CHAPTER 49 – SAN DIEGO TO LA/NEW YORK TO LIMA/MEXICO CITY AND BACK

CHAPTER 49 – FLYING THE FRIENDLY SKIES

Kurt woke up and tried to orient himself.  Although he’d gotten used to sleeping in Javi’s bed, sometimes he still woke up expecting Javi to be there…and he would be in just two days’ time!  He could hardly wait.  He was glad he had school and work to keep him busy.  With their upcoming trip to Ohio, he wanted to make sure everything was in order so he wouldn’t be distracted by last minute details if he could avoid it.  He had his work schedule for the rest of the week and for the week after they returned.  He would finish up what little homework he had left.  He had one more recital practice before he left and then if all went well he’d have a couple of days to spend with Javi before they flew to Ohio.  They’d be flying in and out of Ft. Wayne, which was still 70 miles from Lima and he wanted to keep an eye on the weather.  In San Diego it was still reasonably warm, but in Indiana and Ohio?  You never knew what you might encounter in November.

He still had a few minutes before he had to leave the warmth and comfort of pillows and bed clothes so he allowed his mind to wander back to Sunday, the last time he’d heard from Javi, other than texting.  Just seeing him in real-time, knowing he still existed somewhere on the planet put him at ease.  It was almost funny!  They’d both dressed up just to Skype with each other.  Javi said it was either that or nothing at all, that that was just the kind of Skyper he was!  Kurt was pretty sure there was more truth than not to that.  

Javi was dressed in one of his almost trademark mesh shirts, not black, but red, exposing his well-muscled chest.  Over that, he wore a black leather jacket adorned with red metal studs.  On each sleeve, the words Killer and Love were emblazoned in sparkly white.  The black leather bracelet on his right arm was covered with red metal studs as well.  He wasn’t wearing a hat, but had silver hair tinsel woven through his unruly curls.  When he stood up to get something to write on, he revealed a pair of black pants so tight Kurt wondered how he even moved in them.  “Wow, mi Javi, did you wear those pants just for me?  They don’t leave much to my imagination; you’re such an exhibitionist, such a tease you are, Mr. Ramos Ruiz; do you show off for all of your students like that or just me? (he’d used the name intentionally referencing their last game of “phone tag” when Mr. Ramos Ruiz had met Kurt or Mr. Hummel depending on what role you were playing in his little fantasy).  “Oh, Kurt, you wound me deeply.  Calling your faithful teacher such things…..we really must define our roles when I get home.  Hopefully, you’ll take this time to reflect on that.  I would reallllyyy hate to have to discipline you, but I will if I have to…for your own good, of course.”  Kurt was trying not to laugh, but in those pants he was finding it hard not to “reflect” on the discipline Javi…or Mr. Ramos Ruiz might have in mind.  “Oh, Mr. Ramos Ruiz, you frighten me with your threats; I’ll try to be a good boy but I’m making no promises.”

Javi smiled at Kurt just enough so that the flicker of dimple in his cheek peeked in and out and that Kurt found irresistible.  Javi loved what Kurt was wearing.  The sleeveless red button up shirt that fit like it was one size too small hugged his lean body and was open at the neck, four buttons undone, just enough to indicate where the hair on his chest began, so, so sexy, and the buttons below straining across his abs. Over that he wore one of Javi’s favorite tunics, gold and white see-through gauze covered with gold sparkles and spangles, open in front.  He wore two thin gold chains around his neck, dangling from one was a key and from the other a lock.  Javi made a mental note to ask him about the necklaces.  Kurt rarely wore jewelry that didn’t have some significance behind it.  And his bare arms were a fashion accessory all by themselves, all rippling muscle.  Kurt was watching Javi intently and Javi knew it.  Right now, he couldn’t get enough of looking at his Kurtito.  Kurt said, “Ya know, this shirt is just too tight.  Do you mind if I unbutton it?”  Kurt knew how much Javi loved his chest, whether he was looking at it, touching it, kissing it…Kurt took his time undoing the buttons, then he leaned back on his hands as the shirt fell open.  He stood up and stretched revealing jeans that barely rested on his hip bones with the button undone. There was that beautiful expanse of naked belly, his navel, tempting him…. If Javi could have reached through the screen…but he couldn’t of course.  He cleared his throat, saying, “Hmmm…apparently the student is learning faster than this teacher allows, or have you been receiving instruction from someone else on how to be an exhibicionista…a molestar (tease)?  There are rules against having multiple teachers, mi…Kurt.”  “Oh, no, Mr. Ramos Ruiz. I did some research on the internet just like you instructed….do you want me to stop?  You told me to be inquisitive, to think outside the box….”

Javi couldn’t help but laugh.  It was obvious that Kurt had enjoyed their little game and was ready for more.  Still laughing, Javi said, “Kurt, please take your seat.  It will do you no good to try to distract the teacher….and I want to look at your beautiful face while I’m talking to you, much as I enjoy your display of thinking outside the box!”  Kurt sat down, leaned onto his knees with his face in his hands and with a little pout said, “Ooooooh, but Javier, may I still call you Javier?  I was only hoping to get some extra credit in class…..”   

Now, Javi couldn’t stop laughing!  “Oh, mi Kurtito, you are so adorable!  If I was there right now I would turn you over my knee and spank you!”  Kurt continued his pretty little pout, “Oh, please, Mr. Ramos Ruiz!  I know I deserve it…” and then Kurt started laughing.  When they finally gained control again, Javi said, “You are quite the actor, Kurtito!” to which Kurt replied, “Whose acting, mi amor?…um, I mean Javier,” and with that they resumed some semblance of a normal conversation.

Javi gave Kurt an update on the whirlwind that had been his life since arriving in Mexico.  Belita was making Mexico City her home so someone would be at his apartment meaning he only needed to return there on business and for one of his concerts next year.  He’d managed to make it through four interviews without unveiling much about his personal life, no small feat, and especially nothing about Kurt.  For those who chose to attribute his single status to not finding the right woman, he was still one of Mexico’s most eligible bachelors.  There had been a few glitches to iron out over venues and the exact release date of his latest song, always part and parcel of the business.

He asked Kurt if there was anything new he needed to know about their trip to Ohio and Kurt had almost brought up his latest dream and thoughts on it, but then decided to wait until Javi was home.  He didn’t want to worry him and Kurt felt better about the dream just knowing he might understand some of it, if you could ever really understand dreams.  After about an hour of catching up, Javi sighed.

“I can’t tell you how much I miss you, mi hombre hermoso (my beautiful man).  I feel like half of me is missing; even Belita can tell.  As much as I’m thrilled to be with her, she sees it.  On the other hand, she says she hasn’t seen me this happy in years.  As she put it, since the Sun set and the Moon had to learn to glow on its own.”  He had explained to Kurt about the names that Mateo’s inner circle had given Antonio and Javi and why.  He knew he’d hear it eventually and it was something so personal, Javi wanted Kurt to hear it from him.  “I told her that the Sun had risen again for its own sake and that the Moon had discovered its Mercury.”  Javi had started calling Kurt his Mercury a couple months ago and when he asked Javi why he told him it was because the Moon and Mercury were the planets closest to being like each other; as close to equals as planets could get.  

Kurt wanted to hug Javi so much right then.  He loved the analogy, the way that Javi had not tried to find himself a new

Tonio.  He saw them as equals, something the sun and moon could never be.  And he loved him for telling the one family member who still acknowledged his existence and accepted him for who he was how he felt about Kurt.  “Javi, Javi….I can’t wait until your home.  If I knew you wouldn’t kill me, I’d take the next flight to Mexico City.  Being apart like this borders on abuse.”  He and Javi had discussed what they would do in the event that Javi would have to be gone longer than a week again.  If Javi hadn’t had so much business to take care of on this trip, he would have flown back to San Diego over a weekend or even during the week, if his schedule allowed it.  “I know, mi corazon, I know.  We’ll take it a trip at a time and if I’m able to return I will or if you’re able to come with me you will.  Life is too short to live it apart from your soulmate.”

After they’d said their good-byes, Javi sunk into the couch cushions and started to write a new song.  He didn’t know what he’d call it yet, but it would reflect his ever deepening feelings for Kurt.  Kurt decided to have some fun instead of thinking about how much he hadn’t wanted to say good-bye.  He laid down on the floor, the blue silk pillow under his head, and let his imagination run free through the fields of his newest fantasy.

Blaine set his phone on the chair beside him.  What he really wanted to do was throw it across the room, but he restrained himself.  On the other end of the phone he wanted to throw had been Barry.  He didn’t know what he was feeling, anger, relief, sadness, all of the above?  Barry was coming back to New York after Thanksgiving…but only to get what he needed and wanted to take to, of all places, LA!!!!  He was moving to LA!  Just what he needed – two ex-boyfriends in California!  To be fair, Barry had asked him to come with him, but he knew Blaine couldn’t just quit school only months from graduating.  He’d left it as an open invitation.  When Blaine finished school, he could move to LA.  But in that whole conversation, not once had either of them said I love you or even mentioned their feelings for each other.  The closest they’d come was when Barry said he “still cared for” Blaine.  When Blaine had bluntly asked him what he meant, he didn’t have a real answer, except that he’d like to see him move to CA, too.  For what?  Barry was leaving with two other guys he’d met in his latest travels, one of whom had an offer for a small part in a sitcom.  Barry and Austin were going for the same reasons all would-be actors went to LA, they’d find a job to support themselves and hopefully find their star there.  Blaine wasn’t about to move all the way across the country for a man who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell him how he really felt about him.  And then there was the possibility that two of them, Barry, Austin or Keaton, already had a relationship or was heading towards one.  Blaine had told him he’d think about it and they’d talk after Thanksgiving when he came to move his belongings.  And that was another problem.  Barry had been paying half the rent even when he was still out in God Knows Where America.  Blaine would have to find a new roommate.  Could life get any more confusing?  He didn’t know how he felt about Barry either.  It was time he tried something Kurt had always done and Blaine had kidded him about.  Write it down, analyze it and make some decisions…or at least try to come up with some semblance of a plan.  The only bright spot in his near future seemed to be his meeting with Kurt.  He didn’t want to feel this way, but the fact was, he did.  Maybe that should go into his analysis, too.  Fuck, fuck, fuck!  Maybe he needed to be analyzed more than he needed to actually do the analyzing.  Counseling had started to help him and Kurt until Blaine had made such a mess of things; he supposed it couldn’t hurt, if he could afford it.  He sighed, reached for a notebook and attempted to concentrate.

Burt had talked with Kurt yesterday, firming up their Thanksgiving plans.  He was so anxious to see his son again.  It had been only a few months since they’d helped Kurt and Adam move to San Diego, but he missed him so much.  He was so proud of the man he’d become, in spite of all he’d gone through to get there.  Kurt was the most level-headed 20-something he knew and he didn’t say that just because Kurt was his son.  He paused for a moment, thinking about yesterday’s conversation.  When Burt had said Carole was getting his old bedroom ready for him and Javi, Kurt had stopped him and said, “Um, Dad, it’s not like that between us….yet.  Could you get one of the guest rooms ready, too?”  Burt struggled for words and finally said, “Sure, Kurt, of course!  I didn’t mean to assume…”  “No, no, that’s okay.  It’s kind of a long…well, not long…interesting story?  Maybe we can talk about it while I’m home.”  Kurt wanted to talk to him about his sex life?  Of all the things Kurt might want to talk to him about, that was the last thing he expected, the very last!  “You know you can always talk to me, Kurt.  Is everything okay?” said his worried Dad voice.  “Oh, yeah, things are great actually!  I’ve never been happier!”  Well, okay then, he’d take that as a good sign and not worry about whatever it was Kurt wanted to talk about.  

Burt and Carole had continued watching Javi’s videos and interviews…and now it wasn’t just to get some idea of what Javi might be like.  His music and voice had grown on him, although he still understood almost no Spanish, and from his reading interviews and listening to closed captioning when he could, he’d discovered that Javi seemed to be a responsible person who’d had some tough breaks but also some amazing opportunities.  The fact that he was 35 didn’t concern him much anymore.  Kurt had always been mature for his age so it didn’t surprise him that he would find someone older than he was to share his time with.  He didn’t want to say, share his life just yet.  Who knew what the future held?  He liked the fact that Javi went to great lengths to keep his private life out of the spotlight.  He was also impressed when Kurt told him the reason why he wasn’t going to Mexico with him, even for a few days.  He hoped the trust that he was building in his mind was well-placed.  Without having met him, he had yet to find something that he really didn’t like, but he’d have to meet him first.  People were never completely what they seemed.

Kurt got out of bed and started preparing for the day.  He’d be gone until about 6.  Adam was coming over again tonight and bringing Ethan with him.  He knew he didn’t have to but he liked keeping Kurt company while Javi was gone.  Sure, Kurt could have stayed at the loft, but Adam knew why he wasn’t.  Javi was here or as close to here as he could be.  Instead of cooking, although Adam wouldn’t have minded a bit, Kurt told him he’d have some pizza delivered.  Since it was a work and school day, it made sense.   Kurt had even suggested they might want to work out and everybody thought that was a good idea since Javi was being so generous.  Ethan had joked that there was nothing like pizza and a workout!  

Kurt felt energized just knowing he was another day closer to Javi being home and it was only a matter of a day and a few hours!  He was looking forward to Thanksgiving, too.  He had no idea why he wanted to talk to his dad about their private life except maybe to reassure him that he was in a very right place with Javi; that Javi respected him and treasured him in a way no one ever had before.  And he wanted to talk to his dad about his beliefs.  It wasn’t something they’d ever really discussed that he could remember.  Kurt’s world had taken a 180-degree turn since he’d last seen his dad and he wanted his help making sense of it all and maybe helping Burt by letting him know that he was in good hands with Javi.

He knew Javi was getting in late, so he’d told Kurt not to wait up for him, like that was really going to happen?  But Kurt pretended to go along with that idea saying he’d leave a light on for Javi.  Javi’s text sounded like he might be a little disappointed that Kurt had agreed so readily.  Kurt chuckled to himself.  He hadn’t completely decided how he was going to greet his Javito, but it certainly wouldn’t be asleep in his bed….and maybe not even in his bed at all.  Some of his more playful and erotic ideas would require a little practice and research.  The research he’d already started.  He wasn’t sure if Mr. and Mr. or Kurt and Javier were going to make an appearance at his welcome home party, he sort of wanted to save that for another time….but he had all kinds of ideas hoping Javi wouldn’t be too tired to play along.  And if he was too tired….well, Kurt would just have to wake him up!  He’d make sure it was a night Javi would never forget.