Author's Note:

This chapter fought me all the way, but eventually I got it out. So many of you asked for the audition, so I wanted to make it good for you, but it's not the easiest thing to write! Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Thank you everyone for alerting, favoriting, and most especially reviewing. My heart gives a little leap every time I see a review in my email. So thank you.

I don't own Glee. Or Hello Dolly for that matter.


Blaine stepped into the audition room, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. He took his place center on the small stage likely used for workshops or classes. Before him sat 2 men and 2 women at a table, papers strewn in front of them, including one that he recognized as his resume with the cover sheet. He waited with his flashy smile for them to look up at him. He was nervous, but confident.

"Hello, could you please tell us your name and what you will be singing," a friendly looking older woman directed.

"Hi everyone, my name is Blaine Anderson, and I will be singing "All I Need is the Girl" from Gypsy," he said, handing his music to the accompanist.

"Whenever you're ready," she nodded.

Blaine took a deep breath and centered himself. A calm washed over him, and he was ready to perform.


As Blaine walked into the audition room, Kurt picked up his things and casually walked closer to the door. He wasn't sure how much he would be able to hear, but he desperately wanted to listen to Blaine sing if he could.

Without looking obvious, he leaned as close to the door as he could, and could barely make out Blaine introducing himself. A few minutes later, he heard the voice that had swept him away the last two years of show choir competitions. Blaine's voice had always made Kurt's heart's flutter and his choice of song was doing remarkable things to Kurt right then. Gypsy was one of his favorite musicals, and if Kurt closed his eyes, he could picture the always dapper Blaine playing Tulsa, soft-shoeing in an alley. It was a perfect audition song for Cornelius and the perfect song for the performer he admired.

Once my clothes were shabby
Tailors called me, "Cabbie"
So I took a vow
Said this bum'll
Be Beau Brummel
Now I'm smooth and snappy
Now my tailor's happy
I'm the cat's meow
My wardrobe is a wow!
Paris silk! Harris tweed!
There's only one thing I need...

Got my tweed pressed
Got my best vest
All I need now is the girl
Got my striped tie
Got my hopes high
Got the time and the place
And I got rhythm
Now all I need is the girl to go with'm
If she'll just appear we'll
Take this big town for a whirl
And if she'll say, "My darling I'm yours"
I'll throw away my striped tie
And my best pressed tweed
All I really need
Is the girl.

Kurt smiled, feeling the urge to applaud, but looking around at all the other people auditioning, he kept himself under control. That was until Blaine emerged from the room, a minute after he finished singing, with a huge smile on his face. Forgetting discretion, Kurt jumped up.

"How'd you do?" he asked nervously.

Blaine looked at him poised as always. "Well, they want me to wait for the first group of guys for the dance audition, so that's a good sign, right?"

Kurt jumped up and down and squealed, hugging Blaine before he even remembered that they just met. Blaine just smiled and laughed and hugged him back. For some reason, neither one of them thought it was weird. It was almost as if they had known each other forever. "I'll give you some space to prepare," he said graciously. "I'm just going to grab some water."

"Ok, sure," Kurt answered, blushing, hoping that Blaine would be back in time to hear his own audition. And that Blaine would want to hear his audition. As he watched the boy walk away, Kurt shook his head at himself, wondering when he had become such a fool swooning over a guy at first glance. After all, Blaine had just sung about getting the girl, he had no idea if Blaine was even gay.

He sat down to review his music, plugging his ears slightly to hear himself hum a little better. He was startled when he heard the call.

"Kurt Hummel!" the runner yelled.

"Here," Kurt said, standing up and glancing around quickly for Blaine. He frowned slightly when he didn't see the Warbler, but followed the runner inside.

Kurt nervously took his place in the center of the stage, handing his music to the pianist and fidgeting slightly but taking a deep breath.

"Good Afternoon. Please tell us your name and what you will be singing," a handsome man told Kurt, leafing through what Kurt could only imagine was his resume.

"My name is Kurt Hummel and I will be singing Giants in the Sky from Into the Woods."

"Thank you," the man said, and Kurt turned to the accompanist, nodding to let her know he was ready.

Blaine had heard Kurt's name being called and had come around the corner just as he'd disappeared inside. He smiled, and threw a whispered "break a leg" through the air, and then took Kurt's seat to listen to the audition. He had never really heard Kurt sing before. Kurt had always been in the background at show choir competitions, and though he'd get a line here and there, it hadn't been enough for Blaine to truly hear him. At the sound of Kurt's vocals, Blaine felt his heart skip a beat and his breath escape his lungs. He thought the young man was beautiful, but his voice was the voice of angels singing.

There are giants in the sky,
There are big tall terrible giants in the sky

Although the song was sung by Jack after coming down from the beanstalk, Kurt chose it because it perfectly reflected his own journey and how he felt in the last few weeks as he left the world of being cared for by others and started caring for himself. If there was one thing he learned from New Directions, it was to always sing with his heart, and he poured his soul into the song.

When you're way up high
And you look below
At the world you left
And the things you know,
Little more than a glance
Is enough to show you
Just how small you are.

When you're way up high
And you're on your own
In a world like none
That you've ever known,
Where the sky is lead
And the earth is stone,

You're free, to do
Whatever pleases you,
Exploring things you'd never dare
'Cause you don't care,
When suddenly there's

A big tall terrible Giant at the door,
A big tall terrible lady Giant
sweeping the floor.
And she gives you food
And she gives you rest
And she draws you close
To her Giant breast,
And you know things now
that you never knew before,
Not till the sky.

"Thank you very much Kurt," the man said to him. "That was very good. It says here that you've won a regional and a national show choir competition in school, is that so?"

"Yes, I was a member of the New Directions at McKinley High School in Lima."

"I suppose that means you can dance, yes?" he asked.

Kurt chuckled to himself, thinking of Finn. Being in New Directions did not necessarily mean you could dance, but in his case it did. "Yes, I have had a fair amount of dance training over the years."

"Good. Wait outside until the group of guys is called for the dance audition, and you'll continue there. Thank you for coming in."


Blaine waited for Kurt to emerge from the audition room, holding his breath. He didn't understand why it was so important to him that Kurt make it through, he just knew that he definitely wanted them to do the show together.

Kurt came out of the room with a huge smile on his face, immediately finding Blaine. "Is there room for one more in that dance audition," he asked with a grin.

Blaine's face lit up and he pulled Kurt into a huge hug. "You were really good, I could hear you through the door."

Kurt blushed and pulled away. "Thank you," he said, suddenly shy.

Blaine sensed it and changed the subject. "Guess we have a few minutes to wait before we have to dance. You want to go warm up?" Blaine asked grabbing his dance shoes from his bag.

"Sure," Kurt answered, pulling out his own jazz shoes.

The two young men moved to outside the dance rooms and began stretching. Kurt immediately started doing high kicks and splits, and Blaine stood in awe of his flexibility. He felt himself grow warm with desire at the pictures forming in his mind, his face flushing red before even working up a sweat. He quickly shook his thoughts aside and turned away from Kurt. Kurt took the opportunity to watch Blaine stretch and move his body with the utmost grace. Kurt's skin tingled at the perfection that was Blaine's elegance in those tight pants. Deliciously sinful thoughts intruded into Kurt's concentration and he also turned away.

"Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Allen Peters…." The runner continued to call 6 auditioners total for the dance audition, and both Kurt and Blaine were happy to finally move inside.

The choreographer introduced herself and immediately started teaching them the dance to "Put On Your Sunday Clothes." It was ambitious and a challenge for them both, but Kurt and Blaine had a ton of experience learning and performing choreography, and they picked it up quickly. When the choreographer asked them to choose partners, the two immediately grabbed hands, blushing only slightly at their unconscious gesture. Their performance was impressive, far better than the other two partners, and they were both handed sides to read together for the director back on the stage. They were given about 10 minutes to rehearse before going in.

They left the room smiling and once again hugged each other, feeling more and more comfortable with the affection that seemed to just come naturally to them. "We make a pretty good team, Kurt!" Blaine said enthusiastically.

"I guess we do," Kurt smiled. "But we will be even better if we rehearse."

They sat down on one of the couches and quietly read through the scene. They were both extremely familiar with the script and the scene, and it came easily to them both. After all, they could almost be Cornelius and Barnaby themselves. Two young men, stuck in small towns, dreaming of going to New York to pursue their dreams. It was as if the roles were written for them. With only one small difference, of course.

They were called into the audition room and they strode in energetically, each encouraged by the other's presence. They knew they had this thing in the bag.

"Welcome back boys," the director smiled at them. "I heard you two did very well in the dance audition."

"Thank you Sir," Blaine answered, comfortable and polite as always. Kurt simply smiled and nodded.

"Have you guys had a chance to read this scene over? Any questions before you begin?"

"No Sir," Blaine answered again looking at Kurt. Kurt shook his head in agreement. "I think we're all set." Blaine flashed his dazzling smile at the panel before turning back to Kurt. Kurt grinned back at him. Blaine's confidence just amazed him.

The two took a minute to center themselves, and then began the scene. Blaine was playing Cornelius and Kurt was playing Barnaby. Both were clerks in a small store in Yonkers, and were tired of living in a small town and being alone. They wanted adventure and love. Blaine and Kurt were lively and animated, just the perfect amount for the style of the show. The most important thing was that they had fun with each other.

Cornelius: Chief clerk! Promoted from chief clerk to chief clerk. And if I'm good, in ten years I'll be promoted to chief clerk again! Thirty three years old and I still don't get an evening free. When am I going to begin to live?

Barnaby: You can live on holidays, Cornelius!

Cornelius: Did you forget what we did last Christmas? All those canned tomatoes went bad and exploded and you and I cleaned up the mess all afternoon. Do you call that living?

Barnaby: No!

Cornelius: Barnaby, you and I are going to New York!

Barnaby: You mean close the store?

Cornelius: Uh huh.

Barnaby: Cornelius, we can't!

Cornelius: We'll have to. Some more rotten tomato cans are ready to explode.

Barnaby: Holy cabooses! How do you know?

Cornelius: I'm going to light this candle under them, that how I know. They'll make such a smell customers won't be able to come into the place for twenty-four hours. That'll give us the evening off! We're going to New York, Barnaby and we're going to live! We're going to have a good meal, we're going to be in danger, we're going to spend our money, we're going to be arrested…

Barnaby: Holy Cabooses!

Cornelius: And one more thing! We're not coming back to Yonkers until we've each kissed a girl!

Barnaby: Cornelius, you can't do that! You don't know any girls!

Cornelius: I'm 33 years old! I've got to begin sometime!

Barnaby: I'm only seventeen, Cornelius. It isn't so urgent for me.

Cornelius: New York, Barnaby! Elevated trains! The lights of Broadway! The stuffed whale at Barnum Museum!

Barnaby: A stuffed whale?

Cornelius: A stuffed whale! What do you say, Barnaby?

Barnaby: Yes, Cornelius! Yes!

By the end of the scene, everyone at the director's table was smiling. They thanked the boys and told them they would hear in the next couple of days. Kurt and Blaine thanked them for their time and consideration and then left the room.

When they got outside, they both sighed with relief. They congratulated each other, exchanged phone numbers, and gathered up their belongings. They walked down the front steps and stopped at the bottom, neither wanting to say goodbye.

"It was really nice meeting you today, Kurt Hummel," Blaine said reluctantly.

"Yeah, you too Blaine," Kurt responded in kind. "I hope I see you really soon at rehearsal."

They gave each other a quick hug then walked off in opposite directions toward their cars. Kurt was thinking that he was glad he'd taken the whole day off of work to recuperate, when he heard his name.

"Hey Kurt," Blaine called from behind him. Kurt turned to see Blaine's dazzling smile and he went weak in the knees. "Would you…um… want to go get some coffee with me? It's been kind of a long day," he reasoned, trying desperately to hide his nerves.

Kurt considered the request for a moment, not wanting to appear too eager, though inside he was jumping for joy. "Sure," he shrugged as casually as possible.

"Great!" Blaine exclaimed. "I know a great coffee shop called The Lima Bean right on the border of Westerville. Do you know it?"

Kurt knew of it, his friends had sometimes gone there for coffee on weekends. He had on occasion joined them as well, though he was rarely willing to spend his hard-earned money on a $4 coffee. "Yeah, sure. I'll meet you there in 15 minutes, ok?"

"Sounds great," Blaine beamed. "See you then." And he headed back to his car with a skip in his step.


Kurt pulled into the Lima Bean and saw Blaine's car in the parking lot. He had stopped to get some money out of the ATM, and had then called work to try and get some extra hours. He really couldn't afford this coffee date…oh my god, was it a date…but he also knew it was important for him to do things that regular kids his age did. It had never been easy for him to balance normalcy with his the reality of his life. He realized with a sigh that those things weren't going to change for him overnight.

He pulled the door open and immediately saw Blaine waiting for him by the line. He smiled at the thought that Blaine hadn't just gotten his own coffee and sat down, and he proceeded to join him.

"Hi!" Kurt greeted him. "Fancy meeting you here," he teased.

"Well," Blaine teased back. "The coffee is good, it was really only a matter of time. Besides, I highly suspect we'll be spending a fair amount of time together over the next two months, we might as well get to know each other right?"

Kurt looked at him out of the corner of his eye, as they moved up closer to the front of the line. "You're pretty confident we'll be cast, aren't you," he asked.

"Well, we did kill it. I don't know about the leads, but we should at least be in the chorus." They reached the front of the counter and Blaine went first, ordering a medium drip. Kurt couldn't help but notice the number of 20 dollar bills in Blaine's designer wallet, and looked down in embarrassment. He had planned on just getting a small coffee, but he felt an overwhelming need to reward himself, and not look cheap in front of Blaine. On his turn, he ordered a small non-fat mocha latte, and swallowed the lump in his throat as he pulled out his five dollar bill and received some coins in return.

Kurt let Blaine lead the way to a table, and it seemed that he had a regular spot. They settled in, Blaine adding some sugar and cream to his coffee. "So, Kurt, tell me about yourself. Are you going to college nearby?"

Kurt's anxiety grew, despite having expected the conversation and having been through it many times before. Usually he didn't care what people thought of him, but for some reason he seemed to care a great deal about Blaine's opinion. "I decided to take a year off, kind of to find myself. So I'm working right now, but I plan to go to New York next year."

Blaine's face lit up. "I plan to go to New York too after I graduate this year. I haven't really decided for what yet. Music is really important to me, but my Dad wants me to go for something more practical, so I don't know. I assume you want to study theater?"

"Yes. Or fashion design." Kurt became quite animated talking to Blaine. His nerves went away and he felt completely at ease. Blaine just somehow had that way about him. "One of my best friends went to NYADA this year and she would be thrilled if I got in there. But I'm also thinking about Parsons. I'm not sure yet. Partly it depends who takes me," he said laughing.

"I'm sure you can do whatever you want Kurt. So where do you live now?" Blaine asked. "Are you still in Lima with your parents?"

Kurt hesitated, trying to form a response when he was interrupted by a tall, lanky good looking young man in a Dalton uniform. "Hey Blaine," the boy said with a smirk, inviting himself to join their table. He pulled a chair over and sat down, placing his arm around Blaine. "Where were you today? I'm not used to not having you around, and I missed you at rehearsal singing back up for me."

Blaine could see Kurt immediately raise an eyebrow. He was sure his own annoyance was evident. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to play Sebastian's games. He casually lifted the Warbler's arm from around his shoulders, dropping it back on Sebastian's lap. "I made it perfectly clear to everyone that I was not going to be there today, and where I was is none of your business." His ex only laughed. Nothing ever bothered Sebastian and it infuriated Blaine tremendously.

Kurt watched the two Warblers speak without words as the boy turned to Kurt. "And who do we have here? Whoever he is Blaine, he's awful cute," he said winking at Blaine.

Kurt looked to Blaine for a clue. Blaine looked annoyed and uncomfortable, and if Kurt judged correctly, Blaine most definitely didn't want this guy knowing who he was. Kurt wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he decided to follow Blaine's lead and bit back with sarcasm. "I was invited. And you, were not. Now if you will please excuse us," Kurt said with a flick of his hand.

"Oh, he's a feisty one Blaine. I like him. But then again, we know you like your boys feisty, don't we?" Sebastian said snidely as he got up and left as quickly as he came.

Blaine's face reddened, with anger or embarrassment, neither of them knew, and he turned back to Kurt shaking his head. "I'm, um, really sorry about that."

Kurt looked up to where Sebastian went to sit with some other boys in the Dalton uniform. "Friend of yours?" Kurt asked indicating the Warbler.

Blaine shook his head. Sebastian was not a topic he wanted to talk about on a first date and most definitely not someone he would have wanted Kurt to meet. Sebastian was crude and maddening and their history was long and confusing. Even he didn't always understand it. "Ex-friend," he explained. "Ex-boyfriend, actually."

Kurt nodded, having guessed as much. Their relationship looked complicated, and ordinarily getting in the middle of something like that was something he'd completely avoid. But Blaine was different. The affect Blaine had on him was beyond anything he had felt before; like coming home. He couldn't understand it, but it wasn't something he couldn't run from.

Blaine placed his head in his hands and Kurt smiled as he watched Blaine run his fingers through his hair, loosening a few soft curls. Kurt found it adorable. Blaine looked up at him sheepishly. "That certainly wasn't in my plans for this date."

"Is this a date?" Kurt asked with a cock-eyed smile.

"Oh, god, you probably don't want it to be now, do you?" Blaine asked, fingering his coffee cup anxiously.

Blaine held his breath. Since they broke up, heck since before they broke up, Sebastian had a way of ruining everything for him. But he wasn't going to give Kurt up without a fight. He couldn't explain it, but he was certain that the feeling he'd had in the headmaster's office about this show changing his life had everything to do with Kurt. Blaine looked at him hopefully, and prepared to argue his case, but didn't need to.

Kurt thought twice about asking, only because he knew that he'd be forced to pay. But he was willing to figure something out if it meant reassuring Blaine and seeing him again. "Blaine Anderson, would you do me the honor of going out on a second date with me?" Kurt proposed.

Blaine was taken aback for only moment, then gave a smile that could have lit up the room. He took Kurt's hand and nodded. "I would love to go on a second date with you Kurt."


Author's Note:

Thank you for reading. I love your thoughts and ideas, so please review :-)

Songs:
All I Need is the Girl, from Gypsy
Giants in the Sky, from Into the Woods