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Nate didn't know what to do with himself. None of the other Warblers waiting for the performance knew what to do with him either.

"For god's sake, Nate, stop pacing, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet!" Wes yelled at him.

Nate paused to listen to Wes, then recommenced his lap of the Warbler common room.

"I can't help it! Ryan, Ryan... is about to serenade me with one of the sexiest songs I know and you expect me to be calm?" He ran his hands through his hair in exasperation.

"You do know that there are three of you on the winning team, right?" Wes pointed out, amused.

"Yes, but it's obvious who the others will be dancing to." At this, Blaine and Nick looked up suddenly from where they were sat together on a leather couch, both looking a little green.

Nate continued, oblivious of their discomfort, or maybe he just didn't care. "Kurt's going to be all over Blaine and Jeff is definitely going to be after Nick. That leaves Ryan. Ryan. I mean... come on! If they don't hurry up I'm going to faint from nervous exhaustion! Or from lack of blood to my brain cos it sure as hell is headed in an entirely different direction..."

"Nate!" Chorused at least three other Warblers.

"What?" Nate shrieked. "What would you be like if you were about to get a 3D technicolour performance of your most private fantasy? In public? Well?"

That shut most of them up. They all seemed suspiciously quiet, like they were all thinking of their favourite fantasy.

If it was possible, Blaine and Nick looked even worse now.

Nate was frustrated. He had tried his best to see Ryan today. After his sneaky tactics in the paintballing changing room he had a renewed energy for chasing after his target, Ryan.

He had woken up very early this morning, showered extra quickly and ran to the cafeteria to buy coffee for himself and Ryan. Once he had returned to Warbler floor, though, Ryan had already been whisked away to Jeff and Kurt's room under "performance lock-down".

He had been forced to hand over not only Ryan's coffee at the door, but his own too for Jeff. Goody-two-shoes Blaine had apparently already delivered a non-fat mocha for Kurt. He wasn't even allowed to give it to Ryan in person before Kurt had smirked and shut the door on him.

He had grumpily returned to the cafeteria for a moody breakfast. After more than a few Warblers had had their heads bitten off, he was left in silence until he had had a dose of caffeine and had a full stomach, after which he became a bit more tolerable.

At lunch he had been foiled again, as only Jeff was spotted on a quick sandwich and salad takeaway run to the cafeteria. Nate had smirked unkindly at Nick who had practically fallen over his own feet in his rush to get into the cafeteria line with Jeff, eager to snatch a few minutes with his best friend before the performance. It didn't seem to do him much good though as he still looked a little twitchy and nervous after the blond had left.

I don't get why he hides his feelings for Jeff. I make no effort to hide what I feel, but I suppose I can't judge if I don't know the history between them. Kurt and Blaine too, it's sooo obvious they should be together. Well, if anything comes of this, I'm going to make sure I look back on this knowing I did my best to get Ryan. Only if it's what he wants, of course, I'm not some creepy stalker. But from changing in front of him yesterday I'd say it is, he just hasn't realised it yet, maybe.

He had caught a brief glimpse of the gorgeous redhead as they went down to the hall back area where they would be getting ready for tonight's performance. He had locked eyes and smiled at Ryan, all cheesiness gone because he was so desperate at this point for a natural reaction from Ryan. His heart had thumped as Ryan returned it with a shy but warm smile. That'll do me. Nate had thought then.

But that was hours ago and Nate was back to desperate. After that point the only person allowed in and out of the staging area was an attractive voluptuous african american girl who seemed to be a friend of Kurt. She'd had a large box with her which appeared to be a makeup kit, as well as other bags.

Nate's brain suddenly registered this fact. Makeup. Oh. My. God. Ryan is going to be wearing Adam Lambert-style makeup. I'm done for. He gulped, and finally obeyed Wes by sitting down, waiting for the performance, brain suddenly blank and unable to process anything else.


The Warblers in the audience were finally let into the hall. Trent came over to the members of the winning team and got them to sit up front on named seats.

By this time, Nate had decided to just enjoy the performance and think about it later. He excitedly ran for his chair and sat down, eager for it to start. He was joined more slowly by Nick and Blaine. He turned to smile broadly at the two of them, but neither were looking his way. They both looked a little shell shocked.


With five minutes to go before their performance, Kurt, Jeff and Ryan stood in the dressing area, trying to keep their nerves at bay. Their energy levels were high and they were buzzing with pre-performance excitement.

Kurt addressed his team, "Well, this is it guys, let's show them they haven't rattled us. If they think we're going to come out blushing and hesitant, they've got another thing coming! If they want a performance then that's what they're about to get. I never thought I'd say this, but you guys look seriously hot! If Blaine wasn't the object of my affection I'd being crushing on one of you two!" Jeff and Ryan laughed.

"Thanks! You too Kurt, you're looking sexy! Blaine isn't going to know what hit him after tonight!" Jeff said appreciatively.

They were all dressed similarly, wearing skin tight pants, courtesy of Kurt's extensive wardrobe. Jeff and Kurt's were black leather, Ryan's were black denim.

They had on tight fitting, muscle hugging, button-down shirts courtesy of Jeff's extensive shirt collection, black for Kurt, red for Jeff and dark grey for Ryan, rolled up to the elbows.

Jeff had a thin black leather tie on, done up loosely around his neck inside the open shirt collar and black leather cuffs on each wrist.

Kurt had an elaborate silver chain link brooch fastened to one shoulder and sparkly black fingerless gloves, and Ryan had a silver chain linked through his pants' hooks instead of a belt, one end hanging down slightly at the front and a shiny black silk tie, done up neatly.

Each of them wore black leather flat boots except Kurt who wore his prized heeled boots.

They all had dark trilby's courtesy of Ryan, to be used as a prop as Jeff had suggested. The hats were set on their heads at a sexy angle, perched jauntily with the brim low down over one eye, ready to be used at the appropriate point in the song when they planned to approach the winners, claiming them.

Jeff had indeed made the choreography full-on sexy from the outset. The three boys were ready to bring the performance to the winners; a kind of "up-yours" to Trent to show him that they weren't afraid of his dare, using the hats to "own" their prey and their performance.

Underneath their hats, Jeff and Ryan's usually neat, fine, straight hair was mussed up in a sexy way with a touch of gel to hold it. Kurt's was swept up in a sexy, styled variation of his usual coif, held by almost a whole bottle of spray to stop the hat wrecking it.

They were all wearing heavy dark eye liner, mascara, sparkling silver glitter eyeshadow and clear lip gloss making their eyes really pop and their lips look luscious, courtesy of Mercedes. They each had either a silver eyebrow clip (Jeff) or ear cuff (Kurt and Ryan) to finish the look, again from Mercedes.

In short, they did indeed look hot. Mercedes had had a hard time keeping her hands to herself before she left, according to her last words to them. "You get out there and own it white boys! You're looking damn hot. If they don't get their acts together and go after you three tonight them I'm a gonna come back to this school and smack them sideways!" she had sassed with a pointy finger.

They got the signal to take their places. Kurt looked to the other boys before saying "Come on guys, we are gonna kill this" and they filed onto the stage, pumped up and ready to go.

Here goes. Thought Ryan.

Bullied Ryan is no more. I don't give a damn who I look like or what people think of me. I've looked in the mirror and I think I look sexy tonight. No more hiding the real me. I can do this!


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