A/N: This is a one-shot that's part of my Blood, Sweat, and Tears/Growing Up universe. Someone asked why I made Kurt a show choir director when he had so much potential, so this is my answer.
Broken Trust
It was never innocent. Kurt's mad at Blaine, so he ends up fucking the choreographer for the latest production he's in. He's a major supporting character, not the lead, but this is Broadway. This is the step up to everything. Blaine's exhausted all the time, working in a stocks office in Manhattan, and Kurt is sure Blaine resents him for even making it this far. Blaine works on a screenplay by himself, almost as a joke. He assures Kurt it's just a hobby and could never go anywhere, but every time he says it, Kurt feels like he's saying that Kurt can never really get anywhere. So he fucks his choreographer. This goes on for a month while they perform the show.
For some reason, using Gerard to get back at Blaine seems to take all the problems out of their relationship. Kurt's never mad at Blaine, and Blaine starts cheering up more. He's still tired all the time, and Kurt can't stop wondering what happened to the bright-eyed soloist he dragged to New York City with him. What happened to all those dreams? That potential? Why is he managing stocks? But when he asks Blaine, Blaine just says that he needs a stable, reliable job. It's like the passion has gone out of everything.
He's at Gerard's one night, and he thinks about how the affair is probably going to end soon because there's only a week left of shows. Then he'll have to start auditioning again. Maybe not – the director's friends with a casting director who says he would be perfect for the lead in some other show. Even if he doesn't get the lead, he'll probably get a good job. Kurt Hummel is going up in the world.
That's when Finn calls. They don't talk about anything special, just catching up, but then Gerard comes out of the shower.
"Oh, are you staying the night, baby?" he yells.
There's absolute silence because Gerard sees the phone in his hand. His contacts probably aren't in.
"That isn't Blaine, is it?" Finn asks.
"No, it's not." Kurt hangs up. He isn't entirely sure why he didn't deny it or make up some lie, but he doesn't see the point anymore. He doesn't know if Finn will tell Blaine; he doesn't know what Blaine will do about it. Two days after the show ends, Kurt comes home to find Blaine sitting on the couch, staring at his cell phone.
Kurt doesn't want to go through the fuss, so he speaks first. "Finn told you, didn't he?"
Blaine looks up at him. He starts to talk several times but doesn't speak for several minutes. "I thought we were happy." He locks himself in their bedroom.
Kurt lies on the couch, burying his head in the pillow. Why did he do this again? Isn't Blaine enough for him? He still hasn't answered that question when Blaine comes out of the room two hours later. He's rolling a suitcase behind him.
"I'm going back to Ohio," he says carefully. "You can come with me if you want."
Kurt looks up at him as Blaine waits for an answer. If he goes to Lima with Blaine, he probably won't come back. Blaine will convince him to stay out of New York, and Kurt is just making it. He has his whole career ahead of him, and Blaine will make him give that up. "I honestly don't know."
He watches Blaine's heart break, then he watches Blaine hold it in and rebuild his composure. "I'm going, then."
No flight times, no airport codes, Blaine just leaves. Kurt stares at the ceiling and wonders what his life would be like without Broadway. What would his life be like without Blaine? Without performance? Without those enthusiastic morning smiles? Without rehearsal? Without breakfast in bed? He had both, so why did he screw it up? Kurt tries to cry, but he can't. Kurt always needs someone to pick up the pieces when he cries, and now Blaine isn't there to do it. It's been two hours since Blaine left, but Kurt goes to their bedroom to hug Blaine's pillow and figure out what he's going to do now.
When he opens the door, he sees a second suitcase on the bed. It's full, and when he opens it, it's filled with Kurt's clothes.
I have to follow him. He waits two hours to get on a flight to Columbus. He can't sleep on the plane even though it's so late. He calls his father, but Carole answers the phone. It's nearly five in the morning, and they're up waiting for him because he has no idea where Blaine is. He has no idea if Blaine will take him back. He didn't explain anything to Carole on the phone because he was afraid he'd break down in the car.
His dad opens the door, and Kurt flings himself onto his father.
"I messed up, Daddy," he sobs. "I messed up so badly."
"It'll be okay, Kurt," Burt assures him. Carole makes hot chocolate, and Kurt pours out the story. One of the worst parts is when Burt says he can't help Kurt. This is the first time his father hasn't been able to help him when he needs it. The worst part is knowing that Blaine was willing to forgive him just like that, no discussions, if Kurt went with him, and he didn't take it.
Blaine doesn't call him the next day, and Kurt doesn't call him either because he needs everything to be perfect, doesn't he? Everything always has to be perfect; that's why he was so stressed in New York and why he and Blaine fought so much.
No. He needs to forget perfect. He needs to call Blaine.
"Kurt?"
"I'm so sorry. I'm so goddamned sorry. I'm in Lima, Blaine. I flew in Saturday morning. I'm at my dad's – please forgive me, please."
"You wanted to be on Broadway so badly," Blaine says. His voice is thick. "You wanted it so much more than me, and I knew you could do it. I gave up on theater because one of us had to have a stable job, right? It had to be that way if we wanted to have kids. I didn't care because I wanted you to be happy. I didn't want to be on Broadway; I just wanted to raise children with you." Kurt's crying again. "What am I gonna do without you?" Blaine's voice cracks.
"No, Blaine, don't! You don't have to! I can fix this; I swear I can!"
"I don't know. I need time."