"Hi, can I join you?" A melodious voice startles Blaine out of his thoughts.
"Kurt! Sure. Um, just let me move some things around." He gathers up some of the sheet music that he's had spread across the table and Kurt squeezes in beside him. He's been spending his lunch break with a pen in one hand and a sandwich in the other, marking up the songs for his afternoon sessions, but he certainly doesn't mind the interruption from Kurt.
"Do I dare get my hopes up?" Kurt asks, staring down hungrily at the pile.
Blaine shakes his head. "Sorry, it's still not for you. This one is a duet between Tina and April."
"Damn." Kurt swears. "I swear, I'm going to go apeshit if we don't have the music soon."
"This isn't usual?" Blaine questions. "Kitty said—"
"Kitty worked with Ryan on his tv show back in LA. That may fly in Hollywood, but here, most shows wouldn't even be able to book a practice theater much less a stage without a complete libretto and score. But Ryan has pull and money."
"I did think it was a little strange but I didn't want to question much." Blaine says, ruefully. "Besides the musical that I wrote in college, all of the experience that I've had has been with musicals already written, so I didn't know if this was how it's supposed to go."
Kurt nods thoughtfully, "It's the first musical that I've been involved in from creation too, so maybe I have unrealistic expectations, but it certainly seemed like things were flowing more at the workshops last month. I thought there would be additional edits, I just didn't expect this absolute famine of music this late in the game."
"I wonder what's holding it up, if the songs were mostly written as you said."
"It could be anything, but," Kurt leans in conspiringly, "Mercedes Jones and Marley Rose are a brilliant songwriter duo - one of the reasons that I was so excited to join this production because their music is just breathtaking - but they are also new in this industry and Ryan Durphy, as I said, has money and power and I wouldn't be surprised if it's contributing to creative differences."
"I'm sure it won't be long now, though. I bet Ryan Durphy is eager to have this play be a success too and is anxious for us to learn all of the songs."
"Mmh, probably. I'm just not a patient person when my voice is withering away from disuse."
"I highly doubt that's true." Blaine counters, highly amused.
"I'm a musical guy, not a Shakespearean thespian and unless I get to see my emotions out in song soon, I fear that I'm going to have to march myself over to the Gershwin theater and take over Wicked some night."
"That I would pay to see." Blaine laughs, picturing it.
"I've always thought that I would make an amazing 'Guy-linda." Kurt preens. "But tell me more about your college musical. You made it sound like you didn't do much composing."
"Oh, I don't really. It was for one of my graduate level classes. We had to write a one act musical and I wrote one about the time I serenaded my teenage crush with our entire prep school choir at the Gap."
"Oh no." Kurt giggles loudly.
"Oh yes. So I wrote a series of songs about finding love in department stores. It was so terrible."
"What grade did you get?"
"... An A."
"That's what I thought." Kurt contemplates him thoughtfully and takes a bite of his sandwich. "From what I've seen, you aren't giving yourself nearly enough credit."
"Ah. Thanks." Blaine blushes at the praise. "I haven't really written anything in years. Just haven't had the time or the inspiration, I guess."
"Until now." Blaine's breath catches at the intensity in Kurt's eyes.
He bites his lip, blushing at his memory of how inspiration had struck him. "Yeah. I guess being surrounded by stage magic has awakened a muse."
Kurt chews more on his sandwich. "I have an idea. I mean, since we're still waiting for music, you should play some of your songs for me to sing. It would be good practice for me, so I'm not so antsy while we wait. And, you know, that way, you can keep polishing your work and I can work on my voice."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I'd… I'd like that."
"We could go over it on our break time or lunch. I don't want to keep you afterwards."
"I wouldn't mind. That's why I'm here."
"Great! It's a date! Bring it with you tomorrow, okay?" Kurt grins excitedly and then looks down at his wrist. "Crap, is that the time? I'm late again with Unique. Sorry, I have to run or she's going to kill me. See you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow." Blaine promises, a little overwhelmed at Kurt's kindness. A date. Did Kurt really just ask him out?
"Present time!" Unique sings as she waltzes over to where Blaine's sitting at the piano and hands him a large tablet. "The payload had dropped."
"Is this what I think it is?" Blaine says, accepting the iPad greedly and starts flipping through the pages and pages of sheet music. "The whole score?"
"Should be. Although with Ryan Durphy at the wheel, who really knows?" She shares a look of exasperation with Blaine. "I got an email from Mercedes Jones this morning and she swears that this is it."
"Wow." He blinks, still scanning. "This is a lot of music." There's more than a dozen songs for each act, with at least two reprises, and he's only had access to a smattering until now. Blaine would have liked having the entire score to play through and master, rather than this haphazard distribution. He spends his evenings rereading the script to fit the songs in their proper context and he constantly feels like he doesn't know the music well enough because new music arrives before he's familiar with the old. Now that they've got the full score, he'll finally, hopefully, be able to visualize the whole musical, but right now, the reality of all that he has to do feels overwhelming.
"Mmhmm. There's going to be a stampede in here to learn the songs so we'd better get creating a schedule."
Blaine grimaces and nods. Rehearsals have been chaotic enough - he can just imagine the squabbles to practice with the piano. "Right. I had planned to work with the girls some more on 'Groomzilla' in a half hour and then 'Baby Clues', but we can rearrange."
"Nah, we should keep those." She pulls out her phone. "Let's get Tina down here after lunch to work on her songs from act one and then start working on Kurt and Adam's duets this afternoon."
"Sure." Blaine agrees. "That works for me."
Unique pats his cheek, her eyes twinkling with delight. "We're finally getting to the good stuff. You'll see. Meet me for lunch and we'll suss it all out."
Blaine takes in a deep breath after she leaves, trying to center himself and not panic. First steps first. He makes plans to drop by a print store at lunch - he definitely prefers paper sheet music to mark up. He hopes that having the physical paper in his hand will help ground him. He can do this.
When he had taken this job, he had expected that as assistant music director, his role would be more of an observer: fetching coffee and scribing notes and just doing what he was told while he gained experience about running a professional musical. And that's how it started out. Despite his taciturn exterior, Brad is exceedingly talented and melodies blossom under his dancing fingertips. He thawed towards Blaine, but he showed little interest in teaching the actors their parts - he huffed when the actors would ask him to accompany them on the piano. Instead, Brad stuck to the piano and orchestra, fiddling with the arrangement or expanding the orchestration. The responsibility of directing the actors and teaching them their harmonies or pointing out their trouble spots in the complicated musical quickly falls on Blaine's shoulders.
He's nervous at first—it's one thing to direct high-schoolers and it's another altogether to do so for actual Broadway performers, but they seem to accept his advice and don't think he's a charlatan. Brad seems satisfied with what he's doing, at least.
With the solos and duets still being hammered out, Blaine has spent most of those first few weeks working with the chorus members and teaching them their parts. Most of them, several years younger than him, are veterans to the stage, having been in multiple ensemble roles in the past. As Tina's roommate, he's quickly adopted into the rag-tag group, with all of the gossip and bickering that entails, easing his homesickness and that ever present feeling of being the small fish in a way-too-big ocean.
But because of the delay in the songs, he hasn't had a chance to work much with the main cast yet besides Tina and Kitty. Besides those two, there's Adam Crawford, April Rhoades, a washed-up Broadway starlet looking to redeem herself by playing the controversial grandmother, and of course Kurt. Kurt who throws him warm smiles across the room and asks how he's adjusting when they pass on the stairs. Kurt who slides into the seat next to him at lunch and asks Blaine's opinion about fashion choices at various celebrity events (these lunches are fast becoming Blaine's favorite part of the day). Kurt who is mesmerizing and passionate when Blaine peeks in on the blocking rehearsals.
Kurt who Blaine has to direct for the first time today.
He hasn't had a chance to take Kurt up on his offer to workshop his song. Not that Kurt would remember his offer. It was a sweet gesture in the moment, but Blaine's fooling himself if he thinks that Kurt really wants to spend additional time tinkering on Blaine's hobby. Especially now that Kurt's going to realize how inexperienced Blaine really is.
He's still sweaty-nervous when Kurt walks in later in the afternoon, that infectious grin lighting up his face.
"Blaine!" He says, "Hi! We've got songs! Finally! Thank god, I was going out of my mind." He winks as if Blaine is an old friend and his nervousness lessens in response.
"Hi, Kurt. There's some water over there if you need some before we start."
"I do, thanks. Unique had us practically running laps on the stage today."
"I saw." Blaine sympathizes. He had run some of the new orchestra score to Brad in between his lessons and had to practically tear himself away after watching Kurt "exercise" in tiny shorts for a choreographed dance. It's a scene from when Brian is trying to convince his husband that he can be the "sports dad" - it's supposed to be a comedic scene, but Blaine's one track mind hadn't heard any of the dialogue to judge.
"Payback, I suppose, for all the trouble I've caused her." Kurt continues their conversation, thankfully unaware of Blaine's wandering thoughts. "But now, I finally get to experience the 'Blaine Anderson voice make-over' that Tina has been bragging about."
"The what?"
"Oh, you haven't heard? Tina has been singing your praises about your coaching, saying that it's completely transformed her voice."
"I'm sure she's exaggerating."
"She wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it. She was very impressed. I'm excited to find out myself."
Blaine flushes at Kurt's flirtatious compliments. He was flirting, right?
"Find out what precisely?" A deep British voice questions and Kurt's coworker steps more fully into the room. Adam Crawford holds a hand out to Blaine. "I don't think we've had a proper meeting. Adam."
"Blaine."
"Ah, our assistant director. Where's Brad? Shouldn't he be here?"
"Brad told me to take this one."
Adam frowns. "A first time pass through, where we are establishing the tone for the song and therefore the entire scene, and he leaves it to his underling?"
Kurt interjects before Blaine can open his mouth. "It's going to be fine, Adam. Blaine knows what he's doing."
"I do hope that is true. I am not relishing additional time in fixing mistakes that become habitual."
"I can have Brad come in." Blaine stammers.
"No need. I'm sure you've got this." Kurt stalks to the music stand. "Well, then, should we begin?"
It's an awkward beginning and Blaine fumbles through the first notes on the piano. Sight reading isn't necessarily his strongest point and having Adam breathing down his neck, frowning more with every small little mistake, and Kurt, all smiles and gentle encouragement, standing beside him is a little overwhelming. But he's a professional and he soon gets into the flow of his work. Adam and Kurt's voices blend beautifully together. It's a humorous song, with the two of them reminiscing on their disastrous first meeting, but there are notes of insecurity that weave through. Blaine grasps onto those notes and focuses their attention there, trying to expose the bittersweetness of their changing relationship with the addition of a child.
Adam's resistant at first at Blaine's direction, but he thaws as he starts to see the vision and Kurt, well, Blaine can hardly keep his eyes on the music when Kurt's voice rings out in the final chorus, strong and clear and vibrating with emotion.
The piano notes fade away with Blaine resting his foot on the sustaining pedal to keep them lingering in the air a little longer. He stares up at Kurt, the keys forgotten under his fingers. "That was—"
"A very good start," Adam states, scribbling on his music. "I had not noticed that particular emotion, Blaine, so I thank you for your perspective."
"You're welcome," Blaine replies, wrenched out of that ethereal moment. He supposes that one would get used to Kurt's stunning voice after months and months of practice.
"I am missing my cue on measure 14, if you could take us back there. Kurt, you're slurring into your high note on measure 42—you know that's a weakness of yours."
"I am not." Kurt protests, folding his arms across his chest.
Blaine speaks over both of them—he's had enough experience dealing with bickering teenagers to know that it's best to nip all complaints before they even start. "Neither of you know your parts perfectly yet, which is not surprising, given this is our first rehearsal. You are a little sharp on measure 42, Kurt, it's—" he plays the notes "see how it falls slightly there, and Adam, part of the reason that he's sharp is that your timing is off here. See? It's a quarter note instead of a half." He plays the line again and both sing along. "There, that's better."
Adam nods in agreement. "Quite. Thank you, Blaine. We should go through each bar until we perfect it tonight. We are three weeks behind and haven't a moment to waste. Kurt, your boyfriend won't mind you being late for supper, will he, or did you have plans?" Adam asks expectantly.
Boyfriend.
Kurt pauses for a moment. "No, no plans. Elliott will understand, but I'd better call him to let him know."
Blaine's stomach drops and he tries to keep his face neutral. Boyfriend. Oh.
"Alright, I've got the booze! What's the emergency?" Kitty hollers as she pushes open the apartment door. The large loft that Blaine and Tina had found out in Bushwick allowed them space for their meger budgets, but it severely lacked in security features.
"It's Blaine. He's just been crushed by an unrequited love." Tina says in a whisper as she leads Kitty into the kitchen.
"I am not crushed." Blaine protests from the table.
Tina gives him an unimpressed look. "You have been listening to the Last Five Years for two days straight. I cannot take it anymore. We're going to stuff our faces and get thoroughly smashed and you're going to get this all out of your system."
"You do look terrible." Kitty agrees. "Like a puppy who ate all of the Skittles and then puked them up."
"Thanks for that image." He says, rolling his eyes. "I … had let myself start to build an emotional attachment. It didn't work out. I promise I'm fine. Now, I don't want to intrude on your girls night—"
"Oh no, Blainey-boo, you're going to sit your perfectly perky and delicious behind on that couch and we are going to wallow."
"I'm not wallowing."
"Fine. No wallowing." Kitty says, surprising Blaine, "but I've come all the way out here which required two subway transfers and I am not lugging all of this back. You're ordering us pizza and we're making bourbon cocktails." Blaine dares not push back—Kitty is tenacious when she wants to be.
Which is how Blaine finds himself three hours later, with his head in Kitty's lap, his mind pleasantly buzzed and drifting. This is nice, he thinks, girls hands are nice when they pet his curls. But not as nice as Kurt's. Kurt has really soft hands, he can tell, and they would feel so nice stroking his hair or tugging his curls while he calls out Blaine's name in bed.
Kitty stops petting his hair. Oops. Blaine thinks he said that last part aloud. "Kurt? You have a hard-on for Kurt?"
"I don't have a hard-on, I have a love-on. A like-on. But I can't anymore because he has a boyfriend. Who isn't me."
"Kurt has a boyfriend?" Kitty questions again.
"Yes. His name is Elliott. What kind of name is that? He wears eyeliner and is in a band and is a sexy glitter rock vampire with tattoos. Maybe I should get a tattoo and then Kurt will like me."
"No! You'll ruin your perfect dewy skin." Tina protests from the floor.
Kitty ignores her. "I hear everything. Everything. All gossip exists because of me. And I didn't know that Kurt has a boyfriend. I thought Kurt was a sexless monk married to the stage."
"He is not sexless! He is sex-more, sex-ginormous. I bet he has lots of sex with his dumb boyfriend."
"Something's not right here." Kitty insists.
"I know! You need to make Kurt jealous." Tina announces solemnly, lifting her head up. She crawls over to the couch, grabbing his hand and staring intently into his eyes. "Blaine, you have to make him jealous."
"How do I do that?"
"By dating me! You kiss me and Kurt will get all angry and will forget all about his glittery vampire."
"But I don't wanna kiss you." Blaine stares. "That's a terrible idea."
"I'm a good kisser! I can show you." She says and leans in.
Blaine scrambles up from Kitty's lap. "No, no, no. You're a girl and I'm a gay. I'm gay. Gold star gay. I told you already."
Tina pouts. "Fine. But I can still be your girlfriend."
"I don't want you as my girlfriend. Not even a fake one. Sorry, Tina."
Kitty snaps her fingers. "That's it. We'll go undercover and expose Kurt."
"Expose Kurt?" He thinks about those shoulders and arms that Kurt keeps covered with so many layers. He'd like to expose those.
Kitty seems unaware of the images of naked Kurt that Blaine is picturing. "He's hiding something and Kitty does not like secrets."
"Oh." Not the good kind of exposure then. He lays back down on Kitty's lap and she resumes combing through his curls. "I don't need your help exposing Kurt. I can expose Kurt all on my own." He giggles at the thought.
"Trust me, Blainey, we've got you. We'll get your boy for you." Tina says.
"Or else he'll regret it." Kitty replies.
It's awfully nice having such supportive friends, he thinks, the alcohol and soothing pressure of Kitty's fingers causing him to blink drowsily.
He doesn't remember falling asleep and it's way too early in the morning when he wakes up with a headache and a crick in his neck from the awkward way he had been sleeping on the couch, after Kitty had apparently dumped his head from her lap. He looks up to see Kitty curled up in the loveseat and Tina sprawled out like a starfish under the kitchen table.
He manages to gulp down some water and ibuprofen before dragging himself to the shower. The water melts the tension in his shoulders and after he's carefully dried and gelled his curls, he feels almost human again.
Kitty's gone back home per her text messages when he exits his bedroom, saying that she'll meet them later after she's changed and showered, but Tina barely stirs when he nudges her to ask about coffee and eggs for breakfast, so Blaine sets off by himself to the little cafe around the corner, sunglasses protecting his still sensitive eyes.
There's a small line up to the counter and Blaine distracts himself by scrolling through his social media feeds. He had been slightly fearful that the girls had posted incriminating pictures of his drunken state after he had fallen asleep, but luckily, his notifications are quiet.
"Blaine?" A hand touches his arm and he jerks back. "I didn't mean to startle you! I just wasn't sure if that was you."
"Kurt." He breaths. "Hi. Sorry, no, I was just distracted."
Kurt smiles, one that blinds Blaine with its radiance, even with his sunglasses. "I don't mean to keep you from your phone."
"No, no, it's fine. Really. I wasn't doing anything important. Um. Do you live around here?"
"No, actually, I live downtown now, but I used to live here and their egg sandwiches are the best in the city. So whenever I'm visiting my, um, Elliott, I make sure to stop by."
Blaine tries to keep his smile in place, his insides churning at Elliott's name. "Um, well, it was the first place I tried when I moved in, and now I think I'm addicted."
The line steps forward as Kurt's name is called. "There's an open table in the corner. Would you like to join me for breakfast?" He gestures behind them.
The early morning light streams through the window, highlighting Kurt's stunning features. He's not getting over this crush anytime soon, is he? "Sure." He says, cursing himself for his weakness.
The waitress slips them a basket of warmed muffins when she brings over their sandwiches and Blaine distracts himself with a mouthful. "My god, these are amazing."
"Aren't they?" Kurt tears into one himself and Blaine has to look away at that blissful look that passes his face. "So," he says, "how are you enjoying New York? Or at least the outer city limits."
"I haven't had much time to explore yet," Blaine admits. "It took longer than I expected to unpack and Brad's been keeping me pretty busy with learning the new songs. But I have some free time this weekend and have been planning to do some of the touristy stuff. Empire State Building, Times Square, and maybe rush for a ticket to some show."
"You should do that tomorrow morning. It's too late today to have a chance, but I can show you how to sign up for the different lotteries."
"That would be great. Thanks."
"Not a problem. I spent many a Sunday afternoon when I first moved here going to the shows. I know a lot of the secrets to score cheap tickets."
"Do you still go to the shows?"
"Not as much as I would like," Kurt says ruefully. "Unfortunately, as you've learned, rehearsals keep me pretty busy and of course, once the show starts its regular run, there's not much opportunity to break away."
"Do you get recognized in public?"
"Thankfully no. My one surprise Tony wasn't enough to thrust me into fame. Once The Boy From Oz closed, everybody forgot about me. I'll occasionally get asked for an autograph from a devoted theater kid, which I gladly do. I remember being that kid back in Ohio, longing to escape."
"Do you miss Lima?" Blaine questions.
"Oh gods, no. I moved here, hmm, nearly 15 years ago and it felt more like home the moment I stepped foot here than Lima ever did. I go back to see Dad, and that's enough for me. You?"
Blaine stirs his coffee thoughtfully. "I never anticipated staying in Ohio, I'm from Westerville, not far from Lima. When I left for college for Boston, I thought I was leaving forever. But the job market sucked, so when McKinley became the flagship for performing arts, it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up and well, it led me here."
"No plans to return?"
"No. Hopefully not. I mean, you know as well as I do that this business is fickle, but I hope to be here for a long time."
"Good." Kurt proclaims and Blaine's breath catches at Kurt's intense gaze. "A man with your talents... I think you'll succeed here."
"That's kind of you, Kurt. Thank you."
"I'm not being kind," Kurt insists. "I've been involved with a whole bunch of people who are trying to make it here in this city and believe me, Blaine, from what I can see, you have the gift."
"Thanks. I enjoy being a music director. I mean, I'm new at it, on this level, but Brad's given me a lot of autonomy as the assistant director and I'm grateful for his mentorship."
"Brad? Really?"
"He's not so bad when you get to know him," Blaine defends.
Kurt shakes his head. "You would make friends with a porcupine."
"Porcupines are super cute! Have you seen their little noses?"
"Tell me why you enjoy being a director." Kurt rests his head on his hand like he's absorbing every word that Blaine is saying and Blaine can't help leaning in a little closer.
"I like the creative process of translating the lyrics and music to the stage." Blaine opens up. "I never dreamed that I would get to work on Broadway–well, I did, when I was a kid, but real life happened, you know–and now I get to be part of bringing a musical to life, I get to see my vision on stage, even if it's just a small part. This is my life now, working with so many talented people and arranging vocals and harmonies, and talking with Unique about the structure of the songs and how it all fits together. All of those decisions, that's my work too."
"You love it, don't you? Like I love being on stage."
"I guess I do." Blaine smiles.
Kurt stirs his drink thoughtfully. "You still haven't taken me up on the offer to work on your song together."
"I thought with the real rehearsals starting, you wouldn't have time anymore." Or interest.
Kurt laughs fondly. "You are so modest. After living in this vicious city where we all trample each other to prove our worth, it's refreshing. Look, my self-deprecating friend, I want to sing your song. From what I saw of it, it's a really great song and I would be honored to sing it with you."
Blaine can't believe what he's hearing. "I mean, yes, sure, if you want to. I'll bring it to work on Monday."
"Great!" Kurt claps his hands excitedly, and then drops them near Blaine's. His gaze is intense again, laser focused on Blaine. "You know, I don't have plans for this afternoon. I could act as your tourist guide."
"I… I would love that." He can feel the warmth seeping from Kurt's hand where their fingers are just brushing.
"There you are, Blaine!" Tina startles him and he jerks back from Kurt. "You just left this morning without a note and you weren't answering your texts. I was getting a little worried. Ohhh, muffins. Did you get me some as well? My head is killing me." She pulls a seat close to Blaine and grabs a muffin.
"Um, hi Tina. Kurt, do you know Tina?"
"Blaine. We're starring in the same musical." Tina coolly regards Kurt as if she expects him to deny this.
"Right, right. I. Duh." Blaine babbles, feeling exceedingly stupid.
"We actually go back aways. We first worked together 8 years ago in that revival of Starlight Express." Kurt carefully lifts his coffee, more withdrawn now with Tina's intrusion.
"Oh my god, I had put that memory out of my head. Shortest open to close ever." Tina gives Kurt a warmer smile. She sips at Blaine's coffee with a grimace. "Seriously, Blainey, how can you stand to drink this stuff?"
"You could get your own."
"If you had gotten us both breakfast, like I thought you were going to, it wouldn't have been an issue." She argues.
Kurt stands up abruptly, sliding a couple of bills under his plate. "Well. I need to go."
"Go?" Blaine asks in surprise. "You don't—"
"I forgot about a prior commitment."
"Oh. Okay. Another time then."
"Thank you for the lovely breakfast. I hope you have a great time exploring the city. You'll have to tell me all about it on Monday. Tina, good seeing you today." He's formal and stiff, compared to his relaxed demeanor only moments before.
"You'll text me?" Blaine asks a little desperately. "About the theater tickets, I mean."
"Oh, I can get you tickets, that's easy." Tina says and snaps her fingers. "We should go tomorrow! Kurt can join us if he wants."
"Thanks, but no. I have plans." He slides his jacket on and nods briefly. "Tina. Blaine."
Blaine watches Kurt leave with his heart in his chest. He thought that they were connecting. He turns back to see Tina watching him with a concerned look. "What?"
"You were supposed to use last night to wallow and get over him, not invite him out for brunch."
"I ran into him in line! I swear, I didn't seek him out."
"Mmhmm."
"This is a good thing, Tina. I know he's in a relationship, but we're both adults and we can now be friends."
"Sure, honey, you keep telling yourself that." Tina shakes her head. "New York is way too large to be holding on to unattainable crushes, believe me, so the sooner you get over him, the better it is for all of us. Now, come on. Finish up so we can meet up with Kitty and the others."