VIX

~ Mangia ~

"Well, that was an original way of saying hello. Do you always greet people that way?" Noah chuckled as Kurt once again checked out his ruined jeans, the sight of a large dusty brown patch on his bottom staining otherwise comfortable cotton rich denim.

It was a shame, really. He'd only bought the pair yesterday and now after he had spent approximately five minutes vainly attempting to rub it off with water and tissues back at the marquee, he knew it was fruitless. He wasn't going to be able to properly see to it at home. Though through all the enforced rubbing, the stain had faded several tones to the point where it now resembled a light patch of desert sand, and all because of a lollypop.

"Or was that little show back there all for me?"

"Oh no, that's how I greet everyone. It's usually a masterpiece of a performance, but I guess I'm running out of ideas, so I'm resorting to humiliating myself in public. Fun times," replied Kurt sarcastically with a voice so dead pan that Noah's chuckles couldn't help but evolve into laughter, the model fighting back a smile as they walked.

After Kurt's little incident of hilarious proportions back at the shoot that had attracted a further set of muffled laughter from those nearby, he and Noah had unknowingly found themselves strolling through the park, their feet taking them along Terrance drive all the way to West Drive as they focused on each other.

"What are you doing here anyway? You said you had a paper to write... or does the temptation to come flirt with the ladies overpower that Harvard brain of yours?"

"When I'm in New York, anything is a temptation, Kurt. Whether its women or a sports game. I thought I could fight it, I couldn't, so I came down here to surprise you which... seems to have worked out better than I had expected," chuckled Noah once more as Kurt let out a light-hearted huff at the man's continued amusement. Surely the whole thing couldn't have been that funny. He'd simply tripped, though the lollypop mask and klutz-like fall must have been high factors in it all. Now, however, as Kurt watched Noah's chuckles subside, he began to wonder what the man's true intentions were of coming down to the shoot, apart from the 'women.' "You sure know now to make an entrance."

"You can laugh at me all you like. Take pleasure at my expense, but I'll be laughing this ass off when the same thing happens to you," giggled Kurt as he brandished a pointed finger at Noah. They were now walking towards the edge of the park, the south end of the stretch near Times Square, but even though Kurt's hunger and thirst were nearing dangerous levels of severity and only now did he remember that he'd stood Lola up at the Express café, he didn't want to be anywhere else but here with Noah. Yes, he'd tried to avoid the man and yes, said man was making fun of him but it was just innocent teasing. Maybe Noah hadn't even given a second thought behind his little stunt. "You'll taste your own medicine, Noah, and it will be bitter."

"No, but seriously, Kurt. Were you... hiding from me back there?" Noah asked as all traces of earlier amusement disappeared in favor of an expression the combination of curiosity, fear and a snort of laughter, as if the question was a ridiculous thing to ask. It wasn't.

Kurt had underestimated Noah's now observant nature and had been hoping that he wouldn't think too much into it. Though, as the man scoured his face for a contradictory answer, Kurt's gaze averted as if too guilty to look him in the eye. Noah stopped walking and gently took hold of his arm, the boy coming to a halt beside him. He let go as Kurt looked down at his hand but pressed on with the matter as he took in the model's slightly crestfallen face. "Kurt, I'm sorry if I've made you mad by coming. I should have let you know, I just... wanted to see you."

"Oh, but I wasn't hiding from you, Noah, I was just... making it harder for you to see me, that was all," replied Kurt with a smile, the positive expression failing to convince either of them as it failed to reach his eyes. What he had just said was stupid. He'd word vomited it out without thinking and it didn't help his case. It was like saying lying was merely the act of creating fiction with one's mouth. Not helping, but he couldn't help it. He was panicking. As a result, he winced as Noah frowned at the odd reply, silent, as if waiting for the real response, and it came, as soon as Kurt's senses came flooding back. "I'm sorry; it's just that I wasn't expecting to see you. It was a surprise since after what you said this morning sounded so definite, coupled with the fact that-"

"You didn't... want to see me. No, it's okay Kurt, I get it... um... Geez, I've got to learn to let people in on stuff," muttered Noah, his face falling as his gaze fell to the ground.

Kurt didn't know what to do. Noah had pretty much said it, but had come to the conclusion of an attitude from ten minutes ago, an attitude that had been left back at the outfit marquee. It's not how he felt now. This dip in the conversation was spoiling their stroll and from the way Noah had lifted his eyes to his friends over by the lake before shifting to the entrance of the park he'd entered from, it looked like he was about leave, as if he didn't want to cause Kurt any more distress by staying. "Before I go, Kurt, can I ask... why? You sounded fine on the phone this morning, I mean you're the one who sugges-"

"I know, Noah, I know. I was fine, and I did want to see you but... I'm ashamed to admit that there was a time between now and then that I let myself believe a rumor about you," whispered Kurt as Noah whipped his eyes away from his feet where they had been to the boy before him.

No. This could not be happening. Rumors and bullshit stories had been, for a while now, Noah's chief enemy. Wielded by the media, they had the power to turn anyone against him, even the ones closest to him and to learn that Kurt had fallen prey to their latest exaggerated fabrication, it was enough to snap him.

"Noah, I'm in no position to judge you, and it is only until now that a friend made me open my eyes, but it was said that you had returned to your 'promiscuous, negligent and insolent lifestyle' despite your recent engagement to your fiancée, Quinn. I didn-"

"But you judged me anyway, didn't you, Kurt? You believed it even though it was just a rumor and then you judged me," snapped Noah as he rounded on Kurt, the boy stumbling back as the man fixed him with a betrayed glare.

The rumors may have circulated but in the end, it was Kurt who had chosen to listen to them. Everyone listened to them. Why should Kurt have been any different? Alright, so Noah had slept with his fair share of women, he'd gambled in the past and he'd dabbled in activities unbecoming of the heir of a conglomerate, all mistakes he'd learned from. He was only asking for redemption. "You know, with everything you said two weeks ago with that Marx quote, I'd thought you'd know better than to jump to conclusions, but I guess not. Bye, Kurt."

"No, Noah, come back! Don't go, I-"

"What, Kurt?! Guilty you believed it? Fine, so everything out there may not always be a lie, but know that everything gets blown out of fucking proportion!"

Noah attempted to storm off but instead it was Kurt's turn to grab hold of his arm and bring him to a stop. The boy had wasted no time in rounding him and standing before him, guilt painting his pretty face but Noah was not going to calm down. He wanted to disappear, here and now, just disappear, but the ocean eyes in front of him were like anchors, anchoring him to the earth, never letting him go.

"Just think next time when you hear something about me," Noah muttered, "how many layers of embellished bullshit have been layered on for shock value. Just think about it, Kurt, though I wouldn't want to ruin the juicy story for yo-"

"Noah, stop! Please, just stop!" Kurt slammed his hands onto Noah's strong chest before resting his head on it, the feeling of the man's deep breathing and the rushing of his heartbeat ever more obvious now. Slowly he raised his head. "Noah, listen to me, I'm sorry, and you're right, I should have known better. I've deceived you and what I've done has hurt you... but... don't forsake me because of it. I can't do it, I can't bear it, I can't be like my tormenters from high school. I want to get to know you from you, not from others. I know we're merely acquaintances and I have no other greater status in your life than that, but I know an ocean more of truth about you than they do, and what you've said about yourself, I like, and if you'll let me... I can't wait to learn so much more... Noah? Please?"

Silence. Kurt had fought for himself as was beyond his pride, to convince Noah of his wrongful beliefs and his resulting regret but he had no idea what the man was making of it. His handsome features were stripped of emotion, neutral, eyes distant and face overall reluctant to even reward Kurt's pretty little speech with a reaction. Kurt had wounded him and a simple 'I'm sorry' wasn't the treatment needed to heal.

Sliding his hands off Noah's chest as if fearing his skin would burn from the searing contact, Kurt begged for forgiveness with another glance. Nothing. Only time would heal prejudice and sometimes not even that. Back in high school, forgiving those who had done him wrong for all they had put him through had been the last thing they deserved, but even though he'd done no wrong, he'd forgiven them regardless. He had wished to move on and escape to New York, not continue a wretched, bitter life that was unable to redeem.

"If you feel you don't want anything more to do with me then please say so and put me out of my miser-"

"You want to get some coffee? I know a great place near here that's pretty secluded," Noah asked as Kurt whipped his head up to see the hint of a grin etching its way across the man's face, the life reigniting in his hazel eyes as with each passing second, Noah's face broke out into a warm smile.

He almost broke into a chuckle as Kurt's face morphed into one of complete surprise, but it was just as well. He had spoken with such candor, such heartfelt veracity that with each honest word uttered Noah's stomach had flipped over and over again. It was as if the boy were an innocent, guileless child recovering from anguish, as if he provoked others while subtly manipulating them with the sole desire to be liked. Kurt Hummel had the power to destroy him, as well as himself. They just didn't know it yet. "Come on, I'll pay. I'll pay for whatever you and your dirty ass want."

Looking down at his stained jeans and flipping his head back in laughter, Kurt threw his arms around Noah and squeezed a hug from him, the man knowing very well what it translated into: Thank you for forgiving me.

In all truth, Noah had already forgiven him. He'd forgiven him the moment Kurt had placed his hands to his broad chest and moved his body into his, not wanting there to be any distance between them so that his apology could be that much more from the heart. It broke boundaries, personal space and appropriate public decorum. In other people's eyes, if Kurt had wanted to say something, he'd say it, not telegraph it for all to see; it was damnably vulgar, but Noah hadn't minded. It was the strangest thing.

Watching Kurt now, the rays of sunlight escaping through the trees and hitting him as he ran ahead through the park, he couldn't believe someone so small had fought so hard to stay in his life. No one had ever done that. No one.

.

Glee

.

"I didn't even puke," boasted Noah, leaning back on back his stool, a proud smirk on his face as Kurt's eyes widened in surprise. They had long left Central Park, made their way to the luxury café, Mangia, on West 57th Street where they were now sitting at a circular wooden table adjacent to the parted French doors overlooking the road. Before now, Kurt had never heard of Mangia. Apparently it had been a small sandwich shop in 1981 that had developed a reputation for quality and innovation, offering an alternative to elaborate restaurants and quick fix delis from the hands of their professionally-trained chefs and bakers. Now Kurt knew why it had gained in popularity. The food was indescribable.

"You mean to say you ate a sugar pepper on a dare... and survived?" Kurt stared at Noah disbelievingly, raising his eyebrows as the other man nodded his head proudly. The man's smugness and ever so slight hauteur was enough to persuade Kurt to challenge him but in the end, he backed off.

Kurt knew Noah had more tolerance for daredevil activities than he did and he didn't want to undergo embarrassment yet again by performing a sequel to the lollipop incident. The man already had enough on him as it was. Sipping his tea delicately before placing it back down on the table, Kurt observed Noah's pleased face, shaking his head as he smiled. "Could your head be any bigger?"

"Hey, sugar pepper is tough shit. It is way up in the ranks of the Cinnamon challenge and, by the way, I did that too, and I didn't even gag," replied Noah indignantly as his expression turned into one of defense, his body leaning forward as he rested his hands on the table.

Though he needn't have been so protective of his past efforts; Kurt was genuinely impressed. The challenge was extremely difficult and carried substantial health risks because the cinnamon coated and dried the mouth and throat. It was a risky challenge but it just made him like Noah more. The man seemed grounded, resolute and able to withstand the drying attack of powdered spice.

Noah smirked at Kurt, though. "I'd like to see you try it, Kurt. I bet you couldn't do it."

"I wouldn't be able to convince myself let alone bet on it. My head would explode," shrugged Kurt as he offered Noah a small smile before turning his gaze to the bustling street life outside.

Even though the sight wasn't the greatest, what he was eating sure as hell made up for it. He'd ordered a grilled chicken salad with apples, walnuts, celery and currants, over baby spinach in balsamic vinaigrette… and all for $10.95. Reasonable. "Plus I don't think my agency would like it very much if I were to pose in my next shoot with half my skull and brain blown to bits. I think it would detract too much attention from the clothes and you know how egotistical the designers are. They could give the models a run for their money."

"Fair enough. So you now know some of my own personal bests, like when I won the only winning touchdown in football sophomore year in high school, no biggie," smirked Noah, placing his hand over his chest as that cocky grin once again made its appearance.

By this point in time, Kurt wasn't finding Noah's light-hearted bragging to be all that annoying. In fact, he didn't really mind it all that much. He suspected that the man hadn't been praised all that often when he was child, especially when it came to achieving personal goals and bests. Such neglectful treatment and lack of support could result in behavior that overcompensated for that. It was like this with girls. Parents should always boost their kids' confidence. "Think you can top that off, Kur-"

"Noah, doesn't it... I mean doesn't it... bother you having people recognize you in the street? Look, I can see some pointing at us and whispering, over there," Kurt said as he nodded in the direction of a few bystanders who had merely glanced their way before double taking and coming to a stop to look at them.

It wasn't something Kurt wanted to call Noah out on but he had to replace his original question with something else. Inquiring into someone's tumultuous childhood never ended well – or at least it hadn't with him. It would upset Noah and he'd definitely learned from his mistake in the park. "I don't know if you knew this but I had paps chasing me non-stop for the last two weeks and I couldn't bear it. You have to put up with it all the time. How?"

"You get used it. You learn to block them out, control your temper, control anything that make you lose it in front of them because if you don't, they'll have the pictures on the stands the next day and you'll be the one who'll look insane," replied Noah casually as he sipped at his coffee, a hint of bitterness souring his voice.

Kurt looked down at his lap. It seemed as though he had brought the conversation down anyway, crowning him as the least smooth talker there ever was. Now that was something worth getting upset about, more than cameras following you every which way. "You're lucky, Kurt. You only had them a short while and the only pictures people are ever going to see of you will be you looking... beautiful."

"Beautiful? Noah, I think you may have misused a word just now," Kurt giggled as he plunged his fork into his chicken before cutting himself a piece and eating it, Noah watching him with an expression akin to an insulted frown as he chewed. The boy didn't get it.

Kurt thought about what Noah had just said. Just because his skin was fair, his lips were red and his body was slender and slimmer compared to the average man didn't mean he had to have words thrown at him that were conventionally used for women, no matter how complimentary they were, did it? Or was there no other word to describe him other than beautiful? He never thought of it till now.

Feeling Noah's inquisitive eyes of him, Kurt swallowed before continuing. "I'm sorry, Noah, you meant well. It's just that my face was no more than a shadow on the playground and to have it in the spotlight is... somewhat different."

"It is in the spotlight where it belongs, Kurt. A face like yours doesn't belong in the shadows," complimented Noah as Kurt slowed down his forkful of spinach to look over at the endearing expression on the man's face.

Noah's hazel eyes were not straying but rather fixed and focused on his, as if they, like his mouth knew exactly what they wanted to communicate. In normal circumstances it would have rendered Kurt a tad uncomfortable but now that he realized that he was possibly the first male to ever receive such a compliment from Noah 'Lady-Killer' Puckerman, he smirked in satisfaction.

"Okay, fine, Kurt, I'll say it: I think you're good looking. Happy now? But don't get used to it, so you can stop looking at me like that and we can talk about something else... um... like... oh yeah, personal bests. Got any noteworthy ones?"

"Well..." began Kurt as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head up back into the air in thought. It was hard to think of one. Nothing he had in his mental inventory was ever going to be as impressive as Noah's own audacious collection. If anything, it was going to be a generic reminiscence, but one that held great value. "I guess you could say surviving successfully in New York on my own is a huge feat for a small-town boy like me, but I think my favorite personal best was when I was in elementary school. My mom and I built six snowmen in our garden. We decorated them with bits of clothing from our wardrobes and they all turned out pretty well. Granted, it's not completely my own best but it is good to share the success with someone else... don't you think?"

"And who are you sharing your current success with now, now that you're here in the city?" Noah was curious as he looked over at Kurt's pondering face as he nonchalantly poked at his Soppressata Panini. He'd brought Kurt here instead of the popular destinations like Caffe Néro, Costa, and Starbucks, because he knew he'd like it. How could he not? The service was hospitable, the atmosphere was great and the paninis they produced here were absolutely delicious. Yet no amount of smoked mozzarella, eggplant, arugula and balsamic glaze on house roll could distract him from a question he'd wanted to ask ever since they'd arrived. "Family, friends...boyfriend?"

"Friends, I'd say," replied Kurt, nodding in confirmation as Noah internally sighed in frustration. Kurt had so far shared quite a bit of his success with his friends considering he'd granted them unauthorized access to both the Salvatore Spectacle and the Padova Pad. God knew what else he was going to bundle them into next but, for the moment, now they knew which models got the pre-runway jitters and which ones were the real bitches. It had been a whole revelation of an affair. "Not family so much as my father back in Ohio. Though I do text him with monthly updates to keep him up with how I am and what has happened. He doesn't like being kept in the dark especially when his only son is living 530 miles away in a town where pepper spraying is very freque-"

"But... are you seeing anybody, Kurt?" Noah shuffled nearer to Kurt on his stool as he pressed the most important matter of his question along. He knew he was being rude. He shouldn't have been asking the boy such a question and it wasn't a suitable conversation what with them not knowing each other that well, but it was a topic he just couldn't avoid, no matter how uncouth and presumptuous it was.

Kurt blinked before turning to face him head on, eying him with a frown that seemed to deepen with every passing second, or as deep a frown as a consulting dermatologist of Elite Model Management as well as Kurt would allow.

Noah forged ahead. "I'm sorry, but... I mean... there's no one special at the moment, is there?"

"Well, considering I've just moved here three weeks ago, changed life directions and experienced a set of weeks as busy as Grand Central on a Monday, no there isn't, but thanks for the concern... You sound just like my dad," replied Kurt, his shoulders drooping slightly as he went back to his food, mindlessly poking a set of walnuts across from his celery.

His love life when compared to Noah's was next to nothing; in fact, it wasn't even love. He didn't even know what love was. What he had with Blaine was a relationship that had consisted of a mild hormone-based attraction, awkward intimate signs of affection and an ending that was by far the furthest away from happily ever after. "There was someone a few months back but that's a story for another time... Why are you smiling?"

"Oh, I'm sorry... uh... I'm just taken aback, Kurt... that's all," stuttered Noah as the pleased grin he had been sporting, vanished in a flash. The last thing he wanted was to have Kurt angry at him.

Against all proper etiquette, he had brought in this personal topic and now he was coming across as an asshole for judging someone's single relationship status. That hadn't been the aim. He couldn't control the smile that had appeared because, for the past minute, his heart had been racing in trepidation of an answer he seriously cared too much about. What was with him? "It's just that... you don't get many single models; well, not in New York anyway. Most of them are seeing someone even if it's not a... committed relationship."

"You mean a fuck buddy?" Kurt's blunt comment had Noah's eyes widening rapidly, his tanned cheeks unnaturally starting to sport a light tinge of pink. He hadn't been expecting Kurt to jump right to the point but Noah had been the persistent little bugger in all this. Despite the crude reference, the boy's eyes didn't seem to show a hint of embarrassment and Noah had to wonder how many times Kurt had had this conversation. With his father maybe? His friends, but in the end, it was the 'sex shark' with the blushing skin. "I don't really like the idea of having someone in your life who is there purely for sex, no strings attached and who you secretly pretend isn't human, it's just... it conjures up thoughts of prostitution, without the paying part that is."

"You mean you've never had a relationship that ended, but the sex was so good that you kept him on cal-"

"I'm a virgin, Noah," interrupted Kurt, again with the same bluntness as before that was hard to comprehend. Of course the boy was untouched. His wholesome, chaste look screamed virgin and his nearly all-white ensemble didn't help matters, but again it was the way Kurt had announced it as if it were simple fact, that really captivated Noah. Admitting to a potentially mortifying secret without discomfort or shame was something one didn't witness often and especially not over lunch with strangers eating a few meters away. "I've never lost it, never had it popped, it is very much intact and I don't know about you but I love the feeling of innocence within me... It keeps me feeling young – like a natural rejuvenation cream."

"Never heard that one before, it's cute..." Noah trailed off as Kurt dipped his finger into the Strawberry Shortcake dessert he had ordered alongside his salad and brought it to his lips. A tongue came out for a lick and the finger went into a mouthful plunge as within those sets of seconds, Kurt sucked his finger free of white cream.

Noah sat very still, his eyes never straying from the glossed pout as the boy giggled innocently. What was Kurt doing? Was he just simply eating cream or was he trying to do it in a way that sought to elicit a sexual response? After all, no one ate cream like that except during foreplay but Kurt didn't have an agenda, did he? In the end, whatever he had done had awoken something down below and Noah, petrified, looked away.

"Oh my God... that was inappropriate. I'm sorry, Noah, I have an idea of what that must have looked like," Kurt apologized but whether he meant it or not, he himself didn't know. He had just been pleased that Noah hadn't criticized his sexual life, or lack thereof. Except for that pleased smile. He didn't know what to make of that. This whole conversation hadn't been any of the man's business but in that moment following Kurt's blunt admission, he had wanted to prove to someone that even though he'd never been bedded, his sexual desires were still very much intact. Just because he was single didn't automatically rid him of allure, even if his belief in his own attraction to others was considerably lower than the norm, no matter 'beautiful' he was. "Well anyway, it's good to know you've not called me prudish, frigid and weird like others did. I think losing one's virgini-"

"I lost mine when I was twelve," blurted Noah and Kurt's mouth, still open from speech, ceased to close. There it hung open, descending ever lower to the point where even he began to take notice.

Kurt had never heard of such a thing, someone he assumed willingly losing something that was meant to be treasured at such a young age. His own attraction to boys hadn't formed until puberty but then Noah was different. He'd always looked older than his years, the 'man child' of the family when he'd been in his teens.

"Yeah, it was in junior high. A threesome with two high school girls and it was... alright. I mean it wasn't the best. We got into it but then they kept pushing me aside like they were more into each other than me. I actually remember going to play Super Mario while they finished."

"Well... at least you saw things. I mean what other man can boast an early life involvement in a threesome with two lesbians, right?" Kurt was attempting to lighten the mood, but something wasn't right. Noah wasn't even smiling.

As well as finding the story shocking, Kurt had found it vaguely amusing but it was the return of that specific memory that had Noah thinking. The large array of women he'd slept with since he was twelve now only highlighted how insignificant he was. Sure he had bragged about every hot lay but had it been the other way round? Had he merely been a puppet in the love story each girl had fantasized about ever since they were little? Had his lifestyle been as stereotypical of rich men as it was policemen buying donuts?

"Noah? Are you alright? Forgive if I've-"

"No, it's fine, Kurt. My sex life is no private matter. I prided myself once upon a time but sex is sex to me now. The novelty's gone. That or my hormones aren't as crazy as they were," explained Noah, shaking his head as he rested his elbows on the table.

He was a billionaire aphrodisiac, a walking bank note that gave off sexual vibrations, but sex was losing its shares in his stock market. It's not what he wanted, but then he didn't know what he wanted. Here he was, engaged to be married and all the while never having experienced sex with genuine feelings, sex fueled by any emotional passion working his muscles or love powering his thrusts. Everything had been lust at first sight but never... love? He didn't think he knew what love was. "It doesn't mean I'm celibate now, though. I may not be as active but I've still got the urge."

"I'm sure you do and I'm sure your fiancée will be very happy to hear that. Oh Noah, you're very lucky. Quinn's beautiful, she's feminine, she's everything a man wants in a woman," assured Kurt, placing a hand on Noah's forearm as the man looked at him, as if still trying to digest what was being said.

Noah knew Kurt was trying to raise his spirits, boost his morale but he didn't know Quinn like he did. No one really knew. It's not that she was stupid and uncultivated but she was flighty and self-centred. Not what a man like him wanted, but he didn't tell Kurt that. He didn't want the boy to think his efforts were wasted. However, as Kurt smiled at him before looking at the café clock, he gasped. "No, no, no that can't be the time, can it?! Damn, I'm going to be late, I've got to go!"

"Go where? Kurt, wait!" Noah was bewildered by the sudden dash of rapid action as Kurt had put down his napkin, hopped off his stool and all but run out of the café in the space of a single minute, his hand waving behind him as he left. However, through it all, Noah's instincts had kicked in and with his high school athleticism, he sprinted after Kurt, careful not to catapult pedestrians into the road as he rounded the hurrying boy and stopped before him, holding his arms out to prevent a collision. "Whoa, Kurt, you run like the wind. Okay, I know you need to go places but I was wondering if you wanted to... I mean if you wanted to come along with my friends and me to the Balencia Ball on Wednesday night?"

"What? The Balencia..." Kurt trailed off as the impatient hopping and agitated faces he was pulling ceased on the spot. The Balencia Ball was known to anyone who paid attention to the life of the rich and famous as the single most celebrated Cotillion and Beautillion ball in America. It was a formal dance and social gathering that took place at the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue and had beaten its international competitors such as the Queen Charlotte's Ball in London by miles in terms of widespread coverage and popularity. The presentation of debutantes, bachelors, celebutantes and socialites were the highlights and the ball itself was a carousing event where, if one rejected an invitation, it would forever be considered the dumbest move ever, and for Kurt, there was only one answer. "No."

"Oh... okay... I get it," replied Noah, his eyes widening in surprise before his heart fell, the powerful meaning of that single word crumpling his face as he looked down at the ground in rejection.

He hadn't at all anticipated such an answer. It hadn't even occurred to him that there was going to be any other word other than yes, but no. The word 'no' was all he got, as if punishing him for procrastinating on such an important invitation. He really wanted Kurt to attend. He thought he'd want to, what with his skill in dance. It would have been a great opportunity to introduce him to his friends and family, possible contacts that could strengthen his modelling career, even one in dance if he so wished, not to mention another excuse to meet again, away from the prying eyes of the public. "Don't worry about it, Kurt... it's a total sucker's paradise anyway."

"No, it's not, and you know it's not. You really want me there but you just don't want me to know that, do you," muttered Kurt quietly, his voice soft as he shifted closer to Noah's drooping body. Either this man was acting his ass off for a pity party to come to town or he was genuinely upset. Kurt didn't know.

Had Noah been building the courage to ask him all this time? While they'd been eating lunch and talking about personal bests and virginity, had Noah been planning on what exact words he was going to say? Kurt didn't know. However, after what felt like an uncomfortable amount of time, the man eventually pulled his gaze from the oh so interesting ground up to his face, Kurt's question answering itself with a single look from those magnetic hazel eyes. "Well, you know what, Noah... of course, I'll go to the ball with you! Silly!"

"What?! But you said-"

"I know what I said, Noah, but life isn't interesting if you play it straight. Call me tonight about the details, okay? Now I have to dash. Thanks again for lunch, bye!"

Kurt grinned as he playfully shoved Noah's shoulder reassuringly, his giggles trailing behind him like sonic perfume as he ran down the sun emblazoned street. It was a sight to photograph with a million blinks. One that Noah would easily set as his background on his laptop at home or frame on his living room wall. Though it was not just for the sight of pedestrians parting like the red sea for a lone white figure dancing in the rays that held significance, but that today would mark the day he'd made a new friend. He'd made a friend all by himself. Kurt was a good person and he was going to be a great friend. Noah was going to keep him close and appreciate his company unlike his peers at home.

For Kurt was his now.

.

Glee

.

"I'm so sorry for ditching you in the park earlier, Lola, I didn't mean to," Kurt apologized, joining Carmen and Lola in his living room along with Carlson, their arms laden with plates and bowls of popcorn, ice cream, Doritos and dip. It wasn't the kind of food Kurt often feasted on except on special occasions. In fact, his appetite had already been satisfied with the filling lunch with Noah a few hours ago, and he hadn't even finished it, but now as he looked down at the junk food in his hands and compared it to the earlier perfection that was Mangia cuisine, he sighed. The place was definitely a hidden gem he'd bring his friends to come check out but an unexplained part of him didn't want to, like what Noah had brought him to was intended for him and Kurt alone, no one else. "It's just that Noah found me and then we got to talking, and then we got to eating, and no, it wasn't a date. Just dismiss that notion from your mind."

"I didn't say anything, although I might need some convincing. Truth is, I'm surprised he was willing to be seen out in public with you after that little tumble you had," giggled Lola as she pulled herself up from her reclining position on the couch before helping to distribute the food on the coffee table. Admittedly having eaten alone at the boathouse's express café had been worth getting back at Kurt, judging by the sympathetic looks she'd received from others as if she'd just been stood up by a date, but even she would let that pass to allow her lovebird Doll Face to enjoy his lunch date. "You should have seen him. He was hiding from Puckerman behind one of those huge-ass lollipops you find at funfairs only to trip on his way out of the marquee. It's probably on its way now to be uploaded on some fail blog on YouTube."

"Wait a minute, why were you hiding from him? And since when have you been calling him 'Noah'?" Carmen asked incredulously, picking up a bag of Doritos before sitting back down the couch, allowing Lola to rest her feet in her lap. Kurt's brand spanking new 'friendship' with the billionaire had never been uttered during their shopping spree earlier, neither had it been mentioned when they'd arrived back at his place for a movie marathon until a few minutes ago.

Carlson had, indeed, informed her and Lola that they'd escaped the Padova Pad to talk privately in the hotel below but they hadn't thought anything of it. Not even when they'd apparently 'swapped numbers'. "I mean, I didn't even know two were friends. Last time, I checked, you were running around like a headless chicken trying to flee from him."

"He was, except every time he does he always finds back in the man's arms like some human boomerang. It's so romantic," cooed Lola as she placed her hands over her heart and sighed in happiness, Kurt rolling his eyes as Carmen giggled. Even though, everyone knew Noah Puckerman was a devout and somewhat strict heterosexual, it didn't seem his well-known sexual preferences were to act as a barrier in preventing both girls in repetitively teasing Kurt relentlessly about his friendship with the man. The boy wanted to joke along with them but the history of his inability to make friends with the same sex due to a supposed fear of an attraction of some sort was enough to make him scowl. "And yes, I know I may have aided him this time in finding you but come on, Kurt, Puckerman only came down to see you."

"Aww, that's sweet. You know, Kurt, now that you're friends with 'Noah', you can bring us all to his parties as your plus ones, right?" Carmen looked at enthusiastically, Lola bobbing her head up and down and as Kurt continued to observe them warily. Did they really think that he'd just made friends with Noah so that he could take advantage of his influence and status? Did they think him to be that superficial? It was preposterous. He wasn't going to use Noah for personal gain. He suspected everyone had done that to the man including the women who were now themselves boasting that they'd slept with some horny billionaire who wasn't all that in bed. "It'll be so much fun, though warn us when you two start making out on the couch, alright. PDAs freak me out. Urgh, can we rewind the movie? I didn't catch what that girl sai-"

"No, don't. We can't... um... otherwise we'll run overtime," protested Kurt as he held his arm out, Carlson halting to push the button on the remote as all three of them looked over at him with frowns. Running over time? That was the point of movie marathons. They were supposed to last well into the early hours of the morning where one would eventually wake up on the floor in a sleeping bag or a mattress of last night's crumbs, but he just couldn't let this happen if he was to be attending the Balencia Ball, an event he knew would send his friends into hysterical shrieks of astonishment. They were already mocking him about Noah. No more. "I have a big thing Wednesday night and if I want to be dancing the whole way through it, I've got to stick to my bedtime schedule. Still, no more late nights for this little bird."

"But if you don't rewind it, I won't know what they're going on about, and Wednesday is like four days away so you've got time," Carmen complained as she whined in a very similar sounding voice to Lola's when the blonde would hop around like a rabbit begging for the restroom when one wasn't nearby. However, it was an annoying response Kurt preferred. It seemed as though his last few words hadn't attracted attention and it was just as well. The tedious river of questions would start erupting, and Kurt didn't know whether he'd have the humanity not to plunge them all down the toilet if they did. Except for Carlson. His manpower would come in handy in unblocking the pipes. "Wait a second, what you mean you'll want to be 'dancing'? Where are you going? A club? You're sleeping in for a club?"

"It's not a club per se, it's more formal than that, you know, with suits and big poufy dresses, champagne and classical waltzes and... and..." trailed Kurt, his voice going quiet as he noticed both Lola and Carmen's eyes widen with every passing second. They knew. Goddamn it, he'd said too much and now they knew. Nothing was going to protect him now, or his apartment from the looks of it, because within his next intake of breath, both girls had launched themselves up from the couch, spilling the bowl of popcorn to the floor as they did, and hugged him, his own blue eyes bulging out of their sockets from the sheer compression.

A typhoon of rushed and frenzied words came spilling out of their mouths once they'd freed him, but all he could make out were 'oh my God, 'Balencia!' and 'lucky fuck!' How eloquent. "It's not a big deal! I'm only going because Noah really wanted me to go."

"Wait, Puckerman invited you?! Well, of course, he'd want you to go! After the way you danced at the spectacle you're like the greatest accessory anyone in his position could have! You're like the Chanel of dancers!" exclaimed Carmen as she went in for another bone-crushing hug. If he hadn't been out of breath because of it he would have gone on to say that no, he and Noah were not going to share a dance together. God forbid. Kurt was merely the latest addition to his entourage for that night; in fact, the boy wasn't sure he'd hit the dance floor at all. Everyone would have dates. Noah would have Quinn and they would rule the night, and even if Kurt asked his friends to join him, he couldn't. He couldn't abuse his invitation. "Oh, my God! Okay look, Elite must have an understanding with the magazines. They must allow the models to wear the designer clothes from their vaults or something and if we can just-"

"Wait, Kurt, I've got to warn you about something..." began Carlson as the man observed three faces turn to eye him with frowns.

He'd been sitting in the armchair next to the couch listening into the conversation, no matter how uninterested he looked, but now he was getting worried. Kurt had become like a younger brother to him and baby sibling to all his acting friends at the theater. He felt like a guardian who needed to warn the boy of entering a world where inadvertence, by indiscretion and carelessness, could lead one to be talked about, but more often than not, in an unwelcoming way.

"You may... I mean, you've got to be careful. You're young, Kurt. You're new to New York and already you're mingling with its society. People will try to take advantage of that and-"

"Are you suggesting Noah is taking advantage of me? Carlson, there's nothing worth taking advantage of, we're just friends," replied Kurt smiling slightly, nearing Carlson as Lola and Carmen both looked at each other. The smile was supposed to be a sign of reassurance, though not for Carlson, but for himself. He was starting to become uneasy by the serious tone in the man's voice, a tone he'd only heard back at the theater on his first day of work experience. Just the mere sound of it conjured negative possibilities, but all this superstition was ridiculous. He wasn't a pawn in any so-called game Noah was playing. Just because the man was a rich heir and he was the babe in the woods of skyscrapers didn't mean he was eventually going to be led like a lamb to the slaughter. This wasn't concern. This was irrationality. "Do you object to my talking to Mr. Puckerman?"

"I don't give two straws about Puckerman, Kurt, I care about you. We all do. Thanks to your modeling, everyone in this city now knows your face as well as his, which is what the job entails... but this now makes you more vulnerable," explained Carlson, standing from his seat and placing his hands on either side of Kurt's arms as he looked into the boy's blue eyes.

Was Kurt's going to this ball a smart move? It was harmless enough. After all, it was merely a frivolous chance for celebrities to relive their high school proms by dancing with other celebrities. A kid's disco but with alcohol. "You can talk to Noah as much as you like but, please, don't let anything or anyone lead you to comprise yourself. If you pride yourself and carry yourself with dignity, you'll be fine but, if you don't, they'll eat you alive."

~ PLEASE REVIEW ~

(But if you wish to criticize, may it be constructive. I'm not going to learn from my mistakes and improve if you vent.)

Author's Note: Find yourself on West 57th Street in New York City sometime and I would suggest checking out Mangia. The food is expensive but is worth every penny.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the characters from Glee since I don't own the show. I'm not earning money from this and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I mean only to please whoever stumbles upon my Love Story.

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