I don't own Glee!
As Kurt stepped in the stage for the second act, he first laid eyes on his friends. He had spotted them earlier, and yet, only now he realised there was an important and friendly face missing: had Santana been not able to make it? Well, for all he knew, he could consider himself lucky that very-busy-with-June-Blaine and very-busy-with-Funny-Girl-Rachel were even there. Everybody seemed to be so busy these days that Kurt didn't know what to expect anymore. Hell, he was astonished to acknowledge Sam's presence on the crowd! Wait, also Mercedes! God, did he love those guys.
As a warm feeling started to fill up his chest watching all these familiar faces, Kurt suddenly locked eyes with some random guy that was staring right back at him. He did not acknowledge those eyes right away. But those eyes. Those green eyes. God, he could swear he had seen those eyes before. Wait! That smirk. That arrogant smirk. No, it couldn't be. Was it… even possible? Was that Sebastian Smythe's signature smirk?
"Ahem, my dear, my very dear Peter, will you grant me that wish?" The sweet old lady repeated for Kurt with pliant eyes. Then it hit him. It was his turn to speak.
"Oh" Kurt freaked out for a second, remembering where he was and forcing himself to regain his composure. "But Wendy, my sweet Wendy, I'm no goody enchanting fairy" he pronounced with the sweetest of voices. The audience laughed, as he had predicted.
"Pete, don't be a tease, bud!" said the old man sitting across him, giving his best attitude yet. "You've been coming here for a while now, all braggin' about how you can fly… come on, man! What about some sharing, huh?"
"I ain't no tease, Christopher!" said Kurt, and he could swear he had heard a particular old familiar chuckle coming from certain place back on the audience… or maybe his mind was trying to play some cruel tricks on him. Damn meerkat, he thought anyway. "I'll show you!" Kurt continued, and while his voice and face was directed to the old man playing Christopher, his mind had yet some catching up to do. "Now, all you need to do is… believing!"
"Ohhh, believing?" the old gang replied at unison.
"Cut the crap!" a very pissed yet cheeky old lady told him, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You better start giving us some realness, Pete-boy, or we're kicking you out, sweetheart."
"Okay! Okay! Jeez. Give this tease a break!" then Kurt calmly stood up and began pacing the stage "It was no shit, Alice. Let's get real, honey… If only you gave your imagination a shot, you'd see what I'm talking about. It just takes some focus, that's all."
"Focus?" the cheeky lady insisted.
"Yeah, Alice, focus. Now, you gotta think, think really hard, and paint very vividly, in your mind, those dreams you long to achieve. I'm telling ya, imagination can do wonders" Kurt winked suggestively while lowering down his voice, but immediately regretted it as he could swear, again, he had heard that annoying chuckle. Goddammit, had he written a play full of innuendos? This time he couldn't help himself and took a quick glance back at where he had spotted Sebastian sitting earlier, just for a second. A second was all it took to see Sebastian staring right back, smirking widely and mindlessly. That meerkat.
The lights shifted and the first notes of "Lucky star" began to play. That put Kurt out of his second spacing out and shot him some good adrenaline. Let's see who smirks now, meerkat. He mentally slapped himself for thinking that, because this performance was only his to enjoy, only his to own. Well, maybe Blaine's too. But God, did he adore this song! And he had put so much effort in the choreography… Focus, Hummel, focus!
/
"OH SWEET BARBRA, KURT! OH. MY. GOD!" a very loud and huggy Rachel Berry shouted so high that even the deafest old man in the nursing place stared right at her with disapproval. Kurt hugged her back with joy, though. Had he ever seen Rachel that excited for something that in no way involved her? He thought not.
"Even the part where my foot got stuck on the robe and I awkwardly kicked it out?" Kurt mumbled. Talk about perfectionism. Blaine put a warm arm around his shoulders, grinning like crazy, and Kurt immediately relaxed a little. "I'll take it as you guys liked it" Kurt conceded, smiling fondly.
"Well, if by guys you mean shouty Streisand-wannabe here…" an unpleasantly familiar voice stated behind him. For a second, all Kurt could take notice in that harsh line of Sebastian was the unnerving proximity of his voice, barely brushing Kurt's ear, as if only for Kurt to hear it. It made him shiver. Weird. Kurt turned around to face him.
The Sebastian that stood there was somehow very different from the Sebastian he had last seen on his proposal, almost one year ago. His hair was longer, for starters. And he was not wearing that old-fashioned Dalton blazer. Instead, his clothing skills seemed to have improved, as he was wearing an elegant cozy grey sweater with some dark Levi's. Damn it. Kurt tried hard to find a flaw to his outfit, but Sebastian wasn't worth of Kurt betraying his unconditional love for Levi's. Sebastian actually looked good. As in, more mature-like good. Just an appreciation, thought Kurt.
"Well, if it isn't my biggest fan here! Long time no see!" Kurt greeted him, sarcasm mode on. "My first main lead performance in New York – granted, on a nurse place" he added seeing the growing smirk on Sebastian's face "and you just happen to come by here…" Kurt couldn't fucking believe his luck. Like, did the Universe hate him or something? "Hey, what were the odds?" Kurt grinned nervously. Calm down, Hummel.
"Oh, but I am your biggest fan, gayface" Sebastian faked pouted. "And quit the modesty – it's not a good colour on you… and I'm not buying it" Sebastian winked. He fucking winked. He hasn't changed for a bit, thought Kurt.
"Hey, Bastian!" Blaine cheerfully greeted him, going as far as even putting an arm around him and going for a hug. What the…?
"Hey there, Blaine" Sebastian quickly broke it off. "Well, I see the misfits that grow together, stick together, huh? Lovely."
"Wow" replied Blaine, taken a little aback. "That was harsh even coming from you, Sebastian."
"No it wasn't, Blainey, I was just kidding" said Sebastian, rolling his eyes. And then he actually smiled. "God, I'm on the path of the righteous, okay? But you can't put in front of me such a family portrait and expect me to restrain myself… can you?" he added almost laughing. Like you know about restraint, thought Kurt. "Give this tease a break!" Sebastian mimicked Kurt and stared right at him, amusement playing in his eyes. Kurt rolled his own.
"Seriously, though, that was… fun, Hummel" Sebastian said, hesitantly, as if one compliment coming from him would be completely out of place.
Yes, awkward, thought Kurt. "Ahem, thanks. I guess?" he replied, narrowing his eyes at Sebastian.
"I mean it, gayface, I read on the program that the adaptation was yours, right?" Sebastian asked, or more like demanded. His stare was intense, though his face remained playful.
"Yeah, that's right. I just… Well, I thought the play could use a new angle. The cast was… unconventional, after all" Kurt supplied. He didn't exactly know why, but there was no bitchiness on his remarks. Have I lost it? He thought. Then he added: "Not that I'd expect your chipmunk brain to appreciate it" Kurt smirked, as it regaining his confidence. That's more like it, he beamed at himself.
"There we go!" Sebastian laughed. What the…? "I knew you still had some bitchy remarks left on you… You've missed spitting your venom on me, haven't you, Hummel?" For a second, the tough expression of Sebastian's eyes softened, and Kurt just stared, almost about to smile himself.
"Don't be mean, Bastian" Blaine interfered. "You can end anybody's patience; that's all" Blaine offered with a smile, as if to justify Kurt's malice.
"Ain't that the truth, Blainey…" Sebastian replied casually, shifting the weight on his feet, preparing himself to leave. "Well, it's been lovely to see yo-"
"What are you even doing here?" Kurt cut him. Damn your curiousity, Hummel! He mentally slapped himself.
But Sebastian seemed to feel like playing innocent and fake-kindly suggested: "Here as in New York, or…?" He let the question unfinished, waiting for an exasperated Kurt to complete it.
"Here as in… whatever! Both!" He answered, annoyed, folding his arms.
Sebastian smirked, amused. "Well, I happen to live here, gayface. I go to NYU, for your information" he stated proudly, gaining a very confused glare from Sam, who had been witnessing the whole meeting with precaution, unsure of what to do. "As to why I'm here, as in your off-off-off-off-Broadway debut" he even took his time to emphasize each off, gaining a furious glare from both Kurt and Rachel this time, "well, I happen to have grand-parents, you know? Edna over there is my grandma, a.k.a. the coolest actress you got in here, if you ask me" he answered while putting his arm around Blaine, in a confidant-like way, gaining the most uncomfortable look Blaine had ever managed to pull off. Kurt just rolled his eyes, getting used to the familiar Sebastian's show-offs in little time.
"And here I was thinking we might have lost you forever in your beloved France… can't help but wonder what went wrong there, meerkat. Didn't you want to attend college in Paris?" Kurt asked, completely satisfied with having his long time missed bitchiness back. Well hello old friend. Sebastian smiled back, but it wasn't a genuine smile, maybe a sad one? Now you're imagining things, Hummel.
"I'm touched you remember, Kurtie" arrogant smirk on. "Thinking about me that much?" Sebastian gave the final punch, his face getting closer to Kurt, as if to dare him to ask further. Kurt took the hint, and stepped back, annoyed by the proximity. What's with this guy invading people's space? He thought.
"You wish" Kurt bit back, playfully exaggerating his disdain. He locked eyes with Sebastian for a moment, the information suddenly sinking in. Kurt's eyes went wide as if about to leave his face. "Edna is your grandmother" he stated, unable to content his surprise.
"Took you long enough" Sebastian said, amused.
"Mmh…" Kurt mumbled for a minute, unsure of his following words. "She really makes a great Tinkerbell, doesn't she? She's a wonderful woman" Kurt said, fondly, not wanting to contain his fondness just because of Sebastian. Then thought it better and added: "So much talent… where did her heritage go?" he faked concerned.
"Ha ha, you've watched me perform more than once, Kurtie. No need to pretend here" Sebastian winked, again. They fell in an awkward silence, staring back at each other.
"Can't say I missed this" Blaine said, but he was so clearly amused that his smile gave it completely away. Sebastian took the chance to smile seductively at him. Here we go again… Kurt thought, more with actual amusement than with the old bitterness he used to witness Sebastian's attempts at flirting with the ever oblivious Blaine. He didn't realised the change, though.
"Well, can't say I'm happy to see you again, Sebastian. But enough with the hellos. Can we leave now, Kurt?" Rachel asked him, which took Kurt by surprise. Wait, since when was he the reason they were stuck on this awkward reunion?
"Why do you ask me?" Kurt hesitated, but took the hint and proceeded to get rid of Sebastian, anyway. "Well, chipmunk, pleasure to meet you again…" he said with as much irony as he could pull off and took the hand Sebastian offered him, granting each other an effusive hand-shake full of sarcasm, yet tight. We're shaking hands now?
"Same, Kurtie. Blainey. Barbra." He just looked at each of them, no hand-shaking involved, apparently. Then he stopped when his eyes laid on Mercedes and Sam, unsureness all over him for a second: "Blondie. Blackie" he offered, gaining some furious glares from the couple.
As Sebastian walked away, towards Edna, Kurt noticed, the gang took their coats and exited the place, looking instantly relieved and starting an animated chat about how great the play had been, to which Kurt put little attention, as his mind still lingered back at the nursing place, reliving the few exchanges they had just shared with Sebastian Smythe.
It couldn't be possible... could it? Sebastian was Edna's grandson. Wow. For weeks, he had heard nothing but praises about her handsome and too smart for his own good granchild. From silly stories about his childhood, to truly endearning anecdotes from a grown-up Sebastian. Bas, she had called him. Even Kurt had grown fond of the little boy who had learnt with admiration everything his grandma had to offer about performing. Makes sense, Kurt had to concede to himself. Sebastian was not a bad performer, despite his previous snarky comment on that ground. He deserved it, he repeated himself, and yet some haunting feeling, terribly similar to guilt, crept up his chest. The Sebastian that Edna had described, and the one he got to know back in highschool seemed like two completely different individuals, and yet... the more he thought about it, the more clicks his brain made.
"Penny for your thoughts" Blaine asked him quietly, only for them to hear it, while a kind smile graced his lips.
Kurt answered with one of his own. "You really liked it?" He asked, trying to cover for his mind spacing out like that. He was with his friends, come on, Hummel! "I'm so happy you guys were there with me…" And Kurt meant it.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Kurt" said Blaine and hugged him.
Kurt stayed in his arms for a little, taking comfort on his boyfriend's warmth. "Mmm… well, it's not like it was my Broadway debut" he broke it off and his brain was suddenly filled with off-off-off-off… "But it was a wonderful experience, you know? If only, for the people I got to meet" he shrugged.
"Maybe I shouldn't say this, but Sebastian was right, Kurt" said Blaine, but noticing Kurt's confusion he rushed to add "I mean, the modesty part!" he explained. "Own your victories; that was a pretty clever take on the play, you know? Everybody loved it and… may I say how absolutely fabulous you managed to look in that harness?" Blaine stopped then, for emphasis. "Trust me, not everybody can pull off a performance like that in such an uncomfortable condition, but you did it gracefully!"
Kurt smiled and put an arm around his fiancé. I was hoping to look hot, but… gracefully and fabulous will do, he thought.
Little he knew he had indeed looked hot to a certain viewer in the audience.