Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor would I care to with the current writing.

Stars May Collide

He took a deep breath and fought down the urge to run. He was not a child – no matter what Rachel Berry's implied – and he refused to act like one. That he wanted to was beside the question, because it wasn't what you wanted but how you handled those wants that defined you.

(Case in point, Blaine Anderson.)

Kurt didn't want to see him, no matter how much better things had gotten between them, but he'd tough it out anyway. Because it was the mature thing to do. Kind of like how Blaine himself should have acted on so many occasions, yet rarely did.

Bringing Adam into the mix however... That was a completely different (mess) story, and one he did not, under any circumstances, want to tell. It just wasn't up to him.

Because of course Rachel Berry had to get involved. Of course she had.

When Rachel had supported him over the break up Kurt had been more than a little surprised (not that he'd told her that), but oh, so grateful. He'd figured it had to do more with her own breakup than with Blaine cheating (she, for understandable reasons, took that much more lightly than Kurt ever would) and hadn't expected her to keep it up.

She had, for longer that he'd ever imagined, but now that was clearly over. She'd moved on, and while she said she wanted Kurt to do the same it sounded more like she wanted him to forgive and forget.

He was good at forgiving – he'd had a lot of practice, after all – but forgetting wasn't something he wanted to do. Forgetting always seemed to land him in worse situations than the ones he'd been moving on from.

No. He might be mostly okay with rebuilding his and Blaine's friendship, but Kurt couldn't see how getting back together right then would be anything but a disaster. He wasn't going to let himself get tangled up in that again just because Blaine felt sorry and had applied to NYADA.

Because that, right there, was the issue. Blaine had applied to NYADA. Rachel's attitude towards him had started to soften once she'd found out, and now she was back to thinking about musical numbers that would showcase the "beauty that was their combined voices".

(That right there made Kurt want to gag. He'd had more than enough of his ex and his friend acting like a couple, vocally making out, and pushing everyone else to the side. He'd thought he was free of it.)

NYADA was supposed to be for him, a new start for Kurt Hummel, without having to compete with Blaine Anderson. A chance to shine, to be the star he'd never been allowed to be in Lima. That had always been the plan, since Blaine had never intended to apply there. In fact, the first Kurt had ever heard about it had been over Christmas, and well. Forgive him for being more than a little distracted then.

Yet here they were, with the likelihood of him having to share classes with Blaine, and compete over solos and roles with him, increasing day by day. Everyone was so certain Blaine would get in – it was treated as such a sure thing that Blaine even had an apartment already, when in reality the finalist letters hadn't even been sent out yet.

That, looking at that apartment, was Blaine's supposed reason for being in New York at the moment, and of course Rachel had taken over. When Kurt hadn't responded quickly enough to Blaine's hints about the two of them doing something together the boy had gone to Rachel, which had resulted in this. A NYADA outing, with dinner and karaoke and Blaine getting to know "some of the people he'd share a school with for the next four years".

It might be petty of Kurt, but it was his school, and his friends, and he wasn't ready to share any of it with Blaine. Just as he wasn't ready to share Adam, yet now he had to. Because while Kurt had considered not telling Adam about the night's plans, just so he wouldn't have to watch his new...friend? prospective boyfriend? do as everyone always did and fall all over Blaine, Rachel had gone out of her way to make sure he'd be present.

Kurt figured she must have some sort of plan, something to do with Blaine, and it freaked him out.

Unfortunately, what freaked him out even more was the fear that Adam would take one look at Blaine and decide Kurt wasn't worth his time any longer.

Because there was something between them, something very real and tangible, with the potential – or so Kurt felt – to become something huge and amazing. And now it felt like that would never happen. Because of Blaine.

Because people always seemed to chose Blaine over Kurt.

Blaine had always gotten more solos, had gotten Tony, had gotten the easy camaraderie with the New Directions' boys that Kurt had craved, had gotten Mr Schue's attention, help and approval, had practically gotten Kurt's own father– And there he stopped. Not that. Anything but that.

Still. Now Blaine wanted NYADA, and he'd get that too, without having to fight or hurt or reapply. Not like Kurt. And once Adam met Blaine... Huh. Turned out thinking about that particular scenario hurt almost as much as the one with Blaine and Burt Hummel.

There was nothing he could do about it though, nothing he'd ever been able to do about any of it, except for one thing: put on his armor and pretend like it wasn't killing him.

Kurt winced, and took another sip from his water glass. His headache was building, mostly because he simply couldn't relax. It should be easy. He was sitting next to Adam, which he always enjoyed, and the Brit was looking as delicious as ever. But.

He couldn't help it; he was counting down, waiting for Adam to blow him off and leave for better pastures. Like the ones currently on stage, trying to outduet Rachel Berry. Oh, Kurt had been asked first, but. He might like "Moulin Rouge", but singing "Come What May" with his ex-boyfriend? Not exactly Kurt's idea of a good time. Especially not under the circumstances.

Not when he was trying to soak up as much of Adam as he could before loosing him too.

"So that's your ex? Huh."

That...didn't sound nearly as complementing as Kurt had expected.

"Yeah, that's Blaine. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing really, just... The way you refer to him, and the way Rachel talks about him? I was expecting more."

More? More what, exactly? Taller? Gayer? He didn't ask out loud, but apparently his face did the asking for him.

"Kurt, I've seen you. I've heard you. I know how talented you are. And yet you always try to defer to his supposedly superior talent. Your ex is the one who is the dancer. Your ex was the one with the solos, who got the leads. He's the appropriate one, the desirable one, the what-ever-you-can-imagine one. And I mean, I suspected you weren't exactly objective on the subject, but I didn't think it would be this bad."

"What do you mean?"

"You make him sound like this larger than life, immensely talented and perfect superstar that's just waiting for the right moment to reveal himself so all the world can adore him. And I, I'm sorry, but I'm just not seeing that."

"You don't think he's any good?" Kurt couldn't believe it. If Adam could so easily miss Blaine's talent, then what did that say about him? What did that say about the validity of his thoughts on Kurt?

"Oh, he's good alright. Just not that good. Sure, he can sing, and he seems to have some moves. He's even kind of good looking. But, and this is a big but – just not the kind I like," and he winked at Kurt, "he's also really generic. In a way that's going to be good for him, because he won't have a problem finding work. He's going to land five, maybe ten, roles for each one of yours. But it's not going to be because he's more talented than you. It's going to be because there are a hundred roles written for guys like him – meaning that there are a thousand guys like him competing for those roles.

And if he has to back out of something? There'll always be someone else to take his place, and most people won't notice the difference.

He's commercial, I'll give him that. But being a star? The star? That I can't see.

You, on the other hand, you will be. You already are. And you're unique. There won't be that many roles for you, but there will be people wanting to work with you so badly they'll write those roles for you."

Adam's words hit him like a punch in the stomach. Having someone see him like that, it was...practically painful. Even more painful was the instant need he felt to deny it, to claim Blaine really was superior. He kept his mouth shut, though, and not just because he knew Adam wouldn't let him get away with putting himself down. He wanted to be seen like that. Wanted to be seen as unique, and amazing, and yes, as better than Blaine. Wanted Adam to see him that way.

"Besides, he looks really stupid right now. Look, see how he's using his face? Him and Rachel both? It's like they think they are in this huge theater or something and have to exaggerate everything so they can be seen all the way back. There are no subtleties, no small nuances. This close it only makes them look ridiculous – more like they're trying to pass a kidney stone than like they're declaring their undying love."

Kurt couldn't help giggling. He couldn't believe Adam was dissing Blaine that badly, but it felt good anyway. To hear someone describe his ex that way? Oh, it felt amazing. Plus, Adam was kind of right. The faces Blaine were making on stage? They did look like something more at home in a hospital or a bathroom than during a confession of love.

"Also, he comes off as really condescending. Maybe he doesn't mean to, but that doesn't change anything. He needs to deal with that, because it's not going to do him any favors, especially not if he does get into NYADA."

"If...?" Adam didn't think Blaine would get accepted to NYADA? But, everyone knew he would, it was a given, wasn't it? And – Wait. "Condescending? You think he's...?"

"Oh yes. As I said, maybe it's not intentional, but he really, really does. Especially towards you. In fact, I had five people ask me how you managed to date him without bloodshed – before we even got our food.

What he said about you being lucky to get into NYADA? Maybe it was supposed to be supportive, but that wasn't how it came out. Talking about you needing a second audition, and not having a particularly strong resume? When it's not exactly a secret he got the solos and the school play you needed? Doesn't reflect well on him. All it does is make him look like an arse and a bad boyfriend."

Kurt was speechless. It wasn't exactly that Adam was saying things he'd never thought about – it was that he was saying things Kurt had felt bad for thinking, and had believed no one would ever agree with him about. Things he'd even questioned his sanity at times for thinking.

After all, it was Blaine. And Blaine always won. Except... It didn't look like he would this time. Blaine wasn't going to steal Adam away from him – not unless Kurt chose to give him up.

It was a revelation.

"You know, I don't really feel like singing. And there's not like there's really any reason for me to sit here and listen any longer. I think maybe I should leave early. Only... I'm not exactly comfortable with walking alone at this time of night. Would you... Would you walk me home?"

He practically held his breath while waiting for the Englishman's reply, shivering as the eyes searching his face turned heated.

"Anytime."

~The End ~