Being a Gleek, we're all affected by the terrible and unsuspected loss. Glee won't be the same without Finn, and the world isn't the same without Cory Monteith.

I wrote a hurried one shot as my homage to both the man and his character. I've decided to continue my two WIPs as planned, no alterations in these, no adding or removing Finn beyond my plot plans. It's not done with lack of grief or respect for Cory, but like someone said: When an artist dies, we honour their memory by continuing to make art. Glee means a lot to us; spending time writing and/or reading fanfiction should be a proof to how much we care.

Rest in peace, Cory.


After coming out to Nick and Jeff, Kurt pays careful attention to the boys, and he makes an effort to spend time outside of his dorm room or classroom to improve his observations, studying the couple in different habitats.

He already knew they are quite cute and adorable in the privacy of their room, but it turns out their couply behaviour doesn't end on the doorstep.

Kurt takes in how they are included and treated like one of the guys, despite everything. They are of course close to Blaine, and they hang out with Wes and David, who supposedly don't care about sexuality. But there is no shying away, avoidance or differentiated treatment from the other boys either. They are invited to study groups, coffee, movie nights, chess or Xbox, like everyone else is. They are encouraged to join when some of the boys go outside to fool around with a basketball, and they are asked to tag along to the mall.

When Jeff skips into the dining hall full of giddiness and excitement, joyfully announcing to Nick that he got a C+ on the English paper he worked so hard on, Kurt looks around to see how everybody react to Nick planting one on Jeff's lips.

The funny thing is, hardly anyone bats an eye. Most people don't interrupt their conversation, eating or whatever they're doing. Those who notice, simply smile at them, or don't even change their facial expressions, but carry on with what they were doing as if nothing extraordinary happened – as if two boys standing embraced in the middle of the dining hall, kissing, was perfectly natural and normal.

It amazes Kurt. But he's still waiting for the other shoe to drop.


"Kurt?"

Kurt looks up from his laptop and glances over at his roommate, sprawled on bed with a comic book.

"Can I ask you something?" Jeff says softly, almost hesitantly.

"Of course," Kurt immediately responds. "I can't promise to answer. But you may ask." Kurt tries to trust his roommate, but it isn't easy to completely let go.

Jeff puts his book away, and sits up in bed, looking steady at Kurt.

"You said you were bullied. Was it for being gay?"

Kurt rolls his chair somewhat out from the desk, turning towards the other boy.

"Yes. Yes, it was. I was even bullied before I came out, and I don't know if they just assumed or if it was only because I stood out. But being gay wasn't exactly the road to popularity," Kurt chuckles humourlessly.

"So you were out in your last school?"

Kurt nods.

"Out and proud, and all that, until they beat it out of me."

"It saddens me."

"It's not your fault," Kurt waves it off.

"I know that. But it's so unfair. I've gone to private schools all my life, and never been met with anything like that. It's not fair. We're both gay, but have so different experiences."

"It is what it is…"

"What did you mean when you say you stood out?"

Kurt looks at Jeff for a moment, as if he's trying to see his soul and figure out what level of comfort he has with the boy. Jeff smiles so honest and open at him, and in a bold moment Kurt decides to trust him.

He swivels the chair around, waking up his computer, and quickly logs on to his Facebook account, the password still in his fingers. He has several awaiting friend requests, along with an endless amount of messages, notifications, tags and other updates. He has hardly logged on the last months, not seeing the point. He didn't exactly have anything interesting to update with, and he wasn't in the mood to see life at McKinley moving on as usual, without him. He can't remember if he's been online since before Bellefontaine.

There are probably a bunch of sites and groups he should update himself on, but he ignores it for now, and instead skims through the friend requests. He's kept his profile private, to maintain at least some control over his life, and hide it from the bullies. With nimble fingers, he accepts the requests from Blaine, Jeff and Nick. He has more, from Dalton boys he's familiar with from his classes or the hallways, and some he doesn't even recognize.

"You can see for yourself," he tells Jeff, and goes to the picture folders, picking one from a Glee rehearsal almost a year ago. It shows pictures of everyone in New Directions, and Kurt is dressed in what used to be his usual style of fashion and attire.

He lets Jeff click his way through the pictures, and when he wordlessly hovers the cursor over one of the other folders, Kurt nods to let him see more. He's accepted him as a friend now, so it's no point hiding anymore. Jeff picks a karaoke night at Rachel's place. Kurt may be dressed slightly more far out than in school, but it represents all he was.

"Wow," Jeff exhales. "You're hot, I didn't know you were hiding all that under the uniform," he laughs friendly.

He's stopped at a picture of Kurt in some really tight jeans and a short sleeved button up, showing off his arms. Kurt likes clothes. He's never thought much about how he looks, as a boy, as a naked body. He wears clothes, and liked – likes? – clothes that make him feel good. He liked – likes? – bold fashion statements, because he used to be so outspoken in every single other way, so it fitted him, it suited him to express himself in fabrics and patterns and layers and accessories.

"I guess I can understand that you stood out; not that I know much about public schools, but I assume most teenage boys don't dress as well as that. It's a shame, though. I love fashion, and the uniform is perhaps the only thing I can't get completely comfortable with here."

Kurt nods silently. He remembers Jeff telling him about Trevor's runway-wardrobe, and how a fair amount of the Dalton boys were reasonably well dressed, when he caught Kurt in label sweats (which he'd had to borrow from Blaine after one of their encounters, not that Jeff needed that particular tidbit of information).

Kurt stares at the screen as Jeff clicks through more pictures of him, with scarves, hats, styled hair, in knee-long sweaters, in high heeled boots. Jeff oohs and aahs silently. A smile tugs at Kurt's lips. Maybe he's got one more ally in this unfamiliar school, after all.


The gavel has hardly reached the hard surface of the Council's desk before the Warblers all too eagerly trickle out of the room. Wes has been in a foul mood, running them mercilessly despite of competition season being over. Everybody is glad to get out of the maniac Council member's tight fist.

"Would you like to tell me what that was all about," David enquires softly, but looking firmly at his best friend. Thad left them with an understanding look, realizing this was not Council business.

"It's nothing," Wes dismisses him, although he knows David won't buy it.

"'Nothing' shouldn't make you take it out on the Warblers like that," David gently scolds, resting a solid hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's go to my room, and talk."

Wes doesn't say anything, but gathers his belongings and gets up from the chair, walking submissively and silently after David to his room.

David unlocks the door to his single room, a prefect bonus, and instantly hits play on his remote control for the surround speakers. Soft, mellow jazz fills the silence enough to make it comfortable, but not difficult to keep a conversation. David is pretty much unable to stay in a room without music, and is constantly seen with his iPod close by. He probably has the same relationship to it as Wes has to his gavel. David is also quite fluid, and eats up any kind of music. Which can be a good thing, when the Warblers wants to perform something not everybody else has already done.

"So, what's eating you?" he prods, impatiently, because Wes can be a real sourpuss sometimes, instead of coming clean right away, even though he knows he always ends up opening up to David.

"I'm just sick and tired of this Blaine-mess, and I don't know how to help him." Wes falls down on his back on David's couch, groaning at the ceiling.

"And what kind of mess would that be?" David asks, sitting down on his small coffee table faced towards his friend.

"You know," Wes says annoyed, "the whole Blaine swooning for Kurt and Kurt not treating his heart very well-mess."

"What has Kurt done to Blaine?" David asks, honestly curious. He's seen the two boys together, and they seem to be good friends, clearly knew each other before the transfer. David's bet is they met at Bellefontaine, although he of course can't come out and say anything like that, considering it's classified information he knows in the capacity of being prefect, and not as a school friend. Kurt seems shy and skittish, not surprising considering what of his background David knows, but he doesn't strike him as someone who could hurt Blaine.

"He's… He…"

"You can't come up with something specific, can you?"

"Blaine hurts from this unrequited whatever it is, and it worries me. I don't like that Kurt makes him feel that way."

"Wes, we've all experienced unrequited crushes, and even Blaine has survived it. The objects of our fancy can't be blamed for how they don't feel."

"You haven't had a crying Blaine in your arms lately, have you?" Wes says sardonically.

"Pss, we know how dramatic Blaine can be," David waves it off.

"We also know how fragile and vulnerable he can be," Wes parries.

"Take a chill-pill, Wes. You're venturing into dangerous territory here. We've been Blaine's concerned friends, helping him when he needs it. But we can't smother him like some overprotective parent either. If you can't give me one example of why we should worry, then you have to give it a rest for now."

"I just have this gut feeling," Wes grumbles.

"Let him have this. Let him swoon and crush and feel giddy with that excitement. Let him feel good for once, he sure has earned it."

"I just think Kurt is breaking his heart."

"But if Kurt isn't doing it intentionally, then there's nothing we can do."

"I'll continue to keep an eye on him," Wes mutters.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Now, I found a French newcomer a few days ago, and I want you to listen to her. It may be something for Sectionals next year."


When Kurt arrives early to one of the bi-weekly study groups in math, he decides to investigate the life conditions of a gay couple at Dalton further. Trevor is there, and Trevor is the Senior prefect. He should know, right?

Kurt takes a moment to find the right words, before asking.

"Hey Trevor?" he asks, looking carefully at the boy who's sorting his notes and getting ready. But he looks up at Kurt with an honest smile at the sound of his voice. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course. You can always come to me," he says soothingly.

"When I transferred, David showed me around and helped me get settled, introducing me to some of the works and quirks of Dalton. And he told me there were repercussions if the students broke any of the rules."

"That's true," Trevor nods. "We don't have particularly harsh restrictions and regulations, but have created a solid platform to make sure everyone is safe, and can live together in peace and harmony."

"How often do you have to… You know… Punish anyone?"

Trevor snickers.

"You make boarding schools sound kinky!"

Kurt blushes and fumbles with his words, until Trevor takes pity on him.

"It's okay, I know what you mean," he grins. "It's actually not as often as you'd imagine, when you fill a building with teenage boys. My life as a prefect isn't that busy, to be honest."

"And what kind of… misdemeanours do you have to deal with, usually?"

"Well, the busiest times are right after summer and winter break, when it takes the boys some time to get used to the life and rhythms of Dalton life again. Repeated violations on curfew or too loud music, some girls in the rooms when we do our random room checks, pranks gone too far, smoking on the premises. Those things," Trevor shrugs.

Kurt takes a moment to let his words sink in. Trevor waits patiently for him to say something.

"So…" Kurt begins. Trevor looks expectantly at him. "The anti bullying-policy… You don't really deal with that."

"No," Trevor agrees. "But it's not because we don't care, but because we rarely need to pursue any issues of that nature."

"I see," he says, fidgeting with his sleeves.

"Are there anything you'd like to talk about, Kurt?"

Kurt is about to answer, but notices the door's been opened, and Henry drops his bag on the big table next to him.

"Nothing important," Kurt dismisses him, and they continue with their math books as soon as Thad shows up.


"Kurt, we're gonna watch Avatar on the flatscreen in the common's room. You wanna join?" Henry asks when they decide to abandon the books for the night.

Kurt smiles fondly at him.

"Promise me nobody will speak in Na'vi throughout the movie?"

"Why would we do that?" Trevor asks quizzically.

"No reason," Kurt waves it off, "you just reminded me of a friend. Snap, you might know him, he went to Dalton for a while. Sam Evans?"

"Sam, Sam… Hmm… Do we know a Sam?" Thad laughs, looking playfully at the other boys.

"We miss Sam," Trevor pouts, resting his chin on Henry's shoulder.

They don't get to say anything more, as Kurt's phone interrupts them.

"It's Dad, so I have to take this. You guys just start without me; I've seen it too many times with Sam anyway."


Kurt takes a deep, calming breath, and tries to find a reason not do this. Sadly, he can't find any, and it feels as if Finn is breathing down his neck, making sure he goes through with the promise he made.

Dejectedly, he raises his arm and knocks on the door in front of him. It doesn't take long before Sebastian opens it, his surprise to see him obvious on his face. The fashion conscious part of Kurt's brain is unable to not recognize his outfit, and has to admit the boy looks good in a pair of fitted jeans, a white undershirt and a thin sky blue shirt unbuttoned and hanging loosely on Sebastian's torso.

"My, my, my, what brings you here?" Sebastian smirks.

"Can I come inside, or do you want to take this in the corridor where anyone can hear us?" Kurt bites back, hoping the boy is decent enough to actually invite him in.

"Of course. It's always such a pleasure whenever we spend any time together, after all," Sebastian smiles exaggeratedly polite at him, and opens the door wider.

"Thank you," Kurt says faux sweetly and steps inside.

Sebastian throws himself down on his bed, and picks up a small ball. He throws it in the air, catches it, and throws it again. Kurt stands awkwardly on the floor in the middle of the room, not quite sure how to move from here.

"Did you have a reason to come here other than admiring my curtains?"

"What do you think?" Kurt scoffs.

"Maybe you're seeking my fabulous company?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Then stop wasting my time," Sebastian says, catching the ball once more before placing it on his bedside table. He nods at his office chair, so Kurt takes it as much of an invitation he's going to get to sit down.

Sebastian looks expectantly at him, with an air if impatience.

"It's about Regionals," Kurt begins, and Sebastian seems more interested. "I owe you an apology. I was unfair in my criticism, and I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Sebastian is leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"New Direction beat us," he says evenly.

"Yeah, well, you did give them competition all the way to the door. You were actually quite good," Kurt murmurs, avoiding the other boy's eyes.

"You humiliated me in front of my teammates."

"And for that I am sorry," Kurt says, and realizes he actually means it.

"I'll accept your apology, on one condition."

"That's not how it works," Kurt objects.

"Deal with it, Princess," Sebastian says, and Kurt flinches. "I hardly think you're in a position to negotiate." He looks searchingly at Kurt. "You insulted my person and my position as lead singer. Frankly, you owe me more than a meek apology without any witnesses."

"What's your bargain?" Kurt sighs.

"I have a question I want answered."

Kurt looks at Sebastian for a long time, trying to read him, but his face is annoyingly passive and blank. He can't think of anything Sebastian could want to know. He's already decided Kurt is gay. If he asks anyway, Kurt might as well confirm it. Now that Nick and Jeff know, it's a way to further test Sam's belief about the tolerance in school. There is hardly anything more personal or scary Sebastian can ask?

"Deal," Kurt finally says. "You get to ask one question, and then no more hard feelings about Regionals, my apology accepted and appreciated."

"Deal," Sebastian smirks, and extends his hand for Kurt to shake. Kurt thinks he already regrets the deal.

"I saw New Directions' video from Sectionals," Sebastian says as soon as their hands separate. "Your friends dedicated their performance to you! That's a weird thing to do to a former teammate. My guess is there was something more to that story. I think you were still a part of the Glee club, but for some reason unable to attend. I want to know why."

"How gleeky of you, to memorize random performances like that," Kurt says evasively.

"It's called being strategic; scoping out the competition. Don't avoid the question," Sebastian scolds.

"I was otherwise preoccupied," Kurt says hesitantly.

"I'm sure," Sebastian says. "It was sunny that day, so you had to stay in your coffin. Or maybe there was a sale on hairspray you couldn't miss. I can see that was more important than competing with your friends, and they were so understanding about it they even dedicated their efforts to you. Try again, Hummel."

Kurt stares out of the window, not looking at Sebastian until the boy shoves at the chair with his foot, making Kurt spin towards him.

"I couldn't attend Sectionals… because," Kurt swallows heavily; "I was in a hospital."

"Why?" Sebastian asks, sounding less cocky.

"That's really none of your business," Kurt bites, fidgeting with his sleeves to make sure they cover the scars, even if he's wearing cuffs.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian says placately, arms raised disarmingly in the air. "But are you, you know, all well again now from whatever was wrong?"

"Yes," Kurt lies, and he can see Sebastian doesn't believe him.

"Were you there for a long time?"

"Four weeks," Kurt answers without thinking.

Sebastian whistles an ooh-sounding response.

"How do you know Blaine?"

"This Q&A is now officially over," Kurt says, and gets up from the chair.

Sebastian doesn't try to stop him, so he slips out of the room and quickly disappears from a conversation turning steadily more and more unsafe.


Sebastian groans, and throws himself back to his bed, rolling the tiny ball between his fingers. He doesn't know why he's so invested in that fruity Primadonna, but something tells him understanding Kurt will help him solve the puzzle of Blaine. The boys are obviously close, and Sebastian needs to figure them out.

So what does he know about them?

Both are gay. Blaine is fairly open about it, while Kurt seems to be spending too much time in Narnia. Considering his reaction when Sebastian called him out on it, it's easy to assume that the boy has a rough background because of it. Could it be why he transferred?

Sebastian has done his googling, and even asked Jason to do a background check. Jason was one of his father's assistants, so far in the closet he was hiding behind a secret wall. But for the occasional blow job, he'd be a valuable asset to Sebastian, helping him do some digging or hide his master card bills for Smythe Sr.

This time, Jason didn't come up with much. Kurt Hummel was the son of Burt Hummel, a mechanic living in Lima. So no rich family, unlike most Dalton students. No relocation, like most transfers. Sebastian thinks Kurt is here for the no bullying-policy.

When Sebastian did his research for Regionals, the video of New Direction's Sectionals performance made him stop and think. It took some time and googling before he made the connection, but New Direction was from McKinley High, a school in Lima. The Kurt they dedicated their performance to had to be the same Kurt from Lima currently attending Dalton Academy.

What Sebastian doesn't understand, is how his Glee club in November could act as if he was still a member, and then just a few weeks later, in January, he was transferring. Something acute or drastic must have happened.

Which would explain why Kurt, according to himself, had been hospitalized during Sectionals.

Sebastian flips the ball in the air, thinking about various deceases that can come all of a sudden, last for at least four weeks, and require a transfer. He can't really think of anything, but he's no physician. Had the bullying in school turned physical? Sebastian can't imagine what bullies could be able to do, brought up in a world of gentlemanly behaviour even within conflicts. Even if they tripped him in the corridor or something like that, a concussion or a broken leg wouldn't demand four weeks in hospital.

He's been secretly checking Kurt out. Not because the boy is his ideal type; far from it. But he's got pulse, and there's no harm in checking out the possibilities. Kurt seems fairly healthy and undamaged from what Sebastian can see. No limping, not even of the funny reason. No black eye back in January, no bandages or casts or anything visible with the uniform on. He's pale and weirdly shy, but from the few pictures Sebastian found on his google search, that's just Kurt's natural complexion. His Facebook profile was set to private, so he couldn't hunt his wall for information that way.

Then there's the confusing deal with Blaine, and Wes' fiercely protective strike. Why is he treating Blaine like a fragile vase from the Ming dynasty his aunt inherited from her great-grandmother, and why is he so opposed to Sebastian and Blaine having some fun?

Blaine's cute, with his bashful shyness, how he blushes at Sebastian's advances, and doesn't quite know where to look. Virgin, Sebastian is sure, but he also seems so vibrant and passionate, he's probably naturally good in bed. Besides, with a face and stature like his, Sebastian can easily work with that. He's had boys, men, who didn't have a clue what they were expected to do, but as long as Sebastian gets off in the end, that's fine. With Blaine, Sebastian believes it'll be much more than simply fine. Not only is he really hot, with enough brain to offer some decent pillow talk between the rounds. But having an arrangement with someone at Dalton would simply be convenient. Then Sebastian wouldn't have to take the trek all the way to Lima to find someone to do at Scandals.

Lima. There it is again. Kurt is from Lima. Kurt knows Blaine. Do they have some kind of past, have they hooked up at Scandals before? Somehow, Sebastian doubts it. They seem really intimate on a completely different level. He's seen them sitting close, whispering through an entire conversation, keeping the rest of Westerville separated from their world. That's not how previous conquests treat each other. It looks more like friends or boyfriends, if it was likely that they were dating.

Can they have met in that hospital of Kurt's? Is that how they've connected, by bonding over similar experiences? That would explain Wes going all daddy-o over him, keeping the bad boy away from the angel boy. But what was wrong with them? And what is it Sebastian could do to hurt Blaine? Sebastian hasn't done anything to raise suspicion he'd physically harm the boy. So how could he be of any danger?

Unless it's emotionally? Mentally? Are the boys mentally unstable? It'd explain a lot of Kurt's behaviour, if he's an undetonated lunatic with sexuality issues. But Blaine? Blaine doesn't seem like it, Sebastian can't imagine him as some mental patient.

The more Sebastian thinks about it, the more it fits the puzzle. If that's where Kurt and Blaine met, it would also explain why Kurt was in hospital for so long. A fucked up mind probably takes time to heel. And it would also shed new light to New Direction's dedication. They were obviously seriously worried about him, more than when removing your tonsils or fixing a fractured ankle.

It still doesn't fit the bill for Blaine, though. He seems so normal, always smiling and happy, although his refusal to join the Warblers officially is a bit odd. But Sebastian has learned not to trust first impressions, and that facades can be deceiving.

If Blaine knows about Kurt's health, and they are in a similar position, it'd explain why he's so often around the boy, looking out for him, helping him settling down, easing him through the transition. Not that he's offered to help Sebastian with his mid year transfer, and Blaine's just the polite little Lord Fauntleroy who probably would have turned his helping disposition towards Sebastian if he wasn't so immerged in everything Kurt. Sebastian has a hunch Blaine is crushing on that twink, and Sebastian doesn't care. Emotions make a mess. The only mess he's interested in is the one they make between the sheets. Sebastian wouldn't mind keeping Blaine occupied until the uptight Primadonna either decides to come clean about his boy fancy, or graduates. As a Senior, he should be gone from this school soon, leaving Blaine and him alone.

Sebastian huffs and shifts on the bed. He doesn't want to be this curious about Kurt. He's rarely much of a gossip hound, except when it's beneficial for him, to gather information. But Kurt is hardly a blip on his radar, for neither this nor that. Still, the boy has invaded his brain. Sebastian can't stop wondering what the boy struggles with. If, if he's struggling with something. If.

He replays the conversation they had earlier, and Sebastian is thankful for his good memory. He remembers Kurt sitting awkwardly in his office chair, tugging undignified on his sleeves. Probably a nervous tick of his, but doesn't he know how it'll ruin his clothes in the end, pull them out of shape?

It's almost as if Kurt is sitting in his chair again, except he's got someone else's face. A face that haunts Sebastian. A face he doesn't know if he wants to forget or remember, ever. Jacques. Beautiful, smart, witty, sexy Jacques. Who is now rotting in a grave in one of Paris' suburbs, because…

No, Sebastian can't think about that now. Not Jacques, and he really shouldn't give a flying fuck about Kurt either. Or Blaine, come to think about it. Sebastian can enjoy a good chase, but he's never made this much effort for a boy he hasn't even gotten a good grope with so far.

Scandals. Sebastian needs Scandals now. He checks he still has his less than legit ID in the wallet, and hurries out.