The spotlight was on, and he was on fire. He danced - he sung, and he abused the pole like it was his right to do so. In a way, it was. The crowd loved him - his managers loved him...everyone loved him, and he was a star, just like he'd always dreamed.

Although...this wasn't quite the way he dreamt it. It did involve a stage and a crowd, but usually in his dreams, his costumes were always a little more...covering, his lines less provocative.

But it paid well, and he could hide behind an alias, and if that was how Blaine Anderson was going to work up the ranks, he could live with that. Stripping wasn't how he imagined his life to turn out, but he would be there someday – on Broadway, happy and comfortable.

It was seven – he'd only been working for two and a half hours now, but he was due for a break. The hot lights made him sweat like a pig, but he passed it off as oil quite easily. A towel around his neck, a bottle of water in his hand, and a chair later, Blaine was content.

"How's the crowd, Bambi?" Cinnamon asked, flashing him a grin as she applied more gold lipstick.

"Small." he replied easily. "But it's only seven…and it's a Wednesday…give it time."

Cinnamon wasn't her real name, obviously, but the dancers got given a name dependent on the first letter of their first name. It was a ploy to keep their identities confidential. Hell, Blaine didn't even know what some of their real names were.

"Alright. Any oldies?"

Blaine shook his head. "Not yet."

She sauntered over to the little 'roster' board, squinting hard at it. "We're dancing together later." She grinned. "Leather party!"

He laughed, but his attention was elsewhere. "You need glasses?"

She paused, shrugging. "I can't afford an appointment, much less the actual glasses themselves. But I don't need to see to be able to dance."

"Cinnamon!" Avalon called from the stage door. "You're on in five. Get your fine ass over here. And you; Bambi, stop being lazy and stretch."

Blaine laughed, sliding off the chair and plunking himself on the floor. Avalon was the 'head dancer' – she had been there the longest and looked after all the others.

With his right leg stretched – his left curled up close to his body, he leant over and rested his head on his knee easily.

"Further Bambi." Avalon prodded, before she exited through the stage door.

Blaine could hear the crowd's roar from inside, and he grinned slightly, pushing himself down so his head rested on the floor. Strong hands slid onto his shoulders, pushing him forward, rather than down.

"Stretch, Bambi, don't just sit there." A young voice reprimanded him.

Blaine frowned. "Fix my leg." He ordered, and the blonde boy pulled at Blaine's right leg as Blaine sat up, letting his left leg stretch until he was sitting in a comfortable split.

The boy mirrored his exercise pose – their upper-bodies touching as they used each other to keep their postures straight, tilting their hips against each other for added stretch.

There weren't many boundaries when it came to strippers.

"So…have you got a hot date tonight?" he asked nonchalantly, stretching Blaine's arm slightly.

Blaine snorted. "Thumper, did you hit your head or something?"

Thumper shrugged. "Apparently you aren't joining us tonight…?"

Every Wednesday night, Blaine's closest friends went out for coffee - it was a way to pretend like they were normal people.

"Eh…I'm not feeling the best. I was thinking of getting an early night."

"I like the fact that early counts as 1am." Thumper laughed.

Blaine grinned at him. "Well, it's better than 5am."

"True." Thumper acknowledged as Blaine stretched out his arm. "When do you go back? Are we on together?"

"7.30, so probably." Blaine nodded, holding onto Thumper's biceps for support as he leaned back.

"Do you want to do the stripper routine?"

Blaine bit back his retort - they were all stripper routines - knowing exactly which one Thumper meant.

"We'll have to check with Avalon..."

^.^

Of course, Avalon said yes.

She always said yes.

It wasn't that Blaine didn't want to do it – it's just…

It was a lot…harder.

The stage was dark – the silhouettes of the dancers were illuminated from the audience.

Blaine was literally a centimeter from Thumper's lips, their bodies separated by the thin pole.

It was provocative.

Far more provocative than any of their other routines.

Blaine was fully clad in uncomfortable jeans and a flannelette shirt – but not for long. The Velcro that held the seams together itched and scraped, but Blaine couldn't move.

The second the lights came up, Blaine detached his mind from the situation, and he let the music free him as Thumper ripped the clothes from his body. He pretended he was doing it because he loved it – not because of the money. He pretended he wasn't being stripped by an eighteen year old – five years his junior. He pretended this wasn't happening, simply because he wouldn't be embarrassed that way.

Finally, when the actual choreography ended and Blaine was free to dance as he pleased, he brought himself back to reality, to make his rounds and see if he could get a few free drinks out of it. He was only in boxers, but it didn't bother him.

"Hey gorgeous."

Blaine turned slowly, casting his hazel eyes into green ones as he shook his hips. "Hey yourself."

"What's a pretty little boy like you, doing in a place like this?" he was a hulk of a man, but Blaine regarded him calmly.

"I'm doing what I love." He smiled happily, trying to throw some innocence into the act as well.

"Can I interest you in doing…" he emphasized. "Something else?"

Blaine faltered, his eyes closing. "Sorry…not interested…"

The man regarded him with a frown. "Sorry?"

"I'm not that type of dancer." Blaine said softly. "Go talk to Thumper. Or Snaps..." Blaine pointed them out, and he watched the cogs tick over in the man's head.

"Right." The man pulled out a fiver, slotting it into the waistband of Blaine's boxers. "You're a good dancer, kid."

Blaine sighed heavily.

^.^

"I don't see why you don't do after-hours." Snaps leant back in his chair, sipping at his mocha.

Blaine ended up going out after all. He was feeling lousy, and these guys always cheered him up.

"Come on Snaps, if you're that proud of your job, don't censor it." Cinnamon grinned.

"Fine. Bambi, why aren't you whoring around like the rest of us?"

Blaine had to suppress a grin. "It's not my thing."

"You're not a virgin, are you?" Kandy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Blaine laughed. "I just don't like having sex with strangers."

Cinnamon and Kandy raised an eyebrow at each other before glancing back at Blaine.

"Bambi, I'm sorry to break this to you, but you're a stripper. You practically get naked on stage for money."

Blaine laughed.

"Yes, I strip for money, but so do all of you. And I'm not the only one who doesn't participate in the after-hours." he argued, glancing at Thumper.

"Yeah, but you're gay."

Blaine was at a loss for words, blanching as he glanced around at them. "Huh?"

"No…I mean…" Thumper laughed. "I obviously didn't mean it like that – who do you think I am? What I meant was, when you have five, really hot, gay strippers at a straight bar," he motioned at the five of them sitting around the table. "You'd kind of hope all of them actually sleep around. Rakes in more money like that."

Blaine felt a stab of pain at Thumper's words – but not for his own sake. For Thumper's. How could this eighteen year old – just barely off school – have such morals? Blaine couldn't exactly protest though – he'd done the exact same thing. He just couldn't remember being so crude about it.

"Avalon wants you to start. Just a heads-up." Cinnamon said softly. "She won't force you…but she's…very…persuasive."

Blaine blinked awkwardly, not daring to ask just how persuasive. Sadly, he would find out anyway.

"Oh my god, did you sleep with Avalon?" Thumper practically shouted to the entire café.

"Thumper…" Snaps groaned. "You're either really stupid, or you just wanted to hear her say it. Yes, she slept with Avalon."

Blaine was laughing – almost in stitches as Cinnamon burned bright red and the rest of the café went silent.

"I think it's time for a walk." Kandy said sensibly, taking her coffee.

Blaine nodded eagerly, picking up his hot chocolate before following the rest of them outside.

They wandered idly, chatting amongst themselves, but Blaine couldn't concentrate.

Avalon wanted him to start? But... He didn't... He never wanted that to happen, and the managers and Avalon had been supportive so far... But what would he do if that changed?

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice as the group started to say their good-byes, coming back to reality only when Cinnamon - Cassie, he was allowed to use her real name now - linked arms with him.

"You okay…?"

Blaine sighed, nuzzling into her side. "I don't know."

"What's on your mind, Bambi?"

He raised an eyebrow at the stage name, and she shrugged, a small smile on her face. They remained silent as they made their way back to their shared apartment.

"You don't want to be a whore, do you?" she asked softly, and he glanced at her, shaking his head gently.

"I…I don't…do that stuff…and if I do…"

"If you do…you stop being Blaine from Ohio…you stop being the charming schoolboy with big dreams…and you start being Bambi, the stripper from New York."

Blaine nodded slightly. "I'll stop being Blaine altogether. I'll lose him…and I don't want to lose him."

Cassie smiled slightly. She was only a year younger than Blaine, but she felt years older.

"You're so innocent." She whispered, unlocking their apartment door. "I don't want to lose Blaine either, but sometimes growing up is the best thing for you."

Blaine gave a little sigh. "I had to grow up already."

Cassie gave a little chuckle, moving throughout their small apartment and turning on lights as she went. Blaine followed slowly, dropping his bag and sinking into the small couch.

"Bambi…" Cassie whispered. "It's three in the morning. It's time for bed."

"I don't want to go to bed."

"We've got to be there at four today. Make sure you sleep at least sometime before dawn, or you won't recover, okay?"

Blaine nodded mutely, and Cassie disappeared into her own bedroom.

Blaine gave a little sigh.

Sleeping with a stranger…every single night…no feelings, no commitments.

His eyes closed.

If Avalon asked him…it wasn't like he could say no. Not really. She was speaking for their managers – who Blaine had only met once – and if the managers wanted something, they usually got it.

And if Blaine got fired because he wasn't fulfilling a job requirement…Blaine wouldn't be able to do anything. He'd be on the streets – dancing at this club was the only reason he was still coping.

Blaine sighed and stood up, gently stretching his stiff limbs.

Sleep with someone for money, or sleep on the streets.

Blaine knew his decision.