A/N: This was supposed to be a filler chapter. It is, in fact, not.

Chapter 20

Making Plans

oOo

Friday, 21 February 2025

When Kurt told Finn and Rachel about the practically free vacation they were shocked, to say the least.

They tried to decline, but Kurt explained how adamant Dave was about them receiving the gift. Kurt had even played messenger between the couple and Dave so many times, he was almost tempted to give Rachel and Finn Dave's phone number, but he knew he would never hear the end of it from the man. Time and time again, Dave pressed that they should take the gift. Kurt explained Dave's circumstances to the two of them-how Dave didn't want to go on a vacation that was meant for him and his ex, and that it was meant to be an early baby shower present.

"Why would he give us a four hundred dollar gift? He could just refund them?" Rachel mused in a half-disbelieving screech from Kurt's living room. She was lounging on his couch as she flipped through Kurt's February issue of Vogue. The magazine was propped up on her ever-growing stomach.

"I don't know," Kurt shrugged a shoulder as he stirred the homemade bacon and potato chowder he had on the stove. He had invited the two to lunch. He knew how antsy Rachel had become since taking her maternity leave early. As entertaining as it would be to see a pregnant Elphaba being lifted 20-something feet in the air, it probably wasn't the best idea.

Which was why Kurt didn't understand why she would want to pass up on such a generous gift. He agreed with Dave about how the two needed to enjoy some rest and relaxation before the big day. But that didn't mean he wasn't just as surprised by the gesture as Finn and Rachel had been. However, it didn't take long after reuniting with Dave to realize just how kind and giving the man was.

So with one day left before their tentative vacation, Rachel was still contemplating their decision. Finn on the other hand…

"He said it was a gift. It's the least he could do after how he treated us in high school."

"Finn!" Kurt reprimanded. Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head as he took a bite of the slice of toasted and buttered French bread he snuck from the pan while Kurt wasn't looking. "And stop stealing the bread, there won't be any left for the soup.

"Sorry, m'hungry," he mumbled, a few crumbs falling from his mouth and onto his shirt. He brushed them away.

"I just don't get it," Rachel continued, in a thoughtful tone. "It's just… Too nice."

"News flash…" Kurt said as he turned the stove down to a simmer and continued to stir the chowder so it wouldn't burn. "Dave is nice. It's almost like a person can change and grow after a decade. Not to mention how much he had changed in a couple of months in high school. Are you aware that he apologized to me in our junior year? Like… Actually apologized. And he still beats himself up for it, you know."

"Sorry," Finn said, actually sounding apologetic. "It's just hard to believe that he's the same person who threw slushies at us."

"Except he's not the same person," Kurt pointed out, pointing the wooden spoon at Finn who was leaning on the counter next to him after he tapped the excess off into the pot.

"You know what I mean."

Kurt set the spoon on the silicone holder before he turned towards Rachel, resting his hands on the edge of the counter at the sink. He peered at her over the bar as she tossed the magazine onto the coffee table.

"Do you think…" She huffed as she struggled to sit up. Finn, the knight in shining armor—and breadcrumbs—rushed to her aid. Holding the half-eaten piece of bread in his mouth, he took his wife's hands and pulled her up into a sitting position.

"Do you think you could have him come down here? I want to thank him personally." Rachel looked down at her hand, which seemed to have some buttery residue on it thanks to Finn. She wiped it off on her stretchy leggings. Kurt supposed she would have to get used to having random food substances on her to prepare for the baby's arrival.

"So, you finally decided we're gonna go then?" Finn asked, hopefully.

"Maybe…" she said. There was a suspicious glint in her eye that went unnoticed by Finn but was very obvious to Kurt. Whatever she was planning he didn't like it. He was quite familiar with Rachel's schemes from their Glee Club days.

"Sure, you want me to just ask him to come over?" Kurt asked dubiously, leaving the kitchen to join them in the living room. He picked up his phone on the coffee table next to the magazine Rachel discarded.

"Please," Rachel said sweetly, he hands resting on her belly. Kurt pulled out his phone to send Dave a text.

"Are you home? Rachel and Finn are here and she wanted to speak with you."

Kurt hadn't seen the man in almost a week. While this had merely been a coincidence, Kurt was almost thankful for Dave's absence out of sheer embarrassment.

Opening up about his feelings was not something Kurt was used to. Even as a teen, he was more likely to bottle his emotions until the pressure built up and burst out like a cork. He knew Dave didn't judge him, but it still... Sharing his feelings opened up a scab he didn't know he had. And Dave's concern was almost too much for him to bear. There was a part of him that was almost glad for the length of time that passed since that day. He needed time to deal with the myriad of emotions he was feeling, not only about what he told Dave, but… About Dave.

All he could think of was the hug. The way Dave's arms seemed to keep him afloat as he rode the wave of the emotions crashing down on him… the comforting smell of the detergent in his clothes that never seemed to dissipate from his senses. The way he had looked at him, his eyes full of emotion and a myriad of colors.

He could remember every time he had hugged Dave, but this time it felt different.

This time it made his heart ache.

Kurt realized, as his phone buzzed in his hand, that he had been staring at Dave's contact photo for far too long. He wondered what Dave would say if he knew he had not only captured the candid photo but programmed his phone so the photo so he would see it every time he went to text the man or see it pop up any time he called.

Kurt felt a pair of eyes on him and he looked up to see Finn and Rachel staring at him with looks of confusion and amusement respectively, and Kurt realized he had all but jumped at the notification.

"Yeah, sure. Be right down." Dave's reply was prompt as usual. It was almost as if he had his phone with him at all times. Like he expected Kurt to text or call.

Kurt couldn't help the smile that twitched into place on his face as he turned off the phone screen and set it back down on the table. He pressed his lips together in an attempt to hide it. He only now realized how much he had missed Dave.

"He's on his way," Kurt said as he turned back to the kitchen if only to conceal the full-blown grin on his face.

oOo

"Are you home? Rachel and Finn are here and she wanted to speak with you."

Dave stared at his phone in hand and couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed at the words on the screen.

It had been almost one week since he saw Kurt, and he hoped the message he received was one of Kurt asking to see him and not Kurt's sister-in-law.

He couldn't stop thinking about Kurt. For six days the man occupied all of his waking thoughts. He might have occupied his dreams as well. He even tried writing but even that came with great difficulty, but somehow he managed to write a few pages by channeling his anger and frustration into his words.

Seeing Kurt like that broke his heart. Listening to Kurt tell his story, how he had been cheated not once but twice by his ex-husband was enough to make him wish he had roughed up Blaine a bit more the two times he ran into him at McKinley. The thoughts of violence that he had long been rid of thanks to the wonders of therapy and self-acceptance seemed to creep back into his psyche, which only left him feeling guilty for wanting to revert to his old ways. He tried to remind himself that Kurt was no longer with the asshole—that it didn't matter. Except it did.

It fucking killed him.

He never saw Kurt cry before. Not even when he flew into the boy's locker room in a flurry of anger. Not even during Prom, when he was crowned "queen". Though upon returning after having run out of the gymnasium, he could tell Kurt had been crying—how hurt he was. The day he apologized to Kurt in the halls of McKinley for everything he had done, tears filled his stunning blue eyes. But none of these instances could compare to seeing Kurt cry, weep, and break down as he did.

He could tell Kurt kept this pain buried deep since his divorce. That he never truly came to terms with his marriage ending, but Dave was glad he could be the one he could turn to. Kurt trusted him—not a feeling he ever would have thought would come of he and Kurt running into each other four months ago.

There were several feelings he wasn't expecting to feel since running into him that day.

He was doing his best to keep those burgeoning feelings at bay. He knew nothing would ever come of them. But they continued to creep up, especially in the form of his actions with Kurt. The day after he witnessed Kurt breaking down he texted the man, hoping that the message was the first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning.

"Are you okay?"

The message had been simple and Kurt's reply was prompt.

"I am."

It was sick and wrong for him to hope otherwise. For Kurt to say "no, I feel horrible". The only reason he hoped for this was that he knew Kurt well enough to know he was lying. Hiding his pain once more. Had Kurt been honest about his feelings, Dave knew he would rush to his side once more.

"Let me know if you need anything," was his reply. He would drop everything he was doing if it meant being able to help Kurt. Hell, he could be in a broken-down cab on the opposite end of the Brooklyn Bridge and swim back if he had to.

He and Kurt were friends and he knew Kurt was happy being single, just as he said he was at the bar the week before when the pianist tried to hit on him. Dave just hoped that the feelings would diminish over time. After all, they had before. But the difference was, he had cut off all contact with Kurt when he moved to New York in an attempt to get over him. And it had worked. But now he was forced to see Kurt almost every week…

'Forced…' Dave had to laugh at that term. As if he wouldn't be content to spend every waking moment with that man. Texting him to make sure he was okay.

"Thank you," was all that Kurt had replied.

And now, Kurt texted him to come down to his apartment...

Honestly, as much he wanted to see Kurt, today was the one day preferred to be alone. It was the day that filled him with the same dread every year. The day that evoked emotions with him that he thought would pass in time.

It was the day that he tried to take his own life. The day his mom told him that he had a disease—that he could be cured. The day his dad told him he wanted to send him to New York. Give him a new life. The day his dad had ultimately stood up for him even if it meant sending him away.

There was a part of him that, when Kurt had opened up to him, wished he had done the same. But it wasn't like him to burden someone with his problems when they were dealing with their own.

Dave's thumbs hovered over the keyboard after reading the older texts and the new. It didn't take much for him to automatically type out a reply, despite every fiber of his being wanting to keep under seclusion the rest of the day.

"Yeah, sure. Be right down."

oOo

There was a gentle knock on the door and somehow, despite her belly weighing her down considerably, Rachel jumped up off the couch at the sound. Kurt barely rounded the corner of the kitchen that met the living room when Rachel pulled the door open

"David!" Rachel said enthusiastically upon seeing Dave standing on the threshold. His hands were in his pockets and he looked slightly hunched. Since knowing Dave… This Dave… He always seemed so confident, almost proud of the person he had become, but still humble. This Dave on the other side of the door, on the other hand, was more reminiscent of the suffering teen who had been called into the principal's office with his father all those years ago.

Pushing his worry away, Kurt crossed his arms and shook his head at the spectacle of the two who looked like they might as well be best friends despite being total opposites. Rachel pulled on his arm without asking if he wanted to come in, but Dave barely paid any attention to her. Dave's eyes seemed to find him as soon as he entered the apartment. There was a certain sadness in them that his amusement towards Rachel tried to mask. Dave smiled weakly at him, the expression not unlike the look in his eyes. It lacked the vibrancy he was so used to seeing. Kurt smiled encouragingly all the same-both for having to put up with Rachel and for whatever battle he was currently faced with.

"Thank you so much for coming." Rachel's words stirred Kurt from his reverie. Tearing his eyes from Dave who was being pushed into the couch by the woman half his size, Kurt returned to the kitchen. He picked up the spoon and stirred the soup to the same rhythm of his heart pumping in his chest. Which was fast enough that it made the soup splatter the otherwise clean stove.

"No problem," Dave said nonchalantly. Rachel continued quickly as if she had written a speech beforehand.

"I felt that merely asking Kurt to relay our thanks would simply not suffice. My husband and I…" she paused and Kurt only assumed she was pulling a begrudging Finn into their conversation. "Are so appreciative of the gift you gave us. However, we simply can't accept it."

"What?"

"What?!"

Both Finn and Dave replied at the same time. Finn's reply, however, was far more outraged than Dave's.

"No, really it's fine," Dave said weakly. "Like I told Kurt…"

"We can't accept it," Rachel pressed on, "because I had an even better idea." Kurt could hear a mischievous lilt in her voice.

"You do?" Finn questioned suspiciously. "And you didn't think to let your husband in on this?" Kurt wanted to laugh at the couple's bickering and Dave being caught in between.

"Maybe…" Rachel said sweetly, in a sing-song voice, "I just thought of it now."

"Okay…" Dave said, not quite sure of what to make of the situation. Kurt assumed, considering how little time he had spent with Rachel, Dave wasn't used to her flair for the dramatic-for her long, drawn-out tales and inability to get to the point without weaving an intricate story.

"What if I give these back to you…"

"Wait what?" Finn said, practically choking on a mouthful of bread in his displeasure at the situation.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder to see Rachel handing the envelope back to Dave. She was up to something, as usual. Kurt opened up the drawer to pull out a metal spoon to taste the soup, though he knew it would be perfect.

"Let me finish," Rachel sighed. Kurt heard a succession of thuds-probably Rachel pounding on Finn's back lest he suffocate.

"What if I gave these back to you and Finn and I buy our own plane tickets and we can all go together?"

Kurt dropped the spoonful of soup he was about to taste into the pot. The resulting calamity made a few thick globules fly into the air and onto Kurt's hand.

"Shit," Kurt cursed, wiping his hand on a hand towel.

"Kurt?" came Finn's voice.

The soup had created a small, but angry, burn on his finger and the contact from the towel only made it worse. Kurt hissed in pain. The room had gone quiet and Kurt felt a presence at his side. Considering how it was Finn who voiced his concern in the first place, he assumed it was his brother at his side taking his elbow. Inhaling sharply from the pain, Kurt took in the familiar, clean smell of laundry detergent and instantly knew it was Dave.

"You okay?" Dave asked soft enough he doubted Rachel and Finn heard him. He tilted his head up to see the worry etched in Dave's face. For such a small mishap, he couldn't help but wonder how Dave would react if he was in any actual danger. Kurt shook his head to free himself of his sudden Bella Swan-esque fantasies.

"It's fine. It's just a small burn," Kurt said weakly, holding the spot which only doubled the pain.

"Here," Dave said upon hearing Kurt's muffled moan of pain and took his wrist to examine the mark. It was already turning into a blister.

"You need to put it under cold water," Dave said with a chuckle like it was the most obvious of remedies in the world. All of Kurt's logic and novice first-aid knowledge seemed to fly out the window where Dave was involved. He guided Kurt to the sink and turned the faucet on. He tested the water first to make sure it was cold before placing Kurt's hand under the steady stream of water so the water rolled over the burn rather than directly on it. While his hand felt cool and relatively pain-free from the water, his face burned what with Dave pressed against his side.

"It's fine," Kurt said quietly, hoping Dave would let go of his arm before he noticed him trembling.

Noticing that the room had gone quiet, he and Dave looked up momentarily to see Rachel and Finn staring at them with slightly raised eyebrows. Dave cleared his throat and pulled away, grabbing a towel to dry his hands, leaving Kurt to face the duality of relief and longing as moved away.

"As you were saying," Dave said gruffly as he put the towel down on the counter and moved back to the living room.

"Right..." Rachel said pensively, trying to make sense of what just occurred. "So what do you think?"

"You want all of us to go together? And by all of us you mean you and Finn and me and… Kurt?"

"Yes! Doesn't that sound fun? Since the flight is tomorrow the tickets should be really cheap. I could go online and buy them right now."

"Do I not get a say in this," Kurt said, turning the water off and shaking his hand so the water would drip down into the sink. Placing the towel directly on it had been a painful mistake. Almost as painful as their conversation.

"Oh, come on Kurt. You haven't had a vacation in forever, you need a break."

"You told me the return flight is Monday afternoon. I have to work."

"Really, Kurt?" she said disbelievingly. "You can take a day off. You deserve a vacation. Both of you. The more the merrier."

"I…" Kurt glanced at Dave who still seemed to be weighing his options. "I guess I could go, it would be nice. Especially to feel the warmth of the sun. Only if Dave wouldn't mind having me as his plus one."

The words came out before he could stop them. As he heard them leave his mouth, Dave's head jerked in his direction. He knew exactly what they sounded like. He made it sound like a date. Like Dave was going to a friend's wedding and Kurt was his date. Or Rachel and Finn asking him to go sing some karaoke and him asking…

Oh...

"I mean…" Kurt stammered feeling embarrassed under Dave's unfaltering, steely gaze. "Only if Dave doesn't mind me tagging along. They are his tickets after all," then, adding hastily. "I can buy my own, actually."

"No, Kurt," Dave said, his expression softening. He shook his head, "I don't want this ticket to go to waste. And I can use a break from all the writing. Let's… Let's all go together." Kurt didn't miss the emphasis on the "together" and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. What was he even thinking? Of course, it wasn't a date. It was just… Four friends hanging out.

Dave dug into the envelope and pulled out one of the tickets and handed it to him. Kurt tentatively walked towards him.

"If you're sure."

Dave laughed softly, "I am."

Rachel let out a squeal before Kurt could even take the ticket, far too excited for her own good. She gave a little jump, her hands clasped together.

"This is going to be so much fun. Oh my gosh. We can go to the beach. And all the little shops we can go to, Kurt!" Rachel squeezed Kurt around his entire body and Kurt gave a rather pained smile.

Kurt glanced at Dave, whose head was ducked down as he busied himself with putting the ticket into the back pocket. Kurt could tell he was trying to conceal his amusement-all that mattered was Dave didn't seem nearly as upset as he was when he arrived.

"Well," Finn said, finally chiming in, "at least I will have someone to hang out with while Kurt and Rache go shopping." Dave snorted.

"Sounds like a plan," Dave agreed, sharing a congenial smile with Finn. "So, I'll see you guys tomorrow then?" he said, more of a statement than an actual question as he made to leave.

"Wait," Kurt burst out as Dave turned around. Dave paused, turning back to look at him, confused by his outburst. "You can stay for lunch if you want. I made potato and bacon soup?" Kurt realized how hopeful he sounded and he wondered how much Finn and Rachel were going to talk about him on the cab ride back to their apartment.

Dave only chuckled, "That sounds awesome, but I am supposed to go to my aunt and uncle's for dinner. Gotta save room for my aunt's pasta," he said patting his belly.

"Oh…" Kurt said, crestfallen. "Okay then."

"Maybe some other time," Dave added quickly, noticing Kurt's disappointment as he opened the door, "I'll see ya."

"Bye," Kurt said with a soft smile.

"Bye, Dave!" Rachel said enthusiastically from behind Kurt. He almost forgot he wasn't alone in the room.

Dave only smiled as shook his head as he left Kurt's apartment. As much as he and Dave were friends, he was surprised at how quick Dave had warmed up to Rachel and her antics. He may have had more patience than him.

"Can you guys give me a sec," Kurt said quickly, "there was something I wanted to talk to Dave about."

"Oh," Rachel said in surprise, "something that can only be said in private, or…?"

"Yes, actually," Kurt said smartly. "Go take the soup off the burner. It should be done by now.

"Fine," Rachel huffed, as Kurt pulled open the door, hoping Dave hadn't made it as far as the elevator.

oOo

"Dave?"

Dave turned around upon hearing Kurt's voice and saw Kurt practically jogging towards him. He frowned.

"What's up?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant and not like he had been reliving the feel of Kurt's soft hand under his.

"Sorry, I just… Couldn't help but sense that there was something wrong when Rachel dragged you into my apartment." He chuckled, sounding more uneasy and nervous than amused. As if he had done something to upset Dave. "Aside from the obvious fact of Rachel dragging you into my apartment."

Dave's heart clenched at Kurt's level of concern. He was right, of course, but that didn't mean he was ready to talk about it. Nor did he want Kurt to worry about him.

It almost felt trivial being upset about a failed suicide attempt. He had lived after all. And he was glad he did. He had so much to live for—to look forward to. Kurt coming back into his life was just one of the many things he was thankful for. What he supposed was the most difficult part of his attempt was what had led to it. The fact that he was outed. He never got to come out on his own terms. That he faced the vitriol of his peers. And the shame he felt upon experiencing what he had put Kurt through for months.

"No," Dave said, smiling and hoping Kurt couldn't sense his pain. He knew Kurt could see right through him. "Everything's fine, I just…" he took a deep, steadying breath. He hated lying to Kurt. How easy it would have been to just tell Kurt he was having a bad day and he wasn't up to talking about it. That would just open up more doors. More questions. More worry and stress that he didn't want to unload onto Kurt. "Kind of hit a writer's block, that's all. I'm just frustrated by the writing process."

"Oh, good," Kurt said hesitantly, before gaping. "I don't mean good as in you having a writer's block. I just meant… I'm glad you're okay."

His heart fluttered at Kurt's kindness-the fact that he thought to check on him after leaving his apartment. Kurt's smile filled him with so much warmth that he could almost forget why he was upset in the first place. He could feel a smile grace his own lips as he considered Kurt's words carefully. Despite his breath being swept away upon seeing the compassion in the man's eyes he managed to respond and found that his response was, in fact, truthful.

"I am."