Chapter Text
The scattered claps faded out with the final chords of his opening song.
“Thank you so much for having me out tonight!” Blaine called out to the crowd. It is a stadium, not a small coffee shop or dark bar and he can feel hundreds of eyes on him. His nervousness is like a rock in the pit of his stomach, but everything else is good and he is smiling at the crowd, truly happy to be here.
Here on stage are the blinding light he had been chasing. In the dark surrounding him he couldn’t see much anything but he knows that people are finding their seats and settling themselves in for an evenings entertainment. Something about that makes his blood rush and his heart sing.
He put down his guitar “For this next song, I’m going to relocate, if that’s okay with you.” Blaine doesn’t wait for a response, they’re not his crowd. He’s just the opening act, keeping them entertained until the main act comes on. Not that it makes him any less nervous to preform.
The piano bench is smooth and cool, echoing the feel of the keys under his finger. He can do this.
Until he can’t.
Fingers on keys stop halfway through a note, the discord sounds though a silent stadium. Hot embarrassment floods his cheeks. Failure.
“Papa!” The worried call comes from the wings where his family is watching him fumble. Blaine looks up in time to see a haggard Kurt catch Noel to keep him from running on stage.
Flashes of Noel playing on his toy keyboard as a baby while Blaine wrote this song, the smell of Kurt cooking Sunday dinner wafting through the room.
Noel sitting beside him, pleased as punch while Blaine showed him how to play the scales as a toddler.
And the memory from few hours earlier he and Noel playing this very song together for sound check.
This was their song. He had to do it again for his son. He looked up again and winked at Noel who had finally stopped fighting to get to Blaine and was being consoled by Kurt in hushed tones.
Blaine bent his head over mic. “Let’s try that one again. This is a song dedicated to my son, Noel, and this is his lullaby.”
The nerves melt out of him. He could do this. The crowd laughed off his fumble and Blaine tired to focus on the music.
Before he’s through the second bar it all goes wrong again. His fingers skip and jump over the keys, reaching just a little too far, overcorrecting.
He had flubbed his set. Blaine swallowed and let that sink in, blocking out the hush of the people watching.
There was a rush and a little body was climbing beside him and reaching for the mic.
“Excuse me, but my Papa needs me to play this song,” Noel said to the crowd earnestly. Blaine could practically feel their hearts melting at the confident little boy on stage.
Noel sat and looked up at him with big eyes waiting, hands at the ready. Everything good and calming about this little boy who had so much faith in him. Who had spent all day telling everyone backstage how great his Papa was. None of that had changed for him. Noel still thought his Papa was the best and he was there to help him play the song.
Blaine hesitated a moment to long and could see the doubt forming on Noel’s face. Blaine had no choice. He had to play this song with his son, on the biggest night of his career.
Two pairs of hands worked masterfully at the keys, just like they had practised. Something in Blaine’s voice soaring through the notes, echoed in parts by Noel. He looked out into the crowd as they finished and he could tell they’d made an impact by the awed hush from the crowd. They had done that. His son had done that. Blaine couldn’t be more proud of him.
“I love you Papa,” Noel told him, the soft words caught by the sound system and carried to the very corners of the building.
“I love you too, baby.” Blaine picked him so they could bow to the thunderous applause.
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Featured on The Daily Beast website the morning after (and their Tumblr complete with adorable gif).
If you weren’t in the audience at Madison Square Gardens on Thursday night we’re here to inform you that your life is lacking in a heavy dose of adorable.
Blaine Anderson, the opening act, charmed the sold out show with a classic piano duet with his son Noel.
We’re dying of the cute just thinking about it, but check out the video capturing every sweet moment here.
And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll download Blaine’s whole album because we’re pretty sure in a matter of months he’ll be selling out Madison Square Gardens all on his own.
Update to Article at 5:03pm - Our office fashion guru tells us that Mr. Anderson is married to one Mr. Kurt Hummel. Well we tip our hat to you sir, not only are your designs stellar, your husband is sex on a stick and sings like a dream.