To Infinity And Beyond Indeed

Toy Story: The Musical, Disney's latest addition to its Broadway catalog, is perhaps their most charming and fun show-to-date, which is saying a lot. Director Pierce Salemeno's production is alive and thrilling in a way that has been absent from the stage in recent years. The production is slickly staged, with sets that drop the audience right into the middle of Pixar's world of toys that come alive as soon as their human owners leave the room… The standout in the cast, to no one's surprise, is Academy Award winner Kurt Hummel, back on Broadway for the first time since his Tony winning run as Drew in Defiance. As Woody, Hummel brings just the right combination of "aw shucks" humility and exasperation as the leader of the pack of toys whose authority is threatened by the arrival of a new-fangled spaceman toy. His three solos are the jewels of the catchy soundtrack, with Not So Lonesome Cowboy earning the biggest round of applause during the evening… —BroadwayRecap, March 4th, 2020.

=^..^=

A sound broke through Kurt's wall of unconsciousness and pulled him up out of his deep sleep. As the fog lifted slightly from his brain, it registered that the noise was just Blaine puttering around in the living room. Kurt smiled at the domestically of it all and snuggled back into his pillow. It was Sunday morning and he had two whole glorious days free until his next performance on Tuesday night.

The opening week of Toy Story had gone miraculously well, but opening a new show was always stressful, no matter how splendidly it, and the reviews, turned out, so he was happy for the rest.

He must have dozed off again, because the next thing he knew the bed was jiggling slightly and he could feel Blaine nuzzling at the back of his neck. He was just about to smile at the tickling sensation when he felt something wet against his cheek. Had Blaine just licked him? And why was he whining like that? Wait…whining?

Kurt forced his eyes open, expecting to see a grinning (or amorous) Blaine looking back at him, but instead his eyes crossed slightly as his entire view was filled by a wet, black, and wiggling nose. He pulled his head back, refocused, and found an adorable puppy staring back at him from just inches away. It was tannish brown and white and the cutest thing he had ever seen.

He blinked slowly, his still sleepy brain unable to fully process what he was seeing. "What…?"

"Happy Opening Night!" The sound of a voice pulled his attention to the door, where he found Blaine bouncing on his toes in excitement. "I wanted to give you your present earlier, but I thought you'd prefer to have a few uninterrupted days with her at first, so I waited until the show was dark."

"Give me…you mean…you're giving me a puppy?"

"If you want her." Blaine looked slightly unsure for a second. "If you don't, the shelter will take her back, it's no problem."

Kurt snatched the puppy up from the tangled comforter and snuggled it tightly to his chest, giggling when it licked him on the tip of his nose. "Not want Blaine Jr.? What're you thinking? Have you been wearing your bow ties too tight again?"

Blaine walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching a hand out to pet the little dog's head. "We are so not naming the dog 'Blaine, Jr.' I will not spend the next year hearing you tell stories about how Blaine peed on the floor or ate one of your shoes. Plus, um, it's a girl."

"Humph. I always thought of 'Blaine' as a gender neutral name, actually, but fine." He cradled the puppy closer and nuzzled his face into her soft fur. "Don't worry baby, you'll always be Blaine, Jr. to me."

The puppy squirmed to be let down and Kurt placed her back on the bed and watched in delight as she ran around jumping on bulges in the fabric and exploring the strange new cushy landscape before her.

"I can't believe you got me a puppy," Kurt sighed happily as he looked over at Blaine.

"I remembered you saying that you wanted one back in L.A., but didn't think you should get one because of going on location and everything. And since we're in New York for the foreseeable future…"

"She's perfect. I love her already." He threw his arms around Blaine's shoulders and pulled in him tight, enjoying the now familiar, but always thrilling, way their bodies fit together. "And I love you."

"I love you too," Blaine replied as he leaned back and caught and held Kurt's gaze.

The moment was interrupted when the puppy let out a surprised yelp. Kurt popped his head over the other side of the bed to find her on the ground, looking shocked at having fallen off the edge. Kurt murmured comforting sounds as he picked her up and sat her down beside him. In seconds she was off and exploring again. She walked behind him and sniffed the pillows and burrowed under the blanket for a bit before deciding that his toes looked delicious.

"Ouch! Hey, I need those. I don't think my bosses will like it if I tell them my new puppy rendered me unable to dance." He was looking around for something to distract the puppy away from his body parts when Blaine dangled a soft looking rope with a knot tied at both ends in front of his face. "You think of everything." He leaned over and grabbed the other end of the rope and used it to tug Blaine backwards until he was leaning on his elbows. "Thank you. Best. Gift. Ever." Kurt kissed him softly, only breaking away when another needle-like tooth sank into his toe.

He and Blaine wrestled and played with the puppy for at least half-an-hour before she collapsed on Kurt's pillow and fell asleep. He lay on his stomach next to her, his chin resting on one bent arm.

"Since Blaine, Jr. is out, what should we name her?" he asked as he passed a finger back-and-forth over her silky brown ear.

"Maybe we should spend the day getting to know her first," Blaine suggested from where he was lying on his back, with his head pillowed on Kurt's butt.

"Mm…good idea. Do you have any other puppy supplies hidden around here or was that toy it?"

Blaine sat up and smoothed the back of his hair. "Are you kidding? I know better than that. The only other thing I have is a simple collar and leash. The shopping is all up to you, my dear."

"Ah, you know me so well," Kurt smiled up at him before glancing back at the sleeping dog. "We should take this opportunity to puppy-proof the house. I won't be responsible for the cloud of rage that descends over me if she chews on one of my boots."

They spent the rest of the dog's nap time re-arranging their closet so that the shoes and boots were nowhere near puppy level. Their last houseplant had died the week before (neither he nor Blaine could claim much of a green thumb, but how, exactly, did one manage to kill a cactus?), so there was no need to move possibly toxic plants, but they did decide to do away with their tradition of having a candy dish filled with chocolates out on the coffee table.

Whining and frantic yaps from the bedroom informed them that the nap was over, so Blaine entertained the dog while Kurt showered and got dressed and then they headed off to the local pet store down the block. The puppy walked on her own all the way to the store, but as they entered she came face-to-face with a giant Labrador and her courage left her. Kurt picked up the trembling bundle of fur and held her close to his chest as he gave the owners of the other dog a reassuring smile.

Blaine grabbed a cart and headed off to get some puppy-appropriate food, while Kurt went straight for the accessory aisle. He couldn't really get behind the whole idea of dressing dogs up (usually they just looked miserable and humiliated), but his dog was going to have the most spectacular collection of collars that he could find.

Kurt limited himself to getting only three collars for the time being, knowing that the puppy would be growing fast in the coming months. He picked out a dark green collar dotted with little silver dog bones; a red, black, and white plaid collar; and a black collar covered in tiny little skulls and crossbones.

He buckled the black collar around the puppy's neck and snapped a picture with his phone, mailing it to his friends and family with a quick note about how Blaine surprised him. Then he sent out a Tweet with a link to the photo.

I'm a dad! Meet the newest member of our happy little family! No name yet, so stay tuned.

Blaine appeared with the food and they proceeded to the dog toy section, where Kurt was sure they bought almost one of everything. He found a perfect set of food dishes that matched the colors of their kitchen and lastly they picked out a dog bed made of material so soft that Kurt was almost tempted to see if they made king size comforters out of it (almost).

They took a small bag of necessary items with them and arranged for the rest to be delivered later that day. The puppy was tuckered out from her adventure, so Blaine carried her home, her chin tucked into his shoulder as she watched all of the activity on the street around her with sleepy eyes.

Blaine was in the kitchen making lunch and Kurt was in the middle of putting new sheets on the bed when he stepped into something wet. He looked down at the small puddle he was standing in and sighed. After the mess was cleaned up and lunch was finished, they bundled up again and made another trek to the pet store.

"I can't believe I have to cover my lovely turn-of-the-century hardwood floors with puppy pads," Kurt lamented as they picked out a package of extra-absorbent pads and headed for the check-out line.

"It's better than risking damage to said floors and it's not for too long," Blaine said as he handed the cashier his credit card. "The shelter said she's mostly housetrained by now. It was probably just the excitement."

"I'm excited too, but you don't see me peeing in the middle of the bedroom," Kurt grumbled.

"And that kind of restraint is why I love you so."

=^..^=

Kurt walked out of the bathroom that night and laughed when he saw the dog sleeping in her bed splayed out on her back, with her little paws in the air.

"She's out like a light. This has probably been the biggest day of her entire life so far," he laughed as he crawled into bed next to Blaine and laid his head down on his chest.

Blaine slid their legs together and intertwined their fingers. "I imagine so."

"I wonder if all her puppy brothers and sisters know that she came to live with us?" Kurt lifted his head and slid a hand under his chin. "I bet they're all envious."

"As they should be. She's going to get to cuddle up with one of People Magazine's sexiest men on a daily basis." Kurt felt Blaine's fingers softly card through his hair. "I'd be envious myself, but, you know, I get to do more than just cuddle."

"Hmm, yeah you do," Kurt whispered saucily, a smile playing on his lips. "In fact, you could be doing more right now, if you wanted."

"Oh, I want, I definitely want."

Blaine rolled them over and dropped his head down for a deep, wet kiss. Kurt wound his arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. He crooked one leg and wrapped it around Blaine's hip, digging his heel in to bring them together from hip to toe.

He gasped as Blaine released his mouth and nibbled his way over to his ear and down towards his neck. Then a noise broke through the haze of passion that was making his pulse race and his blood thicken. A sad and pathetic cry was coming from somewhere on the floor at the end of the bed.

"Do you hear that?"

"Just ignore her," Blaine urged as he continued to mouth at Kurt's neck. "She'll stop in a second."

"Ignore her?" Kurt asked incredulously. "It's her first night in a new place with new people. She's away from her mom for the first time and scared. What are you, made of stone?"

Kurt wiggled out from under Blaine and stood up. He heard Blaine collapse behind him with a groan and he smiled as he picked the crying puppy up. She immediately quieted down and snuggled her cold, wet nose into his neck. He sat back down on the bed and lifted the covers with his free hand. He lay down and covered them both up, the puppy curled up on his chest.

Blaine raised himself up on one elbow and pouted at being left out of the cuddle, so Kurt tugged him down beside them. Blaine laid his head next to Kurt's and wrapped his arm around his waist, just below where the puppy was settled. Kurt pressed a kiss to his lips and signed contentedly before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

=^..^=

Monday morning dawned bright and sunny, though evidence of overnight rain lingered in the slightly fresher air and shallow puddles.

After a leisurely breakfast, they decided to take the still unnamed puppy on a walk through Central Park. Kurt selected her plaid collar for the occasion and may or may not have selected a coordinating jacket for himself and they were out the door.

It wasn't yet spring, but the weather felt like it for the first time that year. They walked the paths for a while, sometimes leading the puppy on her leash and sometimes holding her when she started to fall behind. They grabbed lunch from a cart and made their way over to the Great Lawn, thankful that the grass had dried out from the night before as they set themselves down to eat and people watch.

Blaine had brought along his camera, so after lunch they set about trying to take the perfect photo of the dog. She wasn't cooperating, though, clearly more interested in napping next to Kurt's leg than in having her moment in the spotlight.

Kurt loved days like this. New York was such a different place than L.A. While he still got recognized while out and about in his daily life, people hardly ever came up to him. New Yorkers saw so many famous people all the time that it didn't really faze them anymore. After the nightmare with Rodney, he'd been a little leery of meeting new people, so it'd been a good time to be in L.A. where no one ever walked anywhere and you could go your whole day without even stepping outside if you wanted to. Garage-to-garage-to-garage had worked well for him at the time, but as time passed he'd lost the itch on the back of his neck that made it seem like someone was watching him and he began to want more.

New York offered him the something more he was looking for. Here he could have his wish of standing ovations and autograph seekers every night and unnoticed grocery shopping and neighborhood walks every day. Having Blaine there with him just made everything all the more special. He felt like he was living a fairy tale and he sometimes woke up at night with his heart beating a-mile-a-minute in fear that it was all a dream.

And now there was another life attached to theirs. A helpless little being that would drool and shed and scratch his beloved hardwood floors. A friend who would lick away his tears on the really bad days when everything seemed dark and would jump up and down ecstatically at his side when he came home excited on the good days. Unconditional love in a compact, wiggling body that would only ask for a pat on the head and a rub on the tummy in return. Hmm, that actually was a pretty good description of the other love in his life too, though Blaine would want a pat and a rub on decidedly different parts of his body.

Kurt cracked himself up with that thought and flopped back on the grass to laugh, careful not to move around and get a grass stain on his jacket.

"What's so funny?" Blaine asked as he leaned over him, his head blocking the sun.

"Nothing. Just thinking how lucky I am."

"Well, I know another way you could get lucky," Blaine leered, his eyebrows bouncing up and down cartoonishly.

Kurt huffed in fake outrage. "Blaine, not in front of the baby!"

"Oh no, she's not getting in the way this time. I did not get a puppy just so that she could be a coc—"

He was cut off by the hand Kurt clasped across his mouth and he retaliated by swirling his tongue over Kurt's palm. With a gasp, Kurt let go and Blaine moved to kiss him with a wicked glint in his eye. When he broke the kiss, Kurt looked around to see if anyone had been watching. He was still uneasy about public affection. Holding hands and the occasional peck was usually the most he was comfortable with. He knew Blaine didn't have the same reservations and would like it if Kurt wasn't always the one to pull back, but he never pushed the topic and for that Kurt was thankful.

The puppy woke up from her nap just then and immediately began running around in circles, chasing her tail and pouncing on the blades of grass waving in the light breeze. They gathered up their garbage, grabbed her leash, and set off for home.

Just as they were about to leave the park, the dog found a shallow puddle and seemed to decide that it was the best thing she'd ever seen. She splashed around and gave it a few licks before sitting down right in the middle and looking up at them with a little doggy grin, her tongue hanging out slightly as she panted.

"Maybe we should call her Cooper," Blaine mused. "They seem an awful lot alike to me."

Kurt tried not to cringe at the muddy water seeping into her fur as the dog turned to her right and began to growl at a rock. "I don't know. She reminds me more of Finn, actually."

"Finny? Finnina?"

"Not for all the standing ovations in the world."

They finally got the puppy home with only minimal dirt on their clothes and Kurt filled the bathtub up partway while Blaine gathered a few old towels and the dog shampoo they'd bought the day before. They bathed the puppy and dried her off thoroughly before letting her run around wildly to celebrate her freedom.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Blaine asked as they got into bed that night.

"Okay, this may be stupid— and feel free to veto if you want — but how about 'Elphie?'"

"Elphie?"

"It's Elphaba's nickname in Wicked. I always loved that show and growing up I really identified with her, you know?"

Blaine raised his head to look at the lump curled up next to Kurt's side. "How about it kiddo? Do you like 'Elphie?'" The dog let out a little yip as she nestled in closer and closed her eyes. "I think she agrees, Kurt. Elphie it is."

=^..^=

Kurt had a performance the next evening and it was the first time since he'd started working on Toy Story that he wasn't excited to leave for the theater. Blaine was leaving the apartment with him and Elphie seemed to sense that they were going to be leaving her alone, because she was sitting by the front door whimpering, with her head hung down low to the ground. The sight of her nearly had Kurt crying too, but Blaine convinced him that leaving her alone for a few hours would be a good thing, since as part of a soon-to-be two career household she would often be left alone.

As they walked down the street towards the subway, Kurt threaded his arm through Blaine's. "Best present ever. But I think she might need a furry friend…"