Sebastian put the coffee pot down the moment he felt it slip from his fingers. He knew he should sit when he felt his knees start to buckle. For a moment, he thought he might have heard wrong. Or maybe his brother was joking. Sure, Dave's death solved a lot of problems for Kurt. Kurt wouldn't have to live his life in terror anymore. Maybe the nightmares would go away completely. Maybe the locks could come off the windows, and the fence could come down.

Dave being dead was definitely a good thing, in the universal sense, at least. Still, a huge problem remained.

Who wanted to get at Kurt?

"Sebastian? Are you still there?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm…are you certain?"

"Yeah," Richard said sympathetically.

Sebastian still found it hard to believe. Dave was dead. The monster, the beast, the predator was gone, and yet, Kurt was still in danger.

"Can…can you send that information to me?"

"I actually already did." Richard sounded sad, almost sorry. "I sent it same day first thing this morning. Everything I could get my hands on. You should see it this afternoon." Richard chuckled. "I sent it FedEx."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, finding it difficult to smile.

'Well, it looks like I'm calling in sick for work today,' Sebastian thought.

The quiet, muffled sounds of Kurt whimpering upstairs without him caught his attention.

"Look, Richard…" Sebastian unplugged the coffee machine, and put his mug away. "I have to get going. Thanks so much for…for everything…really."

"Wow," Richard said, trying to lighten the mood with some good-natured teasing at Sebastian's expense. "You're becoming humble, too. When do we get to meet this miracle worker you're dating?"

"Fuck you, too, Richard," Sebastian said with a smirk Richard could hear.

"Seriously, though…stay safe, Seb."

Sebastian sighed.

"I will, Richard. I promise."

Sebastian hung up his phone and looked down at the kitchen counter, his head swirling with thoughts and guesses, trying to make sense of it all.

Dave.

Dave the monster.

Dave the abusive ex.

He made sense.

He had a motive.

They knew he had a violent nature.

But, he was dead.

And not newly dead…dead as in a long time dead.

Nothing that happened to Kurt in the past three years since he had moved to his little yellow suburban prison could have possibly been Dave's fault.

Blaine?

No.

Sebastian had Blaine filed under boneless, brainless, chicken shit, and martyr.

But Sebastian also had to admit that he believed Blaine when he admitted to still loving Kurt.

That dick.

Then, there was Eli.

Possible, but improbable.

Blaine would have mentioned during their phone call if Eli had spent any significant amount of time out of town recently. It didn't really seem to Sebastian that Blaine loved Eli enough to protect him, especially if Eli had decided to target Kurt.

Still, Eli could have hired someone.

That idea stuck. It stopped the swirling thoughts and competing theories.

Sebastian considered the photos, staged, taken from a hidden location where neither man could see…or maybe only where Blaine couldn't see. What if Eli hired someone to take those photos and make up that phony invitation?

Sebastian's head pounded.

The only person he could turn to for help finding the answers to those questions was Blaine.

Sebastian groaned out loud.

He really didn't want to call Blaine again.

He would rather read every book in the Twilight series.

Another tiny whimper from the upstairs bedroom stopped his speculating.

He would bite the bullet and call Blaine as soon as he got a moment alone tomorrow.

He quickly shot off a text to Debbie and Louis, letting them know he had family business to take care of and couldn't come in to work. He could get fired, but it would be worth it to get his hands on that information from Richard.

Sebastian made his way back through the dark lower level of the house up to Kurt's room.

He saw Kurt, still asleep, squirming beneath the blankets, arm patting down the mattress on Sebastian's side of the bed, his unconscious mind searching for his warmth. Sebastian moved to the bed quickly, slipping beneath the blankets and scooting close to Kurt so that his seeking hand could find him. When he did, and Kurt's hand made contact with Sebastian's skin, Kurt immediately stopped whimpering. His face relaxed, melting into a calm expression of bliss and peace. Kurt pulled himself closer, wrapping himself around Sebastian like the tendril of a vine might cling to a tree, relying on its strength.

Sebastian wound his arms around Kurt's body, and heard him sigh, his sleepy voice sweet and innocent. Sebastian kissed him tenderly, a small peck to the crown of his head. Then, he turned and looked out the window, or at least, what he could see of it. Justice had recommended replacing Kurt's sheer curtains for a pair of black out curtains, to block out the view from outside and give them more privacy. A sliver of space between the curtains let the moonlight through. Sebastian felt his alarms go off. Somewhere out there, in the night, a predator waited for his beautiful angel.

Sebastian stayed awake, staring out into the silent neighborhood.

He wouldn't let Kurt go without a fight.

Kurt felt the warm sun on his face and heat all around him. He smiled. He never thought he would learn to love feeling uncomfortably hot. Now, he did. He adored it, as long as it came with Sebastian's strong arms holding him, locking Kurt against his gorgeous body.

'What a way to wake up on an otherwise humdrum Tuesday morning,' he thought.

Tuesday morning!

Kurt sat bolt upright in bed and looked out the window through the space in the curtains. He saw the bright sun already high in the sky.

"Sebastian," he hissed, shaking his boyfriend gently to wake him up. "Oh, Sebastian! You slept through your alarm!"

"Nope." Sebastian grabbed Kurt's hips and pulled him back down the bed, throwing the comforter over his body. "I called in sick. I've been a good boy for an awful long time now. It's about time I played hooky."

Kurt curled up against Sebastian.

"Why?" Kurt asked, running a finger along the stubble on Sebastian's chin.

"Well, two reasons, actually…"

"They are…"

"Number one, my brother called me early this morning and told me he was sending me some important paperwork, and I want to be here when it comes."

Kurt thought this over. Sebastian's explanation, though vague, seemed reasonable.

"Okay, I get that," Kurt said. "What about reason number two?"

Sebastian opened his eyes and fixed Kurt with a sultry, come-hither stare that made Kurt's insides liquefy.

"I want to spend the day naked with you," Sebastian whispered. "I want to map out every inch of your body…every scar…every freckle…" Sebastian nuzzled against Kurt's neck, feeling Kurt shiver as heated lips touched cold skin, blazing a trail of fire over Kurt's neck and shoulders. "And from what I've heard, you want the same thing…"

Kurt looked equal parts shocked and embarrassed.

"H-how do you know th-that?" Kurt stammered.

"You talk in your sleep, gorgeous," Sebastian explained.

Sebastian smirked against Kurt's skin as he started to travel down his chest, searching with his tongue to find a sensitive nipple and settle over it, licking around the skin in circles, quickly, then slowly, then quickly again.

Kurt blew out a breath, his eyes rolling back in his head as Sebastian trapped Kurt in his embrace and started to suck on the rosy, tightened nub.

"And…oooh…what do I say?"

Another smile. A longer swirl of his talented tongue.

Kurt felt his entire body wind into knots, coiling and tightening with every swipe of Sebastian's tongue. Much longer, and Kurt knew he wouldn't last. Who knew he could cum just by Sebastian sucking over his chest and swirling his tongue around his nipples? Obviously, Sebastian knew.

"Mostly…you moan my name."

"Oh, God." Kurt turned his head, trying to hide his flushed cheeks.

"Hey, now. None of that." Sebastian climbed over Kurt's body. "Hearing you moan is beautiful…so sweet and musical…and my name? In your sleep? Do you know how incredibly hot that is?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. Sebastian caught his reaction.

"What is it, love?"

"You spend an awful lot of time wooing me, "Kurt said.

"You deserve to be wooed," Sebastian said between a new trail of kisses along Kurt's collar bone.

"I just wonder…if this is the way you treat men, how come there isn't a long line of lovers hunting you down."

Sebastian paused for only a moment, sincere eyes looking up from Kurt's sternum where Sebastian had started to suck a dark mark.

"Because I've never treated anyone else like this, gorgeous. Only you."

Kurt's head fell back on his pillow as Sebastian went back to work on his masterpiece. Proud of his handiwork, Sebastian moved to another smooth patch of unblemished skin, but the twitch of Kurt's cock against his hip demanded Sebastian's attention.

"I would love spending all morning marking you up, gorgeous…" Sebastian waited for Kurt's reaction. He heard Kurt inhale deeply, a broken but not frightened sigh escaping his lips.

"But first…" Sebastian continued. He smiled mischievously at Kurt, slipping beneath the sheets, sliding over Kurt's naked body. Kurt tried to sit up, tried to squirm away, but strong hands gripped his hips and held him fast. With a deep, erotic chuckle, a warm mouth slid over his cock and sucked hard. Kurt moaned, melting into the mattress, allowing himself to be taken. Tight heat surrounded him, licked over him, massaged and caressed him.

It was a bizarre and surreal experience for Kurt, receiving pleasure like this. With Sebastian tucked beneath the opaque blue sheet and no image of his face to ground him, Kurt's mind freely wandered. Kurt closed his eyes and scrolled through memories of Sebastian's beautiful green eyes, his amazingly sculpted back, his narrow waist, his smooth skin.

Even in the throes of ecstasy from Sebastian's tongue, it would be too easy for Kurt's mind to stray to other instances when nameless, faceless men had their mouth on him, their hands on his body. Kurt fought to stay in the present. He focused his attention on all the little things he knew about Sebastian, everything he had set to memory.

He discovered he knew Sebastian's mouth, the silky feeling of his tongue on his skin, distinct like a fingerprint. Sebastian's hands on his hips held him down, kept him in place, but his fingers don't bite into Kurt's skin. Sebastian left tiny signatures - the way his thumbs rubbed in circles over Kurt's hipbones, or how he pulled away for a moment to trace a small heart along Kurt's inner thigh.

With the illusion of no one around to hear him, he babbled strings of obscenities into the open air, every dirty, vulgar word he had ever heard, all connected to loud moans and chants of Sebastian's name. A particularly long, hard suck earned Sebastian a guttural, "Oh, God, fuuuck!"

Sebastian lost it – utterly and completely lost control. He ravished Kurt, kneading his ass with rough hands, pulling his cock so deep down his throat he could barely breathe. Kurt writhed, fucking into Sebastian's mouth, spurred on by Sebastian digging his fingers into Kurt's soft flesh.

"Oh, God, Sebastian!" he screamed, his voice rising a pitch, his back arching. "Yes, yes, yes…"

His cries became softer, more strained, and before another conscious thought could enter his brain he felt himself coming down Sebastian's obliging throat.

Sebastian loved Kurt's reaction, his abandon. He didn't want to relinquish Kurt's cock, even as he whimpered and tried to jerk away.

Kurt pulled the sheet off Sebastian's body, grabbing his arms and pulling him up the bed. Sebastian obliged, climbing up Kurt's body. Kurt flipped Sebastian onto his back, wrapped firm fingers around Sebastian's length, and swallowed the moan that left Sebastian's lips with a heated, desperate kiss. Kurt's hand moved fast and furiously over Sebastian's cock, his other hand keeping Sebastian pinned to the bed, his mouth hungry, his tongue dominating. Sebastian could argue that he had let Kurt have his way, but why would Sebastian fight perfection when it wanted to use his body so perfectly?

Eventually Kurt's mouth left his and latched onto his nipple. Sebastian keened low in his throat, scratching over Kurt's scarred back with his nails. Kurt's hand moved so quickly, Sebastian didn't buck up into it. He lay still, letting Kurt decide when Sebastian would cum.

Kurt did that by sinking his mouth over Sebastian's erection, the catalyst that filled Sebastian's body with a powerful surge of heat, making him spill down Kurt's throat as he swallowed around him.

"See," Kurt said, sated and breathless, pulling off of Sebastian's cock and climbing back up the bed when Sebastian's body had gone still, "two can play at that game."

"Jesus Christ, Kurt!" Sebastian panted, pupils blown wide with lust as he laughed and kissed over Kurt's overheated cheeks. "What the fuck was that?"

"I don't know," Kurt giggled. "I've never done anything like that before.'

"Well, that was super hot." Sebastian caught Kurt's lips and kissed him, chasing his taste on Kurt's tongue and in his mouth. "I think a shower might be in order."

Sebastian wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist, pulling him out of the bed as he stood, wobbling a little on his feet at first. Kurt looked down at his own naked body and smiled shyly, wondering when he had gotten to the point that being naked most of the day, especially with someone else, didn't matter to him as much anymore.

"Um, you know, I won't be able to spend all day in bed. I do have to get some work done on my book."

Sebastian chuckled humorlessly.

"You mean, the book that has that chode actor's name on it and your wonderful writing?"

"No," Kurt smiled slyly. "My book. The 'chode' in question lost interest, but the publishers like it so far, and they want me to finish it…my name, my title, everything."

"Oh my God, Kurt!" Sebastian picked Kurt up and twirled him around. "That's amazing? When did you find out?"

"Yesterday." Kurt giggled, stumbling a bit, off balance from spinning. "A letter and a contract came to me in the mail. I even got an advance. It all happened before…well, you know…and I just forgot."

"We have to celebrate," Sebastian decided.

"Does that mean more sex?" Kurt's eyes sparkled, his voice teasing and seductive.

"Well, I was thinking dinner before whatever God-awful thing Madeline decides to torture us with tonight, but sex is always good."

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully, picking Kurt up and wrapping his legs around his waist.

"Yup, I think sex in the shower right now sounds like an amazing idea."

Sebastian sat at Kurt's feet in his office while Kurt worked on his manuscript. He got a couple of shots of his beautiful Kurt, reading glasses perched on the slope of his narrow nose, pen poised in his fingers, as he marked up page after page sitting on the desk in front of him, but Kurt only let him get away with it for so long. After that, Sebastian availed himself to yet another book in Kurt's collection. He tried to calm his mind by losing himself in a traditional murder mystery, a book that Kurt had mentioned in passing once before as being reminiscent to a traditional Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery. As intriguing as the story was, the closer the time ticked toward two o'clock, the less he found he could concentrate. By 1:56 P.M., Sebastian had read the same three sentences dozens of times, and still had no idea what the author was talking about.

The doorbell rang – a musical sound, like chimes, ringing in succession to produce the snippet of a piano piece by a contemporary artist whose name Sebastian could never remember. When he first heard it, it struck him as quaint but kind of annoying, and he silently thanked God that Kurt rarely got any visitors. Now, Sebastian welcomed the sound of the lilting chords, his entire body vibrating as he leaped from the floor.

"I'll get it," he called as he raced out of the room and down the steps followed by the sound of Kurt's adorable giggle.

Sebastian entered the code in the security panel that disengaged the alarm. As he reached for the doorknob he realized that the person filling in for him was either Louis or Debbie.

Please, God, let it be Louis.

Sebastian pulled open the door and sighed in relief.

"FedEx, Mr…Sebastian?" Louis's confused face looked up at him. Louis looked left and right as if to make sure he was at the right address. Sebastian pulled the stack of enveloped from the surprised man's hands before he could say another word.

"I thought you had personal family business to deal with?" Louis asked, sounding more shocked than annoyed.

"I do," Sebastian said, flipping through the stack until he found one with his name on it.

"Then, what are you doing here?"

Sebastian found another envelope with his name on it, and sighed an enthusiastic, "Yes!" He flashed the envelope in front of Louis's face and said, "I live here."

"You…" Shock and exasperation gave way to a smirk and a sly chuckle. "You dog!"

Sebastian put the envelopes down, grabbing the digital pad and signing it quickly, handing it back, and eagerly opening the first envelope. The thick envelope didn't hold the stack of papers and information Sebastian had expected. No, in a way, he saw something even better.

"Well, you'd better hope you still have a job after today," Louis said, watching Sebastian's eyes light up. "Not that I have any intention of telling on you or anything man, but Debbie…she had eyes everywhere. She'll find out."

Sebastian smirked, looking at the older man through smiling green eyes.

"Actually, I don't think it matters whether she finds out or not." Sebastian laughed.

"Why not?" Louis tried to peek over the edge of the envelope, his curiosity piqued. Sebastian saved him the trouble, pulling a check out of the envelope, and waving it in front of Louis's face.

"Because, I don't have to work at FedEx ever again."

Louis's face looked crestfallen, and unexpectedly, Sebastian felt a deep stab of guilt. This man had befriended Sebastian, put up with his pompous shit, helped him when he needed a hand.

"Hey, man," Sebastian said, sincere in his regret. "I'm sorry that I'm going to be leaving you guys in the lurch."

Louis waved his hand dismissively, smiling, happy for his friend's good fortune.

"Don't sweat it, man. I always thought that you were better than this job. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, man." Sebastian extended his free hand and the man took it, shaking Sebastian's hand firmly. "I wish I could give you guys two weeks' notice, but I really can't. It's…" Sebastian's eyes flicked subconsciously up the staircase where Kurt sat at his desk, still diligently editing his book. "Well, I wish I could tell you…"

"No, I get it. You're in love." Louis tried hard to appease his friend's guilt, but it was hard to hide his disappointment. He didn't want to admit that he would miss working with the high-strung young man.

"Exactly." Sebastian figured it was true, and as good an explanation as any. "If you had the chance to spend every moment with your wife, wouldn't you?"

Louis looked thoughtful, but for only a moment. Then his face screwed up into the most ridiculous grimace Sebastian had ever seen.

"Hell no, man! I go to work to get away from that witch. I have six kids, and we all live with my mother-in-law. If I had to stay home, I would tear off my own arm and beat myself to death with it!"

Sebastian laughed. Louis patted Sebastian on the shoulder.

"Good luck, man," Louis said finally, looking passed Sebastian and eying Kurt, walking slowly down the staircase. Louis smiled and nodded at the pale man with his arms wrapped around his torso, watching them curiously.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hummel," Louis acknowledged him respectfully. Kurt smiled back as patted Sebastian's shoulder once more, turned, and started back down the walk. Sebastian shut the door, pressing the button that re-engaged the alarm system, and turned to face his confused boyfriend. Sebastian looked back inside the open envelope and noticed a letter from his brother. He read it quickly and his smile grew wider.

"What was that?" Kurt asked, walking slowly down the steps, a strange mixture of shock and maybe a little joy on his face. "Did you just quit your job?"

"Yup," Sebastian affirmed. "Sure did, gorgeous."

"Wh-why did you do that?"

Sebastian handed Kurt the check. Sebastian watched Kurt's eyes scan the check once, then twice, then grow wide and read it again. Kurt sat back, not even looking to see if the sofa would be there to catch him.

"Two million dollars!?" Kurt had gone from alabaster to almost ghostly. "This is seriously a check for two million dollars!?"

Kurt continued to look over the check, his fingers trembling as he held it. He kept expecting that he had read it wrong and that it was actually only for two hundred dollars…maybe even two thousand dollars. He counted the zeros over and over. Still six zeros. His awed eyes lifted to Sebastian's, asking for confirmation that he was actually seeing things correctly.

Sebastian nodded.

"It gets better." He handed over the envelope. Kurt looked inside and found a bank card, a letter, a receipt, and three sets of keys.

"Can I…?" Kurt asked, indicating the letter.

"Of course." Sebastian sat beside Kurt, putting a hand on his knee, leaning in to kiss his neck while he read the letter.

Sebastian –

This is the best I can do for now. Your account still has the $1.5 million you had left in it. I'll get you the rest as soon as I can. I cleared your bank account from the company's roster, so dad can't touch it. Deposit the check as soon as you can. Don't be stubborn and say no. Mom sends her love. Tell Kurt we can't wait to meet him.

Love –

Richard

Kurt held his breath as he read the letter again.

"You told your family about me?" Kurt carefully put the letter back in the envelope with the check.

"That was the first thing I told Richard when I started talking to him," Sebastian ran his lips along the column of Kurt's neck, making him shiver.

Kurt pulled the keys out of the envelope and looked them over.

"What are these for?"

Sebastian ran his tongue around the shell of Kurt's ear, watching the color return to Kurt's ashen face.

"My penthouse in New York…" he whispered, moving to nibble on Kurt's ear lobe, "…my apartment in Paris…" He moved lower down Kurt's neck to that spot on Kurt's shoulder that he loved so much. "…and my Porsche."

Kurt pulled out the receipt and noticed it was a lease for a shipping/storage company downtown – probably where Richard had sent Sebastian's car and paid to have it stored.

Strange butterflies dance around Kurt's stomach. He felt elated and sick all at the same time. Sebastian had his money back. He could get his life back. What if he wanted to leave him…what if he didn't need him anymore?

"So…so you're rich again?" Kurt asked.

"Yup." Sebastian found his favorite spot on Kurt's neck and sucked gently.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sebastian pulled away at the underscore of anxiety in Kurt's voice.

"Because when I met you, my father had cut me off. Richard didn't tell me about any of this. I just got it today."

Kurt put the envelope and all of its contents on the table beside him, fighting his instincts to lash out, to hurt Sebastian before Sebastian could hurt him.

"Kurt…" Sebastian slid off the couch cushion to kneel on the floor. "Please tell me what you're thinking. I thought you'd be happy for us."

Kurt's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"For us?" Kurt asked. "What do you mean…for us?"

"Well," Sebastian said, lifting Kurt's hands to his lips and kissing them gently, "I love you…you love me?"

Sebastian gave Kurt a moment to realize that he wanted an answer.

Kurt smiled slightly and nodded.

"This money means that our life is going to get a little bit easier. We can do things…big things…we can make plans."

"We?"

Kurt wanted to ask him outright, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words that buzzed around his head.

"Kurt…" Sebastian's smile faded. He looked wounded. "Did you think I was going to leave you?"

Kurt couldn't look at the hurt in Sebastian's expressive green eyes. He leaned his head back to gaze up at the ceiling.

"I just thought…that maybe…I don't know…you'd want your old life back…"

Sebastian scoffed.

"My old life? What do you think was so wonderful about my old life that I would choose it over you?"

"I don't know." Kurt's voice began to shake. "Harvard, friends, a partner who's not being stalked by a crazed lunatic…"

Sebastian sighed. He wondered for a moment if he should tell Kurt about Dave, but he decided to wait for a better time.

"Kurt, I don't want any of that," Sebastian said, calmly and evenly, trying his hardest to make Kurt understand the magnitude of his feelings. "I never wanted Harvard. I didn't want that life. I want you…" Sebastian put his hand over Kurt's rapidly beating heart. "I want a life that has you in it."

A single tear rolled down Kurt's cheek. Sebastian put his free hand over Kurt's cheek, catching the tear on his thumb, letting the drop absorb into his skin.

"You're my first love, Kurt," Sebastian whispered, closing the gap between them. "I want you to be my last."

Kurt sighed into the kiss, the sweet claim of Sebastian's mouth over his, warm and reassuring.

"I don't want this to ruin anything," Sebastian said, slowly moving away to look into Kurt's eyes. "I promise, this is a good thing, Kurt. You'll see."

Kurt nodded, not trusting his voice if he opened his mouth to agree.

"So, was that what you were waiting for?" Kurt asked, eyes falling over the rest of the letters on the table by the door.

"Uh, sort of." Sebastian's eyes followed Kurt's. He stood from the floor and walked over to the pile, pulling the second envelope out. "My brother sent this one as well, but I haven't opened it yet."

"Do you think it's another check?" Kurt laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Sebastian shook his head, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"No, but I'm not in the mood to open it right now. I think we've had enough surprises for today. Agreed?"

To Sebastian's great relief, Kurt nodded. Kurt stood, walking to Sebastian and wrapping his arms around him. He stood on his toes just a bit to kiss Sebastian sweetly on the mouth.

"I'm sorry for thinking…"

"It's alright," Sebastian interrupted. "No harm done."

Kurt's eyes rolled toward the staircase. He bit his lips as he rolled them back to Sebastian's face, raising his eyebrows.

"Shall we go back to bed?" Kurt asked innocently. "I've never made love to a millionaire."

Sebastian chuckled.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Sebastian lifted Kurt, hands gripping his thighs. Kurt's legs wrapped around him as Sebastian rushed up the stairs, eager to get Kurt back into bed.