Epilogue: Election Night, 2012
Kurt was tucked into the corner of the sofa in Noah's office, working as always on a handful of last-minute edits to the President's speech while Noah flipped the TV between CNN and MSNBC and cursed at the anchors. "What's taking so long," he muttered, tapping on his desk with the blue dry erase marker. "The damn polls closed half an hour ago in New England."
Kurt set his laptop aside and crossed the floor, putting a steadying hand on Noah's shoulder. "Sweetheart, relax. You've done all you can. We just have to wait now."
"I know. I just want it to be over so we can go back to doing our fucking jobs."
"Soon, baby. A few hours. And then we can go up to the residence and party with our friends and family." Kurt felt Noah relax minutely under his hand, so he just stood there in silence, listening to Rachel Maddow and Chuck Todd banter on the TV until they were interrupted by footsteps in the hall and a tiny blond boy in footie pajamas tearing through the door.
"Unca Noah, Unca Kurt!" Kurt turned and caught the boy before he bonked his head on the corner of Noah's desk and swept him up into the air. He laughed heartily and started chanting airpwane, airpwanewith gusto. The clatter of high heels in the hall gave way to Jenna, hair windswept and juggling a purse and a diaper bag.
"Jonathan Andrew! I told you, no running!" Kurt looked at her sheepishly and set Jack down on the floor.
"Sorry, Jen." He looked down to where Jack was tugging on his pant leg.
"Unca Kurt, more airpwane."
"I don't know, buddy." He raised an eyebrow at Jenna, who was met with Jack's pleadings.
"Mama, more airpwane!"
Jenna scooped him up and settled him on her hip. "Sorry, buddy. Maybe later. Your uncles need to finish their work, and weneed to go find mommy." Jack nodded in a very earnest way and rested his head on Jenna's shoulder even as he eyeballed Kurt. "Later, Unca Kurt."
"You got it, buddy." Kurt smiled at Jenna and rested a hand on Jack's back in the moment before they turned to leave.
"Oh!" Jenna looked back over her shoulder and winked. "I found some friends of yours outside. They looked a little lost."
Kurt looked around the door into the hall, and spied Bill and Jamie talking softly in the low light.
"Well. Look what the cat dragged in." Kurt was met with smiles and hugs, and warned them before escorting them into Noah's office. "He's a little uptight. Something about the news anchors trying to skew the polling to affect voter turnout. I don't know." He rolled his eyes, and Jamie laughed roundly. "I just write the speeches around here."
Kurt couldn't feel bad that Noah relaxed more with Bill in the room. He understood; the presence of people who weren't elbow deep in the minutiae of the work tended to alleviate some of the stress. Kurt was impressed that Bill even got Noah to stop pacing.
When the first New England states were called, Jamie made a game of coloring in the map, and Bill started taking bets on how the rest of the states were going to go. At 10, when the Midwest starting dribbling in, AJ brought them all beer and a bag of chips, kicking her heels under Noah's desk and taking a turn with the blue marker. By 11, most of the party had drifted down from the residence, and had spilled into the hall outside as well, and even though the election had been called 5 states ago, there was still a battle over coloring in Alaska and Hawaii. Noah dangled the blue marker in his fingers and glanced around the room, letting his eyes fall on AJ, on Bill and Jamie. On Kurt, stretched out on the sofa singing softly into Jack's ear and rubbing circles on his tiny back. He settled, finally, on the President, leaning in the doorway with a light smile on her face.
"Madam President, would you care to do the honors?"
She crossed the room to him and took the marker, then rolled up her sweater sleeves and set to work at the map. When she was done, she turned back to him and held the marker out. "Four more years." She glanced around the room. "Do you think everyone has it in them?"
"I hope so, Ma'am." He nodded at Kurt. "I know we both do."
"Good." She rested her hand on his forearm. "I need to ask you something."
"Okay." Noah caught her nod at Andrea, who excused herself from Bill and Jamie and joined them in front of the map.
"Good work, Noah." Andrea regarded him fondly and handed him a key on a T-Rex keychain. "A reward, if you will."
"Excuse me?"
Andrea's eyes when she looked back at him were slightly sad. "I'll be leaving the White House in January, after the Inauguration. It's time. And I want you to be my replacement."
"C-Chief of Staff?"
"I think you've more than earned it."
"I- wow."
The President held his gaze. "Unless you don't want it."
Noah sucked in a breath and steadied himself. "Ma'am. I serve at the pleasure of the President."
"Good." The President and Andrea nodded at each other, and Andrea returned to Jamie and Bill. "Enjoy the party. We'll start tomorrow."
Noah turned the bulk of the keychain over and over in his hand, lost in his thoughts and the music and voices of the people around him, and the flashing brightness of the muted TV. He wasn't aware of AJ moving around him to scoop up a sleeping Jack, and didn't notice Kurt behind him until strong arms were around his waist and Kurt's chin was on his shoulder.
"Penny or quarter?"
"For my thoughts? Definitely quarter." He held up the keychain, and felt Kurt sigh with recognition.
"That's what I think it is."
"Yeah. The torch has been passed," Noah said, and felt Kurt shiver.
"You've always had a soft spot for JFK."
Noah nodded against the side of Kurt's head. "It's how you got me to join the campaign in the first place."
"I know. So. You're kind of going to be my boss now, aren't you?" Noah turned in Kurt's arms and held him close.
"Yeah. I guess so. I hope that doesn't mean I'll have to stop doing this at work." Noah leaned in and pressed his lips to Kurt's, hard but not too demanding. He felt Kurt melt against him. It was such a brilliant change from four years previous, when Kurt had bolted as soon as he'd realized what was happening.
A low whistle from Bill drew them apart, and Kurt just smiled at their friends before turning back to Noah. "No regrets, baby?"
Noah wrapped himself around Kurt and leaned against the edge of his desk. He took in the thrum and push of excited bodies and voices and let himself be in that moment. He had a career, a name for himself, and he had Kurt. He couldn't have asked for anything more.
"No, K. Never any regrets."