His Perfect Partner (1/?)
Title: His Perfect Partner (1/?)
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None in particular, since this is very AU, but assume that anything through 3.14 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2840
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.
Author's Note: This story was inevitable, really, considering that I started out in the DWTS fandom before happily joining the Glee family. 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 and some actual DWTS pros appear to round out the cast of characters.
Additional Author's Note: This is a work in progress, but I've already written more than 22,000 words, which is about enough to get us through hiatus posting twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays). I will be staying multiple chapters ahead as I post, and I promise to finish what I start. If you'd like to keep track of updates on lj, I have a master glee post here which I will keep updated. Or follow my bff's tumblr for updates and some fun multi-media extras that will go along with most chapters.
Special thanks to gypsyangel25 for providing DWTS expertise and incisive questions, wintercreek for her precision beta skills and thoughtful commentary, and samzgurl for assisting with world-building, finding creative solutions to narrative problems, and cheering me on so I can make this story happen.
*****
“Well?” Mike asked, as he and Tina sat down across from Kurt at their usual table in the L.A. Bean.
“Brit’s not here yet. We should wait for her,” Kurt said. “How’s the studio?”
“Great,” Tina said, taking a sip of her latte. “We have some really promising new students, and I haven’t had to kick any aging socialites out of class for ogling my husband yet, so that’s a bonus.”
“You know I have a strict anti-ogling policy, love,” Mike said, smiling as he took her hand.
“Oh I don’t worry about you,” Tina said. “But I’m keeping an eye on that one woman in the Thursday class. She’s entirely too fond of watching you demonstrate the proper samba bounce, if you get my meaning.”
“Tina, if you had a dollar for every woman who likes to watch Mike shake his ass, you’d be able to buy my entire fall wardrobe and have money left over,” Kurt said.
“True,” Tina said, grinning. “After all, he has a great ass. I should know.”
“Uh, thanks?” Mike said, covering his face with one hand as Tina leaned into him laughing.
“You’re welcome, darling,” she said. She and Kurt were both still giggling when Kurt found himself with a lapful of leggy blonde.
“Hi guys!” Brittany said brightly, turning in Kurt’s lap so she could steal a sip of his coffee. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope. We haven’t started yet,” Mike said.
“Brit-Brit, can you sit in your own seat? I’m going to need my legs if I’m going to survive this season,” Kurt said.
“So you’re in for sure?” Tina said. Kurt nodded. “Us too!”
“Me three! Er…four?” Brittany said, looking around the table. Kurt held up four fingers. “Me four!”
“Thank god,” Kurt said. “I’m going to need all of you to keep me sane. Between Rachel and her ‘helpful music suggestions’ and the return of Bitsy the hyperactive chipmunk, this season is already giving me a headache.”
“I like chipmunks,” Brittany said. “I didn’t know they could dance.”
“Wonders never cease,” Kurt said, handing Brittany a spoon so she could scoop out the rest of his whipped cream. “Case in point: Bitsy and her block of wood partner managed to make it to Week Four last season.”
“You know Elizabeth hates being called Bitsy,” Tina said conversationally.
“And I hate that girls in LA seem to think that yoga pants are appropriate attire outside the yoga studio. There are some things we just have to live with,” Kurt said.
“So, we meet our partners next week.” Mike, ever the peacemaker, attempted to change the subject.
“Yep. Which means we have seven weeks until the premiere,” Tina said. “I need to start thinking about choreography.”
“I need to take up prayer or animal sacrifice or something,” Kurt said. “I cannot deal with yet another season of coming in sixth, or ninth, or last.”
“It’s not your fault, man,” Mike said. “They’ve saddled you with some doozies. You deserve a good partner for once.”
“You’re sweet,” Kurt said. “I swear the producers have it in for me. ‘Oh, a 50-year-old has-been with an anger problem? Give her to the token gay!’”
“You know you’re good with them, though,” Tina said. “Your partners all end up loving you, which is more than most of us can say.”
“Says the girl who has two shiny mirrorball trophies at home. I’ll take those over being liked any day,” Kurt said, stealing his drink back from Brittany before she could finish it off. “This will be my sixth season, and the best I’ve ever done is come in fifth.”
“I came in fifth at the Little Miss California pageant when I was seven,” Brittany said. “I dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and recited the Gettysburg Address.”
“Of course you did, Brit,” Kurt said, a smile replacing his frown as he imagined a tiny Brit with a beard and top hat. “I bet you were adorable.”
“The judges said I was historically significant but visually disturbing,” Brittany said, sliding out of the booth. “I’m going to get a smoothie. Does anyone want anything?”
The three of them still at the table all shook their heads, trying not to laugh. They loved Brit, they really did, but sometimes she said the damnedest things.
***
The following Wednesday morning, on what was shaping up to be another sultry August day, Kurt and a camera crew drove into the hills to a massive estate that belonged to his new partner. Kurt had been thrilled when the producers told him her name. Kim Schrodinger was an actress in her mid-30s, most famous for the sitcom she’d starred in for six years in her 20s. She was married to a musician now, had two kids - a boy and a girl - and a busy professional life guest starring on and producing tv shows. She was well-known, well-respected, and most importantly well-loved. Even if she had no dance experience at all, her legions of fans would vote to keep her on the show until Kurt could whip her into shape. He knew even without meeting her that she would be his best shot at the trophy. He hoped she was up to the challenge.
Kurt sat in the back of the studio car while the camera crew went in to set up. He used the downtime wisely, running through a mental list of techniques to try and questions to ask once they got the official meet and greet out of the way. They would be starting with the cha cha, a fun dance that would let Kim show off her personality. Kurt had already been through the song choices, selecting three that he thought might work. He’d run those by her today, so that he could jump right into choreography after rehearsal, once he’d seen what she could do. He was hoping for a miracle, but he could make it work regardless.
A few minutes later, Kurt was summoned to the front door. He took a second to straighten his vest and tie and check his hair in the mirror before knocking. Kim opened the door after his second knock, looking pretty and trim in casual trousers and a silk top. Kurt noted with approval that the top of her head was level with his eyeline and she probably weighed 115 pounds soaking wet. If - no, when - they made it that far, she’d be easy to lift during the freestyle.
“Hi!” Kim said, drawing Kurt into a hug. “Kurt, right? I’m so excited that you’re my partner. You’re my favorite pro. But I bet that’s what they all say.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kurt said, once she released him. He smiled at her a little dazedly, overwhelmed by how cheerful and nice she was.
“You are just as gorgeous in person as I thought you’d be,” Kim confided, looping her arm through Kurt’s as she led him through the house.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Kurt replied, and she laughed.
“You’re sweet. This is going to be fun. I should warn you, though, that my kids are here, and they want to meet you more than they want pizza for dinner every night, which is a lot. I hope you don’t mind?”
“No, that’s fine,” Kurt said. “I like kids.”
“Great! Because Jake and Molly will just love you.” Kim said, before shouting up the stairs. “Jakesters, Moll! Kurt’s here! Come say hello like the perfect little angels you aspire to be.”
Two kids, the girl obviously a few years older than the boy, who looked about five, came tumbling down the stairs, trailed by a golden retriever. They both had dark hair like their mother, though the girl’s was curly and slightly auburn, which she had to get from her dad. Grant Monroe was as handsome as his wife was beautiful, at least from the pictures and videos Kurt had seen.
“Hi guys. I’m Kurt.” Kurt crouched down to their level, amused when Molly beamed at him but Jake wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too!” Molly said, flinging herself at him. Apparently she took after her mother in the friendliness department. Kurt hugged her back, and then set her down so he could turn to Jake.
“Hi, Jake.”
“Hi,” Jake said, glancing up at Kurt from beneath his lashes and curling his fingers in the dog’s fur.
“I like your dog. What’s its name?”
“Bandit.”
“That’s a great name. I bet you’re a really good friend to Bandit,” Kurt said, reaching out to pet Bandit’s head.
“Uh huh,” Jake said, finally looking up. “He sleeps on my bed and I take him for walks and give him treats.”
“He must love you an awful lot, then,” Kurt said. He gave Bandit a last pat and squeezed Jake’s shoulder before standing up. Jake smiled at him and nodded.
“Ok, squirts,” Kim said. “Kurt and I have to get to work, so you two go play. Daddy will be home for lunch so we can all eat together.”
“Can Kurt stay for lunch?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know,” Kim said, looking at him. “Can Kurt stay for lunch?”
“Sure. That would be great,” Kurt said.
“Yay!” Molly squeezed him once more around the waist before grabbing her brother’s hand and pulling him outside behind her.
“And that,” Kim said, turning them in the direction of a big, open room that would serve as their rehearsal space, “is how you make fans for life.”
Chapter One - Part Two
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None in particular, since this is very AU, but assume that anything through 3.14 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2840
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.
Author's Note: This story was inevitable, really, considering that I started out in the DWTS fandom before happily joining the Glee family. 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 and some actual DWTS pros appear to round out the cast of characters.
Additional Author's Note: This is a work in progress, but I've already written more than 22,000 words, which is about enough to get us through hiatus posting twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays). I will be staying multiple chapters ahead as I post, and I promise to finish what I start. If you'd like to keep track of updates on lj, I have a master glee post here which I will keep updated. Or follow my bff's tumblr for updates and some fun multi-media extras that will go along with most chapters.
Special thanks to gypsyangel25 for providing DWTS expertise and incisive questions, wintercreek for her precision beta skills and thoughtful commentary, and samzgurl for assisting with world-building, finding creative solutions to narrative problems, and cheering me on so I can make this story happen.
*****
“Well?” Mike asked, as he and Tina sat down across from Kurt at their usual table in the L.A. Bean.
“Brit’s not here yet. We should wait for her,” Kurt said. “How’s the studio?”
“Great,” Tina said, taking a sip of her latte. “We have some really promising new students, and I haven’t had to kick any aging socialites out of class for ogling my husband yet, so that’s a bonus.”
“You know I have a strict anti-ogling policy, love,” Mike said, smiling as he took her hand.
“Oh I don’t worry about you,” Tina said. “But I’m keeping an eye on that one woman in the Thursday class. She’s entirely too fond of watching you demonstrate the proper samba bounce, if you get my meaning.”
“Tina, if you had a dollar for every woman who likes to watch Mike shake his ass, you’d be able to buy my entire fall wardrobe and have money left over,” Kurt said.
“True,” Tina said, grinning. “After all, he has a great ass. I should know.”
“Uh, thanks?” Mike said, covering his face with one hand as Tina leaned into him laughing.
“You’re welcome, darling,” she said. She and Kurt were both still giggling when Kurt found himself with a lapful of leggy blonde.
“Hi guys!” Brittany said brightly, turning in Kurt’s lap so she could steal a sip of his coffee. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope. We haven’t started yet,” Mike said.
“Brit-Brit, can you sit in your own seat? I’m going to need my legs if I’m going to survive this season,” Kurt said.
“So you’re in for sure?” Tina said. Kurt nodded. “Us too!”
“Me three! Er…four?” Brittany said, looking around the table. Kurt held up four fingers. “Me four!”
“Thank god,” Kurt said. “I’m going to need all of you to keep me sane. Between Rachel and her ‘helpful music suggestions’ and the return of Bitsy the hyperactive chipmunk, this season is already giving me a headache.”
“I like chipmunks,” Brittany said. “I didn’t know they could dance.”
“Wonders never cease,” Kurt said, handing Brittany a spoon so she could scoop out the rest of his whipped cream. “Case in point: Bitsy and her block of wood partner managed to make it to Week Four last season.”
“You know Elizabeth hates being called Bitsy,” Tina said conversationally.
“And I hate that girls in LA seem to think that yoga pants are appropriate attire outside the yoga studio. There are some things we just have to live with,” Kurt said.
“So, we meet our partners next week.” Mike, ever the peacemaker, attempted to change the subject.
“Yep. Which means we have seven weeks until the premiere,” Tina said. “I need to start thinking about choreography.”
“I need to take up prayer or animal sacrifice or something,” Kurt said. “I cannot deal with yet another season of coming in sixth, or ninth, or last.”
“It’s not your fault, man,” Mike said. “They’ve saddled you with some doozies. You deserve a good partner for once.”
“You’re sweet,” Kurt said. “I swear the producers have it in for me. ‘Oh, a 50-year-old has-been with an anger problem? Give her to the token gay!’”
“You know you’re good with them, though,” Tina said. “Your partners all end up loving you, which is more than most of us can say.”
“Says the girl who has two shiny mirrorball trophies at home. I’ll take those over being liked any day,” Kurt said, stealing his drink back from Brittany before she could finish it off. “This will be my sixth season, and the best I’ve ever done is come in fifth.”
“I came in fifth at the Little Miss California pageant when I was seven,” Brittany said. “I dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and recited the Gettysburg Address.”
“Of course you did, Brit,” Kurt said, a smile replacing his frown as he imagined a tiny Brit with a beard and top hat. “I bet you were adorable.”
“The judges said I was historically significant but visually disturbing,” Brittany said, sliding out of the booth. “I’m going to get a smoothie. Does anyone want anything?”
The three of them still at the table all shook their heads, trying not to laugh. They loved Brit, they really did, but sometimes she said the damnedest things.
***
The following Wednesday morning, on what was shaping up to be another sultry August day, Kurt and a camera crew drove into the hills to a massive estate that belonged to his new partner. Kurt had been thrilled when the producers told him her name. Kim Schrodinger was an actress in her mid-30s, most famous for the sitcom she’d starred in for six years in her 20s. She was married to a musician now, had two kids - a boy and a girl - and a busy professional life guest starring on and producing tv shows. She was well-known, well-respected, and most importantly well-loved. Even if she had no dance experience at all, her legions of fans would vote to keep her on the show until Kurt could whip her into shape. He knew even without meeting her that she would be his best shot at the trophy. He hoped she was up to the challenge.
Kurt sat in the back of the studio car while the camera crew went in to set up. He used the downtime wisely, running through a mental list of techniques to try and questions to ask once they got the official meet and greet out of the way. They would be starting with the cha cha, a fun dance that would let Kim show off her personality. Kurt had already been through the song choices, selecting three that he thought might work. He’d run those by her today, so that he could jump right into choreography after rehearsal, once he’d seen what she could do. He was hoping for a miracle, but he could make it work regardless.
A few minutes later, Kurt was summoned to the front door. He took a second to straighten his vest and tie and check his hair in the mirror before knocking. Kim opened the door after his second knock, looking pretty and trim in casual trousers and a silk top. Kurt noted with approval that the top of her head was level with his eyeline and she probably weighed 115 pounds soaking wet. If - no, when - they made it that far, she’d be easy to lift during the freestyle.
“Hi!” Kim said, drawing Kurt into a hug. “Kurt, right? I’m so excited that you’re my partner. You’re my favorite pro. But I bet that’s what they all say.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kurt said, once she released him. He smiled at her a little dazedly, overwhelmed by how cheerful and nice she was.
“You are just as gorgeous in person as I thought you’d be,” Kim confided, looping her arm through Kurt’s as she led him through the house.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Kurt replied, and she laughed.
“You’re sweet. This is going to be fun. I should warn you, though, that my kids are here, and they want to meet you more than they want pizza for dinner every night, which is a lot. I hope you don’t mind?”
“No, that’s fine,” Kurt said. “I like kids.”
“Great! Because Jake and Molly will just love you.” Kim said, before shouting up the stairs. “Jakesters, Moll! Kurt’s here! Come say hello like the perfect little angels you aspire to be.”
Two kids, the girl obviously a few years older than the boy, who looked about five, came tumbling down the stairs, trailed by a golden retriever. They both had dark hair like their mother, though the girl’s was curly and slightly auburn, which she had to get from her dad. Grant Monroe was as handsome as his wife was beautiful, at least from the pictures and videos Kurt had seen.
“Hi guys. I’m Kurt.” Kurt crouched down to their level, amused when Molly beamed at him but Jake wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too!” Molly said, flinging herself at him. Apparently she took after her mother in the friendliness department. Kurt hugged her back, and then set her down so he could turn to Jake.
“Hi, Jake.”
“Hi,” Jake said, glancing up at Kurt from beneath his lashes and curling his fingers in the dog’s fur.
“I like your dog. What’s its name?”
“Bandit.”
“That’s a great name. I bet you’re a really good friend to Bandit,” Kurt said, reaching out to pet Bandit’s head.
“Uh huh,” Jake said, finally looking up. “He sleeps on my bed and I take him for walks and give him treats.”
“He must love you an awful lot, then,” Kurt said. He gave Bandit a last pat and squeezed Jake’s shoulder before standing up. Jake smiled at him and nodded.
“Ok, squirts,” Kim said. “Kurt and I have to get to work, so you two go play. Daddy will be home for lunch so we can all eat together.”
“Can Kurt stay for lunch?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know,” Kim said, looking at him. “Can Kurt stay for lunch?”
“Sure. That would be great,” Kurt said.
“Yay!” Molly squeezed him once more around the waist before grabbing her brother’s hand and pulling him outside behind her.
“And that,” Kim said, turning them in the direction of a big, open room that would serve as their rehearsal space, “is how you make fans for life.”
Chapter One - Part Two