Fic: Dancing in the Moonlight
Title: Dancing in the Moonlight
Rating: PG
Pairings: Klaine, some Tike, Finchel, Brittana
Word Count: 5,800
Summary: Blaine Anderson is part of a crew of explorers, on their way to Antarctica. What they find is a beautiful underground city, full of a thriving race with precious stones. Blaine only sees him. Klaine. An Atlantis: The Lost Empire AU, with some illusions to Avatar: TLA.
AN: based on a fanart my Miryak. Find it HERE and be sure to leave a nice comment!
----GLEE-----
Prologue - (Written by Miryah)
Excerpts from the journal of B. Anderson, navigator of the Audition, recorded during his voyage to Antarctica:
The journey had been uneventful (surprisingly so when considering the… interesting individuals sailing on the two small ships of our expedition,) until we hit a block just south of the Valkyrie dome. After Captain Lopez made some decidedly daring decisions we found ourselves under the surface of the ice in a network of tunnels. They seemed to be leading into our desired direction, and if geologist Jones did make a remark of the way they also sloped gently but firmly downwards, no one paid mind.
After a six-hour journey saw light at the end of the tunnel and rushed towards it. We came to a large cave, where an underground lake laid before us, and across it-across the lake stood a city, a castle or a citadel, of shining ice.
-
-
But nothing we found, not the glorious city of ice, the thriving people or the massive amounts of precious minerals, could compare to him.
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Blaine had never been on a journey such as this before. In theory, he was a brilliant navigator. He had made maps that lead to worlds he had never been before, which were sold to the people that actually made the voyages.
This time, however, he had been asked come along on the voyage. Something about needing a competent navigator on hand.
It was a very rag-tag team of explorers. There was the female Captain Santana Lopez. She was beautiful, even Blaine could see that, though he hadn’t been interested in women all his live (save a drunken night with his friend, Miss Rachel Berry).
Blaine usually choose to forget about that night, however. She was now engaged to Finn Hudson, anyway, one of Blaine’s best friends.
Finn was on the voyage, as well, as a mechanic. He was normally pretty slow, but was a master when it came to engines. He and a handful of others were able to keep this ship, which was ahead of its time, surely, on its way to Antarctica.
Others on the ship, that Blaine himself didn’t know that well, were a young doctor named Tina Cohen-Chang, Mercedes Jones, a geologist; Puck, who was in change of demolition, if they ran into any problems getting their ship through ice and such; and Lauren Zizes, who was the head cook. Those were the individuals on his ship, at least. There was another, smaller ship that held a few other people, ran by the second in command, an arrogant Jesse St. James
It was simple enough navigation wise. There had been a handful of journeys to Antarctica before, so Blaine drew from their past. They were, however, going to an unexplored part of the continent. Any free moment Blaine had, while not helping out on the ship as he saw fit, was spent tracking the stars and seas, making detailed maps of the uncharted oceans.
They reached land, and for a few days, went through the ice, their ship big enough to coast through.
Then, they encountered a strange, icy tunnel, that seemed to slope downwards, seemingly under water, but not. It was filled with air, out of the oceans’ grasp. After a day of debate, they decided to take the tunnel down, leaving the ships there and taking off road vehicles down.
Most everyone on the other ship stayed, though St. James insisted on coming with them.
After six hours of torturous travel, Blaine and the others came to a large cave. While we were probably hundreds of miles underground, according to Jones, it was brightly lit. A large underground lake lay in front of them, sparkling and probably some of the clearest water Blaine had ever seen.
This didn’t keep their attention for long, because suddenly they saw the source of the light, which kept the cave lit.
It was a city, made of sparkling ice or crystal, Blaine wasn’t sure. It was grand and beautiful, and even from this distance, he could tell it was ornately decorated in great detail.
“Holy crap.”
“How eloquent of you, Noah.”
“Shut it, St. James!”
“It’s beautiful,” said Tina, her eyes wide and face pale. “But…there can’t really be people down here. Can there?”
“Only one way to find out,” said Captain Lopez. “Trek on.”
They continued to mobilize, going around the large lake toward the city. They had just passed the body of water when movement in front of them stopped them short. Blaine watched with wide eyes as two sleds, pulled by what appeared to be dogs neared them. (The dogs, however, were the size of a small bear, with a very thick coat, which was actually blue in color).
There were four men, two on each sled. They wore thick furs, the outsides tinted blue and the insides a pure white. In fact, the same color as the dog like animals. Blaine figured that they were used for meat and clothes, as well as travel. They were as ornately decorated as the city in front of them seemed to be.
One men, a tall blonde man, began to speak, but in a language that didn’t seem familiar at all. Although, wait, there, there was a word that sounded vaguely like Spanish. And another. The language the man spoke was probably rooted in the language, and Blaine had an ok grasp on it himself.
He spared Captain Lopez a glance. She, too, recognize the connection. She stepped forward and spoke in a fluent Spanish. She said that she couldn’t understand them exactly, but recognized words of this language.
The blonde man shared a look with his companions. He switched to another language, this one clearly recognizable as Spanish as Blaine had learned it.
“He switched tongues so easily,” Blaine found himself saying, this time in English.
The blonde man tilted his head at Blaine. “It’s not difficult,” he said, this time in English as well.
The group of explorers looked at him in surprise. “Is this your native tongue?” asked the man, looking over all of them.
“Yes, it is,” said Blaine, still slightly shocked.
“We are explorers,” said Captain Lopez. “We came across the tunnel that leads here. We mean no harm. We’re just here for science and the sake of learning.”
The blonde turned to his companions once more and spoke it what appeared to be their native tongue, the ones with a few Spanish words mixed in. He nodded.
“I am -” He spoke a name that seemed to blend together, and at their confused looks, he smiled softly. “I suppose I can shorten it. Our names can be notoriously long, and we end up going by shorter ones any way. I am Sam.”
“Sam,” said Captain Lopez. “I am Captain Santana Lopez. This is my crew. I would introduce you all, but I feel like that would take much too long.” Captain Lopez had struck Blaine as a no nonsense woman before now, but she truly showed it now. Blaine hadn’t even gotten to know her enough to call her by her first name, as he did with a few others on the crew now.
“You will come with us,” said another man, not Sam. “We need to see what our King thinks of you outsiders before we let you leave.”
It didn’t sound threatening, but Blaine knew that if their King didn’t approve, they might not return back to their ship.
Sam instructed one of the sleds to return back to the city first, to warn them of their arrival, then he whipped the dog like animals to walk slowly at a brisk pace, keeping up with the vehicles they had (which Sam and the other man found fascinating).
The closer they got to the city, the more awed they became. It was absolutely beautiful, and still Blaine couldn’t decide if it was made of ice or a sort of crystal or stone. He doubted that it could be ice. How cold would living in ice dwellings be? But then, this was Antarctica.
They finally made it to the edge of the city, and then continued inside it. There were people on the streets, all dressed in clothing similar to Sam’s. They outright stared as they passed by, some stopping with wide eyed expressions. Obviously, outsiders weren’t seen.
Blaine still couldn’t believe that there was such a city - community - of people down here. They were hundreds of miles under ground, and yet, they seemed to be thriving. Blaine looked up at the sky, or at least, what would be sky if they weren’t underground. He was suddenly struck with the question: how is it bright?
There was some sort of orb hanging above their heads, casting a light much paler than the sun. It was beautiful, and oddly transfixing.
Finally, they arrived at a very large, castle like dwelling. Sam spoke to a guard that was standing in front of a large door, also in their own language. The guard nodded and opened the door for them. Sam told them that their vehicles would be taken care of and they followed him into the home.
Like the outside, the inside was made of the solid substance. It wasn’t ice, Blaine could see now. It was some sort of crystal, or stone. Very sturdy. It was decorated with furs and furniture also made of the stone.
Sam lead them through a few rooms, and Blaine grew more nervous. Finally, they were brought to a large room with a high ceiling. At the end was a man, sitting at a table with papers in front of him. He looked up and set the pen he held down.
He spoke to Sam, and Blaine noticed that the other men that had been on the other sled were in the room. He had been told of them already, thankfully.
The man was tall, like Sam, but much older. In his 50’s, perhaps, while Sam was their age, early 20’s. He was rounder, too, though not “fat”. It was just the belly one usually got when they hit their 30’s and above.
“Welcome, to our city,” the man finally said, in English, causing the crew to snap to attention. “I am -” Again, a string of syllables that was difficult to follow. “But of course, Sam instructed me to go by my nick name. It isn’t exactly traditional for a King to go as such, but I was never exactly traditional.” He laughed and suddenly, Blaine seemed more at ease. “I am Burt, King of this city, Anicka.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Burt,” said Captain Lopez. She introduced herself once more, and why they were here. Burt nodded, looking thoughtful.
“Please introduce yourselves and your rank in this crew,” he said, looking past Captain Lopez, who looked put out by this.
They went down the line, awkwardly introducing themselves. Finally, it was Blaine’s turn.
“I’m Blaine Anderson, sir. Navigator.”
“What is this? Navigator?” Burt repeated the word, but a bit wrongly.
“It’s a person who…maps out things,” explained Blaine. A blank look, from both Burt and Sam. “I write down where things are, not just in a city, but as large as a country or ocean, for example. Then I tell people, such as Captain Lopez, where they should go when at sea or on land.”
“Interesting,” said Burt. He was still looking thoughtful. “I have to admit, this is something we have never encountered. Outsiders are not common at all. We have, once or twice, seen ships on the ocean above, but never anyone on land, or in fact, in our city. I hope you understand if I want to keep you here for a few days. I want to know that you are not a threat to my city.”
“Of course, your, uh, majesty?” said Captain Lopez.
“Burt is fine, young lady,” said Burt. “My home has many rooms for you all to use. These two will show you to them.” He gestured to a man and woman, slightly older than Blaine by the looks of it. They nodded. “Dinner will be in a few hours. We’ll have more time to speak then. Feel free to explore the city.”
With that, the man and woman lead them out of the room. Sam stayed back with Burt, speaking softly.
The house was, in fact, huge. Huge enough where everyone in the crew got their own room. Blaine was left in a room, in between Puck and Finn’s. It was modest enough, one bed, made of the stone, but with many blankets and what looked like a mattress (though this was filled with perhaps feathers and furs). There was a writing desk and a trunk for clothing.
Blaine had told the man who lead them to his room what his bag look liked, which was with the vehicles, and would be brought up soon.
Blaine sat for a few moments, looking out a glassy window at the city in front of him. He was on the second floor of the house and had a great view. He decided to take Burt’s advice and do some exploring. He looked for Puck and Finn in their rooms, but they seemed to be gone, too, so Blaine went by himself.
He left the King’s home and began walking down the street, which was a mixture of snow and dirt. People stared as he passed, but didn’t speak to him. He didn’t want to walk too far, but this city, it was a marvel.
Blaine wailed for ten minutes before stopping at the end of a street. There was a building in front of him that resembled a music hall or theatre. Blaine himself loved the theatre, and to sing, though he didn’t do it often in front of others. Not since he was young.
This seemed as good as place as any to explore, so Blaine walked up the slippery stairs and opened the door.
It resembled a theatre from the inside, too. Rows and rows of chairs, facing a raised platform, which looked like it would double as a stage. It looked empty, and ghostly silent.
That is, until a voice rang out, singing in a sweet melody.
Blaine froze when the voice hit him. It was singing in the language Sam had spoken originally, which Blaine expected. It was beautiful while sung, however. A string of melodic syllables, sung by a high male voice.
Blaine walked through the theatre when he finally regained motion. He finally noticed that there was a man, probably around his own age; maybe younger, sitting on the edge of the stage.
The clothing he wore was similar to Sam and the others he had seen, but he seemed to wear it differently. It was also cut closer to the body. All blues and whites, intricate decorations all over them. He also wore a red pendant, that seemed to glow eerily.
The man himself was thin and pale, but not in a sickly way. His blue eyes matched the blue clothing he wore, and in fact reminded Blaine of the pristine lake they had encountered when they first arrived in the cave. His hair was a glossy brown, and fell across his forehead gracefully in places. In his hair, there was an ornate headpiece, a shimmery white metal and blue jewels. Blaine recalled that Burt wore a similar looking thing on his head, and he vaguely remembered a few people on the street wearing some sort of decoration in their hair. It must be a fashion.
Blaine noticed this all in a moment. It wasn’t exactly important, what he wore.
Because this man was absolutely breathtaking in his beauty.
In fact, Blaine made a sound when he saw the man, causing him to look up. His eyes widened and he stood quickly, jumping down from the stage. He was taller than Blaine, which fit his slender form.
He began to speak in the language he had been singing in. Blaine colored and hoped that everyone had the grasp on language that Burt and Sam seemed to.
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said in English. “I just - I was told I could explore.”
“Who are you?” asked the man, in English. Blaine was thankful. His voice, just as he sang, was beautiful.
“I am Blaine Anderson, of the Audition, a ship in voyage to Antarctica. We found this city in our journeys. The king of your city wants us to stay for a few days, to see if we can be trusted to leave,” said Blaine nervously.
The man’s face remained neutral as Blaine spoke. He nodded, thoughtful. “We’ve never had outsiders before,” said the man, looking slightly nervous, but curious. “I’ve always wondered…many of the hunters have seen a ship or two, on the horizon.”
Blaine smiled, trying to be comforting. “I have to admit, you and your city are spectacular.” Blaine realized what he said, and quickly blushed. “I mean - we didn’t know people lived here. Beside that, you live so far down, and still survive, with a strange light hovering above your city. I’m frankly shocked.”
The man smiled playfully. “Why thank you, for your compliment to my city. I should introduce myself,” he said suddenly. He spoke, once again, his full name, before realizing his mistake. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s alright,” Blaine said. “Your name, the full one, is quite beautiful. The language is, in fact.”
“Thank you. Call me Kurt, please,” he said finally.
“Kurt,” Blaine repeated, testing the name on his lips. He could somewhat see why Kurt was his nickname, as Sam was his and Burt was his. Blaine could somewhat pick out a K sound in Kurt’s full name, as well as the letters in Sam and Burt’s.
“Your voice is beautiful, by the way,” said Blaine, taking a step closer to Kurt.
Kurt blushed. “Thank you,” he said, modestly. “I love to sing.”
“I do too,” said Blaine without thinking. “I haven’t done so for…well, years really.”
“I couldn’t go a day without singing,” said Kurt. “Would you…I suppose I wouldn’t know any of your native songs. You wouldn’t know mine, either.”
“Sing?” asked Blaine, suddenly nervous. “Maybe…maybe some other time,” he finally said. “I actually have a question for you. It’s been nagging me since we arrived, but I haven’t had a good opportunity to ask yet.”
“Go ahead,” said Kurt. He sat down on one of the chairs nearby, and Blaine followed him.
“How is it that you know English so well? And Sam, he was the first person we met, he spoke in perfect Spanish. Your language, it’s similar in ways to that language, and Captain Lopez started to speak in it. Then he switched to English.” Blaine tilted his head. “How is that?”
Kurt looked pensive for a moment. “It has to do with our pendants,” he said finally, touching the red pendant around his neck. “It’s a source of power and knowledge. We’ve never had to use it for language before, because we’ve never met an outsider, but then, it sometimes surprises us with its powers and uses. When you spoke that language - English? - I just understood it, and knew how to speak it as well. It came naturally.”
“That’s…fascinating,” said Blaine, looking at the necklace. “But you are humans, right? That sounds like an even more ridiculous question than it did in my head, but I guess I should ask.”
Kurt smiled at Blaine as he continued to ramble nervously. “It’s fine, Blaine. Our legends say that we migrated here hundreds of years ago from main lands to the north. The early settlers found this tunnel and the precious stones that were good for building. Being underground protected them from the harsh elements above, and at first, they were only going to wait out the winter, when it was worse. Then they decided to stay, not only because it had become home, but they found the power source.”
“Power source?” asked Blaine.
“Yes. Both our light above the city, which acts as both the sun and moon, and our pendants. Of course, they broke apart the stones so each individual could have their won pendant and power.”
“So you were part of our world,” said Blaine after a long moment. “And after this separation…became your own people. That would explain the language you originally speak. Perhaps you migrated from South America, or Spain, and that’s the reason for your Spanish origins. Although, I don’t see how you could be dependences of the Spaniards. You’re quite pale…”
“Are these ‘Spaniards’ the same coloring as you?” asked Kurt. He reached forward, putting his hand on Blaine’s, causing a slight thrill to go through his body. Compared to Blaine, the difference in coloring was even more contrasting. After so long on ships, Blaine had a healthy tan, while Kurt was very, very white. He reminded Blaine of a porcelain doll.
“A bit darker, actually,” said Blaine after a moment. “And then there are even people with Mercedes’ coloring. Very, very dark,” said Blaine, trying to think if he had any black people in the city. He didn’t think he had.
“Well,” said Kurt after a moment. “There are a handful of people with your coloring.” He said a name. “Or Mike,” he amended, embarrassed at using the long name. “But then, Mike is descendant of a second wave of settlers, that probably joined the first after a hundred years.”
“Interesting. But…there hasn’t been any more settlers since then? No contact with the outside world?”
“None,” said Kurt.
Blaine realized that his time was probably waning, and that dinner would be starting soon. He didn’t want to leave Kurt, he was…so magical and mysterious.
“I should be going,” he finally said, standing. “I need to meet back with my crew. I do hope I see you around more, however. You’re very…well, accommodating.”
Kurt smiled at him, his teeth white and perfect. “I admit, I have many questions for you. I think we’ll see each other soon. It is a small city, after all,” he said with an unreadable grin.
Blaine left the theatre, feeling like he was on top of the world. When he got back to the king’s home, his crew was gathered near the front. He stood next to Mercedes and Tina, wanting to say something about Kurt and what he had learned, but knowing this wasn’t the right moment. After a few minutes, they were lead back to a formal dining room.
Burt was at the head of the table, and greeted them warmly when they came in. Captain Lopez sat on Burt’s left side, most likely ready to do business. St. James sat next to her, and the Captain didn’t look pleased. Blaine was going to sit on Burt’s right, but he said his son would be arriving shortly, so Blaine sat just one chair down.
Blaine chatted quietly with Mercedes, who sat next to him. Apparently, Mercedes and Tina had ventured over a few streets to where a market was set up. “There were all sorts of foods that we didn’t even recognize,” she said. “And the clothing is just…beautiful. I hope that I can trade something for a coat. I know our money is probably useless here.”
“It is quite striking,” said Blaine, thinking of the way Kurt’s clothes hung to his body.
“If my son would get here, we could begin dinner,” said Burt, slightly exasperated. “Ah, finally. You’re late.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly know we had guests, until minutes ago,” said a voice at the door. It was familiar in its musical tone.
Blaine turned. Kurt was now walking toward him, smiling gently as they made eye contact. Kurt went straight to the chair next to Burt, and also next to Blaine.
“Hello again, Blaine,” he greeted as he sat down.
Burt looked at Kurt - his son, thought Blaine - with a confused expression. In fact, everyone at the table was looking at him with a questioning look. Blaine was probably quite red.
“Kurt,” he said. “You…you’re Burt’s son, then?” he asked.
Kurt smiled. “I suppose I didn’t mention that.”
“No, you didn’t. That makes you a…well, prince, then?” It was a foreign concept.
“Yes, although, I don’t quite care for titles. Nor does the rest of the city. The king is there to make sure laws are followed. It is a position of authority, not one of high glamour.” Kurt looked over to his father with a nod.
“Oh.”
“You’ve met?” asked Burt.
“Yes, just a few minutes ago. Blaine wandered into mom’s theatre. We had a nice chat. I was…shocked, to see an outsider.”
“Everyone is, Kurt,” said Burt. He turned back to the table. “Well, we can begin dinner, now that everyone is here.”
A few servers came out, placing bowls of soup in front of them. The steam that came off them was absolutely heavenly. Although, it wasn’t quite as cold down here as it had been on the surface. Kurt had been correct that living underground protected them from the weather.
The soup reminded Blaine of potatoes, but he couldn’t be sure. It was cremey and very good, and Blaine was starving. Over dinner, everyone spoke, getting a few words in with Burt. Blaine spoke most to Kurt.
“And you must be the person he mentioned, with the dark skin,” said Kurt brightly, looking at Mercedes. She raised an eyebrow at Kurt. “Oh. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to…offend, if I did. The darkest skinned people that live in the city are actually quite similar to the woman next to you.”
Tina was drawn into the conversation suddenly. “They’re Asian?” asked Tina and Kurt shrugged, saying he didn’t know what that word meant.
“And you didn’t offend me, I guess,” said Mercedes. “I can see why you would be curious. I admit, I am. As a geologist, this is just…mind-blowing.” Kurt didn’t understand what “geologist” meant, and Mercedes explained in a very simple way, making sure to not be condescending. It wasn’t Kurt’s fault that he was ignorant to the jobs they had.
The main part of the meal was a sort of meet that none of the crew could place. Blaine thought that maybe it could be the dog like animals from earlier, or even some other species that they hadn’t seen before. It seemed like anything was possible, now. It was tougher to chew, but had a pleasant taste.
Mercedes and Tina were very happy speaking to Kurt, and near the end of dinner, Kurt said that he would be happy to show them around the city more tomorrow. “I can gather some of my friends. If people are more interested in seeing other places, we can split up.”
Mercedes told Kurt that she really liked the market. “And the clothing you have - it’s beautiful.”
“Why thank you,” said Kurt, his eyes sparkling. “I personally designed what I’m wearing. You’d look beautiful in a traditional -” The word he said wasn’t as long as the names had been, but they couldn’t understand it. “Oh. Like a…dress? Yes, dress,” said Kurt, finding the correct translation word.
“Do you trade for clothes? Or is there a currency?”
“Money, usually,” said Kurt. “But I would be happy to buy you something. You and Tina. Even you, Blaine, if you find anything.”
“Oh boo, you don’t have to,” Mercedes said, but Blaine could tell she was excited.
“What’s ‘boo’ mean?” asked Kurt, looking slightly confused. Throughout the dinner, there had been many cultural differences to explain. It was mostly very information and interesting to see, though.
“It’s like a term of endearment,” explained Mercedes. “You must have those.”
“Oh yes, we do,” said Kurt with a wide smile. “Although, I haven’t been called one. Well, yes, -” Kurt said a name that sounded like music. “- does. Brittany is her short name. She calls me sweet-names sometimes. That’s what we call them, sweet-names.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” asked Mercedes with a smile.
Blaine didn’t like the reaction his stomach gave when Mercedes said that. The thought that Kurt had a girlfriend and wasn’t gay, like him, shouldn’t make him so sad. He had only known the other man for a few hours. He was also the song of the local king, who was deciding if they were trustworthy enough to leave and not lead people here afterwards. It shouldn’t bother him.
“Oh no,” said Kurt with a laugh. This reply shouldn’t have affected him so, either. The happiness he experienced that Kurt wasn’t attached to someone. “I would never be with Brittany. I prefer men.”
“Oh really?” asked Tina, obviously shocked at his answer. Homosexuality wasn’t accepted where they were from. If you were inclined to the same sex, you kept it to yourself. Telling someone, so casually at dinner, wasn’t heard of.
“Yes,” said Kurt, momentarily confused.
“And that’s…accepted?” asked Mercedes. “You seem comfortable saying so.”
“Why shouldn’t it be accepted?” asked Kurt.
Mercedes and Tina, and in fact, Puck and Finn across the table, exchanged looks. It would be hard to explain the prejudice held against gays where they were from, if such a thing didn’t exist here.
“It’s quite complicated,” said Blaine, finally. “You just don’t say you like the same sex. It’s not…normal.”
Kurt scowled at Blaine, his body tensing. “It’s completely normal, as normal as taking a lover of a different sex. While a union of two men or two women doesn’t result in children, it keeps the population in the city under control. We can’t grow too quickly, after all, because we can’t expand much more. How can you live in a world that doesn’t accept that people love who they love?”
“Kurt, I understand,” said Blaine and Kurt made a sound, as if he was laughing at Blaine. “Really, I do. I…” Blaine spared a glace over at the other crew members. They were all staring. Burt, too, was looking at his son. He looked proud, that his son was standing up for himself. Blaine’s heart ached. His father had stopped speaking to him after…
“I’m the same. I prefer men over women, though back where we are from, I can’t say so at a dinner table, to people like you can.” Kurt’s expression softened suddenly, and there were a few gasps down the table. Blaine knew that he didn’t give off any indication that he wasn’t a “normal” man. In fact, the few women on the voyage had expressed an interest in him. He politely declined and they probably thought he had a loved one at home and didn’t want to stray.
Kurt noticed the gasps, looking at the crew’s surprised expressions, and back at Blaine. “They didn’t know.” Blaine nodded. “I’m sorry for making you say such a thing, in front of this company,” he said in a low voice.
“It feels nice, actually,” said Blaine, looking away from Kurt and at his plate. In fact, it felt amazing. Blaine had only ever told his family that he was gay, and they reacted badly. Rachel Berry knew, too, but she kept his secret for him.
It was also thrilling, to be next to Kurt, who was just like him. Blaine had never met someone like him. It wasn’t like he could met men like people met women.
Dinner wrapped up. Captain Lopez continued to speak to Burt, along with St. James. Blaine and Kurt found themselves walking with each other, into what Blaine figured was the main room of the house.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier,” said Kurt, slightly embarrassed. “I guess I just got offended. And…I don’t completely understand, but I’m sure it was difficult for you to say that at dinner, in front of all those people.”
“I suppose,” said Blaine with a sigh. “They are good people, though. Many have become my friends, and Finn himself has been a friend for years. I feel confident that they won’t tell anyone else. They might effect accept it about me.”
“They should,” said Kurt automatically.
Blaine smiled at Kurt. “I like your confidence. I suppose growing up here would do that for you…it’s interesting to see that you and your people are so accepting. I…I wish we were like that, back home.”
Kurt sent Blaine a comforting smile. “I will see you and your crew tomorrow. My friends and I will be down here and we’ll have breakfast.”
“Thank you for offering to buy Mercedes and Tina clothing, they seemed infatuated with the idea.”
“It’s no problem at all. Sleep well, Blaine,” said Kurt, smiling and waving before walking down a hallway that lead to the other side of the house. Most likely the bedrooms for the permanent inhabitants.
“Sleep well, Kurt,” said Blaine, waving after him with a dreamy smile.
Excerpts from the journal of B. Anderson, navigator of the Audition, recorded during his voyage to Antarctica:
Today has been a day like no other. Today, we discovered a community of people that lived underground in Antarctica. Besides just this, they seem to have an interesting power source that gives them knowledge of language.
Besides this discover, I met a man. A man that is like me. More than this, I actually told my crew about my sexuality. After the disastrous coming out to my parents years ago, I thought I would never tell another person.
Kurt has a beauty that not only is evident by just looking at him, but is also reflected in his kind nature. I have truly never met anyone like him. Now that I have, I’m almost fearful for these feelings I have.
TBC
Rating: PG
Pairings: Klaine, some Tike, Finchel, Brittana
Word Count: 5,800
Summary: Blaine Anderson is part of a crew of explorers, on their way to Antarctica. What they find is a beautiful underground city, full of a thriving race with precious stones. Blaine only sees him. Klaine. An Atlantis: The Lost Empire AU, with some illusions to Avatar: TLA.
AN: based on a fanart my Miryak. Find it HERE and be sure to leave a nice comment!
----GLEE-----
Prologue - (Written by Miryah)
Excerpts from the journal of B. Anderson, navigator of the Audition, recorded during his voyage to Antarctica:
The journey had been uneventful (surprisingly so when considering the… interesting individuals sailing on the two small ships of our expedition,) until we hit a block just south of the Valkyrie dome. After Captain Lopez made some decidedly daring decisions we found ourselves under the surface of the ice in a network of tunnels. They seemed to be leading into our desired direction, and if geologist Jones did make a remark of the way they also sloped gently but firmly downwards, no one paid mind.
After a six-hour journey saw light at the end of the tunnel and rushed towards it. We came to a large cave, where an underground lake laid before us, and across it-across the lake stood a city, a castle or a citadel, of shining ice.
-
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But nothing we found, not the glorious city of ice, the thriving people or the massive amounts of precious minerals, could compare to him.
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Blaine had never been on a journey such as this before. In theory, he was a brilliant navigator. He had made maps that lead to worlds he had never been before, which were sold to the people that actually made the voyages.
This time, however, he had been asked come along on the voyage. Something about needing a competent navigator on hand.
It was a very rag-tag team of explorers. There was the female Captain Santana Lopez. She was beautiful, even Blaine could see that, though he hadn’t been interested in women all his live (save a drunken night with his friend, Miss Rachel Berry).
Blaine usually choose to forget about that night, however. She was now engaged to Finn Hudson, anyway, one of Blaine’s best friends.
Finn was on the voyage, as well, as a mechanic. He was normally pretty slow, but was a master when it came to engines. He and a handful of others were able to keep this ship, which was ahead of its time, surely, on its way to Antarctica.
Others on the ship, that Blaine himself didn’t know that well, were a young doctor named Tina Cohen-Chang, Mercedes Jones, a geologist; Puck, who was in change of demolition, if they ran into any problems getting their ship through ice and such; and Lauren Zizes, who was the head cook. Those were the individuals on his ship, at least. There was another, smaller ship that held a few other people, ran by the second in command, an arrogant Jesse St. James
It was simple enough navigation wise. There had been a handful of journeys to Antarctica before, so Blaine drew from their past. They were, however, going to an unexplored part of the continent. Any free moment Blaine had, while not helping out on the ship as he saw fit, was spent tracking the stars and seas, making detailed maps of the uncharted oceans.
They reached land, and for a few days, went through the ice, their ship big enough to coast through.
Then, they encountered a strange, icy tunnel, that seemed to slope downwards, seemingly under water, but not. It was filled with air, out of the oceans’ grasp. After a day of debate, they decided to take the tunnel down, leaving the ships there and taking off road vehicles down.
Most everyone on the other ship stayed, though St. James insisted on coming with them.
After six hours of torturous travel, Blaine and the others came to a large cave. While we were probably hundreds of miles underground, according to Jones, it was brightly lit. A large underground lake lay in front of them, sparkling and probably some of the clearest water Blaine had ever seen.
This didn’t keep their attention for long, because suddenly they saw the source of the light, which kept the cave lit.
It was a city, made of sparkling ice or crystal, Blaine wasn’t sure. It was grand and beautiful, and even from this distance, he could tell it was ornately decorated in great detail.
“Holy crap.”
“How eloquent of you, Noah.”
“Shut it, St. James!”
“It’s beautiful,” said Tina, her eyes wide and face pale. “But…there can’t really be people down here. Can there?”
“Only one way to find out,” said Captain Lopez. “Trek on.”
They continued to mobilize, going around the large lake toward the city. They had just passed the body of water when movement in front of them stopped them short. Blaine watched with wide eyes as two sleds, pulled by what appeared to be dogs neared them. (The dogs, however, were the size of a small bear, with a very thick coat, which was actually blue in color).
There were four men, two on each sled. They wore thick furs, the outsides tinted blue and the insides a pure white. In fact, the same color as the dog like animals. Blaine figured that they were used for meat and clothes, as well as travel. They were as ornately decorated as the city in front of them seemed to be.
One men, a tall blonde man, began to speak, but in a language that didn’t seem familiar at all. Although, wait, there, there was a word that sounded vaguely like Spanish. And another. The language the man spoke was probably rooted in the language, and Blaine had an ok grasp on it himself.
He spared Captain Lopez a glance. She, too, recognize the connection. She stepped forward and spoke in a fluent Spanish. She said that she couldn’t understand them exactly, but recognized words of this language.
The blonde man shared a look with his companions. He switched to another language, this one clearly recognizable as Spanish as Blaine had learned it.
“He switched tongues so easily,” Blaine found himself saying, this time in English.
The blonde man tilted his head at Blaine. “It’s not difficult,” he said, this time in English as well.
The group of explorers looked at him in surprise. “Is this your native tongue?” asked the man, looking over all of them.
“Yes, it is,” said Blaine, still slightly shocked.
“We are explorers,” said Captain Lopez. “We came across the tunnel that leads here. We mean no harm. We’re just here for science and the sake of learning.”
The blonde turned to his companions once more and spoke it what appeared to be their native tongue, the ones with a few Spanish words mixed in. He nodded.
“I am -” He spoke a name that seemed to blend together, and at their confused looks, he smiled softly. “I suppose I can shorten it. Our names can be notoriously long, and we end up going by shorter ones any way. I am Sam.”
“Sam,” said Captain Lopez. “I am Captain Santana Lopez. This is my crew. I would introduce you all, but I feel like that would take much too long.” Captain Lopez had struck Blaine as a no nonsense woman before now, but she truly showed it now. Blaine hadn’t even gotten to know her enough to call her by her first name, as he did with a few others on the crew now.
“You will come with us,” said another man, not Sam. “We need to see what our King thinks of you outsiders before we let you leave.”
It didn’t sound threatening, but Blaine knew that if their King didn’t approve, they might not return back to their ship.
Sam instructed one of the sleds to return back to the city first, to warn them of their arrival, then he whipped the dog like animals to walk slowly at a brisk pace, keeping up with the vehicles they had (which Sam and the other man found fascinating).
The closer they got to the city, the more awed they became. It was absolutely beautiful, and still Blaine couldn’t decide if it was made of ice or a sort of crystal or stone. He doubted that it could be ice. How cold would living in ice dwellings be? But then, this was Antarctica.
They finally made it to the edge of the city, and then continued inside it. There were people on the streets, all dressed in clothing similar to Sam’s. They outright stared as they passed by, some stopping with wide eyed expressions. Obviously, outsiders weren’t seen.
Blaine still couldn’t believe that there was such a city - community - of people down here. They were hundreds of miles under ground, and yet, they seemed to be thriving. Blaine looked up at the sky, or at least, what would be sky if they weren’t underground. He was suddenly struck with the question: how is it bright?
There was some sort of orb hanging above their heads, casting a light much paler than the sun. It was beautiful, and oddly transfixing.
Finally, they arrived at a very large, castle like dwelling. Sam spoke to a guard that was standing in front of a large door, also in their own language. The guard nodded and opened the door for them. Sam told them that their vehicles would be taken care of and they followed him into the home.
Like the outside, the inside was made of the solid substance. It wasn’t ice, Blaine could see now. It was some sort of crystal, or stone. Very sturdy. It was decorated with furs and furniture also made of the stone.
Sam lead them through a few rooms, and Blaine grew more nervous. Finally, they were brought to a large room with a high ceiling. At the end was a man, sitting at a table with papers in front of him. He looked up and set the pen he held down.
He spoke to Sam, and Blaine noticed that the other men that had been on the other sled were in the room. He had been told of them already, thankfully.
The man was tall, like Sam, but much older. In his 50’s, perhaps, while Sam was their age, early 20’s. He was rounder, too, though not “fat”. It was just the belly one usually got when they hit their 30’s and above.
“Welcome, to our city,” the man finally said, in English, causing the crew to snap to attention. “I am -” Again, a string of syllables that was difficult to follow. “But of course, Sam instructed me to go by my nick name. It isn’t exactly traditional for a King to go as such, but I was never exactly traditional.” He laughed and suddenly, Blaine seemed more at ease. “I am Burt, King of this city, Anicka.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Burt,” said Captain Lopez. She introduced herself once more, and why they were here. Burt nodded, looking thoughtful.
“Please introduce yourselves and your rank in this crew,” he said, looking past Captain Lopez, who looked put out by this.
They went down the line, awkwardly introducing themselves. Finally, it was Blaine’s turn.
“I’m Blaine Anderson, sir. Navigator.”
“What is this? Navigator?” Burt repeated the word, but a bit wrongly.
“It’s a person who…maps out things,” explained Blaine. A blank look, from both Burt and Sam. “I write down where things are, not just in a city, but as large as a country or ocean, for example. Then I tell people, such as Captain Lopez, where they should go when at sea or on land.”
“Interesting,” said Burt. He was still looking thoughtful. “I have to admit, this is something we have never encountered. Outsiders are not common at all. We have, once or twice, seen ships on the ocean above, but never anyone on land, or in fact, in our city. I hope you understand if I want to keep you here for a few days. I want to know that you are not a threat to my city.”
“Of course, your, uh, majesty?” said Captain Lopez.
“Burt is fine, young lady,” said Burt. “My home has many rooms for you all to use. These two will show you to them.” He gestured to a man and woman, slightly older than Blaine by the looks of it. They nodded. “Dinner will be in a few hours. We’ll have more time to speak then. Feel free to explore the city.”
With that, the man and woman lead them out of the room. Sam stayed back with Burt, speaking softly.
The house was, in fact, huge. Huge enough where everyone in the crew got their own room. Blaine was left in a room, in between Puck and Finn’s. It was modest enough, one bed, made of the stone, but with many blankets and what looked like a mattress (though this was filled with perhaps feathers and furs). There was a writing desk and a trunk for clothing.
Blaine had told the man who lead them to his room what his bag look liked, which was with the vehicles, and would be brought up soon.
Blaine sat for a few moments, looking out a glassy window at the city in front of him. He was on the second floor of the house and had a great view. He decided to take Burt’s advice and do some exploring. He looked for Puck and Finn in their rooms, but they seemed to be gone, too, so Blaine went by himself.
He left the King’s home and began walking down the street, which was a mixture of snow and dirt. People stared as he passed, but didn’t speak to him. He didn’t want to walk too far, but this city, it was a marvel.
Blaine wailed for ten minutes before stopping at the end of a street. There was a building in front of him that resembled a music hall or theatre. Blaine himself loved the theatre, and to sing, though he didn’t do it often in front of others. Not since he was young.
This seemed as good as place as any to explore, so Blaine walked up the slippery stairs and opened the door.
It resembled a theatre from the inside, too. Rows and rows of chairs, facing a raised platform, which looked like it would double as a stage. It looked empty, and ghostly silent.
That is, until a voice rang out, singing in a sweet melody.
Blaine froze when the voice hit him. It was singing in the language Sam had spoken originally, which Blaine expected. It was beautiful while sung, however. A string of melodic syllables, sung by a high male voice.
Blaine walked through the theatre when he finally regained motion. He finally noticed that there was a man, probably around his own age; maybe younger, sitting on the edge of the stage.
The clothing he wore was similar to Sam and the others he had seen, but he seemed to wear it differently. It was also cut closer to the body. All blues and whites, intricate decorations all over them. He also wore a red pendant, that seemed to glow eerily.
The man himself was thin and pale, but not in a sickly way. His blue eyes matched the blue clothing he wore, and in fact reminded Blaine of the pristine lake they had encountered when they first arrived in the cave. His hair was a glossy brown, and fell across his forehead gracefully in places. In his hair, there was an ornate headpiece, a shimmery white metal and blue jewels. Blaine recalled that Burt wore a similar looking thing on his head, and he vaguely remembered a few people on the street wearing some sort of decoration in their hair. It must be a fashion.
Blaine noticed this all in a moment. It wasn’t exactly important, what he wore.
Because this man was absolutely breathtaking in his beauty.
In fact, Blaine made a sound when he saw the man, causing him to look up. His eyes widened and he stood quickly, jumping down from the stage. He was taller than Blaine, which fit his slender form.
He began to speak in the language he had been singing in. Blaine colored and hoped that everyone had the grasp on language that Burt and Sam seemed to.
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said in English. “I just - I was told I could explore.”
“Who are you?” asked the man, in English. Blaine was thankful. His voice, just as he sang, was beautiful.
“I am Blaine Anderson, of the Audition, a ship in voyage to Antarctica. We found this city in our journeys. The king of your city wants us to stay for a few days, to see if we can be trusted to leave,” said Blaine nervously.
The man’s face remained neutral as Blaine spoke. He nodded, thoughtful. “We’ve never had outsiders before,” said the man, looking slightly nervous, but curious. “I’ve always wondered…many of the hunters have seen a ship or two, on the horizon.”
Blaine smiled, trying to be comforting. “I have to admit, you and your city are spectacular.” Blaine realized what he said, and quickly blushed. “I mean - we didn’t know people lived here. Beside that, you live so far down, and still survive, with a strange light hovering above your city. I’m frankly shocked.”
The man smiled playfully. “Why thank you, for your compliment to my city. I should introduce myself,” he said suddenly. He spoke, once again, his full name, before realizing his mistake. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s alright,” Blaine said. “Your name, the full one, is quite beautiful. The language is, in fact.”
“Thank you. Call me Kurt, please,” he said finally.
“Kurt,” Blaine repeated, testing the name on his lips. He could somewhat see why Kurt was his nickname, as Sam was his and Burt was his. Blaine could somewhat pick out a K sound in Kurt’s full name, as well as the letters in Sam and Burt’s.
“Your voice is beautiful, by the way,” said Blaine, taking a step closer to Kurt.
Kurt blushed. “Thank you,” he said, modestly. “I love to sing.”
“I do too,” said Blaine without thinking. “I haven’t done so for…well, years really.”
“I couldn’t go a day without singing,” said Kurt. “Would you…I suppose I wouldn’t know any of your native songs. You wouldn’t know mine, either.”
“Sing?” asked Blaine, suddenly nervous. “Maybe…maybe some other time,” he finally said. “I actually have a question for you. It’s been nagging me since we arrived, but I haven’t had a good opportunity to ask yet.”
“Go ahead,” said Kurt. He sat down on one of the chairs nearby, and Blaine followed him.
“How is it that you know English so well? And Sam, he was the first person we met, he spoke in perfect Spanish. Your language, it’s similar in ways to that language, and Captain Lopez started to speak in it. Then he switched to English.” Blaine tilted his head. “How is that?”
Kurt looked pensive for a moment. “It has to do with our pendants,” he said finally, touching the red pendant around his neck. “It’s a source of power and knowledge. We’ve never had to use it for language before, because we’ve never met an outsider, but then, it sometimes surprises us with its powers and uses. When you spoke that language - English? - I just understood it, and knew how to speak it as well. It came naturally.”
“That’s…fascinating,” said Blaine, looking at the necklace. “But you are humans, right? That sounds like an even more ridiculous question than it did in my head, but I guess I should ask.”
Kurt smiled at Blaine as he continued to ramble nervously. “It’s fine, Blaine. Our legends say that we migrated here hundreds of years ago from main lands to the north. The early settlers found this tunnel and the precious stones that were good for building. Being underground protected them from the harsh elements above, and at first, they were only going to wait out the winter, when it was worse. Then they decided to stay, not only because it had become home, but they found the power source.”
“Power source?” asked Blaine.
“Yes. Both our light above the city, which acts as both the sun and moon, and our pendants. Of course, they broke apart the stones so each individual could have their won pendant and power.”
“So you were part of our world,” said Blaine after a long moment. “And after this separation…became your own people. That would explain the language you originally speak. Perhaps you migrated from South America, or Spain, and that’s the reason for your Spanish origins. Although, I don’t see how you could be dependences of the Spaniards. You’re quite pale…”
“Are these ‘Spaniards’ the same coloring as you?” asked Kurt. He reached forward, putting his hand on Blaine’s, causing a slight thrill to go through his body. Compared to Blaine, the difference in coloring was even more contrasting. After so long on ships, Blaine had a healthy tan, while Kurt was very, very white. He reminded Blaine of a porcelain doll.
“A bit darker, actually,” said Blaine after a moment. “And then there are even people with Mercedes’ coloring. Very, very dark,” said Blaine, trying to think if he had any black people in the city. He didn’t think he had.
“Well,” said Kurt after a moment. “There are a handful of people with your coloring.” He said a name. “Or Mike,” he amended, embarrassed at using the long name. “But then, Mike is descendant of a second wave of settlers, that probably joined the first after a hundred years.”
“Interesting. But…there hasn’t been any more settlers since then? No contact with the outside world?”
“None,” said Kurt.
Blaine realized that his time was probably waning, and that dinner would be starting soon. He didn’t want to leave Kurt, he was…so magical and mysterious.
“I should be going,” he finally said, standing. “I need to meet back with my crew. I do hope I see you around more, however. You’re very…well, accommodating.”
Kurt smiled at him, his teeth white and perfect. “I admit, I have many questions for you. I think we’ll see each other soon. It is a small city, after all,” he said with an unreadable grin.
Blaine left the theatre, feeling like he was on top of the world. When he got back to the king’s home, his crew was gathered near the front. He stood next to Mercedes and Tina, wanting to say something about Kurt and what he had learned, but knowing this wasn’t the right moment. After a few minutes, they were lead back to a formal dining room.
Burt was at the head of the table, and greeted them warmly when they came in. Captain Lopez sat on Burt’s left side, most likely ready to do business. St. James sat next to her, and the Captain didn’t look pleased. Blaine was going to sit on Burt’s right, but he said his son would be arriving shortly, so Blaine sat just one chair down.
Blaine chatted quietly with Mercedes, who sat next to him. Apparently, Mercedes and Tina had ventured over a few streets to where a market was set up. “There were all sorts of foods that we didn’t even recognize,” she said. “And the clothing is just…beautiful. I hope that I can trade something for a coat. I know our money is probably useless here.”
“It is quite striking,” said Blaine, thinking of the way Kurt’s clothes hung to his body.
“If my son would get here, we could begin dinner,” said Burt, slightly exasperated. “Ah, finally. You’re late.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly know we had guests, until minutes ago,” said a voice at the door. It was familiar in its musical tone.
Blaine turned. Kurt was now walking toward him, smiling gently as they made eye contact. Kurt went straight to the chair next to Burt, and also next to Blaine.
“Hello again, Blaine,” he greeted as he sat down.
Burt looked at Kurt - his son, thought Blaine - with a confused expression. In fact, everyone at the table was looking at him with a questioning look. Blaine was probably quite red.
“Kurt,” he said. “You…you’re Burt’s son, then?” he asked.
Kurt smiled. “I suppose I didn’t mention that.”
“No, you didn’t. That makes you a…well, prince, then?” It was a foreign concept.
“Yes, although, I don’t quite care for titles. Nor does the rest of the city. The king is there to make sure laws are followed. It is a position of authority, not one of high glamour.” Kurt looked over to his father with a nod.
“Oh.”
“You’ve met?” asked Burt.
“Yes, just a few minutes ago. Blaine wandered into mom’s theatre. We had a nice chat. I was…shocked, to see an outsider.”
“Everyone is, Kurt,” said Burt. He turned back to the table. “Well, we can begin dinner, now that everyone is here.”
A few servers came out, placing bowls of soup in front of them. The steam that came off them was absolutely heavenly. Although, it wasn’t quite as cold down here as it had been on the surface. Kurt had been correct that living underground protected them from the weather.
The soup reminded Blaine of potatoes, but he couldn’t be sure. It was cremey and very good, and Blaine was starving. Over dinner, everyone spoke, getting a few words in with Burt. Blaine spoke most to Kurt.
“And you must be the person he mentioned, with the dark skin,” said Kurt brightly, looking at Mercedes. She raised an eyebrow at Kurt. “Oh. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to…offend, if I did. The darkest skinned people that live in the city are actually quite similar to the woman next to you.”
Tina was drawn into the conversation suddenly. “They’re Asian?” asked Tina and Kurt shrugged, saying he didn’t know what that word meant.
“And you didn’t offend me, I guess,” said Mercedes. “I can see why you would be curious. I admit, I am. As a geologist, this is just…mind-blowing.” Kurt didn’t understand what “geologist” meant, and Mercedes explained in a very simple way, making sure to not be condescending. It wasn’t Kurt’s fault that he was ignorant to the jobs they had.
The main part of the meal was a sort of meet that none of the crew could place. Blaine thought that maybe it could be the dog like animals from earlier, or even some other species that they hadn’t seen before. It seemed like anything was possible, now. It was tougher to chew, but had a pleasant taste.
Mercedes and Tina were very happy speaking to Kurt, and near the end of dinner, Kurt said that he would be happy to show them around the city more tomorrow. “I can gather some of my friends. If people are more interested in seeing other places, we can split up.”
Mercedes told Kurt that she really liked the market. “And the clothing you have - it’s beautiful.”
“Why thank you,” said Kurt, his eyes sparkling. “I personally designed what I’m wearing. You’d look beautiful in a traditional -” The word he said wasn’t as long as the names had been, but they couldn’t understand it. “Oh. Like a…dress? Yes, dress,” said Kurt, finding the correct translation word.
“Do you trade for clothes? Or is there a currency?”
“Money, usually,” said Kurt. “But I would be happy to buy you something. You and Tina. Even you, Blaine, if you find anything.”
“Oh boo, you don’t have to,” Mercedes said, but Blaine could tell she was excited.
“What’s ‘boo’ mean?” asked Kurt, looking slightly confused. Throughout the dinner, there had been many cultural differences to explain. It was mostly very information and interesting to see, though.
“It’s like a term of endearment,” explained Mercedes. “You must have those.”
“Oh yes, we do,” said Kurt with a wide smile. “Although, I haven’t been called one. Well, yes, -” Kurt said a name that sounded like music. “- does. Brittany is her short name. She calls me sweet-names sometimes. That’s what we call them, sweet-names.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” asked Mercedes with a smile.
Blaine didn’t like the reaction his stomach gave when Mercedes said that. The thought that Kurt had a girlfriend and wasn’t gay, like him, shouldn’t make him so sad. He had only known the other man for a few hours. He was also the song of the local king, who was deciding if they were trustworthy enough to leave and not lead people here afterwards. It shouldn’t bother him.
“Oh no,” said Kurt with a laugh. This reply shouldn’t have affected him so, either. The happiness he experienced that Kurt wasn’t attached to someone. “I would never be with Brittany. I prefer men.”
“Oh really?” asked Tina, obviously shocked at his answer. Homosexuality wasn’t accepted where they were from. If you were inclined to the same sex, you kept it to yourself. Telling someone, so casually at dinner, wasn’t heard of.
“Yes,” said Kurt, momentarily confused.
“And that’s…accepted?” asked Mercedes. “You seem comfortable saying so.”
“Why shouldn’t it be accepted?” asked Kurt.
Mercedes and Tina, and in fact, Puck and Finn across the table, exchanged looks. It would be hard to explain the prejudice held against gays where they were from, if such a thing didn’t exist here.
“It’s quite complicated,” said Blaine, finally. “You just don’t say you like the same sex. It’s not…normal.”
Kurt scowled at Blaine, his body tensing. “It’s completely normal, as normal as taking a lover of a different sex. While a union of two men or two women doesn’t result in children, it keeps the population in the city under control. We can’t grow too quickly, after all, because we can’t expand much more. How can you live in a world that doesn’t accept that people love who they love?”
“Kurt, I understand,” said Blaine and Kurt made a sound, as if he was laughing at Blaine. “Really, I do. I…” Blaine spared a glace over at the other crew members. They were all staring. Burt, too, was looking at his son. He looked proud, that his son was standing up for himself. Blaine’s heart ached. His father had stopped speaking to him after…
“I’m the same. I prefer men over women, though back where we are from, I can’t say so at a dinner table, to people like you can.” Kurt’s expression softened suddenly, and there were a few gasps down the table. Blaine knew that he didn’t give off any indication that he wasn’t a “normal” man. In fact, the few women on the voyage had expressed an interest in him. He politely declined and they probably thought he had a loved one at home and didn’t want to stray.
Kurt noticed the gasps, looking at the crew’s surprised expressions, and back at Blaine. “They didn’t know.” Blaine nodded. “I’m sorry for making you say such a thing, in front of this company,” he said in a low voice.
“It feels nice, actually,” said Blaine, looking away from Kurt and at his plate. In fact, it felt amazing. Blaine had only ever told his family that he was gay, and they reacted badly. Rachel Berry knew, too, but she kept his secret for him.
It was also thrilling, to be next to Kurt, who was just like him. Blaine had never met someone like him. It wasn’t like he could met men like people met women.
Dinner wrapped up. Captain Lopez continued to speak to Burt, along with St. James. Blaine and Kurt found themselves walking with each other, into what Blaine figured was the main room of the house.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier,” said Kurt, slightly embarrassed. “I guess I just got offended. And…I don’t completely understand, but I’m sure it was difficult for you to say that at dinner, in front of all those people.”
“I suppose,” said Blaine with a sigh. “They are good people, though. Many have become my friends, and Finn himself has been a friend for years. I feel confident that they won’t tell anyone else. They might effect accept it about me.”
“They should,” said Kurt automatically.
Blaine smiled at Kurt. “I like your confidence. I suppose growing up here would do that for you…it’s interesting to see that you and your people are so accepting. I…I wish we were like that, back home.”
Kurt sent Blaine a comforting smile. “I will see you and your crew tomorrow. My friends and I will be down here and we’ll have breakfast.”
“Thank you for offering to buy Mercedes and Tina clothing, they seemed infatuated with the idea.”
“It’s no problem at all. Sleep well, Blaine,” said Kurt, smiling and waving before walking down a hallway that lead to the other side of the house. Most likely the bedrooms for the permanent inhabitants.
“Sleep well, Kurt,” said Blaine, waving after him with a dreamy smile.
Excerpts from the journal of B. Anderson, navigator of the Audition, recorded during his voyage to Antarctica:
Today has been a day like no other. Today, we discovered a community of people that lived underground in Antarctica. Besides just this, they seem to have an interesting power source that gives them knowledge of language.
Besides this discover, I met a man. A man that is like me. More than this, I actually told my crew about my sexuality. After the disastrous coming out to my parents years ago, I thought I would never tell another person.
Kurt has a beauty that not only is evident by just looking at him, but is also reflected in his kind nature. I have truly never met anyone like him. Now that I have, I’m almost fearful for these feelings I have.
TBC