The Storm: Redemption
Chapter Eleven
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: I have so many people to thank for their input, I wouldn't have space for the chapter. Thanks, you wonderful folks, and keep those reviews coming.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs belong to me, alas.
KHDK
Dave's business in Dubai kept him distracted for most of the two weeks he was over there. Most. The other times when he wasn't meeting with businessmen, going over construction plans for his newest hotel or heading out to the future site of said hotel, he was thinking about the most important person in his life.
Kurt Hummel.
Dave had gone over every second of every moment of interaction he'd had with the fascinating singer and he was almost a hundred per cent sure the other man had started to return his feelings. Still, Dave wanted a chance to court the younger man and get to know him beyond what he'd learned over the years from a distance. He was certain that Kurt was as complex as he was talented and beautiful, and he wanted to spend as much time with him as the situation allowed.
The situation was a little odd because at this moment, Dave was certain that his security boss and sometime driver and confidante, Puck, was also interested in the singer. The two had been on a couple of dates as far as Dave knew but strangely they didn't seem to be romantically serious. Dave was a little reluctant to come right out and ask Puck; hey, a man had his pride and Puck had already seen him at his lowest after the island fiasco.
Dave determined that, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he would face Puck and ask him what was going on between him and Kurt. Kurt's unexpected reactions to Dave on two occasions made him feel that the other man was not that indifferent toward him but whether those feelings could develop into something deeper was left to be seen.
KHDK
Emma Smythe-Heffley had been doing her homework in the two weeks that David was away. All her internal alarms had gone off that night she'd met that jumped-up little singer at the Palladium. David had been frustratingly quiet on the subject of Kurt Hummel when he had seen her home that night and he'd been so distant that he'd actually turned down her invitation to come in for a nightcap.
The next day she'd done everything she could to find out who exactly Kurt Hummel was; she had not been happy to find that the pale-skinned singer was a true diva, being the principal performer with the famous opera company. She herself did not move in that circle as she was not really an aficionado of the theatre, so she was justified in not realizing that he was, in actuality, quite a star in his realm.
She had taken it upon herself to actually attend one of the performances of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and jealousy and anger roiled in her stomach when she heard the rapturous ovations at the end of the singer's performance. She had always known of David's love for music but never in her craziest imaginings would she have thought a rival for his affections would be a singer!
Her aristocratic upbringing meant that she was very aware of all the permutations of human sexuality so the fact that said singer was a man had not fazed her at all. It was just that she had so set her sights on David Karofsky and his lovely billions that she had assumed that, with him being American and therefore not very socially aware, he would be grateful that someone of her class and breeding had deigned to give him the time of day.
Now she seethed at the thought of Kurt succeeding where she had failed. When she closed her eyes most nights the memory of the two men's tense posture outside the Palladium that night morphed into a vision of Dave making love to the other man, his long, pale legs wrapped tightly around Dave's hips, taking everything that had been meant for her!
She and her father desperately needed David's money and she herself was not averse to sex with the man. He was at least her type; he was big and muscular and quite handsome with his dark curly hair and hazel eyes. She herself was very tall for a woman and it had not always been easy to find someone who was the perfect physical foil for her own statuesque beauty. David was undeniably sexy and she'd thought herself extremely lucky when her brothers' friend had started showing some slight interest in her all those years ago. She'd tried her level best to get him to the altar over those same years but he'd always seemed gun shy.
Now she wondered if his sexuality was going to be an obstacle in her plans to get him down the aisle but she was willing to overlook his need for Kurt as a bit of fluff on the side if she could get him to make her Mrs. David Karofsky. Hmmm, that wasn't such a bad plan on the surface of it; she just had to watch and see how deeply the singer got his hooks into her man before she took steps to get rid of him. Yes, she'd just have to wait for David to return from Dubai and then she would know how best to proceed.
KHDK
Puck was back in England after a week in the US sorting out a couple of glitches in one of the new security programs they had recently implemented. It was not necessarily a complex operation but he had been just ever so slightly distracted with thoughts of what he'd find when he got back to England.
He hadn't told Kurt he was leaving for a few days but he'd planned on checking in with the little diva on his return. For some reason, though, Kurt had been avoiding him; or at least it seemed that way. He had found out that the company was winding up its season in London and making plans for Italy so he could guess Kurt was actually quite busy. However, every time that the two had tried to come up with an arrangement to see each other for a drink, their schedules couldn't ever seem to synchronize at all.
Puck smiled to himself as he thought about the singer, missing the fiery temperament, not to mention the hot little body that Puck had promised he would not make a move on. To that end he'd paid a visit – a booty call – if you will, to one of his favorite people and they'd spent a couple of nights working out Puck's frustrations in quite a satisfactory way.
He was not into Kurt anywhere as intensely as his boss, Dave, so he had been able to put the singer out of his mind for a while. Since, however, he was really quite determined to get the two men to move beyond the past and get their act together, he had to at least see Kurt at some point. To this end, he had just left another voicemail message on Kurt's mobile, setting up a time and a location where they'd meet and have drinks. He told him he wouldn't await a reply, just that Kurt should make it there if he had the time.
He was interested to see if Kurt was, in fact, avoiding him, though he couldn't see a reason for such an action. Kurt knew he wouldn't put any moves on him anymore; the singer had made it quite clear he wasn't interested. Therefore, something else must be going on and Puck wanted to find out from Kurt exactly what that was. How could he help him and Dave if he wasn't kept informed of any new developments?
Puck chuckled at the thought that he was turning into a regular yenta; his Nana would be so proud, he smirked to himself. The truth of the matter was that he felt life was too short to waste and he truly liked both men; if he could help, the Hon. Emma notwithstanding, he was determined to try.
His mind wandered to the buxom blonde and then he remembered that the woman would have met Kurt the night of the Palladium shindig. He suddenly had a feeling that maybe more had happened than he'd realized, and remembering what the diva and the woman's personalities were like, wondered if there had been a clash that he hadn't heard about.
Oh, yes, he smiled deviously; he would definitely track Kurt down now and find out what had happened. Kurt would have no choice but to spill and let Uncle Puck help him out. This was going to be fun!
KHDK
Kurt Hummel was back on form; his colleagues parted before his headlong approach to the director's office and wondered what had got the diva on the warpath now. The singer's usually pale cheeks were red and his eyes glowed with an unholy light as he stormed into Rex's sanctum sanctorum and pushed rudely past the man's secretary.
Rex had been waiting for his principal singer, having got a heads-up from the receptionist on the desk at the front of the theatre. He sighed and rubbed his face, wondering if maybe this year was the year of his retirement. He didn't think he was up to the constant drama (pun intended) of dealing with a bunch of prima donnas day in and day out, chief of whom was Kurt Hummel.
When the singer slammed into his office, he turned to him with a neutral expression on his face, and waited for the onslaught he was sure was coming. However, Kurt surprised him by simply flinging himself into the chair before his desk and lowering his face wearily into his hands. Rex sighed; oh god, the suffering martyr act, he thought, and waited for Kurt to speak. He didn't have to wait long.
He'd always loved Kurt's face not just for its obvious beauty of form but for its ability to convey the most emotion with the simplest of expressions. Now was no exception and Kurt's eyes took on a softly suffering look that was designed to illicit the utmost remorse in any viewer. Rex chuckled inwardly as he realized that he himself was still not immune to those eyes swimming in even the slightest suggestion of tears and braced himself.
Kurt spoke quietly, his voice resonant with emotion. "A command performance, Rex; really, in this day and age?"
The effect he was going for was spoiled slightly by the fact that real anger seeped through on the last part of the question. Rex nodded at the singer and prepared to defend himself.
"Not just a command performance, either. A 'royal' command performance which you know we are obliged to do."
Kurt huffed and sighed, dropping the act but proceeding to glare at his company's director. His soft pink lips pulled thin in a sneer as he replied: "You know, I used to think King William was cool, nothing like his old fart of a father, Charles, but what the hell is he on about now? When the hell was the last time we had a command performance in this country? Ugh!"
Rex nodded in agreement and attempted to calm his favorite singer. "Well you know Her Royal Highness Princess Kate is trying to reinstitute what she calls a sense of 'national pride' back into the Brits. I suppose she persuaded him that this was another necessary step. You know, dazzle the peasants although the economy is tanking and the country is in deep shit." He shrugged: "Rulers have always done that, only now we're a part of the drama because we've been in the spotlight so much. Thanks to you, I might add."
He watched as Kurt bristled, not a bit remorseful that he was blaming Kurt's popularity for attracting the monarchy's notice. Kurt huffed and sat back, folding his arms and nibbling at a cuticle, a habit that Rex thought he'd got rid of a long time ago. His diva seemed a little tired beneath the posturing and he felt a little bad for the other man. He knew that things were going on with Kurt but since the singer hadn't confided in him, there wasn't much he could do to help.
Kurt looked back up and asked what they were going to present for the King and his consort, the Duchess of Cambridge, the beautiful and former Kate Middleton. He was a little tired of the social whirl that he had once used to love and his mind wandered, unbidden, to the thought of a certain house with rose-colored bricks that glowed in the sunlight. If his body tightened annoyingly at the thought of the owner of the same house, he tried to ignore it and focus on the situation at hand. David Karofsky was not a part of his life and if his libido would simply get with the program, he'd be a hell of a lot happier.
As Rex outlined his ideas on what the company would perform for the upcoming gala – which was to be broadcast to the nation, naturally – his thoughts clung to the last time he'd seen David. He frowned at the remembered turmoil of wanting the man yet having to be cool and distant, especially as he knew how much David wanted to be with him. His pride could hardly let him reconcile the fact that he lusted after someone who, for all intents and purposes, was practically engaged to be married.
Rex droned on about having to choose between a traditional operatic performance and a more modern presentation and Kurt nodded in all the right spots. He would be ashamed to admit to anyone that he couldn't stop thinking about the billionaire and the fact that he was still uncertain whether he wanted to be with the man or just fuck him and get it out of their systems.
As he thought on it more, he realized that David would probably not want just one night; Kurt was confident that if he called the man up right now he wouldn't turn him down but Kurt was proud. He wanted David to actively pursue him. Deep down, Kurt had always enjoyed the feeling of power that came from knowing he was so desired, the other felt forced to pursue him. He knew it was a screwed-up way of thinking and he blamed it on his diva genes.
Still, with their complicated past, he wondered if David would have the courage to chase after him; after all, look what had happened the last time he tried something like that. Regret soured Kurt's mood even further at the thought that his reaction to the whole situation had probably put David off for life; he wished fervently – and not for the first time – that he could turn back time and, therefore, change the outcome.
Rex glanced over at the singer's distracted expression, knowing that whatever was gnawing at Kurt would not affect the singer's professionalism. Kurt's problems had never showed up on the stage with him and that, along with his immense talent, was what made working with him such a good experience. Now he concluded their impromptu meeting by letting Kurt know he would inform him and the company soon about the decision he had come to regarding their command performance.
Kurt nodded at the older man and left the office, still in a slight funk. As he walked past the secretary, he gave her a little wave and a soft smile, apologizing silently for his earlier behavior. He continued downstairs and headed to his car and just as he got in he realized his phone had vibrated with a message.
Kurt activated his ear bud and listened to the message, realizing it was another one from Puck. This time he didn't delete it but played it again. Hmmm, maybe if he met up with Puck it would clarify some things for him and then he could make a decision one way or another about what he wanted to do. As he thought on it, he pulled out into the traffic and headed home. He would take a quick shower before meeting with Puck and just the act of making a decision, though a minor one, seemed to put his mind at ease.
KHDK
When Kurt walked into the hotel bar an hour later, he was greeted by a grinning Puck who stood to hug him briefly before ushering him into a seat. The two men ordered their drinks and then sat back, grinning at each other.
"You look good, Noah; you haven't been working too hard, I take it?" Kurt sipped his martini and smiled at the other man. Noah did look good; the tanned and muscular man was as hot as ever, Kurt recognized, but strangely it had no effect on him. It was almost like looking at a beautiful painting and being able to recognize the painter's brilliance, and then walking on to look at another, equally brilliant painting.
Puck smiled as he took in Kurt's appearance. The diva was hot in anything he wore but Puck especially loved him in things that revealed his throat and collar bones. Kurt had taken off his coat to reveal a soft, knitted blue top that made his eyes glow in his pale-skinned face. The lush pink lips were curved into a warmer version of his Madonna smile (Puck had once heard it described as such) and he seemed to relax as he sipped his drink.
"Thanks; I have been getting into it but it is stuff I love so it's all good." He went on to talk about his trip home to the US and his regret that he hadn't had time to visit his mom and grandma. Kurt nodded his understanding; he hadn't visited his dad in a while either, and the two men bonded a bit over their mutual regret at not finding more time for family in the face of their demanding careers.
Eventually, Puck moved on to the topic that was uppermost in both of their minds – David Karofsky.
"So, princess, have you seen the boss since his return from Dubai?" He lifted an eyebrow at Kurt's sudden change of expression. Was that a blush? Puck wondered what that was about but he didn't push, just continued to stare at Kurt while waiting for a reply.
Kurt fiddled with the stem of his martini glass and looked away, wondering how much his face was giving away. He cleared his throat and asked for a refill. Puck recognized it as a stalling tactic but called the waiter over anyway for refills.
Kurt sipped the new drink but then looked up, straight at Puck. Puck was not expecting what came out of the singer's mouth, that was for damn sure!
"Is David going to marry the Hon. Emma?"
Puck gaped stupidly for a few seconds then shook his head, puzzled. "What?" He had planned to ease into the whole conversation about this thing between Kurt and his boss, with a possible side mention of the woman's plans, but this straightforward question kind of threw him for a loop.
Kurt simply stared at him, his face stony but his eyes blazing at Puck. Puck scrambled to get his thoughts in order and to figure how best to answer the diva. He stalled.
"Uhm, why do you want to know?"
Kurt actually stared at him as if he thought Puck was a moron. "Noah, I'm in no fucking mood for your games. Answer me!"
Whew! Puck sat back; he had heard of the legendary temper but had never had it directed at him. The other man might be smaller than him but at the moment he actually feared for his balls. Kurt looked as if he was one second away from ripping two of Puck's favorite appendages away if he didn't answer him immediately!
"Hey, hey, calm down, princess. I really don't know, okay. I think even the boss doesn't know the answer to that one. Jesus!" He took a deep draught of his whisky, almost finishing it before sitting back. Kurt had calmed slightly at his admission but he still seemed a little on edge.
Puck looked seriously at the other man. "What happened at that Palladium thing, anyway? I haven't talked to the boss much since I've been back and it's not something I would normally bring up."
Kurt savored the last of his drink before looking at Noah, his eyes narrowing and the faintest sneer tracing his lips. "I met the Hon. Emma Smythe-Heffley."
Puck waited for Kurt to say more and when he didn't, he raised an eyebrow enquiringly. "Well? And…" but Kurt simply flicked an elegant hand in dismissal.
"And nothing. We were introduced and then they left." He stared intently at his manicure, absently wondering if maybe he needed another one soon.
Puck stared at him disbelievingly. Somehow, knowing the man in front of him even a little, there was no way that that was all that had happened. He tried to pry.
"So, what did you think of her? She's gorgeous, huh?" He hid a smile as Kurt's fiery eyes nearly ignited the air between them.
"Pfft, if you like frigid!" One hand flew to his mouth and his eyes widened as he realized how very malicious that had sounded. He flushed as he watched Noah gape at him and then burst out laughing.
Kurt was mortified. He hadn't planned to come across as some jealous hoyden but that was exactly what he sounded like.
"Oh, Noah, I didn't mean it like that… I mean, I didn't… ugh, damnit!" Kurt watched Noah try to compose himself and pondered if he should order another martini. Maybe not, at this rate I'd be blurting out to him how much I want David. Argh!
The silence stretched until he realized Noah was staring at him, twin expressions of shock and curiosity on his face. "What?"
Puck tried hard not to laugh and struggled with his next words. It was useless; he just had to let it out. "You know you just said that last part out loud, right?"
Kurt frowned, something he tried not to do because he didn't want forehead lines. "What last part?"
Puck laughed like a loon for a full minute before spluttering: "The part where you finally admit how much you want Dave?"
He took pity on the chagrined young singer and indicated silently to the waiter that they wanted refills. Kurt had his head in his hands and Puck wasn't sure but he could swear he heard: "Kill me now!"
"Hey, hey, relax. I knew already, princess." He grinned as he watched Kurt's head fly up, eyes narrowed and a pout already in place on those luscious lips.
"What do you mean you knew already? I'm only just trying to come terms with it myself!" He grabbed the martini as soon as the waiter placed it in front of him and downed it in one go.
"No-no-no, sweetheart, go easy on that stuff! Y'know what, let's get you out of here." He grabbed Kurt's arm, stopping him from reaching for Puck's whisky and after dropping some bills on the table – enough to cover their tab – he dragged the protesting singer out the door into the fresh air.
Kurt straightened up a bit and pulled his arm away, the pout still in place and looking flustered and adorable. At least that was what Puck thought; not so much the people who had to dodge out of Kurt's way as he was now storming up the street to where he'd left his car.
Puck hurried after him and managed to grab his arm as he was about to put the key in the lock. "No you don't, you are not driving home like this!" He hauled Kurt around and led him over to his own car, depositing the tipsy singer in the passenger seat before scurrying around to get in himself.
Kurt's head lolled against the headrest as he mumbled to himself before turning to Puck, his big eyes pleading. "Do you think I ruined my chances with him? Be straight with me here."
Puck chuckled at the wording but considered the essence of the question before replying. "I can't know that for sure, princess."
Kurt sighed forlornly. "I know he's in love with me, he's been pretty clear about that. The thing is, I've been such a bitch about the whole mess and now he is practically engaged to The Hon. Emma. If I come around now, maybe he'll think I'm just doing it because I don't want anyone else to have him."
He looked as if he'd just confused himself and turned to look at Noah. "I think I just confused myself but you know what I mean, right?"
Puck couldn't stand to see that beautiful face with such a woebegone expression. "What I can tell you is that he's a pretty sensitive guy. If you tell him you are interested, he might think you're in it just for the hot sex. It was hot, right?"
Kurt looked aghast. "How did you know? Did he tell you? Oh my god, I don't believe you men!"
Puck hurried to calm the distraught singer. "No, no, it was a shot in the dark! I didn't know anything had happened. It's just that things are so unbelievably intense between you guys, I figured something must have happened on the island. I really didn't know until just now."
Noah's assurances only calmed Kurt a little and he still felt exposed and not a little embarrassed. He sighed as he looked out at the passing buildings, noticing nothing. "This is driving me crazy, Noah," his voice was subdued, the tone only slightly bitter. "Yeah, something did happen and it was… really hot, though I pretended it wasn't, just to hurt him."
"That's kinda fucked up, princess, even for you."
Kurt accepted the reprimand, admitting to its truth. Now that he had got to see a little more of David's personality, he hated that he'd been so unforgiving and harsh. He wanted so much now to show the other man that his feelings had changed and that they were something more and better, but he truly didn't know if he could return the love that David so obviously felt for him.
As Puck pulled up to Kurt's flat, he pondered if he should get any more involved in the two men's affair. He had tried in his own way to smooth the path between them but now he wondered if he should just leave them to it to sort things out on their own. He decided then and there to give it one more try.
"Look, Kurt, I can't tell you what's going to happen between David and Emma. I do know that if you take a hands-off approach, it would be like conceding the field to her; know what I mean?"
Kurt nodded, grateful for Noah's friendship and his seeming willingness to help him. "Yeah, I understand. It's kinda like that whole lottery thing right? 'If you don't buy a ticket you don't stand a chance'."
Puck grinned at the way Kurt's face had lightened as he quoted the well-known sales pitch. "Yeah, exactly. Dave is a prize and if you really want him you will have to go for it. But be careful, though; he's pretty fragile after the way you treated him. You have to know for sure that you would want to commit – not just screw him and leave after you've gotten it out of your system, okay? He deserves better than that."
Tears sprang to Kurt's eyes and he turned his head away. His life had got so complicated and he honestly did not know which path to choose. What he did know was that the thought of David marrying that woman was like a knife to his stomach. What he also didn't know was if this feeling was genuine caring or just jealous possessiveness. He needed to clarify that for himself before he made a move.
He turned to Noah as he threw his door open. "Thank you, Noah; you are a good friend, I think, to both David and me. I'll call you, okay?"
Puck grabbed the slender hand nearest him and lifted it to his lips. "I hope you choose right, Kurt, because you, too, deserve better."
TBC
A/N 2: A confused Kurt, determined Dave, helpful Puck and calculating Emma. There will be a happy ending soon but should I give The Hon. Emma some stage time, too? Plus, there's some good old sexytimes coming up next so stay tuned.