Title: Things Not Told

Author: JeeSun

Pairing: Kurt/Mike

Rating: PG

Word count: 2469

Summary: When Kurt sees Mike in Central Park for the first time in eight years, he literally bumps into him. Sort of AU since it takes place eight years in the future.

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: This is the first fic I've written in years, and also the first I've ever written for Glee, and I've hardly ever written slash either so there's a lot of firsts in this fic. Cross-posted so my apologies if you've already come across this.

When Kurt sees Mike in Central Park for the first time in eight years, he literally bumps into him. He's too busy going over a scene for an audition the next day in his head to notice that he's about to walk into two men, deep in conversation, until it's too late and he stumbles up on one of them from behind.

He mumbles an apology, barely looking at them, and is about to continue his walk when he feels someone grab his arm. "Kurt?"

Kurt looks surprised at the man who uttered his name. The overall appearance of the man is more confident than he remembers, but he would recognize those pair of sparkling dark eyes and genuinely friendly anywhere. "Mike!"

He's about to ask what he's doing here, in New York, but is interrupted by Mike throwing his arms around him pulling him close that turns into a long hug. When they pull away from each other, Kurt can't help but blush a little and it seems as if Mike's a bit embarrassed as well over the action. Sure, at one time they were members of the same club in high school but they were never close friends and never really got to know each other outside of glee.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asks to break the tension.

"In the park?" Mike says cleverly and smiles smugly and Kurt rolls his eyes. "Actually I've lived in New York the past couple of years."

"And you never bothered to get in touch?" Kurt sounds offended but again, both of them are well aware of that what they once had in common was dissolved years ago when almost half of the original members of New Directions went off to college.

The man next to Mike suddenly clears his throat and Mike quickly turns to him with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry. Andy, this is Kurt Hummel, an old friend from high school."

Andy takes the outstretched hand that Kurt offers but doesn't return his smile. Instead he glares not so discreetly at Mike who looks uncomfortable and Kurt suddenly realizes that he's interrupting something.

"Um, I should go," he says and smiles at Mike, ignoring Andy's glare. "But it was really nice seeing you."

"Yeah, you too, Kurt," Mike says quietly and looks down and Kurt is all of the sudden reminded of the shy boy in high school who didn't say more than what was necessary but who never looked more alive and confident than when he was dancing.

Kurt turns to Andy. "It was nice meeting you too, Andy."

Andy just nods at him.

"Hey, we should go out for dinner sometime," Mike says just as Kurt's about to walk off. "Catch up."

He smiles warmly at Mike and nods, although he's pretty sure that won't ever happen, before walking away.

Later that same night it turns out that Kurt's assumption had been wrong since he gets a text from Mike asking him to have dinner with him the next day.

Kurt's anxiously waiting at a table for two by the window and looks at the time for what must be fifth time in a minute. It's fifteen minutes past eight and he thinks that Mike's probably changed his mind and stood him up. Just as he's about to get up and leave, not wanting to suffer through the humiliation any longer, he sees Mike walking towards him in a quick pace.

Kurt frowns at him and crosses his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry," Mike says sincerely. "I'll never get used to the fact that it takes you forever to get to one place from another here." He smiles slightly. "It isn't exactly Lima."

At this Kurt smiles and unfolds his arms and leans against the table again, making a gesture for Mike to sit down.

There's an awkward silence as both of them are discreetly eyeing each other trying to come up with something to say. Thankfully it doesn't take long for a waitress to come over to their table and pick up their order which buys them more time.

When she's left, Mike clears his throat quietly. "I'm glad we could do this. Have dinner, I mean."

"I must admit I was pretty surprised when I got your text last night." Kurt looks at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Mike shrugs and looks slightly confused. "Why? I mentioned having dinner sometime yesterday, didn't I?"

Now Kurt is embarrassed at his own cynicism because to him it was obvious that that's something you say but never do. "Well, you did but…," he trails off and decides to keep quiet.

"So, what have you been up to since I last saw you?" Mike asks and grins at him considering that's eight years to fill him in on. "I heard through the grapevine that you went off to Juilliard after McKinley."

Kurt looks surprised at him wondering how Mike could have known that and he quickly goes through the people who could have told him that in his head.

"Your dad told me," Mike offers with a small smile when he sees the frowns on Kurt's forehead.

Kurt looks incredulous. "My dad?"

"When I came home for Christmas-break my second year in college my dad had me take his car to your dad's to fix the breaks."

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "So, you snooped around about me?" He says teasingly.

Mike grins at him and holds up his hands in defense. "Hey, I was just making conversation."

Kurt is surprised at how confident Mike seems to be and figures that it must have come with age and growing up, and the fact that he's not in Ohio anymore probably has something to do with it as well. Kurt knows he has changed as well since high school but surprisingly enough, in the other direction finding the big city much harder to fit into than he ever could have dreamt of when he was a teenager.

During the evening Kurt finds out that Mike dropped out of college after his second year to go to New York and pursue dancing instead. As it turns out it was the right decision since he's done several backup-dancing on plays on Broadway and has several other projects on the side. Kurt tells him about his own career that hardly exists, apart from a few minor parts in musicals and plays that never gets enough promotion to make them financially successful nor have critics come and watch them.

"I know it sounds like a cliché," Mike says and reassuringly puts his hand on Kurt's arm on the table, "but it will happen for you. I mean, after all you got into Juilliard." He smiles slightly at him before continuing. "You're so talented and unique, Kurt. Remember that time when you dressed in that ridiculous flannel and Mr. Schuester told you the club needed you to be you because there are things you can do that literally no one else can?"

Kurt searches his mind and it takes him a moment but then he remembers. He remembers the hideous flannel, the Mellencamp, and dating Brittany in his desperate cry for attention from his dad. He smiles slightly at the memory but then he looks astonished at Mike.

"I can't believe you remember that."

Mike quickly pulls his hand away from Kurt's arm and looks down at the table. "Yeah well…," he trails off, not seeming to know how to continue.

This make Kurt smile softly and he can't help but being a little glad to see that the shy, awkward boy who'd rather show his thoughts and emotions in dance than talking still is in there somewhere.

Kurt decides to let it go as it seemingly makes Mike embarrassed, although he can't understand why. "So, I hope I didn't interrupt you and Andy in something important yesterday," he says casually, taking another sip of wine.

Mike stiffens and Kurt wonders if he has lost the ability to say anything right that doesn't make the other man look like he wants to get the hell out of there.

"Obviously I was," Kurt murmurs, downing the rest of his wine in one gulp.

"No, or well…," Mike sighs and looks up at Kurt. "Andy wants us to move in together but I'm not sure if I'm ready to take that step yet." Kurt looks confused at him and Mike smiles confirmatively. "Yes, Andy's my boyfriend."

Mike looks at Kurt, waiting for him to say something but he just looks at him with a stunned expression on his face.

"?" Kurt says slowly after a moment. "Andy's your boyfriend?"

Mike smirks. "Is that so hard to believe? He's not that much hotter than me is he?"

And there it is again. The confidence that Kurt has grown so accustomed to seeing in Mike tonight and that he decided hours ago that he really likes, and he leans back in his chair, smirking as well.

"Actually, I would say the opposite. What are you doing with a sulky, slightly rude, bore like him?" Kurt jokes.

"Hey!" Mike objects but his tone of voice is mild and Kurt can see his eyes twinkling with laughter. "I don't know you well enough for you to insult my boyfriend already."

"Turns out I don't know you that well either," Kurt says and then decides to be bold, although he knows he has no right to pry, but he's been having three, or was it four?, glasses of wine and feels relaxed enough in Mike's company. "How long have you known?"

"I've always known," Mike says casually, and waves at the waitress holding up his empty bottle of beer, ordering a new one.

"I never knew that you were gay," Kurt says softly.

Mike shrugs and offers a small smile, although Kurt thinks, or maybe it's just his imagination, that he sees some sadness hidden in there as well. "You never bothered to ask," he says simply.

At this, Kurt is slightly taken aback. He's not sure of how to interpret the underlying meaning in Mike's voice and now he's sure of the hint of sadness in his smile but also his slightly accusing eyes. All of the sudden he's embarrassed when he remembers Mike and Matt asking him on several occasions if he wanted to hang out with them, obviously trying to be-friend him, but Kurt always said no, choosing to spend time with Mercedes or Tina instead.

"I was kind of self-centered in high school, wasn't I?" It's not so much a question as a statement and he looks apologetically at Mike.

But Mike blows away the tension with a laugh and shrugs. "It's all about Kurt!"

Kurt laughs as well. "No, actually it was all about Rachel!"

This earns him an even bigger laugh from Mike, but then he all of the sudden stops although keeping the twinkle in his eyes and looks at Kurt for a while, making him slightly uncomfortable.

"You know, as self-centered as you were you must have done something right considering I was in love with you throughout high school."

Kurt chokes on the sip of wine he had just taken and coughs as he's patting his chest. "You what?"

Mike nods. "Yeah, probably sometime after that as well." He chuckles. "Man, did I let Matt suffer through endless scheming plans on how to make you stop looking at Finn and see me instead," he admits.

Kurt blushes, both at Mike's openness but also at the memory of his crush on Finn which makes him cringe.

"Finn was the easy way out," Kurt says slowly after a while. Mike doesn't say anything just waits for him to continue. "I always knew that Finn was never gay and would never be gay either but it was easier to be in love with him instead of someone who might actually turn out to be like me. Being gay at McKinley was difficult enough. I can only imagine being a gay couple with Karofsky and Azimio breathing down our necks." Kurt looks shyly at Mike. "Does that even make any sense?"

Mike nods. "It does."

Hours later, when they have to leave because the restaurant is closing, Mike offers to share a cab with Kurt and drop him off on the way. Kurt knows that they're going off into opposite directions but he can't bring himself to say no, wanting to stay in Mike's company just a little longer, secretly wishing the night will never end.

"I never apologized for Andy," Mike says, after a few minutes of silence in the backseat of the yellow car.

Kurt, deep in thought, trying to mentally force every traffic light on the way back to his place turn red, turns to Mike. "Huh?"

"Andy, I'm sorry for his behavior yesterday in the park."

"Don't mention it," Kurt says.

"The thing is that he knows about you."

Kurt looks confused at him. "What do you mean he knows about me?"

"That you were the first boy I ever loved," Mike admits shyly.

"Oh." Kurt wants to say something more but it's all he can get out. Mike's openness scares him but what scares him even more is how warm and happy Mike's confession makes him feel inside.

"We're here," the cab driver announces discreetly from the driver's seat as he slows down next to the curb outside of Kurt's apartment building.

Mike smiles at him. "It was nice seeing you again, Kurt."

"Yeah, you too."

After a moment of hesitation, Kurt scoots over the seat until their bodies are so close he can feel the warmth from Mike's body pressing against his own. Before Mike can say anything Kurt leans in to kiss him on the cheek, lingering just a little too long for it to only be a friendly peck on the cheek. When he pulls away he feels Mike's hand brush over his own but Mike doesn't look at him.

When Kurt gets out of the car a short moment later, Mike still hasn't looked at him, seemingly finding his fidgeting hands in his knee more interesting.

"Bye, Mike," Kurt says quietly before closing the door.

As he watches the cab drive off he wonders at what point during the evening he started to see one of his former peers as so much more than that and if and in that case, when he'll get to see him again.

Still standing on the curb, he can't help but wonder whether he had anything to do with Mike's decision to move to New York. But then he sighs and tells 'high school-Kurt' to stop being so self-absorbed and get his mind out of the gutter, before heading up to his apartment.

~Fin~