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ranwing · 6 years ago

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KADAM FIC: LEARNING TO FLY (10/?)

Title: Learning to Fly Series: A New Direction (was Season Four Remix) Pairing(s), Characters(s): Kadam, Kurt Hummel, Adam Crawford, Burt Hummel, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Carmen Tibideaux, Cassandra July, Artie Abrams, Tina Cohen-Chang, Elliot “Starchild” Gilbert, Dani, Adam’s Apples, Original Characters Rating: PG13 (rating may change) Genre(s): canon divergence. Parts: 10/? Summary: As another school year starts at NYADA, Kurt seemed to have it all. The respect of his teachers, a group of wonderful friends and best of all, getting to live with the man that he’d come to love. So of course the universe would throw a few curve balls in his direction.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine

On AO3

Back when he was still in school, Adam’s teachers had lectured him about the rigors of a touring company and he’d been amply warned about the sense of isolation that could come with being on the road. With a faculty made up of professional actors, singers and dancers, they had the experience to justify this warning. And he was finding, much to his frustration, just how correct they were. Sleeping in hotel rooms, living out of a suitcase and eating way too much fast food made it difficult to maintain the routines that kept him healthy and centered and feeling well. All the little rituals that he had developed over the years, like baking when he felt stressed or sitting by the window with a cup of tea to relax, were no longer options and already the pressures were starting to wear on him.

Maybe he’d been naive, but he hadn’t expected it to be so difficult at this stage. He’d never been a fussy sleeper and didn’t consider himself to be high maintenance. But he missed having his own space and waking up next to the man he loved. He missed the two of them cooking in his tiny kitchen or sitting in the living room working on his writing while Kurt was studying. It seemed like he just didn’t have any time to decompress and since he only really had his castmates to socialize with, never really could escape the show. As much as he personally liked his friends in the cast, he still felt very much adrift at times.

Maintaining a proper sleep schedule when one was in unfamiliar surroundings or sitting in a bus traveling to their next destination wasn’t easy and Adam wasn’t terribly surprised that he was still wide awake after midnight. Niall was seated in the pair of seats across from him, stretched out as much as physically possible and snoring away, his eyes covered with a pink sleep mask that obviously was stolen from his wife. Most of the others were either sleeping or at least resting as best they were able.

Well, if he couldn’t sleep, he might as well get something constructive done. There were a number of emails he hadn’t answered yet. A note from his sister, finally having resolved the horse welfare seizure in the courts after months of hard work. A reminder from his parents that they were finally taking their overdue holiday to Spain if he needed to reach them. A reminder from Mr. Tillman about the upcoming auditions for the Shakespeare company summer season.

Adam sighed tiredly. He wanted very much to call Kurt, just to hear his voice. That alone would ease the knot of loneliness that seemed to permanently settle in his chest. But it was so late, and he didn’t want to disturb Kurt’s rest. He knew that Kurt would not be upset at all upset being awakened if he saw that Adam really needed to speak with him, but he had so much to deal with that Adam didn’t want to be yet another burden for Kurt to have to carry.

Even though he got along well with the rest of the cast, especially Niall, he was often reminded of how alone he was and far from the people that he wanted to be with. His parents and sister were across the pond and Kurt was in New York while he was sitting on a bus traveling from Boston to Richmond. They’d left Boston directly after their final performance so that they’d arrive in Virginia early in the morning. The plan was to give them two days to rest while the crew got the sets, props and lighting set up before a set of rehearsals to get accustomed to the new theater began. Previews for the local media would be staged just five days after their arrival with the official opening night scheduled two days later, leaving very little real down time. This was going to be their pattern for the duration of the tour.

He thought that he’d be better prepared but apparently one truly had to experience this kind of challenge to understand it. There would be good days and not such good ones. There would be days when he missed Kurt so much that the ache would be felt physically and other days when the both of them were so busy that they barely even had the time to focus on their separation.

If there was one good thing about not being able to sleep on the bus was that he could take advantage of the WIFI. He really should be working on his play since he has promised the rewrites would be done by the time the tour concluded but he just didn’t have the mental energy to focus on it. Instead he found himself cuing up the YouTube channel for Elliot’s cabaret group to watch the Valentine’s Day performance.

While he enjoyed most of the acts, especially Rachel and Santana who were so perfectly matched together, it was Kurt that he wanted to see. And his lover didn’t disappoint. Besides looking so breathtakingly gorgeous, he performed with elegance and passion, creating a character that was so different from himself yet still managed to portray Kurt’s own nature so beautifully.

He wished that he could have been there, but after watching Kurt’s set for the third time he had to wonder if his lover would have given such a performance if he had. Despite the clear sense of abandon, there was something about Kurt’s performance that was so refined and mature that expressed clear expediential growth since Adam left New York. Maybe their time apart was to Kurt’s benefit, he considered. Had he been coddling Kurt too much and preventing him from maturing in the way that he deserved to be?

He sighed to himself, watching as Kurt spun about a stripper pole on his screen looking like some otherworldly tempter. He’d never wanted to be the one to hold Kurt back, nor did he want to be pushing Kurt to do things that he didn’t want to. Kurt deserved the chance to develop on his own and seemed to be having a marvelous time doing so. Maybe being away from him was best for Kurt at this point, giving him room to find who he was both as a performer and a person without his well-meaning interference.

He couldn’t help from remembering something his Aunt Magda had told him once when he was visiting her country cottage as a child for an early spring weekend. A champion hobby gardener, she took advantage of her young nephew’s free labor and he’d wondered why she was taking young plants out of her hothouse when it was still so chilly out.

“It hardens them, pet,” she explained patiently, smiling as she handed him pots of seedlings to place down by the path. “Going into the cold makes them stronger so they’ll be able to survive if the weather turns.”

Adam looked at the plants in his hands, feeling a bit sorry for the poor things. He didn’t want to be outside when it was this cool and he couldn’t imagine how such young plants wouldn’t freeze.

Aunt Magda laughed warmly. “They’re not going to be out all the time,” she assured him, ruffling his hair playfully. “Not until it gets warmer. We’ll put them back in the hothouse before supper and they’ll spend the night all toasty warm. Then tomorrow we’ll put them outside again until they’re used to it.

“Now, when we’re done here we’ll go back inside so you can wash up. I’ve got some fresh biscuits for your tea.”

Adam smiled to himself at the memory, remembering how relieved he’d been that the poor baby plants weren’t going to be left to freeze but the lesson his dear aunt taught him seemed to fit his situation now. Both he and Kurt were those young plants, just starting to emerge from the safety of their school hothouse. Adam was a bit further along and could be expected to survive in the cold world, but Kurt was still a tender seedling. He needed the opportunity to strengthen. To harden as his aunt had phrased it before he could find his place in the world.

Being on his own would likely do Kurt far more good than harm, Adam considered as he watched Kurt dancing for a clearly appreciative audience. He would get the chance that Adam did, to explore and grow and discover himself as a performer. And without Adam there tempted to guide him or protect him from struggle or failure, Kurt would harden. He would strengthen and grow and be prepared to face the world outside of NYADA.

This was important for the both of them, Adam considered. They could both come out of the experience stronger both as individuals and as a couple. They just needed to endure the next few short months. Then he would be returning home and see just what sort of remarkable flower Kurt had blossomed into.

* * *

Kurt grunted as he was driven backwards, sweat streaming down his face beneath the protection of the fencing mask. Mr. Hansen was taking no mercy as he put on display every flaw in Kurt’s technique. He would have some pretty spectacular bruises by the time they were done from being struck by the heavy wooden sword, but he knew better than to complain about the rough treatment. As far as Mr. Hansen was concerned, getting hit would be his fault for not blocking the blows.

At least the fencing mask would protect him from a potential black eye.

Mr. Hansen finally called a stop when he’d driven Kurt back to the edge of the practice area, giving him a chance to recover. He pulled off his own mask, offering his student a reassuring smile. “That was much better, Kurt,” he assured his student. “You managed to block me most of the time.”

“Didn’t feel like it,” Kurt complained ruefully, rubbing a sore spot on his shoulder that he knew was a blooming bruise.

“Trust me, you did,” Mr. Hansen assured him. “I wasn’t holding back that much and you were able to anticipate what I might be doing. If you’re able to do that in a free flow fight, you’re going to have no trouble following some pretty complicated fight choreography.”

He looked to the rest of the class, all of which looked like they’d been put through the wringer while their teacher looked fresh as a slightly sweaty daisy. Mr. Hansen might be pushing forty but his endurance was to be respected with the way he ran his students around the room.

“I think that you’re all about ready to finally get your hands on some live steel,” he proposed, placing the wooden swords in their storage stand. He reached for two swords and swung them so that the light reflected off their lengths. He handed the first, a broadsword, to one of the other boys and the second, a katana-styled sword, to Kurt. “They don’t have edges, but you still need to be careful.

“Now you’ll notice that the feel is completely different from wood,” Mr. Hansen advised as his students gave the swords tentative swings. “These actually have some serious weight that will affect how you need to handle them. Even without an edge, you can seriously hurt someone if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Kurt frowned as he hefted the blade with both hands and tried to give it a controlled swing. Unlike the wooden practice sword which was designed to allow for slashing or thrusting motions, this sword felt like it was primarily for swinging blows. He needed both arms to control the movement.

“In our next class, we’ll be working with several different styles of blades and you’ll learn to control them all before we move on to actual combat. Remember our primary rule…”

“Safety first, safety last, safety always!” the entire class recited dutifully.

The teacher chuckled as he retrieved the weapons. “Hit the showers people,” he ordered. “I’ll see you next week.”

Kurt handed him back the sword before heading over to where he left his athletic bag, musing that the next few sessions would likely be very interesting. He was looking forward to working with actual stage weapons. His growing proficiency at stage combat would certainly help his prospects when he auditioned for the Shakespeare festival. Wiping his face and grabbing a sip of water, he sat down on a bench to rest for a moment. Grateful that this was his last class for the day, he had time to cool down, shower and grab an early dinner before he was due at rehearsal.

“Hey Kurt?”

He looked up to see Dale standing over him. The other student had been a casual sparring partner since they’d started in stage combat and had playfully flirted with him from time to time but had kept things light and respectful. In all honestly, Kurt was just shallow enough to get a bit of a kick out of a good-looking guy finding him attractive and asking him to make muscles. The past few weeks he’d been a bit more forward in his compliments, though not enough to bother Kurt. Yet.

“You were pretty amazing holding your own with Mr. Hansen,” Dale complimented. “He totally kicked my ass last time.”

Kurt nodded in acknowledgment of his compliment. “Thanks. I felt like mine was getting kicked around a bit today.”

“No, you were doing okay.” The dark-haired man sat down next to him, a trifle close for Kurt’s comfort. “I was wondering if you’re free before rehearsals tonight,” he said enquiringly. “There’s this new Thai place that opened down on Fifth. I thought maybe we could check it out.”

Kurt mentally sighed, recognizing that the invitation was for a lot more than a casual dinner between friends and wishing that Dale hadn’t gone there. Not that Dale wasn’t good looking, with his thick dark hair and wide grin, but he just wasn’t interested. Dale had flirted with him many times before in class, but this felt different from his usual teasing. Kurt generally liked the other man and wanted to maintain a pleasant working relationship with his classmates, so he needed to make a few things clear.

“No, but thanks for the offer,” he said carefully, offering a friendly smile. “I’m going to relax a little bit before rehearsal. It’s been a long day.”

“Oh, come on Kurt,” Dale urged, smiling enticingly. “You have to eat. This will give us a chance to hang out a little bit. Get to know each other a little more outside of class.”

Kurt sighed, knowing that he would have to be a bit blunter. “Look, I appreciate the invite but I think that I’m just going to grab something in the cafeteria and take advantage of my break to give Adam a call.”

Dale cocked his head. “So… you two are still together? Even with him away?” he asked, a bit too smoothly to be believed.

Kurt felt his gaze narrow in annoyance. It wasn’t exactly a secret and he wasn’t aware of any rumors floating around about their relationship being in trouble. His friends would have alerted him. “Yes, we are,” he confirmed. “Quite happily so.”

“And he’d be upset if you just went out to dinner with a friend?” Dale demanded, a bit of challenge in his voice. “You don’t strike me as the type to be bossed around by a boyfriend when he’s not around. I always thought you were your own man.”

After having dealt with Blaine for so long, Kurt could easily recognize when someone was trying to manipulate him, and he was not going to fall for it. It felt a bit too much like Sebastian’s old “I don’t mind if you don’t mind” game that he’d tried while he and Blaine were still a couple. Blaine might have been tempted when deprived of his boyfriend’s attention for more than five minutes, but Kurt wasn’t that needy.

“No, he doesn’t mind at all because he trusts me. Like I trust him. I just get the feeling that friendship isn’t exactly what you’re after so let me make it clear that I’m not interested.”

“Oh, come on Kurt. I’m not looking for anything serious,” Dale purred, inching closer into Kurt’s personal space. “Your man is away and I’m sure that you’ve got to be lonely. This would just be two friends scratching an itch together.”

“No thanks,” Kurt said firmly. “I am more than capable of scratching my own itch.”

Dale just shrugged, apparently not offended at Kurt’s refusal. “Okay, I get it,” he acquiesced. “I didn’t mean to push too hard. It’s just… you are really hot so you can’t blame me for trying.”

Kurt sighed, knowing that he would have to let this go. He and Dale would be working together a lot and it didn’t pay to make an enemy over a bit of aggressive flirting. He would just chalk it up to a misunderstanding and leave it at that.

“It’s okay,” he finally said. If he could forgive Mercedes for smashing his car window, he could get past Dale’s pushy behavior. He probably should just be complimented that he had that effect on some people.

“Cool,” Dale exclaimed agreeably, switching from assertive suitor to pleasant acquaintance now that Kurt had reaffirmed his boundaries. “Don’t want to lose my favorite sparring partner after all.”

Kurt nodded, getting up and slipping into his NYADA warmup jacket and tugging a dark blue beanie onto his head that felt like a security blanket. “Well, I’m going to head out. I’ll see you at rehearsals tonight.”

“You got it,” Dale said agreeably, moving to retrieve his own belongings before heading to the showers. “Catch you later…”

Kurt couldn’t help from breathing a sigh of relief that he was able to resolve this little matter neatly. He didn’t want to make enemies over something like this and it was fortunate that Dale was smart enough to accept Kurt’s refusal without getting offended. And in all truth, it was flattering to have someone wanting him like that. Best to just take it as a compliment.

Returning to his room, he stripped down to his briefs and tossed his dirty clothes into his hamper, making a mental note that he needed to do laundry over the weekend or risk his room smelling like Finn’s used to. The beanie was placed in a place of honor on Kurt’s dresser where he could enjoy having something of Adam’s in plain sight. Kurt grabbed his robe off its hook on the back of the door and slipped it on, finding comfort in the warm fabric and pushed his feet into the flip flops that he always wore to the showers. He’d wash up, get something to eat and would be ready in plenty of time for rehearsals.

But first… He got out his phone and checked his messages, seeing that Adam had texted him a few times while he was in class.

Arrived in Richmond, safe and sound, his boyfriend assured him. Am at the hotel and plan to fall flat on my face for a few hours.

Kurt smiled, seeing that the note was a few hours old. Hopefully Adam had gotten plenty of rest because he could imagine just how draining the long drive was. Going to his map, he exchanged pins to mark Adam’s new location and to indicate that the run in Boston was concluded. Still a long way to go, but now he had evidence that their separation was indeed finite and would at some point come to an end.

Hoping that Adam was rested and awake, he checked the second message and saw that Adam would be going out to dinner and would try to check in after Kurt got back from rehearsals.

“Oh…” Kurt bit back a sigh of disappointment, knowing that he had no right to be upset. He and Adam often found that they rarely were able to plan times when they could talk to one another and were dependent on chance when both might be free. Usually it in the afternoons after Kurt’s last class and before rehearsals when he was able to catch Adam before was due to be at the theater or late in the night after Adam’s performance. That wasn’t Adam’s doing and his boyfriend would not have known that Kurt had a few hours to himself before making his plans.

He dialed Adam’s phone number and wasn’t surprised when it went directly to voice mail.

“Hi babe,” he greeted with as much cheer as he could manage. “Hope that you’re out having a good time. When you get back, give me a call. I’ll be up late. Love you.”

His eyes stung a bit as he hung up, feeling rather alone and depressed but quickly shook himself out of it. Resolutely picking up his bath supplies, he headed down to the showers to clean up. He needed to keep his mind on what he needed to do that evening, and not crying over his absent partner. He was going to get through this.

* * *

“This is so nice of you, but you really didn’t need to go so out of your way,” Adam insisted as they drove to the restaurant where their diner reservations were made.

Carole turned to the young man seated in the back seat of their car with a wide smile. “Don’t be silly, sweetheart,” she insisted. “There was no way that we were going to miss seeing you now that you’re close by.”

“Well, close being a relative term,” Burt teased, not taking his eyes off the road as he drove. “It’s not a bad drive and it gives us an excuse to get out of Washington for a little bit.”

“One of Burt’s staffers recommended this restaurant and we thought it would be a nice break for you,” Carole proposed. “I’m always worried that you boys aren’t eating right.”

“Prepare to be mothered,” Burt warned, laughing. “She’s been itching to take care of someone since Finn moved out and it’ll be nice for her to have someone to focus on besides me.”

Adam couldn’t help from smiling, his heart clenching when he realized that he felt the same kind of need. He missed his family and he only got to see them a few times a year at best. And he missed Kurt. Seeing the elder Hummels made him feel a bit less disconnected to those that he loved, and he was grateful that Kurt’s family had embraced him the way that they did.

“We’ve really been looking forward to seeing your show,” Carole informed him. “Especially after reading the reviews from Boston. We were so happy to see that the play was well received.”

“We all were relieved,” Adam admitted. “I mean, we thought that it’s a great play and everyone’s put in so much work, but it was still a relief that the critics saw that. I really hope that you like it. I’ve made sure that you’ve got the best seats in the house.”

Burt grunted in approval. “It sounds like a great show,” he assured Adam. “And maybe a little media attention about having a Congressman attending on opening night might goose attendance just a bit.”

Adam pursed his mouth thoughtfully. “I doubt the producers would mind that at all.”

The restaurant where their dinner reservations was casual enough to be comfortable, but the young chef there had a reputation for putting a modern and healthy spin on traditional southern recipes. It was early enough that there wasn’t a long wait for their table where their smiling waitress took their drink orders and left a basket of warm cornbread with honey butter for them to enjoy. Carole passed the basket around the table, taking the small pleasure that only a mother would understand about seeing the men in her life eating well.

“You’ll have to guide me,” Adam requested politely as he looked over the menu. “I’m not familiar with a lot of dishes like this.”

“I’m sure it’s all good,” Burt claimed, swallowing a bit of cornbread.

Deciding to be adventurous and not to go with the safe and familiar option of fried chicken, Adam placed his order and turned his focus on the older couple. “I really do appreciate this,” he insisted. “And admittedly, I kind of needed to see some familiar faces.”

“Life on the road not to your liking?” Burt asked sympathetically.

“It’s really not bad for the most part,” Adam assured him, not wanting to complain. “Actually, it’s been quite an interesting experience so far. The rest of the cast is fantastic and a really bunch of nice fellows. And I really can’t say enough about the director and the rest of the production team. The play is really amazing, and I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Carole smile warmly, glad that Adam had positive things to say about his experience.

“But..,” Burt prodded knowingly.

Adam sighed. “I can’t lie. Being away from Kurt is hard. Harder than even I expected,” he admitted. “We talk as often as we can, but I miss our life together. I miss our friends and having my own place. The novelty of hotels wore off pretty quickly. I’ve rather resigned myself that the rest of the tour is going to be something of a slog.”

“Well, then I’m very glad that we’re going to be close by for the next few weeks,” Carole pronounced.

“What’s your schedule like?” Burt asked after taking a sip of water. “Is it the usual theater schedule?”

“Yes, we have shows five nights a week and matinees on Wednesdays and Sundays. Mondays are our free days.”

“So you have off Sunday afternoons after the matinee?” Burt confirmed.

The Englishman nodded. “I don’t have to be at the theater until Tuesday morning for our run through before the evening performance,” Adam explained. “They wanted to make sure that we had adequate downtime, so we don’t burn out before the end of the tour.”

“That’s perfect,” Carole pronounced. “That will give us plenty of them to sightsee and have fun before I need to get you back in time for work.”

Adam swallowed the bite of bread he’d just taken and blinked in confusion. “Pardon? I mean…”

“You didn’t think we’d just run in to see you in the show,” Burt admonished teasingly. “If it’s all right with you, the plan will be that we pick you up after the Sunday matinee. You’ll spend the night at our place and on Monday, Carole can take you sightseeing around D.C. while I’m at work and we can all have dinner together.”

Carole nodded happily. “We’ve got plenty of space in our apartment, so you’ll have your own room and can get some real rest. And I’m sure some home cooking will be a nice change from eating out so much.”

Burt couldn’t help from laughing at the dumfounded expression on the younger man’s face. “I wasn’t lying that Carole planned to mother you. I hope that’s okay.”

Adam looked to the smiling woman, then back to Kurt’s father. “That’s… that’s very generous of you,” he said softly. “I really do appreciate the offer. But Richmond is so out of your way, and…”

“Nonsense,” Carole snorted indignantly. “You might as well come willingly because I have no qualms about badgering you until you give in.”

“I’d just go along with her,” Burt advised, with a wry glint in his eyes that reminded Adam so much of Kurt. “She’s been making plans to play tour guide to you since we got your tour dates.”

Adam couldn’t help from smiling. Niall would probably be pleased to have some privacy for a night or two. “Well, I suppose that I can’t turn down a lady’s generosity for a weekend.”

Carole laughed. “A weekend, he thinks. Burt, that’s so adorable.”

“Adam, I think that you’d better resign yourself to be our guest for the next few weekends,” her husband advised wryly. “If she can’t have Finn or Kurt, you’re next in line.”

“Adam, believe me, this is no trouble at all for us,” Carole promised. “We can do all kinds of touristy things around Washington and Burt’s even going to arrange a special tour for you at the Capital. This way you get a real break and a chance to really relax. I’m so looking forward to spending some time with you.”

It had always been something of a relief to Adam that the Hummels had accepted him as Kurt’s partner, but this display of generosity went well beyond what he rightly could have expected from them. It was more how he might have expected them to treat a son-in-law. To his shock, he realized that was exactly how they did see him.

It would be a nice break for both himself and Niall, who would probably be thrilled to have the occasional night with the hotel room to himself. As well as they got along, bit of privacy would be very much appreciated on both their parts.

Humbled and grateful for how the Hummels had accepted him into their family, Adam smiled warmly at the both of them. “That sounds like a splendid plan. Thank you both so much,” he said sincerely.

Their waitress returned with their entrees and placed a plate of shrimp and grits in front of Adam. The dish was unfamiliar but still looked, and smelled, very appetizing. Maybe this was how he needed to embrace all of these strange, new experiences with a bit more openness. Accept the good and the bad and look forward to all the kinds if encounters that he could learn from.

Sitting at a table with parents that were not his own but had embraced him was such a moment where the strange melded with the ordinary. The Hummels were quite unlike his folks in many ways, but he felt completely at ease in their presence. He felt a very familiar warmth from Carole’s smile and concern, reminded of how his own mum worried over him. And Burt’s quiet concern did remind him much of how his father would watch out for him. He hadn’t known just how much he’d needed a bit of family kindness until that moment. It was definitely the kind of balm to ease his sore heart.

He had urged Kurt to take advantage of their time apart to try new thing and it was clear that he needed to do the same if he was going to be a man worthy of Kurt’s effort. There would be moments where he was unmoored from everything familiar and comforting and he would learn to not just weather those instances but embrace them. Kurt’s strength had always astounded him, and now he would learn to be strong as well.

When he was deposited back at his hotel with hugs and words of support and caring, Adam felt better about things than he had since they’d left Boston. Their room was empty, Niall having left a note that he and the lads were going out for drinks and to do a bit of exploring. Glad to have a bit of privacy, Adam checked his phone and found a voice mail that Kurt had left a few hours earlier. Listening to his lover’s voice brought a smile to his face.

Ringing up his lover, he felt himself smiling in relief when the younger man promptly answered the phone. “Hello darling,” Adam greeted happily. “Did I wake you?”

“Hi honey! No, rehearsal ran a bit long and I went out for coffee with some of the guys. I just got in about an hour ago,” Kurt admitted. Adam could detect the weariness in the younger man’s voice but he knew from experience that Kurt had a few hours of work ahead of him before he’d retire for the night.

“This is late for you all,” Adam noted.

“We’re working on the big numbers right now, so rehearsals take longer than usual,” Kurt explained, yawning a little. “Did you have a good time tonight?”

Adam smiled, realizing that Kurt’s family hadn’t informed him of their plans at abduction.

“Very much so, and you’re going to laugh when I tell you about my evening.”

Over the phone he heard Kurt settling down, shoving books out of his way so he could get comfortable. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me all about it.”

They had quite a good laugh together.

* * *

Elliot turned to tap Kurt on the shoulder to get his attention. “I’m going to get something to drink,” he yelled over the pounding music.

Kurt nodded that he’d heard, and Elliot watched as the younger man said something to the man he’d been dancing with about taking a break, leaving him with a charming smile and no promise of anything further that night. It wasn’t hard to catch the look of disappointment on Kurt’s erstwhile partner, and Elliot quickly moved to place himself between Kurt and the man he was leaving behind least the other man think of pressing his attentions further.

Elliot couldn’t blame him, if he was being totally honest with himself. He might think of Kurt as a good friend, but he wasn’t blind. Kurt was gorgeous and those tight jeans he was wearing left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Watching Kurt losing himself in classic dance tunes like Frankie Goes to Hollywood and seeing the sweat dampening his shirt so that it clung to his toned muscles was certainly engaging and it wasn’t a surprise that he had garnered the attention of quite a few of the men that night. And when the two of them danced together, they were the envy of most of the men in the club. Like Elliot, Kurt was a natural showman and didn’t mind putting on a display.

Watching the younger man walk ahead of him, his hips moving in time to the music brought a smile to Elliot’s face. It might have taken a bit of cajoling and badgering, but he’d finally gotten Kurt to agree to a gay boys’ night out. With all of Kurt’s commitments, finding free time had not been easy and what little free time Kurt had was usually spent with their larger group of friends. The last thing that Elliot wanted was to be yet another person making demands on what little time to rest that Kurt had.

Elliot knew that he was more fortunate than most that he got along as well as he did with his roommates and genuinely enjoyed socializing with them. Dani was his best girl and Neil was one of the coolest guys he’d ever met and never minded hanging out at gay clubs with him, even enjoying being hit on occasionally. But sometimes a gay boy just needed another gay boy to hang out with. Having a friend who could appreciate their shared experiences and challenges was something that most people didn’t really appreciate until they didn’t have it.

But as the night went on, it became clear just how much Kurt had needed this time to decompress. Elliot knew how much he needed to let off some steam and just enjoy himself without worrying about entertaining others. Since Dani started dating Santana, Elliot had plenty of exposure to Kurt’s friends and he could easily see that Kurt would benefit from some time away from them. It was good that his entire social life didn’t circle around them every waking minute.

It had been an enjoyable night of kitting several of the more notable gay spots in Manhattan. They started off at the Monster Bar, enjoying the quiet ambience and the chance to catch up and enjoy a drink in the sophisticated setting. They strolled over to the Stonewall Inn; Kurt posing for a selfie in front of the historical landmark and posting it to his Instagram account. After grabbing a late supper, they made their way to the Highline Ballroom to get their dance on.

Watching the stress start to ease from Kurt’s face, Elliot was glad to see him finally letting go of some of the pressure he’d clearly been under the past few weeks. It had been a lot of fun to watch him dive head first into the greater gay culture of New York City in a way that he hadn’t had the opportunity to do before and Elliot was glad that he’d promised Adam to watch out for Kurt and drag him away from his textbooks for an evening.

“I’m so glad we came out tonight,” Kurt sighed happily as he sipped his rum and cola, leaning against Elliot casually and resting his head against the taller man’s shoulder. “I needed this.”

Elliot grinned brightly. “I could tell. You were seriously wound up.” He took a gulp of his seltzer. “I thought that I was going to have to resort to kidnapping.”

“Well, thank you for not giving up on me,” Kurt insisted. He raised his glass in toast. “Here’s to three-day weekends and a well-needed break from classes and rehearsals.”

“Cheers,” Elliot toasted back, his blue eyes twinkling with good spirits. He always like going out to clubs with friends, even if he wasn’t looking to get laid. Sometimes he just needed the chance to decompress and work off some stress by dancing. Kurt and Adam had sometimes gone out to clubs together, but it was good that he was seeing that it was perfectly fine for him to hang out and dance even if his boyfriend wasn’t around. Adam trusted Kurt and wouldn’t begrudge him the chance to bask in the admiring stares of other men since Kurt had absolutely zero interest in reciprocating. And to be honest, Elliot thought that that Kurt could benefit from seeing that other men did appreciate what he was showing.

He didn’t mind playing wingman for Kurt and watching out for him while he danced and had a few drinks. Most of the men who asked Kurt to dance seemed nice enough and were respectful of his boundaries, accepting that he was just looking to dance and enjoying himself for the evening. Elliot was able to deflect those who didn’t seem to know when to back off, letting Kurt have a good time without having to deal with jerks. Not that Elliot blamed them, because a man would have to be devoid of a sex drive or just plain stupid to not think that Kurt was amazing and wanting to get with him. He wanted Kurt to have the opportunity to enjoy himself without the aggravation of putting off overly determined suitors.

It was nearly three in the morning before the two of them stumbled into an all-night eatery to refuel, and in Kurt’s case, sober up a bit before calling it quits for the night. The diner was crowded with late night partygoers looking for coffee and sustenance. After hours of dancing, they all but crawled into their booth. Both of them were starving and tired, their feet sore and Kurt needed some carbs to soak up the remains of the alcohol he’d been consuming. He wasn’t drunk, and Elliot was glad that Kurt had the good sense to keep his drinking under control and hadn’t had to police him all night. He was just happily buzzed and relaxed enough that the whole world felt fantastic and even his aches and pains were wonderful.

“Well, you sure look like you had a good time,” Elliot teased, taking in to the sight of Kurt looking like a slightly rumpled, slightly tipsy and totally adorable sleepy kitten.

“I’m going to feel it later on,” Kurt complained playfully as he sipped his coffee. The dose of caffeine seemed to be perking him up a bit. “I’m so glad that I don’t have plans until evening today, because I don’t think I’ll be coherent enough to actually get anything done without screwing it up.”

Elliot nodded understandingly. At that moment, the only thing he’d probably manage was to fall face first into bed. “What do you have lined up?” he asked as the waitress placed their meals in front of them. French toast with a side of bacon for Kurt, and huevos ranchero for him.

“Just a night with the others at the loft. Something about a ‘worst movies’ film festival. We all need a break from our classwork,” Kurt yawned, pouring a generous portion of syrup over his food. He took a bite, closing his eyes and making a low moan in his throat. “This is so good…”

Elliot chuckled and gave him a little nudge with his foot. “Knock it off, or you’re going to get everyone in here all hot and bothered, Sally.”

Kurt laughed at the film reference, looking at his friend with eyes that were just a little too bright to be completely sober just yet. “What about you,” he asked. “Anything exciting to do today?”

“Going to relax today, but I’ll head to Jersey tomorrow to see my folks,” Elliot admitted. “I’ve been putting it off for a while, so I’ll do brunch with mom and dinner with my dad. That way I’ll be able to keep the peace between them for the next few weeks.”

“I can’t imagine having folks separated like that,” Kurt mused. “I mean, I lost my mom when I was young, so it’s just been Dad and me for a long time. I don’t know how it would be if they divorced and I had to split time between them. Or worse, feeling like I had to choose between them. Do your parents really hate each other that much?”

“I wouldn’t say that hate is the right word,” Elliot explained. “But they find a way to fight over everything. Me especially, at times. Personally, I think that they just enjoy trying to get a rise out of one another.”

Kurt winced reflexively. “But they must have cared about each other at one point,” he insisted. “I mean, they got married and they had you.”

“I know, but love doesn’t always last forever,” Elliot said sagely. “No one starts a marriage expecting it to end at some point, but it does happen. I mean, we’ve all had relationships that didn’t last.”

“Oh, that’s definitely true,” Kurt snorted. He was very cognizant of that fact of life.

Elliot cocked his head curiously. “That guy you were with before Adam. You don’t talk much about him,” he prodded gently.

Kurt sighed, his good mood fading slightly at the mention of his ex. He stabbed a piece of his French toast and chewed it thoughtfully before answering.

“Things weren’t good between us for a long time. A lot longer than I’d wanted to admit,” he admitted. “There were things that when I look back, I realize were wrong even before we got together as a couple. But I was in love and I really wanted to make it work. I was willing to put up with a lot for us to stay together as a couple, and it took a long time before it reached a point where I just couldn’t keep overlooking everything that he was doing. I didn’t realize that I was losing myself in the process. It was only after I ended things with Blaine that I started to understand just how much I had sacrificed to keep our relationship going and it wasn’t good for me.”

Kurt looked down at the table, suddenly embarrassed by what he was revealing. “When he told me that he’d been with someone else, I just felt like my whole world was ripped out from under my feet. After everything that I’d done… all the chances for myself that I gave up for him…”

Elliot nodded understandingly. “I get it. I’ve had my share of shitty relationships and been screwed around on. And no matter how good your reasons are for getting out, you can’t help from feeling like some kind of failure for it not working out.”

Kurt nodded in agreement. “I felt like absolute garbage for quite a while afterwards. That I wasn’t enough of man to keep Blaine from cheating on me. It didn’t help that pretty much everyone around us saw him as the handsome, desirable one and I should just feel lucky that he wanted to be with me at all.”

Elliot’s eyes softened in sympathy. “Kurt, you don’t really believe that, do you?” he asked gently. Kurt was such an amazing man and he hated the idea of his friend having such a low opinion of his worth.

“Not anymore,” Kurt assured him, offering a smile. “I’m not going to lie… it did take a while. I was a real mess for a couple of weeks and I didn’t see myself having anything to offer anyone. But then I got into NYADA, and I was starting to see that just maybe I was worth more than what being with Blaine gave me. Then I met Adam, but I’d already figured by that point that was I’m better off alone than being in a relationship that’s not good for me. Having Adam was kind of just the icing on the cake.”

Elliot nodded approvingly. “That’s good, Kurt. I’m glad to hear that. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize just how much damage you’re doing to yourself by staying in a bad relationship,” he confided. “And you’re right… being single is definitely better than being treated badly by someone that says he loves you.

“I mean, I love Adam,” Kurt insisted. “I really do. The difference is how he treats me compared to Blaine was really shocking because I didn’t know that a relationship could really be like that. It took me a long time to be able to put what happened with Blaine behind me and learn to really trust again. To be able to open myself up, which is the hardest thing for me. I was just so tired of being hurt all the time by people that were supposed to care about me.”

Elliot didn’t say anything, seeing that Kurt really needed to unload these concerns. Whether it was because he really trusted Elliot as a friend, or just because he had a few drinks in him, he seemed willing to talk and Elliot wanted to give him the space to do so.

Kurt’s expression softened as his memories drifted back to the early days of his relationship with Adam. “I know that you don’t know Adam so well, but he was so amazing those first months,” Kurt insisted. “He was so patient with me and put up with a lot of my bullshit because I had so many trust issues. I didn’t feel pressured or pushed to do things before I was ready because he’d get impatient. He just let me know that he loved me and let me work things out in my own time. He supported me and let me see that I deserve so much more than I’d been willing to settle for. And when I freaked out over things, he didn’t get offended and he let me understand that I deserve to be loved and treated well.

“The same goes for how my friends and I get along,” he pointed out. “I love Rachel and we’ve been friends for a long time now, but there was a point when I was really ready to cut ties with her altogether.”

The older man sipped at his tea thoughtfully. “She can be a handful,” he acknowledged tactfully. “To be honest, that doesn’t surprise me.” He’d seen Rachel’s type many times before. People who were so focused on their own ambitions that they were willing to sacrifice anyone around them to facilitate their advancement. Thankfully, he didn’t see her unless they were all hanging out as a group. While he couldn’t claim to know her that well, he didn’t think that he liked her very much personally. Still, he was sure that she had to have some good points for Kurt to be her friend.

“It wasn’t easy between the two of us, because we were rivals as much as friends a lot of the time. And her competitiveness can be difficult to deal with,” Kurt mused, remembering all the times that Rachel would run roughshod over those she claimed as friends in her pursuit of a solo or role or romantic partner.

“We went through some really rough times, but unlike Blaine, Rachel proved that she can change for the better,” Kurt insisted. “By point that I was ready to call it quits, I was meeting new people at NYADA and I realized that I could be better off without her. I deserved friends that cared about me and supported me, and I wasn’t afraid of being alone. I made it clear where my limits were and showed her that I wasn’t going to be stepped on her for convenience any longer.”

“And she stepped up,” Elliot granted.

Kurt nodded, a fond smile touching his features. “She really did,” he said with a sense of quiet satisfaction. “For all her faults, Rachel really does care and when push came to shove, she’s been there for me.”

Elliot grinned over the rim of his mug. “I’m glad, Kurt,” he stated. “I know that it’s hard to push away people that aren’t good for you, but it’s good that you learned to stand up for yourself. That’s not easy to do with someone that you care about.”

Kurt’s eyes dimmed. “No, it definitely isn’t,” he acknowledged. “But I was surprised that I found myself so willing to do so. Not just with Rachel. Most of my old friends from Lima… things got really weird for a time and I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the effort to keep those friendships.”

Elliot watched the younger man carefully, seeing both regret and resolve there. He had no doubt that if Kurt had truly believed that the friendships were no longer salvageable that he would have walked away from them. That he hadn’t revealed a great deal about Kurt’s character and his loyalty to those he cared about than anything else. That level of loyalty was a rare thing and something to be admired, but he knew from personal experience that it wasn’t always appreciated or reciprocated by those it was directed towards.

“I’ve been there,” Elliot assured him. “I had some friends in high school that ended up being total douchebags after we graduated so I cut ties with them. Life is just too short. I mean, all friendships go through rough spots, but it shouldn’t feel like work all the time. Or that you’re the one constantly bending over backwards to make things happen.”

Kurt nodded understandingly. “I went for a long time without any real friends,” he admitted softly. “And once I had some, it felt like I was in a constant battle with them. We were always competing for solos or attention, so it probably wasn’t the healthiest start to relationships.”

Elliot just laughed. “Par for the course with theater students,” he confirmed with a grin.

Kurt chuckled, looking down at his plate ruefully. “I guess that we’re still working on finding the balance between friendship and healthy competition. I mean, there are things for me that are deal breakers, but I’m still learning when and where to draw that line.”

“Don’t feel bad about that. There’s a pretty broad range between cutting everyone out of your life and being a total doormat,” Elliot advised. “It doesn’t make you an asshole for standing up for yourself when you get pushed too far.”

There was a clear look of relief on the younger man’s face at that assurance. “Thanks,” he said sincerely. “I think I needed to hear that.”

“Yeah, you kind of did,” Elliot chuckled, finishing his breakfast. “Sometimes it’s good to hear that it’s okay to expect your friends to treat you the way you treat them. Or give yourself permission to raise a fuss if they don’t. Your real friends will come around and respect your boundaries.”

Kurt pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered Elliot’s advice, absorbing it and seeing that the older man was right. He did no one any good by giving in all the time. All it did was build resentment in him and feed into the inclination of others to keep taking whatever he was able to give. Letting Rachel, Sam and the others know where his lines were and that he would not stand to have his limits breached went a long way in smoothing over a lot of the hurt feelings and resentments he’d been harboring for way too long. Or deciding that keeping contact was no longer worth the aggravation, as he had with Blaine.

“Now, on to more pleasant subject for conversation,” Elliot pronounced. “I did have an ulterior motive for inviting you out tonight.”

Kurt grinned impishly. “Oh? Do tell…”

Elliot added a dash more hot sauce to his eggs. “Your school musical…”

Kurt couldn’t help laughing because his friend had been pestering for details for weeks now.

“You saw the announcement,” he reminded Elliot. Even the professional industry publications had taken notice of NYADA’s ambitious project and listed it as one of the major theatrical events of the season to keep an eye on.

“I know, but you guys totally wreaked aspirations for most of the senior class at NYU,” Elliot warned. “That was a totally ballsy move to stage something that huge. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about it.”

Kurt chuckled and shook his head. “And have Madam Tibideaux find out that I spilled the beans? Sorry, but I value my life.”

When the waitress stopped by their table with a fresh pot of coffee, Kurt happily accepted a refill. “What about you?” he asked, adding milk and sugar to his drink. “Aren’t you planning to be in NYU’s show.”

Elliot shrugged. “Actually, I wasn’t planning to this year.”

“But wouldn’t that help your prospects after graduation?” Kurt asked.

“Normally I’d say yes, but they’re doing ‘On The Town’ and after last year I just can’t bring myself to be in another musical like that,” the older man sighed. “Besides, I’m not a fan of the professor directing. He’s a real ball-buster and I’ll bet that half the cast quits before opening night.”

Kurt couldn’t help from wincing. “Why would they have him directing then? I’m sure there have to be better options.”

Elliot nodded. “There are, but if NYADA manages to pull off your show the way I expect that you will, whatever we do is going to fall flat. No one who really values their reputation wants to be seen in comparison.”

“But it would still be a chance for you to get yourself seen,” Kurt argued gently. “I mean, agents and producers will see the show and…”

“Yeah, seen in a production that doesn’t speak to anything about who I am as a performer. I can understand why you love traditional theater, Kurt, but if I had to face doing endless revivals of classic musicals that are so old that they can be carbon dated, I know I’d be miserable.”

Kurt nodded understandingly. While he might love the grind and the routine, Elliot needed something where his own creative juices could find an outlet. The older man would probably make a serious go of being a rock star if that was where his ambitions lay, but he enjoyed acting as much as he did singing.

“So what are you going to do?” Kurt questioned.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past few weeks. I know that taking the more conventional theater approach is the logical thing to do, but it just wouldn’t work for me. There are some independent theater groups that are doing some really interesting things,” Elliot answered, a happier glint in his eyes. “Not as crazy as the Hellfire Circus, but not your usual stuff.

“Some of them are doing unorthodox takes on familiar shows or doing stuff that’s really new and exciting,” he explained. “Since it’s not on Broadway for mass-market consumption, they’re able to be a lot more experimental and I think something like that might be a good fit for me. It’ll give me a chance to try lots of new stuff to see what really rocks my boat.”

Kurt nodded, thinking that his friend just might be on to something. “That sounds like it can be really exciting.”

“I’ve lined up auditions lined up with the Attic Theater here in New York and I’ll be flying out to audition with the Steppenwolf and Magic Theater companies over the next few weeks,” Elliot confided. “I’ve seen a lot of their productions and really like what they do. It’ll really give me the chance to do the kind of work that will let me push myself creatively and maybe make a living at it.”

“That’s fantastic,” Kurt insisted, grinning at his friend. “They’d be idiots not to snatch you right up.”

“Thanks. I really needed to hear that I’m doing the right thing,” Elliot sighed. “I figure that I can do that for a year or two before really deciding how I want to focus my career. And it’ll put my folks at ease because I’ve been getting a lot of flak from the both of them.”

Not for the first time, Kurt was thankful that he understood his own aspirations as a performer and what he hoped for in his career. Elliot was one of the most talented and charismatic people he’d ever met, and he understood what it was like to feel like you were not fitting in. Or that your dreams didn’t mesh with what others thought you should pursue. Elliot needed to find a niche that suited his inclinations and allowed him the freedom to grow.

“I’m serious… I’m really happy for you,” Kurt insisted. “I think that you’ll really do great with any of them, though you’ll have to excuse me if I hope the Attic Theater offers you a chance that you can’t refuse. I’d love for you to be based in New York for a bit longer.”

“Hey, they don’t call working actors ‘gypsies’ for no reason,” Elliot reminded his friend with a smile. “We might end up roaming all over the place, but our homes are where we have our friends.”

Kurt nodded with a soft smile on his face, thinking about his own wandering “gypsy” who was following his dreams and remembered his conversation with Adam’s mother. They hadn’t chosen careers that were stable or stationary, and it was a good thing that he was seeing that now. He would be prepared with it was his turn to flee the nest and see where his fortunes took him, and he would be even more confident that he and Adam would be able to weather whatever life and fate threw at them.

In the meantime, he had his friends and his studies. That was enough.

* * *

Rachel winced as the student costumer accidently stuck her with a pin while taking in the bodice of her dress.

“I’m sorry,” the young man exclaimed, checking the spot where she’d been inadvertently stabbed though Rachel thought that he was probably more concerned about getting blood on the shift than actually injuring her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, pushing down any annoyance she was feeling and settling so he could get back to work. The sophomore working on her costume was one of the many underclassmen working on the mass of costumes needed for the ensemble players, leaving the more senior students free to work on the major players. She knew that he had several people to get through that afternoon and didn’t have the luxury of taking his time or chitchatting. That was saved for the leads, whose costumes were their priority. The costumes for the ensemble just needed to fit well enough and look appropriate for their scenes.

In another corner of the room, Rachel could see the student playing Eponine having her fitting done. Kimberly Larkin was well known to the entire school; a senior with what everyone claimed was a once in a generation voice that earned accolades whenever she performed. Known to be as talented an actress as she was a singer, she was laughing and joking with the student costumer and seemed to be having a good time as minute adjustments were made so that her costume would be perfect. Professor Menkes came over to check her student’s work and offered her own suggestions.

The student working on Rachel’s costume finished and sat back with sigh. “Okay, that should do it,” he pronounced. Rachel looked down and saw that her hem was neatly asymmetrical and would look suitably ragged from the audience.

She had two basic costumes for the show, a basic shift and bodice that would be adjusted with various caps and shawls for the various group scenes she was involved in and her prostitute costume. Normally she would have enjoyed the chance to play dress up and see what the costumers had come up with, but it was hard to take pleasure in it when her jealousy was starting to rear its ugly head.

Rachel knew that she had no cause to be upset about anything. She had the opportunity to perform in what was one of the most anticipated events of the theater season. It was a chance to be seen and show that she could defy her reputation and be a solid member of a larger cast. She had, for the most part, truly enjoyed herself. She had classmates that she was friendly with in the cast and the larger musical numbers sounded absolutely amazing. And there were several seniors that didn’t have many more solo lines than she did. She could rightly be very proud of the role she was playing.

But seeing someone else playing the role that she knew she could do well… that had eaten at her more than she wanted to admit. As she changed back into her street clothes, she thought back to what Madam Tibideaux had asked of her so long ago; having to watch other actresses playing the parts she wanted while she was in a supportive part and thinking that it should be here in that role. She was sure that she would be able to handle it, but could not deny that she was jealous.

It was clear just how selfish and naive she had been. She thought of Kurt and Tina and Mercedes and how ruthlessly she’d defended her domination of New Directions. It was no wonder that they’d thought she was such a bitch and that no one wanted to be her friend. She’d more than deserved the distain they’d shown her.

Sitting down to pull on her shoes, she thought back to high school and even her early days at NYADA. She had been so focused on cementing her place as NYADA’s brightest star that she didn’t notice that she was repeating the same pattern that she’d followed at McKinley, though with drastically different results. There was no Mr. Shuster to protect her from her own impulses and acquiesce to her demands, least she storm out for the umpteenth time. Her classmates now were not willing to step aside for her. She had nearly lost everything because she was so stupid and stubborn and refused to acknowledge what everyone was trying to tell her.

She needed to get beyond this, Rachel told herself firmly. Yes, she would make an astonishing Eponine and one day, she would be the one in the starring role. She knew that there were more than a few people that fully expected her to flake out and start throwing a diva tantrum and six month ago, she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t have. But in a room full of her classmates? She managed to keep herself under control.

But that didn’t change the fact that was really, really wanted that part. She wanted to be a star and one day she would be. Her participation in this show would be about proving herself. Rachel knew what she needed to do so it was time to tell her ego to take a back seat for once and just focus on her job. She needed to do this for herself if for no other reason. Because if she gave in to her impulses now, no one at NYADA would trust her with a role again and that could have career-long repercussions.

When she emerged from the changing room, she saw that the boys had started to trail in for their own fittings. Now Kurt was standing on the block, patiently allowing the student to adjust the fitting of his townsman costume. He was chatting with Jamie, who was wearing his prisoner rags, and looked totally at ease. She knew that he was easily as ambitious as she was and had no idea how he was managing being an understudy. She knew that if it was her in that spot that she would not be able to help imagining all kinds of ways to engineer an “unfortunate (though not too serious) accident” that would allow her to assume the role that she should have had in the first place.

Kurt spotted her and waved her over. “Hey Rach… you already finished?” he asked.

She nodded, making sure to stay out of the costumer’s way while he took in Kurt’s pants. “All done,” she confirmed. “And they look really good.”

“I can’t wait for dress rehearsals to start,” Jamie chimed in. “It feels like we’ve been working on this forever.”

“I can’t wait to see the sets,” Kurt insisted, turning so that his fitter could see how the alterations looked from all angles. “With a stage as big as we’re going to have, they’re going to be able to do something pretty spectacular.”

“Well, we’ve only got a few weeks until we go into tech,” Rachel reminded. “We’re getting into the home stretch.”

Kurt nodded, getting a delighted expression on his face. “This is going to be so amazing,” he insisted. “We’ve dreamed about being in a production like this. With this group on a stage like that… this is the next best thing to a real professional show.”

“Speaking of professional shows, are you going to do the Shakespear company again?” Rachel asked curiously. “You were so good that they’d be idiots not to ask you back.”

Kurt nodded. “Thankfully I don’t have to audition until we’re done with Les Miz, so I’ll have some time to recover and prepare a bit.”

“What are you guys doing this year?” Jamie asked curiously.

“A Midnight’s Summer Dream for the comedy and Troilus and Cressida for the tragedy,” he answered.

“Oh, those sound like fun,” Rachel said approvingly. “Are you reading for Puck?”

Kurt nodded with a smile. “Definitely. And for Troilus I’ll read Patroclus and Paris. I think I’ve got a pretty good chance of getting at least one of them.”

“After last season, I think you’ll have your pick of whatever roles you want,” Rachel insisted.

His alterations finished, Kurt stepped down from the block and turned to Rachel. “Why don’t you send in your CV?” he asked. “They’re always looking for new talent and it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Rachel felt her heart beat just a bit faster in surprise. “Are you sure you want me there?” she asked frankly. She wouldn’t totally blame him if he wanted to keep her as far away as possible from the place where he’d found his first professional success. Not with the way she’d used every other opportunity to upstage him.

He nodded emphatically. “Sure! I’m asking Tina also. I’d like to have some more friends there and it would be a great line in your CV.”

“I’d hug you, except I don’t want to get us both stuck full of pins,” she proclaimed, smiling so widely that she felt like her face might split. She couldn’t believe how generous he was being, giving his approval to her step into a place that he had already gained a level of respect. “I just… I don’t want to intrude on your space.”

Kurt just snorted and handwaved away her concern. “Don’t be silly,” he admonished gently. “I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t want you there. It’ll be a good experience for all of us.”

Rachel could not have felt more gratitude for anyone else’s show of open-handedness. Kurt had no reason to make that offer outside of the desire to help his friends get a leg up into their profession. It was something that had their situations been reversed that she couldn’t honestly claim that she would have done the same since her ego would have demanded protecting.

Kurt had always been more caring and willing to share with his friends. Even at his worst, he would never have sought to take advantage of someone else’s opportunities. He had no ulterior motives and no reason beyond wanting to share his good fortune to issue this invitation to her, especially given her past behavior.

This was another test, she realized. Not that she thought that Kurt meant it as such, but it was a test nevertheless. Kurt had a right to expect her to support him and too often in the past she failed to do so. She was determined to prove once and for all that she wasn’t that greedy, selfish, insecure child any longer.

“I love you so much,” she sighed. “How about I take you out for dinner tonight? So I can pick your brain about auditioning since I really need help there?”

“Can we make it tomorrow?” Kurt asked. “I’ve got a rehearsal session this afternoon and I wanted to call Adam tonight.”

She smiled brightly. “Sure.”

Unable to resist, she reached out to hug him and ignored the pin that suddenly stuck into her arm. So much had happened over the past year, good and bad. But she could look back and see how far she’d come from the child who’d been so convinced that missing out on her dream role meant that her life was over. She was proud of who she was becoming and wanted to see just how far she could go.

One thing was clear, though. She no longer wanted to do it alone. She wanted her friends with her so they could share and celebrate one another’s successes. That would make all the hard work worthwhile.

***

Adam arrived at the theater with the rest of the cast in plenty of time to prepare, feeling the gentle sizzle of excitement that came with an opening night. It didn’t matter that they had already completed a successful run in Boston. A new theater meant a new audience and a new chance to introduce their play.

He’d stopped by the box office to make sure that the tickets for Kurt’s family were set aside before heading to the dressing room that he shared with Niall and Ifan. Niall was already seated at his table and digging into a box of chocolates that had been waiting for him.

“Have one,” he offered, holding the box out to Adam, who took what he hoped would be a cream-filled bonbon and popped it into his mouth.

“From Cynthia?” he asked, nodding his head towards the small vase of flowers at Niall’s table.

His friend nodded, grinning happily. “She wants to make a big deal each time we open in a new city. But then, she’s not the only one.”

Chewing on the chocolate that turned out to be filled with an orange cream, Adam went to his own area and wasn’t surprised to see several flower arrangements waiting for him. One was from the Hummels, wishing him well and expressed their excitement over seeing him perform. Another from his family, least he think they were forgetting about him.

It was the third bouquet that was most dear to him; a small arrangement of white roses and lavender that looked as lovely as it smelled and left him with a sense of calm and peace. He didn’t need to read the card to know that it was from Kurt and would express nothing but love and regret that he could not be there to offer his affection in person.

Suddenly all of the fears about the weeks of separation facing them and whatever uncertainties faced them didn’t matter. Adam knew what he was working for and that was the day that they would be together again. Knowing that Kurt would be supporting him and working just as hard left Adam secure that they would survive this time. They would continue to grow and thrive, becoming stronger as individuals and as a couple.

In the meantime... he sat down at his dressing table to start the lengthy preparations for that night’s performance.

#kadam fic #kadam #kurt hummel #adam crawford #rachel berry #elliot starchild gilbert #platonic starkurt #not blaine or klaine friendly #lots of theater stuff

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