My Place In Your Life 20/?
Author: allatingle
Rating: NC-17
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt/Puck, the rest of the gang wanders in and out.
Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: None
Spoilers: I can't separate Glee from FF or RL anymore so lets say everything.
Disclaimer: Mine only in my warped imagination.
Summary: Kurt and Puck decide to have some fun together. Just fun, no strings. But being totally casual isn't as easy as it looks.
Word Count: 2583
A/N: This is a beta free zone.
The conference centre was teaming with teenagers in matching outfits and the nervous energy in the giant space was palpable. New Directions was set to perform fourth, right after the break; not the best position but at least they weren’t first. That’s what Rachel said, anyway.
Rachel. Stupid, stupid Rachel who had managed to corner Kurt again in their dressing room and fire off another half dozen condescending questions about his preparedness.
“Godammit, Rachel, I am going to strangle you with these hideous suspenders if you don’t back off!” Kurt hissed.
She grasped his hand. “Don’t get upset Kurt, it will affect your performance. Why don't you join me in taking some deep, calming breaths.”
Kurt yanked his hand away. “I’m going to the bathroom, is that okay? Will that negatively affect my performance in some way? Should I hold it, maybe that will give me greater intensity?”
“Actually, holding it when you need to relieve yourself is never advisable. It puts unnecessary strain on your bladder and can lead to incontinence in later life."
“Mr. Schue, I’m going to the bathroom,” Kurt virtually shouted. He turned on his heel and with a parting glare at Rachel, stalked out of the room.
Ten minutes later he wasn’t back and Mr. Schue was starting to worry. “We’re on in twenty minutes, what’s taking Kurt so long?”
“Well, if he’s messing with his hair he could be gone for hours,” Artie commented.
“Finn, go and find him and hurry back,” Mr Schue directed.
Puck hopped off his perch on a side table. “I’ll get him, Finn will just get lost.”
Finn reached out to give him a shove as he passed by but Puck ducked out of the way and through the door with a laugh, Mr. Schue's voice trailing behind him. “And come right back, no wandering around!”
“Kurt?” Puck called out as he pushed open the bathroom door. His voice echoed off the tile walls but there was no voice bouncing back in return. By the time he got to the last stall he was pulling out his phone.
From #1badass: wre r u
From kwintour: rm 217
Puck frowned as he left the bathroom and jogged up the stairs to the second floor. He weaved through the throngs of students and down a maze of corridors until he found the room and slipped inside. It was a small conference room with chairs set up in rows facing a podium and at the front of it, pacing back and forth, was Kurt.
“Hey, we’re on in like 15 minutes, what are you doing in here?”
Kurt didn’t even pause in his agitated patrol of the front row. “What am I doing? What does it look like I’m doing? I’m freaking the fuck out.”
“Yeah, I can see that, why?” Puck asked.
Kurt managed to shoot him an incredulous glare without losing his stride. “Why? Because I have a solo, Noah, a solo!”
“Ye-es,” Puck dragged the word out slowly as he walked down the centre aisle towards him.
“Do you know what that means?” Kurt’s voice was high and strained and just shy of hysterical.
Puck reached the first row of chairs and grabbed one, twisting it around and straddling it backwards. “Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you’ll be the only one singing?”
“Exactly. Just me. Centre stage. Alone. In front of thousands of people.” Kurt stopped abruptly and wrapped his arms around his stomach. “Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Come on,” Puck scoffed. “It's not exactly thousands of people, it’s like, six or seven hundred, max.”
Kurt's stomach churned and his throat felt like the Sahara and he needed water and air... and possibly a valium. He whirled on Puck. “Oh, only six or seven hundred people to point at me and gasp in horror when I just stand there, frozen, with my mouth hanging open and nothing coming out. That's just fucking peachy!” And hysterical had officially been reached.
“Babe, relax.”
“You know, I would, but that flies in the face of the whole freaking out thing and I’m pretty committed to that right now.” He flapped his hands frantically as he resumed his self-appointed task of wearing a narrow track in the carpet. “Oh God, Rachel’s right.”
Puck gave a disdainful snort. “Rachel’s never right.”
Kurt had reached the far wall and turned back again. “No, she is. She has way more experience than I do and she’s a much more talented performer, she should be singing this solo, not me.”
“Okay, now you’ve really lost it.” Puck pushed up from the chair and grabbed Kurt’s arm as he passed by, pulling him to a stop. “You are way more talented than Rachel. You’re way more talented than anyone I know. Lots of girls can hit a high F, how many guys do you know that can do it?”
“It’s not just about hitting the high notes, Noah, it’s about star power, and one thing Rachel has is star power. She may be annoying as hell, but she knows how to work a crowd." Kurt took a shaky breath. "I think I’m going to faint. I’m going to throw up, then faint.”
“You’re not going to-”
“A soloist has to have presence, Noah, they have to command the stage.”
“Babe,” Puck tugged at his arm, drawing him close. “You command any room you’re in. You’re going to be awesome.”
“What makes you so sure?” Kurt’s voice had gone from high and shrill to barely there.
Puck took hold of his chin and tilted his face up and waited until Kurt’s wide blue eyes reluctantly met his. “Because you have an amazing voice. Because you are totally prepared.” He paused and the corner of his mouth quirked up a little. “Because if you throw up, you’ll get your clothes dirty and if you faint, you’ll mess up your hair and neither of those things is an option in the fabulous world of Kurt Hummel.” He punctuated the word fabulous with a bob of his head and a snap of his fingers.
Kurt couldn’t help the huff of laughter that escaped him because the tough jock with the mohawk had just given him a diva snap that would make J. Alexander proud. “You are ridiculous.”
Puck grinned. “Maybe, but I’m also right.” He let go of Kurt’s chin and brought both of his hands up to cup his face. “You are going to rock that solo, babe. It was made for you. You own that solo. That solo is your bitch!”
That made Kurt laugh again and suddenly the raging inferno of panic that had been consuming him begin to fizzle. He reached out and slid his arms around Puck’s waist. “Trust you to make show choir, crass and obnoxious.”
“I’m a man of many talents,” Puck asserted with a cocky shrug. “Most of which you are already intimately aware.”
“Most?”
“I still have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Puck murmured as he pressed a kiss to Kurt’s lips. “Better?” He asked after a minute.
Kurt nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Kurt had to bite his lip against the three words that threatened to spill out. I love you.
Puck gave him a last quick peck. “Now come on, we’ve got to go, Mr Schue’s probably having a coronary.”
As if to prove his point both of their phones started buzzing. They hurried back downstairs to the dressing room where their teammates were gearing up to go on stage.
“They’re here, “ Lauren called out when they walked through the door.
“Oh thank God,” Rachel sighed, although Kurt swore she looked a little disappointed.
Puck was right, he killed his solo. The crowd was on their feet three notes in and stayed there for their entire performance. No matter what happened, Kurt had done his job, the judges first impression of New Directions had been stunning. Even Rachel threw her arms around him backstage and told him what a fantastic job he did. Sort of.
“Kurt you were outstanding. It is so gratifying to see all my mentoring yield such magnificent results!”
Kurt couldn’t even be bothered to be annoyed with her. He was on a performance high, they all were, drunk on thunderous applause and the sweet taste of victory within their grasp.
They watched the last three clubs perform, including a disquieting, yet oddly compelling performance of Gregorian chants by the Walden Christian School Halos and then they spilled into the lobby with the rest of the teams to await the judges decision.
~~~
“Warbler alert,” Mercedes hissed suddenly, bumping Kurt’s shoulder.
He glanced up from where they were leaning on a windowsill, mercilessly critiquing the costumes of the other teams and saw the lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers heading their way.
The boy stopped in front of them, smiling brightly. “Hi, it’s Kurt and... Mercedes, right?”
“Right,” Mercedes confirmed with a nod, bumping Kurt’s shoulder again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her grinning madly.
“You probably don’t remember me, I’m Blaine Anderson. We met at-”
“The Westerville County Arts Festival, of course we remember you, don’t we Kurt?” Mercedes bumped him again.
Kurt smiled and resisted the urge to bump her back. Hard. “Of course, nice to see you again, Blaine.”
“You guys were great,” Mercedes enthused. “Your Katy Perry medley was killer.”
“Well, thank you, Mercedes, that’s very sweet of you to say.” Blaine’s smile got impossibly brighter. “And that is a vey cool name, by the way. Sleek, top of the line, luxury automobile, very fitting.”
Kurt almost rolled his eyes at the cheesy line and glanced at Mercedes to share a mocking smirk with his best friend, but she was too busy batting her eyelashes and twining her hair around her finger too notice. “Thanks,” she giggled.
Star power. This boy definitely had it.
“I certainly appreciate the kudos but we were practically a barbershop quartet compared to New Directions. I mean, we knew you’d be stiff competition but wow!”
“Thanks,” Kurt spoke up, since Mercedes was still preening.
Blaine turned his full attention and dazzling smile directly on Kurt. He glanced back over his shoulder and then leaned towards him conspiratorially. “Don’t tell my teammates I said it, but on the basis of your solo alone, I think you guys should win. You were breathtaking.”
Okay, so, Kurt was no expert in this arena but he was pretty sure that the cute, honey-voiced, pretty-eyed, gay boy was flirting with him. Apparently Mercedes thought so too because she bumped his shoulder again and, honestly, he would have to remember to kill her later.
“And then to be followed up with a powerhouse like you, Mercedes,” Blaine went on. “You held that note forever, I was blown away. I only wish I could have heard more. Your director is totally wasting your talent only having you come in at the end to belt out the last few notes.”
And Blaine Anderson now had a friend for life.
“I know!” Mercedes shrieked indignantly. “See, even our competition can see how crazy that is. I’m telling Mr.Schue!” And she was off, marching purposefully into the crowd in search of their teacher and Kurt wasn’t sure if she was really on the warpath or whether she had found a convenient excuse to slip away and leave him alone with Blaine. Knowing Mercedes, it was probably the latter.
Kurt tilted his head and gave Blaine an appraising look. “So, do they teach charm at that school of yours or does all that come naturally?”
Blaine ducked his head sheepishly. “Sorry, I tend to gush a little when I really like something, but I meant it, she does have a beautiful voice.”
“She does,” Kurt agreed.
“Almost as fantastic as yours.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, amused.
“Sorry, I’m gushing again aren’t I?”
“A little bit,” Kurt replied with a laugh.
Blaine stuck both hands in his pockets and bounced on the balls of his feet. “I won’t comment on your costumes then.”
“Ugh, please don’t, they’re not at all what I wanted.”
Blaine leaned back and gave Kurt a lingering once over. “What? I think you look great."
Okay, definitely flirting.
“I’m wearing gold suspenders, Blaine.”
“Gold sparkly suspenders, sparkle is very in this season, Versace’s spring line is all about the sparkle.”
“Subtle sparkle, not garish and... wait, you’re familiar with Versace’s spring line?”
“Not a lot, just what I read in Vogue. Personally, I’m more of a Brooks Brothers, Ben Sherman kind of guy when I’m out of the uniform but,” Blaine reached out and tugged lightly on Kurt’s bow tie, “I like a little sparkle.”
Kurt’s tongue skimmed across his bottom lip before he flashed a rather bright smile of his own “Well, who doesn’t like a little sparkle?”
And now I’m flirting back. Is it bad that I’m flirting back?
“Hey, you know if you’re really into designers...” Blaine started.
Kurt cocked an eyebrow curiously.
“There’s this great mall just outside Westerville, it has a ton of designer stuff at major discounts.”
All questions about the appropriateness of his behavior were instantly derailed. Kurt’s eye widened. “Really?”
“Yeah, some really great stuff. Maybe...” Blaine nibbled at his lip and shrugged too casually for it to be casual. “...we could go shopping sometime... grab a coffee...”
Holy shit. Cute, honey-voiced, pretty-eyed, Vogue-reading gay boy, just asked him out.
“Oh. I... um... well, I would love to go shopping, but... I’m kind of...”
Blaine filled in the words Kurt couldn’t really say. “Seeing someone?”
Kurt nodded.
In love with someone, actually.
“Ah. Lucky guy.” Blaine ducked his head and the fact that he was so clearly disappointed made Kurt blush just a little. “Well, just shopping then, I could always use a partner in crime. The pre-summer sales are phenomenal, I picked up a Marc Jacobs leather satchel for $90 last year.”
Kurt gasped, “Shut up!”
Blaine’s thousand watt smile was back. “Tell you what, I’ll give you my number, if you want to go shopping or... whatever, give me a call.”
Kurt hesitated because he knew what ‘or whatever’ meant and he was with Noah. Sort of. But designer sales... Kurt handed Blaine his phone. “Designer sales? Hell yeah, I’m definitely in.”
Blaine laughed as he typed in his number. “Okay, well I look forward to hearing from you.”
A ripple of energy suddenly ran through the room.
“Blaine!”
“Kurt!”
They both turned towards the sound of their name. A boy in a blue blazer waving in one corner, a tiny girl in black and gold jumping up and down in another.
“I guess the results are in.” Blaine grimaced comically. “Good luck.”
“You too.”
Blaine held Kurt’s eyes for a moment more and then with a little wave turned and made his way through the crowd to his waiting teammates. Kurt bit his lip and watched him go because he was cute and he had a beautiful eyes and his smile could guide planes to the runway and he was fucking flirting with him and, well, that was kind of awesome.
“Kurt!”
And that wasn’t Rachel’s voice this time, it was Noah’s, and Kurt instantly forgot all about cute, designer knowing gay boys because... Noah... and he jogged over to join his team.