Chapter Thirteen
Kurt's worst nightmare was coming true: his dad and Sebastian were about to come face to face without Kurt having any chance to explain himself. If it weren't for the fact that he knew his mom had told Burt that he was gay, he wouldn't have been able to face the awkward situation at all. He still wished he could grab Sebastian by the hand and make a break for it, and drive away in his convertible.
Unfortunately, this was real life and Kurt knew he had to stand his ground and face his father.
"Dad…" Kurt said in a strained voice; it was impossible to hide how helplessness he felt.
Burt's eyes had remained glued on his son since he had appeared, and he didn't even so much as look at Sebastian when he neared the couple.
It was like Kurt facing a wall; Kurt had absolutely no idea what his dad could be thinking. Was he angry, or just displeased that Kurt had taken so long to arrive. Or was he trying to keep an open mind and finally treat his son as an adult. At least he wasn't saying anything to Sebastian, though ignoring him outright didn't mean he approved of him, or the nature of his relationship with Kurt.
Sebastian (who might as well been a statue-he was being that still) seemed to finally have reached his limit. He nervously fingered the collar of his dress shirt, and then loosened the knot in the tie, as if it would make it easier for him to breath. "I think it's time I left," Sebastian muttered.
As soon as Kurt nodded at him in agreement, his boyfriend wasted no time in making a hasty retreat. He hurried off to his car and climbed inside the seat, not bothering to say anything else (but who could blame him) before he drove off down the road.
Kurt didn't mind this at all, in fact he was glad Sebastian had left so abruptly; none of them needed to face that hurdle yet.
Now alone, father and son came to stare at one another; Kurt was close enough in height to Burt that they were eye level. Oh, god, this was endless, and if Kurt didn't say something soon, he could pass out from sheer nervousness!
"Has Mom…" Kurt began, but his words fell flat as his stress began to reach an alarming new level. He was not going to have a panic attack now; his folks weren't even aware of just how often they happened to him over the past few years and he wasn't about to tell them now.
"Yeah she told me, about how you're gay and all… I'm going to be honest with you Kurt, it came as a pretty big surprise to me." Burt rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I'm not saying that you being… gay… is a problem or anything, I just… had no clue at all."
Kurt understood that; he hadn't given either of his parents any inkling to his sexual orientation whatsoever. No matter how unsure he had felt about finally coming out to his dad, having his mom tell him-when Kurt wasn't even there-would not have been his first choice. Hell, it wouldn't have even been his tenth choice.
"What about the rest?" Kurt wished he had called his mom to find out what she had and hadn't told him. "I'm going to tell you the whole story regardless of what you know; I'm just not sure what I should cover first…" It was no use, Kurt couldn't hold back the resentment he'd built up towards his dad over the years. He couldn't even remember the last time they'd spoken more than few words to each other. Not only was Burt often away due to work, but he and Kurt were completely different people with nothing in common. Usually the only thing they discussed were Kurt's scholastic achievements.
"Just talk to me, and say whatever you need to, Kurt." Burt's words were hardly encouraging, but they truly seemed to be from the heart (or as best as Kurt could tell, which wasn't much).
Out in the cold night air (he didn't want to go inside and have to deal with his mom too), Kurt, in a spur of the moment decision, was finally ready to speak the words he'd so desperately wanted to tell his dad. "I know you did your best to provide for mom and I, and doing so meant you had to work long hours. I can only imagine how much you've had to sacrifice as well… but there have been so many times when I've wished you were around more. I barely saw you, even back when I was a kid. You were never around when I needed you, so I guess it's hard for me to believe that you're finally here and finally ready to have a full on discussion with me."
The stoic man that Kurt was so used to seeing (usually at the dinner table, or in the living room on his way to bed) melted away to reveal a man who seemed full of conflict. Burt broke eye contact with his son for a moment and took a few steps away, only to come right back.
"I'm not trying to put all the blame on you, but this is how I feel, Dad," Kurt added, hoping it would help them start the healing process a little easier.
"I don't know what to say Kurt, but I know better than to just make up excuses for why I wasn't around more. Somewhere along the line, I was so bent on making a better life for you and your mom-the type I never had when I was a kid-I lost sight of what was important." Burt bit the bottom of his lip, just like his son often did whenever he was holding back strong emotions.
Kurt saw a lot of himself in his father's struggles; the way that he darted his eyes around, and shuffled his feet. It was very odd for Kurt to see these responses on another person, and it made him realize that his dad was just as human as he was. Burt Hummel wasn't just the father who Kurt barely knew, he was also a husband, a dedicated worker and most importantly, a person who had regular feelings, hopes and dreams.
"I look at you now, standing in front of me, and I can't help but think: where has my little boy gone? The one who used to beg me to play tea party with him? When did you become this adult who I don't even know. That became super clear when I came home tonight and your mom told me how you had dropped out of school, are trying to be a model and are gay. Hearing all that was a real eye opener, but no matter how surprised I was about that last one…" Burt took a step closer to Kurt, who didn't pull away or show any aversion to the move. "I need you to know that if that's who you are, then there's nothing I can do about it, and I love you just as much."
Kurt smiled as his dad laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. He wasn't crying, yet, but that didn't mean he wasn't moved. Hearing his dad accept him, even when Kurt could only imagine what it must have been like to have it all sprung on him without any sort of warning, was more than he could have ever dreamed of.
"Thank you, Dad," he said, his voice cracking under the strain of keeping himself together.
"You don't need to thank me Kurt," Burt replied.
"I know it's going to take us some time," Kurt sighed; he had no idea what he should even say. "It's true that we have a lot of catching up to do, which won't be easy, considering how little we know one another. Maybe if we take things one day at a time, and give ourselves time to adjust… we can manage well enough. I have a lot of my own issues to work through too… but I'd like to think it's not too late for us."
"There's no time like the present. Your mom and I talked it out, and I'm good with the terms she set with you. As long as you finish your freshman year and at least seriously look into continuing on with college-at a school of your choice, but I still want it to be a good one-then I'm okay with you pursuing modelling, and using your savings for the deposit."
"That's good to know, because I just signed my contract with Treetop designs tonight-part time of course."
Burt nodded. "Yeah I figured you would."
Kurt doubted that, but he saw no reason to argue about it.
"It's time for the Hummels to have a long overdue family meeting; Margaret's probably dying to know how things between us are going. Then, as long as everything we cover in our meeting goes well, maybe you and I can sit down and just talk about stuff? You know, to start the process of getting to know each other better."
"I do need to study tonight still, but I can make the time for that. Just as long as we leave some things-such as my boyfriend Sebastian-for another day." Kurt swore that the tension in Burt's shoulders lessened after hearing this, which Kurt got and fully agreed with. Whatever headway he and Kurt had made so far, neither of them were ready to breach the subject of boyfriends just yet.
Kurt's first day back living at home with his parents went far better than he could have hoped. The cold friction between Kurt and Margaret had even thawed somewhat, but there was still a ways to go until there could be a full reconciliation. When it came to Burt, Kurt found himself holding an actual conversation with his dad over breakfast. They mostly talked about Kurt's new modelling job, and then how he was also being a model for his friends' college fashion show. With his home life becoming easier to bear already, Kurt set his focus on his studies as soon as he was off for the day. He knew better than to hope he would avoid stress altogether though. His new job, along with his duties as Paradis Bise's model, and his social life that included real friends and a boyfriend on top of that, meant that Kurt's life was going to be very busy for the unseeable future.
At least Kurt could no longer complain that his life was boring and mundane. Full of determination, Kurt gave it his all, and while he knew he wouldn't get top grades on his upcoming make-up exam, he was pretty sure he'd pass decently enough. One consequence he hadn't bet on was that a whole twenty-four hours had gone without seeing Sebastian at all. Kurt had thought it was better for them if he didn't drop by the studio in the evening, and Sebastian, whom he had called shortly after class was done, had agreed with him (a little too easily).
By the end of the night, Kurt felt worn out but he refused to go to bed without hearing the sound of Sebastian's smooth voice for more than two minutes.
"Hey babe, how are you holding up?" Sebastian answered, almost immediately after Kurt called him.
Kurt was practically beaming with love and happiness, even if Sebastian couldn't see it himself (they should give video chatting a try next). "I'm keeping my head above the water so far. God I forgot how much time studying takes up. How are things doing on your end; is the suit almost done?"
"If tomorrow is productive as today was, then I should have it finished by tomorrow. In fact, do you think you can find enough time in your busy schedule to stop by for a fitting?"
"I'll make the time." Kurt went into his phone's calendar to schedule it in just to be sure, and he got a big surprise. "Sebastian, the show's in five days! Are you guys going to be able to make it?"
"We've got no choice but to; once the jacket's completed then that just leaves the top hat, cane, and boots to finish."
When Sebastian broke down the remaining pieces like that, it seemed more believable that they would finish. Except that Sebastian was no ordinary designer. Kurt knew his boyfriend would refuse to half-ass (to quote his exact words) for anything-not even time constraints.
"Meanwhile, I'll do everything I can to ensure I wear your beautiful creation, and show my kingly grace on the runway."
"I knew I could count on you babe. Not to be self entitled, but I really need to get back to work. The lace I'm trying to apply to the boots is being a total bitch."
Kurt let out a childish moan. "Aww, can't you talk to me for a little longer? We've barely flirted at all…"
"Can't be done Kurt, you know I lose all sense of time when we talk, and I hardly have the time to make it interesting for you right now either."
Kurt grumbled, "Fine then, I'll be the bigger man and let you get back to your work. But as soon this is show is over you and I are overdue for some serious sexy time, mister."
"Done and done," Sebastian said with a laugh, and he was still chuckling when Kurt ended the call.
With no other alternatives to distract himself (or none he wished to resort to) Kurt gave in to his plight and began his sleepless night alone. After what felt like an hour (but was actually only eighteen minutes) Kurt got up and began to go over the notes Blaine had made for him. It was better than lying awake staring at his ceiling for hours on end. He'd done enough of that over the years already, and his time was far too precious to for him to waste now.
_
The promise of getting to see Sebastian helped Kurt counteract the tiredness he felt the following morning. Kurt pushed onwards, ate his breakfast, and after he threw together an outfit that met Sebastian's approval (via text message), he headed off to school.
Upon his arrival, Kurt discovered that rumours about his sudden return were running wild and some people didn't even bother to clam up when he was around. He knew any attempts to clear his name and face the accusations about him (which he didn't even want to hear) would be pointless. So he took the attention in stride and brought his emotional barriers around him. He wasn't going to shut out everyone as much as he had before, but he needed to keep his head down until things blew over. It shouldn't be long before a juicier scandal came along and Kurt and his mysterious illness would turn into ancient history.
His first exam was almost upon him, and there was no room to rest when his second exam-and the rehearsal at SAIC-would happen soon after. At Shelby's request, Kurt had agreed to waiting until the show was over before she would book him any major jobs. As much as Kurt hated the delay on his modelling career, he understood her caution, and he was quite grateful for it now.
The only contact Kurt got from Sebastian was a few sporadic texts throughout the day, but that's all the time either of them could spare right now.
When he finally made it to the studio, Kurt was surprised to find only Sebastian inside. "Hey," Kurt said as he put down his heavy book-bag on a nearby table. "Where is everyone?"
Sebastian didn't bother to look up from his workstation. "I sent them home; they were threatening to revolt. Apparently I get excessively ruthless this close to a deadline, lucky for them we've made enough headway that I can do without them right now."
Kurt was hit with a feeling of deja vu; hadn't he walked into a similar scene a few days ago? "Well I'm here as you requested, Sebastian," Kurt said in a saucy voice, swaggering over to where his boyfriend was still sitting. He dragged a finger down Sebastian's right shoulder and arm flirtatiously. "So pray tell... what do you need of me?" He was beginning to see why Sebastian enjoyed speaking so fancily; it was pretty fun (at least when flirting was involved).
"Would you be a dear and take off your clothes?"
The lack of seduction in Sebastian's tone took all the fun out of Kurt's response."What, out here in the open?"
Sebastian finally switched focus to his boyfriend, who was now scowling at him warily. He chuckled at the display and stole Kurt's right hand, kissing his knuckle softly. "We're the only ones here, so there's no need to be shy." He didn't go on to kiss Kurt anywhere else, though his lingering (and hungry) glances made it pretty clear that he wanted to. "I'd offer to make it an even show, but that would be counter productive."
"I'll forgive you for the moment, and I'll take a raincheck." Kurt grinned at him; if he played his cards right he could probably get Sebastian to do a sexy striptease for him. "I find your passion for your craft very admirable, and wildly alluring…"
Sebastian held up his finger in warning and placed it over Kurt's lips to silence his boyfriend. "Don't encourage me, because I'm on thin ice as it is here."
Shut down, Kurt began to undress himself in the most non enticing way he could manage, starting with the front of his button down shirt. When his boyfriend didn't offer his services and actually went back to his work station to go over the show piece on the table, Kurt hurried things along (since there was no reason for caution now). Once only his boxer briefs and undershirt remained, Kurt waited for a moment and then cleared his throat to catch Sebastian's attention.
The first thing Sebastian did was flash Kurt a charming smile, but none of his usual flattery followed it. He just held out something for his boyfriend to see.
"Is that a thong?" Kurt demanded.
"I believe it is Kurt, imagine that." Sebastian's smug side had come out to play; too bad Kurt was in no mood to humour him.
There was so little fight left in Kurt that he just sighed and took the tiny excuse for an undergarment without protest. Sebastian would probably go off on on some long rant about how he didn't want any visible seam lines on the stage, even when the likelihood was slim. As long as no one but him and Sebastian knew he was wearing a thong, then he could live with it. Or he sure hoped so; Kurt might have to wear it a bit before hand to get used to it. 'But not at school.'
Sebastian watched with interest as his boyfriend casually took off his boxer-briefs. Even when Kurt wasn't trying, just the sight of his deliciously naked body was enough to instigate Sebastian's libido. Before he knew it, he was scanning up and down Kurt's body, drinking him in with his eyes. Fuck! What he wouldn't give to have an extra hour. The show couldn't come fast enough for him.
When Kurt stood back up after stepping into the thong and pulling it onto his hips he just smirked at his boyfriend's lustful gaze. "Put those bedroom eyes away Sebastian; you're making me hard already."
As much as Sebastian loved seeing Kurt being next to naked, getting to see him dressed in the showpiece would be equally gratifying-just in a different sort of way. He was actually glad that Kurt wouldn't be able to try on the fully completed ensemble with all of the accessories yet; he wanted to save that special moment until the day of the show.
"Will you allow me to do the honours, babe?" Sebastian asked as he held up the dress shirt.
"Go right ahead; we both know you wouldn't be satisfied if you left it to me," Kurt replied, with a playful grin.
Sebastian took a step towards his boyfriend and was about to put his right arm through the sleeve, when he saw Kurt take a deep breath and shut his eyes. He waited for a moment, but Kurt didn't open them again. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, unable to stop himself from snickering.
"I don't want to see myself in the outfit until the day of the show. I want my reaction to help set the right mood for when I need to walk down the runway," Kurt explained matter-of-factly, as if his answer made total sense.
Unfortunately, dressing Kurt when he insisted on keeping his eyes closed proved too difficult for Sebastian-or rather, his waning patience-to handle. He was having a hard enough time resisting Kurt's splendid body, and the temptation of surprising Kurt with his touch proved too much for him.
Sebastian let out a cry of frustration; that was it, he'd had enough of this. "Okay this isn't working Kurt; you're gonna need to open your eyes." Except Kurt didn't, which annoyed Sebastian and he couldn't even show it by rolling his own eyes at his boyfriend. "Don't look down at the suit, just focus on my handsome profile. We're not coordinated enough together to do this by ear yet."
Once Kurt's baby blues were back on display, Sebastian managed to make quick work of getting the waistcoat on him. The trousers were next and Sebastian willed himself to be on his best behaviour as he helped Kurt stick his leg in them.
"Won't the tight fit of these pants be wasted? What with the long tails at the back, and then the knee boots?" Kurt asked as Sebastian did up the fly at the front and then the fastening button.
"It's still no excuse for me to go the loose fit route Kurt; I refuse to take such lazy shortcuts." The more sexually frustrated Sebastian got; the more snark came out-both in his words and even the tone of his voice. Before things could escalate, Sebastian made himself focus on the tactile sensation of the fabric of the suit against his fingers. He let his mind quiet down as he threw himself into the task. No detail was overlooked; the position of the lapel collar had to be perfect, and it took him a while to get it to look just right.
When Sebastian finally was happy with everything, an hour and a half had passed, and both men were feeling the strain.
As soon as Sebastian told Kurt he was free to move, he began to stretch his arms, no doubt in attempts to wake up his tired muscles. "You really are thorough when it comes to your designs," Kurt said, switching to some light lunges (as much as the snug fit pants would allow anyway).
"There's a lot at stake; this time it's not just for my own amusement. My whole reputation at school is riding on the show, Kurt." He couldn't blame Kurt for not understanding the show's importance, mainly because Sebastian hadn't gone into much detail about it. He'd done that intentionally too; Kurt had enough pressure on him as it was, so he could wait until the show was over to learn the whole truth. Sebastian knew he'd pay for keeping Kurt out of the loop, but he was confident that he would understand his reasons in the end.
For now Sebastian was fine with keeping his boyfriend ignorant, which also kept himself from remembering the many expectations that were weighing heavily on his own shoulders. Kurt's presence was helping him in so many ways, but hindering him in others. This time it was a mix of both, which meant when Sebastian saw Kurt bat his eyes at him, he didn't see the harm in letting themselves have a bit of flirtatious indulgence.
Kurt draped his arms over Sebastian's shoulders and the two brought their mouths together to share a passionate kiss. The wave of pleasure that washed through Sebastian's weary body was so electric he was unable to resist it. He grabbed at Kurt, pulling their bodies together as their first kiss led to a second, and then an even more thrilling third. This was getting dangerous, and yet that only made it hotter! It was no use, Sebastian was too swept up in the sensation of Kurt's lips on his to put the brakes on and call it quits while he still could.
"Sebastian… wait… we should ease up or else we could end up popping a bead on the suit," Kurt warned; his voice was strained in his attempts to speak through his heavy breathing.
"You're right, we should take the suit off before it gets damaged then," Sebastian muttered under his breath in Kurt's ear.
Sebastian knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn't help himself. He had barely begun mapping the erogenous zones on Kurt's body; there was so much left to discover. Kurt was so ripe for the taking too, and it was clear he wanted his boyfriend just as badly. But no amount of urgency would make Sebastian rip off the suit he'd lovingly created, so he slowed his pace. Sebastian's skilled hands carefully undid the buttons and then peeled the garment off of Kurt. He then gently laid it on the table they had been leaning against.
Now that the most delicate piece of the suit was safely off of Kurt, Sebastian allowed himself to turn the heat back up again. He still made sure not to get too rough as he continued to help Kurt undress, though his aid wasn't really needed. Kurt was turning the act into a sexy slow motion strip tease, and Sebastian's heart was pounding in his chest from the sensual tease.
By the time Kurt had removed everything save for his new thong, Sebastian was livid with lust. But instead of moving closer, Kurt stepped away and reached for his original outfit.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sebastian demanded. "You're just gonna put your clothes back on and we'll go our separate ways for the night?" Sebastian was had gotten far too used to getting his way when it came to sex. Any past times he'd been busy with designing, even during his senior year of high school, had never meant he'd have to forgo sex on a regular basis.
Kurt put his hands on his hips, which created quite the picture, with his current state of undress. "I thought you wanted to spend the evening working on the cane and tophat? Or that's what you told me when we were texting one another earlier today."
Sebastian shrugged the notion off and took a step towards Kurt; it wouldn't take much to get him on board. Surely there was enough time for one fevered fuck before Sebastian had to go back to being a responsible adult.
"It's not like I don't want to…" Kurt began, pausing as Sebastian's hands found their way to his neck. He didn't even bother to get to the point when Sebastian let his mouth take over.
Sebastian kissed and sucked on Kurt's neck, hearing his boyfriend's moans of pleasure from the contact. He ran his hands down Kurt's shoulders in a teasingly stroking motion; Sebastian felt goosebumps from on his bare skin.
"Sebastian I…" Kurt stopped to take a deep breath. "Oh, wow that feels so good…" He had to be seconds away from giving in.
Instead Kurt pulled back, literally tearing himself out of Sebastian's arms.
"Now is not the time to play hard to get, babe," Sebastian flirted, hoping that was the reason for Kurt's sudden sudden cockblock.
Kurt frowned at him and he picked up his pants again. "I'm distracting you from your work Sebastian, and that's not suppose to happen." He continued to redress as soon as his pants were fully on, ignoring his boyfriend's visible displeasure. "This is becoming a habit for us and I'm not enjoying always having to be the voice of reason."
Since Kurt's accusations were justified, Sebastian didn't fight them and redirected his anger to someone more deserving: himself. Sebastian, in his usual taste for dramatics, pushed himself up and away from the table with an array of profanities.
"I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Kurt," Sebastian said, pacing back and forth just to vent some of his frustrations.
"You're not invincible," insisted Kurt, who was now fully dressed and seemed to consider himself fit to get close to his boyfriend again.
Except Sebastian knew better this time, and while he never thought he'd choose emotions over sex, he was now. But not before he did something about his frazzled nerves, and with his usual first option out, Sebastian went over to the bar's liquor cabinet (which Puck was forbidden to open on his own) and poured two generous shots of vodka. He took one for himself and left the other for Kurt, though he would be more than happy to drink it himself in case his boyfriend wasn't planning to join him.
Sebastian swallowed down the strong liquid and turned to look at Kurt as soon as he was done. "You bewilder me Kurt, whenever you're with me, I'm struck with such a fierce possessiveness. I want to keep you all to myself, as if the outside world doesn't deserve to see you beautiful face."
Kurt hugged Sebastian from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist. "You can't cage me up; I need to be free, or else my beauty would wither and die."
The sarcastic tone of Kurt's voice was so obviously intentional Sebastian barely waited until Kurt was finished before he snorted in response.
Kurt gave Sebastian a moment to get a hold of himself and claimed the remaining vodka shot. "Feel any better?"
"Somewhat, thanks, babe," Sebastian replied on exhale.
"Should I go then, to make it easier on you?"
Sebastian reached out to take Kurt's arm before he could physically leave. "What if I don't want you to go? What if I want you to stay here with me?" It was a childish request, and yet Sebastian couldn't stop himself from asking.
"What kind of centre would I be if I were the one to lead you astray," Kurt countered with a regal air worthy of royalty.
'One that drives me crazy, every single day,' Sebastian thought.
"The day of show will be here before you know it, so try to keep it together-or rather, in your pants-until then okay? I'm not saying it's going to be easy, because it sure won't be for me, but we're both strong willed individuals, so I'm sure we'll manage somehow."
If there were more than five days to go, Sebastian would have contested Kurt's assessment, or maybe not, since doing so would go against his cocky sure-of-himself reputation. The show had been his priority long before Kurt had come into his life, and he needed to remember that. In less than a week his months of work (not to mention that endless convincing he'd had to go through to even be allowed to participate in the show) were about to be put the ultimate test.
He didn't want to lose, not like had for his high school design competition. He wanted his chance to prove he had what it took to be a world renowned designer.
_
Aside from a few encouraging texts and quick phone calls, Sebastian spent the next two days without the company of Kurt. If it weren't for the fact that they had talked at all, the busy designer would have thought that his boyfriend was intentionally avoiding him. But since that wasn't the case, Sebastian followed Kurt's lead and threw himself into his work like never before.
Not being able to release tension in the way he preferred led Sebastian to skip one of his classes midway through the day just so he could detox. He headed up to the roof, and when he climbed the final step he soon discovered that someone was already there.
"Why if it isn't Mister Noah Puckerman," Sebastian said, grinning smugly as he strutted over to where his friend was leaning against the railway.
Puck looked up just as Sebastian claimed the spot beside him. "You're skipping class? That's new."
"Like you can talk."
"Shows what you know; I have a free period right now and I've caught up on work, so I decided I would take some well-deserved downtime." Puck took a drink from his can of Red Bull and turned his head back to the view of the school grounds below. "Unlike some students, I've worked way too fucking hard to throw it all away and start slacking off. And I need to keep my grades up or I could lose my scholarship."
Sebastian leaned forward on the railing, and crossed his arms over the edge. He must be more tired than he thought, or else he would have come up with a backhanded remark to dish at Puck. Oh well, he supposed he could try sharing his feelings with a trusted a friend-since Puck was conveniently around. "I needed some time to think; I haven't had a free moment in ages. Skipping class was the only way I could steal back a few minutes to myself."
"If you're expecting me to leave then think again; I was here first so I have dibs, Smythe," Puck warned.
"You can stay, so long as you're willing to be of use to me." Puck eyed him warily and Sebastian chuckled. "That wasn't an euphemism-amazingly…"
The fact that Sebastian wasn't using any of his normal antagonizing comments seemed to put Puck in a more accommodating mood. He reached down to pick up his second, unopened can of Red Bull and handed it to Sebastian, who took it without a single snarky word. "Trouble in Paradise, Seb?" he asked, with mild interest, but that was a lot for him.
For all his taunting of Puck, Sebastian knew that he wasn't the brainless punk that his appearance often implied. He was a complex and compassionate young man who normally liked to keep his more endearing qualities hidden, which made sense, since Puck had grown up in the ghetto-more or less. On the streets, things like creativity and empathy were weaknesses that were too high a risk to show. Right from the beginning Sebastian had respected Puck, even though the temptation to mess with him (usually by coming on to him) was often too fun to pass up.
"If you've noticed then it must be worse than I thought," Sebastian said, sighing heavily.
"It's kind of hard not to, though not in the way you're probably thinking. You're missing Kurt so much that it's messing with your head."
Sebastian found it amusing that Puck could sum up his state in so few words. "A basic assessment, but one that's more or less true." There was a lot more of course, and some of it didn't even include Kurt, like Sebastian's issues with trust that stemmed from having such pathetic excuses for parents.
"Want some advice from someone who's been in a serious relationship for longer than a month?"
"By all means, bestow your wisdom upon me, Noah, and don't hold back for my sake either," Sebastian urged. There had been so few times that he and Puck had sat down and had a private conversation like this. Before Sebastian had gotten together with Kurt, he wouldn't have thought there was anything of interest Puck could possibly teach him about. 'Which just goes to show how unpredictable life can be.'
"It's obvious that you're used to being top dog, even when it comes to yourself. The first thing I thought after we met was 'Now here's a guy who gives zero fucks about anyone.' You're used to getting your way, by any means, and as soon as person isn't useful to you anymore, you drop them without a second thought. I used to think you'd never have what it took to love anyone but yourself, but then I got to know you better as the months went by. Not by a whole lot, since you usually keep your real self hidden behind your snug exterior. I actually didn't think much of it at first, but then I started to see little hints. I'd see you chatting with Unique and go after anyone who dared to look down upon her, or how you'd shower Sugar with genuine affection. Even with me and all the times you've come on to me, or insulted me, if there was ever a sign that you'd gone too far you would stop on your own."
"I had no idea you could be so observant, Puck," Sebastian said, yet again using humour to downplay the mood.
"Oh, trust me, there's a ton of things I don't understand about you, Sebastian. Not Sugar though, she got you right from the start." Puck smiled at the thought of his girlfriend, letting the part of him that was head over heels in love with his girlfriend show. "Sugar always said that if you were ever going to fall for someone, you'd do it fast and head first. She said, 'Sebastian Smythe is not the pinning from afar type.'" Puck's impression was pretty weak, but his high pitch voice still made Sebastian chuckle.
"I've always been a passionate person, when I love something, such as fashion or designing, it takes over my whole life. I didn't think that would ever happen with a person though, shows what I know, huh?"
Puck finished off the rest of his Red Bull and tossed the empty can to the floor. "Been there. When I first realized I was in love with Sugar I was scared shitless. My fourteen-year-old mind thought that if Sugar and I started dating, she'd have me by the balls in no time-and she'd keep them in her designer purse. I couldn't stand the idea that people would see us and think I was some whipped boyfriend and I would lose any of the street cred I had left."
"You obviously rose above that boyish fear and got together with her, so I'm curious what changed for you?" Sebastian asked, with surprising interest. He'd thought he'd heard everything there was to know about Puck and Sugar's fairytale romance, but he realized now what he'd been told was mostly one sided.
"I realized-even before she told me she felt the same way-that I cared about her more than I cared about what other people thought. Sugar is the best thing that's ever happened to me; if she weren't in my life then I'd either be in jail, or a high school dropout that cleaned pools for a living or something."
"You're that serious about her then?" Sebastian knew this already just from the seven months he'd known the couple.
"I'm planning to pop the question once we graduate from college. It might happen sooner than that, but I want to buy her a ring myself and that will take me some time to save up for. I know she won't care how expensive the ring is, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to give her the world." Puck rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and when he finally dared to look Sebastian's way, he saw that his friend was almost moved to tears. "Don't you fucking tell anyone Sebastian! If Sugar gets wind of this she's not going to want to wait. She'll want to start planning our wedding right away!"
Sebastian slapped Puck hard on the back. "Your secret's safe with me, Noah, but keep that in mind when you're considering who should be your best man."
"What about you? Could you see yourself walking down the aisle with Kurt someday? Gay marriage is legal in Illinois after all, so there's nothing in your way there."
The question made Sebastian's smirk change into a unsure frown. "I've honestly never given a second thought to marriage. I mean, I'm obviously glad more and more states are finally coming around, even if not everyone is willing to embrace marriage equality. I've always lived my life in the fast lane, so the idea of marrying someone always seemed like the end of line to me. I was sure I'd make a pretty shitty husband, since my attempts to be a decent boyfriend sure didn't win me any awards." The idea of settling down and conforming to social convention by getting married and having a family seemed so commonplace to him. Sebastian was all for equality, but that didn't mean he felt obligated to want to get married just because he could.
"We've never talked about it, but I get the feeling that Kurt's the type of person who would want to get married someday. He's all for romantic gestures and marriage is the biggest one of all." He couldn't say for sure though, and Sebastian had no plans to bring up the subject of marriage; regardless of his own personal thoughts, it was way too early for that.
"Who knows, maybe someday you'll end up wanting it," Puck said.
"Maybe, but it's just as likely that I won't. I'm not saying I don't think that Kurt and I have no future together… I just…" Sebastian raked his hands threw his hair; he didn't want to deal with this shit! He'd come up here to clear his head, not to agonize over whether or not he could see himself and Kurt tying the knot one day! "I just don't know all right."
"It's not like I know what I'm doing most the time either. I usually just wing it and hope I come out alive. Relationships are tough, they take a lot of work, and it's not all sex and love songs. Sugar and I fight all of the time, sometimes over the stupidest stuff." Puck unclenched his fist and let out a sigh. "I think what you should ask yourself is if you're willing to put aside your own wants and needs-and your ego-to be with Kurt. You can't keep a relationship going with love and sex alone, and the honeymoon phase won't last forever."
Sebastian turned around to lean his back against the railing. "Thanks for the advice, Noah; you're prince among punks."
"Yeah well, you can thank me by letting up once the show's over," Puck muttered, kicking at his discarded Red Bull can on the ground. "I've barely had any time to practice my music; my band's this close to replacing me with someone more reliable."
"Hey, you're the most reliable person I know," Sebastian declared; he knew so few quality people in his life, so it wasn't saying much, but he truly meant it.
_
Kurt took a deep breath and cleared his throat, hoping that his voice sounded casual instead of desperate as he approached his classmate. "Hi Blaine, so tell me, does your offer to help me study for my make up exams still stand? I really could use some help."
Either Blaine didn't notice the slightly higher pitch Kurt was speaking in or he was too polite to react. He put down his textbook and gave an encouraging smile. "Of course it is."
Kurt let out a breath of relief. "Okay good, because I'm way in over my head." He hadn't counted on the fact that he'd stopped paying attention to his lessons even before the big fight with his mom. He was paying the price for it now, and unless he got outside aid, Kurt was seriously in risk of failing.
"You have two exams coming up if I'm right," Blaine clarified.
Kurt nodded. "I'm doing all right with the classes we share, thanks to your summary notes-and my own tireless efforts of course. But not only are these upcoming tests one's we don't share; neither are my strong suit to begin with."
"Hmm…" Blaine muttered in thought as he skimmed through the two text books Kurt had put down in front of him. "I think I know enough about both subjects to be of help to you still, and I can easily miss tonight's study group too. I'll just do my own homework in between helping you, Kurt."
Kurt needed the help too badly to question whether Blaine could spare the time, so his carefree manner was a welcomed relief. Kurt took a seat next to Blaine, ignoring the world around them just in case anyone had taken notice of them. The attention Kurt had received had already begun to waver, just as he had hoped. His refusal to engage people wasn't winning him any awards in popularity though. Kurt hardly cared about that; as soon as he passed his freshman year he could start looking for a college where he felt more at home.
"There's a lot of ground to cover here; it could end up taking us all night…" Blaine glanced at the time on his phone, furrowing his brows together in thought. "Do you have any plans this evening?"
"Nothing other than studying. My boyfriend is busy, but I have too much homework for socializing this week anyway." Kurt was just relieved that none of his finales ran on the same day as the fashion show.
"We could go to my house to study; there's lots of space, and we can work without any interruptions," Blaine suggested.
Considering that their other options were either to go Kurt's house (no thank you), stay at the school (and remain under public eye), or go to the library (which closed way too early), Blaine's house was their best bet.
"Sounds good to me," Kurt said, smiling with gratitude.
Now that the location was decided, Blaine (without any prompting) took half of Kurt's book load into his arms and stood up from the table. Once Kurt gathered the rest, the two headed out of the main building. Kurt had half a mind to steal his books back but he chose against it; since it wasn't a big deal.
"You know, I don't even know if you drive to to school or not," Kurt admitted as they walked together. He hadn't gone to stalking levels with his crush-understandably-so Kurt didn't know anything about Blaine's life outside of the classes they had shared.
"I do drive; my place isn't too far, but I find it easier to lug my books around and stuff." Blaine led them to the back end of the parking long and nodded towards the vehicle directly ahead of them. "That's mine there, it's nothing fancy, but it gets me where I need to go."
Kurt eyed the car for a minute before smirking; Blaine's idea of fancy might not compare to Sebastian's expensive convertible, but his ride was still no lemon. "A Prius, Blaine, really?"
"Hey, being environmentally friendly is nothing to laugh at, and I get great mileage too," Blaine said in his defence, though his carefree grin showed he wasn't the least bit offended by Kurt's harmless teasing.
"At least my hair won't get horribly wind blown; Sebastian drives a convertible and rarely puts the top up." Kurt paused when he realized he'd said Sebastian's first name; he wasn't really hiding his identity from Blaine (or anyone else). It just felt odd to him to be able to talk about Sebastian outside of their small group of friends. "That's my boyfriend… sorry, it's hard to keep from babbling about him sometimes…" Kurt felt so awkward and he knew he was blushing. He wanted to flee from the scene, but his school situation was too dire to do such a thing.
Besides, Blaine wasn't doing anything to add to Kurt's embarrassment; he was acting polite as ever as he got into the driver's side of his car. "There's no need for you to apologize Kurt, you're in a relationship so of course you'd want to talk about him."
It would be nice to be able to talk freely about Sebastian and where there was no risk of it coming back to him (not that he planned to say anything bad about him). As much as Kurt disliked upheaving all of his feelings upon Blaine, who he still didn't know very well, Blaine didn't seem to mind.
"It's more like the opposite right now, we're both so busy with our own stuff that we're basically having to steer clear of each other just to stay focused," Kurt admitted.
Blaine furrowed his eyebrows together; he seemed to do this a lot. "Well… I'm no expert here, nor am I remotely qualified to give relationship advice… but I don't see that necessarily being a bad thing. Having alone time is healthy, or so I've heard, and you two are keeping some contact I assume." Kurt nodded in confirmation and Blaine went on. "The show is in a few days, so I'm sure things will wind down once it's over."
If Kurt were in a more daring mood, this would be the perfect moment to ask Blaine about his own social life, and if he were dating anyone. Except he felt too uncomfortable to ask anything along those lines, and he was feeling awkward enough as it is. Blaine's response about knowing nothing about relationships seemed it answer the query anyway. It hardly mattered if Blaine were single, casually dating or in a serious relationship anyway.
He switched his efforts to make light conversation during the drive; they mostly discussed topics related to school, and while it was hardly deep subject matter, it was better than a prolonged awkward silence.
When the two men made it to Blaine's house (or rather, his folks house, because he still lived at home) they wasted no time in sitting down to business. Kurt's books and notes were laid out on Blaine's work table in his bedroom ready for them to tackle. (If his past self had been his place he would have died and gone to heaven by now!) The tension Kurt had felt before went away when the work began, and soon the pair felt relaxed enough to joke a bit with one another.
If only Kurt's heart would stop racing in his chest and his head stop feeling light and dizzy. He blamed it on skipping lunch, and the stress of passing his exams. Stubborn too very end, Kurt pushed himself through it all and listened to Blaine as he instructed Kurt through their studying.
He wasn't saying much in reply as time went on though, which Blaine seemed to finally pick up on roughly three hours into their study session.
"Are you feeling all right there Kurt? We should take a snack break, or we could even call it a day if you're getting tired." Blaine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I hadn't realized so much time had passed, I'm being a bad host…"
"No, no I'm fine." Kurt paused to take a drink of his water bottle. "I'm just a little tired, but I can go on." In truth, Kurt didn't feel well at all; his head was pounding and it felt so heavy it was hard for him to remain upright. But he couldn't call it quits now, not when they'd barely covered the subject matter for his second final.
"Are you sure; you sure don't look fine to me. At least let me go grab us something we can munch on as we study."
The stubbornness of Blaine's gaze was so clear that even if Kurt were feeling better he wouldn't have argued. Kurt just nodded and thanked Blaine as he headed off to fetch them both something from the kitchen. He used the short break to massage his aching temples, but the attempt brought little to no relief. Kurt slumped down on the table, resting his chin on the surface as he let out a deep sigh. He felt so warm; why did Blaine have to have the heat turned on so high? The room was spinning, and Kurt had to fight to keep his eyes open.
What he wouldn't give to take a nice long nap, but sleep was for the weak. If Sebastian could pull an all nighter and work until the late hours of the night then so could he. He was Kurt Hummel, how many nights had he spent studying? Too many to count and if he could manage it then, then there was no reason he couldn't now.
By the time Blaine returned (ten minutes later) Kurt was so far gone that just the sight of him slumped over the table snapped Blaine into action. He quickly hurried over and placed the tray of refreshments down on the table so he could hover over Kurt anxiously. Blaine gently pulled Kurt up by his shoulders and saw his flushed skin and sweating brow.
Blaine brought his a hand to his forehead. "Kurt! Oh, my god, you're burning up! You have a fever!" he stammered in alarm.
Kurt's pathetic attempt to wave off Blaine's concern didn't even last long enough to make a full sentence.
Keen to act, Blaine helped Kurt up, and when it became clear he wasn't well enough to stand, he took it upon himself to take the brunt of his friend's weight. Kurt had no energy to pretend he was well enough to do anything except just go along to wherever Blaine was taking him to.
"I'm going to take you to the hospital just to be safe Kurt, do you want me to call your parents?" Blaine asked as he carried Kurt, who replied with a weak 'oh, god no' before he rested his head against Blaine for support.
"Okay just hold on then, Kurt," Blaine muttered. "I've got you."
_
"Well, that's another productive day done," Sebastian said to himself as he locked up the door to the Atelier.
There was only the top hat, gloves, and boots to finish now. He'd spent the evening tweaking the jacket (putting it on Kurt had helped him notice a couple subpar spots). With the cane also complete as of this morning, he was confident they would finish well on time. Sebastian had learned quickly that, while he could work through the extreme pressure that going to the last minute brought, he prefered to do so only when it was absolutely necessary. The day of the show would be the pivotal moment when Sebastian would see if everything would come together exactly has he had envisioned. He had intentionally paid little detail to seeing Kurt in the showpiece when he'd worn it for the fitting. At least aside from making sure the fit was perfect, and even then the effect of the ensemble on Kurt had Sebastian on pins and needles.
This called for a celebration, and Sebastian only hoped that the eye of his affection would be free to join him. He knew there was a good chance he wasn't; Kurt's exams were days away, so he was in complete study mode. That was why he hadn't bothered calling (or even texting) Kurt for the better part of the day.
All Sebastian really hoped do was drop in on his boyfriend, share a few words and maybe sneak in a few stolen kisses now and then. That was sure a big contrast from what Sebastian usually wanted when it came to men.
As if they were joined by some sort of psychic link; Kurt ended up calling Sebastian before he had gotten his phone out to do the same. "Hey babe, would you believe I was just about to call you."
"This isn't Kurt. My name's Blaine, I'm a classmate of Kurt's."
Sebastian of course knew all about Blaine, or at least from what Sugar and Kurt had told him about the man. But nothing of the little he knew explained why he would be calling Sebastian with Kurt's phone. Something fishy was going on, and judging by the unease in Blaine's voice, he wasn't going to like it one bit.
"What's happened to Kurt?" Sebastian asked before Blaine could say anything else.
"Kurt collapsed when we were studying together; he has a high fever and is anemic as well. I drove him to the hospital. He's in stable condition, and is resting now; they put him on IV fluids to counteract his fatigue. He didn't want me to call his parents though, so I decided to contact you instead," Blaine explained.
It didn't matter if Kurt's life wasn't any danger, his boyfriend was lying on a hospital bed, and he wanted to be be there when Kurt woke up. "I'll be right over. Meet me at the front desk in fifteen minutes."
'Kurt's okay,' Sebastian told himself as he ran up the stairs of the studio. 'He's a fucking idiot, but he's okay.'
_
Blaine paced back and forth as he waited for Kurt's boyfriend to meet him at the front desk. He wasn't exactly sure why he was acting so nervous. Kurt was responding well to the IV fluids and resting peacefully. It wouldn't be long before he'd be up and back on his feet, and yet Blaine's mind was a whirlwind of activity.
He glanced at the entrance for any signs of Sebastian. He had no idea who to look for though (going through Kurt's photos felt too invasive). Kurt had given him his phone for safe keeping just before he had been admitted to the emergency room. Once he was looked after, Blaine figured he should contact someone about Kurt's condition and his boyfriend felt like the best choice (luckily Kurt didn't have a passcode on his phone).
Blaine came to a halt when he saw a man close to his own age dart into view. He and Blaine quickly looked at each other directly and a sudden wave of recognition washed over them both. He reeled back on his heels, his need to remain polite being the only reason he was able to hold his composure.
Memories of an event Blaine had tried to wipe from his brain came rushing back, and even after two years had passed, it still felt as clear as day to him. The pulsing sound of electronic dance music filling his ears, the sea of bodies gyrating and dancing before him, the sheer numbers of gorgeous men congregating together. Blaine had been a confused and clueless high school junior when his personal struggles about his sexuality had led him to a gay bar over in the next town.
He'd gone there in the hopes that exposing himself to the gay community could help him figure out if he belonged there or not. What had ended up instead was Blaine being approached by a handsome guy with a wicked smile and smooth pick-up skills. In his utter confusion and bewilderment, Blaine had accepted his offer to go out on the dance floor. Never in a million years had Blaine thought that crazy night would end with him and his dance partner pushed up together in one of the club's bathroom stalls.
It had taken the extreme act of getting his first blowjob ever-which had been incredible-to finally snap Blaine out of his trance. He'd barely finished recovering from his orgasm when he'd blurted out sorry to his partner (who he now knew was named Sebastian-somehow names had never been exchanged at the time) and had high tailed it outta there.
Since then Blaine had slowly come to terms with his homosexuality, but chose to remain in the closet for the unseeable future. He'd felt guilty about that choice, and did even now, but Blaine hardly had time one night stands, let alone for romance. So he had decided to keep his sexual orientation under wraps at least until he graduated from college.
What should he do? Should he pretend that he had never laid eyes on Sebastian before?
"Sebastian," Blaine said when the very person he hoped to never run into again was now right in front of him-except he wasn't smirking like he had been back then.
"Blaine," Sebastian replied with surprising indifference.
"Kurt's still asleep, but the doctor said he'll be well enough to leave once he wakes."
Blaine was very grateful that Sebastian wasn't making any sort of comment about their past meeting. He must have heard about his history with Sugar and Puck from them, so he could only imagine what Sebastian was thinking right now. He could barely believe that Sebastian was cutting him a break, what with how he ran out on Sebastian back at the bar, and had literally left him hanging.
"I'll take it from here, thank you for seeing to Kurt's wellbeing," Sebastian said, holding out his hand.
It dawned on Blaine that he wanted Kurt's phone, so he handed it over willingly and without saying anything in response at first. "Could you ask him to call me when he's up?"
All Sebastian did was nod and then walk past him, leaving Blaine on his own and wallowing in his own embarrassed misery. He just hoped that whatever Sebastian might have against him, he wouldn't go so low as to out him, either to Kurt or anyone else.
For the moment, it was out of Blaine's hands, and he let out a heavy sigh. Blaine's job was done, and he was fine to take his leave. At least this time he managed to casually walk out of the hospital at a normal pace, instead of the top speeds he'd gone the first time he and Sebastian had crossed paths.
_
Kurt's whole body ached; his arms felt like dead weights at his side and even his eyes took too much energy to finally open. What was going on? Had he fallen asleep when Blaine had gone to get them something to eat? That still didn't explain why the twinge of pain in his right arm, or the blinding lights.
He tried to sit up but couldn't, and he felt a pair of hands on his chest gently guide him to lie back down again.
"Easy there tiger, you don't wanna get a head rush, or tug on your IV," a soothing voice cooed.
"Blaine?" It sure didn't sound like him, but who else could it be?
"No it's Sebastian, remember me? I'm the guy you're dating and say you're in love with."
There was no mistaking the unique tone of snark to think it could be anyone else other than Sebastian, even if his reply had made it quite obvious. Bedridden he might be, but Kurt was still Kurt, and he couldn't resist the chance for a witty comeback. "The sarcastic tone sounds familiar…" He went with that instead of snarky because it felt like a better option to tease Sebastian about. "... but you're going to need to jolt my memory a bit here to know for sure." Kurt grinned, albeit weakly; he was feeling better already.
Sebastian chuckled, leaning over to brush Kurt's damp hair away from his forehead so he could kiss it softly. He perched on the side of the bed next to Kurt and took hold of his hand (on the opposite arm from the one hooked up to the IV).
"I'm in a hospital," Kurt said.
"You are." Sebastian's loving gaze changed to mild annoyance for a split second. "And whose fault do you think that is, huh?"
"I'm going to go with mine," Kurt said meekly, fluttering his eyes (as best he could) for any sympathy he could get from his boyfriend.
Sebastian let go of Kurt's hand so he could stand up and pace around the room for a moment. Kurt got that he was pissed, probably both at Kurt pushing himself too much, and how much of a scare he must have gotten. He left his boyfriend for his own devices while he tried to think of the last thing he remembered. "Where's Blaine? Did he bring me here or did you?"
"Blaine did, and he called me once you were admitted," Sebastian answered. "He left as soon as I got here."
Kurt had nothing to go on, but he swore the corners of Sebastian's mouth curved upwards to form the tiniest smile. He no idea why he would do such a thing, and on the off chance Kurt was imagining things, he had no plans to ask him about it.
It was all coming back to him and Kurt knew he should confess everything to Sebastian, before his annoyance turned into genuine anger. "I haven't been sleeping well ever since I moved back in with my folks and that lack of sleep was only the beginning of my problems. These past couple of days I've thrown myself into my studies, or tried to, but it wasn't enough. I just can't get myself at the same level of focus as before. I kept missing you and the others; I was worried about the show and my exams; and how everyone at school keeps whispering behind my back! The stress began to build and I stopped eating regularly, but kept on pushing myself. I asked Blaine to help me study today, so we went to his place… and I guess that's when my body reached its limit and I succumbed to my high fever."
Just hearing the details out loud made Kurt feel horrible; there had to be something he could add to help clear his image. "I did not collapse and faint though, I stayed conscious until I was placed in this bed and given medication to help me sleep," Kurt stated matter-of-factly, though conscious was a bit of a stretch, because he'd felt pretty out of it.
Sebastian turned to face his boyfriend; he had his emotional walls up, but barely. "You're not making this easy for me Kurt. Part of me-a big part-just wants to start shouting things like 'what the hell did you think you were doing' but then, you're lying in a hospital bed. So since I don't want to get kicked out, I'll just go a different route." He plopped himself down in the chair next to to the bed, though he kept his hands to himself this time.
"You really need to realize when you push yourself to brink like this, you're hurting not just yourself, but the people who care about you as well." Sabastian might have been scolding Kurt, yet there was no anger in his eyes-only fear. "Nobody wants to think about it, but losing someone you love-when there's nothing you can do to save them-has to be the worst thing in the world to go through. Even though you weren't in any real danger today, I'm scared shitless, Kurt…"
"I know," Kurt said softly. "I'm scared too. I'm stronger than this Sebastian."
"You have limits, same as everyone else. What you need to do is listen to the signs and see to your own health before it can reach this point. I bet you don't realize it, but whenever I pull all nighters, or work for a really long time, I monitor my vitals, stop to refuel myself, and will even take short breaks when needed. If you just force your body to keep going, you're going to end up crashing before long… which I'm sure you're aware of now."
Kurt cracked a small smile; he was actually glad Sebastian had ended his lecture with a teasing comment. It meant that he was on the road to forgiveness, not that he had been worried that Sebastian would hold any sort of grudge against him. "I'm sorry I worried you Sebastian, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I haven't been sleeping well."
"Yeah well, I'm pretty hard to approach when I'm so far deep into a project," Sebastian said, apparently smirking at his own inability to deliver for once.
"From here on I shall be a changed man; I'll look after myself and stop acting like I'm some sort of invisible machine. I'm just glad this all happened now and not on the day of the show, or that I'm not in worse shape and have to be hospitalized for days!" Kurt shuddered just at the idea of either scenario. "While we're on the subject; how long do I have to stay here?" Kurt would have said he felt much better, but he doubted Sebastian would believe him right now.
"Last I heard you're allowed to leave once you woke up and the nurse takes one final look at you," explained Sebastian, whose casual grin held just the hint of smugness. He stood up next, coming over to pat Kurt affectionately on the head before heading to the door. "I'll go tell the front desk that you're up and itching to be released."
Kurt nodded at him; he could have just buzzed for a nurse but he was fine to let Sebastian feel useful. He stared down at the IV needle that was stuck in his arm and sighed. He hoped he wouldn't have to resort to taking medication to fall asleep at night. Maybe he and Sebastian could make some sort of deal where they talk on the phone with each other until they were too tired to continue. He wasn't really sure when Sebastian went to bed now that the show was so close, but he bet his boyfriend would oblige him easily enough. That just left Kurt to make sure he had a well balanced diet every day-no more skipping meals because 'he didn't have the time'.
The wait for Sebastian to return with the assigned nurse in tow was over before he knew it, and so was Kurt's examination. After she instructed him (scolded more like) to eat regularly and rest up for the next day at least, Kurt was deemed well enough to leave.
Sebastian insisted on holding onto Kurt while they walked to the parking lot and his convertible. Kurt was actually glad for the assistance and thanked his boyfriend for his chivalrous aid. The comment led to some much missed playful banter, which helped renew Kurt's tired soul a great deal.
"My first instinct is to take you to my place so you can rest and not have to tell your parents what happened. But I wouldn't be able to give you the extra care you'll need right now, so as much as it pains me to admit, it's better if I take you home and have your mom keep an eye on you," Sebastian said with a vindictive yet teasing grin. "I figure having her nurse you back to health is punishment enough-in addition to missing out on spooning with me tonight."
Kurt rolled his eyes; the few times he had been sick before had been almost unbearable for him. He swore his mother actually enjoyed when she had to take care of him; it was the only time he'd become dependant on her once he hit his teenage years.
It was hardly the ideal scenario for his mom and dad to meet Sebastian, but his presence and his weakened constitution meant that things wouldn't get too out of hand-or too awkward. That was the hope anyway, and while there was no way to tell what could happen, Kurt wanted Sebastian to stay with him (if only until he was settled in his room and ready to go to sleep).
Kurt was so confident Sebastian wouldn't want to just drop him off at his front door that he didn't even bother to ask him it he would stay.