Spoilers: Up to A very Glee Christmas, and it starts assuming from the super bowl episode, since the only spoiler for that is that Blaine and Kurt are actually watching the game.
AN: So Glee is all about stereotypes, and playing with the idea of the stereotype, so I decided to make a series of fics revolving around the breaking of the stereotype, both real and assumed things about Blaine and Kurt. And yes, it will definitely get to Klaine. I'm having Glee AND Klaine withdrawal. I need my fix! No idea where this is going, no idea how long it will be, but I'll try to make the chapters as auto conclusive as possible, even if there will continue a chronological order. I don't know if I'm making myself clear, so I'll shut up. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned Glee, you would know.
Stereotype: More than four sides of me
By ComplexlySimpleKiddo
"I would actually thank you for coming with me, if I didn't know for sure that you had more fun than I did" Said Kurt in his acid drawl, betrayed only by the small smile threatening to make a full bloom on his face.
They were leaving the stadium of McKingley at a leisurely pace, the night already deep and cold. Blaine let out a contagious laugh, bumping his shoulder against Kurt in amiably fashion.
"I do enjoy a good match" He admitted, ruefully "And the team of your stepbrother wasn't as bad as you claimed it would be"
Kurt shrugged as much as he could while still trying to keep warm under his heavy coat, stay close to Blaine as if it were unintentional, and looking around surreptitiously for any signs of Karofsky. His logical mind said that it was impossible, that he ought to be in the lockers with the rest of the team, and that's why they were leaving ahead, so as to avoid them. But the irrational part of his brain kept making him think that Karofsky was going to suddenly pop up from some dark corner to attack him or Blaine.
"You should have seen them last year" Kurt explained, trying to keep the conversation going and make his slight paranoia less noticeable "They were sad. They're doing remarkably good now because they have a decent coach, but last year was sad. They're not bad players, just… Not a team" He finished, smiling brightly when he noticed that what he said was similar to what Blaine tried to explain to him about the Warblers, after he lost his first attempt at a Solo. "Then again, if I managed to help them win a game, I'm not so sure about how good they really are" He joked, more concentrated in rubbing his mitten clad hands together to keep them warm than to what he was saying. He immediately noticed the lack of warmth at his side when Blaine suddenly stopped walking, and he turned around fast, thinking for a moment that Blaine had seen Karofsky. He started to look around, slightly panicked, but Blaine laughed again, reducing the distance with a brisk walk and grabbing Kurt's arm in his, muttering a short 'sorry' for scaring the boy.
Kurt was torn. His arm burned where Blaine touched him, and sent tingles to the rest of his body, making him extremely giddy. But they weren't at Dalton. They were in the middle of Lima, Ohio, at McKingley, after a game of football, where the sight of two guys even remotely touching in something less than platonic and friendship-like was not only frowned upon, but worst. He didn't care if someone shouted something, or looked at them with disgust, or even threw a slushie or pushed him around, but Blaine didn't know what it was like here, and he wasn't quite sure the boy was ready to step out of the Dalton bubble so fast.
"You joined the football team?" The question made Kurt forget about his musings and actually remember what he had said. He felt the urge to slap himself in the forehead.
"Regrettably" He said, his chin held high in order to admit to such thing without losing glam "And thankfully, for a very short period of time"
"What part did you play?"
"Kicker" Said Kurt with his chin still high, and added, proudly, for good measure "One hell of a kicker, I might add" Blaine snickered at his tone
"Why did you left, then?" Kurt shrugged with the shoulder attached to the arm that was not currently in the grasp of the boy next to him. He didn't want to move and make Blaine release it.
"It wasn't my thing"
"Then why did you got in?" Blaine asked again, and Kurt sighed exasperatedly, but unable to be really mad at the overly curious guy at his side. Besides, he did sound sincerely curious to know.
"Long story short, I was trying to convince my dad I wasn't gay" Blaine just raised one of his ridiculously cute triangular eyebrows but didn't say anything, for which Kurt was terribly thankful. He kept looking ahead, afraid that if he looked at Blaine too much, he would end up staring like a stupid lovesick boy. Blaine, on the other side, looked at him the entire time they were talking, and Kurt was having a hard time deciding if it was amazing or dreadful. "In retrospective, teaching the whole team how to dance Single Ladies was not a smart way to go about it. If anything, it taught me that, with a good enough argument, I can gay up a whole bunch of jocks and still get a 'thanks' afterwards"
Blaine was laughing, honest and carelessly laughing, and Kurt had to admit, the image of the football team dancing to Single Ladies had been hilarious. When the boy calmed down, he caught Kurt's eyes and the countertenor found it incredibly hard not to stare back.
"So, a jock AND a cheerio. What else are you that I know nothing about?" He joked, and Kurt let out a small, slightly nervous laugh, looking ahead again, trying hard to get those hazel eyes out of his mind.
"I never wanted to be any of those things; I guess I just wanted to prove that I could be, if I wanted to. All I want to be is me, no titles involved"
"I know what you mean" said Blaine, smirking a bit sadly, and Kurt knew he wasn't just saying that.
They reached the parking lot soon enough, and Kurt felt suddenly colder, if possible, knowing that he was going to have to let go of the arm, and Blaine.
"You sure you don't want to stay for the celebrations? Finn will be glad to talk about the match with someone his age who actually cares and understands what he's saying" He added hastily, not wanting to make it sound like he was offering for the sole reason that Kurt wanted to spend more time with him. Blaine let out a deep sigh, and turned to face him.
"I want to" He said, putting special emphasis in the word, reaching out to fixing Kurt's scarf "but I can't. My parents want me to go with them to some party and I promised them I'd be there before midnight. They don't want to depart one minute after, and they're kind of strict" Then he looked up from the scarf to Kurt's eyes and he smiled, raising one eyebrow. "I feel like Cinderella"
Kurt couldn't help it, letting out an honest to god explosive laughter.
"And to think you got me fooled with the whole 'I like football too' breaking of stereotype!" Blaine flashed him his hypnotic smile and got into his car.
"I'll see you on Monday?" He asked, and Kurt felt that it was to stall time, because otherwise it was a rather stupid question.
"Unless Dalton suddenly turns a favorable eye to bullying, then yes" Kurt joked, and raised his hand in a small bye, turning around. He didn't want to stay there and watch Blaine go. It would make him feel stupid and wanton. But god did he want to. He was so head over heels with the guy, it wasn't even funny.
But as he was about to reach his Navigator, ready to go home and wait for his dad, Carole and Finn to get back, he heard the distinctive sound of an engine being turned on, and failing to do so successfully. He stopped in his tracks, the sound starting again, and this time he visibly flinched at the horrible sputtering coughing the car made. He turned around and reached Blaine's car just in time to hear a third try and he knocked on the window, catching Blaine's attention. Hazel eyes turned to him, and the glass of the window slid down.
"Problems?" Asked Kurt, and Blaine was already giving it a fourth try, when the brunette stopped him by reaching inside the car and halting his hand from turning the key again. That left Kurt with almost half of his body inside Blaine's car, and his face dangerously close to Blaine's. He could actually feel the warm breath on his ear.
"Stop that! It's not going to magically work. Not in a car this new, anyway. There's something clearly wrong"
Blaine sighed and rested his head on the seat, but he didn't take his hand away from under Kurt's, and the countertenor felt suddenly very conscious of every little touch of their bodies, and pulled away.
"Well" Said Blaine, and he almost sounded disappointed "I'll have to call he insurance to pick me up"
"There's no way you're going to make it home by twelve that way" Said Kurt, and Blaine shrugged.
"Considering my car has already turned into something as useful as a pumpkin…" He joked, continuing the Cinderella reference of before.
"I could give you a lift to Westerville" Offered Kurt, but Blaine was already shaking his head no.
"You need to celebrate with your family; you haven't seen them since Christmas break. Don't worry. I'll figure it out"
Kurt bit his lip, taking a step back from the car and watching at himself critically, and for a moment, his face contorted into a grim expression, as if he was contemplating doing something incredibly illegal.
Then he took off his scarf and gave it to Blaine.
"Open up the hood" He said, already taking off his warm coat too.
"What the hell are you doing! It's freezing outside!" Exclaimed Blaine, holding scarf and coat and staring at Kurt like he had suddenly turned into a fish.
"Shut up! That coat is an Alexander McQueen" Snapped the boy, with no real mean intention, and he looked morosely at his shirt, and looked up to mumble at Blaine "You so owe me a Dior, just so you know" He patted loudly the side of the door of the car "Now open up!"
Blaine obeyed immediately, without thinking. Partly because it was said in such an authoritative tone that he almost compelled out of habit. But other part of him felt just…incredibly curious. The distinct 'clang' of the hood lock being released was heard when he pulled the handle, and he stepped out of the car, not before folding Kurt's clothes neatly. He joined the countertenor by the front of the car, and stared. Kurt's usually pristine and white hands were already smeared in grease and dirt, and he was using one hand to lift himself over the engine and be able to watch closely without getting his shirt dirty. He merely hummed and he was going to reach for his Iphone, mumbling something about it being too dark to properly see, when his hand stopped right at his hip, hovering over the back pocket of his jeans, and he stared helplessly at his grease smeared hands and clean and expensive jean. Blaine understood immediately and was about to offer his own phone as source of light, when a wicked thought crashed rapidly into his brain, and he smiled.
"Here, let me get it for you" He offered.
Before Kurt could realize what that offer implied, Blaine reached for Kurt's phone, sliding his fingers into Kurt's back pocket and taking out the gadget, his knuckles grazing Kurt's jean clad ass. He offered the device to Kurt in what he hoped was the most nonchalant face he ever mastered. His eyes, though, couldn't hide the mirth in them.
"Should I hold it for you instead?" Offered Blaine, enjoying the way Kurt's face couldn't decide if to blush or be surprised. He managed a cute middle, in Blaine's opinion.
"H…hold it, that way I can use both hands" Blaine smirked too fast at that, and Kurt realized the comment had been… suggestive. He turned his attention to the car, so he could stop making a fool out of himself, but the skin where Blaine had grazed was still burning. Blaine turned the screen of the Iphone to the mess of cables and metal, unable to whip the satisfied smirk out of his face.
"So, was this merely an excuse to get me to buy you a new shirt, or you actually understand what's going on in there?"
"My dad has a garage" He offered as an explanation distractedly, already reaching inside, elbow deep into the whole thing. Blaine raised an eyebrow.
"Way to break the stereotype" he joked, repeating Kurt's words at him. Kurt smiled, but he shrugged and his smile disappeared while still working, as if he was thinking of something. As if fixing the car was second nature to him. It probably was, thought Blaine.
"I've been into fashion and perfumes since I remember having a memory. When my mum died, dad and I felt suddenly like strangers. We loved each other, sure, but we couldn't find a common ground other than out mutual grief. So he took me to the garage, because he needed to take care of me while still working, and I started to learn, because I wanted to feel closer to him. It's been second nature since then, but now that you mention it…" He pulled at something, or pushed, Blaine was unable to tell, and made a small grunt that the older Dalton thought it was unfairly sexy. Kurt finally took his hand out of the engine, and finished his sentence "…It is breaking the stereotype, isn't it?"
He was staring at Blaine as if really asking him if it was, holding his hands as far away from his shirt as he could, and a few strands of his hair slightly out of place.
"It's hot" Blaine thought, but he realized he had said that out loud when Kurt looked startled, once again, as if not knowing if to take Blaine's words seriously or as a joke, and being afraid to give the wrong reaction. Blaine mentally slapped himself, but he also decided to, for once, be direct. He let his smile bloom on his face, charming and slightly more seductive than ever.
"It's hot as hell".
For two painfully long seconds, Kurt didn't know what the hell to say. His wit came to him, thankfully, saving him from a very awkward moment.
"Well, the whole story about my dad was a lie, I actually learnt just in order to pick up cute boys with car problems" He joked, trying to defuse the tension since he had no idea how to deal with it, but Blaine decided to shoot one more thing before giving in to Kurt's attempt to deflect.
"Well, it sure works" He said, and went back to the car, turning on the engine again at Kurt's command. The machine this time sputtered to life, but several red lights turned on alarmingly on the board, and Blaine frowned. Kurt walked around to see what the problem was, and hummed again, this time with a slightly suspicious tone to it.
"What is it?" Blaine asked, turning to face Kurt and noticing the boy had a smear of dirt on his cheek, and he had to make a huge effort to resist reaching out and taking it away with his thumb.
"Well, either you're terribly unlucky and managed to break the radiator, the hydraulic direction, AND the battery at the same time, or…" He drifted off, clearly thinking about something else, and he suddenly muttered a 'hold on'. He made a brisk walk towards his Navigator and after a few seconds, he came back holding a battered old skateboard. This time Blaine raised both eyebrows, and Kurt sighed.
"I'm not lying on the parking lot floor, but I do need to check something under your car. You still owe me a Dior shirt, by the way. Now more than ever." Said Kurt, smiling slightly and dropping the skateboard on the floor. Taking care to dirty his clothes as less as possible, but with ease that came from habit, he dropped himself on the skate and slid under Blaine's car. He snorted and reached his hand out, wiggling his fingers in what Blaine would thought to be the cutest way, if he wasn't too distracted by the sexy as hell sight of Kurt fixing his car. He put Kurt's Iphone in the wiggling fingers, and the hand disappeared again. It didn't take long for Kurt to come out again, but for the grim face he was suddenly sporting, Blaine knew there was something more wrong other than his car. Kurt sat up on the skate, but didn't stand up, and he rested his arms on his knees, his head lowered a bit. Blaine crouched by his side, trying to read Kurt's expression, but the light made it impossible.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just a transmission strap, but it controls a few things, so you can't drive your car anywhere or you'll make a worse damage. I could fix it but you have to take it to the garage, and see if I have a spare that will work for your car. The belt is completely missing" He rattled on, but Blaine put a hand on his shoulder, and Kurt raised his face with difficulty, trying to smile as if nothing was wrong, but knowing that Blaine was able to read right through it.
"What's wrong?" He repeated, and Kurt couldn't avoid the fact that he knew Blaine wasn't asking about the car. Kurt sighed again, and looked away.
"They tampered with it. You can see the sloppy cuts on the side of the gears. They… They cut it on purpose"
And Blaine understood. His face must have showed the dawning of comprehension, because Kurt stared at him with a regretful expression.
"I shouldn't have asked you to come here, Blaine. I'm sorry"
Blaine opened his mouth to say something, closed it and smiled, looking away from those sad eyes. It wasn't fair that Kurt had to worry about him a well.
"Come on" he patted Kurt on the shoulder, and stood up "It's fixable, right? And I get a sexy mechanic as well, I can't complain at all" He joked, and Kurt snorted and got up too.
"What are you going to do, though? We can fix it for you tonight, if we have the right spare, and I can still offer you a lift to Westerville." Blaine checked his wristwatch and made a face.
"Nah, it's already too late for that."
Kurt hesitated, and then frowned.
"You can still stay if you want to. I mean, we can fix the car for you, free of cost, probably by tomorrow. "
"Are you sure your dad won't mind?" Asked Blaine, already smiling at the prospective of spending the night with the Hudson-Hummel family. They were far more fun than his own family, and he didn't really feel like going with his parents to that party tonight.
"We'll… cross that bridge when it comes to it. Come on" Said Kurt, thinking that, with a good enough argument, his father would let Blaine stay. After all, he already liked him enough for the fact that Blaine could hold a conversation with Burt about football, and that he was so dapper. Kurt was sure the boy could charm the sun out of rising in the morning. Blaine took his things out of the car and locked it, and walked with Kurt towards his Navigator, trying not to stare at Kurt's ass while he kept that brisk but sexy walk.
"A jock, a Cheerio, AND a mechanic, huh?" He said, unable to contain the stupid smile that was surely spreading on his face. Kurt turned his face to stare at him over his shoulder, and lifted his mouth in a half grin that left Blaine's body in a riot of hormones.
"I'm not a box, Blaine"
"More like a hypercube" The boy answered, noticing only later how dorky that comment had been.
AN2: Fun fact: I actually wrote the first half of this while waiting to give an exam, and I left it at the point where Kurt is about to start fixing Blaine's car. When I was coming back home, MY own car broke down, so I can say I kept positive about waiting 3 hours for the pick up, just because I had a very useful experience. Sadly, I had no Kurt Hummel to fix my car for me. Nor am I as sexy and cute as Blaine. Life's just not fair like that.
