Blaine heard the music starting. He tried to focus on that and only that, ignoring all the background noise of the bar. His eyes were closed as he withdrew into himself, looking deep within for the courage to perform. He focused on memories of his high school self, fearless and confident, leading the glee club to victories as the soloist for most of sophomore, junior, and senior years. He remembered the thrill of being on stage, the energy of the crowd, the joy of sharing his voice and his passion with so many people.
The intro was almost over. Moulin Rouge was one of Blaine's favorite movies, and the soundtrack had always featured prominently on any playlists he made. Blaine could sing this song in his sleep (and probably had); he knew his cue was coming soon. Some small part of his brain registered the way Kurt's boots were shuffling slightly on the stage nearby, and Blaine figured he was nervous. Blaine knew he wasn't inspiring much confidence right now, acting like he was still in his backstage prep ritual and not seconds away from performing, but he didn't care. His only goal was getting the first word out. If he could do that, he thought there was a pretty good chance he'd survive this.
The last note of the intro faded. Blaine took one last deep breath, lifted his head, and opened his eyes. "Never knew I could feel like this," he sang. He felt a little shaky, and he wondered if his voice sounded as hesitant as he felt.
When he finished the second line, Blaine felt a little more sure of himself. This wasn't going to be his best performance, but he was going to survive it. Instead of holding him back, the adrenaline and his racing heart caused by the fear were fueling his determination and his excitement. The rush was familiar, a long-buried memory from his past of his cockier self, naïve enough to think that his talent was so special the world would just fall at his feet.
By the time he hit "Seasons may change," Blaine was feeling pretty good. He even felt bold enough to risk a glance over at Kurt… who was staring at Blaine as if he had sprouted wings and another head. It almost threw Blaine, but he hadn't become the lead soloist for one of the best show choirs in Ohio without encountering the occasional distraction. He shrugged it off and continued settling into his performance persona, focusing on portraying a man deeply and passionately in love, serenading his duet partner with promises of eternal love.
As he stepped closer to Kurt to finish the chorus, he noticed a slight redness to Kurt's face. Was he… blushing? Blaine couldn't imagine why. Kurt was definitely distracted by something, though, because he missed his cue by a split second, hardly noticeable except to Blaine, who saw Kurt startle in shock when he realized.
Kurt quickly recovered and threw himself into the performance with all the passion and feeling Blaine had come to expect from Kurt, and it gave Blaine a heady rush to experience that up close. It fed his confidence and pulled him even more deeply into the performance.
Blaine started to lose track of everything. The time, the crowd, the lights, the microphone. It was as if all that existed were Blaine and Kurt, two voices that fit together effortlessly, their harmonies blending more like two seasoned partners than two strangers. The roar of the crowd at the end of the final note was like a harsh alarm, intruding on this magical world he and Kurt had just built here on the stage. Kurt seemed to experience the same sudden awakening, because he blinked a few times as if refocusing. Then he glanced down at their joined hands – when had that happened? – and blushed again. Gone was the cocky, confident performer Blaine had come to know; in its place was an uncomfortable, shy, and utterly adorable man shooting nervous looks at Blaine from under his eyelashes.
Blaine immediately released Kurt's hand and turned with him toward the crowd. Blaine gave a quick bow while Kurt curtsied. Kurt was closer to the stairs, so he led the way off the stage. Kurt moved to the side so as not to block the path to the stage, and Blaine followed him.
"Well…" Kurt gave an awkward laugh. "Um, thanks for that. I appreciate it. It was a pleasure. You're a great performer. Sorry I doubted you. Have a nice night." The sentences were short and all jumbled together, as if Kurt was in a hurry to get out of there. Kurt gave a weak smile and started to step around Blaine.
"Wait, what? That's it?" Blaine was still shell-shocked. He had just performed on stage for the first time in 8 years. Sure, it was just a random karaoke bar, but… it was still a stage. And he felt… euphoric. That familiar post-performance energy was coursing through his veins, combined with the potent magical feeling Kurt induced. Blaine hadn't really thought through what would happen after their duet, but Kurt saying goodbye and disappearing was certainly not how Blaine wanted it to end.
Kurt's eyes were darting around nervously. "Yeah, I, um… I have to go."
Blaine stepped a little further away from Kurt to give him space. Blaine didn't understand why Kurt suddenly looked like a caged animal desperate for escape, but Blaine certainly didn't want to make him uncomfortable. If Kurt wanted to go, Blaine would let him go.
"I really enjoyed it. It was great performing with you," Blaine said, and Kurt's eyes held his for a minute as yet another blush crept up his face. What was with the blushing? Blaine didn't understand. He felt like he had missed something important, and now Kurt was slipping away.
Kurt nodded jerkily. "Yeah, it was great. Um… thanks again." He turned and started walking away.
Blaine watched Kurt go, with a sinking feeling that their story had just ended before it began.
[Author note: I know this is kind of a cruel place to break this chapter, but you've all been great about sticking with me so far, so please don't leave me now! I won't leave you hanging too long this time. And again, thank you all for the positive comments - I've loved hearing from you! As always, any feedback is always welcome :) ]