Butterfly Wings – Chapter 3 – Not just a pretty face

I think the sexiest thing on anybody is intelligence. I respect somebody who has a brain and wants to use it more than a pretty face and status. Sophia Bush

February

Blaine gets up, rolls his shoulders and stretches, trying to loosen up his stiff muscles. He feels like no matter how long he stares at the preliminary layout for the May issue, it doesn't look any better. Even factoring in that the main photo spread is missing, he isn't even remotely inspired by what his staff have given him. What was his team thinking when they came up with the 'floral and pastels' theme for the May issue? It's too cliché for words. He just has to find a different angle on the age-old theme to boost Vogue's circulation and to get more website hits.

Blaine is interrupted in his thoughts when Tina buzzes him. "Isabelle is here and she urgently wants to meet with you. She has someone in tow."

"Okay, but be sure to remind her of my five-minute rule." Blaine is a firm believer that no meeting should last longer than five minutes. It is amazing how effective this is, making people focus on the real objectives of the meeting.

"Already done. I'm sending them in."

*****

When Kurt enters the office, he is shocked to see the Blaine Anderson walking from behind his desk to greet them. Kurt knows all about Vogue's editor-in-chief – Blaine is like a rock star in his eyes. His 'Bowtie and Suspenders' blog and YouTube channel are legendary, and Kurt had religiously followed them both during his lonely nights in Lima. Blaine's smiling face and encouraging words had helped him get through the tougher times at school. So what if he printed out the photograph of Blaine wearing red trousers, a black polo shirt and a bowtie, and hung it up inside his McKinley High locker? Blaine Anderson certainly doesn't need to know that.

Kurt takes a moment to check out Blaine as Isabelle greets him and they chat about the upcoming New York Fashion Week. Gone are the days of bowties, suspenders and slicked back hair. The man before him is even more gorgeous than he could ever have imagined – Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Snapchat don't do him justice. Blaine's hair is a mass of curls, and Kurt knows, based on his own personal experience, that Blaine uses a little product to create the tussled look. His eyes are a honey amber color with flecks of sea moss green. Kurt's eyes move downwards to his plump lips, which are curled up in a smile as he talks to Isabelle. And then Kurt sees the famous stubble, and it looks soft and enticing. Kurt is envious that Blaine is able to maintain this look seemingly without any effort.

Blaine is wearing an Armani suit that has obviously been tailored to hug his body in all the right places. It shows off his tiny waist and his powerful thighs. Kurt can tell that Blaine takes good care of himself and his body. In a nutshell, Blaine is short but perfectly formed.

"…and let me introduce you to Kurt Hummel," Isabelle says.

Kurt quickly snaps out of his trance. He knows that first impressions are important, so he smiles and puts on his 'game face', while he walks forward to greet Blaine Anderson. However, in his rush, he trips over his own feet, and somehow, his hippo brooch ends up jabbing the editor in the chest.

"S-s-sorry, I'm so sorry about that, Mr. Anderson. Are you okay?" Kurt stutters, mentally face-palming. So much for a good first impression.

"It's okay, but that brooch should come with a warning," Blaine replies as he chuckles. Kurt sees that Blaine's smiling and his eyes are full of warmth and sincerity, which slightly calms him down.

"Anyone who can pull off a hippo brooch deserves to be in this office," Blaine adds with a wink. "Now let's try it again. Good morning, Kurt," Blaine says, while extending his right hand.

Kurt carefully shakes his hand, while blushing. "And good morning to you, Mr. Anderson." The editor has a firm but gentle handshake, and Kurt wonders how Blaine has perfected the combination. Blaine's hand feels soft and fits so perfectly into his.

"Please call me Blaine."

Kurt reluctantly releases his grip as Blaine gestures for them to move towards the office's seating area.

Isabelle heads towards the sofa and signals for Kurt to join her there. As Kurt sits down, he he runs his hand over the leather, luxuriating in the butter-soft feel of it. He can tell it's of the highest quality, but has never experienced a seat as sumptuous as this.

Blaine sits down in a comfortable chair opposite the sofa. Blaine immediately crosses his legs, and Kurt notices that he isn't wearing any socks. Kurt wonders what the editor's reaction would have been if he had worn his light blue socks today.

"Now, what can I do for the two of you?" Blaine politely asks.

Kurt looks down shyly, wondering what he's going to say. He can't blurt out that he wants to be a model…not after the clumsiness he had shown stabbing Blaine in the chest with his hippo brooch.

Thankfully, Isabelle decides to take the lead. "Blaine, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the May issue since we met last week. You're right. Vogue needs to have a fresh approach to the floral and pastels theme. I think that Kurt is our solution."

Blaine raises an eyebrow at that comment. "Do tell, Kurt. I'm open to all suggestions. I'm looking for a new angle for the photo spread."

Kurt freezes in place. Did Vogue's editor-in-chief just ask for my 'suggestions'? How is this even happening to me? He feels out of his depth and starts to twist his fingers in his lap.

Blaine leans forward in his chair, with an encouraging smile on his face. "It's okay, Kurt. Take your time. I understand how daunting it must feel to be in my office without any notice. Just speak when you're ready…because I'm really interested in listening to your ideas."

Kurt takes a few calming breaths. Blaine's reassuring words help him to relax. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, and he looks up into Blaine's eyes before he speaks.

"It does sound like a clichéd theme for the May issue. Spring is more than floral and pastels - it's a time for rebirth and renewal. Spring also symbolizes love, hope, youth, and growth. Perhaps the photo spread should focus on hope, sir…uhm…Blaine."

"Exactly," Isabelle pipes in. "And that is why Kurt is so ideally suited to be a model in the May issue's photo spread. Everyone wants love, hope and growth, but often they can't find it with all the background noise going on in their busy lives. Kurt would really stand out as someone special – he's the antithesis. We could really play up his creamy complexion against a backdrop of the usual bronzed and beefy models. He's a fresh face and everything that spring symbolizes."

Blaine arches his eyebrows and gives Isabelle a questioning look. He turns his gaze to Kurt and asks, "Do you have a portfolio, Kurt?"

Isabelle quickly saves the situation. "Kurt wasn't expecting to see you today, so he didn't bring his portfolio… but you can take a look at his blog photos," she replies, as she hands over her tablet to Blaine for his perusal.

*****

Blaine reclines back in his chair to reflect upon the conversation so far. The ideas of hope, love and growth are an interesting twist to the spring theme. So maybe there is something in this new concept, but he's not convinced that Kurt is the answer. He carefully looks at the images on Isabelle's tablet. They are a refreshing change to the usual stock photos that model agencies send him. Blaine smiles as he flicks through the daily shots of Kurt's outfits on his high school blog. They remind Blaine of his own selfies posted during his 'Suspender and Bowtie' days while at Harvard. Kurt Hummel certainly makes unique fashion choices. Judging from the photos, it looks as if Kurt could wear any number of styles. But the photos are too grainy to get a really good look - they are obviously selfies taken with Kurt's phone.

Blaine looks up and takes a good long look at Kurt. On the surface, Kurt's just another wannabe in the long line of potential models that he has seen over the past few weeks. Blaine can't instantly see Isabelle's vision, but he likes the idea of contrasts. He doesn't feel that he can see Kurt at all - he's wearing far too many layers to be able to make out his body shape. Blaine returns the tablet to Isabelle, and looks Kurt up and down again, frowning.

I need to see what he looks like under those clothes.

Blaine smiles politely at Kurt and says, "Strip".

*****

"No!" Kurt cries out, spots of pink high on his cheeks. Frankly, Kurt is shocked by the order. He has heard of the director's casting couch, but this is ridiculous. And in front of Isabelle too! This is not how he imagined his first time naked in front of another man. He has principles.

Kurt's vehemence seems to surprise Blaine, who gives Isabelle a mystified look, and then Blaine explains himself. "Kurt, your outfit is amazing, but it's distracting me from seeing your build."

"Because of the layers?" Kurt asks timidly.

"Because of the layers," Blaine confirms with a snort. "You can keep your underpants on, of course. Don't worry, I've seen it all. I should remind you that my first successful campaign for Vogue had Sam Evans in nothing but underpants… And let me also remind you that your five minutes are almost up."

Isabella gently strokes Kurt's arm and whispers, "It's okay, sweetie. All models have an underwear shot in their portfolio. It really is necessary for a professional assessment of how you will look in designer clothes. I'll be here the entire time. There's nothing creepy about Blaine's request."

Blaine looks very offended when he hears Isabelle say that, and suddenly Kurt feels a bit foolish for thinking Blaine had something else on his mind than professional motives.

Kurt slowly nods and turns around to peel off his layers. It seems silly to act so modestly, given the circumstances, but he has to maintain some level of decorum. He mentally chastises himself for not thinking through his red boxer brief choice this morning. If he had known that Blaine Anderson would see him in his underpants, he would have splurged on a pair by Dsquared2. He has worn a lot of crazy things in his glee club days, but never has he been stripped down to his basic core. But this is his new life and his chance to shine.

"Make it work," Kurt thinks as he turns around. His eyes meet with Blaine's, which are filled with warmth and reassurance. It makes Kurt feel safe. With trembling knees, Kurt asks, "How do you want me?"

Blaine's eyebrows shoot up and Kurt wonders if he said the wrong thing. Blaine motions for Kurt to twirl around, looks at him from all sides and then responds, "You can get dressed now."

Kurt sighs with relief and quickly turns to put on his outfit again. Thank god that was over quickly, without any ogling.

Kurt sits down next to Isabelle and waits to hear Blaine's verdict. Isabelle gives him a reassuring smile before she starts the conversation again.

"Kurt's perfect – I knew he would be. His body build will allow him to wear a variety of outfits from a wide range of designers. Thoughts, Blaine?"

"Well, Kurt has beautiful eyes, long legs and healthy skin…"

"I do have a strict daily moisturizing routine," Kurt chirps in.

Blaine smiles at the remark, but continues, "… however the porcelain color could come across as pasty under the studio's lights. We will need to make sure that Unique, in Make-up, uses her special brand of magic on him. Kurt's slim. I know we aren't looking for another 'beefy' look, but he needs to buff up a bit, nonetheless." He looks directly at Kurt and adds, "Your agent should be able to get you connected to a gym and a fitness trainer."

"But I don't have an agent. I've never considered a modeling career until…well, now. I actually came here today to apply for the Vogue website internship position."

Blaine raises his eyebrows at this new piece of information. "That's fine. There are a lot of twists and turns in life's journey and you just hit a big one. I'm sure that Isabelle can help you find an agent."

"Does that mean that I have the job? That I'll be featured in Vogue?" Kurt asks hopefully.

Blaine turns to Isabelle. "Get him an agent and deliver him to today's photo shoot. We'll do some test photos and I'll be there after lunch to check them out."

A huge smile appears on Kurt's face. Okay, it wasn't a definite 'yes', but it was a definite 'maybe'. And he will actually be included in a Vogue photo shoot. If it doesn't work out, I can always use the experience to help me with other aspects of fashion…to know what it feels like to be under all those light. But if the whole modeling gig did work out…well, he could just imagine the look on the Lima losers' faces when they see that other people think he's beautiful.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Blaine. I'm hard-working and a quick learner. I'm going to put my everything into today's photo shoot."

Kurt goes to shake Blaine's hand, but his enthusiasm gets the better of him and makes him reach out and give Blaine an impromptu hug. As his exhilaration starts to fade, Kurt is embarrassed…until he realizes that Blaine has wrapped his arms around Kurt's back as well. Kurt pulls in Blaine for a gentle squeeze. He can feel Blaine's back muscles flex and stretch underneath his arms. Kurt reluctantly releases Blaine before any awkwardness sets in.

"Thank you once again. It has been a real pleasure to meet you. I'll try not to let you down." Kurt face breaks out into a huge smile before leaving the office with Isabelle.

As Kurt is about to leave the office suite, he hears Blaine shout, "Hey, Kurt. Don't forget your jacket."

*****

While Kurt is in a quick discussion with Isabelle in the office's reception area, Blaine is still reeling from the meeting. Kurt's parting smile to Blaine made Kurt's whole face light up. It was genuinely sweet, with a combination of excitement and shyness… and dare he add 'hope'. It was 'the look' that Isabelle was talking about. Blaine thinks the 'floral and pastels' disaster might actually be saved by this young man.

Blaine's mouth twitches as he desperately tries to suppress his laughter at Kurt returning to the office with his head down low and a pink tinge to his cheeks. He wants Kurt to stay a bit longer… to see if Kurt will give him 'the look' again. Blaine quickly decides on the best tactic to make it happen, and says, "Come have a seat for a moment."

After Kurt has made himself comfortable on the sofa, Blaine continues. "So I understand that you showed up this morning for a fashion internship interview. We're always looking for new ideas for the magazine's fashion spreads, so tell me what you would like to see in Vogue."

Blaine notices that Kurt is shifting uncomfortably on the sofa, and it's obvious that the young man in front of him is nervous. Heck, most people who come to his office are nervous. Blaine has realized early on in his career that he can't get the best out of people if they are jittery, and has learnt ways to calm people down.

"Now, just like before, take your time. I'm not expecting a detailed, thought-out idea. You are obviously a fashionista, and I really want to know what types of articles you would like to read in upcoming Vogue issues."

Tina enters the office, checking her watch. "Blaine, you are due downstairs in…"

"I know, Tina… in 45 minutes. I won't be that long with Kurt. In the meantime, could you bring us a glass of water?"

As Tina bustles around the office for the waters, Blaine hopes that the diversion gives Kurt enough time to compose himself and his ideas. When Tina distributes the bottles and leaves the office, she gives Blaine a smirk. Blaine rolls his eyes at her in response, and dreads the discussion they are sure to have later.

Blaine returns his attention to Kurt, who looks much more calm and composed. "Are you ready, Kurt?"

Kurt slowly nods. "Broadway has recently concluded its highest-grossing season on record. The typical audience member is a middle-aged woman, with a high annual household income. It's predicted that the average age will drop with the increased use of technology on the stage, and highly publicized and affordable events, such as the Elsie Fest. Broadway's demographics is the exact same that Vogue targets for its readership."

"You seem to have a lot of facts at your fingertips, Kurt," Blaine comments, who is very impressed.

"Well, I came to New York City from the Mid-West a few months ago to make it big on Broadway. I feel it's my duty to understand the business aspects of my endeavors as well."

Kurt shyly smiles before he continues, "I knew that I was in for lots of audition rejections, but no one pointed out to me how disheartening they would be. After a few months, I decided to take a break from the audition cattle calls and pursue one of my other passions - fashion."

Blaine is intrigued with Kurt's background and can picture him starring on a Broadway stage. He is touched that Kurt revealed something so personal about himself, and wants assure him that he understands.

"I hear you. My brother is also an actor, and it's a tough life. Fortunately, he's thick-skinned and has a very high opinion of himself, because that's what it takes to keep auditioning. Now, I am intrigued where your Broadway knowledge is leading to… Please carry on."

Blaine can see Kurt preen because of his comment, and he knows that Kurt is relaxed enough to give his further opinions. Blaine hums softly as a further indication for Kurt to continue.

"'Hamilton' is all the rage at the moment and the hip-hop musical really pulls in a younger audience. It's already guaranteed to dominate almost every category at the Tony's this year. So a Hamilton inspired photo spread would be unique, on trend and would appeal to your target readership. 21% of Broadway's audience's are overseas tourists. A Hamilton issue 'tie in' might help increase the magazine's world-wide readership."

Blaine is floored by Kurt's refreshing and extraordinary idea. Having the idea set out like that makes it look glaringly obvious. However, it needs someone bright enough to make all of the connections. Blaine doesn't know what to say, but he settles with, "I'm impressed. You're not just a pretty face."

Kurt beams a wide toothy smile. Blaine loves this expression on Kurt. It makes Blaine feel like there is an interesting person worth getting to know behind all Kurt's beauty. It makes him want to say things and do things for Kurt to keep that look on his face.

"Let me mull around the idea. Is it okay if I come back to you to explore this theme further? It might be in a few weeks, as the New York Fashion Week is almost here, and I am crazily busy the entire time."

"Of course. I'll leave my contact details with your PA." Tina's ears must have been burning, because at that exact moment she barges into the office.

"Isabelle just rang. She said to tell you to stop monopolizing Kurt. She needs him pronto. Something about a photo shoot?"

"Oh, my bad. Kurt definitely needs to go. We were just wrapping up our conversation. Tell Isabelle that Kurt will meet her in the parking garage elevator lobby."

They have their second round of goodbyes, and Blaine is secretly disappointed that it doesn't include a hug. Kurt's hug had felt so real and genuine – not at all like the usual air-kisses and pseudo hugs he receives.

As Kurt rises from the sofa, he turns to Blaine and smiles. "I won't forget the jacket this time."

Blaine laughs at the comment and bids him goodbye. As Kurt walks out of the office suite, Blaine can't help but gaze at him as he disappears. There's definitely more to Kurt Hummel than meets the eye. He's the first genuine person Blaine has met in a really long time.

A voice inside Blaine reminds him that he is the editor-in-chief of an international media empire. That Kurt is just an employee. He can't get caught up in Kurt – he's just another wannabe model. He's young and a newbie in New York, from a small Mid-Western town. Blaine's been in New York City for much longer and has more sophisticated tastes. He's ten years older after all.

A smaller voice wishes that the voice of reason would just disappear.

*****

Before returning to the May issue's mock-ups, Blaine goes to his reception area to mooch another cup of coffee off Tina and hopefully a biscotti. Blaine approaches Tina's desk and innocently asks, "Did Mr. Hummel leave his contact details with you?"

Tina chortles as she hands over a slip of paper.

Blaine notices a huge smirk across her face and asks, "What?!"

"Oh, Blaine… Blaine, you've got that look."

Blaine lowers his head, trying to disguise his blush. "W-w-w-hat look? You're talking nonsense! Mr. Hummel is just a model, which are a dime a dozen in this industry."

Tina softly laughs at Blaine - he should know better than to try to disguise his blushing… his real feelings. Tina's known him forever and can read him like a book.

"Keep telling yourself that, because your eyes tell another story. That, and you gave him more than five minutes of your time."

*****

Back in his office, Blaine thinks about Kurt. He seems hard-working, eager to please and polite. Blaine prays that the industry doesn't suck these traits out of him. He thinks about how Kurt must now feel, having come to an interview for a Vogue internship that morning and now heading off to a photo shoot as a potential model. Blaine appreciates how he and Isabelle have turned Kurt's life upside down in the course of a morning. And Blaine's cheering for Kurt… wanting him to succeed. He really wants to give Kurt the support he needs, but doesn't know how.

Blaine carefully types in Kurt's contact details and saves them on his phone. Blaine wants to text 'Good luck' or 'I hope you succeed', but they seem like clichés. So without over-thinking it, Blaine types in the one word that he's really feeling and presses send.

Courage.

Authors Notes

Thank you to Lilyandersteen, the most fabulous beta. I've posted my thoughts about this chapter while I was writing it over at Tumblr (HKVoyage). You will also find the amazing story artwork created by Cassie at CC-Graphics on Tumblr.

Reviews are like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.

Next up: Kurt models at the photo shoot.