Serendipitous Tendencies: Part 3
Title: Serendipitous Tendencies
Author: Koinaka
Fandoms: Glee, Queer as Folk
Rating: R but mostly for the language.
Warnings: AU (timeline of Queer as Folk has been shifted ten years, plus there are other changes to the events of the series) For Glee, it takes place after high school, beginning with Kurt's freshman year of college at Carnegie Mellon.
Pairings (if applicable)mentions of pre-Klaine, Klaine, post-Klaine, Justin Taylor/Kurt Hummel.
Character(s) (if applicable) Justin, Kurt, Brian, Emmett, Michael, Ben, Blaine, maybe other Glee folks along the way
Summary: A series of chance meetings changes everything
Previous Parts: 1 | 2
So, parts of this might seem like Blaine bashing, but I don't intend it to be.
Serendipitous Tendencies
By Koinaka
I know I can't take one more step towards you
Cause all that's waiting is regret
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore
You lost the love I loved the most
I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time
And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are
- Christina Perri Jar of Hearts
Chapter Three
The neon pink drink, it turned out, was a Flaming Flamingo, and it tasted just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher, something Kurt had always been fond of when he was younger. It tasted nothing like the cocktail April Rhodes had given him. In fact, it tasted so little like alcohol that it was remarkably easy for him to finish the first one and then a second one not too long after.
"Your friend has been watching us ever since we sat down."
Justin didn't seem surprised in the least. He grinned. "He's not my friend. He's my boyfriend."
Apparently, Kurt had much to learn about men because he could have sworn that Justin had been flirting with him all night, but why would he do that in front of his boyfriend?
"We have a very open relationship," Justin added at Kurt's questioning gaze. "And he's watching us because, well, look at you."
Kurt was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was currently wearing a corset. He flushed and ducked his head, staring at the trace of neon pink liquid that still remained in his third glass. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "Then I think we should give him a little show. Give him something to look at."
This had absolutely nothing to do with him being drunk, because he most certainly was not drunk, or at least he didn't feel drunk. This was because he could see the look on Justin's face when he said the words "open relationship." He imagined that was what he looked like when talking about Blaine. The look that said you were happy because you still got to be a part of that person's life, but you wanted-needed-so much more than they were willing to give you. Kurt was also genuinely attracted to Justin.
It also didn't hurt that he felt… light, very light. There was no Blaine here or school work that he could barely keep up with or Aidan shrieking about something ridiculous that no one could change bogging him down. Just the music and his friends. And Justin-Justin whose look had changed from bitterness to something more like curiosity.
"Yeah? How'd we do that?"
"By dancing," Kurt said taking in the now lascivious look on Justin's face.
He grinned again. "Is that one of your many talents?"
"Wait and see."
Kurt loved to dance. He loved the way the music moved through him, how fluid he felt whenever he was dancing. Techno wasn't necessarily his genre of choice, but the beat was there and it was remarkably easy to get into.
They danced, their bodies pressed closely together. Kurt tried to tell himself that it was purely platonic, but he couldn't ignore the way one of Justin's hands were gripping his hip or the way his thumb was stroking the bare skin between the bottom of his corset and the top of his jeans. He also couldn't ignore how it felt like the entire world had narrowed down to where the only things that mattered were the music and Justin's hands on him.
About halfway through the second song, Kurt realized that more than just Justin's hands were on him. At some point Brian had joined them and was now pressed flush against Kurt's back. He pressed several open mouthed kisses on Kurt's neck and shoulder before leaning over Kurt and kissing Justin.
When Justin and Brian parted, Kurt thought he saw a flash of discomfort cross Justin's face, but it was gone before he could register it. Not that he could have registered anything at that moment-not with one of Brian's hands dipping lower and cupping his butt and an answering hardness meeting his own as he and Justin moved nearly in sync grinding against one another.
"Want to get out of here?" Brian breathed hotly in his ear before nipping it.
"With both of you?"
Brian's answer wasn't so much an answer as it was sticking his tongue practically down Justin's throat while reaching up to tweak one of Kurt's nipples.
When the kiss ended, Kurt met Justin's eyes, nearly afraid of what he would find there because the entire situation was a little insane and if Kurt had been in his position-dancing with someone while his boyfriend propositioned them-he would definitely be upset, but if anything Justin looked eager. Before Kurt could do much else, though, Nathan appeared by his side.
"Finally!" Nathan said. "We've been looking for-oh!" His mouth gaped as he took in the situation. His eyes narrowed at first Brian and then Justin before finally settling on Kurt. "Time to go home, lover boy."
"Fuck off," Brian said without even bothering to stop dancing or his ministrations.
"'s okay," Kurt said as he began to extract himself from the two men. While there was a part of him that would have liked nothing more than to leave with them-to leave with Justin-, there was another part that was supremely happy about Nathan's interruption. He was already involved in a complex and unhealthy relationship with Blaine; he didn't need anything else even remotely similar to that. He allowed Nathan to lead him off the dance floor.
"Don't wanna go to the apartment though. Can I go with you and Chris?"
Nathan's eyes softened at his friend. "Of course you can. Come on. Chris is getting our coats out now."
He must have dozed off sometime on the way home because when he woke up he was tucked into his usual bed in the guest room with Nathan beside him. They stayed curled up in bed all morning talking about the night before.
"You should watch out for Brian," he warned.
Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion. "What for?"
"He's got a reputation around Babylon for getting what he wants, and from the way things looked last night? He definitely wants you. Just trust me. You don't want to get involved with him. Or Justin for that matter."
He shrugged. "You don't have to tell me twice. I don't need any more drama in my life than I already have."
He couldn't deny that he had wanted to have sex with them because he had wanted to, but he knew that if he had, he would definitely regret it now. The only person he'd ever had sex with was Blaine, and that hadn't turned out well at all. He could still remember the talk his dad had given him-about sex meaning something, about it doing something to you. He had thought, with Blaine, that it would be great because it did mean something to him, because they loved each other or so he thought.
When he finally got back home to his apartment, still wearing the stained clothes from the night before, Blaine was eating breakfast.
"Have a good time last night?" he asked viciously.
Kurt didn't answer for a long moment for several reasons-the first and largest being that he was taken aback by the amount of hostility in Blaine's voice, the second being that he was genuinely confused. Blaine had made it perfectly clear that he had no desire to have anything to do with Kurt-romantically or otherwise-so why did he care what Kurt did?
"Not that it's any of your business," he responded, his voice cool, "but yes, I did."
"None of my business?" Blaine spat. "When you're living in the apartment that my parents pay for, I think it is my business if you're out all night fucking."
Kurt recoiled as if he'd been slapped and closed his eyes against the tears that were threatening to fall. "Oh, but it's okay if you bring boy after boy here and fuck them?"
"You're just jealous because I'm not fucking you."
Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing else to say, so instead, he just stalked into his bedroom without saying another word. He grabbed one of his suitcases from his closet and began haphazardly throwing clothes into it. He would definitely regret not properly packing these later, but at the moment, all he could think of was that he wanted to get out of there-out, out, out.
When he had filled all of the suitcases he had, he sank down onto his bed, exhausted. The truth of the matter was that Kurt was jealous of those other boys, not just because of the sex, but because he loved Blaine, and had loved him for years. He stared at the opposite wall until he went cross-eyed. Then, he took a deep breath and began packing again-this time packing up his things for school and his toiletries.
He was supposed to meet Nathan and Chris for a late breakfast at the Liberty Diner in an hour, but there was no way he was staying there for a minute longer. It was quiet out in the apartment which either meant that Blaine was gone or that he was in his bedroom at the very least. Kurt sat on his bed for another minute or two until he was able to gather enough courage to open his bedroom door. A precursory look around told him that wherever Blaine was-there or not-he wasn't in the front of the apartment.
Kurt darted over to where the suitcases were lined up beside the closet and dragged each one out of the apartment before going back for both his school and toiletry bags. Once out of the apartment, he tugged his coat closer around him and headed to the elevator. It took a bit of work to load both his suitcases and himself into the elevator, but he managed to do so. It took even more work to get all of the bags into the Navigator in one trip. When he was finished and sitting in the driver's seat, he wiped the tears off of his face and he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix before he drove the short distance to the diner.
Why did Blaine have to throw the one thing that he knew Kurt was the most sensitive about into his face? Kurt's scholarship had been more than enough to cover Carnegie Mellon's steep tuition and fees, but it hadn't been quite enough to cover room-and-board for the dormitories. Blaine, who would be attending the University of Pittsburgh, had offered to let Kurt live with him in the apartment that his parents had bought for him to live in during college and then to use as an investment property afterward.
Kurt's dad had been leery of the arrangement, but Kurt and Blaine had been best friends for the better part of two years, and Blaine's parents, who adored Kurt, had insisted that it would be a perfect arrangement. Only none of them had really counted on the two boy's exceedingly short and explosive romantic relationship over the summer after graduation. Living together had only exacerbated an already tremulous situation, leaving both Kurt and Blaine to navigate a veritable minefield in their apartment from day one.
This, however, was the last straw. He couldn't live there for another day. Things had been escalating for a while now, and he no longer felt like it was his home at all. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he just knew that he had to do something. He called his dad and left a voicemail asking him to call him later, so they could talk about it.
The diner was packed when he got there, but he managed to snag a booth in the back after ducking into the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes passed by before Debbie was able to come to his table. She took one look at him and clucked knowingly. "Rough night, Doll Face?"
Kurt shook his head. "Rough morning," he said with a sigh. "I'm meeting some friends here, but they won't be here for a while. Can I just get my usual while I wait-"
"Sure thing. One non-fat mocha comin' up." She pushed his chin up with one of her fingers. "Don't worry about him, sweetheart. He's not worth it. They never are."
"How'd you know about...?" he trailed off, motioning with his hand.
She gave him a disbelieving look. "Please. I've got a grown boy of my own plus a couple of extras. I know a thing or two about boy troubles, and anyone that makes you look like that is nothing but trouble. Speaking of trouble, it just walked through my front door." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'll bring you out something to eat while I'm at it. You're entirely too thin."
"Oh, no, that's okay, I'll just wait for my friends," Kurt protested.
"Does it look like I was asking?" Debbie quipped before walking away mumbling beneath her breath about stubborn boys.
His dad called back right after Debbie brought him his mocha, and he spent the next fifteen minutes or so explaining things to him. He knew that his dad must have been biting clear through his tongue to keep from saying, 'I told you so,' which he really appreciated especially considering that he had, in fact, told him so.
"We'll figure something out, kiddo. Carol and I already bought the plane tickets, so we'll see you in a few days. You got somewhere to stay until we get there, or do you need some money? I can deposit some in your account, if you do."
Kurt sighed into the phone. "I think I'll just stay with Nathan and Chris for a few days. They won't mind."
"Sounds like a plan to me. See you on Wednesday."
"Yeah," he said although his dad had already hung up. "See you."
Author: Koinaka
Fandoms: Glee, Queer as Folk
Rating: R but mostly for the language.
Warnings: AU (timeline of Queer as Folk has been shifted ten years, plus there are other changes to the events of the series) For Glee, it takes place after high school, beginning with Kurt's freshman year of college at Carnegie Mellon.
Pairings (if applicable)mentions of pre-Klaine, Klaine, post-Klaine, Justin Taylor/Kurt Hummel.
Character(s) (if applicable) Justin, Kurt, Brian, Emmett, Michael, Ben, Blaine, maybe other Glee folks along the way
Summary: A series of chance meetings changes everything
Previous Parts: 1 | 2
So, parts of this might seem like Blaine bashing, but I don't intend it to be.
Serendipitous Tendencies
By Koinaka
I know I can't take one more step towards you
Cause all that's waiting is regret
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore
You lost the love I loved the most
I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time
And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are
- Christina Perri Jar of Hearts
Chapter Three
The neon pink drink, it turned out, was a Flaming Flamingo, and it tasted just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher, something Kurt had always been fond of when he was younger. It tasted nothing like the cocktail April Rhodes had given him. In fact, it tasted so little like alcohol that it was remarkably easy for him to finish the first one and then a second one not too long after.
"Your friend has been watching us ever since we sat down."
Justin didn't seem surprised in the least. He grinned. "He's not my friend. He's my boyfriend."
Apparently, Kurt had much to learn about men because he could have sworn that Justin had been flirting with him all night, but why would he do that in front of his boyfriend?
"We have a very open relationship," Justin added at Kurt's questioning gaze. "And he's watching us because, well, look at you."
Kurt was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was currently wearing a corset. He flushed and ducked his head, staring at the trace of neon pink liquid that still remained in his third glass. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "Then I think we should give him a little show. Give him something to look at."
This had absolutely nothing to do with him being drunk, because he most certainly was not drunk, or at least he didn't feel drunk. This was because he could see the look on Justin's face when he said the words "open relationship." He imagined that was what he looked like when talking about Blaine. The look that said you were happy because you still got to be a part of that person's life, but you wanted-needed-so much more than they were willing to give you. Kurt was also genuinely attracted to Justin.
It also didn't hurt that he felt… light, very light. There was no Blaine here or school work that he could barely keep up with or Aidan shrieking about something ridiculous that no one could change bogging him down. Just the music and his friends. And Justin-Justin whose look had changed from bitterness to something more like curiosity.
"Yeah? How'd we do that?"
"By dancing," Kurt said taking in the now lascivious look on Justin's face.
He grinned again. "Is that one of your many talents?"
"Wait and see."
Kurt loved to dance. He loved the way the music moved through him, how fluid he felt whenever he was dancing. Techno wasn't necessarily his genre of choice, but the beat was there and it was remarkably easy to get into.
They danced, their bodies pressed closely together. Kurt tried to tell himself that it was purely platonic, but he couldn't ignore the way one of Justin's hands were gripping his hip or the way his thumb was stroking the bare skin between the bottom of his corset and the top of his jeans. He also couldn't ignore how it felt like the entire world had narrowed down to where the only things that mattered were the music and Justin's hands on him.
About halfway through the second song, Kurt realized that more than just Justin's hands were on him. At some point Brian had joined them and was now pressed flush against Kurt's back. He pressed several open mouthed kisses on Kurt's neck and shoulder before leaning over Kurt and kissing Justin.
When Justin and Brian parted, Kurt thought he saw a flash of discomfort cross Justin's face, but it was gone before he could register it. Not that he could have registered anything at that moment-not with one of Brian's hands dipping lower and cupping his butt and an answering hardness meeting his own as he and Justin moved nearly in sync grinding against one another.
"Want to get out of here?" Brian breathed hotly in his ear before nipping it.
"With both of you?"
Brian's answer wasn't so much an answer as it was sticking his tongue practically down Justin's throat while reaching up to tweak one of Kurt's nipples.
When the kiss ended, Kurt met Justin's eyes, nearly afraid of what he would find there because the entire situation was a little insane and if Kurt had been in his position-dancing with someone while his boyfriend propositioned them-he would definitely be upset, but if anything Justin looked eager. Before Kurt could do much else, though, Nathan appeared by his side.
"Finally!" Nathan said. "We've been looking for-oh!" His mouth gaped as he took in the situation. His eyes narrowed at first Brian and then Justin before finally settling on Kurt. "Time to go home, lover boy."
"Fuck off," Brian said without even bothering to stop dancing or his ministrations.
"'s okay," Kurt said as he began to extract himself from the two men. While there was a part of him that would have liked nothing more than to leave with them-to leave with Justin-, there was another part that was supremely happy about Nathan's interruption. He was already involved in a complex and unhealthy relationship with Blaine; he didn't need anything else even remotely similar to that. He allowed Nathan to lead him off the dance floor.
"Don't wanna go to the apartment though. Can I go with you and Chris?"
Nathan's eyes softened at his friend. "Of course you can. Come on. Chris is getting our coats out now."
He must have dozed off sometime on the way home because when he woke up he was tucked into his usual bed in the guest room with Nathan beside him. They stayed curled up in bed all morning talking about the night before.
"You should watch out for Brian," he warned.
Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion. "What for?"
"He's got a reputation around Babylon for getting what he wants, and from the way things looked last night? He definitely wants you. Just trust me. You don't want to get involved with him. Or Justin for that matter."
He shrugged. "You don't have to tell me twice. I don't need any more drama in my life than I already have."
He couldn't deny that he had wanted to have sex with them because he had wanted to, but he knew that if he had, he would definitely regret it now. The only person he'd ever had sex with was Blaine, and that hadn't turned out well at all. He could still remember the talk his dad had given him-about sex meaning something, about it doing something to you. He had thought, with Blaine, that it would be great because it did mean something to him, because they loved each other or so he thought.
When he finally got back home to his apartment, still wearing the stained clothes from the night before, Blaine was eating breakfast.
"Have a good time last night?" he asked viciously.
Kurt didn't answer for a long moment for several reasons-the first and largest being that he was taken aback by the amount of hostility in Blaine's voice, the second being that he was genuinely confused. Blaine had made it perfectly clear that he had no desire to have anything to do with Kurt-romantically or otherwise-so why did he care what Kurt did?
"Not that it's any of your business," he responded, his voice cool, "but yes, I did."
"None of my business?" Blaine spat. "When you're living in the apartment that my parents pay for, I think it is my business if you're out all night fucking."
Kurt recoiled as if he'd been slapped and closed his eyes against the tears that were threatening to fall. "Oh, but it's okay if you bring boy after boy here and fuck them?"
"You're just jealous because I'm not fucking you."
Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing else to say, so instead, he just stalked into his bedroom without saying another word. He grabbed one of his suitcases from his closet and began haphazardly throwing clothes into it. He would definitely regret not properly packing these later, but at the moment, all he could think of was that he wanted to get out of there-out, out, out.
When he had filled all of the suitcases he had, he sank down onto his bed, exhausted. The truth of the matter was that Kurt was jealous of those other boys, not just because of the sex, but because he loved Blaine, and had loved him for years. He stared at the opposite wall until he went cross-eyed. Then, he took a deep breath and began packing again-this time packing up his things for school and his toiletries.
He was supposed to meet Nathan and Chris for a late breakfast at the Liberty Diner in an hour, but there was no way he was staying there for a minute longer. It was quiet out in the apartment which either meant that Blaine was gone or that he was in his bedroom at the very least. Kurt sat on his bed for another minute or two until he was able to gather enough courage to open his bedroom door. A precursory look around told him that wherever Blaine was-there or not-he wasn't in the front of the apartment.
Kurt darted over to where the suitcases were lined up beside the closet and dragged each one out of the apartment before going back for both his school and toiletry bags. Once out of the apartment, he tugged his coat closer around him and headed to the elevator. It took a bit of work to load both his suitcases and himself into the elevator, but he managed to do so. It took even more work to get all of the bags into the Navigator in one trip. When he was finished and sitting in the driver's seat, he wiped the tears off of his face and he ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix before he drove the short distance to the diner.
Why did Blaine have to throw the one thing that he knew Kurt was the most sensitive about into his face? Kurt's scholarship had been more than enough to cover Carnegie Mellon's steep tuition and fees, but it hadn't been quite enough to cover room-and-board for the dormitories. Blaine, who would be attending the University of Pittsburgh, had offered to let Kurt live with him in the apartment that his parents had bought for him to live in during college and then to use as an investment property afterward.
Kurt's dad had been leery of the arrangement, but Kurt and Blaine had been best friends for the better part of two years, and Blaine's parents, who adored Kurt, had insisted that it would be a perfect arrangement. Only none of them had really counted on the two boy's exceedingly short and explosive romantic relationship over the summer after graduation. Living together had only exacerbated an already tremulous situation, leaving both Kurt and Blaine to navigate a veritable minefield in their apartment from day one.
This, however, was the last straw. He couldn't live there for another day. Things had been escalating for a while now, and he no longer felt like it was his home at all. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he just knew that he had to do something. He called his dad and left a voicemail asking him to call him later, so they could talk about it.
The diner was packed when he got there, but he managed to snag a booth in the back after ducking into the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes passed by before Debbie was able to come to his table. She took one look at him and clucked knowingly. "Rough night, Doll Face?"
Kurt shook his head. "Rough morning," he said with a sigh. "I'm meeting some friends here, but they won't be here for a while. Can I just get my usual while I wait-"
"Sure thing. One non-fat mocha comin' up." She pushed his chin up with one of her fingers. "Don't worry about him, sweetheart. He's not worth it. They never are."
"How'd you know about...?" he trailed off, motioning with his hand.
She gave him a disbelieving look. "Please. I've got a grown boy of my own plus a couple of extras. I know a thing or two about boy troubles, and anyone that makes you look like that is nothing but trouble. Speaking of trouble, it just walked through my front door." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'll bring you out something to eat while I'm at it. You're entirely too thin."
"Oh, no, that's okay, I'll just wait for my friends," Kurt protested.
"Does it look like I was asking?" Debbie quipped before walking away mumbling beneath her breath about stubborn boys.
His dad called back right after Debbie brought him his mocha, and he spent the next fifteen minutes or so explaining things to him. He knew that his dad must have been biting clear through his tongue to keep from saying, 'I told you so,' which he really appreciated especially considering that he had, in fact, told him so.
"We'll figure something out, kiddo. Carol and I already bought the plane tickets, so we'll see you in a few days. You got somewhere to stay until we get there, or do you need some money? I can deposit some in your account, if you do."
Kurt sighed into the phone. "I think I'll just stay with Nathan and Chris for a few days. They won't mind."
"Sounds like a plan to me. See you on Wednesday."
"Yeah," he said although his dad had already hung up. "See you."