The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Fifty-Five
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.
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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Dinner that night was a very relaxed affair, perhaps because Mercedes had made good on her promise. She'd brought back several bottles, some to take back and some for them to try. During dinner she and Carole had kept up an almost running commentary on their outing and the fun they'd had during the wine-tastings.
"Guys, I tell you, it was fantastic. You've got to try this, Kurt!" She'd waited anxiously for him to try the Pauillac Latour, nodding happily as she watched the delighted expression spread across his face. Heck, it wasn't as if Bordeaux wasn't world-renowned for their wines!
He grinned back at her as he swallowed and then remarked, "Wow, that's really full-bodied. What else did you guys try?"
Carole, already a little flushed from both the good food and wine, added: "Oh, we went to a bunch of different vineyards on our tour and it was really eye-opening, wasn't it, Burt?"
Burt nodded as he chewed on his flaky fish pie, patting his lips before responding. "Yeah, and it helped that the guy, the – uh – eno-something*, wasn't all stuck up and snooty. He explained everything in words us 'dumb' Americans could understand."
Mercedes grinned at him but she agreed. "True, and I really liked the family-run place at Moulis-en-Médoc," she giggled at Kurt and added in an aside: "see I can do French too, y'know."
"Oh, and don't forget the museum they had about the history of how wine was made." Carole nodded vigorously before taking another sip of her wine. "And they said that, for very special visits, Château Giscourssays they organise tastings of some of their grand crus classés."
Kurt watched everyone chatting and enjoying themselves and sighed inwardly. It was so good to have family and friends around him, and turned to smile at David who at the moment was nodding at something Burt was saying.
Rachel and Finn were relatively quiet, as usual, though she was more focused on seeing that the kids got more food in them than on their clothes and their surroundings. Finn, maybe looking a little more absent-minded than usual, helped her somewhat, though he tended to let Sean get away with more stuff than was probably good for him.
Kurt glanced along the table to Ian and frowned slightly as he realized he'd yet to talk to Puck about helping the silent man. Beside him, Devon and Puck were quite obviously enjoying each other as much as they were the food and wine. Kurt smiled as he watched them before raising his eyebrow when Puck turned to look at him.
Strangely enough, for maybe the first time, Puck didn't smile back, though his lip did twitch slightly at the corner. He inclined his head to Kurt and then slid his eyes back to Devon and Kurt felt a little rebuffed at the man's actions. Hmmm, I wonder what that's about. He shrugged, however, and turned back to listen to the others as he enjoyed the delicious Arcachon bay oysters the chef had sent them.
Soon, though, the odd little interaction was forgotten as the food, wine and overlapping conversations caught his attention again.
The rest of the night flew by as everyone relaxed in the family room, a habit they'd fallen into after their first evening there.
Kurt as usual sat almost in Dave's lap, his legs across his fiancé's thighs, one large hand stroking from ankle to knee. They were so accustomed to sitting like this that they no longer registered the occasional raised eyebrow from the others. In fact, if Kurt ever sat separately from Dave, people would probably assume they'd had a spat or something.
Puck, relaxing in a love-seat with Devon leaning against him, eyed the singer and wished he could forget the really awkward conversation he'd been forced into earlier with Finn. Shit, some things you just never saw coming, he muttered beneath his breath. When Devon looked back at him inquiringly, he simply shook his head and continued to play with his lover's auburn curls.
He really liked Kurt and Dave was his closest friend after all their years working together. It was self-evident in their being here now at Kurt's Basque retreat and Puck knew that he wanted nothing to upset the applecart. He didn't know whether to think of Finn as an idiot or just pathetic; the man had blindsided him today and he still didn't know how to react.
"I think I might be gay!"
Puck shook his head slightly as the words went around in his head, even hours later. He'd turned to Finn, his own mouth gaping as he stared at the distraught man.
Flashback:"You what?" Puck wasn't even aware that he'd shouted the question; the words had flown from him and then he'd sputtered a bit before deliberately taking a deep breath to try and calm down.
"Look, Finn, man, what in the seven hells are you talking about? 'You think you might be gay'?"
Finn, skin reddening noticeably even in the orangey light of the sun looking fatter as it crawled down to the horizon, nodded and gulped. "Please, please, don't say anything, okay? I-I j-just don't… uh…"
"Alright, calm down, breathe and then tell me what THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?"
Puck was almost ashamed of himself for going ballistic on Finn but he remembered from high school that Finn wasn't all that sharp. He wondered now if because he was amongst so many out, gay people, he was having feelings he couldn't get his head around. Now this was what he'd come up with and was freaking out.
Puck took his own deep breaths and then apologized. "Sorry, man, but look – this isn't something you just come up with on a whim."
"It's not a whim! It-it's not… I've felt… been feeling… stuff, for years and… and I don't want to," Finn struggled to get out. His breathing was on the near side of hyperventilation but gradually it settled down.
Puck, feeling an overwhelming sympathy come over him, clapped one hand on the broad shoulder. He looked into the downcast face and realized that Finn was really and truly struggling with whatever was going on inside his head.
"Okay, just calm down and tell me why you think you might be having gay thoughts. I gotta admit, man, you seem to really love your wife."
"I do, I do! Rachel's the best and she's gorgeous and great with the boys and I really, really love her," he said, now facing Puck with his eyes wide as if to convince the other man of his sincerity. Then he looked away and down at his toes scrunching into the sand and leaned forward to rub his ankles. He rested his forehead against his knees and then looked back at Puck with a sad expression.
"I… wish I hadn't come," he whispered and Puck tilted his head towards him to hear him better. "It's almost torture, y'know…"
"What's torture," Puck frowned at him curiously. "What are you talking about; it's beautiful here."
Finn gave him a sad little smile and turned to stare out at the slowly setting sun. It really was beautiful and he wished it had been enough to distract him. He sighed as he got up the courage to say maybe the most damning thing he could think of.
"Kurt…"
Puck sat up. He looked at Finn. He looked away from Finn. He sighed.
"Shit."
Finn looked at the other man, his turn to be a little surprised. "Puck? What?"
Puck looked at him, looked away again and then sighed resignedly. "I should have known."
Finn's brow furrowed in his usual clueless way. "Why should you have known? I didn't even know until recently."
Puck let slip a dark little chuckle. "You know, I have a theory about Kurt." He watched Finn go from clueless to gormless and smiled. "Yeah. I think it's pheromones."
Finn struggled for a few seconds and then a grin broke slowly on his face, making him look less stressed. "Puck, you okay, man? Pheromones is to do with animals or something, isn't it?"
Puck leaned back with his hands braced against the sand, staring out at the indigo water split by a blazing path of red, gold and orange. A light breeze had kicked up and he knew that they'd have to go inside in a bit. He nodded and looked over at Finn who was looking far more relaxed than before.
"Animals, yeah, and what are we? We're nothing but human animals, the eggheads say." He nodded sagely. "I think Kurt gives off some kind of weird ass chemicals that some of us are attracted to. Of course, it helps that he's a great guy, too."
Finn sighed, a little more down again. "Yeah, he's even forgiven me for being such a douche to him for so long. Y'know, I didn't really know how to handle why I felt like that around him so I took it out on him."
Puck stared at him, his eyebrows dipping slightly. "Dude, that was so not cool. He was just a kid when your parents hooked up, right?"
Finn nodded. "Yeah, but you should have seen him. I swear he glowed, man, and it just kinda made me angry and confused and – I didn't know how to talk to him – he's pretty smart, too. I just felt all big and clumsy around him and I hated that. I was used to being the 'cool guy' and getting the head cheerleader to fall all over me. Later, after college, people still saw me that way so… it was seriously messed up that this kid was clueless to the effect he was having, y'know?"
Puck got up suddenly, brushing his hands against his butt to loosen the sand that had compacted on his shorts. "Yeah, I guess I understand… but, hey, we're not kids anymore. You have a wife, two great kids and a cool family. Believe me, you get in between Kurt and Dave with this messed up shit and your mom and Burt will kill you!"
Finn rose too, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts and staring back at Puck with wide, apprehensive eyes. "Yeah, I know. This has been going around and around in my head for a while now and it's just real frustrating, especially when they…"
He broke off and Puck, already starting to move towards the steps up to the villa, looked back at him. "Especially when they… what?"
Finn huffed and then blurted: "They make love with the damn windows open, man. Jesus, you don't know what it's like – the way they… ugh, shit!"
Puck, after a stunned second, burst out laughing. He ignored the disgruntled look Finn threw at him because he just couldn't help it. Oh god, he chortled, he wondered what Finn would say if he told him he'd gotten to kiss Kurt twice before he and Dave had hooked up.
They made their way up to the villa in the gloaming, Puck still chuckling sporadically with Finn trudging resignedly behind him. When they got to the foot of the lawn and could see a few lights coming on in both the villa and the little cottage, Puck sobered and turned to Finn
"Listen, dude, a word of advice: focus on your wife, focus on those sweet baby boys you have. Right now, nothing else matters; got it?"
He stared intensely into Finn's startled eyes and he didn't let up until the larger man nodded slowly, a slightly sad but determined expression settling on his face. When Puck was certain that Finn had got the seriousness of the situation impressed on his slow-as-molasses mind, he nodded to him, throwing him a soft 'later' as he turned towards the villa and his waiting lover.
End FlashbackPuck looked away from Kurt's long legs in striped cropped pants and shook his head as his eyes snagged on Finn's. He gave him a swift warning look before turning his attention to his own sexy armful, nuzzling his nose into the soft curls. He swore if Finn caused any trouble, he wouldn't wait for his family to sort him out – he'd do it himself. He would probably have help from his men if they found out, too.
Conversation as usual turned towards the next day's activities and he was kinda happy when he realized Kurt had planned a spa day for him and his 'ladies'. The accompanying squeals at that announcement made him grin; he didn't see the point of all that tweezing and creaming himself but some people seemed to put a lot of faith in that kind of thing.
"Hey, 'Cedes, it says here that the Caudalie spa also gives us an exciting wine experience… mmmm," Kurt teased his friend who'd apparently fallen in love with all things French. He fluttered the brochure at her. "It says: 'The spa offers unique beauty treatments derived from grand cru grapes … renowned for their anti-ageing and micro-circulation improving properties…' Wow, that sounds like us, ladies!"
The guys batted around several ideas and Finn remembered – wonders! – that there were signs to some kind of water park somewhere. They'd have to check out the location but they were determined to pack as much fun into this little vacation as possible. Finn, however, was still talking.
"Oh, and there's a place that is supposed to have some really original ice cream – over seventy flavours!"
Uh-oh.
"Ice-cream, yay! Daddy I want ice-cream now!" Everybody had forgotten Sean who'd been playing with some little wooden toys he'd found in one of the children's rooms; he'd been so quiet after dinner the others had assumed he'd dozed off.
Rachel shot a glare at Finn for saying the magic words but he just grinned unrepentantly as he lifted the little boy and swung him into the air. The cascade of happy laughter from the little boy brightened the room, the sound of pure joy fuelled by the thought of ice-cream.
Kurt smiled as he watched the man and boy, Finn rough-housing with him now on the floor as he obviously tried to distract him from the thought of ice-cream. Kurt knew they had ice-cream in the house but he wasn't sure if Rachel wanted the child to have it at the moment.
He looked over at her, having to tilt his head back slightly, stretching his whole body as he raised an enquiring brow at her. She smiled at his nearly upside-down face and shook her head; she knew about the ice cream but she wanted to wait a bit.
As she looked back at her husband and son playing, she was just in time to catch Finn averting his gaze from Kurt. She frowned a little but then realized he was probably wondering if Sean was to be allowed the treat. She caught his eye now and smiled, mouthing 'later' with a pointed look at the giggling little boy.
Dave, for his part, had been chatting quietly with Burt, discussing of all things his boat that he was looking forward to trying out down in the Florida Keys sometime soon. He only had part of his attention on the conversation, however, as he'd seen the way Finn had looked at them; rather, the way his eyes had slid over Kurt before sliding away.
He slipped into his own threat assessing mindset, an ability that had stood him in good stead when dealing with rapacious businessmen, and wondered if a situation was soon to present itself. He rather hoped not because he was determined to make this vacation only about happy memories for Kurt. Facing off against his dimwitted stepbrother was not a part of the plan and he wondered if he'd need to have another little chat with the taller man. He hoped not but he would be prepared, anyway, if the need should arise.
Puck groaned as he caught the little interactions of which Kurt was happily unaware. He wondered if he should have another word with Finn before Dave needed to step in. He knew his one-time boss and current friend very, very well. Finn would not survive a confrontation with a pissed off, possessive David Karofsky and Puck felt if he could divert a situation, he ought to try.
Easing Devon away from him now after dropping an apologetic little kiss to the smooth forehead, he got up and stretched, casually looking over at Finn before saying: "Hey, I think I have that aqua park brochure somewhere. Come with?"
Finn looked up, suspicious, but at the hard eyes in Puck's otherwise relaxed face, he settled Sean with a 'ice-cream later, be good now' and got up, following Puck out of the room. Their body language, for anyone who was watching, was very casual and no one suspected a thing.
As they entered Puck's room, however, Finn found himself unhurt but immobilized against a wall. Puck, pressing his chest to Finn's back, whispered menacingly: "You don't want to piss off David Karofsky, Finnegan; I'm serious." He eased back to allow the stuttering man to turn around, rubbing his chin as he did so.
Finn stared wide-eyed at the tanned, muscular man almost looming over him, though he was considerably shorter. "What? I didn't do anything!" It came out more as a whine and he felt pretty pathetic but he really hadn't done anything, had he?
Puck, standing hunched slightly forward to still crowd Finn, shook his head as he frowned at him. "Dude, you gotta be smart about this! Do not look at him if you can help it, okay?"
Finn realized what he was getting at and sagged, his head lowering so his chin was almost on his chest. He sighed gustily and stared now at Puck, trying to get his thoughts into words.
"It wasn't deliberate, y'know. Can you be in a room with him and not look at him, even though you're with Devon?"
Puck was about to fire back a retort and recalled when Devon had huffed at him on the same subject of Kurt's attractiveness. He lowered his eyes and then quickly straightened up, his lips quirking. "I know what you mean, dude, but seriously, you don't want to piss off Dave, okay?"
Finn nodded and seemed to make a decision. "You're right, this is just screwed up, anyway. I-I'll get my act together."
Puck slapped him hard, once, on the upper arm, grinning encouragingly. "Good man, let's go. Oh, and the brochure."
Finn goggled at him. "Wait, you really have a brochure?"
Puck chuckled all the way back to the great room; Finn was kinda okay, if you could get past the dorkiness, he thought. He hoped deep, deep down that he wouldn't do anything to hurt all the good there was in this room.
He took his seat beside Devon, his sweet, sexy lover, wishing he could kiss him right there. Settling back again he glanced around the room, noting that Kurt and Dave were in the kitchen with Rachel apparently discussing the ice cream flavours they had available.
Burt was almost dozing off with Carole beside him, flipping through a magazine. Someone had turned the stereo on and some kind of Euro club music was playing quietly. Mercedes seemed to find talking with Ian pretty interesting and he wondered what they found in common to discuss and then recalled that she and Sam were good friends.
It was such a great place to vacation and the house was amazing, Puck knew he was going to be a little reluctant to leave. The great thing about vacations, he mused now, was that it wasn't too stretched out so as to get boring and when you were back to your everyday job, you could look forward to doing it again the following year.
He smiled as he buried his nose in Dev's bouncy curls. The coming months were going to be busy but they were going to be great. He had a wedding to look forward to and as he had a soft spot for both grooms, he knew in his Jewish heart he was going to get so emotional.
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KHDK
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Spa day was a brilliant idea, even if he did say so himself and he smiled as he listened to his 'ladies' prattling away during their treatments. He had always loved pampering his skin and hair, buying the most effective – and sometimes – expensive products to that end. It definitely paid off because his lovers never failed to rhapsodize over his well-kept body. He knew he wouldn't be young forever but if he cold mitigate as much as possible the effects of aging, it was all to the good.
He sighed as he relaxed, turning his head to watch the way Rachel seemed to glow. He was a little surprised that she had turned out to be such a relatively quiet person and so level-headed. Well, he guessed she had to be if she was in a relationship with his slightly goofy stepbrother. She obviously loved him, though, and he liked that she never talked down to him.
He laid his head back down onto his crossed arms as the masseuse did a fine job of working him over. He wondered now why Finn, who had seemed so relaxed on their way over to this vacation, now seemed a little on edge around him. It was nothing hostile like it had been before, he realized, but still, it was a little odd. He shrugged it off now, telling himself it was just Finn being Finn, a little weird.
Carole watched as the thoughts flitted across her stepson's face. The boy was beautiful, whether relaxed or animated, and then she chuckled softly. If he could hear her refer to him as 'boy' even in her own mind, she knew she would get a pout. He always had wanted people to see him as more mature than he had been at the time. She'd found it so adorable, this slender, porcelain-skinned child who had had to grow up without a mother. Her heart had absorbed him almost immediately; what was there not to love, especially how close he was to his father.
She had never been one of those people who thought men should be so macho they couldn't hug their children, grown or not. She had often wept in the nights as she thought of how much Finn missed by not having a father in his formative years. When she'd met Burt Hummel, she'd immediately seen what a wonderful, loving father he'd been to Kurt. There were little things he struggled with, of course, not the least being how to deal with a gay son who was both headstrong and proud.
Her eyes softened as she reminisced, little scenes from the past floating up and subsiding as she enjoyed the feel of the masseuse's hands and the smell of the grapes clouding around them. This really was a most unusual spa, she thought, and then from one thing to the next her mind returned to Kurt and his love for his skincare products. She remembered the first time she'd sat on his bed and watched him demonstrate what each product was for. She'd taken him quite seriously and it had often occurred to her that this was one extraordinary child.
Over the years they had remained close, even in the face of Finn's extremely odd behavior and she was so grateful that Kurt never seemed to hold a grudge. Gradually he'd grown a little away from them as he'd established his career and she'd been secretly thrilled when his photograph would occasionally turn up in one or other of those magazines and tabloids. He was a minor celebrity, yes, but he was also her beloved stepson and the only person she knew who had been photographed in such high-flying company.
She was listening to Mercedes with one ear, replying in a soft, drowsy voice even as she lay there reminiscing. Something the younger woman said caught her ear now, though, and she lifted up slightly to quirk an eyebrow over at Kurt who seemed to have dozed off. She looked back at Mercedes and then leaned over to whisper.
"We'll surprise him… we'll arrange it later when we're back at the villa," grinning at the way Mercedes' face lit up conspiratorially.
The girl's idea of everyone dining out in style was a brilliant one. It would give them all a chance to dress up and move the vacation from casual and relaxed to dressy and formal. She just hoped the men had brought appropriate attire with them. She knew that she, Mercedes and Kurt would be fine; after all, the two friends were avowed fashionistas and would not be caught dead vacationing without at least one formal outfit.
She smiled as she relaxed against the padded massage bed and allowed the poor woman to get on with her job. The day was going great and between her and Mercedes' plans, the night was going to end even better.
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KHDK
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Puck knew exactly how Finn felt when he and Devon, dressed in their fineries and looking forward to a night of dining and dancing, turned at the sound of Kurt and Dave coming down the stairs.
Mercedes, looking absolutely aglow in a gold-toned dress and sparkling crystal jewelry, was once again chatting away with Ian in the great room where they were all sat. Burt and Carole, too, were looking quite spiffy, Carole in tones of fuchsia and pink with mother-of-pearl accessories and Burt in a penguin suit. The six of them had small glasses of apéritifs in hand and conversation was sporadic.
Rachel and Finn had apologized, which was brushed away as unnecessary when they chose to stay at the cottage with their boys. Puck was quite happy with the decision, truth be told and was looking forward to seeing more of the nightlife of this touristy spot.
Hearing the sound of voices on the stairs now everybody looked up, waiting on the final couple to join them. Puck closed his eyes briefly and then smirked, remembering when he was in London and had visited Kurt at his flat. Devon grinned at him mischievously and he simply shook his head at him.
Dave was dressed like all the other men who were in gorgeously fitted tuxedos. Kurt, too, was wearing black, but that was where any comparison to the other men ended.
Kurt's ensemble consisted of an amazing black jacket that shimmered blue when he moved. The fairly thin material appeared to be quilted and was so closely shaped and fitted that no one carrying even an ounce of spare flesh could have fit in it. The front of the jacket had metallic thread in intricate swirls all up and down the closing and the Nehru collar framed Kurt's long neck lovingly.
The perfectly fitted trousers skimmed his long legs and on his feet were black dress shoes with a high, almost icy gloss. His hair was tamed with a touch of product and as he'd not cut it because he still had to perform, it curled enticingly around his head in shiny dark waves. He wore no accessories but for his engagement ring and truly, nothing else was needed. No one had ever seen an outfit like that before.
His cheeks coloured as everyone stared with varying degrees of awe and his eyes glowed more blue than green in pleasure at his effect on them.
"Oh my god, boo, you look a-mazing!" That was Mercedes and her outburst was greeted with soft chuckles. Dave slipped an arm around his blushing fiancé's waist and glanced down at him, smiling at the look on his face.
"Mmmm, thanks, 'Cedes, but wow, you look so great in that colour!" He moved further into the room as he noticed Carole sitting behind Burt. "Oh, my, Carole, I told you: you should always go with pink!"
She got up and came over to hug him; he was truly a sight to behold and she brushed her cheek against his in a little air kiss. Everybody else rose too, preparatory to leaving and there was the usual bustling about as wraps and purses were retrieved along with car and house keys. They trooped outside to the cars after locking up and then headed down the driveway to begin their night on the town.
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KHDK
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Dave smiled as he observed the glow on Kurt's face. They were finishing up dinner at the most expensive restaurant Mercedes could find and he noted he'd have to remember to thank her. Her idea was great, if the look on Kurt's face was anything to go by, and he knew his lover had been touched that they'd all set this up to surprise him.
"It's kind of a thank-you to him for including us in this vacation." She had gazed happily at Dave when they were at the villa earlier, sitting on the terrace and sipping a punch-like drink Rachel had made for them all.
Dave nodded in understanding. His lover was a generous man and he would never think to exclude his loved ones if there were any way to share his bounty with them. He'd looked a little surprised, too, when she had gone on to comment that maybe Finn and Rachel would prefer to stay home with the kids for a night in.
When he'd raised an eyebrow at her, she'd shrugged. "Surprisingly it was Puck who mentioned it. I think there's more to that man than meets the eye," she'd chuckled and then they'd moved on to discuss where they would go for dinner and which club they'd choose for dancing later.
Now he looked at the obviously high-end restaurant and at the other expensively dressed patrons and he covered his smile with his napkin. Some of them had looked at the group as they'd been led to their table by their maître d, the man almost bowing as he preceded them. He figured some of the other patrons might have been wondering if they had a celebrity in their midst and they wouldn't have been wrong, of course.
Kurt stood out in the group he felt primarily because he was the only man who wasn't in a tuxedo. Secondarily, however, the very look of him drew people's eye and it was hard not to stare at the way the midnight shimmer of his fabulous jacket made his skin gleam and his eyes glow.
Dave was assured that it wasn't simply because he was in love with him that he thought this way; he could see the way other people kept throwing little glances over at their table to watch him. Kurt was busy enjoying the food, the wine, the company and the ambience; he had no time or attention to spare for gawkers.
Kurt leaned over now to say to Mercedes, "Thank you, sweetie, this is really great. How did you sneak these plans by me, anyway?"
Mercedes' rich chuckles also drew the attention of some of the other diners, some of the men staring admiringly at the expanse of rich, gleaming skin displayed by her strapless gold sheath of a gown.
"Boo, I can slip anything past you when you've been massaged and pampered like you were today."
The others grinned at him, knowing his weaknesses, and the conversation moved on to where they would go to dance. She shook her head as Kurt tried to pump her for information. At the beginning of his pout she lifted her knife to point at him – "don't even start" – and proceeded to ignore him with a grin.
Eventually, replete and looking forward to the rest of the night, they all rose, heading to the restaurant's imposing entrance and the line of waiting vehicles. Valet service was unexpected but more than welcome. As Kurt moved down the wide steps he laughed and chatted with David but suddenly became aware of eyes on him. He looked up just in time to see some paparazzi snapping shots of them getting into their cars.
As David tried to shield him from more of the idiots, he wondered briefly why they would be there in the first place. As the vehicle moved off he saw another group of individuals just stepping out of their cars and he realized it was a coincidence that he and his group had been at this particular hotel when Hollywood types were around. He recognized the skinny, pouty-lipped brunette and her handsome, sandy-blond consort; shit, he thought, these people were everywhere, and he turned back to grimace at David.
Mercedes, in the front with Ian, spun around in her seat as she tried to see the couple and their entourage of sycophants trying to get out of their vehicle as the vulture-like paparazzi swarmed them. She chuckled as she turned back around, noticing that Ian had a stern eye on the rear-view mirror.
"Boy, Kurt, I'm glad you don't have to go through that sort of thing!" She grinned as she heard him scoff in the back seat.
"Yeah, it's not that bad because I'm not A-list Hollywood. I think I'd go spare if my life was continually on the front page of some rag."
He grasped David's hand and lifted it to his soft lips, dropping a kiss on it as he gazed up at him through his lashes. "I don't know what it will be like when I marry the world's youngest billionaire recluse, though."
Dave chuckled at the impish expression on the beloved face. "Hmmm, maybe I'll just whisk you away to my castle, keep you locked up. You'll sing for me every day and soothe my wearied brow."
There was silence for a second or two and then Kurt and Mercedes burst out laughing. Dave shook his head as he listened to them and when they wound down he said again behind a sigh: "no respect, no respect…"
And they were off again, Kurt's eyes sparkling with moisture as he cracked up. He slapped Dave's arm and then, with only the occasional little giggle escaping, rested his head against the sturdy shoulder.
Finally they pulled up in front of a long, low stone building set back on a terrace facing the sea and festooned with small, multi-coloured lights. The parking lot was full of expensive cars of all variety and young parking valets scurried back and forth. Ian pulled up in front of the set of shallow steps leading to the front door, waited until the others had alighted and handed over the keys, waiting as he watched the lad jump in and drive off carefully. He then joined the others by the door and then they entered.
"Oh, my god!"
Mercedes' awed whisper rattled against Kurt's ear and she turned, grimacing slightly, to glance at Burt and Carole, wondering what they were thinking.
The interior of the club was unlike any they'd ever seen. Suspended from the ceilings were gold cages within which both girls and boys in various stages of undress were writhing to the sound of ear-drum vibrating music. Around them the clientele, most of them dressed like Dave and his party, were moving, writhing, chatting and laughing and waving around glasses of vari-coloured drinks as if it was New Year's Eve.
Even the air of the place smelled expensive, she thought as she turned back to survey the room. Burt and Carole hadn't seemed particularly taken aback so she figured they were alright. She grasped Kurt's arm and moved when he moved, so dazed was she at the bacchanalia going on around her.
Dave nodded at a man dressed in an obviously designer tuxedo and when he came over to them he whispered something. Then they were being led to an alcove with a huge oval table behind which was a banquette large enough to seat all of them. Mercedes and Carole slid in first from either end, meeting in the middle, followed by Kurt and Burt and they all seated themselves so Puck and Ian were at either end and opposite each other.
Kurt snuggled in between David and Mercedes, smiling happily as he took in the club's outré ambience. Wow, he knew Europeans liked to party, but this place was way out there, he thought as he gazed about. He nudged 'Cedes, directing her attention to one woman in a sheer dress that you just knew would have cost some people a month's pay. The woman's modesty was only preserved by glittering pasties and a daring thong, drawing almost all eyes to her as she danced with her partner.
Burt and Carole had their heads together at one point and Kurt wondered how his parents were handling the situation. When they raised their heads they were both grinning and Carole leaned forward.
"This reminds me almost of the Sixties!" She laughed at all the wide eyes turned to her. "You kids think you invented everything!"
She and Burt laughed at them and then turned their attention to the androgynous server who had just roller-skated up to them. The slender body was encased from neck to upper thigh in what looked like PVC vinyl that shone slickly under the clubs frenetic lights. Over-plucked eyebrows, nose, upper and lower lips and earlobes were pierced with little beads and barbells that also caught the light. They all gave their drinks orders without trying to stare too much and, afterwards, spent the next few minutes trying to figure out the server's gender.
They finally gave up, especially as noting others whizzing around and through the partying patrons and not having any luck there either. Finally when they got their drinks and Puck said thank you, he was answered by a shockingly deep voice.
Carole almost choked on her fizzy concoction and took it good naturedly when everybody laughed at her.
They sat for a while before Ian, surprisingly, asked Mercedes if she wanted to hit the floor. Of course she said yes and Burt and Carole moved out of the banquette to let her out. The others sat for a while and then they all joined them, Burt slipping an arm around Carole's waist.
The music, the lights, the party atmosphere and the club's over-the-top ambience made it impossible to stay very sober and before long they were caught up in the spirit of things. Well, except for Ian, who was the driver and who was not normally inclined to overindulge anyway.
Kurt found himself at one point dancing with Puck and looked over to see Devon dancing with Carole and Mercedes with David. He was only slightly concerned that his dad was sitting out a couple of dances but Ian was with him and he looked okay as far as he could see.
The hours passed and the group wandered between their table and the dance floor, the drinks coming in a steady flow. When he was dancing with Mercedes, they both decided to take a break and head to the lavatory which they discovered was unisex. The huge, pristine space had both urinals and stalls and a long counter with at least 10 wash basins equipped with designer fixtures. The long mirror had an array of light bulbs that would not have been out of place in a theatre dressing room.
Kurt finished first and waited for 'Cedes and they chatted as she did her business. He stared at himself in the mirror, noting that the design of his jacket was really outstanding and flattered him beyond what he had expected. He'd always been happy that he had a long neck and certainly his lovers had always complimented him on its grace. Now he eyed himself critically and frowned at his hair, wishing he could get to cut it but knowing Rex would blow a gasket if he did.
Mercedes came out to wash her hands just as he was trying to tweak a hair back into place and she laughed as she scoffed at him. "Would you leave your poor hair alone? Child, if your hair could talk I'm sure it would cuss you out!"
They laughed out loud at that absurd statement and he dropped his hand. He waited for her to touch up her makeup and then headed out, walking ahead of her as they chatted. He wasn't really paying attention so when he bumped into someone, he gasped and Mercedes in turn bumped into him.
Stumbling back slightly, he was caught by the man who steadied him and laughed down at him from a startlingly attractive face. Kurt's eyes widened in instant recognition; he had caught a glimpse a few hours earlier of this same man being swarmed by paparazzi.
They all said their excuses and shuffled around one another in the entrance to the lav before the man stepped back, nodding at them as they left.
Mercedes turned to stare back as they walked back to the table before looking over at Kurt. "Oh my god, that was him!"
Kurt stifled a little giggle at her wide eyes. "Yes, it certainly was. God, he's just as handsome in person!"
They had their heads together and were laughing about their close encounter of the A-list kind when David came back to the table, asking them what they were up to. Two pairs of wide, seemingly innocent eyes stared back at him before they chirped "nothing!" in unison. Dave just looked at them, smirking as he shook his head.
As they sat, catching their breath and deciding whether to go back on the floor before leaving, a server rolled up to them, grinned widely, and set a tray down. They all stared at the huge magnum of champagne and the accompanying flutes and looked back at the boy/girl in confusion.
"I'm sorry, you must have made a mistake," Dave began but was interrupted when somebody glided up to the table.
"Sorry to intrude but this is my way of saying 'sorry' for almost mowing you down," the white teeth in the tanned face mesmerized them all. "Of course, I do recognize you; you're Kurt Hummel and I saw you in 'Midsummer' just last month."
Kurt flushed up to his eyebrows if that were possible and tried to look sophisticated as he replied. "Thank you for the champagne and I hope you enjoyed the show."
The shaggy blond head dipped in acknowledgement of the thanks. "Yeah, I did actually, though Shakespeare isn't really my thing. The wife is a fan, though. Well," he nodded at the group at large. "I need to get back. I hope you enjoy that vintage," and with another nod and a flash of the teeth, he was gone.
The server had opened the bottle and poured the flutes full of the sparkling, ruinously expensive wine and they sipped in silence, still in reluctant awe of their benefactor. They all eyed the Moët & Chandon label, Dave especially appreciating the Magnum Brut Impérial as one his father used to favour.
"Mmmm," Carole hummed. "Oh, my, this is good, and so cold!" Her eyes were wide above the rim of the glass and she seemed determined not to say anything about their recent visitor.
Mercedes nodded and hummed in appreciation as well before rolling her eyes towards Kurt. Then, as if they couldn't hold it back, they both burst into chuckles, Carole joining in almost immediately.
She fanned herself and glanced over at Burt who was watching her in bemusement. "Oh, goodness, what a handsome man!"
Kurt and Mercedes laughed again and when Devon and Puck, who had been dancing came up to ask what was so funny, they started again! Dave simply shook his head and announced he thought some people had had more than enough to drink. He chuckled at the inevitable pout that comment received and finished his own wine.
Kurt begged for one last dance and, of course, Dave relented. They tussled with each other as they moved to the floor, unaware that their family and friends were watching fondly. Kurt turned to Dave and moved into his arms. He slid his hands up to rest on his chest, the engagement ring glittering under the club's lights and Dave in turn slid his hands around Kurt's waist to pull him closer. He leaned down and Kurt tilted his chin up, smiling as their lips met in a sweet, chaste, champagne-flavoured kiss.
That was how the paparazzo caught them and a romantic photograph it was indeed.
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TBC
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A/N 2: * An 'oenologue' is a Master of Wine, which is what Burt was trying to say. I think Americans don't spell it this way; I'm not certain, not being American myself although I've been here for a while now.