The Storm: Reconciliation
Chapter Thirty-Nine
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: My boy is a little under the weather but not to fear, he will make it to his mini reunion. Read and review, please, I live for this stuff.
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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'Cof! Cof-cof!'
Mercedes looked over at her boy, taking in the pale, slightly clammy countenance and knew a little niggle of worry as he sniffled again.
"Kurt, hon, are you okay?" She smiled a little as she watched him jump; his mind had been afar off, apparently.
He smiled over at his friend as he lay on the bed and waved with one limp hand, a crumpled tissue in the other. He did feel a little under the weather but it wasn't too bad. "I'm fine, 'Cedes, really. What do you want to do tonight?"
They were in the guest room and he had been watching her put some of her clothes and cosmetics away shortly after her arrival. It wasn't time for dinner as yet so they had been chatting and making further plans for their big 'mini' McKinley reunion, no Karaoke. He'd been wondering if closing the club for the night was a good idea as he had no idea how few or many past students would turn up.
He had been feeling extra tired the past couple of days coupled with a cough and runny nose. Now, here was Mercedes asking him for about the third time in the last half an hour if he was okay. It was really nothing to worry about, he thought as he closed his eyes again, he just needed some more sleep…
Mercedes watched her friend in the mirror as she set out her hair brush and combs, not feeling in the least assured by his words. She was going to say something to Dave when they got downstairs for dinner; Kurt was just not his usual ball-of-energy self, at all. Making up her mind, she went over to him and placed the back of her hand against his forehead and sighed when her suspicions were confirmed.
"Baby boy, you are kinda warm. You just told me you were okay, ugh!" She stomped over to the intercom and pressed the button for the office. "Dave, get up here, please; Kurt's not feeling so good."
She turned away to head into the en suite, found a washrag and wet it, and came back out to Kurt who had rolled onto his back. She placed the damp, cool rag on his brow and tutted as he sighed in relief.
Before she could relax a little, though, he suddenly winced and flung off the cloth, his teeth starting to chatter. Oh no, she thought, he really is sick!
She looked up as Dave pounded into the room, a frantic look on his face as he came over to Kurt, grasping one of the limp hands.
"Kurt, baby, what is it? 'Cedes, what's wrong?" Dave's eyes were huge in his face as he sat on the bed to gather Kurt into his arms. He cradled Kurt against his large body and kissed the pale forehead. Kurt moaned and while usually the sound would have turned Dave on, this time its source was pain, not pleasure.
"Dav-id, so c-cold, hurts," Kurt's teeth chattered and he tried to open his eyes to look at his lover. He winced away from the light, turning his head to nuzzle into Dave's chest as he sniffled. "H-hurts…"
"What hurts, sweetie, what hurts?" Dave nuzzled Kurt's head as he held him tighter, unconsciously rocking the slender form.
"Th-throat hurts," Kurt could barely get out.
Mercedes dashed to the bathroom, got the glass on the counter and filled it with tap water. She hurried back to her friend, her brows furrowed as she watched him shaking in Dave's arms. She had some Tylenol with her and as she rummaged around in her capacious pocket book she assured David that it was probably just a cold. It was, after all, cold and flu season as the TV commercials often reminded them.
She handed over two of the tablets and watched as her boy swallowed them, a pained look on his face as the cool water washed them down. She relaxed a bit and then smiled as Dave suddenly stood up with Kurt in his arms. Man, that looked so romantic!
She chuckled to herself as she hurried to open the door for them, following Dave down the hallway as he marched towards the master suite. She slipped around him to get the doors and then stood aside as he placed Kurt in the massive four-poster bed.
"I'll help to undress him, you go and rustle up something hot, preferably chicken soup." She almost laughed aloud at the panicked look on Dave's face. "Oh for crying out loud, get Puck to do it!"
She shook her head as she watched him dash from the bedroom, a determined look battling back the look of panic on his handsome face. She turned back to her poor, sick friend and proceeded to undress him. She pulled back the counterpane on one side and rolled him onto that part and then pulled back the other side. Her mom had been ill for such a long time before passing that she knew the ropes of handling an invalid.
She made sure Kurt was under the covers, pulling them tightly up to his chin before she went to the chest of drawers in the walk-in closet, searching for warm sleepwear. When she found a pair she thought would fit the bill, she went back to the bed. He wasn't quite asleep but he wasn't all there, either.
"Hey, baby boy, I'm going to try and get your PJs on, okay?" He nodded as he turned his head weakly towards her.
Kurt smiled as he watched her unbutton the pajama top and then helped him change into the slweepwear. "Th-thank you, 'Cedes," he whispered, his voice hoarse.
She shook her head at him, smiling smugly. "Hey, I'm the best friend you'll ever have, white boy, and don't forget it!"
He chuckled but ended up wincing as the tablets hadn't yet begun to work on his swollen and aching throat. He managed to get out a soft "I know" and settled back as she buttoned up the thick, soft top.
She worked quickly to get him into the bottoms, not wanting him to be exposed to the relatively cool air of the bedroom. "There you go, just lie back now and soon those boys will bring up your soup, okay?"
He smiled up at her but his eyes drifted closed and a soft sigh escaped him. It felt so good to be pampered when you weren't feeling well, he mused. He was happy to have David and 'Cedes and Dad and … Carole… and Noah… and… and…
Mercedes could almost tell the moment he fell asleep and she patted one hand gently before she moved to hang up the discarded clothes. She wondered briefly how the two men downstairs were getting on but she was fairly confident that Puckerman, being Jewish, knew how to rustle up a mean chicken soup.
As Kurt slept, Dave and Puck threw together a fairly quick chicken soup. Dana had had some cut up chicken in the fridge that she had told Kurt he could use for a quick curry but Puck used some of it in the soup bubbling away on the stove. He set Dave to cutting up some vegetables, mainly carrots, celery and a few new potatoes while he seasoned and stirred and hunted down some noodles from the pantry.
Within twenty minutes they had a nice soup pot simmering away while Dave stared anxiously at the stove. He wasn't used to illnesses of any kind, even the relatively simple common cold. Puck looked over at the fretting man and pulled out a chair at the kitchen table.
"Relax, he'll be okay, y'know," he smiled at Dave, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder. Dave nodded and tried to smile but he had a faraway look in his eye that told Puck his mind was probably upstairs in that bedroom with Kurt.
Dave suddenly looked over at Puck who was sitting quietly and occasionally glancing at the pot on the stove. "Thanks," he muttered. "I kinda panicked there for a second, huh."
Puck nodded, his eyes serious. "It's okay to be a bit anxious when someone you love just gets sick all of a sudden. It would freak out anyone.
Dave nodded and they lapsed into silence again for a few minutes before he blurted out: "I hate to see him sick, though it's just a cold." He tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. "He's usually so bouncy but the last couple of days I did notice he was coughing a bit and a little tired."
Puck tilted his head to look at his ex-boss and friend. "Well, don't worry, he'll be back to bossing us around in a couple of days, you wait and see."
Dave chuckled this time and nodded, grateful for Puck's assurances – and presence, if he were being honest. He didn't have any family and no closer friend than Puck so it was really good to have the tanned man sitting with him while they waited for the soup to finish cooking.
Puck sauntered over to the intercom and depressed the button that would connect him to the master suite. When Mercedes answered he asked how Kurt was doing.
"He's sleeping but I think it's more dozing than anything else. How's the soup coming?" Her voice was hushed and Puck lowered his accordingly.
"It's at the last stages, I just have to check it for taste and then we're good to go."
"Okay, thanks." She closed the connection and turned to look at her sleeping friend in the vast bed. She walked over to check his forehead and was pleased that he didn't seem as warm as before. She knew that he would kick this thing in a few days because he was very fit and watched his diet.
She sat in the huge, comfy armchair and pulled her feet up, taking up one of the glossy fashion magazines he had lying around. Instead of flipping through the pages, though, she sat back and just watched her boy. She was happy she was here, having been invited to spend the weekend, and though he was sick, she was glad to spend time with him.
After about 10 minutes of watching Kurt and occasionally looking at a page in the magazine, she heard a muffled sound outside the bedroom doors. She sat up just in time to see Puck opening them and moving out of the way for a tray and soup bowl-laden Dave, his eyes going immediately to the small figure in the huge bed.
Dave carefully set down the tray on the bench at the foot of the bed before going around to sit beside Kurt. He placed one large palm onto his love's forehead and nodded in satisfaction. He looked back at Mercedes and smiled.
"It seems the Tylenol did its job," he said quietly to her before turning back to Kurt. He grasped one slender hand and said to Kurt, his voice tender, "Sweetie, do you think you could manage some soup?"
Kurt's eyelids fluttered a bit before they opened them a slit and a little smile curved his pale lips. "Hey, Florence, what's up?"
Dave's eyes widened in horror and he turned to look at Mercedes and Puck. "Oh god, he's delirious… bu-but the fever's gone!"
He looked confused and a little put out when Mercedes burst out laughing. She shook her head as she came around to stand beside the bed.
"Calm down, big guy, he's teasing you. Y'know, Florence Nightingale?" She stared down at a wan Kurt who was nevertheless smirking up at them. "Do you think you can handle chicken soup, boo?"
Kurt nodded and looked apologetically at his now-glowering lover. "'M sorry, sweetie, was just teasing you." His voice was hoarse but his eyes looked less sickly than before.
Dave's lips tilted up a little at the corners as he looked affectionately at the imp he was in love with. "Well, remember what they say about payback, okay?" He chuckled now as Kurt pouted.
"C'mon, try some of this soup," and he turned as Puck came forward with the bed tray, placing it carefully across Kurt's lap. Kurt gave him a tiny smile of gratitude and stared at the steaming bowl, seemingly fascinated by the floating circles of carrots and the bits of celery.
"Thank you, this looks soooo good," he whispered hoarsely. Dave settled the napkin for him and then sat back as he watched Kurt take his first spoonful. "Mmmm, oh yes, mmmm."
Puck chuckled at what he considered Kurt's signature 'foodgasmic' behavior, watching as the singer slurped greedily at the soothing, delicious liquid. Kurt nodded and pointed his spoon at Puck.
"You have a second profession if you want to…" before he coughed a bit and then went back to sipping delicately at the soup.
Dave nodded in gratitude to Puck and Mercedes patted the tanned man's arm, thankful as well that Kurt liked the soup enough to actually try it, despite his sore throat.
She tugged at Puck's arm to pull him along with her as she headed to the door.
"'Cedes…" she heard and she turned back to Kurt. "Thank you." Kurt was looking at her blearily but with a smile on his face.
"Anytime, baby boy; I'm going to finish unpacking and then, if you're not sleeping, I'll be back, 'kay?"
He nodded and went back to the soup, chewing a bit of carrot very slowly. Dave looked at him and stroked his leg beneath the bedspread. He watched Kurt happily, glad that this little bug wouldn't have Kurt down for too long.
"How're you feeling, babe?" He smiled as Kurt's lips turned up at the corners even as he chewed.
Kurt nodded, swallowed gingerly and then replied: "Not as bad as before. The meds and the soup are certainly battling this thing…"
His voice was very hoarse and husky and Dave winced at the thought of how painful it must be for his love. He decided he would ask Puck to run out to a nearby pharmacy with him for some stuff for Kurt. He hated hearing his lover's sweet voice like this.
As Kurt's energy seemed to flag, Dave reached forward to take the tray and bowl from him. "Had enough, babe?"
Kurt nodded. "Thank you," he gritted out, his voice sounding even more tired and he sank back against the pillows. "Wow, eating is tiring…"
Dave set the tray on the bench and came back to Kurt but this time he removed his shoes and settled on the bed beside him. He reached over and tugged Kurt to lie against him, both men sighing as Kurt relaxed.
Dave dropped a kiss on the dark, tousled hair. "I love you so much."
Kurt smiled, though Dave couldn't see it, and shuffled his head against the broad chest. "I'm crazy about you, too…" he whispered, and felt Dave's chest move as he chuckled.
"I'm going to wait on you hand and foot, y'know," Dave said as he nuzzled his lover. "Anything you want, I'll get it, okay?"
Kurt nodded then moved his head back so he could squint up at David. "Will you tell my parents for me? Only, don't let it sound too bad, alright? And if they even mention visiting, just head them off at the pass."
That was a pretty long sentence for him in this condition and he paid for it as he started coughing painfully. Dave held him through it and then held the water glass for him to take a sip.
The two sat there until he felt Kurt's body slump and knew he'd fallen asleep. Dave eased the lax body down gently, settled him properly against the pillows and pulled up the covers. Finally satisfied that Kurt was sleeping comfortably, he retrieved the tray and headed out of the room.
On his way downstairs he popped his head into Mercedes' open bedroom door and glanced about. As he sighted her just stepping from her bathroom, he nodded.
"He's dropped off. I need to get some stuff for him like cough syrup and maybe a humidifier, I guess. Is there anything you can think of that he might need?"
She nodded. "Oh yes, cough drops, I think and uhm…" she paused as she tried to think what else. "Maybe more fruit juice and some soothing teas for his throat. He's a singer so he really needs non-abrasive stuff as well."
"Okay, that's good. Oh, damn, I forgot about dinner." He looked helplessly at her but she smiled and shook her head.
"I think we can manage with takeaway tonight – maybe Chinese, what do you think?"
He nodded in relief, glad that it was such a simple solution. His mind was so wrapped up in his sick lover that even something as mundane as what's for dinner had eluded him. He smiled at her and ducked out the door once more.
Mercedes smiled at the departing figure and followed him out the door but she turned towards Kurt's bedroom instead. She poked her head inside first and then the rest of her body followed when she saw he was still asleep. As she listened, though, he coughed even as he slept and she tiptoed over to the bed.
Seeing the empty water glass she went into the en suite to get some more and took the bottle of Tylenol from her cardigan pocket. She figured by the time he woke up he would be ready for a second dose so she left both the glass and the pill bottle on his bedside table.
She sat in the armchair once more and rested her head against the back, pulling up her legs and turning sideways so she was both comfortable and able to see Kurt's face directly. As she relaxed and listened to the quietness of the huge house, her mind wandered to the coming week and the mini-reunion, wondering if her boo would be ready by the time Wednesday arrived.
"Mmm," Kurt muttered as his head thrashed on the pillows. The tiny whimper was loud enough, though, for Mercedes to hear and she jumped up to hurry over to her friend.
"Hey, baby, thirsty?" Kurt's bleary eyes opened just a crack as he nodded and she held the glass for him as he struggled to sit up a bit more while sipping. She chuckled softly, an affectionate gleam in her dark eyes as he drank more than she'd expected he would.
"Slow down, greedy," she grinned at him and he smiled as his head slumped back wearily. "How's the pain in your throat."
"Better," he whispered and then he looked around slowly. "Dave?"
"He and Puck have gone to a drugstore to get you some stuff," she settled the pillows more comfortably for him and then perched on the bed beside him. "Still sleepy?"
He nodded but his eyes looked a little brighter to her. She decided that she would just continue chatting to him and see if he dozed off again.
Kurt's eyes fluttered closed as his friend's voice flowed over him and in no time at all he was back in the Land of Nod. Mercedes smiled as she looked at the pale, beautiful face, glad that he had called her and revived their friendship. She prayed they'd never lose touch again and vowed that she would put more effort into maintaining this precious relationship.
When she was certain he was deeply asleep, she got up and resumed her seat in the armchair, her eyes roving around the gorgeous bedroom. She shook her head to herself as she thought about the caprices of life and how fortunate they were that their separate paths had led them both back here.
She took out her phone and checked her mail and any updates she'd overlooked so far. A message from Sam was waiting for her so she fired off a quick response, letting him know about Kurt. He replied pretty quickly to thank her for letting him know and sent best wishes for Kurt's quick recovery.
She smiled as she thought about him, her mind toying with all sorts of 'what ifs' but she smiled as she realized she had no real regrets that she had not let him know about her teenage crush on him. Now, however, her mind flashed to the tall, dark-haired Kirin, manager of the club, and a little tingle went through her.
'What if Kurt's right,' she pondered. 'Mmmm, Mr. Man was kinda hot,' and she giggled softly, careful to not disturb the sleeping figure in the four poster bed. She sat there for nearly an hour and had almost dozed off when she heard Dave coming up the stairs.
She stretched as she straightened up, working the kinks out of her back and shoulders as she waited for him to come tiptoeing into the bedroom.
He advanced toward the bed but glanced at her. "How's he doing?"
Mercedes got up to take the plastic sack with his purchases from him. "He's been okay; woke up once for some water, that's all."
He nodded as he took off his shoes again and climbed onto the bed, moving slowly so as not to jostle his sleeping fiancé.
Mercedes studied all the things he'd got, placing them one after the other on the padded bench at the foot of the bed. "Oh, you got two of everything! Good idea, never thought of that," and she smiled approvingly up at Dave.
He smiled back but didn't answer, not wanting to run the risk of waking Kurt. He brushed some of the dark hair from the damp brow and snuggled down so he could stare at Kurt's sleeping face.
Mercedes watched them from the foot of the bed, a little feeling of longing sneaking into her heart. She wanted that someday; she didn't know who it would be with but it was such a powerful thing. Turning away she gathered up the things, selected some of them but put the rest back into the bag.
She got up and came around to the bedside table and placed a bottle of cough syrup, a couple of juice boxes and a packet of lozenges on it. She nodded to Dave who was watching her and tiptoed out of the room, pulling the door almost shut but not quite. It was a holdover, she knew, from the days when her mom was sick and she needed to hear her from her own bedroom.
Kurt had Dave with him but she still wanted to know if he was okay even if it was in the middle of the night. Now she took the rest of the pharmaceutical supplies to her room before deciding to head downstairs to call in the order for their dinner.
She had no idea what sort of things Dave liked but she guessed that he would eat anything at this point; his mind would be more on Kurt than on food.
She found the other men – Puck, Devon and Ian – got their orders and then called the nearest good Chinese restaurant. She ordered a huge amount because leftover Chinese tasted just as good the next day and she knew these men were probably not interested in cooking. She could manage breakfast, of course, but lunch and dinner they would have to handle by the seat of their pants.
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KHDK
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Later that night, Dave woke to Kurt's restless stirring. When he sat up it was to see Kurt tugging at the neck of his pajamas.
"What's wrong, babe, feeling hot?" Dave's voice was soft so as not to startle his sick lover. Kurt nodded, a pathetic little pout on his face making Dave feel bad for him.
"Shower?" Kurt husked, his throat obviously still feeling painful. Dave got up and came around to his side of the bed so he could get him some water. Kurt drank it gratefully but looked determinedly up at his fiancé. "I need to bathe, I feel so grungy…" he broke off as he coughed for a few seconds.
Dave looked at him, torn as to whether Kurt was well enough for a bath but then he realized the hot water and warm air in the bathroom would probably be good for him and he smiled at him.
"Okay, babe, a bath it is," and he kissed the sweaty hair before he hurried into the bathroom. He set the pipes to gushing and then he looked around for some product he could pour into it that would feel and smell soothing. His eyes alighted on a bottle of blue-green liquid and when he read the label he realized one of the ingredients was extract of eucalyptus.
"Aha!" He triumphantly unscrewed the cap and poured a couple of capfuls into the water. The steam that arose had a delicious, faintly medicinal smell and he nodded, satisfied. He adjusted the temperature of the water and then went back into the bedroom to collect Kurt.
Lifting the singer gently, he strode with him into the bathroom, setting him down on the chair to start removing his clothes. Kurt tried to help but Dave just batted his hand away saying it was his job. Kurt smirked at him even as he coughed again.
"Okay, here we go," Dave muttered and he settled Kurt into the hot, fragrant water. Kurt winced a bit but settled back, breathing easier already as the scent of the eucalyptus surrounded them.
"Oooh, yes, that feels good, sweetie," his voice hoarse, Kurt turned to smile faintly at his love. "Thank you." His eyes closed as Dave settled the neck pillow more comfortably for him and he hummed in approval.
Dave pulled the chair up beside the tub and leaned forward to trail his hand in the silky water and over Kurt's soft skin. They didn't speak but they were in tune with each other, Kurt humming every now and then when Dave's hand brushed certain areas. Kurt turned his head at one point and quirked an eyebrow at his lover and giggled when Dave blushed. Of course the giggle turned into a cough but it was quickly stifled.
Dave pulled back and told him to hang on and then went to get one of the juice boxes he had bought. Returning he poked one of the little straws into the sealed hole and held the box for Kurt to sip from. The singer sucked eagerly at the cool, sweet liquid for a few seconds and then pulled back, smiling gratefully up at David.
"You're the best, y'know?" He smiled again as Dave colored once more. He settled his head back and closed his eyes, humming as Dave added some more hot water to the bath. The steam seemed to be helping too as his voice hadn't sounded so hoarse this time and Dave settled back into his seat.
Finally, Kurt felt he'd had enough and straightened, taking in the way Dave's eyes had drooped shut. "Sweetie, I'm ready now."
Dave stirred, stretched and smiled at him, moving to let the water drain out and then retrieved a large, fluffy towel. He helped Kurt to stand and wrapped him in the warm towel, drying him off thoroughly before lifting him from the tub. Thank heavens Kurt was a slender slip of a man compared to his own more solid bulk, he thought.
Eventually the lovers were once again settled down after Dave redressed Kurt in fresh PJs and gave him another dose of the Tylenol. Dave tugged Kurt into him, spooning the younger man and snuffling at the back of his neck.
Kurt smiled to himself and held Dave's hand against his stomach. He felt so comfortable, warm and sleepy and even his throat wasn't hurting so much anymore. He knew he had the best fiancé, the best friends anyone could want and he yawned as he felt sleep creep up on him once more. He really was a lucky guy.
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TBC