The Storm: Reconciliation
Chapter Thirty-Seven
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Kurt and Dave have come to terms with the past but can they battle the envy and jealousy of others to make a future for themselves? This is rated M.
A/N 1: Dave gets to have a serious word with Finn … and more. There's a revelation in there, too. To all the stalwarts who both read and review this never-ending saga of mine, I love and appreciate you guys so, so very much. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.
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KHDK
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Kurt didn't think he held his breath through the entire dinner but it was a pretty close thing. Finn was so painfully polite that at one point during the evening Kurt wondered if Rachel or maybe his dad had threatened Finn with castration or something.
Regardless, the family sat down to a wonderful meal and Kurt, who was getting to meet his little nephews for the first time, was utterly charmed. The baby especially kept staring at Kurt from from big, shining brown eyes. Kurt's gaze was riveted on him (Elijah, aka Lije) and he could see why people would go to the ends of the earth and sacrifice everything for their children. He was utterly adorable and made Kurt feel like he wanted one just like that.
He glanced at David more than once during the dinner, speculating as to what their children would like and how they would go about it: adoption or surrogacy. As he chewed he pondered the choices and realized he was leaning towards surrogacy; he just had to see what a child of David's would look like. When his fiancé caught his thoughtful gaze, he blushed and smiled, dropping his eyes coyly to his plate.
Dave had been watching Kurt watch the children and had a pretty good idea what was going through his lover's mind. He too, thought they were cute kids, despite their parentage. He watched how deftly Rachel handled the baby's attempts to eat the mashed vegetables and Finn, surprisingly, was quite adept at managing young Sean. Huh, Dave thought snidely, at least he can be taught, and then shook his head at himself for his uncharitable thoughts.
Finally, dinner cleared away and everyone sitting around in the drawing room, the conversation inevitably turned to discussion of the wedding. Carole demanded details and wouldn't be satisfied until she'd been given some.
"Well, David and I want to have it back home, in Chiswick," Kurt smiled at his stepmom, taking in her eager expression. Rachel, too, was looking a little misty-eyed on the subject of the wedding, smiling tremulously every now and then at Kurt.
Carole clapped her hands softly, not wanting to wake the baby who had nodded off. Young Sean was sitting in his dad's lap playing with a little toy and tuning out the grown-ups as much as he could.
"Oh, Kurt, the back garden should be lovely in May or June, I can tell. That's where you're having it, right?" Carole paused just to get Kurt's bemused nod and continued. "Yes, and I'm sure Mrs. L and Eddy would love to help with everything."
When Rachel and Finn looked puzzled he explained (well, at least to Rachel because he was ignoring Finn): "They are the ladies who run the place and they're wonderful. Mrs. Lawrence actually worked for the family that owned it before David bought it for me."
Rachel's eyes rounded but she only nodded at that; the thought of David randomly buying beautiful, expansive estates for Kurt was just a tad mind-bogglingly but she would simply have to get used to the knowledge that they would soon have a billionaire in the family.
Finn looked at David, his expression a dopey combination of confusion and faint displeasure. "You just bought a place with staff for Kurt, just like that?"
Dave gave him a level look and shrugged. "I bought this one too, if you must know, and I intend buying a whole lot more for your brother if he'd let me."
A silence plopped into the middle of the room and Kurt, sensing the tension building between his fiancé and his brother, jumped up. "Oh, by the way, Rachel, there was some sheet music I thought would be great for your students. Want to come with me?"
Rachel gently handed off the sleeping Lije to Carole and followed Kurt out of the room and down the hallway towards the music room. She exclaimed at the beautiful piano and went over to sit on the bench, her fingers already tinkling the keys.
"Kurt, this is really a beautiful place. It's modern but it has a really warm, family feel to it." Her brown eyes smiled at him.
Kurt grinned at her and nodded. "I think so too. The design is nothing like the house in Chiswick which is more the typical English manor that we see on TV."
"Wow," Rachel spun around on the bench to watch Kurt moving about the room. "I'd love to see it. Do you have photos with you?"
He looked at her and then came over to sit beside her on the bench, their backs to the piano. He bumped her shoulder playfully before winking. "I can do you one better: you're coming to the wedding."
"Oh, Kurt, that would be wonder_" she broke off and the light in her face dimmed as she stopped. "Oh, but maybe Finn might, uh, he might have to work, you know."
Kurt had a determined gleam in his eye as he grasped one hand gently. "Rachel, I don't care. I want you at my wedding, you and 'Cedes, and you will be coming."
She brightened again and nodded, straightening her back as she said, "Yes, well, I do plan to do a solo for you and David so I have to be there, don't I?"
They giggled together and Kurt was suddenly transported back to his high school days. He hadn't been as close to Rachel as he'd been to Mercedes but he'd found Rachel to be a genuine talent though seriously driven. He'd thought it a shame that she'd given up her dreams for his stepbrother but he could understand now that a person could make such a sacrifice happily … for love.
He found the sheet music he wanted her to have and when he turned back to her he was also holding a cheque in his hand. Her eyes dropped to what he was holding and then widened as they looked back up at him.
"I've been thinking about doing this for a while but kept putting it off. I'm sorry about that but here it is now." He smiled at her, hoping she would take the money without any drama. "It's for your music department and if I'm not mistaken, I think I know where to get more."
He winked at her and she laughed, taking the cheque for $100,000 gratefully. "Kurt, you're really sweet to do this. We've had a couple of donations over the years but you know it's not anywhere enough these days. Thank you!"
She leapt up to fling her arms around Kurt who staggered but managed to hold her small body without tipping over. "You're welcome, sweetie, and don't spend it all in one place."
They laughed loudly at his corny humor and when they separated, Rachel had tears in her eyes. "I probably shouldn't say 'congratulations' because traditionally you don't say that to the 'bride' but you're not really the bride so I'll say it anyway."
Kurt giggled at her babbling, knowing the sentiment was genuine, and hugged her again. As he was straightening up, Kurt's eyes collided with Finn's who had come to the door. He'd probably been drawn by the sound of laughter and for a split second Kurt wondered how David could have let him out of his sight.
Rachel turned to see what had distracted Kurt and gushed when she saw Finn. "Oh, sweetie, look what Kurt's given McKinley…" and she held out the cheque to her husband to look at. Finn, however, was still staring at Kurt who'd moved to sit again on the piano bench.
"Yeah, uh, Rachel, could I talk to Kurt alone for a minute, please?" He turned large pleading eyes to her and, of course, she smiled at him, grinned at Kurt and skipped out of the room, her eyes riveted once more on the cheque.
"What do you want to say now, Finn? More insults?" Kurt crossed his legs in his signature pose, clasped his hands around his knees and stared impassively up at his towering stepbrother.
Finn stepped into the room, his face morphing through several expressions before it stopped on faint displeasure, of course.
"Look, Kurt, I don't know the story with this guy but I don't trust anyone who just throws money around like that." He closed his mouth tightly and crossed his arms over his chest, his stance very much like that of a father speaking to a recalcitrant child.
"Finn, first of all, it's none of your business who I associate with, second, you clearly don't know anything about my fiancé and third – and most important – get the FUCK out of my business!"
By this time Kurt was standing toe-to-toe with Finn, jabbing him in his chest with one long finger and glaring up at the larger man, and he watched as the displeasure on his face gave way to all out fury.
Finn's hand shot out to grab Kurt's wrist and he glanced down at the softness of the cashmere sweater Kurt was wearing. "Did he get this for you, too? Does he buy all your clothes, shower you with jewels? I bet this one sweater cost more than my whole month's salary, huh?"
His hand tightened on Kurt's wrist as the smaller man tried to wrench his arm away. They were both panting in their extreme anger at each other and so didn't hear the footsteps that had halted behind Finn. Kurt gasped and his eyes widened as he saw David come up behind Finn.
Finn was wrenched away and spun around as Dave grabbed him, his eyes totally green as he took in Finn's paw wrapped around Kurt's wrist.
Finn immediately dropped Kurt's arm and stepped back but it wasn't fast enough. Dave, his face twisting in a frightening manner, suddenly back-handed the taller man and when Finn fell to the ground he stepped up to him, sneering down at the wide-eyed man.
"If you ever lay a hand on my fiancé again, you will lose it. Furthermore, your mother made that sweater for Kurt for Christmas, asshole. Now, go straighten up yourself and you are not going to say one word of this to your wife or your parents. Understood?"
Finn, holding his aching jaw with both hands, nodded frantically up at the furious man. He had never been hit in violence in his whole life. He shuddered at the look in Karofsky's eyes and he could have sworn the man actually wanted to murder him, all because he'd grabbed Kurt's wrist. His eyes flicked ashamedly over to Kurt but his stepbrother was in Karofsky's arms and his face was turned into his chest.
The two men left the room and him on the floor, wondering what in hell had just happened. He hadn't meant to get so angry with Kurt but something about the younger man always made him tense and upset. He hoped fervently that Kurt wouldn't say anything to the others, this was just too humiliating!
Kurt, rejoining the others, decided it was time for dessert so, naturally, Carole and Rachel jumped up to help him serve. He tried to put on a good face but Rachel could tell something must have been said back in the music room to upset him. She said nothing but simply brushed a quick caress on his back as she passed him to get out the ice cream. Carole, unnoticing of any tension, chatted happily away, complimenting Kurt again on the delicious dinner.
"I forget you used to have to do kitchen duty before I married your dad, sweetie. You certainly haven't forgotten anything in all these years." She laughed, oblivious as she moved around the kitchen.
Her happy chatter helped to ease the tension and by the time they had the cake and ice cream dished up, Kurt had regained his equilibrium. Everyone devoured the food to the last fork and spoonful and Kurt relaxed further. He wouldn't allow Finn's constant stupidity to spoil this family evening.
Dave was glad that Kurt had relaxed enough to chat lightly with his family, though Finn was being conspicuously silent. If the lumbering idiot hadn't been there, as they'd first expected, the evening would have been absolutely perfect. Nevertheless, he thought he'd made his position clear to the other man but, as he watched him scarfing down the dessert, he thought now that maybe a serious talk with his future brother-in-law was in order.
Making up his mind, he got up, tapped Finn on the shoulder and indicated that the other man should follow him. Finn, who had flinched when David had touched him, looked around at the others, wondering if they'd guessed something had happened earlier. He put down his fork and plate and excused himself before jumping up to follow Dave.
The two men entered the office and Dave closed the door firmly, turning the lock, before indicating that Finn should have a seat.
"Twice now I've had the opportunity of seeing you be a total jackass to your brother. What issue do you have with him?"
Finn was seeing David Karofsky, the ruthless businessman, though he didn't realize this. He'd only seen, on two occasions, the happy fiancé; now the man facing him had a stern face from which hard eyes stared unrelentingly at him.
He gulped as he cringed in the chair though Dave was seated behind the desk and wasn't likely to lunge at him across it. He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, hoping for a nonchalance that so far was eluding him.
"I don't have any issues with Kurt; why do you say that?" He blinked his eyes in the supposedly innocent expression that had always allowed him to get away with the most ridiculous things, but he was to be disappointed.
"Come, man, I wasn't born yesterday; in fact, we were in the same year at McKinley." He watched as Finn's eyes widened. He clearly didn't remember Dave and he remembered that Finn was really not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Finn now decided to drop the clueless act and stared mutinously back at the man who dared to waltz into his family and just take over.
"Look, you're obviously a really rich guy but I don't know why you would want to 'marry' my brother. He's a dude!" His self-righteous demeanor was just too much for David who, leaning forward, stared incredulously at the idiot in front of him.
"'Dude', your wife has two dads! Are you that stupid – or is it something else? What do you have against Kurt, specifically? It can't just be that he's gay."
Finn's mouth worked, his anger building as he stared at the man who had everything apparently and now wanted his stepbrother. He couldn't understand where all this anger was coming from but suddenly he burst out:
"Do you know he used to have a crush on me? Yeah, you didn't know that, did you?" He watched with a malicious gleam in his eye as David sat back in his huge leather chair.
"Actually, I did know. Kurt told me some time ago, but what about it? You really can't still be hung up on that?"
Finn gaped at him and then struggled to find something else to hurl at the other man. "Well… well, do you know he's a slut? When I turned him down, he went after any and everybody else. I know, coz I heard all about it!"
Dave stared at the almost foaming man in front of him, wondering at the root of all this animosity Finn had towards his stepbrother. He started to speak but Finn interrupted him.
"He's probably just with you for your money, y'know. He got a taste of the high life and probably just wants to make sure he has it for the rest of his life. He doesn't really love you at all."
The silence yawned between them, Finn glaring and Dave staring in disbelief. A little smile started to play about Dave's mouth as he recalled Kurt's insistence on getting a pre-nuptial agreement and he chuckled, shaking his head at the confused expression on the clown's face.
"My god, you are jealous!" He burst out laughing as Finn sprang to his feet. "No, no, I see it now! My fiancé, your stepbrother, is everything you are not." He got to his feet now, too.
He walked around the desk and stopped a couple feet away from the wide-eyed man. "Kurt is beautiful, talented and richer than you'll ever be. I see it now; it's all about jealousy! You were probably jealous of him the moment you met him and realized how very different – better – he was from everyone else in that godforsaken town you call home."
By this time Finn had backed up to the door, his hand reaching behind him to wrench at the handle. "No! You're wrong, I couldn't be jealous of a little faggot and a slut. Just because he can sing and wriggle his tight ass at rich old perverts doesn't mean he's talented, either!"
Dave's mouth opened slightly as he stared into Finn's eyes, a sudden realization dawning on him. Finn was really jealous but the reason was far sicker than Dave had realized. His eyes widened in disgust as he stared at the other man.
"You sick, closeted, homophobic prick! You wanted Kurt back then, didn't you? Oh my god, poor Kurt!" A short, humorless laugh burst from him as he stared at Finn. "He thought you hated him because of his crush. You actually hate yourself for wanting him, don't you?"
"NO, I'm not sick and I'm not closeted! Don't you dare tell anyone that!" Finn was almost hyperventilating now, his hands clenched in painful fists. He closed his eyes and his head fell forward, his chin digging into his chest.
Dave looked at him in pity and anger, the disgust still evident, too. "YES, dammit, that's why you made Kurt so uncomfortable – because you were uncomfortable but not with him – with what he made you feel, you shit!"
They had automatically lowered their voices in an odd screaming whisper, not wanting any of this horrible conversation to be overheard by the others sitting clueless in the drawing room. Dave turned away from the man who was seriously tempting him to smash him into a bloody pulp.
Finn raised his head and stared with bleary eyes at his brother's lover. "I-I wanted to like him, y'know, when my mom started dating his dad. I didn't know he'd be – the way he is…"
His eyes fell to the hardwood floor, noting absently that he could almost see himself in its sheen, his mind wandering off as he tried to hide from the nasty revelations that were just now surfacing. His shoulders sagged as he muttered: "I didn't want to be a fag, too."
David spun around to stare at him once more, his mouth opening a few seconds before anything came out. "You disgust me and I wish I could make you disappear, I honestly do," he growled.
He grinned in satisfaction at the frightened expression taking over Finn's face. He continued speaking quietly but with a coldness that Finn could not mistake.
"Okay, here's what's going to happen. From now on, you will never be in a room alone with my fiancé. Clear?" He waited for the nod that came satisfyingly quickly. "You will never use another homophobic or any slur for that matter, in my fiancé's presence. You will be polite to him at all times, in fact, you will be bloody ecstatic for him from now on. CLEAR?"
The shout startled Finn into nodding like a bobble-head doll and David finally dismissed him. "Now get the hell away from me. Remember, you will say nothing of any of this to your poor wife or mother. If you do, I will make certain you live to regret it. And I think you know I have the means to do it."
Dave paused as he stared with hatred at the lumbering ex-jock. "You see, I'm not just very rich, I'm a freaking billionaire. I know you didn't do your homework and check up on me but Google me sometime, yeah?"
Finn gulped, finally wrenched the door open and stumbled through it, his heart pounding and his breath coming short. Shit, he hadn't expected any of this when he'd cut his shift short at work and decided to come over here for dinner with the rest of the family. Damn, who did Kurt get himself hooked up with? Was Karofsky one of those shady Russian billionaires he was always hearing about? Shit shit shit!
He scurried down the passageway, slowing only when he approached the drawing room doors, and pasted a sickly smile unto his sweating face. Rachel would probably know immediately that something was up but he was determined not to say anything to anyone. After all, he didn't know what Kurt's crazy billionaire boyfriend could do to him. Maybe he would get one of his 'associates' to kill him and dump his body somewhere that no one would be able to find for decades. Oh god!
Finn continued his ridiculous musings even as he nodded and smiled gamely at whatever his mom was saying. Everything seemed normal but he knew, he knew! that Kurt's fiancé would kill him if he even looked sideways at his brother – no, stepbrother.
Kurt, picking up on the strange vibe emanating from Finn after he'd returned from his chat with David, got up to go see where his fiancé had got to. He found him in the office sitting behind his desk and staring out the French windows pensively.
"David, sweetie, what's the matter?" He closed the door softly and went over to his lover.
Dave spun around with a soft smile on his face though his eyes seemed a little strained. Kurt walked up to him and insinuated himself between his knees, wrapping his arms around the beloved shoulders while dropping a kiss on his head.
"Everything's good, babe. I just had a little talk with your stepbrother. I think he'll be on his best behavior from now on."
Kurt leaned back to look down into David's face, his eyes scanning the beloved features intently. "Oh, David, what did you do? Oh, geeze, did you pull the whole 'I'm a billionaire, bitch!' routine on him?"
Dave nodded, a little smirk wreathing his lips. "Yeah, and I totally put the fear of Karofsky into him, too."
Kurt stared at him, wide-eyed, before they both burst out into gut-busting laughter. Kurt finally wiped his eyes and stared admiringly at his lover. "Oh god, I wish I'd been a fly on the wall to witness that." He chuckled again before adding: "Finn's such an idiot, he probably thinks you'd bury his body somewhere we couldn't find, oh god!"
They chuckled as they hugged and nuzzled each other, all the tension draining from their bodies as they had a proper laugh at Finn's expense.
Finally they remembered they had guests probably getting ready to leave by now and decided to head back out to the drawing room. They strolled in hand-in-hand and as both Rachel and Carole moved to hug them goodbye, Burt clapped David on the shoulder, thanking them for a great evening.
Finn, noticeably silent once more, simply nodded and moved to the hall closet where their things were, carrying young Sean while Rachel had Lije who had awakened. The baby once more stared at Kurt and then, lifting one soft little palm, patted the singer's cheek softly.
Rachel and Carole 'awwwed' and then laughed as Kurt blushed; he nuzzled his pointy nose against the baby's and inhaled that sweet baby smell. Rachel smiled at the picture they made and then whispered to Kurt: "Next year, this will be you, okay?"
Kurt's color deepened as he laughed, his eyes turning towards where David was helping Carole with her coat and looked back at her, his smile softening. "Yeah," he nodded. "I certainly hope so."
He held the baby while she got into her winter gear and he hugged the baby to him, smiling down into the sweet little face. He definitely wanted one of these and, who knows, maybe two or three more. They'd have to wait and see. First of all, there was a wedding to plan and he knew that that was no easy task.
One thing at a time, Hummel, he murmured to himself as he waved his family off into the cold night. One thing at a time.
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KHDK
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Kurt and Dave moved around the house, clearing up the detritus from the family dinner and chatted desultorily. When they heard a car pull up, Kurt smirked at David and said he'd go get the rest of the dessert for the guys.
Noah, Devon and Ian came in talking quietly about their sight-seeing and greeted the other two men tiredly. Puck joined Kurt in the kitchen and eyed the cake the singer was cutting up and moved to lean against the counter.
"So, how was the family dinner, good?" He pinched a bit off of the cake on one of the plates and grinned as Kurt slapped at him.
"Oh, it was pretty good and I think I outdid myself with the food, I must say," he laughed as Puck raised an eyebrow at his immodesty. "What, I know when I'm good!"
Suddenly he paused and looked at Puck, his eyebrows lowering as he stared at the tanned man. "Noah, uhm, tell me something. You went to school with David, right?"
Puck nodded. "You know I did because I think I remember mentioning it. Why?"
Kurt bit his lip before asking: "Do you remember Finn Hudson?"
Puck nodded, puzzled. "Yeah, I think so. I wasn't close to him or anything; he was just another jock. Again, why?"
"He's my stepbrother," Kurt bit out as he frowned down at the plates of cake on the counter.
Puck stared hard at Kurt's face, realizing there was a whole lot more going on than it appeared. "Okaaay, and…?"
Kurt huffed a little sigh and looked up at the other man's concerned face. "When Carole and my dad met, I was kinda glad that I was going to get a big brother, y'know? Well, I met him and I developed the world's most inconvenient crush." A bitter little laugh escaped him but he continued.
"It didn't last long but it was enough to make Finn pretty uncomfortable around me so, over the years, I spent less and less time with them. I missed my dad, yeah, but there would be too much tension so I skipped the family reunions. Now, we're back here and it seems he's still just as uncomfortable around me."
Puck nodded, his face hardening at the thought of someone messing with the princess. "So, what, you want me to mess him up for you?"
Kurt gaped at him, not certain if he was serious or not and then decided to go with the latter. Grinning, he slapped Puck on his arm before shaking his head. "NO, you savage! I just want you to understand that if you notice any tension between us, that's the reason for it. I don't need you Neanderthals fighting my battles; I can take care of myself."
Puck grinned wickedly at him, moving slightly closer. "But, princess, that's why the world needs us Neanderthals – to protect you more civilized folks, right?"
Kurt laughed aloud before handing two of the cake plates and forks to his friend. "Come on, you, take these out and give the smaller piece to Ian, please."
Puck dropped a quick peck on Kurt's cheek and headed out to join the others. Kurt brought out the other two plates, handed them out and came back for the coffee.
He was glad for Noah and the guys' presence, especially with what had happened back in England but he was more than glad that Noah had become a friend. It soothed his hurting heart somewhat because, as much as he wished it wasn't so, Finn's continuing antipathy was deeply painful to him.
He set down the tray of coffee things and served his guys, smiling as he listened to the light-hearted banter and was grateful once again that he had found a family of his own. He would take care of them just as they took care of him. Most special of all – his fiancé was the finest man he'd ever met. Despite Finn and his foolishness, Kurt felt he was the luckiest man alive.
He settled into an armchair with his own (second) slice of cake for the evening and basked in the warmth. Mmm-hmm, and this cake was excellent, too. Go, Dana, he chuckled to himself.
Yeah, life was good… and it was soon to get so much better.
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TBC
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A/N 2: Okay, was Dave's handling of Finn too much or not enough? Hey, let me know – drop me a line, please.