"You're starting a new band?" "I sort of have to because Adam kicked me out of the Adam's Apples when he found out that I was engaged."
Although Kurt hadn't lied to Blaine when he'd told him that there was no story with Adam, sometimes he wonders if Adam had really realized that. There was that one really chaste kiss that they'd shared but Kurt had been aiming for Adam's cheek and Adam had simply turned his head and accidentally caught Kurt's lips. Kurt had been too shocked to pull away right away but Adam couldn't have really thought that that counted as a kiss right? Whenever Adam had stayed over, he'd stayed in a sleeping bag in the living room. Not even next to Kurt's bed like Blaine had done on Christmas, never mind that Kurt had pulled Blaine into his bed claiming it was cold before it was even three in the morning.
Kurt doesn't really get much of a chance to talk to Adam after he gets engaged even though he knows that he should probably set the record straight for everybody involved. Adam has to realize that there's nothing going on but it wouldn't hurt to make sure. But with going home for the funeral and then the memorial plus another weekend just because he misses Blaine he doesn't really see Adam at all. He'd texted Adam, telling him the situation and asking out of Apples practice and Adam had sent back that was fine.
When they finally get the chance to meet, Kurt's been engaged long enough that when he takes the ring off (only to shower and sometimes not even then) he feels absolutely empty without it on. It's a constant weight on his ring now, an evidence of the love that he and Blaine share. It's a physical reminder that Blaine loves him, that Blaine will be coming to New York soon and they're going to share a life together.
That's what Kurt is thinking about, twirling the ring with his thumb and enjoying the way that it feels when Adam comes into the coffee shop. He gives Kurt a quick wave, gesturing that he's going towards the counter to get a coffee and Kurt nods before taking a deep breath. There's no way that Adam is going to even be surprised. After all, rumors have already run rampant around NYADA and Adam has a facebook (where Kurt is proudly listed as engaged to Blaine Anderson) even if he never checks it. He has to have heard, even if that thought makes him feel guilty for not telling him himself because they are friends.
Adam slides into the seat across from him a few minutes later, pouring buckets of sugar into his coffee in a way that makes Kurt want to gag. Way too much sugar. But that could just be Kurt missing his fiancé (god he loves thinking that). He'd yelled at Santana the other day because she didn't flip the omelet that she was making exactly like Blaine normally did and he liked it better that way. Of course, Santana had laughed so hard she'd nearly fallen on the ground but Kurt feels like he deserves to yell when his fiancé is so far away from him.
"Long time no see. I'm really sorry about Finn," Adam says by way of greeting and Kurt smiles tightly. Just the mention is enough to make him sick to his stomach in a way that he knows will someday fade to only a dull ache. After all, he's experienced it before with his mother. "How are you doing?"
Kurt shrugs, not really wanting to get into it and he plays with the lid of his cup with his thumb. He's talked about it, mostly with Blaine since Rachel still isn't ready to really discuss it and his father but that's enough for him. "I'm fine. Not really ready to talk about it though."
Accepting that, Adam nods, sitting back in his seat and taking a sip of his coffee. He's wearing a smile, that bright smile that had originally attracted Kurt to him. It reminds Kurt of Blaine although he hadn't realized it at the time. There's such a joy for life in the smile even though it doesn't make him feel butterflies like Blaine's smile does. "We've missed you a lot at Apple's practice. We'll be glad to have you back. I was glad that you texted me."
"Well we're friends, right? I've missed hanging out with you. We need to finish our movie marathon," Kurt says with a smile that's not quite matching. Adam's smile seems to fade slightly at that and Kurt looks down at his coffee. He can distinctly remember when he'd known that he'd never go anywhere with Adam and he wonders how he ever thought that he'd get over Blaine. The thought makes him play with his ring again, the gesture almost subconscious at this point and it draws Adam's attention.
Adam draws in such a sharp breath that Kurt looks up at him, eyes wide with surprised. "What in the world is that?"
Looking down at the ring, Kurt feels his heart sink. Oh. Adam really didn't know about him being engaged. But how? Of course, Adam rarely checks social media and doesn't spend much time at NYADA gossiping. Okay, now Kurt kind of feels silly. It's not that he thought he was important enough to be gossiped about except he had hoped. It would mean not having to tell Adam. "It's… an engagement ring. Blaine's engagement ring. Well, mine but Blaine gave it to me. Blaine proposed to me. I'm engaged," Kurt says, his voice strong even as he realizes that he's babbling about it. He's not ashamed of being engaged to Blaine. God, he's happy but that doesn't mean that he's not kind of nervous about people's reactions, Adam included.
Adam stares blankly at him for a moment, as if he's trying to figure out what he had said. His voice is harsh when he finally speaks and it makes Kurt wince. "You mean the guy who cheated on you? Who you desperately wanted to be over?"
"Yeah, that Blaine," Kurt says, trying to sound joking even as he feels the anger rise up. Nobody's allowed to talk about his fiancé and Adam better not start with it. "Turns out I didn't really want to be over him. And we're over the cheating. But that's between us."
"Between you two? Oh okay. Yeah, it really sounded like it when you were cuddled up to me telling me those secrets. And taking my hand so that we could go out and watch a romantic movie."
Kurt rolls his eyes, unable to help himself and he forces himself to take a sip of his coffee, watching as Adam's face darkens and he realizes that he's holding the cup with his left hand so Adam must have a good view of his ring. He resists the urge to wave the ring in Adam's face because he's not that immature. "You took my hand, first of all. And it didn't go very well did it? I thought you were my friend which is why I shared that information. Not so that you could be a jerk about it."
Scoffing, Adam shakes his head, taking a drink and Kurt can hear the coffee slosh in the cup with how rough his movements are. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not being a jerk. I'm being realistic. He's just going to hurt you again. You're here and he's there and he's probably sleeping with somebody else as we speak. Why would you be with him again?
"You do not know him. And he's not going to hurt me again. Don't you dare say that. We are engaged and he's going to move to New York and we're going to get married," Kurt snaps, knowing that he sounds slightly juvenile with his insistence but it's the truth. He's been planning his marriage to Blaine since he was still at Dalton, although his plans are marginally more realistic now, and so of course it's going to happen. Soulmates and all that, which still makes butterflies erupt in his stomach when he thinks of Blaine's proposal speech. "Look, Adam, I'm sorry if you thought that we had something between us but we didn't."
Adam sets his jaw, his fingers tightening on his cup. "That's not what this is about, Kurt. It's not about me. It's about you."
If Kurt was still on okay terms with Adam then he'd say something about how that was supposed to go the opposite way around but as it is, he just rolls his eyes. It escalated a lot faster than Kurt had expected and he'd wanted to remain friends with Adam. He could've taken Adam's disapproval, saying that they're too young or anything like that but he won't have Adam talking about Blaine's cheating when he doesn't even know him. "Look, I won't have anybody talking about my fiancé that way. Why don't we just have a few days to cool it and we can talk again after Apple's practice."
Kurt has his coffee cup in his hand, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair and is halfway through pulling it on when Adam stands up, his chair scraping with a sound that makes half the shop turn towards them. "Don't bother coming to practice. You're out. Have fun getting hurt again. I'm not going to be here to comfort you this time."
Adam stalks off, throwing his coffee cup into the garbage as he goes. He shoots Kurt another look, shaking his head before leaving the shop and Kurt just watches him go. Really? He wants to be disappointed but really? There to comfort him this time? It's ridiculous. He pulls out his phone, dialing Blaine's number as he heads out of the shop, still sipping his coffee.
"If it isn't the future Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Blaine says into the phone and Kurt likes his greeting a lot better than Adam's.
In the background, Kurt can hear the shower running and he chuckles, shaking his head. "I told you, I like Anderson-Hummel better. Are you in the shower?"
"Just about to hop in. I'm naked and would probably try to have phone sex with you if I wasn't going to be late for school. Tonight though, right? Skype?"
Kurt smiles in a way that only Blaine can draws out of him and tries to tell himself that people walking past him can't know what they're talking about. "Yes. But I'm walking down the street so we're not talking about it."
"Oh. Well I still have that toy you wanted me to-"
"Blaine, shut up," Kurt interrupts, even as he laughs and tries to avoid picturing that in the middle of the New York street because he has to head to school and he does not want to be hard when he gets there.
Instead, he lets out a sigh that lets Blaine know that it's fairly serious and he hears the water turn off. "I can shower after school. What's wrong?"
Kurt knows that that was probably a bit manipulative but he can't mind too much because he's done the same for Blaine. They're determined to do this long distance relationship thing right this time and so things like meals, being late, sleeping and showers have been determined as non-important most of the time. "Adam kicked me out of the Apples when I told him that I was engaged. Apparently he thought that there was a story between us."
"I see," Blaine says slowly and Kurt knows that he's trying to figure out how Kurt feels about it. "No regrets?"
"Of course not," Kurt responds and it's something that he's had to assure Blaine about a few times. He's only too happy to, though, tell Blaine all about how glad that he is that he said yes. He can't imagine ever regretting saying that he'll marry Blaine. "I meant it that there was no story on my side but apparently there was on his side. He said some stupid things."
Blaine makes a humming sound in acknowledgment and Kurt can hear some shifting, probably Blaine starting to get dressed for school. "Well whatever he said isn't true."
The words make Kurt smile in such a silly way. Blaine has no idea what Adam had said and really has no idea that they're not true but he says it with such conviction that Kurt believes that Blaine honestly believes it. "No, it wasn't. And I don't need him. Maybe I'll just start my own band."
"A Madonna cover band?" Blaine asks teasingly.
Kurt remembers his bucket list, so many silly things on the list and so many things that Blaine had tried his hardest to fulfill for him. Everything that was manageable for the two of them had been crossed off and god, Kurt just loves Blaine so much he can hardly stand it sometimes. "Yeah. You know what? Yeah. I've got to go. I'm gonna think about that."
"You're sure you're okay?" Blaine sounds concerned but Kurt just says that he is, already sounding preoccupied. Blaine sounds amused when he continues. "Alright, well let me know how that goes. And don't forget. Skype tonight. Toy. I love you. I'll talk to you later?"
"Toy. I won't forget. I promise. I've been looking forward to seeing that in you for ages," Kurt says, his voice low and he glances around, hoping that nobody is looking at him. Nobody is and so he doesn't even flush which makes him proud of himself. "Alright, I love you."
Never any goodbyes and Kurt ends the call. Yep. He's starting his own band.