A murmur ran through the crowd as Sebastian stepped onto the stage, wearing a jacket identical to the other Warblers. As soon as the group had agreed to sing, Wes had asked Sebastian if he would join them. He and Wes had talked about it a lot leading up to the performance.

Not knowing how he'd feel on the night, Sebastian had told Wes to plan the performance without him, but that he might join them at the end for a final song.

Wes had agreed and arranged for Sebastian to have a jacket just in case. If Sebastian wanted to sing, he would don the jacket and be ready backstage towards the end of the final performance.

Their previous song had filled Sebastian with so much longing to be back up there with them that he had all but ran backstage to grab his jacket.

Sebastian waved a little as he stepped up to the centre, each of the Warblers patting his shoulder or arm as he passed. He took the mic from Wes and thanked him.

For a moment as Sebastian was announced, Kurt could feel all eyes of his friends turn to him. Marc and Paul looked as astounded as he felt.

"I didn't know!" Kurt let out. He was staring at the stage and the vision that was his boyfriend in his tailored blazer (when did he smuggle it into the club? How?).

"How about those Warblers huh?" Sebastian asked the crowd. There was a chorus of whistles and applause.

"I wasn't sure I'd be able to get up here tonight," he said honestly. "As a lot of you know, the last time I performed in this bar...things didn't go so well." He cleared his throat and pressed on. "Most of you here know me, or at least think you do. I'm the guy who mixes your drinks, flirts a little and sometimes sings. But there's a lot more to me. I've recently learned that I'm a lot stronger than I ever knew, and that's all down to those of you here that know the real me. My friends, my parents...and Kurt."

Sebastian's eyes focused on the bar "I'm here because of you, babe. Without you, I don't know where or who I'd be today. I love you so much. There are not enough words in the universe to describe the way I feel about you. So, I thought I'd sing." He smiled self-consciously. "I know you aren't fond of spontaneous serenades, but I hope you'll make an exception just this once. This song is for you. We're right back where it all began and I think this song is fitting to that."

He blew a kiss to Kurt and stepped back into the centre of the group. The stage went dark and there was a moment's pause. Sebastian took a breath, and began to sing.

"The sun goes down, the stars come out, and all that counts is here and now. My universe will never be the same, I'm glad you came..."

As the rest of the Warblers joined in around Sebastian, Kurt stared in wonder. Flashes of the past and the present overlapped, and a surge of emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Regionals, Dave, Blaine - Sebastian as he was then, stalking them at the Lima Bean; Sebastian now, a man grown, stronger, but more vulnerable than Kurt had ever imagined back then.

"Time is slipping away - away from us so stay. Stay with me, I can make - make you glad you came."

This was nothing like the embarrassing serenades Blaine made Kurt sit through. This was the way a love song was supposed to sound.

"Hey, psst! Cry later, you don't want to miss this," Alex said quietly, giving him a knowing look. It made Kurt crack up and it broke his spiral of thoughts. Grateful for Alex, he focused on the present.

The song was perfect. Maybe they had chosen it to honour Sebastian as a Captain; maybe they simply used it because the choreography had been drilled into them so hard they could still dance it in their sleep and did not require Sebastian to rehearse with them (because he hadn't, Kurt would have noticed). But for Kurt, it was perfect for the reason Sebastian had announced - he was glad he came that night they met again.

Marc reached over the bar for Paul's hand. Finally, they got to see Sebastian perform with his group.

"He's so good," Paul whispered in awe. The performance centred around Sebastian, and while it may have been more impressive with twenty guys instead of six, the moves, jumps and changes still worked.

"Well, he is our son," Marc joked. "He takes after me."

Kurt could see Sebastian was enjoying himself. It had been a long time since he had shown such a passion for anything (not counting Thanksgiving night). He was directing his attention to Kurt, shooting him little smiles and looks, and Kurt could feel his face getting hot.

"You cast a spell on me, spell on me, you hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me, and I decided you look well on me, well on me. So let me take some place no one else can see, you and me..."

Sebastian sang as they moved through the old choreography. It was a little rough but he was having fun, and the lyrics spoke to him. Kurt had captured him under his spell and Sebastian succumbed. His life had turned around completely and despite the ups and downs, it was a fuller life than he could ever have imagined.

That, and the fact that his boyfriend was super sexy, and definitely did look well on him.

"Turn the lights out now," he sung and winked at Kurt. "Now I'll take you by the hand, hand you another drink..."

Kurt raised his glass in a salute as the Warblers did the same in their choreography. Sebastian's smile sent shivers down his spine. For a moment, it was easy to forget the past few months and everything that had come between them. When Sebastian threw him a look like that, Kurt knew he'd be hitting his lower register later; and they'd be glad they came, alright.

Kurt let out a deep, longing sigh at a particularily sexy move - just as almost every gay man in the audience (save Marc and Paul) did - and had to remind himself to calm down; he did not want to ruin the night by pushing his expectations on Sebastian. They hadn't had sex since that time at Thanksgiving, and it might have been a one-time thing.

God, Kurt hoped it wasn't.

The Warblers stopped dancing and gathered together in formation centre stage as the song drew to a close. The lights flashed around them and dimmed until a single spotlight was cast through the middle of the group.

"The sun goes down, the stars come out and all that counts is here and now. My universe will never be the same, I'm glad you came...I'm glad you came."

The crowd erupted in applause and hollering and Sebastian grinned. The Warblers took a bow, and then huddled around him and ruffled his hair or patted his back in celebration.

"That was awesome, dude!" Jeff said as they rushed off stage.

Sebastian grinned. "It was! I had fun, thank you for letting me get up there with you. You guys were awesome! Trent! I had no idea you could sing like that!"

"I did," Wes chimed in. "And I owe you an apology, Trent. I shouldn't have sidelined you in favour of Blaine."

"Oh! Well..." Trent mumbled, blushing deeply. "We all voted for Blaine."

Wes shook his head. "It was favouritism and I shouldn't have allowed it. You are a spectacular singer, Trent."

Trent looked from Sebastian to Wes, and back. It was clear that he was a little overwhelmed by the unexpected praise from both his former choir leaders. He opened his mouth to say something, taking a deep breath - and got the wind knocked out of him by Jeff, who jumped up and hugged him.

"You rock, man," his friend said, squeezing him tightly.

"So did the two of you," Wes added. "Nick, Jeff - I know I hounded you the last few weeks, but only to bring out your potential. You did not disappoint."

Nick scrunched up his nose. "We did not disappoint? Trent get a 'spectacular' and we get this?"

Wes rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to say?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Say: Niff are AMAZING!" Jeff prompted, letting go of Trent.

"I am not saying 'Niff'," Wes said, and sighed. "But...you were amazing. You all were. I am so proud of you."

Thad rolled his eyes and made a gagging noise and gesture, but he grinned at Wes's offended look and shoved his friend's shoulder.

"We think you're awesome too, Wes. Now...let's get our party on! I heard something about a free drink!"

Sebastian smiled at him. "Yeah, and I should probably get back to the bar. Thank you guys, it felt good singing with you all again."

They hadn't gotten very far however, when the door opened and a tall muscular man stepped through carrying a suit bag and a rucksack. He was beaming at them.

"Hey guys, great set! Man, you got some voice there," he said, nodding at Trent, who blushed even deeper.

Elliott walked towards Sebastian and held out his hand in greeting. "You have been holding out on me my friend. How the hell didn't I know you can sing?" he asked mock-sternly.

Sebastian blushed a little and shook Elliott's hand. "I've not really been in the mood to perform recently."

Elliott bit his lip and nodded."Well, you were fabulous!"

Sebastian smiled at him. "Thanks."

He introduced Elliott to the others and they all exchanged pleasantries before Jeff dragged Nick off to the bar and the others filtered off after them.

"How are you?" Sebastian asked Elliott. "Ready for the performance?"

Elliott let his breath out on a huff. "I'm never ready," he admitted. "No matter how often I go out and sing, I still get crazy nervous! And this-" he nodded at the door towards the main room, "is one if the biggest audiences I've ever had!" He smiled. "And I owe it all to Kurt. How was his set? I bet he was amazing. I am so sorry I couldn't be here sooner, but Tuesday's my therapy day and I always need a bit of time to come down from that."

Sebastian shook his head and placed a hand on his friends shoulder. "Hey, it's okay...I get it. Some days I have to walk around the block for a while before I can go home after a session...coming somewhere like here after that would be my idea of a nightmare!"

Sebastian squeezed Elliott's shoulder and let go. "Everyone's really grateful that you could make it. And there's a drink waiting for you behind the bar when you're done!"

Elliott grinned. "That sounds good." He looked around and located the large standing mirror Kurt had set up for the performers. "I have to make myself pretty first, though." He winked and pulled off his beanie, revealing magenta highlights in his dark hair.

"Speaking of the bar," he added conversationally, draping his outfit bag over a nearby chair. "I have to say, you have very attractive colleagues." He blew himself a kiss in the mirror and then glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian, a sparkle in his eyes.

Sebastian grinned at him. "I hope you don't mean Kurt or my dad."

Elliott laughed and shook his head. "No, though, they are both very attractive too."

Sebastian slapped him lightly.

Elliott chuckled. "No...I was talking about the other guy...Kind of buff, looks a bit like Mr Clean?" he suggested.

Sebastian nodded and grinned. Danny. He had never made the connection to the cleaning mascot until Kurt suggested it months before, but now he couldn't un see it. Apparently his friend saw it too.

Elliott hesitated. "So is he, uh...you know...? Is he single? I- I don't even know if I should- I mean, it's been such a long time, and-" He broke off and shook his head. "He just caught my eye, that's all."

He shrugged and looked away.

Sebastian's smile softened. "His name is Danny, and yes, he's single. He's also a very nice guy." Sebastian paused. It was great that Elliott was interested in someone, and Danny was a nice guy.

Thinking about it, Sebastian thought that they would actually be pretty great together. They both had a similar temperament and Sebastian was acquainted enough with Danny as a bed partner to know that he was careful and attentive, and listened.

However, Danny was also known to be a 'no strings attached' kind of guy, and Elliott had a lot of strings.

"Okay. Good." Elliott rummaged in his bag a bit, stalling. Then, he looked up at Sebastian. His friend already knew the worst of him; they'd shared nightly anxiety attacks on the phone, they talked through their fears in group...then why was it so hard to talk about this face to face.

"I'm just worried...if I hook up with a stranger...I just don't know how he's gonna react if I chicken out. I mean, I'm not the smallest guy..." He grinned a little at his own understatement, "but I do tend to be attracted to men at least my own size or stronger. And I don't ever want to put myself in a position where I can't fight my way out. Not again."

He closed his eyes for a moment. "This is stupid," he added. "I did not mean to imply your colleague is a rapist. And it probably sounds arrogant to assume any guy would want me bad enough to do that."

Sebastian looked at Elliott with sympathy and understanding. "Danny would never do anything like that...I know from experience that if you tell him to stop, he stops. Period. No questions asked."

Sebastian leered a little bit. "He is also amazing in the sack, I'm talking legendary here."

Elliott raised his eyebrows and a small smile crept onto his face. "You...?"

Sebastian grinned. "Yeah...quite a few times. Danny and I were each other's fallback if neither of us picked anyone up after a shift. It was...convenient." He smiled. "But then Kurt broke up with Blaine, and suddenly convenient didn't feel like enough anymore. Danny understood, and we stopped hooking up."

Then Sebastian dropped the grin and looked at Elliott with sincerity. "Danny's a good guy. He looks after himself and cares about his health. And hey, he did always say that when he meets the right person, he might settle down too." He waggled his eyebrows at Elliott.

"Wow," Elliott whispered. "Well, that's...I'll keep that in mind." He paused. "Unless...it's weird for you? I don't want to trespass…" He paused. "Does Kurt know about the two of you?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Kurt and I didn't get together until months after I stopped seeing Danny. And it wasn't like me and Danny were actually dating, I mean, there were never any feelings involved, and - not that Danny in incapable of feelings!" he added hurriedly. "But with us all working together I thought it might just make everything unnecessarily awkward…"

Suddenly, Sebastian wondered if he had made a mistake.

"Hey, I don't want to stir things up between you," Elliott said gently. "But I think...if I were Kurt, I'd want to know. I mean, he knows Danny, too."

Sebastian nodded.

To distract him from his thoughts, Elliott added: "So...legendary, huh? Maybe I need to see that for myself…"

Sebastian snorted, his good mood returning. "Yeah! Tell him I gave 5 out of 5 stars." He winked. He looked at his friend. Maybe he could really be the man to tie Danny down.

Elliott grinned. "We'll see what happens. I have a gig to play, first."

Sebastian nodded. "Well, if you do ask him out, Danny is a very lucky man."

"Any man would be lucky to go out with me," Elliott said, raising his chin and batting his eyelashes rapidly. Then he snorted. "Thanks, Seb."

"They would," Sebastian agreed. "Now get your Starchild on and slay them!"

"Yes, sir!"

Sebastian hugged Elliott briefly and then left him to get ready.

He walked back to the bar and slipped back underneath. Everyone was still watching the stage where a woman was now talking about the HIV virus and how far the research had come.

Sebastian slid up behind Kurt and wrapped his arms around him. "Hey," he said, kissing his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Hey," Kurt replied quietly, not wanting to talk over the woman from ACRIA. "You were amazing out there! I got chills. And thank you for making it my song. I loved it. I love you." He turned around in Sebastian's arms and kissed him. Then he nodded at the stage to signify that he wanted to pay attention to the speaker again. After the performances, there would be plenty of time to tell Sebastian just how impressed Kurt was - maybe there'd even be an opportunity to show him.

"And the more people hear about all of the medical advancement, and PrEp, and the life expectancies," the woman continued, "the more they ask me - why do organisations such as yours even still exist? You can live like we do - you can work, meet people, raise a family. Why are you still out there making noise?" She looked around the audience.

"And I tell them: because of the reactions we still face every day. Tell someone you're HIV positive on a first date. Tell your neighbours when you move in; tell the other parents at kindergarten; tell your new dentist - and look at the expression on their face...Then you'll know why we still protest; for prevention, for better education, for acceptance.

The audience applauded and made noise, talking among themselves and shouting out to the speaker.

"Your donations tonight will help us immensely. And please remember, all of you, regardless of your status, can come and see us. We have a stall there in the back-" She pointed at the area next to the bar, "where we offer information, support, and especially for tonight: quick tests. They take twenty minutes and give you a basic yes or no. We usually charge about twenty dollars for the material, but for tonight, Joe Douglas has agreed to cover the charges for everyone who wants to be tested." The audience applauded loudly.

The woman smiled and waited until they quieted down again.

"Please come and see us so we can tell you more about who can take these, and what will happen once you get your results. We have two trained counselors here today to help you should your test come out positive. You are not alone with this, and knowing is better. Thank you."

"I can't believe Joe is paying for all of this," Kurt whispered. "I knew it was important to him, but..."

"He's been saving up for a long time," Marc said next to him.

"I bet his brother is proud of him," Sebastian said quietly. "From everything Joe has told me about him, this is exactly what Bennie would have wanted."

Marc nodded. "Joe's the best," he said. "I guess, by keeping the bar and staying in contact with the community, he sort of gets to keep his baby brother's memory alive." He shook his head. "He could have just sold it, focused on his wife and daughter, and never looked back."

"That's not what you do with family," Kurt said. He looked at Sebastian. His new family would never abandon him.

Just then, a familiar face arrived at the bar, looking harried.

"Dani! You made it!" Kurt let out.

"Against all odds," she harrumphed. "Gunther, that annoying despot, insisted it was my turn to lock up. I asked for this night off months ago, but he claims Shelley asked before me. Shelley only started at Spotlight last month, how does that even work?!" Dani was panting like she had run the last few blocks.

"Why do you still work for him?" Kurt asked sympathetically. "He's a tyrant."

"Because the money isn't bad and I've been there so long now that finding anything else would be a nightmare."

"Joe will be looking for staff here in the New Year," Sebastian said.

"Hmm, we'll see…" Dani replied. "Thing is I actually like the job. And it's a great place to pick up chicks. Unlike this sausage fest here." She winked at Sebastian. "I just can't stand my boss...if he had made me miss Elliott's performance, I may have really had to quit and post his real name on the internet."

Sebastian smiled. "You haven't missed him, he's up next."

"Here, honey," Marc said sliding a Manhattan across the bar to her. "You strike me as a whiskey girl."

"My saviour!" Dani tried to hand him some money.

"It's okay, the first one's on your ticket," Marc said, leaving the money and plucking the voucher out of her hand with a wink. "Enjoy."

Dani raised her glass in a toast to all of them and took a sip. "Oh, I needed that," she sighed. "Today really was a bitch of a day." She looked at the stage, where someone from the tech team was hanging microphones and setting up things for the band. She grinned.

"I bet Ells is so nervous right now," she said, a little maliciously. "He's always acting like he's going to die, and then he's amazing anyway. He's such a drama queen."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Kurt said playfully, batting his eyelashes at her.

"He's okay," Sebastian reassured her. "I saw him backstage. He's nervous but I think he'll be fine."

He's probably more nervous at the idea of speaking to Danny than he is to go on stage, he added in his head.

The lights dimmed for a moment and then a spotlight came on. People turned back to the stage curiously. Elliott, dressed in platform boots and a spectacular wine-red sequined suit that matched his highlights, stepped into the light.

"Hello there," he said in a sultry voice. "How are you tonight?" His heavily made-up eyes shot a look around the room, and the people cheered and wolf-whistled. Without making a long introduction, Elliott set in to his first song, an upbeat crowd-pleaser to get everyone warmed up.

"Right right, turn off the lights - We gonna lose our minds tonight! What's the dealio?"

"Wooo!" Dani called out, raising her Manhattan in anticipation of the chorus.

Paul, who had returned to the bar after talking to Joe and the woman from the charity, could only stare. Then, he leaned over to Sebastian. "That's Elliott?"

Kurt grinned. "That's Starchild," he said cryptically. He knew what Paul meant, but what Elliott was showing here was his stage persona, not the man Sebastian had been on the phone with for months.

"Yes," Sebastian confirmed because Paul was looking a little confused. "That is Elliott. His stage name is Starchild."

"He's good," Paul said glancing back at the stage, unable to comprehend that the confident man walking across the platform was the same shy, quiet man he'd spoken to the couple of times when he picked Sebastian up from his group.

"You know this guy?" Alex asked, looking a little crestfallen, like he couldn't believe why Sebastian would consider hanging out with him if he knew people like Starchild.

"Yeah, we met him through Dani back over the summer." Sebastian glanced at Dani and Kurt. Elliott had said it was okay for him to tell Kurt about him being in group therapy, but it wasn't his place to broadcast it to his entire friend group. They didn't know Elliott at all, and more importantly, Elliott didn't know them.

Kurt nodded.

Alex frowned. "So do you like, hang out a lot? He must be pretty good at karaoke..."

"I don't know if karaoke is his thing," Sebastian said. "I've only ever seen him perform as Starchild." He looked at Dani for help.

Dani caught his look and chimed in. "Oh! Yeah, totally not, Elliott never sings when he's off-duty, you know? This is his thing." She nodded at the stage.

Alex still didn't look entirely convinced, but Steph had looped her arm with his and was nudging his attention back to the stage.

"So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways-"

"He certainly redeems this song," Kurt said so only Sebastian could hear. "Blaine's version was...well...let's just say it wasn't his pitch."

Sebastian snorted. "Babe, you could say that for every song he sung."

Kurt instinctively opened his mouth to object, and then decided not to and closed it again. Instead, he raised his glass in a toast and took a sip.

The song ended to great applause and Starchild look a theatrical bow. "Whew!" he let out. "Hello Satire...my name is Starchild," He let the name roll off his lips seductively. "And I'm about to take you on a little trip to the stars..."

With a nod at the audience, he launched into Don't Stop Me Now.

"Wow," Steph gasped.

"Uh huh," Dani said grinning.

"Well, he could definitely give Freddie a run for his money!" Paul said.

Alex huffed a little. This was another of his favourite karaoke songs.

"Don't worry Al, your Freddie impression is still my favourite!" Sebastian said, patting his friend on the arm.

"Mine too," Steph chimed in, and kissed his cheek.

Mollified, Alex nodded. "He's a very good runner up, though," he admitted.

"He's incredible," Kurt said, completely in awe. "I could only hope to have such presence on stage."

"You do," Brody said immediately. "You're just as much there."

Starchild got the people dancing, and dancing made thirsty, so business at the bar started picking up again. After another song ended, Elliott took a long sip from a water bottle he had on stage and announced it was time to cool off a little. He put his microphone back into the stand and took his place behind it. The light went out for a moment and then, a spotlight illuminated the guitarist of the band.

"Oh...nowhere left to go...are we getting closer? Closer?" Elliott sang as the light slowly rose again to show him, his theatricality replaced for a downcast, intense expression. "No...All we know is 'no' - nights are getting colder, colder...Hey, tears all fall the same. We all feel the rain. We can't change…"

People in the audience had stopped dancing to listen, some forming pairs, others holding up their phones to light up the room.

"Everywhere we go we're looking for the sun, nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run - they say we'll rot in Hell, but I don't think we will...They've branded us enough, outlaws of love..."

"Who...whose song is this?" Alice asked. "Muse?"

"His own," Dani replied, her eyes fixed on the stage.

Elliott looked up and through the dark room, it was as if he found the bar with his eyes, and behind it, his friend Sebastian.

"Scars make us who we are, hearts and homes are broken, broken - far, we could go so far, with our minds right open..."

Sebastian nodded and smiled at him. Yes, he did have scars and they were a part of who he was now, but the wounds were healing and it was thanks to the people around him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around to see Marc.

"Hey, tears all fall the same, we all feel the rain, we can't change. Ohhh everywhere we go, we're looking for the sun..."

"The range of his voice!" Paul said, shaking his head. "How does he manage to do that with his voice?"

"Some people just have talent and others don't. You know that, darling," Marc teased. His husband's singing wasn't even bearable in the shower.

Kurt and Brody both opened their mouths, then looked at each other. "Do you wanna…?" Brody offered.

"Go ahead, I'm good," Kurt replied.

With a nod, Brody stepped forwards to talk to Paul, promising that when the performances were over, he'd explain about singing and vocal training.

"Don't build up his hopes!" Marc added, and chuckled.

Elliott was vocalising the bridge in the song, and the girls just stared.

"I'm never going to be over this," Steph whispered.

"Uhuh…" Alice agreed.

"I think someone should try and ease up with the multi-talented friends around here, or risk making us feel like quota filler," Alex said, sulking a little. Something about Sebastian's new friend didn't sit well with him.

"Well, we are gay," Sebastian said with a grin. "You know, stereotypes and all that."

Alex rolled his eyes a little.

"Oh come on, Alex...you don't have to be a good singer to be our friend...you should know that by now."

"Yeah, yeah," Alex mumbled, keeping his eyes on the stage.

"I've got one more for you, and then, I want to get my own party on with you guys," Elliott announced, and with the look he shot the audience, no one protested about that. "This last one is dedicated to Bennie, to Joe - to Freddie...and all of you."

The lights went out, and come on again in a rainbow of spotlights.

"There's no time for us...there's no place for us- "

"Can he really?" Steph whispered in awe.

"Yes. Yes, he can," Dani replied. "Go on, Ells. You can do this."

She knew this was the song that worried him most. It had such a history, such pathos, and wasn't technically easy to sing either. It felt almost forbidden to sing it unless you were 100% sure Freddie Mercury wasn't going to send a bolt of lighting out of heaven to smite you down.

"What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away from us?" Elliot sung, his voice soft as silk.

He paused with the music before belting out, "Who wants to live forever?"

"Why does that man not have his own show?" Alice asked quietly. "My god."

"I know," Dani agreed. But Elliott delivered, and everyone was floored by the time the last notes rung out. A massive applause erupted, and Starchild took a theatrical bow, blowing kisses to the audience before disappearing backstage.

Kurt, who had made his way to the stage during the second half of the show, went on stage with Joe. They waited for everyone to quiet down. "Alright, that was the last of our guests," Joe announced. "We hope you enjoyed the performances..."

Kurt took the microphone from him with a cheeky look- "and now it's up to you! There'll be three rounds of karaoke between now and two am. There's a list of available songs at the DJ booth and you can write in your names to get a slot. Let's see what you got! Oh, and if you need a little more Dutch courage before you come up here, my handsome colleagues and I can help you with that at the bar."

Marc raised a silver cocktail cup in the air as a salute and let it spin around his hand. Like a wave, people started pushing from the stage towards the bar.

"Do you want us to move?" Alice called to Sebastian as the first wave of customers hit the bar.

"No, it's okay, if you leave it'll take you ages to get back through...unless you wanna go dance." Sebastian called back, hands already reaching for a shaker as someone called an order at him.

Without speaking Danny moved towards one end of the bar and Marc moved to the other leaving Sebastian in the middle with a space between him and Danny for Kurt.

The DJ had turned the volume up and Rihanna's Pon De Replay played out around the club. Sebastian grinned and fell into the rhythm of the music as he mixed his drink.

"Hot stuff, coming through," Kurt announced, and people made way for him to take his place at the bar.

Alex looked confused for a moment, then grinned. "Nice. He wasn't carrying anything."

Kurt winked at him and tied on a fresh apron. "Okay, let's hear it for the boys," he said, and made eye contact with a man in front so he knew he could order now.

"A menage a trois? I'd have to ask my boyfriend…" he said flirtatiously, already reaching for the strawberries.

As the ingredients were ready for shaking, Kurt gave it a firm go by himself, checking Sebastian's current mixing status from the corner of his eye, then tapped it twice on the bar when he saw Sebastian was ready, and let the cup fly, spinning in the air towards Sebastian.

Sebastian caught it and repeated the process, throwing it over to Marc. The guy wanted a threesome- three bartenders he got. The cup landed back in Kurt's hands without spillage, and he opened it over a glass and added basil and more strawberries.

"I hope that was as good for you as it was for me..." He blew the man a kiss.

Sebastian laughed at the stunned look on the man's face.

Someone ordered a dozen jäger bombs, and Sebastian set up a line of short tumblers on the bar and emptied two cans of red bull equally into them. Then he carefully balanced shot glasses on the rims and blindly caught a bottle of jäger meister from Danny.

He performed a couple of tricky throws and ran the bottle over the shot glasses, filling them up. He performed another spin throw and slammed the bottle down next to the tumblers. With a domino effect, the shot glasses dropped one by one into the tumblers.

The audience at the bar applauded and Sebastian rolled the bottle along his arm to pass to Kurt for another order.

"That's just...I'm...is this real life?" Alice asked, staring at Sebastian.

"I'm not sure," Steph mumbled, staring at Kurt. How were they even real - what was this bottle magic, and how come they only got to see this now ?

"It'll turn anyone into an alcoholic," Dani added, just as mesmerised.

"I think that's the whole plan," Brody remarked amusedly.

Kurt was now spinning two bottles around his wrists while shimmying his shoulders to the beat of the song - they had caught on that their friends were watching and tried to give them the best show they could.

"Whew, I'm parched, what's good here?" a voice behind them announced, and Dani jumped off her stool into Elliott's arms, kissing his cheek.

"Ells, you were so amazing! I knew you would be, but you rock, man!"

"You really were fantastic," Brody said, stepping away to make room for Elliott and Dani at the bar in Sebastian's segment.

Elliott blushed a little and slid on to Dani's vacated stool.

"Thanks," he said a little shyly. "I think the audience liked it."

"Oh, they definitely did!" Sebastian reassured him. "They went crazy for you!"

"Honey, can I get Sex on the Beach and a Screaming Orgasm please?" someone called to Sebastian and he winked at them.

"That sounds like a tall order sweetie, what are you going to give me in return?"

The man leered at him and flashed his business card and a $20 bill. "Whatever you want..."

Sebastian grinned at him and started work on the drinks in two separate shakers.

"It's impressive," Steph whispered to Alex, "but some of these guys are also little creepy. That man is old enough to be Seb's dad!" Realising what she'd said, she added: "either of his dads."

"Yeah, why can't they order normal drinks like a rum-and-coke or something," Alex agreed, eying Elliott a little warily.

"So, what do you think...?" Elliott asked Sebastian, unaware of Alex' eyes on him. He nodded in Danny's direction questioningly.

Sebastian smiled. "Yes. Yeah, definitely. Just go for it!" He put a hand on Elliott's shoulder and squeezed it. "Remember…five out of five stars." He winked.

"What are they talking about?" Alex whispered to Steph.

Steph shrugged. "Something between them, I guess."

"Okay," Elliott said standing up. "I'm going in." He slipped down the bar towards Danny and caught his eye to order.

"Woah," Dani said quietly. "That's the first time-"

"I know," Sebastian said to her as he finished up the two drinks. "He'll be okay, Danny's a good guy."

After the initial rush the crowd around the bar had subsided and Elliott and Danny had enough space to strike up a conversation.

"I gotta hit the head," Sebastian said.

"I'll come!" Alex said immediately. "It's pretty crowded in here."

Sebastian smiled at him and nodded, touched. He was getting better with crowds now, not 100% and maybe he never would be, but he felt safe here. Singing up on stage tonight had really helped cement that.

He placed his hand on Kurt's waist as he passed, stealing a kiss, and met Alex by the bar hatch.

"Follow me," Alex said importantly, then looked around. "Uh...which way?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes fondly and nodded his head to the right. "Back towards the entrance."

Alex nodded determined and started pushing his way through the crowd, making a tunnel for Sebastian to follow.

Sebastian huffed a silent laugh at how serious Alex was, but he knew it came from a good place.

They stepped into the bathroom and Sebastian headed straight for the urinal.

Alex hovered by the door, half-turning his back to give his best friend some privacy.

"So, uh, Steph's got this wedding cake - and wine tasting thing with Kurt soon and I thought, maybe we could hang out then...unless you've got...work or, you're already hanging out with Starchild..."

Sebastian finished and did his fly back up before turning to Alex. "No, that sounds good man! We haven't hung out in ages!" He walked to the basin to wash his hands.

"Yeah. Yeah..." Alex mumbled pensively. "I guess you were busy...which is okay, I totally get that. It's not like I have the friend-monopoly on you, I got...maybe the railroads and the waterworks, or...Marvin Gardens and Indiana Avenue..." He trailed off.

Sebastian shook off his hands and frowned a little. "Wh-? Dude, what are you talking about?"

Alex sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm just...wondering...This is the first time I've seen you here, with your super-talented boyfriend and showman colleagues, and you have like, a million friends here who are at least equally talented as you, and interesting and hot and gay, and I'm like..."

He gave Sebastian a frustrated look.

"...why would you even want to hang out with me? I'm straight, I'm boring, I always say the wrong thing, I can't sing or dance or catch bottles in mid-air..."

Sebastian's mouth dropped open in surprise. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Alex," he said softly. "Of course I want to hang out with you. You're my best friend! I need you, man. You were the one that talked me out of my pity party last summer. You're the one I called to come round my apartment at one o'clock in the morning to chase the monsters away...You and Steph, and Alice and Brody, you're like family to me...I thought you knew that!"

"Yeah, but...that was before Elliott turned up. You never even mentioned him before and all the sudden he's invited to the gig and you have all these insider jokes-" Alex sighed. "Forget it, I don't know what I'm saying. It just surprised me. I thought I knew everyone you hung out with, that's all."

Sebastian sighed. He still felt he ought to keep Elliott's history to himself. Their meetings were supposed to be anonymous. But maybe it would be okay to tell Alex. It felt like, if he didn't, he might lose his best friend - and he knew Elliott would never want that.

"Alex..." he started. "Elliott goes to the same support group that I do." As he saw Alex frown, he quickly added: "I didn't lie to you earlier. I did meet him at one of his gigs with Kurt and Dani - but we became friends because we ran into each other again at the group. Suddenly, it was like...I had someone to talk to who had been through the same thing as me, and...it helped. It doesn't mean I value your friendship less."

Alex stared at him for a moment as he realised what Sebastian's words meant. "So he's been...?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Fuck. I'm so sorry, Seb. I think it's really good to have someone who understands. And he seems to be a really nice guy."

He let out a deep breath. "I knew you were in therapy and going to your group, but I guess in my mind, those other people just...existed there . Not right here, in your life , you know? I'm sorry, it's pretty dumb."

Sebastian shook his head. "I felt the same way. When I bumped into him at that first session, I was shocked, too. I wasn't supposed to know anyone there, you know? Not someone from real life. But I had to learn that everyone in there, and what we went through - that's real life too. It's not isolated from the rest of our lives. My rape-" He paused for a fraction of a moment, "does not only exist on Wednesday nights. So neither do those people."

"I feel a bit stupid feeling jealous of him now," Alex admitted.

"Well...he does look better with magenta highlights in his hair than you probably would," Sebastian teased gently. "So there's that…"

Alex let out a breath in a huff, the corners of his mouth turning up briefly. He nodded, appreciating the comic relief. Then he shook his head.

"This whole thing...every time Steph leaves the house by herself now, I'm terrified," he admitted. "It's like...before you told us- I guess I already knew the world was a bad place, but- for it to happen to you, when you're best, the most…" Alex broke off frustratedly. "I'm not sure how to describe how I feel about you without it sounding very weird standing in the bathroom of a gay bar."

Sebastian snorted.

"I just mean: suddenly it's not something that happens to other people anymore," Alex finished very quietly.

Sebastian looked at his friend sympathetically. "I know. I'm terrified all the time. For me, for Kurt...for all of you...but I'm learning to not let the fear control my life. If I did, they'd win, you know?"

Alex purses his lips and nodded. Then he made up his mind.

"I'm sorry for sulking. Your friends can be my friends too. I'll go out to Elliott right now and buy him a beer!" He blinked in thought. "Though I think he'd probably rather get one from your colleague..."

Sebastian grinned. Alex was much sharper than he gave himself credit for. "I'm sure he'd love a drink from you as well!" he said. "But remember - I'm your best man, okay? So don't get too friendly with him." He winked and grinned at his friend. "Now come on, I should get back to work."

"Yeah. The more booze you sell, the more people we help, right? That's what charity is all about. Gettin' drunk. Yeah!" Alex grinned and accompanied him back to the bar. He felt better, and wanted to tell Steph about it too.

Back at the bar, Kurt was on top of his game. He was in such a good mood, patrons were flocking to him, each order more flirtatious than the other.

"Oy!" Alex let out, "here comes the boyfriend! Kurt, hide your lovers!"

Kurt laughed out loud.

Sebastian laughed too and slipped back behind the bar. "I wouldn't worry, Alex," Sebastian jibbed with a grin. "His game isn't that strong...he's still never beaten me in the numbers game."

Sebastian winked at Kurt and stuck his tongue out playfully.

Kurt let his jaw fall open in mock-outrage. "That's it," he said. "The game is on!" He picked up a spray can of whipped cream. "Blowjob, anyone?"

As the men clamoured towards the bar calling his name, Kurt watched Sebastian from the corner of his eye. It made him happy to see his boyfriend so much at ease.

"Do I even want to know what this game is about?" Alex mumbled to himself.

Sebastian grinned and shook his head. "We play a little game to see who can collect the most guys' phone numbers," he said. "When Kurt first started here, he had a little difficulty with the attention he was getting. He felt guilty for flirting and 'leading them on' with no follow through, so to help him realise that none of the guys actually expected it to happen, we started a game to see who can get the most numbers...and it kinda just snowballed."

He watched as Kurt shook the can of whipped cream in a suggestive way before squirting it into one of the customers' mouths. He grinned as Kurt winked at him. "He was a fast learner," he mumbled fondly.

Brody walked up and saw money and receipts change hands. He smirked at Sebastian. "Kurt might break your winning streak tonight though, Seb."

"Are we playing?" Marc chimed in. "No one told me!" He gave Sebastian's friends a sage look. "Watch a Maestro at work," he announced, and reached for his mixing cups.

The game was definitely on - except for Danny, who was talking to Elliott in between every order, and it was costing him quite some tips.

"I never want to leave here," Steph announced, her eyes wide. Even if the show wasn't for her, it was amazing.

Alice nodded. "I know what you mean," she replied. "When Seb used to talk about work I always just imagined it as a regular bar, you know? That it was just a job that he went and did, and closed the door on at the end of the day...like all of us."

She looked around. Kurt and Marc were throwing bottles and mixers to each other, much to the excitement of the patrons, and Sebastian was casually spinning a silver mixer around his wrist while he chatted to someone. "This is not just a job - it's a home, it's their world..."

"I feel that way when I enter Sprinkles," Alex said, but his eyes were on all the bottle tricks.

"It's Bennie's vision," Brody added. He raised his glass. "To Benjamin Douglas!"