So here it was.

Opening night.

At last, it had arrived.

Kurt was a mess. "Oh my god, I hate the script. The story is stupid! How the hell did you let me put this on? What are you-"

Blaine kissed him hard, pulling him close. "Calm down." He whispered.

Derek massaged Kurt's shoulders, laughing. "Listen to him – we would be pretty shitty directors if this was crap. Also, you wouldn't have gotten the funding if it was crap. So calm down."

Ian had his arms folded, grinning. "Everything is going to be perfect." He assured him.

Kurt tried to take a breath, nodding frantically.

"Is everyone here? Is everyone ready?" he was off, striding into the dressing rooms.

Blaine chuckled, following him. He was nervous as hell, but he was bottling it – he had to – for Kurt.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. Gd luck xxx – Cinnamon

He laughed, running after Kurt. "The strippers say hi." He grinned, and Kurt's eyes widened.

"People are here already?" he didn't wait for an answer, running off to help someone with a costume.

How many are outside? He texted her back.

Tons. Pcked. Looks like full house and ppl are being turned away.

Blaine grinned, racing after Kurt to tell him. Kurt's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Really?"

Blaine nodded, grinning. "It's going to be fabulous."

"What if they hate it?" he blanched, and Blaine sighed.

"Let him go. He'll be fine." Derek placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Kurt came running past again, and Derek grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him into Ian, who passed him onto Blaine. Blaine held onto him tightly as Kurt tried to get away again.

"Blaine, I have to go check on the costumes!" he said, pushing at Blaine's shoulder as the other man tried to hug him. Laughing, Blaine kissed him hard, swallowing Kurt's protests.

"Blaine..." Kurt whined.

"Kurt, where's your costume?" Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kurt blanched, glancing at his watch.

"Thirty minutes until the show starts and I'm not in costume!" he panicked, running back towards the dressing rooms.

Derek laughed, checking his own watch.

"Dear god he's insane." Ian laughed. "We'll introduce the play, then we're heading to our box seat. Good luck, Blaine. Tell Kurt the same."

Blaine laughed, nodding. "Thanks guys. We'll see you at intermission?"

"Indeed. Have fun!" Derek called as they left.

Blaine headed to the dressing rooms, where Kurt had just stepped out.

"We're going to do fine." He promised, and Kurt nodded, taking a breath before clapping loudly.

"Alright, places!" Kurt called. "We're on in ten. Bright smiles – good luck everyone!"

Blaine smiled indulgently, moving to his place. In ten minutes, the curtains would go up, and the show they'd been working on for months would finally be seen.

Kurt blinked as the stage lights turned on, smiling as he double checked that every cast member was in their place. On the other side of the curtains, he could hear Ian and Derek introducing the play. He froze in place, waiting as the curtains twitched and finally began to open.

He took a deep breath.

This was it.

^.^

"I think I'm going to faint." Kurt hissed during intermission.

"Relax." Blaine massaged his shoulders, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "We're doing amazing."

It was true. Nothing had gone wrong – everyone was perfectly in place, and they knew all the lines. Blaine was so impressed.

"Holy god…" Kurt breathed.

"We've got twenty minutes. Go get some water and calm the fuck down." Blaine laughed.

"It's fantastic. Spectacular. Amazing." Derek exclaimed.

"We're only halfway, and that was the easy half!" Kurt was almost hyperventilating.

Blaine grabbed his shoulders.

"Kurt, breathe." He reminded him gently. "It'll be fine."

"It's amazing!" Someone called from where the rest of the cast was relaxing. Kurt grinned over at them.

"Keep your voices down, the audience might hear you!"

Blaine laughed, pressing a bottle of water into Kurt's hand. "Take a drink, breathe, and calm down."

Kurt nodded at him, his eyes wide, and Ian laughed.

"Seriously, calm the fuck down. It's fine - it's fucking amazing - so you need to relax, and just roll with it, okay?"

Kurt exhaled quickly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Okay! I get it. I need to calm down." he repeated.

"Finally." Derek rolled his eyes.

"Five minutes to show time!" Ian called to the cast, checking his watch.

"Shit!"

^.^

The Strippers returned to their seats, still debriefing after the first act.

"His Faline is so handsome!" Kandy exclaimed.

"He's such a good writer, oh my god, this play is terrific!" Thumper cried gleefully.

Snaps said nothing, sinking further into his seat and staring at the stage with narrowed eyes.

Cinnamon stole glances at Snaps - he'd been suspiciously quiet all night, and she was worried. He was switching between looking at Blaine adoringly, and glaring at Kurt, and Cinnamon knew he was planning something...

She just didn't know what.

The second act flew by almost as quickly as the first. The strippers sat captivated, and waited outside afterwards for Blaine, still gushing about the play.

"Well done everyone!" Kurt called backstage, smiling as everyone congratulated each other. "Now, I want you to go home, rest up, and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon to warm up and get ready for our second show!"

"Good night!" called different cast members as Kurt turned to talk to Blaine, Derek and Ian.

"The strippers are waiting outside." Blaine said softly, glancing at his phone. Kurt grinned at him.

"We'll meet you guys at home?" he told Derek and Ian. They traded glances, laughing.

"Sure."

"Don't wait up." Kurt said pointedly.

"Kinky." Derek grinned and the two boys blushed.

Derek and Ian left, and Kurt took a deep breath. They were the last ones to leave, and the janitor was ushering them out.

"Don't expect too many people. It's only the first night, after all." Kurt said softly, and Blaine smiled, kissing him softly before they separated.

Kurt pulled the door open first, taken aback when there was a large group of people waiting for him. They erupted into applause as Kurt and Blaine stepped out, thrusting their playbooks at them. It took them a few moments to move through the crowd until it was only the Strippers left.

Cinnamon immediately claimed Blaine in a bone gripping hug. "Oh my god, you sexy little man." She exclaimed, kissing him on both cheeks. "I am so proud of you."

She finally released him, and Blaine stepped back, only to be swept into Kandy's arms. Blaine laughed as the strippers passed him from person to person, until he came to a stumbling halt in Snaps' arms. The laughter of the strippers paused awkwardly, but Blaine just captured him in a hug before stepping away, reclaiming his position next to Kurt.

"Okay, guys, this is-"

"Blaine, can I talk to you?" Snaps interrupted. Blaine frowned slightly before his expression cleared.

"Sure Snaps." he agreed softly.

The other strippers glanced at each other awkwardly, striking up a conversation with Kurt and praising him on the fantastic show.

"I...I want to tell you something." Snaps said softly. "But this...your show was amazing...really well written too. I'm proud of you."

Blaine blushed happily. "Thanks. Now...what did you want to say?"

Snaps sucked in a breath. "When you first came to the strip club...you were eighteen. Fresh out of school and looking for a fresh start."

Blaine nodded, biting his lip, not sure as to what Snaps was getting at.

"You came to New York, and you became a stripper with us...and I fell in love with you."

Blaine stopped. His mind actually stopped, his heart racing, paling slightly as he took a step back from Snaps.

"Uhm..." he breathed, his eyes flicking to Snaps. "I...Snaps...I..."

His mind raced to all the things that had happened between them. Snaps had initiated all of them - the touches, the subtle grinding when it was 'only for show' - the drunken kiss they shared one night at one of their parties. Suddenly it all made sense - falling into place and hitting Blaine like a wave of realization.

"Snaps...I..."

Snaps closed his eyes. "You don't love me." It wasn't a question.

"I'm...I'm with Kurt, Snaps." he whispered, eyes wide, glancing back to where Kurt was glancing at him curiously.

Snaps glanced up, frowning hard at him. "Right. Of course." he muttered, before turning and walking away.

"Snaps! Snaps, come back!" he called, but the young man didn't turn.

Cinnamon ran up to Blaine, frowning. "What...where did he go? What happened?"

"He...he told me he was in love with me." he said softly, walking back to the group.

"Oh..." Cinnamon whispered. "And you...you don't...?"

"I'm..." he sighed heavily, pulling Kurt forward and wrapping his arms around him. "With Kurt."

The strippers all exclaimed excitedly, congratulating the both of them - Snaps forgotten. Kurt grinned, pecking him on the cheek slightly.

"My baby's grown up." Avalon smiled from the back of the group, and they all turned to her with surprise.

"Avalon?"

"I only caught the end of the show - I had to work overtime tonight because some of my strippers decided to all take the night off." she teased, and they laughed guiltily. "You were beautiful, Bambi."

"As was your Faline." Thumper exclaimed, and Kurt's eyes widened.

"Faline?" he quirked an eyebrow, and the strippers chuckled.

"I have to get back to the club, I just wanted to wish you all the best. Both of you." Avalon said with a smile.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Blaine gushed, wrapping her in a hug.

Kandy grinned, glancing around at them all.

"Coffee?"