The stars will be out this week for the Hollywood premier of X-men: Shadow World. Stars Liam Hemsworth, Saoirse Ronan, and Kurt Hummel are expected to attend, along with several actors from past incarnations of the series... This marks what could be the last feature film role for Hummel, who late last year announced a step back from Hollywood in order to return to Broadway full-time. Though many critics questioned the move, coming as it did just as Hummel was on the brink of joining the A list of movie actors, it seems to have paid off, with his new musical, Toy Story, garnering an amazing thirteen Tony nominations this year, including one for Hummel as Lead Actor... Though a few fringe groups have threatened to protest the premiere due to the film's focus on Northstar, an openly gay superhero, studio sources tell us any protesters will be kept far away from the red carpet and the hundreds of fans who have won a lottery to attend the festivities. – Movie Dateline, May 15th, 2020

=^..^=

"Why couldn't the premier have been in January or February? That's when you want to be in L.A. instead of New York, not May." Kurt stepped through the baggage claim doors at LAX and out into the typical sunny weather of Southern California, stopping for a moment to take in the swaying palm trees and casually dressed, but still oh-so-fabulous people hurrying by that exemplified the city he had lived in up until just six months before.

"Hey, I liked winter in New York. Ice skating, snuggling with you under the covers, bundling up for walks in Central Park. Plus, now I know that you're a master snowman craftsman." Blaine paused beside him, squinting into the sun as he rummaged around in his carry-on bag for a pair of sunglasses.

"People just don't take pride in their snow art anymore. Lopsided bodies and ratty, old accessories," Kurt said mournfully as he faked a shiver of disgust. "How much effort does it take to bring along a few needed tools and make a quick stop at the local thrift store?" He shook his head sadly. "We true artists are never fully appreciated in our time."

"I think your Twitter followers appreciated your last snowman just fine," Blaine assured him as he watched their driver load their six (six!) bags into the back of the SUV. Thankfully, no paparazzi were to be seen, so they were able to stand out in the sun next to the car for a few moments instead of rushing inside.

Kurt sighed and batted his eyes at Blaine lovingly. "Blainey the snowman was adorable with his little bow tie and his cardigan."

"That reminds me, I still haven't gotten you back for that one," Blaine teased, narrowing his eyes playfully.

"Uh uh uh, statute of limitations has expired. You only have two months to charge someone with crimes against snow-manity." Kurt jabbed his elbow into Blaine's side. "Ha! Snow-manity!"

"How on earth did you become a big star?" Blaine groaned. "If people only knew what a big dork you are."

A screech from down the sidewalk interrupted their banter and they both turned, afraid that the paparazzi had spotted them. Instead they were treated to the sight of a solider, with his worn, stuffed duffel bag sitting on the ground beside him, kneeling down on the concrete to propose to his girlfriend. She was crying hysterically, but finally managed to squeeze out a squeak of acceptance. The soldier stood up and as they hugged, he lifted her up and swung her around in a circle. Everyone standing in the arrivals parking area, including Blaine and Kurt, applauded and cheered for them.

Blaine grinned as the couple sank into a passionate kiss, not caring in the least who was watching. He felt a hand slip into his and he looked over to find Kurt looking at him solemnly.

"I know you love cheesy, over-the-top, romantic stuff like this," Kurt murmured, tipping his head towards the pair who were currently trying to suck each other's tonsils out. "How much does it bother you that I'm so PDA phobic? Truth."

Blaine felt his heart expand at the slightly worried frown creasing Kurt's forehead. "I'd rather have one hug from you in the privacy of our apartment than a thousand public displays of affection from anyone else. Besides, you kissed me on live TV at the Oscars!" he exclaimed. "You can't get any more pubic or romantic than that. That set me up for life, don't worry."

"But —"

"Kurt, I'm serious. Sure, I wouldn't mind showing more affection in public, but I would never ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Kurt gazed at him adoringly. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"Yes," Blaine sighed, "but I'm kind of needy, so I could stand to hear it again."

"Needy, huh? I'll show you needy when we get to the hotel," Kurt whispered as they slid into the backseat of the car.

Blaine closed his eyes for a second, willing something else on his body not to expand, at least not yet. "Promises, promises."

=^..^=

It only took forty minutes to get to their hotel, but due to certain...distractions, it was not until two hours later that they started to unpack. Kurt unzipped his garment bag and pulled out the Alexander McQueen suit he was going to wear to the premier. He eyed it critically and made a mental note to get it pressed before the event.

As he walked towards the closet to hang it up, he stopped in front of the huge windows with their view out over the city. It was strange being back in L.A. now, like that feeling you get when you return to your parent's house as an adult for a visit. The place was familiar and comforting, but he was just a temporary visitor.

Kurt couldn't truthfully say that he'd missed L.A., because New York had always felt more like home to him, but there were definitely some things that he was looking forward to while he was there. He desperately wanted an In and Out burger (but would let Blaine think he was humoring him when they went) and a strawberry donut from Donut Man. He'd like to visit some of his favorite boutiques and maybe do a little shopping. But most of all, he couldn't wait to meet up with Lynn and Bev at dinner that night to catch up on everything that had been going on in their lives.

He would continue working with Bev and his agent even after returning home, since he was tentatively open to doing small roles in films or TV as long as they filmed in New York and didn't interfere with his theater schedule, but Lynn was based solely in California, so he would be working with a New York based publicist from her firm in the future, as the need arose.

Blaine, who had long since finished his own unpacking, lifted one of Kurt's bags up onto the bed, pretending to stagger under its weight. Kurt looked at him, un-amused and sniffed disdainfully, before hurriedly turning his back to hide the smile that broke out on his face. He loved it when Blaine teased him, but there was no sense in letting him know now much and letting it go to his head.

It was only their second day back together after Kurt's recent week in Europe. The London premier of the movie had been the previous Saturday and he'd had to go alone, since Blaine had recently been hired on full-time at Carlisle Academy in Manhattan, which served students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. He wouldn't be starting until August, right before the new school year began, but he'd had to attend some curriculum planning sessions that just happened to correspond with Kurt's European press tour. Thankfully, he'd been free for the trip to L.A., since Kurt hadn't wanted to go another week without him.

The only downside to Blaine accompanying him was that they'd had to find a pet sitter for Elphie. Rachel had been the natural choice, since she lived close to them and was Kurt's best friend in the city, but the decision hadn't proven to be an easy one. It was the first time leaving Elphie in someone else's care and Kurt had tossed and turned for a few nights, his mind running through horror scenarios where the self-involved Rachel forgot to feed the puppy or left her tied up outside a coffee shop for hours at a time, just asking that she be stolen. Blaine had talked him down from his concerns, but he'd been just as reluctant as Kurt to leave Rachel's apartment after they'd dropped Elphie off the morning of their flight.

Which reminded him... Kurt set his jewelry box full of brooch options on the dresser and reached for his phone, sending Rachel a quick text asking for an update on how things were going. He was turning into one of those overprotective, smothering parents and he didn't even care, not one little bit.

=^..^=

The next day marked the beginning of the official movie press junket, so Kurt was picked up early in the morning by a driver sent by the studio and taken to yet another hotel to meet up with several of his fellow cast members for the grueling day of interviews. Blaine had declared that he was going to spend the day reading by the pool and since Kurt avoided the sun and its damaging rays much like a vampire would, he was happy to leave him to it.

The entertainment press hadn't gotten any better or more creative since he'd left for New York, so the day was a long one, spent answering the same questions on how he felt about portraying the first gay superhero in a movie (standard answer: something along the lines of how he was happy to see that the commitment to diversity and acceptance that had long been a hallmark of comic books and graphic novels was finally making its way to the big screen and that he was thrilled to be a part of it) and whether it was true that he was pulling back from making movies (standard answer: yes, I've decided to make Broadway my priority for now, but I'm sure my understudy in Toy Story is hoping that I'll change my mind while I'm out here).

Kurt was back at the hotel by six o'clock and entered his room to find it cool and dark, with no sign of Blaine. When a call to Blaine's phone went unanswered, he slipped out of his vest and tie and headed back down to the pool area, rolling up his sleeves as he went. There, settled into a lounge chair that was nestled between two palm trees, he found Blaine, fast asleep and just seconds away from drooling on his copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.

After watching him for a minute and struggling to keep from sighing like a teenage girl over how cute his boyfriend was, Kurt sat on the edge of Blaine's chair. He picked up a pair of discarded sunglasses from the nearby glass top table and put them on before leaning over, one hand on each side of Blaine's body. After a quick glance around to make sure they were alone in the pool area, he pressed their lips together, having to wait only a few seconds before he felt Blaine's mouth curve into a smile beneath his.

"Mmmm... what a nice way to wake up," Blaine murmured when Kurt finally drew back.

"You were just so utterly adorable that I couldn't resist." Kurt ran a hand through the loose curls on Blaine's head, letting a strand wind its way around his finger.

"Resistance is futile," Blaine growled, pointing to his lips, demanding another kiss.

"Ugh, no sci-fi quotes, please." Kurt dropped his head forward momentarily onto Blaine's chest. "Only fluffy romantic comedy references today."

"Hard day?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shook his head. "Just long. What would you say to a little room service and watching a movie while all snuggled up in bed?"

"I'd say lead the way." Blaine lifted his arms up and let Kurt help pull him to his feet. He stopped for a second to push his belongings, which had spread out around his chair over the course of the day, into his tote bag and they were off.

Once back in the lobby, Blaine pressed the elevator call button. "You look good in my sunglasses, by the way, but no, you can't have them."

"It's a good thing you took them off before falling asleep or else you'd have more than just this tan line," Kurt teased as he ran a finger over the slightly paler skin that was exposed when the waistband of Blaine's swim trunks shifted a touch lower. Blaine looked back and down to try and see what Kurt was talking about and ended up circling around completely, like a dog chasing its tail. "Easy there, tiger. It'll wait until you can check out your gorgeous tanned bod in the mirror."

Blaine pinned him with eyes that had suddenly gone dark. "But what if I want you to point out all my tan lines for me?" Kurt raised an interested eyebrow. "With your tongue."

Kurt punched the button on the wall several more times, wishing for once that it would actually make the elevator come faster.

=^..^=

Cooper Anderson was having the best day of his entire life.

There'd been some pretty good days in the past: the hot, sticky afternoon in late August 2002 when the hottest girl in his high school had taken his virginity in the back seat of his father's car; the first time someone had recognized him from his TV commercial and asked for his autograph; the day that he'd learned that he'd gotten the X-men role. But this one? This one took the cake.

The camera lights flashed as he stepped out of the limo onto the red carpet and he felt like he was home. This was his destiny, the reason he'd been put on this earth. He was meant to bring a small bit of happiness to the drab little lives of the ordinary people, to help transport them, if only for an hour or two, from their 9-to-5 rat-race. He was meant to be a star.

His part in the movie might not be the largest (by a long shot) and, yes, his character died (in the first twenty minutes), but his role was pivotal and more importantly, memorable. People would come out of the theater wondering who that incredibly handsome, charismatic actor was that they couldn't get out of their minds. People who worked as casting directors, producers, and writers. This was only the beginning.

He knew he was ready. He'd reigned in the acting style that some had called "hammy" and "melodramatic" and "bad" (but he was pretty sure was just ahead of its time) and had regretfully settled into a more naturalist (boring, uninspired) style. He'd paid his dues in commercials and thankless roles like "Jerk in bar #1" and "Auto-erotic asphyxiation victim" in procedural crime shows and movies of the week for niche cable channels, so he was armed with enough "before I was famous" job stories to make him a beloved guest of late night talk shows for years to come. And he had a real agent now, thanks to Kurt, not one that eerily resembled Estelle, Joey's agent from Friends.

Step one to Hollywood domination was charming the pants off of the ladies and gentlemen of the press at the premier.

The publicist assigned to him by the studio (he had a publicist! Who cared if it was only temporary?), pointed to a reporter in the waiting crowd and Cooper walked over to her, his most charming smile already lighting up his face. He watched as she blushed under the onslaught of his palpable charisma and waited patiently for her to regain her footing and start the interview.

He was in the middle of a highly entertaining story about his first day of shooting when he heard a commotion behind him. He lifted his head a bit to see that Kurt and Blaine had just arrived. A rush of pride snuck in past his (deserved, well-earned) self-centeredness as he watched Blaine laughingly smooth an imaginary wrinkle from the back of Kurt's jacket. He could hardly believe that his baby brother — who he'd despaired of ever living a meaningful life after he'd failed to master even the rudimentary dance steps that Cooper had tried to teach him when they were children — had grown up to be such fine, upstanding young man.

Not upstanding enough not to lie to his big brother about how he'd met Kurt in the first place, of course, but Cooper had been magnanimous and had decided to forgive him after they'd confessed the truth last Christmas. Blaine was his only family and there was no way he'd let some little thing like being a secret bodyguard come between them.

The interview finished up and he kissed the reporter on the back of the hand, giving her a big wink as he moved away. He greeted a few lower billed co-stars, then spied Patrick Stewart up ahead and quickly mapped out a path that would put him near enough that the press would ask for a photo of the two of them, maybe with their arms around each other's shoulders. Yes, it was all coming together.

=^..^=

To be honest, Blaine wasn't going to miss attending red carpet events. The lights, the crowds, and the constant yelling from the fans and waiting photographers were all an assault on his senses and put him into a hyper-vigilant state that made it just stressful all-around.

Being there with Kurt made it easier, though. As they'd stepped from the car, Kurt had made a joke that since HD cameras were even being used for interviews now, that he was going to be extra paranoid about stray wrinkles. Blaine had laughed and run his hands across Kurt's back, saying that he'd protect him from the dreaded sign that he was a real human being and just like that, he was able to relax a bit.

Now, he stood back with Lynn as Kurt posed for the photographers, turning this way and that so that each one of them could get the perfect shot. A shout from across the street grabbed his attention and he narrowed his eyes as he took in the small group of protestors waving their signs. While the studio had prepared them for the picketing, it still saddened him that something like a gay superhero was considered controversial, even if it was just to a fanatic few who couldn't move on from their hate.

Though there were only five protestors, their bright yellow shirts and offensive signs were meant to garner attention, so Blaine made a point of turning his back on them. No one else was paying them any mind, so neither would he.

Kurt finished up with the photographers and Lynn directed him to the line of TV and online reporters waiting for their turn with him. Blaine recognized the first woman as the one who'd gotten the initial "scoop" about them dating. He shot her a smile and a wave, but kept his distance. This night was about Kurt, not their relationship, and he was happy to keep to the background.

As he let the controlled chaos swirl around him he realized that it'd been a year and a half since he'd first stood on a red carpet with Kurt. In many ways, it felt like the time had flown, that it couldn't possibly have been that long ago. He was still learning so much about Kurt each and every day, still uncovering the experiences that had shaped the man he'd become, still finding delightful quirks and bound-to-be-annoying habits that enriched the life they now lived together.

And then, in other ways, it seemed like they'd known each other for much longer. The amount of things they'd been through together, the changes Kurt had brought to his life, the depth of the love he felt, made it almost inconceivable that they'd known each other for only such a short amount of time.

By the time Kurt was on his third interview, Blaine's attention wandered and he began to people watch, as the eclectic group that such events brought together was always entertaining. His eyes alighted on a publicist who was waiting for his client (a ticking time bomb, who was better known for her scandals than her acting) to finish up an interview. The pained expression on his face said that he'd rather be in the center of an active volcano than be where he was. Blaine swallowed a smile and looked a bit further to the right, where a man in a well-cut navy suit, was leaning up against the little barrier that separated the press from the red carpet and flirting obviously with a reporter...wait, that was Cooper!

Blaine had initially been a little uneasy when he'd found out that Kurt had suggested Cooper for a roll in the movie. Not that he didn't want Cooper to succeed, because he did, but it had all happened while he and Kurt were broken up and Blaine hadn't been able to shake the sneaking suspicion that Cooper had pushed Kurt into making the recommendation. Blaine hadn't wanted Kurt to feel obligated because of their past relationship and also had selfishly worried that Cooper appearing in the movie would make it even harder for him to get over Kurt and move on. It'd been a foolish worry — there was no getting over Kurt, movie or not — but it had kept him awake for a few nights.

Luckily, things had all worked out and now Blaine could see that Cooper was basking in the glory of his first movie premier. He hoped that it wasn't the last, and knowing Cooper and his tenacity, it wouldn't be.

A whoop from the fans in the stands called Blaine's attention over to the bleachers set up opposite the cameras. A group of fans that were holding signs declaring their love for Kurt were chanting his name and Kurt turned at the waist to wave at them over his shoulder. A woman wearing a Northstar t-shirt began frantically typing on her phone without taking her eyes off of Kurt, her heart in her eyes, and Blaine laughed to himself, betting that he would find an account of the moment on Twitter later that night.

He moved with Lynn a few feet further towards the entrance to the theater as Kurt swept on to the next interview, which would be his last before doing a quick autograph signing. Blaine's breath caught as Kurt laughed at a question the reporter asked, his nose scrunching up and his teeth showing in what had to be the cutest version of his smile.

As Kurt was finishing up, a flash of yellow moving behind the darkly clad reporters caught Blaine's attention. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the maze of cameras and bodies. Then, the figure moved into an open area and Blaine saw that it was one of the protestors from across the street. The man lifted his arm above his head and pulled it back, something dark held in his hand.

As the object left the man's hand, Blaine acted instinctively, diving in front of Kurt and pushing him back. A pain flared in his head and he collapsed to the red carpet, the sound of glass breaking echoing in his ears.

=^..^=

Cooper was finishing up an interview with a particularly delightful reporter — who he was sure was seconds away from giving him her phone number — when a scream broke through the general noise of the event.

Pandemonium broke out as two security guards wrestled a man in a really unfortunate yellow t-shirt to the ground. A commotion also sounded from his right and Cooper turned to find Kurt kneeling on the ground next to a prone body, broken glass from what looked to be a beer or wine bottle strewn all around him. Cooper shifted a bit to get a better look and saw that it was Blaine who was laid out and that Kurt had stripped off his jacket and was holding it to Blaine's head, obviously putting pressure on the wound that was dripping blood down his forehead.

The flashes from the cameras in the press line were lighting up the dusk, but the strobe effect was making it hard to make out exactly what was happening. Cooper tried to push his way forward, but the crowd was thickening and security had arrived to push them all back. No matter how much he demanded that they let him through because he was Blaine's brother, he made no head way.

He stood helplessly and watched, finally breathing a sigh of relief when Blaine was helped up to his feet and, with Kurt helping him, was led off towards the theater.

Already, the story of Blaine leaping in front of a thrown bottle meant for Kurt was sweeping through the press corps. The reporter that Cooper had been speaking with turned to her camera man and marveled at his quick thinking and reflexes.

"Well, of course, he has quick reflexes. He'd have been a crappy bodyguard without them," Cooper responded absentmindedly, his mind focused on the faster way to get inside. "He worked for Kurt long enough that it's probably second nature to protect him like that now."

With that, he rushed towards the building, anxious to see his brother, not even noticing the shocked silence that he left behind him.