Living in the sixteenth largest city in the USA had its perks.
Being gay in blue collar Lima was difficult; being Kurt Hummel in blue collar Lima had proved to be impossible.
Columbus, Ohio wasn't New York, but it smelled like progress and success. It also had arts, culture, a gay cultural scene, a fashion week (yes!), and, once Kurt had been done with college, Sam.
In his teens, Kurt had dreamed of making New York his home; at twenty, reality became Sam, and thanks for his and Sam's parent's insight and wisdom, in Kurt's adulthood home, dream and reality had blended to take shape of Columbus, Ohio.
Kurt had spent four years in the city with Sam without exploring everything Columbus had to offer. After five months of kind of being officially together with Noah, Kurt was living a rebirth of sorts, rediscovering the city's appeal.
Walking down Whittier Street with Noah was refreshing, even if the mood between them could give the thin layer of ice melting in the street a run for its money. The hand Noah had placed on the small of Kurt's back had slipped to Kurt's hip on their way to Skillet Rustic Urban Food. By the time they reached the restaurant, Noah had Kurt tucked against his side while Kurt enjoyed the masculine scents folded in Noah's leather jacket and musky aftershave in bitchy silence.
Their hostess apologized for the delay of their reservation, promising their table would be ready in a few minutes. Kurt declined her offer for a complementary drink at the bar and dragged Noah back outside to wait for Mercedes and Finn. He was still mad at Noah and the cold gave him an excuse to stay close to the man without having to talk to him. But lips on lips, tongue against tongue and shared breath was okay.
"Come on, princess. Don't be mad. You know I was right," Noah cajoled, raining little kisses along Kurt's face.
"The Evans like you, Noah, they miss you."
"I know and I miss them too. You know, after Mr. Schue, Mr. Frank was the most positive male role model I had to follow in my teens. The man can be so cool. They don't deserve this, princess."
"They don't deserve what?" Kurt asked, kissing the corner of Noah's mouth.
"They think we've bee seeing each other for what, five, six months. I wonder what would happen if they found out the truth," Kurt shuddered against Noah's side. No, no, anything but that. Noah snorted. "You see? This is so fucked up."
Kurt would have kissed away the grimace worrying Noah's forehead and upper lip if they weren't sharing a moment. Or perhaps Kurt should so they could pretend their lives were simple.
"Do you think this is worth it?" Noah asked out of the blue.
Did Kurt enjoy being confused half the time and the other half without a clue about what to do next? Absolutely not! Would Kurt give up the simplicity of having another person just to talk to, to share the ordinary aspects of his everyday life and who respected Kurt and loved his son as if Ben were his own flesh and blood?
Not even if hell froze over and every attempt Kurt had made at setting it back on fire had failed and Kurt had run out of ideas.
"I like our being fucked up together, Noah," he said smiling at Noah and kissing him on the lips because it was true.
Kurt was caught up in a hug that felt like every single bone in his body could break while at the same time every single pure and honest emotion he possessed was fusing together to never again fall apart. "And I love being fucked up with you, Kurt."
Then Noah's arms were gone, a cheerful and welcoming "Aretha!" reached his ears, and Kurt was left there, standing in the cold.
*g*l*e*e*
Thanks for reading.