Chapter 11

(KURT'S POV)

"Good mornin', good mornin',

We've talked the whole night through

Good mornin', good mornin' to you..."

All at once my dream shifts. I'm in my old room, the one where Power Rangers fresh from their make-believe weddings litter the floor and a Singin' in the Rain poster decorates the wall. My bed feels big and my limbs feel tiny and somehow I just know that today is a very important day.

"Good mornin', good mornin'

It's great to stay up late

Good mornin', good mornin' to you!"

A drowsy smile spreads across my face as my mom finishes singing the next verse noisily beside to my bed.

"Come on, honey! You don't wanna be late for school!" She tells me.

Now I remember why today's so important!

My eyes fly open and I scramble out of bed as quickly as my little legs can carry me. My mom laughs at me while I pass her to go to my closet door, where an outfit I picked out myself is resting on a hanger on the doorknob. It's not everyday you start kindergarten. I just have to look my best.

"Breakfast's in five, Kurt. Hurry up!" Mom calls with a smile as she heads down the hall, her heels clicking abnormally loudly.

The world starts blurring at the edges and fading until all of a sudden...

I crack my bleary eyes open to the sound of Rachel Berry singing.

"When the band began to play

The sun was shinin' bright.

Now the milkman's on his way.

It's too late to say goodnight."

For a moment I just lie there on the couch, listening to the sound of her voice. It's been months since I've dreamed about my mom. With a soft smile on my face and the image of her standing in my room still fresh in my mind, I get up off the couch and make my way to the kitchen. Everyone is already in there, and at this point already joining in on some verses. Rachel is prancing around in a pair of tap shoes and sporting a megawatt grin.

"And good morning to you, Kurt." She says happily.

"Morning."

"Today is a very important day." She tells me, sounding a lot like my dream. Which, to be honest, weirds me out a little.

"Is it?"

"Mm hm." She nods.

"Could it have something to do with your birthday?" I ask slowly, my eyes flicking to the tiara on her head.

"How did you know?"

"The 'Happy Birthday' crown was a dead giveaway." I joke.

"Yeah, the whole song and dance thing isn't really out of the ordinary when it comes to Rachel..." Blaine says.

"Well I can't help but sing how I feel!" Rachel says in song, to make a point. "Sorry I woke you up, Kurt."

You mean your intention wasn't to wake up the whole state of New York? I chuckle internally.

"No, it's fine. I love Singin' in the Rain... My mom used to sing Good Morning to wake me up for school when I was little." I remember fondly.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She had an awful voice." I laugh, and they join me. I feel warm all over and I can't wipe this smile off my face.

Finn says, "Alright Rachel, we're giving you your presents now because there is something we all have to do later..."

Blaine runs into his room for a minute, I assume to retrieve his present for her. I walk back over to the couch and pull out a box from underneath it. Something I had bought for her while on my shopping trip with Mercedes.

"We're gonna do something? What?" Rachel bounces excitedly.

"All in good time, Rachel." Finn says.

I place my box in front of her before going to the cabinet to grab a bowl and a box of cereal. I can hear her tearing the wrapping paper open as I pour some milk over the cheerios. I bring my breakfast over to the counter she's leaning on just in time to hear her cooing over the gift.

"It's from me and Mercedes, I suppose. She helped me pick it out." I admit, considering I was completely lost when it came to what I should get Rachel myself.

"Kurt, it's gorgeous." Rachel says, holding up the soft, cream-colored scarf. "Thank you!" She hugs me quickly and I hold on tightly, mainly as a thank you to her. For letting me stay in her home, for giving me a way out of Lima.

Blaine comes back out and gives her his gifts, (Bath and Body Works lotion and a pair of pink heels she'd had her eye on for a while) and by the time they're done, Finn is nearly jumping up and down in anticipation.

"And from me..." Finn begins. Blaine uses the countertop to give him a drumroll, and I laugh. "Tickets to Wicked for tonight, and dinner in a secret location." He say, whipping out said tickets from his back pocket.

Rachel gasps-- actually gasps, like for real-- and squeals. It's pretty ridiculous looking.

She throws herself into Finn's arms. "That's amazing! This is gonna be so much fun!"

Finn laughs and hugs her back.

"So we're all going?" She asks him.

"Of course." He responds. My blood runs cold at the reminder. I've been dreading this musical for a while now.

She gives Blaine and me huge smiles just as a cell phone starts ringing.

"Oh! That's my dads' ringtone!" She exclaims. "I'm gonna go tell them!" She gives Finn a quick peck on the lips and then skips off to her room in an excited flurry.

It's quiet for a moment, all us guys standing in the kitchen, looking at each other.

"I think you did well, Finn." I say quietly to him.

"I think so too." He smiles.

I decide now is probably the only time Rachel won't be glued to Finn's side today.

"Listen, I'm not sure if I can go tonight." I say cautiously.

"What?" Finn utters, Blaine asking "Why?" at the same time. Their harsh stares send my heartbeat into overdrive. I can hear it pounding in my ears, and I swallow hard before I attempt to explain myself.

"I-I'm just--" Afraid. Not sure if I'll make it through that god forsaken song. "Musicals just aren't my thing." I say for the millionth time. I sound like a broken record. Why did I surround myself with theatre enthusiasts?

"You just said you love Singin' in the Rain." Blaine counters.

"Well that's different--"

"You told me you'd come." Finn says.

"I know, b-but--" Stop stuttering, Kurt.

"You waited until now to back out? Today?"

"I-I didn't know how to tell you--" I said stop stuttering.

"Kurt, you have to come." Finn pleads.

"Why do I have to come? You're her boyfriend." I tell Finn, feeling defensive. "You're her best friend." I tell Blaine.

"You're her friend too now." Blaine argues, eyebrows furrowed.

"Kurt, please? I was planning on asking Rachel tonight. You know, asking asking." Finn lowers his voice as he pats his jacket pocket.

My eyes widen. "Wait, really?" Fuck, tonight?

"Ask her... what?" Blaine responds slowly, disbelievingly.

"Finn's gonna pop the question tonight." I say bluntly.

"Oh my god!" Blaine exclaims loudly, turning to Finn as he claps his hands together. His face splits into the biggest grin I've ever seen. He looks absolutely radiant and I can't tear my eyes away and-- great. Now I'm smiling like an idiot at him.

Just relax your face. It's not that difficult.

But no matter how hard I try, my grin is locked firmly in place

"Shhh!" Finn gestures toward Rachel's closed door.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'm just-- I'm so excited!" Blaine stage whispers. "Oh my god, Finn." Blaine hugs Finn out of the blue, and even though it's awkward and comical, it's incredibly sweet all the same.

Finn laughs and then turns to me.

"Kurt, I really need tonight to go perfectly. And I need my little bro by my side." He lightly punches my shoulder.

"I'm older than you, Finn." I remind him, but I feel a swelling in my chest at the term of endearment.

Little bro.

My little bro.

Ugh, and now I just know that I'll do whatever he asks of me to help him out. Dammit, why did he have to say that?

"Whatever, man. Will you please come? Please? I'm begging you."

I stare at him in silence for a moment.

Whoa.

I've never had anyone actually beg me to do anything before.

Hm.

I look into Finn's pleading eyes, and then Blaine's, and then Finn's again. Fuck, this is exactly why I had said yes in the first place! What is wrong with me? Why did I even bring this up?

Damn it.

Damn it damn it damn it.

"Okay." I'm gonna regret this. "Okay, fine. I'll go."

Around midday, Finn and Rachel go out for a lunch date.

Just as I'm about to figure out what to do with myself in the meantime, Blaine comes out of his room holding up a DVD I know all too well by now.

I quirk a curious eyebrow at him, to which Blaine responds, "It's time."

"I'm sorry?"

"You said musicals aren't you're thing--"

"Right."

"-- Which is ridiculous--"

"Excuse me?"

"So I've come to change your mind." Blaine says, brandishing his copy of West Side Story.

"Oh."

"You don't have plans for today, do you?"

Ouch. I almost scoff.

"No."

"Good. So sit down on the couch. This is happening." Blaine grabs my shoulders and steers me toward the living room. I'm so surprised (and kind of excited, actually) I don't even have the presence of mind to tell him that I already watched it on my laptop the other day...

Blaine gets everything set up and then plops down on the couch next to me, clearly pleased with himself. Without another word he picks up the remote and presses 'play.'

What an odd turn of events... I think.

We watch the film in semi-comfortable silence for the better part of two hours. Blaine has been singing along quietly to each song that comes on, his face glued to the screen in child-like fascination. He's also been fidgeting almost constantly, as though he can't quite sit still when there's music playing.

"Do you know the words to every song in this?" I muse, turning my head fully towards him.

Blaine mouth twitches upward as he nods. "Of course. I even know all the dance numbers.z"

My eyes widen. "Wow, um, why?"

"My high school did a production of West Side Story. I must've watched this like a million times back then."

"I thought Dalton was an all-boys school?"

"Well yeah, but we teamed up with Crawford Country Day, our sister school, for girls."

"Let me guess, you played Tony?" I ask, my mind already conjuring up a picture of Blaine singing with some faceless Maria--

"No, actually, I played Riff. They offered me Tony, but-- I mean-- I more of a dancer than a singer, so..."

"Didn't you say you were the lead in you show choir group?" I ask, remembering that snippet of conversation between Rachel and Blaine in the car ride home from the airport weeks ago.

"Well yeah, but-- don't get me wrong, I love singing-- but if I had to choose there'd be no competition. Tony just wasn't as involved in as many dance numbers." Blaine shrugs. Must be nice to just be able to pick whichever male lead you want. "Ooh, this was one of my big solos." Blaine says as the scene with the song "Cool" starts up.

"Riff doesn't sing this." I counter.

"In the play, he does." Blaine corrects, tapping his feet along to the beat. I look at him and smile slightly at the energy practically bursting out of his skin.

"Show me." My mouth says before my brain can decide otherwise.

"What?" Blaine laughs.

"You're a dance teacher and I never even seen you dance."

"That's because I work in my studio. With my students."

"Exactly. You do this for tons of students almost every day. There's only of me. Come on, the floor is yours." When he still just sits there looking bewildered and amused, I add, "How am I supposed to learn to appreciate live performance if we're watching a TV screen?" I gesture toward the open space next to the television. I really hope he agrees, otherwise this could get really awkward and I am getting so tired of awkward.

Blaine eyes me contemplatively and I can tell he isn't sure what my motives are. I suppose this is a little out-of-character for me... Or a lot out-of-character..

"Okay." Blaine says out the blue, a wave of excitement seeming to overtake him.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not." Blaine hops off the couch and sashays toward the television like a big shot. "You sure you'll be able to handle the awesomeness?"

"Don't go getting a big head. This is far from Broadway." I joke.

"Quiet, I'm getting in the zone." Blaine commands as he closes his eyes, but there's a small smile curling his lips. My heart is beating so hard I can practically feel it pounding against my ribcage.

Blaine takes a deep breath in and holds it. A moment later the instrumental part of the songs starts up. He releases the puff of air and breaks out into a flurry of movement.

It's funny how easily your mind can change when you see things from a different perspective.

My whole life listening to my secret West Side Story CD, and finally watching the performance on DVD last week for the first time, I had always thought this song was awkward. I can't really explain it, it just never resonated with me like the rest of songs did, and the dancing seemed a bit odd.

But watching Blaine dance to it, with his twirls and jumps and high kicks... I'm seeing it in a whole new light. His movements are graceful and fluid, as though a day hasn't gone by since he last did it, even though it's probably been years.

I can see his muscles stretch and flex and move underneath his pliable yet pleasantly formfitting clothes.

How clever I am, to have somehow tricked Blaine into letting me stare at him shamelessly. I can't tell if I should pat myself on the back for being so damn cunning or feel guilty for being such a pervert. I decide I don't really care.

It's Blaine's fault, really, for being such a compact bundle of firm muscles and adorableness...

... Um...

... Did I just think that? Me? Were those words actually a product of my own mind?

Fuck, but I can't help thinking it. He was so sweet to me the other day and watching him dance has ignited something inside of me. It's making my skin tingle with the need to touch him...

I sit on my hands.

Blaine chuckles breathily as his limbs splay outward in time with each gun shot sound in the song. I grin at him.

Jesus, I can't remember the last time I had thoughts like this.

I mean, there was a brief period in high school when I thought I liked Finn... I used to get so damn excited whenever he and Carole dropped by the shop... And then Carole started showing up by herself even when her car didn't need fixing... But then once my dad asked her out I knew my little fantasy had to stop. I managed to squash the crush soon after they had moved in because otherwise I'd be in deep shit. And I just couldn't risk that. 'Cause living with somebody you like can only end in disaster.

Blaine strikes a pose on the final "pow!" of the song. I erupt in a round of applause just as Blaine dissolves into a fit of laughter. To my surprise (or maybe I shouldn't be so surprised at all?) the sound is like music to my ears. I find myself wanting to make it happen again and again and... and...

Oh god, I am so screwed.