"Fifteen minutes until curtain!"
"Shit!"
"You've got this." Blaine murmurs encouragingly, his voice pitched low and calm. "Eyes closed. Keep breathing in through your nose … hold 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and out through your mouth, 2, 3, 4. And again. In…. hold…. out."
The women of the chorus cluster around him, dressed in their black and white habits of the first act, holding hands as they breathe. For some, it's their first professional performance and sudden nerves had cropped up when he had gathered them for a quick vocal warm-up.
He takes them through the routine of singing scales, gives them a lozenge, and guides them through the meditative breathing as their anxiety decreases. "Alright, you can breathe normally and open your eyes."
He looks at each one of his girls and his eyes become a little misty. "You are going to be marvelous tonight." He tells them. "Your hard work these last few months has paid off and look at where you are. You deserve this. I am so proud of you. Now go kick butt."
He hugs each of them fiercely, sending them to their spot to wait for the curtain to rise and putters around the little alcove just off the stage, where he has water and lemon slices, tea and honey, and throat lozenges set up to soothe their throats in between performances.
Brad is conducting the orchestra tonight (they'll switch off after this), so there isn't much for him to do doing the performance itself, other than supporting his cast and reassuring them against last minute nerves. He's restless, their collective nervousness rubbing off on him, but he's also confident in their abilities.
"Knock, knock." A voice says behind him.
He whirls around. "Hi! Why aren't you on stage? They're calling for you."
Kurt waves away his concerns with one hand. "Oh, I know. I just wanted to give you this first." He whips out a bouquet of red and yellow roses from behind his back. "To thank you for all that you've done for me. These are to celebrate you."
"Kurt." Blaine breathes, clutching the flowers close. "They're beautiful. You didn't have to-"
"I know. But I wanted to."
"I should be the one giving you flowers." He protests lightly. "You're the star. You're going to be amazing out there tonight."
"But I wouldn't be if not for you. I wouldn't be half as prepared without your guidance." Kurt insists.
Blaine pulls Kurt into a hug, careful not to crush either his roses or Kurt's costume. "Thank you." He whispers into Kurt's neck and Kurt clutches him closer. He pulls back slightly to meet Kurt's ocean-deep eyes. "I… meant what I said, the other day at Callbacks. Your belief in me saved me, Kurt."
Kurt dips his head, bumping their foreheads together. "You saved me too."
For a long moment, Blaine doesn't move as he drinks in the imprint of Kurt's warmth, his hand tightly pressed against his back, his smell from his cologne and shampoo and mouthwash. It's heady in its intimacy and Blaine wishes he could stay here forever.
He can't though. He can't offer anything more than friendship to Kurt and stay true to himself and he knows this. There's attraction simmering between them - that's not the issue. He can't do an open relationship as much as he wants to date Kurt. He's letting his emotions get away from him, like he almost did at Callbacks when he exposed his heart by singing to Kurt. Thankfully, Kurt's partner's sudden illness had brought him back to his senses. It's not fair to him or to Kurt.
"Your friendship means everything to me." He breaks away with a small laugh and cough before he does something very foolish and busies himself with filling a tall glass with water for his roses. "Are you okay, though?" He asks lightly when he can trust his voice not to betray his emotions. "It can't be easy going on stage when your partner is so sick. Have they left the hospital yet?"
"They're much better, but I- I'm not dating Chaz." Kurt says slowly.
"Oh, is it like a branch then? A V? I'm afraid I'm not up to date with my polyamory terminology." He laughs again.
"Blaine." Kurt takes in a deep breath and steps closer. "I'm not dating either of them. Elliott and Chaz have been in a relationship for years, although after this scare, they're talking marriage now. They're poly, that's true, but I'm not."
"But I thought, you and Elliott-"
"I know." Kurt bites his lip nervously. "It's a long, ridiculous story and I'll tell you all of it, but… I'm not dating anybody right now."
"Oh." Blaine says. "Oh. I'm not either."
"Yeah?"
"Then, um-"
"Kurt!" Adam gestures wildly at them from the hall, breaking the moment. "Come on. Unique's looking for you. We need to be in spots now."
Kurt huffs and shakes his head. "We keep getting interrupted. Later?"
"Later." Blaine promises. On an impulse, he cups Kurt's face in his hands and kisses him softly, sealing the promise. "Break a leg."
Kurt blinks at him as he backs away, with those luminous, shiny eyes. "Yeah. Later."
The show is incredible. Not that Blaine ever doubted that it wouldn't come together, but it's better than he could have dreamed. The actors all perform superbly without a missed word or hitched note and the audience reacts with gasps and loud laughter. Kitty's song about politicians keeping their hands out of medicine seems to be an unexpected hit given the spontaneous standing ovation she receives. Tina's Sister Marigold is saucy and sweet and Adam's no-nonsense and sensible David is the perfect balance to the inane premise.
But it's Kurt who steals the show. His Brian is endearing, bitingly humorous, and emotionally vulnerable and the audience hangs on to every word he says. The crowd is silent when he sings "Wanted" for the first time, his clear voice reaching to the rafters, and Blaine wipes away tears when they explode with applause. He doesn't think he'll ever get tired of Kurt singing his song.
Ryan Murphy comes to the stage, along with Mercedes Jones and Marley Rose, at curtain call and gives a heartfelt speech about the power of theater to change hearts and minds. The two composers thank the audience for their support - he's had more of a chance to interact with them since the controversy erupted as they became more intimately involved as the play moved through the different stages of dress rehearsals so Blaine knows that it's heartfelt - and then they beckon him to the stage to take a bow along with Brad for their contributions. Blaine is touched when Kitty hands him and Brad matching bouquets of irises and he can't help grinning as Kurt claps exuberantly across the stage.
It's a tangle of hugs and kisses backstage as everybody laughs and the champagne is poured. He loses Kurt in the chaos of congratulations being shared. Ryan shakes his hand somberly and tells him that he looks forward to future collaborations, which he recognizes as high praise from the mogul.
The mingling cast slowly disappear to the dressing rooms to ready for signing autographs and the cast party afterwards. After retrieving his present stored in his locker, Blaine makes his way down the hallway, thinking back to the time just a few months ago, when he had taken a stranger's hand to find the rehearsal room.
He knocks on the door. "Come in!" Kurt calls brightly, as if he were expecting him. Maybe he was.
Blaine firmly shuts and locks the door behind him. It feels a little presumptuous, perhaps, but it gives him something to do as he gathers his courage.
He turns around and his mouth goes dry.
Kurt's half dressed, tight black jeans snug at his hips and shirtless with pale skin reflecting the mirror lights. His face is cleaned of the heavy stage make-up and he is … beautiful.
He coughs and manages to keep his eyes on Kurt's face. "Congratulations on tonight, Kurt. You were as amazing as I thought you would be. Here." He thrusts the tube and single rose towards him. "For you."
"For me?" Kurt opens the tube and pulls out the papers inside.
"It's your song. "Wanted". They've um printed it of course with the rest of the score, but this is the first version I wrote, that we worked on together. I thought you might like to have it."
Kurt carefully puts the music back in the tube and sets in on the table, stroking his finger across it before turning. He places a hand on Blaine's jaw and kisses him.
Blaine had expected the kiss to be sex-crazed with all of the simmering pheromones sparking between them, but it's tender instead. He kisses Blaine slowly, softly pressing his lips to Blaine's and coaxing them open to deepen the kiss with more pressure.
"You gave me a song." Kurt says and kisses him again.
Blaine tilts his head under Kurt's seeking lips. His hands move up Kurt's sides, feeling the heat from his skin, trying to draw him closer.
Kurt breaks the kiss and Blaine whines, chasing after his lips. "Wait, wait." Kurt says, leaning away. "Just tell me, you're not dating Tina, right?"
Blaine stares at Kurt's mouth dumbly, trying to process the words. "Tina's my roommate."
"Right."
"I'm gay."
"Oh good."
"You didn't know I was gay?"
"I didn't want to presume. There's more than one type of sexuality, you know. Bi. Pan. And you two were so close."
"Kurt," Blaine says, kissing him again, "I have been wanting to do this," another kiss, "for weeks and I couldn't because I thought you were in a polyamorous relationship and I am way too possessive to share you." He presses his lips against Kurt's firmly, before dragging them down his jaw and sucking a kiss just below his ear.
Kurt becomes putty as Blaine continues to suck at his jawline, while stroking his hands up and down over Kurt's sensitive skin. His breath becomes more ragged in Blaine's ear as Blaine coaxes out little gasps of pleasure. He writhes against Blaine, pushes his body between Blaine's legs and Blaine gasps again at the feel of Kurt's strong, warm body against him.
Blaine lifts his head up, his eyes catching on Kurt's nipple and he bends down to brush his tongue over it. Kurt's fingers tug on the loosening curls at the back of his neck, encouraging him on. He licks the pinkening nipple again, before pulling back to rest his hands on Kurt's hips.
Kurt's lips are reddened, glistening in the light, looking thoroughly kissed. "No. Why'd you stop? Come here."
"Kurt!" A sharp knock sounds at the door, freezing them both in their compromising position. "It's Mercedes Jones! Do you have a moment to chat before we go out?"
"Can we… do that another time, Mercedes?" Kurt says, his voice high and breathy. "I'm still getting dressed."
Blaine kisses harder at Kurt's jaw. He's glad he took the time to lock the door, but he's not letting go of Kurt now.
"Of course. I just wanted to talk about a possible collaboration between you, Blaine, and Marley and me."
"That sounds great. I'd love to hear more about it. Later!"
"Speaking of Blaine, have you seen him? I haven't had a chance to talk about my idea with him either."
"I'll let him know when I see him." Kurt says. If Blaine hadn't been watching the way Kurt is falling apart in his arm Blaine never would have guessed from the way he answers Mercedes. Blaine forces back a groan.
"Sounds good, boo!" Mercedes answers and they listen to her walking down the hall.
"You are wicked, Mr. Anderson." Kurt twists his head to kiss Blaine hard.
"You love it."
"I do." And Kurt's voice is soft as he shifts and trails his finger down Blaine's nose and across his lips. "I do love it."
Blaine stills as Kurt brings their mouths together again, achingly sweet and tender Blaine loses himself again in Kurt's kiss, feeling precious and … loved.
Eventually, they surface to join the real world, although they keep stopping for more kisses, before Kurt pushes him off and puts on his shirt. Blaine buttons it up, brushing his fingers across Kurt's collarbone, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. He waits while Kurt finds a vase for his flower (he'll have to bring his in here too) and then laces their fingers together as they walk out of the dressing room.
They're just to the stage door, the sound of a loud crowd seeping through the door. Blaine starts to push it open.
Kurt stops him. "You know, it was just about a year ago when I was standing here because The Boy from Oz was closing and I was so sad. I didn't know what I was going to do." He smiles at Blaine, that wonderful slow blossom of a smile that wrinkles the corner of his eyes. "A year ago, I didn't know that I was going to get you."
He squeezes Blaine's hand and kisses him again, before pushing the door open and greeting their fans.