KlaineHugs
Aug. 1, 2015, 7 p.m.
The Switch : Chapter 8
T - Words: 3,426 - Last Updated: Aug 01, 2015 Story: Complete - Chapters: 18/? - Created: Apr 16, 2015 - Updated: Apr 16, 2015 233 0 0 0 0
The next morning, Kurt woke up a little later then he did the previous morning. He finally seeming to be getting used to the time difference. He stared up at the ceiling with a smile, letting his mind wander back to yesterdays events. He remembered all the little things, the way Blaine looked at him when he thought Kurt wasnt looking, the way their hands perfectly fit together, almost as if they were made for each other, and the endless conversation about the random things in life. And oh- that crazy wonderful kiss that he could only describe as... well, perfect. He didnt even know where to begin wrapping his mind around it, all he knew was that it felt... right. Like it was the final missing puzzle piece he didnt know he was missing. He sighed at the mere thought of it, and realized that the man who gave him that perfect kiss was only a few doors down the hall from him, potentially thinking about him right now.
That thought seemed to motivate him to get out of bed. He was up in a matter of seconds, going through yet another shortened version of his skincare regimen (he knew he was going to regret it eventually), and practically skipped over to the nightstand where he had placed his clothes with care. He pulled an outfit that he figured was acceptable for the day and glanced at the mirror to take in his appearance. His hair needed some work, which, hopefully, wouldnt take too long to fix, but a his reflection greeted him with a bright smile. The smile was certainly new to him, as it was the first time hes actually dressed up for someone else than himself, and he was surprised at how happy he was about it. He quickly styled his hair, making sure that not a hair was out of place, before exiting the room. He shut the door quietly behind him, hoping no one had heard him getting up. As he snuck down the hallway, he glanced around the corner of the living rooms entrance and searched to see if anyone else was up. When he saw that no one was in the living room, he let out a sigh.
"You looking for your boy toy?"
Kurt jumped at surprise as the sound of a voice sliced through the silence in the air. He turned to see Santana leaning against the wall behind her. She was wearing high wasted shorts with a red crop top, standing in impossibly high black heels with her arms crossed and a suggestive smirk on her face.
"The three of them went down to the recording studio this morning. Apparently Jake had a last minute set change and he wanted to run a new song idea by his writers," She told him.
Kurt tried to hide the disappointment in his features as he answered, "Oh,"
"You were clearly looking forward to seeing him this morning after everything that happened last night," she continued. "Sounds like you enjoyed yourself,"
"And how would you know that?" Kurt asked, slowly raising an eyebrow in question. God, he severely hoped that she hadnt been spying on them the previous day. The last thing he needed was more teasing.
"I was up early this morning and ran into him in the kitchen. He wouldnt stop going on and on about what you guys did yesterday. Hes got it bad for you, Hummel."
Kurt felt himself begin to grow red. Blaine was thinking about yesterday as much as he was, and he could hardly believe it. "I can say I definitely enjoyed myself last night," he said as lightly and nonchalantly as possible.
Santana rolled her eyes and tossed him a look, clearly not satisfied with his immediate response. "Yeah right, youre going to act like that wasnt the best night of your life."
He let out a breath he didnt know he was holding and thought about it. She was exactly right, it probably was the most magical night of his life, and if he was going to downgrade something, it certainly wasnt going to be this. "Of course it was Santana! You had to have been there! It was... spectacular, it felt like something out a movie!" And with that, Kurt spilled every detail of yesterdays events while Santana stood and listened through it all (despite her insanely tall heels). When he was finished, he let out a heavy sigh and let a dreamy look paint across his face.
"Youre totally falling in love with him."
Those words seemed to cut through the fantasy he was currently having. "What?"
"I said youre-"
"No, I heard what you just said, but..."
"But what?" She countered, leaving Kurt to truly think about the situation.
"Ive only been here three days, thats not enough time to fall in love with someone!"
"Come on Hummel, youve been talking to this guy day and night for a month. You get excited every time the phone rings because you think its Blaine. Why cant you just admit that to yourself?"
He was silent for another moment. Was he really in love with a guy he just met? Before he had a chance to really think about it, the front door swung open to reveal Jake and Mercedes with bright smiles on their faces.
"Youre up! I feel like I havent seen you for days!" Mercedes squealed, wrapping Kurt in a tight hug.
"Its only been a day, Mercedes! Besides, youve been awfully busy with Jake," Kurt said suggestively, hoping she would catch on to what he was trying to say.
She smacked the side of his arm, clearly understanding what he was getting at. "Well you havent exactly been sitting around and twiddling your thumbs, Hummel."
Before he had the chance to shoot her another sly comment, Blaine entered the open doorway, carrying an insanely large box. Just when it seemed that the box was going to fall over, Kurt rushed over to help him stabilize it.
"I could have gotten that."
"Yeah, it looked like you were going to have a great time with the broken foot you were about to get," Kurt responded as he helped Blaine set the box on the ground.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Kurt said with a small shy smile. The both of them simply gazed at each other until someone cleared their throat and interrupted them.
"Dont mean to interrupt the love fest going on between the hobbit and lady here, or, well, actually, I do, but we all have other things to get done today," Santana remarked.
Both boys rolled their eyes in annoyance and watched as Santana left the room, leaving Mercedes and Jake to follow. After the three of them were gone, Kurt spun back around to Blaine.
"So whats in that life threatening box of yours?"
"Just some sheet music. I had a pretty large collection that Jake wanted to keep at the studio, but he decided it might be put to better use here," Blaine replied as he kicked it lightly with his foot.
"Im not sure its physically possible for sheet music to be that heavy, Blaine."
"You dont believe me?"
"Well, lets have a look then," Kurt said, grabbing the lid and looking over its contents. Sure enough, stacks of sheet music were sitting in the cardboard box. On the top of the sheet music stacks was group picture, the same one that was the wallpaper on Blaines phone. He reached down to have a better look at the picture. The red and black blazer wearing boys stood on stage, smiling and posing for the camera. Blaine stood front and center with a goofy smile.
Kurt smiled at the picture. "Quite the collection you have here."
"They let the senior Warblers take their favorite sheet music with them when they graduate. Most of those are my favorites from my years as a Warbler,"
Kurt sat down in the middle of the hall and leafed through the stacks of music. "You were obsessed with Bruno Mars back then, werent you?"
"Hey, it was a phase!" Blaine said defensively, emitting a laugh from Kurt as he came down to sit next to him.
"I like Bruno Mars songs. I feel like what he writes just isnt a bunch of half-assed words for a good hit, but they actually mean something. Like... When I Was Your Man for example. Its like an apology and an acceptance speech to the person he loved. Its like his way of saying that hes accepted that things are over and he hopes that the girl gets exactly what she deserves,"
"So you like to see deeper meanings in songs?" Kurt asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Did you forget I was a composer?" Blaine remarked with a smile. "I feel like sometimes the words and the music itself are two different things. It doesnt take much to sit down, create a rhythm, and think of some stupid catchy words thatll stick to your mind, but to really write a song, it takes more then that. It all has to start with a good idea,something that inspires you, something youre passionate about. And then you have to go with it, find the words that really speak to you. And then once you have that, the music just comes to you- or at least it does for me. And then you have it, the perfect song."
Kurt was silent for a moment, "You really thought that one through."
"Its what I love. I put my trust into knowing that someday people will hear my music and see that its more than just words and instrument riffs," Blaine said, glancing slightly up through the thick caramel lashes that shielded his eyes. The two of them sifted around through the box of sheet music in a comfortable silence, with an occasional hum from Blaine when he found a song he liked. Finally, after about twenty minutes, Kurt stopped and glanced over at Blaine, who had the sheet music for Animals in his hand.
"Blaine?"
"Hm?" He looked up from the music he had in his hand to look at him.
"I know this is off topic, but... I wanted to ask you something," Kurt started. "You would trust me with anything right?"
"Of course I would."
"Because I would trust you with everything I had, maybe more than Ive ever trusted anyone before. Youre the first person who hasnt cared about my famous best friends, you cared about me, as a person. And I want to thank you for that,"
"Theres no reason to thank me for that," Blaine said, reaching over to take his hand. "Im always going to see you for you."
Kurt smiled and glanced down at the box again. "Lets make a promise. Well always be honest with each other, no matter what happens or how bad it may seem. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Blaine replied, giving him a peck on his forehead. "Cmon, wed better get ready for the day."
The two of them neatly placed the sheet music back into the box, making sure not to bend anything as they shut the lid back down. Blaine insisted on carrying it himself, although Kurt put up a fair fight, and he set it down next to the staircase, hoping he would remember to attend to it later. Kurt reached out and took Blaines hand, leading him back towards the living room, where the others had finished whatever Santana had dragged them off to do and were waiting for their return. They were immediately immersed in a conversation, talking about the events for the night. But the only thing Blaine couldnt stop thinking about was the promise he made. Kurt mustve been a mind reader or an empath or something to have come up with that just then.
He needed to tell the truth, the sooner, the better.
~
Hours later, the five of them were scattered around the house getting ready for the concert that they were due to leave for soon. Blaine was rummaging through his closet, trying to find the black combat boots that he knew were somewhere behind his clothes. Finally, after pulling back his Dalton blazer (he got a little nostalgic sometimes), he found them and tossed his blazer in a heap in the back. He grabbed his boots happily and pulled them quickly, not bothering to tie the laces tightly. Before he had a chance to check his appearance in the mirror, his phone began to ring in the corner of the room. He walked over to the desk and glanced at the caller id before answering it.
"Blaine."
"Hey Max, whats up?"
"I wanted to ask you something. You know Mercedes and Jake are hosting a show tonight, right?"
"Yes, of course I do," he replied
"I thought it would be a good idea to for you to perform one of the songs youre working on. Are any of them close to being finished?"
"Well I just finished one, but-"
"Great, do you have an arrangement?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Can you get the set up to Adam? Hopefully its-"
"Max, can I interrupt?" Blaine asked. When he didnt hear an answer, he continued, "If this was any other opportunity, I would be all over this, but this is not the best time."
"Why is that, Blaine?"
"Because, theres someone here who means a lot to me, but he doesnt know that side of me. He doesnt know that Im Blaine Anderson, new and upcoming recording artist. And, if you dont mind sir, I would like to keep it that way, at least until I find a good time to tell him."
"Okay, let me get this straight, youve been seeing someone for what, two months give or take, and you expect me to believe that he doesnt have the slightest clue about who you are?"
"I, um, its complicated?" he replied. "I swear its weirder from my perspective."
"Well Blaine, Im sorry but I cant let you pass this opportunity up. Im doing this for your own good. Perform tonight or Im dropping you from the label."
"What!?" he asked incredulously. The shock of his managers words hit him like a brick wall. "Why?"
"This show could be a building block for not just Jake, but for you too. I let you go on the tour because you promised that you would show me your full potential, and that you could make it as an artist. Youve shown me that and now its just a matter of following through with it."
Blaine was silent for a moment. Was this seriously happening right now?
"Whats your decision Blaine?"
"Fine. Ill do it," he answered shortly. "See you tonight."
"Thats the Blaine Anderson I know. See you tonight up on the stage."
The line went dead, and only a loud buzzing noise was left to confirm that the phone call had actually happened. Blaine locked his phone with a click and let it slide out of his hand and onto the bed, where he promptly sat down in silence. He thought he heard a creak in the hallway outside his room but, it the sound was gone as quickly as it had come, and only silence remained. Blaine couldnt believe his luck, his manager was actually forcing him to perform at the concert. Not only did the guy only get around to telling this ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOW, but he was making Blaine do it at the worst possible time. He groaned, falling back onto his bed to stare at the white ceiling above him.
Well, shit.
~
There were several things Blaine loved about the concerts he performed at on tour. He loved meeting the supportive fans, he loved the rush of adrenaline, and most of all, he loved when the last note rang out and the last word was sung, because it would end with the audiences cheers of encouragement. Those cheers made him feel like he and his talent were worth something, and they gave him the courage to keep singing and continue doing what he loved to do.
Why couldnt he have any of that courage now?
There was always one downside to the tour though. No matter where they went, none of them ever got any privacy. They always seemed to be in the path of some paparazzi or some huge group of fans whenever they left to do something. And as well as they all seemed to be able to handle it, sometimes it got WAY too out of hand. That was why Blaine loved performing in LA. Yes, the paparazzi still followed their every move, but it wasnt as insane. People in LA were so used to seeing celebrities go to malls and restaurants that they just stopped caring. Which was a good thing for Blaine, who liked to enjoy his time walking around the craziness that was LA (which actually wasnt as crazy as everyone made it out to be).
Blaine was smiling and clapping as Mercedes finished up her last number for the night. She blew the crowd a kiss and waved, "Thank you LA! Until next time!"
The music died down and automatically a background track played like it did between each performance set. Blaine knew that he needed to get backstage so he could get ready, but he still hadnt told Kurt the truth yet. With a deep breath, he made the decision to go look for Kurt. Before he had a chance to take a step though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with the face of his manager, Max.
"Cmon, youve got to get backstage," Max said earnestly.
Blaine tried to protest, but Max cut him off. Blaine let out the breath he had been about to use. He willingly followed Max back around the corner and up the stairs behind the main stage to where Mercedes was standing.
"Did you talk to him?" She asked.
"No, I didnt get the chance," he answered. "God, this is harder than when I was coming out to my parents. This shouldnt even be that hard, I just have to rip the band-aid off..."
"I know this isnt going to be easy for you, you dont want him to get upset. You should know though, this might hurt him more now that the way its coming up is from you going up on that stage and singing songs youve written."
"I know, but what choice do I have?"
"I guess it cant be helped."
Blaine heart dropped as he heard the third voice that filled the room. He turned slowly to see Kurt standing there with one of Blaines own own EPs in hand. He held it up as he spoke, "A little girl asked me if I could get Blaine Anderson to sign this for her. Since she had seen pictures of the two of us out on our date yesterday."
"Kurt-"
"Save it, Blaine," he said, cutting Blaine off. "I heard your phone call earlier. You know, I dont know what makes me feel stupider, the fact that I didnt realize you were a celebrity, or the fact that you were actually trying to hide it from me. My best friends are Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry. Weve been talking to each other for two months now, and you HAD to have known that I wouldnt treat you any different when I found out you were famous. Why would you lie to me like that?"
"I didnt lie..."
"But you didnt tell me the truth either!" Kurt shot back, his eyes already clearly beginning to water and his voice starting to shake. "Ive told you everything, more than my best friends, my parents, more than anyone I know. And what do I know about you? That youre friends with Jake Miller, and you were once a little boy at Dalton Academy in a glee club with big dreams of making it in this world as a singer. You just conveniently left out that you HAD made it already, that youre basically the music industrys next big thing."
Kurt wavered for a moment, watching every little moment on Blaines face as the silence rang out. "Why did you lie to me? I wouldnt care that the whole country has your songs on their playlists, but if you would hide something this huge about yourself from me, how could I ever trust you?"
The question came out as almost a whisper, and his voice trembled as a single tear ran down his face. The question tore a hole through Blaines heart, and he was unable to respond. Kurt wiped the tear away and pulled on a straight face. "Okay then."
"Kurt... please..."
Kurt turned away, dropping the CD case and letting it crash to the ground, the sound making a defining crack in the silence. Blaine watched as he disappeared down the stairs and around the corner until he was out of sight, leaving Blaine to face the crowd.
That thought seemed to motivate him to get out of bed. He was up in a matter of seconds, going through yet another shortened version of his skincare regimen (he knew he was going to regret it eventually), and practically skipped over to the nightstand where he had placed his clothes with care. He pulled an outfit that he figured was acceptable for the day and glanced at the mirror to take in his appearance. His hair needed some work, which, hopefully, wouldnt take too long to fix, but a his reflection greeted him with a bright smile. The smile was certainly new to him, as it was the first time hes actually dressed up for someone else than himself, and he was surprised at how happy he was about it. He quickly styled his hair, making sure that not a hair was out of place, before exiting the room. He shut the door quietly behind him, hoping no one had heard him getting up. As he snuck down the hallway, he glanced around the corner of the living rooms entrance and searched to see if anyone else was up. When he saw that no one was in the living room, he let out a sigh.
"You looking for your boy toy?"
Kurt jumped at surprise as the sound of a voice sliced through the silence in the air. He turned to see Santana leaning against the wall behind her. She was wearing high wasted shorts with a red crop top, standing in impossibly high black heels with her arms crossed and a suggestive smirk on her face.
"The three of them went down to the recording studio this morning. Apparently Jake had a last minute set change and he wanted to run a new song idea by his writers," She told him.
Kurt tried to hide the disappointment in his features as he answered, "Oh,"
"You were clearly looking forward to seeing him this morning after everything that happened last night," she continued. "Sounds like you enjoyed yourself,"
"And how would you know that?" Kurt asked, slowly raising an eyebrow in question. God, he severely hoped that she hadnt been spying on them the previous day. The last thing he needed was more teasing.
"I was up early this morning and ran into him in the kitchen. He wouldnt stop going on and on about what you guys did yesterday. Hes got it bad for you, Hummel."
Kurt felt himself begin to grow red. Blaine was thinking about yesterday as much as he was, and he could hardly believe it. "I can say I definitely enjoyed myself last night," he said as lightly and nonchalantly as possible.
Santana rolled her eyes and tossed him a look, clearly not satisfied with his immediate response. "Yeah right, youre going to act like that wasnt the best night of your life."
He let out a breath he didnt know he was holding and thought about it. She was exactly right, it probably was the most magical night of his life, and if he was going to downgrade something, it certainly wasnt going to be this. "Of course it was Santana! You had to have been there! It was... spectacular, it felt like something out a movie!" And with that, Kurt spilled every detail of yesterdays events while Santana stood and listened through it all (despite her insanely tall heels). When he was finished, he let out a heavy sigh and let a dreamy look paint across his face.
"Youre totally falling in love with him."
Those words seemed to cut through the fantasy he was currently having. "What?"
"I said youre-"
"No, I heard what you just said, but..."
"But what?" She countered, leaving Kurt to truly think about the situation.
"Ive only been here three days, thats not enough time to fall in love with someone!"
"Come on Hummel, youve been talking to this guy day and night for a month. You get excited every time the phone rings because you think its Blaine. Why cant you just admit that to yourself?"
He was silent for another moment. Was he really in love with a guy he just met? Before he had a chance to really think about it, the front door swung open to reveal Jake and Mercedes with bright smiles on their faces.
"Youre up! I feel like I havent seen you for days!" Mercedes squealed, wrapping Kurt in a tight hug.
"Its only been a day, Mercedes! Besides, youve been awfully busy with Jake," Kurt said suggestively, hoping she would catch on to what he was trying to say.
She smacked the side of his arm, clearly understanding what he was getting at. "Well you havent exactly been sitting around and twiddling your thumbs, Hummel."
Before he had the chance to shoot her another sly comment, Blaine entered the open doorway, carrying an insanely large box. Just when it seemed that the box was going to fall over, Kurt rushed over to help him stabilize it.
"I could have gotten that."
"Yeah, it looked like you were going to have a great time with the broken foot you were about to get," Kurt responded as he helped Blaine set the box on the ground.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Kurt said with a small shy smile. The both of them simply gazed at each other until someone cleared their throat and interrupted them.
"Dont mean to interrupt the love fest going on between the hobbit and lady here, or, well, actually, I do, but we all have other things to get done today," Santana remarked.
Both boys rolled their eyes in annoyance and watched as Santana left the room, leaving Mercedes and Jake to follow. After the three of them were gone, Kurt spun back around to Blaine.
"So whats in that life threatening box of yours?"
"Just some sheet music. I had a pretty large collection that Jake wanted to keep at the studio, but he decided it might be put to better use here," Blaine replied as he kicked it lightly with his foot.
"Im not sure its physically possible for sheet music to be that heavy, Blaine."
"You dont believe me?"
"Well, lets have a look then," Kurt said, grabbing the lid and looking over its contents. Sure enough, stacks of sheet music were sitting in the cardboard box. On the top of the sheet music stacks was group picture, the same one that was the wallpaper on Blaines phone. He reached down to have a better look at the picture. The red and black blazer wearing boys stood on stage, smiling and posing for the camera. Blaine stood front and center with a goofy smile.
Kurt smiled at the picture. "Quite the collection you have here."
"They let the senior Warblers take their favorite sheet music with them when they graduate. Most of those are my favorites from my years as a Warbler,"
Kurt sat down in the middle of the hall and leafed through the stacks of music. "You were obsessed with Bruno Mars back then, werent you?"
"Hey, it was a phase!" Blaine said defensively, emitting a laugh from Kurt as he came down to sit next to him.
"I like Bruno Mars songs. I feel like what he writes just isnt a bunch of half-assed words for a good hit, but they actually mean something. Like... When I Was Your Man for example. Its like an apology and an acceptance speech to the person he loved. Its like his way of saying that hes accepted that things are over and he hopes that the girl gets exactly what she deserves,"
"So you like to see deeper meanings in songs?" Kurt asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Did you forget I was a composer?" Blaine remarked with a smile. "I feel like sometimes the words and the music itself are two different things. It doesnt take much to sit down, create a rhythm, and think of some stupid catchy words thatll stick to your mind, but to really write a song, it takes more then that. It all has to start with a good idea,something that inspires you, something youre passionate about. And then you have to go with it, find the words that really speak to you. And then once you have that, the music just comes to you- or at least it does for me. And then you have it, the perfect song."
Kurt was silent for a moment, "You really thought that one through."
"Its what I love. I put my trust into knowing that someday people will hear my music and see that its more than just words and instrument riffs," Blaine said, glancing slightly up through the thick caramel lashes that shielded his eyes. The two of them sifted around through the box of sheet music in a comfortable silence, with an occasional hum from Blaine when he found a song he liked. Finally, after about twenty minutes, Kurt stopped and glanced over at Blaine, who had the sheet music for Animals in his hand.
"Blaine?"
"Hm?" He looked up from the music he had in his hand to look at him.
"I know this is off topic, but... I wanted to ask you something," Kurt started. "You would trust me with anything right?"
"Of course I would."
"Because I would trust you with everything I had, maybe more than Ive ever trusted anyone before. Youre the first person who hasnt cared about my famous best friends, you cared about me, as a person. And I want to thank you for that,"
"Theres no reason to thank me for that," Blaine said, reaching over to take his hand. "Im always going to see you for you."
Kurt smiled and glanced down at the box again. "Lets make a promise. Well always be honest with each other, no matter what happens or how bad it may seem. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Blaine replied, giving him a peck on his forehead. "Cmon, wed better get ready for the day."
The two of them neatly placed the sheet music back into the box, making sure not to bend anything as they shut the lid back down. Blaine insisted on carrying it himself, although Kurt put up a fair fight, and he set it down next to the staircase, hoping he would remember to attend to it later. Kurt reached out and took Blaines hand, leading him back towards the living room, where the others had finished whatever Santana had dragged them off to do and were waiting for their return. They were immediately immersed in a conversation, talking about the events for the night. But the only thing Blaine couldnt stop thinking about was the promise he made. Kurt mustve been a mind reader or an empath or something to have come up with that just then.
He needed to tell the truth, the sooner, the better.
~
Hours later, the five of them were scattered around the house getting ready for the concert that they were due to leave for soon. Blaine was rummaging through his closet, trying to find the black combat boots that he knew were somewhere behind his clothes. Finally, after pulling back his Dalton blazer (he got a little nostalgic sometimes), he found them and tossed his blazer in a heap in the back. He grabbed his boots happily and pulled them quickly, not bothering to tie the laces tightly. Before he had a chance to check his appearance in the mirror, his phone began to ring in the corner of the room. He walked over to the desk and glanced at the caller id before answering it.
"Blaine."
"Hey Max, whats up?"
"I wanted to ask you something. You know Mercedes and Jake are hosting a show tonight, right?"
"Yes, of course I do," he replied
"I thought it would be a good idea to for you to perform one of the songs youre working on. Are any of them close to being finished?"
"Well I just finished one, but-"
"Great, do you have an arrangement?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Can you get the set up to Adam? Hopefully its-"
"Max, can I interrupt?" Blaine asked. When he didnt hear an answer, he continued, "If this was any other opportunity, I would be all over this, but this is not the best time."
"Why is that, Blaine?"
"Because, theres someone here who means a lot to me, but he doesnt know that side of me. He doesnt know that Im Blaine Anderson, new and upcoming recording artist. And, if you dont mind sir, I would like to keep it that way, at least until I find a good time to tell him."
"Okay, let me get this straight, youve been seeing someone for what, two months give or take, and you expect me to believe that he doesnt have the slightest clue about who you are?"
"I, um, its complicated?" he replied. "I swear its weirder from my perspective."
"Well Blaine, Im sorry but I cant let you pass this opportunity up. Im doing this for your own good. Perform tonight or Im dropping you from the label."
"What!?" he asked incredulously. The shock of his managers words hit him like a brick wall. "Why?"
"This show could be a building block for not just Jake, but for you too. I let you go on the tour because you promised that you would show me your full potential, and that you could make it as an artist. Youve shown me that and now its just a matter of following through with it."
Blaine was silent for a moment. Was this seriously happening right now?
"Whats your decision Blaine?"
"Fine. Ill do it," he answered shortly. "See you tonight."
"Thats the Blaine Anderson I know. See you tonight up on the stage."
The line went dead, and only a loud buzzing noise was left to confirm that the phone call had actually happened. Blaine locked his phone with a click and let it slide out of his hand and onto the bed, where he promptly sat down in silence. He thought he heard a creak in the hallway outside his room but, it the sound was gone as quickly as it had come, and only silence remained. Blaine couldnt believe his luck, his manager was actually forcing him to perform at the concert. Not only did the guy only get around to telling this ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOW, but he was making Blaine do it at the worst possible time. He groaned, falling back onto his bed to stare at the white ceiling above him.
Well, shit.
~
There were several things Blaine loved about the concerts he performed at on tour. He loved meeting the supportive fans, he loved the rush of adrenaline, and most of all, he loved when the last note rang out and the last word was sung, because it would end with the audiences cheers of encouragement. Those cheers made him feel like he and his talent were worth something, and they gave him the courage to keep singing and continue doing what he loved to do.
Why couldnt he have any of that courage now?
There was always one downside to the tour though. No matter where they went, none of them ever got any privacy. They always seemed to be in the path of some paparazzi or some huge group of fans whenever they left to do something. And as well as they all seemed to be able to handle it, sometimes it got WAY too out of hand. That was why Blaine loved performing in LA. Yes, the paparazzi still followed their every move, but it wasnt as insane. People in LA were so used to seeing celebrities go to malls and restaurants that they just stopped caring. Which was a good thing for Blaine, who liked to enjoy his time walking around the craziness that was LA (which actually wasnt as crazy as everyone made it out to be).
Blaine was smiling and clapping as Mercedes finished up her last number for the night. She blew the crowd a kiss and waved, "Thank you LA! Until next time!"
The music died down and automatically a background track played like it did between each performance set. Blaine knew that he needed to get backstage so he could get ready, but he still hadnt told Kurt the truth yet. With a deep breath, he made the decision to go look for Kurt. Before he had a chance to take a step though, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was met with the face of his manager, Max.
"Cmon, youve got to get backstage," Max said earnestly.
Blaine tried to protest, but Max cut him off. Blaine let out the breath he had been about to use. He willingly followed Max back around the corner and up the stairs behind the main stage to where Mercedes was standing.
"Did you talk to him?" She asked.
"No, I didnt get the chance," he answered. "God, this is harder than when I was coming out to my parents. This shouldnt even be that hard, I just have to rip the band-aid off..."
"I know this isnt going to be easy for you, you dont want him to get upset. You should know though, this might hurt him more now that the way its coming up is from you going up on that stage and singing songs youve written."
"I know, but what choice do I have?"
"I guess it cant be helped."
Blaine heart dropped as he heard the third voice that filled the room. He turned slowly to see Kurt standing there with one of Blaines own own EPs in hand. He held it up as he spoke, "A little girl asked me if I could get Blaine Anderson to sign this for her. Since she had seen pictures of the two of us out on our date yesterday."
"Kurt-"
"Save it, Blaine," he said, cutting Blaine off. "I heard your phone call earlier. You know, I dont know what makes me feel stupider, the fact that I didnt realize you were a celebrity, or the fact that you were actually trying to hide it from me. My best friends are Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry. Weve been talking to each other for two months now, and you HAD to have known that I wouldnt treat you any different when I found out you were famous. Why would you lie to me like that?"
"I didnt lie..."
"But you didnt tell me the truth either!" Kurt shot back, his eyes already clearly beginning to water and his voice starting to shake. "Ive told you everything, more than my best friends, my parents, more than anyone I know. And what do I know about you? That youre friends with Jake Miller, and you were once a little boy at Dalton Academy in a glee club with big dreams of making it in this world as a singer. You just conveniently left out that you HAD made it already, that youre basically the music industrys next big thing."
Kurt wavered for a moment, watching every little moment on Blaines face as the silence rang out. "Why did you lie to me? I wouldnt care that the whole country has your songs on their playlists, but if you would hide something this huge about yourself from me, how could I ever trust you?"
The question came out as almost a whisper, and his voice trembled as a single tear ran down his face. The question tore a hole through Blaines heart, and he was unable to respond. Kurt wiped the tear away and pulled on a straight face. "Okay then."
"Kurt... please..."
Kurt turned away, dropping the CD case and letting it crash to the ground, the sound making a defining crack in the silence. Blaine watched as he disappeared down the stairs and around the corner until he was out of sight, leaving Blaine to face the crowd.