His Perfect Partner (11/?)
Title: His Perfect Partner (11/?)
Rating: R
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None, but assume that anything through 3.14 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2304
Summary: After five disappointing seasons on the show, professional dancer Kurt Hummel finally has his chance at ballroom glory. With actress and fan favorite Kim Schrodinger as his partner, Kurt vows to channel all his focus into winning that mirrorball trophy - distractions, including men, be damned. Enter Blaine Anderson, a gorgeous, confusing pop star who may turn out to be the biggest distraction of them all.
In This Chapter: Time passes, the boys grow closer, Blaine hates the jive, and Kurt provides some unorthodox help.
Author's Note: This is a Dancing with the Stars/Glee crossover AU, in which Kurt grew up dancing and became a professional on the show in his mid-twenties, and Blaine is a pop star with a very private private life. Other familiar Glee faces, some actual DWTS pros, and a couple of OCs appear to round out the cast of characters. I'll be posting twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. I have a master glee post here, or follow my bff's tumblr for updates and some fun multi-media extras that will go along with many chapters. Thanks to
samzgurl,
wintercreek, and
gypsyangel25 for the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
The next week rushed by in a blur. Before he knew it, Kurt had successfully gotten Kim through their mambo and had clapped harder than anyone else when Blaine absolutely nailed his quickstep. Both couples sailed through the first elimination on Tuesday night - Sugar and Derek got sent home - and had joined the cast and crew for a celebratory night out before buckling down for week three.
The dances for the third week were Viennese waltz and jive - one of Kurt’s favorites paired with the one dance he had the most trouble with. Viennese waltz was gorgeous, but jive just wasn’t made for taller people. Luckily, Kim and Kurt would be waltzing, while Blaine and Bitsy would be jiving. Kurt might have teased Blaine about his height advantage in the jive a time or two, during one of their increasingly frequent outings for delicious food that Blaine had discovered in random spots around LA.
Kim had tortured Kurt for a solid two days following his outing with Blaine on Friday night, and she found new fodder every time Kurt came back from lunch with Blaine smiling and laughing about whatever they’d been discussing. All of his girls had decided that their “outings,” as Kurt called them, were actually dates, and they refused to hear otherwise. In fact, one morning when Blaine showed up to the studio with coffee for Kurt and a copy of a book they’d been discussing the day before for him to read, Tina had pulled Kurt aside and announced that Blaine was courting him. Kurt had been about to argue, but Brit had floated by and told him that Blaine was really nice and Kurt should let him. He hadn’t known what to say after that.
The following day, two days before the performance show, Kurt and Kim were coming out of a particularly successful waltz rehearsal when they found Blaine slumped in the hallway, head in his hands. Bitsy was nowhere to be found.
Kim slid down next to Blaine, putting her arm around him and cooing motherly words of concern. When Kurt didn’t move, she pulled Blaine closer and shot Kurt a look. He sighed, resigned, and sat down on Blaine’s other side.
“What happened, Blainers?” Kim asked.
“The jive hates me.”
“Join the club,” Kurt muttered, and Kim shot him a look.
“You’re probably just tired. You should take it easy tonight, and I’m sure tomorrow’s rehearsal will be wonderful.”
Blaine sighed, looking so abjectly pitiful that Kurt’s heart twisted in his chest. Those sad eyes just did something to him.
“Hey,” Kurt said, taking one of Blaine’s hands in his and ignoring Kim’s smile. “How about I return the favor and feed you for once? I know a place I think you’ll like.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.” Kurt reached behind Blaine and pinched Kim in the arm when she started to snicker. “And then you can tell me all about it or drown your sorrows in a glass of wine. I’ll even take your side against the jive, because the jive is a jerk.”
“Ok.”
Kurt and Kim hauled Blaine to his feet, and Kim wrapped him in a hug, promising that she’d do ridiculous things at the rehearsal the next day just for his entertainment. Then she sent him back to his trailer to change and turned on Kurt.
“Tell me you’re luring our poor, defenseless pop star back to your place and you plan to take advantage of him.”
“Kim! First of all, he’s not defenseless - ”
“Did you see those eyes? If that’s not defenseless, I don’t know what is. Be gentle with him, Kurtsie.” Kim giggled, and Kurt started walking away toward his trailer. She hurried to catch up. “And don’t think I missed the fact that you didn’t deny that you were taking him home with you.”
“Well, he doesn’t seem up for a big night out, now does he? I figured I would feed him and listen to him and send him on his way.”
“Well, two out of three ain’t bad,” Kim mused.
“Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“But it likes hanging out with yours!”
“You know what? Fine. He’s incredibly gorgeous and dangerously adorable when he’s all sad and rumpled, but I’m not going to take advantage,” Kurt said hotly. “I don’t do that.”
“Of course you don’t, sweetheart,” Kim replied. “But promise me something? If the opportunity presents itself, don’t run screaming in the opposite direction.”
“Goodnight, Kim.” Kurt kissed her cheek and shooed her away. “Go be a menace to your own family.”
“I love you too! Have a wonderful night!” she trilled, skipping away toward her own trailer. Sometimes Kurt couldn’t believe she was allowed to have her own children, since she was about as mature as a child herself.
Kurt took his time showering and changing, doing a mental inventory of the contents of his kitchen and what he could pull together in the way of comfort food. He had a killer risotto recipe he’d been dying to try out on someone, and he reasoned that it was sort of like mac and cheese for adults, so it would work. He’d make Blaine help with a salad to keep him busy, and he’d listen like a good friend. That was all.
Blaine met him in the parking lot, his hair wet and curly and his jeans slung low on his hips in a way that made Kurt want to push his luck. He focused on getting them both on their way, Blaine following Kurt in his own car. The twenty-minute drive did very little to strengthen his resolve.
“This…isn’t a restaurant,” Blaine said when they arrived and Kurt led the way to his apartment.
“Welcome to Chez Hummel,” he said, opening the door and stepping back to watch Blaine explore. “I thought you might not be up to dining out, so I figured I could make dinner.”
“Thanks,” Blaine said, his expression more cheerful than Kurt had seen it all day.
“I’ll go open a bottle of wine,” Kurt said. Anything to keep his hands busy. “Why don’t you pick some music? My ipod’s already hooked up.”
Kurt busied himself in the kitchen, opening the wine to let it breathe while he took down glasses and began gathering ingredients for dinner. He was well into chopping and sautéing by the time Blaine wandered back in, something low and soothing with a steady bass beat filtering in after him.
Blaine poured them both glasses of wine and brought Kurt’s to him at the stove. He stayed to hover behind Kurt’s left shoulder, watching his progress.
“Risotto? Really?”
“Is that bad?” Kurt glanced back at him, but relaxed when he saw Blaine’s grin.
“No. It’s amazing, actually. I love risotto, but I’ve never been able to make it work at home. Annie says I’m too impatient.”
“She’s probably right,” Kurt said, which earned him a poke in the shoulder.
“I can be very patient when necessary, I’ll have you know,” Blaine said. He hopped up on the counter adjacent to the stove, looking so at home that Kurt didn’t have the heart to yell at him for sitting on something that was clearly not designed for that purpose. “I just like to save my patience for when it really counts.”
“Interesting.”
“I like to think I am, yes,” Blaine quipped. Kurt silently agreed with him, but wanted to add a few words of his own, like frustrating, confusing, and attractive.
“So I take it you’re feeling better about the jive?”
“Shhhhh…” Blaine held a finger to his lips. “We’re not talking about the j-word right now. We’re drinking wine and making dinner like normal people.”
“I think you’ll find that you’re drinking wine, and I’m making dinner.”
“Right. ‘We.’ That’s how that works, right?”
“Something like that,” Kurt said. “And just so you know, your half of ‘we’ is in charge of salad.”
Blaine took the hint, getting back down to commandeer a cutting board and bowl of his own. Kurt focused on stirring the stock into the risotto, and when he finally looked back up, Blaine was putting the finishing touches on what looked to be a truly epic salad. He’d even made his own dressing.
They sat down a few minutes later at Kurt’s little dining room table with full plates and refilled wine glasses, impressed with their own dinner-making skills. Everything was delicious, and their conversation was light and fun, picking up from where they’d left off at their last lunch together.
It was becoming addictive, eating meals with Blaine, sharing heated discussions or idle talk about the minutiae of their days. The more time they spent together, the more Kurt came to like Blaine, not just as a cute guy, but as a person. What’s more, he was growing to respect him, which he knew from experience was dangerous to the safety of his heart.
Blaine insisted on helping with clean-up, so he washed while Kurt dried. Then they moved to the couch in the living room with their dessert, a pint of ice cream Kurt unearthed from the back of the freezer along with two spoons. They took turns with the ice cream and the day’s worth of stories, and then Blaine began a long recitation of his issues with the jive while Kurt put the ice cream away and voiced his agreement.
“You realize that even though it’s making you crazy, your jive is going to be better than pretty much everyone else’s, right?” Kurt asked as he curled up next to Blaine again.
“Really?” Blaine asked, and Kurt scoffed.
“Seriously, Blaine? I mean, I get being humble, but you have to realize by now that you’re just naturally better at this than most of the other competitors.”
“Ok.” Blaine’s eyes were wide as he took in the compliment.
“You’re taking this very seriously.”
“It’s performing,” Blaine said, as though that explained everything. With him, it kind of did.
“I have this mental image of you putting on involved concerts in your living room when you were six,” Kurt said, laughing.
“There were costumes. And rehearsals.”
“And video? I’m still holding out for video.”
“Remind me to never, ever introduce you to my brother,” Blaine said, slumping further down into the couch. “He treats embarrassing me like an Olympic sport.”
“Isn’t it?” Kurt grinned when Blaine shoved at him, and then tried very hard to stay still as Blaine settled his head against Kurt’s shoulder. They were quiet for a minute, listening to the music still playing in the background.
“Thanks for dinner,” Blaine finally said. “And for listening. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Isn’t that what friends are for?”
“Yeah, I guess it is. I feel really lucky to have met you. You’re just…you make this whole experience better,” Blaine said, glancing up at Kurt from far too close.
“You’re just saying that because I’m giving you dance lessons and free food,” Kurt quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
“No,” Blaine said, resting his hand on Kurt’s knee. “I’m really not.”
“I…ok. I’m glad you listened to your friends and decided to do the show,” Kurt admitted. He patted Blaine’s hand awkwardly and shifted a little, so that Blaine would sit up.
“Me too,” Blaine said, eyes shining. “And I think you’re right about the jive. It’ll be fine, and then it’ll be next week.”
“That’s the beauty of this show. If you can stumble through a difficult week well enough, you get to try something else the next.”
“But I guess we really do have to survive this one first. And speaking of, I should probably head out.”
“Probably a good idea.” Kurt got up off the couch, and Blaine followed him toward the door.
“Thanks again for dinner. It was really great,” Blaine said. They stood facing one another in front of the open door.
“Of course. I guess it’s your turn next. I’ll expect something extravagant.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
They stared at one another again, Blaine smiling and Kurt feeling increasingly unsure of himself. Should they hug? Shake hands? Should he throw caution to the wind and lean in for a kiss? Damn Blaine for making him so tentative and uncertain. He was so deep into his own internal monologue that he almost missed Blaine’s quiet goodnight.
“Night,” Kurt echoed, only now noticing how close they were to one another. Blaine reached out to grasp one of his hands for a moment, and then tugged Kurt forward so he could press a soft kiss to his cheek.
“See you tomorrow,” Blaine said as he pulled back. Before Kurt could reply, he was walking down the stairs and out of sight.
Very slowly, Kurt backed into his apartment and shut the door with a gentle click. He walked back over to his couch and sank down, his hands pressed to his knees. Then he let out the breath he had apparently been holding in for the last minute or so.
“Oh my god,” he said to the empty room. “Oh my god. What am I doing? What is he doing? What are WE doing?”
Kurt considered getting up and calling Kim or Cedes or Tina, or anyone who might shed some light on what the hell was going on, but he already knew their opinions. It was looking more and more like they were right, and Kurt found himself not quite ready to accept that. Instead, he texted Kim to tell her that he thought he might very well owe her another $20, and then turned his phone off. He would deal with her, with him, with all of them, tomorrow. He curled up under a blanket, turned the tv on, and prepared to let whatever show he had on lull him to sleep.
Rating: R
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None, but assume that anything through 3.14 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2304
Summary: After five disappointing seasons on the show, professional dancer Kurt Hummel finally has his chance at ballroom glory. With actress and fan favorite Kim Schrodinger as his partner, Kurt vows to channel all his focus into winning that mirrorball trophy - distractions, including men, be damned. Enter Blaine Anderson, a gorgeous, confusing pop star who may turn out to be the biggest distraction of them all.
In This Chapter: Time passes, the boys grow closer, Blaine hates the jive, and Kurt provides some unorthodox help.
Author's Note: This is a Dancing with the Stars/Glee crossover AU, in which Kurt grew up dancing and became a professional on the show in his mid-twenties, and Blaine is a pop star with a very private private life. Other familiar Glee faces, some actual DWTS pros, and a couple of OCs appear to round out the cast of characters. I'll be posting twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. I have a master glee post here, or follow my bff's tumblr for updates and some fun multi-media extras that will go along with many chapters. Thanks to
samzgurl,
wintercreek, and
gypsyangel25 for the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
The next week rushed by in a blur. Before he knew it, Kurt had successfully gotten Kim through their mambo and had clapped harder than anyone else when Blaine absolutely nailed his quickstep. Both couples sailed through the first elimination on Tuesday night - Sugar and Derek got sent home - and had joined the cast and crew for a celebratory night out before buckling down for week three.
The dances for the third week were Viennese waltz and jive - one of Kurt’s favorites paired with the one dance he had the most trouble with. Viennese waltz was gorgeous, but jive just wasn’t made for taller people. Luckily, Kim and Kurt would be waltzing, while Blaine and Bitsy would be jiving. Kurt might have teased Blaine about his height advantage in the jive a time or two, during one of their increasingly frequent outings for delicious food that Blaine had discovered in random spots around LA.
Kim had tortured Kurt for a solid two days following his outing with Blaine on Friday night, and she found new fodder every time Kurt came back from lunch with Blaine smiling and laughing about whatever they’d been discussing. All of his girls had decided that their “outings,” as Kurt called them, were actually dates, and they refused to hear otherwise. In fact, one morning when Blaine showed up to the studio with coffee for Kurt and a copy of a book they’d been discussing the day before for him to read, Tina had pulled Kurt aside and announced that Blaine was courting him. Kurt had been about to argue, but Brit had floated by and told him that Blaine was really nice and Kurt should let him. He hadn’t known what to say after that.
The following day, two days before the performance show, Kurt and Kim were coming out of a particularly successful waltz rehearsal when they found Blaine slumped in the hallway, head in his hands. Bitsy was nowhere to be found.
Kim slid down next to Blaine, putting her arm around him and cooing motherly words of concern. When Kurt didn’t move, she pulled Blaine closer and shot Kurt a look. He sighed, resigned, and sat down on Blaine’s other side.
“What happened, Blainers?” Kim asked.
“The jive hates me.”
“Join the club,” Kurt muttered, and Kim shot him a look.
“You’re probably just tired. You should take it easy tonight, and I’m sure tomorrow’s rehearsal will be wonderful.”
Blaine sighed, looking so abjectly pitiful that Kurt’s heart twisted in his chest. Those sad eyes just did something to him.
“Hey,” Kurt said, taking one of Blaine’s hands in his and ignoring Kim’s smile. “How about I return the favor and feed you for once? I know a place I think you’ll like.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.” Kurt reached behind Blaine and pinched Kim in the arm when she started to snicker. “And then you can tell me all about it or drown your sorrows in a glass of wine. I’ll even take your side against the jive, because the jive is a jerk.”
“Ok.”
Kurt and Kim hauled Blaine to his feet, and Kim wrapped him in a hug, promising that she’d do ridiculous things at the rehearsal the next day just for his entertainment. Then she sent him back to his trailer to change and turned on Kurt.
“Tell me you’re luring our poor, defenseless pop star back to your place and you plan to take advantage of him.”
“Kim! First of all, he’s not defenseless - ”
“Did you see those eyes? If that’s not defenseless, I don’t know what is. Be gentle with him, Kurtsie.” Kim giggled, and Kurt started walking away toward his trailer. She hurried to catch up. “And don’t think I missed the fact that you didn’t deny that you were taking him home with you.”
“Well, he doesn’t seem up for a big night out, now does he? I figured I would feed him and listen to him and send him on his way.”
“Well, two out of three ain’t bad,” Kim mused.
“Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“But it likes hanging out with yours!”
“You know what? Fine. He’s incredibly gorgeous and dangerously adorable when he’s all sad and rumpled, but I’m not going to take advantage,” Kurt said hotly. “I don’t do that.”
“Of course you don’t, sweetheart,” Kim replied. “But promise me something? If the opportunity presents itself, don’t run screaming in the opposite direction.”
“Goodnight, Kim.” Kurt kissed her cheek and shooed her away. “Go be a menace to your own family.”
“I love you too! Have a wonderful night!” she trilled, skipping away toward her own trailer. Sometimes Kurt couldn’t believe she was allowed to have her own children, since she was about as mature as a child herself.
Kurt took his time showering and changing, doing a mental inventory of the contents of his kitchen and what he could pull together in the way of comfort food. He had a killer risotto recipe he’d been dying to try out on someone, and he reasoned that it was sort of like mac and cheese for adults, so it would work. He’d make Blaine help with a salad to keep him busy, and he’d listen like a good friend. That was all.
Blaine met him in the parking lot, his hair wet and curly and his jeans slung low on his hips in a way that made Kurt want to push his luck. He focused on getting them both on their way, Blaine following Kurt in his own car. The twenty-minute drive did very little to strengthen his resolve.
“This…isn’t a restaurant,” Blaine said when they arrived and Kurt led the way to his apartment.
“Welcome to Chez Hummel,” he said, opening the door and stepping back to watch Blaine explore. “I thought you might not be up to dining out, so I figured I could make dinner.”
“Thanks,” Blaine said, his expression more cheerful than Kurt had seen it all day.
“I’ll go open a bottle of wine,” Kurt said. Anything to keep his hands busy. “Why don’t you pick some music? My ipod’s already hooked up.”
Kurt busied himself in the kitchen, opening the wine to let it breathe while he took down glasses and began gathering ingredients for dinner. He was well into chopping and sautéing by the time Blaine wandered back in, something low and soothing with a steady bass beat filtering in after him.
Blaine poured them both glasses of wine and brought Kurt’s to him at the stove. He stayed to hover behind Kurt’s left shoulder, watching his progress.
“Risotto? Really?”
“Is that bad?” Kurt glanced back at him, but relaxed when he saw Blaine’s grin.
“No. It’s amazing, actually. I love risotto, but I’ve never been able to make it work at home. Annie says I’m too impatient.”
“She’s probably right,” Kurt said, which earned him a poke in the shoulder.
“I can be very patient when necessary, I’ll have you know,” Blaine said. He hopped up on the counter adjacent to the stove, looking so at home that Kurt didn’t have the heart to yell at him for sitting on something that was clearly not designed for that purpose. “I just like to save my patience for when it really counts.”
“Interesting.”
“I like to think I am, yes,” Blaine quipped. Kurt silently agreed with him, but wanted to add a few words of his own, like frustrating, confusing, and attractive.
“So I take it you’re feeling better about the jive?”
“Shhhhh…” Blaine held a finger to his lips. “We’re not talking about the j-word right now. We’re drinking wine and making dinner like normal people.”
“I think you’ll find that you’re drinking wine, and I’m making dinner.”
“Right. ‘We.’ That’s how that works, right?”
“Something like that,” Kurt said. “And just so you know, your half of ‘we’ is in charge of salad.”
Blaine took the hint, getting back down to commandeer a cutting board and bowl of his own. Kurt focused on stirring the stock into the risotto, and when he finally looked back up, Blaine was putting the finishing touches on what looked to be a truly epic salad. He’d even made his own dressing.
They sat down a few minutes later at Kurt’s little dining room table with full plates and refilled wine glasses, impressed with their own dinner-making skills. Everything was delicious, and their conversation was light and fun, picking up from where they’d left off at their last lunch together.
It was becoming addictive, eating meals with Blaine, sharing heated discussions or idle talk about the minutiae of their days. The more time they spent together, the more Kurt came to like Blaine, not just as a cute guy, but as a person. What’s more, he was growing to respect him, which he knew from experience was dangerous to the safety of his heart.
Blaine insisted on helping with clean-up, so he washed while Kurt dried. Then they moved to the couch in the living room with their dessert, a pint of ice cream Kurt unearthed from the back of the freezer along with two spoons. They took turns with the ice cream and the day’s worth of stories, and then Blaine began a long recitation of his issues with the jive while Kurt put the ice cream away and voiced his agreement.
“You realize that even though it’s making you crazy, your jive is going to be better than pretty much everyone else’s, right?” Kurt asked as he curled up next to Blaine again.
“Really?” Blaine asked, and Kurt scoffed.
“Seriously, Blaine? I mean, I get being humble, but you have to realize by now that you’re just naturally better at this than most of the other competitors.”
“Ok.” Blaine’s eyes were wide as he took in the compliment.
“You’re taking this very seriously.”
“It’s performing,” Blaine said, as though that explained everything. With him, it kind of did.
“I have this mental image of you putting on involved concerts in your living room when you were six,” Kurt said, laughing.
“There were costumes. And rehearsals.”
“And video? I’m still holding out for video.”
“Remind me to never, ever introduce you to my brother,” Blaine said, slumping further down into the couch. “He treats embarrassing me like an Olympic sport.”
“Isn’t it?” Kurt grinned when Blaine shoved at him, and then tried very hard to stay still as Blaine settled his head against Kurt’s shoulder. They were quiet for a minute, listening to the music still playing in the background.
“Thanks for dinner,” Blaine finally said. “And for listening. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Isn’t that what friends are for?”
“Yeah, I guess it is. I feel really lucky to have met you. You’re just…you make this whole experience better,” Blaine said, glancing up at Kurt from far too close.
“You’re just saying that because I’m giving you dance lessons and free food,” Kurt quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
“No,” Blaine said, resting his hand on Kurt’s knee. “I’m really not.”
“I…ok. I’m glad you listened to your friends and decided to do the show,” Kurt admitted. He patted Blaine’s hand awkwardly and shifted a little, so that Blaine would sit up.
“Me too,” Blaine said, eyes shining. “And I think you’re right about the jive. It’ll be fine, and then it’ll be next week.”
“That’s the beauty of this show. If you can stumble through a difficult week well enough, you get to try something else the next.”
“But I guess we really do have to survive this one first. And speaking of, I should probably head out.”
“Probably a good idea.” Kurt got up off the couch, and Blaine followed him toward the door.
“Thanks again for dinner. It was really great,” Blaine said. They stood facing one another in front of the open door.
“Of course. I guess it’s your turn next. I’ll expect something extravagant.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
They stared at one another again, Blaine smiling and Kurt feeling increasingly unsure of himself. Should they hug? Shake hands? Should he throw caution to the wind and lean in for a kiss? Damn Blaine for making him so tentative and uncertain. He was so deep into his own internal monologue that he almost missed Blaine’s quiet goodnight.
“Night,” Kurt echoed, only now noticing how close they were to one another. Blaine reached out to grasp one of his hands for a moment, and then tugged Kurt forward so he could press a soft kiss to his cheek.
“See you tomorrow,” Blaine said as he pulled back. Before Kurt could reply, he was walking down the stairs and out of sight.
Very slowly, Kurt backed into his apartment and shut the door with a gentle click. He walked back over to his couch and sank down, his hands pressed to his knees. Then he let out the breath he had apparently been holding in for the last minute or so.
“Oh my god,” he said to the empty room. “Oh my god. What am I doing? What is he doing? What are WE doing?”
Kurt considered getting up and calling Kim or Cedes or Tina, or anyone who might shed some light on what the hell was going on, but he already knew their opinions. It was looking more and more like they were right, and Kurt found himself not quite ready to accept that. Instead, he texted Kim to tell her that he thought he might very well owe her another $20, and then turned his phone off. He would deal with her, with him, with all of them, tomorrow. He curled up under a blanket, turned the tv on, and prepared to let whatever show he had on lull him to sleep.