Author's note: Forever clinging to Kadam 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. I am not looking to make a profit off of this.
It was never supposed to end like this.
Unfortunately, there Kurt was, forced to take care of Rachel's laundry after losing a bet to her. As he picked up her heaping basket of clothes, wondering just how long she waited until doing her laundry (and by extension, just how much clothing she actually had), something fell out. He reached down to pick up whatever had fallen and tried to suppress his gag reflex when he realised exactly what it was – something he thought he would never see, let alone touch (thank goodness he and Rachel normally did their own laundry). Squeezing his eyes shut, he picked up her underwear and shoved it back into the basket before picking the whole thing back up.
"Remember that list I gave you of how I separate my clothes, Kurt!" he heard his roommate chirp from the couch in their loft. Rolling his eyes, he dumped all of her clothes into a couple of bags to take to the Laundromat.
"Right, of course. How could I forget when you remind me every five minutes," he said drily as he slipped on his shoes and left quickly, before Rachel could comment.
Later, sitting at the Laundromat with a book and keeping an eye on Rachel's clothes (which he hadn't separated according to her list, his own personal 'take-that' to his beloved roommate), Kurt felt his phone buzz. Pulling it out of his pocket, he checked and grinned at what he saw – a text from Adam. The two had been seeing each other for a couple of months since first meeting, despite never making anything official. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so comfortable around another man, and yet there Adam was, making him laugh and smile. It was exactly what he needed after… but he wouldn't think about that. About him. Not now. Kurt raised an eyebrow as he replied to the text inquiring as to what he was doing at the moment, taking the opportunity to complain about his forfeit. After hitting send, he waited less than a minute before getting a reply.
A: Aww, poor you. Are you still at the Laundromat now?
K: Yes, sadly. She has far too many clothes. Good thing, though, I'm getting in some reading.
A: I feel for you, sweetheart. Do you still want to get dinner tonight?
K: Absolutely. Looking forward to that is what's getting me through this.
A: You're cute. So I'll see you later, then?
K: Suuure. Yes, see you!
After sending the last reply, Kurt stood up to move a load to the dryer, glad that no one else was there to see the light blush spread across his cheeks. Adam had a certain way of getting Kurt flustered easily, something that he had noticed the first day they met. It was definitely something he appreciated about the older man, how he made him feel butterflies in his stomach at the simplest flirtation. He had absolutely no regrets about asking Adam out that first time, none at all.
Twenty minutes passed, and Kurt had resumed his perch on a chair in the corner of the Laundromat, reading a fashion magazine and waiting for the next load of laundry to finish. So engrossed in his reading was he that he barely registered the door opening and someone walking in. In fact, it wasn't until he looked up and found his line of sight to the clock on the opposite wall blocked by a tall, handsome, blond British man. A tall, handsome, blond British man he knew and liked very much, in fact. Quickly, Kurt stood up and set his magazine aside, smiling brightly the whole time.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, almost in disbelief. Adam laughed in that way that made Kurt's heart melt and gave a small shrug.
"Well, I couldn't just let my favourite person sit alone in here, just reading and waiting for his roommate's laundry to finish. I came over to keep you company, to entertain you. I hope that's alright?" Adam replied, his tone ever-so-slightly questioning at the end. Kurt could only nod, it now being his turn to chuckle lightly as he reached out to take Adam's hand into his own.
"I always welcome your company, you know that," he said, smiling warmly and leaning in ever so slightly. Adam took the hint and slipped his hand free, quickly wrapping his arms around Kurt in a loose hug. Hugging him back, Kurt took a moment to rest against Adam, closing his eyes and simply breathing in the oh-so-familiar scent of the man's cologne. It was comforting, and he almost didn't want to let go. But after a moment, he reluctantly pulled away, grinning up at his… well, they weren't boyfriends. Not yet. But they weren't just friends, either. They were in that odd middle ground, although Kurt had never felt rushed to make anything official. They were comfortable with each other, and that was good enough for him. Sure, Rachel badgered him after every 'date' they had. Sure, Kurt couldn't deny that he wished that they could make things official. But it never felt like the right time.
"Good!" Adam's voice broke into his thoughts, and Kurt gazed up at the blond fondly, listening. "I even brought something for you. A cupcake from the bakery down the street."
Kurt's eyes lit up as Adam produced a small box that, sure enough, contained a single cupcake. Taking it out of the box, he took a tiny nibble at the other man's urging.
"Mmm, my favourite!" he exclaimed, grinning widely. "Thank you!"
Adam offered a beaming smile of his own in return, shrugging one shoulder. "Of course it's your favourite. I would have gotten you coffee too, but I figured I wouldn't have to." His eyes drifted pointedly to the travel mug sitting beside the cast aside magazine. Kurt laughed.
"You know me so well," he said, nibbling more at the cupcake. It was delicious, and well appreciated. Adam pulled up a chair next to Kurt's and gestured for him to sit, to which he gladly obliged. The pair spent the next thirty minutes chatting and laughing together. Every so often, Kurt would notice something, like a touch to his knee or a held fond gaze that lasted too long from Adam. But for the most part, he ignored it, focusing on having a good time with the other man. Their conversation was hardly bothered by the laundry machines finishing, as they stood up together and moved the loads, combining their efforts. Finally, the laundry was all finished and they settled back on their chairs for a minute, relaxing.
"I can't thank you enough, Adam. Really, I can't," Kurt said, picking up the bag of clean laundry and standing up. Adam shook his head.
"It's really nothing. Anything to spend more time with you. I mean it," he replied, also standing and gazing across at Kurt. Like others before, it lasted almost too long. Unlike others before, it caused Kurt to look away in an attempt to hide the light blush on his cheeks.
"Well, I guess… I'll see you tonight? I should probably get this back to Rachel," he said to break the silence, offering a small smile. Adam nodded and reached out, resting his hand on Kurt's shoulder.
"Alright, then. You do that, and I'll go finish some work. See you tonight, sweetheart," he replied, giving one last charming smile before gesturing towards the door. Kurt walked with Adam silently, sneaking glances until they were out on the street. Unfortunately, they would be leaving in opposite directions. Another quick exchange of goodbyes later, and Kurt was on his way back to the loft.
It wasn't until later, as he was getting ready for his dinner date, that Kurt realised what Adam had said. He had put off schoolwork to come and entertain him at a Laundromat, of all places. Saying goodbye to Rachel and denying once again that he and Adam were an official couple, he left for the restaurant with these thoughts on his mind.
And when he arrived home after his date with an impossibly wide smile and a bad case of the giggles, it was almost to be expected that Rachel would demand to hear the whole story, to which Kurt happily obliged.
"I have a boyfriend, Rach!"