Made For A Reason
Title: Made For A Reason
Artist: monkeybutton
Author: blainecooperanderson (oceansdream here on LJ)
Rating (art/fic if different): PG/PG-13
Word Count: ~7800
Warnings (if any): None
Fic Summary: Kurt's performing with a Vaudeville troupe in the late 1920s, but his act isn't getting much attention. Not the positive kind anyway. Until one day, he heads into a little town and is given a handmade marionette as a gift. Everything changes then.
Author's Notes: This was written for the kblreversebang 2013. My first thanks go to Monkeybutton for creating such an incredible art that inspired this fic! My first thought when I saw it was of the original Twilight Zone series, which I used as an inspiration as well and I hope I did it and your artwork justice. Many thanks as well to my best friend and beta Jen starlightstorm who helped me through stresses over plot and my habit of leaving out words. This fic wouldn't be what it is without her.
“Why is it always tomatoes?” Kurt grumbles as he steps off the stage, wiping the red gook from his eyes.
“Better than watermelons, right?”
Kurt looks over his shoulder at his friend and fellow performer, Rachel, and narrows his eyes. He looks back at the mirror and sighs heavily. “Am I really that bad? They never do this to you.”
“I have breasts,” Rachel points out.
Both Kurt and Rachel had signed on with this particular troupe a few months ago and Kurt hasn’t had a lot of success since then. For some reason, his own musical performances just don’t get the reaction that Rachel’s do, as evidenced by the tomato paste currently streaked through his hair.
“I keep telling you, you need a twist. Something special,” Rachel says, dabbing at Kurt’s face with a handkerchief. “Something to really get the audience’s attention.”
“Like your breasts?” Kurt throws back, giving her a smirk before looking back to the mirror. Another moment passes and Kurt’s face falls as he spots a figure in the mirror.
Sebastian dips behind the curtain with a cocky smile, enjoying the cheers that follows. “Well, well... I see you were as popular as always tonight, Ethel. Feel free to soak up some of my leftover applause.” With that, he walks on, glancing over his shoulder with a wicked grin.
“That guy is an ass,” Kurt says once Sebastian’s gone. At least he’s managed to get all the tomato from his skin.
Rachel just shrugs it off, figuring Sebastian isn’t worth their time anyway. “Don’t let him get you in a lather. He’s just jealous because you and I have real talent and he’s just a contortionist. Wow, you were born double jointed, big deal. I mean... he folds himself up into a box, has someone lock it and then uses the key we all know he has to unlock it from the inside and pops out like he’s the next Houdini.” She rolls her eyes dramatically at the whole matter. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
~~~
Kurt’s been through another week of dodging fruits and vegetables and listening to Rachel go on about themes or some such hooey. They’re somewhere in Tennessee and he’s wandering down the main street of whatever little town they’re in, looking in shop windows. He comes upon a little toy shop with handmade dolls in the window and steps in, intrigued by the looks of them. He’s always appreciated the artistry in creating such things.
“Can I help you, young man?”
Kurt jumps slightly at the sound of a voice, and one that seems so close at that. It’s as if it came out of nowhere. He turns around slowly and finds an old man standing just behind him. He seems a little strange, but harmless enough. "Oh, I... I was just looking around. You have some beautiful dolls, here. Did you make them?"
"I did indeed," the old man tells Kurt with a crooked smile. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"
"Oh, I don't think so. I mean, I... I'm a performer. Our troupe was just passing through your town and..." Kurt's not sure why, but something about this man compels him to share his story. "Well, I was out looking for something to liven up my act, I guess you could say. It hasn't been that... well received. But really, I just came in to admire your work."
"I know just what you are in need of," the old man insists, holding a finger up in Kurt's direction while he heads behind a curtain.
Kurt's not sure what to make of it, but he can't just leave, so he waits. The man returns in a couple more minutes carrying another doll. This one has strings-- a marionette. "It's lovely," he notes, looking over the carved and polished wood. The man has painted dark black hair onto the doll and dressed him in a dapper little outfit made up of a navy three piece suit and a crisp white shirt. He even has a tiny little bow tie. What strikes Kurt the most though are the doll’s eyes. They've been painted a color that he's not sure he can even describe. It’s almost as if they’re made of pure gold and they look so very real.
"It's yours," the man tells him simply, trying to hand the doll over.
"Oh, no. I, um... I don't really have the money," Kurt admits. "I'm sorry."
"No. It is my gift to you. I can see that you need it. He will help. We’re all made for a reason after all."
Kurt's brows draw together curiously as he looks down at the doll again. He's not sure how this puppet could really help his career, but it is truly beautiful and it almost seems like the man would be disappointed if he didn't accept it. "Thank you," he finally says, accepting the gift delicately into his hands. "I'll, um... I'll take real good care of it."
"Oh, I know you will," the old man tells him, smiling slowly."You have a good day, young man."
Kurt doesn't think much of the encounter. Most likely, he was just a lonely old man who was happy to have someone come into his shop. He takes his new little friend and heads back to the train to hole up in his compartment for the rest of the night.
~~~
Kurt’s just getting ready for bed, washing his face in a small bowl of water, when he hears the clunk of someone hopping cars and his door is opened without anything resembling a knock. He looks to up to see Sebastian walking in, though Sebastian never walks so much as swaggers.
“Hey, Sylvia. The boss wants to see you,” Sebastian says as he looks around the car, making disinterested faces. He glances behind the bed and pulls a drawer open in Kurt’s small dresser while Kurt’s not looking. Finally he ends up at the vanity, standing beside Kurt. “What the devil is this?” he asks, holding up the doll by its foot and causing its strings to tangle. He gives Kurt a look of disgust. “Still playing with dollies, Barbara?”
Kurt rolls his eyes as he dries off his hands. “It’s something I picked up in town today. It was a gift.”
“I see. Giving favors for dollies?”
“Don’t be such an egg, Sebastian,” Kurt replies with a roll of his eyes. “And get outta here, would ya?”
He makes sure Sebastian is out before leaving himself and hopping cars until he reaches their boss’. “You wanted to see me, Madame Sylvester?”
“Have a seat, Porcelain.” Sue Sylvester, the owner and manager of their Vaudeville troupe, sits in her plush chair, gesturing to a much simpler one for Kurt to use. She leans over on her armrest and narrows her eyes like she’s studying him. “I think you know why I asked you here.”
Kurt chews at his lips, trying to look innocent. “Might it have... something to do with the tomatoes?”
“I’m in the business of making money. And to do that, I need talent. I need happy audiences, willing to pay that money. And you, Porcelain, are not pulling your weight. So give me one good reason I shouldn’t let you tuck and roll off this train right now.”
Kurt’s eyes widen slightly, but he keeps his cool, crossing one leg over the other. “I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yes, a plan. Something new. Exciting! The bee’s knees. You’re gonna love it,” Kurt insists. “And so is the audience. Just you wait and see. Just... just give me one more chance. Please.”
Sue sits back in her chair and considers Kurt’s words. He seems determined enough and she had seen something in him when she signed him on. She sighs heavily and gives him a little nod. “Fine. One more chance. But I better see something good next show.”
“Oh, you will!” Kurt assures her, nodding quickly as he stands. “You will, Madame Sylvester, trust me.” Their next show is in two days. That’s how long he has to figure out what the hell he’s going to do.
~~~
Kurt hops his way back to his train car and lets out a sigh. He plops down on his cot and looks to the side, discovering the marionette doll laying against his pillow. That’s odd. He doesn’t remember leaving it there. And Sebastian had tangled its strings so badly earlier, but now they’re laying neat and straight over his pillow, the doll smiling up at him with unblinking hazel eyes. Kurt looks around, as if someone had come into his car while he wasn’t there and might still be hiding there. It would be like Sebastian to come in and snoop, not to fix things up afterward. And if Rachel had stopped by, she probably would’ve waited for him.
It’s strange, for sure, but Kurt has bigger things to worry about. A lightbulb clicks over his head then and he slowly looks back at the doll with a raised eyebrow. It’s a crazy idea and certainly not something that’s being done very much right now. Even the ventriloquists around are using lap dummies. It would be an awfully big gamble, but at this point, he’s not sure he has any other choice. He either takes a gamble or he loses his job, his one chance at stardom.
~~~
Kurt can feel his heart beating hard inside his chest. They’re somewhere near St. Louis and he’s going to debut his new act tonight. He’d had to put it together really quickly, but he’d done nothing for the last two days but rehearse in his train car. He has no idea if it’s going to work, but all he can do is try. He stands at the side of the stage and watches their friend Brittany dance and convince her cat to jump through a hoop. He still doesn’t know how that fat animal gets through that little hoop every show, but he supposes that’s part of the fun.
Brittany comes off the stage and smiles at Kurt, carrying her cat, Lord Tubbington, backstage. Kurt looks down at his marionette and takes a deep breath. He’d made him some new clothes, shiny and eye-catching. They match his own outfit as well, black and white with just a touch of red to make everything pop.
He waits for the stagehands to set up his little mini stage that he’d had made to fit his marionette just right. He’d spent the last of his extra spending cash on it, so it’s just another reason he’s really hoping this pays off. Kurt puts on his winning smile before he steps out onto the stage with the doll in hand and sets him up.
Yes, sir, that’s my baby
No, sir, I don’t mean maybe
Yes, sir, that’s my baby now
Kurt starts the song off and tries not to look too scared as he scans the audience. They aren’t exactly cheering, but there’s been no sign of tomatoes yet either, so that’s an improvement. Whether he can pull off throwing his voice convincingly will really push this act one way or another.
He goes to begin the next verse with the marionette, but the doll starts singing on his own. Kurt can hear him. And the doll is moving. He’s dancing. Kurt’s hands are on the wooden T’s, but he’s not actually doing anything, just hanging on while he stares in shock.
Yes, ma'am, we’ve decided
No, ma'am, we ain’t gonna hide it
Yes, ma'am, you’re invited now
It takes him a moment to register the fact that the audience is cheering and hollering and applauding. He looks and smiles slowly, careful not to let go of the puppet beneath his fingers. Everything after that is a blur. He can’t really remember exactly what happens or how it does, but the audience loves him. Loves them.
Kurt pulls the doll from the tiny stage and steps forward so he can bow, his smile brightening with each passing moment. He meets Rachel backstage, both of them bouncing and hugging.
“Kurt, that was amazing!” Rachel praises, clapping her hands together in front of her. “I can’t believe you never told me you could do that. I mean... it was like you made it come alive. It’s incredible.”
Kurt doesn’t know what to say. He still doesn’t know what on earth happened. “Rachel, I don’t... I mean, I didn’t even... I can’t....” He shakes his head as everything rushes through his mind and he comes to a quick conclusion. “Thank you.”
~~~
Kurt’s still beaming and breathless when he heads back to his car that night. He’s never experienced anything like that before. He’s dreamed of it, of course, but if he’s being honest, he was really beginning to believe it might never happen. He looks down at the box in his hand and sets it on his vanity, lifting the lid off slowly.
The doll looks the same as it has since he’d gotten it. Its glossy, black painted hair is shining. Its inviting smile captures Kurt’s attention easily. Its eyes are staring up at him like they’re really looking into him. It’s fairly disconcerting, yet Kurt’s intrigued all the same. He still has no idea what happened tonight or how it happened.
Kurt lifts the doll from its box carefully, placing it in a sitting position against his mirror. He pulls his chair up and has a seat, leaning forward to examine the doll and see if he can figure out the trick to it. He’s never seen anything that can do something like that before though and the doll itself doesn’t seem any different than any other one. “How did you do that?” he asks quietly as he props his chin against his hand.
“How’d I do what?”
Kurt startles, dropping his hand and looking around. Maybe one of his friends is hiding in his car or something. Or perhaps Sebastian is trying to convince him he’s gone crazy. That seems more likely. It’s either that or he really is going crazy. Dolls don’t talk and they certainly don’t answer people’s questions. “Hello?” he calls out.
The doll leans over, as if trying to figure out what Kurt’s looking at. “Hello?” it repeats.
Kurt jumps up, knocking his chair over in the process. His eyes widen as he stares at the doll and slowly backs away from it. “What... no. No, you are not talking. The stress has obviously finally broken me. I’ve been pushed over the edge. And you’re not talking.”
The doll pushes himself up to his little feet then and brushes off the front of his shirt. A new shirt. Snazzy! “Of course I’m talking. Why wouldn’t I be?” Some strings get tangled around the doll’s hand and he scrunches his nose up in frustration.
“He can scrunch his nose,” Kurt mutters with amazement.
“Gosh darn strings! What’s the point of ‘em?” the doll whines, shaking his hand around until he’s free. He smiles again and looks up at Kurt. “Hi. My name’s Blaine. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Your name’s....” Kurt starts laughing then because there isn’t really anything else he can do at this point. “You have a name. Of course you have a name. Why wouldn’t you?”
“You’re acting very strange,” Blaine accuses, shaking his head curiously.
“I’m acting strange? You’re a talking doll!” Kurt huffs out a breath and crosses his arms over his chest. “And I’m arguing with a talking doll.”
“I’m not just a talking doll!” Blaine insists. “I’m an entertainer!” He smiles proudly and puts his hands on his little hips, showing off. “It’s what I was made for.”
“It’s what you were...” Kurt trails off, shaking his head in absolute amazement. He manages to right his chair and fall into it as he tries to wrap his head around what’s happening here. “How long have you been able to talk?”
“Since my father made me,” Blaine answers easily, shrugging his shoulders. Since Kurt’s taken a seat, he does the same. He finds a container of face powder to sit himself down on and looks up at Kurt. “He told me I was made to make people happy, to make them smile. He told me that someday he would find the perfect person to care for me and help make me a star. I suppose you’re that person.”
“Hey, now. I’m trying to make myself a star here,” Kurt snaps back, caught up in the conversation and starting to forget he’s talking to a doll. “You’re here to help me. Let’s get that straight.”
Blaine sighs, causing Kurt to have a fleeting curious moment over whether the doll breathes air like everyone else. That’s ridiculous though. He has no lungs. He’s made of wood. But he’s sighing. “I don’t see why we can’t help each other,” Blaine says, quite logically. “I think we made a swell team today. We could be stars together! Who wants to be alone anyway?”
“You get used to it,” Kurt mutters quietly. He has Rachel, of course, but she’s always been fairly into herself and her own quest for fame. He’s certainly never been in love. Not really. He considers what Blaine is saying to him though. It makes sense. “However, you... you have a point,” he admits reluctantly. “Today really was the bee’s knees.” He lets himself laugh as he remembers the sound of the crowd cheering. It made his whole body vibrate with excitement.
Blaine laughs right along with him, leaning back on his hands. “Nifty! We’ll be partners then! We’ll be the talk of the town.”
“Yeah,” Kurt agrees slowly, his mind reeling quickly as he leans forward and looks at the little doll. “There’s one thing though. No one can know that it’s really you who’s talking and singing.”
Blaine’s face gets a bit grumpy as he sits up straight again and glares up at Kurt. “Why not? I’m very talented!”
“You are! Of course, you are. You were out of this world today,” Kurt says quickly, appeasing the tiny little man. “It’s just... it’s not something people are used to. They’d most likely take you away from me. And I don’t want that.”
Blaine settles a little and thinks it over. “I don’t want to go either. I quite like you,” he admits with a smile. “I suppose you’re right. I will only talk to you or when we’re on stage with you there. It’s a deal.”
Kurt sighs with relief and nods quickly. “Deal... partner.” He holds a hand out before he realizes it’s almost as big as Blaine himself and instead sticks out one finger, which the doll wraps both hands around and shakes it up and down.
~~~
The next few shows go better than Kurt could have ever expected. Madame Sylvester increased Kurt’s stage time from one song to two thanks to popular demand, and there’s even talk of him and Blaine being put on the posters. You have to be a headliner to even be considered usually, but talk of Kurt and his talents, along with his beautiful doll, had been bringing hordes of people in.
A week later, Kurt is walking off the stage, breathless and smiling. He can still hear the crowd applauding and cheering behind him. He clutches Blaine in his hands, the doll going perfectly still again now that the performance is over. He can still feel his body practically vibrating from the incredible feeling he gets being in front of an audience. Even the look Sebastian gives him as he heads for the side of stage can’t bring him down.
“Lydia,” Sebastian sneers as he stands in front of Kurt and looks down his nose at him.
Kurt just rolls his eyes, secretly loving every moment of Sebastian’s jealousy. “Sebastian. And what are you doing tonight? Bending your right leg back over your head, or your left one?”
Sebastian’s eyes narrow as he stares down at Kurt. “At least I don’t need toys to make my act worth something.” He shoves his shoulder against Kurt’s as he passes him and heads for the stage, stopping at the edge to turn back and glare for another moment. He’d be nothing without that stupid doll, just like he was before.
Kurt puts Blaine away in his little carrying box and tucks him under his arm where he’ll be safe. He has to admit, it’s a little nerve wracking being in charge of a talking doll. He’s constantly worried he’s going to lose him or damage him somehow. He’s not even sure if Blaine can feel pain to be honest, but he doesn’t want to find out.
He debates staying to watch the rest of the show, but he’s pretty tired after this week, so he heads back to his train car. He sets the box on his vanity and starts washing his face when he hears a soft knock. At first, Kurt thinks someone is outside the car, but then he realizes it’s coming from inside the box. Chuckling, he takes a seat and lifts the top.
“How nifty was that, huh?” Blaine exclaims excitedly, jumping up from his laying position and hopping over the side of the box.
“Whoa, whoa. You’re gonna tangle your strings,” Kurt warns, reaching forward to straighten them carefully.
Blaine just pouts as he’s twisted around. “I hate these things! Can’t we just cut ‘em off?”
“No, we cannot just cut them off. If we did, the audience wouldn’t be able to tell how you were moving and they’d get suspicious. And then they might...”
“Take me away,” Blaine finishes, rolling his eyes. “I know.”
The truth is, Kurt really doesn’t want Blaine to be taken away from him and it’s not just because of the show or the fame anymore. This is the first time he’s ever really had a friend like this, one with whom he could really talk to about how he’s feeling about everything. Just his luck it’s a talking doll. “You like performing, right?”
“I love it!” Blaine beams, standing as tall as he can manage and smiling brightly. “I wish we had a show every single night instead of being stuck in here sometimes.”
“And you like... you like being with me, right?”
Blaine’s face softens a little and he nods. “Oh, yes. I think you’re wonderful, Kurt. You have such a lovely voice and you do take very good care of me. Look, not a paint scratch or anything.” He holds his tiny little hands out to show off how good they look. He can see the worry in Kurt’s eyes though when he looks up again and he steps a little closer. “Don’t worry, Kurt. No one will take me away. I will keep my strings if it means I can stay with you.”
Kurt smiles slowly and leans forward so his hands are on the vanity top and his chin is perched above them. “Thank you. You know, you’re my best friend.”
Blaine’s painted on eyebrows lift a little higher than usual and his smile gets bigger than it’s ever been. “Really? You’re my best friend too, Kurt.” He steps forward carefully and presses his little mouth to Kurt’s cheek in a kiss.
Kurt can see himself in the mirror, so he knows his cheeks turn a brighter shade of pink. It’s strange how Blaine’s lips feel real even if they are much smaller than usual.
They stay up late that night and Kurt tells Blaine story after story of his childhood and how he lost his mother at a young age, why he decided to get into show business and how hard it’s been to make it this far. He even tells him about what it felt like when he realized he liked boys and not girls and all the things he’s been through because of it. And Blaine listens. He listens to everything Kurt says with rapt interest, eager to learn about his best friend, his only friend.
“You’re amazing, Kurt,” Blaine whispers in awe at one point.
Kurt just smiles softly and checks his pocket watch. “Oh my goodness. We should get some sleep,” he decides. “Thanks for listening.”
“Thanks for talking,” Blaine offers as he crawls back into his softly lined box and sits down. “Goodnight, Kurt.”
“Goodnight, Blaine,” Kurt answers quietly, grazing one finger tip over Blaine’s cheek carefully. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
~~~
Kurt lets Blaine out of his box for awhile the next morning and they chat some while Kurt has his breakfast. Blaine is eternally eager to get back on the stage and Kurt assures him that they have another show that night, having traveled overnight to the next town over.
Rachel arrives at Kurt’s door later in the morning though, begging him to come out shopping with her. He always knows what looks best on her and one of the troupe’s comedy actors has asked her out on a date. “The tall, kind of doofy looking one,” she informs him with a bright smile.
Kurt just laughs and looks over at his shoulder at where Blaine is laying in his open box on the vanity. He supposes he’ll be alright for a couple hours. “Oh, alright,” he agrees, grabbing a scarf to wrap around his neck. “As long as we’re back in time to rehearse.”
They’re gone a little longer than Kurt planned, but it’s still early enough that he can have a conversation with Blaine about their act tonight and prepare a little. He invites Rachel in for a moment though, to let her borrow another scarf of his. They’re both laughing over some silly thing when Kurt stops in front of his vanity, his face falling immediately. “Where is he?”
“Where is who?” Rachel asks, her brows drawing together curiously as she steps in closer.
“Blaine! I left him right here in his box. He’s gone!”
“Blaine? You mean your doll?” Rachel looks around, but doesn’t notice anything nearby. “Well, he couldn’t have gone far. I mean, it’s not like he got up and walked off.”
Kurt freezes slightly and gives her a look. Blaine wouldn’t do that though. He wouldn’t leave him. He promised him. What if Madame Sylvester started getting suspicious though? What if she came in here and caught him moving around? “I have to go talk to Madame Sylvester,” he decides, flying past Rachel and rushing through the train, hopping from car to car in record time.
~~~
Blaine blinks his eyes a few times once he’s sure that it’s safe to do so. Wherever he is, it’s really dark. He can see a strip of light though and he crawls over to it, peeking outside. He can see that lanky guy sitting on a bed. Sebastian is what Kurt had called him. He’d never talked about him all that fondly though. He does look pretty grumpy.
Blaine sits back with a little huff. This can’t be good in the least. He’s supposed to perform with Kurt tonight and he’s trapped in this dark place after being stolen by some weird looking grumpy guy. He dare not say anything. The guy might be dangerous. Kurt must be so worried about him though.
~~~
Rachel rubs Kurt’s back as they walk back to his car. Madame Sylvester had known nothing about Kurt’s doll, but she offered to pay for another one to be purchased. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Kurt,” Rachel keeps telling him in a soothing voice. “I’ll take the money Madame Sylvester gave us and run into town and buy you another doll. There’s still time before the show.”
“I don’t want another doll!” Kurt snaps, pushing her away from him. He doesn’t want to be touched right now. “You don’t understand, Rachel. I have to find Blaine. I can’t perform without him. I don’t want to perform without him.”
“Kurt, sweetie, you’re frightening me a little. You’re talking about this thing like it’s a real person. It’s just a doll.” Rachel shakes her head, trying to give Kurt a little space, but not really wanting to leave him alone entirely. “Why can’t you just use another one?”
“I just can’t, okay?! I have to go start asking people if they’ve seen him. He couldn’t have gone far.” Kurt goes from car to car, asking anyone he comes across, but no one has seen Blaine since they performed the night before. Finally, he comes upon Sebastian’s car. He’s been putting off going there, but he doesn’t want to miss anything, so he knocks at the door.
“Nina,” Sebastian greets with a sly smile as he opens the door. “What can I help you with?”
“Look, Sebastian, I’m not here to play games, alright?” Kurt takes a deep breath and prepares himself. “You can hate me all you want, but Blaine has gone missing and I really need to find him.”
“What... is a Blaine?” Sebastian asks with a look of disgust, even though he knows full well what Kurt’s talking about.
“My marionette, Sebastian. His name is on the poster.”
“Oh, that. I haven’t seen your little toy.”
Blaine recognizes that voice as he quirks his head to the side. That’s Kurt. His Kurt is here to save him. He scrambles over to the little slit of light again and peeks through until he sees Kurt standing in the doorway. He wants so badly to just call out to him, but he knows he can’t do that. He’d promised Kurt never to speak with others around unless they were on stage. He has to get Kurt’s attention somehow. He feels around on the floor until he finds a wooden spool of thread and he tosses it against the wall of whatever he’s in. He looks out again to see both faces turn toward the noise and then he goes still again, just in case Sebastian comes to investigate.
Blaine is in there. He’s in that drawer and Kurt knows it without a shadow of a doubt. “Did you take him, Sebastian? Did you take Blaine?”
“What would I want with your creepy little doll?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe you’d want your face on the poster. Maybe you’re jealous that you’re not the star of the troupe anymore,” Kurt accuses. “If you’re so innocent let me look around your room.”
“Absolutely not,” Sebastian snaps back. “This is my car and you need to leave. I don’t have your nasty doll.”
“No, Kurt,” Blaine whispers to himself, taking the chance at the peeking out again. Kurt is gone though. He’s left him here. Blaine is on his own now. He goes stiff when he sees Sebastian coming toward him, unblinking as he’s picked up.
“What is so special about you?” Sebastian asks in disgust, tossing Blaine back into the drawer on his head.
“He has him!” Kurt shouts as he stomps his way back towards his car beside the train.
Rachel looks a little skeptical, and a lot worried, where she’s waiting for him. “How do you know? Did you see it?”
“Him. Blaine is a him,” Kurt insists. “And, no. But I heard him and Sebastian was acting really strange. Even for him. He’s in there, Rachel.”
“Kurt...” Rachel tries to keep her voice calm and soothing, afraid that her friend really has gone off the deep end. “What do you mean you heard him?”
Kurt sighs as he pulls himself up into his own car, Rachel right behind him. He turns around to face her and looks into her eyes. “Okay, listen. I know this is gonna sound like I’m full of baloney, but you have to believe me. Blaine is real. He’s alive. It’s not me who’s singing for him. It’s all him. He sings and he dances and he stays up late talking to me. Stop looking at me like that. I’m on the up and up here, I swear it.” He sighs in frustration, wishing there was some way to make Rachel believe him without having Blaine here to show her.
“Kurt, you’re scaring me.”
Kurt flops down into his chair and leans against his vanity. “Listen, whether you believe me or not, it’s true. It’s true and I can’t go out on that stage without Blaine.” The strange thing is though, he’s starting to realize he doesn’t care. Well, he cares about his career, of course, but nowhere near as much as he cares about Blaine himself. “I love him,” Kurt whispers in awe, the fact sweeping over him like a wave from the ocean, enveloping him and shocking him with the truth. “I’m in love with a talking doll.”
“I think I better go talk with Madame Sylvester,” Rachel says, slowly backing towards the door. “And I think you should take tonight off whether you find the doll or not. I’ll be back later.”
Kurt just shrugs and moves to lay on his bed. He has to get Blaine back somehow and then he can cross this other huge bridge that’s just appeared in front of him.
~~~
Sebastian is still smiling smugly to himself as he changes into his costume that night. He’s been informed that Kurt won’t be performing, which means he will go back to being the star of the show as it was meant to be. He checks his hair in the mirror one last time before pulling the drawer open and staring at the lifeless doll. He still doesn’t get it, doesn’t understand why people love the thing so much. It’s just some stupid child’s toy. Nonetheless, he can’t leave it here, or Kurt might sneak in and take it right back. He grabs the doll and stuffs it into his bag before heading into the theater.
It seems Blaine has been moved from one dark place to another. He really doesn’t care much for the dark. He blinks his eyes carefully once he’s sure it’s safe and finds himself completely tangled up in his strings. He can move his arms, but the strings are all wrapped around his head and extremely uncomfortable. Kurt would never treat him like this. But Kurt left him, he remembers. Blaine can tell he’s moving and he tries to see what he can from the thin strip of light coming from above. He really doesn’t like this guy. There has be some way to show him that.
Blaine moves as slowly and as carefully as possible, doing his best to be sure he’s not caught. He looks through the things that are in this bag with him. There’s stage makeup, a pair of tights, an apple, and a key.
A key.
Blaine thinks back on all the late night conversations he’d had with Kurt. He certainly remembers Kurt complaining about Sebastian, which he now understands, but he also recalls Kurt telling him about Sebastian’s act and what a joke it was. Sebastian uses a key, this key, to get himself out of a box he scrunches into. He picks the key up carefully and tries to figure out what to do with it. It’s not going to be pleasant, but he decides it’s his only option and he carefully sticks it down into the leg of his pants. Hopefully Sebastian won’t look there.
“Peggy, you came to see me steal the show,” Sebastian says, looking down at Kurt with an evil smirk when he reaches backstage.
“I came... to support Rachel,” Kurt gets out through gritted teeth. He’d also hoped he might be able to keep an eye out for Blaine. He knows Sebastian is too smart to leave him unguarded, but Kurt can’t just give up.
Sebastian shrugs him off though and goes about getting set up for his act. He checks his bag where he thought he left his key, pushing Blaine around in his search. It’s nowhere to be found though. “Hey... whatever your name is,” he calls to some stagehand, whoever’s nearby. “Where’s my key?”
“It’s in the box,” the guy sighs. “Just like it always is.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes at the man before clearing his throat and stepping out onto the stage, full of his usual confidence and bravado.
Rachel steps up next to Kurt and lays a hand on his arm. She’s not sure what exactly is going on with her friend, but she wants to be there for him. “Did he say anything?”
“Nothing important,” Kurt mutters, his eyes glaring towards the stage from the side. “He knows where Blaine is though. I know that much.” He crosses arms over his chest and watches as Sebastian goes through his act, twisting and bending in all sorts of ways. The crowd eats it up, of course. He sighs as Sebastian presents his stupid, tiny box and folds himself up into it, as if no one can figure out he’s got a key inside with him.
Except, a few minutes later, Kurt’s beginning to suspect he doesn’t this time. Sebastian is still in the box, far longer than he usually is. Something is definitely off here. He tries not to giggle when he hears pounding from inside the box and he steps back as the stagehands rush to Sebastian’s aid. He can hear the audience booing and shouting and the laughter comes whether he tries to stop it or not. He’s not exactly trying that hard though.
“Where the fuck is my key?” Sebastian screams as soon as the box is unlocked and he untangles himself from it. He looks like smoke might actually start pouring from his ears. “Someone is getting fired. I’m done with this.” He storms over to his bag and then stares Kurt down like he’s trying to end his life with his eyes alone. “And you,” he spits out. “You and your fucking doll. This is all your fault?”
“My fault?” Kurt sputters, standing there with his mouth hanging open. “I didn’t take your stupid key! You’re the thief here, Sebastian, not me.”
“We’ll see about that!” Sebastian shoots back. He tries to turn on his heels, instead tripping over himself and landing flat on his face. His bag falls to the ground and Blaine flies out of it, his limbs twisting in every direction and his head knocked sideways.
“Blaine!” Kurt calls, diving for the doll, for his friend. He lifts him carefully, cradling him in both hands. “Oh god, Blaine.”
“Mr. Smythe. I think we need to talk.”
Sebastian lifts his head to find Madame Sylvester standing above him, tapping her foot and not looking happy in the least. A couple stagehands help him up and he’s led out of the theater and back to Madame Sylvester’s train car to be dealt with.
“Kurt?” Rachel asks carefully, hovering beside him. She lays a careful hand on his shoulder.
Kurt looks up at her with teary eyes. “He looks so... broken. How could Sebastian do this?” He gets to his feet carefully and just keeps staring at the doll in his hand. “I’m gonna take him to... to my room and try to clean him up.”
He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t even hear what Rachel says to him. He just carries Blaine back to his car and lays him on the vanity. “Blaine? Blaine, can you hear me?” he whispers as he untangles the strings from around Blaine’s head and limbs. He turns his arms and head back into place and uses a cloth to clean the marks from his face. “Blaine, please answer me.”
Blaine’s eyes blink slowly and he looks around. He doesn’t remember much except yelling and falling. “Is he still in the box?” he asks quietly.
Kurt sobs with relief, still smiling through his tears. “Oh, Blaine, you’re alright.”
“Kurt? What happened?”
Kurt has to take a moment to catch his breath, still checking Blaine for any scratches or marks he may have missed. “Sebastian took you, but you’re safe now. You’re here with me.”
“No, I know all that,” Blaine insists. Everything’s starting to come back now and he sits himself up, rubbing at his head. “But Sebastian’s act. Did he get trapped in the box?”
Kurt sits back a little stunned and looks at Blaine. “How did you know about that? You were in the bag, weren’t you?”
Blaine smiles slowly and reaches into his pants. He has the decency to blush slightly when Kurt raises his eyebrows. After a little maneuvering though, he manages to pull out the key to Sebastian’s trick box, holding it up proudly.
All Kurt can do is laugh, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. “Oh, Blaine, you didn’t! That’s just... oh that’s the cat’s meow. I have to tell Rachel. Maybe then she’ll believe me.”
“You told Rachel about me?” Blaine asks with disbelief. “But I thought we weren’t allowed.”
Kurt sighs and leans forward on the vanity so he can be closer to Blaine. “I know. When you were gone, I just... panicked. And she didn’t understand, so I tried to explain it to her. I’m pretty sure she just thinks I’m crazy. But you don’t have to worry. Even if we show her, I know she would never tell anyone. We can trust her,” he assures Blaine. He licks his lips slowly and turns his eyes to his little friend. They could just go back to the way things have been, but that doesn’t seem right somehow. He has to be honest. “Blaine, I need to talk to you about something.”
Blaine tilts his head, suddenly worrying slightly. “Did you get in trouble? Are you going to get rid of me?”
“What? No, no! Of course not,” Kurt assures him quickly. “Madame Sylvester knows Sebastian took you. If anything, he’s in trouble. And I would never get rid of you. Never.” He smiles when Blaine seems to relax a bit and then considers how he should say this. “It’s just... I realized something when you were missing, when I thought I might not get you back. It broke my heart and... and I don’t ever wanna be apart from you.”
Blaine smiles slowly and stands to move closer to Kurt. “I don’t wanna ever be away from you either, Kurt.”
Kurt chews on his lips for a moment and then looks into Blaine’s small, but stunning eyes. “I love you, Blaine. I’m goofy over you and... and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Blaine gasps, his eyes as wide as they can get as he stares back at Kurt. He has this weird feeling in his chest. It’s like a heart beating. How can that be? Ignoring it for the moment he steps right in front of Kurt and looks up at him. “I love you too, Kurt. I love you so much and I just thought... I mean, I never thought you could... since, I’m... you know.”
Kurt’s smile falters a little as he nods in understanding. “I know. I know, it’s... unusual. And I’m not exactly sure what will happen, but I know how I feel about you. And we can figure it out. One day at a time, yeah?”
Blaine smiles even wider at that and nods quickly, a hand coming up to cover his chest. He definitely feels his heart beating against it. He feels like he can’t catch his breath. He feels things he’s never felt before. “I just wanna be with you,” he says simply. He stands at the edge of the vanity and uses his finger to urge Kurt down closer, close enough for Blaine to lean in and press a soft kiss to the corner of Kurt’s mouth.
Neither of them remember much after that, except for the bright, intense flash of light.
~~~
“Kurt! Kurt!”
Kurt blinks his eyes open slowly. Things are a little blurry, but he’s pretty sure he’s on the floor of his train car. He’s pretty sure they’re moving, too. Where is that pounding coming from though? He sits up and rubs at his head. “Is someone there? Come in?”
Rachel bursts through the door, her face stricken with obvious worry. “Kurt, there was a boom and... what? Who is that?”
“What?” Kurt looks up at her curiously and then follows her line of sight. “Oh my god!” He crawls over quickly and stares in utter shock. It’s Blaine. It sure looks like Blaine. He’s real though, human sized and real. He’s breathing, his chest rising and falling with it. “Blaine. Blaine, are you alright?”
Blaine groans, his head flopping over to the side. He can hear Kurt though and he sees him kneeling there when he finally opens his eyes. “How many times am I gonna get knocked out today?” he jokes quietly.
“Blaine...” Kurt whispers, running fingers over Blaine’s cheek. It’s soft skin. “Blaine, look at yourself.”
“What?” Blaine’s brows draw together and he stands up, growing dizzy at first. He’s so high up. “What...what happened?” He steps over to the mirror, finding he has to bend down, and his eyes almost pop right out of his head. “Oh my heavens! I’m... I’m real!”
“What is going on?” Rachel demands, reminding them both that she’s still there.
Kurt doesn’t bother to answer her though, just laughs with pure joy. He doesn’t know what happened and he doesn’t know why, but he knows that Blaine-- his Blaine -- is right here and so very real. He grabs him and pulls him close, kissing him fiercely. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Blaine answers, their foreheads still resting against one another. “I love you, Kurt.”
~~~
They perform together the next night. No dolls and no gimmicks, just the two of them. The crowd loves every moment of it. No one is quite sure where Blaine came from, but no one seems to question it. They’re making money, which is all Madame Sylvester is worried about, and Kurt and Blaine are happy, which is what Rachel cares about. Sebastian is nowhere to be seen.
They’re walking back to the train that night, hand in hand, when Kurt notices a little girl walking around beside the theater. She picks something up from off the ground and he steps a little closer, narrowing his eyes. “What is that?” he asks Blaine.
Blaine follows Kurt’s line of sight. “It looks like a doll. It looks like... it looks like Sebastian.” Sure enough, it’s wearing the same costume that Sebastian wears on stage each night. Its hair is high and honey colored and its grin is just a little evil.
They both turn their heads to stare at each other in wonder.
“Mommy! Mommy! I found a dollie!” the little girl calls, running after her parents and waving it around. “I can put it in all my pretty dresses.”
Kurt and Blaine laugh brightly and watch the girl hang onto the doll by its foot. Blaine sighs and leans over to press a kiss to Kurt’s cheek. “Well, my father always told me... we’re all made for a reason.”
Artist: monkeybutton
Author: blainecooperanderson (oceansdream here on LJ)
Rating (art/fic if different): PG/PG-13
Word Count: ~7800
Warnings (if any): None
Fic Summary: Kurt's performing with a Vaudeville troupe in the late 1920s, but his act isn't getting much attention. Not the positive kind anyway. Until one day, he heads into a little town and is given a handmade marionette as a gift. Everything changes then.
Author's Notes: This was written for the kblreversebang 2013. My first thanks go to Monkeybutton for creating such an incredible art that inspired this fic! My first thought when I saw it was of the original Twilight Zone series, which I used as an inspiration as well and I hope I did it and your artwork justice. Many thanks as well to my best friend and beta Jen starlightstorm who helped me through stresses over plot and my habit of leaving out words. This fic wouldn't be what it is without her.
“Why is it always tomatoes?” Kurt grumbles as he steps off the stage, wiping the red gook from his eyes.
“Better than watermelons, right?”
Kurt looks over his shoulder at his friend and fellow performer, Rachel, and narrows his eyes. He looks back at the mirror and sighs heavily. “Am I really that bad? They never do this to you.”
“I have breasts,” Rachel points out.
Both Kurt and Rachel had signed on with this particular troupe a few months ago and Kurt hasn’t had a lot of success since then. For some reason, his own musical performances just don’t get the reaction that Rachel’s do, as evidenced by the tomato paste currently streaked through his hair.
“I keep telling you, you need a twist. Something special,” Rachel says, dabbing at Kurt’s face with a handkerchief. “Something to really get the audience’s attention.”
“Like your breasts?” Kurt throws back, giving her a smirk before looking back to the mirror. Another moment passes and Kurt’s face falls as he spots a figure in the mirror.
Sebastian dips behind the curtain with a cocky smile, enjoying the cheers that follows. “Well, well... I see you were as popular as always tonight, Ethel. Feel free to soak up some of my leftover applause.” With that, he walks on, glancing over his shoulder with a wicked grin.
“That guy is an ass,” Kurt says once Sebastian’s gone. At least he’s managed to get all the tomato from his skin.
Rachel just shrugs it off, figuring Sebastian isn’t worth their time anyway. “Don’t let him get you in a lather. He’s just jealous because you and I have real talent and he’s just a contortionist. Wow, you were born double jointed, big deal. I mean... he folds himself up into a box, has someone lock it and then uses the key we all know he has to unlock it from the inside and pops out like he’s the next Houdini.” She rolls her eyes dramatically at the whole matter. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
~~~
Kurt’s been through another week of dodging fruits and vegetables and listening to Rachel go on about themes or some such hooey. They’re somewhere in Tennessee and he’s wandering down the main street of whatever little town they’re in, looking in shop windows. He comes upon a little toy shop with handmade dolls in the window and steps in, intrigued by the looks of them. He’s always appreciated the artistry in creating such things.
“Can I help you, young man?”
Kurt jumps slightly at the sound of a voice, and one that seems so close at that. It’s as if it came out of nowhere. He turns around slowly and finds an old man standing just behind him. He seems a little strange, but harmless enough. "Oh, I... I was just looking around. You have some beautiful dolls, here. Did you make them?"
"I did indeed," the old man tells Kurt with a crooked smile. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"
"Oh, I don't think so. I mean, I... I'm a performer. Our troupe was just passing through your town and..." Kurt's not sure why, but something about this man compels him to share his story. "Well, I was out looking for something to liven up my act, I guess you could say. It hasn't been that... well received. But really, I just came in to admire your work."
"I know just what you are in need of," the old man insists, holding a finger up in Kurt's direction while he heads behind a curtain.
Kurt's not sure what to make of it, but he can't just leave, so he waits. The man returns in a couple more minutes carrying another doll. This one has strings-- a marionette. "It's lovely," he notes, looking over the carved and polished wood. The man has painted dark black hair onto the doll and dressed him in a dapper little outfit made up of a navy three piece suit and a crisp white shirt. He even has a tiny little bow tie. What strikes Kurt the most though are the doll’s eyes. They've been painted a color that he's not sure he can even describe. It’s almost as if they’re made of pure gold and they look so very real.
"It's yours," the man tells him simply, trying to hand the doll over.
"Oh, no. I, um... I don't really have the money," Kurt admits. "I'm sorry."
"No. It is my gift to you. I can see that you need it. He will help. We’re all made for a reason after all."
Kurt's brows draw together curiously as he looks down at the doll again. He's not sure how this puppet could really help his career, but it is truly beautiful and it almost seems like the man would be disappointed if he didn't accept it. "Thank you," he finally says, accepting the gift delicately into his hands. "I'll, um... I'll take real good care of it."
"Oh, I know you will," the old man tells him, smiling slowly."You have a good day, young man."
Kurt doesn't think much of the encounter. Most likely, he was just a lonely old man who was happy to have someone come into his shop. He takes his new little friend and heads back to the train to hole up in his compartment for the rest of the night.
~~~
Kurt’s just getting ready for bed, washing his face in a small bowl of water, when he hears the clunk of someone hopping cars and his door is opened without anything resembling a knock. He looks to up to see Sebastian walking in, though Sebastian never walks so much as swaggers.
“Hey, Sylvia. The boss wants to see you,” Sebastian says as he looks around the car, making disinterested faces. He glances behind the bed and pulls a drawer open in Kurt’s small dresser while Kurt’s not looking. Finally he ends up at the vanity, standing beside Kurt. “What the devil is this?” he asks, holding up the doll by its foot and causing its strings to tangle. He gives Kurt a look of disgust. “Still playing with dollies, Barbara?”
Kurt rolls his eyes as he dries off his hands. “It’s something I picked up in town today. It was a gift.”
“I see. Giving favors for dollies?”
“Don’t be such an egg, Sebastian,” Kurt replies with a roll of his eyes. “And get outta here, would ya?”
He makes sure Sebastian is out before leaving himself and hopping cars until he reaches their boss’. “You wanted to see me, Madame Sylvester?”
“Have a seat, Porcelain.” Sue Sylvester, the owner and manager of their Vaudeville troupe, sits in her plush chair, gesturing to a much simpler one for Kurt to use. She leans over on her armrest and narrows her eyes like she’s studying him. “I think you know why I asked you here.”
Kurt chews at his lips, trying to look innocent. “Might it have... something to do with the tomatoes?”
“I’m in the business of making money. And to do that, I need talent. I need happy audiences, willing to pay that money. And you, Porcelain, are not pulling your weight. So give me one good reason I shouldn’t let you tuck and roll off this train right now.”
Kurt’s eyes widen slightly, but he keeps his cool, crossing one leg over the other. “I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yes, a plan. Something new. Exciting! The bee’s knees. You’re gonna love it,” Kurt insists. “And so is the audience. Just you wait and see. Just... just give me one more chance. Please.”
Sue sits back in her chair and considers Kurt’s words. He seems determined enough and she had seen something in him when she signed him on. She sighs heavily and gives him a little nod. “Fine. One more chance. But I better see something good next show.”
“Oh, you will!” Kurt assures her, nodding quickly as he stands. “You will, Madame Sylvester, trust me.” Their next show is in two days. That’s how long he has to figure out what the hell he’s going to do.
~~~
Kurt hops his way back to his train car and lets out a sigh. He plops down on his cot and looks to the side, discovering the marionette doll laying against his pillow. That’s odd. He doesn’t remember leaving it there. And Sebastian had tangled its strings so badly earlier, but now they’re laying neat and straight over his pillow, the doll smiling up at him with unblinking hazel eyes. Kurt looks around, as if someone had come into his car while he wasn’t there and might still be hiding there. It would be like Sebastian to come in and snoop, not to fix things up afterward. And if Rachel had stopped by, she probably would’ve waited for him.
It’s strange, for sure, but Kurt has bigger things to worry about. A lightbulb clicks over his head then and he slowly looks back at the doll with a raised eyebrow. It’s a crazy idea and certainly not something that’s being done very much right now. Even the ventriloquists around are using lap dummies. It would be an awfully big gamble, but at this point, he’s not sure he has any other choice. He either takes a gamble or he loses his job, his one chance at stardom.
~~~
Kurt can feel his heart beating hard inside his chest. They’re somewhere near St. Louis and he’s going to debut his new act tonight. He’d had to put it together really quickly, but he’d done nothing for the last two days but rehearse in his train car. He has no idea if it’s going to work, but all he can do is try. He stands at the side of the stage and watches their friend Brittany dance and convince her cat to jump through a hoop. He still doesn’t know how that fat animal gets through that little hoop every show, but he supposes that’s part of the fun.
Brittany comes off the stage and smiles at Kurt, carrying her cat, Lord Tubbington, backstage. Kurt looks down at his marionette and takes a deep breath. He’d made him some new clothes, shiny and eye-catching. They match his own outfit as well, black and white with just a touch of red to make everything pop.
He waits for the stagehands to set up his little mini stage that he’d had made to fit his marionette just right. He’d spent the last of his extra spending cash on it, so it’s just another reason he’s really hoping this pays off. Kurt puts on his winning smile before he steps out onto the stage with the doll in hand and sets him up.
Yes, sir, that’s my baby
No, sir, I don’t mean maybe
Yes, sir, that’s my baby now
Kurt starts the song off and tries not to look too scared as he scans the audience. They aren’t exactly cheering, but there’s been no sign of tomatoes yet either, so that’s an improvement. Whether he can pull off throwing his voice convincingly will really push this act one way or another.
He goes to begin the next verse with the marionette, but the doll starts singing on his own. Kurt can hear him. And the doll is moving. He’s dancing. Kurt’s hands are on the wooden T’s, but he’s not actually doing anything, just hanging on while he stares in shock.
Yes, ma'am, we’ve decided
No, ma'am, we ain’t gonna hide it
Yes, ma'am, you’re invited now
It takes him a moment to register the fact that the audience is cheering and hollering and applauding. He looks and smiles slowly, careful not to let go of the puppet beneath his fingers. Everything after that is a blur. He can’t really remember exactly what happens or how it does, but the audience loves him. Loves them.
Kurt pulls the doll from the tiny stage and steps forward so he can bow, his smile brightening with each passing moment. He meets Rachel backstage, both of them bouncing and hugging.
“Kurt, that was amazing!” Rachel praises, clapping her hands together in front of her. “I can’t believe you never told me you could do that. I mean... it was like you made it come alive. It’s incredible.”
Kurt doesn’t know what to say. He still doesn’t know what on earth happened. “Rachel, I don’t... I mean, I didn’t even... I can’t....” He shakes his head as everything rushes through his mind and he comes to a quick conclusion. “Thank you.”
~~~
Kurt’s still beaming and breathless when he heads back to his car that night. He’s never experienced anything like that before. He’s dreamed of it, of course, but if he’s being honest, he was really beginning to believe it might never happen. He looks down at the box in his hand and sets it on his vanity, lifting the lid off slowly.
The doll looks the same as it has since he’d gotten it. Its glossy, black painted hair is shining. Its inviting smile captures Kurt’s attention easily. Its eyes are staring up at him like they’re really looking into him. It’s fairly disconcerting, yet Kurt’s intrigued all the same. He still has no idea what happened tonight or how it happened.
Kurt lifts the doll from its box carefully, placing it in a sitting position against his mirror. He pulls his chair up and has a seat, leaning forward to examine the doll and see if he can figure out the trick to it. He’s never seen anything that can do something like that before though and the doll itself doesn’t seem any different than any other one. “How did you do that?” he asks quietly as he props his chin against his hand.
“How’d I do what?”
Kurt startles, dropping his hand and looking around. Maybe one of his friends is hiding in his car or something. Or perhaps Sebastian is trying to convince him he’s gone crazy. That seems more likely. It’s either that or he really is going crazy. Dolls don’t talk and they certainly don’t answer people’s questions. “Hello?” he calls out.
The doll leans over, as if trying to figure out what Kurt’s looking at. “Hello?” it repeats.
Kurt jumps up, knocking his chair over in the process. His eyes widen as he stares at the doll and slowly backs away from it. “What... no. No, you are not talking. The stress has obviously finally broken me. I’ve been pushed over the edge. And you’re not talking.”
The doll pushes himself up to his little feet then and brushes off the front of his shirt. A new shirt. Snazzy! “Of course I’m talking. Why wouldn’t I be?” Some strings get tangled around the doll’s hand and he scrunches his nose up in frustration.
“He can scrunch his nose,” Kurt mutters with amazement.
“Gosh darn strings! What’s the point of ‘em?” the doll whines, shaking his hand around until he’s free. He smiles again and looks up at Kurt. “Hi. My name’s Blaine. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Your name’s....” Kurt starts laughing then because there isn’t really anything else he can do at this point. “You have a name. Of course you have a name. Why wouldn’t you?”
“You’re acting very strange,” Blaine accuses, shaking his head curiously.
“I’m acting strange? You’re a talking doll!” Kurt huffs out a breath and crosses his arms over his chest. “And I’m arguing with a talking doll.”
“I’m not just a talking doll!” Blaine insists. “I’m an entertainer!” He smiles proudly and puts his hands on his little hips, showing off. “It’s what I was made for.”
“It’s what you were...” Kurt trails off, shaking his head in absolute amazement. He manages to right his chair and fall into it as he tries to wrap his head around what’s happening here. “How long have you been able to talk?”
“Since my father made me,” Blaine answers easily, shrugging his shoulders. Since Kurt’s taken a seat, he does the same. He finds a container of face powder to sit himself down on and looks up at Kurt. “He told me I was made to make people happy, to make them smile. He told me that someday he would find the perfect person to care for me and help make me a star. I suppose you’re that person.”
“Hey, now. I’m trying to make myself a star here,” Kurt snaps back, caught up in the conversation and starting to forget he’s talking to a doll. “You’re here to help me. Let’s get that straight.”
Blaine sighs, causing Kurt to have a fleeting curious moment over whether the doll breathes air like everyone else. That’s ridiculous though. He has no lungs. He’s made of wood. But he’s sighing. “I don’t see why we can’t help each other,” Blaine says, quite logically. “I think we made a swell team today. We could be stars together! Who wants to be alone anyway?”
“You get used to it,” Kurt mutters quietly. He has Rachel, of course, but she’s always been fairly into herself and her own quest for fame. He’s certainly never been in love. Not really. He considers what Blaine is saying to him though. It makes sense. “However, you... you have a point,” he admits reluctantly. “Today really was the bee’s knees.” He lets himself laugh as he remembers the sound of the crowd cheering. It made his whole body vibrate with excitement.
Blaine laughs right along with him, leaning back on his hands. “Nifty! We’ll be partners then! We’ll be the talk of the town.”
“Yeah,” Kurt agrees slowly, his mind reeling quickly as he leans forward and looks at the little doll. “There’s one thing though. No one can know that it’s really you who’s talking and singing.”
Blaine’s face gets a bit grumpy as he sits up straight again and glares up at Kurt. “Why not? I’m very talented!”
“You are! Of course, you are. You were out of this world today,” Kurt says quickly, appeasing the tiny little man. “It’s just... it’s not something people are used to. They’d most likely take you away from me. And I don’t want that.”
Blaine settles a little and thinks it over. “I don’t want to go either. I quite like you,” he admits with a smile. “I suppose you’re right. I will only talk to you or when we’re on stage with you there. It’s a deal.”
Kurt sighs with relief and nods quickly. “Deal... partner.” He holds a hand out before he realizes it’s almost as big as Blaine himself and instead sticks out one finger, which the doll wraps both hands around and shakes it up and down.
~~~
The next few shows go better than Kurt could have ever expected. Madame Sylvester increased Kurt’s stage time from one song to two thanks to popular demand, and there’s even talk of him and Blaine being put on the posters. You have to be a headliner to even be considered usually, but talk of Kurt and his talents, along with his beautiful doll, had been bringing hordes of people in.
A week later, Kurt is walking off the stage, breathless and smiling. He can still hear the crowd applauding and cheering behind him. He clutches Blaine in his hands, the doll going perfectly still again now that the performance is over. He can still feel his body practically vibrating from the incredible feeling he gets being in front of an audience. Even the look Sebastian gives him as he heads for the side of stage can’t bring him down.
“Lydia,” Sebastian sneers as he stands in front of Kurt and looks down his nose at him.
Kurt just rolls his eyes, secretly loving every moment of Sebastian’s jealousy. “Sebastian. And what are you doing tonight? Bending your right leg back over your head, or your left one?”
Sebastian’s eyes narrow as he stares down at Kurt. “At least I don’t need toys to make my act worth something.” He shoves his shoulder against Kurt’s as he passes him and heads for the stage, stopping at the edge to turn back and glare for another moment. He’d be nothing without that stupid doll, just like he was before.
Kurt puts Blaine away in his little carrying box and tucks him under his arm where he’ll be safe. He has to admit, it’s a little nerve wracking being in charge of a talking doll. He’s constantly worried he’s going to lose him or damage him somehow. He’s not even sure if Blaine can feel pain to be honest, but he doesn’t want to find out.
He debates staying to watch the rest of the show, but he’s pretty tired after this week, so he heads back to his train car. He sets the box on his vanity and starts washing his face when he hears a soft knock. At first, Kurt thinks someone is outside the car, but then he realizes it’s coming from inside the box. Chuckling, he takes a seat and lifts the top.
“How nifty was that, huh?” Blaine exclaims excitedly, jumping up from his laying position and hopping over the side of the box.
“Whoa, whoa. You’re gonna tangle your strings,” Kurt warns, reaching forward to straighten them carefully.
Blaine just pouts as he’s twisted around. “I hate these things! Can’t we just cut ‘em off?”
“No, we cannot just cut them off. If we did, the audience wouldn’t be able to tell how you were moving and they’d get suspicious. And then they might...”
“Take me away,” Blaine finishes, rolling his eyes. “I know.”
The truth is, Kurt really doesn’t want Blaine to be taken away from him and it’s not just because of the show or the fame anymore. This is the first time he’s ever really had a friend like this, one with whom he could really talk to about how he’s feeling about everything. Just his luck it’s a talking doll. “You like performing, right?”
“I love it!” Blaine beams, standing as tall as he can manage and smiling brightly. “I wish we had a show every single night instead of being stuck in here sometimes.”
“And you like... you like being with me, right?”
Blaine’s face softens a little and he nods. “Oh, yes. I think you’re wonderful, Kurt. You have such a lovely voice and you do take very good care of me. Look, not a paint scratch or anything.” He holds his tiny little hands out to show off how good they look. He can see the worry in Kurt’s eyes though when he looks up again and he steps a little closer. “Don’t worry, Kurt. No one will take me away. I will keep my strings if it means I can stay with you.”
Kurt smiles slowly and leans forward so his hands are on the vanity top and his chin is perched above them. “Thank you. You know, you’re my best friend.”
Blaine’s painted on eyebrows lift a little higher than usual and his smile gets bigger than it’s ever been. “Really? You’re my best friend too, Kurt.” He steps forward carefully and presses his little mouth to Kurt’s cheek in a kiss.
Kurt can see himself in the mirror, so he knows his cheeks turn a brighter shade of pink. It’s strange how Blaine’s lips feel real even if they are much smaller than usual.
They stay up late that night and Kurt tells Blaine story after story of his childhood and how he lost his mother at a young age, why he decided to get into show business and how hard it’s been to make it this far. He even tells him about what it felt like when he realized he liked boys and not girls and all the things he’s been through because of it. And Blaine listens. He listens to everything Kurt says with rapt interest, eager to learn about his best friend, his only friend.
“You’re amazing, Kurt,” Blaine whispers in awe at one point.
Kurt just smiles softly and checks his pocket watch. “Oh my goodness. We should get some sleep,” he decides. “Thanks for listening.”
“Thanks for talking,” Blaine offers as he crawls back into his softly lined box and sits down. “Goodnight, Kurt.”
“Goodnight, Blaine,” Kurt answers quietly, grazing one finger tip over Blaine’s cheek carefully. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
~~~
Kurt lets Blaine out of his box for awhile the next morning and they chat some while Kurt has his breakfast. Blaine is eternally eager to get back on the stage and Kurt assures him that they have another show that night, having traveled overnight to the next town over.
Rachel arrives at Kurt’s door later in the morning though, begging him to come out shopping with her. He always knows what looks best on her and one of the troupe’s comedy actors has asked her out on a date. “The tall, kind of doofy looking one,” she informs him with a bright smile.
Kurt just laughs and looks over at his shoulder at where Blaine is laying in his open box on the vanity. He supposes he’ll be alright for a couple hours. “Oh, alright,” he agrees, grabbing a scarf to wrap around his neck. “As long as we’re back in time to rehearse.”
They’re gone a little longer than Kurt planned, but it’s still early enough that he can have a conversation with Blaine about their act tonight and prepare a little. He invites Rachel in for a moment though, to let her borrow another scarf of his. They’re both laughing over some silly thing when Kurt stops in front of his vanity, his face falling immediately. “Where is he?”
“Where is who?” Rachel asks, her brows drawing together curiously as she steps in closer.
“Blaine! I left him right here in his box. He’s gone!”
“Blaine? You mean your doll?” Rachel looks around, but doesn’t notice anything nearby. “Well, he couldn’t have gone far. I mean, it’s not like he got up and walked off.”
Kurt freezes slightly and gives her a look. Blaine wouldn’t do that though. He wouldn’t leave him. He promised him. What if Madame Sylvester started getting suspicious though? What if she came in here and caught him moving around? “I have to go talk to Madame Sylvester,” he decides, flying past Rachel and rushing through the train, hopping from car to car in record time.
~~~
Blaine blinks his eyes a few times once he’s sure that it’s safe to do so. Wherever he is, it’s really dark. He can see a strip of light though and he crawls over to it, peeking outside. He can see that lanky guy sitting on a bed. Sebastian is what Kurt had called him. He’d never talked about him all that fondly though. He does look pretty grumpy.
Blaine sits back with a little huff. This can’t be good in the least. He’s supposed to perform with Kurt tonight and he’s trapped in this dark place after being stolen by some weird looking grumpy guy. He dare not say anything. The guy might be dangerous. Kurt must be so worried about him though.
~~~
Rachel rubs Kurt’s back as they walk back to his car. Madame Sylvester had known nothing about Kurt’s doll, but she offered to pay for another one to be purchased. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Kurt,” Rachel keeps telling him in a soothing voice. “I’ll take the money Madame Sylvester gave us and run into town and buy you another doll. There’s still time before the show.”
“I don’t want another doll!” Kurt snaps, pushing her away from him. He doesn’t want to be touched right now. “You don’t understand, Rachel. I have to find Blaine. I can’t perform without him. I don’t want to perform without him.”
“Kurt, sweetie, you’re frightening me a little. You’re talking about this thing like it’s a real person. It’s just a doll.” Rachel shakes her head, trying to give Kurt a little space, but not really wanting to leave him alone entirely. “Why can’t you just use another one?”
“I just can’t, okay?! I have to go start asking people if they’ve seen him. He couldn’t have gone far.” Kurt goes from car to car, asking anyone he comes across, but no one has seen Blaine since they performed the night before. Finally, he comes upon Sebastian’s car. He’s been putting off going there, but he doesn’t want to miss anything, so he knocks at the door.
“Nina,” Sebastian greets with a sly smile as he opens the door. “What can I help you with?”
“Look, Sebastian, I’m not here to play games, alright?” Kurt takes a deep breath and prepares himself. “You can hate me all you want, but Blaine has gone missing and I really need to find him.”
“What... is a Blaine?” Sebastian asks with a look of disgust, even though he knows full well what Kurt’s talking about.
“My marionette, Sebastian. His name is on the poster.”
“Oh, that. I haven’t seen your little toy.”
Blaine recognizes that voice as he quirks his head to the side. That’s Kurt. His Kurt is here to save him. He scrambles over to the little slit of light again and peeks through until he sees Kurt standing in the doorway. He wants so badly to just call out to him, but he knows he can’t do that. He’d promised Kurt never to speak with others around unless they were on stage. He has to get Kurt’s attention somehow. He feels around on the floor until he finds a wooden spool of thread and he tosses it against the wall of whatever he’s in. He looks out again to see both faces turn toward the noise and then he goes still again, just in case Sebastian comes to investigate.
Blaine is in there. He’s in that drawer and Kurt knows it without a shadow of a doubt. “Did you take him, Sebastian? Did you take Blaine?”
“What would I want with your creepy little doll?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe you’d want your face on the poster. Maybe you’re jealous that you’re not the star of the troupe anymore,” Kurt accuses. “If you’re so innocent let me look around your room.”
“Absolutely not,” Sebastian snaps back. “This is my car and you need to leave. I don’t have your nasty doll.”
“No, Kurt,” Blaine whispers to himself, taking the chance at the peeking out again. Kurt is gone though. He’s left him here. Blaine is on his own now. He goes stiff when he sees Sebastian coming toward him, unblinking as he’s picked up.
“What is so special about you?” Sebastian asks in disgust, tossing Blaine back into the drawer on his head.
“He has him!” Kurt shouts as he stomps his way back towards his car beside the train.
Rachel looks a little skeptical, and a lot worried, where she’s waiting for him. “How do you know? Did you see it?”
“Him. Blaine is a him,” Kurt insists. “And, no. But I heard him and Sebastian was acting really strange. Even for him. He’s in there, Rachel.”
“Kurt...” Rachel tries to keep her voice calm and soothing, afraid that her friend really has gone off the deep end. “What do you mean you heard him?”
Kurt sighs as he pulls himself up into his own car, Rachel right behind him. He turns around to face her and looks into her eyes. “Okay, listen. I know this is gonna sound like I’m full of baloney, but you have to believe me. Blaine is real. He’s alive. It’s not me who’s singing for him. It’s all him. He sings and he dances and he stays up late talking to me. Stop looking at me like that. I’m on the up and up here, I swear it.” He sighs in frustration, wishing there was some way to make Rachel believe him without having Blaine here to show her.
“Kurt, you’re scaring me.”
Kurt flops down into his chair and leans against his vanity. “Listen, whether you believe me or not, it’s true. It’s true and I can’t go out on that stage without Blaine.” The strange thing is though, he’s starting to realize he doesn’t care. Well, he cares about his career, of course, but nowhere near as much as he cares about Blaine himself. “I love him,” Kurt whispers in awe, the fact sweeping over him like a wave from the ocean, enveloping him and shocking him with the truth. “I’m in love with a talking doll.”
“I think I better go talk with Madame Sylvester,” Rachel says, slowly backing towards the door. “And I think you should take tonight off whether you find the doll or not. I’ll be back later.”
Kurt just shrugs and moves to lay on his bed. He has to get Blaine back somehow and then he can cross this other huge bridge that’s just appeared in front of him.
~~~
Sebastian is still smiling smugly to himself as he changes into his costume that night. He’s been informed that Kurt won’t be performing, which means he will go back to being the star of the show as it was meant to be. He checks his hair in the mirror one last time before pulling the drawer open and staring at the lifeless doll. He still doesn’t get it, doesn’t understand why people love the thing so much. It’s just some stupid child’s toy. Nonetheless, he can’t leave it here, or Kurt might sneak in and take it right back. He grabs the doll and stuffs it into his bag before heading into the theater.
It seems Blaine has been moved from one dark place to another. He really doesn’t care much for the dark. He blinks his eyes carefully once he’s sure it’s safe and finds himself completely tangled up in his strings. He can move his arms, but the strings are all wrapped around his head and extremely uncomfortable. Kurt would never treat him like this. But Kurt left him, he remembers. Blaine can tell he’s moving and he tries to see what he can from the thin strip of light coming from above. He really doesn’t like this guy. There has be some way to show him that.
Blaine moves as slowly and as carefully as possible, doing his best to be sure he’s not caught. He looks through the things that are in this bag with him. There’s stage makeup, a pair of tights, an apple, and a key.
A key.
Blaine thinks back on all the late night conversations he’d had with Kurt. He certainly remembers Kurt complaining about Sebastian, which he now understands, but he also recalls Kurt telling him about Sebastian’s act and what a joke it was. Sebastian uses a key, this key, to get himself out of a box he scrunches into. He picks the key up carefully and tries to figure out what to do with it. It’s not going to be pleasant, but he decides it’s his only option and he carefully sticks it down into the leg of his pants. Hopefully Sebastian won’t look there.
“Peggy, you came to see me steal the show,” Sebastian says, looking down at Kurt with an evil smirk when he reaches backstage.
“I came... to support Rachel,” Kurt gets out through gritted teeth. He’d also hoped he might be able to keep an eye out for Blaine. He knows Sebastian is too smart to leave him unguarded, but Kurt can’t just give up.
Sebastian shrugs him off though and goes about getting set up for his act. He checks his bag where he thought he left his key, pushing Blaine around in his search. It’s nowhere to be found though. “Hey... whatever your name is,” he calls to some stagehand, whoever’s nearby. “Where’s my key?”
“It’s in the box,” the guy sighs. “Just like it always is.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes at the man before clearing his throat and stepping out onto the stage, full of his usual confidence and bravado.
Rachel steps up next to Kurt and lays a hand on his arm. She’s not sure what exactly is going on with her friend, but she wants to be there for him. “Did he say anything?”
“Nothing important,” Kurt mutters, his eyes glaring towards the stage from the side. “He knows where Blaine is though. I know that much.” He crosses arms over his chest and watches as Sebastian goes through his act, twisting and bending in all sorts of ways. The crowd eats it up, of course. He sighs as Sebastian presents his stupid, tiny box and folds himself up into it, as if no one can figure out he’s got a key inside with him.
Except, a few minutes later, Kurt’s beginning to suspect he doesn’t this time. Sebastian is still in the box, far longer than he usually is. Something is definitely off here. He tries not to giggle when he hears pounding from inside the box and he steps back as the stagehands rush to Sebastian’s aid. He can hear the audience booing and shouting and the laughter comes whether he tries to stop it or not. He’s not exactly trying that hard though.
“Where the fuck is my key?” Sebastian screams as soon as the box is unlocked and he untangles himself from it. He looks like smoke might actually start pouring from his ears. “Someone is getting fired. I’m done with this.” He storms over to his bag and then stares Kurt down like he’s trying to end his life with his eyes alone. “And you,” he spits out. “You and your fucking doll. This is all your fault?”
“My fault?” Kurt sputters, standing there with his mouth hanging open. “I didn’t take your stupid key! You’re the thief here, Sebastian, not me.”
“We’ll see about that!” Sebastian shoots back. He tries to turn on his heels, instead tripping over himself and landing flat on his face. His bag falls to the ground and Blaine flies out of it, his limbs twisting in every direction and his head knocked sideways.
“Blaine!” Kurt calls, diving for the doll, for his friend. He lifts him carefully, cradling him in both hands. “Oh god, Blaine.”
“Mr. Smythe. I think we need to talk.”
Sebastian lifts his head to find Madame Sylvester standing above him, tapping her foot and not looking happy in the least. A couple stagehands help him up and he’s led out of the theater and back to Madame Sylvester’s train car to be dealt with.
“Kurt?” Rachel asks carefully, hovering beside him. She lays a careful hand on his shoulder.
Kurt looks up at her with teary eyes. “He looks so... broken. How could Sebastian do this?” He gets to his feet carefully and just keeps staring at the doll in his hand. “I’m gonna take him to... to my room and try to clean him up.”
He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t even hear what Rachel says to him. He just carries Blaine back to his car and lays him on the vanity. “Blaine? Blaine, can you hear me?” he whispers as he untangles the strings from around Blaine’s head and limbs. He turns his arms and head back into place and uses a cloth to clean the marks from his face. “Blaine, please answer me.”
Blaine’s eyes blink slowly and he looks around. He doesn’t remember much except yelling and falling. “Is he still in the box?” he asks quietly.
Kurt sobs with relief, still smiling through his tears. “Oh, Blaine, you’re alright.”
“Kurt? What happened?”
Kurt has to take a moment to catch his breath, still checking Blaine for any scratches or marks he may have missed. “Sebastian took you, but you’re safe now. You’re here with me.”
“No, I know all that,” Blaine insists. Everything’s starting to come back now and he sits himself up, rubbing at his head. “But Sebastian’s act. Did he get trapped in the box?”
Kurt sits back a little stunned and looks at Blaine. “How did you know about that? You were in the bag, weren’t you?”
Blaine smiles slowly and reaches into his pants. He has the decency to blush slightly when Kurt raises his eyebrows. After a little maneuvering though, he manages to pull out the key to Sebastian’s trick box, holding it up proudly.
All Kurt can do is laugh, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. “Oh, Blaine, you didn’t! That’s just... oh that’s the cat’s meow. I have to tell Rachel. Maybe then she’ll believe me.”
“You told Rachel about me?” Blaine asks with disbelief. “But I thought we weren’t allowed.”
Kurt sighs and leans forward on the vanity so he can be closer to Blaine. “I know. When you were gone, I just... panicked. And she didn’t understand, so I tried to explain it to her. I’m pretty sure she just thinks I’m crazy. But you don’t have to worry. Even if we show her, I know she would never tell anyone. We can trust her,” he assures Blaine. He licks his lips slowly and turns his eyes to his little friend. They could just go back to the way things have been, but that doesn’t seem right somehow. He has to be honest. “Blaine, I need to talk to you about something.”
Blaine tilts his head, suddenly worrying slightly. “Did you get in trouble? Are you going to get rid of me?”
“What? No, no! Of course not,” Kurt assures him quickly. “Madame Sylvester knows Sebastian took you. If anything, he’s in trouble. And I would never get rid of you. Never.” He smiles when Blaine seems to relax a bit and then considers how he should say this. “It’s just... I realized something when you were missing, when I thought I might not get you back. It broke my heart and... and I don’t ever wanna be apart from you.”
Blaine smiles slowly and stands to move closer to Kurt. “I don’t wanna ever be away from you either, Kurt.”
Kurt chews on his lips for a moment and then looks into Blaine’s small, but stunning eyes. “I love you, Blaine. I’m goofy over you and... and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Blaine gasps, his eyes as wide as they can get as he stares back at Kurt. He has this weird feeling in his chest. It’s like a heart beating. How can that be? Ignoring it for the moment he steps right in front of Kurt and looks up at him. “I love you too, Kurt. I love you so much and I just thought... I mean, I never thought you could... since, I’m... you know.”
Kurt’s smile falters a little as he nods in understanding. “I know. I know, it’s... unusual. And I’m not exactly sure what will happen, but I know how I feel about you. And we can figure it out. One day at a time, yeah?”
Blaine smiles even wider at that and nods quickly, a hand coming up to cover his chest. He definitely feels his heart beating against it. He feels like he can’t catch his breath. He feels things he’s never felt before. “I just wanna be with you,” he says simply. He stands at the edge of the vanity and uses his finger to urge Kurt down closer, close enough for Blaine to lean in and press a soft kiss to the corner of Kurt’s mouth.
Neither of them remember much after that, except for the bright, intense flash of light.
~~~
“Kurt! Kurt!”
Kurt blinks his eyes open slowly. Things are a little blurry, but he’s pretty sure he’s on the floor of his train car. He’s pretty sure they’re moving, too. Where is that pounding coming from though? He sits up and rubs at his head. “Is someone there? Come in?”
Rachel bursts through the door, her face stricken with obvious worry. “Kurt, there was a boom and... what? Who is that?”
“What?” Kurt looks up at her curiously and then follows her line of sight. “Oh my god!” He crawls over quickly and stares in utter shock. It’s Blaine. It sure looks like Blaine. He’s real though, human sized and real. He’s breathing, his chest rising and falling with it. “Blaine. Blaine, are you alright?”
Blaine groans, his head flopping over to the side. He can hear Kurt though and he sees him kneeling there when he finally opens his eyes. “How many times am I gonna get knocked out today?” he jokes quietly.
“Blaine...” Kurt whispers, running fingers over Blaine’s cheek. It’s soft skin. “Blaine, look at yourself.”
“What?” Blaine’s brows draw together and he stands up, growing dizzy at first. He’s so high up. “What...what happened?” He steps over to the mirror, finding he has to bend down, and his eyes almost pop right out of his head. “Oh my heavens! I’m... I’m real!”
“What is going on?” Rachel demands, reminding them both that she’s still there.
Kurt doesn’t bother to answer her though, just laughs with pure joy. He doesn’t know what happened and he doesn’t know why, but he knows that Blaine-- his Blaine -- is right here and so very real. He grabs him and pulls him close, kissing him fiercely. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Blaine answers, their foreheads still resting against one another. “I love you, Kurt.”
~~~
They perform together the next night. No dolls and no gimmicks, just the two of them. The crowd loves every moment of it. No one is quite sure where Blaine came from, but no one seems to question it. They’re making money, which is all Madame Sylvester is worried about, and Kurt and Blaine are happy, which is what Rachel cares about. Sebastian is nowhere to be seen.
They’re walking back to the train that night, hand in hand, when Kurt notices a little girl walking around beside the theater. She picks something up from off the ground and he steps a little closer, narrowing his eyes. “What is that?” he asks Blaine.
Blaine follows Kurt’s line of sight. “It looks like a doll. It looks like... it looks like Sebastian.” Sure enough, it’s wearing the same costume that Sebastian wears on stage each night. Its hair is high and honey colored and its grin is just a little evil.
They both turn their heads to stare at each other in wonder.
“Mommy! Mommy! I found a dollie!” the little girl calls, running after her parents and waving it around. “I can put it in all my pretty dresses.”
Kurt and Blaine laugh brightly and watch the girl hang onto the doll by its foot. Blaine sighs and leans over to press a kiss to Kurt’s cheek. “Well, my father always told me... we’re all made for a reason.”