The Storm: Safe Harbor

Chapter Forty-Six

By Gayforkurt


Summary: Kurt and Dave have come to terms with the past but can they battle the envy and jealousy of others to make a future for themselves? This is rated M.

A/N 1: A special thank-you to Elizabeth who never fails to give me that boost I need when my writer's spirit flags. Thank you, my dear and I'll keep going, knowing that to you, this is like chocolate. Blessings.

Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.

.

KHDK

.

Brunch later was quickly and happily consumed by the group as they chatted about their plans. Dave had had the Butler bring up poached eggs, Canadian bacon, English muffins, Hollandaise sauce, oak-smoked salmon, baby spinach, mushrooms, crisp Serrano ham, black truffle Hollandaise, crab cakes, toast and rolls. There was an assortment of beverages, too: coffee, loose organic tea, orange juice, acai and apple juice.

They hadn't all dressed as yet because it was a Sunday morning and Kurt, in particular, was unusually disheveled in a black satin robe that nevertheless made his skin glow. Even his hair was uncombed as he dug into the delicious food – humming as he sprinkled bits of crisp ham over his hollandaise-smothered poached eggs. Dave smirked as he recalled with satisfaction what they had done to so affect his lover's appetite that morning.

The sunlight streamed into the beautiful, massive suite and Mercedes, sipping her cup of loose-leaf organic tea, couldn't help but admire the elegant setting once more. The dark wood of the sideboard upon which the food had been arrayed, gleamed like glass. It was huge and looked as if it would be at home in a European manor; she wondered vaguely why they had gone out of style over the centuries.

Puck and Devon were playing footsies under the table, clearly in the greatest of spirits although it didn't stop them from working their way through piled-high plates. Ian eyed them every now and then, a slight discontented curl to his straight lips.

Dave and Kurt chattered aimlessly as they ate, and Dave, remembering the tickets stashed in his jacket, suddenly spoke up.

"Uhm, Kurt, Mercedes, do you think you could get all spiffy in time to leave here say around 1:30?" He looked hopefully at his fiancé, taking in the happy little gleam in the bright eyes and grinned. "Remember my treat – for two music-loving fashionistas?"

Kurt just barely restrained himself from clapping his hands as he grinned crazily at Mercedes before nodding abruptly. "Of course we'll be ready, right, 'Cedes?"

"Oh, yes, though I'll need your help deciding what to wear." She cocked an eyebrow at a smiling Dave. "You did say to dress nice, right?"

"Definitely, though as it's a matinee, you don't need to bling out too much," Dave chuckled at the roll of Kurt's eyes as he threw in the old phrase that used to be popular some years ago.

"Alright, alright, no 'bling'," and he smirked at Mercedes before shaking his head. His mind was already running through what he had brought and what they'd bought the day before.

"Oh," Dave interrupted his musings. "The Butler can sort out any wrinkle issues you have, so no problem."

Mercedes let out a happy little sigh because she'd just been thinking of an outfit she thought might be suitable but was reluctant to go hunting for an iron. She nodded in gratitude at Dave and then smiled over at her 'boo'.

"Come on, baby boy, it's already nearly midday, we've got to go gets our glamour on!" Then she drained the last of her tea, set the delicate cup gently back into its saucer and waited for Kurt to finish his juice.

Dave watched the friends head towards Mercedes' bedroom before turning to the guys. "So, Ian, I have a ticket for you, too, but you don't have to sit through the whole thing if you don't want to." He knew very well not all gay men were into musicals but he really didn't know much about the aloof agent to begin with.

Ian put down his coffee cup, patted his lips with his napkin and eyed his boss carefully. He knew he was basically on duty but Dave was actually saying that, though he had to accompany them, he wouldn't be forced to sit through painfully happy music.

He nodded as a slight smile lifted one corner of his mouth. "Do you think Kurt would forgive me if I went but didn't sit through the show?"

They all laughed, Puck nodding his head knowingly and put in his tuppence worth. "Ha, the diva would never let you hear the end of it. Just go and take one for the team, man."

Dave joined in the laughter; his lover was pretty headstrong but he was also a very generous person. He also knew that if Ian didn't already like Kurt a bit, he would have taken the out he was given. There was nothing wrong with security accompanying their primary but staying apart, so to speak.

Now he turned to Devon and Puck, one winged eyebrow raised enquiringly. "What about you two; any plans to see more of the Big Apple?"

Puck nodded and swallowed his sip of coffee before replying. "Oh, definitely. I want to show Dev around the town. I'm sure there's lots going on even on a Sunday."

Dave nodded in agreement. "Why don't you check out the Antiques Fair in Soho? The weather is great for it, a little cool but sunny. Maybe you'd find stuff to take back to England, Devon."

Devon's clear blue eyes lit up, their expression almost reminding Dave of Kurt's at the prospect of shopping, and he nodded, his auburn curls a riot around his head. He watched as Puck caught a curl and wrapped it around his finger.

Devon pouted at him briefly but turned to smile at Dave. "I'd love that; I swear my mum is gypsy because she used to lug me around to all sorts of street fairs when I was really little. I'm looking forward to it, definitely."

His huge grin threatened to split his face and both Puck and Dave chuckled. The agents were such a mixed bunch and for a moment his mind flashed to Xavier, dark-skinned and happy-go-lucky and Julian, all cool blond efficiency hiding a volcano of passion. Dave was not blind; he saw how the polite agent looked at Kurt when he thought no one else could see. He wondered how he was faring at the island estate and looked over at Puck.

"Puck, have you spoken with Xavier or Julian recently?" He grinned as Puck looked puzzled by the sudden shift in topic.

'Yeah, actually I did – on Friday. Julian's getting on great apparently with the Afflicks trying to fatten him up – well, according to Xavier. You know how he likes to tease," Puck grinned as he turned sideways so he had more room to touch Dev discreetly.

Dave's eyes dipped very briefly to wear Puck's hand had slipped beneath the table but just smirked. He knew what it was like to always need to touch your lover at all times. His eyes slipped to a brooding Ian and he raised an eyebrow as he realized something.

Ian had left the club the night of the party with Kurt's blond, surfer-dude friend but apart from that, he didn't know how things had gone between the two after that. Hmmm, he needed to get Kurt to catch him up on the gossip, definitely.

Pushing back from the table, finally, he announced he was going to see what clothes Kurt had decided he needed to wear. Remembering something he turned back to the other men.

"By the way, I'm taking Kurt to look at my parents' house after the show. Puck you know where it is, if you want to meet us there – or not, it's up to you. I need to let the security company know that I'll be coming around."

"That's okay, I can call them for you; but I don't think we'll be joining you as I don't know when a certain someone will get through with his shopping." Puck grinned as he pretended to wince at the slap he got for that bit of sass.

"Thanks," Dave said as he smiled at their antics. He loved seeing Puck happy, as happy as he and Kurt were, he mused. It was a good look on everyone, except maybe Ian who was gazing out the door of the dining room towards the suite's windows that they could see from where they were sitting.

He strode towards the bedroom, one part of his mind moving ahead to wondering what he was going to get to wear and another part still lingering on Ian and his situation. Maybe Kurt, Mr. Magical Matchmaker, could come up with a solution…

.

KHDK

.

In Mercedes' bedroom, decorated in gorgeous coral and cream and trimmed in gold, they selected a couple of outfits and stood back to consider. They looked like generals going over battle plans rather than friends choosing clothes but this was their usual modus operandi.

"It's afternoon so we don't get to do the glitz and glam thing," Kurt groused, his eyes shuttling between a beautiful cobalt blue top with pants in a slightly darker shade and a maroon cashmere sweater that would display her bosom to advantage. The black pants to go with it was very slimming. Both colors looked great with her skin tone and she herself vacillated between the two.

"I think the cashmere with the black pants. What do you think," Kurt finally decided. He tilted his head to the side a bit as if he were picturing her in it. "And oh, wear the black boots with the stiletto heels we got yesterday."

She grinned happily and hauled him into a huge hug. With a smacking kiss to his cheek she released him to return the discarded outfit to her luggage. "Yes, perfect! I knew you'd set me up, baby boy…" she called to him as she headed to her en suite. "Gotta start getting ready though..."

Kurt stirred himself and made for the door. "So right you are, sweetie, and I have to choose David's outfit for him." When she popped her head back out the bathroom door with an incredulous look on her face, he hurried to reassure her: "No, no, I don't do it all the time, but Broadway's special, y'know."

She pondered that for a second or two and then grinned, waving at him to go ahead as she went back inside.

Kurt was almost bouncing in happiness as he made his way down the hallway, passing a gloomy Ian whom he nodded at before crossing the drawing room to enter his own suite. Hmmmm, he thought, I really need to try and sort out that man.

He entered the suite to see David looking through his things. "Hey, sweetie, want some help?"

Dave glanced over his shoulder with a welcoming smile. "I was waiting for you, actually, because I had a feeling you'd want to help."

Kurt slid up behind him and snaked his arms around his lover's waist. "Mmmm, let's see what we have here. Oh, how about one of the outfits I got for you – er, you got yesterday?"

Dave chuckled at the little telltale slip but let it go unremarked. "Yeah, I kinda liked especially the Tom Ford you got me. Yes, that one would work."

Kurt grinned in triumph. He'd loved the warmth of the rust and tan tweed jacket on David when he'd modeled it for him. Warm colours did amazing things for his lover's golden eyes and the fit hugged the broad shoulders perfectly.

Dave smiled as he watched the pleased expression on his fiancé's face. "So, what have you decided on?"

Kurt had one arm wrapped around his waist and a slender finger of the other hand was tapping his pink lips. "I'm leaning towards that teal and green semi-cropped Rumblepatch Tweed jacket I brought with me." He looked up and grinned at the confused look on David's face. "Don't worry, you'll see it later."

They smiled at each other as Kurt moved into his lover's arms. There wasn't enough time for a full-on makeout session but there was always enough time for kisses. Hmmm, he thought, I should make that a rule. He wrenched his mouth from David's momentarily, giggling at the annoyed sound he emitted.

"I just thought of something, sweetie." Kurt watched the winged eyebrows lift in inquiry. "There must be at least ten kisses a day… how's that?"

There was an incredulous pause and then Dave burst out laughing. The mischievous gleam in Kurt's blue-green eyes always cracked him up and now was no different. He finally controlled himself to tilt his head to the side, pretending to ponder Kurt's proposal.

"Okay, so… what happens when we're apart for a while… like business trips, your performances… how do we work that?"

Kurt scoffed and then explained: "Then when we meet up, we have to spend some days in bed to make up for the missed kisses… fair?"

Dave grabbed him and kissed him hard before answering. "That seems very fair, couldn't have asked for fairer…" and proceeded to show his extreme appreciation.

Kurt moaned against the onslaught, his eyelids fluttering closed as he felt David's palpable interest grinding into him. "Mmmm, sweetie, if we do this, you've got to make it quick!"

Dave eased back and looked down into lust-shrouded eyes now a stormy blue-gray. "No, I don't think so. I never want to rush this with you, babe." His voice was gravelly with arousal but he decided they should postpone their playtime for the night – and their king-size bed.

Kurt nodded in reluctant agreement, a little smile on his swollen lips. He leaned up for a last quick peck and then slipped from David's arms, heading to the en suite to start his ritual preparations and so to don his 'Diva' persona.

Going to the theatre was always exciting for him, regardless of the fact that that was his job. He truly loved everything about performing, even being in the audience and now his heart sped up and his eyes sparkled as the shucked his robe.

Dave watched the pert buttocks twitch enticingly beneath the robe as Kurt walked away from him and shook his head. He had really wanted to continue with developments but he knew his temperamental love would never forgive him if they got to the theatre after the curtain had gone up. Oh, well, anticipation is good for the appetite, he consoled himself as he went to call the Butler.

.

KHDK

.

By 1:30, the four found themselves stepping into the foyer of the Stephen Sondheim Theater, Kurt and Mercedes still beaming from their realization of what they were actually there to watch.

As the limo had pulled up, Kurt had grabbed Mercedes' hand and squeezed it when he'd suddenly spied the marquee with the words 'Anything Goes' emblazoned on it. Their loud hoots and laughter had Dave shaking his head and looking over at a stunned Ian who then looked resigned to it all. The two friends had grabbed each other and babbled nearly incomprehensibly because, as Kurt calmed enough to tell David, he'd never had the opportunity to catch a performance because of lousy timing.

Now they sauntered into the famous old theater and Kurt inhaled that dusty smell that seemed intrinsic to all older buildings dedicated to the performing arts. The newer structures, though all high-tech and state-of-the-art, lacked that vital personality, to his taste. He breathed deeply and turned to smile at Mercedes and then he moved to stand beside his handsome date.

Dave looked fantastic in the tweed designer jacket that he wore with one of his turtle necks, the colour a soft cream. He also had draped around his neck a long ivory fringed scarf that Kurt had given him and that he was told gave his suit that little touch of extravagance. Dave had rolled his eyes quickly at that because he felt Kurt's ensemble was enough extravagance for the entire group.

Now he smiled down at his beautiful diva who outshone everyone else in his teal and green Rumblepatch tweed jacket with its Nehru collar that stopped a little below his waist. As usual, that meant that whatever pants he was wearing displayed his beautiful ass to perfection. This time he was encased in black, butter-soft, gleaming leggings that ended in knee-high black boots. To Dave he was such a feast to the eyes that he couldn't decide where to look – face, butt or legs.

Kurt had kept his accessories to a minimum but decided to tie a thin chiffon scarf at his throat. It was tied in such a way that one end of it flicked up past his chin. Its position drew attention to the soft pink lips that were redder than usual and made Dave want to kiss him every time he looked at him. That no doubt was the intention, he realized, and he smiled now into the happy turquoise eyes as Kurt stared up at him.

"Thank you," he whispered to David and, regardless of the fact that several patrons were staring at the handsome group, leaned up to kiss his fiancé quickly.

Dave colored slightly but smiled down at Kurt, nodding before leading them over to the young woman handing out the evening's programme.

As Ian and Mercedes walked ahead of them into the auditorium of the old theatre, Dave clasped Kurt's hand into the crook of his elbow and followed. The usher at the door scanned their tickets and then led them to their box seats. As they settled themselves, Dave couldn't help but notice the happy little shiver of anticipation that went through Kurt.

That was one of the things that so fascinated Dave about his lover. He seemed to always be able to look at things through fresh, almost innocent eyes. That was a trait that many people lost over the years and they begin to take things for granted. Kurt had told him earlier that he was surprised he'd been able to get tickets for a show at such short notice. Dave was so happy now that he had as he watched Kurt's face glow in the dimming lights as the music and curtains rose.

Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes' was nearly 100 years old by now but the style of music and the enthusiasm and talent displayed in the performance was first-class. The exaggerated story of 'love, deception and celebrity-chasing on the high seas' featured delightfully memorable songs like 'You're The Top', 'Anything Goes' and 'I Get a Kick out of You'.

The clever dialogue and lyrics were both silly and sexy and the performers outdid themselves, delivering their lines with high spirits and perfect timing. Kurt and Mercedes sang along to some of the songs and clapped and laughed along with the audience at the corny jokes, wisecracks and outrageous activities.

Since the play was written in the early 1930s, it embodied what the people at the time wanted and perhaps, needed – mindless, escapist entertainment and 'Anything Goes', even through its many revivals, embodied that to perfection. Judging from the uproarious laughter surging around him, Dave realized that, a century old or not, mindless entertainment of good quality still seemed to have a place in the theatre.

His face shining and laughter still bubbling out of him, Kurt leaned into Dave's arm as they made their way back out into the foyer at the show's end. Behind him Mercedes was grinning at some wisecrack Ian had uttered with regard to the performers and the group stood around for a bit waiting for their limo to pull out.

Out of the throng of departing theatre patrons a voice suddenly called out Kurt's name and he, along with the others turned towards it.

"Kurt… Kurt Hummel, I thought it was you!" An absolutely gorgeous man, whose face could have been the model for any number of statues, surged towards them, his brilliant eyes apparently seeing only Kurt.

Dave immediately tensed; the man was now holding Kurt's free hand and – worse of all – Kurt was beaming at the fellow as if at a long lost friend.

"Cooper, oh wow, Cooper Anderson! Where have you been?" He pulled away from Dave and all but threw himself into the other man's arms, being spun around a bit before he was released.

Dave cleared his throat and Kurt looked over at him, a wide smile on his beautiful face. "Oh, Coop, this is my fiancé, David Karofsky!" Kurt leaned against David's side, his hand slipping once again into the crook of David's elbow as he made the introductions.

Cooper's eyes immediately fell to the engagement ring on the hand that was now patting Dave's arm and he eyed the way Kurt was snuggled to the larger man. His smile dimmed slightly but then surged again as he brought all his charm to bear on Dave.

"Wow, engaged; you're a lucky man. Kurt is quite a catch," he smiled insincerely at Dave who, being a man of the world, caught Cooper's measure immediately. Now Dave smiled down seductively into Kurt's upturned face, the afternoon sun catching the auburn highlights of the singer's hair perfectly.

"Oh, I know just how lucky I am, don't I, sweetheart?" He chuckled as they all watched as faint color flooded Kurt's high cheekbones.

"Oh, stop it, you two. But, Coop, what have you been up to and how is your brother?" Just then, however, the limo pulled up and Ian and Mercedes moved away from the others. Dave turned to watch them get in and then turned back to hear Cooper's reply.

The outrageously good-looking man gave Kurt a little smile and then lifted one eyebrow, an inappropriately intimate look coming into his eyes. "Blaine's good; he decided to head west instead of east so he's in movies now. But hey, we can always meet up for a drink and catch up one day…"

Dave tensed again but Kurt, oblivious, simply shook his head as he half-turned to head down the steps towards the waiting car. "Oh, it wouldn't be this week, I'm afraid. Dave's taking me to France in a couple of days and I have no idea when we'll be back."

Dave suppressed a mean-spirited grin at the look of disappointment that the other man quickly masked.

Cooper quickly moved forward to slip a card into Kurt's free hand and gave them a slick grin, his eyes a little challenging as he looked over at David. "Well, here are my numbers; give me a call when you get back – if your fiancé doesn't mind, that is."

Kurt, unaware of the undercurrents, scoffed lightly as he chuckled. "Why would David mind? It was nice seeing you, Coop, and I'll be in touch soon. Bye, gotta run!"

With a little flutter of his fingers he was off down the steps with Dave right behind him. Relaxing finally in the back seat of the car, Dave watched as Anderson stood gazing after them as the car pulled into the afternoon traffic. He sat back and mused about the brief encounter; Kurt couldn't see it but that guy had trouble written all over him.

Pulling a happily chattering Kurt closer to him, he dropped a quick kiss onto the fragrant hair and wondered if he would have to spend the rest of his life shielding his oblivious sweetheart from predators. Because that was what Cooper Anderson was and Dave had a feeling that he was planning to make a nuisance of himself – if he was allowed. Dave wondered now how ruthless he was going to have to be to protect what was now his.

Kurt's beautiful eyes gleamed as he and Mercedes re-hashed favorite moments in the play and Dave sat back to enjoy their chatter. He'd given the driver the address of his townhouse so they were headed there now and he could not wait to see Kurt's reaction when he saw the place for the first time.

He was determined to put that smarmy Anderson character out of his mind and enjoy the upcoming tour of his parents' house. It had been one of his favorite places to stay not because of its obvious wealth but because of its architectural peculiarities and personality. His mind wandered now to the background chatter from the two friends and he wondered if, in another life, he'd been an architect or builder. Certainly, most of his properties that he personally bought had something special about them. They were not just bought to build his portfolio of acquisitions; he actually needed to find something interesting about each property.

Minutes later they were turning onto East 70th Street and Kurt, not having any idea which house was theirs, was looking out both windows. With a sense of déjà vu, David tapped him and pointed out of the correct window, chuckling at the gasps in stereo. Mercedes as well was staring out of the window with her mouth slightly ajar.

Kurt turned to look at him in silence for a couple of seconds and then launched himself at Dave.

"Wow, sweetie, this belonged to your parents? Oh, my god!" His eyes were almost bugging out as he leaned over David, almost kneeling on the larger man's lap to get a good look before getting out.

Ian smirked at Dave's discomfort but quickly righted his face as they prepared to get out of the limousine. The tree-lined street was nearly empty of traffic as the group got out to stare up at the 19th century edifice.

"Oh, Kurt, I can't imagine what this would retail for if it ever went on the market," Mercedes announced, a slightly predatory professional gleam in her wide brown eyes. "This is absolutely beautiful. How old is it, Dave?"

They stood gazing up at the five-storey building and gaping at the façade which was dominated by a two-storey elliptical bay supported by fluted columns.

"I think it was one of the first to be built in the 1860s and the other façades are just as stunning, I think," and they all looked up and down the street at the other houses. True enough, their house was flanked by quite striking edifices and Kurt thought that street must be one of the most sought-after locations off Park Avenue.

"Wow," he breathed again, but felt pressured to add: "Ours is the most unusual, though – with the bay windows, don't you think?"

Dave looked at him with a fondness that was hard to miss. He tugged Kurt by the hand and announced: "I have the keys; let's go inside for a tour."

Letting out a little cheer, Kurt in turn grabbed Mercedes' hand and she happily went along, laughing as she hurried to catch up. Ian brought up the rear as he stared up and down the street, threat-assessing as usual. There were hardly any people about but for a few residents walking high-priced and obviously pampered pooches. He scoffed silently to himself, wondering what good those little walking powder puffs could do to protect their owners. Shaking his head he followed the others up the steps into the truly fabulous house.

.

KHDK

.

Stepping into the eye-catching foyer with its Italian marble flooring and grand skylight, Mercedes was in seventh heaven and she began pointing out the unusual features in the obviously freshly refurbished townhouse. Reminding Kurt of the real estate agent's mantra of 'location, location, location', she happily set to touring the five floors, using the elevator, of course. Kurt was wandering around much more slowly with David as his tour guide.

At one time their paths crossed and she happily informed him: "Baby boy, do you know this house has five bedrooms and seven baths? That's not the only interesting thing, though," and she waited for him to look over at her, grinning at her excitement.

"Okay, apart from the fact that the house is fantastic and it's over a hundred years old – what?" Her enthusiasm was wonderful to see and he enjoyed teasing her.

"Well, FYI, you have not just one but two terraces!" Her shining brown eyes were wide as she imparted this bit of data. "Oh, and don't forget to scope out that gorgeous grand piano in that massive drawing room!"

Kurt turned to look at David for an explanation who simply shrugged. "Hey, my parents were seriously into music and they also liked to entertain. Anyway, wanna see my old bedroom? Better yet, our new bedroom?"

Kurt's eyes glowed as he laughed and then suddenly he was grabbing David's hand, heading towards what was apparently the elevator situated behind beautiful wrought iron grilles. They rose slowly and majestically up to the fifth floor and Kurt sucked in a breath when David let them out of the lift.

The suite's huge, airy expanse was breathtaking and Kurt almost imagined he could smell a woman's perfume in the cool air. The paneled walls were painted a very soft green and all the fabric in the suite was in shades of green, a soft blue and touches of cream and gold. Walking slowly into the beautiful space he looked around, turning in one spot as he examined everything, noting that the huge bed was in an alcove, and then smiled at David.

"I think I could be very happy here, David." His eyes were soft, almost looking inward as he imagined what living here with David would be like.

Dave came up to him and wrapped him in his arms, snuggling his nose into Kurt's neck. "I'm glad," he whispered. "I have only good memories, y'know…"

Kurt hugged him tight and answered softly. "I can tell, sweetie, I can feel it." He eased away slightly to smile at the rather eclectic mix of furnishings and eye-catching art work. "Did you select all these?"

Dave moved over to open the filmy curtains through which the afternoon light had been streaming. The city's skyline would be just barely visible through the leafy canopy but Kurt didn't mind. The ambiance of this breathtaking house was already a lot to handle.

"Some of the things were my parents', of course. They loved the arts, all kinds – fine and performing – so of course they would love collecting, too."

Kurt hummed in agreement, walking over to pick up and examine an exotic-looking bronze from an end table. He wandered around, deliberately avoiding the alcove where the bed loomed and then turned back to smile at his lover.

"I'd like to see your bedroom now, please." He smiled as David then corrected him with just a look. "Sorry, old bedroom."

They chuckled as Dave once again took his hand and led him to the elevator. As they stepped in he informed him that they had a special entrance code for the lift so that no one could just wander up to their floor uninvited.

Kurt looked a little surprised at that but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can see how that would make sense. Wow, it really is huge, though; the sitting area is almost as large as a regular drawing room."

"Yeah, because it takes up the entire top floor, and the en suite is huge too. My mom seriously loved a big bathroom."

Kurt looked at him to see if there was any lingering sadness when he spoke of his parents. There was none but the golden eyes were soft in reminiscence.

They descended slowly and at the little ping, David drew back the grille to let them out. Just past a small foyer, Kurt was charmed by his first look at David's room and smiled at the odd knickknacks still lying around.

"Wow, what's with all the model planes, you dork," he laughed as he ducked to miss a Fokker that looked hand-painted, strung up from the ceiling.

Dave laughed as he too, moved around the room, touching a model here and another there. "Hey, I was an only child. I had to make my own entertainment a lot of the time. Unfortunately, most of it was war games with opposing armies battling it out on my bedroom floor. When I got older it was mostly about sports and video games. The usual," he shrugged as he smiled at Kurt.

"Gee, I can see that!" Kurt indicated with his chin the welter of discarded game consoles and wires and extension cords that was heaped on a desk in one corner. Stepping further into the room he noticed the area near the bed had a lot of – ahem, interesting – posters on the wall. Near naked women in vaguely pornographic poses leered down toward the bed in which, no doubt, a horny teenage David had probably indulged in solitary pleasure.

"Oh, no, tell me the people who refurbished didn't come up here and see all this!" Kurt's mock horror only served to crack Dave up and he chortled at the look on his lover's face.

"Oh, definitely not! I told them I wanted this room to remain untouched. What do you think – maybe our kids would like this floor, huh?"

Kurt froze, a smile still on his face but he nodded and at David's inquiring look suggested they finish their tour. Dave wondered why Kurt had suddenly clammed up but since he didn't look particularly distressed he simply let it pass.

Their tour took them through the rest of the fourth floor with its little sitting room and another bedroom. Then they headed down to the third floor with its one huge guest suite, en suite bathroom and sitting room (a mother-in-law suite if ever there were one); then the second floor with a large entertainment/family room, an office large enough to accommodate two workaholics and beside it, a fully-equipped library.

Finally, they reached the ground floor. The vast kitchen was stocked with state-of-the-art appliances, a walk-in pantry and a dining area and breakfast nook situated to get the morning sun. Next to the kitchen was a formal dining room able to seat twenty comfortably. Beyond that was a lovely formal drawing room big enough to double as a small ballroom with the most gorgeous chandeliers and oil paintings everywhere. The large French windows led to a sweet little gazebo sitting in the middle of a small but charming walled garden. The last room was a bit unexpected: it was a sitting room that was so elegant, one wall was all glass sliding doors that opened onto a private, plant-drenched patio.

To say Kurt was bowled over by the beauty of their home would be the understatement of the last century and suddenly Dave found himself handing over his own large, white handkerchief as his lover teared up. Dave knew his love was overwhelmed by not just the beautiful décor and its obvious wealth but apparently by the fact that Dave had lived here, had grown up here with his late parents.

Kurt explained that he felt as if he were seeing a part of David's early life and when he noticed a silver-framed photo of Dave and his parents on the mantelpiece he turned his face into Dave's chest so no one else could see his tears.

By that time Mercedes and Ian had joined them and been trailing after them through the ground floor rooms. Now they excused themselves quietly to go and marvel over the little patio while Dave led Kurt to one of the couches in the drawing room.

Dave cuddled him as he calmed down and then, from the vicinity of his chest he heard, low and soft: "At least two…"

A second or two passed in silence while Dave digested that and when Kurt raised his head to look at him, he asked his smiling lover: "Girl first?"

Kurt grinned as he crossed his fingers. "Whatever… I'm not fussy at all."

Their quiet laughter wafted out to the others waiting in the little garden and Mercedes smiled; her boy was in good hands and that was a very good feeling, indeed.

.

TBC

.

A/N 2: There might be a short break as RL intrudes and things need to be sorted. Never fear, dear readers, I'm not likely to abandon this universe because I'm unashamedly in love with this version of Kurt and David. So, in the immortal words: I'LL BE BACK!