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Rachel was sitting on the couch, books open in front of her, computer on the floor when the front door bangs open, and Kurt comes in. She looks up as he drops his bag on the floor with a wet splat. He looks down, but he holds up a paper Starbucks bag triumphantly. It has a plastic sleeve over the top to keep the bag from getting wet.
“At least my coffee survived the walk home, even if my clothes didn’t.” He toes out of his wet shoes and walks towards Rachel.
“I hope there’s something for me in that bag, Kurt Hummel,” she says, getting up to help. She takes the coffee bag from him, and peels the plastic off. Delicious coffee smells waft out. She peers down inside the bag and sees a piece of chocolate cake, her Starbucks favorite. Kurt is the best roommate in the whole world.
She hears Kurt from his bedroom, “Put in Into the Woods. This week has sucked.” He walks out in his pjs and makes a beeline for his coffee.
Rachel nods and starts cleaning up her school work. “That god it’s Friday. There’s been so much work, and not enough sleep, and…I just miss Finn.” She starts to pout, and fwumps down on the couch. She picks up the remote from the cute little couch pocket thing that Mercedes made for them. It made her smile each time she used it, because she hadn’t even known Mercedes could sew. Rachel turned on the DVD player. “You know what’s even worse,” she exclaims in that indignant tone, “is that we haven’t even had any free time this week for anything fun! The movie is still in from last time.”
Kurt slumps down next to her. “That is pathetic.” He picks up his coffee, and puts his cell on the table. Rachel cues the movie up, and hits play. “It’s not even that one event was particularly bad, it’s just the stress. College is way more stressful than I thought it would be.”
“And harder.” The music starts, and both of them stop talking and focus on the screen. Kurt has loved this musical since he was young; he used to watch it with his mother whenever he was home sick. It’s not particularly cheerful, but he loves anything that reminds him of his mom.
Once, after he had transferred to Dalton, he’d come home from an intense week of classes and crushing on Blaine, and Rachel had been waiting for him. It was after one of those weird fights she used to have with Finn. She was over the worst of her crying, but still wanted some cheering up. (And a lot of sympathy. Kurt didn’t always agree with her, but he was just about the only person she could get sympathy from.) She’d pulled out Into the Woods, also one of her favorite musicals (that didn’t feature Barbra. She had two lists: with Barbra, and without.)
It had kind of become a ritual after that. After Nationals, after that fiasco with the NYADA kids, disagreements with Finn or Blaine…they even watched it after they repaired their friendship in the wake of student council president drama. It was something just the two of them shared, and it was nice having something for just the two of them.
When they got to the first midnight, Rachel scoots closer to Kurt and pulls the blanket up over the both of them. “You know, even though Cinderella would be my ideal role, I’ve always loved the Baker’s Wife.”
Kurt nods. “I love her pragmatism.” He thinks for a moment. “Combined with her sense of adventure. Plus, she gets to make out with a pretty hot prince.”
They settle down and watch through the intermission and well into the second act before speaking again.
“I miss Blaine.” He sighs heavily and sips on his, now cold, coffee.
Rachel puts her head on his shoulder, and sighs. “I miss Finn.” She picks at her chocolate cake.
“I never thought I could miss my dad’s pick-up so much. That car was awful.”
“I didn’t think I would miss Lima so much.”
“In spite of all the terrible things that happened to us…high school really wasn’t that bad in the long run.”
The musical approaches the final scene where the four remaining characters confront the giantess. Rachel is snoring lightly on his shoulder. The last parts of the movie always make him cry. No One Is Alone is bound to make anyone cry. At least, that’s what he tells himself. He can’t remember if his mom ever cried during, but he suspects she did.
After she died, he used to watch this musical by himself, crying the whole time. He always cried especially hard when the Baker’s Wife comes back on stage in the last number and sings. He still cries. It reminds him of his entire family. He imagines how is dad must feel sometimes, raising him. It can’t have been easy, and, when he was little, imagining his mom watching over his dad, helping him out, always made him feel better.
The Baker’s Wife comes on screen, on that cool conveyer belt that they use throughout the entire show. He starts to cry. Rachel moves a little closer, burrows her head in his shoulder, and throws her arm around his middle. She makes a small noise.
When the movie ends, Kurt turns off the DVD player and the TV, and puts the remotes back in their little pocket. He pushes the blanket to the floor, and looks at Rachel. She’s a surprisingly deep sleeper, and she’s always a little grumpy right after waking up. Grumpy Rachel is one of his least favorite Rachel’s, and he doesn’t want to deal with that right now. Thank god for that growth spurt during junior year. He’s actually capable of picking Rachel up, now. He’s had to do it on multiple occasions.
He maneuvers her around onto his lap, puts one arm under her knees, and the other behind her shoulders. He makes sure her head lands on his shoulder, and stands up. He goes into her room, and puts her down carefully, pulling the covers up over her. He tucks her in and kisses her on the forehead. “I’m so glad you’re here with me. ‘Cause I couldn’t do it alone.” He looks down at her, and smiles, it’s going to be a great weekend.