“Blaine, they’re ready for you on set!”

Looking up from his laptop, Blaine glanced at the door of his trailer as if he could see through it to the production assistant he knew was standing on the other side.  “Coming,” he called.  He closed the lid to his Mac, sighing.  No new email from Kurt today.  But Blaine knew Kurt was probably busy- he couldn’t believe that his ex-boyfriend would let anything but his biggest dreams come true.  No, Kurt Hummel was probably in high demand on Broadway (Blaine didn’t really keep up with musical theatre at all anymore; as far as he knew Kurt could’ve won a Tony or two) or in the fashion world. 

As Blaine was stepping out of his trailer, phone in one hand, he caught site of Porter walking past and yelled his name.  His friend paused and waited for him to catch up.  “Hey Anderson,” Porter greeted him.  “You ready for this scene?”

Blaine grinned and nodded.  “Oh, definitely.  But I hope you know that Charlie can kick Redson’s butt anywhere, abandoned house or courtroom.”

Porter laughed good naturedly.  “That’s just how the script’s written.  You and I both know that if this were real Charlie would be dead meat.  At least in the abandoned house, especially if it came to a fist fight.  That Charlie’s real scrawny and kind of a shrimp.”  He patted Blaine on the head, smirking.

“Charlie also boxes, so Redson better watch himself.”

“Oh no, now he’s terrified.”

“Shut up, you-” Blaine trailed off when his phone dinged in his hand.  He unlocked the screen and an email popped up. 

New Message from Kurt Hummel.

An unavoidable smile spread across his face.

“Ohohoho, who’s this Kurt Hummel, hmm?”  Porter asked, staring over Blaine’s shoulder.  “Someone I should know about?  Someone I don’t want to know about?”

Blaine rolled his eyes, tapping open the email.  “Oh, grow up.  He’s… uh…”  He paused, not sure how to finish that statement.  He couldn’t very honestly say that Kurt was just a man he met online, but should he just be open and tell Porter that he had been in love with Kurt?  That now he’s trying to reconnect with Kurt?  That Kurt has no idea it’s really him?  That if he’s being completely honest with himself, he’s hoping to maybe get Kurt back, to win him over, before he even realizes that Lucas is really Blaine? 

Blinking as he fully realized why he was so set on talking to Kurt again, Blaine didn’t notice when Porter waved his hand in front of his face.  “Blaaaaaine.  Hey, Anderson, wake up.”  When Blaine continued to look dazedly into the distance,  Porter stepped firmly on his foot. 

Blaine yelped, startled, and bent down to rub his toe.  “Ow, Porter, that hurt.”  He made a face. 

“Well, tell me who Kurt is.  And hurry up about it, we have to be on set, like, two minutes ago.”

Sighing, Blaine nodded.  “Okay, okay.  Kurt is… an old friend.”

“Oh.  Well that’s not nearly as exciting as I was hoping it would be, so thanks for that whole anti-climactic, dramatic pause and foot stomping thing.  Good thing you’re the actor and not the writer, because your screenplays would suck.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Just sayin’.”

Blaine grunted, scrolling down and reading Kurt’s email.  He laughed when Kurt brought up his snarkiness, remembering the comments Kurt used to make, the sarcasm that used to flow from his lips though it was never aimed at Blaine. 

“What?” Porter asked, trying to peer over Blaine’s shoulder again.

Blaine stopped walking, causing his friend to walk into him.  “No,” he said, dropping the hand holding his phone to his side.  “You are not reading my emails over my shoulder.”

“But-”

“No.”

“…fine.”

“Go, I’ll catch up.”

Porter stuck his tongue out at Blaine and turned, walking away.  “You better hurry to set, Paul’s not gonna be happy if you’re much later, you freakin’ diva.”

Blaine waved him on, lifting his phone back to his eyes and reading the rest of Kurt’s email. 

If I could have any animal I think I would have… a bird.  At a school I went to there was a glee club and the newest member had to take care of a bird.  I might’ve pretended to dislike him at times, but really, that bird was adorable. I loved taking care of him.

“I loved taking care of him.”

Blaine closed his eyes.  Suddenly he was back at Dalton, hurrying into the Warbler room, looking for Kurt.  He had seemed so worried about Pavarotti in his text, something about the bird seeming under the weather.  Blaine knew he was probably just molting, losing his feathers for the season before growing in new ones; he had taken care of Pav around the exact same time the year before.

Kurt looked so relieved when Blaine had told him that what was happening with Pavarotti was totally normal, letting out a breath and smiling happily.  He really had cared about that bird; Blaine had been able to tell that much, even from that moment. 

His certainty about that was only cemented when…

Kurt trudged into the Warblers meeting out of uniform- a fact that could earn him about 20 demerits if he got caught by a teacher- and dressed from head to toe in black (though, of course, still looking completely stylish the way that he always did), breaking the news to the troupe of a capella singing boys.  Pavarotti had passed- a suspected stroke- and Kurt wanted to dedicate a song to him.  He handed a tape off and the Beatles’ Blackbird started playing.  Blaine looked at his hands folded in his lap as Kurt gazed across the room, his eyes distant.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night...”

Blaine lifted his head, blinking.  That voice…

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”

All the other Warblers began harmonizing with Kurt, solemn “oohs” filling the room.

“All your life…”

Blinking again, Blaine averted his eyes from the boy in black.  He’d heard Kurt’s voice before- there was his audition for the solo at regionals with Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, and the practice with Blaine for Baby, It’s Cold Outside at the King’s Island Christmas Spectacular- and he had always found it amazing.  But for some reason, at this very moment, it was better than Blaine had ever heard it.  There was so much buried in his tone, in his voice, in his inflictions.  So much raw emotion, so much sadness.  Blaine felt it flooding the room much like the tears were flooding Kurt’s eyes before they spilled over and began running down his cheeks.  Seeing Kurt cry, Blaine could barely hold back his own tears.  He shifted in his seat, trying to identify the warm, bubbly feeling in his heart. 

“…you were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

Love.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Kurt leaned on the counter next to the cash register at Amber’s shop, flipping through the four page letter his boss had left him.  She was gone for the day at a new stylist’s fashion show, and Kurt was managing the shop alone.  But even though he had no customers coming in, he had no downtime, Amber made sure of that. 

“Find the bobby pin Zoe dropped yesterday around the sofa.  We can’t have random trinkets lying around the shop.”

“Go to the florists and make sure they have a dozen red roses waiting for me when I come back.  Don’t pick them up yet, just make sure they have them.”

“Vacuum the front room after you find the bobby pin, and then vacuum the bottom of your shoes.  You probably stepped in something on the way back from the florist- this is the city, and you’re not the best at watching your step.”

Kurt couldn’t help but take personal offense at the last one- as if he didn’t keep all his clothes in perfect condition, least of all his shoes.  He sighed, setting the pack back on the counter and heading to the sofa to search for Zoe’s lost bobby pin, rolling his eyes.  He had just knelt on the ground when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.  He pulled it out and grinned when he saw the screen.

New Message from Lucas Duvall.

He unlocked it quickly, covering his mouth, slightly embarrassed when a happy giggle escaped his lips.

I didn’t even think of that, a bird. Birds are great, I used to have one, too.  Loved that little guy, he helped me meet some new friends.  I guess birds are just good ice breakers, eh? ;) As for my favorite magazine… I do enjoy Vogue, so I might agree with you there.  But I also like classic TIME magazine.  They have some great special issues.

Next question: Favorite board game? Personally, I like Trivial Pursuit- Especially the Disney Edition.  Fantastic.

I hope you have a good day today. :)

Kurt bit his lip to keep a smile from tearing his face in two.  Lucas just kept getting better and better; he appreciated Vogue (and thus obviously fashion, Kurt decided) but also wanted to keep up to date on current events or politics in the world.  So he had a serious and studious side, but he loved Disney’s Trivial Pursuit, so he was also a bit of  a goof, apparently.

Oh yes, Kurt thought.  Lucas could be something special.

Suddenly Kurt’s day was looking much brighter.