AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Long time no write! Hello! I'm back after way too long (sorry!). I took some time off from writing my own stuff to help out my friend gigundoly by writing some snippets here and there for her story (it's called "The Rest of the Journey"- go read it on her page!). Over the last few months, though, I have received more comments and messages than I ever expected to about how much people loved my two previous "Step-Brothers Universe" stories and the sibling foursome that they featured. I was blown away by the new readers these stories have attracted recently, as well as some kind messages I received, so I decided to finally go through with an idea that I'd been toying with for a while: a third installment to this series! It's a cross between somewhat of a prequel that incorporates flashbacks, while also taking place during the events of my story "Sibling Rivalry" (roughly after chapter 14 and between chapters15/16- so definitely go back and reread that story if you need a refresher. I know it's been a while!). I'm really excited to be giving this story a shot, and I hope you're excited too! If you're reading, be sure to sound off in the reviews! I'd love to hear what you think.

(Also PSA: If you're new here and are finding my account for the first time, be sure to read my story "Sibling Rivalry" and its sequel "All in the Family" before diving into this one, or else I'm afraid not much will make sense!)

(Also, this chapter contains some of my very rusty French. It's probably choppy, badly conjugated, and may just even be wrong overall. My apologies, I am trying my best! And if anyone reading this is fluent in the language and spots any mistakes and wants to help me out, my DMs are open. ;) )

*As always, I don't own any of the characters that Glee created, only the ones that I have developed for the purpose of this story. All rights for Glee and its characters are owned by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and FOX.*


Chapter 1: All By Myself

SEBASTIAN

Almost immediately after Blaine had seen Artie and his family at the Warblers' Regionals showcase last week, he'd sent out a series of texts, effectively alerting every member of both the New Directions and the Warblers of the impending union between the Abrams and Smythe families. In an instant, everything that Sebastian and Artie had worked so hard to keep a secret was out in the open.

And much like how the news had spread like wildfire throughout the two show choir teams, it didn't take long for their parents to find out what they had done either.

"You boys mean to tell me that, all this time, you've been going to great lengths just to ensure that nobody knew that you've been living under the same roof? Despite the fact that in just a few short months you'll be step-brothers?!" Nancy exclaimed in disbelief, looking pointedly at her own son, who'd lowered his head to avoid eye contact. "Nobody knew? Not even Tina, Artie?!" Nancy closed her eyes and rubbed her temples to attempt to wrap her mind around what she'd learned.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Artie scratched the back of his neck as he began an attempt to defend his actions. When he didn't find one that would satisfy his mother, he gave up, clasping his hands and setting them in his lap.

"I'm still trying to understand… what did you think that being so secretive would accomplish?" Harrison demanded to know, standing beside his bride-to-be, opposite Seb and Artie.

Sebastian wasn't used to his father getting angry. The relationship the two Smythe men shared had long been established on the nature of coexisting alongside one another, rather than one of a close-knit father and son. Harrison had been a stay-at-home-dad when Sebastian was growing up and they had been close, but as Sebastian got older and Harrison began spending more and more hours at the law firm, they'd drifted apart. Sebastian assumed that that's just what happens when a heartbroken, workaholic widower is left to raise his young gay son on his own. These days, just a fraction of the close relationship they once had remained, and the duo acted more like ships passing in the night, giving one another a nod of acknowledgment now and then. To see his father getting angry now was unfamiliar for Sebastian, and it scared him a little bit.

"Our teams are rivals! We thought that if our friends knew, they would think we were helping out the other team ahead of the competition. That we were spying! We didn't think anyone would understand," Sebastian attempted to explain, to no avail.

He sighed. Even that excuse– the truthful one– sounded lousy now. Unless you were a member of either the New Directions or the Warblers, you couldn't possibly understand the boys' motive.

That conversation between the parents and boys had sparked another: that Griffin, Artie, Sebastian, and Ella needed to spend much more time together before becoming actual step-siblings in June.

For that reason, at his mother's request, Griffin had come home from college for a weekend full of forced sibling bonding. On Friday night, the foursome was given Harrison's credit card and sent to the local luxury bowling alley that also doubled as a sports bar for night one of the experiment.

As they walked across the parking lot, Sebastian had to admit that it was oddly refreshing to be going out in public with Artie and not be worried that they would be spotted by one of their friends. Despite this, he still crossed his arms in front of his chest as he walked into the venue, feeling extremely out of place as he trailed behind the three Abrams kids.

This feeling of being left out seemed to be a common occurrence for Sebastian whenever Griffin came home, as it felt like Ella and Artie's missing puzzle piece had been located. Those three were thick as thieves; a complete set. They had years' worth of inside jokes, endless tales from their childhood, and a shared sense of solidarity that nobody could stand in the way of– it seemed that no amount of bowling nights would allow Sebastian to catch up. Around the Abrams kids, he always felt like he had to be on the defensive; like he had to prove to the others that he would be a good fit for their family. It was a self-imposed pressure that weighed silently and heavily on him. He felt like he was on his own, and for the millionth time in his life, Seb found himself wishing he had just one other person that shared his own life experiences.

"Seb, what size you got, man?" Griffin asked, throwing his arm around Sebastian's shoulders as they stood at the bowling shoe rental counter.

Griffin was always trying to include him– even though they didn't know each other all that well yet, since he'd been away at Ohio State for the majority of the time Sebastian had lived with his family. He was a people person, that much was obvious. He loved talking to others and had a special talent for making them feel special; that was just who he was. Even though Sebastian and Artie had gotten closer due to recent events– namely, the aftermath of Watson Price's audition for the Warblers and Dave Karofsky's suicide attempt– Artie was still somewhat distant and not particularly warm to him, especially when his siblings were around. Ella, on the other hand, was great. Being the youngest child and only girl had given her a great sense of humor that Sebastian appreciated. But despite the state of his individual relationships with each of them, Sebastian continued to feel like the odd one out when all of the siblings were together.

"Oh, uh, eleven?" Sebastian cleared his throat before answering Griffin.

"Hey, me too! Not Art, though. He's got the world's smallest feet."

"Oh, come on!" Artie protested. "I wear a seven-and-a-half, that's not that small."

"Okay, but Ella wears, like, an eight-and-a-half. And that size conversion from women's to men's is only, like, a size off. And she's fourteen!"

"He's right," Ella chimed in just then, reaching for two pairs of bowling shoes and setting one in Artie's lap with a smirk. "Your feet are tiny."

The shoe size debate sparked another spirited conversation between the siblings (about whether or not Artie could consider himself taller than Ella) that Sebastian didn't know how to best contribute to, so his mouth stayed shut. He was sure that the Abrams kids didn't even realize that they tended to come off as cliquey, and he didn't blame them. If he'd had someone to share the camaraderie of growing up with, he was sure he'd act the same way.

Despite how miserable and alone he felt at the moment, he could hear the words his father had told him earlier tonight ringing in his ears:

"Go make friends with these kids, son. Your mother and I were never able to give you any siblings. It may take some time, but someday you might look back on these days of getting to know one another as some of the best of your life. You have an opportunity here, Sebastian. Don't let it pass you by."

Seb knew his dad was right. He shouldn't look at this forced bonding time as a punishment. This was his chance to have everything he'd ever wished and hoped for, he just needed to take advantage of it. With a little bit of work, he'd hopefully be able to get to know the Abrams kids– especially Artie, who was practically his same age– better, and maybe even foster the brotherly relationship for which he'd yearned for so many years.

"Can we take a break?" Griffin asked the others as they neared the end of their second round of bowling. "I'm starving, and that plate of fries is taunting me."

The others nodded, set their bowling balls back in the ball return, and retreated to the table next to their lane where the food they ordered had been delivered. Artie retrieved the hand sanitizer he kept in his backpack and passed it around the table for everyone to use before they dug into their meal.

"I hate bowling," Artie complained as he took a sip of the lemonade he'd ordered. "I suck at it. Always have."

Griffin was at the top of the leaderboard, with Sebastian coming in behind him, Ella in third, and, sure enough, Artie was taking up the rear in last. His inferior fourth place performance had put the ever-competitive Artie in a bit of a sour mood.

"Remember when we went bowling with Dad a few years ago and you managed to get your ball in the gutter every single time?" Ella asked, laughing at the memory.

"And ever since, he insists on using the bumpers whenever it's his turn!" Griffin chimed in on the good-natured teasing.

"Allow me to remind you that the angle I bowl from is less than ideal," Artie retorted, but he was smiling too. "I'm already at a disadvantage here, the least y'all could do is allow me to bumper-bowl in peace!"

The playful teasing banter that came so naturally to the Abrams kids caused Sebastian to be uncharacteristically quiet as he munched on his sub-par burger.

"Sorry, Sebastian. I know you've undoubtedly heard a few too many of our stories," Griffin commented, picking up a few more fries and placing them in his mouth. "How about you share some of your own. What was it like growing up for you?"

Griffin's question caught Sebastian off-guard. He'd only said a handful of words all night, and the fact that Griff was now opening up the floor and inviting him to partake in the conversation took him by surprise.

"Oh," He began, swallowing his food and clearing his throat before answering. "Uh, I mean, I was an only child, obviously, so pretty boring." Sebastian shrugged, his attention commanded by the food in his plastic basket.

"Didn't you tell me you lived in Paris?" Artie asked him. "How could that possibly be boring?"

Sebastian shrugged again. He was hesitant to divulge the stories of his childhood, mostly because too many of them involved his mother, and partly because whatever story he'd recall couldn't hold a candle to the ones the Abrams siblings usually shared.

Sebastian looked up to see the three pairs of identical blue eyes staring back at him curiously, waiting to learn more about the boy who was to become their step-brother. Sebastian heard his father's words in the back of his mind again because, after all, wasn't tonight all about sharing the little details about himself with the others so that they could all get to know one another better? What did he have to lose?

"Alright… I did grow up in Paris, yeah. I was born there and lived there until I was nine, but my memory's kind of fuzzy on a lot of it. I only really remember the last couple of years…"


Paris, France

June 2003

"Sebi!" Sylvie Smythe called to her young son when his face finally appeared in the sea of schoolboys– dressed in identical uniforms consisting of a white polo shirt, navy khaki shorts, knee socks, and boat shoes– that were exiting the school building on that sunny afternoon.

Eight-year-old Sebastian looked up when he heard his name and saw his mother waving. She was dressed in a fashionable white linen dress paired with big black sunglasses that made her unmissable. He grinned and grasped the straps of his backpack as he ran towards her.

"Comment ça va, mon chéri?" Sylvie asked her son when he came near, ruffling his hair and planting a kiss on the top of his head.

"Good," Sebastian answered in English, as the mother and son fell into step beside one another as they started down the cobblestone streets towards home.

It was finally starting to get warmer outside as the summer grew nearer, and Sebastian was counting down the days until school let out. He held his mother's hand as they walked, and he could feel his stomach rumble as he spotted his favorite pastry shop at the end of the street. Preparing his best puppy-dog eyes, Sebastian asked in French, "Peut-on aller à la pâtisserie?".

Sebastian made his eyes big and wide and blinked his long, dark eyelashes as he looked up at his mother. Sylvie had no choice but to smile and give in to her only child's request for an afternoon treat.

"Oui."

"Yay!" Sebastian cheered, flashing his mother a gap-toothed smile and skipping ahead of her towards the pastry shop at the corner.

As he waited for his mother to catch up, Sebastian pressed his face to the glass, his mouth watering as he took in the sight of all of the intricate, delicious pastries on display.

"Allez, Sebi," Sylvie said as she held the door open and called for her son to peel himself away from the window and head inside.

Sebastian didn't even have to point out his favorite raspberry tart to his mother, for she already knew. After ordering a tartelette for Sebastian and a café au lait for herself, Sylvie secured them a table outside of the shop. Sebastian sat down across from his mother and swung his legs back and forth as he animatedly recounted the events of the school day while he enjoyed his pastry.

When they were finished, Sebastian led the way back home, running up the front steps that led to the space that doubled as his mother's studio and showroom, where she spent her days designing dresses. The family lived on the building's second floor– in the apartment above the space– but most of Sebastian's afternoons were spent downstairs, keeping his mother company.

"Commencez à faire vos devoirs s'il vous plaît, Sebastian," Sylvie gave her son a pointed look as she instructed him to begin his homework while she picked her own work back up where she'd left off.

Sebastian groaned. Couldn't it be summer already? Summer days in the city were spent at the playground, drawing with chalk on the sidewalks that lined the scenic cobblestone streets, chasing after the ice cream truck, and practicing for his tennis lessons. Now that the air was warming up around him, Seb was finding it difficult to get his head out of the clouds in order to focus his attention on his homework.

"D'accord, Mama," Sebastian relented, doing as he was told by settling down on the floor and opening up his backpack to retrieve his assignments.

Under his mother's watchful eye, Sebastian sprawled out on his stomach on the hardwood floor and worked on his multiplication homework, counting off his math facts on his fingers.

Every now and then, Sebastian would take moments to glance up and observe the way his mother worked. The way she listened to records of old Etta James songs as she made progress on her current project, humming along to the tune with the sewing pins securely in her mouth. The way her eyebrows knit together while she critiqued and admired her work. The way she tucked her shoulder-length light brown hair behind her ears as she sewed. There was no denying his mother's natural beauty, and Sebastian was absolutely certain that she was just the most beautiful woman in the world.

Some of his friends' parents were businessmen, teachers, and doctors. But Sebastian thought that his mother's job was the neatest of all. He was enraptured by the way that she poured herself into her designs. Her admirable dedication to her craft caused him to drift into a daydream, beginning to sketch his own version of a billowing evening gown in the margin of his worksheet. He wanted to be just like her when he grew up, he thought– or maybe he just wanted to find something that would make him feel as passionate about his day job as designing and sewing made his mom.

His mother's studio was Sebastian's favorite place in the world. The way that the natural light streamed through the windows, and how when the weather was pleasant out like today, she would open the french doors so that the slight breeze could waft in. This was heaven, as far as Sebastian knew, and it was the place he felt most at peace. He was constantly mesmerized by the flowing, beautiful dresses that surrounded him. There was nothing he wanted more than to spend a day trying them all on, spinning and twirling as the tulle skirts swished around him. That would make him happiest, he thought.

Sebastian was jarred from his reverie by the sound of his name being shouted from outside.

"Sebastian! Venez jouez avec nous! Come play with us!"

He looked over his shoulder to see his neighbors– ten-year-old Charles and his younger sister Chloé, who was Sebastian's age– waving him over. Charles stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, a basketball resting under one arm with his opposite hip jutted out. His blonde hair was cut short, and the smile he wore on his lips made Sebastian's heart skip a beat. He didn't know why, but Charles' presence always made him nervous in the best way. The sight of the older boy gave him unexplained butterflies in his belly that just couldn't be settled.

"We're going to the playground!" Chloé called from the bottom of the stoop.

Sebastian sat up onto his knees and glanced hopefully at his mother for permission to run off with his friends.

"D'accord, vous pouvez partir," she nodded, and Sebastian scrambled to his feet and ran over to give her a hug goodbye before leaping down the stairs to join Charles and Chloé outside.

The park that they liked to play at was just down the street and was complete with a small playground, a basketball court, and ample space to run around.

"Sebastian, want to race to the swings?" Chloé asked him.

"He doesn't," Charles cut in, placing a hand in front of Sebastian to stop him from going along with the girl. Even though Sebastian was two years younger than Charles, the two boys could see eye-to-eye, since Sebastian had always been tall for his age. "Sebastian wants to play ball with me, right?"

Charles looked at Sebastian expectantly while Sebastian glanced between the siblings, conflicted about which choice to make. On one hand, was the girl his own age who he enjoyed spending time with, and on the other was her older brother who Sebastian felt a nagging feeling to impress. Finally, Sebastian decided to suggest a compromise.

"Charles, would you like to swing with Chloé and I first, then we can play basketball afterward?" Sebastian asked, pleasing all parties involved.

Between racing one another up the playscape and down the slides, as well as their games of tag and basketball, the afternoon passed by all too quickly for the neighborhood pals. It wasn't long before the sun was beginning to set.

"Charles! Chloé! Dîner!" Their mother called from down the street, beckoning them home for their evening meal.

"We have to go," Chloé said, standing up from her spot on the bench beside the basketball court where she'd been watching Charles and Sebastian's game of one-on-one.

Sebastian passed the basketball back to Charles, who wore an apologetic look on his face.

"See you tomorrow?" The older boy asked, and Sebastian's stomach flip-flopped as he nodded.

As Charles and Chloé started off toward home, Sebastian was sad to watch them go. It wasn't just the thought of having to finish his homework when he got home that had him bummed out. It wasn't the absence of Charles either. It was the absence of everyone. Or, rather, anyone. He was jealous of the bond that Charles and Chloé got to share with one another. To have a sibling was to have a built-in playmate, someone who was by your side and loved you unconditionally, regardless of how much you teased them or fought with them. Every birthday and every Christmas, he wished for a brother or sister to share his life with, but he never got so lucky. He would just have to make do with having only his parents and grumpy orange tabby cat, Pierre, to keep him company.

Sebastian kicked a small rock with the toe of his shoe and sent it skittering across the sidewalk as he began his own walk home from the playground, thinking to himself, "Maybe if I had a sibling of my own, I wouldn't be so lonely."