His Perfect Partner (15/?)
Title: His Perfect Partner (15/?)
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 3.15 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2829
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: Kurt and Blaine find it awfully hard to keep things under wraps.
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.
Tuesday night was interminable as usual, made worse by the fact that Blaine and Bitsy were standing directly in front of Kurt and Kim for most of the show. During commercial breaks, Blaine would turn around and smile up at Kurt, while Kim poked him in the side and grinned. It was the best kind of torture, and Kurt was glad he had Kim there to keep him from doing something embarrassing like grinning like an idiot through the entire show. He didn’t need the entire cast and all of America to know that something was up quite yet.
After the show, Blaine caught up with Kurt back at his trailer and kissed the daylights out of him before running off because he’d promised Bitsy that he’d get a good night’s sleep for rehearsal the next day. Kurt vowed to do the same following his family dinner, but ended up tossing and turning half the night, unable to get warm brown eyes and curly hair out of his mind.
Kurt threw himself into rehearsal the next morning, pushing Kim hard and fast through the paso choreography he’d already completed. Matt and Chelsie had been eliminated the night before, which meant that slowly but surely the competition was narrowing to those couples who could really dance. Kurt was planning to step up their game incrementally, so Kim could ease in to showing her full potential. This week, her challenge was to fully embody the power and passion of the bullfight, and they’d chosen a somewhat obscure song that Kurt thought would help Kim feel both strong and sexy. The first time he’d played it through for her, marking the basic steps, she’d grinned, slow and fierce, and hadn’t cracked a joke for nearly an hour. Kurt figured that was the best sign he could hope for.
Kim engineered a group outing for lunch, with all the usual suspects. This time, Blaine sat across the table from Kurt, but still managed to distract him by hooking one foot around Kurt’s ankle and smiling at him over their salads. Kurt knew he should be careful, that he shouldn’t let all that adorable charm melt him so easily, but he couldn’t resist leaning closer and ignoring his lunch and smiling back. If all his friends hadn’t already known something was going on, they certainly did now.
The rest of the week fell into a similar pattern: productive rehearsals with Kim, daily lunches and some dinners with the group, and stolen moments with Blaine whenever both of them were free. On Thursday night, they went for a drive between dinner and Kurt’s pro rehearsal, Blaine at the wheel while Kurt navigated and held his hand. Saturday afternoon, they met for a late lunch in the downtown studio between rehearsals. Kurt supplied plates, cutlery and a blanket, and Blaine brought food from some obscure little market for a picnic. It was romantic and sweet, or so Kim said when she walked back in for rehearsal and they were still cozied up in a corner with dessert.
Unfortunately, Kim wandering in during their lunch was the least embarrassing of their cast run-ins that week. Tom had caught them making out like teenagers behind a rack of costumes when he’d come into wardrobe for a fitting, which had amused him and mortified both Kurt and Blaine. They’d sworn that they’d stop getting within touching distance in public places after that, but that was a promise neither of them had been strong enough to keep.
Sunday afternoon following blocking, Kurt had cornered Blaine in their favorite little-used hallway, backing him into the wall with clear intent. When Maks came around the corner a few minutes later, they were still technically fully clothed, but that was about all they had going for them. Kurt knew that the joke Maks made about all of Kurt’s strength and dance training finally coming in handy was only the tip of the iceberg.
Before Maks could escape and spread the latest gossip to anyone who would listen, Kurt chased him down and pulled him into an empty workroom.
“One man not enough for you, Hummel?” Maks asked, grinning.
“You’re hilarious.” Kurt sat down in an office chair and worked on tucking his shirt back in.
“Well, if you don’t want my body, what can I do for you?”
“You can keep your trap shut about me and Blaine.”
“You might want to keep your hands off each other in public, in that case. Anybody else walks by and sees that, they’re not going to need much explanation to figure it out,” Maks shot back. Kurt sighed.
“I know. I just…”
“Have the hots for some guy and have joined the rest of us in fallible human territory? It’s not a crime, Kurt. It makes you seem a little more normal, actually.”
“Thanks?”
“You’re welcome. And while I’m dispensing brilliant yet free advice, have you considered the fact that everyone already knows and no one cares?”
“Really?”
“Wow, you really are gone on him, aren’t you? Yes, everyone knows. No, no one cares. Live and let live, you know?” Maks leaned against a desk opposite Kurt, clearly intending to stay a while.
“I just don’t want the wrong people finding out. Not right now.”
“The press, you mean. You know nobody here’s going to say anything, but you might want to figure things out before it gets out there anyway. I know from personal experience just how hard it is to keep things under wraps around here.”
“Blaine’s not out,” Kurt said. He hesitated, torn between defending him and being annoyed by the restrictions it put on both of them at the moment.
“Right. So it seems to me that you have two options. Sneak around like little dance ninjas, or have a serious talk at some point and decide how much publicity is too much.”
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? I mean this whole thing hasn’t been going on for long. What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, be my boyfriend, but first, come out to the entire world’?”
“From what I hear, Blaine’s been dating you for at least a few weeks now, even if you were too dense to notice. I doubt he’d be that surprised by that conversation.”
“I swear you have spies,” Kurt muttered.
“No, I just have a partner who’s completely enamored with one of your closest friends on set. She tells me things.”
“Speaking of,” Kurt said, happy for a chance to change the topic, “what’s going on there? Santana seems a little much for Brit.”
“Santana?” Maks scoffed. “She’s all bark and no bite. I almost made her cry last week. I’m sure I’ll get there before the season’s out. And anyway, she practically worships Brittany. It’s disgustingly precious, and your darling Brit-Brit holds all the power.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely. If anyone’s in danger, it’s ‘Tana. She’s tough on the outside, but she’s started to let her marshmallow center show. Not that I expect Brit to hurt her on purpose or anything, but still.”
“You’re saying I shouldn’t worry about them.”
“Pretty much. Seems like you have enough to keep up with at the moment. Also, I still intend to kick your ass on the dance floor.” Maks got up and patted Kurt on the shoulder.
“Same goes,” Kurt said, punching Maks lightly in the arm in return.
Maks had only been gone for a minute or two when Blaine appeared in the doorway, looking slightly sheepish.
“All clear?”
“Yep. I sent the big, bad dancer on his way.” Kurt grinned when Blaine rolled his eyes. “I’ve known him longer, so I’m pretty sure that was in my department.”
“Let me guess: Elizabeth is my territory?”
“Have I mentioned that you’re very smart?” Kurt got up and coaxed Blaine inside so he could shut the door.
“Feel free to mention it anytime. I don’t mind.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“I’m a pop star - unearned flattery is my bread and butter.”
“Did I say smart? I meant ridiculous,” Kurt said. “And speaking of ridiculous, is Bitsy really letting you dance a paso to Don’t You Want Me?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Blaine said, pulling Kurt to him as his back rested against the door. “Don’t you?”
“Ridiculous,” Kurt said again, but the sting of his insult was lost in the movement of his lips on Blaine’s.
***
The next night, Kurt was amazed that both he and Blaine managed to perform quality pasos, distracted as they’d been all week. Kim had been very patient with Kurt, working hard when they both had time to fully focus but letting him go with a teasing smile when his thoughts and attention drifted to Blaine. Kurt knew, though, that the same thing couldn’t happen for the next week if they made it through. They would have rumba, a tricky dance even for the best dancers, as well as a group dance that would pull their attention away from productive rehearsals. And as if that wasn’t enough, Kurt was one of four dancers included in Blaine’s live performance during the results show the next week, which meant additional rehearsals and ample opportunity for more distractions.
“Kurt? Kurt!” As though to prove his point, Kurt realized that Kim was standing in front of him, trying to get his attention. She’d probably been there for a while, since the commercial break was just ending.
“Hi, sorry,” he said, scooting over to make room for her on the bench lining the Celebraquarium balcony. He’d meant to be critiquing the other dancers, but his mind had been miles away.
“Show’s almost over, love. Rory and Tina just sambaed, I think. It was kind of strange.”
“We’re toast,” Tina said in agreement as she flopped down next to Kurt. “That boy should stick to kicking things, because he is not built for the ballroom.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Kurt said loyally.
“You really weren’t watching, were you?” Tina asked, grinning at him. “I bet your daydreams were way better than what actually happened. But you should pay attention now - Mike and Lauren are up.”
All three of them turned back to watch the floor, where Lauren and Mike were performing the most unusual and yet brilliant samba Kurt had seen in a long time. They were dancing to I Know What Boys Like, which was an oddly perfect choice for Lauren, who looked like she was having a blast. The audience was obviously into it as well, if the ovation they got at the end of the routine was any indication. The judges weren’t quite as uniformly complimentary, but that wasn’t a surprise.
“Mike looks like he’s having fun this season,” Kurt commented, and Tina nodded her agreement.
“Lauren’s a little unorthodox, but she’s great to work with, apparently. Her fanbase really isn’t big enough to overcome her lack of natural dance ability, so Mike’s just enjoying it while he can.”
“Smart. I, on the other hand, am counting on Kim’s legions of fans and my penchant for perfection to carry us through,” Kurt said. When Kim elbowed him, he added, “And, of course, she’s not a terrible dancer…”
“It’s a good thing I adore you, you brat,” Kim said.
“And it’s a good thing I’m so brilliant and talented,” Kurt replied.
“And modest,” Kim said.
“Oh, always,” Tina said, laughing.
The show was about to wrap up, so the three of them headed down to the floor with the other dancers. On the way, Kurt felt a hand squeeze his and looked up to see Blaine passing him. They locked eyes for a moment and Blaine’s smile warmed in a way that made Kurt’s cheeks go pink.
“Smitten kitten,” Kim murmured in his ear as she looped her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace.
“So?” Kurt said, automatically smiling for the camera as it panned past them.
“Nothing wrong with that. I like it when you’re happy. You’re much nicer to me in rehearsal,” she quipped.
“Speaking of, fancy getting a head start on the rumba?” It wasn’t the best idea, given that they hadn’t made it through officially yet, but Kurt was ready to move forward. He could use every focused moment he could get.
“Let me talk to Grant and say goodnight to the kids, and then I’m yours.”
They finally went off air, so Kurt and Kim split up to take care of their various errands before meeting back up for post-show press. They smiled and laughed and finished one another’s sentences in all the right places, charming the reporters thoroughly but efficiently, and then hurried off to change into practice clothes. Kurt was just returning from his trailer when Blaine caught up with him.
“Not coming out with us tonight?” Blaine asked. Kurt thought he could detect some disappointment in Blaine’s tone.
“Not this time. I wanted to get in some advance practice, since I seem to be easily distracted lately.” Kurt smiled at Blaine as they both slipped into the practice room. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Blaine, eyelashes fluttering and a silly grin on his face.
“And you’re not responsible for it, either, hm?” Kurt’s fingers were drawn inexorably toward a lock of Blaine’s hair curling behind his ear. He anchored his hand there, drawing Blaine’s face up for a kiss. “Go. Have fun. I’ll see you for hell day tomorrow.”
“You make it sound so appealing.” Blaine leaned back just enough to look at Kurt before crowding close again and brushing his lips softly across Kurt’s.
“We’ll survive it. We’re far too popular and fabulous not to. Plus, it’s early days still. Other people still suck more than you do.”
“Harsh words, Mr. Professional.”
“That’s my jaded, experienced side talking. You’d better get used to it, since it’s likely to get worse as the season goes on.”
“I like all sides of you so far,” Blaine said, making Kurt smile.
“You’re really a romantic, aren’t you? Any other guy would have taken that opening and gone for a dirty joke.”
“I’m a gentleman.” Blaine was smiling, but he sounded serious. Kurt leaned forward to press a kiss to his temple and linger by his ear.
“I hope you’re not too much of a gentleman,” he whispered before pulling back. This was dangerous territory to be entering with Kim due for rehearsal any minute, but Kurt couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Mmmm,” Blaine replied, his agreement sounding slightly wanton. He leaned back into Kurt, kissing him fully. They stayed that way, limbs entwined, mouths moving hotly together, until an amused voice broke through their reverie.
“Nice show, boys. How much do I owe?” They looked up and realized Kim was standing a few feet away, grinning maniacally.
“Mood ruiner,” Kurt muttered darkly as he extracted himself from Blaine. Blaine looked rumpled and delicious, and Kurt was half-tempted to scrap his plans for rehearsal and follow wherever Blaine might lead. But no - he had a job to do and a partner who deserved his full attention. A partner who would be teasing him mercilessly for the next hour, at least. Kurt sighed, gave Blaine a quick kiss in apology, and then turned to face Kim.
“Bye, Blainers! I’ll make sure Kurtsie calls you later!” Kim called brightly. Blaine waved as he ducked out of the room.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Kurt said once the door closed behind Blaine, “but I’m so, so glad I have a brother, clueless oaf that he often is. Having a sister would be pure torture.”
“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” Kim said. She dropped down into a chair to put her practice shoes on. “So what’s the plan, boss?”
“No music, no choreo - just technique,” Kurt said decisively. He pulled Kim to her feet before she could change her mind and focus on teasing rather than dancing. “Rumba is a dance of love, of give and take, of chase and capture. But before we can get there, it all begins in the knees.”
“The knees? That sounds the opposite of sexy.”
“Just trust me on this one, ok? I have some ideas.”
Even as Kurt began the painstaking process of teaching Kim the proper hip action required for the rumba, his thoughts drifted back to his time with Blaine and forward to the routine he would build and the message he would send. He might not be able to dance with Blaine on stage, but Kurt could build a performance with him in mind. He thought Kim would play along once he filled her in. After all, she was the one who wanted to play matchmaker, and he’d just thought of the perfect song.
It would be a risk, both personally and professionally. Kurt figured it was time to shake things up a little.
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 3.15 is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2829
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: Kurt and Blaine find it awfully hard to keep things under wraps.
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.
Tuesday night was interminable as usual, made worse by the fact that Blaine and Bitsy were standing directly in front of Kurt and Kim for most of the show. During commercial breaks, Blaine would turn around and smile up at Kurt, while Kim poked him in the side and grinned. It was the best kind of torture, and Kurt was glad he had Kim there to keep him from doing something embarrassing like grinning like an idiot through the entire show. He didn’t need the entire cast and all of America to know that something was up quite yet.
After the show, Blaine caught up with Kurt back at his trailer and kissed the daylights out of him before running off because he’d promised Bitsy that he’d get a good night’s sleep for rehearsal the next day. Kurt vowed to do the same following his family dinner, but ended up tossing and turning half the night, unable to get warm brown eyes and curly hair out of his mind.
Kurt threw himself into rehearsal the next morning, pushing Kim hard and fast through the paso choreography he’d already completed. Matt and Chelsie had been eliminated the night before, which meant that slowly but surely the competition was narrowing to those couples who could really dance. Kurt was planning to step up their game incrementally, so Kim could ease in to showing her full potential. This week, her challenge was to fully embody the power and passion of the bullfight, and they’d chosen a somewhat obscure song that Kurt thought would help Kim feel both strong and sexy. The first time he’d played it through for her, marking the basic steps, she’d grinned, slow and fierce, and hadn’t cracked a joke for nearly an hour. Kurt figured that was the best sign he could hope for.
Kim engineered a group outing for lunch, with all the usual suspects. This time, Blaine sat across the table from Kurt, but still managed to distract him by hooking one foot around Kurt’s ankle and smiling at him over their salads. Kurt knew he should be careful, that he shouldn’t let all that adorable charm melt him so easily, but he couldn’t resist leaning closer and ignoring his lunch and smiling back. If all his friends hadn’t already known something was going on, they certainly did now.
The rest of the week fell into a similar pattern: productive rehearsals with Kim, daily lunches and some dinners with the group, and stolen moments with Blaine whenever both of them were free. On Thursday night, they went for a drive between dinner and Kurt’s pro rehearsal, Blaine at the wheel while Kurt navigated and held his hand. Saturday afternoon, they met for a late lunch in the downtown studio between rehearsals. Kurt supplied plates, cutlery and a blanket, and Blaine brought food from some obscure little market for a picnic. It was romantic and sweet, or so Kim said when she walked back in for rehearsal and they were still cozied up in a corner with dessert.
Unfortunately, Kim wandering in during their lunch was the least embarrassing of their cast run-ins that week. Tom had caught them making out like teenagers behind a rack of costumes when he’d come into wardrobe for a fitting, which had amused him and mortified both Kurt and Blaine. They’d sworn that they’d stop getting within touching distance in public places after that, but that was a promise neither of them had been strong enough to keep.
Sunday afternoon following blocking, Kurt had cornered Blaine in their favorite little-used hallway, backing him into the wall with clear intent. When Maks came around the corner a few minutes later, they were still technically fully clothed, but that was about all they had going for them. Kurt knew that the joke Maks made about all of Kurt’s strength and dance training finally coming in handy was only the tip of the iceberg.
Before Maks could escape and spread the latest gossip to anyone who would listen, Kurt chased him down and pulled him into an empty workroom.
“One man not enough for you, Hummel?” Maks asked, grinning.
“You’re hilarious.” Kurt sat down in an office chair and worked on tucking his shirt back in.
“Well, if you don’t want my body, what can I do for you?”
“You can keep your trap shut about me and Blaine.”
“You might want to keep your hands off each other in public, in that case. Anybody else walks by and sees that, they’re not going to need much explanation to figure it out,” Maks shot back. Kurt sighed.
“I know. I just…”
“Have the hots for some guy and have joined the rest of us in fallible human territory? It’s not a crime, Kurt. It makes you seem a little more normal, actually.”
“Thanks?”
“You’re welcome. And while I’m dispensing brilliant yet free advice, have you considered the fact that everyone already knows and no one cares?”
“Really?”
“Wow, you really are gone on him, aren’t you? Yes, everyone knows. No, no one cares. Live and let live, you know?” Maks leaned against a desk opposite Kurt, clearly intending to stay a while.
“I just don’t want the wrong people finding out. Not right now.”
“The press, you mean. You know nobody here’s going to say anything, but you might want to figure things out before it gets out there anyway. I know from personal experience just how hard it is to keep things under wraps around here.”
“Blaine’s not out,” Kurt said. He hesitated, torn between defending him and being annoyed by the restrictions it put on both of them at the moment.
“Right. So it seems to me that you have two options. Sneak around like little dance ninjas, or have a serious talk at some point and decide how much publicity is too much.”
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? I mean this whole thing hasn’t been going on for long. What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, be my boyfriend, but first, come out to the entire world’?”
“From what I hear, Blaine’s been dating you for at least a few weeks now, even if you were too dense to notice. I doubt he’d be that surprised by that conversation.”
“I swear you have spies,” Kurt muttered.
“No, I just have a partner who’s completely enamored with one of your closest friends on set. She tells me things.”
“Speaking of,” Kurt said, happy for a chance to change the topic, “what’s going on there? Santana seems a little much for Brit.”
“Santana?” Maks scoffed. “She’s all bark and no bite. I almost made her cry last week. I’m sure I’ll get there before the season’s out. And anyway, she practically worships Brittany. It’s disgustingly precious, and your darling Brit-Brit holds all the power.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely. If anyone’s in danger, it’s ‘Tana. She’s tough on the outside, but she’s started to let her marshmallow center show. Not that I expect Brit to hurt her on purpose or anything, but still.”
“You’re saying I shouldn’t worry about them.”
“Pretty much. Seems like you have enough to keep up with at the moment. Also, I still intend to kick your ass on the dance floor.” Maks got up and patted Kurt on the shoulder.
“Same goes,” Kurt said, punching Maks lightly in the arm in return.
Maks had only been gone for a minute or two when Blaine appeared in the doorway, looking slightly sheepish.
“All clear?”
“Yep. I sent the big, bad dancer on his way.” Kurt grinned when Blaine rolled his eyes. “I’ve known him longer, so I’m pretty sure that was in my department.”
“Let me guess: Elizabeth is my territory?”
“Have I mentioned that you’re very smart?” Kurt got up and coaxed Blaine inside so he could shut the door.
“Feel free to mention it anytime. I don’t mind.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“I’m a pop star - unearned flattery is my bread and butter.”
“Did I say smart? I meant ridiculous,” Kurt said. “And speaking of ridiculous, is Bitsy really letting you dance a paso to Don’t You Want Me?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Blaine said, pulling Kurt to him as his back rested against the door. “Don’t you?”
“Ridiculous,” Kurt said again, but the sting of his insult was lost in the movement of his lips on Blaine’s.
***
The next night, Kurt was amazed that both he and Blaine managed to perform quality pasos, distracted as they’d been all week. Kim had been very patient with Kurt, working hard when they both had time to fully focus but letting him go with a teasing smile when his thoughts and attention drifted to Blaine. Kurt knew, though, that the same thing couldn’t happen for the next week if they made it through. They would have rumba, a tricky dance even for the best dancers, as well as a group dance that would pull their attention away from productive rehearsals. And as if that wasn’t enough, Kurt was one of four dancers included in Blaine’s live performance during the results show the next week, which meant additional rehearsals and ample opportunity for more distractions.
“Kurt? Kurt!” As though to prove his point, Kurt realized that Kim was standing in front of him, trying to get his attention. She’d probably been there for a while, since the commercial break was just ending.
“Hi, sorry,” he said, scooting over to make room for her on the bench lining the Celebraquarium balcony. He’d meant to be critiquing the other dancers, but his mind had been miles away.
“Show’s almost over, love. Rory and Tina just sambaed, I think. It was kind of strange.”
“We’re toast,” Tina said in agreement as she flopped down next to Kurt. “That boy should stick to kicking things, because he is not built for the ballroom.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Kurt said loyally.
“You really weren’t watching, were you?” Tina asked, grinning at him. “I bet your daydreams were way better than what actually happened. But you should pay attention now - Mike and Lauren are up.”
All three of them turned back to watch the floor, where Lauren and Mike were performing the most unusual and yet brilliant samba Kurt had seen in a long time. They were dancing to I Know What Boys Like, which was an oddly perfect choice for Lauren, who looked like she was having a blast. The audience was obviously into it as well, if the ovation they got at the end of the routine was any indication. The judges weren’t quite as uniformly complimentary, but that wasn’t a surprise.
“Mike looks like he’s having fun this season,” Kurt commented, and Tina nodded her agreement.
“Lauren’s a little unorthodox, but she’s great to work with, apparently. Her fanbase really isn’t big enough to overcome her lack of natural dance ability, so Mike’s just enjoying it while he can.”
“Smart. I, on the other hand, am counting on Kim’s legions of fans and my penchant for perfection to carry us through,” Kurt said. When Kim elbowed him, he added, “And, of course, she’s not a terrible dancer…”
“It’s a good thing I adore you, you brat,” Kim said.
“And it’s a good thing I’m so brilliant and talented,” Kurt replied.
“And modest,” Kim said.
“Oh, always,” Tina said, laughing.
The show was about to wrap up, so the three of them headed down to the floor with the other dancers. On the way, Kurt felt a hand squeeze his and looked up to see Blaine passing him. They locked eyes for a moment and Blaine’s smile warmed in a way that made Kurt’s cheeks go pink.
“Smitten kitten,” Kim murmured in his ear as she looped her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace.
“So?” Kurt said, automatically smiling for the camera as it panned past them.
“Nothing wrong with that. I like it when you’re happy. You’re much nicer to me in rehearsal,” she quipped.
“Speaking of, fancy getting a head start on the rumba?” It wasn’t the best idea, given that they hadn’t made it through officially yet, but Kurt was ready to move forward. He could use every focused moment he could get.
“Let me talk to Grant and say goodnight to the kids, and then I’m yours.”
They finally went off air, so Kurt and Kim split up to take care of their various errands before meeting back up for post-show press. They smiled and laughed and finished one another’s sentences in all the right places, charming the reporters thoroughly but efficiently, and then hurried off to change into practice clothes. Kurt was just returning from his trailer when Blaine caught up with him.
“Not coming out with us tonight?” Blaine asked. Kurt thought he could detect some disappointment in Blaine’s tone.
“Not this time. I wanted to get in some advance practice, since I seem to be easily distracted lately.” Kurt smiled at Blaine as they both slipped into the practice room. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Blaine, eyelashes fluttering and a silly grin on his face.
“And you’re not responsible for it, either, hm?” Kurt’s fingers were drawn inexorably toward a lock of Blaine’s hair curling behind his ear. He anchored his hand there, drawing Blaine’s face up for a kiss. “Go. Have fun. I’ll see you for hell day tomorrow.”
“You make it sound so appealing.” Blaine leaned back just enough to look at Kurt before crowding close again and brushing his lips softly across Kurt’s.
“We’ll survive it. We’re far too popular and fabulous not to. Plus, it’s early days still. Other people still suck more than you do.”
“Harsh words, Mr. Professional.”
“That’s my jaded, experienced side talking. You’d better get used to it, since it’s likely to get worse as the season goes on.”
“I like all sides of you so far,” Blaine said, making Kurt smile.
“You’re really a romantic, aren’t you? Any other guy would have taken that opening and gone for a dirty joke.”
“I’m a gentleman.” Blaine was smiling, but he sounded serious. Kurt leaned forward to press a kiss to his temple and linger by his ear.
“I hope you’re not too much of a gentleman,” he whispered before pulling back. This was dangerous territory to be entering with Kim due for rehearsal any minute, but Kurt couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Mmmm,” Blaine replied, his agreement sounding slightly wanton. He leaned back into Kurt, kissing him fully. They stayed that way, limbs entwined, mouths moving hotly together, until an amused voice broke through their reverie.
“Nice show, boys. How much do I owe?” They looked up and realized Kim was standing a few feet away, grinning maniacally.
“Mood ruiner,” Kurt muttered darkly as he extracted himself from Blaine. Blaine looked rumpled and delicious, and Kurt was half-tempted to scrap his plans for rehearsal and follow wherever Blaine might lead. But no - he had a job to do and a partner who deserved his full attention. A partner who would be teasing him mercilessly for the next hour, at least. Kurt sighed, gave Blaine a quick kiss in apology, and then turned to face Kim.
“Bye, Blainers! I’ll make sure Kurtsie calls you later!” Kim called brightly. Blaine waved as he ducked out of the room.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Kurt said once the door closed behind Blaine, “but I’m so, so glad I have a brother, clueless oaf that he often is. Having a sister would be pure torture.”
“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” Kim said. She dropped down into a chair to put her practice shoes on. “So what’s the plan, boss?”
“No music, no choreo - just technique,” Kurt said decisively. He pulled Kim to her feet before she could change her mind and focus on teasing rather than dancing. “Rumba is a dance of love, of give and take, of chase and capture. But before we can get there, it all begins in the knees.”
“The knees? That sounds the opposite of sexy.”
“Just trust me on this one, ok? I have some ideas.”
Even as Kurt began the painstaking process of teaching Kim the proper hip action required for the rumba, his thoughts drifted back to his time with Blaine and forward to the routine he would build and the message he would send. He might not be able to dance with Blaine on stage, but Kurt could build a performance with him in mind. He thought Kim would play along once he filled her in. After all, she was the one who wanted to play matchmaker, and he’d just thought of the perfect song.
It would be a risk, both personally and professionally. Kurt figured it was time to shake things up a little.