The moving process was a little stressful for Dimitri, especially since he was worried about his collectibles and figurines getting damaged. He was a grown man, yes, but that didn't take away from the fact that he cared a lot about his comic book heroes, and statues, and all his precious belongings winding up lost, stolen, or broken. Since Kurt was still very sore in some places, Dimitri insisted the younger man relax while him and the movers packed everything into the truck. Since he'd lived in this little Anavrin apartment for some time, he hadn't acquired too many pieces of furniture, and since they weren't going to be taking his old bed, the truck wouldn't be too overly crowded with things piled on top of each other. So far, all they were taking was the sofa, entertainment center, bookshelves, the dining table, and the dressers from his bedroom. He made a note for him and Kurt to go out in New York to find more things a little later.
Today, however, Dimitri and Kurt were going to be headed straight for NYC in just a couple hours. They'd be there before all the furniture arrived, but sleeping in a hotel together certainly didn't sound bad at all.
When all the packing was over with, Dimitri took a moment to type out a quick email to send to his previous boss Mr. Corbin. He thanked the man for hiring him years back, having faith in him to grow in the company, and expressed additional thanks to seeing great potential in him. After sending the email out, he tucked his thin laptop in a pocket inside his personal briefcase.
Since they'd already said their goodbyes to Sherrie and Attis the day before, there was no longer anything in Anavrin to miss. Well, Dimitri and Kurt surely would miss JoJo's café up the street, but they decided to search for a place to have drinks and quick meals soon after they were comfortable in the new city.
After a while, the couple left for the airport and were dropped off via cab. With their luggage onboard, they boarded the flight as well and said goodbye to Dimitri's home town. All in all, Anavrin, Texas had been good to him. The city in general. Even for a place down south, he didn't usually have those homophobic experiences one would think were all over the place in a state like Texas. He'd had a pretty decent childhood growing up in the city, enjoyed his schooling and previous friends, but saying goodbye to it all felt like entering a new and brighter chapter in his life. Beginning that chapter with Kurt by his side couldn't feel better.
On the plane, Dimitri and Kurt talked for a while about how they were going to spend the holidays, and it was during that conversation when Kurt's older brother Danny popped into his head. It'd been a little while since the last time he even thought of his older brother, and now that he was healing from the ordeal with Mick, there was a piece of Kurt that just wanted to connect with his family again. He thought of his parents, how disappointed they'd be if they could see the separation between him and Danny. Most of all, Kurt kind of just wanted to try putting the past behind him and never looking back. Besides, Danny had been beginning to understand how wrong he was to not believe him before. That's all Kurt had wanted, for his brother to see that Mick truly was the monster he'd made him out to be. Now, Kurt just wanted to connect with his brother and niece and sister-in-law in a way he hadn't previously.
After the death of their parents those years back, Kurt had shut himself off from Danny and his family, but now he hoped there was still time to mend what had shattered before.
Keeping his mental debate to himself for the remainder of the flight, Kurt managed to get just a little shut eye before the flight landed, and when it did...he suddenly felt overwhelmed just by the idea of being in New York. Since he'd spent a small portion of his life in London, he thought this place would be something pretty similar, and the moment he and Dimitri had their bags and were inside a cab...the traffic itself felt pretty familiar.
"Isn't there a tube?" Kurt asked, they'd been driving pretty slowly for a good several minutes.
"The subway?" Dimitri said, "I'm sure we will use it way more than actually driving my car when it gets here, but I think we'll definitely have to work on getting used to it before just jumping on. The last thing I want is to wind up lost."
"Understandable," Kurt scooted closer to the older man and leaned up against his shoulder, "Wake me up when we get to the hotel, love."
After nearly an hour of sitting through rush hour, the couple arrived to a hotel not far from the condominium they were going to have a walkthrough of tomorrow. It was a comfortable place, not too pricey, but still up there for the cost, but real nice nonetheless. It was located a couple blocks from New York University, and when they passed it, Kurt's ambition to go back to school livened.
A couple minutes later, Dimitri and Kurt had their cardkey and were up in their room. It had one bed and was very nice on the inside with red carpet flooring, big windows with a nice view, a wide comfortable bed, a suspended television, and the bathroom was almost royal.
"Ugh," Dimitri dropped down onto the bed after tossing his bag, and he quickly snatched up the room service menu atop the nightstand. "I'm starving. You want anything?"
"Yeah," Kurt sat down as well, and he searched for his cellphone. "I'll have whatever you're getting. I think I'm gonna make a call to me bruv."
Sitting up with his legs crossed after kicking off his shoes, Dimitri skimmed through the menu at what was available. "Your brother, huh?"
"Now that everything's going in a different direction," Kurt said, "I feel like I should tray patching things up a little better. Then again, it's probably Danny who needs to work on patching things up with me, but...whatever, y'know?"
Dialing his brother's number, Kurt sat down at the foot of the bed and listened to it ring. Since the time was currently 4:00pm, it was 9:00pm back in Birmingham where Danny lived, and after a couple of rings went by, the line was picked up. "Hello?" Danny's voice answered the call, and when there wasn't a reply for a moment, he went on with, "You there, Kurt?"
"Hey, bruv," Kurt finally answered, "How are things?"
"I'm glad you called, actually," Danny said, "I was going to call you earlier today, but the Misses went and dragged me out this safta to go shopping for Louisa's Christmas presents."
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Kurt asked, pushing his fingers into his hair, and then he looked off to the side when Dimitri showed him the menu, pointing to a platter that looked rather appetizing. He nodded to the suggestion.
"Hold on," Danny sounded like he was moving about, and when a minute passed, he said, "First, I'm going to need you to listen to me, alright?" There was a quick pause, and then: "I went to see Mick this morning."
Kurt's breath caught.
"I had to, bruv, just listen. I had to see if there was anything I could do to help you. There's no way he can just walk away, going about his life every day after all the things he's done to you. I needed to see if I could find any proof, any sort of evidence at all that would shine some light on the truth of what kind of cunt he truly is. So, I went to his house this morning, acting clueless and all like we was still good mates. Kurt, I found...records he kept of what he'd done, pictures and videos he'd hidden in his desk."
Just thinking about there being any type of footage of his torment made Kurt's heart stammer. Had Mick really documented all those sick nights to look back on, to keep them all for himself as precious memories? "Why – Why are you telling me this?" Kurt swallowed nervously.
"I took them, the pictures and videos," Danny said, "He doesn't know I have 'em. We can use them to get that sadistic fuck thrown in prison!"
"Did you watch 'em? The videos?" Kurt asked, feeling as his hands began to get a little clammy.
"Part of the first one, yes, but I couldn't–," Danny stopped for a second. "We have to take everything to the police, Kurt. If Mick is left free to go about his life, there's no telling what more harm he could do. He could try to hurt you again, Kurt, and I can't let that happen."
Almost wanting to laugh, Kurt merely shook his head and huffed, feeling as tears began to brim his eyes, but he tried to keep them under control. "It's too late for that, bruv."
"What do you mean?" Danny suddenly demanded.
"A couple days ago, he showed up and..."
Kurt couldn't say it, but his silence was all Danny needed to pick up on what exactly he was talking about. "What?!" Danny shouted into the receiver, "Did – Did Mick hurt you? Again?!" It sounded like he'd punched a wall on the other side, "Fuck! That piece of scum flew all the way to the US just to...Kurt, you must let me help you. I don't know what's going on in your life right now, I don't know who you're with, if you're safe. Please, after all the denying I put you through...let me help you, bruv. Please!"
Kurt could hear when Danny starting bawling on the phone, so ashamed and terribly sorry that he hadn't been there for his kid brother when Kurt needed him the most. Standing from the foot of the bed then when Dimitri began to make a call for room service, Kurt neared the window and stared out over the restless city below.
"I don't know if I could handle it," he confessed, keeping his voice down a little. "Danny, I've been crushed enough by him. I feel like – seeing him face to face again will only drive me even more mad. Those pictures and videos you're talking about, to think of them being seen by anyone terrifies me, and taking all of this to court sounds utterly humiliating and exhausting. He's gone now, thanks to Dimitri, and I can't imagine he'll be coming back. I just – want to – try forgetting it all."
"Kurt, bruv, please," Danny begged, distraught that his little brother, whom used to be overflowing with confidence and pride, no longer sounded like himself. "Mick cannot be left unpunished in this life. He's a lunatic and he needs to be locked up. What if he ever gets his hands on someone else, huh? What if someday he tortures another helpless boy who don't know how to break away? Mick cannot have the liberty of doing that again."
There was nothing said on the line for a time as Kurt thought. Of course, he'd never want another boy to go through the pains of what he'd experienced with Mick. And he knew Mick had the power to do it again. Mick could charm his way into anyone's life, manipulate, and twist his victim's thoughts until they were nothing more than submissive pets. That's what Kurt had been for that dreadful year, a pet, a toy, something to use and reuse again and again. And–
"I have to think about it, Danny," Kurt said, coming to realize he wasn't doing the best job at keeping his composure. His breathing was sporadic, and he was having a hard time remaining on his feet. He needed to sit down. "I'll call you back, Danny."
Kurt hung up the cellphone then and dropped it. When he turned around, Dimitri had just hung up with room service as well, and he'd immediately picked up on Kurt's shakiness. "What's the matter?" the older man asked. "What happened?"
Needing to feel Dimitri in any way, Kurt pressed himself into the old man's chest, clutching him without hesitation, and he turned his face into the crook of Dimitri's neck. "My brother," Kurt said, "He said he went to see Mick this morning, and he found proof of him...raping me in his house. Danny wants to use it all the make a case against him."
This news sounded both tragic and wonderful at the same time. On one hand, hard evidence of Mick's crime would get him locked away. While, on the other, it meant a full light would have to be shined down upon all the documented times Kurt was under Mick's disgusting control, and people would have to see him at his weakest to get any conviction.
"What are you thinking?" Dimitri wondered, "I, too, think it's best to put Mick behind bars. Hell, I wanted to kill him when I had the chance, but I also understand how you wouldn't want to be involved with him in any way anymore."
"I – uh – I should," Kurt unlatched from the older man's embrace and took a step back "I don't want what I went through to happen to anyone else, and I don't want to have him try to come back into our lives. I want to be here with you, Dimitri, and I don't want us to have to worry about him again someday."
"So, you'll go to the police?"
Kurt groaned loudly and leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "All I wanted was for us to come here and start again. But, I guess our settling in together will have to be put on hold for just a little while. If I'm going to do this," he answered, "That also implies I'll have to go back to England."
Although it sounded terrible to have to be without Kurt for even just a day, especially now that they were moved and looked forward to a life in New York together, Dimitri understood they were putting it off just for the time being. "Alright," he nodded, "When?"
Touching a hand to his neck, Kurt sighed, "Before these bruises heal. I should book a flight for tomorrow."
"Okay," Dimitri cupped the younger man's face, and he pressed gentle kisses about his cheeks. "You know I'll only be a phone call away."
_
For the remainder of that day, Kurt and Dimitri stayed at each other's side. Since they weren't going to see each other for however long business in England took once Kurt left, they made it a priority to do as much as they could together while they had the time. Hand in hand, they walked the nearby streets of New York together, inspecting shops, and they even successfully located a tasteful café much like JoJo's after going to five different ones. The couple grabbed frozen drinks, watched the life of the city never fade as the hours went on, and took a trip to Central Park when the sun was nearly beneath the horizon.
Already, they were in love with New York.
Unbeknownst to the other as they walked, when they passed by a good handful of jewelry stores, they both kept the idea in mind to purchase a decent ring to purpose to the other with, but since a separation was on its way, they planned the save it for when they were reunited. The moment Kurt flew back to the US after dealing with the Mick situation, he was prepared to get down on one knee and ask for Dimitri's hand in marriage.
And vice versa.
When their stroll through Central Park was finished, they headed back to the hotel, and a sincere smile lit up on Kurt's face when they neared the front of a flower shop. It was just on the verge of closing, and a young woman was taking in unpurchased bouquets and single flowers. Before he and Dimitri could passed it up, Kurt stopped, and said, "Pardon, ma'am, how much for two roses?"
The young woman with bundled up braids smiled to the couple, and then she plucked two nice, healthy-looking roses from a bundle she was taking inside. "Just take 'em," she offered.
"Thank you," Kurt received the two long-stemmed flowers, and then turned to hand them to Dimitri.
The older man couldn't help the blush of his cheeks as they turned an embarrassed shade of pink. Suddenly, it was like the time they'd first gone out together in Anavrin. Their walk around the city, their drinks, and of course the moment Kurt had amiably handed him a pair of beautiful roses. "Look how flushed you are," Kurt snickered, "Like I've never been romantic before."
With a laugh, Dimitri turned the roses together in in his hand, and met Kurt's gaze when the younger man touched a finger to his chin. He was so saddened to think about being gone from his lover's side for any length of time, and he could tell just by the way Kurt looked at him now, that he was doing a terrible job at hiding that fact.
"I love you so much," Dimitri let out, "I just love you so much, Kurt."
"Oh, bloody fuck," Kurt breathed in deep and turned away, pulling the older man along by his fingers, "Don't you dare go on and make me cry, dammit. Stop it."
Unable to help the laugh that shook his chest, Dimitri dried his eyes with the bottom of his shirt and they continued their walk.
Their last night together for a while was perfect, and when they were finally tired, laying in their hotel bed to relax was all they needed to close out the night. As Dimitri lay within Kurt's arms, the television remained on as their kiss prolonged. Kurt even considered right now to be a great time for a farewell shag, but the fading pains in his body told him otherwise. Kissing Dimitri, however, was still very satisfying. Lying there with him, pressing kisses about the older man's neck, touching across his chest, and just feeling his warm breath upon his own neck, and tasting his wonderful lips...it was enough for the time being.
"I love you," he kept his voice to a whisper, gliding his fingers through Dimitri's luscious and beautiful darkish blonde hair. "I won't be long, love. I promise."
___
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