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Differences
By : Nik
Category: G through L > Glee
Views: 3668 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I make no profit from writing this.
Chapter List
- 3
- 4
All previous disclaimers apply.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity Kurt woke naturally. He didn't come to a half awareness after spending the night somewhere between delirium and doze, just before the orderly came in and pulled his loose pants down on his hip to jab the syringe into his flesh. He wasn't shaken awake by his father, gently tipping his head back to pour a little bit of water down his throat or telling him that they had something to do. He wasn't even brought to awareness in his unconscious mind by the professor, telling him firmly and kindly to once again reapply his shields. For the first time in years he'd slept as long as he wanted and he came awake naturally. He laid in the bed for a long time, his eyes closed and his mind open, just breathing and taking in all that was around him.
Sometime in the early morning someone had come into the room and opened his French doors. The breeze had just enough bite to warrant the extra blanket that had been placed around his shoulders at the same time, but he appreciated being able to smell the air and hear the birds. It had to have been his father who came in and opened the doors. He was the only one close enough to Kurt to know how much he would love being able to wake up to fresh air and birdsong. He smiled as he reached out with his mind to find his father. He was on the porch with the professor, both of them silent as they had coffee and read the newspaper. His father was reading the sports page and the professor was reading the international pages. He wondered if they knew just how alike they actually were. Their minds were so similar, calm and controlled, affectionate and certain. The more he was awake and able to use his powers the more he realized that people were just people. It didn't matter that the professor had three doctorates and his father had never done more than attend a few classes at a community college, or that the professor was a mutant and his father was human. Their similarities far outweighed their differences. He assumed that as he learned to control more and was able to see people for who they were he would find the same thing. If everyone could do what he could do…
That was much too heavy a thought for his first morning in his new home. And he was finally going to be allowed to be a normal teenager like everyone else. He didn't want to ruin it for himself by letting his thoughts on the state of the world depress him. He chuckled at his own thought and reached out a little further, careful to only scan what was around him, not to take actual thoughts. Ms. Munroe and Mr. Wagner were in the gardens. Ms. Munroe was weeding and Mr. Wagner was reading out loud to her from "A Tale of Two Cities" as he rested in the tree just over her garden patch. Mr. Logan was in a gym somewhere on a sub-basement level of the mansion. And wasn't that interesting? A sub-basement? He would have to ask the professor about that. Mr. LeBeau was in the garage working on a car. He couldn't sense Ms. Rogue in the mansion and didn't want to try to find her elsewhere. He knew instinctively that he would be able to find her, but that he would have to drop his shields to do so and that wasn't something he was willing to do. Mr. Summers was arguing with a woman whose mind he didn't know and there were two other adults in a room just down the hall with another boy who was sleeping. They were worried.
It took him a minute to realize that the soft sound of sympathy he heard was coming from him. He wanted to know why they were sad. He wanted to know why another teenager was at the mansion when the others were attending the local high school. But, he also refused to pry, especially because he could. He sat up, feeling refreshed and content, cozy, and took his time as he stretched and looked at the clock. Nearly ten o'clock in the morning and he'd gone to bed before seven. He smiled, half happy and half embarrassed that he'd slept so long. He felt...good. The realization made him giggle. He took his time in the bathroom, letting the warm water of his shower pour over him. He figured that Artie wouldn't mind if he used his bathing things, at least until he got his own. He wondered if he'd be allowed to go into town to get some things later as he brushed his teeth with the brush that had been left on the counter, still in the wrapper and despaired over being able to do anything with his hair. He needed it cut. Shoulder length…he totally couldn't rock that. He took great joy in choosing which jeans and which t-shirt and button down he would wear and left his feet bare as he followed the comforting thoughts down the stairs and outside.
Both his father and the professor smiled at him as he peeked around the corner at them and his dad waved him over. They sat in companionable silence as the professor handed him a plate and his dad put a bunch of grapes and two pancakes on it before handing over the jam. Kurt couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when his dad didn't even reach for the syrup. He remembered. He wasn't even thrown for a moment, understanding, when Kurt threw his arms around him and simply held on for a good long while. When he pulled back they both pretended not to notice the tears in each other's eyes as Kurt went about eating his breakfast and Burt went back to his paper. They both knew he didn't actually read it again, but instead watched Kurt out of the corner of his eye, and chose not to mention it.
"Coffee, Kurt?" The professor asked after a few minutes, "Or tea?"
"Tea, please," Kurt said quietly. He was glad to realize that he didn't have to whisper anymore. He still couldn't raise his voice, but at least he could speak on it.
"Milk and sugar?"
"Just a little milk," Burt answered for him and the father and son grinned at each other again.
"There are many things we need to discuss, Burt, Kurt," The professor said seriously as he handed over the cup, "You've both met the faculty here at the school. Kurt, those you haven't met will introduce themselves after we finish here. I've already told you that the other students attend their academic classes at the local high school and I believe, Kurt, that you have indicated that when you feel you have enough control that you would like to do the same."
"I really would," Kurt agreed, warming his hands on his tea cup.
"Then it shall be so." The professor smiled at him warmly, "What I am going to tell you now I couldn't tell you before you decided to come to us. The faculty of this school are here to help you to learn to control your powers, but that is only part of their purpose."
The professor took a breath and a sip of his coffee before he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
"There are individuals in the world who believe that a war is coming between mutants and mankind."
"Magneto," Burt said quietly, his eyes and thoughts darkening in the slightest. Kurt had heard of Magneto. Even when he had been very young, both before and after his mother's death, there had been near weekly news reports of the dangerously powerful Magneto, self proclaimed master of magnetism. People were scared of him, the government was constantly trying to hunt him down. Kurt hadn't seen him, even on the television, since before the hospital but he could feel a kind of dread tighten his chest just at the thought of him.
"Yes," the professor opened his eyes and smiled reassuringly at Kurt. The dread eased in the slightest, but didn't go away completely, "He calls himself that now. He was still Erik Lenscher when I first knew him. We built this school together, intending it to be a place for mutants to come to learn to control their powers before they reintegrated back into normal society. That was before mutants came to the forefront of the world's attention, back when we thought that we might remain a secret forever. Back before we knew just how many of us there are. We were naïve.
"Mutants, of course, could not be kept a secret for long and as we watched children, our children, persecuted, rejected by their families and by the world, Erik became bitter and angry. He believes that humanity will never accept us. He left the school and he has gained followers, many of them just as bitter and angry as himself."
"The Brotherhood of Mutants," Kurt surprised himself with his interruption. Somehow he knew what The Brotherhood was, but he didn't know how.
Kurt, check your shields, The Professor's eyes were kind, You're gleaning without meaning to.
My shields are up, Professor. Kurt's eyes went wide and he felt his breath begin to come in short gasps. How could he be gleaning with his shields up?
It's alright, Kurt, Xavier smiled at him, but the voice in his mind was firm, Don't allow yourself to panic. Apply another canopy to your shields. Your accidental gleaning simply means that you're more powerful and further developed than I had anticipated and that we'll have to train you accordingly.
"Breathe, buddy," His father's hand was on his knee as he came down from his near panic attack, "No one's mad at you. You're just learning. You're doing great."
Kurt made a concentrated effort to breathe in time with his father's calm, steady breaths. He smiled at his dad at the same moment a grin spread across Burt's face when he had applied the new layer to his shields and was finally breathing normally again. His dad patted his knee and they turned back to Xavier.
"If I wasn't so certain that you were completely human, Burt, I would ask if you were a telepath as well." The professor was looking at them, slight amusement in the way his eyebrows were arched.
Burt chuckled even as he reached a hand out to run it over Kurt's hair without having to look, "Naw, Prof, I just love my kid. I can read him like a book."
"If only there were more like you in the world," The professor turned his gaze to Kurt, "Do you feel your shields are strong enough now, Kurt? Are you ready to continue?"
The nausea that had come with the realization that he wasn't completely in control of himself was beginning to fade. His hands weren't shaking anymore. He checked to make sure that every thought and feeling in his head was his own before he reached out for his tea cup and nodded. The last of the bad feelings went away with the warm tea that slid down his throat and he smiled into his cup as he listened to the professor continue.
"Erik does indeed call his followers The Brotherhood of Mutants. The Brotherhood is… doing everything they can to help that war they believe is coming along as quickly as possible. They hope that there are enough mutants who will join the cause once the war has begun that humanity will be overthrown easily. If the atmosphere of the world stays as it is they may be right.
"There are others of us, myself included, who still believe that peace and acceptance are possible; that some day every being on the planet will realize that mutants and humans are not so very different. But, until that day comes, humanity and mutants alike need to be protected by the extremists on both sides. This is what I have always believed and what I have always taught my students. Many of my students have taken this belief to heart.
"It was never my intention to train a fighting force here at this school, but it has become necessary to protect both my students and the innocents who would be harmed by Erik's fanaticism. My first class began calling this fighting force the X-Men." He smiled indulgently and took another sip of his coffee, "Many of my X-Men stay to fight for a time and then go out into the world where they will do the most good. Some have even come to some very prestigious positions."
"Like who?" Kurt asked, curious.
"Henry McCoy was once one of my students," The professor leaned forward to pour himself another cup of coffee, "His room was right above us actually. He always had the biggest balcony because he often needed the most space to move. He was a very active, energetic teenager."
"Wait," Burt held up his hand, "Henry McCoy? You mean the president's advisor on mutant affairs?"
The professor nodded at Burt and then looked at Kurt pointedly. Kurt marveled at the difference when he realized that all of the information suddenly filling his head the professor was giving to him. The difference between what he gleaned without permission and what was given to him was phenomenal. Not only did he now know who Henry McCoy was, but he could picture him clearly. His coarse royal blue fur didn't seem unusual at all. His eyes were intelligent and kind. Kurt felt a rush of a nearly parental affection for the man he had never met and felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. It felt too much like not knowing if he had set the fire or not. The professor seemed to realize that Kurt was becoming a little bit uncomfortable because the flow of information into his mind stopped immediately.
"My X-Men are whatever they have to be to help further the cause of acceptance and peace," The professor's voice was low and gentle when he began speaking again, "They are diplomats like Hank, working in the public's eye. They are teachers of young mutants all over the world who can't make it to New York. Kate and Lance Alvers have started a school very much like this one in London and Clarice Ferguson and Sam Guthrie have done the same in Tokyo. And they are warriors. They fight The Brotherhood back and protect the innocent, both human and mutant alike. And sometimes, for all their efforts at protecting those weaker than themselves, my X-Men have paid the ultimate price. If you'll follow me."
Burt reached out to take Kurt's hand as they stood and Kurt let him. He needed the contact just as much as his dad did as they followed the professor down a sunny hallway and into a small room just off of the entry way. The professor's office, Kurt realized. He'd expected it to be larger, grander. The desk was large and ornate and took up most of the room. Books lined two of the four walls and were stacked high on the desk and placed randomly on chairs and the bay window seat. It was comfortable, Kurt realized. It put him at ease right away and made him feel just a little sad. They stopped in front of the wall next to the window and looked up at the pictures Professor Xavier motioned to.
"Jubilation Lee, Jubilee, my wild girl," He pointed out a pretty woman with long black hair and a bright yellow jacket. Her finger was pointed like a gun at the camera and she was winking. "She was killed by one of Magneto's followers when she was discovered to be an FBI agent working to find a way to bring The Brotherhood down from within."
He pointed out another picture, "Amara Aquilla, Magma. She sacrificed herself to hold together a building while the others escaped. She was seventeen years old. Her mother would not allow any of us to attend her funeral. This picture was taken two days before she died." The young girl grinning at the camera was so happy, so full of life. It brought tears to Kurt's eyes. He looked at his father and wasn't ashamed to let his tears fall when he saw the tracks down his father's face.
"Jean-Paul Beaubier, Northstar, and Bobby Drake, Iceman." Kurt's eyes went wide when the professor pointed out a very cozy picture of two men sitting in front of the big fireplace Kurt had noticed in the formal sitting room just off of the large front doors. One man, a baby faced blond, was seated on the back of a couch, his arms wrapped around and his chin resting on the head of an Elvin looking man with white hair and pointed ears. They were both in jeans and t-shirts and looked more comfortable than any two men Kurt had ever seen. The professor smiled at him softly when he looked at him with the question in his eyes, "Yes, Kurt, Jean-Paul and Bobby were in a relationship. This was their engagement photo. They were married at the mansion a little over six months later. Jean-Paul was executed publicly by the Friends of Humanity after he prevented them from doing the same to another mutant. We lost Bobby two weeks later."
"I remember the execution," Burt said quietly, "Magneto used it."
The professor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes. Erik used Jean-Paul. His death was almost the catalyst for Erik's war."
"What stopped it?" Burt asked.
"I begged him not to use one of my children for hate." It was said in such a way that Kurt and Burt knew the subject was too painful for the professor to continue with, so they didn't press. They sat down when Professor motioned for them to do so and Kurt looked over at the wall again. There were pictures other than the ones that the professor had pointed out and he knew that he would learn about them just as surely as he had the others as the mansion became his home.
"I don't say any of these things to scare you, Kurt. I want you to be informed before you make any decisions."
"What are you asking him to decide, Prof?" Burt asked.
"I am asking Kurt to decide whether he wants to be an X-Man or not," Professor Xavier leaned forward and linked his hands under his chin, "Of course it's a decision that two as close as you must make together."
"What exactly does being an X-Man entail?" Burt leaned forward, his hands on his knees, his shoulders up, a defensive pose. Kurt wrung his hands, wanting to tell his dad to relax. But how could he when he couldn't even do so himself? His breath hitched when as the professor began to speak again.
"Kurt, if you were to choose to be an X-Man you would begin training in combat and tactics immediately. Logan would train you to protect yourself physically and Jean and myself would include lessons in how to use your powers offensively and defensively in a combat situation. I try not to send my teenaged students into dangerous situations but sometimes it can't be helped. Erik uses teenagers in his Brotherhood and teenaged X-Men are sometimes able to talk them down whereas adults tend to anger them and make them defensive. You would choose a codename and your fighting skills would have to be approved by Logan before you would be allowed on any mission with the others, of course. After your time here at the school is done you would have to make another choice whether to stay on with the X-Men here at the school to complete more difficult and dangerous missions, to join the staff at any of the other schools started by my X-Men, or to go out into the world to do what you feels is your calling." He took a deep breath when his speech was done and Kurt wondered just how many times he had given it over the years.
"Thank you for speaking to me, not about me," He said quietly. For so long decisions had been made for him. It was relief to hear that the professor wanted him to make them himself.
"I'll leave you to talk things over now," The professor nodded and smiled, "I want you to know, Kurt, that I will never force you to put yourself in danger. No matter what you decide, you are welcome at this school for as long as you wish to be here."
"Professor…" Kurt knew that he sounded quiet and unsure, but he was anything but.
"Yes, Kurt?"
Kurt looked to Burt for a moment and put his hand in his father's, "Please try to understand, Dad," He took a deep breath and looked back at the professor, "I don't need to think about it. I…I spent the last three years drugged out of my mind to stop voices that couldn't be stopped. If we aren't accepted that could happen to more kids because no one will ever know to look for telepathic ability. And if Magneto gets his war…it will never end. Mutants are more powerful, but there are so many more humans. All that misery…What you do here is right, Professor. And I want to be a part of it. I want to be an X-Man."
"Kurt, I appreciate that very much, but you really should discuss this with your father before…"
"No need to talk it out, Xavier," Burt sighed, running a hand over his face before it landed heavily on Kurt's shoulder, "Connie and I didn't raise our boy to be a coward and he's damn smart. He knows his own mind. I'm gonna be scared out of my mind for the rest of his life, but if this is what he wants nothing I say will stop him. And he's right. What you do here is good and it's right. I'm proud of him." He looked to Kurt, "I'm proud of you, buddy. 'Course I'll feel much better when I know you're trained, but I've seen that Logan guy. I don't think it'll be a problem."
Kurt threw himself at his father, "Love you, Dad."
Burt kissed the crown of his head, "Love you, too, kid."
"You are truly a remarkable pair," The professor chuckled, "Very well. Kurt, would you like to meet the other faculty now?"
Kurt nodded and he followed the professor out of the room and down the hall. He was surprised that he wasn't more nervous when his dad excused himself to finish his coffee and his paper as he had met the remaining staff the previous night at dinner. But, Kurt felt comfortable at the mansion. It was a strange, but not unwelcome, sensation for the mansion to feel like home so soon. The professor began to explain some of the training they would start as soon as Kurt was strong enough as they made their way down the hall.
"Professor," A tall, stunning red headed woman closed a door rather more harshly than was strictly necessary, but smiled as she walked toward them, her hands held out to Xavier, "I was just coming to find you when I realized your discussion was over."
"Yes, Jean," The professor's eyes lit as he looked at the woman he considered a daughter. Kurt could feel his affection, his love, for her and new that she had been with him since she was very young. He took her hands in his and pressed a kiss to one of them before they both turned to Kurt. "This is Kurt Hummel. Kurt, this is Jean Grey. She will be helping you learn to control your telepathy as much as I will, especially at first. It's been quite a while since I've learned so many things she very well might be able to explain them to you more thoroughly and in a better manner than I can."
"It's nice to meet you, Kurt," Jean pulled the young boy in front of her into a warm hug. Kurt could feel the worry in her mind as she held him and try as he might to add canopies to his shields and give them their private conversation he couldn't help but overhear it.
What is it, Charles?
He is very powerful, Jean.
How powerful?
Potentially… The professor must have projected an image at Jean, but as Kurt was trying his hardest not to glean he didn't receive it. He was mostly grateful and just a little curious. He pushed the curiosity down in favor of applying new shields when he began to hear their thoughts again. He doesn't even realize he's doing it.
Charles…that…
Yes, Jean. Magneto is going to do everything in his power to sway Kurt. We're going to have to be very careful with him.
That's not all you're worried about, is it, Charles?
No. There's something else about him, Jean. I'm not quite sure what it is. I've never encountered it before.
Dangerous?
I don't think so. Feel his mind, Jean, the shape of his thoughts. He's a very gentle soul.
Yes, he is. I can feel that much.
She smiled as she released Kurt from their hug.
"How was your first night at the mansion, Kurt?" She asked aloud, "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in years," Kurt admitted, amazed when she kept her hand on his arm as they spoke. Before and during everything that had happened the only person who had ever really touched him was his father. Since he had woken up again people were constantly touching him, even knowing that he was a telepath and it was harder for him to control his powers when they did. He knew that it was partly that they were under orders from the professor to try to desensitize him to touch so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed when people he didn't know did it. The professor had told him that he would ask the children and staff to do so. But, he'd also felt from Finn and Mercedes, Ms. Munroe and even the professor that they also touched him because they genuinely liked him and they knew how starved he was for physical affection after so many years of no one but his father even willing to touch him at all. His father was his best friend, but it was nice to know that there were other people who cared as well.
"Good. I'm glad." Her hand slipped down to hold his gently as if there was nothing unusual about it, "Are you taking him to see Emma?" She asked the professor.
"Yes," The professor smiled as well, "Emma is our nurse here at the mansion, Kurt, and training to earn her doctorate. She'll want to start your file."
"She's probably down in the office right now wondering where you are," Jean laughed, "She's been waiting to meet you since last night. I'll see you this evening, Kurt, and we'll start lessons when you get up."
"Yes, Ms. Grey." Kurt wasn't happy about the way his voice shook. He knew that he had nothing to fear with the professor and Ms. Grey in the mansion with him, but it was still hard to think about using his gifts instead of just controlling them.
"We're going to working closely together, Kurt. Please just call me Jean."
"Yes, Jean," He said obediently. He smiled and didn't let his inner turmoil show as Jean left them. He may not have heard all of what they had been talking about in their minds, but he'd heard enough. He placed a hand to his chest as he and the professor walked toward a large elevator that Kurt knew instinctively led to the lower levels of the school, the place where he would train in the future. How powerful could he be? What would Magneto ever want with him? And why didn't the professor and Jean realize that he was gleaning from them? Shouldn't they have felt his presence in their minds?
"Are you alright, Kurt?" The professor asked as the elevator door closed.
For the second time in as many hours Kurt pulled himself out of dark thoughts. He nodded at the professor and blinked at the sudden white when the elevator door opened. He hadn't even realized that they had moved. He wasn't sure, as they walked through the halls, that white was the best color for the walls and floors of a training facility or a school but he had to admit that it was striking, beautiful in a way. There was a certain ethereal quality given to the training facilities by the stark color, like he was walking in snow, only without the cold.
He was much more comfortable when they walked into the warmly colored infirmary. It was a dark gold with accents of ivory, a nice contrast to the many beds set up with sheets as white as the walls outside. State of the art equipment was hidden by beautiful wooden cabinets above each of the beds.
"Emma redecorated when she and William moved into the mansion," Xavier answered the question Kurt was sure was in his eyes, "She feels that a comfortable infirmary helps heal faster."
"I don't believe it, Charles. I know it."
"Ah, Emma," Charles smiled and beckoned someone in.
Kurt turned to face the sweet voice and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face in answer to the one on the face of the woman who walked into the room. Her hair was more orange than red and her eyes were the biggest he had ever seen. She was very pretty in an all-American girl kind of way. He knew without knowing how that she had only recently begun to think of herself as such. She had never felt pretty at all in her life until she had met her husband and he had told her that she was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. She was just now really coming into her own at the mansion. She had a husband she loved and medicine and children were her passions. Being a doctor for a private school was her ideal job and she was amazed every day at just how well their lives had turned out after she and Will had been forced to flee for their lives from the town they'd both grown up in. Kurt set his hand to his forehead and reached out for something to hold onto when a feeling of vertigo overtook him. He really had to learn to control what he gleaned. Too much information at one time…the dizziness got worse and he felt himself begin to fall.
"No, you don't. Come on, sweetheart. Sit down. That's right."
Emma was surprisingly strong as she grabbed his arms and prevented his fall, helping him into a chair. Kurt grunted unhappily when his head was forced firmly between his knees, but he knew it was for his own good and stayed that way, breathing deep, until the dizziness passed. When he looked up a pen light was immediately in his eyes and he had to work not to close them.
"Better?" Emma asked as she checked his pupil dilation.
"Yes," He answered sheepishly. She just went about her business as if nothing had happened. Kurt was grateful for it.
"Good. You're probably going to want to go take a nap for a couple of hours after this. I'm afraid for the next few days you aren't going to be good for much but sleeping and eating. Maybe a few lessons with Jean or Charles if they're short. Your body needs to catch up on rest it's been denied for years. Just because your mind's in a better place doesn't mean you can push yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes," He answered again, a little overwhelmed by her brusque, professional manner and how quickly she moved, strong and purposeful, as she walked quickly over to the desk in the corner of the infirmary. She used a good amount of hand sanitizer before she carried the bottle back and pushed it at Kurt and the professor.
"Now," She set the sanitizer down on one of the beds after they had used it. She reminded him a little of a hummingbird as she sat in a rolling stool and pulled an electronic notebook off of one of the bedside tables. Even when she was still she seemed to be moving, full of energy. "Any allergies to medications or foods that I should know about? Have you ever had a major surgery?"
"Penicillin and I had my tonsils out when I was twelve," Kurt listed off obediently.
"No foods?"
"No," He shrugged a little, "I'm a vegetarian, but I don't have any allergies."
"Okay…" She made note of it and then looked back at him, "Good. Any lingering affects from the medication withdrawal?"
"Just tired. A little weak."
"Like I said, that's to be expected," She made a few notes on her pad and then back up at him, "Any pre-existing conditions I should know about?"
"Does my telepathy count?"
A small smile spread across his face when the confused look on her face transformed and she let out a pretty laugh. He looked at the professor, saw him smiling and managed a chuckle himself. It felt good to laugh.
"You're going to fit in just fine here, Kurt," Emma smiled, "I think that's everything I need. Do you have any questions for me?"
"No, I don't think so," Kurt said softly. The mood in the room had gone from light and pleasant to heavy in an instant and he wasn't sure quite why. Emma and the professor were still smiling at him.
"Okay, then," She set aside her pad, "Well, you should probably go get a nap in. I'll see you at dinner. Charles, if you wouldn't mind staying for a few minutes, I'd like to discuss something with you."
"Of course, my dear. Kurt, do you think that you can find your way back upstairs and to your room?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Good," The professor nodded, satisfied, "If you are hungry when you wake from your nap the kitchen is always open to you. Now, Emma," The professor began as Kurt got off the table and slowly began making his way toward the door, "This is about young Matthew, I take it?"
Kurt could feel the concern coming off of them in waves, but as much as he wanted to know what was causing them such distress he didn't want to intrude on their private conversation. He closed the door quietly behind him and made his way back through the halls he and the professor had come through. The elevator ride back up was just as jarringly smooth as it had been on the way down. He stopped back at the porch to tell his dad that he was going to take a nap and kissed his balding head before he made his way slowly up the grand staircase. It took him longer than he thought it should as he made his way up the stairs. He had to pause half way up and resisted the urge to sit down. Instead he put his hands on his knees and breathed deep for a couple of seconds, his head falling into his chest.
"Kurt? Kurt, are you okay?" The last voice and mind he didn't yet know (Though the mind was smooth and content, like a warm blanket on a cold day.) interrupted his momentary pause on the stairs. He looked up at the concerned face, relatively young, but his eyes spoke of the hardship and fear that he had faced in his life. This was William Schuester, Kurt realized, the teacher at the school that the professor said had to flee for his life after his mutant abilities were discovered. He was Emma's husband. Kurt liked him already if his love was what made the sweet doctor so happy.
"It is Kurt, right?" The man asked as he reached out to take Kurt's elbow in his hand and help him straighten up, "Kurt Hummel? Telepath?"
Kurt brought himself out of his reading of and smiled at the kind faced man, "Yes. Yes, I'm Kurt Hummel. And I guess I am a telepath."
"You guess?" The chuckle in Schuester's voice made a giggle come from Kurt's lips that he hadn't expected.
"No. I don't guess. I am a telepath. And what…what…It's silly, but I'm not sure how to go about asking…what you can do?"
"I'm able to take sound waves and transform them into images. Sometimes into colors, like the northern lights, sometimes into pictures. If there's enough sound around me it's more than just images. I can transform the sound waves into concussive force. There hasn't been enough sound to cause a whole lot of damage yet in my experience, but I've been known to peel wallpaper and crack plaster." He looked Kurt up and down, took in his pale face and the slight tremble to his hands, "Do you want help up to your room?"
Kurt lowered his head, his cheeks heating, "I want to say no."
"Say no more." Mr. Schuester didn't pick him up, which he was grateful for, but he did feel like an invalid as the older man moved to his side, wrapped one arm securely around his waist and took his elbow with the other and practically carried him up the stairs as if he was an old man. "I'm Will Schuester, by the way," He said as they made their way slowly down the hall.
"Nurse Emma's husband," Kurt said quietly.
"Nurse Emma…" Will grinned foolishly at the thought of his wife and then turned the look to Kurt, "That's right."
Kurt basked in the warm glow of William Schuester's love for his wife and his contented state. There was always something about everyone else when they were around him that prevented them from being completely happy. The professor was worried for him, why Kurt didn't know. Jean was wary of him, again Kurt didn't know why. The other students were happy, fun people and he was sure he was going to get to like them very much, but they were a little too bogged down in their teenaged melodramas to be completely content. And his father…his father was still unsure that everything would be okay now, despite the calm and hopeful demeanor he tried to put off for Kurt. It was so nice to be around someone who, if even for just the moment, was fully happy. Then, they passed a room, the one he had felt earlier with the dreaming boy and everything changed. Will Schuester's demeanor went from happy to melancholy in an instant and the drowsy fear he felt from behind the door made his breath catch and his body freeze. He turned to the door, caught in the fear that he could barely feel and heard a long, low moan. It took him nearly thirty seconds to realize that it was coming from him. His hands began to ache like they were on fire and he looked down to see them covered in blood.
"No, no, no…" He repeated it over and over again and grasped his head, "Not mine. Not mine. Not my thoughts. Not my pain. Not my fear."
"Kurt," Will's voice was soft and firm in his ear, "Kurt, come away from the door now. Come on. It's okay."
"Mr. Schue…" Kurt couldn't even finish his name before his knees gave out.
He didn't even realize that he'd been holding his breath until Mr. Schuester had swooped him up in surprisingly strong arms and carried him down the hall to lay him in his own bed. He just laid there for a few moments, trying to get his breath back, looking down at his clean hands, and getting the tears he hadn't even realized were pouring down his face to stop. It would be good to be here, he thought distractedly, where people understood how to take care of him when he lost control. Will brought him a cool glass of water and a wet cloth that he ran over the back of Kurt's neck and over his tear streaked face as Kurt sipped slowly. His new teacher was exuding calming thoughts as he took care of Kurt, knowing exactly what he needed.
"Who was that?" Kurt asked, not really all that embarrassed when his voice broke.
"That's Matt," Will said quietly, "He…he sees possibilities. All the time. Most of them aren't very pretty. And he can't turn them off. He…last night he saw a possible present where soldiers had broken into the mansion and were trying to kill everyone. He shattered his mirror and tried to attack someone who wasn't there. He couldn't tell the difference between the real world and what he was seeing. We had to sedate him."
"I didn't feel him like that when I got up this morning," Kurt couldn't resist the urge to curl into Will's side and was comforted when Will just put an arm around him and rubbed his back.
"I was in the room with him. I can usually help him stay calm if I sing and project for him. I was just going to get some lunch and then head back up when I ran into you. He'll calm down completely in a couple of days."
Until his next attack. Will sighed and Kurt didn't have to be a telepath to know what he was thinking. He could see it all over his face.
"How often does he have attacks?" Kurt asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Usually once a week or so. When he does you're going to want to keep yourself locked down pretty tight. He's still partially sedated right now and you saw how much you gleaned. Imagine that but ten times as bad. Of course it'll be easier when you're trained up a bit. God, you look tired." He took Kurt's face in one hand and ran the other over Kurt's hair, "Take a nap, Kurt. The rest of the kids'll be back in a few hours and I can guarantee they're not going to let you stay in your room. They're kind of like puppies when a new student comes."
"And I'm the shiny new toy?" Kurt asked.
"In a way," Will pulled the blanket up around his shoulders.
"I think I can handle that," He murmured sleepily before closing his eyes.
It turned out, Will was right. In the late afternoon Kurt was awoken by someone gently shaking his shoulder and running a finger down his nose. He woke completely to see Mercedes looking down at him, a gentle, sweet smile on her face. He spent the evening with the other students, surprised when he was able to help them with some of their homework. He had no idea if he had gleaned things while he was in the hospital or if he had gotten ahead when he was teaching himself but it was a comfort to know that he wouldn't be completely lost when he was finally going to school with them. They all seemed to understand the times their thoughts got to be too much for his shields and he had to step outside to get himself back under control. Dinner together was a sweet affair, with all of the students and staff gathered around one very large table and sharing about their days. Kurt sat in between Finn and his father and felt a wave of content overwhelm him as he listen to the two discuss football around him.
The next three weeks only further proved to him that his father had made the best decision for both of them when he listened to the professor. He hadn't felt so in control of himself since he turned twelve. On an average day he got up early to have a lesson with Jean while they worked out side by side. He was getting stronger again and running on the treadmill while Jean did the elliptical and taught him how to build new defenses felt good. After working out and his lesson on control and defense he would shower and have breakfast with the others before they headed out to school. After the others left he might hang out with his dad for a little bit, working on one of the many cars in the garage that his dad was tuning up for the professor, or he might garden with Ms. Munroe while Mr. Wagner read to them from whatever had caught his attention for the day, or he might go for a nap if he was tired enough. If he had pushed himself hard in his workout or Jean had pushed him hard in his lessons. Most days he shared a silent lunch with Mr. Summers and the professor. Their quiet natures spoke to him and made himself feel peaceful. After lunch he would spend an hour with the professor learning how to use his powers somewhat offensively even though they were both getting frustrated because Kurt's fears were holding him back and the professor's defenses were up so far that Kurt was sure that he couldn't feel his feeble attempts anyway. After taking fifteen minutes to calm down and let his frustration go he met Mr. Logan on the lower levels of the mansion. The man absolutely terrified him, but he figured that was good. He was picking up on the self defense faster than he or Logan had expected, but it still didn't mean that he was very good at it. He tripped over himself all the time, even as he got stronger and was afraid of taking a hit. Logan didn't sugar coat anything. He told Kurt that he was awful, but he was never cruel, for which Kurt was appreciative.
"Kid, you got to stop being so scared all the time. You shy away and instead of taking yourself out of danger you open yourself up to attack. If you're gonna pull back at least cover your ass, got it?" The warm hand on his shoulder as Logan spoke took away the sting from his words. Kurt was coming to like him very much. More than anyone in the mansion Logan reminded Kurt of his father. He was gruff on the outside, but tender on the inside where it counted. Even at his toughest, his meanest, it didn't take much pushing for Kurt to see the love for all of the students in his mind. Perhaps it was because he was the only one who could feel it, but he began to notice the emotions on Logan's face as well. The quirking of his eyebrow just so meant that he was amused by something they had done. He usually did it when Finn blundered into something again. He yelled, but inside he was laughing. The line that appeared between his eyes meant that he was worried or upset about something. If anyone brought up Matt it appeared. The corners of his lips tightened when he was angry. Pissed off was the better description. Usually he only saw that when Mr. Logan was around Mr. Summers or when Mr. LeBeau was teasing him. Watching him with Mr. LeBeau made Kurt laugh quietly, but watching him with Mr. Summers made him leave the room. It was hard enough to feel their animosity toward each other in a very vague sense no matter how tight his shields were. Listening to their thoughts scream at each other and watching how tense they were when they were within ten feet of each other gave him a migraine.
His voice was finally coming back. He was surprised one morning, two weeks into his new life, when his voice came out strong and sure when he began to sing in the shower. Singing had always brought him such joy and it was no different at the mansion. He sang as often as he could and was surprised and delighted to find that the others did as well. Most of the evenings in the mansion were spent sitting in the living room while Artie and Sam played their guitars, Finn played on the drum set that rested in the corner, and Kurt sat down at the piano. He hadn't played in years, but he had a good ear and his fingers remembered what he'd once learned. Will was teaching Artie and Sam and it was always a pleasure for all of them when he came down and played with them. The professor was considering adding a sound proofed music room for them seeing as they all loved to sing and play with each other.
The only dark spot in Kurt's otherwise wonderful new life was the fact that his father couldn't stay with him forever. He had his own business in Ohio to get back to. His mechanics had been doing a great job, but unless he intended to sell the business, he couldn't expect them to do so forever, no matter how supportive they were. He spent as much time with his dad as possible. He didn't feel guilty when he had a nightmare that he was back at the hospital and had to run down the stairs and crawl into the bed with his dad to feel his strength and love surround him even in sleep. They simply talked to his dad as often and for as long as he could. Sometimes they talked about Kurt's mom and how her death had affected them both. Sometimes they talked about the mechanics at the shop that Kurt hadn't seen in years. He made his dad promise that as soon as he was back he would email pictures of Carlos' twins and Steve's fiancée. Kurt wanted so much to be around his dad that he even curled up with him on the couch at times and watched sports. At the end of his third week at the mansion his dad told him that he would only be able to stay another week before he had to head back to Ohio. Kurt tried to be strong, hugged his dad, and told him that he understood. His dad saw through that right away, but assured Kurt with a single look and pulse of loving sadness that he was feeling exactly the same way. They held tight to each other on the couch as watched a movie with the other students and pretended they were fine. Six days later his father left. Kurt wasn't able to watch him go. He ate breakfast with him, clung to him as Mr. Summers loaded his suitcases into the truck they would be taking back to Ohio, and then tore inside to hide in his room until his father was gone. He hid there all day and was glad when no one came to bother him most of the day. Ms. Munroe brought him a tray, watched while he ate just as the sun was going down, and stroked his hair until he fell asleep.
The next morning Mercedes woke him early the same way she had been waking him up for three weeks whenever it fell to her. She called his name softly in her sweet voice and ran a single finger down his forehead and over his nose until he opened his eyes. He opened his eyes to see her smiling at him and automatically burst into tears.
"Oh, baby," She murmured and slipped into the bed with him and wrapped her arms around his shaking form, "It's going to be okay. You know that your dad can come see you whenever he wants to, right? Hell, the professor will probably make the room he's in his room. Finn's mom has one. So do Rachel's dads and my nana. And it's not like this is a prison. You'll be heading home for summers and holidays when you feel like you can handle it. You know that right? And there's always the phone and video chatting and…Oh, honey…It's going to be fine."
Kurt cried himself out on her shoulder while she murmured reassurances to him. When he was done his nose felt like it was the size of a grapefruit and his eyes were burning. Mercedes just laughed softly and went into the bathroom to grab the tissues that neither he nor Artie ever really seemed to use. They both laughed when he blew his nose loudly and she kissed his forehead before she ran her fingers over his face. Her powers didn't generally extend to people or animals but he could feel her intentions in his mind and a slight tingling on his skin that made him feel cool and refreshed. All his life he had wanted a friend like Mercedes. Now that he had her he was so grateful and knew that it was her and her simple, loving devotion to their new friendship and his happiness that was going to get him through his dad leaving. He leaned his head against her shoulder and smiled when she rubbed a hand brusquely on his knee.
"Okay, baby," She smiled, "You think you're locked down enough for a trip to the mall? We need some retail therapy and we need it fast. What do you say? There's a really good day spa. We could get facials and mani-pedis and maybe you could even get a…"
"A haircut?" Kurt asked. He could feel the way his expression lifted and his eyes lit. She threw her head back and laughed.
"A haircut," She agreed after a moment.
"Let me just get permission from the professor." Kurt ran out of the room before he could even consider the fact that he was still in his pajamas and neither his hair nor his teeth were brushed.
"Ladies!" He heard Mercedes call out down the hall as he ran down the stairs toward the professor's study, "Mall crawl!"
An hour later found him in the passenger seat of one of the big black SUVs that the school kept for instances just such as this. Quinn smiled at him and his enjoyment of their happiness as she drove. He couldn't seem to stop smiling and his happiness and enjoyment of his new friends was only increased when the five of them were seated in pedicure chairs, catching Kurt up on current movie stars and all of the drama in their lives. He felt better, more like himself, after his hair had been cut and styled and they were on their way to get him some clothes that weren't Levi jeans or Hanes t-shirts. His father had meant well and on short notice the clothes had been fine but, really…all of his clothes could have been bought at Wal-Mart and probably were. The mere thought made him a little nauseated.
It seemed like the perfect day until the early afternoon when the girls went to the bathroom (As a unit, as girls were wont to do.) and he was left alone at their table in the food court. He'd checked and rechecked his shields again and again as the day went on, but hadn't checked them in a while. It wasn't until he heard the first voices in his head that he realized that he wasn't protecting himself.
Fifty bucks? Gotta be out of her fucking mind…
I could just get up right now while he's at the counter and slip away. He'd never be able to find…
Stop staring at the kid! Snap out of it, dude. Blaine'll notice…
What the hell is that kid's problem? Acting all spooked like he…
Kurt felt his breath begin to come in short bursts and concentrated on calming it as he set his fingers to his temples, knowing that the simple act would be enough to strengthen his shields back up again. Before he could do so a loud screeching filled his head, so loud that it hurt on a physical level and made him fall out of his seat screaming, writhing on the floor with a pain that wouldn't stop. He clamped his hands over his ears, but the scream didn't stop. He felt a thin line of blood begin to fall from his nose as he worked himself to his knees, his face pressed against the cool tile of the food court floor. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this was something Jean was training to prevent. It was a telepathic attack and he had failed miserably at protecting himself from it. He whimpered, half in the agony the attack brought, and half in fear. People were driven insane by this kind of mental attack Jean had told him. His mind could be broken for real and they would send him back to the hospital and no matter what Professor Xavier did he would spend the rest of his life there. He screamed again.
As suddenly as the attack had begun it stopped. The screeching stopped and the silence around him was overwhelming and comforting for only a half second before all of the thoughts of the people around him flooded his head. He sobbed and fell to his side, letting peaceful darkness take him.
When he came to, just seconds later, his shields were still down, but someone else was shielding him. His first thought was that it was the professor, but then he remembered that the professor was all the way at the mansion. He struggled to open his eyes, but they felt like lead, and instead concentrated on who was shielding him. No one he knew. The mind was steel gray but pulsed with warm liquid silver and for some reason Kurt felt safe lost in it. He moaned from the back of his dry throat as something cool and wet dripped over his face.
"Come on," A voice he had never heard before to match the mind he had never felt encouraged, "Show me your eyes. Let me know that he didn't kill you."
"I'm not dead," Kurt croaked, surprised at the sound of his own voice.
"Good to know," The voice to on an amused, annoying edge, "Now open your damn eyes and prove it."
It was like lifting weights with Jean, but Kurt was finally able to force his lids up. He frowned when a boy about his own age came into view. He was handsome. So handsome he took Kurt's breath away, with his stunning hazel eyes and his pretty caramel colored skin that looked as soft as silk. But, that didn't mean that Kurt had to let him know that. Especially since it seemed that whoever the stranger was knew who had tried to stir Kurt's mind up so bad that his brain leaked out through his ears.
"You have the most ridiculous haircut I've ever seen." The words came out without a thought to if they were a good or bad idea. He winced back in fear when a fist came toward his face. He realized it was ridiculous considering the boy was cradling him half on and half off of his lap and supporting his shoulders with a strong arm. A surprised look crossed the boy's face and he pulled back a little, loosening his fist to something less threatening.
"Yep. You're okay," He arched an eyebrow, "And don't be insulting the Hawk." He reached again and Kurt flinched away on instinct once more. The boy rolled his eyes, "Relax, princess. I'm not going to hurt you." He looked over his shoulder as if making sure that no one was watching and opened his palm completely. Kurt's eyes went wide when a thin sheen of ice smooth over the strong hand. He didn't flinch again as that hand ran over his face once again, cooling his heated skin. He couldn't help the little moan he made from the back of his throat. The boy smirked. Kurt's moan turned into a scoff and if he was strong enough he would have pulled himself up indignantly. As if was he wasn't able to do more than roll his eyes.
"You're the new Xavier kid, right?"
"Yes," Kurt answered.
"Nice to meet you, princess. Name's…"
"Puckerman! Get your hands off of him!" Rachel's screech, laced with her power, had Kurt reaching up arms that felt like lead to cover his ears and the boy who was holding him ducking his head against it. Rather chivalrous of him not to drop Kurt to protect himself, Kurt thought distantly as he put his hands down after the sound waves had calmed. The red on his skin caught his eye as he put his hands down and it took him a minute to process that there was blood covering them. Blood that had apparently come from his ears. He looked up into hazel eyes that were no longer arrogant and annoyed. Now the eyes were concerned and surprisingly vulnerable. Kurt felt his body go limp moments before his mind shut down and he wasn't aware of anything anymore.
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Differences	By : Nik Category: G through L > Glee Views: 3668 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I make no profit from writing this.

Differences