Title: Assistant's Day

Fandom: Big Time Rush

Rating: PG

Pairing: Kelly/Gustavo

Summary: For the "Anniversary' square on the Schmoop Bingo card. It's been five years as Gustavo's assistant and Kelly is in for a few surprises.

0o0o

It's been five years she's been working as Gustavo's assistant. She knows this because she was hired on National Assistant's Day. This was supposed to have been a good omen and, in a way, maybe it was.

Or, going by Gustavo's throaty howl plus four terrified boyish shrieks, maybe not.

"Kelly! Get me the muzzles!"

"No, Gustavo! No! We won't do it again! We swear!"

Kelly sighs and glances at her phone. Two more minutes before the boys are called away to school and she can stop pretending to look for non-existent dog muzzles.

"KELLY!"

"I'm checking your desk," she yells back.

The clock counts down to zero. She can almost feel the whoosh! of the band running away. She chooses that moment to appear and nods at Gustavo, who looks more relieved than otherwise.

"Pretty soon they're going to figure out there are no muzzles. And no dog houses and no collars."

"Nah," Gustavo replies. "Besides, I do have the doghouses. In my backyard. Had them specially built."

She merely hmms in reply. He takes to the piano and begins to play an aimless, if pretty, tune. "So," he says, banging the song to a close. "I suppose you'll be wanting something for Assistant's Day today."

Kelly feels a tickle of excitement and nods. "It's not just Assistant's Day," she reminds him. "I've been with you for five years now."

"Is that so?" He pushes his glasses higher. "I suppose a Kid's Box from Jack In the Box is out of the question then."

Her face falls. She sees where this is going. "One could say that my hopes were aimed a little higher, but if that's what you had in mind," she replies slowly, putting on her best boo-boo face, the one she saves for special occasions. "I guess I could choke down a kiddie meal."

"All right! All right!" he barks, but there's no bite in it. "Sheesh, I suppose you'll want to go to that hot new sushi joint?"

She squeals and claps her hands. "Yes!"

"And you'll want to spend the day getting all gussied up."

"I am a fan of the gussying," she says, suddenly feeling on top of the world.

An illusion that comes crashing down a second later. "Well, you can't," he snaps. "You have to go to my mansion and feed my cat. Water my ferns and call the rug guy. There's a pudding stain on my hall carpet." He pulls down his glasses and glares at her. "Get a move on!"

Her boo-boo face turns into a very sour, very honest face of disappointment. "Yes, sir," she grumps. She fishes her car keys from her purse and drives over to the Rocque mansion, stopping for a triple scoop ice cream cone on the way, early in the morning as it is.

It's a present for herself, she says, sniffling and licking at the cone. She bangs on the horn when stuck behind a light and she knows she has ice cream around her mouth when she pushes open the mansion door, wishing she could stomp the rest of her treat into the rugs without any repercussions.

It's too bad she's completely taken off guard by the army of stylists, masseurs and assistants who greet her once she's inside, taking her by the arm and divesting her of her clipboard, checkbook folder and cone. She gapes as she's hustled away into Gustavo's private spa, given a robe and told to strip down to her birthday suit.

Hesitantly, she obeys, only because the shock is greater than her modesty. Once done, she's led to a state-of-the-art massage table and the air is filled with the scent of roses as Gustavo's personal masseuse goes to work, pulverizing every stiff muscle and ache into soft submission with sweet oil and hands like stress-hating bulldozers.

"I love you, "she murmurs, half-asleep, turned to jelly beneath his hands. She gasps at her own words. "I mean ..."

Even the man's laughter has a Swedish accent. "I know what you meant and yes, I'm sure you do," he replies, putting those magic hands back to work. "Everyone loves Olaf, but not everyone can afford him, darling."

She's turned to a satisfied lump of jelly once she's wrapped back in the robe and lead to the hairdresser who seats her and begins fawning over her as if she's a star. "Love it, but I know we can love it more," he says, fluffing her hair. He turns to his workers. "GET ME SOME COLOR!"

"When I'm done with you, you'll be floating on the red carpet of your dreams," he whispers and she wants to protest, but she's been given a glass of cool white wine, while being fork-fed tiny bites of lobster. "A highlight here, a lowlight there, a blow out and oh, honey. Beyonce will HATE you."

She nods and opens her mouth for more lobster. "I like hate."

"Oh, sweetie. Don't we all?" he laughs and gets to work.

0o0o

Her hair is glorious. Her skin is shining, thanks the world's best facial. The make-up artist comes in and doesn't make her look like the clown from "IT".

She feels pretty damned fabulous.

She's so happy she'd go out in the bathrobe, but it's at that moment a tall, haughty stylist comes in, pushing a rack of dresses.

Designer dresses.

She looks Kelly up and down with an appraising eye. "Size six, slightly above the knee, medium heel. Lilac or gold, pink in a pinch. You can carry sequins, but only in small doses. Low neckline, your boobs have held up nice, real as they are."

Kelly gapes. She wonders if she should laugh at her or punch her. "Thanks?"

"You can thank Gustavo, " the stylist sniffs, yanking dresses off the rack. She shoves three at Kelly. "Don't try to do up the zippers. I'll do that. And don't tell me what you like. You don't know what you like."

Kelly would protest, but she's in too good a mood. She gamely tries on everything, but when they come to a gold beauty of a dress, even the stylist is impressed. "This was made for you," she says, turning Kelly in half-circles, as if she were a doll. "Metal clutch, no necklace, one major piece of jewelry on your hands. The shoes are inside. Dark green sling backs, don't argue."

It's almost six o'clock by the time she's dressed. She wonders what will happen next. Probably she'll be called back to work, the best-looking drudge on the planet, but that's all right. This Assistant's Day has turned out better than she could have ever dreamed.

She certainly doesn't expect Gustavo to show up at the door, impeccably dressed, a dozen long-stem pink roses in his arms.

She squeaks loudly. She just can't help it. "Oh my god ..."

A minion comes by and snatches the roses away to put in a vase. "For later, my dear," Gustavo says, soundly oddly like a gentleman. He crooks his arm for her to take, which she does. "Your chariot awaits."

She's giggling like a lunatic. Gustavo pretends not to notice, but she can see he's pleased with her reaction. The limo is something out of a magazine, top of the line everything and Gustavo pops and pours the champagne with a practiced hand.

They clink glasses and the city stretches out before them like a perfectly-lit Christmas tree. "This is ..." Kelly begins, but Gustavo puts a finger to her lips.

"This is your evening." He smiles at her and turns on the intercom to scream at the driver. "ARE WE THERE YET?"

"Ten minutes, Mr. Rocque."

He grins tightly and pours them both another glass of champagne. Kelly can't stop laughing and it's a very long, very wonderful ten minutes.

0o0o

Later on, after sushi served in a private room where Gustavo could yell at the waitstaff to his heart's content - right before tipping them an astronomical sum - he takes Kelly back to the mansion to retrieve her roses.

She twirls in the door, happy in the way her glittery dress splays out in sparkling waves. She's slightly tipsy on sake and champagne, she's eaten too much and enjoyed every minute of it. In front of her is Gustavo standing alone, a shy giant of a man, snickering and wringing his hands, like a schoolboy, eyes bright when he looks at her.

"This is our fifth anniversary," he says, in a bashful tone of voice she's never heard before. "I wanted to make it special."

Maybe it's the rice wine, maybe it's something else, but she puts her arms around his neck and presses their noses together, smiling so hard, her cheeks ache. "It was amazing. You are amazing, thank you."

His eyes go wide, as his glasses lose their place on his nose until falling off entirely. He's shaking slightly, so strange in a big bear of a man and a heartbeat passes between them, eyes locked, as they lean in for a very soft, very gentle kiss. Kelly's stomach flutters and she can't help but feel lovely and small in Gustavo's huge embrace.

When they pull back, both of them are surprised with Gustavo's cheeks turned bright red. Kelly thinks she should shuffle away and pretend nothing has happened, but she finds she doesn't want to, instead pulling him down for a more involved kiss, this one making her toes curl right into her brand-new Manolo Blahnik shoes.

When they finally untangle, Gustavo's eyes are shining. "Now you're the amazing one, " he says. "But ... are you sure? I mean, you can change your mind if you want. Not that I've wanted this for five years or anything, I mean, I really haven't been thinking about nearly every day since the day you walked in and if you just want to be friends I guess I can ..."

Kelly puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head. "Shut up and kiss me, Gustavo."

He brightens like Christmas and does as she says. She finds herself being lifted up, not with the greatest finesse but his intent is good and she thinks they might be making it to the stairs, still kissing when she hears something shatter onto Gustavo's marble floor.

It's a plate, formerly held by Kendall. Kelly regains her focus to observe four sets of bulging teenage eyes staring at her and Gustavo as if they are seeing purple dinosaurs just flown in from the far reaches of outer space.

Gustavo nearly drops her, but regains his composure enough to lower her down with only a small bump. "WHAT ARE YOU DOGS DOING IN HERE?" he screams, making Kelly almost fall over in her heels.

They have no answer. Their terror would be gratifying if not for the situation and Kelly puts her hands on her hips, glaring at them. "Answer the man!" she says, taking Gustavo's side completely, which he appears to appreciate.

"You're cute when you yell," he says to her sweetly. He turns again to the boys who look paralyzed. "I'M GOING TO DROWN YOU ALL, ONE BY ONE! NOW GET IN YOUR DOG HOUSES, YOU MUTTS."

They scatter, their gangly legs churning beneath them in a sheer slip of panic. Kelly sighs and lowers her head. The moment has definitely been broken.

Gustavo is disappointed too, but oddly enough has a better handle on it than she does. "How about some coffee? And a song." He clears his throat uncomfortably. "Not that I wrote one for you or anything."

Kelly has to bite her lip to stop it from visibly trembling. "I'd love both those things."

He takes her hand in his and leads her to the kitchen where they make coffee together before settling at the piano, where he plays the song he'd been practicing early that morning. He says the title is "I Will Wait For You" and it's certainly not about her, but she knows it is and the music floats up as she leans her head on his shoulder, eyes closed and humming along with each turnaround of the chorus.

The room smells like roses and the boys are still running in circles outside as Kelly memorizes every sensation to enjoy in memory for years and years to come.

0o0o

end