Bright Lights at Night

Chapter 1:

When Kurt Hummel moved to New York, he had big dreams. He was going to live in a fabulous apartment, and go to a top-tier school that would help him get onto Broadway where he would become a big, big star. He went against his families wishes—his Dad didn't like the idea of his skinny son living all alone in a big, scary city—but he knew it was the right thing to do. His father just didn't understand that this was something he had to do.

His father had actually been so against this decision that he'd refused to put out the tuition money. If Kurt wanted to go against his wishes then he was on his own.

But Burt had never expected Kurt to actually do it. He'd thought it would make him stop, slow down. Consider. They would talk, maybe come up with some sort of compromise. Kurt could spend a year at home, maybe they could take some trips together as a family before he went away...and then after, well he'd be a year older and maybe Burt would feel better about him going off on his own.

He'd thought they'd be able to work it out... then one morning he'd gone down to find a note on the kitchen table... and Kurt was gone. He'd gotten some scholarship, and he would call him when he got there.

It had hurt Kurt to leave his father like that, but in his heart Kurt knew it was the right thing. He was 18 years old, an adult. It was time he started acting like one.

New York was stunning—a fabulous, beautiful city that truly never did seem to sleep. It was alive, all around him and he was thrilled to be there. Mostly. He'd always heard New York was an expensive place to live, but when he actually began apartment hunting it was still a shock. The only thing he could afford was a rat-infested hole in the wall in what he had to assume was a part of town that the bad part of town wouldn't walk through alone at night.

Even with his scholarship, Kurt still had to work three jobs to afford tuition, rent, text books and items such as food and bottled water (he would not drink the stuff that was running—nay, leaking from his tap. Not even to brush his teeth).

Kurt spent most of the time he wasn't in school waiting tables in a filthy diner not far from his apartment, learning to balance trays of bitter coffee in one hand, and pick up dirty plates with the other. Broken plates came out of his tips.

Weekday nights he worked in a call centre, trying to convince tired middle class citizens around the country that yes they did need to reevaluate their insurance plan.

On the weekends he picked up whatever hours he could working for a catering company with about 30 other tired students, each fighting to be able to serve at the high class events with the good food. As far as jobs went, this one wasn't too bad. The nights were long and tiring but at least the tap water ran clear.

It wasn't ideal, not at all... but he told himself that in the end it would be worth it. He was taking classes on acting, singing and performing and when he was elbow deep in dirty dish water, scrubbing bacon grease off rusted griddles, he told himself to just think of it as though he was playing a part. This was all part of his grand performance.

At school they taught them that you didn't always get the parts you wanted to play, but you did what you had to do because in the end it would be worth it. Because in the end, he was going to be a big, big star.

If he just thought of it like that, it all stopped seeming so terrible. It was no longer pathetic and disgusting, but tragic and poetic. These were the obstacles his character had to over-come, the ones that would make it all the more rewarding when he finally came out on top and got his happily every after.

If ever he had a free hour or so to spare, between or around he classes, he spent it sleeping. Usually on a park bench on the schools grounds.

It was on this park bench that Kurt would first come to meet Blaine Anderson.

Once again he'd fallen asleep on his bench, sitting up with his head lolling tiredly against his chest. This was usual, he tended to do this everyday. However, today when he woke up, his head was leaning against someone else's shoulder. With a startled jerk he sprang up, his face bright red. "Oh god, I'm so sorry," He blustered.

The person he'd been leaning on, an attractive guy that looked about his age, smiled. He had curly hair and soft hazel eyes that looked fondly at Kurt. "It's alright, I didn't mind." He said.

"No—I shouldn't—I mean I didn't realize—god I'm so sorry."

The guy laughed. "Look, really it's fine. I'm Blaine." He said, extending his hand.

"Kurt." He replied, taking Blaine's hand.

Blaine grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Kurt. Do you want to get some coffee?" Kurt blinked in surprise, and Blaine laughed again. "You just seem really tired, is all. And I thought you could use someone to talk to." He said, giving him a knowing look.

Kurt sighed. "More like I need someone to gripe to."

"Well I'm good for that too. Talk, gripe, bitch, whine—you name it. And I'll buy you coffee."

Kurt's heart fluttered a bit. He hadn't had coffee from some sort of actual cafe for months, just the shitty stuff he made at his apartment and pilfered from the diner. "Alright."

They went for coffee, and Kurt spent the next hour telling Blaine all about his awful apartment, and his awful jobs and how awful he felt all the time. He couldn't concentrate on his classes because he was so exhausted and stressed. He never had time or energy to do the readings. He was miserable, truly and utterly miserable. Nothing was like he thought it would be. He was tired and alone and his last nerve was wearing thin.

When he was finished, he expected Blaine to tell him to suck it up. To tell him to persevere and get through it and in the end he would be a better person. He expected him to tell him that this is just what it takes and he needed to push through and push all the awful feelings down and away.

But Blaine just looked at him, his soft eyes full of concern. "Maybe you should rethink what you're doing then." He said gently.

"What?" Kurt asked, shocked.

"Well, if you're miserable I mean, is this all worth it? You're only young once, is this really how you want to spend it, working a million jobs and stretching yourself so thin I can almost see through you?"

"I—well, I don't know. What else am I supposed to do?"

Blaine shrugged. "I don't know. But if you're not happy, it doesn't have to be this."

Over the next few months, Kurt saw Blaine as much as he could. They would get coffee between Kurt's classes, or sit on his bench and talk. Blaine was always sympathetic to his problems, and he never made him feel like he was complaining too much.

The first time Blaine kissed him, it was on the bench where they'd first met. Kurt thought he could feel that kiss all the way down to his toes.

Sometime during his busy, exhausting schedule, Kurt found time to lose his virginity to Blaine. It happened at Blaine's apartment, which he was shocked to find was really, really nice. Well, he supposed it was really, really nice in comparison to the abandoned crack-den he lived in. Though by normal standards, it was still very decent. It had two bedrooms, and a sweet little nook for a kitchen. He'd only been there for about two hours when he'd begun imagining himself living there, making love to Blaine over and over, and making dinner in his nice little kitchen.

But that wasn't his life, and he'd soon left Blaine's apartment to go back to reality, where everything was difficult and tiring, and dinner was cooked on a hot-plate or in a fritzing microwave.

At the end of the semester, with Blaine's reassurances that it was the right thing to do, Kurt dropped out of school. He couldn't do it anymore. And his jobs left him so exhausted that even when he was in class, he wasn't really learning. So what was the point?

Being out of school meant the bulk of his financial burden was gone, and he was able to quit two of his jobs, and take up a full time position at the diner.

He began spending even more and more time with Blaine, and quickly falling in love with him. He was sweet and charming, and the way he held Kurt in his arms made him feel like he loved him too. He was the perfect boyfriend, always attentive and caring.

Things still weren't perfect, since he had to live in his own terrible little crack in the wall and work at an awful job with a sweaty boss that breathed down his neck while he took inventory. He suspected his boss was also an alcoholic, and his suspicions were confirmed one afternoon when he made a drunken pass at him.

His boss attempted to pin him against the counter, mumbling something about Kurt being pretty like a girl. Highly disturbed, Kurt pushed the man off of him and tried to get away, but his boss grabbed him again and tried to push his slobbering mouth against his neck. The feel of it was so disgusting Kurt didn't even hesitate before curling his hand into a fist and sending his fat boss backwards with a punch to the nose.

His boss fired him then, coughing the words out through a bloody nose. Kurt turned on his heel and stormed out, hopping on a subway and going immediately to Blaine's house, where he collapsed in his boyfriends comforting arms. It was only then that he realized what he'd done.

"Oh god..." He whispered, as Blaine handed him a cup of tea. He put his arm over Kurt's shoulders, listening attentively. "Oh god I got fired!"

"Hey, it wasn't your fault." Blaine said. "What were you supposed to do, let him molest you? You did the right thing Kurt."

"I know... but I got fired!" Kurt repeated, beginning to panic. "How—how am I supposed to pay rent? How am I supposed to afford food? Oh god, I'm going to have to go back and maybe if I beg he'll—"

"No." Blaine said firmly. He took Kurt's hands and looked him in the eye. "I am not going to let you go back to a place with a boss like that. He could have seriously hurt you, Kurt."

"But what am I supposed to do? People don't just hand out jobs—especially when your last reference is going to say you're a nut who punched him in the nose."

"Move in with me." Blaine said, that warm and caring look back in his eye. "I'll take care of the rent. I'll take care of you."

Kurt's breath got caught in his throat. "What? But—I can't do that, Blaine. I can't just let you pay for everything. I'm not a freeloader."

Blaine smiled. "No, you're not. You're my boyfriend and I love you. I want you to be safe, and happy. Please Kurt, I know you love it here. Please move in with me."

Kurt bit his lip. "Oh. I love you too, Blaine."

Blaine smiled. "Is that a yes?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Kurt moved out of his shit-den apartment within the month, and in with Blaine. The move was easy; he hadn't taken much stuff from home when he'd left, and he'd hardly bought anything since he'd arrived. He gave his hotplate away to the homeless man who lived outside his building.

Living with Blaine was just like he'd thought it would be—perfect. They made love for hours, and lay in bed together for hours more after. They took turns making the meals, and they cleaned up the dishes together. They took long walks around the city, looking at its beautiful scenery and admiring it in a way that Kurt had never had time to before. They walked hand in hand, pausing every now and then for Blaine to take his face gently in his hands and kiss him slowly, telling him how much he loved him. And Kurt would wrap his arms around Blaine's neck and tilt his head to the side, kissing him back. "I love you too." He'd whisper, feeling a tingle every time he said it. Being in love was exciting and wonderful.

It was perfect. Everything was perfect...until one morning, Kurt woke up and found Blaine sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.

"Blaine, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, taking a seat next to his boyfriend. He put his hand on his back, rubbing soothingly.

Blaine looked up at him, obviously upset. "I—I'm so sorry, Kurt. I messed up. I couldn't get the rent for this month." He looked like he was about to cry. "And now it's due in two days, and I've got nothing and no time to get it. God, why do I always do this? I never save up like I should and I put myself in this stupid position and—"

"Blaine, it's ok." Kurt said, trying to calm him down. "We'll figure something out. I'll help you."

"You will?"

Kurt nodded. "Of course, Blaine. Whatever it takes. You always take care of me, it's not fair that you should have to get the rent on your own."

Blaine's eyes went wide with gratitude. "Oh god thank you Kurt!" He said, throwing his arms around him. "I love you so much."

Kurt smiled. "I love you too."

The next day, Blaine brought in a man whom he introduced as "Jeremy." Jeremy nodded nervously at Kurt, before Blaine instructed him to wait in their bedroom.

Kurt raised his eyebrows, wondering what was going on. He looked at Blaine. "Who's he?"

Blaine bit his lip. "He's...he's going to give us the money for rent."

"Oh? That's excellent" Kurt said excitedly. "What's he want?"

Blaine continued to chew on his lip, giving him a look that was partly nervous and partly apologetic. "Um, well...you." He said quietly.

A/N: Hello, again. Long time no-me-writing-things. Well, on here anyways. I've had this story around for a while, and I've put off publishing it for weeks because I stopped liking everything I'd written. But I figured someone else might like it, so I went ahead and published it anyways. I'll probably put up part two tomorrow, or maybe even later tonight.

This is a Kum story, NOT a Klaine story, no matter what it seems like now. Trust me.