Blaine sighed as he viewed the living room. It was an intimidating jumble. Piles and piles of boxes with no labels. Furniture stacked wherever it would fit. A mountain of stuff.

Walking around the apartment, Blaine pulled out his tablet, opening a floor plan app. Using a laser distance meter, he entered the rooms' dimensions as he went.

The apartment was elegant and lovely. The living room was massive and had incredible natural light. The kitchen was sleek, with granite countertops and new appliances. There was a master bedroom with a generous walk-in closet. The attached en-suite had a whirlpool bath and a roomy glass-walled shower. There was a smaller bedroom, a regular-sized bathroom with a shower, and an office. French doors opened onto a wide balcony.

It had been a strange assignment from the start. He was already busy with another project, but the personal assistant to someone wealthy hadn't taken his refusal, offering more and more money for the job. Eventually, he couldn't resist accepting, but with concessions like being able to set his own hours for the project, as long as he finished within two months. He would be able to squeeze a few hours in here and there, working on the apartment around his other job.

Blaine was used to working with wealthy clients, but this was the first time his client had been in a coma and unable to tell Blaine their requirements. His instructions were to use his best judgment and set up the apartment. He had to sign all sorts of non-disclosure agreements, which made him more and more curious about whom his client was. The paperwork only referred to the project by the apartment address.

Back in the living room, Blaine worked on peeking in the boxes, moving them into piles based on which room they belonged to.

It was funny how much was revealed about someone based on their possessions. Blaine was chuckling to himself as he opened box after box filled with shoes and boots, and then several filled with scarves and brooches.

After a couple hours, he had all the boxes sorted into rough piles and knew where he wanted the furniture to go. The huge pile of boxes of clothing and accessories was making him wonder if the large walk-in closet would fit it all. This client was obviously a fashion lover.

It was a good day’s work.

---

"So, the guy you work for is a vegetable?" Sam lifted the opposite end of the large mattress, and they carefully maneuvered it to the master bedroom.

Blaine laughed as they moved the mattress into place on the base. "Well, I think the preferred term is 'comatose'. He was in an accident a year ago and hasn't shown any signs of coming out of it at all, apparently." He had only been told about the client in very general terms.

Walking back to the living room, they carried the nightstand back to the bedroom. "You said he's not very old. That's such a shame."

Nodding, Blaine pushed the stand against the wall. "And even worse, he's only a year older than us."

"Well, at least he has money." Sam said as they moved a table into the kitchen.

Blaine nodded. An apartment this size, even in Brooklyn, was very pricey. The furniture was lovely, perfect for the elegant setting. It was an eclectic mix of decor, with Louis XV style chairs, deep plush sofas in slate grey, and intricately carved wooden art panels, the lotus flowers and other flourishes giving away their Thai origins. The owner clearly had a distinctive designer eye, mixing such diverse styles.

---

"Thanks for helping me move everything around today." Blaine took a couple cold beers out of the fridge and passed one to Sam. Working in the apartment so often, he had stocked up some food and drinks in the mostly empty fridge. "Let's drink these outside."

Sam whistled as they went through the French doors to the wide balcony. It had views of the neighborhood with lots of trees and upscale brownstones. The tall buildings of Manhattan were off in the distance.

"You're lucky to be working here for a few weeks. Nice digs!" Sam sat down at the patio table, stretching his long legs out towards the golden, afternoon sun. He cracked open his beer, taking a long sip.

Blaine drank his beer, enjoying the peaceful view. "Yeah, it's so much quieter in this neighborhood than my place." He felt tired but satisfied with the work they had done today. All the furniture was roughly in place, and the boxes were moved to the rooms he had assigned to them. It would make setting each room up go faster.

"At least you have a place!" Sam smiled over at his friend. He had recently moved out of his old apartment, when his roommate’s girlfriend had moved in.

Shrugging, Blaine relaxed back into his chair. "You’re welcome to stay on my sofa until you find a new rental. I'll be working long hours the next couple months anyways."

---

On the third day, Blaine’s new client was moved home from the hospital. Blaine was working in the kitchen, unpacking all the boxes and figuring out the best way to organize the cupboards.

He held the door open as the hospital-style bed was delivered, and it was set up in the smaller bedroom. An hour later, various medical staff came in with his client on a stretcher, settling him in the new bed and hooking him up to IVs and other tubes.

Blaine didn’t want to get in the way of all the health professionals, busy with their set-up. So, he stuck to the kitchen area, concentrating on his work.

---

An hour later, things had settled down. Curious, Blaine quietly went to the small bedroom. The man was in the bed, and a nurse in scrubs was dozing on a chair nearby. A book and a computer tablet were lying on the table near her. The rest of the medical staff had gone.

Creeping forward, Blaine edged towards the bed until he was standing beside it. He had been wondering about his client since being contacted for this assignment, and simply couldn't wait any longer to see him. Looking down at the man so close to his own age, Blaine let out an involuntary gasp, rocking back in surprise. Glancing fast at the napping nurse, he was relieved he hadn't disturbed her, and returned to staring down at the comatose man.

It was Kurt Hummel. Winner of multiple Tony awards before he was even thirty, his fast ascent grabbing so much attention. He had been the hot new thing, selling out performances and filling up the gossip columns and blogs with his nighttime adventures. A brave, openly gay activist that many admired.

Blaine thought about everything the agency had told him about this assignment, and he shook his head at not connecting that information with Kurt Hummel before now. It just seemed so surreal, too incredible, to think he was actually working on the apartment of such a famous Broadway legend. He felt stunned, a little numb, blinking down at the handsome man.

The theatre fans had been delighted when he was seen in recent years with a slightly older playboy. Everyone had been interested in their romance, amazed at their lavish house and seemingly perfect lifestyle.

But a series of tragedies struck the young star in quick succession. His father passing away at a relatively young age, the accident that left Kurt comatose, and now the breakdown of their relationship. His rich boyfriend was rumoured to be heartbroken over Kurt's current condition. He had sold their house, getting an apartment for Kurt to be comfortable in with the best care, and had then swiftly left the country.

Blaine had seen Kurt perform a few times, years ago, a vivacious, passionate presence that drew every eye to him. It was jarring, comparing that bundle of energy to seeing him like this, so still and quiet. He had been able to move audiences from laughter to tears, pulling their emotional strings with his pure talent.

Now, Kurt Hummel lay on the hospital-style bed, his head slightly elevated. His hair was on the longer side, and he had a trimmed light beard. His skin was still perfect, but pale. The news about the accident had been incomplete. Blaine looked for any signs of damage, but couldn't see any.

He really just looked like he was sleeping, ready to wake up any moment. Blaine's breath caught at the thought of those beautiful blue eyes blinking open and focusing on him. Even lying comatose on the bed, Blaine still appreciated the star's famous face. His attractiveness was balanced with a strong jaw and large enough nose to make him undoubtedly masculine.

The nurse shifted in her chair, startling Blaine, and he crept back out of the room.

---

The next few days flew by. Blaine was busy, working through the boxes, but felt pleased at his progress.

He got to know the health care staff, seeing them in passing so much. It was a large apartment but they still crossed paths. Mostly they were in the smaller bedroom and the main bathroom.

It looked like there was a rotation of nurses, so there was always someone with Kurt. They monitored his IV and took care of his regular needs. There was also a physiotherapist that came twice a week. A doctor came by once a week or so. Everyone assumed that Blaine was just Kurt's friend, and he didn't bother to correct them. He would only be working there a few more weeks anyways.

The friendliest of them all was Hannah, a middle-aged woman with short salt and pepper hair, who seemed to be the senior nurse. She sometimes would come out to the kitchen to heat up her bag lunch, and Blaine took his break with her occasionally.

"The apartment is really starting to look like a home now. I like looking around and seeing what things you have changed since my last shift." Hannah smiled, blowing on a hot spoonful of soup.

Blaine took a bite of the sandwich he had brought for lunch. "Thanks. It's not hard when you have beautiful things like Kurt does. He has a great sense of style."

Hannah nodded. "Well, if Kurt wakes up, he'll feel more at home, seeing things he recognizes all around him."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up. "Is that really possible? I would have thought he would have woken up by now if he was going to."

She shrugged, finishing off her soup. "Most don't, but it can happen. The more time that passes, the less likely, of course. But the human brain is still very mysterious."

"I've heard you playing the radio and talking to him when you are in there." Blaine was intrigued by her. The other nurses tend to be quiet, usually reading or playing on their tablets when they weren't doing specific care tasks.

Hannah nodded. "Of course. It won't hurt him and it's supposed to help. Anything to encourage the brain to reengage with the world." She gave him an assessing glance. "Would you like to come in, sit and talk with him?"

Blaine looked down, feeling shy. "I wouldn't know what to say. I’d probably sound like a stupid fanboy. I loved you in Hair and in Company. Not really what Kurt needs to hear.”

She got up, putting her dishes in the dishwasher. "Come in and just read to him. Or talk about your day. He's a very good listener." She squeezed Blaine’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile, before she went back to her post.

---

A couple days later, when Hannah was working, Blaine came into Kurt’s room, holding a Vogue magazine. "I thought I'd take you up on your suggestion and read to him." Blaine remarked.

"Oh great. I'll leave you to it." Hannah smiled and took her tablet with her.

Blaine was surprised to be left alone with Kurt. Pulling up a chair, he looked him over, noticing that Kurt’s beard seemed trimmed a little shorter. The nurses must do it every week or so. Otherwise, he looked as still and lovely as he had the last time.

Blaine opened the magazine, turning to the first article. In sorting Kurt's things, he had come across the perfectly stored collection of Vogues, going back years. He'd found the one from the month of the accident, and the spine was smooth. Kurt had never had a chance to read it.

Blaine had never read a Vogue before, and he was surprised at the quality of the articles. Many things were visual and he described them to Kurt as needed, feeling a little foolish.

By the time he finished reading the magazine out loud, another nurse had arrived and Hannah introduced them. He exited the bedroom, leaving Kurt to their care.

He felt good as he put the magazine back in its place. Maybe it would help Kurt, but probably it wouldn't. Reading Vogue out loud to him made Blaine see a little more into Kurt’s world, his interests. And he was surprised that he had enjoyed reading the magazine too. His work did have a design element, and trends in clothing and home decor often mirrored each other.

But as he walked towards the subway, images of that famous, handsome face lingered in his mind. Sleeping Beauty. Maybe all he needed was a kiss to wake up.

The thought made Blaine chuckle to himself as he went down the subway stairs. It had been a while since he had been in a relationship, but he was hardly desperate enough to kiss a comatose man, no matter how attractive he was.

...

-A/N: Thanks for reading this first chapter. I will likely be posting chapters daily for about 10 chapters, and then slow down to 2-3 chapters a week after that. Feedback is very welcome.

-I'm not used to working with a beta, and HKVoyage was very kind in putting up with me for this process. I left up the old version, so people are welcome to still read it and see the changes to the story.

-Title is from John Lennon song 'Instant Karma': "We all shine on...like the moon and the stars and the sun..."