The rest of their week in Canada passed quickly - a sign of all of them having a good time. Andrew had been the perfect host, and as things settled down, he and his daughters started rebuilding their relationship. There was still a long way to go; eleven years worth of hurt and pain couldn't be eradicated in a single week. But a lot of groundwork work was covered, and as Steph hugged her dad goodbye on the morning of their departure, she felt like they had all made a big step towards becoming a family again.
"Bye, dad," she said against his broad shoulder as she held him tight. "Thank you for a really nice week."
"Thank you for coming," he said quietly. "Thank you for giving me a chance to get to know you. You've become a fine young woman, Steph. You're so beautiful and talented and have a great group of friends. And I'm so happy you have found Alex. What you two have is special. That doesn't come around all too often, so hold on to it."
Steph blinked back tears and hugged her dad tighter. "Thank you."
Andrew closed his eyes and kissed his daughter's hair. "I love you, Steph."
Smiling she pulled away from him and kissed his cheek before releasing her grip on him so that he could say goodbye to the others.
"You okay?" Alex asked her, wiping a tear away from her cheek.
"Yes," she said honestly. "I am. I guess…I have my dad back." It still sounded a little surreal.
Alex smiled at her.
As Andrew said goodbye to their friends, Caroline and Ben came up to Steph, carrying Bonnie.
"Thanks for coming along, Steph," Caroline said. "And for bringing the entourage. I think it would have gone a lot differently without them."
"Yeah," Steph agreed, her fingers playing with her engagement ring. She wasn't quite used to the feel yet, but it gave her little butterflies every time she brushed her fingers over it.
"Will you be okay here?" she asked her sister. Their flight wasn't until later that evening so they would be spending most of the day with him.
Caroline smiled. "Sure. I'm gonna take dad up on his offer to babysit Bonnie. And you know what I am going to do?" Her eyes glittered. " Sleep." She sighed happily. "Wonderful, glorious sleep."
Ben grinned. "You deserve it," he said. He kissed Steph's cheek. "Will we see you at your mom's next week?"
Steph nodded.
Once all goodbyes had been said, they all bundled into the SUV.
The day after Niagara Falls, Alex and Kurt had taken the car to a garage in town to buy a new spare.
"I hope there's no more stray nails on the road," Kurt said from the middle row of seats, where he and Sebastian sat as Brody pulled out onto the main road. "If my dad hears I changed another tire, he might yet try to get me into the family business."
"That would be a big loss for NYADA. But I bet you'd look good in grease-stained coveralls, babe," Sebastian said with a wink. A collective sigh from Steph and Alice told them that they agreed.
"I look good in anything," Kurt replied confidently, feeling pleased.
"Apart from plastic see-through bags," Brody said grinning at Kurt through the rearview mirror.
Kurt held up his middle finger at him.
Sebastian laughed a little and kissed his cheek. "I think you looked great in that too," he said.
"Babe? What time are we meeting her again?" Sebastian called out into the apartment.
It was the day after their return from Canada. He was stood over the bathroom sink shaving away the stubble that had grown over his face whilst they were away. Kurt had teased him for neglecting his grooming on their vacation, but Sebastian knew he secretly kind of liked the scruff when they made out. Now it was time to get back to their New York habits though.
They were getting ready to go out and meet Kurt's friend Dani. The two had reconnected since bumping into each other at the clinic, and this evening, she had invited them out to a gig her friend Elliot was doing.
("It's a tough crowd and he needs support, come with me please?")
They had agreed and were meeting her at the venue later that evening.
"At ten, but it's not far," Kurt replied from the bedroom.
He was standing in front of his closet, considering what to wear. Dani had told them it was a hipster bar/restaurant, and they had asked Elliott to fill in the evening entertainment. She had insinuated that the place wasn't a perfect match for his special talents, and that she expected enthusiasm to be mediocre.
Kurt was curious. Dani was over the moon about her friend, but friendship went a long way. With Kurt's new position as Isabelle's PA, Satire and replacing Marco as Mr Hura's TA on a permanent basis now, Kurt had given up hopes of starting his own Madonna cover band, but it didn't mean he wasn't interested in scouting new talent. Their karaoke group could always use reinforcement.
Kurt chose a patterned button-down and plain dark jeans, deciding low-key was the way to go. He hoped the bar served anything besides Bionade.
"Can I take your hoodie for the way home if it gets cold?" he called out.
Sebastian peered around the bathroom door and smiled at him. "Of course babe, you know you don't need to ask." He swept his eyes over his boyfriend's outfit. "You look great."
Kurt grinned. "So do you. I think it's my favourite look for you." He blew him a kiss. "But maybe you should get dressed if we want to make it outside."
Sebastian winked at Kurt and turned his back to him, shaking his ass comically.
"I thought I'd just go out in my underwear," he joked. "Purple is a good colour on me."
"It's also a good colour on my floor," Kurt mused.
Shortly before ten, Kurt and Sebastian were hurrying to the bar, looking a little rumpled and flushed. At least it hadn't been more than a few blocks.
"There you are," Dani let out. She was waiting outside with her phone out. "I sent you like three texts."
"Sorry! We, uh- got held up," Kurt explained, shooting a glance at Sebastian and grinning.
Dani rolled her eyes, but then smiled and hugged him and Sebastian in turn. "Thank you for coming."
Sebastian smiled at her. "I love a good indie show...I've been looking for something new to write about on my blog."
Dani smiled at him. "You write?"
"Reviews and articles mainly...English Major."
"Wow," Dani said. "We're reversed-cliché-twinsies! I do-"
"Chemistry. To get into forensics," Sebastian supplied, smiling.
"You remembered?" Dani asked, looking surprised.
Sebastian smiled and nodded, "of course...I remember everything."
"Everything, huh?" Dani replied, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Hmm-mm," Kurt confirmed. It was simultaneously a good and a bad thing. There were quite a few things he'd told Sebastian about Blaine that he wished they could just forget. Then again, he also never had to ask his boyfriend to do a chore more than once.
"How've you been, Dani?" Kurt asked.
Dani smiled and took his arm as they went inside. "Same old. Gunther's an ass. Broadway folk are bad tippers...I had a girlfriend on the Roller Derby team for a bit, but, eh..." She shrugged. "I'm too young to settle down." She winked at Kurt. She was the same age as him, but age was a feeling.
"How about you guys?"
Kurt smiled. "We went on a roadtrip to Canada with a couple of friends. It was amazing! We went to see Niagara Falls, and two of our friends got engaged! And - we saw a moose."
Dani snorted a little. "That was your personal highlight? Seeing a moose?"
"Well, a highlight...of many," Kurt admitted. "The others aren't PG."
He looked around the bar. There were chairs and tables attached to the ceiling, hanging upside down, and some of the regular seats were upcycled carnival bumper cars. The wallpaper had pictures of anthropomorphic bunnies playing chess. Most of the bar's clientele were wearing knitted hats and large scarves. "Oh...kay," Kurt said slowly, side-eying Dani.
She shrugged. "I know. It's not my kind of place either. And definitely not Elliott's. But beggars can't be choosers, right? He said their band was kind of cool."
Sebastian looked around the place, silently thinking that Alice would love it. "What kind of music is he gonna sing?"
Dani had said that Elliot's style didn't quite match the venue.
"He's a bit of a glam, electronic dance guy," Dani replied, cocking her head and frowning. "He rocks . This place...does not. I told him to throw in a few mellow ballads about craft beers or saving the earth or something. Because these guys-" she nodded at the people sitting next to them at another set of carnival ride seats, "are not gonna get up and dance."
Kurt smirked. "No, they don't look like the type..."
They had just settled down with their drinks (Dani had taken a bumper car, but neither of the boys were able to fold their long legs into one and still sit comfortably so they had taken a plush chaise longue together) when the band came on to the little stage in the corner of the bar. They started setting up their instruments. There was no sign of Elliott yet. Dani had told them they'd know him once they'd see him. She hadn't promised too much.
As the music started playing, a tall, dark-haired man stepped into the room, wearing a sequined top hat, a sparkling frock coat and a steampunk kilt over platform boots that made him look even taller. His eyes were heavily rimmed with black kohl and glitter, and he wore fingerless leather gloves and deep blue nail polish. He carried a pink rhinestone-set cordless microphone, and started straight into Life on Mars.
"Starchild, huh?" Kurt whispered, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I see what you mean," Sebastian said quietly to Dani. Starchild definitely did not fit here...but he was spectacular. "His voice is amazing!"
"I know!" she said smiling.
Kurt was unable to take his eyes off him. He looked intimidating and vulnerable at the same time. "Is he...out?" he asked carefully.
"Oh yeah," Dani replied, cheering up a little. "You can say that."
A couple next to them laughed a little as Starchild struck a pose at the end of the song, and Kurt frowned. They reminded him of his fellow students at McKinley. To make up for it, he clapped loudly.
Starchild seemed to have taken Dani's advice, and after his opening song, launched into a generic pop song. The mood visibly relaxed, but Kurt was secretly hoping he'd present more of his own style.
Sebastian liked Elliot, too. He was a good performer and owned his stage. If he was put off by the lack of atmosphere from the crowd, he didn't show it. Between each song, Sebastian, Kurt and Dani shouted and clapped as loud as they could to show him support. The rest of the audience mostly ignored the stage.
"What is wrong with these people?" Sebastian asked the other two.
"Hipster zombies," Dani grumbled. "I mean, I like my phone and my coffee as much as the next millenial, but when someone is making an effort, it's only polite to pay a bit of attention."
Kurt didn't reply. He was too captivated.
Starchild gave his indifferent audience a dark look. "I've never seen one like that before... " he announced in a sultry tone, and Kurt shivered in anticipation.
"Don't look at me like that…"
Kurt gasped. Was he going to do Lady Gaga, right here, for this crowd?
Starchild made a beckoning finger to their seats, looking at Dani.
"This is my cue, guys," she said, getting up.
The intro to Monster started, and the drummer set the tone with loud disco beats. Dani got onto the stage and took up a spare microphone. The keyboard player was lacing it with a different melody, though, and the beat changed to resemble a heart beat. Kurt gasped as he realised it wasn't just going to be a cover. It was a mash-up. Dani started singing Lady Gaga's refrain in the background.
"That boy is a monster... m-m-m-monster..."
"There's screaming in the dark - hear the beating of his heart," Starchild replied.
"That boy is a monster...!"
"Can you feel it in the air - ghosts be hiding everywhere…"
"That boy is a monster - he ate my heart..."
It was working - the different tone and style had made people sit up and pay attention. Starchild straightened his back and looked into the audience.
"I'm gonna be exactly what you want to see, " he sang, drawing the words out with his incredible voice, doing Michael Jackson justice. " Am I amusing you, or just confusing you? " He batted his heavily made up eyes at someone at the front. "Am I the beast you visualized? "
"That boy is a monster, m-m-m-monster," Dani sang.
"And if you want to see eccentricities I'll be grotesque before your eyes..." Starchild sang, opening his eyes widely and making a claw with his gloved hand. He began moving around the stage, putting a platform boot up on the speaker, posing, contorting his back and making scary faces that would make Lady Gaga proud. Then he moved to the center again, dropping his act and offering the audience an open look.
"But if you came to see the truth, the purity, it's here inside a lonely heart..." He put his hand on his chest before raising it in the air in a fist. "So let the performance start! Is that scary for you baby? (that boy is a monster!) Am I scary for you, oh! (A m-m-m-monster - he ate my heart!)"
The song continued, and he had everyone's attention now.
Sebastian's eyes were transfixed on the stage. They were incredible together. He thought back to the day he'd met Dani last summer. She'd said back then that her voice was better suited to a Rockier vibe...he could now see why.
The chemistry between the two of them was electric, their voices mixed well together so that even though they were singing two songs...it sounded like one.
"I am tired of being abused - you know you're scaring me too...I see the evil is you!"
As the song came to a spectacular end, the whole room finally broke into applause. Kurt and Sebastian made as much noise as they could for the two on stage - causing a few looks of annoyance from the tables around them. They paid them no heed.
Starchild took off his top hat and took a theatrical bow. Dani joined him at the front and kissed his cheek. They exchanged a few words that no one but them could hear, and Kurt smiled. He remembered how supportive she'd been to her friend on the phone when they met at the clinic. It was good to see them have a connection without any sexual tension or awkwardness.
"They are amazing," he said to Sebastian, though it was clear from his boyfriend's expression he already felt the same way.
Dani made her way back to them with a wide grin on her face.
"Ells just needs to help the band build down the set and then he'll come to see us," she said. "What did you think of that last one? It was all his idea, I'm just backup vocals."
"You were incredible!" Sebastian said honestly! "If forensics doesn't work out you have a great future in singing!"
Dani beamed at him. "Thanks, but I think I'll keep it as a hobby."
"We should all sing together some time," Kurt said. "We'd totally destroy the karaoke round at Pianos." He grinned at the thought. Starchild could probably sing anything. A few years ago, he might have felt threatened by his talent, but not anymore. He knew his own strengths and weaknesses and knew they could co-exist with others.
They ordered another round of drinks and waited for Dani's friend to join them. As he did, Kurt almost didn't recognise him. He'd changed his clothes and was wearing glasses, his hair combed back. Only a faint dark shadow around his eyes told of the stage make-up he had been wearing. A few stray specks of glitter still clung to his cheekbones.
"Hey guys," he said shyly, his voice softer than Kurt had expected. "Thanks for the support just now." He held out his hand. "I'm Elliott."
Elliot was not what Sebastian had expected at all. It was evident that he worked out and he dressed impeccably, but he was more stylish now rather than 'in your face'. On stage he was a star, confident and almost arrogant...but the man sat in front of them now was shy, quiet and a little unsure of himself. In a way, he reminded Sebastian of Kurt when they had first met.
"Sebastian," he said holding his hand out to shake Elliot's. "Great set!"
Elliott smiled. "Thanks, man. We kinda sprang the last one on everyone, but I just didn't want them to nod off, you know?"
"It was brilliant," Kurt added, holding out his hand. "I'm-"
"Kurt Hummel," Elliott finished. "Star of NYADA and the One That Got Away from Spotlight..." He shook his hand and winked at Dani. "Dan's always telling me about you. She even showed me a few of the videos on your blog."
"Oh!" Kurt let out, "Oh, they're not my videos! I mean, they are, but they're not on my blog. I don't have a blog. It's just NYADA people, I have nothing to do with that!"
"His fans," Dani added proudly.
"Well..." Kurt started to interject.
Sebastian chuckled and wrapped his arm around Kurt. "Kurt still has trouble realising that other people know how amazing he is."
Dani grinned. "Ells is the same."
"Yes, well...the response I got here tonight would prove that I'm right," Elliott said.
"You were incredible!" Sebastian reassured him, these people just have no taste."
Elliott looked down on his drink. Kurt could tell he was pleased and embarrassed at the same time, and somehow felt an instant connection to him.
"I was just saying to these two that we could totally slay karaoke together," he said.
Elliott looked up at him. "You want to sing with me?"
Kurt smirked. "Only if you don't make me took too bad..." he teased. "Your range is amazing."
"Madame Tibideaux wasn't too impressed…" Elliott said shyly.
"What? You auditioned for NYADA?" Kurt let out, going wide-eyed.
"Twice," Elliott replied, and shrugged. "I guess I just didn't have what it takes…"
Kurt shook his head. "That's insane! You are way better than half my class - and I had to audition twice too, by the way."
"You did?" Elliott asked, looking equally surprised.
Dani looked at Sebastian. "Aren't they adorable?"
Sebastian watched Kurt and Elliot and noticed the visible heart eyes that Elliot had for his boyfriend. He didn't feel threatened. He knew Kurt loved him (after their talk the previous week Kurt had been making more of an effort to say it), but he couldn't help the slight feeling of jealousy.
"Yeah," Sebastian said in response to Dani. Then he shook himself. "He's right Elliot, your range is amazing...if you ever feel like playing to a more accepting audience, we know the perfect place."
"You do?" Elliott asked, still surprised and starstruck.
Kurt looked at Sebastian and knew what he was thinking. "We do," he confirmed. "Think Spotlight...but at nighttime...and more gay." He winked.
Dani chewed her lip. "Would I be able to get in?"
"Of course! Everyone can come in - well, except from Blaine as he's gotten himself banned for life-" Kurt explained, rolling his eyes a little at the thought of his ex. "But generally speaking...sure. Not many women do, though."
Dani shrugged, "I can live with that." She grinned at them.
"Sounds like a great place...how did you find out about it?" Elliot said.
"We work there," Sebastian said, smiling at him.
"That's why you left Spotlight? To go work in a gay bar?" Dani asked her eyes raised. "Damn boy, now I'm jealous!"
Kurt shook his head. "No, I left because Gunther is an asshole, and you can quote me on that," he said. He looked at Elliott to explain. "One of my regular customers had died and I asked for the morning off to attend her funeral. My boss said no."
Elliott frowned. "That's awful."
Dani nodded. "It was. Gunther told everyone he had fired you for calling in sick too often, but I defended you."
"Thanks." Kurt swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat at the mention of his sick days- which hadn't been sick days at all.
Sebastian tightened his grip around Kurt. "Our boss at Satire is amazing though, much better than Gunther. He actually cares about his staff...he's super flexible without hours. If we have loads of school work or finals he'll relax and reduce our hours, but if we have a week where we need the money, he'll move things around and give us the hours we need."
"He sounds great..." Dani said thoughtfully. She hated her job. "I bet you don't have to wear short skirts as a uniform either." She winked.
"We do not," Kurt confirmed, grinning. The feeling had passed. Sebastian's presence had pulled him back to the present.
"Any chance your boss is hiring?" Dani asked.
Kurt looked at Sebastian. "We can always ask. Maybe you should come and check it out."
Dani grinned at Elliott. "We definitely will, right?"
"Yes!" Elliott added, looking eager.
One of the bar's servers came to their table and placed a bottle of Bionade on a napkin, sliding it towards Elliott.
"Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't order this..." he started, and the server smiled.
"Compliments of table five," he said mysteriously, and nodded towards the back before leaving.
Elliott picked up the bottle and saw that the napkin had a few words and a phone number scribbled on it. He glanced at the table in the back.
A group of students sat talking, paying the rest of the bar no attention. Except for a young man with shoulder length black hair and a plaid jacket over a black band shirt. He was looking their way, and as he caught Elliott's eye, raised his own bottle in a toast.
"What does it say?" Kurt asked, unable to keep his curiosity to himself any longer.
Dani swiped the napkin away from her friend and read it. "It says you ate my heart."
Kurt smiled. Clearly not their entire audience had been indifferent to Starchild's performance.
Elliot smiled at the guy and held up the bottle in thanks before turning back around. He looked at the bottle dubiously.
"What the hell is Bionade?"
"Some kind of naturally processed soda. Our friend Alice drinks it all the time." Sebastian said smirking. "You should try it," he added innocently.
Elliot out the straw in his mouth and took a sip, gagging almost instantly. "That's disgusting," he moaned putting the drink back down and sliding it away from himself. "Who would willingly drink that?"
Sebastian and Kurt laughed.
"Let me try it," Dani said picking up the bottle. She sniffed it a little before taking a sip. "Ugh, it tastes like piss."
Kurt scrunched up his nose. "Yeah, piss from someone who's been eating nothing but bubble gum all their lives. The amount of sugar in that stuff is insane."
"So much for that, then," Elliott mused, using the napkin to wipe a few drops of the spilled lemonade off the table, crumpling it up afterwards. He sighed dramatically. "I'd rather be single than be with someone with no taste..."
Dani patted his arm. "Your time will come, and so will you," she said sagely.
Elliot shrugged. "It's okay," he said, in the way people did when things weren't really that okay. He paused. "I'm quite happy on my own."
"I know, babe," Dani said, stroking his arm. "But we do need to get you laid, you're far too uptight." She winked at him.
"You know that's not my thing...I can't just do random hookups."
Kurt listened quietly and somehow felt even more sympathetic towards Elliott than he already had. There was a story there; one that might be shared in due time.
"Well, I happen to know Sebastian is an excellent wingman," he offered, smiling to show that no one thought any less of Elliott for not jumping on the first chance to hook up.
Sebastian grinned at his boyfriend, remembering the time he'd played "wingman" for Kurt.
"Oh I am, and I have excellent contacts." Sebastian winked. "I can lend you my little black book. I don't need it anymore…" He looked at Kurt and smiled brightly.
"No, you don't," Kurt agreed, then looked back at their friends. "I got it covered."
Dani snorted. "I bet," she added.
Elliot smiled at Kurt and Sebastian. They made a good couple. "We'll see," he said. "Maybe we'll just stick to coming to your club for now...I'm in no rush to jump back into the game."
Sebastian nodded. "No pressure. We're only joking, man."
"Yeah, I know all about taking your time before jumping back in," Kurt said. When Elliot looked at him, Kurt explained. "My ex was...it didn't end well. And it took me a long time to open up to someone again. Bas was very patient. He still is."
"You're worth the wait, baby," Sebastian said quietly. Kurt smiled.
"What I'm saying," Kurt continued, "is that there isn't a time limit, okay?"
Elliot smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks."
"No problem." Kurt smiled. "Now, how about we finish these drinks -except the Bionade, of course- and ditch this place for somewhere more accepting?" He held up his drink. "After your performance I wanna get my Gaga on!"
"I'll drink to that," Dani said, chinking her glass against Kurt's.
A/N: JW had to take a tonsillitis-related writing break the past week. The next chapter is still being edited and will probably not be ready for Wednesday...but next Sunday at the latest. It'll be an exciting one, though. #teaser2
