Story: Sometimes a Dream
Author: MikoAkako
Beta: None
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: male/male relationship
Pairing/Character: Kurtofsky (Kurt/Dave)
Word count: 2,434
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. If you're not familiar with the NHL, the New York Polar Bears is a made up team. Charles and Mr. Curtin are made up as well.
Summary: Future AU. Dave is offered a contract with a professional hockey team...with one condition. Established Kurtofsky.
A/N: So...I'm kind of ashamed that the first Glee fic I post is Kurtofsky, when I'm a diehard Klaine fan. This is a fill for the Glee Fluff Meme on lj. Full prompt is at the bottom.
"Hello, David Karofsky. I'm Randall Curtin with the New York Polar Bears. We would like to offer you an interview," Dave took the offered card mutely, seeking out and meeting the eyes of a familiar figure in the crowd behind the agent. "Please call our office so we can set up a time for you to come out and meet the guys."
"Uh…Thank you. I will," With a final handshake, the man left Dave to finish signing autographs. By the time the line went down, there was only one person left in the room who wasn't a team member. Dave glanced pointedly to the changing room doors and disappeared behind them. While he waited, he examined his reflection in the mirror.
He had a nice bruise on the side of his head from when the other team's right wing had slammed him into the boards and his head hit the inside of his helmet. He lifted up his shirt, admiring the purple bruise spreading across his ribs. He touched it tenderly, wincing slightly but generally pleased that it was just a bruise and not another broken rib. He'd just let his shirt down when someone rammed into him from the side, clinging to him.
"Are you okay?" The person pulled back, surveying the visible injuries. Dave waited out the inspection, taking the time to marvel again at his luck. In the four years since they'd graduated high school, Kurt Hummel hadn't changed much. He still had a –flawless – pale complexion that was currently tinged with red from the cold of the ice rink. His hair was carefully styled, though Dave could see the signs that he'd run his fingers through it – something he only did when he was worried or nervous. He was wearing a grey trench coat, buttoned up and cinched around the middle, with a red scarf and black tailored jeans.
"What are you smiling about, Karofsky?" Kurt was looking at him with one hand on his hip, head cocked sideways. Dave hadn't realized he was smiling, but he was. It seemed to be a common occurrence around Kurt.
"An agent for the Polar Bears wants to recruit me," he said. It wasn't the reason for the smile, but even after two years he wasn't all that comfortable with admitting his feelings.
"That's amazing!" Kurt said, grasping Dave around the middle gingerly. Dave returned the embrace, pulling Kurt closer and marveling at the way they fit together. "Though I wish you would play something safer – like football or bull riding." Dave chuckled, wincing at the new bruises he'd acquired. Kurt must have felt him tense because the smaller boy pulled away, hands resting on Dave's chest.
"Let's get you cleaned up," Kurt said, sliding his hand down Dave's arm and latching their hands together. Dave let himself be pulled, falling into step with Kurt. "We've got reservations to celebrate the first championship this school's seen since before either of us was born."
"How'd you know we would win?"
"With you as left wing? No chance you'd lose." Dave stopped in front of the door, turning to Kurt and leaning in to steal a kiss. Kurt pouted as he pulled away. It wasn't lost on either of them that Kurt unlinked their fingers before they left the room, even though the rest of the team was already gone. Dave grit his teeth, wishing he was brave enough to close the distance and declare their relationship to the world.
He felt like he was going behind Kurt's back when he pulled up to the Polar Bear's practice rink the next Saturday. He hadn't told his boyfriend about the meeting. In fact, he had really seen much of Kurt at all in the last six days. That in itself wasn't unusual – Kurt was busy with last minute run throughs for the final play of his college career, and Dave had been packing up his dorm room and moving into his new apartment. Normally they would speak on the phone every day, but the only communication they'd exchanged in the past week was a few quick texts and a rushed lunch date – at an obscure restaurant outside the city – on Wednesday.
Thankfully no one seemed to notice his distraction as he was introduced to all seventeen team members. After he'd met all the players, they put on their practice gear and divided up into teams of six. He already felt like a part of the team, laughing along at their jokes. Dave almost forgot Kurt while he was playing – almost. Once, out of habit, he glanced up into the stands after he scored to find Kurt, only to realize there were no spectators besides the players waiting to be rotated in. The stab of pain he felt was irrational.
"That was fantastic, man," The captain of the team, a 30 year old man named Charles Stevens and whose poster Kurt had bought for Dave as a joke on their year anniversary, complimented him. Everyone on the team had expressed their desire for him to join them, and he was hard pressed for a reason not to. He'd been approached by several minor teams, but they all required leaving New York and, by extension, leaving Kurt.
"Thanks," Dave said, pulling off the jersey he'd been lent and putting on his own outfit. "It was great playing with you."
"Hopefully we'll see you soon," Charles said sincerely. "I've gotta run now, though. The wife wants me to pick up the kids from school." Dave watched Charles leave and felt a strange recklessness come over him. Why should straight men get to talk about their home life, but if a gay man said anything people either avoided him or bullied him. He'd been one of those people once, but he'd come a long way from that ignorant child. He was in the midst of his revelation when Mr. Curtin found him.
"Would you like to come up to my office to discuss this?" Dave nodded, grabbing the bag that held his skates and gear and followed. They chatted casually on the way up, Dave's resolve strengthening with each step. Mr. Curtin's office was sparse, a few pictures of him, a woman and a child on the desk.
"So let's jump right in: We like you, and it looked like you fit in well with the team. We're prepared to offer you a one year contract, to be reviewed annually. Starting at $950,000 a year." Dave had been expecting a big number, but to actually be given the offer made him a little light headed. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Kurt would say. Kurt…
"That's…generous," Dave said, hesitating. Was it worth risking that much money, when he and Kurt could live easily. Perhaps keeping their relationship was a fair price to pay. No. Now that he'd made up his mind, he didn't want to settle anymore. "However, I do have one concern."
"We can offer you $1 million," the man said, misunderstanding Dave's hesitation.
"It isn't the money," Dave said. He steeled himself to speak words he'd only uttered to a handful of people and felt them lodge in his throat. He looked at the picture of Mr. Curtin and his wife and took a breath.
"I'm sure we can work it out," Mr. Curtain said, frowning.
"I'm gay," Dave said. "I want to be public about it. I'm not willing to leave my boyfriend behind at public events and I will not tell the press we are just friends." He held his breath, waiting for the fallout.
"Well…" Mr. Curtin's expression was guarded. "I can't see why that would be a problem."
"R…really?" Dave let out a sigh that was cut off by Mr. Curtin.
"Somewhere down the line." Dave frowned. "It isn't easy to promote an unknown let alone one who's…outside the norm." Dave's temper broiled and he stood, expression dark.
"I don't think we have anything left to discuss," he said. He stormed out, forcing himself to take deep breaths to stop him from turning around and punching Mr. Curtin. He did pound the steering wheel of his car, imagining the agent's face. When he'd calmed down, he turned the key in the ignition and pointed his car towards his apartment.
"Dave?" Kurt entered the apartment slowly. The lights were out, and Kurt flipped them on. Dave was standing beside the table, plates set out in what was obviously an attempt at a romantic setting. Kurt laughed lightly, taking a seat in the chair that Dave pulled out for him.
"Did you cook?" Kurt asked hesitantly. Despite his best attempts, Kurt hadn't managed to teach Dave to cook anything more than frozen meals – and even those had burned at first.
"Just try it," Dave said scowling. He dished out spaghetti, made with whole wheat noodles and turkey sausage to Dave's disgust, broccoli, and garlic bread. When their food was dished up, Kurt took a hesitant bite. The bread was burned on the bottom and the broccoli uncooked in the middle. The spaghetti was edible, once he got past the crunchy noodles.
"Best so far," Kurt said, laughing. Dave was still scowling at the food, not even making an effort to fake a smile at Kurt's words. Kurt pushed the food away, propping his head up on his hands and resting his elbows on the table. "What's wrong?"
"This isn't how the night was supposed to go," Dave said, pulling his hand back when Kurt reached across the table for it.
"Are you planning on seducing me?" Kurt attempted again to lighten the mood. "Because I spent the day with Rachel, Finn and Blaine so I'm a pretty easy lay." Blaine had been a touchy subject when they'd first started dating despite the fact that Kurt promised they were just friends and had been for a year. Eventually Dave had accepted that Blaine would stay in Kurt's life, but from Dave's reaction, Kurt began to wonder if it wasn't a lie.
"No," Dave stood up, pacing the length of the room. Kurt wasn't sure what to do, so he just sat there, watching.
"Have you heard from the Polar Bears?" Kurt tried again after a few moments. It provoked a reaction from Dave, for better or worse.
"Yeah," He said, stopping his prowling with his back to Kurt. "I saw them today, actually." His tone was dark and Kurt's face fell.
"You didn't get an offer?" He asked, hesitantly. "They're stupid if they don't want you…"
"No. They did. They offered me a million dollar contract." His tone didn't lighten, but Kurt had to ask anyway.
"That's good, right?"
"Yeah. Good." Dave turned around, leaning slightly away from Kurt. "I turned them down."
"What?" Kurt's face went through a range of expressions too quickly for Dave to follow. "But it's your dream to be a pro player! How could you possibly turn them down?"
"They wanted me to give up my other dream – one that matters even more," he closed the distance between them in two quick steps, going down on one knee and taking Kurt's hands in his.
"Kurt Hummel," Dave found he couldn't take his eyes from Kurt's. For his part, the countertenor looked shaken. "We didn't get off to a good start, but the past two years have been…fantastic. No, they've been perfect. Almost perfect."
"Dave. What are you doing?" Kurt's voice was higher than normal and Dave just smiled and continued.
"Playing hockey is my passion, but it hasn't been my dream for a while. You're my dream," He wasn't sure where the words were coming from, but he found he couldn't stop them. "Having a family with you; that's my dream. Not being afraid to hold your hand or kiss you in public; that's my dream."
"I still don't understand what that has to do with the Polar Bears?" Kurt asked, face flushed still.
"They said they couldn't sign an openly gay player," Dave said. "And then I walked out. Because I realized that you mean more to me than some stupid hockey career. Besides, I can always use my history major and become a teacher or something." Kurt grinned, leaning down to kiss Dave softly, pulling away before it escalated.
"Move in with me, Kurt?" Dave asked. "And then…Marry me? I don't want anyone but you." Kurt looked shocked, and Dave felt like his heart was sitting in his throat. Before Kurt could answer, his phone rang, vibrating in his pocket and surprising him. He considered letting it go to voicemail, but Kurt's expression was still frozen so he answered.
"Mr. Karofsky?" He recognized Mr. Curtin's voice on the line. He wanted to hang up, but he decided to hear what the man had to say.
"Yes?"
"This is Randall Curtin. I'm calling to say that after talking to our publicist, we are willing to accept your condition. And I would like to offer my sincerest apology for my reaction earlier. I hope you will reconsider."
"I can come in tomorrow at 10?"
"I'll see you then." Dave hung up, turning to Kurt who was still in shock.
"Who was that?" Kurt asked, changing the subject.
"Not important," Dave said. "You have some questions to answer."
"I…of course I accept," Kurt said. "On the condition that I get to decorate our apartment. Your sense of decor is terrible. But I'd be happy if you decided to take the offer. I don't need the world to know about us to be happy."
"I care," Dave said, grinning stupidly. He stood up, pulling Kurt with him. He leaned in, kissing Kurt roughly. Kurt returned the kiss just as passionately, lifting his hands to clench in Dave's short hair. They broke apart momentarily to catch their breath before fusing again. It was no less fierce, but there was a sweetness that had been missing in the first. Dave considered telling Kurt the news, but decided it could wait. Because honestly, some things just weren't so important when the love of his life had just agreed to marry him.
Original Prompt: Set in the future, where both of them end up attending the same university and are finally happily together. Dave gets an offer to play hockey professionally. He asks the people offering if he can be out and open about his sexuality. They tell him that maybe of course in time, if things work out, but not right away, he should of course understand that the sports world is very blah blah blah.
Having finally found the courage to come out and be himself, he turns them down. When Kurt hears about it, he's mad. He's all like "How could you turn this opportunity down, being a pro hockey player was your dream!" To which Dave replies something along the lines "Sure, I love playing hockey, but that was never my dream. Being married to you, and having a family with you, was what I always wanted."