wiped (pianoandcoke) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-05-03 23:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, kurt hummel, tj hammond |
WHO: TJ Hammond and Kurt Hummel
WHERE: Kurt’s room
WHEN: May 1
WHAT: TJ bought Kurt some dinner and wine, they talk about stuff and flirt a little.
RATING: PG-13 for swearing and suggestive sex talk.
STATUS: log; complete.
TJ wasn’t sure what exactly inspired him to suggest dinner instead of a club. He loved going to clubs. He loved showing his young gay friends the ropes too, even if Kurt was a little more confident than Alec. But he wasn’t in the mood for blaring sound; he felt like burgers and wine, truth be told. Kurt was easy to get along with, and TJ went with his gut. He didn’t think through his choices. Most of the time it was instinct and doing whatever he felt like, and that more or less worked for him so far. TJ liked that he didn’t get bothered on the streets anymore. For whatever reason, his actor looked like someone else, and he had two face doubles so he didn’t know what to think of any of that. He got plenty of attention from his new besties at the Tower, so he was happy without all the flashing lights and paparazzi following him around the street. It was surreal to see them follow other people instead. But it made things a lot easier, such as walking over to a restaurant to buy them burgers and pick up the Cabernet Kurt wanted. He didn’t go to a burger place, that was a little too greasy for him, a good diner was reasonable. With food and wine acquired, TJ knocked on Kurt’s door. He was comfortable at the moment with jeans and a dark red fitted t-shirt. Unfortunately neither were designer, since he couldn’t afford it anymore. Sigh. Kurt had good and bad days just like everyone else, but today was on the lower spectrum of 'good'. The subway, his father - they were just the tip of the iceberg. But if there was one thing he was good at - aside from his ability to spot is ability to spot upcoming trends in men's fashion, his ability to tell when hair was dyed, planning weddings and hitting an A Flat, of course - it was pretending that he was okay. True, maybe a little less than usual or at least back home, but things were different here. A little too different. Superheroes and twilight vampires (fortunately, there was no Taylor Lautner- he wasn't sure he'd be able not to give in to his cheese grater abs), it was the kind of thing you just didn't expect in this kind of place. And the longer he was here, the more he started to realize that this world really had its dangers. All of which led to the following; 'what the fuck am I doing here?' But then there were things that made him glad he was here- the Brody debacle for starters. And the proposal? He still needed paper bags just to get him through just the thought of it. Marriage? Before he was twenty-one? No. Just no. But he had friends here - wonderful friends and it hadn't been hard to count TJ among them. By now, he was used to pushing aside any other, perhaps romantic feelings aside in favor of a friendship. And he had to hand it to TJ- he knew when Kurt was in need of company. That was all it was going to be; friends. With wine. And burgers. It was going to go great. He made sure that his hair was okay - cast a last glance at the candle stuck in the wine bottle. That wouldn't give a wrong impression, right? To help him decide, he counted to three - but then dashed forward to the table and stuffed the candle in a kitchen cupboard. Much better. And then he dashed forward to the door when he heard the knock, stopping only to shift a pillow just right and then opened the door. Really, that man was just perfect- He smiled. "Come in, come in." TJ was used to having a housekeeper, so he was one of the first people to admit he was a slob in his personal space. Usually when he brought people up to his room, it was the last thing they were worried about. He wanted Kurt to relax, not think about tidying up his space because he figured the kid was one of those types. Plus it made sense to go to him. He was the one having a day. TJ didn’t have to ask about his dad or how it felt to almost dial his number, because he’d been there. Multiple times. He smiled back, a flash of perfect white teeth and almost the beginning of a dimple, and swept in past Kurt. “I got it greasy, just the way you wanted it, greasy enough I hope it doesn’t soak through the bag.” He set it down on Kurt’s kitchen counter and the bottle he flipped in his hand, showing him the label. “Syrah, as requested.” TJ pulled out his keychain and sure enough he had a portable corkscrew on it. That was one of the first things he bought when he got there. He had his priorities. “You look good. Love the hair.” He smirked as if he knew everything and tried not to be smug about it. Which didn’t happen. He was a smug bastard through and through, and he knew the power he had over people. Especially cute young men. “Why don’t you get plates for the food, and I’ve got the bottle.” "Oh, you," he retorted. "There's nothing wrong with trying to look your best. Even if it's always. You never know who you'll cross paths with." Imagining meeting Patti Lupone wearing just sweats? The horror. Or having dinner with a president's son. Appearances mattered. Kurt had his doubts, of course. Why on earth was TJ actually coming over with wine and burgers for in the first place - it had been unthinkable just a month ago. But he wasn't about look a gift horse in the mouth. "I'm on it." Kurt closed the door, doubled back to the kitchen cupboards and found his make shift candle holder staring him in the face. He chuckled nervously, quickly reached for it and put it down on the counter. "Hm, yes. It's a thing Rachel and I used to do, we'd sit on the floor with my cookies and have a glass of wine in the dark." But that one touch of melancholy too much, at least for today, so he carried on with the dishes, remembered to take his wine glasses and put them on the table. “I usually live by that code myself, but I’ve gotten lazy here. No big parties to go to, no dinners that cost thousands of dollars. I don’t miss the politics part of that, but I do miss the suits.” TJ cleaned up well. He spent plenty of years in the spotlight, needing to look his best at all hours of the day, and it became automatic. He was also his mother’s fashion consultant most of the time, but for right now, he had no one to impress. His ability to pick up men was contingent more on his general looks and charm. He could and had picked up someone in sweatpants. It was all about the delivery. He didn’t try any of that on Kurt anyway. It was too obvious a game, and he meant what he said about liking the kid too much to break his heart. Tempting though it was, and it was tempting. TJ opened the bottle with an experienced flick and tug and glanced at the bottle with the candle. “I think we can sit in chairs instead of the floor this time. Buuuuut,” he picked up the made up candle holder and brought it over to the table, setting it down. Just like the corkscrew, he had a lighter ready to light it. “There. I might not be Rachel, but I brought burgers, so that wins over cookies.” TJ poured the wine for them, an exact measurement he knew from memory, and sat down. Whenever he moved it was with confidence and ease. “So what exactly did you sing that made you three dollars?” “I do miss my wardrobe.” It was easy enough to admit that, because everyone knew that he liked to dress well. But it didn’t look like he was on his way of becoming the Tower’s personal shopper. Ah well. Here was hoping that his audition had been good enough and that his name actually meant something here. “My Alexander McQueen collection.” But with an essentially bare closet, he’d gotten over that quickly. After all, there was a challenge to be had in making several outfits with just a few basics. Needless to say, he’d blown through his money pretty quickly. And now he was broke and about to have dinner with TJ. Could be worse. “Is there anything you don’t have in your pocket?” But he busied himself with unwrapping the burgers and quickly putting them on each other’s plate, then picked up the glass of wine. “Lady Gaga. Should’ve gone with Streisand. Next time.” And the wine was good. Of course TJ would know about wine. Of course. “Tell me about it,” TJ groaned and pulled out some of the fries to go on his plate too. “I’ve given up on whining about my trust fund, but I miss the clothes.” He had a very good collection. He would probably never stop missing his trust fund. Going from rich to poor was miserable, and he fully accepted he was privileged and spoiled before. It was nice! If only he could go back to that! He sipped his wine and smiled faintly, setting the glass down. “I miss my piano. My parents bought one for the condo when I first moved in. This beautiful Rubenstein Grand.” It was more sentimental than the clothes. “I like to be prepared. Besides I tend to hang out in places where lighters and corkscrews are necessary.” TJ was a social smoker, but he didn’t have it as an average habit. He almost wish he did, since it was an easier addiction to break. “Definitely go with the classics. You have to play to the people, not your personal tastes. What do you think they’re going to make you sing at your job?” He’d never been there. The idea of having someone singing while he was having dinner wasn’t really his thing. Kurt had just taken a sip of his wine and was forced to take a deeper one when he heard about the Rubenstein- oh dear God; it was only then that he realized that TJ’s parents were in fact loaded. A Rubenstein? He swallowed and then nodded weakly. “All I had was my mother’s old piano,” he told him with half a laugh. “She got me into piano lessons and ballet. I was jeté-ing away in front of the television and she signed me up for ballet straight away.” Hm, good memories. Bittersweet a bit, though and Kurt reached for a fry. “But I wasn’t that rich.” “But if you want to smoke, go ahead. There’s an ashtray on the table there.” But then it was time to set the glass down, because the burger was going to get cold, so. And after biting into it, he realized that it was what he’d needed after all. “This is really good-,” Kurt mumbled with a mouthful and he wasn’t even sorry about his manners. He swallowed again and shrugged. ”Broadway classics. It’ll beef up my resume, because Juilliard is on my bucket list.” But maybe those dreams were too fancy for this world after all. “Not many people are that rich. The 1%. And I used to be one of them. Alas.” TJ snapped his fingers. Overall he and Dougie handled the situation better than they might have expected if someone gave that as a scenario back home. They got actual jobs and went on with their life. But he was never going to prefer that to what he had before, that would be crazy talk. “I used to play piano in the White House every day. I didn’t have formal lessons for awhile, I just liked doing it.” TJ had a knack for the piano, and he surpassed his teachers fast. A prodigy. The only thing he was good at without help from other people. And it was useless, most of the time. “No, I’m fine. I used to smoke in bars, but that’s not allowed anymore.” And he sure as hell would not go outside to smoke in the winter. It was a habit best left to the nicotine addicts. TJ watched him eat, wondering if he was in fact starving or not eating well. It was strange, but for a moment he almost felt like he was worrying, and that was weird for him. “Broadway Classics is the best option, considering we’re in New York and the tourists will love it. Besides, if YouTube is correct, you’re already good at Wicked. You need to do the Book of Mormon. That’s the new and shiny these days.” He wanted to see it, but there was no way that was happening. “Juilliard. I squatted there for like two weeks once. Good times. I love musicians.” Kurt laughed, hid his teeth behind his hand, as usual. “You realize that playing the piano in the White House makes you part of an elite that is leagues apart from that one percent?” But it was cute, the way he talked about it all as if it was normal to everyone. But then again, it was normal to him, so Kurt didn’t mind. And he was a good listener most of the time, a better talker usually. Not these days however, but it was easy to hide that on the network. He nodded, put his burger down.”If you’re sure.” “And no Evita. It’s too pretentious.” He nodded sagely, reached for a fry. “Never audition with Evita or Streisand. Not that you sing, but you never know if you can pass that advice on.” But he filed that information away for later- for when he could afford tea and lemons- and nodded. “I wanted to study piano. But I’m not that good. My voice is my instrument.” TJ grinned around his burger and shrugged. Yeah, he knew that, but his parents were elite even before the White House. He didn’t have anything else to compare. His whole sense of normal was wrapped up in the fame and fortune of the Hammond family. “I prefer my piano. I tune it myself.” He wasn’t allowed to tune the White House one, there were always people around who wanted to do it for him. “I used to walk around with a security team as a teenager. Nothing says normal like five big burly men ready to die for you, right? Oh but one of them was my first real crush. Armand.” TJ made a ‘mmmm’ sound and rolled his eyes, smirking. “Even the name was sexy.” He playfully knocked Kurt’s foot with his own. “I play piano, you sing, let’s take Broadway by storm.” TJ never fully thought about what he wanted to do with his life. Long term. He was all about the short term. “Are you to a point yet where you’re ready to use your fame to your advantage? Because you could get a long way with that.” “No, normal is five burly guys from the football team throwing you in the dumpster and slushying you.” But Kurt smiled all the same, because in hindsight? It could’ve been much worse.”And the name Armand just makes me think of Antonio Banderas in Interview With The Vampire. Horrible casting. I would be much better.” Especially since Armand was supposed to be a teenager and all. Had anyone in those movies even read the books? Kurt sighed at his proposal. “That sounds amazing. Be our own boss. But I could ask for my job back. Working for Vogue and getting access to the inner vault, that was amazing. And I could dress both of us up in something that we’re used to wearing.” “It’s Antonio Banderas,” TJ said with a laugh. “They could just make up a character and have him play it at that point. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater. No wonder women got a vampire fetish.” He remembered the movie vaguely, and most of it was about how handsome they were. “The hair was terrible in particular. I can’t believe they made a musical of Lestat.” It was a colossal bomb of course. He was joking about it with Dorian before they had a tryst. “You could.” He didn’t note that Kurt could try. In his world apparently it wasn’t difficult to get an internship there and become best friends with designers. In reality, it was nearly impossible. Celebrity was a good leg up though. “Are you saying you want to be my fashion sugar daddy?” TJ grinned and winked at him. “Why not? I’m everyone else’s.” He’d taken a great deal of the women in the tower out shopping, which made it very hard for him to watch his wallet because there was always something they’d ignored to buy or something they didn’t know they needed. Alas, H&M it was these days. Fifteen dollars for a sky blue shirt, it wasn’t bad. With a few more bites, Kurt finished the rest of the burger, wiped his hands off on a paper napkin and reached for the fries. “Either way, I can’t know if I don’t try and even then, I don’t give up. NYADA rejected me twice and I still got in. I just don’t know what to do here. I had everything worked out. And I was going to go back to Lima around this time for my dad and regionals.” Instead, he was stuck here. But he refused to watch the show. It was enough that Elle chastized him for it at every turn. “Things rarely work out the way you expected, but that’s not always a bad thing. You just roll with the punches and hope you make it out the other side intact. Of course you have your head on straighter than I did at your age.” TJ was already a junkie by that point, although it got much, much worse when he barely made his way through college. Much of that would probably be attributed to teachers not wanting to fail the former First Son, or just trying to get rid of him at that point. TJ finished his own burger and set the plate to the side, focusing on his wine instead. It was sweeter than what he was used to, and it wasn’t bad. “You know there’s no shame in admitting you miss your family and home. You’re not the only one.” He only whined about his trust fund, but he was most concerned with how long they were going to be there. He wasn’t prepared for the idea that he would never see his parents again. “I’ve had fend for myself early on. My dad didn’t have a clue on how to deal with me until recently. He punished me by taking away my tiaras. That was adorable.” One last fry and Kurt was reaching for his glass of wine as well - he liked his wine sweet, not too sour or too bitter. “Really? I’m not too romantic, head in the clouds?” Some of his friends would beg to differ, but maybe he’d changed a bit since then. Maybe. “He has cancer,” Kurt suddenly blurted out. “And I’m not there, I don’t know what’s going on, there’s Rachel who might star on Broadway and she almost got pregnant, Finn might mess up again and beat up her next boyfriend. Blaine might propose to me. And that’s fine. I just want to know if my dad’s going to be okay.” Kurt stared at TJ and realized he’d gone a tiny bit too far. He drank the rest of his glass and poured himself a new glass. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pour my heart out. Forget I said that.” He nodded and then had another sip. Yes. It was nothing. “I wasn’t much of a tiara wearer, although my parents would’ve probably given me them. They’re as left wing as you can get for career politicians who actually win elections. Sometimes it seemed having a gay son was better for their image.” TJ wasn’t complaining. He heard about the horror stories. No matter what trouble he got into, his family cleaned up the messes. Of course they also knew he was a screw up and didn’t help in the right ways, but they meant well. “Oh, you are that too, but there’s no harm in being both grounded and romantic. For example, being in love and having a satisfying relationship while still not wanting to be married at nineteen, that’s both.” TJ shook his head and nudged Kurt with his foot again. “Relax. If you can’t vent to a friend, who can you vent to? I did give you the opening.” He was selfish by nature, but he didn’t mind listening when someone needed it. He liked people and hearing their thoughts and occasionally their woes. “You’ll get an answer to that eventually. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Everything will work itself out one way or another. If you get married young and divorced young, it’s a life lesson. If you get married young and stay that way, you’re a special snowflake unicorn, but it happens. I think. I’ve never met anyone who has.” Kurt laughed, mainly at himself because he’s temporarily forgotten- “My dad is a congressman. I have no idea how I forgot about that. He’s of course, a gay rights activist as well. Of course.” But then his smile disappeared. “Look, I love Blaine like a first love, romantic, puppy dog, West Side Story kind of love, but he doesn’t have to be my only one until the day I die and I don’t have to commit myself to him.. He’s the one who cheated on me and from anyone else I wouldn’t mind, but it was so unlike him and it’s me who’s going to have to work on those trust issues and I don’t want to. Not with him. He’s done it once before and he’s probably going to do it again and. It’s done. He’s still my best friend, occasional fuck buddy, but that’s all it’s ever going to be. I don’t want it to be anything more than it has to be. And the show … doesn’t want to let it go.” And that was frustrating. Hurtful. Fans didn’t help either. “I hope so. He’s got to be. He’s the one who helped me get over my mom’s death.” “You might feel that way about him now, but it could change. You’re getting perspective here. You’re seeing it from the outside, and it’s a lot more difficult to get a clear mind while in the middle of it. You may be right that this is how you feel about him and that’s it, but your feelings can change and your trust can come back. If it happens, I just hope you don’t judge yourself too harshly. Everyone makes bad decisions in the hope they turn out to be good ones.” TJ was the king of bad decision making, so he knew what he was talking about. He swirled the wine in its glass and watched the red liquid move instead of looking at Kurt. “I fell madly in love with a man named Sean. Handsome, great taste, impressive cook, amazing in bed, he had ….” He hesitated and then continued. “He has a good heart. He also has a wife and children and he’s a closeted Republican Congressman. So there’s that.” TJ didn’t like talking about Sean very much. It was a painful subject, but Kurt was baring a little of his soul, so it seemed only fair. “A few months after he broke my heart, I got this idea to put some money in to a nightclub. Or rather to borrow money to put into the nightclub. I had these big plans about how to make it an amazing place, a hot spot, to become a success and then when I invited him to come he’d, I don’t know, be impressed?” He had to smile at his own idiocy, and the worst part was it happened so recently. He got perspective on that too. “It was stupid, but if he showed up here? I’d be in trouble. And sometimes that’s just how love is.” Kurt was quiet, was content to hold his glass and listen to TJ. He was on to something, he had to admit as much - he’d changed his mind about Karofsky, had comforted him in his darkest hour. But Blaine’s betrayal still cut too deep. He’d needed to hear from other that it was okay to let him go, and that wasn’t going to happen at home. “I know. It’s …” No. Kurt closed his eyes for a split second, brought his glass to his lips. He’d let him finish instead. “Honestly, it sounds like something I’d do, if I had the money? Hopefully, I’m not going to ruin any weddings or marriages before I’m … eighty or something, but I can be a little manipulative bitch when I’ve got my eyes on someone. I fell in love with my future step brother, manipulated him and then was called a fag by him in front of my own father. And that was high school.” At least he wasn’t doing that with TJ? He thought? “Blaine can be that way too. And I’d probably be in bed with him in five minutes if he showed up here.” That was the god given truth. “Because the last time was pretty great. But ...” “We’re fucked. Cheers,” Kurt said as he held out his glass for a toast. “That’s probably not the last marriage I’ll fuck around in, it’s definitely not the first. But I’m not married.” After a beat he grinned. “You know there’s this show, Coupling, British sitcom. And they had this private business where women would hire another woman to flirt with their boyfriends and see if he’d cheat. I’d be great at that job.” TJ did that all the time without getting paid for it. That seemed unfair. He didn’t hold monogamy in great esteem, obviously. With his family background, it was no surprise. “I’d probably be in bed with him within five minutes too, if he wasn’t your ex. I try not to have sex with friends’ exes, unless they’re fine with it. Have to draw lines somewhere.” It was why even if Lee was bisexual and interested, TJ’s flirting was all just flirting. That was Kara’s ex and they had a complicated relationship, and he would never hurt her for any reason. “Or hey, a threesome. Love threesomes. Always something to do.” He occasionally had sex with women too, because why not. That was basically the way he reacted to most things. Why not? He laughed and clinked his glass at Kurt’s. “Well, not right now, no. Tomorrow maybe we’ll go to a club and get the good kind of fucked.” “If you ever fuck Rachel, I’m going to kick your ass,” Kurt told him in the sweetest and nice way possible. He could do whatever the hell he wanted with whoever he wanted, but nobody touched Rachel; she’d had enough for the time being. He’d already tolerated Brody sitting on his chair naked and honestly, the thought of TJ doing that was a whole sight better than Brody had ever been. And for a moment there, Kurt was absolutely certain that TJ trying to make him blush- because threesomes? “I don’t know. I’ve never been in a threesome.” But that didn’t stop from fire reaching his cheeks. Damn it. Ugh. More wine was needed here and Kurt made quick work of his glass. “Hm, maybe. I should twerk to get free drinks.” “She’s not really my type when it comes to women, so that’s very unlikely. Since 99 out of 100 times I pick a man instead of a woman, those are very few and far in between.” TJ loved women, he tended to have more women friends than male (for obvious reasons), but he wasn’t attracted to them. Most of the time. He grinned when he saw the blush. “Yet. It’s better to wait for that until you’re completely comfortable with what you’re doing and know how to talk about it. Oh man you do not want to see a threesome gone bad, nuh uh.” He had nightmare stories about that, and he considered telling them if only to see Kurt blush some more. It was adorable. “Teasing isn’t nice. Unless it’s the fun kind of teasing. Besides, why waste time twerking if you’re not going to have fun with it?” He poured some more wine for himself. “You do have some pretty good hip movement for someone relatively new to sex. Fast learner?” “That means we’re going to be okay.” And that was good. Yeeeeeees. But then he covered his face when he continued on the threesome topic. “I don’t know, can’t I just lie there?” Those words escaped him a little too quickly- and Kurt wanted to facepalm. His wish for a change of topic didn’t come however and … Oh God. “So you have been paying attention to my gifs. Or Youtube.” “Let’s just say nobody’s complained just yet.” And that was the truth. True, they weren’t Blaine and everything was experimental to say the least. But Kurt could do fearless. Now TJ was really laughing at Kurt’s quick comment about threesomes. He had to stop laughing in order to talk again, but damn, that was funny. And charming. He couldn’t blame the wine, he drank a lot more usually, it was just his nature to look at a cute gay guy and think about taking his clothes off. He was trying to remember why that was a bad idea. Because of … reasons. “You can just lie there for parts of it, but you won’t want to in others. I wouldn’t say they’re for everyone, but I do think people should try it at least once if they’re interested.” He almost started to proposition himself and hesitated. Reasons, reasons, there were reasons. “I can’t remember why we’re not sleeping together, so I should probably go. I’m pretty sure at the time it made sense.” TJ got up and ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t be ridiculous. Sit down. We can do this without ending up naked.” He thought so anyway. They were both adults and … TJ had to get more fun than he did. “We can think about nakedness, but. Dad. Cancer. Depressed Kurt. Not slit my wrists kind of depressed, but not happy, about to be engaged to someone I don’t trust anymore Kurt and I’ve worn the same outfit three times this week and you have to think of old grannies. It works for Finn. Or whatever works for you. I think of flannel.” Which was a joke, but either way. Kurt stared him down. “Hm?” “That’s not really how I operate. When I want someone and they want me, I don’t bother with the old grannies. I take their pants off.” But … Kurt did have the point where he mentioned the cancer and the depressed Kurt, and TJ frowned. He hesitated and then sat down again, drinking the rest of his wine with one sip and filling it again. “Okay I can do this.” He probably couldn’t, but hey, old college try. He said he was going to try and be a better person, so here it went with the trying. “I’d ask what Rachel would do to cheer you up in a situation like this, but you’d probably say sing, and I really shouldn’t sing.” Kurt opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He wanted him? Oh boy. He should’ve realized of course, but it wasn’t until he actually heard it coming out of his mouth, that he realized the potential repercussions. On the other hand, it was nice to be wanted, although it was just as likely that he’d discard him afterwards. Okay, that was why he shouldn’t. The why he should list was still longer. He knew that he probably shouldn’t get up. That would be too much for the poor guy. “Mama Mia. Singing. Watching drug deals in the park. Hug. But I’m not getting out of this chair. Four glasses and I’m wobbly.” Good lie. Hopefully he bought it. “I’ve got some more in the fridge. It’s not as good, but it works.” “Good,” TJ said firmly. “You being drunk and vulnerable is a very good reason not to think of anything sordid.” It did work too. TJ might like sex, and he had plenty of it while high and drunk himself, but he’d prefer everyone to be on the same page. Less messy later on that way. “But I don’t think you should have any more. And I’m trying to decide if I can stomach Mamma Mia. I’m not big on ABBA, except when I’m high. Anything sort of works then.” He also didn’t want to think about that, because then he’d start to miss it. So he drank his wine and snapped fingers. “Okay, made up game, most interesting person you’ve met here so far. And character or person you’d want to see here who isn’t from your world and isn’t Barbra Streisand. Go.” Coffee. He could use a cup of coffee, but the counter was so far away and there was nary a thing he use to hide his little awkward problem, so Kurt propped his elbows on the table and did his best not to stare at TJ like some lovesick teenager. “I shouldn’t. I’m going to start thinking you’re Bambi. You have that whole eye thing going there.” Or was that him? Eh. “Prince Charming. Or is he here already? Uh.” He was drawing a fucking blank and he hated that. “Ivy’s here. Elle is here. Oh! Anyone from Clueless. There. Or Fame. Clueless. I’ll go with Clueless. You?” TJ smiled at him. “No, Kurt, that’s you. You’re looking at me like Bambi. You practically have cartoon hearts in your eyes.” He was a straight shooter, and he didn’t seem offended by it. Quite the opposite, he enjoyed being looked at like that. It was how a lot of his lovers got into trouble, but it fed TJ. “Remember the mantra, I’m a bad boy, you don’t want bad boys.” Of course he did. Everyone wanted bad boys. “I’d love to see Cher’s reaction to this place.” The first time he heard As If he’d probably be delighted. “I’d say Jack Harkness, but he’s already here and won’t sleep with me. Probably any of the Sex in the City girls. Someone from The West Wing would make Dougie fanboy, and that’s always fun to watch.” His brother was such a nerd. “Hm, you’re right. You look like Scar.” Or maybe that was Snake Plissken. But he’d spent his high school years with Quinn and Santana in tow, so it didn’t bother him. “I always want bad boys, don’t you know anything about me,” Kurt answered dryly. “Blaine was a bad boy. In his … own environment.” He also was the guy who’d inspired him and told him to stay strong throughout all the bullying. That honor had now befallen TJ. And honestly, he didn’t know whether he had to pity him for it or just fall even more in love with a guy he could never have. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. Kurt grimaced. “I’m pretty sure Cher exists here, TJ. And I’ve watched a few episodes from Sex and The City. She’s my boss at Vogue.” Weird. “I bet you’d love Cassandra July.” “Scar from the Lion King? That’s accurate. Except I love my brother.” But it was probably a little more accurate than Kurt knew. Doug was the chosen son, the good one, the admirable one, and TJ was the screw up. Doug would be King, and TJ would be the one everyone pitied. So. Sort of accurate. “Blaine is not a bad boy. Come on. I could eat him for breakfast and have room left over.” That was likely the truth and why he might not even bother sleeping with the guy. He didn’t have enough sass or attitude. Attitude was an attractive quality for TJ. “Cher, the main character in Clueless, how drunk are you?” He smiled and quirked an eyebrow at him. “Is that the sassy dance teacher? I saw clips. She is sexy, like sexy enough for me to have a go.” And tons of attitude, right there. “Wasn’t she having an affair with one of the students, she probably was, they always do. I slept with three of my professors. I was into tweed that semester.” TJ moved the wine bottle away from Kurt. “I think you’ve had enough if you think you’re going to wobble.” “I said, in his own environment. Compared to all the other Warbles, he had sass. In Lima, Ohio!” That always explained everything. Here in New York City, he ran into at least a dozen people who were exactly like him every day. So, why was TJ even inter-stupid question. “Even if he didn’t like me putting bronzer in his hand lotion. People look good with a little color!” “Don’t go quirking eyebrows at me. I’ve had ballet and football training, I’ll have you know. I’m perfectly capable of pinning you down.” Oh God. Okay, he probably should be quiet right about now. “Ignore that. But she drinks. Is history on Broadway. Perfect for this place.” “Actually I want coffee. And don’t look under the table.” Kurt rubbed his eyes. Why so perfect? “You don’t put bronzer in things without asking people first. It’s rude,” TJ explained patiently. “If you brought it up and offered it to him, I’m sure he would’ve been fine with it.” He was laid back so it wouldn’t have bothered him, but all the same, he appreciated being asked first too. It was common courtesy, but Kurt was young and so was Blaine. They weren’t at the age yet where they had good boundaries. TJ tilted his head at Kurt, amused. “You’re a little feisty.” He liked feisty. “She sounds pretty fabulous. I’d love her, you’re right.” Now both of his eyebrows raised when Kurt said not to look under the table. He knew what that meant. “Yeah, you definitely need some coffee. And maybe a cold shower.” Or not. He could always … nope terrible. See, he was teaching himself. Slowly. “It was the threesomes, right? It’s always the threesomes.” “He was okay with him being in my moisturizing ritual, that should’ve been okay as well. It’s part of it.” But then Kurt sighed. These were bygones and he had no idea why he was even bringing it up. But with all the fans, it seemed as if Blaine was just a block away - and he had no idea how fast to run from all that. Or when. He needed to kiss more people in front of the cameras. Maybe eventually, they’d get the clue. Kurt frowned at TJ and shook his head. “Please, you can’t have a sassy gay without feistiness. Karofsky didn’t beat it out of me for good. It just took a while to come back. I’m not from Lima Heights, but. I do okay.” Kurt shook his head again. “Not the threesomes. Sometimes a guy likes to hear someone wants him.” TJ almost reminded him that he wanted a lot of people. He made no secret of that. He had sex with various people in the Tower, and countless many beyond that. He had no shame because he loved sex and he didn’t think there was any shame in it. But he was going to let the kid have that one, because he knew it was good to feel wanted. And it was true. It would probably be fun. He just didn’t think Kurt could handle it, for all his boasting about one night stands and exploring his sexuality. Not when he was giving those dreamy eyes. “You’re the one showing off your gifs.” He got up again, this time for real, and tousled Kurt’s hair affectionately. “I’ll make some coffee to sober you up, and we can watch Mamma Mia. That’s guaranteed to make me stop thinking about sex.” TJ left him to get it together. |