A/N: For the sake of this story, let's pretend that Kirk is younger and closer to Ivy in age :) I do not own Smash or Gilmore Girls and these characters are not mine.

I Could Have Danced All Night

Kirk Gleason has twelve brothers and sisters. With so many siblings and one parent, it's easy for him to disappear. So when he asks for dance lessons, his mom doesn't even bat an eye. He's seven when he enrolls in Miss Patty's School of Ballet.

0o0o0

Ivy Conroy has one brother with a learning disability. With her mom's career and his special school, it's easy for Ivy to disappear. Dance and voice lessons are her safe haven, and when she discovers she loves performing, Ivy begs her mom to take her to the best ballet school in the area (even if it's a good forty minutes away). She's six when she enrolls in Miss Patty's School of Ballet.

0o0o0

"Boy and girls, this is Ivy. She'll be joining us for ballet class," Miss Patty announces. A small girl with wavy yellow hair peeks out from behind the dance teacher's ample bottom. She has big eyes and pink nail polish on her fingers. "Ivy, hun, why don't you go stand with Kirky over there in the corner?"

The girl skips over to Kirk, who extends his hand and says, "Hi, I'm Kirk Gleason and I love you."

0o0o0

"Oh..." Well, this is a first. Though Ivy can't say she doesn't like it. Actually, it feels kind of good.

Ivy blushes. And even though the other girls are snickering, she takes his hand and shakes enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you, Kirk!"

0o0o0

"Girls and Kirk, your recital is in a week," Miss Patty says to the group of third-graders sitting cross-legged in a circle on the floor of the studio. "Dress rehearsal tomorrow. Bring your costumes and your makeup and be here at one, okay?"

"Oh, no, my mom has a show tomorrow!" Ivy whispers to Kirk.

Kirk sees his golden opportunity.

0o0o0

"Wanna sleep over at my house?" he whispers back. "You can sleep in my sisters' room. My mom won't even notice."

"Neither will mine," Ivy replies. She calls her dad from Kirk's house, and watches movies with Ariella, Serena, and Rachel all afternoon.

0o0o0

Kirk high-fives all his brothers. Score.

0o0o0

He pokes his head in the living room while they're watching a Shirley Temple movie. "You look like her," he says.

"I wish I was her," Ivy says, eyes never leaving the TV screen.

"You can be! Wanna learn that stairs dance with me?"

His sisters leave the room with knowing looks in their eyes.

0o0o0

Kirk can actually sort of tap dance, as long as he stays away from those weird interpretive moves he does.

0o0o0

Kirk knows he can't dance. He's embarrassing himself. But seeing Ivy's face when they do the Shirley Temple routine on the steps of the Gazebo at the Spring Festival? Worth it.

0o0o0

Now that she's getting serious about her career, Ivy and her dad outvote her mother and she enrolls in tap and jazz in addition to ballet.

0o0o0

Kirk's decision to take tap and jazz has absolutely nothing to do with Ivy.

Or her bouncy hair.

Or her pretty eyes.

Really, it doesn't.