The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Sixty
By Gayforkurt
ATTENTION - THIS FIC MIGHT BE MOVING - TO GLEE FIC DOT COM
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.
Dinner was a relatively laid-back affair at the hotel that night. Xavier and Julian obviously appreciated the regional cuisine, never having had it before and Kurt happily introduced them to his favorites.
Conversation was somewhat low-key although Xavier kept them entertained with anecdotes of the staff's antics back on the island. Kurt was happy to hear that Petal had a young beau now, although she seemed to be playing coy, according to Xavier.
He grinned as he shook his head. "Man, I'll never understand women. You know, she had that poor boy eating out of the palm of her hand? I was tempted to take him aside and tell him to play it cool but he was obviously gone on her."
They chuckled and Kurt flicked laughing eyes at David, enjoying the faint flush of pink on his cheeks. From what he'd been told, his fiancé had been pretty gone on him too but he was so glad now that he hadn't 'played it cool'. Mark you, he thought, as he gazed back down at his gateau Basque, I could have done without the whole chloroform, waking-up-naked-in-a-strange-house part of things.
"Mmhm, I know just what you mean, Xavier. Is she actually happy with him, though?" He gazed at the jovial, dark-skinned agent and waited as he finished chewing.
"Oh, yeah, it seems that way but it's almost like watching a lion play with its food, y'know?"
They all burst into chuckles at that, Julian rolling his eyes at Xavier's dramatics. "No," he added, his blue eyes twinkling even as he tried to scowl at his colleague. "It wasn't that bad. I got the feeling she was just really sure of him. That simply gave her the confidence to maybe tease him a bit."
Kurt nearly stared at that, his turquoise eyes widening slightly at the other man. He just hummed, though, not wanting Julian to withdraw into his usual reserved behaviour. It wasn't often that the blond added anything to a conversation, let alone contradict, however mildly, someone else.
The conversation moved on to how interesting they were finding this area of France and when Julian offered that, everyone glanced at him curiously.
Dave looked at him, smiling, an eyebrow lifting in inquiry. "Have you stayed in France before, then?" and Kurt waited to hear if the shy agent would elaborate. He did, and Kurt hid his satisfied smile behind a bite of delicious cake.
Julian coloured slightly but he smiled as he answered. "My family have a place in Pontrieux, that's in Brittany. We used to come on holidays, or as often as we could get away. I… I stopped going after a while."
The other men didn't ask him to elaborate but after a second or two, he did. "Rather strict Catholics, y'know. They, uhm, didn't take too kindly to their eldest son and heir batting for the other team, so to speak."
Dave hummed in understanding and Kurt's eyes fell as he bit his lip, anger simmering just beneath the surface. Xavier, however, was not so discreet and he frowned as he scoffed: "Yeah, well their loss, mate!"
Strangely enough, Julian seemed to relax at that and even let out a brief chuckle. He shook his head as he stared at his friend and then continued with his own dessert. The conversation moved on after that but soon, they all sat back, Xavier announcing he was stuffed like the proverbial goose.
Kurt agreed with him and as David settled their bill, they all headed out front to wait for him. Of course, they hadn't driven as the hotel was relatively close, almost next door to their villa, so they'd walked. The night was wonderfully clear and the intermittent breeze from the bay was refreshing.
Kurt stared up at the velvety darkness of the sky, breathing deeply and then gasped slightly as a hard arm slid around his waist.
"Ready?" David's quiet words tickled his ear and he nodded, smiling up at his handsome lover. They made their way down the driveway and out onto the road leading homeward, Kurt slipping his hand into David's.
Xavier and Julian sauntered along behind them, the former commenting on how different the constellations appeared from down in the islands. Kurt turned to call over his shoulder: "Did a lot of stargazing there, did you?"
"Yeah, pretty much. There wasn't a lot to do but I didn't mind. That place is gorgeous."
The others murmured their agreement and then they walked on in silence a bit. Kurt slid his arm around David's waist and smiled in the dark when he felt his lover's arm go around his shoulder. This was nice, he thought, just walking in the friendly dark, no intrusive sodium vapour lights turning the night orange as it did in most major cities.
The air was soft, the night quiet but for the sound of tiny night insects and the faint susurration of the sea lapping against the shore. It was peaceful, serene and Kurt became acutely aware that this was their last night and they were heading into a very hectic period of their lives. He thought of something and tilted his head to look up at David.
"Sweetie, we are going to find a wedding planner to help us, right?"
Dave chuckled although he shrugged slightly. "Mmhm, I thought of asking Monica, the press officer at my London office to check that out for us, okay?"
Kurt nodded, his mind unclenching from the sudden, tiny panic at the thought of starting their planning. "Ohhh, that's good, because I'm not going to have time to handle a lot of details."
Dave nodded in complete agreement. He chuckled as he added: "I gotta admit, the thought of talking to caterers and florists had me a little intimidated."
Kurt laughed at him, squeezing his waist a bit. "You, David Karofsky, intimidated? Surely not…" and laughed again but nodded this time. "Seriously, though, even when I told my dad I'd sort out what we'll be wearing, I was wondering how I'd get it all done!"
Dave hugged him a little closer as they strolled along, turning in at the iron gates and stepping onto the gravel driveway. "Well, not to worry; Monica will work with us and you just let her know what you want, even give her your measurements, whatever. I'm sure she'll know who to hire; she's a first-class PR specialist."
Kurt glanced up teasingly. "Only the best work for you, right?" They chuckled and suddenly, behind them, Xavier piped up softly: "hear, hear!"
Kurt grinned in the dark; Puck had really put together a great team that worked well together despite their disparate personalities. Xavier was irrepressible, Devon charming and youthful, Julian shy and polite and, lastly, Ian – the stoic with the eyes of a reformed killer. He had come to appreciate all of them and, after Julian's heroic act, was developing a soft spot for all of them.
Dave let them all into the house, flicking on lights as Kurt headed to put on some coffee. His lover could drink that stuff at all hours; in fact, Dave had once teased him about fearing for his life before Kurt got that first cup into him in the mornings.
Turning on the stereo, Dave now loaded it with what he privately termed easy-listening music. It was low-key, instrumental stuff that he found calming and was perfect as background music. He wanted to just spend the last few hours quietly in sporadic conversation and cuddles. With that in mind, he now lounged on the largest sofa, making sure that Kurt had just enough room to stretch out with him.
In the kitchen, Kurt leaned against the counter as he waited on the coffee to finish. He looked around the huge room, a small reflective smile on his face. He loved the ambience of the house; it wasn't the most beautifully decorated of the homes he owned but it had a warm, laid-back atmosphere that was perfect as a holiday home.
He moved to the cupboards and took down four substantial coffee mugs and as he turned to place them on the waiting tray he gasped as Julian had been standing almost directly behind him.
The blond smiled shyly at him. "I thought I'd see if you needed any help."
Kurt smiled widely at him. Julian had seemed a lot more relaxed, maybe a little more confident, since he'd returned from his vacation in the islands. It was a good look on him; before, he'd seemed as if he was in constant pain and Kurt hated the thought that he might have had something to do with that. He nodded at the tray now and watched as he took it up.
"Thanks; I'll bring in the coffee if you'll go through with that," Kurt said simply, sighing inwardly as he watched faint colour come up in the agent's face. Hoo boy, he thought as he pretended not to notice, aren't we a little old for crushes?
He poured the piping hot liquid into the earthenware coffee pot that he'd discovered and subsequently fallen in love with, grabbed a plate of chocolate-covered biscuits and headed out. Having had dessert already did not preclude their nibbling on the delicious digestives now, he assured himself.
He smiled at the way David's face lit up when he returned and, taking his seat beside his lover, proceeded to pour the coffee for all of them. He hummed in appreciation for the music, turning to look at David as he handed him his mug.
"Where did you find that music? I like it!" He poured and handed the other men their coffee, nodding at the plate of biscuits invitingly.
Dave, helping himself to a cookie, answered Kurt with a soft smile. "I have rather eclectic tastes when it comes to the arts, I guess. This was compiled for me by a friend who knew what I liked and surprised me with it."
Kurt bit into his biscuit, his tongue flicking at the chocolate on his upper lip as he nodded. "Mmm, must have been a very good friend," he smirked, a faintly suggestive tone to his light voice.
Dave twitched an eyebrow at him as he chewed, swallowing before saying: "Used to be," and chuckled at the interested look on Kurt's open face. There was no way, though, that he was going to elaborate for his too-curious lover so he just smiled and continued drinking his coffee.
They sat in relative quiet as they listened to the music, occasionally commenting on this piece or that, and it was all very relaxing. Kurt, having finished his coffee, had sat so that he was leaning against David, of course, and his feet were curled up beside him on the couch.
As he was about to comment on how quiet the night was, he was interrupted by the soft trilling of the phone, the four of them staring at it in momentary surprise before Kurt lunged for it. He answered rather breathlessly and Dave watched his face, relaxing as he broke into soft laughter.
"Dad, hi! I was wondering when you were going to get around to calling us!" His face was glowing as he listened to his father's reply. "Yeah, a little earlier and you wouldn't have got us; we were out to dinner."
He strolled over and threw himself back on the couch beside Dave who watched him with a little half smile on his lips. Kurt's eyes were dancing as he listened to his dad and replied to various comments. Dave would never tire of watching how animated his lover could be; nothing boring about his diva, at all.
Kurt 'uh-huhed' one more time and then, grinning at Dave, suddenly handed the phone to him. "Dad wants to talk to you!"
Dave smiled and took the handset. "Hi, Burt, how's everything?"
"Things are going great; the hotel is fantastic as you know. We got in a few hours ago but figured this would be the best time to call."
Burt went on to ask after Carole and the others and how the flight over had been.
Burt chuckled. "That Gulfstream of yours is a beauty! Uh, y'know, I've been thinking: when next you boys come over, I'd like for you to come fishing with me…"
Dave paused before replying, his brows furrowing a bit as he glanced over at Kurt. "Uhm, I don't know if Kurt – does Kurt like to fish?"
He heard Burt make a little scoffing sound before he laughed. "I didn't say Kurt, Dave, I said you; I'm asking you to come fishing with me down in the Keys the next time you boys come to the States!"
Dave coloured faintly with pleasure and his eyes lit up, ignoring Kurt's little poke in his side. "Uh, yes, Burt, thanks; I would love to do that, next time we're there."
"Good, that's settled for now. Well, I know Mercedes wants to talk to our boy so I'll hand off to her now. You boys take care of yourselves and we'll talk soon."
"Okay, Burt, and I'm glad you're enjoying the stay; yeah, later… Oh, hi, Mercedes, enjoying the suite?"
"David Karofsky, yes! I've enjoyed myself these last few weeks, I gotta tell you. Thank you so much for everything!"
Once again, Dave's colour heightened and this time Kurt made a little grabby motion with his hand. Dave held him off with one of his as he replied to Mercedes. "I'm very glad you've had fun, 'Cedes… uh, a certain person is almost climbing on top of me to get the phone away so I'll hand you over. Take care, okay, and I'll see you soon. Bye!"
He grinned widely as he finally handed over the phone to his impatient lover, chuckling at the little pout on the fair face.
The men watched Kurt's face go from pout to grin in 0.02 seconds and laughed softly. He was so easy to read and though he had a well-deserved reputation as a diva, he was also fairly easy-going when he was happy.
"'Cedes! Girl, what have you been up to in the couple of hours since you got there?"
"Baby boy, you know I love these suites… but I really, really enjoyed my time with you! I'm so gonna miss you, though…"
"Awww, I know, right? I can't wait for you to come see me in Milan. Thank god for technology – we can vid-link whenever we get the time!"
"True, true… and we're never gonna let so much time pass again before we link up, okay?"
Her voice sounded suspiciously clogged at that last bit and Kurt found himself tearing up. He subconsciously nodded at David who had started stroking his arm comfortingly and threw him a grateful little smile.
Xavier and Julian started a quiet little conversation to give him a modicum of privacy and the blond marveled again at how soft-hearted the singer actually was. Kurt was a pretty interesting package, he'd come to learn – complex and fascinating.
Dave smiled softly as he listened with one ear to his lover's one-sided conversation with his best friend. He knew with a deep certainty that Kurt was going to be hit hard by withdrawal. He'd had a good time when his parents had visited with them in London and then when they'd visited them in Ohio. Now he was going to have to get back into work in a city without either friends or family. Dave glanced over at Xavier and Julian and found that he was glad the two men would be with his lover; they would be something familiar, apart from his colleagues.
Kurt sniffed once and then smiled as he finally said goodbye to Mercedes and after throwing her a little kissy sound, he finally hung up the phone. He turned to the other men and gave them a wavering little smile, grateful for their tacit support.
He swiped his hand quickly beneath one eye and turned to Dave, heaving a little sigh. "Boy, I'm really going to miss those guys…"
Dave tugged him into his side without saying anything, wrapping him up and resting his chin gently on top of his head. Kurt settled down against him with a soft hum, a soft smile on his pink lips.
The music provided the only sound in the room for a while before Xavier, unable to hold back a yawn, stretched and got up.
"Well, folks, it was great and I thank you but I've got to sack out soon. Julian, you coming?" He glanced down at the startled agent who'd been trying not to stare at Dave and Kurt on the other couch. The blond looked up at him guiltily but smiled a bit before rising.
"Uh, yes, good idea… sacking out sounds good about now. Uhm, good night and thanks!" He moved swiftly ahead of Xavier after throwing the other men a little smile and headed out of the room.
Dave and Kurt murmured quiet 'good-nights' in response but didn't move from their comfortable perch. Dave stroked Kurt's arm, careful not to tickle him and, once the two agents had disappeared down the hallway towards their separate rooms, he cleared his throat.
Kurt lifted his head from where it had been resting against his shoulder and smiled. "Something on your mind, handsome?"
Dave chuckled at the light, teasing note in his lover's voice and dropped a quick kiss on the inviting lips. "Actually, yes, and I think we should talk a bit before heading up."
Kurt straightened fully, one eyebrow rising interrogatively. "Talk, huh, like about our wedding plans?"
Dave grinned and nodded although his eyes were still riveted to Kurt's lips. Seriously, he hadn't had nearly enough kisses and now it occurred to him that soon he'd be separated from Kurt for quite a while.
However, they needed to sort some things out and he'd rather do it without the distraction of other people being around them. He stared now into Kurt's eyes, admiring once again their beauty and openness.
He nodded as he began. "Yes, but not just about the wedding plans but also afterwards – what we want to do in the long-term, so to speak."
Kurt nodded, a serious expression coming over his face. "Yes, I agree. First, what are we doing about a pre-nup?"
Dave's eyebrows flew up but he smiled, intrigued. "The pre-nup, huh? Okay, we can start there. I want our lawyers to sit down – or Will Schuester, in your case – and hammer it out. I have no problem sharing everything with you; you do know that, right?"
Kurt nodded, his cheeks dimpling as he tried to remain serious but David's generosity never failed to please him. "I know; and I've decided I have to protect you from yourself. Okay, that's settled – we let our people handle it."
They paused a bit and then they both blurted simultaneously: "The wedding!" Kurt laughed and nodded, indicating that David should go ahead and say what he wanted.
Dave took a deep breath and then continued. "The wedding doesn't have to turn into a media event if we don't want it to, okay?"
Kurt smiled and then shifted to lean against the muscular arm again, his hand stroking up the forearm and playing with the hair there. "That's good. I know, apart from the family and a few friends, I'll want to invite most of the company, Will and his wife, Terry. Is that okay?"
Dave nodded and frowned a bit, using his chin to nudge Kurt's head a bit so he could see his face. "Of course, that's okay! I don't have any family, at least none close enough to invite; I'll be inviting mostly those friends and business acquaintances that I've got along with well over the years."
Kurt felt a little twinge of sadness at Dave's comment about not having family and he squeezed the arm he was caressing. He continued: "And, of course, we want to invite some of your staff, right?"
Dave nodded. "Definitely. We'll have a lot of coordinating to do to get everyone together on the day that we want… uh, have we thought of a date yet?"
Kurt lifted up and stared at him before beginning to chuckle. "Shoot, that's one thing we seemed to have forgot all about. Umm, off the top of my head I'd say sometime in June."
Dave looked at him curiously but before he said anything in response he leaned over for a quick kiss. Well, it was intended to be quick but Kurt didn't let it and for a few minutes they explored each other quite thoroughly. Kurt eased away from David's mouth, smiling and a little flushed and shaking his head.
"Not fair! You know that makes it hard to think, let alone make decisions, right?" His blue-green eyes glowed as he stared at his fiancé's lips.
Dave grinned at him, unrepentant, before shrugging. "Every time I watch your lips move, that's what I want to do." He chuckled as the colour deepened in his lover's face. "C'mon, you've got to know how hot you are."
"David Karofsky! Goodness, you're as bad as a teenager," Kurt pretended to huff in annoyance but anyone could see he was pleased by the compliment from his lover. He shook back his hair and tried to say seriously: "We still have a couple of things to hash out before we can… uh, go finish what we started."
Dave grinned at him before tugging him back towards him, this time startling a squeak out of Kurt as he pulled him fully onto his lap. He manoeuvred Kurt until he had him just where and how he wanted and then pulled the dazed man in to lean against his chest. Kurt eventually snuggled in and hummed in approval.
"Okay, where were we? Mmm, yes, dates. I thought of June, maybe the end, because it will be summer but not yet too hot, right?"
Dave nodded, brushing a little kiss across the wide, smooth forehead. "Yes, it shouldn't be too hot and the nights are starting to really lengthen then. Perfect time, really."
Kurt stroked his chest, carefully avoiding a nipple as he tilted his head back to look up at David. "Okay, about the formalwear: I'm thinking something different from tuxedos. What do you think?"
Dave's winged eyebrows dipped as he leaned back to stare at Kurt. "No tuxes, but what then? Shirttails and barefooted on the lawn?"
Kurt burst into a cascade of giggles that made his lover grin. "No, silly, I have an idea but I have to check something out before I enlighten you. Barefooted, indeed!"
They chuckled a bit before Kurt settled down again. "Okay, you said your PR person, Monica, will be assigned to handle everything?"
Dave nodded. "Yes, as soon as we get back – well, when I get back to the office – I'll set her onto finding the best wedding planner and to check out perfect venues for us."
Kurt's head shifted a bit as he nodded, his shiny hair rubbing against the front of David's shirt. "I suppose the back garden at Chiswick won't be large enough to hold everyone comfortably."
Dave shrugged before agreeing, reluctantly. "Yeah, I know you would probably have wanted something more intimate. Come to think of it, we can have more than one reception, y'know?"
Kurt sat up now, his pleased surprise making him oblivious to the fact that Dave had hardened beneath him as he'd squirmed in his lap. Dave bit his lip, realizing he was heating up, but he didn't want to distract Kurt just yet. He nodded at his lover's wide, happy eyes.
"I think you'll like that I plan to instruct Monica to look for the most romantic, historic venues that would be perfect for our wedding but I also want us to have a party for just family and close friends, too."
Kurt nodded, pleased and then announced: "I wouldn't mind trying out my new yacht on our honeymoon. Tour the Mediterranean, perhaps?" He quirked his eyebrow at Dave, his dimples in evidence.
"I would go anywhere you wanted to, sweetheart, to the moon and back, if needs be." Dave's teeth almost ached at the saccharine words but he meant them sincerely.
Kurt leaned back into Dave's arms and kissed him thoroughly, the larger man's arms wrapping around him more tightly. Dave moaned at the feel of Kurt's tongue in his mouth and the sexy way the tight bum was rubbing against his hardness.
Eventually Kurt eased back from the breathless kiss, panting slightly and looking quite smug. "Sweetie, you have the greatest ideas… and now I have one too."
Dave lifted an eyebrow at his fiancé, taking in the heated look in the aquamarine eyes. "Oh, and what is that, pray tell?"
Kurt leaned down and whispered, making sure to let his breath tickle his lover's ear. "Oh, I think I'll wait until we're upstairs to tell you…" and giggled at the little growl Dave let slip.
Dave suddenly stood up, holding Kurt firmly as he lowered his feet to the floor. Kurt grinned up at him, grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the stairs, a heated promise in his beautiful, half-lidded eyes.
The lovers were unaware of Xavier just stepping out of his bedroom as they laughed softly, teasing each other lovingly as they headed up to bed. The dark agent smiled to himself, moved out into the living room and took up the coffee things.
His thoughts rambled from the happy couple upstairs to the blond in the bedroom next to his and then on to the next day's plans. As he ruminated on things he moved about, washing up, putting away things and then, finally, locking up and turning out the lights. It was all very domestic and not something he was terribly familiar with but this assignment was turning out to be so very different from all the previous ones.
He liked these people, especially the guys on his team and he smiled in the dark as he wondered what the months ahead would be like. He and Julian would be accompanying Kurt to Milan and he sobered as he thought of the responsibility that would be theirs. They would be protecting the future spouse of a billionaire and that spouse could prove to be a magnet for all sorts of unwanted attention and speculation.
As he performed his nightly ritual and ablutions, Xavier knew he and Julian would have their work cut out for them. The world didn't always love a lover, despite trite lyrics, and it would be their job to see that no one got a chance to hurt Kurt Hummel, physically or otherwise. This wasn't just an assignment anymore, he realized as he settled down in the comfortable bed, the faint sound of the surf already lulling him – this had, for some reason, become a very personal mission.
Slowing his breathing and concentrating on relaxing each muscle group in the beginnings of a meditation kata, he almost didn't hear his bedroom door opening. He tensed, immediately undoing all the work he'd just done to relax and sat up quickly. He stared as Julian appeared in the opening, the faint light coming through the window hitting the tall, too-thin form.
"J-julian, what is it?" His whisper didn't hide his surprise or confusion as he cleared his throat and tried again. "Are you alright, mate?"
Julian stepped closer to the bed and stared down at his colleague, his eyes fathomless in the dim light. Xavier reached for the dangling beaded string on the lamp to switch it on but Julian's hand shot out to stop him. His hand grasped Xavier's in a gentle grip and he finally spoke, his voice soft and faintly apologetic.
"I-I don't want to sleep alone."
They froze in that awkward position for a second or two, Xavier trying desperately to see the expression on Julian's face and then he nodded, once. Without saying anything he moved his hand from Julian's and flipped back the comforter in silent invitation, moving back to make room for the slender blond.
Julian breathed, unaware that he'd been holding his breath and his whole body relaxed as he slid into the warm space so recently vacated. He moved backward once and then again, not stopping until he fetched up against Xavier's warmth.
Xavier reacted instinctively and slid his arm over Julian's waist, relaxing unconsciously when the blond grasped his hand. They said nothing; no awkward questions and no pained answers. The silence enveloped them and their breathing calmed and deepened, the natural precursor to sleep.
Tomorrow there would be words enough, maybe, but right now all that was needed was the age-old comfort of touch.
.
TBC
.
A/N: Julian's being a bit needy but will Xavier take advantage? Can teammates offer each other comfort without it affecting the group dynamic? Please, review and let me know what you all think.