It was the fifth day of Blaine's stay in LA. He had promised to Skype every night, but Kurt knew that had been a bit ambitious, especially given the way they had parted. So far, Blaine had called twice and sent a few selfies of him, Sam and Cooper in running gear in the hills, lounging on a gigantic sofabed in which Kurt assumed was Cooper's apartment, and a blurry one from a party. Kurt wasn't entirely sure Blaine had meant to send that last one.
But Kurt hadn't exactly had time to miss him. Since that day at Coney Island, he had spent all of his spare time between Vogue and his shifts at the diner with Sebastian, sometimes accompanied by his friends too but more often than not, just the two of them. Kurt loved the things Sebastian could tell him about New York and its history. It felt like having his own personal tour guide. In turn, he talked Sebastian's ear off about all the musicals and film trivia of the city. They also had moments that were just spent in silence; as they walked around or sat somewhere having a coffee- at least until one of them saw a particularly remarkable outfit that needed commenting on, or in Sebastian's case, a particularly cute dog that needed petting.
Kurt waited indulgently as Sebastian play-wrestled with a large husky. Its owner, a woman in her thirties, stood watching them with little hearts in her eyes.
Tough luck, lady, Kurt thought and smiled pleasantly. You can't put a leash on this one.
Sebastian lay on the grass with the huge husky trying to lick his face. He was chuckling lightly as he held the dog in play before letting him loose to 'attack'.
"Oh, you're so good with him!" The woman gushed as Sebastian wriggled out from under the dog and ruffled his ears one more time.
"I love dogs," Sebastian said with a smile, climbing back onto his feet and brushing himself down. "Thank you for letting me say hi, and for the picture."
"Oh not at all! You know, we're here every day, same time, same place..." she said smiling and calling the dog as she walked on, hips swaying,
Sebastian put his hands in his shorts pockets and smiled at Kurt. "And thank you for being patient while I said hello."
Kurt smiled, pocketing his phone. He'd taken a few snaps of Sebastian, wanting to preserve this day forever. The sun was shining, the park was lovely and everywhere around them were smiling people.
"That's ok. It was only the third...in the last hour," he teased. They hadn't even been in the park that long, but his friend was drawn to dogs and they were drawn to him.
Sebastian blushed a little, had it really been that many?
"I can't help it. If I see a dog, I have to say hello. I feel guilty if I don't."
They started walking along the path again, heading in the direction of the bridge.
"How come you don't have a dog of your own?" Kurt asked, plucking a few strands of dog hair off Sebastian's sleeve.
"My apartment block is part of student accommodation, no pets." Sebastian replied simply. "I want one though! Actually I'd love to have two or three!"
Kurt grinned at Sebastian's enthusiasm. Then his face fell a little. "Too bad about your place," he offered. I don't even know if we're allowed pets, come to think of it. But it's not really an option anyway. We're away all day, it would just be mean."
Sebastian nodded. "Another reason I don't have one. My apartment is so small and I'm hardly ever home! Dogs need space to run around, unless you have a little dog...but I prefer big dogs." He kicked a pebble on the ground. "You know Marc at the club? He and his husband have two...big golden retrievers, they're beautiful."
"Aw, those are Marc's? I saw them on your instagram. That picture where you only see your feet and your face and the rest is a blur of shiny dogs..." Kurt chuckled a little. Sebastian was so sweet with them. It was no wonder they all loved him.
"Yeah, Poppy and Lola are great!" Sebastian replied, "I'm house sitting for Marc and Paul at the end of the month when they go on holiday. Only for a week, but they have a massive apartment on Park Place and it's mine for the whole seven days. They have a pool in the building and a gym and the dogs of course!" He was so excited! He couldn't afford to go on holiday himself so in a way that week was going to be it!
Not that he hadn't enjoyed this week with Kurt so far. It had felt amazing to be able to hangout together unhindered by much else than their work schedules. In a way, it was like a mini-holiday, too.
"Wow... oh yeah, Marc's husband's a doctor, huh?" Kurt thought about it. He liked that Marc worked at the bar anyway- they could probably afford for him not to. Suddenly, he grinned and nudged Sebastian from the side. "You're gonna throw a party, right?" he asked playfully.
Sebastian smirked. "I might invite a few people over," he mused. He had thought he might get his friends over one evening but he wouldn't go crazy...he had too much respect for Marc and Paul to risk damaging their apartment.
Kurt smirked. "So what does a boy have to do to get invited...?" He skipped ahead a little and looked over his shoulder at his friend.
Sebastian grinned. "I dunno, I hear a boy turns back into a pumpkin after midnight." Sebastian winked, poking his tongue out between his teeth.
Kurt hung his head in mock defeat. Then, a sly smile crept onto his face and he looked back at Sebastian. "Not on Tuesdays, though..."
It'd be pretty hard for him to come to a party on any other day anyway, with his schedule. But that would mean Sebastian would have to change shifts. And with Marc on holiday... He quickly added: "It's ok, you don't have to. I tag along with your friends so much already..."
Sebastian grinned. "No...not on Tuesdays." He considered dragging it out further but saw the flicker of doubt pass over Kurt's face and relented. "You're not a tag-along dummy, and they're not just my friends...they're our friends." He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Kurt's neck in a typical 'bro' move. "You're one of us now, babe, whether you like it or not!"
Kurt beamed. "I like it," he said simply. "So, where to now? I feel like doing something that involves junk food and no-brain entertainment. Movie?"
He gasped, turning around under Sebastian's arm to face him. "How about bowling !"
Sebastian grimaced at the suggestion. "Ugh, I hate bowling."
Kurt stepped back a little and cocked his head. "Really? Who hates bowling... it's fun. Oh come on...have you even been, here in New York?"
Sebastian dropped his arm and looked at Kurt bashfully. "Yes, once with Alice and Steph...Alice said she won't go with me anymore." He sighed at the look on Kurt's face. He looked far too adorable with his head cocked like that. Almost like a puppy. How could he deny such a face? "We can go if you really want to," he said, relenting.
Kurt laughed out loud. "I think we're gonna have to, now! What the hell did you do, make out with the shoe attendant behind the racks?" He winked. Now that they had the serious talks about their past behind them, Kurt felt secure enough to make a joke like that without being afraid Sebastian might take offence.
Sebastian chuckled. "If only..." he said shaking his head. He sighed again.
"Alright, Hummel," he said defeated, looping his arm through Kurt's and walking purposefully towards the exit of the park, "You asked for it."
After a few turns, Kurt still thought Sebastian was a little rusty. Then he chalked it up to nerves. But when his seventh consecutive throw rolled down the lane without knocking over more than the occasional side pin, it finally dawned on Kurt. Oh, this is why he hates bowling.
Not that he was faring any better himself. Kurt had never been very good at it. Every now and then he'd get lucky, but he had no idea about technique or style. For him, a large part of the fun was indulging in pizza and fries and weird clunky shoes. He liked walking down the polished wooden lanes with them like it was a catwalk challenge on America's Next Top Model.
After his own sparkling gold ball rolled into the gutter just before hitting any pins, Kurt did just that and walked back swaying like he had just landed his next strike, and he posed in front of the seats, hip jutting out. He could hear a few laughs from some of the other lanes, but he couldn't care less.
"How about food?" he asked Sebastian, who was hanging in his seat looking a little dejected. He nudged him with a bowling shoe.
"You're really taking this personally, aren't you?"
Sebastian scowled up at Kurt. "I just don't understand why the ball doesn't go where I tell it to!" he said grumpily. "I'm good at sports. Back home I was on both the lacrosse and rugby teams at school...I can even play fucking golf...I just don't understand why a stupid fucking ball won't roll straight down and hit the pins when I'm clearly telling it to...I think it's a conspiracy!"
Kurt gave it a valiant try not to laugh. "You look adorable when you're sulking, did you know?" he said fondly, and sat down next to Sebastian. "You play golf, really?"
Kurt thought about his school sports career. "I was on the football team for a while. Then I switched to cheerleading." He grinned. "Maybe that's what you need for your next throw. A good cheer!"
He got up and put his arms out. "Push it to the limits, push it to the top! ‚Cause you're Sebastian Smythe and you never give up! S! M! Y! T!H!E!" Kurt put in a few Cheerios moves and ended with a high kick. Wow, that was a long time ago. He really should have warmed up.
Sebastian couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as Kurt did a little cheer routine. People around them were staring and pointing but Kurt didn't seem to care. He chuckled at Kurt's wince at the high kick but couldn't help but secretly admire how flexible he was, even in jeans.
"How did I not know you were a cheerleader?" he asked, still smiling. "That's super fucking hot."
He realised what he'd said and blushed.
"There's a lot about me you've yet to discover," Kurt said with a wink. "Here's one for your twitter: He who would search for pearls, must search below the surface. "
"I like that!" Sebastian replied with a smile. Every so often Kurt would throw out a quote for his twitter, and every time he did, Sebastian felt a little flutter in his chest.
Kurt shook his head a little. This literature stuff was rubbing off on him. "But, yes. We won the National cheerleading championship in 2010. It was the team's sixth consecutive win. They placed third internationally the year after that, but I had already quit by then. Though you never really quit the Cheerios... not until the coach lets or kills you. So I'm just inactive, I guess. Maybe she'll call on me one day to man the pyramid." He grinned.
Sebastian looked at Kurt as he talked, once again wondering where on Earth he'd come from, and wishing he had taken the chance to get to know him when he'd had it years ago...things may have turned out very different.
"If she ever does, you'll have to let me know! I wanna see you in action!"
Kurt laughed. "I doubt she will, though. But you can google us, if you like. The Nationals should be up on YouTube, at least." He took up a bright pink, glittery ball and held it out with one hand. "Here, one more shot. I didn't almost tear my jeans for nothing doing that cheer. And then: pizza."
Sebastian failed miserably at his final shot, as he knew he would, but didn't feel too bad about it as Kurt patted him on the back and smiled cheerfully at him.
Rather than eating cheap crappy pizza from the fast food place in the bowling alley, Sebastian suggested a small Italian pizzeria that was near Satire, which lead to Kurt suggesting they head to the club after, and Sebastian agreed.
"Have you been to any of the authentic pizza places in the city since you've been here?" Sebastian asked as they stepped out of the subway and started walking towards the restaurant.
"I tried a few places from my tour guide book," Kurt replied. "There's a rather nice one near the Condé Nast that I tried before I came to Satire the first time."
They crossed the street at a red light with dozens of other New Yorkers to the sound of car horns.
"Rachel once went to Sardi's with Finn, but I've never been. It's still on my New York to do list."
Sebastian smiled at him. "I've never been to Sardi's either...I've heard it's a great place to bump into celebrities."
"Yes! Rachel talked to Patti Lupone when she was there! The way she tells it, they practically became best friends that night, but Finn said she barely said hello." Kurt sighed. "It'd be great to go."
He filed his dream away again and focused on the present, thinking about what food he'd like to order. They reached the restaurant and Kurt briefly glanced at the menu outside. He had told himself not to look at the prices this break, but to just enjoy himself, but checked out of habit anyway. It was okay, and they did a prawn pizza. Excellent.
Then he thought of something. "You do eat tomatoes on your pizza though, right?"
Sebastian chuckled. "The sauce base yes, the big ass slices they put on a margarita no...but then I don't order a margarita. It's all about the meat feast, babe!" He winked.
Kurt shuddered. "Those kind of pizzas are an abomination," he mumbled. "They're like the ultimate straight guy pizza."
"I dunno," Sebastian said pulling the door open and letting Kurt walk in first. "Meat feast with extra sausage sounds pretty gay to me," he said with a wink.
Kurt laughed loudly, and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, not wanting to disturb the other patrons at the restaurant. Sebastian grinned, pleased to have amused him.
A waiter lead them to a table for two. Kurt was still grinning as they sat down.
"Do you want to share an entrée?" The appetiser section really looked pretty good, and Kurt could use a decent meal if he was going to drink cocktails later.
"Sure," Sebastian replied when they sat down. He picked up a menu and browsed it."What do you fancy?"
"Well, since I've never been here, maybe just a mixed platter with a little something of each? Unless you can recommend anything? Also that couple behind you is staring at us," Kurt said, adding the last comment smoothly. "Which makes me extra motivated to share." He deliberately moved his chair a little further towards Sebastian around the round table, and offered the couple a sweet smile.
Sebastian turned to look at them and, noticing their frowns turned to Kurt. "Oh honey ," he said in an overly camp manner. "You have a hair out of place, let me fix that for you." And he leaned across the table to smooth back a nonexistent hair back behind Kurt's ear.
He heard the woman behind them tut and winked at Kurt.
"Thank you, darling," Kurt sighed happily, raising the hand with his engagement ring up to brush the same spot and let the shiny metal catch the light. That ought to do. As he looked over, they didn't dare meet his eye.
"Sorry I am so vindictive," he said under his breath, looking down at the menu, "but I didn't accept that shit at school and I sure as hell don't here in New York, not from the likes of them."
Sebastian smiled and placed his hand over Kurt's, squeezing it softly.
"I get it, I don't either...plus I love messing with people." He pulled his hand away and resumed looking at his own menu.
"I think a sharing platter would be great!" he said, reading through to options. "Oohh, they have Calamari on this one!" he exclaimed.
Kurt smiled. He liked Sebastian's enthusiasm for food - for food that wasn't take-out or deep-fried.
"Alright, I think we found a winner, then. Do you mind if I order a glass of wine? I could also just stick with water..."
Sebastian smiled at him. "Of course I don't mind! I shall be fine with my soda...I can't wait till I can join you with that glass but I've only got to wait eight more months. I think I'll survive." He winked at Kurt and handed him the wine list.
"Thank you." Kurt couldn't help but think back of the scene Blaine had made after his first visit at Satire. He was nineteen, Sebastian was twenty. Maybe a year really made such a difference.
He quickly focused back on the present and picked a mid-range white wine to go with his meal.
"So is it true even children get wine at dinner in France? I heard that once."
"Yeah," Sebastian nodded. "I mean, they don't get a whole bottle. But from about nine or ten they start being giving wine with dinner."
He looked at Kurt. "It's only small amounts of course, and it's always watered down. Each family is different but the general rule of the thumb is as a child gets older, the ratio of wine to water changes." He shrugged. "It's supposed to create a better relationship to alcohol, so they don't go out and binge constantly when they hit eighteen...because the drinking age is lower over there too. My grandparents did it with me."
Kurt nodded. "That makes sense. My dad's more of the beer type, but he also let Finn and me have some with dinner or in the weekend, and if I used wine to cook I'd have some too. He figured kids our age were going to drink whether he let us or not, and it was safer to start at home than somewhere in secret." Kurt smiled. "Of course, he didn't know it was already a bit too late for that."
Kurt saw Sebastian's eyes widen, and while they waited for their food, he gave him the short version of his accident with April Rhodes in his sophomore year.
"Kurt Hummel, you surprise me." Sebastian grinned, after Kurt finished his story. "You were quite the little rebel...alcohol and muscle magazines ." He winked.
Kurt chuckled. "I still have them, if you're interested," he joked, and winked.
Sebastian chuckled. "Thanks, but big oiled bodybuilders aren't really my type." He winked.
Kurt shook his head. "Mine either, to be honest, but it was the first time I had seen guys pose like that. With those little spandex shorts..." He blushed a little, thinking about how forbidden it had felt looking at those magazines, in the bathroom, with the door locked. It had been embarrassing and exciting at the same time.
Sebastian smiled at him, trying to imagine a young and impressionable Kurt pouring over shiny pictures of big buff men in tight speedos.
"Though it definitely taught me a lesson about drinking," Kurt mused, " I haven't been drunk since. It scared me to lose control like that. I'm missing a whole day of my life! And it was just embarrassing all around. My dad had to come pick me up from school, I had to lie about it to protect Ms Rhodes and say I had the stomach flu... I felt awful. I had only just come out to my dad and we'd said ‚no more lying'..."
He shrugged. "Not a very realistic thing to ask of a teenager, maybe."
"I think that is a wise lie though...though what on Earth were they doing letting a drunkard middle aged woman roam around a school?"
"April's a special case," Kurt reminisced. "But she has an amazing voice."
He took a sip of his wine. "And then, there was Rachel's party…" he started, and told Sebastian about the second reason he avoided alcohol in larger dosages,
"You should have seen the look on my dad's face when he found Blaine in my bed," Kurt finished, grinning. "He assumed the worst, and literally nothing had happened except Blaine throwing up in my Navigator and me sleeping on the floor!"
Their appetiser platter arrived, and there was two or more of every kind so they could both try everything.
"This looks amazing," Kurt said happily.
"It sure does!" Sebastian agreed and picked up a small piece of calamari. He popped it into his mouth and closed his eyes. "Hmm," he hummed happily. "So good!"
"Mmm," Kurt agreed, not wanting to speak with his mouth full. He turned the plate around so the bruschetta with tomatoes were on his side. He swallowed his bite and took a sip of his wine. "I'll trade you parma ham for those."
It was amazing how quickly they had gotten used to each other's company and quirks. Already, it felt like it had been like this for years.
Sebastian smiled at him, "deal." He still couldn't eat over how easy it was being in Kurt's company. Over the last week they had seen each other nearly every day; from a quick coffee and sandwich if they had conflicting work schedules, to spending the whole day together exploring the city and sharing the wealth of knowledge they each had about various aspects of the place they called home.
Kurt was different when it was just the two of them, without the burden of school, work...and his fiancé. The changes had been subtle to notice at first, but as the week drew on, Kurt had started to unwind and come out of his shell. He wasn't pressed for time. He wasn't so jumpy and on edge all the time. He laughed freely and teased without fear of retribution. And every day a little more time passed between the moments where thoughts he didn't share with Sebastian dimmed the sparkle in his eyes.
Sebastian was already starting to dread the return of Blaine. Would things change back again?
He shook himself internally, mentally berating himself. They still had over a a whole week until 'B Day' and Sebastian intended to make the most of that time.
"How's the wine?" Sebastian asked, taking a roll of parma ham and popping it in his mouth.
Kurt picked up his glass. "It's nice, do you wanna try it? No one's looking." He added the last with a cheeky wink.
Sebastian smiled at him, taking the glass and having a sip.
It was cool, crisp and sweet. "Mm." He hummed. "Very nice...would you like a sip of my coke?" He grinned with a wink.
Kurt grinned back. "No, thanks. I prefer to take my sugar in solid form, like the dark chocolate cake I already spied on the menu."
He sighed happily. "Why can't food always be this good? Maybe we should elope to Italy..."
"Mmm, don't tempt me." Sebastian said smiling, wiping his side of the plate with a piece of bread. "I really want to go to Italy on day."
"Me too," Kurt agreed eagerly. "Ugh, I have no idea how I am going to eat a whole pizza after this and chocolate cake. Next time, we need to just pick one pizza and share it."
Unlike Sam and Blaine, who usually order at least 4 , Kurt thought briefly, before banishing the thought. Not tonight.
During the wait between courses, Kurt excused himself for a moment to go to the men's room. There was only one and it was occupied, so he took out his phone and scrolled through his notifications. He smiled. Sebastian had just uploaded a picture of their food to Instagram- clearly he was playing with his phone too. Kurt liked it. Then he saw that Blaine had put several selfies up on Facebook. They already had a couple of thumbs up. Pushing away the disappointment of not having seen them first, he liked them as well, and posted a comment with heart-eyes under a particularly cute one. Then he put his phone away and waited his turn.
As he returned, he saw their waiter coming their way with two large wooden slates, and hurried to their table just in time to order another glass of wine to go with it.
"I was starting to think you'd jumped out the window," Sebastian teased, once Kurt had sat back down and their dinner was set in front of them. "I'm not that bad a company am I?" He grinned at Kurt.
"The worst ," Kurt replied, "but after that appetiser I couldn't fit through the window and I didn't want to ruin my shoes flushing myself." He winked and picked up a slice of pizza. "Bon Appetit, Bas."
It was like a reflex, but one that had been slumbering for quite some time. It felt good to joke around like this. Back in school, Kurt's biting retorts were a last line of defence. It was a lot nicer to just banter around with Sebastian without aiming to hurt.
Sebastian grinned at Kurt quick remark, glad that they could still snark and banter with each other. He ate his pizza in silence for a minute or two, revealing in the delicious combination of flavours.
"I like it when you call me Bas," he said, blushing a little and sipping his drink.
Kurt watched him. "Well, I don't see why you should have more syllables in your name than me," he said. "Four seems a little excessive."
He looked at Sebastian's pizza. It looked better than it had sounded, but his own was delicious as well. "This is definitely better than bowling pizza."
' Everything is better than bowling pizza, ' Sebastian said in French.
He held some pizza up on his fork to Kurt. "You wanna try some?" He'd seen Kurt eyeing it.
Kurt hesitated for a moment, then got over himself. "Sure, I'll try your gay pizza," he joked, leaning over and putting his hand over Sebastian's on the fork to direct it to his mouth. He noticed the people on the other table staring again, and made a show of wrapping his lips around the fork and humming contentedly, closing his eyes for a moment.
He hoped Sebastian realised what he was doing, or it was very awkward. He tried to subtly point his free hand at the table behind him.
Sebastian lost concentration for a moment as Kurt wrapped his lips around his fork. Then he noticed Kurt's subtle finger point in the direction of the homophobic couple and he understood.
"Knew you wouldn't complain about a little extra meat there babe, you never do." He said with a wink.
"Ugh, really." The woman behind him whispered. "So inappropriate."
Sebastian grinned malevolently at Kurt as he pulled away and Sebastian set his fork down, turning to the woman.
"I think what's inappropriate here is that you seem to be paying more attention to me and my friend than you are your own husband. He looks a bit uncomfortable there, maybe if you found your own love of meat he might relax a little."
Kurt snorted and raised his glass of wine as a toast to them. The woman looked away pointedly; mission achieved.
"Some people's own lives must be so sad," he said quietly, "that they must focus on the lives of others for entertainment..."
Sebastian nodded. "To be busy minding other people's business, is to leave one's personal business unattended to." He quoted absentmindedly. "Oh that can be my quote of the day!" He pulled out his phone and tweeted it quickly "Edmond Mbiaka."
Kurt smiled and started picking the prawns off the rest of his pizza, too full to eat anything but the good bits.
"I can't believe a week of our break is already over," he mused. "There's still so much left to do..."
"I know," Sebastian said solemnly. "I've enjoyed having you around this week."
Kurt smile, feeling a little moved. "Me too."
His phone buzzed. Kurt ignored it. As Sebastian looked at him, he shrugged. "It's just your quote." He paused. "Yes, I put your twitter on notify. What? I get bored sometimes."
He stabbed a helpless prawn with his fork.
Sebastian blushed and smiled at him. "Thanks...uh.." he didn't know why he felt embarrassed. He had about five hundred followers on twitter, mainly consisting of the Warblers, the Dalton Lacrosse team and people he knew from school or work. There were also a few people that found him through his writing, but he didn't think many of them would think what he had to say was important enough to put him on their notifications.
"Thank you..." he said again. "I didn't think people were that interested in what I have to say."
"Technically, I'm interested in what the people you quote have to say," Kurt teased, but he quickly added: "but you pick interesting ones. I like guessing what made you choose them."
"Well, I and the people I quote thank you!" Sebastian said smiling.
Kurt's phone buzzed again, and Kurt frowned. He picked up his phone and saw a small audio message from Blaine. He put the phone to his ear with a smile, but lowered it again after a few seconds with an exasperated sigh. "Blaine butt-dialled me again," he said, rolling his eyes. "I keep telling him to get a better phone. His doesn't lock properly."
Sebastian shuffled awkwardly as Kurt listened to the voice message.
"Have you spoken to him much since he left?"
Kurt absently stroked the screen of his phone. "No... But I guess that's good. It probably means he's having a good time, and things were kind of tense before he left so it'd be good if he lets loose, you know?"
Sebastian bit his lip in an attempt to refrain from speaking out of turn. It was becoming more and more difficult.
All week there had been little comments or moments when the gaps in his relationship with Blaine showed and each time Sebastian had bit his tongue and pushed his thoughts aside.
He remembered when Alice had dated Jeremy. All attempts to get her to see what he really was fell on deaf ears, but she had realised in her own time. Sebastian had to hope and trust that Kurt would do the same.
Feeling a little awkward, Kurt offered Sebastian a smile. "How does half a piece of chocolate cake sound to you?"
Sebastian smiled at Kurt fondly. "Half a chocolate cake sounds perfect."
Kurt signalled for their waiter and they ordered one desert with two spoons. While they waited, Kurt typed a reply to Blaine telling him his phone had been recording again, but got no reply. A reminder from his calendar popped up instead.
"Oh!" Kurt said, smiling, and looked at Sebastian. "I have a great idea! You know how we said we might catch a movie on Friday? How would you like to go to Open Mic night at Callbacks instead? It's this piano bar near NYADA, a lot of students hang out there but it's really nice and you don't haveto attend NYADA to sing." He grinned and winked at Sebastian. "Maybe Alice and the others want to come too? I wouldn't mind showing off a little. It's how the big kids play karaoke."
Sebastian nodded with a shrug and smile. "Sure! Though it'll probably just be Alice. I think Steph and Alex are heading off to her folks for the weekend." He snapped a quick picture of their cake and posted it to his Instagram to join the pictures of their starter and main courses.
He then typed out a quick text to Alice.
To Alice (19:38)
Hey, Kurt's invited us to a place called Callbacks on Friday night, kinda like big leagues karaoke apparently, you game? Steph and Alex are at her folks I think.
He put his phone away and smiled at Kurt. "I've asked her but she'll probably be up for it...so what does one sing at a place like Callbacks? It's not all show tunes is it?"
"No, you can sing anything, provided you or Pascal- that's the piano guy- can play it, or you sing acapella. That shouldn't be a problem for a Warbler, right?" Kurt smiled. Then he looked down at his hands. "Though I do play a bit... if there's something you'd like to sing we could look up the notes beforehand."
Sebastian smiled. Having Kurt play for him sounded amazing. At the same time however, it would be nice to have Kurt as his audience. Sebastian wasn't stupid enough to even consider a serenade, but that didn't mean he couldn't surprise his friend with a song.
"Thank you, I'll think about it," he replied. "I'm sure we can work something out."
To Seb (19:42)
Do you need a chaperone? ;)
To Seb (19:42)
I can come if you want me to! Not sure I can sing at a place like that but you could!
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out.
He huffed a laugh at Alice's reply and quickly responded.
To Alice(19: 48)
Ha fucking ha! You don't have to sing! Just hang out with us :)
Kurt watched Sebastian as he typed. He was smiling a little, but seemed a little exasperated as well. It was like he had a special expression to deal with Alice. It was sweet. Secretly, he wondered if Sebastian had an expression for him, too.
"I sometimes go there to practise for school," Kurt said conversationally. "I can't always do that at home because of our neighbours. And it's good to get some feedback. I don't get to pick my own songs at Spotlight."
He suddenly paled. What if they ran into Rachel there? She would tell Blaine for sure. He quickly tried to recall whose shift it was Friday evening. It had to be Rachel's, he had the early shift and Dani and Oz had Thursday. If not...they'd have to go there some other time.
Sebastian smiled. "It's good that there's a place for like-minded people to get together and help out in that way. I'm looking forward to seeing it!"
Their cake arrived and they tucked in.
"Oh my god." Sebastian moaned, closing his eyes as the rich chocolate melted on his tongue. "This is amazing."
"Yeah," Kurt agreed, his first bite still on his fork, hovering before his lips. He was watching Sebastian again, taking in his expression. He could watch Sebastian enjoy food all day, it had something very appealing to it.
Before he could get caught staring, he quickly took a bite too, savouring the taste.
Once they had finished their dessert and decided against coffee or anything else, they split the bill and headed out the restaurant.
"If we wanna go to Satire I'm gonna have to change," Sebastian said, indicating his shorts and plimsolls. "They won't let me in otherwise. My apartment isn't too far, do you mind?"
"No, of course not. If you call ahead to tell your lovers to get dressed..." Kurt joked idly.
In all honesty, he was curious about Sebastian's apartment. A few months ago, he'd have had a very different idea of what his single's pad would look like.
Sebastian grinned. "And here I thought you might be game for a threesome?" Sebastian winked.
He was, if truth be told, a little apprehensive about Kurt seeing his apartment. It was a very personal thing, allowing someone into your sanctuary, and with someone like Kurt who had such an eye for detail, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Kurt laughed, openly, not bothering to cover his mouth as he usually did. "I'm sorry to disappoint you," he said finally, still chuckling, "but while it is on my bucket list, I'm much too full on chocolate cake. Some other time, perhaps."
Kurt had never felt this uplifted and free. Some of Sebastian's attitude was rubbing off on him, it seemed. It felt good. A year ago, he wouldn't have joked about something like this. He was engaged, and he had no intention of cheating - but words were just words, and he knew Sebastian was just joking too.
"So what else should I prepare myself for?" he asked playfully. "Mirrors on the ceiling... a camera tripod by the bed..." he trailed off, his eyes glittering. "Or large framed photographs of puppies and city landmarks?"
Sebastian chuckled, he liked that it was easy like this. The banter and joking that went on between them.
It had always been the way they communicated, through matching insults and jibes. But now the insults were fond and teasing, the jibes in jest and almost flirty.
How far they'd come in such a short space of time, and yet, sometimes it felt like they'd always been this way.
"Guess you'll just have to wait and see," he said slyly with a side wink.
They didn't spend long at his apartment, just long enough for Sebastian to change his clothes and fix his hair. Kurt has also spent a few minutes fixing his look in the mirror in the living room.
Kurt was still thinking about Sebastian's apartment as they walked to Satire. The first thing he'd noticed after Sebastian let them in, was how uncluttered it was compared to his own place. His and Blaine's apartment was stuffed full of furniture and knick knacks. The loft had been a lot bigger, and neither of them had wanted to part with their own stuff when they moved out.
Sebastian's place was clean and tidy, but warm and inviting. In a way, it reminded Kurt of the loft, with its exposed brick wall and steel beams, and the old wooden floor. He missed the loft a lot.
One wall of Sebastian's place was completely covered by shelves, filled from the ground up with books. A lot of them were probably for university, Kurt assumed, but in the few minutes he'd had to look around, he'd also discovered several art books and biographies. And enough French language books to make his heart sing. He could easily imagine spending whole days on the comfortable-looking couch by the window, just sitting and reading.
The open kitchen was dominated by a large fridge and a kitchen isle full of utensils. Kurt wondered how often Sebastian cooked on his own, making food exactly the way he wanted it- the way it had been at home.
As for the mirrors on the ceiling, Kurt mused with a smile on his face, he wasn't completely convinced they weren't there- he hadn't seen the bedroom yet.
A short time later they arrived at Satire. "Perks of working here is that we can go in before everyone else," Sebastian said, walking to the front of the queue that was starting to form.
"Hey Terry!" Sebastian said greeting the bouncer.
"Seb." Terry nodded in greeting. He smiled at Kurt as well. He'd seen him enough to know he was a regular, and he let them both in.
Marc greeted them with a laugh and a shake of his head. "What's this? Did you get lonely? Surely there's enough other places you kids can go to without hanging out at your job on your night off?"
"We were hoping you'd give us a discount," Kurt said, smiling sweetly.
"Well it is Wednesday." Marc said grinning. "And as the first customers in the door I might be persuaded to give you two for one on your first order...but what's in it for me?" He asked Kurt with a wink.
Kurt smiled. "If you play your cards right, Sebastian might give you his phone number." He winked.
Marc chuckled, "I already have his number...oh alright I'll let you off...what can I get you?"
"I'll have a Mango Mule please," Sebastian asked, ordering one of the non alcoholic cocktails they sold. He couldn't wait till he was twenty-one and could actually drink in public.
"Me too," Kurt said, grinning.
"Are you sure?" Marc asked, cocking his head.
"Yeah, two for one, right?" Kurt replied, "and I don't need to drink to have a good time."
"Shh! You'll ruin our business," Marc joked, and winked at them. He picked up a large mixing cup and started on their drinks.
Sebastian bumped Kurt's shoulder gently. "You don't have to not drink just because I can't," he said. "I don't mind."
"I know," Kurt replied, and left it at that.
Kurt watched Marc do his thing. He was faster than Sebastian, the cups almost a blur in his hands. Everything just looked a bit more smooth, and practised. As he caught Kurt's eye, he winked and kept eye contact as he sliced up a mango and a lime, causing an indignant huff from Sebastian. Kurt grinned.
"You know, I was impressed before, but now that I see you at work..." he said to Marc, glancing back at Sebastian with a teasing smile, "I think maybe Bas needs a bit more practise."
Sebastian pouted a little. "Hey! I've only been here eight months...Marc's been here..." he turned to Marc. "How long has it been?"
"Nearly fourteen years," he said, as he separated the liquid into two glasses.
"Wow..." Kurt let out, forgetting he was teasing his friend. He wondered where he'd be in fourteen years. Married... maybe with an adopted or surrogate child? He couldn't really imagine it, but there'd be plenty of time to think about it.
Marc topped the drinks off and put them on the bar. Kurt and Sebastian took one.
"To the worst bowler in the world," Kurt said lightly, "and his friend Sebastian."
Sebastian laughed and chinked his glass against Kurt's. "I think it should worst bowler in the world and his friend Kurt, but maybe we settle for a joint title."
"The worst bowlers in the world!" Kurt agreed happily, and took a sip of his drink. Then, a new song started, and he quickly put his glass down. "I have to dance to this," he announced. "It's my jam."
Marc wrinkled his nose. "Single ladies?" he asked, but Kurt was already gone.
Sebastian looked at Marc. "Not a Beyonce fan?"
"Oh I love her, don't get me wrong...but I wouldn't bust out onto an almost empty dance floor and perform her entire routine," Marc said as they watched Kurt move.
"He is something else," Sebastian agreed, slightly in awe.
Kurt was off into his own world, his body moving out of it own accord. It was such a feel-good song. Memories of his dad put a happy smile on his face, and the light that reflected off the ring on his finger only enhanced his happiness. When he had first taught himself this routine, he hadn't thought he'd actually be wearing a ring someday.
He gave his all to the hip circles and kicks, shimmying his shoulders and chest. If he couldn't dance like this in a gay bar, where could he? From the side, he could see a few guys doing the hand movement in jest. He didn't know of they were mocking or saluting him, but he didn't care.
Sebastian watched Kurt for half the song, smiling as he did. Kurt was showing no signs of stopping and as the first club crawlers of the night started to filter in, a few of the guys started to join in too.
Setting his glass down, Sebastian walked over to Kurt and tapped him gently to let him know he was there. He started dancing too. He didn't know the routine but he moved his hips in time with Kurt's and gave in to the music.
Kurt greeted him enthusiastically and turned to face him. The song seamlessly transitioned into another one, and Kurt ended his rehearsed choreo and started freestyling. "Sorry, I had to," he said over the music. "I'll explain some day." He spun around and lifted his arms up, enjoying the music.
"Don't apologise." Sebastian said, letting his body give in to the beat and rhythm of the music. Every so often he noticed Kurt look at him and bit his lip.
It had been a while since Kurt had made actual eye contact on the dance floor. Usually, he closed himself into his little cocoon of music, feeling eyes and the occasional hand on him but not encouraging anyone. He wasn't looking for a real connection- just for a night off. Tonight was different. They had spent the whole day together after a week of sharing their daily lives, on the phone or in each other's company. They'd shared food, and at Coney Island, Kurt had opened himself up more than he had to anyone except maybe Blaine or Mercedes. Dancing with Sebastian now was bound to be a little different from dancing with strangers.
He glanced at Sebastian every now and then, mentally comparing his dancing to that night at Scandals long ago. They'd both picked up a few new moves since then.
As the club filled up and space around them got smaller, Sebastian stepped closer to Kurt.
"Why do you keep looking at me?" Sebastian asked in his ear.
"I could ask you the same," Kurt replied smoothly. "I'm just dancing." He felt a little caught, but tried not to show it.
"Me too. Just enjoying the music," Sebastian said. He spun Kurt around and pressed up against his back.
Kurt let out a huffed laugh at the contact, but didn't move away. If anything, it kept the other guys on the dance floor at bay, which was just as well. It felt a bit like a challenge, and Kurt took it, moving along with the rhythm Sebastian set.
Sebastian had danced with countless guys both here at Satire and in other clubs across the city. But it had never felt like this. His and Kurt's bodies moved together seamlessly, each reading silent cues from the other and moving together as one. It was a heady feeling.
From behind the bar, Marc watched the two boys dancing. His heart ached at the sight of them. They looked so young and carefree and he didn't want to break that up, but he couldn't help but dread the finale. No matter which way he looked at it...someone was going to get hurt.
Kurt let himself go in the music, mouthing the lyrics, his eyes nearly closed. Songs flowed into each other, and Kurt gave his all. He wanted to dance it all away; the fights with Blaine, the humiliation, the disappointment. It was like he only had this one chance to make it count. Blaine would come home soon, and then he had to put in the work to save his engagement, maybe even give up on Satire for a while.
A slower song started playing, and Kurt turned around to face Sebastian, wrapping his arms loosely around his neck. If Blaine could go on piggyback rides with his best friend and cuddle up with him on the couch, Kurt was allowed one slow dance, wasn't he?
Sebastian swallowed at the new position and slid his hands, still on Kurt's waist, to settle at the small of his back. He stepped forward a little to accommodate Kurt in his space and slowed down the movement of his hips.
It wasn't until Sebastian put his hands on him that Kurt realized how starved for touch he was. It was almost like Sebastian's hands threw sparks. Kurt leaned in, closing his eyes with a sigh and let the music lead him.
This was all he wanted. To dance with someone who wanted him, accepted him for what he was, instead of pushing him away or asking him to change. Even if it was just as a friend. Why couldn't he have this with Blaine?
Sebastian closed his eyes and pressed his cheek to Kurt's temple. He tried not to read into it. They were just two friends dancing together in a club. It just happened to be a slow song.
Maybe if I tell myself that enough I'll believe it, Sebastian thought to himself.
He'd done a lot of thinking this week, trying to piece together his thoughts and feelings both old and new like a puzzle. The picture on the puzzle was starting to take shape now and it scared Sebastian.
The feelings he'd named that day at the beach were growing stronger. It would ultimately lead him to pain and heartache because Kurt was engaged, and didn't seem like he was ever going to break that off. If he was smart, Sebastian would cut his ties now and back off while he still had a chance.
But Kurt was warm and solid in his arms, his breath against Sebastian's neck sent goosebumps to form on his skin. Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt, moving imperceptibly closer. He knew in that moment that he'd never walk away. He was, it seemed, on this rollercoaster for the long haul, regardless of the impending crash at the end.
Kurt listened to the song, trying not to identify with the lyrics too much. Slow songs were love songs, and that wasn't right. Briefly, he wondered what would happen if he would kiss Sebastian. Maybe, nothing would. They could keep it at that, shrug it off, play it down to a long day in each other's company. Maybe it would lead to more. A hurried thryst in the Satire bathroom? A quick walk to Sebastian's apartment, a night spent in his bedroom (with or without mirrors?). But it could never be more than that. Sebastian didn't do relationships. Kurt knew that whatever they could do together wouldn't change that; he held no illusions that a night in his arms would make Sebastian a changed man.
But he would change. It would make him a cheater.
Kurt knew he was to blame for even considering it. He'd let it come this far, encouraged it even, with their flirting and their banter at dinner, but deep inside Kurt knew he couldn't go through with it. He'd sworn to himself he'd never cheat, and even though Blaine had repeatedly accused him of doing just that, Kurt could honestly say he had never crossed that line. It was tempting to do it now. A part of him really wanted to. It seemed especially appropriate that it'd be Sebastian. It was with his arrival in their lives that it had all begun.
But Kurt knew he would be risking his entire future happiness for a moment of weakness. Not to mention the friendship that had blossomed between him and Sebastian would be put in jeopardy.
As the song faded to its end, he looked up, stepping away a little. "Shall we go back to the bar?" he asked.
Sebastian kept his hands on Kurt and looked down at him as he spoke, missing the closeness but knowing that it couldn't last.
"Sure," he said smiling, hiding the tinge of sadness he felt. He let his hands drop from Kurt's back and stepped away. He took up Kurt's hand, purely so that they didn't get separated! (he told himself) and led the way through the crowd to the bar.
As Marc saw Sebastian coming, he sighed. He'd always said it'd be good for the boy to find someone special- maybe he should have been more specific and said 'someone single '. But one look at Kurt told him he wasn't much happier with the situation. Marc looked down on his wedding ring and hoped they'd figure it out without too much heartbreak. A bartender, after all, could only do so much.
"How about another drink?" he suggested. "Seb, Ipanema? And a Caipi for Kurt?" Kurt looked like he might need something a little stronger.
Sebastian nodded and put some money down on the bar to cover it. "Thanks Marc," he said.
He hopped up onto a stool and looked at Kurt. "You've got some moves, Hummel...NYADA is paying off!"
Kurt smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, Smythe. But I already knew that from your time at the Warblers."
Kurt breathed easily again. The temptation had passed. They could just stay friends now. He felt like he had passed some kind of test.
Marc set their drinks on the counter. They looked nearly identical, but Kurt's had a black straw, Sebastian's a red one. Kurt picked up both and handed the mocktail to Sebastian.
"The worst bowlers and the best dancers at this joint," he joked, raising his glass in a salute.
"Only because I am on duty," Marc mumbled. "Otherwise I'd kick both your asses with my moves."
"Disco is dead, though," Kurt said innocently. "Did nobody tell you?"
"I am not that old!" Marc protested.
Sebastian laughed, "You kinda are."
"I'll have you know I'm still in my thirties..." Marc protested.
"Barely." Sebastian threw back at him with a smirk.
"Just you wait, sonny Jim...that three in front is important."
Kurt chuckled a little. He had suspected that Marc was in his forties- not because he looked it (he looked amazing, actually), but because he'd said his husband was almost fifty. He wondered what that was like, having a partner ten years older... Had Paul ever been as exasperated with Marc as he was with Blaine sometimes?
At least they'd met, when Marc was an adult. It would have been a little creepy if he'd only been a teenager.
Marc looked at him with a knowing look. "Paul's a special vintage," he said, smiling. "He just gets better and better." He winked at Kurt. "Yes, at thattoo."
Kurt's jaw fell open. "I wasn't even-!" he protested.
"But you were gonna," Marc said, smirking.
Sebastian grinned "I think sex does get better as you get older...I know the sex I have now is a hundred times better than when I first started..."
Kurt looked into his glass and kept out of that particular conversation. He supposed it had gotten a little better, after Kurt had gotten over his initial shyness and started experimenting with himself more, finding out what got himself off as quickly and efficiently as possible, but he couldn't really say the same for being with Blaine, not in stamina or otherwise. He enjoyed the intimacy, and the feeling of being desired, but that had faded more than it had grown deeper.
It's just a phase , he told himself once again, downing the rest of his drink in one go.
Both Sebastian and Marc saw the subtle change in Kurt's demeanour at the conversation and they exchanged a look.
Marc watched Kurt sympathetically as he downed the rest of his drink. Poor kid , he thought to himself. He'd gotten to know Kurt fairly well over the last couple of months and no matter what Kurt said, it had become clear to Marc that Kurt's relationship was far from healthy. He'd tried to encourage Kurt to talk about it on a couple of occasions but it just resulted in Kurt shutting down each time and often leaving the club.
Sebastian looked at Kurt with a mixture of pity and annoyance. He felt for Kurt and knew he was trying to make his relationship work, but he was getting to the point where it was becoming more and more difficult to not say anything.
He finished his drink as well and turned to Marc. "Where is it you're going on holiday again?"
"Capri," Marc said happily, glad for the distraction. Kurt probably was as well. "It's where we met." He smiled fondly. "We're celebrating Paul's birthday there as well. Of course we'll also have a party here ," he nodded at the club and smiled, "but we just wanted to go back. You know, wallow in nostalgia like old folks." He took up a whisky tumbler from underneath the bar and raised it to them.
Kurt smiled. "That's so sweet," he said, feeling touched. He wondered where he and Blaine would go, later. They'd never really been on any holiday together, and Dalton Academy was hardly the place to have a silver wedding. Oh god, how old would he be then?
He was shaken from his thoughts by someone next to him, shoving him to the side unceremoniously to order a drink. Marc gave the guy a cold stare and a raised eyebrow, and waited until he had apologised before taking his order.
Sebastian caught Kurt as he was pushed sideways and glared at the culprit.
"Are you okay?" he asked, keeping his hands on Kurt until he was sure.
"I'm fine," Kurt mumbled, covering Sebastian's hand with his and giving it a soft squeeze to show he could let go. He had had such a good day, he didn't want to make a fuss over someone's rudeness. Maybe they had been hogging the bartender's attention a bit too much anyway. He checked his watch.
"Let's just dance some more, I shouldn't get home too late. I have Vogue in the morning."
Sebastian nodded. He took a sip of his drink before leaning over and placing it behind the bar. He took Kurt's empty glass and did the same. Marc noticed and nodded at Sebastian, swiftly moving the glasses out of the way.
Sebastian took Kurt's hand again and hopped down from his stool, leading the way back out into the crowd. Sometimes, all you could do was dance like there was no tomorrow.