Can't Buy Me Love (fanfiction-Glee)
Title: Can't Buy Me Love
Author: slash4femme
Fandom: Glee
Pairing/Category: Artie/Kurt
Rating: PG-13
Warning: teen sexual tension and angst
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I do not make money off of doing this. The only thing I'm getting out of this is pure unadulterated creative enjoyment and less hours for me to spend doing my real work.
Summary: Artie figures it's just his luck to have a hopeless crush on Kurt
Author Note: unbeta'd, sorry guys
I.
Artie knows that if he’s after a hopeless crush it’s supposed to be on one of the popular kids or the jocks. Really he does understand that, he’s seen the way Rachel looks at Finn, it’s just that no one on the football team had been his type. Now of course that isn’t strictly true, and yeah he’s a hormonal teen so he’s fantasized about pretty much everyone but when it actually comes down to whom he’d like to ask out, it isn’t Finn or Puck or any of the other jocks.
Artie figures it’s just his luck that it would have to be Kurt. Kurt is almost attainable, he isn’t one of the cool kids, he isn’t a jock, and he’s even in Glee. On the other hand though Artie isn’t stupid, he knows how the pecking order works. Kurt might be the kid the football team threw in the dumpster everyday, but he’ s still a talented singer, who dresses at the height of fashion. Artie is the geeky, nearsighted kid in the wheelchair who makes Star Trek references, which means he’s pretty much romantically screwed. Here he’d even naively thought when he came out to himself that being bisexual would actually help his chances.
II.
He’s practicing the guitar when things change. He looks up to see Kurt leaning against the doorframe watching him.
“Hey.” He sets his guitar on his lap and turns his chair to face the young man.
“Hi.” Kurt fidgets with the hem of his long sweater. Artie tries not to think he looks adorable. Kurt takes two steps into the empty music room and sits in a chair facing Artie and crosses his arms over his chest. Artie feels suddenly nervous, he’s always managed to be pretty good around Kurt, basically ignoring him and trying not to stare. Now this, here, it feels different, his hands start to sweat and he’s clenches them and mentally stamps hard on the little bit of hope that goes through him.
“I, um.” Kurt starts fidgeting with his sweater again. “I think there is something you should know, about me.”
Artie clenches his fists tighter.
“I’m . . . I’m gay.” Kurt looks like he’s physically keeping himself from jumping up and bolting.
Artie blinks a couple times. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Kurt’s voice has gone even higher then normal and Artie winces.
“Well, um, I guessed that already.”
Kurt throws up both hands. “Does everyone know?”
“Probably.” Artie cringes inwardly, 'way to go be supportive of your friend and secret crush when he’s finally opening up to you', he berates himself.
Kurt looks stricken, and Artie sighs. “I think most people just assume because you fit so many of the stereotypes of a gay man, you’re gay. But people assuming things is completely different then you actually coming out about it.” He wishes he could reach out and take Kurt’s hand, he really does.
“So you’re ok with it?”
Artie struggles really hard not to laugh. “Kurt, I’m bi.” He watches Kurt’s eyes widen, “Yeah I’m ok with it.”
“Ok.” Kurt smiles awkwardly then stands brushing both hands down his chest, just in case his sweater had even thought about wrinkling. “That’s good, it's good to know.”
Artie forces himself to smile as he watches Kurt make his way back out of the music room. Then he sighs and slaps himself in the forehead, yep definitely screwed.
III.
“Artie.”
Artie looks up from where he’d been trying to figure out how to move one of the speakers in the music room, where he’s setting up for Glee rehearse. He blinks at Kurt for a moment actually feeling annoyed to see him. Being around Kurt and making sure he doesn’t make a fool of himself is a lot of work and Artie really needs to figure this out.
“Hey, you think you can help me with this?” He points at the speaker, “I think I could probably figure out a way to move it on my own, but . . .”
Kurt approaching the speaker and takes a good look at it, “Alright, let me push it like this, and you can take the other end.”
He gets behind it and pushes, while Artie grabs it with one hand and maneuvers himself with the other. Between the two of them they manage to slide it across the room and into the right place.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?” Kurt asks sitting down on the floor his back propped up against the speaker.
Artie shrugs, “I don’t know.”
“Look,” Kurt’s back to twisting the bottom of his shirt; button up instead of a sweater today, “I have to ask you something.”
“Ok.” Artie starts getting nervous again, he looks around for something else to do and doesn’t find anything. Instead he twists his hands together in his lap.
“Do you?” Kurt’s voice is unusually high even for him and it comes out in a whisper. He clears his throat and squares his shoulder. He doesn’t look at Artie instead he looks straight ahead of him at the wall. “Do you want to go out with me?”
Artie almost swallows his own tongue; instead he makes some very unflattering coughing, choking noises, and sees Kurt blush high across both cheeks. It occurs to Artie that Kurt’s expecting him to say, no, expecting maybe even to be mocked.
“Yes.” Artie gets out and then wants to smack himself again. “Not only does he sound pathetically eager but he’s got to make sure Kurt isn’t doing this out of desperation of pity. Artie likes Kurt, he likes him a lot, the mere idea of going out with him makes Artie feel dizzy, but he doesn’t want to do this for the wrong reason. He’s got some self-respect.
“Oh God.” Kurt covers his face with is hands, looking so relieved, and Artie wonders how many times Kurt’s been turned down or just too afraid to even ask. “I mean that’s really great.” Kurt takes his hands away from his face and smoothes his hair, which doesn’t need it, of course.
“Kurt,” Artie doesn’t know how to say this, and takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, “this is going to sound really stupid, but why?”
Kurt looks at him blankly.
“Why did you ask me out?” Artie clarifies, “I mean, I’m . . .” he makes a vague gesture at himself.
Kurt stares at him for another minute and the crosses his arms over his chest, “just how shallow do you think I am?” Kurt stand up and walks over to Artie, leaning against his chair, and Artie’s breathing speeds up because Kurt’s never been this close before and Artie can smell the faintly herbal shampoo and body wash he uses. Then Kurt smiles at him, not his ‘for the camera’ smile or ‘everything’s ok when it’s really not’ smile but a real one. He reaches forward and touches the arch of Artie’s glasses where they rest on his nose, “I’ve had a crush on you since middle school.” Kurt tells him softly, “and yeah you’re a fashion nightmare, and you really need to get contacts, so people can actually see your eyes, but I’ve heard you sing and play the guitar.” Kurt looks down at his own small hands, “I know the kind of guy everyone expects me to be after, but I want to date you.” He’s chin comes up now with that defiant, everyone else be damned, look that makes Artie think that his feelings for the smaller man might go beyond just lust.
Kurt straightens up and Artie unclenches his own hands. “So, um, a movie?”
Kurt smiles at him again, “a movie sounds really nice.”
Author: slash4femme
Fandom: Glee
Pairing/Category: Artie/Kurt
Rating: PG-13
Warning: teen sexual tension and angst
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I do not make money off of doing this. The only thing I'm getting out of this is pure unadulterated creative enjoyment and less hours for me to spend doing my real work.
Summary: Artie figures it's just his luck to have a hopeless crush on Kurt
Author Note: unbeta'd, sorry guys
I.
Artie knows that if he’s after a hopeless crush it’s supposed to be on one of the popular kids or the jocks. Really he does understand that, he’s seen the way Rachel looks at Finn, it’s just that no one on the football team had been his type. Now of course that isn’t strictly true, and yeah he’s a hormonal teen so he’s fantasized about pretty much everyone but when it actually comes down to whom he’d like to ask out, it isn’t Finn or Puck or any of the other jocks.
Artie figures it’s just his luck that it would have to be Kurt. Kurt is almost attainable, he isn’t one of the cool kids, he isn’t a jock, and he’s even in Glee. On the other hand though Artie isn’t stupid, he knows how the pecking order works. Kurt might be the kid the football team threw in the dumpster everyday, but he’ s still a talented singer, who dresses at the height of fashion. Artie is the geeky, nearsighted kid in the wheelchair who makes Star Trek references, which means he’s pretty much romantically screwed. Here he’d even naively thought when he came out to himself that being bisexual would actually help his chances.
II.
He’s practicing the guitar when things change. He looks up to see Kurt leaning against the doorframe watching him.
“Hey.” He sets his guitar on his lap and turns his chair to face the young man.
“Hi.” Kurt fidgets with the hem of his long sweater. Artie tries not to think he looks adorable. Kurt takes two steps into the empty music room and sits in a chair facing Artie and crosses his arms over his chest. Artie feels suddenly nervous, he’s always managed to be pretty good around Kurt, basically ignoring him and trying not to stare. Now this, here, it feels different, his hands start to sweat and he’s clenches them and mentally stamps hard on the little bit of hope that goes through him.
“I, um.” Kurt starts fidgeting with his sweater again. “I think there is something you should know, about me.”
Artie clenches his fists tighter.
“I’m . . . I’m gay.” Kurt looks like he’s physically keeping himself from jumping up and bolting.
Artie blinks a couple times. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Kurt’s voice has gone even higher then normal and Artie winces.
“Well, um, I guessed that already.”
Kurt throws up both hands. “Does everyone know?”
“Probably.” Artie cringes inwardly, 'way to go be supportive of your friend and secret crush when he’s finally opening up to you', he berates himself.
Kurt looks stricken, and Artie sighs. “I think most people just assume because you fit so many of the stereotypes of a gay man, you’re gay. But people assuming things is completely different then you actually coming out about it.” He wishes he could reach out and take Kurt’s hand, he really does.
“So you’re ok with it?”
Artie struggles really hard not to laugh. “Kurt, I’m bi.” He watches Kurt’s eyes widen, “Yeah I’m ok with it.”
“Ok.” Kurt smiles awkwardly then stands brushing both hands down his chest, just in case his sweater had even thought about wrinkling. “That’s good, it's good to know.”
Artie forces himself to smile as he watches Kurt make his way back out of the music room. Then he sighs and slaps himself in the forehead, yep definitely screwed.
III.
“Artie.”
Artie looks up from where he’d been trying to figure out how to move one of the speakers in the music room, where he’s setting up for Glee rehearse. He blinks at Kurt for a moment actually feeling annoyed to see him. Being around Kurt and making sure he doesn’t make a fool of himself is a lot of work and Artie really needs to figure this out.
“Hey, you think you can help me with this?” He points at the speaker, “I think I could probably figure out a way to move it on my own, but . . .”
Kurt approaching the speaker and takes a good look at it, “Alright, let me push it like this, and you can take the other end.”
He gets behind it and pushes, while Artie grabs it with one hand and maneuvers himself with the other. Between the two of them they manage to slide it across the room and into the right place.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?” Kurt asks sitting down on the floor his back propped up against the speaker.
Artie shrugs, “I don’t know.”
“Look,” Kurt’s back to twisting the bottom of his shirt; button up instead of a sweater today, “I have to ask you something.”
“Ok.” Artie starts getting nervous again, he looks around for something else to do and doesn’t find anything. Instead he twists his hands together in his lap.
“Do you?” Kurt’s voice is unusually high even for him and it comes out in a whisper. He clears his throat and squares his shoulder. He doesn’t look at Artie instead he looks straight ahead of him at the wall. “Do you want to go out with me?”
Artie almost swallows his own tongue; instead he makes some very unflattering coughing, choking noises, and sees Kurt blush high across both cheeks. It occurs to Artie that Kurt’s expecting him to say, no, expecting maybe even to be mocked.
“Yes.” Artie gets out and then wants to smack himself again. “Not only does he sound pathetically eager but he’s got to make sure Kurt isn’t doing this out of desperation of pity. Artie likes Kurt, he likes him a lot, the mere idea of going out with him makes Artie feel dizzy, but he doesn’t want to do this for the wrong reason. He’s got some self-respect.
“Oh God.” Kurt covers his face with is hands, looking so relieved, and Artie wonders how many times Kurt’s been turned down or just too afraid to even ask. “I mean that’s really great.” Kurt takes his hands away from his face and smoothes his hair, which doesn’t need it, of course.
“Kurt,” Artie doesn’t know how to say this, and takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, “this is going to sound really stupid, but why?”
Kurt looks at him blankly.
“Why did you ask me out?” Artie clarifies, “I mean, I’m . . .” he makes a vague gesture at himself.
Kurt stares at him for another minute and the crosses his arms over his chest, “just how shallow do you think I am?” Kurt stand up and walks over to Artie, leaning against his chair, and Artie’s breathing speeds up because Kurt’s never been this close before and Artie can smell the faintly herbal shampoo and body wash he uses. Then Kurt smiles at him, not his ‘for the camera’ smile or ‘everything’s ok when it’s really not’ smile but a real one. He reaches forward and touches the arch of Artie’s glasses where they rest on his nose, “I’ve had a crush on you since middle school.” Kurt tells him softly, “and yeah you’re a fashion nightmare, and you really need to get contacts, so people can actually see your eyes, but I’ve heard you sing and play the guitar.” Kurt looks down at his own small hands, “I know the kind of guy everyone expects me to be after, but I want to date you.” He’s chin comes up now with that defiant, everyone else be damned, look that makes Artie think that his feelings for the smaller man might go beyond just lust.
Kurt straightens up and Artie unclenches his own hands. “So, um, a movie?”
Kurt smiles at him again, “a movie sounds really nice.”