No One Else Compares (3/?)
Title: No One Else Compares
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend.
Kurt stood in front of his mirror on Thursday, adding the final touches to his hair.
It was Thursday.
Meaning the day of Glee Club auditions.
So of course Kurt Hummel wanted to look his best for the occasion. He figured no one except the choir director would be watching him, but still. If he was going to be on a stage, then he wanted to look, to feel like he should be on a stage.
That was just the way his mind worked.
With one last glance in the mirror, Kurt smiled at his appearance before turning around and shouldering his bag, grabbing his jacket with his other hand and making his way down the stairs.
Ever since yesterday evening when he came out to his dad, Kurt had felt so much lighter. He loved not having to hide something like that, something that made him who he was, from his dad. He could be himself now.
And Kurt loved it.
But then there was the problem of school. The jocks obviously suspected that he was gay, but that was just based on his appearance and high voice. They had no concrete evidence. But that didn't make Kurt feel any easier about it. He knew that he would have to come out eventually, but he knew that the bullying would only get that much worse.
He hadn't, however, told his dad about the Karofsky issue. Which, both Blaine and Rachel had said was more important than even coming out to him.
Kurt couldn't do that though. He couldn't worry his dad over something as small as that when it wasn't even that big of a deal. Lots of kids got picked on. It was just how high school worked, apparently.
Kurt neared the end of the staircase and could smell his dad cooking breakfast - something which in itself was unusual. He rounded the corner and set his bag down next to the front door before plopping down at the kitchen table and taking a swig of the orange juice that was already poured for him.
"You didn't have to make breakfast," he told his dad as he set his juice down.
Burt grunted and set a plate of bacon down on the table. "You deserve it," he told him, patting his shoulder before moving back to the stove.
Kurt blushed and forked several pieces of bacon - his guilty pleasure - onto his plate. "Dad -" he started to protest, but Burt cut him off by shaking his head and setting a serving of eggs in front of him.
"No, Kurt," he said sternly, staring intently into Kurt's eyes. "What you did isn't easy. Hell, some kids never come out to your parents. And the fact that you trust me enough to tell me - Well, you deserve something like this, kid."
Kurt smiled at him and threw his arms around his waist, burying his face in his stomach. "Thank you," he whispered.
Burt patted his hair and released him, walking out of the kitchen. "Eat," he instructed, "And I'll be ready to take you in fifteen minutes."
Kurt nodded and started to eat, smiling because his dad hadn't burned the eggs for once.
Kurt slowly walked to his locker and he already felt the butterflies in his stomach. Glee wasn't until after school, so he was just going to have to deal with this nervous feeling for the whole day.
Great.
He opened his locker and put all of his books away - even though he didn't have any homework, he still brought a few books home because it felt strange carrying an empty bag around.
Catching a flash of brown hair in his mirror, Kurt sighed and braced himself for what was about to come.
"Kurt!" Rachel cried as she came up behind him. "Hi."
Kurt chuckle and closed his locker, turning to face the brown haired girl. He knew that she was bouncing with excitement today and that she'd been waiting for Glee auditions since the first day of school.
"Glee starts today," she grinned as they started walking towards their next class. "Aren't you excited?"
Kurt shrugged and stared down at the books in his hands.
He was excited. He really was. But he wasn't sure how people would take his voice.
"Are you nervous?" Rachel asked, picking up on his mood. "Because you have a great voice Kurt, and -"
"It's not that," Kurt said softly. "It's just - my voice is different. Not like other guys."
Rachel gripped his arm and stopped them in the middle of the hallway, turning him so that he was facing her. "You listen to me, Kurt Hummel," she said, her voice stern. "I know that you know no one within the club is going to think that. You know that people appreciate a good voice no matter who's singing it."
Kurt sighed exasperatedly and nodded. "Yes, I know that," he replied. "But - But what about the jocks? Karofsky?"
"They're never going to hear -"
"Yes, they will Rachel," Kurt responded, not even letting the girl finish her sentence. "If you forgot, the Glee club does assemblies. In front of the whole school."
Rachel paused for a moment before nodding and looking down. "We'll have your back though," she whispered.
Kurt sighed and continued walking towards his classroom, leaving Rachel still standing in the middle of the hallway.
He plopped down in his desk chair, setting his books on his desk and just staring at the pencil in his hands. He felt kind of bad about snapping at Rachel like that - after all, she had been nothing but nice to him - but he was just so on edge about the whole thing.
Was this how it was going to be for the rest of the year? Was this how he was going to feel if he didn't come out?
And then there was the fact that Kurt didn't even know how to come out to an entire school. Yeah, he could probably just tell one person and then everyone would know, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do that.
Kurt groaned to himself and saw out of the corner of his eye that Rachel had sat a few desks away from him instead of her usual seat next to him.
Now Kurt really felt bad.
He quickly got out a piece of paper and scribbled an apology on it before throwing it on her desk, which, fortunately, was close enough so that it landed on the intended target.
Rachel opened it and Kurt instantly saw her soften. She glanced over at him and gave him a small smile, and he knew that he was forgiven.
He wasn't going to lose his only friend that easily. She was literally the only one in the whole school who had talked to him - besides Karofsky, but that didn't count. She knew everything about him, and she did seem to genuinely care, somewhere under her diva attitude and her self-centered nature.
The class wore on slowly, as did the rest of the day. That was probably due to Kurt's increasing nerves, but it didn't please Kurt in the slightest. At this point, he just wanted to get his audition over and done with so that he wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.
And then finally, finally, the last bell for the day rang.
And Kurt felt like he was about to throw up.
"You ready?" Rachel asked as she fell into step beside him, the two slowly making their way towards the auditorium.
Kurt let out a stiff, nervous chuckle. "I feel like I'm going to vomit," he admitted, causing the short girl to chuckle.
"You'll be fine," she told him. "The new choir director said that everyone can join, but that auditions were still required."
"That really doesn't help me much," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes a little. "Because I knew that I'd make it anyway." He paused for a moment as something clicked in his head. "Wait," he said slowly, eyeing the girl next to him suspiciously. "You talked to the choir director already?"
Rachel blushed and avoided his eyes. "He's my Spanish teacher," she explained. "And when I heard he was in charge of Glee Club, I thought it couldn't hurt to get some brownie points before everyone else."
Kurt scoffed and shook his head. "You're ridiculous."
The two entered the auditorium then to find a small cluster of students.
"Ah!" A man said once they were in proximity. "Those are the last two! We can start now."
All of the students went and sat in the first row of seats, watching the man intently.
"Now, as you might now, this is the first year McKinley's had a show choir," he explained. "So, let's get started and -"
"Excuse me," a boy in a wheel chair said as he raised his hand. "But if I'm going to sing for you, I'd like to know your name."
The man laughed and nodded. "You're right," he said. "I'm Mr. Shuster, or Mr. Shue."
All of the students - about six or so - greeted him and smiled.
"Now, who wants to go first?"
Rachel's hand shot up in the hair, her fingers twitching with excitement.
"Alright, Rachel," Mr. Shue said. "Take it away."
Rachel stood up and flicked her hair before walking up on the stage and taking the microphone.
"Oh great," the girl beside Kurt muttered. "I get to hear Berry sing for another whole year."
Kurt turned to see an African-American girl, rolling her eyes as Rachel started to sing a Barbra Streisand song.
"You know her?" He whispered, still soaking up Rachel's every word because she really could sing.
"I've been in the same music class as her for every year since first grade," the girl replied. "I thought maybe she wouldn't join Glee Club."
Kurt snorted at the thought of Rachel not doing something that involved singing. "Right," he whispered. "Good luck with that one."
The girl turned to look at him, holding out her hand. "I'm Mercedes Jones," she told him as she shook his hand.
"Kurt Hummel," he replied, giving her another smile.
"Well, Kurt Hummel," she said, winking at him. "I hope you can sing. Because I'll have you know that I have one set of vocal chords."
"Oh, I can," he replied, a small smile on his lips. "Don't worry."
Rachel finished her song and listened as Mr. Shue praised her, her face lighting up at his every word.
"Next?" He prompted.
And so it continued. An Asian boy named Mike just danced, Mr. Shue nodding in understanding when he said he couldn't sing. The wheel chair boy - whose name was Artie - went after him, and Kurt had to admit that he had a nice voice. Then Tina - the Asian girl. And finally Mercedes. And she did have a good voice.
But suddenly, Kurt regretted waiting to go last.
"Okay, Kurt, you're last."
Kurt took a deep breath, barely feeling Rachel's pat of encouragement on his shoulder, and made his way up the stairs. He lights burned his eyes, but he'd been on a stage a few times before. He could do this.
"Hi," he said, his voice sounding squeaky and higher than usual. "I'm Kurt Hummel, and I'll be singing Mr. Cellophane."
He saw both Rachel and Mr. Shue nod their heads in approval, causing a small smile to spread across his face as he sang.
Once he was done, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart before standing up and waiting for Mr. Shue's verdict.
"Kurt," the man all but breathed. "That was amazing."
Kurt grinned and bowed once before all but running down the stage and back to his seat.
"How was I?" He whispered to Rachel, his eyes alight and his heart pounding.
"Outstanding," she replied, squeezing his hand gently. "You're amazing."
And Kurt had never felt more amazing and accepted in his whole life.
"Well," Mr. Shue said as he came back to the front of the group. "You guys are a talented bunch of kids. Now obviously we'll need more in order to compete, but . . ."
Kurt zoned out as he continued talking. Because he was a part of something. These guys would become his friends.
"Rehearsals will start after school next Monday," Mr. Shue said as he ended his speech. "So I'll see you all then."
Rachel and Kurt walked out of the auditorium and towards the parking lot, huge smiles on both of their faces.
"Oh," Rachel said, pointing to her car. "My ride's here."
Kurt nodded and glanced around, noting that his dad wasn't there yet. He got his phone out only to find a voicemail from him, explaining that there was a problem down at the shop and that he would have to walk home.
"I'm walking home, apparently," he told Rachel with a huff. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He started to walk away in the direction of his subdivision when Rachel called his name. He glanced over at his shoulder at the girl.
"Do you want a ride home? My dad wouldn't mind."
Kurt bit his lips and thought for a moment before nodding, because he really didn't want to walk home. It was already six o'clock and it was getting dark.
"C'mon."
He followed Rachel to her car, where she opened the door and greeted her father. "Can we give Kurt a ride home?" She asked sweetly.
The man nodded. "Of course," he said, pushing the button and opening the back door of the minivan for Kurt. "Hop in."
Kurt smiled and gave him a small thank you before sitting in the back seat.
Only to find Blaine sitting there grinning at him.
"Oh," he said sheepishly as he closed the door. "Hi."
Blaine continued grinning at him, and Kurt felt himself blushing for reasons that were unknown to him.
"Why are you sitting in the back seat?" Kurt asked once he gained enough composure to actually form a sentence.
"Because I knew Rachel would abuse me if I sat in the front," he responded, laughing at the glare Rachel sent his way. "So I was saving myself."
Kurt nodded and chuckled. "Fair enough."
Kurt gave Rachel's father directions to his house, having small conversations with Blaine in between turns.
"Right here," he said once they neared his driveway. He hopped out of the car and thanked him several times.
"It's no problem," he replied. "We're on our way to get Rachel a haircut so -"
"Ugh," Blaine groaned. "You didn't tell me that when you asked if I wanted to go with you."
The man chuckled and smiled fondly at Blaine as he shook his head. "Sorry, son," he told him. "But you're stuck with us now."
Kurt bit his lip for a moment before thinking screw it. "Umm," he said tentatively. "Blaine - he can stay here if he wants. And you can just pick him up afterwards."
Rachel's father thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright," he said. "Is that okay with you Blaine?"
But Blaine was already out of the car and standing at Kurt's side, nodding his head vigorously. "Thank you for saving me," he whispered in Kurt's ear.
"Hey!" Rachel protested. "He's been to Kurt's house more than I have!"
Kurt chuckled as the minivan pulled out of the driveway, turning and heading towards the house. He fished the key out from his bag before opening the door and ushering Blaine inside.
Blaine stood awkwardly by the door for a moment, and Kurt could sense that he didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't know what to do. He was alone in his house with a boy. A gay boy, at that.
"Erm," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We can find something to eat, if you want."
Blaine nodded and the two went into the kitchen, Blaine sitting down at the table while Kurt rummaged around in the fridge looking for something. "Cheese?" He asked. Blaine nodded again and Kurt brought several cheese sticks to the table and sat down across from him.
"So," Blaine said after a moment. "How are things at school?"
Kurt sighed and picked at his cheese. "Well, no one beat me up or threw slushies at me today," he replied . "So that's progress, I guess."
Blaine looked at him with concern for a moment. "I wish you could just come to Dalton," he said softly after a moment. "I don't think it's fair that I get to use it as a safe haven while you're still stuck in that hell hole."
It was a time like this that Kurt forgot Blaine was younger than him. Granted, he had been in private school for several years, but it was so easy to think he was older just because of the way he talked.
"Well, I would if we could afford it," he responded after a few moments. "I just don't think we have that kind of money right now."
The two continued to eat their snacks in silence, Kurt staring out the window and wondering why the silence wasn't awkward.
"How did you come out at school?" Kurt asked suddenly a few moments later. It had been bugging him all day, because, since he felt that instant relief after telling his dad, he wanted to feel the same way while at school, considering he spent most of his time there.
Blaine chuckled. "It's not as hard as you think," he said. "I told Wes and David - my two closest friends - and then somehow everyone just…found out, I guess."
Kurt nodded. "So, if I were to come out…"
"Tell a small group of people, or even just one person," he responded. "And then, since you'll have them and their support, you won't even notice as the rest of the school starts to know."
Kurt nodded again and smiled at Blaine. "Thank you," he said again. "I know I've known you for less than a week but - thank you for helping me with all of this."
"I've been there, remember?" Blaine said, his hazel eyes glowing a little. "I know how it feels to have to do this alone."
Blaine's father returned a few minutes later, Kurt waving at Blaine and watching as the younger boy hopped in the car.
Kurt collapsed onto the couch and thought that he might, just might come out to the Glee Club. Once he got to know them better, that is.
Because he really didn't want to hide who he was at school. He wanted to be able to enjoy high school.
But he also knew that there were certain people who would still make that impossible.
Chapter 4
Rating: PG-13ish
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Blaine/Rachel siblingship
Summary: Kurt Hummel met Rachel Anderson-Berry his first day of high school. And, if asked, Kurt Hummel would say that no, he never expected her younger brother, Blaine, to ever become his boyfriend.
Kurt stood in front of his mirror on Thursday, adding the final touches to his hair.
It was Thursday.
Meaning the day of Glee Club auditions.
So of course Kurt Hummel wanted to look his best for the occasion. He figured no one except the choir director would be watching him, but still. If he was going to be on a stage, then he wanted to look, to feel like he should be on a stage.
That was just the way his mind worked.
With one last glance in the mirror, Kurt smiled at his appearance before turning around and shouldering his bag, grabbing his jacket with his other hand and making his way down the stairs.
Ever since yesterday evening when he came out to his dad, Kurt had felt so much lighter. He loved not having to hide something like that, something that made him who he was, from his dad. He could be himself now.
And Kurt loved it.
But then there was the problem of school. The jocks obviously suspected that he was gay, but that was just based on his appearance and high voice. They had no concrete evidence. But that didn't make Kurt feel any easier about it. He knew that he would have to come out eventually, but he knew that the bullying would only get that much worse.
He hadn't, however, told his dad about the Karofsky issue. Which, both Blaine and Rachel had said was more important than even coming out to him.
Kurt couldn't do that though. He couldn't worry his dad over something as small as that when it wasn't even that big of a deal. Lots of kids got picked on. It was just how high school worked, apparently.
Kurt neared the end of the staircase and could smell his dad cooking breakfast - something which in itself was unusual. He rounded the corner and set his bag down next to the front door before plopping down at the kitchen table and taking a swig of the orange juice that was already poured for him.
"You didn't have to make breakfast," he told his dad as he set his juice down.
Burt grunted and set a plate of bacon down on the table. "You deserve it," he told him, patting his shoulder before moving back to the stove.
Kurt blushed and forked several pieces of bacon - his guilty pleasure - onto his plate. "Dad -" he started to protest, but Burt cut him off by shaking his head and setting a serving of eggs in front of him.
"No, Kurt," he said sternly, staring intently into Kurt's eyes. "What you did isn't easy. Hell, some kids never come out to your parents. And the fact that you trust me enough to tell me - Well, you deserve something like this, kid."
Kurt smiled at him and threw his arms around his waist, burying his face in his stomach. "Thank you," he whispered.
Burt patted his hair and released him, walking out of the kitchen. "Eat," he instructed, "And I'll be ready to take you in fifteen minutes."
Kurt nodded and started to eat, smiling because his dad hadn't burned the eggs for once.
Kurt slowly walked to his locker and he already felt the butterflies in his stomach. Glee wasn't until after school, so he was just going to have to deal with this nervous feeling for the whole day.
Great.
He opened his locker and put all of his books away - even though he didn't have any homework, he still brought a few books home because it felt strange carrying an empty bag around.
Catching a flash of brown hair in his mirror, Kurt sighed and braced himself for what was about to come.
"Kurt!" Rachel cried as she came up behind him. "Hi."
Kurt chuckle and closed his locker, turning to face the brown haired girl. He knew that she was bouncing with excitement today and that she'd been waiting for Glee auditions since the first day of school.
"Glee starts today," she grinned as they started walking towards their next class. "Aren't you excited?"
Kurt shrugged and stared down at the books in his hands.
He was excited. He really was. But he wasn't sure how people would take his voice.
"Are you nervous?" Rachel asked, picking up on his mood. "Because you have a great voice Kurt, and -"
"It's not that," Kurt said softly. "It's just - my voice is different. Not like other guys."
Rachel gripped his arm and stopped them in the middle of the hallway, turning him so that he was facing her. "You listen to me, Kurt Hummel," she said, her voice stern. "I know that you know no one within the club is going to think that. You know that people appreciate a good voice no matter who's singing it."
Kurt sighed exasperatedly and nodded. "Yes, I know that," he replied. "But - But what about the jocks? Karofsky?"
"They're never going to hear -"
"Yes, they will Rachel," Kurt responded, not even letting the girl finish her sentence. "If you forgot, the Glee club does assemblies. In front of the whole school."
Rachel paused for a moment before nodding and looking down. "We'll have your back though," she whispered.
Kurt sighed and continued walking towards his classroom, leaving Rachel still standing in the middle of the hallway.
He plopped down in his desk chair, setting his books on his desk and just staring at the pencil in his hands. He felt kind of bad about snapping at Rachel like that - after all, she had been nothing but nice to him - but he was just so on edge about the whole thing.
Was this how it was going to be for the rest of the year? Was this how he was going to feel if he didn't come out?
And then there was the fact that Kurt didn't even know how to come out to an entire school. Yeah, he could probably just tell one person and then everyone would know, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do that.
Kurt groaned to himself and saw out of the corner of his eye that Rachel had sat a few desks away from him instead of her usual seat next to him.
Now Kurt really felt bad.
He quickly got out a piece of paper and scribbled an apology on it before throwing it on her desk, which, fortunately, was close enough so that it landed on the intended target.
Rachel opened it and Kurt instantly saw her soften. She glanced over at him and gave him a small smile, and he knew that he was forgiven.
He wasn't going to lose his only friend that easily. She was literally the only one in the whole school who had talked to him - besides Karofsky, but that didn't count. She knew everything about him, and she did seem to genuinely care, somewhere under her diva attitude and her self-centered nature.
The class wore on slowly, as did the rest of the day. That was probably due to Kurt's increasing nerves, but it didn't please Kurt in the slightest. At this point, he just wanted to get his audition over and done with so that he wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.
And then finally, finally, the last bell for the day rang.
And Kurt felt like he was about to throw up.
"You ready?" Rachel asked as she fell into step beside him, the two slowly making their way towards the auditorium.
Kurt let out a stiff, nervous chuckle. "I feel like I'm going to vomit," he admitted, causing the short girl to chuckle.
"You'll be fine," she told him. "The new choir director said that everyone can join, but that auditions were still required."
"That really doesn't help me much," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes a little. "Because I knew that I'd make it anyway." He paused for a moment as something clicked in his head. "Wait," he said slowly, eyeing the girl next to him suspiciously. "You talked to the choir director already?"
Rachel blushed and avoided his eyes. "He's my Spanish teacher," she explained. "And when I heard he was in charge of Glee Club, I thought it couldn't hurt to get some brownie points before everyone else."
Kurt scoffed and shook his head. "You're ridiculous."
The two entered the auditorium then to find a small cluster of students.
"Ah!" A man said once they were in proximity. "Those are the last two! We can start now."
All of the students went and sat in the first row of seats, watching the man intently.
"Now, as you might now, this is the first year McKinley's had a show choir," he explained. "So, let's get started and -"
"Excuse me," a boy in a wheel chair said as he raised his hand. "But if I'm going to sing for you, I'd like to know your name."
The man laughed and nodded. "You're right," he said. "I'm Mr. Shuster, or Mr. Shue."
All of the students - about six or so - greeted him and smiled.
"Now, who wants to go first?"
Rachel's hand shot up in the hair, her fingers twitching with excitement.
"Alright, Rachel," Mr. Shue said. "Take it away."
Rachel stood up and flicked her hair before walking up on the stage and taking the microphone.
"Oh great," the girl beside Kurt muttered. "I get to hear Berry sing for another whole year."
Kurt turned to see an African-American girl, rolling her eyes as Rachel started to sing a Barbra Streisand song.
"You know her?" He whispered, still soaking up Rachel's every word because she really could sing.
"I've been in the same music class as her for every year since first grade," the girl replied. "I thought maybe she wouldn't join Glee Club."
Kurt snorted at the thought of Rachel not doing something that involved singing. "Right," he whispered. "Good luck with that one."
The girl turned to look at him, holding out her hand. "I'm Mercedes Jones," she told him as she shook his hand.
"Kurt Hummel," he replied, giving her another smile.
"Well, Kurt Hummel," she said, winking at him. "I hope you can sing. Because I'll have you know that I have one set of vocal chords."
"Oh, I can," he replied, a small smile on his lips. "Don't worry."
Rachel finished her song and listened as Mr. Shue praised her, her face lighting up at his every word.
"Next?" He prompted.
And so it continued. An Asian boy named Mike just danced, Mr. Shue nodding in understanding when he said he couldn't sing. The wheel chair boy - whose name was Artie - went after him, and Kurt had to admit that he had a nice voice. Then Tina - the Asian girl. And finally Mercedes. And she did have a good voice.
But suddenly, Kurt regretted waiting to go last.
"Okay, Kurt, you're last."
Kurt took a deep breath, barely feeling Rachel's pat of encouragement on his shoulder, and made his way up the stairs. He lights burned his eyes, but he'd been on a stage a few times before. He could do this.
"Hi," he said, his voice sounding squeaky and higher than usual. "I'm Kurt Hummel, and I'll be singing Mr. Cellophane."
He saw both Rachel and Mr. Shue nod their heads in approval, causing a small smile to spread across his face as he sang.
Once he was done, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart before standing up and waiting for Mr. Shue's verdict.
"Kurt," the man all but breathed. "That was amazing."
Kurt grinned and bowed once before all but running down the stage and back to his seat.
"How was I?" He whispered to Rachel, his eyes alight and his heart pounding.
"Outstanding," she replied, squeezing his hand gently. "You're amazing."
And Kurt had never felt more amazing and accepted in his whole life.
"Well," Mr. Shue said as he came back to the front of the group. "You guys are a talented bunch of kids. Now obviously we'll need more in order to compete, but . . ."
Kurt zoned out as he continued talking. Because he was a part of something. These guys would become his friends.
"Rehearsals will start after school next Monday," Mr. Shue said as he ended his speech. "So I'll see you all then."
Rachel and Kurt walked out of the auditorium and towards the parking lot, huge smiles on both of their faces.
"Oh," Rachel said, pointing to her car. "My ride's here."
Kurt nodded and glanced around, noting that his dad wasn't there yet. He got his phone out only to find a voicemail from him, explaining that there was a problem down at the shop and that he would have to walk home.
"I'm walking home, apparently," he told Rachel with a huff. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He started to walk away in the direction of his subdivision when Rachel called his name. He glanced over at his shoulder at the girl.
"Do you want a ride home? My dad wouldn't mind."
Kurt bit his lips and thought for a moment before nodding, because he really didn't want to walk home. It was already six o'clock and it was getting dark.
"C'mon."
He followed Rachel to her car, where she opened the door and greeted her father. "Can we give Kurt a ride home?" She asked sweetly.
The man nodded. "Of course," he said, pushing the button and opening the back door of the minivan for Kurt. "Hop in."
Kurt smiled and gave him a small thank you before sitting in the back seat.
Only to find Blaine sitting there grinning at him.
"Oh," he said sheepishly as he closed the door. "Hi."
Blaine continued grinning at him, and Kurt felt himself blushing for reasons that were unknown to him.
"Why are you sitting in the back seat?" Kurt asked once he gained enough composure to actually form a sentence.
"Because I knew Rachel would abuse me if I sat in the front," he responded, laughing at the glare Rachel sent his way. "So I was saving myself."
Kurt nodded and chuckled. "Fair enough."
Kurt gave Rachel's father directions to his house, having small conversations with Blaine in between turns.
"Right here," he said once they neared his driveway. He hopped out of the car and thanked him several times.
"It's no problem," he replied. "We're on our way to get Rachel a haircut so -"
"Ugh," Blaine groaned. "You didn't tell me that when you asked if I wanted to go with you."
The man chuckled and smiled fondly at Blaine as he shook his head. "Sorry, son," he told him. "But you're stuck with us now."
Kurt bit his lip for a moment before thinking screw it. "Umm," he said tentatively. "Blaine - he can stay here if he wants. And you can just pick him up afterwards."
Rachel's father thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright," he said. "Is that okay with you Blaine?"
But Blaine was already out of the car and standing at Kurt's side, nodding his head vigorously. "Thank you for saving me," he whispered in Kurt's ear.
"Hey!" Rachel protested. "He's been to Kurt's house more than I have!"
Kurt chuckled as the minivan pulled out of the driveway, turning and heading towards the house. He fished the key out from his bag before opening the door and ushering Blaine inside.
Blaine stood awkwardly by the door for a moment, and Kurt could sense that he didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't know what to do. He was alone in his house with a boy. A gay boy, at that.
"Erm," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We can find something to eat, if you want."
Blaine nodded and the two went into the kitchen, Blaine sitting down at the table while Kurt rummaged around in the fridge looking for something. "Cheese?" He asked. Blaine nodded again and Kurt brought several cheese sticks to the table and sat down across from him.
"So," Blaine said after a moment. "How are things at school?"
Kurt sighed and picked at his cheese. "Well, no one beat me up or threw slushies at me today," he replied . "So that's progress, I guess."
Blaine looked at him with concern for a moment. "I wish you could just come to Dalton," he said softly after a moment. "I don't think it's fair that I get to use it as a safe haven while you're still stuck in that hell hole."
It was a time like this that Kurt forgot Blaine was younger than him. Granted, he had been in private school for several years, but it was so easy to think he was older just because of the way he talked.
"Well, I would if we could afford it," he responded after a few moments. "I just don't think we have that kind of money right now."
The two continued to eat their snacks in silence, Kurt staring out the window and wondering why the silence wasn't awkward.
"How did you come out at school?" Kurt asked suddenly a few moments later. It had been bugging him all day, because, since he felt that instant relief after telling his dad, he wanted to feel the same way while at school, considering he spent most of his time there.
Blaine chuckled. "It's not as hard as you think," he said. "I told Wes and David - my two closest friends - and then somehow everyone just…found out, I guess."
Kurt nodded. "So, if I were to come out…"
"Tell a small group of people, or even just one person," he responded. "And then, since you'll have them and their support, you won't even notice as the rest of the school starts to know."
Kurt nodded again and smiled at Blaine. "Thank you," he said again. "I know I've known you for less than a week but - thank you for helping me with all of this."
"I've been there, remember?" Blaine said, his hazel eyes glowing a little. "I know how it feels to have to do this alone."
Blaine's father returned a few minutes later, Kurt waving at Blaine and watching as the younger boy hopped in the car.
Kurt collapsed onto the couch and thought that he might, just might come out to the Glee Club. Once he got to know them better, that is.
Because he really didn't want to hide who he was at school. He wanted to be able to enjoy high school.
But he also knew that there were certain people who would still make that impossible.
Chapter 4