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pikesprouts · 4 years

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Singing Triad Fic

so I wrote a thing for Don/Cosmo/Kathy from Singing in the Rain(1952)

Going Public

The final recording scene where Don tells Kathy he wants to go public about their relationship.

Except all three of them are in a relationship and it's very fluffy until Lina shows up.

Here on AO3 or under the cut(but to warn you its just over 2k so it’s a long one)

"Alright, Kathy, go ahead." Cosmo grinned from the recording booth as Kathy finished reading out Lina's final lines, trying his best to keep a dopey, lovestruck smile off his face. He couldn't believe he'd gotten so lucky as to have both Don and Kathy, even if that particular relationship was even more under wraps than Don and Kathy by themselves.

"That's great! Perfect, cut!" Cosmo had to wait a few agonizing seconds more before they were clear to leave the recording booth. He jumped up and hurried over to the door to head into the room with Don and Kathy.

He opened the door to Don's voice. "-can't wait until the picture's finished." Don looked over to see Cosmo at the door and smiled at him, gesturing him over. Cosmo obligingly walked over and stood next to Don, hands cheerfully clasped behind his back. He knew what Don was about to suggest to Kathy- Don had suggested it to him just last night, after all. Don looked back at Kathy and held her gently. "No more secrecy, I'm gonna let Lina know, I'm gonna let everyone know."

Kathy's eyes widened and she glanced at Cosmo, so he smiled reassuringly and added, "Just about you two. I thought it'd be too much of a stir if we told people about me. And the studio is certainly going to want you two married by spring." He grinned and nodded at Don. "Besides, we both know how much of a lovesick ham Don is- imagine the scandal!" He swung around and slung an arm over Kathy's shoulders, sweeping his other hand through the air in front of them. "Lockwood the Homewrecker! Can't stop flirting with his best friend's wife!" Kathy grinned. He leaned in and said in a loud whisper, "Though of course no one would notice him flirting with his best friend as well- that leading man aesthetic does wonders for public perception, you know." He winked and Kathy giggled at that.

She put a hand on Cosmo's shoulder gently. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

Cosmo grinned at her. "More than." He hooked his thumbs through imaginary suspenders and strutted a few steps forward before turning back. "If you two don't get married, the studio will have to cook up some romance for one or both of you for publicity, and I think we've had enough of that, don't you?" He fidgeted, the confident air faltering slightly. "I'd hate that."

Kathy smiled gently and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. "You're wonderful, Cosmo." She hugged him tightly and then turned to Don, taking both of his hands in hers. "And if you're both absolutely sure, there's nothing I'd like more." She smiled at him. "Though, your fans will be bitterly disappointed."

Don tilted Kathy's chin up, ready to kiss her. "From now on, there are only two fans i'm worrying about." Cosmo grinned at Don's cheesy line, taking a few steps aside to sit on the edge of one of the chairs in the recording room while Don and Kathy kissed happily.

"There!"

"OH!" At the familiar screech from the door, the three turned quickly, Cosmo nearly falling off his perch as he did so. At least he'd had the presence of mind to give the two of them some room- the last thing they needed right now was Cosmo getting mixed up in rumors around the golden picture that was Don and Kathy.

And of course, there stood Ms. Lina Lamont and Ms. Zelda Zanders.

"What did I tell you, Lina?" Zelda turned her nose up at the three dismissively.

Lina glowered. "Thanks, Zelda, you're a real pal."

Zelda and Lina stalked across the room, Zelda with a self-satisfied smirk and Lina with boiling fury.

Cosmo's heart sank a bit. This wasn't going to go over well.

Lina began her screeching, "I want that girl off the lot at once! She ain't gonna be my voice!" She put one hand on her hip and cocked it. "Zelda told me everything."

Cosmo could see the resignation on Don's face even as Don smiled thinly at Zelda.

"Thanks, Zelda, you're a real pal." Don's voice was thick with sarcasm.

Kathy glanced over at Cosmo, so he tried to give her a reassuring look that everything would be fine, but even he knew it was weak.

Zelda laughed shortly. "Oh, anytime, Don." She turned on her heel and left, pleased with the havoc she'd caused.

Cosmo tuned back into Lina's tantrum to hear Kathy trying to reason with Lina.

"Now, look, Miss Lamont, Don and I have-"

"DON?!" Cosmo winced in sympathy for Kathy having to face Lina's full screech right up close. He'd been on the receiving end of enough of them to know how they made your ears ring for full minutes afterwards.

Lina shoved Don out of the way. "Don't you dare call him Don! I was calling him Don before you were born!"

Don closed his eyes briefly before opening them to look over at Cosmo, then back at Kathy and Lina. Kathy looked indignant but speechless, and Don looked like he was about a yard from the end of his tether.

Lina sputtered for a minute. "I mean, I mean, wh-wh-" She looked back and forth before rounding on Kathy again. "You were kissing him!" Lina screeched, gesturing wildly at Don.

Don rolled his eyes and gestured grandly. "I was kissing her!"

Cosmo smirked at Don's dramatics, barely biting back the snort that threatened to escape.

"I happen to be in love with her!" Don continued, gesturing emphatically at Kathy again and glowering at Lina. Cosmo's heart clenched at that, wishing he could say the same so plainly. Kathy caught his eye and he could see in her eyes that she understood. He allowed himself a private smile before returning his attention back to Lina's theatrics.

"That's ridiculous, everybody knows that you're in love with me!" Lina said. She smiled as charmingly as she could manage at Don, but Don was fully at the end of his tether as he put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, laughing in disbelief.

"Now, look, Lina, Lina, try and understand this." He put his hands up placatingly. "I'm going to marry her." Cosmo felt his heart clench a bit once more at that. Though he was thrilled for the two of them and he couldn't be more pleased as to how it looked like it was going for the three of them, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that he would never get to marry either of the loves of his life. Not that there was another option, but he was a bit disappointed all the same.

While Cosmo had been thinking, Lina had continued ranting. "She's just a flirt trying to get ahead by using you. Well, I'll put a stop to that! I'm gonna go up and see RF right now!" Lina made as though she really did mean to storm up to RF's office and screech at him too.

Cosmo's eyes widened and he quickly stepped in, catching Lina by the shoulders and halting her on her warpath. "Up, you're a little late, Lina." He tried to keep the self-satisfied smile off of his face. "The picture's already finished. And if this girl weren't in the picture, you would be finished too." He forcibly moved her back, still standing between her and the door.

Lina sneered in Kathy's direction. "As far as I can see, she's the only one who's finished. Who'll ever hear of her?" She smiled, pleased with herself.

Don cut in angrily, his arm looped around Kathy's shoulders and holding her close. "Everybody." When Lina's head whipped up to look at him, he continued. "Why do you think Zelda's in such a sweat? Because Kathy nearly stole the picture from her."

Cosmo moved around, starting to walk behind Lina. "Sure, she's only doing you a favor, helping you in The Dancing Cavalier." He gave Kathy a blinding, loving smile and shot her a wink from behind Lina's back.

Don continued their train of thought for him, "And she's getting full screen credit for it, too." Cosmo's heart swelled at the thought that the three of them had worked so hard to save the picture, and it had gone off without so much as a hitch, at least until this minute. It had been a great idea, if he did say so himself, and the movie was looking to be a real smash hit.

Lina's eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "You... you mean it's gonna say up on the screen that I don't talk and sing for myself?!" As she got angrier, Cosmo judged the distance between Lina and Kathy, hoping if she decided to lunge that between he and Don they'd be able to stop her, before deciding he had better move between them.

"Of course! What do you think?" Cosmo settled himself behind the group, right between Don and Lina.

"B-but they can't do that!" Lina argued.

Cosmo almost laughed at that. "It's already done!" He was sure he looked far too pleased with himself, but to be frank, he was. He was pleased with what the three of them had come up with and all the work they'd done, and Lina wasn't going to come in and ruin that for them. It was too late now, anyway.

Don continued their train of thought once more. "And there's a whole publicity campaign being planned." His grip tightened protectively around Kathy.

Lina looked like she was about to explode, and explode she did. "Publicity?! They can't make a fool outta Lina Lamont!" She paced back and forth, stamping as she went. Cosmo tensed, hoping she wasn't actually going to attack Kathy and claw her eyes out, but it seemed she was too busy ranting. "They can't make a laughingstock outta Lina Lamont! What do they think I am, dumb or something? Why, I make more money than..." She got right up into Don's face before she paused, thinking, "Than Calvin Coolidge!" She nodded decisively. "Put together!" And, satisfied she'd gotten the last word, she stormed off to go do heaven knows what.

Cosmo moved to stop her, but Kathy put a hand on his arm as the door swung shut behind Lina.

"No, Cos, it's fine. What can she do, anyway?"

Cosmo looked at the door one more time and turned away, putting an arm around Kathy's waist on her other side. "I don't know, I just..."

Don finished for him. "Don't like it."

Cosmo looked at him over Kathy's head, nodding. "Yeah, it smells." He looked at Kathy and put one hand on her cheek gently. "Lina's a snake, Kathy, you can't trust her."

Kathy looked between them. "What do you mean? I know she doesn't like me, but I did hit her in the face with a cake, after all."

Don shook his head, already saying, "Lina doesn't like you because I've been interested in you from the moment we met." He sighed. "Enough so that she went out of her way to get you fired, remember?"

Kathy quirked her mouth to one side. "But it's all over now, isn't it? The Dancing Cavalier is saved, it's done."

Cosmo nodded, looking at the door Lina had stormed out of. "Yep. I just hope there's nothing Lina can do now. She's in a heckuva rage, and Lina in a rage..."

Don finished, "Is not a Lina you want to be dealing with."

Kathy looped her hands through their elbows. "Well, nothing we can do about it now, is there? Let's get some lunch while we wait for the rushes to come back."

Cosmo grinned. "Miss Selden, you are a fountain of good ideas."

Kathy beamed. "You'll just have to keep me around then, won't you?"

Don kissed her forehead as the three of them walked out, Cosmo holding the door while Don and Kathy walked out arm-in-arm, Lina put in the back of their minds for the moment.

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