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Chapter 10: Strangers to Lovers to Strangers to Friends
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Sebastian did have to unfortunately admit that there was a change that came over Blaine after he gave his final performance of undying love for Kurt. He stopped being so needy and pushy and annoying and annoyingly cloying.
He was charming and friendly and he even smiled and spoke with Sebastian at Dalton now. The competition season was long over and all three teams had lost to Sound Explosion or whoever at Sectionals and they hadn't moved on to Nationals. McKinley's Glee club was still safe though as it was a place for people to express themselves. They gained new members even though they weren't any more popular. There would always be people out there who wanted to find a place to belong and didn't feel like they belonged elsewhere.
He and Kurt were talking in a way that Kurt claimed was 'pre-Karofsky' and 'pre-dating'. They were talking like two boys with similar interests once more and no romantic feelings between them. Sebastian sat between them and closed his eyes and ears against the ongoing discussion of fashion and Broadway and things that Sebastian wasn't remotely interested in other than how it pertained to him.
It had been a slow build, both were tentative around the other, trying to find topics that weren't going to lead to an argument or uncomfortable talk about their past relationship.
Blaine was self-assured once more and was more like what Sebastian had imagined when the Dalton boys had talked about Blaine being suave and sophisticated and dapper. He was... attractive now, but not in a way that pulled Sebastian's attention. He just wasn't that annoying little guy anymore. He was actually someone Sebastian could stand being around... or he would be, if Sebastian still wasn't sure there was another motive underneath it all.
Blaine kept claiming that more than anything else, he missed his best friend and he was making it seem exactly that. Sebastian wouldn't be fooled though. No way.
Except the weeks ticked by and Blaine didn't do a single thing that was out of line or say the wrong thing. He was perfectly cordial at school, he was not overdoing it with texting Kurt, he didn't even really mention Kurt other than bring up a joke the two had found funny. Every time Blaine brought Kurt up though, Sebastian's mouth would purse, Kurt should be sharing those jokes with him.
Yet, Kurt never let up on the communication he'd always had with Sebastian, they were still talking and laughing and joking and talking sexy to each other, video chatting, texting, talking on the phone. Sebastian still went out to see him. If there was any change in their relationship, it was Sebastian's doing but he was trying hard not to let his annoyance and jealousy over Blaine influence how he approached Kurt. Just because Blaine was the only one of the contenders to have kissed Kurt, only one to have been in a relationship with him other than friendship, was no reason to be unbearably jealous or heavy handed.
Kurt had one relationship before Sebastian, Sebastian had several. Granted, he wasn't friends with any of his exs, they never had to see any of them.
Kurt was not Sebastian and so he worked hard to put this jealousy out of his mind. Blaine had only slept with Kurt once, and it had not been something Kurt had wanted to repeat even while he was dating Blaine. He wouldn't try to do so now that they weren't together.
Slowly, slowly, oh so slowly, Sebastian was beginning to come around to them being friends. Seeing them as just friends and that neither had wanted more out of the situation.
Sebastian, Blaine and Finn all moved into the already cramped apartment in June. When Sam decided to crash with them in August, Santana decided to move out. Sam couldn't find a school he wanted to go to, so decided to try New York with his buddies for awhile. He had a plan on becoming a model for a singular purpose and once he got that, he'd be done with modeling.
She ignored Sebastian's betrayed look, she and Finn were the only ones in his corner when it came to Blaine. Finn bought that Blaine was now just all of their friends. He even started dating someone, moving into Santana's room once she was gone. He started dating a lot of guys, actually.
He was also respectful of Kurt and Sebastian's relationship. He didn't break into Kurt's (and Sebastian's, now) room and chat with him excitedly over something. Not like he did when entering the apartment when he spotted either Rachel or Kurt sitting in the apartment in open space.
They all mostly kept their relationships behind closed curtains but once in awhile you could catch someone making out on the couch or in the kitchen. There were a lot of dates out. There may have been more than one occasion when more than one couple was having sex at the same time and were definitely able to hear it but they didn't let that affect their relationships. Finn and Rachel were somewhat solid. Blaine went through men like Sebastian used to.
Kurt and Sebastian were incredibly solid now. They went to different schools still and Kurt still worked a lot while going to school but they spent a lot of their free time together alone or in a group with each other's friends. They still saw Santana a lot even though she no longer lived with them, she was over practically nightly for a free meal and Kurt and Rachel still worked with her.
Blaine didn't work, just went to NYADA and stayed in his own classes. Sebastian had an irrational fear that Blaine would somehow be able to convince Carmen to let him into all of Kurt's classes. That hadn't happened and he didn't know if Blaine tried or not.
By October, Mercedes was out in New York too and finally they got Sam out of their living room and off their couch. Santana moved back in after breaking up with Dani and took the couch. She kept throwing barbs at Blaine but he didn't take the hint that she wanted her room back. Kurt decided to set up another room, it shrunk their communal space but it got Santana out of their living room.
At one point Blaine and Kurt got into a massive argument about boundaries and space. But that was only because Blaine tried to bring in a study area that Kurt absolutely hated and said it was totally against the aesthetic. Nobody else had ever dared to try to bring in furniture or mess with his design. For the most part they liked it, didn't care, or knew better than to touch Kurt's vision and expect to still be breathing and living the next day. Blaine had attempted to push those boundaries.
He learned and he took out the furniture he brought in and effectively apologized. Sebastian had glanced at Santana – see, he's trying to control Kurt and the situation again!
Santana had looked at him and tilted her head the other way. Yeah, but he didn't get his way, did he? Patience, faith, dear boy, Kurt's not falling for it or giving in again. Trust Kurt, Kurt had a strength and backbone that he'd been born with and had just lost sight of for a few weeks, that's all. He'd found it again and employed it. Sebastian would listen to Santana, they were both aware of the past and would keep an eye open for any bad behavior. They wouldn't be fooled.
Sebastian nearly broke his teeth from gritting them so hard when Kurt sank down onto the couch next to him one day after school and before he had to head out for work. "I feel like I got my best friend back. It's what we should have always been. It was so stupid to try a relationship, but I was looking for love in all the wrong places and pushed too hard. He was the first out gay boy I met and we were really good at being best friends. I confused that for romantic feelings." Kurt was understanding what happened so much better now and he packaged it up and put it away as lessons learned.
Sebastian was glad that Kurt was over any lingering doubts or questions. Now content to be in a friendship with Blaine, even if Sebastian still wished Blaine was well out of sight and mind. He could maybe be at the same school, but this was ridiculous, how entwined Blaine had gotten into their lives again.
Still, even though there were 6+ people living in this apartment, they made it work and it wasn't completely uncomfortable. They all had busy schedules and were all respective of each other's space and quirks. Like Blaine with his bubbles (soda streamer) or Kurt with his obsessive need for things to be clean and in their spaces. Santana's desire just to mess with them by leaving things out or rearranging products or putting bleach in Rachel's shampoo or Finn's ridiculously long showers. They all knew to get in and out before Finn did. Sebastian didn't have any quirks they had to be patient with and nobody messed with him.
Now when Burt and Carole visited, Sebastian paid for a hotel suite to put them up in and he and Kurt would crash there with them while they were in town. There just wasn't room in the apartment for another couple. Finn and Rachel would come over too and they'd eat in the hotel or go out together.
Burt and Kurt were very similar and insisted on paying their way. "No, otherwise we'd all be stumbling over each other in the apartment. Kurt won't let me buy us a real, grown up apartment until we're settled with real jobs and out of school and know where we want to live full time that is convenient for both our jobs." Sebastian had said every time and rolled his eyes each time too. He suggested moving out nearly monthly but Kurt wouldn't hear of it. Really, he was surrounded by friends and love, so Sebastian couldn't see pulling him out of that and instilling him in a place where it was just the two of them, silence and loneliness. Even though it would have been theirs and he could have friends over all he wanted.
"Why don't you two move in with Sam and Mercedes? They're around and gone in equal measure. You'd have space and quiet and people around." Burt suggested once. "Mercedes was once your best friend, after all."
She was, Rachel was and Blaine and Finn were all in their own ways in equal measures and in very different ways. Sebastian had walked in more than once with Blaine and Kurt close together and laughing over something on their phones. Sebastian would catch a look enter Blaine's eyes before he would school it and look away or keep it purely platonic and friendly. Sebastian didn't notice that look quite as much anymore but every once in a great while it was there.
"It would be nice to firm up that relationship a bit more, it's been awhile since we've seen them." Sebastian said softly, thankful it was Burt suggesting it this time.
Kurt promised he'd think about it and he did reflect on it. Before he could come to a decision though, Sam announced he was moving back to Lima. He had gotten his wish to be on the side of a bus and now he was going back to his true home. Mercedes would come back occasionally to visit her family there and friends, and she could see him there too. Besides her stint in New York was ending too, the producers had sent her there so she could record a more 'gritty' version of her album. Now she was going back to California.
Sebastian suggested that he could buy her house and they could move there anyway?
Kurt said no, as he knew he would, and so they stayed in the cramped but still somewhat roomy apartment.
Actual fights within the apartment were surprisingly minimal and soon it was April and Sebastian wondered where the time went, how it had all passed so quickly and easily. Blaine hadn't actually tried a single thing with Kurt or gotten into a fight with Sebastian, though Sebastian was ready for one, all the time.
Slowly that passed too and he just accepted Blaine's presence in the apartment and barely noticed him now.
They were even becoming, dare he say it? Friends.
Santana and Brittany got back together in May and Brittany moved in too.
Now there were sometimes 8 people spending the night more than one night or week at a time. Blaine seemed to have gone through the entire gay community in New York and the visiting ones as well. Still, he wasn't serious about any of them.
It was the end of Kurt and Rachel's Sophomore Year at NYADA and they'd already gotten through their Freshman year – Blaine and Sebastian. Finn was still on his own plan, somewhat a Sophomore, somewhat a Freshman. Without school though, tensions rose with the temperature. They tried to spend more time outside and pick up more shifts in preparation for the next year.
Except Blaine still didn't work and Rachel kept getting rejection letters when she auditioned for plays, she was too green. Yet, Kurt had gotten a role in a small play and he was practicing for it often within their bedroom or in the park down the street. Sebastian kept telling him not to go there alone, even during the day, there were a lot of shady people hanging about.
Kurt said he needed space and he couldn't handle all of Rachel's glares. Nothing ever happened but Sebastian would always be pissy about it whenever he heard Kurt had been there again. Even a jog through that park was potentially problematic and yet Kurt spent a lot longer in that green space. Nobody, surprisingly hassled him and maybe they thought he was crazy while he talked to himself and so they gave him space and peace.
Rachel and Santana were spending far too much time together, between more shifts at work and at home. Brittany and Santana had ignored Rachel and Finn's request for the living room one night. They had actually gotten there first and spent the entire time making out on the couch while Finn and Rachel had wanted a romantic dinner and a movie, alone.
Well, Santana had ignored it while Brittany was oblivious. Kurt and Sebastian had come home late. They were thinking about just getting a hotel room for the night. Trying to respect Finn and Rachel's request when they came in, slightly tipsy to the biggest row between Rachel and Santana. Santana threw in the fact that she'd slept with Finn before too, so obviously Rachel wasn't missing out on much. Finn got upset and Brittany was crying.
Kurt bit his lip, not sure who to go to and then walked up to the crying girl and pulled her into his arms, he'd deal with Brittany first. Finn got even more upset and stormed out. Sebastian placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder, encouraging him to stay there then he chased after Finn. Kurt never knew what Sebastian did, but Sebastian had tracked the bigger boy down and pulled him into his arms and let Finn cry and scream out his frustrations.
They ignored the strange looks tossed in their direction. Sebastian just held and rocked Finn and Finn let out a piece of information that stopped Sebastian cold.
"It's just not fair, I just wanted some time alone with my wife. Life is too short and with Burt being sick, I just want to hold onto what I can."
"Wait- wait-" Sebastian gasped, his throat closing up. "Burt is sick?"
Finn pulled back and wiped the tears off his face and looked at Sebastian skeptically. "He didn't tell you either? I knew he wanted more information before he told Kurt... I only found out by accident, which is why I stayed in Lima for so long. I got in the semester prior to actually coming out here but I couldn't leave Rachel hanging on for too much longer either and Burt insisted I come here..." He was rambling and Sebastian had a hard time following but he was understanding so much.
"What's wrong with Burt?" He felt faint and he reached out for something to hang on to, which happened to be a dirty street light's pole.
"He's got cancer. They're fighting it, have been for about a year now... You really had no idea?"
Burt had always seemed so strong and invincible. He knew about the heart problem but that had been dealt with and he was eating healthy, he was eating healthy without Kurt pushing it. Kurt had looked upon his meal options approvingly and ordered the same. He and his son were more alike than he'd thought, even though they looked completely different. Now he knew why.
"Kurt hasn't been told."
"Yeah, like I said, they wanted to wait until there was more information." Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "There's another check up later this month, it's to determine if they've caught it all or if there needs to be a more aggressive treatment."
"He could be in remission?" Sebastian asked, breathing a little easier now.
"Could be, time will tell." Finn agreed. "You can't tell Kurt!"
"No... No." Sebastian shook his head. "He needs to know, this should never have been kept from him to begin with and for what... a year?"
"It isn't yours to tell, Sebastian!" Finn was getting angry and he was still crying but doing better hiding it.
"It is now!" Sebastian roared and spun on his heel to go find Kurt. Finn's hand clamped down on his shoulder and he tried to shrug him off but the older boy was not only taller but stronger than him.
"Sebastian! Stop!"
Sebastian spun with a fist aimed for Finn's face and he made contact easily. Finn let go but he came up swinging right back and the two got into a fight. Sebastian lost but he put up a good fight and nearly could have won if things were a little more even. His skill had matched Finn's natural weight and size. After Blaine decked him he'd started taking classes so he'd at least have a chance. Now he knew he would probably win against someone more his size.
Finn pinned Sebastian's struggling form against his body, they were both breathing heavy and Finn's lip was leaking blood and one of his eyes were dark and Sebastian had never outright fought someone in his life and he was fighting essentially his brother-in-law. It wasn't someone who was out looking for a fight or to hurt Sebastian or Kurt, it was just a byproduct.
"Don't... don't tell him, please." Finn begged. "Dad didn't want to tell him because he should be able to be here and enjoying college life without this hanging over him. He didn't even want me to know but I overheard when I was home one time when they weren't expecting me. I didn't want to keep it from him either but I get it now. Kurt's a worrier and he will be incredibly upset and will lose track of his life here. He'll try to come in and take over... he'll get overly stressed out."
"It's summer now..." Sebastian argued, his back was to Finn's chest, unable to move or hit or go anywhere while trapped there. He was sure he could find another way out if he had to but this was a friend, it was family. He didn't want to seriously hurt the guy. "We can spend it in Lima, he doesn't need to be back here until August."
"He's got the play he's been working so hard for." Finn reminded him and Sebastian's stomach sank. Kurt would have been able to take time off from the restaurant, no questions asked, but the play? He would be devastated to lose that role, but he'd be even more devastated to lose out on precious time with his dad.
"He wouldn't be home normally, Burt wouldn't want him to be home just to fuss over him. He lost so much time in high school worrying about his dad's health, choosing to be home to look after him, even though he didn't need to, over being with his friends." Finn's breath was shaky now because he was back to crying. "I wasn't there for him them, I blamed him for keeping it from me even though I had no right, no right to be upset, Burt was just the guy my mom was dating at the time. I took it out on him, let me do this for him. Give him good memories with his dad during this time, give him good college memories. This is a time he'll never get back."
"He'll never get that time with his dad either, thinking he's got years rather than months."
"At least give us until we know if Burt is in remission or if he's got a lot more to go through. If he's in remission, Kurt will never have to know, other than for family history during physicals."
Sebastian scowled. "How do you expect him to be able to tell a doctor that without finding out that Burt was sick and he didn't know about it?"
"He'll be pissed and maybe may spend more time with him for awhile but he'll slowly get over it and head home, back to his life here. Let's get him through the play first, right?"
Sebastian breathed deeply and created more space which he could then slip out from. "Fine but he'll never know my part of this and you'll tell me the second Burt gets results and then I get to decide what we do with that."
They were all making decisions for Kurt again. Except this time it was Burt's choice who he told and when and how. Sebastian wasn't pleased he'd learned this way either and he knew Finn would slip up and tell Kurt by accident sooner or later. He was surprised that the blabber mouth had been able to hold it in for this long. Rachel couldn't know, she would have blabbed it too.
Finn and him held a stare between them for a very long time before Finn's shoulders sagged. "Fine."
"Do you have a hold of yourself?" Sebastian asked, not sure if he had himself together either. Finn nodded and he forced himself to nod too. "We have to come up with an excuse." He gestured to their faces and the fact that they'd been fighting and it was obvious.
"Mugger that didn't get anything out of us?"
"A couple, I guess." Sebastian eyed the broad set of Finn's shoulders. "No... nobody will believe it, you are not a target. Me, maybe, not you. They'll also make us press charges."
"Tell the truth then, we got into an argument then a fight but we fought it out and are cool now." Finn shrugged.
Sebastian scowled. "They'll believe that even less unless we tell them why, neither of us are fighters or just go around getting into fights with anyone."
"Some crazy deranged person who attacked me and you tried to pull them off and they ran away but we didn't get a good look at him? Probably hopped up on drugs?" Finn finally suggested after a moment and Sebastian wondered why he was so creative now when before he was terrible at that kind of thing.
"Sure. Let's say it happened in the park and we lost him when he ran between some trees. That way Kurt will think twice about going there again." He really didn't want Kurt in that park, especially as Kurt had now gotten on first name basis with some of the druggies and hangerouters there. He didn't like that they'd started 'looking out' for Kurt. Kurt had rolled his eyes and said that's how it worked in New York, you developed relationships with the locals and then they'd more likely protect your stuff rather than be the ones stealing from you or letting anyone else do it. Especially if you tossed them a few bucks or a beer occasionally. Sebastian sighed and said they needed to live in a nicer area. Kurt argued that it was the same, just less grime but you were paying for someone to watch out for you. At least here, they shared the grime and you didn't always need to pay with money. Sebastian would much rather pay with money, even if it didn't spark quite as much loyalty. Money he had plenty of, he did not have plenty of Kurt to go around. He didn't want anyone asking for something Kurt couldn't give or give easily.
Everyone gasped and fluttered around Sebastian and Finn, offering their support and ice packs. Kurt had moved forward the second he saw both of them but stopped in his tracks when he heard Finn's story. His eyes swung to Sebastian, clearly not buying a word they were both saying. Sebastian looked back to Kurt and willed him to just trust him on this.
He should have known that with all his talk about the park, Kurt would have seen through it, knowing that the park wasn't nearly as dangerous as Sebastian was making it sound. Now that he'd basically forbade Kurt from going there, he get's jumped by a druggie neither could identify? Why would either of them be in there in the first place if Sebastian was so adamant against it?
Sebastian hadn't thought through what he was saying, not as much as he thought he had, at least. He quickly thought for a believable reason. "I followed Finn there, I wanted to warn him how dangerous that park was when we were attacked!"
Kurt shook his head and didn't believe a word he said but came forward and took the first aid kit from Rachel's inept fingers and took care of first Finn then Sebastian. He took care of Sebastian second because he knew that once he touched Sebastian, it wasn't just going to end there. Sebastian grabbed Kurt's hand when his touch became too unbearable to just take and pulled him to their room.
Kurt let Sebastian lead the night but afterward, his finger tracing the bruised lower lip, he looked at Sebastian in the street light that filtered through the window into their room. It was a good and bad thing, light without needing to pay for it, light in the morning but also a bright light throughout the night. "What really happened?"
"Finn and I got into a fight, we were both riding high on tensions due to the summer heat and so many people being around. He was pissed about Santana and Brittany and I... I guess I have a lot of unresolved feelings that I needed to get out of my system."
"You're not a fighter." Kurt frowned and rested his cheek onto Sebastian's shoulder, looking up at him. "What tensions?"
"Do you mind if we choose not to speak about this? Finn and I worked it out and I'd rather not stir things up again."
Kurt sighed and turned his head, not pulling away from Sebastian. "So many secrets."
Sebastian protested that. "I'm an open book in all things, except for this and you're the only one I allowed to read it. I'll tell you what I'm keeping quiet on when the time is right, I promise you though, you'll have access to these pages when they've been looked over and are ready for release."
"So dramatic." Kurt teased and pressed a kiss to a bruise near his face. "Ok, fine."
Sebastian just hoped that Kurt didn't regret putting his faith into his boyfriend nor Sebastian regret holding onto this secret for just a little longer.
Burt called Sebastian the next day. Kurt found it funny but Sebastian walked away from him. Usually they had it on speaker phone with Burt calling Kurt. Sebastian's parents, his mom especially, called Kurt constantly, ignoring the fact that she hadn't actually rang her son in weeks. She was usually looking for advice. Kurt would put that on speaker too and she'd chat with both of them, make plans with them, and actually follow through with it.
Kurt just assumed it was about his 20th birthday coming up, Sebastian's to follow not long after. His dad probably figured, get in at 20 because 21 was going to be filled with a lot of drinking and harder to be part of. He also had his opening night in a few weeks. Maybe they were going to surprise him then.
"Sebastian..." Burt breathed when he knew they were now unlikely to be overheard. "Finn told me he let it slip that I have cancer and that you're planning on telling Kurt once I get my next results."
"Yes." Sebastian had never backed down with Burt in the past.
"Let me... let me tell him, whatever way it goes. I'm going to be out for opening night anyway and the weekend. Let's celebrate his show and then, then I'll tell him."
"As long as you promise to tell him." Sebastian would hold Burt to it, the older man knew that too.
"I do, I will." Burt promised.
"Good, because, I love you too! It's killing me not to tell him, he needs to know about you, but until you're ready, I'll wait."
Blaine cleared his throat, Sebastian was in the hallway and he turned to the shorter curly haired boy. "Kurt's inside, isn't he?" Blaine questioned with a lifted triangular brow.
"Blaine-"
"Blaine?" Burt questioned on the other end. "Sebastian-".
"I'll handle it." Sebastian clicked off the phone and jumped toward Blaine who skidded back and tried to run. Sebastian grabbed his shirt and then threw him against the wall. "Don't you dare say a word to Kurt! This isn't what you probably have your head twisted around and doesn't pertain to you!"
"Kurt's my friend! He deserves to know you're cheating on him!"
They heard the commotion inside and the slick of the door along the rail was a small warning hidden under Blaine's words.
"Cheating on Kurt?" Rachel squeaked. "Sebastian, how dare you? With Blaine?"
"What?" Sebastian turned his head toward her and his heart sunk to see Finn and Kurt standing there too. Kurt in clear view of him pinning Blaine to the wall and Blaine had his hands on Sebastian, one on the back of his shoulder and the other on his waist.
"This is risky and daring even for you!" Rachel continued squawking. "With his best friend, while he's home, right outside the door?"
"Rachel, shut up!" Santana shouted and Rachel's mouth clicked shut.
Kurt was shaking as he looked at the two of them. "Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into you Sebastian – fighting first with Finn and now Blaine-"
"I'm not cheating on you!" Sebastian shrugged free of Blaine's hands and came after Kurt who backed up a step, surprising both of them. "I'm definitely not cheating on you with Blaine. He's just manipulating things again."
"You're the manipulator!" Rachel shouted. "You broke them up!"
"They were heading that way anyway. I was just there to support Kurt!" Sebastian snapped at Rachel and heard Kurt suck in a breath at the anger from Sebastian.
"Wait, wait, you fought with Finn?" Rachel questioned. "Is that why he has those bruises and a bloody lip? I thought you were both attacked by a crazy guy? The crazy guy was you?" Rachel shook her head. "I don't feel safe with you here!"
That was enough to pull Kurt out of whatever had been ailing him since seeing him and Blaine in such close proximity. "That's insane, Rachel. Sebastian has always been a perfect gentleman! Of everyone here, he's the only one who hasn't laid a hand on a girl in a remotely sexual way!" That was... completely accurate. "I'm sure Sebastian has a perfectly logical explanation for everything." Kurt reached out and took Sebastian's hand and stepped even closer.
Sebastian nodded, but then realized that he didn't, not if he wasn't going to share secrets. Finn groaned, knowing the truth along with Sebastian. "I was at fault, ok, Rach? I said something very upsetting and we started arguing and who knows who threw the first punch but we were both at fault, both emotionally charged. It's fine, just don't ask about it anymore."
"Who were you talking to on the phone? You said you loved him and wanted to tell Kurt about it but was willing to wait until the other guy was ready!" Blaine cut in, completely trying to sow discontent between Sebastian and Kurt.
"Burt! Ok?" Sebastian shouted and Finn made a cutting action that was somehow missed by everyone else. Sebastian caught it and sent Finn a glare. "I was asking him for Kurt's hand in marriage, looking for permission to ask, does that satisfy you?"
"Why - " Blaine started but Sebastian turned to Kurt.
"You know your dad and I have said we loved each other before, we're that close now. He said that he was happy for us if you said yes, but he wanted to wait until after he could see you in person. He just wanted to be here to see it himself."
Kurt flinched back. "Aren't we too young?" Sebastian didn't know why it sounded like Kurt was quoting someone. He knew he wanted to marry Kurt one day, but hadn't been planning on it until they were both out of college.
It gave Sebastian an out though that he hadn't thought though, just jumping on it. "That's what your dad was saying too, I said I would wait until he was ready. He said he loved me like a son but he already had one married off and wanted a little more time before another wedding. Three in 5 years seemed excessive to him, in the same family when two of them were under 20. Although we wouldn't be by the time we got married."
"Were you looking for a long engagement?" Kurt looked from him to the others in the hall with them.
"I-" Sebastian really hated Finn for putting him in this position and Burt asking him to lie for him as well. "I was just getting feelers right now from Burt, I haven't even bought an engagement ring yet. I've been trying to get you to move in with me first."
"Move in- you already live together." Blaine looked very confused.
"Yes, but our own place." Sebastian waved him off and turned back to Kurt. "I'm willing to wait though, I'll stop pestering you about it."
Kurt looked so incredibly confused. "I knew there was something being held back from me at the last dinner when we were all there... there's been something up for awhile, actually. Was it this?"
Sebastian wanted to say yes but he refused to outright lie to Kurt. He was going to ask Burt for permission to marry his son, this was just a little sooner than he actually planning and before he did so.
"No." Finn spoke and Sebastian looked at him in surprise. "I'm the reason why. I admitted to Burt and Carole that I was terrified of moving to New York and it still scares me daily being here and not in Lima with them. They're worried about me and my feelings and emotional well-being. I love being here with you and Rachel though."
That... wasn't a lie and was incredibly believable. Sebastian breathed a little easier now that it was off of him.
Kurt looked to Sebastian. "You didn't seem to be in on it or even notice it... so yeah, I guess that tracks." He linked his fingers with Sebastian. "You really want to marry me?" Those were the right words to say to a highly romantic Kurt and Sebastian didn't regret that they tumbled out of his mouth. He'd been thinking about it more and more over the months that he'd lived there with them, especially since Finn came to visit.
"I do." Sebastian nodded. God, he'd have to talk to Burt quickly about all of this.
"We're not too young? I'm not going to exceed our budget on a wedding we can't afford with some of my crazy wants?"
These words were all too familiar but Sebastian was having a hard time placing the conversation. He definitely hadn't had it with Kurt. It clicked into place and he glared at Blaine one more moment before he pulled Kurt all the way into his arms. "We could get married tomorrow and I would move heaven and earth to ensure you got everything you wanted in time for the wedding. For you, for us, money is not something I'm worried about, just your happiness."
Santana laughed. "Careful, you might be broke tomorrow if you promise him that."
"Considering that he refuses to spend my money on things he needs, I'm not too worried he'll go insane on the wedding, it's going to be gorgeous and tasteful whatever he decides upon."
"You haven't even asked." Kurt prodded with their linked hands, swinging them a little. "I haven't said yes."
"I-" Sebastian hesitated with all the eyes on them. "I always imagined a far more romantic setting than our hallway after an argument with my face all bruised up with several of our friends looking on."
Kurt frowned, glancing at them too and then back to Sebastian. "You're perfect, no matter what you look like at the time. But I suppose you're right, the rest of this isn't exactly ideal, especially when we tell this to our kids and grandkids."
Sebastian hadn't even thought down that path. How would he even begin to accept sharing Kurt with anyone as demanding as a child? He wanted Kurt as much as he could to himself. Kurt would have no time for him if they brought home a child. "We couldn't live here." He teased, giving himself another moment.
"Nope." Kurt agreed. "We already have too many of them here as it is."
There was a chorus of 'hey' from the rest of them and Blaine was glaring at the two of them moodily, never in a million years would he have expected to not only listen to them have fantastic sex, but now to see the proposal. Wasn't he over it already? It'd been two years since the breakup and a year since he decided to just be friends with Kurt.
Sebastian turned his back on Blaine, he was not a part of this. "Do you want me to ask you here and now or surprise you with something a little nicer when I have the ring?"
"Nicer." Kurt agreed. "Though I may still unofficially consider this the real ask, if that's ok."
"Hell, I might start calling you my fiance even without the ring." Sebastian agreed, warming quickly to the sound of that.
"Fiance." Kurt blinked in awe and wonder up at Sebastian. "I need to get you a ring too." He pulled Sebastian back inside so they could continue talking in private and Sebastian teased Kurt about not already having it planned out like everything else. "I thought you were anti-marriage." Kurt admitted when they stood in their bedroom. "I never thought you'd... well... this." He waved at the world outside their room as if Sebastian should have known what that meant.
"Honestly, Kurt, what are you talking about? What gave you that impression? I told you I was all in with you so many times."
"I know, I know, but I overheard you and Blaine, you telling him that we were too young to think about marriage and the way you spoke, it made me think that you would never think you were old enough for it."
"Oh." Sebastian shook his head. "High school is too young for marriage. Somehow it worked for Finn and Rachel so far, but I think that's because they spent some time apart too, growing up a little after high school before getting together fully."
"We didn't." Kurt worried at his lower lip and Sebastian freed it with his thumb.
"I didn't, but I wasn't really a high school student. Not really. I had a lot of growing up that I did before I even met you. You got a year here without me. I count that as a year for me too. Then we've lived here together for another year. It's different. We're different, we've always been different. I'm more than in on this marriage thing but I will wait until you're fully ready to commit in that way."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. I sprung this on you. You want to finish out the next two to three years here. I'm ok with waiting that long."
"What have I done to deserve you?" Kurt wrapped his arms around Sebastian's shoulders and kissed him.
"Been yourself." Sebastian answered honestly. "I love you and I've always only ever wanted to protect you and be everything you deserve, be who you deserve. I just want to be with you for forever."
–
Burt and Carole were both beaming when they showed up the weekend of Kurt's play. Sebastian felt like he was losing all of his hair due to stress over Burt's condition and keeping up the pretenses he and Finn were trying to maintain.
He teased Burt about losing all his hair the next time they talked on the phone and Burt had laughed loud and deep and told Sebastian he loved him.
It was the perfect in for Sebastian. "I love your whole family but most of all Kurt, I was wondering if I could ask for permission to marry him?" He already had the ring in his pocket, he had known exactly what he wanted since he moved out to New York, had been sculpting it in his mind for a long time. He'd sent a jeweler to the task weeks ago, even before the blow up in the hallway. He'd been planning on just putting it in the safety deposit box at his bank until he was ready for it.
He had a matching wedding band made. He wondered if Kurt was talking to his parents about this too. The answer was yes, all the way around from his side, and they'd blubbered about how their boy was getting married to the most amazing man. "Gee, thanks mom and dad, way to make me feel accomplished."
"We just never thought you'd settle down and get serious about a singular guy, for that guy to be as amazing as Kurt, only makes sense."
Burt's answer wasn't as much of an enthusiastic yes as he'd been hoping for. "Is this the right time?"
"It'll be a long engagement, you know your son, even though we probably would want to get married the second we ask, you know he's going to be planning the perfect wedding for years, getting the right venue at the right time of year..."
"The hesitancy isn't about you, son, you know I love you dearly, that you're good for my son and good to him and I couldn't ask for a better man to marry my boy. It's just... I'm a little worried if he finds out about my cancer he's going to want to move the wedding up to that day, wanting me to be there and as healthy as possible. He'll rush it and years down the road he might regret not doing it the way he has been planning for his entire life."
"He's already aware of my desires to get married. You're actually doing exactly what I said you were when he asked why I was talking with you about waiting..." Sebastian had unconsciously known it then, he laughed a bit awkwardly.
"I want you for a son-in-law, I really do and I'm ok with you doing it while still young, there's not a problem with that. I just worry about Kurt and his reaction to my cancer, that's all."
Sebastian had to be mollified until he could see Burt in person to gauge that answer. "How is it, actually? I haven't heard the results."
"We wanted to tell all three of you at the same time." Burt answered but there was a lightness to his tone and Sebastian had to believe it was good news.
It was. They all greeted each other with strong hugs and excitement and had lunch and Kurt pushed around a salad because his nerves were so fraught for opening night. He'd been in a play before but this time he was actually a lead and they all offered encouragement but he left before the others were due to even start getting ready. They had one more run-through and then they'd be in the wings, watching people fill the seats before they started the play. Some would be out in the halls, guiding people to their seats and handing out playbills.
Kurt would not be, he was one of the leads and he'd be out there afterward but prior to the show, he would need to be backstage with the others. He was so wrapped up in stress of the play he missed the subtleties happening around him.
Afterward, he was riding such a high that nobody dared bring up anything that could hurt him. He got the first edition of the critics evaluation and it was all praise. The show was going to stay on for at least the summer. He had to go back to NYADA in the fall and they were respectful of that. He didn't have as much time for his restaurant gig but they were cool too, it's how it always happened with those they hired. He and his friends celebrated both Friday and Saturday nights.
The Hudmels stayed until after his last weekend performance and then they took him out to eat. He ate a fair amount that time. They all watched, happy to see it and once he finished with his meal, he saw nobody else had really touched theirs.
"Ok... what's going on?"
"So, Kurt, there's something we haven't actually told you but don't worry because it's nothing to worry about anymore, it's done, over, in remission."
"Remission?" Kurt caught that word while everyone looked at him. It was his family sans Rachel. He grabbed Sebastian's hand which was right next to his, palm up, ready to be taken. He'd remember that later. "As in... cancer?" Three heads bobbed in agreement. "Who...?" Burt cleared his throat to speak but it gave him his answer. "No, no, it can't be you, you had a heart problem, that was fixed, cancer is just a cruel joke to play in addition to that."
"It's the heart problem that led to better screenings and they were able to detect it early. We were able to fight it and they think they got all of it."
"Fight... for how long?"
"About a year." Burt reached for Kurt and he scrambled back. "Kurt?"
"A year? You've withheld this from me for a year?" Kurt stood up. "You've been lying to me for a year?"
"Not lying, just wanting you to be happy until we knew how serious it was."
"Serious? This is fucking serious, even if you fought it and got all of it. I should have been told." He looked to the two his age. "How long have you known?"
"Finn's known for about 7 months." Carole answered. "He caught us talking about it."
"And you?" He held Sebastian's emerald gaze, daring him to lie.
"A couple of weeks." Sebastian answered and watched as Kurt flinched back, pulling his hand from Sebastian's. "It's the real reason Finn and I fought, I told him you needed to know, you should have known all along-"
"So then you went ahead and kept it from me too. Bringing in bullshit stories like wanting to marry me and Finn being afraid of being in New York."
"No!" Finn argued. "Those are both true – I was afraid about being in New York while Burt was sick and having to rely solely on my mother. I wasn't sure what would happen with the treatment and I wanted to be there, to support him-"
"Sam's actually been there for days when we needed a big male body to help out-" Carole snapped her mouth shut when she realized she'd just added salt to the injury. Kurt couldn't know but nonfamily members could?
Sebastian groaned internally at the look of utter betrayal on Kurt's face. Kurt was never going to forgive them for this. "It's just that he's been living there since he came back from New York." She tried to explain, but they'd already known that and Sebastian and Finn had forgotten about that. Sam had kept it from Kurt too.
Kurt ran from the restaurant and Sebastian attempted to go after him but Finn grabbed his arm. "Wait." Burt spoke. "He'll get over this, I just wanted to talk to you real quick."
"He might forgive you, but he holds me to a different standard."
"Because you can hurt him the most." Burt agreed and Finn let go of Sebastian. "I wanted to let you know that I give my permission. Kurt's always been an old soul and knows what he wants. He wants you, no matter what he may say in anger. Remember he's not mad at you but me but since I'm now sick again in his mind, he can't yell at me."
Sebastian wasn't looking forward to what he'd face when he got home. Finn stayed and made sure to see the parents off properly. He still wasn't prepared for what he walked in on. Kurt was crying in Blaine's arms, against his chest and Sebastian just about flipped. There was no reason to go back to Blaine just because he hadn't heard about his dad- that wasn't Sebastian's fault but he was mildly deflated when Blaine shifted and Rachel and Santana were in the small huddle with them. Still, Kurt clung onto Blaine. Actually... he looked at the hands, those were oddly manish hands for Kurt with nailpolish on. No, those were Rachel's hands on Blaine's shoulder and back. She was behind Kurt, trapping him between her and Blaine with her hands on Blaine, Blaine was holding Kurt to his chest but Kurt's hands... Kurt's hands were gripping Santana's hard.
He's not sure how he missed Brittany draped around Santana from behind, since the rest were all so short but she was also holding onto Kurt's hands. Rachel was the first to notice Sebastian. "You're not welcome here!" She shouted.
"Finn's known for over 6 months!" Sebastian defended himself.
"But he's family and we can't kick him out. Besides, he'd end up sleeping on the street since he doesn't have any financial resources, not like you." Blaine growled. "We should have been told about Burt."
"Like he was told about Kurt?" Sebastian countered and Kurt sobbed and tried to pull himself free of the hands on him but Blaine and Rachel held him still even though Santana and Brittany relaxed their grips.
"'Stien!" Kurt called out, trying to get free again and Sebastian moved forward into the room, knowing he was needed, being beckoned and called for. Kurt managed to break free this time with Santana's help and fell into Sebastian's arms.
They landed on the ground with a little thump and Sebastian protected Kurt from feeling it and gathered him onto his lap and into his arms, rocking him. Santana and Brittany moved around the other two and wrapped their arms around Kurt and Sebastian this time. Rachel slid to the floor and tried to get in on it but Santana put a hand to Rachel's face and pushed her away. Blaine took the hint and stalked off to his room.
There was no way to get between Kurt and Sebastian if all his tricks didn't work, if Kurt forgave him something this important, as to not tell him about his dad's cancer and to use a marriage proposal as a way to get out of telling him the truth. What had Blaine ever done wrong compared to all of that?
Sebastian, Kurt and Santana knew as did Burt, Carole and now Finn; and to an extend Jeff and Nick. The rest may still be blind to it, but they knew exactly how Blaine had hurt Kurt even deeper and more completely than any of this surface stuff with Sebastian.
So, Blaine doubled down his efforts to just be Kurt's friend and to finally, truthfully move on. He even fooled himself and that week he hooked up with a guy who he could handle spending more than a night or two with. It was his first serious relationship since he and Kurt ended and it lasted at least a year.
–
Sebastian lifted Kurt and carried him back to bed when he tired himself out with his crying. He had so many more shows and he needed to sleep if he'd have any chance at nailing them like he had this weekend. Thankfully the first show wasn't until 8 tomorrow night and for this first week he had decided to take off from the restaurant.
Sebastian laid Kurt gently in his bed and wrapped him up in the blankets before laying on top of them and stroking Kurt's hair. "'Stien." Kurt said softly, exhausted and worn out in equal measures.
"I'm right here." Sebastian continued stroking his hair and they spoke in French. No need for anyone else to overhear them. At this point Kurt spoke French in his sleep, not needing to bother with translating or thinking hard about what was said as long as it wasn't slang. Sebastian only used slang with him on occasion, the rest of the time, he spoke informally but not slang. Kurt spoke French with his parents too, but formally still.
"Were you lying?"
"No. I fudged the order of events, but I was always planning on asking you to marry me, I was always planning on asking for your father's blessing. He gave it to me today, can you believe that? It was after you stormed out. I asked him shortly after I told you I did and he said he had to think about it."
"Like you said." Kurt tried to open his eyes but they were puffy and was having trouble. "He really put you off?"
"Not put off, per se, he was worried you'd rush the wedding because of his cancer." Sebastian stroked the side of Kurt's face now. "He just wanted you to have the best wedding, the first time."
"But he gave his blessing?" Kurt checked, struggling to sit up now and Sebastian only pulled him onto his chest so he was propped up by Sebastian's arm.
"He did." Sebastian agreed.
"And you still want to marry me?" Kurt checked.
Sebastian snorted. "Good grief Kurt, yes. How many times do I have to say that?"
"But you lied." Kurt was still trying to make sense of all of this.
"About the timing, I was trying to balance a lot of things when you caught me with Blaine in the hallway. He'd overheard me talking to Burt thinking it was a guy I was cheating on you with. Finn and Burt had both just asked me not to say anything until they knew the test results and I didn't want to hurt or lie to you."
"But you did."
"I didn't, it was just all in the wrong order, in my head I'd already asked because I was always going to ask." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring that he hadn't the heart to put in storage yet. "Does this look like a lie?" He held out the box and Kurt took it in his hands while Sebastian lifted the lid for him. "This is custom made, I had it commissioned over a month ago. You can see the receipt if you'd like. I have a matching wedding ring made for you too, so you'll be able to wear both at the same time or separately."
"Same but different?" Kurt asked slyly and Sebastian nodded and he was surprised by that.
"The rings look like one when together but there are some diamonds in each, the metals just compliment each other." Kurt lifted it out of the box and sure enough, the ring had a mix of metals which looked intentional and he was very curious how they looked together, if they'd sit side by side or intertwine.
"Silver and gold?"
"Platinum and rose gold, it's more complimentary to your skin tone." It was also more expensive and totally commissioned.
"Like us?" Kurt turned the ring around and around in his hands, there were hints of emerald, blue, gray and yellow in the diamonds.
"Like you." Sebastian traced the diamonds. "Maybe a hint of me in the green but there's green in your eyes too. The metals, that's more like us." If he had kept the diamonds the same and mixed in a chocolate diamond and/or a darker gold, then it would have been more Kurt and Blaine. He was glad he could insure that there was no confusion there. It was cool and warm at the same time, Kurt's ring, fresh and vibrant and comfortable and homey. "Will you wear it?"
"Only if we're engaged." Kurt agreed. Sebastian took it from him and tried to put it on Kurt's finger but Kurt curled his hand so he couldn't. "We're not though. You haven't asked me and I haven't said yes."
Sebastian shook his head. "We keep going around in circles don't we? Kurt Hummel, love of my life, will you marry me, please? At a time of your choosing, where you want and anything else you want. The only thing I need is you as my groom and for you to be happy."
"Sebastian Smythe, of course I'll marry you, nothing in this world would ever please me more." Kurt let him put the ring on his hand and then reached into his bedside table and pulled out another box. "Sebastian Smythe, the only person I could ever love with this intensity for the rest of my life, will you promise to marry me at the end of the day, no matter how crazy I make you or arguments I start?"
"You never make me crazy, the arguments are usually fun and I promise you that I'll marry you, nothing will keep me from doing so, Kurt Hummel, my future husband." Kurt slid the ring he'd purchased onto Sebastian's finger, it was a silver ring and it looked perfect on Sebastian's finger. "Reminds me of you." Sebastian said looking down on it.
"It's not nearly as expensive as the ones you made me." Kurt held his hand to his chest, right over his heart. "But I saw it and I knew it would be right for you... as long as you're ok with silver?" Kurt hesitated. "We could switch wedding rings, you get the matching one to this one on the day and I get the matching silver one?"
Sebastian kissed Kurt on the mouth but neither tried to deepen it. "I think that's probably one of your most brilliant plans yet. We then each get a part of the other and our rings will match perfectly." Sebastian linked their newly minted fingers so they sat side-by-side. They complimented each other but didn't match perfectly, just like Kurt and Sebastian, they created an entire package.