The Moulin Rouge.  Home to William Schuester and his “Diamond Dancers”.

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Inside the gargantuan dance hall, crowds of gentlemen wearing prim and proper tuxedos joined the many scantily clad men and women on the shiny wooden dance floor.  Blaine stood in the very center, drinking in all the lights and sounds and colors as the spectacle around him began to unfold.  Women circled and spun rapidly throughout the room, their faces covered with pink rosy blush and deep wine-colored lipstick.  Eyes of every shade imaginable accentuated by thick black eyeliner and long, mascara-stained lashes passed him by with saucy winks.  Ruffled silk skirts of pink, blue, and red began to morph together in a single unit of color and movement, twirling around him in a dizzying array.

One gorgeous, tan-skinned girl with wavy black curls tried to catch Blaine’s attention by flashing him with a peek of her dark red panties, but Blaine hardly acknowledged her presence.  He was much more intrigued by the assortment of male dancers around him.  All were clad in an array of colorful suspenders and button-down shirts paired with impossibly tight black pants that clung sinfully to every muscle.  The shirts were left open, revealing endless expanses of skin and toned chests.  A tall brunette dressed in all black met Blaine’s eyes from across the room, looking Blaine up and down and giving him a seductive glance before strutting away to a potential client, swishing his hips in a way that caused Blaine’s face and neck to flush red for an instant before turning back to the center of the dance floor.

Suddenly, the room went quiet as William Schuester, wearing a bright red tuxedo resembling that of a circus’s ringmaster, stood in front of the band and signaled for silence before shouting “The Cancan”.  At this point, the dancers ran to take places before the music began again, hushed and slow at first before increasing in volume and speeding up to an unimaginable level of noise.  Dancers ran out onto the floor, thrusting and grinding against men in tuxedos as the music blasted throughout the room.  The senses and sights around him overwhelmed Blaine, the pounding beat of the music matching that of his own heart, and he startled a little when he felt a tap on his shoulder, relieved when he turned around to see Wes’s smiling face.

Wes guided the disoriented young man over to one of the many tables surrounding the edge of the dance hall, already occupied by David and Thad.

Wes signaled for a group huddle and said, “Mission accomplished.  We’ve successfully evaded Schuester.”

The lights in the room all went out except for a single spotlight, pointed towards the ceiling of the large room.  All eyes in the room turned to where a sprinkling of glitter began to fall from the ceiling, catching the light and shimmering pleasantly as they floated onto the men congregated on the dance floor.

“It’s him,” Wes whispered excitedly from next to Blaine.  “The sparkling diamond.”

Blaine squinted at the blinding light as a figure was lowered down on a small seat attached by ropes to the ceiling.  Blaine let out a small gasp as the man dangling above him finally came into focus.  He wore a solid black top hat with a simple silk bow tied around the middle that matched his elegant dress shoes and small satin gloves.  His pants were similar to those of the other male dancers, but they were made from metallic silver material and shone brightly in the dark room.  The sequined vest that served as his shirt clung to his thin chest and waist, revealing his skinny almost feminine arms and shoulders.  And when the breathtaking young man above him opened his mouth to sing, Blaine swore he heard the voice of an angel coming from above, as no man on earth could possibly produce such a high, beautiful, and stunning sound.

“The French are glad to die for love.

They delight in fighting duels.

But I prefer a man who lives,

And gives expensive jewels.”

At that, the young man leaned back on his seat, spinning around in a large circle above the room as he was slowly lowered down to the dance floor.

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But someone else was to meet Kurt that night.  Schuester’s investor.  A duke who went by the name of David Karofsky.

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The audience roared as Kurt leaned down to touch the hands of the many men below him, exhilarated by the thrill of performing as he hopped down gracefully from the small swing.

“A kiss on the hand may be

quite continental.

But diamonds are a boy’s best friend.

A kiss may be grand but it

Won’t pay the rental on your

humble flat.

Or help you feed your pussycat.”

Kurt flirted with the men around him as he and the female dancers continued to sing, waving off the stacks of dollar bills offered to him as he danced around the large group.  When Kurt turned around, one older gentleman walked up behind him and smacked his ass playfully, making Kurt turn around and pretend as if the objectifying action didn’t bother him one little bit.  Replacing his mask of indifference, Kurt beckoned to two other male dancers, who lifted him up above the crowd over to a man offering him a diamond necklace.  Kurt gently snatched up the jewelry before being carried away into the center of the room again.

“Men grow cold as

I grow old.

And we all lose our charms in the end.

But square-cut or pear-shaped

These rocks don’t lose their shape.

Diamond’s are a boy’s best friend.”

At the table directly to the left of Blaine and his friends, Karofsy and Schuester sat watching the show in front of them.  Karofsky gulped loudly before turning his attention back to Schuester.

“When am I going to meet the boy?”

“After his number, I’ve arranged a private meeting.  Just you and Monsieur Kurt.  Totally alone.”

Back at Blaine’s table, a similar conversation was occurring simultaneously between Wes and Blaine.

“After his number, I’ve arranged a private meeting between you and Monsieur Kurt.  Totally alone!”

“Alone?”

“Yes, totally alone.”

On the dance floor, Kurt continued to sing and blow kisses to his admirers.

“Come and get me, boys!” he shouted to the crowd, beckoning all the men over to him.  The large group lifted Kurt up in the air as he trilled loudly, carrying him over to a small platform.

“Talk to me, Will Schuester.  Tell me all about it.” Kurt yelled, calling his boss over to join him on the tiny stage.

“There may come a time when a

guy needs a lawyer.”

Kurt continued singing flawlessly, moving through the movements of the routine he performed every night.  Kurt could recite the actions to himself from memory.  Will pulls out a sparkly pendant.  Swipe for it with the left hand and then the right, pout when he won’t give it to you.  He pretends to grab your ass and you gasp.

Continuing with the routine, Kurt asked “Is the duke here, Will?”

“Of course he is.  Would daddy disappoint you?” Will responded, turning over Kurt’s shoulder to see a shocking scene unraveling before him by the tables.

While the dance number had been occurring earlier, Wes stood too quickly and accidentally knocked a platter of drinks onto Karofsky’s lap.  Flustered, Wes whipped out his handkerchief and was now dabbing the other man’s shirt and pants, muttering his apologies as he continued.

“Where is he?” Kurt asked excitedly, continuing the little skit for the cheering crowd.

“He’s the one that idiot Wes is shaking a hankie at.” Schuester responded.

At the exact moment Kurt began to turn around and glance at the potential investor, Wes turned away from Karofsky to borrow Blaine’s handkerchief, waving it slightly as he pulled it from Blaine’s tuxedo pocket.  So when Kurt glanced towards where his boss had indicated, his piercing eyes met the soft hazel ones of a handsome young man with small unruly curls sticking out from under his top hat.

Slightly puzzled by the man’s youth, Kurt turned back to Will to clarify, asking, “Are you sure?”

“Let me take a peek.” Schuester said, glancing back to the chaotic scene behind him where Wes was now wiping at Karofsky’s pants like a madman and apologizing, the embarrassed duke trying to step away from the unusual young man.

Schuester sighed heavily, reminding himself to have a word with Wes at some point after the show.  “That’s the one, my little shining star.  As long as Wes doesn’t frighten him off.”

Placing his full attention back into the dance number, Kurt beckoned to Will as they both crouched down for a costume change, surrounded by the other dancers in a faux-dressing room on top of the platform.

“Will he invest?” Kurt asked excitedly as his friend Sugar helped him into his next outfit.

“Oh, my little porcelain doll.  After spending the night with you, how could he resist?”

“What’s his type?” Kurt questioned, removing his top hat as he spoke.  “Wilting flower?  Bright and bubbly?  Or smoldering seductor?”

“I’d say, smoldering seductor.  Now remember, sweetheart, we’re all counting on you tonight.  Just remember, a real show in a real theatre with a real audience.”

Kurt nodded along, listening to his boss as he fixed his bangs messily.

“And you’ll be-” Will began.

“A real actor.”  Kurt responded, sighing dreamily as he and Will stood to commence the musical number.

Blaine watched from the table as the girls peeled away from the center, revealing Kurt in an outfit identical to the one he wore before but in a pale pink shade, as well as Schuester stripped down to his underwear, pretending to blush at being exposed to the audience.  The crowd began to laugh and cheer as Kurt finished singing.  A group of male dancers walked over to pick up Kurt, carrying him towards the table area surrounding the dance floor.

“‘Cause that’s when those louses

go back to their spouses.

Diamonds

are a

boy’s

best

friend.”

Blaine looked up from his drink to see shimmery pink material clinging to a thinly framed body right in front of his face.  Slightly confused, Blaine’s eyes rose up the person’s body slowly, blushing when he realized exactly who was standing in front of him.  Kurt smiled slightly at the man below him, whispering, “I believe you were expecting me?” in the sexiest voice he could manage after dancing around for the past 5 minutes.

Blaine tried to calm his nerves as he stuttered a breathless reply.

“Yes, um wel-yes…”

“Well then,” Kurt said, turning back to the crowd. “I believe it’s my choice.”

When he pointed back at Blaine the audience burst into a roar of cheers.  At this point, Blaine was so shocked he couldn’t really respond to the situation.  He sat ramrod straight and stared blankly at Kurt’s back, glancing down to his firm butt briefly before flushing and looking back up again.

Kurt began trilling loudly at the crowd as they cheered his name, reveling on the fact that everyone in the room was staring at him and him alone.  Feeling a bit cocky, he bent over slightly and stuck his ass directly in Blaine’s face before turning back around.  How’s that for smoldering seductor, Will?

“Let’s dance.” he yelled, reaching for Blaine’s hand.

Blaine nearly refused, but suddenly David shoved him from behind, sending him into Kurt’s outstretched arms.  Lifting Blaine up primly, Kurt grabbed his hand and spun in a small circle, dragging him onto the dance floor as a fast-paced samba beat began to play.  Once they were at the center of the room, Kurt danced and twirled enthusiastically while Blaine struggled to follow along.

Across the room, Wes, David and Thad watched their friend and Kurt sway together.

“That seemed to go quite well.” Thad remarked.

“Incredible.  He has a gift with the men, yes?” David observed, astounded by his apparent charm and poise.

“I told you.  He’s a genius!” Wes stated excitedly.

Back on the dance floor, Blaine felt like a total moron, trying to imitate the men around him as he watched Kurt spin and wink at him periodically.  Kurt placed his small hands on Blaine’s shoulders delicately and bent down, running his hands slowly down Blaine’s chest and legs.  Blaine gasped, feeling more than a bit awkward as his body reacted against his will at Kurt’s touch.  Concentrating on his breathing, Blaine managed to calm himself down a little by the time Kurt stood face-to-face with him again.

“It’s so wonderful for you to take an interest in our little show.” Kurt said politely, guiding Blaine through the dance steps while he conversed.

“It all sounds very fascinated, I’d be delighted to be involved.” Blaine answered honestly, finally embracing the rhythm of the song.

“Really?” Kurt replied, attempting to hold in the excitement building within his chest.  He didn’t want to scare this man away.  Kurt focused all his energy on his acting skills, placing his seductive façade back on before listening to the young man’s response.

“Assuming you like what I do of course.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will.” Kurt assured him, slightly bewildered as to why the Duke was so forward about the night’s upcoming sexual activities.

“Wes thought we might be able to do it in private.” Blaine said innocently as the dancing continued.

“Oh, did he now?” Kurt said, wondering why the hell Wes knew about the arrangement between the Duke and himself for tonight.  Had Will talked about this with him?

“Yes, you know a private-” Blaine paused to dip Kurt towards the floor as the men around him were doing with their dance partners. “-poetry reading.” he finished nervously, breath tickling Kurt’s neck slightly as he spoke, leaving tiny goosebumps up and down Kurt’s sensitive skin.

“Oh.” Kurt responded, thinking absently about the weird fetishes these men had before finishing his thoughts.  “A poetry reading. I love a little poetry after supper.” he responded playfully, spinning Blaine in a small circle before dancing in sync again with the couples around them.

The two continued to dance for a little while longer before the music slowed down and Kurt yelled, “Let go of your hat!” and lifted his leg up in a high kick to send Blaine’s hat flying into the air, along with the hats of all the other gentlemen in the room.

Blaine quickly retrieved his hat and returned to his seat to watch the end of the show as Kurt walked back over to the swing chair being lowered into the room once more.  He sat down gracefully and the chair rose slightly in the air as he smiled downwards and sang once more.

“Diamonds.

Diamonds.

Diamonds.

Square-cut or pear-shaped

these rocks don’t lose their shape.

Diamonds, are a boy’s

best-”

Kurt felt a shooting pain in his throat and gasped loudly, his voice bouncing through the silent room.  He gripped tightly to the ropes of the chair and struggled to breath, unable to force the air in and out of his lungs.  The audience below him waited expectantly for the end of the song as Kurt’s hold on the swing began to waver.  He felt dizzy and disoriented, his vision going black as he fell backwards and plunged from atop his chair through the air down to the ground far below.