Please see chapter one for all warnings etc…
Make My Heart Start Beating
05
Five minutes.
Just five more minutes until the end of my shift at the Lima Bean. The others have been turning up in Lima over the last few days and we're having an impromptu engagement party for David and Kyle. We've yet to inform the happy couple of the bigger more formal party, we'll just surprise them at the barbeque, that'll be much more fun.
"Tiger," an unwelcome voice purrs and Sebastian's leaning on the counter, damn him, why is he still in Lima? Shouldn't he be off raising hell somewhere else?
"What do you want?" I don't see why I have to be friendly to him.
"You really need to work on that customer service charm," he says helpfully, "As fun as it was to see you rip into that homophobic moron you might try being pleasant to customers, you do after all catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
Without looking at him I tap in an order, one that I annoyingly remember, and then ask for payment. Quirking an eyebrow at me he pays, as he moves down to the other end of the counter I input his name as 'Meerkat'.
Shift over with I hand over to Debra, snag my own coffee on the way out from behind the counter and get to see Sebastian reading the name scribbled on his coffee cup, he tilts it towards me and I almost skip to my friends feeling like I just won something.
We're still missing half of them but most of us are here and they all know about David and Kyle. And the surprise party.
A shadow falls on the table and Blaine glances up to frown, "Hello Sebastian, strange I'm having this deja-vu moment, like this has all happened before," there's barely concealed dislike, though I know for a fact that Blaine gave into his charms for a single night during their senior year. Blaine says he was not impressed, that Sebastian was on and off and then gone. I'd nodded understandingly, and yet at the same time confused, as my own drunken recollection had us doing a lot more than that and yes I did try and trace his freckles but ended up kissing and licking them instead as he'd writhed under me.
"Blaine," Sebastian's voice is biting, "Congratulations for graduating NYADA, I hear you have several auditions lined up already."
"Why thank you Sebastian," Blaine replies, I'm sure I could etch diamonds with that tone, "Things are going well for me, I'm very fortunate. I'd ask after your life but I really don't care."
"Fun Blainers, but I was here for Dave actually, there are certain rumours flying around Lima and I wanted to congratulate you," Sebastian's smooth and doesn't give away that I blabbed to him. "I'm glad you made it, may you have a wonderful life together."
That earns him a nod from David, "Thank you."
Out of the corner of my eye I can see a group of juniors acting suspiciously so I bark out, "Girls! I can see what you're doing, don't make me report you."
Guiltily they stop whatever they're doing and one of them squeaks, "Yes Mr Hummel, I mean no Mr Hummel, sorry Mr Hummel."
"Buzzkill," Puck murmurs and the others grin.
"Oh I don't know," Sebastian drawls, "It's kinda hot when he gets all bossy like that, but seriously still wide open for you Tiger," he tops it off with a wink.
Blaine's face is a picture, David chokes on his coffee, and the others all turn to stare at me, damn you face for getting hotter, "I'll bear that in mind should every other guy on the face of the planet and most of the women keel over dead."
It only makes him laugh at me.
"So one more question," he says and I sigh, "Why were you behind the counter taking orders?"
He really is determined to make me suffer, he knows all this, my dad talks to his occasionally at functions, one of the perils of public office, I know Sebastian switched majors to English Lit, that he's working on being a writer and has several short works published already. He still sings but as more of a hobby.
"I work here Sebastian," I growl out.
"So you work in Scandals behind the bar, by the way amazing show on the cocktail mixing. You work in a garage, wearing hot little numbers of overalls and skintight blue Ts. And you help make divine coffee. I'm a little shocked you're doing all this though, shouldn't you be resting from your big Broadway shows?"
I really do flinch this time.
"Get out," Blaine slowly gets to his feet, the other guys mimicking him, "You are one cold bastard Sebastian, you know he never went to college, he never went to NYADA, stop being so cruel to him."
"What? Of course he went," Sebastian argues back, "Everything was about him going to that college, New Directions came in first at Nationals, it was a perfect leg up to get in."
He seems genuinely shocked, maybe he didn't know.
"There was only one final place left open for candidates," I tell him softly, "It came down to me or Rachel."
"What and they picked her?" He's not happy at the thought and it makes me smile.
"Yes strange as it may seem they picked her," just like they always do.
"But…" he can't seem to get his head wrapped around it.
"I still can't believe you went out without me and got drunk when you found out about it," Finn grumbles and I stiffen in my seat and brainstorm how to make the idiot shut up. "It's only the second time you've ever gotten drunk in your life, I should have been there to take care of you, to make sure you were okay, you were hurt and vulnerable."
Averting my eyes from Sebastian it seems my brother has decided to shut up when David says, "Nah, it's cool there, Scandals is pretty safe, plus he'd totally booked his cab in advance, no drink driving."
Oh god.
And Blaine destroys what's left of my dignity by adding, "And don't forget he had a hotel room, with hangover remedies, new clothes and a pre-booked cab to pick him up in the morning," sitting back down Blaine reaches out to touch one of my hands on the table, "You know Kurt, he's so very sensible, mature, he wouldn't do anything silly, he's not the most spontaneous of guys," my hand gets squeezed.
Against my will my eyes drift up to Sebastian who's staring at me thoughtfully, oh please don't let him work it out, it's a vain thought.
Suddenly his phone rings and I'm saved.
"Hello," he answers it, "Oh, yes I know, I know, really I hadn't realised, I was picking up coffee, what? Fine," he huffs and ends the call, "Well it's been so much fun, and Kurt? I'll see you around."
When I'm sure he's gone I breathe out and mutter, "I'm going to bug that man with a tracking device so I can avoid him."
"You're lucky," Blaine says, "At least you never slept with him," my ex shudders, "He really is all talk."
David agrees and I'd forgotten that Sebastian had slept with him one night of the summer David first came back from college. He's not impressed either. Kyle now believes the stories of Sebastian Smythe and comforts David, not that he needs it but David laps up the attention.
And I want someone to do that for me.
Changing the conversation I push the man with the many freckles out of my mind and catch up with my friends.
A/N: Sorry for any and all mistakes, I've tried to catch those I could, but I'm only human.
Yes I know another job for Kurt, but he's trying so hard to bury himself in work and not think or feel...