Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian Smythe, Nick, OCs, Blaine Anderson

Warnings: Thoughts of self-harm.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places, characters or song titles used in this fic.

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CHAPTER 11: VIVA LA VIDA

Sebastian was in a haze when he woke. Everything seemed strange and he felt weak. Someone was always holding his hand or whispering to him as he drifted in and out of sleep before he finally came to. His mother was leaning over him, seated on the edge of the bed, while his father stood at his other side and watched on worriedly.

"Mom? What – where am I?" he tried to look around but his head was throbbing.

"It's alright, darling, you're safe," Annabelle crooned as she stroked Sebastian's hair.

"You're in the hospital, bud," Marcus added. "A couple walking their dog found you unconscious in the park last night, called the ambulance. You had a touch of hypothermia."

Sebastian nodded tiredly before he managed to get a better look around the room. His bed was curtained off from the rest of the room and only his parents were with him. He wondered how long he'd been out. It can't have been too long if he only "had a touch of hypothermia".

"Are you alright, Sebastian?"

"I just – where's Nick? Was he okay?"

Annabelle shook her head slowly. "We haven't seen him, honey. Not since you two left in such a hurry yesterday afternoon. We thought maybe you two had had a fight or something."

Sebastian didn't say anything, too worried to think. His parents didn't push him any further, settling in the chairs beside his bed and letting him drift back to sleep. His dreams were full of Nick, wondering where his Guardian Angel had gone.

When he woke again, the doctors were doing their rounds. As they crowded around his bed, one was checking his vital signs while another rattled off the diagnosis and treatment.

"So how are you feeling, Sebastian?"

"Fine. A little tired but that's it," he answered, hoping he would be let off and allowed to go home.

"Well you're temperature's back to normal and your vitals look good so I think we can make a start on getting you home in time for Christmas," the young doctor said with a smile. "I'll ask the nurses to organise discharge papers and you can leave as soon as they're signed and the IV's out."

Sebastian nodded his thanks before the gaggle of white coats disappeared again. Annabelle went to sign the paperwork while a nurse took out the IV and Marcus helped Sebastian into some sweatpants and a hoodie.

"Oh yes, Blaine called your phone before. We let it ring out," Marcus said all of a sudden as he and Sebastian waited for Annabelle to return. He fished his son's phone from his pocket and handed it to Sebastian.

Blaine had left a voicemail message and sent him three texts.

Are you and Nick ok?

Seb, why aren't you answering? Is something wrong?

Call me!

"Uh, I think I need to call Blaine. Can you give me a minute?" Sebastian asked as he started tapping out Blaine's number.

"Sure son, I'll wait out in the hall," Marcus answered. He clapped Sebastian on the shoulder as he walked past while Sebastian hit the "call" button.

Blaine answered on the second ring.

"Sebastian! Are you okay?! What happened? Where's Nick?"

"N-Nick's gone… He's gone, Blaine…" Sebastian took a deep shuddering breath as he glanced around the hospital room. "We went to Heaven and they – they tried to kill us. But someone saved us and there was this light but I blacked out. I woke up in the hospital, I've just been discharged but … Nick's gone."

"D-Do you want me to come over?"

"No, I don't think my mom would be too happy about that."

"I don't think you should be alone tonight, Seb."

"He only just left and I'm not gonna off myself on Christmas."

"Not because of that… When Kurt and I were having our troubles at the start of the year, all I wanted was for someone to talk to. Not necessarily about what had happened but just to be there and to remind me that I wasn't alone."

"It's Christmas Eve, what about your parents?"

"Do you really think that my parents are here? Really?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Look, ask your parents if I can come over, tell them that I'm home alone for Christmas. They won't have a bar of it. I'll meet you at your place."

"O-Okay. I'll let you know what they say."

"Okay. See ya, Seb." Blaine clicked off.

Sebastian sighed softly before he headed out into the corridor where his parents were waiting patiently.

"Everything alright with Blaine?" Marcus asked as they began heading down the corridor.

"Uh, kinda… It's just, his parents are gone and he was wondering if he could come over tonight. Y'know, so he wasn't alone on Christmas?" Sebastian was much better at being direct than dancing around the subject.

"Oh that poor boy! Of course he can come around! Do we need to pick him up?" Annabelle asked.

"No, he said he'd be right to drive."

"Okay, well we should be home in half an hour, he can meet us there any time after that."

Sebastian nodded and texted the details to Blaine as they stepped into the elevator and headed down to the ground floor and out to the car.

"The scars were looking good, bud," Marcus murmured as they climbed into his black SUV.

"Yeah, it's not been so bad lately."

"That's good to hear," Annabelle said as she shot a smile at her son over her shoulder.

The drive home was quiet and Blaine wasn't there when they arrived. Sebastian headed straight upstairs, not feeling much like making small talk with his parents. He whipped off the hoodie, exchanging it for a singlet before he lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do with himself. What are you supposed to do when the person you love more than anything leaves you? He felt he should know the answer to that question.

Sebastian sat up again after a while, looking around the room with tired eyes.

Maybe a cut to take the edge off, keep me occupied while I wait.

"Stupid brain," Sebastian murmured to himself. He wasn't going to let Nick's legacy die so quickly. He had to fight. He had to be strong. His mind tried to reason with him again but its contention was cut short when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in!" he called, his heart beating faster at the idea that it could be, might be, probably wasn't Nick.

Blaine slipped inside, closing the door again before he turned to look at Sebastian sadly.

"I'm really sorry about Nick," he murmured.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Blaine."

"Are you doing okay though? You're feeling okay?"

"I said I don't wanna talk about it," Sebastian said more forcefully, lying down again.

Blaine fell silent, not knowing what to say. They stayed like that for a while until there was another knock on the door, Annabelle poking her head inside.

"Do you two want to come and have something to eat? We're just having leftovers."

"Sure," Blaine answered as he stood, watching as Sebastian got to his feet. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander to the scars marring Sebastian's bare arms.

Sebastian headed downstairs before Blaine, keeping his gaze on the floor as he headed into the kitchen but he stopped when another pair of feet came into his line of sight. It wasn't his dad or his mom and as he let his gaze travel upwards, he felt his heart begin to race before green eyes met brown.

"Hey Seb."

"… I thought you were gone."

"I made a promise."

Sebastian threw his arms around the body that fit perfectly into his, breathing in the scent that kept a smile on his face. He pulled away just enough to turn and kiss those feather soft lips. There was something different about it, a strange kind of fragility that he found more comforting than worrying.

"I'm so glad I found you."

"I am too."

Sebastian reached up to push the dark hair away. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Sebastian was home. He was safe. He was alive. He was mortal.

But now, so was Nick.

And that was all Sebastian could ask for.

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A/N: I've still got the epilogue to go but that's the end of that. I can't believe I've written this much so quickly. I kind of hate that I wrote it so quickly but I had to get it out of my system before it ate me alive. I hope you enjoyed this and I'll get the epilogue to you as soon as possible :) –Frankie xoxo