Blaine bit his lip and cleared his throat, vying for time. He knew what they wanted him to say but it just wasn't in his nature to do so. On the other hand, he hated disappointing people, and he could see the encouraging look on the producers face. Blaine heard Kurt doing the same thing just a few tables away and apparently he had no trouble opening up. He wasn't being mean by any stretch of the imagination, but he was giving his full, uncensored opinion.

"Umm well," Blaine finally said, "we definitely have a different style, I like to use color and she obviously doesn't, but I think her designs are fantastic and..." he trailed off when he saw the exasperated if fond look on Joe, the camera man's, face. The producer seemed less forgiving but he didn't say anything as he walked away. "Sorry," Blaine said with a chuckle but Joe was quick to wave it away.

"It's not a problem Blaine, plenty of other designers have said antagonizing things that they can use to beef up the drama factor. Why don't you just focus on summarizing today's challenge for us."

Blaine nodded, feeling relieved, and waited for the signal to start talking. "This week's challenge is based around the four classic elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Everyone was assigned one element to master- I guess the avatar isn't among the contestants this year."

The joke was lame, Blaine knew that, but the blank looks he got were worse than he expected. He was embarrassed enough that he about to tell them to cut that part (although from the reaction they were probably planning to anyway) when he heard muffled laughter from across the room. Blaine turned back to the camera with a wide smile and tried not to get too excited. If Kurt found his joke funny then he couldn't care less what anyone else thought.

When the interview was over Blaine took his time packing up his stuff and then meandered over to the vending machines. Kurt and a few members of the camera crew were the only ones left but from the looks of it they were getting ready to leave too. They were in a conference room on the main floor of the apartment complex and while it wasn't completely secluded, it was pretty out of the way. Especially since it was blocked off to the public for the next couple of weeks while the show was filming.

Blaine had been planning this ever since he found out the two of them would be interviewing at the same time and while it had seemed like a long shot, things might just work out. The camera crew was indeed shuffling out now, Blaine was still stalling by the vending machines, and Kurt was leaning on the table and looking over his designs. It was now or never and Blaine knew it.

As Blaine approached Kurt his heart sped up and his palms grew unusually sweaty. He didn't usually do things like this. But Kurt liked Stephan, and this seemed to be exactly what he would do, so Blaine was going to try it.

&&&&&

Kurt had a feeling Blaine was waiting for him considering he had been done interviewing for almost ten minutes now but as he walked towards him, and he was proved right, Kurt began to panic a bit. Once he was too close to ignore Kurt straightened up and turned to face him but before he could get a word out Blaine's lips were on his. He stumbled back with the force of it and gasped. Blaine froze, his face still inches from Kurt and his eyes wide, waiting for Kurt to make the next move.

Without wasting any time Kurt gripped the back of his head and forced their lips back together so roughly their faces collided as well. Blaine's only response was a desperate whimper however so Kurt did what he'd been dreaming about doing for days and shoved him roughly against the nearest wall. If there had been any lingering denial of Kurt's desire for this man it was gone now. Despite starting the encounter, Blaine was now loose and pliant underneath him, making the prettiest little noises as Kurt thrust his tongue into his mouth.

Blaine bucked forward and his crotch rubbed teasingly against Kurt's before he pulled back. Ripping his mouth away from Blaine's, Kurt let out a desperate moan and crowded him even closer against the wall, moving his hips in slow, deliberate circles against Blaine's. Kurt might have felt embarrassed for getting so hard so fast but Blaine was right there with him.

"Kurt, please," Blaine begged, although for what exactly Kurt wasn't sure.

Then Kurt spotted the marble shelf along the wall that was used to serve coffee. He grabbed Blaine by the waist and pulled him over to it before hoisting him up. A few paper cups went flying but the actual coffee machine was a few feet away. Blaine, finally getting the idea, spread his legs and Kurt rushed in between them and began kissing him again.

Kurt continued to thrust up against him, his breath hitching every time their cocks rubbed together. He moved his lips to Blaine's neck and began sucking and kissing up and down the length of it.

"Kurt-Kurt!" Blaine gasped. "I'm close, so close."

"Good, good" Kurt mumbled incoherently as he increased the speed of his hips. "Come on, let go."

Blaine let out an obscene moan that almost had Kurt coming on the spot as he went over the edge. Kurt shifted so he was rubbing against Blaine's thigh and waited until Blaine came back to himself.

"Here," Blaine said after a few seconds and he started fumbling with Kurt's button and zipper. When he finally got it undone he slipped his hand into Kurt's underwear and rubbed his thumb over the head of his cock before gripping it tight and pumping hard. It took less than a minute of Blaine's experienced hand before he was coming too. It took a while but eventually Blaine jumped down from the counter, his knees buckling slightly as he hit the floor. Kurt reached out to steady him and suddenly they both began laughing.

"Well that was..."

"Unexpected?" Kurt offered, still a bit dazed.

"Amazing."

Kurt hummed in agreement but as his head cleared his brow furrowed. "But no seriously, that was unexpected. I don't know, you've always just seemed like such a... gentleman."

Blaine blushed a bit and stuttered out an apology. "Sorry I just- I knew that you and Stephen- I thought that's the kind of guy you were into so I just went for it and- I'm just sorry I-"

"Blaine calm down," Kurt said laughing. "I think it's pretty safe to say I enjoyed the experience," he said with a pointed look at his stained pants."

"Oh, good," Blaine said so genuinely that Kurt couldn't even roll his eyes. "Speaking of unexpected though," Blaine continued, a familiar flirty look on his face, "I may have initiated all this put you wasted no time taking over."

Kurt turned red and looked down at his feet but didn't respond. He had learned long ago he enjoyed being dominant in all aspects of his life and he wouldn't apologize for that.

As if sensing his discomfort Blaine quickly spoke up. "I didn't mean that in a negative way at all," he assured Kurt, "in case it wasn't obvious," and now it was his turn to gesture at his pants.

Smiling, Kurt met his gaze and they simply looked at each other for a while. Kurt felt a little bad for jumping the gun but he'd met too many guys who were interested in him only until they found out he liked to top as well as bottom.

Then it suddenly clicked what Blaine had meant by the Stephan comment and Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to find a way to address it. "But um, about Stephan, we never- just, you don't need to be someone you're not to try and impress me. I- you're a good guy," Kurt finished, feeling like an awkward teenager again.

"Oh I mean I don't even care about- but good, because I like you a lot too," Blaine said.

Kurt smiled and didn't correct him because although that's not what he said it was true.

"Tomorrow, after the runway show, since we have the afternoon off, do you want to hang out? I mean I know we can't go anywhere or do anything really but we could still just talk or something."

Kurt was shocked at the offer but knowing Blaine he really shouldn't have been. Sex was one thing but an emotional connection? That was a whole nother, more dangerous, ball park. He opened his mouth the decline the offer but it got stuck in his throat. If he was being truthful, that emotional connection was already there. Kurt couldn't stop thinking about Blaine and not just in a sexual way. Kurt cursed God or fate or whatever allowed this to happen at this time but he'd waited too long for a guy like this to show up.

"Yeah, sounds great."

&&&&&

Kurt could cry with frustration at this point but he fought the tears back because he didn't have time for them. He heard the fabric rip, he knew he did, but he couldn't find the spot anywhere. Finally his fingers caught the tear which was underneath his model's left arm. His fingers scrambled along his work station until he found the black thread and needle.

As he sewed it up Kurt planned what he would say if he made it to the top three. His assigned element was earth and while he'd been less than thrilled with it, he thought he did a pretty good job. His only qualm was that he didn't have time to make a jacket. The plain black top left something to be desired but the pant/skirt combo was the main focus anyway. Pants weren't something Kurt made often because they felt like a cop out. Sure it takes skill to make them but where was the creativity? Needless to say his pants weren't something ever seen before. They were black and skinny but a series of asymmetrical sheer panels that ran the length of them kept it fresh.

Soon, Tim is calling time up and ordering them out of the workroom. After rushed last minute preparation backstage (even though it's technically against the rules), Kurt finds himself sitting in his normal seat beside the runway.

The garments are walked out in order of element and water is first. Kurt had caught a few glances of Blaine's piece throughout the day but it's always different seeing it on the runway. It's a beautiful piece really, and it embodied the element so clearly in a way Kurt was afraid his didn't.

Blaine. Now that his mind was on the subject he couldn't get it to leave. In fact, he was so preoccupied he almost missed seeing his piece. As it passed by Kurt lamented again the missing jacket but overall he's satisfied. And once his model finished walking he was able to zone out again.

Kurt had been on plenty of dates before, neither Rachel nor Isabelle were able to keep their noses out of that part of his life, but this was different. Of course, there was the obvious fact that this wasn't even a real date. It was just two people spending some time together. Actually, it probably wasn't even going to be just the two of them. Whoever's apartment they went to there would be the other suitemates to deal with.

Beyond all that though, because Kurt was getting himself sidetracked, there was something different about Blaine. Kurt didn't usually open up to people because he looked at it this way: if people didn't truly know him then if they disliked him it didn't matter. So on most first dates Kurt stayed coolly calculative, held back, and felt out what the other person was like. Then, if they passed his test, on the second date he would open up a little more, and so on. To this day only one person had ever passed the second date.

But somehow Kurt already knew Blaine would pass his first date test and his second date test and all the ones to follow. It scared the shit out of him and was exhilarating all at the same time. Kurt had given up his dreams of true love and soulmates long ago but there was a part of him that would always be a romantic.

&&&&&

Kurt was in the top three again and Blaine waited, twiddling his thumbs, for him to come back out. His heart had swelled with pride when Kurt's name was called to step forward and Blaine let the feeling take hold without over analyzing it. It didn't matter that he'd known Kurt all of a week because he cared about the man pure and simple.

The door to the waiting room suddenly banged open and Harry stepped through breathing fire. Kurt followed behind him and made a beeline for the seat beside him.

"So..." Blaine prompted when he didn't immediately say anything.

"They liked it," Kurt said with a wide grin.

"Well duh," Blaine said, echoing the smile, "but do you think you'll win?"

"Oh, no I'm really not. They liked it but they pretty much only allotted me the top because they were glad I stepped out of my comfort zone by making pants. They mentioned you actually, they liked yours a lot, but they said it- well um, they're afraid you're a one trick pony," Kurt finished hesitantly.

Blaine wasn't offended however and mused, "Even after last challenge?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Kurt said quickly. "Who even knows with them."

Despite Kurt's reassurance Blaine filed that fact away to examine later. "So," Blaine began, changing the subject, "I couldn't help but notice you had the element earth..."

"Yeah..." Kurt responded in confusion.

"And your outfit was all black and kind of edgy..."

"Although I dislike the word edgy I suppose that would be true."

"Why do you dislike the word edgy?" Blaine asked, stopping the game for a moment.

"It's the word my step-mom uses to describe my stepbrother's friends who do bad things. She calls them that because she's too nice to call them what they really are: criminals."

A laugh tumbled out of Blaine and he shook his head. "Anyway, your element was earth, your outfit was black, and you laughed at my Avatar the Last Airbender joke the other day..."

Blaine saw the recognition in Kurt's eyes and he let out a triumph noise. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, lowering his voice as heads turned towards him. "You were inspired by the metal benders from Avatar the Last Airbender!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kurt said, pointedly refusing to meet Blaine's eyes.

"Admit it, admit it or I'll go tell that camera man you were inspired by a children's cartoon."

Kurt narrowed his eyes, his expression turning a little more serious. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Blaine said, getting way too close to Kurt for normal, public interaction. They both seemed to notice it at the same time and each pulled back slightly.

"Fine," Kurt sighed after Blaine refused to let it go, "I might have been a little inspired by the metal benders."

A smug smile lit Blaine's face but he refrained from rubbing it in any further. "You know, I never took you for an Avatar watching kind of guy."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Anderson," Kurt said in a downright unfairly sexy voice.

"But that's going to change after today right?" Blaine held his breath, thankful this had come up naturally in the conversation. It felt weird to ask Kurt for conformation since it wasn't technically a date or anything but he had been dying to know if he still wanted to do it.

"Yeah, I guess it will."

Blaine hear soared by before he could respond Kurt was called back to the runway to receive the results for this challenge.

He came back a few minutes later with news of Emmy winning and Lana being sent home. It was funny to Blaine that while he already felt close to Kurt, these other names, these other people, he barely knew.

"My place or yours?" Blaine asked once they started the journey back to the apartments.

"Hmm yours, but let me change first."

Blaine nodded, thankful he would have a few minutes to brief Alexander and hopefully get him to vacate their room for the time being.