When Sunday finally came, Dave grabbed Ninka and they went over to Kurt's apartment. Because of the distance and the cab ride, Dave took her in a carrier but once they got out of the taxi, Dave put her on her harness and leash just so he could show Kurt.

When Kurt opened the door and saw them, he immediately dropped to his knees, squealing at the sight of the fat orange tabby cat. He immediately started fawning over her and Dave couldn't do anything but just stand there and laugh at the scene.

"She is purring! Oh my god David... She is so cute!"

Kurt was completely fascinated with her, petting her and scratching her head. Ninka seemed to be loving the attention and Dave just stared, amused, as Kurt swooned over her. After a couple of minutes of just petting her Kurt finally looked up at Dave.

"Oh I'm sorry David... come on in!" He laughed, picking Ninka up from the floor as they walked into the apartment.

"Thanks…" Dave walked into the apartment and took a look around. He noticed Kurt's cat was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Cappuccino?"

"Hiding, probably." Kurt said, still holding Ninka in his arms and scratching her head. She was purring and Dave was happy because he had put up a good word for her, but she was still a cat and sometimes had mood swings. She'd love him one minute and the next one she'd want nothing to do with him.

Kurt's apartment was small but nicely decorated with modern furniture and bright colors. It smelled like Kurt was cooking something, which surprised Dave since they'd said they were going to order something.

"You're cooking?"

"Yeah, I just thought it would be better. I'm making baked spaghetti…. I hope you like chicken and mushrooms?"

Dave nodded as he followed Kurt into the kitchen and stood near the counter while Kurt stirred the pasta. He looked around and saw that Kurt had put out fresh vegetables, probably for a salad. So he got an idea.

"Well, if you're cooking the pasta, I'll make the salad."

Kurt turned around and smiled, impressed. "You like to cook?"

"I love to cook..." Dave replied with a smug grin, "And salads are my specialty."

Dave wasn't kidding, he loved to cook, and he had truly mastered the art of salads. Making his own dressings from scratch was something he enjoyed. Dave learned quite a lot about that during the time he dated Alec, because he was vegan and very adamant about buying everything organic, always preferring to make his own stuff instead of buying packaged food.

Dave raided Kurt's pantry in search for the right ingredients to make his favorite citrus vinaigrette, but there were a few things missing. Dave needed agave nectar and grapefruit, and Kurt didn't have any, so after everything was ready and Kurt put the pasta in the oven, they took Ninka and walked to the store down the street so they could buy some.

Kurt couldn't get over the fact that he could just walk a cat down the street with a harness and leash, and kept teasing Dave about not letting him take Ninka back home, saying that he wanted to keep her. Dave just laughed because he knew Ninka could get anyone to fall in love with her, but she was his baby and he would never give her away.

They got back to the apartment and Dave was able to finish preparing the salad. Kurt stood by his side as Dave put together the dressing, and when it was finally done and Kurt tried it, the look on his face was priceless. Kurt loved it, and Dave felt great about being able to surprise him like that. Just being there with Kurt in the kitchen, talking and smiling while trying each other's cooking felt so domestic and intimate that Dave felt like he was in a weird sort of fantasy dream. There was definitely something special about the moment, and the feelings he was trying not to have were bubbling up to the surface. Dave wondered if Kurt could feel it too… but he had no idea what was going through his mind.

Kurt was learning that Dave was just full of surprises. Kurt always prided himself on keeping his kitchen properly stocked on food and spices, so when Dave said he didn't have everything he needed to make his mysterious salad dressing, Kurt was shocked.

After Dave finished putting together the salad and dressing, Kurt tried it and was so amazed at how great it tasted that he even asked Dave to write down the recipe for him.

Soon enough the food was ready and they were able to sit down and eat. They talked and laughed and Ninka just walked around the apartment, sniffing around and being her normal curious self. Cappuccino was nowhere in sight, and so when they finished eating and Dave asked about him again, Kurt knew he had to go get him.

"He is probably hiding under the bed." Kurt admitted, disappointed. "I'm gonna go get him."

"No, wait!" Dave stopped him. "Let him come out on his own, otherwise you'll make him more nervous."

Kurt figured Dave was probably right, so he just made sure the bedroom door was open as he and Dave relaxed in the living room for a while. Kurt set up the TV and they so they could watch The Avengers 3. After a couple of minutes of watching the movie in companionable silence, Kurt became hyper aware of how close to each other they were sitting. Their arms weren't quite touching, but Kurt could feel Dave's body heat just from the proximity and he was having a hard time concentrating on the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Kurt felt Dave's hand over his shoulder. The unexpected touch made shivers run down his spine, but once he turned to see him Kurt realized Dave was just trying to get him to see the cats. Kurt felt relieved that the room was dark and Dave would probably not be able to notice how much he was blushing.

Dave was pointing to the side to where Cappuccino was sitting with Ninka in the hallway. Kurt was shocked, and Dave was just looking at them with a pleased smile on his face.

"How did that even happen?" Kurt asked Dave, feeling completely puzzled but happy at the same time. And Dave just shrugged. Ninka must have gone looking for him while they were watching the movie and now Cappuccino was out and even though Kurt could tell he was a little guarded, at least he was out of the bedroom, which was odd. Whenever Kurt had visits, Cappuccino always hid under the bed and didn't come out until the people were gone.

They continued watching the movie and Cappuccino slowly walked into the living room, cautiously looking at Dave and sniffing him. Kurt was no longer paying attention to the movie; instead his eyes were fixed on his chubby black cat and Dave, curious about their interaction.

Dave remained still, allowing the cat to just analyze him without making a move. By looking at his face Kurt could tell Dave was trying really hard to hold in his laughter. Cappuccino sniffed him for a while and then walked away without a fuss. He could probably smell the scent of Ninka all over Dave's clothes. By the time the movie ended, Cappuccino seemed more relaxed and was sitting on the couch across from them, while Ninka was sitting on Dave's lap.

They were silent for a few minutes as the credits rolled on the screen. Dave was petting Ninka and Kurt just staring at them, deep in thought. The dim light of the TV gave the room a really cozy atmosphere, and just being there with Dave made Kurt realize how long it had been since he had been able to just enjoy someone's company like this. Dave was his friend now, but he was such a different kind of friend, and Kurt just didn't know how to feel about him. They got along really well in a way that he never expected, and as Kurt sat there, staring at him dark and quiet room, he couldn't for the life of him remember why he'd never realized how attractive Dave was before.

Dave was tall, not that much taller than Kurt, but still built bigger and stronger than him. His arms were firm and strong but not thick, and his eyes always seemed gentle and warm. Even in the darkness of the room, Kurt could still make out the lines and colors of the tattoos decorating the skin of Dave's arms. He wanted nothing more than to touch them and ask Dave to tell him all the stories and memories behind them; but he couldn't. Kurt felt like he couldn't touch the subject of Dave's tattoos without bringing up his own pathetic story.

Suddenly, Kurt realized that during all the time they'd been hanging out, Dave hadn't asked him about the tattoo he tried to get the night he was drunk; and for that he was grateful. It bugged him though, because he still wanted to have the tattoo covered up, but he didn't really know what he wanted. Kurt knew he couldn't just leave it there and try to not think about it. Because he had been doing that for too long and it hadn't really worked out. Ignoring your own skin wasn't as easy as ignoring people.

Kurt would have to deal with that sooner or later, but right now he didn't want to think about that, so he decided to get up and turn the lights on. Dave stood up from the couch and stretched himself; which made Cappuccino get scared and run back to the bedroom. Kurt rolled his eyes, knowing it had been too good to be true. But Dave said he knew that would happen, because cats were shy and it took time for them to trust people.

Kurt knew Dave was right, and joked that it would probably take a few more visits from him and Ninka for Cappuccino to come around. Dave agreed with Kurt and told him they would gladly come back to visit them.

Kurt couldn't help but smile, because whether Cappuccino would come around or not, he was finding the prospect of spending more time with Dave incredibly appealing.

...

The following week, Kurt had to endure the relentless teasing from Santana and Rachel, who kept asking him about Dave and wanted Kurt to give them all the juicy details of their dates. Kurt insisted that they were not dating, but they didn't seem to believe him. Specially when after much prodding, Kurt told them about how they sometimes got together for lunch on weekdays.

Santana seemed especially excited about the idea of him and Dave getting together, and Kurt didn't really understand why, until one day when Santana told him about how her ex-girlfriend Jenna knew Dave and that she sometimes ran into him whenever they hung out with her friends.

"I remember every time I saw him he was with a guy... Tom, was it? Or John? I don't remember. So if he is single now, you should really go for it Kurt, Dave is a nice guy... And he probably still has the hots for you like he did back in high school." Santana said with a wink, teasing him.

Kurt just rolled his eyes and shook his head, but inside he couldn't help but wonder about Santana's words. Kurt knew Dave was a great guy, and he couldn't deny he was very attractive too. Kurt had never given himself the chance to get to know Dave before, so now that they knew each other and spent time together more often, Kurt realized the idea of him and Dave being more than friends wasn't too far fetched, at least not for him. But Kurt didn't really know how Dave felt about him now, or if he even found him attractive anymore.

Whenever Kurt remembered that time all those years ago when Dave had showered him with gifts and told him he thought he was in love with him, he felt a knot forming in his gut. That was such a long time ago, and he wasn't delusional to think Dave would still feel the same for him after all this time. Or could he?

After speaking with Santana that time, Kurt couldn't help but think about her words every time he hung out with Dave. They saw each other at least once a week, and if they were too swamped with work to be able to meet for lunch, they still texted each other every now and then. They didn't talk every day, but Kurt found himself wanting to talk to Dave more and more. He even missed him on the days when they didn't talk.

...

Dave's resolution to keep his thoughts about Kurt strictly friendly had lasted only about the first two and a half weeks. He was kicking himself for it, but he really couldn't help but feel conflicted every time Kurt called him on the phone, or every time they went out for lunch or coffee. It was great to spend time with Kurt and get close to him, but at the same time it scared him because Dave knew it wouldn't be long before he wanted something more. He didn't know what to do.

What especially confused Dave were the times he'd gone to Kurt's apartment the last few weeks. After that first Sunday he went with Ninka, Dave had gone over to Kurt's place two more times. One Saturday and one Sunday. Those times, they'd done the same thing as the first time: Cooked, watched a movie and then talk for hours until it was late and he had to go home. Dave could feel unspoken tension between them but he couldn't quite tell what it was, and he was terrified of making a move and ruining things.

However, he couldn't help but feel like Kurt was flirting with him sometimes. There were little things here and there that Kurt did that just felt like there was more behind them. Like that time they were sitting together during a movie and Kurt rested his head on his shoulder, or the way he would sometimes lean into him when they were walking side by side. The moments were brief and Dave wasn't sure if he was just imagining things because of his own conflicted feelings or if Kurt was really interested in him. Every now and then Dave would catch Kurt looking at him and the urge to just reach out and kiss him was getting unbearable.

Even Dave's friends had started suspecting something was up with him. Lisa would catch him deep in thought whenever they had downtime at the studio and teased him about it. At first, he didn't want to tell her that it was Kurt who he was hanging out with, because of what happened at the studio, but when they started hanging out more, Lisa asked him and Dave just flat out told her.

"Well… He's cute." She told him with an impressed smile.

"We're just friends, Lisa."

"He's a really cute friend though."

Dave just shook his head, laughing.

"Does he still want that tattoo he was going on about?" Lisa asked him and Dave just shrugged, cause he really had no idea.

"I don't know, we haven't talked about that."

"Hmm... Bet you've been too busy doing other things, huh?"

"Shut up."

Lisa just laughed, not willing to give things a rest. "You should invite him to the convention though. I wanna meet him."

"Maybe I will." Dave said, smiling. He hadn't thought about the convention, it was still a couple of weeks away. But he figured it might be a good chance to get Kurt to meet the guys properly outside of the studio.

Dave made up his mind to tell Kurt about the convention the next time they saw each other. Which ended up being an entire week later, since they were both too busy to get together between Dave making preparations for the convention and Kurt dealing with a new fashion collection coming in for the season.

"There's a tattoo convention next weekend." Dave blurted out as they sat down with their drinks at a local café not far from Kurt's office.

"Tattoo convention?"

"Yeah, down at the Roseland Ballroom in Times Square. It's gonna be fun… lots of artists and studios participate, and people can go check out their work, and get stuff done too. It's going to be awesome." Dave said, a little too enthusiastically.

"Sounds like fun... Are you guys getting a booth or something?"

"Yes actually, I'm getting the afternoon shift and Lisa is taking the night one. The rest of the guys are going to be there all day."

"So you're gonna be like... Doing tattoos there? I mean, on the spot?"

"Yeah, some clients are already booked to get things done the day of the convention, we got them a special price to get them to go. But a lot of people that go to the convention usually drop by and get stuff done too, they just walk-in and we set a queue and all."

"Wow, sounds like it's going to be a busy day."

"Yeah, hopefully... But it's also going to be a lot of fun. So, what do you say? Do you want to come?"

Kurt bit his lip and remained thoughtful for a moment. Every second of silence that passed had Dave freaking out until Kurt smiled and said.

"Yeah, okay... I'll go."

Dave smiled widely, feeling equal parts relieved and nervous that Kurt was going to the convention.