Chapter 15: Shifting


The transference of emotions between soulmates is a rare experience. It is most likely to occur in soulmates who are separated shortly after meeting and struggle to build their foundation. It is said that these souls, who struggle the greatest and experience the emotional transfer, will ultimately have a stronger connection than most. In order for that to happen, they must fight harder, break down more walls, and hurt more. Their love is a true challenge but if they succeed, they will become unbreakable.

Excerpt from: What it means to Bond

Chapter: Understanding of the Soul


Wes triple checked that he had everything he needed before turning to Vanessa with a sad smile. Vanessa returned the smile though it was forced. The weekend had passed far too quickly for her liking and now she had to watch Wes leave again. With as many goodbyes as they've shared, she thought she'd be used to it by now. But it only got worse every time. Wes sighed, stepping closer to his wife and signing as he spoke. "I have to go."

"I know," Vanessa signed. "Text me when you land?"

"Of course," Wes replied before pulling her into his arms and kissing her lightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Wes turned to grab his luggage but turned back around when Vanessa grabbed his bicep. "I think it's time we start our family."

Wes' eyes went wide. "What? Now?" he asked with panic and mild confusion.

Vanessa laughed softly and shook her head. "No, silly. When you get back. I saw the way you doted on Katherine yesterday. I know you have baby fever and I know you've been waiting for me to be ready. Well, I'm ready."

Wes smiled brightly and excitement suddenly coursed through him. "Yeah?"

Vanessa nodded with a smile. "Yeah. So go on, be a pop star and stay safe. When the tour is done, we'll start trying." Wes let out a jovial laugh, pulling Vanessa into his arms and picking her up to spin. She held on tight and giggled into the crook of his neck. He set her down gently and kissed her lips. Vanessa kissed him back for only a moment before pushing him away. "Go on, get out of here," she smiled encouragingly. Wes gave her one more peck to the lips before heading out. He couldn't wait to tell the guys.


"Alright, make sure you lock the door behind me and don't forget to turn on the alarm as soon as I'm gone."

"David."

"There's more than enough food in the fridge so you should be good on that for a while."

"David."

"If you do have to go out and get something though, make sure to take Vanessa with you. That girl whoops more ass than the five of us combined."

"David."

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need me. Eric's got my phone during the
concerts so if there's an emergency, please call me."

"DAVID!"

David finally stopped his ranting and pacing and turned to look at Katherine. His shoulders slumped at the look on her face. "I'm being overbearing again, aren't I?"

"You're not being overbearing," Katherine said gently though a smirk played at her lips. "Obnoxiously adorable? Definitely. But never overbearing."

David breathed out and walked to her, grabbing hold of her hands to hold in his own. "I'm sorry babe. I'm just being overprotective."

"You're fine," she assured him, holding back a laugh at David's pout. "You are going to be late if you don't go, though."

"I know, I know," David said with a quick glance at the clock. He dropped to his knees and kissed Katherine's belly. "Now, listen here Elena," he froze as soon as the name slipped out but then looked up at his wife. "Elena?"

Katherine thought it over for a moment before nodding her approval. It wasn't one of their original choices but it fit perfectly. "Elena Marie."

David grinned from ear to ear and turned his attention back to Katherine's belly. "Listen here Elena Marie, you take care of Mommy while Daddy's gone, alright? Make sure she eats the good stuff I got her, not that nasty processed crap," Katherine rolled her eyes as David continued. "And be a good girl. No making her sick or rushing her to the hospital. You wait in there until Daddy comes home. I love you baby girl," David kissed her belly once more before standing and kissing Katherine. "And I love you too. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon. Love you," Katherine said with a peck on his lips. They hugged goodbye and she walked him to the door, locking it behind him and turning on the alarm. With a relieved sigh, Katherine walked into their kitchen to make herself some Taquitos. She rubbed her belly with a smirk. "Let's keep this between you and me," she whispered as if David would walk in at any moment. She loved her husband dearly but he was out of his mind if he thought she was giving up her Taquitos.


"Ma boys!" David shouted as he entered the private jet. Wes and Blaine looked up and smiled. "Man I missed your faces!"

"Wish I could say the same but I kinda saw you yesterday," Wes teased as they slapped their hands in greeting.

"Yeah man, sorry but I was a little too busy with Kurt to think about you," Blaine smirked as David patted his shoulder and took a seat next to him.

"Haters," David muttered with a shake of his head. "Yo, when we taking off?" he shouted to the pilot who had the cockpit door open.

"Five minutes," the pilot shouted back.

David quickly pulled out his cell phone. "Get your ass over here, Wesley," Wes rolled his eyes but walked over to him nonetheless. "Alright boys, pout with me." All three men did their very best pouts and David took a picture. "Alright now smile, nice and big!" They all smiled goofily and David took the picture. Wes took his seat again and sighed happily. "What are you smiling at over there?" David asked as he tweeted their first picture.

"Vanessa wants to have a baby," Wes replied with biggest grin Blaine and David had ever seen. "When the tour's done, she wants to start trying."

"That's amazing, Wes. Congrats man," Blaine said, reaching over the aisle to high five him.

"That's awesome, dude," David replied as he tweeted the next picture. "Now Elena Marie can have someone to play with."

"Awe yay, you picked a name," Blaine said happily.

"What happened to Chelsea Aliyah?" Wes asked confused. "I thought Kat was dead set on that."

David shrugged a little. "She wasn't dead set on it but she really liked it. But when I was heading out, I accidently called the baby Elena and, I don't know, it just fit. She came up with Marie."

"I'm so happy for you guys," Blaine smiled at them. "Who would've thought that you two would be parents," he teased.

"Man, whatever," David scoffed with an elbow to Blaine's gut. "I'm going to be an awesome dad. Now what good news do you have?" he smirked.

"Yeah Anderson," Wes said with a laugh. "I've been dying to ask since I got on. I know that look, that extra special sparkle in your eyes. You're holding out on us."

Blaine bit his lip, a light blush creeping up his cheeks. "Kurt and I have decided to go public during Christmas break."

"Dude!" David exclaimed. "Seriously?"

"What happened to waiting until he graduated?" Wes asked as Donny entered the plane.

"Buckle up, shut devices down. We're taking off."

The guys did as they were told. "Well," Blaine started, running his hands through his hair. "I honestly don't think we're going to make it. People are starting to put two and two together and the fans are starting to get restless."

"So does that mean you two are gonna-"

Blaine held up his hand and cut David off. "I wouldn't say that just yet. We still have a lot of growing to do. But...you never know," he smiled softly, his fingers playing with his cuff.

David and Wes smiled brightly at each other, Wes reaching over the aisle to pat Blaine's arm. "We're happy for you man."

"Christmas is gonna be epic this year," David said as he rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. Blaine smiled to himself, his thumb tucked inside his cuff caressing Kurt's name. He certainly hoped so.


Kurt was surprised he slept as well as he had. He had been so spoiled the last few days, falling asleep and waking up in Blaine's embrace, that he was prepared to fight for his sleep. But as soon as his head hit the pillow and he breathed in Blaine's lingering scent, he was out for the night. It did hurt to wake up alone though. His heart and soul ached for the comfort of his love and he knew he was in for a long day. He reached for his phone to text Blaine only to see that it was lit up with messages.

WarblerDavid: "@WarblerBlaine @WarblerWes Missing our babies already. [Picture] @KatThompson @HisLuckyCharm @VanessaMont"

WarblerDavid: "@WarblerBlaine @WarblerWes But man we cannot wait to see our boys! @WarblerNick @WarblerJeff [Picture]"

VanessaMont: "@WarblerDavid @WarblerBlaine @WarblerWes @HisLuckyCharm Missing you too!"

KatThompson: "@WarblerDavid @WarblerBlaine @WarblerWes @VanessaMont @HisLuckyCharm Yeah I guess I miss you. ;p"

WarblerJeff: "@WarblerNick @WarblerDavid @WarblerBlaine @WarblerWes YEAH BOI!"

Kurt laughed at the messages. It had been past midnight when David tweeted and as he read through his timeline to see the rest of the tweets he wasn't mentioned in, he wished he had been awake for it. He would've gladly joined in on the fun. With a quick reply to David's tweets, saying that he missed Blaine too and calling them goofballs, he got out of bed and started getting ready for school.


Quinn paced the Cheerios' bathroom impatiently. Santana had demanded that she show up to school early and was now stuck in there waiting for her. Whatever Santana had to talk to her about must've been important if she was willing to come to school this early.

"Tana, you're going to rip my damn arm off!"

Quinn turned towards the door at the sound of Kurt's voice. "Fucking finally," she whined. "Took you long enough."

Santana all but threw Kurt towards Quinn. "I gots something to say and you two gotta listen," Quinn rolled her eyes and set her hands on her hips while Kurt crossed his arms. "Britt and I are cool now. I talked to her about everything yesterday and cleared the air. So no more sending her dirty looks," she said directly to Quinn, "and no more ignoring her," she said to Kurt. "We're done with the bullshit."

"Oh, are we now? Are we supposed to go back to being bff's again?" Quinn asked sarcastically, jealousy suddenly coursing through her.

Santana rolled her eyes. She knew Quinn would be the one to question it. "Don't be such a bitch Q," she snapped angrier than she intended.

"This coming from the Queen Bitch herself," Quinn scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "What about all the crap you went through these past few months? All the shit Sam said about you? The way Britt acted like she didn't care how badly she hurt you? We're just supposed to forgive her? Just like that?" Quinn knew she was overreacting but she couldn't help it. The thought of being pushed to the side for Brittany after finally getting Santana to herself made her blood boil.

"All that shit was my fault, not hers," Santana shouted, shocked by the pure anger in Quinn's voice, her heart hurting at the betrayed look on Quinn's face.

"Yeah, your shit that you dragged us into and now we're all supposed to be honky fucking dory? Like we haven't been dealing with your crap for the last three months?" Quinn yelled, her voice cracking in the end.

Kurt took a mental step back because, whoa. What exactly was happening here? Why was Quinn getting so angry and why did Santana look like she was about to cry?

"You know what, screw you Fabray," Santana said through gritted teeth and stomped out of the bathroom.

Quinn kicked the bathroom stall with a grunt. "Can you fucking believe her?" she asked Kurt, not waiting for him to answer. "Well she can get the fuck over it for all I care. I'm done."

Kurt watched Quinn storm out of the bathroom with confusion. Why had she gotten so angry? He could hear the jealousy in her voice but Brittany was Sam's. Why would it bother her so much that Santana and Brittany were friends again? He thought that was a good thing, a great thing even. He didn't expect them to become the best of friends like they were before but he hadn't expected Quinn to snap so intensely either. Kurt gasped as realization hit him. Quinn's in love with Tana! Not just crushing on her but straight up in love with her! How the hell had he not seen that before? And what about Santana? Why hadn't she fought back harder? The pain on her face was clear as day but it wasn't because of Brittany, it was because of Quinn. Was she as into Quinn as Quinn was into her? Kurt thought that her attraction to Quinn was purely sexual but now he wasn't so sure.

Kurt shook his head and took a breath. "It's way too early for this shit," he muttered to himself as he walked out of the bathroom. He made his way to his locker but stopped at the end of the hallway when he saw that Karofsky was waiting for him. "Fuck," he said under his breath.

He knew the months of nothing but a few disgruntled looks were too good to last. Just as he decided to turn around and walk away, Karofsky turned his way and the look on his face sent a chill down Kurt's spine. With all his courage and bitchiness in tow, Kurt walked up to the oversized jock.

"Did you lose your way, Neanderthal?"

Karofsky ignored his question and waited until Kurt reached him to talk. "I need to talk to you," he said calmly.

"I don't have time for this," Kurt snapped as he tried to push past his tormentor. Karofsky stood his ground though. "Move it, Karofsky."

"Please," Karofsky said so quietly that Kurt was sure he misheard. Karofsky pulled his hands out of his pocket, revealing his leather cuff. Kurt paled. With all the excitement that weekend he forgot that Karofsky was turning of age. "I need to talk to you," he said again and the slight quiver in his voice told Kurt everything he needed to know. "Privately." With a curt nod, Kurt headed down the hall with Karofsky close behind. Neither noticed Jacob Ben Israel hiding behind the corner with his camera nor did they notice him following them.

Kurt led them all the way to his car, knowing that it was the only place where they could talk in private. His mind was reeling. Was it possible that David Karofsky was actually gay? No, there was no way. Maybe his soulmate was Santana or Quinn, or maybe even Rachel. Yeah, that's it, he thought as he unlocked his car door. There's no way Karofsky's gay. There is just no freaking way.

Karofsky got into the passenger side and locked the door as if being locked inside would somehow save him from his truth. He fidgeted with his cuff but said nothing, not knowing where to start. He couldn't even look at Kurt whose eyes he could feel boring into him. What had he been thinking, coming to Kurt like this? Kurt hated him and Karofsky knew he had every right to. Why in the hell did he think it was a good idea to confide in the Cheerio?

Kurt could see the struggle on Karofsky's face, the uncertainty and fear, and he realized that Karofsky truly did need someone to talk to. He was both shocked and admittedly touched that Karofsky chose him.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," Karofsky was surprised by the gentleness of Kurt's tone. "I'm not going to tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about."

Karofsky laughed humorlessly. "Right, like when you threatened to tell the whole school that I was gay?" he snarled though it lacked conviction.

"I would never actually do that," Kurt spoke quietly. "I'm not that cruel. I only said that because I was pissed and I wanted you to back off."

"It's true, ya know," Karofsky whispered. Kurt's heart dropped. "I am gay."

"Dave."

"That's why I hated you so damn much," Karofsky continued as tears formed in his eyes. "Because you were out and proud and I'm nothing but a scared little boy, just like you said."

"Dave," Kurt tried again but stopped, startled by the choked sob that suddenly escaped Karofsky. He sat and watched stunned as Karofsky broke down in front of him. What was he supposed to do?

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you," Dave muttered through his tears. Kurt took a quick look around the parking lot before turning back to Karofsky. "I was just so scared all the time and you were so proud and I was jealous and he..." Dave trailed off, his hand playing with the cuff around his wrist. "He's going to hate me," he whispered.

"You don't know that," Kurt said, placing a comforting hand on Karofsky's arm.

Karofsky finally looked up at Kurt, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Why wouldn't he? I'm a bully, Kurt. And I'm fat and disgusting and stupid. How could he ever love me?"

"Because he's your soulmate, Dave. He's going to love you. You just have to give him, and yourself, the chance to," Kurt spoke gently. "And you're not fat or disgusting or stupid either. You're smarter than most of the football team, you're surprisingly hygienic, and you're not bad looking."

"Why are you even being nice to me?" Dave questioned suspiciously. "You hate me."

"I don't hate you," Kurt said with an eye roll. "I hate the way you've treated me, but I don't hate you. I don't hate anyone. Well except JBI but he's a sniveling little rat so he doesn't count."

Karofsky chuckled and shook his head. He wiped his tears away, grunting in aggravation. "Why can't I stop crying?!"He asked more to himself. "I've cried more the past two days than I have my entire life!"

"It's your soul waking up, remember? We learned about it sophomore year," Kurt said with a smirk, pulling his hand away and sitting back.

Karofsky scoffed. "Like I remember any of that shit." They sat in silence for a moment and when Dave spoke again, it was nothing but a whisper. "I haven't told anyone else, not even my parents."

Kurt's heart went out to him. "Why did you tell me?"

Karofsky shrugged a little though he knew the answer. "Because I knew you'd understand," he looked up at Kurt with sad eyes. "Because I knew that I would never be able to look him in the eye if I didn't apologize to you for being so horrible."

"Do you know, who he is I mean?" Kurt wondered curiously.

"No," Karofsky shook his head. "His name's Adam. Adam J. Crawford." Kurt nodded but said nothing. "He sounds nice. I'm not...I'm not a nice person. I don't...I don't know if I'll be good enough for him."

"It's never too late to be a nice person, Dave," Kurt said with an encouraging smile. "And you are good enough for him. Otherwise he wouldn't be yours."

Karofsky took a deep breath and nodded. He glanced at Kurt's cuff curiously. "Have you met him?"

Kurt followed Karofsky's line of vision and smiled. "Yeah, I have."

"What's it like? Finding him? Being with him?"

"It's...extraordinary," Kurt replied with a small laugh. "I've never felt more loved than I do when I'm with him. He makes me feel so safe and so connected. It's pretty incredible."

"Must be nice," Karofsky muttered.

Kurt smiled sympathetically. "You'll find him when the time is right. Just hang in there. Figure out who you need to be as a person and don't give up hope. Never give up hope."

Karofsky offered him a small smile. "Thanks, for talking to me. This could've gone really bad but you've once again proven why you're a better person than me," he said with a humorless laugh though Kurt could see that he meant it.

"Let's be honest here, I'm better than everyone," Kurt replied with a light tease and Karofsky gave him a genuine smile. "We should go before people start looking for us."

Karofsky nodded, unlocking the door and opening it. A loud thump caught his attention as he quickly exited the car to find Jacob flat on his back with his hand on his head where the door smacked him. Jacob's camera was on the ground next to him still recording. Karofsky's anger flared and before he could realize what was happening, he was picking the camera off the ground and smashing it.

"NO!" Jacob shouted but it was too late.

Kurt hurried to the passenger side of his car. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He screeched at Jacob.

Before he could answer though, Karofsky was picking him up by the collar and pinning him against Kurt's car. "How much of that did you hear?!"

"Enough to know that you're a flaming homo," Jacob said smugly despite Karofsky's hold on him. "Enough to make it look like you and Lady Hummel are soulmates."

Karofsky pulled Jacob back and slammed him hard against the car. Kurt cringed. "Watch the car, Karofsky. That's my baby."

"Sorry, Hummel," Karofsky muttered as he tightened his grip on Jacob and lifted him off the ground. "We are not soulmates and even if we were it would be none of your damn business you little weasel," he gritted out with a shake and Jacob whimpered. "You tell anyone about what you heard and I swear to god I will pummel you so bad that your own parents won't be able to recognise you."

"Wouldn't that be a shame," Kurt drawled as he picked up the broken camera. He pulled out the film and began ripping it. "And if that's not enough incentive, please do remember that I have photographic proof of you jerking off in the school library to the one and only Miss Rachel Berry."

"You jerked off in the library? To Berry? Ew," Karofsky made a disgusted face though an evil smirk played at his lips. "At least have some decency and do it in the bathroom."

"You do remember who Rachel is dating right?" Kurt continued. "My brother, the quarterback. Yeah, he won't be too happy to find that out. I'm not a betting man but if I were, I'd say that whatever he does to you when he finds out will be so much worse than what Karofsky's gonna do."

"I don't know about that one, Hummel," Karofsky shook his head unsurely. "I just turned of age, ya know? I'm a little emotional these days. I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from beating the living crap out of him," he warned with another shake.

"Alright, alright!" Jacob shouted before the tears fell. "I won't say anything, I swear."

"You better not, Jacob Ben Israel," Kurt said in that eerily calm voice that always sent a chill down his spine. "Karofsky's going to put you down now and you will go back inside and forget everything you overheard. Understood?" Jacob nodded frantically and after another shake, Karofsky dropped him and he scurried off. Kurt turned to his former nemesis with a smile. "Well, that was fun."

Karofsky, however, didn't smile back. "You don't think he'll tell, do you?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't think so," Kurt shook his head. "But don't worry about it. I'm working on getting his blog taken down so that he never posts any of that shit ever again."

"How are you going to manage that?" Karofsky asked with a curious brow.

Kurt chuckled and brought his left hand up. "Let's just say I have friends in high places," he winked with a shake of his wrist.

"Right. Well um...friends?" Karofsky held his hand out to Kurt, a nervous smile on his lips.

Kurt took his hand and shook it. "Friends."

Karofsky smiled, wide and true, and Kurt felt proud for being the one to put it there. "See ya, Hummel," Karofsky said with a nod and walked off. Kurt waited until Karofsky was gone to pull out his cell phone and text Blaine.

From: Kurt Hummel
Call me when you can. We need to talk.


Kurt let out a breath of relief followed by a groan the moment he sat down in his father's office chair, folding his arms on the desk and resting his head on them. He was supposed to be changing into his overalls to work but he needed a moment to breathe. Today had to be one of the longest days of his entire life. Between the emotional roller coaster he went through with his girls and Karofsky, he was worn out. After texting Blaine, he had started to head back into the building only to turn around and sit in his car when Blaine called him right away. He ended up skipping first period and told Blaine what had happened. They then talked to Eric and set up their meetings with the SSAA. Whatever concern Kurt had over talking to them was gone. He wasn't just doing it for his and Blaine's privacy anymore, but for Karofsky's. Jacob Ben Israel was done tormenting the students of McKinley.

Kurt hoped the rest of his day would go smoothly but instead it was nothing but stressful. He was suddenly caught in-between Quinn and Santana's fight and he had no idea how to handle it. He forced Quinn to talk to him about why she was so upset and she broke down, admitting that her feelings for Santana were stronger that she let on and telling him how she felt like she was being pushed aside to make room for Brittany. She cried into his arms as she spilled her soul and told him how her rebellion earlier in the year had little to do with Beth and a lot to do with trying to get Santana's attention. Kurt hadn't said anything. He simply listened and held her close, not knowing what he could say to make it better. Santana had immediately noticed the looks between them during Cheerios practice and assumed that Kurt was on Quinn's side. Santana ignored Kurt all day despite his chasing after her and by the end of the day, none of the Cheerios knew whose side to be on or why they were even fighting.

"You ok, bud?" Burt asked from the doorway of his office. "Finn said you and the girls are fighting?"

Kurt groaned and kept his head down. "I'm not fighting. They're fighting and I'm stuck in the middle," he mumbled.

Burt walked in and closed the door behind him. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

"No, not really," he lifted his head and met his father's worried gaze. "I'm fine, honestly. It's just been a long day."

"Alright, well if you wanna talk, I'm here," Burt told him and Kurt smiled a little. "In the meantime, I have a Buick that needs an oil change. Get on that first."

Kurt nodded as Burt went to open the door. "Oh wait!" Burt turned to his son with a raised brow. "I actually do have something to ask you. You know how I told you this morning that Blaine gave me that platinum card?"

"Uh, huh."

"Well, I really don't wanna use it unless I absolutely have to and I'm a little short on money. I was wondering if I could get my allowance a little early," Kurt asked with a hopeful smile.

Burt crossed his arms. "What do you need the money for?"

"I wanted to make the guys a Thanksgiving basket and send it to them," Kurt said with an excited clap. "I even talked to Eric and got the address of hotel they'll be staying in that day. Since they're on the road, I figured they could enjoy a little slice of home. I was going to make them a Thanksgiving meal, but between the actual food for them and the crew and the special packaging to keep everything fresh, it's kinda pricey."

Burt thought it over for a moment and then nodded. Truthfully, he had expected Kurt to ask him if he could go to Blaine the few days he was off and was pleasantly surprised that Kurt chose to be with their family. "Alright, sure. That's really nice of you, son. Calculate exactly how much it'll cost and let me know. I'll gladly donate to the cause."

Kurt smiled brightly and stood up from the chair, throwing his arms around his father's neck in a hug. "Thanks, Dad. You really are the coolest."

Burt chuckled and patted Kurt's back. "You bet I am."


Hunter set the timer on the microwave and pressed start. It was Monday evening and he spent the entire day wrapped up in Sebastian's old Dalton sweater. He was absolutely miserable. In all his years of teaching at Dalton, not once had he called in sick. But after the weekend he had, he could barely manage to get dressed. Replying to Sebastian's email had been a mistake. As soon as he hit send, his entire world shattered. The pain he felt when they first met and Sebastian abandoned him was nothing compared to what he felt now. He never believed Sebastian when he said he was hurting, when he said that he felt like the world around him was constantly spinning. He always thought that Sebastian was trying to make him feel guilty or trick him. He never once felt nearly as bad as Sebastian claimed to in all of his emails and Hunter always thought it was because them being soulmates was a mistake.

But he spent a lot of time thinking about the last six years of his life that weekend and it made him realize things that he never once thought of. For one, he held just as much fault for what happened between them as Sebastian did. Maybe even more fault. Sebastian tried time and time again to communicate with him and all Hunter did was shut him out, too stuck in the past to ever truly give him a chance. He chose to believe what the gossip articles said about Sebastian because it was easier that way. He chose to push Sebastian away because he convinced himself that they were a mistake. And yet, he chose to lead the single life because somewhere deep inside his heart he knew that Sebastian was meant to be his and no one could take his place.

The latter he didn't know to be true until today. That was why he never hurt as bad as Sebastian. That was why the ever present emptiness was dulled. Because he knew that Sebastian was his and his alone, and he knew that Sebastian would always come back to him no matter how hard he pushed him away. But as soon as he answered Sebastian's ultimatum, as soon as Sebastian shut the door, all the heartache that was locked away poured out and now he felt like his world was caving in. If this is what Sebastian had been going through the last six years then Hunter was seriously in the dark about who his soulmate truly is as a person. One weekend of it and he felt like he was dying. But Sebastian worked through it and still managed to flourish in his career.

Hunter brought the sweatshirt to his nose and inhaled deeply. It no longer smelled like Sebastian but it always brought back the memories of that day. Memories that had stayed forgotten for years. Memories that now haunted him.

Three days. That's all it took for Hunter to fall head over heels, deeply in love with Sebastian. When he visited Dalton that fateful day to talk to his old headmaster about fulfilling his required observations hours for his teaching degree there, he hadn't expected to run straight into Sebastian nor had he expected his heart to thump so violently at the sight of the gorgeous man. But he kept his cool and acted as if it was no big deal that they finally met. He kept his walls up as best he could. But with every curious look, with every heated glance Sebastian sent him, his walls undoubtedly started to crack.

They had dinner that first night and Hunter played it cool while Sebastian did everything in his power to woo him. The next morning, Hunter was greeted with a cocky Sebastian holding coffee and muffins at his door. Hunter allowed him to come in and he spent the morning listening to Sebastian talk about himself and his career. Hunter had class that afternoon though so they exchanged numbers, sent text throughout the day, and then met up for dinner again. Only this time, Hunter was a little more at ease, a little more open to the idea of Sebastian despite his worries of Sebastian's sordid past. On the third day, Sebastian convinced Hunter to skip classes and they went to the local carnival. They spent their entire day there, playing games, eating junk food, and riding every single ride as much as they could. They laughed at things that that no one else would find funny and for the first time since they'd met, Hunter saw a side of Sebastian he didn't think existed. Sebastian went from cocky and arrogant to sweet and dorky and Hunter fell hard.

He watched Sebastian play the same game for over an hour until he won enough tickets for the large panda bear for him. But when Sebastian saw a little boy crying to his mother about not winning the tiger he wanted, he sent Hunter an apologetic smile and used his tickets on the toy for the small child instead. Hunter was truly touched. The smile of pure joy on the boy's face when Sebastian handed him the tiger was adorable. But the look on Sebastian's, the caring, warm gaze Sebastian gave the little boy broke down every wall and melted his heart. That was the moment he fell in love with Sebastian, and when Sebastian tried to apologize for not getting the panda bear, Hunter grabbed him by the face and kissed him hard.

Now Hunter laid naked in his bed with Sebastian sound asleep next to him, their clothes strewn all over the floor between the front door and his bedroom. It was late and he had class early in the morning but he didn't care. All that mattered was that the world's sexiest man was his soulmate and Hunter needed to be with him desperately. He pulled the blankets back and trailed his fingers down Sebastian's well-defined chest.

"Sebastian," Hunter whispered into his ear. "Wake up."

Sebastian stirred slightly but didn't awake. Hunter continued to trail his fingers down Sebastian's body until he reached Sebastian's hardening cock. He wrapped his fingers around it firmly and started pumping, taking Sebastian's earlobe into his mouth and nibbling.

"Hunter," Sebastian moaned sleepily, his hips moving with the rhythm of Hunter's hand.

Hunter smirked. "Sebastian, I want to ride your cock," he said huskily.

Sebastian opened his eyes and looked at Hunter with a smile that made his entire body shiver. Sebastian chuckled and reached for Hunter's face to caress. "What's stopping you?"

The timer on the microwave brought Hunter back from his memories. He didn't bother to wipe the stray tear away and grabbed his bowl of soup. He shuffled back to the living room where the couch still had his blanket and pillow. He set the bowl down on his coffee table and took a seat, draping the blanket around his shoulders before grabbing the TV remote and his bowl of soup. He knew he was torturing himself by watching Sebastian's Good Morning America interview again but he didn't care. He needed to see Sebastian's smile, even if it wasn't directed at him. He needed to hear Sebastian's laugh, even if he could tell it was forced. He needed Sebastian, and this was the only way he could have him right now.


Blaine watched Sebastian's interview for the fourth time on his phone and he couldn't help but worry. Something was wrong. He could see it on Sebastian's face. He could hear it in his voice. He had tried calling Sebastian after their sound check but Sebastian ignored his call again. Something was seriously off.

"Whatever you're watching can't be that complicated to comprehend, Blainers," David teased with his mouth full of food.

"Yeah man," Jeff chimed in. "I mean, I know you're an overachiever and all but we have an hour before the show starts. That's not enough time to learn rocket science," he joked, David cackling to himself while Wes and Nick shook their heads.

"I'm watching Seb's interview from this morning," Blaine told them with an eye roll. "Something's off with him."

David drank some water and sat down in one of the chairs. "He's Sebastian. He's always off," he tried to joke but held back a laugh when Blaine sent him a hard glare.

"I'm serious, David. Something's not right," Blaine said with worried look to Wes.

Wes walked over to him and held out his hand. "Let me watch it." Blaine handed his phone over and Wes pressed play. He watched the interview with a keen eye, paying attention to the way Sebastian spoke and presented himself. When it was over he watched it two more times before looking up at Blaine with the same worried expression. "Yeah, something's not right," he said as he handed Blaine his phone.

"See," Blaine said with a look to Jeff and David.

"What exactly isn't right about him?" Nick wondered curiously.

Blaine's shoulders slumped. "I don't know. He's just...not himself. He's chipper, which is weird in itself because Sebastian Smythe is not chipper, and it's so forced. His laugh, the way he responded to the questions. All of it."

"Yeah," Wes nodded as he took a seat. "It's like he's hiding."

Blaine snapped and pointed at Wes. "Exactly. He's hiding. But from what?" The guys shrugged. "Maybe I should call-"

"No!" The guys shouted simultaneously.

"Don't even think about it, Anderson. Or do I need to remind you how badly that ended last time?" David asked seriously with a raised brow.

Blaine shook his head. No, he didn't need reminding of what happened the last time he tried to get involved in Sebastian's and Hunter's affairs. With an exhale, he called Sebastian again. It only rung twice before going to voicemail. He hung up and looked at Wes. "Now what?" he asked with a soft whine. "I'm really starting to worry about him."

Wes pursed his lips and came to a decision. "I'll call Hunter after the show. It's been a few weeks since we've talked and the last time I spoke to him he seemed fine. Nothing unusual. But maybe something happened since then." Out of all the boys at Dalton, Wes was the one friend Hunter stayed in touch with. He was the one person Hunter had considered a true friend. If anyone could find out what was going on, it was Wes.

Blaine breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thanks, Wes. You're the only who gets it."

David and Jeff looked affronted while Nick chuckled at them. Wes smiled softly and pat Blaine's leg. "We're Dalton men, through and through. We take care of our own."


Hunter held his phone in his hand. He knew he shouldn't do it. Everything in him was telling him it was a bad idea and that he should let it go for the time being. But he couldn't let it go. He couldn't convince himself not to call even though he knew that it would end badly. He needed to do it. He needed to hear Sebastian's voice, even if only for a second. Even if it meant getting into a fight. Unable to control himself any longer, he went to Sebastian's contact and called.

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he reached to silence his ringing phone, assuming that it was Blaine again. But when he saw that it was Hunter, he had no choice but to pick up.

"Hello?" He answered with uncertainty.

There was a beat of silence before Hunter responded, his voice raw from crying. "Hello, Sebastian."

Sebastian set his book and highlighter down on his coffee table. "Hunter?" he questioned, taking a look around his living room as if Hunter would pop out of somewhere.

Hunter sniffled and cleared his throat. "Yeah...it's me."

"What...why are you calling me?" Sebastian asked and Hunter cringed at the anger in his voice. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

"No, I...yes...I mean..." Hunter stammered, regretting his decision to call more and more with each passing second.

"What do you mean, Hunter?" Sebastian bit back. "I'm a little busy right now. I can't waste my valuable time listening to you stutter like some doofus."

"I'm sorry," Hunter spoke quietly. Several minutes passed without so much as a breath from Sebastian and Hunter was certain that he ended the call. "Seb?"

"You're sorry," Sebastian finally said, his tone hard and emotionless. "What exactly are you sorry for, darling?"

Hunter's heart broke a little more at the use of the term of endearment, not missing the viciousness behind it. "I haven't...I haven't hurt like you, Sebastian," he started shakily. "These past few years...I've just been numb, to everything really, and after I answered your email I...I felt like my entire world fell out from under me and I am so, so sorry. I know that doesn't make a difference. I know that I've been a stubborn idiot and I'm so sorry."

Sebastian let out a breathy laugh and stood up from his chair. "Let me get this straight. You're sorry for being a monumental jackass but only because you're now hurting? Because your world is just now breaking apart? Are you fucking kidding me?!" he snapped.

"Sebastian."

"Six years, Hunter!" Sebastian shouted angrily. "Six years I've felt like my entire fucking existence meant nothing because you couldn't even answer a damn email! And now that I'm finally doing ok, now that my career had finally given me what I wanted, you decide to call? Are you serious right now?!"

"It's always about your career isn't it," Hunter muttered and instantly regretted.

"Oh for fuck's sake! I cannot believe you're still holding on to that!" Sebastian yelled at him as he started to pace. "And for the record, no, it's not always about my damn career. I've done nothing but cameos the past three years because I've been too fucking heartbroken to do anything else. I put my career on hold as best as I could so that one day, if you chose to call me or to answer any of my emails, I wouldn't be tied down. I would've dropped everything for you Hunter, everything. And now, when I've taken the most important role of my life, you come back around. Well I'm sorry for you but I am not going to give that up."

"And you shouldn't," Hunter said softly even though he wanted to beg Sebastian to come to him. "You're right, this movie deal is amazing and you shouldn't give that up for me. I know you hate me-"

"Don't be stupid," Sebastian cut him off. "I don't hate you. I've never hated. I love you, more than I love myself, and that's my biggest problem."

Hunter's heart swelled and broke at the same time. "Seb, I lo-"

"No, you don't get to say that to me," Sebastian interrupted. "Not now. Not after years of you ignoring me. You want this to work? You want the chance of us finally being together? Then leave me the hell alone. I cannot deal with the emotional stress that comes from being yours and this movie. Don't call me. Don't text me. Don't email me. Let me get my shit together, alright?" Sebastian paused for a moment to gather himself. "I'm not...I'm not ok, Hunter. I'm dealing with so much right now and I need to be able to take care of myself before I can even think of taking care of you. Do you get that?" he asked, his voice wavering.

Hunter nodded to himself. "I do. I'll leave you alone. I promise." Sebastian didn't bother to say goodbye before hanging up. Hunter stared at the screen for a moment, the picture he took of Sebastian years ago still saved on his contact info, before dropping the phone. He pulled his legs up on the couch and curled into himself, crying harder than he ever had until he fell asleep.