Cadences (32/35 + epilogue)
Word Count: ~2700
Summary: Life doesn’t get much better than when you get to spend it with your favorite fella. Follow the boys as they navigate from young love to newlyweds to fatherhood and beyond.
Author’s Note: Thanks to the betas, Becca and Kerry.
January, 2042
Kurt is 48, Blaine is 47, Addie is 17, and Declan is 15.
To: Matt, Julia
From: Kurt
Date: Jan 4, 2042 @ 8:07 am
Subject: What do you think?
Blaine’s been pretty bummed lately, with good reason of course. Christmas was sort of a terribly sad affair. The first holidays without a parent are always hard. So I was thinking I’d like to cheer him up.
And it’s sort of an elaborate cheer up and I thought maybe you guys would like to get involved.
I was thinking we could go skiing. President’s week.
I know the kids have the week off, and it’ll be expensive and crowded because everyone skis President’s week, but it would be fun, wouldn’t it? I think it would really cheer him up.
To: Kurt
From: Julia
Date: Jan 4, 2042
Subject: re: What do you think?
We’re in. 100%.
~~~~~
A Moment of Matt
We’ve taken the kids skiing in the past all together, but only for the day and it’s been years since we’ve even done that. Life gets in the way a lot. We do always find time to get together, but it’s rare that we all find time to get away.
When Kurt proposed this getaway to Blaine, he definitely perked up. They have season passes to a ski resort in Pennsylvania, because Blaine really does love to ski, but this week will be special. We’re even going to take the trek back to Maine and we haven’t done that since the time we went in college.
All of our kids are surprisingly solid skiers, though I suppose that’s what happens when you put them on skis before they’re old enough to be afraid.
When we get to Kurt and Blaine’s house early Sunday morning, the four of them are all set. As usual, our kids want to randomize. I almost feel bad when the twins beg to drive with Blaine, but on the other hand, it’ll get them out of my hair for a little while.
And then Julia says that I should go with Blaine and she and Kurt will drive our SUV.
I give her a dirty look but she just smiles. Glass half full, at least I don’t have to drive.
We’re just getting into Connecticut and the twins decide they need to go to the bathroom. And they mean immediately.
Nearest rest stop, here we come!
A moment of Declan
I have no idea how this always happens, but I’m once again stuck sitting next to Jessa.
I don’t really know how to talk to her. She’s one of those girls that talks, and talks, and talks. And I try to say something but I always sound stupid. And I’m not stupid. I’m just awkward. I guess that’s all it is.
And she’s practically like my cousin and it’s super weird and ridiculous for me to like her anyway.
Was that her hand? Did she just touch my thigh? What is even happening right now?
A moment of Jessa
I have the hugest crush on Declan. And I kind of want to tell him, but on the other hand I’d still have to see him all the time if he doesn’t like me.
It’s weird for me to like him. I know it is. Because we spend so much time together as families. He probably thinks of me as a little sister.
But he’s just so cute. I like how he’s sort of quiet, but not weird quiet, serious quiet. And he’s smart and his hair isn’t as red as it used to be but it’s still a really pretty color. We used to be like best friends when we were kids. But he’s a year ahead of me in school, and it’s not like we go to the same school or anything, but he started seeming more than a year older than me. And now I pretty much worship the ground he walks on.
If my parents found out how I feel about him I would probably never hear the end of it.
Maybe if I brush his thigh.
A moment of Addie
I should have gone in the other car. Sitting between the twins in a crowded backseat would be easier than watching Jessa try to make a play for Declan while Dad and Julia jibber jabber in the front about how funny it was the time they went skiing in college and Dumdum hit Poop in the eye with his ski pole.
I’m going to daydream about the other car for a little while.
Oh look! It’s time for a rest stop.
A moment of Julia
Addie basically just somersaulted out of the car and ran inside. If she needed to use the restroom she should have said something. We would have stopped for her!
We all meet inside and by the time everyone’s done getting a drink or using the restroom somehow the seating arrangements get completed renegotiated.
A moment of Declan
How is that everyone else’s seats got entirely randomized and yet I am still sitting next to Jessa but in a different car? How?
A moment of Jessa
I probably shouldn't have body checked Miles out of the way so I could sit next to Declan. Now he suspects something. I need to chill out.
Be cool, Jessa. Maybe I should talk to Addie about this.
A moment of Addie
After surviving the longest car ride on the planet yesterday, somehow I end up on the world’s longest ski lift with Jessa.
Now, let me be frank. I love Jessa. She’s wonderful, she’s probably the least annoying 14 year old I’ve ever met. And that’s including Declan. I even found Declan annoying as a 14 year old. Hell, I found myself annoying as a 14 year old.
But Jessa is really cool.
Except for right this second because the ski lift has stopped and she is peppering me with questions about Declan. I’m not surprised she feels this way about him, I could tell. However I’m a little shocked she is speaking so freely at the moment. I mention this to her and she immediately starts begging me never to tell anyone in our families that she likes him.
I promise that I won’t. But let’s be real, I’m pretty sure Declan likes her too. But they’re just kids and they have long lives ahead of them. That will inevitably include a lot of barbecues and New Year’s Eves and family gatherings. And our families are always together for these things.
So, I beg her to be cool and don’t do anything embarrassing. Let’s see if she’s up to this challenge.
A moment of Declan
Jessa has not cornered me once during the past 24 hours, so I asked Addie about it. Because now I feel kind of weird and I don’t want Jessa to think that I don’t like her.
And Addie said that Jessa’s trying to be cool. I suppose this means that she does like me.
I don’t think anyone has ever liked me before. I told Addie that and she said that it’s great but that I need to remember that if Jessa and I do anything and then decide we don’t like each other we are basically dooming ourselves for awkwardness for the rest of our lives.
I can’t argue with that.
So instead I just go ski with Alex, Miles, and my dad. And I try not to tease him too much about being about as good of a skier as a 10 year old. I try not to, but I end up teasing him anyway.
A moment of Kurt
If I fall down, Declan will never let me hear the end of it.
Just keep skiing, Kurt. Don’t let him see you sweat.
I fell down.
But at least I didn’t hit anyone! I call that progress.
A moment of Matt
Blaine and I are on the ski lift together for the millionth time during our week away. Kurt and Julia are staying lower on the mountain, in part because Kurt is still a pretty terrible skier when it comes down to it. And also because Julia feels like she needs to pay better attention to the kids.
“So, you having a good time?” I ask Blaine as the lift rises.
“Yeah, I d-d-definitely am,” he replies.
“Are you lying to me for the sake of our friendship?”
“I am d-d-definitely not.” He takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. “I really am feeling better about my mom. I mean. I’m not like … happy about it. Buh-buh-ut I’m okay. I swa-swa-ear.”
I nod and clap him on the shoulder. “I’m happy to hear that. But you don’t have to put up a front for me you know.”
He turns to me, his face serious. “If there’s one thing I-I-I know in this world, it’s that I don’t have to put up a, a, a front for you Matt.”
“Good.”
“Good,” he agrees.
There’s nothing quite like having the same best friend for almost 30 years.
And then I remember there was something else I wanted to bring up to him.
“Have you noticed the kids being weird?”
A moment of Blaine
Something fishy is going on with the kids. After Matt mentioned it to me on the ski lift the other day, I’ve been keeping an eye on Addie in particular. She tends to be the ringleader of any type of youthful mutiny. She seems a bit shifty eyed.
I better tell Kurt. We don’t need any kind of shenanigans to ruin the end of our week.
A moment of Kurt
Blaine claims that something fishy is going on with the kids. I have to agree, but I told him that it would be way more fun if we ignore it and leave them to their own devices while we go for some apres ski cocktails with Matt and Julia since it was our last night at the resort.
Everyone was game for this idea. Though Julia felt bad leaving Addie in charge of the twins again. Addie then coerced Julia into buying her a neon orange pair of ski socks. I can’t blame her. Those kids are crazy.
A moment of Addie
So, I take the twins into Matt and Julia’s bedroom and let them watch whatever they want on TV. They pick Die Hard, which is obviously highly inappropriate for 8 year olds, but at least it keeps them entertained. I make the twins promise not to tell their parents.
I go out to the kitchen at one point and find Jessa and Declan sitting on the couch. Not talking, not looking at each other. But the young teen love in the air is palpable.
I think I might be jealous. There is no teen love in my own life. And it’s not so much that I’ve spent the entire week keeping them apart. I was just, … well, I guess I kind of spent the entire week trying to keep them apart. I’m bored! So sue me! But now I think I can make it up to them. Because looking at the two of them right now, they’re into each other. And it’s not fair of me to make them feel bad about being into each other.
I decide that I’ll get Miles and Alex out of the room and let Jessa and Declan have some privacy. They’re currently laying on the floor playing something on their handhelds. They’re not paying any attention to Declan and Jessa, but I know Jessa and Declan would be happier without the boys around.
“Miles, Alex,” I say. Everyone in the living room looks at me. “Um, do you guys want to come watch Die Hard in the bedroom with Even and Nathan?” I nod and smile, trying to lure the boys away.
They shrug and follow me back to the bedroom, where they both end up back on the floor, wrapped up in whatever game they were playing out in the living room. Before turning into the bedroom, I catch Declan’s eye and wink. He looks confused.
A moment of Jessa
“That was weird,” I say, watching my brothers walk out of the room.
Declan nods and looks uncomfortable.
“Do you want me to put on closed captioning?” I ask, realizing that it hasn’t been on the whole time we’ve been watching TV.
“Oh, no, that’s okay. I can hear it. I haven’t really been paying attention anyway.”
I tuck my legs under me and turn towards him. “Okay, there’s something I really wanted to ask you.”
He sits up straighter and looks at me expectantly.
“Do you really hear better all the time?” I ask. When he doesn’t immediately say anything I feel like I need to keep talking. “I mean, I heard my dad say something to my mom about how you always hear better. Like they update your … software? Or something and then you hear better.”
He’s still quiet.
“You don’t have to answer. We could just keep watching the movie. It’s not a big deal. Forget I asked.”
“No! No, I don’t mind. It’s like,” he pauses and smiles down at his hands. He scrunches up his nose. “It’s kind of boring.”
“I don’t think it’s boring,” I tell him.
He smiles. “Well, yeah, I do hear better every time they update the software. I hear better now than I ever have for sure. The technology is growing like crazy. There’s a way for them to pinpoint what part of my nerve isn’t receiving sound as well and then they can stimulate it a little bit to make my hearing more clear.”
“That sounds like it hurts,” I say.
“Oh, no, not at all. I don’t really feel any of it.”
“That’s awesome!” I say. “Is that why you don’t sign as much?”
“Yeah. We still sign a lot at home, because I don’t always have my transmitters on. Sometimes they’re just annoying to keep on. Sometimes I’m just not wearing them because, like, I don’t sleep in them or shower in them. I can’t swim in them. Someday maybe I’ll have waterproof ones, but for now they’re too expensive.”
I nod along. I think this is the most he’s said to me in the past year. “That’s so cool.” And I mean it.
“Sometimes it’s just nice not to have to hear,” he says with a little grin.
I stop to think about this. “I kind of can’t imagine that. Might be nice especially with my brothers.”
He laughs and then shrugs. “Anyway, the thing about being able to hear better and better is that I can also hear that my voice is still a little weird. Like I know it doesn’t sound right. But I’m still working on that.”
I stare at him. “I think it sounds,” I stop and bite my lip. I can’t tell him that his voice is beautiful. That’s so lame.
“It’s okay, you can be honest,” he says.
“I like your voice,” I say. It’s not the full truth, but at least it’s positive.
He fidgets his fingers in his lap, and looks at me. He makes an uncomfortable face and shrugs again but he keeps looking at me.
So I lean over and kiss him. He doesn’t really kiss me back.
Addie’s going to be so mad at me.
A moment of Declan
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Why are you sorry?” Jessa asks.
I don’t know why I’m sorry, so I don’t say anything.
“I never kissed anyone before,” she admits.
“Me either,” I say.
She slides away from me and sits on the other end of the couch and doesn’t say another word until our parents come home a half hour later. I can’t figure out if she likes it or not. Maybe we don’t have chemistry. Maybe kissing me was horrible and disgusting and she never wants to again.
But now I want to kiss her again and I have no idea what to do with myself.
Addie’s going to be so mad at us if things get awkward.
A moment of Julia
How on earth did Addie get those kids into bed before 10 pm? She is a magician.
Declan and Jessa look guilty. I wonder what’s going on there.
Who cares? I’m going to take a nice long shower without children banging on the door every thirty seconds.
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