Fic: Hot Mikado, PG-13 (5/?)
Media: Fic
Type: Multi-Part
Title: Hot Mikado
Author: lola_mejor
Betas: sparklegemstone & jennacorinth
Word Count: ~4,000 (this chapter, ~25,000 total so far)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Pairings: Klaine
Spoilers: Not so much, no. This is pretty AU after Yes/No, because the shit that went down in Michael, and certainly in On My Way, do not deserve to be acknowledged.
Warning: None I don’t think.
Disclaimer: Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Harmony, Gavroche and whomever else from Glee’s version of Lima, Ohio, don’t exist, nor did I create them. Which seems like it poses an existential question, but is actually just me saying I’ve borrowed them from the people who did create them.
Summary: Kurt has been approached by the Gerber baby and his doppelganger to help them put on a community production of Hot Mikado, but there’s just one problem…
-----
Previously…
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
…and now:
CHAPTER 5
Kurt was relieved that his weekend resumed the usual pleasant rhythm after the audition. He and Blaine spent much of Saturday afternoon out and about, shopping and eating, and the evening together at Kurt’s place, first watching the game with Burt, and then a movie in Kurt’s room. Sunday saw them attacking their homework while sprawled on the floor of Blaine’s bedroom, the absence of his parents providing a temptation that they could not refuse. It was late and shadows were long across the lawn in front of Blaine’s house when they finally said goodbye. They peppered kisses on each other’s lips, goofy grins adorning their faces, as Kurt finally moved to his car to return home and prepare for the week ahead.
Over the weekend, neither the topic of Rachel nor the musical came up. Kurt made a conscious effort to change the subject in his own mind whenever he found his thoughts wandering to either topic, and Blaine seemed to be following his lead in ignoring the subject, for which he was eternally grateful. A couple of times, Kurt caught Blaine’s eye at the exact moment his thoughts had wandered into musing territory, his breath catching each time in anticipation that Blaine broach the subject, or ask what he was thinking. Each time, however, Blaine just gave his arm a squeeze, or leant in for a peck, demonstrating to Kurt that he knew what Kurt was thinking.
The change of routine on Monday with the return to school made it more difficult for Kurt to ignore the growing excitement inside him. It was also more difficult to ignore the dozens of messages from Gavroche expressing nerves at the wait. Even Harmony texted him with increasing frequency, seeming nervous and jittery. Her messages were rather more threatening than Gavroche’s of course - one actually suggested they tie Larry up and wave tasty cakes in front of his face until he relented and handed them the parts if things went badly on Tuesday - but the nerves were still there. Each message reminded Kurt that he had yet to tell Rachel, but Tuesday was so close he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He told himself he wasn’t telling her was because he didn’t officially know yet and he didn’t want to cross Larry and risk the information getting out, but really, he just didn’t want to jinx it.
So it was on Tuesday that the bell rang signaling lunchtime and Kurt bolted out of the classroom to put his books in his locker and find Blaine for their planned road trip down to the theater. Kurt arrived at his locker to find Blaine was already there, obviously just as excited as Kurt. He was bouncing around Kurt, talking in rushed bursts, urging him to hurry up.
“Wow, hey, what’s so exciting?” Mercedes approached them and leaned against the bank of lockers, a few whisps of bangs falling into her eyes as she clutched her books to her chest.
“Oh!” Blaine glanced at Kurt and then back at Mercedes, his ears tinged pink. “We um… I mean…”
“It’s a surprise!” Kurt came to the rescue. “Blaine and I have to run an errand during lunch, but I’m going to fill you in right after Glee practice today - Lima Bean at 4:30? Tell Rachel! I’ll send her a text too you but you know sometimes she misses them amongst all the ‘I love yoooooooooouuuuuuuus’ from Finn.
Mercedes laughed at them and turned to find the others as Kurt and Blaine bounced down the halls. As a senior, Kurt was able to leave school grounds at lunch-time but Blaine wasn’t, so they exited via a side entrance and skipped quickly to Kurt’s waiting car. It was when they were both sitting inside, suddenly cocooned from the fresh breeze outside, that Kurt’s enthusiasm faltered.
“Hey,” Blaine squeezed Kurt’s knee. “It’s going to be fine - you already know you got the part. And you’ll tell the girls today after school and they will just be thrilled - I know it.”
“Like you were?” Kurt turned to look at Blaine but shook his head and looked ahead again, turning the key in the ignition. “Sorry ignore me. I just… I scarcely dare to believe what Larry said on Saturday. But more than that, I’m nervous about actually, possibly, seeing my name on that piece of paper, or board, or whatever. I mean, I can barely fathom it Blaine!” The car was running but they had yet to move. “My name. Kurt. Hummel. Up there for the world to see, as someone who has been chosen for a stage production. A star.”
“Of Lima Community Theater,” Blaine deadpanned, but grinned as Kurt shot him a look of mock offense.
“I’ll have you know, Mr. Anderson,” he huffed, “that Lima Community Theatre is the birthplace of one Broadway star Ms. April Rhodes!”
“That is true Mr. Hummel, I’ll have to get a pre-emptive autograph from you,” Blaine leaned in and left a tender kiss on Kurt’s cheek and lingered, breathing softly at Kurt’s neck and nuzzling his ear a bit. “We’d better go if we’re going to get there and back in time,” he murmured, “especially since I fully intend to spend some of this lunch hour sitting back at this parking lot celebrating.”
“You’re right,” Kurt shook himself a bit and moved to release the handbrake. “My phone keeps buzzing with what I am guessing are more texts from Gavroche and Harmony. Extricating ourselves from their jubilation at the theater will be a task and a half.”
As it turned out, just getting past Gavroche and Harmony’s combined hysteria at the prospect of seeing the cast list within the allotted time proved a challenge.
“Kurt! Over here!” As Kurt pulled his car into the parking lot he saw Gavroche jumping up on the ground, holding onto Harmony who looked pale and vaguely nauseous. “We’re here! We waited for you! Oh my god can you believe how long it’s taken to get to this moment! We have to all go look at the cast list at the same time!!”
Blaine was grinning and squeezed Kurt’s hand as they walked towards the others.
“Hey Gavroche, hey Harmony,” Blaine said pleasantly. “Fingers crossed yeah?”
“Let’s just get this over with,” Harmony rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, but didn’t move. They stood there for a couple of moments, Gavroche bursting with anxiety while Kurt tried to figure out Harmony.
“You ok Harmony?” he asked.
“Of course, why shouldn’t I be?” she snapped at him, some of her attitude returning but ebbing away just as quickly.
“Well it’s just you’re standing in front of the door, and we all seem keen to go in and look at this list, but you’re not moving.” Kurt raised his eyebrows, gesturing at the glass doors behind them that reflected the crisp blue sky perfectly.
The look he gave Harmony seemed to shock her back into alpha mode and a sneer adorned her face. “Oh, yes of course, well I just wanted to make sure you were ready,” Harmony straightened her stance, moving to the side but not towards the door. “Guests first. Of course this whole matter is just routine, I’m scarcely that excited about it it’s such a formality.”
“Oh my god how can you say that Har?!”
“Gavroche do not call me that!” Harmony snapped. “How many times do I have to tell you?”
“She’s a bit nervous,” Gavroche stage-whispered to Kurt and Blaine.
“Am not!” Harmony glared at them and wrenched the doors open to stalk inside.
They had a short length of corridor to follow and then a corner before coming face first with the list. Harmony led the way, striding purposefully at first, but at the corner her step faltered and she stopped so unexpectedly Kurt almost bumped into her.
“Harmony?” Blaine asked hesitantly, moving closer to her but not touching her.
“I’m fine.” Harmony quipped, but then paused to add in a quieter voice: “I was just waiting for you all to catch up, jeez.”
“Oh my god I can’t look!” Gavroche suddenly wailed, pulling everyone’s attention away from Harmony. He lunged at Kurt from behind and clung to his arm, burying his face in Kurt’s neck. “Kurt, you’ll have to look for me!”
“Ok, ok,” Kurt extricated himself from Gavroche’s hold and moved forward, reaching his hand out to find Blaine’s in the process. The two of them stood level with Harmony at the cusp of discovery, all holding their breath.
“Let’s go,” Blaine breathed suddenly, pulling Kurt as well as Harmony with him around the corner. Gavroche wibbled and followed them, eyes scrunched closed behind his hands.
“Oh my god.” Kurt breathed, feeling unsteady on his feet. “Oh my god. Blaine.”
“What, what?” Gavroche whimpered, still not daring to glance. “Oh god Kurt just tell us our fate now.”
“HA!” Harmony threw her hands up in the air and jumped. “FINALLY! I knew I’d get my way this time! No one under 25 and Larry finally woke up and smelled the talent that is me!” She whirled around, “If any of you ruin this for me I will end you, just remember that.”
Kurt hadn’t heard. He couldn’t even see Harmony as her eyes glinted with her ongoing rant. Instead, Kurt felt tears pricking at his eyes, eyes he couldn’t tear away from two very familiar words that were typed in front of him: Kurt Hummel. Printed to the right of them: Ko-Ko. Not some bit part he hadn’t wanted, not “chorus”, but Ko-Ko. That line on the piece of paper was exactly as it should be. Kurt stared at it, unblinking, afraid that to look away would be to break some sort of spell.
The tears made it to his eyes and started beading at his cheeks just as Blaine crashed into him, wrapping his arms tightly around Kurt’s waist and jumping them both up and down. “You did it, Kurt,” Blaine whispered hotly, “you’re Ko-Ko, and you’re going to be the star of this thing!”
Kurt tried to jump with Blaine but he felt too shocked. He knew shouldn’t be shocked - he’d known since Saturday - but the reality of seeing it in front of him was something else and still too amazing to process. Blaine planted a wet kiss awkwardly on Kurt’s neck and Kurt giggled with the ticklish sensation, coming back to the world around him. He chanced looking away from the sheet to look at Blaine and, seeing the jubilation on his face, finally let himself believe. His face broke into an enormous grin, making the tear tracks down his cheek look crooked, and he squealed, grabbing at Blaine’s arms and then clinging tightly, re-starting the jumping as they both laughed and cried with joy.
“I really am.” Kurt breathed when they finally stopped bouncing and he looked back to the sheet. “I’m going to be a star.”
“Actually,” a tired-sounding voice penetrated the wall of excitement, “Mr. Mini-Muffin here is the one who’s going to be the star.”
Harmony coughed involuntarily and Larry’s eyes twinkled as he enjoyed her discomfort.
Gavroche was at a loss for words, his hand finally free from his face. He looked at Larry, Harmony, Kurt and Blaine, the cast list, and then back to Kurt and the others, his mouth agape. Kurt beamed at him encouragingly as Harmony fumed at the suggestion her minion could have surpassed her in any way.
Larry moved forward and placed a hand of Gavroche’s shoulder. “It was your audition that persuaded me to tolerate Little Miss Diva and go along with the plan for a youth production. You made Nanki-Poo seem fun, like someone I actually want to watch on stage, and you’ve got the innocent romanticism and desperation required for the part.” He patted him on the shoulder once more. “Now get out of here all of you, and stop being so damn melodramatic - I could still change my mind!”
Gavroche yelped to attention and bustled down the hallway, catching Harmony’s hand in his on the way to drag her along with him.
“I think I already regret it,” Larry’s sighed, his eyes watching Gavroche and Harmony, who were the perfect ying and yang of ecstatic and outraged.
“The ‘innocent romanticism and desperation required’ for the part?” Blaine was impressed. “You really know a lot about this show.”
“Of course I do,” Larry scoffed, “I’ve been directing musical theater since you were M-Bopping kiddo. You think my life’s passion is getting questionable stains out of your clothes? Now you two just remember what I said about your tongues,” he waggled his finger. “I have zero tolerance for people in love shoving it in my face while Miss Smart from the city library continues to deny our destiny.” He paused and gazed off in the distance for a moment.
“Thank you,” Kurt breathed, concentrating on keeping calm and not going full-on Gavroche. “You won’t regret casting me for a second. I’m going to work harder than anyone has worked before on a production.”
“Just keep the melodrama to a minimum and we’ll call it even,” Larry chuckled. “Now scoot - I’m sure you’ve got school or something.” He waved a hand at them and started walking away from the boys.
Kurt and Blaine made to leave as well, but Blaine paused to take a photo of the cast list using his phone. He grinned at Kurt: “You’re not going to believe this actually happened in like two minutes. I need proof to show you, yet again, how amazing you are.”
“I don’t hear walking!” Larry’s voice echoed down the hall, and the boys laughed, moving off.
True to Blaine’s word, Kurt needed to look at the photo of the cast list every couple of minutes or so on the way back to school, to the point that Blaine made him pull over and let him drive.
Lunch was all but over by the time they got back to school so they didn’t delay, but slipped quickly through the same door they’d left by and rushed to their lockers.
“After Glee Club,” Kurt said to Blaine as they parted ways for their afternoon class. “After Glee Club we’ll tell Rachel and Mercedes, and then the word will spread.”
“Perfect,” Blaine squeezed Kurt’s arm before disappearing into a classroom, winking before finally disappearing out of sight. Kurt felt his grin grow even wider. He was going to look like a Cheshire cat all afternoon but he didn’t care. This was a good day and he was going to enjoy it.
When classes were over and it was finally time for Glee Club the assorted members of New Directions filed in with mixed enthusiasm. They were getting closer to Regionals but not yet at the point where the group were really panicking about song selections. For once there wasn’t a crisis befalling any of their members so it was possible they would have a simple pleasant afternoon singing and workshopping which songs to use, rather than laboriously living through someone’s teen drama in song.
Kurt sat next to Blaine in the back row, behind Rachel, Finn, Mercedes and Sugar, and was tapping his foot impatiently when Mr. Schuester finally burst into the room with typical and cringe worthy enthusiasm.
“Ok!” Mr. Schuester clapped his hands and the kids settled themselves into some form of attention. “Now I know we’ve got to start getting serious about our song selections but someone here had some excellent news today so we’re going to have a bit of a celebration!”
The students all looked at each other, eyebrows raised in question.
“Who knocked Fabray up again?” Puck sighed, earning him a slap from Tina.
“What? No one!” Quinn’s eyes went wide. “And anyway, that would be excellent news how?”
“No one’s pregnant,” Mr. Schuester cut in before the banter became cutting. “Well not that I know of, right?”
“No!” the girls in the room shouted back instantly.
“Right, ok then. Kurt has some news, Kurt?” Kurt felt his stomach drop to the floor and his breath still as he froze in fear at Mr. Schuester’s word. “Don’t you have something to tell us?”
“Kurt!” Rachel swung around, “don’t you dare tell me you got a letter and didn’t tell me??”
“What? No of course not,” Kurt stammered. “You know our agreement - we call each other the instant an envelope arrives from NYADA - and we open it together.”
“I’m not talking about NYADA,” Mr. Schuester was smiling, and Kurt glared at him with the most powerful daggers in his eyes he could muster. He considered whether it would be acceptable to tackle his Glee Club teacher at that moment. Blaine’s hand found his arm, but it wasn’t enough to calm him as he heard the next words out of Mr. Schuester’s mouth.
“Kurt’s been cast in one of the leading roles in the Lima Community Theater production of the jazzed up Gilbert and Sullivan musical, Hot Mikado! Ha ha!” Mr. Schuester started clapping by himself, the rest of the Glee club too stunned, confused or bored to join him. “Round of applause guys, this is amazing! And he’ll be playing alongside Harmony from Aural Intensity, right Kurt?”
Mr. Schuester continued clapping and most of the Glee Club members joined in cautiously. Blaine was clapping softly, looking around the room past Kurt to gauge everyone’s reactions. Mike and Tina were both smiling and clapped the hardest, Mike even pausing to give Kurt a thumbs-up. Sugar was doing a little dance in her seat to celebrate, and Rory was grinning widely, looking impressed. Puck seemed nonplussed but clapped, and Kurt heard Brittany ask Santana: “What makes it hot?”
But Rachel was silent.
She was staring at Kurt, the look in her eyes boring into him so deeply not even the feel of Blaine’s hand clinging tightly to his arm could help him keep calm.
The half-hearted clapping petered out and Rachel stood up, murmured “excuse me”, and walked briskly out of the room. Kurt watched her go, unable to concentrate on anything else happening in the room until he was looking at an empty doorway. He was about to look away when he realised Mercedes was also walking out that door. He slumped further into his chair, swallowing thickly with guilt.
“Ooooh someone out-Berry-ed Berry without telling her,” Santana leaned back in her chair and flicked her ponytail. “And hooking up with the competition? Nice going, Kurt.”
“Drama!” Sugar gasped.
Kurt remained silent, unable to speak.
“We-ell!” Mr. Schuester pulled everyone’s attention back to him, “perhaps we’ll celebrate later. Regionals songs everyone! Ideas?”
The group returned their attention to the front of the room but Kurt retreated into himself, glad for Blaine’s thumb stroking softly at his arm. He let the next hour pass without engaging in the song debate around him, feeling the weight of the consequence of his actions.
As soon as Glee Club was over, he and Blaine left without stopping to talk to the others, even though Mike and Tina in particular seemed to want to congratulate him and ask a million questions about the musical, the audition and the part he would be playing. “Maybe later guys,” Blaine said to them apologetically over his shoulder as they left.
Kurt felt the weight of everyone’s questions - and Rachel and Mercedes’ absence - as they left the school. They walked to Kurt’s car and got in.
“Oh god,” Kurt buried his face in his hands. “She hates me. Of course she hates me.” He looked at Blaine, “If she did something like this without me I would hate her for keeping it from me - I’d think she was being manipulative and trying to one-up me just to get ahead. God Blaine the reality of this is even worse than I thought. I thought it would be ok, that I could deal with hurting her feelings in the short term because she’d come around. I even hoped that maybe she wouldn’t be hurt, that she’d just be happy for me. That she would understand.” He shook his head. “What if she doesn’t come around? I feel so horrible. How did I let myself become so blinded by my own ambition? How did I let myself do it in such a heartless way, with Harmony of all people; how could I?”
“Hey, hey, Kurt,” Blaine soothed him, “you didn’t do this to be manipulative and you didn’t do it to get ahead. You certainly didn’t do this to hurt anyone else. Remember what you said to me? That you needed to do this for you, to be serious about what you want in your life, regardless what happens with your NYADA application? Sure, Rachel’s upset now but she’ll come around. You guys have been through too much together for her not to.”
“And Mercedes?” Kurt whispered. “I used to tell her everything. She already feels like we’re not close anymore because I spend so much time with you and this is just making it worse.” He let out a sob and felt Blaine’s arms close around him. “I know you warned me they would be hurt. I knew what I was doing. I knew t his could happen. I just…” he gulped in a breath of hair and exhaled shakily. “I just thought I’d be able to handle it, that I could put me first like this and live with the consequences. But I can’t. I should have just told them from the start.”
Blaine pulled Kurt closer into him and held on tight. He didn’t say anything, but just held Kurt until he calmed down, watching the leaves blow silently outside the tinted windows of the car.
Nearly ten minutes passed before Kurt raised his head and moved away from Blaine, preparing to start the car. “I don’t know what to do now,” he admitted. “Should we go to Rachel’s house? Mercedes’s?”
“Maybe we should go to the Lima Bean,” Blaine said quietly. “You never know, they might be there, waiting to talk to you.” Blaine reached out and cupped Kurt’s cheek, steadying Kurt’s face so he was looking directly into his eyes. “You didn’t keep this from them Kurt. You were going to tell them as soon as you knew and could get them alone, remember? It made sense not to announce it at Glee Club in front of everyone without telling them first.”
“How did Mr. Schue even know?” The despair was returning to Kurt’s voice. “I only found out at lunch so how did he even know?”
Blaine shrugged. “You said he tried out for one of these productions before. Maybe he knew someone else who did. Or maybe he keeps in touch with Larry. Maybe Larry called him to find out how ‘melodramatic’ you were going to be - since he seems to have such an issue with that.” Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt tenderly on the lips. “He should have spoken to you first - it’s the obvious thing to do.”
Kurt laughed. “Mr. Schue doing the obvious or right thing?” He shook his head. “You’ve got to stop assuming he’ll do the right thing just because he’s a teacher.”
“Let’s go to the Lima Bean,” Blaine said again, “you never know. They might be there.”
Kurt sighed and turned the ignition in his car, quickly silencing the loud blaring of the radio, which had been at high volume while he and Blaine had sung along to Katy Perry on the way back to school at lunch. He didn’t feel like singing the latest pop anthem at the top of his lungs right then. He didn’t even want to hear it.
Just as Kurt was about to move the car, his phone rang loudly in his pocket. Checking that the handbrake was still applied, he shimmied the phone out of his jeans and looked at the screen.
“It’s my dad,” he sighed, putting the phone to his ear. “Hey Dad, Blaine and I are just going to go to the Lima Bean and-” he stopped short. “What?” Really? Oh my god. Yes we’ll be right there.”
“What?” Blaine looked scared as Kurt threw the phone across onto Blaine’s lap and put the car into gear.
“A letter from NYADA just arrived.”
---
To be continued...