For Us

16. Trigger (Bed Bath and Beyond).

{Jon}

When Jon got home, the living room was empty and quiet. He climbed upstairs, noting Kurt's closed door with a pang of disappointment. Kurt must have decided he needed the extra sleep after a late practice instead of getting up to tell stories to Jon.

In his room he shucked off his cap and hoodie and baggy jeans, tossing them in a laundry pile filled with other grey nondescript clothing and went to shower. Slipping into a fitted sleeveless shirt and soft, rust-red yoga pants was a relief. Jon permitted the clothes he wore in private to stand out a little and he felt just exactly like himself in them. On some level, he understood why Jordin was willing to fight to wear clips and a blouse.

In the hallway, he paced past Kurt's door, then turned back, pulling out his phone. <morning gorgeous> He laughed to himself, rolling out his shoulders. It's what he would have said if Kurt was his boyfriend for real, and it didn't hurt either of them to say it anyways, right? <am I seeing you before work?>

He heard the muffled sound of the phone alerts through the door and then a scramble and a thump and a swear. Kurt's door flung open and the other man startled back finding Jon standing right there.

Jon smiled. "Morning gorgeous," he said out loud. Kurt's hair was flattened to one side in blond chunks and he was still wearing smudgy eye make-up from the night before. His legs were bare under an oversized T-shirt printed with a fat grey striped cat making 'z's.

"Hey." Kurt said, his blue eyes wide and worried.

Jon stepped forward, taking Kurt in his arms and laying his cheek on his shoulder. "You missed your morning hug."

He felt Kurt take a slow, unsteady breath as he wrapped his arms around Jon. "Sorry I slept in." His voice was hoarse and croaky.

"Do you want coffee, or breakfast before you go?" Jon said.

"Sure," Kurt mumbled. He put his lips to Jon's shoulder before letting him go and turning away. "Just lemme get dressed."

Jon put the water on and rifled through the cupboards, digging a package of instant coffee out of the back. Since their ordinary coffee maker broke and Cary had gone to pour overs Jon hadn't had time to figure out how to make coffee properly the new way. Cary's burr grinder had, like, a hundred buttons.

Kurt's running feet came down the stairs and Jon glanced over his shoulder with a smile. The other man slowed up, sauntering to lean against the counter with his hands shoved in his jeans' pockets. Kurt's smile flickered briefly in return. "White. How was your day?" he asked.

Jon let out a breath. "Okay. One of our kids was in a fight at school so I was cleaning that up with the staff and working with him to make a plan for today." He glanced at the clock, thinking about where Jordin would be right now. "But I'm boring--how was your practice? I want to live your rock star life vicariously."

Kurt laughed, looking aside. "I love that you still talk like a preacher's kid, Jon. All smart with words."

Kurt pushed his hands through his hair, clearly able to feel how dishevelled it was but making no progress without a mirror. He cleared his throat, still sounding hoarse. "Practice was rough. Someone in the band was stupid enough to break up with one of the other musicians and everyone's choosing sides and being nasty." His blue eye flashed, looking sideways at Jon. "The stupid someone being me, of course."

Jon longed to reach out and tidy the part in Kurt's hair and smooth it behind his ears. He put his hands behind his back, just touching Kurt with his smile instead. "You're not stupid, Kurt."

Kurt hugged his arms against his chest. "It was okay when we were making music," he said. "When we got through the bullshit. He--they're amazing when they're on. They make me sound better than I really am."