It was a crowded party, with a lot of drunk young people, loud music and lousy games. Exactly like Kurt had imagined a party in a college fraternity to be. They couldn't be more cliché if they tried. They were drinking beer out of red solo cups, dancing very close to each other and making out. Mostly making out. All over the place, there were couples attached by the mouths, bodies intertwined and hands everywhere. It made Kurt blush just to look at them (not that he didn't appreciate the activity, he just believed certain things to be better done in private). He sighed and looked pointedly at Rachel beside him, who shrugged. She had been the one who convinced him to come, since her current boyfriend was in said fraternity, saying a bunch of NYU frat boys was exactly what he needed to cheer him up. He had then reminded her that most likely all those frat boys would be straight, but she insisted and he figured he didn't have much to lose anyway. He hadn't had a date in months and his NYADA classes weren't enough to keep his mind off it anymore. He needed sex. More than that, he needed romance. He wanted an actual boyfriend; someone to talk to, to cuddle, to go on dates with. And yes, to have sex with, because that was part of the deal. He took a deep breath, soldiering on. He was here, might as well mingle. He grabbed a cup of beer from a table, wincing a bit at the bitter taste, but gulped it down some more. He left Rachel with Ian and scanned the place, hoping his gaydar would beep. He walked through the crowd, making his way to the yard, eyes roaming athletic bodies (he had to give in, even if he didn't find anyone to make out with, these guys were already a sight for sore eyes).
And that's when he saw him. Dave Karofsky. Wearing a red sleeveless tee (hello, arms!), baggy washed-out jeans, sneakers and a black cap turned backwards, a cup of beer in his left hand, talking excitedly to a couple of other boys and one very attractive blonde girl. Kurt bit his lip, wondering… Should he go talk to him? He hadn't seen the guy in over two years, didn't even know he was in New York, so why go talk to him now? Besides, he was clearly among friends, friends that maybe didn't even know he was gay or about everything that had happened in his past. Why should Kurt remind him of everything? On the other hand… He looked happy, and Kurt wanted to know if he really felt happy, what had happened to him, what he was doing now. He couldn't help but feel guilty about David. He had promised to be his friend, not once but twice, and failed to do so, selfishly caught up in his own projects. Fate was giving him another chance to be Karofsky's friend, so why not take it? They had met in school, but never been friends, actually becoming nemesis for a while. Then Dave had kissed him and changed everything. Then Kurt left McKinley, and they could have never seen each other again, but they did – David apologized, Kurt came back and everything was better. Later, it was David who left McKinley – and again, they were supposed to never meet again, but they did, and in a gay bar of all places! It could have been a chance encounter, but David had pursued him on Valentine's Day, and then everything else had happened. And once more he could have never seen him again, except here he was, in a frat party Kurt had only decided to attend at the last minute and because Rachel had nagged him. It was like he was meant to keep in touch with Karofsky, whether he wanted to or not. He wasn't much to believe in destiny, but it was clear the universe was trying to send him a message.
So he put a smile on his face and approached the small group. His friend stopped talking and looked at Kurt.
"Hi. Can we help you?" He asked, friendly.
Kurt looked at Dave, who locked eyes with him, and he could see how surprised the other boy was, eyes wide and mouth open. He smiled wider.
"Hi, Dave."
Dave smiled back. "Hi. I… Er… Well, these are my friends, Kara, Peter and George." They all nodded and smiled at Kurt. "This is Kurt. We, hum… We studied together in high school."
"Oh, were you high school sweethearts?" Kara asked, and Dave chocked, a fit of cough coming over him. Kurt laughed. Well, that answered the question as to whether or not he was out now. "No, not really", he answered.
"Oh." She winced apologetically. "Sorry, I just…"
Kurt shook his head. "It's fine."
Dave was shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, we weren't… I mean, he wasn't mine… no, of course not!"
Kurt raised his eyebrows at his vehement negative, but chose not to make any comments.
"Anyway, we haven't seen each other in years, so I was thinking we could catch up?" He finishes the question looking at Dave, who blushes under the gaze of his friends and nods.
"Sure. This way." They excused themselves and Dave leads Kurt back into the house. He followed him closely, afraid he'd lose him in the crowd. They went up a flight of stairs, walking along a long hallway and passing several doors, most of them closed. They reached the end of the hallway and Dave opened a door to the side. It was a small storage room, filled with tools and gadgets and smelling like oil. Kurt frowned, but Dave took his hand and pulled him into the room silently. On the back there was a sliding door, which Dave opened to reveal a narrow staircase. They climbed the stairs and crossed yet another door, finally arriving in an ample attic. It was dark and chilly inside, and he wrapped his arms around himself.
"Wow. That was… a long journey."
Dave chuckled. "Sorry. Not a lot of room for privacy in this house. But no one ever comes here. There's no bed." He blushed at his own joke and Kurt laughed, looking around. In fact, there didn't seem to be much there except for boxes on the ground and shelves with… more boxes. There was some old furniture as well, but mostly it was a mess. Dave walked to a window, opening it wide. He climbed it into the roof and motioned for Kurt to follow him. It was only slightly inclined, nowhere enough to make Kurt fall, and the tiles all seemed in place. Still he walked slowly on it. Dave laughed, sitting down, and Kurt followed his lead. They sat side-by-side, Dave with his legs stretched and leaning back, supporting himself on his hands, Kurt hugging his knees. He took a sip of his forgotten beer and made a face. It had gotten warm and it tasted even worse. He placed it carefully on the windowsill behind him, moving so he was closer to David. They looked up, the loud music of the party filling the silence. From there Kurt could see many stars, many more than he could see from his apartment – though he was sure the New York fumes prevented him from seeing most of them. Still, it was pretty.
"So… How have you been?"
It was a general question and he smiled. "Good. Studying a lot, which means a lot of singing and dancing and acting, which of course I love, but it's still stressful and tiring. You?"
"I'm good. I study here. And live here. I mean, this is my fraternity. As you could see." He rambled and Kurt couldn't help but find it adorable. Dave still carried a shy boyish air around him, but it was easy to see he'd grown. His hair was longer than before, curls escaping from the cap; his face was not so round anymore, and his cheeks were not so chubby either. He was also sporting a bit of stubble that made him look older and definitely sexier. It made Kurt wonder how he'd never noticed Dave like this before. Maybe it was because of everything that happened between them, maybe it was because he had a boyfriend at the time, but seeing Dave then, after such a long time, had certainly had an impact on him. A positive one.
"I'm out." Dave blurts out suddenly, looking intently to his feet. "I mean… I don't wear rainbow T-shirts or anything, but… I don't hide it either. It's… a beginning, right?"
"It's a lot more than a beginning, David. I'm proud of you." He touches the larger boys shoulder and Dave looks at him, a shy smile on his lips. They stare into each other's eyes for what seems like infinity, until Dave looks away, up to the stars. Kurt raises his glance as well. The stars. He remembers the thoughts he had about Dave earlier. He wonders if this is destiny. If maybe his assumptions were wrong and there is such thing as fate. His gaze falls on Dave's face again.
"David?" He calls softly. He looks down, right into Kurt's eyes again, and this time Kurt acts quickly, joining their lips before he has any chance to second guess himself. Dave's lips are surprisingly soft and warm against his, a slight taste of beer in them. He backs away after a few seconds, opening his eyes. Dave's eyes are still closed, his lips somewhat parted. He opens his hazel eyes and smiles, and Kurt smiles back. They stay like that, grinning at each other, for a few moments, until Kurt can't take it anymore and kisses him again, this time deeply. His arms go around Dave's shoulder and he presses into the larger boy, heat enveloping as their tongues dance around each other. For once, he won't be so skeptical. For once, he'll believe this was written in the stars.