An: so, I'm typing this in class on my phone, and I'm checking it once I get home, but forgive me if I make any mistakes. And as always, if you like it enough to favorite and alert it, you should like it enough to review!

Also, I have no knowledge of a ship, and this is all google. Sorry if that bothers you. And, I think I'm definitely getting inaccurate when it comes to how an actual expedition works. But hey! Kiddie!Kurtbastian!

Chapter 3

Carole was very happy to hear that someone wanted to teach Kurt to swim. He was such a little thing, what if someone decided to push him off the pier as a joke, and he couldn't fight back fast enough to avoid the fall? She was a little hesitant, because she didn't know Sebastian except from what Kurt said, but she knew that John was a good man and would take care of them. So she put on her smile as she handed Kurt a banana nut muffin, and actually laughed when Kurt grabbed an extra, with the explanation "he always steals mine, and I'm hungry! Maybe he won't this time."

And then Sebastian's father was outside in his truck, ready to take Kurt to the boat, and to Sebastian, who had gotten there early to learn how to set up for an expedition with the crew. Kurt looked at the machine wearily; they didn't have this kind of thing in district 12.

"Just get into the front seat, buddy. I promise it's not gonna be too bad." Kurt, comforted by the use of the name his father had used, did as he was asked.

Mr. Smythe looked like he wanted to talk to the small boy, but, noting the quiet look of trepidation on the boy's face, he figured he would let him get used to the car. He could tell that Kurt was frightened of the vehicle, but his determination to not make a sound struck a chord with John. This boy was a fighter. He could already tell.

When they arrived at the dock and John told Kurt he could get out, the boy practically flew towards the pier, already looking with fascination at the boats in the dock. "Which one?" He called back, looking ready to bolt to it.

Mr. Smythe chucked and pointed to the Angelika, making a shooing motion to the boat in question. Kurt rushed up to the ladder, but looked anxiously at the few feet of water between him and the boat. He was in the process of figuring out the conundrum, when Sebastian peeked over the railing and saw Kurt contemplated the water. "Why are you afraid of falling in? I told you not to wear nice clothes! You knew that meant shoes, didn't you?"

"Of course I did!" Kurt responded hotly. "I just don't want to drown."

"Kurt, I'm right here to help you. And I'm almost 8, and I just prepped a ship, and I think that means I can help a six year old get on a ladder. So put your hands on and climb up, silly."

"Are you sure there isn't a better way to get on?" Kurt asked, really not liking the black water.

"There's a gangplank my dad is walking up right now, but that's for babies and grownups with bad knees. Come on Kurt, this isn't that bad."

"Fine." Kurt huffed, before reaching out as far as he could until he grasped the metal rung, and then placing his feet below that. "There. I'm climbing up now."

"Don't slip!" Sebastian called down delightedly, expecting the indignant huff he received.

"Okay, I'm up. Now what?" Kurt asked, looking at his friend expectantly. Sebastian tugged him to a room, which from the inside looked like a personal cabin, and rifled around a bit before tugging out a suit of some sort. Noticing Kurt's puzzled expression, he explained.

"Put this on, it's my old wetsuit, so it should fit you no problem. It has a little bit of insulation so that the water doesn't get so cold. You wouldn't normally be allowed, but my dad is really kind of just leading this for fun, he says. I think it's so he can teach me how to lead fishing expeditions, only we're not taking other boats. You can listen I guess, while he tells me stuff, and then I'm taking you swimming. And showing you a shrimp. They really do look like Blaine." And with that, Sebastian grabbed his own wetsuit and dashed into the bathroom, telling Kurt to call when he was done changing.

When both boys were changed and ready to go, they went to wait on the deck while Mr. Smythe stood in front of everybody and gave them all directions. Kurt was really confused, but Sebastian seemed to be paying rapt attention, brows furrowing as if making a mental note when he needed something to be explained to him later. After the men had run to do their jobs, Sebastian surged up to his dad and started firing off 30 questions about how everything was supposed to work. Sebastian's father explained them fully, not simplifying things just because Sebastian was young. Kurt smiled at how Sebastian, who was always so eager to not care, looked like he was about to explode with excitement over talking to his dad. Finally, his dad pushed him towards Kurt, saying "Didn't you promise the boy you'd teach him to swim, Seb?" Sebastian nodded excitedly before tugging Kurt's hand and running him to the back end of the boat.

"Okay, so I thought a lot about how I was going to do this, and I decided to do it the way my dad taught me. So just to check, I asked him a bunch of questions last night, and he said that I'm totally qualified. Not, you know, that it's a big deal. I just don't want you to drown. You're the only one in this entire district that isn't completely boring."

Kurt giggled a little at that, before gesturing for Seb to continue. "Okay, so. First, I'm going to explain what to do. You have to move your arms to stay afloat, okay? And you have to kick your legs. The water kind of holds you up anyway, but you have to help it out. So you kind of cup your hands, like this-" Sebastian took Kurt's little hand in his to show him how to cup them-"and you kind of push the water back. And then- do you ride a bike?"

Kurt nodded hesitantly. "I'm a little new, Finn's teaching me on his old one, but I can pedal. Balancing is a little hard though."

"Okay, good. It's the pedal part that's important. You kind of cycle your legs where you want to go, while you use your arms to keep you afloat. There's a lot of different techniques, but it's easier if you learn them after your in the water. So now, you're going to watch me swim, while you put on this tether. It keeps you at least 20 yards from the ship, and I know it limits your movements, but you're new. So, yeah."

With that, Sebastian raised his arms in preparation of a dive, before flipping off the edge of the ship. Kurt ran to the railing, watching as Sebastian went below the surface, and then gracefully popped back up again. He looked….beautiful was the only way Kurt could describe it. "Don't worry!" Sebastian called up at him. "You can just use the ladder! I just like diving!"

"I wanna try!" Kurt shouted back.

"Maybe later! I have to teach you how so that you don't split your head, okay?"

"Fine!"

"So, basically, watch!" And then, Sebastian cupped his hands and began winding them around in a windmill as he swam on his back, making sure Kurt could see him legs cycling. Then, he tilted so that only his torso was above the water, and made sure Kurt could see the way he moved his arms. He repeated all of this for awhile, swimming in little circles in Kurt's view. "Think you have it?" He called up.

Kurt nodded, and began to descend the ladder. Once he got to the bottom rung, he turned around. "How do I get off without hurting my head?"

"Just, push off as you let go."

"But-"

"Here." And Sebastian grabbed Kurt around the waist, pulling him into the water, and making sure to keep himself distangled from the tether. "Okay, try swimming." Then, Sebastian fully extended his arms from the boy, letting Kurt work on his peddling and his arms while still keeping both of them afloat, no easy feat for a seven year old.

"This water is really cold, Bas!" Kurt complained as he shivered.

"But it's great, right?" Sebastian replied, seeing through Kurt's constant complaining to the excitement underneath.

"Maybe. Let go, I can do it!"

"…okay, Kurt, as long as you're sure." And with that, Sebastian hesitantly let go of Kurt's waist, watching worriedly until he was sure that Kurt really had it down.

"I'M DOING IT BAS, I'M DOING IT! I'M SWIMMING!" came the over-joyed response to his own success.

"Yeah, you are. All by yourself, Blaine would be so shocked. Kurt frowned as yet another dig about Blaine was fired off, but he accepted it as something Sebastian just did. Sebastian smiled at Kurt's delight into the world of the sea, and started teaching him different strokes before Sebastian's dad called them back to come eat. John would never tell Sebastian how closely he had watched the two boys, making sure that everything was fine. He had to check, but he never wanted to wound Seb's pride.

The day lapsed into an easy time of fun and Sebastian trying, and mostly succeeding, in impressing Kurt with his swimming and knowledge of the boat. When Kurt came home that night, Carole looked in shocked surprise at the happy, peaceful expression on his face, like someone had ripped away all of his worries. She slept better that night, knowing that Kurt was finally getting out if his depression.

AN: So, I might have to take a raincheck until next weekend, due to the insane amount of things I have to do. But, I'm having the crappiest week of my life, so, come leave a review, pretty please, and make this week just a tiny bit less pathetic.