A/N: A prompt fill for sunmontuewrites on tumblr, who had the prompt Baby Photos.
Just Like the Movies
by ktfranceebee
"It's open!"
Dave wasn't sure why Kurt insisted on knocking. He had only been gone for twenty minutes when he left to pick up some hoagie sandwiches down the block for the two of them to have for lunch. He supposed old habits were hard to break, but soon they would have the same set of keys to the same place once they moved into their new apartment in two weeks. No longer did they have to withstand the frantic mornings; the mad dash to find that missing sock under the bed or pair of boxers on the doorknob; the rush to return to their own apartment to get ready for work. Dave smiled as he heard the door click open. The thought of being able to wake up, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend and not having to worry about Kurt slipping out the door, not wanting to wake him up, if he decided to shut his eyes for five more minutes before his alarm sounded. The thought filled him up with as much warmth and happiness as hearing the man's adorably huffy tone from the other room.
"Sorry it took so long." Dave could faintly hear Kurt's voice from the kitchen, being slightly drowned out by the rustle of a plastic bag and the tap of shoes upon the linoleum floor. "You should have seen that line. I guess that's what you'd expect at this time on a…" Dave heard Kurt's voice trail off as he pulled out a tome-like photo album from one of the boxes he managed to hoist off the high shelf with great difficulty.
"Where are you?"
Dave laughed as he dropped the heavy album on his lap. He sat cross-legged on the floor of his office-slash-storage room. He had been in his bedroom when Kurt left, sorting through his clothes and picking out the items he never wore to donate to charity—just one of the many tasks that would make the transition of moving easier. While their new apartment was slightly bigger than their current ones, the space would be shared between two people—one who had a plethora of clothes and shoes and hair products and the other far too many DVDs and videogames than what could fit in the average cardboard box or three. Downsizing was as necessary as it was refreshing. He wouldn't call himself a packrat by any means, but it was hard to believe just how much junk that had accumulated over time—all stuffed into the closet since he moved into his first New York City apartment during his sophomore year of college. Some of the stuff hadn't seen the light of day since the end of his senior year of high school when he packed up and left Lima. It was like looking through a time capsule—melancholic, but slightly dustier.
"In here, babe," Dave said as he flipped through his photo album that he forgot he took with him. He smiled fondly at the images. The glossy plastic sheets held a myriad of photos. The beginning of the album depicted many images of a small, bald, peanut-like form—him—in various scenes. Sleeping peacefully on his dad's chest… His mom all plump and rosy-cheeked despite her eyes having dark rings around them, a sign of a lack of sleep (they always said he was a colicky baby). What would have brought him an insurmountable sadness had he looked at these albums five years ago now only brought him a dull pang. He still hadn't seen nor heard from his mom since he left Lima. While she hadn't agreed with his sort of "lifestyle", if it could even be called that, Dave liked to believe that maybe in a few years she would look through her own album and realize how big a mistake she made by disowning her only son. He smiled, knowing he still had the unwavering support from his father, his boyfriend, and boyfriend's family and friends. He was in love with the man of his dreams and couldn't imagine himself being in a better place had he imagined it five years ago.
He flipped through a few more pages to a later picture—a picture of him looking particularly grumpy. He chuckled. If he had the chance to talk to his younger self he knew exactly what he'd say. Cheer up. It'll get better.
"There you are." Dave looked up when he heard the voice and he found Kurt staring at him, leaning seductively (though Dave was sure that wasn't his intention… he long ago came to the conclusion that seductive was a given when it came to Kurt) against the threshold of the room. His arms were crossed over his chest and he raised his eyebrows. "You planning to come and eat?"
Dave leisurely flicked a page.
"I can think of something I'd like to eat… And a few more that I'd like to swallow." Dave smirked, not looking at Kurt as he flipped another page.
He knew it wasn't logically possible, but he was almost sure he could hear Kurt blush. The two of them hadn't much time to see each other during the week, and it being a Friday meant that Dave was sort of insatiable despite Kurt being adamant that they could fool around once they made an a dent in the list of things they needed to do before they moved. He did, however, manage to make Kurt's shoulder slip off the frame and he had to steady himself, flustered. Maybe he'd give in for both of their sakes before lunch.
"Well…" Dave could see Kurt pretending to pick a piece of lint off his sleeve in his periphery. Kurt's coyness was even more of a turn on. "I'm sure we can find some time after lunch for…" Kurt cleared his throat. "That. What are you working on right now?"
"Just going through some boxes," Dave said casually, only slightly discouraged. "Look, I found an old photo album." Dave was currently looking at pictures from when he was about four years old and at Disney World with his parents. Once again, he wasn't looking too happy in the photo despite being in the happiest place on earth. He clung to his dad's finger in the picture and looked like he was ready to go home.
"Oh… I don't think I've ever seen baby pictures of you." Kurt cooed as he strode over to Dave, forgetting about their lunch in the kitchen at the prospect of adorable pictures of his boyfriend as a baby. He knelt down neatly next to him, covering Dave's arm with his hand and resting his head against his shoulder. "Aww, look at you with your little Mickey Mouse hat. Huh…," he harrumphed thoughtfully as he cocked his head. "Were you always such a sourpuss?"
"Shut up," Dave grumbled, but smiled as he turned the page. "I was mad okay. I wasn't tall enough to go on half of the rides. Wouldn't you be mad?"
"Are you kidding? I was such a wimp when I was younger. I was more concerned about meeting all of the characters." Kurt explained, but when Dave turned the page he felt Kurt freeze beside him.
"David…" he said his name slowly and when he spoke again his voice wavered. "How… How old were you here exactly?"
"I don't know… Four, I think. I'm pretty sure we went before I started kindergarten. Why?" Dave turned his head towards Kurt who was staring unblinkingly at a bottom picture.
"Can I see something?" He took it out of Dave's hands before he could get an answer. "Oh… Oh my God." Kurt sounded like he had the wind knocked out of him.
"What? What's wrong?" Dave asked scooting closer to Kurt whose nose was practically touching the shiny surface.
"Look at this photo," Kurt demanded, shoving the album back over to Dave. Dave was confused, but took the album as Kurt stood up and turned his back to Dave, biting his thumbnail.
Dave took the photo out of its divider in order to get a better look. It was a picture of him, short and chubby wearing and disdainfully wearing his Mickey Mouse ears. He was holding his dad's hand as he looked bashfully at the camera.
"It's just picture of me and my dad, what's the big deal?" Dave asked, waving the picture around.
"Not you, look at what's in the background."
"Cinderella's castle?" Dave asked slowly.
Kurt shook his head.
"No," he said. "David, look at it... Really look at it." Dave frowned as he turned his head back to the picture. There was him and his Dad… His mom had to be taking the picture… Then there was the ramp leading to the castle and… Wait.
It couldn't be.
"Holy shit…" Dave breathed. "Is… Is that your dad?"
"Y-yes…"
"He looks fucking weird with hair. Who… Who's the girl he's holding? In the princess dress and tiara?" He looked at the child in the picture wearing the yellow dress, sleeves slipping off scrawny shoulders, who seemed to be whispering something in her dad's ear.
Kurt raised an eyebrow. Dave felt like he was about to pass out. He was glad he was already sitting down.
"That… That's you?"
"I was going through a princess phase," Kurt said plainly.
Dave looked down at the picture. And then he chortled as he closed his eyes. Tears of laughter prickled at the corners. This was insane. Surely this couldn't be real.
"Why are you laughing? This is frightening as fuck, David." Kurt's out of the ordinary cursing and serious tone did nothing to calm Dave. Instead he ended up rolling onto his back, his feet flat upon the carpet as the photo lay abandoned on his chest as he cover his reddening face with his hand. "I mean… How… What are the chances that this type of… Thing… Happens to people? You and me? In the same picture before we even met? And in Disney World of all places? Are you even listening to me?" Kurt rambled hysterically. Dave only sniffed, wiping his eyes with his fingers, before sighing.
"Yeah, I'm listening." He sat up.
"Aren't you freaked out by this?" Kurt insisted, his eyes wide.
"Sure, but what are we supposed to do about it? Should I call the newspapers?" Dave chuckled jokingly. Kurt wasn't happy with his response.
"You could not patronize me." Kurt crossed his arms protectively over his chest.
"Babe, listen…" Dave started sitting up once more. "Yeah, it's fucking crazy, and I can't begin to comprehend what the chances are of something like this actually happening, but I guess… I don't know… It sort of makes sense." He shrugged and Kurt narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Dave sighed, but not impatiently.
"I guess… Maybe… I always had a feeling we were supposed to be together. I know!" He raised his hands defensively when Kurt gave him a questioning glance. "Not at McKinley, obviously. But I mean… Remember Scandals? Sure that was in our city, but do you know how many gay bars are outside of Lima…? More than you'd think. And then we run into each other in New York of all places, find out we were going to the same college. Even now, after being with you all these years… Don't you ever go through life feeling that there are just some people you meet for a reason? Whether it's because there's some valuable lesson you need to learn from them or that you need to teach them. Fate, serendipity, inevitability… Whatever you want to call it?"
"I think I've taken you to see Wicked too many times," Kurt said quietly. Dave wasn't sure what else he could say to make him understand.
"Fine. Whatever," Dave said putting the photo back into its partition in the album. "It's stupid. Let's just forget that it happened."
"No… David, hold on a second," Kurt said exasperatedly as he hurried over to where Dave was sitting and put his hand on top of his, stilling it.
"I'm sorry that it's just a little bit harder for me to digest," Kurt explained as he took the album out of his hands and set it down next to them, the picture on top of it. "I think when something like this happens to people they can say that it's an act of God or whatever they believe in but it's harder for me to grasp when I rely on things that I can see." He looked into Dave's eyes. "Things that I can feel." He touched Dave's face with his finger tips. "Which is why it is all the more amazing that the same little boy in that picture, who I just so happened to be telling my dad was the cutest boy I had ever seen in my life, is the same man sitting in front of me who I love today." Dave's lips parted as he let out a soft sigh at the tender look in Kurt's icy blue eyes. "If all those little tiny acts of chance can't begin to explain why we're with each other today, other than the plain and simple fact that I love you, then I don't know what else can." A smile flickered upon Kurt's face, and he let his hands drop from where they cupped his face earnestly to rest on his shoulders. Dave lifted his hand to gently circle Kurt's wrist. He let his thumb play over his pulse.
"You really said that to your dad?" Dave asked, a boyish smile lighting up his face.
"Out of everything I just said that's the one thing you pick up on?" Before Kurt could begin to roll his eyes, Dave had already pulled him flush against his body and they both fell back upon the barren carpeted floor, laughing. Kurt pressed his lips against Dave's in mid-smile and Dave tangled his fingers through the soft strands of hair at the back of his head as he kissed him back enthusiastically.
Sure, their life wasn't straight out of a fairytale. It was quite possible that they had more downs than they had ups (and hell, he could almost count on Kurt blaming the fact that their lunch got cold because of him), but he knew that their relationship would make it no matter what life threw at them. While this was only the start of a new chapter of their life together, he already knew Kurt to be his happy ending, because as far as he was concerned Kurt was his happy beginning all along.
