Kurt was fairly certain that he had the part of Tony in the bag. After all, none of the other guys in Glee had auditioned or were going to audition for that role – Artie was one of the directors; Finn wanted to focus more on figuring out what to do with his life, no matter how hard Rachel was pushing him to audition; Mike had expressed an interest in the role of Riff; and Puck would probably end up playing Bernardo or one of the minor gang members – and, face it, none of the other kids in school would be interested in playing a part as iconic as Tony's. The only non-Glee members who were participating in the play, as far as Kurt was aware, were the football players, and they were only in the play because coach Beiste had forced them to. All in all, Kurt hadn't been able to stop smiling all day.

That smile was quickly wiped off of his face when he overheard the directors discussing the auditions, though. They didn't think he was masculine enough for the role? He was too delicate? What was he, a damsel in distress in a fairy tale?

He may be gay, but that didn't make him any less male. Apparently, the general population of Lima, Ohio, was too blind to see this.

And to think, he'd thought of Artie as a friend, of Ms Pillsbury as someone who'd support him and other Glee clubbers no matter if they'd thrown up on her shoes two years prior or not, and of coach Beiste as someone who could relate to him, since she was a fairly masculine woman, in a way. Clearly, he'd been mistaken.

When he noticed that Brittany and Santana were putting up the bright pink unicorn posters for his campaign no matter how opposed he was against them, that was the final straw. His good mood had gone officially down the drain.

He'd briefly contemplated dragging Rachel along for another audition for the part, this time to show that he could, in fact, be as masculine as they wanted him to be, but then he remembered that he was still the only one who'd auditioned for the part of Tony. He was the only candidate for the role, so he'd get it by default, right?

He wasn't sure if that was a very comforting thought, but it did make him feel a little better.

o-o-o-o-o

The next day, Kurt was staking out near the window of Ms Pillsbury's office again, hoping to get some sort of closure today. If not, he might have to call in reinforcements (in the form of Rachel Berry) anyway to convince the directors that he would make a great Tony.

"So we've got Mike Chang trying out for Riff, Mercedes Jones for Maria, and Santana Lopez for Anita?" Ms Pillsbury asked the other two.

There were some murmurs, and then coach Beiste spoke up. "That leaves a couple of roles empty. Who's going to be Bernardo, or officer Krupke? And I thought Chang couldn't sing, so we might also need a Riff."

"There's a new guy in my math class who seemed interested in auditioning," Artie said. "His name's Blaine Anderson, and he asked which parts were still open. He seemed enthusiastic enough. He's not in Glee club, so I don't know what his singing voice is like. Plus, he's new, so maybe it would be too much for him to be in the school musical as well."

"Have you told him he's still free to audition for whatever role he wants?" coach Beiste asked. Artie must've replied, as the football coach continued, "Good. We'll just have to get Puckerman or Hudson to take up a role as well. It's really too bad Evans left, he could've – "

What Sam could've done (or not), Kurt didn't hear. Instead, he found himself staring somewhat dazedly at a boy in the courtyard. He hadn't seen the guy around here before, that was for sure. He'd know if he had.

The boy was seated at a table, obviously alone, buried in a book. Kurt couldn't see his face, but from what he could see, he knew the boy must be quite handsome with his dark hair and rather muscled body. Kurt guessed that the boy was probably around the same height as he was, which he was willing to look past…

He shook his head to himself. He shouldn't go there. Boys like this one weren't gay, or even bi. What was he thinking? That a random gay boy would transfer to McKinley all of a sudden? No; there was no way that was ever going to happen.

He crouched up, sneaking away from Ms Pillsbury's window, before standing up fully and dusting himself off. With one final glance in the mysterious boy's direction, he walked back into the school, not noticing the other boy lowering his book and staring after him in wonder as he went.

o-o-o-o-o

Curious as he was, when Kurt saw Artie clearly heading towards the auditorium the next day, he followed him as inconspicuously as he could. Deciding that the best way to stay out of sight was to view whatever was going to happen from a higher spot, Kurt made his way up to one of the small balconies.

He was almost there when he heard Artie's voice. "Blaine Anderson?"

Oh. So this was Artie's new classmate auditioning. Kurt figured he might as well stick around, see if this guy had the potential to join Glee as well. They were, after all, a couple of members short, even though Quinn had rejoined and Kurt had no doubt Santana would be back as well before long.

As he glanced at the stage, his jaw dropped. No way. He almost groaned aloud, but that would've betrayed his presence to the directors, and he wanted to avoid that, if possible. Naturally, this Blaine Anderson was none other than the guy Kurt had seen in the courtyard the day before. Even though he hadn't seen the boy's face, the hair and the body and the height all fit.

Well. Kurt didn't mind possibly having to work with this guy. His smile fell, however, as soon as Blaine opened his mouth to start singing.

He had a beautiful voice, there was no denying that. He was definitely good enough to get whatever (male) role he wanted in this play, and, if Artie wasn't going to do so, Kurt might be prepared to bribe the guy to get him to join New Directions. However, the fact that this boy's voice was so terrific, combined with the fact that he was singing a Tony song worried Kurt more than he was prepared to admit. There would be no doubt about this guy's masculinity in the directors' minds, and Kurt knew what that could mean.

Damn it. He should've gone in for a second audition when he'd had the chance.

By the time the song ended, Kurt was both impressed and annoyed. Who did this guy think he was, waltzing into the auditorium and snatching Kurt's part away? Granted, it wasn't officially Kurt's part, but it could've been if this Blaine guy hadn't come along.

To his surprise, the other boy had chosen to audition for Bernardo or officer Krupke – why he'd picked a Tony song to do so was beyond Kurt, but he was happy nonetheless. When Artie asked Blaine to read for Tony, this happiness evaporated as quickly as it had come.

Shooting daggers at Artie (and the other two directors), Kurt made to leave, but then Blaine asked, "Didn't you already have someone who'd auditioned for Tony?"

"None of the roles have been given away yet," coach Beiste replied. "If you want the role of Tony, you can still audition for it."

His head buzzing, Kurt quickly walked off. He didn't want to hear how this ended. He had an inkling that he knew how it was going to end, but he didn't want to accept it just yet.

He also desperately needed to sort out his feeling about the whole matter. A guy who'd only recently transferred here, was a junior, and was not even in the Glee club (yet?) could just come marching in, blow everyone out of the water with his audition, and think he could get away with stealing away the thing that could've gotten Kurt to New York? The worst thing, Kurt realised, was that, technically, he could. There was nothing anyone could've done to stop him, and deep down, Kurt knew that maybe this guy also wanted to get into musical theatre later, and the more experience he had, the better his chances at actually achieving that were. If there was anyone he should be mad at, he figured, it should be the directors, who'd almost seemed relieved to find that there was someone else whom they could give the part of Tony to. That didn't mean, however, that he wasn't irritated by Blaine's voice and face and general physical appearance, perfect as it all might seem.

o-o-o-o-o

Naturally, Santana re-joined the group the next day, and now, they were only one member short of being eligible for the competition again. Kurt had no doubt that someone would join Glee club before Sectionals, though; if not, they'd just have Rachel bribe Jacob Ben Israel into joining again, or something. They'd work something out.

"Where's Artie?" Mr Schuester asked, looking around the choir room questioningly.

Puck actually growled. "If they shoved him into one of those port-o-potties again, I'm going to kill – "

Kurt figured he should find it very… chivalrous of Puck to stand up for Artie like that, if it wasn't for the fact that Puck had locked Artie into those foul things himself as well at some point. Puck didn't even need to finish his sentence, however, as Artie came rolling in at that exact moment, pushed by none other than –

Oh god. No way. There was no way. Kurt had significantly more trouble holding back his groan today, but luckily, there was enough noise in the room for it to go unheard. Yes, Kurt had briefly contemplated asking Blaine Anderson to join New Directions, but he hadn't expected the boy to actually be here now. Why he hadn't was beside him, seeing as Artie had heard him sing as well. And yes, Kurt might have formed a small crush on the guy, but that didn't mean that he also thought that his smile and his voice and his gelled back hair and everything else about him weren't annoying as hell too – both because Kurt was now back to crushing on yet another straight guy, and because Blaine was going after the same role as Kurt and had a better chance at getting it, too.

"Hey, Mr Schue," Artie greeted their director happily. "This is Blaine, he's new here, and he's interested in joining Glee club!"

As Mr Schuester started talking, Kurt noticed a couple of other guys eyeing Blaine suspiciously, probably wondering if he had a better voice than they did and if they should feel threatened.

Did Kurt feel threatened? Not when it came to Glee, he decided. His and Blaine's voices were different enough (as he was sure the directors of West Side Story had realised as well). If Kurt would be looking for a reason to send the other boy to a crack house, it would all be because of the musical.

However, as Kurt knew what it felt like to be bullied, and because he did have a conscience, he knew he could never send someone to a crack house or somewhere equally dangerous. That didn't mean he had to like the guy, though.

"I'm sorry, Mr Schue, but how do we know if he even fits in with our group?" Rachel spoke up. "We don't know if he can sing, we don't want another Sugar Motta situation."

Artie grinned. "Trust me, he can sing," he told Rachel, clapping Blaine, who was standing next to him now, on the back. "He auditioned for the musical, and he's amazing."

Kurt instantly knew what was implied, whether either of the boys knew it or not – there was no way that he, Kurt, was going to get the part of Tony. He had always liked to think of himself as not being a sore loser, but in this case, he was. With an inaudible sigh, he slumped down in his chair, once again missing the way Blaine was looking at him curiously.

"Alright," Rachel conceded. "Then show us what you got."

Mr Schuester sat down, and Artie wheeled himself to Puck's side, fist-pumping the other boy as he got there. Blaine, in the meantime, was speaking to Brad quietly, before assuming his place in the middle of the room, looking around nervously. Kurt just looked his way blankly, trying not to stare at the boy but instead look at a spot next to him. It wasn't really working, much to his chagrin.

When the music started, Kurt was sceptic. Katy Perry, really? Then again, if Blaine could pull this off successfully, after having already proven his ability to sing Broadway songs, Kurt figured that this would be a good time for the rest of the boys to start to feel threatened.

Kurt didn't listen to Katy Perry's music a lot, but this was not what he'd call an appropriate song. At all. Still, just like he'd suspected, Blaine killed the first verse, and when the chorus started, a couple of girls jumped up from their seats to dance along and back him up.

This background singing proved to be infectious, and after the chorus, everyone started chanting along to the 'T.G.I.F'-part. Kurt just scowled at them, and, even as the entire group started dancing along, he remained firmly in his seat, glaring at nothing in particular. Why did this guy seem to have the plan to follow Kurt around and do everything Kurt did just so he wouldn't enjoy doing those things anymore? He could see that at least half the club was charmed by Blaine already, and the guys, who weren't as easily charmed, at least seemed in awe of his singing abilities.

And yes, Kurt was both charmed and in awe, but, again, that didn't mean he wasn't annoyed with the guy. The next thing he knew, Blaine would apply for a job at the garage.

Once everyone had settled down again, and it was almost unanimously decided that Blaine should join (Kurt voted neither for nor against), Mr Schuester gave one of his infamous speeches that were supposed to be motivational, but Kurt didn't feel like listening. He just stared ahead moodily, waiting for the meeting to end. He was in desperate need of a caffeine fix.

As soon as Mr Schuester told the group they could leave, Kurt grabbed his bag and almost ran out of the room, not minding the odd looks he got from his friends (and Blaine). After stopping by his locker as quickly as he could, he marched off to his car, opened it, threw his bag in the back almost carelessly, and drove away.

Finn could catch a ride with someone else if he needed to get home.

o-o-o-o-o

Fifteen minutes later found Kurt in the Lima Bean, sipping his Grande non-fat mocha and finally relaxing. He was still furious (though he wasn't so sure at whom), but he'd calmed down a bit by now. He ignored Finn calling and texting him, though, as he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

Naturally, this plan was shot to hell when the one person Kurt definitely didn't want to talk to (even if he hadn't ever spoken to the guy before) walked into the shop. Again, Kurt groaned. So the Lima Bean wasn't a safe place anymore either? Kurt was rapidly running out of places to go and avoid running into Blaine Anderson, except for his own house, but he had no doubt that the younger boy would even find his way in there somehow.

Before he could decide if he could make a run for it, or just try to remain inconspicuous or seem busy, Blaine must've spotted him. "Hey," he said, and Kurt's head shot up, not having heard him approaching at all. "You're Kurt, right?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him, but that didn't seem to faze Blaine. "Yes," he replied stiffly. "That's me."

He made to look back at the table again when Blaine nodded and continued speaking. "I'm Blaine. Obviously, you already knew that, since Artie introduced me, but I figured introducing myself is the polite thing to do. So – uh… can I sit down?"

Kurt gave him a hard stare, and this time, Blaine did cower under his gaze. "I don't know," he responded. "Can you?"

Blaine seemed baffled by this response, but he recovered swifter than anyone else Kurt had ever come across. "I'm sorry," he said, and Kurt frowned at him. Why on earth was this guy apologising? "May I sit down?" As if in an afterthought, he added, "Here, at this table. With you."

Though he would never admit it out loud, Kurt was impressed. "Why?" he blurted out. "Are you stalking me, or something?"

He might've imagined it, but he could've sworn that he saw a small blush creeping up the other boy's cheeks. "No," the boy exclaimed. "I'm not – why would you think that?" He sat down now anyway, still a little hesitant.

Crossing his arms and sitting up straight, Kurt glared Blaine down for a moment. Then, he smiled quasi-sweetly. "Well, first, you show up at the auditions for the school musical, no doubt snagging the part that I was this close to getting; then, you show up in Glee club, wrapping everyone around your little finger in a heartbeat, and now you're having coffee at the same place as me? If that's not stalking, then what is it?"

Blaine was quiet for a moment, before replying, "It sounds like we've got the same interests. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" Looking at Kurt contemplatively, he suddenly smirked just slightly. "You were eavesdropping on the directors a couple of days ago, weren't you?" When Kurt's expression morphed into one of shock, Blaine grinned. "Don't worry, I won't tell, but it does explain why you were sitting there for so long."

"You saw me?" Kurt asked, wondering why he was asking that question when he was still not done being angry at Blaine.

Now he was positive that the boy was blushing. "Of course I did," Blaine muttered. "It's kind of hard not to notice you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurt almost snapped, though only half-heartedly.

Blaine eyes grew wider. "I didn't mean it in a bad way! I just – you're so different from everyone else – in the best way possible – that you're hard to miss in the school hallways." He took a deep breath. "When I asked Artie who you were, he seemed surprised that there were people in school who didn't already know your name." In a small voice, he added, "He didn't tell me you were the person who'd already auditioned for Tony. I figured it'd be someone else – not that I don't think you could pull it off! I think you'd make a great Tony, actually."

"So what did you mean by that?" Kurt asked. "And why would it matter if I auditioned for the part or not?"

"I meant… you're not someone who would traditionally get case as Tony. Obviously I've never heard you sing, but I'm not sure if your voice would suit most of the songs. I'm all for shaking things up a little, though, so it would be great if you got the part."

"I won't get it, though," Kurt said darkly. "After today, I don't doubt that you'll get it."

Blaine scrutinised him closely, and, to be honest, it kind of creeped Kurt out. It wasn't often that a boy, much less a boy like Blaine, looked at him like that. "You want me to give up the part," he stated quietly.

Kurt stared at him for a moment, his jaw slack. "W-What?" he asked. Even though he was upset about not getting the part, he didn't think he could ask that from Blaine. Right? He didn't know the guy very well, but that was possibly all the more reason not to ask that. He might be friends (of sorts) with Rachel now, but they weren't completely alike, right?

"You want me to give up the part so you can have it," Blaine repeated, staring down at his cup of coffee. "I… really admire you, Kurt, and I think we could get along very well and become great friends if you'd just give me a chance, but I cannot do that. It's something I want too, very badly."

"I know," Kurt muttered, trying (but most likely failing) not to let his disappointment (about not getting the role, not about Blaine not giving him the part) show. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Kurt broke it. "No one's ever said they admire me," he said, and he came very close to hitting himself in the head. He must be making quite an impression on Blaine this way. He did, after all, kind of like the boy, and the last thing he needed was sounding like a complete prick. He supposed that he could have worse people sitting down at his table. They'd undoubtedly talk about the whole musical debacle again at a later time, but Kurt was positive that they could work past it, if this conversation was any indication.

Blaine smiled slightly at him. "Then everybody else must be blind, Kurt," he said, and Kurt couldn't help but like the way his name sounded when Blaine said it. "Of course I admire you; you don't care what other people think, you just dress the way you want – very fashionably too, I might add – and there's no one quite like you in this world. You're out and proud, at least from what Artie has told me, and you're not ashamed to show it. I mean, look at me – I'm officially out, but I let a bunch of bullies chase me away from my first school and I went to a strictly anti-bullying private school instead. We just… moved here from Illinois, and my parents didn't want to send me all the way to Dalton Academy in Westerville, so I promised I'd try another public school. I'm not afraid of who I am, but I guess I'm just not comfortable with showing the real me, if that makes sense."

Kurt's mind reeled. Blaine was gay? This handsome, smart, talented, scared, haunted boy in front of him was gay? For some reason, this thought made Kurt more nervous than he figured it should.

"I get it," he answered in the end. "And I'm not trying to scare you, but there are bullies at McKinley too. The bullying's not as bad as it was for two-and-a-half years, but you are part of New Directions now as well, and I don't know what Artie's told you about it, but Glee club's not cool at McKinley. And, really, it took me a long time before I was comfortable with who I was as well. It's okay."

"I'll have to face reality at some point," Blaine muttered. Then, he frowned. "What was wrong during Glee, by the way? I know we don't really know each other and it's not my place to pry, but you didn't seem very happy for some reason."

Kurt smiled apologetically. "I was just… caught off guard by you suddenly being there," he replied. "And when Artie was gloating about how amazing you were, I guess I knew that I failed to get the part of Tony, and I was… well, angry about that." A couple of seconds passed before he added, "You did great, though. I think you're a great addition to the group."

Blaine grinned happily at him, and Kurt felt his stomach suddenly doing back flips or something. It was a weird feeling and he wasn't sure what to think of it. "Thanks, Kurt," Blaine told him earnestly. "That means a lot."

Kurt nodded, trying to clear his head. He cleared his throat, and with a small smile, he asked, "Now, what were you saying about us having the same interests?"