A/N: So, hey. Here I am, diligently posting another chapter. Enjoy it.

Chapter Ten: Courtner (Which I just realized is six letters of Courtney and only two of Hunter, even though I thought it was four-four, because I apparently am much more dyslexic than I thought)

"Lisa's nice, but I trust my mother's judgment," Hunter said to Sebastian as they drove back from Sebastian's miniature freakout to Chicago. "Courtney will be lovely, I'm sure."

"Really?" Sebastian asked. Hunter didn't reply. "I'd say very-remotely-bicurious-Hunter-Clarington isn't ready to meet his future wife yet."

"Doesn't matter if I'm ready or bicurious, really," Hunter said plainly. "We are betrothed, and so we shall be wed."

"You haven't even met her," Sebastian insisted. "You don't know what she smells like!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter asked.

"You have to know what she smells like," Sebastian said. "You just do."

"It's none of your business," Hunter grumbled.

"It's your silly family tradition, and I'm not arguing with it," Sebastian said. "How long after you meet her is the wedding, dare I ask?"

"After my graduation from West Point," Hunter replied. "You'll be issued an invitation, don't you worry."

"What if I don't want to come?" Sebastian asked.

"Something tells me Blaine loves weddings."

Two days later, Hunter was back in Colorado. He opened the passenger door, and Mr. Puss took off across the lawn. He wouldn't be going anywhere near the car for the rest of his life. Hunter sighed, pulling his suitcase up his front walk. The rest of his stuff was still in his SUV, he'd move it into the house after he got some sleep. Ohio-to-Colorado was a long enough drive, 20 hours, his second long drive in two days, third in a week. He was exhausted, he'd driven it straight through, stopping only for Dunkin Donuts and to use the bathroom.

"Mom? I'm home!" he called. He'd left around noon the day before, it was now about the same time, he'd been up for more hours than was probably healthy, and he was just about ready to collapse into bed.

"Hunter?" a voice called from the kitchen.

"Mom?" Hunter called again. He left his suitcase in the front hall and walked into the kitchen, where his mom was making lunch. "Hi Mommy."

"Hello, Hunter, we weren't expecting you until tomorrow," Betsy said.

"I decided to drive straight through," Hunter said.

"Poor baby, you've got to be exhausted," Betsy said.

"You have no idea," Hunter replied with a yawn. A giggle from the opposite corner of the room. Hunter sleepily turned to look, there was a girl over there. "Hi," Hunter said to her.

"Hi," she replied.

"Hunter dear, this is Courtney, I believe you two know each other," Betsy said.

"Yeah, of course," Hunter said. "Courtney Stewart, we went to camp together."

"That's right," Betsy said. Hunter's very tired brain seemed to click into place.

"Oh, Courtney!" Hunter said. "This is the Courtney…?" His mother nodded. "Very lovely to see you again. I am so sorry you have to see me like this, I am… a mess. If you just give me like an hour, I'll have a nap and meet you properly. This doesn't have to count."

"Sure," Courtney said, blushing. "You do look exhausted."

"Thank you," Hunter said. He kissed his mother on the cheek quickly before he made his way up the back stairs to his bedroom. Not even bothering to change his clothes, he collapsed into bed and slept. Hunter slept for several hours, at which time he checked the time, rolled over and went back to sleep. When he woke up again after that, yawning, he stumbled down the hall to the upstairs bathroom, but before he got there, he almost ran headlong into Courtney, who managed to not only stay on her feet, but also not spill everything she was carrying.

"Oh, hi, sorry, I didn't know you were up yet," Courtney said. "I thought you'd be hungry so I brought you some dinner."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Hunter said. "You can put it in my room." He brushed passed her into the bathroom. He heard her walk away. After he'd finished using the bathroom, like y'do, Hunter stared at himself in the mirror. The person he saw was not the person he wanted to be. Alone with his thoughts on the drive home, he'd finally reached a conclusion. He didn't want to be who his parents wanted him to be. He never had. After fixing his hair and brushing his teeth, Hunter walked back to his room. Courtney was still there, pouring a glass of milk for each of them. Hunter cleared his throat.

"Hi," Courtney said, handing him one of the glasses. "I thought we could have dinner together, if you're not too tired."

"Sure," Hunter said. He set the glass down without taking a sip, because toothpaste and milk don't mix. He took a seat at the small table he had in the corner. There was awkward silence. "So. How long has it been since we've seen each other?"

"Gosh, six years at least," Courtney said. "I was so surprised when my mother told me I was matched with you. Happy surprised, of course. I was worried it'd be someone awful. And we already know each other."

"Yeah, that is nice," Hunter said. "I was sort of worried I'd get someone awful too. I, like, had this dream about a giant veto button you could just keep pushing until you got someone you liked."

"You mean kinda like normal people dating?" Courtney asked, laughing.

"Yeah, I guess," Hunter said.

"Have you? Dated, I mean," Courtney asked.

"A little," Hunter said. "My roommates this year, they would set me up with girls just so they could have the room to themselves for the night, but nothing ever came of it. You?"

"I had a someone in high school, but that's gone now," Courtney said.

"Gone? Where? Already? School just got out three days ago."

"I graduated last year," Courtney said lightly. "I'm older than you, don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah," Hunter said with a laugh. Courtney began setting the little table. "Oh, let me help with that."

"No, I got it," Courtney said.

"No, I want to help," Hunter replied. He got up with another yawn and reached for some silverware.

"Thanks." It didn't take long before the still-hot meal was on the table and they were both seated. After saying their Grace, they dug in.

"So," Hunter said.

"So," Courtney replied.

"So, I am really clueless as to how this works."

"The fork is the one with the four pointy–"

"I know how dinner works," Hunter stopped her. "How does you and me work?"

"We get to know each other, better in our case, then after the summer, you're off to West Point, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's the plan, I guess," Hunter said, pushing his turkey around his plate.

"What's wrong?" Courtney asked. Hunter shook his head. "C'mon, Hunt, you can tell me anything."

"Can I be really honest with you?" Hunter asked. "And can you promise to keep it a secret and hopefully never mention it again?"

"Yes, of course," Courtney said, nodding.

"Please, don't take this personally, because you are honestly the best I could have ever hoped for, but I think I have feelings for someone else," Hunter said.

"Who?" Courtney asked.

"Just someone. Else," Hunter said. "And I… I don't know what to do because it is so wrong."

"But who? One of the girls your roommates set you up with? Is it Katrina?" Courtney asked. "Because she's been going on and on for months about how she should have gotten you because she's your age."

"No, it's not Katrina."

"Then who?" Hunter shook his head. "Oh, c'mon, Hunt, you can tell me anything."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a guy," Hunter blurted. Courtney stared at him for a second, then shrugged, taking a bite of her potatoes. "I really didn't mean to say that out loud."

"That's okay," Courtney shrugged again. "Your mother makes the best potatoes."

"Really? I always thought they were sort of lumpy," Hunter said, trying the potatoes as well.

"That's what makes them good," Courtney said.

"You haven't tasted my potatoes yet," Hunter said.

"You cook?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You'll have to cook for me sometime."

"Do you cook?" Hunter asked.

"Not at all," Courtney replied. "Mom tried to teach me, but ultimately decided the extra help was not worth burning down the house." They continued to eat, and exchanged smalltalk – nothing about Hunter's slip.

"So," Hunter said, after they'd finished eating and he was clearing the dishes away from the table back to the tray Courtney had brought upstairs. "We do have the two week clemency period, to reject our match."

"What would be the point of that?" Courtney asked. "Then we'd both probably get someone totally awful."

"I just figured you would want someone who – um…" Hunter trailed off.

"And trade for someone else?" Courtney asked. "Hunt, I've hoped my whole life it would be you. You're one of my oldest friends and one of the only guys in this town that doesn't treat women like they're inferior."

"They do let women in combat now," Hunter said. "This town needs a system upgrade."

"See, exactly!" Courtney said.

"Still, you deserve better than me, I mean, I might get over Sebastian, but it probably won't change the fact that I like guys," Hunter said.

"So? I don't! See, we're the perfect match," Courtney said.

"Wait, you don't? You don't what?" Hunter asked.

"Like guys," Courtney hissed quietly. "If you tell my parents, don't think I don't know how to kill you and make it look like an accident."

"No, no, I'm sure you do," Hunter said. "It'd be the first I taught my daughter…" There was a pause. "I guess this is sort of a good couple then."

"Ya think?" Courtney asked. "Gosh, I'm so happy now."

"How is this going to work?" Hunter asked. "We can't obviously get married. We can't tell our parents any of this. Especially the General."

"No, no, the General can't hear this," Courtney said. "I heard what he did to you last year after–"

"Yeah, yeah," Hunter waved her off. "How is this going to work?"

"Our parents subscribe to that 'get to know each other alone time' theory," Courtney said. "I think it was supposed to be a surprise, but we get a two week vacation to anywhere right after July 4th."

"So?" Hunter asked.

"So, where do you want to go?" Courtney asked.

"New York," Hunter said automatically.

"Anywhere in the world and you want to go to the place you'll be spending the next few years anyway?" Courtney asked.

"Where do you want to go?" Hunter asked.

"Anywhere but here," Courtney replied. "New York's fine."

"Where do you want to go? Anywhere," Hunter said.

"I don't know," Courtney shrugged.

"You're not used to making decisions, are you?"

"I suppose not."

"Your life, your decision, what do you want to do?" Hunter asked. "With your life. What do you want to be?"

"Designer," Courtney said. "Fashion. Clothes. Dresses." Hunter nodded. "You?"

"Performing," he said. "There's nothing like it. It's… having an audience is like… magic."

"Let's do it," Courtney said.

"What?"

"Let's do it," she repeated. "Anything we want to do. Get out of this tiny little town and do whatever we want."

"You're crazy," Hunter said.

"How am I crazy?" Courtney asked. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't."

"We don't have the money to just run away from our families," Hunter said. Courtney's face fell.

"Oh. You're right." There was silence for a moment. Courtney shuffled the items on the tray around. "We could make a pact."

"What kind of pact?" Hunter asked.

"One of us will stay here and funnel money to the other one," Courtney said. "Then we'll join up and be free together."

"We're not in a prison camp, Cort," Hunter said. "It's not that bad here."

"Speak for yourself," Courtney said. "I know my father's nowhere near as insane as yours, but at least your mother is somewhat normal."

"We'd have to be sneaky about it," Hunter said. "Which of us will go first?"

"You," Courtney said immediately. "I can design here until I can come with you."

"This is the craziest thing I've ever agreed to, and I've done some pretty crazy stuff," Hunter said.

"I like crazy," Courtney said. "It's sorta my thing."

"So that boyfriend in high school," Hunter asked.

"Who said it was a boyfriend?" Courtney replied, grinning. Hunter laughed.

Over the next week or so, Courtney and Hunter continued to make their plans. One night in particular, just two days before their 'vacation' would begin, they were sitting around in Hunter's bedroom. The General was due home the next morning, but for now, it was just the two of them and Mrs. Clarington in the big house.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Hunter asked.

"Not really," Courtney replied. "I had a date to the Prom, but it's not exactly the same. He was from out of town. Not exactly a nice boy. Have you had a boyfriend?"

"No," Hunter said immediately. "Well, yes, I guess, sort of, for about a week. But it wasn't for real."

"Okay, now you have to tell me the whole story because I'm nosy," Courtney said. Hunter sighed and recounted the tale of how Blaine had gotten Sebastian to seduce him, then went back and told about how they'd been before Blaine. "You really like this guy, don't you?"

"Yes," Hunter said, bitterly. "But coming to terms with it doesn't help anything. So I accept that my feelings for Sebastian are a part of me. Now what? He's with Blaine, and I'm here, and Nick and Jeff would tease me for the rest of my life if I ever told them about it…"

"We should both have whatever we want," Courtney said.

"Which is why I keep saying, forget about the money, just come with me, any place on the map," Hunter said. "We'll figure out the money."

"Even if we both managed to get full time jobs that paid above minimum wage, we'd barely make rent anywhere we went, let alone anything else," Courtney said. "I'm joining you as soon as I can, and that's settled."

"LA sounds so big and scary," Hunter said. "Leaving my whole life behind. Leaving Mr. Puss."

"I'll take good care of him," Courtney said. As if on cue, the fluffy white furball jumped onto Hunter's bed and cuddled into his chest. "Really good care, I promise."

"What are you going to tell our parents?" Hunter asked. "I feel bad, leaving you here to take all the heat."

"I'm already a woman, what else could they do to me?" Courtney asked. "It's not like I'm good for anything. My parents will probably just find me someone else."

"No, we can't have that," Hunter said. "I claimed you, you're mine." He slapped his hands around his pants pockets, as if looking for something, then jumped out of bed, upsetting Mr. Puss, who hissed and jumped into Courtney's lap. Hunter began pulling the drawers of his dresser and desk apart, looking for something. Finally, he found it. "Here, take this."

"What is–" Courtney began, but she looked at the object in her hands. It was Hunter's class ring from military school. He'd gotten it before he'd transferred, and hadn't bothered to get a new one. "Oh. Thank you."

"They can't give you to anyone else, because I've claimed you," Hunter said. "It would be a terrible breach to rematch you now."

"After you've disappeared, do you really think they'll care?" Courtney asked.

"They'll have to," Hunter said. "I might be running away, but I'll still marry you."

"You don't have to marry me," Courtney said. "That's stupid."

"It is stupid, but I'll do it anyway," Hunter said. "I promise you, I will." He sat next to Courtney on the couch and put his arm around her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Hunt," Courtney said. It wasn't the real love, not for either of them, more like when you'd tell your best friend you love them after they trip going up the stairs and they've spilled their entire platter of breakfast in bed and started swearing and woken up everyone in the house.

Their meeting with the General went as smoothly as possible. Courtney received Hunter's grandmother's engagement ring, which had more carats of diamonds than any ring Courtney had ever seen. The Claringtons were definitely not hurting for money or family heirlooms.

They were about to leave for their trip. Hunter had never particularly liked anything about the little town, nothing he'd lament losing at any rate. But he hugged his mother like he'd never see her again and told her he loved her. She hugged him tightly as well.

It wasn't until they were getting off the plane in LA that Hunter found the paper his mother had slipped in his pocket.

"What's that?" Courtney asked as they walked to baggage claim.

"I don't know," Hunter said. He unfolded the piece of paper and began to read, pausing their journey for a minute.

Dear Hunter:
You are my son, and I love you no matter what you do. Never think that you can't tell me what you're feeling, and never, ever think you can't come home again. The best of luck to you out there.
Mom.
PS, Courtney is great with cats.

"My mom knows," Hunter said.

"What?"

"What part of that did you not understand?" Hunter asked, giving Courtney a quizzical look.

"Your mom knows? Are we busted?" Courtney asked.

"No, I think she's cool?" Hunter said, unsure.

By sheer dumb luck, Hunter managed to find an apartment within their miniscule budget. They furnished it cheaply, but their two weeks went by too fast. The morning Courtney was to return home, she woke up way earlier than Hunter. His arms were wrapped around her, the ghost of his soft kisses still on the back of her neck. She slipped silently out of bed, pulled a sweatshirt on over what she'd worn to bed, picked up her suitcase, and turned to leave. At the door to the bedroom, she blew him a kiss and whispered:

"Run… Run you clever boy… And remember."

Then she was gone.

A/N: I'm not feeling particularly loquacious today. Leave me a review to let me know you love me? D:
Thanks.
Samantha.

Discussion: Who is hotter, Nick or Jeff? Also, Jeffbastian: Discuss.

Next time: The reunion gets taken to an unbelievably awesome level, and a surprise is in store!
And later: Sebastian and Blaine come to terms with their breakup.

PS: I'm participating in Seblaine Week (check my stories), and a few of them are going to be set in this universe. Stay Tuned.