Web-Stars Are Blind, an icarly fanfic

Well, this certainly was different. Typically, the adults would head out to their favorite bar for their karaoke outings, but after their last one a few weeks prior, Millicent started to feel left out. Usually when the rest of the group would go out, Marissa would have a Grandmother/Granddaughter night out with her. They'd see a movie, go shopping or once Marissa even took her to a concert. Freddie, never one to let his daughter down, promised the next time would be different.

Spencer, also very fond of Freddie's daughter, had agreed to the use of his apartment for a family-friendly karaoke party. Freddie and Spencer had gone all out, moving furniture across the room and setting up a makeshift stage area with a lighting truss and decent sound equipment. They were determined she would enjoy herself.

The night of the party, Spencer's apartment was full of laughter and smiles. Millicent had been allowed to invite a few of her friends, so there were a handful of teenagers milling around. Carly had helped Marissa set up for the sleepover the girls would have after the party, providing lots of make-up and skin care samples she'd been sent, stocking up on sweet and salty snacks, along with the newest editions of the current teen magazines… Pretty much arranging the perfect girly-paradise.

Harper had brought some friends of her own, one being her newest arm candy, Delia, while the other two she thought might interest Freddie or Carly. Knowing how… interesting… some of Harper's friends could be, they'd all had to promise to be on their best behavior, at least until the "kids went to bed". Filling out the group was Marissa and Lewbert, and, of course, Spencer had invited his latest girlfriend, Gigi.

They'd all had a great evening. Freddie had set up a system linked to a karaoke website with a catalog of thousands of songs, so the options had been endless. Marissa and Lewbert had been cheesy with a few 80's duets, Harper and her friends did a group song from a more obscure musical, but solo Harper had attempted Rhianna and some throwback Janet Jackson. At one point, Gigi had pulled Carly, Harper and Millicent up for some Spice Girls that made everyone laugh.

Millicent's friends had gotten a kick out of all of the "old" music. Freddie had taken offense, but when his daughter dared him to sing something more current, he gave up. She knew he wouldn't sing. Still, she continued to pick on him throughout the night. Eventually, after insulting his precious Galaxy Wars, he decided to embarrass her – he got up and sang some classic Backstreet Boys slightly off-key, butt-wiggling included. She'd been mortified, so mission accomplished

Spencer had opted for some old school Ramones (or was it supposed to the Offspring version?), Bon Jovi and later Elvis, slightly worrying Carly when he belted out 'Burning Love'. She fully expected the whole sound rig to go up in flames. She'd made sure to check that the fire extinguisher was in its proper place.

As for Carly, her song choices varied a lot. The most notable were some Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' and 'Waste My Time' from one of her favorite Canadian teen dramas back in the day. She'd always loved Alexz Johnson. Towards the end of the song there's a short rap by the main character's eventual short-term boyfriend that Carly had forgotten about when she chose the song. When that part of the song approached, Freddie surprised everyone by jumping in at the last moment and rapping it as Carly sang along. She'd made him watch all four seasons with her repeatedly over the years, so he knew the music well. She made a point of hugging him close afterward as he'd rescued her, saving the song from "dead air".

Millicent and her friends went through a variety from Camilla Cabello to Bebe Rexha to Sia to Dua Lipa and then some artists the adults had never heard of. When Carly asked about one of them, the girls joked about them being old again. She'd retaliated by pulling Freddie to the stage to poke fun of how old they actually were with Ben & Jensen's 'In Da Arcade' with them both rapping the song and Carly singing the chorus. By the end, the younger girls were singing along and Freddie was impressed that Carly knew one his dorky favs well enough to keep up.

Later, Millicent pulled Carly up to sing the Pitch Perfect version of 'Cheap Thrills' as an apology/peace-offering, having some idea what lay in store across the hall later on and how much effort Carly had put into it. She chose this version as, to quote Millicent, "the Bellas just did it better". They'd had so much fun dancing together as they sang and Freddie's heart melted watching his two favorite girls together.

Before they realized it, it had gotten late and it was time for Millicent and her friends to head back to Marissa's for the rest of their sleepover. Before they went, they did give one last performance, Daya's 'Sit Still, Look Pretty'. Once they finished, to a standing ovation, of course, Marissa and Lewbert herded them out the door. Before she left, Millicent made sure to hug her dad and thank him for the great night. He'd held her close, thankful he'd been able to make her so happy.

Now that the kids were gone, it was party time according to Harper. They switched from the wine they'd been sipping on all night to the stronger stuff and Gigi proclaimed that they needed a theme, leading Harper and Gigi to announce that for the rest of the evening the song choices were required to be one of the singer's guilty pleasures.

Earlier in the evening, Freddie's focus had been on the teenagers and ensuring all of the equipment ran as it should, but now that he was off duty, so to speak, he could finally relax a little more. Once the liquor was brought out, he wasted no time in downing the first shots of whiskey with Spencer and Gigi. He tried to get Carly to join in, but never being big on shots, she instead stuck to her usual Southern Hospitality as it tasted like watermelon Jolly Ranchers.

Never being very open to sharing her private side, Carly hadn't been sure what songs to choose next, so she sat out performing for a while, opting rather to cheer on her friends. First up was Gigi's rendition of Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl', Harper had howled and from Spencer's reaction, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it as well. She tossed a pillow at the two when Spencer welcomed the redhead with a very passionate kiss as soon as she stepped away from the make-shift stage.

From her place on the couch that had been moved to make room for the stage, Carly couldn't help but notice how Harper's friend… What was her name again? Ronni?... Always seemed to stay within Freddie's orbit. He was currently playing bartender for the group as he wasn't singing and the blonde kept leaning over the stone island across from him, trying to keep his attention on her while she chatted him up. She'd seen how Ronni had checked him out earlier in the evening and run her fingers down the arm of his black button-up when she'd asked a few questions, including about his current relationship status.

Carly had tried to get to know Jeff, the other friend Harper had brought along, but they really had very little in common. When she'd mentioned it to Harper, she'd been told that it didn't matter as she wasn't going to marry the guy. Her best-friend-since-Sam just wanted her to have some fun with him. Carly had to admit that he was cute, but when Harper had called him yummy and licked her lips, she realized he was another of her man-me-downs and she instantly lost interest.

Now that she thought about it, was Ronni a… woman-me-down for Freddie? The thought made her uncomfortable and she decided it was time for a refill.

She approached the counter and Freddie reached for her glass with a wink without her having to ask. He always did make them best. While she waited, she tried to listen in to Ronni's conversation with Freddie. This girl could talk, that was for sure. Freddie smiled and nodded, occasionally asking a question about whatever it was she was rambling on about, but Carly lost track. There was something about her job at some tech firm and how an untested firmware update got accidentally released and crashed a bunch of whatever it was she worked on. As she appealed to his inner geek, naturally, Freddie's focus was on Ronni, so once he handed her the deep golden drink, Carly sulked back to the couch.

Harper plopped down next to her, already a few drinks in. "Girl are you just gonna stare at the guy all night or are you going to do something?" Carly rolled her eyes and swatted away the idea. "What are you talking about? I'm just enjoying my drink and watching Spencer and Gigi ruin Grease for me." To prove her point she sipped her drink and forced her eyes away from the kitchen. "Sure, whatever you say. But you and me are up next… You've been sitting down for too long." Carly looked at her suspiciously. "Okay… What song?" Harper grinned, not really answering her. "Don't worry, I've got you. It has to be a guilty pleasure, remember?" Harper jumped up and went to the laptop to add their song to the line-up before Carly had a chance to speak.

When the final notes of 'You're The One That I Want' trailed off, Carly downed the rest of her drink and joined Harper who handed her one of the microphones. She didn't know what the song was until the scratchy guitar intro began and she looked at Harper in shock. It was Janet Jackson's 'If'. How did she know? Before the long intro ended Harper leaned in conspiratorially. "You sing when you clean. Maybe you should stop wearing those bulky noise-cancelling headphones so you'd notice when I come in." Before Carly could respond Harper jumped in, rapping most of the first verse but leaving the actual singing at the end of it and the chorus to Carly.

Carly was mortified, but she didn't back down. At first, she looked to Freddie who had stopped what he was doing to watch, a glass and bottle of vodka still in his hands. As her eyes met his, he just raised his eyebrow in question. When she sang the lines about how she laid in bed excited over him and how many times she'd "gotten there", she felt her face flush and she watched him swallow hard. She couldn't do this if she saw him watching her, so after the first chorus she instead turned her attention to Harper, dancing around for a bit trying to turn it more silly and not as sexually charged as it was a few moments earlier.

When the song was over Carly practically ran from the stage to the couch to retrieve her glass. When she reached the counter there was another of her drinks already there waiting for her. Freddie was turned around with his back leaning against the counter with his legs crossed in front of him and his arms crossed against his chest. "Some song, huh?" was all he said. Carly laughed nervously and took a sip of her drink. He'd rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and she could see the fabric straining against his muscles. "Well, you know Harper. Just look at her now." He turned to look over his shoulder as Harper serenaded Delia with Rhianna's 'S&M'. He nodded with a smile and turned back to Carly. "That all?" Carly laughed again and nodded. "Of course, what else would there be?" Before he could answer she excused herself to the bathroom, her half-empty drink still in hand.

She leaned against the door once it closed behind her, needing a few moments to gather herself. She raised the cool glass against the heated skin of her neck and tried to calm down. How could Harper do that to her?

It was nearly ten minutes later when Carly finally emerged from the bathroom. Spencer and Gigi were on stage again, this time belting out 'I Got a Feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas and everyone else was up dancing. While they were more or less just dancing in a group, Carly didn't miss how Ronni kept hold of Freddie's bicep "for stability". She rolled her eyes at the obvious antic, but it did little to remove the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had no claim on him, he was free to enjoy Ronni's… attention if he wanted to. Did he want Ronni's attention? Would he go back to her place once the party was over? The thought nearly made her sick.

She didn't join everyone dancing, but instead made herself another drink, needing the liquid courage. She took a few sips and went to the laptop, surprised that there were no songs listed after the current one – she would be up next. She had to pick a good one, determined to make her attentions clear. She knew it sounded terrible, but she'd been lucky that his two marriages had failed. She still had a chance.

But if she didn't do something soon, she might lose him for good. All she had going for her was their shared past. Was that enough to compete with the leggy blonde with a chest that outmatched hers who just so happened to also be a tech geek and was currently rubbing up against Freddie? She wasn't sure it was, but she had to try. He had to know. Then, if he still chose the feminidiot, she'd have her answer. But at least she'd know that she tried… She hadn't given up without a fight.

As the current song ended and her song began, she took the mic from Spencer and quickly finished her drink. The beachy rhythm began and Freddie sat on the couch, but not without Ronni first trying to pull him back to dance with her before finally joining him and sitting way too close for Carly's comfort. Harper and Delia remained dancing, albeit slower, so Gigi and Spencer joined them on the "dance floor" with Spencer spinning Gigi before pulling her to him.

"I don't mind spending some time just hanging here with you
'Cause I don't find too many guys that treat me like you do
Those other guys all wanna take me for a ride
But when I walk, they talk of suicide
Some people never get beyond their stupid pride
But you can see the real me inside, and I'm satisfied
Oh no, oh"

As she sang the first words of the song, Carly locked her eyes on Freddie. She couldn't read his expression, but she did watch him pull his arm out of Ronni's grasp. That was a good sign, right?

Again, it was too much to have his eyes on her, so she closed hers as she began the line about other guys being with her. While she had been with others, none had ever made her feel the way Freddie did. She hated to even think of all of the time she'd wasted by not being with him.

She gathered her strength and opened her eyes as she reached the part about him seeing the real her. And it was true, no one saw her the way he did, no know knew her the way he did. He'd always been the one to truly understand and support her over the years. He'd always understood what she'd really wanted to accomplish first with iCarly all those years ago and again now with her current platform and viewership.

"Even though the gods are crazy
Even though the stars are blind
If you show me real love, baby, I'll show you mine
I can make it nice and naughty
Be the devil and angel too
Got a heart and soul and body
Let's see what this love can do
Maybe I'm perfect for you"

As she began the chorus, she was glad they were wireless microphones because she couldn't stand still any longer, she needed to move. She danced forward and away from the stage area, slowly making her way towards him. She stopped momentarily and swayed next to her brother before turning to Harper and giving her a hug from behind, silently thanking her for the much-needed push earlier.

She continued her journey towards Freddie, bouncing and rotating her hips to the beat of the music as she moved. She finally reached him as she sang the last line of the chorus.

"I could be your confidante
Just one of your girlfriends
But I know that's not what you want if tomorrow the world ends
Why shouldn't we be with the one we really love?
Now tell me, who have you been dreaming of?
I and I alone
Oh no, oh"

Before she even realized it, Carly climbed onto Freddie's lap, straddling him, making sure she had his full attention. Her eyes remained locked on his, only the microphone between them. She was beyond thankful her short skirt was loose and flowy, so she wasn't giving anyone a show.

When she sang about being with the one they really love, she caressed his cheek, hoping to convey what she was feeling, if she hadn't thoroughly done so already. He gave her a small smile and as she sang the next line, he turned his head slightly to kiss her palm.

Carly stood as she began the next chorus, pulling him with her by his shirt. He offered no resistance and easily followed her. Once standing, his hands made their way to her hips, holding her against him as they swayed along to the beat.

He pulled her closer as she sang, grinding their hips together. Taking his reaction as a good sign, she changed the last line of the chorus from 'maybe' to 'baby', making it a statement and no longer a question. She pressed their foreheads together, but they were still kept apart by the microphone.

"Excuse me for feeling
This moment is critical
It might be me feeling
We could get physical
Oh no… No, no"

Carly turned in his arms, pressing her back against his chest as she continued to sing. His arms wrapped tighter around her waist, keeping her close against him. She firmly ground her ass into him when she sang about getting physical and he groaned against her ear.

They remained like that, his chin on her shoulder as they swayed and twisted to the music, with Freddie occasionally placing soft kisses on her neck. Carly joined their fingers at her waist, keeping him there with her. She had glanced away at one point earlier to see Ronni giving her an annoyed look, but she was now dancing with Jeff, so it looked like maybe the blonde finally took the hint. Carly turned back to Freddie, watching him watch her as she moved against him.

"Let's see what love can do, oh
Baby, I'm perfect for you (Baby, I'm perfect for you, you)
Baby, I'm perfect for you"

As she sang the last lines of the song, she turned in his arms again, needing to face him. She wanted to see his eyes when she finished, needing confirmation of what she assumed was his answer to her implied question. It was one thing to get wrapped up in the song with her, but what happened when it ended? Would reality snap him out of the music-induced daze they were currently enveloped in?

His eyes were watching her lips as the last words left her mouth, his tongue slipping along his own in anticipation. When the last notes of the song trailed off his eyes met hers again. She saw a mixture of confusion and hope and something else hiding there, each battling for dominance.

Finally, she saw the unspoken question in his eyes and she bit her lip, nodding. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you, Freddie…" He smiled that lopsided smile that she loved so much and then he kissed her… He finally kissed her!

His hands were on her jaw, holding her in place. For a brief moment she feared dropping the microphone as her body now felt weak, so she blindly reached out her arm that was holding it, knowing more than likely the eyes of everyone else in the room were on them. She wasn't disappointed as someone took the mic from her; she didn't know who and she didn't really care except that now her arms were free to wrap around his neck. She got lost in his kiss as he moved one hand into her hair and the other around her waist, pulling her even closer against him.

When they finally separated, he didn't release his hold on her, only moving his face away just far enough to lean his forehead against hers. His eyes were still closed, still lost in the moment with her. "Please tell me this isn't a dream… If it is, I don't ever want to wake up." Carly smiled, gazing at his awestruck expression; he looked adorably dazed and she was amazed she'd been able to do that to him. "It's even better… It's real." She softly reclaimed his lips for a brief moment and he slowly opened his eyes, searching hers for the truth they held. He apparently found what he was looking for as he smiled again, wrapping both arms around her, hugging her to him.

"Carly, I love you, too. I always have." Before she could respond, his lips were on hers again. His first kiss had been more urgent, as if he was afraid that she'd disappear at any moment. With this kiss though, it was slower as he took his time, almost like he was memorizing everything about her, relearning how she felt after all these years. As for Carly, it felt like finally coming home.

Carly and Freddie reluctantly pulled apart and turned to face their friends who they knew had been watching the whole scene unfold. Harper greeted them first by pulling them into a group hug. "Well, it's about damn time!... I swear, you two are the most hard-headed, ridiculously oblivious people I have ever met!"

When she finally released them, Spencer slowly approached with his face scrunched up. "While I definitely didn't need to see ANY of that… She's right. It's long overdue." He pulled his sister into his arms before tugging Freddie over as well. "C'mere Freddo, get in on this." Carly laughed and hugged her two favorite guys tighter.

They stepped away from Spencer and were met by a giggling Gigi, almost bouncing with excitement for the two. Eventually, they made their way back to the sofa, Freddie's arms wrapped around Carly as she sat across his lap so they could continue to kiss and talk while they pretended to watch the last two performances before the music was switched to a playlist on Spencer's massive sound system.

After some time, the couple did get up and dance again, at least to a couple of slow songs, but they were in their own world, lost to everything going on around them. Ultimately, they snuck upstairs, as they had both her old bedroom and their studio to choose from for a little privacy. They really wanted to make up for lost time without an audience.

Freddie pulled Carly up the steps behind him, briefly pausing to taste her mouth again and he made a mental note to order a bag of watermelon Jolly Ranchers. It was quickly becoming his favorite flavor.