Chapter 4

'What were you playing when I came home?,' Blaine asked over their empty plates at the dining room table.

Kurt flushed; he'd hoped Blaine didn't know about that.

'Um- Just some show tune.' He waved his hand dismissively. 'Sorry I played your piano. I just had nothing to do and it was too tempting, like it was telling me, "Kurt, I'm here, come and play".' He giggled nervously.

'I don't mind. I just thought I've heard that song before.'

That was a good sign; not only did Blaine not laugh out loud at the term show tune, he also said he thought he knew it. The possibility of your playing for my team has just reached ninety-nine per cent, Mr Blaine Anderson, he thought.

'Um, it was Defying Gravity from Wicked.'

Blaine's face lit up.

'Of course! It's been too long since I listened to Wicked then, I suppose.'

A wide grin split Kurt's face in half.

'I guess that's your diagnosis.' Kurt paused. 'Do you mind if I play some more? I've been trying to reach that high F, and it's easier with the piano.'

Blaine's eyebrows shot up. Did he really mean singing that high F? It was true that Kurt's speaking voice was quite high-pitched, but could he really sing that high, too?

'Sure,' he said, trying not to show how increasingly intrigued he was by his house guest.

Kurt gathered the dishes and put them in the kitchen sink. Then he headed back to the piano, sending a tiny anxious smile to Blaine on the way.

The moment Kurt's fingers pressed the keys, releasing the first notes of the song, Blaine was already standing in the far end of the living room, leaning on a bookshelf and watching Kurt.

Something has changed within me, something is not the same…

His voice resounded loud and clear through the house; it was remarkable. Feminine and masculine elements mingled in it, making it one of a kind. Blaine listened, dazzled, until the song was interrupted before its end. Kurt lifted his hands from the keyboard and grimaced. He still wasn't there with that freaking high F.

Feeling Blaine's gaze on him, he turned around.

'That's where I always screw up.'

'That was amazing,' Blaine said.

'Seriously?'

'Yeah. Your voice is unbelievable.' He perched on the back of the sofa next to the piano.

Kurt threw his head back, squaring his shoulders.

'Well, I guess I'm just fabulous.'

Blaine chuckled, soon to be joined in by Kurt.

'You have an amazing voice yourself,' Kurt said. 'It was hard not to eavesdrop, when you were singing in the shower,' he added, when Blaine raised a querying eyebrow.

'Oh. Usually, nobody can hear me. I guess I have to change my habits.'

'Don't bother on my account. I'm not going to stay here forever, and I quite liked it.' He smiled, turning back to the piano.

***

The next couple of hours they spent playing the piano and singing, both having more fun than they had had for a long while. Finally, their voices coarse and their fingers tired, they slumped onto the sofas with silent grins on their faces and eyes fixed on the ceiling.

'The Warblers should definitely give you a solo,' said Kurt, turning his face to look at Blaine on the other sofa.

'You think so?' Blaine still felt a little self-conscious about his vocal skills. 'But I'm only a freshman, they prefer giving solos to juniors or seniors. Well, at least sophomores.'

Kurt sat up, staring at Blaine with wide eyes.

'Wait. You're a freshman?'

A grimace crossed Blaine's face.

'Um, yeah.' He paused, carefully picking words. 'Last year I had- I had some health problems. I had to skip a year. I would be a sophomore if not for that.' He shrugged dismissively, but Kurt sensed there was some additional meaning to what he was just told. He chose not to press, though; he couldn't demand of Blaine to tell him everything, when he was keeping so much from him himself.

'Your Glee club must be stupid, if you haven't gotten a solo yet, either,' Blaine said, going back to the easier subject.

'Yes, well, the New Directions are probably the lamest of all Glee clubs in America.' He bit his lip, a fierce expression on his face. 'And they should change their name to the Rachel Berry Backing Band. She's our self-proclaimed "Greatest Star",' he added, indicating quotation marks with his fingers, when Blaine raised his eyebrows queryingly.

'The Warlbers don't have a star, thank god. It's all about being treated equally, et cetera, et cetera.'

Kurt shifted, propping his elbows on the armrest.

'Maybe you should change that. Because there's definitely one person in the Warblers, who's star material.'

Blaine let out a chuckle, before taking a look at Kurt's face to realize that he wasn't joking.

'That's flattering, but I'm not so sure.'

'I'm just saying how it is.' Kurt raised his hands defensively.

They fell silent, Blaine wondering whether maybe Kurt was right and he should fight for a solo, even though he was just a freshman. Kurt's thoughts wandered in a different direction.

'Can I ask you something?,' he said quietly after a moment.

'Sure.'

'I don't want to be obnoxious or rude, or anything, but…' He dropped his eyes. 'How long can I stay here?'

Blaine leaned forward, trying to reestablish eye contact.

'For as long as you need to.' As soon as the sentence was finished, he began to fear he might regret saying that.

'What about your parents?,' Kurt asked, finally looking up.

'We'll figure something out.' Blaine shrugged. 'I don't think they're going to notice, anyway.'

Neither of them laughed; they both knew he wasn't kidding.