His Perfect Partner (29/?)
Title: His Perfect Partner (29/?)
Rating: NC-17 overall (PG-13 this chapter)
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None, but assume that anything through Season Three is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2470
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: The quarter-finals bring excellent dances and a surprise guest who's sure to complicate things.
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. For the summer, I'm posting once a week so that I can keep up with real life things! 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 some chapters. Thanks to
samzgurl,
wintercreek, and
gypsyangel25 for the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
Kurt experienced the Monday morning of the quarter-finals in a series of snapshots: Coming awake to the feeling of soft lips on the back of his neck and Blaine’s arms around him. Holding hands between the seats as Kurt drove them through the quiet, pre-dawn streets. Wet sand between his toes. Cold water splashing up his ankles as they kissed on an empty beach. His mind empty of worries, filled instead by warm hazel eyes, a gentle laugh, a loving embrace. It was the most relaxed he’d ever felt on the morning of a performance show, and he told Blaine so as they stopped by Blaine’s trailer later that morning.
“I’m glad,” Blaine said seriously, catching Kurt’s hand. “There’s not much of this left, so I figure we should enjoy it.”
“Definitely,” Kurt agreed. “It’s lucky that we get to do this together. Makes it sweeter, I think.”
“You make everything sweeter,” Blaine said, crowding into Kurt’s space for a kiss.
“That was cheesy, but I’ll allow it,” Kurt said, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s and grinning.
“Good thing, because I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you,” Blaine said.
“Don’t ever stop,” Kurt murmured as he brushed their lips together.
“Never,” Blaine promised, head tilting up for Kurt’s kiss.
Kurt practically floated into the rehearsal studio fifteen minutes later, knowing Kim would give him hell for the stupid grin on his face but not caring. He’d had an excellent morning, and he planned to extend it into excellent rehearsals and performances. Luckily, Kim was in a great mood as well, and they launched into their final polish of both routines with minimal teasing. Before they had to break for lunch and dress rehearsal, even the tricky foxtrot footwork felt solid and Kim was nailing the Argentine tango lifts every time.
“We’re going to be awesome!” Kim singsonged, propelling Kurt down the hall with her arm looped through his. Normally, he would caution her about being overconfident, but he knew she was right.
Kurt went where Kim dragged him, pausing to smile and thank Shannon at craft services for saving him some of her amazing chicken salad, and then watching with bemusement as Kim and Cedes chattered their way through hair and makeup. Cedes swept Kim’s hair up into a glamorous chignon, which would work well for both foxtrot and tango, and she fussed with Kurt’s hair until she’d given him the fabulous 50s pompadour he loved.
“Ok, James Dean, I think you’re ready,” Cedes said, patting Kurt’s shoulder.
“Oh, does that mean I get to be Natalie Wood?” Kim asked. “I’ve always wanted to be compared to some famous leading lady.”
“Um, Kim? You are a famous leading lady,” Kurt said, snickering.
“On tv. That so doesn’t count,” Kim said, as though that should be obvious.
“Well, you’re my famous leading lady,” Kurt said obsequiously. Kim rolled her eyes at him.
“Time to go, you two,” Cedes said, one hand on her hip. “Much as I love you, Santana and Maks are coming in next, and I need a break before I have to mediate another one of their hair-related throw downs.”
“Rumba to jive,” Kurt said knowingly. “That’s never an easy transition to manage.”
“Don’t I know it,” Cedes said. She blew them both kisses and settled into one of her chairs as they left.
Back in the ballroom, Kurt and Kim watched as Quinn and Mark finished their Viennese waltz, which was graceful but a little safe. Puck and Lacey were up next with a fun quickstep that was sure to please the crowd, if not the judges. They came off stage grinning, and Kurt was amused when Puck held up a hand for a high five. Kim and Kurt ran their foxtrot after that, followed by Santana and Maks’s jive. Blaine and Bitsy had the sweet spot at the end for their Viennese waltz, which Kurt found charming.
“Bitsy’s growing on you, isn’t she?” Kim asked him when she turned and caught his approving smile.
“She’s making my boyfriend look great out there,” Kurt said. “Can you blame me?”
“Oh, you softie,” Kim said, jostling his shoulder and grinning. “Now c’mon. I need to put on my Spanish assassin dress.”
“Will you stop calling it that? This is Argentine tango, not film noir,” Kurt said, following her backstage.
“But I need to know my motivation for this character,” Kim said, overemphasizing her words.
“You sound like a diva,” Kurt said.
“Well you are one, so it works out,” Kim replied, shucking her foxtrot dress the second they reached the costume department. By now, Kurt was so used to her complete and utter lack of shame that he didn’t even blink.
“We’re two of a kind, babe,” Kurt said, sticking his tongue out at her. She responded in kind. He ducked behind a screen to change his pants, and when he came back out, Kim was pulling her next dress carefully over her head.
“I mean,” Kim said once her head was visible again, “this thing is skintight and has a slit practically up to my waist. If it doesn’t scream sexy Spanish assassin chick, then I don’t know what does.”
“Fine. But no sunglasses. This is not Men in Black,” Kurt said, settling his jacket on his shoulders. Kim pouted, but he ignored her. “Let’s go. I want to see just how inappropriate Santana and Maks’s rumba is.”
***
The show that night felt like a smooth slide toward the semi-finals for Kurt and Kim. They absolutely nailed their foxtrot, blending just the right amounts of flow and precision together to make Le Jazz Hot shine. Bruno raved about their theatricality, Len admired the classic moves and unison footwork, and Sue said something vaguely offensive but mostly complimentary about the number as a whole. In the end, they received two 10s, from Bruno and Len, and a 9 from Sue. For the ballroom round, their score left them tied with Blaine and Bitsy, with Santana and Maks only a point behind.
“Queerest finale ever, here we come,” Santana whispered to Kurt as they hurried backstage to change costumes for the Latin round. Santana needed a few extra minutes to put on what she described as her ‘rumba curtain’ but was actually a sheer drape of fabric that left nothing to the imagination. Kurt wanted to get changed quickly so he could be sure Kim didn’t add any unnecessary flair to her tango dress.
“We still have one more round and then one more week to go,” Kurt cautioned.
“Yeah, but I saw your tango rehearsal. You two are going to kill it. And our rumba is pretty damn sexy, if I do say so myself,” Santana said.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Kurt said.
“Oh, just wait until you see your boy’s mambo costume, or lack thereof.” Santana smiled naughtily at him, and he rolled his eyes. Blaine had wanted to surprise him with the outfit and the routine, so Kurt hadn’t stayed to watch his rehearsal that afternoon. It was a cute, if unnecessary, request, and he hadn’t minded honoring it.
“He could wear a potato sack, and I’d still think he was gorgeous,” Kurt admitted with a shrug.
“Because he is, I suppose. Little hottie hobbit.” Santana’s grin was more affectionate than mocking. For some reason, she seemed to have a soft spot for Blaine.
“What was that?” Blaine’s head appeared in the doorway, followed quickly by the rest of him. Santana had been right about the outfit. Kurt had to remind himself to breathe.
“I think you forgot your shirt, honey,” Kurt said, eyeing Blaine appreciatively.
“I asked Sam to make me a vest instead,” Blaine said with a grin.
“He forgot the buttons,” Kurt said, not moving as Blaine strolled toward him.
“I know,” Blaine replied. He was now within touching distance, and oh how Kurt wanted to.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Santana said loudly, but neither Kurt nor Blaine responded to her.
Dimly, Kurt heard the door slam, and then he was being crowded up against a rack of costumes by his incredibly hot and mostly undressed boyfriend. Kurt smoothed his palms across Blaine’s chest, and Blaine gave a low hum of approval as he captured Kurt’s mouth with his.
Barely a minute later, they broke reluctantly apart when they heard a PA calling their names in the hall.
“The show must go on, huh?” Blaine asked, smoothing the hair over Kurt’s ear with careful fingers.
“And we’ll continue this particular show later,” Kurt promised, leaning in to kiss Blaine one last time. “For now, though, I have to tango. And watch your mambo. I can’t wait.”
“It’s fun. You’ll like it,” Blaine said.
“It’s you. I know I will,” Kurt replied, reaching out to squeeze Blaine’s hand as they turned toward the door. “But don’t tell Santana I said that, or she’ll mime vomiting at me during commercials for the rest of the night.”
They were laughing as they rejoined the rest of the cast in the Celebraquarium and split off to find their partners. Kim was already at the railing, wearing her Kurt-approved outfit and watching Quinn and Mark prepare to dance on the floor below. They were doing a cha cha, which was one of Mark’s best dances, but Quinn couldn’t seem to let go enough to really make it shine. Puck and Lacey went next, performing a paso doble that was a little too macho even for a bullfight.
“Maybe it’s the mohawk?” Kim ventured, when they only managed to score 8s.
“That, and sometimes Lacey goes a little too crazy with the choreo and none of the judges get it,” Kurt replied. “On this show, it’s possible to be too good at what you do.”
“But not for us. Not this time,” Kim said. She held out her hand so she could lead the way backstage for warm-up.
“No. I’m a little biased, since I created it, but I’m pretty sure this tango is going to please everyone. Even Sue.” Kurt jumped from foot to foot to loosen his muscles.
“A miracle!” Kim said, smiling. Then she took a deep breath and schooled her features into a tango-appropriate expression.
They walked through the whole dance, marking the lifts and checking their timing. It felt good, solid. When they stopped to breathe, foreheads pressed together, they were perfectly in sync. Kurt knew this dance was going to be special.
They walked quietly to the stage, holding hands, and circled around until they were right in front of the judges. Kurt wanted them to see just how well Kim embodied her character from the first moment, so her face was turned toward them, her cheek pressing into his shoulder. They started close, as the music began to snake around them, and as they moved they drew closer still. Their feet moved in a quick staccato, their upper bodies swiveling more slowly in response. The rhythm and the movement were sensuous, weaving together sound and steps to cast a spell over the ballroom.
Under the music, Kurt could feel the heavy silence that meant every eye was trained on them. He felt buoyed rather than weighed down by the attention, because he knew it meant they were doing everything right. When he caught Kim’s gaze, she stared fiercely at him, so deep into the dance that he couldn’t help but go back under with her. They were lovers, passionate and brash. Every emotion was written in the clasp of their hands and the fierceness of their steps. When Kurt lifted her, hands at her waist, he was both pushing her away and begging her to return. She came down to earth, to him, but quickly turned away as the music ground to a halt. His only remaining connection to her was her hand, which was still clasped in his.
Applause broke over him like a waterfall, forcing him back into reality. Kim’s hand squeezed his, and then she was grinning and hugging him. Kurt could tell from her reaction and the way the crowd was on their feet that their performance had been exactly what they’d wanted it to be. He smiled back at her as they walked over to Tom and the judges, ready to hear their thoughts.
Sure enough, the praise was effusive, even from Sue, who said a champion could admit it when she saw something almost as worthy as she was. The shiny 10 paddles they each held up made Kim squeal and leap on Kurt, who laughed as he caught her. She was still chanting, “We’re so awesome! We’re so awesome!” when they made their way back to the balcony to watch Blaine and Bitsy’s mambo. Kurt had to tune her out so he could focus on Blaine’s performance.
Somehow, Blaine made the mambo both sexy and adorable. He and Bitsy bopped across the floor, getting the audience back on their feet and clapping along. Kurt noticed more than one girl in the audience practically swooning when Blaine came her way, which made him grin smugly. They could look all they wanted, but Kurt was the one who’d get to take Blaine home.
Once the dance and judges’ comments were done, Blaine and Bitsy made their way back to the Celebraquarium for their scores. Blaine caught Kurt’s eye and winked as he passed, which only made Kurt’s smile widen. Blaine and Bitsy scored two 10s and a 9, which meant that, with their perfect score, Kurt and Kim led the leader board for the night.
“By one point!” Blaine said when Kurt pointed that out on their way back down to do press. “I think your tango used up all of Sue’s goodwill for the night.”
“Maybe so, but still. Perfect score,” Kurt said.
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” Blaine said.
“Rub what in? That you lost tonight to an actress?” came a voice from behind them.
“Oh God,” Blaine muttered as they both turned around. A tall, strikingly good-looking man was standing there, grinning at them.
“Hiya, squirt! Miss me?” he asked, blinding smile still firmly in place.
“Hi, Coop,” Blaine said wanly, and Kurt suddenly made the connection. This was Cooper, Blaine’s older brother, an agent based out of New York. “What are you doing here?”
“Is that any way to greet your big bro?” Coop replied, stepping forward to engulf Blaine in a hug. Blaine looked over at Kurt with wide, apologetic eyes.
“And you are?” Coop asked Kurt, as though he hadn’t just attended an event at which Kurt’s name was mentioned repeatedly.
“Kurt Hummel.” Kurt held out his hand politely, but Coop came in for another hug. Over Coop’s shoulder, Kurt could see Blaine mouthing apologies.
Clearly, it was going to be a long night.
Rating: NC-17 overall (PG-13 this chapter)
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, with appearances by Burt/Carole, Tina/Mike, Mercedes/Sam, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Finn
Spoilers: None, but assume that anything through Season Three is fair game for inspiration.
Word Count: 2470
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: The quarter-finals bring excellent dances and a surprise guest who's sure to complicate things.
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. For the summer, I'm posting once a week so that I can keep up with real life things! 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 some chapters. Thanks to
samzgurl,
wintercreek, and
gypsyangel25 for the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
Kurt experienced the Monday morning of the quarter-finals in a series of snapshots: Coming awake to the feeling of soft lips on the back of his neck and Blaine’s arms around him. Holding hands between the seats as Kurt drove them through the quiet, pre-dawn streets. Wet sand between his toes. Cold water splashing up his ankles as they kissed on an empty beach. His mind empty of worries, filled instead by warm hazel eyes, a gentle laugh, a loving embrace. It was the most relaxed he’d ever felt on the morning of a performance show, and he told Blaine so as they stopped by Blaine’s trailer later that morning.
“I’m glad,” Blaine said seriously, catching Kurt’s hand. “There’s not much of this left, so I figure we should enjoy it.”
“Definitely,” Kurt agreed. “It’s lucky that we get to do this together. Makes it sweeter, I think.”
“You make everything sweeter,” Blaine said, crowding into Kurt’s space for a kiss.
“That was cheesy, but I’ll allow it,” Kurt said, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s and grinning.
“Good thing, because I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you,” Blaine said.
“Don’t ever stop,” Kurt murmured as he brushed their lips together.
“Never,” Blaine promised, head tilting up for Kurt’s kiss.
Kurt practically floated into the rehearsal studio fifteen minutes later, knowing Kim would give him hell for the stupid grin on his face but not caring. He’d had an excellent morning, and he planned to extend it into excellent rehearsals and performances. Luckily, Kim was in a great mood as well, and they launched into their final polish of both routines with minimal teasing. Before they had to break for lunch and dress rehearsal, even the tricky foxtrot footwork felt solid and Kim was nailing the Argentine tango lifts every time.
“We’re going to be awesome!” Kim singsonged, propelling Kurt down the hall with her arm looped through his. Normally, he would caution her about being overconfident, but he knew she was right.
Kurt went where Kim dragged him, pausing to smile and thank Shannon at craft services for saving him some of her amazing chicken salad, and then watching with bemusement as Kim and Cedes chattered their way through hair and makeup. Cedes swept Kim’s hair up into a glamorous chignon, which would work well for both foxtrot and tango, and she fussed with Kurt’s hair until she’d given him the fabulous 50s pompadour he loved.
“Ok, James Dean, I think you’re ready,” Cedes said, patting Kurt’s shoulder.
“Oh, does that mean I get to be Natalie Wood?” Kim asked. “I’ve always wanted to be compared to some famous leading lady.”
“Um, Kim? You are a famous leading lady,” Kurt said, snickering.
“On tv. That so doesn’t count,” Kim said, as though that should be obvious.
“Well, you’re my famous leading lady,” Kurt said obsequiously. Kim rolled her eyes at him.
“Time to go, you two,” Cedes said, one hand on her hip. “Much as I love you, Santana and Maks are coming in next, and I need a break before I have to mediate another one of their hair-related throw downs.”
“Rumba to jive,” Kurt said knowingly. “That’s never an easy transition to manage.”
“Don’t I know it,” Cedes said. She blew them both kisses and settled into one of her chairs as they left.
Back in the ballroom, Kurt and Kim watched as Quinn and Mark finished their Viennese waltz, which was graceful but a little safe. Puck and Lacey were up next with a fun quickstep that was sure to please the crowd, if not the judges. They came off stage grinning, and Kurt was amused when Puck held up a hand for a high five. Kim and Kurt ran their foxtrot after that, followed by Santana and Maks’s jive. Blaine and Bitsy had the sweet spot at the end for their Viennese waltz, which Kurt found charming.
“Bitsy’s growing on you, isn’t she?” Kim asked him when she turned and caught his approving smile.
“She’s making my boyfriend look great out there,” Kurt said. “Can you blame me?”
“Oh, you softie,” Kim said, jostling his shoulder and grinning. “Now c’mon. I need to put on my Spanish assassin dress.”
“Will you stop calling it that? This is Argentine tango, not film noir,” Kurt said, following her backstage.
“But I need to know my motivation for this character,” Kim said, overemphasizing her words.
“You sound like a diva,” Kurt said.
“Well you are one, so it works out,” Kim replied, shucking her foxtrot dress the second they reached the costume department. By now, Kurt was so used to her complete and utter lack of shame that he didn’t even blink.
“We’re two of a kind, babe,” Kurt said, sticking his tongue out at her. She responded in kind. He ducked behind a screen to change his pants, and when he came back out, Kim was pulling her next dress carefully over her head.
“I mean,” Kim said once her head was visible again, “this thing is skintight and has a slit practically up to my waist. If it doesn’t scream sexy Spanish assassin chick, then I don’t know what does.”
“Fine. But no sunglasses. This is not Men in Black,” Kurt said, settling his jacket on his shoulders. Kim pouted, but he ignored her. “Let’s go. I want to see just how inappropriate Santana and Maks’s rumba is.”
***
The show that night felt like a smooth slide toward the semi-finals for Kurt and Kim. They absolutely nailed their foxtrot, blending just the right amounts of flow and precision together to make Le Jazz Hot shine. Bruno raved about their theatricality, Len admired the classic moves and unison footwork, and Sue said something vaguely offensive but mostly complimentary about the number as a whole. In the end, they received two 10s, from Bruno and Len, and a 9 from Sue. For the ballroom round, their score left them tied with Blaine and Bitsy, with Santana and Maks only a point behind.
“Queerest finale ever, here we come,” Santana whispered to Kurt as they hurried backstage to change costumes for the Latin round. Santana needed a few extra minutes to put on what she described as her ‘rumba curtain’ but was actually a sheer drape of fabric that left nothing to the imagination. Kurt wanted to get changed quickly so he could be sure Kim didn’t add any unnecessary flair to her tango dress.
“We still have one more round and then one more week to go,” Kurt cautioned.
“Yeah, but I saw your tango rehearsal. You two are going to kill it. And our rumba is pretty damn sexy, if I do say so myself,” Santana said.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Kurt said.
“Oh, just wait until you see your boy’s mambo costume, or lack thereof.” Santana smiled naughtily at him, and he rolled his eyes. Blaine had wanted to surprise him with the outfit and the routine, so Kurt hadn’t stayed to watch his rehearsal that afternoon. It was a cute, if unnecessary, request, and he hadn’t minded honoring it.
“He could wear a potato sack, and I’d still think he was gorgeous,” Kurt admitted with a shrug.
“Because he is, I suppose. Little hottie hobbit.” Santana’s grin was more affectionate than mocking. For some reason, she seemed to have a soft spot for Blaine.
“What was that?” Blaine’s head appeared in the doorway, followed quickly by the rest of him. Santana had been right about the outfit. Kurt had to remind himself to breathe.
“I think you forgot your shirt, honey,” Kurt said, eyeing Blaine appreciatively.
“I asked Sam to make me a vest instead,” Blaine said with a grin.
“He forgot the buttons,” Kurt said, not moving as Blaine strolled toward him.
“I know,” Blaine replied. He was now within touching distance, and oh how Kurt wanted to.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Santana said loudly, but neither Kurt nor Blaine responded to her.
Dimly, Kurt heard the door slam, and then he was being crowded up against a rack of costumes by his incredibly hot and mostly undressed boyfriend. Kurt smoothed his palms across Blaine’s chest, and Blaine gave a low hum of approval as he captured Kurt’s mouth with his.
Barely a minute later, they broke reluctantly apart when they heard a PA calling their names in the hall.
“The show must go on, huh?” Blaine asked, smoothing the hair over Kurt’s ear with careful fingers.
“And we’ll continue this particular show later,” Kurt promised, leaning in to kiss Blaine one last time. “For now, though, I have to tango. And watch your mambo. I can’t wait.”
“It’s fun. You’ll like it,” Blaine said.
“It’s you. I know I will,” Kurt replied, reaching out to squeeze Blaine’s hand as they turned toward the door. “But don’t tell Santana I said that, or she’ll mime vomiting at me during commercials for the rest of the night.”
They were laughing as they rejoined the rest of the cast in the Celebraquarium and split off to find their partners. Kim was already at the railing, wearing her Kurt-approved outfit and watching Quinn and Mark prepare to dance on the floor below. They were doing a cha cha, which was one of Mark’s best dances, but Quinn couldn’t seem to let go enough to really make it shine. Puck and Lacey went next, performing a paso doble that was a little too macho even for a bullfight.
“Maybe it’s the mohawk?” Kim ventured, when they only managed to score 8s.
“That, and sometimes Lacey goes a little too crazy with the choreo and none of the judges get it,” Kurt replied. “On this show, it’s possible to be too good at what you do.”
“But not for us. Not this time,” Kim said. She held out her hand so she could lead the way backstage for warm-up.
“No. I’m a little biased, since I created it, but I’m pretty sure this tango is going to please everyone. Even Sue.” Kurt jumped from foot to foot to loosen his muscles.
“A miracle!” Kim said, smiling. Then she took a deep breath and schooled her features into a tango-appropriate expression.
They walked through the whole dance, marking the lifts and checking their timing. It felt good, solid. When they stopped to breathe, foreheads pressed together, they were perfectly in sync. Kurt knew this dance was going to be special.
They walked quietly to the stage, holding hands, and circled around until they were right in front of the judges. Kurt wanted them to see just how well Kim embodied her character from the first moment, so her face was turned toward them, her cheek pressing into his shoulder. They started close, as the music began to snake around them, and as they moved they drew closer still. Their feet moved in a quick staccato, their upper bodies swiveling more slowly in response. The rhythm and the movement were sensuous, weaving together sound and steps to cast a spell over the ballroom.
Under the music, Kurt could feel the heavy silence that meant every eye was trained on them. He felt buoyed rather than weighed down by the attention, because he knew it meant they were doing everything right. When he caught Kim’s gaze, she stared fiercely at him, so deep into the dance that he couldn’t help but go back under with her. They were lovers, passionate and brash. Every emotion was written in the clasp of their hands and the fierceness of their steps. When Kurt lifted her, hands at her waist, he was both pushing her away and begging her to return. She came down to earth, to him, but quickly turned away as the music ground to a halt. His only remaining connection to her was her hand, which was still clasped in his.
Applause broke over him like a waterfall, forcing him back into reality. Kim’s hand squeezed his, and then she was grinning and hugging him. Kurt could tell from her reaction and the way the crowd was on their feet that their performance had been exactly what they’d wanted it to be. He smiled back at her as they walked over to Tom and the judges, ready to hear their thoughts.
Sure enough, the praise was effusive, even from Sue, who said a champion could admit it when she saw something almost as worthy as she was. The shiny 10 paddles they each held up made Kim squeal and leap on Kurt, who laughed as he caught her. She was still chanting, “We’re so awesome! We’re so awesome!” when they made their way back to the balcony to watch Blaine and Bitsy’s mambo. Kurt had to tune her out so he could focus on Blaine’s performance.
Somehow, Blaine made the mambo both sexy and adorable. He and Bitsy bopped across the floor, getting the audience back on their feet and clapping along. Kurt noticed more than one girl in the audience practically swooning when Blaine came her way, which made him grin smugly. They could look all they wanted, but Kurt was the one who’d get to take Blaine home.
Once the dance and judges’ comments were done, Blaine and Bitsy made their way back to the Celebraquarium for their scores. Blaine caught Kurt’s eye and winked as he passed, which only made Kurt’s smile widen. Blaine and Bitsy scored two 10s and a 9, which meant that, with their perfect score, Kurt and Kim led the leader board for the night.
“By one point!” Blaine said when Kurt pointed that out on their way back down to do press. “I think your tango used up all of Sue’s goodwill for the night.”
“Maybe so, but still. Perfect score,” Kurt said.
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” Blaine said.
“Rub what in? That you lost tonight to an actress?” came a voice from behind them.
“Oh God,” Blaine muttered as they both turned around. A tall, strikingly good-looking man was standing there, grinning at them.
“Hiya, squirt! Miss me?” he asked, blinding smile still firmly in place.
“Hi, Coop,” Blaine said wanly, and Kurt suddenly made the connection. This was Cooper, Blaine’s older brother, an agent based out of New York. “What are you doing here?”
“Is that any way to greet your big bro?” Coop replied, stepping forward to engulf Blaine in a hug. Blaine looked over at Kurt with wide, apologetic eyes.
“And you are?” Coop asked Kurt, as though he hadn’t just attended an event at which Kurt’s name was mentioned repeatedly.
“Kurt Hummel.” Kurt held out his hand politely, but Coop came in for another hug. Over Coop’s shoulder, Kurt could see Blaine mouthing apologies.
Clearly, it was going to be a long night.