Warnings:Later on (several chapters down the road), there will be sexual assault and non-con.

There will also be slash between Kurt and Lance, but it will be awhile as first they have to move past being enemies.

Notes: The only knowledge I have about male gymnastics is from watching it on TV during the Olympics and the brief internet research I did when I wanted to check something. So bear with me as I use this feeble knowledge and apply it to a high school setting. I'll try to keep the actual gymnastics part to a minimum.

It has also been a really long time since I've seen the show (minus the first season), so forgive me for inaccuracies. Also, this fic is AU in the sense of timeline and events that occurred in the show.

A Slipping Grip

A New Start

Lance hesitated at the doorway to the gym. Inside he could see that the gym had been transformed from its normal, squeaky basketball floors to a padded area with various apparatuses meant to showcase agility, balance and strength. This was his moment to decide. Should he finish what he started earlier when he asked Coach Trieg about joining the gymnastics team? Or should he just forget about his pledge to himself and walk away?

Undecided, he resettled his backpack on his shoulder as he watched as someone, a rather muscle-bound guy, jump and grab two rings that were dangling from some stretchy-looking bands. Muscles, as Lance deemed him, slowly lifted himself up - biceps straining, face contorted- until he had brought his body into the shape of a cross. Lance silently counted until Muscles couldn't last any longer and dropped to the mat beneath him. Watching as Coach Trieg roughly pulled Muscles to his feet to probably give pointers, Lance smirked to himself. He could do better. All he had to do was walk in to the gym.

"Alvers, there you are. Glad you could join us. Now get your butt in here." Lance looked up to see Coach Trieg striding towards him. His distinguished fading-blonde hair and tall form could be intimidating to some, but to Lance the Coach was just another stupid authority figure to disobey. He wanted to turn around right then but the Coach had already caught up to him and was dragging him inside.

"Practice starts at 5:00 sharp. I expect you to be here on time from now on."

Lance wanted to sneer and say something disparaging, but stopped himself. He was trying to change, to create something positive in his life. He couldn't do that by balking at every opportunity to do so. Besides, Trieg was still talking and pulling him forward.

"I was unsure of you, Alvers. But you showed up. That's commitment, and I like that." When Trieg finally let go of Lance's arm, Lance bought a hand up to rub where the Coach had gripped his bicep. He had clearly not eschewed working out himself. "You'll need to dress out in some form fitting clothes, no need for any athletic shoes. I'll have someone run you down on all the basics and introduce you to the team. Be like a mentor or such." Trieg scanned the gym for a second, obviously having someone in mind already. Spotting him, Trieg beckoned Lance to follow to a form with longish black hair stretching on the mat.

"You'll like him. Real nice guy. Very agile and good at…"

But Lance wasn't listening anymore. He had stopped a few feet away, a sneer already forming on his lips. He knew who Coach Trieg thought would be a "great" mentor to him, and there was no way in hell that Lance was going to follow some idiotic fuzzbrain around.

"Kurt, spare a moment for me."

Wagner stopped stretching and looked up at Trieg questioningly.

"Got some fresh blood for our team. I'd like you to help him out. Show him around. Introduce him to the rest of the team and give him some pointers. "

"Um, sure. No problem."

Lance noticed how Trieg gently helped Wagner up. Nope, no favoritism there. But now he was going to make sure he'd savor this moment. It was going to be good. Watching as Wagner slowly turned around, he enjoyed how the expression on his face turn from open and inviting to shock. "Lance?"

"The one and only."

"Oh good. You two know each other." Trieg was either completely oblivious to rising tension in the air or didn't care. "Perfect. Now I'm going to go and help Miguel out while you show Alvers around."

"Coach-"

"Wait!"

Both of them yelling out in unison stopped Trieg in his path. He turned around and regarded them. "Is something the matter?"

Lance glared at Wagner, but let him talk considering he was the one with an established relationship with the Coach.

"Well, I don't think I'm the best for this. See Lance and I-"

"Nonsense!" Trieg smiled kindly and put a reassuring arm around Wagner's shoulders. "You'll be just fine. You got a good handle on all of the equipment and have a good nature about yourself. I've got every faith in you." He squeezed Wagner's shoulder before heading off to Miguel who was having difficulty with a routine on the pommel horse.

"Well that was touching and heart-warming. Where's my bucket for puke?"

Wagner turned towards him, his face reflecting the same displeasure at being forced with each other's company. "What are you doing here?"

"Joining the gymnastics team. What does it look like I'm doing." Lance knew what Wagner meant but was having too much fun in riling him up. Besides, Lance sure as hell wasn't going to disclose to the furball his reasons for his atypical move.

"Why? You don't really seem like a team type."

"I am Brotherhood member, aren't I?"

"Yeah, as you guys have shown such great camaraderie and team spirit."

Wagner had him there but Lance wasn't going to concede that point. "Whatever. Aren't you supposed to be some great mentor or shit and introduce me to some other people so I don't have to look at your ugly face much longer."

Wagner rolled his eyes at him, but turned to look for someone that wasn't preoccupied. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Mark." Wagner started leading him towards a bench where the guy Lance had referred to as Muscles sat with a towel slung over his shoulders and was drinking from a water bottle. "Try to be nice to him. He's a good guy."

Lance huffed in response but followed Wagner.

"Who's this?" Mark asked as he ran his towel through his blonde hair damp with sweat. Mark's eyes didn't even seem to register that Kurt was there but stared straight to Lance. No greeting, a gruff question. Hopefully everyone on the team was more like this guy.

Lance wanted to butt in and not give the privilege of introducing himself to Wagner, but he figured Wagner was right. He should probably make a good impression. He didn't want to alienate everyone on the team and be left with Wagner to ask for help. Spare him the pain.

"This is Lance. He's going to be joining our team. Lance," Wagner gestured over to Muscles, "Mark. Mark is really awesome at the rings. Ask him to show you the ropes."

"Your puns are always awful, Kurt" Mark replied, not a lick of humor tracing his voice. Lance's spirits lifted. Maybe Mark was being brusque because he didn't like Wagner. Maybe he'd found someone who he could commiserate with over how annoying Wagner could be.

"Hey, I try." Unfazed by Mark's terse response, Wagner's voice still hosted a smile.

"I would hold out my hand," Mark directed towards Lance, "but considering I'm all covered in sweat, I doubt you'd want to shake it." Mark glanced between them, observing both of their warded body language. "Do you two know each other already?"

Lance exchanged a brief look with Wagner.

"Ja. Lance is in some of my classes." Lance had no problem with Wagner omitting the other half of their connection. Before Wagner had to launch into some kind of explanation of their unenthused reaction with each other, a voice spared them from the awkward conversation.

"Kurt! Do you think you could come help me?" Some brown-haired kid was slumped under the high bar, defeated by the apparatus.

"Yeah. One second," Kurt called back. "Mark, do you mind hanging out with Lance for a bit. Answer any of his questions?"

"No. Go help Trey out. He'll whine until you do."

"He just gets frustrated easily."

"Kuuurt!"

Mark raised an eyebrow at Kurt at the sound of Trey's plaintive cry. Wagner smiled slightly at that but didn't deny Mark's observation.

Lance watched Wagner run off to help Trey out, making sure to memorize who Trey was so he could do his best to avoid him. Realizing that he was finally free of Wagner, Lance let out a relieved sigh. Turning back to Mark, Lance figured he'd go ahead and do his best to win him over to his side while Wagner was occupied.

"I saw you practicing earlier." Lance nodded with his head towards the rings. "Seems pretty difficult."

"It is. Lots of the team really struggle with it. I'll show you how to use them since I'm probably the best at it."

"Yeah?"

Mark took another swig of water before nodding in affirmation. "It's probably Kurt's weakest apparatus."

Lance grinned and regarded Mark with an even higher esteem than before. "That's good to know. Coach Trieg was going on and on about how awesome Wagner is. Made me want to gag myself with my own saliva."

"Yeah, I don't like it."

"Right? I doubt he even deserves half the praise Trieg lavishes on him." Mark turned to look at Lance, but Lance was on a roll and took Mark's silence as approval to continue. "He's so annoying and is such a freak." He watched as Wagner animatedly talked to Trey as he helped him out. "He's just so-"

Mark stood up, cutting Lance off. While he wasn't any taller than Lance, his larger form demanded attention. "You've misjudged me. I know I come across as rude, but that's just the way I am. Doesn't mean I don't support my teammates."

Lance almost took a step back in deference to Mark, but anger rose up in him. Feeling defensive over his opinion – an accurate one at that - and cross that he'd misread Mark, Lance lashed out.

"Well, Wagner and I don't get along."

Mark's grey eyes bored straight through Lance. "I don't care. Whatever the reason, I won't tolerate assholes on my team or someone acting like an asshole to a teammate. Calling someone a freak is not cool. Besides, I didn't see Kurt introducing you as the douchebag. "

"That's because he's probably going to tell you later how much he hates me. Be stupid to say it right in front of me."

"I think you've also misjudged Kurt." Before Lance could counter, Mark held up a hand and continued on. "Also, what I meant by 'not liking it' I meant that I don't like Trieg fawning over Kurt, and I know neither does Kurt. I don't like Trieg." Mark moved in front of Lance to gather his full attention. "Lance, I think you'd be good to have on this team. It'd be good to have someone else built like me. But I'd recommend dropping the attitude."

Before Lance could stew over that comment, Kurt returned.

"Trey okay, then?" Mark asked as he backed away from Lance and calmly sat back down on the bench like nothing had transpired.

"Ja, I think so. He wasn't getting enough momentum to do the full twist. Everything going ok here?"

Lance didn't fail to notice the trepidatious glance Wagner sent between the two. What did he think he was going to do? Mug Mark while he wasn't standing as a guard?

"Going well. About to show Lance the rings." Mark gestured over to the forlorn rings that swung slightly from the gym's A/C.

Lance was slightly surprised at Mark's willingness to still teach him but kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to get stuck with Wagner any longer than needed.

"As long as you don't mind." Wagner seemed hesitant to leave them alone. What did he think Lance was going to do? Corrupt Mark? Turn him against him? As much as Lance wouldn't mind that, Mark already proved his loyalty.

"It's cool."

Wagner shrugged. "Sounds good. Just call me if you need me." With that Wagner took off, probably just as glad as Lance to be done with each other for the day.

Lance was afraid that Mark was going to keep droning on about playing nice, holding hands and singing "Kumbaya," but he just led him over and started teaching him techniques on wrapping his hands and putting on the hand grips.

After Lance got his hand grips settled and comfortable, Mark demonstrated how to grasp the rings and to pull himself up to a strength position.

"Give it a try," Mark said as he dropped down to the mat.

Lance shrugged and walked over to take the rings in hand. The hand grips felt weird as he grasped the rings, and lifting his body up was a challenge in itself. The rings were all wobbly and he felt like bait struggling on the end of a line. He realized he may have underestimated how tough the rings actually were. Lance dropped to the mat, shaking out his arms.

"Maybe we should build up some more muscles."

"I do lift weights," Lance defended himself.

"We need to target all muscles, especially the back ones. It'll help you keep the rings straight. Come on." Mark led Lance over to the weight rack and for the rest of practice they did various reps while chatting. Lance rather enjoyed it. It was nice learning something new, and Mark didn't seem inclined to bring up their initial kerfuffle. In fact, Mark was pretty good company. Straight and to the point and they seemed to have similar interests. Since Lance was in such high spirits, he decided he'd be magnanimous and overlook Mark's friendship with Wagner.

As practice wound down, Lance and Mark headed towards the locker room along with the rest of the team. Shrugging his sweat soaked shirt off, Lance realized with a bit shocked that he actually enjoyed himself today. He mentally patted his back, proud of his decision to take this chance.

"See you tomorrow then?" Mark asked as he closed his locker. He wouldn't mind hanging out with Mark more either. It'd be nice to have friends outside of the Brotherhood.

Lance nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Later, Kurt," Mark waved to the rear of the locker room as he left.

Wagner's reply came out muffled as he pulled a clean shirt over his head.

Lance didn't want to be the last one left with Wagner, so he hurried to pack up his things and get out of there. He haphazardly threw in his gym clothes and water bottle into his bag and began hurriedly lacing up his shoes.

Just as he sat up, ready to go, Wagner chose that moment to drop his things on the floor and sit on the bench across from him.

"So, after today, are you really joining the team?"

"Yeah, I am," Lance said defiantly. He had already made his decision but even if today had been a disaster, he might've still joined just for the satisfaction at seeing Wagner's disappointment.

Wagner ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. "Well, the team gets along really well …"

And we don't, Lance mentally finished Wagner's sentence in his head. He sat back and crossed his arms, curious as to what Wagner was going to propose.

"I don't want this to change the team dynamic so why don't we just not talk to each other at practice."

"So just pretend the other doesn't exist? Sounds fantastic. Though aren't you supposed to be my mentor, showing me around and shit."

Wagner shrugged. "You seem to be getting along with Mark. He won't mind."

"You'll probably be disappointing Trieg."

This time it wasn't Lance that caused Wagner to grimace. "Whatever. He can get over it."

Maybe Mark was right and Wagner didn't like Trieg's attention. Still, didn't change Lance's mind on what he already thought of Wagner.

"Good, then starting tomorrow you'll just be like an ant, beneath my notice."

Wagner didn't even deem that with a response – just picked up his stuff and left. Things were looking up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX