2006

“It’s revolutionary!” Kurt yells excitedly. His voice cracks, but that’s part of being thirteen. He jumps up and down and he starts to sing along. Rent is an amazing opening number and it really gets you pumped up for what’s to come.

How can you connect in an age
Where strangers, landlords, lovers
Your own blood cells betray

What binds the fabric together
When the raging, shifting winds of change
Keep ripping away

Blaine doesn’t really join in. He’s a bit uncomfortable with singing, which Kurt thinks it’s ridiculous. Blaine has always had a gorgeous voice, even before it changed to this deeper tone. Kurt’s voice is still high, but he doesn’t mind, because he loves singing in falsetto.

Singing has always been part of the family, through his mother. It’s in Kurt’s blood. His ancestors were all very musical, according to his mother. Singing makes him feel closer and to his mom and it brings him joy.

He wants to share that joy with his best friend, no matter what Blaine says.

“Come on!” Kurt jumps towards Blaine and he takes his hands. He tries to hoist them up. Blaine tries to fight him, but he starts to laugh. Eventually, he gives in. The two of them sing their hearts out and at moments like this, Kurt’s happy that his basement room is relatively sound-proof.

When they finish, they’re both high on energy and they fall on the bed. They’re laughing.

“God, how did we miss this masterpiece?” Kurt sighs happily. The next song of the RENT OBC has started playing in the background.

“Uh, we were three years old when it opened on Broadway? That’s probably why,” Blaine deadpans.

“Fair. But how did we miss the movie premiere last year? I can’t believe I had to discover this in Blockbuster!”

Kurt became obsessed with the movie after he first watched it. He immediately bought the DVD, so that he didn’t have to rely on Blockbuster. He also asked for the CD, but his dad accidentally got him the wrong version, namely the OBC instead of the movie version, but it’s for the best. Kurt realized that he very much prefers the OBC.

“One day I will see this show on Broadway. It’s still running.”

“Together, right?” Blaine asks.

“Of course.”

After all, Kurt immediately introduced Blaine to the show. As Kurt’s best friend and a fellow theatre geek, Blaine had to know. Now, the boys spend a lot of time discussing it. They know there’s a recording of the Broadway version, but they don’t know how to get it.

Kurt loves the show. He really does. It might be overrated, since RENT is widely popular and the early demise of the composer only adds more drama to it, but there’s a deep reason why Kurt loves it.

And he wants to tell Blaine.

But he’s so scared.

Blaine is lying next to him and Kurt can see that he closes his eyes. Blaine loves hanging out at the Hummel house. He says he can fully relax here. Kurt’s hand itches to reach out to him.

Instead, he turns his head away. RENT awakened something within Kurt. When Kurt saw Angel appear for the first time, he knew that what he was feeling was real. There is a reason why Kurt can’t stop thinking about Danny from school.

“Blaine…”

“Hm?”

“Look at me.”

And he does. He has a curious look on his face, which only grows when he sees how nervous Kurt is.

“You like RENT, right?”

“Kurt, you know I do,” Blaine looks puzzled and yes, Kurt feels a bit embarrassed. He knows that, but it’s a question to lead to the topic. Blaine turns on his side and he’s fully facing Kurt now.

“I think…” Kurt trails off. He takes a deep breath. Blaine likes RENT. Blaine likes musicals in general. Blaine hasn’t become like other boys their age, obsessed with ‘pussy’ and swearing. He still goes home with Kurt to watch musicals and draw dresses. He doesn’t mind lying next to Kurt.

Still, Kurt is so incredibly scared. He closes his eyes.

“Kurt, you okay?”

Here he goes.

“Blaine, I think I am like Angel. And Collins.”

Kurt still has his eyes closed, but he can feel Blaine shift around. The mattress shakes a little bit and for a second Kurt’s afraid Blaine jumped away, out of disgust.

But when Kurt dares to open an eye, Blaine’s still lying next to him, staring at him. He looks serious and patient.

“I think I’m gay.” Scratch that. “I know I’m gay.”

“Okay,” Blaine says softly.

“Okay?”

Blaine nods and he smiles. “Thanks for telling me, Kurt.”

And Blaine smiles. It’s a genuine, wide smile.

“Thank you for being my best friend,” Kurt says back and his own smile matches Blaine.