“I am here because I want to be challenged.”

Everyone claps politely and Rachel sits down with a satisfied grin on her face. She’s basking in the praise and Kurt envies her confidence. It’s almost his time to introduce himself and he’s incredibly nervous.

This is his first role on Broadway.

This is a show that tries to break boundaries.

This is a show he wants to be proud of.

Yet, he can’t help but be anxious. What if he is terribly miscast? After all, if you had told Kurt a year ago that he’d play the Voice of Emmett in Deaf West’s production of Legally Blonde, he wouldn’t have believed you.

Kurt, of all people, as the straight romantic male lead?

Well, of course, that is partially true. He’s technically voicing the role. A Deaf actor will embody Emmett, but they will play the role together and Kurt’s high-pitched gay voice will be heard by the hearing audience.

When it’s finally time for Kurt to speak, he gets up. All eyes are on him for now.

“Uh, hello, my name is Kurt Hummel,” he says and signs. He can’t sign at all, but he did teach himself how to introduce himself in ASL. He looked up some things, since it’s important. Luckily the interpreter takes over for the rest. “I will be playing the Voice of Emmett and I am here because I want to challenge others. Thanks.”

He sits down again and the round continues.

When it’s time for Blaine Anderson to do his talk, Kurt sits up.

“Hello, my name is Blaine Anderson,” the interpreter speaks for Blaine. Blaine is signing and it’s captivating. “I play the role of Emmett and I am very happy to be here. I am here because I want to show the audience how Deafness can enhance an existing story. Thank you.”

Kurt and the others wave their hands as applause. When Blaine sits he looks at Kurt and smiles. Kurt nods back. He knows that the two of them will be playing the role together, so they’ll be seeing each other a lot.

He noticed Blaine from the beginning. This is the first time that the entire cast is officially meeting, but the moment Blaine stepped into the room, Kurt saw him. Kurt’s done his research on Deaf West Legally Blonde so he knew that he’s going to be sharing the role with Blaine. Still, seeing him in real life is different.

The roll call finishes and the group disbands for a small break. Most of the cast is familiar with each other. Deaf West Legally Blonde had a run in Los Angeles before it transferred to Broadway, but some people, including Kurt, have joined the cast. Rachel playing Elle Woods was a huge deal, since she’s the lead. So far the new hearing cast members and the new Deaf cast members hang out separately, since there is a language barrier. Only April Rhodes, who plays Paulette, is a hearing member who can sign.

But Rachel was right: they’re also here to get challenged, so Kurt steps towards Blaine who is rapidly signing to Quinn Fabray, the Deaf actress who plays Brooke.

“Hi,” Kurt says. Quinn and Blaine share a look, and Blaine smiles.

HI, he signs back. Kurt recognises that one. K-U-R-T, RIGHT?

Kurt nods.

Blaine quickly signs something to Quinn, who nods and walks off to Santana, the hearing actress who plays Brooke with Quinn.  

YOU SIGN? Blaine asks.

NO, Kurt shakes his head. He takes his phone out of his pocket and points towards it. Blaine nods. They can also ask one of the interpreters to help, but this works as well.

Kurt hands his phone to Blaine so that Blaine put in his number. He quickly sends a text.

KH: Hello!

The screen of Blaine’s phone lights up.

BA: Hello, it works!

I think this might be the easiest right now

KH: Yeah sorry I don’t know how to sign

BA: That’s fine. You’ll learn

I can teach you

Although you won’t be fluent. It takes years

KH: I looked up some signs but it is difficult

BA: It’s fine

So, how did you become part of the show?

Kurt knows that Blaine Anderson has been part of this show since the workshopping days. Kurt only joined for this production and this spot was opened up because the actor who did the role in Los Angeles joined another Broadway show.

KH: I just auditioned. I love the original and I saw the casting call and I took a chance.

Kurt still thinks it’s a miracle that he got the role. Rachel as Elle was a given in Kurt’s mind, but Kurt still can’t believe this is real.

BA: I think you’re great

That message surprises Kurt.

KH: Oh?

BA: Yeah I’ve looked you up

Kurt has some Off-Broadway and regional credits. They’re not big roles like this, but he’s proud of his work, so he smiles when he sees that message.

KH: I also looked up your stuff with Deaf West

Kurt wants to write some more, but the small break is over. Everyone’s called back. Blaine sends him one quick final message.

BA: We’ll talk more, yeah?

Kurt sees that Blaine’s looking at him so he gives him a thumbs up.

Rehearsal is heavy, especially for the newer cast members. Kurt plays a Voice, so he doesn’t have to sign in the show. As a result he spends most of the rehearsal with the other Voices. He also has music rehearsal, which is something the Deaf cast isn’t part of, expect for when they’re also rehearing the signing. There are some music rehearsals where everyone signs instead of sings, in order to get the timing right. This show is all about working together. He goes through staging, tech and blocking with the entire company. All the Voices are constantly next to the actors who embody the roles.

In the first week he hasn’t really gotten the time to sit down with Blaine to talk about Emmett. Everyone’s just busy getting the basics together, although he and Blaine have texted a little bit over the week. They know they will be seen a lot together, since they play the same role.

This production is truly something he’s never done before. He’s never had to share a role like this. Sure, Kurt’s been an understudy for one of his Off-Broadway roles, so he technically shared that role with someone else and that led to cooperation, but they weren’t on stage simultaneously.

When Kurt and Blaine finally have time to sit down with an interpreter, they go over the script together to go through every line Emmett has. They’re in their dressing room and they flip through the pages. They both approach the role in a different way. They’re going through their big number, Chip On My Shoulder, which is the song where Emmett and Elle really grow together.

“Hello Kitty…” Kurt reads out loud with a smile, “I always loved how Christian Borle said it in the MTV proshot.”

Blaine has a questioning look on his face.

“Oh, uh, he said it in a really deadpan voice and he draws out the words,” Kurt explains, “And he put a pause between Hello and Kitty for humorous effect.”

Blaine squints his eyes slightly. Right, of course. How do you explain sound and speech to someone who’s never heard it?

“Can you do that?” Blaine asks.

Kurt watches Blaine’s signs as he listens to the interpreter. He’s already realised that it makes it easier to recognise the signs.

YES, Kurt signs back, I THINK.

And Kurt in turn signs when he’s able to in order to practise.

“In my opinion, Chip On My Shoulder is probably one of the most important moments in the show,” Blaine continues, “Maybe I am biased, since I play Emmett, but I think it is more monumental than So Much Better.”

“Well, yes, we get to hear Emmett’s point of view,” Kurt agrees, “His life. His motivation. We already know about Elle. This is the moment she starts to share the spotlight.”

Blaine nods eagerly.

“Exactly!”

“What do you think Emmett’s main motivations are?” Kurt asks. After all, they’re here to do a deep dive on their character. “For helping, Elle, I mean. I always thought it was a mix of pity and kindness. He’s a kind guy, so when he feels bad for someone, he wants to help.”

“Oh, I have an idea.”

TELL ME, Kurt signs.

“For starters, in our production, Emmett is Deaf,” Blaine points towards himself and he winks, which makes Kurt laugh, “I think that his initial annoyance with Elle only gets exacerbated because of this. Elle is this very privileged hearing rich girl who walks in thinking she can just own the place, whereas he had to work very hard to even get into Harvard. And I know we make Harvard a more Deaf friendly school, since Emmett isn’t the only Deaf or hard of hearing person in this university, but it is still harder for them.”

“Look, they laughed at me, like they're laughing at you/We can't win if we don't follow through,” Kurt sings.

Blaine nods.

“Yes, people don’t always take us seriously, so that line stood out in particular.”

“Huh,” Kurt says. He’s been a fan of Legally Blonde the musical ever since he watched the proshot on MTV. He’s known the lyrics by heart, even before he auditioned. Yet, he’d never thought of it like that.

“Plus,” Blaine continues, “He’s also different from other Deaf characters in our show since he’s from a poorer background. That is why he also stands out in the group of Deaf Harvard students like Vivienne and the Deaf Delta Nu ladies.”

YOU’RE RIGHT, Kurt signs.

I KNOW, Blaine signs with a smile.

“So it’s not out of pity or kindness, but out of recognition?” Kurt says and Blaine nods.

“Well, also out of recognition,” Blaine clarifies, “I agree with you that Emmett is too good for this world so he’d help Elle even if he didn’t have that recognition.”

“Like in the original.”

Blaine nods again.

“You said on the very first day that you were excited to show a Deaf perspective and how it can enhance the show.”

Blaine’s eyes widen in surprise.

“You remember that!”

“Of course I did,” Kurt says with an ‘isn’t it obvious’ tone.

“Yeah, well, it isn’t much,” Blaine shrugs, “But it’s something and even though it’s small, I think it already adds a lot. Kind of like how they added the ban on signing in class in Spring Awakening. Did you see that show?”

Kurt nods. It was one of the best Broadway experiences ever and it’s one of the reasons he auditioned for this show, despite his own reservations and doubt.

“It’s great that, like in Spring Awakening, the original script isn’t changed. It just adds new meaning to the existing text,” Kurt says.

YES! Blaine signs excitedly. His movements become more eccentric and the signs take up more place when he’s really excited and Kurt loves it. He loves to learn about communication in a new way.

The two of them share a smile. Glad to hear they’re on the same page. He’s already overheard Kitty, another new cast member and who plays the Voice of Vivienne, talk about how it’s quite difficult to connect to Mercedes.

Kurt was afraid that he and Blaine also wouldn’t click, since Blaine has shared this role with another person, but it’s going well.

Kurt gets pulled out of his thoughts when Blaine taps the table.

“Hm?” Kurt gives him a questioning look.

“And what about you?” Blaine asks.

WHAT? Kurt asks back.

“You said that you wanted to challenge others.”

“Oh, right,” Kurt says.

Now, Blaine has a questioning look on his face.

“It doesn’t really have anything to do with the text,” Kurt motions towards the script, “I don’t think it’s super relevant for how we want to characterise Emmett.”

Or at least Kurt hadn’t thought about it like that.

He tries to talk around it, since he hasn’t shared his doubts about his casting with anyone, not even Rachel. Rachel probably wouldn’t get it. She’s too caught up in her own excitement and Kurt’s a bit jealous of it.

He wants to be exuberant as well, but he just worries about what the audience will think.

“Okay. I still want to know,” Blaine says when he realises that Kurt isn’t saying it outright, “Out of interest. You must’ve had a reason for it.”

Kurt sighs. Well, if they are going to work together then they will definitely get to know each other better. No matter what, Blaine will find out at one point down the line. Maybe it’s best to tell him so early in the process.

“I want to challenge the audience… with my voice,” he answers.

Blaine frowns. He doesn’t get it.

“When I auditioned for this role, I took it with a grain of salt. I was certain Finn would get the role of Voice of Emmett, but Finn encouraged me to try it anyway.”

“Wait, sorry, Finn who voices Kyle?”

Kurt nods.

“Yup, he’s my brother.”

Blaine looks impressed but then he realises he’s interrupted Kurt and he motions towards him to proceed.

“When I got the callback, I thought they were joking. But they weren’t. They wanted me as Emmett, and after a couple of audition rounds… here I am!”

“Here you are,” Blaine agrees.

“And I couldn’t imagine them casting me, a gay guy, to be the male romantic lead in Legally Blonde. So I am afraid that I am miscast and that the audience will hate it.”

“Wait, wait,” Blaine looks confused, “Gay guys play straight roles all the time and vice versa. If you’re a good actor, and I know you are, then it shouldn’t be a problem. I am gay too, and I’m not too worried.”

Kurt’s momentarily thrown off by Blaine saying he’s gay that he’s lost for words.

Blaine is gay too?

Two gay guys are playing Emmett?

Blaine tilts his head when Kurt remains silent and Kurt realises he’s waiting for Kurt to say more. Kurt tries not to blush and he pushes the gay revelation away for now. There is still a major difference between the two of them.

“Yes, but it’s my gay voice,” Kurt says, “My high-pitched gay voice. When I pick up the phone, a lot of people think it’s my mom. Acting will be fine, especially since you’re doing all the blocking and the big romantic scenes are between you and Rachel, but everyone will hear my voice and realise that something feels wrong.”

“Correction. Not everyone will hear your voice,” Blaine quickly points out.

“Right. Of course.”

“But I guess I don’t really understand,” Blaine looks apologetic, “I didn’t know there was a thing like a gay voice.”

“There is,” Kurt affirms, “Of course not every gay man sounds like me, but my tone and the way I speak might be seen as gay. I used to get bullied for it at school. Kids would just mock me by mimicking my voice when I walked past them.”

Blaine nods.

“And I love my gay voice. I always have,” Kurt quickly adds. That’s very important. Kurt loves being gay and he’s always been unabashedly himself. “But it has closed doors for me, especially in the entertainment world, so I am not sure if the audience will appreciate it.”

“But you want to make them appreciate it,” Blaine points out, “You want to challenge people.”

Kurt nods.

He really does. He wants to show the audience that he can play this role of Voice of Emmett. He is confident that he can do it, but it doesn’t take away the fear that others won’t see it. A miscast can doom an entire show and Kurt has a big role.

Blaine raises his hands and he’s about to say something when someone knocks on the door. Kurt and the interpreter instinctively look towards the door. Blaine sees it and he understands what is going on when Kurt gets up to open the door.

“Hey Kurt,” Santana says and then her eyes widen when she looks over his shoulder.

“What?”

SORRY, Santana signs to Blaine. Then she nods towards the interpreter to indicate that she needs help. “I didn’t know you were here as well. I wouldn’t have knocked if I knew.”

IT’S FINE, Blaine signs back. He gets up as well. I WILL GO.

WAIT, Kurt signs.

Blaine shakes his head.

“We can continue later,” he shrugs and he and the interpreter leave Kurt and Santana alone.

Santana watches them go.

“You two seem to be getting along,” she says.

“Yeah.”

“Good. It’s an adjustment for newer people,” Santana says. She’s played the Voice of Brooke since the beginning and she has a strong bond with Quinn.

“Is there something you needed?” Kurt asks.

In the end, Santana only needed his opinion on her outfit. He appreciates that he’s being seen as the fashion guru in the cast, but he wishes he had stayed with Blaine just a bit longer.

And just like that, the first week of rehearsal is over. It was one of the busiest weeks of Kurt’s life. He knows it isn’t going to be less busy, but he’s gotten used to his new routine. He, Finn and Rachel travel to the theatre together. They have lunch in the city together with some others. Then it’s more rehearsal and when he gets home he goes over all the new signs that he’s learnt.

But for some reason he can’t get the hang of the TRUE BIZ sign. It doesn’t help that this is a sign with no English translation. Kurt’s embarrassed to say that he didn’t know that ASL and English aren’t analogous. ASL isn’t “English with your hands”, but it has its own words, structure and grammar. Saying that it is English also feels wrong, because there are differences between the sign languages in other English speaking countries.

Basically, Kurt’s struggling.

He’d love to ask Rachel for an opinion, but she isn’t home. She is out with Finn. Besides, maybe it is better to ask an expert.

Kurt knows who to ask. He grabs his phone to text Blaine.

KH: Hey can I ask you a question about signs?

BA:  Yes sure

KH:  How do you use true biz again? I know how to sign it, just not how to use it

BA:  You can use it as a synonym for actually, definitely, totally

As in

true biz I am playing Emmett

so like, I am totally playing Emmett

Kurt quickly films a video of himself signing it and he sends it to Blaine. Blaine sends some thumbs up emojis back and Kurt smiles.

“Broadway!” someone yells and the interpreter signs it as well. As a result, the crowd goes mad. It’s their first day in the theatre! In that first week they were stuck in a rehearsal space with tape on the floor, but now the set’s been built and it’s time to move to the stage.

People are smiling and crying and filming. It’s one big bundle of joy.

COME ON! Blaine signs before grabbing Kurt by the shoulders and leading him towards the stage door.

WE ARE HERE, Kurt signs back and Blaine nods.

Together they walk in. It’s an amazing feeling and both can’t stop grinning. After exploring the theatre a bit more, it’s time to find their dressing room. They share a big dressing room with Finn and Dustin Goolsby, who play Kyle, Will Schuester who plays Professor Callahan and Sebastian Smythe who plays Warner.

Finn and Dustin are already inside when Kurt and Blaine get there and Finn gives them both a thumbs up.

It’s as if everything’s slowly falling into place. They’re in their still bare dressing room. They are in the theatre! The sets are finished. The costumes are basically done. It’s all going uphill from here, Kurt’s certain of it.

Blaine and Dustin immediately start signing to each other and Kurt and Finn also talk about taking it all in. Will and Sebastian also arrive and they all bask in the glory of Broadway.

They’re all called to the stage for more formal information and Kurt and Blaine go together. They’re still grinning.

I , Blaine signs and then he adds another sign that Kurt doesn’t know, so Kurt copies it with a questioning look.

D-R-E-A-M, Blaine fingerspells, DREAM.

It takes a couple of times for Kurt to get it, since he can fingerspell well, but reading it is still difficult. When he gets it, he smiles and signs SAME.

TOGETHER, Blaine signs.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Kurt signs back.

US TOGETHER. BROADWAY!

“Fuck yeah,” Kurt automatically says, but Blaine must’ve understood because his grin widens. They’re going to do it. Together. Kurt can’t say that the anxiety about his potential miscast is gone, but Blaine really encourages him by being so enthusiastic. Sure, Blaine can’t hear him sing, but it shows that he likes Kurt’s work for other reasons as well.

He’s really happy that he got paired together with Blaine.

Of course, it isn’t all work and business. The cast loves to play around behind the scenes. They all need it in order to stay sane during the long rehearsal days.

And most days they immediately go home to fall to their beds.

Other days, they go out.

The entire cast is at an arcade. It is incredibly loud. The noises of many arcades is overwhelming.

Kurt and Blaine are playing Mario Kart and there must be something off with the machine because the tones are so high, it is grating and probably not supposed to be like this. Blaine, of course, doesn’t care.

LOUD, Kurt signs and points to the machine.

Blaine laughs.

REALLY?

YES!

And Blaine just laughs more. Kurt likes his laugh. It’s nice.

Kurt and Blaine are at Blaine’s apartment, once again going over the script. They revise their work every now and then, even outside of work. That’s because they’re very dedicated to it.

They’re doing it through text this time, since they didn’t ask one of the interpreters to come along. It’s fine. Communicating through texting and writing is obviously more demanding than signing or speaking, but they both agreed it’s okay.

They want to do this right with the role.

After all, the Voice of Emmett is basically Emmett internally. Something he does not want to share with the outside world. They have already worked on how Kurt is going to deliver those lines and how Blaine will sign along, but they also want to show the relationship between Emmett and his voice in their blocking.

What does Emmett’s Voice represent? In Spring Awakening, the Voices would represent a character’s inner thoughts, or a character’s innocence, or a true self.

What is Emmett’s true self?

BA: I think Emmett has a lot of thoughts that he cannot express easily.

KH: As in?

BA: Well, I think that in Take It Like A Man, we can play around and show Emmett’s true feelings towards Elle.

KH: We might have to discuss it with the director if we want to make big changes.

Luckily, the Artie is very open to input from others.

BA: True

But I think it’d be nice if you might move more closer to Rachel, while I am in the changing booth. To show Emmett trying to reach out.

And then when Rachel is done paying and moves back to me, you quickly turn away.

KH: That’s brilliant!

BA: Yeah?

KH: Yeah! Like, he is letting himself long for Elle, but he doesn’t know how to tell her. He is so close in Take It Like A Man. He’s starting to realise his feelings, but he can’t admit it yet!

BA: And yes, you, his Voice, understand it more than me. Since you embody his thoughts.

Kurt and Blaine give each other a high five. They are a great time. Other Voice actors are also closely working together with their counterparts. Even Kitty and Mercedes have found a middle ground. Still, it’s clear to everyone that he and Blaine are probably the closest.

The two of them hang out all the time.

The two of them have lunch outside the theatre.

The two of them text a lot.

The two of them also visit each other on their days off, even for non-work related things.

The two of them are true friends.

Kurt knew he was going to grow close with the cast, since the collaborative nature of the show practically demands it, but he didn’t know he was going to get an actual best friend out of it. He can’t imagine doing the show without Blaine at his side.

They go over more moments that has a potential. Blaine moves closer, since they use Kurt’s copy of the script. It’s easier to annotate it all in one place.

Kurt writes something down during the iconic and I don’t have to hit on interns, professor line. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see Blaine watching him intently and when Blaine notices, he looks a bit alarmed, but Kurt just smiles.

They’re doing this together.

Legally Blonde is a highly anticipated show, so of course there is a lot of press. The cast performs some numbers in the rehearsal space for the press and afterwards they get bombarded by interviews.

Kurt and Blaine are paired together, which was to be expected, so they actually met up the day before to go over possible answers for possible questions.

“So, what is it like to play this character together,” the interviewer asks. The interpreter is stood next to them.

Kurt turns to Blaine to see if he wants to answer first. Blaine notices and raises his hands.

“It’s really fun,” he answers and Kurt can’t help.

SAME, he signs, which in turn makes Blaine smile.

“It is a unique experience and a collaborative project,” Blaine continues, “I have been with this show since the workshopping days, and Kurt is new to our Broadway run, and we both have our own history with the show and our own interpretation. And of course, I had a different Emmett with the previous guy who played his Voice, but it is really cool to learn Kurt’s perspective as well. It’s clashed sometimes, but it’s great to actually be able to have a conversation about Emmett. We both really care for him.”

“Yes,” Kurt cuts in when he realises Blaine’s done, “We’ve jokingly referred to Emmett as our son.” Kurt also signs SON when he says that.

The interviewer laughs at that. Kurt and Blaine do too. Blaine’s laugh is nice to hear. It’s quiet.

“But yes, I’ve had thoughts about Emmett, as a fan of the show. Blaine has had thoughts about him, since he’s been playing Emmett for longer than I have. I was a bit nervous coming in, because I am new, but Blaine and the entire company has been very welcoming.”

“Now of course you’re both making your Broadway debuts!” the interviewer says and Blaine waves his hands as a cheer. Kurt nods. “Although, Kurt, you have some other credits in the city as well.”

This actually surprises Kurt. He didn’t expect the interviewer to know this. It’s a huge cast, so it’s impressive if they did a thorough review of every member and Kurt respects them for it.

“True,” he says, still sounding impressed.

“This is definitely a step away from your usual stuff,” the interviewer continues, “What spurred you to audition for this role? A role like Emmett isn’t something people would think about when thinking about you.”

The interviewer looks genuinely interested, so Kurt doesn’t assume there is a malicious intent on their part, but he’d be lying if he didn’t say that his stomach just dropped a little bit. They didn’t outright say why this role might be ill-fitted for Kurt, but they don’t have to.

Maybe they aren’t even talking about Kurt’s voice, or his sexuality. Maybe they don’t even mean ill-fitted. But that’s what Kurt’s mind latches on to.

Next to Kurt, Blaine moves a little bit closer. He knows that it is a sensitive question. Kurt composes himself and he puts on a hopefully dazzling smile.

“Well, as I said, I am a fan of the original,” Kurt says and he focuses on not sounding nervous, “And I am also a fan of Deaf West’s previous Broadway musical Spring Awakening. So I saw an opportunity to do something I am really invested in and I took it.”

“Besides- I mean, if I may,” Blaine gives Kurt a questioning look and Kurt nods.

GO ON, he signs quickly.

“Besides, our show is all about new ways of showing a well-known story,” Blaine points out, “And the beauty of it is that the creatives did not change a single line in the script or a single lyric. As this guy once said-” Blaine puts one hand on Kurt’s shoulder and uses the other one to point at him for extra emphasis “-we want to challenge our audience.”

“Yes, I don’t want to take away from the work as a company of a whole,” Kurt quickly says, “But I also love the opportunity to show audiences what I can do.”

YES! Blaine signs. He still has the other hand on Kurt’s shoulder.

Luckily, the interviewer then moves to Blaine by asking him about his theatrical background and Kurt feels relieved. He hopes it isn’t super obvious.

Since Blaine is giving bigger answers, he uses both hands to sign and Kurt admits he misses the touch. It was very comforting. Kurt’s a bit lost in his own thoughts, so he admittedly misses some of Blaine’s replies, but when he starts talking about family, Kurt’s interest gets piqued.

“- supportive, but it wasn’t always rosy. It was a bit hard to tell my parents I wanted to study acting,” he lets out a sigh, “They knew that being Deaf would bring obstacles. I’d have to work twice as hard for anything, which is something we allude to in the show, and a creative career is already tough for hearing people. But I am glad I am here. I am glad to prove them wrong.”

The interviewer laughs.

“I understand they wanted what they thought was best for me, but I also wish they had been supportive from the beginning.”

“Are they supportive now?” the interviewer asks.

“Oh, absolutely. So is my brother. He’s also an actor.”

“Your parents must’ve been bewildered to have two acting sons.”

“Definitely. But Cooper is hearing, so it was different for him, or so they thought. It wasn’t until I told them about the Broadway transfer that they started to realise that this is working out. They’ve been supportive enough to at least come to all my other shows, but now they see that it is the real deal. So I also hope that when people see a show filled with a lot of Deaf people, they see it is possible. Spring Awakening and Big River paved the way for a musical like this, and we will keep going.”

“Well, we’re glad you’re here!” the interviewer says.

“Same,” Kurt says and signs.

The interviewer thanks Kurt and Blaine before moving on to more people. The interpreter follows. Kurt and Blaine take a breather. That was a more in-depth interview than they expected.

YOU OKAY? Kurt asks.

I’M FINE, Blaine answers, I NEED A BREAK.

Kurt looks around. There is so much press, so they can’t really afford to leave. This is a huge day for their show. Still, he agrees.

LET’S GO, Kurt signs and he nods towards a door that leads out of the rehearsal space.

WE CAN’T, Blaine looks alarmed.

Kurt doesn’t know how to sign “just for a small minute”, so he signs SECRET, SMALL, FAST and luckily Blaine gets it. The two slip out of the room unnoticed.

Once they’re in a hallway, Kurt leans against the wall and he lets out a deep breath. He knew press was going to be part of it, but he expected that he would be asked very basic questions.

His phone buzzes in his pocket. He looks over to Blaine, who has a phone in his hand.

BA:  So that was a lot, wasn’t it?

Kurt smiles.

KH:  I did not expect to semi-admit to my anxieties like that

BA:  Me neither

KH:  Are you still anxious about your parents? What you said sounds kinda rough

After all, Kurt can’t imagine his dad not being supportive. Yes, his dad has also had doubts and concerns, but he still fought for Kurt. Kurt still gets a warm feeling when he thinks about his dad going to McKinley, demanding that Kurt should be allowed to try out for Defying Gravity. He didn’t understand it, but he knew Kurt wanted it.

By the time Kurt’s out of his thoughts, he sees that Blaine has sent a long answer.

BA: It was, but it could’ve been worse. My parents at least sign. 80% of hearing parents do not sign. They didn’t have this view in their head that Deafness is something that needs to be fixed. My family learnt ASL for me, they let me to go a Deaf school, and they did a lot for me in that regards. Thanks to them I am the confident person I am today and I had a language and a culture and a community. So I suppose I was a bit nervous about this career, because it felt a bit ungrateful. They did so much to help me excel, and then I choose acting? But in the end, what they did is called good parenting, and with good parenting, I shouldn’t feel like I owe it to them to give up on my dreams just because they don’t agree with me.

How are your parents?

I never really asked.

KH: We never really talked about it.

BA: True

KH:  My mom died when I was young, but she always encouraged the creative side. My dad and stepmom as well.

I told you Finn’s my brother, right?

My stepmom is his mom.

Our parents couldn’t be more proud of us.

BA: Sorry to hear about your mom

But glad to hear your stepmom is lovely

KH: Well I am glad to hear it’s all okay with your family now.

BA: Yeah better late than never

The two of them share a small smile. Their moment gets interrupted when the door opens and Lauren, the Deaf actress who plays Enid, pokes her head around the corner. She looks relieved when she finds them.

THERE YOU ARE, she signs.

SORRY, Kurt and Blaine both sign immediately.

WE NEEDED A BREAK, Blaine signs.

Lauren looks at Blaine, then to Kurt, then back to Blaine. A smile forms on her face and she has an amused look on her face. Kurt tries to see if Blaine gets why Lauren is looking at them like that, but Blaine looks slightly confused as well.

Lauren signs something but it’s too advanced for Kurt to keep up, but Blaine notices and quickly texts it to him.

BA: They were looking for us, so we should probably head inside. Someone wants to do an interview with some of the Voice actors and another person wants to interview me, Mercedes, Quinn and Lauren.

OKAY, Kurt signs, I UNDERSTAND.

Together they follow Lauren back inside.

Everyone is rehearsing the final number. It’s huge, since every member of the cast is on stage. Kurt and the other Voice actors are on the higher level pedestal in the back and they sing. In front of them, all the others dance and sing as well.

Honestly, it looks pretty cool.

“Oh, and if you could give one second before we all go,” Rachel sings and signs. Then she moves to Blaine who is standing to the side with others. She takes his hand and leads him to the middle before signing and singing: “Emmett Forrest, please make me the happiest woman I know.”

Rachel goes down on one knee, which is Kurt’s cue to sing: “Omi, omi, omigod!”

Everyone else joins in and Blaine and Rachel kiss while the other actors dance, sing and sign around them. Kurt isn’t singing during that part, since obviously Emmett is busy. He always feels a bit weird during this moment. Blaine and Rachel know it’s just a rehearsal, but they’re going all out.

Finn, who stands next to Kurt for this number, looks at him while he sings. Then he looks back to Rachel and Blaine kissing.

Luckily, Rachel and Blaine break apart to resume their parts.

“And now I found my love,” Kurt and Rachel’s voices blend together, “I found my way to love/I finally found my prize!”

Once the song is over, Artie gives some notes and they take a small break. Kurt and Finn walk back to the wings and Finn lets out a laugh.

“It’s still kinda weird,” he says.

“Hm?” Kurt raises an eyebrow.

“Watching my girlfriend kiss another guy,” Finn answers.

“That’s acting,” Kurt shrugs.

Finn gives him a look, as if he waits for Kurt to say more about it. But Kurt just frowns.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Finn says quickly. Too quickly. Then he turns on his heel and awkwardly walks away.

What just happened?

The show is finished.

They have their final dress rehearsal, in front of an audience. A free audience. Kurt’s friends are in the audience as well. It’s basically a preview of the upcoming previews.

The actual previews are nerve-wracking. Legally Blonde has ten previews in a row and the first preview is the first show for a paying audience.

The show goes almost flawlessly, in Kurt’s opinion. There were some slight technical problems with the big screen that sometimes shows what’s being said or sung in writing, for example during Whip Into Shape, when the actors need both hands for the jump rope section, or when Elle yells from the supply closet.

But apart from that, it’s going great. Everyone’s amazing and on their marks. No one is flubbing lines. People laugh at the delivery of lines of the hearing cast, which makes Kurt happy. He and Blaine worked very hard on trying to nail the comedic bits, in both English and ASL, and Kurt’s happy to report that the audience laughed at the Hello Kitty part, among other moments.

After the show, the cast and crew is ecstatic. They all want to go out into town. Not for too long, though, since they have nine more shows to go through.

Kurt waits outside for some others when he overhears some audience members talking about the show.

He smiles when he hears the happy comments.

But then…

“I only didn’t really get the right vibe from the guy voicing Emmett, though,” one person says and Kurt tenses up.

Kurt hears the sound of papers being turned.

“His name is Kurt Hummel,” someone else says.

“Does anyone know him?” a third person asks.

Kurt hears disagreeing sounds.

“He can sing nicely,” one of the three says, “But I don’t know, I just wasn’t feeling it. If it hadn’t been for the other guy playing Emmet, uh…”

“Blaine Anderson.”

“Yeah, him! If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t know if I would’ve liked the Elle and Emmett storyline as much.”

The stage door opens and Blaine appears with Brittany, the hard of hearing actress who plays Margot. When Brittany sees Kurt, she immediately looks back to Blaine, as if she’s wondering if she should leave Kurt and Blaine alone.

Blaine raises his hands, but Kurt puts a finger to his lips.

Both Blaine and Brittany frown.

PEOPLE ARE TALKING, Kurt signs. He signs close to his body to indicate that he’s practically whispering.

WHAT IS IT? Brittany asks.

Kurt once again puts his finger to his lips and he focuses on the three audience members again. He’s missed some part of the conversation.

“… saying he isn’t talented!” one of them says, “He is. He can clearly sing, but I don’t know, I’m just not feeling it.”

“I think that maybe it’s because I didn’t expect Emmett to sound like that,” the other person says back and Kurt, well… his shoulders slump.

???? Blaine signs with a frown.

WAIT, Kurt signs back.

“Like, not to sound like an ass, but it just didn’t feel like a convincing Emmett,” the third person says in agreement, “Blaine’s back must be hurting from carrying that role.”

The three of them laugh and Kurt purses his lips and he looks down. He listens to the three audience members criticising his work and he knows it’s only three people, but it hurts. It hurts right where it hits the hardest. Kurt hears how they walk away, still talking about the show, and Kurt tries not to cry.

It’s just three people.

But if they already feel this way, then they won’t be the last.

Suddenly there’s a hand on his shoulder and Kurt’s head jerks up. Blaine’s staring at him with a concerned look.

YOU OKAY?

I’M FINE, Kurt signs back.

DON’T LIE, Blaine signs and he sighs. Then he quickly looks back to Brittany and he signs something to her. She nods and she leaves them alone.

I DON’T KNOW THE SIGNS, Kurt admits. He’s gotten so much better at ASL in the past weeks, but this is too advanced and also his mind is all over the place.

T-E-X-T ME, Blaine signs back.

So Kurt takes out his phone and he does. It’s a long read and Blaine also takes his time reading it.

I’M SORRY, he signs when he’s finished, THEY ARE WRONG.

HOW DO YOU KNOW? Kurt signs back in annoyance, signing sharply with quick movements, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. YOU NEVER WILL.

Blaine’s eyes widen and Kurt feels like shit.

BLAINE… Kurt trails off.

But Blaine turns away.

FORGET IT, he signs and he walks off.

“Blaine,” Kurt yells out, proving himself to be even more of an idiot. He realises what he’s doing and instead he runs after him and grabs Blaine by the elbow.

BLAINE, Kurt signs again, DON’T. TELL ME.

Blaine hesitates for a while, but then he holds up his phone.

Kurt nods. By the time he’s opened his message app, he already has a message.

BA: You’re right, Kurt, I don’t understand it fully, because I don’t understand how voices can sound weird when hearing people speak.

But I can understand feeling insecure about a voice.

I don’t speak for a reason and that is fine.

And I can also understand the nerves. Do you think everyone will be open minded about Deaf people in a musical? Maybe it won’t be outright ridicule, but people will think weirdly about it.

Kurt remembers when Spring Awakening hit the Broadway scene. There were indeed some people who couldn’t stop talking about deaf people in a musical, as if it was something weird. And as Blaine said, people didn’t outright think it was a bad idea, but it just confused people and Kurt knows of people who didn’t see it, because the confusion bled over to scepticism.

Deaf people in a musical? How can that even work?

BA: We are here to challenge people, remember?

You said it yourself.

It sucks what they said, but it also shows that they don’t get the show. Legally Blonde in itself is about challenging people’s views. Elle proved people wrong. We will prove people wrong.

YOU’RE RIGHT, Kurt signs, SORRY.

I’M NOT MAD, Blaine signs and Kurt raises an eyebrow and Blaine relents, MAYBE A LITTLE.

Kurt now sends a message.

KH:  I didn’t want to imply that you don’t know what it’s like to be judged

BA: I know

KH: I’m just really upset

BA: And you can be. But tomorrow is a new show. A new chance.

Kurt wants to reply when another message pops up. It’s in the groupschat of the cast and crew and it’s Marley, who voices Margot, asking who’s coming along for some drinks. Both Kurt and Blaine see it.

But Kurt sends back that he’s tired.

He was going to go out, but now he’s just too upset.

He switches back to the conversation with Blaine and writes:

KH: You should get going, the others are waiting

BA: Yeah

KH: But I will see you tomorrow.

BA: See you tomorrow.

Kurt looks up from his screen and he gives Blaine a small smile. Blaine steps forwards, but then he changes his mind on whatever he was considering. Instead, he steps back and waves and they part ways.

There were three people giving Kurt shit.

And then two more after the next preview.

And then a whole group of people after the third.

By the time the fourth preview has happened, he’s losing it. Kurt can’t go outside anymore in the fear of overhearing more people talk shit.

Kurt’s sitting in the dressing room with his head in his hand. The fifth preview is about to start in an hour. Will and Finn are doing vocal warm-up. Dustin and Blaine obviously don’t care, but Kurt does. Does he have to hear them sing so well?

And yes, Kurt can also sing well.

Or… maybe he can’t. He did get a note from the Artie on his singing. He wasn’t doing great during the fourth preview, since the nerves just overtook him. He missed a line as well. Fuck. When he got home with Finn and Rachel, they already asked him if he needed anything or what they could do. But what can he do? He will only mess up more.

He wants to call his dad, but his dad keeps talking about how excited he is to be there at opening night and Kurt doesn’t want to let him down.

Oh no.

This is going to go downhill from here.

He will be nervous and the nerves will make him mess up, which will lead to more shit comments, which in turn will make him more nervous, and then he will mess up even more-

There’s a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his panic spiral, grounding him back to reality.

Blaine sits down next to him.

It’s silent, so Kurt looks around and he realises that the others have left them alone. His phone lights up.

BA: I asked the others to leave.

THANKS, Kurt signs.

WHAT IS WRONG? Blaine asks.

Kurt holds up his phone to indicate that he’s going to type.

KH: I can’t go on

BA: Why?

KH: I can’t do it. I am not fit for this.

BA: Everyone has pre-show jitters.

Kurt shakes his head. This is different from pre-show jitters. He’s had pre-show jitters before, but he’s never felt like this. He is Kurt Hummel. He usually has the confidence to overcome things like this. He’s usually not this beat down.

Well, Kurt supposes that every creative person has a breaking point. Unfortunately for him, his is during his first Broadway run.

Kurt texts all of this. He also tells Blaine about how the criticism is hitting and about how it’s been happening after every show.

KH: I can’t go on. I want to quit. I’ve never wanted to quit before, Blaine. Do you think I can quit?

NO, Blaine signs quickly, sharply and he uses a lot of space to do so.

But Kurt lets out a teary sigh.

KH: I can’t do this, Blaine. I might have to talk to the director. If this keeps happening, then it’s clear that this isn’t the place for me. Maybe it’s the best that I leave before the opening, so that Roderick has time to step in.

Swings and understudies usually don’t start rehearsal until after previews, but if Kurt quits, then Roderick will get promoted. And he has a gorgeous voice. Maybe this is meant to me. Maybe this was never Kurt’s role.

BA: Whatever you’re thinking, stop

Kurt looks from his screen. Blaine looks at him with an intense look on his face. He’s silently pleading. Kurt shakes his head and shakingly writes

KH: What do I have to offer? If I can’t do my work properly, it’ll make it worse for everyone. Why should I stay?

Kurt waits for Blaine to answer, but he doesn’t. He sighs and gets up to leave. He must look for Artie. But when Kurt leaves, Blaine stops him.

Blaine starts signing something and Kurt doesn’t get it, but it looks familiar.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND, he signs sadly.

Blaine’s face falls.

Normally, Kurt would sit down and try to understand, but he is in a hurry now. The show is about to start.

I MUST GO, Kurt then signs and leaves. Blaine doesn’t stop him.

A Broadway theatre is huge, so it takes some time until Kurt finds Artie. He’s asked everyone he’s passed and it turns out that he is on stage. Kurt’s behind the curtain and he walks to the wings when he hears his name.

“Kurt is not doing so great,” Artie says.

Kurt stops in his tracks.

“Do you know what to do?” Mike, the choreographer, asks.

“I don’t know. How can we support him?” Artie asks the others, “He’s clearly struggling with something, which is a shame. His roommates have already asked me for help.”

“But what could be bothering him?” someone says through an interpreter. Kurt can’t peek through the curtains, so he doesn’t know who else is there.

“I don’t know,” Artie says, “We need to see if he’s open to talking about it. It’s a shame.”

“He was doing well up until previews,” Mike notes and Kurt nods. Mike is right. That feels like ages ago.

“What’s changed? He did a stellar job and the audience loved him!” the interpreter says. Kurt tries not to snort, because he knows it’ll lead to tears.

“I don’t know,” Artie says again, “Shelby, do you think we can ask Blaine? He and Kurt work together the most, they’re perfect together. Maybe Blaine knows.”

Shelby is one of the ASL masters for the show. Blaine likes her.

“And go behind Kurt’s back?” Shelby sounds a bit affronted.

“I agree with Shelby,” Mike says, “We should first talk to Kurt. What can it be? He’s doing great and the audience indeed seems to like him.”

Kurt frowns. First Shelby, now Mike?

“Yes, yes, I too have heard all the praise,” Artie says, “I particularly liked the comment of one audience member who loved how he sings the end of Chip On My Shoulder. He and Blaine really care for that number.”

“I overheard some people saying that he is a breakout star of the show,” Mike says.

“Yes, and some of my friends said that he is great too,” Shelby adds, “Even when they cannot hear him, his subtle stage acting is wonderful and people appreciate it.”

Kurt’s still standing behind the thick curtain and he listens to how Artie, Mike and Shelby talk about his great work.

Is this… true?

Well, why would they lie? They don’t know he’s here.

Kurt turns around.

Maybe Roderick will have to wait a bit longer until he makes his Broadway debut. Kurt is still not fully convinced. It feels like a huge relief to hear that there are people who like him, but he also knows that people do not like him. He can’t say all of his doubt has disappeared as snow before the sun, but if people think he is doing great work then the least he can do is try to keep it up. And that’s not what’s happening right now.

Artie said it. He did great, but he got worse.

Kurt goes back to the dressing room to only find Dustin there. Blaine is gone. Well, they will see each other on stage. One more preview cannot hurt, right?

Emmett isn’t on stage for the first twenty minutes or so. Usually, Kurt and Blaine watch the show together from the dressing room while getting ready. Every dressing room with a Deaf or hard of hearing member has a nice TV with a view of the stage and with text on the screen.

Kurt watches how everyone acts their hearts out.

He needs to do the same. He cannot let this cast down. Yes, he’s struggling, but he doesn’t want to drag everyone down. He doesn’t want to drag Blaine down. If this show still goes horribly wrong, then he’ll talk to Artie about what to do.

On screen, Rachel does her big dance number at Harvard. It’s almost time to go on. Kurt checks his hair and make-up one last time before going down to the wings.

Blaine is waiting there.

He gives Kurt a quick nod. Kurt feels like he has to say something, but before he knows it, they’re cued to go on stage.

The entire show goes well. Blaine is a wonderful actor and Kurt’s happy to shadow him. They get laughs at their comedic bits.

“So I’ll give you ladies a moment then!” Kurt says and Blaine signs it. The audience laughs and they only laugh more when Blaine turns to him and they act that Emmett and his Voice cannot get out here soon enough, with Blaine shooing Kurt to the side.

The get more laughs at the Hello Kitty line and afterwards Kurt tells Blaine people liked it.

GREAT, he signs.

Honestly, it’s going great. Kurt’s turned off his thoughts and he tries to focus on the show. He does flub a line, but he quickly recovers and improvises. Luckily, Rachel can hear it so she waits a few more seconds before she does her line.

The second act has a lot more Emmett and Elle, but there is one moment where they can take a break. Emmett isn’t on stage during the big Elle and professor Callahan scene. It’s a nice break, because the song Legally Blonde comes next, which is a big emotional one, so Kurt and Blaine need to get into the mindset.

Rachel starts the song and does her blocking. The prop door slides to the centre of the stage and Kurt and Blaine follow along. Once it’s ready, they lean against it and Rachel walks up to them.

“There she is, intern of the year!” Kurt says. Blaine also looks radiant while signing it to Rachel.

“Thanks for your help and for all you’ve done,” Rachel sings and signs while she walks to Blaine. Kurt steps to the side, so that the focus shifts on Rachel and Blaine. “Thank you for treating me decently.”

“What’s wrong?” Kurt asks.

“Maybe someday you can visit me/Give me a call/Say hello.”

Rachel reaches for the doorknob but Blaine puts his hand on it and uses one hand to sign.

“Wait/Where are you going?” Kurt sings.

“Sorry I’m letting down everyone,” Rachel walks away and Kurt and Blaine trail behind her.

“What brought on this?”

“You did your best with a hopeless case.”

“That’s ludicrous!”

“You were the best thing about this place!” Kurt and Rachel sing together.

“Elle you should know-”

“Callahan hit on me!” Rachel says and signs.

“He what?” Kurt always makes sure to sounds super affronted here.

“He kissed me, then he fired me, and he made it very clear I don’t belong here,” Rachel turns away from Blaine to walk to the door.

Blaine grabs her arm to make him look at her.

HE’S WRONG, Blaine signs angrily. Kurt was so caught up in Blaine’s small acting that he forgot the first part.

“Hey, we’ll fix it!” Kurt joins in, sounding angry and upset, “We’ll fight it.” He stands on the other side of Rachel.

“Emmett, please,” Rachel sounds teary and she touches Blaine’s cheek, “There’s no reason for me to stay.”

Then she goes through the prop door and it’s time for Emmett’s big love declaration. Blaine moves away from the door so that he can turn to the audience, so that his signs are clear to see. Kurt stays at the door and he knows that he needs to turn towards it, to Rachel as Elle, but when he starts to sing, he realises something.

“What about love?” Kurt signs and he slowly looks to Blaine instead, who has his back turned to him, “I never mentioned love/The timing’s bad, I know.”

And Kurt cannot see Blaine’s signs, but he knows what he’s signing. Kurt remembers.

This is what Blaine was signing to him in the dressing room. Back then it didn’t click, since Kurt as a Voice actor, doesn’t know the ASL gloss of the script by heart. But now he remember this part.

“But perhaps if I’d made it more clear,” Kurt continues to sing as he keeps looking at Blaine, “That you belong right here/You wouldn’t have to go/Cause you’d know that I am so much in love-”

“Back to the sun/Back to the shore!” Rachel’s voice joins from the other side of the door while Kurt’s doing his long note, “Back to what I was before.”

Blaine quickly moves back to the door for the next line.

“Please, will you open the door!” Kurt sings while Blaine is so close to him, he almost bumps into Kurt.

“Lie on the beach/Dream within reach/Don’t stray beyond!”

“We both know you’re worth so much more!” Kurt sings. Blaine was signing this to him earlier.

“Some girls fight hard/Some face the trail/Some girls were just meant to smile.”

“If you can hear/Can I just say/How much I want you to stay,” Kurt sings and since his eyes are still on Blaine, he sees that Blaine quickly looks at Kurt out of the corner of his eyes. It almost throws Kurt off.

“It’s not up to me/Just let me be/Legally Blonde.”

“I need you to stay!” Kurt sings and again, Blaine shoots him a look. Does he realise that Kurt’s seeing him?

Rachel finishes the song.

“It’s not up to me/Just let me be/Legally Blonde.”

The lights go down and the applause is massive. The door gets slid off stage and Kurt, Blaine and Rachel leave.

WE DID IT, Rachel dries her tears.

PAH! Blaine signs too.

Kurt wants to say more, but his mind is a mess. He can’t stop looking at Blaine.

When Blaine and Rachel realise Kurt isn’t going to say much, they leave together to discuss the song a bit more. Blaine does look over his shoulder, back to Kurt, but Kurt just nods. What else can he do?

Did Blaine confess his love to Kurt in the dressing room?

Since there is another big break for Kurt and Blaine, he has the time to think about it. Emmett will be back for the finale, so Kurt goes back to the dressing room. Only Will is here, which makes sense since Callahan will also be absent until the finale, but where is Blaine?

“Have you seen Blaine?” he asks Will.

“No, sorry,” Will answers, “Aren’t you the one who’s with Blaine all the time?”

“Usually, yes.”

Kurt scours the theatre but to no avail. By the time he’s seen everything, it’s almost time for him to go back to stage. Of course that means Blaine has to be on stage as well. Blaine arrives behind the prop doors of the court room. Rachel has just gone in.

WHERE WERE YOU? Kurt asks, I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU.

OUTSIDE, Blaine answers, I NEEDED A BREAK.

A BREAK?

But then Kurt hears Will’s line and he signs to Blaine that it’s time to go on. They’ll hopefully talk later.

Blaine and Rachel kiss on stage. All the others dance around them. Kurt and the other Voice actors watch from their pedestal.

It is awkward to see. It was always awkward to see. Blaine and Rachel are really going for it.

Kurt remembers what Finn had said about watching the kiss. It made him weirdly jealous. Is Kurt feeling the same? He’s so deep in thoughts that Finn has to poke him.

“And now I found my love!” he sings quickly. Right on time, thanks to his brother.

“My god!”

“I found my way to love!”

“You guys!”

“I finally found my prize!”

And Blaine and Rachel kiss again and Kurt feels uneasy.

After the bows, Kurt immediately wants to talk to Blaine, but Artie wheels to him.

“Kurt, a word?”

“I-” Kurt looks around and his eyes find Blaine. Blaine’s staring back.

Artie coughs.

“Kurt, please.”

“Right,” Kurt turns back to Artie. Hopefully Blaine doesn’t think that Kurt is the one initiating. He’s not going to tell Artie he’s quitting.

Kurt follows Artie to a more private place. Mike, Shelby and an interpreter are waiting inside. They tell him everything that has been discussed earlier, but obviously they do not know that Kurt has overheard them.

“So yes,” Artie concludes, “What can we do to help? Do you need resources? Maybe we can hire someone to talk to-”

Kurt holds up his hands. He appreciates it, he really does, especially since he knows that Broadway is still brutal, but his mind is elsewhere. The longer he stays here, the longer he has to wait before he can find Blaine.

“Guys, thank you,” Kurt says genuinely, “It is true that I am struggling and that is impacting my performance, but today something happened that has lifted my spirits and I want to see where it’s heading now.”

“Good to hear that,” Mike says, sounding relieved.

“But you will come to us if things are going downhill again, right?” Shelby asks.

TRUE BIZ! Kurt signs, which makes Shelby smile.

“… Can I go?” Kurt asks awkwardly and the moment Artie nods, he turns on his heel and bolts towards the dressing room.

“Woah there,” Sebastian says when Kurt basically runs into him.

“Have you seen Blaine?” Kurt asks.

“He just left,” Sebastian answered, “He and Dustin said something about the Deaf cast going somewhere specific? His signing was a bit too fast…”

“Oh.”

That’s too bad, then. And maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe Kurt shouldn’t rush into whatever he was rushing into. He says his goodbyes to Sebastian and he declines Rachel’s invitation to go somewhere with some cast members. He goes home and he needs a good night of rest, since today was a lot.

Once he’s draped on his couch, everything’s falling into place in his head.

Blaine…

Blaine loves him?

Not only that, but does Kurt love him back?

Because Kurt thinks he does. He’s loved Blaine for a while, and he just didn’t realise, but now that he’s had this epiphany, it’s all crashing down. They became friends through their work. They help each other out. That’s how it started, but it became something more. They started to like each other as a person and they hung out more, even outside of work.

Fuck.

Just like Elle and Emmett.

Kurt laughs at that.

He wonders if others know. He remembers the look on Lauren’s face when she found the two of them outside, alone. Brittany looked intrigued as well that day. And of course Finn mentioned that it’s weird to watch Blaine and Rachel kiss because he’s in love with Rachel. It’s also weird for Kurt.

He’s not in love with Rachel. Far from it. He’s in love with Blaine!

A surprised, but happy laugh escapes his throat. He’s in love with Blaine and it honestly feels great. Now Kurt understands why he always felt warm and fuzzy around him. Now Kurt gets why he always wanted to go to the theatre early to see him.

Fuck.

What now?

Kurt is still Kurt, so his planning mode overtakes his brain. He needs to do something. He wants to do something. He grabs his phone and looks up the nearest flower shop.

The next day, Kurt’s running a bit late. It’s because he had to make a detour. Finn and Rachel left without him.

“Where are you going?” Rachel had asked at breakfast.

“I need to arrange something,” Kurt had answered, “See you two at work!”

Now, he’s climbing up the stairs to his dressing room with a small bouquet of roses in his hands. He passes other cast and crew members who gawk at him. Some look confused. Others look surprised. But some also give Kurt a knowing smile.

“Get your man!” Madison, who plays Pilar, hoots when he passes the one of the girls’ main dressing room. This leads to others cheering and hooting as well.

Kurt’s beet red by the time he’s at his own dressing room.

Of course, Blaine (and Dustin) did not hear the commotion, but Sebastian, Will and Finn did and when they see Kurt standing in the door opening with the bouquet, they can put the puzzle pieces together.

Will taps Blaine’s shoulder, so that he turns around, and when he does his entire face morphs into a look of surprise. And hope. There’s a bit of hope there.

WE MUST GO, Dustin signs and all the other guys quickly agree.

“Finally,” Sebastian mutters when he passes Kurt. Finn also gives him a tap on the back. Dustin and Will smile and Dustin signs something really quickly to Blaine. Kurt can’t really see it, but Blaine barks out a laugh.

Dustin closes the door behind him.

THIS IS FOR YOU, Kurt holds out the bouquet with one hand and he uses the others so sign.

THANK YOU, Blaine signs with a smile. He accepts it but then puts the flowers on the table so he can sign. I LOVE THEM.

Kurt has so much he can say. The thoughts are still swirling in his head, but he doesn’t know the signs and he doesn’t want to text, so he signs the one thing he knows for sure. The one thing that matters.

I LOVE YOU.

Blaine’s smile widens.

I LOVE YOU TOO, Blaine signs back and Kurt’s pretty sure he has a matching smile on his face.

WHEN WE MET, I LIKED YOU, Kurt signs slowly, AND THEN I FELL IN LOVE. YESTERDAY, I UNDERSTOOD. HERE WE ARE.

It’s not the most eloquent and romantic speech, but it’s all he can do and judging by the smitten look on Blaine’s face, the point has still come across.

CAN I KISS YOU? Blaine asks and Kurt’s nodding before Blaine’s even finished the sentence.

Yes, yes he can. Why aren’t they kissing yet? Kurt puts his hands on Blaine’s face and he kisses him. Blaine kisses back. It’s wonderful. It’s only the first kiss and Kurt already can’t get enough of it. Blaine puts his hands over Kurt’s and he deepens the kiss.

Kurt can’t believe he didn’t realise that this was right in front of him, but better late than never.

The applause is enormous, even when half of the audience isn’t making noise. Kurt watches from the wings how everyone takes their first Broadway bow. The ensemble moves aside for all the other characters.

Emmett is the second to last, so once April has moved aside, Kurt and Blaine run on stage. Blaine was on the other side of the theatre but they meet in the middle. Blaine holds out his hand and Kurt takes it. Together they run to the front of the stage to take their bows.

It’s opening night.

They’re making their Broadway debut.

Rachel takes her bow and then the entire company comes on stage, including swings and understudies and crew members, so that they can take their last bow of the evening.

Once all of that is done, they run off stage and the energy is off the charts. People are yelling, in English and ASL. People are weeping. It’s a commotion, but a good one. Everyone runs back to the dressing rooms in order to get changed into their opening night outfits.

Blaine looks absolutely stunning in a navy check patterned suit. Kurt ties the matching pink bowtie around Blaine’s neck and when he’s done, he gives Blaine a small kiss.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, he signs, MY BEAUTIFUL BOYFRIEND.

YOU ARE MY BEAUTIFUL BOYFRIEND, Blaine signs back.

Kurt is wearing a fancy suit jacket with flowers on top of a pair of black slacks. The jacket is dark pink, which felt appropriate since this is Legally Blonde. Everyone wears at least a little bit pink.

Someone coughs.

Kurt looks at the direction of the sound and Blaine follows.

“You guys done flirting?” Finn says and he tries to sign along, “We have an opening night to attend!”

YOU AND RACHEL FLIRT ALL THE TIME, Blaine retorts.

COME ON, Kurt signs.

Once they’re in the lobby of the theatre, Kurt and Finn are immediately approached by their parents. They flew out to be here, since they wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“Oh, dad, this is…” Kurt reaches for Blaine, “This is Blaine.”

BLAINE, Burt signs, NICE TO MEET YOU. KURT TALK A LOT.

ABOUT YOU! Kurt adds.

WHERE YOUR PARENTS? Carole asks.

They’re here somewhere. Blaine was already looking for them before Kurt and Finn’s parents basically jumped on them.

Blaine excuses himself so that he can see his family and he kisses Kurt’s cheek before leaving. Carole swoons.

“Oh, shut it,” Kurt says and he feels red in the face. He’s not a teen anymore, yet he still feels like that when he’s being kissed in front of his parents.

“I’m happy for you, kid,” Burt says. He indeed sounds happy. “You were great on stage and Blaine seems lovely.”

Kurt is happy. He has a boyfriend and he’s part of a show he’s proud of. He’s still anxious for the upcoming reviews, but his cast and crew has his back, and he also tries to listen for positive feedback instead of focusing on the negative.

Kurt chats with his family for a bit longer until he’s called for press with Blaine. He and Blaine give a lot of small interviews about how they feel and what they achieved and if some of the interviewers notice how close they are, then they don’t comment on it.

After that, Blaine also introduces him to his family. Blaine signs differently when he’s with his family. He’s looser. Faster. He also signs with this when he’s just with the Deaf cast. Kurt can’t really follow it, but Blaine’s family is happy to help, especially Blaine’s loud brother Cooper.

Kurt’s working hard on learning more sign, so that communication will be easier, and Blaine’s mom also compliments him on the signing.

“Thanks, I’m still learning,” Kurt says and signs. His signing also becomes more English when he speaks at the same time.

“Well, not everyone does, so I am happy that Blaine has met you,” she says and signs back.

“Yeah, we’re really proud of Blaine,” Blaine’s dad says and signs and next to Kurt, Blaine beams.

“We didn’t fully understand it in the beginning, but it’s clear that you love what you’re doing,” Blaine’s mom signs to Blaine, but she speaks for Kurt, “And you’re doing a great job. The audience loves you as much as we do.”

Blaine looks like he’s about to cry from joy. Kurt steps away so that the Andersons can hug each other.

Kurt’s parents find them and both families meet each other and it feels right. Everyone hits it off right away. Kurt and Blaine have only been together for a few days, but it’s so good.

After all the serious stuff, it’s time to head to the afterparty. The parents went back to the hotels and Kurt and Blaine don’t mind since there’s a lot of partying, dancing and kissing and they end up going to Blaine’s place around 2am. They have to be in good shape for the next show, so they can’t get hammered.

If they thought being friends was great, then this is the next step. It is so much better than before.