"It's all fun and games – until it's not."
"Sure, Fievel. Whatever. I have things to do." Santana stood back up and flounced off with Brittany in tow.
Blaine turned to Kurt. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." He put his hand on Kurt's shoulder briefly, obviously not comfortable showing any more PDA than that in the Lima Bean. "I have to get to Columbus."
"I know," Kurt said, stepping back from the table a bit. "You can't be late to your grandma's birthday dinner. Text me if you get bored."
"No phones allowed. Sorry. I'll do what I can."
Kurt nodded and smiled. "Try to not fall asleep at the table."
"I'll do my best." He walked away without saying anything to Sebastian.
Kurt turned to go up to the counter to get a drink before he left.
"Kurt?" Sebastian called out before he got more than a couple of steps away.
He turned back.
"Stay?"
He took a deep breath and sighed. "Let me get a drink first."
Sebastian nodded.
As soon as Kurt returned and sat down, Sebastian said, "Look, I screwed up. I just admitted that to all of you, but I wanted to apologize to you personally. I've said some pretty nasty things to you. And the slushie was meant for you."
"I'm aware. Although, how you knew about the slushie tradition has me baffled."
"Blaine. And rock salt damages leather, as my loafers can attest to."
"I'm aware of that as well. And Blaine's face intersected the slushie's trajectory towards my leather jacket."
"Yes."
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Kurt scrutinized Sebastian's face for any sign of deceit. What he saw looked more like resignation and disappointment, seemingly in himself if his words were to be believed. "We've all done stupid things." He shrugged and took another drink of his coffee.
"And I want to thank you for giving me the tape. What I did would reflect badly on my family and they don't deserve that."
"I get that, which is one reason why I've not been back to Scandals."
"Yeah, Blaine told me."
"Wait. Does that mean he's been back there with you?"
"Well, duh." Sebastian stopped himself. "Sorry." He took a deep breath. "He said you couldn't go because of your dad, like you just said."
Kurt closed his eyes for a few seconds, replaying what had been said at Breadstix on Valentine's Day. "Was Dave there the other times you went with Blaine?"
"Um, a couple of times at least. Why?"
"Never mind that. Was that all that you wanted? To personally apologize?"
"No, not completely." Sebastian shook his head. "I've seen the way you look at me when you think I don't notice."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. If you have a point, just make it. I have other things to do this afternoon."
Sebastian closed his book. He sat up straighter and looked Kurt in the eyes. "You look at me like you wish I would disappear off the face of the earth."
Kurt just shrugged, as if that weren't exactly a secret worthy of an actual discussion.
Sebastian went on despite Kurt's obvious disinterest. "I'm just the first in a long line of men who will flatter your boyfriend. He's a charismatic attention seeker, who manages to come across as genuinely surprised that people are attracted to him. His 'Aww, shucks' attitude is cute. It's all part of an act, though. You know that, right? He's not that dapper guy he makes himself out to be. You're not the calm, meek, backseat-taking type, yet you're doing everything in your power to keep him. He's not the prize you think he is."
"Whatever, Sebastian. You've known him for a few months. I've known him for nearly a year and a half."
"And, in that year and a half, have you paid attention at all?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I knew exactly who you were when you walked up to the table a few months ago. Do you really think Nick, Jeff, and Trent, especially, wouldn't tell me the Warblers' tale of woe about how you came in last fall and joined the group only to leave again after Regionals to go back to your public school that was headed to Nationals? And how you stole their lead singer? The very heart and soul of their group?"
Kurt didn't manage to contain the snort he was trying to hold back.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow in agreement. "Those three gossip as much as teenage girls. Well, at least Jeff and Trent do. Nick's pretty quiet."
"I'm aware."
"Case in point – 'Candles' was terrible."
Kurt shrugged. "I sang what I was given."
"Of course you did. Blaine chose the songs. I'm not uninformed. It wasn't just the notes, though. It was the way you sang. I've listened to other songs you've performed."
Kurt looked perplexed and raised an eyebrow.
"Scoping out the competition. That shouldn't be a stretch for you since you entered Dalton under false pretenses to get a look at your competition last fall."
Kurt shrugged slightly. "That point I mentioned you needing to make?"
"Right. You have an uncanny ability to blend with whomever you sing. When you sang with–"
Kurt cut him off. "Was that a compliment?"
"A statement of fact."
Kurt suppressed a chuckle.
"Anyway, you blend seamlessly with whoever you sing with, which confused me, so I listened to the recording again. And then I listened to the two of you sing separately again. He has no vibrato. You sang the way he sings. It sounded terrible."
"Don't mince words," Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry. I won't. You do realize that Blaine will keep going where the grass is greener. Where there is someone to lick his boots. Where he can shine."
"That's harsh, especially considering how hard you've been working to spend time with him. Lima isn't exactly a ten-minute drive from Dalton."
Sebastian chuckled. "No, it isn't."
"And I know there are nicer gay-friendly places in Columbus than Scandals with a selection of guys who will actually let you into their pants."
Sebastian nearly choked on the coffee he had just taken a drink of. "Nice timing."
Kurt smiled facetiously and nodded curtly.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin before he started again. "You're here now, fulfilling his every need for attention, so he's just soaking up the extra attention from me without actually stepping out on you. He has me to go out clubbing with. He's got wannabe Barbra licking his boots too. Why ruin a good thing? He took the lead from you in West Side Story and you bought him flowers. How sweet." He flashed an insincere grin. "Are you going to get him a selection of new bow ties from Brooks Brothers when he cheats on you?"
Kurt's eyes flashed.
"Like I said, you're here now, as is Rachel. When the two of you are gone, who will fill the void?" He took the last drink and plopped his empty cup on the table, making Kurt jump a bit. "Look. I lied to ruffle your feathers. He's not too good for you, I don't want him, and I don't dislike you. You're fun to spar with, but I dislike who you are with him. You give as good as you get, but you're not yourself when he's around. I just think you ought to ask yourself whether he's worth losing yourself over." Sebastian stood up, put his coat on, and slid his satchel up onto his shoulder. "I'm going to head out. I actually have a dinner with my grandparents tonight."