CHAPTER 22 FALLING FAST WITHOUT A PARACHUTE

CHAPTER 22 – FALLING FAST WITHOUT A PARACHUTE

The four of them arrived at Cam’s around 7:30. They’d all met in front of Kurt and Adam’s building, walking to Cam’s place about 4 blocks away. They went through the introductions as Adam tried not to appear starstruck. Ethan already knew Javi from the neighborhood and had told Adam that he was just a regular guy. A regular guy who just happened to be someone Adam had never seen outside of music videos. Even when he lived in Texas he hadn’t gone to any Mateo concerts. They were never close enough to Amarillo for him to go. Kurt had told him that when Javi was in town he sometimes played at the local bars and clubs for fun and Adam was looking forward to that.

Kurt thought Ethan seemed like a nice guy, but only time would tell what was ahead for Adam and Ethan, just like he and Javi. When they got to the party there were about 40 people there! On a Wednesday night! San Diego was so much more laid back than New York. As big as New York was with its constant nightlife, big or small parties on a weeknight didn’t happen much; most people were too focused on work to party during the week.

Everyone knew Javi, of course, and most knew Ethan, so it wasn’t hard meeting anyone. Javi was trying not to overwhelm Kurt with 40 names and faces. He introduced him to a few of his closer friends and then made it a point to talk to each of them individually so Kurt could get a feel for each person. Almost everybody was male and gay, but there were a few women, and maybe even a couple of straight guys, and after about half an hour of the old meet and greet, he asked Kurt what he’d like to drink and left him at a small table with a couple of friends he’d introduced him to.

He had to laugh at himself. He was almost hyperaware of everyone, and especially the guys, checking Kurt out, even some who were in committed relationships. There was just no way to get around it. Once you got a look at Kurt, unless you were totally blind or oblivious to “it,” you could not stop looking, if for no other reason than those eyes! He knew what Kurt had said about an exclusive relationship and he believed him, even though he hadn’t even known him for a week, but other than Tonio, his experience with commitment wasn’t exactly vast. For the first time he could ever remember he was more concerned about his boyfriend being able to handle the time apart than he was about himself being able to handle it. But for now, he was kind of enjoying these guys checking out his boyfriend. Sure, it had happened with both he and Tonio, but they were together so much it was never really much of an issue.

When he got back, Kurt was in conversation with Craig, one of the guys who sometimes served as a backup singer for a variety of acts. The only topic of conversation Craig even cared about was music, anything and everything about music, so Kurt was probably learning more about the music business than he’d ever wanted or hoped to. He seemed to be having a good time though.

When Javi sat down and handed Kurt his drink, he joined in the conversation, while watching Kurt at the same time. He was becoming an expert at this. It had been so long since he’d even cared who he was looking at and now he could barely look away! He’d never seen him in a real social situation and he loved observing people anyway. Kurt was listening without interrupting and when Craig questioned him about life in New York and going to NYADA, Kurt considered every answer. Obviously he’d loved NYADA as a place to really grow and learn, but he and Adam had both tired of New York, he explained. Javi already knew some of this story, so he sat back with his Coke and watched…again. Would he ever get tired of watching? Not today he wouldn’t, so he listened and contemplated…just doing some Hummel gazing!

His voice was almost hypnotic at times, the pitch just soothed him. Kurt had told him he sang a lot at NYADA and Javi was looking forward to hearing him sing….anything. Just to listen to that voice. His eyes progressed down the length of Kurt’s body and he had to stop himself from laughing. Apparently, Kurt was getting quite comfortable here! Good! He had slipped his shoes off and had his ankles crossed, his feet resting on the patio tiles. Kurt’s toes were quite lovely long toes, but he had quite sizable feet. And, Javi thought, well, ya know what they say about men with big feet? And then quickly let the thought go before he really did laugh! Was he really thinking that? Well, maybe the real question was if he wasn’t thinking that, why not?Even though Javi had nothing he had to do the next day, he knew Kurt had some classes in the morning that started early, so even though Ethan and Adam decided to stay a little longer, Kurt and Javi said their good-byes, Kurt exchanging numbers with a few.

Another gorgeous San Diego night accompanied them back to Kurt’s place, but as Javi prepared to say his good night, give Kurt a kiss and leave, Kurt stopped him.

“Would you like to come up for a while? I don’t have a class until 9.” He caught Kurt’s eye and looked at him for a minute, then said, “Are you sure?” Kurt, appearing to throw caution to the wind replied, “Sure! It’s not that late.” Javi knew better. Neither of them were really concerned with the hour and he knew Kurt was not throwing caution to the wind either. He was being deliberate. “I just don’t want the night to end yet,” he sort of shrugged.

Javi had heard what he needed to hear. This was not an invitation to anything but I want to spend more time with you and he would make sure that’s exactly what they did, spent time together, reaching toward the foundation of what they were building, with maybe a touch of frosting, but nothing else. They might as well get used to this. He remembered what it had been like doing this with Tonio. At times, it was almost painful, but it was worth it all. Their relationship had been rock solid. He nodded and Kurt took his hand as they walked into the foyer, taking the elevator up, where Kurt unlocked their door.

As he looked around, he could see so much of what he believed to be Kurt’s touch. Solid, bold colors, with hints of glitter. A touch of subtlety added with prints and some small paintings. It was just what he would expect. He didn’t know Adam’s tastes, and he wondered, which one of them was the person who made the kitchen look like something out of House Beautiful. Simplicity with a sparkle!

Kurt asked if he wanted a Coke or something a bit stronger. He said Coke would be fine. Adding alcohol to this mix of time alone together in such an intimate setting was definitely not a good idea. Kurt went into the kitchen, got their drinks, and quickly texted Adam, “Give me some time alone,” their code for “I’m not alone.” He didn’t think he’d used that since he’d arrived in San Diego and not that much in New York for that matter, except when he actually wanted some time alone. He got a thumbs up in reply and went back into the living room with his Diet Coke and Javi’s regular.

They sat down on the couch and Kurt asked if Javi would like some music? He said, “Sure! As long as it’s not me or Mateo! I love them both,” he laughed, “but how do you feel about some classical?” Kurt put on some Orpheus Chamber Music and the room filled with the sweeping but soothing tones.

Javi laid his head back and sighed, “This is perfect. The perfect ending to a more than perfect day.” Kurt joined him and again he felt like he was somewhere other than the planet Earth, sitting here, touching Javi’s hand and breathing in the music, the man beside him, content with the turn his life had taken. Javi slowly slipped his hand from Kurt’s and slid his arm around Kurt’s shoulders, moved to his side and Kurt rested his head on Javi’s shoulder while Javi rested his head on Kurt’s. “It’s all a little much to take in, isn’t it? Kurt, you are not alone in this. I can’t believe that only a few days ago I was living life thinking not at all about finding someone. I went to The Rafters because it’s kind of like home to me when I need some company. And then there you were. And there I was and todo cambio (everything changed)! Oh, my, my, todo cambio!” He smiled.

Kurt smiled, too. Definitely, todo cambio! everything changed! He was falling fast, without a parachute. He looked up at Javi and slowly turned as he took him into his arms, and looked at his face, so intent, yet so relaxed all at the same time. He leaned his forehead against Javi’s, wrapped his arms around his neck and drew him towards him, closing his eyes, reaching for those blue-black curls he’d wanted to touch, to entwine his fingers in for what seemed like forever. Even his hair smelled heavenly; Sauvage in French, wild in English. He kind of hoped that Javi’s taste in cologne reflected one of the many things he saw in himself. He kissed Javi the same way Javi had kissed him…was it only earlier today? Moving his lips from the top of his head to his chin, with a twist. As Kurt advanced his kisses over those elegant, high cheekbones reaching an ear, he took that oh so sensitive earlobe softly between his teeth, then lightly skimmed the tip of his tongue around the inside rim of Javi’s ear, in no hurry to move on. He barely whispered Javi’s full name into each ear, “Javier. Ramos. Ruiz.” pausing between each utterance. Then holding his face lightly, he traced his fingers along Javi’s jaw line until he reached his chin again. He barely caressed his lips as he murmured, “Javier. Ramos. Ruiz.” again, his breath warm on his mouth. As he felt Javi wanting to respond to his kiss, he stopped him just as he had been stopped earlier in the day. As he heard Javi’s quiet moan, allowing Kurt to take the lead, he increased the pressure on Javi’s lips as he opened his mouth with just the tip of his tongue, showing him he was indeed a fast learner. And something else, Javi thought, as he surrendered to Kurt’s kiss. Ah….a bit competitive, he liked that, wanting to show Javi that not only was he a fast learner, but that he had more than just a passing knowledge of sensuality. He was intrigued to say the least! Kurt was only 22, but someone had helped him to learn the art, the dance of true intimacy.