Kurts mouth watered as he stared at the donuts in his favorite Brooklyn bakery. Saturdays were Donut Day in the Hummel-Berry-Lopez apartment and, since both Rachel and Santana had rehearsals all morning, he had been charged with buying todays donuts.

"Whatll you have?" the guy asked from behind the counter.

"Five glazed donuts, please."

"If you get five, I have to charge you individually. If you get one more, you can have half a dozen for just a few cents more."

Kurt shook his head, "No, just five, thank you." He had been feeling rather low this week, and his inclination was to eat his feelings. But he knew it would lead to his inability to fit into his skinny jeans, which would only make him feel worse in the long run. Thus, he was strictly limiting his purchase to five donuts--two each for Santana and Rachel, and only one for himself.

"Okay, if youre sure...." The guy shook his head like Kurt was crazy, but began pulling donuts out of the display case with long-handled tongs and putting them in a box. When he finished, the five golden rings of delicious fried dough gleamed enticingly through the clear cellophane window of the boxs lid.

Kurt reached into his back pocket for his wallet and, as he did so, he vaguely registered a voice somewhere behind him asking, "Kris?" Then a hand touched his arm, and he was startled to see Thrand standing at his side repeating, "Kris?"

As he turned, his voice caught, and he choked out a throaty "Thrand!"

"Kris, what are you doing here?"

Scrambling to regain his composure, Kurt whispered, as if guarding a state secret, "These guys have amazing donuts. Theyre the best in the city, as far as Im concerned."

Thrand nodded and whispered back, "I know."

"Why are we whispering?"

"I dont know; you started it."

Kurt grinned at that.  Then he sobered and asked in normal volume but low-pitched voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Im here a lot. In the neighborhood, I mean. I work near here."

"Oh. Well..." Kurt shuffled a little from side to side, trying to think of something to say that wouldnt lead Thrand to ask awkward questions.

Thrand looked uncomfortable, too. He vaguely gestured with his hands, looked around the shop as if avoiding Kurts gaze, and murmured, "I should probably let you go. It was nice seeing you."

A wave of disappointment washed over Kurt. "Yeah, you, too." But he forced a smile and, grabbing his box, he lifted his chin, straightened his spine, and with long, purposeful strides, left the bakery.

Once he hit the sidewalk, though, he paused. What was he doing? Hed been thinking about Thrand all week. Was he just going to let him go?

His heart and head battled. His heart told him walking away would be something he might regret for the rest of his life. His head reasoned that he could never dig his way out of the lies hed already told. Biting his lip, he shuffled back and forth from foot to foot while he listened to both sides argue with each other.

Wondering why life couldnt ask him to make decisions when he was more prepared, he resolved to come clean and let the chips fall where they may. And he would do it in his regular voice, which seemed to have somehow been taken over by Kristoffs voice when hed responded to Thrand. He would just wait until he came out of the bakery and use the time to rehearse what he would say.

When Thrand stepped out of the bakery--a much larger donut box in his hand and clearly surprised to see him--Kurt was ready--or so he thought. Instead, the sight of Thrand, with the sun highlighting his dark curls and glinting warmly off his toffee eyes, stole Kurts breath and forced a lump in his throat. As a result, his voice came out much lower than he intended as he spoke. "Id like to talk to you. Can we go somewhere?"

Thrand looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. "We could go to the park."

It was winter, but it was a surprisingly warm day. For two men bundled in coats and scarves, sitting outside would be pleasant for a while.

Kurt nodded. He put his hand out for Thrands box. "Let me carry that for you."

Okay, maybe hed keep up the lower voice just a little bit longer.

With a surprised look in his eyes, Thrand relinquished the box. Kurt put his free hand to the small of Thrands back, guiding him across the street to a small, neighborhood park. There was a pond that was populated with a handful of ducks, apparently impervious to the cold and more interested in handouts.

Other than the ducks, the area was largely deserted, and Kurt escorted Thrand to a bench. He waited for him to sit and get comfortable before placing the boxes of donuts on the far side of the bench and settling next to him. Thrand shifted a little closer, and Kurt couldnt resist putting an arm around his shoulders, which caused Thrand to push closer still.

Kurt knew he should talk, but it just felt so good to have Thrand in his arms again, and he wanted to make the moment last as long as possible. He suspected that, when he finished with what he had to say, Thrand might storm off. This could very well be his last chance to feel him like this, small and precious in his embrace.

At length, Kurt tilted his head down to offer his confession, but at the same time, Thrand tilted his head up and, almost of their own volition, their lips somehow found each other. Kurt felt almost dizzy from the feel of Thrands soft mouth moving sweetly below his own. He realized with a jolt that hed never kissed Thrand before--not on the lips. There had been the blow job, and there had been cuddling, and Kurt had placed many a kiss to Thrands temple and forehead, and to his hair, but he hadnt kissed him on the lips. Hed forgotten this. How could he forget?

Kurt felt Thrands lips part softly below his, and he gently licked his way into his mouth. Responding to the pressure of Kurts tongue, Thrand opened his mouth a little wider to grant him access and tentatively touched his own tongue to Kurts. Responding without thinking, Kurt tugged Thrand tighter, so that he was nearly sitting in Kurts lap. He let his tongue explore Thrands warm, welcoming mouth, touching tongue to teeth and lips before tangling with the other mans tongue, which was becoming more and more insistent. Briefly, Thrands tongue plunged into Kurts mouth, and Kurt felt the heat of it sizzle all the way to his toes, but just as quickly he pulled back, as if content to let Kurt explore his mouth, instead.

Panting slightly, and unable to do more without embarrassing themselves and the ducks, they pulled away from each other. Thrand shifted so that both of his legs were now firmly on the bench, but his body was still sheltered in Kurts arms. "You taste amazing, Thrand," Kurt murmured in the smaller mans ear, pressing a kiss there, too, causing Thrand to shiver slightly.

Thrand squirmed a little in Kurts arms. "Can you call me...I mean...um...not Thrand..." Thrand looked down at his hands, which he was twisting nervously in his lap. Kurt remained quiet while he waited for him to finish speaking, and he observed with pleasure the blush of color that rose to his cheeks as he struggled with what he was saying. Finally, Thrand continued, "I liked it better...well...when you called me ‘Honey."

Kurt laughed and squeezed Thrand a little more tightly and kissed the upper tip of his ear again, murmuring softly, "Oh, Honey, I would like that a lot."

They kissed again after that, and it was just as sweet as before; then they sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in his own thoughts. Just as Kurt was trying to decide what to say next, the silence was broken as Thrands stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Kurt asked, with a smile in his voice.

"A little," Thrand admitted. "I hadnt grabbed breakfast yet."

"We have two boxes of donuts," Kurt pointed out.

"I dont...that is..." Thrands nose wrinkled as he tried to explain himself. "Donuts are kind of unhealthy, and they arent usually my first choice to fuel my day," he finally concluded. 

Kurt couldnt argue with that, although he was a little surprised--and impressed--that Thrand was so disciplined. Still, donuts were delicious, and they did have a lot of them, "Is that why you bought a dozen?" he jokingly chided.

Thrand giggled and shook his head against Kurts shoulder, "No. My friend, Sam, is coming over later today. He loves them, and hell easily eat a whole box."

Kurt felt a small pang at hearing that Thrand was going to spend time with another man. He attempted to squash it down. "It must come with the name. I went to high school with a guy named Sam, who could eat a dozen donuts and still look for more." He lost himself in thought for a moment before continuing, "We lost track of each other after high school, but I still remember envying him. I dont know where he put it; he never gained weight."

Coming back to his more immediate concern about Thrands possible involvement with another man, Kurt tried to sound casual as he asked, "How did you and Sam meet?" Kurt hoped the question sounded innocent enough and not what it really was--an attempt to pry into Thrands love life.

Thrand shrugged, "I met him at a bar after I got out of college. Hes a model; you might have seen him on a bus. His picture, I mean."

Kurt shrugged. There were a lot of pictures of models on buses, and he didnt care about that nearly as much as whether Thrand was romantically involved with another guy. "Did you date?" he ventured.

"Sam? No!" Thrand sounded a bit astonished at the very idea. "Sams very straight. Besides, hes not really my type."

Kurt nearly slumped in relief. Without realizing it, he was falling into his Kristoff persona as he huskily asked, "So what is your type?"

Thrand shook his head. "Im not sure I have one. I know I just implied that I do, but I dont, really. Its just...Sam is...Well, Ive dated... that is...Well," he finally blurted, "Im just really done with men who dont take life seriously, who dont make any money, who dont have secure jobs, and who wait for others to make things happen--you know what I mean? Ive dated my last loser. Im done with it."

Thrand said the last with more conviction than Kurt had ever heard in his voice, and his heart plummeted. Kurt didnt make much money, and job insecurity was kind of de rigueur for costume designers and aspiring actors. He worked when there was work, but finding and keeping steady design work was always a scramble. He was careful with his money, but there was always so little of it that he was never able to save much.

Kurt realized then that there was no point in confessing everything to Thrand. He obviously was looking for the kind of guy that Kurt might never be. He had seen Thrands apartment; it was expensive, even if somewhat tasteless. Thrand clearly came from money, and he obviously was looking for the same in a romantic partner--someone who could wine and dine him and take him on lavish vacations. Kurt wasnt that guy; he wasnt even close.

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. So, this was it. Still, while he was here, he could at least have this time for as long as it lasted. He was determined not to let this interlude pass.

Reaching past Thrand, he grabbed his box of donuts.

"What are you doing?" asked Thrand, looking a little perplexed.

Kurt opened the lid and broke off a piece of one of the glazed delicacies. He held it up to Thrands lips. "Honey," he said throatily as he popped the piece into Thrands mouth, "this donut is unhealthy and sinfully delicious, and Im not leaving until youve eaten at least one." Thrand, gazing at him with those fabulous eyes, accepted the offering between those also fabulous lips, and moaned softly as he blissfully began to chew.