Work Text:
Kurt Hummel hated the stupid soulmate mark that decorated his ribs.
As a young boy he’d always liked the idea of a soulmate, would fantasise about the time he would finally meet “the one”, but that dream died when what would become his favourite book series, was ruined not even a chapter in.
Kurt turned to books when his mother died when he was just ten years old. For him, it was an escape when the bullying got so bad and he no longer had his mother’s arms to fall into for protection. The stories he read were somewhere he could run to where the characters had much bigger problems than his own and yet they could always fight through them in the end. Reading gave him hope that things would get better. However as soon as he saw the words “This mans name was Albus Dumbledore.” It all went down hill.
Kurt had always wondered what his soulmates first words meant, for as long as he could understand what soulmates were and how everyone was born with the first words they would ever hear their soulmates say marked somewhere on their body.
As a kid he would often ask his mom to read his to him but she would politely tell him no, that they were personal and not for everyone to know. When he grew up he started to wonder if maybe she didn’t want to tell him because they were something horrible or sad but at eleven years old, instead of feeling joy over his soulmate mark he just felt angry as the book series he had been eager to start had been ruined for him just nine pages in! His soulmate wasn’t talking about a real person but this seemingly important book character!
Kurt couldn’t believe it. He finished reading the first book as quickly as possible to find out how this Dumbledore had died only to find out that while, yes he was an important character, he didn’t die. Kurt was driven into a frenzy and over the next few months or so his dad found him shut up in his room reading book after book in search for the moment that had been marked on his skin since before the books were released.
“Urgh!” Kurt cried, closing the last page of the most recent book in the series, /The Order of The Phoenix/
“What’s up bud?” Kurts Dad Burt asked after rushing up the stairs in search of the problem that caused his usually quiet kid to yell out in frustration.
“He’s still alive! I can’t believe it! What am I suppose to say to someone if they ask about my soulmate mark or Harry Potter or Dumbledore?”
“Whoa kiddo, slow down, start from the beginning.”
So Kurt told his dad and Burt patted his shoulder and told Kurt, “at least you know you have something in common.” Before getting up and going back to watch the game.
In the gap between the fifth book and the sixth, Kurt caught up on the three movie adaptations that had been made and just like a lot of kids his age, dressed up for the midnight release when the sixth book /The Half Blood Prince/ was released. As was routine, Kurt shut himself away and read the newest book as eagerly as he had the others, not wanting to put it down, but then that moment happened where the pieces fell into place. This was it. It had happened. Kurt felt a little bit empty.
A small part of him assumed this would be the moment he would meet “the one”, which was silly considering he was reading the book alone, in his room, at midnight.
The following few days Kurt was on edge. Every time someone would mention Harry Potter his breath hitched in anticipation, but it was never those words he heard. This went on longer than it probably should have but by 2009, the last book long since released and Kurt having shifted focus onto the Glee club he had just joined he almost forgot all about it. Almost. The Half Blood Prince movie was due to be released in movie theatres that week and suddenly Kurt was anxious all over again.
Watching that moment in the theatre was a bitter sweet feeling for Kurt. It was a sad and emotional scene but when you’ve known it’s been coming since you could read the words on your skin, it didn’t quite pack the same punch.
After the film ended and Kurt was packing his things up to leave, that’s when he finally heard it.
A guy walking by in a polo and jeans with stupid CW hair said just loud enough for Kurt to hear.
“Man I can’t believe Dumbledore dies.”
Reacting on instinct Kurt finds himself pushing towards this boy and right into his personal space.
“You! You’re the one!” He yelled in a blind rage, oblivious to the stunned face of his soulmate who looks at Kurt, in all his knee-length sweater glory, then down at his forearm where those yelled words from Kurt are visible. A smirk slowly crosses his face and he says “that’s not how I imagined that being said, I thought maybe you’d at least be in my bed, free of that ridiculous sweater.”
Kurt took a step back, shocked.
“Names Sebastian, Sebastian Smythe. Maybe you could enlighten me as to why you’ve come over here with a hell of a bitch face before I’ve even had the chance to insult you yet?”