For the gals on Skype in the Finchel Gutter – because you knew if you wanted it I wouldn't be able to let it go.
This is a short companion piece to Crazy Thing Called Life. I guess Jesse and Kurt need some resolution.
.xo.
The first time it happened Kurt was willing to write it off as a coincidence.
He and Rachel, pregnant again, were on a shopping trip in Cincinnati.
The school year had ended and Rachel was barely showing but the doctor seemed to think that she was going to get larger this time, so, of course, she wanted to get a head start on shopping for larger winter maternity clothes.
To say that Lima had a limited selection was the understatement of the year.
"I don't know, Kurt," Rachel said as she scrunched up her nose at the sweater he was holding. "Don't you think that color makes me look kind of sick?"
"Sister, with your skin tone I don't think any color can make you look …" he trailed off as he caught sight of someone over Rachel's shoulder.
He could have sworn it was Jesse St. James.
But the man didn't stop walking and made no indication that he'd seen him.
Kurt brushed it off and turned back to his sister-in-law. "Are you sure it's not twins?"
"No," she said flippantly as she moved the sweaters around on the rack. "But Dr. Chen doesn't think it is."
"Just a really big baby?" Kurt asked with a chuckle.
"I think we got luck with Hadley and Christopher," Rachel replied with a nod. "I mean, look at Finn. He's … he's gigantic."
"I don't need to know that," Kurt muttered as he directed his eyes down to the sweaters again.
She hit him with her purse. "I wasn't talking about that. I mean, he's well over six feet tall. Chances are at least one of our children is going to be big."
"And how many little Hudsons can we expect?" Kurt asked nonchalantly.
"I have no plans to go back on birth control. Ever," she added. "So we have as many as we have."
"So, really," Kurt said in shock, "you plan on producing your own cast for Oklahoma! or something?"
Rachel laughed and hit him with her purse again. "Can we please get back to shopping?"
Kurt didn't see Jesse's doppelganger for the rest of the trip.
-x-
The second time it happened Kurt wasn't sure he saw what he saw.
He and Mercedes decided to go to Los Angeles Fashion Week. Rachel couldn't go because she was six months pregnant and as big as the Goodyear blimp. Which Puck never failed to remind her.
Quinn told them she needed to stay home and take care of Daisey because Sam was taking business classes and working at HP Landscaping.
Santana stared at him until he held his hands up in defeat.
Mercedes worked at a large law firm that had an office in Los Angeles so she just decided she would take the week and work from there. She was well on her way to making Junior Partner so the Senior Partners were thrilled with her request to go work at the larger office. She would gain more experience there.
As the wandered down Rodeo Drive, arms linked like they were still best friends and in high school, Kurt saw a reflection in the glass of the Tom Ford shop. His head whipped around quickly but a passing bus blocked his view of the other side of the road. By the time it had passed there was no one there fitting the description of the man he saw in the window.
"What's got you so jumpy, Kurt?" Mercedes asked distractedly. "Do you think Miles would look good in that suit?"
"What? Nothing. Huh?" he asked as he finally directed his attention back to Mercedes. "No," he frowned as his mind caught up with their conversation. "He would not look good in navy blue. The ivory, yes. Navy blue, no. Don't even think about it."
"Seriously. What's wrong with you? You're all … distracted."
"Nothing. I just … thought I saw someone," he responded as his eyes wandered to the other side of the street again.
"Oooh! Someone famous? Was it Denzel?"
Kurt just shook his head and continued down the sidewalk.
-x-
The third time it happened he knew it was Jesse but he couldn't see him. The bar was too crowded and there was no way he was going to be able to fight his way to the stage.
Not that he wanted to fight his way up to see Jesse. They were done. They'd been over for months. And since Chris's birthday party Jesse had not attempted to make any kind of contact.
No e-mail. No voicemail. No snail mail.
Nothing.
He went completely radio silent.
Until tonight, apparently.
He sat with Sam, Finn and Puck at a high table in a crappy bar off of North Jackson Street in east Lima.
"Okay, folks! Jesse St. James, c'mon up! It's your turn!"
Three sets of eyes swung immediately to Kurt.
"This is not happening," he muttered to himself.
"You know, I still haven't gotten to beat his ass after what he did to Rachel. And then you. I say we pull his scrawny ass off the stage and show him whose town this really is," Puck said darkly as his eyes focused on the stage he couldn't see.
"Good evening, Lima residents. My name is Jesse St. James …"
"Nobody cares!" someone called out from closer to the stage.
"Yeah! Just sing!" another yelled.
"Okay," he laughed nervously. "Uh, this song is for … for someone very special to me. I still want to be with you. And I won't give up. So, uh, Kurt Hummel, this is for you."
When Air Supply's All Out of Love started playing, Kurt slammed his head to the table while Puck burst out laughing as loudly as possible.
"This is not happening to me," Kurt muttered again.
He really had to stop himself from reaching out and punching each of the guys at the table as they began to harmonize with Jesse.
He kind of hated his life.
-x-
The fourth time it happened there was no mistaking that Jesse really wasn't giving up.
He had Christopher and Hadley with him at the local park while Finn took Rachel to the OB.
It wasn't twins but Rachel was putting on weight as if it were.
Her small frame was having trouble adjusting to her new size. Kurt had a feeling she was about to be put on bed rest. So he took the children with him to the park so they didn't hit their mother up for about four hundred dollars worth of swear jar money.
Rachel didn't like to be told she couldn't do something.
"Kurt!" a voice called out from behind him.
He had Chris in the stroller and Hadley was holding onto the side of it. He came to a stop and turned to see Jesse jogging towards him. His exhaled loudly and rolled his eyes. "What?"
"Who are you?" Hadley asked as she turned to Jesse, her hands finding her hips as she blew a strand of dark hair from her eyes.
"I'm Uncle Jesse. Don't you remember me?"
"You are so not John Stamos," Kurt muttered to himself. "What do you want, Jesse?"
"To talk," Jesse said as he took a step closer.
"No," Kurt replied. "Give up. And don't dedicate songs to me at karaoke anymore. This was ridiculous. And Air Supply? What were you thinking?"
"Lyrics over artist, Kurt. I needed you to know how I still feel about you."
"Thank you for telling me. But I'm with my niece and nephew now. Please go," Kurt responded before turning his back on Jesse. "C'mon, Princess. Let's go play on the swings."
"I'm not done trying, Kurt!" Jesse called after him.
"Give it up!" Hadley yelled in response. "Some people," she muttered, looking up to Kurt.
And Kurt couldn't help himself from laughing out loud when Chris shouted "Yeah" as loudly as his sister had.
-x-
The fifth time it happened Kurt was afraid that his friends were going to kill Jesse.
"Listen, Corky," Santana said with a deep frown as she got into Jesse's face, "my boy says he doesn't want to see you, he doesn't want to see you. I don't think he can get clearer than that."
"Now, Santana," Jesse said as he put his hands up in defense. "I just want to …"
"I really don't give a shit what you want, Has Been. You need to get the fuck out of here. Right now."
"San …" Puck said as he gripped his wife's elbow gently.
"Get off," she growled at him and ripped her arm away. "You!" she said as she directed her anger towards Jesse once again. "Go. Get out."
"It's a public theater, Santana," Jesse said with a frown, trying his hardest not to be intimidated by the younger woman.
"Oh, is it?" she asked mockingly. And then she lunged.
Puck grabbed her around the waist just in time to keep her out of striking distance. "Q?"
Quinn smiled slightly and wrapped her arm around her friend. "Let's go get some popcorn," she said as she led Santana away.
"Don't want popcorn," the Latina muttered childishly. "I want some fucking nachos."
"You'll have to ignore my wife, St. Douche. She's pregnant."
"Leave me alone," Kurt added before he and Puck climbed to higher seats in the theater.
Jesse couldn't help but smile at the fact the Kurt's tone wasn't as strong as it used to be.
He thought he might be wearing the younger man down.
-x-
The final time Jesse tracked him down to try and get back together with him had to be the worst timing in history.
Rachel had convinced them that she was feeling well enough to go out for dinner. She constantly complained about being stuck in the house all day and tonight she wanted a meal cooked by someone not related to her.
So they went to a small Mom & Pop diner on Bellefontaine Avenue.
Everything was going well, Rachel was smiling and only occasionally dropping her hand to her stomach with a slight wince. It was nothing out of the ordinary. She's been on bed rest for about three months at this point and she always moved her hand when the baby kicked with any kind of force.
And she was so big she barely fit at the table.
Of course, between appetizers and the main course, Rachel's water broke.
"Berry, seriously, you need to cut that shit out. Stop doing that when you're near me!" Puck cried out as he leapt onto his chair.
"Stop being such a juvenile and call 911!" Rachel yelled at him as she immediately started her breathing.
Finn gripped her hand and started counting.
Santana placed a hand over her small baby bump and glared at her husband.
And Jesse took that moment to walk up to Kurt and ask him out.
Again.
"Yes. Fine. Whatever! Get out of the way. Rachel's gone into labor again!" Kurt cried out as he helped Finn and Puck lift Rachel to her feet and keep her from teetering under the weight of her stomach.
Jesse wasn't sure Kurt would remember agreeing to go out with him but he had every intention of making the date happen.
He was nothing if not determined.