Kurt took a deep breath before knocking on his manager's door.

Upon hearing a muffled "Come In," Kurt pushed the door open and felt relieved when the older man's dark eyes lit up on seeing him.

"Peter! This is fortunate timing...I was meaning to summon you shortly." The portly man waved to the empty chair in front of his desk, moving aside the stacks of files and ledgers to give Kurt his full attention.

Settling in the chair, Kurt wondered how to make his query about Blaine possibly joining the company. He was saved by Mr. Marshall pulling out a newspaper clipping and placing it in front of Kurt.

"Have you seen this? Eltinge's newest play is sold out for weeks." He tapped the paper with a long finger before leaning back in his chair, looking Kurt over assessingly.

Reviewing the clipping, Kurt nodded. Julian Eltinge was the most popular female impersonator on the vaudeville circuit, and lately he had been doing plays, to great interest.

Mr. Marshall nodded decisively. "Peter, I caught your act last night and I really saw something special in you. A real spark of 'having it', that essential thing of all great performers."

Kurt could feel his cheeks heat up a bit, and tilted his face downwards to hide his pleased smile at the comment. After Blaine had left the room yesterday afternoon, Kurt had been floating on air and had dug into his trunk for a daring gown, going all out with his hair and make-up. The audience had practically sat up and howled as he belted out a sultry siren song, and cheered wildly when he had pulled his wig off at the end. It had been his strongest performance since coming back to America.

"I'd like to continue my act along that vein, Mr. Marshall. It felt good and the audience seemed to like it." Kurt gave a little closed lip smile.

The manager was nodding, but still giving Kurt an assessing look. Kurt tried to sit still under his gaze, waiting for him to speak.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Marshall leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Peter, if you keep giving performances like you gave last night, I will give you a longer spot in the first half. So, start thinking of a longer bit, and practice it. I think you have enough pure talent to beat Eltinge at this game."

Kurt was speechless at that. A chance for more stage time? A better position on the bill? This could really be his break.

"Um, Mr. Marshall...that would be wonderful!" Kurt couldn't help but grin widely as he shook his manager's hand. "Oh, one other thing...the reason I came to see you, actually..."

The older man waved a hand for Kurt to continue.

"A friend of mine would like to join the company. He is very musical, playing piano and guitar, and sings wonderfully. He's been on Keith time, but wants to make a change." Kurt knew he was speaking fast, but his nerves got the best of him.

Standing up, Mr. Marshall nodded as he guided Kurt to the door. "He sounds experienced and we could use more musicians. We can take him on a trial basis for a month, see how he fits in."

Kurt shook his hand again, his smile even bigger, and shut the office door behind him.

---

"Hey, Bright Eyes, what has you in such a good mood?" Elliott leaned against the make-up table next to Kurt's, giving him a big, easy smile.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Elliott's playful flirty manner, and grabbed the scarf he was touching away from him. Leaning towards the mirror, Kurt applied another sweep of powder over his pale skin. "Marshall said he liked my performance yesterday."

Picking up a pink hat with netting and flowers on the brim, Elliott turned to the mirror to put it on at a jaunty angle. "You were fantastic, Peter. Are you sure you don't need me as a back-up singer or something?" He fluttered his eyelashes.

Chuckling as he applied lipstick, Kurt spared a glance over at his friend. He was good looking, with good skin and blue eyes Kurt was itching to play up with the right eye shadows. But he was also over six feet tall, with wide shoulders, and a muscular frame. It would be hard to find a dress to fit him, and impossible to make him look feminine with that silhouette.

"Hmmm...how about you stick to the band, Elliott? They love you over there." Elliott was very versatile, good on the horn, percussion and almost everything else.

Getting up, Elliott took off the hat and flung it down with feigned anger, flouncing away from Kurt with exaggerated motions. What a ham. Kurt shook his head after him fondly, and turned back to complete his make-up.

Kurt had grown close to Elliott since joining the tour. He was fun to be around, and had noticed that Kurt was grieving a past love. As they got friendlier, there were a few nights they drank a little too much and talked for hours. Kurt knew Elliott was a little interested in him, but after one night of sharing a few drunk kisses, Kurt had stopped him, tears streaming down his face at the memories it evoked. He was nowhere near ready to be with other men back then.

Elliott had kept a respectful distance since, but still often joked around with Kurt backstage.

Make-up and wig in place, Kurt shuffled through his dresses, and pulled out a kelly green one. He was determined to go all out with his performances this week, proving to Mr. Marshall and the rest of the company that he could deliver. It felt good to have that excitement of pushing his limits again, feeling alive and challenged, after so many months of barely getting through the day.

---

"Umphhhht!" Kurt made a surprised sound as he was grabbed and hauled into the tiny hotel room and shoved against the wall. Before he could even blink twice, Blaine was crowding against him, his hands curled around Kurt's shoulders as his lips stole kiss after kiss.

Not that Kurt was complaining. He'd been looking forward to seeing Blaine all day, practically bursting with his news but not able to share it with his co-workers yet. His performances had gone perfectly, getting back into the mind frame he'd had back in Paris, flirting with the crowd, and drawing them into the palm of his hand before his big reveal.

All that still paled in comparison to having his arms full of eager and affectionate Blaine, his eyes glowing with love and desire as he teased Kurt's lips with light kisses, and then hard, deep ones that left him gasping. When he dipped those sinful lips to Kurt's throat, kissing and nipping on the sensitive skin there, it was hardly better. All thoughts seemed to leave his head, and he just melted against his husband, falling into temptation gladly.

---

"Do you think it will always be like this between us?" Blaine asked, running his fingers slowly through Kurt's messy hair.

Unable to hold back a contented smile, Kurt pointed his toes and stretched along the length of the bed before curling back against Blaine's warm body. "Do you mean over in a few minutes?" They had both been too eager to draw things out.

Blaine laughed and swooped down to kiss Kurt lightly, pulling back only enough to rest their foreheads together. "No, so exciting and fantastic. Like I can't get enough of you."

Wrapping his arms around Blaine, Kurt snuggled in closer, breathing in his scent. "Mmmm...I feel the same way. I hope it will stay like this, but it will probably feel normal when we see each other every day."

"So, should we work on my circuit or yours? My manager said he could probably find a place for you, but we already have a female impersonator, so you'd have to do comedy skits or regular singing." Blaine said as he rolled onto his side.

Kurt nodded, considering it. Blaine was on the Keith circuit, with one of the most prominent headliners working in vaudeville. Houdini drew huge crowds, but he overshadowed the other acts. It would be steady work, but less chance for getting known.

Playing with the edge of the bed sheet, Kurt looked over at Blaine. "My company isn't as big as yours, but the manager is one of the best I've worked with. He's really impressed with my act and even said he may give me a better, longer slot. There's room for you in the band, if you want."

Blaine looked impressed, and saw how excited Kurt looked at the idea of more development of his act. "Really? What do you have in mind?"

Kurt shrugged. "So many ideas are whirling around my head. Marshall sees me as someone to steal Eltinge's audience, maybe."

Giving an assessing look, Blaine nodded. "I can see it. Female Impersonators in the past used to be comedy acts, big men in frilly dresses pantomiming women. But you can actually pass for a woman, like Eltinge can."

The idea that his little act to get as popular as Julian Eltinge’s was exciting and a little daunting. Kurt tucked his head against Blaine’s neck, still trying to have the idea settle in.

“Then again, maybe I shouldn’t let you do this act. Make you stick to singing as a man and your comic roles.” Blaine said, stroking along Kurt’s bare back.

Kurt sat right up, glaring down at Blaine. “Let me? Make me…?” He repeated the words with a bit of a snarl.

Blaine’s hazel eyes were calm and untroubled as he looked up at Kurt’s stormy blue ones. He ran a calming hand down Kurt’s arm. “I saw you the first time on the stage like that, and I’ve been under your spell ever since. Wouldn’t want you to conquer any more hearts and have competition for your attention.”

Kurt chuckled, and swung a leg over Blaine’s hips to straddle him, lowering down until he could kiss him properly, long and deep. “You needn’t fear anything like that, Blaine. I’m as much under your spell as you are under mine.”

When Blaine opened his eyes, the teasing glint was gone and he gazed into Kurt’s, letting him see in. Let him see the love and deep connection, still all the more precious for the months and months they had been apart and believing the worst. Kurt could only nod, wiping away a tear from his cheek, before he kissed Blaine again, letting all his emotions out. It was incredible that they had found each other in Paris, on the Titanic, and now in some town in the middle of nowhere.

“Kurt, I think I should join your group. It is your time to shine, and get recognized for the talents you’ve been working years to perfect. I’ll be happy as long as I’m working steadily and learning more about vaudeville as I go.” Blaine said softly, pushing Kurt’s hair back from his face.

It was what Kurt was hoping to hear, but he still searched Blaine’s expression to make sure he really meant it and wasn’t just saying it to make Kurt happy. “Are you sure, Blaine? I want to be with you, and I’m excited about the possibilities, but it needs to be right for you too. I don’t want you to resent me, or be unhappy.”

Blaine took Kurt into a tight hug. “I’m sure, Kurt. I’ll tell my manager tomorrow.”

Kurt kissed him, again and again, and did everything he could think of to make sure he made Blaine as happy as he was.

---

-Disclaimer: I own nothing.

-A/N:

-Julian Eltinge: Born in 1881 in Boston, Julian got attention at 10 years old for a role dressed in feminine garb. He rose in popularity as a female impersonator and was on Broadway by 1904. He toured in vaudeville and starred in musical comedies, and even had a beauty magazine. On a tour of Europe, he gave a command performance to England’s King Edward VII, and became known worldwide. He eventually was in silent movies alongside actors like Rudolph Valentino. He often would switch between male and female roles, and off-stage, fought against rumors of being gay by having a super-masculine façade. This included the occasional bar-fight, smoking cigars, and drawn out engagements to women (though he never married). The Great Depression and the end of vaudeville put his career into decline and he died at 59.

-Keith time: Vaudeville circuits were labeled ‘small time’ or ‘big time’. You knew you had reached the ‘Big Time’ when you were with the biggest stars and only had two shows a day (a matinee and the evening show). The two ‘big time’ circuits were the Keith circuit in the east and the Orpheus circuit in the west. Kurt’s company is a ‘medium’ time, one of the better small time circuits.