So much Kurt & Blaine together in the previous episode... and then none in this episode! They do each have some individual stuff going on, though, so here we go...
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
BLAINE
On Sunday morning, the day after their engagement, Kurt and Blaine woke up together in their hotel room near the Columbus airport.
Blaine woke up first, an hour before the alarm he had set on his phone. He briefly considered getting out of bed to find them some breakfast, but then he realized that he wasn't going to get to wake up next to Kurt for... he wasn't sure how long. They hadn't worked out when Blaine would visit New York next, and Kurt had spent enough time in Ohio on this trip that it would be difficult for him to justify returning for quite some time. So, instead of getting out of bed, Blaine spent the hour enjoying the feeling of being snuggled up close to Kurt in bed until his alarm clock woke them both up.
"I'm gonna miss my flight," Kurt mumbled as Blaine twisted away to grab his phone and turn off the alarm.
"It's only seven thirty," Blaine reassured him.
"Right," Kurt agreed, "but I'm going to sleep for five more hours starting now, so I'll definitely miss it."
Blaine flopped back down onto his pillow. "I could live with that," he approved.
"Turn the TV on or something," Kurt said, "before I actually fall back asleep."
Blaine propped himself up so he could lean over and kiss Kurt's forehead. "How about you go back to sleep while I go downstairs and get us breakfast?"
"Yes, please," Kurt agreed.
"Alright," Blaine confirmed. "Be right back."
When Blaine returned a few minutes later, Kurt was lying exactly where Blaine had left him. He opened his eyes as the door clicked closed behind Blaine.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," Blaine smiled at him and motioned to the plate of food in his hand. "The breakfast downstairs isn't great, but I got us some fruit and some bagels."
"Thanks," Kurt returned the smile. As Blaine put the food down on a little table in the corner of the room, Kurt climbed out of bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and looked more awake when he came out a few minutes later.
Blaine caught him before he reached the table where the food was waiting and kissed him gently.
"Okay," he teased, releasing Kurt but not moving out of his way, "breakfast."
"Breakfast," Kurt agreed, grabbing Blaine by the shoulders to move him aside, "then sex, then shower."
KURT
The next few hours passed far too quickly for Kurt's taste, and suddenly he found himself standing in front of the entrance to the airport security line.
He had never wanted to stay in Ohio so badly before. Things were so good. So good between him and Blaine. So good for his father. So good for New Directions. He knew there were plenty of good things waiting for him in New York, too, but he was going to miss everyone he was leaving behind.
His fiancé.
The ring had been his for less than a day, so it still felt strange on his hand. A constant reminder of the new phase of his and Blaine's relationship.
He squeezed Blaine tightly as they hugged goodbye. They had talked during the car ride to the airport – ideas about when Blaine could visit, a general plan for what they could do and see when he was there, and a new, deliberately scheduled series of phone calls and Skype dates to avoid repeating their past mistakes – so there wasn't much left to say.
"Love you," Blaine said as Kurt finally released him from the hug.
"I love you, too," Kurt wiggled his left hand between them. He liked that the ring was a physical representation of their love. It was like a silent announcement to everyone around him, all the time. Someone loves me.
Blaine beamed at him. "Thank you," he said, his eyes full of affection and clarity. The words were loaded. Thank you for loving me and for letting me love you. Thank you for giving me a second chance. Thank you for coming home and for staying longer than you planned. Thank you for agreeing to marry me.
Kurt thought about how different this parting was than their first, when Kurt had left Ohio to move to New York. Back then, they had both been scared. Scared of what the change and the distance meant for their relationship and for each of them in their individual lives. That fear had led to horrible decisions and broken hearts and half a year of emotional turmoil.
Things were different now.
Now, instead of hoping that their love was strong enough to hold their relationship together, they had decided that they were going to stick together. They were a pair, no matter what. They were going to survive the remaining few months of their long-distance relationship, and then they were going to start a life together.
Kurt kissed Blaine gently on the lips. "I miss you already," he said as he stepped back, "but I'll see you soon."
"Text me when you get there?" Blaine asked.
"I will," Kurt agreed, backing toward the security line. He really didn't want to go. Just before he reached the point where Blaine wouldn't be able to stay with him, he paused and Blaine rushed over for one final hug.
"I love you," Blaine kissed his cheek as they stepped apart. "Now go, or you're going to miss your flight."
BLAINE
After he dropped Kurt off at the airport, Blaine drove home to tell his parents about the proposal. Artie had sent him a few photos and an unedited video, and Blaine sat down at the dining table with his parents and showed them everything and told them how amazing the whole thing had been. His mom got a little teary and hugged him tightly from her seat beside him as they watched the video, and his father told him he was impressed. Blaine was relieved. His parents weren't thrilled about his decision to get engaged before he was twenty, but they were trying to find something positive in the situation. That made Blaine feel good. Loved.
Kurt texted him a few hours later.
Home safe and sound! He attached a photo of him and Rachel in the loft, hugging dramatically like long-lost friends.
Blaine called him.
"Hey!" Kurt said cheerfully. "New York is louder than I remember."
Blaine smiled. "How was the flight?"
"Thankfully, pretty smooth," Kurt explained. "I never thought I was going to die, so that's a plus."
"I miss you," Blaine admitted. "I told my parents all about the engagement earlier. Did you get Artie's photos and the video?"
"Yes!" Kurt confirmed. "What did your parents say?"
"My mom cried," Blaine told him. "Just a little, but it was sweet. They liked it."
"Good," Kurt said, "because it was the most amazing moment and I think we'd have to disown them if they didn't agree."
"They passed that test," Blaine teased. "So, what's going on for you this week now that you're back?"
"Tomorrow's going to be crazy," Kurt explained. "Classes, and then I've got to go over to Vogue dot com and... catch up. I'm a little nervous, honestly. I feel too relaxed, like I can't remember how to think at a normal speed."
"No, don't worry," Blaine encouraged him. "You're just tired from traveling and refreshed from being home."
"I can't wait to show Isabelle the photos," Kurt confessed. "Or, wait, is that okay?"
"Of course," Blaine confirmed. "And Kurt?"
"Yes?"
"I still can't believe you work for Isabelle Wright," Blaine said.
Kurt laughed. "I can't wait for you to meet her," he said excitedly. "When we figure out the dates that you're coming here for your NYADA audition, I'll check her schedule and see if we can have dinner."
"That sounds wonderful," Blaine confessed. "Thank you."
"She's going to love you," Kurt said, and Blaine could hear the huge smile on his face through his tone of voice. Kurt paused as someone – Rachel – spoke to him, and Blaine couldn't understand what she was saying.
"Okay," Kurt said to Rachel. "Yeah, okay. Blaine?"
"Yeah?" Blaine confirmed that he was still there.
"I should go. We're trying to figure out plans for dinner and I really should get to bed as early as possible if I want to make it through the day tomorrow."
"Okay," Blaine agreed. "Good luck tomorrow! I'll be thinking about you."
"Thanks," Kurt said happily. "I'll text you."
"I love you, Kurt," Blaine reminded him.
"Goodnight," Kurt replied. "I love you, too."
BLAINE
Monday passed pleasantly quickly for Blaine. Artie had finished editing all the footage of the song and proposal at Dalton and had uploaded it to YouTube overnight, and nearly the whole school had seen it by lunchtime. Artie had disabled the comments on the video, but people had plenty to say to Blaine's face throughout the day. Most of the comments were positive ("That was the sweetest thing, oh my gosh!" "That must've taken forever to plan!" "So romantic!"), but there were a few students who felt the need to comment negatively about Blaine's sexuality. It didn't bother him much; nobody had the courage for anything more than a shouted vulgarity across the hallway.
He was marrying the love of his life. That was really all that mattered.
Blaine met Sam at his locker after school, and they walked to the choir room together. While they waited for Mr. Schu to arrive so they could begin the day's glee club meeting, Blaine played random songs on the piano and Sam sprawled out on his back on its top.
"So, how does it work with gay marriage?" Sam suddenly asked after a minute of listening to Blaine's melodies. "Do you take his last name? Or does he take yours? Or– or do you both hyphenate? 'Cause –"
"Right now," Blaine explained as he played a few final notes on the piano, "I'm honestly just excited that Kurt said yes."
Thinking about Kurt led Blaine to think about prom, and he stopped playing the piano and leaned forward to rest his arms on it as he asked. "Hey, are you looking forward to prom? I fell asleep last night while Tina was texting me about her prom dress," he admitted. "It's really nice that you're going with her, by the way."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sam allowed. "I dunno, I just, you know, it's my senior prom so I kinda wish I was going with somebody I really cared about." He sat up. "Damn, I have seriously been unlucky in love."
"Come on, guys, we're back with the Beatles!" Mr. Schu announced as he walked into the room. Blaine and Sam jumped up from and off the piano and walked to their seats. "We're leaving the mop tops behind and moving into their 'experimental' years. Now, the Rubber Soul album marked a turning point for the group where they literally, and figuratively, let their hair down. The Beatles were the biggest musical act in the world. They could've remained in their comfort zones. But, instead, they risked everything to explore new musical worlds. They had something important to say and they weren't going to let something as silly as the fear of failure get in their way."
"Good afternoon, McKinley High," Sue interrupted over the intercom system. "This year, all the proms are being fused into one giant Brundleprom."
"What's a 'Brundleprom'?" Marley wondered.
"I don't get that reference," Jake acknowledged.
"That's from The Fly," Ryder realized.
"And now," Sue continued the announcement, "for the moment that will crush ninety nine percent of your misguided views about your own popularity... here are your nominees for prom king and queen."
Blaine sat up a little straighter, ready for the list. The student body had elected him their president, so he hoped he would be on the nomination list for prom king, too.
"First, here are your nominees for prom king," Sue informed them. "Blaine Anderson, Mohammad Omar, Artie Abrams, and Stoner Brett Bukowski."
Blaine grinned and accepted a high five from Ryder.
"Wait, I really didn't get nominated for king?" Sam disapproved.
"And now, on to the queen," Sue said. "Kitty Wilde–"
"But I'm a sophomore...?" Kitty wondered out loud.
"–Amy Ryan, Jordan Stern, and, inexplicably, Tina Cohen-Chang."
Blaine turned to look at Tina, who was sitting beside him. This was just what she needed to find her way out of the emotional rut she had been stuck in lately! But Tina jumped to her feet before Blaine could say anything, rushing down from the risers to the center of the room, celebrating wildly.
"Congratulations," Sue said flatly, completing the announcement. "Six of you will be disappointed."
"Tina, wow!" Sam approved as he stood up. "Even though I'm not nominated, it's such an honor to be going to prom with a potential queen!"
Tina's gaze landed on him and she suddenly looked hesitant. "Oh," she remembered. "Sorry, Sam, it was so nice of you to offer to go with me, but I'm going to have to decline your invitation."
Blaine cringed internally, but said nothing.
"But you already accepted," Sam reminded her.
"Yeah, Tina, this is very uncool," Artie criticized.
"Losing is uncool," Tina argued. "I need to maximize my odds of taking the crown, so I think I'm going to go with a group of single gals to corner the dejected wallflower vote. And I am going for it. This is my chance to be bigger than Jesus. So, can I count on all your votes?"
"Awkward," Unique whispered as New Directions stared at Tina in disbelief.
"You've got mine," Kitty said. "Besides, I've got more shots at prom queen; it's Tina's time."
Blaine was pleasantly surprised by Kitty's selfless attitude, but he wasn't sure how to feel about Tina's sudden overconfidence.
"I agree," Tina said before turning to the band. "Hit it!"
She sang the first few lines of Revolution – which was one of Blaine's favorite Beatles songs, so he danced along in his seat despite the strange lead up to the performance – before the bell rang that signified the end of the day.
"Seriously?" Tina whined as everyone got up to leave.
"Congratulations, Tina!" Blaine called over his shoulder as he hurried out of the room. He was so excited to get home and call Kurt; he couldn't stay.
When he arrived at his house, there was a text waiting for him from Sam.
Sue's making all of us get polio shots. Help.
Blaine was pretty sure Sam must've misunderstood because polio had been eradicated before any of them were even born, so he called instead of texting Sam back.
"Hello?" Sam answered.
"Polio was eradicated years ago," Blaine explained without preamble. "What's up?"
"That's what Mr. Schu said!" Sam told him, his voice laced with worry. "But Sue doesn't care. And there's some other shot, too... I think it started with M but I was freaking out, kinda, so..."
Blaine rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door to his house and went inside. "I'll talk to her in the morning," he decided.
"She's going to fire me and Mr. Schu if we don't do it," Sam explained rapidly. "So, I totally went to the nurse's office right after we were done talking to Sue, and the nurse is super hot but I cannot handle needles."
"Sam, you can't be fired, you don't even–" Blaine shook his head. "You have had some vaccinations in your life, right?"
"I don't know!" Sam said. "I mean, maybe I have but I, like, black out when there's a needle around."
"Okay," Blaine scolded as he grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator in the kitchen and wandered up the stairs to his bedroom, "as your best friend and a human being who spends time around you, I need to know if you've had your basic vaccinations, Sam."
"I'll ask my parents," Sam offered.
"I'm not talking to Sue on your behalf until you let me know," Blaine threatened. "Okay, look, I've gotta go. I've got a Skype date with Kurt soon and I've got to do some homework and eat dinner first."
"Bye," Sam said, and he hung up before Blaine could say it in return. Blaine shook his head again as he put his phone down on his bed and changed into a more comfortable outfit. Sam was panicking.
It was the first thing Blaine told Kurt about during their Skype date. Sue and her crazy vaccine idea and Sam and his extreme fear of needles. Kurt told Blaine about his day: classes had been brutal, but manageable, and he had just managed to get home in time for their Skype date from Vogue dot com after a long afternoon of catching up and telling everyone about his engagement.
"They liked the idea?" Blaine asked hopefully. He knew that Kurt was worried about how his New York coworkers and classmates were going to respond to his engagement.
"Well, there's no telling what they're saying behind my back, if anything," Kurt allowed, "but they were really supportive! I showed Isabelle the video first, and then, oh my god, she put it up on the big projector screen in the conference room and that's how everyone else watched it. All at once."
"Amazing!" Blaine approved.
"You're famous at Vogue dot com now," Kurt teased. "I had at least three people tell me that I better bring you by the next time you're in town. They were all very impressed with the yellow suit, too, by the way. One of the women, Karen, said you looked like sunshine personified."
They both laughed about that, and Blaine suddenly remembered his biggest news of the day.
"Oh!" he said. "Changing the subject completely... I was nominated for prom king!"
"What?" Kurt gasped. "Oh my god, Blaine."
"I know," Blaine agreed.
"Is it selfish to want you to be prom king so we can be prom royalty together?" Kurt batted his eyelashes dramatically. "Prom king and prom queen."
"I wish you'd been able to stay for prom," Blaine told him. "I'd love to dance with you in front of everyone and have them all whispering about how we're engaged."
"I cannot believe you just said that," Kurt said, and his expression was a mix of amused and thoughtful. Blaine knew what he meant; not long ago, the concept of being gay at a school dance was enough to scare both of them to their cores. Things were changing. They were changing.
They were silent for a moment, and Kurt suddenly had an idea.
"If you want," he said, leaning forward slightly so he could type into his computer, "there's this bar I heard about from some of the other interns at Vogue dot com recently... we can go when you come for your NYADA audition, if you want. I can't... uh, that's not it. I can't remember the name – I'll ask – but, you know, if you want to."
"I– uh, yeah, sure," Blaine agreed, a little breathless at the idea.
"I thought so," Kurt smirked at him.
"How's Santana?" Blaine abruptly changed the subject before his body had the chance to get worked up thinking about dancing with Kurt in a bar in New York City.
"She got a commercial!" Kurt announced, like he had forgotten. "I think it's nationwide, actually, and I'm," he lowered his voice, "kinda jealous that she booked a job like this before me or Rachel, but at the same time... it's pretty hilarious."
"What's it for?" Blaine wondered.
"It's a yeast infection product called Yeast-I-Stat," Kurt explained. "I'm going to see if I can convince her to– hold on– Santana? Santana!"
"What?" Blaine heard Santana's voice calling from somewhere in the loft.
"Come show Blaine your commercial!" Kurt shouted back.
Santana emailed the file to Blaine instead of coming into Kurt's room to try to show him via the webcam, and Blaine and Kurt laughed as Blaine watched it.
"That's amazing," Blaine approved when the commercial ended. "I should show Cooper."
Kurt laughed so hard he had to get up and run to get some water from the refrigerator.
"Rachel just went to bed," Kurt said as he reappeared with the drink in his hand. "So I should probably go."
"This was nice," Blaine commented, pleased. It hadn't been a long conversation, but it felt good. It felt like they were just chatting, like a normal night together, even though they were hundreds of miles apart.
"It was," Kurt agreed, his expression softening as he smiled at Blaine through the webcam. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Definitely," Blaine nodded. "Love you. Sleep well."
"Love you, too," Kurt replied, reaching for the button on his keyboard that would end the call. "Goodnight!"
BLAINE
On Tuesday morning, Sam texted Blaine to tell him that he had, indeed, had the proper amount of vaccinations as a child, and Blaine went to talk to Sue before school.
"Do you have a minute?" Blaine asked as he walked through the doorway into Sue's office, grateful that it was early enough that Becky wasn't at the receptionist's desk.
"Well," Sue motioned for him to sit down, "your incredibly artificial politeness suggests anger, so what is it?"
"You cannot force everyone to get a polio/meningitis vaccine," Blaine accused.
"I most certainly can," Sue disagreed.
"Polio isn't even a thing anymore!" Blaine pressed. "And I'm pretty sure most of us have had a meningitis vaccine already."
"Show me the medical records," Sue instructed.
"You can't ask people to bring you their medical records," Blaine scoffed. "That's private information."
"I find it interesting that, as the president of the student body, you are not interesting in the physical safety of your fellow students," Sue scolded.
"You're insane," Blaine accused.
"That may be true, Porcelain's Boyfriend," Sue allowed, "but that doesn't change the fact that every student at this school is going to get this vaccine or they will not be welcome here on Monday morning."
"Fiancé," Blaine corrected unhappily.
"Whatever," Sue dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
Blaine stormed out of the room.
"What did she say?" Sam met him just outside the office door.
"There's nothing I can do," Blaine informed him. "If you haven't had a meningitis vaccine, you have to get one this week."
"Oh god," Sam worried.
"Just... you don't have to look at the needle," Blaine suggested. "Maybe focus on something else instead."
"Do you have to have the shot?" Sam wondered.
"I've had it already," Blaine told him. "Sorry."
Sam exhaled loudly as the bell rang. "Okay," he said, trying to convince himself. "Okay, it's fine. It'll be fine. I'm fine."
"Have a good day," Blaine offered as he turned to walk to his class. Sam didn't say anything in response; he just waved in Blaine's direction and turned and hurried away.
KURT
That afternoon, Kurt was getting ready to leave NYADA for the day when he passed by the dance studio and heard a strange jumble of sounds coming from inside. He glanced into the room as he walked past and saw that it was full of pianos.
Rachel was there, so Kurt detoured from his route out of the building and wandered into the room.
"What's going on in here?" Kurt wondered as he walked over to his friend.
"Carmen Tibideaux needed volunteers for the annual NYADA piano tuning," Rachel explained dully. "So, did you hear about Santana's good news?"
"That she doesn't have a yeast infection?" Kurt teased.
"Yeah, I'm really happy for her," Rachel lied pleasantly.
Kurt was mildly horrified.
"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Kurt chided. "Because the Rachel I know would be furious at Santana for breezing into town and beating us at booking the first gig."
Rachel looked almost bored.
Kurt was worried about her. She was trying to hide her worry about her status with the Funny Girl production by burying all of her feelings about everything. She was just going through the motions; doing all the things she was supposed to do without any real enthusiasm. She got up every morning, went to class, then went to work at the diner, and finally came home and took a bath and went straight to bed.
"You have lost your mojo obsessing over this part," Kurt informed her. "We can't let our feelings of self worth be determined by some part in a play!"
"That's easy for you to say; you just got engaged!" Rachel argued.
"True," Kurt allowed, "but I'm not pinning all my future happiness on it. I'm telling you, you have got to get your mojo back."
Someone started playing the opening melody of the Beatles' Get Back on the piano behind him, and Kurt had an idea.
"Right here, right now," he clarified, "this second."
He put his bag down on the ground, out of the way, and turned dramatically back toward Rachel to begin the song.
"Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner, but he knew it couldn't last." He climbed on top of the piano. "Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona, for some California grass."
Rachel was smiling. Kurt jumped down from the piano so he and Rachel could sing together.
"Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged. Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged. Get back, Jojo."
They sang the song, dancing around the room and enjoying the other students' joining in with some impromptu choreography with the pianos. Rachel looked re-energized as she threw her arms out at the end of the song and smiled down at Kurt from her place on top of one of the pianos.
"Yay!" she laughed as Kurt reached up and helped her down from the piano. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you, Kurt!"
"No more moping," Kurt encouraged her when she released him. "Positive thinking is the only thing that will be tolerated."
"Okay," Rachel laughed.
Kurt texted Blaine the story of Rachel's emotional woes on the train ride home, and then spent the rest of the afternoon plowing through the backlog of homework he had accumulated while he had been home in Ohio. Most of it wasn't due until the end of the semester, but he didn't want to get so behind that he couldn't catch up.
"Hi!" Rachel sang excitedly as she arrived home that evening. She slipped through the doorway and dragged the door closed behind her. "You are never going to guess what's happening at the diner right now!"
"Did someone finally get kicked in the face accidentally during a song?" Kurt hoped.
"Oh my god, no, Kurt!" Rachel laughed. "Even better."
She flopped down beside him on the couch, offering Kurt the perfect excuse to abandon the play he was reading. "Santana's totally into this girl we work with and they're, like, gazing at each other across the room and stuff. It's so cute!"
"Awww," Kurt approved. "What's her name?"
"Dani," Rachel told him. "She's really nice."
"I'm glad," Kurt said truthfully.
"I can't believe," Rachel said, reaching out and grabbing Kurt's left hand, "that you're engaged. You haven't always been a fan of getting engaged so young," she teased, remembering Kurt's disapproval of her plan to marry Finn during their senior year.
"I'm not marrying Blaine right now," Kurt countered. "It's just... a promise."
"I'm not upset," Rachel clarified, placing Kurt's hand back in his lap. "I'm happy for you. You and Blaine are really a perfect match."
Kurt stared down at the ring on his finger. "I think so," he agreed softly.
"You are so cute!" Rachel beamed at him. "It's so exciting: he's going to come and he's going to go to NYADA too and we're going to have so much fun!"
Kurt returned the smile, sharing her excitement. "He's coming to visit in a few months," he told Rachel, "for his audition."
"He's going to get in, for sure," Rachel predicted. "And then we'll all be in school together again! Just like old times."
"Except better," Kurt clarified.
"Except better," Rachel echoed happily.
BLAINE
The next day, Blaine and Artie made plans to go to the mall after school and pick up their outfits for prom. Jake and Ryder were going to meet them there, so Blaine told Artie they should find Sam before they left campus to check if he wanted to join them.
Sam inadvertently made their afternoon easier when he walked by Blaine's locker a few moments later.
"Hey, Sam, we're going to go pick up our tux rentals," Blaine told him as he walked past. "You coming?"
"Uh, could you guys grab mine for me?" Sam declined, pausing near them but clearly eager to continue to wherever he was headed. "I need to, uh, go to the nurse's office. Snake bite."
He held out his arm so they could see the bite.
"That looks like a human bite," Artie realized.
"From a really big mouth," Blaine agreed. "You sure you didn't bite yourself and pretend it was a snake?"
"Why would I do that?" Sam dodged as he turned to walk away.
"I don't know," Blaine replied, following him, "maybe..."
"Maybe it's for the exact same reason why you left math to get a Band Aid for your hangnail?" Artie suggested.
"She's going to be at the prom, chaperoning," Blaine tried to reassure Sam about his crush on the new nurse. "You can always just take it slow and ask her for a dance."
"She'll stop liking me, okay?" Sam explained, a little hysterical. "The key for me is to only spend a few minutes with a girl and then get away. My personality is like a radioactive asteroid. Spend too much time with it, and it could kill you."
"That's insane," Blaine disagreed. "You have an amazing personality! You have all of your impressions. And all of your... impressions!"
"I was thinking of doing my Denzel impression for her," Sam confessed.
As he demonstrated his newest impression, Blaine tried to look as interested as possible. Sam was really nervous.
"Embrace the Beatles' mantra," Blaine suggested when Sam finished his Denzel Washington impression and looked at Blaine and Artie for encouragement. "Charge forth, fearlessly."
"You may get hurt," Artie told him, "but some girls are worth it and I have a feeling you think she is."
"Go get 'em, Denzel," Blaine approved, patting Sam's shoulder as he and Artie moved around him on their way to the parking lot.
They got their suits and had dinner at the mall, and Blaine got home too late to call Kurt. Instead, he sent a string of text messages about his afternoon activities, including a photo of all of the guys of New Directions with their suits on in the shop.
He got a response the next morning as he was sitting down for his first class of the day.
You look so good in that suit. I want to be there.
I'll send you tons of photos, Blaine replied.
Okay, Kurt agreed.
Class is about to start, Blaine told him. I'll text you later. Love you!
Love you, Kurt responded quickly. Have a great day!
KURT
That night, Kurt got home early and called Blaine to hear about his day.
Blaine told him the saga of Sam and the new school nurse; she had been fired for incompetence, and Sam had convinced Sue to un-fire her by allowing the nurse to finally give him his vaccination.
Kurt told Blaine about Dani (Santana's new crush) as he made dinner. He didn't have many details to tell, but Blaine was enthusiastic about the possibility of a new relationship for Santana.
"Santana and Rachel are both working overnight tonight," Kurt realized as his conversation with Blaine was drawing to a close. "I'm not really sure what needs to happen in a musical diner at, say, three o'clock in the morning, but whatever. I'm here by myself tonight."
He thought about what this night would be like if Blaine were there with him, and he said, "I miss you."
"Me too," Blaine understood. "When you're so far away, I miss... that part of, you know, our relationship."
"You can say 'sex'," Kurt rolled his eyes affectionately at Blaine's attempt at politeness. "And we could... stay on the phone, if you want."
Blaine exhaled loudly. "Uh, yeah, I'd– yes, if that's– if you want to."
Kurt glanced at the stove.
"My dinner's almost ready," he realized. "Maybe... can I call you back in thirty minutes?"
"Sure," Blaine agreed immediately. "I'll be here."
"Talk to you soon," Kurt said as calmly as he could.
"Bye," Blaine said breathlessly, and Kurt ended the call so he could eat dinner as fast as possible and get ready for bed. He had an evening of experimentation to look forward to, as he and Blaine re-learned to navigate the lack of physical intimacy between them when they were separated by hundreds of miles.
BLAINE
Prom was Friday night.
Blaine didn't have a date. He didn't mind; if he couldn't go with Kurt or with Tina, he preferred to go alone. He didn't want to go with someone he didn't really care about.
As usual, New Directions had been recruited to entertain the group with occasional live performances throughout the night. Marley, Jake, Ryder, and Unique sang Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Blaine sang Come Together and then joined Sam for She Loves You. The boys of New Directions sang With A Little Help From My Friends and the girls sang Penny Lane.
When they weren't singing, Blaine and the other members of New Directions spent their time dancing and having their photographs taken by the official photographer. Blaine took plenty of photos with his phone, too, and kept sending them to Kurt to keep him updated with the night's activities.
Then, it was time for the announcement of prom king and queen.
"Congratulations, New Directions, on accomplishing the impossible," Sue announced once all the nominees were gathered on the stage. "You've made me hate the Beatles."
She moved quickly on to the list of nominees, and Blaine felt confident about his chances of winning.
"And now, here the moment you've all been waiting for because your lives are so devoid of meaning something like this seems very important," Sue said as she pulled the paper with the winners' names on it out of the envelope in her hands. "This can't be right. Okay, what the hell do I care, huh? Your prom king and prom queen are... Stoner Brett and Tina Cohen-Chang."
Blaine lowered his head slightly, unpleasantly surprised about losing but happy for Tina. He applauded with the crowd, and was quickly ushered off the stage with the other non-winning nominees. He shoved his way around the front corner of the stage and along the front of the crowd to stand with Unique to watch Tina receive her crown.
She looked really happy. Until a bucket full of mostly-melted red slushie was poured all over her from above.
Unique gasped, grabbing Blaine's hand in horror, and Blaine clutched her hand in both of his as they watched Tina standing alone on the stage, covered in cold, sticky red liquid. The room was silent.
"What the hell?" Stoner Brett wondered, just before the now-empty bucket that had doused Tina tumbled off the rigging above and landed on his head. He fell to the stage, unconscious, and Blaine glanced around. Should they call 911?
Tina turned and walked off the stage as quickly as her wet gown would allow, and Blaine decided to leave Stoner Brett for someone else to deal with. He needed to help Tina.
"We need to get you out of those wet clothes and into something dry," Marley determined as they rushed into the choir room, where Tina had gone to hide from the crowd.
"Just leave me like this!" Tina cried, waving her hands at them so they wouldn't come closer. "I swear. I just thought, for one lousy night of my life, I could be that girl. But who am I kidding? I'm not that girl and I will never be that girl."
She stood up and walked past the group toward the doorway.
"Tina, where are you going?" Sam asked before she made it out the door.
"I'm going home, Sam!" Tina explained tearfully.
"Wait, Tina, stop!" Blaine said quickly as Tina turned away. Tina paused, and Blaine explained, "You have two choices. And whichever one you pick, we will be supportive. But we can either drive you home, or we can clean you up and you can go back out there and own that prom. This is your prom, Queen T."
"I can't go back in there," Tina sobbed. "I don't even have a dress to wear."
Blaine turned to Kitty and Marley, silently asking for ideas.
"You can have mine," Kitty suggested.
"Or mine," Marley agreed.
"Or mine," Unique said. "Although, it would be a crime to break this look."
"Come on, Tina," Blaine said as he stepped toward her. "We're all with you. You want to be that girl? Then go be that girl."
Artie rolled over to Tina and offered her one of the many towels he had piled on his lap. She took the towel and started drying off her face, and Blaine hurried to the piano.
"Hey Jude," he sang, hoping some music would inspire his friend, "don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart. Then you can start to make it better."
The girls all disappeared behind a partition to help Tina clean off and get changed into Kitty's dress. Blaine played the piano and sang, and the other students joined in, and it didn't take long before Tina emerged looking ready to face the crowd waiting for them in the gymnasium.
They all walked back to prom together, and Kurt was very much on Blaine's mind as Tina went back up onto the stage to show the bullies in the room that they hadn't broken her spirit.
"I'm Tina Cohen-Chang," Tina shouted, "and I accept your crown! Long live prom!"
Blaine called Kurt the second he walked into his bedroom that evening and closed the door behind him.
"Is she okay?" Kurt answered the phone. Blaine had texted him a summary version of the night's drama before leaving McKinley to drive home, and Blaine guessed that Kurt had probably seen photos online.
"Yeah," Blaine confirmed. "She's okay."
"Are you okay?" Kurt worried.
"Yes," Blaine reassured him. "I'm fine. Glad that my last school dance is behind me."
"I wish I had been there," Kurt said unhappily.
"There's nothing you could've done," Blaine replied. "It was just a mean thing organized by some of the Cheerios."
"McKinley prom is cursed," Kurt determined.
"We had fun at prom," Blaine reminded him. "After the cursed part."
"We did," Kurt agreed, and Blaine could hear the smile in his voice. "I love that photo of us dancing together."
"A classic 'high school sweethearts' photo," Blaine grinned.
"We are high school sweethearts, aren't we?" Kurt realized. "I like that."
"Me too," Blaine agreed through a yawn.
"You need to go to bed," Kurt realized. "Prom is exhausting."
"Especially at McKinley, apparently," Blaine rolled his eyes.
"Before you go, though," Kurt said suddenly, as if he had just remembered something, "I have news!"
"Yeah?" Blaine encouraged him to share.
"I got a job at the diner!" Kurt said proudly. "I start tomorrow."
"What?" Blaine asked, surprised. "I mean, congratulations! But what about Vogue dot com?"
"I'm still doing that, too," Kurt reassured him. "But they don't pay, you know? And I've got a great idea that is going to require some money."
"Okay...?" Blaine waited.
"I want to start a Madonna cover band!" Kurt announced.
Blaine laughed, pleased. A Madonna cover band was so perfectly Kurt. "That's an amazing idea," he approved.
"I know," Kurt said happily. "I don't really know the details yet – and I'm sorry I'm dumping this all on you tonight, I know – but I'm hoping to start looking for members soon!"
"I always want to hear about what's going on with you," Blaine told him.
"That's sweet," Kurt said, "but I like knowing that you actually get some sleep."
"Okay," Blaine agreed, too tired to think of a reason why they should keep talking.
"Congratulations on surviving prom," Kurt teased. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yes," Blaine confirmed. "And thanks."
"Goodnight," Kurt said warmly. "Sweet dreams."
"'Night," Blaine said. "Love you."
KURT
Kurt's first shift at the diner was Saturday night. He was pleased to find that the diner at night wasn't nearly as crowded as he had feared; maybe people preferred to spend evenings at more lively establishments.
After Rachel found him a uniform and printed him a name tag, Kurt got dressed and received his first task from a co-worker: cleaning a stack of menus. Trying not to think too hard about all the stuff that was probably on the menus after they had been touched by an unknown amount of people throughout the day, Kurt gathered the stack and walked out from the kitchen area into the diner.
"Are you ready for me?" Kurt teased Rachel and Santana, twirling a towel around a few times like a whip in his hand.
"I'm sorry," Santana stared at him, "what is Lady Hummel doing here?"
"Working," Kurt stated the obvious. "Vogue dot com doesn't pay, and I need some seed cash to start my Madonna cover band."
"You guys, this is so great," Rachel said, "I feel like I'm on Smash, season one."
"Well, enjoy it while it lasts," Kurt encouraged her, hopping up to sit on the counter so he could start cleaning the pile of menus in his lap, "because soon you'll be dumping us to play Fanny Brice."
"Oh no, that ship has sailed," Rachel disagreed. "If I got it, I would've heard by now."
"Rachel!" Kurt scolded. "Be positive!"
"I am positive, okay?" Rachel argued. "My whole life, I've been looking to be part of something special to feel special, but the truth is, is that I am special, okay? And I don't need producers to tell me that. I'm gonna play this part, and if it is not in this production, then that is their loss."
She made the speech with such gusto that Kurt knew she was just trying to let herself down gently. They both knew that, whether she got the part or not, she was going to hear from someone from the Funny Girl production.
"Isn't it amazing how life seems so easy when you just don't give a fart?" Santana approved. "I mean, look at this. Hummel is getting married, Berry is just full of confidence, and I finally have a girlfriend who I don't have to worry about straying for penis."
"Then let's make a pledge," Kurt suggested excitedly. "We stay in this town together for two years, alright? For soaring success or miserable failure, none of us bail until then, okay? No matter what."
"Okay," Rachel said, delighted. She put her hand out. "Pinky swear. Come on! Put those long fingernails in there," she teased Santana.
The three of them pinky swore, and Kurt was excited about everything that the future could hold for them over the next two years. Blaine would be in the city with them soon, too, which only made everything seem even more positive.
Kurt quickly scooted off the counter as their boss approached.
"Someone in booth fourteen is looking for the short one," Gunther said, pointing at Rachel. "Go."
Rachel walked away to attend to table fourteen, and Gunther took Santana's Yeast-I-Stat box with him as he departed ("Gunther, that's my Yeast-I-Stat. What the hell?" Santana protested, but he ignored her).
"He is such a creeper," Santana turned to Kurt.
"I'll keep that in mind," Kurt replied as he finished wiping off the final menu in the stack. He put them down on the counter and watched as Rachel approached the man at table fourteen.
"Who is that?" he wondered.
Santana glanced over at the table. "Can't tell," she shrugged. The man's back was to them. Rachel spoke to the man briefly, turned to walk away, and then paused to face the man again.
Suddenly, her hand flew up to cover her mouth in surprise, and Kurt and Santana exchanged a quick, confused glance.
"Are you serious?" Rachel cried happily, reaching out to put her hand on top of the man's on the table briefly. "Really?"
Santana turned to Kurt again, but he had no idea what was going on. Something good.
"Oh my god, really?" Rachel repeated, putting her hand on the man's one more time. "Thank you so much! Thank you!" She started to rush around the table, back toward Kurt and Santana, and shouted across the room the reason for her excitement.
"I got Fanny!"
Kurt's body jolted with excitement as Rachel thanked the man once more ("Oh my god, thank you!") and then shrieked, "I got it!"
"What?" Santana tried to clarify as Rachel ran toward her and Kurt.
"I got it!" Rachel shouted at them.
"She got the part?" Santana exclaimed.
"I got it!" Rachel confirmed, ecstatic, as she ran straight into Kurt's arms.
Kurt squeezed her tightly, trying to really believe it. His best friend was going to be a star on Broadway. Not a background character or an understudy. The star of the first-ever revival of Funny Girl.
This had been her dream, all her life.
"You got it!" Kurt gasped as he released her. "She got it!" he turned to Santana as Rachel hugged her with one arm and kept a hand clasped on Kurt's shoulder. They were all bouncing with excitement and delighted disbelief.
"I can't wait to take this off!" Rachel turned to Kurt as she motioned to her uniform.
The rest of the evening passed in a happy blur. Mr. Campion – Funny Girl's director; the man at table fourteen – invited Rachel to sit down and have dinner with him, there, in the diner, to go over a few preliminary things, and Kurt and Santana fought each other all evening long, each trying to be the one who brought them their food and refilled their drinks and stopped by to ask if they needed anything.
They didn't overhear much despite their best efforts to eavesdrop, but they heard all the details on the train ride back to Bushwick later that evening. And, when they reached their apartment, the phone calls began.
Rachel called her dads. Then Finn. Then Mr. Schu. Santana called her parents and Brittany and, Kurt thought, possibly Quinn.
Kurt climbed out onto the fire escape to escape Rachel's and Santana's loud voices and called Blaine.
"Hello?" Blaine answered cheerfully.
"Oh my god, guess what just happened," Kurt said hurriedly. "Guess. Guess!"
"Uh..." Kurt could hear the smile in Blaine's voice as he tried to think of something that would warrant Kurt's level of excitement.
"Rachel got the part!" Kurt squealed, unable to wait any longer.
"What?" Blaine gasped.
"Rachel's going to play Fanny Brice!" Kurt shrieked into the phone. "On Broadway!"
"That's– oh my god!" Blaine laughed. "Oh my god. How did you find out? Is she there? Can I talk to her?"
"The director came to the diner," Kurt explained. "And he just told her right there, in front of everyone! Oh my god, though, I told her she was going to get it!"
"Is she freaking out?" Blaine guessed.
"Yes," Kurt said, "but in such a good way. I think Santana invited Dani over – we're going to have a little party."
"Tonight?" Blaine laughed.
"If you think any of us are sleeping any time soon, you're insane," Kurt informed him.
"Please let me talk to her," Blaine whined.
"Let me see..." Kurt climbed back through the window to check on Rachel's whereabouts. "Okay," he said as he saw her, accepting a bottle of champagne and a hug from Dani in the doorway, "hold on... Rachel?"
Rachel turned toward him and Kurt wiggled his phone. "It's Blaine."
"Oh my god," Rachel rushed over to him and snatched the phone out of his hand. "Blaine? Hi! Yes– thank you! Thank you so much! Oh my god, it was amazing. Completely insane..."
Once Rachel was finished talking to Blaine, Kurt took the phone back to say goodnight, and then he, Rachel, Santana, and Dani drank the entire bottle of champagne, plus nearly an entire bottle of wine Santana had apparently been keeping hidden somewhere in the loft, and celebrated until the sun started to come up.
When Kurt finally collapsed into bed, slightly drunk and really, really happy, he stared at the ceiling for a moment and relished the feeling. He was engaged to the love of his life. His best friend was going to live her dream on Broadway. His other friend and roommate had a new girlfriend who, Kurt had discovered that evening, was sweet and smart and a great singer. And Kurt was going to start a Madonna cover band that was going to be fun and his.
Things hadn't felt this settled and positive for a long time, Kurt thought. Maybe since before he left Ohio for New York. As he drifted off to sleep, Kurt realized that he was living proof that things do get better.
He could never have imagined this life back when he was being thrown into dumpsters and slammed into lockers.
Up next... 5x03: The Quarterback.