The first time Cooper Anderson remembers seeing one of them is in early September. He is about to walk into a Quizno's near his apartment one evening when he spots two young guys who look eerily familiar. They are both wearing white tank tops with the words "PH Pool Cleaning" in blue-green letters across the chest. The one with the mohawk especially stands out in Cooper's mind, but he just can't place them.
They are walking together, the taller, broader guy's arm slung around the mowhawk's shoulders. Taller guy is carrying a bag of food and sipping a drink while mowhawk guy holds a drink tray with two drinks. Cooper can't hear their hushed conversation apart from an exclamation of "Dork" from the mohawk, but they seem cozy enough and it makes Cooper miss his brother. I should call Blainey tonight, he thinks to himself as he watches the two of them climb into a jeep and drive away singing along to something loud on the radio.
The second time, Cooper is in a dressing room at Fred Segal trying on clothes when he hears a voice he immediately recognizes.
"This jacket is just what I have been looking for. Can we just remove the tags once I purchase it and I'll wear it out."
That all-but-unmistakable voice definitley belongs to his younger brother's ex-boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. Cooper quickly struggles to get into a pair of jeans and a shirt before he throws the door open and looks around for the voice. He hasn't even fastened the button or fly of the pants, and his loafers are kicked off in the corner of the dressing room, but Cooper has apparently still taken too much time because Kurt Hummel is nowhere to be seen.
Maybe it wasn't Kurt, Cooper thinks to himself as he fastens his pants, tucks in his tee shirt and slips into his loafers before gathering the items he intends on purchasing and making his way to the counter. Last Cooper had heard, Kurt was off to New York (NYADA hopefully) with the annoying, loud Jewish girl and her boyfriend, who was also somehow related to Kurt but Cooper can't remember quite how... a cousin, maybe?
The third time Cooper is on an escalator, descending to the subway, and he is almost positive the lithe figure standing on the subway platform is Kurt Hummel. Kurt has changed very little from the last time Cooper saw him, months ago. The pale skin, dark hair and small frame of Kurt are in stark contrast to his traveling companion. Cooper studies the man with his hand clutching Kurt's. He is taller than Kurt (even though Kurt has sprouted in height since the days when Kurt and Blaine were 'just friends'), with an impressive stance and the typical California sun-kissed skin and hair. They are looking up at the signs announcing the next train arriving.
Cooper wants to dash down to verify that it is Kurt, but before he can squeeze through the crowd on the escalator, another train has arrived and they slip through the doors. Finally, on the platform, Cooper dashes to the doorway of the crowded train onto which Kurt had just disappeared, only to see Kurt's companion claim one of the few seats. Cooper watches as Kurt scowls before the other man pulls him onto his lap, and the melodic sound of Kurt's laughter drifts to Cooper's ears as the doors slide closed and the train speeds away. Cooper wonders why Blaine has never mentioned that Kurt is in Los Angeles. The only reason that really makes any sense is that this is a new development since the break up and that Blaine himself doesn't know.
It's Halloween 2013, and Cooper is at the West Hollywood Halloween Night Costume Carnival. At Blaine's suggestion, Cooper dressed as Iron Man; he has convinced a couple of his buddies to come as other heroes from the Avengers franchise and his date is dressed as Pepper Potts. Cooper almost literally bumps into Kurt, who is dressed as Dracula, his dark hair slicked back and his pale skin almost glowing in the night. He's wearing a pair of fangs and is dressed mostly in black with an amazing black cape that is lined on the inside in blood red.
Cooper pulls up his mask and smiles. "Hello, stranger," he says as he catches Kurt's piercing eyes. Cooper notices a small flash of discomfort before Kurt grins slightly and reaches out a hand.
"Well, if it isn't the more handsome of the Anderson brothers," Kurt says with a chuckle.
Cooper takes the comment in stride; his little brother did by all accounts cheat on Kurt and break his heart. "I won't tell Blaine you said that," he jokes back. Cooper knows there is no chance for reconciliation; Blaine is still with Sebastian, after all, and claims to be quite happy and in love again. He is prospering back at Dalton and Sebastian and Blaine are the "dream team" of the Warblers.
Kurt waves a hand dismissively at Cooper. "Blaine already knows," he says with a shrug.
Cooper can't help but throw his head back and laugh for a second. When he looks back, two zombies are walking over towards them, their arms outstretched and mumbling something about brains. Cooper watches as Kurt's face instantly lights up and Cooper recognizes, despite the makeup, zombie #1 as Kurt's companion on the subway. When Cooper notices the mowhawk zombie #2 is sporting, his eyes widen as he realizes that zombie #1 is also the taller, broader guy from Quizno's.
Cooper watches in fascination as the zombie brothers move to either side of Kurt and make to attack his neck. Kurt in turn tilts his head back, giving the men more room to work.
"I thought the neck biting was part of my costume's character," Kurt scolds as he tugs their heads away from him. Cooper realizes Kurt is looking at him and he attempts a smile. Kurt giggles this time, "Boys, I think we may have broken Cooper Anderson."
"Anderson?" Zombie #2 all but snarls, "as in-"
"Mmhmmm," Kurt nods. "Please excuse my manners, Cooper. You might remember from your trip to McKinley, my brother, Finn Hudson."
Cooper feels like his eyes just might pop out of his head as he combines what Kurt has said with what he has seen.
"KK," Cooper hears zombie Finn say, "you've got to stop introducing me like that. It freaks people out." Finn extends a hand to Cooper and Cooper shakes it. "We're only step-brothers, really, and we were kind of together before -" Finn stops himself with a hand over his mouth.
Cooper watches as Kurt's eyes widen for an instant before he collects himself to speak again. "What Finn was saying is that he politely tolerated my huge crush on him back before our parents got married." Kurt shrugs as if it is no big deal. Then he turns to Mohawk Zombie. "This is Noah 'Puck' Puckerman, Finn's best friend."
Cooper reaches out to shake zombie Puck's hand as he grunts, "What's up, dude?"
Cooper shrugs, "I'm just kind of surprised to find you here in Los Angeles, Kurt. I thought New York was your big after high school plan."
Kurt looks contemplative for a moment as he taps his forefinger to the edge of his nose. "A lot of things changed at the end of high school. My going to New York was one of them."
Cooper just nods along because he understands what Kurt is saying. "Well, you look good, Kurt. Things are going well out here for you?" Cooper waits for a response while Kurt hesitates. Cooper suspects that yes, it might be weird for him to be asking these types of questions about his brother's ex-boyfriend but before Cooper can open his mouth again Kurt is speaking,
"I'm doing great, actually. It's almost surprising really how wonderful things are right now." He gives him a genuine smile as he wraps an arm around the waist of both Finn and Puck. The boys in turn, Cooper notices, each throw an arm over Kurt's shoulders and smile at each other.
Cooper feels his face flush a little as he ducks his head. He knows he has no right to ask the next question, but he does anyway because the curiosity is killing him. "And you are seeing someone?"
Cooper sees an annoyed look flash over the faces of the men on either side of Kurt but Kurt's words come quickly and soften their expressions. "I am and I'm very happy— all of us, we're very happy. I've more than made my peace with what happened with me and Blaine. I don't harbour any ill feelings towards him, nor Sebastian for that matter, about what they did. Not anymore; not when I know I wouldn't have this without it."
Cooper watches in amusement as Puck slaps Finn's shoulder. "Dork, we should send him, like, chocolates or something to thank him." Kurt laughs at this and Cooper tries not to laugh as well.
"Do you think I could get a picture of the three of you?" Cooper asks. "I don't think Blainey will believe me otherwise, that I ran into you."
Puck snickers the moment Cooper says 'Blainey,' and Kurt quickly begins to nod his approval to the request. But then Cooper notices Finn has cupped the side of Kurt's face and turned it to look at him. His hand slides down Kurt's cheek and Finn hooks a finger under his chin, tilting his head up to look at him. "KK" he says softly, tenderly, "you don't owe him anything." Kurt's eyes close and Cooper feels like he is spying on the most intimate of moments and so he tears his eyes away.
"I know," Cooper hears Kurt's breathy reply and then the sound of two pairs of lips meeting. Cooper studies his shoes until he hears a couple of contented sighs and a laugh from Puck. Cooper pulls out his phone to take a picture, just as he is about to snap it though, both Finn and Puck lean in and kiss Kurt on the cheek. The resulting picture shows an amused but surprised Kurt being kissed by two men, but between the profiles and the makeup, it is hard to make out who they are.
"Boys," Cooper admonishes with a chuckle, "let's try that again." The second photo is better, with Finn and Puck each leaning on top of Kurt's head. "Here Kurt, let me send these to you." Cooper opens a new text box and passes the phone over so Kurt can enter his number. Kurt's phone soon beeps twice with his text alert.
When Coop looks up, he spots his date waving at him frantically. "I better go, my friends are waiting." Cooper nods in their direction. "It was great running into you Kurt; and nice to meet you again, Finn, Puck. You boys take care of each other, ok?"
Late the next afternoon, Cooper phones Blaine. He waits while the phone rings and finally a breathless Blaine answers.
"Coop, is that you?"
"Hello to you too, Blainey. Am I interrupting?"
"Nah, we just finished up a Warblers practice. What's up? How's Los Angeles?"
"That's kind of why I called. I ran into a couple of friends' of yours last night at a Halloween party." Cooper pauses, unsure exactly how to continue. "I saw Kurt."
Blaine is surprised. "Kurt's in L.A.?"
"Apparently, yes. And he wasn't alone. I saw him with... um, I think his name was Puck. Dark skin, Mohawk?"
"Well, that is odd," Blaine muses. "It was probably just an accident or a coincidence- Kurt and Puck are not really friends."
"They weren't alone, Blainey. They were with Finn."
Cooper can hear his smile across the phone. "Well, that makes more sense now. Finn and Puck are best friends, and Finn is Kurt's brother, so... yeah, ok, that sounds reasonable."
"They're step-brothers, right?" Cooper asks because Blaine only said brother, the same way Kurt had.
"Yeah, they're just related by marriage. But they are super close, even closer than you and me. It would almost be weird, but it isn't." Blaine starts chuckling on the other end of the phone. "Kurt actually set their parents up in an attempt to get closer to Finn, despite the fact that Finn is straight."
Cooper laughs now too because obviously things are different.
"Did he—I mean, Kurt, was he..." Blaine hesitates. "Is he ok?"
"Yeah, I think he is, sport," Cooper responds. "He seems very happy and he told me in no uncertain terms that he is no longer upset with what happened between you guys. He's moved on and-" Cooper is interrupted by something happening on the other end of the phone.
"Just a second Cooper, Seb is freaking out about something here," Blaine explains.
Cooper tries to listen to what is going on, but most of the conversation is muffled but he knows Blaine will tell him all about it in a minute.
Blaine is laughing when he comes back to the phone. "Well, that was odd," he says. "Sebastian just got a box of chocolates delivered to Warblers practice, addressed to Sebastian and Blaine Warbler…"
Cooper cuts off Blaine with his own laughter.
"Wait, it gets better. They're from Finn and Puck. What a coincidence that you ran into them last night and they sent us chocolates. Why would they send us chocolates? That is so weird. But they are good chocolates."
Blaine is quiet for a moment and Cooper doesn't push the conversation because he isn't sure how to bring up the rest.
Cooper hears Blaine take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "Was he there with someone? I mean, did he say if he is dating?"
Coopers voice makes his voice soft and caring when he responds. "Yeah, he is, Blainey. And he is happy. I've got a couple of pictures I could send you."
"Sure, Coop," Blaine replies. "I'm glad he's moved on. He deserves to be happy too."
"Ok, they're sent." Cooper hears a sharp intake of breath and it feels like forever before Blaine says anything.
"Wow. Kurt is dating Puck? Or, oh my god, is he with Finn?" Blaine asks.
"Uhm, both I think?" Cooper replies. "They didn't give me details, but it seems like they are all dating each other. I've seen Finn and Puck out together, I've also seen Finn and Kurt out together too."
"Well..." Blaine clears his throat. "I guess the box of chocolates makes a little more sense now."