Timeframe: season 4, set between"Make-Over" and "The Break-Up"
Chapter summary: Despite himself, Kurt goes to see Sebastian again and they end up having dinner.
Rating: K+ for language
Edit : For some reason, this chapter was lost and chapter 12 uploaded twice! Argh! I'm sorry about that :(
Bildungsromance - PART II
2.
A couple of days later, as Kurt went to return the magazines to the archive on his way home after work, he passed by Starbucks again. He glanced at the clock on his phone. It was almost seven. He walked in just in time to see Sebastian standing on the customer side of the counter, picking at a bagel and tossing away the tomatoes before putting it into a paper bag.
"That's the healthiest part of those, you know," he remarked. "Tomatoes are good for you."
Sebastian turned and took him in. Kurt half-expected him to tell him to mind his own business, or maybe throw in a comment or two about his outfit (he knew the shark tooth pants that had impressed Isabelle so much on his interview were not for everyone), but Sebastian actually smiled a little.
"That's what they say at the beginning of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. And then everyone dies," he said.
Kurt blinked. For a moment, Sebastian had reminded him so much of Sam Evans and his nerdy movie quotes, that he couldn't help but smile back. Sam was one of his favorite persons in the world. Then he remembered why he was there. It wasn't really a social call. As a pacifier to his conscience for not telling Blaine about meeting Sebastian or the state he found him in, he had decided to help the other boy. Provided he could keep his comments and hands to himself, of course.
"I looked up that place you go to in the evenings," he said, lowering his voice a little in case Sebastian's Starbucks co-workers didn't know he had a second job, "and it's actually not far from my place. Rachel has evening class tonight and I'm making paella for myself. If you want, you could-"
"I'm allergic to shellfish," Sebastian cut him off.
Kurt breathed in sharply. "I could make something else..."
"I need my work-clothes."
"We could go pick them up...?"
Sebastian frowned and gave Kurt a defeated look. "What do you want, Kurt? Are you trying to get into my pants?"
"What? No! I'm just trying to be nice. You can't just live on stuff other people don't want to buy."
"Why not? It's more than the homeless guy on the corner gets. You don't need to feed me. I can take care of myself."
"Can you?"
"Yeah."
"Well, you don't look it." Kurt didn't mean to say it, but it was out now. "You look tired and underfed."
"Says who, Florence Nightingale?" Sebastian bit back, gripping the bag with the bagel in his fist. "Look, why don't you just take your designer bag back to your designer apartment to make your fancy exotic dinner paid for with your daddy's credit card and leave me-"
"Fuck you."
Sebastian looked at Kurt with wide eyes as if he had just heard Mary Poppins fart. "What?" he said dumbly.
"I said: fuck you, Sebastian," Kurt repeated. "Here I was thinking that maybe you'd actually changed, and maybe Blaine wasn't so wrong to keep you on his friends' list; that maybe, underneath all of that posturing and smart attitude, there was something human - but now I see that it's just another act to throw me. Well...well-done, Smythe. I fell for it. I actually felt sorry for you for a few days. You can go and laugh at me now."
He wasn't sure he had ever seen Sebastian lost for words, but as Kurt was finished with his tirade and stood there watching for the boy's reaction, it seemed like he had actually managed to shut Sebastian up. Silence hung between them like a pane of glass. At last, Sebastian spoke.
"I'm not actually allergic," he mumbled quietly. "To shellfish, I mean."
"Oh," Kurt breathed, lifting his chin stubbornly. "So?"
"So...if I could still come...maybe...that would be nice," Sebastian dragged out, looking down at the floor. Kurt considered it, and the pause seemed to make Sebastian edgy. "Or...not. It's okay. I'll be okay, I mean."
Kurt sighed and shook his head. "We're not making a habit of this," he said. "Because unlike what you think, I do actually work for my own living and being an intern doesn't exactly pay the big bucks."
"I'm sorry about that," Sebastian offered. "I mean about what I said. I just assumed-"
"Yeah. People always assume a lot about me that isn't actually true," Kurt brushed him off. "I work hard and I don't splurge. I buy most of my designer things on ebay or in outlets, and yes, I have an emergency credit card my dad gave to me, but I don't want to use that unless it's an actual emergency."
"Like when you run out of moisturizer," Sebastian offered cheekily, regaining a little of his self-esteem. Kurt's mouth fell open and he gasped indignantly, but then couldn't hold back a small smile. He knew Sebastian was just teasing now, and he had actually apologized, which was more than Kurt had expected.
"Something like that," he admitted. "So...we'll stop by your place first?"
'Okay," Sebastian agreed. Despite their little fall-out, Kurt was glad he had accepted. At least this way, if Blaine found out about their meeting, he could say he had been the better person, the good Samaritan. Practically Ghandi. Plus, he mused, he'd get to see Sebastian's apartment.
"Would you mind waiting here for me?" Sebastian asked, putting his key in the lock but not actually turning it just yet.
Kurt frowned. "What? You're not gonna let me in?" So much for seeing the other boy's place!
"Kurt, it's so small I'm not even sure we'd both fit in. And I haven't done laundry in weeks. The place is a mess. Please? I'll be right back."
Kurt scoffed a little. "Are you sure you want to use the door and not climb up the fire escape to avoid the landlord?"
Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "You watch too many movies."
"So do you if you get the reference," Kurt quipped, and then made a shooing motion with his hand. "Go on, I need to make a call anyway."
Sebastian shot him a grateful smile, turned the key and quickly vanished inside. Kurt took out his phone and hit speed dial.
"Kurt! Hey! I wasn't expecting you to call this early. Should I log on already?"
"Hey Blaine, no, actually, I'm calling to ask if we could reschedule our Skype session...? Like, maybe a few hours later, around ten?"
"Uh, sure. Is everything okay? Do you have to work late?"
Kurt smiled. Blaine was always so caring. "No, I'm fine. I'm having someone over for dinner. It's Rachel's evening class night and you know how much I hate cooking these fabulous dinners and then having to eat them by myself."
"Oh. Yes, of course. That's nice. Anyone I know?"
Kurt hesitated for a moment. Then he made up his mind. "No, just someone I met here. At work."
The line stayed silent for a moment. Then, Blaine spoke, and his voice sounded smaller than usual.
"Kurt?" he said softly, as if to ask if his boyfriend was still there. Kurt cringed a little. Had Sebastian told him? Did Blaine know he was lying? "I really wish I was there with you. Then I could share your dinners with you. I miss you so much."
"I miss you too," Kurt replied, closing his eyes and wishing he could reach out through the phone to hug Blaine. "But we'll Skype tonight, I promise. Just a little later than usual. And...I'll save desert. You can get something chocolatey too and we'll have it together."
"Okay," Blaine agreed, sounding a little less brittle. "I'll be there. I love you, Kurt."
"I love you too. Bye." Kurt hung up and looked down on the picture of Blaine on his phone.
"So did you get permission to feed me from the boyfriend?" Sebastian asked, pulling the door closed behind him. Kurt frowned and turned to look at him. He was about to say something when he took in Sebastian's clothes. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a washed out t-shirt that said 'I (heart) Paris'.
"Those are your work clothes?" he asked instead. Sebastian looked down at his faded shirt and smiled.
"The jeans, yeah. Upper body clothing is, uh, optional at InFlagrante and I found I get more tips if the shirt stays behind the bar. I figured you might want me to wear one during dinner, though. Or don't you?" He waggled his eyebrows and playfully lifted the hem of the shirt.
Kurt groaned and rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm not getting on the subway with you half-naked. Come on." He started walking so Sebastian wouldn't actually be tempted to leave the shirt at home. "So why am I not surprised that you're working at the gay version of Hooters?" he asked conversationally as they made their way down the stairs to the subway.
"Because in your eyes, anyone who's not in a relationship of over 6 months is addicted to Grindr?" Sebastian said pleasantly, as if he was commenting on the weather. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're pretty judgmental?"
"Did anyone ever tell you you're an asshole?" Kurt shot back.
"Never as dulcet and lovely as you make it sound," Sebastian replied smoothly.
"Wow, this place is huge," Sebastian commented, looking around the loft.
Kurt shrugged. "Our egos need a lot of space," he joked. Sebastian snorted.
"You gotta leave me some ammo, babe," he commented.
"I always found it easier to make those kind of remarks myself so others couldn't beat me to the punch," Kurt replied, walking up to their small kitchen area. "That way no one catches me off-guard with them." He took a bowl from under the sink. "And don't call me 'babe'."
Sebastian followed him with his eyes. "You're kind of a control-freak, aren't you?" he stated.
"No, I'm not. It's just a.. self-preservation thing. Most of the time it confuses people so much they forget the nasty stuff they were about to say."
"So...what if they weren't going to say anything nasty? What if they were just about to offer you a compliment?"
Kurt turned around to face Sebastian and wondered when this conversation had turned meta. "In that case, which is maybe one out of hundred, I missed out on a compliment," he replied. It didn't really matter. He didn't trust Sebastian's compliments anyway. The things he had done last year still weighed against him. Even if he did say something nice, Kurt still mentally braced himself for the punch. A lot would have to happen for that to change.
He held up a large red pepper. "Could you help me with this? I need to defrost the prawns and start on the rice."
"Uh, sure," Sebastian said, eying the pepper curiously. "Just, eh, what do you want me to do with it?"
Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Maybe it was faster if he did this by himself after all. "Wash it, and then take a knife and slice it up. Just...start along the length and then cut the strips until they're about prawn-size." He registered Sebastian's bland look. "Don't tell me you've never cut vegetables before."
Sebastian shrugged a little awkwardly. "Dalton had a cafeteria," he excused himself.
"Didn't you ever help your mom at home or something?" Kurt asked while rummaging in the small freezer unit they had shoved against the wall by the window.
"My mom isn't exactly the cooking type," Sebastian replied, and he took a knife from the block on the counter. "She's not much of a ...doing anything kind of type. They have people for that."
Kurt straightened and looked at Sebastian. "Your parents have a cook?" Before Sebastian could answer, Kurt shook his head. "I should have known. You Dalton kids..."
'What's that supposed to mean?" Sebastian asked. He shook the water off his pepper and put it down on the counter. "You went to Dalton, too."
Kurt eyed the way the other boy gripped the knife and felt a twinge of unease. "I know," he said. "But only for a few months. It was all my parents could afford. They gave up their honeymoon savings for tuition. It's just...I keep forgetting that there's like, a different world out there. When I'm at Blaine's house, half the time I am scared to touch something or sit down because I might break something that would take more than my dad's monthly salary to fix." But at least Blaine knows how to cook, he added in his mind.
"So, what? Just because I've never cooked for myself that makes me a bad person?" Sebastian quartered the pepper with more force than was necessary, and Kurt wondered if he actually felt a little offended. For a split second, Kurt was tempted to list the flaws that made Sebastian into a bad person, but then he reminded himself of why he had invited the boy over. Maybe he deserved a second chance and some help out here in the city. And who knew, maybe he really had changed. The Sebastian he knew from last year wouldn't have cared squat about Kurt judging him for his cooking skills.
"I didn't say that, Sebastian," he offered, "I just... it took me by surprise, that's all. My mom and I cooked together often and I have good memories of that time. And later when it was just me and my dad, I tried to teach him so we could kind of...recreate those moment."
Sebastian looked slightly mollified. "So when did they get divorced?" He asked, turning to the sink and starting to cut the pepper the way Kurt had told him.
The question took Kurt by surprise. It had been a long time since he'd talked to someone who didn't know. He stalled by filling a large pan with water before answering.
"They didn't. My mom died when I was eight." He didn't look at Sebastian as he said it, but he heard the boy's sharp intake of breath. He put on the rice, not wanting to see the awkward look that was surely on the other boy's face. Most people didn't know how to deal with this information.
"Oh," Sebastian said after a while.
Despite himself, Kurt turned to him. "Oh? That's all you can say?"
Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "What do you want me to say?" he asked.
"Most people say something like... they're sorry," Kurt mumbled grudgingly.
"And does that help?"
Kurt looked into the other boy's eyes. There was no mockery there, and none of that trade-mark coldness he remembered. Instead, he just looked back at Kurt. "No," Kurt whispered, hating that his voice chose this moment to break.
"Then they're just saying it for themselves," Sebastian concluded, shrugging. "I don't need that. I didn't know her. Where do you want the pepper?"
Kurt blinked, the mundane question bringing him fully back into the present. "Uh, give it to me. You can cut and wash the leek now. That's advanced level, it has sand."
When it was time for Sebastian to go, Kurt almost felt a little sorry. The rest of their preparations had passed without any more awkward questions and by the time the food was ready, the two of them had relaxed around each other enough to casually talk about Dalton and their friends and even venture to the future of their respective Glee Clubs.
"McKinley should definitely prepare for a change in routines now that Jeff and Nick are on the Council," Sebastian concluded, grinning. "I know they're upper classmen now but from what I've heard, they're still famous for their pranks rather than their leadership skills. If anyone dares tell Wesley about their election, he'll probably take a hiatus from law school to get back in the saddle at Dalton."
Kurt snorted. He remembered the pompous Head of Council from his time at Dalton and clearly word of his rules and gavel slamming had reached Sebastian too, even though the strict boy had already graduated when Sebastian transferred. "Well, who knows," he said, smiling, "maybe that's just what the Warblers need to have a shot at Nationals this year."
Sebastian got up and stretched, his shirt riding up a little on his stomach as he did. Kurt saw and quickly averted his eyes.
"So," Sebastian said, "uh...thanks for the cooking lesson."
Kurt got up as well and brushed down his pants. "Yeah. Thanks for the company, I guess."
"I should go-"
"I'll walk you to the door-" They said simultaneously and shared a surprised look. Then both moved at the same time, clearly feeling that action was easier than words. Kurt opened the door and folded his hands in front of him. If this was anyone else he had over for dinner (like, a friend) this would be the point where he'd hug them and tell them they should do that again soon. With Sebastian, he didn't know. Luckily, the boy looked every bit as awkward as he did, stuffing his hands in his back pockets and glancing out of the door and down the hallway without making a move to step outside.
'So...see you around?" Sebastian finally said. "Coffee's on me next time. For the food."
"Okay," Kurt replied. "I'll keep that in mind for the next time I need to pick up catering for a department meeting." He offered Sebastian a smile. "That was a joke," he added, just in case.
"Hilarious. Bye, Kurt."
"Bye, Sebastian." Kurt closed the door and released his lower lip from the tight hold his teeth had on it. He had bitten down to stop himself from adding something like 'be careful at the club' or 'be safe' as he sent Sebastian off. That would have just sounded ridiculous- and so gay. Sebastian would have surely mocked him with it, and he hadn't wanted to end their evening that way.
Their evening. The entire concept was just too strange. He had actually asked Sebastian Smythe over for dinner. Kurt looked around the room and at the clock. He had about one hour to clean up before Rachel got back, and a little more time until his Skype date with Blaine. More than enough time to erase the traces of this spontaneous dinner-for-two. He wasn't sure what Rachel would say if she found out, but he knew that whatever it was, all of their McKinley friends would know soon afterwards. Rachel was never very good at keeping secrets. It meant Blaine would hear about it and know he had lied on the phone. He wasn't ready for that. He'd tell Blaine about meeting Sebastian soon enough; he wasn't sure how often the two ex-Warblers still talked on facebook but he couldn't take the risk of Blaine hearing it from Sebastian (who knows what kind of tale he'd spin around it just to mess with their heads). But tonight, he wanted one more Skype talk with his boyfriend without having to discuss Sebastian Smythe.