emma's gaze suddendly turned concerned.
"Did you tell your boyfriend about them?"
"What?"
"You have to tell someone. If you don't want to be in the group, you need to talk to someone outside of it, so you'll keep your head on your shoulders."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kurt asked, confused. He'd sort of gotten the impression everyone in the place supported See the Light.
Emma shook her head, sadly. "I don't like what they're doing with themselves, but there's no talking them out of it. I just try to help people like you, before it's too late."
"So you don't want to turn every homosexual on Earth straight?"
"I'm a lesbian, Kurt," she laughed, and Kurt scrambled to pick his jaw off the ground, "that's the exact opposite of what these guys think they are. So no, I definitely don't want to turn people straight, especially when they have boyfriends who could get hurt in the process."
On Kurt's right, Blaine got up from his chair - probably going to the bathroom - and Emma slid down on it, bouncing up and down a bit.
"So tell me, what's he like? Is he super fabulous like you? Sporty? Geek?"
Kurt had to smile at her interest. It was amazing, to be able to talk freely to someone, without the fear of being shot down or made fun of.
"His name is Noah, and, believe it or not, he used to bully me in our freshman year."
"What?" she squeaked.
"Yeah," Kurt laughed, "although, looking back, it was never as bad as it's gotten these past few months…but, anyway. He used to bully me, and then we both joined the glee club."
"So you can sing?"
"Oh yeah. Not much of an addition to The Warblers, though," he grimaced, and she mirrored his expressions. She obviously knew a thing or two about how stuff worked at Dalton.
"So, we joined the glee club-well, he joined it for a girl he loved," Kurt's smile turned sad. He still got tears in his eyes whenever he recalled Noah telling him how he felt during the whole baby drama; how hard it was to be rejected by Quinn, to watch Beth being taken away and be helpless to stop it.
"I'm guessing she didn't love him back?" Emma asked, now completely engrossed in the story.
Kurt shook his head. "She didn't. Not really, anyway. She got drunk with him one night and they had sex - she was my stepbrother's girlfriend back then."
Emma gasped. "Don't tell me she-"
"Got pregnant, yeah. Talking about it like this, Noah kind of sounds like a jerk, doesn't he?" he chuckled.
"He isn't, or you wouldn't be with him," Emma raised her eyebrows expectantly, urging him to go on.
"Well, Noah tried to get himself in check - he was kind of lost in that time, sleeping around with anything that moved and just generally being a bad influence, but he tired, because he wanted to raise his daughter. His father had abandoned him and his Mom and sister when Noah was five and he didn't want to turn out the same, you know? That was probably his biggest fear."
Emma nodded empathically, her eyes wide. "He took some money out of what we raised for a specially equipped bus for sectionals - one of the guys, Artie, is in a wheelchair. We sold cupcakes that he made himself and put pot in them," and really, he couldn't blame Emma for bursting out laughing, "and he only took what he could without being an ass to everyone else, which was eighteen dollars. But-he made an effort in his own way, you know? The girl - Quinn, by the way - was kind of on and off with my stepbrother - Finn, by the way - and she 'chose' him to have the baby with, because Noah, apparently, was a Lima loser."
"That's not very nice."
"Tell me about it. She basically blamed it all on him - like he forced the wine coolers down her throat," Kurt frowned. He'd almost forgotten how angry he'd been at Quinn after hearing Noah's side of the story.
"And, well, she wanted to have the baby with Finn and Noah loved her, so he did his best to deal with it. And then, Beth was born, the night we were competing at Regionals. We all went to the hospital, it was crazy."
"What happened to her? Beth, I mean?"
"Quinn didn't want her and there was no way Noah could keep her by himself. She was adopted, but her new Mom kept the name Noah chose," Kurt's smile rose, then fell. "We weren't even close back then, and I could see how much it affected him. He loved his little baby girl, still does, and back then, he was devastated. He didn't let anyone see that, because…well, because. That's what he always does. I'm pretty sure he thought nobody would care and, as much as it makes me want to cry, I think he would've been right. Most of our friends took Quinn's side. Me too."
Emma's expression was unreadable; Kurt could almost see the wheels rolling in her mind.
"So…what changed? Seems to me like you weren't even friends, just on this 'neutral ground'."
"We were. And then we came back to school for this year and he was the same as before he joined glee - a criminal and a bully. He drove his mother's car into an ATM."
Emma whistled silently.
"Yeah. He went to juvie, and after he got out, my bullying problem was already…well, a problem. And it somehow became an unspoken rule of the glee club guys - protect Kurt from Karofsky - that was the guy who'd been the worst."
"So did he beat him up for you and you fell to your knees in gratitude and…you know?" she wiggled her eyebrows.
Kurt choked on his tea. "No! Well, I mean…he couldn't, he'd get sent back to juvie, and he might've told everyone he was the biggest badass in there, but he came back terrified. The other guys on the football team did beat Karofsky up, though - well, except for Finn, because most of the time, he's kind of adorable and kind of an idiot - one of them ended up with an impressive black eye."
"That all happened this year?!"
"It did. And then one time, he'd seen me covering up a bruise in the restrooms, and he actually apologized for what he used to do. And for not being able to protect me, because, I quote, 'I'm his boy'."
"Aaw, that is so sweet!" she gushed. "In a…you know, guy kinda way."
"So we became actual friends - the kind that hangs out with each other and greets each other in the hallways. And then - this is the part where we get toghther - we went to Sectionals. We rented a bus, it was a two-hour trip there and another two hours back, and everyone was just really nervous and fidgety, you know? Those were the last hours before we were supposed to put everything out there and win."
"Show choir drama," Emma's eyes went wide again. "But do go on."
"Well, he just kind of sat next to me out of the blue. Asked 'Hey, Hummel, do you think Schue would let me play this song next week at practice?', pushed and earbud into my ear and it was Stairway to Heaven… and I just knew I was totally head over heels."
"Who's Schue?"
"Our teacher, but you're kind of missing the important part."
"Yes, yes, you were in love with him. Geez, what a surprise," she rolled her eyes goodnaturedly and reached over the counter for a can of cocktail cherries. When Kurt blinked, she popped one into her mouth and waved her hand for him to go on.
"Yeah, well, and then it gets pretty blurry…we tied with The Warblers, but we were still going on to Regionals, we were celebrating, went outside to the bus…and we ended up kissing behind it. Been together since then. End of story."
Emma pouted. "That's not everything! How was the kiss?"
Kurt couldn't help the blush - felt it crawling down his chest, and he let out a nervous laugh. "Well, it was my first real one, and it was…amazing. He held my head in his hands, didn't immediately slobber all over me, it was just…you know?"
"Oh wow, man, you're a goner," she giggled a little drunkenly. Kurt had the mind to start discreetly studying the label on the cocktail cherry can.
"I know." And, surprisingly, he really did. He loved Noah, and that was it. No more seeing the light bullshit.
After a while, Gloria emerged out of the kitchen with a monstrous plate of double chocolate chip cookies. They were still hot from the oven and, nevermind the fat and calories, Kurt reached for one (or two), smiling at Emma with his mouth full.
The day went on, and, slowly but surely, turned into an evening. They were served an amazing dinner of nothing but fried chicken and rice, but Kurt was sure it was one of the best meals he'd ever had. He talked to Emma, they laughed and (almost, dammit, almost!) cried while reminiscing about The Notebook. Alona and Naya have cooled down a little and came around, too - Kurt had to give Blaine another point. For girls, they were unsually cool, even when around each other, no competitive glances, pulling hair or scratching each other's eyes out.
Around seven, Cathy and Sebastian made an attempt to discreetly dissapear while crashing into two barstools and falling on the steps. Adrian came over, leaned towards Kurt conspirationally and whispered "If we want to catch the last bus, we have to leave at ten. Until then, have fun," and winked. After that, he dissapeared somewhere in the dark corners of the room.
After a roud of hot chocolate and a very pleasant conversation about the pros and cons of fur, Emma stood up and brushed off her skirt.
"It's been a great time, ladies and Kurt, but I'm working tomorrow, and if I want to avoid a lecture, I should probably go to bed. I'll call you two," she pointed at Naya, then at Alona, "and Kurt, I'm sure I'll see you around," she kissed him on the cheek, waved and left.
An uncomfortable silence setted over the table. Only now, Kurt started to realize how hot it actually was in the room, and tugged nervously at the collar of his t-shirt. He glanced from Naya to Alona and back, his throat dry, but when he reached for his mug to take a sip, he found it empty. Both girls immediately noticed. They jumped to their feet, blurting "I'll get you something" out at he same time, and took off towards the bar.
Kurt gave himself a minute to look around. Sebastian and Cathy were nowhere in sight, no doubt getting acquainted with one of the stalls in the girl's bathroom; Grant and Jenna looked like they were well on their way in the same direction, if Jenna's excessive blinking and hair finger-twirling was any indication.
Adrian was also gone, but it didn't look like anyone missed him - the rest of the guys sat around, talking and drinking whatever Gloria whipped up for them, and Blaine…
Well, Blaine was sitting at the bar, alone, munching on peanuts and playing with his phone. He looked defeated; sad.
Standing up, Kurt checked for his cell and wallet in his pockets, then made his way across the room and sat next to the lonely Warbler.
"Are you lonesome tonight?" he asked, forcing his voice to go deep, and saw Blaine jerk his head up, startled, before he started laughing.
"I'm doing just fine, thank you, kind sir," he replied.
"Why aren't you talking to the other guys?"
"Well..I don't know if you've noticed, but they don't exactly accept me as a part of the group."
Kurt raised his eyebrows. He'd noticed, alright. "Any particular reason for that?"
Blaine dodged his glance. "Look, Kurt-" he began, but was interrupted by Naya, throwing both her arms around Kurt's shoulders and letting out a squeak. Alona stood a few steps behind her, barely balancing three tall glasses of something very, very colorful.
"We made cocktails!" she chirped and held them up - as if he needed a pointer.
Kurt looked over to Blaine. In all honesty, he didn't want to sit with the girls; with no Emma to keep them in check, they acted drunk without a drop of alcohol in them and Kurt didn't particularily like drunk people.
"Blaine, I-"
"Don't worry about it," the other boy waved a dismissive hand and went back to his rapidly emptying bowl of peanuts without a second glance, completely missing Kurt's pleading stare.
"Come on!" Naya pulled at his hand happily and led him back to the table.
Alona was already there, having set out the disturbing-looking cocktails; Kurt noticed they also had straws with flowers printed on them.
"Don't worry, they're great," Naya winked at him when she sat down, "Gloria doesn't really like mixing drinks, says it isn't her style, but Trevor had a bartender course and showed us how to make them."
"Who's Trevor?" Kurt asked.
"Oh, he's Emma's brother. He used to go to Dalton, but nobody knows where he is now…anyway, have a taste!" she thrust the glass under his nose and all his senses were suddendly attacked by a delicious, fruity smell.
"What's in them?"
"Oh, you know - juice, ice, some syrups, totally innocent."
Kurt eyed it with suspicion, then looked back at the girls. They were already sipping, smiling at him and it seemed like they were having a hard time not making any pleased sounds.
What the hell, he thought. Thanks to Emma, he'd finally gotten all the things in his head sorted out, and it wasn't like there was alcohol in the drinks - he guessed the girls were around his age and even if they had access to behind the bar, he was sure Gloria was around somewhere to keep an eye on them.
He took an experimental sip - it was amazing. Way too many tastes for him to focus on all at once, sweet, sour, a little bitter, and he latched onto the straw like it was a lifeline, completely missing the satisfied smiles Naya and Alona sent each other.
Their first drink was finished within minutes, and, somehow, the girls just kept them coming. Kurt didn't complain; he was starting to have a good time again, not feeling the suffocating heat of the inside and actually finding things him, Naya and Alona could talk about.
When he got up to walk to the bathroom, he swiveled a little. A glance at his watch revealed it was half past eight already; no wonder his muscles were a little weakened after he sat around all afternoon. His vision was a little blurry when he reached the bathroom door and stumbled in, the bright lights overwhelming him for a minute.
Kurt walked over to the sink and eyed himself in the mirror; considering the clothes he was wearing, he looked great. His hair, thank God, was still laying in neat strands on his head, and even though his eyes burned a little, they didn't look red or swollen. He splashed some water over his face, grimaced and, finally on steadier feet, walked back to the table.
To his surprise, he only found Alona sitting there, the other girl nowhere in sight.
"Where's Naya?" he asked, and vaguely noticed he's slurring just a bit. Alona shrugged.
"Her Mom called and she had to get going, but she sends her warmest regards," she smiled. "Come sit, you look a little unsteady, there."
Kurt did. For a while, he pretended not to notice Alona's arm, sneaking over the back of his chair - he just sipped on his drink and hoped she'd stop there.
She didn't. When he finished the cocktail, she got him another - seventh or eighth, he kind of lost cout - and resumed her position. They talked about random things, what was it like to live in Westerville, how was Dalton, why did it rain the day before. After a couple of minutes, with the fruity taste still on Kurt's tongue, she started playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck. Her fingers twisted and twirled in a lazy, content dance and her nails scraped over his skin from time to time.
Goosebumps broke out on Kurt's arms. He could sense where Alona was going, and while he didn't like it, the tiny caresses on his neck felt good - really, really good, in fact. Her hands were smooth and soft and they smelled like lavender; nothing like Noah's guitar-roughened fingertips.
"Alona, I-" he started to say, the memory of Noah making him hold on to the last of his common sense; realizing too late that yes, the bitter taste hidden underneath the fruity flavours was alcohol.
He never got to finish his sentece, though - Alona leaned over with a movement that seemed entirely too fast to be human, and kissed him.
It wasn't like Kurt had thought a girl would kiss. In his first experience with Brittany, he was the one setting the pace and she just went along with it. This kiss, though - it took things to a whole new level. It was hungry, passionate, a literal assault on his mouth. He parted his lips when she licked them, letting her wedge into his mouth and explore, feeling her saliva mixing with his; it was dirty.
"Come on, don't be shy," she let go of his face and grabbed him by the hand, put it on her waist while she climbed over to sit on his lap. It was only now that he realized he was practically just sitting there like a rag doll. He brought his other hand up, pulled her closer, and, not thinking, returned the kiss with as much passion as he could muster. Kurt felt her smile, before she dove in again.
Her hands were roaming all over his body; nails scraping his neck, gentle fingers ghosting over the skin of his abdomen when she rode up his t-shirt. She dipped a hand underneath the waistband of his jeans, and instead of the familiar feeling of wrongwrongwrongnonono Kurt expected to get, it only made him moan quietly in pleasure. He barely recognized his own body.
When he felt his own hand move, it took him a moment to figure out it wasn't him moving it. Alona grabbed him by the wrist, smoothed his palm out over one of her breasts; now, that was an unfamiliar feeling if Kurt ever had one. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn' t bad either - and, apparently, when he squeezed, Alona liked it. A lot, if the sudden huff of air she let out into his mouth was anything to go by.
"What do you say we take this to the bathroom?" she asked, her face flushed and eyes on fire. She traced the knobs of his spine with her fingers, sending a barely familiar jolt of pleasure right into his groin.
Breathless, he nodded.
The next thing he knew, he was slammed into a locked stall door, Alona's mouth sucking on his tongue, then his neck, licking over the bruise he was sure he'd have there tomorrow. She grabbed his hands, rough and impatient, whimpering, and let them slide underneath her skirt. Kurt could feel himself harden in his jeans; the confusion over his body's reaction barely registering in his hazy brain.
"Go on, pull them down," she moaned when one of his thumbs caught on her panties. Kurt did as she said. She tightened her hold on his hips and slammed him against the other wall, fumbling for something in her backpocket with one hand; the other unbuttoned his pants, shoved them down unceremoniously and tugged at his underwear. Somehow, without him even noticing, she pulled down his boxers and closed her hand over his cock like a vice, nails scratching and her smooth palms creating friction.
It was further than he'd ever gone before, but his mind wasn't really working - all he could focus on was the girl pressed up against him, moaning her need, kissing him again, wet and sloppy.
She raised her other hand victoriously, holding a condom; it was probably the moment Kurt should realize he was really doing this, but he was too far gone, his vision swimming, blood pumping in his ears and Alona's hand jacking him off slowly.
She tore the wrapper with her teeth, fumbling, and finally rolled the condom down his cock. She shimmied out of her skirt, kicking it away and probably a bit too far, but it didn't matter, because the next thing Kurt knew, she was turning them around and spreading her legs, her back flat with the wall, letting him take control.
It wasn't a question of anything but instinct. He was incredibly hard, had a more than willing girl in front of him and, right now, seemingly no trouble in the whole world.
He fucker her, fast and erratic, not really recognizing himself. He was shaking, bracing his hands on both sides of Alona's head, thrusting his tongue in and out of her mouth like his life depended on it. He could feel wrap her legs around his hips, moaned at the new angle, felt a trial of saliva making it's way down his chin. He didn't care.
Locked in a bathroom stall, seventeen, drunk, supposedly gay and having sex with a girl, no part of him stopped to think about the promise he'd made to himself.
Noah's touch used to not only make him shiver, like Alona's - it sent electric shocks down his spine. Noah's kisses weren't only pleasant, lazy desire and a fire burning deep in Kurt's stomach - they were safety, love and home.
And Kurt forgot, lost himself in someone else. He forgot, no matter how many times he'd promised.
His whole body was buzzing pleasantly and somehow, like a part of his brain had been turned off, he couldn't find anything wrong with what he was doing.
After they both came, barely standing up and shivering, they looked into each other's eyes, maybe for the first time properly that evening. Now that the heat of arousal was gone, the tiled floor was almost radiating cold and there was a breeze seeping in and out through the cracks in the door.
They let go of each other, tugging on their clothes and bumping into each other awkwardly, Kurt tying off the condom quickly and tossing it into the bin; like what he'd done was the lowest he could go. If he was thinking clearly, he'd probably realize it was.
With their clothes on, they unlocked the door and stumbled out, not looking at each other. They walked over to the sinks and splashed some water over their faces - Kurt barely recognized himself in the mirror. His cheeks were bright red, hair sticking up all over the place, and something wild he'd never seen before alight in his eyes. He glanced over at Alona, who looked just as ruffled as he did, her blue orbs full to the brim with the same kind of fire.
They ended up fucking again, this time in a stall closer to the door and further from the tiny window blowing cold air in.
When Kurt sat in the bus half an hour later, Sebastian and Marcus smirking knowingly, Blaine looking at him kind of sad, he could still feel the alcohol in his veins and decided it was the best feeling ever.
Chapter Four|Chapter Six
Title: Think of It as Personality Dialysis 5/11
Author: hattalove
Beta: Nope. Still.
Fandom: Glee
Character(s)/Pairing(s): the Dalton guys, OFCs; Kurt/OFC
Warnings: Unbetaed. Het ahead. Some tiny, unpopular (Kurt's) opinions about Quinn, just so you're aware.
Rating: R
Spoilers: Up to season two - Dalton an'all.
Word count: 6,199/50,588
Summary: Kurt seemed happy at Dalton, but when he comes home after two months straight of living at the boarding school, he's not the same boy. Burt and Finn are the first to notice when Kurt sits down to watch a football game with them, and knows the stats better than either of them. The girls notice when Kurt doesn't want to shop or sleepover with them anymore. Puck notices when Kurt tells him that Dalton's made him see the light and the relationship they'd hidden for so long, it was wrong. And now Kurt wants to help Puck see the light.
Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, it would already be a big gay fairytale. Nothing's mine. I'm just playing.
a spoilery A/N: You should've seen me writing the Kurt/Alona scene. I was sitting at the desk, sipping on my tea and cackling like a witch. I even wrought my hands together.
I am a horrible, horrible human being.
I also admit to doing almost no research on Westerville, sorry. State Street exists, though; I'm pretty sure Gloria's is made up.
Chapter Five
On Saturday, Kurt was woken up by someone banging on his door like the school was on fire. One look at the clock told him it was actually half past one in the afternoon. Maybe someone was worried.
Except, when he turned the doorknob, the door revealed a very happy-looking Adrian with Sebastian, Blaine and a few others from the group by his side. By the looks on their faces, they weren't there to ask why he hasn't attended the meeting yesterday (the reason was simple - he didn't want to and he was too much of a coward to say it into their faces).
"Um, guys? What-"
"We're going to town!" Sebastian interrupted him excitedly, bursting into the room and opening the closet before Kurt could even blink.
"Oh come on, don't stare like that," Adrian reprimanded, also walking in and motioning the others over, "we're going to introduce you to some of our best lady friends, it's going to be fun."
The feeble objection of 'I don't want to' died on his tongue when Sebastian pulled his baggiest jeans and a pyjamas t-shirt out of the closet and sent him into the bathroom to change.
As it turned out, Westerville on a Saturday afternoon was pretty much the city of the dead. They got out of the bus in the centre, and except for a few happy mothers with strollers and little children dancing around their feet, there were no people in sight. Most of the shops were closed and it seemed like even the wind had given up on brushing through the perfectly trimmed trees and bushes on front yards.
However, all the others seemed to know exactly where were they headed and walked on without stopping.
Kurt couldn't quite believe that in the four weeks he's been at Dalton, he'd never even thought of taking the bus and going to see the city. His mind was on other things, of course, but Westerville was a nice change, compared to the familiar, perfect green hedges and intimidating historical buildings of the school.
After just a few minutes of walking, Blaine motioned for them to turn right. The plate with the name said State Street, and it looked a little less dead than the rest of the city - a couple of teenagers were sitting in front of a café and laughing out loud, a cheery old lady sweeping the sidewalk a few feet over and on the other side of the street, a man was perched on a stool, apparently selling sunglasses. In fall.
Kurt took in the atmosphere and smiled. He was definitely a big city person and living in a place like this his whole life would probably make him jump off a bridge, but it still felt a little bit like home, the sleepy coffee shops and empty streets he was used to.
The place they stopped in front of was something between a café and a bar. The banner above the entrance, red letters on yellow background, said Gloria's and while there were no cute, small outside chairs and tables, they were completely made up for inside.
The place really couldn't be described as anything else but a hybrid. It was dim, with low orange lights scattered around without a pattern, and it smelled like baking. In the middle of the room stood an actual bar, full of bottles of whiskey and beer and things Kurt haven't seen in his life; behind it sat a plump older woman with red cheeks, reading a magazine, looking like she was cut right out of a movie.
The rest of the room, instead of dark, private booths and dingy corners, was filled with round, wooden tables covered in white-and-red checkered tablecloths and sturdy chairs with complicated ornaments.
Despite the café absolutely not being his style, Kurt immediately liked it.
"Gloria!" Adrian shouted, crossing the room in a few long strides. The woman behind the bar looked up, curls bouncing around her heart-shaped face, and rewarded the boy with a brilliant smile.
"Addy!" she shouted, immediately scrambling to get out from behind the counter and give Adrian a hug. "How are you, you little skank? Too busy with that crazy school of yours to pay good ol' Gloria a visit?" She spoke with a heavy accent, slurring the ends of her words together just a bit. She pinched Adrian's cheeks, then turned and opened her arms in invitation.
"Sebby, Blaine-bear, Granty, boys! Come in, come in!" her voice echoed around the walls, loud and happy, and Kurt found himslef grinning. Blaine-bear?
Each of the guys received a hearty hug, Adrian smirking into the background, until Gloria reached Kurt. Her smile didn't fade one bit, but a clear question appeared in her eyes. Sebastian stepped up.
"Gloria, this is Kurt, he's a new member of our group. Kurt, this is Gloria - she makes the best coffee and buns."
"Aaw, stop it, you're making me blush!" Gloria waved a hand, like she was trying to swat a fly. "It's incredibly nice to meet you, sweetheart," she turned back to Kurt, "I hope these boys of mine have been treating you right. Come here a bit, into the light, so I can see-oh my, you're way too scrawny to be healthy! Come on, to the bar, now." Kurt followed, bemused and more than a little taken aback. Gloria dissapeared under the counter, rummaging the cupboards, and re-emerged a few seconds later with a triumphant expressions and a plate of cinnamon rolls.
"There you go, sweetie," she winked. "Boys, come over here and have some, too, can't let Kurtsie here get himself a stomachache. By the way, the girls are on a supply run, they'll be back in a few, since I'm sure you're only waiting for them!"
She dissapeared into the shadows and what Kurt thought was a kitchen. Sebastian and Blaine took a seat on either side of him, grabbing a cinnamon roll each and closing their eyes at the first bite.
Curious, Kurt broke off a piece - it was like heaven in his mouth. The dough was light and airy, full of taste and the filling had so many subtle tones of cinnamon and vanilla it was hard to grasp. Sebastian wasn't lying - Gloria really was the best.
After finishing his piece of pastry and 'discreetly' grabbing another, Blaine leaned over to him before Kurt could realized he should pull away.
"Don't worry about the nickname. She gives one to everybody, it's a bad habit of hers." And really, Kurt only just realized what had she called him. Although, Kurtsie didn't seem so bad, compared to-
"Blaine-bear? Seriously?"
Blaine shrugged. "She likes me."
Kurt shook his head, rolling his eyes. "I can't see why."
Surprisingly, he found out he didn't really mean it. He should be hurt and vindictive and snap at Blaine for dragging him into See the Light, for playing some kind of a game, but really, looking at the group of boys sitting behind the bar, joking and eating cinnamon rolls, he couldn't really bring himself to even muster up a mild curse.
Blaine looked hurt, though, and Kurt quickly scanned his mind for something different to talk about.
"Who are 'the girls', anyway? Gloria said something about you only waiting for them…"
Blaine grimaced. "It's just a group of local girls, really, there's nothing so special about them, but they're kind of cool. One of them, Emma, is Gloria's daughter, and the rest are her friends, but this is basically their second home. Sebastian's dating Cathy and Grant was doing pretty good with Jenna last week."
And suddendly, it all clicked into place.
"So I'm here to be made into a straight guy, is that it?" he spat out angrily, pushing the plate with the pastries away.
"Calm down, Kurt, no. They just want to introduce you, because they believe that once you get to know the girls, you'll see the light."
Kurt raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"
"Of-of course I do. That's why I'm in the group in the first place, right? Because I've already seen the right path and all that," Blaine blushed and locked his gaze on the counter and Kurt's suspicion grew another few degrees. There was some sort of a game involved; Blaine definitely didn't sound convinced about what he was saying.
Gloria magically appeared again a few minutes later, carrying a tray of mugs. She set one in front of every one of them, winked at Kurt and turned her back, grabbing the magazine she left lying on one of the shelves.
"Tea?" Kurt's eyebrows flew up to his hairline; he'd have expected something along the lines of hot chocolate.
"Just wait 'till you try it," Blaine smirked and took a sip, smiling wide.
Kurt dubiously eyed his own mug (white with red polka dots), then brought it to his lips.
Blaine was, of course, right - the tea was unlike anything Kurt had ever drank before. He could taste several different kinds of herbs, somehow creating a perfect harmony, and a hint of lemon. When he swallowed, a spicy aftertaste hit his tongue, almost like chilli.
"Wow," he whistled silently under his breath.
"She also makes chocolate tea," Blaine mumbled into his mug,"a family recipe, she won't let anyone have it. This whole place runs on secrets traded ear-to-ear; her grand-grandmother used to have a bakery in Lyon and rumour has it, she was the best."
Kurt didn't even stop to think how could Blaine possibly know that much. From what he'd seen of Gloria so far, it was pretty clear there wasn't much she held back.
They sat in silence for another couple of minutes, sipping and smiling, the turning pages of Gloria's magazine the only sound.
"Hey, Mom, we're back!" an energetic voice suddendly called from the front entrance, followed by a loud crash. Kurt didn't have to be a genius to guess - the girls have arrived.
Sure enough, only seconds later, a tiny brunette his age stumbled in, barely walking under the weight of the four shopping bags she was holding.
"Oh, sweetie!" Gloria cried out and rushed to her help. The bags were overflowing with little jars of spices and dried herbs and baking powder, bags of flour, packets of raisins and dried fruit - everything Gloria could possibly need to continue baking the best pastries in town.
There were four more girls, seemingly trying to push through the doors all at once; they were carrying a bag each, and when they handed them off to Gloria, they just stood for a while, panting and brushing invisible dust off their clothes.
Kurt had to admit - all of them were beautiful.
The one with long, brown hair, big green eyes and high cheekbones was, apparently, Cathy - at least judging by the way she tackled Sebastian the moment she spotted him and proceeded to try and suck his soul out through his mouth.
Jenna had Asian features and long, black hair. Her smile was kind and she looked like a genuinely nice girl - Kurt felt a little sorry for her for being just-turned-straight-Grant's guinea pig.
The remaining three girls were Emma, Gloria's daughter, Alona, a tiny, but very self-sufficient blonde, and Naya, a stunningly beautiful and fiercely independent Latina. They all introduced themsleves in a polite manner, shaking his hand and giving him a fleeting kiss on each cheek.
Kurt could sense they were holding back, though - probably trying not to freak him out. Both Alona and Naya were eyeing him hungrily, their cheeks flushed and eyelashes batting way more frequently than they necessarily needed to.
"So, Kurt, you new at Dalton?" Emma asked meanwhile, hopping up onto the bar, her skirt riding up a little, revealing even more of her legs.
Kurt took a sip of his tea. "Yep, I transferred, a month ago."
Something in Emma's gaze told him she knew the reason without asking - and, frankly, he was grateful.
"How are you liking it so far?" He noticed she had a little of her mother's accent - it made her sound genuine.
"It's…well, it's not bad, but I miss my old scho-my old classmates," he flushed.
Emma nodded understandingly. "So you're probably not from Westerville, huh?"
Kurt had to laugh a little. "No. I'm from Lima, born and raised. This is the first time I've been away for so long. I kind of miss it a bit, even though…"
"Even though you hate it, right?" she smiled and her eyes sparkled.
"Yeah. I miss the little things, you know? My Dad's garage, my car, my stepbrother sneaking into the neigbor's garden and playing basketball, because we don't have a hoop…" Kurt laughed at the memory. Mr.Singer hadn't been very happy when a ball smashed through his window in the middle of the night and almost knocked him out.
"Any…special someone you might miss?" she angled her body more in his direction, obviously interested in whatever he had to say.
Kurt wouldn't normally share something like that with a total stranger in a room full of hetero radicals, but something about her honest, blue eyes made him cave.
"I…have a boyfriend."
There was no outraged reaction; in fact, she barely raised an eyebrow. "And you're here with the See the Light guys?"
"I didn't exactly come voluntarily," he shrugged. Emma's gaze suddendly turned concerned.
"Did you tell your boyfriend about them?"
"What?"
"You have to tell someone. If you don't want to be in the group, you need to talk to someone outside of it, so you'll keep your head on your shoulders."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kurt asked, confused. He'd sort of gotten the impression everyone in the place supported See the Light.
Emma shook her head, sadly. "I don't like what they're doing with themselves, but there's no talking them out of it. I just try to help people like you, before it's too late."
"So you don't want to turn every homosexual on Earth straight?"
"I'm a lesbian, Kurt," she laughed, and Kurt scrambled to pick his jaw off the ground, "that's the exact opposite of what these guys think they are. So no, I definitely don't want to turn people straight, especially when they have boyfriends who could get hurt in the process."
On Kurt's right, Blaine got up from his chair - probably going to the bathroom - and Emma slid down on it, bouncing up and down a bit.
"So tell me, what's he like? Is he super fabulous like you? Sporty? Geek?"
Kurt had to smile at her interest. It was amazing, to be able to talk freely to someone, without the fear of being shot down or made fun of.
"His name is Noah, and, believe it or not, he used to bully me in our freshman year."
"What?" she squeaked.
"Yeah," Kurt laughed, "although, looking back, it was never as bad as it's gotten these past few months…but, anyway. He used to bully me, and then we both joined the glee club."
"So you can sing?"
"Oh yeah. Not much of an addition to The Warblers, though," he grimaced, and she mirrored his expressions. She obviously knew a thing or two about how stuff worked at Dalton.
"So, we joined the glee club-well, he joined it for a girl he loved," Kurt's smile turned sad. He still got tears in his eyes whenever he recalled Noah telling him how he felt during the whole baby drama; how hard it was to be rejected by Quinn, to watch Beth being taken away and be helpless to stop it.
"I'm guessing she didn't love him back?" Emma asked, now completely engrossed in the story.
Kurt shook his head. "She didn't. Not really, anyway. She got drunk with him one night and they had sex - she was my stepbrother's girlfriend back then."
Emma gasped. "Don't tell me she-"
"Got pregnant, yeah. Talking about it like this, Noah kind of sounds like a jerk, doesn't he?" he chuckled.
"He isn't, or you wouldn't be with him," Emma raised her eyebrows expectantly, urging him to go on.
"Well, Noah tried to get himself in check - he was kind of lost in that time, sleeping around with anything that moved and just generally being a bad influence, but he tired, because he wanted to raise his daughter. His father had abandoned him and his Mom and sister when Noah was five and he didn't want to turn out the same, you know? That was probably his biggest fear."
Emma nodded empathically, her eyes wide. "He took some money out of what we raised for a specially equipped bus for sectionals - one of the guys, Artie, is in a wheelchair. We sold cupcakes that he made himself and put pot in them," and really, he couldn't blame Emma for bursting out laughing, "and he only took what he could without being an ass to everyone else, which was eighteen dollars. But-he made an effort in his own way, you know? The girl - Quinn, by the way - was kind of on and off with my stepbrother - Finn, by the way - and she 'chose' him to have the baby with, because Noah, apparently, was a Lima loser."
"That's not very nice."
"Tell me about it. She basically blamed it all on him - like he forced the wine coolers down her throat," Kurt frowned. He'd almost forgotten how angry he'd been at Quinn after hearing Noah's side of the story.
"And, well, she wanted to have the baby with Finn and Noah loved her, so he did his best to deal with it. And then, Beth was born, the night we were competing at Regionals. We all went to the hospital, it was crazy."
"What happened to her? Beth, I mean?"
"Quinn didn't want her and there was no way Noah could keep her by himself. She was adopted, but her new Mom kept the name Noah chose," Kurt's smile rose, then fell. "We weren't even close back then, and I could see how much it affected him. He loved his little baby girl, still does, and back then, he was devastated. He didn't let anyone see that, because…well, because. That's what he always does. I'm pretty sure he thought nobody would care and, as much as it makes me want to cry, I think he would've been right. Most of our friends took Quinn's side. Me too."
Emma's expression was unreadable; Kurt could almost see the wheels rolling in her mind.
"So…what changed? Seems to me like you weren't even friends, just on this 'neutral ground'."
"We were. And then we came back to school for this year and he was the same as before he joined glee - a criminal and a bully. He drove his mother's car into an ATM."
Emma whistled silently.
"Yeah. He went to juvie, and after he got out, my bullying problem was already…well, a problem. And it somehow became an unspoken rule of the glee club guys - protect Kurt from Karofsky - that was the guy who'd been the worst."
"So did he beat him up for you and you fell to your knees in gratitude and…you know?" she wiggled her eyebrows.
Kurt choked on his tea. "No! Well, I mean…he couldn't, he'd get sent back to juvie, and he might've told everyone he was the biggest badass in there, but he came back terrified. The other guys on the football team did beat Karofsky up, though - well, except for Finn, because most of the time, he's kind of adorable and kind of an idiot - one of them ended up with an impressive black eye."
"That all happened this year?!"
"It did. And then one time, he'd seen me covering up a bruise in the restrooms, and he actually apologized for what he used to do. And for not being able to protect me, because, I quote, 'I'm his boy'."
"Aaw, that is so sweet!" she gushed. "In a…you know, guy kinda way."
"So we became actual friends - the kind that hangs out with each other and greets each other in the hallways. And then - this is the part where we get toghther - we went to Sectionals. We rented a bus, it was a two-hour trip there and another two hours back, and everyone was just really nervous and fidgety, you know? Those were the last hours before we were supposed to put everything out there and win."
"Show choir drama," Emma's eyes went wide again. "But do go on."
"Well, he just kind of sat next to me out of the blue. Asked 'Hey, Hummel, do you think Schue would let me play this song next week at practice?', pushed and earbud into my ear and it was Stairway to Heaven… and I just knew I was totally head over heels."
"Who's Schue?"
"Our teacher, but you're kind of missing the important part."
"Yes, yes, you were in love with him. Geez, what a surprise," she rolled her eyes goodnaturedly and reached over the counter for a can of cocktail cherries. When Kurt blinked, she popped one into her mouth and waved her hand for him to go on.
"Yeah, well, and then it gets pretty blurry…we tied with The Warblers, but we were still going on to Regionals, we were celebrating, went outside to the bus…and we ended up kissing behind it. Been together since then. End of story."
Emma pouted. "That's not everything! How was the kiss?"
Kurt couldn't help the blush - felt it crawling down his chest, and he let out a nervous laugh. "Well, it was my first real one, and it was…amazing. He held my head in his hands, didn't immediately slobber all over me, it was just…you know?"
"Oh wow, man, you're a goner," she giggled a little drunkenly. Kurt had the mind to start discreetly studying the label on the cocktail cherry can.
"I know." And, surprisingly, he really did. He loved Noah, and that was it. No more seeing the light bullshit.
After a while, Gloria emerged out of the kitchen with a monstrous plate of double chocolate chip cookies. They were still hot from the oven and, nevermind the fat and calories, Kurt reached for one (or two), smiling at Emma with his mouth full.
The day went on, and, slowly but surely, turned into an evening. They were served an amazing dinner of nothing but fried chicken and rice, but Kurt was sure it was one of the best meals he'd ever had. He talked to Emma, they laughed and (almost, dammit, almost!) cried while reminiscing about The Notebook. Alona and Naya have cooled down a little and came around, too - Kurt had to give Blaine another point. For girls, they were unsually cool, even when around each other, no competitive glances, pulling hair or scratching each other's eyes out.
Around seven, Cathy and Sebastian made an attempt to discreetly dissapear while crashing into two barstools and falling on the steps. Adrian came over, leaned towards Kurt conspirationally and whispered "If we want to catch the last bus, we have to leave at ten. Until then, have fun," and winked. After that, he dissapeared somewhere in the dark corners of the room.
After a roud of hot chocolate and a very pleasant conversation about the pros and cons of fur, Emma stood up and brushed off her skirt.
"It's been a great time, ladies and Kurt, but I'm working tomorrow, and if I want to avoid a lecture, I should probably go to bed. I'll call you two," she pointed at Naya, then at Alona, "and Kurt, I'm sure I'll see you around," she kissed him on the cheek, waved and left.
An uncomfortable silence setted over the table. Only now, Kurt started to realize how hot it actually was in the room, and tugged nervously at the collar of his t-shirt. He glanced from Naya to Alona and back, his throat dry, but when he reached for his mug to take a sip, he found it empty. Both girls immediately noticed. They jumped to their feet, blurting "I'll get you something" out at he same time, and took off towards the bar.
Kurt gave himself a minute to look around. Sebastian and Cathy were nowhere in sight, no doubt getting acquainted with one of the stalls in the girl's bathroom; Grant and Jenna looked like they were well on their way in the same direction, if Jenna's excessive blinking and hair finger-twirling was any indication.
Adrian was also gone, but it didn't look like anyone missed him - the rest of the guys sat around, talking and drinking whatever Gloria whipped up for them, and Blaine…
Well, Blaine was sitting at the bar, alone, munching on peanuts and playing with his phone. He looked defeated; sad.
Standing up, Kurt checked for his cell and wallet in his pockets, then made his way across the room and sat next to the lonely Warbler.
"Are you lonesome tonight?" he asked, forcing his voice to go deep, and saw Blaine jerk his head up, startled, before he started laughing.
"I'm doing just fine, thank you, kind sir," he replied.
"Why aren't you talking to the other guys?"
"Well..I don't know if you've noticed, but they don't exactly accept me as a part of the group."
Kurt raised his eyebrows. He'd noticed, alright. "Any particular reason for that?"
Blaine dodged his glance. "Look, Kurt-" he began, but was interrupted by Naya, throwing both her arms around Kurt's shoulders and letting out a squeak. Alona stood a few steps behind her, barely balancing three tall glasses of something very, very colorful.
"We made cocktails!" she chirped and held them up - as if he needed a pointer.
Kurt looked over to Blaine. In all honesty, he didn't want to sit with the girls; with no Emma to keep them in check, they acted drunk without a drop of alcohol in them and Kurt didn't particularily like drunk people.
"Blaine, I-"
"Don't worry about it," the other boy waved a dismissive hand and went back to his rapidly emptying bowl of peanuts without a second glance, completely missing Kurt's pleading stare.
"Come on!" Naya pulled at his hand happily and led him back to the table.
Alona was already there, having set out the disturbing-looking cocktails; Kurt noticed they also had straws with flowers printed on them.
"Don't worry, they're great," Naya winked at him when she sat down, "Gloria doesn't really like mixing drinks, says it isn't her style, but Trevor had a bartender course and showed us how to make them."
"Who's Trevor?" Kurt asked.
"Oh, he's Emma's brother. He used to go to Dalton, but nobody knows where he is now…anyway, have a taste!" she thrust the glass under his nose and all his senses were suddendly attacked by a delicious, fruity smell.
"What's in them?"
"Oh, you know - juice, ice, some syrups, totally innocent."
Kurt eyed it with suspicion, then looked back at the girls. They were already sipping, smiling at him and it seemed like they were having a hard time not making any pleased sounds.
What the hell, he thought. Thanks to Emma, he'd finally gotten all the things in his head sorted out, and it wasn't like there was alcohol in the drinks - he guessed the girls were around his age and even if they had access to behind the bar, he was sure Gloria was around somewhere to keep an eye on them.
He took an experimental sip - it was amazing. Way too many tastes for him to focus on all at once, sweet, sour, a little bitter, and he latched onto the straw like it was a lifeline, completely missing the satisfied smiles Naya and Alona sent each other.
Their first drink was finished within minutes, and, somehow, the girls just kept them coming. Kurt didn't complain; he was starting to have a good time again, not feeling the suffocating heat of the inside and actually finding things him, Naya and Alona could talk about.
When he got up to walk to the bathroom, he swiveled a little. A glance at his watch revealed it was half past eight already; no wonder his muscles were a little weakened after he sat around all afternoon. His vision was a little blurry when he reached the bathroom door and stumbled in, the bright lights overwhelming him for a minute.
Kurt walked over to the sink and eyed himself in the mirror; considering the clothes he was wearing, he looked great. His hair, thank God, was still laying in neat strands on his head, and even though his eyes burned a little, they didn't look red or swollen. He splashed some water over his face, grimaced and, finally on steadier feet, walked back to the table.
To his surprise, he only found Alona sitting there, the other girl nowhere in sight.
"Where's Naya?" he asked, and vaguely noticed he's slurring just a bit. Alona shrugged.
"Her Mom called and she had to get going, but she sends her warmest regards," she smiled. "Come sit, you look a little unsteady, there."
Kurt did. For a while, he pretended not to notice Alona's arm, sneaking over the back of his chair - he just sipped on his drink and hoped she'd stop there.
She didn't. When he finished the cocktail, she got him another - seventh or eighth, he kind of lost cout - and resumed her position. They talked about random things, what was it like to live in Westerville, how was Dalton, why did it rain the day before. After a couple of minutes, with the fruity taste still on Kurt's tongue, she started playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck. Her fingers twisted and twirled in a lazy, content dance and her nails scraped over his skin from time to time.
Goosebumps broke out on Kurt's arms. He could sense where Alona was going, and while he didn't like it, the tiny caresses on his neck felt good - really, really good, in fact. Her hands were smooth and soft and they smelled like lavender; nothing like Noah's guitar-roughened fingertips.
"Alona, I-" he started to say, the memory of Noah making him hold on to the last of his common sense; realizing too late that yes, the bitter taste hidden underneath the fruity flavours was alcohol.
He never got to finish his sentece, though - Alona leaned over with a movement that seemed entirely too fast to be human, and kissed him.
It wasn't like Kurt had thought a girl would kiss. In his first experience with Brittany, he was the one setting the pace and she just went along with it. This kiss, though - it took things to a whole new level. It was hungry, passionate, a literal assault on his mouth. He parted his lips when she licked them, letting her wedge into his mouth and explore, feeling her saliva mixing with his; it was dirty.
"Come on, don't be shy," she let go of his face and grabbed him by the hand, put it on her waist while she climbed over to sit on his lap. It was only now that he realized he was practically just sitting there like a rag doll. He brought his other hand up, pulled her closer, and, not thinking, returned the kiss with as much passion as he could muster. Kurt felt her smile, before she dove in again.
Her hands were roaming all over his body; nails scraping his neck, gentle fingers ghosting over the skin of his abdomen when she rode up his t-shirt. She dipped a hand underneath the waistband of his jeans, and instead of the familiar feeling of wrongwrongwrongnonono Kurt expected to get, it only made him moan quietly in pleasure. He barely recognized his own body.
When he felt his own hand move, it took him a moment to figure out it wasn't him moving it. Alona grabbed him by the wrist, smoothed his palm out over one of her breasts; now, that was an unfamiliar feeling if Kurt ever had one. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn' t bad either - and, apparently, when he squeezed, Alona liked it. A lot, if the sudden huff of air she let out into his mouth was anything to go by.
"What do you say we take this to the bathroom?" she asked, her face flushed and eyes on fire. She traced the knobs of his spine with her fingers, sending a barely familiar jolt of pleasure right into his groin.
Breathless, he nodded.
The next thing he knew, he was slammed into a locked stall door, Alona's mouth sucking on his tongue, then his neck, licking over the bruise he was sure he'd have there tomorrow. She grabbed his hands, rough and impatient, whimpering, and let them slide underneath her skirt. Kurt could feel himself harden in his jeans; the confusion over his body's reaction barely registering in his hazy brain.
"Go on, pull them down," she moaned when one of his thumbs caught on her panties. Kurt did as she said. She tightened her hold on his hips and slammed him against the other wall, fumbling for something in her backpocket with one hand; the other unbuttoned his pants, shoved them down unceremoniously and tugged at his underwear. Somehow, without him even noticing, she pulled down his boxers and closed her hand over his cock like a vice, nails scratching and her smooth palms creating friction.
It was further than he'd ever gone before, but his mind wasn't really working - all he could focus on was the girl pressed up against him, moaning her need, kissing him again, wet and sloppy.
She raised her other hand victoriously, holding a condom; it was probably the moment Kurt should realize he was really doing this, but he was too far gone, his vision swimming, blood pumping in his ears and Alona's hand jacking him off slowly.
She tore the wrapper with her teeth, fumbling, and finally rolled the condom down his cock. She shimmied out of her skirt, kicking it away and probably a bit too far, but it didn't matter, because the next thing Kurt knew, she was turning them around and spreading her legs, her back flat with the wall, letting him take control.
It wasn't a question of anything but instinct. He was incredibly hard, had a more than willing girl in front of him and, right now, seemingly no trouble in the whole world.
He fucker her, fast and erratic, not really recognizing himself. He was shaking, bracing his hands on both sides of Alona's head, thrusting his tongue in and out of her mouth like his life depended on it. He could feel wrap her legs around his hips, moaned at the new angle, felt a trial of saliva making it's way down his chin. He didn't care.
Locked in a bathroom stall, seventeen, drunk, supposedly gay and having sex with a girl, no part of him stopped to think about the promise he'd made to himself.
Noah's touch used to not only make him shiver, like Alona's - it sent electric shocks down his spine. Noah's kisses weren't only pleasant, lazy desire and a fire burning deep in Kurt's stomach - they were safety, love and home.
And Kurt forgot, lost himself in someone else. He forgot, no matter how many times he'd promised.
His whole body was buzzing pleasantly and somehow, like a part of his brain had been turned off, he couldn't find anything wrong with what he was doing.
After they both came, barely standing up and shivering, they looked into each other's eyes, maybe for the first time properly that evening. Now that the heat of arousal was gone, the tiled floor was almost radiating cold and there was a breeze seeping in and out through the cracks in the door.
They let go of each other, tugging on their clothes and bumping into each other awkwardly, Kurt tying off the condom quickly and tossing it into the bin; like what he'd done was the lowest he could go. If he was thinking clearly, he'd probably realize it was.
With their clothes on, they unlocked the door and stumbled out, not looking at each other. They walked over to the sinks and splashed some water over their faces - Kurt barely recognized himself in the mirror. His cheeks were bright red, hair sticking up all over the place, and something wild he'd never seen before alight in his eyes. He glanced over at Alona, who looked just as ruffled as he did, her blue orbs full to the brim with the same kind of fire.
They ended up fucking again, this time in a stall closer to the door and further from the tiny window blowing cold air in.
When Kurt sat in the bus half an hour later, Sebastian and Marcus smirking knowingly, Blaine looking at him kind of sad, he could still feel the alcohol in his veins and decided it was the best feeling ever.
Chapter Four|Chapter Six