Don't let them in…

Don't let them know…

More tense than he could ever remember being, Kurt stood tall at the head of the room, looking over the ball in silence. People were dancing and talking and having the time of their lives. And shouldn't he be happy, too? This was supposed to be his night, wasn't it? He was the king now. He should be happy, and yet he was terrified.

"Kurt!" his younger sister piped up from beside him, startling him. He looked over at her and he couldn't help but smile. She really looked just like their mother, so happy and full of life. It broke his heart that he hadn't been able to be there for her, especially now that they only had each other. But he couldn't let anyone know, not even his little sister.

"Ellie," he greeted in a soft voice, smiling still. He hadn't used that nickname in years. "You look beautiful."

She beamed, bouncing on her toes. She considered reaching out for a hug but thought better of it. She wasn't sure if Kurt would reciprocate and that hurt to think of being rejected by him once more. "Thank you. You look beautifuller," she said, her eyes widening. "I mean—no, that's not what I meant. You don't look fuller. You look handsome and your suit is beautiful but—"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh, itching to reach out and put a soothing hand on her shoulder. But he was afraid. "Thank you," he said simply. Their eyes locked and Elizabeth smiled, relieved.

The moment was ruined when the Duke of Wesselton stepped in, asking Kurt for a dance.

"You're even more enchanting in person, Kurt," he said with a sly smile, taking Kurt's gloved hand in his and kissing it. Kurt tensed up, both from repulsion at the cocky man and from nervousness that his secret would be revealed.

Conceal, don't feel…

Conceal, don't feel…

He took a deep breath and calmly pulled his hand away. "Sebastian Smythe, I assume?" he stated coolly, watching the man's face, far from amused.

"So you have heard of me," the man said with a smirk, stepping into Kurt's personal space.

Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Arendelle and Weasletown—"

"It's Wesselton, Your Highness," Sebastian corrected with a smile, but he was interrupted.

"Sorry. Arendelle and Wesselton have been trading partners for decades now. Don't flatter yourself, please."

Sebastian huffed indignantly, shaking his head and turning to walk away. Kurt smiled. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to cohabitate with that rat tonight," he said to no one in particular, and he turned when he heard his sister giggle.

"He seems quite fond of you," Elizabeth teased.

"He's fond of my kingdom and what it can offer his clan of weasels," Kurt deadpanned.

"I miss this," the princess said suddenly, looking up at her brother with sad eyes. Kurt looked away, fighting tears.

"I know."

"We used to be so close."

"I know," Kurt whispered, shaking his head.

"We can be that close again—"

"No, we can't, Elizabeth," he snapped coldly, unable to stop the single tear that trailed down his cold cheek. He felt his hands growing colder beneath his gloves and his heart picked up in panic. "It's not that simple. You wouldn't understand. Just leave. Please."

Without another word, he walked away in quick strides, swiftly making his way through the crowd.

"Kurt, wait!" Elizabeth called from behind him and before he had the chance to pull away, she was grabbing his hand. Gasping, terrified that he would hurt her, he tore his hand away, losing his glove in the process.

"Stay away from me!" he shouted, his voice nearly cracking and revealing how afraid he was. His sister tried to approach him and he put his hands out in front of him, creating an icy wall between himself and everyone else. A collective gasp filtered through the room.

"Sorcery…"

"He's a monster…"

"So that's why they've been hiding…"

"Get the sister; she knows something…"

Tears streaming down his face, Kurt dashed out of the castle doors, pushing through the crowd.

"Your Highness," a soft voice said. "What are you doing out here?" He turned, startled, to see one of the townsfolk standing there, holding a small child in her arms. Panic rising in his chest, he shook his head and backed away only to bump into someone else. The collision startled him and he gasped, putting his hands up protectively. He watched in horror as the fountain in the square was frozen solid and every head turned towards him. They looked at him in fear and horror; exactly what he'd been trying to avoid for the past seven years.

"No… I'm so sorry," he whispered before running away as fast as he could, away from the palace and towards the ship docks. When he got to the water, he paused, looking around for an escape. Then an idea popped into his head and he made a trail of ice form over the water, following it on foot with every patch his powers added to it.

He ran even while he heard the shouts of his sister behind him, no matter how much he wanted to keep her by his side. His tears kept flowing with every mile he ran.

Finally, when he was beyond exhausted, he found the piece of land he'd been searching for. It was isolated and no one would think to look for him in the storm that was brewing around the North Mountain. His cloak billowing behind him in the wind, he looked around slowly and started up the mountain.

Conceal, don't feel…

Don't let them in…

Don't let them know…

"Well, now they know," he whispered into the cold night. His tears had subsided and he felt an odd sense of calm. Despite the feeling of loneliness, he'd never felt more free. With a new sense of determination, he tore of his other glove and let it fly away in the wind, along with his cloak.

He could finally let it all go. He was free.

His spirits were raised along with the icy palace that he forged with a wave of his hands. He spun around happily, crystallizing a dazzling blue outfit around himself that matched his snow-white hair perfectly.

He felt light as a feather. He no longer felt the empty loneliness that had taken home in his heart since the incident with Elizabeth when he was eleven.

"Ellie, wait! Slow down!" he shouted desperately. His powers couldn't keep up and, in his final attempt to make a snow clump for his sister to land on, a flash of ice grazed Elizabeth's cheek. Kurt gasped, crying, "No!" He ran over to his sister and she was cold as ice.

The trolls had erased all memories that Elizabeth had of her brother's magic. Kurt knew it was for the best but that didn't mean it didn't hurt every time his sister asked him to build a snowman and he had to refuse.

Somehow, he knew that his sister would make a great queen someday. That thought was enough, for now, to keep away the guilt at leaving his kingdom.

…

After a few days, building snowmen out of magic and little snow flurries was getting old. He'd made at least a dozen snowmen and they all seemed to stare at him whenever he left his ice castle. It was creepy.

One day, he decided to try something new to ebb the pain of his lonely lifestyle.

It took several failed attempts before he finally got it right. No surprise, it was much more difficult to make an actual person out of snow than it was to make a plain snowman.

He was shocked to find out just how much he was capable of. Standing in front of him was a handsome young man—he really was more of a boy, looking to be close to Kurt's age of only eighteen—with snow-white hair and stunning hazel eyes. His lips were a striking shade of blue as if he had frost bite, but he was as warm as a freshly-washed blanket when he took Kurt's hand. He was dressed in the clothes that Kurt had been wearing earlier, attire fit for a king.

"What's your name?" the boy asked, startling Kurt.

"Y-You can talk," Kurt stammered in an astonished whisper. "You're really real…" He trailed off, taking Blaine's hands in his and studying his face. Then he seemed to remember the question. "Kurt. My name is Kurt."

"Kurt," the boy repeated, beaming. He squeezed Kurt's hands and Kurt awed to find that his fingers felt human. They weren't icy or made of snow like he thought they might be. They were, somehow, real. "Blaine," he said, pointing to himself.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered, still in shock, and pulled the boy into a hug. "You won't leave me, will you, Blaine? Everyone else has run away from me. Please don't run away from me."

"I won't run," Blaine murmured, wrapping his arms around Kurt. He was still so warm, sending pleasant thrills up Kurt's spine. "I'm your friend," Blaine added.

Kurt grinned into Blaine's shoulder, holding him tightly. "Yes, you're my friend," he affirmed. "Thank you for being my friend, Blaine."

As weird as it was, and as crazy as it made him feel, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Blaine's shockingly warm lips. It was short and slightly lopsided, but Blaine grinned at him when they parted. After the kiss, Kurt noticed, Blaine's lips were a more normal shade of pink. It was like he was becoming more human at Kurt's touch.

Kurt grinned at the thought. He didn't have to be alone anymore.