His Perfect Partner (36/?)
Title: His Perfect Partner (36/?)
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: 2011
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: Rehearsals for the finale begin. Kurt checks in with his dad and then gets some unexpected inspiration.
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 pos here, or follo my bff's tumblr or updates and fun multi-media extras that will go along with some chapters. Thanks t
samzgurl
wintercreek, an
gypsyangel25 or the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
Kurt woke early on Wednesday morning, choreography still spinning through his head from his late night strategizing session with Kim. Bitsy had kept Blaine out late as well, working on their top-secret routine, so he and Kurt hadn’t made it back to Kurt’s place until after midnight. They’d fallen asleep wrapped around one another and woke the same way, Blaine’s eyes blinking open just as Kurt began to ease himself out of bed.
“Don’t go,” Blaine said, hooking his arm more securely around Kurt’s waist. “No sun means time to snuggle.”
“My brain won’t shut up, though,” Kurt said apologetically. He tucked an errant curl behind Blaine’s ear and kissed his temple. “I might as well get up and choreograph. And Dad will be expecting me to call. We only got to talk for a few minutes after the show last night.”
“Five more minutes,” Blaine replied, throwing one leg across both of Kurt’s to keep him in place. He leaned up and began placing light kisses down the side of Kurt’s neck.
“How are you so distracting?” Kurt asked, stretching as Blaine continued kissing toward his shoulder. “That feels incredibly good.”
“That’s the idea,” Blaine said between kisses. He’d propped himself up on one elbow and was running his free hand up and down Kurt’s side in long, soothing strokes.
“Will you let me go if I promise to come home for dinner?” Kurt asked, pulling Blaine down for a proper kiss.
“That’s acceptable - I’ll just pretend you’re not saying that because Kim will insist on getting home to the kids,” Blaine replied. He collapsed back onto the bed and draped one arm over his eyes.
“Very wise. And you never know - I might not even lock myself in the guest room to work on choreography half the night.” Kurt sat up, and then lifted Blaine’s arm so he could catch his eye and grin.
“A likely story.” Blaine shoved lightly at Kurt’s hip. “Go on; get up. I’ll even make breakfast. Can’t dance on an empty stomach!”
They went about their morning routine, Kurt showering and dressing while Blaine wandered around the kitchen in his sweatpants, throwing things haphazardly into skillets and still somehow creating a delicious breakfast. Kurt still hadn’t figured out how he managed that.
After they ate, Kurt called his dad and put him on speaker phone on the kitchen counter. While he and Blaine moved around one another, washing dishes and making more coffee to take to the studio, his dad went through his usual play-by-play of Monday and Tuesday night’s shows. He had some choice words for Sue and her irrational scoring system as well as Bruno and his inability to be appropriate, ever. And then he complimented Blaine on the twinkles in his foxtrot, and Blaine almost spit his coffee across the room.
“He sounds like the Midwestern mechanic equivalent of a pageant mom when he does that, doesn’t he?” Kurt asked Blaine with a grin.
“Hey now,” Burt said. “I was there for all your competitions and even some of your lessons. I just picked up a thing or two.”
“And let us not forget the ill-fated attempt to learn the tango to impress Carole. And your misadventures learning the dance from the music video that shall not be named,” Kurt said. He looked over at Blaine, who was laughing silently as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Blaine, don’t you listen to a word he says. I’m a fine dancer, just not quite as accomplished as my smart-mouth kid,” Burt said. The laughter in his voice was clearly audible, even thousands of miles away.
“Thanks, Dad.” Kurt rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “So when are you two getting here? And do you think you could stay at a hotel? You know how I get before big competitions.”
“Already done. I told Carole last week there was no way I was getting in the middle of your crazy show preparations.”
“Smart man,” Blaine said, which made Burt laugh.
“You say as though you’re getting out of it. Nice try, dear,” Kurt said sweetly. He could hear his dad still chuckling in the background.
“Did he get the big deer-in-the-headlights eyes like your brother does when you ask him to be a stand-in for choreography?” Burt asked.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Kurt said, moving across the room to kiss Blaine’s cheek. “Except he’s a much better dancer, of course.”
“Of course,” Burt said. “And we’ll be there Friday. Thought we’d take you kids out to dinner while you still have a few days’ breathing room.”
“Sounds great, Dad,” Kurt said, leaning against Blaine, who was slouched against the counter.
“Blaine, you should bring that friend of yours Carole liked so much. Angie?” Burt asked.
“Annie,” Blaine said. He looked surprised at the automatic invitation, which Kurt thought was sweet. Kurt hadn’t expected any less from his dad, though.
“Annie, right. Well you invite Annie. And Kurt, you let Mercedes know too. Carole’ll talk to your brother and Rachel. Been a while since I got to see all you kids at once,” Burt said.
“Ok. Email me your flight and hotel information when you get a chance. I can’t wait to see you!” Kurt said.
“Me either. Love you, bud,” Burt said, his affection clear. “Have good rehearsals, both of you.”
“Thanks, Burt,” Blaine said.
“I love you too, Dad,” Kurt replied, and then moved from Blaine’s arms to turn off the phone. When he turned back around, Blaine was watching him thoughtfully.
“They’re really inviting me to dinner, just like that?” Blaine asked.
“Yep,” Kurt confirmed. He reached out to squeeze Blaine’s hand. “Just like that.”
***
Within the hour, Kurt had kissed Blaine goodbye and headed for his favorite downtown studio to work on more choreography before Kim arrived. The building only had two main rooms, so Kurt could usually be guaranteed privacy and quiet to get his work done. This morning, however, he was hit with a wall of sound the second he entered the hallway. It was low, throbbing, and melodic, and in it he thought he recognized the signature mood of one of his favorite dance partnerships.
Sure enough, when he eased open the door and looked in, Brittany and Mike were moving across the floor, Mike throwing her up in a spin before bringing her down his body and back to her feet. Their movement together was hypnotic - fluid and yet sharp in a way Kurt could never hope to emulate. Tina always said that the way Mike and Brit thought about dance was sub-verbal, and when they didn’t have to speak to communicate, they were all the better for it.
Kurt watched as they lost themselves in the music and one another, Brit somehow knowing that if she threw herself backwards through the air, Mike would be there to catch her. They moved apart, Mike’s floating, boneless grace playing counterpoint to Brit’s staccato precision. When they came back together, they went liquid, flowing as they inhabited one space with two heartbeats. And then they were flying, their leaps punching through the sound and making Kurt’s breath clog in his throat. They were so beautiful, so free; they were exactly what dance was meant to do.
The music was ending, but instead of quieting, it rose in celebration. The two dancers went with it. Mike guided Brit through a series of assisted leaps and turns, pushing her higher and faster until her focus released into laughter. She threw her head back and let go of his hands, spinning freely around him. Mike stayed put, settled and waiting, letting Brit and the music swirl closer and closer. Then, at the last possible second, his arm reached out and caught her by the waist, easing her in. Brit let go, tipping backwards in his arms, the crown of her head arching toward the floor. Mike stood strong, their anchor as Brit’s manic energy and the force of the song finally ran out.
They were still while the room descended into silence, and then Mike pulled Brit gently up to standing, cradling her close as she relaxed into his embrace. Kurt stepped back into the hall, knowing better than to intrude on such a private moment. They danced like that when words weren’t enough, reinforcing themselves through the strength of their friendship. Kurt knew how that felt - he’d done the same with each of them, with Tina, and even now with Kim more times than he could count. Sometimes, dance was the only thing that worked. He felt privileged to have witnessed it working its magic so well.
***
When Kim arrived to find Kurt with dreamy eyes and a nearly completed freestyle number, she just smiled and kissed his cheek. While she changed her flip flops for jazz shoes, Kurt talked her through the whole routine, skimming over the details in favor of getting her on board for the concept. They’d spend the morning perfecting the basic steps, and then that afternoon they’d be meeting Mark at a local gym’s foam pit for a quick and dirty clinic on assisted back flips.
“You want me to throw you into the air on your head?” Kim asked. “I’ve seen the insane things Mark makes his partners do, and I’d rather not die this week, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Oh, no,” Kurt said, grinning at her. “I’m going to throw you into the air on your head. Much more exciting.”
“You’re insane,” Kim declared.
“Maybe,” Kurt conceded. “But don’t you want to win?”
“Of course!” Kim’s chin came up.
“We’ll win on tricks that make people gasp. And a routine that’s fun and high-energy, just like you. You’ve seen enough finales to know I’m right,” Kurt said.
“Stick to your strengths. Make people like you,” Kim parroted, referencing the mantra Kurt had been repeating the previous night.
“You’re athletic, you’re fun, and you’re so tiny you’ll fly when I flip you. They’ll love it.” Kurt said, confirming his plan in his head once again. Some hip hop, a little cha cha, and a whole lot of dramatic partnering were their keys to winning; he was sure of it.
“Does your boyfriend know about this sadistic streak of yours?” Kim asked. “Maybe I should warn him.”
“Oh, he has nothing to worry about from me. I’d be concerned about Bitsy, though. She seems sweet, but I don’t trust it,” Kurt said.
“Competition brings out the evil paranoia in dancers. Good to know.” Kim mimed writing a note down on a pad of paper, and Kurt stuck his tongue out at her. She grinned at him.
“Ok, crazy lady, get over here so I can teach you some steps and we can win this thing,” Kurt said.
“Yes, sir!” Kim saluted, winked, and then jogged over to stand in front of him. Kurt thought he might need to start keeping an eye on her caffeine intake if they were going to make it through the week.
“Take a deep breath, speed racer,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “This week’s going to be more of a marathon than a sprint. We have to pace ourselves, work our butts off, and be a team to make it happen.”
“I know, Kurtsie,” Kim nodded seriously, and then drew him into a hug. She lifted up on her toes so that she could speak directly into his ear. “We’re going to make it happen. I want this for you. I want this for us. So no worries.”
“Thanks,” Kurt whispered, closing his eyes for a moment and letting himself sink into the comfort she offered. Sometimes, when she got like this, Kim reminded him of his mother, which made him hang on more tightly.
They gave it another minute, and then Kurt straightened up and Kim stepped back, both of them laughing at their sudden turn from ridiculous to soppy. And then they got to work, because the competition wouldn’t win itself. They had to take it and make it theirs, starting now.
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: 2011
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: Rehearsals for the finale begin. Kurt checks in with his dad and then gets some unexpected inspiration.
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 pos here, or follo my bff's tumblr or updates and fun multi-media extras that will go along with some chapters. Thanks t
samzgurl
wintercreek, an
gypsyangel25 or the beta as well as for general cheer-leading and fun times.
Kurt woke early on Wednesday morning, choreography still spinning through his head from his late night strategizing session with Kim. Bitsy had kept Blaine out late as well, working on their top-secret routine, so he and Kurt hadn’t made it back to Kurt’s place until after midnight. They’d fallen asleep wrapped around one another and woke the same way, Blaine’s eyes blinking open just as Kurt began to ease himself out of bed.
“Don’t go,” Blaine said, hooking his arm more securely around Kurt’s waist. “No sun means time to snuggle.”
“My brain won’t shut up, though,” Kurt said apologetically. He tucked an errant curl behind Blaine’s ear and kissed his temple. “I might as well get up and choreograph. And Dad will be expecting me to call. We only got to talk for a few minutes after the show last night.”
“Five more minutes,” Blaine replied, throwing one leg across both of Kurt’s to keep him in place. He leaned up and began placing light kisses down the side of Kurt’s neck.
“How are you so distracting?” Kurt asked, stretching as Blaine continued kissing toward his shoulder. “That feels incredibly good.”
“That’s the idea,” Blaine said between kisses. He’d propped himself up on one elbow and was running his free hand up and down Kurt’s side in long, soothing strokes.
“Will you let me go if I promise to come home for dinner?” Kurt asked, pulling Blaine down for a proper kiss.
“That’s acceptable - I’ll just pretend you’re not saying that because Kim will insist on getting home to the kids,” Blaine replied. He collapsed back onto the bed and draped one arm over his eyes.
“Very wise. And you never know - I might not even lock myself in the guest room to work on choreography half the night.” Kurt sat up, and then lifted Blaine’s arm so he could catch his eye and grin.
“A likely story.” Blaine shoved lightly at Kurt’s hip. “Go on; get up. I’ll even make breakfast. Can’t dance on an empty stomach!”
They went about their morning routine, Kurt showering and dressing while Blaine wandered around the kitchen in his sweatpants, throwing things haphazardly into skillets and still somehow creating a delicious breakfast. Kurt still hadn’t figured out how he managed that.
After they ate, Kurt called his dad and put him on speaker phone on the kitchen counter. While he and Blaine moved around one another, washing dishes and making more coffee to take to the studio, his dad went through his usual play-by-play of Monday and Tuesday night’s shows. He had some choice words for Sue and her irrational scoring system as well as Bruno and his inability to be appropriate, ever. And then he complimented Blaine on the twinkles in his foxtrot, and Blaine almost spit his coffee across the room.
“He sounds like the Midwestern mechanic equivalent of a pageant mom when he does that, doesn’t he?” Kurt asked Blaine with a grin.
“Hey now,” Burt said. “I was there for all your competitions and even some of your lessons. I just picked up a thing or two.”
“And let us not forget the ill-fated attempt to learn the tango to impress Carole. And your misadventures learning the dance from the music video that shall not be named,” Kurt said. He looked over at Blaine, who was laughing silently as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Blaine, don’t you listen to a word he says. I’m a fine dancer, just not quite as accomplished as my smart-mouth kid,” Burt said. The laughter in his voice was clearly audible, even thousands of miles away.
“Thanks, Dad.” Kurt rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “So when are you two getting here? And do you think you could stay at a hotel? You know how I get before big competitions.”
“Already done. I told Carole last week there was no way I was getting in the middle of your crazy show preparations.”
“Smart man,” Blaine said, which made Burt laugh.
“You say as though you’re getting out of it. Nice try, dear,” Kurt said sweetly. He could hear his dad still chuckling in the background.
“Did he get the big deer-in-the-headlights eyes like your brother does when you ask him to be a stand-in for choreography?” Burt asked.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Kurt said, moving across the room to kiss Blaine’s cheek. “Except he’s a much better dancer, of course.”
“Of course,” Burt said. “And we’ll be there Friday. Thought we’d take you kids out to dinner while you still have a few days’ breathing room.”
“Sounds great, Dad,” Kurt said, leaning against Blaine, who was slouched against the counter.
“Blaine, you should bring that friend of yours Carole liked so much. Angie?” Burt asked.
“Annie,” Blaine said. He looked surprised at the automatic invitation, which Kurt thought was sweet. Kurt hadn’t expected any less from his dad, though.
“Annie, right. Well you invite Annie. And Kurt, you let Mercedes know too. Carole’ll talk to your brother and Rachel. Been a while since I got to see all you kids at once,” Burt said.
“Ok. Email me your flight and hotel information when you get a chance. I can’t wait to see you!” Kurt said.
“Me either. Love you, bud,” Burt said, his affection clear. “Have good rehearsals, both of you.”
“Thanks, Burt,” Blaine said.
“I love you too, Dad,” Kurt replied, and then moved from Blaine’s arms to turn off the phone. When he turned back around, Blaine was watching him thoughtfully.
“They’re really inviting me to dinner, just like that?” Blaine asked.
“Yep,” Kurt confirmed. He reached out to squeeze Blaine’s hand. “Just like that.”
***
Within the hour, Kurt had kissed Blaine goodbye and headed for his favorite downtown studio to work on more choreography before Kim arrived. The building only had two main rooms, so Kurt could usually be guaranteed privacy and quiet to get his work done. This morning, however, he was hit with a wall of sound the second he entered the hallway. It was low, throbbing, and melodic, and in it he thought he recognized the signature mood of one of his favorite dance partnerships.
Sure enough, when he eased open the door and looked in, Brittany and Mike were moving across the floor, Mike throwing her up in a spin before bringing her down his body and back to her feet. Their movement together was hypnotic - fluid and yet sharp in a way Kurt could never hope to emulate. Tina always said that the way Mike and Brit thought about dance was sub-verbal, and when they didn’t have to speak to communicate, they were all the better for it.
Kurt watched as they lost themselves in the music and one another, Brit somehow knowing that if she threw herself backwards through the air, Mike would be there to catch her. They moved apart, Mike’s floating, boneless grace playing counterpoint to Brit’s staccato precision. When they came back together, they went liquid, flowing as they inhabited one space with two heartbeats. And then they were flying, their leaps punching through the sound and making Kurt’s breath clog in his throat. They were so beautiful, so free; they were exactly what dance was meant to do.
The music was ending, but instead of quieting, it rose in celebration. The two dancers went with it. Mike guided Brit through a series of assisted leaps and turns, pushing her higher and faster until her focus released into laughter. She threw her head back and let go of his hands, spinning freely around him. Mike stayed put, settled and waiting, letting Brit and the music swirl closer and closer. Then, at the last possible second, his arm reached out and caught her by the waist, easing her in. Brit let go, tipping backwards in his arms, the crown of her head arching toward the floor. Mike stood strong, their anchor as Brit’s manic energy and the force of the song finally ran out.
They were still while the room descended into silence, and then Mike pulled Brit gently up to standing, cradling her close as she relaxed into his embrace. Kurt stepped back into the hall, knowing better than to intrude on such a private moment. They danced like that when words weren’t enough, reinforcing themselves through the strength of their friendship. Kurt knew how that felt - he’d done the same with each of them, with Tina, and even now with Kim more times than he could count. Sometimes, dance was the only thing that worked. He felt privileged to have witnessed it working its magic so well.
***
When Kim arrived to find Kurt with dreamy eyes and a nearly completed freestyle number, she just smiled and kissed his cheek. While she changed her flip flops for jazz shoes, Kurt talked her through the whole routine, skimming over the details in favor of getting her on board for the concept. They’d spend the morning perfecting the basic steps, and then that afternoon they’d be meeting Mark at a local gym’s foam pit for a quick and dirty clinic on assisted back flips.
“You want me to throw you into the air on your head?” Kim asked. “I’ve seen the insane things Mark makes his partners do, and I’d rather not die this week, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Oh, no,” Kurt said, grinning at her. “I’m going to throw you into the air on your head. Much more exciting.”
“You’re insane,” Kim declared.
“Maybe,” Kurt conceded. “But don’t you want to win?”
“Of course!” Kim’s chin came up.
“We’ll win on tricks that make people gasp. And a routine that’s fun and high-energy, just like you. You’ve seen enough finales to know I’m right,” Kurt said.
“Stick to your strengths. Make people like you,” Kim parroted, referencing the mantra Kurt had been repeating the previous night.
“You’re athletic, you’re fun, and you’re so tiny you’ll fly when I flip you. They’ll love it.” Kurt said, confirming his plan in his head once again. Some hip hop, a little cha cha, and a whole lot of dramatic partnering were their keys to winning; he was sure of it.
“Does your boyfriend know about this sadistic streak of yours?” Kim asked. “Maybe I should warn him.”
“Oh, he has nothing to worry about from me. I’d be concerned about Bitsy, though. She seems sweet, but I don’t trust it,” Kurt said.
“Competition brings out the evil paranoia in dancers. Good to know.” Kim mimed writing a note down on a pad of paper, and Kurt stuck his tongue out at her. She grinned at him.
“Ok, crazy lady, get over here so I can teach you some steps and we can win this thing,” Kurt said.
“Yes, sir!” Kim saluted, winked, and then jogged over to stand in front of him. Kurt thought he might need to start keeping an eye on her caffeine intake if they were going to make it through the week.
“Take a deep breath, speed racer,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “This week’s going to be more of a marathon than a sprint. We have to pace ourselves, work our butts off, and be a team to make it happen.”
“I know, Kurtsie,” Kim nodded seriously, and then drew him into a hug. She lifted up on her toes so that she could speak directly into his ear. “We’re going to make it happen. I want this for you. I want this for us. So no worries.”
“Thanks,” Kurt whispered, closing his eyes for a moment and letting himself sink into the comfort she offered. Sometimes, when she got like this, Kim reminded him of his mother, which made him hang on more tightly.
They gave it another minute, and then Kurt straightened up and Kim stepped back, both of them laughing at their sudden turn from ridiculous to soppy. And then they got to work, because the competition wouldn’t win itself. They had to take it and make it theirs, starting now.