A/N: This is ostensibly the last chapter for this one-shot but I don't know...I kind of like these two. We'll see what happens in the future.

"Can I kiss you?" Sebastian's breath danced across Kurt's lips in tiny puffs that tickled and tempted and tantalized all at the same time.

Kurt stopped breathing. He literally, figuratively, physiologically, spiritually, and in every conceivable way possible could not move, and thinking was quickly following suit. His mind remained stuck in an endless loop of the moment when Sebastian had uttered the question, "Can I kiss you?".

Inside, Kurt was astounded, amazed, excited…but without meaning to, he looked absolutely terrified.

Sebastian edged back just a bit to better see the expression on Kurt's face. He saw Kurt's eyes growing wider still, his jaw clenched, lips pulled tight. Sebastian's brow furrowed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, not sure if he should feel flattered or offended.

"No—nothing," Kurt stammered, finally finding his voice and not quite using it as effectively as he had hoped. "Nothing's wrong, I…just…nobody's ever asked me that before."

Sebastian tilted his head, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I liked it," Kurt rushed to answer. "I…I liked it a lot."

Sebastian chuckled gently. He scooted in closer, feeling the waves of apprehension that surrounded Kurt's rigid body like a dark aura melt away.

"Would you like me to ask you again?" Sebastian asked quietly, already sure he knew what the answer would be. This time he reached out a hand to hook a finger beneath Kurt's chin, smiling when Kurt shivered beneath his touch.

Kurt nodded before he could find the words to answer.

"Y-yes please," Kurt said, wincing internally at the obvious sound of desperation in his voice. Sebastian smiled; he couldn't stop smiling. He played over Kurt's mouth with his own, shadowing Kurt's lips, barely brushing against his skin.

"Can I kiss you?"

Sebastian's voice was just a suggestion. Kurt felt the question in his mouth, against his lips, washing over his tongue. Kurt only nodded once, a single dip of his head, and Sebastian pulled in close, stopping for a second to breathe Kurt in before he slid his lips slowly across Kurt's mouth and kissed him.

Kurt heard a moan – just a short, choked sound that vibrated across his skin and tickled his tongue - but he couldn't tell which of them had made the sound. He focused on the overwhelming sensation of fulfillment that flooded his body, filling his senses straight to his soul. Kurt craved human contact, but he never realized just how much he needed this. He needed a connection and here it was with all the beautiful bells and whistles that came with it; attraction, desire, longing – it was all there.

Kurt finally felt like he belonged. In a world that saw him as a freak, an outsider, here in the arms of this gorgeous man of all places, he found a niche to fill. Maybe it was the same thing Sebastian felt, the way he was certain that he could see Kurt for a reason; that in a world full of self-absorbed cynics fumbling to find their match, Kurt and Sebastian were marked so distinctly that at least the two of them could get it right – that they would see each other and just know.

Sebastian smiled. Kurt could feel it against his lips. Kurt's lips still moved against his when Sebastian whispered, "That was it. That was the dream."

Sebastian pressed in on Kurt again, wanting more of that fantasy. Kurt got caught up in the kiss, became breathless with the taste of another man, the sensation of being touched intimately. He was so enthralled by the act itself that he barely registered Sebastian's fingers, which had travelled over the thin fabric of Kurt's shirt and tangled loosely in the hem. The first touch was a question, a light flutter of fingertips playing at the edge, asking for permission to sneak underneath. Kurt broke their kiss when he realized, his gaze falling to the fingers frozen in their dance. Slowly his eyes traveled up the length of Sebastian's arm, meeting with green eyes, blown wide, pleading for Kurt to stop him now if this wasn't what he wanted.

Kurt swallowed hard, but he found it difficult to say no to Sebastian. Those big green eyes just might be the death of him, Kurt thought. Kurt couldn't help the feeling that he would completely break Sebastian's heart if he refused. But he didn't let that sway him. Kurt knew he could say no. This long stretch of tension-filled silence was a testament to Sebastian's restraint. Kurt could reject him, and Sebastian would back down.

Kurt had a different, more pressing problem.

He didn't want to say no. He wanted a man to touch him.

Correction.

He wanted Sebastian to touch him.

Sebastian started to pull his hands away, sure he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the surge of fire in his blood that came with just the thought of running his fingertips over what he was sure was smooth, flawless skin.

The burn didn't matter. The scars didn't matter. All that mattered was Kurt.

Sebastian would wait for Kurt.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait too long.

Kurt watched Sebastian's fingers retreat, and grabbed his wrists quickly.

Kurt's hands shook. He had no clue what he was doing. He didn't know what it meant to be sexy. Kurt had no idea what Sebastian saw when those green eyes looked at him, when they raked over his body, when his urge to kiss and to touch and to feel overwhelmed him, leading them to this heated make-out session on his couch only a few days after they first met, especially considering on one of those days Kurt ditched him in a coffee shop with his eyes closed, waiting to be kissed.

Kurt knew nothing about seducing men, but he knew what he wanted, what he was willing to give.

And he wanted that with Sebastian.

Kurt pulled Sebastian's hands close, let them hover over his stomach, feeling the intense heat of Sebastian's skin come off him in waves.

Sebastian watched Kurt intently, holding his breath, waiting for him to move, to make a decision.

Kurt stared deep into Sebastian's eyes as he moved forward just an inch, and Sebastian's hands caressed his skin.

Sebastian moaned, actually moaned at the contact, and the sound fueled Kurt, gave him confidence. He advanced on Sebastian, straddling his hips and pinning him to the arm of the couch, leaning down to kiss him, hot and hungry. He could feel Sebastian's want in the way his hands stroked along his skin so lightly it sent tingles throughout every nerve in his body; the way he rose up to meet Kurt's kisses, chasing his lips when he pulled away to breathe; the way Sebastian became harder with every lick of Kurt's tongue along the seam of his mouth, and the moans that Kurt swallowed greedily every time he rolled his hips down into Sebastian's lap.

"Oh, K-kurt," Sebastian stuttered, opening his eyes every time Kurt pulled away, locking on to fiery blue eyes, "beautiful, beautiful Kurt."

Kurt's breath escaped him completely, leaving a hard knot behind. How could he say that, Kurt wondered, feeling the way Sebastian's fingertips outlined the ridges of his scarred abdomen, grabbed at Kurt's roaming hands and held them – one hand perfect, the other with skin rough and repulsive.

How could Sebastian call him beautiful?

It was because Sebastian hadn't seen. He didn't really know. He'd felt the marks, sure, but he had never lain eyes on them.

Kurt took a deep breath, giving himself the courage to pull away.

"Wh-what?" Sebastian muttered when he realized Kurt was backing down. "Is everything okay? D-did I do something wrong?"

Looking down into Sebastian's confused face, green eyes dark, kiss swollen lips frowning slightly, made Kurt's heart hurt, but he needed strength.

"No," Kurt assured him. "No…you did nothing wrong. It's me…"

Sebastian shook his head slowly, comforted by the fact that Kurt hadn't completely left him. Kurt sat poised on Sebastian's hips, holding onto his hands while he spoke.

"I want to show you something," Kurt started slowly, reaching for the hem of his shirt, preparing to pull it up. "Those papers I read…they say that in some cases your mind can fill in the blanks…it can justify things that you see by being exposed to the truth…"

"You don't have to, Kurt," Sebastian said, pulling Kurt's hand away. "I don't need to see it if you don't want me to. No matter what, it can't change the way I feel."

"But…it feels like lying," Kurt muttered. "And I don't want to start a relationship with you that's based on lies, Sebastian. I don't want to hide anything." Kurt looked significantly into Sebastian's open, honest face. "I want you to like me for everything I am…and this is part of me."

"It might not even work," Sebastian argued.

"Do you like me, Sebastian?" Kurt asked quickly.

"Of course," Sebastian said, looking around with a smirk at the position they were currently sitting in. "I would like to think it's kind of obvious."

Kurt smiled nervously.

"And you think that nothing is going to change that, right?"

Sebastian's smirk fell along with Kurt's eyes. Sebastian ducked his head to catch Kurt's gaze again.

"Nothing you can show me is going to change that," Sebastian said firmly.

"Then…I need to try." Kurt's voice wavered a little. "Please."

Sebastian closed his eyes and nodded.

"Alright, Kurt," Sebastian agreed. "If this is really what you want."

"It is," Kurt said quietly, unconvincingly.

Sebastian watched the t-shirt creep up Kurt's skin. Kurt pulled it up over his head, biting back tears when he heard Sebastian gasp.

"Oh, Kurt," Sebastian said in a voice that sounded more awed than disgusted. Kurt tugged the rest of the shirt off quickly to look at Sebastian, not prepared for what he saw. Sebastian wore a tiny smile on his lush pink lips, his hand hovering just above Kurt's pale skin.

"Sebastian?" Kurt asked, trying to understand Sebastian's expression.

"Kurt…has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?" Sebastian asked, laughing just a bit as he gave himself permission to touch Kurt again, gentle fingers tracing down the lines of Kurt's muscles.

"Sebastian!" Kurt chided.

Sebastian's fingers played across Kurt's skin, traveling across the boundary from perfect skin to broken skin without flinching, as if the burn wasn't even there, the look of awe never leaving his handsome face.

"Oh my God, Kurt," Sebastian moaned, and for the first time he looked back at Kurt's face. Sebastian smiled, trying to pull Kurt back down to meet his lips. "God, you're gorgeous."

"No!" Kurt wailed, pushing away. "No, I'm not!"

Sebastian's look of confusion returned.

"Don't you see it?" Kurt cried incredulously. "Or does your crazy brain injury keep you from seeing that, too?"

Kurt wanted to bite his tongue off after the words came out of his mouth. Sebastian looked hurt, but he made no move to shove Kurt away. In fact, he took Kurt's hands again and held them tighter. Kurt sighed.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said. "I didn't mean that. I just…tell me, Sebastian. Don't lie to me. Don't feed me any new age meme poster stuff. Just tell me if you can see it."

Sebastian bit his lip, weighing his options, and after a moment of silence, he opted to go with the truth.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Now I see it."

Kurt crumpled.

What have I done? Kurt thought sadly.

Why did he always have to push? Sebastian liked him. Why couldn't Kurt just leave well enough alone?

"I see your face, Kurt," Sebastian whispered, "and I see your scar. I see you, the way you are, and guess what?"

Kurt met his eyes, waiting for the sure-fire rejection.

"I don't care," Sebastian said, his face lighting up. "You're still you, Kurt. And you're still beautiful, inside and out, and now…I see you, just the way you are."

Kurt didn't know how to feel about that. He was so prepared for the let-down that for some strange reason not being rejected kind of made him angry.

Sebastian watched the different odd emotions play out over Kurt's face, wanting so much to laugh at the confusion that turned into seething anger and then something that looked suspiciously like lust.

"How about this?" Sebastian offered, pulling Kurt close. "How about we slow this down a little bit?"

"You…do you want me to leave?" Kurt said, sounding affronted.

Sebastian shook his head.

"Not at all. I say we get drunk and watch reality t.v. until we fall asleep on the floor. What do you say?"

Kurt looked startled for a moment, staring at Sebastian for a good ten seconds before breaking into a fit of giggles.

"Sure," Kurt said. "Why not?"

Sebastian sat up, taking Kurt with him, pressing up against him till they sat nose to nose.

"Do you like tequila?" Sebastian asked against Kurt's lips, so close Kurt thought Sebastian would kiss him.

"I think so," Kurt answered honestly. He was sure he had it before, but right now, with Sebastian's tempting lips so close and his taste still in Kurt's mouth, he couldn't really remember.

Sebastian's eyes flicked down to Kurt's lips for a moment, and then back to his eyes.

"Can I kiss you again?" Sebastian whispered, inching even closer.

"Yes," Kurt whispered. He ran his tongue slowly over his dry lips, hooded eyes staring into Sebastian's as he prepared to be kissed.

But at the last moment, Sebastian backed away, that sinful smirk returning.

"That's good to know," Sebastian said, tossing Kurt onto the couch and heading for the kitchen.

Sebastian snored when he slept, not loud or obnoxious, like a freight train or his father. He made small little grunts, and the occasional moan. He muttered and once or twice he actually giggled. Kurt logged the information away for use in the future.

Kurt nuzzled against Sebastian's chest and smiled, amazed that he would be tangled together with a sexy man, drowsy and still a little drunk; on the floor of the nicest apartment he'd ever seen.

After splitting almost a full bottle of tequila, Kurt was warm and relaxed enough to drift to sleep without a single care or concern in the world, but now that he started to wake up, he couldn't stop his mind from working. He watched Sebastian sleep, felt the easy rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, listened to the little mumbling sounds he made, and instead of feeling lucky, he felt dismay over this beautiful moment that would eventually have to end.

But why did it have to end?

Kurt reviewed the whole night in his head, picked apart everything Sebastian said, everything he did, the way he looked at Kurt with such adoration in his eyes. Quietly Kurt debated the whys and why nots, and after he prepared a carefully thought out list of reasons and excuses as to why the two of them together was a bad idea, why it ultimately wouldn't work between them, he thought about the kiss. That beautiful, spine-tingling, toe-curling kiss, and suddenly every argument, every sad and pathetic excuse became invalid. Kurt knew that when he finally made his way home, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to shower or brush his teeth. He didn't want to erase the taste of Sebastian from his mouth, or scrub away the traces of his touch from his skin. His body came alive at the gentle brush of Sebastian's fingertips on his body, the way they seemed to know their way around, as if maybe Sebastian sat at home late at night and imagined the path they would take if they ever had the chance.

But Kurt was still so confused. It was easy for Sebastian to confess these desires behind closed doors, but would things change in the light of day, faced with the disapproving glares and the people who will most assuredly have something to say, either to their faces or behind their backs.

Kurt needed perspective; he needed to clear his head of the tequila and think, which got progressively harder and harder the more Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt's body, this time resting an errant hand on Kurt's ass.

Kurt never wanted anything so much as he wanted this man right now, and that's why he had to get away.

It took several long moments of sliding and careful maneuvering to disentangle himself from Sebastian's embrace, considering he really didn't want to go. But he had to. He tiptoed to the apartment door and slipped on his Doc Martens, leaving them untied for the sake of speed. He picked up his backpack and took a final look around. He knew he should leave a note, but what exactly would he say? I'm leaving because I want you too much? I'm afraid you're not going to talk to me in public?

You're everything I never knew I wanted, so I'm leaving before I lose you?

It all sounded so stupid and cliché.

So, blowing Sebastian a final kiss, Kurt Hummel did what he did best.

He left.

Sebastian showed up late to class, not looking at all like death warmed over, which was the way Kurt felt, but more so for leaving Sebastian alone in the middle of the night than from the actual effects of the alcohol. Sebastian made a beeline for his desk when he arrived, and never once looked up to find Kurt.

Kurt understood. He'd be pissed, too.

Kurt Hummel score card: Royal fuck ups - 2. Chance of a relationship with a gorgeous man who seemed to genuinely like him – well, there he went into negative numbers.

Which was probably what Professor Evans was discussing. Kurt didn't know. He spent the whole class period making moon eyes at Sebastian and hating himself more with every minute that ticked by. He barely registered the snickering of the girls sitting behind him until the word 'pathetic' broke through the stream of his consciousness, and his head snapped quickly around.

"Excuse me?" Kurt growled, and the girl who spoke, the blonde girl who had eyes for Sebastian since day one, looked visibly taken back, but recovered quickly when Sebastian's emerald eyes shifted to take in the disruption.

"Don't kid yourself," the blonde girl persisted. "He's just taking pity on you. He's doing a good deed, befriending the freak of nature…you know, like community service."

The girl with the auburn curls sitting beside blondie chuckled. Kurt stood, tossing his bag on over his arm, furious that he couldn't come up with anything witty and biting to say. How could he when he believed every word they said?

It was easier to believe than the idea that Sebastian might honestly and truly like him.

The blonde girl grinned; a glimmer of triumph in her sky blue eyes.

"Are these bitches bothering you, babe?"

Kurt's head snapped up just as Sebastian pushed past the bitches in question, wrapped his arms around him, and without a single word more kissed him soundly on the mouth. Kurt whimpered as Sebastian pushed forward, pulling Kurt deeper and deeper into the kiss, spurred on by the heat of Kurt's mouth and the gasps of surprise blossoming all around.

"Maybe a little," Kurt confessed breathlessly when Sebastian pulled away.

"Well then," Sebastian whispered against Kurt's lips, placing small kisses around the contours of his mouth as he spoke, "how about we blow this popsicle stand and head back to my place? I'll make you dinner again…" Sebastian started kissing a trail down Kurt's scarred cheek, eliciting more gasps from those few students left in the room to witness Sebastian's public display of affection. "I'll make you dessert…" Sebastian nibbled on Kurt's ear. "I'll do whatever you want…" Sebastian latched onto a spot on Kurt's neck, finding a place where the skin was miraculously almost undamaged, and licked small circles with the tip of his tongue. Kurt locked his knees tight, fighting the overwhelming urge to wrap a leg around Sebastian's hips and pull him closer.

"E-even if that means watch Moulin Rouge and making out a lot?" Kurt stuttered, all too aware that the people in the room had gone quiet watching them.

Sebastian smirked, placing one last kiss to Kurt's lips before pulling the back pack off Kurt's arm and shouldering it alongside his own.

"Sounds perfect," Sebastian purred.

Kurt looked at Sebastian for a long time, and Sebastian let him look, knowing he was working things out in his mind.

"Does that mean you still like me?" Kurt whispered, a little unsure of Sebastian's possessive display.

Sebastian leaned close to whisper in his ear.

"I'm pretty sure that's what this means," he confessed. "Are you going to run away on me again, because I've got to tell you, that might be wearing a bit on my self-esteem…"

Sebastian pulled far enough away so that Kurt could see the smirk curling his lips.

"That is, unless you want me to chase you," Sebastian murmured suggestively. "That could be fun…"

"That does sound like fun," Kurt returned, trying to match Sebastian's suggestive tone. "But not this time. Let's just go. This party got tired a long time ago."

Sebastian offered Kurt his arm with a slight gentlemanly bow. Kurt wove his arm through, holding onto Sebastian's bicep with his other hand. He made a point of aiming a haughty glare at the girls staring at them, mouth agape like fish out of water, and suppressed the urge to skip instead of walk.

Sebastian put a hand over Kurt's and squeezed gently.

"What are you thinking, gorgeous?" Sebastian asked. Kurt felt himself blush to his roots at the nickname.

"I'm glad that I've decided to stop being a stubborn ass." Kurt sighed. Kurt looked into Sebastian's eyes; perfect green eyes that smiled affectionately back at him. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

Sebastian rolled his eyes fondly and groaned.

"Oh, God. Really?" Sebastian murmured. "Did you think of that all by yourself?"

"Shut up, you freak of nature," Kurt reprimanded with a little shove as the two disappeared out the door.