New Age - Part 2

[sunmontue]

Title: New Age

Pairing: Kurt Hummel/David Karofsky
Rating: NC17
Word count: ~8,000
Summary: AU. A new age is being created, brought about by multiple bioterrorism attacks across the world. The need to help his father leaves Kurt in the hands of one of the potentially most powerful men in the country until his friends can return for him. If he survives his time there at all that is.
Warnings  Mention of slavery-themes. Character death, mostly of very minor characters or original characters (i.e. none of the Glee club members, and definitely not Kurt and Dave). Take into account that this is an AU and there will be a certain level of violence in a world in which only 10% of the population has survived.

Author’s note: So AU. Dave is older than Kurt by 5 years, but they are both in their twenties. Written for a prompt as part of the Kurtofsky fest on tumblr (original prompt at the end). This is complete, but there will be a smutty epilogue to follow as soon as I have time.

PART 1

            He’s not sure how his mom could embarrass him like that, but he keeps a tight leash on his anger until he gets to the water treatment plant. Their location is not far from a river, strategic in that there is a hydroelectric dam, providing some additional electricity, plus a large store of water they can use not only for themselves, but for irrigation and watering cattle. Also the water is used to cool the reactor, the hot water coming out providing their hot water. It’s a purpose built base and he’s grateful to whoever planned it out, because a lot of thought has gone into it. It’s been designed to support twenty thousand military personal for ten years, and the way he has been utilizing things he knows he can make things last indefinitely.

            He meets with Mike at the plant and helps scrub out some of the treatment pools, rinses carbon filters and discusses plans for future work that might be needed, and what they will need to make it happen. He’s finished there earlier than he thinks and decides to head for the waste treatment, a far less pleasant place, but just as important. Everyone works for a minimum of a month here and another month in water treatment. He’s not budged on that, because he needs people to understand how it works, and to respect the resource for what it is. They need both for hygiene, which will ultimately keep them alive.

            He still finishes earlier than he really wants, not wanting to go back and see his mom just yet. He knows there’s something she isn’t telling him, and he also knows there’s no chance of her sharing it with him unless it suits her, so he’s destined to her pet names until she decides to tell him. He just wishes she wouldn’t do it in front of Kurt.

            Kurt.

            He’d watched him this morning, sleeping. He’d looked less troubled while asleep, still young, and he guesses he’s just one of those people that will always look much younger. He knows he looks his twenty-eight years, feels it, and then some. Kurt though, he looks soft and innocent, like he hasn’t had to commit murder to protect the lives of the ones he loves… He sighs and heads back to the hospital, metaphorically dragging his feet and taking his time. Stopping and talking to anyone that wants to bend his ear. He gets there eventually though, and he can’t find his mom or Kurt anywhere. A little bit of searching has him talking to Pete, who tells him his mom has taken Kurt to the herb gardens.

            The herb gardens are split into two main parts, medicinal and culinary. The culinary ones used to add certain vitamins and minerals to their diet, as well as flavor. He stops when he hears his mom’s laugh and it’s a sound that will always make him smile, even when he’s annoyed with her and he heads down the narrow path between the raised beds. He can hear Kurt’s voice, he’s reciting the names of the plants, along with the uses.

            He’s about to ask if they are having fun when he finally spies Kurt, and… he’s shirtless. There are tan lines upon tan lines, indicating that he spends a lot of time outside, wearing a variety of different tops. He’s lean, but all the muscles are clearly defined, and he looks normal, man-sized rather than the adolescent look in too large clothes. His clothes he realizes, which are so many sizes too big of course they swim on him.

            He doesn’t think about his own sex drive or sexuality very often. He doesn’t have the time or energy to worry about it usually, and when the urge gets too much he jerks off in the shower to take care of the base need. Seeing Kurt like that causes a flare of interest and he guesses he’ll be taking a longer shower than normal tonight.

            “David. Productive morning?” His mother is smirking at him and he doesn’t hold back the roll of his eyes.

            “Yeah. Actually. Very productive. Everything okay here?”

            “Mmm. Richard stopped by. Azimio sent him on his way.”

            “He wasn’t a problem?”

            “He tried to be,” Kurt replies instead, standing up and brushing his hands on his knees. He pulls the t-shirt back over his head and it’s like a transformation, taking years off his age again. Except now he knows there is a man there, definitely a man, he feels he needs to get him proper fitting clothes. Which he might admit are for slightly selfish reasons, but only upon pain of death.

            “What do you mean he tried?”

            “Just seemed to think he could boss me around. I said I only took orders from you, Azimio or your parents. That my chain of ownership wasn’t up for discussion. He didn’t seem to like it very much. Or me.”

            “Is he going to be a problem?” He means the question for his mom, but they both answer with shakes of their heads.

            “I think he’d like to think he can be a problem. I’m just going to go and wash up. I take it my time in the garden is up?” Kurt asks, and he looks between his mom and him and he just shrugs.

            “You can hang out with me, or come back here with my mom. It’s up to you. Lunch now though?”

            Kurt nods and he watches him walk away, following at a shorter pace with his mom, who is carrying a basket filled with cuttings. He can feel her eyes on him, and he knows she’s about to tell him whatever it is she’s been hoarding to herself for a week. She puts a hand on his arm, stopping his forward momentum with the tiny gesture.

            “He’s gay too you know…”

            “Jesus Christ mom!” For fucks sake, he can’t believe he’s having this conversation with her. He cares even less about Kurt’s sexuality than he doesn’t about his own. So next to nothing.

            “Hey! You watch your language young man!”

            “Really mom? Really? You think my language is the issue right now? I think I’m going to go check the security. You and Kurt enjoy lunch.”

NEW AGE

            Katherine assures him it’s nothing he’s said or done, simply saying that Dave can be a little temperamental about certain things, and that they can enjoy lunch with Paul. He wonders if she told Dave more about their encounter with Richard. He knows intimidation tactics when he sees them, and he’s infinitely glad that Dave is the leader here, and not someone like Richard. The more time he spends with Katherine the more he is convinced that Dave is the leader he is because of his parents. He has them, their influence, to keep him grounded.

            Richard is the power hungry type, and he knows he probably didn’t handle the situation as best he could. Instead of ignoring the taunts and name calling he’d replied, taking ownership of the homophobic slurs thrown at him, which had only seemed to freak the other man out. Then Azimio had turned up, his simple presence promptly diffusing the situation. Richard had left, but he’s fairly certain it’s not the last he’ll be seeing of him. Unfortunately.

            He spends the rest of the afternoon with Katherine, two other doctors and an herbalist, learning the properties of the different plants and how to store them to best maintain the properties. It feels good to be learning again, and useful information as well, things he knows he will be able to apply to his life. Herbs and food that promote thinning of the blood, which can help his dad’s heart, others that promote good immune systems, more that stimulate uptake of vitamins by the body. It’s a glut of information and he just hopes he can remember it all.

            Cleaning the benches down and washing his hands he can’t believe how fast the time has just flown, and a small part of him feels guilty that he hasn’t thought about the others much at all. It’s now dinner, and Katherine joins him in going to the mess hall, where Dave apparently eats the majority of his meals. Dave is of course there and he sits down opposite him silently, still feeling like he has somehow done something wrong despite Katherine’s assurances.

NEW AGE

            He falls into bed long after Kurt has fallen asleep, or at least he assumes so. He had deliberately made himself busy after dinner, unavailable to talk to Kurt. Asking Z to show Kurt to his room; after hearing a bit more about the run in his mom and Kurt had with Richard he’s glad Kurt’s staying there, but he’s also wondering if maybe he should sleep in the bunk house, just to put some distance between them. He’s being ridiculous of course. Not sleeping in his room would raise far too many questions so he crawls into his bed and hopes sleep claims him quickly.

            “I’m sorry, for annoying you, or whatever it is I’ve done. Your mom assures me it’s not my fault, but I can’t help but feel that it actually is my fault.”

            “It’s not your problem. Don’t worry about it.”

            “Okay.”

            Silence fills the room once again, but he can tell Kurt isn’t asleep by the unsettled rustling and uneven breathing, but he keeps quiet.

NEW AGE

            It feels like an uneasy unspoken truce between them. Awkward and polite, and he’s convinced that Dave is barely tolerating him. Humoring him. He gets to work on cars after telling Dave in passing that his dad is a mechanic. He helps change oil and carry out simple maintenance. Other days he goes into the fields, gardens… collects produce. He helps in the kitchen and learns how and what to cook to feed several hundred people. He’s starting to get to know other small groups of people. Learn their names, their stories. There are no very old people, and very few young, those wiped out in the early stages of the pandemics, but he can sense the community atmosphere that the group as a whole has, and the group is definitely bigger than they ever imagined. Part of him never wants to leave. He still counts the days though, and it’s been fifteen days since he last saw Finn. Twenty since he’s seen his dad, and that’s the longest he’s gone without seeing him since he got sick.

            Despite all the people around him he feels desperately alone, and he hopes that tonight will be a night that Dave comes back late to his room. He feels like he needs a good cry, the emotions having finally built up enough to want to brim over. He doesn’t get his wish of course, and when the lights go out they lie there, silence heavy between them. He still feels like Dave is angry at him, and he’s sure Dave’s mom told him that he’s gay the moment she had a chance. He normally keeps it quiet, it’s safer that way, but there had just been something about Richard that made him furious.

            He’d thought, originally, that Dave had a problem with it. Dave’s become jumpy, careful not to touch him even accidentally, or even look at him. But he’s continued to sleep only a few feet away. Confirmation that Dave definitely knows came a few days after, surprisingly from Azimio, who had sidled up to him and asked if it was true. He’d expected… well, not easy acceptance. And not a warning about Richard being a shit stirring asshole. He only hopes he’s not causing Dave too many problems, although he’s starting to suspect that he is.

            He works hard to prove that he is a contributing member, tries to ignore how much he is coming to admire Dave – his leadership and people skills alone have him in awe. He’s nice, handsome with a stunning smile on the rare occasions he’s seen it, and he knows he has developed a low-level crush. He keeps it hidden though. Not only so he doesn’t make Dave uncomfortable, but he doesn’t want to antagonize anyone else who might think he’s trying anything with him…

            He wakes with tears on his face, the room is still dark. This happens sometimes, when he hasn’t had a chance to vent emotionally. He’s been on his best behavior since he arrived. Well, except for a few snide comments to Dave and the sniping to Richard anyway.  He can hear Dave mumbling, something, no, he can’t quite make it out. The fact that Dave is a sleep talker had been surprising the first night, but now he likes the quiet deep rumble. Occasionally he even has conversations with him, not that they make any sense, but he feels less vulnerable around Dave knowing that this happens while he is asleep and unaware.

NEW AGE

            Kurt has made his own soap, mixed in lavender, ground almond and maybe even some almond oil, the smell wafts out of his bathroom after Kurt has had a shower, delicate, and he has to stop himself from wondering if it has a taste on his skin. He’s gone from having to jerk off maybe once a week to once a day, usually right after Kurt showers, and he’s certain he’s developing a Pavlovian response to the smell of lavender.

            Avoidance for the majority of the time is his main (and only) defense, to his burgeoning attraction. Even if Kurt was interested, he can’t act on it in good conscience. Not under the current circumstances with Kurt here under duress. He doesn’t even know how to go about asking a guy out he’s so out of practice. It’s been nearly four years, and that’s a depressing thought.

            He’s found out so many things in the middle of the night. Quiet whispered confessions that he only hears because Kurt thinks he is asleep. He knows Kurt misses his mom. And his friends and dad. That he likes strolling through the greenhouses because he likes the smell. That he’s never had sex before. That he likes it here. That he’s starting to like Dave.

            After that confession he’d withdrawn into himself a bit more, hoping some emotional distance would help even if he couldn’t really put any more physical distance between them. It hadn’t helped. If he hadn’t heard Kurt say the words he would never have suspected. There is a polite veneer when they interact in public, and he knows it is convincing because everyone tells him how nice it is to see him with a new friend, like he’s in kindergarten or something.

            There is another reason for keeping a distance though. Richard has been talking. Telling everyone that Kurt is gay like it is some form of disease and that the reason Dave has him staying in his room is so he can make use of Kurt’s body. Which he refuses to do. So he’d called a meeting, just the main group, not including Richard, ensure Kurt was busy with his mom, and informed them that yes, Kurt was gay. It helped that most of the already knew he himself was gay, that having been one of the main bones of contention when he’d first taken on the mantle of leadership. He’s assured that no one actually cares, they have more important things to worry about, and what he gets up to in his private time is no one’s business but his own. They also tell him that Richard isn’t even worth listening to, and he knows that is the general consensus but he still has to be wary of mob mentality.

            It is day twenty-two when he stumbles into his room to find a naked Kurt. He turns abruptly, cheeks flaming and closes the door behind him, breathing through his mouth to avoid the fucking scent of lavender.

            “Sorry! I just thought I’d have a quick shower before dinner. I was looking after the kids, got covered in their snacks, sand and some… dye I think? I’ll be out in just a second!”

            “Yeah, no rush,” he replies and bites down hard on a knuckle, needing the pain to distract him from the fact that Kurt is naked in his bedroom. It only partially works and he takes in a deep breath, recalling the discipline from when he was a new recruit. Straightening up he stands at attention, mind starting to categorize every sight and sound. The door opens a mere minute or so later and he relaxes and turns.

            “You… cut your hair.”

            “Yeah. Was getting a bit too long even for me. Um. I guess I’ll see you at dinner?”

            He nods wordlessly and resists the urge to just bang his head on the doorframe to his bedroom. He is an adult, he needs to remember to act like one. That thought stuck firmly in his mind he showers before dinner for once, changing and heading for the mess hall. He can hear Mark and Adam talking about their coffee making project; growing beans, roasting them, and then convincing people to go through the horrible trials of tasting incredibly bad coffee. He stops to talk to them for a few minutes and is in the middle of hearing how they’ve developed a new method of roasting when he hears the startled scream of pain from inside.

            He’s not the only one who runs, but people get out of his way with a little coaxing, or he simply lifts them bodily out of the way. He isn’t surprised when he sees Richard and Kurt at the middle of the commotion. What does surprise him is the fact that Kurt has him pinned to the ground, arm twisted behind his back and fingers pressed at such a sharp angle he’s sure Richard must be in excruciating pain.

            A simple hand gesture gets people backing up, all eyes wide and watchful. He looks for Z, and for once he’s no where to be seen. Mike is there though, along with Mark and Adam so he approaches and hunkers down, wondering if he will be dealing with an angry Kurt or not.

            “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

            “This fucking fag just grabbed me! Let me go! Make him let me go!”

            He watches dispassionately as Richard tries to flip Kurt off without success, squealing in pain as Kurt applies more pressure.

            “Yeah. That sounds like exactly what he would do, in a busy mess hall in front of dozens of witnesses. Kurt?”

            “Richard here seems to think I am offering you sexual favors for protection. Seems to think I should be offering him the same. Then threatened to just take what he wanted if I didn’t agree.”

            “Right.” He glances around the nearby onlookers. “Any of you hear what was said?”

            “Nope, but Richard made the approach, angry like.”

            “I was a bit closer, heard him calling Kurt names. And you names as well.”        He shrugs, name calling is the least of his worries. Threats of rape however…

            “Kurt did grab Rick, but only after a few minutes of him being in Kurt’s face. I probably would have punched him way before then.”

            He’s pretty sure Kurt mumbles something about punching him now while he’s down and he forces himself not to react. He knows Richard would have been the aggressor in the altercation, and he can’t let this type of behavior go unpunished. There needs to be mutual respect amongst all members for this to even work, and he knew from the start that Richard’s sense of self-entitlement would bring him to this. He just doesn’t know what to decide.

            “I’ll take him to the cells. Feed him. Sort something out tomorrow.”

            “You’re locking me up! You can’t lock me up!”

            “You want a bullet instead?” Dave asks, and he’s completely serious, although he hopes like hell it won’t come to that. Richard is struggling frantically against the hold Kurt has on him, and with a single look Kurt stands, stepping up and away gracefully, putting himself well out of reach of Richard who jumps up, arms flailing violently and lashing out.

            He grabs him and twists, forcing him into a brisk walk out of the mess hall, people clearing a path in front of him. He can sense he has a few people following him, which is good. He doesn’t need Richard to go accusing him of anything. He asks Mark to pat him down and they remove the guns in his hip holster and ankle brace. That alone makes him angry. He insists on weapons only being carried while active security patrol is being carried out. Richard continues to grumble and he ignores it, knowing it will only make him angrier if he listens.

            He organizes someone to sit with him, another to get them all meals. He wants to go and check on Kurt but knows he needs to get this sorted first. Richard has started ranting about how incompetent he is as a leader, and that he knows to be false. He might not be the best in the world, but he tries and feels he does a pretty damn good job. Charlie turns up and he asks him to take statements, just while it’s fresh in everyone’s minds.

            Just over an hour later he manages to leave, a discussion group sorted for tomorrow, to sort out possible solutions. He can’t find Kurt in the mess hall, is told that he went back to his room.

            He knocks this time, pushing the door open slowly when there is no sound. His eyes are rimmed with red, obviously from crying and he licks his lips, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door.

            “Are you okay?” He nods, and Davewants to reach out, just give him a pat on the shoulder, or squeeze his arm, tell him he’s not as alone as he feels. He crosses his arms tighter. “Are you sure?”

            “I’m fine,” Kurt snaps and at least there is some anger there, although he suspects it’s the adrenaline from the fear finally leaving him, shaky and possibly in shock. “I’m not weak! Just because I’m crying? Because I’m gay? That doesn’t mean I’m weak! That I’m not able to protect myself!”

            “I know. I would never call you weak. You’re a survivor. What happened is just another thing you’ve survived. You’ll be fine.”

            Kurt is silent.

            “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you more trouble. I didn’t… want him saying those things about you.”

            “There are worse things I could be accused of.” Kurt’s eyes flash briefly with annoyance and he shakes his head. “I wasn’t talking about being gay. That at least is accurate. I meant the trading of sexual favors for protection. There are far worse things, like murder and rape and… I could go on, but everyone whose opinions I care about, they don’t care about what I do in the privacy of my own bedroom. If Richard had been thinking straight he should have realized that.”

            “You’re gay.” He nods. “And… everyone knows?”

            “Pretty much. It was common knowledge before, but last week when Richard began his little tirade to discredit me I let everyone else know. I imagine the grapevine has taken care of the rest. Way more effective than a mass text message.”

            Kurt just stares at him and he knows he probably feels like Dave’s been lying to him all along, but he’s not going to apologize. He meets his gaze and just stares back before Kurt nods once before declaring he’s going to bed. He’s not sure whether to join him, and now that Kurt knows, his mind sparks with the little suggestion that they’re going to bed together. The fact they’ve shared the same sleeping place for over three weeks apparently means nothing in the face of Kurt knowing his sexuality. It takes him ages to fall asleep

NEW AGE

            The sound of gunfire wakes him, and he notes Dave has shot out of his bed, is already halfway to the door, and it takes a special type of person to run toward gunfire. He follows more slowly, drawing one of the jackets around him and blinking blearily in the brightness of the floodlights which have lit everything up like daylight. He just moves with the few other people heading in the general direction before he feels a hand on his chest, bringing him up short.

            “Kurt, you don’t need to see this.”

            He sighs and pulls the jacket around him tighter.

            “Just tell me.”

            “Richard’s… dead. Looks like he apparently had another gun concealed somewhere. He shot Karl before Karl shot him back. Several times. There’s blood everywhere.”

            “Huh. Okay. I’m… I’m going to go back to bed. For the record though I was going to be a doctor. Blood doesn’t scare me.”

            “I know. Nothing scares you.”

            He nods, huffs a little in amusement and then shuffles back to Dave’s room. He doesn’t fall back to sleep easily, feeling jumpy with everything that has happened and finding out that his crush isn’t such a pipe dream. Apart from the fact that Dave hasn’t shown any sign of interest at all. He mulls that over and then realizes someone has just died. Another person injured. He didn’t even ask how Karl was. He thinks about getting up again and going to ask, but knows Dave probably want as few people there as possible.  He tries to stay awake, waiting for Dave to return so he can ask, but is unable to fight off sleep for long.

            The next morning Dave still hasn’t returned and he tidies the room before heading down to breakfast. It’s like the first day all over again, everyone staring at him, but he ignores most of it, settles himself in his usual spot and is soon joined by a few others. Of course the conversation centers around what has happened last night, and he’s relieved that Karl is fine. In the hospital with a gunshot wound, but otherwise fine. He feels a little bad that he doesn’t feel worse that someone has died, but when someone voices aloud the same sentiment he feels relief flood through him and agrees quietly.

            He still hasn’t seen Dave by the time he finishes breakfast, and without a clear outline of what he should do today he heads for the hospital. He can see if Katherine needs any help at least. Karl is laying in one of the bed, looking pale but he gets a grin from him when he walks in. He asks if there is anything he can get him and Karl shakes his head, telling him to go and find Katherine. He can’t find her either, but he does find Angela, and he works with her, quietly cleaning, listening as she talks about how at least Richard has saved them the effort of going through a trial.

            “Sorry, black humor. It’s gotten worse since… well. You know.”

            Kurt feels a little sick, stomach churning and he’s just about to excuse himself when the sound of sirens make him jump. Angela laughs and pats his hand, shaking her head before wiping her hands.

            “Sounds like we have visitors,” she says, eyes sparkling. His eyes fly to the gate he can’t even see from his vantage point. His dad. Finn. They hadn’t heard a siren when they had approached last time, but then again they had approached on foot, and hopefully his dad and friends are not. Fuck. He starts out walking, briskly, but soon breaks into a run once he sees the gate. There’s no one on the other side yet but he knows that those watching will be able to see. His progress is stopped by Azimio, just simply stepping in front of him.

            “They’re maybe ten minutes away. Definitely looks like your group. It’s their van and trailer.”

            “I… thanks.”

            Azimio nods and stares off into the distance for a second.

            “You know, once you’re out, you’re out again. Maybe you want to say goodbye to a couple of people first?” Azimio asks, although it sounds more like an order than a suggestion and he nods, because of course… once he goes out he’ll be risking infection, and he wonders how Dave could visit but doesn’t stop long to think about it. He’ll be seeing his dad and friends again in just a few minutes, after missing them for weeks. But first he needs to pack. His movements feel faster than normal, time just slipping past and when he opens the door to his room he finds Katherine, packing his bags.

            “I was going to bring this down to you.”

            “Uh, thanks. Have you seen Dave?”

            “He’s been organizing the burial.”

            “Oh.”

            “Don’t worry, he’ll have started heading back as soon as the sirens went off. We’re on lockdown until he says so.”

            “Oh.” So that means he can’t leave until Dave gets back, which is fine, he wasn’t going to leave before then anyway, and now even thinking about leaving makes him feel a little worse. Torn. He decides to leave his bag where it is, thanking Katherine for packing for him before heading back down to the main gate just in time to be able to see the van and trailer with his own eyes. Then there is another van, and another, and they’ve obviously found a car dealership or something. He isn’t even aware he’s crying when he feels Katherine wrap him into a hug and he gives her a watery smile, hugging her back tightly.

            He laughs and cries when the vans pull to a stop, and he watches as they tumble out, laughing and waving at him. He steps up to the chain link fence, fingers gripping the wire and he’s as close as he can physically get to them for now.

            “Kurt!”

            “Dad!”

            “You… You’re in such big trouble young man!”

            He laughs some more, and hears Katherine laugh beside him, say ‘I think I like your dad already.’ His dad looks good though, everyone does and he just wants to be there, enveloped in a massive group hug. Across the divide they’ve clambered against the fence, all calling out greetings and they’re all there. About thirty of them and despite how much he has enjoyed the experience of being settled and almost part of civilization again, he would give it all up for these people in a heartbeat. Which is what he actually has to do.

            “I’ll go get your bag. You stay here,” Katherine says, patting him on the arm.

            It’s all a jumble of information, he listens and talks, asking and answering questions in equal measure. They found the drugs they needed, and he tells them that they had some here, a fact which makes his dad look sad but he forges on. He hears about how they found the new vans, stocked up on food, replaced camping gear. Mercedes tells him she got him some new clothes, but laughingly teases him that given how he’s put on weight they might not fit him anymore. He gives her the finger. It feels good.

            Katherine returns not only carrying his bag, but with Dave, who looks… sad, and he guesses organizing a burial isn’t the nicest of activities. He takes his bag from Katherine, it feels heavier than it did, and then stops in front of Dave.

            “I haven’t had time to say goodbye to everyone.”

            “They’ll understand. These are your people. Your family.”

            “I… yeah. They are.” Except some of these new people feel like family now as well, Katherine especially and the sense of being torn intensifies. He pauses, take s deep breath and then wraps his arms around Katherine, whispering thanks and goodbyes. He lets go reluctantly and turns to look at Dave, wrapping his arms around him before he can overthink it. Dave returns the hug, tightly, like he doesn’t want to let go. This is worse than when he’d said goodbye to Finn and the others, at least he’d had the belief that he’d see them again. This is so much less certain. He might never see Dave again. Drawing back his eyes search Dave’s face, before he kisses him softly, a gentle peck just on the edge of his lips, softly saying thank you and good bye all at once.

            It doesn’t end that way though, suddenly a hand is cupping his face and there’s a hand on his lower back, like a half-hug and Dave is kissing him. In front of his dad, and Dave’s mom, and a whole bunch of other people, some of who a whopping and catcalling. The pressure of his lips is distracting, stubble scratching his skin because Dave hasn’t had time to shave yet, the hand on his face gentle, in contrast to the one on his back which is digging in, pressing his body flush against Dave’s. It doesn’t last long, as kisses go, no tongue, and he really wishes there had been, and he’s breathing a little rapidly when Dave pulls away, hands dropping to his sides and taking a step back.

            “Take care of yourself.”

            “You too,” he manages to croak out.

            When he walks through the gates his tears start again, and he doesn’t know if he’s crying for what he’s leaving behind, or because he’s back home with the people he loves.

NEW AGE

            He misses him. He knew he would, but not this much. They had stayed for three days, had actually carried out a proper trading session, leaving one of the vans for the gas and vehicle loan. He’d rather have Kurt though. They had given them medication, stocked them up with enough supplies to cover the basic medical needs to their group of thirty. He’d watched from a distance how Kurt was with his father and brother. Affectionate

            A small part of him wishes he’d acted on his impulses sooner, but a larger part is glad that he didn’t. He didn’t want Kurt to feel obligated, to want to stay, to possibly come to resent him because he’d kept him from his family. Although he never bought it up that they could all stay. Fuck he’s an idiot. Too late to do anything about it now though and that knowledge brings him down for a few weeks. What he wouldn’t give to be able to send a simple text message. Or even a letter.

            Weeks after Kurt is gone he runs out of the soap Kurt had made and left behind. He’d started using it ostensibly so it didn’t go to waste, but it smells like Kurt is still here. That is fading too. He throws himself into working, touching base with everyone, helping people start up new projects. A flour mill. A cheese press. Things they don’t actually need yet, but will do.

            He helps set up irrigation for newly ploughed fields, talks about killing a few cows for the meat, lays the foundations for a couple of new houses. Anything and everything that could possibly exhaust his mind and body so that he falls asleep easily at night, rather than lying there wishing he could hear the quiet sound of Kurt breathing. Or even better, the secret nighttime conversations. Sometimes, rarely, he dreams that he has a conversation with him while he’s asleep and it puts him in a funny mood for a couple of days. Their paths only crossed for thirty-two days, not that he was counting, he just doesn’t understand why it feels like it was longer.

NEW AGE

            They’ve stopped in a small abandoned township, and he feels like a scavenger, going through the belongings of dead people, but they do what they need to do in order to survive. Occasionally they come across the actual dead bodies, and they all hold their collective breaths for days afterward, hoping none of them have caught anything. They mostly have naturally acquired immunity now, but it’s still a justified fear.

            They collect food and groceries past their use-by date, and it makes him remember the fresh produce from his time with Dave. He had found the doctors bag while still camped out, and he knows Katherine had given it to him, a farewell gift, for a dream he’d been forced to give up. He hasn’t taken it out or shown it to any of them, keeping it secret.

            They’ve been gone for nearly two months when he finds Quinn being sick. His heart stops and mind races, trying to go over the things that might bring on nausea. He sits her down on the ground, feeling for a fever and is relieved when there isn’t one. He’s certain he will panic about every little head cold from now on, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. He gets his stethoscope and otoscope, ignores Quinn’s wide eyes and questions and looks. He doesn’t even really know what he’s looking for, but everything looks normal.

            “How do you feel?”

            “Tired. Sick. I… I’m not well.”

            She says it with tired resignation, like she just wants to give up and that scares him more than the idea of her being sick. They’ve all fought for everything they have now, worked hard and he doesn’t think any of them would ever quit. But Quinn definitely looks like she has no fight left in her.

            “It’s okay. How long have you been feeling like this?”

            “A couple of weeks.”

            He opens his mouth to tell her of and closes it abruptly. That’s the last thing she needs, but his mind is racing, because he’s pretty sure no one else has been feeling sick. There are other things though. Cancer is the first one that springs to mind, but there is so much he just doesn’t know and he misses Katherine and the others more than ever.

            “It’s okay. I’ll… figure something out okay?”

            She nods in quiet agreement and he goes to find his dad. It doesn’t take much, the idea of Quinn being sick, any of them being sick, have them all agreeing to go back. It will take them a couple of days of solid driving, but no one seems to mind, and they’ve managed to refill their tanks and gas reservoirs recently. He drives the first shift, his dad beside him with the map, navigating for their convoy and shotgun on his lap just in case.

            “Shame we couldn’t have stayed there really.”

            “Hmm. What? Where we just were?”

            “No. Where you were before. It looked like a pretty solid set up.”

            “It is,” he replies, and he’s told his dad about it. “You would want to stay somewhere? Permanently?”

            “Of course. It’s safer, better in the long term. I just figured they didn’t have the room for more people. I mean, it was pretty clear the way you got farewelled that they would have kept you if they could.”

            “I didn’t get asked if I wanted to stay.”

            “I think your answer would have been pretty obvious if that invitation didn’t include all of us, hmm?”

            “Yeah, I guess.”

            He’d thought about it before, briefly. He supposes inviting a group of unknowns to join them is risky. Personalities clash, and things can happen. He was one person and that ended up with Richard dead and Karl injured. He gets people being cautious and not taking risks. He doesn’t blame anyone for wanting to protect people. So Dave might have been interested him in other circumstances, but not enough to invite him to stay. He just has to hope he doesn’t mind him turning up on his proverbial doorstep again.

            They arrive late afternoon, and he’s discussed with the others that he’ll be the one to do the approach. He knows how things work at least. He’s relieved when he sees Azimio standing there. Dave is not in sight, which he knows simply means he’s further afield than usual.

            “Kurt! Hey man! Good to see you”

            “Azimio. Good to see you too. Is Dave around? Or Katherine?”

            Immediately Azimio’s stance changes.

            “You need a doctor?”

            “Ah… yeah. Just someone to talk to really.”

            Azimio nods sharply and leaves, returning within minutes with Katherine. He’s pretty sure they must be wearing matching grins when they spot each other. He explains Quinn’s symptoms, and from the look on her face he can tell she’s figured out what it is. Despite that he follows her directions as he looks again in Quinn’s ears, down her throat, and listens to her chest. It takes a long time, because Katherine insists he look in everyone’s throats, so he can have a form of comparison, and everyone is scared enough that they comply with no comment.

            Once again he finds nothing, and it’s frustrating, because he knows Quinn isn’t making the symptoms up. It’s very hard to fake vomiting and looking waxy pale all the time. Katherine tells him she going to get something from the hospital, and he packs away his things, hoping she returns soon. When he hears the gate creak open he knows Dave will be there, and when he walks into the midst of his group of friends he just stares, drinks his fill and he looks… tired. Like he hasn’t been sleeping.

            “Kurt.”

            “Dave. Hi. What are you doing? We aren’t even all healthy this time…”

            “My mom has a theory. You must be Quinn. Nice to meet you.” Usually Quinn would have a snappy reply, but instead she just smiles weakly and nods as Dave kneels down beside her where she’s sitting in the shade of the van. Dave’s voice drops even quieter. “My mom has asked me to ask you if there’s any chance that you’re pregnant. Is there?”

            She nods again and Kurt’s eyes widen, glancing around at all the people he considers family. Who? At least the conversation is quiet, whispered rather than shouted, and he gets why Dave has come in know, risked himself. Again.

            “Okay. Then we have two options, you can either pee on this little stick here, or I can run the portable ultrasound here over your stomach and see if we can find a heartbeat. Or we can do both I guess. Up to you.”

NEW AGE

            He hadn’t dared hope that it might be Kurt and his group when he heard the sirens sound. He’d steeled himself for disappointment as he approached the main gate and then been overwhelmed when he’d seen Kurt standing, pressed against the fence and talking to his mother. He’d stopped and just watched, enjoying the sight before startling a bit when his mother left and went toward the hospital. That meant serious business and he’d rushed after her only to have her turn on him.

            “You’re not going to miss your chance this time. You’re going over there and inviting them to dinner. In a weeks’ time obviously, but still. I like Kurt. Ask them to stay. Forever.”

            “Yeah mom, I know.”

            He waits for the reading on the stick, although the little plus sign already looks pretty well formed to him, it says to wait two minutes. Kurt is rubbing her back and he wonders who the father is. No one has stepped forward yet, they all look concerned and he has no idea if a baby will make them freak out, or be relieved that it’s not a deathly illness. Then again they had someone die of childbirth last year due to hemorrhaging so it isn’t a ballpark either.

            “Yeah. It’s positive. Explains the nausea and tiredness. You might have an extreme case though.”

            “An extreme case of pregnancy?”

            “Morning sickness.”

            “Oh, right… of course.”

            “Yeah. Look, Kurt, can I talk to you? In private?”

            That gets a soft snort of amusement from Quinn, and he guesses finding out that she’s not going to die is probably a relief. Kurt is nodding and he excuses himself to unlock the quarantine compound, greeting Finn by name for the first time. He knows no one else really, although he recognizes Kurt’s father. The man is watching him carefully, and he guesses he deserves that. It actually puts a little thrill though him, that he might have to do something as mundane as meet his boy-, Kurt’s dad. Fuck. It’s an equally terrifying and exhilarating thought.

            He walks away, the opposite direction of both the fort and the quarantine compound, Kurt walking beside him silently. His mind is going through all the ways he could start the conversation and discarding every single one. He doesn’t know how to voice what he’s thinking and feeling. It’s dusk, getting cooler earlier as autumn arrive and the setting sun makes dust motes sparkle. He glances back, he can’t see anyone but he knows Z probably has a scope trained on him. He pulls the finger in the general direction of the Fort and Kurt gives him a funny look.

            “You wanted to talk?” Kurt asks, and he knows a prompt when he hears one, and he still really has no idea where to start so he just opens his mouth.

            “Yeah. Sorry. Just… I missed you. I didn’t think I would.”

            “Oh.” He cringes at the surprise in Kurt’s voice, but he’s not sure what he might be surprised about. “I missed you too. And I’m not just saying that.” He feels a slow flare of warmth in his stomach, which increases when Kurt reaches out tentatively and laces their fingers together.

            “I didn’t really want to leave before, but… I just assumed that I would leave. It didn’t occur to me until later, the possibility of staying. You never… you never brought it up. I thought you didn’t like me.”

            He curls his hand and tugs Kurt a bit closer to him.

            “I like you. But I didn’t want to do anything before, it wouldn’t have felt… right.”

            “Oh. I… that kiss felt pretty right to me.”

            He huffs and shakes his head, running his other hand through Kurt’s hair, can feel Kurt’s hand twisting in the fabric of his t-shirt and he lowers his head, brushes his lips over Kurt’s softly. It’s exploratory, gentle, but quickly moves to slightly more frantic territory. Kurt shakes his hand out of his grip and he can feel them both under his shirt, gripping and running over his bare skin. He opens his mouth and lets his tongue stroke over Kurt’s top lip, using his full advantage when Kurt’s mouth opens.

            It’s still fairly gentle but he can sense the urgency in both of them, just a reassurance that they’re both here, now, together. He places a hand over the curve of an ass cheek, pulling Kurt closer and forcing his hand to his back. Fingernails scrape over his shoulder blades and he groans; tries to stall the thrust of his hips but fails. He thought that might scare him, but he has apparently forgotten already. Nothing scares Kurt, and the hips pressing sharply back against him are proof of that. He lets go a bit, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth before biting on it.

            It earns him an appreciative hum-moan combination and he moves to Kurt’s neck, licking and kissing and wondering if it would be completely in appropriate to get naked right now. Probably. So, clothes remain on, but he has no motivation to stop making out with him, so he continues his intense licking, and he tastes dusty. He wants him using his special soap again.

            “I… um, don’t really want to, stop, but… we have –”

            “Yeah. People waiting for us. I know.” He kisses him again slowly, just holding him in the circle of his arms, and he knows what he needs to say now. “I never got a chance before, didn’t even cross my mind that I needed to ask, because people have always approached me first. But would you like to stay? All of you?”

            Kurt smiles, brighter than the sun and nods.

Original Prompt:

Preferred rating:  Any

Wanted:  “H/c, AU, d/s, angst, postapocalyptic, happy ending”

Unwanted:  “anything Blaine related, too much fluff, suicidal themes, emotional abuse”

Prompt 1:  "For whatever reason, Dave owns Kurt for a week. Literally. (Can be at some point in canon -maybe Burt bankrupted and/or was manipulated into selling his son- or complete AU)"

Prompt 2:  "Inspiration from the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons"