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Chapter 17: One Month
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Their house was invaded the week that Blaine got out of jail. They didn't even invite a single person who showed up. All 10 of their guest rooms were filled, so were their offices. Kurt drew the line at anyone using their sitting room. Sam slept on their couch again, their more uncomfortable one. For whatever reason, even Jeremiah decided to crash at their house and he took the more comfortable couch. "Thank you for coming, Sam." Kurt said looking at him peculiarly. He was really not expecting him or Tina to show up. Mercedes had been a different kind of surprise but was very much welcomed.
He hadn't really seen Tina since she came in with the other last night and went to her bedroom with Mike in tow.
It might have helped that Kurt had taken one look at all the people in his house on a very stressful day and made an announcement. "Thank you all for coming, I very much appreciate the support, but if you don't mind, I'm going to go hide in my bedroom until I can cope with the world." He walked upstairs and locked the door behind him. He only let Sebastian in later that night. Sebastian hadn't known they were all coming either.
It was ok, gave Rachel a chance to be busy homecooker for everyone. She'd tried a few times Sophomore Year in high school and again when she was flirty with Brody but quickly deferred to Kurt's more natural ability and ease to do it.
Sebastian thought maybe she got better at it since she cooked for Finn and Marie now. After a bite of her food, he politely spat in the napkin and went to the bathroom to rinse it out before heading up to join Kurt. Kurt had the right idea all along, it was better for them to ride this day out together.
Now, Kurt was downstairs making himself some breakfast and coffee. He was face to face with Sam and his bare torso. He'd talk to Sebastian about installing a coffee bar up in their sitting room if people were going to continue crashing with them like this.
Sam caught the underlying current in Kurt's body. "We were friends first." Sam frowned at him. "Then you left and came back with a boyfriend in tow. I wanted to be friendly with your boyfriend then you left and I was still friends with him. All the people I was closest to had graduated the year before and I had to make due. I always viewed our friendship as stronger than any other ones, especially after you and Quinn helped my family and myself out. After your dad let me stay with him over the years."
"You chose Blaine over Sebastian." Not even Rachel had done that.
"Yeah, I chose Blaine over Sebastian. I didn't chose Blaine over you."
"Felt that way. Sebastian was, is, my fiance."
"Blaine was alone at his graduation besides his parents who couldn't be bothered to stay long. They just put in an appearance and left."
"He could have invited his Dalton friends. Jeff and Nick showed up to Sebastian's. The Warblers worshiped the ground Blaine walked on."
"Blaine kind of let those friendships slide over the years. I see now why that happened, he couldn't use them against you anymore, so tried finding new people to infiltrate your life with. Thankfully it didn't work."
"Would you have chosen me over Blaine if it was the situation?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"This should be an easy choice." Kurt countered. "Even Rachel instantly knew it too."
Sam looked at Kurt for a long time before he shook his head, his blond locks flocking around his head. "I really hurt you over the years, didn't I? I'm sorry man. You always tried to tell me who Blaine really was and I didn't listen. That's what split us apart, isn't it?"
"It would have been like asking me to choose between Brittany, Quinn and Mercedes and choosing the wrong one."
"There's a wrong one?" Sam asked teasingly.
"What, you had a totally inappropriate girlfriend I didn't know about that would be an easier comparison?"
"No, no, I get it. Even though we remained friends, Quinn did cheat on me." Kurt made a see? motion. "I never made you choose though."
"I never made you choose either, you did that all on your own."
Sam supposed he could have been friendlier with Sebastian when they'd come to visit or made more of an effort while he was here in New York with the other man.
"Points taken." Sam nodded. "I am sorry, I missed our friendship even before all this went down. The second you started pulling away."
"I didn't pull away though, not really. I just lived my life. Our lives just took us down different paths."
Sam accepted that. "Can we try being friends again?"
"We can try." The last time hadn't turned out great, even though for years it had been fine and he had some good memories in there too. That's what made it so much harder, all the good times they shared with Kurt being so unsuspecting.
Sam attempted to help him with breakfast but he was better off just setting up the table that could seat 50 and may just be close to that once more this morning.
Sebastian's arms came around Kurt suddenly and clung on fiercely while he was trying to stir a pot a little too far away to do while embraced like that. He just turned down the temperature rather than try to break free of Sebastian's arms. He could feel it through his body that Sebastian was upset and feeling pretty emotional.
He set down the spatula and glanced over at Sam who was still setting out the plates and silverware. "Sam, wake Carole up and have her finish this for me, please?"
"Uh, sure, but where are you- ok. I'll do that." He caught the look on Kurt's face, asking for no questions.
Kurt turned in the embrace and pressed himself up against Sebastian's chest and just held him back. The taller man was not feeling better even with the embrace and he started shaking and Kurt slipped his hand into Sebastian's and pulled him up the stairs and into their room, locking the door behind them and then back into the sitting room where they both sank to their knees and Sebastian slid down so his head was in Kurt's lap.
Kurt raked his fingers through Sebastian's hair and started singing Fall Apart Too by Katelyn Tarver. "Ok so I'm a little emotional. I can turn a tear into a waterfall. Leave you swimming floor to the ceiling, in my feelings. But you make it comfortable". Sebastian shook and clung on to Kurt's legs but no tears came.
"I know that you love to keep me happy. Even when I make it all about me. You're the only one I let see down deep. Trust me, when I tell you. You can fall apart too. Let me be there for you. I know you'd never ask me to. But let me be there for you. I know you don't like all the attention. and I know you never wanna play the victim. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like, you always gotta be the one that's alright."
Sebastian's hot tears started and loud sobs crept out from him at first with a struggle as if he was still trying to hold them at bay. Then they came more frequently, more easily, harder, harsher, louder, he was letting it all out for a change. He finally accepted Kurt as the protector, finally asked for it.
"You can fall, you can fall, you can fall on me. I learned it all, learned it all from you. And if you fall, if you fall, if you fall on me, I got you, got you, got you."
Kurt let Sebastian get it all out of his system. Let him cry until he couldn't cry anymore and then laid down on the ground with him, pulling Sebastian's head onto his chest and stroked his back.
Sebastian slowly came back to himself. "Oh god, Kurt, your back-"
"It's fine." Kurt tugged him back to his chest and just held him there longer. "You're what matters."
Sebastian shifted them so his arm was under Kurt's waist but he kept his head on Kurt's chest, listening to his breath going through his chest and his steady heart beat.
"I had a dream." Sebastian admitted. "You got into a fight with Blaine. You were bleeding from your head and a chest wound. You were driving home in Lima from... wherever, Dalton probably, and got into a car accident and ended up in a ditch and nobody knew you were there as it snowed too heavily to see you. Then you too were covered, completely gone from sight. By the time anyone found you, it was too late." Sebastian cried a little more at the remembered fear and pain. "I woke up and you weren't in the bed. For a long moment, I thought it was real."
Kurt nodded. "Sorry. I was hungry after skipping dinner last night and decided I might as well make breakfast for everyone since I didn't want Rachel tearing up my kitchen again. It didn't look that bad this morning though."
"Carole was right behind Rachel the whole time cleaning it up. She was also the only one who made anything remotely editable."
Kurt nodded, that made sense. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. I'm sorry I ran upstairs before you even got back from work. I just couldn't face so many people around unexpectedly on a day like yesterday. I should have waited it out and not let you walk in to that zoo on your own."
Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I got a heads up from Santana. She and Brittany were supposed to be the only ones here. I'd agreed to that. I guess Rachel had different plans. How did they even all get inside? I thought they had to have exclusive key card access."
"They do, Isabelle has a key." Kurt reminded him. "She brought them all up herself."
Sebastian groaned and rolled over onto his back, tugging Kurt into his chest this time. "Aunt Izzy! I'm going to have to have a talk with her about that."
"She thought she was doing us a favor." Kurt shrugged. "It really is a nice thing they've all done for us."
"Even Nick and Jeff are here."
"Jeremiah."
"Oh, yeah, he's making sure the restraining orders hold. He also likes you." Sebastian grinned. "Tina."
"You mean you aren't surprised by Sam?"
"No, he's tight with your family. He was like a wounded puppy any time you came to visit and didn't carve out time for him but you spent entire days with me."
"He had Blaine."
"Blaine's not you." Even though Sebastian was under Kurt, he still curled around the smaller man. "Nobody is you."
"Sébastien..." Kurt pressed kisses to Sebastian's chest. "I'm ok, I'm here with you, I'm alive, I'm healthy, I'm functional. I'm not going anywhere." He had comforted Sebastian with these words before. They weren't any less true now. Sebastian found strength from them now too.
Sebastian tried to apologize for his meltdown but Kurt shook his head. "You can fall apart too. I'll always be here to catch you. We're equals, remember?"
"You're all wet." Sebastian noted, accepting Kurt's words. "Totally not presentable for those in this house."
"I would have to change." Kurt agreed.
Sebastian answered that by kissing Kurt and taking his lower lip into his mouth between his teeth and just setting Kurt's blood on fire with the smallest of actions. "Then let me help you out of your soaked trousers."
They weren't as tight as they normally would have been, but Kurt didn't have the patience to buy baggier pants. He just used his baggiest pants that he had already in his closet. Which anyone else would say were incredibly tight but he called them a straight cut rather than slim or skinny.
By the time they got back downstairs, both washed and dressed and ready to face the day and their friends, Kurt was glad that he'd had Carole take over the breakfast. It would have been up in smoke otherwise.
Most people were already down and sitting at the table, but nobody ate until they knew if the homeowners would be joining them.
Kurt and Sebastian sank into chairs that were together near the center neither took the head of the table spot. It was their home but they hated being that far apart and neither wanted to be considered 'head' of the table. They'd debated putting in a round table but settled on a large rectangle instead. They could fit two or three chairs at the end though. They didn't have quite that many people to need to do so at this time.
When it was just the two of them alone at home, they pulled out bar stools and sat at the counter. They had a breakfast nook they could have used too if they wanted, and when Rachel, Finn and Marie were there, they used it then. They liked the intimacy of the counter. It only had room for 2, 3 if they squeezed in.
Everyone tried to sit right next to them but Santana and Burt won out, like always. They still had to try though. Kurt surveyed all those who were there and was incredibly touched by all the familiar faces that had become friends over the years. He grinned at them in his usual sassy way. "You're all a month early."
Laughter spread through the table and conversations started up as everyone got to reconnect and find out what they were all up to. Sebastian rested his head against Kurt's shoulder and Kurt fed him with his fingers anything that he could keep in one piece as he lifted it up. He ate with a fork with his other hand.
After breakfast, everyone kind of spread throughout the penthouse and lounged on different pieces of furniture. The recliner was obviously Burt's and they deferred to him with that. Carole sat on his lap.
Kurt was talking with Sebastian's parents when Tina flung herself at him, nearly knocking him over and he probably would have fallen had the table not been behind him. A furious and twice his regular size Sebastian was at their side pulling her away but she clung on with her arms around Kurt's waist, sobbing into his chest.
"Ugh, Tina, I'm going to have to go through a third outfit today now." Kurt waved Sebastian down, he knew how to handle Tina. Sebastian looked unsure, his eyes scanning down Kurt's body as if it would be obvious if Tina set him back just by looking. He patted her back. "Tina, honey?"
"I'm so sorry, Kurt, I'm just so sorry!" She sounded like she was leaking snot too.
"For what, exactly?" Kurt asked gently.
"For taking his side in the breakup! I thought we were good friend and then I fooled myself into thinking we might be more for awhile there. I was lonely and sad, you all left, Mike left, Artie and I were friends but we both realized sometime mid-year that neither of us had broken up with the other person, we just assumed as much. I then started wondering if the same thing happened with Mike. Then we graduated and Blaine came here and I didn't hear back from him the entire time he was here. I could have reached out to you at any time, and I just didn't! I was stuck in my own self-pity for too long. I'm so sorry, it's just been the last few years that I've realized how horrible I've been and the lines I drew and I've been working on myself. I got back together with Mike, we were always our best selves when we were together."
Kurt blinked and tipped his head to look at Tina. "So, what exactly are you apologizing for and ruining this $1,000 shirt to do so?"
"A $1,000?!" Puck eyed it speculatively after his shout.
Kurt laughed and looked over at him. "I used to buy just as expensive shirts just off the rack and steeply, steeply discounted and possibly pre-worn or wrong-sized and tailored it to my body. Now I get them practically for free in just my size because of my connections."
"He's being modest. Designers throw samples at him because he looks good in anything, because he's a designer himself and he's a celebrity. He gets their product out there if he likes it." Isabelle explained and Puck's attention turned to her and looked her up and down and raised a brow.
Her lips quirked up on one side. Sebastian narrowed his eyes, he swore there was something about Quinn or Rachel's birth mother in connection to Puck... Yet he was still hitting on Isabelle. "Aunt Izzy." Sebastian called out in warning but to everyone else it sounded like he was trying to get her attention. She lifted a brow in a patent Sebastian look, waiting for him to get to it. "Mind if you go pick out a top from our closet that Kurt won't mind pairing with the rest of his outfit?"
"He's got such a unique aesthetic, I don't know if I could do it justice, but I'll try." She sashayed toward the stairs.
"The Red Mani." Kurt called out and Isabelle turned on the step to look at him.
"You've got the Red Mani?" It was like asking if Kurt had the Superbowl Trophy siting around or the most expensive, most elite car or the holy chalice or something.
"Yes?" Kurt blushed a little and Isabelle shook her head.
"We're talking, soon. You're coming in for a photo shoot wearing the Red Mani."
Burt scratched his hairless head. "What's so special about a red shirt? I've got several that I use as rags around the shop."
"Aunt Izzy, no, you know he can't do that." Sebastian started to follow her up the stairs as she continued on her way after she and Kurt shared a look about Burt's question.
"Kurt will do whatever he wants." Isabelle's voice could be heard as she and Sebastian disappeared down the hall. They didn't hear his response.
Kurt went back to the sobbing girl on his chest. "Tina?"
"I'm sorry I was such a horrible friend to you. You and I were such good friends first, you invited me to help you with the Single Ladies dance, you could have asked anyone, but you chose me. You chose me for so many things and I chose Blaine!" She spat out his name like it was poison. "I don't know how he did that. I used to look up to you so much! I always wanted to see what you were wearing and hear you talk about it. You were my favorite and we were friends before anyone else in Glee even tried." She and Artie had signed up together and Mercedes had a massive crush on Kurt for a minute but he and Tina had been tight. Even when things got awkward with Mercedes about God and what he wanted to do about his dad. Tina had been by his side.
"Blaine was manipulative, he spun everything to his way, he preyed on people. He convinced Sebastian and Santana that he was safe to be around. They were the most suspicious of him, and I had front row tickets to his manipulation as he spun everything around me and drove people away from me, subtly. Or made me appear like I was cutting them out of my life." He said this part a little louder for Sam's benefit. "None of the Warblers liked me because they thought I was stealing Blaine away from them, when it was the opposite." He added for Jeff and Nick to hear but they already knew that. "I still trusted him after everything he did to me. You, Sam and Artie were alone with him, you lost a majority of the group that year and had all new people except for Blaine with you. It's nobody's fault but his, he drove people away, he sewed unease between us. He grabbed onto your friendship and held on while it suited him. He dropped the Warblers too when it no longer worked for his benefit."
"He's been reaching out to old Warbler friends, actually, trying to convince them of his side of things. It's been years since many heard from him, either they don't care or by default take your side since he ended up in jail for it. An innocent person wouldn't end up there. They're all rich though, so he'll probably see them again in the future." Nick mentioned. "He's back up to his old tricks but it's not working so well this time."
"His parents have cut him off." Jeff added with a smile. "They figured if he had time to get himself into such deep trouble, then he had time to get a real job. He doesn't have an education to back that up though."
"The show he was staring in dropped him, they didn't want his reputation to sour the turn out. They don't like that kind of scandal anyway but because it was you and what he did to you, causing you to drop out of your Broadway show, they really didn't want his name anywhere near their project. It was supposed to be a lightweight but powerful play." Rachel still kept up with the Broadway blogs and boards. "His name is grass and he's been blackballed throughout New York. If he has any hope of being in a play, he'll have to leave the state."
"He's blackballed in New Jersey too." Elliott glanced over at Jerald as they both had something to do with that.
"Ohio isn't really a fan of him either." Burt added with a chuckle and Sam nodded.
"Really?" Kurt looked around the room and Quinn flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Connecticut and Massachusetts have also banned him from performing on their stages." She definitely had something to do with that.
"We've all got your back, the entire art community, the decent people of the world, everyone who could hear about what he's done, has scratched him off of their lists permanently. He's banned from participating or even attending the shows. He's person nongratia."
Rachel nodded along to Santana's words. "Mom even put a bug in the LA community's ear about it. They're trying to clean up their reputation too and holding actors accountable. He won't even be able to get his foot in the door."
"What will he do for a living?"
"That's not your problem." Irina pried Tina away from Kurt carefully and she had a hand out to him in case he needed anything. Her husband, Sergio was there too, ready to catch Kurt if he started to fall once he put his weight back on his feet.
"I gave up the lease to the loft. If he goes back there, he'll be squatting." Rachel also added.
"We fixed the lock on the door, it was time it happened. Do you know how many times Sebastian and I asked for them to do that?" Finn looked over to Burt, he'd helped.
"Dad, Finn, tell me you didn't walk into that loft and see-." Kurt felt a little faint for them to have seen what all went down too, to see all that blood, that struggle, to be able to imagine it in real time...
"No, we went over there and fixed the lock and said goodbye to the place. Rachel had sent a cleaning crew over and cleaned out all of it and any evidence once the police went through it and collected what they needed. I swear a month was too short!" Burt shook his head.
"The place didn't look anything like it had. Rodents and cats had gotten in because the fire escape was open but the cleaning crew closed the window and cleaned that stuff up too. It just seemed so large and empty and not the home we had made it into. It was just skeletal and bare bones." Finn looked at Kurt. "You made it a home, made it so comfortable for all of us, even if at times I really hated that couch or thought the curtains were dumb and we needed some better sound proofing walls."
"If the walls had been sound-proof..." Rachel shuddered as she couldn't finish that thought, Sebastian may not have rushed in or even checked Kurt's old room. He may have thought the loft was empty and gone home. Except Kurt knew Sebastian would still have scrounged through all the rooms before he was satisfied that he was over reacting and go home to look for Kurt there.
Kurt tried to make the conversation lighter and remind them about happier times there. "So you two didn't ride tricycles around the empty space?"
"We didn't ride tri-oh, no, you're right, we did." Rachel laughed. "We did so many things with that massive space before we decided to put up those curtains and create bedrooms that way. Massive dance parties for a couple of weeks." She teased Finn who looked concerned by her words.
"With what friends?" Kurt shook his head. "Most we did was practice our dance routines in there." Which they did while they all lived there too. In fact it was only with Isabelle's help that they had their biggest party there not including those who all lived there (9 was the final count, wasn't it?).
"Hey, Rach, is that show still looking for a lead?"
Rachel squinted at him. "You're not going to try out for it, are you? Because your other play would love to have you back and it's on Broadway. They've even reached out to me to see how you were doing because they didn't want to incur the wrath of Sebastian. If you went and tried out for that play, way off Broadway, which is the same one that your ex-friend/assailant was lead of would be very strange and may burn some bridges."
"The play isn't at fault for what happened. The play was very good from what I read through. No, I was thinking of a certain British Actor who's been trying to scratch a role for himself in New York but has been doing very well in the West End... someone who will be here in a few weeks?"
Rachel's face lit up as she followed what he was saying. "Brody would love that role!" There was a chorus of groans but she laughed. "You idiots, Brody isn't even British. I knew he was talking about Adam. I'll see what I can find out and drop hints that this recommendation is coming from a currently convalescing star who will be back on his feet soon."
"Rachel... don't throw my name around like that."
"Why not? Someone should because you never do, even to get restaurant seats. We walk in and they instantly move us to a better table, realizing who you are." Sebastian came back downstairs with that coveted shirt in his hand.
"Realizing who either of us are, you've gotten plenty of movement on your own. They don't move us to a better table for us. They move it so we can be seen eating there. I'm not interested in that kind of notoriety."
"Yeah, yeah, here's your free $1,500 shirt." Sebastian gave Kurt a kiss though as he handed it over. A few got what he was saying in response to Kurt's comment.
"That's different. I already know I like it when I put it on and wear it out. I don't know if I like the food or the restaurant until afterward and if it was something I could talk to the press about, then I would probably talk it up. When they do that, it's like they're putting our stamp of approval on it without asking us or us agreeing." It was an issue with Kurt in all aspects of his life, that was obvious and it didn't start with Blaine and it wouldn't end with him either.
"Which is why you walk out when they move us to a better table without even asking." Sebastian nodded, they'd had this conversation before.
"Come on man, free grand shirt, better tables at prestigious restaurants, I didn't know you were getting so snooty or stuck up." Puck spoke before anyone knew where he was going with his comment. "Probably free food too." Everyone's heads swung his way and he held up his hands. "What?"
"Remind me to beat your ass when we're not in his presence." Santana hissed.
"Why would I do that?" Puck asked very confused and Kurt pushed off the table intending to go change his shirt when he wobbled on his feet. "Oh, right. I keep forgetting because he's so Kurt." Though Puck had been one of the first to pick up on Blaine's antics, he could be very obtuse sometimes too.
"Oh my, did I do that?" Tina cried, she was sitting with Mike now and still trying to get her emotions sorted.
"No, no, it happens sometimes." Kurt reassured. Sometimes his left leg became numb, but it hadn't happened for awhile, as Sebastian kindly pointed out loud enough for Tina to hear. She started sobbing into Mike's chest, feeling incredibly guilty. Kurt glared at him. "It's not your fault, Tina."
"Yes it is! I shouldn't have thrown myself at you. Think! Tina! Think!"
Elliott got to to his feet and offered his services. He and Sebastian knew exactly what to do when this happened. They'd both seen it happen in therapy when he pushed himself too far.
Sebastian and Elliott lifted Kurt to his feet and brought him over to the less comfortable couch. They laid him on his side and started working to relax the seized up muscles of his hip, small back, butt and upper thigh. Sebastian took the butt and lower back, he knew exactly where he could and could not touch. They worked those muscles for a little while with Kurt holding a pillow against his face to stop the cries of pain and so nobody could see his face. They started working his leg to see if they could get it to bend, first at the knee then the hip and then a full range of motion.
Kurt held the pillow tighter as they did that. "Just breathe, baby, breathe." Sebastian coaxed. "Any abnormal pain?"
"No." He mumbled into the pillow but Sebastian heard him and he nodded and they continued to work the leg and the muscles. He tried hard to continue to breathe through it.
The physical therapist would be cruel and push on those spots that Sebastian avoided, just to see if they could cause a lock up. It wasn't as often that the answer was yes. They would work those muscles then too, to try and relax them and help but Sebastian wouldn't do it himself. It hadn't been pressed on, and they didn't want to make the lockup worse. Plus that caused him such terrible pain and that was the last thing Sebastian could ever be responsible for.
Soon they were having him work his leg on his own and it was working and had full range of motion once more and they helped him sit up. "Thank you." Sebastian said to Elliott. When they'd met, Sebastian would never have thought they'd ever be friends like this, would rely on each other to get Kurt through a session or event. Elliott was great to have around. In fact, since he started going with Kurt to the sessions, he'd started thinking about becoming a physical therapist himself. He started classes in the fall. Patients would adore him.
Elliott nodded to Sebastian and touched Kurt's hands, letting him know that he would take the pillow from him. Kurt shook his head and buried his face in it more, he just had an episode in front of all of his loved ones. "I look a mess." He finally mumbled out when Elliott tried to take the pillow.
"Not any worse than a month ago." Elliott tried to tease and Kurt's arms tightened around the pillow. "Sorry, that wasn't funny."
Sebastian put a hand on his shoulder and he moved aside. Sebastian put his hands on Kurt's knees. "You know everyone here loves you deeply and will not judge you. Will not be remotely bothered by you being anything less than perfect because in their eyes, it'll never be possible. You've seen them at their worsts, did you judge them?"
"A little." Kurt's voice squeaked out and the room laughed, they could definitely believe that.
"But you still love them and haven't kicked them out of your life." Sebastian worked the pillow.
"Not for lack of trying, they just wouldn't go away. I was just too magnetic, they kept coming back for more." Kurt was obviously feeling better if he was making jokes.
"Well, maybe this will be the final push to get them to leave you alone?" Sebastian tried to tease right back.
"I hope not, they've worked their ways in and I don't want them to go anywhere." Kurt let Sebastian take the pillow, he felt reasonably more confident that his face wasn't quite as red and splotchy. It was still a little pink, especially around his eyes but the tear streaks were mostly absorbed by the pillow.
Nobody said anything but they all wanted to tease him but held back. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Mercedes reached out for Kurt's hand and Kurt took it gratefully. She didn't pull him up like she may have in the past, she was being respectful of his injury.
Kurt used his good leg and the arm on that side to help leverage himself off the couch. He walked pretty normally into the washroom on that floor with Mercedes. Then came back out about 10 minutes later wearing the Red Mani and face cleared of any signs of pained cries. It was another reason no one said anything, Kurt didn't cry because of pain, so for him to do so, had to be very painful indeed.
Put a sad movie in front of him and he cried just because he knew what would happen before they even put it in. He used to say it was his cathartic cleaning every spring, he would just look at the titles of all the Disney Movies in his possession and sob but he stopped doing that some time in high school. If it was something emotional, he had the tears at the ready without even trying. Even frustrated tears were known to spring forth. Physical Pain though? Not a single drop.
Puck was ready to go track down that little weasel and tear off his limbs, see how he liked it. He was the best equipped to handle prison. But he had Beth now to think about. He had a good thing going and he didn't want to mess it up.
"What are you thinking?" Kurt asked Sebastian when he came back out and Sebastian glanced at the glass staircase, still equipped with tacky flowers.
"Just thinking we probably should have bunked down here with that bathroom rather than our bedroom with that leg and other injuries. I didn't even think about that until now."
Kurt shrugged. "It's been fine."
"What if you have an attack midway up? You could fall down the stairs-"
"I could fall on perfectly flat ground too."
"Not as dangerous as the stairs, you falling on the ground is bad, but the stairs could kill you if you fall the wrong way." He was seriously considering it.
Kurt sighed. "How about you just carry me up the stairs from now on? Would that satisfy you? I won't go up on my own."
"So I can trip and kill both of us?" Sebastian asked dryly but he was a bit amused too by Kurt's suggestion.
"It's been a month without incident, I don't want to give up our room." Kurt wrapped his hand around Sebastian's. "They're happening less frequently, the therapists are happy with the progress and haven't said anything about avoiding stairs. The stairs are very safe, they curve and there are handles on both sides. I could grab something easily if I fell and it wouldn't be a straight shot down."
Sebastian nodded, all of that was very reasonable and reassuring. "How about a compromise? No going upstairs if I can't be behind you?"
"You just want to watch me walk up them."
"Guilty." Sebastian agreed with a flirty tease.
"Wait, wait, that's the shirt that's more than a grand?" Puck and Burt stared at Kurt as if Kurt was the crazy one. It was Puck who said it.
"There's missing parts under the arms. I had better quality shirts with fewer holes that I use as rags than that. Even as rags they don't have as many or as large of holes." Burt that time.
Kurt was glad there was someone in his corner now who could share his exasperation. Isabelle shook her head at the lack of understanding that he grew up around. "And he's your dad?"
"Parentage does not equate similar interests." Kurt quipped.
"Relationships do not equate shared interests." Sebastian added, also not understanding the big deal when it came to this shirt. Though he did have to admit it looked good on Kurt. He liked that it would be so easy to reach some of that skin that was usually off limits so easily, without lifting up the bottom hem or pulling down and hearing about wrecking the collar.
"Hands off the merchandise!" Isabelle caught where Sebastian was looking. "It needs to be perfectly like this when he comes to the photoshoot!"
"Izzy, no photoshoot!" Sebastian argued back. "I thought you understood what I said."
"I don't get what the big deal is, he can sit as much as he wants."
"They're long, intense shoots, holding poses for so long and to get the best angle. It's going to be unnecessary strain."
"Nobody has actually asked me or asked my opinion on doing a photoshoot right now. The answer is no, by the way. If I was feeling better, if I wasn't prone to attacks like that one, then the answer would have been maybe. More likely a yes if it was in a promotion of one of my shows. Since it's just because you weren't gifted with the Red Mani, I am not interested, sorry Izzy. If it was something the designer asked for in conjunction, then I might have said yes. After I wear it today around town, then I might let you borrow it and use it with a model my size."
"So...a girl?" Puck asked seriously. "On a girl that shirt would be incredibly hot."
Sebastian rolled his eyes, on Kurt it was incredibly hot. He saw Jerald and Elliott nod with Sebastian's eye roll. Jerald looked at Elliott trying to imagine it on him, and probably showcase some more tattoos.
"Wait, we're going out?" Sebastian caught on to what Kurt said a little late.
"Yes, a picnic in Central Park." It was the perfect place for so many adults and a couple of kids that were along for the ride. There were 4 of them in the penthouse right now and another on the way. Three of them were girls, only Elliott and Jerald had a boy.
Sebastian wasn't totally sold on the idea. It was open and exposed and the bodyguards hated it for that reason alone, all four of them- two for Sebastian and two for Kurt. Sebastian hated it because Kurt would be sitting on the ground with no back support other than his brace.
He should have known Kurt had it all planned out.
It was idyllic, something straight off the pages of a catalog or photoshoot. The red shirt really popped as they sat on soft yellow and white picnic blankets, with picnic baskets and a few bamboo chairs with backs for the older among them who had a harder time getting down onto the ground and back up. Or so Kurt had teased,but really it was for Brittany, himself and even Rachel. There was an extra for whoever wanted it.
Kurt did sit on the blankets too occasionally, especially when Marie demanded that Uncle Kurry hold her and Sebastian scooted in close so he had his legs on the outside of Kurt's and his back was supported by Sebastian's chest.
He got up and walked around and sat in the chair and on the ground again, depending on what his body screamed for him to do.
At one point, Elliott sat behind him but used his back as a back rest so they were practically propping each other up.
Elliott placed Carter into Kurt's arms and Carter jabbered at his Uncle Kurt. He was a cute kid who always eyed Sebastian as if he should greet him but had never been pushed his way. Sebastian had never gone out of his way to be overly friendly with Carter either. He did today, Elliott and Jerald were in their lives to stay and he was finally accepting that.
He might as well start making an effort with them. Carter was already close with Santana and Brittany, Santana being Elliott's former band member along with Kurt, their lead. Those two he was closest to, and the rest were just easy going with him. Rachel had once tried to join the band but respected that it was a three person operation.
"Maybe now that you're between shows and the season has already started, you may regroup the band together. You don't have to do any moving around stage, Santana and I are used to it." Elliott winked at Kurt and Kurt laughed.
"No pole-dancing I guess for me in the foreseeable future."
"I'm sorry, pole-dancing?" Sebastian would have paid good money for a private show because he definitely wouldn't have been able to wait out the entire performance before he was on Kurt.
"Oh, yeah, when Elliott and I went to get an electric guitar, it became an impromptu show. Then we went to go see Oklahoma!"
"I-uh-so much to unpack." Sebastian cuddled up close to Kurt and started pressing kisses along the side of his neck. "This was a fantastic idea, by the way."
Kurt had planned it last night when he had decided there was no point in all of them moping around. There were quite a few people and lots of good energy, a day in the park would be perfect for everyone to burn it off or just sit and relax and enjoy the sun.
Elliott and Jerald were snuggling together too while Carter played on the blanket between their legs. They had made kind of a circle around their son. Rachel was chasing Marie who was playing with Beth. Puck had her for the weekend and got permission to bring her to New York to see her extended family. She'd be at the wedding too. Beth was several years older than any of the other kids but she was enjoying herself. They weren't sure if she would be 'too old' for the other kids and yet 'too young' for the adults. She was 12, so it could have gone any direction.
"God, Beth is 12, it makes me feel so old." Kurt flopped onto his back and Sebastian eyed him before he snuggled into Kurt's side, his hand massaging the flesh on his opposite hip. It wasn't his bad leg that he was massaging, he just wanted to.
"You make me feel so young." Sebastian teased and spoke some of the lines of the song that they both always imagined old people singing to each other. Totally inappropriate for someone their age to even pretend to sing, especially not anyone younger than them. At least at their age they might start getting gray hairs, Rachel had one. They shared a private laugh. "Puck had her when he was 15, she's going to always be older in our eyes." They didn't mention Quinn, who was watching Beth with a thoughtful expression. She had given up her rights to parentage. Puck had not. He had wanted to keep Beth and so the courts had settled on a compromise with Shelby, especially because both the biological parents were so far under age. It's partly what got Puck sent to Juvie. They'd hoped it would help him keep it in his pants. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't, it was hard to say. It was probably just Beth entering his life.
"Guess what?" Sebastian suddenly said, tipping over to talk to Kurt.
"What?" Kurt asked, loving this playful, almost childlike side coming out of Sebastian.
"You're going to get your wish!" Sebastian tipped over some more so the lightest bit of pressure was on Kurt's side.
"What wish was that?" Kurt asked highly amused. "I have had many through the years and almost all have come true."
"You're going to be married before you're 30!"
Kurt started laughing. "I felt like that was a safe bet with you in my life."
"Hey now, we're going to be 27 when we get married, 28 not too long after that. We waited 10 years, we could have waited 13."
"Don't you dare say that." Kurt shook his head. "That's a bad luck number."
"7 can be too, or good, depending on how you view it." Sebastian nuzzled his nose into Kurt's throat. "This shirt by the way is so incredibly sexy, I just want to put my hands all over you."
"And that is why it's worth fifteen hundred dollars." Kurt teased.
"I'm pretty sure your closet its going to be raided and auctioned before the end of the weekend." Sebastian sent a look over to Puck who was chatting with Quinn now.
"He can try." Kurt wrapped an arm around Sebastian's neck while he was distracted and pulled him down onto him. Sebastian cursed and tried to lift back up but Kurt kept him pinned. "I want to feel you on me."
"It's too much weight, too much pressure." Sebastian braced himself up onto his forearms. "Kurt."
"Ok." He instantly let go, not wanting to do what had been done to him, though he hadn't been trying to feel up Sebastian while doing so. He listened to when Sebastian said no, at least when it came to sex, the rest of the time was fair game.
Sebastian bent back down for a kiss though. "Maybe in our bed later tonight." He suggested, willing to try it then with the proper support tools. Kurt grinned, storing that for later. "I said maybe."
"Mmmm-hmmm." Kurt agreed.
"I created a monster."
"Only for you." Kurt rubbed his knee along the inside seam of Sebastian's pants.
"Definitely a good type of monster." Sebastian pressed more kisses along Kurt's jaw. They didn't care that they were out in public with a lot of their friends and family members. They hadn't felt this care-free for awhile.
"Mr. Hummel! Mr. Hummel!" A lot of voices shouted out and Sebastian cursed and pulled back from Kurt and tried to get in front of Kurt. Burt stood up and walked over to the press.
"How can I help you?" Burt asked, all authoritative and smooth, like a real politician.
"How do you feel about the law finally being enacted in your home state of Ohio giving full rights to a gay couple?" They'd passed the marriage bill a few years ago but now they'd given them even more rights just recently. Mostly having to do with parentage, and strangely appropriate in timing, assault cases.
"I think you took the word right out of my mouth, finally." Burt gestured for the press to the side. "But please, this is a park, and my family and I are enjoying a relaxing day out. Could this kindly wait until I am in D.C. or back in Ohio?"
"Do you come to New York often?"
"Both of my kids live here, so yes." He gestured toward a more vacant area. "Please respect our wishes."
They surprisingly did and Burt headed back to them. He patted Sebastian on the head, who was still on high alert. "Not everything is about Kurt, you know."
Sebastian lifted a brow. "It should be."
Burt laughed and looked over at his son who hadn't moved despite his fiance going into over-protective warrior mode. He still looked completely relaxed in his supine pose. "Yes, it should be, it is in our worlds at least."
Kurt smiled even as he soaked up the sun with his eyes closed. "You're going to get burnt." Santana chided and started lathering sunscreen onto Kurt's face, neck, arms and exposed torso area.
"Not on the shirt!" Isabelle shouted but Santana was being careful so ignored her.
"Brittany is the same way." She grumbled. "I have to keep it on me all the time and monitor her sunscreen levels and timing." Brittany was fairly pale herself but not to Kurt's level.
"It's why I brought the umbrella. For me and the kids." They had pretty sensitive skin too.
"Should probably start thinking about putting it up. You're getting a little pink." She poked at his cheek. The bruises were all gone and the cuts had healed. It was just his back they were worried about right now. Even the concussion seemed to be long over and was cleared unless something popped up unexpectedly.
"Brittany will be under there with you, probably taking a nap."
Kurt yawned. "A nap does sound nice."
"You have no more crazy energy reserves." Santana shook her head. "You sleep way too much now and get tired way too soon."
"I'm not doing what I used to do, I'm not able to literally run around like I used to." Kurt shrugged. "Maybe I'm catching up on all my missing sleep, maybe it's the body's way to recover. I don't know."
"You're getting chubby." She was joking but Sebastian's throat being cleared right in her ear had her jumping and looking at him bashfully. "I was just kidding. Kurt could never get chubby."
"You better make sure he believes that, because if he starts developing an eating disorder or body image disorder, I'm coming after you."
Santana looked at Kurt in dismay. "You know you're not, right?"
Kurt was pulling at the skin on his sides. "I am getting chubby."
Sebastian rolled his eyes and crawled over Kurt. "That's not chub. That's called skin."
"I'm getting skin folds!" Kurt started to worry about it.
"Oh my ever loving god, I was just fucking kidding!" Santana flopped down beside Kurt and pulled his hands away. "If I can still see your bones, there is no way you're even remotely considered chubby, maybe underweight."
"Santana, go away, you're not helping." Sebastian closed his eyes and buried his nose into Kurt's hair. "Remember that Santana likes to prey on areas that you're already self-conscious about. She knows you like being healthy and at a healthy weight. That hasn't changed just because you're not exercising as much. It's just for a short time period, you'll be back into the shape you're used to in no time and your body will always be gorgeous."
"Even when I have a muffin top?"
Sebastian shook his head and snuggled into Kurt, blocking most of the sun from his delicate skin. "If that ever happens, I'll still love every inch of you. I'll still think it's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen."
"You'll still love me if I turn into my father?" Kurt asked, blue eyes shining up into Sebastian's green ones, complete trust within them.
The green eyes blinked in confusion for a second. "Seriously? You think I'd stop loving you if you turned into your father? A. You'd never allow that to happen and even if you did, yes. B. We both love your father so bloody much, we'd both be honored to turn into him or be with someone like him." Sebastian thought about what he'd just said, and shook his head, that totally, definitely did not come out right. "I mean-"
Kurt laughed and pulled Sebastian to him. "I get it. Thank you." They shared a somewhat chaste kiss and then Sebastian rolled off of Kurt.
"You're so dangerous." Sebastian breathed, looking up at the fluffy white clouds in the otherwise blue sky.
Kurt tried turning onto his side to look at him and Sebastian slid an arm under him to help him. "You're just learning that?" Kurt teased and Sebastian shook his head, not letting him suck him back under that cloud of desire. They were hanging out with their family in a public park, the public park. Reporters had already descended upon them once, even if it was for Burt and not Kurt.
"Why do you think I pushed so hard when we were younger to get the ball rolling? I knew it would never stop." Sebastian's eyes scanned over Kurt's face. "Santana's right, you're getting pink." It would turn into a massive burn or freckles if he didn't get under shade soon. Kurt hated his freckles.
"I guess we better get the shade up then." He started to move but Sebastian pulled him closer and shook his head. "'Stien?"
"Let the rest of us do that." Sebastian pressed one more kiss against Kurt's mouth before he rolled him gently back onto his back. Kurt would have argued that he wasn't an invalid but even though he tried to get up, he'd gotten his arms under him and then collapsed back onto the blanket, spent. Sebastian, Santana, Sam and Finn got the umbrella up and secured. Sebastian made sure Kurt was fully under the shade and popped down next to him again. "Ok?"
"Perfect." Kurt cuddled in to Sebastian's chest and Sebastian ran his finger through his hair until Carter came toddling over and fell down next to Kurt. Sebastian rotated Kurt back onto his back and helped Carter go where he had intended to, which was curled up against Kurt's side. Marie came over to investigate the shade and she yawned. She came down to lay in the shade and wrapped herself around Kurt's arm.
"The child-whisperer." Finn whispered to Sebastian, secretly laughing as Kurt had always seemed like the least likely to want pets or kids and yet the most logical choice too as everyone always gravitated toward him, how he took care of others. The kids fell asleep pretty quickly and seemed so comfortable against Kurt. Kurt's eyes were closed and his breath was evening out, he knew the kids were there and Sebastian knelt down next to Kurt and placed a hand on his chest.
"You're still comfortable, right?"
"Mm-hmm." He was too close to sleep to even bother answering with words. Sebastian smiled and wiped at the tears that threatened to spill. He loved this man so much, he was just too precious. He breathed them back and stood up and walked away from the sleeping trio. He went to go talk to Nick and Jeff and thank them for coming out. Jeremiah was over there talking to them too but didn't stay long, he squeezed Sebastian's shoulder and headed off.
He missed Brittany yawning and going under the umbrella's shade to snuggle up on Kurt's other side with her somewhat small belly pressing lightly into his hip. Her head rested on his shoulder, as if she'd done it a million times before, and she had.
Sebastian couldn't stop looking over toward Kurt and they teased him about it, how he was still like a kid who was experiencing his first love, as if he didn't believe the other person was real and couldn't stop looking at them, even for a few minutes.
Sebastian blushed. "I guess I am then. Does it wear off eventually?"
Nick and Jeff looked at each other and then linked hands. "Not really."
"It eventually becomes less often but you've been with Kurt nearly as long as we have been together. If it hadn't worn off or changed in 10 years, then I doubt it ever will."
"If it does, it'll be super subtle."
"Will you two ever get married?" Sebastian asked, glancing at their linked hands and remembering that they had been together for over 10 years and hadn't. They were a year younger than Sebastian.
"There's no reason to do so." Nick finally answered for the both of them. They must have had this conversation a few times.
"We're not going to have kids unless we somehow fall into it."
"You'd seem like the perfect couple to have kids. You both have stable 9-5 jobs or off set from each other which is even better for kids. You're both super caring and loving and have more love to share."
Jeff sighed and looked to Nick who nodded. "Honestly, we haven't kept in touch as much as we should have and we've been pretty private about what we've gone through."
Sebastian felt like his world was going to collapse around his ears again, what had they gone through? How had he been such a bad friend to not know this? To have not asked?
"We kept in within the family and of course with each other." Jeff continued. "I found out a couple of years ago that I have cancer."
"And you're not getting married because of that?" Sebastian wanted to cut out his tongue. "No, sorry, let me have a redo with that. I'm so sorry Jeff! How are you doing?"
"It's in remission right now but the bills are insane."
Nick winced. "I keep telling him it's not about the bills but it is the type of thing though that has a tendency to reappear."
"Which is not a reason to get married." Jeff looked at Nick pointedly.
"It's also not a reason to not get married." Nick countered but then looked back to Sebastian. "Honestly, we've been married in all but law for so long now. We went straight from being high school dorm mates to college dorm mates to all the different places you could possibly live mates, because that's what we are, mates."
"Neither of us have ever dreamed of having a ceremony to make it ok in the world's eyes. Who'd have thought we'd ever get to say that about two gay men?" Jeff laughed. "I suppose it doesn't matter what type of romantic couple it is, everyone expects marriage now. Not every couple gets married but they stay together for life. It's not the end of the world, nor is it sinful."
Sebastian held up his hands, he definitely wasn't one who could say that. "We must look pretty selfish compared to what you two have gone through."
"No, don't ever say that." Jeff put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "We've both had something happen to us totally out of our powers, we've both experienced a betrayal of epic proportions. It's different but neither are silly compared to the other." He looked to Nick for help.
"Jeff's recovering, Kurt's recovering. We're the ones who bear a lot of the burden but we'd gladly take it on for just a moment longer in their presence." Nick blinked back tears. "It can be hard sometimes but the alternative is too much to contemplate." Nick wrapped his arms around Jeff, needing to hold him close. "We chose to isolate and concentrate on having only a few people around us. Kurt needs this, all of us, it's just who he is, even when he runs off to be alone, it's only for a moment and then he's seeking out others. So don't you think for a minute Sebastian Smythe that you did anything wrong or weren't good enough of a friend! You've been a great friend to us, even when you didn't know."
"Kurt's been one too." Jeff's throat was clogged and rough. "He sent me knit hats, gloves, scarves in the middle of summer during chemo. I don't know how he knew."
Sebastian's head spun toward where Kurt was sleeping. "He knew?"
"Seemed like it." Jeff shrugged. "He only sent them to me. He sent Nick a big bottle of whiskey."
The three of them laughed hard at that. "Sounds about right." Sebastian was reminded of his own gift basket. "I can't believe he didn't tell me his suspicions."
"Kurt's always been... intuitive." Nick said slowly. "He's always just kind of known what someone needs even if he doesn't know why he's doing it."
Sebastian nodded, turning back to look at the others. He'd felt that way so much with Kurt, and Kurt just this morning had shown it all over again, knowing Sebastian needed to break down and let it all out for a change. "I'm sorry I haven't been there. It means so much for us for you two to be here and to come back again during the wedding. It meant so much to me to have you at my graduations. I should have been there for you."
"You have been." Jeff waved off. "I've called you so many times and you've answered and listened to me rant."
"You've listened to me cry." Nick added as if only a rare few got that opportunity.
"I should have known there was something wrong when you cry." Sebastian groaned. "I'm an idiot."
"You've just had your hands full is all." Jeff pulled Sebastian into a hug that Nick joined in on. He let them encompass him into a hug.
"I'll be better in the future." Sebastian promised.
"We'll actually tell you if it happens again, while it's happening." Jeff promised.
"Nick's right though, hospital bills are not a reason to not get married, especially because you two are both mega rich in your own rights."
"You're right, but will you accept that it's just not something either of us want for our future?"
"Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with not getting married." Sebastian agreed. "Although you may have a harder time convincing Kurt. He lives for weddings."
"I think he lives for happy couples." Nick poked him in the arm. "If he gets to design the wedding, then that's great too. He's never asked us about our plans to get married."
"Really?" Sebastian tried to think of a time when Kurt asked any of their friends their thoughts on marriage. He couldn't recall, he just remembered them announcing it and then Kurt asking if they had a designer planned and of course he would accept if they asked him. "I suppose not."
Sebastian was already practically turned toward Kurt, except his head which he kept swiveling back and forth. He wasn't quite to inching his way over to the sleeping man, but he definitely looked on the verge. "Oh go on, we know you want to. You're besotted and a wedding is around the corner, the bliss and honeymoon period are taking a strong hold of you."
Sebastian placed a hand over his heart. "It almost hurts with how much I love him."
"Yeah, love unfortunately is that way." Sebastian was glad that he wasn't totally obsessed and he wasn't alone with that. He didn't need further release from the conversation but he would try harder to be a better friend. He just had to stop wanting to spend every spare second with Kurt first.
It was an impossible ask.
He frowned when he spotted not only Brittany curled up with what had to be an awkward position for Kurt, but Beth had decided she was going to join the others as well and the Hudsons had put the bassinet next to them too so the baby would be out of the sun. There was nowhere for Sebastian.
"If you wake her, I'll gut you." Santana hissed when he found an obvious solution and he looked over to Santana. She was as protective of Brittany as he was of Kurt, the only difference was, he'd never broken up or spent time away from Kurt that was voluntary . He'd never willingly left his man (other than when he decided he had to improve himself first, but they hand't been together). He felt like he had dibs and forever moral superiority over Santana.
Now he was jealous of Brittany being able to snuggle up next to his man? He was really losing it. Yet Kurt had never told him not to be or even teased him about it. Either he hadn't noticed or liked it. Sebastian grinned with that thought Kurt liked him possessive. He could definitely accommodate that. He'd told Kurt it was only going to get worse and Kurt said I know. Oh he could definitely work with that and he wouldn't feel guilty about it anymore.
Sebastian ignored Santana's dark looks and sank to sit down by Kurt's head. He stroked Kurt's hair with a soft smile as he surveyed what was happening with him. He was more than the child-whisperer. He just drew everyone to him.
"Hey, Seb." Rachel's voice was soft as it called out to him. Sebastian looked up from Kurt's peacefully resting face. She nodded toward where Finn, Mercedes, Sam, Tina, Quinn, Mike, Puck and Santana were off a ways. It was almost a complete New Directions reunion, they were missing only a couple of people. "We wanted to talk with you."
He started to draw away but Kurt started frowning in his sleep. Sebastian leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I won't be far." He whispered and withdrew and Kurt's expression evened out again.
Sebastian got up and went to where the group was gathered. They kept their voices low so they weren't overhead by Kurt.
"We were thinking of doing a group number before the first dance... We wanted it to be a surprise for Kurt, do you think he'll have a problem with that?"
Sebastian didn't even have to think about it. "Yes. There's a better time to do it and still surprise him but if you put it before the first dance..." Sebastian shook his head. "He might just flip out."
The group laughed, they could see that happening. They listened to his advice on where he would put it. He admitted that Kurt had already anticipated that they'd be taking over the mic and so hadn't really planned that many songs but he definitely had a few times blocked out for ones he wanted and when.
"Now, if you really wanted to surprise him..." He leaned in close and told them about something he was thinking about and they all grinned, that was something they'd all get behind. He just had to employ Isabelle's help.