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Chapter 13: Don't Want to Go Down Any Other Road

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Kurt had two more touring companies over the next two years. He didn't want to get stuck in one role for too long and staying in New York with the company when they came back would promise that he wouldn't be able to play more roles. He'd get stuck in a contract that would basically own his soul. He wasn't about to let that happen.

Sebastian started looking over his contracts too, he was graduating from law school with a focus in business contracts and he wanted to make sure Kurt was getting the best deals out of his contracts. So far, nobody was trying to pull the rug out from under his feet. At least on Broadway it was a small community and would get back the rest of the community and the actors if a company wasn't treating them right.

Kurt had become well loved in the Broadway circuit. He was reliable, thoughtful, brought a lot to the table other than reading and delivering his lines perfectly, which he did. He had a great voice which hit notes that always floored the audition staff. He was even poached occasionally for a play or at least they tried to. He did turn some roles down now because he didn't think he'd like the role or it wasn't in the direction he was trying to go.

One of his plays, he'd played Sweeney Todd and Sebastian had goosebumps. He'd never seen Kurt so scary. At Halloween, Kurt always had a character he played and every year it was always amazing to see his costume which he'd designed and executed himself, somewhere in his spare time.

This time when Sebastian graduated from law school, Kurt took the entire month off and made sure he was there for every step of the way. Others still crashed and celebrated with them at the restaurant and bar but they'd gone on to the hotel alone and celebrated in private. They respected their privacy at least that much.

They still lived in the loft but now that Sebastian had graduated and Kurt was promised a coveted role that didn't tour for the first couple of years, he and Sebastian were finally, seriously thinking about getting their own place.

They'd lived in the loft with the others with varying combinations for seven years. It was as much a part of their lives as the people within it. So many firsts had happened there, so many events and life events and lives had begun there. It was going to be harder for Sebastian to leave than he'd thought, even though he was the one who had wanted to go all these years.

Kurt was still going to be constantly surrounded by people between the play and his strong friendships and Sebastian already had a job that he was orientating with the second he graduated and passed his boards. Even before then, actually. They'd hired him and started the on-boarding process already.

Kurt linked their hands and pulled him down the street with him, a giddiness in his step and Sebastian loved watching him walk. He had on the most ridiculously tight pants on, as usual. He had a long sleeved shirt that wasn't a button up for a change and a vest he hadn't seen since Junior Year of high school. In many ways it was more like a necklace as it hung from around his neck and laid flat against his chest. It only gave the appearance of being a vest. Still, it was so Kurt that Sebastian loved every inch of that material.

"Where are we going?" Sebastian laughed as he was pulled through the shiny doors of a building he'd never been in before.

"You'll see." He stopped at the desk. "Kurt Hummel and Sebastian Smythe."

"She was expecting you; 10th floor. You can take the elevators up." He handed over a key and Sebastian was already gaining interest with every step. This place had to have key access to go upstairs. No more did he have to worry about someone just walking into the building and into the loft if they got passed the shoddy front door. He still wasn't impressed with the neighborhood. It was just the neighbors that had warmed him to the loft over the years and that had been hard won.

Kurt placed the key on the outside of the elevator and the doors opened and he had to do the same inside while he selected the floor. It was the top floor and they walked out into the hallway and there were only two doors, one on either side of the hall. The hall went on for what seemed like forever but no more doors. "What's down there then?" He asked nodding.

"Oh, 2nd emergency exit." There was a window at the end. "Come on, you'll see." Kurt opened the door on the left and swung the surprisingly large door open and his breath caught in his chest. This place was massive and two stories high. He could see the glass stairs leading up to the bedrooms and there were windows everywhere other than the wall on the side they were standing but they used that to put cabinetry to help deafen any noise that might slip into the hallway; including the one large skylight that took over nearly the entire building."And they're cool with us being a gay couple." Kurt was talking but Sebastian hadn't heard anything else until then.

"Sorry, what?"

"They're cool with us being a gay couple." Kurt repeated. "What do you think? Shall we purchase it?"

"Purchase?" Sebastian was really slow now. He'd known it was likely a place for them to live but he hadn't really put that together.

"Yeah, I can afford it on my pay."

"You're not buying us a penthouse." Sebastian spun on Kurt.

"Well, ok, but I figured with all the parties and family and friends who will likely drop by it would be nicer for our neighbors not to have to hear us. But if you want, we can find a condo or a house or-"

"No, I meant, you're not buying us a penthouse." Sebastian repeated but started emphasizing bits.

"Oh. Why not?" Kurt looked at him in confusion, still not getting what Sebastian was saying.

"I can buy it without even noticing I spent the money." Sebastian said calmly. "But I know you, and you'll want to contribute, let this be ours so we'll split it, since you just said you could afford the whole thing on your own, you can settle for half." Sebastian grinned as Kurt looked at him with a sour face.

"But you bought so many things over the years, least of which were first class tickets and food delivery which still hasn't ended when I'm in New York, as you're aware. Let me put my money to use now for us. I have some."

"So keep it, buy me meal services, since I'll be working so many long hours in the office and buy us first class tickets on vacation and hotel rooms and whatever else." Sebastian slipped his hands around Kurt's hips. "For our home, we should purchase it together." And he knew he had him there.

"Ok." Kurt gave in easily. "So, you like it?"

"I love it." Sebastian agreed and they headed downstairs and purchased it that day. It was only later he found out what Kurt had secretly done, besides find the perfect place for them to live and their entourage. He had found something that was exactly the same distance between Broadway and his workplace. It made it an even more perfect place for them.

Sobs were heard from all corners of the loft on the day they moved out. Even though most (all) the furniture in the loft's shared space was Kurt's, he declared it wouldn't fit the new living space even a little bit and so it could stay with the loft and it's current tenants.

"Sure, just because you two are all fancy now with high paying jobs, you can't stay here with us anymore." Santana sulked.

Brittany's turn to try and guilt them. "The rest of us have jobs too and we've gotten married and had kids and we've stayed. Why can't you two as well?"

"You're not even married." Rachel pointed out and Kurt opened his mouth but sound wouldn't make it passed his throat.

"You're all invited over and we'll be here more than you'll like with us not actually living here." Sebastian covered for Kurt, his arm wrapped around Kurt's waist and hand resting on his side. His thumb rubbed reassuringly on his ribs. Kurt had lived with them 7 years to his 6 but Sebastian had practically lived here anyway that extra year. Still, these were Kurt's school friends, not his. This was an even longer relationship than Sebastian had with them, but he figured 8 years of knowing them was a pretty long time too.

Kurt had known them all his life, from knee height to full height. Some taller than others in the end. They had always had a hold on Kurt that they hadn't had on Sebastian, even with how close they'd all gotten, Kurt was just that much more caring than he was, cared deeper for other people. Had more intimate relationships with them without needing to be intimate physically.

Sebastian had never had anyone, not really, not until Kurt and he brought in all these other people in with him. Kurt had always had others, even if it was just his dad for awhile there. He'd had others. Even if he hadn't had them, he'd wanted them, craved for them. Sebastian still didn't, but the little girl who was on her mother's hip, looking at the crying adults in confusion almost undid him more than anyone else.

"Sweetie, we're not going to be around all the time but we'll always be here for you." Sebastian promised the little girl who just sucked on her thumb and looked at him with big brown eyes.

He pulled away from her, with a ruffling of her silky brown hair. "We're not married, no, that's next on the list now that we're moving out." Sebastian agreed as he looked at the mother of the girl, who'd pointed that out.

"We're also leaving our bed. I expect clean sheets replaced on it weekly just in case we decide to crash here and it's no one else's bed, it's ours." Kurt pointed at each of them. "Guests can have the couch or the chair."

"That's so uncomfortable to sleep on!" Finn whined.

"Tough! My furniture is staying so I get to dictate what is done with it. If you want to replace it... I will die a little inside but I will understand." He had finally come around to the big squishy couch at his dad's home. "And then you can dictate what's done with it."

"Nobody would want to sleep on your bed after everything you've done on it with Sebastian." Blaine made a face and it was rich, coming from him and Sebastian sent him a lifted brow look and Blaine looked away.

But he was looking back at Kurt in an instant. "You know I'm more than happy to help you with wedding planning!"

Kurt nodded smiling. Rachel agreed, she wanted to help too. Kurt had helped with her wedding (took care of everything actually), just like he'd done with Santana and Brittany's though they did put in an opinion on theme that he could stand and went with it. They had all been awestruck with the results and the weddings were very different from each other. He'd done Burt and Carole's too and theirs had been totally different yet magical as well. He'd even helped Sue with her insane marriage to herself and somehow he'd helped with Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury's wedding, though he had only returned for the ceremony and reception before heading off to the next city on his tour last year.

Some of the Glee kids went, Blaine, Rachel and Finn, but the rest didn't really attend. They had all been too hung up on their own dramas and the fact that Schue had only encouraged those three. Kurt going was awfully big of him, everyone had said. The fact that he'd helped set the entire wedding up was also so self-sacrificing on his part, they'd all commented. Santana had said so while he was home one day after finishing class for the day, he didn't go to the wedding and she didn't either. She said the next time she saw Mr. Schue would be too soon. He was a nice enough guy on the outside but he'd had so many micro-aggressions spilling out of him, it was hard to look at him without wanting to cut him. At least Sue didn't try to hide her Politically Incorrect self. Santana had winked when she said that she was nothing like either of them. At least she was aware of her own faults. Sebastian knew he'd been guilty of that too in the past, even Kurt when he didn't know he was saying something that he didn't know had 'changed' or was more publicly spoken about/aware.

She'd teased him about weddings and hook ups but Kurt had a running commentary with him the whole time and he knew that Kurt had barely ate before he was rushing out for his flight.

What had stilled Sebastian's heart at that time though, where he'd wanted to be there after all, was when Kut mentioned Karofsky was there too and he and Blaine were getting handsy with each other as they drank more and more.

If they left Kurt alone, great. They had both grown so much over the last 8 years. Both had once been in love with Kurt, or so they thought and maybe they thought they would be able to get somewhere with him when he showed up stag to a wedding. Karofsky hadn't factored in that Kurt was just doing a hit and run wedding attendance. Burt drove him from Lima to Columbus for the flight. He wouldn't have had time for a hookup.

–

Sebastian expected Kurt to have their place decorated by the time they brought their clothes over from the loft to the Penthouse but he hadn't. They had agreed on a mattress and a color scheme for the bedroom and so they had sheets and a comforter but the bed was on the ground when he got back from work that day.

That's all that filled their house other than the fancy hangers that Kurt had bought for their clothes and jackets in the hall. They had some personal items around the place too that they'd brought with, some pictures, all their toiletries in their masterbath and toilet paper in all the bathrooms, the fancy kind that Kurt and Sebastian both liked and only brought into the bathroom when they used it at the loft and tried to hide it from Santana but always failed.

That went on for a week and Sebastian finally turned to Kurt. "What gives? Where's all the furniture?"

"I wanted to pick it out with you since it's our home."

"The same as the dishes?" Sebastian questioned carefully.

"And our wedding." Kurt nodded in agreement. He'd at least been able to wear the engagement ring the last two shows because it didn't interfere with character. That had made Sebastian so happy he couldn't possibly put words to it.

"Still want to get married?" Sebastian teased, he'd been dangling it in front of Kurt for years now. He'd suggested venues in the past but it had never been right or the right time.

"Still want to get married?" Kurt huffed, appalled. "That's been my dream for nearly a decade!"

"I only asked- oh." Sebastian was the one to turn bright red this time. "Really?"

"I've been all in, into you for the entire time I've known you, even when you've done things other people would have found deal breakers and people found reprehensible anyway although they had no right getting involved or having thoughts on the matter."

"That hasn't changed all these years?" Sebastian asked, pleased.

"Of course it has, the desire has only grown, my love has only deepened and I've only found more things to love about you." Kurt pushed Sebastian onto the floor as they didn't have any chairs and straddled him. He started singing Still Into You while he undid Sebastian's tie and took off the suit jacket and the buttons of his shirt underneath and pulled the undershirt up and over his head. "And after all this time, I'm still into you. I should be over all the butterflies but I'm into you. And Baby, even on our worst nights I'm into you. Let 'em wonder how we got this far 'cause I don't really need to wonder at all. Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you. Well some things just, some things just make sense and one of those is you and I. I'm into you. Baby, not a day goes by that I'm not into you."

When Kurt's hands started in on Sebastian's belt, Sebastian stilled him. "You hardly ever sing just for me."

"I-"

"It makes it that much more precious." Sebastian shushed him, he didn't want any apologizes, he needed to give one. "You were going to sing for me weren't you, that night when you sang in French? It was going to be the first time you sang to me in public."

"Not the first time, I sang for you -"

"First time since we got engaged at any rate, but it was going to be in French, our language, it's sappy because it is the language of love, but it's also our language of love." Sebastian played with the button on Kurt's jeans and slipped it out from the button. "I'm sorry I missed it. It wasn't my intention but the test went longer than expected and then the study session was worthless and I kept trying to get them on track and finally they started doing it and I couldn't just leave at that point. I got there when you guys were packing up."

"We've each missed things." Kurt pressed his forehead against Sebastian's shoulder, trying to breath as Sebastian slid his zipper down, each tooth pressed up against him as he slid the tongue down. If was hard not to buck.

"Neither of us wanted to, it was never intentional. We would be at each other's everything if we could."

"Yes."

"So forgive yourself already." Sebastian ordered and Kurt looked up at him. "You forgive me, right?" Kurt nodded. "I made the wrong decision that night but you've forgiven me when if I had tried harder I could have gotten there. There was absolutely no way you could have gotten to me, you'd done everything in your power and it was taken out of your hands. You had planned for eventualities. It didn't matter, mother nature had a different plan. You can forgive me for a mistake, you can forgive yourself for something you had no choice in. So do it already."

Kurt pulled back and looked at Sebastian for a long moment. "Ok. I'll work on it. You might have to remind me a few times, but I'll let myself off the hook." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Speaking of hooks?"

Sebastian grinned and finished his torturous slide down of the zipper's tongue. His tongue sought out that flesh shortly after.

Later that night, Sebastian and Kurt laid on the hard wood floor of the living room, looking up at the glass ceiling that covered the entire upper floor. "Maybe we don't need furniture if we can do this all over the house instead." He had plans to cover every inch of this place with memories like this one.

Kurt laughed. "I think both of us would be very sore if we slept on the ground every night. I know my knees won't thank me eventually."

Sebastian groaned as he remembered why Kurt's knees wouldn't be in good shape in too long if they kept doing this. He would definitely not risk that, both of them needed their knees. "Ok, we can get some plushy surfaces."

"Speaking of, why don't we go sleep in our bed?" It was incredibly comfortable, as comfortable as the one they shared for the last 7 years at the loft, maybe even more so. Sebastian was too exhausted to move.

"You can." Sebastian locked his arms around Kurt even tighter though so he couldn't move.

Kurt laughed and when he made to stand, Sebastian let him. "I'll help you."

Sebastian couldn't remember when they stopped using condoms. Their rare times without lube were painful, no matter how ready or otherwise lubricated they were, so they always had at least a bottle on each of them. Now they had a bit of a mess they would have to clean up in the morning. Kurt had bought complimentary towels for their master bathroom to the colors in their bedroom, but he was also wise enough to know that they'd be used to clean both of them up fairly often. He helped Sebastian to the bed and Sebastian pulled him down with him.

"Leave it, it'll keep until tomorrow."

"Have you seen this place?" Kurt shook his head. "This is too nice to let us stain it." Kurt pulled away, again he let him go without a fight and let Kurt do what he needed to. He'd learned long ago that if he didn't give in on the first ask, then it wasn't worth the fight, it would just blow up in his face. He also knew that Kurt was a clean freak and meticulous and so there was no point in fighting him on that either, he wouldn't be able to sleep until the mess was cleaned up.

Kurt slid back into bed and Sebastian was already sound asleep.

That night though, he woke up in a panic and reached for Kurt. It took him a second to understand why when he'd been so calm and relaxed. A second boom followed by more light and another boom told him why. He had rarely woken up in this state in the loft since it was so well insulated despite being an industrial building, only when the storm was incredibly close had he been able to hear it. This place had great sound deafening features too but the storm was right above them.

Sebastian closed his eyes tightly and buried his head in Kurt's hair and practically molded himself to Kurt's body, trying to reassure himself that Kurt was there, happy and healthy with him. That it had been years since the accident and he didn't even drive long distances anymore, didn't have to, everything was close and he only ever really drove when he was in Lima now. Most of the time if he did drive anywhere, Sebastian was right beside him.

Kurt slept through the entire storm, finding them comforting and great white noise. This was one thing they would never agree upon.

–

Sebastian made one purchase on his own. Kurt didn't say anything, he just jumped Sebastian the second he saw it and then spent the rest of the night "making love" to it as Sebastian teased.

He bought a grand piano and brought it into the penthouse while Kurt was at work. Despite Sebastian having long hours, the only time he really saw Kurt was after his last performance of the night, he went even later into the night than Sebastian did 99% of the time and on the weekends while Sebastian was mostly free, Kurt still had shows to perform. He still took time off and let his understudy have time to shine, both during the week and weekends, another reason why Broadway loved him, he knew how to make other actors happy too. Sebastian tried to put in his extra hours while Kurt was workshopping or for a couple of hours on the days Kurt had several plays on a weekend, but if Kurt was planning to be home, Sebastian did too, he just made it happen.

Kurt still lunched with Isabelle when they could and that night they were actually having after work drinks at a party that both Isabelle and Kurt had been invited to individually. Kurt was becoming so famous now that he was invited to big event parties like this one as a guest rather than an employee. He was also always asked who he was wearing because he started dressing like his fabulous self now that he only really had to change for the plays and then back again. It wasn't quite the task that it had been when he was super busy. Most of the time he answered honestly, himself. That always led to a flurry of questions on how he made them and when with his busy schedule. Every once in awhile he'd say Isabelle's name (she'd given him some of her star pieces from when she designed exclusively) or some of his other favorite designers. People kept sending him clothes now wanting him to wear it because he pulled the looks off just like they had planned. He looked like a model who could dress himself like a designer, (because he was).

Sebastian was invited by both of them and he wasn't going to miss out on seeing two of his favorite people together. It was a rare event.

He didn't know anyone there except Isabelle and Kurt which was rare for him, he usually knew all the upper echelon. As the night went on though, he did see a few familiar faces and they were all over Kurt and Izzy. They were the most famous faces here, the rest were just rich behind the scenes and they fanned all over them.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and Kurt kept his left arm linked through Sebastian's with the drink held in that hand and his ring facing out for anyone's eyes who dared to look. His other hand was usually free to shake hands and he slid perfectly into that world with complete confidence and charm.

Sebastian spoke with some of the people he recognized, made new connections with business owners, explained what he did and who he was and how he was attached to the more famous duo with him, as if it weren't already obvious.

At the end of the night, Izzy took off her shoes as they waited for their car to come pick them up. "You know, I knew you were always going to do great things once you got your head screwed on 'Bastian. You proved that to me tonight, both that your head is on right and that you're going to do great things, especially with a moral compass beside you." She was on one of her sage serious kicks, apparently. Her eyes flickered over to Kurt. "And you, Lizzy, I knew the moment I met you I had to have you in my corner because you were going to go places the rest of us only dreamed about. My predictions have both come true and I'm glad that the two of you are together to keep raising the other one up to the greatest heights anyone could ever get to, and it will be because of each other as well as yourselves. If you do fall, you have each other to help you back up again."

"Lizzy?" Sebastian asked dubiously, it's the first time he'd heard it and he was surprised it was from his aunt. Kurt was never the 'girl' in the situation even though he had more "feminine" qualities about him at times. He was definitely all man, especially since he moved to New York and there were others you could see were clearly a 'female' in a 'male' form. Kurt was just... Kurt.

"So my dad met Isabelle and she told him you call her Izzy." Kurt rolled his shoulders, he'd had a bit to drink too and was having a hard time following his own story. "He said that was funny because he called his first wife Lizzy."

"So? How does that have anything to do with you?"

"I only do it in private." Isabelle defended quickly, seeing that Sebastian was getting upset. She was slightly more sober than Kurt. "Never anywhere anyone could hear!"

Kurt glanced at her in confusion for a second before turning back to Sebastian. "It's not a secret that my parents both named me after themselves on some kind of equality platform. It really shouldn't have surprised my dad ever that I then embodied both of my names... and parents. At least he didn't name me Burt Elizabeth Hummel. Mom pointed out that I already had the last name given to me by him and even she had taken on his name." Kurt shook his head and then groaned and latched onto Sebastian to steady himself. Sebastian tamped down the grin, it had been a long time since he'd seen his fiance drunk. "So Kurt Elizabeth Hummel it was, kind of a compromise and giving me my own identity at the same time. Imagine if I was the spitting image of Burt Hummel and was named Burt Elizabeth Hummel! I would have looked like a jock but been teased like I was." Kurt rubbed his arm in remembered lifts. "Well... probably bullied like I was too, or even worse since I would have looked like I could handle a few punches. More than I got at any rate. That was the one benefit of looking fragile, they knew not to push too hard, they didn't want my death on their hands. If I looked like Burt but felt and acted like Kurt and sounded like Kurt... probably would have tried to Karofsky the situation."

"No!" Sebastian hissed and pulled Kurt up against him and lifted his chin with a hand under his chin. "Never! You have always been the strongest person I've ever known. You wouldn't have done that. Please don't ever say you would have."

"You may not like what I have to say, but you probably should hear it. Everyone you've been introduced to by me in Lima have saved my life, in a way."

Sebastian realized he'd had more to drink than he knew too, those drinks came up behind you and hit you over the head, apparently. He recognized it in the slow recognition of the shake of his head. Isabelle was looking upon Kurt in fascination, wanting him to go on, never having heard this herself, even with the insider knowledge of 'Lizzy'.

"Of course some are more active participants than others toward that effect and some just happened upon the right time for a chance in my life. Some are even the villains of the story but their actions set off a chain reaction."

He waited until they were in the car with the divider up before he told the two with him some of the story that nobody else that they had lived with were in possession of. "Everyone thinks I'm just a pushover who got conned into helping Mr. Schue with the wedding because of some misguided thank you for having me in Glee when I wasn't accepted anywhere else. That because I found acceptance there from my peers that he somehow had something to do with it. He had very little, if anything to do with it. I helped with the wedding and went to it for Miss Pillsbury's benefit. I never thanked her for all she actually did while I was in that school. This was my way of saying thank you without having to acknowledge what I was thanking her for. She and I both know and we've never spoken about it. She's actually behind a lot of things in my life. They think I should be mad because she'd laughed when I tried out for West Side Story with Rachel, but she was only laughing because the laughter of the other two were contagious, even Rachel laughed when I tried to kiss her even though she's actually a pretty good actress and we'd practiced that before going in and it was fine."

"Ooh, nobody besides Rachel knows that, do they?" Isabelle was totally captive by this story.

"Correct." Kurt answered.

"Miss Pillsbury?" Sebastian had never actually met this woman and yet she had saved Kurt's life in a lot of ways? How come he hadn't known that?

"I was very lonely and sad and scared my Freshman year, and I wasn't out yet but I was still being tortured and tormented for being myself and wearing what I did and I always knew once I admitted the truth it would just be worse. I don't think I ever would have gone through with it or even really consider it, but I saw the pamphlets sitting out and I picked one up and started looking through it. She startled me when she asked me if I wanted to talk. I bolted because at that time nobody spoke to me and next thing I know, dad's baring down on me to join some kind of club, get out of the house and connect with other people. He had no idea how hard that was for me. I wasn't exactly nice to those who I finally did speak with. I had a lot of bitterness inside and I was a scared kid afraid I was going to be shoved away so I did it first. The glee kids were just as rough around the edges and didn't let me get away with it, did it themselves and I didn't let them get away with it. We were a strange mix of pushing people away and putting them in their place when they did the same thing. Dad wasn't happy, he wanted me to do something more manly but slowly he saw that it was the best move possible for me... for a time, at least; and was again later on, sort of."

"What pamphlets?" Isabelle asked not understanding but Sebastian did, what kind of pamphlets would interest a 14 year old gay boy in a school that didn't accept anyone who wasn't a big strong jock or a hot cheerleader?

"Breathe, 'Stien, I'm right here, nothing happened. Nothing would have happened either, but in a way she did save my life, because by joining Glee club, I gained some protection whereas before I hadn't had any. Without the Glee kids I may have continued being quiet or I would have spoke up and out against someone just as harshly as I had those first few weeks with them and I would have probably found myself up on some roof or under some tarp or in some ravine if I survived the process to get there. Nobody would have missed me at that point at least, whereas the Glee Kids would have noticed."

"Your dad-" Sebastian argued and Kurt sighed and nodded.

"Yeah but I barely saw him, I hung out in the basement by myself and he spent a lot of time at the garage and we only ate together when he came home on Fridays. The rest of the time he left me to my own devices. I think he kept the Friday dinners at that time to just check in to make sure I was still alive, especially when he now knew that it was a possibility that I would do it by my own hand. He always cared, but there was a large chasm between us because I didn't communicate as well as I do now, and he's never really known how to broach someone to start a real conversation with them. You saw it yourself with all those dinners with him and Carole."

"She didn't either." Sebastian pointed out.

"Probably because she was following his lead. Even if she knew that he was warming up to you, she didn't want to overstep with his son's boyfriend. She's always been careful to not get in the middle of my relationship with my dad, especially after his heart problem. I basically threw her and everyone else out when all they were trying to do was help. It took time to heal that rift. The one that was created between me and Mercedes is finally completely plastered over and strong once more."

"Finn mentioned that when you were in the hospital after the crash. That he'd snapped at you when you had every right to keep it to yourself." Sebastian was surprised to see how much Kurt had grown. He'd even grown while he'd known him, he'd gotten stronger and braver and kinder and more compassionate (if possible) and more lenient, listened more, less judgy. Sebastian had missed the process somehow but he'd grown into the man that Sebastian had always viewed him as. They had both grown, together.

"April Rhodes-"

"I've heard of her. Isn't she in some terrible production on so far off Broadway it's practically Jersey and yet it's been running for 10 years somehow?"

"That's the one." Kurt grinned. "She's actually quite good when she's sober-ish. That leads me to Miss Pillsbury save numbero dos. April taught all of us some really valuable life lessons by teaching us the exact behavior we should never do but could use in a pinch. She taught the girls, sans Rachel who was off on a huff about something, how to steal by sticking things between their legs... she slept with all the boys except Finn and Artie in Glee. I mean, Puck, Mike and Matt who was with us at the time. She taught me to loosen up by having some special juice that she had in her bra. It was a magical combination she said and while I had a feeling it was alcohol, I had never experienced it myself and it did seem to help a little." Kurt giggled as he leaned against Sebastian. "It helps me doesn't it?"

Sebastian kissed his nose and waited.

"Except I imbued too much and I threw up all over Miss Pillsbury's shoes and swore never to drink that foul stuff again. I never have drank that particular combination again." Kurt shrugged. "It took me a long time to drink, period, after that. I never lived down the name Bambi either, I called her that because of her big doe eyes and somehow it became my nickname."

"Hmm..." Sebastian settled back into the seat, they had awhile in New York traffic to get back to first Isabelle's apartment then to their's.

"She tried to talk to me about the bullying the following year, so did Mr. Schue when it got really bad at one point. She also was the one to come find me with some support system with Mr. Schue when my dad was admitted into the hospital. The kids tried to stick up for me but by then it was too late, a lot of the damage was done. The real danger and fear was Karofsky because I knew his secret and I didn't know what he was going to do. Blaine helped me with that one. He had offered me support and pressed for courage in the face of danger and fear. It led to me finding out Karofsky's secret but then Karofsky outed himself as a major bully who threatened to kill me right in front of my dad and Finn. I think... I think... he did that subconsciously because he wanted me out of his school so his secret would be safe. So I wouldn't blab, so he wouldn't be tempted to kiss me again, so he wouldn't hurt me any more, so I would actually be safe from him and the others."

"No, it was only because he was messed up and insulting and threatening you was the only way he could deal." Sebastian said darkly. "Don't give him kinder motives just because he's nicer now."

"Still... he is, so he must have had some of that kindness in him even then? He was the one who wouldn't hit a kid in a wheelchair when Artie stood up for me."

"You shouldn't have needed Artie standing up for you, he shouldn't have been tormenting you." Sebastian countered. He really wanted to be there whenever Karofsky was, he didn't trust him not to hurt again in some way, given half a chance. He hadn't expected him at the Schue-bury wedding. That hadn't been his scene in high school. He should have gone, presented a united front. He regretted that.

"I didn't belong at Dalton but it was a hiding place while I licked my wounds, healed and got strong enough to face them again. I didn't know I was also being slowly torn down while it appeared I was being built up, just in different ways. I did go back to McKinley a different person, like I had hoped, but just not in the way I had hoped. Miss Pillsbury actually did me a favor when she laughed at me and I didn't get the role of Tony. I got to see just what Blaine was back then. We've all changed since high school, we're different people. Isabelle even pointed out that you're different and you've seen that I am." Kurt said it quickly because he really didn't want to hear Sebastian tear into Blaine again. That was high school he maintained and he was different now. "You've been actively involved in the rest of it."

Isabelle looked at the two of them, they were practically in each other's laps somehow. "I knew you had difficulties, being fabulous in high school in Ohio is bound to be that way. I just didn't realize how much. One of these days you're going to have to write a memoir and you shouldn't leave any of it out. Young kids out there need to hear your story and know that it does get better, no matter how dark it seems at any point. Look at where you are now!"

"Where I am now, is perfect." Kurt agreed. "All the things I went through led me right here. Any other path and our lives would have been so different."

"We would have found each other eventually. Eventually I would have had you wake up next to me. We might have gone down a different path to get there, but we'd be here." He gestured to the two of them. "The rest of it might have been different, but we'd be together in the end. This I know. This I knew the second I saw your face and knew it was the face I wanted to see for the rest of my life, no matter what happens to it over the years."

Kurt pulled back offended. "You won't see any wrinkles on me that aren't artistically placed there for a purpose and not for many, many years to come!"

"Your skin care regimen is flawless, ok, ok, I get it. It's going to keep you looking young forever and your good genes will just help too."

Kurt settled back down into his arms and Isabelle giggled. "Plastic surgery is probably planned too, right?"

"I won't go under the knife!" Kurt protested. "If I was going to, I would have gotten my teeth fixed."

"There's nothing wrong with your teeth." Sebastian groaned and let his head flap down onto the seat behind him.

"Says horse-teeth." Kurt said moodily and Sebastian laughed, he hadn't been called that in 7 years. "You've got nice big ones like Freddy Mercury, mine are uneven and barely meet the bottom ones with my jaw shut, just tiny little Chiclets."

"You know that's probably helped with a few of our favorite activities... My horse teeth just get in the way sometimes, but if I unhinge my jaw in just the right way..."

"Woah, I don't need to hear this!" Isabelle threw her hands over her ears and they both laughed.

"We were talking about singing, actually." Kurt teased. "And eating. Have you seen how many times that fork hits his front teeth when eating?"

"Uh-huh, I'm going to buy that because I don't want to imagine your sex-life. I don't want to imagine anyone's sex-life. Just don't do it again!" Her eyes twinkled so they knew she wasn't too upset, or at all, actually. "Whelp, this is me." She got out of the car as it pulled up to her stop. She leaned back in before closing the door. "Don't stay up too late, beauty sleep is called that for a reason and Kurt doesn't want to have any plastic surgery to maintain his beautiful face." She winked and then headed inside.

"She just called my face beautiful." Kurt breathed in complete shock.

"Sure, you listen to her." Sebastian groaned and then dragged Kurt fully onto his lap. "I tell you you're beautiful daily, several times a day."

"Yeah but you're in love with me and I do great things with my mouth and little Chiclet teeth, so you better say it." Kurt teased, sliding against him a little and causing another groan to go through Sebastian. "Just like I say your gorgeous and handsome because I can't see you as any other way, and I know you are when I try to be objective but I can't be objective. You're always going to be gorgeous and handsome in my mind."

"Even when we're both super old and I'm the only one that's gray and wrinkly?"

"Even then." Kurt nodded. "I'll probably think your hotter every day of our lives."

"You do realize since we got to the sidewalk to wait for the car we've only been speaking in French?" They hadn't switched to it after Isabelle left them. Kurt hadn't even recognized that she'd been speaking in French to them.

"Wow." Kurt shook his head, he hadn't known that. "I knew she had to speak it since she's your mom's sister and your mom is from France which means Isabelle is too, but... I just never thought about it before. No wonder she's so chic."

"But I let you pick out my clothes." Sebastian put that together.

"Yep, so you don't embarrass any of us with your own choices." Kurt wrinkled his nose in such a cute way that Sebastian wasn't responsible for all the kisses he peppered over Kurt's face.

The cute kisses only lasted as far as the elevator and then it kept beeping at them to get out once they reached their floor and into their apartment. They didn't make it into the bedroom, instead they landed on the dark chocolate set in the 'family room'. It was surprisingly plush, similar to what was at the Hudmel residence.

They had a more formal set in the 'living room' closer to the front door but they'd bypassed that for this much more comfortable area. Considering that the only walls and doors were leading into bathrooms or bedrooms, they had to carefully set up the large open space in order to create 'rooms' and different areas.

Not a curtain was in sight, not even along the wall near the windows. There were at least 10 rooms upstairs, one was converted into a study and another an 'actor's studio' as Kurt called it. There was conjoining door which they usually left open when both were in. Their master bedroom had a bathroom and a sitting room off of it that they'd use for more private hang outs if they had guests over, totally just between the two of them if they needed a bit of time away from visitor staying the weekends.

Everything in that penthouse was agreed upon by the two of them. Sebastian had thought that he was just going to let Kurt pick out whatever he wanted and agree with it, but he surprised himself when he'd actually started sharing opinions and disagreeing with Kurt on different colors or styles. They had a few arguments over dishes until they both fell in love with their current set and bought the store's stock out.

They had a massive dining room table that could probably fit 50 people at it if they needed to. They had the space for it and they didn't want anyone to have to sit at a different table. They'd gotten close to that number already a couple of times, including babies and the numbers kept growing.

Kurt and Sebastian really viewed this as their home, now and forever.