CHAPTER EIGHT

"Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop"

West 48th Street, New York City: Winter 2013

"Just got off the subway," Kurt announced over the phone to his dad. He paused at the top of the stairs to tighten the scarlet scarf around his neck and brush a couple of snowflakes off of the black peacoat Carole had gotten him for Christmas. He felt something big and solid bump into him from behind, nearly knocking his phone out of his hand. Kurt looked up just in time to see a tall, red-faced man wearing a bulky puffer jacket and a black skully.

"Move outta the way, asshole," he growled as he brushed past Kurt.

"Who was that?" Burt asked.

"Oh, that was the welcoming committee."

"Is everything okay, Kurt?"

He winced at what he heard in his dad's voice. It was the same tone he used whenever he knew something was up but unsure how to broach the conversation. It was a tone that was becoming more and more commonplace during their daily check-ins ever since he moved to New York, a few weeks ago, and the worst part was, no amount of convincing on Kurt's part seemed to quell his concern.

"I'm fine," he said for what felt like the gazillionth time. He switched his phone from his right ear to his left and started off down the sidewalk. "Still trying to get my bearings."

"How's the apartment?"

His new living situation consisted of a two-bedroom apartment in Bushwick with a full kitchen and one bathroom. The rent was pretty affordable when divided between his four new roommates: Kimberly, a wannabe event planner who moonlit as a burlesque performer at a club in New Jersey; her barista boyfriend, Bobby; Jimmy who was finishing up an accounting degree at Fordham University; and Keisha, an aspiring Broadway actress who could've given Rachel Berry a run for her money. It was quite an adjustment going from having his own bedroom with a queen-sized bed back in Lima to sleeping on a tiny air mattress in the corner of what was basically their communal area, two feet away from a litter box, but in the words of Tim Gunn, he was 'making it work'.

"Everything's great," he said as he tried to keep pace with those walking around him. "Actually, Kim has the night off so she's making dinner for all of us."

"Is she the stripper?"

"Burlesque performer."

"Hey, I'm not judging."

Kurt rolled his eyes internally as he came to a stop outside of the vintage clothing boutique he'd scoped out the week before. He pressed his forehead against the window and saw the lights were off. He made a mental note to drop by at the end of his shift.

"How's Rachel?"

Kurt rubbed his gloved hands together as he resumed walking. "Insanely busy as always," he said trying his best not to sound bitter. "We were supposed to meet for brunch yesterday, but she never showed."

"Maybe she forgot?" Burt suggested.

"Not likely. Rachel Berry has a planner for her planner. I guess slumming it with her old high school friend doesn't rank high on her list of priorities."

"Oh, Kurt -."

"No, Dad … it's fine. Really, it is. It's just another reminder that I'm alone here and that I need to find a way to meet people."

"Kurt, I just want you to know that it's taking every fiber of my being not to worry right now. I know I promised that I'd try lessening up on the reins a bit, but you're five hundred miles away -."

"Five hundred and eighty-nine miles actually," Kurt said. "Give or take a few miles. I Googled the distance."

"Well, I stand corrected," Burt said. "Actually, the distance isn't really important right now. What is important is that you're there and you're all by yourself."

"I'm not alone, Dad. I'm in a city with over eight million people."

"Kurt -."

"Dad," he sighed. "I know I'm not exactly painting the best picture here, but I promise that everything's fine. Look, we both knew that me moving here wasn't going to be an easy transition. If I'm truly going to make this work, I need to be able to stand on my own two feet. And – if I ever get knocked down, trust me – you'll be the first person I call."

"You better." Kurt could hear the reservation in his dad's voice, and it made him want to jump through the phone and hug him tight. The move had been hard for the both of them, for different reasons. Burt still very much viewed himself as his protector which Kurt found really sweet. He realized not many gay kids his age had a Burt Hummel in their corner which is something he tried not to take for granted. Still, there were moments where he wished his dad were more like the dads he saw on sitcoms growing up, the gruff papa bear types who told their sons to buck up and carry on. Maybe then he wouldn't have trouble falling asleep at night because of the tremendous guilt that sat on his chest like an elephant.

"Are you there yet?"

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief at the change of subject. "Almost," he said, watching the numbers tick down on the walk signal. "Trying to get rid of me?"

Burt made a pssh sound and said, "No, it's just that I left Finn in charge while I went over to Bob's."

"You went to Bob's?" Kurt practically screamed into his phone.

"Relax, kiddo – I only had a salad. No dressing."

Kurt felt the stress in chest uncoil a bit. "I'm sure if you asked Carole nicely, she'd buy some of those salad kits next time she goes to the grocery store."

"Carole makes my lunch four times a week," Burt said. "I only eat out once a week and Bob and I go way back."

What little resolve Kurt had left started to erode. Ever since his dad's heart attack, junior year of high school, he'd monitored his dad's diet like a hawk. He knew that if anyone could carry on in his absence, it was Carole, but he also knew that she couldn't watch him 24/7.

"How's Dave?"

Another change of subject. Kurt couldn't help but smile and shake his head. He cleared his throat and answered, "I don't know. I haven't talked to him." He hoped the tone in his voice conveyed that he was done with the topic and wanted to move on.

"I talked to Paul."

Kurt saw the little café that Rachel had recommended just ahead. It was sandwiched between a Duane Reade and a 24-hour laundromat. He looked down at his watch and saw it was a quarter till one. His shift at the coffee shop started at two.

"He said that Dave moved in with some guy across the hall."

"Joe," Kurt said. "Makes sense. The two of them are like two peas in a pod."

"That's what Paul said. Anywho, I was just wondering if you'd heard from him, and it sounds like you haven't."

Kurt wanted to tell him that he and Dave's lack of communication was by design but broaching the topic with his dad when his emotions were still so raw while standing outside of a cute café wasn't the look.

"Um, Dad – I'm here. Can I call you later?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," Burt said sounding a bit hurt by the sudden shift. "It was … I'm really glad we got to catch up."

Kurt looked down at his feet and closed his eyes as tight as he could. "Me, too."

"And Kurt – I just wanted to say that I'm really proud of you. What you're doing now takes a helluva lot of nerve, more nerve than I ever had when I was your age."

Kurt opened his eyes and the tears he'd been damming back started to flow freely. He immediately lifted his arm and swiped his gloved hand across his face. "Dad," his voice sounded so small, like it belonged to someone else. "That means a lot. It really does. I appreciate you supporting me. Always."

Burt laughed and said, "Well, you and I both know I've never been able to tell you no. Only your mother could do that." Kurt could hear him choking back his own emotion.

"You think she would have been okay with this?" Kurt asked. "Me coming to New York. Instead of going to college?"

"Not only would she have been okay with it," Burt spoke. "She would've talked you into going there sooner."

The last few weeks had Kurt wondering if he'd made the right decision going to Chicago with Dave rather than come to New York after their epic summer together.

"Then again," his dad continued. "I'm a big believer that things happen for a reason. Perhaps you took the long way to get where you are, but the most important thing is that you got there."

Kurt was relieved to hear his dad echo his own feelings. It was pointless to wonder what could have been. Even though their romance was short-lived, Kurt treasured every moment he'd spent in Chicago with Dave, the good, the bad, and the messy.

And if he had to do it all over again, he'd choose Dave Karofsky every single time.

"I better let you go," Burt said. "I've got like four cars to get done before we call it a day."

"Okay," Kurt said nodding his head. "Dad – I love you. So much."

"I love you, too, kiddo. Talk to you soon."

Kurt heard the call end and he looked down at his phone screen. The photo he was using as wallpaper had been taken the previous fall. Both he and Dave stood at the top of the Willis Tower. It was their first official date and their first time exploring Chicago outside of campus. The two of them looked so happy.

He pressed the lock button and the picture disappeared. He slid his phone inside the pocket of his coat and looked up at the entrance to the café. He inhaled through his nose and let the air escape between his lips. He took a step forward and pulled open the door. He was greeted by a delicious warmth and the smell of cinnamon and fresh baked bread.

Kurt took a step inside and was surprised to find the place wasn't packed. There was barely enough room to swing a cat, but the place was cozy and sort of reminded him of the Lima Bean back home. He took another step forward towards the petite young woman behind the counter. Kurt removed his gloves and placed them inside of his messenger bag. He then looked up and saw the name badge pinned to her purple apron said: Paisley.

"Good afternoon," she said in a bright voice. "How can I help you?"

"I was told to try your blueberry vegan scone," Kurt said to her.

Paisley's green eyes lit up and she said, "You're in luck! We just had a batch come out of the oven about thirty seconds ago."

"Must be my lucky day."

"Would you like anything else to go with it?"

Kurt recited his coffee order to her and thought about how there were only two people on the planet who knew what his preferred hot beverage was. He handed her a crisp ten-dollar bill and then deposited the change she handed back to him in the tip jar next to the register. She told him to find a table and she would bring out his order when it was ready.

He turned around and saw there were only four tables, three of which were already occupied. He claimed the last table which was tucked away in a small nook behind a set of narrow stairs leading up to an area that was closed off to customers. He sat his messenger bag down next to his chair and carefully removed his coat. He kept on the scarf because he loved how the red stood out against the black button down he was wearing. He took a seat and took a moment to survey his surroundings.

There was a couple sitting a few feet away, both of them nursing hot drinks in giant cups, their attention glued to their laptops. The guy was tall and bore a striking resemblance to his favorite Gossip Girl actor – Penn Badgley. The woman he sat opposite was tall and waifish with a Louise Brooks haircut.

There was an older gentleman sitting at the table closest to the door and he appeared to be reading something on his phone. The only other customer was sitting at a small booth with her back to Kurt. Dashboard Confessional played on a speaker bolted to the wall behind him. As Kurt settled back against the cushioned chair he was sitting in, he realized he was the most relaxed he'd been since he'd gotten off the plane some weeks ago.

Paisley appeared at his table five minutes later with his scone and his cup of coffee. She carefully sat them both on the table in front of him along with a stack of napkins and a set of silverware. Kurt thanked her and she quickly scurried back to her post.

Kurt slipped his phone out of his pocket and immediately launched Instagram. While his coffee cooled, he scrolled through his feed and saw what some of his old classmates were up to. Brittany had posted some photos of her and Santana during Christmas and New Year's. Brittany was wearing a red Ohio State sweatshirt in almost all the photos. There were a few pictures of Sam and the rest of the McKinley High School swim team. Oh, and apparently Quinn had a new boyfriend. Some handsome, dark-haired guy who looked like he came from money.

Kurt clicked on his own profile and saw the last thing he'd posted was from New Year's Eve. He and Dave stood alongside Paul Karofsky and his new wife, Kathleen, and her daughter, Alex. Dave and his father wore matching black tuxes. Kurt wore a suit that was the same shade of violet as Alex's strapless gown. Kathleen looked absolutely stunning in her vintage Vera Wang. Kurt blushed and touched his cheek as he recalled the smoldering kiss Dave had given him at midnight.

He turned on the camera and pointed it at his scone and coffee. He snapped a picture of his breakfast and uploaded it to his account. He then changed his profile picture to a selfie he'd taken on the subway ride over. He then opened Facebook and changed his relationship status to single. He knew doing so would solicit a lot of questions from those who were unaware of his breakup with Dave but if anyone asked, he would just tell them the truth. If this was the new chapter, he needed to put a close to the last.

"Excuse me."

Kurt sat his phone down on the table next to his untouched coffee and scone and looked up. He found himself staring into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Time and space seemed to no longer exist as his gaze moved downward towards a nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice to full, pink lips surrounded by blond scruff. Long hair that grazed his broad shoulders framed his narrow, handsome face.

He straightened in his chair as he continued his journey taking in the man in front of him. The thing he noticed aside from his eyes and nose and lips was how tall he was. Kurt held his own in the height department, but this guy had to be at least a foot taller. Thick muscle covered his upper body which was threatening to explode out of the dark-blue Henley he was wearing, Incredible Hulk-style. He held a coffee mug in one of his large, paw-like hands. His lips parted to reveal a set of flawless teeth.

"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked, nodding at the empty chair opposite Kurt.

Kurt blinked a few times and licked his lips. He quickly dropped his gaze to the table separating them and silently willed himself to speak to the gorgeous giant asking to sit with him.

"No," he managed to croak out after what seemed like an eternity passed. "You … you can sit down."

"Great, thanks."

Kurt sat speechless and watched as the blond god slid the chair back and sat down. He watched as he sat his coffee down and a few moments later their gazes met again.

"Usually when I come here, the place is pretty empty," he said, carefully unfolding a paper napkin. "I usually stop by between auditions." He slowly lifted his mug to his lips and Kurt could see the steam rising off the liquid inside.

Kurt slid the small plate with his scone closer to him and pinched off a piece. He popped the small morsel into his mouth and immediately brushed away a few lingering crumbs. It wasn't the best thing he'd ever put into his mouth, but it was far from the worst.

"How long you been here?"

Kurt grinned and said, "That obvious, huh? It's been about … two weeks."

The other guy grinned as well and said, "I meant here."

"Oh," Kurt said clasping his hand over his mouth. He shook his head and said, "I thought … oh, um – about fifteen minutes. A friend of mine insisted I try the vegan scones."

"And?"

Kurt gave a slight shrug and said, "It's alright. I'm not vegan like she is but I try to be supportive."

"That's kind of you," he said. "My ex is vegan. Definitely made for an interesting trip to the grocery store."

"I can imagine," Kurt said reaching for his coffee.

"Where are my manners," the guy spoke wiping his hands on a napkin. He slowly reached across the table to extend his right hand. "I'm Dale," he said.

Kurt wiped his hand on the front of his jeans and then held it out. Dale took it in his and Kurt felt a spark, a slight jolt that sent a shockwave of something promising throughout his body. He shook his hand and decided that Dale would have to be the one to let go.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurt," Dale said in a voice that scintillated the lower half of his body. "And, welcome to New York."

Sebastian's lake house, Chautauqua, NY: Thursday, July 2

The room was much larger than he was expecting, and he certainly hadn't expected he would have his own en suite bathroom. Kurt had felt like little kid when Finn's rental pulled up to Sebastian's lake house three hours ago. The photos his stepbrother had texted him the previous week hadn't done justice to the postcard in front of him. As Kurt stood outside the truck, his senses were overtaken by his surroundings. The air smelled of maple and pine and fresh cut grass. The sound of birds could be heard overhead. Everything was bright and the colors were straight out of a Bob Ross painting. A warm breeze tickled the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Isn't it nice?" Finn had asked.

Kurt had opened his mouth to comment on how nice was such an understatement when he saw the other vehicle parked a few feet away. The words died on his tongue when he noticed the Allen County license plate on the back of the pickup. His eyes immediately went to Finn who seemed focused on the truck.

"Finn -."

Kurt closed his eyes, and he dismissed the memory from his head. He was back in the room that was his for the next few days. The space smelled of cedar and everything, even the shelves jutting from the walls, was knotty pine. The entire far wall was a window overlooking the sprawling backyard. Kurt felt a bit exposed as he approached the glass.

So much for having a private moment.

He looked over his shoulder at his luggage sitting in the doorway. Puck had been gracious enough to lug all of it up the driveway and up the staircase to the top floor after his blowup at Finn in the front yard. When Sebastian had come outside to greet them both and ask where he'd wanted to stay, Kurt had pointed at that incompetent, conniving stepbrother of his and responded with, "As far away from him as possible."

There was only one other bedroom on the top floor and that had been given to Santana who'd insisted on having one of the rooms with a built-in jacuzzi.

He'd barely had a chance to speak to Dave before Sebastian had ushered him off towards the lower level to show him where his room would be. Seeing Dave, in the flesh, had been more meaningful than Kurt could have ever imagined. While there were certainly no hard feelings between the two, he'd always assumed the longer they went without communicating, the more disconnected they would become. What he hadn't expected was the sudden resurgence of feelings and memories he thought were long buried. And if he felt them, did that mean Dave felt them as well?

"Knock, knock."

Kurt glanced up and saw Noah Puckerman standing in the doorway, looking more grown up than he'd ever seen him before. He barely recognized the former bad boy who used to throw him into dumpsters and pelt him with pee balloons.

"Hey, Puck," he said backing away from the window.

"Hey." Puck moved out of the doorway. The two of them met in the middle of the room. Kurt took a seat on the side of the four-poster bed. He leaned over and untied his sneakers before slipping them off his feet. He looked up at Puck and smiled. Puck smiled back and asked, "How's it going?"

Kurt sighed and laughed in spite of himself. "Okay – I guess." He looked at the spot next to him and patted it. "You don't have to just stand there, Puck."

Puck nodded and moved over to sit next to him. The two of them sat in silence for the next several moments and it was the most comfortable Kurt had felt since arriving at the lake house. Puck gently tapped his foot against the hardwood floor.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said quietly.

Kurt turned and saw that his attention was directed towards the floor. "What are you sorry about?"

Puck shrugged and said, "I knew about you and Dave breaking up … obviously. I guess when Finn told me you both were coming this weekend, I assumed that meant you both were … good."

"We are," Kurt answered breathlessly. Puck slowly lifted his head and shot a confused look in his direction. He sighed and added, "Things are just … complicated."

"No one understands complicated more than I do, Kurt," Puck said with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. "I had sex with my best friend's girlfriend, and she got pregnant with our baby."

"Yeah – I was there, remember?"

Puck laughed and said, "By all means, me pulling a stunt like that – I'm the last person who should've received an invite to this weekend." He sighed and said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, complicated – I know it well. So, what makes you and Dave … complicated?"

Kurt wasn't sure if he wanted to broach the topic of his romantic life with Noah Puckerman of all people, but he needed to talk to someone. He leaned forward, placed both his elbows on his knees, and cradled his chin in the palms of his hands.

"I'm seeing someone."

"Really? Who's the lucky guy?"

It was Kurt's turn to shoot a confused look over at Puck. "Who are you and what did you do with Puck?"

Puck laughed and said, "I'd like to think the Puck you knew, the Puck who pretty much terrorized half of McKinley High School, and slept with the other half, has grown up."

"I imagine the Navy will do that to you."
"Air Force" Puck said. "But yeah – you're right. All it took was eight and a half weeks of getting screamed at by the meanest son-of-a-bitch to ever step foot outside of Lubbock, Texas for me to finally get my shit together. The rest – well, you can thank Julie for that."

It was Kurt's turned to be pleasantly surprised. "I'm guessing Julie is your -."

"Girlfriend," Puck said. "You'll actually get to meet her tomorrow. She's driving up from her parents' place in Pittsburgh."

"What a coincidence," Kurt said beaming from ear to ear. "You'll get to meet Dale when he arrives this evening." He twisted around and angled his body towards Puck. "How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Six months. What about you and …"

"Dale and I have been dating a little over two years now. We met not too long after I moved to New York."

"And you're happy."

Kurt looked at Puck and nodded his head. "Very much so. It's so funny actually. The day we met; romance was the furthest thing from my mind. Me and Dave were still … fresh, and I guess a part of me figured there was no way in hell I'd be able to find something remotely close to what we had."

"But you did."

"Yeah – I did," Kurt said looking at his hands. "Dale makes me so unbelievably happy. It's so nice to have the person you're in love with be your best cheerleader."

"You never had that before?"

"Well, yeah. It's just that I never thought I'd have it again, you know?"

"Hey, second chances are a thing," Puck said. "You and I are proof of that. Julie is way better than I deserve, but I guess the universe disagreed."

Kurt held up an invisible glass and said, "Here's to the universe and it's infinite wisdom."

Puck pantomimed clinking a glass and said, "Cheers." The two of them laughed.

"Well, I guess we may as well make the best of this," Puck said. "If things between you and Dave are too awkward, I don't mind playing interference."

Kurt shook his head and said, "No, Puck – that won't be necessary. We're both adults and believe it or not, a part of me is relieved. I always knew there would come a point where him and me would be in the same room and I always wondered what I would say to him – or he would say to me – when that actually happened. Well, here we are. The universe … and my idiot stepbrother … conspired to make that happen sooner rather than later."

"What are you going to say to him?"

Kurt shrugged and hung his head. "Honestly? I don't know."

"Maybe you could just start off by saying 'hello'?"

"That part I'm not so concerned about. It's the words that come after I'm worried about."

"Well, you had no trouble talking to me just now," Puck said. "Just keep things surface level. Tell him about New York. I'm sure you have a ton of stories to tell."

"What if things are awkward between us?"

"This is Dave Karofsky we're talking about," Puck scoffed. "Look, I know I wasn't there when you two decided to be more than just friends, but I saw everything that came before that. You two were like this -." Puck held up his crossed index and middle fingers. "That kind of connection just doesn't go away. Now I'm not saying that the two of you are gonna go running back into each other's arms by the end of this weekend, but who knows. Maybe you both can end up rekindling your friendship."

"Maybe," Kurt said. "I guess we'll just have to see what the universe has in store."