The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Seventy-Three
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Kurt and Dave have come to terms with the past but can they battle the envy and jealousy of others to make a future for themselves? This is rated M.
A/N 1: Thank you, guys, for all your kind reviews and PMs. It tickles me how many of you want Cooper beaten up! I just want to say here that after the wedding I will wrap this part up but there will definitely be a sequel. It will cover the boys' attempts at growing their family and more, if there's any interest. Keep reading and please, keep reviewing.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favourite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.
Kurt murmured soothingly to the distraught man in his arms, tears in his own eyes now at David's reaction.
"Oh, David, David, sweetie; I'm so glad you're here." He nuzzled his nose in the larger man's soft hair, holding his head to his chest as David shuddered in reaction. Kurt could almost feel the tension seep away slowly and finally he lifted David's head to drop a kiss on each cheek. "Baby, I'm okay."
Dave's eyes were wet as he stared at the beautiful face. "Oh, Kurt," he murmured as he turned his face up to him and he couldn't help himself. He took the soft, inviting lips gently, slipping his tongue inside the warm, sweet depth of his lover's mouth. He reveled in the quiet little murmur that always told him that Kurt was pleased and deepened the kiss slowly before gradually easing back.
They sat for long minutes with their foreheads touching, breathing each other's air and finally Kurt slid his hand up to caress the beloved face. He smiled as David's golden eyes stared lovingly into his and he dropped a little kiss on his lips. Then he pulled back, a little puzzled.
"Sweetie, when did you get here?" Kurt nuzzled his nose against David's neck and snuggled against him. "No matter; I'm so glad you're here."
Dave sighed as he nuzzled the soft hair. "I just got here, babe. Puck and Devon are downstairs somewhere."
Kurt chuckled and turned to stare at him, his blue-green eyes roving all over David's face. "I guess I should have known Julian or Xavier would call you. I just didn't think you'd actually fly out, y'know."
Dave looked at him seriously as he replied. "Kurt, I will always come to you, no matter what, no matter where. I love you…"
Kurt smiled softly as his cheeks pinked, his eyes glittering with unshed tears. He knew David loved him but sometimes the thought of how much he did almost overwhelmed him. It was an incredibly heady feeling and he snuggled back down into the strong arms with a happy sigh.
"How long can you stay?" He murmured now as a hand stroked the warm, hard chest beneath. He hoped his lover could stay forever… well, until he finished up here with the season, that is.
Dave chuckled, feeling as if he could read the singer's mind but he wanted to tease him a bit. "How long do you want me for?"
Kurt sat up and turned his head to stare incredulously at the other man. "You mean – you can stay for as long as I want you here? Really?
Dave almost couldn't stand the painfully hopeful look on the beautiful face and he nodded, a huge grin taking him over. "Oh, yes. In fact, I think we should find an apartment for us and work from there, if needs be. What do you think of that_ mmph!"
What Kurt thought was obvious as the singer covered Dave's face in passionate little kisses, never staying still long enough for Dave to get at his mouth. Kurt jumped up and spun around, gripping his hands as he started babbling a string of ideas at his bewildered lover. Dave got up, came over to him and grabbed his hands, stilling the frantic movement.
"Sweetheart, we have time, yes? Right now, I just want to know you are okay." He pulled Kurt to him and enfolded him in a full body hug. "I need to make some phone calls to get the ball rolling. Are you okay to come downstairs now?"
Kurt answered him by hurrying to slip his shoes on and then grabbed David's hand, giggling crazily as he dragged him out of the suite and downstairs. Dave just held on and let hurricane Kurt whirl him along, simply happy that the previous night seemed a fairly distant memory to the exultant singer.
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KHDK
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Dinner that evening was a bit of a celebration for Kurt, a time that glossed over the memory of the drama the day and night before. After stopping in at the police station and signing several documents, Kurt and Dave had done a bit of shopping and while he and some of the group cooked up an absolute feast of Italian and American dishes, Dave, Puck, Devon, Julian and Xavier had sequestered themselves in the villa's book-lined den. Kurt knew they were making arrangements to set up temporary headquarters in Milan and he was just content to know David would be with him in the beautiful city.
Dave, for his part, had needed to call the ladies back in Chiswick and let them know the change in plans and that Kurt was fine. While they had expressed disappointment that the men wouldn't be back soon, they had understood that Kurt needed to finish up his season and that David wanted to be closer to him.
Next he'd spoken with Monica and let her know that she would need to liaise more often and probably more closely now that he would be in Milan for a few months. He liked the idea of using his resources to have her and the wedding planners come to Italy to meet with Kurt if necessary. That would be less of a back-and-forth for the busy singer and Dave congratulated himself on coming up with the idea.
As to Marty, he was accustomed to his boss having to be out of the country fairly often so he would just go into his usual carry on mode. The only difference this time was that David would be working out of an apartment or house instead of an office building. Not a big deal, at all.
Dave, however, had a more serious matter for Marty to handle as well and he told him in detail about what Cooper Anderson had done to Kurt. His horrified friend had assured him that between the firm of Tracollini, Smikle and Turner and their own lawyer, Lynnette Miles Forrester, they would see to it that Anderson wouldn't be able to use his family's money or connection to wriggle out of the charges.
Dave told him he had wanted Kurt to stick with the attempted murder charge but he'd had to acquiesce to Kurt's wishes in the matter. He thought his lover was far too soft-hearted but, then again, it was one of the things he really loved about him. Still, Anderson was not going to get off scot-free if he had anything to say about it.
Marty assured him that he would find some way to get the maximum sentence if it were possible and reminded Dave that there could be a fair bit of press with this situation. That last thought had given Dave some pause earlier but he was determined that nothing would stop him from getting revenge on the man who had almost killed his lover.
"Y'know, Marty, I think it's time I stopped being a wimp about publicity." His voice was grim as he spoke, his eyes going to the serious faces of his companions, Puck nodding in agreement with his words. "There is no way I'm going to let Anderson slither back to the U.S. and the bosom of his family without trying to get some kind of payback – legal or otherwise."
Marty knew he was on speakerphone which was normal for his boss when he was in a relatively secure setting. Now he asked, "Is Noah there? Maybe he has some ideas on increasing security because the Andersons might not take this lying down."
Noah leaned forward and spoke clearly, his voice as grim as Dave's. "Hi, Marty; yes, I am thinking of pumping up security but I'd planned to, anyway. This situation just means I'll be bringing my plans forward." He paused to look around at the other men with him. "I don't think the Andersons will want to play hardball, though, especially after I dig up some dirt on the scumbag. I suspect his behaviour with Kurt might not have been something new for him. Whatever I dig up I'll pass on to our 'legal eagles'."
For the next half hour the men discussed their plans and they all agreed on one thing: Kurt should be kept as much in the dark about this as possible. Dave wanted his lover to concentrate on his last few months of being a performer and he wanted nothing to taint it.
Puck agreed and after they rang off with Marty, he moved on to discuss what he'd been thinking of with regard to Kurt's security team. Puck still felt the need to be hands on when it came to Kurt's security, even though he was Dave's security consultant now instead of security chief. There were a couple of agents he could transfer from various locations and although he would have preferred ones that were gay or at least bi, he would not hold that against them. If they were good enough to be entrusted with Kurt's protection and mentally flexible enough to not mind working for a gay boss, it would be okay.
As they wrapped up their little pow-wow before rejoining Kurt and the company, he turned to Dave, his face uncharacteristically serious. "I need to get back to London soon but I want to spend a couple of days here with you guys."
Dave smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course, and I know Kurt will like that." He looked at Julian and Xavier, gratitude clear in his eyes. "I can't remember if I've thanked you but you must know how grateful I am you guys were here."
Xavier's usually broad grin was considerably more subdued but he nodded in acknowledgement while Julian simply flushed. It was clear that they were all remembering last December and the drama with Emma Smythe-Heffley.
Now Dave cleared his throat and rose, saying they should rejoin the others before Kurt came to pry them loose from the library. Puck smirked, a teasing look in his eyes as he watched his friend try not to hurry out of the room to rejoin his impatient lover.
Kurt smiled, ignoring his headache as he and the girls busied themselves preparing dinner but he was curious as to what the guys had been talking about in the library. He knew it must have something to do with him and the incident but he had a feeling that he shouldn't pry too much.
David came into the kitchen at one point just to check on him and Kurt rolled his eyes but turned his cheek up for his kiss. The younger girls giggled at that but a couple of the older women just shushed them and eventually they got back to work. Cooking for nearly thirty people was not easy and they didn't need the distraction of romance right now, one of them teased Kurt after David had left.
Dave joined Rex on the terrace, his mind more settled now that he had a plan in place, and chatted with the older man for a while. The next big thing would be to find a suitable place for them to live and for Dave to work from and on this topic Rex proved helpful. All he did was mention the Casellis and how much they would probably love to help out. So, while Kurt cooked and stirred and tasted and tortured the other people in the kitchen, Dave called the elderly Italian couple who were only too happy to get onto the task of finding a suitable, temporary home for their favourite singer and his fiancé as quickly as possible.
Laughter was rife and raucous at dinner that night, the wine flowing freely as everyone enjoyed the food and the company. It was almost as if they were determined to blot out what had happened and Rex watched indulgently as the younger ones teased and flirted and the older members just sat about finishing off the various bottles of wine, reminiscing about their tours in the old days. It was relaxing and fun and silly and just exactly what a vacation should be about.
Even when the cleanup commenced the mood still remained high and Kurt, having been part of the cooking detail and exempt from cleanup, dragged David out onto the long stone terrace. He thought the night was romantic and when he pushed David down onto one of the deck chairs, he promptly planted himself in his lap.
Relaxing in the dark, Dave surrendered himself to the smell, feel and taste of his lover and tried to ignore the sounds Kurt was making as they kissed for long minutes. Dave could tell that there were other people coming out onto the dark terrace but he couldn't care less. Kurt was in his arms, he was okay and he was happy.
When they pulled back for breath, Kurt leaned against him fully, laying his head on the broad chest and caressing it with one hand. Dave's fingers sank gently into the clean, thick hair and Kurt, catlike as usual, sighed at the feeling.
Kurt admitted to himself that he had never wanted things to reach where they had with Cooper but if it got him this wonderful man who had dropped everything to be by his side, he would definitely take the lumps, too.
Dave cuddled Kurt to him and thought on how close he had come to losing this man. Although Kurt had said he didn't want Anderson charged with attempted murder, Dave had vowed the man would pay for what he'd … almost… done.
He stared up at the velvety dark sky and the icy twinkle of the stars and vowed: Some way, somehow, someday soon… Cooper Anderson would pay.
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KHDK
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Kurt threw the windows open and gazed out at the view, the wide, tree-lined boulevard of the Corso Sempione very much to his liking. The Casellis had certainly come through, he thought, as he turned away to survey the beautiful flat that David had snapped up at their urging. He had only wanted to lease it but when Signor Caselli pointed out how good a price it was for the prime location, he'd agreed that it made sense to buy instead of rent.
He watched now as Kurt took in the beautiful gleaming wood of the parquet flooring, the elegant furnishings and art work and, most importantly, the beautiful view of the French-style boulevard. This apartment was the penthouse of a stylish building built in the 1950s facing towards the Corso and consisted of a very attractive layout with an entrance hallway that included a coat closet as well as a powder room.
Dave found the pretty double living and dining room with large windows and a balcony quite fascinating and when he'd been told about it he knew Kurt would love it. The other side of the penthouse had a service area with a spacious kitchen and pantry with a balcony and separate entrance; the servants' area was a one-bedroom setup with a sitting room and full-sized servants' bathroom. Moreover, the well-separated sleeping quarters featured four large bedrooms with beautiful hardwood floors, two of these bedrooms sharing a spacious balcony.
One point Kurt especially loved, of course, was that each bedroom had an en suite bathroom making the layout very private. The apartment building provided each owner with a bike storage room downstairs for one's bicycles and a cellar for extra storage. As was usual for buildings that housed the very wealthy, there was a doorman; of particular interest to David, also, were the fast, modern elevators.
Dave thought shelling out 1.8 million euro was no hardship for such a beautiful penthouse.
Kurt came toward him now, slipping his arms around the larger man's waist and tilting his mouth up to accept his kiss. His eyes sparkled as they opened and he stared up at David in amusement.
"Sweetie, will you never stop buying homes?" He giggled at the little pout that David no doubt had learned from him. "Not that I mind, seriously. This place is absolutely gorgeous!"
He turned within David's arms to look around happily at the penthouse. "Oooh, we have to have the Casellis and Rex over to dinner this weekend. What do you say?"
Dave, who had hardly been able to get a word in since Kurt had seen the place, nodded now. "Definitely, and I forgot to tell you that I've spoken with Monica and she can come this weekend as well."
Kurt did a little 'yay' jig in place, careful not to slip out of the arms he loved so much and then settled down to lean against his lover. He was looking forward more and more to their wedding and the thought that Monica's visit meant things were moving along made him excited.
He looked up at David and smiled lovingly at his handsome fiancé. "I'm so looking forward to marrying you and – strangely enough – to 'settling down'." He watched as David's eyes warmed to a stunning gold with the faintest striations of green in it.
Dave lowered his mouth to Kurt's and within minutes they were kissing hungrily. He felt his prick harden in his pants and when Kurt moaned, Dave eased back to look at him in concern. "Do you think you are okay enough for_"
Kurt's kiss stopped his words and it was his turn to moan as Kurt dropped one small, strong hand to grip him firmly through his trousers. He ground his erection against the squeezing hand and broke away to pant, "Okay, yes, I think you are good to go!"
Kurt chuckled as he eased away, pulling David with him to the couch and pushing him down. He fell to his knees and laughed aloud as his lover's eyes widened comically. He yanked and tugged at David's belt buckle until he had enough room to slide the zipper down. Dave's head fell back and Kurt fished him out and squeezed him again, his hips lunging up into the deliciously tight feel of his hand.
"Oh, Kurt, oh baby, ahh…" he muttered as without a pause Kurt's hot mouth slid down around him. His mind almost blanked out after the last thought – oh god, I missed this! – and he whined in the back of his throat as Kurt licked him like an ice cream cone.
He sank one hand into the thick, silky hair, not so much guiding Kurt as hanging on for dear life. Kurt set up a swift pace after the initial licking, stopping occasionally to swirl his agile tongue around the swollen tip. Dave cried out when Kurt flicked the slit repeatedly, almost as if he wanted to poke his tongue down into it and the singer had to hold his hips down with a forearm across his hips as he worked him.
Soon Dave was gasping and cursing as Kurt laved him, one hand gripping the base tightly as Kurt held him down. Within a short time, however, he was crying out in warning, letting Kurt know he was close but Kurt only sped up his ministrations.
Kurt buried his nose in the clean, musky scent of David's groin and hummed around his mouthful, the bulbous head almost at the back of his throat. He realized distantly that David's hand was tugging at his hair but he shook his head, ignoring him and he felt rewarded when the man beneath him suddenly tensed and froze, his cock swelling before the hot semen poured down his throat.
He swallowed and he sighed happily, finally leaning back as the spent organ slid from his mouth. He knew his lips would be swollen and red and he wiped them with the back of his hand as he sat back on his heels. He grinned up at the panting man gazing at him from sated golden eyes and he felt his heart swell with love.
Dave laughed as he looked at the 'cat that got the cream' expression on Kurt's beautiful face. He had a right to feel triumphant, Dave thought tiredly, because that was fantastic. A lover who was as willing and happy to please you as to be pleasured was a wonderful gift and he tugged Kurt toward him now, determined to return the pleasure.
Kurt slid to the side as he tucked David carefully back into his boxers and zipped up his jeans. He shook his head as David looked at him enquiringly and he snuggled into the man, a little yawn overtaking him.
"I'm good, sweetie, I'm just still a little sleepy from all those tisanes the girls were pouring into me," he smiled at David's concerned face. "Plus, I just got me some cream so I'm good for now."
His body jerked as David laughed and he settled down to gaze sleepily out at the tree-lined Corso. The far-off sound of the traffic, the warmth of David's body and the gentle caresses in his hair were enough to finish him off and soon he was dozing contentedly.
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KHDK
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The rest of the week was nothing like what Kurt and David had experienced before as they were together for the mornings and evenings but apart during the day. Kurt woke up beside David each morning, well-loved and contented, a mood which usually lasted until he had to go to the theatre.
David, on the other hand, tried to keep office hours as much as possible, seeing that he had business to deal with and was often on vidchat with Martin Getrick most days. However, he enjoyed the fact that he could look up and see Kurt out on the balcony or walking around their penthouse while he worked until the singer had to leave for la Scala and rehearsals.
In the nights they would meet up after Kurt's performance and have dinner, just the two of them or sometimes with the guys. Puck had yet to send over the two new chaps who would spell Julian and Xavier as they'd told him there was no need to hurry. Puck had understood; he, too, had become somewhat attached to Kurt and saw him as a friend and not just someone he was obliged to guard.
On Saturday evening they had, indeed, invited the Casellis and Rex to dine with them and it had turned into a dinner party, especially since Monica had arrived, too. Puck and Devon were still with them so that made it ten for dinner.
The Casellis were quite gracious to Monica, quizzing her on her job and, to her chagrin, her love life or, rather, lack of one. Signor Caselli had to offer his comment that he didn't know what the world was coming to when someone as magnificent as Monica could be unattached at her age. They all ignored her blushes but Kurt decided to sidetrack the Casellis by jumping in, telling them that he'd invited his parents to visit for a few days in May.
He threw a little smile at Monica as she nodded at him gratefully and soon they were all chatting amongst themselves. The one topic that was quite studiously ignored was the upcoming ordeal of the pre-trial hearing.
Dinner was the usual excellent Milanese fare that Kurt was growing to love and it was catered by one of the nearby fine restaurants on the Corso Sempione. He had left the choice of wines to David and simply let him know the menu would include duck with orange sauce, veal, sirloin and fillet steaks, sole fillets with prawns, grilled tuna steak – and that dessert quite naturally was going to be tiramisu. The inevitable espresso would follow, of course.
It was a well-fed and relaxed group that moved to the balconies to sip at their coffee, Signora Caselli exclaiming at the beauty of their view. Kurt nodded at her in the lovely blue twilight and thanked her for putting them onto their find.
"I'm simply being selfish, my dear," she twinkled at him as she patted the hand nearest her. "It means that I will see you at least part of the year. You know, you must meet my granddaughter…" and she was off and running but Kurt didn't mind.
Kurt was a lot more people-oriented than he would give you to understand, Dave mused as he watched them nattering with their heads together. His idea to have Kurt take charge of the charity organisations his parents had founded was a good one; they'd get onto that sometime after their first year of marriage. He wanted nothing at all to interfere with getting to know his intriguing husband. Grinning to himself in the gathering darkness, he turned to Monica, engaging her in light chatter as she gazed out at the tree-lined Sempione below them.
The car headlights strangely enough added to the beauty of the night as they moved along at varying speeds along the boulevard and conversation dropped to the occasional lull as they all relaxed. Eventually, though, Kurt remembering Signor Caselli's love of old music, invited them inside to listen to some of the old Caruso recordings he'd discovered in the weeks since they'd been at la Scala.
The pleasure on the old gentleman's face warmed Kurt and they listened as he reminisced about seeing the famous singer as a boy. Signora Caselli had been a singer in her youth, she informed them all, but waved off her husband's compliments as she laughed.
"I was certainly no Callas and my career didn't last long." She quirked her carefully-penciled eyebrows at her husband with a smile. "A certain very impatient young man thought it best we marry before I was snatched up by someone else!"
The soft laughter around the room made Kurt smile inwardly as well. He had never had dinner parties before when he was single and since meeting and falling in love with David, he'd had about three now and one house-warming. I'm becoming a veritable society matron, he mocked himself with a grin.
Dave looked over at him curiously, seeing the little grin, and took his hand in his, rubbing the smooth back. He glanced down at the ring sparkling up at him and he couldn't hold back his own smile. Without thinking he lifted the hand and kissed the fingers lightly. It was only when he realized there was no sound but that of the scratchy old record that he looked up to see everyone gazing at them.
The Casellis laughed and Rex muttered something about being young and in love while Puck simply smirked at them. Dave quirked an eyebrow at Devon before looking back at Puck and they all chuckled. Monica felt only slightly uneasy at this romantic display between her boss and his fiancé but managed to shrug it off. Milan was a beautiful city and the velvety Italian night would tempt anyone to be a bit mushy, she thought now.
The only other two who were not part of a couple were Julian and Xavier but, to be sure, they were very accustomed to the spontaneous displays between the engaged couple. Julian was getting better at handling his internal reactions and, to be honest, he was simply glad that Kurt was happy.
The evening ended when the Casellis rose to leave, Kurt hugging the Signora and letting her know the invitation would be in the mail soon. He reminded himself to let Monica know she needed to add them to the list of people who would be staying at Haverley Castle and to arrange transportation for them. Kurt didn't want them to go to any unnecessary expense so he would ask Dave if they could send one of the jets for them.
Rex took his leave as well and Puck and Devon also headed out, back to the Grand Hotel et de Milan. Since they had Monica's suite, Kurt had suggested she stay with them and now she excused herself, thanking Kurt for a wonderful evening and retired to bed. Julian and Xavier had separate bedrooms in the penthouse as Puck still believed Kurt should have a team with him and Kurt hadn't argued. Seriously, the guys were like friends now so he made no fuss, smiling at Puck serenely instead.
Now they assisted Kurt and Dave with clearing up the dessert and coffee things as the hotel had sent around a couple of waiters to take care of the dinner things, packing them away efficiently and leaving the kitchen sparkling but for the container with the tiramisu. There was still a bit of it left so Kurt put that away in the refrigerator and when everything was back in its pristine, pre-dinner condition, he thanked them and proceeded to turn out the lights as David locked up.
Taking one last look out at the romantic skyline, Kurt turned and pulling David's head down to him, kissed him softly. Dave straightened a bit to look down at his lover's serene face, one eyebrow rising.
"Not ready for bed, babe?" He traced the curve of Kurt's eyebrow with a gentle finger, smiling as Kurt closed his eyes.
"Mmmm, yes, but I just wanted to savour the moment, y'know?" He smiled up at David, his eyes glimmering in the dim light. "Starting tomorrow, we mightn't get many of these quiet moments, so let's just enjoy it, please?"
Dave pulled him into a tight hug as he buried his face in the long, smooth neck. Kurt was right; the next day would see the return to regular performances and, worst of all, the pre-trial hearing was coming up.
He led Kurt over to the armchair nearest the doors to the terrace and sitting in it, pulled Kurt onto his lap, facing the view. They snuggled, consciously making an effort to enjoy the stillness and wrapped themselves in their love for each other.
Life had its ups and downs but the way Kurt had handled the recent ordeal was an indication of how strong he was. Kurt was near perfect in Dave's eyes and nothing would change that opinion. One thing David was sure of, he thought to himself as he sat their occasionally dropping kisses on Kurt's hair; he would always try to make things as easy for his lover as possible. As much as was humanly possible, anyway, he vowed, and Cooper Anderson would find out just how far David Karofsky was willing to go.
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TBC
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A/N 2: Next chapter sees the start of Cooper's pre-trial, Kurt and David meet Blaine and his mom and she's no sweet little old lady!