The harsh glare of thousands of florescent lights illuminated the pale, porcelain face at the window.
Kurt squinted tired eyes against the light and inhaled a deep breath of the cold New York air.
The New Directions had been in the city for 4 days and this was their last night in the big apple. Nationals hadn't exactly gone to plan and the choir would unfortunately be going back to Lima empty handed. But Kurt felt like he had won all the awards simply by being in the city of his dreams and now Kurt was just pining after a life of performance.
At 2am the endless lights from Broadway still burned with a vengeance across the streets, far enough to reach the hotel that the show choir association had put them up in. The old building that they had been assigned was streets away from the source of the illumination but the glow was so powerful that it couldn't be missed. The burning of a thousand spotlights.
Kurt wanted to be a part of it more than life itself.
Blaine had shown up the day before, just in time to see the choir fail and had treated Kurt to a night out to take his mind off things.
They had seen Wicked.
As Teal Wicks belted out the chorus of Defying Gravity Kurt watched transfixed, every fibre of his being was frozen. Every note pierced his soul and he could barely feel the grip that Blaine had on his hand.
The roar of the crowd as the last note tore from her throat was deafening and Kurt found himself itching to stand with everyone else, to jump and cheer but he couldn't, he was too lost in the than anything else, every pulse through his veins screamed to be on that stage. To be her, to receive the praise, to perform.
But the doubt clawed in the back of Kurts mind, like a panther ready to pounce.
He was a small town boy from Lima, Ohio for Gods sake.
Kurt and Blaine stayed long after the final curtain had fallen. Blaine, ever being the perfect boyfriend, gave him all the time he needed, watching with adoring eyes as his boyfriend stared, eyes focused on the heavy velvet material that hung from the rafters.
Eventually they had been asked to leave and the couple had returned to the hotel, heading straight for bed and Kurt had fallen asleep, spooned against his boyfriend and with the sounds of the show still ringing in his ears.
The florescent glare seeping through a crack in the hallway curtains awoke him not two hours later, like an ominous spotlight drawing him in.
He disentangled himself from Blaines arms and shuffled out of the door, following the lure of empty dreams, straight across to the window; pulling back the curtains and perching on the wooden sill.
With a sigh, he leaned back against the window frame, the names and faces blurring together in his drowsy state to form one wall of shining colour.
Which is where Blaine found him about half an hour later, his hair being blown gently by the cool breeze drifting through the open window.
He could tell that Kurt was lost in thought as he approached, the young countertenors eyes were unfocused and glassy and there was a longing on his face that couldn't be mistaken.
Kurt felt firm arms circling his waist, he whipped his head around, startled.
"I woke up and you weren't there." Blaine whispered, resting his chin on Kurts shoulder he placed a gentle kiss on Kurts neck.
"Sorry. I couldn't sleep." He whispered back, pulling Blaine down to sit beside him on the sill.
"Watching Broadway?" The shorter boy followed Kurts eye line to the towering buildings and intricately planned designs.
"As well as i can." Kurt strained his neck to look over the rooftops, he could vaguely see the blaring pictures on the building walls.
His eyes focused on the massive image of Daniel Radcliffes face on the 'How to succeed in business; without really trying'billboard.
He felt his heart flutter.
"I want to be there Blaine. More than anything else in the world. I want to stand on that stage and belt out a song, i want to hear the applause explode as I sing my heart out. I want that spotlight." His voice was tinted with longing and something else that Blaine couldn't quite place.
"You'll get your dream." Blaine whispered.
"That's just it though."
Blaine looked at Kurt quizzically.
"It feels...like a dream. It doesn't feel like a plausible reality." Kurt admitted, sadly; turning back to the lights with a sigh and Blaine could see moisture welling up in the countertenors eyes.
"Hey...Hey, Kurt look at me." He waited, a few seconds passed before Kurt turned to him, his eyes portraying more emotion that most people can with an entire speech.
"I've known you for a while now, granted not an especially long time, but still…" He paused, realising that he was dangerously close to starting a pointless ramble.
He focused himself and started again.
"You will get it. In time, you will get it. You... exude Broadway, Kurt." Kurt looked sceptical, "I'm serious, everything about you screams it."
"You're strong and bold. You're the most individual person i've ever met and you were born to show off, it pours out of your body with breath that you take. If you want to know what i think, i'm honestly surprised that you aren't already up there. If you were from somewhere other than Ohio, if you had been born here or somewhere with more... opportunities, you'd already be on that stage.
Your voice is astounding, Kurt. Your confidence when you're in the spotlight is unbelievable and anyone with any sense can see how comfortable you are up there." Blaine reached across and wrapped his arms around his teary eyed boyfriend.
The thin shoulders shook as Blaine pulled him close and Blaine couldn't help but laugh softly.
"One day you'll walk down that street and see your name up there in lights, everyone will know who you are. You're going to go down in history, Kurt. Trust me." Blaine leaned back and took Kurts face in his hands and brushed a stray tear off his boyfriends cheek with his thumb.
Blaine stood, grasping Kurts hand.
"Come on, back to bed."
Blaine tugged lightly at Kurt arm, and the taller boy allowed himself to be dragged away from the bright lights and endless longing.
Kurt fell sideways onto the bed with a sigh and felt the mattress dip as Blaine came up behind him.
An arm came down across his waist and Kurt snuggled backwards so that he was tucked against Blaines chest as Blaine dragged the covers back over the couple.
"You'll make it someday." Kurt smiled in the darkness and closed his eyes as his boyfriends even breathing lulled him to sleep.
Teal Wicks is the woman playing Elphaba on Broadway as of feb 1st 2011.
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