Blaine's kid knew what she wanted and wasn't shy about it. "Orange." The words were on his lips, the condescending tone in his throat, but they would not surface. Hope and happiness was exuding from her face in a way that was almost blinding. Blaine looked to her mother who shrugged and said, with a wink, "I guess you'll have to make it work."

"Please tell me the rumors are false and you aren't making an orange wedding dress," Kurt said in one big breath. Not even two minutes had passed and Blaine was already having to answer for his decision.

"Where'd you hear that from?" he deflected.

"Nevermind that, it's not true is it? Oh god it is," Kurt said, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Are you trying to lose on purpose?" he demanded, but then his expression softened and his voice dropped (from where it had been at almost a yell). "You're not throwing the competition are you? Because I thought we talked about this, you deserve to be here Blaine. You're talented, you-"

Blaine put a hand firmly on his shoulder to stop him. "Kurt, please stop, it's nothing like that. Jonea, my client's daughter, really wanted orange, so that's what I'm going to give her."

Wedding dresses were the challenge but, as usual, there was a twist: all their clients had kids. Most of the kids, including Jonea, were from a previous marriage although there were a few born out of wedlock. And these kids weren't just hanging around and looking cute, they were getting in on the design process. According to the rules the child was an equal partner of their mother and had just as much say. Basically, the designers had to please not just one client but two.

Blaine knew most of the designers would try to manipulate or even just plain ignore the children (because honestly what do most 7-11 year olds know about high end fashion?) but he saw it as a gift not a curse. When Jonea was talking about a big princess dress with lots of jewels Blaine was excited; not just for the dress itself but for what it would mean to Jonea.

Her mother, Shelly, revealed that her previous husband abused her. Jonea had been pretty young when Shelly left him and physically he'd never left a scar on the girl, but mentally he had. To Jonea, Dave (Shelly's fiancee) was her mom's prince and all she wanted was for her mom to play the princess. So that's why Blaine would settle for nothing less than a frilly, bedazzled, orange princess dress, and if that sent him home, so be it.

Kurt clucked his teeth and said, "Blaine, I admire your dedication to Jonea, it's really sweet, but you have to think of what's best for you right now."

"Look, I'll explain to you in detail later, but trust me, I have to do this."

And that's all it took. Kurt was stubborn, persistent, opinionated, and all of that, but he also knew when to back off. Or maybe, just maybe, he really did trust Blaine.

"Besides," Blaine started, attempting to lighten the mood, "shouldn't you be celebrating over this decision? This is a competition and if my dress goes poorly you'll be person closer to getting to the finals!"

Kurt lips quirked but no smile broke through. In fact, he seemed more solemn than before. "You know that's not true," Kurt said slowly. "Of course I want you to make it to the finals, and then..." he trailed off.

"And then you'll beat me," Blaine said without missing a beat or smile fading. Then, before Kurt could speak up, he continued, without much conviction, "Or I'll beat you. Whatever! We knew that from the start Kurt, there's no use in denying it now."

In Blaine's mind there was no way he could ever beat Kurt. He was the stronger designer, not just in practice but in dedication too.

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Kurt finally said.

By then they had reached Mood and split up to do their own shopping. As Blaine watched him go he was struck by the seeming irrelevance to him of the things Kurt was so worried about. When it came to the two of them together, it didn't matter who won or loss the competition, at least not to Blaine. Earlier Blaine might have wondered what Kurt would do if Blaine did somehow win, but not anymore. Come what may, Kurt and him were in it for the long run.

&&&&&

All day Blaine's comment was an itch Kurt couldn't quite scratch. Obviously he knew one, or both, of them would lose at some point but it was only starting to feel real now. Kurt still had utter confidence that he could win the whole thing, but with it came beating Blaine, and that was unsatisfying. Blaine would understand, but Kurt just worried it would strain their relationship. It was already precarious enough with its secret nature (something Kurt knew Blaine was unhappy about despite never having brought it up) and with some added jealousy it could all fall apart.

Also, there was a hidden, dirty part of Kurt that asked what would happen if Blaine beat him. Could he get over it? Could he stand to be with the man who was responsible for dashing his dreams? On paper yes, but in reality, Kurt had his doubts. He knew it made him an awful, spiteful person, but he couldn't help it.

So he refused to think about it, because it was easy enough to ignore the problem until it went away or demanded to be dealt with, especially with everything else to keep his mind off things. And once he did, the day became quite pleasant.

Kurt was in a cold forest, or snowy field, or perhaps downtown New York in the dead of winter. Wherever he was it was silent in the way it only gets when snow is falling, and the white flakes shone in the darkness, shone so bright he was able to make out each intricacy. They weren't what caught his eye though, it was the ice. It was the frozen pond to his left, the icicles that hung from the lamppost, the way the smallest tree branches were completely crystallized. Snow was playful and frivolous but ice, ice was power. It was strength, it was harsh, but its beauty paled to none.

When he opened his eyes he was, of course, back in the workroom, but the image still danced in his head. He quickly grabbed a pen a sketched a few things but went straight to work almost immediately.

Dianna, and her daughter Marissa, were Kurt's clients. The wedding was being held in mid-January and both girls agreed since they were having a winter themed wedding they wanted a winter themed dress. Beyond that the two of them didn't have many ideas so Kurt was able to give options and make suggestions in a way that got him what he wanted without it feeling like he was forcing them into anything. The art of subtle persuasion was something he learned well having the roommates that he did.

Kurt envisioned a completely beaded bodice that tightened at the waist (his client had a lovely waist, especially for someone her age) and then a bigger, almost poofy bottom half. There would be scattered beading patterns along the bottom too, but not nearly as many as on top. Also, Kurt was determined to get back into draping with this piece. It was one of his staples, his signatures, but his last couple garments did not reflect this.

That evening, as Kurt sat down with Blaine for a quick dinner, he inquired about the good mood. So Kurt told him all about his love for weddings. At one point in time, Kurt even considered becoming a wedding planner. Being the big romantic that he was, weddings were the cream of the crop. They weren't like Valentines Day- full of cliches, manufactured romance, and people get laid in the name of "love"- they celebrated love and commitment and would always hold a special place in his heart. Married by thirty legally used to be, and still was, his dream.

Kurt looked up frequently as he talked to gauge Blaine's reaction because it wasn't often that he could talk with another guy about marriage, even in the abstract, and have them not completely freak out. Blaine looked completely comfortable though, and added a few visions of his own, although they were a lot fuzzier than Kurt's. To be fair, everything seemed fuzzy in comparison to the not one, but multiple, complete weddings Kurt had planned out.

The meal was short lived as usual and soon they were back to work until the clock chimed nine. They were getting off a little early tonight because all the next day would be a work day as well. Still, both were exhausted, and by the time they collapsed into bed around ten, there was no energy to do anything but a little pillow talk before sleep.

It was then that Blaine told Kurt all about his client, and her daughter, and why he did what he did. As he spoke Kurt snuggled in closer and when he finished, Kurt kissed him on the top of the head and mumbled, "You're so amazing."

Blaine squirmed a little and Kurt knew he was smiling that bashful smile without having to see it. Then he said, "I think I want to work with kids... I really do."

"You'll be great at that," Kurt said, his brain already conjuring up images of Blaine surrounded by children, somehow looking more adorable than any of them.

A content sigh exited Blaine's mouth and his eyelashes started to flutter. "Go to sleep," Kurt said with a chuckle, and Blaine took him up on that not a moment later.

&&&&&

Kurt was pulled from sleep by the sound of muffled voices outside the room. At first he thought it was Stephan and Harry but that made no sense, they hardly talked, especially not in the morning, but it wasn't until there was a knock on the door that it all clicked. Kurt jumped from the bed, waking a confused Blaine in the process, and landed on the other bed just as the door swung open.

In came two cameramen with all their equipment but they startled upon noticing the boys. Kurt had sweats on thankfully but no shirt, and he was just sitting on his made bed which he's sure was a weird sight. They'd been told the camera crew would occasionally film in the mornings to get a glimpse of what the daily routine was like but Kurt had assumed they'd be warned.

"Uh," Kurt rasped in a scratchy voice which he then attempted to clear. "Hi. We um- we're running a little late, our alarm didn't go off, so if you could come back in a little bit..." Kurt wasn't exactly sure how it worked but obviously they wouldn't be filming them walking around in their underwear, would they?

"Oh, yeah, okay," the first, balding man said as he backed out of the room.

Once the door was closed Blaine got up, stretched his arms over his head, and let out a yawn. Then he turned to Kurt and asked, "Hey, do you want the bathroom first?"

Kurt, whose heart was still pounding, narrowed his eyes, his incredulousness growing."Blaine," he said slowly, "do you realize what just almost happened?"

"Umm," Blaine hesitated.

"We almost got caught-" Kurt stopped to lower his voice, "in bed together on national television!"

"Nah, they weren't even filming, and had they been we could have gotten them to cut it." That was the wrong answer.

"No!" Kurt hissed, "I will not let you minimize this. Had I not heard them, had I not moved five seconds before they got here, it would have been all over!"

"All over? Kurt what are you even talking about? I don't see why this is such a big deal..."

"You promised me," Kurt said, his voice dangerously low, "you promised we could keep this a secret. And now you're trying to go back on that?"

"No, Kurt, that's not what I'm saying at all," Blaine said, taking a step towards him. "It's just- no harm no foul right? We'll be more careful from now on and-"

"I'm going to use the bathroom," Kurt said abruptly, and turned on his heel, leaving a still sleepy Blaine standing in the middle of the room alone.

&&&&&

Blaine felt like crap all day and for a good reason. That morning he'd been a complete jackass. He'd been demeaning, flippant, and completely wrote off Kurt's feelings. The need to apologize ate at him but he didn't know how to without making it obvious to everyone what was going on; and that's definitely not what Kurt would want right now.

He waited until Kurt entered the common room and, after verifying all the other designers were in the workroom, followed him. Kurt was facing a vending machine, his back to him, and it gave Blaine a minute to compose himself.

"Hey, Kurt?" He phrased it as a question, unsure what the response to be. Kurt turned and he didn't seem to be angry so Blaine launched right into it. "I am so, so sorry about this morning. I wasn't thinking properly because my brain was all muddled with sleep- and I'm not using that as an excuse or anything, just- basically I was a jerk and I'm sorry and I uh-" he glanced around quickly, "I understand what you want and I'm completely okay with that."

Kurt was quiet for a moment and then he said, "Thank you. And I overreacted, so I'm sorry too."

Blaine nodded and closed his eyes for a few seconds. "Kurt, I just care about you so much, and I don't know exactly what we are, and I don't even care, I just know I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"Me neither, me neither," Kurt assured him. "I care so much about you too. And I know it's going to be tough, but I really think waiting until after the competition before we do anything official will be best."

"That's fine, you're right," Blaine said. It was only a few more days before they took the three month break before the finals. They could figure it all out then.

"And we probably should sleep together anymore... just in case."

"Right, of course."

Once that was over, Blaine went back to work with a clear head, feeling significantly better. His wedding dress was really coming along nicely and now all he had to do was make sure Shelly and Jonea liked it.

Blaine had just started adding some fake gems to the lace on the bottom half of the dress when he saw, or rather heard, Jonea come in. She squealed loudly and ran over to Blaine's work station.

"It's perfect!" she said, her fingers already stretching out to touch.

"Careful," Blaine warned, and although it wasn't said harshly, her hand recoiled quickly. She settled for standing about two inches away from the manakin and just staring.

"Is it okay?" Blaine asked Shelly softly, away from her daughter's ears.

"It's wonderful," she said with an uncontained smile.

The three talked for a few more minutes, discussing shoes and makeup and accessories, before Tim called out that they had five minutes left.

"Oh, Shelly, before you go, I have to measure your uh, chest area." The dress was strapless so Blaine had to make sure it wasn't going to come down on the runway. He tried to be professional but a blush lit his cheeks and Shelly must have noticed.

"So I'm guessing this isn't really your area of expertise, is it?" Her voice was teasing but her smile was warm.

Blaine laughed softly as he began measuring. "No, not really."

"It's him over there, isn't it?" Shelly asked, nodding her head in Kurt's direction.

The laughter stopped abruptly and Blaine stiffened. He knew he wore his heart on his sleeve but he didn't realize it was that bad. No wonder Kurt got angry, everyone in a five mile radius probably knew about the two of them just because of his face.

Shelly noticed the change in demeanor and started to apologize.

"No need, no need," Blaine said, bringing his smile back, "I was just caught off guard is all."

He didn't comment on whether she was right and she didn't ask for clarification. She left with Jonea a few minutes later and Blaine threw himself back into his work. He closely monitored himself and found that he looked over at Kurt more often than he should, and even though he was usually looking back, he forced himself to stop, for Kurt's sake.

&&&&&

The runway show was different this time because the kids were sitting with the designers. A few pairs sat together in awkward silence, but others, like Blaine and Jonea, chatted animatedly as they waited for the show.

The women looked fabulous as they came down the runway and their daughters were so excited to see them. They clapped and cheered when their moms appeared and bragged a little to the other girls. Everyone looked so beautiful and it warmed Blaine's heart that they could help these women start a new, happier part of their lives.

The judging when it came to client challenges was always tough because the judges didn't want to step on any toes. They were always kinder and made sure when criticism was necessary, it was directed all at the design and not at the client. Nobody wanted to be told on national television that they looked awful in what they were wearing.

But with this challenge, that wasn't a problem, because all the dresses were gorgeous. Blaine supposed that at this point in the competition everyone left was extremely talented.

At first Blaine feared he might go home, but after he told his story about why the color orange was chosen, and Jonea gave her first hand testimony about how Blaine listened to everything she wanted, the judges seemed to back off. They still thought a solid orange dress was strange for a wedding, but it was nice in construction and taste, and the clients were happy, so he was deemed safe.

Blaine waited in the waiting room with Sam while the other's fates were decided and Kurt was next to enter, his smile too big for his face. "Congratulations," Blaine said, pulling him into a quick hug. "It's probably getting pretty boring isn't it? All this winning?"

"The feeling never fades," Kurt said, and they both laughed.

Then, their moods were improved even further when it was Stephan who went home. Admittedly, he hadn't been as bad lately (or perhaps that was just in comparison with Harry), but neither were sad to see him go.

"Just one more challenge to go," Kurt said on their walk home, his face alight with excitement.

And just a few more days until we can be together, Blaine thought, feeling pretty excited himself.