For Us

42. How you make up.

{Jon}

Cary looked taken aback when Jon dragged into the kitchen at 8 a.m. the next morning. "You not working today?" he asked.

Silently, Jon held out a coffee mug for Cary to fill it. He dumped in milk and coconut oil, then sucked it back straight with the dollop of oil still sitting on top. "Texted work I'll be there late. Waited up for Kurt last night and then we fought about Nicky." He rubbed his fist into his eye, still sandy from crying himself to sleep. "I think I really hurt him and I still feel like shit about it."

Cary rubbed the side of his beard, looking sympathetic. "You say sorry yet?"

Jon exhaled. "Yes."

Cary shrugged. "You were going to fight eventually. How you make up is the important part. Don't be too hard on yourself, Jon."

Jon made a dry noise, flashing him a look. "Has that ever seemed like an option for me?"

Cary huffed a laugh, his big fingers squeezing Jon's shoulder briefly. "You're just overtired and ready for the weekend. Drink up, coffee will make you happy. Want me to blend that up how you like it?"

Sighing, Jon handed the mug over. Over the whirr of the blender, he heard the 'thump' of Kurt's feet upstairs, then the sound of Kurt singing. When Cary dumped his frothy, perfect bullet-proof back into Jon's mug and handed it over, Kurt's voice came through the ceiling loud and clear, belting out a Dolly Parton tune:

All you gotta do is smile that smile

And there go all my defenses

Just leave it up to you and in a little while

You're messin' up my mind and fillin' up my senses...

Cary glanced at Jon, amused. "He seems all right."

The words got progressively louder with the sound of Kurt's feet running down the stairs, and then he slid into the kitchen in his sock feet. He paused, seeing Jon, and his lips curled up slowly. Jon swallowed, checking his face for any trace of the hurt from the night before. Kurt sang softly, crossing the kitchen:

Here you come again lookin' better than a body has a right to

And shakin' me up so all I really know

Here you come again and here I goooo...

Jon couldn't help laughing, turning his blushing face aside. Kurt put his arms around him, pulling him close and kissing the corner of his jaw that he'd just shaved clean. "Morning Jonathan," he murmured in his ear.

"You're outrageous," Jon said softly.

Kurt drew away, his blue eyes dancing. "You like it."

Jon let his palm rest on Kurt's chest for a second, where his boyfriend had pressed his hand as if something hurt him last night. "I really do." His mouth couldn't resist smiling back at Kurt, whose eyes lit up just a little more.

The tips of Kurt's ears were bright red as he helped himself to coffee. He sloshed the nearly empty pot. "What is this? You falling down on the job here, Cary? How's a man supposed to fuel his work day on half a cuppa joe? "

"Had a little unexpected company," Cary said. "Seems like you had a good night." He lifted his dark eyebrows innocently, slurping his coffee.

Kurt leaned against the counter, his shoulder leaning into Jon's. "You know what, Douglas? You're probably not aware that Jon White is the best cuddler on the planet. And I am sleeping like a baby in his arms."

"Uhhh," Cary said. "I didn't need to know the details. But I'm happy for you. I'm thinking of getting a dog to cuddle me at night."

Kurt snorted. "A dog? Well. I guess everyone can't have Jon in their bed, so you do you."

Jon choked on his coffee and Cary thumped him on the back, laughing soundlessly.

"Are you home for supper, Jon?" Kurt glanced at him.

Jon nodded, still coughing. That bullet-proof had almost come out his nose. "Briefly. Have a Jui Jitsu class to teach at seven."

Kurt smiled. "Excellent. I'm making you dinner. I may have recently become addicted to this cooking show on YouTube and there's a recipe I want to try. Douglas, you of course are welcome to join as a third wheel."

"Thanks so much," Cary said drily.

{Kurt}

Kurt's phone blew up with notifications mid-morning while he was hanging drywall with Cary. After the fourth 'buzz-ping' made the hair on the back of his neck prickle, he said, "Gimme a sec, would you? I should check these."

"I wish you would," Cary said, and they carefully set the drywall sheet to rest against the lumber frame.

Their show at The Barns was sold out. It was their first gig in a mainstream bar, a venue just a little bigger than any of them figured they could fill, and every ticket was sold. The text thread between Nicky and the band was full of emojis and last minute re-arrangements of their set list.

After scrolling through the first couple messages, Kurt rolled his eyes and shut up his phone. After thousands of hours of practice, the music was in his fingers and in his blood. An hour before the show Nicky would tell him what he wanted and that's what they would do. He didn't need to be part of the conversation today.

He tossed the phone into the tool bag, picking up his end of the sheet again. "Show's sold out. Band's freaking out. Sorry."

"Huh," Cary said. "Congrats. This mean you guys are heading for bigger things?"

"Uhh..." Wow, he really hadn't thought about it. In his mind the show was over already and he was planning a road trip to see the mountains with Jon. "No idea. That's Nicky's bag, not mine. Thought this was our last show of the year." (And he had not been sorry at all.)

Kurt was a little surprised at himself. Tomorrow the lights would ripple over a sea of faces turned up to soak in his music like sunlight and water. He'd worked his butt off and lain awake nights longing for this moment—he should have been high as a kite with excitement.

He was more interested in cooking supper for Jon tonight, a risotto recipe from Italy that looked like exactly the thing his gluten-free, dairy loving boyfriend would want to lick off his plate.

So their band would make more cash off this show than they expected, and maybe pick up more radio play. Kurt didn't need the money now, and there was really only one person in the audience he cared about. He knew his boyfriend better now than he had at the last concert: Jon would be happier if they stayed home and Kurt played those songs for him on their carpet.

Which was a brilliant idea. Damn, he was making risotto and an at-home concert tonight. Now he was excited.

*Here's the risotto recipe Kurt is going to attempt! Thanks for the reads, re-reads and votes, lovelies, be well <3*

1158 words.