–
Chapter 7: Adam Crawford (And Blaine Anderson Is Just a Bad Penny)
–
Kurt didn't read the script anymore so close to bedtime, but he did take catnaps in the library and the quiet room and the nap room. He was in the library, reading the script and happened to doze off. He woke to a hand shaking him and a concerned face in front of him.
He scrambled backward, surprised but was held in place by a surprisingly firm grip and kind blue eyes under a fringe of blond hair. For all of a second, the boy's style in front of him reminded him of Chandler's from last year but then he blinked and while there were some similarities, they were totally different. The boy – no – the man in front of him was hot.
"Careful." It was a smooth British accent, which was just melt worthy. "You're frightened and I don't want you to add injured to that list. I am sorry I startled you, it wasn't my intention. You were just moaning and twisting and looked just dreadful. It took me a moment to realize you were having a nightmare. I wanted to aid you in fighting those demons."
"Oh, it's just this blasted script. It follows me into my dreams." He waved at it. "I must have fallen asleep. Sorry I disturbed you."
"No disturbance. It felt nice to be a heroic rescuer." The man picked up the script and flicked through a few pages. "I recall this from Freshman year, it's a horrible thing to put us through but on the stage... it's incredibly powerful."
"I had a feeling, which is why I have been studying it so hard, I want to get it right, nail it. I don't want to seem like I'm just going through the motions. I want to channel real bullies and their motivations and be terrifying in that role, not just a bit character." He'd been a side character far too often, the comic relief.
The man looked over his face and he nodded. "I don't know why anyone would take you less than seriously. You'll bring gravity to the role. I hope everyone else will bring the same kind of dedication."
"I would think so, this is our future career, isn't it?" Kurt carefully took the script from the man and put it back on the desk, he had a hard time even touching it.
"Not everyone who goes through this program wants to be on the stage. Some want to be on the sidelines but have to go through the same motions so they know how it works, so they know what the actors have to go through, what they're capable of."
"And you? You're going to be on the stage or the sidelines?"
"Both, eventually. I want to write my own musical and potentially star in it too if I can. In the meantime, I'm going to be up front and center on that stage or at least as close as I can get." He looked over Kurt once more before holding out his hand. "Adam."
"Kurt." He shook the proffered hand.
Adam rose from his crouched position and waved at the seat next to Kurt. "Mind if I join you?"
"Sure." Kurt moved some of his things and Adam offered to practice lines with him, he said that he had played the role of the best friend when he went through his Freshman year. As they worked through the script and worked the lines, Kurt and Adam chatted as well. Kurt found out that Adam was a Senior and was trying out for plays and was sending his headshot and bio to people both in the US and in England.
Sebastian was holding a squishy pineapple as he listened to Kurt gush over his new friend. The leaves were bulging and all the air disappeared where his hand was. He released it and it squeaked as it rushed to refill with air. Sebastian glanced at the pineapple, wondering how he'd gotten it in the first place. The weekend couldn't come fast enough.
He'd left school early on Friday and moved his flight up. He was worried about Kurt and Adam, the two had met Wednesday and had been meeting up every day since at the library. Adam had introduced Kurt to his club that he had created on his own. It was a college Glee club named after himself. Kurt was on the fence about joining and in the meantime he was an honorary member without being a full-fledge one while he made up his mind. He wasn't sure if he would have the time for it just then.
Sebastian wanted to be there for as long as possible so Kurt couldn't help but remember his existence and to spend his spare moments this weekend with him, his boyfriend.
Santana let him in and he unpacked his few items for the weekend, hanging up his black button up shirt and black jeans and combat boots. Kurt would be proud, he was sure of it. He didn't have much to do so he just laid down on Kurt's bed and closed his eyes, falling asleep instantly.
He heard Rachel's voice and it sounded like she was talking at someone. He wasn't sure who it was at first but then he heard Kurt's voice. He sat upright in bed, had Kurt come in and noticed him yet? He had wanted to surprise him, yes, but he wanted to appear at least somewhat sexy, not drool coming out of his face. He glanced at the clock, it was after 10 that night. Wow, he had slept a long time and soundly. Being surrounded by Kurt's smell just did that to him, made him relaxed.
The telltale slide of the door herald the entrance of someone else and Sebastian just figured it was Santana returning. There as a shout of surprise from Kurt and then a squeal of delight from Rachel. So, definitely not Santana then. Maybe one of the other Glee graduates?
"That's a lot of red roses." Kurt said skeptically and didn't sound entirely pleased by the newcomer. Sebastian tried to figure out who he would be speaking so coolly with. There were only a couple he could think of, and his gut tightened as he thought of one in particular. He was ready to barge out when he heard him speak.
"Kurt! I'm so sorry!" He sobbed and fell to his knees. Sebastian peaked out around the curtain to watch the waterworks. "You've been cheated on- I slept with him."
"Sebastian?" Kurt asked automatically and Sebastian didn't fault him for thinking that, not because he thought Sebastian had cheated on him by his own accord, just the way Blaine said it was leading him there.
"What? No."
"Well, you don't have to sound so disgusted." Sebastian said dryly, coming out from Kurt's room.
This time the reaction was nearly the opposite, all three of them let out a sound of surprise, none of them had known he was there. Rachel scowled at Sebastian's returned presence while Kurt threw the obnoxiously big display of roses into Rachel's arms and then threw himself at Sebastian. Sebastian caught him and Kurt buried his nose into Sebastian's neck and breathed him in before pulling back slightly but Sebastian didn't let him get far. "Hi! When did you get here?"
"Earlier, Santana let me in, but it seems you don't even need a key to get in." How had he missed that earlier?
"Yeah, as long as you get through the front door, the rest of the apartments don't really have locks. When it was a restaurant it had a padlock on the outside and while there is an emergency escape ladder, that's not exactly the smartest or safest way to live."
"Neither is being exposed to all your neighbors." Sebastian was really having doubts about this place the more often he visited. "This is not safe."
"It's fine." Kurt waved off. "We're college kids, what is there to steal?"
"You have two women in here and-" He lowered his voice. "You and I both know that just because you're a guy doesn't mean that bad things can't be done to you too."
"Santana protects us." Kurt waved off cheekily. He was determined not to live like a victim, especially when nothing had really ever actually happened to him. It was just all blown up, even by himself. Though some of it was still not ok and he couldn't deny his feelings at the time mattered.
"When she's here." Sebastian commented sarcastically, pulling up her own words and meanings from Tuesday's conversation.
Rachel waved him off. "We're in a relatively safe neighborhood."
"Just down the street you watched some people getting lit up and you've seen drug deals go down the other direction. Not to mention all the needles in the park-" Sebastian argued. "Rachel, your fathers have a lot of money, you're a little princess. Kurt, your dad cannot be ok with you living here-"
"He's fine with it, I don't show him those areas when he's here, but he's not here very often, so I don't have to worry about it." He'd been out when he moved him in and that had been about the extent of it so far. "I don't tell him all the things I tell you when I talk with him on the phone." Kurt shrugged, then went in for another hug and Sebastian held him too.
"I didn't cheat on you, especially not with Blaine." He whispered to the top of Kurt's head.
"I know. He just used his Jedi mind tricks on me."
"More like Darth Vader." Sebastian continued the joke but he was losing Kurt, he didn't know too much more about the franchise than that.
"Excuse me, aren't you going to acknowledge the fact that I apologized for cheating on you?" Blaine sounded put out and Kurt whirled in Sebastian's arms to look at him in disbelief.
"You're forgiven, Blaine, because you didn't cheat on me."
"Yes I did, I slept with him!" Blaine was acting out, hoping to get Kurt to become jealous and realize what he'd lost now that Blaine slept with another guy.
"I don't know who you slept with -"
"Eli, I met him on Facebook, his profile picture was a lighthouse and it didn't disappoint." Blaine was now trying to rub it in his face and Sebastian's hands spasmed on Kurt's stomach, he was ready to go over there and smash Blaine's face in. He was just trying to hurt Kurt for no reason, they'd been over for several months now officially and unofficially nearly a year. Kurt had never been anything less than kind to Blaine, even when telling him they were done. Sebastian would have ripped the band-aid off. Kurt had tried to do it slowly and pain free. Blaine just made it even worse the whole way, trying to reapply the bandage at every turn and pressing it down harder.
Kurt was the perfect size in all ways and he was bigger than average. He didn't want Kurt's self esteem to be damaged in anyway by Blaine's less than subtle put-downs. Blaine unfortunately was one of the rare excepts to have seen Kurt naked and had a hand on Kurt's self-esteem and if he chose to strangle it, he could.
There was no way to pry his hand off, Kurt just had to build armor around it, make his self-esteem stronger. So Blaine could try to crush it all he wanted but wouldn't make a dent. Sebastian at least was in there helping him puff it up and hold that hand at bay, and holding the walls with Kurt if it tried to close around it.
Sebastian as well was a very nice size and so who Blaine was trying to compare it to, was not clear. Was he bragging or just trying to belittle the two of them? Blaine had never seen Sebastian's so he wouldn't have a real clue what Sebastian was packing.
"You couldn't have cheated on me Blaine because we're not together. You're free to sleep with whomever you like, I certainly do." Kurt looked up to Sebastian with a soft look on his face. "There's no need to tell me about this, Blaine."
"I'm just so sorry that I went behind your back and slept with this guy. It's just that you don't communicate with me at all since you've moved to New York and I've been lonely!"
"You're trying to blame Kurt for your random hook up with some guy you met online while Kurt's been breaking his back here in New York for the last month and a half. There are so many things wrong with this picture." Sebastian squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Get a clue, Blaine, the two of you aren't together so you can't be cheating on him, you're just having a random hookup, that's all."
"I'm going to make it up to you, I promise."
"In your mind, what am I?" Sebastian questioned, trying to get a good read into Blaine's brain, not sure even with the answer he would ever fully understand.
"A ghost." Blaine answered but his eyes were on Kurt and he reached out for Rachel's hand. "You understand, don't you? I was just so sad and lonely without him." He glanced over at the girl and she nodded with tears in her eyes.
"Forgive him, Kurt."
"Ok, I forgive you, but that doesn't mean we're getting back together."
"You let Sebastian get away with all his hook ups and yet I have one small mistake and it's the end of it?" Blaine shook his head. "I'm not going to believe that!"
"Sebastian stopped having hookups once he met me." Kurt splayed his hand over Sebastian's on his waist. "It's not just one small mistake you've made. I'm tired of this conversation. 'Stien?" He did look tired, he had dark circles forming beneath his gorgeous blue eyes and Sebastian nodded.
"Let's go to bed. You're probably swaying on your feet after school and two jobs today. Did you get a chance to eat dinner?"
"Yes." Kurt's answer wasn't as satisfactory as Sebastian had hoped for. "It's too late to eat anything, late night snacking just packs on the pounds."
Sebastian frowned but would just wake up early and make him breakfast in bed. "Come on." He led Kurt back into the room he had existed a short time ago.
"What? You're going to sleep in the same room? Hey!" Blaine protested but Sebastian just pulled the curtain and turned to Kurt, helping him out of the clothes he had put back on after his shift at the restaurant. He was swaying a little and Sebastian pressed a finger onto Kurt's shoulder, tipping him over and onto the bed. He'd insisted on buying a real bed and Kurt landed softly and Sebastian stripped and followed after. His arms going around Kurt and Kurt turned and wrapped his arms around Sebastian as well, leaning in to kiss him a proper hello.
"Hi." Kurt whispered against his mouth.
"Hi." Sebastian whispered back, a genuine smile in his eyes as they looked at each other. So much was said in that exchange.
They could hear Rachel talking quickly to Blaine to calm him down and saying how excited she was to have someone in her corner, especially now that there were two of them in the apartment. She said Blaine could share her bed tonight and in the future when Finn came, Blaine could have the couch. Sebastian ignored that promise about letting him have a space here in the future, even if it were the couch. He would have something to say about that.
He tried to tune them out and snuggled close with Kurt who was out like a light pretty quickly after that proper hello.
Sebastian was wide awake, so he reacquainted himself with Kurt's body. Nothing intimate or anything dirty, he just let the pad of his fingers trail over Kurt's flesh. He missed this body and the person attached to it, he learned anything new about it with his exploration and reconciled it with his memory, marking both new and old memories.
Kurt had lost weight, even if he didn't know it himself. The dips between ribs were more pronounced. If this was after only 2 weeks away... he would hate to see what would have happened had he only visited on the holidays. The definition of his shoulder blades was even more defined. He could see now the notch in his sternum. He was more determined than ever to make sure Kurt had enough food to last between visits.
Maybe he wasn't the chef that Kurt was, but he would have to make do with his skills or... he would hire it out. He decided to hire it out. He looked for his phone and sent a quick message to his catering buddy with specifics. Every item would have meat in it so Rachel couldn't get her hands on it. Every item would have an ingredient that Santana abhorred. He didn't have to worry about Finn eating whatever was in front of him quite yet. He hadn't moved out here and he wouldn't for a few more months. The plan set into action, he didn't even need to take over Kurt's freezer space, his meals would be delivered to him based on his work and school schedule; at school, at the apartment or at Vogue. He knew better than to have catered food delivered to a restaurant for one of the employees, that was a good way to get Kurt fired. It was not his goal, far from it.
Kurt would either be incredibly touched or annoyed when he got the first food package. He was leaning toward annoyed but touched was definitely a contender, depending on his mood at the time. It was a win-win, he fed his man and he helped support his friend's blossoming company.
Sebastian, thoroughly pleased with himself, was able to shut his eyes and fall asleep.
–
He glanced at his watch, it was two hours too early for his planned alarm. He had slept too much yesterday, that was all, he couldn't stay asleep. Might as well get a jump on the day then... then he heard it, the frightened moan that was muffled by Kurt's pillow.
Santana appeared in the room like a shadow and Sebastian nearly jumped out of his skin. "He's doing it again." She knelt by the bed and stroked Kurt's head, neck and upper shoulders. "This play has really gotten to him." She shook his head. "I didn't know it had shook him up as badly as I'm beginning to realize."
"What had?" Sebastian questioned, not understanding.
"The bullies at McKinley. He'd always put on such a brave face, standing up to them, daring them to go that step further, telling them he wasn't afraid, hoping that if they did, someone would finally do something. We should have all stepped in earlier, far earlier, as far back as Freshman year when he was being dumped into dumpsters, even before the locker shoves or threats to beat him up. The teachers should have done something." Santana knew she had participated in part of that at one point. "We should have known that he feared for his life."
"Didn't Karofsky threaten it if he dared to tell his secret kiss?" Sebastian questioned, it wasn't that much of a stretch to believe Kurt was afraid of his life ending.
"His was a fairly empty threat by then. Blaine knew and would be able to testify. I think the feeling of his safety being threatened, his life being threatened, happened far before that." Santana slid her fingers through Kurt's hair and he twisted to get closer and was calming down. "Nobody should fear that someone was going to kill them just because of what they were. Maybe who they are, but not what, especially not something so much a part of them, something they can't change." Santana closed her eyes as she felt Kurt's breathing settle once more. "He got threatening phone calls first."
"I never knew that." Sebastian's eyes rested on Kurt's now peaceful face. "No wonder he's got such tough skin, figuratively. Literally, he's got the softest skin ever. He gives as good as he gets because he didn't know what else to do." He wouldn't change that part of Kurt but he wanted to heal some of the pain inside.
There were so many things that had attacked Kurt over the years. It was a wonder he survived in one piece. Sebastian pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead. If he had to, he'd put himself between Kurt and danger.
Santana looked Kurt over once more before she nodded, pleased that he was now settled once more and got to her feet and left the room. She didn't say anything more to Sebastian but that was all right. They both had the same goal, making sure Kurt was ok and if he wasn't, making him better.
Sebastian dozed off for another hour then got up and started making breakfast. He aimed it with enough time for Kurt to do his usual routine but also eat without losing out on too much sleep.
Sebastian pulled out the ingredients he needed from the fridge and as he shut the door he spotted Blaine leaning against the cabinets near him. "If you're going to take another swing at me, at least this time let me know? Give me a fighting chance and speaking of fighting, I will fight you this time. We're not on Dalton property even if we're both students there now."
"How did you get here first? You poisoned his mind against me!" Blaine snapped.
"No, I didn't. I got here first because I called to have my flight moved up, I didn't create an entirely new one. Though the private jet might have been available too if I had asked."
"I took our private jet and you still beat me here."
Sebastian shrugged. "I left earlier. Either way doesn't matter though, Blaine. He's made his choice, you need to respect it."
"I maintain that we haven't broken up." Blaine glowered. "You're just an affair that he's participating in."
"One you've had too." Sebastian pointed out. "If you were still dating him, but you're not. I am."
"He'll come back to me. Wait and see. We're end game, he's just exploring his options right now but I'm the one he'll wind up with. He'll be asking me to marry him."
Sebastian laughed. "You've been spending too much time with Rachel. We're all way too young to get married."
"Show's how little you actually know him. Last Christmas, he said that if I had asked he would have said yes when I gave him his present. He thought it was a ring because the box was a similar size. He was ready to marry me. Age didn't matter to him at that point and he was only 16."
"You've just explained it far too well, Blaine. He was 16, a romantic, young and in his first relationship. He was in that romance fog. He's older now and more mature and will approach things more logically. He knows that it's too early for such a big commitment and financial burden, because you know that he's the once and done type and he will go all out. What he can afford now won't cut it, won't match his vision."
Blaine looked ready to debate what kind of wedding Kurt would have and all the details but Sebastian turned to cook what he was making and blocking Blaine out. He knew Kurt. Or at least the Kurt he was with him. He had gone straight from one relationship into another with a little overlap. He wasn't going to break up with Kurt so he could experience single life. A. Kurt was a relationship guy, not a fling-type, B. There was someone waiting in the wings for the opportunity, C. Sebastian would be a complete idiot to jeopardize what he had with Kurt for ideals.
Kurt left a toxic relationship, this was not.
Sebastian plated the food and walked past Blaine, deciding not to shoulder check him as he went. He had matured and grown. Didn't stop him from kicking him though.
Blaine howled in pain even as Sebastian went back into the curtained off area that was Kurt's room. The noise woke Kurt up but he was still pretty groggy and Sebastian slid into the bed with him. "Hey Babe." Sebastian greeted and wafted the food below his nose. A smile crept over Kurt's lips as he came to more.
"What's this?" Kurt peeked out at the food and found scrambled eggs, fruit, sausage and two cups of coffee. "Trying to wake me up?" He teased glancing into the milky depths of one and the blackness of the other.
"Your choice." Sebastian shrugged. "I'm not going to assume you want one or the other any given day." Kurt chuckled as he propped himself up and then waddled his way up to the wall to support his back as Sebastian laid the tray on his lap. He stole a piece of fruit and stuck it in his own mouth.
"I thought those were for me." Kurt pouted.
"You can have it from my mouth, if you'd like." Sebastian teased around the strawberry, his lips getting closer to the corner of Kurt's.
Kurt turned his head to give Sebastian a quick peck. "Juicy, yum." He joked, but there was a bit of flavor still on his lips. "Those taste good." He speared one of them with his fork and ate one for himself. He and Sebastian took turns eating off the plate and would feed each other too.
Kurt chose the black coffee and Sebastian drank from the milky one. He liked it both ways too.
He was able to savor most of it before Rachel was rattling the curtain. "Kurt! We've got to get going!"
Kurt groaned and turned to Sebastian. "Lunch?"
"Lunch." Sebastian agreed and Kurt got up, got dressed in clothes he wouldn't hate to be seen in, gathered his uniform, kissed Sebastian goodbye and headed out with Rachel. Santana did not do double shifts. So, Sebastian sought out the Latina and crawled into her bed rather than deal with Blaine. He would wash the dishes in a bit, but they had a dishwasher so it wasn't that difficult. "So... tell me everything."
Santana glanced at him and then hit him with a pillow. "Nope. Kurt will tell you whatever you want to know from now on. He isn't surrounded by bullies here."
"But Blaine's here."
"Just for the weekend, I guess." Santana shrugged and grabbed back her pillow and snuggled in again. "I'm sleeping. Do whatever."
"Adam?" Sebastian asked on a low volume and one brown eye peaked out at him again.
"Seriously, you don't need to worry. Kurt loves you, ask him."
"I know that, and I don't worry about him, but this Adam fellow sounds... smooth."
"Which you're not." Santana snickered but just turned so her back was to him. "Done spying for you."
"What's going on with you, then?" Sebastian asked, accepting now that they freed Kurt from Blaine, their friendship went back to tentative. The nightmare this morning had brought them closer again but if it wasn't about Kurt's safety or mental health then Santana wanted very little to do with Sebastian. At one point he thought the two of them would be good friends since they were both snarky, but Santana hadn't actually forgotten about the slushy in the face, it was the only one she had ever gotten and Sebastian wasn't in a hurry to apologize. He didn't apologize to anyone, but Kurt.
He'd have to talk to Kurt about that today, clear the air.
"I'm dating a new girl, Dani. I work with her, she's a lot of fun."
"I didn't realize you and Brittany had broken up." Sebastian reached out and rubbed Santana's back. "I'm sorry."
"That you didn't know?"
"That you broke up." Sebastian countered softly. "I thought you two were a good couple."
"I did too but last I heard she's dating Sam. They had a fake world is ending wedding or something."
"She's still in Lima?"
"Turns out she flunked all of her classes." Santana shook her head. "Somehow though they let her go through graduation before finding that out. I think they should just let it slide if they can't even bother to check that out prior."
Sebastian gave a sound of agreement and then settled into the bed, wrapping his arms around himself. "So... Dani?"
"You'll meet her tonight." Santana turned to Sebastian with a soft smile. "I told her we were going out to Club Red and she invited herself along."
"That's what it's called? Kurt wouldn't tell me."
"Did I let the cat out of the bag?" Santana laughed. "Oops."
"I don't think he'll be that upset." Sebastian glanced toward the general direction of the kitchen. "I'm sure he'll be more upset with Blaine tagging along."
"God." Santana dropped her head back onto the bed. "Blaine is going to get drunk and do something incredibly stupid tonight. I guarantee it."
"I don't toss money away foolishly so I'm not going to bet against that." Sebastian sighed heavily. "Any chance we can go without him?"
"Rachel's going to invite him along."
"Hmm..." Sebastian thought about it and they chatted about her and Dani and a few other things, like what she was working on. She was taking a few dancing classes in the community center and teaching a few others. They hadn't known about that, but she was teaching the elderly how to move and shake it. It wasn't a lot of money but it helped pay for things.
She liked taking the classes too.
Santana warmed up to him and asked him about his life in Westerville and Dalton and he told her about how he'd splintered off from the Warblers and started his own group. They didn't have a ton of members yet but they had enough to get them through invitationals. He told her about Hunter and how he was incredibly competitive but his ideas were squashed before they got going, they were just insane and made no sense in a singing competition and how it would only backlash onto them.
She admitted that Rachel was getting close with a guy named Brody. He was a Senior and had made his interest in her obvious and how she was worried about squishy tits getting his heart broken by the goblin, they were married now after all. Except it was stupid to let Rachel go by herself to New York to be enticed by the new Finn, the new top dog at her school. He had walked himself into that situation.
The story sounded disturbingly like Kurt and Adam except Sebastian had no choice in the matter and he would be out even later than Finn. Except he did come out more often.
Sebastian left her side at 10 and she had to get up and get ready for work with the other two for their second shift and her first. She left and he was stuck alone in the apartment with Blaine. Except... no... he wasn't. He got dressed and headed out, texting one of his friends to see what they were up to for the next couple of hours. He'd leave to have lunch with Kurt and then hang out with them some more.
That gave him his most brilliant thought.
He swung into the restaurant that Kurt worked and and pulled him into his arms the second he saw him. "I've got an idea!"
"Congratulations, it must be a record." Kurt intoned dryly but his eyes were warm and welcoming as was the smile on his mouth.
Sebastian ignored the words and dropped a kiss onto Kurt's mouth. Kurt heard the hooting and hollering and blushed as bright red as his uniform. He pulled Sebastian into the back with him where he already had food out for them. There was a table in the back they could eat at if they didn't want to eat in the locker room, which they didn't.
"What's this grand idea?" Kurt asked, handing Sebastian his meal and fork before sliding into the seat across from him and opening his up to eat. He took a few bites as he listened to Sebastian.
"Do you mind pushing back the club for a couple of hours?"
"It's already going to be 10 by the time I finish up here." Kurt reminded him. "There's plenty of time before we have to show up."
It would have only given them max of 4 hours at the club but for Sebastian's plan, it would have to be worth it. "I'm thinking we take Rachel, Blaine and the girls out to another bar first and after a couple of drinks, leave them there?"
"Rachel was insisting that we go to the NYADA hang out, show Blaine what that's like instead of the club Santana, Dani and I wanted to go to. We could easily make that plan happen there and still arrive by 1130 at Club Red." He didn't care that he said the name. "Santana told me that you already know where we're going. She said she let it slip, not knowing that I wasn't telling you."
Sebastian held up his hands. "I haven't looked it up or anything."
"Good, keep it that way." Kurt teased. He ate a few more bites and Sebastian ate in silence until half of Kurt's meal was gone.
"I was also wanting to talk to you about something that Santana reminded me about. You never gave me too much grief over slushying Blaine, even though it appeared like it was meant for you."
"I have eyes, remember." Kurt said dryly. "You didn't even begin to throw that slushy toward me until Blaine pushed me back."
"And you never once said anything about what I did to Karofsky."
There was a change that went over Kurt with that name. He'd seen it before too. He was still not over what Karofsky had done to him, it seemed. Was the kiss really that bad? Sometimes people got their signals mixed. He hadn't heard the full story about the kiss though, just bits and pieces and references to it. Maybe it wasn't about the kiss, maybe it was about the suicide attempt, but he was like this before when Karofsky sat next to him at Scandals.
"You had a right to say no to Dave." His voice was soft and he wasn't looking at Sebastian. "You don't have to say yes to someone just because they wanted something from you." Sebastian let it drop, he didn't want to stir up more bad memories of Kurt's time at McKinley. He may have had a right but he hadn't needed to be so cruel. Then again, if he'd heard the full story first of what he'd done to Kurt, maybe he would have been crueler. "He took it too far but he was not in a good place. He wasn't in a good place all throughout high school, but I think he's better now."
"You had the right to say no, too. You always do." Sebastian reached out and squeezed Kurt's hand. Neither of them should feel guilty or... anything... about saying no to someone they didn't want to be with.
Kurt gave a rueful smile but didn't say anything more on it and Sebastian squeezed Kurt's hand. Kurt looked up at him. "What?"
"You're perfect."
A sudden, bashful smile crossed Kurt's lips this time. "No."
"Yes." Sebastian insisted. "At the very least, you're perfect in my mind; but I honestly, genuinely believe you're perfect."
Kurt shook his head. "There's no such thing but you flatter me. I love you Sebastian."
"You're not going to say, I'm perfect back?" Sebastian teased, not expecting it, not even wanting it, but having to ruffle Kurt's feathers a little.
"Nope, cause you are definitely not. Though the way your devious brain works sometimes can be." Kurt shook his head again. "Dropping Rachel and Blaine off at the bar so the rest of us can go to the club? Fantastic!" He gave Sebastian a sly look. "You may not be perfect, but you are fantastic."
"Fantastic?"
"Gorgeous! Sexy! Devastatingly attractive! Sly, smart, witty, devious." Kurt listed dramatically and Sebastian reached up, gripped the back of his head and drew him in for a hard kiss.
"Shut up." He groaned against Kurt's mouth, he would much rather be doing this than hearing Kurt list off traits of his. Though he could listen to Kurt talk all day long too.
"So... not perfect?"
"You are, but I still want you to shut up and kiss me like you mean it."
"I always mean it." Kurt said against his lips and Sebastian let him prove it all over again.
Sebastian was an idiot. Just a complete and utter fool. The six of them ended up at the bar that Rachel wanted to go to, she even got to think it was her idea and that she'd gotten her way.
She and Blaine had done a duet and then Blaine took the stage. First he sang a really sappy version of Teenage Dream, looking and crying at Kurt the whole time. Then he went straight into This Nearly Was Mine by Frank Sinatra.
Santana wanted to pull them out while he was distracted and Rachel was clapping along, forgetting to send clear messages to Kurt that he was dumb and should get back together with Blaine. It was the one time she managed it that really riled Kurt up and he shrugged off all the hands trying to pull him away.
He let the MC know his plan and then got up onto the stage and stood next to Blaine. Sebastian didn't know what to do, he hesitated next to Santana. He was positive that Kurt wasn't about to give in to Blaine, but he also wanted to deck the guy himself. Yet he had to let Kurt take care of things on his own.
"Off the stage, Blaine." Kurt ordered once the song ended, then when Blaine went to rejoin Rachel, Kurt played the piano and started his own song. "This is dedicated to the guy who just sang for you all. It seems he can only understand things if it's though song. So here you go, Blaine, I can't dumb it down enough for you." Blaine sat forward, wanting to argue and protest how cruel that was. Rachel too was already saying her protest. "It's even a female artist for you, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."
Santana and Dani hooted and cheered and made fools of themselves over Kurt's song choice and directed commentary. The crowd had actually stopped to stare and watch all the drama unfold. Then Kurt changed the song and he looked over to Sebastian. "Now this one, this one is for my boyfriend, whom I love very much. Sebastian, baby, thank you for putting up with all the idiots in my life." He glanced at Santana and Dani. "And the amazing girls who have always had my back." John Legend's All of Me was played solely on the piano first before Kurt's voice added to it. "What would I do without you smart mouth? Drawin' me in and you kickin' me out. You've got my head spinning, I can't pin you down."
Sebastian grinned as it hit home. Kurt really did love him and he loved Kurt and they were trying to make this work and they were succeeding. Sebastian's heart swell up to be three sizes too large in his chest, he loved that beautiful man up there with the most amazing voice ever.
When he finished, there was a thunderous applause and Kurt gave an embarrassed, red-faced bow and then skittered off the stage to hone in to Sebastian's embrace. More cheers were led by Dani and Santana as they kissed and held each other.
It was only afterward did Sebastian chance a glance at Blaine's thunderous face. This wasn't the last they heard from him. Sebastian squeezed Kurt just a little tighter against him, they best get out of here soon.
Adam met up with them at Club Red but they hadn't had luck shaking either Blaine nor Rachel for long. They had followed them about 20 minutes later when they realized that the bar bill had been paid but none of the others were there.
"Hey Kurt!" Adam greeted, scooping Kurt into a hug. Kurt gave it back a little awkwardly, as if he wasn't sure how to hug another man that wasn't somehow family or someone he was dating. Sebastian realized that was true on it's own. Although he'd seen others give Kurt a hug, they never expected him to participate, just stay put while they wrapped their arms around him.
This was somewhere in between those kinds of hugs and a hug he'd give Finn or his dad.
"Adam! I'm glad you could join us." Kurt tugged him over to Sebastian and the girls. "This is my roommate, Santana, her girlfriend and -"
"Yeah, thanks Kurt! I don't usually go out to places like this,, it was good of you to invite me. I don't mind stretching out my comfort zone. Who did you say they were?" He shouted over the music, obviously not hearing Kurt's higher pitched voice in return.
"His boyfriend!" Sebastian greeted as he reached forward to shake Adam's hand.
"No, I'm not-" Adam began and Sebastian shook his head, was he purposefully misidentifying who Sebastian was? Maybe he had to demonstrate his relationship with Kurt in a similar fashion to how he showed Blaine on a frequent basis, or even Chandler. "Though-"
Sebastian definitely needed to show Adam who he was and what he couldn't have. He reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand and spun him around and into his arms and bent to kiss Kurt, right in front of Adam. His mouth sought out Kurt's while his hand plunged right back into that hair at the of his neck.
"Oh! You're the boyfriend!" Adam said, interrupting the kiss. "Nice to meet you! Kurt talks about you all the time! You're just not how I pictured you."
Sebastian really wanted to ask how Adam pictured him, but Kurt was tugging on his arm. "Come on! I spotted Rachel, let's move in further so she can't see us as easily in return!"
Sebastian's ears were attuned to listen for Kurt's voice and heard him easily. He nodded. "All right, let's go!" He and Adam followed Kurt toward the back of the club where the bodies got denser. He lost sight of Kurt a couple of times and found him more than once being grinded upon by some rando. He would pull himself free and give a disengaging smile and the man would shrug in disappointment and then find some other poor sap to rub up against.
Santana and Dani had hugged Kurt and kissed Adam's cheek and Santana elbowed Sebastian playfully while Dani kissed his cheek but then were off to do their own thing. It was a gay club designed to entice all the non-hetero-normative crowds. They were welcomed too as long as they were cool with everyone.
"Should we be worried about them at all?"
"Please, if Santana doesn't pick up at least 2 other people to go home with or go home with her, then it's a slow night!" Kurt shouted to Adam but Adam had to get incredibly close to hear him.
"What?" His ear was right at Kurt's mouth and Kurt shouted it again.
"Oh!" Adam laughed.
Kurt said something else and when Adam asked him to repeat, he just laughed and shook his head. "Let's dance!"
Sebastian could already hear the strain Kurt's throat was under trying to be heard in such a loud club and fulfilled Kurt's desire, spinning him around and then sashaying a little. He learned he could do more than just sway side to side and get what he wanted. Kurt enjoyed it and he would do whatever allowed him to bring Kurt home at the end of the night. Besides, he enjoyed dancing more freely too.
Adam did the type of dancing Sebastian normally did but threw in a few more of those Blaine type foot moves and spins. He was somewhere in between as well. Kurt pulled free and did a freestyle dancing with each of them. He was dancing with both of them without dancing with either of them. Sebastian slid up behind Kurt so no one else could and he respected that Kurt wanted to have fun out with his friends and boyfriend and not make it overtly sexual. Still, Sebastian claimed his spot so no one thought he was free. Which made people think that Adam was free and he was, but he kept turning them down so he could continue dancing with Kurt.
Sebastian sighed, another person solely after his boyfriend. Great.
Not that he was left alone either, men (and women) kept coming up behind him and trying gyrate against his backside and he kept shifting and shifting Kurt with him giving them a subtle hint of not interested, already spoken for. A few were a little braver and Sebastian turned his head to speak with them. "No." or "Got my conquest for the night" and he would wink and they'd usually back off.
Sebastian leaned forward and his mouth brushed the shell of Kurt's ear. "Want anything to drink?"
"Water?" Kurt asked for and Sebastian pressed his lips as a small kiss onto Kurt's ear in acquisition. He wanted to ask him to come with but he knew he wouldn't leave Adam on the floor by himself and the three of them could have gone to the bar but that just made the bar dumbly congested.
"Adam? Drink?" Sebastian said loud enough for the Brit to hear him.
"Whiskey Sour!" Adam reached for his wallet but Sebastian waved him off.
"Next round." Not that he'd ask Adam to pay at all. He had enough, especially if Kurt wasn't going to drink.
Kurt's eyes lit up and grabbed Sebastian's arm. "Me too!"
Since when did Kurt really drink? And when did he drink Whiskey? His reaction made it seem as if he'd had them before and liked them. Sebastian nodded and left to get the four drinks, he'd make sure Kurt got his water too.
Blaine and Rachel found him at the bar and he tried to pretend he didn't see them or hear them as they called out to him. Neither of them really liked him and he didn't like them either but he had to act cordial with them because of Kurt. He couldn't ignore them when they got right in front of him. "Well if you're going to join us, you can carry some of the drinks." They had a drink in hand each already and he handed Blaine: Adam's drink and Rachel: Kurt's water. He carried Kurt's Whiskey Sour and his own to where Kurt and Adam were dancing.
Some guy was dancing up close to Kurt but not touching him yet. Kurt kept changing positions, moving closer to Adam but the guy followed. He looked like he was ready to tell him off but Sebastian got up close behind the guy so he could hear him and growled. The guy's head turned his way and saw Sebastian's fierce look and he bolted. He wasn't a big guy, hardly taller than Blaine but narrower than him too but not as slight or as tall as Kurt.
Adam and Sebastian were both around 6'0" and Adam was built sturdier than Sebastian's thinner frame. He would be considered lanky if he weren't so evenly proportioned. Bigger guys, other than Karofsky, had not tried to hit on Kurt in his presence. That guy had been polite which is why Kurt had been polite back. Sebastian needed to teach his man how to tell men in a club to fuck off though, in a way they didn't misunderstand or get aggressive with. Real life was a little different and he could understand why Kurt liked having a gay older friend at NYADA, so far everyone was in love with Rachel and Kurt had been feeling second string again. Even if that gay guy friend was not exactly well known or dripping with friends himself. He had enough for a college glee club at least and from the little interaction that Sebastian had with him, he seemed polite and kind.
Sounded familiar, Sebastian thought in annoyance as both Adam and Blaine surrounded Kurt after they were handed their drinks. Sebastian hung back a little, this was not what he had signed up for... He took the water from Blaine and watched as Kurt slowly let loose. He tried to avoid Blaine but Blaine was always just behind him and Sebastian had enough when Blaine's hands slid to Kurt's waist and he tried to press in closer.
Sebastian jerked the smaller boy away from his boyfriend and claimed that spot for himself. Blaine grumbled but moved to the side. Rachel was dancing on her own, close but not part of the small circle. Now that Blaine was pulled off of Kurt, she slid so she was in front Kurt and between him and Adam. She danced and pressed up first against Kurt's front and then pressed back against Adam. Adam was surprised but he knew this was a typical behavior in a club and tried to go with it but after a few moves with her gave up and moved to the other side of Kurt. She pressed up against Kurt again who moved back into Sebastian's arms.
Sebastian wouldn't let him move out of his embrace again and pressed the water into Kurt's hand before his hands slid down the front of Kurt's thighs and pressed up against him from behind. Kurt snuggled back so he was securely up against Sebastian. Sebastian grinned over his shoulder, not at any of the others but for them just the same. Kurt was his.
Rachel spun around and started dancing more intimately with Blaine, or at least in appearance. Adam went back to dancing near them but Sebastian didn't miss the look of disappointment on his face as he took in their close positions. He even let himself dance with another guy now. Good.
Sebastian was not like Kurt's typical male suitors, he wasn't polite and kind. He was neither of those things, he was snarky, biting, rude and cared more deeply than anyone else. He and Santana had those traits in common and those were the traits that Kurt needed around him, keep him safe emotionally and physically. They could take the brunt for him because he would tear himself apart trying to help everyone otherwise. It's why he didn't begrudge Puck's friendship with him. It's why he encouraged Kurt to talk with Mercedes more.
Mercedes had admitted to him after Kurt left that she felt forgotten now that Rachel and Kurt were such besties. Sebastian probably shouldn't have said anything, but he did, he told Mercedes what Kurt had confessed to him one day. He thought Mercedes was done with him, that she realized his path diverged too far from hers for her to like him anymore. He thought she was the one pulling away from him. That her God loving self had decided he was a heathen and she now only tolerated him.
Mercedes had sobbed onto Sebastian's shoulder and Sebastian had awkwardly patted her back. He definitely didn't want to be on that end of that again. He supposed they talked more now than they had before graduation over the last year or so but they were both very busy people. Mercedes even checked in with him on occasion. He was kind of touched by that.
She came back to Ohio more often than Kurt did and Sebastian had been trying to maintain relationships with Burt and Carole too and their paths had crossed on occasion over the last couple of months. At one point, she looked him straight in the eye and admitted that she liked him better than Blaine but that she was still holding out final judgment on how she felt about him being with Kurt. Now that she'd had a few months away in the real world, she'd realized what an ass Blaine really was.
Some of the others were still missing out on that vital clue, Rachel especially.
Kurt had stared at Sebastian on the video feed when he found about Sebastian hanging out with his dad. "You're going to family dinners in my place?"
"Not in your place." Sebastian had rolled his eyes. "Nobody can replace you. I'm just trying to keep up a relationship with your father, it's hard to do when you're not here. At the worst, I'm keeping your seat warm for when you visit." Sebastian had said kindly.
"It'll be even harder when you're here." Kurt had said but he looked incredibly touched. "Dad never mentioned it to me."
Nor did Sebastian expect that gruff man to say anything. They didn't do a lot of talking when Sebastian came to dinner, the table was eerily quiet without Kurt's presence. But Burt kept inviting Sebastian back for the next weekend if he was in Ohio and not in New York with Kurt. Sebastian kept going. Sometimes Finn was there, sometimes he wasn't, and even those visits weren't filled with a lot of chatter. Sebastian knew that Carole and Burt talked, they had to, but they didn't really talk to Sebastian. Still... it was more contact than Sebastian got with his own parents. Were they waiting for him to start the conversation up since he was the one who invited himself over in the first place? Were they expecting him to be like Kurt, chatter without needing any input from people he knew wouldn't have anything to say about whatever his latest interest was? It wasn't that he didn't listen, Kurt listened with rapt attention when his father and Carole spoke.
Sometimes that rapt attention in what Finn was saying was a little uncomfortable for Sebastian who knew that Finn was Kurt's first crush. Was there more of that at play even now?
Finn was monosyllabic when he was around Sebastian, answering yes and no questions and offering little in the way of questions back.
Kurt wiggled in his arms and Sebastian released him, not wanting to force him into anything he didn't want to do or anywhere he didn't want to be. There was enough of that already and he wanted his man to fly. Kurt spun around and slid his arms around Sebastian's neck and they were swaying ridiculously slow to the faster beat but Sebastian did not give one fuck about what they were supposed to be doing when Kurt looked at him that way, when Kurt was in his arms. Kurt's fingers played with the hair at the base of his skull. His other hand held the half drank water cup. Someone had come by and taken empties earlier. This club was surprisingly clean, no spilled drinks or empty cups being kicked around. If there were, they were cleaned up quickly. This place wouldn't be caught dead having months old popcorn in the corner.
Sebastian's mouth was next to Kurt's ear yet again. "We'll have to come back next time I visit." He was going to add that they could leave the entourage at home, except maybe Santana and Dani who knew how to make themselves scarce.
Kurt tilted his head with a poor you smirk on his lips and he leaned up against Sebastian, pressing his chest against Sebastian's from collar bone to naval. A shudder of desire licked through Sebastian at the touch. "Honey, this is New York, by the time you return, this place will unfortunately be old news and there will be another club on everyone's lips." Such was the fate of bars, clubs and some restaurants. One in a very great few were able to stand the test of time and survive, either by changing who they were constantly or by holding true to their mission and tradition, nothing in between. A few bars, a few restaurants, but never any clubs fit that list.
Sebastian knew that, Paris was like that too, but they had even more that held on to old traditions and lasted longer. He'd been to New York several times before Kurt moved out here. He rested his forehead on Kurt's and closed his eyes, listening to the pulse of the beat around them and the feel of Kurt pressed up against him and prayed that they could go the way of those that lasted as boulders in the sea of change around them. This was something he could hang on to, a resting place when the rest of the world was chaos. He wanted to be the same for Kurt, the slowly changing force fighting against the ravages around them, shaping it's path as well as being shaped by what was around them but at the heart of it all, unchanged, never changed.
Some people just wanted to check off that they did it, they'd owned and managed a club, did it and were moving on to something else. "Keep your ear to the ground then, I want to experience the next It place with you too."
Sebastian felt Kurt's face transform into a pleased smile and only had seconds to recognize that Kurt was moving. His lips brushed against Sebastian's. "That's something you can count on." Then he was pulling Sebastian into a faster pace.
They crashed into bed that night with Adam on the loft's very uncomfortable and small couch. Sebastian wanted to complain that he had a home here in New York to go back to but didn't manage to breath a word of that complaint as Kurt was tugging off his button down black shirt that was incredibly slimming and sexy, Kurt's words. Sebastian forgot all about the gate-crasher on the couch and the one in Rachel's bed. He was more than happy to comply with Kurt's insistent demands.