Jeremiah and Kurt usually do the same thing every weekend, to the point that it's almost scarily predictable. On Fridays, when Kurt comes back to Lima after the unquestionably mandatory Warblers rehearsals end, he stops by Jeremiah's place of employment (without the Warblers in tow, thankfully) just as Jeremiah's shift draws to its end. They sit down at a small table by the window that might as well be their table by now, and talk about everything and anything. (Though the obligatory, "I can't believe you're not sick of coffee by now," from Kurt always manages to pop up in there at some point.)
By the time their drinks are gone, they've covered just about everything there is to talk about, and they've both reached the similar point, careful point of I think that if I spend any more time with you, I might get sick of you. Their (very temporary) goodbyes ensue, and Kurt always rushes off first, citing "Friday Night Dinners." Jeremiah doesn't watch Kurt leave, and doesn't stare wistfully at the empty chair across from him for a few minutes before he follows suit, and heads back to his apartment for the ever-fascinating joys of studying.
Saturdays, they always meet up at the (pitiful, according to Kurt) shopping center that Lima affords, and first make their way to the movie theater. There, they go to see whatever's playing next, and more often than not revel in the hilarious horrors of cinema. Afterwards, they head back to the mall, and Jeremiah finds himself again thrust into the insanity of the New Directions, and the people that Kurt calls his friends.
So when Jeremiah and Kurt meet up in the parking lot of the mall this specific Saturday, it shouldn't feel like everything holds so much importance now. Except it really does, and it's almost overwhelming as Jeremiah stares at Kurt, and Kurt stares at Jeremiah, and the two of them just wear blank faces that say they have no idea where to go from this point.
Kurt's the first one to say something, and Jeremiah's unsurprised by as much. What he is surprised by is when Kurt begins his statement with a loud sigh, and says very bluntly, "This shouldn't be uncomfortable. We're friends, and we just happen to have feelings other than platonic ones for each other. It happens all the time, and it's perfectly understandable that we're acting on them. What's not understandable is why we're both acting like this is a bad idea. We should at least give it a fighting chance."
He has a point, Jeremiah understands, but he also has more courage than Jeremiah does, and that's the problem. It changes from a problem to an obvious problem when he nods wordlessly, and Kurt gives him a vaguely disappointed, but accepting smile.
"I'm going to try exceptionally hard to charm you, you should realize?" Kurt jokes – or maybe warns; Jeremiah's not entirely sure, though he does know that it's some unexplainable part of the allure – over his shoulder as he strides ahead towards the theater. Jeremiah's left shaking his head and dwelling on the uniqueness that is Kurt as he trails after.
When they enter the movie theater, Kurt's attention immediately directs itself to the screen times, and Jeremiah does the same to survey the pitiful showing options in search of the most pitiful. "What do you think – Red Riding Hood in four minutes, or Rango in eleven?" Kurt inquires nonchalantly as he glances over at Jeremiah, a flicker of some sort of longing passing over his features as Jeremiah catches Kurt's greenbluesilver eyes darting down to Jeremiah's hand.
Jeremiah pretends to not notice what he's seen, and instead gives Kurt a mischievous grin while answering, "Rango is supposed to be half-decent – I think we should see Red Riding Hood." He also pretends to not notice the way that Kurt crosses his arms over his chest in a show of self-restraint, and pretends that he doesn't feel like a tool because of it. It's easier to do than he would have expected, probably because of the way that Kurt's countenance isn't reading bitter at all, but Jeremiah still experiences a pang of regret as the ticket salesman (middle aged, with a look on his face that makes Jeremiah think he's forever stuck with a sour taste in his mouth) doesn't feel the need to bat an eye when Kurt asks for two tickets.
"Put your wallet away," Kurt orders lightly as Jeremiah starts to pull his worn leather one from his jacket pocket. "I'm buying the tickets this week – unless you think that's your job?" he adds with a raised eyebrow. Jeremiah rolls his eyes, and grins back at Kurt, catching by way of peripheral vision the way that the ticket man's features now come across infinitely more disdainful.
Submitting to Kurt's instructions, Jeremiah stuffs his wallet back in, only to turn towards the snack counter and approach with defiance in his step. "Diet Coke, and popcorn with no butter," he calls knowledgably over his shoulder (though he flushes at the way it echoes in the semi-emptiness of the lobby) when Kurt makes a questioning noise that sounds sort of like a chipmunk.
Jeremiah repeats the statement to the regular girl behind the counter, who goes about filling the order with about as much interest as Jeremiah's come to expect from the Saturday staff at the theater. She does, however, pause in their exchange of cash so as to ask him in a lazily intrigued sort of way, "So is it official now, or…?"
The way that Jeremiah's mouth falls fish-esquely open (and stays that way for several seconds before he remembers his ability to speak) is apparently answer enough for her, and she chuckles to herself. He swallows hard once, then again as he contemplates his verbal response, only to have it cut off by Kurt's presence at his side. Kurt looks back and forth between Jeremiah and the again-listless cashier twice, before accepting his drink with a courteous, "Thank you," and leading Jeremiah down the left hall towards the red sign reading "Riding Hood."
"You know my movie order," Kurt says thoughtfully as he gently nudges Jeremiah's arm, a faint blush staining his cheeks. Jeremiah feels the same coloration joining his complexion and nods twice, before he pushes open the door. "You know that that's a big thing? Or maybe it's not – but it's common knowledge to you that I think it is?" the brunette notes softly as he weaves through unfilled rows to reach one in the middle of the theater.
It is common knowledge to Jeremiah that Kurt thinks memorizing someone's regular order is important, and he doesn't bother to hold back his smile as he responds, "Why do you think I know your movie order?"
The dimming of the lights prevents Jeremiah from clearly seeing Kurt's features, but he does recognize the one thing that he can always make out on Kurt's countenance, even in poorly lit areas – Kurt's blush. He doesn't acknowledge it for Kurt's benefit, and wordlessly takes his seat next on the right of the countertenor, who leans in slightly towards him. Jeremiah mimics the motion, and before long, the open sequence is playing, and the two of them are stifling inappropriate giggles.
Jeremiah doesn't pay attention much to the plot. He's pretty sure that he's not missing anything, anyway, by being more interested in the way that Kurt giggles every time Jeremiah adds his own commentary under his breath, and the way that Kurt's continually leaning very invitingly closer to him. Distantly, he's also aware of someone behind them hissing a frustrated Shhh! (to Jeremiah's surprise; he was under the impression that he and Kurt were the only ones who bothered to pay to see the film), but that aside – he doesn't observe much.
Until about thirty minutes in, anyway, when he starts to pay a lot more attention – to Kurt. With a distinctly pointed yawn, Jeremiah leans away from Kurt, only to drape his arm over the younger male's not quite narrow but definitely not broad shoulders. Kurt turns to him with a large, unmistakable grin as he whispers, "I thought you were kidding about that."
Jeremiah shakes his head with a mock frown on his lips as he solemnly replies, "I wouldn't kid about something as serious as clichés." His answer is a quiet chuckle from Kurt (prompting another Shhh!, which Jeremiah regards with an apologetic ducking of the head), and a victorious beaming of his own.
For the remainder of the film, Jeremiah's arm stays around Kurt's shoulders, and Kurt continues resting against Jeremiah with the emanation of a warmth that almost distracts Jeremiah from the task of mocking the movie to within an inch of its theater-life. (Only almost, though. Kurt seems to be grateful that it doesn't entirely distract him, judging by the way that he still snorts at Jeremiah's input, and still attempts to sneak him the occasional tender look.)
xoxox
Kurt and Jeremiah only find themselves waiting in the midst of the mall for about two minutes after they escape the movie theater (making a point to avoid the angry woman from three rows behind them), and after Kurt taps out a hasty text to whatever friends it is that he was set to meet up with this weekend.
When whatever friends show up, they make their presences known with a cheerful shout of, "Kurt!" from an assumed female, and a pleasant, "Hey, Kurt!" from an evident male. Jeremiah gives Kurt a bemused glance that he never ceases to find fitting when he meets someone from the "New Directions," and Kurt answers with his same shrug that always says What can you do?
Turning around, Kurt looks affectionately at the short girl and who Jeremiah thinks is her lanky boyfriend as they approach with excited footsteps, and wide smiles. "Hello, Chang Squared," Kurt replies amiably, to which Chang Squared beam at one another in entertainment, and Jeremiah shifts his weight clumsily from foot to foot. Kurt catches his usual uneasiness, and gives Jeremiah a brief, encouraging smile before his arms are around the girl, and the boy's are around him.
"Mm, I missed you so much this week," Jeremiah hears Kurt bemoan into the girl's dark hair. "I think of you every time that Florence + the Machine comes on anymore, honey – I still can't believe I missed you and 'cedes doing "The Dog Days Are Over."" Jeremiah stares off at the Old Navy display a few stores down, and jams his hands into his hoodie pockets in a blind observation of their contents. He finds his wallet, a few pieces of paper that he thinks are receipts, his cell phone, and some unidentifiable round thing amidst said contents, and muses over the name of Unidentifiable Round Thing while curiously observing Kurt's carrying-ons with the Asian pair in front of him.
The girl's pulled back to give Kurt a sorrowful look as she replies, "I missed you a lot more than usual, too. Quinn texted me the other day – believe me, honey, if I told you why she was texting me, you'd have a heart attack on the spot," she interrupts at Kurt's incredulous expression, which changes to one of disapproval as he and Jeremiah both come to the same conclusion that they were talking about crimes against fashion. The girl confirms it with a sheepish bowing of her head, that precedes her continuation. "But my ringtone was still our "Bad Romance" – I could have cried. I miss your gender-defying performances so much!"
Jeremiah quells a laugh at the thought of Kurt's gender-defying performances, and he momentarily considers the mental imagery of Kurt in one of Lady Gaga's extravagant outfits, before he's shot a silent warning by Kurt. He silently requests an explanation for the aforementioned gender-defying performances, but Kurt quickly shakes his head in the universal I'll tell you later motion. Out of the kindness in his heart, Jeremiah concedes silence – mostly out of a surge of fondness for the boy who's now absently tracing a finger along a faded pale blue streak in his friend's hair – but continues grinning. Kurt doesn't bother attempting to glare at Jeremiah, and instead elects to submit himself to good-naturedly accepting the playful teasing that Jeremiah intends to put him through for a long time.
"You could have cried?" the other boy repeats with a tone of skepticism as he wraps an arm around his apparent girlfriend's shoulders and raises an eyebrow at her. The girl blushes a pink color that almost matches the dark magenta one on her eyelids, before she begins to splutter an insistence of "I didn't! I have aller –"
The insistence falls silent as Kurt moves a step closer to Jeremiah, and Jeremiah's presence is suddenly brought to full attention. Jeremiah rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as the four of them simply stand there for a few minutes, while other shoppers continue bustling past. When one of them finally speaks again, it's the girl, who murmurs an innocently curious, "Oh – is this the guy that we've been hearing about?"
Feeling his cheeks heating up embarrassingly, Jeremiah gives Kurt an easy nudge and a half-smirk before whispering, "You talk about me?" Kurt's gaze is instantly turned to focus on that same Old Navy display as he mumbles a response that sounds like, "Sometimes," under his breath. In his peripheral vision, Jeremiah notices the boy and girl exchanging a look that recognizes to be very much amused, before the female speaks up to clarify that, "It's mostly Mercy who does it, anyway."
"And Sam," the boy adds helpfully from her side. "Though he doesn't really like you that much…" he ponders with a sort of mild commiseration that he punctuates with a passive shrug.
Despite himself, Jeremiah just chuckles quietly and notes, "I did get that impression from him." He thinks that he figured it out somewhere between Sam warning him that Kurt's a great dude – so you screw with him, and I'll find you and after Jeremiah explained that they weren't dating. At which point Sam had taken the stance of If you're interested in him – which it looks a little bit like you are; I'm just saying – you shouldn't wait.
Kurt had apologized for Sam's "overprotective nature" later, when the (false, as Jeremiah was informed) blonde boy who had apparently forgotten that people in changing rooms can still hear had left, but Jeremiah had dismissed it with a nervous laugh, and a fidgeting run of his fingers through his hair. (Kurt hadn't mentioned Jeremiah's most likely obvious discomfort with the topic, and had hastily begun an in-depth analysis of Sam's dye job.)
Stepping closer still to Jeremiah and giving him a semi-apologetic smile, Kurt he finally makes the introductions between his friends and his kind-of-a-friend-but-with-definite-potential-to-be-more-than-that companion. "Tee, Mike – this is Jeremiah. Jeremiah, this is Tina Cohen-Chang, and Mike Chang. Commonly referred to as Chang Squared, or Asian Fusion." Tina and Mike both puff up somewhat pridefully at the vocalization of their shared nicknames, and Jeremiah offers a minute smile of his own as he offhandedly wonders if Asian Fusion would be offensive to the pair, if not said by their friends.
"So, you're Jeremiah," Mike says with flippancy too heavily laid on to be sincere, and with a cautionary tone that Jeremiah knows is in his best interest to act like he's heeding. Kurt and Tina look like they think so, too, as they share an ocular statement something between an Is he really doing this now? and a reluctantly adoring Why am I not surprised?.
Nodding, Jeremiah leans a hopefully-not-but-probably-incredibly-so-inchcloser to Kurt and responds, "Yeah. It's nice to meet you – you're the dancer, right?" The statement seems to earn some points with the startlingly intimidating teenager, who nods in confirmation, and whose fierce gaze lessens somewhat, though it still remains very present as Mike replies with a sharp, "Yeah," and begins to direct Jeremiah to, "Tell me about –"
Kurt cuts Mike off hastily, with the declaration of, "Mike, you need to see a pair of jeans I saw a few shops down." The statement is punctuated with a clap of his hands in a show of overproduced excitement that Jeremiah can tell that the others see right through, though neither of them says anything. Mike just gives Kurt a weak smile, and Jeremiah a lingering, suspicious glare, before yielding with an obedient, "Okay." Kurt beams, and sets about explaining how "I think they were the perfect cut for you," (because "you're so slender, and skinny jeans do wonders for your figure"). Tina just smirks, and only feels the need to say one word.
"Whipped."
The three high school students laugh, while Jeremiah watches in semi-uncertain amusement, before Mike agrees that he is indeed whipped – "By both of you. You're just lucky that I'm a cool guy, and that you two are –well, you two, I guess," – and takes Tina's left hand in his right. Kurt drops into line next to Mike, and Jeremiah follows the example.
They don't go further than two steps before Jeremiah finds himself wracked with internal fretting, and commences the shooting of frequent looks at the slender and empty hand dangling next to him. Kurt doesn't look over at Jeremiah, and appears to be wholly focused on Tina's story about her own and some elusive Brittany's attempted dance lessons with Artie (Artie, as Jeremiah recalls, is the paraplegic who enjoys rapping, but he doesn't have the current mental capacity to ask about it), but Jeremiah can tell that he's really hoping Jeremiah will step it up.
It's with that thought in mind, and the desire to not be a cause of Kurt being upset, that Jeremiah shakily reaches down to grab Kurt's fingers, while making a point of ignoring everyone else walking past – opting to cast a glance at Kurt, instead, who gives him a heartening smile, but doesn't tighten his limp hold. Jeremiah would be lying to say that he doesn't appreciate the considerate gesture, but he can't help but feel like it's unnecessary, and that he's not doing Kurt any favors by making him feel like he has to give Jeremiah an emergency homosexuality exit.
But at the same time, Jeremiah can't find the cerebral command to hold Kurt's hand any firmer, either, and he ends up leaving their digits weakly intertwined between them. That is, until Mike's free hand takes up Kurt's – prompting a questioning look from the just barely shorter boy – and Jeremiah catches the raven-haired male's eyes. Mike nods subtly at him, and Jeremiah tries to convey Thank you through sight alone as he threads his fingers more definitively between Kurt's, and Kurt responds with a gratifying squeeze.
They're still drawing attention, Jeremiah sees, but now, it's not just because two of them are gay. It's because they're a human chain like children and two of them seem like they're probably gay but you can't be too sure since gays are so sneaky. Somehow, Jeremiah doesn't feel like he prefers the new disapprovals any more, but he's willing to take what he can get.
xoxox
As far as shopping goes, Jeremiah usually doesn't get any pleasure from it at all. Granted, with Kurt, he tends to enjoy it a lot more, but then again – he tends to enjoy everything a lot more when Kurt is involved. Except this time, he's out shopping with Kurt, but Kurt is off searching for something while Jeremiah's left alone in the dressing area with "Chang Squared." And for a fairly harmless appearing skinny guy and a tiny, sweet-sounding girl (with an admittedly terrifying style of dress), the pair of them are unexpectedly daunting duo.
The fact that Jeremiah can tell they're both particularly protective of Kurt (although in hindsight, Jeremiah hasn't really met one of Kurt's friends that isn't), and that they're not afraid to bring up the room's elephants, is all the more daunting, and Jeremiah figures out early on that there is no safe topic of conversation. He gives up on trying after his attempt at a discussion on the weather fails ("Really cold lately," he remarks casually. "Kurt hates the cold," Mike responds bluntly. "Maybe you should give him your jacket," Tina suggests in a way that doesn't really sound much like a suggestion, so much as a command. "Unless you don't want to give him your jacket?" Mike asks distrustfully, as Jeremiah sighs in defeat.), and accepts his fate of getting the don't fuck with Kurt, or we'll kill you and make it look like an accident talk all over again.
"So. What's up with you and Kurt?" Tina asks directly, her hands folded over her knee professionally as she narrows her eyes doubtfully. "Are you two dating, or…" The or…? isn't filled in as she and Mike both stare gravely at Jeremiah, and leave their imaginations to filling in the horrifying and hateful possibilities of what Kurt is – or isn't - to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah begins with a cough intended only to stall, before he looks down at the hands he has clasped in his lap, and mumbles, "This is number one, so…maybe. We haven't exactly figured that much out yet." He desperately prays that his anxious desire for the other two to not ask if he wants for them to be dating is fulfilled, as Jeremiah's very well aware of the fact that he tends to have awful luck (having worked for an unfriendly homophobe who doesn't appreciate flash mobs comes to mind), and that if he were to answer – lo and behold, Kurt would be standing behind him, eyes fraught with secondhand embarrassment and the sorrowful Sorry – I don't think this is going to work out rolling off his tongue.
For one of lately increasing number of times, however, luck's (temporarily) on Jeremiah's side, and the couple sitting across from him in the dressing room doesn't ask. Instead, they start to apologize profusely, in the forms of the abrupt realization, "Oh. Oh. I'm so sorry –" and the empathetic, "We didn't know we were interrupting, man, we -"
Raising a hand to hush them, Jeremiah shakes his head and assures, "No, no, it's cool. It sort of makes it easier – takes off some of the pressure." Tina looks vaguely confused, but nods, while Mike does the same with a visage more of agreement and understanding.
"Okay," Tina begins slowly, her eyes appearing to be kinder as she watches Jeremiah this time, without the urge to maim. "This is your first date. Is it going to go past this, or do you think you two are better as friends? Because you need to tell him from the start if it won't work," she says knowingly as she leans against Mike, and he wraps an arm around her waist. Jeremiah can only assume that Kurt had had several "girls' nights" after the Valentine's Day disaster, and more recently, the drinking catastrophe, and he can also only assume that Tina was present to see the full effect of what he thinks is acceptable to call everything.
It seems like his assumptions are accurate when Mike murmurs a sympathetic, "After what happened with Blaine…" that earns another nod from Tina.
The three sit in silence for a few moments, until Kurt returns with a pair of distressed yellow jeans in his hand (that Mike's giving them sincere consideration is something that Jeremiah almost feels that he should applaud him for), which he promptly thrusts into Mike's. Kurt beams gleefully as Mike takes them with an agreeable laugh, before settling onto the bench next to Jeremiah way too closely for anyone to think that they're just 'bros'.
But Jeremiah can't bring himself to care as Kurt turns a pout on him and asks, "Can I please help you find a new hoodie?" The answer is no, of course, and he tells Kurt as much – to Tina's hilarity, and Kurt's lighthearted groans of (mostly) false irritation – but he thinks that he makes up for it when his arm snakes around Kurt's waist of its own accord, and Kurt turns pink. It's a start, at least.
xoxox
When Jeremiah and Kurt finally find themselves standing next to their respective vehicles with matching expressions of pleasant uncertainty, neither clearly has any idea of what to say. Jeremiah attempts to say something worthwhile with the beginning of, "So," but all the other words he knows fly out of his mind, and the word is left hanging in the last frigid air of winter.
Kurt gives Jeremiah a light smile of reassuring, and Jeremiah suddenly feels more confident as he returns the gesture, and picks up again. "So. Should we pretend this was just another Saturday, and forget that it was supposed to be more? Or can I have permission to spend the next forty-eight hours trying to figure out when I'm allowed to change my Facebook status?"
Grinning, Kurt lifts a thoughtful index finger to his chin and mimes the motion of intense thought before he catches sight of Jeremiah's eyes rolling, and he responds, "Consider the permission granted. I'll do the same – you'll be able to tell by the bags under my poor eyes – and will end up swallowing my pride and risking potential humiliation by asking you about it on Monday."
Jeremiah snickers inwardly at the thought of Kurt applying concealer under his eyes to hide bags that will most likely be invisible to everyone else on their own, before he (rather brazenly, considering that there are other people milling about in the parking lot) takes Kurt's hand. "I get to see you again? I didn't make a complete fool of myself, to the point where just hearing my name will bring up bad memories?" he teases when Kurt takes advantage of the opportunity and squeezes his hand.
"Even if the date was horrible," Kurt begins in a fond way that almost makes Jeremiah's heart not sink at the thought of the date he thought was actually pretty nice being horrible. "– which it wasn't, mind you; I had a really nice time," Kurt interjects. Jeremiah proceeds to let out a sigh of relief that he only realizes he actually went through with when Kurt raises a perfectly-tamed eyebrow, and blushes faintly. "I still wouldn't want to never see you again. I'm too dependent on your sense of humor, and questionable tastes."
Smirking lopsidedly, Jeremiah makes the triumphant announcement of, "I knew you loved my puns," before his smile softens, and he steps the slightest bit closer to Kurt. With all the movie-style clichéd motions that Kurt knows he loves, Jeremiah stares the short three inches down at Kurt, who stares back while worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Feeling unnecessarily breathless, as the movies have always insisted that a person does when they're in serious like, Jeremiah reaches his free hand up to brush a strand of hair from Kurt's eyes, and notes, "Your hair looks good today. I like that style on you."
Kurt's apparently found himself with the same inability to properly inhale (Jeremiah observes as much optimistically), and his voice is low, and raspy, and really kind of sexy when he attempts to tease, "Are you implying that it doesn't always look good?"
As soon as he speaks, Kurt seems to realize something, and nervously averts his gaze to where Jeremiah's also noticed a woman ushering her child faster into her car seat. When his blush subsides to a less-crimson hue, Kurt turns to face Jeremiah with the clear intention to apologize (most likely for their public display), but stops before he begins when Jeremiah continues smiling at him like he hadn't seen the woman.
"Not at all," the strawberry blonde affirms casually. "Because, y'know, it does have a tendency to look really good a lot of the time," he points out. The way that Kurt's face lights up is completely worth the derisive glowering from that woman, Jeremiah thinks, and he very abruptly finds himself realizing that he really needs to talk to Blaine again. Because Jeremiah wants courage, and Blaine knows courage better than almost everyone. (Maybe not better than Kurt, Jeremiah thinks, but he's reasonably certain that asking Kurt would somehow defeat the purpose.)
"I am aware," Kurt confirms more steadily, leaning in closer to Jeremiah with an unintelligible but completely fascinating exciting captivating smoldering in his eyes. Jeremiah really hopes that it's Kurt flirting, because if it's just some natural expression for him, Jeremiah for once has no idea what he's going to do, in terms of self-control."But thank you for saying so anyway. Yours looks nice, too – it's cute," Kurt adds offhandedly, as his own free hand comes up to twirl a stray lock around his index finger.
Understandably (Jeremiah thinks) bewildered, the taller male gives Kurt a confused half-smile, before admitting sheepishly, "I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to it…" The confession turns his complexion an almost unhealthy scarlet color, but Kurt seems to appreciate as much as his hand drops to rest against Jeremiah's cheek, and he gives Jeremiah a thoughtful look as though he's making sure that this is real.
"I can tell," Kurt ribs tenderly, as Jeremiah's face grows hotter, though he feels his smile growing larger. "It works, though. The whole, messy, I don't really care what my hair looks like, which is why I'm wearing a hoodie thing typically doesn't work on anyone, but it's endearing on you."
Without thinking, Jeremiah plainly replies, "I'm glad you like it," and only curses himself for his lack of originality when Kurt's already processed what he's said, and is giggling his own reply of, "I'm glad you're glad I like it."
Jeremiah sighs, and drops his head lower to rest his forehead against Kurt's. "This whole dating thing isn't going to make anything awkward between us, is it?" he asks cautiously, while hoping that he doesn't give Kurt the wrong impression and make him think that Jeremiah wants for them to be just friends the way that Blaine did.
Smiling warily, Kurt strokes his thumb over Jeremiah's cheekbone and murmurs, "Am I the only person who thinks that relationships are capable of ending by mutual decision and not fiery storms of cruel words and betrayals? Sometimes, 'no hard feelings' can actually mean no hard feelings." Kurt pulls back to give Jeremiah a stern look that makes him feel as though Kurt's a good ten years wiser than he actually is, and Jeremiah briefly wonders if Kurt's as mature as he comes off because of everything – everything – he's gone through.
"Don't worry," Kurt promises as he steps back and tilts his head gently to the side, scrutinizing Jeremiah in a way that doesn't make the ginger nearly as uncomfortable as he would have expected. "If anything, I'm morally obligated to stay your friend – otherwise, who else would give you the fashion advice you so desperately need?"
Resting his empty hand over his heart, Jeremiah musters the most wounded expression he can and remarks simply, "Ouch."
"Although I will admit that your style – or lack thereof – is endearing, and that that hideous jacket of yours has grown on me," Kurt adds affectionately, with a playful tug on the hem of the hoodie for emphasis.
For a moment, Kurt goes back to nibbling tentatively on his lower lip, before he releases it (a shade redder for wear) and asks carefully, "Would it be proper etiquette for me to kiss you?" Jeremiah could have almost thought it was a joke, if he wasn't so conscious of the effect that some Dave guy has had on Kurt, and if he hadn't know exactly why that Dave guy had had said effect on Kurt. Only he is conscious of the effect, and he does know exactly why, and he doesn't think that it's a joke.
With a small, thoughtful frown that he hopes doesn't come off unkindly, Jeremiah replies, "You don't have to ask…not me, anyway. It's…admirable, that you're a gentleman –" Kurt's countenance turns inquisitive at this, and he casts an unfairly intense stare on Jeremiah. "But I'm not going to say no. And I'm not going to think you're like your closet admirer. Okay? So don't sweat it."
And then Kurt only barely smiles, but Jeremiah thinks it might be his favorite smile of the day. Because the quick, fond, oh so fleeting kiss to the cheek that ensues is a lot more satisfying than it should be. "Thank you for that," Kurt whispers gratefully, as Jeremiah feels his face's threat to split at any second.
Jeremiah manages to respond, "Anytime," between goofy grins that only get worse the longer they last.
"I'll text you later?" Kurt says warmly, as he pulls his hand out of Jeremiah's grip with a great deal of reluctance reading off his features.
The response of, "Please do. Otherwise I might start going through withdrawal," swiftly follows, and Jeremiah goes so far as to add a hearty wink for good measure. And despite the implication by Kurt's sarcasm that he's not nearly as charmed by Jeremiah's sense of humor as he said earlier ("You're hilarious – no really, I'm in stitches; can't you tell?"), Jeremiah almost thinks that he and Kurt were just about made for each other.
Because when Jeremiah argues that cheerful point that, "But you love me," Kurt doesn't go pale and become suddenly concerned about the speed of their relationship after one date. Kurt takes it exactly as Jeremiah meant it – as a joke – and rolls his eyes before pulling open the door to his "baby" and confirming the suggestion at face value.
And even though they both meant it in the friends who love each other platonically but just happen to have other feelings for one another kind of way, Jeremiah thinks that that could change pretty damn fast.
xoxox
AN: You guys who follow this are great.
AN (2): I totally pulled this chapter out of my ass. And it's the longest chapter…which means that it's probably boring as hell. ""oTL
AN (3): I apologize to anyone who enjoyed Red Riding Hood. TBH, I haven't seen it, but I don't trust anything that has an advert associating it to Twilight.
AN (4): BTW. Anon by the name of BLINK? I posted some drabbles for you last week, since you caught my Operation Kumception subliminal messaging. You should look at it. And tell me if I hit one of your ships. Y'know. Whatever. JS.
Shameless Pimping: I've got an offer on the LJ Fandom Floods Appeal community. … KTB. (http : / / community . livejournal . com / fandom _ flood _ ap / 14297 . html ? thread = 185305 # t 185305)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for Jeremiah's personality, I guess?