Kurt waited impatiently in the doctor's office for the results from the x-ray. He resorted to play Candy Crush on his phone to keep himself distracted. Finally, after what seemed like hours, his name was called. He followed the nurse to the office and sat on the exam table and waited another ten minutes for the orthopedist to come in.

"Well, the good news is that your hand is looking good. I won't put a cast back on, but I'm having the nurse bring back a brace for you to wear. You still can't put any pressure on the area. It needs more time to finish healing."

"So, I can't go back to work?"

"I'm afraid not. Not yet."

"How much longer?"

"A month."

Kurt said nothing as his heart dropped. Another month without pay? "I'll be unemployed by then."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but you said before that you work with your hands. If you want to be able to do that in the future, you'll heed my precautions now. I know what it's like to be young and impatient. I see a lot of guys your age with sports-related injuries and I can tell you from experience, the ones who don't listen are the ones I see back a few months later with exacerbated injuries that take significantly longer to heal than the original would have if they had just followed the guidelines they were given."

Kurt nodded. "I get that. It's just hard to pay your bills without any money coming in. And my insurance isn't covering any of this." He sighed. He muttered to himself, "At least Mitchell isn't dead."

"What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing."

The nurse knocked twice and opened the door. She had two hand splints with her.

"I'll let Nancy here get you fitted with the right size splint and give you the directions on wearing it."

"Thank you," Kurt managed to say before the door shut. He held his hand out for the nurse to decide which splint fit best.

X-X-X-X-X

When he left the doctor's office, he headed to the large music practice room he had reserved at NYADA. Over the course of the previous week, he had put up fliers a variety of places, hoping to find a few people who wanted to join a band. He knew that his time with the Apples was quickly coming to an end and he had already checked and there wasn't anything similar at his new school. He knew his chances of finding many people were slim because they could only rehearse on Sundays and play on Monday evenings, and he wasn't even sure where they could rehearse once he couldn't reserve rooms at NYADA.

Santana and Dani were waiting for him when he got there.

"Well, that's not a cast," Dani said. "That seems like your moving in the right direction."

"I am, but I can't go back to work for another month. I talked to Jared on the way over here. He said he understood, but he has a business to run. He's going to try to replace me. He told me to call him back when I could actually work and he'd give me priority for any jobs he might have available."

"Well, that sucks," Santana said. "But the man has a point. He can't just leave the position vacant. He needs someone who can be there."

"I know. He was really nice about it." He plopped down on the keyboard stool. "I hope some people show up today."

Dani hooked up her bass guitar and began to play around. Chandler walked into the room and listened to her play for a couple of minutes.

"Can I audition?"

"Chandler!" Kurt jumped up. "Yes, of course. We've heard you play before though."

"You heard me improvise along with your song, but I've been working on it and I've got it down now. Plus, pick something and I'll show you my skills on a classic of some sort."

"Alright," Santana said, "Madonna. 'Like a Prayer'."

Chandler sat down at the drums. Kurt sat back down at the keyboard to play the introduction. Santana sang the first verse. Kurt took the second verse. Sebastian came in the room. He joined them and began to play the double bass and sing along. Dani sang the third verse. They stopped singing when Starchild walked into the room.

"Don't stop on my account. I was hoping I could still audition. I got held up by several people wanting to take photos with me."

Kurt wasn't sure about his over-the-top look, but motioned for him to come in. He moved away from the keyboard to a chair facing the group. Sebastian and Santana followed him and sat down next to him.

Kurt said, "We've heard you sing before, but you're welcome to sing something else."

He adjusted the stool and sat at the keyboard. Dani moved closer so they could talk. She nodded her head and stepped back to where she had been. He said something to Chandler and he nodded as well. He began to sing "Better than I Know Myself".

Kurt was impressed with his singing, just like he had been the first time he heard him a couple of weeks back, but he didn't like the way he dressed, except that he loved the way he was dressed. "Thanks for coming in. Can we talk for a few minutes?"

"Um, sure." He followed Kurt out into the hall.

"I think you're fantastic. And I'd love to have you be part of the band. I'll just be honest, though, I'm feeling a bit insecure. You're obviously talented enough to have your own band. You're clearly cut out to be the lead, so I'm a bit unsure as to why you want to join us. I'm Kurt Hummel, by the way. Sorry I didn't say that first."

"I know who you are. I saw you put the flyer up at CCNY the other day after class. And as for this," he paused and motioned to himself. "This is all a disguise, a cover. I'm really pretty laid back, but I feel more confident dressed like this because it's like armor in a way."

Kurt immediately felt like he was talking to a kindred spirit. "So you go to CCNY?"

"Actually I don't. I'll be a junior this fall. I'm enrolled at NYU, but my scholarship doesn't cover going to school in the summer and I wanted to get some of my gen ed classes out of the way because I'm taking a orchestration course next semester and I've never taken anything like it and I thought it might be good to have extra time. I've only done arranging on my own. I have perfect pitch, so I think it might not be as hard as I'm making it out to be, but I just don't know. So, I've been staying at home in New Jersey all summer and commuting in to take the classes at CCNY. I've been taking the train into the City in since I started high school. I use the time to study or listen to music. I can play guitar as well. I can show you if you want. Sorry, I talk too much when I get nervous."

"It's fine. I'm enrolled here at NYADA, for now anyway, but I chose CCNY for the summer for the same reason."

"I auditioned for NYADA and didn't get in."

Kurt looked dumbfounded. "What?"

"I don't think they cared for Starchild. I should have just auditioned as myself." He pulled his phone out and flipped through his photos. He turned it around and showed Kurt a photo of himself in geeky black glasses wearing a light blue chambray shirt and jeans.

"Wait. You're in my statistics class." Kurt thought for a few seconds. "Gilbert. You sit a few seats to my left with he alphabetical seating. Edward. Edmond… something with an E."

"That's me," he laughed. "It's Elliott. Elliott Gilbert. Look, Kurt, I've always wanted to be in an indie band. I write music too. I heard the three of you sing a couple of weeks ago. I can be anything you want. From Elliott to Starchild. Just give me a chance?"

"I need to go ask Santana and Dani."

"Sure."

They went back inside. Kurt motioned for the girls to come out in the hall with him. "So, what do you two think?"

Dani said, "Are you nuts? I say hell, yes. He's amazing. And I say yes to Chandler too. He's a bit strange, but I think that's true of all of us. Was that Sebastian's attempt at an audition?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know that he played the bass."

Santana said, "Well, if it was, he's in too. He's a good singer, sexy as hell, and the bass is sexy too. We'll glam Chandler up a bit from the Tyler Oakley look he's sporting. He's got good cheekbones. I'm sure Dani and I can sexy him up a bit. And Starchild–"

Kurt interrupted, "Elliott."

"Elliott, right. We'll have to turn the wattage down on his glam a bit – even it up between him and Chandler."

Kurt laughed and nodded.

They walked back to the center of the room.

Kurt proclaimed, "You're all in!"

Chandler let out a hoop. Elliott looked surprised, but happy. Sebastian looked confused.

"Chandler's our new drummer and sings baritone. Elliott plays keyboard and guitar and sings tenor."

"Yes."

Kurt went on. "And Sebastian also sings tenor and plays the bass."

"And the cello," Sebastian added.

"And cello, it seems," he winked at Sebastian. "So, I can reserve this room this Sunday evening from 7-9. Does that work for everyone this week?"

No one said anything to the contrary.

"Alright then. How about we do 'What Makes you Beautiful' just for fun before my 30 minutes are up in this room?"

X-X-X-X-X

Kurt took Sebastian's hand after everyone left and him to the hall that housed the tiny practice rooms that were first come, first serve and found an empty one. He pulled him inside and pushed the door closed and then pinned Sebastian to the door. "I didn't know you wanted to be in the band."

"That was the surprise part."

"Yes, good surprises." He kissed up Sebastian's neck. "I also didn't know you played the bass or the cello. You've been holding out on me." He licked along the edge of Sebastian's earlobe, giving him chills. "Playing the bass is super sexy."

"Oh, really?"

"Really. Why don't you have one?"

"Oh, I do. It's in Columbus still."

"Why didn't you bring it?"

"I still needed it at school when we moved your stuff here."

"And now?"

"I just need to get it and my cello sent here safely."

"Mmm." He kissed along his jaw. "Then you'll play for me, right?"

"Is it going to get you all hot and bothered like this?"

"Probably."

"Then definitely." He turned so he could capture Kurt's lips and flipped their positions and kissed Kurt passionately.

Kurt slipped his hands down past Sebastian's waist and pulled him closer. When they had to stop to take a breath, Kurt said, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Probably, but it's not something that requires two people to do and I offered to do the full lab write-up if he'd run the lab and get the data this afternoon." He kissed along Kurt's jaw to his ear. "I love you and I want to be part of the fun. I want to be in the band too. I don't have to be the lead on anything, unless you want me to. But I want to sing and have fun. I miss it already."

"I would have let you join without auditioning."

"I'm morally opposed to nepotism."

Kurt laughed loudly and pressed his forehead to Sebastian's. "I love you so much. If we don't cool down, we're going to have a very uncomfortable ride back home."

"Yeah, and since I'm playing hooky already, I have other plans besides going straight home."

"Do tell."

"I'm taking you to the awesome antique and vintage place where I found that quilting rack for what you called 'an absolute steal'. You never know what other gems might be hiding in there that I don't know how to identify."

"You are definitely a keeper. You show up and be all sexy with a bass, and then you make out with me in a practice room, and on top of all that, you're going to take me shopping." He kissed Sebastian chastely. "I'm going to be amazingly cheap and offer to split a slice of pizza with you. Or there's always Gray's Papaya, if we're going that direction."

Sebastian buried his nose in the nape of Kurt's neck and inhaled slowly. He lifted his head up and kissed Kurt on the forehead. "I'm not sure, but I'm sure that Google will help us. "Let's go."

X-X-X-X-X

Saturday morning, Kurt was standing in their closet, just staring at the box that had his mom's skirts in it. He called out, "Sebastian?"

It didn't take long for him to appear. "Yeah, babe?"

"Could you just sit with me while I photograph my mom's skirts?"

"Sure. I can even help if you want. I can stand on the step stool and take the photos from the same vantage point each time. We can do it on the kitchen table. That way you'll have the same lighting and perspective. I'll go get my camera. But first let me get the box out for you since you're supposed to be taking it easy on your hand."

Kurt nodded. "Thanks. That will be faster than me pushing it in there with my feet."

They talked while Kurt arranged the skirts and Sebastian took photos.

"So, Marley's mom agreed finally?"

"She did. Your aunt Victoria and your mom met with Millie. It's all settled. They'll be here a week from today. Marley's been working all summer, but Millie didn't want her to work during the school year, so she gave her two weeks' notice last week so she could have a week off before school starts again for her on the 26th."

"It's a small, small world sometimes," Sebastian chuckled. "My mom has done the Habitat Women's Build a lot of times, but this time she took Jillian and it was for Millie and Marley."

"I feel bad for Marley having to start a third high school in three years, but they'll be so much better off in Columbus where Marley can be involved in more stuff and she's away from Sue and the craziness of McKinley, which no longer has a music program of any sort from my understanding – other than the Cheerios using music in their performances, I guess."

"She's nuts."

"She is." Kurt folded a skirt and put it in the stack and laid another one out. "Marley's really talented. "She and Jillian are both going to look at colleges from what she said when I talked to her earlier."

"That's what Jillian said too in her text." He snapped more photos. "Aunt Victoria already added money to my account for food for the two of them so we can buy extra when we do our normal shopping."

"That works." He spread out another skirt. "Once we finish this, I need to get back to my project. I just needed a break for a bit. And I want to start doing some sketches for the idea I have for these once I finish my project."

"So, does that mean I can snuggle with you on the couch and read my physics book?"

"You have a standing open invitation to snuggle. I thought we'd been over this," he teased.

"We have, but sometimes what you're working on doesn't leave any room for me."

"Oh, well, I'm working on getting the sleeve gathers just right so that I can sew them on by lunch."

"I'm not sure what that means, but sleeves aren't that big, so I will fit."

"You will." Kurt pulled the last skirt out. "This is it."

Sebastian took a few photos and got down off the stool, folded it up, and put it back in the coat closet. Kurt folded the skrit up and put it in the box, which Sebastian grabbed and carried back to their closet.

"We'll need to make some room in the closet in the spare room for their clothes," Kurt said, as he followed along behind.

Sebastian got it situated and turned to face Kurt. "I can do that when you start to sew the sleeves on since I can't snuggle you while you sew," he pouted.

Kurt touched the end of his nose and said, "Beep."

"What did you do that for?" Sebastian laughed.

"Exactly that. I figured I could press the button and turn your frown into a smile."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "You're too cute and sexy sometimes."

"How is that possible?"

"Because all I want to do is take you in my arms and put you our bed and steal your clothes and make out with you."

"Well, that's a very enticing offer." He stepped closer to Sebastian. "I accept."

"I thought you had a schedule to keep."

"I do, but I love you and I'm ahead of schedule. That's why I had time to do the skirts." He began to undress.

"Oh, no, no, no. That's part of the fun." He stepped closer and started to unbutton Kurt's shirt. He placed soft kisses on Kurt's chest as his skin was revealed. "You're sure?"

"Oh, I'm positive." He took one of Sebastian's hands and slid it down. "Absolutely positive."

They left a trail of clothes on the way to their bed.

X-X-X-X-X

That afternoon, they went out to do their shopping for the week. When they came back, Kurt checked their mailbox and pulled out a small padded envelope.

"What did you order?"

"You'll see," Kurt said, before biting his lower lip and letting it slide loose. "Let's get upstairs and get this stuff put away, and then I'll show you."

"Now, I'm super curious, gorgeous."

Kurt blushed. "Up, up, you go." He ushered Sebastian towards the stairs.

Sebastian put the groceries away more efficiently than he ever had. He by-passed quite a few opportunities to grope Kurt just to get done faster.

"Hmm," Kurt hummed. He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off. "I'm not sure I like this super efficient version." He pinned Sebastian to the kitchen counter. "I'm not getting nearly as many kisses as I usually do while we're doing this."

Sebastian couldn't resist with Kurt's lips so close to his. He closed the distance quickly and kissed him. Kurt wrapped his right hand behind Sebastian's neck and kept him close and deepened the kiss. "Mmm. Much better," he said as he kissed down Sebastian's neck.

Sebastian's hands began to wander along the smooth skin on Kurt's back. "The refrigerated and frozen stuff is done."

Kurt smiled and continued his kissing. "You're really desperate to see what's in that package, aren't you?"

"At this point, I'm just so turned on, I can barely think straight. You keep doing things to get my attention, but I was trying to be efficient. And now, you're shirtless and–" he was breathing heavily and pressed his lips back to Kurt's.

"I'm sorry. I just like all the attention you pay to me when we do this every Saturday."

"Well, I like paying attention to you while we do this. Let's just finish quickly." He kissed Kurt on the forehead and stepped away to grab things that belonged in the cabinet and put them there quickly.

"We're ridiculous, you know." Kurt put the pasta in the cabinet.

"Ridiculously in love. You're gorgeous and so sexy." He forced himself to refocus and put the last of the food in the cabinet. "There. Done."

Kurt put their bags in the coat closet and picked his shirt up as he walked through the kitchen. He picked the package up off the table and went to their bedroom. Sebastian followed along right behind him, removing his own shirt as he did. He took Kurt's and tossed both of them into the hamper.

"So, are you going to show me?"

Kurt sat down and took his socks and shoes off and sat criss-cross in the middle of the bed. Sebastian was confused, but intrigued, so he copied Kurt and sat across from him. Kurt opened the end of the envelope and reached inside. He pulled out a clear ziptop bag and laid it on the bed. Sebastian picked it up and looked at it.

Kurt said, "The only time I did this in person, it was really nerve wracking. I ended up getting carded by the cashier. The entire time I was there I was afraid that someone from school would see me and beat the crap out me for even considering acting on my gayness. I know these brands are all different than… what you're used to. I didn't know what you'd like, so I ordered the variety pack in my size. Once you pick what you like, I'll order more."

Sebastian was still kind of stunned. "Like in what way?"

"Like for me to wear," he said quietly. "Unless you aren't interested in that." Kurt grabbed the bag and put it back in the envelope and started to get up.

"Kurt stop. Stay here. Of course, I'm interested. I know you saw my toys. You didn't say anything, but I know you did."

"Yeah, but it's…"

"A lot smaller than you."

Kurt's face flushed even more. "Yeah."

"Are you sure about this? You seem very nervous and skittish. I know you wanted to wait. I haven't been making you feel like I'm pressuring you, have I?"

"Definitely not."

He reached out and took the package out of Kurt's hand and set it aside and held both of his hands. "Do you have a preference?"

"I told you I was more focused on my actions than my feelings." He took a deep breath.

Sebastian leaned forward and kissed Kurt. He brought each of his hands up to his lips and kissed them as well. "I love you and even if we don't use these for months, I'd like to look at them.

He let go of his hands and picked the envelope up. He dumped the contents out on the bed. There were several small bottles of lube in a clear bag as well. They were in a plastic shell that kept them protected, but Sebastian could read the labels. He sat them to the sides after he did. He picked the bag of condoms back up that Kurt had pulled out and unzipped the bag and dumped them out. There were 12 different types. He looked at each one and put them back in the bag afterwards. He put it to the side with the miniature lube bottles. He picked up the other bag that he hadn't seen, which was a variety pack of flavored condoms.

"I was unaware that there were so many options." He reached back for Kurt's hands. He could feel them trembling slightly.

"Umm, the flavored ones, well, I assume you know what those are for. I didn't know if you would want to use them, so I ordered some just in case."

He let go of Kurt's hands and picked up the stuff, put it back in the envelope, reached back, and put it on his bedside table. He scooted back towards the head of the bed and lay back. He extended his arm for Kurt to come snuggle him.

Kurt crawled up the bed and snuggled into Sebastian's side. "I thought it would be a fun surprise, but then I got tense, then excited, and then really anxious. I thought maybe you'd think I was pushing you or being too forward. And then I thought I was being ridiculous for being nervous."

Sebastian chuckled silently and pulled Kurt closer. "They're perfect. I'm sure I'll love them," he said as he kissed Kurt on the forehead.

"Are you really okay with it?"

"Okay with it? I'm thrilled with the idea," he teased. "See for yourself. Or better yet feel for yourself."

Kurt ran his hand down Sebastian's chest until he reached his goal. "Oh."

"Can I ask you something?"

Kurt tipped his head up and looked Sebastian in the eyes. "Sebastian, I love you more than I can even express. You can ask me anything."

"What about doing it the other way so unappealing to you?"

He took a deep breath. "It's just a combination of experiences. Do you really want to know?" He ran his hand along the fly of Sebastian's shorts. "You won't feel the way you do right now if I tell you. But it's up to you."

"I think I need to know before we move ahead to anything else."

"David wasn't the only jock to bully me. Most of the football team did. My freshman year, I was still really small. I was about 5'4". There were a group of four seniors from the football team who would…"

Sebastian held him closer and wrapped his leg over the top of Kurt's, creating a full-body cocoon.

"Who would manage to shove me into the lockers or a wall and they'd make comments about how I was obviously asking for it and that if I didn't tone it down, one day when they'd give me what I was asking for. I don't know if the one guy was gay or bi, but he was always the one that would grab my wrists and pin them above my head. He'd push me into the locker. I could feel his boner against my back since he was so much taller than I was. He wore baggy shirts and his letterman, so I don't think any of the guys ever saw. The football team had nailed our lawn furniture to our roof, so I knew they knew where I lived. I started going to the shop every day after school after that. And I told you about Scandals. He didn't pin me down, but he kept pulling me down. That really contributed to my decision to offer him his choice of ways for me to do it, rather than the other way around. But you pin me down all the time now and I'm not afraid, so I think in time I can unlearn my fear."

"That's what it was about that day when you laid back on your back and pull me on top."

"Yes. I knew that even though I was lying there naked, you wouldn't hurt me. I trusted you. Your love has filled so many of the cracks in my heart, Bas. You just don't even know."

Tears streamed down both of their cheeks as they lay together, limbs and hearts intertwined.

X-x-X

A/N: The Women Build is part of Habitat for Humanity. Details can be found on the website, for anyone interested in learning more.