The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Fifty-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: Thanks so much for those of you who are still reading and reviewing. It does the old heart good to know you're still enjoying this.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.
Midday the following day found the group deep into preparations for their beach barbecue. Vegetables and fruit were being cut up, drinks put on ice and salads thrown together. The French maids had brought extra baked goods as Kurt had informed them the day before of their plans for their final evening there.
Now there was light-hearted chatter in the kitchen and dining area as they worked, Kurt especially determined not to give in to thoughts of Lije leaving with his family the following morning. He was going to miss everyone when they left but, without a doubt, the baby was the one that had burrowed into his heart and set up home.
Music was playing on the stereo, courtesy of Mercedes and every now and then someone would sing along with the words if they recognized a song and the rest would join in. It was really a lovely ambience that cushioned the inevitable melancholy that came at the end of a great holiday and there were smiles on faces even as they sorted out the barbecue food.
Dave had opted to handle the meat stuff, placing the piles of meat in deep containers – one filled with soy sauce and two with barbecue sauce – so they could marinate for a few hours until they were ready to head down to the beach house and the fire pit. He had bought chicken, pork, beef and fish the day before when they were in Bordeaux and now he was satisfied that everything was in a marinade, except for the fish which was piled high on a separate platter. The fish he had covered in a dry rub his dad had taught him and he was looking forward to manning the fire pit later. He chuckled as he thought he should have got a 'Kiss the Cook' apron when they'd been in town yesterday.
There was a sound now beyond that of the chatter, music and the distant sea; Dave looked curious as he got up and headed out the front door. He came back minutes later and everyone looked up, eyes widening at the sight of the newcomers.
"Puck pulled a fast one, sweetheart," he smiled now at Kurt and then turned to introduce the newcomers to the group. "Mercedes, Rachel, this is Xavier… and this is Julian." The men murmured greetings as the women stared at them curiously.
Only Finn, Rachel, Mercedes and the children were strangers to the newcomers as Carole had been in England with Burt last Christmas.
The group swelled some more when Puck came in with Devon and Ian and the colleagues greeted each other happily. Puck felt it necessary to explain: "Thought it was a good idea for the rest of the team to meet you folks. I didn't tell you yesterday that I'd already talked to them and they were heading here. Surprise!"
There were chuckles all around and Kurt shook his head at Noah before he smiled broadly. He greeted the men, asking Julian, of course, if he was completely recovered. He looked tanned and relaxed and Kurt observed how the Caribbean sun had lightened his blond hair considerably.
Julian had prepared himself for meeting Kurt and his family again so he was quite composed as he answered him in his typical cool and collected fashion. Rachel, with her ear for accents, noted his was slightly different from the others but didn't ask why. She watched him with interest as his colour seemed to deepen slightly as he turned to answer Kurt.
"I'm quite recovered, thank you." He actually seemed to twinkle at Kurt as he added: "I was held hostage and force-fed by the formidable Mama Afflick who, by the way, has sent me some things for you."
"Oh, good," Kurt actually clapped his hands as his eyes widened in anticipation. "Gimme, I know it's food!"
There was laughter, of course, and Xavier chimed in, his deep voice filled with amusement: "Yeah, you should have seen our boy here trying to hide from the old lady. It was pathetic."
Julian laughed along with everybody and then, turning to Puck with an enquiring lift to his fair eyebrow, asked him where he would be sleeping. They excused themselves from Kurt and the women as Puck peeled himself away from Devon's side, leading the two newcomers away, Julian promising Kurt he would be right back with his gift.
As everyone settled down again to their various food prep tasks, Mercedes turned to Kurt with a grin on her face. "Boo, that's another one, right?"
Kurt rolled his eyes and quirked his pink lips at her before returning her grin. "Eh, it's nothing, really. I think it's just a mild crush."
Mercedes, sobering a bit, tilted her head to the side as she watched him slicing the sandwiches in diagonals and packing them away. She decided, however, not to belabor the subject and just shrugged. "Mmm-hmm, maybe."
Carole, at the end of the massive kitchen table, had overheard the friends' conversation and she realized she was inclined to agree with Mercedes' air of doubt. She remembered Julian, of course, having been in England during that whole debacle when the agent had been injured. He was a quiet man and, in her experience, they were the ones who always seemed to nurse a passion, unrequited though it may be.
Anyway, she shrugged, it was probably for the best that Kurt was unaware of how deeply other people's feelings could run. He was inclined to feel guilt for things over which he had no control and right now he was so blinded by his love for David that it seemed to form a shield around his mind. Maybe that's a good thing, she thought now as she finished assembling a fruit salad for later.
Rachel, staggering over with a bowl of cooked and diced potatoes she'd been working on, relinquished it happily to Kurt who'd jumped up to help her. "Whew, this barbecue thing is a lot of work, people!"
Her face was beaming as she said it, belying the inherent complaint, and she laughed as she turned to the crisper in the refrigerator to get the celery and green onions she planned to add.
Mercedes, snitching a piece of boiled potato, frowned slightly as she looked around, realizing something was missing. Before she could ask, however, Kurt nodded and supplied the information.
"This is a no-egg potato salad, sweetie. Rachel and I love it and, really, it's one less step to deal with."
Carole nodded in agreement as she placed cling wrap over the bowls of fruit salad before placing them in the refrigerator. "Actually, we can do boiled eggs separately; those who want to add it later to their portion can do so, huh?"
Kurt twitched an eyebrow at her. "Oh, true; I hadn't thought of that," and he was off to get a carton of eggs to put on the boil.
The group continued working in companionable silence but before long, Julian was back with what looked like a basket in his hands.
Kurt's eyes widened as the blond placed it on a cleared area of the kitchen table and the others gathered around him and he smiled his thanks at Julian before tearing into it.
"Oh, wow, smell that!" He had opened a large Tupperware-like container and sniffed, moving back so the others could see. "This is Mama Afflick's rice thing… uhm, rice and peas?" He twitched an eyebrow in Julian's direction, who nodded in affirmation.
"I had this when I spent some time on David's island last year," Kurt continued as he set the container aside and reached for the next one. "What? Yay, island chicken!"
The women laughed aloud at Kurt's elation, their mouths watering as they stared down at the huge amount of food the woman had sent. Carole, shaking her head, looked up from the mouthwatering array to Kurt's face, a greedy light in his eye.
"Kurt, does she think we aren't feeding you?"
Kurt giggled as he broke off a piece of a wing and brought it up to his nose before sinking his teeth into it. He chewed and mumbled at the same time: "Mmmf, she just likes to fatten people up."
Julian nodded as he watched the group inhaling the incredible aroma of Mama Afflick's gift. "When I was there, I had to beg off sometimes; she'd just bombard you with food if she got the chance."
Mercedes, lifting up a spicy, golden-brown chicken leg, stared at it before sniffing. "Is this that jerk chicken?"
Kurt shook his head as he encouraged Rachel and Carole to try the chicken. "Uh-uh, this is her island chicken. Maybe she uses a little jerk seasoning but I think she has a 'secret recipe'."
He laughed as he remembered how Dana's mother-in-law had told her that every self-respecting cook had a secret recipe. "It is so good, come on, try it!"
He watched, his blue-green eyes twinkling as the women tentatively bit into the smallest pieces of chicken they could find. He laughed out loud when their eyes popped open, a comical look of surprise competing with the bliss of tasting food that good.
Julian watched him watching his family and smiled inwardly. He had missed seeing Kurt; the dark tousled hair gleaming with good health and impeccable care, the glowing eyes, pink lips and the smooth pale creamy skin that now sported little freckles across the tops of his cheeks and across his nose bridge. If it was at all possible, Kurt was even more beautiful than he remembered.
He had come to a sort of rapprochement with his feelings while he had recuperated on the island. He would not pine and mope like some medieval knight; he would simply be happy that Kurt was happy. David Karofsky was a good man; a man strong enough to hold onto a prize like Kurt and it was plain that they wanted nothing but each other. He could live with that now, having had a chance to distance himself from Kurt's intoxicating presence.
On the island, he'd taken time to think about what he was doing and what he wanted to do. It was unthinkable that he should spend all his mental energy, he berated himself, hoping for something that would never be. Xavier had been a big help in his coming to his senses so to speak. The man had joined him on the patio one day when he'd been staring out at the sea, unwittingly comparing the colour to Kurt's eyes.
He liked Xavier; though he appeared to be all on the surface and happy-go-lucky, there was a depth to him that he didn't let just anyone see. He'd sat beside Julian for a while, letting the peaceful silence reign for a bit, and then he'd started speaking in his deep voice.
"Y'know, I once knew a chap, a journalism student, when I was in college."
Julian had turned to him, wondering at this strange gambit. He then nodded, indicating that he was listening, and Xavier continued talking.
"Yeah, he was a really popular fellow; good-looking, athletic and really sharp, intellectually, that is. What was interesting about this chap was that, he never seemed aware that everybody else sort of just, I dunno, hovered around him. It's like, he didn't even notice they were in orbit around him."
Julian sat up a bit and turned to look at the dark-skinned agent, wondering where he was going. He was about to be enlightened. Xavier threw him a little smiling look as he continued.
"Kurt is like that, yeah? He's like this person that draws people into his orbit. I don't think he's aware of it; or if he is, it's not something he particularly values. Anyway, this chap I knew, Bobby, we called him; he was like that. All these birds just throwing themselves at him. He enjoyed sex as much as the rest of us, sure but … it was as if he could take it or leave it. As to us fellows, we just wanted to hang with him because he was cool, pretty laid-back. Always got his assignments in on time, got fantastic grades, and always found the time to do a pub crawl if we wanted to or a scrimmage, anything."
Julian had realized where this talk was going and now he turned to gaze back out at the sea, admiring the way the tropical sun lit the peaks of the waves to silver. In a way, this break was the perfect thing for him. It had given him the time and distance to get his head sorted. If he was going to continue as part of Kurt's security detail when he got back to England, he would have to suck it up and get on with the job.
Now, standing in the kitchen of the villa on the Arcachon bay, a really beautiful spot and so different from back in the islands, he was so very grateful for the chance he'd got. He was happier and, seeing Kurt again, he realized that it didn't hurt so much anymore to be in his presence.
He watched as the group successfully managed to restrain themselves from devouring all of Mama Afflick's island cuisine in one go. Now he smiled at Carole, whom he'd always liked, and asked her if there was anything they needed him to help with.
Carole, glancing around at all the things they'd already got through, shook her head but thanked him. "No, my dear, thanks. I think the men are supposed to be checking out the fire pit down at the beach house."
She told him where to find the path down to the beach house and smiled as he thanked her, nodded to the others and headed off.
Mercedes chuckled, drawing all eyes to her now. "What? I just noted that all these men are pretty hot in their own way," she shrugged, daring them to disagree with a little curl of her lips at them.
Rachel, surprisingly, was the first to agree. "Oh, yes, Kurt, I noticed too. Who chose them?"
Kurt went on to give them an abridged version of the events of the previous couple of months, glossing over the Smythe-Heffley woman's vindictive actions, and making it seem as if it were par for the course.
"You know there are always crackpots who fixate on people they see onscreen or in the gossip rags."
They all nodded sagely, having grown up in an era where celebrities were the new royalty. Stalkers and the ever-present paparazzi kept many of these people's lives in the news, sometimes on the front pages. Kurt had never thought he'd be in that lot one day; he'd only wanted to sing and perform and, if necessary, become famous enough to be able to pick and choose his own roles. Now, here he was with a security detail, albeit a very good-looking one, and he shrugged and smiled at his family.
"Hey, we take the sweet with the sour, right? That's life, folks." They packed away the things as they chatted and Mercedes, remembering something, giggled.
"Yeah, and we get to have champagne sent over by A-list celebrities, too!"
They laughed as they cleaned up and once the kitchen was again in pristine condition, separated to their various, private tasks.
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KHDK
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The smell of the smoke from the wood and coals in the fire pit wafted up to the house as Kurt helped the women pack the things into hampers for easy transport. Everyone was chattering away and the party atmosphere boosted his spirits considerably. He was determined to enjoy every last minute of this vacation, despite his tendency to want to mope, and he smiled now as he watched his family and friends bustling about the kitchen.
"Has anyone seen the tablecloth I left here?"
"Where are the cutlery and the napkins? I know I left them right over here!"
"No, Sean, go with daddy, okay? Don't you want to see the barbecue?"
"Oh, Kurt, the ambrosia's still in the fridge!"
"Puck, that's for later; here, take this down, please."
"Will one of you gentlemen take this picnic hamper with the plates, cups and bowls down, please?"
"Uhm, Rachel, where's Lije's sunscreen? I don't remember where I put it."
"Here's the tablecloth – who was looking for the tablecloth?"
"No, Sean, sweetie, that's for later. Finn? Where's Finn?"
Kurt shook his head and grinned. Seriously, it was not a military campaign but the way the women were hustling and martialing forces, any military commander would have been proud. He captured the wandering tablecloth before it went missing again and spying David about to sneak out empty-handed, loaded him down with it and the beach blankets they would need.
He got a quick little kiss for his troubles and Kurt smiled dreamily up at him before sending him on his way. It was such a great evening for the barbecue, he thought as he gazed out the front windows that showed part of the lawn sloping down to the beach. He could hear the others still dashing around in the controlled chaos that was apparently par for the course and he turned away from the view now to check that everyone had everything before they headed down to the beach.
He heaved a little sigh of relief when the last laden-down person left the villa and he grabbed the bowl of ambrosia and headed out. He had watched Mama Afflick make it when he'd been hanging about in the kitchen and he'd decided it would be perfect for afters.
The delicious concoction of whipped topping, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and fruit cocktail from a can, plus pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges, was topped with miniature marshmallows and maraschino cherries.
He held the large container carefully as he took the steps down to the beach, smiling as he heard the boisterous laughter and loud music that wafted up to him.
Dave met him as he stepped down into the soft, dry sand by the beach house, dropping a light kiss on his smiling lips again and relieving him of the huge container. "Is that the last of the stuff?"
His eyes roved his lover's form as he watched him nod in the affirmative before moving off to join the others. Kurt had opted for turquoise shorts and matching tank and over that he was wearing a thin mid-thigh length white cotton shirt. It was unusually simple for his fashionista fiancé but just as eye-catching as anything more elaborate. Dave liked, too, that his hair was free of any controlling product and was allowed to be ruffled by the light, warm breeze. All in all, he looked happy and carefree and stunningly attractive.
Kurt, aware of Dave's warm, admiring gaze upon him turned slightly and threw a wink at him over his shoulder before hurrying to catch up to Mercedes. He swore he would never get used to the way David looked at him, as if he was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. It made him feel good because, no matter that it had been years ago, he couldn't seem to shake the memory of feeling fat and ugly. Those feelings had been reinforced, of course, by the bullying, something he'd never told Burt about. Those memories though, didn't have any power to hurt anymore because, as they say, success is the best revenge.
He joined Mercedes and others who were stretched out on towels or the extra lounge chairs that had been brought down for the beach party/barbecue. Already the coals were hot enough for them to feel the heat even from quite a few feet away.
Kurt plopped down on a towel beside 'Cedes' chair, grinning at her as she ran an affectionate hand through his tousled hair.
"I like your hair like this, boo; it's not often we see it without stuff in it," she commented now, tilting her head to get a look at his face.
He'd turned his head to watch as Dave went up into the beach house, apparently to place the dessert Kurt had brought into one of the coolers until later. He turned around to smile up at his friend, nodding as he answered her.
"Yeah, it's a pain; I'm fighting a losing battle because I can't cut it yet. Rex would pitch a fit if I came back to play Oberon with a buzz cut!"
The friends cackled as they tried to picture the poor man's face if Kurt turned up with his hair shorn. Mercedes sighed as they calmed and then commented: "You know, I'm sorry I never did a get a chance to see you perform live."
Kurt nodded, his chin on his folded arms that were crossed upon his drawn-up knees. He cocked one bright blue eye at her as he murmured: "Never too late!"
She sighed again as she shook her head. "You're so far away, it would be a heck of a trip to come and see you in Europe and then come back again for the wedding."
They sat in relative silence for all of a minute before Kurt was straightening up, a look of excitement widening his eyes. "Oh, my god, 'Cedes, that's it!"
She jerked, a little startled by his outburst and then she grinned at him, getting caught up his excitement. The others turned to watch the friends, Dave smiling as he watched Kurt come up onto his knees and grab her hands.
"I haven't all the dates yet but _" he paused as he bit his lip in thought, then shook his head and continued. "What if I can arrange it for you to come to my very last performance before I break to prepare for the wedding?"
Her mouth fell open and Dave, who had strolled up to come and sit behind Kurt, added his bit. "I think that would be great if you could swing it."
She blinked rapidly to keep the tears controlled and she beamed at her friends, nodding happily. "Oh wow, Kurt, oh goodness. Yes, I would really, really love that!"
The two friends fell into their rapid chatter, talking over each other and Dave sat, pulling Kurt to him as he tried to follow along. He nuzzled Kurt's neck, pushing aside the collar of the thin cotton shirt and then, knowing that Kurt was distracted by Mercedes, tugged the shirt down his arms and off. He tossed it aside and continued his gentle exploration of his lover's warm, fragrant skin, smiling as Kurt tilted his head unconsciously to give him room.
Eventually the friends' chatter slowed down and Kurt, only just becoming aware of David's sensual ministrations, stifled a groan as his body responded. Damn, they were just a few feet away from his parents and it would be hard to hide his pleasure for much longer if David were allowed to continue. He jerked his head around to give his lover an admonishing glare, trying to stifle a little giggle at his guilty expression.
Burt and Carole had been aware of the two for a while now, since Carole had nudged her husband and then pointed at the lovers with her chin. Burt had just shaken his head and smiled at her; after all, he could remember being at that stage of their romance when they couldn't keep their hands off of each other.
Farther down the beach, closer to the water line but still on the dry part, Ian, Puck and Devon were talking intently. They needed to firm up the arrangements for the next day as the family and Mercedes would be leaving in the morning. They'd all be leaving for Bordeaux airport relatively early but Julian and Xavier would return to the villa with Dave and Kurt after seeing them off.
Now Ian gazed out at the waters of the bay and thought again of what he would say when next he saw Sam. Puck had told him that he wanted him to help with recruiting for Puck's new company, Aveinu, but they had yet to discuss what that would entail. He didn't want to admit that he'd missed the blond man but he'd never believed in lying to himself. Sam had saturated his senses to a surprising degree, considering that the blond was so sunny-natured and he, Ian, was anything but.
Life was going to do what it wanted, he told himself as the sound of the quiet laughter, chatter and music surrounded him. He had very little control over anything, he'd realized from a fairly early age, but the few things he could handle, he did in as efficient a way as possible. This thing with Sam though had him confused and aching and it was not a good feeling.
He became aware with a part of his mind that Puck was staring at him and he turned his head quickly, catching a speculative look in his boss's eye. He raised an eyebrow at him, no other muscle on his face moving, and watched as the man seemed to make up his mind.
"I want to run something by you and I want you to think about it carefully, okay?" Puck spoke quietly, his voice barely reaching even Devon who was sat on his other side. Ian nodded slowly, curiosity creeping onto his normally stoic face.
"Okay, I will. What is this about?" Ian watched as Puck glanced out at the water, thought for a bit and then turned back to him.
"I've been thinking that, with me sorting things out at our base in London, I won't get a chance to recruit elsewhere. I want you to take charge of that." He paused to see how Ian received that and when he saw the other man's eyes widen slightly, he smiled before continuing. "That means you'll be in charge of recruiting in the U.S. and setting up a base of operations there."
He watched as Ian turned away, staring out at the water with faraway eyes and waited. He knew the man must be thinking of the possibilities for his relationship with Sam. Heck, if he wasn't he'd be a fool; Sam was a cool guy and it wasn't often you found a connection like that. He had every confidence, though, that Ian would make the right choice, pride be damned.
Ian, contrary to his outward appearance, was struggling with the hope that flooded him now. He wasn't certain that, if he tried to speak right now, anything would come out of his mouth so he sat, thought about Puck's idea and tried to compose himself.
The music behind them got louder and so did the laughter as Finn, Rachel and their boys joined the group on the beach. Puck glanced behind him, his eyes colliding with Finn's briefly and then turned back to Ian. He didn't want to rush him but as they were going to America the next day, he thought it would be a good idea if Ian had something concrete to tell Sam, one way or another.
Finally, with Devon beginning to fidget beside Puck, Ian turned to the two men, smiling slightly as he watched the looks of anticipation on their faces. He opened his mouth, almost chuckled as Devon leaned forward, and then paused, wondering if Puck would lean forward too. His boss didn't but he did raise an impatient eyebrow and Ian nodded at him.
"Yes, I think that's a great idea… and – thank you."
The gusty sigh of relief from Devon caused the other two men to raise almost identical eyebrows at him and the youngest agent blushed beneath his olive skin. He grinned unabashedly, though, as he mouthed a quiet, triumphant "yes!"
Ian was tempted to grin but such a lapse in his normally stoic behaviour would probably send everyone into shock. It was enough that he'd lost so much control that he'd smiled!
Puck ruffled Devon's hair with an affectionate hand and then turned back to Ian, a small smile wreathing his lips. "I'm not gonna lie – I don't know what I'd have done if you'd turned me down."
Ian frowned a bit, tilting his head in curiosity. "Yeah, why's that?"
Puck shrugged. "You saved me a headache looking around for someone to establish a base of operations overseas. You're someone I've worked with, trusted to have my back and you'd be the perfect recruiter."
Ian nodded as he understood where Puck was coming from. It was always better to move people up from within the ranks than to look outside, he thought. It saved a lot of time as you wouldn't have to break in a newbie, no matter that he'd be in an executive position. He smiled inwardly as he thought of the possibilities that would open up for him to see Sam more often.
The first thing he would do upon landing in New Jersey would be to call Sam. They would stop over there for about an hour and then they would make the hop to Columbus. He only hoped that Sam would feel the same way that he did about their situation. They hadn't discussed anything but he was pretty certain Sam knew how he felt about him. He wasn't much of one for words so he hoped his actions would speak loudly enough for him.
The soft crunch of the sand behind the men alerted them to someone's approach and they looked up to see Dave coming up. They got to their feet and he nodded, telling them that some walking stomachs were already clamoring for food so they'd better start barbecuing before the masses rioted.
Devon chuckled as he walked ahead beside Ian, leaving Dave and Puck to carry up the rear. He knew Puck would probably want to give Dave a heads up with regard to Ian and the US office. That idea was a great one, in his mind, killing as it were two birds with one stone. He stifled a little giggle at the cliché and shook his head but when Ian looked over at him askance, he wasn't afraid to prevaricate a bit.
"Nothing, just thinking of that 'walking stomach' crack," he grinned as he watched the others up ahead bustle about, setting out the food.
Ian nodded, knowing it would have to be Finn that was the culprit and headed into the beach house to help with the preparations. He watched as the man tried to control young Sean who had probably been secretly fed a lot of sugar as he dashed about.
It was a happy, noisy group that shouted suggestions, encouragement and wisecracks at him and Dave later when they were manning the grill over the fire pit. Everyone had their own perfect way of barbecuing stuff and it was amid laughter and much discussion that they finally managed to get the food cooked. Whether it was to perfection remained to be seen as, of course, some preferred their food well done and others expected it to be still twitching.
Mercedes licked her fingers as she finished a bit of pork, humming at the sweet yet tangy barbecue sauce. At the way she'd been packing it away on this trip, she knew she had her work cut out for her when she got back home but she didn't regret one ounce of it. She watched Kurt feeding Dave bits of the chicken he was starting with, smiling as every now and then Dave tried to nip Kurt's fingertips if he didn't remove them fast enough.
The smoke didn't get a chance to overwhelm them as the breeze from off the bay kept the air comfortable and they were treated later to a beautiful sunset that had even Sean staring quietly.
Mercedes, finally having eaten her fill, announced she needed to work off some of the food to make room for dessert. Her comment was greeted with groans and laughter and she prodded and nudged them to get up and dance. She turned up the music and, turning to her favorite boy, grabbed his hands, ignoring his protests, of course.
"Gosh, 'Cedes, I'm too full," Kurt whined, even as he stumbled after her onto the firmer part of the sand. "I can barely walk, let alone dance."
"You'll feel better after you've started dancing. Come on!"
She laughed at his pouting face and the two of them put on a bit of a show for the others. When Xavier jumped up to join her and Kurt, there was applause and a couple of wolf-whistles as they leapt and gyrated, hamming it up for their audience. Eventually they were joined by Burt and Carole who did a much more staid type of dancing, nevertheless enjoying themselves and drawing their own share of applause.
Sean, of course, wanted to dance so Mercedes took his hand and soon he was jumping around calling for his mommy to come and dance with him. Rachel, laughing, handed over Lije to his dad and skipped down to the beach, grabbing her son's little hands.
Next to join them were Puck and Devon before Ian and then Julian reluctantly came up to join the group. Kurt was secretly pleased to see the two quietest members of his team relaxing enough to have fun. He grabbed one of Rachel's hands and one of Sean's and joined them in a crazy little bouncing and hopping dance, Sean laughing giddily the whole time.
They were one amorphous mass of waving hands, feet flinging up sand and smiling faces, some of them singing along loudly to the music. If a stranger had happened along just then he would have thought they had got too deeply into the liquor. The truth was that they were painfully aware it was the last night of their vacation. As such, there was noreason not to absorb every bit of enjoyment to the last dregs. Living in the moment was a darned good philosophy, Kurt thought, as he swung Sean by his arms, laughing down at the shrieking child.
No one noticed the quiet conversation going on between Dave and Finn upon the soft sand, Lije having dozed off in his father's arms. Their body language was calm, relaxed and if, at one point, Dave's lips tightened, that was okay, because no one was watching them.
The sparks from the fire pit floated up into the velvety night air and wafted around the sound of people enjoying themselves and putting off all concerns and cares for that moment. The bottles of wine that Mercedes had stashed in one of coolers were brought out and though the cups were plastic, that didn't affect their enjoyment one whit. Kurt's ambrosia salad was devoured, nay, inhaled and even Lije, who'd awakened, enjoyed it.
Kurt, snuggled up once more in David's lap, stared at the dying fire, his eyelids at half-mast as he listened to the desultory conversations around him. It was their last night and he was determined not to succumb to the lurking melancholy. He turned his face up to his lover's with a little smile and received his kiss, humming at the lingering taste of whipped cream and wine.
This trip was almost perfect in every way, he sighed, his ear against the wall of David's chest. He looked around at all his family and friends, his eyes pausing on each one and then he looked out at the dark waters of the Arcachon bay. He smiled as he heard Sean's high, sweet, childish laughter piping up above the music and he knew he'd come back here one day. Maybe by then, he thought suddenly, we will have our own little ones with us.
Closing his eyes, he relaxed further, the thought of laughing little hazel-eyed children spiraling down and down, ushering him into sleep.
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TBC