DARREN
This place is nice. (Inspects the furniture in the living room)

CHRIS
(Nervously) There’s only one bathroom.

DARREN
(smiling) We’ll make it work.

CHRIS
So…when do you wanna move in?

DARREN
(laughs then winks) Eager for a little company?

CHRIS
(Blushing) Maybe.

DARREN
Well I’ll personally just be happy to have someone to run lines with. Serena was never very supportive about my auditions. Always telling me I sucked and I’d never get a part in anything. Then she’d go on and on about how nothing is sexier than a man with a steady, 9 to 5 job. She just wanted the paycheck.

CHRIS
That’s girls for you.

DARREN
Is that why you gave them up?

CHRIS
I didn’t give up anything. I’ve never liked girls. Not like that anyway.

DARREN
Oh. Sorry. I’ve never actually been friends with a gay guy before.

CHRIS
(sarcastic) Better watch out. I might bite.

DARREN
(knows the homophobia Chris is referring too, but grins at Chris) Oh so you’re a vampire too?

CHRIS
A regular Edward Cullen.

DARREN
I like a little danger. Can I start moving in tomorrow?

CHRIS
(smiling) Only if you promise not line your boxes with garlic. I can’t stand the smell.

DARREN
Deal. (Shakes hands with Chris. The start of their new friendship).

. ~ . ~ .

“Aaaaand cut!” Patrick yelled. Much to Kurt’s dismay, he was also the director. Kurt wondered what the hell he got himself into with this guy. “That was amazing boys! This show is going to be gold.”

Kurt glanced over at Blaine, who was already surrounded by the hair and makeup team who were in charge of keeping his curly hair looking like the perfect combination of tame and wild. Kurt moved to the chair with his name on it off the set and plucked the water bottle from the side pocket. He glanced at his watch and saw it was eleven o’clock at night. There went his evening plans.

Back in his theater days at NYU they made it mandatory that rehearsal never lasted later than a show would. That way it ensured that they had plenty of time to study, date, and sleep. He missed his friends back there. Some of them he’d known since high school, including his brother’s fianc�e Rachel. He’d hated her all through high school, but now he missed her bubbly, self-centered divaness.

Making a mental note to call Rachel later, he opened up the leather case of his iPad and scrolled through his apps until he found his planner. He perused the filming schedule for the rest of the week. Tonight he had one more scene to shoot, this one between Chris and his ex-boyfriend Eddie.

He had a few hours to go sleep and rehearse until they were ready to shoot his next scene. Next on the list was a scene where Darren is moving boxes into the apartment while Chris is at work, so it was just Blaine filming and no one else. He considered sticking around just for the sake of watching Blaine, but he didn’t think Blaine liked him that much anyway.

He took his iPad and his script and headed off the set to his trailer.

. ~ . ~ .

After much publicity and excitement, the first episode was aired. A week later, the show exploded. They were getting praise from the toughest critics and the demand for more of Bring on Tomorrow was higher than any show ever. Kurt was flooded with phone calls and letters from all over congratulating him on his near instant success, but it wasn’t Kurt that was in demand for interviews.

It was predictable, it seemed, to have the so obviously gay man play another so obviously gay man, but Blaine was a subject of fascination for the public. Blaine was gay, playing a straight man who – unbeknownst to the public – would eventually turn gay. It was a puzzle they all tried to figure out, and the question that Kurt quickly got tired of hearing people ask his costar was, “How does it feel?”

Blaine always did the same thing. He put on a fucking dapper smile and said, “It feels like I’m representing the LGBT community and showing that we aren’t confined to stereotypes. Just because I’m gay doesn’t limit who I am or the roles I can play.”

Sometimes, Kurt really hated Blaine Anderson.

But other times, Kurt really, really loved him.

Like that time after one of those god-awful interviews with some talk show host on a channel no one watched where Blaine found him backstage and apologized for soaking up the spotlight. Kurt was really the star and people were supposed to love Chris more than Darren. When Kurt tried to tell Blaine that an apology was appreciated but not necessary, Blaine didn’t stop there.

“Do you want to get coffee or something?”

Kurt froze in the midst of gathering his things, ready to leave their shared guest dressing room. He raised one perfect shaped brown eyebrow and just stared at Blaine. He liked that Blaine was shorter than him. He almost felt superior.

“I’ve hung out with all the cast so far, but I can never find you. I actually like to know who I’m working with, and you seem to be a bit of a mystery,” Blaine said, trying to make it sound like going out for coffee was more casual than Blaine asking him out.

“Let’s just go,” Kurt sighed. “But you’re buying.”

“Of course,” Blaine said, looking wounded that Kurt would think it would be any other way.

They left the studio out the back door. They weren’t quite to the point where their star status had them bombarded with fans, so they agreed on a coffee shop to meet at and drove there in their respective cars. Kurt didn’t own one yet, it was still a rental that Patrick had secured for him when he got to L.A.

Once they arrived at the coffee shop, Blaine was waiting outside for Kurt. He smiled that damn dapper smile of his and Kurt couldn’t help but smile as well. Inside, they ordered and took a seat in the corner, away from other people.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Blaine said, studying Kurt’s face intently. He hadn’t looked this hard at Kurt since they met and it unnerved Kurt a bit.

“Well, my name is Kurt Hummel, I’m twenty-three years old…”

“No, like where you came from, why you started acting, are you dating anyone, all that jazz,” Blaine spoke with animated gestures that were less his character and more a bit of Darren coming out of him. Kurt admired how into his roles Blaine got.

“I’m from Lima, Ohio. I graduated from NYU last year and I was heavily into theater there. I started studying music but I have more of a Broadway voice,” Kurt said. He wasn’t usually one to brag about his voice, but he was a damn good singer. “And no. I’m not dating anyone.”

Blaine nodded and took a sip of his coffee before saying, “Me neither.”

Kurt raised his eyebrow again. Was Blaine hinting at something? Or was Kurt just making it all up in his head again?

“So what about you?” Kurt asked. “Any juicy gossip or tantalizing history you care to share?”

“Not really,” Blaine said. “I dropped out of Harvard to work on my music, then ended up here looking for acting gigs. My parents disowned me when I turned eighteen and told them I was still gay and didn’t want to be a lawyer.”

Kurt nodded slowly and lowered his coffee cup from his lips. So Blaine wasn’t all sunshine and roses like he let on.

“What compelled you to audition for this show?” Kurt asked, staring across the table into Blaine’s gorgeous eyes. They were the think Kurt loved the most about him. They kept his attention through every scene they’d filmed together so far and all the rehearsals.

“My brother’s friend heard about it and they just kinda made me do it. I figured it couldn’t hurt to audition,” Blaine said with a shrug. Kurt nodded, still looking into those eyes.

“I auditioned via webcam,” Kurt said. Blaine chuckled and tore his gaze away.

“So I’ve heard.” Blaine sipped his coffee again and Kurt looked out the window. He felt Blaine’s eyes on him, on his face, his neck, his chest, his hands. Kurt felt a twinge of something warm in his body at the thought of Blaine looking at him like that.

“Well, this has been nice and all, but I really gotta get home. You should too. Long day of filming head of us.” Kurt stood and gripped his coffee tight in one hand. Blaine looked like he wanted to stay something to keep Kurt from going, but he didn’t.

. ~ . ~ .

Mercedes Jones lived across the hall from Kurt and it didn’t take long for them to be friends. On nights where he was home, they alternated between having dinner in each other’s apartments. Tonight was Kurt’s night and he was tired and a little lazy, so he ordered them Chinese. At the moment, he was curled up on the couch with a box of broccoli beef and chopsticks watching Mulan while Mercedes played Angry Birds on his iPad.

“So is Blaine single?” Mercedes asked out of nowhere. She tipped her head back to look at him. She was thankful that he’d welcomed her into his life. The last guy who lived there before him had been an ass when his TV show took off, and a drug addict when it got canceled. He’d also tried to molest her and that just wasn’t cool.

“I don’t know. Why do you care? He’s gay,” Kurt snapped, looked back into the depths of his food.

“I’m talking about for you, silly,” Mercedes laughed. “Face it, honey, you gotta get some before you explode. Besides, I don’t have time for a man. Too busy with my music.”

“God, Mercedes, I am a professional. He’s hot, but he’s not hot enough for me to go and make things awkward like that. There has to be other hot gays out there waiting to take my virginity,” Kurt said. He set his chopsticks in the carton and tugged a blanket over his shoulder and curled his legs up under him further. He didn’t like having this conversation.

“Not if you don’t put yourself out there,” Mercedes said with a shrug. She went back to playing Angry Bird and he went back to pouting and shoving food in his face. After a few moments, Mercedes let out a small gasp as she set the iPad aside and stood.

“What is it?” Kurt asked, looking up at her worriedly.

“Kurt…is that what I think it is?” She pointed to a shelf on the wall that housed something that oddly resembled a Tony Award.

“Oh, that old thing? Yeah. It’s a Tony.” Kurt shrugged and looked back at the TV.

“Did you win that?” Mercedes asked, cautiously stepping closer to the shelf, looking at it in awe. “Can I touch it?”

“Yes and yes,” Kurt sighed, a bit annoyed. He was trying to watch a movie!

“Why didn’t you tell me you won a fucking Tony? Kurt, what are you hiding?” Mercedes turned and put a hand on her hip.

“I was just in this show. It wasn’t really much, but it was good for a while. I won that award for best actor in a musical and a month later I started coughing up blood in the middle of a show. They rushed me to a hospital and I had a tumor in my throat. They operated and I haven’t been able to sing since. That was a year ago.” Kurt shrugged and grabbed one of the small square pillows from the couch and put it in his lap, leaning against it as he tried to focus on the movie again.

“Kurt, I’m so sorry,” Mercedes said. She glanced at the award one more time before going over and sitting beside him on the couch. “Were you good?”

“Yeah, ‘Cedes, I was good. I was the best. Can we please stop talking about what I’ve lost? I moved here to get a fresh start,” Kurt snapped. Mercedes just nodded and sunk into the couch cushions beside him, grabbing a container of almond chicken and a fork.

When they were done eating, Kurt asked her if she would run lines with him. Patrick specifically told him not to share the script with anyone, but Kurt really was beginning to love Mercedes and he trusted her with his life.

She agreed and laughed when she was stuck playing Darren (“I don’t know how to be a guy let alone a gay one playing a straight one who thinks he might be gay!” “Shut up, Mercedes, and just read the damn lines!”). Kurt hadn’t even looked at the script for the second episode and they were filming the next day. He wanted to show up and give Blaine the illusion that he was somewhat prepared.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Two: Significant Other
Scene 1

(Int. Living room. Darren is sprawled out on the couch, the TV is on with the volume low. Someone is at the door, pounding loudly. Chris gets up to answer it, annoyed with Darren’s ability to sleep through anything)

SERENA
Open the damn door, Darren! I know you live here now!

CHRIS
(Opens door) Who is this Darren you speak of?

SERENA
Well I can’t blame him for leaving me.

CHRIS
Who the hell are you?

SERENA
You are pretty damn cute. Tell me, he’s on the bottom, isn’t he?

CHRIS
Ok, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.

DARREN
It’s ok, Chris. Just go back to bed.

CHRIS
Who is this bitch?

SERENA
Is he for real?

DARREN
What are you doing here?

SERENA
I think I deserve to know who you’re leaving me for, Darren. Or is he just your fuck buddy?

DARREN
Don’t talk about him like that. He’s my roommate. Nothing more.

SERENA
Great cover story.

CHRIS
Seriously, Dare, who is this bitch?

DARREN
She used to be special. She used to mean something to me. (Slams the door).