Pairing: Kadam
Words: 1842
Genre: romance
Rating: harmless ^^
Summary: AU in which Adam is Cassandra's PA and he offers to help Kurt survive his first weeks in dance class. Written for Kadam week at tumblr.
Warm-Up
Kurt closes his eyes and concentrates. The music playing on his phone is calming and for a moment he just stands at the barre enjoying the peace of mind music without lyrics gives him. He lets it wash over him, filling his body with the idea of movement before actually moving to it. He sways on his feet a little, takes a deep breath, opens his eyes and pushes off his feet. He spins, trying to fixate himself in the mirror and almost manages a full turn. The landing is a little awkward and a small spark of disappointment tries to ignite inside his chest. Kurt stomps it out. It's his first week. It's okay. He came to NYADA to learn, after all. Besides, no one saw him.
"You must be Kurt," a voice says from behind him, and Kurt spins again, this time unpoised. A tall blonde man stands in the doorway to the dance room, leaning against the frame. He is smiling but not laughing at him - Kurt has enough experience with that from high school to be able to tell the difference. Still, he can't help but wonder why the man knows his name and is apparently able to identify him by his looks or his failed pirouette.
"Have we met?" he asks, though he is quite certain they haven't. Most NYADA students dress to impress (himself included), and the lack of flashy shawls, ties, fedoras, hipster braces and non-prescription glasses makes the guy stand out more than the accessories would. Kurt would remember anyone daring enough to dress down in a casual shirt and a knitted beanie in the halls of the wanna-be famous. He's pretty sure he'd remember those broad shoulders, too.
The blond man's smile widens, and it does something to his eyes. Kurt can't resist smiling back, suddenly feeling as if he has asked something embarrassing.
"Actually, we haven't. Not officially. But I've seen you in class. Right here, actually. On Tuesday- you were wearing this bright blue hoodie? I'm Adam, Miss July's PA. She asks me to sit in sometimes."
Kurt chews his lip. "I'm sorry, I don't remember-" he starts, (so much for his theory about noticing the guy's beanie, but in his defence, attending his first class with Cassandra July had been very intimidating. He doubted he would be able to recall anything apart from her narrowed, critical eyes and the thumping of her cane on the wooden floor). Adam smiles again, easily wiping his apology away with a wave of his hand.
"It's okay, I was in the back. And since this is an ongoing class that started last semester, she didn't introduce me again after Christmas. It's nice to meet you, Kurt." He pushes away from the door frame and walks up to him, offering his hand. Kurt shakes it, noting his firm grip and the dusting of small blond hairs on his forearm, standing out against his tanned skin.
"Miss July told me you might need someone to give you a few pointers to catch up with her class," Adam continues, and Kurt feels his heart drop a little. After one class, he is already being singled out? Adam seems to notice his falling expression and quickly assures him: "…which means she sees your potential and is interested in keeping you around. It's a good thing, Kurt. She doesn't invest her time- or mine- in students she doesn't intend to keep."
"Oh," Kurt replies, "good." He lets out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. Adam's words calm him a little, but he still feels the need to defend himself. He plucks at his work-out sweater and scuffs his toe over the floor. "I know the others are a lot better than me, but I am a fast learner-"
"Forget the others, Kurt. NYADA dance classes aren't group numbers. We're all individuals here. Do you have time to go through the warm-up with me? It's always the same, right down to the music, and Miss July expects the others to have that down by now."
"I noticed," Kurt mumbles, thinking about his first class. Cassandra July had simply put the music on and everyone had started their pointes like trained puppies. He had to watch their feet to get a clue what they were doing, which made him miss the beat by a split second at every move. It had made him feel awkward but determined. Hearing that it is always the same routine brings a small smile to his face. "I have time. I don't have any more classes and I'm not due at work until six."
"Perfect," Adam replies, and he lifts his shoulder bag over his head, draping it over the end of the barre and toeing off his shoes. He looks down on his feet and grins. "Sorry about the socks," he offers, wriggling his toes in an unmatched pair of dark blue and black. "Just grabbed the first thing I could find this morning."
Kurt chuckles. "I don't mind," he admits, because for once, he really doesn't. Adam is nice and he's not going to refuse his help over a pair of weird socks.
Adam smiles gratefully and fishes his phone from his pocket. "I got the music right here, if you could just-?" he starts, and Kurt blinks, realising his own music was still playing. He quickly scrambles to turn it off, vaguely wondering why he hadn't even noticed it any more.
Adam nods and presses play, and then steps to up to the barre to stand next to Kurt. "Okay, so we start facing the barre, two hands on the lower level, first position." Kurt quickly complies, straightening his back and raising his chin. "Now point to the front, twelve 'o clock, then to the side at three 'o clock, six, back to three, twelve, and close – shift your weight to the other foot and repeat to the front-" Adam counts to the beat and goes through the motions with him a few times before telling him to continue and stepping back to look. Despite the simplicity of the movements, Kurt feels his heartbeat pick up a little as he continues the exercise alone in first, third and fifth position. The song ends and he waits for Adam's judgement. He's used to a lot from his time on the Cheerios, but this is NYADA. Standards are higher. He calms a little as Adam gives him an encouraging nod.
"Your footwork is fine, Kurt. You have a good arch and enough tension in your legs. You can turn out your heels a bit more, just push them to the front for the next routine- like this. May I?" Instead of showing Kurt his own position, Adam drops to his knees and motions for Kurt to point his foot again. As Kurt does so, Adam takes hold of his ankle and cups his heel with his palm, carefully turning it upward until Kurt feels the stretch all the way up to his thighs. Adam looks up from his crouched position and smiles. "Right there. Do you feel the difference?" he asks. Kurt nods. "Now keep it like that and slide it through three o' clock to six in a rond de jambe."
Kurt concentrates and draws a D on the floor with his toes, finishing in first position again, careful to keep his heel the way Adam showed him. Adam nods and gets up, looking pleased.
"So, arms? Keep your left hand on the barre and make your right hand follow your foot. Yes, like that, but keep your thumb tucked in and your elbow up." His hand circles Kurt's wrist and lifts it higher. "Here. You've seen Dirty Dancing, right?" He grins expectantly. Kurt blushes and quickly corrects his posture.
"Spaghetti arms?" he asks shyly, and Adam nods. For a moment, Kurt wishes Adam would put one of those broad hands that is on his wrist on his waist instead and teach him how to mambo. He blinks and quickly dismisses the thought. Now is not the moment to embarrass himself with thoughts of Patrick Swayze's tight black pants!
Either Adam hasn't noticed or he's professional enough not to let it show, because he ignores Kurt's blush and continues his instructions.
"Now look at your palm. Follow it with your eyes and only the slightest hint of your head…" His finger crooks under Kurt's chin and tilts it to the side. Kurt holds his breath. They look at each other for a moment, and suddenly, Adam is blushing too, letting go of Kurt's face and his wrist and stepping back to put the next song on. They move through the routine without another word and Kurt wonders if it's just him, or if something happened just now.
What am I doing? He asks himself. I don't even know if he's gay. As much as he tells himself that, he knows it's no use. No straight man has ever touched him like that, would want to touch him without being afraid of making the wrong impression or 'catching the gay'. In his mind, Kurt has already sorted Adam into his team, and it's making his imagination run wild. He really wished he could stop crushing on every guy who shows him a kindness. He's probably taken anyway, he tells himself. With that smile and that accent, at this school…
His thoughts are interrupted as Adam clears his throat. Apparently he had just said something, but Kurt hadn't heard him. His new tutor patiently repeats himself. "So, retirés after that but following the same pattern so you'll be okay, it's quite repetitive, and then everything in plié. Then before we move to the center for jetés and arabesques, some final stretching at the barre. Just put your leg up here. Do you want me to give you a boost?"
"What?" Kurt asks, a little confused, before realising Adam is holding his hand under the barre to help him and didn't just ask him something incredibly inappropriate. He quickly lifts his leg and hooks his heel over the high barre, bringing his foot almost at eye level. Splits and high kicks have never been a problem for him, especially not after Sue Sylvester's training. Adam's jaw drops, and Kurt can't help looking a little pleased.
"Okay, wow, I suppose you're good.. with that…" Adam lets out. "Very impressive."
"Thanks," Kurt replies, and sinks into a plié to show Adam that's not all he's got. His leg burns and he knows he'll pay for showing off in the morning, but it is worth it just for the expression on the man's face. He repeats the exercise with his other leg, evening out the stretch, and as Adam walks him through the steps for the jetés, babbling on about how this shouldn't be problem for him at all, not with his flexibility, Kurt actually finds himself looking forward to his next dance class. And not just so show Miss July what he can do.