Between Two Points - Puckurt - MA 05/?
Title: Between Two Points
Author: youaredriving aka Scarletsptember
Characters: Kurt, Puck, Santana, Other Originals
Warnings: Slash, Escort!fic, Language
Rating: MA
Summary: At twenty-six Kurt Hummel is one of the most successful club owners in LA. He has drive, a knack for business and keeps his personal life to himself. Not that he has much of a personal life seeing as he’s constantly on the move and making sure everything runs smoothly. So upon the opening of his second club, an event not to be missed, Kurt takes the advice of one of his favorite bar tenders. He hires an escort for the event to settle rumors of a damaged heart and the soulless business owner. It is either the biggest mistake he has ever made or the best.
“Whoo-saaaa.”
“Who what?” Kurt looked at Brittany like she really had lost her mind.
Brittany rolled her eyes, “Deep breaths Kurt. Just calm down.”
“They’re like vultures! That fence was supposed to keep them out and they just jump it like it’s no problem, like it doesn’t mean anything!” Kurt threw his hands up in the air before he forced himself to take a deep breath. He looked to Dillon who looked like he felt sympathetic to Kurt’s situation. “I’m not even famous and they are staking out Illuminations like they’re going to get something interesting out of me! Well I have news for those idiots! There isn’t anything here. There’s no story to be had! So they can just…screw off.”
Brittany chuckled at the way Kurt censored himself before she guided him with her hands on his shoulders to the bar.
“So we open in fifteen minutes and you need a serious drink to calm your self down. Then what you need to do is call your boy and let him know how things are going on this end of the world. Maybe you should even take the night off. It’s Thursday, nothing too wild should happen around here and you haven’t taken a day for yourself in a few weeks.”
Kurt took the shot of tequila she poured for him and set the glass back on the bar. He tapped his fingers on the bar top and rolled his lips together in thought. “I won’t have anything to do if I take the night off. There’s no point. I should be here.”
“Nothing to do?” Brittany’s mouth dropped open, “Oh honey if I had a man like you had a couple weeks ago on your arm I would have plenty to do all night. You two are still together aren’t you? He didn’t turn all chicken shit because of the pictures because if he did I’m pretty sure Santana still keeps razors in her hair. Just saying.”
Kurt busted out laughing and he had to wipe tears from his eyes. He stood up and tucked his tie in his pocket before looking to Dillon, “Get me to my car?”
“You run them over this time, four people I say one hundred points each.” Dillon teased as he walked side by side with Kurt. As soon as they were out of earshot of Brittany, Dillon started to talk. “If you and your guy broke up because of all this, you know you deserve better right? He wasn’t worth putting you back in the spotlight.”
“We didn’t break up,” Kurt heard himself saying, “We’re just so busy it’s hard to find time to spend with each other. I just, I just feel alone right now.”
Dillon laid a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, stopping him from opening the outer door, “Well I learned this lesson the hard way a few years back. You tell him how you’re feeling before you lose everything you have. You find the time to spend with each other.”
Kurt sent a sad smile up at Dillon. The advice the man was giving him was sound. If only he were in a different situation things would probably work out for the better. Hiring an escort turned out to be a lot more complicated then he ever imagined it could have been.
The house was empty and cold. Maybe that’s what made Kurt dig for the card that Puck had given him a few weeks ago at the club. He wasn’t sure what really made him dial the number and ask to see Puck again. But he did. He took Monday night for himself and his ‘date’ with Puck. Honestly he didn’t feel the need to go out but it had been so long that he had gone out for himself and not on an errand for the clubs. It had been so long since he was able to throw on a pair of jeans and head out to pick up a quiet dinner somewhere instead of a sandwich on the run.
The chiming of the doorbell killed that thought immediately and anxiety coursed through his veins. He rushed to open the door. Puck was standing with his hands in the pockets of his slacks and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows.
“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again,” Puck started as Kurt stepped back to let him inside, “But I’m glad I am.”
“Well I doubt I have anything exciting to do tonight,” Kurt shrugged as he led Puck into the living area where he sat to put his shoes on. “I was thinking dinner?”
“Food is always a good idea,” Puck shrugged. “Where will we be dining tonight?”
“No where as fancy as you’re dressed,” Kurt answered with a smile. “I just needed to get out and away from the bustle of the club. Take a few minutes for myself, you know?”
“I saw that you’ve been having a bit of a problem with the tabloids lately. I’m sorry if I caused any of that.” Puck’s voice was apologetic as he eyed the offending material on the counter tops. Some of the magazines had crumpled covers, as if Kurt curled a fist around the glassy paper in frustration. Kurt waved the apology off. There was nothing that Puck should have been sorry for. Kurt was the one who dragged him into everything. If there was anyone to blame it would have been Kurt.
“It was a bad idea,” Kurt answered, “I just, look this is going to sound stupid, probably pathetic compared to what you probably normally deal with but tonight I just really needed someone I could take wear a pair of jeans and be as messy as I wanted with.”
The room was silent for a few minutes. Kurt internally cursed himself at admitting to why he hired Puck for the night. It just would make things awkward. He should just put a stop to this before they actually left his house.
“I’m so down for a night I can spill ketchup on my shirt and not be looked at like I’m a freaking jackass for it,” Puck rubbed his scalp and let out a sigh that sounded a little like relief.
Kurt shook his head as he led Puck through the garage and to his car. They rode in silence to the outskirts of LA. Kurt couldn’t help the happy smile that crossed his face at the sight of the restaurant, Somewhere Else, as he parked. There was something about this place, the people who worked here that made even the worst days a little bit better.
“I can’t believe you know about this place,” Puck whispered, not expecting Kurt to hear him as he got out of the car.
“I love it here,” Kurt answered, “The food reminds me of home; something my Dad would rather over health food that he’s forced to eat since his heart attack.”
“Where are you from?” Puck asked as he held the door open for Kurt.
“Ohio,” Kurt smiled as he took a seat in the booth. “Most people wouldn’t expect a small town kid like me to have made it out here.”
“But you were never really a small town kid,” Puck answered with a grin on his face and he elaborated at Kurt’s confused look, “If you were you would have stayed. At least that’s what my Ma tells me all the time.”
Kurt smiled at the fondness that filled Puck’s voice at the mention of his mother. He bet that was exactly how he himself sounded every time he talked about his father. They sat in a comfortable quiet. As soon as they ordered their food the silence dropped back down over them.
It stayed quiet in the booth until they were halfway through their meal and Puck decided that enough was enough. “If you didn’t request me for my stellar conversational skills, why did you?”
Kurt licked his lips before he took a sip of his Diet Coke. He used the time to really decide what he wanted to admit to, to let someone else see inside of his head. In the long run, it didn’t really what he told Puck. He could let out of his life story, tell him his darkest secrets and it wouldn’t matter. He might not ever see Puck again. Sometimes you just had to tell a stranger how things really were going before you told someone close to you.
“I’ve never been alone as I am now than I’ve ever been in my entire life.” Kurt started with closed eyes. “I’m, I, just, I’m tired of being the person everyone can read about in the tabloids. My life isn’t anything special. If anything my life is awesome with the whole success of being a business man but socially? I’ve never wished for a friend more than I have in the past few weeks.”
Kurt stared down at his hands ashamed that he let the thoughts he kept locked away out. He sounded so pathetic and he hated that Puck, a man he was paying for company, was the person who had to listen to him.
Warmth spread over the top of his hands and Kurt’s breath caught in his chest when Puck’s fingers curled over his own. This was what Kurt missed. He missed the simple reassurance that someone was there for him, that he wasn’t alone in everything. Kurt looked up to meet Puck’s gentle eyes and he looked away and back down at the table.
“Tell me,” Puck urged Kurt to keep talking, to let everything that he had bottled up for so long out.
Kurt swallowed down his fears and met Puck’s gaze, “I want the intimacy that so many people have and give so willingly. I work so hard and do so much at the clubs because I don’t want to come home to such an empty and quiet place. The longer I’m there by myself all I can think of is the things I want.”
“What do you want?” Puck asked.
“I want someone to laugh with,” Kurt sighed, “As stupid as this is going to sound, I want a friend.”
“That’s not stupid at all Kurt,” Puck rubbed his thumb back and forth over Kurt’s hand, “I think everyone wants that. Even when a person is surrounded by people sometimes it’s not the right person that’s standing next to them. Sometimes you need something or someone else to keep going. You just have to find that.”
Kurt pulled his hand back from Puck’s hold and took a deep gulp of his soda, “Enough of that.”
“Yeah?” Puck cocked a brow at Kurt’s declaration.
“Yeah,” Kurt nodded, “I’m thinking about taking a vacation. Nothing extravagant, just a week or so to get away from everything and maybe drop off the radar.”
“That sounds like a plan. What do you want to do on this vacation of yours?” Puck munched on the leftover fries that had come with his burger.
“I don’t know,” Kurt chuckled to him self, “Maybe just stay home for a few days and not worry about putting on shoes. Maybe I’ll grab a book and just sit and read it. I need to let life slow down a little bit.”
“I’ll be honest with you,” Puck smiled almost to himself, “Just sitting around at home for a few days with nothing to do sounds amazing.”
Kurt hummed in satisfaction that someone would agree with the way he was thinking. “What would you do?”
“Buy food,” Puck let out a gut busting laughing when Kurt’s eyes widened in surprise, “Well if I don’t want to go out for the rest of the week I need to stock up. Right?”
“Oh, definitely,” Kurt nodded, “Something other than take out. I’d cook all week. I’d actually have the time to for once.”
“Get a few beers,” Puck added before he took a sip of his drink, “Play some video games, a little guitar here and there to mellow out even more.”
“You play guitar?” Kurt leaned back in the booth with his hands resting on his stomach and his head tilted a little bit before he smiled, “I can see that.”
“I’ve played for as long as I can remember.” Puck smiled fondly, “It’s something that always makes me feel better.”
“Do you write your own stuff?” Kurt leaned a little further over the table, curious as to what actually made Puck who he was.
Puck shrugged, “It’s nothing great but it’s not really for anyone but me to see. I think that’s what is so calming about it. That I have this one thing that is just for me.”
“I used to run,” Kurt admitted, “Like trail run. I’d go out a couple times a week and hit the trails. Now I just hit the treadmill at home but it’s not the same. I remember how much my thighs and calves would ache after a good run. I felt like I accomplished something, I saw another part of the world that most people in this world don’t even know exists.”
“Why don’t you do it anymore? Is there a reason you just stopped?”
Kurt rolled his lips together, “The vultures found my favorite trail and turned it into their favorite place to look for me and other socialites.”
“Have you ever tried to look for some place a little further out?” Puck offered. “There’s this park, it’s got hiking trails and all kind of shit for outdoorsy people that you’d probably love. It’s about thirty minutes out of the city but it’s worth it.”
“I’ll have to research it,” Kurt’s body hummed in anticipation of getting back to his old routines.
“It’ll be worth it,” Puck wiped his hands clean on a napkin, “Seriously. I’m not much of a hiking or bike trails kind of guy but I could walk around and do nothing all day being happy about it out there.”
“Then I’ll definitely have to pull out the old tennis shoes and check it out,” Kurt pulled out two twenties, enough to cover the bill and tip before he stood up with Puck mimicking the action.
The car ride home was quiet except for the sound of Puck singing along to the radio underneath his breath. Even though he wasn’t really singing Kurt could understand how Puck wanted to go into music. He had talent. The rasp of his voice sent shivers down Kurt’s spine and made him just want to lean back and listen all night.
The crunch of the gravel driveway tore those thoughts from Kurt’s mind. After turning the car off Kurt shifted in his seat to face Puck. “Thank you.”
“You’re always thanking me but there isn’t a reason to.” Puck unbuckled his seatbelt and faced Kurt.
“I really needed this tonight, to get everything off my chest. I needed someone to snap me out of hiding and losing the things I enjoy just because I’m a little afraid of the paparazzi. I shouldn’t have to give those things up. So I guess that’s what I’m thanking you for.”
“No problem,” Puck leaned across the car and wrapped an arm awkwardly around Kurt’s shoulder. When he pulled back Puck handed him a different card. “Look if you just need a friend call my cell.”
“Are you sure you want to give me this?” Kurt held the card away from his body afraid to look at the numbers that were neatly printed out.
“Why would I have given you that if I weren’t sure?” Puck cocked a brow at the absurdity of the question and pushed Kurt’s hands back towards his body.
“But I could be one of those weird serial killers just trying to gain your trust and once I have it I kill you. Or I could be one of those crazy stalker people.” Kurt waved his hands wildly around the cab of the car.
“Uh,” Puck tried his best not to laugh at Kurt, “If you were I would doubt you’d tell me or giving me the what ifs.”
“Okay,” Kurt looked at the number scribbled out in front of him for a moment before he turned towards Puck with words begging to be spoken. Puck beat him to the punch though.
“You decide when you want to go on the trails I’ll show em’ to you. Just call me and if I’m free we’ll go.” Puck grinned at the flush of excitement on Kurt’s cheeks. “Have a good night Kurt.”
Kurt let out an angry growl as Dillon led him through the photographers lingering outside of Illuminations and inside the building. He could feel the heat of th
Kurt let out an angry growl as Dillon led him through the photographers lingering outside of Illuminations and inside the building. He could feel the heat of the fury warming his cheeks as he straightened his jacket and his tie. He ended up jerking the knot of the tie too tight and yanked it over his head and tried his best not to throw the tie across the room.
Cool hands rested on his arm and Kurt looked up into Brittany’s worried eyes, “What?”
“Night Puck!” Kurt yelled over his shoulder before heading inside. It might sound stupid, almost like an overexcited teenage girl, but Kurt couldn’t wait to get back to his old self.e fury warming his cheeks as he straightened his jacket and his tie. He ended up jerking the knot of the tie too tight and yanked it over his head and tried his best not to throw the tie across the room.