So I thought up this idea in the car today. Then I couldn't stop picturing Darren Criss in a Cheerio's uniform…well…you'll have to find out.

GLEE

The McKinley High gym was filled with students and parents alike. Tonight was the first performance of Sue's Cheerios since the disastrous try at Regionals and getting her budget cut. Without three of her best Cheerios, she was still going to have her monthly Cheerio performance, which was always open to the public.

Half of the people there were there be supportive and see a Cheerio's routine.

The other half were there to see Sue crash and burn.

Which is why the New Directions Glee club had front row seats to tonight's event.

"Why are we driving all the way from Dalton to see the cheerleaders at your former school perform?" asked Blaine as they walked through the empty halls of McKinley. "And isn't their coach now coaching our competition for Regionals?"

Kurt huffed. "Look, I'm friends with a lot of the Cheerios still on the squad. They wanted me to be there for them tonight." He shrugged.

"That's nice of you," said Blaine with a smile. Kurt smiled back.

"Porcelain!" Kurt looked up and jumped at Sue Sylvester's shrill voice reverberating all over the empty hallway.

"Mrs. Sylvester," said Kurt as the imposingly tall Cheerio coach stormed up to the pair. Blaine's head comically strained up as she stood uncomfortably close. Sue could make even the best of them feel short; around Blaine it was almost sad.

"Come with me, Porcelain, and bring your hobbit friend with you." Sue turned and started with long steps to her office and Kurt hurried to keep up with her. After a moment of shock and mouthing the word 'hobbit' to himself, Blaine ran after his friend.

When they arrived at Sue's office, she was already digging into an impressive closet in the corner. She threw a shirt in Kurt's direction. He caught it and looked down.

"What is this?" asked Kurt with a frown.

"Your Cheerio's uniform," said Sue, throwing the pants at him as well.

"What?" squawked Kurt. "But I'm not on the Cheerios any more. I'm at Dalton and -"

"I took the liberty of tailoring it," said Sue as if Kurt hadn't spoken. "I know you've gotten taller since last semester." Kurt stared at him with his mouth hanging open.

"Do you mean you want me to perform or something?" asked Kurt.

"Of course, Porcelain," said Sue, taking a seat on top of her desk. "You see, my new head Cheerio was practicing the particularly difficult triple flipping herkie twist she was suppose to wow the audience with tonight and broke her leg."

Blaine hissed and Kurt looked concerned. "Now I don't have anything to surprise the public tonight and I need to really make tonight awe-inspiring and show everyone out there that Sue Sylvester isn't dead yet. And that means releasing the big guns: you."

"I'm not even a student here -" began Kurt, but Sue stopped him.

"Nothing says you have to be. I can let anyone on my Cheerios if it's not a competitive performance. It doesn't matter if they are a student or not." Sue stood up and went back to her closet. "So suit up, Porcelain. And have Fine China over there suit up as well." Another bundle of clothing came flying, this time at Blaine. It hit him in the face and he reached up for it.

"I don't think that will swallow your elfin frame too much, Fine China," said Sue.

"Wait, hold up, you want me to be a Cheerio too?" asked Blaine. Then he blinked and turned to Kurt in confusion. "And you were a cheerleader, Kurt?"

"For a while, last year. I won Nationals," he said proudly. Kurt turned to Sue. "But Mrs. Sylvester, I don't even know the routine, and Blaine wouldn't either."

"We still have about fifteen minutes until we go on. You pick up the choreography quick, kid. The girls will go over it with you." Sue looked down at Blaine. "You just follow Porcelain's lead and don't do anything too ridiculous. As long as you sound good and look pretty."

"But what about the song?" asked Kurt. "What if we don't know the lyrics?" He looked at Blaine with wide eyes.

"Oh, believe me, Porcelain," said Sue, putting an arm around both Kurt and Blaine. "You will know this song. It picked it specifically to blow Will Shuester's half-time performance out of the water."

The evil glint in Sue's eye probably should have worried Kurt, but he was too busy trying to remember every cheer step he had learned last year. Blaine was just trying to figure out a plan in which he never had to come back to Lima, after the embarrassing performance he was probably going to give tonight.

…

Blaine nervously fiddled with the bottom of the red and white Cheerio's uniform. It fit fine, although it was a little long in the pants, but the white tennis shoes that Sue had thrust in his arms hid that.

"I'm gonna die," said Kurt, his face pale as he stepped next to Blaine. Blaine looked over and then quickly looked away, blushing. The way Kurt's Cheerio uniform fit him should be illegal.

"If anyone is dying tonight, it's me," said Blaine.

"But this is my old school," said Kurt softly. "Karofsky is probably out there…most of the school is."

"You'll just have to show this school, and especially Karofsky, how much they should really miss you," said Blaine fiercely.

"Thanks, Blaine."

"No problem. Now Kurt, when I die, I want you to sing 'Drops of Jupiter' at my funeral."

"You're not going to die. You've sung in front of a whole Gap. This shouldn't be anything," said Kurt.

"I also completely failed at that," reminded Blaine.

"Not the performing part. Just the wooing part."

"Thanks.

"No problem."

Blaine sighed as Sue Sylvester walked into the middle of the gym floor to introduce the Cheerios. "Well, at least there's a bright side: she was right. I know this song in my sleep."

"There is another bright side," said Kurt after a moment.

"What is that?" asked Blaine.

"You look delicious in that uniform," said Kurt. Blaine looked over at him, eyes wide. Kurt was giving him a long look, up and down.

"You don't look half bad yourself," Blaine found himself saying. Oh wow. Bold.

They didn't say anything else, because the upbeat tempo began as the band started to play and the female Cheerios danced out of the wings, converging on the center of the gym. Kurt winked and jogged away from Blaine to come around from the back of the gym, through the other Cheerios. Blaine took a deep breath and walked out to the front of the formation of Cheerios.

The first people he spotted before starting to sing was New Directions. Mercedes and Rachel's shocked faces were the first. Will Shuester's confused stare was second. Then he took in the collective surprise and astonished looks from all the other members, who he had met at Rachel's party a few weeks ago.

Blaine ignored it as his cue to sing came up and he went with everything he got - because hey, if he was going to die from embarrassment, he might as well have fun.

"They told him don't you ever come around here, don't wanna see your face, you better disappear," belted out Blaine, his eyes around the gym. Already most of the crowd was getting to its feet, dancing to the beat. Sue wasn't joking about trying to blow Shue's half time performance out of the water.

And what better way to do that was with another Michael Jackson song?

"The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear. So beat it, just beat it." Blaine glanced back near the end of his verse to see Kurt waltzing up a row of Cheerios. He had this…look on his face. If Blaine had to put a word (or a few) to it, it would be, "Move, bitch, get out of the way."

"You better run, you better do what you can don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man," sang Kurt, his voice completely different. Blaine had never heard it so low and…sultry? "You wanna be tough, better do what you can. So beat it, but you wanna be bad."

The crowd's reaction surprised Blaine. Kurt had always told him that New Directions wasn't as accepted with their performances with the rest of the school, as the Warblers were with theirs. (Half time and a handful of other performances the exceptions).

This crowd, however, was loving it. Probably as much as the football spectators like "Thriller".

"Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it, no one wants to be defeated," sang Kurt, Blaine forgetting about the chorus for a moment.

He jumped in, singing directly to Kurt: "Showin' how funky and strong is your fight."

Kurt joined in and they finished the chorus, over lapping on the title of the song. "It doesn't matter who's wrong or right. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it!"

Blaine crossed in front of Kurt with a twirl and a wink. "They're out to get you, better leave while you can, don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man. You wanna stay alive, better do what you can," sang Blaine, the lyrics suddenly making a lot more sense to him. In the context of singing them to Kurt.

They fit a little too much for his liking. "So beat it, just beat it," he finished.

A few of the Cheerios danced over to him as Kurt sang, and Blaine tried to copy their moves as much as he could. Kurt had said to do what he could and just look confident.

"You have to show them that you're really not scared," sang Kurt, and something in his eyes told Blaine that he was suddenly connected to the lyrics, too. "You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare. They'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair. So beat it, but you wanna be bad." Kurt did a high kick that Blaine was sure he couldn't do without tearing himself in half.

"Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it," Blaine sang, reaching a falsetto and holding the last note as Kurt sang. "No one wants to be defeated. Showin' how funky and strong is your fight, it doesn't matter who's wrong or right."

Blaine was spun by one of the, surprisingly strong, Cheerio girls. When he stopped spinning, his eyes suddenly connected with those of Dave Karofsky.

His eyes were unreadable. There was definitely anger, of that Blaine was sure. There was also…sadness, maybe? And a type of yearning.

Blaine remember seeing Karofsky on the football field that night. He had run on in the middle of the "Thriller" performance to join them. He was actually pretty good.

Something told Blaine that Karofsky wanted to be on the gym floor, dancing and performing, too.

"Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it," sang Kurt, awaking Blaine from his lapse from the outside world. The eye contact between Karofsky and Blaine broke and he sang again. "No one wants to be defeated. Showin' how funky and strong is your fight. It doesn't matter who's wrong or right."

Blaine found himself being pulled by his arm by Kurt. They sang to each other, dancing around each other, eyes locked.

"Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it. No one wants to be defeated. Showin' how funky and strong is your fight. It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right." Kurt added a few runs to the end of his notes and Blaine joined in on that, their voices mashing up just as well as they had when they sang before Christmas break.

"Just beat it, beat it. Beat it, beat it, beat it!" They finished, the band cutting off their music abruptly. Blaine found his back pressed against Kurt's, the flesh of their arms brushing against each other, causing chills. Behind them, the Cheerios were in an elaborate pyramid, a few other just coming down from flips.

The applause was deafening and true. Blaine's heart beat wildly in his chest. The thought that maybe he hadn't embarrassed himself completely made him happy.

"That was actually amazing," whispered Kurt. "I missed this."

Blaine frowned at Kurt. Kurt's face was lit up in a way Blaine hadn't seen, truly seen, for a while.

Suddenly, Blaine wished that the Warblers would give Kurt a solo; a chance to shine. Because he shone brighter than most of them, including Blaine.

"You made me proud, Porcelain," said Sue when they were back on the side of the gym. Kurt beamed. "If you ever decide to ditch gay Hogwarts, I would want you back on the squad in a heartbeat."

Kurt's face didn't change. "I'll consider it, Mrs. Sylvester."

Sue pounded him on the back once, then Blaine. "It was tolerable, Fine China. But you have a lot to live up to." Then she walked away without a word, leaving Blaine to gawk at the tall woman's back.

"Hey, you should be happy," said Kurt, nudging him. "Coming from Coach Sylvester, 'tolerable' is like, singing your praises."

"Kurt!"

Kurt looked over to Mercedes, who had said his name. Following after her was the rest of New Directions.

"Babe, what the heck was that?" asked Mercedes, a little angry but also offended.

"You do realize that Coach Sylvester is now the coach of both of our competitions?" said Rachel, her eyes wide. "How could you perform for her? You're not even at this school!"

Kurt held up his hands in surrender. "It's not like I had a choice. She cornered Blaine and I. Her new head cheerleader broke a leg. She needed something that could show up your half time show last month."

"So she choose you and the leprechaun?" asked Santana, her hands cross over her chest and an eyebrow raised at Blaine. "Although, damn boy, that uniform doesn't make you look half bad. Sexy, even."

"Does this mean that Blaine has gold?" asked Brittany.

"She literally threw the uniforms at us," insisted Kurt. "I was just coming to watch."

"And is the rainbow because he's gay?" continued Brittany. "Are all gay people leprechauns?" Brittany's eyes widened and she looked at Kurt and Blaine. She looked like she was itching to follow them to their pots of gold.

New Directions was still frowning at Kurt and Blaine, but finally Lauren appeared, dragging Puck with her. "That was hot," said Lauren. Puck didn't seem too happy that he couldn't get her to say the same for his performances.

Kurt smiled at Lauren. He had never really spoken to her before, since she was his replacement, expect for Rachel's party. "Thanks, Lauren."

"It was a pretty spectacular performance," admitted Rachel. "Especially after such short notice."

"We had about ten minutes to prepare," said Blaine with a smirk at Kurt.

"That's it, we're doomed," said Puck. "If they could rock the house with only ten minutes of practice, how is Reigionals gonna pan out?"

"You guys will do great," said Blaine with a smile. "Whoever wins, wins."

"Why do you have to be so freaking polite?" asked Santana. "I liked you when you were drunk and bi-curious."

Blaine's cheeks turned red and Kurt shot a glare at Santana. She shrugged and pranced away, her hair bouncing behind her. Brittany followed her, pushing Artie in his chair.

"It was pretty good," admitted Kurt. "It was fun to sing like, sorta lead again."

"I wish you could get more solos at Dalton," said Blaine sadly. "You deserve it."

Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Surprisingly, just hearing you say that is just as good as actually getting a solo."

"It's true," shrugged Blaine.

"They're eye-sexing again," said Lauren, pulling a chocolate bar out of her jacket. "I'm out. Don't want to see this." She sauntered away, Puck following after her without another thought.

"Coffee - who wants coffee?" asked Blaine suddenly.

"Meet at the Lima Bean in about ten?" asked Rachel, linking arms with Mercedes.

"Make it fifteen, I want to get out of this uniform," said Kurt.

"Okay, babe," said Mercedes waving. Tina and Mike asked if they could carpool with Mercedes as they walked away to the busy parking lot.

Blaine and Kurt walked back to the locker rooms to change. Then they walked to Kurt's Navigator and drove to the coffee shop. There were exactly three instances that Blaine wanted to reach out and grab Kurt's hand in his. Two in which he wanted to brush a stray strand of hair out of his face. And one were Blaine just wanted to screw everything and kiss him on the lips.

Blaine ended up following Kurt into the Lima Bean and waving at his friends in the back. He didn't brush his fingers against Kurt's as he accepted his medium drip from the other boy and he tried to stare at him…too much as the night wore on.

Because Blaine wasn't really good at the romance thing.

Blaine wondered if he'd ever get good at it.

FIN

I hope you enjoyed! I figured out near the end that it didn't seem…natural to force them together at the end of this story. It would have been forced…so I think this is more like the show than anything: a lot of teasing but nothing actually happening….