Getting to Know You

"Getting to Know You" from the musical, The King and I played on repeat on Kurt's iPod. The countertenor sang along as he arranged shirts, pants, and vests in various combinations on his bed.

Getting to know you,

Getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you,

Getting to hope you like me.

He was meeting Nigel at 1PM. No specific plans, just hanging out, very casual. Two guys killing time on a Sunday afternoon, no big deal. Except that this was a big deal. The McKinley student and the men's wear sales rep were going to try to connect more than their bodies.

"Kurt, I'm making a sandwich. You want something?" Burt called from the top of the staircase that led down to Kurt's basement room.

"No. Thanks Dad. I'm going out."

"Are you going to be home for dinner?"

"Don't know yet. I'll text you later."

Kurt examined the clothes laid out on his bed. No. They were wrong, all of them. He swept them up and walked over to his closet to put them away and start over. This was ridiculous! The man had seen him naked, for Dior's sake, what did it matter what he wore?

Of course, Kurt being Kurt, it always mattered. He scanned the neatly hung and folded contents of his closet. A colour leapt out at him, a gorgeous heather colour. He pulled the sweater from the shelf and shook it out. Oh, right, Nigel had given him this sweater back when this all started, on their first night. Kurt had never worn it.

Mercedes' ring tone sang out on his iPhone.

"Kurt, I have to get out of here. If I think about this history paper for one more minute, I'm going to strangle myself! Do you want to see a movie?"

"Sorry, Cedes. I can't." Kurt held the sweater against him, and checked out his reflection in the mirror.

"Seeing Blaine?"

"No. It's open house at Dalton this weekend. The Warblers have to impress the parents."

"So, what are you up to?"

Her question wasn't unreasonable. They were best friends. They told each other everything. Well, almost everything. Kurt had been seeing Nigel for weeks now, but he hadn't told Mercedes. He hadn't told anyone. It had been easy to keep it quiet because he and Nigel had only seen each other at the store, just the two of them, after hours. But if he was going to start dating Nigel, if the sales rep was actually going to become part of his life, then he couldn't keep him a secret any longer. Decision made, Kurt grinned. Mercedes was so going to freak out!

"I've got a date."

"What? Are you kidding me? Who? Do I know him?" Mercedes practically shouted into the phone.

"No. He doesn't go to McKinley. You don't know him, but you've seen him."

Mercedes stared at her phone. "Boy, you better start making sense, or I'm going to come over there and beat it out of you!"

The countertenor got comfortable on his bed, stuffing pillows behind his back. This could take a while. "O.K. Remember, about two months ago, we were shopping. I tried on like twenty shirts but I couldn't find anything I liked? You got fed up and went to Sephora and found that eye shadow you love?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, the sales rep and I started talking…"

"Kurt Hummel! You did not!"

The countertenor giggled into the phone. "Yes, I did." Well, they had done a lot more than talk, but he wasn't going to tell Mercedes that.

"No way!"

"His name is Nigel, and we're going out this afternoon."

"Damn, white boy, I'm impressed. Wait. Why am I only hearing about this now?"

"Because, Mercedes, there hasn't been anything to tell you until now. This is our first date." His BFF didn't need to know that he'd spent every Wednesday night for the last two months in Nigel's store, in Nigel.

"What's he like?"

"Brown hair, glasses, thin, about my height."

"How old is he?"

"I don't know, I never asked, maybe 20?"

"Kurt, you're going out with some guy you barely know?"

Kurt heard the worry in her voice. "You've got to stop watching those crime shows! He's not going to cut me into pieces and bury me in his back yard. I'm meeting him at a Starbucks, very public. Don't worry so much. Look, isn't that what dating is about, getting to know someone?"

"Yes, but…"

Kurt glanced at his watch and jumped off the bed. "Got to go, Mercedes. I'm meeting Nigel at 1 PM, and I'm still not dressed."

"Have fun. Be careful. Call me, as soon as you get home."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I will. Stop worrying."

45 minutes later, Kurt was ready. Heather sweater, dark skinny jeans, purple Dr. Marten's ankle boots, unlaced. Perfect, doesn't look like he's trying too hard. Wonder if Nigel will remember the sweater?

Driving to meet Nigel, his fingers taping out a beat on the steering wheel, Kurt sang…

Getting to know you

Getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you,

Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,

Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you,

Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed?

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you

Day by day.

The Hammerstein lyrics were optimistic, Kurt was not. He was very aware that this could go really badly. Talking could be a big mistake. If Nigel turned out to be stupid, or selfish, or mean to children and animals, if he was rude to waiters or voted Republican, if he turned out to be someone that Kurt just couldn't like…then, that was the end of his sex life for the foreseeable future.

Nigel's body had been an unexpected gift, and Kurt didn't want to give that up. The frustration, hurt, and anger that Blaine's disinterest had fueled, combined with rampant teen hormones, had allowed Kurt to screw a virtual stranger. But, the countertenor just wasn't cold enough to fuck someone he didn't like. This could be very, very bad.

Kurt walked into the lunch time crowd at Starbucks, and looked for Nigel. His personal sales rep stood up from a table in the corner, and waved. The McKinley voice smiled and began to weave his way through people and tables. Nigel wore a black leather jacket, black T, and blue jeans. Kurt had only seen Nigel at the store, dressed for work. He had never seen him without a tie. Casual dress Nigel was hotter than business dress Nigel. Kurt approved.

Nigel squeezed Kurt's hand quickly, and lightly touched his shoulder. He didn't know how Kurt felt about PDAs. "You made it!"

Kurt decided to sit before he grabbed Nigel and kissed him senseless. "Yeah."

The young sales rep couldn't stop smiling. "I would have ordered for you, but I didn't know what you wanted?"

"A non-fat mocha would be great, thanks."

"Be right back."

Kurt smiled as Nigel ordered their coffees. It had been about a minute and a half, and he liked him so far. Things were looking up!

The sales rep handed the McKinley diva his coffee, and sat opposite him. "I like your sweater." Grin.

Kurt looked down at his sweater. "Thanks. It was a gift." Point for Nigel, he remembered. "I've never seen you without a tie. This is a good look for you."

"Since I happen to know that you have excellent taste, I'll take that as a compliment." The words were innocuous, but there was an almost tactile undercurrent of heat.

Kurt sipped his coffee. "I realized on the drive over, that I don't know your last name, or how old you are, or where you live."

Nigel spun his cup between his hands. "My last name is Dennison. I'm 21. I live near Lima Mall, on Kimberley Dr. with my older sister and her two children." The young man shrugged. "Her marriage fell apart last year, and she needed some help with the kids. I'm an economics student at Ohio State University at Lima. Your turn."

"You know my last name and my age. I live 10 minutes away on West Elm, with my father. I'm a junior at McKinley High."

Nigel looked the teenager over. "They must love you at McKinley."

Kurt grimaced. "Yeah, I'm real popular!"

"McKinley's my old alma mater. Still doing Slushy Facials?"

"I keep a change of clothes in my locker."

"You're braver than I ever was."

The teen shrugged. "I'm just me." He didn't have to wear his customary cloak of arrogance with this man.

Nigel leaned across the table, and took Kurt's hand. "Just you, is pretty amazing!"

Coffee finished, the guys decided against a movie. They walked down Main St., towards Kibby Corners Park, shoulders grazing, not at all by accident. Entering the park, they linked hands, and wandered over to the play area. They sat on the old-fashioned wooden swings, watching kids on the jungle gym.

"I bring my niece and nephew here sometimes when my sister's working."

"I've always wanted more family, but it's just me and my dad. What's it like being an uncle?"

"It's good. They're 5 and 7 now, real people with opinions." Nigel shook his head and laughed. "My niece is very vocal, very determined or, as my sister says, spoiled." Nigel looked over at Kurt, the sun glinting off his glasses. "It's been awhile but, I bet I can swing higher than you."

"Please!" Kurt pushed against the ground, sending his swing flying. For the next few minutes, both young men became kids again, laughing, free.

Holding hands, strolling along the park's gravel pathways, they talked. Harry Potter, the books versus the movies. Dr. Who versus Star Trek. Nigel agreed to give Project Runway a try if Kurt watched Torchwood. They talked about school, family, and friends. On the minus side of the ledger Kurt was keeping in his head, Nigel didn't know anything about musicals. On the plus side, he hated sports of any kind.

Taking advantage of the fact that their path had opened onto a deserted area, Kurt pushed Nigel up against a tree. Stepping between the economics student's legs, the McKinley junior leaned in and locked their mouths together. Nigel sighed into the kiss, and wrapped his arms around Kurt. It felt both familiar and new, the same electricity but less urgency.

Kurt gentled their kiss, ending it by slow degrees. He traced Nigel's lower lip. "Want to have dinner at my place?"

Nigel ran his fingers along the side of Kurt's neck. "Oh, Yes. Yes, I do."