A/N: I split this into two chapters because there's a lot to digest in this evening. Warnings for homophobic language and threats of violence and threats of sexual assault.

It was Madeline`s turn to choose their Tuesday night excursion, and Sebastian cringed. Because of Madeline's bizarre ideas about fun, they had already endured a raw food cooking class (the irony not wasted on a single member of the group), Bingo (where Kurt watched with unchecked mirth as Sebastian was hit on by several elderly women), and couple's yoga (which managed to be wholly erotic and extremely mortifying at the same time; an opinion shared by at least thirteen of the other couples there). This time around she chose karaoke. Sebastian, not a huge fan of karaoke, still breathed a huge sigh of relief that this time around he wouldn't be getting food poisoning or naked in public.

She chose a karaoke bar on the other side of town that a co-worker told her about. Kurt made a big show of complaining up and down, but truthfully Kurt could think of worse ways to spend the evening than listening to Sebastian croon showtunes all night.

They got ready together in Kurt's bedroom, long gone the days when Sebastian would dress first or in the bathroom so Kurt could dress in private. As they passed each other, they would brush elbows or touch in some other little way, or hug each other from behind. Kurt smiled. A few times, Kurt would look over where Sebastian assembled his outfit for the evening to make sure that whatever he chose didn't clash. Sebastian had only unpacked two pairs of shoes, and neither of them seemed right. He went digging through his bag, pulling out pair after pair, trying to find a pair of suede Oxfords he thought for sure he had brought with him. He didn't notice the pair of boat shoes that he hastily added to the pile. He intended on pitching them the first chance he got, but he forgot. He heard a gasp and turned to see Kurt staring in his direction. Sebastian followed Kurt's line of sight and saw the vile shoes.

"Oh, Kurt…" Sebastian didn't quite understand Kurt's objection to the shoes, but he didn't want Kurt breaking down on him before the night even started.

Kurt surprised him with a smile and a slight shake of his head.

"Don't worry about it, love," Kurt said, waving a hand dismissively. "It doesn't bother me anymore, really."

Sebastian grabbed the shoes and shoved them back in the bag, finding with chagrin that he had unpacked the suede Oxfords a while ago, and they sat in the foot of the closet, waiting for him.

"You know," Sebastian said, slipping into his shoes and tying the laces. "You never did explain why those shoes are such a trigger for you."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the clinical term.

'Somebody's been using Google.' Kurt smiled to himself, tickled that Sebastian loved him so much that he tried to find ways to help him.

"They're not really, it's just that…well, Blaine used to wear them all the time. Those and saddle shoes. He had a ton of them."

"Really?" Sebastian said with a smirk. "Saddle shoes?"

"Yup." Kurt looked once in the full length mirror Sebastian installed on the wall across from the bed, turning left and right to check the seat of his pants. "And bow ties. I think he had them imported from the 1950s, just for him."

Sebastian laughed, walking over to where Kurt posed in front of the mirror. Sebastian stood behind him, looking at their reflections together in the mirror.

"How do I look?" Kurt asked, standing still so Sebastian could evaluate his style choice.

"You look perfect." Sebastian delicately kissed the crown of Kurt's head, being careful not to touch him. Kurt looked at him through the reflection of the mirror and frowned.

"What is it, gorgeous?" Sebastian asked, noticing how Kurt's face fell.

"You're not hugging me." Kurt pouted.

Sebastian smirked.

"But, love, last time we went out you told me that if I mussed you, you'd rip my dick off."

Kurt scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I was only joking." Kurt looked up at Sebastian demurely through long, brown lashes. "Muss me a little?"

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and nuzzled his neck, kissing the sensitive, vanilla scented skin. Kurt gasped, bending his neck further in invitation. Sebastian lapped in gently circles with his tongue until Kurt moaned.

The lilting sound of chimes filled the air when the doorbell rang.

"Perfect timing," Kurt huffed.

"Later, babe," Sebastian promised, cupping Kurt gently through his skinny jeans, rubbing once softly, sending shivers over Kurt's body. With a sly, boyish grin, he bolted from the room and down the stairs.

"Who is it?" Sebastian asked through the door, even though he knew who it was. No one other than FedEx showed up as often as these two.

"Sebastian! Sweetheart! Please! It's cold!" Hearing Madeline's plaintive whine, he disengaged the alarm and opened the door.

"You should maybe look into wearing more clothes," Sebastian teased, stepping aside so the feisty red-head could scoot quickly inside, swinging a punch at his shoulder as she passed. Justice followed dressed in a tight black tank and jeans – his standard clubbing outfit. Sebastian noticed a black, insulated bag beneath his arm. Justice nodded at Sebastian - a silent signal. Sebastian locked the door as Kurt made his way downstairs.

"Aren't we leaving?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow at his suddenly suspicious looking boyfriend.

"Uh, I need to talk to Justice upstairs…alone."

Sebastian pecked a kiss to Kurt's cheek as he passed him on the stairs, Justice crowding a behind him.

"Ooo," Kurt cooed, "Girl talk." He waved them away. "Shoo-shoo."

"Dead?" Justice said, with eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

Sebastian opened the second envelope from his brother and passed it along to Justice. Justice sat on Kurt's bed and spread the contents on the comforter. Sebastian hadn't taken the opportunity to look over the contents, so he watched intently as Justice rifled through the papers – newspaper articles, an obituary, a copy of Dave's death certificate.

Justice shook his head in disbelief.

"Did you tell him yet?" Justice asked.

Sebastian sighed as he took a seat opposite Justice.

"Not yet."

"Bastian…man, you've got to tell him."

Sebastian nodded.

"I will," Sebastian promised. "I just need to find the right time…but not tonight.

Justice swallowed hard and nodded.

"Before I forget…" Justice handed the small black bag over to Sebastian. Sebastian unzipped the bag and looked inside. He carefully lifted out a small, heavy object wrapped in a black handkerchief. He could tell by the shape and feel that it was Justice's first service weapon, the one he talked about lending to Sebastian. Sebastian had never held a gun before…at least, not a hand gun. He had gone hunting with his father a few winters they spent in Vail, but this was different. This was for protection – protecting Kurt, and protecting himself. Justice sat beside him and went over a few of the features – the safety, the clip, loading and unloading.

"Now, it's a standard clip. I only have the one, but I'll find you another one as soon as I can. It holds fifteen rounds." Justice handed the gun back to Sebastian, watching as Sebastian carefully wrapped it back in the handkerchief and put it in the bag.

"Try to use only one," Justice said significantly. "And make it count."

Sebastian's green eyes met his brown ones. He nodded with a look of deep understanding.

"What's the other one?" Sebastian gestured to the bag with a tilt of his head.

"That's a Taser. Home protection model." Justice pulled out the larger wrapped item. When he unwrapped it from the handkerchief, Sebastian saw what looked like a gun, only larger; a square, black body streaked with yellow safety lines.

"I told a friend of mine at the gym that you were looking into getting one of these, so he leant me this one. It's a two-pronged assault, and shoots up to fifteen feet. Each cartridge only shoots once, but the Taser itself can be used as a stun gun. He gave me some extra cartridges to go with it."

Sebastian packed the two weapons back in the bag and stowed it under his side of the bed.

"Thanks for this," Sebastian said, gesturing to the bag.

Justice put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

"Like I said, we'll figure this out. I promise."

Justice reached in his pocket and pulled out a yellow receipt, handing it over to Sebastian.

"This is a bill of sale. Keep it in the bag, just in case you get caught with the gun. It says I sold it to you. We'll figure out the rest later."

Sebastian folded the paper and shoved it in the bag.

"You have to tell me how I'm going to repay you," Sebastian said.

"Keep Kurt and yourself safe." Justice nodded. "That's all I need for now."

"How about I flip for dinner?" Sebastian offered.

"Hey," Justice stood, offering his friend a hand up, "never let it be said that I turned down a free meal."

The Karaoke Palace looked more like a dive bar fifty years past its prime.

Sebastian huffed out a laugh when he saw it. He wasn't exactly surprised.

"I'm so sorry guys," Madeline moaned as they showed their id's at the door. "I had it on good authority that this was a really cool place."

"It might have been in the 30s," Kurt murmured beneath his breath rubbing up and down his arms, shivering. "Or maybe they were talking about the temperature since it's frickin' freezing in here."

Sebastian wrapped an arm around Kurt, pulling him close.

"We can totally go if you want guys." Madeline turned to face her companions. Justice put comforting hands on her shoulders.

Kurt looked at Sebastian and shrugged.

"I say we make the best of it," Sebastian suggested. "It's really not that bad. Maybe it's just slow because it's Tuesday. What do you think, babe?"

Kurt swept his eyes around the dark room, taking in the flickering black light over the bar, the dirty tables, the big screen TVs on the walls blaring tacky videos from dated songs off the jukebox. It actually reminded him a bit of a bar back home.

"I agree. Let's stay here, have a drink or two, and try to get our Karaoke on."

Madeline smiled, looking up at Justice with an almost childlike giggle.

"Great guys. Let's find us a table."

"Hey, gorgeous," Sebastian whispered. "You want to play some pool with me?"

Kurt's eyes glittered up at his boyfriend.

"Sure," Kurt said. "Why not, except I've never really played before."

"I'll give you a few pointers."

Sebastian took Kurt's hand and led him to where six tables sat in a rectangular formation, only two currently occupied. Sebastian pulled two cues off the wall and handed one to Kurt. Kurt looked at it curiously, holding it away from his body like it was some strange alien creature. Sebastian chuckled while he racked up the billiard balls.

"Who goes first?" Kurt asked, twirling his cue like a baton.

"I'll break." Sebastian lined up the cue ball, and bent over the table, positioning his cue and running it between his fingers. Kurt watched Sebastian concentrate on his shot, squinting just a touch to better focus on the ball. Kurt watched, enjoying this bent over image of Sebastian's body on display. Kurt definitely preferred Sebastian naked, but there was something to be said about the way his Dolce and Gabbana slim fit jeans hugged his thighs, and his perfect as ever ass. His shirt lifted up a bit as his arm moved, exposing a narrow strip of delicious looking skin.

Kurt stopped breathing as he watched, and thought, 'Oh dear God! I really want to take this man shopping.'

"I'm going to go check my balls," Sebastian said.

Kurt almost swallowed his tongue.

"What?" Sebastian smirked, moving to the far pocket. Kurt had missed the opening break. Sebastian had sunk one ball of each. He held them up for Kurt to see. "I'll pick stripes, so you get solids."

Sebastian came back over to Kurt, watching him fiddle nervously with his cue as he looked at the position of the solid balls on the table.

"Do you want me to help you line up your shot?" Sebastian asked, taking Kurt's hand and pulling him over to the table. Kurt nodded. Sebastian leaned his cue on the corner, and pushed Kurt gently into position, leaning over him to help him line up his shot.

"This is so cliché," Kurt laughed.

Sebastian chuckled back.

"Yeah, well, that's the reason you take a first date to a bar to play pool," Sebastian whispered. "It's a guaranteed feel."

Kurt shook his head.

"But you can feel me up whenever you want," Kurt purred.

"I know." Sebastian crowded him a little closer. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to turn down an opportunity when it presents itself."

Sebastian could feel Kurt tremble as he pressed his body against him and smiled.

"Why don't we make this interesting," Sebastian suggested. "Winner gets a congratulatory blow."

"You're totally going to take advantage of me?" Kurt scoffed, doing his best to sound scandalized.

"Are you up for it?" Sebastian asked, licking around the shell of Kurt's ear.

Kurt chuckled.

"I'm up for it now," he laughed, rubbing back against Sebastian's crotch. "And it seems to me that maybe you are, too."

"Always am when I'm around you. Is it a deal?" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but why not." Kurt turned his head just a bit. "I love any excuse to have your dick in my mouth."

Sebastian's heart slammed in his chest. Kurt rarely ever talked dirty to Sebastian, but when he did, it definitely had the power to bring Sebastian to his knees.

"Are you fags planning to fuck on this table, or are you going to be done anytime soon?" a harsh, slurred voice interrupted.

Sebastian's head snapped up, looking for the source of the voice. Kurt stood slowly with him, both men turning to see a leather clad man glaring at them. Luckily, it only seemed to be him, and he seemed really drunk, but still, Sebastian didn't like to be addressed as a fag, and Kurt less so.

"There's a bunch of tables free," Sebastian said, his eyes dark, his voice dangerous. "Why don't you move along?"

"Because," the man said, closing in on Sebastian and Kurt, "this is the table I want."

"Then you can have it when we're done," Kurt offered, his voice icy, unwavering.

Sebastian had to admit that he was impressed by Kurt's calm.

"Maybe I can have you when you're done, too."

"Excuse me?" Kurt growled.

The man looked Kurt up and down in a way that made Kurt feel slimy.

"I don't do dudes," the vile man drawled, "so maybe you can just suck my dick."

Sebastian moved, making to lunge for the man, but Kurt's arm on his shoulder stopped him. Kurt had noticed the bartender moving, reaching beneath the bar for something Kurt was certain was a gun, but he wasn't sure who he would shoot – the drunk man or Sebastian.

"What do we need to do to get you to leave us alone?" Kurt sighed, catching Justice's eye from across the bar. The larger man made a bee line for their table.

"We'll play from the break. You can go first. If you win, I'll leave you two faggy lovebirds alone. If I win, I get you…" He pointed at Kurt. "…for ten minutes, on your knees, in the bathroom."

"Go to hell!" a furious Sebastian growled at the man. He moved to block Kurt from the man's view.

"Yeah," Justice agreed, joining his friend, thick arms crossing his chest. "No deal."

The drunk man laughed.

"Oh, you've got friends? I've got friends, too."

Sebastian looked away from the man his glare had been so intently focused on, and noticed a group of men had gathered behind him, each of them smirking, throwing amused looks at the men, ready for a show.

Kurt rolled his eyes and pushed his way past his friends.

"If I win, you and you're friends leave us alone," Kurt said. "If you win, blow job in the bathroom."

Sebastian looked at Kurt, mortified at how cool headed he seemed, almost like he didn't feel any danger in this situation. Sebastian grabbed at Kurt's sleeve desperately as he walked toward the table.

"Kurt," Sebastian muttered, trying to get Kurt to listen to reason, "you can't…"

Kurt leaned into his boyfriend, his smile soft and soothing.

"Trust me, love," Kurt said, pecking a kiss to Sebastian's lips. "Everything will be fine."

The drunk man – Todd, they heard someone call him – grabbed Sebastian's cue from where it stood, leaning up against the table. Kurt approached the table, his face a blank slate of emotion with just the hint of a smile curling his lips.

Sebastian didn't want to watch but he couldn't look away. This felt like so many of his nightmares. He didn't want to stand by helpless and watch Kurt get victimized by another man.

Sebastian felt guilty. Kurt said to trust him. He was being so strong. Meanwhile, Sebastian tried to figure out a battle strategy. Maybe if he threw himself in the fray, Kurt and Madeline could escape. He knew Justice would be down for a fight. Sebastian looked up to see Kurt's blue eyes shining, that look that begged Sebastian to please trust him on his open face.

Kurt took his stance at the table, focusing on the ball in front of the cue ball. He started to shoot, and while he did, he spoke only to Sebastian.

"I'm from Ohio," he started, looking straight into his boyfriend's terrified green eyes as he shot the one ball into corner pocket. Sebastian's eyes went wide with shock.

Kurt chuckled.

"I know you didn't know," he said after the two ball went in as well. "Anyway, besides Glee club and cow tipping, there wasn't much to do there." By this time, the three and four balls had sunk. "My dad taught me to play pool one winter when we were snowed in."

The five and six both followed.

Kurt sighed, looking down the table.

"It's one of the ways we found to cope with my mom's death."

Since the seven had been knocked in by Sebastian during the break, and he was saving eight for the end, he aimed for nine. It rolled down the table and dropped away.

"That, and working on cars down at his shop."

Kurt moved on to ten, still talking as if Todd and his gang didn't exist, only shooting pool with the love of his life.

"I played with my friends from Glee after that. Finn was better at it than me, though. God, that used to burn me up inside."

By the end of his story, Kurt had cleared the table. The only ball left, the black eight, he sunk with practiced ease, leaving the cue ball spinning in dead center. He put his stick on the felt, turning to Sebastian with a sly smile, and then to Todd, his mouth dropping open in shock, as if just noticing the man was standing there, fuming.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kurt said, putting his hands to his lips, feigning surprise. "Did you want to shoot?"

Kurt walked over to join Sebastian and Justice.

"You were hustling me?" Sebastian's body still shook, but relief had flooded his voice.

Kurt shrugged.

"Why don't we head out," Kurt suggested. "I'm done here."

Justice looked over to where Madeline had taken a seat at the bar, gesturing to her with a single nod.

Todd pursued the group, his friends close behind.

"You played me," Todd yelled, tossing his cue to the ground.

"So what if I did?" Kurt asked, unexpectedly brave in the face of his awed friends. "There was no rule against that."

Todd shoved a thick finger in Kurt's face.

"You owe me," he growled. "You cheated, and you need to pay!"

Sebastian wanted to intervene, but Kurt didn't seem to need his help. He stared the man square in the eyes, standing close enough to smell his whiskey breath.

"I've been beaten down by far worse than you," Kurt said, his voice so cold that Sebastian almost let go of Kurt's hand. He's never imagined Kurt like this. It was unnerving to watch. "So if you want me on my knees, you're going to have to try real hard to get me there."

Sebastian and Justice stood paralyzed, mouths agape. They had no idea if this would come to blows. Luckily, they didn't find out. The barrel of a shot gun separated the two men.

"This is over," the bartender said evenly. "Now this man won. Sunk every shot fair and square. You fellas are gonna have to go."

Todd continued to stare at Kurt, his hand forming into fists at his sides, flexing with the urge to reach out and throttle Kurt, but Kurt wouldn't back down.

It took the bartender cocking the gun to knock Todd out of his stupor, backing away slowly and walking out to the parking lot with his group following behind.

Sebastian watched them leave, think Kurt would turn and melt into his arms, but Kurt simply watched them go, his pale face hot with simmering anger and disgust.

"Uh, guys?" the bartender interrupted, clearing his throat, seemingly strangely more afraid of Kurt than of the group of roughians who had just left. "I heard your lady friend talking about karaoke."

"That's right," Justice replied when Kurt didn't.

"Well, I think you might want the Karaoke Palace. It's five miles west of here off the highway."

Sebastian looked at Justice, who held Madeline tight.

"Yeah," Sebastian said, staring at his unmoving, unblinking boyfriend. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"I'll walk you guys out to your car," the bartender offered, "Make sure there's no trouble."

The bartender led the way out to the parking lot, but Todd and his gang had already gone. Still, he walked them to the town car, the group walking in quiet procession through the parking lot.

When they reached the car, Madeline immediately hopped in, locking the door behind her. Justice extended a hand to the bartender.

"Thanks a bunch, friend," Justice said, shaking the man's hand. "That was good looking out."

The bartender nodded.

"I'm sorry about all that. I hope you guys have a good rest of the night."

Kurt approached the door behind the driver. He reached out a hand for the door handle, and then bent over double, vomiting onto the asphalt.

"Oh, Kurt," Sebastian soothed, rubbing a hand along his boyfriend's spine. "It's okay. They're gone and everything's going to be okay."

Kurt couldn't stop. Even when there was nothing left in his stomach, he continued to heave.

Eventually the painful convulsing stopped. Sebastian led him around to the other car door and they climbed inside, Madeline shoving a handful of Kleenex in his direction. Kurt took it and wiped his face, thanking Madeline quietly.

"Maybe we should just go home?" Sebastian asked, settling in beside Kurt. Kurt fell into Sebastian's arms.

"No," Kurt objected vehemently. "No, I want to go somewhere and forget about this. Let's go to the Karaoke Palace and have some fun."

"Are you sure?" Justice asked, turning to look at his crumpled friend.

"Yes," Kurt said. "Madeline should get her fill, because after tonight, she never gets to choose again."

Madeline's whole face dropped, and Justice snickered, earning him a sound smack to the shoulder.

Sebastian simply held Kurt tight against him, kissing everywhere on Kurt's head and in his hair that he could. He was proud of his boyfriend, proud of him for standing up for himself, proud of him for facing down his demons, but Sebastian hadn't realized how terrified he was of losing Kurt, and not just by some man beating him or raping him. It terrified him that Kurt might lock himself back up in his own head and disappear completely.