The Storm: Redemption
Chapter Nine
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Famous countertenor Kurt Hummel and billionaire entrepreneur Dave Karofsky must come to terms with the past but bitter feelings make a future for these two headstrong men highly unlikely. This fic is rated M.
A/N 1: Thanks, guys, I enjoy getting your reviews and suggestions so, please, keep 'em coming!
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs belong to me, alas.
KHDK
"How can I make it up to you?" When Kurt continued to stare, surprised, Dave leaned forward earnestly and tried again. "I've apologized more than once already so, just tell me, what can I do to get you to forgive me?"
Kurt, for the first time in his life, drew a blank. "Ehrm, I don't know?"
For what seemed to be the longest time, the two men sat in silence, not looking at each other and both, unknown to the other, trying to figure what to say.
Finally, Dave lurched to his feet, pacing over to the mantelpiece and picking up one of the objects there. He fiddled with that before replacing it and moving restlessly around the room. Kurt watched him, relaxing slowly as his mind recovered. He sank into himself to see how he really felt, now that the anger and resentment towards the other man seemed to have faded significantly.
He knew that David was nervous in his presence and that it was in part due to his uncertainty where Kurt's feelings were concerned, and partly due to embarrassment. It couldn't be easy dealing with someone who didn't seem to return your feelings and though Kurt had never had to deal with unrequited love before, he knew it must be hell.
He stood and walked over to the other man, noticing the lines of strain and fatigue, and stopped in front of him. Immediately Dave dropped his eyes, still fiddling with a small carving that he'd taken from a tabletop.
Kurt sighed and took the carving away before grabbing the larger man's hand and leading him over to a couch. As they sat, his eyes fell on one of the many newspapers lying on the untidy coffee table. He didn't think much of it but when he looked at David he noticed the other man was staring at the papers with a shuttered look on his face.
When Kurt looked back at the newspapers he realized they must have contained the photos of him and Noah that he'd also seen. He shrugged mentally and turned back to David who was now looking back at him quite calmly.
"Listen, even before Noah suggested I come here, I'd been planning to ask him to bring me," he started, looking seriously at the man sitting beside him. "I felt it only fair to both of us, actually, for us to have this meeting."
David nodded, his eyes dropping to where Kurt still held his hand. Kurt, realizing, blushed faintly and smiled a little. "I think you can see I'm not in that mental place anymore. Holding onto the negative feelings because of what happened was damaging me subconsciously and that flowed over into my work and personal relationships."
He squeezed David's hand to stop him from interrupting, no doubt with another apology, and continued talking. "You have to know something about me: I hate feeling vulnerable. What you did made me feel helpless, not to mention it scared the crap out of me at first."
He heard the other man take a shaky breath and in reaction, tears came to his own eyes. His voice quavered a bit as he continued. "I never want to feel that way again, and while I realize it was just a huge miscalculation on your part, it only made me feel violated."
David's eyes widened in horror, his face paling as he burst out: "I-I never meant_!" but Kurt shook his head until the other man quieted.
Kurt's full lips quirked to the side, his smile sweet but watery. "David, I know that. You apologized to me back then several times and even when I was busy being angry and vicious I could tell you didn't mean to frighten me."
David shook his head, lowering it to stare at their still-clasped hands. Kurt patted the larger hand and let go, getting up to stroll around the room. He had felt it important to clear the air but a little part of him was also certain that he didn't want David to know how ambivalent he felt towards him. The billionaire was very attractive: big, muscular and handsome. Kurt felt that he needed to put a little space between them before he spoke the next thing on his mind.
"You asked how you could make this up to me: I don't think there is any way that you can."
David's stricken expression tugged at Kurt's conscience but Kurt wasn't interested anymore in torturing the other man. "Relax, I really meant that you can't do anything because I have forgiven you!"
David slumped in his seat, his head falling onto the back of the couch as he closed his eyes. Kurt watched him from across the room, his arms wrapped around his waist and a concerned expression on his face. He had no doubt, after actually seeing David, that the man had, indeed, been suffering both emotionally and physically. He wondered if he should go and get Noah; maybe David wasn't completely well and he'd spent a lot of energy making lunch for Kurt.
"Look, maybe you need to rest; I'll have Noah take me home and you can relax." He didn't really feel like leaving just yet but he had run out of things to say and the other man did look pretty strung out.
David raised his head and looked at Kurt. "No, please, you don't have to leave just yet. I_"
Just then Puck came in with a tray laden with the coffee things and both David and Kurt turned to look at him, oddly identical looks of relief on their faces.
Puck brought the tray over, shifting the newspapers to the side to make space and looked at the two men. "Hey, I didn't bring in that cake I saw in the kitchen because I didn't figure we had room for it so soon after that lunch." He raised one eyebrow quizzically at Kurt who shook his head and moved towards him.
He sat beside David and Puck smirked to himself. He knew the other men had been talking and he hoped fervently that things had been smoothed out between them. As he studied Dave's face he noticed the signs of fatigue that had eased while they were having lunch were back with a vengeance. He poured a cup of coffee for him, knowing just how he took the piping hot beverage, and handed it to him before doing the same for Kurt.
Puck fixed himself a cup and then took a seat in the chair Kurt had originally been sitting in. The two men enjoyed the hot beverage in silence for a short while before Puck launched into a recounting of his activities over his break. He turned to Dave a little later, a roguish smile wreathing his lips.
"Oh, by the way, I ran into Emma a few days ago. She asked for you," a little glint in his eye as he watched Dave intently.
When David looked uncomfortable at that bit of information, letting out a barely suppressed groan of annoyance, Kurt looked askance between the two men. Puck hurried to enlighten him.
"Oh, the Honorable Emma Smythe-Heffley is angling to be the new Mrs. David Karofsky. Her father's in government."
Kurt only muttered, "Oh," before returning to sip the delicious dark beverage. Puck continued, seeming to take great pleasure in Dave's discomfort.
"Yeah, she's very determined and she can't seem to figure why anyone would turn down someone with her looks and pedigree."
When Kurt's ears seemed to perk up at that, Puck leaned forward, grabbed one of the older newspapers that were strewn around the room, and flipped through it until he stopped with a triumphant "ah, here she is!" He handed the paper over to Kurt who flicked a quick look at David before taking it.
The quality of the newsprint did nothing to hide the fact that the woman in the photograph was absolutely stunning. Kurt felt a funny little twinge as he studied the image of a tall, busty blonde wearing an impressive amount of no doubt authentic jewelry and a dress Kurt could just tell probably cost the same amount as a small car.
"She's beautiful," he muttered, handing the paper back to Noah and trying to figure out why he felt an immediate animosity towards someone whom he had never met.
Puck smiled as he turned to David, a faux innocent expression now firmly in place. "By the way, aren't you supposed to be taking her to that thing on Wednesday night? What was it again… hmm, oh right," he snapped his fingers sharply. "Yes, that gala fund-raiser, Macmillan cancer thing was it?"
The sound of Kurt's quietly indrawn breath drew the attention of both men. David looked a little uncomfortable while conversely Puck looked pleased with himself as Kurt looked at them.
"Uh, I think I'm supposed to be at that thing… at the Palladium?" When David nodded reluctantly, Kurt tried to produce a tiny little smile. It seemed the hardest thing right now, for some strange reason. Puck sat back, taking another sip of his cooling coffee and smiled at Kurt.
"Oh, you'll get a chance to meet the bountiful Emma. You'll have a lot to talk about; I hear she has a lovely set of lungs."
Dave narrowed his eyes at Puck, wondering what he was playing at. He'd had no idea that the members of Kurt's opera company would be performing. It was usual for the performers to mingle with the guests at these things but he had often opted out, citing pressing business matters, rather than run the risk of running into Kurt.
Now he had no other option than to do the usual shoulder-rubbing (and sometimes networking) that went on at these things. He often found them quite tedious though he admitted that the liquor and delicious finger food that was provided sometimes made up for the tedium.
He smiled tightly now as Kurt's brilliant eyes turned to him, an odd expression flickering in their depths. "Emma happens to be an old friend of the family's; her brothers and I play on the same charity polo team when there's time in my schedule." He looked down at his fingers, examining them as he tried to picture a meeting between Kurt (the love of his life) and the woman who hoped to marry him some day soon.
Kurt took a fortifying swallow of coffee as the words "charity polo team" swam across his brain. He'd almost forgotten that David, as a billionaire, moved in the kind of society where playing polo – even for a charity – was considered as normal as him going to the gym for a workout.
"I hope you'll enjoy the performance then. We'll be doing a couple of pieces that you might be familiar with," he smiled at David, remembering that he was a music lover. "I'll be doing a duet, The Flower Duet from Delibes' Lakme, actually, and also Nessun Dorma."
"Nessun Dorma?" David's face lit up as he leaned forward to set his cup back on the tray. "I've never heard a counter tenor sing that before, only huge baritones." He smiled delightedly at Kurt. "Well, then, I will have something to look forward to."
Kurt blushed, pleased at David's reaction, and turned to grin at Puck. The tanned man was smirking over the rim of his coffee cup at him and when Kurt looked questioningly at him he simply winked. He continued, loving the look on David's face as he spoke of the upcoming performance.
"For an encore, if there is going to be one, I'll be doing Handel's Lascio ch'io panga." That piece was actually perfect for his voice that, even at his age, still had a rich, feminine sound. It was slow, romantic and, some had even said, sexy. He found himself wanting David to hear it, especially in the company of the Hon. Emma Smythe-Heffley!
The men chatted for a while before Puck announced he was going to give Kurt a tour of the house. David sprang to his feet, looking as if he were about to say something, then he just nodded and told them he had work to do in his office. He left the room so quickly Kurt felt a little off-balance and turned to look at Noah for an answer.
Puck only smiled, shrugged and ushered Kurt out the door, one hand resting in the small of the singer's back as he guided him out to the foyer and through another set of doors.
Dave, remembering the tray of coffee things, stepped back into the lounge to retrieve it. As he gathered the things, his eyes fell not on the paper with his supposed almost-fiancée but the one with the photo of Puck and Kurt he had been looking at the day before. He paused in his task, picked it up and flipped to the page and stood, staring at Kurt's sleepy-sexy face. Though the face of the driver wasn't clear, he knew that it was Puck who had taken the singer home from their outing. He threw the paper down, disgusted with himself for being a masochist.
He stared at the door through which the two men had left and sighed, his shoulders slumping. It had been so nice to talk with Kurt and he was glad that they had gotten the chance to say what was necessary to clear the air between them. He couldn't help the twinge of bitterness, though, at the thought that clearly, Puck had succeeded where he had failed in securing Kurt's affections.
He thought back to the way Kurt's beautiful face seemed to glow when he was talking about the upcoming gala and what he was going to perform. Dave had always found Kurt's voice to be especially sensual, filling him with dreams of what it would be like to be looked at with the love and desire he acted out on the stage with his female counterparts. There were times he sometimes thought his heart would burst, just listening to the recordings of the countertenor's voice in the solitude of his entertainment room.
Kurt had forgiven him but that was a long way from him accepting Dave as a friend, much less a romantic interest. Still, Dave mused, being satisfied with scraps was what he was willing to do for the sake of his continued friendship with Puck.
He took the coffee things to the kitchen, thankful that Puck had really cleaned up the place and headed to his office, wondering where the two men had got to in the tour of the huge house. He opened the door of his office/library and stopped short at the sight of Kurt lounging on one of the sofas and staring fixedly at a photo album.
Kurt looked up, his aquamarine gaze fixing David to the spot before he smiled.
Dave came inside fully and shut the door before heading over to his massive desk and the chair behind it. "I thought you were touring the place with Puck?"
Kurt laughed and shook his head. "We were, but he got a call from one of his 'hookups', I think it was."
Dave looked at him, a puzzled expression on his face. "Hookups, and you don't mind?"
Kurt shrugged. "Why should I? I told him I would wait in here until he got back." He held up the album and looked at Dave. "I hope you don't mind my looking at your photo albums?"
Dave, still trying to figure out why Kurt wasn't at least a little upset with Puck, shrugged and replied: "No, that's okay; I'd come over and explain who was who but I do have a few things to take care of right now."
Kurt smiled and shook his head. "When you're finished then. I'm having fun just trying to figure out the connections from the resemblances," and he ducked his head down again, turning the page slowly as he smiled to himself. He knew David was still a bit skittish around him and he found that he really wanted to put the other man at ease.
As he looked through the album, his mind wasn't really on the photos but on the man on the other side of the room. It was the oddest thing but Kurt actually felt comfortable with him. He recognized that part of his ease around David had to do with the fact that the other man's feelings for him gave Kurt an immense ego boost. He was self-aware enough to know that he liked having someone as powerful and attractive as David Karofsky panting after him.
Not that the man had made a move yet. No, things had just sort of leveled out between them and though they couldn't rewind time to a point before the unfortunate incident, they could at least try to move on now and see what happened.
Dave watched Kurt surreptitiously as he went through several documents that his personal assistant had required him to sign but his mind was only half on the job. Kurt had settled back with his legs stretched out on the sofa and the huge leather-bound album resting on his lap and he looked so much like he belonged there that Dave's heart ached.
He tried to concentrate but it was becoming increasingly difficult as every so often Kurt would let out a soft little giggle as he studied the photographs. Finally, Dave couldn't take it anymore and he got up and came across to the singer, settling himself gingerly beside him and leaning in a little to see what Kurt was currently sniggering at.
Kurt looked up from beneath his lashes and moved his legs a bit so Dave could slide a little closer, then shifted the album so the other man could see what he was finding so amusing. When Dave looked at the page he groaned and then chuckled softly, shaking his head as he tried to turn the page and ease his embarrassment.
"Now," Kurt laughed, his eyes gleaming as he teased David. "Tell me why you're in drag, please!"
Dave grimaced slightly and then smiled as Kurt laughed openly. Who would believe the two of them could share such a light-hearted moment? He grabbed the album from the giggling singer but explained: "I lost a bet, okay? It was in college and I had a roommate in senior year who would bet on anything."
Kurt swallowed the laughter that still tried to escape, the picture of David in a halter-top, miniskirt and boots forever etched onto his mind. The wig wasn't too bad either but David had no feminine attributes to carry off the look and his expression in the candid photo showed that he was painfully aware of that fact.
"Hell, I'm not a betting man, really, but she was just so damn smug that I was psyched into taking the bet."
"Well, tell me, what was it? What were you foolish enough to bet on?" Kurt watched the other man debate if he should spill. When he nudged him with his elbow David relented.
"Okay, okay. It was pool and I was – am – pretty good at it. Well, she bet that she could beat me in ten minutes. Shediditineight."
Kurt leaned forward slightly, sure he hadn't heard correctly. "What was that again?"
"I said she did it in eight!" He grinned ruefully as Kurt burst out laughing, tears springing to his eyes. "Hey, she was a damn hustler, alright!" He watched as Kurt continued giggling, though he did appear to be trying to stop. Every time the giggles slowed down, however, they'd start right back up when Kurt glanced at the photo of an uncomfortable-looking David trying to tug down the back of his miniskirt.
Dave was just happy that Kurt seemed to be enjoying himself, although right now it was at Dave's expense but, as he'd reminded himself earlier, he would take whatever he could get.
Kurt finally settled down a bit, however, but just as Puck entered the room, pocketing his phone, Kurt commented: "I like the wig, though," and he was off again in another fit of giggles.
Puck smiled as he came over and perched on the arm of the couch, leaning close to Kurt. He noticed the photo album lying between the two men and understood. "Oh, you saw the drag picture," and chuckled at the heightened color on his boss's face.
Eventually, the conversation moved on to the various people in the photos and Dave pointed out his parents, grandparents and various and sundry aunts, uncles and cousins. He didn't look really sad when he was pointing out his parents who Kurt knew had died in a car accident some time ago, but he was a little more subdued by the time they'd reached the last page.
Puck decided it was time for the cake and volunteered to serve it there in the library so Kurt wouldn't have to come out to the kitchen. His behavior seemed so uncharacteristically cheerful that Kurt looked over, puzzled, at David who only shrugged and went back to his desk, figuring he'd sign a couple more things while they waited on Puck and the cake.
Kurt wandered around the huge room, taking down and looking at various books that Dave told him his father had collected over many years. Dave watched him again, unable to help but admire the way the singer's clothes hugged him faithfully, the dark pants and boots enhancing the length of his legs. Before Kurt he'd never wanted any other man the way he did now and he knew he'd do anything for a chance to make love to him completely.
Holding one book in his hand, Kurt turned to ask David about it and stopped when he saw the way the other man was looking at him. Suddenly, Kurt remembered the look in David's eyes that time on the island when he'd brought them to orgasm, his large body shuddering on him, and the book fell to the carpet.
Dave felt his breath catch as he saw realization dawn on Kurt's stunned face; his blue-green eyes widened, moist pink lips parted and it was all Dave could do not to go over to him and pull that tight, hot body up to his. He wanted so much to taste Kurt, to hear those little sounds again that he made when he was coming; his jeans tightened and he clenched his fists, certain that if he said something now it would only be to beg.
Kurt's face flooded with color, his breath stopping at the memory of David's lips on his and god help him, the heat in his belly told him everything he didn't want to know right now. He rushed to the door, stammering an apology as he yanked it open. He flew past Noah who had just been about to enter with the cake (chocolate, Kurt's favorite, of course) and muttered quickly that he'd wait for him in the car.
When Puck entered the library it was to see Dave behind his desk with his head buried in his hands.
"What happened," he asked, stunned at the about-face between the two men. One moment they had been chuckling together like a drain, he leaves to get the cake and the next, one was fleeing and the other was looking as if he'd lost the business.
Dave looked up at him forlornly. "I really don't know," and the two men stared at the door through which Kurt had fled. Puck set down the cake along with the plates and forks and headed out himself, all the while shaking his head.
The last thing Dave heard was a muttered, "As bad as a woman!"
TBC
A/N 2: I'm trying to take things slowly to give Kurt a chance but the gravitational pull between him and Dave is enormous. I need to make Kurt's capitulation to his feelings as realistic as possible so it will be at least one more chapter before things of a slashy nature occur between them. I promise, though, for those who expressed concern – no more Puckurt moments.