Hello, people nice enough to give this story a shot. I just wanted to say that even though I've been lurking around this page for some time this is my first published fanfiction (yes, there are a couple of others hidden at the back of my metaphoric closet) so please bear with me and try to be kind; of course any advice is always well received. I accept constructive criticism (given with the purpose of helping me become a better writer) but please avoid flames or rude comments - respect, people!
Thanks for giving this story a chance, I promise I'll try and make it worth your time and support. I apologize in advance for whatever spelling or grammar mistakes I might make, I try my best but I'm not perfect.
If you've got any comments, questions, suggestions or whatever you can always review or PM me. Read, enjoy and (hopefully) review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters.
Kurt breathed out and exaggerated sigh as he checked the fourth message Lindsey, his personal assistant, had sent him in the last ten minutes. There was some sort of emergency in the office and she was desperately trying to handle it without him there.
Just my luck, he thought. Kurt would usually be there to fix whatever the big emergency was at the time but some intern had broken the coffee machine that was the lifeline of over 80% of the employees at Hummel's and it had yet to be replaced so Kurt's caffeine addiction had to be fulfilled elsewhere.
Normally Lindsey, or some other intern if she was busy, would be the one to leave the comfortable building and make her way between the ever-crowded New York streets to Bruns –a small coffee shop near the office with one of the best coffees in the city– but today had been a hard day.
Carole had called early in the morning to inform him that Jace had been feeling a little ill. It was nothing serious, she quickly assured him once she realized he was about to go into full blown panic, she had checked him over quickly and concluded it was just a side effect of spending so much time outside playing with Uncle Finn who had conveniently stopped by that day. She had kept him resting inside the house and he was as good as new, but she still felt he should know about it. She shot down all of Kurt's ramblings about leaving work immediately and picking up his son knowing Kurt had an important meeting that day and it was really nothing serious.
Kurt finally agreed, but his thoughts kept getting him distracted and tense which had resulted in a spilt coffee cup, an annoyed Lindsey who kept repeating everything she said three times and more than two crying employees (at which Kurt had snapped with very little provocation). If things continued like this, the meeting would undoubtedly end in disaster. Some fresh air and a call to his son would clear his mind and make Kurt feel better.
Jace had only just gotten chickenpox this last weekend and had been staying with his grandparents the entire week since the preschool ordered a mandatory 9 days of seclusion form all of the other infants to avoid the spread to other kids and Kurt couldn't just miss an entire week from work, especially so close to releasing the winter line.
He dialed the all-too-familiar number of his parents' house and before it could ring for a third time he hard Carole's cheery voice, "Hello darling."
"Hi, Carole, how's everything going?" he asked finally seeing the coffee shop in the distance.
"Everything's great, dear. Your dad's watching a game with Jace and I was just about to prepare some snacks," she answered.
"That sounds good, mind if I talk to him for a minute?"
"Sure, honey, I'll see you later," she said and Kurt could hear some movement that indicated she had left the phone on the table and gone fetch his little boy.
"Hi, Daddy," he heard his four-year-old say happily.
"Hello, kiddo, how are you?" Kurt asked in his best tone of voice.
"Good. Uncle Finn came to play with me today. I felt a little woozy after that but Grandma gave me cookies and apple juice!" he said excitedly.
"That's great, kiddo, Grandma tells me you're watching TV with Grandpa?"
"Yep! Baseball. It looks really fun, Daddy," he said and he could almost see his son bouncing and he retold him all about playing with Uncle Finn, having cookies and apple juice, and watching the baseball game with Burt deciding that he would learn to play as soon as possible.
"Well, I'm happy you're having fun, sweetie. I'll pick you up later as usual, be a good boy and give Grandpa a hug for me, yeah? I love you, baby."
"Love you too, Daddy!" he said and promptly hung up leaving Kurt with a face-splitting smile on his face.
Next he decided to finally deal with Lindsey as one more text reached him. He started typing back furiously; barely noticing his surroundings as he pushed the door of the coffee shop open and went to wait in line. When it was his turn he absentmindedly asked for his usual Grande Non-Fat Mocha and handed the boy behind the counter his money telling him to keep the change. He took his coffee cup and was about to leave when he crashed into something…or more like someone really.
This man had been talking on his phone and had let out some expletives when Kurt's scalding coffee had hit him all over his chest. With a quick "let me call you back" to whomever he was talking to, he put his phone away and took one of the many napkins Kurt was frantically thrusting at him while stammering apologies.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, I swear. Oh god, does it hurt much? I'm really, really sorry. I'll be happy to pay for the dry cleaning…or maybe I could buy you a new shirt. I'm really sorry!"
"Hey, HEY! It's okay, it was an accident. It's okay," he said grabbing Kurt's trembling hands in his and looking at Kurt directly into his eyes. Kurt stopped his apologies and stilled his movement and nervous trembling but the embarrassed flush of his cheeks remained. The man found it absolutely adorable. It stood out against his pale skin. Skin that looked smooth and flawless. And his eyes, his eyes were a combination of blues and greens and grays with hints of gold that was just perfect. The man proceeded to really look at Kurt's face now, with styled chestnut hair, high cheekbones, strong jaw and soft-looking pink lips.
The man could see Kurt examining his face just as thoughtfully and wondered if he like what he saw as much as he did. Kurt definitely did. Olive skin, defined jaw, kind hazel eyes and a mop of well-defined curls made Kurt swoon on the spot. The moment was broken when a girl in uniform appeared with a mop, obviously about to clean Kurt's coffee.
"My –uh– my name is Kurt. Hummel," Kurt quickly said straightening up.
"Nice to meet you Kurt, I'm Blaine Anderson," the man –Blaine– said with a dapper voice.
"A pleasure. Please let me buy you a cup of coffee, you know, as a way of saying sorry. And I meant it about the dry-cleaning," Kurt said.
"Well, I'll say yes to the coffee but don't worry about the shirt, it's alright."
Kurt turned back to the same guy behind the counter, "Another Mocha for me and…"
"A medium drip," Blaine filled in. The cashier took Kurt's money and handed him the coffees. Kurt handed Blaine the medium drip and kept the Mocha for himself thanking the kid.
"Well, I should get going. Once again, sorry about the shirt," Kurt told Blaine hurriedly resisting the urge to ask Blaine for his number or invite him on a date. There were many things preventing him from acting on his desires, was Blaine even gay? If he was, would he even be interested in Kurt? Surely someone as good-looking and polite (as well as well-off economically speaking if his designer clothing was anything to go by) wasn't single…And then, of course, was Kurt's most important reason, Jace.
"Wait!" Blaine suddenly yelled. "Please," he added. So Kurt stood there as Blaine one again pulled out his phone. "I don't want to assume anything," he started, "but if you're interested maybe I could repay you the gesture and invite you for a cup of coffee tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Kurt's thoughts went into fast-forward. He shouldn't agree. Blaine didn't seem like the type of guy to go for a one-night stand; his coffee date would most certainly involve talking and getting to know each other and all of that pointed towards a romantic relationship and Kurt knew better than to get involved in a romantic relationship after what had happened with Adam. But…Kurt was a romantic at heart, he'd always been. Since he was very young, he dreamed of this perfect guy who would be the perfect gentleman, wooing him and making him feel loved, the guy he'd marry and spend the rest of their lives together. They would give each other pet names and be that adorably sickening couple all their friends talked about. They would get their own place, have kids and even buy a cat. No, not a dog. Kurt was a cat person so they were having a cat.
Unfortunately things hadn't turned out quite like he had planned when he was young. Kurt was a responsible adult now, he had been for some time now, and knew his desires were always next to Jace's needs and wants.
So he really shouldn't agree.
But it had been so long and while Kurt knew Jace loved him (and Kurt loved his son more than absolutely anything in the world), Kurt needed to be loved by a man. He needed to feel cared for, to go on a date or two, to be wooed because somebody actually liked him for who he was…he could hardly get that from one-night stands he met at a gay bar when he finally cracked and went looking for some company.
He wouldn't let it get far, he promised himself. Only a coffee date or two, perhaps a lunch or dinner but it would be something casual, he was not going to risk his son again. Never again.
"Okay," he found himself saying.
"Great!" Blain exclaimed, oblivious to all of Kurt's troublesome thoughts. "Say tomorrow at, uh, 11? That's my lunch break but if it doesn't suit you I can move it," he assured.
"Eleven sounds good," he said. Smiling as he typed his number in Blaine's phone and dialed so that he would have Blaine's too.
"Okay then," Blaine said cheerily. He looked hesitant for a moment before pulling Kurt for a hug and leaving the shop. Well, Kurt's mood had definitely improved for his meeting.
So? Please leave me your thoughts; I think I'll die out of sheer nervousness!
Until next time, cinnamonvanilla.