[Fic: Hairspray] Long Way Up
Title: Long Way Up
Fandom: Hairspray
Rating: R
Characters: Corny, Link
Warnings: language, adult themes, sexual themes
Summary: Link would do anything for fame.
Notes: it was rather interesting writing something so dark about Hairspray which usually is happy shiny to me. For
fic_on_demand.
***
There’s no Mr Hairspray competition. Its harder finding boys to dance on the Corny Collins show (no matter how much the girls love it). They don’t want be labelled queer, as anything these days with dancing does, at least with boys.
Corny sometimes saw bruises on the arms of the dancers on his show. There are never any on the face; their pretty, young male faces can still smile then. Hide the bruises, a bump; they are clumsy, boyish teens. They get scolded. They learn to stick together.
The boys are used to be the only, or maybe one of two, boys of their age at their small dancing classes. They expect to be the featured dancer after being the only one for years.
Link Larkin did. Link was small for his age, very pretty, but smart.
A bit too smart for Corny’s taste. Smart in all the wrong ways for someone so young. Link knew the business. He didn’t want to take chances. Link didn’t want to change if it meant risking himself.
Inside of Link was a burning desire to be famous. It what Corny first noticed about him.
***
It’s been three months since Link was hired. Amber is infatuated with him. Changed schools even so they could be in the same class. Corny isn’t surprised, much, when her mother exploited her daughter’s first crush and made it a key element to the show.
Link and Amber share loves struck looks on the sound stage, but nary a hand goes below the waist and there is always a good amount of space between the two. The Corny Collins Show is a clean show after all.
He’s not surprised at all when Link went along with it all.
But Link seemed to care, at least a little bit, for Amber.
***
Link is rising amongst the dancers but he needed Corny to become the featured dancer. To be at the forefront. It’s his best chance to become noticed. Link would do anything to be a Star.
Corny is smiling when Link came to his office and tried to explain all the reasons why he should be the featured male dancer. Link is obviously unnerved by Corny’s calm and silence. He began to stutter and to play with the loose fabric on his trousers. There isn’t much. It’s what the fans want, the girls at least and a few boys, tight trousers on lithe Link.
“I deserve it!” Link exclaimed and he’s leaning forward and so close to Corny that he can grab Link by the shoulders and kiss him quick and hard. Link would blink and back away in surprise. Then exit, practically running out of the room.
Instead he just nodded and said he would consider it.
***
“I want Roy Munroe off the show,” Link declared. It’s an imprudent comment from him, especially considering his status as the not-featured male dancer. “He’s,” and this is where Link struggled, “Not as good dancer as me. He doesn‘t have the right to be the featured dancer.”
That true, Corny can admit, but normally Link would never falter in admitting that fact.
Corny stayed quiet. Link is staring at him desperately. “I think,” Link said suddenly, “That he’s a faggot.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?” Corny asked.
Link looked nervous for the first time Corny had known him. “He came on to me, Sir, he kissed me,” Link licked his lips and stared up at Corny with his big blue eyes. “He tried to pressure to touch him and I… walked away.”
Ran, Corny’s mind said delightedly.
And Link is still staring at him and his pink lips are wet.
“I’ll talk to Roy,” Corny said finally.
***
Roy denied it of course, but Link must have spread it around to the dancers and they avoid him. They whisper behind his back, conspiring in twos and threes, faggot being thrown around like an especially forbidden treat.
Without Corny, Roy left the show. He smile is tense in his final show. After it, he’s talking to Roy.
“I’ll take my chances in New York,” Roy muttered, “I hear it’s better there.”
Corny shrugged, remembering his short lived career in New York before a knee injury ruined any chance of a successful career.
“I mean,” here Roy looked desperate, “They’re not all like Link, right?”
Worse, Corny wanted to say. “It won’t matter so much in New York,” Corny said, which is somewhat true. “Everyone has secrets there, alright?”
It takes a while for Roy to understand.
***
“You have to make me lead dancer,” Link demanded, the instant he arrived in his office. “I thought you would, today and you didn’t!”
“It’ll be revealed tomorrow, Link, don’t you want it to be a surprise?” Corny said wearily, seating in his seat. For some reason he just doesn’t want to deal with Link and his persistent, selfish desires.
“No, I want it now,” Link shouted, nearly, but it came out as a sharp hiss, his face red. Can never know if you’re alone here.
“That’ll ruin the two part special that we promised to the audience. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?” Corny stood up and walked behind Link.
Who has gone rigid, breathing in quick bursts, with his fists clenched. Corny placed a hand on Link’s shoulder.
“We wouldn’t want to disappoint those hopeful fans who wait just as eagerly as you for who will be declared featured dancer, would we?”
At that Link turned around swiftly and gripped at Corny’s lapels. “Please,” he said his tone desperate, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself if someone else wins.”
Corny thought that was real. He grinned and took hold of Link’s face, bringing his face up so that it was facing Corny. He did kiss Link this time, deep and short and Link gasped when their lips part.
He’s running his hand up and down Link’s arm and Link is leaning into his touch. Then Link started and jerked back and stared at Corny with surprise. “Is this a joke?” He asked, “Is someone waiting behind that door?”
Corny waited a little while before shaking his head. “No,” he paused again. “It’s a school night, are you expected home?”
The confusion cleared alarmingly quickly in Link’s eyes. “I’ll make a phone call,” Link said slowly.
“I’ll wait,” Corny said, stepping back. A look of understanding passed between them. Link’s hand only shook once when he picked up the phone. The lie came easy on the phone call, a late night dance session, study at a friend’s and he’ll be at school on time.
Then Link faced him and smiled nervously.
***
Link eyes are wider than ever before, there are red marks on the parts of his body that are going to be hidden by clothes.
“A word of advice, kid,” Corny said, lighting a cigarette and letting the sheet fall past his lips. He doesn’t miss Link’s quick glimpse downward. “You want to be a star, right?”
Link nodded slowly, gripping at the sheet that came up to his shoulders.
“Hide that,” Corny said, taking a deep breath and leaning into his pillows. He can feel his knee acting up again. It ached before it rained. Always, now.
“Why?” Link asked, his voice without bravado for once.
Corny smiled slowly. “People will just exploit that to get what they want.” The ash is smeared on the sheet as Corny leaned forward, caressing the side of Link’s face. “Understand?”
Fandom: Hairspray
Rating: R
Characters: Corny, Link
Warnings: language, adult themes, sexual themes
Summary: Link would do anything for fame.
Notes: it was rather interesting writing something so dark about Hairspray which usually is happy shiny to me. For
fic_on_demand.
***
There’s no Mr Hairspray competition. Its harder finding boys to dance on the Corny Collins show (no matter how much the girls love it). They don’t want be labelled queer, as anything these days with dancing does, at least with boys.
Corny sometimes saw bruises on the arms of the dancers on his show. There are never any on the face; their pretty, young male faces can still smile then. Hide the bruises, a bump; they are clumsy, boyish teens. They get scolded. They learn to stick together.
The boys are used to be the only, or maybe one of two, boys of their age at their small dancing classes. They expect to be the featured dancer after being the only one for years.
Link Larkin did. Link was small for his age, very pretty, but smart.
A bit too smart for Corny’s taste. Smart in all the wrong ways for someone so young. Link knew the business. He didn’t want to take chances. Link didn’t want to change if it meant risking himself.
Inside of Link was a burning desire to be famous. It what Corny first noticed about him.
***
It’s been three months since Link was hired. Amber is infatuated with him. Changed schools even so they could be in the same class. Corny isn’t surprised, much, when her mother exploited her daughter’s first crush and made it a key element to the show.
Link and Amber share loves struck looks on the sound stage, but nary a hand goes below the waist and there is always a good amount of space between the two. The Corny Collins Show is a clean show after all.
He’s not surprised at all when Link went along with it all.
But Link seemed to care, at least a little bit, for Amber.
***
Link is rising amongst the dancers but he needed Corny to become the featured dancer. To be at the forefront. It’s his best chance to become noticed. Link would do anything to be a Star.
Corny is smiling when Link came to his office and tried to explain all the reasons why he should be the featured male dancer. Link is obviously unnerved by Corny’s calm and silence. He began to stutter and to play with the loose fabric on his trousers. There isn’t much. It’s what the fans want, the girls at least and a few boys, tight trousers on lithe Link.
“I deserve it!” Link exclaimed and he’s leaning forward and so close to Corny that he can grab Link by the shoulders and kiss him quick and hard. Link would blink and back away in surprise. Then exit, practically running out of the room.
Instead he just nodded and said he would consider it.
***
“I want Roy Munroe off the show,” Link declared. It’s an imprudent comment from him, especially considering his status as the not-featured male dancer. “He’s,” and this is where Link struggled, “Not as good dancer as me. He doesn‘t have the right to be the featured dancer.”
That true, Corny can admit, but normally Link would never falter in admitting that fact.
Corny stayed quiet. Link is staring at him desperately. “I think,” Link said suddenly, “That he’s a faggot.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?” Corny asked.
Link looked nervous for the first time Corny had known him. “He came on to me, Sir, he kissed me,” Link licked his lips and stared up at Corny with his big blue eyes. “He tried to pressure to touch him and I… walked away.”
Ran, Corny’s mind said delightedly.
And Link is still staring at him and his pink lips are wet.
“I’ll talk to Roy,” Corny said finally.
***
Roy denied it of course, but Link must have spread it around to the dancers and they avoid him. They whisper behind his back, conspiring in twos and threes, faggot being thrown around like an especially forbidden treat.
Without Corny, Roy left the show. He smile is tense in his final show. After it, he’s talking to Roy.
“I’ll take my chances in New York,” Roy muttered, “I hear it’s better there.”
Corny shrugged, remembering his short lived career in New York before a knee injury ruined any chance of a successful career.
“I mean,” here Roy looked desperate, “They’re not all like Link, right?”
Worse, Corny wanted to say. “It won’t matter so much in New York,” Corny said, which is somewhat true. “Everyone has secrets there, alright?”
It takes a while for Roy to understand.
***
“You have to make me lead dancer,” Link demanded, the instant he arrived in his office. “I thought you would, today and you didn’t!”
“It’ll be revealed tomorrow, Link, don’t you want it to be a surprise?” Corny said wearily, seating in his seat. For some reason he just doesn’t want to deal with Link and his persistent, selfish desires.
“No, I want it now,” Link shouted, nearly, but it came out as a sharp hiss, his face red. Can never know if you’re alone here.
“That’ll ruin the two part special that we promised to the audience. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?” Corny stood up and walked behind Link.
Who has gone rigid, breathing in quick bursts, with his fists clenched. Corny placed a hand on Link’s shoulder.
“We wouldn’t want to disappoint those hopeful fans who wait just as eagerly as you for who will be declared featured dancer, would we?”
At that Link turned around swiftly and gripped at Corny’s lapels. “Please,” he said his tone desperate, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself if someone else wins.”
Corny thought that was real. He grinned and took hold of Link’s face, bringing his face up so that it was facing Corny. He did kiss Link this time, deep and short and Link gasped when their lips part.
He’s running his hand up and down Link’s arm and Link is leaning into his touch. Then Link started and jerked back and stared at Corny with surprise. “Is this a joke?” He asked, “Is someone waiting behind that door?”
Corny waited a little while before shaking his head. “No,” he paused again. “It’s a school night, are you expected home?”
The confusion cleared alarmingly quickly in Link’s eyes. “I’ll make a phone call,” Link said slowly.
“I’ll wait,” Corny said, stepping back. A look of understanding passed between them. Link’s hand only shook once when he picked up the phone. The lie came easy on the phone call, a late night dance session, study at a friend’s and he’ll be at school on time.
Then Link faced him and smiled nervously.
***
Link eyes are wider than ever before, there are red marks on the parts of his body that are going to be hidden by clothes.
“A word of advice, kid,” Corny said, lighting a cigarette and letting the sheet fall past his lips. He doesn’t miss Link’s quick glimpse downward. “You want to be a star, right?”
Link nodded slowly, gripping at the sheet that came up to his shoulders.
“Hide that,” Corny said, taking a deep breath and leaning into his pillows. He can feel his knee acting up again. It ached before it rained. Always, now.
“Why?” Link asked, his voice without bravado for once.
Corny smiled slowly. “People will just exploit that to get what they want.” The ash is smeared on the sheet as Corny leaned forward, caressing the side of Link’s face. “Understand?”