You keep your eyes fixed on his face as the last few notes of your song fade, sort of glad that he can't see the way your arm is raised to punctuate the music, because now you just feel like a bit of an idiot. You're slightly disconcerted by how still and quiet he is, completely motionless except for his eyes, which are roaming wildly until they fix on a spot in your general direction. You clear your throat awkwardly to cut through the silence which has suddenly flooded the room with some sort of emotion, but you're not quite sure what. The intensity is beginning to make your hands tremble and you abruptly break the 'eye contact', striding over to the couch he's sitting on and perching yourself at the opposite end of it.

"So … what did you think?" and although your voice is timid, it seems too loud after the music and the silence. He blinks slowly, twice, then turns his body so that he's facing you. He keeps his eyes down, but he reaches his hand out towards you, searching. You hesitate for a moment, unsure of what he's expecting you to do, but then you softly place your hand in his. You feel a spark of electricity and jump slightly, causing a slight smile to grace his features. He uses your hand to pull you closer, so you're beside him, then places his other one on top. Squeezing gently, he raises his face.

"That was …" and you're surprised to find that he sounds a little choked, "I don't even know. 'Beautiful' isn't the right word – it's not good enough. That was absolutely … it took my breath away." And by this point your eyes are practically bugging out of their sockets and you can feel a lump forming in your throat. You're completely incapable of forming words – he actually seems genuinely moved by your singing. You'd never had that effect on somebody before, and the fact that it's this gorgeous, confident, brave, brave boy just makes your heart swell. You clear your throat again, this time to try and get rid of the lump, but he misunderstands, pulling his hands back from yours immediately. "Sorry, I- I didn't mean to … I mean, I use my hands a lot to, you know, make up for … sorry if I made you uncomfortable-"

"No, no, I-" and you reach for his hand again. He jumps a little at the unexpected contact, but relaxes into your grip. "I just … no one's ever … no one's ever appreciated me like that before," and the concern on his face is so genuine that it makes you want to cry. Rather embarrassingly, a sort of half-choked-off sob manages to claw its way from your throat.
"Oh, Kurt," he sighs, gripping your hand tighter and pulling you towards him. He reaches out his other arm like a request and, shyly, you let him pull you into a hug. You sniffle into his shoulder until your outburst of emotion has calmed to the occasional hiccough. He shushes your apologies, just holding you and it feels so damn good not to be judged.

"Kurt, wha- what was your old school like?" and the question is so carefully phrased that you know he's really asking what it was that drove a poor kid like you to one of the most expensive schools in Ohio. What it was that had made you so emotionally unstable – god, he probably thinks there's something wrong with you. You try to sound as dignified as possible as you reply, but you don't think it works.

"I –uh– had some bullying issues," and you suck in a deep breath before you rush through the next bit, "becauseI'mgay,youknow?"
"Sorry?" and dammit, now you have to repeat it. And he'll probably accuse you of trying to sexually assault him because you gave him a hug. Way to lose the only friend you've made, Hummel.
"Because I'm, um, gay." The smile that nearly splits his face in half almost gives you a heart attack, but you're pretty sure that his reply practically made your heart jump out of your chest.
"Oh, so am I." And he said it, casual as you like, without even batting an eyelid. You simply gaped, trying to comprehend this miracle at the same time as getting your heart back on track. Neither really worked, and the latter certainly wasn't helped by him moving his hand to rest right over your heart, humming a little as he hears its frantic beating. The hum sends vibrations through your whole body and you can feel the flush rising on your neck.

"It must've been pretty bad for you to have to transfer …" and the warmth that was slowly spreading through you stops abruptly.
"Um, yeah," and that's all the answer you're willing to give right now. Even the thought of it makes your breathing rate pick up, and you feel panicky at the proximity of this other warm body. You get up quickly, startling him with your abrupt movement. "Sorry, I've … got to go …" and you grab your bag, rushing towards the door before the panic can set in fully.

"Oh, Kurt?" and you can't help but pause at the sound of his rich, warm voice. "You're in."