The period between Christmas and Valentine's day, that month and a half or so, that's the winter of New Yorkers. The fairytale snow has melted to small deposits of sludge, central park heaves with the carriers of Christmas binging guilt, sticking to the first (and often final) month of their I-WILL-GET-FIT New Year’s resolution. Kurt Hummel liked to consider himself a New Yorker now. He’d been living (successfully, he felt, he was not in debt, top of his class and top of the world) in the city for neigh on 6 months. He felt an affinity with New York that he had never so much as glimpsed with Lima, he felt at peace with the people hurrying around him in central park, he felt unity. Walking to his right was Rachel Berry and loping to his left was Finn, he wasn’t particularly listening to Rachel burbling on at Finn describing, what seemed like, their every waking moment since arriving in the city of their dreams. He could feel Finn grow more uncomfortable by the second, and he knew Finn was trying not to mind that he was still back in Ohio and he was missing out on the New York New Year’s parties, the shopping, the coffee shops and, most of all, having Rachel Berry in his life all day every day.

Kurt felt Rachel’s brags peak and new Finn wouldn’t be able to take much more, he opened his mouth to change the subject ‘Finn how are Carole’s parents? They must have celebrated…oh…hello’ he said in surprise as a small, golden dog trotted up to him, he stopped and bent over to stroke the dog’s muzzle and to his surprise the small animal tucked himself in against Kurt’s legs and gazed at him with warm brown eyes. Kurt looked around and saw Finn and Rachel were still walking, they’d moved closer and her gloved hand was tucked in the crook of his elbow. ‘HEY GUYS’ he yelled ‘WAIT UP, I WANNA SAY HELLO TO BEAUTIFUL’ he looked down at the dog and said ‘who’s beautiful? Is it you? Yes it’s you’ in a voice that should only be reserved for small and cute animals. He squatted next to the dog and it nuzzled up his chest and licked his chin, he giggled and kissed it back. As he did so he felt someone approach and a shadow block the bright and sharp wintery sunlight, casting a short shadow over him. Kurt turned his head to look at the stranger, one eye squinting against the light that filtered past the stranger’s head. With one gloved hand still on the back of the dog he stood up, ‘Hi’ he said to the stranger, taking in the man’s stubble, dark curls and smiling eyes ‘sorry, is this your dog?’
‘She is’ nodded the stranger smiling and holding up a rolled up lead as if to prove he was, indeed, the owner.
‘She’s beautiful’ grinned Kurt ‘What breed is she?’ he added as an afterthought, cupping his hand under her chin and scratching her head simultaneously.
‘She’s a miniature labradoodle, but not the really curly kind’ said the stranger
Kurt studied her, she really looked like a miniature Labrador, just with slightly messier fur and a pointier nose.
‘Yeah, her mum was a golden Labrador and her dad was an apricot miniature poodle. I imagine the, er conception, was a little… difficult for them both. Apparently he had to have a ramp to reach…er… you know, her’ and the dark haired honey-eyed stranger tailed off with apparent embarrassment. Kurt snorted
‘That’s pretty funny actually’ he laughed, ‘what’s her name?’
‘Umm, Scout, you like the girl from...’
‘To Kill a Mockingbird?’ Kurt interrupted
‘Yes!’ said the man grinning broadly
‘Well Scout’ said Kurt looking down ‘you’re very…’ but the small dog had scampered off down the pathway of her own accord
‘HEY SCOUT’ yelled the man ‘WAIT UP, I WANNA TALK TO BEAUTIFUL’