Chapter 27
oOo
.
Summary: Will the proud music teacher eventually find love with the beautiful kindergarten teacher or will he forever come second to the football coach? Rated M.
A/N: Poor Noah! Jealousy rears its spiky head... and Nick plots.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belongs to me except for any OCs found wandering. I own nothing save for this computer.
Noah hung up the phone and stared at it thoughtfully, wondering if his plan would work. He wanted the next several days to go smoothly for Kurt and if everything worked, that is how it would be. If not, he would have to come up with a more drastic plan.
He shrugged and headed out of the classroom to his final lesson and group of kids for the day. The winter concert was coming up and each of his classes was going to present something. That meant that, even though the official school day was ending, later that evening he had to return for their rehearsal in the auditorium. He smiled to himself as he thought about what he would do in the interim. If Kurt was up to it, he wanted to take him and Judith out for an early dinner before dropping his daughter at Sarah's.
Noah knew that Kurt was obsessing over the flavors of their wedding cake and he didn't know why. Kurt was an excellent cook from what he'd tasted so far but Noah suspected that it was the significance of what he was baking that was causing the stress.
He waved to students and teachers alike as he walked along, absurdly happy despite the nature of the phone call he'd just made. He only hoped again that nothing happened between now and the wedding to upset his fiancé. Rather, he hoped nothing happened to piss Kurt off because he was definitely not ready for that.
At the other end of the line, Nick Strando took a longer time to think about what he'd just heard as he cradled the phone in his hand. He knew Daria had had the hots for Puckerman but to actually try to confront him at the school – and in front of other people, at that – made Nick see red.
He thought deeply about getting revenge and then his eyes fell on the beautifully-framed photographs of his little family that he kept in his office. The happiness on his son's face was a definite contrast to the look on Daria's and Nick had never noticed that before. She looked bored and unhappy and for the first time since they were married, he wondered if maybe he'd had a hand in making her feel that way.
Nick shook his head and leaned forward, still fiddling with the phone in his hand. He wanted to call Daria and give her what for right that minute but he remembered an old saying – revenge is a dish best served cold. As it was, he didn't even know if he wanted revenge. To be fair, he'd been fooling around on the side ever since he'd married Daria; still, it was one thing for a man to do it but his wife was supposed to be better than that.
It didn't occur to him that that double standard was as outdated as every other double standard. He had grown up knowing how his dad and uncles thought and behaved and, to him, this was the natural order of things. An idea suddenly popped into his mind and he smiled cruelly as he dialed Puckerman's number.
After a brief conversation, Nick hung up, quite pleased with his plan. That ought to show her…
Kurt was talking with Kelly when he heard Noah pulling up into the driveway. They had spoken earlier and he had already got ready to head out to dinner with Puckerman père et fille. Now, though, he wanted to be sure Kelly had got the information he'd faxed to her earlier.
Kelly smiled as she listened to Kurt, staring at the sheet of paper before her before saying: "So, let me get this straight: you want side cakes that must include strawberry ice cream cake for Judith and at least an English plum pudding because it's Christmas, go easy on the brandy?"
Kurt nodded and grinned. "Yes, plus I want a cupcake stand and it must include devil's food cake with ganache frosting, lemon with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream icing, vanilla butter cake with chocolate buttercream and devil's food cake with vanilla buttercream. Is that too much?"
Kelly laughed and assured him as she made quick notes: "No, not at all. Our kitchens can manage anything you can think to throw at it. Don't worry; it will all be good, okay?"
Kurt thanked her and then scheduled a day for the taste test. He was leaving nothing to chance, even though the hotel was famous for its cuisine. The chef himself hosted a weekly show on TV; Kurt knew he was getting the best but it wasn't like him to leave everything for someone else to handle.
He hung up and then grabbed his coat, dashing out the door and locking it before hurrying to join Noah and Judith in the car.
"Mr. Kurt, daddy is taking us for dinner!"
Judith was almost bouncing in her car seat and Kurt smiled happily at her before joking, "Oh, do you think he'll eat you first or me?"
Poor Judith looked at him oddly before scrunching up her nose. "Mr. Kurt, that's gross!"
Noah and Kurt burst out laughing and then Judith joined in simply because she was happy that they were happy.
Noah stroked a quick hand down Kurt's thigh, getting a subtle caress from Kurt as he did so and then they were off.
"So," Kurt began, "I just spoke with Kelly about the side cakes. You know it's Christmas so the dessert has to be topnotch!"
Noah nodded and glanced over at Kurt's shining face. "Hey, babe, you know I'll eat anything but seriously, I can't wait to taste the wedding cake."
Kurt flushed and grinned over at his lover. "I hope you like the flavors I've chosen. I think I'll leave it as a surprise for you."
Noah nodded. "I'm not worried. I know the day is going to be perfect and, to be honest, I can't wait. It almost feels like it's the first time."
The color in Kurt's cheeks deepened and his eyes moistened but he stared out of the window at the passing scenery. He was so emotional these last few days that almost anything could get him to tear up. Most especially, when he realized how much he was loved by this gorgeous man beside him, he almost couldn't believe it, it felt so good.
Noah smiled to himself, totally attuned to Kurt's feelings and let the silence in the car deepen. Well, as much silence as there could be with a little tyke in the back seat softly humming her favorite Christmas carols.
.
oOo
.
The next day, Kurt was once again in the staffroom when Daria Strando popped her head in the door. Kurt, oblivious to his unwelcome visitor, was humming to himself as he gathered up material for his kids to decorate their classroom. In a few days they would get their Christmas break and then he could focus solely on baking his wedding cake.
Smiling to himself, he thought of the cake-decorating books he had taken from the county library. Some of the more elaborate designs he knew he couldn't manage but the simpler, more elegant ones were well within his capability.
He straightened up and tugged down the cashmere sweater he was wearing, realizing it had ridden up in the back and thought of what Noah would have done if he'd been there. His lover was unbelievably handsy, always finding some opportunity to touch Kurt, even in public.
Kurt admitted he felt beautiful when Noah looked at him. The heat and appreciation in his eyes were something that Kurt had only ever glimpsed every now and then with both Blaine and David. With Noah, though, it was almost always there, sometimes to an embarrassing degree. At least my love life will never be dull, he grinned as he turned from the cupboards.
He gasped when he realized he was not alone as he'd thought and stared, annoyed, at Daria Strando's face.
"Yes? How may I help you, Daria?" He was careful to always keep his voice polite and well-modulated around this woman. He knew she was the enemy, despite her fake smile and fake bonhomie. He watched as she patted her hair and stepped closer.
Daria stared at the tall, slender figure before her, dressed relatively simply in a soft-looking sweater and tight jeans. She took in the way the sweater stretched across his flat chest and the pull of the jeans across his muscular thighs. In fact, if you didn't look at his face, Kurt Hummel had a slim but definitely masculine body. Only the large, unusual eyes and the soft pink lips gave away anything vaguely feminine about him.
She cleared her throat and pursed her lips before she began speaking. "I realize I should probably congratulate you on your engagement to Puck."
Kurt felt heat come up into his face and prayed he would hold onto his temper. His dad had always warned him about facing the enemy. Never let them see you vulnerable and hurting, he used to say. Play it cool and let them commit themselves. Now he looked at the Strando woman and allowed a little smirk to come onto his face.
He took a step closer to her and was pleased to see her swallow nervously. Maybe she thought she would come in there with her expensive fur jacket and dripping in jewels in the middle of the day, hoping to impress the poor little gay kindergarten teacher. Well, not today.
Kurt allowed his eyebrows to rise up his forehead and said in a bright, patently false tone: "Why, Daria, thank you so much! Really, I know how happy everyone is for me!"
He waited for her to swallow that and watched as her eyes grew pinched, unattractive lines radiating from their sides. She shook her head, letting her hair toss about and then retorted: "I didn't say I was going to – I said that I probably should!"
Kurt pretended to be taken aback and a little disappointed, his lips pouting a bit. "Oh, well, I thought happily married people always enjoyed seeing other people being happy together…"
He widened his eyes innocently at her, inwardly crowing: take that, bitch!
Daria huffed; really, this boy was so stupid! She leaned forward slightly and poked a long, perfectly manicured talon at his chest. Kurt didn't flinch as he stared back at her.
"Let me tell you something, gay-boy! This is probably just a phase for Puck. He can't be gay or bi, he's just confused and you're taking advantage of him. If you really love him, you should do the right thing and release him from this stupid engagement!"
Kurt stared at her, his face perfectly smooth and blank and then slowly allowed a light of pity to glow in his eyes. He was every bit the skilled actor he thought he was and knew just what buttons to push in people. Always being an outcast allowed one to study others quite thoroughly and the information garnered often came in handy somewhere down the road. Now he could see how desperately unhappy this woman was and for once she was not getting something she had set her mind on.
He let her see the look of pity and react, which she did by lurching back from Kurt with a furious look on her face and then he turned to pick up the supplies he had been selecting earlier.
"You know, Daria," he said as he stepped by her and towards the door, "Jealousy is an unattractive trait in anyone, most of all someone like you. You have everything – a rich husband, a sweet kid and a beautiful home. You should learn to be satisfied," and with that he sauntered out of the staffroom, nodding politely at the principal who had just come out of his office.
"Oh, Dr. Thompson, I hope you and Mrs. Thompson will be able to make it?" Kurt paused to address the little man who had been always supportive of him from Day 1.
Dr. Thompson nodded briefly at Daria and then beamed at Kurt. "Oh, my dear, we are thrilled to be invited. Yes, yes, we will be there, never fear!"
Kurt grinned at him, nodded and then left them to head to his classroom. He had to fill Marcy in on Daria's latest broadside in her private war against him. Fortunately for Kurt, he was absolutely secure in the knowledge that Noah wanted him, had wanted him for years, apparently. While he thought of Noah's love as a precious gift, he knew that Noah felt exactly the same about Kurt's love for him. Daria Strando could try her level best, she was not going to succeed, no way, no how.
.
oOo
.
Noah had spent the whole evening the day before and today, wondering why Nick Strando had called him back. Now, as he listened to Kurt regaling him with Daria's staffroom ambush, he started to get an inkling and he smiled to himself. Nick Strando was a devious bastard if what Noah suspected was true.
He was once again at rehearsal with his kids and as he sat in the auditorium watching them go through their paces, he smiled. These kids were a lot more accepting of the school's music program than when he had been in high school. The Glee club had been the least in the school's pecking order, often suffering the abuse of daily slushie facials from the jocks. At best, the school would just ignore them when they performed; that was until they actually won the trophy at Nationals the year he, Finn and Kurt had graduated. That had been such a good feeling and he wanted to give these kids that.
Now he watched the Glee club doing a surprisingly good version of The Little Drummer Boy that Bing Crosby and David Bowie had made famous. Although he was Jewish, he couldn't find fault with the lyrics that encouraged peace on earth in any form.
The kids were really good, some better than others and he watched, satisfied, as they finished and then Juniors came on to do their bit. The kids had been allowed almost free reign to choose their own songs, the only stipulation being that they keep it all PG and they had jumped enthusiastically onto the opportunity of staging everything themselves.
Noah grinned as fake snow started floating down and kids piled onto the stage, some in Santa hats, others wearing reindeer antlers. He settled back, pleased with the energy they were bringing and started humming when the first notes played. He'd warned them that this song might offend some people but he personally had no problem with it.
"Grandma got run over by a reindeer, coming home from our house Christmas Eve," the kids sang loud and lustily, their enjoyment obvious as they got into the spirit of the song, hamming up the acting. "You can say there's no such thing as Santa, but as for me and Grandpa, we believe!"
As their voices blended, with some singing specific parts, he thought how much he'd enjoyed these first few months of teaching. He could only hope the other semesters went as well as this one.
As Noah sat there, he noticed that the auditorium door nearest him had opened and he glanced up to see who else had decided to watch rehearsals. His jaw dropped as he stared at the figure and then turned his head back around. He didn't want the other man to see him because he definitely had nothing to say to him.
His enjoyment in watching the kids rehearsing fell away as he wondered why the other man was there. He strained to hear any sounds, trying to figure out if he was coming towards him but the door only closed after Noah heard him talking to someone else.
Noah's mind raced: Why was he here? Had he heard? He sat still, staring at the stage without seeing anything, his previous contentment vanishing like dew.
Kurt was poring over the cake-decorating books, taking pictures and shooting them off to Carole. Every now and then they would send texts back and forth, discussing the various designs. Kurt enjoyed involving Carole in his wedding plans; he'd had so much fun helping her with hers that he wanted to recall that pleasure.
Carole had approved one of his selections and he'd marked the page in the book, moving on to others. The cake was going to be in four layers, naturally, but they were going to be of alternating flavors. He knew from experience and from watching Noah almost inhale his desserts which flavors he loved so there was no doubt in Kurt's mind.
His nervousness stemmed from the fact that he had never attempted anything of this magnitude. He knew Marcy and Noah believed absolutely in his ability to do this so he decided he would borrow some of their confidence.
He had just texted Carole his thanks and wished her and his dad a good night when the doorbell rang.
Kurt wasn't expecting Noah because he knew he would be at rehearsals again so he couldn't imagine who would be stopping by. He got up to get the door as the bell chimed once more and he threw it open.
"Oh, David! What… oh, hello…" He trailed off as David moved aside to reveal the man standing behind him.
Kurt brought in a tray of coffee mugs and a plate of one of his favorite cakes, setting it down as David rose to help him. "Uhm, just bring the plates and forks for me, please, David."
Dave headed to the kitchen and came back quickly with the items, setting them down on the coffee table as Kurt smiled at the two men.
He divvied up the cake after pouring the steaming coffee and sat back, waiting for David to actually tell him why he was here. He had been pleasantly surprised at Dave bringing Steven to meet him but he didn't know why they had stopped by that night.
After taking a sip of his coffee, Dave smiled over at Kurt, noting how happy and relaxed his ex-lover looked. He glanced over at Steven and wondered what he saw when he looked at Kurt. As he looked at both of them, he realized that they were of a type; both were hovering around 6 feet tall, slender but well-built and definitely into their fashion. The only difference was in coloring; whereas Kurt's gleaming dark hair contrasted beautifully with his porcelain-fair skin, Steven was a golden boy. His skin always looked sun-kissed, even in the dead of winter and his hair was golden blonde. His eyes, instead of being blue as one would expect, were green. He was as beautiful as Kurt but definitely not an exact copy.
Kurt, aware of David's scrutiny, ignored him to ask Steven, "So, is this your first time visiting Lima, Steven?"
That was another thing that was different; Kurt's voice was unique with its higher tone that hinted at his musicality. Steven couldn't hold a note to save his life but Dave didn't mind at all. He could sing well enough for both of them.
Steven, swallowing the bit of cake he'd been chewing – god, it was delicious! – shook his head. "No, I have distant relatives here but, until today, I hadn't been back in years! In fact, that's how Dave and I managed to hook up."
When Kurt raised an eyebrow enquiringly, Steven smiled, displaying white, even teeth and continued. "We were at a campus ice-breaker and when he said Lima, I immediately glommed onto him. Not many people there even knew there was a place named Lima in this country."
They all chuckled at that, having experienced different versions of confused looks from strangers and then Kurt asked, "How long have you guys been an item?" His eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked between the two.
Dave colored and narrowed his eyes at Kurt. "You know, you brat," and laughed when Steven swatted his arm. "We've been serious for the last couple of years, I guess," and he looked at Steven for confirmation.
Steven nodded, a serious look coming over his face. "I think you know that it took Dave a while to get over you, Kurt," and he watched as Kurt turned pink.
Kurt nearly choked on his coffee. He hadn't thought Steven would come right out with that! "Uhm, I… ah…"
He was saved by Steven himself who held up a hand and shook his head. "I'm not blaming you, not really. I can see why Dave was so into you – you're gorgeous – and if this cake is anything to go by, you're a fantastic cook, too."
Kurt cleared his throat, throwing a little glance at David and then smiled tentatively at Steven before muttering, "Boy, this is awkward!"
There was a small space of silence and then suddenly they all laughed, Kurt more out of relief than anything else. It didn't seem that Steven hated him. If anything, he seemed honestly confident in David's feelings for him.
As Kurt watched, David reached over and took Steven's free hand before turning to Kurt.
"Kurt, Steven and I are engaged."
Kurt's draw dropped and then he jumped up, as did Dave. "David, wow, that's fantastic!" He laughed and then launched himself at his ex-lover, feeling the big, muscular arms going around him. He inhaled David's familiar scent and then stepped back, turning to Steven who had got up.
He didn't pause but hugged Steven tightly as well. "Congratulations, you guys! That's such a heck of a coincidence."
He stepped back and took his seat, grinning madly at the two beaming men and then Dave turned to him with a slight frown. "Coincidence? Wh_?"
Before Kurt could reply, the doorbell chimed again and Kurt, throwing a puzzled look towards the door, excused himself. "Let me just see who that is."
Kurt hurried to the door, took a peek out of the side glass panel and then threw the door open. He didn't get a chance to say even a word of welcome because Noah breezed right past him without even a hello.
Kurt followed him, about to speak when suddenly Noah gritted out, his eyes boring into David's, "I knew I'd find you here!"
He turned furious eyes on Kurt, almost snarling at him as he asked, "What is he doing here, Kurt?"
Kurt stared, his eyes wide and horrified at the look on Noah's face. "Noah, what is wrong with you?! Why are you acting like this?"
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, Kurt! God, I can't turn around without this guy dogging your steps!"
The silence after that bombshell statement was profound. Suddenly David launched himself from the couch and stood almost nose-to-nose with Noah.
"What the fuck is your problem, Puckerman? And what the hell are you doing here?" Dave turned puzzled and angry eyes to Kurt who was standing with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He was staring at Puckerman as if he didn't recognize him and Dave turned back to Puck to get an answer. "Huh? Why are you here?!"
Kurt's voice sounded quiet, small and hurt as he looked between David and Noah. "This is the coincidence I was talking about, David. Noah is my fiancé…"
Steven got up from the couch and came to stand by David's side, one hand touching his lover's forearm in a calming gesture. He stared at Noah whose eyes had started to lose some of their angry gleam but now he was angry himself. He looked Noah up and down and then said coldly, "…and what problem do you have with my fiancé?"
Noah glanced between the two men and his eyes dropped to the man's hand that had tightened on Karofsky's arm and then he turned his head to stare at Kurt. He totally ignored the two men and moved towards Kurt… who stepped back from him.
"Kurt? Kurt… I'm," he stopped as Kurt held up a hand towards him in a 'stop' gesture.
Kurt took a deep breath, straightened up and stared intently at Noah. "Explain."
Noah dropped his head, took a deep breath and then looked at Kurt, all his love and remorse in his hazel eyes. He didn't attempt to touch Kurt because he knew his lover's temper and he didn't want to draw back a stump.
"Kurt, baby, I'm so… so sorry. I saw Karofsky at the school and I just knew he was going to come here. I didn't think_" and Kurt stopped him there.
"I know you weren't thinking, Noah, or you would never have come storming in here, accusing David of… what, exactly?" His blue-green gaze was steely as he stared at Noah.
Noah threw an angry glance back at Karofsky who was still standing beside his fiancé and then looked back at Kurt, his shoulders slumping more.
He lowered his voice as he said, "He's still in love with you, Kurt; you can't tell me different. If it were me, I'd still be in love with you…"
Kurt's face flamed from a combination of embarrassment and love for the idiot standing in front of him.
He lifted a hand and dropped his face in it while shaking his head. He sighed and then looked up at Noah; he stepped towards him, ignoring their audience and lifted Noah's downcast face.
"Noah, Noah, what am I going to do with you? Is this what I'm going to be dealing with all our lives?" He smirked as Noah's head came up swiftly, sure he could scent Kurt's forgiveness. "Baby, we are all that matters now, right? You do know that, don't you?"
Without answering, Noah pulled Kurt in tight, wrapping his arms around his lover, his fiancé and breathing deeply. He muttered an apology in Kurt's neck and then frowned as he felt Kurt's body shuddering. Oh god, no, he didn't mean to make him cry! He moved Kurt back to stare anxiously at him and then noticed that the little shit was laughing at him!
Kurt shook his head as he stifled a chuckle. "Noah, I think you're a bigger drama queen than I am!" His laughter pealed around the room and Noah didn't know if he should be relieved or pissed off. Wisely, he chose the former. Turning to observe David and his fiancé watching them, he sobered and stepped away from Kurt.
Dave tensed slightly but relaxed again at the feel of Steven's hand on his arm. He eyed Puckerman warily but stood his ground.
Noah took another step forward into the middle of the room and then said, "Sorry for being such a douche, Karofsky. I'll start again."
He cleared his throat, looked at Steven and held his hand out. "Hi, I'm Noah, Kurt's fiancé."
There was a tense moment when Steven's green eyes bored into Noah's and Kurt and David wondered if he would ignore the outstretched hand. There was a tiny sigh when Steven grasped Noah's hand firmly and said, "Hi, Noah, I'm Steven, David's fiancé."
Their hands released and Noah nodded, glancing at David before saying ruefully, "I'm sorry, man; things just got away from me a bit."
Dave eyed Puckerman and then let out the tension that had tightened his shoulders. He nodded before saying, "It's okay, I kinda get what's going on. I didn't know you were guys were seeing each other, much less engaged already." He turned a curious look on Kurt. "You didn't say anything last time I was here."
Kurt moved to take a seat with Noah perching on the arm of the chair and the other two sat down as well. He shook his head in answer to David: "We weren't that tight, yet. So, our wedding will be on Christmas Eve…"
Dave startled, speaking before thinking. "What, that's next week!"
Kurt stared at him and then chuckled, stroking his hand along Noah's thigh possessively. "I know. Isn't it great?!"
Everyone looked at him and then there were quiet chuckles in the room, Kurt staring lovingly up at Noah.
He knew that Noah had some hidden pain somewhere and he guessed some of it had to do with him. Loving him as he did, Kurt knew he could handle some darkness because most everything else was wonderful. No one was perfect and if jealousy were the only problem life would throw at them, Kurt knew he was capable of dealing with it. He would have to be very patient and probably smack Noah a time or two before he understood that Kurt was wholly his. Still, he wouldn't trade in Noah for anything – and he looked over at David who was smiling at something Steven had just said – or anyone.
They chatted amiably for the next hour or so, Kurt getting cake and coffee for Noah and Dave and Noah filled Steven in on some of the antics they used to keep up back in high school. Kurt was surprised to know that Dave and Noah had known each other from kindergarten but they hadn't actually been friends as such.
Suddenly, as Steven shifted with that 'it's time we headed out' look on his face, Kurt looked up at them and said, "Why don't you guys come to the wedding next week? That's if you'll be here still…"
Dave's face lit up and Steven suppressed a sigh; as much as Kurt was charming and Noah kinda hot, he'd been hoping that this wouldn't have occurred to Kurt. Nevertheless, he knew Dave wasn't still carrying a torch for Kurt so now he smiled sincerely and nodded. "Thank you, Kurt; Dave and I have relatives to check in with but we will be back. You can text Dave later with the details."
Kurt smiled happily, wriggling a bit in his seat and Noah glanced at him with a smirk. If Kurt continued, the wedding was going to be a heck of a lot bigger than they'd planned. Still, he didn't mind, now that he'd got his head out of his ass about Karofsky.
"Yeah, it would be cool if you guys could make it," he added, quite graciously he thought, and jerked when Kurt pinched his thigh. "What?"
Dave and Steven chuckled at the byplay and Dave realized that Kurt had Puck well in hand. When Kurt walked them to the door, he didn't hesitate to pull Kurt into a warm hug and whispered in his ear, "Be happy, okay?"
Kurt simply nodded and pulled back, waving to them as Dave ushered Steven out the door, a hand on the small of his back. Kurt watched them, aware of Noah standing behind him and then he sighed as he shut the door.
He turned to Noah and slid into his arms, snuggling his head against the warm, broad chest. "Mmmm, you know, what they say is true."
Noah nuzzled his nose into Kurt's hair, loving the smell and feel of him and asked, "What do 'they' say."
Kurt lifted his head, his mouth temptingly close and smiled, "That people in love want the whole world to be in love, too…"
…and Noah pressed his lips to his, slowly deepening the kiss and pouring all his love into it. Time passed but they didn't care. Nothing mattered but what they were feeling and Noah promised himself that he would always make Kurt feel loved.
.
TBC
