Gemini
A/N: It's been over a year. I wrote something original. That's what I like to do now. I'm sorry. You all deserve better.
This is for Amanda. I love her and 24 hours ago I promised her I would update this fic. I hope those of you who still bother to read fic do enjoy this.
P.S. I love Amanda.
Chapter 11 - Stay
"I really think that I should just stay out here. I'll find a parking spot somewhere and you can text me when whatever this is is over."
Kurt smiled at Nick's trepidation before checking his appearance in the visor mirror. And yikes. He didn't look like his usual fresh-faced self. He could see dark circles under his eyes and what he was sure was a stress-zit forming on his chin, and he didn't know if it was from stemming from the craziness in his relationship or school-related issues, but Kurt wasn't looking forward to meeting Madame Tibideaux in this state.
"Ohio Hummel…" Nick said, urging Kurt to stop looking at himself and offer some sort of response.
Kurt could understand his friend's paranoia over the situation. After all, he was about to have lunch with Liam of all people – the same Liam that he slapped at a Halloween party for his sleazy behavior. But this wasn't going to end up like that. Madame Carmen Tibideaux of the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts would be there, and this opportunity would be incredible for him as a potential student in New York.
"I'm not sure why you're giving me that goofy smile," Nick continued. He was agitated and it was plain to see. "Sure, Blaine is your ex-boyfriend, but – "
"There's no 'but'," Kurt said. He turned to face Nick after closing the visor. "And there's no need for you to babysit me, Nicholas. I told Blaine beforehand that I was going to come to this lunch before the recital. He trusts me. I love him, ex or not." Kurt opened the door of Nick's Hummer and grabbed his bag. "Liam owes me big time for all the crap he's caused since the school year began. Him setting up this meeting with Madame Tibideaux is a start – "
"And if he tries to make a pass at you being that Blaine's out of the picture?"
Kurt almost rolled his eyes. It was unbelievable that people truly believed him and Blaine taking some time apart merely to get their shit together would result in them moving on and seeing other people. Liam would never be a threat in a million years. Kurt had higher standards.
"A – Blaine is not out of the picture. That much should be obvious."
Nick looked down at his steering wheel as Kurt hopped out of the truck. If that was true, they should just get back together and stop being idiots.
"And, B – if he tries to make a pass at me, which I'm sure he won't, then I'll get up and leave. It's that simple."
"If that's the case, maybe I should hang around," Nick added.
Nick trusted no parts of this situation. Neither did Jeff, honestly, and if his boyfriend didn't have to get ready for his part in the recital tonight, they'd both be there making sure this shit with Kurt and Liam didn't blow up.
"I'll be fine," Kurt reassured him. He closed the door and spoke to Nick through the open passenger side window. "Go to Jeff. I know he's practically a professional at this point, but tonight is a big deal. Go be with him instead. I'll work my magic with the Queen of NYADA and hopefully I'll be in New York, no problem."
Nick admired Kurt's optimism – or naivety, whichever way you want to put it. He took a deep breath and hoped that this turned out alright. Blaine probably agreed to it because there wasn't much he could do being across the country and now an ex-boyfriend and all, but Nick knew that Liam wasn't trustworthy. Not after his track record. Still, he nodded his head, put the car in drive, and looked at his friend.
"If you need me, I'm only a call away. Cool?"
Kurt smiled. "Cool. I appreciate the ride, Nick."
Nick shook his head as his friend walked off. "Yeah, yeah."
-x-
The restaurant that Liam chose for this get together was one that Kurt wasn't familiar with. It was nice, though – in the neighborhood that Kurt and Blaine had driven to during one of their spats hoping to unwind. Once inside, he looked around hoping to find Liam and Madame Tibideaux. The place was a Mediterranean restaurant and it smelled amazing. Looked even better. Kurt walked towards the back where he could see Liam hastily typing away on his iPhone and forced a smile when their eyes locked.
Kurt noticed immediately that Madame Tibideaux wasn't there. He looked at the table for a purse or an extra menu, wondering if maybe she'd gone to the restroom while they waited, but nope. Nothing. Liam stood up now, well aware of what Kurt was going to ask.
"She's running a bit late," he stated.
Liam was in a green and white striped V-neck shirt. His hair was combed back today instead of in its usual bowl-shaped 'do, and it looked decent on him. Handsome or not, he was still a sleaze ball.
"Have a seat," Liam instructed.
Kurt took the seat across from Liam, even though part of him wanted to leave. He could hear Nick's voice right now telling him that this was a setup, and that Madame Tibideaux was never meant to show because Liam was up to his idiotic tricks again. Liam must've been reading his mind because of what he said next.
"I promise this wasn't some hoax to get you to have lunch with me, Kurt." He smiled, waving the waiter over and picking up his own menu. "Coffee or tea or anything while we wait?"
Kurt took a deep breath. He needed to relax. "Sure. Iced tea, actually. With lemon. Please."
The waiter nodded and hurried off. The place was far from crowded at this time of the day, so he must've been thrilled to have something to busy himself with.
"So," Liam looked Kurt up and down before continuing. "You look exhausted."
"Gee. Thanks," Kurt quipped, sitting back in his seat and glancing around the beautiful restaurant. Liam chuckled as he continued. "I've got a lot going on in case you didn't know."
Liam reached for his cappuccino and smiled. "I pay attention to the news. Your boyfriend is now out and he's currently in a competition, right? Instead of here with you."
"He'll be here tonight," Kurt answered quickly, totally ignoring the boyfriend part. Liam didn't need to know everything. "But there's not only that, there's also the whole 'me potentially auditioning for the college of my dreams' thing that's going on today. That's actually a big deal."
"You don't have to tell me," Liam said softly. "I've been there before."
Kurt was quiet.
It was almost awkward as they sat there in silence. Kurt could tell that Liam wanted to start up conversation, but he honestly didn't want to participate in it. There wasn't any small talk that the two could have that would make Kurt respect Liam as a person. Their waiter placed a coffee refill on the table for Liam, as well as Kurt's iced tea, all before handing Kurt the lunch menu. He declined. There was no way he could eat when he was this anxious.
"You've got to have something," Liam told him. "A sandwich. Soup. Something."
Kurt shook his head no. "I'm fine."
The TA shrugged and handed the menu over. "Suit yourself. I'll take the Portobello burger, please."
From: Cooper
Miss me?
Kurt read the message and quirked an eyebrow. Cooper must've had a complimentary drink on the plane.
To: Cooper
You're cool and all but not really…
As he typed, Liam cleared his throat and began talking. "I know that things are pretty weird between us and I understand why. We've known each other a few months and it's been nothing but drama."
Kurt looked up in hopes to figure out exactly where Liam was going with this. "Uh huh…"
Liam licked his lips and continued. "Basically, I'm hoping that from here on out things will change. You and Blaine are You and Blaine, and I'm just your TA. No inappropriate remarks, no getting under your little boyfriend's skin." He smirked, fiddling with his cup. "I'll mind my business and keep this relationship strictly professional."
That was something Kurt wasn't expecting to hear. In fact, he was only expecting to be here in a meeting with Madame Tibideaux about how he could ensure that he'd be walking through the doors of NYADA a freshman next August. Relationship conversations weren't on his agenda. They never were with Liam.
"Okay…" he began, clearly confused. "Thanks. I appreciate that, and I'm sure Blaine will as well."
Liam nodded.
"But back to Madame Tibideaux; have you heard from her at all?" Kurt asked, glancing down at his phone. Just then, another message from Cooper came in. "We do have to be at the school sooner than later, you know."
From: Cooper
It's Blaine. I told you my phone died… asshole let me use his to iMessage u. how's the date going?
Kurt rolled his eyes at the message, but couldn't stop the smile from slipping onto his face as Liam spoke.
"You're right. Let me give her a call – oh wait, she's calling me. Hello?"
Kurt's stomach jumped into his throat and then dropped as low as it could. This could be the moment he met the woman who could seriously change his life. He sat up straighter, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation as best he could. Only he could tell by the look on Liam's face that this wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear.
"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry to hear that. I'll let him know."
From: Cooper
You're probably busy, huh? I'll ttyl
Liam ended the call, brushing through his hair with his fingers. "Well. She's not going to be able to make it."
Kurt fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Seriously, Liam – "
"Before you get angry at me, this isn't my fault. We had plans to meet you here but apparently something came up on her end. She says she'll see me at the recital. I'm sorry."
Kurt took a deep breath before exhaling. Of course if he told Nick any of this, he'd get a big fat I TOLD YOU SO. "Let me see your call history."
At the request, Liam smiled softly. He glanced around the restaurant and then back to Kurt. "Is this your way of accusing me of lying after that heartfelt apology? Really, Kurt?"
"Let me see it," he repeated.
Liam went to his recent calls and showed Kurt the phone. The top two names on the log did indeed belong to Madame Tibideaux.
"Would you like to give her a ring back and make sure?" Liam asked; the sarcasm thick in his voice.
Kurt shook his head and looked back down at his own phone. "I don't care."
"Okay then. Cool."
To: Cooper
Let's not call it a date, Blaine. And it's ending abruptly. Madame Tibideaux supposedly cancelled so I'm about to get an Uber to the school or something. How's the flight?
"So…" Liam smiled, crossing his arms over the table. "I guess this just got even more awkward, huh?"
"You can definitely say that."
From: Cooper
So ur saying he lied? I'm shocked.
From: Cooper
Flight is taking too long. Wanna see u
Kurt wanted to see him, too. He wanted a Blaine hug more than anything.
"If you're going to end up texting while I eat in silence, I may as well just take my burger to go." Liam turned in his seat, hoping to wave down their server. "I'll give you a ride to the school so you can get ready, superstar."
"Yeah, that's not necessary. I can get a ride."
Liam looked amused. "Who? Blaine's across the country. Isn't he?"
"He's on a flight back home, actually." Kurt placed his phone on the table and reached down into his bag. "I got here somehow and I'll get to Pace somehow. Your apology was sweet, but I don't know if I trust you to drive me alone in a car."
"You're ridiculous," Liam said with a blank stare. He watched as Kurt pulled his wallet out the front of his duffel bag and pulled out five bucks. "And what are you doing?"
Kurt thought it was obvious. "I'm paying for my drink."
"Oh my goodness…" Liam took Kurt's hand that held the money and swatted it away. "Stop it. Like I said, I'll get my burger to go and then I'll drop you off at the school. This isn't up for discussion." He ignored Kurt's laughter and told their waiter the new plan when the man came over. When the gentleman walked off, Kurt's phone vibrated on the table. Liam got a glance at the message.
From: Cooper
U were much quicker at texting when we were boyfriends…
Kurt rushed to pick the phone up off the table, but he could tell by the look on Liam's face that he saw more of the conversation than he needed to. He didn't need to see any of it. He watched as Liam put another sugar in his coffee and pretended as if nothing happened.
Good.
To: Cooper
Sorry. I was dealing with your best friend here. But I'm glad you at least have wi-fi. I want to see you too. Only a matter of hours, right? :)
"So… I'm just going to come out and ask."
"Here you are, Sir." The waiter placed Liam's meal in front of him, already bagged, and put the check down beside it. "Thank you both for visiting."
Kurt smiled, watching as the man walked off to tend to another table. He didn't want to hear whatever it was that Liam was about to ask. "I hope it's not a question that gets you slapped."
The man laughed as he placed a couple bills on the table and grabbed his food. "You need to go to therapy. Violence is never the answer, Hummel."
From: Cooper
For sure, Kurt.
"I… Isn't Cooper your boyfriend's brother? Why is he saying you two used to be boyfriends?"
And here we go. Kurt replied to the message before sliding his phone away. "Not that it's any of your business, but Blaine's phone died. He's texting me from his brother's cell phone. Now can we – "
"So what you're telling me is Blaine is the one who's saying you two used to be boyfriends?" Liam wasn't smiling, but Kurt knew the smugness would come out soon. "Maybe I don't follow the news as closely as I thought I did. You really are going through some things, huh?"
"No offense, Liam, but you're literally the last person on earth that I want to have a conversation about my relationship with. Now, you have your food, and I've finished my drink, so I suggest we go."
Liam held both hands in the air in surrender. "Fuck it. You're the boss, Kurt." He slowly smiled, standing to his feet and grabbing his things. "You're the boss."
-x-
The car ride was quiet at first. Thankfully, Liam let the radio play and didn't try to force conversation.
Kurt sent messages to Nick letting him know that nothing came of the lunch, but he was on the way to the school now. He then tried to entertain Blaine during his flight as much as possible. It was weird talking to him because he knew Blaine wanted to say things that in-a-relationship Blaine could say, and Kurt felt the same. I really miss kissing you wouldn't be fair to text though, and Kurt knew that. But he owed it to their future to at least try and make this work.
And, okay. Things didn't end up how he hoped they would with Madame Tibideaux, but now he had bigger things to worry about. There would still be a chance to impress her later at the recital. The recital that was only a matter of hours away. Right now, he had to remember that his father would be there and most of his dad's colleagues, his classmates, friends, Mikey, people that hated him, the whole nine. He owed it to himself to focus on tonight and make it count.
"You were just going to pretend that you and Blaine hadn't broken up, huh?"
"Sure was," Kurt answered. He went back to trying to keep himself busy on his phone.
Liam nodded, foot steady on the gas. "I guess I get that. You'd think I would try and make a pass at you or something."
"I know you would."
"You're wrong."
Kurt smiled. "I'm not. But, it doesn't matter. Blaine and I are temporarily apart. I did things that I'm not proud of, and he's working on himself, but when we do get back together, we will be stronger and more gross than before."
Liam laughed, nodding his head some more. "I don't know if you two could get any more gross. I'll never forget walking into the cafeteria and seeing him on your lap. People eat there."
Kurt shrugged. "I would say sorry if I was sorry."
"So what happened?"
"Oh boy." Kurt stared out the window now. He was grateful that they were about five minutes away from the school. "We're not having this conversation."
"Okay, okay. Fair game. But I do have something to say."
As usual. Liam always had something to say; especially when the situation had nothing to do with him. Kurt decided to let him talk.
"Promise to not let whatever it is you two are going through distract you from tonight. I'd hate to have the kid I talked up so much to one of the women I respect damn near as much as my own mother fail miserably because a boy broke his heart."
"No one broke my heart," Kurt said.
"You know what I mean. NYADA and New York. They're your future."
Kurt was silent.
"I'm sure Blaine's a big part of your future, too. And you two are adorable little things, trust me." Liam turned onto the road of the school and drove the appropriate speed. "But you didn't come into Pace a freshman. You don't get four years to do this. Tonight is your night to seal the deal and you have to deliver."
"I know."
Liam nodded. "Blaine's on the way, you say?"
Kurt played at the fabric of his duffel bag as he nodded. "He is." He turned to Liam and watched the man as he drove. "Don't think that I'm stressing out over the two of us. We're going to be fine and I know it. I'm focused."
"That's what I like to hear."
They pulled into the parking lot. Kurt was happy he could see Hunter's car there already. He needed someone idiotic to distract him since Nick and Jeff hadn't yet arrived. Once they were parked, he grabbed everything and smiled at Liam.
"Thanks for the chat. And for the ride. You were a lot nicer than I even knew you were capable of being."
The man looked in his mirror, ruffling his hair. "I'm not sure if that was a compliment, but I'm taking it as one. See you at the show tonight, alright?"
Kurt opened the door and nodded. "Yeah. Later."
"Later." Liam switched the dial on the radio and watched as Kurt hurried off into the school. The boy was right about one thing; their ride was pleasant. While part of him did want to take the opportunity to be a creep now that Kurt was actually single, he still knew that there was no chance for him. Kurt and Blaine were a thing, together or apart. They would always be a thing. That was fine by him.
He put his car in reverse and pulled out of the school parking lot. Tonight was a big night for him as well. He'd helped coach a lot of these kids and he wanted his opportunity to shine.
-x-
"Really. Deleted the messages before I could snoop?" Cooper smiled at his little brother and lounged back in the seat. You know. As best as one could lounge back in an airplane seat. "Were you two sexting?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. Sexting? He fucking wished. All he had right now was his fantasies. On this flight alone, he'd managed to imagine himself doing Kurt in his car, on his four-wheeler, in his uncle's basement, in Burt's tire shop. He imagined Kurt taking him from behind in a jacuzzi while a Beyoncé album played on shuffle. All of that happened while only fifteen minutes had passed.
"We weren't sexting. Just a typical conversation with my best friend-slash-ex-boyfriend while he went on a date with a guy who has wanted to bang him since August. No big deal."
Cooper obviously wasn't expecting to hear that. The flight attendant came down the aisle and reached their row, offering drinks and snacks. Blaine asked for a Coke and a bag of Cheez-Its. Cooper took water, turning to face his little brother.
"Kurt's dating? I'm pretty sure you two were trying to work things out when I picked you up for the airport this morning."
Blaine watched the flight attendant pour his soda as he shrugged it off. He was being a tad bit dramatic. He trusted Kurt. He hated Liam, yeah, but he trusted Kurt. "It wasn't a real date, just… school related. Still. You know?"
"I know," Cooper said. Uncle Don started coughing behind them and both boys turned back to check on him. He went right back to sleep. Cooper shook his head and faced front again. "You're not the first one to be in a relationship and have issues. Your brother has seen his share of relationship woes…"
"CJ," Blaine said with a smile. "Jasmine is the first serious relationship you've had. Relax. I could be giving you advice."
"Well, Jasmine and I are at least together."
The smile fell from Blaine's face.
They ignored the turbulence as Cooper laughed, nudging his younger brother a bit. "Calm down. What I'm saying is, you're what? 14?"
Blaine opened the Cheez-Its. "I'm 17, Cooper."
"Seventeen? Really?" Cooper took a sip from his water. "Whatever. What I'm trying to say is, you both have a lot more to go through together. You're in love, and you'll overcome all of that shit like you'll get through this. Now, how are you going to fix this?"
Blaine was happy that he and Cooper had gone from living in different cities and barely talking, to his older brother flying across the country with him and supporting a relationship he was in, well, he'd continue to be in, with a boy he'd met five months ago. He asked a good question, too.
"I'm going to stop being so jealous," Blaine said.
Cooper nodded. "There's a start. What else?"
Blaine licked his lips. He looked down at his snack and continued. "Be more supportive. Kurt might book another modeling gig this weekend and I'm going to go with him. I was really against the first gig he did so this will show him that I'm not being an overbearing asshole anymore."
"All this sounds great, and I'm sure it'll help, but there's gotta be a big romantic gesture," Cooper started. "I mean, you're the same guy that took Kurt to Central Park while you two were in New York, right? Danced together, music playing. All that. What happened to that?"
Blaine shook his head no. If he made some grand gesture like that, he figured Kurt would think he was trying to distract from their problems. "Maybe we can go out this weekend, but it doesn't have to be anything big. I want to focus on the two of us." He offered some Cheez-Its to his brother and grimaced when Cooper took too many.
"As long as you let him know that you're still interested. Don't be a punk. I know you two are supposed to be taking it slow and respecting each other, but… you can't take too much time. He's already on dates."
Blaine reached for his soda.
"We're totally going to land in time, too. It's just the fucking traffic that scares me. LAX to Long Beach? There's a possibility it'll be a shit show." Cooper sat back and sighed. He hated being in the middle seat. Blaine was much smaller. But, he had a long day, and he was emotional as hell over Kurt. He could get the window for now. "We'll be there, though."
His brother nodded. "I know we will."
-x-
5:00.
It was officially two hours until the recital. Jeff looked away from the time on his cable box and back to the television screen. The preliminaries for the Recon Tour were officially ending. Blaine Anderson would be advancing to the next round, not that anyone was surprised. Even the jerks who'd been giving him shit for coming out with a guy had to know that Blaine would give them a hard time at Recon. Jeff was thrilled. He was definitely going to be there in person for the semifinals, quarterfinals, and that moment where Blaine would take the #1 spot next weekend.
He reached over for his remote despite his better judgment and rewound the recording to where Blaine's run was. Maybe watching his friend do such a good job would hype him up for his own performance tonight. And Blaine did incredible. His 8th place overall finish may've seemed lackluster to those ready to hate, but out of all the professionals who competed, it was fantastic.
"You're not about to watch this again," said Nick. He walked into Jeff's bedroom fully dressed and ready to leave.
Jeff should've been fully dressed and ready to leave as well, but they had some time. "I'm so proud of him, babe. He was more nervous about this competition than he either realized, or wanted to admit."
Nick knew it was a bit of both. Blaine had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Not only had he come out in the sports world, but he now had to prove he belonged at a national level. Then there was the whole break up thing going on with Kurt. Nick knew they both wanted to work on themselves, but part of him feared what would happen if they stayed apart too long. Their peers would find out. Guys would make their move… girls would make their move. It wouldn't be worth it.
"He didn't mess up once," Jeff said, still marveling at the television. "That's our son. We raised him."
Nick shook his head at his boyfriend. "Well our son is on the way back to Cali to see you and Kurt perform tonight. How about you get ready?"
Jeff nodded. It probably seemed like he wasn't taking this seriously in comparison to his classmates. Kurt and Hunter had been in the dance studio for a couple hours now. Of course Kurt was going to go hard because he was the new guy and Hunter was going to go hard because he was an overachiever, but at least they were at the level of dedication their teachers expected them to be.
"You know what I could really use to ease out this tension?"
Nick looked down at his phone after it vibrated. "Are you going to say a massage?"
"A massage."
From: Cooper
It's Blaine. Are u at the school yet? Kurt there?
"You don't get a massage until after we finish at the recital tonight." Nick said. He replied to the message and looked at adorable blond beside him. "You're on lockdown right now."
Jeff laughed.
To: Cooper
Jeff's not moving his ass fast enough for me. We're still at his place.
From: Cooper
… I mean this conversation isn't one I expected to have, but if you're hitting it from the back and he's not moving fast enough, you can simply put your hands on his waist and make him go faster. He'll fight it at first but if you do it right, you'll hit that spot we talked about. He'll lose his shit and let u have your way bro
Nick read the message twice. "What the fuck?"
Jeff turned the TV off and stood to his feet. He smirked at his boyfriend's face as he reached for his shirt. "You okay?"
To: Cooper
Bro… I didn't mean… do you actually think I'd text you during that? I mean Jeff isn't moving fast enough so that I can drive him to Pace. I haven't seen Kurt since I dropped him off at the failure of a date you for some reason agreed to.
"Blaine's just a kinky little shit, that's all." Nick glanced up through his lashes and watched Jeff begin to get dressed. He pulled on a Thrasher t-shirt and looked around his messy room for a pair of jeans. "You're lucky you have to dance on stage in front of a couple hundred people in a few hours. Otherwise I'd have you ride me right now. Just saying."
From: Cooper
Oh.
From: Cooper
One thing I have learned from my relationship is that I can't exactly tell Kurt "no." I have to trust him. His little meet up sounded like it was fake from the beginning, but we have to let him realize that himself.
From: Cooper
I still have an hour and a half on this plane. Just hoping Kurt and Jeff perform a little later in the evening.
Jeff picked up a pair of jeans to throw on as he smiled. "So I can't get a massage, but you'd make me ride you?" He turned around and looked at his boyfriend who was slouched back on the bed, a smirk on his lips as he texted away.
"You can get a massage after the show, Jeff. A nice one. And I can't fuck you anyway so it's beside the point."
"I could fuck you," Jeff said. He winked, beginning to step into his jeans.
Nick stared up at him in shock. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear at all. They never really discussed switching positions or Nick bottoming at all. Jeff always seemed to want it, and Nick never wanted to argue. His boyfriend had a smug air about him as he grabbed his bag and started to pack it.
"You want to top?" Nick asked.
He didn't get an answer, besides Jeff telling him he had to get ready for the recital. Nick watched him move about the room. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. This would be a conversation for another day.
To: Cooper
The day has been going to plan thus far. You went to Ohio, kicked some ass, now you'll be here in time to see Kurt do his thing. Don't sweat it. Try to think about something else.
When he looked up from the phone, Jeff was stepping into his sneakers. Nick smiled at him.
From: Cooper
I honestly can't think about anything but this boy. Just text me when you see him, ok? I want to make sure that idiot isn't all over him.
Nick agreed with that. He let his friend know he'd hear from him soon and put his phone away. Jeff looked ready to go. The boy kicked a skateboard out of the way and smiled widely.
"I'm ready, you killjoy."
Nick stood to his feet and slowly approached. "Can I kiss you?"
Jeff thought about it for a moment. "I don't see why not."
-x-
Mikey just couldn't get his eyebrows to cooperate. He licked the tip of his pinky and tried to smooth them down again. That would do for now. His curls weren't as wild as they usually were, and his bowtie looked adorable. That's what his mother told him. He believed her. As he smoothed out the dark blazer he wore, Mikey took a step back from the mirror and did a twirl.
Kurt would approve of this outfit.
Today had been a good day. Not only did he not get in trouble at school, but his older cousin made it to the next rounds for BMX rides, and he got Neil to be his date to the recital tonight. Well, he just asked Neil if he wanted to go. Neil was the one who told people it was a date. Not that Mikey was going to complain.
He kissed his Iron-Man bear on the forehead and said goodbye before leaving his bedroom. His mother was applying her makeup downstairs and he walked up to her.
"I think you look beautiful, mommy."
Pamela smiled at him, showing him a couple options. "Thank you, handsome! Which lipstick should mommy wear?"
Mikey pointed at the burgundy one and went to sit on the couch. "Are we going to ride with Mr. Hummey? He says he can pick Neil up on the way."
"Sure thing," Pam answered. "Daddy and your cousins are going to meet us there. Are you excited?"
Was he? Hell yeah. He couldn't say that, so he instead nodded with a smile. "We have to do something for Blainey, right?"
Mikey had no idea. Pam had gotten Clarissa to set up an after party of sorts at the beach house. There, she'd corner Kurt and Blaine and make them fix their shit. But her son was talking about celebrating Blaine's accomplishments at the competition. She nodded.
"We've got it all figured out, champ. We'll be able to celebrate with Blaine, and Jeff and Kurt." She put her makeup bag down and turned to face Mikey. "I think we're going to be best dressed at this thing. Don't you?"
Mikey hopped down from the couch and smirked, pulling at the lapels of his blazer. "Obviously. Shall we, my lady?"
Pam laughed as she approached, taking the boy by the hand. "We shall."
-x-
The school was a lot more crowded for this dance recital than Burt would've expected. He was used to going to Glee events back in Lima at McKinley High, and the turn out was nothing like this. It made sense, though. Kurt was in an actual arts school, now. People were much more supportive out here. It made him proud.
He was proud of his son, but he was nervous as heck. Maybe even more nervous than Kurt was. This was nothing like watching his boy play as a kicker for the Titans. This was watching Kurt do something he actually wanted to – this would change his boy's life.
Burt grinned when he saw his date for the evening, Ashley, standing out front with her son Blaze. He was hoping they'd make it. He helped Pam out of the vehicle, and then the two kindergarteners. Mikey was adamant that they get inside immediately so that he could hold a spot for Blainey, but the doors hadn't even opened yet.
"We're here. Five minutes until doors open and then we can enjoy this recital." Burt smiled at Mikey when the boy looked up at him. "And we can hold a spot for Blaine. Okay?"
"Okay." Mikey bumped fists with the man before turning to Neil. He smiled when his date blushed a little. "Remember Nick from my birthday party? He's over there. Let's go."
Pam sighed as the two ran off. She had another one on the way and it would be very nice if she had maybe half the energy as her first born. "I'll go make sure these two stay out of trouble," she told Burt.
He nodded. "Good idea. Let me help Clarissa with Melody and I'll be right over."
The atmosphere outside of Pace was electric. Nick had been hanging with some of the guys from Burt's shop and Jeff's little brother as he waited for entry to the recital. He smiled when he saw the little whirlwind that was Mikey running over to him, followed closely by his friend. Burt wasn't far behind, taking Melody out of her car seat, and Aunt Pam and Ms. Clarissa were here too. The guys were going to have so many people in their corner. Nick couldn't wait to see Kurt's face.
But Blaine needed to get here.
He hadn't heard from him since he texted his best friend back to say that Liam wasn't drooling all over Kurt as suspected. Liam hadn't even been at the school, much to Nick's surprise. Maybe both of their phones had died.
"Hey, fellas!" Clarissa hugged Jeff's brother first. "Wow. You left the house?"
Jake smiled. "Unfortunately. But anything for Jeff."
"You're as tall as him now," Pam said, smiling before moving her attention to Blaze. She hugged him tightly and pulled away. "Where'd you get facial hair?"
Blaze smirked. "Target. Come on, I'm 18 now!"
It was almost like a family reunion. Nick looked down at his phone, willing Don, Cooper, and Blaine to show up quicker. He hugged Aunt Pam back before picking up Mikey and adjusting his adorable bowtie.
Burt walked over with Melody who was hidden in her blanket. He went straight to Ashely and kissed her, ignoring Mikey's smooching sounds like a pro, and then hugged Blaze. After thanking the guys from his shop for showing up, he looked at Nick and smiled.
"Pam heard from Don, at least," he said.
She nodded. "They landed about five minutes ago. As long as Kurt doesn't go on in the first hour, everything will be good."
Nick looked at Clarissa and smiled. "Here's hoping, huh?"
"He'll be here," Mikey said confidently. He let Nick put him down and Neil smiled.
"I can't wait to see Kurt," he said.
Mikey tried to wink at him. "Same here."
The doors opened at a quarter to seven. They were able to get in and be seated at a respectable distance from the stage. Burt held Melody close to him as he took his seat, glancing around and wondering if he could see this lady that Kurt was going bonkers over. Madame Tobias or whatever her name was. He hoped she was there and ready to be wowed by her son. He knew he was.
"Relax," Ashley told him. "Everything will be perfect."
Burt took a deep breath and smiled at her. "You're right."
-x-
The auditorium was filling up already. Kurt swallowed hard as he stared out from behind the curtain. He'd been warmed up and ready several times that evening. It was clear to see who was the professional here and who was a noob – Jeff and Hunter were in the corner looking down at their cell phones, and he and Maria had been going over their moves time and time again.
Kurt went over to his bag as his teacher spoke. It was time for the typical 'You Guys Rock' motivational speech that Frankie usually gave. He listened as he grabbed his cell phone, hoping to get in touch with Blaine or one of the guys. Cooper's phone went right to voicemail, as did Uncle Don's. Kurt shook his head.
"Do you have any words, Liam?" Frankie, their dance instructor asked.
Kurt glanced over his shoulder to see that Liam had arrived backstage with Frankie. The man started to speak, looking over in Jeff and Hunter's direction.
"Just to add on to what your teacher said, I want to congratulate you guys on making it this far. A recital at Pace High School is the equivalent to a championship game for any other high school. This is your legacy. Be proud."
Kurt's classmates began to applaud. He looked back down at his phone and typed a message.
To: Blaine
Hey. Your phone is most likely still dead, but I wanted to try anyway. Just in case you get to charge it on your way here. I'm performing closer to the end so I'm sure you'll be here, but if you don't make it, know that all of our friends and family will have a recording ready. I'm nervous as shit, but I'm performing for you tonight. Xo. Love u.
"Phone's down for a moment," Liam said, staring at Kurt now. He smiled when the teen put it back in his bag. "Thank you. Now, I want you all to focus less on who may or may not be in the audience, and focus on what this dance will mean to you. What it can do for you. You all have the opportunity to change your lives here tonight. I want that to be the case. Change your life in a positive way."
Kurt knew that little bit was meant primarily for him. His head was in the game, though. He just wanted Blaine to be there, as well.
"Go out there and kill it, guys. You all are the future. Show us why."
There was more applause. Kurt saw Jeff roll his eyes at the speech and he smiled, standing to his feet and joining their class's huddle. Hunter pulled him in tight, and then it was go time.
But not quite.
"Kurt," Liam said with a smile. "I have someone who wants to meet you."
Kurt turned away from him and saw Madame Tibideaux approaching. The older woman wore a smile as she walked over; the air of confidence around her was almost contagious. Almost. Kurt reached his hand out immediately.
"Madame Tibideaux. Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel from Lima, Ohio. I know so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you –"
"Breathe," the woman responded.
Kurt obeyed.
He could feel Jeff watching from the corner, and he could see Liam smiling at him from the corner of his eye, but none of that mattered. Madame Freaking Tibideaux from NYADA was here in the flesh, to see him perform, and to hopefully fall in love with his every move. A boy could dream.
"I've heard many good things, Mr. Hummel, and I'm glad I could be here tonight. My flight was delayed and I almost didn't make it," she continued.
"See?" Liam nudged him.
Kurt ignored the man. "I'm happy you could make it as well. I'm sure you know I filed an early application for NYADA. A couple of my friends and myself have wanted to get into this school since we first heard about it. It's my dream."
Madame Tibideaux nodded. "If you know anything about NYADA, you know how competitive we are. Keep that in mind tonight. Show me why you deserve to be apart of our tight knit community."
This conversation was doing nothing to help soothe Kurt's nerves, but he knew he could do it. His father told him he could do it. Blaine told him he could do it. He'd proven to himself that he could do it.
"I won't let you down," Kurt told her. He smiled at the woman as she excused herself, taking Liam with her. Liam waved goodbye and walked off.
Kurt took the opportunity to peek out the curtain again. The house was packed, but he could see his family and friends towards the front center. Blaine's mom was standing and talking to his father's girlfriend. Kurt smiled at the sight and took a deep breath.
He could do this.
"Places!" Frankie shouted.
-x-
Being stuck in traffic would've been so much easier if Blaine's phone was at least working. This way, he'd be able to check Twitter and see if Kurt was about to go on, or if he had gone already, and how he did. This 8 mile-per-hour crawl they were doing was the last thing he wanted. It was obvious to tell his family knew he was freaking out, too.
Don was in the passenger side of Cooper's car. The two of them were having a conversation about something Blaine gave no fucks about to distract from the fact that they were barely moving. This had to be what sucked most; being so close to Long Beach, but so fucking far from his boyfriend's performance.
Well. Kurt's performance. What the fuck ever.
Blaine closed his eyes, trying to think positively. This long day was almost over. Soon enough, he'd be with everyone at Pace, he'd see Kurt, he'd get to hold Kurt, and they'd get on with their weekend with all of this stress behind them.
He even let Cooper talk him into buying these flowers from the airport to give Kurt post-performance. The bouquet was nice and all, but Kurt deserved better than LAX flowers.
"How old is Maury, anyway? Jerry Springer, too. They both need to get off the air."
"They're both daytime icons, Unc." Cooper shook his head. "You watched Oprah with Pam all the time. How was her show any different?"
"For starters, I didn't watch Oprah all the time, but her show focused on important matters, and bettering people."
"What's better than proving you aren't the father of a kid who's being forced on you?"
Blaine cleared his throat from the backseat. "I definitely don't want to interrupt this necessary conversation, but I would like to know how far out we are. What's the ETA?"
Uncle Don glanced back at his nephew and smiled. "Once we get past this patch of traffic, we should be in the clear. Maybe another half hour."
Blaine checked the time on the dashboard. "The recital is due to be over in another forty minutes, CJ. Can you step on it once we have the space?"
"Wouldn't you like to get there in one piece?" Don asked.
Blaine took a deep breath. "If you want the honest answer to that, I'd rather die than miss Kurt's performance."
Cooper smiled. "Bro, we'll be there in less than half an hour in one piece, okay? I'll work it out."
"I thought my son was dramatic," Don said. He reached behind him and patted Blaine on the leg. "I was messing with you, kid. We'll be there shortly."
Blaine sat back and took another deep breath. He held the flowers tightly in his hand. This was not the time for them to joke around. "Alright."
-x-
Mikey was starting to freak. He knew he had been at this recital for a long time, and he had yet to see his Dad walk in with Cooper and Blaine. Blaine had to see Kurt. He'd been talking about it forever.
So far, the people were really good. Neil thought this girl that Dani cheered for was the best, but Mikey knew that was because Kurt and Jeff hadn't gone on stage yet. His opinion would change, then.
"Now, performing Love in Autumn, choreographed by Frankie Rodriguez, give a warm welcome to Kurt Hummel!"
Mikey was a bit startled at all the noise around him. Mr. Hummey had to be the loudest. He applauded too, smiling when Neil tried to whistle, but it didn't distract Mikey from the fact that Blaine wasn't here.
Kurt stepped onto the stage with a shy smile. Mikey thought he looked as beautiful as ever. His friend did a quick wink towards their section before the music played and his dancing began.
-x-
"THAT'S MY BOY!"
Kurt had been in the zone until his father shouted out into the silence. It was sweet, but distracting. He knew exactly how lucky he was to have his father not only support him for his sexual orientation, but the fact that he was on stage dancing in a leotard.
Kurt was hoping that it wasn't obvious that he had to count his steps during this part of the performance. In fact, he wished that he could turn off his every thought and simply perform; let the music run through him and impress Madame Tibideaux like he knew he could. He opened his eyes after a croisé and noticed that the entire audience was invested in his next move.
The power that came along with having these people practically eating out of his hands was liberating. Kurt smiled, waited for the climb in the music, and went into the next set of dance moves. A tour en l'air followed by Kurt showing his flexibility earned him some more cheers from Dad, and Kurt made sure to put his own flair on it. The audience was applauding before he'd even gotten to bow.
It was then that Kurt realized he successfully made it through his first ever solo dance recital on stage at Pace High School of the Performing Arts. He didn't fall, or get stage freight, or puke on anyone. He'd done it. He looked out into audience as tears filled his eyes. Mikey was standing on his seat with Neil beside him, the two waving both arms in the air. Burt was holding up a confused Melody as the guys from his shop cheered him on as manly as they possibly could at a dance recital. Pam was going so crazy that he was hoping she didn't toss her bra on stage. Blaze simply smiled at him, and Kurt smiled back. He took another bow before backing away. The moment was almost everything he wanted. He would've killed to be able to see Blaine's face out there.
"Wow," Liam said, slowly clapping as Kurt walked backstage towards him. "Just. Wow. I can't believe what I just watched."
Kurt smiled at him. He could feel his face heating up as the applause continued outside. That was all for him. "Thanks."
"You don't seem so happy," Liam said. The smile on his face got even wider. "Let me guess. You miss Blaine?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "He wanted to be here, Liam. It's not funny. I wanted him here, too."
Liam nodded as he looked around backstage. Hunter was announced with his dance partner, and they smiled at Kurt as they walked past him. "Well," Liam shrugged. "It sucks to see you so pouty after that. I'm pretty sure that was the best performance you've ever put on."
Kurt just wanted to leave. He looked for Jeff, hoping to tell his friend he'd watch him from the audience, when he saw a boy with dark curls hiding under a hood. Blaine had a bouquet in his hands and a smile on his face, and Kurt couldn't really believe his eyes.
"If only Blaine were here…" Liam trailed off, smiling when he saw Kurt had spotted him.
"Are you kidding me?" Kurt looked from his TA, over to Blaine, slowly walking off. He could hear Liam laughing behind him, and smiled when Blaine looked him up and down, holding the assorted bouquet in front of him.
"You were incredible," Blaine said, pulling the hood off his head and smiling at Kurt. He was dressed in a tight black outfit that left nothing to the imagination. Blaine regretted not being in his dance class even more, but he knew he'd get nothing done. "So incredible. These are for you – mmph – oh. Okay," Blaine laughed.
Kurt was certain this was the hardest he'd ever hugged anyone ever in his young life. "Are you kidding me, Blaine Anderson? I was about to fucking cry."
Blaine held him tightly; his face buried in the crook of Kurt's neck. People would never understand how good this alone made him feel. The way it felt when Kurt touched him – the way he smelled, and the sound of his fucking voice. Blaine pulled back before he could do something stupid like kiss him. He liked his lips, looking Kurt in the eyes.
"I just want you to know I was as cool as a cucumber all day. I was never worried," he told him.
Kurt laughed, only slightly rolling his eyes. "Sure. I'm surprised you haven't gone gray."
Blaine offered the flowers again now. They were mostly smooshed because of that hug, but Kurt didn't seem to mind. "I'm happy I didn't miss that. You were fucking phenomenal, Kurt. I hope you heard the crowd. You deserved every decibel of that reaction."
Kurt's blush was the cutest thing Blaine had ever seen. It meant a lot to him that he was able to see the love of his life smash his first solo performance to pieces. He seriously brought the house down.
"Thank you, Blaine. I don't appreciate you hiding wherever you were."
"I didn't want to distract you by walking in," Blaine said. He smiled as Kurt smelled the flowers. "Liam snuck me back here afterwards. He's still a douche, though."
Kurt laughed. "True."
"That fucking outfit, too. You've got to perform this for me again later."
Kurt was blushing even harder now. He rolled his eyes and walked back towards the stage. "I have to tell you how proud I am, Blaine. You can in top 10 in the nation today. You know that?"
"We were talking about you…" Blaine stood next to him, catching a glimpse of Kurt's profile. "Superstar."
Kurt peeked out at Hunter and his partner, Julie, performing their choreography. He smiled when he saw Cooper seated in the audience beside their friends and family. Jeff's brother was here, too. "I'm guessing you've heard about the after party at the beach house?"
Of course Blaine heard. He'd have a bunch of people roaming through his house. What he really wanted was to be left alone with Kurt and Mikey, eating pizza and taking it easy. That wasn't going to happen.
"I heard," he answered.
Kurt nudged him with his shoulder as he took another smell of the flowers. "I'll get dressed and we can join everyone in the audience to watch Jeff. Then we'll get out of here, champ."
Blaine nodded, smiling as Kurt winked at him. "I'll see you out there."
"Yes you will," Kurt teased with a smile. He walked off with his flowers, grabbed his bag, and went towards the dressing rooms. Blaine stood there until he was gone. When he was alone, he fist pumped. Hopefully, he'd be lucky enough to convince Kurt to stay the night. They could talk about their days, watch movies, hang out on the beach. They could get rid of the awkward and be themselves again.
-x-
All of the adults had spent the after party at Blaine's place cooing over Melody and passing her around. They'd congratulated Blaine on another amazing ride. He was grateful for everyone, but he wanted them out of the house.
The celebration focused on Kurt and Jeff for a while, and everyone was buzzing with pride over the performances. Burt wouldn't shut up over Kurt's performance, and Blaine could understand why. He'd done amazing. After everyone had some pizza and stuffed their faces with cake and ice cream, Kurt and Blaze disappeared outside to catch up. Blaine found himself third-wheeling with Nick and Jeff, and then with Mikey and Neil. He felt like a loser.
There were tons of texts that popped up when Blaine finally got his phone to turn on. A few from Santana, a couple from Kurt, and then David, too. Blaine responded to them all, leaving Kurt for last.
To: Kurt
Hey
He went up to his room and pulled off his hoodie. It was the one room in his house that was silent. Blaine was grateful for it, collapsing back on to his bed for what felt like the first time in years. He took a deep breath and smiled when he got a response.
From: Kurt
Is this the cute guy that gave me the flowers from earlier tonight? If so, Hey ;)
If he wanted to flirt, two could play that game. Blaine smiled as he typed out a response.
To: Kurt
It's him. Can he get a couple minutes of your time? Watching porn all by his lonesome is pretty freaking pathetic.
Nick and Jeff knocked on the door before storming in. Blaine rolled his eyes at the two of them; the couple collapsing beside him on the bed.
"I came up here to get away from you two. And everyone else for that matter."
Jeff kissed Nick on the cheek before looking at their friend. He kicked his sneakers off and grinned. "Nick's giving me a massage. Can you move over?"
From: Kurt
No one should have to watch porn by their lonesome… give me five minutes.
"Kurt's coming up here in a few so… I'd appreciate it if you two would get the fu –"
"Getting back together?" Nick asked, kneeling on the bed and urging his boyfriend's shirt off.
Blaine looked at them like they were stupid. "Please put his clothes back on."
"Relax," Jeff said, taking his own advice and laying comfortably on folded arms. "We're keeping it clean. You and Kurt can be your cute little broken-up selves and pretend we're not even here."
Nick laughed.
Blaine stood up and gestured to the bed. "Fine. Have at it. But when we're back together, please know that I'm letting him bang me in both of your rooms."
Jeff stuck his thumb up.
Instead of a porn, Blaine put on the Lakers game. He sat on the floor in front of his bed and tried his best to ignore Jeff's over the top moaning at the massage he was getting. It was hard to ignore, especially when he could hear the conversation that followed.
"What was that you said about wanting to top?" Nick thought he whispered.
Blaine groaned.
Knocks sounded at the door and Jeff called out for the person to come in. Kurt pushed the door open and smiled – his smile quickly falling when he realized that Nick had mounted Jeff on Blaine's bed. Blaine shook his head from where he sat on the floor and gestured him over.
Kurt was dressed casually in a pink t-shirt and black yoga pants. He held his hand up to his face to shield from the party happening on the bed, walking over to Blaine and joining him on the carpet.
"This porn looks different," he teased.
Blaine smirked, looking up at the basketball game. "As soon as I invited you up here, Nick and Jeff showed up. A porno would encourage them to do naughty things. That massage is dirty enough."
Kurt laughed. He couldn't fight him there. "How are you? I'm surprised you're not fast asleep after the last 24 hours you've had."
There was no way Blaine was going to sleep without spending some time with Kurt. "I'll sleep when I'm dead." He moved closer to Kurt and then turned to face him. "I'm seriously proud of you. You have no idea."
Kurt covered his face when he began to blush. "Shut up, Blaine."
"What?" Blaine smiled, "I am."
"Thank you." Kurt looked back at him and smiled. "I'm proud of you, too. I hope those homophobes are shitting their pants." He reached down and took Blaine's hand, rubbing it between his own. "Your fans are so ready for next weekend. I told you you'd qualify."
Blaine looked down at his hand in Kurt's and nodded. "I'm ready, too. It's going to be more fun having you with me and Mikey, too."
"Yup." Kurt bit his lip and tried not to laugh when someone moaned behind him. "Okay, then."
"Let's go into the guest room," Blaine said. He stood up, grabbing Kurt and hoping to take him out before one of their friends invited them to join.
Kurt turned the light on in the guest room and was grateful that no one had beat them there. He turned to face Blaine and smiled bashfully. "So, what did you want to talk about."
Blaine walked over to the bed and sat down first, watching Kurt walk around the room. "Liam was nice to let me backstage earlier. How'd your date go with him?"
"Date?" Kurt asked with a smile. "That's never what I would call it. Madame Tibideaux cancelled and he ended up giving me some encouragement about our relationship. It was … refreshing."
Blaine nodded.
"Madame Tibideaux had only good things to say after the recital. I'm excited about that. New York, you know? It's in the cards for us. I can feel it." Kurt walked over to the bed and sat down, smiling at Blaine as he did so. "What are you thinking about?"
"Our future," Blaine said simply. He laid back and stared at the ceiling. "And tonight. I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you, and that I'd have to live through a cell phone video or your exuberant father telling me what happened. I prefer it this way."
Kurt chuckled as he glanced down at Blaine. "I prefer it like that, too. What about our futures, though?"
"College," Blaine said simply. "Living in New York together. Coming home to you every night. Pushing your text books off the bed and kissing you senseless."
"Hm," Kurt licked his lips as he thought. He moved further up the bed so that he could lay down next to Blaine. "Kiss me senseless?"
"That's what I said," Blaine replied with a smile. "And you're awfully close."
Kurt moved even closer. "Sorry. Does it make you uncomfortable?"
Blaine rolled his eyes. "You can either move away, or you'll see exactly what I mean by kissing you senseless…"
Kurt moved closer; his forehead touching Blaine's. "Interesting threat. So, Anderson… tell me more about the future you see for us."
He was being tested. Kurt wanted him to break first. Blaine licked his lips and watched as the action drew Kurt's attention. "I can't wait to go to gay bars with you in New York. And go to all of your shows at NYADA. And get a job at my campus and be a normal dude for a while."
Kurt pulled back a bit and arched an eyebrow. "You'll never be normal, Blaine. You're always going to be extraordinary."
Blaine shrugged. "We'll come back here and visit our folks during the holidays, but besides that, I'll have you in New York. We'll be banging every night and paying our rent and everything will be perfect."
"Banging every morning, too, right?"
"Absolutely."
Kurt grinned. "You're cute. Forever sounds good."
Blaine sat up, looking Kurt in the eyes as he moved closer. "I love you. Ex or not."
Kurt's eyes were on his lips. "I love you more, Blaine."
"You should stay with me tonight." Blaine said. He placed his hand on Kurt's hip and slowly moved it to his ass. "I'll get up in the morning and cook something for you."
Kurt felt himself getting harder as Blaine's hand started to move. "I don't think my dad will mind. I can stay."
"Then stay…"Blaine leant in a little closer, his mouth close to Kurt's ear. "Maybe –"
The door flew open and Aunt Pam stood in the doorway. Kurt and Blaine stared at her – Blaine's hand on the boy's ass and Kurt's resting on Blaine's stomach.
The woman smiled. "I was coming to give you two an intervention, but it looks like someone beat me to it. Have fun!" She slammed the door behind herself. "And use a condom!"
A/N: Okay. So it was 24 hours and five or so minutes. I tried.
-Nellie!
