So, I know I've been missing for a while. You all hate me, don't you! :P Admit it, my laziness and lack of posting has gotten to you, and I'm incredibly incredibly sorry! This chapter did NOT want to be written, and there were so many other ideas, and musicals to watch (just finished Starship... Brian Holden in Darren's glasses makes me think he's quite supermegafoxyawesomehot... maybe its something to do with the glasses) and homework to do, and Harry Potter books to read that I never managed to get time to really sit down and make this work. And then I sat down tonight and did it. So here it is! And a Harry Potter reference in there, for all those of you that I know are fans! :D

Chapter Nine: Cursed

The theatre was already filled with hopeful auditioners when Kurt and Blaine arrived, Blaine waiting five minutes after Kurt had entered to walk in on the younger man's request. Glancing around the room, it was clear that this day was dedicated to filling the parts of the lesser characters. Each young actor and actress with hopeful smiles was of a different breed: some were tall and skinny, some short and squat, and more importantly, some were female and some were male.

'Blaine!' Marcus was beckoning to him anxiously and he made his quickly to the directors bench, settling down between Kurt and the same producer from their last casting session. 'At least you're only a minute late this time!'

Blaine smiled grimly and leaned back in his chair, pressing his palms to his eyes to alleviate the pressure that was already building there. Before he'd come to New York, he hadn't realised how much hard work and long hours were put into organising a production. Or how much stress.

'And now, Blaine, I want to introduce you to the guy playing Everett,' Marcus was saying when Blaine tuned back in. He could feel Kurt stiffen beside him, and he nodded once before searching the room for the mop of brown hair that he'd specifically requested.

'Blaine, this is Ethan,' Marcus said, and from seemingly behind his back he pulled a grinning young man, who ran his hand through his hair roughly before holding it out to Blaine. 'Nice to finally meet you,' he said, putting an unpleasant malice on the word. 'I've heard so much about you.'

His eyes flickered once to Kurt, but the pale skinned man was bent under the table rummaging in his bag for some imaginary something.

'Glad to have you on board,' Blaine said forcefully, shaking the man's hand with an over tight grip before nodding curtly and looking away. Ethan smiled slightly, the kind of smile that spoke of accomplishment, before he stepped away towards the edge of the stage where a woman with a bottle of hair gel in her hand was motioning to him.

'What a nice guy, eh, Blaine?' Marcus asked. Blaine shook his head, trying to dislodge his thoughts in the same motion.

'Oh yeah. Really nice.' But his attention had been caught by Kurt, whose face and ears were a vibrant red. 'Didn't bother mentioning he'd got the part of me?' he asked in a hushed whisper. 'Didn't mention he could act, at that.'

Kurt pursed his lips. 'I was hoping I'd dreamed it.'

'Yeah, well I think the walking talking ex-boyfriend discards that theory.'

The younger man scowled and looked forward, resolutely ignoring Blaine. Slowly but surely, actors passed across the stage, and he tried to watch each one. But there was always that constant voice in the back of his head, asking him why Kurt's ex had fought for the part. What was he expecting to gain from it? He was the one who had demanded Kurt leave his house, so he definitely wasn't wanting him back.

The only conclusion Blaine could think of was that he wanted revenge. And not revenge on Kurt. Revenge on Blaine. Because he would be standing there, on that stage, saying every flirty line he'd ever whispered to Kurt during their high school years, every awkward and blissful moment they'd been through.

'What a bastard,' he whispered through gritted teeth, and Kurt turned his head, eyebrows raised.

'What?'

'I said "what a bastard".'

Kurt almost laughed. 'About Ethan I presume? You look your mulling it over as much as I am.'

'Mulling it over?' Blaine snorted. 'More like going insane with worry, and concern, and anger and all other ranges of emotion that I should not be feeling right now.'

'What should you be feeling right now?'

He shrugged. 'I don't know. Happiness? I'm in New York, watching my own musical get put onto Broadway. I'm finally getting credit for my work and I have you... living with me, I mean.' He stumbled over the words in a rush to get them out and pretend that he'd meant to have them there all along.

Kurt smiled sadly, but Blaine guessed that he was a lot more knowing than he let on. 'Well, we've always known my luck was down the plughole.'

'What do you mean?' Blaine's dark eyebrows knitted together in curiosity.

'Well, it took so long to get you, back in high school. And then I let you slip through my fingers at college. And since then I've spent years trying to get any kind of real part here. I'm cursed, I'm sure of it.' He let out a small laugh. 'Don't deny it, Blaine.'

Blaine bit his lip, because that was exactly what he was about to do. 'How about all the good times?' he said gently instead.

'They are beautiful and numerous in number, but clearly, they don't last. I should have known it when I was in preschool and Harper DeLuca stole my painting and passed it off as her own. I was doomed for failure.'

'Harper DeLuca? She didn't transfer did she? Because I swear I knew a Harper DeLuca at Westerville High who had a thing for stealing peoples lunch money. Big hunk of a girl, she was.'

Kurt grinned. 'That would be the one. She'd almost put pre-Puckerman-Lauren Zizes to shame, and that's saying something.'

'True, true,' Blaine laughed along with him. There was something almost... peaceable... about talking about their past.

And then it was blown. 'Hey, Mr Anderson,' the slick voice was asking, and Ethan sidled up to the desk as the last of the mornings actors slunk off the stage. 'I just wanted to ask you about some of the content. Because I don't understand how the character of Everett could really ask out Mark over the body of a dead bird. Isn't that a little tactless.'

He was staring at Kurt as he said it, daring him to speak up and defend the action, but Kurt was ducking his head and averting his eyes. Menacingly, Blaine leant forward until he was close enough to his lookalike that the producers wouldn't hear him.

'Sure, you may look a little bit like me, and you may have gotten the part of Everett, but there is no way you can harass me or Kurt.'

'What are you gonna do? Kick me off the production?'

'I can and I will.'

But Ethan was smirking. 'If you kick me off, who's going to play the part of Everett.'

The hotel room was filled with a stony silence. Kurt was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the blank TV screen. His hands were held tightly against each other in his lap and his jaw was clenched as if he was desperately trying to hold words in.

On the other side of the room, Blaine was pacing. Three turns of the room, then a glance at Kurt, then a glance at the clock. Another three turns of the room.

'Will you stop pacing!' Kurt finally growled, turning around to face him. 'You're making me edgy!'

'You're making me edgy!' Blaine stopped so he was facing him and ran his hand roughly through his hair. 'You haven't spoken a word since we got back, you just sit there in stony silence. Yes, Ethan is a douche-bag, but that's no reason to ignore me.' He frowned at the whine in his own voice and started pacing again, letting the muffled pounding of his feet echo dully in his brain.

'Well, you can't say you've done much to alleviate the silence.'

Blaine scowled. 'I've learnt since we were seventeen that if you're silent, you normally want to stay that way. It's how I've avoided many a pointless argument.'

'So why start now?'

Blaine winced at the anger in Kurt's voice and stopped pacing, stepping across to the sofa and leaning against the back of it in a way he hoped was forceful. 'He's changed you more than you let on,' he whispered into the pale, porcelain ear. 'You're less gentle, less innocent. You've lost your joyful nature. He's sapped it from you.'

'I have not-' Kurt went to argue, but Blaine was leaning over to press a finger to his lips, silencing him.

'I saw the real you when you took me around the city. That's the Kurt I know, not this Kurt. You're not moody and sullen and afraid. You're the bravest person I know.' Gently, with the slightest of pressures and the shake of hesitancy, he ran his forefinger along the length of Kurt's lip, brushing his thumb along his jawline. 'Let me in,' he whispered.

'I can't. Not again.'

'Why not? The first time was a mistake. Let's redeem it.'

'I don't want you to be my rebound.'

'I'm not your rebound. He was your rebound. I'm just plain old handsome.'

Kurt cracked a smile then, and Blaine returned it, letting his fingers graze softly along the planes of Kurt's neck, more comfortable now that the younger man hadn't pulled away.

'I don't want to get hurt again.'

'I'll never hurt you, Kurt.'

'I'm cursed.'

'And I'm Bill Weasley. It's my job to break curses.'

And with that simple phrase, Kurt was laughing and leaning forward, letting Blaine's hand slide around to the back of his neck and pull him closer so Blaine could press their lips together hard, reveling in the feeling of skin on warm skin.

So yes. Another Klaine kissy time. Which I thought we needed, because I love them so much! And more evil!Ethan... because even though I do care for him quite a bit, I'm beginning to see where he is a jerkface! :D I hope you all enjoyed this and to all those who review, you are so very lovely! Klaine klisses for you all! To all those in times of trouble right now (and forever) take care! Our hearts are with you!

And now I go back to Deathly Hallows... My inner nerd takes over!

xxx

Love you all!

Wynnie