Dancing has always been the one thing Kurt was sure of doing. No future of his would exclude it, no matter how much he loved singing too - because most of his friends had bets going around that he would get into some kind of musical-academy and end up on Broadway - he never felt truly himself when he only used his body to portray emotions.

His dad never truly got his reasoning, but reluctantly let him go to dance lessons every week anyway. It was after his first recital, Burt Hummel ran to his nine-year old son and squeezed him into a hug, tears streaming down his face, when he realized his son belonged there. He took all the gossip, slurs and possible dangers for granted and allowed his son to explore any kind of dancing. Eventually he had to wave his son goodbye as he went to the ballet academy.

Years and years of training turned his son from a shy, small boy to a full grown man who lifted things easier than he could ("I lift human beings for a living, dad, it's what we do."). Still, in his eyes, he would always be the nine-year-old boy who danced out his entire class and would always support him, which was why Kurt loved him so much.

Not a day would go by where he wouldn't think of his dad and call him for good measures. He was also absolutely thrilled that his dad was coming to his big debut as Swan - he hadn't missed one performance since his first, but this one was extra special.

Day two of rehearsing with his new Prince started out with Blaine missing. To be honest, Kurt wasn't panicking just yet - there was a huge chance Blaine just got lost again - and he simply practiced his multiple pirouettes, spotting on the clock seen in the mirror.

He was so focused that he didn't notice Blaine appearing behind him and grabbing his waist, making his spin even faster it already was and thanked God he kept his leg in because kicking Blaine wasn't on his to-do list for today.

"Keep on spotting," Blaine reminded him and he did so.

The hands kept on turning him. Never in his professional career had he spun so fast and fluently, all until the hands disappeared and he slowed himself down to a stop. He managed to face Blaine, panting loudly and letting out a tiny smile. "Hi."

"Hello," Blaine said shyly. "Sorry about that, I used to do that to everyone I caught making pirouettes."

"How many punches did that get you?"

"Surprisingly few, apparently I can be quite adorable and that makes people forget all kinds of bad things." His smile was so wide it was infectious, and Kurt knew exactly what he meant.

"Where were you?" he asked, nodding at the clock.

"Oh, sorry, I had to stop by, uh, Tina? For costumes," Blaine murmured.

Kurt started his warm up, happy to see Blaine joined him simultaneously. "I expected you to bring your own? Since you already portrayed Prince -"

"Policy things, it belongs to The Warblers, so I couldn't bring it with me even if I wanted to. But it's nice having a different one - different show, different Prince, you know? Anyway, Tina got... carried away a little during measuring."

"Oh dear." Kurt stared at him overly shocked, getting a feeling where this was leading to as Mike's shirts always accented his abs.

Blaine nodded vividly. "So if my tights appear to be a size too small -"

"We won't hold it against you."

"Thank you."

They grinned, stretching in opposite directions.

xXx

Hours later sweat ushered down Kurt's back, clinging his shirt uncomfortably to his body. The room was swaying around him as he came to a still and the music barely registered in his mind, he was too busy hearing himself breathe.

In the corner of his eye he saw Blaine look at him worriedly, but forced his body to continue the moves he knew by heart. The room blurred even more. On instinct he closed his eyes, and then Blaine's arm appeared around his waist where it shouldn't be.

"Down we go," he heard him mutter and suddenly he felt the floor disappear underneath his feet, only to feel it against his back as he was lowered down. "Time for a break!" Blaine added louder, sounding like he was walking away from him but soon enough he felt Blaine sit down next to him on the floor. "Deep breaths."

"I'm fine."

"I know. Water?"

Kurt opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like hours. Blaine was hovering above him, sitting on his knees and holding his drinking bottle. He was smiling, but his eyes betrayed too much worry.

"I'm fine," he said again.

"I know," Blaine repeated. "But that doesn't exclude you from enjoying the amazing thing called ‘hydrating yourself'."

Kurt managed a slightly crooked grin and accepted the bottle, crouching up his back so he wouldn't spill the entire content over his face. The water soothed the blur and heaviness in his head a little, but he still felt exhausted.

"Time goes fast when you're dancing," Blaine said, lying down next to him and stared up at the ceiling. "This one time I was training for an audition and I was straying so long at the rehearsal rooms that they turned off the lights while I was still dancing."

"Pressure kills time."

"That's the truest thing I have heard since forever." Blaine turned his head so he faced Kurt, and Kurt turned to him almost automatically. "We still have time, and look how far we've already come."

"The lift end act two still goes terrible."

"We can fix that in time, promise." Blaine's eyes were full with honesty, his lips parted and Kurt thought he could feel his warm breath against his face, but probably imagined it because they were so close.

"I don't know why it's not going right - with Mike it always went flawless -"

"You've been dancing with Mike for months, you trust each other - it's a heavy lift. It requires a lot of trust from both sides." He kept the question silent, and Kurt also swallowed his own question. Because who was not trusting who?

They kept on gazing at each other until the door swayed open and someone cleared his throat.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Sebastian asked as he swaggered inside. "Because if private rehearsals entail lying around I am in."

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, sitting up straight and felt the room only spin a little.

"I'm just a messenger, or volunteer sort of - hi," Sebastian said with his eyes locked on Blaine. "Sebastian Smythe, ensemble, swan - Actually the one who carries you in the final act."

"Okay," Blaine said a bit awkwardly. "Blaine Anderson." He scrambled up to shake his hand, and Sebastian held his a second too long.

"Bas, let go of him," Kurt ordered.

"Oops, sorry, big fan - saw you last summer, it was amazing."

"Thanks?"

Kurt eyed them from the floor and concluded this could only end up more awkward, if that was even possible. "Bas." Sebastian didn't move a muscle. "Bas!"

"Yes, Odette?" Sebastian snapped up out of his trance.

"You said you had a message?"

His frown indicated that he had no idea what Kurt was talking about but then his mouth fell open. "Oh! Oh, right, sorry, I got distracted." His eyes flickered to Blaine. "But I got sent because between now and an hour the gorgeous city of Chicago will be hit with another snow blizzard."

Kurt resisted the urge to fall back in frustration. "Why Mother Nature, why?" He swore he heard Blaine chuckle at that.

"And anyway, unless you wish to spend the night here - something I don't recommend on own experience, remember the Christmas party, Kurt?"

"Shut up."

"That's what I thought," Sebastian snickered. "So Artie is sending everyone home, in hopes that tomorrow we can pick it up with the entire company again."

"We've been through everything up until the intermission," Kurt said to make sure Sebastian knew they had actually been rehearsing.

"Well good, can't wait to see it. Also, all public transport has been suspended -"

"Fuck!"

"So either you prepare a hazardous walk, or join me at Jesse's."

Kurt let himself drop back down to the floor. He knew the walk home would kill him, especially after what happened during rehearsals and he wasn't sure if he could handle Jesse at this rate. "Let me think about it."

"We're leaving in twenty minutes."

"I still need to get dressed -"

"We'll be at the exit. It was nice meeting you Blaine, we'll see each other on the floor tomorrow. Hopefully." Kurt could feel Sebastian wink at Blaine and heard him leave the room once again.

"You live far away from here?" Blaine asked while already gathering some stuff near the mirror from what Kurt could see from the corner of his eye.

"A few bus stops, walking through this snow is impossible though." Kurt scrambled back onto his feet, looking at Blaine who was staring at him once again. "Oh God!" Kurt shrieked. "I'm all complaining about myself but you need to get to the hotel too -"

"It's around the corner, no problems for me." Blaine shrugged. "Worried about you though."

"I can go with Bas to Jesse's." His face scrunched up to dismay. "Only to spare myself the walk -"

"You can otherwise join me?" Blaine asked quietly and Kurt froze, staring at him with his mouth open and his eyes wide. "Just to spare yourself the walk, my room is seriously huge and has a couch that's bigger than my bed at my own place and I mean you don't look really excited to go to this Jesse person -"

"Jesse's our choreographer," Kurt said, mostly to make Blaine stop rambling.

"Okay." Blaine nodded. "But, really, it's fine with me."

"Wouldn't that be strange?"

He shrugged. "It's only as strange as you make it." Blaine threw his bag over his shoulder. "You're the only person I know here, in a strange city and the weather is kind of dangerous."

"And you don't mind me sleeping on your couch in this so called huge room?"

Blaine's face split into the biggest grin he had seen all day. "Not at all."

xXx

By the time they arrived at the Lipton Marriot Hotel, Kurt could barely feel his legs anymore. The snow had worsened during their walk and Blaine had to guide him through it with wild gestures as talking was impossible.

"Oh thank God," Blaine said as he undid his scarf that had been wrapped around his head like a ninja before. Kurt hummed in agreement. "I'm just going to get the key and we can get warmed up -" With the snow melting on his jacket, Blaine skidded toward the reception and asked the lady behind the counter for the key. Kurt didn't catch the room number, because all he was thinking about was how that lady was probably judging him. He knew what this looked like - an indecent nightly hook up, and he wondered how fast news travelled in this hotel.

"Here you go, sir," the lady said, completely oblivious to Kurt. "I'm happy you made it back, the storm is reaching its peak in a few minutes."

"Yes, it's dreadful, hey - do you think it's possible to send up some extra towels and a blanket?" His hand flung back to Kurt and Kurt knew he was flushed red now. Why do these awkward things always happen to me?

"Sure, no prob-"

"I'm just his colleague," he blurted, making both the woman and Blaine raise their eyebrows before Blaine choked out a chuckle.

"It's safer here, just courtesy," he said pointedly and Kurt looked down embarrassed.

"I'll have some necessities sent up, no problem, mister Anderson." She smiled almost mischievously at him, picking up the phone and speaking quietly into it whomever was on the other line.

"You coming?" Blaine said, sounding farther away and Kurt looked up, finding him near the elevators. Trying to make himself as small as possible, he followed him and during the elevator ride all that was heard, was Blaine letting out a chuckle every so often.

"Stop it."

"'M sorry."

"I don't do this very often okay, but seriously thank you for offering."

"My pleasure," Blaine answered sincerely and the chuckles faltered to leave silence until they reached the ninth floor. Kurt was officially sick of his soaked jeans while following Blaine to room 414 and watching him slip in the card. "Do you want to take a shower first? I probably have some sweats in my suitcase you can borrow."

Kurt could only nod, slipping off his jacket as he entered the indeed gigantic room. "Wow, did the company get this for you?"

"They were desperate to have me," Blaine answered with a shrug. "Honestly they didn't have to, but I guess it makes it more comfortable."

"I'm glad they did," Kurt muttered without realizing. "I mean - that you're here and me staying here and - okay, I need to stop rambling. It's the cold, my brain is frozen." The blush was back.

Blaine bit away a smile. "I'll go get you some things."

A good half an hour later, Kurt was freshly showered and dressed in too short gray sweatpants and a shirt that said ‘Watch the Warblers as Swans'. He tried to ignore the smell of fresh fabric softener and a lingering whim of raspberries that came of the shirt, but failed miserably.

He hooked his legs underneath his body on the couch as he waited for Blaine to finish up his shower. Kurt purposely cut his shower short because knowing that Blaine was moving around only a room next to him had freaked him out. And he needed to be not freaking out.

"My bed has like three pillows too many, so here you go -" Blaine entered the room again, dressed in a similar outfit as Kurt, and carried two pillows to the couch. "I hope you don't mind the couch."

"It's huge, as you promised, and will do perfectly, thank you." Finally Kurt relaxed again, eyes locked on the television that reported the latest news on the blizzard.

"As for predictions, this storm will be the last huge one for the next couple of weeks ­-" the weather reporter said and Blaine flopped down next to him.

"Well that's good, won't want our audience to be giving off their shovels at wardrobe when they come." Blaine set the pillows beside him, sneaking a glance at Kurt.

"I hope we can make it to the theater tomorrow safely."

"Yeah, can't wait to rehearse with the entire company. If they're only half as good as you, it'll be amazing."

Kurt turned his head to Blaine, finding him smiling at him and Kurt couldn't help but return it. "Are you tired?" he asked gently.

"Not yet."

"Do you mind just sitting here for a little while?"

Blaine mimicked the way he sat on the couch and shook his head. "Not at all. It's nice having someone to talk to at night, on tour you're kind of forced to live with a lot of guys and I've had many people sleep on me in busses."

I wouldn't mind sleeping on you either, Kurt thought mindlessly and shook himself away because where did that come from? "Do you miss them?"

"Actually it's nice being with new faces, if only for three shows." Blaine's smile couldn't possibly be wider. "Although I promised my old Swan Wes to take a picture of you, he was curious, but I'll save that for when you're in full costume." His eyes raked over Kurt's casually clad body that felt so intense Kurt might as well had been naked. "So you and that - Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

Blaine looked unsure, his lips forming words but not saying them out loud. "Are you two together? Doesn't he mind you being here or is that Jesse fellow that awful -?"

Kurt wasn't even listening anymore, bursting out in laughing at the thought of him and Sebastian together. "I'm sorry -" he said, trying to control his laughter. "It's just - no, no, Sebastian and I are not together. What left the impression?"

"Well, just - I don't know." Now it was Blaine blushing. "You two seemed... close?"

"Yes well, that's what happens when you're forced to go through Dakota Stanley's madness bootcamp together. You bond."

"Oh, okay, so no -?"

"Not even a New Year's Kiss," Kurt promised, resisting the urge to lay his hand on Blaine's on the backrest of the couch.

"Okay, good, I mean - not - I don't even know what I meant anymore," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I'm not involved with someone either."

Good to know, Kurt thought. "Okay."

"So, what's your story? Where're you from?" Blaine asked and sat up straight. "I realized that we didn't even have a proper conversation because we keep on dancing."

"That's because we're kind of short on time."

"Yes well, now we have all night."

"True," Kurt said, smiling again and he knew he was going to be smiling a lot more this evening. "I'm from Ohio."

"No way!" Blaine exclaimed. "Me too!"

Talking with Blaine was incredibly easy. They moved through so many topics that Kurt lost count and the television had been switched off without him even realizing. In the time that they talked, Kurt learned that Blaine went to the Dalton Academy of Dancing and met Mike shortly after. He danced both jazz and modern, but loved ballet the most.

Kurt could listen to Blaine talk for an eternity, but couldn't recall falling asleep until he woke up on the couch, the sun peeking through the curtains and Blaine snoring softly next to him. He hadn't even made it to his own bed.