Chapter notes: At this point, as I am writing chapter 22, I have come to realize there's enough material remaining for me to add another chapter. So it looks as if Welcome to Paradise will end at 23 chapters now. Which honestly is a good thing, because it will give my beta and I more time to work on things. I'm not sure when the next update will be, with the choice to split things into 2 more chapters, hopefully it will be in three weeks, but I can't say that for sure. Just check out my tumblr for status updates as usual.
Chapter 21
It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, it couldn't have been more perfect, but Kurt was too preoccupied to admire the loveliness around him. He could barely believe he was going through with this. Why was he going through with this again? Kurt absentmindedly touched Sebastian's ESMOD letter in his inside jacket pocket. Oh right, that was why. Kurt had brought it along in case it could be useful. Sebastian didn't seem to want it anymore, but just to be safe Kurt had left the envelope in the trashcan.
Even though Kurt knew he was doing this for Sebastian, it still wasn't enough to calm his anxiety now that the moment had finally come. The only way Kurt had survived the past two days was to put it all out of his mind and just focus on his work. It helped that Sebastian was just as busy, but he still kept in touch with Kurt, and saw him whenever possible.
Not only had Kurt made it to D-day, but by some amazing miracle, Kurt didn't have any jobs, and better yet, Sebastian did, which meant there was no need to make up any excuses. So there Kurt was, standing nervously on the curb as he waited for Santana to pay the cab driver.
Kurt turned around to gaze at the massive skyscraper building they were about to enter. "It's so tall." It had to be at least sixy stories high. Just the idea of meeting with someone who owned such a large company would already Kurt put on edge, but since that person was also his boyfriend's dad it made him not only nervous, but nauseous as well.
"Relax, Hummel," Santana said as she came to stand beside him. "It's not like you're going in there to ask for his son's hand in marriage." A devilish smile spread across her face. "Unless…"
"Let's just get this over with," Kurt sputtered, hurrying off before she could see him blushing. It annoyed him that she could push his buttons so easily, but then, Sebastian was pretty much his greatest weakness. He still wasn't used to having a boyfriend to be teased about, but it came with the territory he supposed.
If he weren't feeling so anxious about meeting Sebastian's dad, Kurt probably would have enjoyed it more. He was starting to regret his decision not learn a bit about Mr. Smythe from the internet; Kurt hadn't even allowed himself to look up his first name! It just felt too much like cheating to him, especially when he was going behind his boyfriend's back.
Kurt snuck a glance at Santana, who was a few steps ahead of him now as they walked up to the building's main entrance. She was looking very professional in a white blazer style jacket with black trim, a cream and black polka dot print silk blouse, and a pair of white slim fit pants. Her black ankle strap heels were a lot shorter than Kurt had seen her wear, which showed how much she meant business today. Her impressive state of dress made Kurt very glad that he'd decided to dress on the more formal side today too, and in an ironic twist of fate, Kurt's white dress shirt, black vest and trousers ensemble matched Santana's outfit perfectly. They almost looked as if they were two business partners about to head off to a work meeting together.
'I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask her for a little information,' Kurt told himself. 'It would be nice not to go in totally blind.' And unlike with the internet, there was no risk for Kurt to find out more than he wanted to know.
All Kurt had to do now was wait for the right moment.
With Santana leading the way, the pair made walked towards the front desk and the woman who was standing behind it. Kurt quietly watched as she addressed the woman as if she were just another client who had an appointment. After Santana gave her name, the receptionist nodded immediately and told her that her appointment with the president would be at 2pm as scheduled. Kurt barely managed to hide his surprise and merely followed after her as she went over to where the elevators were.
"What was that all about?" Kurt whispered to her.
"I figured the easiest way to get in was to call and make an official appointment," Santana replied matter-of-factly.
Kurt guessed that made sense; Mr. Smythe was probably too busy to meet with them casually over dinner, and the formal setting should make things less awkward as well. 'I hope.' Just having to follow Santana's lead and let her do the talking was making it easier for Kurt to calm down.
"When was the last time you saw Sebastian's dad?" Kurt asked as they waited for the elevator.
"From what I can remember… that would have to be when I was flipping channels sometime last year one night and caught him being interviewed on the local news."
Of course Santana wouldn't be willing to give him an easy answer. "I meant in person," he explained, but instead of telling him, she smirked at him instead, which Kurt didn't like at all. "Wait…" Kurt felt the colour drain from his face; there was no way. "Are you telling me that you've never actually met him before?" It seemed so far fetched; Santana had to be just messing with him. Please let her just be messing with him.
"I dunno why you're so surprised," Santana said as she walked into the now open elevator. "It's not like he and Sebastian are close."
Kurt scurried in after her; he was very glad they were the only ones here. "But what about school functions and things like that?" Sebastian's dad had to have gone to his son's high school graduation, and what about the statewide fashion competition?
"He never went to any of them."
What had started as surprise quickly changed into anger. This didn't make sense at all; Sebastian's dad had gone to the show at SAIC for fucksakes! Kurt scowled and clenched his fists as he stood, waiting for the elevator to take them to the 30th floor. It would do no good to lash out at Santana. During the ride, he pictured a young Sebastian peeking out into the audience at a school function and not seeing his dad there, hiding the rejection as he pretended not to care. It was just so sad to imagine. Even Kurt's own dad had made it to his biggest school events!
"Before you go writing him off as a bad father there Kurt, the reason he didn't go was for Sebastian's own sake." Santana explained, leaning against the wall of the elevator nearest to her. "Sebastian went to a bunch of fancy private schools at first, and the high school we both went to wasn't run down by any means either. Can you imagine the kind of ridicule he would have gotten if anyone found out he's basically a love child?"
As much as Kurt didn't want to admit it, he knew Sebastian's classmates would have teased him ruthlessly (or worse) if they'd learned his mother was one of his dad's many mistresses. But that still didn't mean Kurt thought that Sebastian's dad was justified in not going to any of his son's school functions.
"Sebastian's relationship with his dad is complex Kurt, and it's taken them a while to reach a peaceful status quo," Santana said.
Now that he knew all this, Kurt wasn't so sure he and Santana should go through with their plan, and if it weren't so last minute, Kurt would have told her so. But since there was no going back, Kurt spent the rest of the elevator ride in silence as he tried to assure himself that he wouldn't regret all of this.
When the elevator came to a stop and the door opened, Santana grinned at him and announced, "This is our floor, Hummel." She started to step through the doors, but stopped to look at him. "You still with me?" The door began to close but Santana casually stopped it with her arm. "It's not too late to back out, but you better make up your mind up quick."
The only answer Kurt cared to give her was an extra snarky eye roll that said 'please' as he strode through the doorway and down the hallway without even glancing back to see what her reaction was. This was one time Kurt couldn't allow himself to run. It might be reckless of him, but Kurt had to do everything he could to make sure that Sebastian's passion for designing clothes didn't wither and die.
It wasn't long before the hallway they were walking through turned a corner to spread out into a comfortable waiting area. A desk at the end of the space was situated to the right of the office door beside it, and sitting behind that desk was a young man whose eyes were glued on the screen of his computer as he typed away.
At long last Kurt was about to learn the name of his boyfriend's infamous father as his eyes fell upon the name written in gold letter. "His name is Henri?" he whispered to Santana.
"What were you expecting?" Santana asked with a smirk.
Kurt shrugged a bit. "I dunno." Henri Smythe. It certainly did have a nice ring to it. Kurt noticed how his name didn't have the usual English spelling that ended with a y. Could that possibly mean that Henri's side of the family was French then? It would make sense; Kurt had heard about the six months Sebastian had spent living in France.
While Kurt was busy pondering his boyfriend's possible heritage, the receptionist looked up from his computer screen to greet them both with a polite smile.
"Hi there. You must be Miss Lopez and Mister Hummel?" He asked, smiling even more after Santana nodded at him. "The president is waiting for you in his office, so you can head on right in."
Kurt had barely thanked the receptionist before Santana was on the move, stumbling along, he hurried to catch up with her.
"What, no secret alias?" Kurt whispered teasingly to her right before she opened the door, knowing she wouldn't have the time to answer him (though she did manage to roll her eyes).
All thoughts of jokes were quickly forgotten when Kurt was near enough to make out the man sitting behind the large antique wooden desk at the far end of the room. For a split second, Kurt thought it was Sebastian sitting there because the family resemblance was so remarkable. They had the same alluring green eyes, the same chiselled jaw, and as he noticed Kurt and Santana, the same charming grin. No wonder Terri had been unable to resist him; Henri Smythe put new meaning to the word handsome. His dark hair was slightly tinted with silver, but that only made him look more distinguished.
Henri, who was still smiling, removed his reading glasses and gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk. "Please have a seat." There were no signs in either his inviting face or his relaxed body language that gave any hint to his reaction to seeing two teenagers step into his office.
Kurt couldn't keep himself from stopping to admire his sharp state of attire; his suit was dark navy and its single button fastening gave a sleek silhouette shape. It made him wonder if Sebastian had given his dad any fashion advice, though it that were the case, he suspected that Henri's tie would have been something a tad more bold than a lighter shade of navy. Regardless, he looked every inch a well-to-do company president.
"I must admit I was expecting someone older," Henri confessed as Kurt and Santana took their seats. He seemed to be particularly interested in Santana, who didn't so much as bat an eye as he studied her for a moment. Kurt thought it was a credit to Henri's charming personality that he could do so and not come off as the least bit creepy-he was a Smythe all right. "Would be I right to assume that you are the same Miss Lopez who is a friend of my son Sebastian?"
"I am indeed," Santana confirmed. "I'm sorry for us meeting under false pretenses like this, but we were left with little choice."
Kurt was surprised that Santana had bothered to include him in the comment. She glanced over at him and nudged her head towards Henri, who had turned his sights onto Kurt now. It was eerie for Kurt to see eyes so much like Sebastian's studying him, though unlike with his boyfriend there was no sensual element to it. It finally dawned on Kurt that Santana was urging him to introduce himself.
Still caught off guard, Kurt was a complete loss for words. At first all he could do was turn red in the face as he fumbled to say something. "Oh, I'm uh…" What the hell was he even doing? Thank goodness Sebastian wasn't there so see his boyfriend make such an embarrassing first impression!
It was no use, Kurt was failing on so many mortifying levels here, but he hadn't expected Sebastian's father to look so much like his boyfriend! It was as if he was looking at a window into the future and seeing how gracefully his boyfriend was going to age.
"And this is Kurt Hummel," Santana finally said when it was clear that Kurt was too flustered to introduce himself. "Who also happens to be Sebastian's boyfriend."
The need to redeem himself was so strong that Kurt willed himself to channel Sebastian as he gave Santana an affectionate grin in response. Once he was sure she saw the thinly veiled discontent behind his act, Kurt turned his attention to Henri.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kurt said, extending his hand for Sebastian's dad to shake. Henri accepted the greeting, removing his hand as soon as it was over (but not hastily-to Kurt's relief). Feeling slightly more at ease, Kurt decided to go with the honest approach since it had always worked so well with his son. "You'll have to excuse my little lapse there. You just look so much like Sebastian that I was finding it difficult to focus."
A sure enough, Henri actually chuckled lightly at Kurt's comment. Even his laughter sounded the same! This was getting eerie. It must have been very odd for father and son to come to terms to their striking family resemblance. Was this why Sebastian hadn't given Kurt any details about his dad? Or had he just been waiting for Kurt to ask him first?
"This must be a strange experience for you then," Henri said; his voice was slightly deeper than Sebastian's but the soothing tone was the same.
'Strange doesn't even behind to describe how I'm feeling,' Kurt thought to himself, smiling awkwardly. "Only a little."
"I assume Sebastian is the reason you're here." Henri stated it as a fact, not a question, and then nodded as he continued. "I think this calls for some coffee..." Kurt and Santana nodded in agreement at almost the same time, which made him chuckle again. But he seamlessly switched back to business mode when he called his secretary to make and bring them their refreshments.
It didn't escape Kurt how civilly Henri treated his secretary when he made the request; there was no hint of flirtation of course, but he hadn't barked out his orders either. Kurt got the sense that his personable act was just on the surface and that there was no telling what he was truly thinking. Henri Smythe was proving to be as much of an enigma as his young son. For all Kurt knew, he was hiding his annoyance at his son's bestie and boyfriend wasting his valuable work time.
"How has Sebastian been lately? I haven't seen him since before the fashion show," Henri asked, leaning his back against his office chair.
Then again, Kurt couldn't see why someone who was acting as stoic as him needing to put on a facade.
"Well, if you were to ask him I'm sure he'd say he's fine and dandy." How should Kurt explain things? He and Santana hadn't gone over what exactly they were going to say. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but Sebastian's recently been questioning whether or not he wants pursue fashion design as a career anymore," Kurt said.
Santana made a snort of derision. "Kurt's putting way too it lightly; Sebastian's decided to give up on designing so he can become a hair and makeup artist!"
Henri's secretary walked in just then, offering a much welcomed distraction as he went around delivering everyone's coffee orders. Once their steaming drinks were in their hands, he made a hasty retreat (he must have seen Santana's intense expression) before he could finish excusing himself.
Henri paused to take a sip of his coffee before continuing with their conversation. "Terri's told me how he's taken on a number of hair and makeup jobs, but not much more than that. Even she hasn't seen much of him lately. But this is hardly the first time Sebastian has gotten swept up in something and I doubt it will be the last."
"So if Sebastian were to drop out of SAIC and give up on designing, you would be fine with that?" Santana questioned.
"I may be his father Santana, but Sebastian is an adult whose his life his is his own, and while he is only nineteen, I am still in no place to tell him what he should do with it." Henri leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk as he laced his fingers together, much like Sebastian did when he was deep in thought. "As you both most like have heard, the two of us used to have a rather strained relationship that's only just started to work for us. If I were to tell him he's making a mistake, nothing good would come of it; Sebastian will still act however he sees fit, regardless of my opinions."
"And this is why he's gotten away with crap like this for so long, because no one is willing to stand up to him!" Santana put her mug down to dramatically throw her hands up in the in the air. "He's gotten so damn independant that he can't even admit he's screwed up and needs help!"
Kurt felt bad for not saying too much, but he didn't want to do anything to further provoke Santana, who despite her current outburst, still wasn't actually shouting at anyone. Even if Kurt had dared to weigh in, he wasn't sure what he would say. Kurt understood where both Henri and Santana were coming from, and agreed with their claims as well. Sebastian's stubbornness was somehow both his greatest strength and worst liability.
"Somebody seriously needs to step up and tell him that he's allowed to make mistakes, but that he's making a huge one right now by letting go of his dream so easily!" Santana continued, keeping up the dramatics.
Being in involved with Terri, who was worthy of the title drama queen, must have made it easy for Henri not to react to Santana's attention grabbing antics. If anything, he seemed more in his element as he watched her seethe in her chair.
"And you're saying you think that someone should be me?" Henri asked at point blank.
"No, of course we're not!" Kurt exclaimed, but just to be safe, he turned to Santana. "We're not, right?"
Santana ignored both men for a moment so she could take a long drink from her mug, placing it on the desk when it was empty. "I'm not saying that at all," she replied in a surprisingly calm voice; it was amazing how she could switch back and forth like that. "We all know what a disaster that would be. No, Sebastian is way too far gone for any of us to reach him, and believe me, Kurt and I have tried." She cast Kurt a smirking grin. "Though in quite different ways."
Kurt rolled his eyes; what kind of silly idea did she have about his and Sebastian's relationship if she thought he'd tried to use sex to persuade Sebastian? It had been tempting, but Kurt doubted he could pull it off and he didn't want to bring their personal issues into the bedroom like that either.
But now was not the time to make that clear to Santana, what Kurt needed to do was throw his own concerns into the mix.
"Sebastian would never admit it Mr. Smythe, but losing the fashion show was really difficult for him. It eventually got so bad that he'd started second guessing himself and the choices he made. Sebastian tried to write it off that he just wanted to make the clothes he wanted to make and not for sale, but I think he was just making up excuses to justify his reasons. The fear that he would come to hate designing clothes if he were to keep pursuing it as a career was too real for him to ignore anymore."
A wave of guilt washed over him as he recalled the time Sebastian had broken down in front of him. Kurt looked away from Mr. Smythe for a moment before the well of emotion in him broke down his barriers.
He swallowed the rising catch in his throat. " It took me longer to notice than I'd like to admit, but Santana's right, Sebastian is making a big mistake this time." Kurt hadn't expected Sebastian's dad to agree to help them that easily, but that was why he had come prepared. 'It's time for my secret weapon.'
"When Santana first came to me to ask me to see you with her, I turned her down. I, like you, Mr. Smythe, didn't want to admit that Sebastian needed my help and was too afraid to ask for it. But then… I found something in his apartment… something that instantly changed my mind." Kurt brought out Sebastian's ESMOD acceptance letter and laid on the table, pushing it towards Henri.
Santana was the first one to react, leaning over to inspect the Kurt's evidence before she demanded, "What is that?"
"This is a letter from ESMOD," Kurt answered, tapping the letter. "Which-if either of you aren't already aware-is a well known fashion school in Paris. Sebastian was offered a spot in the costume design program, but he threw it away. If Sebastian was just weighing his options and taking on some hair and makeup jobs for the summer then that would be fine. But this rejected letter proves that Sebastian is literally throwing away an opportunity of a lifetime."
What had upset Kurt the most though was how Sebastian had done so without bothering to tell him. He'd kept waiting to see if Sebastian would bring it up on his own over the past few days-to no avail. The one consolation was that Sebastian's silence on the matter had made it easier for Kurt to keep his own plans with Santana a secret.
Kurt also hadn't told Santana about the letter, and a quick look her way showed that had been a good call. Her hands were balled into fists with her long nails digging into her skin as she muttered under her breath.
In comparison, Henri's reaction was far more subdued. Calmly taking the letter, he began to read its contents while Santana continued to spout whispered profanities and the many horrible things she planned to do to Sebastian once she got her hands on him.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Kurt," Henri said, taking his glasses off when he was finished reading. "What can I do to help you?" While he was clearly a man of few words, he wasn't completely void of emotion. It was subtle, but Kurt saw the earnesty in his eyes and voice that made Kurt realize 'here's a man who cares about his son, just in his own seemingly distatched way.'
Since Mr. Smythe was being direct, Kurt decided to do the same, but that was still easier said than done. He would have to choose his words very carefully or he might think that Kurt was blaming him for his son's misgivings. "We need you to tell Sebastian that you'll look after Terri for him, and that if anything were to ever happen to you, she would be taken care of. He's too proud to ask you himself, just like he's too proud to ask you to help pay for him to go study abroad."
Kurt sighed, fidgeting with his hands under the table where no one could see. "Sebastian is using Terri as an excuse to keep himself from going to Paris for college." Kurt's insecurities were screaming at him to apologize for his forwardness, but he forced himself to hold them at bay. "He shouldn't even be in such a difficult position the first place at his age…"
It was no use, Kurt felt his courage crumble away and he faltered. "I'm sorry if I-" Kurt began when he couldn't take it anymore, but Mr. Smythe raised a hand to stop his apology.
"It's quite all right," Henri assured. "It's what I get for not communicating better with my son. I thought giving him space would make it easier for us, but now I see that I was merely seeking a way to justify the distance between us. Terri and Sebastian are in my will, and I went to painstaking lengths to ensure they will be well taken care of if I were to die unexpectedly." He lifted his head back as he laughed at his own stupidity; he looked so much like Sebastian as he did this that Kurt couldn't stop staring at him.
Henri stared at the letter in his hand before putting it down on the desk. "I'll talk to him today."
"Sebastian's job should be over by six tonight, so you should be able to see him after then," Kurt said.
"As long as you can convince him to drop by that is," Santana added, smirking. "I do not envy you there, Mr. Smythe."
Henri smiled right back at her. "You leave that to me." He touched a button on his phone. "Joshua, please cancel all of my appointments this evening."
"All of them, sir?" Joshua asked in confusion.
"Yes, all of them. I know it's sudden, but please do your best to reschedule them for me. A matter of great importance has just been made known to me that I cannot afford to ignore."
Kurt let out a breath of the relief. 'Thank goodness.' He had been so worried that Sebastian's dad would be as stubborn as his son and refuse to help them.
"I hope you both realize that while I'll do my part and give Sebastian the freedom needed for him to reach for his dreams again, it will be up to him to decide if he will or not," Henri warned with a knowing smile.
At first Kurt could only nod in response. Even though he and Sebastian had been together for months, Kurt honestly couldn't guess what choice he would make. But Kurt told himself that he didn't need to know. Whatever Sebastian did, and wherever life took him, Kurt would support him with all of his heart. The fear that his and Sebastian's relationship wasn't strong enough to survive long distance was still there. Kurt didn't even want to think about having to say goodbye to Sebastian if he did go to France. All Kurt did know was that there would be a lot of soul searching for the both of them after this-and many tough decisions to make.
But as long as Sebastian was given the chance he deserved, Kurt would try to accept things, and move on with his life no matter the outcome. Kurt fought to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes; now was not the time to fall apart. He'd let himself cry it out later when he was alone.
"That's fine by me," Santana said to break the awkward silence. "I've had it with Sebastian's selfish whims enough as it is. He can put his priorities back in place on his own after today."
Kurt chuckled; bless Santana and her refusal to hold her words back for anyone. He was beginning to see why Sebastian held her in such high regard. Her little remark was just the thing to break the rising tension in the room. 'I think she just earned her invite to my birthday party,' Kurt thought. It would be nice to have something to celebrate for, especially when Sebastian's personal struggles were far from over.
"As long as Sebastian's beautiful creations make it out into the world, then that's enough for me," Kurt announced, and while he meant it, in his head his subconscious added, 'Because it has to be.'
After a long, grinding day doing makeup for a bossy wedding party, Sebastian had been looking forward for to relaxing with his boyfriend for the rest of the night. But something unexpected had robbed him of his plans, or rather someone. Now Sebastian was left with the difficult task of breaking the news to Kurt, whom he hadn't seen since yesterday afternoon.
Sebastian called him as he made his way to his convertible. "Hey, babe, how are you doing this fine evening?" Sebastian said, laying on the charm.
"I was fine… or at least right up until just now. I know that voice Sebastian, you use it whenever want something from me…" Kurt said suspiciously. "What's going on?"
"I'm afraid I have some bad news, I won't be able to make it to dinner tonight."
"Don't tell me you're working late again." Was it just him or was Kurt intentionally putting on some fake act to tease him, because if so, then he didn't sound nearly annoyed enough for it to be believable.
"No, it's my dad. He called me out of the blue about an hour ago and asked me to see him." Sebastian had been tempted to decline his invitation, or at least reschedule, but his dad's power of persuasion held no bounds. Before he knew it, he had agreed to meeting him for dinner, and all without putting up much of a fight.
"I could cancel on him though." It would serve him right after the cheap guilt trip he'd pulled during their phone call. Sebastian still couldn't believe his dad had accused him of avoiding him on purpose. 'Like he can talk.'
"No, you should go. You haven't seen him for a while right?" Kurt urged. "I think I'll follow your lead and have dinner with my folks too."
Sebastian sighed, "Fine then, I'll humour him this time, but after tonight I'm going back to my usual indulgent self."
They flirted for a little while longer until Kurt apparently realized Sebastian was intentionally stalling and ended the call. Sebastian went home to his apartment next to change into something better suited for dinner at the swanky restaurant his dad had chosen-which also happened to be the same one Sebastian had taken Kurt to on their first date. After he'd resisted the urge to really take his time and be very fashionably late, Sebastian stood in front of the mirror to give his ensemble a quick look over.
"Navy blazer over a brown elbow patch cardigan that's over a white and brown stripe t-shirt, AG Jeans, a paisley pocket square by drake to draw people's eyes in…" Sebastian stepped backwards so his entire frame was visible in the mirror. "... and to top it all off, a pair of Bottega Veneta's Chelsea boots that cost more than the rest of the outfit combined," Sebastian said with a smug smile as he adjusted the collar on his jacket.
Just because Sebastian was no longer going out on a date with Kurt didn't mean he wasn't going to put any effort into his appearance. The little thrill he got whenever he pieced together an amazing outfit was a welcome rush of pleasure to make up for his sudden change of plans.
Once he was done fixing up his hair, Sebastian took a photo of himself with his phone and sent it to Kurt, along with the message. Here's what you're missing out on, babe.
Kurt's reply came back when Sebastian had just gotten into his convertible. Very nice. Your dad is a lucky man.
Sebastian snorted. "What? No flirty remarks about how you wish you were in his shoes? Really Kurt, it's like you're not even trying anymore." But that was the whole problem, wasn't it? Kurt wasn't trying anymore, or at least as not as much as he used to. The slight change in his usually playful boyfriend hadn't been noticeable at first, but over the past three days, Sebastian had started to pick up things. 'I feel like he's hiding something from me.' But what would he be hiding? Sebastian had no idea.
The worst part was that Sebastian couldn't call Kurt out on it, because he was doing the same thing to him. If he thought about it, Sebastian knew that was why he hadn't bothered to try to get the truth out of his boyfriend in the first place. It couldn't be that serious if Kurt's behaviour hadn't caught his attention until now; for all he knew he was just tired from working such long hours. Or he might be acting out because Sebastian was equally busy, and Sebastian couldn't blame him for that.
It was turning out to be a busy summer for the both of them, just not in the way they had anticipated. Lately, Kurt and Sebastian spent their nights together having hot passionate sex until they were too tired to stay awake anymore. He did miss their sexy banter beforehand and their pillow talk sessions afterwards, but they were still connecting with one another, so why shouldn't they spent the prime of their lives in the best way imaginable?
Sebastian started up his car and pulled out onto the main road. "I'll come clean to Kurt as soon as his birthday's over." Whatever Kurt was hiding would just have to wait until then. Unless Kurt approached him first, which could happen, and if it did, Sebastian wouldn't lie to him and hopefully avoid any unwanted drama right before Kurt's big day.
"I'm overthinking this way too much," Sebastian grumbled, forcing himself to drop the matter before things got out of hand.
A mere fifteen minutes late, Sebastian made it to the restaurant with a mind clear of any boyfriend troubles and ready to have dinner with his dad. He stepped inside and greeted the head waiter at the main desk with his usual charm, and was taken to where Mr. Smythe awaited. As per usual, he and Sebastian were in a private dining room, which meant there was no need for any formalities between them.
Sebastian waited until he sat down to finally look his father's way and he discovered that the novelty of seeing so much of himself (but older) in his dad still hadn't worn off.
"Hi, dad," he said, grinning. "You're looking well." At least he'd learned to get some amusement out of it though.
Henri's smile in return was far less cheeky than his son's. "And you're looking more and more like me every time I see you."
"That must be so weird for you huh?" Sebastian reached over and poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle on the table.
"It has taken some getting used to; as I'm sure you know all about," Henri replied. "Thank you for coming by the way, in spite of your busy schedule."
"Thank your skills of persuasion for that." Sebastian hadn't planned to act so snarky with him; the words were just coming out on their own. Not that it mattered; nothing bothered his dad, which was a trait Sebastian had been quite glad to inherit. He couldn't remember a single time he'd seen his dad become angry, and with Terri as Sebastian's mom, that was saying something.
Henri also shared Sebastian's love of wearing three piece suits, though in his dad's case, that was probably more due to needing to uphold his business CEO image. Still, Sebastian had to admit his dad knew how to dress, and as far as he knew, he didn't have a personal stylist. Henri's suit was perfect the shade of charcoal grey to match his light blue dress shirt underneath. What did surprise Sebastian was that he wasn't wearing a tie for once. 'I guess that's what he considers casual wear,' Sebastian thought with amusement.
"How have you been?" Henri asked.
Sebastian eyed him with a cool regard. He knew for a fact that his mom had told him how their son was doing hair and makeup work for the summer. He'd overheard Terri ranting to him (through her closed apartment door) over the phone when he'd gone up to visit her, and had quickly left before she had known he had even been there. But Terri knew nothing about Sebastian's plans to drop out of SAIC and give up on fashion design as a career.
"I'm doing well enough, considering the circumstances," Sebastian vaguely replied.
"I heard from Terri that you've started working as a makeup artist for the summer."
"I have." Sebastian picked up the menu and skimmed his meal options. 'Why am I here, dad?' It would have been so easy to simply ask him, but Sebastian didn't feel like it. If his dad wanted to pretend calling him out to dinner so suddenly wasn't out of the ordinary, then Sebastian was only too happy to play along. "I'm working as a hair stylist as well."
"I also hear that you're no longer planning to become a fashion designer."
Sebastian put down his wise glass. "From whom exactly?" It couldn't be Terri, unless she'd gone and done something stupid like snoop into her son's affairs behind his back. It was possible, since Terri was good friends with Shelby, who was friends with Isabelle, who often hired Elliott, who Sebastian was currently filling in for. But that seemed like too much work for her to bother, so what was going on?
"It wasn't your mother," Henri answered with ease. Sebastian would never admit it to anyone, but his dad was the model he'd used when he'd first begun to develop his 'I don't give a shit' attitude. "It's someone who was concerned enough about you that they came to see me at my office today."
With his mom ruled out, that left only two people who would have the audacity. "Who was it then? Kurt or Santana?" Sebastian asked dryly. Santana seemed the most likely choice, but if Kurt were the culprit, then that would explain his suspicious actions of late.
"They came together actually."
Sebastian shook his head; he was surprised he wasn't more annoyed at the news, especially since neither of them had told him about it. But how could he get angry with either of them when they'd gone to his father for his own sake. Not to mention the fact that Kurt and Santana had put whatever differences they had aside in order to band together. But that didn't mean he liked the idea of them pulling his dad into this mess by no doubt blowing things wildly out of proportion.
"I had no idea they were that worried about me," Sebastian said with a grin, lying through his teeth.
He could only imagine the kind of sob story they must have given his dad to get him on their side. "I dunno what they told you, but I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as they put on. I am leaning towards having designing becoming more of a hobby than a career now, but isn't that my choice to make?" It took him a second to realizing he had started scowling. Okay, maybe he was slightly more bitter about his best friend and boyfriend's secret meddlings than he'd originally thought.
Henri eyed his son for a moment, smiling as he watched Sebastian calmly regain his composure again. "That was my first thought as well, but then Kurt showed me something that changed my mind." This time his dad didn't beat around the bush and took said item out of his pocket and slid it on the table until it was within his son's reach.
Sebastian didn't need to opened the folded piece of paper to know what it was, because it could only be one thing. Suddenly everything was falling to place. This explained why Kurt had been acting distant, he must have found Sebastian's discarded letter from ESMOD, showed it to Santana, who demanded they go see his dad and then used it to make Henri act. 'That's what I get for not doing a better job of disposing of the evidence.'
"That must have been one interesting meeting," Sebastian said with a smug grin. He was amazed Kurt had gone through with it actually, and had managed to keep it all from him as well.
"It was quite the eye opener-for all of us."
'No shit,' Sebastian thought. He'd never gotten around to telling Kurt just how much he looked like his dad. His plan had been to wait until he could properly introduce them and see the surprise on Kurt's face first hand. But Sebastian had decided it was still much too early for such a meeting.
Their waitress appeared to ask if they were ready to order, and Sebastian made his without bothering to look at his menu. Calm and collected as his son, Henri made his selections next and charmingly thanked her before she left the room.
'If only I could pick my career choices from a menu,' Sebastian thought wistfully as he took another sip of his wine. "What did you think of them?"
Henri smirked at his son in a way that said 'I know exactly what you're doing, but I'll play along for now.' "Santana is everything I imagine she would be from what I've heard from you and your mother. She is as passionate as she is beautiful and although she tries to hide it behind her tough exterior, I could tell she generally cares about you, Sebastian."
It was an accurate enough assessment. "And Kurt?" He resisted the urge to ask if he would be his type if he were into men, but only because he couldn't think of a good enough punchline to go through with it.
"I knew you had a boyfriend from Terri, but I never really thought about it until I saw Kurt come on the runway at the fashion show. Somehow I knew it was him, and just like he did with everyone else in the audience, his performance left a memorable impression on me. Suddenly coming face to face with him off stage when he stepped into my office with Santana was quite a surprise, and it took me a moment to realize who he was." Henri rested his chin on the back of his hand as he leaned his elbow on the table.
"In the short time that I spent talking to him, I saw a man who had recently come into his own and was forcing himself to do something he was unsure about, because of his love for you, Sebastian."
"I should have told him about the letter," Sebastian admitted, feeling an instant weight lift from his heavy shoulders.
Henri didn't bother to ask his son why he hadn't; he just smirked knowingly in response. "Speaking from experience, keeping big secrets from the people you care about rarely ends well."
"Oh, trust me, I'm well aware of that fact already," Sebastian said with a mocking laugh. "And you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now." Maybe it was hereditary and he was doomed from birth, or maybe Sebastian was just looking for excuses as usual.
"What can I say, Sebastian." He'd started calling Sebastian by his first name instead of son ever since he'd entered his teenage years. "We humans are creatures of habits," he said, reaching for his wine glass. "Some of which are harder to let go of than others."
While it was hardly noteworthy father son talk material, Sebastian did find solace in his father's words. It reminded him that he wasn't the only one who didn't have all his shit together. Adults could screw up just as badly as him and still were able to go on with their daily lives.
"So what did Kurt and Santana have to say to you?" Sebastian asked.
As if he had been waiting this whole time for Sebastian to ask him that (which he probably had), Henri grinned back at his son in what appeared to be approval. "I was hoping we could eat our dinner first before we get to all of that." He put his wine glass down and switched to water. "In the eventfulness of today, I missed out on a proper lunch and am paying the price for it now."
Sebastian's chance to reply was interrupted when the waitress stepped into the room with their meals balanced on her hands.
"Sure, why not," Sebastian replied with a smug grin. "I suppose it can wait."
It was well into the evening by the time Sebastian parted ways with his dad. After they'd spent two hours at the restaurant, Henri had invited him over to his house, and Sebastian, in his emotionally weakened fragile state, had accepted. It had still taken another glass of fine wine for him to open up fully so they could have a real heart to heart though.
Sebastian had graciously accepted a ride back to his apartment in his dad's swanky car (his dad's chauffeur would drive over Sebastian's convertible in the morning), but he did decline being escorted to his front door.
A quick time check on his cellphone revealed that it was only ten-thirty at night and not that late at all for him. But when he took into account that dinner with his dad had started at six, it explained why he was feeling so drained.
He'd never confessed so many feelings to anyone other than Kurt before and the after effects weren't easy getting used to. The littlest thing set him off; he'd nearly broken down sobbing when he'd dropped his keys when he'd gone to open his front door. Then, to make matters worse, Sebastian discovered he was out of his favourite hazelnut coffee! This was why he was had always fought so hard to keep his emotions hidden under his walls at all costs. Sebastian Smythe was not the kind of man who broke down at all-let alone over such trivial matters.
"Where did I go wrong?" Sebastian muttered to himself as he fixed himself a cup of dark roast coffee instead.
Sebastian heard his phone's alert beep and brought it out of his pocket with his free hand to read it.
So how did your evening with your dad go?
I just got back now. It turned out that we both had a lot to catch up on. Maybe it was the wine talking, but Sebastian felt like he should apologize. Sorry it's so late.
It's not so late that I can't come over for a nightcap still though.
For once sex was the farthest thing from Sebastian's mind. What could he say to Kurt to gently turn his offer down without having to lie-or hurt his boyfriend's feelings.
I'm afraid I'm a bit too drunk to be of any use to you tonight, babe.
Sebastian regretted his hasty reply the second he hit the send button. "Oh fuck," he muttered, but it was too late to whine about it now.
It was that bad, huh?
You don't know the half of it. But however awkward it was, I'm glad my dad and I got to talk it out finally.
It was a good thing they weren't talking on the phone; Sebastian doubted he'd be able to play it cool in his tipsy state. He couldn't believe that Kurt was letting him put on a stupid charade like this when he was fully aware why his dad had asked to see him. The fact that Kurt wasn't calling him out on it gave him hope, but at the same time, left him feeling worried.
"I really need to sober up so I can finally man up and admit everything to Kurt." But Sebastian was afraid to admit that anything was wrong. He wanted to keep on pretending as if he'd made the right choice and his life was finally on the right track.
Raincheck?
Sebastian drank the rest of his coffee as he anxiously waited for Kurt's reply. 'I'm going to tell him.' He took a deep breath, counting the seconds as they passed. 'I have to tell him.' If only Sebastian knew what he was going to do. He was pretty sure, but even after talking with his dad there were still so many uncertainties in his way.
I suppose having to wait until the night of my birthday party should make it even more special for us.
Instant relief washed over Sebastian after reading Kurt's text. In his own subtle way, Kurt was telling Sebastian that he could wait a little longer until they needed to face the reality of their situation. He knew that living in denial, even for only another three days, wasn't the answer, but it might just make things easier to face. With a little luck, and a lot of soul searching, Sebastian would have enough time to consider all of his options and share them with Kurt, regardless of his end decisions.
Feeling better already at the prospect, Sebastian sat down on his couch, determined to enjoy an evening full of saucy texting with his boyfriend for as long as possible.
That's the spirit.
With only one day left until Kurt's 'get-ready-to-be-twenty bday extravaganza' (It was so like Sebastian to call it that), not hyping it up in anticipation was proving to be quite the challenge. Kurt knew whatever his boyfriend had put together would be fun, he just really wanted to know where they were going!
Ever since Kurt had gone to see Sebastian's dad with Santana, the two boyfriends had formed a silent agreement not to acknowledge that the meeting-and Sebastian's subsequent one-had happened. Such denial couldn't go on forever, which was why there was a second silent agreement to only wait until after Kurt's birthday to own up. It may not have been the most mature choice, but Kurt was very relieved to have some time to reflect.
Kurt made sure to keep in regular contact with Sebastian, usually over phone calls, text messaging, and when they'd managed to meet for lunch once. Both of their full work schedules were a big help when in came to keeping their little charade going.
It did leave Kurt in a weird headspace though, because while he was excited about his party, he was equally anxious about what would happen to them as a couple afterwards. Would Kurt's birthday festivities end up being overshadowed by Sebastian's impending departure to Paris? Or would Sebastian turn down his chance to study abroad so he could remain in Chicago.
For what felt like a hundreth time that week, Kurt willed himself to stop over analyzing things and take everything one day at a time.
Kurt was on his way to a meeting with Shelby to hear what his upcoming modelling job prospects were. Which should be fun, and a welcome distraction, but as much as Kurt loved his work with TreeTop, he was very much looking forward to having three days off in a row to celebrate his twentieth birthday. He'd taken the Monday off as a precaution in case he needed time to recover from whatever he and Sebastian discussed.
'I just hope it turns out to be an unnecessary one,' Kurt thought.
He reached TreeTop Modelling's office building just as those concerned thoughts were threatening to resurface, so he took a few deep breaths to switch into business mode to save himself from his worried state. His spirits rose along with him on his short trip up the building's elevator and Kurt was all happy smiles when he stopped in front of the desk of Shelby's assistant Jessica, who instantly returned his friendly grin.
"You're right on time, Kurt." It had taken him three weeks to get her to start calling him by his first name (Mr. Hummel made Kurt feel old, especially since Jessica was three years older than him). "Miss Corcoran is inside waiting for you," Jessica informed him, gesturing to the closed door with her beautifully manicured hand.
"Thanks, Jessica," Kurt said with a wink as he walked past her to gently crack the door open, knocking lightly as he did. He knew there was no reason for such formalities, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to enter completely unannounced still.
Shelby looked up from the paperwork at her desk. "There's my favourite employee!" She chuckled when Kurt frowned at her in embarrassment. "Don't worry Kurt, I call all my models my favourite employees! Please have a seat, we have a lot to go over; you, my good sir, are becoming quite high in demand."
Even when Kurt's busy work schedule was all the proof needed, it was still hard for him to believe his modelling career had taken off so well. All this success had played havoc with his tendency to fear the worst, but most days he was too busy to have such worries. Not everything was perfect, and Kurt had messed up, like when he had kept squinting during one particularly sunny outside shoot, or the time he'd called the photographer by the wrong name for the entire shoot. But hearing Shelby's praises was very welcome, even if it was making him blush.
"I'm excited to hear what you have in store for me next."
"Not as excited as you must be about the birthday party Sebastian's putting together for you tomorrow though, right?" Shelby teased with a playful smile, which only made Kurt blush a deeper shade of pink.
It shouldn't surprise Kurt that Miss Corcoran knew about his upcoming party; he had booked the next three days off after all, and she was also close friends with Terri. Sebastian had told him how Shelby had looked out for him when he had been growing up and had even babysat him a few times. It made Kurt wonder if she knew any details about his party, but asking her about it seemed too out of line. No matter how at ease he felt with her, Shelby was still Kurt's boss first and foremost.
But he didn't see the harm in having a bit of fun with her still.
"Ah well… I don't think it's fair for me to have to compare the two…" This time his sheepish grin in response was purposely done and Kurt's adorable little act was rewarded when Shelby chuckled at him.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be teasing you. I've just seen how giddy Sebastian's been acting about it, so I couldn't help myself."
Kurt's smile faltered slightly at hearing that. Oh, how he missed seeing the giddiness on his boyfriend's face himself.
Their discussion soon changed to the array of jobs Kurt would be taking on once he got back from his long birthday weekend. Things were going to wind down a bit, but the upside was that while Kurt would have fewer jobs, the ones he did have were for bigger agencies that would help get his name out even more. Kurt was fine with having a bit more free time on his hands a well, so he was pretty content with it all.
"So tell me Kurt, how are your college prospects faring?" Shelby asked, closing her laptop now that they'd covered everything job related.
Kurt sighed, "Not that great. The only schools I've found that offer modelling related studies aren't official colleges. I've considered applying at 'Columbia College Chicago' for their fashion studies department, but most of those relate somehow to design…" It was getting to the point where Kurt was considering going to college to learn other possible career paths for him in case his modelling career was short lived.
"Media arts is another option though; UIC has a good program for that." He'd already visited both campuses (on his own) and Kurt planned to invite Sebastian to check them out with him next. "I'm just not sure if I'll get accepted…" Another option he'd considered was enrolling at a local community college just to increase his chances and to have something to show on his application, but he wasn't sure if that would be enough.
Shelby pulled a pamphlet out of her top right desk drawer. "The reason I'm asking is because I believe I've found the perfect school for you Kurt, and quite by chance actually." She gave him an encouraging grin. "I often visit local high schools and colleges to explain to students who want to enter the modelling industry… and during one of those visits, I stopped by their guidance counselor, who is an old friend of mine. After I told her how you've been trying to find the right sort of colleges to apply to, one of her suggestions really stood out to me." Shelby held out the pamphlet for Kurt to take. "So much that I knew I had to show it to you."
Kurt glanced at the words written in bold font at the top of the pamphlet. "The Fashion Institute of Technology?" The name didn't ring a bell, which confused Kurt because he swore he'd looked at every possible college related to fashion located in Illinois. A quick inspection of the pamphlet cover again answered his question for him though.
His eyes widened. "It says that the school's in New York."
"That's right," Shelby replied, smiling. "FIT, as it's more commonly known, is a highly celebrated urban college that has over forty programs to choose from, and one of those just happens to be for fashion modelling." She beamed as Kurt as he quietly read through the pamphlet. "From what I've looked into, I think this could be a really good fit for you, Kurt-no pun intended."
Kurt was quick to agree with her assessment; the more he read in the pamphlet the more he loved the idea of enrolling there, except for one fine detail. "But it's in New York City…" He hadn't even considered looking outside of Chicago for potential schools. "And my life is here… and I've just started working for you," Kurt muttered in confusion.
"I'm aware of that," Shelby said sweetly, reaching over to pat Kurt's hand for a moment. "But sometimes life takes you places you don't expect. I know relocating to an entirely different state sounds scary Kurt, but I think you would fall in love with New York the minute you arrived."
"But-" Kurt stammered awkwardly; he didn't understand why Shelby seemed so fine with him moving so far away. Hadn't she just called him her favourite employee? As exciting as going to school in New York sounded, he hated the idea of abandoning TreeTop to make it possible. "But how I would be able to work for you still if I'm living in New York?"
He highly doubted he could manage going to college and having to fly back and forth to Chicago for modelling jobs-not to mention how horribly expensive it sounded to him.
"By becoming the first employee with my soon to be launched New York branch of TreeTop Modelling Agency," Shelby answered matter-of-factly. "I've been planning it for ages and I'm finally at the point where that plan can become a reality. We're closed to sealing a deal on the location; it's going to be small at first but I'm confident it will take off relatively well after having a year's preparation."
This all sounded far too good to be true to Kurt, who was too stunned to say anything in response. There were just so many thoughts whirling around in his brain. Would his overprotective mother even agree to it? How costly would tuition end up being? And these first few doubts barely scratched the surface of what would be in his way!
"I can't imagine a school in New York would be easy to get into," Kurt muttered, more to himself than to Shelby.
Shelby, who had been watching Kurt with amusement, tutted at him. "As it happens, forty percent of FIT's applicants are admitted Kurt, but if you're really worried about it, you don't have to apply for the fall semester. You can spent the next year building up your portfolio working here at TreeTop. My New York branch should be open by the time you would need to move-if all goes to plan on my end."
With every issue solved so far, Kurt finally allowed himself to get excited at the idea. 'Just imagine me, Kurt Hummel, living in Manhattan as a fashion model college student!' It seemed so unbelievable, and yet Kurt wanted to believe so badly that it could be possible. He could live in a school dorm, and then if his jobs with TreeTop kept up enough he could even see himself renting a cute little shoebox apartment of his very own.
"Thank you so much for telling me about this, Shelby!" Kurt exclaimed, using her first name before he could stop himself. "I mean, Miss Corcoran! This is all happening so fast, and it might not work out, but I am going to seriously consider applying to FIT in a year."
"I'm glad to hear it. I know it won't be easy leaving all of your friends behind..." Shelby began, but she stopped herself as she was forced to watch all the colour drain from Kurt's face.
Kurt felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him and the happiness he had felt had fallen to the floor, shattering into a million pieces at his feet. How could he have forgotten the fact that if he did go to FIT, he would have to separate from the wonderful friends he had come to cherish so much. Not to mention the love of his life, and just the thought of having to be away from Sebastian was enough to trigger his anxieties.
"Oh, my god!" Kurt rasped as his breathing went haywire. His world was coming crashing down around him; he couldn't breath, he couldn't face the idea of being alone again.
Instead of frantically asking Kurt what was wrong and rushing over to his side, Shelby carefully stood up, slowly made her way over to Kurt and placed a light hand on his back. She stood behind him quietly whispering soothing noises as Kurt pushed his chair back so there was room for him to lean over.
"I'm sorry I-" Kurt wouldn't let himself cry! He had to keep himself together; he was better than this!
"It's okay Kurt, I should haven't said that so abruptly," Shelby assured, rubbing his back for encouragement.
Kurt waited until he got his breathing under better control before righting himself back up. It hadn't been a full blown panic attack, but he'd come very close. If it weren't for the new breathing practises he'd started using, things could have gotten a lot worse. Shelby's calm presence had helped him as well, though it left him feeling more than a little embarrassed now in result.
"I didn't even think about…" He couldn't even bring himself to say it; he was too scared. "I um, I guess this means I have even more things to consider..."
Shelby just nodded at him. "I understand, it's a big step and you'll want to talk to your parents, as well as Sebastian before making any decisions. But that's another reason why waiting a year until you apply might be a good idea." She placed the FIT pamphlet in his hands. "It's your decision in the end of course, and it won't be an easy one to make. Just make sure you remember I'm always here if you need me, for advice, or whatever else you might need, and I'm sure the same goes for the others who are now in your life, Kurt."
There was no way for her to know, but Shelby had just given Kurt the best advice she possibly could have, and he took it straight to heart. Her words of encouragement still weren't enough to lift the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, but it was enough for him to be able to stand up.
He turned to her and smiled brightly to show his appreciating. "Thank you Miss Corcoran. Whatever happens and wherever I end up, I hope I can continue working with you at TreeTop for as long as possible."
Shelby held her hand out to Kurt so they could shake on it. "That makes the two of us, but try not to worry about it too much now. Just go and enjoy your three days off." She paused to retrieve something on the floor hidden under her desk, which turned out to be a medium sized box wrapped in pretty floral print wrapping paper. "I couldn't help but get you a little something for your birthday Kurt. I hope you don't mind…"
"Not at all," Kurt quickly replied, but he did make a mental note to find out when her birthday was so he could return the favour.
He placed her lovely present on Shelby's desk in front of him so he could carefully begin unwrapping it, starting with unravelling the bright purple ribbon around it. As curious as Kurt was, he managed not to tear the wrapping too badly; underneath was an inconspicuous looking white box that Kurt opened up next.
"Oh wow!" Kurt gasped as the contents within were revealed. "It can't be!" His eyes could barely believe it! "This is-" His shaky hands reached inside to touch the soft knitted fabric just to make him believe he wasn't dreaming. "There's just no way!" But there was no denying it, Kurt was holding a genuine Dégradé cotton Wool and linen-blend cardigan! It was far too generous a gift for him to even consider accepting! But god did he want to! Running his fingers along the zigzag motif of the cardigan, Kurt stared longingly at its marigold-to-azure gradient colouring.
"Sebastian told me how you have a thing for gradient colours," Shelby explained, but Kurt was too transfixed on her gift to listen.
"Do I ever," Kurt muttered, never taking his eyes off of it. It was hard for him not to stand up and try it on, but he knew he wouldn't be able to part with it the second he did.
"Now I don't want to hear you trying to give it back to me because you think it was too expensive," Shelby warned with a teasing grin. "It was given to me by the company after we did a job for them and I knew it would be the perfect birthday present for you."
Kurt hugged his new cardigan against his chest with his eyes clothes. He didn't even care how silly he was acting. Kurt Hummel was a lover of fashion so why bother to hide it? There was no going back now. Clothes had become such a big part of Kurt's world, each morning he woke up wondering what he should wear. What he wore could project his moods in a way Kurt had never imagined.
It didn't take too much convincing from Shelby for Kurt to try the cardigan on, and her reaction to seeing him in it was utterly priceless. "You look amazing in it Kurt," Shelby exclaimed as if she the same age as her young model. "I'm going to take a photo to commemorate this happy moment."
'I owe Sebastian so much,' Kurt thought as he posed for her. 'How will I ever be able to repay him?'
"Should I send it to Sebastian?" Shelby asked when she was done. "I bet he'd appreciate seeing how well it suits you, Kurt." Her affection for Sebastian was very visible, and her sweet smile when she'd said his name had an almost maternal warmth.
Kurt shook his head; he was near to tears but this time they were from joy. He knew exactly what his fashionista boyfriend would say to that. And he was on such a happy fashion high he decided to answer by impersonating Sebastian. With an extra bit of flourish in his movements to go along with his boyfriend's habitual smug smile, Kurt sassed, "Something as splendid as this deserves to be seen in person."