Despite previous reports that a sunny beach vacation was on Santa's list, Kurt Hummel and boyfriend Blaine Anderson were actually spotted in Kurt's hometown of Lima, Ohio over the Christmas holidays. The two were seen canoodling all over town and dining with several unidentified people at a local restaurant. Once the holidays were over, the pair jetted off to New York City, where Kurt is scheduled to finish filming on his latest movie. This is one of Kurt's first trips back to the city since he left Broadway for Hollywood over a year ago. No word on how long the delicious duo plans on staying in the Big Apple, so autograph seekers had better strike while the iron is hot — HollywoodGossipMachine, January 4th, 2019

=^..^=

Kurt and Blaine said their goodbyes to Kurt's family two days after Christmas and made the short journey to New York. They were staying there because of Kurt's location shooting, but he was more excited about visiting his old haunts and taking advantage of the spectacular after-Christmas sales. Steve met them at the airport and they were whisked to their hotel before they knew it.

When they got to their room, Blaine called the police back in Hollywood to get an update on their investigation. Unfortunately, they had made no progress, since all of the clothing and scrapbooking materials were generic items available in stores all over the country. The email address had also been a dead end, as it had been set-up years before with dummy information. Kurt was upset by the lack of progress, but if the stalker thought that Kurt Hummel was going to be brought down by some anonymous hate then they really didn't know him.

Kurt unpacked and changed his clothes and declared that it was time to hit 5th Avenue. He shopped 'til he almost dropped then he and Blaine met Rachel at her apartment for dinner. It was Rachel's first time meeting Blaine and Kurt was definitely apprehensive. Despite having mellowed with age, Rachel was still somewhat of an acquired taste and he wanted his best girlfriend and his boyfriend to get along. Luckily, he didn't have anything to worry about. Rachel loved the flowers and wine that Blaine brought her and within minutes they were talking like old friends.

As dinner was winding down, Kurt noticed a strain on Rachel's face that wasn't normally there. He knew that her career hadn't exactly turned out how she had pictured it and he wondered if something had happened at work to upset her. "Rachel, how are things going at the theater?"

"Good. Excellent." Rachel smiled the fake smile that she always used to hide a broken heart.

Kurt caught Blaine's eye and silently asked him to give them some time alone. Blaine nodded and began clearing the table as he announced his intentions to do the dishes. Rachel protested, but Blaine insisted and disappeared into the kitchen. Kurt turned to Rachel as soon as the swinging doors closed behind him. "Okay, now tell me the truth."

Rachel clasped her hands and stared down at the tabletop. "So, it turns out that incredible drive, undisputable talent, and a degree from one the country's top theatrical arts colleges don't get you as far as they used to. I guess Cassandra July was right about my dancing not being good enough. No one will cast me in a dancing role, so that cuts down my opportunities considerably. Being in the ensemble of Mean Girls, The Musical has been educational and a…tolerable post-graduate experience — and I'm sure if given just a little more time I'd at least be named understudy to one of the featured roles, since I'm clearly more talented than the girls they have now. I mean, the second female lead must be the director's girlfriend or something. There really isn't any other explanation for the shocking displays of mediocrity that — but I digress." Rachel took a deep breath and sipped her tea with honey and lemon before continuing. "They just announced the show is closing in February."

Kurt made a noise of sympathy and reached forward to grasp her hand.

"My dads are still paying part of my rent, since ensemble work doesn't pay much and if I learned nothing else from freshman year in college it's that I'm not great roommate material." Her wry smile was self-deprecating and sad. "I wanted to do this all on my own, but it's been over a year and a half and..." She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin slightly. "So this is me, swallowing my pride. Your old Defiance director is casting a new musical and so far I've been completely unsuccessful in getting an audition. I-I was hoping you might call him and put in a good word for me? It doesn't have to be for the lead or even a featured part, I just —"

"Since when does Rachel Berry not go out for the lead role?" he interrupted. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"Really?" she cried, tears already sliding down her face.

"Rachel, no one believes in you more than me, not even you."

Rachel smiled through her tears. "If I say you make me want to be your boyfriend will Blaine be jealous? You can explain that it's just a reprise of an old, but still true, sentiment." She clutched Kurt's hand tighter. "Kurt, you will never know what your friendship has meant to me. You may not believe me, but seeing you succeed has made me happier than I would be even if it was me. Well…almost. Come here, I need a hug."

=^..^=

New Year's Eve arrived cold and clear and Kurt stood in front of the mirror in his hotel room and smoothed his hands down the front of his black Armani suit, liking the way it hugged every line of his body perfectly. He and Blaine had been invited to a high class party being thrown by a big-time director and they were just on the edge of being fashionably late. He was still making final adjustments to his cuffs as he walked into the sitting room and asked Blaine for his help fastening a particularly stubborn cufflink. Blaine was dressed in yet another well-tailored suit approved by Kurt (dark gray Ralph Lauren this time) and Kurt thought for just a moment about tearing the suit off of him and forgetting about the party.

Duty called, however, so they climbed into the waiting limo and were whisked off to the provided address. The penthouse that was their destination was on the 76th floor of the New York by Frank Gehry building and was probably one of the most expensive apartments in the entire city. Kurt gasped when the door opened and he first glimpsed the floor-to-ceiling windows and honey-colored hardwood floors. He wondered how the people who lived there ever got any work done. If it was his home he probably would never be able to tear his eyes away from the view over the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. The huge apartment was ultra-modern and had an open-space design that made it flow effortlessly. Kurt was in instant architectural love.

He found himself actually having fun at a party for once. The crowd was small enough that he didn't feel overwhelmed and big enough that several people he knew from New York and L.A. were in attendance. It was New Year's Eve in New York and he was with the best looking man in the room. Things were good.

As per usual, Kurt gravitated to the edge of the crowd, putting a wall at his back. He waved away a waiter who approached with a glass of champagne and instead ordered a glass of ginger ale. Blaine doubled the order and came to stand beside him. "Kurt, do you mind if I ask why you hardly ever drink alcohol? I don't mean to pry, but…"

"I don't mind. No secret addiction or anything. I just had a bad experience the first time I drank and I never really developed a taste for it. That coupled with the fear that I'll make a complete fool out of myself if I'm drunk. I like being in control and the thought of not knowing what I might do or say?" He gave an exaggerated shudder. "Qué horror!"

"Well, well, well, Kurt Hummel." Both men turned to find Thomas Dayton, who had stared in the summer's biggest action movie, standing beside them.

"Thomas, it's nice to see you again," Kurt smiled and motioned towards Blaine. "I'd like to introduce you to—"

"I saw you in People magazine and they certainly got it right didn't they? You definitely have my vote for sexiest newcomer," Thomas talked over him, not even sparing Blaine a glance. "What I would have given to be at that photo shoot." He ran his eyes down Kurt's body slowly as if trying to see through his clothes. "I had dreams about those pants for days. Look, my car's waiting, so I've got to go, but I'll be in L.A. at the Chateau Marmont for the next two months if you want to drop by and give me a private viewing." He sent a wink in Kurt's direction and was gone.

Kurt looked after him, shell-shocked with his mouth open and hand still extended mid-gesture in Blaine's direction.

Blaine stared after Thomas in confusion. "Isn't he fighting a paternity suit right now?"

Kurt dropped his hand, wishing for a moment that he actually drank. "Fake as a 20 dollar Chanel bag. It's just his rep's latest attempt to throw people off the scent. He'd rather be thought of as a pig and dead-beat dad than gay. I can't believe he hit on me. As if I'd ever date someone who lies like that. I... Oh. I think I may have lost the moral high ground here. I'm no different am I?"

"I think a fake boyfriend is somewhat different than feigning a paternity suit to stay in the closet. You had a good reason to lie."

"Debatable. He may be lying in order to get better roles, but I was doing it in order to increase my chances of getting award nominations. Kettle, meet pot." Kurt stared into his ginger ale, swirling it a bit against the sides of the crystal glass. "Oh well, water, bridge and all that. "

Blaine bumped their shoulders together. "Don't beat yourself up about it. Come on, you know a lot of the people here. Amuse me with tales of their secrets and scandals."

"Judging and gossip are two of my favorite pastimes. Okay, let's see who we've got…" Kurt scoured the room for someone with a juicy story. "Oh, oh! You know Jackson Piper? He made that drama last year where he walked out of the ocean in those tiny briefs and women were almost fainting in the theaters over the size of his package." He cupped his hand to his mouth and whispered, "Those briefs? Stuffed."

"What?" Blaine whipped his head around to find the man in question. "No! I saw that movie. Are you sure?"

Kurt lifted one hand discreetly and raised and wiggled his pinky. "I have it on good authority that the studio should be sued for false advertising."

Blaine was unable to contain his laughter, which caused several people to look over in their direction. "How did you hear that?"

"Stop laughing, you'll give us away. It pays to make friends with the hair and make-up people. They always have the best gossip. Okay, who's next? Off to the right…Desmond Bentley. Hottest romantic lead in Hollywood right now. Bad breath —I mean deadly. His co-stars have to hold their breath during kissing scenes. Oh, and straight ahead is Gordon Pile, most famous for his role as the gruff, but loveable grandpa on that insipid multi-generational sitcom on NBC? I heard he's an exhibitionist who likes to 'accidently' be caught naked by the crew. His manager has had to quietly settle several sexual harassment lawsuits."

Blaine nodded in sympathy. "We had a client like that once at the agency. He'd just drop trou and let it all hang out. No one really wanted to work for him, so he was charged double and a bonus was offered to anyone who'd volunteer. I know of at least two people who financed ultra-luxurious vacations for their families by being willing to be flashed on a semi-regular basis."

Kurt wove his arm through Blaine's and led him off deeper into the room. "Did you ever…?"

"No way," Blaine shuddered. "He was like 80 and really unattractive. Unlike the others, I actually like seeing dick, so being exposed to that might have scarred me forever or at least messed with my sex life."

Kurt nearly doubled over in laughter and clasped a hand to his mouth to contain the sound. "Poor baby. I can definitely see how that wouldn't be worth any amount of money." He clasped Blaine's arm again and nudged him with his hip. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the Grand Dame of the silver screen who swears like a sailor and will probably pinch your ass black and blue."

Kurt introduced Blaine to the old broad and to many others as well. He was amused at how many people asked Blaine if he was an actor. Though he knew Blaine was a little chagrined at the questions, he couldn't blame them for assuming — Blaine did have that je ne sais quoi that many actors had. It was an understandable mistake.

He continued to be amused when, after he returned from a trip to the restroom, he found Blaine pasted up against a wall, trapped there by a predatory woman wearing a designer dress that probably cost more than most people's cars. She was standing very close to Blaine, looking deep into his eyes and sucking (in what she probably thought was a sensual manner) on a maraschino cherry, holding the stem in one hand, her drink in the other.

Blaine was smiling and most people wouldn't have thought anything was amiss, but Kurt saw that his eyes kept darting around the room as if looking for someone, anyone who would help him. Kurt swallowed a laugh and headed in their direction, ready to come to the rescue. As he approached he could hear the woman talking in a low, sultry voice. "The indoor pool is simply divine. It's just down on the 7th floor. We could pop down there and no one would even miss us."

Blaine smile faltered for a second and he pressed further back against the wall. "Uh…I-I can't, I don't have swim trunks with me."

"Oh, I don't think either of us needs a suit, do you?"

Kurt smirked at the predictability of the woman's attempted seduction. Was she really so clueless? Didn't any of these people read Eonline? And of course Blaine, with his pathological need to please everyone, wasn't helping himself out very much by refusing to just walk away. Time for Kurt to step in and play knight in shining armor.

"Blaine, honey, have you seen the bathroom? The bathtub is right up against the windows! It gave me all sorts of naughty thoughts. We should really look into getting an apartment in this building." He threaded his arms through Blaine's and pulled him close for a dirty kiss with lots of tongue before turning to the vamp in socialite's clothing. "Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting."

The woman looked between him and Blaine dumbly before the light suddenly dawned. "You two…?" They nodded in confirmation. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know. I mean, him," she nodded to Kurt, "I get, but you? I never would have guessed. Well, I'd better get back to the party. My husband's probably at least five martinis in by now and I'd better slow him down if I don't want another scene." She took a few steps before turning back. "If you guys decide to try out the tub give me a call. Participant or spectator, I'm up for either."

They watched her walk away, speechless for oh, so many reasons.

And then, Kurt stopped being amused. They had made their way back to the main party when he spotted the producer who had denied him the audition for A Tale of Two Cities. The man kept glancing in their direction and Kurt held his breath as he said something to his companion and headed towards them. "Oh my god. Benjamin Prentiss is coming over here," he whispered to Blaine. "How's my hair?"

There was no time for a response before Mr. Prentiss reached them and held his hand out to shake Blaine's hand. "Blaine Anderson, isn't it? Benjamin Prentiss. I'm sure you've heard of me. I've seen you on TV. Interviews and the like with Hummel here. I know you've said you aren't an actor, but I see something in you and I'm interested. I'm casting a movie and I think you'd be great in it. Call my assistant and we can set up a meeting." He held out a business card.

Kurt expected Blaine to laugh the request off, as he had all the other times people had thought he was in the business, but he actually looked flattered and a little intrigued at the offer. He reached out and took the offered card. Benjamin clapped him on the shoulder with a grin and strode away.

Kurt watched him go, too stunned to move. He guessed everyone was wrong; there evidently were gays that Prentiss thought could play straight. That list just didn't happen to include Kurt. Suddenly none of it was funny and all Kurt could see was a room full of people who preferred Blaine over him. Old insecurities raised their heads and Kurt took a step back, withdrawing from the situation and from Blaine.

=^..^=

A chill had descended upon their evening and Blaine didn't know why. They'd been at the party for a few hours and it seemed like Kurt was having a good time, but suddenly he closed himself off. He stopped talking with the guests and retreated to a corner near the windows to look out over the river and watch bursts of fireworks erupt throughout the city. When Blaine attempted to pull him back into the party Kurt declared that he was bored and wanted to leave, so they said their goodbyes, gathered their coats, and took the waiting town car back to their hotel.

Once back in their suite the silence continued and Blaine tentatively asked Kurt what was wrong.

"Nothing."

"Come on, Kurt. I can tell you're upset about something. Talk to me."

"It's probably best that we don't talk about it tonight," Kurt replied as he reached up to loosen his tie.

"Why? What's going on? Did someone do something to upset you at the party? Just tell me so I can help."

"Fine. You want to talk about this now? Okay." Kurt tossed his tie down on a chair and crossed his arms tightly. "I don't really appreciate having my boyfriend flirting with other people in my presence. How about that?"

"Flirt...? What are you talking about?" Blaine started to laugh, but stopped when he saw that Kurt was serious.

"I don't know, Blaine," Kurt yelled, his words cutting through the air like knives. "Did you flirt with so many people tonight that you can't remember them all?"

"Why are you yelling at me? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Do you mean the lady who suggested the threesome in the bathtub, because if you do then you and I have very different ideas on what flirting is." Kurt mulish expression provided him with the answer he needed. "This is ridiculous. Are you seriously mad that a girl came on to me? A girl, Kurt."

"Her being a girl isn't the point. Everything is just so easy for you, isn't it? You don't have to fight to fit in, to be noticed. Everyone is drawn to you. They just want to bask for a moment in the brilliant light that is Blaine Anderson. Gay, straight, it doesn't matter. They take one look at you and know you're exactly what they're looking for, just like that woman tonight. And look at how many people meet you and assume you're an actor and a straight one at that. You don't have to fight against preconceptions like I do. No one ever makes assumptions about you like they do about me. You're not even an actor and that producer tonight asked you to audition for him within seconds of meeting you. I've been nominated for a SAG award and a Golden Globe and he still likes you better."

Blaine tried to keep calm, but he could feel his temper rise as Kurt attacked him for things that weren't his fault. "I think you're just angry because for once the spotlight wasn't completely on you. It's only been seven months since your first movie came out and here you are nominated for Best Supporting Actor, so don't act like you aren't successful beyond anyone's wildest dreams. You just can't stand it when everyone isn't paying attention to you, complimenting you."

"Maybe the gossip columns are right. Maybe you are just using me to start an acting career."

Someone had reached into Blaine's body and pulled his still beating heart from his chest. It was the only explanation for the sharp flare of pain he felt, followed by a numbness that rose from the empty cavity beneath his ribs and spread out until it had filled each limb. He knew Kurt was angry and that an angry Kurt could be clumsy and careless with the feelings of others, but this was different. Didn't he know that all of those people he was talking about were just reacting to Blaine's exterior and that they didn't care for one second about who he was on the inside? That they, like everyone else, didn't care about him?

And that he could think, even for one second, that Blaine was using him? That he could believe it enough to put it out there into the world? It cut Blaine to the quick.

Kurt stood before him gaping, as even he himself couldn't believe what he had just said. Indecision flared in his eyes and he seemed about to apologize when he glanced a bit to the left and saw where Blaine had thrown his wallet down on the table. His gaze hardened when he saw the producer's business card sticking out a bit from the leather and he spun on his expensive Prada heel and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.