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Kurt flipped lazily through his phone, his back against his locker as the hallways emptied out around him. Spring had fallen, and as the impending holiday break approached, Kurt's peers found themselves dipping faster and faster after the last school bell would ring for the day. Senioritus had hit especially hard in the New Directions, leaving Kurt to always end up alone as he waited for Finn to finish up from his athletics period, friends like Mercedes and even Rachel already long gone for the day.
More recently, however, he would find himself hanging out with Dave as he waited, who had transferred back to McKinley just a few weeks prior. He was growing to enjoy his new friend's company more and more as time passed, and in the days he found himself not getting much more than passing conversation in the halls, a pre-glee meeting chat, or a couple of texts, he was finding himself disappointed. The pair certainly made an effort to not let a day go without them talking or hanging out, but as graduation drew near, it was understandably harder for them to find the time in their busying schedules. That certainly didn't stop them from being attached at the hip when they could, though.
Opening his texts, Kurt went to Dave's contact, ready to type a message when footsteps rounded the corner, and he looked up to catch his friend's eyes already darting in his direction. Dave shot him a big smile, which, as always, left Kurt's heart aflutter as he returned the grin right back.
"Waiting on Finn still?" Dave asked, his arm outstretched as Kurt slipped into a quick hug-- something he had also gotten used to as of late.
"Always," Kurt laughed, rolling his eyes. "One day he's going to forget I'm here and head out with Puck. I'll just die waiting, maybe haunt the halls."
"You've already got the look," Dave teased, pinching Kurt"s arm lightly. Kurt slapped his hand away playfully, and glanced around the other's shoulder as another approached from down the hall.
"Oh no, is it--"
"Yeah", Finn said, walking up to the others. His letterman was draped over his shoulders, covering a damp tee. His step-brother's hair was plastered to his face, the obvious downpour he had been caught in leaving his entire head dripping. Even still, his eyes sparkled with a smile, and he gave Dave a quick nod in greeting, which Dave returned.
Kurt groaned, shifting his bag to look for what he already knew was non-existent. "I knew I should have grabbed my umbrella from the car. What a bad time to be parked across the lot." The group turned towards the front doors, starting a rather sluggish walk to the inevitable drenching they were about to receive.
"Same here,” Dave said, shoving his hands into his hoodie’s pockets. Kurt adjusted his pace, slipping his arm through Dave’s, which Dave lightly hugged a bit closer to his body. The pair missed Finn’s side-eye, not sending more than a quick glance to the others before rolling his eyes to himself. The three reached the front doors, and Finn stepped forward to pull them open, keeping his back on it as Dave and Kurt both shuffled through, still attached at the elbows.
Kurt’s small smile faded as he looked out into the near empty lot, which in the last twenty minutes had all but completely flooded-- and judging by the dark clouds as far as he could see, Kurt presumed it wasn’t about to change. He looked off at his car, parked in one of the farthest rows from the building. It didn’t take long to find Dave’s truck, which was one row in front of Kurt’s, but still equally as much of a trek.
“Do you want to borrow my letterman?” Finn offered, already slipping it off of his shoulders to hand to Kurt. “Then you can pick me and Dave up.”
Kurt looked at the letterman, then back at Finn with a glare. “You want me to get the car?”
“I mean, it’s yours. You have the keys.”
“I’m not about to put these boots through the Swamp Foot I’d get from that,” Kurt replied, already fishing his keys from his bag. Pulling them out, he placed them on the jacket on top of Finn’s outstretched arm. “You’re already wet.”
“I’m wearing my gym shoes,” Finn whined, lifting his foot up to show Kurt the thin mesh that surrounded his sneakers. Kurt rolled his eyes, gesturing again to the keys.
“Well, I’m not going, so I guess we’ll stand here.”
“What about you Dave?” Finn offered, his eyes pleading.
Dave opened his mouth to respond, but Kurt cut him off before he could speak.
“Dave’s standing with me.”
Finn squinted. “He could not do that, and go get his truck, since it would make more sense for him to just drop us both off at your car.”
“Kurt’s right, I’m standing with him,” Dave said, the corner of his lips quirking into a smile he was clearly doing his best to try and fight back. “Also, you’re already wet.”
Finn threw his hands up, Kurt’s keys slipping off the jacket and hitting the concrete steps with a sharp clang. Grumbling something under his breath, he bent down to pick them up, then stood up, grabbing Kurt’s free hand. He pulled it open with a huff, shoving the keys in them before closing his step-brother’s fingers around them. “Then you guys can walk together. My mom’ll be pissed if I ruin these shoes.”
Kurt groaned again, about to continue the argument before Dave dropped his arm, and leaned in front of Kurt to swipe Finn’s letterman from his arms, then handing it to Kurt. Kurt held it, confused, and looked back at Dave for clarification, who pulled his own set of keys from the front pocket of his jeans.
“Fine,” the boy said, and stepped in front of Kurt, bending slightly at the waist. His arms stretched behind him, and his hands flicked up, motioning for Kurt to hop onto his back. Kurt grinned, quickly dropping his keys back into his bag as Finn watched, confused. After slipping his brother’s jacket over his head, Kurt steadied himself, then slipped his palms onto Dave’s shoulder and kicked up from the ground, into Dave’s waiting arms. Finn rolled his eyes again, this time pointedly at Kurt, who ignored the tease and instead wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders, his other pulling the letterman to cover them both.
“Good?” Dave asked, and Kurt gave a small noise of approval as Dave headed down the steps, into the pouring rain. As they stepped away from the overhang, the rain hitting the thick wool of the jacket enveloped the two of them in a roaring bubble. Kurt could feel the back of his pants getting wet from being left uncovered, and he did his best to adjust himself to cover as much as possible. He tucked his feet closer to Dave’s sides as Dave quickly paced his way through the lot, doing his best to avoid puddles.
As they reached a raised stretch, Dave’s grip around Kurt’s legs tightened. “Should I run?”
“What?” Kurt asked, leaning forward so his face was pressed against the side of Dave’s head.
“I’m going to run,” Dave said, and Kurt looked down at him to catch a wide smile on his face.
“You can jog, ” he said, his eyes wide as he stared at the slick pavement in front of them. “You will absolutely eat shit if you run.”
“I won’t.”
“David, I’m on your-- Dave!” Kurt yelped as the boy took off, nearly in a full sprint. His grip around both the jacket and Dave’s shoulder’s tightened as he clung on for dear life. He wasn’t sure if he should look ahead to face his demise head on, or simply close his eyes and brace for impact. He trusted Dave enough, and couldn’t help but giggle as he felt Dave’s own chest shake with laughter, but he could practically picture the pair slipping and rolling right into a greasy puddle.
Pressing his face into Dave’s neck, his smile stretched against the boy’s skin as he slowed, approaching his truck. Dave carefully stopped at the driver’s side, shifting his own weight to hold Kurt to one side as he slipped his hand away to fumble his keys in the lock. Eventually, he clicked the door open, and turned around, bending just enough for Kurt to slide himself off of his back. Kurt carefully sat down, and scooted himself back towards the passenger side, holding his bag and Finn’s jacket to his chest.
As Dave ducked inside, his hair was mussed, speckled lightly with raindrops from the mere moments he was exposed to the rain. His cheeks were tinted pink, his smile from the run still lingering as he met Kurt’s eyes for just a moment. Kurt felt his entire face heat, suddenly finding himself melting into the soft leather of the seat as Dave pulled himself into the seat beside him, unable to tear his eyes away from his friend as he slammed the door closed behind him.
Kurt tore his gaze away, instead turning to look through the back window, catching an impatient-looking Finn back at the school’s entrance.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Dave said, running a hand through his short curls before turning the ignition. The truck came to life with a rumble, and Kurt was thankful as the cool air from the vents started to warm.
“You weren’t the one strapped to a daredevil,” Kurt replied, chuckling softly. Dave gave a small laugh of his own, reaching for the handbrake. However, Kurt reached out, stopping Dave’s hand before it could grab the handle, which caused Dave to turn to look at him inquisitively.
Kurt pulled his friend’s arms down slightly, their hands instinctively slipping together in a light hold-- the small act of affection having become a bit of a norm for them lately, and Kurt had grown to appreciate how natural it had all felt.
“Thank you,” Kurt said softly. Dave gave him a sweet smile, which caused Kurt’s heart to flutter yet again.
“Yeah, of course. Finn was kind of being a baby.”
“Well, yes,” Kurt said, letting out another small chuckle. “But I meant more generally.” Dave’s brow twitched upwards, and Kurt swallowed, gathering himself.
“I really care about you, David,” he continued, his thumb grazing along the other’s knuckles. Dave reciprocated the movement, both his smile and eyes softening as he watched Kurt speak. “And I really appreciate our time together.”
Suddenly, Dave’s expression changed, and Kurt caught himself. “That’s it,” he clarified, careful as he watched Dave’s emotions settle after the clear ‘but’ he had been expecting. The boy’s shoulders dropped, letting out a soft sigh. Kurt knew that behind his own words, he meant so much more than just a few quick statements. And as time passed, more and more thoughts and feelings continued to build into a big emotional novel, whether or not he was ready to address why. But he could at least understand that even in small moments like these, he knew he would hold them close.
Moving forward, Kurt laced his arms under Dave’s, pulling his friend into a hug. Dave hesitated for only a moment before wrapping his own arms around Kurt’s back. They stayed like that for a few seconds, Kurt pressing his nose against the back of Dave's head and taking a deep breath, the smell of the other's morning shampoo still lingering alongside his cologne. He'd been meaning to casually borrow a hoodie sometime. As the parted, their faces hung close, their noses no more than a few inches apart, Dave's hazel eyes bright as Kurt let his arms fall from around the other. Kurt's mouth parted, almost in awe of how Dave was looking at him, and gave a small smile and a sigh. He reached down to give Dave's hand one last squeeze before looking back over his shoulder, a gaze which Dave followed. Finn continued to look restless, bouncing between his feet as he looked around the lot, and Kurt was unable to stifle the giggle.
"Finn's about to have an aneurysm," Kurt joked, hitting the side of Dave's arm lightly. "Come on."
"Don't you have your keys?"
Kurt turned to look at Dave, who had a playful grin on his face, before looking down at his lap, where his keys sat tucked away in his bag.
"You sure you don't just want to come hang out for a bit?" Dave continued, his tone lilted. "We can grab food..."
Kurt let out a hearty laugh, and moved to sit forward, gesturing for Dave to turn back around. "You're so mean. Go get him."
Dave smirked and turned around, pulling the car into drive to slip out from the space as Kurt scooted beside him, the sides of their thighs flush together well before Finn needed the space in the seat beside him.