Once the two of them calmed down from their outburst, they walked up to the reception and the scared-looking teenage girl who stood behind it.
"Yeah, hi, two single rooms, please?" Sebastian asked her with a rather charming smile (although it had absolutely no affect on Kurt, oh no).
"Do you have a reservation?" the girl asked.
"Ah, no."
"I'm really sorry then sir, but we only have one room with a double available. There's a wedding in town, and they booked almost the entire place, except for three rooms that are booked by other travellers." She did look sorry, but didn't really make it any better.
"Is there any chance that you could put in an extra bed or a couch to sleep on?" Kurt asked.
"Sorry, no, there's really no space for it."
Sebastian looked at Kurt like he held the answer to their problem, and after a moment of consideration Kurt made the decision.
"We'll take it," he said, and Sebastian almost looked surprised while the receptionist gave them the most neutral face he'd seen in ages. Sebastian paid after a short staring contest between the two and then followed the directions to their room that was given to them. They got room number 12.
"At least, it's not 13," Kurt muttered, as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was in no way spacious and has nothing more than just a slightly narrow double bed, a desk with a fat TV on it, and a door that probably led to a bathroom.
"What, you're extremely superstitious too, now?" Sebastian asked, as he dropped his bag on the floor.
"No," Kurt said with an icy glare, "but it would have been too typical, wouldn't it?"
"I guess," Sebastian paused for a second and then sat down on the bed, looking up at Kurt. "I'm gonna call my parents and let them know we're gonna be a bit late, do you mind?" He motioned toward the door, and he did ask somewhat nicely for privacy, so Kurt just gave him a "Sure," and then went outside. He had to call Burt and Finn anyway to say the same thing, and he rather didn't want Sebastian to hear all of it.
He walked around the little B'n'B, exploring the facilities, and soon found a little garden outside of it, hidden from the street. It had more of those oaks that had been outside, a paved patio where one could eat their breakfast while having a good view over the trees and the little pond in the garden. It really was just so neat, and Kurt couldn't help but to like every bit of it.
He sat down by one of the tables and pulled his phone out. Dad first.
"Hey Kiddo!" Burt sounded happy, and Kurt smiled a little to himself as he sat, looking over the garden. "How's it going?"
"Well..." Kurt started. "We're gonna be a day late or so..."
"How come?"
"Sebastian's car's battery died, so we're stuck halfway in Pennsylvania."
"You're serious? Why didn't you take your car?"
"I don't even let Finn dive it, how am I suppose to entrust it to Sebastian?" Kurt said haughtily (and carefully not mentioning anything about a broken windscreen).
"Okay, I get it. So where are you now then?"
"In a town called 'DuBois'. We found a little B'n'B that we're staying at after handing the car in to be fixed."
"Couldn't you have fixed it yourself?" Burt asked, and Kurt chuckled a little, remembering Sebastian's face when Kurt took charge earlier by the petrol station.
"You're not gonna believe this, but he has this very old, very beautiful SAAB, a GT 750, and you don't find batteries to those just anywhere. But the mechanic was really nice and said that he'll have it ready to go by noon tomorrow."
"Wow, that's efficient."
"Yeah, I know. And I'm not complaining."
Burt chuckled. "And how's Sebastian?"
"Honestly? He's dreadful."
Burt outright laughed at him, and Kurt felt himself getting worked up.
"It's not that funny when he suddenly started playing the most awful noise when I was trying to sleep, dad."
"Hehe, if you say so."
"Anyway, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Shoot."
"How did Rachel manage to make her way into this trip?"
There was a moment of silence, undoubtedly there because Burt was trying to phrase is answer in the best way possible without anything coming out the wrong way (something easily done in the subject of Rachel).
"She felt that Finn would need her for moral support and argued that one more person would not make a big difference. And she is your friend who you're going to share an apartment with anyhow –– having her around is something that you'll have to get used to."
"Yes, I realise that I have to get used to the idea of having Rachel around far more than ever before, which is already a lot as it is, but that doesn't mean that she has to come. But if you're wondering, I told Finn to decide for himself if he wanted her to join us or not. Does Sebastian know about it by the way?"
"Not unless you or his parents have told him, and I doubt that either of you have."
"Okay... I'm looking forward to seeing his reaction."
"Don't be a bully, Kurt," his dad said in a warning tone.
"Don't worry! I'll wait for his parents to tell him, and if they don't then I'll try to break it to him as neatly as possible, lest Rachel or Finn says something stupid," Kurt assured, and he could practically feel his dad grinning at the other end.
"Well, good luck with that. And you'll call me tomorrow too, right?"
"Of course, dad. Say hi to Carole from me, okay?"
"I will. Bye Kiddo, love you!"
"I love you too, dad. See you soon." With that they hung up, and Kurt wasted no time before calling Finn.
"Hi, dude!" his brother answered after about four tones.
"I thought we talked about 'dude', Finn," Kurt deadpanned.
"Oh crap, sorry man!"
Kurt couldn't really suppress a little frustrated groan, and he felt the urge to run his fingers through his hair –– an urge that he ignored of course, seeing how his hair was perfect even after IKEA, and he planned to keep it that way.
"Have you thought about Rachel coming along then?" he asked, switching subject.
"Yeah, she's in the bathroom, so I'm safe," Finn informed him, although Kurt would have been happy not knowing, "But I kinda want her to come with us. I mean she's so small and won't take up so much space, and she's nice, and it could be fun and stuff."
Kurt wanted to point out that despite her little body, Rachel Berry took up a lot of space, but he decided against it.
"Sure Finn, if it's okay with you then I'm fine with it, and Sebastian will just have to cope."
His brother laughed at that, and Kurt felt himself smiling too.
"But when are you coming here, man?" Finn asked suddenly.
"Ah, yes, about that. We're gonna be a day late."
"What?! What happened? Should I beat Sebastian up as soon as I see him or something?"
"No no, nothing like that! And please don't, Burt and Carole will just get mad at you and me."
"But what happened?"
"We're driving in Sebastian's car, and the battery died, so we're stuck in this little town until tomorrow."
"That sucks, man!"
"Yeah..." Kurt decided that mentioning the chase through IKEA or the fact that he will probably have to share a bed with Sebastian (oh goodness, he would have to share a bed with Sebastian! Fuck!) was probably not the brightest of ideas, especially since Finn was slowly becoming more and more protective over Kurt. It's funny how about three years ago he would have become all giddy and flushed if Finn had acted like he did now toward him, and now he found the whole thing slightly annoying. But then again, life had yet to prove itself to be other than unexpected.
"But tell Rachel I said hi and that I'm coming tomorrow, and I'll call you again when we're getting close, okay?" Kurt said, suddenly wanting this conversation to be over.
"Sure, bro. And Kurt?"
"Yes?"
"Does 'bro' work? Instead of 'dude' I mean."
"Sure, Finn."
"Awesome! I'll see you tomorrow then!"
"Yeah, bye."
"Bye bro!"
Like he thought, this was weird.
With a sigh, he rose from his seat and went back to the room - surely, Sebastian was done talking with his parents, too. It was about four o'clock right now, as Kurt noticed with a last glance at his phone, and he thought that he would perhaps propose that he and Sebastian got some dinner somewhere, since this was a Just Bed and Breakfast, Get Your Own Dinner they were staying at. Too bad that Kurt wouldn't risk going back to IKEA, or they could have eaten there at the restaurant. Passing the reception, he asked the girl if there were any other places to eat, and she recommended a little Italian restaurant that had take-away a bit further down the main road. Thinking that it sounded nice and save enough, Kurt went back to the room.
"Maman, arrête! Je ne l'apprécie même pas! Et de toute façon: il a un copain!" Sebastian said in rapid French into his phone, as Kurt opened the door. Kurt didn't know that Sebastian could speak French so fluently, or that he did it to his mother. Sebastian was sitting with his back toward Kurt and had obviously not heard Kurt open the door, and while Kurt would love to find out just who Sebastian didn't like and who had a boyfriend anyway, he wasn't going to eavesdrop. Today at least.
He cleared his throat loudly and raised an eyebrow at Sebastian as the Meerkat turned around and looked at him with wide eyes and a faint flush on his cheeks.
"Faut que je te laisse, Maman," Sebastian said into the phone. "Non mais vraiment, je dois y aller là. Oui, moi aussi je t'aime, au revoir Maman."
"You speak French?" Kurt couldn't help but to ask once Sebastian had hung up because well, he was curious.
"Yeah, why?" Sebastian shot back defensively.
Kurt shrugged, shaking off Sebastian's attitude. "Just curious. It's not everyday that you find a bilingual meerkat."
"Har har," Sebastian deadpanned, though the corner of his mouth did point up a little. "I'm half French if you have to know."
"I have an aunt who lives in Alaska, but that's as exotic as it gets for me."
Sebastian chuckled softly at that, and Kurt couldn't quite explain to himself why it made a thrill run down his spine. Then there was a moment of silence again, and Kurt felt awkward from where he was still standing by the (now closed) door, looking down at Sebastian who was looking back up at him, seeming just as awkward.
"So, I've been meaning to ask," Sebastian ended the silence, "how in the world did you learn to be so sneaky while running away?" he asked with a smirk on his face. It was probably meant to lighten the mood, but Kurt felt his stomach drop, and he walked over to his bag, opening it and trying to compose tomorrow's outfit while answering, not meeting Sebastian's eyes.
"Well," Kurt began, "I had to learn how to think fast on my feet and come up with plans because I didn't really fancy being beaten up if the bullies had caught up with me. And dad would have been devastated if he found out, and I couldn't have that," he said in an almost self-deprecating tone. Looking down at the fabric in his hands, he let out a half-strangled chuckle. "And it would have been a crime against the greater good to have my designer clothes destroyed."
When he turned, he found Sebastian looking back up at him with such an unusual look in his eyes, like he couldn't believe what Kurt had just said and something close to empathy and admiration in his eyes. It was thrilling and terrifying all at once. So Kurt changed subject.
"Then there's the question of sleeping arrangements," he said, walking away from his suitcase and looking at the headboard of the bed.
"If you feel like sleeping on the floor then it's all settled," Sebastian joked, quickly jumping into the new subject.
"Don't be a fool. Besides, if someone is to sleep on the floor then by all means it should be you, since it's your carthat made us end up here."
"You're gonna blame a lifeless thing for breaking?" Sebastian asked skeptically, as he came to stand by Kurt's side.
"Nope," Kurt said, looking at Sebastian, "I'm gonna blame its owner."
Sebastian looked back at him, and for a moment they only started into each others eyes in challenge, green against blue-grey, before something flashed over Sebastian's features, and he looked away.
"Or we could just share it," Kurt said after a beat.
"Sure your boyfriend is okay with that?" Sebastian asked mockingly, and Kurt couldn't help but to frown before it hit him that oh,Sebastian didn't know that he and Blaine had broke up. Holy hell.
"I don't have a boyfriend, so that's probably okay."
Now it was Sebastian's turn to frown at Kurt who merely shrugged at his quizzical look and walked back to his suitcase.
"So it's settled then," Kurt said. "And I want the side closest to the bathroom," he claimed, as he pulled out his old moustache t-shirt. Some things never became unfashionable.
"Okay, whatever Princess." And back to the name-calling.
"I talked to receptionist, and she recommended a little Italian restaurant further down the main road, so how do you feel about dinner? We'll just go there and take something back here that we can eat outside at the patio they have."
"You sure are well-informed. But fine, Italian sound nice."
"Good."
They walked more or less in silence to the restaurant and brought back some carry-out, the whole adventure going smoothly with no bikers interrupting them (Kurt may or may not have been looking for any leather jackets the entire time they were outside, and Sebastian may or may not have noticed it, but he said nothing about it either way.)
Sebastian did comment on Kurt's knowledge about the B'n'B's hidden patio to which Kurt defensively told him that he had found it when Sebastian kicked him out of the room.
Even though it was just about half past five when they were done, Kurt could feel the lack of proper sleep, and the fact he spent the night lying on top of Noah Puckerman started to remind of itself. One look at Sebastian told him that the other boy was tired too. And that's why he suggested that they should call it a day, as they were picking up their garbage and throwing it in a nearby trash can.
"What, don't tell me you're tired already?" Sebastian said when they started to walk back to the room.
"Okay, then I won't, but I know that you are too."
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
"The eyes are the windows to the soul, and yours tell me that you didn't sleep well last night."
"Oh really now."
"Really."
Sebastian sighed, but Kurt was obviously right because he gave up.
"Fine, let's get ready for bed," he said.
Getting ready for bed turned out to take quite a while though, since Sebastian, who ran into the bathroom as soon as they got back, took forever in it.
"What are you even doing?!" Kurt shouted. "Not even I take that long, and I go through my skincare routine, Sebastian!"
"Well, then do it outside!" Sebastian shouted back through the door.
"There's no mirror out here, Einstein!"
"Stop being such a bitch, Kurt, and I might just move faster," Sebastian teased, but finally opening the door.
Kurt all but dragged him out of the bathroom, as he pushed his way through the door.
"Hey! What if I weren't done!" Sebastian exclaimed.
"Then you should have thought about that before you opened the door," Kurt said before slamming the door shut and finally taking care of his skin. He did it in record time too and changed out of his clothes into a pair of silk pyjama-bottoms and a little too big grey t-shirt that was so comfortable to sleep in. It felt like Kurt was going to need it.
After brushing his teeth and getting all the products out of his hair, Kurt re-entered the room, only to have Sebastian stare at him.
"What?!" he snapped at Sebastian who was lying on (thankfully) his part of the bed already, a book in his hands.
"Nothing," Sebastian choked out, but then found his composure again. "I just realised that you're wearing normal clothes for once in your life."
"Did you expect me to sleep in a three-piece suit?" Kurt said, as he climbed into the bed. Fuck, there was only one cover which they had to share. It was like asking for a war of tugging.
"Almost," Sebastian smiled and returned to his book. Kurt wondered what he was reading, but didn't feel like asking, so instead he tucked himself in and turned to face away from Sebastian and the light of the lamp next to the boy.
"You mind if I keep reading?" Sebastian asked, surprisingly polite.
"No, it's fine," Kurt assured. "Good night," he then added.
"Good night, Kurt."
It had been a long day, and a draining one too, and Kurt was asleep within minutes. The heat of Sebastian's body was almost overwhelming, and Kurt just remembered how it felt to really share a bed with someone else before gave into his exhaustion.
"Maman, arrête! Je ne l'apprécie même pas! Et de toute façon: il a un copain!" - "Stop it, mum! I don't even like him! And he has a boyfriend anyway!"
"Faut que je te laisse, Maman ... Non mais vraiment, je dois y aller là. Oui, moi aussi je t'aime, au revoir Maman." - "I got to go now, mum … No really, I have to. Yeah, bye, love you too."