A/N: For Sailorhathor.
Michael liked Dave. He reminded him of all the punk-rock boys he’d known in St. Louis, sweet and straightforward and masculine in a way he knew he wasn’t, didn’t want to be, but still found himself drawn to. There had been so many of those boys, with their long hair and slow smiles, and Dave could have been any one of them.
With one exception – David would sleep with him, wanted to sleep with him, to sleep with him and he’d admit it to his friends. That was more than what Jeff or Danny or Sean or any of the others would ever do. A hurried handjob in the basement of a restaurant posing as a punk club, sure, but Dave spent the night at Michael’s sometimes. It was endearing, in its way.
It would be more endearing if Dave hadn’t taken his desire to keep things casual between them, and Michael’s own casual mention of others he’d been seeing, as a reason to discuss issues in his non-Michael love life. Which meant hearing him moon over Kurt more than Michael really wanted to hear.
“It’s just…I don’t know, man, he’s just like…such a gentle soul, you know?”
“Sure.” Michael took a drag off the joint and put it in the ashtray. Dave clearly didn’t need any more, and Michael was already half asleep.
“And he needs like, someone to protect him. Someone to take care of him. I don’t think she’d do that, you know?”
“Mmm.” Michael wasn’t sure he’d agree. He liked Courtney, liked her brashness and her fierce intelligence and caustic wit. If Dave reminded him of the boys he’d lusted after as a teenager, Courtney reminded him of the girls he’d befriended. Kurt was more of a mystery, as Michael was pretty sure he was to everyone. Present company included.
“She’s such a bitch.”
“Maybe Kurt likes that,” Michael yawned, trying not to shut his eyes. It was getting a little tedious, truth be told. He liked Kurt and Courtney well enough. They both seemed like lunatics.
“I wouldn’t be a bitch to him.”
“Have you ever told him that?”
“Nah.” Dave sighed. “I don’t think he’s into dudes like that. Well, other than you.”
That opened Michael’s eyes. “What?”
“Yeah? I mean, Kurt’s got like, a major thing for you.” Dave giggled. “You didn’t know?”
“No.” Michael couldn’t help but be a little flattered, and a little intrigued.
“I mean…he’s never like, said it, but it’s clear.” Dave turned enough to smile lopsidedly at Michael. “Can’t blame him.”
“You’re a ridiculous flatterer.”
“Maybe.” Dave shrugged, settling back down. “Dunno, could be good for him. Maybe like…he just needs to be with a guy. Figure out what it’s like, then he wouldn’t need her”
“And choose you instead?”
“A guy can hope, right?” Dave yawned. “I’m an optimist.”
* * * * *
Michael sat on the information for a couple of days, before deciding it was too much for him and deciding to call Courtney. She had a stake in whatever was going on, and Michael owed her that much. Besides, he’d always liked Courtney, and if anyone could cut through the bullshit of a situation, it was her.
“Hey Court.”
“Michael!” Courtney’s voice crackled a bit, although Michael couldn’t tell whether it was the phone or just her. “What’s up, man?”
“Not much.” Michael paused, deciding on the best way to phrase his question. “Does Kurt want to fuck me?”
“What?” Courtney laughed, loud and brash. “You just figuring this out?”
“Yeah, I guess.” So that answered the question. Courtney didn’t seem too upset about it, though, which Michael took as a promising sign. She could be jealous, Michael had seen it. He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended.
“I mean, it’s kind of cute. Like a kid, man.”
“Jesus.” Michael rubbed his forehead. There were possibilities, he supposed, although he wasn’t sure how he felt about them.
“Why you asking?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“You want to fuck him?”
“I don’t know.” Michael sighed, falling against his chair. “I didn’t really think about it until like, now.”
“Why not?” Courtney’s laugh was lower now, teasing. “C’mon, man.”
“Because he’s like…yours, you know? I’m an asshole, but not that much of an asshole.”
“Aww, Michael. That’s why I like you.” She paused, and Michael could imagine her on the other side of the line, the tilt of her head as she talked. “But I mean, it’s not like…a big issue.”
“You mean you’re not going to kill me for it?”
“Nah. Won’t even rough you up.”
“Damn. Generous.”
“That’s me, right? Always a giver. But I mean…if you wanted to. If you did. Wouldn’t be so bad.”
That wasn’t the response Michael was at all expecting. “Excuse me?”
“Well like, if you wanted to and all.”
“Courtney.”
“I mean it!”
Michael took a few breaths, processing the new information. “That’s not really like you, Court.”
“Yeah, I know that.” He heard Courtney sighing on the other end of the line. “But I mean like…he likes you. And it might be good for him, maybe.”
“How so?”
“He’s…look, I love him. You know I love him.” Courtney’s tone dropped, becoming more serious instead of the casual jokiness of before. “But look, if he’s curious…I want him to be sure, you know? To have the experience, if he wants it.”
“Very mature of you.” Michael couldn’t say he didn’t see the appeal. Kurt was beautiful – everyone always thought so. For all his talents, he wouldn’t be where he was without that beauty. Those blue eyes of his. And he liked Kurt, for what it was worth.
“Yeah well, that’s me. The most mature fucking bitch in Seattle.” Courtney laughed again, but different, more wry. “And I know you’d take good care of him. And send him home in the morning.”
That made Michael feel guilty. This was all Dave’s plan, and if Dave got what he wanted, then he betrayed Courtney’s trust. On the other hand, he was pretty sure Dave wouldn’t get what he wanted. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah. You wouldn’t want to keep him.”
“I don’t know. He’s pretty.”
“Oh, yeah. But he’s…” Courtney sighed again. “He’s a lot, you know, Kurt. I’m not sure you’d be up for that.”
“Is that an insult?” It felt like one, which made Michael defensive, although he was sure that Courtney was right.
“Nah. It’s just that…look, I love him, but he’s so much sometimes, you know? He wants so much. And most people, I think, they run away from it.” The line was silent for a few minutes, just Courtney’s breath. “But I can handle it.”
“Courtney…” Michael didn’t know what to say in response to that.
“Yeah, yeah. So, do you want to or not?”
This was the moment of truth. Michael thought about Kurt, about Dave. About Courtney. He himself was part of the equation, but only a little bit of it, really, just some kind of catalyst. It wasn’t about him. At least, that’s what he told himself. “Yeah, sure.”
“Wow, that’s some enthusiasm.” Courtney laughed again, back to the sarcastic tone.
“It’s a lot you’ve dropped on me right now.”
“It’s my way. Stun ‘em and drop ‘em.”
“Pow.”
“Yeah. But hey, for serious, are you okay with all this? You’re not just doing it because I want you to?”
“I mean, considering this just occurred to me like, today?”
“Yeah. Considering that. And you know… the whole situation. It’s kind of weird.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything else from you two. But yeah, I’m serious. Bring it up with Kurt.” Michael always seized at opportunities. It was what had got him where he was today.
* * * * *
It had been arranged, then. Courtney had made most of the arrangements, working out their schedules in a way that reminded Michael of a mother arranging a playdate. It was kind of funny. His life was an increasingly odd one.
What he wasn’t expecting, when the door opened, was Dave.
“Does Courtney know you’re here?” Michael asked him, quietly, as Kurt entered in front of them.
“You think she’d allow that?” Dave scoffed.
“So why are you here?”
Dave shrugged. “Kurt asked. Think he’s a little nervous. He knows I know you.”
Dave was trying to look nonchalant, but Michael could tell how excited he was. Like everything he’d wanted would come true. It felt kind of heartbreaking to Michael. “You sure this is a good idea?” he asked, still quiet.
“Yes,” Dave said, firmly.
Michael sighed. He was already in this insanity. Someone had to do it right, after all.
* * * * *
Michael woke up in the night and Kurt was gone.
Fortunately, he was only outside on the porch, smoking a cigarette, hair in his face. With the weak light from the streetlamp, he could have been a magazine cover. Kurt was always on like that, for all he hated to admit it.
“Thought you’d run out on us,” Michael said, settling down beside him.
“Nah.” Kurt shrugged, keeping his eyes on the curl of smoke. “I don’t know. Not yet.”
“Good.” Michael grinned. “I was going to make waffles in the morning.”
That got a laugh out of Kurt. “You can make waffles?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Never pictured you cooking.”
“I’m a Renaissance man.” Michael let the silence fill the space before smiling, warmly, like he might at a skittish child. “How are you doing?”
“You mean, considering I just had my first gay threesome?” Kurt responded wryly.
“Yeah.”
Kurt shrugged, taking a drag on his cigarette and blowing out the smoke slowly. “Pretty good, considering.” He turned and smiled at Michael, broad and genuine. “Glad you were there.”
“Yeah?” Kurt’s smile – it wasn’t blinding in the way a movie star’s was blinding (and Michael had now met enough of them to know), but had a warmth, a draw to it that was almost impossible to resist. When Kurt smiled like that, it was clearer to Michael why Courtney and Dave were driving themselves insane over him.
“The cause?”
“You know. The queer agenda.” Michael smiled himself, which he knew wasn’t quite at Kurt’s wattage, but wasn’t that bad, really. “Get the world’s biggest rock star into gay threesomes.”
Kurt laughed. “Shut up.”
Michael mimed a check mark in the air. “Will really get me some kudos at the next meeting. Might even finally elect me treasurer.”
Kurt laughed again, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “You want me to sign something?”
“I think I can describe things well enough.”
“Well. Let me know. I’m here.” Kurt let his smile fade, looking pensive. “Dave still sleeping?”
“Yeah.” This was the part Michael had been concerned about from the moment Dave had walked through the door. Whatever was or wasn’t between Kurt and Dave wasn’t his problem, except it sort of was now, and he liked them both. He didn’t want either of them hurt.
“He’s a good guy,” Kurt said tentatively.
“Really is,” Michael replied.
“Kind of like, too nice.”
Michael cocked his head in mild confusion. “What do you mean?”
“He’s like, a really good guy. Decent kind of guy, you know?” It was clearly something that Kurt had been thinking about, the words coming out in more of a rush compared to the laconic drawl of earlier. “Wants to like, protect me.”
Michael was careful with his response. “Sounds like him.”
“Yeah.” Kurt nodded and took a drag of his cigarette. “But it’s like…he puts me on some kind of pedestal, right? Like I’m this great wonder, can’t do wrong.”
“He cares about you.”
Kurt shook his head. “I’m not a wonder, man. I’m kind of a fucker most of the time.”
“Kurt…” This wasn’t the direction that Michael wanted to go with it.
“Nah, man, I mean it. I mean like, we all are, but me especially, yeah?” Kurt leaned against the railing, looking away from Michael, back out at the lawn. “And Dave like…he doesn’t get that, you know? He’s too nice. But Court, she gets it. She’s kind of a fucker, like me. She really understands me, you know? Dave like…has an idea of me he likes.”
Michael wouldn’t disagree entirely, but he didn’t see how they acted when it was just them. That was always a different dynamic. “You brought him, though.”
“Yeah.” Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like it’s bad, you know, that Dave sees me like this.”
Suddenly, Michael was struck by what Courtney had said when he’d first brought this up. He wants so much, she had said. It was accurate, but maybe not in the way Courtney intended. Michael was struck by the sense that for Kurt, there would never be enough love – that Dave, Courtney, the whole world wasn’t enough, that he could never be loved enough for how much he needed to be loved. It was terrifying. “Yeah?” was all Michael could say, when faced with that revelation.
“Sometimes, I guess it’s nice.”
Michael knew he should run away from this, leave them all to whatever insane dynamic they had. “You coming back to bed, then?” he said instead. He was part of it now.
“Sure,” Kurt replied, stubbing out his cigarette and following Michael back into the house.
* * * * *
“He won’t talk about it,” Courtney said with a laugh, crackling through the phone line. “What’d you do to him, man?”
“Hey now. I don’t kiss and tell.” Michael still felt guilty. But it wasn’t his story to tell. He was only a catalyst in this.
“How’m I supposed to figure out the gossip?”
“Some things should remain private.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah well. I’m mean.” Michael hesitated, just a moment. “How’s he doing, though?”
“He’s Kurt. Seems to have had a good time, though.”
“Good.” Maybe it was vanity, but Michael felt good about that, at least. Maybe Kurt was close to adding him, too. Maybe he should have listened to Courtney.
A/N: Happy Yuletide! I hope this is somewhat close to what you wanted - I loved the prompt so much. Thanks for giving it to me!