Kurt stands at his mailbox and takes out the mail. He sees a handful of junk mail, and some birthday cards. He figures some are from his parents, Rachel, and the rest of his friends. Then there is a package. It's tied in pretty pink ribbon, and it's envelope.
With shaky hands he opens it and he pulls out 19 birthday cards, one for each year he has been alive.
They are sweet, and romantic, and Kurt gets the weird, fluttery feeling he got on Valentine's Day. The day he found out that the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for him was from his former bully and current friend, Dave Karofsky. He had thought and wanted it to be Blaine, and was disappointed when Dave removed the mask to reveal it was him. Even as Kurt had told all his friends it was definitely Blaine, a part of him wondered if it actually was, or someone else.
And then when he saw the height of the gorilla, he knew it wasn't Blaine, but his brain and his heart were on two different pages.
He sighed and shook his head as he stared down at the cards. The handwriting looked similar to the cards he had gotten from David on Valentine's day and he thought he had made it perfectly clear that he was with Blaine. Blaine was the man he was in love with and he couldn't go around doing things like that for him. Friends don't do that, especially not completely platonic friends, like the kind David and Kurt were.
Right?
His birthday up until that point had been great, he had been surprised with breakfast in bed by Mercedes and Rachel, his dad and Carole had given him money to go on a shopping trip, and even Finn had given him a new cd of Broadway music. He was still waiting on Blaine's gift, and he felt a slight twinge of annoyance that once again his friend had done something far more romantic than his own boyfriend for his birthday.
Kurt knew he had to tell Dave once and for all that they were just friends, and they would never be more than that.
He got in his SUV and drove to Dave's house.
Thankfully, since Dave had been outed and transferred back to McKinley, he and Kurt had struck up a friendship. They talked at school, ate lunch at the same table, and had even hung out alone and watched movies. It had always been a tad awkward, since Dave never made it a secret that he was in love with Kurt, or at least thought he was and Kurt had learned to live with the always underlying tension between them, but something had to give, because he couldn't allow Dave to continue to pine after him when there was no chance of them being together.
He got out of his SUV and knocked on the door.
It didn't take long for Dave to answer. He was covered head to toe in flour and looked like he was out of breath.
"Hey, Kurt? What are you doing here?"
"I think you know, why, David."
"I really don't. I was just making some cookies with my niece. Do you want to come in?"
"Yes, but only because I need to talk to you."
"Sounds serious."
"It is."
"Okay, sure. Just let me get this batch in the oven."
Dave led him into the kitchen where it looked like a tornado had just blown through."
Dave's niece looked like a ghost and was also covered head to toe in flour.
"What happened here?"
"Uncle Dave accidentally dropped the bag of flour on the counter and it exploded everywhere. It was so cool! I'm Kara by the way, who are you?"
"I'm Kurt."
"Are you his boyfriend?"
Kurt coughed and looked at the flour.
Dave flushed bright red,
"No, Kara. We're just friends. Why don't you go watch some cartoons, while we wait for thse to bake?"
"Are you gonna have a grown up talk?"
"Yeah."
"Adults are so boring."
She grabbed a cooling cookie off the rack and skipped into the living room.
"So, what was so serious that you had to come see me?"
"First of all, please take the apron and chef's hat off. You look ridiculous."
"Sorry, I just put it on when Kara comes over. She likes to play dress up."
"Secondly, I need you to stop trying to prove your love to me, okay? It's not fair to either of us. I am with Blaine and I can't let you think we have a shot."
"Are you still talking about Valentine's Day? That was like three months ago, Kurt."
"No, I'm referring to this."
Kurt pulled out the envelope and the cards fell out.
"I didn't send you those."
"What?"
"I didn't send you those cards."
"But, who would've…"
"I don't know, maybe you're boyfriend? You know the guy you claim to be so in love with? I got the hint at Valentine's Day, Kurt. You don't want to be with me, but I figured being your friend was the only way I'd ever get to spend any time with you. So here I am, trying to be your friend. Plus, I would not have chosen a pink envelope, and you should know that."
"But…"
"What? You find it so hard to believe that someone else besides me would want to do something romantic for you, Kurt? You are hot, nice, talented, and pretty much the most amazing person I've ever known. It would be stupid for Blaine not to do that."
"I've got to go. I'll see you later."
"Can you answer something for me?"
"What?"
"If you and Blaine are so in love why would you automatically assume that I was the one to do something romantic for you for your birthday?"
"That's not the point."
"Fine, it's not, but before you leave, I guess I should give you the gift I had for you. I was going to drop it off later tonight, anyway.
Dave left the kitchen and came back a few minutes alter with a box.
Kurt unwrapped it and opened it to find a musical gorilla with boxers with hearts on them. He pressed the foot of the Gorilla and it started vibrating and moving as it sang, "Wild Thing."
Kurt smiled and Dave grinned sheepishly at him.
"I figured the monkey thing was sort of our thing, even if we're only friends. Anyway, happy birthday, Kurt. "
Kurt stared at the gorilla in his hands and was more confused than ever.
He turned around and left.
Dave's words sat in his brain and on his heart like an anvil. Why would he automatically think it was Dave? Why did he feel a twinge of disappointed to find out it was Blaine and not Dave?
He had so many questions to answer, but one thing he knew for sure, he and Dave weren't just friends, they never had been, and things were only going to get more complicated.