Chapter 11

Opening night went splendidly. The audience laughed and cried in all the right places, and gave the company a standing ovation that rang the rafters at the end. Following a cast party that had Kurt and Adam both dizzy trying to keep up with all the introductions and congratulations as they met each other's visiting friends and relatives, the couple treated their families to a late night dinner. Since no one felt remotely capable of sleeping, they were happy to indulge. The four proud parents beamed with satisfaction as they embarrassed their sons by telling every single waiter, coat checker and other unlucky stranger caught in their collective clutches all about their wonderful, talented progeny.

As the weeks went on, audiences continued to be plentiful and appreciative. Critical reception was not perfect, some jaded voices accusing the script of trying too hard to be politically correct with its gay-couple love story, and others not caring for the fact that April, only a sophomore playwright herself, had hired so many student actors to fill out her cast. Most of the reviewers, however, were full of praise and encouragement, calling the show as brave as it was entertaining and singing the actors' praises to the skies.

Much to his delight, Kurt was singled out by many writers for his "promisingly nuanced" debut performance and gained much praise for the genuine feeling behind Ronnie's coming out scene. One critic even amusingly questioned whether the producers had been wise to cast a straight actor in such a "brave" role. Kurt felt proud enough to burst when he read that, though he could have done without the added barb saying that his "choice" to give Ronnie a higher speaking voice in order to clue the audience in to his true sexual nature had been an overly clichéd one.

Kurt's loved ones nearly laughed themselves sick when they read that review, and Santana promptly pinned a copy to the bulletin board in the Bushwick loft kitchen for additional savoring.

Adam got some mentions for his performance of the title song, and his chemistry with Kurt was being called "believable" and "winsome", but it was obvious that this taste of fame was not destined to become a full-time pursuit. Adam smiled brighter and celebrated longer over the one review that singled out the ballad he had written for Belinda than for any mention of his acting. Seeing this, Kurt quietly set aside his favorite daydream of the two of them becoming the next Diggs and Menzel, spending their lives together on stage and off.

By the time the new year rolled around, it could not be denied that the show was a genuine hit, but Kurt knew in his heart that Adam would be turning over the role of Vince to another actor as soon as his initial 3 month contract was up. Kurt had already agreed to extend his own for a few more months, but he had wrestled with the decision. On the one hand, he knew that this was the kind of opportunity that would not only establish him in people's minds but possibly provide more opportunities in the future, and that he should hold on to it for as long as he could. On the other hand, he also knew that his dad really wanted him to finish college and that taking a gamble that Not So New Jersey would stand the test of time might be very foolish. (Besides, even if the show did last, how long could anyone believably play a high school student?)

For now, though, things were good and both Kurt and Adam were content with their lives. The future would have to look after itself.

One evening when the show had no performance scheduled, Kurt sat in his favorite chair in Adam's apartment, watching his boyfriend bob his head and silently mouth lyrics as he worked away at his tiny computer desk, writing a new song. A feeling of deep contentment filled Kurt as he watched the other man roll his eyes, squint at the ceiling, ruffle his shaggy blond mane in frustration and then perk up as epiphany struck.

"Is genius burning brightly tonight?" Kurt asked in a light tone when Adam finally sat back in his chair to stretch out his tired back.

Adam looked over at him, a smile bright in his eyes. "For a while I was genuinely on fire, but I think it's safe to say that I'm officially burned out for the evening."

"So, does that mean you'd be willing to take a few hours off to spend with your poor neglected boyfriend?" Kurt continued, making an exaggerated pouty face, then smirking as he stood up and made a show of stretching his own muscles, enjoying the way Adam's gaze instantly fixated on the generous strip of creamy skin revealed between his low cut jeans and untucked shirt. "Or will I be going to bed all alone tonight?"

He flashed a saucy look at Adam and turned, deliberately swinging his hips and humming P!nk's snarky hit, U+Ur Hand as he swayed toward the bedroom.

Adam was at his side in a flash, computer forgotten as he grabbed Kurt around the waist and swung his wildly laughing boyfriend off his feet and all the way around in a circle. "Don't you dare start without me," he whispered in Kurt's ear. Nibbling the edge of the delicate shell, he purred, "How would you feel about going for a nice long ride tonight, my love?"

The laughter faded away, but Kurt was still smiling as he pulled Adam's head forward for a slightly awkward but passionate kiss. They had come a long way in the months since they had first started sleeping together and the suggestion no longer made Kurt blush. Instead it simply revved up the desire he was already feeling. "Love to," he moaned, closing his eyes and cocking his head to one side, encouraging Adam to nip at his long neck.

They continued toward the bedroom, clothes falling along the way. Then, just as they fell naked onto Adam's comfortable bed, Adam looked down into Kurt's eyes and said, "Move in with me. Officially."

For a moment, everything went absolutely still. Kurt stared wide-eyed at Adam. The other man looked as startled to have said the words as Kurt was to hear them. He did not, however, look as if he wanted to take them back. Kurt could see the sincerity in his eyes and he was surprised by the feeling of warm contentment that the suggestion gave him. He could visualize himself sharing a life and home with this man for many happy years.

"We'd need a bigger place," he replied. "Your closet is nowhere near up to the demands of my wardrobe, and since I'm going to be a famous actor and you're going to be a Tony and Grammy winning song writer someday, we'll need a spare room where I can practice lines and songs without driving you crazy while you're trying to work on your music."

Adam blinked, clearly not sure if he was understanding correctly. Then he began to smile. "I think that sounds reasonable. So, may I take that as a yes?"

Running his hands over Adam's bare, chiseled chest, Kurt hummed, "Mmm, I'll think about it. It will take a very long, very detailed examination of the ups and downs of my potential new roomie before I can fully make up my mind." He kissed Adam gently. "I like to consider all the angles before I make a firm decision."

"An excellent plan," Adam said, kissing him back. "One can't be too careful about these things, after all."

As their bodies began to shift into a timeless rhythm, Adam and Kurt lost the thread of their conversation, but each kiss and caress held a new level of tenderness and promise. Happiness swept through them both as they held one another and walked toward a new and exciting future together.

THE END