Kurt returned to the front door after refilling his cauldron with candy bars in the dining room. He arrived just a few seconds before a girl about five or six years old made it to the door. She was wearing an adorable fuzzy Cheer Care Bear onesie. Right behind her stepped her chaperone, David Karofsky, wearing an equally adorable fuzzy Bashful Heart Care Bear onesie.
Kurt was wearing a soft fur tabby cat onesie with ears on an oversized hood that pulled down over his face and had eye slits he could see through. He had seen some online, but used those only as a reference and made his own that fit better, as well as looked nicer. To keep his identity hidden, he hadn't been talking and had just held up one finger to indicate that the trick-or-treaters should take just one candy bar. But when he saw Dave, he broke his silent pantomime.
"David?" Kurt said, obviously shocked to see him dressed the way he was. He flipped the hood back so his face could be seen.
"Um, yeah. Hey, Kurt. This is my niece, Anna. She picked my outfit. Isn't it great?" His eyes implored Kurt not to make fun of him.
"It is. It's fantastic!" Kurt said enthusiastically. "You did a great job picking it out, Anna. And for being such an amazing costume advisor, you can have two candy bars."
She reached in and took two. "I'm getting the Milky Way for Uncle Davey because he likes them the best."
"That's very sweet of you," Kurt practically cooed.
She chose a Snickers in addition to the Milky Way. "Do you want to know why I picked this costume for Uncle Davey?"
"I absolutely would love to know, Anna," Kurt replied cheerfully.
Dave turned red.
She put the candy bars in her jack-o-lantern bucket and went on. "Well, Uncle Davey is the nicest uncle ever. He always plays Chutes and Ladders with me and he reads me books and he even watches Barbie movies with me and draws with me. But he doesn't talk all that much, so I think he's like Bashful Heart Bear."
Dave's blush deepened. He turned her around and nudged her away from the door before she could embarrass him any further. "Wait right there on the driveway. You can eat the Snickers you just got. I'll be right there."
"Okay."
"Does anyone else from McKinley live on this street? I thought this street was in the North Lima district."
"Two more streets over." Kurt pointed behind the house.
"Got it. We're headed that way. The last thing I need is for one of the McKinley jocks to see me dressed like this."
"You're adorable."
"Shut up," he said, with no anger behind the words.
"I can keep quiet about it. You know that already. But that won't change how cute you look. Totally snuggly."
Dave blushed. "Knock it off already."
"Fine." Kurt winked at him. "Take Anna to get more candy, Davey."
"God, you're annoying sometimes."
"Only sometimes? I must be losing my edge," he retorted.
Dave rolled his eyes and turned to go back down to the sidewalk with Anna.
As Kurt got ready for bed later that evening, flashes of the last time he had seen Dave popped into his mind. Scandals, he thought. A week and a half ago. Eleven days. It seemed like longer.
The scene flashed through his mind.
Helping drunken Blaine to his car. Helping him into the backseat, only to be pulled in. Arguing. Getting himself free. Getting out. Blaine stomping off. Getting Dave to help him get Blaine back in the car. Driving him home. Leaving him in the backseat of his car. Getting in his own SUV. Driving home.
Finn. Finn was up when he got home. He was brooding and pacing. Pacing and brooding. Mumbling. "Why would she do that?" He looked up at Kurt. "Blaine too?"
"Blaine too, what?"
"Did you have sex with him?"
"What?"
"Rachel. She wanted to have sex. I tried to get her to wait until I could afford a hotel room. She said it had to be tonight. She tried to get me to have sex with her to be a better Maria. Why would she do that?"
Pain. The pain came back as the scene flashed in his mind. Searing pain in his heart.
Blaine had ignored him the next day or acted like nothing had happened. Kurt couldn't tell the difference. He avoided confronting him until after the opening night performance. Kurt approached him after most everyone had left. He was on the stage practicing some dance steps he had messed up during the show. They had talked.
Suffocating. As he sat on the edge of the stage, feet dangling down, there was not enough air and he was suffocating. Once he could breathe enough to think, the words You matter. bounced around in his mind like a bouncy ball being shaken in a glass jar. He closed his eyes and willed himself to breathe. Blackness from his eyes being closed. Blackness from the hole in his heart. He heard "I love you, Kurt." But it was faint and it felt cold as he ran and ran and ran—all the way back home.
Finn. Finn was in the kitchen warming up pizza. He stopped Kurt in the hall before he hit the stairs. "You were right," was all he could get out. He slipped past Finn, ran up the stairs, and got in the shower.
Single. I've been single for ten days.
His thoughts slipped back again. "I can't do this anymore," he had said sitting on Blaine's front porch later that same night. Blaine was in his pajamas because Kurt had texted him to come down when he pulled up. "I matter, Blaine. If I don't matter to myself, then what point is there? We haven't started rehearsing for Sectionals. You can go back to Dalton if you want. I'm not leaving New Directions. If you stay, you're choosing to not let this affect our performance as a group. I have to go." He heard Blaine call out for him. He drove and drove and drove, eventually going home.
Kurt shook his head and tried to clear his mind. Instead, what happened the next morning played back in his mind like a movie.
Sebastian. Ten minutes after he had sat down with his coffee in the Lima Bean Saturday morning, Sebastian showed up.
"He's all yours if you want him," Kurt said, as Sebastian sat down.
"Want who? Blaine?"
"Who else? I broke up with him last night. He's a free agent. You might even have a chance at wooing him back to Dalton if you offer him a lead at Sectionals."
"Woo him? In what way did I give you the impression that I 'woo' guys?"
"You were trying to steal him from me."
Sebastian nearly choked on his coffee. "I wasn't trying to 'steal' him. I was playing him. He wanted attention. I wanted information. He's naïve to think that I didn't already know about you two. Klaine? Seriously, what does he take me for? I've heard the story. I saw the video of the two of you singing at Regionals last year. Terrible song selection, by the way."
"That was Blaine's choice."
"I figured."
"He came to Dalton to give us West Side Story tickets and he flirted with me from the instant he stepped into the room. I knew who he was. I knew he had you. Why would anyone with a hot boyfriend flirt?" He didn't give Kurt time to respond. "I'll tell you why. Because he's looking for more attention. That's why. I flattered him. He soaked it all up. Contrary to what I said that day, I don't actually knowingly sleep with cheaters. Obviously, people can and do lie, but that's on them, not me. He told me about you about ten seconds before you walked up. That was our second coffee date. About three hours of him talking without a single mention of you. Red flag. Anyway, you said you broke up. Good for you. In honor of your newly single status, how about you come with me to a costume party at this 18+ club in Columbus Friday night? I'll spring for a hotel room. If I get lucky, I'll get him to spring for a second room so we won't disturb you."
"Why would I do that? I didn't even have fun at Scandals."
"Oh, this is worlds away from Scandals. It's going to be an indoor and outdoor event. They have a large covered outdoor patio. Music, lights, dancing. I've seen you dance. Not that shoulder shimmy, which was actually pretty hot as a 'Fuck off. He's mine.' move. I do my research. I've seen all of the New Directions videos of in-school and competition performances, even some classroom stuff. I was especially fond of you crawling across the stage. Where was that when the Warblers did 'Animal'?"
Kurt shook his head. "Back to the costume party. I'll consider it. But I'm not going to be the one you hook up with."
"Got it. Your loss."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm not hooking up with anyone."
Sebastian shrugged. "Your life. Your choice. So, do you want to go?"
"I have nothing better to do, so sure. Give me your phone." He put his number in and gave it back. "Text me the details. I just want you to know that I'm not the type to slut-shame anyone. I know some people think I'm nuts for waiting. Maybe I'll change my mind after the first time, but I at least want my first time to mean something to the person I'm with and to me. Maybe I'll realize that I was just being too much of a romantic or whatever, but like you said—my life, my choice."
"You're right. I'm not going to hassle you. I did what I wanted. You should do the same. Who's to say that ten years from now that I won't want the husband, the kids, and the dog? But now's now, and that's not what I want now."
Kurt laughed. "They'd be kind of hard to fit in your dorm room."
"Exactly. So, what are you going to dress up as?"
Kurt drank his coffee and ate his blueberry muffin while he thought for a minute or two. "A cat."
Sebastian walked around Kurt, eyeing him up and down. "Damn, Kurt. When you said you were going to dress up as a cat, I envisioned you in a soft furry suit. Something cute and sweet. This is exquisite. You look like the very image of my every fantasy. You're sure about that true love thing, right? I would so give you the time of your life." He kissed Kurt on the neck gently. "Make that times of your life."
"Sebastian, we talked about this. No attempting to seduce me. That was part of the deal."
Sebastian stepped back. "You're right, but when we talked, I hadn't imagined you in that outfit. You do know that I'm the least of your worries once we go inside. With you dressed like that, you're going to attract the attention of every male in the place with working eyes. And a fair few of the bi girls who are into guys with your build."
"They can window shop."
Sebastian cracked up. "Yeah, this is more of a hands-on experience."
"Let's go in before you convince me that I should just go find a hotel for the night."
"I've already got that covered. I told you I would. Come on."
They got in line to get in. Sebastian already had a bracelet. The bouncer put one on Kurt when he paid his cover charge. They made their way through the crowd to the dance floor. Kurt relaxed and allowed his body to take over and move to the music. A few songs in, "Single Ladies" started to play. Kurt got his hips moving and began to do the dance. Within a few seconds, he had a crowd of guys dancing around him watching his hips in action. When the song ended, Sebastian grabbed him and pulled him to the bar. He ordered bottles of water for both of them and paid.
"Damn, Kurt," Sebastian whispered in his ear. "I need a cold shower. This ice-cold water is the best I'm going to get." He let a little of it splash onto his face before he put it up to his mouth to drink. "Where were you hiding those dance skills last year?"
"Blaine told me to stop trying to stand out if I ever wanted to fit in and be accepted. Doing 'Single Ladies' would not have helped me fit in."
"Oh, it would help you fit part of you in a lot of places," he smarted back.
Kurt play-slapped him on the shoulder. "Sebastian!"
"Hey, the truth is the truth. You're hot. And I'm going to go look for Mr. Right Now. Don't go into the bathroom alone. Call me. I'll escort you."
"My knight in shining armor."
"Ha! I'm trying to keep you shiny for Mr. Right." Sebastian pushed away from the bar and headed back out into the crowd.
Kurt's leather jumpsuit was making him overheat inside, especially with the leather studded hat with ears and the leather mask he added to it to keep from being recognized. He had added a little fur to the ears, the collar, and the cuffs of his sleeves. He had added a black leather belt with a black fur tail to give the outfit the final feline touch. He was wearing his studded combat boots to complete the look since they were lighter and easier to dance in than his knee-high docs.
He made his way to the other side of the room towards the exit to the outdoor area. Once he got outside, he moved into the crowd and began to dance. He switched partners fairly often, but after about a half-hour, he stuck with the same guy wearing what he assumed was a bear costume. He was wearing dark tan, nicely fitting corduroy pants, and dark brown hiking boots that were the same color as the short-sleeved, hooded fur shirt and gloves he had on. He was wearing a leather mask that covered two-thirds of his face, but the hood was oversized and pulled forward enough that it blocked seeing his hair color.
He let himself be held closely as the music outside moved to slow dancing. He wrapped his arms around the bear and let himself enjoy being held. After a few songs, Kurt excused himself to find Sebastian for a restroom break. Sebastian had found what he was looking for already, so they agreed upon a time to meet up to leave. Kurt danced inside to the faster music again for a while before he headed back outside again.
It didn't take long for the bear to find him again. Kurt moved right back into his arms and wrapped his hands behind the bear's neck. Kurt couldn't make out his eye color due to the low lighting, which consisted of some strands of orange and purple Halloween lights strung around the edge of the awning.
Kurt couldn't believe what he was going to do, but he thought maybe Sebastian had a point—he wasn't ready for marriage and a family or even to have sex for that matter, but maybe kissing. Definitely kissing. He closed what little remaining distance there was between them and nearly kissed the bear, giving him the choice by stopping 95% of the way. He hesitated just a bit, and then pressed his lips to Kurt's.
Sparks flew through Kurt's body, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Was this what people felt when they kissed? It wasn't long before Kurt was pressing in for more. He licked at his partner's lower lip and he willingly deepened the kiss. The two of them were barely moving, just slightly swaying to the music, and kissing passionately. When his phone buzzed with the timer he had set, he had never wanted to smash a phone more. He slowed the kiss down and pecked the bear one last time. He gently ran his hand down the bear's arm and turned to leave.
He met up with Sebastian in the parking lot to follow him to the hotel.
"Are you sure you didn't find anyone to bring with you?" Sebastian teased. "I saw how into that guy in the bear outfit you were."
"Shut up." Kurt rolled his eyes. "He is a good kisser, though. Nice arms too."
"Mm-hmm. If you're sure then, let's go."
Kurt saw a guy standing near Sebastian's car. Kurt followed them to the hotel. When he got out of his SUV in the hotel parking lot, Sebastian was standing nearby. Kurt got out. He felt weird. He reached back. "My tail is missing."
"That's too bad. It was a fun addition to your 'Single Ladies' moves. You'll have to get another one. Let's go."
Kurt grabbed his overnight back and followed them into the hotel.
"The sign says the pool's open all night, if you want to swim," Sebastian pointed to the sign on the other side of the lobby.
"I brought my trunks just in case. We'll see. A shower is the first thing on my list. Leather looks hot, but it is also very hot to wear."
Sebastian winked at him.
They got their room card keys and went their separate ways.
The following Tuesday afternoon, Kurt got a text from Sebastian.
-I know where your tail is.
-Really? Can you get it and give it to me? I bought a really nice one. I'd rather not replace it.
-No can do. I don't have three hours free to bring your tail back. You can come here.
-You could just get it from whoever has it and keep it until we see each other the next time.
-Just come here.
-Fine. Today has been the day from hell, so I'm not driving over there now. It will have to be Friday. I work tomorrow and Thursday.
-Just text me when you're here, and I'll come down with a pass and meet you.
-Got it.
To take his mind off losing the election and hoping that someone would confess before Principal Figgins declared him guilty and suspended him for something he didn't do, Kurt let his mind wander back to that evening at the club.
The bear had nice forearms that showed with his dark brown short-sleeved fur shirt and the hint of muscular upper arms peeking out with the zigzag cut of the edge of the sleeves. Kurt couldn't create a mental image of what his face looked like because of the hood and mask. He was about 2-3 inches taller, broader, and definitely muscular.
He considered how many times he had perused the vintage muscle magazines that April had given him. He had enjoyed being held in the bear's arms. It was comforting and cozy. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to the slow dancing and the kissing.
"This is stupid," the bear said, as he took the costume into the en suite bathroom and changed. He left his clothes hung neatly over an empty towel rack. He left his backpack on the hook on the back of the bathroom door before he went back into the dorm room and sat down on the desk chair as he had been told to do.
Sebastian left to meet Kurt. They were back ten minutes later. They stepped inside the room together, but Sebastian quickly grabbed a textbook and a notebook from his desk. "I'll be out in the lounge if you need me."
The bear's eyes flashed with panic.
Sebastian winked at him from behind Kurt's back.
Kurt took a deep breath and sat down on the end of Sebastian's bed since it was the only place left to sit. "So, you have my tail?"
The bear nodded, then pointed to the desk to a small brown paper sack.
"Surely, you're not mute?"
He shook his head.
"I'm assuming that Sebastian told you to put the costume on."
He nodded.
He sighed, then looked around at Sebastian's room for a couple of minutes. "This is pretty weird just sitting here talking while you say nothing, so if you're not interested in talking to me, I'll just grab my tail and get going."
The bear seemed to shrink into the chair but then sat back up straight. He flipped the hood back and took the mask off.
"David?"
He nodded. "I swear I didn't know it was you at the club on Friday. It was so dark out on the patio."
"Yeah, I get that. I believe you because I obviously didn't realize that it was you."
"Obviously. But it does kind of negate that whole 'You're not my type.' speech you gave me."
"That was just lies. You had just broken my phone again. I was angry. I came up with the most hurtful things I could think to say. Your anger caused physical bruises. Mine caused invisible bruises. We've moved past that. But this is new. Why don't you go change back so we can talk without you being in a costume while I'm wearing regular clothes?"
"I'll do that." He went back into the bathroom. He took the bear outfit off, replacing it with the jeans and plaid, button-up flannel shirt he had been wearing before. He put his boots back on. He folded the costume up neatly and put it in his backpack. He took a deep breath and splashed some cold water on his face before he went back out into Sebastian's room. He took another deep breath and willed himself to be calm.
While Dave was in the bathroom, Kurt took his coat off and folded it neatly across the end of Sebastian's bed.
Dave stepped out of the bathroom and put the backpack on the floor next to the desk chair where he had hung his coat and sat back down.
They both sat there in silence for several minutes.
Kurt finally broke the silence. "Okay, look. You're clearly not the big-mouth bully that you made everyone at McKinley think you were. When I went back to McKinley last spring, you were kind. I know you were a Bully Whip because Santana made you do it, but I don't think she bullied you into being kind. That was all you. You didn't do anything mean to me the rest of the school year. However, I was a jackass at Junior Prom and asked you to come out and 'make a difference'. I didn't stop to consider why you were in the closet other than the fact that the jocks would bully you, but honestly, that seemed fair because I had dealt with that for years. I didn't really see that as being a reason not to come out. Near-sightedness. It's only been more recently that I've considered what a disaster that would have been. They could have attacked you as a group, leaving you defenseless. And it could have very easily incited the jocks to come after me with a vengeance for 'turning' you, like some kind of gay vampire."
Dave laughed.
Kurt went on. "I admit that I didn't actually see you as a person with feelings and friends and a family. All I felt in your presence was terror by the time I went to Dalton. The terror overshadowed my ability to have any sort of compassion for you. You're obviously not nearly as afraid of being found out now."
"What makes you think that?" Dave asked somewhat defensively.
"You're hanging out in gay bars and LGBT-friendly clubs and dancing with guys."
He sighed heavily. "I just needed a break. I needed to find someplace where I could just relax. I'm at a new school where I don't know anyone, and I don't want to get to know anyone and create yet another fake persona. I can't be who I am, so I'm just no one. I blend in and keep to myself."
"I get that, but as easily as Blaine and I walked into Scandals, anyone else could do the same. Who's to say that the jocks don't stop by and just tell the bouncer they're looking for someone and step just far enough inside to see who's there? What happens when one of them sees you or recognizes your truck in the parking lot?"
"My life falls apart. That's what. I need to finish my senior year and get out of Lima."
"You and me, both. I want to move to New York."
"I'd take any place where I can just be myself, but it needs to be far enough away that my mom won't come to visit me."
"So, your mom is the problem."
"If she knew, she'd tell me that I can be cured."
"I see. Are you 18 already?"
"Beginning of October."
"Well, at least she can't force you to be 'cured'. You're legally an adult."
"Yeah, that's what gave me the guts to go to Scandals. Sebastian invited me to the costume party in Columbus. Not as a date—just telling me about it. It sounded like fun, so I went. You and I met up and—"
Kurt cut in. "Things heated up."
Dave blushed. "Yeah." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I didn't really take you for the type to cheat."
"No cheating. I'm definitely not the cheating type. I broke up with Blaine three weeks ago."
"I didn't know."
They sat in silence for a while again.
Dave broke the silence. "He's the one that pushed me over the edge. He confronted me in a public place. And then you joined in. If anyone had heard what you said, I could have ended up in conversion therapy."
"I had never considered that."
"I figured not. If you had known that you actually had the upper hand, my threat would have been ineffective."
"Right. Like Santana."
"Yeah."
At that moment, Sebastian opened the door and peeked in. "Everything okay?"
"We're fine," Kurt assured him.
"I need my Calculus book." He slipped in, switched textbooks and notebooks, and left again.
"So …" Kurt said.
"I'll just lay my cards out on the table. I've liked you for longer than I want to admit. At first, I thought maybe I liked less frilly girls. You were small and you wore things like skirts to school. And you had a much higher voice than the guys our age. But then the feelings got stronger, and I started looking online at other more androgynous guys and a lot of girls. The girls did nothing. The guys were cute. But there's also something about you and your smart mouth and attitude. It drives me crazy. When you went off in the locker room and started smarting off …" he shook his head and chuckled. "You just … I stepped across the line. It was entirely my fault. I'm not blaming you in any way. I just wanted to kiss you. I shouldn't have. I know that."
"I thought you hated me. When you kissed me, I was stunned. Friday night, 'stunned' isn't the word I would use." Kurt bit his lower lip. "Cards on the table—that was the best time kissing I've ever had." He got up and moved towards Dave. "Stand up."
Dave did as Kurt said. Kurt stepped forward and put his hands on Dave's shoulders. He leaned in and kissed Dave. The heat built quickly like it had on the dance floor. Dave wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and Kurt wrapped his hands around Dave's neck. When they had no choice, they broke for air.
Kurt forced himself to take a step back. "That was every bit as hot as Friday night."
Dave nodded, his hands still on Kurt's hips.
Kurt stepped back again and went back to sit on the bed. "So, we have some serious chemistry, but a really messed up backstory. I'm pretty sure that my dad would not be okay with us dating."
"Yeah, I bet not."
"But on your niece's character reference, supposedly you're the best uncle ever, and kids that age don't lie about things like that. But your mom would be far more disgruntled about it than my dad."
"I can't believe you're even talking about this."
"Well, I don't have a lot of experience kissing people, but …" He stood back up and ended up back in Dave's arms kissing him like there was no tomorrow. When they broke for air again, Kurt said, "Yeah, definitely amazing."
Dave chuckled. "I agree, but I don't see any way to make this work." He pulled Kurt closer and kissed him again.
Sebastian opened the door. "Mm-hmm. Excuse me while I grab my Physics book."
Kurt stepped back abruptly. "Sebastian."
"Yeah?"
"Can I kiss you?"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Scientific purposes. Maybe Blaine is just a bad kisser. And obviously kissing a girl was a waste of time."
"You kissed a girl?"
"Sophomore year. Never mind that. Can I kiss you, yes or no?"
"Sure." He put his textbook back down on his desk.
Kurt approached him. Sebastian put his hands on Kurt's waist and Kurt put his hands on Sebastian's neck and leaned in to kiss him. They kissed for less than a minute before Kurt pulled back.
"You're a good kisser," Sebastian offered. "So, what's your scientific result?"
"You're a good kisser too, but not like David."
"Mm-hmm. Have you kissed other guys, Dave?"
"Nope. I had decided Friday night to try to find someone else besides Kurt to be interested in, so I kissed the hot guy in the leather cat costume."
"Yeah, you kissed Kurt."
"I did."
"So, are you part of this science experiment? Are you going to kiss me too?"
"Sure, I guess."
Sebastian moved towards him and took the lead. He put his hands along Dave's jaw and kissed him.
When they stepped apart, Kurt looked at Dave. "So?"
"Better than kissing girls, for sure, but nothing like kissing you."
"Well, now that I'm feeling like I was picked last for a group game, I have physics problems to do. Don't fuck on my bed, at least not without me."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Not happening."
Dave shook his head and chuckled. "I'll pass."
He winked at Kurt. "Your loss." He raised his eyebrows at Dave. "Yours too." He took his Physics book and notebook and left again.
Kurt said, "He knows nothing about our past unless you told him."
"I didn't. I told him that I wasn't out to my family or at school. That's pretty much all he knows. We've only talked a few times, and it's mostly just been about math or school stuff. I mean I know he plays lacrosse and he knows I played hockey for a while and football now. Nothing personal. He saw us talking at Scandals. Obviously, he saw me watching you and figured out that I thought you were hot."
Kurt blushed. "You think I'm hot?" He asked, realizing that was the second time Dave had called him "hot".
Dave narrowed his eyes a bit and looked at Kurt like he was confused by the question. "Yes? I thought that was obvious."
"Sorry. Years of past history are bouncing around in my head with the newer information—all making a mess of my ability to think." He got up and walked over to Dave and straddled his lap and sat down. He propped his forearms on Dave's shoulders. He stared directly into Dave's eyes. "Before I consider making any kind of decision, I need you to be completely honest with me. All those times you insulted my looks, the way I dressed, and basically everything about me as a person—"
Dave interrupted him. "I was lying. 100 fucking percent lying. Seeing you caused such a strong reaction that I was certain that the other guys would notice." He put his hands on Kurt's waist and pulled him close enough that Kurt got exactly what he meant by "noticing". "I turned to pushing you to distract people from noticing how being around you affected me. What I wanted to do was to grab you, pull you into an empty classroom, and kiss you senseless. Everything about you drives me crazy. Your eyes, your voice, your ass, your legs, your lips. Your kindness, how you protect your friends, how smart you are, how much you care about people, even how you stood up to me and the jocks. It took every ounce of effort I could muster to look bored when you did 'Born This Way' that day. When the girls opened your jacket and your shirt said 'Likes Boys', I wanted to be the guy you liked. But you had Mr. Perfect Prepschool. Santana preferred 'Gelmet'. Anyway, as insane as it sounds, I'm even into it when you get bitchy with me. Having all of your attention focused on me …" He took a deep breath. "I'm totally head over heels for you in the absolutely most crazy way. Seriously, it's ridiculous how much I like you and how much I want you."
"Well, that beats 'You're the single most interesting kid in all of Ohio.' by a landslide."
"What?"
"That's what Blaine told me about a month ago when I asked him if he thought I was boring."
"Okay, I take back my nickname. I'll refer to him as Mr. Ignor-lame-ous from now on."
Kurt burst out laughing.
Dave's voice had a cutting edge to it. "'Interesting.' That's what your grandma says about the dog you draw when you're five and she can't figure out what it is but doesn't want to discourage your artistic endeavors. I've used it myself when Anna has shown me an indecipherable drawing." He smoothed his voice to a calming encouraging tone. "'That's really colorful and interesting. Tell me about it.'" He went back to his normal speaking voice, still with an edge to it. "Ignor-lame-ous is blind if he can't see how totally hot you are." Dave was restraining himself from kissing Kurt.
But Kurt was so turned on by all of the compliments and Dave's indignation about Blaine's response that he pressed his lips to Dave's and began kissing him in earnest.
When the door opened again, they broke for air.
Sebastian stepped inside.
Kurt turned to look at him.
"Oh, don't stop on my account. If you won't let me participate, you could at least let me watch." He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Private event."
"Spoilsport." He grabbed a paperback novel off his desk and left the physics stuff behind.
When the door was closed again, Kurt took a deep breath. "I'll be honest. You are all sorts of adorable. Your smile is amazing and your eyes are beautiful. Your arms, well, they are fantastic. And I know you're smart, which is also attractive. Calculus as a junior—very impressive. As I said, Anna is a good character reference, but my dad's not going to buy that. Your mom is going to freak out. And the fact that I'm even considering this probably means I need some kind of therapy."
Dave chuckled. "How about this? We'll work at getting to know each other the old-fashioned way—through writing. We'll both create new emails before we leave today and we'll write to each other. You can look into getting therapy of some type, and I'll do the same. Maybe we can see the same person. I'll get my dad to pay for it and keep it a secret from my mom. I'll tell him that I want to see someone to deal with the anger issues I was having and that I don't want to see someone from mom's church, that I want to go to a real licensed therapist or whatever."
"Okay, but for tonight, I want to take you out on a date."
"A date?"
"Yes, a date. I used to live here in Westerville. I know a place I always wanted to try, but never did. Are you adventurous?" Kurt raised his eyebrows in a challenge.
"Every day with you will be an adventure, I'm sure." This time Dave got up the courage to put his hand behind Kurt's neck and gently pull him forwards into a kiss. "I'd love to go out on a date with you."
"Alright. I'm going to go freshen up in the bathroom. I'll be out in a little bit."
"Sure."
Kurt ran the water in an effort to cover over any sounds he made while relieving himself of the unbearable pressure in his very tight pants. He cleaned himself up quickly and worked on his hair a bit, using a bit of Sebastian's hair wax. He did his best to refrain from making eye contact when he came out because he was certain that Dave knew what he was doing from the flush on his cheeks.
"I'm going to go tell Sebastian that we're leaving. You can freshen up if you want."
"I'll do that," Dave said in a teasing tone that let Kurt know that he knew exactly what Kurt had been doing in the bathroom.
Kurt grabbed his coat and went out to the lounge to find Sebastian. He plopped down next to him. "We're going to go out for dinner."
"A date—nice."
"I'm hoping so. I'm taking him to a Korean place that I've driven past several times. I always wanted to try it but never did. I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and try something new."
"Like bear cubs. Definitely new," he teased. "They can be a lot of fun. Most of the ones our age that I've met are pretty shy or they're jackasses from trying to be masculine enough that no one would guess they're gay, but yours seems to be on the shyer side."
"He's not mine."
"Oh, yeah, he is. Trust me. Whether you make it official or not, Dave is head over heels for you. It's written all over his face. And the heart eyes a few minutes ago could be seen from space."
Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Look, I'm serious. I kissed you because you asked me to. Otherwise, I would have not made a move on you. It's clear how into you he is."
"We're going to take it slow. I'll just tell you that we didn't meet at Scandals like you think. We've known each other since we were in Kindergarten."
"Okay. So you have some history to work out. It's none of my business. Have fun on your date."
"I hope to. A date with a guy that's totally into me will be a change as well. Thanks for reuniting me with my tail."
Sebastian laughed. "You're welcome. I don't get your sarcasm about the date, though. You never said why you and Blaine broke up."
"Well, the sarcasm is because he never found me sexy or hot, so going out with someone who does will be a new experience."
Sebastian's confusion was evident, but he thought for a few seconds. "You broke up with him the Friday after we went to Scandals. Did he try something that night?"
"Yeah. Let's leave it at that. You and I have known each other for a little over three weeks, and you've lied and deceived to gain an upper hand in a show choir competition. I don't trust you. You'll have to earn that."
"I get that. It was stupid anyway. I'm so competitive that it's nuts. I need to get a grip. It's the brain rot from being here. There's so little to do in Podunk, Ohio that I've lost my mind. The only interesting thing to do is find guys to fuck, but that's losing its appeal. I enjoyed having intelligent conversations with my conquest du jour in Paris. NASCAR and football do not count as intelligent conversation topics in my book."
"See if OSU has an LGBTQ student group. You'll be more likely to find someone who is interested in discussing existentialist French poetry or whatever your elitist heart desires."
"Touché." Sebastian laughed. "Actually Dave's really interesting to talk to, but he has that whole 'true love' thing going against him."
"I'll have to take your word on that for now."
Dave came out of Sebastian's room, with his coat on and his backpack slung over his shoulder, carrying the paper sack with Kurt's tail in it.
"Ready?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah."
Kurt got up and took the sack from Dave. He turned back to Sebastian. "Well, thanks again for facilitating the return of my costume piece."
Sebastian nodded and smirked. "You're welcome."
"Text me sometime if you want to get together to do some more intellectual activities. Ohio isn't completely devoid of cultural attractions. I've never been to any, but I'm sure they must exist."
"I'll do that. Enjoy your dinner."
Kurt and Dave waved and headed outside to the parking lot together.
When they got to Dave's truck, Kurt said, "If you're not sure you want to do this, I can go in and order something for both of us and we can go eat in a park not far from here. The restaurant is in an older strip mall. I only know it's there because there's a used records and CD store in the same strip mall. One of the Warblers told me about it because he heard me say that my dad liked Mellencamp, and I had been looking for CDs for him to play in his truck as a gift."
"I want to go on a real date with you. We'll go in and order. We can go Dutch. I'll find the best table away from any windows. I doubt anyone I know would go to a Korean restaurant in the middle of an old strip mall in Westerville, but to be on the safe side, I'll sit where no one can see me from the windows."
"Alright. It's not that far from here. You can just follow me."
"Sure."
Dave followed Kurt through a residential area and into the strip mall parking lot. He pulled up next to Kurt and parked. They both got out and went inside. They looked up at the menu board and weren't all that surprised to find that they didn't know what to choose.
"I'm clueless," Kurt said quietly. "I'm just going to randomly pick something. I'm not picky. How about you?"
"Me neither."
When Kurt got up to the counter, he said, "Number 7, please."
The cashier nodded and took his debit card. She held out the slip for him to sign. She gave him his card, a metal card holder with the number 46 on it, and a plastic tumbler, then pointed towards the dining room.
He took them and went into the dining room.
Dave followed Kurt's example and ordered a number 9, paid cash, took the card holder and tumbler, and went to look for a table. He chose one away from the restrooms and the window. He sat with his back to the window, even though they were nowhere near it.
Kurt sat down across from him. "This is definitely an adventure. What do you want to drink? I'll go get it."
"Coke's fine. Thanks."
Kurt took both tumblers. He came back a couple of minutes later, placed them on the table, and sat back down. He handed Dave a straw. "Let's make the email accounts while we wait."
"No can do. My mom will see that I used my data to get online."
"I'll make both from my phone. You can change the password to yours when you get home."
Dave nodded.
They had the new accounts done by the time their food was brought out. The server put their plates on the table. She smiled and handed each of them a slip of paper with a word written on it. She took the card holders with her when she left.
Kurt looked at his. Samgyeopsal. He turned the paper so Dave could see it.
He shook his head and chuckled. He looked at his and then showed it to Kurt. Bulgogi.
Kurt looked the words up. "Yours is marinated beef barbecue. And mine is pork strips."
"Sounds good to me. Take a piece of mine."
Kurt put a piece of his on Dave's plate and took a piece of Dave's a put it in his mouth. "Ooh, that's good."
"I like yours too. This is fun. See, this is why I like you so much. Even though I know you don't think I know you well enough to like you, I just knew that you'd be into doing weird, off-the-wall things just to do them. The guys I know want to go to McDonald's or Taco Bell 75% of the time, with the other 25% divided between Burger King, Wendy's, and White Castle."
"I spend 90% of my 'going out' money at the Lima Bean. I need to find a new place, though."
"There's this mom-and-pop place. I'll get you the address. They bought one of those expensive coffee machines, but they only charge $2.00 for the extra large size, and the pastries and bakery items are so much better than the ones at the Lima Bean. And the cookies and muffins are $1.00 each."
"I need to go to this place. My budget could use a break. Driving over here put a dent in my gas funds. I've been trying to tighten my budget since I really want to go to New York. I started looking at the cost of living there. It's insane."
"Where all did you apply?"
"Just to NYADA."
"What? You can't just apply to one school. I mean I know Miss Pillsbury has a few screws loose, but I thought she was a decent counselor. You need to apply to two other places at least. How many new students does wherever you just said take?"
"It's NYADA. New York Academy for the Dramatic Arts. And the answer is 20."
"You're kidding, right? 20? You can't just apply there. All it takes is for one person to not like something about your application and you're out. What's the acceptance rate?"
Kurt took his phone out and looked it up. "7.7%"
"Way too low." He quickly did the calculation in his head. "That means 260 apply and only 20 get in. Those are not good odds."
"Where are you applying?"
"I have a list at home. All of them are in big cities in places that are too far away to drive there and back in one day. So, nothing in Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, nowhere under six hours away."
"Why?"
"Ah, well my mom doesn't drive when it's dark outside. And she doesn't like to stay in hotels. So if she has to stay overnight, she won't come to see me."
"I see."
They both focused on eating for a while.
"What are you going to study?"
"Something practical. Accounting probably. I need to become financially independent as soon as possible. I can always go back to school later and study something else or get a Master's Degree in a business field. My dad might not disown me, maybe. But my mom's whole family will. I'm working on a way to get the money my parents have saved up for me to go to college moved into some kind of educational savings account or something, so that they no longer have the ability to withdraw the funds and the funds can only be accessed by me. That's my first goal. If I can't accomplish that, I'll have to defer my admission anywhere I get in and move to wherever it is and get a job and hope that I can make it on my own somehow."
Kurt nodded. "I'm really sorry."
"For what?"
"For saying what I did on the outdoor stairwell that day. Sebastian came in earlier when I was getting ready to apologize. I didn't realize how badly that could have gone until Finn smart-mouthed Santana in the hallway at school."
"Those commercials? That was Finn's fault?"
"Yeah. Reggie's niece overheard what Finn said and told him that Santana is—"
"Yeah." He took a drink and composed himself.
"I am really sorry. For that and for what I said at Junior Prom."
"I forgive you. Both of those situations were so screwed up. I'm glad your dad won the election. Sue or Reggie would have been terrible."
"Me too, but I'm going to miss him. I looked up the Congressional schedule from last year. He'll be gone over half the time. It will be really weird without him around the shop and at home."
They went back to eating to fill the silence.
Kurt looked up from his plate. "What if we read the same book?"
Dave looked confused.
"We struggle to pick a topic to talk about, but you obviously don't have that trouble with Sebastian because he said that you're interesting to talk to. We have too much negative history. Let's create some common ground and maybe more natural conversation will flow from that. We can't just sit around apologizing to each other, although I do think it was necessary for us to move forward. We can't still feel resentment and harbor guilt simultaneously and this end up being a healthy relationship."
"You're right. So, how about we read two books? We'll each choose one."
"Sure."
They had both finished their meals, but neither one wanted to get up and leave.
"I don't want to go, but it's already dark out and we've both got a 90-minute drive to get home."
Dave nodded. "Before we go, what are we?"
"I'd say we're casually dating. 'Karofsky' is the mask you wore. I barely know 'David', but I want to get to know you—like I would have if we had met for the first time a week ago at the costume party."
"What does 'casually' mean?"
"Well, typically it means that we'd be free to date other people as well, but that's not me. I'm not going to date anyone else while we're getting to know each other. So, I guess casually doesn't apply, so we're dating. I know people think I'm old-fashioned or whatever, but I've seen what switching partners and people sleeping together who aren't even dating do to people. I'm a romantic. I want the romance. I want talks and walks, and dinners together—like this. I want to find someone who likes me for me, who finds me interesting, and who I find interesting. I already did the dating the only out guy. I've realized that having a boyfriend for the sake of having one isn't all it was cracked up to be. I've already found out that being in a relationship can be really lonely, a lot more lonely than being single. So, I want us to get to know each other and see if we have more than the amazing physical chemistry to keep us together."
"I get that. I just want you to know that I'm 100% committed to making this work, but I won't lie or deceive you. I really do like you and I want you to be happy, and if that's not with me, I'm not going to trick you into thinking that it is. If we hadn't run into each other at the party, I don't know if I would have ever gotten up the nerve to talk to you, despite how much I like you—because of our history. I want just what you just said. I want to be with someone who enjoys being with me, the real me. When I can live on my own, I'd love to have dates where we make dinner together and spend the evening talking. I think we have similar desires in what we want in a relationship. But like you said, we need to see if we can actually leave the past behind us and be together in a healthy relationship. I don't want the hookups. If I did, I'm sure Sebastian is a great lay."
Kurt laughed. "How many times has he propositioned you?"
"Enough," Dave chuckled. "Considering I've only known him for a month."
Kurt smiled. "Well, you've known him a week longer than I have. I think he's lonely too. He's filling the void with sex. I'm going to invite him to do stuff with me once in a while, and maybe a couple of other guys I was friends with here last year. I don't want you to be jealous because I'm not going to do anything with him. I won't kiss him again. I need some time away from McKinley." Kurt told him about Rachel cheating and getting him disqualified, how Blaine had accepted Tony, and how they didn't have enough people to compete at Sectionals.
"And you're still considering going to the same small school as Rachel for college? With 20 only people admitted, you'll basically be in every required class with her."
"I just found out that she was the one who stuffed the ballot boxes today. It's new information that I haven't really had time to process."
Dave nodded. "Since it's Friday, do you have to be home early?"
"My dad's not even in Lima. He's at some political celebration. I declined his invitation to go with him. I'm not sure whether Finn went or not. That's why I could stay in Westerville this late. But to answer your question, no I don't have to be home early. I hadn't thought about that. Him being gone is new, like I said. What did you have in mind?"
"How about we drive to the west side of Columbus to a bookstore? No one we know will be there, and we can choose the books."
Kurt pulled his phone out and looked up bookstores. He found a few near Dublin. He showed Dave the choices. They decided on the one closest to one of the highway exits.
The parking lot was pretty empty when they came out of the bookstore at nearly 8:00. They each had a copy of the two books they had settled on. Kurt stopped at the back of the Navigator.
"Would you like to go back to the club and dance for a while before we go back to Lima?"
"Yeah, I'd like that a lot, actually. I'm not really dressed for it, but as long as you don't care, I'd love to go with you."
"You look fine, but even if you didn't, I wouldn't mind. I just want to spend a little more time together." Kurt opened the backseat to put his bag in. "Do you remember how to get there?"
"Yeah, but not from here."
"Use your phone to take screenshots of the map from here once I pull it up. That way you won't use any data. And you can still find it if you get caught at a light."
A few minutes later, they were on their way to the club.
They parked next to each other and walked to the club together. The line wasn't quite as long as it had been the week before. They paid their cover charge, got their bracelets, and went inside.
As soon as they stepped through the door, Kurt took Dave's hand and led him to the dance floor. He paid no attention to the fact that it was a song with a strong dance beat. He wrapped his arms around Dave's neck and leaned in and kissed him. Dave wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and held him close. They spent the next hour goofing off and dancing, alternating between dancing with the music and just doing their own thing.
Kurt felt a tap on his shoulder and opened his eyes to look.
"Mind if I cut in?" Sebastian asked.
Kurt rolled his eyes and said, "I'll dance with you."
"I'll go get us some water," Dave said, chuckling. "Meet me at the bar in a little bit."
"So, things seem to be going well."
"They are. We had a nice dinner. You should come with us next time. We went to a Korean place I had wanted to try. The food was really good."
"Maybe." He turned Kurt so that Kurt's back was against his chest. "What happened to all of that hip action from last week?"
"I'm not single anymore, well not exactly anyway."
"So, you can't strut if you're not single?"
"Well, not with someone I'm not dating."
"Hmmph." He took Kurt's hand and turned him back so they were facing each other.
"Trust me. This makes less sense to me than you can possibly imagine, but who am I to argue with it?"
"Now, where was that laissez-faire attitude last week when I was trying to seduce you?"
"You got a kiss. That's more than anyone else got."
"Fair point. I'd still be up for watching or participating." He waggled his eyebrows.
"That's a hard pass, but there are quite a few guys here tonight. Maybe one of them can hold a decent conversation."
"But you're so much more fun to annoy, I mean converse with," he said in French.
Kurt retorted, "I'm sure you'd get somewhere with 'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?' Even most of the guys here will know what that means."
"Wait, that's not fair. The hips, the ass, the legs, the eyes, the lips, the brains, AND you speak French—and you're falling for the cute bear cub."
"You're a snarky meerkat, popping up out of your hole to find someone to bed for the night. Wrong species. I'm more of a penguin, looking for a life mate. He is too. The question remains whether we can be that for each other."
Sebastian sighed. "Well, since there's no hope for me, I'll have to prowl around looking for someone else, but I'm certain I won't find anyone as interesting as you. Where did you learn to speak French so well?"
The song came to an end.
"Another time," Kurt said. He winked at him and headed for the bar.
Sebastian followed him and bought himself a drink. When he finished it, he waved as he headed back out to the dance floor.
Before he and Dave went outside to dance and cool off for a while, Kurt set his phone timer so they wouldn't stay too long since they both needed to be alert enough to make the drive back safely. When it went off, he pointed to his wrist like he had a watch on. Dave nodded and took his hand. They headed out to the parking lot together.
Dave was standing near the back of the Navigator, not having walked past it to his own truck.
Kurt turned to him and quietly said, "Go around to the other side and get in my backseat."
Dave went around the Navigator. He opened the back door and got in the backseat. He pulled the door closed behind him.
"I'm not ready to go back to Lima yet. How about we just relax for a bit before we leave?"
"I'd like that." He bit his lower lip and blushed a little, but not enough for Kurt to notice in the dim light.
"Reach along the side of the passenger seat and pull the lever and push the seat forward. We'll have more room."
Dave noticed that Kurt had already moved the driver's seat forward. He pushed the passenger seat forward. He slid back in the seat again. This time with enough room to not feel cramped.
Kurt reached out and took Dave's hand and interlaced their fingers. A pulse of electricity ran through him at the contact. He looked up at Dave. His expression reflected Kurt's feelings. He squeezed before letting go. He reached down and untied his boots and slipped them off.
"I'm going to untie your left boot so you can slip your foot out." Once he got Dave's boot off he slid to the front of the seat as far as he could. "Slip your leg behind me along the back of the seat. "
Dave turned a little and pulled his leg up and stretched it out across the seat. Kurt moved back and scooted closer to Dave.
"I'd like to sit and lean back against your chest. Is that okay?"
"Yeah."
"Next time we meet up somewhere, I'll bring some pillows and a blanket or something and we can snuggle up more comfortably."
Dave blushed at the thought of getting to spend more time with Kurt so close.
Kurt scooted closer and wiggled until he was leaning back against Dave's left shoulder. Dave instinctively wrapped his arms around Kurt to keep him close. Kurt interlaced his fingers with Dave's, their hands crisscrossing across Kurt's chest.
"Cozy."
"Hmm?" Dave asked, having gotten lost in the feeling of being so close that he didn't hear what Kurt had said.
"Cozy. When I thought about that night at the club, I remembered how cozy I felt in your arms. It was hot and sexy, but it felt so cozy and comfortable too." He turned his head towards Dave and snuggled into his chest and shoulder, nuzzled into Dave's neck.
Dave started to hum.
Kurt didn't recognize the song. "You have a nice voice. What song are you humming?"
Dave realized he wasn't just thinking about the song—he had actually started to hum it. "Oh, umm, I heard it here at the club that night after you left. I looked it up online and …" He sighed. "Honestly, that night at the club, I was imagining it was you. The hot guy in the leather catsuit obviously had your build since it was you. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. But it was like this little fantasy scene in my mind because the guy in the catsuit wanted to kiss me, so honestly, I was imagining it was you. Anyway, when I heard the song it just made me think of you. I've listened to it a lot, but I don't know all of the words."
"Sing the part you know."
"I'm not a singer like you."
"That's fine. I'm not going to grade you on your presentation. I just want to hear this song that makes you think of me."
"Alright."
Settle down with me.
Cover me up.
Cuddle me in.
Lie down with me.
And hold me in your arms.
And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck,
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet.
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now.
Kiss me like you wanna be loved,
You wanna be loved,
You wanna be loved.
This feels like falling in love,
Falling in love.
We're falling in love.
"That's all I can remember. You can pull it up on YouTube if you want to hear the rest."
"I do. What's it called?"
"'Kiss Me' by Ed Sheeran. It just came out a couple of weeks ago."
Kurt let go of Dave's hand to pull his phone out and load the video. "You have a nice voice."
"You really think so?"
"I do."
When it started to play, Dave pulled Kurt closer even though there was no space between them. Kurt listened closely to the other verses.
Settle down with me.
And I'll be your safety.
You'll be my lady.
I was made to keep your body warm,
But I'm cold as the wind blows,
So hold me in your arms.
Yeah, I've been feeling everything
From hate to love,
Love to lust,
From lust to truth
I guess that's how I know you.
So I hold you close to help you give it up.
The chorus repeated a few times and Kurt turned his phone off when it finished.
"I can see why the song caught your attention. The line about falling for me, but me not knowing you yet really hits the mark. And the hate to love to lust to truth. That's where we are now, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I'm a patient guy. I want you to get to know me. I want you to feel about me the way I feel about you."
Kurt reached up and wrapped his hand around Dave's neck and ran his fingers through the back of Dave's hair. He closed his eyes and snuggled in closer, placing gentle kisses on Dave's neck. "I'm struggling to make sense of any of this. There's no logical reason that I should feel safe in your arms, but I do." He turned Dave's face towards his and kissed him. "I don't understand how kissing you is so amazing. I'm not being mean or a smartass. I literally just never knew that kissing could feel so amazing. I could stay like this snuggled up with you kissing forever. All of the insanity in my life just slips away for a few moments." He pressed his lips back to Dave's and they kissed until they were breathless.
"I feel the same way, like nothing else matters. All I can think of is maybe that's what a lot of people are trying to express when they write about love being a mystery and an all-consuming fire and other descriptions that never really made much sense before."
Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relaxing further into Dave's embrace. Kurt sang lines from songs.
Bound by wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire.
I hear you call my name and it feels like home.
"And even cheesy old songs, like…"
You are the wind beneath my wings.
Dave said, "Lots of songs talk about how crazy it is to fall in love."
"Mm-hmm." He went back to kissing Dave's neck and along his jaw.
When his phone buzzed at 11:00, Kurt felt like he had that night at the club when his phone alarm had gone off. He realized they had spent 45 minutes just enjoying each other's company. He kissed Dave again. "We need to head out." He let Dave pull him into one more searing kiss before he pulled away and moved forward so that Dave could sit normally and get his boot back on. He put his own boots back on in silence.
As he reached for the door handle, Dave said, "You will write me, won't you?"
Kurt scooted next to him and took his hand. He used his other hand to turn Dave's face towards his. He kissed him gently and said, "Yes, David. I will."
Dave kissed him once more and opened the door. He got in his truck and waited for Kurt to move to the driver's seat. He followed Kurt back to Lima until the last moment when their paths went in different directions. When he got home, he logged into the new email and changed the password. A huge grin spread across his face as it loaded and he found the first letter from Kurt already waiting for him.