Welcome to Paradise
by elfinder
Introduction
The path to Paradise – as one would imagine – was never so easy to find, or else anyone might stumble upon it by chance. In the case of one such oasis, no one ever did, for it was located deep within the downtown area of Chicago (commonly known as the Loop). Tucked behind a labyrinth of side streets and alleyways, any wayward soul who could possibly discover it usually just walked right on by – completely unaware of the wonders they had missed.
If someone were to stray off the beaten path though, they would first find what appeared to be an inconspicuous set of stairs. But as soon as they descended them, the ordinary was swiftly left behind, revealing brightly painted bricks walls. Sweet scents would fill the air as they neared the bottom, making it seem as if they were about to enter a foreign bazaar. Colourful butterflies were painted across the walls and with such realism that they looked ready to flutter off into the sky above. They would find a bright pink door at the foot of the stairs; a metal sign hung there, spelling out the words 'Paradis' (the French word for Paradise). More butterflies decorated both the sign and the surface of the door. Most days smooth jazz music would trail from behind the door but at other times it might be blaring rock tunes.
From the outside appearance of the building alone, most would expect the insides to be that of an exclusive bar. And while at first glance the space inside seemed to support that theory, various clues showed otherwise. The shelves of the bar were stacked not with alcoholic beverages but with almost every type of tea imaginable. Aside from the one pool table, nothing else in view fit in with a bar motif, but there were plenty of other things around. Three sewing machines were placed on various tables, as well as two dressforms, various sewing supplies and yard after yard of fabric tucked into every free nook and cranny.
They called it the Atelier (using the French word for workshop); it was their special sanctuary; a place that was theirs and theirs alone. Until one fateful encounter threw a lost soul right in the path of the building occupants, making him the first outsider to gain entrance into their private utopia.
Chapter One
Kurt Hummel had never hated his hometown more than this moment; he hated its narrow streets, the air that was so thick with fog it was almost choking but most of all, he hated how crowded it always was. The ongoing foot-traffic flooded the sidewalk, as the packed together populace scurried around like roaches. Of course, part of Kurt's strong opinion against Chicago might have something to do with his current mood. That and how he tended to get over-dramatic whenever school exams neared.
The pressure Kurt was under was almost unbearable; he felt like he would actually be crushed under the weight of it all. He had to excel; there was no other option given to him. And he thought the strain he'd undergone back when he'd pushed himself to get accepted into his illustrious university had been rough. It hadn't taken Kurt long to realize that his struggles had only just begun and would become even more difficult as time went on. Heck, they had already and he was only in the second semester of his freshman year! The worst thing was that Kurt couldn't even hope to think that his life would get easier when (or rather, if) he graduated in four years. Knowing his parents, they would expect him to go straight from graduating with honours to landing a stuffy corporate job where he'd be just another drone carrying a briefcase.
Most days Kurt wasn't quite so cynical, nor was he as prone to wallowing in his own self misery, but even someone as seemingly strong as him had moments of self doubt. Kurt kept such thoughts to himself though, because he was just as private as he was strong willed. To sum him up, Kurt Hummel was a no nonsense type of guy who was all business and no pleasure – just as his parents had raised him to be. Though, in all fairness, both his mom and dad only had their son's best interest at heart.
No matter the strain upon him, Kurt would never let himself succumb to it-never. He would get through this, just like he always did, but until then Kurt was through with any niceties. Which explained why Kurt was stomping grumpily along, fighting his way through the sea of people, as if he were the very definition of rage.
"Out of my way! Let me through!"
No one made any effort to listen to Kurt's orders and he sighed in exasperation. It figured, because he was having just that bad of a day. He should have known better than to expect anything would go the way he wanted. Disheartened but not yet defeated, Kurt went back to skimming his test notes in-between his forward glances as he trod on ahead. He paid just enough attention around him so he wouldn't lose his step, so he didn't see the mohawk-wearing punk who had just passed him by. Nor did he notice when that same guy turned around to stare back at him.
"Hey, you, tall guy with the book!" the man called out suddenly, but Kurt was too preoccupied to hear him.
Unaware of the attention, Kurt went on with his business, so when a sketchy-looking man dressed in a vintage rock group t-shirt and jeans suddenly rushed up beside him, he was caught totally off guard.
"Hey, buddy! I'm talking to you," the punk said.
As a reflex, Kurt shrugged him off and left him standing there with his mouth open. Unfortunately, the guy didn't seem to take the hint and trailed after him. Kurt hurried his pace but it was no use, punk guy was fast, and he managed to grab onto Kurt's arm, forcing him to stop. He whirled around to face his would be attacker and scowled at him as formidably as he could muster. It didn't seem to be working; the guy just kept staring at him. Kurt's face turned red as the colour rose to his cheeks; what he hoped looked like anger was really him feeling very self conscious.
"Would you just lay off! Whatever you want, I'm not interested," Kurt barked.
For some unknown reason, the punk, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated by Kurt's rejection, chuckled at him lightly. "Chill out dude, I don't want into your pants; I just wanna a good look at you."
Kurt frowned at the conflicting words; why look at him so intently if he wasn't interested in him in that way then? Kurt was so confused that he fell silent, letting the taller man take a good long look at him just like he wanted. Kurt did the same, because he was right there in front of him and he couldn't help it. He wasn't nearly as sketchy as Kurt had originally thought, and one might even call him handsome - though not Kurt, not with that stupid mohawk going on.
The man was staring intently at Kurt's face and Kurt fought the urge to wrap his arms across his chest, as if doing so could protect him from the man's intrusive gaze somehow. Kurt wasn't used to this – at all; people usually didn't gave him the time of day! Whatever the punk's intentions were, Kurt felt threatened, and he believed he had good reason to because of a secret he'd kept hidden for the better part of his young life. Did he know? Could he tell? Kurt's head was swimming but he did nothing, too afraid that any response he made might give it away.
The punk either didn't notice Kurt's aversion to his scrutiny or simply didn't care as he began to circle him around. "It's weird, you're barely shorter than me but you seem taller. I guess that's 'cause you send off this high and mighty vibe. Sure are pretty though, for a guy I mean. Like, for real; yeah... you've got the image we're looking for... it's crazy!"
That did it; Kurt's patience had just run out; he pushed him aside to make a hasty escape. "Oh, trust me, I'm not what you want, okay," Kurt said, hurrying away.
"Wait a minute!" the guy shouted as he raced after Kurt but it was no use, he had too much of a head start. He raced after Kurt anyway, albeit hopelessly, and just as he was about to give up his eyes perked up for some reason. "Yo! Unique!" he yelled.
A woman in the crowd turned her head at the sound of her name and narrowed her eyes at punk dude, though she seemed familiar enough to smile at him quizzically. "What?"
"Nab that guy!" the punk said, pointing at Kurt, who was almost within her reach.
Kurt was too focused on getting away from the threat behind him that he'd left his front foolishly vulnerable for interception. Though to Kurt's credit, how was he to know that the bombshell African American woman wearing a black dress would be in cahoots with mohawk guy.
"Why should I resort to kidnapping for you, Puck? Unique is nobody's hit woman."
"Look at him! He's just what the boss is looking for," Puck said in a desperate attempt to get her on board.
All it took was her looking Kurt's way for him to freeze in place. That was it then, he was done for. What was happening to him? After years of slipping under the radar, why now of all times was Kurt being chased after what he could only assume was a weird fetish gang.
"Now will you look at that; he sure is." The woman flashed Kurt a sympathetic look. "Sorry gorgeous, but you're about to be snatched."
Kurt had no time to react – regardless of her warning – as the woman grabbed hard onto his arm. The sudden shock was enough to send Kurt over the edge, or maybe it was the fact that he was stressed out from studying and had skipped lunch that day. Whatever the reason, Kurt's eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted on the spot. The woman just managed to catch him before his limp body could hit the ground.
Puck finally caught up to them and his eyes widened at the sight of the fallen young man in Unique's arms. "What the hell Unique? I said catch him not knock him out!"
Unique rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't do anything, Puck. The guy passed out on his own."
"Is he okay?" His concern sounded genuine; despite his rebellious appearance.
"I can't tell out here. We need to get him off the streets."
"And go where?"
Unique struggled to get a better hold on the boy before they both toppled over together. "We'll take him to the Atelier."
Puck sighed at first but nodded soon afterwards. "Fine!"
Between the both of them, they managed to balance pretty boy well enough to head down the sidewalk together. It wasn't easy as Unique and Puck attempted to nonchalantly make their way through the crowd, and people noticed the spectacle of course.
When Puck caught one guy's lingering glance he said, "Some guys don't know their limit huh?" The excuse may have been believable if it wasn't four in the afternoon but they didn't stick around to make a better one.
"I don't wanna take the test," mumbled Kurt in his sleep.
_
Kurt strained to opened his heavy eyelids; had he fallen asleep at his desk again? His life was so boring that he couldn't think of any better reason. When he finally managed to open his eyes his vision was attacked with vibrant colour. Pink. So much rouge that it hurt Kurt's eyes. He shut them immediately, hoping he was delirious with fatigue.
"Hey, look who's coming around finally," a voice Kurt couldn't fully make out said.
"Are you okay?" asked a second person, who was probably the girl in pink.
It took a couple blinks for Kurt's watering eyes to focus, and to his disappointment the images in front of him didn't fade away. This realization brought his memories flooding back to him; the last he recalled he'd been captured by some fierce looking woman. "Oh no, please tell me I'm just having a lucid dream and this isn't really happening to me..."
The girl in pink turned to look at Puck and scowled at him. "What did you two do to him?"
"Nothing babe, I swear! He passed out before we could explain anything to him!" Puck said quickly! "No thanks to Unique over here..."
Unique snorted from her spot behind the bar. "You were the one running after him like a crazy maniac Puck, not me." She joined pretty in pink, who was crouched in front of the chaise lounge that Kurt was lying on. "Sorry honey..." When her apology produced nothing from Kurt, she added, "I know you have no reason to trust us but I swear you're not in any danger."
Kurt forced himself to sit up. "Sorry, but I find little reason to believe you," he said icily.
Amazingly, the woman just smiled at him, as did the girl in pink beside her. "My name's Unique... here," she said, pushing a floral print mug into Kurt's hand before he could protest. "Drink the tea Hon, it should relax you a bit."
Kurt eyed the liquid warily; he doubted it was drugged so he gingerly sipped at it. A dreamy expression spread across his face after drinking what tasted like pure heaven. "Wow, this is good," he nearly purred, going back for more.
"I know my tea, huh?" Unique said.
Now that Kurt had avoided having a panic attack – something he was prone to do in times of heavy stress – he wanted answers. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"
"Oh, you poor thing," the girl in pink cooed and she actually hugged Kurt, who went dead still from the sudden contact. "No wonder you're scared; you don't know anything!"
Kurt squirmed in her arms; he wasn't used to people invading his personal spade like this. Luckily she pulled back before he needed to forcibly push her away.
"Let me explain it all to you. I'm Sugar, and that's Puck sitting over there..." she gestured to the punk from earlier and then to the woman at her side. "And this is Unique of course."
"Where are we?" Kurt asked.
"You're in the Atelier," Sugar answered straight away.
Kurt nearly choked on his mouthful of tea; the word sounded familiar (it had to be French) but he couldn't quite place it. "Come again?"
"It's what we call this place, Atelier, it's the French word for workshop, sounds more romantic doesn't it?" Unique said.
If Unique was expecting a legitimate reply from him then Kurt wasn't about to comply. "That still doesn't tell me where we are... or why I'm even here."
"We're looking for a model for our school's fashion show. Our team leader cooked up this crazy mental imagine in his head and we haven't found anyone who fits it so far. Sorry for freaking you out back there but I didn't think I'd see that exact person pass me by on the street," Puck explained.
"Why not look for someone in your own school?" Kurt countered.
"We tried that but no one was good enough for him!" Puck said.
"We don't go to your average college sweetheart, ever heard of the 'School of the Art Institute of Chicago'?" asked Unique.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't." It was hard not to when he lived in the same area where the famous art school was located.
"We're all freshmen in the fashion design program," Sugar explained.
Kurt eyed Puck; at first glance he didn't look the part though Kurt had to admit his outfit (while nothing special) worked for his over all edgy look. "Even you?"
"What? A straight guy like me can't dress good?" Puck asked, almost mockingly.
"Don't let him fool you, Puck puts more effort into his clothes than you would think," Unique said.
"Every March our school puts on a big festival and the main event is the fashion show. It's a huge deal. We've been looking for the perfect model for weeks and like Puck and Unique have said, you're totally it!" Sugar explained.
"I'd better text him the good news," Unique said as she brought out her phone.
"Hold up!" Kurt snapped as he rose from the lounge, but an onslaught of dizziness sent him back down again. "Who said I was taking the job?"
"You mean you're not?" Sugar's childish pout was bad enough but then she reached for Kurt's arm.
"Of course I'm not!" Kurt snapped, yanking his arm away from her. "I have more important things to do, like keeping up my high grade point average, than play dress up with you!"
"What what school do you go to? Gay Hogwarts or something?" Puck asked sarcastically.
The less than curt (and original) remark made Kurt grow especially snarky. "One that has a very heavy work load. In fact, I should be studying at this very moment. I was on my way to an extra credit class when you kidnapped me," Kurt said.
"We're not holding you against your will," Unique pointed out before taking another drink of her tea.
Too bad Kurt wasn't feeling very reasonable. "Good, because I have a lot on my plate right now as it is. I don't have time to fool around," he muttered begrudgingly as he searched for the exit.
Just as Kurt was making his way to the front door, Puck stood up to block his path. "Hold on a second there bud; do you think you're better than us or something?"
"Puck," Sugar said in warning.
"Who cares what I think," Kurt said. "All you need to do is leave me alone and let me go!"
For a split second Kurt thought that Puck would react like the countless other bullies he'd faced before but he surprisingly held his ground – and his tongue – and just glared at him indifferently. "Whatever; Have it your way then and leave." He seemed bent on ignoring Kurt as he stormed off but then he went and added, "But before you go, you might wanna learn to respect people more, or else you could get hurt next time."
"I don't need your advice," Kurt said.
Unaffected, Puck shrugged at him. "Hey, it's your funeral, princess."
Upon being referred to as a princess, Kurt went dead still as all colour drained from his face. His hands shook as he balled them into fists but he didn't lift them. It didn't matter that Puck had no idea what he had just done, the insult still cut him deeply. Over the years Kurt had grown increasingly insecure about his effeminate looking face; he had been teased ruthlessly because of it.
"How dare you," Kurt hissed under his breath, visibly shaking from the strain to hold himself together. "What give you the right to call me... that!"
"Puck didn't mean to-" Sugar said but she was cut off by Kurt's angry glare.
"To what? Use a female pronoun as an insult to cut at my masculinity?" Kurt accused.
"Sugar's right, I didn't mean it like that at all," Puck said defensively.
"Save your apology for someone who gives a damn, because I am so gone!" Fuming, Kurt stormed off towards the door.
"Wait! Please don't go!" Sugar pleaded but it was no use, Kurt was out the door and slamming it behind him.
Puck shoved his hands in to his pockets but didn't go after him, nor did Unique, who merely shook her head before going back to the bar.
But unlike her friends, Sugar was stubborn enough to snap into action so she burst the door open to chase after him. He was already half way up the stairs when she finally caught sight of him and in her desperation she shouted the first thing that came into her head. "I'm sorry, Angel!"
Kurt, who had made it nearly to the top, collapsed onto the stairs with a start. His mouth hung open in surprise; he was so caught off guard by her calling him that he was at a loss for words. Any thought of making his escape was momentarily forgotten. "Angel?" Where had that even come from?
"I don't know your name... and you just looked so angelic when you were asleep on the couch," Sugar explained, smiling at him. "We're here every day after class, so please stop by whenever you want."
"You have got to be kidding me." Who did she think she was? As if Kurt would feel the least bit tempted to spend time with the likes of them. Kurt turned his nose up at her and without another word raced up the remaining stars. He never looked back as he hurried along; where was he? Kurt brought out his phone to catch his bearings and used the GPS app to find the nearest main road.
Yet as he left that world behind, a creeping feeling of regret tugged in the back of his mind. He pushed it aside. The sooner he got away from here and back to his regular life the better. It was funny how a short while ago Kurt had done nothing but complain about that life, but now he wanted nothing more than to return to it.
_
Sugar picked herself back up as soon as Angel was out of sight and there seemed to be no hope of him returning. She sighed; disheartened that her attempts to reach him had failed. Time was running out; they needed to find a model before it was too late. That was part of the reason she'd tried so hard to win Angel over. Like a cherub sent from the heavens, he had descended upon them, right at the most crucial time. If only he had been willing to stay and hear them out.
No sooner than Sugar had closed the door, another figure began to descend the stairs but it wasn't Kurt. This young man was slightly taller, had lighter brown hair, pale green eyes and was dressed in a bold three piece suit ensemble. He had an air of confidence about him – shown with his cocky grin – that only someone who was comfortable in his skin could manage. The man stopped suddenly and glanced down at his feet to pick up something off the ground.
He held the item up and smiled. It was a wallet, and upon further investigation he deduced that it belonged to someone he didn't know. Curiosity quickly overruled any sense of etiquette he had learned and really, he'd have to peek inside to know who to return it to in the first place. The gentleman flipped it opened and his eyes soon fell upon a photo of a young man. "Not bad... not bad at all..."
Like a sure footed cat, the fancily dressed man opened the door and crept inside the room essentially unnoticed. He scanned the room to see that nothing there was out of the ordinary. Same old faces, same old story; how boring. "Damn, I was hoping he was in here still... but it looks as if he fled from our paradise."
"Sebastian!" Unique said with a start. "Quit popping out of no where like that; you're not a ghost."
"Oh look, our fearless leader finally decides to show himself. About fucking time," Puck grumbled.
Sugar had already come to greet him in her usually sweet way. "Welcome back Sebastian; did you have any luck at the fabric store?" He patted Sugar gently on the shoulder before he went to the bar to take the mug of tea Unique had just made for him. "Not in the least. We'll have to go deeper into the Loop on Sunday."
"Oh, come on! We're never gonna find anything good enough at this rate!" Puck loudly complained.
"Puck has a point Sebastian; we barely have enough time as it is," Unique said.
"I'd much rather hear all about this Kurt Hummel and how his wallet came to be outside our front door. It's uncanny but he is the exactly the type of model I hoped we would find." He grinned at the photo, as if it were alive and susceptible to him charms. "His bitch face is perfect for our image, don't you think?"
"So his name is Kurt? I just called him Angel in the spur of the moment," Sugar said to herself. "We did try to recruit him but... that didn't go so well."
"No thanks to Puck," Unique said.
"Why I am the bad guy here? He was the one who said we're just playing dress up!" Puck said angrily.
Sebastian put a stop to their potential squabble and was quickly filled in on what had happened concerning Kurt. In the meantime they set up a game of pool which they were now playing together as they chatted. "So the short of it is this; Puck managed to insult Kurt enough that he stormed off in a huff and got away. Really Noah, must you always be so temperamental all the time? I thought my charisma would have rubbed off on you by now."
Puck, who disliked anyone but Sugar calling him by his first name, gave Sebastian the finger. "Bite me, why don't you."
"As if I would lower my standards enough to do that. I'm sorry Puck but if you want me that badly then you'll need to work for it." The look on Puck's face, somewhere between hate and disbelief, was beyond priceless.
"In your dreams, Smythe," Puck threw back.
Sebastian simply rolled his eyes in response; already bored with their banter because Puck's heart wasn't really in it enough to make things interesting. Besides, Sebastian's mind was still on Kurt and that striking face of his. Even in photo form it had left quite the impression on him.
"Sebastian, we really need to find a model," Sugar said, changing the subject.
"We could always have Noah do it, that is, if he thinks he's up to the challenge. Though if he's willing to step out of his comfort zone then he might just pull it off," Sebastian said as he grinned enticingly at Puck.
Puck threw his hands up; horrified at the very idea. "No way in hell!"
"I'm available," Unique weighed in.
"Unfortunately Unique, you're too much women for what I have in mind." Sebastian keen eyes could see that she was blushing and he winked at her. Her smile broadened as she handed him the pool cue so he could take his turn. "Which makes it a real pity that you let angel boy go so easily; he was perfect." He took his shot and landed a ball in the right corner pocket and his reward was to gaze once more at Kurt's photo (Sugar was holding it now).
"I've got my eye on you, Sebastian," Puck threatened though he didn't sound all that convincing.
"You've got nothing to worry about Puck. Your girlfriend is beyond adorable but she's hardly my type, as you all well know."
Puck abandoned the game to go for his guitar case, swinging it over his shoulders easily and he headed for the door. "I'm off to band practice; don't wait up for me."
"Noah, wait! What should I do about Angel's wallet?" Sugar asked as she waved the item in question above her head.
"Who?" Puck asked in confusion.
"She means Kurt," Unique said.
"Don't waste your time with him Sugar, if he wants his wallet then he can come get it himself," Puck replied before taking his leave.
But Sugar couldn't just leave it like that, so she soon decided she had no choice but to do some snooping; something she had a talent for actually. Sugar took one of the cups of tea on the bar and since Sebastian and Unique's attention were on the game of pool still, she sat down to inspect Angel's wallet on her own. She figured if all she did was look for his contact info then that was okay. But the first thing that caught her eye was not Kurt's drivers license but another photo (that wasn't Kurt) and Sugar's eyes widened as she stared at his handsome profile. "No way... it can't be..." she whispered in disbelief.
_
It wasn't until the end of his extra credit class that Kurt realize his wallet was missing and he swore under his breath at the discovery. Kurt dropped the energy drink he'd just bought as he searched frantically but there was no sign of it! Kurt's breathing became heavy as he fought the panic rising inside him. No, he needed to calm down. Kurt leaned against a wall as he began to mentally retrace his steps. It was either here somewhere in the building, outside on the street or at that stupid studio he'd been taken to against his will. Knowing his luck it was probably the latter but he would leave that hellish place for the end.
If only there wasn't more to Kurt's rising anxiety than the fear of identity theft. He couldn't care less about someone getting the hands on his bank card or anything like that. There was something far more valuable to him hidden in his wallet, something he couldn't let anyone see. He knew that the likelihood of anyone who knew him finding his wallet wasn't very high but that didn't stop him from worrying still. It was hard not to when Kurt's most well guarded secret could be discovered at any minute.
"I never should have risked putting it there," Kurt whispered.
After all the silly one sided crushes Kurt had formed over the years, he really should have been content enough to longingly watch from afar like always. But no, Kurt just had to go and risk everything when he'd taken that silly photo and then he'd gone and kept it in his wallet! He had planned to store it safely at home but the risk of his parents finding it – no matter how slim – made him too restless. He should have thrown it away instead of tucking in inside his wallet. But because he hadn't, Kurt's most well kept secret was in risk of being exposed and for what? So Kurt could daydream what it would feel like if a boy were to actually return his feelings for once? Kurt wasn't one for labels, so words like 'in the closet' and 'coming out' had never entered his mind. Kurt knew he was gay and after years of doubt, he'd finally comes to terms and accepted it. But none of this mean that Kurt was even remotely close to telling anyone else yet; that day was still far off in the future.
Kurt went back to the classroom he'd just walked out of to see if his wallet could be there but there was no such luck. Time was of the essence here and yet Kurt wasn't in any state to run frantically about, so he sat down for a second. As soon as he regained his composure he would continue his search. Kurt planted his head against the surface of his desk; he felt as if he were a man awaiting death row.
Unbeknownst to Kurt, his strange antics had caught the attention of the very man he had sneakily photographed. A little on the short side but still classically handsome, the young man had soft brown eyes that Kurt often described as liquid chocolate. His hair was black and slicked down with gel but not enough so it tamed his waves completely.
"Hey there Kurt, um, is everything all right?" he asked.
Kurt pulled his head up to look at Blaine Anderson, his current crush, and despite his dire situation, he smiled back at him weakly. There was no wonder that Kurt had fallen for him so easily; Blaine was the whole package deal. Not only was he dashingly handsome, he was also kindhearted, talented and even when Kurt didn't know him very well (or at all really) there was something special about him – that put him above the rest. Too bad he was impossible to get near, thanks to his popularity, although Kurt doubted he would have the courage to approach him anyway. Besides, Blaine, like all of his past crushes, was straight.
"Oh, hi Blaine," Kurt sputtered. "I'm fine." He really wanted to hide under his desk so Blaine wouldn't be forced to watch his awkwardness.
"If you say so then," Blaine replied, apparently too polite to argue. "Professor Stetson's looking for you."
That explained why Blaine had approached him then and Kurt was actually relieved; he didn't think he could take anymore surprises right now. Kurt told Blaine his thanks and he stole one final glance as Blaine rejoined his friends. Kurt was forced to put his longing for Blaine aside when he entered Professor Stetson's office. It came to no surprise to Kurt that his reason for wanting to see him was so he could lecture Kurt about his dropping grades.
Didn't the old fossil realize that Kurt knew all of this already? Regardless of his personal opinion, Kurt offered his assurances that he would do all his power to bring them back up. He did care about his test results; it was all he'd been thinking about for the past few weeks. In reality his grades weren't that low, Kurt was just usually at the head of the pack among his fellow students. So the fact that he was beginning to slip, now at the start of the second term, was apparently something others were starting to notice.
Kurt doubted that anyone aside from his parents cared enough to offer any real help though, not that they could have anyway. No, this was Kurt's burden to bear alone and if he wanted to remain on top then he would have to work even harder from now on. He had to succeed at all costs, because he refused to become just another statistical failure. Kurt hated when people looked down upon him; it made him feel worthless, empty, like he was hollow inside. Had Kurt been fooling himself all this time? Was he simply in a rut or had he overestimated his ability and aimed too high?
This was getting him nowhere, Kurt realized; he needed to find his wallet. He'd never forgive himself if he were outed because of his inability to face his fears.
Kurt kept his eyes glued to the ground as he cleared the front entrance of his school outside, ignoring everything around him.
One young man, who was casually leaning against the stone outside wall of the building, seemed to take a personal interest in Kurt."Kurt Hummel, I presume?" he asked, just as Kurt passed him by.
Kurt's head snapped up when he heard the smooth sounding voice call his full name but he didn't recognize the man at all. He might not pay much attention to people but he would have remembered someone like him. He sped past the guy's obvious good looks for a moment to take note of his garish clothing. Anyone who dressed themselves in a full three piece suit in that bright a blue was just screaming for attention. "What do you want?" Kurt asked indifferently. Let that knock him down a peg or two; Kurt didn't like the smug way he was grinning at him.
"I dunno; you tell me," he answered.
"How do you know my name?" Kurt couldn't place it exactly but something about the vibrantly dressed man put him on edge. Maybe it was the possessive way he was gazing at Kurt; what was it with people ignoring boundaries? Just because the guy was good looking didn't give him permission to do what he pleased. As if he weren't intruding enough with that intense stare of his, the stylishly dressed young man advanced on Kurt, pushing right into his personal space.
"It's just as I though, you're even more gorgeous in person. Earth angel indeed," Mr. fancy pants said approvingly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Can't you tell when a guy's trying to compliment you Kurt, or are you unaware of how hot you are? Seems unlikely to me, given the circumstances..."
In truth Kurt didn't know that what bullies had referred to as a 'pretty face' had matured over the last few years so that now few could dispute the man's claims.
"Sorry if I don't respond to that sort of thing," Kurt said sarcastically, not bothering to explain what he meant exactly.
"So what will you respond to then?"
"If not you're going to tell me how you know my name then I'm leaving. I'm not about to stick around so you can antagonize me or whatever the hell you're trying to do. Go find someone who's interested."
The young man watched Kurt go and he didn't seem the least bit concerned about his sudden departure. "Who says I haven't already."
That got a reaction from Kurt, though probably not the one the guy was hoping for. Kurt turned on his heels and stormed fearlessly over to his would be accuser. Kurt would be fine, just as long as he never acknowledged what the obvious attention whore was insinuating. At least that's what he told himself. "I don't like your tone."
The young man grinned at Kurt playfully; he seemed amused by his willingness to confront him or something. Then, before Kurt could pull away, he reached out to gently touch Kurt's bicep. Kurt froze from the contact but what had him really surprised was how he didn't feel threatened, in fact, as he looked into his green eyes, Kurt felt oddly captivated.
"You've got some impressive guns under here," he said, squeezing Kurt's arm lightly. "You shouldn't hide them under all this cheap fabric."
"You've got some nerve," Kurt hissed, yanking his arm away. He glared at smugface until he retreated to a safer distance, but it still wasn't far enough for Kurt's liking.
"Sorry. I just find you so hard to resist."
"Apology not accepted."
"I'm actually not trying to seduce you, in case you were wondering. Not that I don't think you're attractive, but closeted boys like you take way too long to get into bed for it to be worth my while."
Yet again Kurt refused to comment on the subject of his sexual orientation; robbing the guy of the satisfaction of knowing that his assumptions were, in fact, correct. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"So many questions... but you're right, I should introduce myself. Seeing how I already know your name."
"Just cut to the chase and tell me who you are."
"Sebastian Smythe." He took a graceful bow in front of Kurt. "Beauty extraordinaire; in all things, be it fashion, nature..." He paused to flash Kurt a wide grin. "... or enticing young men."
Kurt was hardly impressed by his introduction, nor did his name ring a bell, unfortunately, so Kurt still had no idea why he knew his full name. "Okay Sebastian, give me one good reason why I'd should stick around and you better make it quick."
"I'd put up with me for a bit yet if I were you, that is, if you want your wallet back."
"You're one of them?" Kurt blurted.
Sebastian laughed, "If you're referring to my colleagues that you encountered earlier today, then yes, I am one of them. I guess in your desperation to leave the studio you dropped your wallet outside."
So Sebastian did in fact have something Kurt wanted; blast it all to hell! While Kurt would surely loathe finding out what it would take to get it back, Sebastian was right, he had little choice but to remain now. That didn't mean that Kurt was going to bend to his will though. A plan quickly formed in Kurt's mind; time to change tactics and give reverse psychology a try.
Kurt's hardened expression seamlessly melted into an appreciative smile. "And you came all this way to return it to me? How kind of you."
"Who said that's what I'm doing? Maybe I just wanted see for myself if you were anything like what my friends described. You may be more sexy in the flesh but I've still seen better. Heck, I've had better. But as I said before, guys who refuse to come out aren't my type; hiding is not my style."
'No surprise there,' Kurt thought dryly. "Maybe you should lower your expectations."
"So you are interested then? You must be more desperate to get your wallet back than I thought."
"I'm not suggesting anything like that!"
"Like what?"
Kurt sighed heavily; this was so endless. "Just forget it."
"On second thought Kurt, I don't think you're what I'm looking for in all; not in a model or a sex partner. I thought you had the potential but if it all it takes is being called princess to make you turn tail and run, I can see now that you wouldn't be a good fit after all."
"You don't know anything about me Sebastian, so you have no right to judge me. I don't want to be your model. My only interest concerning you is getting my wallet back and that's it."
"If you want it so back so badly then why don't you just come and get it," Sebastian said, walking over to the red convertible that was parked on the sidewalk a short distance away.
Kurt didn't have time for this, he needed to get home before his mother went AWOL on him for missing dinner. But surely saving his wallet from Sebastian's evil clutches would be a reasonable excuse, though he had no plans to tell her the full story. Kurt eyed Sebastian as he leaned against the side of the car; there he went undressing Kurt with his eyes again. But why was his heart beating so fast? He should be offended by the attention; not excited!
"Get real," Kurt scoffed.
Sebastian placed his sunglasses over his eyes. "Trust me Kurt, I'm as about as real as one can get, but you on the other hand, are so fake it's off putting. Aren't you tired of the whole charade? Day in day out; lying to yourself and the whole world."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I know denial when I hear it Kurt, so don't try to fool me; my gaydar is never wrong. You should spare yourself the grief and come out already."
Panic struck, Kurt whirled his head around to make sure no one within earshot was paying any attention to them. He had half a mind to lie and say that Sebastian couldn't be more wrong on the off chance someone had heard him but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Will you shut up! What if someone heard you!"
"That is the idea," Sebastian said. "Except no one seems to care enough to listen."
"Give me back my wallet or so help me..." But Kurt's threat fell apart before he could finish; he wasn't able to consider raising a hand to anyone, no matter how angry he felt.
Sebastian seemed to know this as well. "Or what? You'll bitch about it even more?"
"You take that back!"
"And why would I do that? So I called you a bitch, why is that any different than using the word whine? I didn't call you a female pronoun to make any certain point, if that's what you're thinking. Why should beauty like yours have to be seen as a bad thing? I can't stand single minded people who can't see anything past their their own backward thinking opinions."
Many of the names Kurt had been called over the years included female pronouns: Lady Face, Woman Hummel, Senorita Kurtsie, and those weren't even some of the worst ones (he couldn't forget those obscenities quickly enough) Every one of those hurtful jabs had cut into Kurt's emotional walls, making him susceptible to the hate he'd faced, sometimes on a daily basis.
"Any word can be used a weapon; if there's a enough hate behind it," Kurt said.
"A valid point, but it's also equally true that if you take those labels and make them your own, then those insults can't hold any power over you."
Kurt had a sudden revelation; one he could barely believe but there was no denying the nature of Sebastian's permanent smirk. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I'd enjoy it better if you put more effort into your comebacks, Kurt."
Kurt sighed, "I'm never going to see my wallet again, am I?"
"I already told you how you can get it back," Sebastian said.
"It's back at the studio isn't it?" Kurt refused to call it the Atelier.
"There's only one way to find out for sure." Sebastian opened the passenger door to his car and gestured for him to climb inside.
For the first time is Kurt's boring life, he found himself daring to do something that was not only unpredictable but possibly reckless. Then again, Sebastian could turn out to be nothing to worry about and all that would happen was a short drive to the studio to fetch his wallet. Sebastian was a stranger, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn to him for some reason. Maybe that was because he was unlike anyone Kurt had encountered before. Should he take the chance and go for it? If he were to take the safer path would he live to regret it? He knew what lay ahead for him there; the same old mundane existence he'd been living for the past nineteen years.
"I'm not going to do anything to you," Sebastian said. "Come on Kurt, live a little."
Oh screw it all; Kurt had only one life to live and just this once, he wasn't going to remain on the path his parents had laid out for him. Before he could form any second doubts, Kurt piled into Sebastian's convertible and closed the door behind him. "I can't believe I'm doing this," Kurt muttered under his breath.
Sebastian smiled at Kurt charmingly as he got into the driver's seat. He started the ignition, checked his rear view mirror for traffic and pulled out from the curb. "That's more like it."
"Please stop talking and drive... just drive... before I regret this," Kurt begged.
Sebastian laughed, "It's probably too late for that already. Try to relax, okay? After all, it's not every day that someone like you gets to find paradise twice in one day."
_
Any trepidation Kurt had at the start of his journey ended up being for nothing; aside from Sebastian's constant flirtatious glances, nothing much had happened. Now that their drive together had come to an end, Kurt had no choice but to follow Sebastian down the very same stairs he'd run up less than three hours ago.
Sebastian didn't seem to have the care in the world; his hands were in his pockets and he was whistling merrily to himself. Kurt willed himself to remain silent this time, refusing to let Sebastian push his buttons again. In wasn't easy for Kurt to project such a calm state of mind when on the inside he was a bundle of nerves. He didn't even know what he was nervous about; Sebastian wasn't doing anything to put him on edge, so why couldn't Kurt get him out of his mind?
When they both reached the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian stepped up to the door, turned to face Kurt, smiled at him and actually bowed. "Kurt Hummel, welcome, to paradise," he said.
"The door says Paradis," Kurt said flatly.
Sebastian chuckled at him playfully as he leaned his back against the door. His eyes never left Kurt's face during the movement, they were fixated upon him, ever watching. Kurt shuddered lightly in response; his heart was beating so fast. What was going on?
Sebastian leaned forward and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder; Kurt felt the other man's warm breath tickling his neck. Kurt gulped. Sebastian brought his mouth up to Kurt's ear and whispered, "Who says I meant what's behind the door."
Kurt slipped out of Sebastian's light embrace and scurried away to a safer distance. When Sebastian was so close Kurt was unable to hide his naivety about sexual desire. Paradise indeed; talk about conceit. It would take more than a seductive pair of green eyes for Kurt's virtue to be sullied.
"Quit trying to make a move on me," Kurt said.
"Stop lying to yourself and then I won't need to," Sebastian playfully replied.
Kurt rolled his eyes; Sebastian was like a living comeback machine. "Can we just get this over with, and by this, I mean getting my wallet back."
"Is it my fault that you keep sending me mixed signals?"
Sebastian stepped to the side and away from the door. Kurt hesitated for a moment; he wasn't sure he trusted Sebastian enough to come within his reach again.
"What are you so afraid of? You've been here before," Sebastian said.
'Not like this; not with you,' Kurt thought.
"Guess I should spell it out for you, to make this easier; you're gay Kurt, you don't need to deny it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't let the haters win," Sebastian coaxed.
To prove that he wasn't as fearful as Sebastian thought, Kurt stepped right up to look him straight in the eye. "Stop telling me what to do. You're just like everyone else; I'm so sick of people pushing their own wants and desires on me. Am I supposed to be grateful or something? Well let me tell you something then; you're wasting your time. I'm here for my wallet, nothing more – nothing less. That's the only thing I want from you and nothing you can say..." Kurt faltered when Sebastian's thumb ran over his bottom lip, but he recovered and swatted the hand away. "... or do that could sway me."
Since Kurt was bent on resisting Sebastian's affection, the young playboy seemed to accept that it was time to back down. He replaced his seductive grin to one of mild amusement. 'Let him smile all he wants,' Kurt thought; whatever Sebastian's game was, he wasn't about to play along.
"By all means then," Sebastian said finally, giving way so Kurt could open the door himself. "Go right ahead and take back what you want on your own."
Kurt walked past Sebastian, not giving him so much as a glance as he opened the door. The scene inside didn't appear any different from when Kurt had been there earlier. Except this time he wasn't in a rush to leave, so he noticed things he hadn't before. The space actually looked very swanky, much like a high end club, though Kurt would never admit it to anyone – Sebastian most of all.
"Look who I ran into," Sebastian announced from his spot close behind Kurt.
Three heads turned to look at Kurt and Sebastian, and each one had a different reaction to see them standing there: Unique smiled at Kurt, Puck just gave a fleeting glance before going back to tuning his guitar and as for Sugar, she beamed at him merrily, tackling Kurt with a fierce hug.
"Angel! You came back!" Sugar shouted.
Kurt's ears were ringing from hearing her high pitched squeals at such a close proximity. "You people are way too touchy-feely for your own good," he said as he pushed Sugar off.
Puck let out a loud belch before he crushed the now empty can of cola onto the bar counter; Unique rolled her eyes at him and threw it into the appropriate trash bin.
"I gotta hand it to you, Seb, I didn't think you'd be able to change prissy boy's mind so easily," Puck said.
"I did. Sebastian can be very persuasive when he bothers to try for real," Unique announced.
Sugar bounced up and down excitedly at the news. "You mean he's going to be our model after all! That's awesome! Good job, Sebby!"
How could this be happening again? This lot really needed to pay attention to something besides the sound of their own voices. Before a full blown party could break out, because Puck had already ducked behind the bar and brought out what seemed to be a secret stash of booze, Kurt needed to shut the festivities down. "I didn't say yes! I'm only here for my wallet; where is it?"
"Oh, I gave it to Sebastian," Sugar said.
Kurt turned to face Sebastian and jabbed his figure at his face accusingly. "You! You... narcissistic playboy! You had my wallet this whole time and yet you had the nerve to drag me all the way here still!"
"Hey, you were the one who got into my car. Don't blame me if you never asked me where your wallet actually was," Sebastian said.
"I can't believe it!" Kurt sputtered.
Sebastian didn't stick around to watch Kurt began to pace back and forth, instead ducking into a nearby closet and returning a few minutes later with a dark green garment draped over his arm. "Sugar, please be a dear and take our guest to the dressing room so he can change into this," he asked, handing the clothes over for her to take hold of.
Sugar saluted Sebastian and said, "You can count on me chief." She then skipped over to Kurt and pushed him towards the correct room before he could realize what was even going on. "Come on Angel, you can change in here."
"But I don't-" Kurt argued but it was too little too late, for he was gently shoved into the restroom.
The next he knew, Kurt found himself in the studio's bathroom and to his utter horror, Sugar followed after him and closed the door behind her.
"Now that we have some privacy... here; you'll look totally hot in this, Angel," Sugar said as handed him the outfit.
Kurt barely knew how to react, to this or anything else he'd gone through that day. But there was one thing he was sure about and he had no problem telling it to Sugar. "I'm not getting changed in front of you!"
"I promise not to peek; you might not find girls sexy but I swear I'll be good," Sugar told him sweetly.
Kurt backed himself up until he hit the wall of the bathroom. "I'm not gay." He'd said it so suddenly that he hadn't been able to stop himself. Kurt had never lied about his sexual orientation before and he didn't like how wrong it felt.
"You don't need to hide it Angel; liking guys isn't wrong. You were born that way, it's who you are."
"Wrong! That's not me at all!" Kurt snapped. "What I'm supposed to be is home for dinner and not be in a bathroom with a girl who is trying to get me to wear this!" Kurt threw the clothes onto the floor; he was so angry he didn't even care if he wasn't making any sense. 'I should be studying right now... what am I even doing here,' he thought with alarm.
Sugar smiled at Kurt as she crouched down to pick the clothes back up. "Maybe doing something as simple as putting on a new outfit will be a first step for you. You wouldn't believe how much confidence looking good can give a person. Won't you give a try Angel? It's just one suit; what have you got to lose?" she asked.
'My identity, my sense of direction: myself.' All of these things meant so much to Kurt but when he stopped to think about it, he realized that he had none of them. Kurt didn't know who he was, he didn't know where to go – others had always guided him everywhere – and as for his personal identity, there was nothing he could think of to describe it. Kurt was like a blank slate, empty and lacking any sort of originality.
Kurt stared at the green suit in Sugar's hands and he felt a glimmer of something (hope perhaps) stir inside him. This new part of Kurt pushed past the doubt weighing down on him and took hold of the outfit. He stared at Sugar, until she finally caught on that he was waiting for her to turn around, and after one final glance to make sure that she couldn't seem him, he finally started to undress.
Kurt threw his fading grey sweater over his head, took off his white t-shirt underneath, and unzipped the fly of his pants. He felt very exposed in that moment and it didn't matter if Sugar wasn't looking at him or not. Kurt felt as if he was shedding his subdued exterior to replace it with something bright and colourful. He ignored his reflection as he redressed himself in the suit Sebastian had chosen for him; what if he looked as awkward as he felt?
"You can look now, I'm done," Kurt said weakly.
His original idea was to use Sugar's reaction (rather than see for himself) to gauge how his appearance fared. But he was unprepared by the sheer magnitude that Sugar responded with; her eyes widened in absolute wonder and she grinned at him from ear to ear. Spellbound, Sugar continued to gape at him and Kurt's heart started to race again. Just the fact that he could cause such a reaction in anyone - male or female - was earth shaking. But regardless, he still didn't feel any less self conscious.
"Do I look all right to you?" he asked, fingering the collar of his shirt nervously. Kurt couldn't remember the last time he'd worn a suit.
"All right? Angel, you look amazing! I can barely believe my own eyes!"
"Are you sure you're not just saying that? Because I sure don't feel amazing."
Sugar touched Kurt's shoulders and turned him so they were both facing the mirror. "If you don't believe me then why don't you see it for yourself, Angel."
When Kurt looked at his reflection he didn't recognize the man he saw standing there before him. Was this how other people saw him? Forget about the others, Kurt thought, because he was totally floored by his appearance! He had no idea changing his outfit could make him look so different! The suit was a deep forest green in colour, as was the matching waistcoat underneath, while his pants, which were a far more slim fit that he was used to, were the same green and the vibrant hue somehow made Kurt's blue eyes pop and sparkle.
On closer inspection, Kurt realized that the fabric of the jacket wasn't even a solid green; there was a textured design cascading down the shoulders that bled and faded into a light gradient at the waistline. The tie he'd struggled to put on correctly was a slightly lighter similar print but it was a more bluish-green. If Kurt had seen the outfit in a store on in a magazine he would of called it unnecessarily flashy. But when he was the one wearing it, there was no denying that the suit complemented Kurt completely – straight from head to toe.
"You're so pretty, Angel," Sugar said.
It was the first time Kurt had been compliment on his apparent beauty where he didn't feel ashamed. He blushed at hearing Sugar's praise, as if he still couldn't believe it yet himself. He posed in front of the mirror in attempts to find himself in his reflection. His hair had been ruffled by having to change so suddenly but it actually worked with his new look.
"Who are you," Kurt whispered, more to his reflection than to Sugar.
She chose to answer him anyway though. "You're you, the same person you've always been. Do you like what you see, Angel?"
The handsome face in front of him smiled bashfully, humbled but still too unsure of his own opinion to cast a vote just yet. 'Could this place really be paradise?' Hesitation washed through Kurt; he might look good but that was because of the clothes and not him. Once they came off then the usually drab Kurt Hummel would undoubtedly return. Or would he? Maybe, just maybe, Kurt's new boost of confidence wouldn't leave him. He wanted to keep this new sense of recognition but everything in his mind told him not to trust these feelings.
"I dunno. I don't think I know who I am really," Kurt admitted.
Sugar didn't seem to find anything wrong with Kurt's declaration, and she placed a support hand on his arm and squeezed it lightly. "Come on, the others need to see how good you look in our clothes."
"Your clothes? You mean you guys made this suit?"
Sugar nodded. "Yes, the four of us have formed a design team; we make our own brand of clothes and everything. We even have a brand name: Paradis Bise – that's French for Paradise Kiss. Everyone at our school in the fashion design programs wears their own clothes; it's a way to showcase our talent," Sugar proudly explained.
Kurt tore his attention away from his own state of dress so he could study Sugar's outfit. It sure looked extremely well made to him - and cute. Her dress was a mix of pale and hot pink, and it was decorated with flowers and what appeared to be tiny jewels. "You made that dress yourself?"
"No not this one." Sugar's smile fell a little. "My auntie Izzie made this; she's the designer in the family, not me. I went to SAIC because she did too. I want to be just like her one day and make really cute clothes. But I'm no good, I can't come up with my own designs, whenever I try all I do is copy her style." She proudly twirled in front of Kurt to show off the dress anyway though.
"Hey, what I'm wearing right now is pretty impressive," Kurt said.
"That's because Sebastian was the one who designed it. We all have our roles when it comes to making clothes for our brand: Sebastian does the designs, Unique makes the patterns and then Puck and I sew the pieces. I don't mind doing the grunt work either; I'm just happy I get to be a part of something great and being able to help make such wonderful clothes."
Kurt had no idea how much time, effort and love had been put into their 'playing dressup' as he had so ignorantly put it. Kurt felt guilty and he saw now that he'd had no right to judge them. "This fashion show you're all in means a lot to you guys, doesn't it?" Kurt asked.
Sugar nodded. "It's not just the show either; there's a lot of competition going on between the top design students. Each team has a leader, or head runner as Sebastian likes to call himself, and it's their job to form a solid group."
"This is serious business then," Kurt said.
"That's why we decided to start our own clothing brand. We realized that we like working together, so this way, we still can when the competition is over. We hope to sell our clothes to high end boutiques all over town, maybe even the whole world someday. But before that, we naturally want to win first place at the fashion show so that's our current goal."
That explained why they'd approached a complete stranger to be their model. Kurt might feel more sympathetic to the group now but at the same time he suddenly felt inferior to them. Kurt didn't shy away when Sugar took him by the hand to lead him out of the bathroom. His lingering nerves spiked up again at the thought of the others seeing him dressed like this, but he took it in stride. At least he did as best as he could manage – which wasn't very much.
Sugar skipped alongside Kurt and stepped away when they neared the others so he could take centre stage. "Sorry for the wait but as you can see, it was well worth it. May I present to you all: Angel."
But Kurt didn't feel very heavenly; in fact if he were to put his current state into words they would be along the lines of awkward and nervous. He had never thought very much about clothes before; as long as they were clean then that was good enough for him. But now, as he watched the awed faces in front of him, Kurt was hit with a sudden revelation. Something had possibly awoken in Kurt, a part of himself he hadn't known had even existed. Wasn't there that old saying, what was it, something like 'clothes make the man'? But the question was, what kind of man did Kurt want to be? The answer came rushing back at him: he wanted to be daring, different and most of all: proud of his own individuality.
It was then – after Kurt brought his thoughts back to the present - that he finally noticed how Sebastian was gazing at him. Such attention would have unnerved him before, but as their eyes met Kurt saw that his expression wasn't that of sexual hunger, but something different (personal longing perhaps?) That hardly seemed possible to Kurt, because who in their right mind would envy him?
Sebastian stepped forward and smiled at Kurt charmingly. "You look stunning Kurt, beautiful; like a prince."
Kurt blushed. It didn't matter if Sebastian meant it or not, Kurt still chose to take those words and make them his own. Yes it was true; Kurt Hummel was beautiful and for the first time in his life (okay second if he counted earlier before with Sugar) there was no familiar rush of shame to follow. Kurt finally knew that embracing his own beauty should make him feel empowered, and not ashamed.
He shyly glanced at Sebastian, saw the warm smile on his face, and in a true act of sassy defiance he confidently replied, "Merci."
