Fic: Love The One You're With (Chapter One)
Media: Fic
Title: Love The One You're With (1/?)
Author: michygeary
Rating: PG/PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Kurt, Jeff, Nick, Blaine, others; various pairings.
Word Count: 2,310
Spoilers (if any): Takes place mid-season 2, just after Valentine's Day (2x12).
Warnings (if any): Multiship-friendly.
Summary: Kurt is in love with Blaine. Jeff is in love with Nick. The two of them team up to get what they want.
Author's Note: Kurt and Jeff are best friends. Kurt and Blaine are good friends. Nick and Jeff are acquaintances, sometimes friends, more often competitors. Diverges from canon mid-season 2. This will be quite involved. I'm not sure how many chapters yet, but there's a lot of ground to cover, and I do have the whole arc planned out. Without Sonja, I am nothing.
All chapters: One | Two | Three
Other Links: Tumblr | Scarves & Coffee | Quoth the Warbler
Dalton is not a gay school. But it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that it does often serve as a sanctuary for young boys who find their public schools to be unsafe once out of the closet. Since its establishment in 1891, Dalton Academy has prided itself on being "a prestigious institution open to students who seek a meaningful and resilient development of character through advanced and private education." But, once word got around that bullying at Dalton was strictly prohibited and the students all pretty progressive for being Ohio natives, it quickly became a mecca for outcast youth.
Dalton sees young boys at every stage in the coming out process. First, there is Blaine, who is something of a gay icon at Dalton. Being a lead Warbler already puts him in the spotlight, but word of his past struggles spreads quickly, and his downtrodden brethren are inspired to seek his advice and wisdom. Then there is Kurt, just a step down in terms of his public self. Having come so recently from a hostile environment, he learned to be a guarded, low-key version of himself around others. It takes him a few months to really come out of his shell and be comfortable being himself at Dalton. Then there's Jeff, who is decidedly less in the limelight. If you ask him to his face, he will tell you that, yes, he is gay. But it isn't something you would necessarily know about him unless you have a meaningful conversation with him, much like you might not know that he is interested in photography unless you take the class with him.
To Kurt, Jeff is a hero. He is fearlessly himself in the company of good friends while still keeping a respectable privacy about himself in stranger circles; after Blaine, he's the first real friend Kurt makes at Dalton. To Jeff, Kurt is his protégé. They have most classes together, plus Warbler practice; when Kurt first transfers, it is easy for Jeff to step in as a Dalton connoisseur and show him the ropes. Because of his pretty low profile, Jeff never dealt with much bullying, so hearing Kurt's horror stories fills him with an older-brotherly protectiveness. Their shared thirst for performing only makes their bond stronger.
They fall into a natural rhythm of walking together to the library on weekdays after Warbler practice to do homework. With Jeff good at history and Kurt good at language, they make for great study buddies. It doesn't take long before they are hanging out on the weekends, watching movies, playing video games, and talking about boys.
They're celebrating the end of a grueling eight-week biology project in Jeff's room, with a John Hughes marathon and copious amounts of Mountain Dew, when the idea first comes up. The desperate, unrequited love in Some Kind of Wonderful gets them talking about Blaine and Nick - a subject which has seen a dramatic increase in frequency in their conversations lately.
"What does that even mean?" Jeff asks, making an unimpressed face. "'I don't want to screw this up.' Screw what up? Like he's planning on dating you, what, sometime in the future, and he thinks dragging his feet now is going to help that?"
"I don't know!" Kurt sighs with wide, unfocused eyes. He turns sideways on the couch to face Jeff, pressing his elbow into the headrest to prop his head against his knuckles. "I've been asking myself that for three weeks."
Jeff shakes his head. "Guys are supposed to be above all this drama bullshit, aren't they? It's like the other day, at Warbler practice, remember when Thad suggested that we do Sunday Morning at Regionals, and I volunteered me and Nick to lead the charge?"
"Yeah?"
"I heard Nick turn to Trent and say, 'No way am I doing that song with him.'"
Kurt's eyes narrow, his mouth a thin line. "Are you kidding me?"
"I wish I was," he replies. "I mean, who says that? Why would you say that?"
"Right?" Kurt empathizes.
"I mean, I was just thinking because we both love Maroon 5," he says, leaning to fetch the popcorn bowl from the coffee table and hug it to himself, fishing out a few pieces at a time, "and let's be honest, we'd work the hell out of that song."
"Preach."
"It's not like I was asking him to sing Hands All Over or Harder to Breathe with me or something."
"Although, that would be hot," Kurt says, pointing at Jeff.
"Oh, for sure," Jeff agrees easily. "Sometimes I just don't get him," he sighs, slumping back into the couch with his popcorn bowl, woefully defeated. "He's perfectly nice to me most of the time, but when it comes to singing with me, he's awfully stingy."
"Maybe it's just a competition thing," Kurt offers. "You know, like he feels threatened by you, or something."
"Maybe," Jeff concedes. "But does he have to be such an ass about it?" He scrunches his nose and adds with a whine, "and so gorgeous?"
Kurt laughs sympathetically. "It's hard to stay mad at them, isn't it?"
"I don't know, man, if anything, it just makes me more infuriated."
Kurt laughs. "Or that."
"I just feel like..." Jeff pulls his legs up under himself, gripping his ankle to keep it from sliding off the couch. "I've known him for two years. I thought by now we'd either be dating or I'd be over him and onto someone else, but I just keep coming back to him. I don't know what's wrong with me."
Kurt nods. "I know that feeling."
Jeff fumbles around the popcorn bowl, feeling the last of the kernels. He holds it out to Kurt with an inquisitive look, but Kurt shakes his head. Jeff shrugs and collects the remainder in a fistful that he shoves messily into his mouth. "What are we doing wrong, Kurt?" he asks sadly, mouthful of popcorn. "Like, what do we have to do to get their attention?"
Kurt shrugs, and Jeff sighs, and it's silent between them for a moment. Jeff is thinking about Nick and all the times he's tried so hard only to have Nick completely dismiss him, breaking his heart without even trying. But Kurt is thinking about what Jeff just said, and after a few moments, he laughs. Jeff quirks and eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, it's really funny," he mutters, tossing the empty bowl onto the floor.
"No," Kurt amends quickly, "I was just thinking about what you said, about getting their attention, and then I had a thought."
Jeff sits up straighter, considering Kurt with interest. "Oh?"
"Yeah," he says. When he doesn't elaborate, Jeff scoffs.
"Care to share?"
"Oh, no," he dismisses, turning pink. "It's awfully juvenile."
"Dude, if you've got an idea that will put me on Nick's radar, do tell, because let me tell you, in the last two years, I've pretty much tried everything."
Kurt pulls in his bottom lip under his front teeth. "I was just thinking," he starts quietly, "you want Nick's attention, I want Blaine's attention... I mean, if you and I were to start dating..."
Jeff smirks. "Why, Kurt Hummel, are you asking me out?"
Kurt blushes, wringing his hands sheepishly. "I mean, not for real, just... you know, a little PDA here or there to show them what they're missing." After a beat, Jeff roars with laughter, and Kurt's face turns, if possible, even redder. "I told you it was stupid!"
"No, I'm laughing," Jeff manages, "because that's actually really brilliant."
Kurt perks up, eyes alight with hope. "You think so?"
"I mean, who knows if it would actually work, but... " He shrugs, his laughter subsiding to a smile. "Worth a try, right?" Kurt grins, sighing with relief. "But," Jeff adds, holding up a finger, "you've got to ask me properly, or it's a no-go."
Kurt pulls a serious face with impressive speed. "Jeff Ramsey," he deadpans, reaching out to hold Jeff's hand with both of his own, "will you be my pretend boyfriend?"
Jeff gasps, pulling his free hand daintily to his chest. "Why Kurt, I thought you'd never ask! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"
***
They decide on Tuesday. Nick has private voice lessons in the senior commons at 4 p.m. once a week, and he never misses a lesson. Kurt and Jeff meet just outside the door around quarter of and spend a good five minutes figuring out how to stand "casually but intimately." Kurt finally settles on leaning back, one leg bent up with the heel of his foot against the wall behind him. Jeff faces him, leaning in and propping himself against the wall with a hand placed just over Kurt's shoulder.
"This is fine, right?" Kurt asks, looking around anxiously at the empty corridor. "People stand like this, don't they?"
"I don't think he's going to be paying attention to how we're standing," Jeff says kindly.
"Right. Of course." Kurt drums a few fingers against the mural behind him, then his head suddenly snaps back to look at Jeff. "Should we use tongue?"
Jeff snorts. "No, he's not going to come close enough to notice something like that."
"Okay. No tongue," Kurt affirms, nodding. "Oh, god, what if I do it wrong? What if he knows it's fake? Maybe we should have practiced or something."
Jeff's head drops, his whole body shaking with silent laughter. "Will you relax?" he snickers. "This was your idea, and I'm the one in the hot seat right now. Why are you the one freaking out?"
"You're right, I'm sorry." Kurt shakes his head and pulls a serious look. "Game face." He breathes deep and exhales slowly. "Okay, T minus 30 seconds. He should be here any minute." Jeff bows his head, resting it against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt nuzzles him for a moment before he hears Jeff whimper. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine," Jeff lies, lifting his head to shake it briskly. "Nick's going to be here any minute," he repeats. "Any minute now."
"Jeff..."
"Oh, god, I'm going to be sick," he whines, head plunging back to Kurt's shoulder. He careens a bit as Jeff goes limp against him.
"Oh, no you're not!" he grunts.
"Yes, I am," Jeff grumbles. "All over your shoes."
"Hey! None of that!" Kurt quips, seizing Jeff by the shoulders and righting him. "These are brand new shoes, mister."
"No, they're not, you wear them all the time."
"Oh, that's right, I can't pull that on gay guys," Kurt says with enough whimsy for a smile to break free on Jeff's face. "Well," he adds in haste, "definitely none of that during the kissing."
"How about after?" Jeff pleads.
"Yes, after, but the shoes are non-negotiable."
"Deal," Jeff agrees, straightening up and reaffixing his palm to the wall behind Kurt's head. Kurt folds his arms behind him at the small of his back, bouncing his weight blithely between the wall and Jeff in his restlessness. His eyes swing to the side to check the watch on Jeff's wrist. He's about to comment that Nick is a few minutes late when he happens to spy over Jeff's shoulder, walking briskly towards them, head down as he grapples with the buckles on the shoulder-bag at his side, the man of the hour.
"Don't look, but here he comes," Kurt whispers. He looks up at Jeff with a quirked and encouraging smile. "Kiss me right now."
Jeff is grateful that Kurt chose to be the lookout because he knows that, if he were to physically see Nick right now, he wouldn't be able to go through with it. But with only Kurt in his sight, he's able to deceive himself that they are truly alone. In the brief moment while Jeff licks his lips, Kurt's eyes flutter closed, and he murmurs, "Make it big," and then his lips are sealed by Jeff's.
Kurt expected the kiss to be tentative, maybe a little awkward, like kissing a cousin or a brother, but in contrast to the only two other kisses he's had before, this is warm and passionate. There's no tongue, like they agreed, but Jeff moves Kurt's lips open with his own as if there could be. Kurt feels a hand at the base of his neck, tugging him forward, but there isn't enough touching, so he unhooks his own arms from behind him and snakes them around Jeff's waist, pulling their hips flush together. He inhales sharply through his nose, breathing in a scent of Jeff he's never experienced before; the intimacy of it puts a soft hum at the back of Kurt's throat. When breathing becomes a labored task, they break the kiss, panting.
With his hand still at Kurt's face, Jeff strokes his thumb along Kurt's jaw line as they both open their eyes. Kurt's lips tingle, and he licks them out of reflex, but Jeff hasn't pulled back far enough, and Kurt's tongue accidentally sweeps Jeff's lips. The warm, languid feeling that Kurt felt spreading through his limbs from the kiss evaporates as his eyes open wide and he pulls his head back with horror. "Oh my god," he murmurs, "I'm so sorry! We said no tongue!"
Jeff laughs inaudibly. "It's okay, Kurt. That doesn't count."
"I swear, it was an accident!"
"It's fine," Jeff insists, brushing his knuckles against Kurt's cheek. He feels the muscles in Kurt's face relax as he strokes until they pull into a smile. The two of them hold each other's gaze until the tension of the moment dissipates and Kurt remembers why they are here in the first place.
"Oh," he breathes, turning his head to look around the corridor for any sign of Nick - but he finds none. "Huh."
"Is he devastated? Is he angry?" Jeff whispers, but Kurt just shakes his head. "What, then?"
"He's gone."
Title: Love The One You're With (1/?)
Author: michygeary
Rating: PG/PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Kurt, Jeff, Nick, Blaine, others; various pairings.
Word Count: 2,310
Spoilers (if any): Takes place mid-season 2, just after Valentine's Day (2x12).
Warnings (if any): Multiship-friendly.
Summary: Kurt is in love with Blaine. Jeff is in love with Nick. The two of them team up to get what they want.
Author's Note: Kurt and Jeff are best friends. Kurt and Blaine are good friends. Nick and Jeff are acquaintances, sometimes friends, more often competitors. Diverges from canon mid-season 2. This will be quite involved. I'm not sure how many chapters yet, but there's a lot of ground to cover, and I do have the whole arc planned out. Without Sonja, I am nothing.
All chapters: One | Two | Three
Other Links: Tumblr | Scarves & Coffee | Quoth the Warbler
Dalton is not a gay school. But it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that it does often serve as a sanctuary for young boys who find their public schools to be unsafe once out of the closet. Since its establishment in 1891, Dalton Academy has prided itself on being "a prestigious institution open to students who seek a meaningful and resilient development of character through advanced and private education." But, once word got around that bullying at Dalton was strictly prohibited and the students all pretty progressive for being Ohio natives, it quickly became a mecca for outcast youth.
Dalton sees young boys at every stage in the coming out process. First, there is Blaine, who is something of a gay icon at Dalton. Being a lead Warbler already puts him in the spotlight, but word of his past struggles spreads quickly, and his downtrodden brethren are inspired to seek his advice and wisdom. Then there is Kurt, just a step down in terms of his public self. Having come so recently from a hostile environment, he learned to be a guarded, low-key version of himself around others. It takes him a few months to really come out of his shell and be comfortable being himself at Dalton. Then there's Jeff, who is decidedly less in the limelight. If you ask him to his face, he will tell you that, yes, he is gay. But it isn't something you would necessarily know about him unless you have a meaningful conversation with him, much like you might not know that he is interested in photography unless you take the class with him.
To Kurt, Jeff is a hero. He is fearlessly himself in the company of good friends while still keeping a respectable privacy about himself in stranger circles; after Blaine, he's the first real friend Kurt makes at Dalton. To Jeff, Kurt is his protégé. They have most classes together, plus Warbler practice; when Kurt first transfers, it is easy for Jeff to step in as a Dalton connoisseur and show him the ropes. Because of his pretty low profile, Jeff never dealt with much bullying, so hearing Kurt's horror stories fills him with an older-brotherly protectiveness. Their shared thirst for performing only makes their bond stronger.
They fall into a natural rhythm of walking together to the library on weekdays after Warbler practice to do homework. With Jeff good at history and Kurt good at language, they make for great study buddies. It doesn't take long before they are hanging out on the weekends, watching movies, playing video games, and talking about boys.
They're celebrating the end of a grueling eight-week biology project in Jeff's room, with a John Hughes marathon and copious amounts of Mountain Dew, when the idea first comes up. The desperate, unrequited love in Some Kind of Wonderful gets them talking about Blaine and Nick - a subject which has seen a dramatic increase in frequency in their conversations lately.
"What does that even mean?" Jeff asks, making an unimpressed face. "'I don't want to screw this up.' Screw what up? Like he's planning on dating you, what, sometime in the future, and he thinks dragging his feet now is going to help that?"
"I don't know!" Kurt sighs with wide, unfocused eyes. He turns sideways on the couch to face Jeff, pressing his elbow into the headrest to prop his head against his knuckles. "I've been asking myself that for three weeks."
Jeff shakes his head. "Guys are supposed to be above all this drama bullshit, aren't they? It's like the other day, at Warbler practice, remember when Thad suggested that we do Sunday Morning at Regionals, and I volunteered me and Nick to lead the charge?"
"Yeah?"
"I heard Nick turn to Trent and say, 'No way am I doing that song with him.'"
Kurt's eyes narrow, his mouth a thin line. "Are you kidding me?"
"I wish I was," he replies. "I mean, who says that? Why would you say that?"
"Right?" Kurt empathizes.
"I mean, I was just thinking because we both love Maroon 5," he says, leaning to fetch the popcorn bowl from the coffee table and hug it to himself, fishing out a few pieces at a time, "and let's be honest, we'd work the hell out of that song."
"Preach."
"It's not like I was asking him to sing Hands All Over or Harder to Breathe with me or something."
"Although, that would be hot," Kurt says, pointing at Jeff.
"Oh, for sure," Jeff agrees easily. "Sometimes I just don't get him," he sighs, slumping back into the couch with his popcorn bowl, woefully defeated. "He's perfectly nice to me most of the time, but when it comes to singing with me, he's awfully stingy."
"Maybe it's just a competition thing," Kurt offers. "You know, like he feels threatened by you, or something."
"Maybe," Jeff concedes. "But does he have to be such an ass about it?" He scrunches his nose and adds with a whine, "and so gorgeous?"
Kurt laughs sympathetically. "It's hard to stay mad at them, isn't it?"
"I don't know, man, if anything, it just makes me more infuriated."
Kurt laughs. "Or that."
"I just feel like..." Jeff pulls his legs up under himself, gripping his ankle to keep it from sliding off the couch. "I've known him for two years. I thought by now we'd either be dating or I'd be over him and onto someone else, but I just keep coming back to him. I don't know what's wrong with me."
Kurt nods. "I know that feeling."
Jeff fumbles around the popcorn bowl, feeling the last of the kernels. He holds it out to Kurt with an inquisitive look, but Kurt shakes his head. Jeff shrugs and collects the remainder in a fistful that he shoves messily into his mouth. "What are we doing wrong, Kurt?" he asks sadly, mouthful of popcorn. "Like, what do we have to do to get their attention?"
Kurt shrugs, and Jeff sighs, and it's silent between them for a moment. Jeff is thinking about Nick and all the times he's tried so hard only to have Nick completely dismiss him, breaking his heart without even trying. But Kurt is thinking about what Jeff just said, and after a few moments, he laughs. Jeff quirks and eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, it's really funny," he mutters, tossing the empty bowl onto the floor.
"No," Kurt amends quickly, "I was just thinking about what you said, about getting their attention, and then I had a thought."
Jeff sits up straighter, considering Kurt with interest. "Oh?"
"Yeah," he says. When he doesn't elaborate, Jeff scoffs.
"Care to share?"
"Oh, no," he dismisses, turning pink. "It's awfully juvenile."
"Dude, if you've got an idea that will put me on Nick's radar, do tell, because let me tell you, in the last two years, I've pretty much tried everything."
Kurt pulls in his bottom lip under his front teeth. "I was just thinking," he starts quietly, "you want Nick's attention, I want Blaine's attention... I mean, if you and I were to start dating..."
Jeff smirks. "Why, Kurt Hummel, are you asking me out?"
Kurt blushes, wringing his hands sheepishly. "I mean, not for real, just... you know, a little PDA here or there to show them what they're missing." After a beat, Jeff roars with laughter, and Kurt's face turns, if possible, even redder. "I told you it was stupid!"
"No, I'm laughing," Jeff manages, "because that's actually really brilliant."
Kurt perks up, eyes alight with hope. "You think so?"
"I mean, who knows if it would actually work, but... " He shrugs, his laughter subsiding to a smile. "Worth a try, right?" Kurt grins, sighing with relief. "But," Jeff adds, holding up a finger, "you've got to ask me properly, or it's a no-go."
Kurt pulls a serious face with impressive speed. "Jeff Ramsey," he deadpans, reaching out to hold Jeff's hand with both of his own, "will you be my pretend boyfriend?"
Jeff gasps, pulling his free hand daintily to his chest. "Why Kurt, I thought you'd never ask! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"
***
They decide on Tuesday. Nick has private voice lessons in the senior commons at 4 p.m. once a week, and he never misses a lesson. Kurt and Jeff meet just outside the door around quarter of and spend a good five minutes figuring out how to stand "casually but intimately." Kurt finally settles on leaning back, one leg bent up with the heel of his foot against the wall behind him. Jeff faces him, leaning in and propping himself against the wall with a hand placed just over Kurt's shoulder.
"This is fine, right?" Kurt asks, looking around anxiously at the empty corridor. "People stand like this, don't they?"
"I don't think he's going to be paying attention to how we're standing," Jeff says kindly.
"Right. Of course." Kurt drums a few fingers against the mural behind him, then his head suddenly snaps back to look at Jeff. "Should we use tongue?"
Jeff snorts. "No, he's not going to come close enough to notice something like that."
"Okay. No tongue," Kurt affirms, nodding. "Oh, god, what if I do it wrong? What if he knows it's fake? Maybe we should have practiced or something."
Jeff's head drops, his whole body shaking with silent laughter. "Will you relax?" he snickers. "This was your idea, and I'm the one in the hot seat right now. Why are you the one freaking out?"
"You're right, I'm sorry." Kurt shakes his head and pulls a serious look. "Game face." He breathes deep and exhales slowly. "Okay, T minus 30 seconds. He should be here any minute." Jeff bows his head, resting it against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt nuzzles him for a moment before he hears Jeff whimper. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine," Jeff lies, lifting his head to shake it briskly. "Nick's going to be here any minute," he repeats. "Any minute now."
"Jeff..."
"Oh, god, I'm going to be sick," he whines, head plunging back to Kurt's shoulder. He careens a bit as Jeff goes limp against him.
"Oh, no you're not!" he grunts.
"Yes, I am," Jeff grumbles. "All over your shoes."
"Hey! None of that!" Kurt quips, seizing Jeff by the shoulders and righting him. "These are brand new shoes, mister."
"No, they're not, you wear them all the time."
"Oh, that's right, I can't pull that on gay guys," Kurt says with enough whimsy for a smile to break free on Jeff's face. "Well," he adds in haste, "definitely none of that during the kissing."
"How about after?" Jeff pleads.
"Yes, after, but the shoes are non-negotiable."
"Deal," Jeff agrees, straightening up and reaffixing his palm to the wall behind Kurt's head. Kurt folds his arms behind him at the small of his back, bouncing his weight blithely between the wall and Jeff in his restlessness. His eyes swing to the side to check the watch on Jeff's wrist. He's about to comment that Nick is a few minutes late when he happens to spy over Jeff's shoulder, walking briskly towards them, head down as he grapples with the buckles on the shoulder-bag at his side, the man of the hour.
"Don't look, but here he comes," Kurt whispers. He looks up at Jeff with a quirked and encouraging smile. "Kiss me right now."
Jeff is grateful that Kurt chose to be the lookout because he knows that, if he were to physically see Nick right now, he wouldn't be able to go through with it. But with only Kurt in his sight, he's able to deceive himself that they are truly alone. In the brief moment while Jeff licks his lips, Kurt's eyes flutter closed, and he murmurs, "Make it big," and then his lips are sealed by Jeff's.
Kurt expected the kiss to be tentative, maybe a little awkward, like kissing a cousin or a brother, but in contrast to the only two other kisses he's had before, this is warm and passionate. There's no tongue, like they agreed, but Jeff moves Kurt's lips open with his own as if there could be. Kurt feels a hand at the base of his neck, tugging him forward, but there isn't enough touching, so he unhooks his own arms from behind him and snakes them around Jeff's waist, pulling their hips flush together. He inhales sharply through his nose, breathing in a scent of Jeff he's never experienced before; the intimacy of it puts a soft hum at the back of Kurt's throat. When breathing becomes a labored task, they break the kiss, panting.
With his hand still at Kurt's face, Jeff strokes his thumb along Kurt's jaw line as they both open their eyes. Kurt's lips tingle, and he licks them out of reflex, but Jeff hasn't pulled back far enough, and Kurt's tongue accidentally sweeps Jeff's lips. The warm, languid feeling that Kurt felt spreading through his limbs from the kiss evaporates as his eyes open wide and he pulls his head back with horror. "Oh my god," he murmurs, "I'm so sorry! We said no tongue!"
Jeff laughs inaudibly. "It's okay, Kurt. That doesn't count."
"I swear, it was an accident!"
"It's fine," Jeff insists, brushing his knuckles against Kurt's cheek. He feels the muscles in Kurt's face relax as he strokes until they pull into a smile. The two of them hold each other's gaze until the tension of the moment dissipates and Kurt remembers why they are here in the first place.
"Oh," he breathes, turning his head to look around the corridor for any sign of Nick - but he finds none. "Huh."
"Is he devastated? Is he angry?" Jeff whispers, but Kurt just shakes his head. "What, then?"
"He's gone."