And Time Slows Down (Chapter One)
Title: And Time Slows Down
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Blaine/Kurt
Warnings: School Shooting, minor character death (as in not Kurt or Blaine, but one canon character), mentions of Columbine and Virginia Tech
Spoilers: None
Summary: AU: Sometimes tragedy happens, and sometimes it ends things, and then other times its just the start of something else. Those times are called fate.
A/N: I'm obsessed with Columbine. I'll admit it. I'm obsessed with learning more about that horrible, horrific tragedy, and I'm obsessed with Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's thought processes. Seriously, my favorite movie is "Zero Day" which is from the perspective of Andre and Calvin who are based on Eric and Dylan. I feel bad about that, but it is what it is.
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November 7th, 2026
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“We’re just going to jump straight on into the interview if that’s okay.” Penelope Walters stated as Kurt fixed the microphone on his jacket. Kurt nodded, crossing his legs and Penelope grinned, fluffing her curly blonde hair.
His new fashion line was to die for, and he would give a killer interview-as he always did. And if anyone could give him that killer interview, it was definitely Penelope Walters; a new rising star in the journalism world, and a budding fashionista.
He looked forward to being her first big interview.
“Today we’re joined by already top fashion designer Kurt Hummel.” She kept the pretty, perfect smile on her face as she looked over at the 32 year old.
“It’s wonderful to be here and to finally get out of my office for a change, Penelope.” He smiled back politely, knowing how these things worked from the years of experience he had.
“I’m sure you are.” Penelope glanced off camera quickly before looking back over at Kurt, suddenly looking serious. “I’m curious, Kurt-can I call you that?” He nodded. “Do you recall what today is?”
The smile slid off of Kurt’s face as quickly as it had appeared. The same thoughts swam around his mind earlier in the day when his husband Blaine had pointed out the day as well. Screams of terror and pain echoed in his mind as the vision of Blaine pressing down on his shoulder surfaced, hands and clothes bloodied.
He shook his head, forcing the imagery out of his mind.
“I thought this was about my new line, not… not that.” Kurt answered quietly, hands clenching over his knee.
“So you do recall what today is? Can you tell us?”
Kurt swallowed tightly, eyes closing. “It’s November 7th, 2026. It’s the fifteen year anniversary; of course I remember what today is.” He answered, recalling that horrific day, the longest day of his life.
“The anniversary of what, Kurt?”
He opened his eyes, looking Penelope Walters straight into her eyes. “The second worse school shooting massacre the United States had ever seen at the time; The William McKinley High School Massacre of 2011.”
8:20 AM, Monday, November 7th, 2011
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Kurt glanced at the time on his phone, sighing. The guy was supposed to be there almost fifteen minutes ago, and now he was going to be late for his first class of the day. Showing the new kids around was one of the jobs of Student Body President that Kurt could honestly live without.
If the world could spare him at least a little bit, maybe this Blaine Anderson wouldn’t be a complete jerk. He knew that was probably too much to ask for, but he could at least hope for it.
The office door opened and Kurt looked over, eyebrow rising very slightly as he looked at the other boy. Dark hair, nice clothes, cute. He hoped this was the transfer, and he really hoped his gaydar was working well today.
“Are you Blaine Anderson?” he asked, walking over. The boy blinked his hazel eyes at him before smiling and nodding.
“I am, and you must be Kurt Hummel-senior president? They told me you’d be giving me my tour.” Blaine held out his hand, and Kurt took it, slightly shocked that he actually wasn’t a complete jerk. “Uh, I’m sorry if this is rude and out of line but nobody said you would be so…”
Kurt raised an eyebrow. Or maybe he was a bit of a jerk? “I’d be so what? Gay?”
Blaine gave a nervous laugh, turning red. “No, I was going to say cute.”
He blushed. “Oh, cute?”
“I’m taking it you don’t get told that very often.” Blaine smiled, letting go of Kurt’s hand which he hadn’t noticed was still being held.
“No, actually, I don’t get that often. In fact I don’t normally get it at all.” And he couldn’t complain that the person calling him “cute” was quite cute himself.
“That’s a shame. You would think someone as attractive as you would get it more often. Well, I’m glad that I’ve bestowed a compliment on you. I’ll have to do it at least once a day.” Blaine smiled, and Kurt was in slight disbelief. Was someone actually flirting with him? “Should we get going on that tour now?
“Y-yes of course. Follow me.” Kurt smiled back a bit, walking out of the office to give Blaine the grand tour of William McKinley High School. “So why did you transfer to McKinley? You look… not like the rest of the people here.”
Blaine gave a small shrug, looking around. “Well, I did go to a private school, but those tend to get expensive, so I transferred here along with my brother.”
“You have a brother? Where is he? I could’ve given him the grand tour as well.”
“He’s sick today so he’s going to be starting school tomorrow.” Blaine replied. “Anyway, it was my choice. I chose to transfer to lighten the burden on my parents a bit and my brother Parker decided to transfer here too, to make it easier. He didn’t have to, but he’s a good kid like that.”
“I hope you and your brother have a better time here than I do.”
Blaine looked over at him. “You don’t like it here.”
Kurt made a face. “Well, sometimes it’s not bad. I mean, I love my friends but the school itself and everyone else? Not so much. It’s almost like loving chocolate cake but not wanting to eat it because it’ll make you fat.”
Blaine laughed. “That’s an odd simile.”
“I know it is, but I…” Kurt fell silent, looking down the hall along with straggler students, wondering what the odd popping noise was. “What’s that sound?”
“Those sound like firecrackers.” Blaine told him thoughtfully, also staring off in the direction. “It sounds far off though and it’s in the direction of the entrance-maybe somebody is setting them off outside?”
“Maybe, but I should probably go tell whoever it is to knock it off. The teachers around here don’t really care much.” Kurt sighed as he started off in the direction of the noise, Blaine following him.
“Guess I’m coming with you then. Does your school do senior pranks? My old school did. It was hilarious the stuff they came up with. One time a bunch of people set off a lot of firecrackers in the commons, and another time some people put a bike on the flag pole and no one could figure out how they did it.”
Kurt stopped suddenly, placing a hand on Blaine’s arm. “Hold on a second…” turning his head, he tried to concentrate on the sound, eyes widening. “Is that screaming?”
Blaine went to reply as people came sliding around the corner, their yells echoing against the walls. The popping noise got louder, clearer as it moved closer, and they looked at each other, both realizing that sound was not firecrackers at all as a trail of blood was left behind by one of the running students.
“We need to get out of here.” Blaine grabbed Kurt’s wrist and just after he had said that came a loud noise to their right as a bullet flew past, barely missing contact with a teenage boy.
The boy fell to the floor before jumping up and running the opposite way of Kurt and Blaine.
“Janitor’s closet!” Kurt yelled as he pulled Blaine down the hall. Blaine stumbled, trying to keep on his feet. A boy turned the corner calmly, looking at them as they reached the door.
He raised a gun as Kurt pulled it open and time seemed to almost slow. One shot hit wall just above Blaine’s head, but Kurt couldn’t hear it; time was moving too slow. There was a second shot and Kurt didn’t see where that one landed, but the third shot sent pain spiraling throughout his body and he clutched at his shoulder, falling to his knees.
He absently heard Blaine call his name and pull him into the closet, slamming the steel door closed just as a fourth bullet flew past.
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(Chapter Two)