Rated NC17 as a whole. This is betaed and complete, and will be updated regularly. Cross posted to AO3 under the same account name.

Kurt has Plans.

Big Plans. Plans that he's thoroughly thought out. He even has backup plans in case his actual Plan doesn't work out. He doesn't take uncertainty lightly, not if there's something he can do about it. If there's something he can do to help prepare himself for something, he'll do that. And that's where his Plans come in.

Plans. Big Plans. Plans so in depth and well thought out that they aren't just a verb, they're a noun, too. Hence the capitalization.

His Plans include, first and foremost, a career in the entertainment industry. He'd prefer to be in musicals, but his back up plans (no capitalizations because they're not nearly as exciting as his Plans) will allow him to do straight plays as well. He's even incorporated the possibility of film acting. There's a side clause that allows him to work in commercials if his need for money is that great.

But back to his Plans. They also include New York City. A dream Kurt's had ever since he can remember. He's never even been to New York City prior to the eleventh grade when he went there to tour colleges. But he always knew that New York City is where he's meant to be. Though it's not the only place he applies.

Kurt's practical enough to know that he needs to keep his options open. While New York has a lot of really great schools and programs, he doesn't want to hold himself back from at least checking out other schools. Plus, his father forces him to apply to schools outside of NYC; state schools, local schools, and other universities. Kurt, albeit a bit begrudgingly, doesn't mind it, but he doesn't tell this to his father. He doesn't want to see the smug satisfaction on his father's face if he ever finds out that Kurt believes he was right.

But yes, the Plan: musical theatre, New York City, a bachelor's degree to fall back on (something that he and his father adamantly do agree on; Kurt wants a bachelor's degree from a liberal arts college, and not just a certificate from an acting program at an unaccredited organization). Also, eventually, a stunningly gorgeous and perfectly witty man to share it with. Maybe kids. He hasn't thought that one out yet. But definitely no animals; the hair would get onto his clothes and be too difficult and time consuming to remove.

The one big glitch in his plan? He didn't actually think he'd go to a school that wasn't in New York City.

He gets into NYU's Tisch School of Performing Arts. He finds that out right after he gets his rejection letter from The Julliard School, and he leaps for joy and ecstatically tells the world that NYU is where Kurt Hummel is matriculating, thank you very much.

By the end of the month Kurt has acceptance letters from most schools he applies to, with only a few rejection letters thrown in (though he's a little bitter about not getting into the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he's also relieved. His father was really pulling for him to stay local and go there). But he also gets accepted to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Kurt doesn't know anything about Pittsburgh. He only applied there in the first place because he knows a lot of Broadway actors went there, and it's a top ranked school for theatre.

So he Googles it, because that's what you do when you're Kurt Hummel and you have a Plan and an incessant need for knowledge. He takes this college business very seriously. He has a dream board placed above his bed for motivation, and a spreadsheet that lays out every university he got into, their tuition rates, room and board costs, how much money he was offered, what their ranking is, which famous people graduated from there, and the pros and cons of the city it lies in.

He's surprised to see that CMU's theatre program ranks consistently better than NYU's, though not by much. Usually it's number two to NYU's number three. But it still gives Kurt pause.

Then he finds out that CMU is giving him a partial scholarship, and while they're normally more expensive than NYU, with the scholarship it's actually a few thousand dollars cheaper. His father lets it slip-rather loudly and incredibly frequently-that Pittsburgh is a much more affordable city to live in.

To which Kurt responds: "Pittsburgh is not a city, Dad. Pittsburgh is a town. New York is a city."

Two weeks later finds Kurt being dragged to the car and dropped off at CMU's Accepted Students Weekend. He meets new people, he explores the city, he goes to an 18+ night at a gay club and dances with two different boys. He eats a lot of really different food that weekend and is shown an incredibly large (and slightly musky smelling) record store.

He's introduced to current students and he gets to sit in on a few classes. He takes an official tour of the campus and is then given a private tour by a super cute (though possibly straight?) senior theatre student. He takes Kurt to a party on Saturday night off campus in a part of the city called Oakland. It's walking distance from CMU, and he explains that a few CMU students live in that part of town, but it's mostly Pitt students.

Kurt has to ask what Pitt is.

"It's another University, right down the street. It's bigger, their theatre program sucks. But because of that they're able to do more fun things than we are, since it's practically all student run. They put on 24 hour theatre projects a few times a year, and they're always writing their own plays and putting them on. They're super school about letting us participate if we want. Plus, Pitt students have better and bigger parties, and all the good, late night food is in Oakland."

Kurt comes home Tuesday (he demands that Burt let him stay one extra day so that he can go to the classes that Adam-the cute and possibly straight senior-had invited him to check out).

He had probably the best weekend of his life, though it immediately sours when he walks in and sees his vision board above his bed, filled with pictures of Central Park and Time Square and New York bagels.

When he goes to school the next day he doesn't tell anyone why he was absent Thursday, Friday, and Monday, or where he went. He feels unsure about what happened that weekend, and he hopes that his upcoming trip to NYU will allay his fears.

It doesn't.

The school is huge, and it's spread out all over the place. The streets are dirty and smell, and Kurt can't help but be reminded of how clean and green Pittsburgh is.

He did love the parks in NYC, but the people there were so mean. He went out to lunch with his dad, and these girls sitting at the table next to them verbally harassed their waiter for forgetting to give them utensils.

Tisch is amazing, though. He loves the building and the bustling of students. He loves how active and alive everything seems. But he looks out the window at can't help but be disappointed that he's greeted with rushing New Yorkers as opposed to college students lazing around on the wide open grass quad.

It's sort of a let down. And he only has a month and a half to make a decision as to where he's going to do.

He's never felt so lost or out of control. He has a Plan, goddammit. Pittsburgh was not a part of the plan.

He talks it over with his friend Santana because she has an uncanny ability to almost never censor herself, and while Kurt doesn't really want tough love, he thinks he needs it.

"So what do I do?" Kurt asks, his eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"You're so pathetic," Santana replies, rolling her eyes. "Your life isn't a sob story. So what? You like Pittsburgh. It's a great school, a cool city, homos are throwing themselves after you. It's not like New York won't be there in four years."

He hates to admit that she's right, but she is. What he hates even more is having to tell people that he's changed his mind. He isn't looking forward to their shocked gasps or their probing questions. He doesn't want to tell his friend Rachel, with whom he's had a pact with for years to move to NYC together. He doesn't want to tell his Dad because he's afraid of an I-Told-You-So.

I told you that you should apply to other schools. I told you there were other options out there.

He knows his father won't actually say that, or even think it.

Kurt goes home after talking to Santana and takes down his dream board and throws it in the trash. Then he goes down to dinner and breaks the news to his father, all while breaking down himself.

But Kurt had a Plan! And now he has to go adjust it. And it sucks.

He worked really hard on that dream board…