AN: This chapter contains what I hope are some fun situation and conversations, as well as a lot of set up for the following chapter. Sebastian has big plans in store for Kurt in the next chapter. Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews. I really appreciate the feedback and hope you continue to enjoy the story. I am new to posting writing, so please do tell me if there is anything you can suggest for improvement. I also am very interested in any ideas you have about what you would like to see happen. I can't promise the story will go in a particular direction based on a suggestion, but the suggestions I have gotten so far have given me a lot to think about and are surely going to shape the future direction of the story in some way.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Kurt skids to a stop right in front of Rachel and yanks her wrist away from the box violently.
"Ow!" yelps Rachel as the scissors drop from her fingers and bounce from the box to the table before clattering to the floor. Kurt stares at Rachel with wide eyes, breathing hard. Rachel stares back with pursed lips and a wrinkled brow. Kurt glances at the box, then at Rachel's wrist, still in his tight grip. Kurt's breathing slows and he slowly lets go. Rachel immediately rubs over her wrist with her other hand. "That really hurt!" she whines. "What in the hell was that for?"
"Oh my God, Rachel, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I just – I just really don't want you to open that box," Kurt stammers.
Rachel glances at the box. "It's from Tennessee," she says. She looks at Kurt suspiciously. "Why are you getting a package from Tennessee? And what difference does it make if I open it? We open each others packages all the time."
Kurt marches toward the box and pulls it into his arms. He runs through about a dozen potential excuses in his head, rejecting each one. Rachel taps her foot on the floor and looks at him expectantly. When he says nothing, she huffs out an exaggerated sigh and says, "What are you trying to hide?"
"Nothing!" squeaks Kurt.
"Then why can't I open it?" Rachel insists, grabbing onto the other end of the box and trying to tug it out of Kurt's arms.
Panicking, Kurt shouts out the first thing that comes into his head, "It's a surprise!" Rachel lets go and takes a small step back, raising her eyebrows and waiting for him to continue. Thinking fast, Kurt continues, "Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. It's a gift. For you."
Rachel's expression softens. "A surprise for me? What for? We already celebrated my birthday."
"It's my clumsy way of apologizing for acting so weird and making you uncomfortable. The 'I'm sorry' cookies are kind of your thing, so I wanted to do something else," Kurt continues. He silently congratulates himself in his head for coming up with something so convincing.
Rachel smiles and says, "That's really sweet, Kurt. I guess I kind of ruined the surprise part."
They both chuckle at that. Then Rachel gives Kurt a playful look and paws at the box again. "Well, now that I know it's for me, why don't you let me have it?"
"No!" Kurt yells and yanks the box away from her again. At her startled look, he says apologetically, "I mean, not yet." He giggles nervously and sing-songs, "Presentation is everything, after all. Just give me a minute to wrap this and then it will be yours."
"You're so silly," Rachel says with a beaming smile. "But go ahead and work on that perfect presentation. I'll just be in the kitchen, getting some dinner started. I can't believe you got me a gift! I can't wait to see what it is!" Rachel skips into the kitchen.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Kurt grabs the box and scurries back to his room, closing the curtain tight behind him. He throws the box into the back of the closet and covers it with a pile of shoes and clothes. He has a general sense about what's in there, but has no real desire to take a closer look at his odd purchases right now. Plus, he has to find something to serve as a makeshift apology gift. Kurt stands in front of the closet, eyes sweeping across the small space. He holds his chin in his hand and taps his cheek with one finger. He turns to his dresser, pulling open each drawer slowly and quietly, to rummage through the contents.
In the second to last drawer he finds it – a delicate aquamarine silk scarf. He fell in love with it at a sample sale last month, but once he got it home, he realized it didn't quite go with the rest of the outfit he had planned for that evening. So he had placed it carefully into the drawer and then promptly forgotten about it. Fortunately, Rachel had never seen it. He digs around in his closet for a gift bag and tissue paper he had saved from his own birthday. He nestles the scarf in the tissue paper and heads out to the kitchen, hoping Rachel doesn't question why such a small gift arrived in such a large box.
Thankfully, she doesn't. Rachel squeals in delight at the gift. She grabs Kurt's hands in hers and jumps up and down, shouting "thank you, thank you!" She then pulls him in for a quick hug. "I hate being mad at you," she says into his chest. "And I don't want us to avoid each other anymore."
"Me either," Kurt says. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," says Rachel. She pulls back to look him in the eye and grips his arms. "I'm still worried about you. You have been acting awfully strange lately. And your behavior hasn't exactly been safety-conscious." Kurt winces at that last comment. "Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure," Kurt says tentatively. "I'm definitely myself right now, talking with you. But I know I haven't always been myself this week. I'm not really sure what is going on with me. I think I need to talk with someone – a counselor or something – and work this out. I've actually started to do some research…"
"That's great!" Rachel blurts out, then backtracks when she sees Kurt's surprised expression. "I mean, it's not good that you are feeling this way, but I am so happy you are going to get some help. I was going to plan an intervention with everyone from the glee club. It was going to be very dramatic and moving and – "
"Yes, well now that won't be necessary," Kurt cuts in. "And please, don't talk about this with anyone else. I know it may not seem like I care about privacy anymore, but I really do."
Rachel nods solemnly. "Of course I won't say anything, Kurt. Just keep me posted on your progress with the counseling, okay?"
"Will do," says Kurt with a small smile. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to going back to Lima. I think it will do me some good. Especially seeing my dad."
"I'm sure it will," says Rachel carefully, still looking at him intently.
Kurt really wants Rachel's focus off of his state of mind, so he quickly adds, "And I'm looking forward to hearing you sing at the wedding, of course. How many songs did you prepare?"
His question works like a charm. "Well I am working on a rather moving solo piece. And I'll be singing a duet with Finn that I am sure will be very uplifting. And of course, I've rehearsed several other numbers in case I get a request for an encore." Rachel winds the scarf around her neck and bounds toward the bathroom. "I'm going to go look at my new scarf in the mirror, then we can have dinner."
Kurt leans against the counter and takes a few deep breaths. He's grateful Rachel is leaving tomorrow so he can stop pretending he's fine and can get back to figuring out what is wrong with him. He moves the frying pan with the stir-fry off the hot burner and resolves to check the Dissociative Identity Disorder forum tonight for any new messages. He also resolves to find an even better hiding place for the contents of that box.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sebastian grins when his new phone lights up again with a new message from Blaine. They had been texting on and off all day, bantering about possible songs to sing at the wedding. Sebastian really doesn't care about what song he will sing with Kurt's voice, but his coy objections and silly suggestions draw out the conversation.
BLAINE: Okay, okay. Message received. No Adele. But you have to agree this next idea is perfect: Beyonce – Crazy in Love.
Sebastian is not sure if it's a prolonged joke or an earnest string of suggestions, but Blaine keeps offering up pop songs by female artists. Sebastian doesn't really want to do a girls song. It may suit Kurt's girly voice, but Sebastian is pretty sure he also can sing in a male vocal range. Singing like a girl would be a real turn-off. Sebastian does remember hearing some stories about Blaine at Dalton and that Katy Perry and Pink were his favorites when he was lead singer for the Warblers. Time for some more teasing.
007: All these female artists and you haven't once mentioned Pink or Katy Perry. I hear you do a killer Teenage Dream.
The pause after that is so long, Sebastian wonders if Blaine got called away to something else. Just as he is about to give up on Blaine for the evening and turn to another task, the phone lights up again.
BLAINE: I guess I deserve that. I am so sorry, though, Kurt. I have regretted what I did every day.
"Hmmm. Not the reaction I expected," thinks Sebastian. "Guess Katy Perry is a sore spot." Trying to steer things back to the casual, Sebastian types again.
007: I didn't mean it like that. Bad joke, I guess. Sorry.
BLAINE: Okay.
007: Maybe we should go retro. How about something by an 80's band?
This seems to get the conversation back on track
BLAINE: Excellent. How about Open Your Heart by Madonna.
007: Enough with the female singers. There are plenty of great 80's songs by MALE artists.
BLAINE: It's easy to just sit there waiting to tear down my suggestions. Come on, if you want male artists so badly, name a song.
007: INXS – Need You Tonight.
BLAINE: LOL! Can you imagine Ms. Pillsbury's face! Seriously, why not What I Like About You by the Romantics. That's more the bride's speed.
007: Too cheesy. Why not a true duet? Don't You Want Me by Human League.
BLAINE: Okay, now you're just being mean. You just want to remind me of my every humiliation. Are you going to suggest When I Get You Alone next?
Sebastian doesn't know the story behind Don't You Want Me, but he had heard about the Gap Attack incident. It's a Warbler legend and honestly was part of what first attracted Sebastian to Blaine. After all, anyone who had the balls to sing a song that kinky, aggressive and suggestive to a guy they barely know, and at their workplace, no less, gains quite a few sexy points in Sebastian's book. Sebastian doesn't know Ms. Pillsbury, but based on Blaine's earlier comment he figures that she is a bit of a prude. So he uses that in his next text.
007: You're going to make me spit up my drink over here! If you think Need You Tonight is too suggestive for Ms. Pillsbury, what do you think she would do with When I Get You Alone?
BLAINE: She'd probably go up in smoke from the embarrassment. She's so sweet though, we shouldn't make fun of her.
007: Okay, okay. Any other ideas?
BLAINE: Oh, I know! I Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode.
Sebastian doesn't know the song, but he likes the title. "Oh Blaine," he thinks, "you don't know how true that is. But you're going to find out."
007: Yes, that's perfect. I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?
BLAINE: Wow. Okay. It looks like we have a song. I'll start working on arrangements. Have a good night!
Sebastian puts the phone down and sighs. He wonders how much longer he will have to play at being Kurt who is still hurt about how Blaine cheated on him before he can move on to playing Kurt who just wants to throw Blaine down onto the nearest horizontal surface and fuck him senseless.
Just then, his other phone starts rings. He glances at the caller id and answers, "Sid, it's late. What's going on?"
"Hello, Mr. Smythe," comes Sid's smooth voice. "I am sorry to bother you so late, but I have an update on the situation we discussed yesterday. I thought you might like to know right away."
"I'm listening," Sebastian replies.
"Things are moving in the right direction. Your host visited the forum again earlier today and read the comments we posted and responded to them. You can log in yourself to take a look. In fact, it might be a good idea."
"Sure, I'll do that after we talk. What about the suggestion for a doctor?" asks Sebastian.
"He didn't respond directly to our proxies' messages online, but we were able to track the websites he visited and we saw that he did indeed look up the doctor's website, as well as reviews on WebMD and some of the other sites. So, everything is primed for you to make sure he sets up an appointment, if he doesn't do it on his own before you get there."
"That all sounds good, yet you're calling me at 10pm" says Sebastian suspiciously. "So what is the problem?"
"Not a problem, exactly, but based on what he wrote in the forum, your host does seem incredibly disturbed by what he experienced during your past visits. Now I don't have any right to ask – nor, frankly, do I want to know – what you have been up to. But we have found in the past that most of our clients choose to be discrete so the host is less likely to suspect that there is something wrong. I think we need to talk about some techniques you can use so that he is less likely to remember these incidents."
"Still listening," Sebastian says noncommittally. He doesn't want Sid to know that he has no intention of using any special techniques to spare Kurt from fear or embarrassment. Sid doesn't have to know that part of the reason Sebastian considers Kurt to be the perfect host is that he greatly enjoys humiliating him.
"We have explained to you before that the host is unaware of what is going on while you are in control. Typically, the host is able to remember what happened after you cede control or leave entirely. However, the extent and the clarity of the memories can change depending upon when and how you leave," Sid begins.
After a noticeable pause, Sebastian prods, "Go on."
"When you leave or cede control abruptly while the host is still awake and still engaged in behavior that might be odd for the host, he will remember almost instantly and with great clarity," continues Sid. "If you wait until the host is back to doing one of his normal activities before you leave, it will take longer for the memories to surface. The host may not remember every detail. If you leave the host while he is sleeping or just about to fall asleep, he is least likely to remember what happened while you were in control. In some cases, the host never seems to remember or remembers it only as a dream. In other cases, especially if something happens that triggers the memories, the host can remember in greater detail."
"Last night I left right when Kurt was falling asleep," Sebastian says. "Does that mean he doesn't remember what happened while I was there?"
"Kurt wrote about this on the forum. It seems that he didn't remember anything about last night when he woke up, but he was in a rush to get to school and was busy throughout the day. He also left his phone at home. When he got back home and heard about his actions the night before – making travel plans, speaking on the phone with an ex – from his family and friends, he started to remember, but the memories are vague rather than detailed. He was relieved because this behavior was not so out of the ordinary for him, but then a package arrived with a purchase he made that was out of character for him and he suddenly remembered this as well and became very concerned once more about his mental health."
"He wrote about that on the forum?" Sebastian asks, incredulous.
"He wrote about an unusual purchase. He didn't say what it was. Nor do I want to know," Sid was quick to add. "I just wanted to give you some advice about being more discrete. Are you still planning to come to my office tomorrow afternoon to do a dry run of an overnight adventure before your longer visit with your host?"
"Yes, I have an appointment for two o'clock," Sebastian replies.
"Good," says Sid. "This will be a good opportunity for you to practice making sure the host sleeps before you cede control back to him again. We can see if this alleviates his anxiety a bit."
"All right. Thanks for the information. I'll see you tomorrow," says Sebastian as he disconnects the call.
Sebastian stares out his window at the city lights and thinks for several minutes. He is a bit annoyed at Sid's implication that he is breaking some sort of unwritten etiquette of entering someone else's body and controlling their actions without their permission or knowledge. Sebastian has no intention of following this etiquette. After all, he is paying good money for this service and he wants to enjoy it to the fullest.
However, he thinks he may just follow Sid's advice about allowing Kurt to sleep before he leaves or cedes control. A slow, piecemeal reveal of his own abhorrent behavior could be a lot more delicious way to have fun with Kurt than sudden humiliation and embarrassment. Sebastian just needs to make sure he leaves enough clues that there is no way Kurt won't eventually remember every detail of the night of utter debauchery that Sebastian has in store for him tomorrow.