Fic: Not Like the Movies (23/24)

[knightlycat]

Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: End of season 3?
Warnings: Stalkery badness
Word Count: ~4,400 (this chapter), ~112,500 so far
Summary: When new Hollywood golden boy Kurt Hummel receives some disturbing letters his manager hires bodyguard Blaine Anderson to be with him 24 hours a day. In an attempt to hide Blaine's true identity from the press they decide he needs to go undercover...as Kurt's boyfriend. Nevermet!AU
Author's Note: Second to last chapter! I am thinking of maybe doing some one-shots in this 'verse after the story is all posted, so if there is a "missing moment" you would like to see, drop me a review or send me a message at unchainmylove.tumblr.com.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Glee, Kurt, or Blaine.
…

I cant breathe look at what was in my mailbox this morning sorry for the poor quality scan my hands are SHAKING [entertainment weekly classic romances image] This is literally everything I have ever wanted in my life

wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt *screaming* KurT IN A WET SEE THOrUGH SHIRTttttt #is that a nIPPLE?

Oh god, this is the photo shoot we got tipped too a few months ago, right? #;_; nothing will ever top this #nothing

OTP 5eva

I'm getting a tattoo of the baby/johnny pic #its decided #yolo

first the Oscar and now this? we kurtsies are sOOoo spoiled #but we deserve it lbr

klaine as elizabeth and darcy? #one million percent done #opens window steps out flies to the sun

this is now my number one forever reblog #im not kidding my blog may just consist of these photos for now until eTRNITY

im not ok SOS this is not a drill #my brain has melted #goodbye brain u was a good bitch

I found this article to be a fascinating, in-depth look at the still pervasive discrimination that oh who am I kidding NipplE! I see NIPPLE!

#dumb so dumb dumbest thing ever

You do realize that the From Here to Eternity one is going to be the closest we ever see to them having sex right?

#i am in a blanket burrito of feelings

UNF

=^..^=

Kurt was shocked to find that the life of a newly minted Oscar winner was almost as hectic as that of a campaigning nominee. Thankfully, the uproar only lasted a week and then the craziness started to die down a little, leaving him able to take a little time for himself. He had one last meeting at Bev's office to discuss the upcoming X-Men cast announcement and then he was free for the whole glorious weekend.

He brought his Oscar with him to the office and spent several minutes taking pictures with different staff members. Eventually everyone had gotten their photos with him and just wanted to take funny pictures of themselves holding the statuette, so he left them to it and wandered over to Kellie's desk to talk. He was in the middle of complementing her new Brian Atwood pumps when he saw two tickets poking out of an envelope on her desk.

"You're going to The Sing-Along Sound of Music tomorrow?" Kurt cried as he picked up the tickets. "So are Blaine and I! It's one of my yearly traditions."

Kellie squealed at the news and told him how Rodney had surprised her with the tickets for Valentine's Day. They chatted for several minutes about the pro-and-cons of wearing costumes to the event and Kurt lamented the dearth of men's clothing options if one didn't want to dress up like a Nazi or wear floral short-alls. Kellie, who had never been to the event before, described her attempt to re-create Maria's iconic dress from the opening scene and asked Kurt for his advice, which he was only too happy to give.

They were discussing their favorite songs when Bev opened her door and beckoned him inside. Blaine smiled at him from where he was keeping an eye on the Oscar as people passed it around and gave him a wink. Kurt gave a little wave and disappeared into Bev's office, eager to hear about when he could finally start telling people he was about to be one of Hollywood's latest superheroes.

It turned out that press releases were going to start going out the following week, with Kurt being one of the first cast members announced due to his recent prominence in the news. The plan was to build on the momentum of his name being attached to the project by holding a promotional event where he and several of the other actors would appear for a photo call and press interviews. All of the top entertainment gossip sites and shows would be sending reporters and fans would also be a big part of the announcement, as the studio had run a contest where one hundred people won the chance to attend and meet the cast.

Though Kurt knew that Blaine wouldn't like it, he was excited to be able to get out and meet some fans face-to-face. After all, what were the odds that his stalker would be attending such an exclusive event?

=^..^=

The end credits began to roll and Kurt clapped wildly along with the rest of the audience. As the lights came back on in the theater, a small crowd of autograph seekers gathered around him. He signed their programs, posed for a few photos, and laughed at Blaine's look of discomfort when a few of the girls asked that he be in the pictures too. Finally, they bid goodbye to the last fan and a waiting usher directed them to the VIP room where they would wait for their car.

Blaine's phone rang, and as he answered it Kurt began to sway back-and-forth, humming Edelweiss under his breath. He'd seen the movie hundreds of times (at least 20 of them on the big screen. God, he was getting old), but each time it still got to him. It had to be one of the most romantic movies ever, to say nothing about the incredible soundtrack.

"Bill isn't here with the car yet," Blaine reported as he hung up the phone. "Construction or something has the roads blocked and traffic is all messed up. We'll just have to sit tight until he can make it or get close enough for us to come to him."

"Then I guess that means we have time to dance." Kurt grinned mischievously and extended his hand. "Mr. Anderson, would you like to take a spin on the dance floor with me?"

Blaine grasped his hand and they began to waltz around the room. "You're in a good mood."

"That movie just makes me happy, I guess. Come on, let's sing Sixteen Going on Seventeen."

Before Blaine could respond, they heard the sound of a voice on a loudspeaker coming from outside the theater, but neither of them could quite make out what it was saying. The VIP lounge connected to a second room that had an external exit, so Blaine went to poke his head out the door to see what was going on.

Just a few seconds after Blaine disappeared out of sight into the next room there was a knock on the door. Kurt tensed as the door opened, but relaxed when he saw that it was just Rodney.

"Hey Kurt, there's a rumor of police activity down the street, so Kellie asked me to check in on you." Rodney slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around the room casually. "So I guess Blaine's in the office getting the scoop about what's going on, huh? You know, Kurt, I don't think he takes as good of care of you as you deserve." Kurt was just about to tell Rodney it really wasn't any of his business when the other man spoke again. "You look really great tonight, by the way. That's the jacket you wore to the theater in New York in January, right?"

Kurt looked down at his tartan plaid jacket and smiled. "Yeah, I think you're right. I…" He trailed off and looked up to meet Rodney's eyes. "How did you know what I was wearing that night?"

Rodney smiled softly at him. "I hung around outside the hotel after I delivered my present. How did you like the rose petals, by the way? Wasn't that romantic?"

Suddenly it was as if a giant spotlight had been switched on and everything that had been in darkness was now illuminated. Rodney was the stalker. Oh my God, Rodney was the stalker. Kurt could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest as the realization washed over him. His first instinct was to call out to Blaine in the other room, but Rodney still had his hands in his pockets and Kurt was afraid that he might he armed.

"That-that was you?" Kurt asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Of course. I wanted to do something special, since someone monopolized you on New Year's Eve. I knew those were your favorite colors of roses, so I looked everywhere for them." Rodney's voice had tightened for a second when he'd referred to Blaine, but the moment was gone and now he just looked proud about his success at finding the right flowers.

"And how-how did you know that?" Kurt darted his eyes towards the doorway where Blaine had disappeared and saw a movement through the door crack. He hoped it wasn't just wishful thinking on his part that it looked as if Blaine was standing between the door and the wall, watching them and evaluating the situation.

Rodney took a step closer to him, tracking his every movement like a hawk with a mouse. "Kellie delivered that huge bouquet to you, remember? She kept it at her house overnight, so I was able to take a picture. That was very sneaky of you, letting me know your favorite flower that way."

Kurt smiled weakly and glanced around the room to hide the fact that he was trying to catch a glimpse of Blaine again. In the dimness of the other room it looked as if Blaine was motioning his hand back-and-forth. Hoping that he was interpreting the movement correctly, Kurt began to move slightly away from the door, forcing Rodney to turn his back on it. "It was, wasn't it?"

"I mean, I know you had to do it that way because he won't leave you alone for two seconds." Rodney's eyes hardened. "I must say, I was very disappointed when you took up with him just as I was going to have us meet for the first time. I was very angry at you for a while, but then Kellie told me how he was just a bodyguard who was protecting you from some crazed fan, so I decided to forgive you."

Kurt took another step to the left. "That was big of you."

"I was angry at the Ellen taping when I heard Kellie say that you guys were really together, but I think I get it now. It's all an act, right? Publicity and all that? But you don't need that anymore, Kurt. I love you so much and we can be together for real now. There's no need to keep up the pretense with him. He's only using you, after all."

One more step and Kurt was on the opposite side of the room from Blaine with Rodney still facing him. "Yes, it was all Lynn and Bev's idea, you know. Nothing gets the good publicity like a new romance." He could see Blaine moving, getting ready to make his move.

"But there's no need for him any longer." Kurt saw a flash as Rodney pulled his hands out of his pocket and his eyes widened when he saw what looked to be a small pocket knife poking out. "We can be together now and our real love will be recognized by everyone."

Suddenly, Rodney rushed at him and grabbed his arms. Kurt was momentarily paralyzed by fear and watched in horror as Rodney's face came closer, his intent of kissing Kurt clear. Without thinking, Kurt spun around and performed the move that Blaine had taught him months before. Rodney sailed over his head and slammed down onto the floor, the sound of his skull rapping against the hardwood echoing in the small room. Unfortunately, the impact didn't knock him out and only succeeded in making him angry. Spittle flew from his mouth as he jumped to his feet with an angry bellow. He reached towards his pocket and charged at Kurt.

Suddenly, Blaine was there and with a kick and well-placed neck chop Rodney was back on the floor, this time down for the count. Blaine kicked the knife away as he crouched down beside him. He flipped Rodney over so that he was face down and knelt in the center of his back to keep him in place. He motioned for Kurt to pull the belt from his pants and he used it to bind Rodney's hands before searching his pockets, where he found only a cell phone and a bottle of unlabeled pills.

He put the items aside and sat in the middle of Rodney's back while he pulled out his own phone and called the police. When he hung up he finally looked up and Kurt could see the residual fear in his eyes. Kurt sunk down to his knees and crawled over to him. He sat on Rodney's legs as the unconscious man began to stir faintly and hugged Blaine for all he was worth until the police arrived.

=^..^=

The next several hours were a blur. Rodney was taken to the hospital under armed guard and Kurt found himself separated from Blaine at the police station as he told the story of what had happened for the official record. Blaine disappeared into another interview room and eventually Steve arrived to take Kurt home, leaving Blaine behind. Steve stayed the night in Blaine's bedroom at Bev's request, but his presence didn't really make Kurt feel any better.

It wasn't until late the next day that Kurt learned the details that had been uncovered. Rodney had been uncooperative at first, but had eventually broken down and confessed to everything, though he maintained that what he had done shouldn't really be considered a crime, since he and Kurt were in love (Kurt shivered in disgust at the very idea).

Evidently, he had started his obsession with Kurt when he saw him perform on Broadway, and when Kurt had moved out to Los Angeles Rodney had followed. He had tried unsuccessfully to get a job at Bev's agency, but since his experience as a pastry chef didn't make him qualified for any of the open positions, he had schemed to find another way in. He'd watched the building for several days before zeroing in on Kellie, who he then proceeded to "accidently" bump into at the grocery store. He pursued her and once they began to date he had used the computer she sometimes brought home to find out Kurt's schedule, travel details, and other information, including his original address. Kellie hadn't kept information on Kurt's new house on her laptop after he was forced to move, which had thwarted Rodney's efforts for a while. In frustration he had vandalized Kurt's car, using gallons of honey he'd stolen from work.

After talking with Kellie, the police discovered that Rodney had put her into a cab after the Ellen taping, claiming to have an urgent errand he needed to run, which left him free to try and tail Kurt home. Not long after, she'd delivered the roses that Blaine had bought and Rodney confirmed that he had found Kurt's new address on her phone's GPS app. He constructed his strange mannequin display soon after.

Over Christmas he had searched Kellie's computer once again and found Kurt's New York hotel details. He told Kellie he had a pastry conference to attend and left town, travelling to New York where he followed Kurt and broke into his hotel room.

Kellie hadn't known anything about how Rodney was using her to get to Kurt. Needless to say, she was devastated and horrified.

The police searched Rodney's computer and found the information that Jacob Ben Israel had sent him about Kurt. One of the anecdotes Jacob had related was about how much Kurt loved The Sing-Along Sound of Music and how he had been attending it every year since he was a child. Armed with this information, Rodney had purchased tickets for the show, hoping that he would have the chance to get Kurt alone. He'd tried to ensure this would happen by calling in a fake bomb threat to a hotel down the street from the theater. His hope had been that Blaine would go investigate, leaving Kurt alone.

It was unclear exactly what Rodney might be charged with, but unlawful imprisonment, making bomb threats, and stalking seemed the most likely given the circumstances.

He had been unarmed except for the pocket knife, but the police had confirmed that the pills he'd been carrying were Rohypnol. Kurt excused himself from the room at that revelation and ran to the nearest bathroom, where his breakfast threatened to make a re-appearance.

He splashed some cold water on his face and looked up with a start when he heard the door open. His eyes met Blaine's in the mirror and he smiled shakily. "It seems kind of ridiculous to be upset now that it's all over. I should be singing and dancing in the streets."

Blaine handed him a paper towel and sank a hip against the sink. "You'll get to the singing and dancing, I'm sure. You need to decompress first, though. The shock of what happened will take a while to process."

"You're probably used to this kind of stuff, aren't you?" Kurt grimaced at the roughness of the paper against his skin as he blotted.

"Nothing I've ever experienced prepared me for that. When I heard his voice and realized what was going on? I nearly broke my hand by holding onto the door frame so tight to keep myself from storming in there. There's no telling how he would have reacted if I'd done it, but everything within me was yelling that I should ignore all my training and just run to your side. I'm afraid I've lost all semblances of professional detachment and discipline."

"I'm glad you didn't. If you'd come running in earlier I'm sure he would have tried to make use of that knife and I kind of prefer both of us in our original non-perforated states."

Blaine wrapped a hand around Kurt's neck and pulled him forward until their foreheads met. "Don't even joke about that, Kurt. I was scared to death."

"I wasn't. I mean, I was, but I knew you'd save me. My hero." He made a joke of it by batting his eyelashes and sighing loudly, but he did really mean it.

"Ummm…in case you don't remember, you kind of saved yourself. I just stepped in for the clean-up work."

Kurt grinned and held one arm up to flex his bicep. "We do make a dynamic duo, don't we?"

Blaine pretended to swoon at the sight of Kurt's muscle. "As an official X-Men cast member aren't you contractually prohibited from making a Batman reference?"

"Is that what where that's from? See! I know more about comic books than I thought."

"Graphic novels."

"Dork," Kurt whispered as he moved forward the last few inches until their lips met. He was about to deepen the kiss when he heard the sound of the door creaking. He broke away and opened his eyes, blinking as he realized they were still standing in the middle of the men's restroom.

The man coming in gave them a strange look on his way to one of the stalls and they high-tailed it out of there, snickering as they went.

=^..^=

It wasn't until the stalking was finally over that Kurt realized just how much it had been affecting him. He suddenly felt 100 pounds lighter and found himself prone to fits of giggles at the drop of a hat. Not only was he now no longer looking over his shoulder and fearful to open his own fan mail, but now he and Blaine could have a normal relationship.

It was two days after their talk with the police, and Kurt was sailing around the kitchen making a celebration dinner. Tonight he was finally going to confess his love for Blaine and the butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach were just going to have to chill out.

They were just finishing dessert when Kurt saw his moment.

"Blaine I want-"

"Kurt, there's something -"

They both stopped and laughed, each gesturing to the other one to go ahead and speak first. Finally, Blaine took the initiative and continued with what he had been saying.

"I got a call from my boss today. I've been reassigned to a new client," he reported as he moved the last bite of chocolate cake back-and-forth on his plate with his fork.

"Oh," Kurt blinked in surprise for a second. "I-I guess that makes sense. That was fast. Can I ask who it is?"

"There's a banking executive in Zurich who's been getting a lot of threats lately, so I'm being brought in to guard his little girl."

Kurt wondered where the truck had come from that had just hit him and if anyone had gotten its license plate number. "Zurich? You're leaving? I-I thought you'd stay here, in L.A. I mean, this town must use like 95 percent of the world's bodyguards, so I'm sure it won't be a problem finding a job. In fact…"

"Kurt, if I get a job in L.A. it'll blow my cover. People will know we lied about who I was." Blaine shook his head sadly. "Plus, you've seen how many hours are needed for my job. Our situation was extreme, but even on normal jobs I'm lucky to get two, maybe three days off a month. Even if I stayed here we'd never get to see each other."

There had to be a solution and Kurt knew he could find it if he just thought hard enough. "We could still make it work. Two or three days is better than nothing," he said calmly, not wanting to appear desperate or clingy.

"You're going to be out of the country for four months on the X-Men and who knows for how long with the next movie," Blaine pointed out.

"I-I can only take roles that film in L.A. I -" Kurt tried to hang onto his composure, but he felt it slipping a little.

"I can't ask you to do that." Blaine looked alarmed at the suggestion. "That would kill your career. You've wanted this for too long and you're too good at it. I think you know this is for the best."

"For the… Are you breaking up with me?" Kurt felt like he had stepped into a bottomless pit and was still falling.

Blaine snatched his hands up and held them tightly. "Kurt, you are going to do amazing things - play the great roles, set the world on fire with your talent, and inspire people. And I want to watch you do all those things, but this isn't the movies and you know as well as I do that long distance relationships rarely work in reality, especially with professions like ours that will keep us almost always apart. You're going to meet so many exciting people on set and around town and…"

"You think I'd cheat on you?" Kurt asked dully.

"I don't think you'd plan on it or that you'd want to, but… Kurt, what we have is so special and it's the best thing to happen to me in my whole life, I swear and…and I'd just like us to end it now instead of waiting until we've ruined everything. Because I don't think I could take it if we weren't friends."

Kurt nodded his agreement numbly, because he didn't want to lose Blaine's friendship either. He understood the logic of what Blaine was saying, but logic didn't matter to his heart. His heart knew that they could make the long distance thing work, but evidently he had more faith in them than Blaine did.

He stopped trying to find another solution and just kept agreeing with Blaine as he spoke. He wasn't going to embarrass himself further by continuing to fight for something that Blaine had obviously already given up on. He still had some pride and wasn't going to beg.

Kurt half-heartedly listened as Blaine talked about how soon he would be leaving, but he wasn't really paying attention. He was too busy trying to figure out how this had happened. How had he gone from being in love and seconds away from making the declaration for the first time to single in just a matter of minutes? How was this his life?

=^..^=

Blaine had thought long and hard about what he was going to do when the stalker was caught, but it wasn't until after it had actually happened that he realized what had to be done. The bone deep terror he'd experienced when Rodney had rushed at Kurt had driven home for him once-and-for-all how deeply in love he was, how open he was leaving himself up to serious injury when Kurt inevitably moved on. It might even be a fatal blow if he stayed much longer. Leaving now was purely self-preservation.

He loved Kurt, but if life had taught him nothing else, it was that love wasn't enough. He knew that now that they didn't need to be with each other 24 hours a day, he and Kurt would start to drift away from each other and it was easier to break things off now than watch it all fall apart bit-by-bit.

And it would fall apart.

Blaine just didn't inspire the kind of deep feelings that would keep them together despite the distance. The speed with which Kurt had agreed to the break-up was just a confirmation of that. No, it was better that it ended now, before Kurt managed to convince himself that what he felt for Blaine was love. That would only hurt Kurt more in the long run. This way he would recover quickly and find someone better, someone more worthy. Kurt was more confident in himself now and certainly a bigger draw in Hollywood and he would have men lining up outside his door.

Blaine loved Kurt, but it was better this way, less painful than a stretched out goodbye.

Yes, this was best for everyone. If only he could convince his heart.

=^..^=

A week later, Kurt stood in the doorway watching as the taxi drove away towards the airport. Through the back window he could see Blaine waving, his gelled hair glinting in the morning sun. When the car was finally out of sight, he turned back into the house and walked slowly into his bedroom. He sank down on the bed and laid back, turning his head when he felt something bulky beneath him. He rolled over and looked back at where he had been lying. There, lined up neatly on the comforter was strip-after-strip of colorful fabric.

Blaine was gone and he had left his bow ties behind.

Chapter 24
A/N - So, had you guessed who the stalker was? If not, who did you suspect? Tell me, tell me!