Rebel prince. Blaine no show

Kurt gave his best come hither look to the audience, and shimmied his shoulders, and then gave a challenging look over at Melanie.

She looked great, in a ice blue dress with black trim, that showed off every curve.  Her wig was swoops of loose blond curls pinned up to flatter her pretty face.  Light eyeshadow and lipstick enhanced her natural feminine beauty. 

Meeting Kurt's glare with one of her own, she turned back to the audience and did a shoulder shimmy just as good as his.  The audience hooted in appreciation.  

Not to be outdone, Elliott clomped between them in his work boots, and did his own version of the shimmy, which resembled a seizure more than a dance.  His wig tilted dramatically to the side, and the audience was laughing hard as Kurt finished singing the song.

Moments later, they were bowing and curtsying to the happy crowd.  

As soon as the curtain came down, Kurt was hugging Melanie tight.  "That was so incredible!  You were perfect."  It had gone over even better than he dare hope.  

Melanie was glowing at the praise, looking a little breathless. "Thanks, Peter.  There were still some rough patches that need rehearsal."

Pulling off his wig, Elliott shook his head.  "I agree with Peter.  It was great."

They headed backstage to remove the costumes, reviewing the act.  After so many years in the business, they knew how to work on an act until it was tight and perfect.  Kurt nodded along with their suggestions, agreeing with most things.  

Pulling her off to the side, Kurt spoke to Melanie in a quiet voice.  "Thanks for saving the act today.  You stepped in at the last minute like that when you weren't supposed to be onstage until we had rehearsed a few more times."

"The show must go on."  Melanie squeezed Kurt's arm.  "So, why isn't Andrew here for the show?"

Kurt sighed, feeling worried again.  "I don't know.  He left early with Frank to check out some waterfall.  They should have been back by noon."

"It's probably just car trouble or something.  He better be back for the evening show, though.  Mr.Marshall will kick him off the circuit if he is late or missing shows."    Melanie helped Kurt stow away the wigs and hang up the costumes.

Kurt worked quickly, still feeling anxious and worried.  Things had been so weird between them lately, and Blaine had been taking off more and more often with Frank on these little side trips.  He was exhausted in the evenings, from getting up so early, and usually headed to bed right after the late show ended.

Kurt found he needed to wind down after the late show, always pouring so much energy into that performance in particular.  He hung out backstage with the other performers, sharing a few drinks and laughs.  Sometimes he worked on costumes.  But whatever he did, he made sure he wasn't alone with Elliott.

They had mostly gone back to a friendly, working relationship.  Kurt was careful to keep it professional between them.  Elliott was a great performer in the act, and always eager to do anything to make it as good as it could be.  Kurt really appreciated it.  There was the odd, lingering look from him, but Kurt ignored them, hoping that would be a clear enough signal that he wasn't interested.

 ---

The door crashed open, and Kurt jerked awake from his nap.  Blaine was standing in the doorway, looking very muddy and tired.

Kurt was up and hugging him tight in an instant.  "Blaine, Blaine...what happened?  I've been so worried."

Blaine shut the door, groaning, as he kicked off his muddy boots.  "Frank and I ran into the worst spell of bad luck.  Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.  Again and again."

Tugging at Blaine's muddy coat, Kyrt peeled it off his husband.  "Well, how about you tell me all about it while we get you into a nice, hot bath?"

Flashing a grateful, but tired smile, Blaine nodded.  He started working on the buttons of his shirt, as Kurt undid his trousers, pulling them down and off, along with his socks.  Everything was soaked through with cold, wet mud.

In only his underwear, Blaine went down to the bathroom, shivering slightly as Kurt ran the hot water.  Pretty soon, he was sighing as he soaked in the water, heat finally seeping down to his bones.  "It started off by us getting a bit lost, missing a turn off.  We had to circle around, and that took awhile.  We finally got to the waterfall, and it was pretty wimpy, barely a trickle.  Not worth the long drive, at all."

Kurt got Blaine to dunk his head into the water, and then sat on the edge to lather up his curls with shampoo. 

Blaine closed his eyes, groaning at the sensation.  "Then as we were rushing back, already late from getting lost earlier, we got a flat tire.  Neither of us had ever changed a tire before, so it took a while to figure it out.  By the time I jacked the car up, it started raining.  Everything got slippery and muddy and it took even longer to get the damn tire in place."

Rinsing the soap from Blaine with a cup, Kurt chuckled at the story.  "That sounds awful."

"We were both cold and wet the whole ride back, and we missed lunch too.  I'm starving."  Blaine looked up at Kurt, looking like a little lost boy with his fresh-scrubbed face and wet hair.  

Chuckling, Kurt got up.  He looked at his own clothes, smeared with mud here and there from hugging Blaine earlier.  "Well, how about you stay here and soak a bit longer while I change and get some food?  Maybe some soup and big sandwiches, OK?"

Blaine nodded happily, and Kurt couldn't resist leaning down to give him a lingering kiss.  "I'm glad you are alright, Blaine.  I was worried."  After Titanic, the thought of anything happening to him made Kurt's heart clench with the memory of all those months of grief and missing him.

 ---

An hour later, they were cuddled in bed, warm and with full bellies.  "It's a good thing I trained up understudies like Mr. Marshall suggested.  Melanie did a good job today."

Blaine yawned, snuggling back against Kurt, the little spoon.  "I'm glad.  Could she go on for me tonight too?  I'm so exhausted."

The request made sense, but it still pricked Kurt a little.  It wasn't the first time Blaine had shown resistance to performing in the group.  A few times he had been late, coming back with Frank, and Kurt had decided to only use Blaine for evening shows, going forward.

"Maybe I should just find someone to replace you, Blaine.  Let you just go back to just being a musician."  Kurt said with a bit of pique.

But Blaine was too sleepy to pick up in it.  "Oh, that would be great, Kurt. Thanks."

Kurt could tell he'd fallen asleep, and let him.  The show was in a couple hours and he needed to be alert for it.  Turning onto his back, Kurt stared at the ceiling.  Although Blaine supported Kurt's act, he didn't want to be a part of it.  It seemed a bit crazy to Kurt, who had always been eager for any chance to perform, any chance to be in front of an audience.

Blaine enjoyed performing, but it wasn't deep in his blood, his bones, like it was for most of the Vaudevillains.  He hadn't struggled to do it like they had.  Even Melanie and Elliott and Frank had the performance drive in them, like Kurt did.  

It was just another thing they didn't have in common.  Months had passed since they had reunited and they got on well, but was this all there was to it?  If Blaine wasn't part of the act, that would be even more time they would spend apart, and he would spend with Elliott.  Share with Elliott.

Elliott who was always ready and eager to work on the act, to be onstage.  Kurt could see how excited he was by the act's success, that they were selling out more often.  He was full of good ideas to make it better, and a good performer.  Generous onstage to the others, making sure they shone too.

It felt like even though Kurt shared a room with Blaine, they didn't share much time together.  He was often in his trips, or planning them.  Kurt was rehearsing, working on costumes.  Blaine was up early, Kurt was up late.  Even sex was less frequent lately.  

Kurt sighed.  Maybe this wasn't meant to be.  It had run it's course.  Today, when he had been so worried, was that just the old feelings from the Titanic rearing up again?  

Looking down at Blaine, Kurt ran his fingers through his soft curls.  His face looked peaceful and sweet, and Kurt could feel the love was still there.  

Yes, they were finding their way in this life together, and they wouldn't always want to do the same things.  Wouldn't always be interested in the same things.  But it didn't mean they couldn't support each other, give each other room to explore the interests.  It would be stifling otherwise. 

Blaine shifted under Kurt's touch, turning to press his lips against his palm.  Glancing at the pocket watch on the side table, Kurt could see an hour had passed.  Blaine looked more himself from the sleep.

"Come here."  Blaine tugged Kurt closer, wrapping him tight in his arms.  "I love you so much, Kurt."

His whisper went straight to Kurt's heart, and Kurt squeezed him back.  "I love you too, Blaine Devon Anderson."  Saying it brought back memories of their hand fasting oaths, and Kurt leaned closer to capture Blaine's lips in a tender kiss.

"Have you ever been to Niagara Falls, Blaine?"  Kurt pulled back to ask, his eyes searching Blaine's hazel ones.

Blaine shook his head, still looking a bit sleepy and damn adorable.  "No, never."

Kurt chuckled.  "It's in your home state and everything!  Well, you went to a disappointing waterfall today, so I think the next one you see should be the most powerful one in the world.  We could go on our day off, spend the whole day.  Maybe stay the night."

"Like a Honeymoon?"  Blaine chuckled.  It was such a common place for couples to Honeymoon, it was kind of a cliche.  

Kurt knew it was cheesy, but he didn't care.  He just wanted time together, just the two of them.  Time to reconnect.  "Why not?  We never had one, did we?"

Blaine nodded, a wide smile spreading over his face.  "Let's do it, Kurt.  Make it as special as we can."

"I think the circuit is near there in a couple weeks.  This gives us time to make lots of plans."  Kurt grinned back.  

About to hop out of the bed, excited about the idea, Kurt was stopped by Blaine's hands.  Pulling him back down in the bed.  Blaine's kiss was hot and deep, and Kurt eagerly moaned, sinking into it.  Shifting on the bed, they were soon tangled up together, tugging at each other's clothes.

 ---

-Disclaimer:  I own nothing. 

-A/N:  Thanks for reading this long series!  I think there will be two chapters more.  :)