Chapter 8: The Beauty is there, but a Beast is in the Heart

Song: "Maneater" By Hall & Oates

It's all awkward between them since. The problem is that they don't even have the oppertunity to avoid each other, because captains and co-captains don't avoid each other if an important performance comes running fast.

In fact, it's stunning how much their relationship didn't change at the outside.

"This is bullcrap." Sebastin states calmly as they look at their song selection for the competition.

"They want for a theme Thrill and half of these songs is by One Direction. That's not even funny anymore. That's desperate."

Hunter sights. They're sitting in a silent corner of Daltons recreation room. A few non-warbling students are sitting around, reading or working or sleeping.

Since the ... incident, Sebastian and he are careful to always set their meetings up to public places. One of the many unwritten rules which came into effect lately.

"I'm afraid you're right. But that's what the others proposed and we have to chose out of it. That's how it works."

"With all due respect to democracy" Seb snorts and pushes a card that says Katy Perry - Dressin' Up 3 at arm's lenght away and over the edge of the table "I think we need a coup here."

"No." Hunter says and picks up the Katy-Perry-Note vehemently. "We're not cheating on our own men."

"Oh lá lá, such a loyal little soldier." The younger boy mocks and tilts his head while looking at Hunter. "So this is a kind of honesty you are doing, isn't it?"

"Shut it." The captain says without even giving a look.

They fall silent, Hunter arranging the pieces of paper and Sebastian looking at him, enwrapped.

"What about this one?" Hunt finally says and shows him a note he just found under a few Cobra Starship proposals.

Sebastian lifts his head.

"Huh, that's something to start with."


"Elliott is coming." Hunter says two hour and several fights about various songs, various artists, and various artists relations with Megan Fox later.

"Yeah? When?" Sebastian asks, burrying his hand in his pockets nonchalanty. They're heading back to their rooms, exhausted and not really satisfied with the results.

"I don't know. He and Kitty are planning this and none of them would tell. They're claiming it's a surprise."

"Sweet." Seb grins. "And little controll-freak-Clarington doesn't like surprises?"

"He actually hates them." Hunter agrees and they stop in front of his dorms door.

He realises the corridor is empty apart from them.

The atmosphere changes immediately.

The air between them is burning and sparks dancing around his eyes, flustering his vision and making his head stirr.

Sebastians voice halls through the firework.

"You cannot control everything, Hunt."

The younger boy takes a step foward and Hunter can feel the alarmingly massive door in his back.

"Sometimes, you need to let go."

Sebastians face is right in front of his. His eyes are fumy green. Like frosted glass.

"But I'm the only one who's doing things right." Hunter answers weakily. "The rest of the world is just a bunch of idiots."

Sebastian chuckles and raises a hand to touch Hunters temple. Screw that, Hunter thinks. It'll happen anyway.

And in that very second, a door three metres to their left swings open and they hear chattering, laughing students coming out.

Hunter reacts even faster than he expected himself. His hand clenches the doors knob and he practically falls inside his dorm, dashing the door shut and leaning against it from the inside.

After some seconds, which scare the crap out of him, he can hear Sebastian greeting the students and a short dialogue. Then footsteps. Then three soft knocks on the door.

Then, after a little while, the rythm of Sebastian easy pace, leaving.

Hunter sights relieved and wipes a drop of sweat off his forehead.


Jeffs look is nothing but a silent reproach.

Sebastian tosses his blazer aside and lets himself fall on the bed.

"Where have you been?" Jeff asks severely. Seb covers his eyes with his forearm and remains silent.

"You were with the captain, weren't you?" Jeff insists. Seb can feel his weight lowering the end of his matress.

"Or were you with this other guy you still refuse to name?" His flashy roommate pokes.

Sebastian keeps his mouth shut.

"You know, you shouldn't do that, Seb. It's not right. I'm not saying you need to commit yourself to someone just yet. But stop throwing yourself around.

How are you supposed to notice if you really like someone when you're always on your way to the next one?"

"Je m'en fou."

"Stop talking french, Seb, that's childish, I'm trying to have a honest conversation here."

"But I'm not. Shut it, Jeff, I know what I'm doing."

"No, you're not. You're just beeing immature and trying to hurt as many persons as possible before you get hurt yourself!"

Jeff rushes off the bed and tears the door open. His voice sounds mad and disappointed at the same time.

"You know what, Seb? I hope one day you will meet someone you really like and he won't want to be with someone who's been so careless in the past. That would actually serve you right."

And with that he slams the door shut and Sebastian can feel the emptiness of the room dripping onto his skinn.

"That actually just happened." He says loud to the wall.


The Westerville Performing Arts Center is crowded, what is saying something, considering the fact this is usually the weekly meeting spot for Westervilles "Mommy and Me" group.

The Warblers hang out in the checkroom, nervous and excited, awaiting their first performance under the new captain.

Hunter leans next to a big poster of a tap dance club for senior citizens, pretending to be calm and confident.

Sebastian sits on one of the lumpy couches and laughs about one of Thads juicy jokes. Hunter continues to examine each of his Warblers carefully, to make sure they're all in shape and ready. He feels a little bit motherly, what is weird because he never had any moods like this over his previous glee club. That would actually have been a bit strange, considering the fact these guys passed their non-gleeking time learning how to knock off an adult man unarmedly.

Hunter notices Scott glaring through the room at Sebastian, but doesn't attach any importance to it. Scott dislikes Seb, that's generally known. He probably got pissed off by one of Sebs sneaky comments.

An elderly man sticks his head through the door: "Five minutes, guys!"

Hunter nodds and stretches his neck. He's thirsty, but there are no drinks here (no money left over for that!), so he decides to go to the bathroom and take a gulp of water.

He opens the creaky door and find the toilets on the other side of the corridor.

The mirror is cracked.

Hunter just put his hand out to turn up the water tap, when he hears two voices coming out of the cabinets.

"I told you not to eat anything before the performance. You're lucky I had a spare shirt."

"Don't be such an killjoy. Chocolate makes your voice smooth."

"No, it doesn't. I hope you get fat."

Hunter recognizes the voices and sights. Jeff and Nick are the Warbler couple and, yeah, they're kind of cute, but also pretty annoying in the long run.

He opens his mouth to tell them to get their asses to the checkroom, when Nick answers:

"What's up, Jeffie? Why you're so pissed off?"

Jeff sights like a girl: "It's because of Seb. I'm worried. He's so .."

A long pause. Hunter delays his exhortation for a moment.

"He's cutting loose lately, Nick. At first I thought he's might, you know, just having fun. But he's only fucking around and it's gotten worse. Sometimes I think he doesn't even care about these boys, like he literaly doesn't care who they are. Yesterday I found one of Scotts ties in our dorm."

"I thought they hate each other."

"They do! That's it! Nicky, I think Seb's blackmailing him. He was with him all night and -"

The two of them fall silent when they hear the bathroom door slamming.


"And now, Ladies and Gentleman, exculsively for you .. the Dalton Academy Warblers!"

The audience applaudes and they enter the stage. Sebastian gives Hunter an encouraging grin, but gets ignored. Seb frowns, taking his position between the other Warblers.

He can hear Hunter voice - "Thanks to everyone for coming. We hope you enjoy the show." - in his back, can hear the change from Usual-Hunter to Stage-Hunter and feels the excitement prickle under his skin. He would never admid it, but he loves seeing his captain perform. Loves the predatory smile, the smooth movements of his dancing steps, the deep velvet voice and seeing every single person in the audience fall for it.

"She'll only come out at night, the lean and hungry type. Nothing is new, I've seen her here before."

Sebastian blinks. He cannot turn and look at Hunter yet, because the performance doesn't allow it - but he hears a small, tiny creak in his voice. Something deep, something true.

"Watching and waiting, she's sitting with you but her eyes are on the door."

Hunter crosses the stage, Sebastian can feel him in his back. His tunes taste like honey, thick with emotion and Seb cannot supress a shiver.

"So many have paid to see what you think you're getting for free. The woman is wild, a she-cat tamed by the purr of a Jaguar."

The audience is deadly silent, there's only the Warblers gentle background humming and Hunters sharp, clear, hurting voice, that covers everyones skin with tiny, invisible needles.

"Money's the matter, if you're in it for love you ain't gonna get too far."

Finally, Sebastian can turn with the others, see the dark, faceless auditorium and Hunter in front of it, illuminated by the spotlight. A glowing man in front of a black abyss.

"Oh, here she comes!" The Warblers sing and Hunter clenches his fists when he answers: "Watch out boy, she'll chew you up!"

"Oh, here she comes!"

"She's a maneater!"

"Oh, here she comes!"

"Watch out boy she'll chew you up - she's a maneater!"

They fall into their performance, step foward, step back, uhhh, but Sebatian can't take his eyes off Hunter. He almost forgets his already pretty simple lyrics.

"I wouldn't if I were you, I know what she can do. She's deadly, man, and she could really rip your world apart."

And then there's this moment when Hunter turns his face and looks at Sebastian, and Seb can see the words written on his face. He can read it and he knows every word Hunter is singing is for him and it couldn't possibly be any less romantic.

"Mind over matter - the beauty is there but a beast is in the heart."

Sebastian returns Hunters look and he's cold. If there has ever been any chance for him to get that man, he screw it up.

"Oh, here she comes!"

"Watch out boy, she'll chew you up!"

"Oh, here she comes!"

"She's a maneater!"

They finish and for a second, there's silence floating the room.

And then the audience bursts into excited applause.

Hunter tears his look off Sebastian and gives it a wide, fake smile.

Sebastian can feel Scott behind him like the sword of Damocles.


Autors Note: As I wrote, the Song is by Hall & Oates, but I deeply recommend The Coronas' Cover as well. :) Hope you enjoy so far.