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Chapter Text

The week between Paris and New York was lovely.  Instead of having a full week in Ohio, Kurt and Sebastian had made a pit stop in North Carolina to celebrate their engagement with their families at the Smythe’s beach house.  Everyone was so happy for them, and Robert and Tori had made sure that everyone had a great time. They had four days and three nights full of clambakes, barbeques, swimming, singing around the campfire, fantastic conversation, and lots of laughter.

Once they had gotten home, they spent a couple of days packing their belongings and spending time with their individual families.  

“What’s wrong kiddo?  You seem different today,”  Burt asked Kurt as he watched his son sort through the hordes of clothes in his walk-in closet.

Kurt sighed then turned to his dad, “I know it seems ridiculous… But I just miss Bas.  I didn’t get to see him yesterday, and I won’t today either. I’m used to seeing his gorgeous, smirky, face every day.”

Burt nodded, “I understand, Bud.  Love is like that.” He paused a minute, “You know I’m really happy for you, right?  I think Sebastian is great for you and to you. I’ve always hoped you’d be this happy.  I’m so glad it happened so soon.”

Kurt smiled softly and nodded as he folded another shirt, “He really does make me happy.  I told Bas that sometimes I’m afraid that I’m dreaming and I’m going to wake up and he won’t be there.”  He turned to face Burt again, “It’s not that I think he’s perfect. I know he’s not. But he’s perfect for me .”  

“I agree.”  Burt went over to to the shelves in Kurt’s room.  He looked at the pictures that Kurt had on display of his family and his friends. “I’m going to miss you so much, Kurt.  Not only you, but all of these great kids we’ve had around here the last couple of years.” Kurt leaned against the closet door frame to watch his dad inspect the photos.  “I know Finn, Sam, and Leah will still be around, but so many of your friends will be headed to different places around the country. I’ll miss them too. But not as much as I’ll miss you.”

Kurt walked over and put his hand on his dad’s shoulder and looked at the pictures with him, “You know you can visit us any time.”

“I know.  And I feel a lot better knowing you’ll be there with Seb.  I know you two take good care of each other. It’s just… you growing up… it all happened in the blink of an eye.  Before you know it, Seb will have his own practice, you’ll have your own clothing line, and there will hopefully be little ones visiting me here, calling me Grandpa.” Kurt smiled as his dad turned to look at him, “I’m not kidding about that either.  It all goes by so fast, Kurt. Really live in every moment.  Soak it up. Pay attention.  It all changes so fast.” 

The next morning, Kurt stood out on the porch with his dad and Carol while Finn and Sam finished loading the last of the boxes in the back of Kurt’s Navigator.

“Please don’t cry,”  Kurt said to Carol as he heard her sniffle while they hugged.

“I’m just going to miss you so much, Sweetie.  I’m so very happy for you… But I’m going to miss you SO much.”

Kurt squeezed her a little tighter, “I’m going to miss you too.  Thanks for being such a good mom to me during such a trying time in my life.  I love you.” He felt her sob in his arms, while he himself fought not to lose it. 

Burt took a deep breath and clapped Kurt on the shoulder, “Okay, Kiddo, what about me?”

Kurt and Carol pulled back from their hug and Kurt looked at his dad while Carol dried her tears.  He smiled softly at him and leaned up the short distance to give one final hug goodbye.  

Burt took another deep breath, trying his hardest not to get too emotional, “I’m so proud of you, Kurt.  Now you go and make all of your dreams come true.”

Kurt let a tear fall at those words.  He couldn’t be more grateful for such a supportive father.  “I will, Dad. I love you.” He paused a minute, and before letting go he chuckled, “When did you get so sappy?”

Burt snickered, “I love you, too.”  

Kurt let go and turned to leave before he lingered too long, making it harder.  As much as he wanted out of Lima, leaving his family was so difficult.

Burt and Carol stayed on the porch and watched as Kurt walked over to Finn and Sam, who were now leaning up against the Navigator.

“Well, I-”  Kurt began, looking at his brothers. He couldn’t get any further in what he wanted to say before he was completely engulfed in Finn’s arms.  

“I’m gonna miss you, Little Brother.  It won’t be the same without you here.”

A tear fell as Kurt closed his eyes, trying to soak up all the love he could feel in Finn’s protective arms, “I’m going to miss you, too, Finn.  Thanks for being such a great brother. Please, please come visit me.”

Finn backed up a bit and nodded, “I will, Dude.  I promise.”

Kurt wiped his cheeks and took a cleansing breath as he turned to Sam, who was still leaning against the Nav with his arms crossed and a small smile on his lips.  Sam smiled bigger and opened his arms for a hug. Kurt smiled back, “Thanks for being a great brother when there was nothing really making you have to be. You’re amazing.”

“Thank you for being an amazing brother and friend, Kurt.  You have taught me so much.”

Kurt leaned back, “Take care of Leah, yeah?”

Sam smiled and nodded, “Yeah.”

Kurt got in the Navigator and smiled one more time to his family before backing out of the driveway and pulling away.

Before leaving town, he made one final stop.  He got out and walked over to his mother’s grave, “This is it, Mom.  I finally did it. I’m getting out of this town, and Bas and I are on our way to making our dreams come true.  I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you. I promise to come back when I’m in town visiting, but if what Bas said is true, I guess none of this is really necessary.”  He kissed his fingers and then gently touched her name on the stone, “I love you, Mom.”

He walked back to the Nav and realized that he had a huge smile on his face and peace in his heart.  He chuckled and shook his head. That was the first time he had ever left the cemetery smiling and happy.  He really hoped his mom could see it.  

As he drove out of town toward the Smythe’s he passed McKinley High.  He didn’t look twice. Giving the building a big middle finger as he drove past was closure enough.

When Sebastian answered the door after Kurt rang the bell, he wasted no time picking Kurt up and swinging him in a circle, “I missed you so much, Baby.  Two days it two too many to be away from you.”

Kurt chuckled, “I missed you, too, Bas.  So much.” It felt so good to back in Sebastian’s arms.

Sebastian pulled back, after setting Kurt down and kissed him on the forehead. “Let’s get my boxes, so we can hit the road.”

Kurt smiled and nodded, making his way into the foyer where all of the boxes were waiting.  Before they could pick up the first box, Kurt looked up and saw Leah standing in the archway that lead to the living room.  She looked like she was completely broken-hearted and had huge crocodile tears in her eyes.  

Kurt deflated a bit and frowned, “Leah…”

She shook her head and came in for a hug, “No.  No, I’m really happy for you both. I just love you both so much, and it’s going to be so hard not having you here anymore.  I thought having you away in Paris was going to help me adjust, but then we got to have so much time together at the beach house, that it reminded me of what I’ll be missing.  My four best friends are moving away.” She sniffed, and he held her tighter.

Sebastian came up and hugged her from behind, sandwiching her in between himself and Kurt.  He kissed the top of her head, “You know our door is always open to you. You can fly in on a weekend, just because.  You don’t have to have a reason. And we’ll be back for Thanksgiving. Time will fly, I promise. We’ll see you again before you know it.”

Tori had snuck in, and of course, snuck a picture.  She also had tears in her eyes.  

Kurt chuckled, “Tori, did you just sneak a picture?”  Sebastian and Leah chuckled as well.

“Would I do that?”   

“Yes!”  they all answered together.  

“Well, yeah, okay.”  She pointed her finger at both of them, “Now, don’t either of you dare pick up a single box until you come in and say a proper goodbye to everyone.  I know you’re anxious to go, but too bad.” Tori winked and turned to go in the other room.

After another round of tearful goodbyes, Kurt and Sebastian finally had all of their things loaded into the back of Kurt’s navigator, and were on the road.

“I can’t believe we fit everything we need in here,”  Sebastian said, looking back behind him.  

“Well, there wasn’t much we needed besides clothes.  I may have a lot of clothes, but not that many.  Plus, I’d outgrown a lot of what was taking up space in my closet.  Putting the back seat down gave us more than enough space.” Kurt paused for a minute, “Are you going to miss your car?”

“Yeah, I will.  But we’ll bring her with us after Thanksgiving.  I can wait that long. Besides, it’s not like we’re really going to need our cars much once we’re there.  And if we need one for something, we’ll have yours.” Sebastian looked out the window for awhile, then turned to ask, “How did saying goodbye to your family go this morning?  You told Mom there were tears?”

Kurt nodded but didn’t take his eyes off the road, “Yeah.  Carol was a mess. God, I love that woman. Her crying made me cry, then Dad was trying not to cry… Then Finn wrapped me in the best brother hug ever, and that made me cry more since I was already emotional from Dad and Carol.  Sam was, of course, his calm, cool, and collected self. He helped ground me and bring me back to normal just by being him.” Kurt sighed. 

“Are you okay, Babe?”

“Yeah.  I’m just soaking it all in.  That was something that I will always remember.  It was a major milestone in our lives, ya know?” He glanced over at Sebastian.

Seb looked at him lovingly and nodded, “Yeah.  I’m glad we’re doing it together.”

“Me too.”  

They cheered as they crossed the state line, entering Pennsylvania.  Soon after, they stopped for lunch. They opted for fast food at a drive through, since their long goodbye’s gave them a bit of a late start. 

A few hours later, they stopped at a rest stop and switched drivers after using the restroom and stretching their legs.  

“I don’t know how truckers do it,”  Kurt said as he twisted from one side to the other.  

“Me neither.  They have to get so stiff and sore.  Are you ready? When we stop for dinner, I’d prefer getting out and going into the restaurant instead of fast food.”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me, too,” Kurt answered as he climbed into the passenger side of the Navigator.

As they drove, Sebastian smiled at the fact they could discuss anything and everything, or nothing at all.  They had talked about the castles they visited in France, Sugar Shack, internships Seb had applied for, and everything in between.  They were also comfortable in silence, which was something both boys were grateful for.

They cheered again as they crossed the border into New York. 

They stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel, and then before they knew it, they had New York City in their sights.  Sebastian looked over to Kurt and smiled. Kurt had a huge grin on his face too.  

“We made it, Babe!”  

Kurt bounced in his seat a little, then he sighed, “We made it, Love! Finally.”  He smiled, then closed his eyes for a minute, reminding himself that this was his reality.

When the boys got to their building, Sebastian glanced over at Kurt, “We’re home, Baby.”

They pulled in to the underground garage.  The security guard greeted them, scanned their key, then directed them to their assigned parking spots.  

“It’s nice that we have two parking spaces,”  Kurt remarked as they drove away from the gate.

“It is.  It’s a perk of the penthouse.  Everyone else gets one, unless they pay extra.  And ours are close to the doors, which I like.” Sebastian pulled into the spot.  

The security guard must have called and let the office know that the boys had arrived, because George was soon in the garage with a luggage cart.  

“Hello, gentlemen!  Welcome home!” 

“Thank you, George!  How are you?” Sebastian asked.

There was a twinkle in George’s eye, “Great!”  He nodded toward Sebastian’s hand, “And I see you’re doing well too?!”

Seb laughed, “Yes.  We’re fantastic. We got engaged over the summer!  I’m going to make an honest man out of him, George.”  All three men laughed.

“Well, congratulations to both of you.  That’s great news.” He was smiling from ear to ear.

“Thank you!”  

“What can I do to help?”

“I think the cart is help enough.  Thank you, George.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Hummel.  Let me know if you need anything.”

They loaded as many boxes as they could onto the luggage cart and made their first trip upstairs.  From the garage, they had to take a separate elevator to the lobby, then take the other elevator up to the penthouse.  When the elevator doors opened, both boys looked at each other and smiled.  

“Home sweet home,”  Sebastian said as he wheeled the luggage cart into the foyer.

Kurt took a deep breath, looked at Sebastian, the penthouse, their boxes. He tried to memorize the image.  Again, it was a major milestone in his life. In their lives.

Seb walked over to Kurt and cupped his face gently in his hands, “Are you okay, Baby?”

Kurt nodded, “I’m wonderful, Bas.  I’m just soaking it all up. It’s something Dad reminded me to do.  I want to remember this forever. It’s the first time we’re coming here as our home.  Not a visit, but home.  It’s a wonderful feeling, Love.”

Sebastian smiled and kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Yes it is, Babe.” 

Three trips later, and they had all of the boxes in the penthouse and upstairs in the bedroom.  

“Why don’t you go rest and I’ll take the luggage cart back downstairs.”  

“The car ride was plenty of rest.  I’m going to go ahead and start unpacking these while you take the cart back down. Is there a particular part of the closet you want?”  Kurt asked.

Sebastian shook his head, “No.  However you make it work is fine with me.  I’ll be back up to help in a few minutes.” He kissed Kurt on the cheek and headed downstairs.

When he headed into the lobby and greeted George with a nod, “Thank you for the cart. It made it much easier to get our boxes upstairs.”

“You’re welcome, Sir.  Is there anything else you need help with?”

Sebastian spoke quietly as he leaned against the counter, “No, but I did want to make sure that the pictures of the people we have on our ‘not approved’ list are up, and that the staff has been made aware of them.” 

George nodded, “Yes, Sir.  They have been posted since the day you met with Mr. Carmack.  We all received an email notifying us about the additions to the security board.  I promise you that all of us have made ourselves quite familiar with those names and faces, Mr. Smythe.”

“Thank you, George.  Kurt’s safety is my number one concern.  In a few years, we’ll all have to be on high alert.”

George was solemn in response, “Yes, Sir.  Blaine Anderson will not get through those doors.  Mr. Hummel’s safety, as well as yours, is very important to us.”  Sebastian was impressed that George was familiar enough with those pictures that he knew who he was referring to.  George added, “I know I shouldn’t ask, so forgive me, but the father in me is dying to know… Is Mr. Hummel doing well now?”

Sebastian smiled softly and nodded, “He is.  There will always be things that he struggles with, but things were much better by the time we left Ohio at the beginning of summer.”

George nodded, then chuckled, “It took you an awful long time to get from Ohio to New York.  I thought it was something like a 10 hour drive.”

Sebastian smiled, “We spent a month in France first, then several days in North Carolina.  We were only in Ohio for a couple of weeks after graduation, then another two days before we left for good.”

George smiled, “Ah, well, that explains it.”

Sebastian pushed himself away from the counter, “Have a good night, George.”

“You too, Mr. Smythe.  You too.”

Unpacking went rather quickly.  They decided to only unpack their clothes for the night, and get to the other boxes in the morning.  Kurt had suggested packing everything that was on hangers in boxes, keeping them on hangers, and simply folding groups of clothes in half on top of themselves.  That way, they simply grabbed the group of hangers, picked them up, and hang them right back up in the new closet space.  

Kurt loved the closet.  When they were finished he put his hands on his hips and stood back and looked.  

Sebastian asked, “What are you thinking?”

Kurt smiled, “That I have more than enough room to add more clothes!”

Seb laughed, “Me too, right?”

Kurt chuckled, “I might share.  We’ll see…”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt, “Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

An hour later, Kurt had texted their families to let them know they had arrived safely, as promised, and that they were nearly unpacked already.  They had showered together and were lying in bed soon after.

“You know what we need to do?”  Kurt asked he looked up at Seb from where he rested his head on his chest.

“What’s that, Babe?”  Sebastian asked as he stroked Kurt’s back.

Kurt smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, “We need to christen the bedroom.”

Sebastian chuckled, “We do?”  He teased, “Didn’t we do that here already?”

Kurt playfully pouted, “Well, I guess if you think that counts, then….”  He started to roll over away from Sebastian so he could really sell the whole fake pout thing he had going on.  

Sebastian quickly flipped positions, and was now on all fours above Kurt, trapping him beneath him.  He leaned down and kissed Kurt soundly on the mouth, “Oh no you don’t. No pouting.” He smiled, “Of course that didn’t count.  We didn’t live here. I say we christen the shit out of this bedroom. Right,” kiss, “now!” kiss.

Kurt laughed, “Now we’re talking!”  He wrapped his legs around Sebastian’s waist, and his hands around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer.  They kissed until they were breathless, and made love in their new home.

The next morning Sebastian woke up first, and laid there looking at Kurt as he slept.  He felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He watched him for a few minutes, but then Kurt seemed to sense being watched.  He smiled before he even opened his eyes. Sebastian watched him smile, and grinned in return.

“Are you being a creeper?”  Kurt chuckled.  

“Yes, but I’m allowed to be.  Getting to watch my beautiful fiance sleep peacefully is now one of my favorite things to do.  I’m so lucky.” Sebastian stroked Kurt’s face as he opened his eyes and looked back at him.

“We’re both lucky, Bas.” 

Seb nodded in agreement, then asked, “What do you want to do today?”

“Hmm...Unpack the rest of the boxes, which won’t take long.  Then maybe we can go shopping for a sewing table and some organizational things for the laundry room, and a coffee cart and shoe cabinet.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

“But, I am paying for everything,”  Kurt said, giving Sebastian a stern look.

Seb frowned, “Why?  We can both contribute.”

Kurt shook his head, “No, Bas.  I don’t have to pay for school, and I get to live here for free.  I had a lot of money saved for college, and I would have been furnishing my own place if we had never met.  Let me do this. I want to feel like I at least contributed something.  Besides, the sewing stuff is all for me, and the coffee cart and shoe cabinet were my idea.”

Sebastian sighed, “I understand.  How about I only pay for the coffee cart stuff and the shoe cabinet?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “We’ll see, but I’m not promising anything.”

Sebastian nodded, “Okay.  But I hope you realize that you contribute a lot to this place without having to pay for anything.”  Kurt frowned, not understanding, so Sebastian continued, “You make anyplace I am with you a home. We cook and clean together, do laundry together, and enjoy each others company.  Having you here with me is so important to me, Baby. You are home to me.”

Kurt didn’t say anything in return.  He just leaned forward and kissed his Love.  

After getting ready and eating breakfast, Kurt went to measure the space in the laundry room.  Sebastian came in to help him, “You know, Babe, you could use the study space upstairs between the bedrooms, or we could even convert one of the bedrooms into a work room for you.  You don’t have to use this room.”

“I know, but it makes the most sense.  I’ll need to wash and iron fabrics, half of the cabinets are empty, so I can use them for fabric and supplies, and this is a huge laundry room.  I like that it’s right by the kitchen, too, so I can cook while I work. It’s perfect, Bas.”

Seb nodded, “Okay.  I just didn’t want you to think you had no other choice.”

Kurt smiled and kissed Seb on the cheek, “I know.  I love that you are always concerned about me and my happiness.”

“I am.  I hope you always know that,”  Sebastian pulled Kurt in closer.

“I do,”  Kurt smiled before kissing Sebastian again.

Soon after, they had unloaded their other boxes and were headed out for some shopping.  When they got downstairs, Pablo greeted them, “Good morning! Welcome back Mr. Smythe, Mr. Hummel.”

“Thanks, Pablo!  We’re here for good now,”  Sebastian smiled.

Kurt added, “And it feels great already.”

Pablo smiled, “That’s fantastic.  Is there anything we can help you with today?”

Kurt said, “Yes, actually.  We’re going out shopping for a sewing table for me, as well as a coffee cart.  We’re headed to IKEA in Brooklyn later this afternoon for some organizational items, but is there anything out that way that you might consider to be a hidden gem of a furniture store?”

“Hmm, well, if you have to get one soon, then I’d say check out Brooklyn’s Basement.  It’s a second hand store for furniture, and the owner seems to be pretty picky about what she sells.  She carries a lot of high quality items, much of which she’s already restored. If you can wait, and take your chances on whether or not you’ll find something, the NYC Bazaar here in the Upper West End is nice.  They hold it every Sunday year round, for the most part. Brooklyn Flea is good too, but it’s also only on Sundays.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks Pablo!  I think we’ll head to Brooklyn’s Basement.  But I’ll definitely check out those flea markets too.”

Sebastian smirked and nodded as he made a face, “He definitely will.  Especially once Sugar gets here.” Kurt nodded quickly.

Pablo chuckled, “You two enjoy your day.”

“We will.  Thanks again, Pablo.  Have a good one!”

They decided to take an Uber to Brooklyn’s Basement since they weren’t sure exactly where it was.  Once inside the store, they were greeted by a little old dog. From somewhere behind stacks of furniture, they heard a woman’s voice, “Welcome!  Come on in and look around! Don’t mind Killer, there.”

They looked down at the dog and snickered.  He was a mutt with scraggly, light brown fur, and one eye had bad cataracts.  He was the kind of dog that was so ugly he was cute. “Killer” though? That did not fit.

The lady peeked out from behind the stacks of tables, “Can I help you with anything today?”

“We’re looking for a smallish dining table,”  Kurt answered.

She stepped out all the way.  She was in her mid-40’s with slightly greying hair that she kept back in a bandanna.  She had on a t-shirt and overalls.  She smiled, “I’m Betsy. I own the joint. If you’re looking for dining tables, back here to the left is your best bet.  Do you need chairs too?”

Kurt shook his head, “Not dining chairs.  Just an office chair, perhaps. It’s going to be used as my sewing table.”

“Ah, okay.  Well, I don’t have much in the way of office chairs.  But I’m sure you’ll find a table that will fit your needs.  I’ll leave you two to look. Just holler if you need me.” Before they knew it, she had disappeared again.

Kurt and Sebastian walked over to where the tables were.  They were stacked two tall in some areas, but they were both tall enough to see the tops.  Kurt spotted one he liked right away. It was solid wood, and fit the style of the penthouse’s decor.  He and Sebastian measured it, and it was the perfect size.

“Is this shop magic?  It’s pretty crazy that I would find something that will work and that I like this quickly.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Are you happy about that, or are you disappointed that you didn’t get to shop more?”

Kurt smiled and wrinkled his nose, “Both?  I’m definitely bringing Sugar and Noah here when it’s time for them to furnish their apartment.  The prices are good too.” 

They called for Betsy, and when she showed up, she asked, “Did you find something already?”

Kurt nodded, “I did.  I’d like this table over here.  Do you deliver?”

“We do next day delivery.  Will that work okay for ya?”  She asked as she put a ‘sold’ label on it.

“It will.  Thanks.”

“Well, thank you.  Let’s get you rung up and taken care of.”  She walked them over to a counter and rang them up.  Kurt paid and then she asked for an address. Kurt told her, and she raised an eyebrow and glanced up at them.  Kurt bit his lip, halfway expecting her to say something, but she didn’t. “Okay, we don’t have any other deliveries listed for tomorrow, so you’ll be first on the list. Jack and Chuck are my delivery guys.  They usually get started at 8, so I’d guess they’ll be there between 8:30 and 9:00. Work for you?”

“Sure does. Thanks.”

“Well thanks for the business, boys.  Hope you come back to see us.”

Kurt nodded, “We will!”

Sebastian checked his phone to see how far they were from IKEA.  They ended up just taking the subway just a few stops. They made quick work of choosing a shoe cabinet and office chair.  They headed to the kitchen organization section and got some spice racks and containers that could be hung on the wall next to the table that would hold all of Kurt’s small things like small spools of thread, needles, ribbon, buttons, and more.  With the addition of a few more containers to go inside the cabinets, they were all set. They paid and called for an Uber to take them back home.

Once they had everything upstairs, they worked together to assemble the shoe cabinet.  They placed in the foyer and then went to get the boxes of shoes. They chose the ones that worked for the season and put them in the cabinet, then put the rest in the closet upstairs.  

Next, they assembled the desk chair and put it in the laundry room.  Kurt worked to organize the rest of his supplies while Sebastian fixed a late lunch.  

Seb leaned against the door frame, “It’s ready, Babe.  Are you ready to eat?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute to finish putting these buttons in the right containers,”  Kurt answered without looking up.

Sebastian smirked, then turned to go fix their drinks.  He set everything out at the table, then returned to the laundry room.  “Babe,” he walked over and wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder, “You need to eat.  This can wait. Come on…”

Kurt sighed, “I know.  Sorry. I’m just anxious to have everything finished so I can feel like we’re ready to start this part of our lives.”

As they walked into the dining room, Sebastian replied, “We already have started this part of our lives, Babe.  We just went shopping for the things we need, we’re almost all the way unpacked, and we have the rest of the summer to enjoy the city before school starts.”

Kurt sighed and leaned over to kiss Sebastian on the cheek, “I know.  I’m sorry. Thank you for grounding me. And thanks for fixing lunch.”

“You’re welcome.  That’s what I’m here for, ya know.”

Kurt nodded, “I know.  And I love you for it.”

After they ate, Kurt quickly went back to organizing his materials and supplies.  Sebastian worked on unpacking the picture frames and getting rid of all of the boxes.  When he was back from taking the boxes down, Kurt had finished with his sewing supplies, and they worked together to place the pictures where they wanted them.  

When they finished, they plopped down on the couch in the living room.  Sebastian asked, “Feel better?”

“I do.  It feels great, and looks great.  Thanks for going with my craziness and getting it all done as soon as possible.”  He leaned his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.

Seb wrapped his arm around Kurt, “Of coarse, Baby.  It makes perfect sense, and it does feel really good to be settled.”

“Yep.  The only thing left to get now is a coffee cart.  It’s not something we need , and I’d like to just look around when we’re out someplace and I’ll know what I like when I see it.”

“Sounds good.  Let’s watch a movie and rest, then we can order in.  Maybe later we can go get some groceries or order some online even.  I don’t want to eat out all the time.”  

“Me neither.  That sounds good, Love.  You pick the movie. I’m up for anything except horror.”

“Perfect.”  Sebastian leaned back and Kurt snuggled into him.  He grabbed the remote and they found a movie on Netflix that they both wanted to see.  It felt so good to be in their new home with each other, relaxing, holding each other, and just...being.

For the next couple of weeks, Kurt and Sebastian explored the city.  They played tourist and went to art museums, the Empire State Building,  the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park, Ground 0, and more! They spent a lot of time exploring Central Park and hanging out around the apartment together, as well.  It was feeling like home, and both boys were feeling comfortable and confident very quickly.

Three and a half weeks after they moved in, they got the call they had been waiting for.

“You ready for us, Angel?!”  Sugar asked on the other end of the line.

“Yay!  I’m so glad you’re here!  We’ll be right down!”

Sebastian smiled from ear to ear watching Kurt got so excited that Puck and Sugar were finally joining them in New York.  He was just as thrilled. Sebastian had let security know that Puck and Sugar would be arriving that night, and that they would be using the second parking space for a couple of months.  

Down in the garage, Sugar pulled up close to the door.  George came out with the luggage cart, “Mr. Puckerman and Ms. Motta?”

Puck looked up, “Yes, Sir.”  

George smiled, “Please, call me George.  I brought you a cart to help with the boxes.”

“Thanks, George.  Please, call me Puck.  Or Noah. And this is Sugar.”

Sugar smiled and gave a small wave, “It’s nice to meet you, George!”

He smiled, “You too, Ms. Motta.  Please let me know if you need anything during your stay.”

“Thank you.  That’s very kind,”  Sugar smiled.

Kurt and Sebastian came out into the garage and Kurt squealed as he ran to Sugar and lift her up, spinning her around.  Seb went to straight to Puck, and the two hugged. Both were smiling huge smiles.  

They quickly switched and went in for more hugs.  Kurt softly spoke to Puck, “You did it, Noah. You got out of Lima.  We’re going to make this happen. You’ll see.”

Puck squeezed Kurt tighter, “With the three of you on my side, I have no doubt.”

George watched as he waited for the elevator door to close.  He was glad the boys had such good friends.  

An hour later, all of the boxes were moved up to Puck and Sugar’s bedroom.  Sebastian and Puck drove to the nearest U-haul rental office to return the small trailer they had rented.  Kurt and Sugar began to unpack their clothes.  

“I’m so excited that you’re finally here, Sugar.”

“Me too, Angel.  How has the last few weeks been?  What did you guys do?”

Kurt told Sugar all about the places they had visited.  They talked for the next half an hour until Puck and Seb returned.  Once they were back, Puck took over Kurt’s spot of helping with the clothes.  Sebastian took their empty boxes down and put them in their storage unit so they could reuse the boxes when it was time for them to move into their own place.  Kurt got started on dinner, and Sebastian helped him when he got back upstairs.  

When they all sat down for dinner, they talked about what had been happening in each other’s lives, the move, the city, the bakery.  Kurt turned to Puck, “How did saying goodbye to your mom go?”

Puck shrugged, “Couldn’t find her.”

Sebastian frowned and Kurt said, “I’m so sorry, Noah.”  Sugar put her hand on Puck’s leg.

Puck shook his head, “No, it’s okay.  I mean, it’s not like we would have had a whole lot to say to each other.  I only looked for her because I told her I would.”

Sebastian asked, “How did saying goodbye to everyone else go?”

“It was hard,”  Puck answered.  

Sugar nodded, “It was really hard.  But Daddy will be here a few times over the next few months, checking on the reno of the bakery and apartment.  I’m sure Mom will come with him. There were tears, but it was fine.”

After dinner, they hung out on the terrace for a little bit.  As they sat and talked, looking out at the city below, Puck just shook his head.  He couldn’t believe this was his life. He looked over at the couch across from him.  Sebastian was on the end, with Kurt curled into his side. Sugar was tucked under Kurt’s arm.  He sighed, “I love you all, but I’m feeling a bit left out.” Everyone chuckled.  

Kurt wiggled his way out from Sebastian’s grip and went to snuggle with Puck.  Puck wrapped his arms around him, “That’s better, Princess. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, Noah.  I’m so happy you’re both here.”  Kurt grinned as he watched Sugar snuggle into Seb’s side.  He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.  

All four of them couldn’t help but think that no matter what, with the support of this family they had created, life in the city was going to be great.

Chapter Text

The first thing the four friends did the next day was go and check on the progress of the bakery and apartment.  Sugar was anxious to see the progress on the place she had been dreaming about for so long. Kurt and Sebastian had been by a couple of times and reported back to Sugar, but they didn’t have access to the inside.  Now that Puck and Sugar were in New York, they could get into the buildings and make sure everything was going well.  

Both their apartment and bakery were being worked on at the same time.  When they arrived at the Chelsea building, they were excited to see that the outside storefront had been painted black, and looked clean and crisp.  The large windows had been cleaned, and the old awnings had been taken down.  

“Oh my goodness, Sugar.  This looks fantastic. And once the new awnings are up, it’s going to make a world of difference.”  Kurt was just as excited as Sugar and Puck to see the improvements made to the bakery so far. 

“It does look really good,”  Sebastian added.

“I can’t believe how much difference a coat of paint makes.  Let’s look inside,” Puck put his hand on the small of Sugar’s back and guided her toward the door.  

Sugar bounced a little, “Here we go!”  She unlocked the door and walked it.  

“Just think, Sug.  That was the first of many...MANY, times you’ll be unlocking that door and walking into your bakery.”  Puck smiled at her.

Sugar beamed, “Yep!  I’m so excited! They looked around and discovered that the old display cases had been removed, and the floors had been redone.

“The floors look great!”  Sebastian walked across to the far window.

Kurt nodded, “I’m so glad they were able to save them.  I love them.”

“Me too, Angel.  They look brand new, but still have an old world feel.  And the black and white is perfect for our color scheme.”

They checked out the back room and discovered that it had been stripped of all of the old supplies that were no longer useful.  It was basically redone in the entire place, and was just waiting on the new equipment and display cases to be delivered and installed.

Happy with the progress of the bakery, they headed upstairs to their apartment. 

“Oh.  My. God.”  Sugar’s eyes were huge as she looked around the apartment.  She stood just a few feet inside the door. “What in the world?!”  The floors were torn up, and the place was a mess.

“Where is everyone?  They just left this mess?”  Puck said, stepping further into the room.  “I get why there wasn’t anyone working downstairs.  They can’t do anything until the new stuff comes in.  But here? This shit needs to be cleaned up!”

Sebastian said, “I know it looks bad, but I’m sure it will go faster than it looks.  And you guys are welcome to stay with us for however long it takes.”

Puck clapped Seb on the shoulder, “Thanks, man.  It may be longer than we thought.”

“I don’t know.  Bas is right. It may just look bad.  I’m sure it will go faster than we think.”  He was trying hard to be positive for Sugar.  He could see concern written all over her face.  

They ventured through the apartment, and found that the floors were ripped up in all of the rooms, but not disposed of…. And that was it.  Nothing else had been started, much less finished. Not the paint. Not the kitchen. Not the bathrooms.

Sugar was standing with her arms crossed looking in the kitchen.  Puck heard her sigh, so he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.  “It will be fine, Sugar. We have a place to stay, and the bakery seems to be right on track.  It’ll be fine.”

“Okay, let’s get out of here.  I don’t even want to look at it anymore,”  Sugar sighed.  

They decided to head over to NYU campus and check out the business building where Puck would be spending a large amount of time.  It was next to the library, which was catty cornered from Washington Square Park. They explored the campus, library, and Washington Square before they stopped for lunch.  

After lunch, they headed to Parsons to do some more exploring.  Sebastian was glad that Parsons and the part of NYU where Puck would be spending most of his time, were only 5 or 6 blocks apart.  And both were fairly close to the bakery and Puck and Sugar’s apartment. He knew Kurt would have another place to go if something happens at school, or the weather was bad.

After exploring both campuses, they hopped on the subway and made their way back toward home.  When they were back in their neighborhood, they did a little more exploring so that Puck and Sugar would be a little more familiar with their surroundings.  

As they were walking, Sebastian and Kurt both got a text.  They looked down and smiled as they read it.

From Eileen:

Charlie and I hope your move went well, and that you’ve settled in nicely.  We’re hoping we could have you over for dinner sometime before classes start.  Let us know if you’d like that and when would be a good time. Us old people don’t have a schedule like you young people.

Kurt turned to Sebastian, “I’d love to go have dinner with them.  I think they need it, and I would love pseudo grandparents close by.  Is that okay with you?”

“Of course.  I’d like that.  Anytime is fine with me.”

From Kurt:
We would love to come for dinner!  Any time in the next few weeks is fine.  

They got a return text within a few minutes.

From Eileen:

Fantastic!  How about Tuesday at 5?  I’ll text you our address.

From Kurt:

That would be lovely.  We’ll see you then.

“What are you doing?”  Sugar asked.

Kurt answered, “We’re going to have dinner with Eileen and Charlie.  Do you remember me telling you about them?” Sugar nodded, so he continued, “I don’t think they have much in the way of family, and could use some company.  Anyway, you guys will have the place to yourselves Tuesday night…” He bounced his eyebrows and smiled.

Sugar smiled in return and rolled her eyes.  

Puck asked, “Have you guys heard from Chris?  I told him a couple of days ago that we would get here yesterday.  He said cheer camp is kicking his butt.”

“He texted us when he got here and said he would call when he has some free time to get together, but I don’t think either of us have heard from him since.”  Sebastian looked at Kurt.

Kurt shook his head, “No, I haven’t either.  I hope he’s doing okay with it all. It’s not like him not to call.  And if he said it was kicking his butt, it sounds like he might be overwhelmed.  He’s only been here a week and a half. Maybe he just needs time to adjust.”

“We can call him again tonight and see if we can meet him for lunch or dinner tomorrow.”

Later that evening, Puck called Chris and put him on speaker phone as they all sat around on the terrace.  

“Hey, Puck,”  Chris answered.

“Hey.  You’re on speaker, okay?  It’s me, Sugar, Princess, and Seb.”

“Hey guys.”

Sugar frowned, “Hi, Hun.  You okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”  

Kurt looked at Sebastian with a worried expression.  Seb reached for his hand.

Chris sighed and leaned his head against the wall where he was sitting on his bed, “I’m just exhausted.  Cheer camp is tough, and I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m not used to having a roommate, and definitely not in the confined space of a dorm room.”

Sebastian said, “Well, how about we bring you lunch tomorrow?  And since tomorrow is Friday, once you’re free from camp responsibilities, you can come over here and spend the night.  You’ll have your own bedroom, and we can do things together, or we could leave you be so you can rest. You can even stay the whole weekend if you want.” 

Kurt was reminded of another reason he loved Sebastian so much.  He squeezed his hand in anticipation of Chris’ answer. He hated how defeated Chris sounded so soon into cheer and football season.  When Chris didn’t answer for a few seconds, he said, “Please Chris? We haven’t seen you in two months. It will be good for all of us.”

Chris let a tear fall.  He loved his friends so much, and he was so grateful that they hadn’t abandoned him after graduation.  “I would love that. Thank you so much,” he said softly.  

“Good.  We look forward to it,”  Sebastian answered.

Puck asked, “What time is your lunch break tomorrow?”

Chris sighed again and rolled his eyes, “Whenever they decide to give it to us.  Usually around 11:30.” 

“How about we bring lunch, and you can meet us in Washington Square when they dismiss you?  We can be down by the campus end of the Square, so you can find us easily.”  Sugar was hoping that would relieve a little of the stress of the unknown.

“That would be great.  Can we make it Union Square instead, though?  We’re practicing at Palladium , so it’s closer.”

“That would be fine, Hun.”

Chris smiled a little, “Thanks guys.  I miss you all.”

Kurt smiled softly, “We miss you too, Chris.  Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

When they ended the call, Chris laid down and cried.  His emotions were a mixture of stress, doubt that he could do this, relief that his friends were still behind him, and pure exhaustion.  He was asleep soon after, but was woken up an hour later when his roommate came back from a party. Another night of very little sleep was inevitable.

When Chris made it to Union Square the next day, he immediately saw his four friends at a nearby picnic table.  Kurt was the first to notice him. He ran over to him, throwing his arms around his neck and shoulders. Everyone else soon followed, and Chris found himself in the middle of a group hug.  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to soak in the love he could feel from his friends.  

No one had said a word until Chris finally broke the silence by softly saying, “This is exactly what I needed.  I love you guys.”

Sebastian grinned, “We love you, too.”

“Let’s get you fed before you have to go back,”  Sugar said as they all let go of the embrace. “We made sandwiches, fruit salad, veggies and hummus.  We figured you needed to stay hydrated, so we brought water to drink.”

Sugar and Puck had put down a tablecloth and set everything up.  They all sat back down, and Chris said, “This is perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Hun.  It’s so good to see you again.  How was your summer?”

Chris shrugged, “It was pretty uneventful.  With Thad gone, and everyone going in different directions, it was hard to get together, as you know.”

Puck nodded, “Yeah, I understand.  It was like that for us too, and everyone lived close.  Summer always seems like you’ll have all this time, but then stuff just gets in the way.”

Chris smiled at Kurt and Sebastian, “So I understand Paris was good?  Congratulations, by the way!”

Both boys smiled, and Kurt said, “Thanks!  We’re really excited. And Paris was amazing.”

“Jeff said you guys had fun when they were there.  It was a surprise?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah.  We had a great time. Their trip was last minute anyway, so I figured we’d just surprise Kurt.  Him not knowing anyone there made the look on his face absolutely priceless when we opened the door.”

Kurt lovingly rolled his eyes, “I was shocked, to say the least.  Only my Dalton friends could just ‘decide to go to Europe’.” Everyone chuckled.

Chris asked, “So what all did you guys do there?  Did you visit family or anything?” 

Kurt chuckled and then Sebastian made a face, “No family visits, and boy did I get in trouble for that one!  My cousin Clara called me and was yelling at me so loud that Kurt could hear her from across the room. She had been following our trip through social media, and assumed we were there for the entire summer.  When she saw the picture of all of us at the beach house celebrating, she knew we had returned to the states and threw a fit. I felt bad, but with my grandparents being here in the states, I honestly didn’t think about it.  It’s not like we’re super close, but I still should have thought about it.”

Kurt shrugged and winked, “We’ll just have to go back.”

When lunch was finished, they decided to walk Chris back.  They talked as they walked, and made plans for Chris to come over that evening and spend the weekend with them.  Sebastian texted him the address, and they planned on a homemade dinner and movie night in.

As they approached Palladium, Chris said,  “You guys can come in and look around if you want.  Puck, since you’re a student here, I think you can come any time you want?  Or at least at a steep discount membership, or something. It’s really a nice place.”

“Yeah, man, I’d like to see it.” 

They entered and Chris lead them to the gymnasium.  “This is where we part. Thanks again for lunch, and the amazing company.  I look forward to tonight.” Chris began giving hugs.  

When Kurt pulled away from his hug, he noticed a girl standing by the door staring at them.  He cleared his throat and whispered to Chris, “Is that someone you know?”

Chris turned to look, then turned back to Kurt.  He whispered, “Yeah, that’s Dayna. She’s on the squad.  I don’t know why she’s staring like that though.”

As Chris hugged Puck and Sugar, another girl, Crystal, had joined Dayna.  They stood and whispered, both looking over toward the group. Chris noticed again, and frowned.  He looked over, “Is there a problem, ladies?”

They looked a little embarrassed at being caught.  Dayna spoke, “Sorry. We didn’t mean to stare. But aren’t you,” she nodded toward Kurt, “a cheerleader?”

Everyone chuckled and Sebastian said, “It’s like Disney World all over again.”

Kurt blushed.  “I was a cheerleader, yes.”

The girls walked over, “You won Nationals, right?!”

Kurt nodded, “Yes.”

Crystal looked at Chris, “Why didn’t you tell us you had connections?!  You guys are friends?!”

Chris made a face, “Yes, we’re friends… But connections to what?  He doesn’t cheer anymore.”

Both girls frowned a little, “Hmm.  That’s a shame. What do you do now?”

“I’m attending Parson’s this year.”

They were interrupted when one of the other male cheerleaders, Braylin, came in with a non-cheerleader guy that none of them knew.  Braylin looked flustered as they entered the foyer, and Kurt was immediately on edge. He didn’t know what had happened between the two of them, but he didn’t have a good feeling.  He instinctively stepped closer to Sebastian, who put his arm around his waist and pulled him close. Sugar seemed to be feeling the same way, and was already tucked safely under Puck’s arm.

Puck frowned looking at Braylin, “You okay?”

Braylin rushed to say, “Yes!  I’m fine!” He cleared his throat, “It’s time for practice to start again.  Let’s go.” The guy he was with gave him a look, then quickly left the foyer, disappearing into another corridor.  Braylin and the girls quickly made their way into the gym.  

Chris turned back, not seeming to notice anything off, “I’ll see everyone tonight.  Thanks again. I needed that.”

Kurt, Sebastian, Puck, and Sugar looked around Palladium for a little while.  They went to the information desk and got info about student memberships before they headed out.  

As they got on the subway, Sebastian finally said what everyone was thinking, “So there was something really odd about that guy.”

They all knew exactly who Seb was referring to.  Puck huffed, “I don’t like the way the other guy seemed so flustered.  Maybe they got in a fight or something.”

“Did you see the look he gave him when you asked if he was okay?”  Sugar asked.

“I did,”  Puck answered.

Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt as they sat, “Are you okay, Baby?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  He just gave me the creeps.”

Early that evening, the Buzzer sounded in the apartment.  Kurt answered, “Yes?”

“There is a gentleman named Chris Carnes here to see you.  Shall I send him up?” George asked.

“Yes.  Thanks, George.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Hummel.”

A minute later, the doors to the elevator opened.  Chris’ eyes widened and he stepped out slowly, looking around.

Sebastian chuckled as he approached him, “I know, I know….”

“Holy shit, Seb,”  Chris chuckled. “I think my dorm room would fit in your foyer.”

They hugged again, “Yeah.  Trust me, I may have been born into this, but I am well aware of how lucky I am... I share though!”

Chris chuckled again, “That you do.  I appreciate it, too.”

Sebastian became serious, “You know you are welcome here any time.  If you need a break, just let us know.”

Chris smiled softly, “Thank you.  I am so glad you guys are in New York too.”  He paused, then said, “It sure smells good in here.”

Puck approached, “That’s because Sugar is baking a cake for dessert.  Are hamburgers okay for dinner? We thought we’d try out the grill on the terrace.”

Chris nodded, “Sounds great.”

Sebastian said, “Puck, why don’t you take him on a tour?  I want to finish slicing tomatoes.”

Puck nodded, “Sure.  Let’s start upstairs and you can drop your bag in your room.” He took Chris upstairs and went straight to his room.  “You can stay in here. You have your own bathroom right over there.”

Chris looked around, “This is unbelievable.”

Puck nodded, “I know.  But seriously, Sebastian wasn’t kidding.  Anytime you need a break, please let them know.  They’re both used to being around a ton of people, and they both love company.  They also love their family, which includes you, and would do anything for us. It makes them happy.”

Chris had tears in his eyes, “I know.  It’s just so much…”

“Not to them.  And the same holds true for Sugar and I.  Once we’re in our apartment, we have extra room too.  And we’re even closer to school. So please, any time, just let us know.”  Chris nodded but didn’t say anything for fear of crying. Puck put his hand on Chris’ shoulder, “Let’s finish the tour.”

When they were finished upstairs, they headed down to the kitchen.  Kurt and Sugar said their hellos and gave him a hug before Puck continued the tour into the office and laundry room.  Puck grabbed the hamburger patties on the way and they headed out to the terrace last, where he turned the grill on and then turned to face Chris.  

Chris stood, looking out at the city view.  “It’s so beautiful from up here. And to have views of Central Park?  Amazing.”

“Yeah, I know.  Robert’s grandfather bought this place when the building was first constructed.  It’s been his family for a really long time. Seb’s grown up coming here, and a lot of the staff have known him his whole life.”

“Wow.  And they own a place in Paris?”

“Well, Seb doesn’t, but his family does.  Celeste and Beau have the Ohio estate and the Paris estate.  Then Robert has this penthouse the beach house, since he’s the oldest living Smythe.”

Chris turned back toward Puck from looking out at the city, “It’s amazing to me how welcoming they all are.  And accepting. I never once have felt unwelcomed around them.”

Puck nodded, “I hear ya.  I mean, I know it’s different, because you’re gay.  You don’t get accepted everywhere you go if people find out.  But you’re like Seb, and can pass for straight easily. I, on the other hand, could never pass for having money.  I know the mohawk doesn’t help, but no matter how Sugar and Princess dress me up, it’s still obvious. I come from the wrong side of the tracks… Yet, there has never been a day that the Smythe’s have made me feel unwelcomed.  Some people would be afraid I’d steal their valuables, but not them. They trusted me from the start.”

Chris looked at him thoughtfully, “I don’t know.  Cut the mohawk off, put on a nice outfit…I saw your Prom pics, Puck.  You looked hot as hell, wrong side of the tracks or not.”

Puck laughed, “Thanks.”

Chris smirked as he shrugged his shoulders, “I like the mohawk.”

Puck chuckled, “I’m thinking of letting it go.  I’m just a little afraid of living in New York without my badass image.  At least for awhile.”

Chris just smiled and shook his head.  

They ate dinner inside.  Sebastian and Kurt told stories about their trip.  Everyone agreed that Jeff totally should have taken Sandy up on her offer to dress up in drag.  They cracked up at stories of drunk Jeff, and vowed to use the word “flirteded” around him as much as possible.  

Soon, the conversation turned to the graduation party and how much fun they all had.  

“I miss everyone singing.  It was amazing watching the New Directions and Warblers sing together.  It was so powerful!” Chris smiled.

“It was,”  Kurt agreed.  “Mercedes’ lead on This Is Me, with everyone singing backup...I get chills just thinking of it.  I’m so glad Tori recorded it.”

“You have it on video, Angel?!”  Sugar sat up a little.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah!  We can watch it after dinner if you want.”

“I can’t wait.  That was so good.  I hope she’s doing well.”

“Me too.  She’s so talented.  Hopefully LA is good for her.”  

After dinner, they ate their cake out on the terrace.  Sugar had made a small strawberry layer cake that had jam in between each layer, and a light whipped frosting.

“Oh my gosh, Sugar.  This is sooo good.” Sebastian said as he scooped up a second fork full.

“Mmhmm,”  Kurt moaned.

“I have a new favorite flavor,”  Chis stated. Puck and Sugar just smiled. 

“Thanks, guys!”

Once everyone had finished, Sebastian started gathering the plates, “I’ll load the dishwasher.  Babe, why don’t you get the video set up for everyone. The flash drive it’s on is in the top desk drawer.”

“Okay.  You guys go get comfortable.”

Puck, Sugar, and Chris all got up and headed into the living room.  Puck sat on one end of a couch with Sugar snuggled into his side. Chris went for one of the chairs.

Sugar frowned, “Oh no you don’t.  Human contact is a requirement here.  Get over here.” Chris chuckled as he got up and sat next to Sugar.  She rolled her eyes, “You’ve had a long week, Hun. Lay down.” Chris took off his shoes, and laid down with his head in Sugar’s lap, and his feet propped up on the end of the couch.  Sebastian was smiling at them from the kitchen. He was glad that all of this seemed to be helping Chris.

When Kurt came back into the living room, he put the flash drive into the tv and took his spot on the couch.  He turned to face the tv, resting his back against the pillows. When Sebastian came back in, he sat in between Kurt’s legs, and leaned back, resting his head on Kurt’s chest.  

After watching the video of them singing, they started a Netflix movie.  Halfway through, Kurt looked over and saw Sugar running her fingers through Chris’ hair.  He was fast asleep. He kind of felt like Tori when he snuck a picture. He then turned his phone and took a selfie of he and Sebastian just for the fun of it. .  

“Wake up, Hun.”  Sugar gently shook Chris.  “Why don’t you head on up to bed…”

Chris moaned, “M’kay.”  He didn’t say anything else as he dragged himself up the steps.  Once in his room, he used the restroom, brushed his teeth, got into his pj bottoms, and collapsed in the bed.

Fourteen hours later, Chris woke up.  Confused about where he was for a few seconds, he sat straight up in bed.  When it all came flooding back to him, he sighed and flopped back onto his back.  He was tempted to go back to sleep, but his bladder had a different idea. He dragged himself to the restroom, grabbing his phone on the way.  He glanced down at the phone quickly, and his eyes widened, seeing that it was lunch time already. Chris decided to shower before heading downstairs.

“I think I hear the shower.  He must be up,” Sebastian said as he took another batch of Sugar’s muffins out of the oven.

“He had to have been exhausted,”  Sugar replied.

“Yeah.”  

A few minutes later, Sebastian looked around at the dozens and dozens of muffins that were all over the counters and now on the table.  “Seriously, Sugar… What are you going to do with all of these?”

Sugar chuckled, “Well, after we choose which ones we like best, we’ll keep some, send some home with Chris, give some to the staff… I guess we could freeze some too.”

“Okay, I was hoping they wouldn’t all be staying here.  They’re too hard for me to resist, and I don’t want to have to buy all new pants.  Everything you make is so good.” Sebastian leaned his backside against the counter behind him.

Sugar smiled and walked up to him.  She looked up at him as she wrapped her arms around him, “You are too sweet, Sebastian Smythe.”  

He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, “I just speak the truth.  Your bakery is going to be a huge success, Sugar. I just know it.” 

Chris walked in, “Well, if I didn’t know any better…” He bounced his eyebrows.

Sugar and Seb both chuckled, but didn’t let go of each other.  Sebastian looked at Chris, “Feeling better?”

Chris nodded sheepishly, “Yeah.  I guess I really needed the sleep, huh?”

“Yeah, you did,”  Sugar said. “I bet you’re hungry.”  She giggled as she let go of Seb and looked around the kitchen, “I’m not sure we have anything here to eat, though.”

Chris smiled as he sat at one of the island stools, “Yeeeaaahhh… What’s going on?”

“I’m wanting to add three more muffin flavors to my Sugar Shack menu.  So WE get to be the taste testers, and vote on which ones we like the best!  I labeled each one on a piece of paper, so pay attention to what you’re eating so you can vote correctly.  Help yourself. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Do you have any milk?”  Chris asked.

Sebastian nodded, “I’ll get it, Sugar.  I’m going to have milk, too. What do you want, Sug?”

“Milk sounds good.”  She got out three plates and handed one to Chris.

“Where are Puck and Kurt?”

“Shopping,”  Sugar and Sebastian answered at the same time.

Chris chuckled, “Puck doesn’t seem like much of a shopper.  Is that going to go well?”

Sebastian smiled, “I have no idea.  Kurt is dead set on getting Puck some nicer clothes that he deems appropriate for a nice dinner out or dancing.”

Sugar added, “Puck has a lot of patience when it comes to Angel.  I’m sure they’ll survive.”

They each got a knife and cut off pieces of all of the flavors to try, careful not to forget which flavor was which, since some of them were similar.  They sat at the table and began tasting.

“Strawberry Cheesecake is a must,”  Sebastian exclaimed before taking another bite.  

“Daddy and Puck ate the entire batch in 8 hours the first time I ever made of that one.”

“I can see why.  Kurt will love that one too.”

“Oh my gosh… Snickerdoodle Muffins… genius!”  

“Ooohh, I need to try that one.  I must have skipped it,” Sebastian said as he got back up to cut a piece of the Snickerdoodle muffin to try. 

“Mmm, and the Pumpkin with chocolate chip is good too.”

“That one is actually pretty low in calories,”  Sugar said after taking a drink of her milk. “The chocolate ones are actually Keto friendly.”

“I don’t know, Sugar.  I mean, how are we supposed to choose?”  Chris seriously doubted that he could.

“Well, I’m thinking if I have some different flavors, like the Pecan Pie and French Toast, that maybe it will draw more people in.  But I also want the standards that are already on the menu.”

“Maybe it just needs to be a seasonal thing.  The pumpkin and pecan ones for Fall, snickerdoodle and mint chocolate for Winter, peach and raspberry streusel for Spring, and strawberry and currant for Summer.  Switch it up and get people coming back for more all the time.”

Sugar nodded, “Maybe I can even switch it up more often than that.  Maybe a new muffin every couple of weeks for each season.”

“I think that’s a great idea,”  Sebastian nodded.

“Mhmm,”  Chris agreed.  “We can all spread the word on our campuses too.”

An hour later the three friends were sitting, stuffed, in the living room.  Chris sighed, “I need to get up and move. I think I might explode if I don’t.”

“We could go over to the park and explore some.  I think Kurt and I covered a good deal of it, but you two need to get familiar with it too.”

Sugar nodded, “Sounds good.”

Two hours later, they returned from the park.  They laughed as they walked into the living room because they could hear Kurt raising his voice, “Noah, I swear, if you don’t take those pants off right now…”

“What, Princess?  You swear what? They’re fine!”

“NO they aren’t.  Strip, Noah Puckerman.  Now!”

“Fine…”  Puck sighed. 

They heard some rustling, then Noah walked out of the laundry room in his underwear.  He looked up and saw Sugar, Seb, and Chris all staring at him with huge knowing smiles.  He pointed to Seb, “Your fiance,” then to Sugar, “Your best friend…” he threw his hands in the air, “He’s relentless!”

They all laughed again when they heard Kurt yell, “It’s for your own good, Noah!”

“No it’s not!  What was wrong with the pants the way they were!?”

Kurt came out of the laundry room with his hands on his hips.  “You can’t find good dress pants that will fit your waist AND your massive thighs without SOME tailoring.  What do you care anyway?! I’m the one fixing them, not you.”

“He’s got you there, Hun.  Why do you care?” Sugar went to Puck and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I don’t know…”  Puck said defeated, “I thought they looked good.”

“They do look good, Noah.  That’s why we bought them. But they CAN look perfect.”  Kurt went back into the laundry room and grabbed Puck’s jeans.  He walked back out and handed them to him. Puck silently put them on as Kurt went to hug Sebastian.

“Shopping was fun?”  Sebastian asked carefully.  Chris bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

Kurt rolled his eyes, “I always have fun shopping.  However, shopping with Noah is like shopping with a toddler.”

Puck plopped down on the couch, “Princess made me shop at expensive places.  He wouldn’t even let me go into Target.”

Kurt sighed, exasperated, “You get what you pay for, Noah.  Those pants will last you forever if you don’t put on a ‘freshman fifteen’.”

Puck looked at Sugar, “He wouldn’t let me pay for them, then he spends all that money, and they aren’t perfect enough?”

Realizing what the real issue may be, Kurt went over to Puck and sat in his lap.  He spoke softly, “Is the money what’s bothering you? It was my idea, so it was my treat.”

Puck shook his head, “No, it’s just… I have a hard time with anyone spending that much money on something that’s apparently still not right.  You have to fix something that was so expensive that it should have been perfect.”

“It’s impossible for every article of clothing to fit each person off the rack.  Everyone is built differently. Most people don’t take the time, or the energy, to tailor clothes.  They just tolerate the little imperfections. But if I can do it… and easily, I might add… then why not?”

“Fine.  You win,”  Puck rolled his eyes lovingly.

Kurt kissed his cheek and hopped up, “Of course I did.”  Everyone smiled as Kurt walked back into the laundry room with his head held high, victoriously.

Puck looked at Sebastian and jokingly said, “Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with him?”

Seb smiled, “Absolutely.  That was hot as hell. I might need to start an argument with him, just to see some more of that.”  

Everyone laughed, and Kurt yelled from the other room, “You won’t win, Bas!”

Sebastian grinned and called back, “That’s fine with me, Baby!”  He looked at Puck and wiggled his eyebrows.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out together, exploring the neighborhood, as well as some more of Central Park.  They spent a good deal of time Sunday at the Central Park Zoo. Kurt thought that people watching was just as good as the animal watching.

They took the subway to Chelsea, and showed Chris the bakery and Puck and Sugar’s apartment.  Chris was very excited for them, and glad that it was so close to campus. It made him feel good to have two places that he could go if he needed a break from dorm life.

When they said goodbye to Chris, they made sure he understood that he could come to them any time. 

“You’re welcome to come stay any time, Chris.  Please, just let us know,” Sebastian said as he hugged him.

Kurt nodded, “Or just call if you want to get together for lunch or something.  And we’ll call you too.”

“That sounds perfect.  Thanks again for everything.  I so needed that… Both seeing my friends, and the sleep.”

Later Sunday night, Kurt and Sebastian were laying in bed talking.  “I think Chris is having a hard time with his and Thad’s breakup. I know he didn’t mention it exactly, but I think he’s not only exhausted, but lonely.”

“Yeah.  It was like they were happy, and their relationship was growing into something special, then it had to abruptly stop.  That has to be hard.” Kurt continued to run his fingers through Seb’s hair as he spoke.

“Mhmm.  We’ll just have to make sure he has us.  New friends are great, but old friends are important on a whole different level.”  

“I agree, Love.”

On Tuesday night, Kurt and Sebastian took the Navigator to New Jersey to have dinner with Eilleen and Charlie.

“Boys!”  Eileen opened the door with a huge smile on her face. 

“Hi Eileen!”  they smiled in return.

“Welcome!  Welcome! Come on in!”  Eileen swung the door open a bit wider.  They lived in a nice middle class neighborhood, with well kept properties.  

“Thank you for having us,”  Sebastian said as they entered.

“It’s our pleasure.  We don’t get much company, so we’re very excited to have you.”

“We brought some dessert.  My best friend and I baked it this morning.  She’s opening a bakery soon, so I promise it’s the good stuff.”

“Oh, how nice of you!”  Eileen took the dish from Kurt.

“Hello, boys!”  Charlie greeted as he entered the room from the kitchen.

“Hi Charlie.  How are you?” Kurt asked.

“Good as gold.  How about you boys?”  

“We’re great, thanks,”  Sebastian answered.  

“Dinner is on the table.  Come on in to the dining room, boys.”

They ate dinner together, with a constant flow of conversation.  Kurt and Sebastian told them all about graduation, Paris, London, their engagement, Disneyland Paris, and their move to the city.  Sebastian told them about a couple of internships he had applied for, and one he really wanted at a children’s clinic. Kurt was telling them about his decision not to work the first semester of school so he could get the hang of college life.  

“I think that sounds smart, Kurt.  Don’t overwhelm yourself,” Eileen said.  

“Do you not need to work to pay rent?”  Charlie asked.

Kurt glanced at Sebastian and gave a small smile, “No.  Bas’ family owns a place in the city, so we don’t pay rent.  And I got a scholarship, so the money I had saved for school is mostly used for groceries at the moment.  Once I get into the flow of school, I can see how a job will fit in. I’ve never not worked since I’ve been able, so this summer has been a bit odd for me.  It’s like a giant vacation.”

They finished dinner with continued conversations about life in general.  Kurt and Sebastian learned that Charlie was a retired lineman for the power company, and Eileen was a retired teacher, who tutored during the summers.  Charlie’s family had also owned a hardware store that he sold when his brother passed away.   

When it came time for dessert, Eileen and Charlie could do nothing but rave about Sugar’s cake.  They promised to come and support her business as soon as the bakery was open.

As they made their way into the living room, Kurt noticed some pictures of a young man from what he was guessing was sometime around the 80’s.  He had kind eyes and a sweet smile.

Eileen saw him notice the picture.  She nodded towards it, “That would be our Phillip.”

“Your son?”  Kurt asked.

“Yes.  He passed away back in 83’.”

Kurt’s eyes widened a bit, “I’m so sorry.”  Sebastian rubbed his back from where he was sitting.

Eileen nodded, “Thank you.  I’ll be honest with you, Kurt.  You remind me of him. Please hear me out, and don’t let it freak you out in any way.”  Kurt nodded, so she continued. She stood and picked up a picture of Phillip. “He was 13 when he killed himself.”  Sebastian’s hand stilled on Kurt’s back. “He had a hard time making and keeping friends. Mostly because he was different.  He was gay. He never told us, but we knew. It was a different time back then. He was probably scared to death. AIDS was in the news all of the time.  People were scared of gay people because of it. I think he just didn’t know what to do, or who to turn to. I wish he knew how much we love him, and how we wouldn’t care about his sexual preference, and how he could have come to us with anything.”  

She put the picture down, “You don’t look anything like him, but there’s something about you.  I feel like you are what he could have been, ya know? I don’t know your story, really. Maybe you aren’t anything like him.”

Charlie said, “When we’re at Disney, we tend to meet people from all over.  We’ve kept in touch with several families, but they always seem to live far away.  We don’t have any family, really. It gets pretty lonely when you’re our age and your friends all move south or pass away.  Anyway, when you boys started to sing… It was a whole different type of Disney magic. Then when we talked to you in the lobby, you reminded us of Phillip so much.”  He looked at Sebastian, “And you would have been exactly they type of guy we would have wanted Phillip to end up with. You two are good together. Anyone with any lick of sense can feel the love radiating off of you two.”

“You make us happy, boys.  It makes us happy that guys like you can be a little more free nowadays.  Does that make sense? Did we totally scare you away? We don’t want you to think we’re using you to try to replace our Philip.  That’s not possible. We just enjoy your company, and we kind of revel in the fact that times have changed.” Eileen worried her lip between her teeth. “Sooo….”

Kurt sat not saying anything for a few seconds.  He was trying to take it all in.

Sebastian took a deep breath then said, “Kurt hasn’t exactly had an easy road.  He’s been through a lot. His dad made him join an extracurricular club for fear that he would eventually become so depressed that… Anyway, he chose Glee Club, and it changed his life.  Otherwise…”

Kurt spoke softly, “Otherwise, I may have had the same fate.  I had thought about it. My mom passed away when I was eight. Losing me too would have destroyed my dad… Otherwise, I may have.  It was that bad. But Bas is right. Glee saved my life. Those friends became my family as you saw in the Nationals performance.”

Kurt and Sebastian went on to tell Eileen and Charlie some of the basics about what Kurt had been through.  They knew it wasn’t easy for him because of what they had seen during Stand In The Light at the Nationals competition.  But the extent… they had no idea. They even told them about how Sebastian had saved Kurt from Blaine, and what he, Sugar, and Leah had been through with Mack.

“I’m so sorry, Sweetie.”  Eileen fought back the tears.

“It’s okay.  If none of those earlier things had happened, I wouldn’t have all of the friends that I have now.  And even worse, I might not have Bas. What we go through makes us who we are. I hate that my story had to be that way, but I’m grateful for where I am now.  I have a great life, full of great people. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

Kurt was quiet on the drive home.  So quiet that it worried Sebastian, “Are you okay, Baby?  What’s on your mind?”

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts.  He turned toward Bas, who was driving, and softly spoke, “I feel bad for Eileen and Charlie.  I feel bad for Phillip. As bad as the things I have been through were, just imagine how bad it could have been if I was born in the 70’s.  Or any other time, really. I guess in a way, I’m lucky.”

Seb nodded, “We’re both lucky to have been born in a time when the world is changing it’s views...No matter how slowly.”

Kurt continued to think about how different his life would have been.  They could have talked about the differences for hours, but instead, chose to be grateful for the ‘who, what, when, and where’ of their lives. 

As they crossed the bridge into the city, Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Sir…”

Seb reached for his hand and stroked his knuckles, “We’ll take care of you, Baby.  We’re almost home.”

Kurt took a deep breath and nodded, “Thank you, Sir.”

“Always, Baby.”

Chapter Text

Sebastian gave Kurt some time to shower and get into position.  When he entered the bedroom, he nearly came at the sight of his fiance.  He was naked and in kneeling position with his head bowed, but he had his leather collar resting on his hands, raised up above his head in front of him like an offering of an extravagant meal on a silver platter.  Sebastian wasn’t sure he had ever seen something so beautiful, so sexy, so breathtaking.

“Fuck,”  he whispered as he approached Kurt.  “You are extraordinarily breathtaking, Baby.  I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”

Kurt was already breathing heavy.  He felt his chest warm at the compliment he had received.  He loved making his Dom feel these things. It’s what made him happy and satisfied.

“Stand.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt stood, keeping his head bowed in standing position, with the collar now being held in front of him at chest level.

Sebastian took the collar and fastened it to Kurt’s neck as he spoke, “My Baby is so fucking sexy. I am so lucky.”  He stroked Kurt’s cheek with his thumb.  He knew that if Kurt wanted to wear the leather collar, that he wanted it rough, but he needed to hear Kurt say it.  “What do you need, Baby?”

“I need to feel alive with pleasure and pain.  I want it rough, Sir.  I want everything we talked about.”

Sebastian nodded, “And you’re safe word?”

“Still ‘Broadway’, Sir.” 

“Good boy.  Hands and knees in the middle of the bed.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt got into position as quickly as he could.

Sebastian got into bed and knelt at Kurt’s side.  He ran his hand down Kurt’s spine, then over the globe of his ass.  It made Kurt shiver with anticipation. Seb pulled back his hand and landed a firm smack on Kurt’s left cheek.  The moan of pleasure that escaped Kurt had Seb’s cock leaking. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to last before he had to fuck Kurt into the mattress if he continued making sounds like that.

Five more smacks, and Kurt’s ass was red and hot.  The sounds he was making were purely pornographic.  Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore.  He rubbed Kurt’s ass one more time before pushing Kurt’s shoulder’s down, “Chest down, ass up.”

“Yes, Sir.”  He did as he was instructed.

Sebastian ran two fingers down Kurt’s spine again, but this time kept going until they glided over Kurt’s hole.  He caressed his balls, then jerked his cock a couple of times before lowering himself a little. He placed an open mouth kiss on each of Kurt’s ass cheeks, then moved to do the same to his hole.  

Kurt buried his face in his pillow and yelled with pleasure.  It was something they had never done, and Kurt couldn’t quite figure out why not at the moment.

“Oh my god, Sir.  Oh fuck!”

Seb grinned as he swirled his tongue over the pucker, then pulled Kurt’s cheeks apart with his hands.  The sting of being touched where he had been spanked, mixed with the pleasure of wetness at his entrance, completely sent him into a fog of want.  

“More, Sir!  Please!  More!”

Sebastian smacked his ass again, surprising Kurt, “I decide if you get more.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Seb licked a bit more, then added a couple of fingers, opening him so slowly that Kurt thought it may actually be a form of punishment.  He didn’t dare ask for more again if this is the kind of result it got him. He was dying to have his Dom inside him fast and hard.  

After several minutes of this long, slow process, Sebastian added some lube to his cock.  He grabbed Kurt by the collar, pulling him into a kneeling position. He took his earlobe between his teeth, then growled,  “Are you ready, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good boy.”  Within seconds, Sebastian had lined himself up and was pounding into Kurt from behind.  It was one of his favorite positions. He was kneeling directly behind Kurt, with Kurt practically sitting in his lap in the same position.  He pistoned up into Kurt at an alarming speed, causing both of them to moan, groan, pant, and babble as the pleasure ripped through them.

“So good for me, Baby!  Fuck,” Sebastian groaned.  “Such a good boy for me.”

“Sir!  Oh god…”

“That’s right, Baby.  Take it.” Sebastian grabbed the collar again, pulling Kurt back as far as he could.  He placed a sloppy kiss on his neck, then Kurt turned his head and they kissed as best they could as Seb continued to thrust into him.  He let go a little and grabbed a hold of Kurt’s arms, pulling him back as gravity tried to pull Kurt down.

“Sir, I need to cum.  Please, Sir.  Please!”

“Not yet, Baby.  You can do it. I know you can.”

After a few minutes, it was Sebastian who couldn't take it anymore.  He put his hand around Kurt’s neck, adding the perfect amount of pressure.  He reached around and began stroking Kurt’s cock at the same rhythm as his thrusts, “Cum for me, Baby.  Now!”

“Ahhh!  Sir!” Kurt practically screamed as he came harder than he had in a long time.  

Sebastian continued to fuck into him, “Good boy, Kurt.  Always such a good boy for me. I love you, Baby.”

“I love you, too, Sir.  So much!”  

And at those words, Sebastian was coming too.  When he finished, they both collapsed. They were drained.  It had been an emotional day. Sebastian ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair as he tried to catch his breath.  “Are you okay, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Seb kissed Kurt on the temple, then pushed himself up and off the bed.  He wet a washcloth and returned as quickly as he could to clean Kurt up.  He set the cloth aside, and went to remove Kurt’s collar.  

“Please, Sir,”  Kurt put his hand on the collar, “not yet.”

“Okay, Baby.”   He started with his face, cleaning the sweat off, then worked his way down his body.  Once he was cleaned up, Sebastian went to the bathroom to throw the cloth into the hamper.  When he returned, he placed his hand on Kurt’s cheek, “Ready now?” 

“Yes, Sir.”

Seb carefully took the collar off.  He set it aside and rubbed Kurt’s neck, checking for any visible injuries.  He didn’t think there would be any, but he wanted to make sure. “How are you feeling?  Do you think you need lotion on your backside?"

“I'm good.  No lotion.  I’m exhausted though.  That was perfect, Bas. Thank you.”

Seb leaned over and kissed him sweetly, “No need to thank me, Baby.  Scoot over.” Kurt scooted to his side of the bed, and Sebastian covered them both up.  He held Kurt close. As Kurt drifted to sleep, all Sebastian could think about was how grateful he was for their Ohio friends who had saved him years ago.  He couldn’t imagine a life without Kurt.  

…………..

The following weekend was one that Kurt had been looking forward to for awhile now.  Saturday was Sebastian’s birthday, and Kurt had a lot of great things planned. He was hopeful that he could pull off the surprises as well as Sebastian always did.  

On Friday, the four friends were hanging out in the great room, flipping through Netflix movies, trying to decide what they wanted to watch after dinner.

Kurt turned to Sugar, “Remember that Italian dish Vinny makes?  What is that called?”

“Hmm…the Chicken Tetrazzini?  Or do you mean the Manicotti Italian Casserole?”  Sugar winked at Kurt, totally knowing where this was going.  Kurt knew every recipe her dad ever made. He had charmed Vinny out of every single one.

“Yes!  Chicken Tetrazzini.  The casserole kind. I’m really craving that.”

“That does sound good,”  Puck said, without taking his eyes off of the screen.  He knew what they were up to.

“What do you think, Bas?  Sound good for dinner?”

“Yeah.  Whatever you guys want is fine.  I think we have some wine over there that goes well with Italian too.”

“Mmmm… I’m going to see if we have everything we’ll need.”  Kurt hopped up and went to the kitchen. He riffled through the cabinets, knowing he wouldn’t find what he needed, but he put on a good show, regardless.  “Sugar, do you think our boyfriends love us enough to run to the store?”

Sebastian smirked, “You don’t have a boyfriend.”

Kurt lovingly rolled his eyes, “Sugar, do you think your boyfriend, and my fiance, love us enough to run to the store?”

“Nope.  I don’t think they do,”  Puck teased.  

Sebastian chuckled and threw a pillow at Puck, “Come on.  If they want to cook us a nice Italian dinner, I say we can run to the store.”

“Fine,”  Puck groaned.  He could act too, ya know.  “Write down what you need.”

“Technology, Noah.  I’ll text it to you.”  Kurt grinned as he texted Puck a list of what they needed.

Ten minutes after they left, Puck sent out a quick text.  Kurt called down to the front desk to tell Raymond and George about his plans so that they would not mention anything to Sebastian when he came home.  

Five minutes later, the buzzer went off in the Penthouse.

“Yes?”  Sugar asked.

“There is a Ms. Lopez, Ms. Pierce, Mr. Duvall, Mr. Sterling, and Mr. Carnes here to see you.”

“Thanks, George.  Send them up!”

“Will do, Ms. Motta.”

Santana and Brittany were the only ones who had not seen the penthouse yet.  When the elevator doors opened, Santana said, “No. Fucking. Way.”

Kurt laughed from the kitchen.  He walked over and greeted everyone with a huge smile and lots of hugs as they walked into the great room.  

“Nice to see you too, Tana,”  he chuckled. “Thanks for coming, everyone.”

“This is unbelievable,”  she said, looking around.  

Brittany nodded, “It’s pretty, Kurt.  Just like you.”

“Oh Britt, how I’ve missed you,”  he smiled as he hugged her again. He quickly said, “Okay, we don’t have a ton of time.  Chris will show where to put your bags upstairs, and give the girls a quick tour.  We’ll figure out where everyone is sleeping later tonight.  There’s one extra room, but two pull out sofa beds.”

The buzzer sounded again, and Kurt answered it, “Yes, George?”

“Food delivery, Mr. Hummel.”

“Thanks, George.  I’ll come down to get it.”  Kurt grabbed his wallet. “Jeff, can you help me?” Jeff nodded and they headed downstairs.

Once they came back up, they put the food on Kurt’s sewing table in the laundry room and closed the door.  

Chris came back downstairs with everyone and finished the tour on the terrace.  

“Okay everyone.  I just got a text from Puck.  They’re on their way back. We’ve got five minutes.  Can you guys go wait in the laundry room? You know the cue, right?”

“Yep!  You got it!”  Santana said. Once they got in there, Santana looked around and mumbled, “I could live in this laundry room.  Damn.”

A couple of minutes later, Puck and Sebastian came back up with some grocery bags.  Puck quickly put all of the refrigerated items in the fridge so they didn’t spoil.  

Seb turned to Kurt, “Need help with anything, Babe?”

“Mmm, no, thanks.  You can get out the wine you mentioned.  Other than that, I think we’re good.”

Sebastian nodded and went to the dry bar and got out the wine he had in mind.  He took it to the kitchen and set it on the counter. “You sure you don’t need anything else?”

Kurt sighed, “Well, actually, there is something I need you to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Go sit in one of the chairs that’s facing the tv.”

“I like the couch.  That way you can snuggle with me.”  He wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind.  

Kurt smiled and turned, giving Sebastian a kiss on the cheek, “Please?”

Seb raised an eyebrow, “Why the chair…?”

“It’s the chair of honor.  I have something to show you, but you need to be sitting in the chair of honor.  Go sit, please.”

“Dude, just sit in the chair!”  Puck said, sitting in the chair next to where Sebastian would be sitting.

“Fine, fine.”  Seb walked over and took his seat.  “Are you going to give me a lap dance?”

Kurt laughed, “No.”  He went over and put a flash drive into the tv.  He turned back toward Sebastian, “We aren’t going to wait until tomorrow to celebrate your birthday.  We’re going to celebrate all weekend, starting now. Since your last birthday, your family has grown a lot.  As weird as it is to say, since I feel like I’ve known you forever, we hadn’t even met on your last birthday.  A lot has happened in the last year. You’ve made friends that are so close that they’re family. You’ve gained a family in mine, and you’ve gained a fiance.  Even though not everyone can be here in person on your birthday weekend, they are here in spirit.” Kurt walked over and sat on the couch so that he could see Sebastian’s face, and then pressed play.

Sebastian smiled as his parents popped up on the screen, “Hey, Seb!  We just wanted to let you know that we are so proud of you... For being a great son, brother, fiance, friend, student… We love you so much.  Happy Birthday, son.” Sebastian had tears in his eyes already.

The video faded from his parents to his sister, “Happy Birthday, big brother!  I miss you, and I’m counting down the days until I can come visit. You’re the best, Sebby.  I love you so much.”

Next was Burt and Carol, “Happy Birthday, Sebastian!  We love ya, son. We couldn’t be happier that you’re part of our family.  Here’s to a great year!” Burt held up his Bud Lite and ‘toasted’ Sebastian.  Seb chuckled and a tear fell. Kurt was smiling from ear to ear.

Up next were Sam and Finn, “Happy Birthday, Bro!  We hope this is the best year yet. We miss you, and can’t wait to see you guys again.”

The video faded to Sebastian’s cousins and his grandparents singing Happy Birthday.  Then to several of the New Directions. It faded out to Santana and Brittany singing, then faded to Nick and Jeff, then to Chris, Puck, and Sugar.  Cameron and Quinn sang, then Warblers and soccer friends from around the country would fade in and out. Eileen and Charlie appeared, and then to Sebastian’s surprise, it faded to Jeremy, Ben, Natalie, and Ty singing, then to Sandy and her club friends in London, then to Enzo in Paris.  Sebastian looked over at Kurt with a shocked expression, tears flowing steadily.

Kurt appeared on the video singing the last line.  When the song finished, Kurt stayed on the screen and said, “Happy Birthday, Bas.  We all love you so much. We celebrate the day you were born from different places from around the world, but I celebrate the day you were born as I stand by your side every day.  I will always celebrate you, Love. I love you. Happy Birthday.” The video faded to black and Kurt looked back at Sebastian.  

Seb looked back with nothing but love and adoration, “That was amazing, Baby.  Thank you so much. I love you.”

Chris, Nick, Jeff, Santana, and Brittany had snuck out of the laundry room during the video, and stood on the far side of the kitchen island.  Chris was holding the cake that had candles lit and ready. They began singing Happy Birthday again. When Sebastian heard them, his eyes widened and he whipped around to look.  “Oh my god!” He got up and ran over to them, giving them all hugs. “This is unbelievable. Thank you guys so much… For the video, and for coming to visit…”

“We’re here for the weekend, whether you want us or not,”  Jeff smiled with a wink.

“Of course I want you here!  This is amazing!” He looked back at Kurt, who was standing back a bit, watching.  He strode over to him and wrapped his arms around him, “Thank you, Baby. You are amazing.  I can’t believe you pulled this off.”

“Your sneakiness is wearing off on me, Bas.  Now go make a wish and blow out your candles!”

Sebastian went over to the cake.  He looked around at his friends, wondering what he should wish for.  He already had everything that was important, and more. So he closed his eyes and blew out the candles, wishing for a great freshman year in college.

“Yay!  What did you wish for?!”  Brittany asked.

“He can’t tell you that, Britt!  It won’t come true,” Sugar winked at Seb.  

Kurt and Puck went to get the food and set it up.  Sebastian gave Kurt the stink eye.  

“What?”  Kurt chuckled, “We’ll still make the casserole this weekend.  It wasn’t a wasted trip.  And the wine will still pair nicely.”

Sebastian went and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you, Baby.  This is perfect.”

Nick approached Kurt and Sebastian both and hugged them, “Congrats on the engagement, too.  We’re so happy for you.”

“Even though I still haven’t forgiven you for not doing it while we were there,”  Jeff added as he hugged them both too.

“Thank you,”  Seb said to Nick.  He looked at Jeff and said, “And sorry.  Sort of.” 

The friends all sat around and ate dinner and had cake.  After cake, they gave Sebastian his gifts. Kurt went last, and Sebastian was speechless.  He opened the box to three handmade shirts that he had made just for Seb. One in the perfect shade of green to match his eyes, one in blue with a small, subtle, pattern, and one in white.  Each shirt had a different stitch pattern. 

He looked up at Kurt with wide eyes, “Baby…”

“I want you to try them on for me so I can make any adjustments they need.”

Seb looked back down at the shirts and ran his finger over the label inside the collar of the top one.  KHS. He looked back up to Kurt in awe.

Kurt shrugged one shoulder and smiled softly, “No sense in having to change it later.”

Sebastian beamed, “I love it.  I love you.” He stood and kissed Kurt.  Everyone watching was smiling.  

“Try them on, Sebby!”  Brittany said.  

“Yeah, Sebby… strip,”  Santana winked.

He took off the shirt he was wearing, and they all wolf whistled at him.  He just rolled his eyes. He put on the top shirt, which was green. It fit perfectly.

“Damn.  That looks great,”  Jeff said. Everyone nodded in agreement.  

Kurt started fussing with the seems, making sure it was perfect.  He stepped back and looked, then winked at Sebastian, “No wonder I got a scholarship.”  Everyone chuckled.

“When did you even make these?  Or get my measurements?”

“You sleep pretty soundly,”  Kurt shrugged. and

Sebastian chuckled, “Sneaky.”

For the rest of the evening, they hung out on the terrace and enjoyed the hot tub, and of course, sang together.  There was a lot of laughter and storytelling all night. When it came time for bed, the boys let Britt and Santana have the extra bedroom, but the girls convinced Chris to sleep with them.  “No hanky panky will be attempted. I promise,” Santana smiled. Nick and Jeff took the pull out bed in the office.  

Sebastian held Kurt tight, “Thank you so much, Baby.  Today was amazing.”

“You’re welcome, Love.  I always want to make sure you understand how much you are loved.  And not just by me.”

…………..

When Sebastian woke up the next morning, he moaned, feeling Kurt kiss his way down his chest and abs.  

“Good morning, Love.  Happy Birthday.” 

“Morning, Baby.  Birthday blowjob?”

Kurt looked up and smiled as he nodded.  He went down further and licked up Seb’s shaft in one long swipe.  

“Oh god, Baby.  Mmm, don’t stop.”

Kurt circled his tongue around the head of Seb’s cock a few times before wrapping his lips around the head, sucking and kissing.  He wrapped his hand around Seb’s length, stroking a few times as he licked and sucked at his balls. Licking another stripe up his shaft, he moaned as he took in all of Seb’s length in one go.  He always thought that Sebastian tasted delicious.  

“Oh god!”  Sebastian cried.  He grabbed the back of Kurt’s head and pushed him down again.  “Oh, fuck, Baby. You’re so good at that. Look at you taking my cock in your mouth.”

He watched as Kurt’s head bobbed up and down as he worked his lips and tongue in all of Sebastian’s favorite ways.  Kurt used his hand to stroke what he didn’t reach each time.   

“Take it all the way, Baby,”  Sebastian pushed Kurt’s head down, and Kurt took him all the way down.  “Stick your tongue out and lick my balls.” Kurt obeyed.  

Sebastian felt his dick hit the back of Kurt’s throat over and over,  “Oh, fuck. You’re such a good boy. Yes, Baby.  Just like that...”

Minutes later, Sebastian was coming down Kurt’s throat.  Kurt licked him clean then kissed his way back up Seb’s abs and chest.  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s face with both hands and kissed him soundly on the mouth.  “Thank you, Baby. What a great way to wake up.”

Kurt chuckled, “You’re welcome, Sir.”

They laid down and snuggled for a few minutes before getting up and joining their friends.

Most of the day was spent going to Times Square and Central Park.  At dinner time, everyone came back home to rest and eat. Kurt, Sugar, and Nick made the casserole, and everyone made plans to head out to an 18 and older dance club.  

When everyone was in their bedrooms getting ready to go, Kurt approached Sebastian, “Sir?”

“Yes, Baby?”

“May I wear my collar?”  

Sebastian turned around and kissed Kurt. He ran his hand from his cheek, to his jaw, then to his neck, “Of course, Baby.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Sebastian could tell that Kurt was nervous.  “Kurt, if you don’t want to go out to a club, we don’t have to.  I’m fine just staying home with our friends.”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  Please, I’ll be fine. Especially with so many of us going.  I think it’s the perfect opportunity for our first time going to a club in New York.”

Sebastian nodded, “Okay.  But the minute you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed, or anxious, we’re coming home.  Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Once they were all downstairs, Puck said, “Same rules as New Year’s, guys.  Stick together, don’t leave the club without a partner, don’t leave a drink unattended, and don’t go to the bathroom by yourself.”  Everyone agreed, and they set out on their way.

They ended up at an LGBQT friendly bar called Lavo Nightclub that Nick had found online.  It wasn’t far from home, and it had good reviews.  There was a line to get in, but it wasn’t too bad of a wait.  

They headed straight for the dance floor, where Kurt pulled Sebastian close, and without hesitation, danced with his body pressed against him.  He leaned up and whispered in his ear, “You’re so sexy, Sir.” He ran his hands down Seb’s back.

“Thank you, Baby.  I feel the same way about you.”  He cupped Kurt’s face and swiped his thumbs over Kurt’s cheeks, “We might need to go home sooner than planned, just so I can get my hands on you in all of the places that I really want.”  Kurt smiled as Sebastian kissed him below the ear. He ran his hand from Kurt’s face to his collar that was hidden beneath his shirt, and he added a little pressure. Sebastian smiled into another kiss as he felt Kurt to start to breathe a little heavier.

“You two need to get a room,”  Santana laughed as she approached.

Sebastian smiled back at her, “We have a room.  And you’re sleeping in the one next to it, so no complaining later tonight.”

She rolled her eyes as Kurt laughed.  Brittany frowned a little, “Why would we complain?  It’s a beautiful room.  And it came with a hot guy, too.”  Chris had been dancing right next to them and heard what Britt said.  He just smiled and shook his head. She added, “Did you know he’s a sleep cuddler?” 

Kurt and Sebastian laughed, and Chris smiled, “You said you didn’t mind!  I warned you…”

Santana shook her head, “We don’t mind.  If we could get you to swing both ways, it’d be a lot more interesting though.”  

Chris just wrinkled his nose and shook his head, “You’re both gorgeous, but no.”

Sebastian and Kurt were laughing at their three friends when Seb felt a hand on his shoulder.  He turned and saw Ben and Ty smiling at him. Right behind him was Jeremy, Jeremy’s wife Ashley, Natalie, and a friend of hers.   His eyebrows shot up to the sky, “Oh my gosh!  What are you guys doing here?!” Kurt was smiling, and everyone else was a little confused.

“We’re here for your birthday, of course!”  Ben smiled.

Sebastian shook his head, “I can’t believe you guys.  Thank you so much for coming.” He looked at Kurt, “Sneaky…”  Seb and Kurt quickly introduced everyone. Everyone was happy to finally put some faces to the names they had heard.

Once everyone was dancing again, Ben went to Puck and Sugar, “I just wanted to tell you guys that I think you’re awesome.  I know this is our first time meeting, but I know the basics of what went on back in Ohio. I think it’s incredible that you were both there for Kurt when he really needed you.”  He looked at Puck, “Especially you, Puck. I’m sure it wasn’t easy being the straight jock who stuck up for the one and only gay kid who was getting bullied.”

Puck said, “Well, just like Seb, I protect what and who I love.  And I love my Princess. If I were gay, Seb wouldn’t have had a chance.”  Puck smirked and winked at Ben.  

Ben laughed, “I can see why they love you so much.”  Puck and Sugar just chuckled.  

Everyone was having a great time dancing.  Sebastian had been dancing with Santana, having what looked like a deep conversation.  Kurt needed to use the restroom, so when he saw Seb and Santana talking, he asked Puck to go with him.

“Sure, Princess.  Let’s go.” He turned to Sugar, “Stay with Chris, yeah?”

“Sure, Hun,”  Sugar smiled. She loved that Puck was always making sure she was taken care of.  Chris loved that Puck trusted he would take care of Sugar. The five of them were growing closer and closer, and it was just what Chris needed.  He pulled her close and held her as they danced.

“I can go with him and you can stay and dance,”  Jeremy stepped up. “I need a break. I’m not as young as you guys anymore,”  he chuckled.

Kurt stopped and looked at Puck, unsure of what to say.  Puck shrugged and bluntly replied, “You can go with us if you want, but I’m taking him.”

Jeremy nodded but looked like he was thinking about it all.  Chris playfully elbowed him as Kurt and Puck walked away holding hands, “Don’t be offended.  As I’m sure you know, Seb and Puck are really protective of Kurt, and for good reason. The only person Seb trusts to make sure Kurt is safe in a club setting, is Puck.”

Jeremy nodded, “History, huh?”

Chris smirked, “Yeah.  Puck has proven he’d do anything for Kurt.  And he’s badass, man. Badass with a heart of gold.”  Sugar nodded in agreement.

Jeremy smiled and nodded.  He was already thinking of ways to portray Puck in the musical.  

Sebastian looked over and frowned, becoming very serious, “Where’s Kurt?”

Santana put her hand on Seb’s shoulder, “Chill.  I saw him go toward the restroom with Puck.  He’s fine.”  Sebastian just nodded, but kept his eyes peeled for their return.  Jeremy was watching, getting a feel for how they all were in real life, not just in retelling of their stories.

A few minutes later, Puck and Kurt returned, hand in hand.  Sebastian looked at Puck, who gave him a silent nod, letting him know that everything was all good.  

They continued to dance and have fun for a couple of hours before deciding to head out for a late night bite to eat.  They were all headed for the door, when a man passed by their group, accidentally bumping into Kurt.  Kurt was walking behind Seb, holding his hand, but he stumbled a bit, and the stranger grabbed his elbow, “Sorry, Sweetheart.  You okay?”

Sweetheart.

Of all the words in the world, Sweetheart was the one that triggered him, unbeknownst to him and everyone who loved him.  Sweetheart. Sweetheart was the pet name Blaine used to try to coerce him and manipulate him. Blaine.  Emotional abuse …”you’re not sexy", "who else would want you?", "if you were good enough", "don’t go with them", "don’t act like that".  Physical abuse ...the sting of the hit to the eye, the burn of being pulled back toward Blaine as he tried to crawl away on the pavement, the taste of blood in his mouth with the second hit.  Sexual assault … The feel of Blaine’s hot tongue being shoved into his mouth, the hand roughly grabbing and squeezing his penis as if it was supposed to turn him on, the feel of Blaine’s hardness rubbing his backside as he tried to get away.  It all came rushing back like was being sucked through a porthole back through time.

Kurt’s eyes were wide with unshed tears in an instant.  He was frozen. He couldn’t squeeze Seb’s hand. He couldn’t walk.  He couldn’t rebalance himself. He swayed for a second as the stranger gripped his elbow tighter, trying to steady him.  

Nick was walking behind him, seeing the whole thing take place.  He grabbed Kurt around the waist as Sebastian turned to see what the problem was.  He had turned just in time to see Kurt’s eyes roll back, and his knees give out. Nick held on tight, not letting Kurt fall.  Sebastian let go of his hand, and scooped him up bridal style. “Baby!”

The stranger was panicking at this point.  Once Sebastian had a good hold on him, Nick turned to the stranger, “It’s okay.  It’s not your fault. He’ll be okay.”

Kurt’s family was all gathering around, concerned, talking and asking and... Every one of them wanted to be next to Kurt, helping, holding, caring.  Ty, Ashley, and Natalie all made sure the crowd was pushed back and kept their distance as Sebastian lowered himself and Kurt to the floor.  

He cradled him against his chest, “Wake up, Baby.  I’ve got you.”  He sat with Kurt in his lap. Jeff and Sugar lowered themselves down to the other side of Kurt, unable to keep themselves away.

Sebastian stroked his face and ran his fingers through his hair, “I’ve got you, Baby.  Wake up for me.”

A bouncer for the club approached, “What happened?  What can we do?  What do you need?”

Nick told him, “Someone bumped into him.  I think something about it triggered him. He has PTSD.  He fainted, but he’ll be okay. Can we just get a minute?” 

“Yeah, man.”

Jeremy and Ben were frowning as they watched, wondering if this happened often.  Hearing about it, and seeing it in real life, were very different. They were in awe of the friends who were obviously concerned, but also in full control, as if they did this all the time.  

Puck was pacing slowly, watching as Seb tried to wake him.  He kept his eye on his Kurt, Seb, their friends, the crowd.  He was always the observer.  Always ready when needed.  He turned to the bouncer, “Can you call us some cabs? There’s 15 of us.”  The guy nodded and made the request to someone in the office over his walkie talkie.

Santana was holding Brittany as she cried.  She loved her dolphin, and worried about him so much.  “He’ll be okay, Britt. He just fainted. You know Sebby’s got this.”

Sebastian continued to stroke Kurt’s face and hair, “Kurt, Baby, wake up for me.  I’ve got you.” Kurt began to stir, his eyes fluttering a bit. Sebastian continued, “That’s it.  Wake up for me, Baby.” Kurt opened his eyes, looking directly at Sebastian. Relieved, Seb smiled, “There you are.”

Kurt smiled back a bit, then his eyes widened in panic. Instantly, his breathing increased and grabbed on to Seb’s shirt like he was going to drown in memories if he let go.  Sebastian’s heart broke at the fear he saw in Kurt’s eyes again. It was a look that he had gotten used to not seeing. It had been months since Kurt had had a panic attack. Especially one bad enough to make him faint.

“I’ve got you, Baby,”  Seb said soothingly as he held Kurt.  He cradled his face in his hand, “Look at me.”  Kurt looked in his eyes and Seb continued in a loving, but no nonsense tone, “I’ve got you.  Nothing bad is going to happen. We’re getting you home, Baby. Count from ten to zero, slowly in your head.  Don’t look away from me. I’ve got you.” Kurt counted in his head, not looking away from Sebastian’s loving eyes.  His breathing became a little more stable.  

A couple of minutes later, the bouncer spoke to Puck, then Puck nodded.  He walked up to Kurt and Seb and squatted down next to them. He spoke gently as he put a hand on Kurt’s back, “Cabs are here.  Let’s get you home, Princess.” Kurt nodded, so Puck stood and lifted him to his feet as Nick reached a hand to Sebastian, helping him up as well.  Puck shot a look to Chris and nodded toward Sugar. Chris nodded in return, understanding that he was now responsible for making sure Sugar was okay, as well as accompanying her outside. 

Sebastian had his arm wrapped protectively around Kurt’s waist as Kurt curled himself into him.  Puck put his hand on Kurt’s back as he walked with them on Kurt’s other side, shielding him from any outsiders.  The bouncer made a path for them through the crowd, and the group of friends made their way outside.

Once out on the street, Sebastian and Puck usher him into the cab so quickly that there was barely time to register what was going on.  He had just been putting one foot in front of the other as they made their way out, and now he was sitting in a cab, wrapped in Sebastian’s embrace.  

Both cabs were minivans.  Sebastian hopped into the first one, bringing Kurt with him.  Puck turned and reached for Sugar, who was tucked under Chris’ arm.  She grabbed his hand and he helped her into the seat next to Kurt. Chris, Santana, and Brittany all climbed into the back seat, and Puck hopped into the passenger seat.  It all reminded them of New Year’s and the drive home.

In the second cab, Nick and Jeff climbed in first, with Ashley sitting next to Jeff.  Ty, Ben, and Jeremy climbed in the back. Natalie climbed into the passenger seat and shouted goodbye to her friend, who had run into some other people she knew, and decided to stay.

“So,”  Jeremy began, “Do we know what happened?”  

Jeff looked at Nick, because he didn’t.  Nick answered, “Not exactly. It was a panic attack.  Kurt’s had several. Sometimes they happen when he’s triggered by something.  Sometimes they happen when he’s nervous or scared.  He hasn’t fainted because of one since they caught Karofsky stalking them.  Not even on New Year’s. As far as I could tell, that guy just bumped into him as he tried to squeeze through the line we had created as we were leaving.  Kurt lost his balance and the guy grabbed his elbow. It wasn’t even hard. I have no idea if that’s what it was or not.”

Jeff frowned, “I don’t think so.  He’s been pretty good in tight crowds.  Something else must have happened that we just didn’t see.”

“I don’t know, Jeffie.  I think maybe triggers can be caused by things that happen all the time.  Maybe there was something slightly different this time. Maybe he saw someone again.”

Ben asked, “What do you mean?”

Jeff answered, “On New Year’s Eve, we went to a club in Columbus.  He saw a shorter guy with black gelled hair, and it reminded him of Blaine.”  He paused for a few seconds, “But he didn’t panic until we were leaving and he saw the parking lot.  It was a combination of things.  Maybe that’s what happened tonight.”

Ashley said, “Maybe it was something the guy said.  My friend Erika moved to New York because she needed to get out of the south, where it seemed she couldn’t escape people saying ‘Bless your heart’.  It was what her grandmother would say before taking a switch and beating her bloody with it for tiny little mistakes she would make as a kid.  She couldn’t handle hearing it all of the time.”

Jeff looked to Nick, “Did he say something?”

Nick frowned, thinking about for a moment, “I don’t think he…”  Realization dawned on him, “Shit. That’s it. He said, ‘Sorry Sweetheart.’”  Nick looked at Jeff, who sighed at the realization.  

“Blaine,”  Jeff said sadly.  “Blaine called him ‘Sweetheart’.  Especially when he wanted something.”

“That bastard really fucked with him, didn’t he?”  Ben said with a fair amount of heat.

Nick nodded, “Yep.  I’m going to text Seb and Puck.”

From Nick:

I think I know what did it.  The guy said ‘Sorry Sweetheart’.  Blaine called him that all the time.  Especially when he wanted something.

Back in the other van, Kurt hadn’t let go of Sebastian.  Everyone was silent as Kurt tried to push away the memories, and make his mind stay in the present.  Sebastian would rub Kurt’s back and arms and whisper things like, “I love you” and “I’ve got you”. The present.  Kurt thought maybe he ruined Sebastian’s birthday, and that once again, they had to leave because of him.

Kurt finally spoke, “I’m so sorry, Bas.”

Sebastian frowned and kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Why are you sorry, Baby?”

“Because I ruined your birthday celebration.”

Seb shook his head, “Nothing is ruined, Kurt.  I’ve had a great weekend, and I’m still surrounded by our closest friends, with my fiance safe in my arms.  I think that makes for a pretty great birthday.”

Puck smiled a bit, hearing Seb’s response.  He added, “The weekends not over, either.”

“But we had to leave because of me again.”

“No we didn’t, Angel.  We were already on our way out.  We’re headed home instead of going out for a snack, but that’s no biggie.  Personally, I could really go for pj’s and leftover cake right about now,” Sugar put her hand on his thigh.  

Kurt took her hand and squeezed, “Love you, Sugar.”

Everyone smiled, especially Sugar, “Love you too, Angel.”

“Pj’s and cake actually sounds perfect,”  Chris said from the back seat.  

“And singing?”  Kurt smirked.

Seb chuckled, “Of course.  We can’t all be together and not sing.”  He kissed Kurt’s forehead again. Feeling his phone vibrate, he pulled it out and discreetly read the text, noticing Puck do the same thing.  He closed his eyes after he read it, trying to hide the anger he still felt toward Blaine. He saw Puck run his hand through his mohawk and then stare out the window.  He knew he was in the same boat.  

After a couple of minutes, Puck replied to the text.

To Nick:

Thanks.  Princess is doing better.  Pj’s, cake, and singing are on the agenda.

Once everyone was back at the penthouse, Sebastian said, “How about everyone change, or shower and change, and meet back here in a little bit.”  He looked at Ben, Ty, Jeremy, Ashley, and Natalie, “We have plenty of places to sleep, and clothes for you, if you want to stay all night too.”

Ben and Ty looked at each other, then to Seb, “That would be great.  Thanks.”

Natalie chimed in, “I have to work early tomorrow, so I’m out after cake,” she winked at Sugar.

Jeremy and Ashley had been talking quietly.  He turned to Seb, “That would be nice. Grandma is on baby duty all night, so we’re game.”

Ashley added,  “It’ll be nice to get away for a night.  Now that she’s on formula, we can finally do that.  Thanks for the offer.”

“I’ll get you something to wear, Ashley.  We’re about the same size,” Sugar said as she headed upstairs.  “And feel free to use our shower.”

“Thanks!”

“I’m going to make sure Kurt does okay with the heat of the shower since he fainted earlier.  We’ll be back down in a little bit.” 

“I’ll be fine, Bas.”

“Hopefully your right.  But I’m going to make sure of it.”

Once upstairs, the boys talked about what made Kurt faint.  Kurt convinced Sebastian that he was fine, and that he didn’t want to talk about it and bring back those memories even more.  He was trying to push them away. Seb agreed, but only after making Kurt promise to talk about it with his new NY therapist, Mr. Kurz.

Thirty minutes later, everyone was back downstairs and in some sort of pajamas.  Sebastian explained that Kurt didn't want to talk about the panic attack yet, and everyone agreed to keep it out of the conversations.  Sugar got out the cake and she and Brittany put slices on plates and left them on the island for people to grab.  Puck and Jeff fixed drinks for everyone, and the vibe was very relaxed and chill.  

“Thank you all for helping me celebrate my birthday.  I can’t tell you how much this has meant to me,” Sebastian smiled.

“You’re welcome.  I knew a visit from me was all you wanted,”  Jeff teased.

In a dry tone, Seb responded, “Yes, Jeff.  I can’t imagine my birthday without you here to help me celebrate.”

Ashley took a bite of cake, “Oh my god.”  Jeremy turned to look at her. With wide eyes, she used her fork to point to the cake.

Sugar giggled, “Thanks?  Sugar Shack will be opening soon.  Spread the word.”

Ashley swallowed, “I’ll be there.  With bells on.”

Jeremy, Ben, Ty, and Natalie all had the same reactions.  Puck smiled as he saw Sugar blush with the attention.

“It’s going to be the best bakery in town.  Just wait and see,” Kurt beamed.

Puck and Sebastian got out their guitars and they all started to sing.  Song after song, Jeremy was amazed at how well they all harmonized together.  When he voiced that opinion, Chris said, “You should see the video of the New Directions and Warblers together.”

“You have that on video?”  Santana asked.  

Kurt was already out of his seat to get it, “Getting it now!”

They all watched with huge smiles.

After it was over, Ben said, “You guys are all so talented.”

Chris laughed, “Except me.”

Kurt smiled, “Not true.  You’re a talented cheerleader who even got a scholarship.”  He winked, “You just can’t sing worth crap.” Everyone laughed, including Chris.

Ben was watching everyone.  Sebastian saw him and asked, “You okay, Ben?”

Ben looked at him, “Yeah.  Yeah, I’m fine.  I’m just loving being here with you guys.  I love seeing how you all interact. I love hearing stories about your adventures together.  You all have a strong connection that is pretty rare. You realize that, right?  I mean tonight at the club… You guys were communicating with each other without saying a word.”

Puck nodded, “We’re pretty tight.  We all know what makes each other tick.  We know what to expect from each other.”

Jeremy said, “Yeah.  I mean, you told Chris to take care of Sugar without saying a word.  He knew what that nod meant. You told Seb that it was all fine when you took Kurt to the bathroom with a single nod.  It just shows how close you all are. A nod. A wink. They speak full sentences.”

Everyone laughed when Brittany said, “I’m so confused.”

The rest of the night was spent laughing and singing like always.  In the morning, everyone enjoyed Sugar’s muffins, and Kurt’s omelets.  They hung out around the penthouse until the afternoon when everyone needed to head home.  

After heartfelt goodbyes, Sebastian settled into the couch with Kurt in his arms.  Puck and Sugar sat across from them on the other couch. Seb took a deep breath, “Thank you, guys.  I love you all so much. I am so lucky to have you in my life. All of you.”

Sugar smiled, “We love you too, Seb.  Happy Birthday.”

Chapter Text

The next week was spent relaxing as much as possible, and doing any last minute prep they needed to do before school started.  Kurt was to start school a week before NYU and Columbia, so they did a few things that he wanted to do before summer was over.

“Are you sure that visiting Columbia is what you want to do today, Babe?”  Sebastian asked as the four friends got on the subway.

“Yes, Love.  We all visited NYU and Parsons, so now we’re visiting Columbia.  I want to know where you’ll be.  I want to be able to visualize places when you talk about them, and I want to have a feel for where to go if I ever meet you up there for anything.”

“Okay.  As long as you’re sure.”

“Are you sure you want me tagging along?  I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb,”  Puck ran his hand over his mohawk.  

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Yes, Puck.  You’re my best friend. Anyone who judges you based on your hair or clothes, can kiss my ass.”  Sugar and Kurt both smiled.

“If you say so,”  Puck said with a smirk that rivaled Sebastian’s.

They explored Columbia for a couple of hours, taking in the college atmosphere that seemed very different than Parsons and NYU on a whole other level.  The campus had more of a separate feel. It didn’t seem like it was another city buildings like the other campuses. It was bigger, and more regal feeling, with a lot of grand buildings and open green space.  It was Ivy League through and through.

The people on campus had a very serious air about them that made Kurt a little nervous.  He hoped that Sebastian would be able to have fun and enjoy college life, and not become too serious.  He pulled himself away from those thoughts with memories of the stories Robert would tell them about his college days at Columbia.  It was definitely not all business.

They shopped in the campus bookstore, just like they had at the other schools.  Sebastian got a couple of shirts. Kurt was looking through the rack that had the “proud parent of a Columbia student” shirts, and complained that there were no “proud husband of a Columbia student” shirts.  

Sebastian smiled from ear to ear.  He loved hearing the word "husband" cross Kurt's lips.  “Maybe we’ll have one made for you, Babe.  But only if I get a ‘proud husband of Parsons student’ shirt.”

“Gotta get married first, guys,”  Sugar smiled. “Speaking of which… Any decisions made yet?”

Kurt bit his lip and shook his head, “No.  We need to sit down and talk about it.”

“We can do that any time you want, Babe.  But we really should do it soon. Depending on where we get married, we may have to wait over a year for things to become available, and it’s the end of summer already.”

Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand as they exited the store and made their way to the green, “I was thinking maybe we could do at your house in Ohio.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I mean, you have the room.  We could rent those big fancy tents.  It could be really decked out. It’s gorgeous without even adding anything to it.  I think it could be really special.”

“I think that sounds great.  I figured you would want to do it here somewhere.”

“I did too, at first.  But logistically, it would be better there.  Our families are there. Most of our friends have a place to stay when they go home.  And those who don’t, can afford a hotel, or stay with our families.  And we’ll be so busy, that it would be great for Tori, Carol, and Leah to help, and easy for them to do it from there.”

“That’s all true.  But I don’t want you to choose doing it at home just because it’s convenient for everyone else.”

“I’m not.  I think it just makes sense, and I think it would be gorgeous.  It’s a special place to me.  Plus, we wouldn’t have time restraints like we would anywhere else.”

Sebastian pulled Kurt close to him, “I think it sounds amazing.”

Kurt smiled, “Good.  Now we need to pick a date, and we can get the ball rolling.”

Sugar clapped her hands, “Yay!  I’m so excited!” Puck smiled, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

………………

On Kurt’s first day of school, he woke up in Sebastian’s arms.  He turned over and hit snooze when his alarm sounded .  

“Nope.  Gotta get up, Baby.  You don’t want to be late.  Besides, I think I smell breakfast a la Sugar.”

“Uhhhhgg.  Just five more minutes.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Why the delay?  I thought you were excited.”

“I am.  I’ve just been spoiled all summer.  Sleeping in with you, no schedule, no job, traveling.  Maybe I should be a stay-at-home husband.” Kurt grinned without opening his eyes.

Sebastian chuckled, “We both know that you would be miserable.  Come on. Up and at em’.” Seb rolled out of bed and went to Kurt’s side to pull him up.  Kurt was no help. Seb feigned a sigh as he sauntered into the bathroom, “Fine. I guess I won’t have time to give you that first-day-of-school-blowjob…”

Kurt opened his eyes wide.  He hopped up and ran into the bathroom, taking off his pajama pants as he went, “Wait for me!”

When they made it downstairs, Sugar had a huge breakfast prepared.  She smiled when she saw them, “Good morning!  Angel, I fixed all of your favorites.  You have to eat before you leave.” She was a little worried that Kurt wouldn’t eat due to nerves.  It was something she and Sebastian had discussed.

“This is so sweet, Sugar.”  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, “Thank you.  I think you thought you were feeding the entire school. This is a lot of food!”

She shrugged, “Well, we’ll eat it all eventually.  And the muffins will freeze.”

Kurt put some scrambled eggs, a piece of bacon, and a muffin on his plate before taking a seat.  Sebastian poured them both some coffee, then grabbed his own food.  

“So what are you guys going to do today?”  He said before taking a bite of his bacon.

“Puck and I are going over to the apartment to see how things are progressing.  We’re meeting Chris for lunch.”

“That’s nice.  Hopefully there’s been some progress.  Not that I want you to go, but I know you’re anxious.”  

Sugar nodded, “I really am.  I love being here with you guys, but it feels like we’re in limbo, ya know?”  Kurt and Seb both nodded with their mouths full of food.

“I was hoping to stop by school and take you to lunch, Babe.  Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, that would be nice!”  Kurt looked at his schedule he had saved on his phone.  “I have a two hour break today, starting at 11:45. I can just meet you right after.”

“Sounds good.”  Seb turned to Sugar, “Where’s Puck?  Sleeping in?”

“Showering.”

Kurt frowned a bit, “I thought he always showers at night.”

Sugar bit her lip trying to hide her smile in a very Kurt-like way, “He does.”  Kurt and Sebastian laughed. She rolled her eyes, “What?!”

Kurt shook his head, “Nothing.  I just hope you washed your hands before fixing all this food.”  Seb laughed and Sugar threw her napkin at him as she hid her face behind her coffee mug.

Sebastian stood outside of The New School- Parsons main building on 5th Ave at 11:45.  When Kurt exited the building, he had a huge smile on his face, causing Sebastian to smile as well. 
“How was it?”  Seb asked before Kurt leaned up and kissed him.  

Kurt took his arm and they began to walk toward the Indian restaurant they had talked about, “It was everything I had hoped for so far.  Now, granted, I’ve only had Integrative Studio and Integrative Seminar so far, but still. I think I’m really going to love it.”

“Good,”  Seb smiled.  “Meet anyone new?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  I did notice a lot of the same people in both classes, though.  So hopefully I get to know them. Today I just wanted to make sure I was in the right spot at the right time.”

Once they were at lunch, they talked more about the two classes, the campus, and Kurt’s hopes for all of it.  

Kurt changed the subject, “So what about your interviews this week?  Are you nervous?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, “I am.  I’m really hoping to get one of them.  Any of them, really, but my goal is to get the one at Mt. Sinai.  It’s not far, has a good reputation, and ticks all my boxes. I guess if I don’t get one, I’ll have more time to study, but it won’t look as good as my resume.  Freshman internships are few and far between.”

“I’m sure you’ll get one, Bas.  You had perfect grades at two prestigious schools.”

Seb took a deep breath again, “Let’s hope.”

………………….

Sugar made breakfast again the next morning.  Kurt came downstairs, “Sugar. You do not need to make us breakfast every day, ya know.”

“I know, Angel.  But all three of you have a big day today.  I want my boys to start their day right.”

Kurt smiled and kissed her on the cheek, then went to Puck who had a mouth full of food, and kissed him on the cheek too.  “Well, thank you, Sugar. I appreciate it.  Are you ready for your job search, Noah?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“How was the apartment yesterday?  Any progress?”

“Floors are done.  So that’s good. I didn’t notice anything else.”  Sugar plated her food then sat down with her boys.

Puck added, “The bakery is looking awesome, though.  The new display cases are in. You should come see it.”

Kurt smiled and bounced a little, “Why didn’t you tell us that last night!?  That’s exciting! Maybe I can meet you there for lunch tomorrow. I can’t wait to see it.”

Later that afternoon found Sebastian sitting down across from a small group of doctors inside Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital.  He had shaken their hands and made introductions, and was ready for the onslaught of questions.  

Dr. Martinez began, “Well, Mr. Smythe, today we would like to talk with you more like a conversation, and less like an interview.  It gives us a feel for who you really are, and what it would be like to have you around.”

Sebastian nodded, “I understand.”  

He continued, “We have read your file.  Your grades are outstanding, and your recommendations are impressive.  It says you received a scholarship to Columbia. That’s quite a feat.  But it also says you turned it down.  Why is that, Mr. Smythe?”

“Although I was thrilled to be accepted into Columbia, and especially thrilled that the institution would desire me enough to offer a scholarship, I am not in need of those funds.  I would much prefer that they be given to someone who has the grades, desire, and heart that I do, but may not have the same bank account.”

Dr. Martinez nodded, “That is very noble of you.”

Dr. Niemann was next, “In the short essay portion of your application, you mention having had some family members that have been patients, and how it encouraged you to pursue your medical degree.  Can you elaborate?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yes, Ma’am.  My aunt passed away from cancer last year.  My mother, sister, and I moved in with her to help take care of her.  It was a long and grueling process. Three years is a long time to suffer.  She opted to stay at home and have doctors come to her. Fortunately, for her, that was even a choice.  I was fascinated with the doctors who came to treat her, and the care they would give her. But I also had an innate desire to be right there next to them, figuring it out, administering medicine, making her feel better.  It felt like a calling.”

Dr. Niemann nodded, “And the other experiences with family members being patients?”

“Unfortunately, my fiance, Kurt, has been a patient on more than one occasion in the past year.  The medical attention he received each time was great.  It did, however, give me a better understanding of what it’s like to be waiting for answers that simply aren’t coming...How emotionally and physically draining it is for not only the patient, but also their family… How bedside manners and patience are so important.  Those situations gave me an entirely new appreciation for the nursing staff as well. They not only took care of Kurt, but they took care of his father and I.”

Dr. Clark finally spoke, “I’m sorry to hear about your aunt, Mr. Smythe.  It sounds like your fiance went through a lot.  Is he doing well now?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yes, thank you for asking.  He does suffer from PTSD, but physically, he is doing just fine.”

Dr. Clark nodded once and looked like he was thinking.  Finally he said, “Well, Mr. Smythe, you may or may not be aware, but we do Google our candidates.  I have to say, what we found when searching you was definitely not what we typically find.” Sebastian began to smile, and the three doctors smiled right along with him.  Dr. Clark continued, “So you sing, huh?”

Sebastian laughed, “I do.  Our a cappella group won the Show Choir Nationals last Spring.  Kurt and I sang lead.”

Dr. Niemann smiled, “We did see that.  It was beautiful. What was just as beautiful was the two of you singing to the children on the bus at Disney World, and to the little girl whose aunt you saved.  It shows real compassion, Mr. Smythe.”

“Thank you.”

“Tell us about the woman you saved.  What did you learn from that?”

“I believe the biggest lesson I learned is that I am very capable of not letting personal opinions and emotions get in the way of medical attention.  The woman we saved was the mother of one of Kurt’s bullies. He had threatened Kurt’s life … And here I was saving his mother’s… all while he stared holes into Kurt because Kurt was comforting his cousin.”  Dr. Martinez seemed to understand but the other two looked confused, so Sebastian added, “Kurt is from small town Ohio.  He was the only out gay student at his school. It caused a lot of problems.  Some students, including that one, think that being gay can spread like a disease.  That’s why Kurt transferred to Dalton Academy.  It’s what was the safest place for him.” They nodded in understanding.

Dr. Martinez sighed and then said, “Just, for full disclosure, because we Googled you, we are aware of what happened to Mr. Hummel… At least in the two assault cases.  I suppose it’s hard to avoid the press when you and your fiance are both sons of political figures.

“It is. We managed to avoid pictures and a press circus in the courthouse during the attempted rape and assault case, but that doesn’t keep them from printing the story.  It wasn’t too bad, though.  Kurt is the strongest man I’ve ever met. He handled it all very well.”

Dr. Clark nodded, “So, obviously he’s here in the city with you.  Is he going to school?”

Seb smiled, “Yes.  He got a full scholarship The New School - Parsons Fashion Design.  He made the shirt I’m wearing.”  Sebastian was wearing the white shirt that Kurt had made.  All three doctors raised their brows in surprise.

Dr. Niemann responded, “Wow!  That’s impressive. When did you get engaged?”

Sebastian smiled more, “This summer.  I know we’re young, and that’s what any outsider thinks of first when they find out.  But when you’ve been through what we’ve been through, you realize that life is short. You have to go for what you want and not wait like you have the rest of your long life.  You may not have a tomorrow, so you have to live today.”

They talked for a little while longer about Sebastian’s poise on the news when interviewed about their National’s song choices, why he chose pediatrics, and his love for Columbia.  As he left, all three doctors were smiling, so he counted that as a success. He headed to his next interview at Harlem Hospital Pediatric Clinic.  He would have to wait until the next day for his third interview.  It was at St. Mary's Hospital for Children in Bayside.  That would be a much longer commute than Sebastian was hoping for.

Kurt got home before Sebastian that afternoon.  He waited anxiously with Puck and Sugar on the couch.  Sebastian had texted him to tell him he was on his way home.  

Kurt sighed, “It’s too early to start dinner, but I’m going to go nuts just sitting here.”

“Here, Princess, watch this funny video I saw the other day.”  Puck pulled out his phone and went to sit in between Sugar and Kurt.  Kurt laid his head on Puck’s shoulder and watched the video. It did help.  

Three videos later, the elevator doors opened.  Kurt hopped up and went to Sebastian as fast as he could without running, “How did it go?”

Seb chuckled as he hugged Kurt, “Hi.”

Kurt smiled as he pulled back.  “Sorry. Hi. How did it go?”

They walked in and sat opposite Puck and Sugar, “I think it went really well.  The interview with Mt. Sinai was very relaxed. They said they wanted it to be more like a conversation to get to know me, and less like an interview.  They had Googled me. That means they knew about the three of you. Especially you, Babe. I hope that’s okay.” Everyone nodded. “They asked things like… why I gave up the scholarship, what I learned when we saved Mrs. Nelson, what I learned from the patient perspective with both Aunt Charlotte and Kurt.  They knew we sing. They asked about you, Kurt. They wanted to know how you’re doing.”

“Wow, they really did Google you,”  Kurt was surprised. “I don’t care about that, Bas.  It’s fine with me. It happened to you, just as much as it happened to me.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘just as much’, but I know what you mean,”  Sebastian leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “The Harlem Children's interview was definitely more ‘interview-style’.  I answered to the best of my ability, but it all just made me want Mt. Sinai even more. I should hear from both of them by the end of next week.”  He looked at Puck, “How’s the job search going?”

“Well, I applied at a tire shop, a couple of coffee shops, the Palladium, and the campus bookstore.  We’ll see, I guess. I need something for between now and when the bakery opens. It’d be nice if it was something that I could keep for a few hours a week even after that.  When I was at the bookstore, I saw a flyer for a self defense class at the library. Classes are held on Wednesdays at 2. It’s run by people at a counseling clinic. It sounds like it’s self defense, but there may be some ‘talking’ involved.  Sugar and I will be going.  I think it would be good for all of us, though.”

Kurt nodded, “I can do Wednesdays at 2.  Bas?”

Sebastian got out his phone to look at his class schedule.  “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Good.  It’ll make me feel better,”  Puck said as he pulled Sugar up into his lap.  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder.

………………...

By the end of the next week, Kurt was getting the hang of his classes.  He was really enjoying each class, and loved that even the basic fundamental classes still had a focus on careers in design in mind.  It was much different than high school.  

Sebastian had liked his first week of classes, and absolutely loved being on Columbia’s campus.  He had gotten a call on that Thursday from both Mt. Sinai and Harlem Children’s Hospital offering him the internship position.  He immediately accepted the position at Mt. Sinai. They all screamed in excitement when he hung up the phone, then called Chris right away to go out to dinner and celebrate.  They skyped his parents and Leah from the dinner table at the restaurant. They were just as excited for him.

At dinner they learned that Chris had gone on a date with a guy that he met on campus.  He smiled and said that the guy was just one fish in the sea, but that he must have gotten there by being flushed down the toilet.  Apparently, it wasn’t a good match. But it was a start.  

Sugar had been busy at the bakery all week.  New items were coming in every day, and she had been meeting Kurt during his lunch to shop and buy things for the displays in the windows.  They were having a blast putting it all together. It made the opening of the bakery seem all that much more real.

Puck’s first week of classes went fine, but he was slightly bored with the basics.  He was jealous that Kurt was already learning things that would help in his career. He had to remind himself that in a way, he was too, but that his just wasn’t going to be as interesting as something creative.  His only goal was to be able to successfully run the bakery with Sugar. He could tolerate some boring classes. After an interview, he was offered a job at the campus bookstore, and was to begin work that weekend.

……………

The following week, Puck plopped himself down in his Statistics class as he finished his phone conversation with Sugar, “I liked the first one better.  That’s also the one Princess chose. Why are you second guessing yourself, Sug?” He paused to listen to her response, then said, “Go with your gut, Sugar.  It’ll be awesome, I promise.” He listened to her response again. “I love you, too. Bye.” He hung up and started to get out his laptop. He noticed a guy next to him looking at him with a raised brow.

He gave a nod, “What’s up?”

The guy smiled and shook his head, “You’re a mystery.”

Puck's lopsided smirk graced his lips, “Oh yeah?”

He nodded, “Yeah, man.  I mean you got this whole rocker vibe goin’ on, which I totally dig.  But then you’re talking to someone you call Sugar about a princess, and you’re all sweet.  And I saw you in the bookstore, talking to some older lady all sweet, too. I’m assuming you’re  a business major, since you’re in this class?  Most people in here are.”

Puck frowned and smirked at the same time, “Yeah, I am.  So you’re saying I can’t be all rocker and sweet at the same time?  Like it’s an oxymoron or something?”

The guy shrugged, “Not that it’s impossible, but it’s kind of rare, in my experience.”

“Dude, you’ve got the rocker vibe too.  Are you saying you’re an asshole?”

The guy laughed, “No.  I’ve just been a lone enigma until now.  I may have found my people.”

Puck laughed too.  He stuck out his hand, “I’m Noah Puckerman.  Call me Puck.”

He shook his hand, “Elliott Gilbert.”

“Nice to meet you, Elliott,”  Puck smiled. “So are you a business major too?”

“Nah, I’m studying Graphic Arts.  I’m a sophomore, but I guess something got messed up and I skipped taking Stats last year.”

“Gotcha.”  Puck started to say something else, but the professor started class.  

 After class, Puck and Elliott walked out together.  Elliott asked, “When’s your next class?”

“In 20 minutes.  I gotta head straight there.”

“Alright, man.  Maybe I’ll see ya around.  If not, I’ll see you Thursday, back in Stats.”

“Sure.  It was nice to meet you.”  

“You too.”

At that, they were headed in different directions.  

.................

The next day, Puck was walking out of his Logistics class when he ran into Elliott.  “Hey, man. How are ya?”

“Good!  You?” Elliott smiled.

“Good.”  

“Where are you headed?  Want to grab some coffee?”  Elliott fell into step with Puck.

“I’m meeting Sugar and our friends at Washington Square, but I have time.   We’re coming back for a class at 2.”

“So Sugar goes to NYU too?”

“No.  We’re actually all taking a self defense class.”  Puck looked over at Elliott.

Elliott grinned, “Over in the library community room?”

Puck raised an eyebrow, “Yeah.  You know about that?”

“I teach that,”  Elliott smiled.  

Puck had surprise written all over his face, “No shit!  Yeah, well, me and Sugar, and our two best friends, all signed up for it.  I’m just meeting them at the park since we have some time to kill. We can grab a coffee from the cart, then you’re welcome to join me and wait.”

“I’d like that.”

They had reached a bench under a large Maple tree on the NYU side of the fountain, and sat and chatted for a bit about school related topics and music.  Puck discovered that Elliott co-taught the class with a counselor, Nathan Dowers, who he had met the previous year. They thought it was something that college kids needed.  Puck knew there was more to the story, but wasn’t going to ask. He would let Elliott open up at his own pace.

Elliott had been watching Puck as they spoke.  Eventually, he asked, “Why do you keep looking up?”

“This Maple tree is gorgeous.  Maples always have such great Fall color.  It hasn’t started to turn, but I bet in a few weeks, it’ll be stunning.”  Puck looked up again and pointed.  

Elliott chuckled, “Yeah, it is beautiful.  I didn’t take you as they type of guy to notice.  I told you… You’re a mystery.”

Puck smirked and shrugged, “Well, sometimes things, and people, happen in life that make you stop and notice the beautiful things.”  He looked over at Elliott, who didn’t seem to be paying attention anymore. He followed his line of sight and chuckled to himself as he shook his head.  

Elliott starred as he mumbled, “Speaking of beautiful…”  He was looking right at Kurt who was walking straight toward them.

Puck chuckled again, “He is beautiful.  He’s also taken.” He stood and walked the rest of the way to greet Kurt with a hug and kiss on the cheek, “Hey, Princess.”  

“Hi, Noah!”  Kurt smiled.  

Elliott was watching them carefully, then frowned, “He’s Sugar?”

Kurt and Puck both laughed.  Kurt still had his hand on Puck’s back as he said, “I may be sweet, but I’m not Sugar.  And if Noah were gay, I would have been the first to find out.”

“That’s true, Princess.”  Puck leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek again, causing Kurt to lovingly roll his eyes.  Puck looked back at Elliott, “This is Kurt Hummel. Princess, this is Elliott Gilbert.”

Elliott blushed a little, “Sorry.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He shook Kurt’s hand.

“The pleasure is mine, I’m sure.  And don’t worry about it.  Noah and I are very close.  I’m sure it looks like we’re a couple to other people more often than we think,”  Kurt smiled.

Puck nodded toward the street, “Just like it looks like they’re a couple…”  Kurt and Elliott both looked over. Kurt smiled and Elliott just looked more confused as he watched Sebastian and Sugar entered the park arm in arm through the Washington Square Arch.

“Yeah… You don’t think they are?”

Puck and Kurt chuckled.  Puck smiled, “No, they aren’t a couple.  They’re our other halves.  That’s Sugar.”

Kurt smiled then looked at Elliott, “And Sebastian.”

Elliott smiled in return and nodded, “You guys are all really close then?”

Kurt wrinkled his nose, “I think it might be polygamy if we were closer.”  Puck and Elliott both laughed.

When they were close enough, Sugar let go of Sebastian and jogged ahead to Puck for a hug and kiss, “Hi, Sweetie!”  

“Hi, Sug!”

She turned to Kurt and hugged him, “Hi, Angel.”

“Hey, Sugar.”  He winked at her as he said, “Thanks for bringing Bas to me safe and sound.”

She smiled and Sebastian, who had finally reached them, said, “She’s small but mighty.”  He hugged and kissed Kurt, “Hi, Baby.”

Kurt smiled, taking Seb’s hand, “Hi, Love.”

Puck continued the introductions, “This is Kurt’s fiance, Sebastian Smythe.”  They shook hands. He added, “The small, mighty one, is my girlfriend, Sugar Motta.”

He shook Sugar’s hand as well, “Elliott Gilbert.  It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. Puck tells me you all signed up for the self defense class?”

They all nodded or answered ‘yes’.  Puck added, “Elliott co-teaches it with the counselor, Nathan Dowers, whose clinic sponsors it.”

“That’s great.  How did you two meet?”  Sebastian asked, motioning between Puck and Elliott.  

“We’re in Statistics together,”  Elliott answered.

“He thinks I’m a mystery.  An enigma,”  Puck smiled.  

Kurt nodded, “I can totally see that.  You, of all people, are not who I would have pictured being one of my best friends when we first met.”  He looked at Elliott, “He’s a sweetie.  Don’t let him fool you.”

“Mmm, yeah, but you also don’t want to mess with him or the people he loves,”  Seb added.

“True.  Which adds to the ‘sweetness’,”  Kurt smiled.  

“And he’s alllll mine…” Sugar smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.

“That’s right, Sug.”  Puck squeezed back and kissed her sweetly.

“You guys are too cute,”  Elliott sighed. “All of you make me wish I wasn’t single.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt and smiled.  He could tell that his Cupid was already thinking of how that could change that.  To his surprise, Kurt said nothing… So neither did he.  

The five them chatted for a few more minutes.  Elliott found out where Kurt and Sebastian went to school and what they’re majoring in, and vice versa.  Sugar and Puck told Elliott all about the bakery. After awhile, they walked as they talked, and soon enough, they were in the community room of the library, which was catty corner from Washington Square.  There were six other students, and one man in his thirties that Puck assumed was the therapist.  The students were all female but one.  

Elliott went up to the front of the room to talk with Nathan Dowers, while the others all took a seat in the folding chairs that had been set up in a circle at the center of the room.

Once it was time to start, the counselor stood, “Good afternoon everyone.  I’m Nathan Dowers. You can call me Nate. I’m a counselor at Lifeway Counseling.  Lifeway is sponsoring this group, so you’ll see their logo plastered everywhere. This is a free class, and completely voluntary, so feel free to just come when you can.  However, we will be building our skills and progressing each week, so I think it’s best if you try to make it each time. Now because this is sponsored by Lifeway, and I am a licensed therapist, we will spend some time talking at the beginning of each week.  Feel free to share what you’re comfortable with.  We in no way want to pressure you.  It is a safe space, and everything you say is expected to stay within this room, so please keep that in mind if someone does share their story.  It’s a common courtesy.  So, that’s my spiel.  I’d now like to introduce you to Elliott Gilbert.” He gestured to Elliott.

“Hi everyone.  I’m Elliott.  I’ll be teaching the self defense part of this class.  Nate will help out when needed. I’ve been training in Krav Maga for 5 years now, and I have my black belt.  I’m aware that this is not a martial arts class, but we will be using some of the same skills.  I became certified to teach self defense last year when Nate and I had the idea to offer this class to local college students.  As Nate said, we’ll start out simple, and build on that each week.  We are really hopeful that this class with be healing and helpful.  We want to give you enough skills to help you feel a little more confident in uncomfortable situations.”

Nate nodded and stood again, “We’d like to start today's class with introductions.  We’ll go around the circle and you can tell us your name, and maybe some basics about yourself, like your school and major.  If you’re comfortable with it, you can tell us why you are taking this class.  Maybe something has happened to you, or someone you love.  Maybe you are just a nervous person who needs to feel a bit more confident. Whatever the case, please share whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“I’ll start,”  Elliott said. “As I said, my name is Elliott.  I’m a sophomore at NYU, majoring in Graphic Arts.  I started learning Krav Maga and self defense when I was 15 because I had been molested by my uncle’s best friend.  He had been a ‘family friend’ for as long as I can remember.  When I came out as gay at the age of 14, he decided that was the perfect opportunity to have what he said was ‘just a little fun’.  He was a huge guy, and as much as I tried to fight, it made no difference. But if I had known what I know now, it wouldn’t have mattered that he was three times my size. I could have stopped him.  Then, in my senior year of high school, I was in an abusive relationship with an older guy. It didn’t end well. So that’s why I’m here. I want to empower you to be able to stop someone if needed.” Sebastian put his arm on the back of Kurt’s chair and rubbed his back.  Puck was holding Sugar’s hand, stroking her knuckles as he listened.

Elliott looked at the girl next to him.  She nodded, “My name is Jenna.” She had long, curly, brown hair and dark eyes.  She had adorable dimples if you could catch her smiling. “I’m a sophomore at NYU, majoring in Business.  I’m here because I’m terrified of the city,” she chuckled dryly. “I told my parents I could do it, but last year, I basically stayed in my dorm if I wasn’t in class. I didn’t make any friends because of it.  My friends back home in Oklahoma asked me how I like the big city. They were so impressed that I’m here on my own.  I lied and told them it was great.  I thought maybe if I felt more confident, I could make it so that wasn’t really a lie.”

Nate smiled a kind smile, “Thanks for sharing, Jenna.  Hopefully this class is just what you need.”

Next to Jenna was a small-framed guy with bright red hair.  He sighed, “My name is Zachariah. Most people call me Riah.  I’m a freshman at NYU. Undeclared. I got picked on a lot in high school, because, let’s face it, it was easy to do.  I just don’t want to let that keep going through college. I want to be able to use physical skills if my words don’t work.”

“I’m sure Elliott will be able to help you with that, Riah.  Thank you for sharing,” Nate said, sympathetically.

The girl next to Riah gave a sly smile.  She was African American, with shoulder length curls and extra long eyelashes.  She waved her well manicured hand, “I’m Bahati. I’m a sophomore at Barnard College, majoring in Theater Arts with a minor in Dance.  Luckily, I don’t have a sad backstory, other than men can be assholes.  I really just want to be able to kick ass if I need to. So, when I saw the flyer outside one of my classes, I figured, why not, ya know?”  Kurt gave a small smile. She reminded him of Santana. Nate thanked her, and then looked to the next girl.

Next to Bahati was a beautiful girl with auburn hair and dark brown eyes.  She had a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose. She had a petite build that reminded Puck of Sugar.  She gave a small, shy, grin, and in a thick Southern accent, said, “I’m Dallas.  Yes, Daddy is so loyal to the almighty State of Texas that he named me ‘Dallas’,” she lovingly rolled her eyes.  “I’m a sophomore at NYU, studying Graphic Arts. Elliott told me about the class. I went on a date with a guy last year that got pretty handsy. It was very much unwelcomed, and it kinda caused me to not trust the guys that I’ve dated since.  I want to know that I can hold my own, ya know?  Maybe it’ll help me open up to my dates again, and actually get to know them a little. I’ve been pretty guarded, I guess. It’s hard to find love when you’ve built up pretty high walls to keep people at a ‘safe’ distance.” Nate thanked her as well, then looked at Puck.

Puck nodded then said, “I’m Puck.  I’m a freshman at NYU, majoring in Business.  I’m taking the class to help and support my girlfriend, Sugar.  I wanted her to take the class to give us both some peace of mind.  Same for my friend, Kurt.  They’ve been through a lot, and I think it would be good for them.”  

Nate smiled, “That’s very thoughtful of you, Puck.”

They all looked at Sugar.  She gave a small smile, “I’m Sugar.  I’m not going to school, but I’m opening a bakery soon.  Puck is studying business so we can run it on our own someday.  Um… I’m taking the class because I agree with Puck that it’ll give me some skill and confidence in defending myself.  I was sexually assaulted in the Spring.” She took a deep breath and looked Kurt, reaching for his hand, which he immediately offered, “Kurt saved me.  I wish I would have known what to do so that neither of us would have gotten hurt.  I don’t want anything like that to ever happen again.”  

Kurt squeezed her hand and bent over to kiss her on the cheek.  He whispered, “You did well, Sug.” He knew she was nervous about sharing.  She gave him a small smile and a nod.

Nate looked at her, “Thank you, Sugar.  I’m sure you’ll feel confident at the end of this course.  It’s good that you had help when you needed it.” He looked at Kurt.

Sebastian continued to rub Kurt’s back, silently giving him strength.  Kurt began, “My name is Kurt.  I’m a freshman at Parsons, studying Fashion Design.  I’m taking the class to support Sugar, but also to build my own skills and become more confident in them.”  He looked at Riah, “I’ve also been physically bullied, too.  Tends to happen when you’re the only out gay kid in small town Ohio.”  He looked back to Nate, “I’ve been both assaulted and sexually assaulted. Apparently I don’t fight well.”

Sugar shook her head and frowned, “Don’t say that, Angel.  You fought well enough to save me.”

Kurt looked at her gave a small nod, “Yeah.”  She squeezed his hand. 

Nate said, “Even with better fighting skills, sometimes the bad guy still wins.  But, the more you learn, the less there’s a chance of that. Thank you for sharing, Kurt.  We’re glad you’re here.” Kurt nodded.  

Everyone looked to Sebastian.  “I’m Sebastian. I’m a freshman at Columbia, majoring in Pre Med.  I’m Kurt’s fiance, and Puck and Sugar are our best friends.  I’m here to support all of them, but to build skills as well.  I’d like to learn how to defend myself, or someone I love, without breaking any of my own bones this time.” Kurt put his hand on his thigh and smiled a little at him.  Seb winked back at Kurt. Elliott smirked. “I’d like us all to be better skilled by the time Kurt’s ex gets out of prison.” Elliott took a deep breath and looked at Kurt.  He wondered what the story was. Nate thanked Sebastian for sharing, and moved on.

The young woman sitting on the other side of Sebastian was a blonde, with a thicker build.  She waved when Nate looked at her and said, “My name is Andrea, but call me Andy. I’m a sophomore at Pace University, and I’m studying Advertising.  I’m pretty much here for the same reasons as everyone else. I was in an abusive relationship in high school. My new boyfriend is great, and he encouraged me to come to this class when I told him about it.  So here I am.”

Nate thanked her and moved on to the last student.  She was a bit masculine, and had a cute pixie cut hairstyle that she had dyed blues, greens, and purples.  She gave a nod of her head, then spoke, “I’m Lex. I’m a Junior at Pace, majoring in Chemistry. That’s all I’ve got.”

Nate smiled, “And that’s just fine, Lex.  We’re glad you’re here.” Nate looked around the room, “Many of you mentioned sexual assault.  I want you to know that you are not alone in this statistic. Among undergraduate aged students, 23.1% of females, and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.  Those stats may seem high, but they are actually lower than they were twenty years ago. The saddest part to me is that over 70% of any kind of assault, goes unreported.” Kurt was fidgeting a bit, and Sebastian wrapped his arm around him a little tighter. Nate continued, “Please, if anything happens to you, you need to report it.  It will not stop the assailant from doing it again to you, or to someone else, if it’s not reported.”

Elliott leaned forward, “So, today we’re going to start our journey to being able to protect ourselves a little better.  Hopefully you’re going to leave here with a better understanding of how to escape a couple of the typical holds someone may have on you.  We’re going to do some partner work. If you are not comfortable being touched, you can stand back and watch others, but I really encourage you to give it a try.  Remember, this is a safe place.” He stood and moved his chair to the side, and the rest of the class followed. “Nate is going to be my partner…”  

They demonstrated three typical holds and how to get out of them.  The students paired up and practiced with each other while Elliott and Nate came around and worked on technique with each pair.  There were times when smaller students couldn’t do a hold on taller students, so they would temporarily change partners.  

Elliott came to Kurt and Sebastian, “Kurt, try raising your hands up a little higher on Sebastian’s arms.  That way when he pulls, you have more leverage.”

“Like this?”

“Can I touch your hands?”  Elliott asked. Kurt said ‘yes’, so he looked at Seb, “Can I touch your arms?”

“Sure.  Thanks for asking,”  Sebastian answered, and in his book, Elliott gained even more respect for asking before he touched either of them.

By the end of class, Kurt and Sugar were already feeling a little more confident.  Puck and Sebastian were, as well, but they were just happy that they could tell a difference in their partners already.  

On the way home, Seb asked Kurt, “Did you like it, Babe?  I thought it was helpful.”

“I did like it.  It’s definitely helpful.  I thought it was sad that there were so many of us that have had issues, but then with the statistics Nate gave, I guess that wasn’t even a drop in the bucket.”  Sebastian agreed.

“I liked it.  I think Elliott seems like a cool dude.  I wonder what his full story is,” Puck said as they entered the subway.

“He was nice.  I like the class, too.  It’ll help me feel better while you’re at school, Hun.”

Puck pulled her into him, “Good.”  He kissed her forehead. 

Sebastian sat rubbing his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles, thinking of what it was going to be like, and how much he was going to worry, when Blaine got out of prison.  

Back in Ohio, sitting in a cell in the Chillicothe Correctional Institute, Blaine sat reading a book about New York City.  His mind barely focusing on the words in front of his eyes.  All he could think about was Kurt and Sebastian.

Chapter Text

The group of friends had discovered a cute little cafe called Zip’s that was nicely situated in between Parsons and NYU.  It was quickly becoming their go-to location when they were able to meet up for lunch. The cafe had soups, salads, and lite sandwiches that everyone thought were the perfect amount, and the prices were college student friendly.  Kurt, Chris, and Sugar decided to meet for lunch.

“Hey!”  Kurt smiled as Chris walked in and stood to greet him with a hug.  He had gotten Chris his favorite sandwich.

“Hey!  Thanks for the sandwich.  Sugar’s not here yet?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  She doesn’t think she’s going to make it.  She’s getting her industrial mixer today, and it hadn’t arrived yet, as of ten minutes ago.”

“Wow, the bakery is really coming together.”

“It is.  I just wish the apartment would.  Not that I want them to leave us… I think it’ll actually be hard when they do… But she’s so aggravated with it’s so slow progress, and it’s stressing her out.”

Chris nodded, “I’m sure it’s hard that she’s not in control and it’s not going like she wants.  I’m sure she’s really anxious.”  

“Yeah.  We’re having fun buying seasonal stuff for the windows of the bakery, though.  That always seems to cheer her up.”

Chris smiled, “I’m sure it does.” 

“So how have you been?  It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve seen you.  Classes still going well?”

Chris nodded as he finished his bite of food, “Yeah.  Classes are good. Cheer is getting better now that classes have started.  Cheer Camp was a bitch. How about you? Liking Parsons?”

Kurt nodded, “I love it.  I’m so glad it’s what I chose.  I’m meeting some nice people, too. There’s one girl, Channing, who’s in a lot of my classes.  We’ve been hanging out on campus and getting coffee sometimes. She’s a lot of fun. I can’t wait to introduce her to everyone.  Especially Sugar. How’s dating life? Find any more fish?”

Chris chuckled, “Yes, actually.  The pond of Urbana was all dried up, but New York is no pond, and it seems to be flourishing.  I went out with a different guy last weekend. Much better than the first, but I’m not convinced he’s a keeper just yet.  We do have a second date planned for tomorrow night, though. We’re going to an art exhibit in SoHo. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

Kurt nodded, “How are you meeting these guys?  I mean, you’re not obviously gay, so is it you who talks to them first, or do they talk to you first?  How does it all work?”

Chris chuckled, “It’s definitely not the movie version.  But, so far, it’s been them flirting with me first. Maybe they just have good gaydar?” he shrugged.  “It’s weird, because I’m such a flirt, and I’m used to being the one to initiate it.  But so far, that’s not the case.”

“You’re a good catch, Chris.  Make sure any fish you decide to keep, and not throw back, is worthy.”

“I’m taste testing different species of fish right now.  So far, nothing hits my taste buds just right.” Chris was laughing by the time he finished his sentence, because Kurt’s eyes had widened.  He continued, “I’m not planning on actually tasting all of them, Kurt.”

Kurt’s eyebrows were still raised, and his eyes still slightly wide, “I hope not!  But I won’t slut-shame you if you do. Just… be careful, yeah?”

Chris nodded as he chuckled, “Of course.”  He became a bit more serious, “Thad is the only person I’ve ever been with.  I’m not going to throw myself around. I may date all of the single gay men in New York, but I’m not going to sleep with them all.”

Kurt nodded, “I just worry about you.  It’s in my nature. I want you to be happy and healthy.”

Chris gave a small smile, “I know.” He loved that Kurt cared about him enough to make sure he was being safe.  He changed the subject, “So have you and Seb made any wedding plans yet?”

Kurt smiled, “Nothing official yet.  We’ve decided to have it at the Smythe’s in Ohio.  And of course Sugar is making the cake.”

Chris made a face, “Of course.  I think everyone would be disappointed it she didn’t.”

Kurt chuckled, “True.  We’ll rent one of those big fancy tents that has windows.  I think it’ll be beautiful.  Their gardens are so pretty. Then maybe we can put extra lights around in the trees, and create little niches for people to go to outside of the tent.”

“Candles in the pool would be cool.”  

“Ooooh, I like that idea.  Candles and twinkle lights everywhere.  It’ll be romantic and beautiful.”

Chris smiled, “Sounds perfect.”

~

Sebastian sat at the table in his Cell and Molecular Biology Lab.  He had his textbook out and was rereading the assignment from the previous class.  A guy sat down in the empty seat next to him, “Hey. You’re in my Statistics and Introductory Psychology classes too.  I’m Hayden,” he stuck out his hand for Seb to shake.

He smiled as he shook his hand, “Sebastian Smythe.  It’s nice to meet you, Hayden. Got a last name?”

Hayden smiled as he nodded, “Bradley.  Hayden Bradley.”

Sebastian smiled and repeated, “It’s nice to meet you Hayden Bradley.  So PreMed. Do you have a specialty focus?”

Hayden nodded, “Pediatrics.”

“Me too.  So where are you from?  Do I hear a slight hint of a southern accent?”

“Probably.  I’m from Maysville, Kentucky.  It’s a little town across the river from Ohio.  It’s a little over an hour East from Cincinnati and Lexington, both.  How about you?”

“Westerville, Ohio.”

“So, Midwest, huh?  How’s the big city treating you?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Well, I spent 3 years of high school in Paris.  And I’m a third generation Columbia student, coming here fairly often, so I was pretty used to New York.  I think living in Ohio was more of an adjustment than living here has been. How’s it treating you?”

“It’s been a culture shock, honestly.  We didn’t go to the city much. And of course, Cincinnati and Lexington are nothing compared to New York when it comes to size.  So, basically, this small town boy is just trying to adjust. I love it, though, don’t get me wrong. I feel like it’s a hidden treasure that’s been kept from me all my life.”

Sebastian smiled, “That’s a good analogy.  I’m glad you’re liking it.”

Class started soon after, and Sebastian worked with Hayden during the lab.  They got along really well, and worked in a similar manner, making it easy to be lab partners.  

After class, Sebastian and Hayden walked across the green together on their way to Statistics.  Hayden pointed to Sebastian’s ring, “Are you married?”

Seb smiled and shook his head, “Engaged.  We’re getting married next summer.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“It was a year yesterday, actually,”  Seb smiled, thinking of the romantic dinner they had had the night before. 

Hayden smiled at the way Sebastian lit up, “That’s great.  Does she go to Columbia too?”

Sebastian smirked, “No, he doesn’t.  He goes to Parsons for fashion design.”

Hayden’s eyebrows rose, “Huh.”

“Huh?”  Sebastian raised his brows in return.

Hayden shrugged, “I think you’re the first gay person I’ve met.  At least that I know of.”

Sebastian chuckled and made a questioning face, “Really?”

Hayden gave him a look, “I’m guessing small town Ohio wasn’t the best place to be gay?  Imagine Kentucky. I’m sure if anyone at my high school were gay, they stayed in the closet for a good reason.  A sad reason, but still.”

Sebastian nodded, “I suppose so.  My fiance went to public school for a good part of high school and had a hard time.  He’s… more obvious than me. I went to a private school and didn’t have a problem. And in Paris, it’s much more widely accepted.”

“What’s your fiance’s name?”

Sebastian smiled, “Kurt.”

“Did you get engaged while you were still in high school?”

Seb shook his head, “No.  I asked him while we were in Paris over the summer.”

Hayden smirked, “I’m assuming you don’t mean Paris, Kentucky when you refer to ‘Paris’.”

Sebastian laughed, “You would be assuming correctly.  My mother’s family is from Paris, France.”

Hayden smiled, “Fancy.”

Sebastian cringed a bit when Dave Karofsky’s face flashed in his mind’s eye.  He had been thinking of Dave and Blaine a lot lately...Ever since the previous Wednesday when they started the self defense class.  He made a mental note that he would have to check and make sure Kurt was okay, and that his thoughts/memories weren’t getting the best of him.

“Hey, you okay?”  Hayden noticed that Sebastian had zoned out.

“Yeah, sorry.”  He changed the subject back to Hayden, “How about you?  Seeing anyone special?”

Hayden sighed, “No.  I had a girlfriend named Annabelle for two years back in high school.  We broke up just before Christmas our senior year. That last semester of school was emotionally brutal.  But, not having her is what kinda pushed me to choose Columbia. I wanted to get away. Start over. I’m a bit nervous about dating again.  I’m a one woman man for the long haul type of guy. Dating a bunch of people to find a good fit, especially in the big city, kinda makes me nervous.”

Sebastian nodded, “Starting over can be really great, though.  That’s what it felt like when I moved to Ohio. It was a fresh start in a fresh place.  And when you open yourself up like that, sometimes it allows great things to happen.”

Hayden smiled and looked at Sebastian, “Kurt?”

Sebastian smiled and nodded, “Kurt.”

~

Puck and Elliott had gone to Washington Square again to wait for Sugar, Kurt, and Sebastian.  They were chatting when Puck looked up and frowned.  

Kurt walked up to them and quickly hugged Puck, “The mixer arrived late, Noah.  Don’t worry. Bas is stopping by to get her again.”

Puck looked relieved, “Okay, good.  She’s still a little nervous on her own, but she’s getting there.  Did she not make it to lunch with you and Chris?”

“Nope.  She was still waiting on the mixer.   It was just Chris and I.” Kurt turned to Elliott, “Hi, Elliott.  How have you been?”

Elliott smiled, “Good.  How about you?”

Kurt nodded as he sat next to Elliott on the wall of the fountain, “Good.”

Elliott looked at Puck, “Hopefully this class will help Sugar feel more comfortable when she’s out by herself.”

Puck nodded, “Yeah.  She’s doing better. We didn’t really know it was an issue until school started.  She had never really been on her own. I know we told you about the bakery, but Sugar’s family bought the entire building.  The top floor is an apartment that’s being refurbished for us. It’s not finished yet, so we’re living with Princess and Seb for awhile.  Which means that when she needs to be at the bakery for deliveries, or to meet with the company that is helping us get it off the ground, she often has to get there alone.”

Kurt added, “I told her to take a taxi until she feels better, but she’s determined not to.  Since it’s only a ten minute subway commute, she wants to do it on her own when she has to.”

Elliott said, “Well, today’s class should be helpful then.  Nate will be talking about being on your own in the city.” Puck and Kurt nodded.  Elliott sighed and shook his head, “Four people living in one apartment. That must be a tight squeeze.”

Puck smiled and Kurt bit his lip before chuckling a little, “We make it work.”

A few minutes later, Sebastian and Sugar came walking through the arch again.  This time they were holding hands. Elliott smiled and then smiled bigger when he saw the love in Puck and Kurt’s faces as they watched their partners approach.  

He sighed, “You all make me jealous.  Not much makes me jealous, but you guys do.”

Puck clapped Elliott on the back, but didn’t say anything.

“Hi, Love,”  Kurt greeted Sebastian as he neared.  

“Hi, Baby,”  Sebastian leaned down for a quick kiss.  He quickly greeted Elliott and Puck, as did Sugar.  He looked back to Kurt, “How were classes today?”  

“Good.  How were yours?”

Sebastian nodded, “Good.”  He spoke to the group, “This guy, Hayden, started talking to me today.  He’s in a lot of my classes. He seems really nice, and funny too. Anyway, he saw my ring and asked if I was married.  I told ‘no’, and that I’m engaged, and we continued talking. He assumed I was engaged to a girl, and when I corrected him he said, ‘Huh’.”

Kurt interrupted, “Huh?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Yep.  ‘Huh’. As casually as can be, he said I was the first gay person he’d ever met.”

Elliott’s eyes widened, “And he lives in New York?!”

Seb chuckled again, “Yeah, but he’s from a small town in Kentucky.  He made a point that if anyone at his school was gay, they probably stayed in the closet until after high school. It’s sad, but at the same time, I was very entertained by the fact that he was so casual about it.  No big deal.”

“Well, if you guys become friends, then he’ll meet all sorts of gay people,”  Kurt chuckled.

Puck frowned, “You know… I never really thought about that.  Of all the people we know who came to New York or Boston, only one other couple is straight besides Sugar and I.  And it seems a lot of people we’re meeting are gay too.”

Kurt frowned a bit and nodded, “You’re right.  I guess Hayden not knowing any people isn’t really all that surprising.  I mean, until two years ago, I didn’t know any other gay people. I mean, I knew some, but they weren’t out.  I bet it’s the same for Hayden.”

“Welp!”  Elliott said, “Now you know one more.  Puck, I think it’s great that you didn’t really think about that.  That just shows that you aren’t prejudice against gay people.”

Puck shrugged, “Nah, doesn’t bother me any.”

They made their way to class a few minutes early.  Sugar was happy to see Jenna was there already. She walked up and sat next to her, “Hi.  Jenna, right?”

Jenna smiled a little and nodded, “Right.  Sugar?”

Sugar smiled, “Yeah.  So, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet for lunch one day?  Or maybe even come over for dinner? Since I don’t go to school, it’s harder for me to meet new people.  And since it’s been hard for you, I thought maybe we could join forces. They guys could come too, if that makes you feel safer.  If you come for dinner, they’re a package deal since we all live together at the moment.”

“Um… that would be really nice.  We can try for lunch?”

“Great!  Why don’t we exchange numbers, and you can text me what days and times work best for you.  Right now, I’m pretty open, unless there’s another delivery soon. But I don’t think there is until next Tuesday.”

“Okay.”  Jenna handed Sugar her phone, and Sugar handed Jenna hers.  

As they were entering their information, Puck came up and sat next to Sugar.  He smiled, “Hi, Jenna.”

She blushed a little, “Hi.”

Nate began the class with everyone going around the circle and telling everyone their name again, then telling the group how they feel when they’re out on their own in the city.

When it got to Jenna she said, “I’m Jenna.  I don’t really go out much. But when I have to, I get really nervous.  I don’t feel like I belong here. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb.  But I also feel weak, like I look like an easy target.”

Sugar said, “I’m Sugar.  I didn’t know I had a problem with it, until my boys started school.”  Everyone smiled a bit at her reference. She continued, “I’m not super comfortable being alone when I’m out and about.  At home I’m fine. With any of my boys, I’m fine. But by myself, I get nervous. I’m getting better though.”

Puck shrugged and shook his head, “I’m Puck.  I don’t really get nervous.”

Kurt started, “I’m Kurt.”  He gave a little shrug, “During the day, I’m just fine.  I get a little nervous at night. But honestly, there haven’t been many times when I’ve been on my own at night.  There are certain situations that I have to be careful in, no matter what time of day. I have PTSD, and have been triggered a few times, leading to panic attacks.  I’ve only had one since last school year. That was just over a week ago.”

Nate gave a nod.  “If you don’t mind me asking, how often did you get them before school let out?”

Kurt shrugged, “Too often.”  Nate nodded. Elliott became even more curious about what Kurt’s story was.

Sebastian was next, “I’m Sebastian.  When I’m by myself, I don’t get nervous.  I’m pretty used to city life. But sometimes I do get nervous when I’m out at night with Kurt in certain situations. Only because I know what’s triggered him in the past, so we’re really careful around those situations.  However, this last time was something new. I also get nervous when he’s out by himself, because he’s never been alone when he’s had a panic attack. I hope he’d be able to get his breathing under control on his own, but it’s something I think we both worry about.”  He looked at Kurt.

Kurt nodded, “Last time I fainted first.  When I woke up, I panicked. I don’t know what I’d do without my family there to calm me.”

The class continued with people’s responses, and then Elliott took over with more skills and techniques.  They reviewed what they had learned the week prior, then learned how to do a sweep, where they could kick the assailant’s legs out from under them.  

When class was over, and everyone left, Elliott stayed to talk to Nate.  “I worry about Kurt.”

Nate nodded, “I do too.  I think his case is a little more complicated than the others in class.  But at least he has a good support system.”

“Yeah, that he does.”

……………….

On Friday, Kurt had left campus and was headed down the street toward the subway.  He was lost in thought when he suddenly heard a woman’s voice, “Son of a bitch! Now what am I going to do?!”  She was out of her car and walking toward the hood that had bellows of smoke coming out through every open crevice.  

Kurt ran over as he said, “What you’re not going to do, is get that Dolce & Gabbana dress all smokey.  Back up.” She looked at him, confused for a second, but backed up.  He continued, “Can you pop the hood?”

“Sure.” She frowned, “But you’ll get your clothes all smokey too.”  

Kurt shrugged. “I made this.  It didn’t cost $1,700 like your dress did.”  

She raised her eyebrows and looked him up and down quickly, then got in her car and looked for the latch that would pop the hood.

Kurt yelled to her, “Try the dash, lower left side.”

She found it and pulled the lever.  Kurt pushed the hood open and braced it with the bar.  He stepped back and let some of the smoke escape before looking around in the engine for a minute, leaning over to get a better look.  Once he leaned back out, he said, “Luckily, you've just got an oil leak. All you need to do is replace this broken valve cover gasket.  It’s fast and cheap. If you have AAA, just tell what you need, and they should be able to bring here and fix it on the spot.”  

As Kurt was working, the woman had been watching, but mostly she was checking out the clothes he was wearing.  When he finished, she smiled and offered her hand, “Isabelle Wright. Who might you be?”

Kurt’s eyes widened as he shook her hand, “Isabelle Wright, as in Vogue’s Isabelle Wright?”

She smiled and gave a small chuckle, “Yes.  Now tell me the name of this superhero in front of me that knows fashion and cars.”

“Oh!  My name is Kurt Hummel.”

She smiled and eyed his clothes again, “So, Kurt Hummel, did you really make this yourself?  The lines are fantastic,” She ran her hand across Kurt’s shoulder, “And the craftsmanship is so well executed.”  

“I did.  I make a lot of my own clothes.”  Kurt just stood and looked at her, trying to grasp what was happening.

She looked him in the eye and cocked her eyebrow, “And the car?”

Kurt was still standing motionless, nearly in shock.  He was glad his brain was functioning enough to answer her questions, “My dad owns a garage.  I grew up learning to fix cars. I have my mechanics license.”

Isabelle studied him for a minute, “So...You love fashion enough to know who I am, what designer made my dress, and how much it costs.  You are talented enough to make your own clothes… And you have a mechanics license.” She paused and frowned a bit, “Where on Earth are you from?”

Kurt smiled and raised his eyebrows as he shrugged his shoulders, “Ohio.” 

Isabelle laughed, “Me too.”

 “Really?”  Kurt asked, sounding surprised.

“Yeah.  Columbus.  What about you?”

“Lima.”

Isabelle shook her head, “I’m glad you escaped.  Someone like you was destined for more than Lima could possibly offer you.  What are you doing here in New York? Do you go to school?” She put her hand up to stop him from answering, “Never mind.  Don’t answer that yet. How about, as a thank you for saving my dress, and diagnosing my car, I take you to dinner. It won’t be a nice homemade meal like in Ohio... God, I miss those… But it’s my treat.”

Kurt was finally coming out of his trance completely now.  Everything she said was sinking in, “Well, how about I make you a nice home cooked meal?  I have a pot roast in the crock pot at home.  My fiance and I were planning on staying in tonight.  Our best friends are living with us while their place gets remodeled, and they’re making dessert.  I’d love for you to join us. I promise the dessert alone will be worth it. We could go now, if you’d like.”

“Seriously?”  She asked. Kurt nodded.  She narrowed her eyes a bit and asked, “How far?”  She liked Kurt right away, but wasn’t about to follow him to the slums.  

“Upper West Side.  Just a few subway stops away.”

Isabelle thought for a minute, then answered, “Okay.  Let me call my office and have them send someone down to stay with the car and wait for AAA to show up.”  

“Okay.  I’ll call Bas and tell him I’m bringing home a woman.  He’ll be shocked,” Kurt smiled, and Isabelle laughed.

Isabelle called her assistant and told them to call AAA, gave her membership number, told them what part the car needed, and told them where to come meet her while Kurt called Sebastian.

“Hey, Babe.  Are you on your way home?”  Sebastian answered.

“Yes, but I’m bringing company for dinner.  Isabelle Wright, from Vogue.com. It’s a long story, and I’ll explain when we get there, but I wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Wow...Okay.  I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah.  Maybe 20 minutes?”

“Okay, we’ve got this.  Love you.”

“Love you too, Bas.”

As soon as Sebastian hung up, he left the office where he had been studying and went into the kitchen where Sugar was mixing the ingredients for dessert. “Sugar, Kurt will be here in 20 minutes, and he’s bringing a guest.  Someone from Vogue. He said he’ll explain when he gets here. I’m going to go change. Can you make sure the kitchen is cleaned up?”

“Woah...Vogue?  He’s probably flipping out!”  Sugar rushed to clean up some flour and egg shells.

“He sounded kind of calm, actually.  But I still want to make sure everything goes well, and we look presentable. I’ll go tell Puck.”  Sebastian went out onto the terrace where Puck was studying. “Hey.”

“Hey,”  Puck said, looking up from his book.

“Kurt called and said he’s bringing home someone from Vogue to eat dinner with us.  He said he’d explain when he gets here, but I think we should both go change. He’ll be here in about 20 minutes.”

“Shit. Vogue?  Yeah, he’d kill me if they showed up and I was wearing a vintage Rush t-shirt and jeans.”  Puck was getting up as they spoke.

“Yeah, he would,”  Sebastian chuckled.  

They both went upstairs and changed.  Sebastian chose the green shirt that Kurt had made him. He paired it with dark grey dress slacks, a black belt, and black shoes.  

Puck wore a deep red Marc Jacobs shirt and black dress pants that Kurt bought him.  Kurt had said it was his color, and that he needed in case they went somewhere fancy.  Puck didn’t think he’d be going anywhere fancy, but now he was glad he had it.  

Sugar freshened her makeup, and put on a nice Juliet Dunn dress that she paired it with a coordinating cardigan and necklace.  

They were all finished getting ready within a record breaking 10 minutes.  Sebastian was impressed. He double checked, making sure everything was clean.  Living with Kurt, it always was. He went to the kitchen and started chopping salad as Sugar and Puck finished cleaning up from Sugar’s baking.

Kurt and Isabelle got off the subway and started walking toward the penthouse.  When they approached the building, Isabelle raised an eyebrow, “Seriously?”

Kurt chuckled, “Yeah, I know.”

Raymond opened the door, “Welcome home, Mr. Hummel.”

“Thank you, Raymond.”  

In the lobby, George greeted, “Good evening, Mr. Hummel.”

As Kurt passed, he said, “Hi George.  Have a nice night.”  

“You too, Mr. Hummel.”

In the elevator, Kurt swiped his card and entered the code.  He looked at Isabelle, who was just looking at him with wonder.  He smiled, “I know. I’m full of surprises. I don’t fit in any box.”

“I see that.  This is not what I was expecting from someone who said he’s from Lima, Ohio.”

Kurt laughed, “Most of Lima, Ohio would be just as surprised.  Trust me.”

The doors opened and Kurt ushered Isabelle in.  

“Wow.  This is beautiful,”  Isabelle said, looking around.

“Not as beautiful as the people in it,”  Kurt smiled. “Come on, let me introduce you.”  He walked over to the dining room area, and Isabelle followed.  “Everyone, this is Isabelle Wright. Ms. Wright, this is my fiance, Sebastian Smythe, and our best friends, Noah Puckerman and Sugar Motta.”  Everyone said hello and shook hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.  Please, call me Isabelle,” she smiled.  “Kurt here saved the day. He diagnosed my car, and saved my designer dressed from getting ruined with smoke.”  

They all chuckled, which was very telling to Isabelle.

“That sounds like Kurt,”  Sebastian smiled. Kurt excused himself so he could change out of the shirt that smelled like smoke. 

“Your dress is lovely.  It would be a tragedy to have ruined it with smoke.”  Sugar smiled.  

“Thank you,”  Isabelle said, “Your dress is lovely as well.  Dunn is one of my favorite young designers.

“Thank you!”  Sugar said.

“Please, Isabelle, have a seat.  We’re just getting ready to put dinner on the table,”  Sebastian smiled.

Puck had already put the pot roast in a serving dish, and Sebastian had put the salad and mashed potatoes in serving bowls.  They carried them to the table as Sugar got the cake out of the oven and let it cool.  

Kurt came down wearing a McQueen shirt and dress pants. He quickly took his clothes that were smokey and put them in the wash before returning to join everyone.  They sat down and began their meal.

“So are you all from Lima, Ohio?”  Isabelle asked.

“Yes.  Well, Sebastian is from Westerville,”  Sugar answered.

“And did you all go to school together?”  She gestured to Kurt, Puck, and Sugar.

“Yes, sort of.  Noah and Sugar and I went to McKinley High School together, and then I transferred to Dalton Academy where Bas was going to school.”  

“Oh, I’ve heard of Dalton Academy.”  Isabelle smiled.

“Really?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yes, I’m from Columbus.”

“Small world!”  Sebastian smiled.

Isabelle smiled, “So is Dalton how the two of you met?”

“No.  We had met before that, actually.  Sebastian came to my rescue when I needed it.  We were dating before I transferred. Let’s just say public school in small town Ohio wasn’t working for someone like me.  That’s why I transferred.” Kurt answered.  

“I see.  Well, hopefully the big city is working out better for you.”  Isabelle smiled a soft knowing smile.

“It is.  I love it here.”  Kurt returned her smile. 

“So, Kurt, I’m assuming you are going to school for fashion design, since you made the shirt you had on earlier?”

“I am.  I’m a student at Parsons.”  Kurt nodded.

Puck jumped in, “He received a full scholarship.  He was also accepted at NYADA and FIT.”

Isabelle’s eyebrows shot up, “Wow!  You really are multi-talented.”

Kurt blushed and shrugged his shoulders, “I guess?”

“He is.  Don’t let his modesty fool you.  In his senior year alone he won two National championships because of his incredible voice...and he made the shirt I’m wearing,”  Sebastian beamed.

“Another Kurt Hummel creation.  It’s very nice. Love the stitching designs.  Unique, but subtle.”

“Thank you,”  Kurt said shyly.

She turned to Sebastian, “What about you, Sebastian?  Where do you go to school?”

“I’m a Pre Med student at Columbia.”

“Wow.”  Isabelle made a face like she was really impressed.

“Noah?  Sugar? What about you two?  Are you students as well?”

Noah nodded, “I’m a business student at NYU.”

Sugar added, “I’m a baker.  We’re opening a bakery called The Sugar Shack in a few months.”

“Wait until you taste a Sugar Shack special. It’s Heaven on Earth,”  Kurt bragged.  

They chatted some more throughout dinner.  When everyone was finished, Puck and Sebastian cleared the plates, and Sugar frosted the cake.  She sliced it and put a piece on a small plate for each person. Kurt went over and grabbed two at a time, placing them in front of each seat.

Sebastian said, “Sugar’s family is remodeling a building in Chelsea.  The ground level will be home to The Sugar Shack. They’ll live in one of the apartments upstairs, when it’s finished.  Puck is studying business so they can run it on their own one day.”

Once everyone was seated, they began to eat.  Isabelle’s eyes widened, and the group all grinned,  ”Oh. My. God.... Sugar! This is the best cake I have ever eaten!”

“Thank you!”  Sugar smiled.  

“Well, you have a loyal customer already, Sugar.  I will be there, for sure. And I’ll bring everyone I know.”  Isabelle smiled.

“Thank you so much!”  Sugar beamed.

Isabelle looked between Puck and Sugar, “Are you two…”

Puck nodded, “Yes, we’re together.  She’s the love of my life.” He reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Well, I must say… This has been a very surprising evening,”  Isabelle smiled. “You are all very impressive. Kurt, I would love to see more of what you’ve made.  Do you have a portfolio you would be willing to show me?”

Kurt’s brows shot straight to his hairline.  He quietly spoke, “Really?” He shook himself back to reality, “Yes.  I have a digital portfolio that I can show you. I can even make you a copy, if you’d like.”

Isabelle nodded, “I’d love to see it.  I have time, if you do.”

Kurt quickly nodded, “I do!  I can show you some other pieces that are not in the portfolio yet, if you’d like a closet tour.”

“That would be great!”

“You two can go do that.  We’ll clean up,” Sebastian said as he stood.  

“Thanks, Love,”  Kurt leaned over and kissed Sebastian’s cheek as he stood as well.  

Kurt took Isabelle into the office and turned on the desktop computer, since it had a bigger screen than his laptop.  He pulled up his portfolio, which consisted of clothes he was modeling, Leah modeling her prom dress, and a few shirts Sebastian was modeling that Kurt had made for him. Once he had it pulled up, he stood and allowed Isabelle to sit. 

“Kurt, these are amazing!”  She scrolled down through the pictures.  “You could all be models, too. Holy cow.”  She gasped, “That dress! It’s stunning! Who is that modeling it?”

“That’s my gorgeous future sister-in-law, Leah.  It’s her prom dress. We couldn’t find a dress that was right for her, so I made her one.  She’d look good in a trash bag, but I do love the way the dress turned out.”

“She IS gorgeous.  And so is that dress.”  When she got to the end, she leaned back in the chair.  “I can see why you got a full ride to Parsons.”

Kurt blushed slightly, “Thank you.”

She looked up at him, “Closet tour?”

“Sure!  Follow me.”

They headed upstairs to the master bedroom.  Isabelle looked around without being too nosy, “This place is beautiful, Kurt.”

“Thank you.  Bas’ aunt decorated it a few years ago.  This is his family’s place. Well, it’s ours now.  I’m still getting used to that fact,” he chuckled.

They entered the master suite closet.  Isabelle smiled, “Wow. This is huge!”

Kurt smiled, “I know.  I told Bas that we still have plenty of space to add more clothes.  He humors me.” He pulled out some of the clothes he made and started hanging them on a hook that was on the side of a tall mirror.  

Isabelle watched, “How did you get some of these other pieces?  Online? I mean, I’m sure Lima malls don’t carry these big names.”

Kurt turned to look at what she was looking at, “That particular piece is one I bought in Paris a couple of months ago.  Bas’ family owns a place there, too, and we spent a month of our summer there. Shopping in Paris was phenomenal. I had to show major restraint.”  Isabelle laughed and he continued. “I got a couple of pieces at a high end resale shop in Columbus. Some of the pieces were bought online, or given to me as gifts from my Dalton friends.”

She walked over to where Kurt was setting out clothes, “You made all of these?”

Kurt nodded, “I did.  Some are mine, and some are Bas’... But I made them all.  Feel free to look for a minute. I’m going to go grab a dress from Sugar’s closet that I made for her.”  He left to quickly grab the dress. When he got back, Isabelle was inspecting the stitches.

“I love the way you change up your stitching.  It’s a subtle, but it’s so appealing. It’s a great detail.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re labels all say KHS.  Kurt Hummel…?”

Kurt smiled, “Smythe.  We’re getting married next summer.  No sense in changing my labels later.” 

Isabelle smiled, “I see.  He seems great, by the way.”

“He’s the best,”  Kurt beamed.

She chuckled. “I can almost see the actual heart shapes in your eyes.”

He chuckled in return, “Yeah.”

“But,”  she started, “I see them in his eyes too.  It’s wonderful to see.” Kurt nodded. He quickly put the clothes back on the rail once she was finished. 

As they walked back down the stairs, Isabelle asked, “Kurt, do you work?”

He shook his head, “No, not yet.  I had been saving for college for years.  I worked as a mechanic at my dad’s shop for a long time, saving my money for school.  But then I got a full scholarship, and we moved into a place that my future in-laws already own… So unless an amazing opportunity comes up, I’m giving myself the first semester of school to acclimate to our new life here in the city.”

They had reached the bottom of the steps where Sebastian, Puck, and Sugar were sitting in the living room.  She turned to Kurt, “Well, I’m assuming you got good grades in school, since you got a scholarship.” Kurt nodded, and she continued, “Would being my intern be enough of an amazing opportunity?  It doesn’t pay much,” she looked around, “but since you don’t need to make rent…”

Kurt was standing frozen in his spot, with eyes wide.  Sebastian had the same look on his face, only with a small smile gracing his lips, and Sugar wasn’t far off.  Puck was the one who seemed to be on Earth, and able to communicate. After several seconds of silence, he cleared his throat, and quietly muttered, “Princess…”

Kurt blinked and looked at Puck.  His eyes widened even more, realizing that he hadn’t responded to Isabelle. He quickly looked back at her,  “Yes! Sorry. Yes, I would definitely love that!”

Isabelle smiled, and Kurt’s family was beaming. 

“Great!  I’d like you to come to the office sometime this week, and work out a schedule that works with your class schedule.”  She sat down in a chair, “Now. Tell me about this voice of yours.”

Kurt chuckled and sat next to Sebastian, “Well, I’m not the only one who can sing.  We all do. Bas and I were in our show choir and we won the National competition. Noah and Sugar, along with the rest of my friends family, won 5th place.  I had been in their show choir before transferring. And while I still went to McKinley, we won Cheer Nationals.” 

Isabelle looked a little confused, so Sebastian added, “They weren’t a normal cheer squad.  Kurt sang, all while catching some serious air time. He was amazing.”

She looked impressed as she nodded, “Can I hear you sing something?”  They all smiled.

Kurt chuckled, “Sure.  We’re always up for singing a song or two.”  They all rose from their seats and headed to the grand piano.  Kurt sat, “Noah, can you play along? We could sing Ben Platt’s  Older .”  He looked at Isabelle, “This song reminds me of a talk my dad has had with us about living in every moment and not letting time, or opportunities, pass you by.”

“Sure, Princess.”  His eyes widened for a second, “I mean Kurt.”  

Everyone chuckled, and Isabelle said, “I have a feeling there’s a good story behind that nickname.”

Kurt smiled and teasingly shrugged one shoulder as he said, “There may be…”  

Once Puck had grabbed his guitar that he had on a stand in the corner, Kurt began to play.  He sang, “I was walking down 57th street towards Park, with the same old song in my same old heart, making plans I'm gonna do when I get older.  Passed a gray-haired man and I found his eyes. It's like he knew my thoughts and he read my mind, saying life is gonna find you when it's supposed to.  Felt my feet stop short and I turned my head. Tried to lean into every word he said. Then he said…”

Sebastian, Sugar, and Noah sang backup as Noah began to strum along, “When you are younger, you'll wish you're older.  Then when you're older, you'll wish for time to turn around. Don't let your wonder, turn into closure. When you get older.  When you get older…” 

Isabelle chuckled a minute later when Kurt wrinkled his nose and shook ‘no’ as he looked at Sebastian and sang, “And will I get to know myself in the place I am, get to fall in love with another man…”  She smiled bigger when she saw Sebastian wink at Kurt.  

When the song was over, she clapped and bounced a little like a young school girl, “That was amazing!  Thank you so much for indulging me. I have had a wonderful time tonight. You are all just incredible. I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to have car trouble!”  Everyone chuckled. “Kurt, I think the gods were smiling down on me when you came to my rescue. I’m going to leave you all to whatever you had planned for the evening.  Thanks again for dinner. Sugar, you let me know when the bakery is open. I will be there. I’ll order some things to share in the office, and it will spread the word quickly, I’m sure.”

“Thank you so much!”  Sugar beamed.

Isabelle looked back at Kurt and handed him her card that she had gotten out of her purse, “Call me in the morning and we’ll set up a time for you to come in and work out your schedule and discuss your duties.”

“Thank you so much for this opportunity,  Ms. Wright.”

“Please, call me Isabelle.  No need to thank me. I am so grateful to have someone of your talent on my team.  I have a feeling you’ll go far in this industry.”  

Kurt’s family was smiling from ear to ear.  Kurt just nodded shyly and thanked her again.  Kurt walked her to the elevator, and when the doors closed, he turned around with wide eyes.  Sebastian, Puck, and Sugar all cheered for him and ran over to give him hugs.

Isabelle smiled seconds after the doors closed when she heard cheering.  

Kurt plopped down on the couch, and Sebastian sat next to him, turned so he was facing Kurt as he held his hand.  Kurt sighed, “Who would have thought that being a mechanic would be what would help me get my foot in the door of the fashion industry?”

“That was amazing, Babe.  She was really impressed with your work, and seemed to really like you.”

“She was delightful, Angel.  This could be huge for you!” Sugar and Puck had cuddled together on the couch opposite Kurt and Sebastian.

“I wonder what this internship will have you doing?”  Puck questioned.

“I don’t even care.  I could be getting her coffee or something, and I wouldn’t care.  I’m excited about seeing Vogue from the inside, ya know?”

Sebastian leaned forward and kissed Kurt’s temple, “I’m so proud of you, Baby.”

Kurt grinned, “Thanks, Bas.  And thank you all for changing your clothes and making sure dinner was ready.  I love you guys.”

“We love you, too, Princess.  I figured you wouldn’t like it if I was wearing my Rush t-shirt and ripped jeans.”

Kurt laughed, “Yeah, I might have had a minor heart attack.  You all look great.” 

Chapter Text

Kurt, Sebastian, Puck, Sugar, and Chris all went out to dinner to celebrate Kurt’s internship, just as they had for Sebastian.  They Skyped their families, who were extremely happy for Kurt, but also highly entertained by the story of how this opportunity came about.  They all laughed when Burt said, “Well, you’re welcome for helping you enter the fashion world, Bud.” Kurt lovingly rolled his eyes and thanked his father.

………………

On Saturday, Sugar met Jenna for lunch.  They weren’t able to get together during the week, but they both had all day Saturday free.  They got along great and laughed a lot.  

“You’re so much fun, Jenna.  I’m so glad we were able to get together outside of class.”

Jenna smiled, showing off her adorable dimples, “Me too.  Thanks for inviting me. We’ll have to do this again sometime soon.  I’m not that shy… I’m just nervous.”

Sugar nodded, “I totally understand now.  I’ve never been shy or nervous, until recently.  Being in a big city by yourself has to be hard.  Like I said in class, when I’m with my boys, I’m fine.  But as soon as I’m alone in public, in this huge new city, it’s a whole different story.  I can’t imagine never having someone with me that I feel comfortable with.”

Jenna nodded, “Yeah, you’re lucky.”  She paused for a minute, “So, you and Puck are a couple.  And Kurt and Sebastian are a couple and they are your best friends?”

Sugar smiled, “Yep. Puck and I live with them while our apartment is being refurbished.  My family bought the building where the bakery will be. We’re redoing the bakery and apartment.  The bakery is coming along nicely, but the apartment is slow going.”

“Wow.  Are you all friends from high school?”

“Yeah.  I moved to Lima, Ohio from Cincinnati when I was a sophomore.  I met Angel… that’s Kurt… when he rebuilt my car for me at his dad’s garage.  I joined Glee Club because of him, and that’s where I met Puck. Then we all met Sebastian about a year ago.”

“Kurt can fix a car?”  Jenna smiled.

Sugar giggled at the look on her face, “Yeah.  There’s not much Angel can’t do.”

“That’s impressive.”

Sugar nodded, “Angel and Seb are both impressive.  Angel makes a lot of his own clothes, can fix cars, play piano, cook, draw, sing, act.  He even played football for awhile as the kicker, and he was a cheerleader. Like, the kind that does flips in the air and stuff.  He did it all while singing, and our school’s squad won Nationals because of him.  Seb is talented too. He and Angel won the National Show Choir competition as dual leads.  He plays lacrosse, soccer, piano and guitar, is super smart, and is the nicest guy. They’re both amazing.  And so in love.”

“You can tell.  You can tell with you and Puck, too.  I want a guy to look at me the way Puck looks at you.”  Jenna sighed and had a dreamy, far off look in her eyes.

Sugar giggled, “Yeah.  He’s amazing. He’s like candy.  He’s got a hard shell, but is soft and gooey on the inside.”  Jenna laughed. Sugar added, “You’ll find your Mr. Right eventually.”

The girls continued to talk for awhile, then walked together back to NYU’s campus.  Puck had been working at the bookstore all day, so the girls stopped by to see him.

“Hi ladies!”  Puck greeted as they walked in.  “Did you have a nice lunch?” He leaned down and kissed Sugar on the cheek quick.

“We did!  How much longer until you’re off work?”  Sugar asked.

Puck looked over at the clock, “About twenty minutes.  Do you want to hang around here and then we can go home together?”

Sugar nodded, “Yeah.  Do you know what Seb and Angel have planned for tonight?”

Puck smiled, “I heard Princess say something about pj’s and movies once he gets to a stopping point on the project he’s working on.  I have little reading I need to do, then I’m free.”

Sugar got a look on her face that Puck knew all too well.  She was planning something in her head and wasn’t going to take a ‘no’ very easily.  She smiled wide, “Jenna…” she sing-songed, “I think you need to join us for a pj party!”

Jenna’s eyes widened a bit, “I don’t know… I mean, I don’t want to intrude.  I’m sure you all want some alone time with your significant others.”

“Pfft,”  Sugar waved her hand, “He sees me plenty.  All four of us are always up for company. Our friend Chris comes over all the time.  He even spends the night. I should call him! That way you’ll know even more people on campus.  He’s a cheerleader here.”

Jenna shook her head, “That would be super awkward.”

Puck gave her an understanding smile, “We aren’t fixing you up or anything.  Chris is gay.”

Jenna raised her eyebrows, “Oh.  Well, okay then.  I’ve had a lot of fun today.  I could use a little more. Are you sure there’ll be enough room for six of us though?”

Sugar let out a little giggle and Puck smiled, “Yeah, there’s room.  You can spend the night, too, if you want.”

Jenna hummed then said, “How about you check with Kurt and Sebastian, since it’s their place.  I don’t want to intrude.”

Sugar said, “Well, I know what they’ll say, but I’ll ask anyway, if it makes you feel better.”  Sugar sent a quick text to Kurt and Seb both.  

To Angel and Seb:

Is it okay with you guys if Jenna comes over?   Maybe spends the night?  We could ask Chris, too.

Within minutes, Kurt texted back.

From Angel:

OMGosh I so need a slumber party!!!  Yes!!!

From Seb:

He literally squealed, Sug.  I think that’s a yes, for sure.  Jenna is always welcome.

Sugar smiled as she read their responses to Jenna.  Jenna laughed, “Well, I can’t say no now. He squealed.”

Puck laughed, “Why don’t you two go get Jenna’s stuff and call Chris.  Meet me back here when you’re done.”

“Sounds good, Sweetie.”

The girls went to get Jenna’s overnight bag and called Chris along the way.  He had a date later that evening, but said he would be over after. They met Puck back at the bookstore and headed to the subway together.  When it got a little crowded, Puck offered Jenna his other hand, which she gratefully accepted.  

When they exited the subway station, Sugar said, “So, Jenna... There’s something you’re going to find out about Sebastian that he and Angel aren’t really trying to hide, but also aren’t announcing to the world, if you catch my drift.”

Jenna frowned a bit, “Okay….”

“Seb has money.  A lot of it.  They live in a penthouse.”  Sugar looked over to Jenna.

Jenna’s brows were raised and her eyes wide, “A penthouse?”

“Yeah.  They just want people to like them for them before they find out Seb has money, ya know?  The penthouse has been in his family since the building was built. His grandfather and father both went to Columbia as well, so they lived there during college too.  And now Seb and Angel do. I just didn’t want to shock you too much once we get there.”

“Okay…”  Jenna was trying to take it all in.

Puck explained, “Seb and Princess are totally laid back, easy going people when you hang out with them.  You don’t have to act a certain way, or dress a certain way. Just be yourself. That’s what they appreciate.  You would never know Seb comes from money if it weren’t for his material possessions. He’s a really cool guy, and my best friend.  Our family, as we call it, is made up of all types of people.” He paused for a minute, “I guess what I’m trying to say is… He won’t prejudge you about who you really are, so don’t prejudge him because of his money.”

Jenna nodded, “I get it.  And I won’t go telling everyone in class, either.  I get that they are afraid people will like them just because of the money.”

“Thanks, Jenna.”  Sugar smiled, “We really do appreciate it.”

When they approached the building Jenna quietly said, “Um.  It’s right across from Central Park?”

Puck chuckled, “Yep.”

When they got upstairs, Jenna tried to take it all in without seeming too obvious.  

Kurt came out of the laundry room, “Hi, Jenna!”  He hugged her, much to her surprise.

She smiled, “Hi!  Thanks so much for having me.  Your place is beautiful, Kurt.”

He smiled in return, “Thank you.  I had nothing to do with it, but thanks.  And you’re welcome here any time. I have a little more work to do on my project, but I won’t be long.  Bas is studying, but he has his earbuds in. He’ll be out eventually.  Make yourself at home, Jenna.  Sugar can show you around.” 

“Come on, Jenna.  I’ll show you to your room.”

Sugar showed Jenna the penthouse without going into the office to disturb Sebastian.  They ended up out on the terrace talking, while Puck went up to the study space between the bedrooms to get his reading done.

When Kurt finished his project, he joined the girls.  “I know it’s only 4:00, but I think it’s pajama time already.”  The girls smiled.

“I agree.  It’s been a long week, and pj’s sound perfect,”  Jenna said as she stood.  

When they got upstairs, Puck smirked, “Already?”

“Yep!”  Kurt and Sugar answered at the same time.  He shook his head and went back to reading.

A few minutes later, Kurt came out in his pajamas.  Puck looked up, “They aren’t out yet.”

“Okay.  Do you mind sending them into my room when they come out?”

“Sure, Princess.”

Kurt was getting out some stuff for facials when the girls walked in.  They began giving each other facials, manicures, and pedicures. They had fun laughing at each others fun stories, and had a good time getting to know Jenna, and vice versa.

Sebastian finished as much studying as he could handle for the day.  He made his way upstairs, where he could hear laughing coming from their bathroom.  He looked at Puck with raised brows. Puck chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

Sebastian made his way into the room.  He leaned against the door frame, watching unnoticed.  He smiled, “You guys look like you’re having fun.”

Kurt turned and smiled, “We are, Love.  Want a manicure?”

“Sure.”  Sebastian sat next to Sugar on the counter and let Kurt give him a manicure.  

When they finished, they headed downstairs to do a little baking and ordered dinner.

As they were baking, Sugar watched Jenna.  Finally, she said, “Jenna, you seem like a natural baker.  You don’t hesitate with ingredients, you’re efficient, and you clean as you go, which I love.”

Jenna smiled, “I used to bake with my grandma back home.  She always makes such good Christmas cookies. I’m going to miss those this Christmas.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to go home this year.”

“Why not?”  Kurt asked.

Jenna shrugged, “I need to start looking for a job.  I was too scared to get one last year, and I burned through money fast.  It’s one of the reasons I’m taking a self defense class. I can’t afford to sit inside and just go to classes.”

Sugar poured the milk into the batter, “You should come work for me.  The bakery will be opening soon. I’ll need good help. You obviously do well in the kitchen.  And if you don’t want to be in the kitchen, you can work out front as a cashier.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!  I think it would be great.”  

Everyone was smiling as Jenna accepted the offer, “I would love that, Sugar.  Thank you so much.”

The five of them were having a great time together, and Jenna felt very welcomed.  Dinner was being cleaned up, and dessert was being plated, when the Pablo buzzed. 

“Yes, Pablo?”  Sebastian answered.

“Mr. Carnes is here to see you, Mr. Smythe.”

“Thanks, Pablo.  Send him up.”

As soon as Chris came into the penthouse, he asked, “Did I miss dessert?”

They all chuckled.  Sugar smiled, “You’re just in time, Hun.”

As they all greeted Chris, Puck said, “Chris, this is our new friend, Jenna.  She’s in our self defense class.”

Chris smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Jenna!”

She smiled in return, “You too.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “So, Chris, that was a quick date.  Throw him back out to sea already?”

Chris sighed and made a face, “Yes.  Oh my gosh, it was awful. I’m not sure if New York has any normal fish.”  Everyone chuckled.

Seb asked, “Was this the same guy as Thursday?  Art exhibit guy?”

Chris shook his head, “Nope, different fish.”

They all chuckled again, “So where did you meet this...fish?”  Jenna asked.

“I met this fish at the Palladium.  He came in to ask some questions at the front desk when I was walking out.  We started talking, and he seemed nice enough, so I asked him out. But tonight at dinner, he was totally rude to the wait staff.  That’s a huge turn off for me.  So, I excused myself as soon as I could, and came straight here.  I might need to borrow some pajamas.”

“I’ll go get you some,”  Seb said as he turned to go upstairs.  

Jenna nodded, “I understand the rudeness turning you off.  I just don’t get why people are like that.”

They sat and talked as they ate dessert.  Jenna, of course, loved it. It made her extra excited to work at The Sugar Shack, since she could honestly back what they’d be selling.  

After dessert, they laid around, snuggling on the couches and chairs.  Chris and Jenna had hit it off right away, and Chris had declared himself Jenna’s gay boyfriend.  He sat in the chair and held his arms out for her, “You know you want to…”

She giggled and sat with him.  They ended up snuggling as they all watched a movie.  For the first time since being in New York, Jenna finally felt comfortable.

…………….

Kurt called Isabelle first thing Monday morning to arrange a time that they could meet to work out his schedule.

“Kurt!”  Isabelle answered after the secretary patched him through.

“Hi, Ms. Wright.  I’m calling to make an appointment with you so we can go over my schedule.”

“Fantastic.  But, please, call me Isabelle.”

Kurt smiled, “Okay, Isabelle.  I can stop by today around lunch time, or I can after my last class, around 3:00.”

“How about lunch time?  I can order us something to eat, and we can talk about the schedule and what your duties will be.  Does noon work for you?”

“Noon would be fine,”  Kurt nodded, even though she couldn’t see him.

“And is Chinese okay?”

“That sounds great.  I’ll see you at noon.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Kurt.”

Kurt came out of the office and wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s waist from behind as Seb washed his hands at the sink. 
“I’m meeting Isabelle for lunch at her office.  This is so surreal.”

Seb dried his hands and turned around in Kurt’s arms, “It’s amazing is what it is.  I’m glad someone as important as her recognized your talent.” He kissed Kurt on the forehead.  “I’m proud of you, Baby.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Bas.”

Kurt was in Integrative Studio class when Channing came in and plopped down next to him with a sigh.  They had a lot of the same classes, and really enjoyed each other’s company. She was an African American woman with a buzzed hairstyle that made everyone take notice of how beautiful she was.  She was always wearing large, funky earrings, and fun, fashionable clothes. Kurt loved her style.

He raised a brow, “Rough weekend?”

Channing groaned in response, and Kurt chuckled.  She batted her eyelashes at him, “You could take me to lunch to make me feel better…”

Kurt bit his lip, then said, “I actually already have lunch plans.”

Channing playfully rolled her eyes, “Oh, is your fiance - who I haven’t met yet, so he doesn’t really exist, in my head - taking you to lunch?”

Kurt bit his lip again as he smiled and shook his head.  Channing narrowed her eyes, “Then what is it? You’re up to something…”

“I got an internship at Vogue.com,” he whispered.

“You what!?” she sat straight up in the chair.

Kurt’s eyes widened as he looked around.  He looked back at her, “Shhh! I don’t want anyone else to know until I know it’s going to work out.”

Speaking at a normal volume again, Channing asked, “How did this happen?  I mean, I know there’s still a lot we don’t know about each other, but I would have thought you would have told me if you had applied at Vogue.”

They were interrupted when the professor came in and began class.  Kurt could tell that the fact that Channing still didn’t know was really bugging her all through class.  The minute the professor dismissed them, Channing said, “Okay, spill.”

Kurt took a deep breath, “Well, after I left on Friday, there was a lady having car trouble.  There was smoke coming out from under the hood, and she was wearing a new Dolce and Cabbana dress, heading right for it.  I made her stop so she wouldn’t ruin it. Anyway, long story short, I diagnosed her car, saved her dress, she found out I made the clothes I was wearing, and she came home with me for dinner.”  Channing was just staring at him. He chuckled, “What?”

She shook her head slightly, “I have so many questions…”

Kurt grinned, “Okay…”

She frowned a bit, “You know how to diagnose a car issue?”

Kurt chuckled again and made a face, “Yes.  And fix it. Why does that always surprise people?”

Channing made a face in return as she looked him up and down, “Come on, Kurt.  How many mechanics do you know that dress like you?”

He nodded, “Okay, I’ll give you that one.  My dad owns a garage. I have my mechanics license.”

She raised her well-manicured brows, “Really?”  Kurt nodded. “Okay, next question. Who is the woman you helped?  What’s her connection to Vogue?”

“Oh.  It was Isabelle Wright.”

Channing’s eyes went wide, “Holy shit, Kurt!”

He raised his brows and nodded, “I know.”

“Wait, wait, wait.  You had Isabelle Wright over for dinner?!”

He chuckled again, “Yep.  She wanted to take me to dinner to thank me, but I had already had a roast in the crock pot, so I offered for her to come home with me.  Sugar had made dessert too, so she really enjoyed it. Anyway, she wanted to see my portfolio, then I gave her a closet tour. She even requested I sing for her after Bas told her that we had won Nationals.  So I played the piano and sang while Noah played guitar and they all sang backup. It was nice. I think she liked it.” Channing had gone back to just staring at Kurt. He looked at her, “Crazy, right?”

She blinked, “You have a piano?”

He huffed out a laugh, “Well, yes.  That’s what you got from all of that?”

“What kind of piano?”

Kurt frowned a bit as he chuckled, “You focus on the oddest part of each thing I say.”

Channing shrugged, “Well, what kind?”

Kurt bit his lip again, “Just…”  he shrugged, “a piano.” 

“You can fit a piano in your apartment?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “When did this conversation become about a piano?”

“And you said closet tour.  How big is your closet?”

“I just meant that I showed her things from my closet that weren’t in my portfolio yet.”

“Okay Mr. Avoid-all-my-questions.”

Kurt sighed, “I’m not avoiding your questions, Channing.”

She rolled her eyes in a very Kurt-like way, “Okay, so Isabelle Wright form Vogue ate dinner at your apartment?”

He nodded, “She did.  At the end of the evening, she asked me if I had a job, and then asked me if I wanted to be her intern.”

“ Her intern?!  Directly for her?”

“That’s how she worded it, but I’m not sure yet.  We’re having lunch today and discussing my schedule and duties.”

Channing sighed, “I’m so jealous.”

Kurt gave her a small smile, “I feel like I’m dreaming.” 

When he walked into the Vogue building, Kurt had a rush of excitement go through him.  He was a little nervous, but mostly excited. Here he was at Vogue, invited by Isabelle Wright after she saw his work.  He took a deep breath and walked to the receptionist desk.  “Hi. My name is Kurt Hummel. I have an appointment with Isabelle Wright.”

The receptionist didn’t acknowledge him at first, but she checked over a list that was attached to a clipboard.  She glanced at him, “Eleventh floor.”

“Thank you,”  Kurt said as he walked away.

When he reached the eleventh floor, he headed straight for the secretary’s desk.  “Hi. My name is Kurt Hummel. I’m here for a meeting with Isabelle Wright.”

The young woman in her mid-twenties, with bleach blonde hair, smiled at him, “Sure thing, Mr. Hummel.  She said you can go on back when you got here. Head down that hall. First office on the left. You’ll see her.”

He nodded, “Thank you.”  He headed toward the hall and could see Isabelle sitting at her desk talking to someone who was standing to her left.  They were both discussing something they were looking at on the computer. Her door was open, so he knocked on the door frame.

She and the man she was with both looked up.  Isabelle smiled and stood. As she walked over to him, she said, “Kurt!  I’m so glad you could make it in today.” She gave him air kisses on both cheeks once she reached him.  

“Thank you for having me.”  

Isabelle smiled, “It’s my pleasure.”  She turned back to the man she was with.  He was still in the same spot, and she immediately noticed that he was checking Kurt out.  “Chase. This is Kurt Hummel. He is my new intern. Kurt, this is Chase Madison. He’s one of our fashion editors.”

Chase had made his way out from behind the desk.  Kurt approached him with an outstretched hand. He shook it, “It’s nice to meet you, Kurt.”  He winked.

Kurt took a second to compose himself.  Did that seriously just happen? “You too, Mr. Madison.”  He managed to sound polite, despite being taken aback.

“Please, call me Chase,”  He smirked. He probably thought it was sexy, but Kurt just thought it was creepy.

Kurt nodded.  He looked at Isabelle and notice she was giving Chase the stink eye. 

Isabelle promptly spoke, “Chase, if you’ll excuse us.  We’re having a lunch meeting. I’d like to get started.”

“Sure.  We’ll pick up where we left off later this afternoon.”  He looked at Kurt, “Welcome to Vogue, Kurt. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Thank you.  You too,” Kurt said as Chase was walking out the door.  

Isabelle went to shut the door, then turned back to Kurt, “I’m sorry about him.  I promise he won’t be a problem. He gets a bit carried away sometimes.”

“It’s fine,” Kurt blushed a little.  

“Well,”  Isabelle started as she made her way to her desk, “have a seat.  I ordered lunch already. It should be here soon. Let’s talk schedules.”

Kurt sat and the two of them discussed his schedule, and what would work best for both of them.  Lunch came, and they continued to eat as they talked. Kurt felt like he was talking to an old family friend by the time he needed to leave for his afternoon class.  He couldn’t believe how welcomed Isabelle made him feel.  

Later that afternoon when Chase returned to Isabelle’s office, she glared at him.  “What?” he asked with an air of confidence that ate right threw her.

“You will not hit on Kurt.  Do you understand?” 

He rolled his eyes, “He’s hot.  What’s wrong with a little flirting?”

Isabelle felt very protective of Kurt for some reason.  Maybe it was because he exuded talent, and had made his way to the big city with those talents from what had to be a difficult time in a small Midwest town.  She could identify with the struggle of trying to make it in New York. She also knew there was more to his story than he had told her. “He is incredibly talented and we are lucky to have him here.  I don’t want you scaring him off. He’s also engaged, and extremely happy.”

He frowned and made a face, “Engaged?  Isn’t he fresh out of high school?”

“Yes, he is.  But you should see the way he and his fiance look at each other.  You don’t stand a chance, so back off.”

“You met his fiance?”

Isabelle leaned back in her chair with a smirk, “I did.  I had dinner at their place Friday night. Kurt saved my dress, and diagnosed my car.  When I invited him out to dinner as a thank you, he invited me back to his place.”

Chase frowned again, “And you went?”

“I did.  There’s something real about him.  He’s...different. His designs are incredible, and so is the craftsmanship of each piece.  You should see some of the things he’s made. They’re amazing. And he and Sebastian, his fiance, and their best friends, were nothing but kind and polite.  He’s one of the good ones, Chase. Leave him alone.”

“Mmhmm.  Alright, Isabelle, let’s finish this layout.”

When Sebastian came home, he headed straight for the kitchen where Kurt was getting dinner ready.  “Hey, Babe.” He leaned over and kissed his fiance on the temple. “Your text said it all went well, but now I want details.”  He smiled as Kurt chuckled at him.

“Okay, Love.”  He put dinner in the oven, then turned around, “Isabelle was just as great as she was when she was here.  She was warm and welcoming. We worked out a schedule. I’ll be going in at 3:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 3:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I’ll stay until 6:00 every evening. There may be some things on weekends, or nights when I need to stay longer, but those will be sporadic.”

“They’re open until 6:00?”

Kurt shook his head, “No, 5:00.  But I’ll stay until 6:00 and get some things done.  Isabelle said she usually stays that late or later anyway.”

“When do you start?”

“Wednesday.”

Seb nodded, “So what is she going to have you do?”

Kurt leaned against the counter, “Well, everything, really.  I’ll be doing anything from being a go-fer, to making phone calls, organizing her schedule.  She wants me to sit in on meetings so that I can get a feel for how it all works. Basically, I’m her assistant for a few hours a day.”

“It’ll be interesting to see how it all works.  I’m sure you’ll be meeting important people, too.”

Kurt nodded.  He wanted to tell Sebastian about Chase, but he didn’t want him to worry.  He should have known that it wouldn’t matter… Sebastian could sense it.

“What else happened, Babe…”

Kurt shook his head and sighed, “When I got there, Isabelle had this guy, Chase Madison, in her office.  He’s one of the fashion editors. When she introduced us, he blatantly checked me out, then winked at me.  It was just creepy. Isabelle apologized for him after he left.” Kurt worried his lip between his teeth as he watched Sebastian.

Sebastian was purposefully taking deep, steady breaths.  Kurt didn’t usually notice when people were flirting with him, so if he knew it, then it must have been extremely blatant.  “Thank you for telling me, Kurt. Hopefully this guy is just really forward, and won’t be a problem. And hopefully you won’t have to work with him much.  Tell me if anything happens, okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Of course.”

……………..

On Wednesday, Puck and Elliott sat in Washington Square and waited for the others to arrive, just as they had the two previous weeks.  

“How is Kurt doing?”  Elliott asked out of nowhere.

Puck looked at him with a raised brow, “Fine.  Why?”

Elliott shrugged, “I worry about him.  He seems to have been through a lot more than most.  He seems to struggle with it more, too. I don’t know… He seems like a great guy.  I just want him to be okay, ya know?”

Puck looked away from Elliott and nodded, “He is a great guy.  The best.  And he has been through more than most.  But I think he’s doing pretty well.  Better than most, given his circumstances.  I don’t think a lot of people would be able to handle it like he does.  But he has a good support system. Seb is his rock. Their parents, and our friends family, have all been extremely supportive.”

“That’s really important.  I’m glad he’s had you guys.”  Elliott paused for a minute, then added, “Will you let me know if there’s anything I can do to help?  I’d be happy to give him extra lessons, or just… I don’t know...something.”

Puck smiled, “Yeah, man.  I know where you’re coming from.  There’s something about him, right?”  Elliott nodded, and Puck continued, “It seems people are drawn to him.  Unfortunately, not all have been drawn to him for good reasons.  But he’s pretty amazing.  Seb too, but Kurt… there’s just something. And for him to be hurting, or attacked in any way, sets off people’s natural protective modes.  How can someone so amazing be hurt so bad, ya know?”

“You can tell Sebastian is really protective of him.  Even just in the way he places his hand on his back.”

Puck huffed out a laugh, “You have no idea.  I think after everything Princess has been through, Seb would kill the next person to hurt him.  I wouldn’t be far off, either.”

Elliott looked at him, “He’s really important to you, isn’t he?”

Puck nodded, “Sugar, Princess, Seb… They’re my family.  Literally.  And their families have become my family as well.  They’re all I’ve got.” Elliott nodded in understanding.

Kurt approached a few minutes later.  Puck frowned, “You okay, Princess?” Kurt sat next to Puck and leaned his head on his shoulder.  Puck put his arm around him and kissed the top of his head, “What’s the matter?”

“I’m just nervous.”

“About what?  Did something happen?”  Elliott asked.

“I start at Vogue today after class.  I’m just nervous.” Kurt took a deep breath in and closed his eyes.

“Wow.  Vogue?”  Elliott asked with a raised brow.

Kurt nodded as if he was miserable, but still didn’t open his eyes.  Puck chuckled, “Princess...You have nothing to worry about. Isabelle saw your portfolio and designs in person before offering you this internship.  When you met with her, you said she was just as nice as when she was over for dinner.”

“I know…”

“I’m so confused.  How did you get his internship?”

Puck quickly explained everything that happened to Elliott.  Elliott was had a surprise written all over his face, “Wow.”

Without opening his eyes, Kurt said, “I know.  I know. You’re shocked that I can fix cars.”

“Mmm… Kinda, yeah.  But more shocked that she would agree to go back to your place for dinner.  Then her liking your designs enough to offer you an internship? I’m not shocked that part...Just impressed.”

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Elliott, “Thanks.”

Elliott frowned and smiled at the same time, “And you sang for her?”

Kurt smiled a little, “Yeah.  We all sing.”

“Huh.  I do too.  We should all get together sometime and sing some stuff.”

Puck huffed out a laugh again, “When we’re all together, there’s always singing.  It’s nearly a daily thing.”

Sebastian and Sugar approached, arm in arm.  Seb looked at Kurt, who had closed his eyes again.  He looked to Puck, who saw him watching and mouthed, “nervous”.  

Seb nodded.  He softly said, “Hey, Baby.  You okay?”

Kurt opened his eyes and lifted his head, “Hey, Bas.”  He stood and let Sebastian wrap his arms around him, “I’m fine.  I’m just nervous about Vogue.”

“Mmm.”  Seb kissed the top of Kurt’s head, “It’ll be great.”  Kurt didn’t say anything back. Sebastian added quietly, “Nervous about Chase?”  Kurt nodded.

Despite Seb being quiet, Puck heard him.  He frowned, “Who’s Chase? Why does he make you nervous?”

Elliott and Sugar frowned a bit too, as they watched Kurt, “He’s… He’s a fashion editor at Vogue.  He was in Isabelle’s office when I met her there on Monday. He was checking me out and winked at me.  I’m sure it’s no big deal. I mean, people do that all the time, right?”

“It’s not appropriate for the workplace, Angel.  Did Isabelle say anything?”

“She apologized for him after he left.  She said he wouldn’t be a problem. I just… I’ve never had many people flirt with me.  And when I have, it’s never ended well.”

“Baby, guys flirt with you all the time.  You just never notice. But, this was obviously very blatant.  If he crosses the line, you tell Isabelle right away. Then you tell me.  Understand?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, S…”  He started to say ‘sir’, but caught himself.  “Yes. I promise.” Elliott noticed, but didn’t say anything.

Puck quickly said, “It will be great, Princess.  You might not have to work with him much. And if you do, I’m sure Isabelle will be there.  Let’s head to class.”

Everyone agreed, and started on their way.  Sebastian had his arm around Kurt. He leaned over and whispered in his ear as the walked, “If it will make you feel better, I brought your collar.  It’s up to you, Baby.”

“Yes, please, Sir.  I would like that very much.”

“Okay.  After class, we’ll take care of that, and I’ll walk you to Vogue.”  He pulled Kurt in and kissed his temple.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Always, Baby.”

Chapter Text

Kurt’s first day at Vogue went really well.  He seemed to have a natural understanding of what Isabelle wanted and needed, and they worked really well together.  Thursday and Friday had gone the same way, and he was grateful that he had only seen Chase once in passing. Chase didn’t even seem to notice Kurt was there, which was just fine with him.

On Friday, a few minutes before it was time to leave, Isabelle made small talk, and asked Kurt about his plans for the evening.

Kurt smiled, “Bas and I are going out to dinner, then meeting some of our friends for Karaoke.  Do you have any big plans?”

She sighed as she looked at the dozens of papers that were strewn across her desk, “Just finishing this layout.  Chase is going to come up and help me with it, though, so hopefully it won’t take all night.”

Kurt nodded, “Is there anything I can get you, or do for you before I go?”

“Would you mind running down to the copy room and grabbing what I’m getting ready to print in a minute?”

“Sure.”  He finished organizing the paperwork he had been working on, then said, “I hope it’s okay that I told security to let Bas up when he gets here.  I probably should have asked. Sorry.”

She frowned and shook her head, “Oh, it’s fine.  I don’t mind at all.”

“Thanks.  I’ll be right back with the papers you printed.”  Kurt put the stack in his hand on her desk, then scurried out the door to the copy room.  

While he was gone, Chase arrived in Isabelle’s office, “Did Kurt leave already?”

Isabelle looked up at him, “No.  He’s going to get my copies, then he’s going out with his fiance.  Be good, Chase.”

“Mmhmm.  Okay, Isabelle, what do you have finished already?”  He leaned over the desk and began looking at what Isabelle had accomplished for the day.   He noticed movement through the glass walls of Isabelle’s office as someone enter the reception area from the elevators.  “Holy shit. Who is that?”

Isabelle looked up.  She smiled and looked up at Chase, who was leaning over her shoulder a bit, “ That would be Kurt’s fiance, Sebastian.  I told you… You don’t stand a chance.”

Chase didn’t seem to hear her.  He was staring, and practically drooling, as he looked at Sebastian.  Seb was leaning against the receptionist desk, legs crossed at the ankles, and hands in his pockets.  He looked like a model.  

Chase stood up straight and walked toward the door.  Isabelle’s eyes widened, unsure of what Chase was up to.  He exited the room, and headed straight for Seb. He looked him up and down as he said,  “If you’re a model, I’m sorry to say, you missed the shoot by about a week.” 

Seb had been watching Chase approach.  With an unamused smirk as he said, “I’m not a model.  I’m here to pick up my fiance, Kurt. Let me guess… You’re Chase Madison.”

Chase smiled and winked, “The one and only.”  He stuck out his hand for Seb to shake, either not caring, or unaware, why Sebastian knew who he was.  Isabelle approached silently from behind Chase.  

Seb looked down at the offered hand for a few seconds before shaking it, “Sebastian Smythe.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian looked behind Chase, “It’s nice to see you again, Isabelle.”

She smiled, “You too, Sebastian.  I understand you and Kurt are going out singing tonight?”

Seb smiled, “We are.  I can never get enough of his beautiful voice.”

“It’s amazing, that’s for sure.”

“What’s amazing?”  Kurt asked as he approached.

“Hi, Baby.”  Sebastian leaned down and kissed Kurt on the cheek.  

“Hi, Love,”  Kurt smiled.

“Your voice is amazing, among other things.”  Sebastian smiled down at Kurt as he put his hand on his back possessively.

Kurt blushed a little, and quietly said, “Thank you, Bas.”  He looked to Isabelle to tell her where he put her copies, but Chase interrupted.

“I have to say, you two make a handsome couple.  Very...handsome.” He was looking between the two of them with lustful eyes.

“Thank you,”  Kurt said quietly as Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions.

Isabelle quickly tried to ease the obvious tension she could feel coming from Sebastian, “They are both very handsome, yes.  Now lets let these two lovebirds get on with their evening. Have a nice night, gentlemen.”  

“Thank you, Isabelle.  You too,” Kurt smiled at her, gratefully.

“It was nice seeing you again, Isabelle.”  He looked at Chase, “Have a good night.”

Chase smirked, “You too.”

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s waist and led him to the elevators.  As they waited, Sebastian looked back and saw Chase and Isabelle walking back to her office.  She seemed to be talking heatedly to Chase as they went. He smirked to himself and then turned his attention back to Kurt, “Are you okay, Baby?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  Now you know what I was talking about though, right?”

Seb rubbed his back as he spoke, “Yes.  He’s certainly obvious about it. Just be careful, okay?  I have a feeling Isabelle is quite aware, and not too happy about it.”

After dinner, Kurt and Sebastian headed to Space Karaoke , where they were meeting Puck, Sugar, Chris, Jenna, Hayden, Channing, and Elliott.  They tried to arrive first, since Hayden and Channing didn’t know anyone else.

They found a couple of high top tables and pulled over a couple more chairs for their group.  Sebastian went to get them some drinks when Puck and Sugar arrived.  

The four friends were hanging out, listening to others sing, when Hayden arrived.  Sebastian smiled as he saw him approach, “Hey, man!” He stood and shook Hayden’s hand.  He put his hand on his shoulder as he turned to introduce him to everyone, “Everyone, this is Hayden Bradley.  Hayden, these are my best friends, Sugar Motta, and Noah Puckerman. We call him Puck.” Hayden shook their hands as they Sebastian was making the introductions.  Seb continued, “And this handsome man is my fiance, Kurt Hummel.”

Kurt smiled and shook Hayden’s hand, “It’s so nice to meet you, Hayden.”

Hayden smiled, but then furrowed his brows a bit, “Kurt Hummel… Like as in Burt Hummel’s son?”  To say they group was shocked was an understatement.  

Kurt frowned a bit in confusion, “Uh, yeah.  How did you know that?”

“Wow.  Um, I’m kind of a political nerd?” he chuckled, and Kurt smiled.  “My mom is a history teacher, and it’s always been one of those things that we’ve had in common, I guess.  I know all of the senators and congressmen from all 50 states, what political party they represent, and some facts about each one.  I know it’s weird.”

Sebastian shook his head, “Well, that was a shocker.”

As Hayden sat, Puck asked, “So what are the facts you know about Burt?”

Hayden looked down and then back up before saying, “I know that he’s a Democrat, but tends to side with Republicans on a lot, with the exception of some bigger issues… And that he’s fighting for gay rights because of Kurt.  I know that he’s fighting for the arts in schools because of Kurt too.”

“Wow,”  Kurt just raised his eyebrows.

Hayden looked at Sebastian, “So, now that I know that you two have political ties, I’m guessing your dad is Robert Smythe?  State’s Attorney?”

Sebastian nearly spit out his drink.  He coughed a bit, “Yeah…” He frowned, “Holy shit, you do know your stuff.”

Hayden shrugged, “I guess?  I can’t believe I didn’t put it all together until now.”  Because he knew of Kurt, he also knew about what happened to him.  He didn’t say anything, but when Kurt turned his attention elsewhere for a few seconds, Sebastian looked at Hayden with a questioning expression.  Hayden nodded, knowing what Sebastian was wondering. Seb nodded and mouthed, “Thank you”, hoping Hayden got that he was grateful that he didn’t bring it up.

They talked for a few more minutes until Elliott arrived.  Sebastian introduced Elliott to Hayden, and the group continued to talk.  Elliott, of course, had no idea that Sebastian and Kurt were sons of politicians.  He was impressed with everything they were saying Burt was fighting for. He was happy that Kurt really did seem to have a great support system like he and Puck had talked about.

They had decided to start putting their names in the queue for the karaoke.  They were having fun watching everyone sing. They were completely wowed when Elliott got up and sang One Love by Marianas Trench.  

“Wow… He’s so good….”  Kurt watched with wide eyes.  

Sebastian nodded, “He is.  Really good.”

“He should start a band,”  Puck added.  

Sugar looked at Puck, “You both should.  Together.”

Puck shrugged, “Maybe…. Damn, he really is good.”

As they were talking, Chris and Jenna walked up, holding hands.  Everyone was saying their hellos and making introductions, but Chris was not paying a bit of attention to anyone.  He was staring at Elliott on the stage.  

Sebastian chuckled, “You okay there, Chris?”  His family was smiling and watching Chris practically drool.  

At that, Chris seemed to wake up a bit, but didn’t take his eyes off of Elliott, “Damn…”

Kurt chuckled, “What, no ‘hello’?”

Chris blinked and pried his eyes away from Elliott and looked at Kurt, “Hey.”

Kurt laughed.  He walked up to Chris and whispered in his ear, “You should ask him out.”

Chris made a face and shook his head, “I’m sure he’s not available.  Or gay.”

By this time, Elliott had finished his song and approached the table.  Everyone applauded him and cheered. Chris’ eyes widened as Puck clapped Elliott on the back, “That was awesome, Elliott!”

Chris looked at Kurt, who was grinning from ear to ear.  Kurt wiggled his eyebrows, “He’s both.” Sebastian laughed at the two of them.  He knew this was coming, as soon as Elliott told him he was jealous of them all having loving partners.

Puck said, “Chris, this is Elliott Gilbert.  Elliott is in my Stats class, and he teaches the defense part of our self defense class.  Elliott, this is our friend, Chris Cairnes.  Chris is a friend of our from Ohio.  He’s a cheerleader at NYU.”

Elliott raised an eyebrow and stuck his hand out for Chris to shake, “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Chris.”

Chris smiled as he shook Elliott’s hand, “You too.”  That was all he had. Usually, he would have had plenty to say..plenty of ways to flirt.  But now? He was speechless. Elliott was gorgeous. His blue eyes, black hair, sharp features...  He couldn’t believe his friends/family hadn’t told him about him.

All thoughts were interrupted when Channing arrived.  Kurt smiled as she approached, “Is this where the party is?!”

“It is!  I’m so glad you could make it.”  He turned to Sebastian, “Bas, this is Channing Maples.  Channing, this is my fiance, Sebastian Smythe.”

Seb shook her hand, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Channing.”

She smiled, “You too!”  She looked at Kurt and winked, “My my, Kurt.  You got yourself a hot one.”  

Sebastian smiled and Kurt chuckled, “Oh, I know it, Channing.  Trust me.”

She wiggled her eyebrows, “I’m sure you do.”  

Sugar leaned over to Puck and smiled, “I like her already.”  Puck agreed.  

Kurt continued to make introductions, and soon enough, everyone was settled around the table.  Elliott suddenly remembered, “Oh! We might need one more chair if we can find one.  I invited Dallas.  Hope you all don’t mind.”

“No, man.  The more the merrier,”  Puck smiled. 

Sebastian and Kurt were called up next.  They sang Sucker, by The Jonas Brothers, as a duet.  They sang to each other, dancing close.  They would turn and switch sides, like a mating ritual of some kind.  It was sexy, and the audience was loving it.

“Damn.  They are sexy as hell,”  Elliott sighed.  

Puck chuckled, “Yep.”  Elliott raised an eyebrow at him.  Puck smirked and shrugged his shoulder. 

Their friends all cheered for them when the returned.  Everyone was taking turns singing, mixed in among the other patrons.  Eventually, Elliott looked at Chris from across the table, “Are you going to sing, Chris?  I think you’re the only one who hasn’t.”

Chris smiled and shook his head, as his family snickered.  Elliott looked at them all in confusion.  Chris replied, “I can’t sing.  At all.  I’m just doing what I do best, and sticking to cheering for everyone else.”

Elliott frowned a little, “But surely you can sing a little.”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  Really, he can’t.  We don’t mind when he does, but putting a mic in his hand?”

Elliott looked at Sebastian, Puck and Sugar, who were all agreeing.  He looked back at Chris who was laughing at his family’s reaction. “Okay, then.  Cheering it is.”

Dallas eventually showed up.  Everyone smiled when she cheerfully greeted, “Hey, y’all!  Thanks for having me!” Introductions were made, then Elliott started to give up his seat for her, since they hadn’t found another chair.

Chris jumped up, “No, here, Dallas.  Take mine. I have to be heading out anyway.”

Sebastian frowned, “Where are you going?”

“Uh, I have a date.  Sorry. I overbooked myself,”  Chris said apologetically. Elliott frowned a little, but didn’t say anything.

“Same fish this time?”  Sugar asked.

“No, Sweets.  Different fish.”  He kissed her on the cheek, said his goodbyes to everyone as he hugged his family and Jenna, who was quickly becoming family too, and headed out the door.  

“Be careful!”  Kurt called after him.

Elliott frowned and quietly said, “I’m so confused.”

“About what?”  Puck asked.

Elliott looked at Jenna, “I thought you two were together.  You came in holding hands.” Hayden and Channing both agreed that they were a bit confused too.

Jenna smiled, “Nope.  He’s my gay boyfriend.”  

Everyone chuckled but Elliott.  “He’s gay?” he asked.  

“Yep.  We met him almost a year ago when he was hitting on Kurt,”  Seb smiled.  Kurt rolled his eyes.

“And you became friends with him?”  Elliott was surprised, seeing as how protective Seb was of Kurt.

“Yeah.  It’s a long story.  He’s a great guy. Maybe you should ask him out,”  Sebastian said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Elliott smirked, “I’ve never dated a cheerleader before…. But he’s dating someone else.”

Puck said, “He dates a ton now that we’re in a city that gives him choices.  But he’s looking for the right fish.  He wants true love.  He almost had it, but graduation came too quickly.  Maybe you’re the right catch?”

Kurt winked at Elliott, “You did make him pretty speechless.  I’ve never seen him react like that before.”

Elliott blushed a little.  He paused a moment, then asked, “Does anyone else think he kinda looks like Shawn Mendes?”

Jenna smiled, “Oh my gosh, that’s why he looked so familiar when we first met!”  

Chris met his date, Owen, at the restaurant.  Owen was handsome and muscular, without being too big and bulky.  He had dark blonde hair, golden hazel eyes, and was slightly taller than Chris.  Their plan was to have a light dinner, then go out dancing. When he arrived, his date was already seated.  Chris approached the table with a smile, “Hi there!”

“Hi, handsome.  I’m so glad you could make it.”  Owen stood to greet him, then sat as Chris sat.

Chris smiled, “Thanks for meeting me a little later.  I had forgotten that I had already agreed to go out to Karaoke with some friends.”

Owen nodded, “It’s fine.  Did you have fun?”

“I did.  I always have fun with them.  I can’t sing, though. I just go to cheer them on.” 

“That’s nice.  You’re a fantastic cheerleader.  I always enjoy watching you at the games.”

Chris smiled, “Thank you.”

They enjoyed their meal together, then headed out to an 18+ LGTBQ friendly dance club.  As they made their way down the block, Owen placed his hand on Chris’ back. It was something little, but Chris enjoyed it.  It was something he saw Sebastian do to Kurt all of the time, and he had been jealous of. He wanted someone who would show the world they were together.  

Chris got a bracelet as they entered the club, indicating that he was underage, but Owen was 21, so he did not.  “I never thought about you being old enough to drink,” Chris said as they entered the club.

“Yeah.  Will it bother you if I drink tonight?”

Chris shrugged and shook his head, “No, not at all.”

“Good.  I promise not to have too many.”

They sat at the bar and Owen had a beer while Chris had a Coke.  They talked as they watched the other patrons dance. When they finished, they headed to the dance floor.  Owen grabbed Chris’ hand and led the way through the crowd.

As they danced, Owen inched his way closer and closer to Chris.  Eventually, they were pressed up against each other, moving to the beat.  

“You are so sexy, Chris,” Owen whispered in his ear.  

“You are too, Owen.  So sexy,” he pulled Owen against him even more, if it was at all possible.  

“All these other men… They are so jealous of me right now...having someone like you dancing up against me like this.”

Chris closed his eyes and raised his hands from Owen’s waist to the back of his head.  He pulled back a little, and looked Owen in the eye.  

Owen gave him a small smile, as he ran his hand down the side of Chris’ face, then stroked his cheek with his thumb, “So gorgeous.”

They closed the distance between them with a kiss.  It started slow and soft, but as they continued to move to the music, it became a little more heated.  Chris broke the kiss, “We better slow down before we take it too far for the middle of a dance floor.”

Owen was breathless, “Yeah.”

They continued to dance for awhile.  A man put his hand on Chris’ shoulder as he squeezed past.  Unbeknownst to Chris, Owen stared the guy down. The stranger threw his hands up in the air, “Sorry…”

After a few hours of dancing, Chris was getting pretty sleepy. “I think we need to call it a night before I fall asleep on the subway.”

Owen nodded, “Okay.  How about I escort you back to your dorm building.  I’d hate for you to be so sleepy that you don’t get there safely.  My apartment isn’t far from campus, so it’s not a problem.”

“That would be nice.  Thanks.”

Owen did just as he said.  He escorted Chris home, holding his hand the entire way.  When they reached the dorm building, he stood in front of Chris, “Can I call you tomorrow?”

Chris smiled a soft, sleepy, smile, “I would like that.  Thank you for such a nice night. I had a great time.”

Owen caressed Chris’ face, “I did too.”  He leaned in and kissed Chris on the forehead, “I’ll call you tomorrow.  Goodnight, Chris.”

Chris smiled, “Goodnight.”

……………..

Chris and Owen ended up seeing each other quite a bit over the next few weeks.  Chris had even stopped going on dates with anyone else after the first week. He told his family that maybe this fish was a keeper.  Owen had been polite, and sweet. Chris enjoyed the way Owen would touch him possessively when they were in public. At the end of the third week, they made it official, and became boyfriends.

“So, my friend Kurt and I had lunch yesterday.  He told me that they decided to have a Halloween party.  I’d love for you to come with me,” Chris looked up from his meal to see what Owen’s response would be.

Owen frowned a little, “Doesn’t Kurt have his own boyfriend he could be having lunch with?”

Chris was a bit taken aback by that.  He frowned in return, “No, he doesn’t.  He has a fiance .  Kurt is just a friend.  A good friend. One of my best friends...”

Owen shook his head, “Okay.  I know. I’m sorry. I guess I can get a little jealous.”

“Well, there’s no reason to be jealous.  Kurt and Sebastian are totally in love, and getting married this summer.  We’re just friends,” Chris stressed again.  “He was really happy for me when I told him we had made our relationship official.”  Owen nodded, but didn’t say anything in return. Chris changed the subject. 

……………

The weekend of Halloween came and Friday night brought the arrival of their out of town friends.  Before anyone from out of town arrived, Kurt, Sugar, and Jenna were in the kitchen making some fun Halloween-themed goodies for the party.  They were laughing and carrying on when Kurt’s phone rang.  

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kurt, it’s Ashley.”

Kurt smiled, “Hi Ashley!”

“I hope you don’t mind.  Jeremy gave me your number.”

“No, that’s fine.  Is everything okay?”

“Well, yes, but I was wondering if maybe I could bring over the hor d’oeuvres tonight for tomorrow’s party.  I just picked them up. I have Ellie with me, and I don’t think I can make it all the way home with this tray and her.  Would that be okay?”

“Of course!  Come on over.  We’re just making some treats for tomorrow.  We’ll be here whenever you arrive.”

“Thank you so much.  I’ll see you in a few.”

They hung up and Kurt told the girls what the call was about.  Fifteen minutes later, Pablo buzzed, letting Kurt know that Ashley was there.  

When Ashley came in, she was carefully balancing the tray on top of the stroller where Ellie was sleeping.  “Hi!” she whispered.  

“Hey!”  Kurt greeted quietly.  He carefully grabbed the tray from her, placing it on the kitchen island.  Seconds later, Ellie, began to cry.  

“Uhg.  Just when I was going to ask if I could use your bathroom,”  Ashley said as she reached for the baby.  

Kurt made a face, “Go.  Use the bathroom. I’ll take her.”  He held his hands out for her.  

As Ashley walked closer, she asked, “Are you sure?  I mean, she’s not going to stop crying until she goes to sleep.  She skipped her nap earlier.”

“I’m good with it, as long as you are,”  Kurt said, making a ‘gimme’ motion with his hands.

Ashley raised her eyebrows as she handed Ellie over to him, “Go for it.  Because I’m about to burst.”

Kurt chuckled and took the baby.  He cradled her and began walking around the room, gently bouncing her.  He sang a sweet version of Brahms Lullaby .  Ellie stopped crying as he sang.

When Ashley came out of the bathroom, she leaned against the counter next to Sugar and Jenna, who were both watching Kurt with hearts in their eyes.  He switched to singing the song in French, and Ellie was soon getting sleepier, with heavy eyelids slowly blinking.  

Kurt didn’t know it, but the elevator doors had opened as he stood facing the door to the terrace, looking down at Ellie as she was falling asleep in his arms.  He swayed, singing softly. When he turned around, he saw Sebastian standing with his book bag in his hand, frozen in his spot. Kurt smiled softly as he continued the lullaby.  

Jenna leaned over and whispered to Sugar, “If they weren’t already engaged, I think Sebastian would drop to one knee right now and ask him to marry him on the spot.”

Ashley smiled and Sugar giggled, “You are so right.”

When Kurt finished singing, Ellie was finally asleep.  Sebastian walked up to him and smiled as he leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.  He looked down at Ellie, then back up to Kurt as he whispered, “Something I should know about?”

Kurt smiled and nodded toward Ashley, who smiled and waved.  Sebastian nodded, “That explains it.”

Kurt took Ellie to her stroller and placed her in it gently.  She began to stir, but he sang her a few lines, and she quickly went back to sleep.  

“You’re a miracle worker,”  Ashely whispered. She looked at Sebastian, “I may need to borrow your man every once in awhile.”  Sebastian smiled and nodded, leaning over to give Kurt a kiss. “I’m going to get going while the getting is good.  Thanks so much for letting me stop by. And thanks for helping with Ellie.”

“Any time,”  Kurt smiled as he walked her to the elevator.

Once she left, Sebastian was staring at Kurt.  Kurt looked at him and smiled, “What?”

“That was sexy as hell.”

Kurt chuckled and sat in Sebastian’s lap, “One day, Love.  One day.”

Seb wrapped his arms around his waist, “One day.”

Jenna sighed, “I need a man.”  Everyone chuckled.

Sebastian looked at her, “One of Kurt’s many nicknames is Cupid.  Maybe he can help.”

“I’m always up for finding my friends true love,”  Kurt winked.

“You do have, like, a million nicknames,”  Jenna said as she tilted her head.  

“There’s kind of a story behind each one.  I just go with it.”  

“Oh, before I forget… Don’t be alarmed if people just start coming in without George or Pablo buzzing first.  I gave them a list of who would be arriving tonight and tomorrow, and a general time frame, and told him to just send them up after they’ve checked ID’s.  If they don’t know them well, of course.”

“Okay, good.  That will be especially helpful tomorrow.” 

About an hour later, they were all hanging out in the kitchen, watching Sugar work her magic as she decorated some cupcakes.  They heard the elevator door open and looked over to see who it was. Jeff came barreling around the corner from the foyer and ran straight for Kurt, who was already making his way toward them.  

Jeff picked him up and swung him around, “Kurtsie!!!!  Oh how I’ve missed you!”

Kurt chuckled, “I missed you too, Jeffie.  Now put me down.” Jeff obliged.

As Jeff ran to Sugar, “Sweets!”, Nick, Cameron, and Quinn all came into the living room.  

“Well, I guess Jeff still knows how to make an entrance,”  Cameron smiled. He walked up to Kurt next and gave him a big bear hug. 
“I’ve missed you, Cam,”  Kurt said.  

“I’ve missed you, too.  More than I thought I would.”

Kurt laughed and smacked him on the arm with the back of his hand, “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Cameron laughed as he hugged Sebastian.  He turned back toward Kurt, “It just means that I knew I’d miss you, but I didn’t realize how much.  There’s no one like you, Kurt. That’s for sure.”

Kurt winked at him, “And don’t you forget it.”

Nick shook his head, “Still sassy.”

“Mmhmm”  Sebastian smiled.

Nick smiled at Seb, “And you love every minute of it.”

Seb wiggled his eyebrows, “You know it.”

Sebastian, Kurt, and Sugar all greeted everyone with hugs, then introduced them all to Jenna.  

“It’s nice to finally put some faces with names,”  Jenna said.  

“You too, Jenna.  You’re even more adorable than I imagined,”  Jeff said, as he threw his arm around her.

She laughed, “I already have a gay boyfriend, Jeff.  Sorry.”

They all smiled.  “Speaking of which,”  Nick said, “Where is lover-boy?”

“He has a game tonight,”  Sugar answered. 

“Oh yeah.  That’s why Santana and Britt couldn’t come with us tonight.  How’s he liking cheering in college?” Quinn asked.

“He likes it better now,”  Sebastian answered. “It was rough at first.”

Quinn nodded, “That’s what Santana said too.”  She looked around, “Do I get a tour?”

“Oh yeah!”  Sebastian stood, “I forgot you and Cam hadn’t been here yet.”  

After the tour, they all sat around the kitchen and living room talking and having a great time.  Jenna’s cheeks were hurting from laughing and smiling so much. They all changed into their pajamas and met downstairs for a movie, when the elevator doors opened.  Sebastian smiled, knowing who it was, but Kurt had no idea. He didn’t think they were expecting anyone else until the next day. He just assumed it was Noah.

He turned to see Sam, Leah, Finn, and Rachel all sneaking in to the living room, “Oh my god!!!”  He jumped up and ran to Finn first, giving him a huge hug. “I can’t believe it! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming!?”  He looked over to Seb, who was hugging Leah. Seb just winked at him. All he could do was shake his head.  

“You can’t have a big party without us, Little Brother,”  Finn smiled.  

When Kurt made his way to Leah, she had big tears in her eyes, “I missed you guys so much,”  she said.

“I missed you, too, Sweetie.”  

Sebastian came over, and they made a Leah sandwich.  Sam smiled, “You just made her entire week.”

Sebastian kissed her on top of the head, then said, “I told you, you can come any time.”

She sighed, “I know.”  She gave Kurt one more squeeze, then let go.  She smiled as Puck came through the foyer archway, making his way straight for her.

He smiled and picked her up as he hugged her, “I missed you!”

She giggled, “I missed you, too, Puck!”  He set her down with a kiss on the cheek.  

Sugar was next, and that’s when Leah lost it.  “I missed you so much, Sugar,” she cried.  

“I missed you, too, Sweetie.  So much.” It was hard for anyone in the room to keep the tears at bay, but they did.  They knew that if they started to cry, then it would be even harder on Leah.  

Leah chuckled when Jeff came up behind her hand made another Leah sandwich.  She didn’t let go of Sugar, but said, “I missed you, too, Jeffie.”

After everyone got in another round of hugs, they introduced Jenna to their Ohio family.  Jenna smiled, “It’s so nice to meet everyone! I didn’t think I’d meet any of you until the wedding!”  She looked at Kurt and Sebastian, “Which I am invited to.”

They smiled.  Sebastian made a face, “Of course you are!”

“I hear that wedding planning is underway?”  Rachel asked.

Kurt nodded with a huge smile, “It is!  We’ve decided on July 4th. It’s on a Saturday next year, and that way we’ll always have fireworks on our anniversary.”  Sebastian kissed him on the temple as he wrapped his arms around him from behind. Kurt continued, “Tori has a caterer that she adores, and always uses, so we’re going with them.  We’ll do a tasting at Thanksgiving to decide what we’ll be serving. We’ve already reserved the rental tent, tables, and chairs. We’ll just have to pick out the smaller details later.  And of course, Sugar will be doing the cake.”

“I don’t think I’d come if she wasn’t,”  Finn winked.  

Cameron laughed, “I don’t think you’d have a choice, Finn.”

Quinn smiled, “Definitely not.  But I think a bunch of us would protest.”

They all hung out for the rest of the evening, and it felt like old times, but different.  Jenna was welcomed into the group easily, and she had an odd sense of feeling at home. She really wished Chris had been there.  

When she expressed that, Cameron asked, “So, tell us about this new boyfriend of his.  Am I going to like him?”

Finn smirked, “What Cam means is, will we approve?”

The New York group all kind of looked at each other.  Quinn frowned, “What are those looks for?”

Sugar shrugged a little, “Well… We haven’t met him yet.”

Rachel frowned, “What?  Why?”

Jenna shrugged this time, “He just hasn’t brought him around.  You can tell he’s trying really hard to still hang out with us.  He still goes to lunch with all of us, whether it’s all of us together or not.  And he still meets me after a couple of my classes. But he doesn’t seem to want to cross his two worlds together yet.”

Nick leaned forward from where he was sitting, “He’s still coming tomorrow, right?”

Seb nodded, “As far as we know, yes.  And he said he is bringing Owen.”

“We’ll see,”  Puck said. “He needs someone who will become a part of this family, too.  Not someone who will take him away from it.”

After another movie, that wasn’t really watched, they all decided to head to bed.  Kurt looked to Cameron and Quinn, “Since you’re our first time guests, you get the spare room.”  He looked to everyone else, “There’s two more pull out sofas, and then the ones in here. We have a couple of air mattresses too.”

Sebastian looked at Sam, “Sorry, Sam.  You may be away from home, but you’re still not sleeping with my sister.”

Sam deflated a bit and Leah frowned, “Seb!  We wouldn’t do anything. Please? I just want to snuggle.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt, who put his hand on his shoulder.  He looked back to Sam, “Fine. But if you get her pregnant, I’ll kill you.”

Sam’s eyes widened a bit.  It was the first time Sebastian had ever spoken to him that way.  But what Sam didn’t know, was that Leah had told Seb about them getting...friendlier.  Sam cleared his throat, “I promise not to get her pregnant for at least another eight years.”

Sebastian smiled a little and clapped Sam on the back, “Make it ten.” 

Chapter Text

Mid morning the next day, everyone was having a great time relaxing and hanging out.  They all agreed how nice it was to catch up on each other’s lives and reconnect.  

“We need to do this more often.  It wasn’t that long of a train ride,”  Quinn said as she sat down next to Cameron on one of the couches.  He nodded in agreement as he put his arm around her.

“You are all welcome here anytime.  We love having company,” Seb smiled.

“Next time we come, though, we need enough time to explore the city more.”

“Well, you can always take a stroll through Central Park.  That’s a classic thing to do,” Kurt said as he sat on Seb’s lap with his cup of coffee.

Seb agreed, “Just remember that Central Park is huge.  There is a nice waterfall in the woods not far from here, though.”

“A waterfall in Central Park?”  Finn furrowed his brows.

Kurt nodded, “I was surprised too.  It’s back a little trail. Maybe we can all go after lunch, or even tomorrow before everyone leaves.”

Rachel sighed, “I don’t know if I should go out and about.  I might not want to leave.”

Kurt gave her a sympathetic smile, “Haven’t decided what you want to do yet?”

Rachel shrugged, “Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor… Could I stay here tomorrow night too?  On Wednesday, I received a letter from NYADA, stating that I can re audition, but they would not be returning to Lima, since I’m no longer in high school.  I called and set up an appointment for Monday.”

“Of course you can, Rachel,”  Sebastian answered.

She gave a small smile, “Thanks.  I would have asked sooner, but I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to do it.”

Kurt frowned, “Why not?  It’s always been your dream.”

“Mmm… I guess I have a lot of doubt that they would accept me after what happened.  I’ve been looking into the programs you told me about before, Kurt. I should have looked into them sooner, but I think I just wasn’t ready, ya know?”

Kurt nodded, “And are you ready now?”

She looked at Finn, who gave her an almost sorrowful look, “I’m ready in a lot of ways,”  she looked back to Kurt, “but not in others.” Kurt nodded that he understood. Even if Rachel was ready to spread her wings, she wasn’t ready to leave Finn behind.  

Finn sighed as he stood, “Let’s go check out that waterfall, Rach.”

She looked up at him and nodded, “Okay.”  

Kurt gave them a quick description of how to find it as he watched them put their coats on.  Once they left, he turned to Seb, who had stepped up behind him, “I hope they’ll be okay.”

“Well, if she follows her dream to New York, they might not be.”

“I know she’s going to follow her dream, and no matter what, whether it’s at the University of Cincinnati, somewhere in L.A., or if it brings her here… Finn isn’t going to be a part of that.  At least not for awhile. She may not be ready yet, but it’s going to happen. I just hope their hearts will be okay when they have to part ways.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Yeah.  We’ll be here for both of them if they need us.”

Kurt looked Seb in the eyes, “I love you, Bas.”

Seb kissed him, then said, “I love you, too, Baby.”

Kurt and Seb returned to their seats.  Nick was sitting on the end of one of the couches, with his arm around Jeff, who in turn, had Jenna curled into his side.  They were talking with Cameron and Quinn when they all paused their conversation when Chris came walking through the archway from the foyer.  He smiled and greeted everyone, “Hi! I’m so excited to see everyone!”

Everyone stood, but Leah was the first to reach him, “Chris!  I missed you!”

He smiled as he hugged her, “I missed you, too, Leah.”  He looked at Sam, “And you. Are you taking good care of her?”

Sam chuckled and hugged Chris, “Of course I am.”

Leah wrapped her arm around Sam’s waist, “He’s taking very good care of me.  You all need to worry less.”

Chris said, “It’s hard to do when we aren’t there too.”

“I know.”

Jeff and Nick were next.  As he got his hug from Jeff, he looked over his shoulder to Jenna and winked as he said to Jeff, “Don’t think I didn’t see you trying to steal my girl.”

Jeff pulled out of the hug and went to Jenna, wrapping his arms around her, “Well, if you’re not here to stake your claim, then you’re just going to have to learn to share.”

Jenna laughed, “Why aren’t straight guys arguing over me like this?”

Sugar smiled, “They will.  Now that you’re not stuck in your dorm room, it’s going to be a whole new world for you, Hun.”

Jenna shrugged, “I guess it’s not really what I want, anyway.  I just want one really good one. Not two arguing, or whatever… Just one really good one.”

Quinn smiled, “Well, you have Cupid on your side, now.  He’ll find you someone if it doesn’t happen naturally.”

Jenna smiled at Quinn, “I’ve heard about Cupid.  Did he fix up you and Cameron?”

Cam nodded, “He did.”

Sam chuckled, “One of his many, many nicknames for a reason. He’s good at it… Just like everything else he does.”  Kurt shook his head as his listened, and Seb just chuckled.  

Jenna looked at Kurt, “Why haven’t you used these magical powers on me?”

He laughed, “I have.  You’ll see.”

She started to say something, but Leah put her hand in the air, “Nope!  Don’t question it! Just let him work his magic.”

Jenna laughed, “Okay then.”

Seb smiled, “Kurt may not tell any of you, but he has things in the works ALL. THE. TIME.”

Kurt twisted his lips and nodded in agreement.

Cameron sat down, “Well, it sounds like Chris doesn’t need it anymore.”  He looked to Chris for a response.

Chris sat across from Cameron with a smile, “Nope.  Owen is great.” Kurt sat back and listened as Chris told them about Owen.  He wasn’t going to mess with their relationship, but he hoped that Chris and Elliott would naturally find a way to be together.  Their chemistry was undeniable, and he hadn’t seen either of them get so flustered as when they talked about each other. He figured Chris needed time to date, and if Owen was making him happy for now, who was he to argue with that?

Chris continued, “... and he’s so sweet.  He takes me to all sorts of new places, uses good manners, and… I don’t know…”  

Sugar laid back against Kurt and Seb, who were on the floor at this point.  She wished Puck wasn’t working so he could hear everything Chris was saying.  It was the first time he was opening up about Owen, but at the same time, he wasn’t really saying anything at all.  It was as if Chris was trying to describe him and tell everyone about him, but didn’t know what to say. She sighed, and then felt Kurt squeeze her a little tighter.  She had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.

After awhile, they decided to order Pizza for lunch.  Sebastian leaned against the counter or the kitchen island as he ate, “Sooo, Jeffie, I hear that you all went dancing, and that there is something you need to tell us.”

Jeff’s eyes widened, and Cameron laughed.  Cam said, “Yeah, Jeff. Either you tell them, or I will.  And I bet my version is more fun.” Quinn and Nick were smiling from ear to ear.

Jeff was a bit red as he sighed, “Fine,” he pouted.  “The six of us went out dancing…”

Jenna frowned, “Six?”

Nick answered, “Santana and Brittany, Cam and Quinn, and Jeffie and I.”

“Santana and Brittany, prom dates?”  Jenna asked.

“That’s them,”  Kurt smiled. “This should be good.  Santana said she wanted Jeff to be the one to tell the story.  So spill, Jeffie.”

Jeff was stalling, “Maybe we should wait until they get here…”

“I think it will be less painful for you to tell it now, Hun,”  Nick smiled as he put his arm around him.

“Fine, fine.  So the six of us went out dancing.  It’s nice that we all live fairly close.  We’re making new friends, but having family there, is really special.”

“We love you too, Jeff… But you’re stalling,”  Quinn smiled.

Jeff rolled his eyes, to which Seb snickered, since it was so much like Kurt.  “Okay, so we went dancing and it wasn’t much of a LGBTQ+ friendly place. No one was mean or anything, but we just didn’t feel too comfortable being completely ourselves.  So, Brittany and I,” he looked at Nick, “and Nick and Santana, kind of ‘partnered up’ for the night.” Kurt laughed out loud, imagining where this story was going. Jeff continued, “So, you all know Brittany is an amazing dancer.  Well, apparently she’s taking a pole dancing class.”

Sebastian nearly choked, “A pole dancing class?”

“Yeah.  And when we were dancing… I was the pole.”

Everyone erupted into laughter.  Jeff pouted more, “It’s not that funny!”

“It is!”  Sam laughed.  “We all know Britt.  We know what that must have been like!”

Jenna smiled, “I don’t know Brittany, but I can’t wait to meet her now.”

Quinn looked at Jenna, “Well, if you aren’t the least bit bi-curious, stay clear of both Britt and Santana…”  Seb, Kurt, Jeff, Nick, Chris and Cameron all cracked up. Everyone else smiled, but they had no idea why Quinn would say such a thing, other than the two girls being very flirtatious.  Quinn turned and winked at Cameron, who just shook his head with a smile.

Once Kurt stopped laughing enough to talk, he turned back to Jeff, “So what happened when you became the pole?”

“Well, it made me question a lot of things…”  Jeff made a face.

Nick chuckled, “You should have seen his face.  She went down, face at crotch level, then did a body roll back up again.  She threw one leg around his waist, and literally spun around him like he was a pole.  His eyes were huge, and then he looked at me, as if asking for help.”

“And did you help him?”  Leah asked.

Nick shook his head, “There wasn’t much I could do.  I had Santana all over me!” Everyone laughed.

Chris was laughing when his phone buzzed in his pocket.  He looked down to read the text discreetly.

From Owen:

Where are you?

From Chris:

Sebastian and Kurt’s.  Most of our family is here.  We’re just hanging out.  

From Owen:

Isn’t seeing them tonight enough?

From Chris:

We’re spread out all over… NY, Boston, Lima… It’s nice to have time together.  

From Owen:  

Do you expect me to go to this party alone?  Are you not going to be with me when I get there?

From Chris:

I can meet you somewhere if you want.

From Owen:  

Meet me at my apartment.  The sooner, the better. We need to talk.

Chris sighed.  He looked back up, and everyone was laughing at something else Jeff had said.  He tried to join in on the conversation, but he couldn’t even keep up. His mind kept wandering back to Owen.  Was he mad? Was he being possessive? What would he want to talk about? Did he want to break up?  

Sebastian came over and put his hand on Chris’ shoulder.  He leaned down and whispered, “Are you okay?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah.  Um, I have to go. I’ll see everyone tonight, okay?”

Everyone frowned.  It was Cameron who spoke up first, “Where are you going?  You practically just got here.”

Chris nodded, “I know.  I need to meet Owen. We’ll be back tonight.  Please be nice to him.”

Kurt frowned, “Of course we’ll be nice to him.”

Chris nodded and then headed for the elevator, “I’ll see everyone later.”

After Chris entered the elevator, and the door closed, Kurt looked at Sebastian with a worried expression.  Seb nodded, “I know, Baby. I don’t like it either.”

When Chris arrived at Owen’s apartment, he was very nervous.  He knocked lightly on the door, then looked down and waited. Owen took his time getting to the door.  When he opened it, he just looked at Chris, then stepped aside, silently inviting him in.

Chris stepped in, turning and waiting for Owen to close the door.  He quietly asked, “What did you want to talk about?”
Owen stepped up to Chris.  He grabbed both of his arms, gripping tightly, “Do you understand that you are mine?”

Chris was a bit shocked, “I… I understand that I’m your boyfriend.”

Owen closed the gap between them, kissing him soundly.  When he pulled away, he continued, “You are my boyfriend.  And as my boyfriend, it should be me that you spend time with.”

Chris frowned, “I can spend time with you and them.  They are important to me, Owen.”

“We are spending time with them.  Tonight. But you have to understand that you are mine, Chris.”  He started walking forward, causing Chris to walk backwards until his back hit the wall.  He still had not let go of his arms. “You are mine. I expect to be a priority in your life.  They all have each other. They are all couples. All I have is you. And all you have is me.”

“Owen…”  Chris was cut off with a deep, passionate kiss.  He could feel the need in it. It was all so confusing.  He really liked Owen. He was sweet most of the time. He liked that he was a bit possessive when they were out and about, but this was a bit much.  He needed his family. Owen couldn’t take that away from him… But this kiss. The need, and want in it… It was overwhelming. So overwhelming, that Chris gave in to the moment, kissing back.

A few hours after Chris left the penthouse, Puck arrived home.  When he entered, everyone greeted him, and he plopped down on the couch.  Sugar took a break from frosting cookies and came to sit on his lap, “Rough day at work, Sweetie?”  She kissed him quickly.

“Mmmm,”  he leaned up for another kiss.  “It wasn’t too bad. Just felt long, since I knew everyone was here.  I just wanted to be with you guys, not at work.”

Sugar nodded, “Well, not everyone is here.  Chris was here for a little over an hour, then left.”

Puck frowned, “Why?  Is everything okay?”

Sugar shrugged sadly, “I don’t know.  It was weird, Puck.” She laid her head on his shoulder.

He rubbed her back as he spoke, “We’ll see how tonight goes.  If we need to sit him down and talk to him, we will.” He looked over to Sebastian who was sitting next to him, “What do you think?”

Seb took a deep breath, “I think, as much as this doesn’t feel right to any of us, we need to at least meet Owen and see how tonight goes.”

Puck nodded, “You’re right.  We have to give him a chance.”

Not long after, the elevator doors opened, and Santana and Brittany came strutting in.  Santana smiled, “The party can start now, bitches!” Everyone laughed, and the Ohio friends made their way to the girls first.  

“I’ve missed you guys,”  Leah laughed.

“We missed you, too, Leah.”  Santana looked at Sam, “Treating her well, right?”

He rolled his eyes, “Of course!  Why does everyone keep asking that?  You all know me better than anyone. Of course I’m treating her right!”

Brittany smiled as she leaned in closer to Sam and Leah, “We’re just concerned for your safety, Sammy.  We know Sebby would kill you if you hurt her.”

“He’s not going to hurt me,”  Leah said as she wrapped her arms around Sam.  

He hugged her back and kissed her on the forehead, “Never.”

Sugar grabbed Jenna and pulled her with her over to the girls.  She hugged both of them and then made introductions, “Santana, Brittany, this our friend, Jenna.  Jenna, this is Santana and Brittany.”

Jenna smiled, “It’s so nice to meet you both!  I’ve heard lots of good things about both of you.”  She looked at Brittany, “Especially about what a good dancer you are.”

Everyone laughed, and Jeff hid his face.  Santana smiled, “Awe, Jeffie, why didn’t you wait for us?!”

Nick answered for him, “We thought it might be less painful for him if he did it without you here.”

Jeff was still sitting with his head in his hands as Britt made her way to him, “What’s the matter, Jeffie?  Didn’t you like our dance?” She pushed his shoulders back so that he was sitting up straight, then turned and sat on his lap.  He turned bright red, then buried his head in her shoulder.

“Awe, I think our Jeffie liked it too much!”  Santana smiled.

They laughed when they heard a muffled, “Shut up, Tana!” come from Jeff.  

He sighed in relief as the elevator doors opened and Finn and Rachel came walking in.  Finn and Rachel gave Santana and Brittany hugs, and then they all went about getting ready for the party.  

Kurt and Sebastian had decided that if they didn’t have time to put together good costumes, no one else probably did either.  So, they requested that everyone wear black, orange, or some kind of Halloween inspired clothes. Kurt was hoping for a group picture, so he could have one with both his long-time family, and new friends who were quickly becoming family too.

The penthouse was all decked out in Halloween decorations.  The dry bar was over-stocked, since many in their family opted to bring alcohol instead of food, and the food and treats that Kurt, Sugar, Jenna made, along with the ones Ashley had brought the day before, were taking up every square inch of the large kitchen island.  Everyone who was spending the night had on their outfits. To make things a bit more fun, most of them put a rocker edge into their outfits. Sebastian, of course, highly encouraged Kurt to wear eyeliner, which he did.  

Hayden, along with two other members of Sebastian’s study group, arrived first.  With Hayden were Krish, an Indian guy with glasses that Kurt immediately liked, and Grace, a blonde girl with beautiful curls and a kind smile.  Kurt had not met Krish or Grace, so he was so happy they could make it to the party. They were just as excited to meet him.  

“I’ll take your coats,”  Kurt smiled. He took the coats and headed toward the office.  He smiled to himself as he passed Jenna.  

Sebastian brought them over toward the living room and kitchen, “Everyone, this is Hayden, Krish, and Grace.  Guys, this is everyone…” He quickly went through everyone’s names, not they would remember them all.

Hayden went up to Jenna and Sugar, “It’s nice to see you ladies again.  You both look great.”

Jenna blushed, and Sugar smiled, “Thanks, Hun.  You do too. Black suits you.”

He smiled and looked down, “Thanks.”

Sugar turned to Jenna, “Why don’t you take Hayden on a tour?  He’s never been here before.” Sugar picked up a bowl and tried to busy herself.  She caught Kurt’s eye, and she winked. He just grinned, loving that his best girl was in on the plan.

Jenna smiled sweetly, “Sure!  Follow me, and we’ll start upstairs…”

Hayden looked at Jenna’s adorable dimples as she passed him and mumbled, “I think I’d follow you anywhere,” as he turned to follow Jenna to the steps. Hayden had been thinking of her a lot ever since karaoke.  Kurt and Sugar couldn’t have smiled any bigger. Everyone around them could tell what they were up to and just chuckled to themselves.

Within the half hour, most people had arrived.  Ben, Ty, Natalie, Jeremy, and Ashley were next. They all brought food, not wanting to contribute to giving alcohol to minors. 

“Oh.  My. God.  That’s…” Rachel said as she pointed to Jeremy.  

Puck leaned over and spoke to her quietly, “Yes.  That’s Jeremy Jordan. Keep it down, and I’ll tell you how he’s here.”  She nodded, so Puck continued, “He’s a friend of Ben and Natalie’s. Together, they are writing a musical about Sebastian and Kurt.”   Rachel’s eyes widened and she turned to look at Puck. He said, “They’ve all become friends and are here pretty often. Don’t make this into a thing, Rachel.  Please.”

Rachel took a deep breath, “Okay.  Okay, I’ll try really hard not to.”

Channing, Elliott, and Dallas were next to arrive.  When the doors opened, Kurt happened to be close by.  He laughed when he heard Channing say, “I fucking knew it.”

He smiled as he approached her, “What did you know?”

“That you had money.  I know your closets are fucking huge, too,”  she smiled.

He hugged her quickly, “Well, first of all, I don’t have money.  Well, sort of? Bas and his family do. I have more money than I thought I ever would, since I don’t pay rent, or tuition, and had saved for school, so I guess I kinda do, too?”  He made an adorable thinking face that Elliott couldn’t help but smile at.

“This place is beautiful, Kurt,”  Elliott said.

Kurt smiled, and much to Elliott’s surprise, hugged him, “Thanks.  All the decor is thanks to Bas and Leah’s late aunt. I’m just lucky that I love it.  And the penthouse has been in Bas’ family since the building was built.”

“Wow,”  Dallas said, as she looked around.  

“We can do tours later, if you want.  Come on, let me introduce you guys to our family,”  Kurt took their coats and they followed him in. He quickly made the introductions, and everyone started mingling right away. 

Most of their self defense class showed up soon after.  Lex was the only one to not come. No one was surprised by that at all.  She participated at a minimum in class, and never stuck around for any socializing.  

Several people from the class, as well as Krish and Grace, all recognized Jeremy.  Jeremy, especially, was grateful that they were cool about it, and after some friendly greetings and chit chat, everything went back to normal.  Kurt and Sebastian were pleased too.  

Chris and Owen approached the building hand in hand.  “You have to be kidding me,” Owen said, looking up at the building.  

Chris smiled, “Nope.  I told you it was a nice place.”

Owen made face, “Yeah, ‘nice’.”  He felt a bit jealous already.

“Good evening, Mr. Cairnes,”  Raymond greeted.

Chris smiled, “Hey, Raymond.  How are you?”

Raymond nodded, “Fantastic.  Have a great time tonight.”

Chris smiled, “Thanks!  I’m sure we will.”

As they went inside, George greeted him, “Good evening, Mr. Cairnes.  How are you tonight?”

“Great, George!  How are you?”

“Doing well.  Thanks for asking.”

“George, this is my boyfriend, Owen Chatfield.  He should be on the list.”

George checked the list, “He sure is.”  He looked to Owen, “I’ll just need to see your ID, Mr. Chatfield.”

Owen showed George his ID and they were allowed access to the elevators.  Once they were on their way up, Owen said, “This is crazy. I can’t believe I had to show ID to get into a private party.”

“There is a reason that they chose to live here.  Safety and security, is very important to them. They’ve been through a lot.  Showing your ID isn’t a big deal.”

Owen sighed as he stared at the screen of the elevator.  It had a “P” displayed. He asked, “What does the ‘P’ stand for?”

Chris answered, “Penthouse,” just before the doors opened to the party.

The party was well underway by this point.  Music was playing, and people were eating, drinking, and talking everywhere.  

As they walked in, Finn noticed right away.  He had yet to see Chris, so he walked over and gave Chris a huge, Finn-style bear hug, “Chris!  I’ve missed you, man!” Owen frowned as Chris let go of his hand and hugged Finn back.  

“I missed you, too, Finn!  How are you?”

“Good!”  He let go of Chris and looked at Owen, “Hey, I’m Finn.  I’m Kurt’s brother.”

Owen shook his hand, “Owen.  Chris’ boyfriend.”

“Cool, man.  It’s nice to meet you!”  Finn smiled. Rachel approached, and Finn introduced her.  Owen was polite, despite his annoyance with Finn for touching his boyfriend.  Little did he know how touchy feely this family was.

Kurt was in the kitchen with Sugar, as they chatted with Jenna and Elliott.  Sebastian and Puck were only a few feet behind them, talking with Ben, Ty, and Jeremy.  Sugar was looking down at the treats, straightening them up from where some had been taken from the platter.  Kurt looked up and noticed Chris. He smiled, but his smile faded and he paled a bit as soon as he saw Owen.  

Elliott frowned.  He did not like the look on Kurt’s face. “Kurt, are you okay?”

Sebastian and Puck both heard Elliott and the concern in his voice.  They turned and stepped closer to look at Kurt. Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back, “What’s wrong, Baby?”

All of his friends that were within earshot were now looking at him.  He cleared his throat and shook his head as he looked down at the counter, “Nothing.  Everything is fine.”

Sebastian, Sugar, Puck, Jenna and Elliott knew that it wasn’t.  Jeremy, Ben, and Ty listened as Sebastian spoke quietly, “What’s the matter, Babe?”

Kurt glanced up to where Chris and Owen were greeting some of their Ohio family.  Everyone looked up, trying to figure out what was bothering Kurt. Sebastian sighed when he saw who Owen was.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Puck said, noticing Owen.

“Puck...that’s…”  Sugar had concern written all over her face.

“Yeah, Sug.  I know.”

Elliott frowned, “What’s going on?”  Jenna made her way to be by Sugar’s side.

Sebastian spoke quietly again, “Chris’ boyfriend...We’ve seen him before.  He was at the Palladium when we walked Chris back to practice one day after lunch.  Another cheerleader came into the area all flustered, like they had gotten in an argument or fight.  Owen gave him a very threatening look. The cheerleader guy looked terrified. It was something we were all bothered by, and even discussed on the way home.”

“Shit,”  Elliott said, looking over to Owen.  “Do you think he’s abusive?” Thoughts of his abusive relationship in high school swirled around in his head.  He felt sick thinking that Chris, the guy he had a crush on, might be enduring any of that.

“He better not hurt Chris,”  Puck said through gritted teeth.  He turned to Elliott, “Sugar and Kurt both felt really uneasy when we first saw him.  It’s like their senses for that kind of thing are heightened after what they’ve been through, ya know?”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah, that’s pretty typical, and not a good sign at all.”

At this point, Sebastian had wrapped his arms around Kurt, holding him close.  He kissed him on the forehead, then looked at everyone, “We still need to give him a chance, but without letting our guard down.  It may have been a fluke. I hope it was. But he’s over there smiling and laughing with our family, and by all accounts, looks polite enough.  This is a big step for Chris to even bring him here to meet us, so let's give him a shot. Agreed?” Everyone nodded, “Kurt and Sugar, if either of you become too uncomfortable, then he’s gone.  This is your home, and anyone who makes you feel that way, isn’t welcomed here. Period.” 

Kurt nodded and Sugar quietly said, “Okay.”  Elliott was worried about how quiet Kurt had become.

Sebastian pulled Kurt aside, and took his face gently in his hands.  He used his Dom tone, “Listen to me, Kurt. Everything will be fine. You are safe at home, surrounded by everyone that loves you.  I will not let anything happen to you, and we will make sure that Chris stays safe the best we can. Do you understand?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Sir.  Thank you.”

“Always, Baby.  I love you.” He gave Kurt a quick kiss.

“I love you, too.” 

Over by the fireplace, Chris was introducing Owen to more of his family, then pulled him over toward the kitchen.  Kurt took a deep breath, and Sebastian made sure to keep his hand touching Kurt at all times when Owen was close. Puck was doing the same for Sugar.  Elliott and Jenna had made their way over to talk to Ben, Ty, and Jeremy, but Elliott was keeping an eye on things.

“Owen these are my best friends, Kurt, Sebastian, Puck, and Sugar.  Guys, this is my boyfriend, Owen.” Chris smiled.  

Sebastian was first to speak.  He shook Owen’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you, Owen.  Welcome.”

“Thank you.  Your home is beautiful.”

Sebastian gave a single nod, “Thank you.  But as Kurt likes to say, it’s not as beautiful as the people I share it with.”

Owen looked at Kurt, “Kurt, it’s nice to meet you.”  He held his hand out.

Kurt looked at his hand, and slowly reached out to shake it, “You too, Owen.  I’m glad you were able to make it tonight.”

Owen nodded, “Thanks for having me.’  He looked at Sugar, “Sugar, it’s nice to meet you, as well.  I’m looking forward to tasting your famous sweets.”

She gave a small smile, “It’s nice to meet you too.  I’m afraid Chris might be a little biased.”

Puck winked at Chris, “Just a little.”  Puck was almost certain he heard Owen growl when he winked.  He looked back to Owen, the grin gone from his face , “I’m Puck.”  He held out his hand.

Owen shook it, “Good to meet you,” he said dryly.  Sugar grabbed Puck’s hand and stood behind him slightly.  

Elliott saw the tension building.  He approached, “Hi, Owen. I’m Elliott.”  He shook his hand quickly, “I think we need to some live music.  Do you sing, Owen?” Chris was grateful for this distraction. He could tell something was off, but chalked it up to Owen’s possessive nature.  He didn’t realize Puck wasn’t real happy with the interaction, since he was so focused on Owen.

“I can sing a little, I guess,” he said with a shrug.

“Well, feel free to join in,”  he said as he looked back to Jeremy, Ty, and Ben, who nodded.  He looked to Jenna, Seb, Kurt, Puck, and Sugar, who followed along.  They went to get out the guitars and Sebastian sat at the piano.

When Sam saw Seb sit, he smiled, “Sing us a song, piano man!”

Seb chuckled, and began playing just a few chords of Piano Man, by Billy Joel, but didn’t sing.  Kurt leaned his elbows on the piano and looked around at his friends and family, new and old, and tried his best to forget the feeling he had when he first saw Owen.  He had been polite enough, and although it was obvious that he was possessive of Chris, Kurt hoped it wasn’t too much. 

Seb looked at Kurt, “Sing with me, Babe!”  Everyone cheered, anxious to hear the two sing together again.

Kurt smiled at his fiance as he made his way closer to him, “What do you want to sing, Love?”

Sebastian made a face, “I don’t know.”  He looked around, “What do you guys want to hear?”

Quinn smiled, “ Found/Tonight .”

“Yeah, that’s such a perfect song for you two,”  Leah smiled. “Please…”

“Don’t give me those eyes, Sis,”  Seb said.

Kurt chuckled, “You really think she’s going to stop?  They work on you every time.”

Seb smiled, “True.”  He looked around, “Warblers, would you like to harmonize?”

“Pfft, would we like to harmonize,”  Jeff smiled.  

Kurt began to sing, and then played along on the piano.  As the melody progressed, Jeff, Nick, and Cameron all harmonized.  Jeremy looked at Ben and just shook his head. They were all so good.  

When the song ended, everyone cheered.  They laughed when Jeff said, “And that is how you win Nationals.”

Any of their new friends from self defense class and Seb’s study group who did not go to karaoke, were shocked at their voices.  Especially together.   

Kurt smiled and looked at Elliott once the clapping stopped, “Okay.  Now, Elliott, do all of our family a favor, and sing us a song.” He looked around at the crowd, “You guys are in for quite a treat!”

Elliott smiled and shook his head, “I don’t know that I can follow that, Kurt.”

“Yes, you can,”  Puck said.

Elliott chuckled, “Okay.”  He went to the guitars and looked back, “Can I borrow one of these?”

“Sure!”  Puck and Seb said at the same time, since they were the owners of the guitars.

Elliott picked one up, and strummed a few notes, getting himself comfortable.  He made a thoughtful face, then sang, “ Closer To You ”, by Adam Lambert.

Owen watched as Chris, like many in the room, was entranced by the song.  He didn’t like that look in Chris’ eyes if it wasn’t directed at him. And he hated how Elliott would glance at Chris every once in awhile, as if he was singing to him.  He couldn’t sing that well, and certainly not as good as Elliott, Kurt, or Sebastian. Not having Chris’ attention was killing him.

Everyone was wowed by Elliott, and their expressions showed it as the song ended.  Everyone cheered, and Elliott blushed a little as he said, “Thank you,” putting the guitar back on the stand.  Jeremy was especially impressed.

Santana sauntered to the grand piano, “Well, hot damn, Elliott.  That was amazing. But, I think we need to make things a bit more... interesting.”  She looked around at everyone, turning in a circle as she strut around, “I think there needs to be a challenge involved.”  She stopped turning as she faced Sebastian. He raised his eyebrows. She smirked, “You and me, Smythe.”  Kurt laughed, and everyone else was grinning.  

Sebastian stood and made his way to stand chest to chest with Santana.  He looked down at her and smirked, “What’s the challenge, Lopez?”

She winked, “A sing-off.”  She turned around and put her phone on the docking station, “I think some Michael is appropriate.”  She turned back to Sebastian, batting her eyelashes, “You up for that, Sebby?”

Seb scoffed, “I’m up for anything, Tana.”

She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows.  Kurt leaned over to Elliott, who had taken Sebastian’s place on the couch, “If Bas and I disappear for a few minutes after he sings... this is why…”  Elliott laughed.  

“Smooth Criminal” began to play, and everyone smiled.  Jeremy, Ben and Natalie were nearly bouncing with excitement and anticipation.  Seb started singing first, approaching Santana in a challenging stride. She smiled and walked backwards around the back of the piano.  Their newer New York friends were wide-eyed. They hadn’t seen this side of Sebastian. He backed Santana up until she was at the stairs.  She stayed facing him, and took two steps up as she began to sing. When her part was over, he reached around her waist with one arm, lifting her down to the floor again as he sang.  She turned and walked away, but Seb headed her off by jumping over the couch. She tried to take control of the song back, singing, “I don’t know. I don’t know…” but he continued to advance on her.  When the song ended, they were chest to chest again, breathing heavy, smirking at each other. Santana’s back was against the piano as she kept eye contact with Sebastian, but spoke loudly so Kurt could hear her, “Fuck, Porcelain.  You are one lucky man.”

Everyone laughed.  Kurt nodded and fanned himself a bit, “You have no idea, Tana.  No idea.”

Sebastian winked at Santana, “I’m the lucky one.”

Chris chuckled, “You’re both lucky.”  Owen frowned and tried to calm the anger he felt at hearing that statement.  Puck and Elliott both noticed, giving each other a knowing look.

“Damn, I need a drink now,”  Kurt chuckled as he stood.  

Santana stepped around Sebastian and put her arm through Kurt’s, “Me too, Porcelain.”

A few people made their way over to fix some drinks.  Jenna smiled at Kurt from behind her glass, “So ‘Porcelain’ is a new one.”

He smiled, “Yeah.  It was a cheer name.  Coach thought my skin looked like porcelain, so...”

“Yeah, about this cheer stuff.  I need proof. You just don’t seem like a cheerleader.”

Brittany started bouncing, “Porcelain, show her!”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “No, Britt!”  It was too late. Brittany had ran over to Sebastian, who was talking quietly to Hayden and Krish while Rachel was belting out a tune.

“Sebby!” she said, sitting in his lap.  

Seb smiled, “Yes, Britt?”

She got a little distracted.  She looked at Hayden and Krish and frowned, “Are they dolphins, too, Sebby?”

They had a look of complete confusion.  Seb chuckled, “No, Sweetie. They’re sharks.  What did you want?”

“Oh!  You need to show Jenna Porcelain’s cheer video.  Can we all see it?”

He smiled and rubbed her back a little, “How about I put it on the computer in the office, and you two can watch in there?”  He took her jumping up and running to get Jenna as a ‘yes’. He looked at his friends, “Excuse me, gentlemen.”

They both shook their heads.  Hayden said, “No way. I want to see this.”  They both got up and followed Sebastian into the office. 

Brittany ran over to Santana, who was talking with Elliott, Bahati, and Puck, “We’re showing Jenna Kurt’s cheer video.  Come watch!”

Elliott raised his eyebrows, “Kurt was a cheerleader?”

Puck chuckled, “Yep.  He won them Nationals, too.”

Bahati frowned, “I thought he won Show Choir Nationals?”

Puck smirked, “He won both.  The Cheer Nationals was with McKinley, and the Show Choir Nationals was with Dalton.”  Puck looked back, seeing their confused expressions, and realized that they didn’t know Kurt had switched schools.  He didn’t want to be the one to tell them, especially if it wasn’t something Kurt wanted them to know, so he just shook his head.  Elliott and Bahati understood that he had said something that would lead to a questionable topic.

Sebastian set it up for them, then left to go mingle again.  As they stood around and watched, their jaws dropped. “Holy shit!”  Elliott said, unable to take his eyes off the computer. When it was over, they all came out and were looking at Kurt.  Kurt had been talking with Chris and Owen, trying to be friendly. 

He noticed everyone looking, so he paused the conversation, “What?!”

Jenna was still in a bit of shock, but said, “You didn’t tell us about Cheer Nationals.  I mean, damn, Kurt.” Owen frowned a bit, looking at Kurt. He didn’t know he had been a cheerleader.

Kurt blushed a little, “What about them?”

“Kurt… You were singing AND flipping in the air.  You were walking on those guy’s hands as they held you up… All while singing like that?!”  Elliott said, totally impressed.

Chris chuckled, “Well, that’s why they won!”

Finn, Rachel, Quinn, and Cameron were sitting around the coffee table in front of the couch Kurt, Chris, and Owen were sitting on.  Finn turned to look at Kurt, “You should play it on the tv out here. Let everyone see it!”

Kurt shook his head with a frown, “No.”

Dallas smiled from the dining room table, “Why not, Kurt?  It just helps us get to know the real you. Some of us are still learning.  I mean, we just found out the Sebastian could do what he just did… Sooo….”

“We could show them a live version!”  Brittany said as she plopped down on Santana’s lap, across from Kurt.

“Ohh, yeah, Porcelain.  Let’s do it live.”

“NO.  Okay, we can watch it out here,”  he sighed. Dallas clapped and bounced in her seat a bit.  

Puck went and got the flash drive and set it up.  Once it began to play, everyone was watching. Kurt got up and went to the kitchen.  

Sebastian wrapped his arms around him from behind, “You okay?  We can turn it off if you want.”

Kurt spoke quietly so no one could hear him, “No, it’s okay.  It’s just Owen. I’m trying to be friendly, but there’s something about him.  It’s like he’s threatened by me or something. He kind of reminds me of Blaine.”  Sebastian took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, and held Kurt a little tighter.  Kurt continued, “I don’t think he likes Chris having all of these friends.”

“Well, we aren’t going anywhere, no matter what.  He’s just going to have to get used to us, or leave Chris.”

When the video was over, everyone, especially the new friends, cheered.  “That was unbelievable, Kurt!” Channing said. “Can we see the Show Choir Nationals video now?”

Kurt shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

Sebastian knew he didn’t want to have to talk about why he switched schools.  He also knew that the video that played during “Stand In The Light” would raise a lot of questions on a subject that wasn’t exactly up for discussion at the moment.  He shook his head, “Maybe some other time…”

Santana got the message, so she said, “How about some more live music?  Since we have three Broadway actors in our midst, I think it’s only fair that you guys sing us a song or two.”

Ben, Jeremy, and Natalie easily agreed, and sang a few songs from musicals they had each been in.  

While they were singing, Kurt stood back and watched, getting lost in the music as he sipped his drink.  Sebastian, however, was in the kitchen, where he noticed Owen standing over by the credenza along the staircase wall.  On top were several framed photos of Sebastian, Kurt, and their family. Seb watched Cameron approach Owen, looking to see which picture it was that he was holding, inspecting closely.  “That’s all of us at Seb and Kurt’s graduation party.” He pointed to the picture, “There’s Chris.”

“And who is that with his arm around him?”

“That’s Thad.  He’s a friend of ours.”  He didn’t know how much Chris had told Owen about Thad.  

“Mmm.  And Sebastian and Kurt even had a joint graduation party?”  he sat the picture back down, and picked up the one of Kurt that Sebastian had taken at the Lima Bean after cheer practice one Wednesday.  

“Yeah.  They have all the same friends, and their families have become super close, so why not?”  Cameron looked at the picture Owen was holding, “That’s at Lima Bean. It’s the coffee shop where they met.”

Owen raised his eyebrows, “They didn’t meet in school?”  Cameron just shook his head. Owen said, “I didn’t know Kurt was a cheerleader too.”

“Yep.  And, as you saw, a great one.  That’s how we all met Chris. He and Kurt met at a competition.  He ran into Kurt and Sebastian doing some Christmas shopping, and from there, it was a fast friendship.  They’ve become even closer now.”

Owen put the picture down, and dryly said, “I know.”  He glanced over to Chris, who was now standing behind the couch, talking to Kurt.  He watched as Kurt grabbed Chris’ bicep and leaned in to whisper something to him. Chris threw his head back and laughed, placing his hand on Kurt’s back.  

Owen saw red and stormed over, pushing his way past Cam.  Kurt looked up, seeing the anger in Owen’s eyes.  His own eyes widened, and visibly paled once again.  

Sebastian noticed right away, looking up when he saw the sudden movements of Owen quickly making his way across the room.  He glanced at Kurt, seeing the panic already setting in.  It was as if it all was set in slow motion. “Kurt!” he called, immediately making his way toward his fiance.  Everyone looked to see what was the matter.

Kurt heard him, but was unable to move.  Chris turned to see Owen headed straight for them, anger written all over his face.  He stepped in front of Kurt, trying his best to shield him. Owen shoved him out of the way, pushing Kurt back forcefully with one hand, “Don’t fucking touch him!  He’s mine!”  His drink went flying.  The glass hit the floor and shattered, just as Kurt gasped for air, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor.

Owen turned to Chris, grabbing his arm roughly, “Let’s go.”  He started to pull him toward the elevator.

“No!”  Chris yelled. 

As Chris yelled, Cameron had made his way over and pulled him back, stepping in front of him, while Finn and Sam both grabbed Owen.  Finn watched as Sebastian got on the floor with Kurt, trying to pull him out of his panic attack. Finn practically growled as he said, “I’ve already held my brother in my arms as I thought he was dying after some asshole fucked with him.  That won’t happen again.  Don’t even think you can come into his home and touch him without consequences.  I will kill you before you lay another finger on him.”

Puck stood inches away from Owen now, “You’ll have to get in line, Finn.”  He glared at Owen, “I knew you were no good. I’m going to let you walk out of here in as much of one piece as these boys will let you leave.  But the only condition to that is that if you ever fucking touch Kurt again, you won’t ever see the light of day.  And the same goes for Chris.  You may be jealous of his family, but we’re family.  We take care of our own.  He’s ours. You touch him, the consequences will be severe.  Now get the fuck out, and don’t ever come back.”

While all of this was happening, Hayden reached over and grabbed Jenna’s hand, pulling her behind him.  Sugar and Jeff ran to be with Kurt. And every other person in the room stood, ready to act if need be.  

Elliott had made his way as fast as he could to Chris, who was now shaking.  Elliott spoke softly, “I’m going to put my hand on your shoulder, okay?” Chris nodded.

“Don’t fucking touch him!”  Owen yelled.

Sebastian turned away from Kurt for a moment.  The look in his eyes was pure hatred, “Get him the fuck out of here before I rip him apart.  Make sure they know he’s never welcome back.”

Finn and Sam pulled Owen to the elevator as he yelled and tried to pull away.  Channing, of course, knew what coat he had worn in, so she quickly got it for him. She didn’t want there to be a reason for him to try to return.  Sam took it from her with a nod.  

“Be careful, Sam,”  Leah said as he waited for the elevator doors to open.  She and Rachel were holding hands.

“Always,” he winked at her.  

When the elevator doors opened, Sam grabbed another coat from the coat tree, and handed Owen’s to Finn.  They exchanged a look, then entered the elevator in silence. When the doors closed, Sam let go of Owen’s arm, and conveniently, and slowly, put on the coat in such a way that it blocked the security camera.  Downstairs, George watched the camera become blocked with a raised eyebrow.  

As the elevator doors opened to the lobby, Owen was bent over, holding his stomach.  He stumbled out as Finn pushed him from behind. He grabbed him by the arm again and looked at George, “Owen is no longer welcome here.  Ever.  If he comes back tonight, call the police.  We’ll have him arrested for assault.”

“Yes, Mr. Hudson.”

Raymond opened the door for them.  He raised his eyebrows as the boys shoved Owen out onto the sidewalk and threw his coat out after him.  

“Call the police if he tries to come back, Raymond.  He’s no longer welcome here.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Raymond said, glaring at Owen.  He didn’t know what the guy had done, but if these two sweet boys from Ohio said it was bad, it was.

Owen turned around, “Fuck you!”  But Finn and Sam were already on their way back to the elevator.

Chapter Text

As Finn and Sam took Owen to the elevator, Kurt’s eyes were panicking as they scanned the room.  He wasn’t sure where Owen had gone.  

“No, Baby.  Look at me,”  Sebastian said as he gently turned Kurt’s face to look at him.  Kurt looked him in the eye. “That’s it, Baby. He’s leaving. Your brothers have him and he’s leaving.  Take a deep breath, Kurt. Breathe.” Kurt looked away, scanning the room again. Seb lowered his tone, “He’s not coming back, Kurt.  Ever. I’ve got you. Please focus. Look at me.” Kurt continued to gasp for air, but he finally found Sebastian’s eyes again. “Good boy.  That’s it,” Seb said quietly. “Try again. Take some slow, deep breaths. I need you to count in your head for me. Focus on me. Don’t look away.”

After a minute, that seemed like a lifetime, Kurt started to breathe a little easier.  As soon as he was able, he looked at Seb with concern, “Chris…?”

“He’s okay.  He’s right here,”  Seb answered, looking up at Chris, who had huge tears in his eyes, carefully watching Kurt.

While Sebastian had been trying to calm Kurt down, Elliott was doing the same for Chris.  After asking Chris if he could touch his shoulder, and Owen’s explosive reaction, Chris melted into Elliott.  He held Chris close, slowly rubbing his back as they both watched Seb and Kurt, just like most others in the room.  Cameron, however, was watching Elliott and Chris.

Kurt looked up to Chris, “Are… Are you okay?” he asked softly.

That opened the floodgates for Chris.  He couldn’t believe the first thing Kurt was concerned about was him.  He choked out a sob, “I’m fine. Are you? I’m so sorry, Kurt.” He let go of Elliott and fell to his knees next to Kurt, “I’m so sorry.”  Kurt reached his arm out for Chris. They held each other as Chris cried.  

“This wasn’t your fault, Chris,”  Sebastian said as he wrapped one of his arms around Chris too.

Kurt held onto Chris tight as a few of his own tears fell, “Please don’t go back to him, Chris.  Please.”

Chris shook his head, “No, I won’t.  I’m so sorry.”

“Bas is right.  This wasn’t your fault.  He was just….”

Chris took a deep breath, “Jealous.  He was just jealous.”

Everyone frowned a bit.  Sebastian asked, “What is he jealous of?”

“Everything,”  Chris answered.  “He’s jealous of your home, jealous that I spend so much time with you, and especially jealous that you were touching me.”

“That’s bullshit, Chris.  I hope you know that,” Cameron said.  

“Total bullshit,”  Puck agreed.

Chris nodded.  Elliott hoped that he really did understand.

“Come on.  Let’s get up off the floor,”  Sebastian said as he patted Kurt’s hip.

Puck helped Kurt up, as Elliott helped Chris.  Nick reached down, pulling Sebastian to his feet.

“I think it may be time for us to head out,”  Channing said.  

Kurt shook his head, and Sebastian said, “Actually, Channing, it usually helps to be surrounded by friends and family.  So if you don’t mind staying…”

“Absolutely,”  She said, wondering what Sebastian meant by “usually”.  She wondered if this happened all the time. She realized that she probably knew a lot less about him than his other new friends, since many of them were from his self defence class.  

Everyone started settling back into their seats, grabbing snacks or drinks… Anything to make it go back to being normal.  Channing and Brittany began cleaning up the broken glass, while Santana and Jeff got some dish towels to clean the spill.

The elevator doors opened, and Finn and Sam entered.  They headed straight for Kurt. “Are you okay, Little Brother?”

Kurt nodded, and Sebastian said, “Thanks for helping.”

Sam looked to Chris, “You okay?”  He shrugged and nodded simultaneously.

Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him around to the front of the couch, and into his lap, wrapping his arms around him.  Kurt sat sideways with Seb, leaning his head against his collarbone. He looked over to Chris, “Come on.”  

Chris went over and sat with them.  Sebastian put his arm around him, and Kurt reached over and grabbed his hand.  Elliott sat in the empty spot on the couch next to Chris, turning to face him as much as he could. “This would have set him off,”  Chris said sadly.

The three of them frowned, “Did that type of thing happen often?” Sebastian asked.

“The jealousy?  It’s hard to say.  We didn’t go around other people that often, other than strangers.  But I know he was jealous of the time we would all spend together. And he hates when other people get close to me, or especially touch me.”

Elliott looked around and noticed that no one was paying attention to what they were talking about, and the party had returned to normal, with the exception of the friends cleaning up, and a few worried glances every once in awhile.  He quietly asked, “Chris, does Owen hurt you?”

Chris took a deep breath again as he closed his eyes.  

Puck, Finn and Cameron were over by the dry bar.  They were casually watching Kurt and Chris, making sure everything was okay without being too ‘in your face’ about it.  Cam turned to Puck and Finn, “I hope Owen knows he needs to back off. I don’t get a good feeling about him.”

Finn nodded, “We made it pretty clear in the elevator that he wasn’t welcomed back.”

Puck raised an eyebrow, “So he didn’t leave in one piece?” 

Finn shook his head, “Hell no.”

Back on the couch, Chris answered Elliott’s question.  He frowned, “He… He…” Chris made a face like it had dawned on him, “He did hurt me.  Earlier today… He hurt me.” Chris started to cry a little, and Kurt and Sebastian pulled him in closer for a tighter hug.  

It was killing Elliott that it wasn’t him holding Chris.  He wanted to comfort him so badly, so he chanced it, and put a hand on Chris’ knee.

Sebastian tried to control his anger.  He asked gently, “What did he do earlier today?”

“When I left earlier, it was because he was mad that I was here.  I went to his apartment. He grabbed me by the arms and told me that I was his.  Over and over. He said you are all couples, and have each other… Like you didn’t need me.  And that all he and I had was each other.”

“Did he hurt you when he grabbed your arms?”  Elliott asked.

Chris nodded, “It was hard.  He backed me up against the wall…”

“Chris…”  Kurt said sadly.

He continued, “He kissed me hard and needy.  I thought he was just being passionate at first.  But now I don’t know. I don’t know what to think…He said...He….”

“Did he force you to do something?”  Kurt asked.

Chris frowned, thinking about it.  Then he said, “He just wants something different… And didn’t give me a choice?  Or a chance to discuss it?”

Sebastian said, “He always needs your permission, Chris.  Do you mind telling us what he wanted? You don’t have to, but I think we would understand better, and it would help you sort this all out in your head.”

Chris nodded, “Yeah.  I would like to talk it out with you, if you don’t mind.  Can we go somewhere a bit more private? I’d like Puck, Sugar, and Jenna there too.  You guys know me the best, and it’s not something I want to have to repeat later.”

Seb nodded, “Absolutely.  We can go out on the terrace.  I think it’s warm enough. If not, we can take a few blankets out, just in case.”  He pat Kurt on the hip again, “Let’s get drinks and blankets and head out.” He looked at Kurt, “Are you okay now, Baby?”  Kurt nodded.

Elliott let go of Chris’ knee, “I’ll go get Puck, Sugar, and Jenna, and send them out.”

Chris grabbed Elliott’s hand quickly, “Come back with them.  Please?” Being near Elliott was very comforting to Chris, and he couldn’t quite figure out why.  But now was not the time for silly questions like “why”.

He nodded, “Of course.”  He squeezed Chris’ hand a little.  He was so pleased that Chris wanted him there.  He had a natural instinct to protect him and comfort him.  He assumed that’s how Sebastian and Puck felt about Kurt and Sugar.  Or, really, how all of their friends and family from Ohio felt about Kurt and Sugar.

Sebastian and Kurt grabbed a few throw blankets from the couches.  Kurt didn’t want to leave Seb’s side quite yet, so he followed along.  Elliott and Chris let go of each other’s hands and went to Puck, who was still with Finn and Cameron.  

“Hey, Puck, would you mind joining us outside for a few minutes?  And can you grab Sugar and Jenna please?” Elliott asked.  

“Yeah, man, no problem.”  Puck went to get Sugar and Jenna.  He asked Jenna to run upstairs and grab Kurt’s weighted blanket, which she did.

Elliott had started to walk away with Chris and Puck, but Cameron stopped him, “Elliott.”

He turned to look at Cam with raised eyebrows.  Cameron continued, “I see how you look at him.” Elliott looked back at Chris quickly, then looked down, unsure of what to say.  “Look… Chris’ ex, Thad, is one of my best friends. They still care about each other a lot. And I love Chris all on his own, but the fact that Thad cares so much about him still, makes me care a bit extra too.  I see how you look at him. You like him. And I like you. Now, Owen, I didn’t care for even before all of that crap he just pulled. But, you, I like. I can’t be here to make sure everything is going to be okay with him and this whole Owen situation.  And Puck and Seb have their hands full with Sugar and Kurt. As much as all four of them will try their hardest to be there for Chris, it may not be enough. So, can I count on you to be the one who is there for Chris the most?”

Elliott was touched.  He nodded, “Absolutely.”  He paused, then asked, “So, are Thad and Chris…?”

Cam shook his head, “Just friends.”  Elliott nodded, then went out on the terrace to join the others, leaving Cameron smirking behind him.

Sebastian had turned the gas fire pit table on, and placed a blanket on each chair and one of the couches.  He sat with Kurt curled into him on one of the couches. Jenna handed Kurt his weighted blanket, “This is really heavy.”

“Thank you, Jenna.  I love that it’s so heavy.  It’s a huge comfort, and really helps calm me.”

She sat in one chair, and Puck and Sugar shared another, with Sugar on Puck’s lap.  Chris sat in the middle of the couch across from Seb and Kurt, so Elliott took the empty spot to his right.

No one said anything for a minute.  They had made themselves comfortable and were watching the fire.  Chris put the blanket over his lap, then without thinking twice, spread it to cover Elliott too.  Elliott gave him a small smile and leaned back. Chris gave him a small smile in return, then without looking away from Elliott, he apologized once again, “I’m so sorry.”

Elliott frowned, “What do you have to be sorry for?”

Chris looked at everyone else now, “I… I’m just sorry that I brought him into your lives.”

Kurt shook his head, “You can’t think that way, Chris.  You had no way of knowing he would be like that. We learn about people slowly sometimes, and other times, they show us their true colors quickly.  Look at Blaine. He slowly revealed his manipulative ways over a year, and then, BAM, instant asshole. I think it’s kind of lucky that we figured all of this out now, and not a year from now.”

“But I should have known.  I should have put it all together.”

Puck replied, “But sometimes we don’t see what we don’t want to see.  When we’re looking for the best in people, sometimes we go blind to everything that might not be so great about them.”

Kurt nodded, “It took me way too long to catch on to Blaine.  And when I did, I accepted too much. I should have ended it before I even left Dalton at the end of my Junior year.  That’s why I feel so strongly about you not seeing him.” Chris nodded.

Jenna gently spoke, “I think some of us may need to be caught up on what happened.  Other than what we saw.”

Chris nodded and cleared his throat, “Yeah.  Um, Owen was always jealous of you all. He didn’t like for me to spend time with you.  And the fact that we’re kind of touchy feely, I think, sent him over the edge.”

“Tell us about what happened earlier today,”  Sebastian said.

“When I was here earlier, to visit with our Ohio family before the party, he got really upset.  He texted me, asking why I was here if we were coming here tonight anyway. He asked if I was going to make him come here by himself...Anyway, I went to his apartment.  He grabbed my arms really hard, then walked me backwards till I hit the wall…”

Sugar closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She was hoping this wasn’t going where she feared.  Puck held her a little tighter, “It’s okay, Sug.”

Chris looked at her, “No, Sugar.  It wasn’t the same as with you. I promise.”  She nodded sadly at him. He continued, “He did kiss me pretty hard.  I thought it was just passionate until he brought up what he wanted again.  He tried to push it, but I wouldn’t let him. He had talked about it before, but I mostly laughed it off.”

Puck frowned, “And what is it that he wanted?”

Chris blushed as he looked down at his lap, “He...He wanted me to be his… He tried to make his...slave?”

“Excuse me?  Did you say ‘slave’?”  Jenna said. She stood up and started pacing slowly.  

“Yes.  He said I was his.”

Sebastian said, “Okay, let’s think rationally about this.  I say Kurt is mine all the time. Did he actually say he wanted you to be his slave?”

“When we were… doing things… he got really rough sometimes.  He was kind of…” Chris sighed, “I don’t know how to explain it.  Dominant?” Puck and Sugar both looked to Kurt and Sebastian. “Today, he wanted me to call him ‘Master’.  He would say things about chaining me up and keeping me. He’d talk about whips and chains a lot. I thought he was joking, most of the time.  But today was different.”

Kurt spoke gently, making sure that Chris didn’t feel judged, “Did you want things to be rough?  Some people like that, but it has to be both partners.  Did you want to call him Master, or be his slave?”

“I mean, I don’t need it soft and sweet all the time, but being chained up and whipped is a bit much.  I don’t know anything about BDSM, but he talked about owning me.”

Elliott asked, “Was this a discussion that you had with him, or was this being told to you?”

Chris shook his head, “It definitely wasn’t a discussion.  But I don’t know how all of that works.”

Kurt was so mad, “Well it definitely doesn’t work like that!  You both have to do research.  You both have to have multiple discussions about it.  Together , you decide what’s right for you both.  This should all have been written down, too!  He can’t just decide that it’s what is going to happen, and then make you do it if you haven’t agreed!”

Sebastian squeezed Kurt a little tighter and kissed his temple, “Are you okay, Baby?”

“It just pisses me off!”

Puck chuckled, “We can see that.”  Sebastian tried really hard not to smile, but couldn’t help it.  He thought it was completely sexy when Kurt argued or got worked up about something. 

Chris, Elliott, and Jenna looked a little lost.  They understood that Kurt was upset by it, but this was different.  Something was different.

Sebastian and Kurt shared a look.  Kurt rolled his eyes, “Sorry. I know not everyone is as lucky as I am, but it should still be gone about in the same way.”  Now their three friends looked even more confused.

Sugar smiled, “Angel, I think the cat’s out of the bag, but they aren’t quite sure what animal they are looking at.”

Seb smiled, and Kurt grinned a little as he bit his lip.  He said, “Is it weird that I understood what you meant?”

Jenna nodded, “Yes.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, who said, “I will always leave this decision up to you, Babe.”

Kurt nodded, then looked at Chris, “Okay.  I want you to listen and keep an open mind.  We are the same friends you’ve always known, and this doesn’t change anything.”  Chris nodded, so Kurt continued, “So, for the past year, Bas has been my Dom. I’m his sub.  Our D/s relationship is not just in the bedroom, but in all parts of our lives.” He gave them a minute to let that soak in.

Chris frowned a bit when he looked at Puck, “Why do you not look shocked?”

Puck shrugged, “I’ve known since last Christmas.  Sugar found out shortly after. Cameron, Santana, Nick, and Jeff also know.”

Sebastian said, “It’s not something we’re going to announce to the world, but we aren’t ashamed.  Kurt needs it, and I’m happy to provide it. It’s actually helped me a lot more than I ever thought it would, too.  And every person who knows, knows for a reason. Cameron was Kurt’s roommate, and found out one night when Kurt had a night terror.  The only way I could wake him was by being his Dom, which, of course, Cam witnessed. Puck figured it out on his own, seeing some things, and Nick and Jeff were there when we explained everything.  Nick was my roommate, so we figured he would know eventually anyway, and what Nick knows, Jeff knows. Santana also figured it out on her own. She heard Kurt call me “Sir” on New Year's Eve after we switched cars, so that confirmed it.”

Kurt added, “And I couldn’t have so many of our friends know, and not include my best girl.”  Sugar smiled and winked at him.

Chris frowned, “So, you aren’t a slave, though.”

Seb chuckled and Kurt bit his lip again.  Seb answered, “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you.  It’s just...Can you imagine Kurt as a slave? There is no way in Hell that he would accept that, and I wouldn’t want it anyway.  A sub is different than a slave, but both are part of the whole BDSM world.”

“How are they different?”  Chris asked.

Kurt answered, “Well, this is very subjective, so some may disagree with me, but to me… A sub and slave are similar, but a slave is more extreme.  I submit to Bas, but that doesn’t mean he runs my life, or makes all of the decisions. I can use a safeword to end our scenes at any time. We have set limits and boundaries, which we decided on together, and then put in writing.  We can change those at any time, and we are both always open to discussing any of it.”  

“You have rules?”  Chris interrupted. He was completely shocked.

Kurt chuckled, “Yes.  I know, I don’t seem like the type to follow rules, but I am.  I like order and rules. Now… Fashion rules, maybe not.” Elliott smiled.  

Sebastian said, “We both have set expectations.  There are things I have to do as his Dom, and things he has to do as my sub.  He doesn’t have rules for everything. And some rules are just things that normal couples do, but for us it’s a rule.  In a way, it’s sort of like a promise that certain things will happen.”

Chris said, “But where there are rules, there are consequences for breaking them.”  He seemed very concerned about this, and Elliott frowned. He hadn’t thought about that part.

Sebastian nodded, “He does have consequences for breaking them.  And this is another place where a discussion is very important for couples.  Because of his history, we do not have physical consequences for him breaking rules.”

Kurt interrupted, “And that was of Bas’ insistence, not mine.”

“He doesn’t need to have someone hurt him as a punishment.  He’s had enough pain to last a couple of lifetimes. I would never do that to him.”

Chris, Elliott, and Jenna all seemed relieved by that.  But Chris still needed clarification, “So, you’re not spanking him when he breaks a rule or anything?  Nothing like that?”

Kurt smirked and had a mischievous sparkle in his eye, “He spanks me, but it isn’t for punishment.”  Everyone laughed. Kurt turned in Sebastian’s arms to get a good look at him. He was smiling and shaking his head.  “Love you, Bas.”

Sebastian kissed him, then pulled back and said, “I love you too, Baby.”

Puck smirked, “Do you really think I would stand by without throwing a fit if what they were doing wasn’t beneficial for Princess?”

Kurt smiled, “Yeah.  Noah is my straight boyfriend.  He loves me.” He looked at Jenna and winked.  She giggled and shook her head.

Elliott chuckled, “You did say something about polygamy once.”  Sebastian laughed.

Kurt smiled, but then became a bit more serious as he looked at Chris, “Personally, I like feeling owned.  I have two collars. One I wear out in public sometimes. I like being his.  It makes me feel secure and loved.  The difference with a slave, is that they aren’t just owned, they become a possession.  They give their consent to give up all consent.  Then that’s it.  No safe words. No negotiations.  Nothing. With D/s, there are different extremes.  Some D/s relationships are close to being slave/Master.  Others, like ours, is a bit more vanilla, but maybe more than a typical relationship.  When I call Bas ‘Sir’ out of the blue, he knows I need to be Dominated in some way. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with sex.  Sometimes, it’s just nice to know that someone else is in control and will guide me as they see fit. You have to have complete trust in that person.”

Elliott asked, “How do you know… you know, when Sebastian is being your Dom?”

Seb answered, “Well, I’m his Dom all the time.  But when I’m needing, or wanting, him to submit, it’s my tone of voice, most of the time.”

“Did you use it tonight when you were calming him down during his panic attack?”  Elliott asked, thinking he may have heard Seb’s tone change when trying to calm Kurt.

Sebastian nodded, “I did.”

Sugar said, “Even I recognize the tone now.  What they are doing is completely healthy. You guys know how much they love and respect each other.  What Owen was asking was something extreme. And that can’t happen without your permission. And this whole too possessive crap is uncalled for.”

Chris nodded, “I know.”  He looked at Kurt and Seb, “Thank you for telling me.  I may have more questions later, if that’s okay.” They both nodded.  “I know what Owen wanted wasn’t what I want. And I know he was too rough, and going about the wrong way.  But…”

“You cannot go back to him,” Elliott said, worried that that was where Chris was headed.  “You can’t, Chris.”

Chris looked at Elliott, “I know.”

Elliott frowned a little, “You don’t look so sure.  Trust me, I’ve been in an abusive relationship. That’s what you were in.  Please don’t go back.”

Chris grabbed Elliott’s hand, “I won’t, Elliott.  I promise.”

Elliott squeezed his hand a bit, “He’s going to try.  Given what you’ve told us, and what we saw today, he already feels that you belong to him.  He’s going to try to get into your head even more. He’s going to push and push, until he feels you will give in.  He’ll be sweet and charming. He’ll do anything he can to make you stay. He’ll even apologize for what happened tonight.  But please trust me when I say he doesn’t mean it. It’s his way of manipulating you into staying.”

This made everyone a little more curious about what had happened with Elliott.  But, at the moment, all Sebastian could think of was keeping his friend safe. “I want you to stay here until school on Monday, Chris.  And then after classes Monday, if things have settled down, you can return to your dorm. If they haven’t, then you can move in with us.  We already think of the spare room as “Chrissa’s” room.” Chris and Jenna both chuckled.  

Chris’ smile faded a bit, “Thank you.  But I have to live in my dorm for my scholarship.”

Puck shook his head, “Noooo… You have to have a dorm for your scholarship.  I bet nothing in the terms of your scholarship say that you actually have to be there every night.  This place has security, Chris. There’s obviously plenty of room. Please consider it.”

Chris shyly nodded, “If things aren’t settled down…”  

“I’m serious, Chris.  Forget I even mentioned Monday.  If he tries anything, at any time, or day of the week, we want you here.  Whether it’s trying to sweet talk his way back to you, something physical, or even if you feel like he’s watching you.  Anything. You will always be welcome here. So, unless he completely ignores you, or falls off the face of the Earth, we want you to move in here.  I’d like it to be before we even give him a chance to do anything. Now would be great.” Kurt nodded to show that he agreed.

Elliott looked around at his new friends, completely in awe.  They were so different from each other, but so accepting, and loving of each other.  They would do anything to make each other happy and safe. He thought maybe, for once in his life, he had found his tribe.

Back inside, just after the others went outside to the terrace, Hayden approached Finn, Sam, and Cameron, who were talking in the kitchen, “Hey.”  They all greeted him in return. He continued, “So, Sebastian and I have become pretty good friends. I know a little about what happened to Kurt, because I follow politics closely, and there were some articles about it circulating online during the trial.  I know very little about what happened later, with the guy who killed himself. That wasn’t as big of a news story, surprisingly. Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that I know they’ve both been through a lot. As well Sugar. I just want to know what you guys think I can do to help.  I really want to help.”

Sam smiled, “That’s really nice, Hayden.  I don’t think there’s really anything you can do, other than just be available if they need you.  Just be a friend.”

Cameron nodded, “That’s the biggest thing.  I think they both just want normal. Just help keep everything normal.”

Finn added, “I think something you could do is just be a bit more protective of them than you are your other friends.  Like Cam stood in front of Chris, and Sam and I grabbed Owen. I think we’re all a bit more aware of our surroundings when we’re close to them.”

Sam nodded, “That’s true.”

Cameron agreed, “Yeah, I guess we are.  It’s kind of become our new normal, I suppose.” 

Hayden nodded.

Leah approached them, and softly elbowed Hayden, “So, ah, you and Jenna…”  She wiggled her eyebrows.  

He blushed a little, “Well, here’s hoping.”

Sam smiled, “You know that was Kurt, right?”

Hayden nodded, “Yeah, I hear he’s called Cupid sometimes.”

“Yep,”  Leah giggled.

A while later, everyone was back inside.  People were still snacking, drinking, and talking as music played from someone’s docked iPhone.  Jeff approached Kurt, who was standing next to Sebastian and had just popped some grapes in his mouth and grabbed another drink.  “Kurtsie…”  

Kurt turned to look at Jeff.  He smiled a little as Jeff wrapped his arms around him.  He laid his head on Jeff’s shoulder and took a deep breath, relishing in the love of his friend.  “I love you, Jeffie,” Kurt said quietly.

Jeff smiled and closed his eyes.  He softly responded, “I love you too.  Are you okay, Kurtsie?”

Kurt nodded and continued to speak quietly, “Yeah.  I’m worried about Chris, but I’m okay.”

“I’m worried too.  We’ll talk about it later.  I think right now, I need to snuggle you.”

Kurt smiled and Sebastian playfully rolled his eyes.  Jeff smiled at Seb and winked when he said, “Don’t be jealous, Sebby.”

Seb shook his head, “Shut up, Jeff.  Go snuggle my man.”

Kurt gave Jeff a squeeze before they let go to walk to the couch, “You know, you’re one of very few people who he would say that to.”

Jeff chuckled, “He just doesn’t want to incur my wrath if he would say no.”

Kurt laughed, “Okay, Jeffie.”

They headed to the couch and snuggled under the blankets.

Elliott was already standing close to Sebastian, but closed the distance, “That doesn’t bother you?  You know, as his...” He made a gesture with his hands.

Seb raised an eyebrow, “What?  Kurt snuggling with someone else?”  Elliott nodded, and Seb continued after shaking his head, “No.  Jeff and Nick were his friends long before I was even in the picture.  Before I was even back in the country. Nick was even his roommate. Other than Puck and Sugar, they’re our closest friends.  He and Jeff have a special bond, that I would never break. They wouldn’t give up on him when Blaine tried to make Kurt give up his friendships.  They were there the night Blaine tried to rape him, and they’ve been some of his biggest supporters and personal cheerleaders since. I would never get in the way of that.  Kurt is a very tactile person. He needs physical contact. He just has to trust you first.” Elliott just looked at Sebastian. Seb turned and saw the expression on his face, “What?”

“I’m just trying to piece it all together.  It’s like there are new pieces of the puzzle that are revealed every time we all get together.  I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

It dawned on Seb that Elliott didn’t know their story, really.  He looked around at his family mixed among their new friends. Some people knew everything.  Others knew there was some assault. And then some, knew absolutely nothing. He tried to imagine what they were thinking about tonight’s events, and Kurt’s reaction.

“Are you okay?”  Elliott asked, “It seems like I lost you.”

Sebastian shook his head as if to bring himself back to the conversation, “Yeah.  I guess I’m just now thinking about how not everyone knows. I guess because of where we know you from, in my mind, you know all the details.  I get that Channing, and Krish, and a few others may not know anything. And yet, you know about our relationship dynamics, and not all of our Ohio family does.  This room is filled with so many levels of awareness. I was just so focused on getting him back to normal after Owen, that I kind of forgot. Back home, it seemed everyone knew all of his history.”

“It’s been an eventful evening.  You don’t have to tell me now, but do you think there might come a time when you guys could share your story with me?”  

Seb looked at Elliott, “I always leave that up to Kurt.  It’s mostly his story to tell. But I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.  Especially because of you teaching the class, and, well… We’re hopeful that you’ll be around more.  You know, Kurt has had high hopes for you and Chris since we met you.”

Elliott raised his brows in surprise, “Really?  Since we met?”

Seb nodded, “Yeah.  With Chris, he wanted him to spread his wings a bit.  He hadn’t dated until Thad. There weren’t many guys to choose from for him in high school.  And Kurt fixed Chris and Thad up. Now that they had to go their separate ways, he said he wanted him to get a feel for dating, and being single in the city, and then when he got tired of it, like we knew he would, he wanted you two to get together.”

“Wow.  Well… I hope it works out.”

“It always seems to.  Half the couples here are together because of him.”

Elliott nodded, “I really like Chris a lot.  I’m really happy you offered to let him stay here.  I hope he takes you up on that. Owen makes me nervous.”

“Me too.  I don’t get a good feeling about him at all.  I don’t think he’ll give up so easily.” He thought for a second, then changed the subject slightly, “Are you spending the night tonight?”  He and Kurt had offered for everyone to stay when they sent out the invites.  

Elliott nodded, “Yeah, that was the plan.”

“Okay.  Well, if Chris is anything like Kurt, he’s going to need someone close to him tonight.”

“Yeah.  I already told Cameron that I would be the one who made sure Chris was okay.  I don’t plan on that changing any time soon.”

Seb smirked and raised an eyebrow, “So Cam said something to you about it?”

Elliott smiled, “Yeah.  He even said he liked me.  He seems protective of Chris.”

Sebastian smiled, “He must like you.  I think he’s just a bit more protective of Chris because of Thad.  They’re pretty close.”

Elliott nodded, “That’s what he said.”

Sebastian was surprised that Cameron had come right out and told Elliott that, but glad that he also approved of Elliott.  “Well, if you end up in the same bed tonight, just know he’s a sleep cuddler.”

Surprize was written all over Elliott’s features.  He raised an eyebrow, “And you know this because….”

Sebastian chuckled, “Santana, Brittany, and Jenna.”

Elliott laughed, “So he’s a ladies man.”

A little while later, Sebastian saw Nick going out onto the terrace by himself.  He excused himself from Elliott, Cameron, and Finn. He bent over the back of the couch where Jeff and Kurt were still snuggling.  He ran his hand through the back of Kurt’s hair, “Are you still doing okay, Baby?”

“Yeah, Bas.  Thanks for checking.”

He kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Always, Baby.”  He made his way outside, and found Nick looking out at the city.  “Hey, Nick. Are you doing okay?”

Nick turned around and smiled warmly at Seb, “Yeah.  Doing great. I just wanted some fresh air.”

Sebastian nodded, “I understand that, for sure.  How are things in Boston?”

“Really good.  It’s so nice having our own apartment, and not living in dorms or hotel rooms.  In a way, it feels like we have finally started our life, ya know?”

“I do know.  I’ve felt the same way since we’ve lived here.  I think that’s what’s bugging Sugar, too. She just wants her life to start with her apartment, her business...Ya know?”

The boys talked for quite awhile.  It was really nice catching up. They talked on social media, texts, and phone calls, but it’s just different than doing it face to face.  They had missed each other more than they realized.  

Back inside, Kurt watched as Sam went out onto the terrace.  “Jeff… Nick and Bas are out on the terrace, right?”

“Yeah, why?”  Jeff frowned.

Kurt sat up, “Because Sam just went out there alone.”

Jeff continued to frown, “So?”

Kurt looked at Jeff, “Bas isn’t upset with Sam.  He likes him. But things have…and Bas knows...”

It all clicked for Jeff, and his eyes widened, “Oh shit!  Let’s go!” They both hopped up and casually hurried to the terrace. 

Outside, they got there just as Nick, Sam, and Sebastian were sitting down.   Sebastian said, “What did you want to talk to me about?” Kurt hurried over and sat next to Seb, and Jeff next to Nick.  

Sam took a deep breath, “Well-”

Puck had opened the door, “Wait!  I have been sent by my feisty girl to do two things,”  He threw a blanket at each couple, and Sam, “One, give you blankets.  And two, monitor this chat so no one gets killed.”

Kurt bit his lip, trying to hide his smile.  Sam rolled his eyes. Sebastian looked at Sam, “You haven’t done anything that deserves getting killed over, have you?”

Sam looked halfway offended, “No!  That’s what I want to make clear, because I’m not getting the feeling you understand.  Leah told me that she told you things were progressing with us, but,”

Nick gave a warning look, “Careful, Sam.”  Puck had to fight not to smile.

Sam rolled his eyes again, “There’s no need!  Things have progressed, yes, but we aren’t sleeping together.  She’s still a virgin, I promise.”

Kurt and Jeff were full on smiling.  Puck chuckled quietly under his breath.  Nick bit both of his lips between his teeth, trying not to smile.  Sebastian, however, should have won an Oscar for his performance. He narrowed his eyes at Sam, “There are a lot of things I don’t want her doing that can come before actual intercourse, Sam.”

Sam nodded, “I know.  She’s not even 16 yet.  I get it. What I don’t want you to do, is to think back to when you were 15, and think that she is doing the same things.  Things have been progressing slowly.  And before any of you say anything about that,” he looked around at everyone, then back to Sebastian, “I’m fine with that.  I will take things as slow as she needs. I’m not going to screw this up, Seb.  I love her.  I’m in this for the long haul.”

Everyone smiled warmly, and Sebastian joined right along with them, “You love her?”

Sam nodded, “Yes.  I think I always have.”  He took a deep breath, “Now, I won’t tell you what we’ve done.  Especially in front of everyone. But if you want to know, ask her. I promise you that I’m being respectful.”

Seb nodded, “I know you are.  And don’t think for one minute that I doubted that.  It’s just hard for me to come to terms with my baby sister growing up.  But if I had to choose a first boyfriend for her… or a last boyfriend for her… I’d choose you, Sam.  You know I think of you as my brother already.  Just don’t screw it up.” 

“I don’t plan to,”  Sam smiled.

Late into the night, the party had settled down.  Most of the New York people had gone home, with the exception of Chris, Elliott, Channing, Jenna, and Hayden.   Everyone sat around downstairs. Sam and Puck strummed their guitars, and a few people sang some soft melodies. It was relaxing, and the perfect end to the party.  

Everyone started heading for showers and bed.  Those who had slept on air mattresses got them out to set up.  Blankets and pillows were brought out of closets, and everyone started setting up sleeping areas.  

When Nick passed by Chris, he quietly pulled him aside, “Jeff and I are sharing Kurt and Seb’s big-ass bed with them.  You can take the pull out bed in the office. I would suggest sharing it since we’re short on beds.”  Chris blushed a little, but nodded.  Nick asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I am. Thanks for asking.”

Nick nodded.  He paused, but then added, “We’re rooting for you, Chris.  We like this one.”

As Chris grabbed blanket and pillow, he searched for Elliott.  When he found him, he was standing back, watching Chris. He shyly looked down, embarrassed for being caught, but then looked back up again right away.  Chris jerked his head to the side, beckoning Elliott to grab a blanket and pillow, and follow him.  

When Elliott made it into the office, Chris was pulling out the sofa bed.  He looked up from the task, “Do you want to join me?” he asked quietly.

“As long as you’re comfortable with that.”  Elliott said as he closed the door.  

Chris stood up and looked at Elliott, “I am.”  

Elliott could see a lot more in his eyes than just that answer.  He could see that Chris needed someone. He could see and feel the attraction that they’ve felt since they met.  He could also see a little bit of fear. He stepped up to the side of the bed, “Are you okay, Chris?”

Chris put his pillow down, then sat on the edge of the bed, turning to face Elliott as much as possible, “I am.  I admit, I’m scared.” Elliott sat down mirroring him. Chris laid down facing Elliott, and Elliott had to look away for a moment.  It was as if he could see into the future, and he was a bit taken aback by it. 

He composed himself, then laid down facing Chris, leaving a respectable amount of space between them, “Being scared is normal.  Why don’t you join our self defense class?  That may help.”

Chris answered, “I have class at that time, then cheer right after.”

Elliott replied, “I can give you private lessons.  I already talked to Puck about possibly giving Kurt some extra help.  Maybe you could join us? Or it could be just the two of us.” He reached down for the blanket and covered Chris up.

Chris reached for Elliott’s hand.  As he rubbed his knuckles, he said, “You are so sweet.”

Elliott smiled softly, “Just know I’m here for you.  Whatever you need, okay?”

Chris nodded, “Okay.  Thank you, Elliott. For everything.”  Elliott squeezed his hand, reassuring him that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Upstairs, Sebastian walked into the bedroom from the bathroom to find Nick spooning Jeff, who was spooning Kurt.  They all gave Sebastian a very innocent look. Seb raised his left eyebrow, “This is where I draw the line.”

They all laughed as Seb climbed in bed.  Jeff gave Kurt a squeeze and a quick kiss on the back of his head before letting go.  He smirked at Sebastian as he did it.  Seb narrowed his eyes, “If it were anyone else, Jeff… I swear…”  Sebastian climbed over Kurt and shimmied his way in between them. Kurt turned over to face Seb and backed up, giving him room.

Jeff whined, “You’re no fun, Sebby.”

“Nope,”  Seb winked at Kurt, then kissed him.  “Goodnight, Baby. I love you.”

Kurt smiled, “Goodnight, Bas.  I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, when Kurt began to stir, Sebastian looked at him and smiled softly, happy that he had slept well through the night.  When his eyes fluttered open, he saw Seb watching him. He grinned sleepily, “Morning, Love.”

“Good Morning, Beautiful.”  Sebastian leaned over and kissed him.  When he pulled away, Kurt whined a bit.  “Sorry, Baby. I would keep kissing you, but there’s a voyeur in our bed.”

They both laughed when Jeff said, “Damn it.  Just act like I’m not here!”  

Seb smiled, “Sorry, Jeff.  I share everything but my man.”

Jeff shrugged, “You don’t have to share.  You just have to let me watch.” He winked at them and smirked.  

Nick rolled his eyes, “You know he’s never going to let this go, right?”

Kurt nodded, “I know.  And we love you anyway,”  He winked back at Jeff.

“I’m just messing with you two.  Although, you’re both hot as hell, and it would be awesome to watch, you know I’m just teasing, right?”  Jeff asked as Nick kissed his shoulder.

“I do know, Jeff.  I love you just the way you are,”  Kurt smiled over Sebastian.  

“Seb?”  Jeff asked, wondering if he knew that he was kidding.  

Sebastian looked at him as he rubbed Kurt’s back, “I know, Jeff.  Do you seriously think I would let you snuggle with him, or share our bed, if I thought it was anything other than teasing?  I know it’s a kink of yours, but I also know you’re messing with us.”

“Good.”

Nick looked over at Kurt as he propped himself up a little higher on his elbow, “Are you doing okay today, Kurt?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I think we need to talk to our new friends, though.  Some of them, anyway.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead as he continued to stroke his back, “I agree.  I was talking to Elliott last night, and realized that there are so many different levels of awareness among the friends that were at the party.  Some, like you two, know everything. Some knew nothing, like Krish, Grace, and Channing. But then the self defense class friends really only know bits and pieces.  I’m going to leave it up to you, Babe. It’s mostly your story. But I think it would be beneficial for some of our new friends to know what happened. If you’re with them and have a panic attack or something, it would be best if they had an understanding.”

Kurt nodded, “I agree that they need to know and that it would help if something were to trigger me.  I was hoping we could not tell people, but since I’ve had a couple of panic attacks, it’s probably for the best.  But I disagree that it’s mostly my story to tell. I know what you are saying. I do. But you have been involved every step of the way.  You all have.”

“Supporting roles are different than leading roles, Baby.”

“I get that.  I just don’t want you to dismiss your role in my story.”

“I’m not, Babe.  I understand. But you are the one those things happened to.  You are the one with PTSD.  I know I’m affected by it, but they still happened to you .  So, it will always be up to you whether we share your, or our, story.  What would you like to do?”

“I think we need to tell everyone we’ve become closest to.  Which, is really everyone who stayed last night. So, maybe right after breakfast.  I know we’re all headed to Sugar Shack so everyone can see it, but maybe before we leave?”

“I think that sounds good, Babe.”

Nick added, “I think when we go to Sugar Shack, some of us need to walk Chris over to his dorm to get some of his things.  He shouldn’t do that alone.”

“I agree,”  Sebastian said, “I think it will make him feel better, too.”

“Do I smell bacon?”  Jeff asked, sitting up in bed.

Kurt chuckled, “Probably.  You know Sugar is up way earlier than everyone else.  She’s probably working her magic already.”

Elliott woke up to the sounds of Sugar working in the kitchen, as well as a few muffled voices and fantastic smells.  Sebastian had been right about Chris. Elliott looked down to his chest and watched Chris peacefully breathing with his right arm wrapped over Elliott’s stomach.  It dawned on him that Chris wasn’t the only one, and that his own arms were wrapped protectively around him. He watched him sleep for a few minutes as he thought about the previous night’s events, and different ways he wanted to try to help him.  

Chris began to stir a couple of minutes later.  His first thought when he realized he was holding on to someone was that it was Owen.  Fear shot through him like electricity, and he jumped, scrambling backwards in bed, sucking in a breath like he was running out of air.

“It’s okay,”  Elliott said softly.  “It’s okay. It’s just me.”

Chris sighed, and his shoulders sagged as the tension left his body.  “Sorry,” he said shyly.

Elliott shook his head, “No need to be sorry.  I understand.” He paused for a few seconds, “Do you want to talk about?”

Chris looked down and shook his head, “No.”  He sat back down next to Elliott and blushed slightly as he said, “Sorry if I slept on you.”

Elliott smiled softly, “That’s okay.  I was warned.”

Chris frowned and smiled at the same time, “Who warned you?”

Elliott smiled, “Sebastian.”

Chris rolled his eyes lovingly, “I’m sure my girl told him.”  He looked back at Elliott and smiled warmly. He took his hand, “Thanks for being there for me last night.  It really means a lot to me.”

Elliott nodded, “You’re welcome.  Chris…”  

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.  Sugar spoke from the other side, “If you want bacon, you better get out here soon.  Don’t forget Finn is here this morning,” chuckling as she said that last part.  

Chris smiled, “We better get out there.  Nobody puts it away like Finn.”  

Elliott nodded, and then got up out of bed.  He would have to find a way to talk to Chris later.

Earlier that morning, Sugar and Puck had gotten up to start breakfast.  They worked seamlessly around each other in the kitchen. Sugar had baked muffins and made fruit salad the previous day, so they started on bacon, eggs, and pancakes.  Puck was humming along to the song in his head. He smiled, grabbing Sugar’s hand and twirling her around. He pulled her in for a kiss, “Love you, Sugar.”

“I love you, too.”

“You two are so freaking cute,”  Jenna said, walking up to the island.

Puck and Sugar just smiled, “Morning, Jenna.  Sleep okay?” Sugar asked, raising her eyebrows at Jenna, who she knew slept next to Hayden.

Jenna smiled from ear to ear, “Why, I slept very well, thank you very much.”  Puck and Sugar both chuckled. “Now, what can I help you do?”

“Would you mind taking over the pancakes?”  Sugar asked.

“No problem,”  Jenna answered.  She finished mixing what Sugar had already started, and then began making the pancakes, plating them on a serving dish that Puck got out for her.  The three of them worked very well together, and Sugar was sure that Jenna was going to be a great asset to the bakery very soon.  

Hayden came down next.  He winked at Jenna when she looked up and smiled at him.  They had made a nice little area all for themselves with blankets and pillows at the end of the balcony upstairs.  They had stayed up half the night quietly talking to each other, learning about each other, and laughing with each other.  Hayden finally asked Jenna on a date toward the end of their conversation. She happily accepted the offer, and they fell asleep holding hands.  

“Mornin’,”  Jenna smiled.  

“Good morning,”  Hayden smiled in return.  Puck smiled and shook his head.  They were awkwardly cute to watch.  

“You can grab a plate and help yourself.  The drinks are back there by the refrigerator,”  Sugar said, trying to break the cute, but awkward silence that followed their greetings.

“Thanks,”  Hayden made his way around, filling his plate just as Santana, Brittany, Quinn, and Cameron came down.

Puck looked up, “You look happy this morning, Cam.”

He chuckled, “I shared my bed with three beautiful women.  Of course I look happy!” Everyone laughed, and Quinn hit him with the back of her hand as she rolled her eyes.  “What?!”

Santana smiled, “You would have been happier if Quinn wasn’t such a spoil sport.”

She sighed, “We do not need to show Cam how well we know each other.  I swear, you are relentless.”

Cam was smiling and Puck had his eyebrows raised.  Hayden was sure there was a great story behind that, but no one seemed to want to share it.  Cam leaned over and spoke directly to Quinn, “You are all I need, Honey. You and you alone.”  

She smiled and lovingly patted him on the cheek, “Good answer” then kissed him quickly.

Soon, everyone had filed into the kitchen and dining room, grabbing food and finding somewhere to sit to eat.  The New York friends couldn’t believe how good Sugar’s muffins were, and it made them really excited for her bakery to open.  

“I think I may become addicted, Sugar,”  Elliott said.

“Me too,”  Channing agreed.  “Seriously. We need to spread the word about these big time.  The world needs to know.”

Sugar laughed, “Well, thank you.  You spread the word as much as possible, because we open in a month!”

“Wow! Are you ready?”  Hayden asked. “I mean, I don’t think I’ve had anything better, but is the bakery itself ready?”

Sugar nodded, “For the most part, yes.  The bakery looks great. Kurt is going to help me with the window displays soon.  We’re in the final meetings with the folks that are helping me run it. Daddy is coming in a couple of weeks to check on things, too.  So, as nervous as I am, I think we’re good to go.”  

Puck rubbed her leg, “It’s going to be awesome, Sug.  I know it.” He looked at everyone, “I know some of you had already planned on going with us to check it out today, but everyone is welcome.”

“I would love to see it,”  Elliott said. “I love that it’s so close to school too, from what you were saying.  Although it may not be good for my waistline.”

“It’s all about moderation,”  Puck winked.  

Sebastian said, “Well, while we’re over that way, I think a few of us need to go with you to your dorm, Chris.”

Chris frowned, “Why?”

Sebastian glanced at Elliott quickly before looking back to Chris, “Because I think that’s what’s safest.  You need to get your things that you want to keep here. You don’t need everything, but the things you use every day should definitely be brought back today.”

“You really were serious?”  Chris asked.

Sebastian frowned as he nodded, “Absolutely.”

Kurt said, “At least for awhile, Chris.  I really think it’s what’s best. It would keep you safe, make you feel better, make us feel better…”

Chris looked at Elliott, who nodded encouragingly.  He looked back to Seb and Kurt, “Okay. At least for a little bit.”

Cameron piped up, “I’m going with you.”

“Me too,”  Finn said. 

Elliott looked at Chris, “I’ll go too, if that’s okay with you.”  

Chris nodded, but Puck interrupted, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, actually.”

“I agree,”  Sebastian added.

Chris frowned, “Why?”

Puck answered, “Because Elliott was comforting you last night when Owen was being dragged out of here.  He yelled for Elliott to get off of you. If he sees you together the next day, it may make it worse. Now, I’m not saying you two can’t be together ever.  I’m just saying that if you’re going to a place that Owen obviously knows you will be, maybe we need to not push his buttons.”

“I can understand that,” Elliott said.  “I agree. I don’t like it. But I agree.”  Cameron gave a little smile at that. 

“We can decide who’s going later.  I just don’t want you to go alone,”  Sebastian said.

Chris nodded, “Thanks everyone.”

While getting his breakfast earlier, Kurt had pulled Sugar aside and told her that he wanted to share his story with their new friends.  He asked her if she minded that her story would be included. She had agreed that she thought it was important. Now that the opportunity to talk about it had arrived, Kurt sighed, “Well, while we have everyone’s attention… Bas and I think maybe that our newer friends should know a little more about my history.  Our history. Hopefully you don’t mind listening?”  He looked around and everyone was nodding, and looked eager to get some answers to the questions they had been asking themselves. “Last night was my second panic attack since we’ve moved here. I’m sure it won’t be my last, so…”

Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand, “We figured the more you know, the better you’ll understand, and the more you may be able to help if it’s needed.  If Kurt has a panic attack when he’s with you, what you learn today will help you deal with it. Our hope is that it will also help you help him avoid any situations that may put him at risk for another panic attack.”

Nick added, “Trust us, it all becomes second nature.”  Jeff nodded in agreement.

“I’m sure you were, or are, all a little confused,”  Kurt began. “So, I’ll give you the semi-condensed version.  So, I’m from Lima, Ohio. It’s a fairly small town. My mom died when I was 8, and my dad raised me on his own until a couple of years ago.  He owns an auto body shop called Hummel Tire and Lube, where I've worked since it was legal.” He smiled, “Okay, so maybe even before that.  I fixed my dad up with Finn’s mom, and they married two years ago.  Dad was running for Congress at the time, and won.

I have always been obviously gay.  It’s not something I’ve ever been able to hide, even if I wanted to.  The social aspect of school was always hard. Lima isn’t exactly forward thinking or accepting.  But when I got to high school, it was brutal. I didn’t tell anyone for several reasons that aren’t really important right now...But the abuse was bad.  I was thrown in dumpsters, thrown into lockers, had slushies and pee balloons thrown at me. I had bruises all the time. Puck came over one night and accidentally walked in on me when I was undressing for the shower.  He saw the bruises.” Kurt looked up to Puck and Puck winked in return.  

Puck added, “I threw a fit.  I couldn’t believe it was that bad.  We all knew people said shit, and tried to intervene when we could, but he was covered in bruises.  I saw red, man.  I was furious.  I went straight to Finn’s room and told him. He was pissed too, and we ended up taking care of most of the bullying.  If they so much as looked at Kurt the wrong way, they paid. But…”

Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt on the temple before Kurt continued, “But...There was one guy, David.  He was relentless. He was huge, and didn’t really care what Puck, Finn, Sam, or our friend Mike said or did.  He kept up with the verbal abuse and the physical. As much as he could get away with, anyway. One day, he shoved me into a locker, knocking my phone out of my hand.  I was just pissed. I had reached my breaking point. I followed him into the locker room, giving him an earful. And he...He grabbed me and kissed me.”

Surprise was written all over their New York friends’ faces.  They had sat there listening, quietly getting angrier at what they were hearing.  But they weren’t expecting him to say he was kissed by the worst offender. Santana could see their shock.  She said, “Yep. He was a closeted gay. And that made things worse.”

Hayden frowned, “How did it make things worse?”

Sebastian answered, “Because David wasn’t out of the closet yet.  Kurt was the only gay student out at the time.”

Hayden looked at Santana and Brittany.  Tana said, “We weren’t officially out yet.  Only the cheer squad and Glee Club knew.” He nodded that he understood.

Sebastian continued, “David was terrified that his secret would be out now.  He was a jock, and he knew it would ruin him, given the fact that the majority of the jocks had bullied Kurt as well.  Even after he won them their only winning football game his sophomore year, they kept at it.” Now Hayden, Elliott, Channing, and Jenna really looked surprised.  

Finn smirked, “Best kicker McKinley High has ever had!”  Kurt just rolled his eyes.

Sebastian became serious again, “The fact that Dave was so scared, made him get worse.  He eventually threatened to kill Kurt.”

“What!?”  Jenna frowned, looking at Kurt.  “Because he kissed you?”

Kurt nodded, “He was scared.  He thought the only way I would keep my mouth shut was if I feared for my life.  I wouldn’t have ever told anyone he was gay. But he was right.  I did fear for my life.  After everything he had put me through, I was terrified.”

Jeff said, “That’s when he transferred to Dalton Academy for the first time.  His misfortune gained me one of my best friends. I’ve always felt bad about that.”

Kurt frowned, “Don’t feel bad about that, Jeff.  Really.”

Sebastian said, “His misfortune gained me the love of my life.  It’s unfortunate, yes. But look what we all have because of it.  This is a family. The kind of family I’ve always wanted. There’s nothing we can do to change how we got here.  So, we accept what was, and cherish what is.” Jeff nodded that he understood. Nick reached over and grabbed his hand.  

Kurt leaned over and kissed Seb before turning back to everyone.  “I went to Dalton in November of my Junior year. Dad and Carol had just gotten married.  Sam had just moved in with us. I had to leave my Glee Club friends that I had grown to love like family.  It was hard. However, Nick was my roommate. And with Nick, comes Jeff. They were a saving grace for me.”  Kurt started to tear up a little. Sebastian pulled him in closer.  

“May I?”  Nick asked.  Kurt nodded, so he continued, “At Dalton, Kurt joined our Glee Club, the Warblers.  He met Blaine in the hallways of Dalton when he asked him for help finding his class, but got to know him a little more during Warbler rehearsals.  Blaine was fascinated with Kurt. Kurt’s handsome, sings like an angel, and we all fell in love with his personality. But Blaine became jealous of anyone who tried to get to know him better.  Jeff and I were the lucky ones. There wasn’t anything Blaine could do about us befriending Kurt since I was his roommate. A couple of months later, he finally convinced Kurt to be his boyfriend.  He was manipulative. He put Kurt down, told him he wasn’t sexy, tried to keep him from his friends… Even his McKinley friends. So Kurt decided to put some distance between them. And since David had transferred to a different school, he went back to McKinley for his Senior year.”

Elliott looked confused, “But the Show Choir Nationals…”

Sebastian nodded, “He came back eventually.  We’ll get to that. Leah and I had lived in our family’s home in Paris, France with our mom for three years.  Our dad was still in Ohio since he’s a state’s attorney. Mom’s sister, Charlotte, had cancer, so we went to help take care of her.  She passed away just before Senior year, so we moved home to be with Dad, and return to school in the States.  

When I started at Dalton, Nick was my roommate, since his roommate had moved out.  I had been back in the States for about two weeks when I met Kurt. I had been seriously missing good coffee, and was on the hunt for the perfect cup.  I drove a half an hour to try Lima Bean, because I heard from a couple of the guys that it was good. One week after school started, on a Saturday morning, I sat in Lima Bean enjoying the best coffee I had found Stateside.  I was getting ready to leave when five hot guys came into the shop laughing. Who was I to get up and leave?” Everyone chuckled. Leah rolled her eyes and smirked. Seb looked at Kurt and ran his hand down his cheek as he looked lovingly into his eyes, “Here’s these four handsome jocks, and one hot as fuck guy with them, dressed to kill.”  Kurt smiled and silently chuckled to himself as his shoulders slightly bounced. Sebastian looked back at Channing, Hayden, Jenna, and Elliott. “The guys left, and Kurt stayed. I was getting ready to get up and go talk to him, but when I looked back at him, he was different. He looked scared. Then I heard this deep voice calling his name. He was already on his way toward me, headed toward the restroom, when the guy called his name again.  It was David.” Jenna’s eyes widened. 

Seb continued, “Kurt looked at me, and I swear it was as if time stood still.  He asked if he could sit with me. Of course I said yes. David came over and asked if I was his boyfriend from Dalton.”

Kurt interrupted with a little laugh, “He said, “I’m Sebastian.  Kurt and I are just friends, for now.”   Everyone chuckled.  

Sebastian smiled and shrugged his shoulders, “I knew it was only a matter of time.  At least, I hoped. Anyway, David explained himself, and how he was lost and miserable and shouldn’t have taken it out on Kurt.  Kurt forgave him and even gave him his phone number in case David needed to talk to someone about it. When he left, Kurt stayed and talked to me for awhile.  I learned that he had gone to Dalton, had a boyfriend, and that his dad is Congressman Burt Hummel. We exchanged phone numbers, and I went home a changed man.”

Leah giggled, “He’s not kidding.  You should have heard the way he talked about Kurt after meeting him.  And Seb wasn’t known for having boyfriends. But something in his voice… He even said that he thought Kurt could be the one to change that.”

“I was right,”  Sebastian smiled.  

Sugar said, “And Kurt called me that night and told me about meeting Seb.  He was carefully guarding his words, since he had a boyfriend, but you could tell there was something there.  Sebastian saved him that day.”

Seb shook his head, “Kurt saved me that day.  But that’s a whole different story.”

Jeff spoke up, “Kurt and I went shopping the next day, and we put it all together.  This guy he met was Nick’s new roommate. When I got back to school that night, I talked with Nick and Seb.  We told him about Blaine and Kurt, and what Blaine was like. Seb was pretty pissed. He was already protective of Kurt.  We could see it in his eyes that he was falling for him, even after just meeting. Anyway, we decided to go out dancing the next weekend.  There’s a little gay bar, kind of a dive bar, called Scandals in West Lima. We met there and used fake I.D.s to get in. None of us drank except for Blaine.  We thought he had drank a lot. He was acting like it.”

Everyone was quiet for a minute, and Channing, Elliott, Hayden, and Jenna could tell that this was when something major had happened.  Everyone seemed very somber.  

Kurt took a deep breath, “I decided that Blaine should probably get home.  He seemed really drunk, and I thought he needed to sleep it off. So we said goodbye to everyone, and headed outside.”  He paused for a minute.  

Sebastian looked at him and quietly spoke, “Do you want me to tell them?”

Kurt shook his head.  He looked back at them, “He tried to rape me.  In his attempt, he beat me pretty badly. I had a black eye and several lacerations on my face and torso.  A lot of bruising and some road rash from the pavement. I was knocked out at one point. When I came to, my shirt was ripped open, and my pants were pulled halfway down my hips.  I kept fading in and out. I had fought so hard, but Blaine was stronger.” Kurt looked at Sebastian with tears in his eyes. Everyone was quiet and Jenna had tears rolling down her cheeks.  Hayden put his arm around her, and she leaned on his shoulder.

Sebastian took over, “I needed some fresh air, so I stepped outside.  I heard scuffling, and looked over and noticed Kurt’s Navigator. I ran over… Blaine was on top of him and had his hand down his pants.  Kurt was struggling, and fading big time. I was beyond livid. I pulled Blaine off of him and punched a couple of times. I ended up knocking him out, and I broke my hand.”  Sebastian took a deep breath, “When I turned back to Kurt, my heart broke. He was so beat up and broken laying there on the ground. I held him and told him that I was there, and that I wouldn’t ever let him go.  And I won’t.” Sebastian looked over and Kurt and leaned over. They put their foreheads together and soaked up the love they could feel. “I love you, Baby,” Seb whispered.  

“I love you, too, Bas.  So much.”

Elliott took a deep breath.  He was trying to take it all in.  Chris could tell, and put his hand on his back.  Elliott looked back at him and gave him a small, sad smile.

Nick said, “Jeff and I were inside when Seb called us.  He said Blaine had tried to rape Kurt and to call 911. We ran outside and saw Blaine knocked out on the ground.  When we got closer and looked between the cars, we saw Kurt and Sebastian… It was heartbreaking. David, the guy who had bullied Kurt, was there that night.  He ran out with us when he saw the panic on our faces. He’s the one who called 911. We gave our statements to the police, who gave us a warning for using fake IDs, then we headed to the hospital and called Burt and Tori on the way.”

“They were the hardest phone calls I’ve ever had to make,”  Jeff said.  

Kurt continued, “After we were treated at the hospital, Bas came home with us.  We’ve been pretty inseparable ever since.”

Puck smirked, “The next day I came over.  When I saw Princess, I flipped out. Sam and Finn had to hold me back because I thought maybe Seb had done it.  I didn’t know who he was, or why he was there holding hands my Princess.” Sebastian smirked. “I was impressed when I found out he knocked Blaine out.”

Finn chuckled, “And when Puck says we had to hold him back, that is no exaggeration.” 

Sugar said, “Kurt physically healed pretty quickly.  We know how he takes care of his skin. He nursed his cuts and bruises until he was as beautiful as ever pretty quickly.”

Elliott asked, “I’m really sorry, Kurt.  When you have a panic attack, it all relates back to the attack, right?”

Kurt and Sebastian looked at each other.  Hayden shifted in his seat, knowing that more was coming.  Sebastian said, “Most of Kurt’s panic attacks relate back to that night, yes.  But a lot more happened.” Elliott and Jenna raised their eyebrows in surprise.  Channing frowned, wondering how much more Kurt could take. Seb continued, “David became jealous of me.  He says he was just protecting Kurt, but he ended up stalking us. Kurt had his first night terror after feeling like he was being watched.  He dreamt it was Blaine, but it was because of David. He had watched us on every date. Every football game. Every competition.”

Sam continued, “Kurt came home from a coffee date with Seb.  He was fine until he got home. He felt like he was being watched, then he actually saw him, but couldn’t see who it was.  He came running in the house, terrified. Finn and Puck took off outside to try to catch him. Finn finally did. Gave him a nice black eye and bruised jaw.  Kurt started having a panic attack while they were chasing David. I called Seb, and he talked him down over the phone. When he got to the house, the guys had returned with David.  Seb yelled, and Kurt heard him, then ran out to greet him. When he saw it was Dave, he fainted.”

“So, the police got involved and we both took out a restraining order against him,”  Kurt said as he snuggled in deeper with Sebastian. Seb wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt and kissed the top of his head.  

“What happened with Blaine?  I’m assuming you pressed charges?”  Jenna asked.

Sebastian nodded, “He did.  The trial was hard. I was so proud of Kurt for being so strong through it all. Investigators discovered that he had a history of using his fists.  He also wasn’t drunk that night. It was all a ruse. That was a hard pill to swallow. And then, during the trial, Blaine lost his temper in court.  Everyone saw a small piece of what Kurt had seen that night. He was found guilty, and is serving five years in prison. He has four years left.”

“You’ve been through a lot,”  Jenna sighed.

Leah shook her head, “There’s more.”  Sam wrapped his arm around her as he leaned over and kissed her above her ear.  She laid her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her arm. Sebastian watched, and was really happy to see Sam taking such good care of her.  He knew he would, but it was still nice to see. He had noticed several things Sam had done for her over the weekend, and was really happy for his little sister.  

He was a little lost in the thought, until Jenna asked, “What else happened?” 

Sam answered, “There was a guy named Mack that went to McKinley.  Leah went to one of the football games with Seb and Sugar, and Mack was hitting on her.  She turned him down, but he was persistent. She and I later faked being boyfriend and girlfriend in hopes that he would drop it, but he didn’t.  There were a couple of run-ins. One of the bad ones was when Leah spent the night at a friend’s house. The friend’s brother was friends with Mack, and they came back drunk.  There were no parents home, and the friend started drinking too. He grabbed Leah, and was being pushy. She got away and locked herself in a closet. She called Seb to come get her, but he and Kurt were in Westerville, which was further away, so Kurt called me, then Puck.  Finn and I went to get her, and then Puck and Sugar showed up too. I had to punch him in order get her out.” Leah squeezed him a little tighter, and he kissed her again.

Sebastian continued, “When we got there, they had Leah out, and we all went back to Kurt’s and spent the night.  We took her friend too, to sober her up. Mack was pissed. He couldn’t get to me at Dalton. Security is good there.  And Leah was in Indiana at boarding school. So he took it all out on Kurt. The first time, he shoved Kurt into a locker so hard that his head was bleeding.  Kurt didn’t see that it was him, though. The second time, he had a friend from another school do it, because he was being watched so closely by Glee and the Cheerios.  They called a fake football meeting to get rid of the guys, and then the guy found Kurt, called him a ‘fag’, and was punching him in the stomach. Mack saw us all at the bowling alley one night.  Luckily, Leah wasn’t home that weekend. But, he got in Sam’s face. He threatened Kurt and Sugar. He implied that if he couldn’t get what he wanted, he would just take it.” Puck was already holding Sugar, but he held her a little closer now.  Sebastian continued, “The next day at school, he tried to rape Sugar. He had her in a custodial closet. Kurt had just left her, and was bothered by a strange noise. He went back, and found them. He stopped Mack, but they fought.”

“Angel hates violence,”  Sugar said quietly.

“But I love you more,”  Kurt smiled sadly at her.  She smiled back with tears in her eyes.  “When I opened the door and saw that Mack had my best friend pinned to the wall… and I saw where his hands were… I lost it.”

“He fought hard for me.  Mack looked like he was on the losing end, with a black eye and busted lip.  I tried to help, but he shoved me against the wall in the hall so hard that I got a concussion.  When Kurt went to help me up, Mack pinned him against the wall. He said some things, then took Kurt’s head, and slammed it against the wall so hard,”  Sugar started crying. “He… He fell to the ground and didn’t get up. I thought he was dead.”

Puck held her, “It’s okay, Sug.  It’s all okay now.” They were sitting next to Seb and Kurt, so Kurt reached out for her, pulling her close.  The four of them sat huddled together.  

“I told you.  I’d do anything for you,”  Kurt whispered. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.  

Finn finished for them, “When we found out they weren’t in class, Puck went looking for them.  He found them both on the floor in the hallway. Kurt was unconscious, and Sugar kept fading in and out.  She had been trying to crawl to Kurt but couldn’t make it. He checked for a pulse, and called for help. I came around the corner and Puck was holding Sugar, crying as he rocked her back and forth.  All she had said was “Mack”. I held Kurt as we waited for more help to arrive. I couldn’t think of anything other than praying that he didn't die. It was as if all time was frozen until they were loading him onto a stretcher.  Then it was as if time sped up. The next thing I knew, we were at the hospital and I wasn’t allowed to be with him anymore.” Rachel rubbed his back trying to comfort him. Kurt silently cried as he watched his brother struggle to tell the story.

Cameron shook his head as he recalled that day, “Thad and I were in class with Seb.  He was so anxious. It’s like he knew in his heart of hearts that something had happened.  We had just walked into the hallway when Finn called him. He checked his caller ID and visibly paled.  All Finn could get out was “Kurt. Sugar. Meet us Lima Memorial.” We had to physically hold Seb up. Nick and Jeff drove him to the hospital.”

Sebastian cleared his throat, “Kurt didn’t wake up for 20 hours.  It was the longest 20 hours of my life. And the next day, when I heard his voice again… It was like music to my ears.  The joy and relief I felt is simply unexplainable.” He looked at Leah, “And while all of that was going on, Mack had taken off.  He headed straight for Leah.” The New York friends all looked at her. Fear of what might have happened was written all over their faces.

Leah said, “Luckily when Seb was talking to the police about what happened to Kurt, he realized that Mack knew where I went to school because of my friend.  The Lima police got in contact with the Oldenburg police and they stepped up patrols. Mack found me. But I was able to get into my room and locked the door.  My roommate and I put our dressers against the door too, and called 911. Because the police were already nearby, it didn’t take too long for them to get there.  When Mack heard the sirens, he took off.”

“Did they ever catch him?”  Channing asked. Everyone looked at each other.  

Sam said, “He was pulled over for speeding, but when the officer went to run the license, he took off.  There was a police chase for awhile. But eventually, he pulled over on a bridge and he jumped. They found his body the next day.”

“Holy shit,”  Elliott sighed.  Everyone sat there for a minute, thinking about what happened. The New York friends were trying to process it all.  Finally, Elliott asked, “So why did you end up back at Dalton? Was it just to be close to Sebastian?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  When I made it back to school, one of the jocks cornered me in the restroom and said that I was the one who should have died, and then said that “maybe they should take care of that.”  So I left. Right then and there. I went straight to Dalton and spoke to Headmaster Larson. I was at Dalton the following Monday.”

“But first, he won us Nationals,”  Santana winked. Kurt smiled softly back at her.

“Shit,”  Elliott said, leaning back in his seat.  

Chris said, “Then they end up saving that asshole jock’s mom.”

Hayden raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

Seb shrugged, “She had a heart attack in the mall.  We were there, and Puck and I did CPR.”

Puck shook his head, “I just did what Seb told me to do.  That was all him.”

Cameron said, “When Kurt got to Dalton, we were roommates.  He ended up having another night terror. I knew what he had been through was a lot, but that night terror was a wake up call for me.  It was scary. If you don’t know what it is, it’s like a nightmare that you can’t wake someone up from by touching them, or yelling for them to wake up.  It’s like they are really living it, and they tend to remember everything about the dream. I called Seb when I couldn’t wake him. Seb handled all of it so well.”  Kurt looked at Sebastian and gave him a quick kiss. Cameron continued, “There was this guy who was hitting on Seb and Kurt. Shawn. He was relentless with Kurt though.  He grabbed his arm when Kurt wasn’t paying attention to him the day after the night terror. It caused another panic attack.”

Channing asked, “What did you do to Shawn?”

Seb shrugged again, “Well, Shawn was on the soccer team with Cam and I.  Our McKinley family showed up at the restaurant the team was eating at that night.  Let's just say they were very intimidating."  Everyone grinned.  "And then I basically berated him in the locker room.  I told him what Kurt had been through and told him he was just another guy who wasn’t taking no as an answer.  He apologized. We all ended on good terms.”

Hayden was thinking about the panic attacks.  He frowned, “I get why you had a panic attack last night, Kurt.  But you guys said it was his second one since moving here. What caused the other one?”

Kurt sighed.  He looked at Sebastian, silently asking him to answer.  Seb rubbed his arm as he nodded. He looked back to Hayden, “We were out at a club for my birthday.  We went to leave and someone bumped into him and grabbed his elbow. But what sent the panic rushing in was the guy calling him ‘Sweetheart’.  It’s what Blaine called him. Especially when he was being manipulative. It all just added up, and he actually fainted. When he came to, he panicked.”

Jenna looked at Kurt and asked, “So, if we are out somewhere and you have a panic attack, what can we do to help?”   

Kurt answered, “I’ve only had one or two where Bas wasn’t there, or on the phone.  And one more where he wasn’t there for a few minutes. Jeff was there for a couple of those.  I think if you can, get me to focus on you. Having someone I know and trust be there is really important.  They often have me count backwards from 10 to 0 in my head. You’d probably have remind me of that.  It’s like all logic and focus goes out the window.  You have to tell me to breathe, count, focus… Bas and Jeff have both taken my hand and put it on their chest and told me to match their breathing. Bas pulled me out of what was sure to be another full blown panic attack by doing that once.  That one was just because someone new was touching me...And he was supposed to.  It was Jack, the cheerleader who lifted me.  But I had just met him, and just gotten out of the hospital.  Anyway, that helps a lot.”  

Sebastian added, “If you can get him to look at you, that helps too.  Getting him to focus just on you, and not on the world around him, is a big help.  You can always call me too. I may not be able to get there quickly, but I can talk to him over the phone like I did when they caught David.”

Kurt looked at his friends, “I don’t want you to walk on eggshells around me.  I don’t want you to always be worried about this. I just want you to be aware.”

Nick said, “It really does become second nature.  When we’re somewhere crowded, we just try to make sure we stick close to him.  Like at the club for Seb’s birthday. He was holding Seb’s hand, but I was close enough to catch him when he fainted.  Sam caught him when he fainted because of David.  It just becomes this awareness.  Does that make sense?”

Everyone nodded, and Elliott said, “It makes perfect sense.  To me, anyway.” He looked at Kurt, “Do you think the self defense class is helping?”

Kurt nodded, “I do.  And Bas was right with what he said in class.  We need to be prepared for when Blaine gets out of prison.  We don’t know that he would ever come to New York, but we need to be prepared for if he does.  The security here is aware of Blaine, David, and Rick, the guy who threatened me before I went to Dalton the second time.  We’ll also make sure they are aware of Owen. He won’t be allowed in the building.”

Chris nodded, “Okay.  I’m really sorry to have added to that list, Kurt.”

Kurt frowned, “We talked about this, Chris.  It isn’t your fault. Do you think I knew any of the guys we just talked about would take it as far as they did?  No. You couldn’t have known. We just want to make sure you’re safe.”  

Chris nodded, but didn’t say anything in return.  Elliott rubbed his back. Chris looked up at him and smiled sadly.  Elliott said, “You are so lucky to have all of these friends who care so much about you, Chris.”  He looked at Kurt, “And you have been lucky too, Kurt. This is a great support system.  We haven’t all been so lucky.”

Kurt nodded, “I know I’m lucky.  These friends have saved me on multiple occasions.  They are my family. And you’re a part of that family now, too, Elliott.  We’ll be here for you in whatever ways you need.”

Elliott teared up a little, “Thank you.  Like I told Puck when we first met… I think I found my tribe.”  Everyone smiled.  

Puck chuckled, “You did.  They’re all my family too.  Literally, they are all I have.  And their families have become parents to me too.  Especially the Motta’s, Hummel’s, and Smythe’s. I think you’ll be very happy with your new tribe.”  He winked at Elliott, who smiled in return.

Jenna looked at Sugar, “Sugar, are you okay?  Is there anything we need to be aware of with you?  No panic attacks, right?”

She smiled at her friend, “No, sweetie.  Like you guys knew from class, my transition from having my boys with me all the time, to them going to school was hard.  But I’m getting better. And the bakery is keeping me busier by the day, so that helps too. But thank you for checking with me.”

Jeff frowned, “Sweets, I didn’t know you were having a hard time.”

She shrugged, “It’s getting better.  It was hard being alone so much in a big new city.  But the bakery had me working with people more, and then we’ve made new friends… It’s all working out.”

Puck said, “Speaking of the bakery… Why don’t we all get ready to go…”

“Yeah, I want to make sure we have enough time to see it before our train leaves,”  Quinn said as she stood. 

Channing smiled, “First, can we please see the video from Show Choir Nationals now?  Please?”

Kurt chuckled, “Sure.”

Chapter Text

After the video, everyone started getting up, putting dishes away, cleaning up breakfast, and heading to pack.  

Sebastian turned to Chris, “Do you have a picture of Owen?  I’d like to give one to security so they know what he looks like.”

Chris pulled out his phone, “I’m sure I do.”  He scrolled through picture after picture. Nothing.  He frowned, “I don’t have any. That’s so weird. We took pictures all the time.”

Seb frowned a little, “That’s okay.  Kurt wanted a group picture last night, but we never got to it after what happened.  Maybe he’s in the background of someone else’s pic. If not, I’ll look online.”

Chris and Sebastian both asked around, and no one had a picture of Owen.  The closest they came was the back of him in one of Santana’s pictures. Sebastian went into the office and did a Google search for “Owen Chatfield” and it brought up a ton of results, but none of them were the same Owen.  He tried narrowing his search to “Owen Chatfield + New York University”. He got zero results. He frowned and leaned back in his chair.  

Elliott came into the office to put the sofa bed back up and get his things.  He looked at Sebastian and made a face, “You look deep in thought. Everything okay?”

Seb shook his head and spoke quietly, “I can’t find anything on Owen.  No photos. Doing a search for his name leads to a million pictures, but none of him.  I searched for him, plus NYU, and got nothing.”

Elliott frowned and walked around the desk, “Try going to NYU’s website.  Can you access their database?”  

Sebastian had no luck.  He looked at Elliott, “I don’t get a good feeling about this.”  

“Me neither,”  Elliott sighed.  “I’m just extra glad Chris will be staying here.”  

Sebastian looked up at Elliott again, “Have you talked to him?  Are you two…”

“Not yet,”  Elliott sighed.  “I’ve tried, but we always get interrupted. And last night didn’t feel like the right time, ya know?”

Seb nodded, “You’ll get there.  It’s early. He’s probably still shaken from what happened.  But I know the feelings are mutual. He’s felt it since he saw you the very first time.”  

“It’s crazy.  I did too. I can’t explain it.”

Sebastian smiled, “You don’t have to.  I’ve been there.”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah.  Your story is amazing. Sad and beautiful all at the same time.  I hope you know I’ll be here for you guys however I can.”

Seb stood and put his hand on Elliott’s shoulder, “I do know.  Thank you. And I know our story is very special. It’s been quite a journey, and we’re just beginning.”

Elliott frowned, “Wait.  Is that what Ben and Jeremy were talking about last night when they mentioned your story to Puck?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Well, I don’t know what they said to Puck, but they are interested in our story.  They’re trying to write a musical about it.”  

“Holy shit!”  Elliott exclaimed. He frowned slightly, “Ya know.  I could totally see that.” He smiled, “It would make a great musical.”

Seb shrugged again and gave a little chuckle, “Well, we’ll see.”

Sebastian got ready as quickly as he could.  He wanted to see Mr. Carmack as soon as possible, and didn’t want to make everyone wait on him.  He asked Chris to get ready quickly too, so that he could join him. 

Kurt entered the bathroom as Sebastian was rinsing off his razor from shaving.  He stood in the doorway and watched his Dom rinse his face. Sebastian looked at him and asked, “You okay, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian dried his face and hands before he walked up to Kurt.  He ran his hands through his hair and kissed him on the lips softly, “Would you like to wear your collar?”

Kurt closed his eyes, loving the fact that his Dom always knew what he needed.  He nodded, “Yes, please, Sir.”

“Of course, Baby.”  Sebastian went to get it.  He placed it around Kurt’s neck and locked it.  He put the necklace with the key around his neck and tucked it inside his shirt.  He ran his hand down Kurt’s face, “Better?”

“Yes, Sir.  Thank you.”

“I’ll always do what’s best for you, Kurt.  I love you.”

“I love you, too, Sir.”  They spent a minute holding each other and shared a few kisses before Kurt began to get ready to go.

Once in the lobby, Sebastian approached the front desk with Chris by his side.  “Hey, Pablo. Is Mr. Carmack in?”

“He is, Mr. Smythe.  Would you like to see him?”

“I would.  Thank you.”

A minute later, Mr. Carmack came out to the lobby, “Mr. Smythe.  Come on back to my office.”

“Thank you for seeing me with such short notice,”  Sebastian said as they walked back the hallway.

“Not a problem.  My door is always open to you, Mr. Smythe.”  He closed the door once both boys were inside, “Now what can I do for you?”

“This is our friend, Chris Cairnes.  He will be staying with us for a while.  I’d like to have a key made for him.”

Mr. Carmack stood and reached his hand across the desk.  He shook Chris’ hand, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mr. Carmack.  I'm the head of security. You just let us know if there’s anything we can do for you.  We’ll take your picture for security purposes, and then get you a key made.” He took a quick picture of Chris so that it could print.  He made a phone call and ordered someone to make a key for him.  

When he hung up, Sebastian said, “We do have a security issue.”  Mr. Carmack raised his brows in anticipation. “Chris’ ex-boyfriend, Owen Chatfield, was here at our party last night.  He is no longer welcomed back. It’s for both Kurt and Chris’ safety. However, I was unable to find a picture of him online.”  Mr. Carmack and Sebastian exchanged a look at that. Seb continued, “I was wondering if you could print a still shot from the security footage from last night?”

“Certainly.  Let me pull that up.”  Mr. Carmack turned to the desk that was perpendicular to the one where he was sitting.  It had several computer monitors with split screens of different areas of the building. He typed in a few commands, and pulled up the video.  “Were you with Owen Chatfield when you arrived last night, Mr. Cairnes? And if so, what time would that have been?”

“I was, Sir.  We arrived around 8:30.”

Mr. Carmack continued to fast forward through until he got close to the 8:30 mark.  They watched for a minute until they saw him on camera. When there was a decent shot of his face, he paused the video and typed in a command to print out a picture.  He went to the printer and grabbed the printout. “That should do it. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Sebastian looked at Chris, “Would you mind waiting in the lobby?”

“Sure,”  Chris said as he stood.  He exited silently.

Sebastian looked back at Mr. Carmack, who was waiting to hear what he had to say, “Chris is a good friend of ours.  This Owen guy is no good. We get a very bad feeling about him, and last night he got mad at Kurt because he simply put his hand on Chris’ arm.  He shoved him, knocking him to the ground. He is not welcome here under ANY circumstances.”  

Mr. Carmack nodded.  Sebastian could tell that this new information really pissed him off.  He took a deep breath, “Of course, Mr. Smythe.”

Sebastian continued, “Now, I’m not exactly sure why I can’t find a single picture of him online.  And Chris said that Owen took pictures of him all the time, but he had none of Owen, even though he thought he did.  I don’t know if Owen erased them, or if he avoids them… but something's not right. I’m going to have my father help look into it.  I think maybe he’s not really ‘Owen Chatfield’ at all.”

Mr. Carmack leaned forward, “I can look into it, Sir.  I have some… connections.”

Seb nodded gratefully, “That would be fantastic.  This all brings up his I.D. I know your guys are trained to check I.D.s, and I love George to death, but apparently Owen’s I.D. was good enough to get by him if it was a fake.  Maybe it’s not, and I’m reading into this too much. Lord knows we’ve been through enough to make me paranoid. But if I’m right, then that’s definitely an issue.”

“You’re right, Mr. Smythe.  I apologize if it was something that we could have caught.  I will make sure our guys are trained on all of the newest ways to spot fakes.  I know Mr. Hummel has been through a lot. I won’t let him go through any more on my watch.  That goes for Mr. Cairnes too.”  

“Thank you, Mr. Carmack.”

An employee knocked, and then entered with the new key.  Mr. Carmack handed it to Sebastian, “I trust you will make sure Mr. Cairnes knows how to use this, etc.  Do you need a new copy of the building rules?”

“No, thank you.  I’ll make sure he’s aware of everything and give him a copy.  Thanks again for all of your help.”

“Not a problem.”

As the group of friends approached the bakery, Jeff got really excited, “Sweets!  It is SO cute! Look at your logo! I love it!” Everyone was beaming, and Sugar couldn’t have smiled any bigger if she tried.

“Thanks, Jeffie.  I think the outside turned out really nice.”  The storefront was painted black, and it had a black awning with her logo in pink.  The door was a matching pink with the logo and address.

“Let’s take a picture!”  Kurt said as Sugar started to unlock the door.  He looked around, and stopped a husband and wife.  “Excuse me. Could you take a picture of all of us in front of my friend’s bakery?”

“Sure!”  the lady smiled.  Kurt handed her his phone and everyone gathered around in front of the windows.  She backed up enough that she could get the logo and awning in the picture too. “Now a silly one!”  the wife smiled. Everyone chuckled, then struck a silly pose. 

“Thank you so much,”  Kurt said as he took his phone back.  

Sugar unlocked the door and smiled as she heard her friends gasp.  They were all making comments about what they were seeing. Puck smiled and wrapped his arms around Sugar.  She closed her eyes for a moment, just to soak it all in.  

“These floors are gorgeous,”  Nick said.  

“They’re original,” Puck smiled.

Chris nodded, “The display cases look so good.  So much better than the old ones. I like the floors too, but I love the bar top seating at the window.”

“The kids area is a great idea.  It’s adorable,” Quinn said as she checked out the small kids tables and chairs.”

Everyone looked around for a few minutes.  Kurt took some more photos. They checked out the kitchen, as well as some plans for displays that Sugar had in her office for the front windows.  

Jenna was so excited.  She had been to the bakery a couple of times with Sugar, but she had never seen it so finished before.  

“I can’t wait till we open,”  Jenna said as she ran her hand down a display case.  

Hayden raised his eyebrows, “We?”

Jenna nodded, “I’m going to work here once she opens.  I’m excited about it.”

“Nice,”  Hayden said, “Will you be baking or will you be out front selling?”

“Both.  The company she hired to help get her started has hired some bakers, with Sugar’s help.  But I can help where it’s needed. Most of the time I’ll be out front, though.”

After everyone had been shown everything and looked around a bit, they decided to head upstairs and check out the apartment.  Puck unlocked the door and they headed up. Jeff raced Cameron, Sam, and Brittany up the steps, and everyone else took the elevator.  They all loved the apartment, and could see the potential in it. It still had a lot of work to be finished, and of course, all the decorating they knew Sugar and Kurt would be doing together.  

“I think this is going to be finished a lot sooner than you think, Sugar,”  Sebastian said as he put his arm around her shoulders.  

“I hope so.  The kitchen is nearly finished, but the one bathroom is nonexistent.”

“It will be finished before you know it,”  he said as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head.  “Besides, I like having you around.”

She chuckled and shook her head, “I love you, Seb.”

He gave her a squeeze, “Love you too, Sugar.”

Everyone was still looking around, when Cameron and Finn found Chris in what was going to be the master bedroom.  Cameron put his hand on Chris’ back, “Are you ready to go get your things?” Chris took a deep breath and looked at Elliott, who was across the room looking out the window as he talked with Puck.  Cameron saw where he was looking. He turned to Chris, “He likes you, ya know. And that one I approve of.  I think we all do.”

Finn nodded, “He seems like a cool dude.  Kind of like a gay Puck.” They all laughed.  “Anyway, he looks at you like he wants to run away with you.”

Chris still didn’t say anything.  Cameron rubbed his arm, “Are you okay?”  Chris nodded, but didn’t say anything. “You know… It’s okay that you like him back.”

Chris looked at Cameron finally.  He spoke quietly, “I do like him. A lot.  But I literally went from Owen, straight into Elliott’s arms.  What does that make me?”

Cameron frowned, “It makes you a man who follows his heart.  There’s nothing wrong with that, Chris. You two like each other.  And from what I’ve been told, you’ve had chemistry from the moment you saw each other.  A lot like Seb and Kurt.”

Chris nodded and smiled a little, “We have.”

Cameron smiled in return, “If you found a guy who looks at you like that, and treats you well,” he shrugged, “I think you should go for it.  When you’re around him, it reminds me of when you were with Thad...Only there’s something different. I think it’s a good different.”

Chris blushed slightly, “Yeah.”

Sebastian came into the room, “Hey, you guys are going with Chris to get his stuff, right?”

“Yeah, are you going?” Finn asked.

Sebastian shook his head, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.  If you run into Owen, and I’m with you, I might kill him.” There was no indication of sarcasm or exaggeration in Sebastian’s tone.  He was completely serious. “It took everything I had last night to stay with Kurt and not beat Owen to death. But, as always, Kurt comes first.”

Finn clapped Seb on the back, “And that is why Burt didn’t have another heart attack when you all moved here.  Don’t worry, though. He was hurting when he left.”

Sebastian smirked and Chris’ eyes widened.  “What did you do?!”

Finn shrugged as he frowned, “I gave him a taste, and only a taste, of what he deserved, Chris.  And if he touches Kurt again, Sebastian will have to get in line to kill him.  I’ll be first.  Same goes for if he hurts you.  I’m tired of these assholes thinking they can do whatever they want. We’ve put up with enough!”

“Chill, Finn,”  Puck said as he approached.  “What’s going on?”  

Elliott walked up and put his hand on Chris’ back.  He spoke quietly, “Are you okay?” Chris nodded.

Finn sighed, “Chris seems to be upset about the fact that Owen got a little bit of what he had coming last night.”

Puck looked at Chris and calmly asked, “That upsets you?”

“I…”  Chris frowned and looked down, “I… I don’t know.”

Sebastian went to Chris and wrapped his arms around him.  Chris laid his head on Seb’s shoulder and held him right back.  Sebastian spoke gently, “It’s okay to be confused about your feelings, Chris.  Whatever you are feeling is completely valid, and completely yours to feel.”

Everyone was quiet for a minute, until Elliott spoke, “Can Chris and I have a minute alone?”

Sebastian pulled back and looked at Chris.  He nodded.  Everyone walked out of the bedroom silently, with Cameron patting Chris on the shoulder as he left, then closing the door behind them.

Elliott stepped in front of Chris.  He smiled softly at him, then reached up to brush Chris’ hair back into place.  Chris leaned into the touch. Elliott smiled a little more. “So…” he cleared his throat to try to shake his nerves, “I really like you, Chris.  Like, really like you.”  Chris smiled a little and looked up at him sort of shyly through his lashes.  Elliott thought he might melt right then and there. “I know you’re confused about what you’re feeling for Owen.  And probably for me, too.  But I want you to know that I am a very patient man. I will wait for you to be ready.  I will be here for you while you work through every single emotion and feeling you could possibly have.  I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to leave.  Every second that passes, makes me want to be with you more.  I’ll wait.  But please tell me there’s something to wait for…” Elliott looked at him with hope filled eyes.  

Chris smiled a tired, yet kind smile.  He put his hand on Elliott’s cheek and ran his thumb over his cheek bone.  He looked into Elliott’s gorgeous blue eyes and nearly got lost in them. He saw so much love.  So much want. So much concern. It was overwhelming. He took a deep breath and nodded, “Please wait for me.”

Elliott smiled a little as he nodded.  He reached for Chris, and Chris melted into him.  They held each other for a minute and then Chris said, “I’m sorry.”

Elliott frowned and ran his hand through Chris’ hair, pressing his cheek to Chris’ head, “What are sorry for?  You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I’m sorry that this is such horrible timing.  That I’m so messed up. I’m sorry that I can’t say ‘screw everything’ and just be with you.  I’m just sorry.”

Elliott said, “Well, first of all, I completely disagree on the horrible timing thing.  I think it was great timing.  Because now, when you need someone the most, I get to be here for you.  And everything you think is screwed up about your feelings is really quite normal. I’ve been there. And if therapy has taught me anything, it’s that what you are feeling is normal, valid, and not uncommon at all.  But what I need you to do… What we all need you to do… Is to not go back to him. I told you what he’ll try. You have to be strong. Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah.  I can do that.”

Chris ended up going back to his dorm with Cameron, Finn, and Sam.  He had said goodbye to Elliott with a hug.  He didn’t want to go.  They exchanged numbers and Chris promised to text him when he was back at the penthouse safe and sound.

As they entered the dorm building, Chris walked a little slower.

“Are you okay, Chris?”  Sam asked. Chris nodded, but didn’t say anything. “You can do this. It’ll be okay.”

When they reached his hallway and turned the corner, Chris froze.  Owen was sitting outside his room.  His knees were brought to his chest and his head was laying back against the wall.  His eyes were closed. Cameron immediately stood in front of Chris, with Finn and Sam flanking him on either side. 

Owen opened his eyes and saw the guys standing with Chris behind them.  He frowned, “Chris, Honey, what’s going on?  I’ve been waiting for you for hours.  I was so worried when you weren’t answering your phone.”

Chris quietly answered, “I had my phone turned off.”

“I was so worried, Honey.  You need to answer when I call.”

When Chris didn’t say anything, Cameron answered for him, “No need to worry.  He’s been with his family.”

Owen glared at Cameron, “I’m his family.  He’s mine. You need to mind your own business.”

“No, Owen.”  Chris pushed his way between Finn and Cameron, “I’m not yours.  And they are my family.  I love them.”

Owen frowned at Chris, “I’m your family, Baby.”  He reached out for him, but Chris pulled away.

“Don’t call me ‘Baby’.  And don’t call me ‘Honey’.  And I’m not yours. You lost me the minute you shoved me aside and then pushed Kurt.”

“Is that what this is all about?  Chris, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone. He was touching you.  I was protecting you.”

Finn gave a dry laugh, “From Kurt?”

Owen frowned at Finn and lowered his tone, “Yes, from Kurt.”

“Look, dude.  Kurt can totally kick ass, but he’s also the most gentle, loving guy around.  And he’s fucking engaged.”

“Gentle and loving can be dangerous,”  Owen spat. “I don’t care it he’s fucking married.  He had his hands all over what’s mine. Now he knows not to do that anymore.”  He looked back to Chris and softened his voice, “I’m so sorry if Kurt got hurt.  And I’m especially sorry if I hurt you. I love you. I would never want to hurt you.  I just wanted to protect you, Chris. I promise.”

“You… You love me?”  Chris had never had a guy tell him they loved him.  It was a whole new feeling.

“Yes, Honey.  I love you very much.”  Owen reached out for Chris again, and Cameron could see Chris’ features soften.  He was being sucked back in with Owen’s lies.  

Cameron pulled Chris back, “Love doesn’t hurt like that, Chris.”

Owen was furious, “Don’t touch him!  You need to stay out of this!”

Cameron had pulled Chris behind him as Owen was yelling.  He stood unwavering in front of Owen. “When someone I care about is being hurt, I will not stay out of it.  You need to back up.”

“Or what?”

“Owen, please,”  Chris said. “I don’t want to fight.  I just want to get into my room. You need to go home and cool down.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with them, Chris.”

“You’re going to have to.”  Chris started to walk past Cameron and Owen. Owen turned and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his chest, “I love you, Honey.  I’m sorry.” He kissed Chris hard, and his fingers were digging into his arms. It was obvious that Chris was trying to pull away.

Finn grabbed Owen’s arm and pulled him back, but he refused to let go of Chris. “You’re hurting me!”  Chris cried. “Let go!” Sam grabbed one of Owen’s wrists, and Cameron grabbed the other. 

“You better fucking let go, or lose your hands in the process, asshole,”  Finn growled.

“Let.  Go!” Sam yelled.  

After several long seconds, Owen finally let go.  “I love you, Chris!”  

Cameron wrapped his arm around Chris and led him to his door, “Let’s go, Chris.  I’ve got you.” Chris’ hands were shaking too much to unlock it, so Cam grabbed his keys and opened it for him.  All the while, Owen was telling Chris how much he loved him.  

Finn pinned Owen against the wall with his forearm against his throat. Sam stood close to Owen and clearly stated,  “Here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to walk away, and leave the building. You are going to leave him alone, and move on.  It’s over. Don’t call him. Don’t come see him. And if you touch him again, the police will get involved.”

When Owen heard the word “police”, it seemed to wake him up from his angry, desperate haze.  He looked at Sam, then at Finn. Finn pressed in on his throat a bit more, “Was that clear?”

Owen nodded.  He didn’t say anything, until he realized that Finn wasn’t going to let go until he did, “Yes.  Yes, that’s clear.” Finn let go, and Owen turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.  

As soon as Chris and Cameron had entered his dorm with the door closed, Chris broke down.  He nearly collapsed, but Cameron caught him. He walked him to the bed that he assumed was his and sat with Chris as he cried.  He held on and didn’t say anything for a minute. When Finn and Sam came in, Finn sat on the other side of Chris, and Sam knelt down in front of him.  Finn rubbed his back and they let Chris get his emotions out.   

Finally, Cameron spoke, “It’s okay, Chris.  It’s going to be okay. Living with Seb, Kurt, Puck, and Sugar will help get your mind off of this.  You can heal there. Get your head straightened out. It’ll be good for you.”  

“All three of us have lived with Kurt before.  I promise it won’t be boring,” Finn smiled. The other guys all gave a small chuckle, including Chris.  

Sam patted him on the knee as he stood, “Come on.  Let’s get you packed.”

By the time they got all of Chris’ essentials, and about a week's worth of clothes, they decided to just head back to the penthouse and wait for everyone there.  Sebastian had texted Cameron and told him that they were all stopping for lunch, so Cam, Finn, Sam, and Chris all grabbed a sandwich at deli just around the corner.  When they entered the lobby, Pablo greeted them, “Good afternoon gentlemen. Mr. Cairnes, it’s my understanding that you will be staying here for awhile. Welcome.”

“Yes, Pablo.  Thank you.”

“Mr. Smythe gave you a key, correct?”
“He did,”  Chris nodded.  

“Very good, Sir.  Have a great rest of your day.”

Chris smiled shyly, “Thanks, Pablo.  You too.” It felt weird and odd to be going up to the penthouse on his own with no one home.  It was surreal. Yet, at the same time, he had always felt at home here. Mostly because it’s where his family was.

Back at the restaurant, Sebastian watched Kurt.  He was interacting with their family, but he was only picking at his food.  He leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I need you to eat, Baby.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt whispered back.  He ate a little bit more of salad.  

Sebastian watched, but was still not satisfied.  “More, Kurt.”

Kurt closed his eyes and silently sighed.  He really didn’t have an appetite today. “Yes, Sir.”  He ate a little more of the salad, but only picked at the leafy greens.

“Kurt.  You only had a little bit of your eggs this morning, and didn’t touch much else on your plate.  I let it go because I knew you were anxious about telling our new friends your history. But now, you need food. Picking at the lettuce doesn’t cut it.  Eat some grilled chicken. You need protein, Baby.”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Sir.”  He slowly ate a few bites of chicken.  When he didn’t think he could eat any more, he looked at Sebastian.  

Seb looked at his salad and nodded, “Thank you, Kurt.”  Kurt nodded.  

Before they left the restaurant, the Ohio and Boston friends said goodbye to their new New York friends.  Nick hugged Elliott, “It was good to meet you, Elliott.”

Elliott smiled, “You too, Nick.”

Nick pulled away, “Take care of Chris for us, yeah?  He’s going to need you.”

Elliott nodded, “I will.  Even if he isn’t ready to be with me, I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

Santana hugged him as well, “I like you, Elliott.”  She motioned to what he was wearing, “I’m all about this sexy, glittery, rockstar look you got goin’ on.  It doesn’t hurt that you’re nice and kick ass singing.”

He chuckled, “Thanks, Santana.”  

Jeff hugged Jenna, “Can you have two gay boyfriends?  Nicky won’t mind sharing me.”

“Sure, Jeff.  I think I can swing that.  Two gay boyfriends, and hopefully one straight one,” she said, whispering the last part.  Jeff pulled back and wiggled his eyebrows.

As Brittany hugged Jenna she whispered, “Take care of Sugar for us.  We love her. She needs to stay sweet. She’s no good sour.”

“I promise, Brittany.  And you take care of my other gay boyfriend.  Check in on him every once in a while, okay?”

Brittany giggled, “Okay!”  She turned to Hayden, “You’ve been a nice shark, Hayden.  I like you. Take care of Sebby and Kurt. And don’t bite Jenna.”

Hayden knit his eyebrows together, “Okay.”  He didn’t know what else to say.

Everyone made their rounds, saying goodbye and giving hugs.  Jenna and Hayden hugged and as they pulled apart, he kissed her on the cheek.  “I’ll call you.”

She smiled, “You better.”  He winked, and then he and Channing headed North, while Elliott and Jenna headed South.  

Once they all arrived back home, they found Chris curled up against Cameron, fast asleep.  Finn and Sam were on the other couch, and the three had been quietly talking about life in general. 

Sebastian turned and shushed everyone else who was just arriving after he saw Chris sleeping.  He turned back to Cameron and whispered, “Did everything go okay?”

Cam shook his head and spoke quietly, “No.  Owen was there waiting for him at his dorm.”

Everyone looked concerned.  Jeff asked, “What happened?”  Sebastian pulled Kurt into his lap as they listened.

Sam answered, “He was sitting outside his room.  He told Chris he had been worried since he wasn’t answering his calls.  Kept calling him “Honey” and “Baby”. Even told him he loved him. He apologized for last night and told Chris he was protecting him because he was “his”, and they were family, and we weren’t.”

Kurt whispered, “How did he take that?”

Cameron said, “He told Owen not to call him by those pet names.  He stood his ground pretty well, although we thought we were losing him when Owen told him he loved him.  When he went to pass Owen to get to his room, he grabbed Chris and kissed him. His fingers were digging into Chris’ arms, and Chris cried out.  It hurt. We had to pry Owen off of him. When Sam mentioned the police, he changed. He just… walked away.”

“I don’t like it, man.  He’s no good,” Finn said.

“I agree,” Sebastian said.  “But, that’s why Chris is here.  Hopefully Owen takes the hint soon.”

“Was he upset?”  Kurt asked, nodding toward Chris. 

Sam leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, “Yeah.  He was really upset immediately after. Cam was practically holding him up.”  

Quinn went over and sat on the arm of the couch next to Cameron.  She put her hand on his shoulder, “He must be worn out.”

Cam nodded, “He is.  He was doing better. But after we ate and took his things upstairs, he just kind of broke down again.  When Owen told him he loved him, you could see the conflict on Chris’ face. You could see him starting to get sucked in.  Not only was Owen hurting him physically, but he’s fucking with him mentally.  He knows how to play this game.”

“I don’t think this is the first time he’s done something like this.  Maybe we need to talk to that cheerleader we saw him with this summer,”  Puck said.  

“Good idea,”  Sebastian said,  “And Mr. Carmack is looking into Owen as well.  When I went to look him up online to get his picture, I couldn’t find anything.  I think maybe he’s not who he says he is.”

Kurt looked concerned as he turned in Seb’s arms to face him, “Do you think Chris is in serious danger?”

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arms as he spoke gently, and quietly, “I don’t know, Babe.  But we’ll figure this out. We just need to be here for him.”

Leah sighed, “I don’t like leaving with everything so… Up in the air.”

“I know, but I’d rather you not be here if Owen is going to be a problem anyway.  One less person to worry about.”

Leah rolled her eyes, “Meanwhile, I’ll be worrying about all of you.”

“I don’t think Owen is dangerous to any of us.  I think he’s got his sights set on Chris, and Chris alone.  It’s like he’s obsessed,"  Sebastian said.  

They sat and talked for a while longer.  Chris began to stir, and Sugar went to sit on the edge of the couch next to him.  She ran one hand through his hair as she rested the other on his leg, “Are you okay, Sweetie?”

He turned and looked at her, blinking to try to focus, “Yeah.”  He sighed, then looked up at Cameron, then sat up, “Sorry, Cameron.”

“No need to apologize.  I’m sure you’re worn out.”

Chris nodded, “Yeah.”

“We’re going to have to get going in a minute.  We can’t miss our train,” Nick said as he stood.

“Yeah, we need to get to the airport.  I hate that we have to be there so much earlier than our actual flight time, but what can ya do…”  Finn said.  

Everyone’s bags were already downstairs, ready and waiting.  They all made another rounds of goodbyes, but this time it was a lot harder.  Knowing they wouldn’t see each other for quite awhile made every minute precious.  

Leah hugged Sebastian, “I love you.  Please be careful and take good care of everyone.”

Seb squeezed her back, “I love you, too, sis.  And you know I will. We’ll see you in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.”

She nodded and smiled as Kurt came to hug her, “And then you can help us with some wedding planning!”

She smiled, “I can’t wait.”

Finn pulled Rachel aside, “You can do this, Rach.  You go in there tomorrow and show them what you’ve got.”

“I don’t know if I can do it without you, Finn.  I really don’t.” 

“You can, and you will.  You have to, Rachel. Your dreams are big, so that means big sacrifices.  I will be cheering you on no matter what, and no matter where.”

Rachel became teary eyed, “I love you.”

He smiled at her sadly, “I love you, too.”

Once everyone was gone, the six friends sat in the living room together.  “Is there anything we can do for you, Rachel?” Kurt asked.

She shook her head, “No.  Thank you both so much for letting me stay here.  I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,”  Sebastian said.  “Maybe later we can sing a few songs together to get you in the mood to perform.  Or you could sing for us to practice.”

“That would be nice,”  Rachel said quietly. “I think I’m going to go out on the terrace and think for a little bit.  Excuse me.” She stepped outside and looked out at the city that she had always wished she’d call home.  Looking at it now, it just seemed… empty. She felt so disconnected from it. The longer she sat and looked at it, the more she realized that it wasn’t ever going to feel like home if Finn wasn’t there with her.

Later that evening, they all ate dinner together.  Rachel sang them the songs she had prepared. No one had any advice for her, because she sounded fantastic.  They tried to reassure her with some encouraging words. She decided to head to bed early and get some “beauty sleep”.  

Chris stood, “I washed the sheets for the pullout in the office.  But you’re welcome to use the spare room, Rachel.”

“No, but thanks, Chris.  You need to sleep in there.  That will be your bed for awhile.  I couldn’t take it on your first night here.”

“It’s not my first night here.  I stay pretty often. Please.”

Rachel shook her head, “The office is fine.  I promise. You get settled. I’m going to go meditate for awhile.”

“Okay,”  Chris gave her a hug and after saying goodnight to everyone, she disappeared for the rest of the night.  

After everyone went to bed, Sebastian came out of the bathroom to find Kurt kneeling for him at the end of the bed.  He had a feeling this was coming. He walked over and ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair, then over the collar that Kurt had not taken off, “You are so beautiful, Baby.  Is there something specific you need?”

“Not really, Sir.  I just want a reminder that I’m yours.”

Sebastian lovingly said, “You are mine, Baby.  You will always be mine.  Stand.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt could feel a calmness come over him that seemed to radiate from the top of his head all the way to his toes.  He was so grateful for the man standing before him. His Dom. His lover. His partner. His fiance. He didn’t ever want to think about what his life would be like without him.  

Sebastian had been thinking the same things.  He licked the shell of Kurt’s ear, “You are so sexy, Baby.  I can’t get over how lucky I am to have you in my life. I don’t want a single day to pass that I don’t have you by my side.”  He lightly sucked the lobe of his ear before moving to his neck.  

Between panting breaths, Kurt muttered, “I feel the same way, Sir.  I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Kurt.  So much.”

They started out soft and sweet, making love to each other slowly.  They basked in the love radiating off of each other. Slowly, but surely, things became a bit more heated, and the soft love making turned more passionate and desperate.  

Sebastian sat on the bed with his back against the headboard as Kurt rode him.  He wrapped his arms around him and slid his hand up to grab a handful of Kurt’s hair.  He pulled it back, “That’s my good boy. Harder, Kurt. Do you feel how hard I am for you?  Do you feel it deep inside you?”

“Yes, Sir!  Oh god, yes, Sir!”  Kurt rode him harder and Sebastian continued to thrust up into him at an alarming pace.  

He flipped him over so he was on his back.  He grabbed his legs, pushing them back as he thrust into him more.  He leaned over and kissed him full of so much passion that he thought he might burst.  “Such a good boy, Kurt. Whose are you?”

“Yours, Sir!”  

“That’s right, Baby.  All mine. Such a good boy.”

After several minutes, Kurt couldn’t take it anymore, “Sir… May I cum?”

“Yes, Baby.  Cum for me!” Kurt came hard and fast.  As soon as he was finished, Sebastian pulled out and came all over Kurt’s stomach and chest as if claiming him.  “Mine,” he whispered. He practically collapsed on Kurt, kissing him as he came back down from his orgasmic high.  He pushed back up a few seconds later. “Are you okay, Baby?” He ran his hands through Kurt’s hair and down his body, rubbing and massaging.

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Sir,”  he answered as he tried to catch his breath.  

“You are so perfect for me, Baby.  I could not dream of anyone more perfect.  I’m so happy I get to have you for the rest of my life.”

Kurt gave Sebastian a sleepy smile, “Only yours.  Always yours.”  

Sebastian smiled back as he grabbed Kurt’s left hand, running his thumb over Kurt’s ring.  He brought his hand up and kissed it, “Always.”

Chapter Text

When Kurt made it downstairs the next morning, Rachel and Sugar were sitting at the dining room table talking as they drank their morning coffee.  He smiled at the sight of them, “Good morning, ladies.”

They smiled back, “Good morning.”

Sugar continued, “How are you feeling today, Angel?”

“Good.  Thanks for asking.  How about you?” he kissed her on the top of her head as he passed her seat.

“Good.”

He looked at Rachel, “How about you, Rachel?  Are you ready?”

She took a deep breath, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Kurt nodded.  He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, then asked, “So… when you get in… then what?”

She smiled at his confidence in her.  She shrugged, “I guess then I move to New York.  My dads said they will pay for school here if I live in a dorm.  They don’t want me to pay such high prices on an apartment just yet.  They want me to see how I like it first. Plus, they don’t want to worry about me being completely on my own.”

Sugar made a face, “You won’t ever be completely on your own here, Rach.  We’re all here.”

Rachel nodded, “I know.  And that makes me and my dads feel much better.”

Sugar said, “You can always move in with us.  Our place should be done around Christmas. It would be in time for school to start.  At least until a find a place.”

Rachel nodded slightly and took a quick sip of her coffee, “Thank you.  It’s kind of you to offer. But, I really feel like if I’m going to do this, then it has to be on my own as much as possible, ya know?  Besides, you and Puck will finally have your own place. Kurt and Sebastian will be newlyweds soon. I think it’s best for all of us if we support each other, but… I don’t want to intrude on your new lives either.”

Kurt sat with his fresh coffee, “I understand.  But, that’s not how we feel about it. Just know that you’ll always have two places you can go to if you need to.  And sometimes it will be nice to just come for the weekend. A change of scenery is nice sometimes. Jenna and Chris do it often, and we love it.”

“Speaking of which...”  Sugar said, “Shouldn’t he be getting up soon?”

Kurt looked at his phone to check the time, “Yeah.  I think he said his first class was at 9. I’ll go wake him.  He was probably too out of it to set his alarm.” He went upstairs and knocked on Chris’ door, “Chris?  You need to start getting up.” He heard a moan come from the other side of the door. He chuckled, “Seriously.  It’s 8 already.” Sebastian came out of the bedroom, dressed and ready to go. He walked up and put his hand on Kurt’s back, then leaned in to kiss him on the side of his head.  Kurt continued as he knocked again, “Chris, come on. If you don’t get up, I’m coming in…”

Sebastian chuckled and said, “Make your decision wisely on that one, Chris.”  They heard a moan again.  

When they got no response, Kurt opened the door and ran to the bed, jumping on Chris, who had his pillow over his head.  “Get up! Get up! Get up!” Kurt said as he bounced up and down next to Chris.  

Sebastian walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, “I warned you.”  

Chris lifted the pillow and tried to hit Kurt with it but Kurt blocked it without blinking.  He frowned and then moaned again.

“You’re avoiding the inevitable, Chris.  You have to get up. You have to go to school. You have to stop making me sound like my dad…”  Kurt smiled.

Sebastian smiled, “You’re turning him into his father, Chris.  I love Burt, but come on.”

Chris sighed as he sat up, and the comforter billowed around his waist.  He looked at them both and then asked, “What time is Puck’s first class?”  He was nervous, and it showed. The smiles were immediately gone from Kurt and Sebastian’s faces when they saw the bruises on Chris’ arms.

Puck appeared like magic, “9:30, but I’m walking you to class before that.  Now get your ass up and get ready.” Chris rolled his eyes, but got up anyway, and wordlessly walked toward the bathroom.  Sebastian and Kurt gave each other a look, and then heard Puck say, “Stop.”

Chris stopped and looked at him. He was only wearing athletic shorts, and the bruises were clear as day from across the room.  “What the fuck? I can’t believe he grabbed you that hard!” Puck walked over to where Chris was standing. “Turn around.” Chris frowned, but when ahead and turned in a full circle.  Puck was glad that he didn’t see any other bruises. “Go get ready.”
Puck looked at Kurt and Seb, then nodded his head to the door and the boys followed him out.  As they went downstairs, Puck said, “I’m going to walk him to class today. Elliott and I texted last night.  We’re going to try to meet him as often as possible and walk him to his next class, or spend time with him during breaks.  We’re both going to walk him to cheer practice, then we’re going to try to talk to that other cheerleader that we saw Owen with at the beginning of the school year.  Maybe he can give us some insight.”

“That’s a good idea,”  Sebastian said. “I’m still going to call my dad, even though Mr. Carmack is talking to a friend of his.  Maybe some of his investigator friends can see if they have more luck online than I did. Maybe I’m not doing something right, but I can’t imagine what it would be.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.  I have to work after we walk him to practice, but I think Elliott is going to bring him home.  We just want to make sure that Owen stays away on the first day. We’ll see how it goes and discuss what to do for tomorrow.  Besides, I think it’ll make Chris feel better.”

“I agree,”  Kurt said. They had all returned to the kitchen area.  Kurt looked at Sugar, “What are your plans today, Sug? I was hoping Rachel and I could go to lunch.  I’d love for you to meet us.”

“Actually, I think I’m going to stay with Rachel all day.  The only thing happening at the bakery is a delivery later in the afternoon, but it’s after Rach leaves for the airport.”

“Good!  Lunch it is.  I can meet you at NYADA if you want.  Maybe I can get there in time to see you perform.”

“That would be great!”  Rachel said.  

Sebastian commented, “You don’t seem as nervous, Rachel.  You’re ready?”

“I think I am,”  she answered confidently.  “It is what it is at this point.”

“You’re going to be great, Rach.”  Puck said, giving her a side hug.

~

Puck and Chris headed to the subway a little while later.  Chris was obviously nervous. Puck bumped his shoulder as they sat, “You okay?”  Chris nodded. “It’ll be okay. Elliott or I will be with you for a good part of the day today.”

“I know.  Thanks for doing this.  I’m just nervous. I don’t want to see him.”

Puck put his arm around him, “I know.”

They arrived on campus with a few minutes to spare.  Puck walked him to his classroom, then made sure he knew that Elliott would be there at the end of his class.  Once Chris was in the room, Puck waited in the hallway for awhile, just to make sure. There was no sign of Owen ten minutes after the professor had started his lecture, so Puck headed to his own class.  

When Chris left his first class, he noticed Elliott right away.  He was leaning up against the wall across the hall, and Chris’ heart skipped a beat.  Elliott smiled at him, and Chris almost needed to fan himself. He couldn’t believe this incredibly sexy man wanted to be with him.  Chris returned the smile as he approached. He shyly said, “Hi.”

“Hi,”  Elliott smiled.  “Did you sleep okay?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah.  I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to, but it’s kind of my second home, so I didn’t have any issues.”

“Good.  How much time do you have?”

“About an hour.  How much time do you have?”

“About the same.  How about I buy you a coffee?  It’s a nice day. We could sit at the square.”

“That sounds nice.  Thanks, Elliott.” Chris smiled shyly.

“It’s my pleasure, Chris.  Really.”  

They got their coffee and headed to Washington Square.  They sat in silence for a few minutes, and then Elliott said, “Tell me about how you met Sebastian and Kurt.  They said something about you hitting on Kurt?” Elliott smiled.

Chris nearly choked on his coffee.  He blushed, “Um, yeah.” He chuckled at the memory.  “We were at a regional cheer competition. He was just… different than any other male cheerleaders.  I don’t know. I mean, obviously, he’s gorgeous. So, I was behind him in line for the drinking fountain, and I asked him his name.  He told me, and was very polite. I asked for his number, and he told me that wasn’t a good idea.” They both smiled. “He said goodbye and then headed off.  I found him again a little later and asked him if I was the reason he wouldn’t give me his number, or it was because he was taken.  He said he was taken. Santana was there and glared at me. She stressed the fact that he was very taken,”  Both boys chuckled at that.  “After seeing him perform…” Chris shook his head, “He’s amazing.  I found him again after the awards ceremony, where they of course got first place.  Sebastian had made his way to the squad and was lifting him in the air and spun him around.  I mean, Seb is gorgeous too. And you could see how much they loved each other and how happy Seb was for Kurt, and how proud he was.  Nick, Jeff, Puck, Sugar, Sam, and Leah were all there too, but I didn’t meet any of them. A few days later, I was at the mall doing some last minute Christmas shopping when I ran into the two of them again.  Kurt looked so different out of uniform, but just as nice. We were talking, and then his face just...changed. Dave, the guy who stalked them, was there. He didn’t notice them, though. Seb took Kurt into a store to get away, but that happened to be the store Dave chose to shop in.  I had gone in with them to make sure Kurt was okay. He was close to having a panic attack. I went over and started flirting with Dave so that Seb could sneak Kurt out. I found them again later in the food court, where we sat and talked. Puck, Sugar and Leah met back up with them too, so that’s how I met them.”  Chris chuckled, “Seb gave me his and Puck’s number. I kind of had to earn Kurt and Sugar’s. We texted some, then they invited me out for New Year’s.”

“Didn’t they say you guys go to a club or something?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah, in Columbus.  We had a great time. I learned how protective Seb is then.  He worried when I took Kurt to the bathroom. He came to find us.  He really only trusts Puck with him in places like that. But Seb is protective of all of us.  He saved me from drinking a suspicious drink that night too.”

“They mentioned something happening that night?”

“Yeah, Kurt had some issues.  He thought he saw Blaine and it messed with his head.  Then he had issues when he saw the parking lot. A lot of times, it’s a combination of things that mess with him.  Like on Seb’s birthday.”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah.  I worry about him.”

Chris smiled slightly, “Well, welcome to the club.”  

“Yeah,”  Elliott nodded, “You guys are all very lucky to have each other.”

“We are,”  Chris agreed.  “I can’t imagine not having them all.  They changed my life in so many ways. They really are like family.  I have my mom, I guess. But dad doesn’t approve of me being gay. We don’t talk at all, which strains my relationship with my mom.  This friends family that they’ve accepted me into is amazing on so many levels. We protect each other, accept each other… And they’re so talented, it’s crazy.”  He paused for a minute, “And now you’re a part of this family too.”

Elliott shook his head as if he just couldn’t believe it, “My tribe.  It’s unreal.”  

Chris smiled, “I know what you mean.”  They sat quietly for a few minutes, then Chris tilted his head as he looked at Elliott, “So tell me about yourself.  I don’t really know much about you.”

Elliott nodded, “Well… I’m from New Jersey.  Not too far from here, really. We came to the city pretty often when I was growing up.  I have a sister, Amelia. She’s 27, married with two kids, and they just moved to Colorado last year for her husband Steven’s job.  My parents died when I was a Junior in high school. My sister became my legal guardian until I turned 18.”

Chris frowned, “I’m so sorry.  Both of your parents?… That must be so hard.”

Elliott nodded again, “Yeah.  My dad had cancer. We didn’t catch it until he was already in Stage 4.  Mom died a couple of months later. She died in her sleep, but I think it was from a broken heart.  They were so in love.”

Chris asked, “Were they accepting of you?”

Elliott smiled, “Yeah.  They were the best, I swear.  Dad wasn’t as outspoken about it, but I always knew he loved me and wanted whatever made me happy.  And Mom was as great of a mom as I could have ever hoped for. Amelia did as best she could for the year and half I was in her care.  She and her husband sold their house and moved back in with me. They were practically newlyweds and had a newborn. It was all so much, ya know?”  He looked at Chris, who nodded. “When I got accepted into NYU, we sold the house and most of its contents. I moved to the city, and Amelia and Steven moved to Colorado when he got a big promotion.  She had another baby last year, so now I’m the proud uncle of both a niece and nephew.” Chris smiled at the obvious love Elliott had for his family. “Amelia calls ALL THE TIME to check on me. She worries.  I think she feels kind of guilty that they moved across the country. But I’m doing okay here on my own. I have a couple of good friends.” He looked back at Chris, “It sure will be nice to be here with a tribe, though.”

Chris smiled again, “We won’t let you down.  No matter what, Elliott.” He was trying to make sure that Elliott understood that he could be part of their family whether they worked as a couple or not.  He just wasn’t sure how to say it.  

Elliott returned the smile, “Thanks.”

~

Rachel and Sugar exited the subway and headed toward NYADA.  Sugar heard Rachel take a deep breath as they approached the campus.  “You’ve got this, Rach. You look beautiful, and your voice is more than ready.  Go in there and show them what you’ve got.”

Rachel nodded, “Let’s go.”

They climbed the steps into the building and Rachel held her head high she entered.  She suddenly realized that she had no idea where the auditorium was. She turned to Sugar with wide eyes, and in a hushed tone, said, “I don’t know where to go!”

Sugar looked around for a few seconds.  “Look, they have signs up.” She pointed to a handmade poster that was covered in glitter and framed in a feather boa.  “This way.” She grabbed Rachel’s hand and they headed in the direction of the arrow on the sign. When they got to the auditorium after following the signs, they saw a sign-in table.  Sugar pushed Rachel toward it, and then stood off to the side.  

Rachel signed in, and then they told her she and her guest could sit in the auditorium when the signal light came back on.  Once it was on, she and Sugar made their way inside, sitting off to the right.  

Two people auditioned before Rachel.  They sat and listened to their beautiful voices.  Rachel began fidgeting in her seat. Sugar leaned over and whispered, “Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, Rachel.  You are incredibly talented. You can do this.”

Madame Tibideaux was sitting at a table in the middle of the auditorium.  She leaned forward to speak into her small microphone, “Rachel Berry.”

Rachel took a deep breath and quickly stood, making her way to the stage.  When she was standing in the middle, looking out toward the small, scattered, audience, she spoke, “Good Morning, Madame Tibideaux.”

“Good Morning, Miss Berry.  I hope you came prepared today.”

“Yes, Madame Tibideaux.”

“Let me remind you that you can sing two songs.  I can stop you at any time after 8 measures. What is the first song you will be singing for me today?”

“ Being Good Isn’t Good Enough , by Barbra Streisand is my first selection.”

“Very well.  Whenever you’re ready, Miss Berry.”

Rachel nodded and then looked back at the accompanist.  She turned back to the audience and closed her eyes for a brief moment to steady her nerves and soak in the moment.  She focused, opening her eyes, and began to sing.  

Sugar sat watching, tears welling in her eyes.  Rachel sounded absolutely perfect. If this wasn’t enough to get her into this school, nothing would be.  

When the song ended, Madame Tibideaux spoke, “Very nice, Miss Berry.  That will be all.”

Rachel looked confused.  She started to ask why she wasn’t allowed to sing her second song selection, but then thought better of it.  She simply said, “Thank you, Madame Tibideaux,” and exited the stage.

She walked straight up the aisle and out the back doors of the auditorium.  Sugar hopped up and walked out after her.

“Rachel!”  Sugar called for her.  

Rachel spun around, with tears in her eyes, “Why couldn’t I sing my other song?  What does this mean? Was I that bad?”

Sugar shook her head quickly, “No, Hun, you were fantastic!  I’ve never heard you sound any better!”

Just then, another student came out of the auditorium, practically running.  He stopped when he saw the girls, “Hi. Rachel, right?” Rachel looked at him and nodded.  “I just wanted to let you know...that was fucking fantastic.”

“But...But she didn’t even let me sing my second song.  It couldn’t have been that good.”

He shook his head, “No.  No, that’s not it. I’m a Junior here.  I’ve sat in on a ton of auditions. I’ve never seen her stop anyone after one song.  If she doesn’t like you, she doesn’t let you finish. She stops you mid-song. I think she just didn’t need to hear a second song.  I think you’ve go this in the bag.”

“Do you really think so?”  Rachel asked with hope in her eyes.  

“I really do.”  He looked between the girls, “I’m Brody Weston, by the way.”

Rachel smiled as she shook his outstretched hand, “Rachel Berry.  And this is my friend, Sugar Motta.”

He shook her hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”  He looked at Sugar and shook her hand as well, “And you, too, Sugar.”

Sugar nodded, “You too.”  

Kurt came running up, “Did I miss it?!”

Rachel nodded.  He saw the look of uncertainty.  “Rach, I’m sure it was fantastic.”

“It was,”  Brody said.

“Best I’ve ever heard her,”  Sugar added.  

Kurt frowned, “Then what’s the matter?  You look like you’re going to cry. Is it the stress?”

She shook her head, “No.  She just didn’t let me sing a second song…”

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprize.  Brody said, “I think it’s because she didn’t need to hear a second song.  It really was that good.”

Kurt looked at him, just now realizing that he someone new was there.  He nodded, “I’m sure that’s right.”  

Brody smiled as he offered his hand, “Brody Weston.”

Kurt shook his hand, “Kurt Hummel.” 

Brody frowned a little, “That name sounds really familiar.  Are you a student here?”

“No, Im studying fashion design at Parsons.”

Brody looked Kurt up and down and nodded, “I can see that.”  He looked at Sugar, “What about you, Sugar?”

She shook her head, “No, I’m opening a bakery called Sugar Shack.  It opens next month. You should come check it out! It’s not far from here.  It’s in Chelsea.”

Brody smiled, “I would love that.  Well, hey… I have to get back in there.  I’m supposed to helping. Hopefully I see you all soon.”

“Hopefully.  Thanks, Brody,”  Rachel smiled. 

They watched him walk away, and Sugar smiled, “He was hot.”  Kurt hummed in agreement.  

Rachel shrugged, “Where are we going to eat?”

“Well, we have to introduce you to   Zip’s,” Sugar said as she put her arm through Rachel’s.  Kurt put his arm through her other, and they headed out to lunch.

~

Sebastian, Hayden, and Krish were sitting outside on the green, studying. Seb had briefly explained a few of Kurt’s issues to Krish, when he had asked how Kurt was doing.  Seb was grateful that Krish was concerned. Krish listened, but didn’t ask many questions.

“Are you expecting an important phone call?”  Hayden asked Sebastian, noticing that he kept checking his phone.

“Several, yes.”  He looked up at his friends, “Well, calls or texts.  Either will work. Puck and Elliott are walking Chris to most of his classes today, so I’m curious as to how that’s going.  I’m hoping they are all okay. Dad and Mr. Carmack are both looking into Owen, so I’m hoping for an update sooner rather than later.  And Rachel auditioned today, and Sugar and Kurt are taking her to lunch. I’d like to know how that went, too.”

Krish raised his eyebrows, “It’s a busy day for everyone.  I have to say, you and your friends are crazy talented. I had no idea.”

Seb smirked, “Thanks.”

“I’m sure everything will work out,”  Hayden said, reassuring his friend.  

After they sat and talked for a few minutes, Seb got a text from Kurt.

To Bas:

Rachel was only allowed to sing one song.  Sugar said it was perfection though. There was a guy there, a Junior, who told Rachel that he thinks it’s because Madame T. didn’t need to see/hear more.  Fingers crossed.

Sebastian read the text to Krish and Hayden, then texted back.

To Baby:

Hopefully that guy is right.  At least she did well. That’s all she can do.  Have you heard from Puck, Elliott, or Chris?

To Bas:

No, not yet.  I’ll let you know if I do.  Love you, Bas.

To Baby:

Love you, too, Babe.

~

Later in the afternoon, Puck and Elliott met up before picking Chris up from his last class.  “Hey, man. Everything go okay earlier?”

“Yeah.  No problems,”  Elliott answered.  

“Good.  I haven’t heard from Seb about what his dad or Mr. Carmack have found.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or a bad thing.”

“Hopefully good.”

They both leaned up against the wall, waiting.  When Chris came out of class, he smiled at the two of them and shook his head.  The three of them chatted on the way to the Palladium. Once they got there, Puck asked Chris to go into the locker room and see if Braylin, the other cheerleader who they had seen with Owen, was there yet.  If he was, Puck wanted both him and Chris to come out and talk. Chris came back out with a very confused Braylin a couple of minutes later.  

“Hey, Braylin. I’m Puck, and this is Elliott.”  They both shook Braylin’s hand. “We were wondering if you could maybe answer a couple of questions for us.”

Braylin shrugged, “I can try.”

Elliott said, “We were wondering what you could tell us about Owen Chatfield.”

Braylin frowned and looked confused, “I don’t know an Owen Chatfield.”

They all exchanged looks, and Chris looked extremely uncomfortable.  Elliott put his hand on Chris’ back to comfort him as Puck continued, “What do you mean?  We saw you with him one day when we were here with Chris. You two looked like you had been in a fight or something.”

Braylin frowned as he thought about it, “Do you mean Liam?”

Chris asked, “Do you have a picture of him?”

“Sure.”  Braylin looked through his phone, only to discover there were no pictures.  “I could have sworn…”

Chris looked at Elliott and Puck with worried eyes.  He looked back to Braylin and discribed what Owen looked like.  “... and you came in the day I had my friends here. A couple of the girls were over talking to us too.”

Puck continued, “You two came in and it looked like you had been fighting or arguing.  I asked if you were okay, and he gave you a look. You looked scared. That’s the guy you say is ‘Liam’? ”

Braylin nodded sadly, “Yeah. I remember you guys being here.  His name is Liam Cole. We dated for a couple of months.”

“He told me his name was Owen Chatfield.  He even had an ID.”

“Then he must have two, because his ID said ‘Liam’ when we went out to clubs.”

Elliott asked, “Braylin, was Liam… abusive?  Did he hurt you?”

Braylin looked down and turned a little red, “He was… rough.”

“Did he hit you?”  Puck asked.

Braylin took a deep breath, “He would grab me a lot.  Push and shove. The day I saw you guys, I was afraid he was going to hit me.  He raised his fist to me one time, but someone came into the room, so he just stormed out instead.”

“Is that why you broke up?”  Chris was fidgeting.

Elliott rubbed his back as Braylin answered, “Yeah.  He wouldn’t accept it for a long time. But Then he just stopped bugging me about a month, month and half ago.”

Puck looked at Chris, knowing that was about the time he and Owen had started dating.  Puck said, “Is there anything else you think we should know? He stopped bothering you when he started dating Chris.  He changed his name, but hasn’t changed his behavior,” Braylin looked at Chris sadly. “Do you know anything about his family?  Anything?”

Braylin shook his head, “No, I’m sorry.  He never talked about family. He just said they didn’t get along.  He lives a couple of blocks from here. That’s all I know.”

“Thank you for sharing that much with us, Braylin.  We really appreciate it,” Elliott said.  

“Sure.”  He turned and looked at Chris, “I’ll see you in there?”  Chris nodded and turned back to Puck and Elliott.

Elliott spoke first, “I’ll be back to pick you up after practice.  I’ll take you home, then I have to get to work.”

Puck frowned, “Where do you work?  You would think I would know that already.”

Elliott smiled a little, “Generation Records.  I just work a few days a week. Gotta eat,” he shrugged.  Puck knew he owned an apartment, but never thought about the other money he might need.  Elliott and Puck had discussed their families in great detail, although Puck had not shared that information with anyone else.

Chris frowned a little, “You don’t need to take me all the way home, then come all the way back.”

“Yes, I do.  For your safety, and my sanity.”  He wrapped his arm around his shoulder, “It’s all good, Chris.  I promise.”

Chris shyly said, “Thanks, Elliott.”

Elliott winked, “My pleasure.”

When Chris walked back into the locker room, Braylin asked Chris, “Is the one who was rubbing your back your boyfriend?  He’s hot. If not, can I get his number?”

Chris frowned and smiled at the same time, “No, you can’t have his number.  He’s isn’t my boyfriend, but hopefully he will be. We’re working out all of this Owen/Liam stuff first.”  He felt strangely territorial, and he realized he better straighten out his feelings quickly. He knew he liked Elliott.  He wanted so badly to be with him. But, there was just something still looming in his head about Owen. He hated that it was there.  But he felt it wouldn’t be fair to Elliott to move on until he cleared his head of Owen, and those feelings. It wasn’t that he “liked” Owen.  But it’s like he had a hold on him somehow.

“Hmm… What about the other guy?”  Braylin asked. “He was hot too.”

Chris chuckled, “He’s taken.  And straight.”

“Bummer.”

Elliott walked over to the bookstore with Puck before his shift, and they talked on the way.  “I hope Mr. Smythe or Mr. Carmack can find something. Anything.”

“Me too.  I’m going to text Seb.  You can fill in the details if he’s home when you get there.  I’m not sure if he’ll be at the hospital tonight or not.”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

~

Sebastian was on his way to the hospital when he got a call from Robert.  “Hey Dad. Did you find anything out?”

“I had two of my best guys look into it, Seb.  There is no Owen Chatfield enrolled at NYU. In fact, they couldn’t find an Owen Chatfield that age living in the state of New York at all.”

“Damn it,”  Seb sighed. “I figured that.  Puck texted earlier and told me that he, Chris, and Elliott talked to the other cheerleader we saw Owen with this summer.  He didn’t know of an ‘Owen Chatfield’. He said his name was Liam Cole. He said he was the same way...pushing, shoving, grabbing, being forceful. Chris is going to be staying with us for awhile.  I don’t like him being on his own with Owen around. At least for awhile, until we know Owen has moved on.”

“That’s a good idea.  If it gets too bad, though, make sure you and Kurt are safe too.  Kurt doesn’t need anything else happening. Has he been doing okay since the party?”  Seb had told his dad about what happened.

“Yeah, he has.  That night, he needed to be in physical contact with me, or someone else that he’s close to, like Jeff.  But since then, he’s done pretty well. And we told some of our closer New York friends about what happened back in Ohio.  That way they have a better understanding and can help more if he’s with one of them alone and something happens.”

“That’s a good idea.  Has Mr. Carmack gotten back to you about Owen yet?”

“No.  I’m anxious to hear what he has to say.  I’m going to have him look in to the name Liam Cole too.  Maybe that will bring a few more answers.”

“I’ll have my guys do the same.  I gotta get to a meeting. Take care, Seb.  Be safe. I love you. Give my love to Kurt, too.”

“I will, Dad, thanks.  Love you, too.” When Sebastian hung up, he immediately called Mr. Carmack and told him about the lack of results his dad had gotten. He made sure he knew about Owen’s use of the name Liam Cole, as well.  Mr. Carmack assured him that his connections were working on it, and the use of this name would be helpful information. He also said he would make sure that Liam Cole was added to Owen Chatfield’s information sheet on the security board.  Maybe now they could make some connections of all of these different pieces.

~

Rachel, Sugar, and Kurt had a very nice lunch together.  Rachel was happy to have her friends there to help calm her down, and put her mind at ease.  They Skyped Finn during lunch, telling him all about her audition and how things went. After the Skype call, Rachel seemed to feel better, then was suddenly a little down.

“You okay, Hun?”  Sugar asked.

Rachel shrugged, “I have two dreams, and I have to give one up.  Broadway and Finn… They can’t coexist. Even if Finn seems to do okay here in the city.  We all know that he wouldn’t be happy here in the long run. And even if I don’t get in to NYADA, I’m going somewhere .  Lima has nothing to offer me.”

“I’m sorry, Rachel.  I know you love Finn.  I can’t imagine how hard this is for you,”  Kurt said as he put his hand on her arm.  

She nodded, “I just wish things were different.  It’s not like it’s only for a few years and I’ll return after I get my degree.  Once I’m gone, I’m gone.” 

“I think maybe some time apart might be good for you and Finn.  It will tell you how you really feel. It might reveal a lot. You never know,”  Kurt gave her arm a squeeze before pulling it away.

“Yeah.  And if I’m here, I’ll have you guys.  And I liked your new friends. I’m sure I’d make some new ones of my own, too.  But if I don’t get accepted, and go somewhere like UC, then it will be starting over completely.  That’s scary.”

Sugar nodded, “I know it is, Hun, but millions of college kids do it every year.  They say friends you meet in college stick with you forever. It could be really good for you, no matter where you go.”

They walked Sugar back to the bakery, and waited with her for awhile until it was time for Kurt to head to Vogue.  He hugged his girls goodbye, reassuring Rachel one last time, “It’s going to be okay not matter what, Rach. Please let me know as soon as you know anything.  We’ll be here for you no matter what.”

She gave him a good squeeze, “Thank you.  I love you guys.”

~

Elliott met Chris after cheer practice.  He was standing outside the locker room where they had talked to Braylin earlier.  Braylin exited the locker room first. Elliott gave him a small nod and smile. Braylin looked him up and down, licking his lips, then gave a half smile and flirty wink.  Elliott’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Chris came out only seconds after, and frowned a bit at the look on Elliott’s face.

“Are you okay?”

Elliott looked at Braylin as he walked away, then looked back at Chris, “Yeah.  Why?”

Chris looked to where Elliott had been looking, then looked back.  He quietly said, “Nothing.” His mood became down, thinking Elliott was interested in Braylin.

“Are you ready?”  Chris nodded, and they began walking.  As they walked he asked, “Did you tell Braylin that we’re… I don’t know… whatever we are.... That I’m interested in you?”

Chris blushed slightly, thinking maybe he had jumped the gun in his and Braylin’s early conversation.  He decided to tell the truth, and softly answered, “Yes. He wanted your number, and I told him no, that we were going to try once I got all of this sorted.  Should I have not said anything?”

Elliott frowned, “Huh.  No, I’m glad you did. Well, maybe you should tell him that we’re trying now, and not waiting.  He was very flirty back there, and that could be really awkward if he keeps it up.”  

Chris’ shoulders released the tension they had been holding, and he exhaled the negative thoughts that he was starting to think.  He took a cleansing breath, “I may just need to do that.” He smiled and looked up at Elliott who smiled back at him. Elliott held his hand out, and Chris gratefully took it.  They both smiled a little more, and Chris couldn’t help but love the warmth and security he felt by the action.

Once they made it back to the penthouse, they found Sugar fixing dinner in the kitchen.  She finished putting it in the oven, then headed over to hug both Chris and Elliott. “How did today go?  Any problems?”

Chris shook his head, “No.  Maybe the guys convinced him to leave me alone.  We did find out that he was going by a different name when he dated Braylin.”

Sugar’s face was one of pure surprise, “A different name?!”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah.  Puck texted Sebastian. He’s going to have his dad and Mr. Carmack look into the other name too.”

Sugar nodded and gave Chris a small smile, “I’m sure Robert will help work all of this out.”  She looked at Elliott, “Can you stay for dinner?”

He shook his head, “I have to work tonight, but thanks for offering.” 

“You’re welcome any time, Elliott.”

Just as Elliott stood to go, Chris got a text.  He looked down at his phone, and the look on his face instantly worried both Elliott and Sugar.

“What’s wrong, Hun?”  Sugar asked as she sat back down next to him.  

Elliott knelt down in front of Chris, who was still sitting, staring at his phone.  He placed a hand on Chris’ knee, “Chris… What’s the matter?”

Chris had tears in his eyes.  He didn’t say a word. He simply showed his phone to Elliott.

To Chris:

You are still mine, Chris.  It doesn’t matter who walks you to class, or walks you home.  You are still mine. Nothing will change that.

Elliott’s face turned red with anger, “He’s been watching.”  He handed the phone to Sugar so she could read it.

Her eyes widened, “I’m calling Puck.”

Elliott stayed kneeling as he reached up and rubbed Chris’ arms, “It’s going to be okay, Chris.  I promise. I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here with the two of you.”

Chris frowned and shook his head, “You have to go to work.”

Elliott gave him a reassuring look, “You’re more important.  Besides, my boss is a friend. I’ll call in a replacement.” He called his friend Dani and explained that something came up, and he would tell her more later.  She needed the cash, so she gladly accepted the extra hours. 

Sugar called Puck on the store phone line, so that it didn’t appear like he was chatting to his girlfriend while working.

He answered, “NYU Bookstore.  How can I help you?”

“Hi, Hun, it’s me,”  she said.

He frowned, “Hey, Sug.  Are you okay?” She had never called him at work before, and that worried him.

“Yeah, but Chris and Elliott just got back.  Chris just got a text from Owen. It said, ‘You are still mine, Chris.  It doesn’t matter who walks you to class, or walks you home. You are still mine.  Nothing will change that.’ I’m worried, Hun.”

“Okay.  We just need to make sure Chris doesn't go anywhere by himself.  Don’t let him leave tonight. Is Elliott going to work?”

“No.  He’s calling a friend to cover his shift for him.  He’s staying.”

“Good,”  Puck was relieved.  “I don’t want Kurt coming home by himself, either.  Maybe I’ll call him and see what he wants to do. Have you called Seb?”

She shook her head and answered, “No.  He just got the text a minute ago.”

“Okay.  Text Seb and let him know what’s going on.  Tell him that I’m calling Kurt. Maybe he can take a taxi home, instead of the subway.”

“Okay, Hun.  Please be careful.”

“I will be, Sug.  I love you. It’s all going to be fine.”

“I love you, too.”  Sugar hung up and texted Sebastian.

To Seb:

Everything was going fine until Chris got a text from Owen.  It said “You are still mine, Chris. It doesn’t matter who walks you to class, or walks you home.  You are still mine. Nothing will change that.” Elliott is staying here. Puck is calling Kurt to have him take a taxi home instead of the subway.

To Sugar:

Thanks for letting me know.  I’ll call Kurt in a minute. He doesn't leave for another 30 minutes.  Stay home. Be safe. Love you.

To Seb:

Love you, too.  You be safe, too.  See you soon.

The more Sebastian thought about it, the more he didn’t want Kurt alone.  But he didn’t end his shift at the hospital until an hour after Kurt was supposed to leave Vogue.  He knew Kurt needed to know, but he knew he would be anxious about it as soon as he found out. He excused himself, and went to an empty supply closet and called his fiance.

“Hi, Sir,”  Kurt answered.  

Sebastian knew that he had already read the text from Puck if that was the way he was answering the phone.  “Hi, Baby. I’m assuming you got Puck’s text?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Okay.  Take a taxi or Uber home tonight.  I’m going to have Elliott meet you outside with Raymond.  Are you okay?”

“Yes, Sir.  Thank you. Is Chris okay?”  Kurt worried his lip between his teeth.

“I don’t know yet, Babe.  But Elliott called in to work and is staying with Chris and Sugar.  They’ll be okay.”

“Okay.  I’m glad Elliott will be there with them.  I love you, Sir.”

“I love you, too, Baby.  I’ll see you in a little bit.”  When Sebastian hung up from his call with Kurt, he called Mr. Carmack’s personal cell number.  He explained the text, and Mr. Carmack made sure that the security was aware, putting Raymond on high alert.

~

When Kurt got home, Elliott was outside, standing with Raymond.  Elliott approached the taxi, opening the door for Kurt. As soon as he stepped out, Elliott put his hand on his back, walking him to the door.

“Welcome home, Mr. Hummel,”  Raymond greeted.  

“Thanks, Raymond.”

In the elevator, Kurt asked, “Is Chris doing okay?”

Elliott answered, “He was doing great until the text.  He’s been really quiet ever since. I’m worried about him.” 
Kurt nodded as the elevator doors opened.  Chris was sitting on the couch with his knees drawn up to his chest.  Kurt went over and sat next to him. Chris smiled sadly at him and leaned into him.  Kurt put his arms around him, pulling him closer. He kissed the top of his head and held him without saying a word.  Chris closed his eyes and soaked up the love he could feel in the arms of his friend.

Chapter Text

When Sebastian got home, Raymond greeted him, “Welcome home, Mr. Smythe.”

“Thank you, Raymond.  I’m assuming everything went okay when Kurt got home?”

“It did, Sir.  I haven’t seen anyone suspicious.  I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thank you.”  Sebastian went inside and headed up to the penthouse.  When he entered, Kurt immediately went to him. They held each other close, “It will be okay, Baby.”  Kurt nodded, but didn’t say anything in return.  

After a minute, Kurt pulled back, “We saved you some dinner.  I’ll warm it up for you.”

Sebastian kissed him on the forehead, “Thank you.  Did you eat enough?” 

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt nodded.  

Kurt went to heat up Sebastian’s food, and Seb headed to the couch, where Chris was sitting with Elliott, holding his hand.  Seb sat next to him, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Chris nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be okay.  I just… I don’t want this to turn into something like Kurt had to deal with.”

Kurt heard him from the kitchen and frowned.  He walked over and quietly asked, “What do you mean?”  He sat on the arm of the couch next to Sebastian.

Chris shrugged, “I don’t know.  I mean, Dave thought he was protecting you.  Owen seems to think the same thing.”

“Dave didn’t hurt me physically after he came out to me.  Maybe this will be the same way.”

Elliott sighed.  He squeezed Chris’ hand a little, “We won’t let him hurt you, Chris.”

Chris smiled sadly at him, “I know you will all try.  And I appreciate that more than you know. But we all know, even just with Kurt’s history, that no matter how much effort you put in to keeping me safe… It may not work.”

“We’ll try our best, Chris.  I promise,” Sebastian said.

A few minutes later, Chris’ phone buzzed.  He hesitated. He looked at Elliott with questioning eyes, unsure if he should read it, or ignore it. 

“It might not be him, Chris.  Check it,” Elliott encouraged.  

Chris looked down at his phone as was visibly relieved, “It’s Thad.  He said he’s going to call in a couple of minutes.” He looked at Elliott and was relieved when all he saw was a kind smile.  Owen would have had an absolute cow if Thad had called or texted.  

“Why don’t you go up to your room, or in the office, so you two can have a private conversation?”  Elliott suggested.

Chris frowned slightly, “You’re okay with that?”

Elliott nodded, “I know Thad is important to you.  I won’t ever keep you from anyone, Chris. Besides, I have no right to say anything.”  Kurt and Sebastian shared a look, knowing this showed Elliott was going to be really good for Chris.  Chris nodded and left the room.

Once he was gone, Sebastian looked to Elliott, “Thanks, man.  I know that can’t be comfortable for you. And just so you know, things with Thad are completely platonic.  Even toward the end of their relationship it was that way. But, they are really close. I’d say more like best friends, even.  They love each other, but aren’t in love with each other, if that makes sense.”

Elliott nodded again, “Yeah.  I really am okay with it. And I won’t keep him from anyone who treats him well.  I think those types of relationships are really important, actually. I’m sure Thad knows him better than most, and if he can help keep Chris’ head on straight, then all the better, ya know?”  Everyone agreed, and everyone was really relieved that that was Elliott’s attitude toward Thad and Chris’ relationship.

~

Chris sat on his bed and stared at the wall, thinking.  He jumped when his phone rang. He took a deep breath, then answered softly, “Hi.”

“Hey.  Are you okay?  Cam called me and told me about what’s going on.  I’m worried about you.”

Chris felt warmth spread through him at the sound of Thad’s voice, and started to cry, “I miss you.”

“Hey...Chris, it’s okay.  It’s going to be okay. I miss you, too.  A lot. But you have tons of love and support out there.  Cam said you’re staying with Seb and Kurt?”

Chris sniffed, “Yeah.  They’ve been amazing. I’m scared, though, Thad.  He texted today. He’s been watching me all day.”

Thad frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Elliott and Puck have been with me all day.  They walked me to all of my classes today, and spent time with me in between.”  He paused, “Wait… Do you know about Elliott?”

You could hear the smile on Thad’s face when he answered, “I do.  Cameron told me all about both Owen, and Elliott. He likes Elliott a lot.  Which means I do, too. He sounds good for you, Chris. I want you to be happy, which he seems to make you, and is obviously protective of you and cares about you.  That’s what I want for you.”

Chris wiped the tears from his face and nodded, “I like him a lot.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“I… I literally went from Owen, right to Elliott…”

“And Elliott was there when you needed him.  Cam said Puck was telling him about when you two met.  There were sparks from the beginning. There’s nothing wrong with that.  Don’t let timing stop you.”

Chris nodded and a few more tears escaped.  He quietly whispered, “I love you.” He and Thad had been telling each other they love each other since they broke up, oddly enough.  It was their way of making sure the other knew they would always be there. It wasn’t saying they were in love, because they weren’t. It was a simple declaration of how they really felt.

Thad smiled a little, “I love you, too, Chris.  I really want you to be happy. Give Elliott a chance, okay?  And don’t wait. Do it now.”

Chris laughed and cried at the same time, “I wish you were here so you could meet him.  I want your approval for some strange reason.”

Thad chuckled, “You don’t need it.  If our family likes him, and they all do, then I do too.  Now… Stop avoiding the question, and tell me what happened today.”

Chris took a cleansing breath and told Thad, “Like I said, Puck and Elliott were with me all day.  Elliott met me after practice and escorted me home. We were only here a few minutes when Owen texted.  He said, ‘You are still mine, Chris. It doesn’t matter who walks you to class, or walks you home. You are still mine.  Nothing will change that.’ He had been watching all day. Elliott stayed here with Sugar and I, though, so that’s good. I’m not sure how he knows I’m staying here.”

Thad closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.  He said, “I’m glad Elliott stayed. That tells me a lot about him, actually.”  He paused, then said, “Cam said Owen grabbed you yesterday. Are you okay?”

“I have bruises, but I’m okay.”  

“Did he do that a lot?”  Thad asked as calmly as he could.

“Sort of.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Thad.  Why did I even stay? Why did I sleep with him?  What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re a hopeless romantic.  You look for the best in people, and you want true love.  You gave it a shot, and maybe became a little too blind to what was going on.  But now you know better, right? No matter what he tells you, no matter what he does, you know that he’s not the one.  Right? Tell me you know that, Chris.”

“I do.  It’s hard, but I do.  I just… I just… I just want to go to sleep now.”  He sounded so tired and defeated.

Thad spoke softly, “I know you’re tired.  Physically, and especially mentally and emotionally.  Just don’t give in to him. And give this Elliott guy a shot, yeah?  He seems like a stand up guy.”

Chris smiled a little, “Yeah.  He really is. He’s hot as hell, too.”

Thad chuckled, “Always a bonus...Stay safe, Chris.  Please call me if you need me. Let me know how things go, okay?  I don’t want to find things out through the rest of our family. I want to hear them from you if at all possible.”

“Okay.  Love you.”

Thad smiled, “Love you, too.”

Chris headed back downstairs, drying his eyes as he went.  Elliott frowned a bit and made his way over to him, “Are you okay?”

Chris smiled a little and nodded, “I’m good.”  He wrapped his arms around Elliott’s neck and hugged him.  He spoke softly, “I don’t want to wait, Elliott.” He pulled back and looked him in the eye, “I want you now.  I don’t want to wait.”

Elliott smiled and cupped Chris’ face in his hands, “Thank God.”  He leaned in and kissed Chris on the forehead. They held each other for a few minutes, just standing at the bottom of the steps.  When they let go of the embrace, Elliott grabbed Chris’ hand and they started toward the couch. When they finally looked up, they chuckled, seeing Sebastian, Kurt, and Sugar all smiling from ear to ear.  

Kurt was biting his lip, but then couldn’t hold it in any more, “Soooo… the talk was helpful?”

Chris nodded, “It really was.  Thad always knows how to gently kick my butt in the right direction.”

“Remind me to thank him when we meet,”  Elliott smiled.  

~

Later that evening, as Puck was leaving work, he turned the corner and was surprised to see Owen leaning up against the wall looking at him.  He frowned, but kept walking. He stuck his hand in his pocket, and grabbed his phone, slowly and discreetly pulling it out.

As he passed, Owen called out to him, “I’m not going anywhere, Puck.  He’s mine. I’ve marked him. I’ve been inside him. I’ve claimed him.  He’s mine.”

Puck turned around, raising his phone, and snapped a quick picture.  He didn’t say a word, but smirked at the frown on Owen’s face. Puck stepped toward the street and hailed a cab as it drove toward him.  

Owen was still frowning and turning red with anger, “Give me your phone!  Puck!” He was walking quickly toward Puck.  

Puck stuck the phone back in his pocket, opened the door to the cab, and jumped inside, “No can do, Liam!”  He looked at the cabbie, “Go!”  

Owen’s eyes widened and his face was full of anger.  He reached for the handle, but the cab took off. He managed to open the door slightly, but the cab was faster than Owen was running.  Puck reached over and shut the door quick.  

“You okay?”  the cabbie asked with a thick Indian accent.

“Yeah.  Thanks for taking off quickly.  That asshole is after a friend of mine.  I took his picture, and that pissed him off.”

The cabbie frowned, “Sounds suspicious if you ask me.  Why doesn’t he want his picture taken?”

Puck shrugged, “We haven’t figured that out yet.  He also goes by two different names. People are fucked up, man.”

“You can say that again,”  the cabbie gave a dry laugh.  “Where are you headed?” 

“Oh.  Sorry…”  Puck gave the address, and they were on their way.

~

When Puck got back, Raymond greeted him, “Welcome home, Mr. Puckerman.”

“Thanks, Raymond.  When are you going to start calling me Puck?”  

Raymond smiled, “How about we compromise, and I call you ‘Mr. Puck’?”

Puck nodded, “Good enough.  Hey,” he looked around, “I just had a run-in with Owen.  He’s pretty pissed. Keep an eye out, okay?”

“Yes, Sir.  Are you okay?”

“Yeah.  I got a picture of him, though.  That pissed him off. Something is really messed up about him.”

“I agree, Sir.  We won’t let him in, I promise.”

Puck nodded, “Thanks, Raymond.”

Upstairs, as soon as Puck walked in, Sugar went to him.  He held her close and closed his eyes. He kissed her, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Hun.  Did everything go okay?”

He shook his head, “No.  Not really.” Sugar looked worried.  He continued, “Let me tell everyone at once, okay?”  She nodded, and they walked further into the room. Chris and Elliott were sitting on one couch.  Elliott had his arm wrapped protectively around Chris. Sebastian was in the office studying, and Kurt was sewing in the laundry/sewing room.  Puck leaned over, “Go get Princess for me, Sug.” She nodded and headed that way. Puck knocked on the office door, then opened it. He looked at Sebastian, “We need to talk.”

Seb frowned, “Okay.  Are you okay?” He followed Puck out to the living room.  

“Yeah,”  Puck answered.  

Everyone came out and sat around.  Kurt knelt at Seb’s feet. Sebastian ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair, instantly relaxing him a little.

Chris looked worried, “Puck… What’s going on?”

Puck cleared his throat, “Owen was waiting for me when I got off work.”

“Are you okay, Hun?!”  Sugar asked.

“I’m fine.  But… He said some things.  He’s really fucked up. More than I thought.”  He looked at Chris, “Do you mind if I tell everyone what he said?”

Chris shrugged, “That’s fine.  I don’t intend to hide anything from any of you.”

Puck nodded, “He was leaning against the wall outside the bookstore.  I ignored him, but he called out to me. He said he wasn’t going anywhere…”  Puck was bit uncomfortable saying the next part. He knew it would upset Chris, “He said that you’re his… And that he’s marked you, been inside you, and claimed you…”  Chris sat there with red cheeks that were striped with his tears. “I’m so sorry, Chris.”

Elliott continued to hold Chris.  He pulled him in closer, “It’s going to be okay.  We’ll get through this. It’ll be okay.”

Kurt continued to kneel for Sebastian, but was having a hard time.  It was bringing back so many bad memories for him. Seb placed his hand on Kurt’s collar and added a little pressure, “It’s okay, Baby.  Come here.” Kurt stood, and Seb held his arms out for him. He immediately let Seb hold him.

Puck was holding Sugar’s hand as he said, “I got a picture of him. I also called him ‘Liam’.  It pissed him off. As soon as I snapped the pic, I hailed a cab. I jumped in, and Owen grabbed the handle, opening the door, but the cabbie took off when I asked him to.  He’s pretty pissed.”

Everyone sat there for a minute, thinking about what was happening.  Sebastian finally looked at Chris and said, “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I think you need to stay home tomorrow.  I’m going to look into this a little more.”

Elliott looked at Chris, “I think that’s a good idea.”  

Chris looked at Elliott with a million different emotions written on his face.  He sighed and nodded, “Okay.”  

Nearly immediately, Chris’ phone buzzed.  With a shaky hand, he pulled it to look at it.  Seeing who it was from, he closed his eyes and handed it to Elliott.  Elliott read it out loud.

To Chris:

Your “family” is a danger to you, Chris.  Puck nearly attacked me tonight. You aren’t safe with them.  Come home to me, Honey. I love you, and I miss you so much. I don’t like that you are upset with me.  Come home now.

Chris sat silently with tears streaming down his face.  Both Kurt and Sugar cried as well, but mostly for their friend who was hurting so badly.  

Sebastian spoke first again, “I think we should all stay home tomorrow.  He’s not stable, and I don’t want any of us being put in a situation that will put us in danger.  I’ll make a few phone calls. I think hiring some protection is going to be best.”

Chris frowned and started to say something, but Seb cut him off, and spoke firm but gentle, “Don’t question it, Chris.  Look, every measure we took with Kurt’s cases never seemed to be enough. I won’t let anything like that happen again. I’ve learned from history here.  You know I have money, obviously, and I have more than enough for this. Kurt and I would never have to work if we didn’t want to. Neither would our children or grandchildren.  It’s just money. I will do anything to keep all of you safe. It’s happening.” Kurt looked at him with nothing but love. Seb leaned over and kissed him sweetly. A tear rolled down Kurt’s cheek as he thought about how lucky he was to have this man in his life.  

Chris nodded, and Elliott was once again in awe of his new friends.  

Puck asked, “So what does this look like then?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, “Well, I’m going to start with a phone call to Dad.  I think we all need to make our parents aware of this, but Dad can give us some legal advice.  I don’t know if there’s enough for a restraining order, but he can tell us. He also knows of some companies that his clients have used for security, so he can advise on that too.  I’ll also call Mr. Carmack. Everyone needs to do what you need to do for school or work, and get work from friends, etc.”

Chris’ phone buzzed again.  Elliott grabbed it before Chris could even look at it.  It was from Owen. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  When he opened the text, he read it out loud, so everyone could hear.  He held on to Chris tightly, his voice slightly shaky as he read...

To Chris:

As your Master, I demand that you come home.  I know you’re scared. They are probably telling you all sorts of lies.  I promise that your punishment for disobeying won’t be severe. I understand how they are manipulating you, Honey.  If you don’t come home tonight, then I’ll have no other choice but to come get you.  

Chris was practically shaking.  Elliott held on tight. “It’ll be okay,” he said softly as he rubbed Chris’ back.  He didn’t know what else to say, and he hoped his words were true.

“That’s enough of a threat for me to know I’ve made the right choice.  You aren’t going anywhere, Chris. Not without security.” Sebastian held Kurt a little tighter.  He looked at him, “You aren’t either, Baby.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt replied.  He held on to Sebastian just as tightly.

“Alright, let’s go make some phone calls.  Chris, let us know if he texts again. Take screen shots of all the texts and text them to me, please.  Elliott, I’d like you to spend the night.”

“I can’t imagine leaving,”  Elliott responded, looking at Chris.  Chris smiled sadly at him, grateful to have him there for support, as well as knowing that Elliott himself was safe.  He didn’t know if Elliott was in danger of Owen getting angry with him and going after him.  

Kurt spoke up, “We should take pictures of your bruises, too, Chris.  I’m sorry.”

“That’s a good idea,”  Sebastian said, taking out his phone.  “Do you mind?”

Chris shook his head.  He lifted his shirt off.  As soon as Elliott saw his arms, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He hated that Chris was going through this. Sebastian took the pictures, then they all headed off to make phone calls in private.

~

Sebastian sent Robert a text telling him to be ready to Skype.  He went into his office and turned the computer back on. Seb’s phone buzzed with the screen shots Chris had taken of Owen’s texts.  When Robert came onto the screen, he instantly frowned as he saw the look on Sebastian’s face, “What’s wrong, Seb?”

Seb let out a breath and shook his head.  He leaned his elbows on the desk and ran his fingers through his hair, “Owen.  Liam. Whatever the hell his name is. He’s messed up, Dad.” He leaned back and texted the screenshots to him that Chris had sent him, as well as the pictures he took of Chris’ arms.  “You should be getting some pictures any second. He grabbed Chris so hard that he left those bruises. He followed him, unnoticed, all day today. He’s sent those texts… I want to hire some security, Dad.”

Robert looked through the texts and photos with raised eyebrows.  When he looked back up to the screen, he asked, “What about Kurt? Has he said or done anything more to him?”  Robert loved his future son-in-law, and after Sebastian, Kurt was his first concern.

Sebastian shook his head, “No.  But I wouldn’t put it past him. He was waiting for Puck when he got off work tonight.  He told him that Chris was his, that he’s been inside him, marked him, claimed him… Puck got a picture of him, though.  I’ll have him text it to you. I told everyone we all needed to stay home tomorrow. I can call some security people, the police, whatever I need to do.  I can’t let this go any further. Do you think we can get a restraining order?”

“Well, first, I agree that it can’t go any further.  I’ll call some security places. You have enough to deal with.  Call Mr. Carmack, school, whatever else you need to do. As for the restraining order, I don’t think it’s possible, simply because you don’t know his real name.  I would call the police though, so there is a record of you doing so, if nothing else.”

They talked for a little while, until Kurt came into the room.  Seb looked up and pushed his chair back far enough that Kurt could sit in his lap.  When he did, he looked back at Robert and said hello.

“How are you, Kurt?”  Robert asked.

Kurt shrugged, “I’m just worried.”

Robert nodded, “I know, son.  We’ll get some security involved.  We’ll all work to get this settled as quickly as possible.”  Kurt simply nodded, unsure of what else he could possibly say without crying again.  “Did you talk to your dad?” Robert asked.

Kurt nodded, “I did.  He wasn’t thrilled, that’s for sure.  But he’s very grateful that you guys are taking care of some security for us.”

Robert answered, “Of course.  That’s all Seb, too. You know he’d do anything for you.”

Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt and kissed his shoulder.  Kurt nodded and whispered, “I know.”

Sebastian sat talked to Mr. Carmack next.  He was sending the picture that Puck had text him to his connections.  Mr. Carmack said he was also calling the staff personally, making sure they were aware of the situation, and to be on full alert.  

A few minutes after he hung up, Robert called, “Hi, Dad.”

“Hey, Seb.  I called one of the companies that I’ve had several clients use over the years.  It’s called Miles Security. James Miles is the owner, and through some connections, I was able to speak to him directly.  He’s sending over some of his favorite guys tomorrow. They will be there at 9a.m. They’re sending several guys over. You can choose all of them, or just the ones you like.  It’s up to you. For tonight, he’s sending over one guy to stay stationed in the lobby. You can meet him if you want, but you don’t need to. George will let you know when he arrives.”

“Okay, thanks, Dad.  Tomorrow, I want one guy here with us, and one downstairs.  When we go back to school, if nothing has been resolved, we’ll add more.”

“Sounds like a plan.  

~

Once everyone had made their phone calls and taken care of business, they began to gather in the living room again.  Sebastian looked at Puck, “Hey, text Dad and Mr. Carmack the picture you took.” Puck nodded as he pulled his phone out and texted them both.  “How did Vinny take it?”

Sugar snuggled into Puck, “I think he’s going to try to visit even earlier now.  He was coming in a couple of weeks to check on the progress of the shop and apartment, as well as help me get things ready for the grand opening.  I’m not sure how it will work out.” She looked at Chris, “How about your mom, Chris?”

He shrugged, “She just thinks I’m being dramatic.  She was maybe a little worried. It’s hard to tell with her.”  

Elliott frowned, “You are not being dramatic.”  Chris just nodded sadly.

Puck asked, “What about your family, Elliott?”

“Well,”  Elliott started.  He looked at Chris, who gave him a sad smile, “My parents are both gone.  They passed away when I was a Junior in high school. I called my sister, Amelia.”

“I’m so sorry,”  Kurt sat up a little.  “My mother passed away from cancer when I was younger.  I know how hard a loss of a parent can be. I can’t imagine losing both.”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah.  Dad had cancer, and I swear my mom died of a broken heart.  They were so in love. And both were very loving and accepting of me.  My sister had custody of me for a year and half. She and her husband, and their two kids, moved to Colorado for his big promotion.”

“You live in Greenwich Village, right?”  Puck asked.

“Yeah, not far from school and the record shop.  I bought an apartment when we sold our parents house in Jersey.  It’s kinda small, but nice.”

After a few minutes of chatting, Sebastian looked at Chris, “I think we need to get the police involved.  We need to at least have it on record that we filed a complaint, talked to them, whatever we can do.”

Chris took a deep breath, “Okay.”

“They won’t come here.  We’d have to go to them.  I’m not so sure we should be doing that right now,”  Elliott said, concerned about leaving at night.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Maybe this is a time we can use some of that political influence we always hear of others using?”

Seb nodded, “Good idea, Babe.  Why don’t you call your dad and see what he can do…”

Kurt called Burt and explained their predicament.  Burt responded, “Let me make a few phone calls, Bud.   Stay put until I call you back.” 

“Okay.  Thanks, Dad.”

It didn’t take as long as they thought it would, and Burt was calling back.  Kurt put him on speaker, “You’re on speaker, Dad.”

“Okay, Bud.  I called a friend or two, and you should be having some officers arriving soon.  Make sure you show them the picture of Chris’ arms that you texted Robert. And yes, he and I have already spoken tonight.”

Seb and Kurt smiled slightly, “I’m not surprised, really.  Thanks for your help, Dad.”

“Of course, Bud.  As soon as the officers leave, you really should try to get some rest.  I’m sure this all very stressful, and you don’t need to make yourself sick.  And Kurt… Make sure you eat.”

Kurt half rolled his eyes, “I’m eating, Dad.  Don’t worry. Between Bas and Sugar, they’ll force feed me.”

“And Puck wouldn’t?”  Burt chuckled.

Kurt smirked, “Noah would be the one holding me down.”  Kurt looked over at Puck and winked at him. He was grinning, and winked back.  

Burt laughed, “You’re right.  Okay, Kurt, call me tomorrow and let me know how things go.  Don’t be surprised if Finn is at your doorstep by the week’s end.  He was telling me about this Owen character. He’s pretty pissed.”

“Yeah.  Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow.  Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Bud.  Love you all.”

They all yelled out their love in return.  Elliott was grinning at them all, loving this interaction.

~

Just over thirty minutes later, the buzzer sounded.  Sebastian answered, “Yes, George?”

“Two of New York’s finest are here to see you, Mr. Smythe.  I have checked their I.D.’s, Sir.”

“Thanks, George.  Send them up, please.”

When the two officers arrived, Sebastian and Kurt greeted them in the foyer.  Sebastian extended his hand to each of them, “Thank you so much for coming, officers.  I’m Sebastian Smythe, and this is my fiance, Kurt Hummel.” Both officers shook their hands. 

Kurt said, “Please, come in.”  They followed them into the living room, where everyone stood to greet them.  Kurt made introductions, “This is our friend, Chris Cairnes. He is the one whose ex is giving us, mostly him, some trouble.  These are our friends, Elliott Gilbert, Noah Puckerman, and Sugar Motta.”

Both officers nodded, and one, who was a tall Italian man, spoke, “I’m Officer Gambino, and this is my partner, Officer Williams.”

“Please, have a seat,”  Sebastian gestured to the two chairs, and the officers sat.  

Officer Gambino spoke again, “So tell us about what’s been going on.  When Mayor de Blasio calls the Chief and tells him to send two of us best to the residence of a Congressman’s kid, then I’m assuming it’s pretty serious.”

Together, they told the officers what had been happening.  They showed them the texts, Chris’ bruises, and also gave them a brief explanation of their history, and why they were extra concerned about this.  

“Well, it’s definitely something to be concerned about.  I understand why you are all a bit more on edge about it all, given your history,”  Office Williams, an older officer, looked at Kurt. “And I definitely think we could do a restraining order, if we actually had his real name.  We’ll run this picture you have of him through the facial recognition software and see if that helps. Otherwise, we’ll file this report, so we have a record of it.  Kurt, you can file an assault report as well, if you’d like.”

Both Chris and Kurt filed a report.  The officers took a copy of the still shot from the security footage, as well as a printed copy of Puck’s picture, and they took their own photos of Chris’ arms.

A few minutes after the officers left, George buzzed, “Yes, George?”  Sebastian answered.

“There is a security guard here, Sir.  Would you like to meet him?”

“Yes.  I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Puck spoke up, “I’d like to go down with you.”

Both of them headed downstairs together.  When they turned the corner, they saw a large, bald man who definitely looked like ex-military.  

George greeted, “Mr. Smythe.  Mr. Puckerman. This is John Moore.  He is with Miles Security.”

Sebastian held out his hand, “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Moore.”

He nodded as he shook Seb’s hand, “Please, call me John.”  He turned and shook Puck’s hand as well.

Sebastian continued, “Call me Sebastian.  And this is Puck. Have you been informed about what is going on?”

“Briefly.  There is someone who has been following you, and making threatening texts?”  John asked. George listened closely. They had been told, but he wanted to hear what Seb and Puck had to say.

“He’s been doing that to our friend, Chris, yes.  It’s his ex, Owen Chatfield. Saturday night, at our party, he felt threatened by my fiance, Kurt, who was touching Chris’ arm as they spoke.  He shoved Kurt to the ground. Kurt had a panic attack. He has PTSD from a previous assault and attempted rape. We kicked him out. He was waiting for Chris the next day at his dorm.  He grabbed him, leaving some nasty bruises. Luckily, our friends had walked him back, and stopped him. Chris moved in here with us for the time being. Puck and our friend Elliott were with him all day today, making sure he was safe in between classes.  Apparently, Owen was watching. He’s since been sending threatening texts. He was waiting for Puck when he got off work tonight.”

Puck showed John a picture, “I was able to snap this pic.”  John looked at it and nodded. Puck said, “The texts he’s sending Chris get worse and worse.  He thinks he’s Chris’ ‘master’. He also goes by the name Liam Cole.”

John frowned, and Sebastian added, “Will you be here just tonight, or will you be at the meeting in the morning?”

“I’ll be at the meeting in the morning.  I just decided that I’d like to stick this out even further, if I’m needed.”  Sebastian nodded gratefully. “I’ll be stationed here by the front doors. If you need me, just call.  I’ll be awake all night.”

“Thank you, John.  We really appreciate it.”

~

By the time they got back upstairs and told everyone about John, Sebastian finally felt like there was nothing else they could do for the time being.  Even though that’s how he felt, he tried to settle his nerves, but nothing was working. He felt he needed some kind of control over some aspect of his life. Today had been such a challenging day.  His classes were rough, things at the hospital were a bit chaotic, and then when he got the text about what Owen was doing...He just needed calm. He approached Kurt, who had just emptied his glass into the sink in the kitchen, “I want you kneeling for me in five minutes, Baby.”

“Yes, Sir.”  After putting his glass in the dishwasher, he said goodnight to everyone, giving hugs as he went.  He then headed upstairs, brushed his teeth, then stripped out of everything but his collar. He knelt at the end of the bed, with his hands behind his back and his head bowed.  He felt so much calmer already, not having realized that this is what he needed.

Sebastian came in, closing  the door behind him. A calmness washed over him as well as he saw Kurt in position.  He took a cleansing breath, then approached Kurt slowly, “So beautiful, Kurt. You are so beautiful, and I am so lucky.”

“Thank you, Sir.  I’m the lucky one.”

Sebastian ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair, “I want your mouth, Baby.”

Kurt straightened himself, “Yes, Sir.”  

Seb took his shirt off and threw it to the side.  Kurt unfastened Seb’s pants, and lowered them, along with his underwear, to the ground, helping him step out of them.  He licked his lips in anticipation. He couldn’t wait to taste his Dom again, have him in his mouth, pleasing him, and helping erase the stress of the day for both of them.

Sebastian grabbed his erection and ran the tip of his cock across Kurt’s lips.  Watching the pull of the delicate skin was always one of his favorite sights, “Fuck, that is so sexy.  Open.”

Kurt obeyed, sucking in the head of Seb’s dick.  He licked up his shaft, twirling his tongue around the head again before wrapping his lips around his Love, and taking him all the way in.  Over and over, he sucked and licked. Sebastian grabbed the back of his head, guiding him.  

“That’s it, Baby.  So good for me. God, you make me feel so good.”  

Kurt moaned in response.  He loved that he made Seb feel good.  It’s exactly what he needed to hear, too.  

Sebastian pulled out, “On the bed, Baby.  I want you on your back. Raise your hands above your head.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt did exactly as told.

“Good boy, Baby.  Always so good for me.”  Sebastian grabbed some rope from their drawer of toys.  He raised it up, showing it to Kurt. He could see the hunger in Kurt’s eyes, so he continued.  He tied Kurt’s wrists to the headboard, and Kurt thought he might cum just from looking at the desperate want in Sebastian’s eyes as he leaned back to look at Kurt.  “Fuck, you’re gorgeous, Kurt. So fucking sexy.” He leaned down and kissed him, then ran his hands down Kurt’s arms, over his chest, and down to his hip bones. He bent down enough for his breath to ghost over Kurt’s erection.

“Sir…”  Kurt squirmed a bit.  He wanted to be touched so badly.

Sebastian smirked, “So desperate.  Do you want me to touch you, Baby?”

“Yes!”  Kurt nodded quickly.  “Yes, please, Sir. Please touch me!  Anything, Sir. Anything.”

Seb smirked again.  He stuck out the tip of his tongue, barely touching Kurt as he licked him from base to tip.

The sound Kurt made was purely pornographic.  With his hands bound, he was deliciously helpless, and at the complete mercy of his Dom.  He was loving every second of it, and so was Sebastian.

He couldn’t possibly be mean to the man he loved.  So without further hesitation, he licked a thicker stripe up Kurt’s shaft again before taking him into his mouth in one swift movement.  Kurt was falling apart. The sounds he made when Seb breached his hole, had Seb reaching for his own erection.  

Within a few minutes, Sebastian felt Kurt was ready.  He was so thankful, because he didn’t know if he himself could wait any longer.  He kissed his way back up Kurt’s body until he reached his delicious lips again. He kissed him passionately, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled away, “Are you ready, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.  I need you so bad, Sir.  Please…I need you.”

Without lifting up much, Seb was able to reach down and guide himself inside Kurt, who moaned at the fullness he felt when Seb was fully sheathed in his heat.  “I will always need you, Kurt,” he said as he slowly began thrusting. “I need you in order to breathe. I need you in order to think. I need you in order to function.  You are all I need, Baby, every day, for the rest of my life.”

Kurt had tears running down his cheeks at those words.  Sebastian knew he wasn’t in pain or uncomfortable. He knew the tears were from the love they felt.  He kissed each wet streak on Kurt’s face, then fastened the pace of his thrusts.

He shifted, putting his knees on either side of Kurt’s hips as he sat up in kneeling position. He grabbed Kurt’s legs and continued thrusting inside him.  

After a few more minutes, Sebastian raises one leg, pulling out of Kurt.  He flips him over, so his stomach is flat against the bed, arms now crossed over each other.  He pulled his head back and kissed him on the neck, “Color?” He wanted to make sure Kurt was comfortable.

“Green, Sir.  Very much green.”

Seb smirked and then entered Kurt once again.  This time, he pounded into him hard and fast. They were touching from head to toe.  Sebastian had his arm wrapped around Kurt’s chest, with his hand grabbing his opposite shoulder.  His mouth was close to Kurt’s ear as he spoke, “So good for me, Kurt. Fuck, I love you so much. You take me so well, Baby.”

It didn’t take too long before Kurt was falling apart to the point of not being able to last any longer.  “Please, Sir…”

“Please what, Baby?”  Seb asked as he continued to thrust into his sub.  He knew what Kurt wanted, but he wanted him to say it.

“Please, may I cum, Sir?  Please, Sir?!”

“Yes, Baby.  Cum for me now!”

Kurt came hard, and Sebastian followed, only seconds behind.  

When Sebastian was able to think again, he reached up and untied Kurt.  He rubbed his wrists and inspected them for injuries. He rubbed and massaged his arms.  Kurt laid there, letting his Dom take care of him, and just watched. When Seb saw him watching silently, he smiled slightly, then leaned over and kissed him.  He ran his fingers through his hair, “I love you, Baby. Thank you for always being so good for me. That was exactly what I needed.”

Kurt smiled a little, “Me, too, Sir.  I love you, too.”

“Wait here.  I’ll be right back.”  Sebastian went and began running water in the garden tub.  He poured in some of Kurt’s favorite bubble bath, then got a wet washcloth to clean Kurt up.  When he returned to the bed, he wiped Kurt down. He took his key and removed Kurt’s collar, setting it on the nightstand.  “Are your arms and wrists feeling okay?” Kurt nodded, so he scooped him up bridal style and carried him into the bathroom.

Kurt smiled a sleepy smile, “You spoil me, Sir.”

“It’s my favorite thing to do, Baby.”  He set Kurt down on the edge of the tub, and helped him in.  “Just relax. I’m going to go change the sheets, then I’ll be right back to join you.”  When he returned, Sebastian washed Kurt from head to toe, and Kurt nearly fell asleep at how relaxed he was.  Once they were both clean, Seb dried them off, then walked Kurt back to bed. He snuggled in behind him and soon enough, heard the gentle, even breaths of Kurt sleeping.  

~

“You can wear something of mine if you want,”  Chris said as they climbed the stairs.  

“Thanks,”  Elliott answered.  When they reached Chris’ room, Elliott closed the door behind him.  He walked over to Chris, who was standing there watching him. He placed his hands gently on his arms, trying not to hurt the bruises.  He whispered, “Are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you?”

Chris shook his head, “I’m okay, I think.  I’m really happy you’re here with me, Elliott.”

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Chris took a deep breath and placed his hands on Elliott’s waist.  He looked up at Elliott, who had a few inches in height on him, “Elliott…”

“What do you need, Chris?”  He ran his hands through Chris’ hair as he studied his features, “Tell me.  Whatever you need, I will do my best to make happen.”

He had tears in his eyes, “I need you to kiss me.  Please, kiss me.”

Elliott smiled a small smile, “Now that will be my pleasure.”  He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Chris’. Soft, slow, and full of so many emotions, they kissed as they held each other.  Elliott cupped Chris’ face in his hands, “You are amazing.” He kissed him again quickly, “I can’t get enough of you.”

A smile crept up in the corners of Chris’ mouth, and he bit his lip, “I think maybe I was having an out of body experience.  Can you kiss me again, just to make sure I get the full experience?”

Elliott chuckled and smiled, “As you wish…”  He kissed him again with even more passion. They were both falling hard and fast.

~

Puck held Sugar as she slept, but was having a hard time falling asleep himself.  He thought about the day's events, the texts, the look in Owen’s eyes during their earlier interaction.  It seemed like an eternity of laying there looking at the ceiling. He thought about Braylin, then Chris, then Kurt, then back to Chris.  Owen had a thing for cheerleaders. He and Cam had talked about how Owen looked at the picture of Kurt in his uniform at Lima Bean. How he was surprised by it, and how his attitude toward Kurt seemed like it was shifting until he saw Kurt touch Chris.  He thought back to when they showed the cheer nationals video. There was a look on Owen’s face… And now, laying here in the dark… It’s all starting to click into place for Puck.  

He reached for his phone, only to discover that it wasn’t there.  He slid out from under Sugar, pausing to make sure she stayed asleep.  After throwing on some shorts, he quietly opened the door, then shut it behind him. His plan of sneaking downstairs quietly to look for his phone was foiled when he kicked one of the chairs in the seating area, unable to see it in the dark.

“Son of bitch!” he hissed.  He hopped around on one foot for a minute, then plopped down on the offending chair as he rubbed his foot.

A minute later, Elliott came out of Chris’ room, wearing only a pair of Chris’ sweats, “Puck?  Are you okay?”

“Yeah.  Sorry to wake you,”  he groaned.

“You didn’t.  Couldn’t sleep,”  Elliott sat down in one of the chairs.  “Why are you up?”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” he whispered.  “I was thinking… Owen… Liam...Whatever the hell his name is...He’s obsessed with cheerleaders.”

“Mmm, I guess he has a type,”  Elliott shrugged.

“No, man.  I think it’s more than that.  Think about Braylin, Chris, and Kurt.  They are physically nothing alike. And not even in their mannerisms or whatever.  Kurt is obviously gay. Braylin is kind of like Jeff. You don’t know it until you talk to him.  And Chris isn’t obvious even then. I think it’s a cheerleading thing. The way he looked at the picture of Kurt downstairs, and watched the video of nationals.  I don’t know man. I wanted to do a little research. Find out if there’s been any criminal cases that involve male cheerleaders as the victim, and then maybe see if there are photos associated with it.”

“That’s a good idea,”  Elliott said.  

Puck and Elliott both made their way downstairs.  They went into the office so they could use the desktop and both be able to see the results.  Puck typed in “Cheerleader assault cases in New York” and did an image search. There were no results with Owen’s picture.  

“Try a national search, and add the male aspect,”  Elliott suggested.

Puck changed the search, and when he pressed image results, he sat and shook his head at the number of faces that popped up.  He sighed, then started scrolling. He scrolled and scrolled.  

“Wait!”  Elliott said.  “Go back up.” Puck scrolled up, then stopped when Elliott told him to.  “There. That guy. Doesn’t he look familiar? Do you think that’s him?”

Puck clicked on the picture, making it larger.  He looked closely. “I don’t know. Maybe. There is something familiar about him…”  He clicked the link that was with the photo.  The guy’s name was William Coleta. “William Coleta.  Liam Cole. That’s a little more than ironic,” Puck said.

“Hmmm… Wyoming?  He’s far from home, if that’s him.”

Puck sat back in the chair, “I think we need to show this to Seb...before morning.”

Elliott gave a dry laugh, “I’m not waking him.”

Puck rolled his eyes, “I’ll go get him.  You look and see what you can find on this William Coleta guy.”  Elliott sat when Puck got up and headed upstairs.

When Puck reached Seb and Kurt’s door, he almost knocked, but then thought better of it, not wanting to wake Kurt.  He opened the door a little, peeking inside. Seb was wrapped protectively around Kurt, and both were asleep on Kurt’s side of the bed.  He walked over, and immediately noticed the rope on the headboard, and the collar and key on the nightstand, and could see that both boys were shirtless.  He smirked a little and shook his head. He carefully reached over to Sebastian and shook his shoulder a little as he whispered, “Seb.” It took a couple of times, but Sebastian finally began to stir.  “Shhh… Don’t wake Princess.”

Sebastian lifted his head and rubbed his eyes, “What’s the matter?”

“I need to show you something.”

“Now?”

“Now would be best, yes.”

Seb nodded.  He kissed Kurt on the shoulder, then rolled over to get up on the other side.  He pulled back the covers and stood up, completely naked.  

“Damn it, Seb!  Warn a guy!” Puck said, trying to keep his voice down.  

Sebastian chuckled, “Whatever.”  

“We’ll be in the office,”  Puck whispered. He left as Seb went into the closet to get his pajama pants on.

Puck went into the office, “Find anything else?”

Elliott frowned a bit, “Maybe.  This picture looks less like him, but I’m thinking he’s changed more than his hair color.”  

Puck went around the desk to look, “Yeah.”  He looked up when Sebastian came in, “Thanks for putting some clothes on.”

Elliott smirked and looked up at Puck, “Did you walk in on them?”  Sebastian just smiled.

Puck rolled his eyes and shook his head, “No, their fun was over and done with.  Princess is asleep. However, now I know that Seb sleeps naked.” Elliot chuckled.  

“Kurt does too, so be careful.”  Seb smiled. “What’s so important that you woke me from my beauty sleep?”

Puck gestured toward the screen, “This.” 
Sebastian walked around to look at the screen, “Who is that?”

“We think it might be Owen.  His name is William Coleta. Pretty close to Liam Cole, don’t you think?”  Elliott said.  

“Yeah.  Liam is short for William.  Cole shortened from Coleta. Where did you find this?  How?” Sebastian asked.

Puck answered, “I couldn’t sleep.  It’s all I was thinking about, and it just kind of clicked.  I think he’s obsessed with cheerleaders. I don’t even think it’s a certain type of guy, as long as it’s a cheerleader.  The way he looked at Princess after he saw your picture of him from Lima Bean, the way he watched the video. It’s like he was becoming infatuated with him until he saw him start touching Chris.  In a weird way, what happened may have been a good thing for Princess. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that way for Chris. Now he’s even more obsessed.”

“Okay, back up,”  Sebastian was trying to wrap his mind around this.  “What does all of this have to do with this William guy?  How did you connect it all. How does it connect?  Are you sure it’s him?”

“Well, no, we aren’t sure.  I just kept thinking about how Princess, Chris, and Braylin are only connected by the fact that they are cheerleaders.  Other than Princess and Chris being friends, of course. But physically, they aren’t alike. They don’t look alike. Princess is obviously gay, Chris isn’t at all, and Braylin is only obvious when he talks.  So, that made me think it’s more about the cheer aspect, and not the “type” thing. He was into Braylin, until Chris. Then it was like Princess peaked his interest until he got mad that he touched Chris. Now, it’s like his obsession with Chris has become exaggerated.  So, I thought, if his history is assault, or stalking, then maybe I could find something with a cheerleading plus assault search. These are the image results.”

“What does the article say?”  Sebastian asked.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet,”  Elliott answered. He clicked on the image, which took him to the article it was attached to.  

The three of them stared at the screen, reading the headline, “Local Cheerleader Kidnapped, Raped.  Suspect On The Run.”

Chapter Text

Kurt woke up, sensing that Sebastian wasn’t there.  He turned onto his back, and reached his arm out, feeling the empty bed.  He raised his head and looked around, “Bas?” When he didn’t get a response, he got up and walked over to the closet, finding a pair of pajama pants to put on.  He made his way downstairs in search of his Love.

Sebastian, Elliott, and Puck were reading, or trying to read, the article they had found on this William Coleta character.  After a minute, Puck asked, “Do you think it’s him? That’s some scary shit.”

“What’s scary?”  They all looked up and saw Kurt standing in the doorway.  They were speechless for a moment, trying to figure out what to tell him. 

“Um, Baby, what are you doing up?”  Sebastian asked. Puck quickly reached over Elliott and clicked off the screen.  Elliott just sat there looking at Kurt, hoping he didn’t get upset. Sebastian continued, “Aren’t you cold, Babe?”

Kurt continued to just stand there and look at them.  He narrowed his eyes, completely suspicious. He cocked his hip and crossed his arms, “First, I’m wearing the same amount of clothes as all of you.  Nice tats, by the way, Elliott.” Elliott smirked at that, and gave Kurt a nod. “And second, what’s going on? What are you hiding? I know this isn’t some kind of weird porn watching event.”

Elliott tried to break the tension, “Yeah, I don’t think Puck would be into the same type of things as Sebastian and I.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “You still have a lot to learn about Puck, if that’s what you think.”  Sebastian couldn’t help but smile a little… Both at the no nonsense vibe Kurt was giving, as well as the fact that he was right about Puck.

Elliott turned a questioning eye to Puck.  He looked down at Elliott and shrugged, “I can watch anything.  It’s sexy. I just don’t want to participate.”  Elliott just shook his head.  

“Babe, let’s go back to bed.  We have to get some sleep,” Sebastian walked toward Kurt. 

“No, Bas.  Tell me what’s going on.”  Kurt was worried, and he wasn’t going to let them brush him off.  It wasn’t often Kurt told Seb ‘no’.

Seb knew he couldn’t avoid this anymore.  He wrapped his arms around Kurt, “Baby…” he sighed, “We may have discovered who Owen really is.”  He nodded toward the computer.

Kurt pulled back slightly with a frown, “What do you mean?  Who is he?”

Puck interrupted, “Princess, are you sure you want to see all of this?  I’m not so sure it’s what’s for the best.”

Kurt nodded, “Yes.  The more I know, the better I can protect myself.  You can’t keep me in the dark with this.”

Sebastian sighed and closed his eyes as he held Kurt tighter.  

Elliott sat back, “He’s probably right.  We’ll have to tell Chris and Sugar too. They really should know.”

Sebastian kept his eyes closed, resting his head against Kurt’s, and mumbled, “I know…”  He pulled back and let go of Kurt enough to grab his hands. He lowered his tone, “You can see, Kurt.  But, I need you to remember that we have security now. And we’ll have the police come back tomorrow.” 

Kurt frowned, becoming quite nervous, “It’s that bad?”

Seb nodded, “If this is actually him, yes.  We aren’t positive, but… Why don’t you take a look and see what you think?”

Kurt nodded and softly said, “Yes, Sir.”  He walked over to stand next to Puck. Puck put his hand on Kurt’s back, and used his other hand to reach over and bring the window back onto the screen. 

Elliott turned, “Do you want to sit, Kurt?”

He shook his head, “No, that’s okay.”

“Okay,”  Elliott clicked the picture they had been looking at to make it bigger.  Seb wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist and waited.

Kurt leaned forward a little and looked at the picture closely, “It does look like him.  He has blue eyes there, though. And brown hair.”

“Yeah, we’re thinking he dyed his hair and wears colored contacts,”  Puck said.  

Kurt frowned, “His hair color is natural now.  Maybe it’s dyed there, though. Brunette is much easier to pull off a natural look with.”  Kurt continued to look at the picture, and Sebastian was impressed at how well Kurt was handling it so far.  He worried about the article though. Kurt asked, “Are there any other pictures?”

“Yeah,”  Elliott answered, and clicked on another picture.  

Kurt’s eyes widened slightly, “That looks a lot more like him.”  He paused for a few seconds, “What’s written about him? Is there a police report, or article or anything?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, “Yes, Baby.  But remember what I said. What we found was not good.  At all…”

Kurt nodded, but said nothing at first.  When Elliott clicked on the article link, they all waited.  It felt as if you could cut the air with a knife, or like they were just waiting for the bomb to go off.  Puck and Sebastian knew when Kurt had read the article title, because they could feel him tensing next to them.  

“It’s going to be okay, Baby.  I promise. No one is going to get hurt,”  Seb rubbed his back, and Puck kept a protective hand on him.

Kurt just nodded.  He leaned forward a little, and tried his best to read the article.  “Liam Cole is short for William Coleta?”

“That’s what we’re thinking,”  Elliott said.

He read further, “Oh my god.”  

The article said that William Coleta was wanted for the kidnapping of high school cheerleader, Garrett Clark.  Clark was found in an abandoned barn after more than a 24 hour search. He was naked, beaten, and unconscious. Hospital reports said that Clark had been sexually assaulted.  Police released photos of suspect William Coleta in hopes of making a quick arrest.

“What made you even look for this?”  Kurt asked.

“I couldn’t sleep.  I kept thinking about it all, and then it kind of clicked… His thing for cheerleaders, his obsessive and abusive personality… I was hoping I could find an old police report or something.  I came down here to do some research on it since I left my phone down here, and Elliott heard me. I went to get Seb when we found the pictures.” He paused, “You okay, Princess?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I mean… It’s very scary.  But what else could we do?  He can’t get in here, right?”  He looked at Sebastian for confirmation.

“No.  He’d have to get past at least two guys in the lobby, plus the security guard if he came in the front.  Same for if he came in through the garage. There is a back door out of the office area, but there is no handle on the outside, so he’d still have to get past all of those guys in the lobby if he managed to sneak in as someone left.  But employees are supposed to leave through the garage. It’s more of an emergency exit.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.  And we’ll have security guards with us at school and work?”

“Yes, Baby.  All of us.”

He took a deep breath and thought for a moment.  “Okay. Well, then there isn’t anything else we can do, then.  We’ll have to be extra strong for Chris, though. This might send him over the edge.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about,”  Elliott said, leaning his elbows on the desk as he stared at the picture of ‘Owen’.  

“We’ll all help make sure he’s okay, Elliott.  We’re in this together,” Puck said, placing a supportive hand on Elliott’s back.  

After another several long seconds of silence, Kurt sighed, “I’m going back to bed.  We’re going to need rest for the morning. We need to be focused when talking to the police and the security company, and we’ll need to be at our best for Chris.”

Everyone agreed, then Sebastian said, “I’ll be right there, Babe.”  Kurt turned and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

They watched him go, and Puck and Sebastian shared a look.  They were impressed at how well Kurt had handled that. Elliott was the one who broke the silence, “Well, that was surprising.  I was just waiting for him to have a panic attack.”

“Yeah,”  Sebastian agreed.  “I swear, most people couldn’t handle these things like he does.  I know he has his weaknesses, but for the most part, he’s fucking velvet over steel.”  Puck and Elliott grinned at the analogy.

Elliott stood, “Okay.  We’ll look into this more tomorrow… Well, later today, at this point.  I need to be with Chris. I’ll see you all in a few hours.” He made his way toward the door, as did Puck and Seb.  

~

When Chris woke up, he was in Elliott’s arms.  He looked up and shyly smiled at him. Elliott smiled a small smile back.

“Good Morning,”  Chris whispered.

“Good Morning, Handsome,”  Elliott said in return as he ran his fingers through Chris’ hair.  “Did you sleep okay?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah.  Did you?”

“Mmm, not really.  But I’m kind of used to that, I guess.”

Chris frowned a little, “Really?  Why?”

Elliott stroked Chris’ back as he answered, “I sing with my friend’s band sometimes.  And those nights turn into ‘all nighters’.”

“I would love to come see you sing with them sometime.”

“Well, if all of this stuff gets cleared up in time, we have a gig this Saturday.  I’d love for you to come watch. Maybe you could bring Puck and Sugar, and Sebastian and Kurt.  I wouldn’t want you to come alone, since I’ll be on stage most of the time.”

“That sounds nice.  I’ll ask them.” He paused for a minute, “I’m ready for breakfast.  I’m going to shower quickly first, though.”

“Okay.  We do have some things we need to talk about, so come downstairs as soon as you can, okay?”

Chris looked at Elliott, a bit concerned, but still nodded, “Okay.”  He got up and headed to the shower.  

Elliott laid back and sighed.  He hoped Chris would take this all as well as Kurt did. 

~

When Chris made it downstairs, everyone was dressed and starting breakfast.  He joined them at the table, “Good Morning.”

Everyone greeted him, and then Kurt asked, “Did you sleep okay?”  

Chris nodded, “Yeah.”

They ate rather quickly.  Sebastian was pleased that Kurt was eating pretty well.  

Sugar looked at Puck once everyone had finished eating.  He had told her about what they had found during the night.  She had been upset by it, but after talking it through a little, she was feeling better.  Now, she was looking to Puck for some reassurance once again. She was nervous about telling Chris.  He gave her a reassuring smile and put a loving hand on her leg.

Chris started to get up and take his plate to the dishwasher, but Sugar put her hand on his wrist.  “I’ve got it, Hun.” She grabbed his plate, along with her own, and headed toward the sink. Puck grabbed his own and Elliott’s and joined her.  Sebastian and Kurt took their own over.  

Chris watched them all.  This was completely normal, but something about it seemed off.  Everyone was very quiet, and he noticed Elliott run his fingers through his hair as he bounced his leg nervously.  Chris frowned, “What’s going on? You all seem more nervous today than you did last night.”

Elliott sighed and looked over to Chris.  He spoke softly, “We need to talk, Chris. Let’s go get comfortable.”  He stood, extending a hand to Chris, who immediately took it. 

“I’ve got these,”  Sugar whispered. She looked at her boys, “Go be with them.”  Puck kissed her on the temple, and the three of them went into the living room to join Chris and Elliott.

As they sat, Chris was still frowning as he looked at them all.  This had to be serious. He took a deep breath, steadying himself for whatever they were about to talk to him about.  Elliott grabbed his hand, “Chris… Last night, Puck was thinking about everything, and he had an idea. I heard him get up, and I joined him.  We came down and looked some things up online. We looked for old cases of assault against male cheerleaders, and we’re pretty sure we found something.”

Chris was still frowning, “What do you mean, you ‘found something’?”

Puck said, “We did an image search, and we think we found out who Owen really is.”

Chris spoke quietly, “Who is he?”

“Maybe it would be best to show you?”  Kurt said.  

Chris nodded, then frowned again, “You all know about this?”

Sebastian answered, “Puck came and got me when they found the picture.  Kurt woke up and came down on his own.”

“And I told Sugar this morning,” Puck added.  

Sugar came over and stood next to Chris where he sat, “Let’s go look, Hun. I know about it, but I haven’t seen it yet either.”

They all went into the office and Sebastian sat before he pulled up the images they had looked at in the middle of the night.  Chris stood to the side of Seb. He leaned forward and looked a little closer, “Well, he looks different now, but I think that is him.”  Sugar agreed. He paused for a few seconds, then asked, “Where is the article that is attached to the photo?” Looks were exchanged among everyone.  Noticing, Chris said, “You can’t keep that from me.” 

“We aren’t trying to keep it from you, Chris.  I promise. We’re just anxious about showing you, because, frankly, it’s not good,”  Elliott spoke gently as he rubbed Chris’ back.  

Chris nodded and took a deep breath, “Okay.  Okay, let me see.”

Sebastian closed his eyes for a second, then went ahead and clicked on the link.  Chris read the headline, and began to shake. Elliott held on tight to him as he read.  His shaking became worse as he read further into the article. Kurt put his hand on Chris’ arm, and Elliott leaned in and kissed him on the side of his head, “It will be okay.  We’re all going to be okay,” he whispered.

Sebastian turned, “Each of us will have personal security, Chris.  We’re going to call the police to come back, as well. We’ll take care of this.”

“That... That monster was inside of me.”  He ran his hand over his sleeve, feeling the bruises on his arm, “He left his fingerprints on me.  He… He thinks I’m his...” He was shaking nearly uncontrollably now, and Kurt and Elliott held him up.  

“Let’s get you to the couch,”  Elliott said, and they held on tight to him as they walked him back out into the living room.  

Sugar wiped her eyes as she followed along.  Puck wrapped his arm around her, “It’ll be okay, Sug.”  She just nodded in response. 

When they settled on the couch, Chris sat snuggled into Elliott, who had both arms wrapped protectively around him, while Kurt sat close by on his other side.  Puck and Sugar sat across from them, and Sebastian stayed back in the office to make some phone calls.  

Kurt put a hand on Chris’ leg, “It’s going to be okay, Chris.  You can stay here as long as you need. And with hired security, we’ll probably be able to go back to school and work tomorrow.  I’m sure Owen will back off when he sees that none of us are alone.”

Chris stared off into space, still shaking.  He whispered, “He said he’d come for me today.”

“He can’t get to you here.  He can’t, and he won’t. You’re safe here,”  Elliott said quietly. He turned and kissed Chris on the top of his head.

Sebastian came out of the office, “I called Officer Gambino.  He seemed interested in the information we found, and is going to ask about having a detective come speak to us.  Mr. Carmack will be joining us here at nine, when the security meeting is to take place.” He sat next to Sugar on the opposite couch.

They all sat in silence for a few moments, until Chris’ phone chimed in his pocket.  He jumped, his eyes widening and he began shaking badly again. Elliott’s arms were already wrapped tightly around him, and Chris grabbed a hold of him for dear life.  He wasn’t letting go.  

“Do you want me to check it?”  Kurt asked softly. Chris nodded.

“Can I?”  Kurt motioned toward Chris’ pocket, silently asking if he could reach in to get his phone.  Chris nodded his answer again. The fact that he wasn’t speaking made everyone worry, and Sebastian and Puck exchanged a concerned glance.

Kurt reached in and grabbed his phone, nervously checking the text.  He sighed with relief, seeing that it was from Thad. “It’s just Thad.”  Chris was visibly relieved. Kurt chuckled after reading it, then asked Chris if he could read it out loud, to which he agreed.

From Thad:

Hope you’re doing better today.   Hang in there. Be sure to call me, please.  I don’t want to be the last to know how things are going, especially with something as important as crazy ex’s.  BTW, don’t be stupid… Tell Elliott how you feel. Call me if you need me. Love you.

Everyone smiled at that, and Puck raised an eyebrow, gesturing to Chris and Elliott, “I’m assuming that already happened?”

Chris nodded again and didn’t say anything.  But this time he was smiling a bit. Elliott turned and kissed him on the head, “Yeah, it did.”  Chris closed his eyes as they continued to hold each other. Elliott made him feel so safe and loved.  

Kurt pat Chris on the knee, then leaned forward to put the phone on the coffee table.  He got up when he heard the buzzer. “Yes, Pablo?”

“Good Morning, Mr. Hummel.  Would it be okay if Mr. Carmack came up now?  He would like to arrive before the security company does.”

“Yes, that would be fine.  Thanks, Pablo.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Hummel.”

A minute later, Mr. Carmack came into the foyer, where Sebastian greeted him.  He entered the living room and gave Chris a sympathetic smile, “Are you hanging in there, Mr. Cairnes?”

Chris nodded, “I think with the support of this family, I could make through just about anything.”

Mr. Carmack nodded and smiled.  He turned to Kurt, “How about you, Mr. Hummel?”

Kurt nodded, “I’m fine, thank you.  And thank you for being here this morning.”

Mr. Carmack nodded, “Well, I appreciate you allowing me to be.  I want to be here for the meeting so that I can not only be aware of what the security company has planned, but so that I can make sure our employees know as well.  These things are always easier when everyone works together.”

Sebastian sat next to Kurt, “We appreciate that, Mr. Carmack.  Did your contacts find anything?”

He shook his head, “No.  It’s as if he doesn’t exist.  They even ran some facial recognition software on him from the security footage, but I haven’t heard back since they got the new photo from Mr. Puckerman.”

Sabastian sighed and leaned back in his seat.  

Downstairs, James Miles, and 10 of his best employees, arrived in two unmarked SUVs with tinted windows.  They pulled into the parking garage, then made their way to the lobby. James spoke to John, “How did the night shift go, John?”

“Good.  No problems at all.  I spoke to Sebastian Smythe and his friend Puck last night.  I would like to be considered for this job, James. I want to be assigned to Kurt, Smythe’s fiance.”

James furrowed his brows a bit, “Why?”

John took a deep breath, “I can relate to what he’s been through.  It’s like Sadie all over again.”

James looked at him and understood.  He and John had been friends for a long time, and he happily brought him onto his team when he finished his tour in Iraq. “Are you sure it won’t be too personal for you?”

“I’m sure.  I need this, James.  If not, then that’s all my mind will be focused on anyway.”

James nodded again.  He turned to one of his men, “Jackson, you stand guard down here.  We’ll put you on night duty.”

“You got it,”  Jackson answered.

When the buzzer sounded, Sugar got up to answer it, “Yes, Pablo?”

“There are several men from Miles Security here to see you, Ms. Motta.  I have checked all of their I.D.’s. There will be 11 men. Would you like me to send them up?”

“Yes.  Thank you, Pablo.”

“My pleasure.”

Thankfully the elevator was large enough for all 11 men to fit.  When they entered the foyer of the penthouse, Sebastian and Mr. Carmack both greeted them.  Kurt, Puck, and Sugar had brought all of the dining room chairs and kitchen bar stools over and set them in front of the fireplace, facing the couches and chairs of the living room.  Chris continued to hold on to Elliott, who held right back. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t talking…. The text from Thad had given him a small smile, but everyone was really getting worried about him.

Sebastian brought the men in.  Kurt approached, and Sebastian introduced him.  “This is my fiance, Kurt Hummel.”

James shook his hand, “James Miles.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too,”  Kurt responded.  He looked at everyone, “Can I get anyone anything to drink?”

With no being the answer everyone gave, they were ushered to their seats, and introduced to everyone else.  Chris sat up a little more, but didn’t let go of Elliott.

“So,” James began, “I’d like to introduce you to everyone.”  He introduced all of the members of his team. He gave their background, whether it was military, police work, or just badass.  Next, they went over everything they were allowed to do legally, and what they all specialize in, and what they would be doing while with each person throughout the day.

Sebastian gave them a very condensed version of everyone’s history, allowing them to really understand why they were being extra cautious about this.  He told them everything that had happened with Owen, as well as all the information they had learned about him in the last 12 hours. After hearing all of this, John knew for sure that he wanted to be in charge of Kurt’s security. Sebastian  finished by saying, “Since my father is a state’s attorney, and Kurt’s is a congressman, privacy is extremely important to us. What we do and say needs to be kept quiet. We don’t want to have to watch our behavior on top of everything else.”

“Absolutely.  I agree 100%. Everything is confidential and kept quiet.  We would not be in business anymore, if not,” James responded.

“Good.  Now, just so you know, these five people are my family.  I would do anything for them. And Kurt is my world. I need to know if there is anything happening that you find questionable when it comes to other people’s behavior.  I have to keep them safe.”  Kurt put a hand on Seb’s knee, and he instantly took hold of it.

“Understood,”  James nodded.

They continued with discussing what everyone’s daily schedule looked like;  Sebastian with school and the hospital, Kurt with school and Vogue, Puck and Elliott with school and work, Chris with school and cheer, and then Sugar at the bakery, or shopping for bakery displays.  

When he finished, James said, “We can do this a couple of ways.  You all can choose who you want with you during the day, or I can choose, based on what I know about you and them both.”

“I think you choosing would be just fine,”  Sebastian replied, looking at everyone else to make sure they agreed, which they seemed to.  

“Alright.”  James proceeded to assign different men to each of the six of them. 

Sebastian noticed the satisfied look on John’s face when he was assigned to Kurt.  He wondered what that was all about. The men that were not assigned to be with someone during the day, would be stationed in the lobby overnight.  Everyone knew that was an important job too.  

They agreed that some of the men would escort Elliott back to his apartment so that he could get a weeks worth of clothes.  Chris was grateful that Sebastian had asked Elliott to stay. Elliott was relieved as well. Not so much because he was worried about himself, but he couldn’t imagine not being with Chris through all of this.  

Because everyone else had made arrangements to stay home for the rest of the day, they had one guard stay downstairs in the lobby, one stayed upstairs in the penthouse, and some would escort Elliott, then head off.  Everyone else would be starting in the morning, or be returning in the evening if they were assigned to be present overnight.

James approached Elliott, “Elliott, we’ll drive you to your apartment and back.  It’s not a good idea to let Owen see you leave, if he is actually watching.”

Elliott nodded, “Okay.  I appreciate that.” But when he looked over to Chris, who was still holding his hand, his heart broke.  Chris looked like he was about to panic, and held on even tighter. “It will be okay. I won’t be gone any longer than an hour.  I promise.”  

“He’ll be in a car full of security guards, Chris.  He’ll be fine,” James reassured him.  

“And you’ll be here with us.  It’s going to be fine. He’ll be back before you know it,”  Sebastian tried to reassure Chris. He knew that look of panic well after helping Kurt for so long.  He wrapped his arm around Chris’ shoulder. “Let’s go sit on the couch. The sooner they leave, the sooner Elliott can be back here.”  Chris nodded and let go of Elliott’s hand.

Kurt came and stood on the other side of him. He placed a hand on Chris’ back, and softly said, “Let’s go,” as they walked over to the couch and took a seat.  

Elliott walked over, leaned in, and kissed Chris on the forehead, “I’ll be as fast as I can.  I promise.”

James said, “Dustin, Royce, TJ, Nolan, go ahead and take Elliott home.”  He looked at Chris, “Two of them will accompany him into his apartment. The others will wait in the car outside the  building. He’ll be safe.” He looked back at his men, “When you return, make sure to use the parking garage, not the street.”  They nodded, then were on their way. He looked at John, “John, you go ahead and head home to rest since you just did an overnight.  We’ll finish up the paperwork here. Casey will be stationed downstairs for the rest of the day, and Malcolm will be stationed up here.”

Puck approached Sebastian, “Why don’t you take James into your office?  I’ll stay here with Chris.” Sebastian nodded, and they did just that.

When Sebastian sat behind his desk, James sat across from him on the other side.  He handed Seb the paperwork, but as he did so, he said, “I’m impressed with the six of you.”

Sebastian frowned slightly, questioning him, “Why’s that?”

James said, “You’re all, what, 18 and 19 years old?”  Sebastian nodded. He continued, “You’re all very mature for freshman in college.  I know what you’ve been through has a lot to do with that, but still. I love seeing how you all care so much about each other.”

Sebastian nodded again, “We do.  We really are a family. And I really would do anything for them… Which is why you’re here.”

James nodded, “We will do our best.  I promise.” Sebastian nodded in return, and they settled the paperwork and payment. 

As James and Sebastian stepped out of the office, Chris’ phone chimed with a new text message.  Chris’ eyes widened, and looked back and forth between Kurt and Puck.  

Kurt calmly and softly spoke, “Do you want me to check it?”  Chris nodded his response.  

“No matter what it says, Chris, it’s going to be okay,”  Puck reassured him.  

Kurt picked up Chris’ phone off the coffee table, and saw the text was from Owen.  He looked over at Seb and they shared a look. Sebastian came over and sat on the coffee table in front of them, and Kurt handed the phone to him.  He hadn’t read the message himself because he was afraid of what it said. Sebastian read it silently, then looked over to James quickly before looking at Chris.  

Sebastian spoke gently, “It’s from Owen.”

Chris began shaking, and Puck pulled him in for a tight hug.  Kurt rubbed his back, as he looked at Sebastian expectantly. Seb didn’t want to read it out loud, but he knew he couldn’t keep it from Chris.  It was his right to know what they were all dealing with.  

He cleared his throat and read…

From Owen:

Why haven’t you left yet?  You’re going to be late to class, Honey.  Don’t let your “family” hold you back from your education.  And don’t miss practice. We can’t have you getting kicked off the squad, now can we?  I’ll be waiting for you outside. You won’t see me, but I’ll see you. Hurry up.

Chris just closed his eyes and let the tears fall.  Sugar came over and knelt in front of him, putting her hands on his legs. “It’s going to be okay,”  She whispered.  

Chris kept his eyes closed, “Elliott.  What if he saw Elliott?”

“The windows are tinted so he wouldn’t be able to see in the back of the SUV, Chris.  I’ll text the team and make sure they are all aware of the new text.” James did just that, then said, “I’m going down to the lobby, then casually look around outside.  Maybe take a stroll though part of Central Park. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

~

When the SUV pulled up to Elliott’s apartment, Elliott, TJ, and Royce all got out and went upstairs, while Dustin and Nolan stayed in the car.  “Good thing I’m a tidy person,” Elliott said as he opened the door.

They went in and he grabbed a duffle bag.  He threw in enough clothes for a week, a bathing suit, his toiletries, and grabbed his backpack, along with a few other books.  They all chatted as Elliott was grabbing his things.

Royce, who had actually been assigned to him, asked “Why are you bringing swim trunks, if you don’t mind me asking? It's November.”

Elliott shook his head, “Nah, man, you can ask me anything.  Sebastian and Kurt have a hot tub out on the terrace. And they said there’s a pool in the building.  If we’re going to be stuck inside for a while, might as well find fun things to do.”

Royce nodded, “True.  They seem like nice guys.”

Elliott smirked, “They’re the best.  All of them. They’ve been amazing to get to know.  And they are so down to Earth. I had no idea Seb had that kind of money until last weekend.”

“Really?”  TJ asked. He had been assigned to Sebastian.  

Elliott shook his head, “No.  I mean, we’ve all gotten to know each other really well since the beginning of school. Like they said earlier, they take the self defense class that I co-teach, and Puck is in one of my classes.  We hang out all the time, but had never gone to each other’s places. I knew he had money….Just from trips I knew he took, from his clothes...And I know his family has a place in Paris because he said he lived there for most of high school.  So I knew he had money. But not a penthouse in Manhattan and pay for everyone’s security kind of money. He’s pretty amazing. They all are. And they would die for each other. I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to be included in all of it.  And Chris is… Well, Chris is everything. I’ve liked him since I met him. And I don’t want this asshole fucking with him anymore. I want to be able to take him on a real date. Do real couple things. It just pisses me off, and hurts me to see him hurting.”

Royce grinned, “You’re falling hard for him.”

“It’s hard not to,”  Elliott shrugged. “We’ve had this chemistry that is undeniable since we met.  I just want to act on it without this threat hanging over our heads.” Royce and TJ nodded that they understood.

TJ looked around, “For a sophomore in college, you don’t seem to be hurting either.  It’s not a penthouse… It’s small, but decent for New York. And it’s nice.”

Elliott nodded, “Inheritance.”  

TJ and Royce both had their phones chime at the same time.  They checked the message. Royce looked up at Elliott, “Owen texted again.  He wants to know why Chris hasn’t gone to class yet. He said he’ll be waiting for him outside.  James is going out to check.”

Elliott’s eyes had widened at the news, “Shit.  Let’s go.” He grabbed the bag, throwing it over his shoulder and rushed to the door.  Royce and TJ were close behind.   

~

By the time Elliott was back at the penthouse, Chris had practically shut down.  He was sitting on the couch curled into a ball, and everyone was trying to comfort him, but he wasn’t even talking.  Elliott went straight for him once the elevator doors opened.  

“Chris...”

He looked up at Elliott with tears in his eyes, and reached for him, “Elliott…”  Kurt got up and gave Elliott his seat next to Chris. He melted into Elliott as soon as he had put his arms around him.  

Elliott held on tight and kissed the top of Chris’ head.  “It’s going to be okay.”  

In the safety of Elliott’s arms, Chris broke down and cried, “What did I get myself into?  And now all of you? I’m so sorry.”  

“This is not your fault.  He started out as a decent guy.  You can’t blame yourself for his craziness, Chris,”  Elliott rubbed his back as he spoke.

“He’s right,” Sebastian said. Everyone agreed, of course.

A few minutes later, James came back in with Malcolm.  “We didn’t see anyone fitting the description. I think we’ll just all have to be extra vigilant.”

After discussing things a little further, James took his men and left.  Dustin, who had been assigned to Chris, stayed in the penthouse. Malcolm, who was assigned to Puck, stayed in the lobby. 

Sebasian’s phone rang.  When he saw that it was Officer Gambino, he went into the office.  “What can I do for you, Officer?”

“I spoke to Detective Shaw.  He’d like to come talk to you this afternoon.  When will you be home?”

“Actually, we’re all staying home today.  He’s texted again. He knew Chris didn’t leave for class.  He said he’s been watching. We hired security. They are here now.  They even went out and looked around for him, discretely. They didn’t find him.”

Officer Gambino sighed, “Alright.  I’ll tell Detective Shaw to come on over then.  I’m glad you hired security. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“We will.  Thanks, Officer.”

Sebastian went back out into the living room and told the others that there was a detective on his way.  Chris had settled down, and Elliott had convinced him to watch a show on Netflix to help take his mind off of things.  They were halfway through the movie when Chris’ phone buzzed again. Puck jumped up and grabbed it off the coffee table before Chris could.  He read it silently.

From Owen:

I’m getting impatient.  It’s unkind to make your Master wait, Chris.  

Puck looked over at Chris, “Are you sure you want me to read it to you?”

Chris shook his head, “No.  I don’t think I do. I think I want to go take a nap.”

Elliott rubbed his back, “I’ll join you.  You guys can come get us when the detective gets here?”

“Yeah, we can do that,”  Kurt said softly.

Chris and Elliott held hands as they climbed the stairs to the bedroom.  Elliott had grabbed his bag on the way, so when they got in the bedroom, he asked, “Is it too forward to assume that I’ll be sleeping in here with you?”

Chris shook his head and walked over to Elliott, placing his head on his shoulder, and wrapping his arms around his waist.  

Elliott held him, kissing him on the head again.  “Come on. Let’s lay down.” They walked over to the bed and laid down, Chris snuggling into him.  It only took a few minutes for Chris to fall asleep on him. Elliott ran his hand through Chris’ hair.  Before he knew it, he was fast asleep too.

Downstairs, Puck read the text to everyone, including Dustin.  Dustin texted the rest of the group, so everyone was aware.  

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, “We need to ask about getting Chris a new number.  I don’t know if they’ll want him to be able to get texts to build a case, or if they would want him to change it.”

“Yeah, this is stressing him out so much,”  Puck said. “I don’t know how he’ll be able to focus in class tomorrow.”

~

About an hour later, Detective Shaw showed up.  Pablo let him up after checking with Sebastian. When he walked in, he was greeted by Sebastian and introduced to everyone. 
Kurt said, “I’ll go wake them.  We’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

“Okay, Babe,”  Sebastian nodded.  He turned to Detective Shaw, “Why don’t you come in and have a seat.  I can start filling you in on some things while we wait. Chris has been really upset, so they went to take a nap.”

“Sure,”  Detective Shaw answered.  “Who is ‘they’?”

“Chris and our friend, Elliott.  They are a couple now.”

Detective Shaw nodded, and Sebastian started telling him some of things that had been happening.

Upstairs, Kurt knocked on the door.  When he didn’t hear anything, he opened it slightly and peeked his head in.  Chris and Elliott were curled up together, but fast asleep. He thought it was possibly one of the cutest things he had ever seen.  Either that, or one of the sexiest, because even in the craziness of what was happening, Kurt had to admit that the two looked fine as hell.  

He walked over to Chris’ side of the bed and shook his shoulder gently, “Chris.  We need you to wake up.” He rubbed his arm, careful to avoid the bruises. “Chris…”

Elliott woke up first.  He blinked a few times, trying to focus on Kurt.  Kurt looked over to him, “The detective is here. I’ll leave you to wake him up.”  He looked down at Chris again and sighed.  

Elliott looked at Chris as he ran his hand through his hair, “Okay.”

Kurt gave Elliott a little smile and a wink.  Elliott chuckled as Kurt walked out. He leaned over and gave Chris a kiss on the cheek, “Chris.  We need to get up. The detective is here, and we need to go talk to him.”

Chris eventually began to stir, and Elliott realized how jealous he was that Chris could sleep so soundly.  When he blinked a few times, he looked up at Elliott, then buried his head back into him, snuggling close again.  Elliott thought it was adorable, “Come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can snuggle again.”

Chris moaned, then finally gave a defeated, “M’Kay.”

Once they made it downstairs, they were introduced to Detective Shaw.  Chris gave his account of what had happened. Shaw asked a few questions, then went into the office to view what they had found on the Owen.  This piqued his interest, and made note of the police department that he would soon be getting in contact with.  

He was happy to hear that they had hired security.  Especially after seeing the article. “As much as you aren’t going to like it, Chris, I think you need to keep that phone number for now.  It will help build a case against him, but it will also help keep track of him.”

Detective Shaw left after about an hour.  Dustin texted the group to keep them informed on what was happening.  

When Kurt and Sugar fixed lunch, Dustin sat and joined them.  Dustin was average height, with dark blond hair and blue eyes.  He had a southern accent, and buff body. Kurt could picture him in Wranglers, flannel, and a John Deer hat, as he rocked his favorite Justin Boots.  Something about him was a mixture of good ole boy, badass, and no nonsense.  

Puck asked, “So, you were military, correct?”

“I was,”  Dustin nodded.  “I served 7 years in the Navy.  I was special forces. That’s all I can say about that.”  He winked at him and everyone smiled.  

“So what made you get into security?”  Sugar asked.  

He shrugged, “James is former military.  He tends to recruit us by word of mouth. Once we come home, some of us just don’t fit in when it comes to ‘normal’ jobs.  We need something like this to fill that void that being out of the military leaves us with. A lot of guys stay in the military or police force for life.  Some of us, though, have extenuating circumstances that prevent that. Mine was my mother. When she got sick, I was the only one who could take care of her.  I didn’t want to be fighting for her freedom overseas, knowing she was dying alone here, not really free at all. So I came home. It was a hard adjustment, but once I made it, I was kind of stuck with it.”

“Why do you think James put you with Chris?”  Elliott asked.  

Dustin smirked, “Well, if I had my guesses, it’s because I have the most experience with hand in hand combat, and I’m not afraid to use my impressive badass skills on assholes like Owen.  In fact, I do believe I’d enjoy it.” That made everyone smile a little. Even Chris.

Chapter Text

Once lunch was over, and Puck had gotten back from taking Malcolm some food, they all headed into the living room.  “It feels weird not having any school or work to do yet,” Puck said as he pulled Sugar into his lap.

“Yeah.  I should go study,”  Sebastian replied.

Sugar made a face, “We all know that as soon as you read the assigned text, you had it memorized.”  Sebastian shrugged and winked at her with his signature Smythe smirk.

“Now that’s a skill I wish I had,”  Elliott smiled. He was impressed, but not surprised.

“I’m sure it will come in handy with my chosen career.  I guess I should read ahead.”

“Just relax, Bas.  We’re all stressed.  Don’t over do it,” Kurt said, turning to look up at him from  where he was discreetly kneeling in front of him.

Seb ran his fingers through the sides of Kurt’s hair, “Okay, Baby.”  Kurt smiled, happy his Dom was at least trying to relax. He had taken charge of all of this on top of his crazy studying and internship responsibilities.  Kurt needed to make sure he took care of Sebastian, just Sebastian was taking care of all of them.

“Well, what should we do?  Movie? Sing?” Puck asked.

Chris spoke up, grabbing everyone’s attention, “I would love it if you guys would sing.  It relaxes me.”

“Singing it is!”  Sugar smiled. She jumped up and grabbed Puck’s guitar for him, then sat next to him instead of on his lap.  She leaned over and whispered in his ear. He nodded with a soft smile.

Puck started strumming his guitar, and Kurt and Sebastian smiled, recognizing the song instantly.  Kurt moved up to snuggle with Sebastian, who wrapped his arms around him, and quickly kissed him on the temple.  

Sugar looked at Puck and began singing the lyrics to Only Us , “I don’t need you to sell me on reasons to want you.  I don’t need you to search for the proof that I should. You don’t have to convince me.  You don’t have to be scared you’re not enough. ‘Cause what we’ve got going is good. I don’t need more reminders of all that’s been broken.  I don’t need you to fix what I’d rather forget. Clear the slate and start over. Try to quiet the noises in your head. We can’t compete with all that.”  She winked at Puck, who smiled back at her. The boys all watched on as she continued, “So what if it’s us? What if it’s us and only us? And what came before won’t count anymore.  Can we try that? What if it’s you? What if it’s me? What if it’s all that we need it to be? And the rest of the world falls away? What do you say?”

Puck smiled as he sang, “I never thought there’d be someone like you who would want me.  So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go. But if you really see me… You if you like me for me and nothing else, well, that’s all that I’ve wanted for longer than you could possibly know.”

Together they sang, “ So it can be us. It can be us, and only us.  And what came before won't count anymore or matter.  We can try that. It's not so impossible. Nobody else but the two of us here.  'Cause you're saying it's possible. We can just watch the whole world disappear.  'Til you're the only one I still know how to see. It's just you and me. It'll be us.  It'll be us and only us. And what came before won't count anymore. We can try that. You and me...That's all that we need it to be.  And the rest of the world falls away. And the rest of the world falls away.”

When they finished, Sugar put her hand on Puck’s cheek, then leaned over and kissed him sweetly on the lips.  Everyone grinned, and Elliott said, “That was beautiful.”

“It was.  Thank you both.  I love hearing you two sing together,”  Chris smiled a little.  

Elliott frowned slightly, “What was that from?”

“ Dear Evan Hansen .  Kurt has even corrupted me !”  Puck chuckled.

Kurt threw a pillow at him, “You love it, and you know it.”

“I do,”  Puck admitted.

“That was really impressive,”  Dustin chimed in. 

“Thanks!  Wait till you hear Angel and Seb sing together,”  she bounced her eyebrows and looked at the boys.

“I’m assuming ‘Angel’ is Kurt?”  

Elliott smiled and gave a small laugh, “Yes.  Kurt has a ton of nicknames or pet names. Sebastian calls him Babe or Baby.  Sugar calls him Angel. Puck, and only Puck, calls him Princess. His friend Jeff calls him Kurtsie.  His cheerleader friends call him Porcelain. And I’ve heard several people refer to him as Cupid, since he has a thing for fixing people up.  Every time I meet someone new, it seems I learn a new nickname.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Don’t forget Dude and Little Brother from Finn.”

Kurt rolled his eyes slightly, “Finn calls everyone Dude.”  He almost brought up the two he didn’t like, Sweetheart and Fancy, but decided not to.

“True,”  Chris paused.  He looked at Kurt and batted his eyelashes, “Sing for me please?”

“There’s the Chris we all know and love,”  Kurt chuckled. “How could I ever deny you when you use your eyelash power on me?”  Elliott smiled and kissed Chris on the head. Everyone was happy to see Chris slowly start to come out of his fog.

Kurt thought about what to sing, then chose Ease My Mind , by Ben Platt.  He chose the song because he could see that the lyrics rang true for Chris when it came to Elliott being able to comfort him when no one else could. The same had always been true for him when it came to Sebastian.  As he sat at the piano and began to play, everyone gathered around.

After the first few lines, he looked into Sebastian’s eyes as he sang, “You came out of nowhere and you cut through all the noise.  I make sense of the madness when I listen to your voice. Darling, only you can ease my mind. Help me leave these lonely thoughts behind.  When they pull me under, and I can feel my sanity start to unwind, Darling, only you can ease my mind.”

By the end of the song, both Kurt and Sebastian had tears in their eyes.  Seb sat next to Kurt at the piano, put his hand on his jaw, and kissed him sweetly.  Everyone watched, and smiled at the obvious love between them. Elliott held on to Chris a little tighter.  

They were all broken out of the trance when Dustin said, “Holy shit.  That was awesome.”  

They chuckled, and Kurt blushed a little, “Thanks.”

Sebastian winked at Kurt, then looked at Dustin, “That’s how he won two national competitions and got a full ride offer to NYADA.”

Dustin’s brows were still raised, “You didn’t take it?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  I love to perform, but it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

“He took the full ride offer from Parsons instead,”  Sugar bragged on her best friend.

Dustin nodded,  “Impressive. Do any of you sing in a band?  From what I’ve heard so far, you’re all awesome.”  

Chris smiled, “Elliott sings with his friend’s band sometimes.”  He looked at Elliott, who winked at him.

“You do?”  Sebastian asked.  None of them had any idea that Elliott sang with a band.

“Yeah, sometimes.  I’m actually supposed to sing with them this Saturday at a club called Brixx.”

“Brixx…”  Puck frowned, “Why does that sound so familiar?”  Then it dawned on him, “Holy shit! I’ve seen posters up for that for a couple of weeks now!  What is it… Burden of…”

“Proof.  It’s Burden of Proof.  It’s my friend Dani’s band.  She works with me at the record shop.  Until this school year, she was one of my only real friends in the city.”

“I’d love to see you guys perform.  Those posters are rad, man.”

“Thanks.  I designed them,”  Elliott grinned.  

“Wow, impressive.  Seriously. I think you chose the right career path.  Well, if singing isn’t what you want to do.”

Elliott smiled, “I love both.  But I’m realistic, too. Plus, I want my own family one day.  Graphic designer seems more stable. I can always sing for fun, or on the side.”  Chris smiled up at him.

“Wait… So you’re Starchild?”

Elliott nodded and gave a little shrug, “I am.  It’s an homage to Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.”

“Well, maybe we can come see you Saturday?”  Sugar asked.

“I think that depends on how things go.”  Elliott answered. Everyone understood what he was talking about, and they all agreed.

“Well, I hope we can go,” Chris sighed.  “It’ll remind me of the first time I saw you,”  Chris looked at Elliott sweetly.

“You mean the one time you were actually speechless?”  Kurt teased, making Dustin chuckle.  Elliott smiled and leaned over, giving Chris a kiss on the lips.  Everyone noticed the smile on Chris’ face, and they were loving it.

“I think this means it’s your turn, Elliott,”  Sebastian bounced his eyebrows.

He winked at Chris, “Can’t say ‘no’ now.”  He looked around at everyone, “Any special requests?”

Dustin smiled a lopsided smile, “Do you know any country?”  He was surprised with Elliott’s response.

“Yes, actually.  Not much, but there are a few soulful ballads that I enjoy.  How about Tennessee Whisky ?”

“Seriously?  I’d love that,”  Dustin smiled.  

Elliott borrowed Puck’s guitar and started to sing.  Everyone sat back and relaxed as they enjoyed his beautiful vocals.  Chris hadn’t felt that relaxed in days. He closed his eyes and got lost in the sound.

When Elliott finished singing he was looking at Chris.  He softly asked, “Did I put you to sleep, Chris?”

He kept his eyes closed, “No, but it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this relaxed.  Thank you. There’s only one thing missing now.” He opened his eyes and looked at Elliott.

“What’s that?”  Elliott asked, still keeping his voice soft and soothing.

“You.”

Elliott smiled, “Well that’s an easy fix.” He handed Seb the guitar and walked over and sat next to Chris, who melted into him.

Sebastian put the guitar away, then sat at the piano.  He looked at Kurt, “I think with this ‘day off’ we could do a little wedding planning.  So, to get us in the mood…” He began playing the beginning notes of Running Home To You .  Kurt smiled, then got up and sat next to Sebastian at the piano as Sebastian sang.  They kept exchanging loving looks, and everyone in the room watched with smiles.   

When he finished he leaned over and kissed Kurt, “I love you, Baby.”

“I love you, too, Bas.  Only you. Always you.”

After a brief moment of silence, Elliott asked, “What is that from?  Another Broadway show that I’m not aware of?”

Kurt kissed Sebastian on the cheek before they got up, then answered, “Nope.  Sebastian wrote it for me, because he’s amazing like that.” Sebastian just smiled at him.

Dustin raised his brows in surprise.  “Well, I gotta say...I know things will be different tomorrow, but so far, this is the most fun I’ve ever had ‘on duty’!”  Everyone chuckled. He looked at Chris, “You gonna sing?”

Everyone chuckled again.  Chris said, “I don’t sing.  Not well, anyway. I dance. It’s part of being a cheerleader, I guess.”

“What, like all those TikTok dances?”  Dustin asked.

“Yes, actually.  We work a lot of those into our routines.  I may be a spotter/lifter, but we join in on a lot of the routine.  More than we did in high school, anyway.”

“I might have some special requests later,”  Elliott joked.  

“Me too,”  Sugar smiled as she bounced her brows.  

“Maybe after a glass of wine,”  Chris smiled. “I do need to go work out, though.  I’m not used to sitting all day. Coach will kill me if I slack.”

“We can go down to the gym.  I’d like to go too,” Puck said.

~

After changing, Puck and Chris ended up headed down to the gym, with Dustin in tow.  While they worked out, Elliott took a nap since he only had a couple hours of sleep. Kurt, Sebastian, and Sugar sat in the living room and looked at Pinterest for some wedding ideas.  Kurt sat in the middle of the couch with his fiance on one side, and his best friend on the other.  

“What colors are thinking you want, Bas?”  

Sebastian leaned over and rested his head on Kurt’s shoulder as he watched him scroll through photos, “I don’t have any idea what I want.  I just know what I don’t want.”

“And what’s that?”

“Oh, you know… Super bright colors, or anything weird.  If I don’t own anything in the color, then it’s probably not a good choice.  I know the wedding is on the 4th of July, but I don’t really want it to be themed like it.”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, I agree.  And bright colors aren’t my thing either.  I want it to be masculine, but not manly, if that makes sense.”

“It does.  You just don’t want it to be too feminine, right?”  Sugar asked as she pointed to a picture.

“Right.  I like those, Sweets,”  Kurt said, looking at the place cards she pointed out.

Seb raised his head, “I do, too.”  He thought for a second then asked Kurt, “You’re the designer… What colors are popular this year, but still have a classic feel?”

“Navy is very in.  I love it, actually.  I think navy, grey, cream… Maybe some blush, gold, or rose gold with it would be great.  Even some greens can be pulled in with some natural elements like succulents or sage. That would help keep it from being too overly feminine, but still add color and interest.”

“Sounds great to me,”  Seb nodded. He pointed to the screen, “I like that navy suit.”

“Me too, but if it’s okay with you, I don’t want any bow ties.”

Seb lifted his head and kissed Kurt on the shoulder, knowing exactly why he wouldn’t want bow ties, “Of course, Babe.”

Kurt created a wedding themed board , and together, they spent the afternoon pinning the ideas they found that they liked.  After looking through it all again, he said, “Do you notice anything?”

Sebastian and Sugar looked.  Sugar smiled, “Yep. You definitely have a ‘look’, whether you realized it or not.”

Kurt tilted his head a little and looked at the screen, “We do.”

Sebastian looked at him and grinned.  He was always so adorable. And hot. And sexy.  Seb laid his head back on Kurt’s shoulder and said, “I like it.  And as long as I’m marrying you, I’m happy.” 

~

Elliott was awakened from his sleep when Chris’ phone chimed.  He had taken upstairs with him to charge it while Chris was working out.  He opened his eyes slightly and looked over at the nightstand. He waited a second, letting himself wake up a little more before checking it.  He read the text, he sat up immediately and made his way downstairs.  

Sebastian, Kurt, and Sugar were still on the couch looking at wedding ideas on Pinterest.  When Elliott came down, Sugar looked up smiling, and started to ask him if he slept well, until she saw his face.  Her smile fell, “What’s the matter?”

He looked concerned as he answered, “Chris got another text from Owen.”  He read it to them…

From Owen:

Why the hell did you not show up at Cheer today!?  You have to go to practice, Chris. I have given you enough time.  I have given you enough warnings. You HAVE to get your ass to Cheer, NOW!!!

Sebastian was frowning,  “I’m calling the detective back.”  He got up to get his phone.

Elliott nodded, “I think it’d be best if Chris came back up here.  I’m going to get them.” Sebastian nodded in agreement.  

Sugar grabbed Kurt’s hand as they listened to Sebastian’s end of the conversation he was having with Detective Shaw.

“Detective Shaw, this is Sebastian Smythe.  I wanted to let you know of a couple of new texts that Chris has gotten from Owen.  I was also wondering if you had heard anything from the police department in Wyoming.”

He answered, “I have, actually.  I was getting ready to call you soon.  They are extremely interested in this case.  They are sending out one of their detectives this afternoon.  They should be here by early evening. Would it be okay if I brought them by once they arrive?”

“That would be just fine,”  Sebastian answered. 

Detective Shaw asked what the new texts said, and Sebastian told him.  He sighed, “I definitely wouldn’t go anywhere tonight. You still have security with you?”

Seb nodded, “Yes.  We have one guy in the lobby along with building staff, and one guy that stays with Chris.  He’s in the gym now, but Elliott went to get him as soon as he got the text.”

“He left to go to the gym?”  

“Yes, but he didn’t leave the building.  There is a gym downstairs.”

“Oh, okay.  That makes me feel better.  Stay put, Mr. Smythe. I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Detective.”

Sebastian told Kurt and Sugar what the Detective had said.  They waited as patiently as possible for the guys to get back up to the penthouse.

~

Elliott went down to the lobby and told Malcolm about the new text.  He then took the other elevators to the floor with the gym. When he got off the elevator, Dustin was standing guard outside the gym doors.  He noticed the look on Elliott’s face right away.  

He frowned, “Everything okay?”

Elliott shook his head, “Not really.  Owen texted again. He’s pretty pissed that Chris didn’t go to cheer today.  I think he needs to go back upstairs. Sebastian is calling Detective Shaw as we speak.”

Dustin nodded, “Good idea.  Why don’t you go get him. I’ll wait here for you guys to come back out.”

Elliott nodded and went in.  When he entered, Chris and Puck were laughing about something as the lifted some free weights.  He hated that he had to interrupt, and hated even more that he was going to take away the smile Chris was finally able to have again.

Chris and Puck seemed to notice Elliott at the same time.  Chris frowned, “What’s wrong?”

He sighed, “I think we all need to head back upstairs.”

Puck looked at Chris, then put his weights back.  Chris was just standing there. Puck took the weights out of Chris’ hands for him, and put them back as Elliott approached.  Elliott put his hand on Chris’ back, “Are you ready?” Chris nodded, but didn’t say anything. They headed out to the elevator, and along with Dustin, made their way back upstairs.

When they came into the living room, Sebastian asked Chris to sit down.  He looked at Elliott, and Elliott offered, “I haven’t said anything yet.”  Seb nodded.  

“Just tell me,”  Chris said quietly.

Elliott sat next to Chris and put his hand on his knee, “Owen texted again.  He’s upset you didn’t show up at Cheer. It seems he’s losing his patience. He seemed really upset.  I just think it’s best that you stay up here for the rest of the night.”

Chris nodded, “Okay.”  He sounded so tired.

Sebastian added, “I called Detective Shaw and let him know what was going on.  He said he spoke with a detective from the Wyoming department that’s been looking for their suspect who may be Owen.  They’re actually flying someone out as we speak. They’re going to come by later.” Chris nodded.

“Why don’t you go shower and try to rest, Chris.  I know you’re tired. Try to relax for now. We’ll all be here for you when they get here,”  Kurt said gently.

Chris nodded, and softly answered, “Thank you.”

After his shower, Chris took a nap with Elliott before dinner.  When they made it downstairs, everyone was putting the finishing touches on the food and the table.  Sugar looked up, “Feeling better, Hun?”

Chris went to her and wrapped his arms around her, “Yeah.  Thanks for getting dinner ready, guys.”

“It looks great,”  Elliott nodded.

As they sat and ate, Sugar talked to Kurt and Sebastian about the wedding.  Eventually, everyone joined in the conversation and it was a good distraction from Owen and the texts.  Kurt looked at Elliott, “So, if you’ve never been to Ohio, you might want to start preparing yourself now.”

Everyone chuckled.  He smiled, “Is it that bad?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  It’s a beautiful state, and it wasn’t that bad for anyone else.  I just had a hard time there. New York is a whole new world. But if you two go out together, you still have to be careful.  It’s not like here.”

“That’s true, but you’ll be okay,”  Sebastian said to Elliott. “We won’t be in Lima much.  Westerville is more accepting, and Columbus even more so.  But what he’s saying is definitely true about Lima.” Sebastian made a face.

“So, what about a bachelor party?” Puck asked with a smirk.  “I don’t know much about weddings, but I know a good party, soooo….”

Sugar rolled her eyes as she smiled, and Kurt and Sebastian laughed.  Seb smiled, “I’m sure there will be a party of some sort. But I can’t imagine having separate parties.  We have all the same friends, for the most part.”

“So, we only need to hire one striper?”  Elliott winked.  

Kurt chuckled, “How about no striper?”

“How about you do the stripping?”  Sebastian said to Kurt with a smirk and a wink.

“Any time, Bas.  Just not in front of anyone else,”  Kurt bounced his eyebrows and everyone smiled.

“Yeah, we had enough problems when everyone saw you at the pool,”  Sugar giggled.

“Now, I need to know about that…”  Elliott smiled.

Chris grinned, “A lot of people hadn’t seen Kurt with his shirt off in a really long time, or ever, and were shocked at their graduation party at how good he looks without all of his designer clothes on.”

“So no seeing all that goodness dancing all sexy for me?”  Seb smiled.  

Kurt just blushed a little and shook his head, “Only in the privacy of our bedroom.”

They had just sat down in the living room after cleaning up dinner, when the buzzer sounded.  Sebastian answered, “Yes, George?”

“Detective Shaw and Detective Murphy are here to see you.  I have checked their I.D.’s”

“Thank you.  Send them up.”

Detective Shaw entered with a small framed brunette woman, and introduced her as Detective Murphy.

“Please, have a seat,”  Kurt gestured to the two chairs they left open for them.  

“Thanks.  And thanks for agreeing to see me,”  Detective Murphy said.

“Of course,”  Sebastian nodded.  “Let me introduce you to everyone.”  He started with Chris, then made his way around the circle.  

They discussed Owen, his and Chris’ relationship, and all of the events that had taken place.  Detective Murphy told them what she could, which wasn’t much, about her case in Wyoming. Finally, she said, “I agree with Detective Shaw that keeping your phone number is what’s going to be best.  We need to be able to keep track of what he’s thinking, and possibly where he’s located. What I would like to do is have you go about your normal day tomorrow. You forward the texts to me. Detective Shaw and I will be close, as well as some of his men.  I want to catch this guy. I need you for this, Chris. You’ll have me, plain clothed NYPD, and your security guard with you. I know it may seem like we’re using you as bait, but really we’re just taking advantage of what’s already happening.”

Chris looked at Elliott, who nodded and squeezed his hand a bit, “And I’ll still walk to class as much as I did yesterday.”

“I will, too,”  Puck added.  

Chris looked at Dustin.  He nodded, “I’ll be right by your side.  And Puck and Elliott’s guys will be there too, when they are with you.”

Chris looked back at Detective Murphy, “Do you really think it’s him?”

She nodded, “I really do.”

Chris took a deep breath, “Okay.  I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

Detective Murphy smiled, “Thank you, Chris.  Garrett Clark and his family will be so grateful, too.  He’s waited a long time for justice to be served.”

“How is he doing?”  Kurt asked.

“He’s… recovering.  It’s been six months, and he has a long road ahead of him still.  Physical scars, and emotional scars, ya know?”

Kurt nodded, “I do.”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back to comfort him.  

She continued, “But he’s alive.  He’s with his family, who love him very much.  And he’s hoping to be able to go to college next year, so things are looking up.  If I can bring in Coleta… That would speed up his healing process, I’m sure. It’s hard for him not knowing where William is, and if he’ll attack again.”  She looked at Chris, who had visibly paled. She was afraid she had said too much, “You could be the key to solving this, Chris. And I promise you’ll be safe.”

Chris didn’t say anything, but nodded, nonetheless.  He was so nervous and scared.  

Once the detectives left, everyone settled down into somewhat of a nightly routine.  They worked on what little school work they could, showered, watched tv, or read. Dustin was replaced by Carson for the remainder of the night.  Downstairs, Malcolm was replaced by Rob. Both Dustin and Malcolm went home to get a good night’s sleep so they were prepared for morning.

Everyone but Sebastian, who was studying, was in the living room watching a movie.  When it ended, Kurt looked at Chris, “Why don’t you take some Melatonin or something to help you sleep.  It’s probably a good idea to head to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Okay,”  Chris nodded as he spoke quietly.  “Do you have any Melatonin?”

“I do.  Let me get it for you.”  Kurt got up to go get it.  

“I’d like some too, please,”  Elliott said.  

“Sure.”  Kurt grabbed the bottle and walked back over to each of them.  He shook one out onto each of their hands, “Just let it dissolve.”  He clicked the lid shut, “Please come get us if you need us, okay?”

“Kay,” Chris nodded.  “Thanks, Kurt.”

Kurt hugged him, “Of course.  Whatever you need, we’re here to help.  Love you.”

“Love you, too,”  Chris whispered. He and Elliott headed upstairs to bed.

Once Sugar and Puck went to bed, Kurt walked over to the office door.  He knocked, then peeked inside, “Bas?”

Sebastian was sitting behind his desk holding a framed picture of Kurt.  He looked up and grinned, “Hey, Babe.”

Kurt opened the door and walked over to Seb, “What are you doing?”

“Just thinking,”  Seb answered, looking down at the picture in his hands.

Kurt sat in his lap, “About what?”

He leaned forward as best he could, placing the picture on the desk again, “You.  Us. About how happy you make me, and how lucky I am. How lucky we’ve both been.”

Kurt kissed him on the forehead, “We are very lucky, Love.”

“I know we’ve been through a lot, but we are so fortunate that you pulled through everything.  It sounds like Garrett Clark is having a harder time. I’m so glad you’re as strong as you are.  You’re incredible.”

“Mmm, well, I’m lucky enough to have the best family and friends a guy could ask for.  It sounds like his parents love him. But if I only had Dad and Carol, things would have been a ton harder.”

“Yeah.  Like I said, we’re both so lucky.”

…………….

Chris woke up the next morning in Elliott’s arms.  He looked up at him as he slept, and thought about how amazing Elliott was.  Elliott had been there for him instantly, and didn’t leave his side when he needed him.  He was hoping this was going to last. He really liked him a lot, and already couldn’t imagine not having him there anymore.  He thought about when all of this was over, and he returned to his dorm. He was going to miss everyone so much, but especially Elliott.  It had only been a few nights, but he was already used to sleeping in the same bed as him.

Elliott began to stir, and tightened his grip on Chris, who in turn, smiled a little.  Elliott pulled back just enough to see if Chris was awake yet. When he saw Chris smiling up at him, he smiled in return, “Morning.”

“Morning,”  Chris said as he snuggled in a little closer.  “Did you sleep okay?”

“Pretty well.  The Melatonin helped.  How about you?”

“Better than I expected.”  At that moment, Chris’ alarm went off.  “Guess I’d better get up.”

Elliott kissed Chris on top of his head, “Okay.”  

By the time they made it downstairs, everyone was downstairs, including Carson, who stayed for breakfast, Dustin, TJ, Royce, Nolan, John, and Malcolm.  Sugar had made a huge breakfast for everyone.

“You didn’t need to go to all this trouble, Sugar,” Chris said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Yes, I did.  It’s how I cope.  I need to make sure my boys are fed and ready for their day. It’s all I can contribute, so it’s go big or go home.  Buuuuttt, I’m already home. Sort of. Oh, hell, just eat the damn food.”

They all chuckled as they ate or loaded their plates.  Elliott had his plate in one hand, and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, “You do a lot more than cook for us, Sugar.”  He kissed her on top of the head, then took his plate to the table. Puck looked at her winked.

Before everyone left, Sebastian pulled John into his office, “I saw the look on your face yesterday when James assigned you to Kurt. I don’t know why, but that made me happy.  I told you all yesterday, Kurt is my world, and I wasn’t kidding. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Everyone says I saved Kurt, but he also saved me. He means everything to me.  He’s the reason I breathe. If anything happens to him…” Sebastian couldn’t finish the sentence. He just shook his head at the thought.

John put his hand on Seb’s shoulder, “I’ve got this.  I promise I will have him home safe and sound by this evening.”

Sebastian nodded, “Good.  If something happens and he has a panic attack, put his hand on your chest and tell him to match your breathing.  Have him count from 10 to 0 backwards in his head. Speak clearly and calmly, and make him look you in the eye.”

“Does that happen often?”

“More often than we’d like, yes.  You can also call me and I can talk to him over the phone.  I’ll leave class, the hospital… Whatever I need to do.”

John nodded and pulled out his phone, as did Sebastian, and they exchanged phone numbers.  John looked at Sebastian again, “Try not to worry, Sebastian.”

Sebastian huffed out a laugh, “That’s easier said than done.”

Out in the living room, Dustin’s phone buzzed.  He looked at it, and read the text to everyone.

From Detective Murphy:

We’re ready when you are.

Chapter Text

“Are you ready?”  Dustin asked as he approached Chris.  

Chris took a deep breath and looked over at his family.  Puck gave an encouraging nod, “I’ll go with you to your first class, just like on Monday.  Elliott will be there to pick you up. It’ll be fine. We’ll meet you for lunch, too.”

“You can do this, Chris.  You’re stronger than he thinks.  You’re stronger than you think, too,”  Sebastian encouraged.

Chris nodded, then turned to Elliott who was standing next to him.  Elliott gave him an encouraging smile and rubbed his arm gently, trying not to hurt the bruises that were still visible on Chris’ arm.

Kurt approached him and grabbed both of his hands, “I want you to listen to me closely, okay?”  He waited for Chris to respond. When he nodded, he continued, “Bas is right. You are stronger than you think you are.  People like Owen and Blaine try to strip away everything that makes us who we are... Our friends. Our families. Our self confidence.  Our self worth. Our freedom. But you are stronger than he is, Chris. Not only are you physically strong, but you are mentally strong. You have what it takes to take him down, and make him pay.  Not only for what he did to Garrett, but what he did to Braylin, to me, and to you .  You have a small army of people here supporting you.  We’ll do anything you need. He has no one, Chris. No one.  You can do this.”

Chris let go of Kurt’s hands and pulled him into a tight hug.  He closed his eyes and mentally built up the strength he needed to let go.  “Okay. I can do this.” He let go and turned to Dustin, “I’m ready.”

~

Chris and Puck exited the building with Dustin and Malcolm following casually behind them in all appearances, but they were on high alert.  They made their way down to the subway, and waited for their train. Chris looked around nervously. Puck put his hand on his shoulder, “It’ll be okay.  Try to relax a little.” Chris didn’t say anything in return, but nodded that he heard what Puck said.  

By the time they made it to their stop, Chris was feeling a little better.  They stopped in front of his classroom. He looked at Dustin, wondering what came next.  Dustin answered the unasked question, “I can wait in the hallway just outside the door, or I can go in with you.  I prefer to wait by the door, but I don’t care if it’s inside or outside, as long as this is the only entrance/exit.  That part is up to you. If you want me to wait out here, I’ll go in and make sure he’s not inside first since Malcolm can stay with you.”

“Check inside, then you can wait out here,”  Chris said quietly.  

“You got it,”  Dustin said, making his way into the classroom.  Chris stayed in the hallway with Puck and Malcolm until Dustin came back out.  “There’s two men, neither of whom are caucasian, and a couple of girls. All clear.”

Chris nodded, “Okay.   He turned back to Puck and hugged him, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.  Elliott will be here when you leave, and I’ll see in again after a while.”

Chris nodded, then turned and went into the classroom.  He sat and got his books out, thankful for a few minutes of normalcy.  Other students came in, and each time, Chris nervously looked to make sure it wasn’t Owen.  He eventually felt a bit more comfortable, and was able to somewhat pay attention in class.

When class was over, Chris waited until last to exit the classroom.  He was happy to see Elliott waiting in the same spot against the wall where he had been two days prior.  

“Hey,”  Elliott smiled.  

“Hi,”  Chris said, then leaned up and kissed Elliott on the cheek.  

“We’ve got about an hour.  What do you want to do? Do you have homework you need to work on?”  

“Yeah.  Can we head over to one of the lounges at the Kimmel Center ?  Maybe one of the balconies on the second floor?”

“Sounds good.  I have some reading I want to finish.”

They headed over to Kimmel Center with Royce and Dustin.  Settling into some seats by the large windows to the balcony.  Chris nervously said, “Maybe we shouldn’t sit somewhere so out in the open.”

“You don’t want to hide from him, Chris,”  Dustin said as he placed a hand on Chris’ leg that he was bouncing nervously.

“Yeah, I kinda do,”  Chris mumbled. His phone buzzed, and his eyes widened.

Dustin calmly said, “Go ahead and check it.  It’ll be alright.” 

Chris pulled out his phone and read the text to everyone.  His voice was shaking as he read…

From Owen:

WTF?!  First, you skip your classes and cheer yesterday.  And now, you’re still hanging out with that asshole?  He had no right to put his hands on you at the party. And who are those other guys?  I’ve never seen them before. You’re being a fucking slut, Chris. Your “family” is ruining you.  Come back and let me take care of you.  

Elliott and Royce were looking around, trying to see if they saw Owen, but they didn’t.  Dustin pulled out his phone and texted Detective Murphy. She reassured him that there were plenty of officers around.  Dustin quietly relayed the information to Chris, Elliott, and Royce before texting the rest of the security team.

~

Kurt and John made their way to Parson’s.  He looked at John, wondering if he should ask what he really wanted to know.  

John chuckled, “What?”

Kurt didn’t look away.  He just raised an eyebrow, “Why is it that Sebastian seems to think you were happy to be assigned to me?”

“I’ve never heard you call him ‘Sebastian’ before.”

“Hmm, well, I do sometimes when I’m referring to him.  But I don’t call him Sebastian when I’m talking to him.”

“I’ve noticed you call him other things besides ‘Bas’, too.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes a bit.  He had a feeling that John had heard him call Sebastian ‘Sir’, but that was not John’s business, nor was it his right to bring it up.  He cocked his hip a bit and sassed, “Surely you’re referring to when I call him ‘Love’.”

John pursed his lips, knowing he had pushed it, “That’s exactly what I was referring to.”

Kurt nodded, letting it go for now, “Yes, I call him ‘Love’.  I gave him the pet name after our trip to Disney World, when a woman in the UK pavilion called him ‘Love’ after he helped her.  It fits.” He shrugged his shoulders. He paused, then said, “You didn’t answer my question.”

John looked away, “You remind me of my sister.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, and questioningly said, “Thanks?  I know I’m not a ‘manly man’ in all outward appearances, but…”

John shook his head, then took a deep breath, “Your story, what little I know about it, reminds me of my sister’s story.  I wasn’t here to help her when she needed me the most. I was still enlisted, and I was overseas. So, if I can be there for someone who has been in the same situation, then I will be.  I asked James to assign me to you.”

“I’m sorry your sister had to go through anything like what I did.  Is she okay now?”

John shook his head and averted his eyes, “No.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said softly.  He was grateful when the subway stopped.  They both needed to move past the subject.

When they approached Kurt’s classroom, John asked, “Do you want me to wait inside the classroom, or stay in the hall?”

Kurt thought about it for a few seconds, then answered, “Inside.  It’s got more than one entrance.”

“Done.”

John waited by the doors, and Kurt took his seat next to Channing.  He knew she would ask questions, so he said, “The guy by the door is John.  He’s my security, and he’ll be with me until they catch Owen. Things have gotten pretty bad with him, so Sebastian hired security for the two of us, Chris and Elliott, and Puck and Sugar.”  

Channing frowned, “Exactly how bad has it gotten?  When you wanted me to save my notes for you, I thought it was just because you were sick.”

“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,”  Kurt went on to give her a brief explanation of the events that happened since Sunday.  

“I’m so sorry.  That guy is an ass.  I didn’t like the way he looked at you, or the way he manhandled Chris.”

“Yeah.  That’s why John is here.”

When the professor entered, Kurt quickly went to her and explained that he had personal security with him until further notice.  She looked at him with concern, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  It’s just a precaution.  I have history, and…”

She put her hand up to stop him.  She could tell that he was becoming uncomfortable, “You don’t need to tell me.  It’s fine that he’s here. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Kurt nodded, “Thank you, Ms. Turpin.” 

At lunch, Kurt and Channing went to pick up the food then headed to Sugar Shack to join Sugar for lunch, and to help her with her window displays.  Kurt knocked when they arrived, and Nolan answered the door, letting the three of them in.  

“Hi.  Nolan, right?”  Kurt asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Oh, please, call me Kurt.  And this is our friend, Channing.”

“Nice to meet you,”  Nolan smiled. He was the smallest of all the security, but still quite muscular.  He had a definite military look about him. He locked the door once it was closed.

“You, too,” Channing smiled.  

John and Nolan greeted each other, as Sugar came out from the kitchen area.  She smiled, “Hi, Channing! I’m so glad you could make it. Thanks for agreeing to help with the windows.”  She smiled at Kurt and kissed him on the cheek as he handed her her lunch.

Channing smiled, “Absolutely.  You can pay me in a free muffin or cupcake once you’re open.”

Sugar chuckled, “Deal.  I think that’s a bargain.”

They ate lunch at the window counters, then set out to work on the holiday window displays.  Sugar showed them the sketches she had in mind, as well as all of the things that she had purchased.  Channing and Sugar were discussing what should be included, and what shouldn’t be, when Kurt went to the front window to measure it with the measuring tape he had in his bag.

John raised an eyebrow, “Do you always carry measuring tape with you?”

Kurt smirked, “Yes.  Yes, I do. I’m a fashion major.  It’s like carrying a calculator for someone majoring in accounting.”

John nodded, then looked around a bit more, “This place is really nice.  When does she open?”

“Right after Thanksgiving.  She and Noah will be living upstairs once their apartment is finished being refurbished.”

“Noah is Puck, I’m assuming?”  John questioned.

Kurt smiled and nodded, “Yes.  I refuse to call him ‘Puck’ when he was given a perfectly lovely name when he was born.” 

John chuckled at that then continued to watch out the windows by the countertop seating.  

Sugar, Channing, and Nolan came out of the back with armfuls of decor.  They set them on the counter, then the three of them got to work while Nolan joined John.  

John watched a man across the street.  He had dark hair that was mostly hidden under a ball cap.  He couldn’t see a lot of his face because of his sunglasses, but he could have sworn he had already seen the guy once already earlier that morning.  Although it wasn’t impossible, it was odd, considering the city is so big, and they weren’t in a place they had already been.  

John spoke quietly to Nolan, “Do you see the guy across the street with the blue baseball hat?  That’s him approaching the corner across the street,” John pointed.

“I see him now.  Are you concerned about him?”  Nolan asked.

“I could have sworn I saw him when we were outside Parson’s before Kurt’s classes started.”

“Call it in,”  Nolan said.  

John got out his phone and texted the security team, as well as Detectives Shaw and Murphy.

From John:

Suspicious man wearing a blue cap, sunglasses, denim jacket, and black jeans.  Dark hair. Pretty sure I’ve seen him twice at two different locations - Parsons and Sugar Shack.

~

Sebastian had just finished lunch with his friends.  He was headed to the library with Hayden and Krish, when he noticed TJ checking his phone.  He stopped walking and asked, “Everything okay?” Everyone stopped and looked at TJ, waiting for a response.  Sebastian had told them about what had been going on since the party.

TJ nodded, “Yeah.”  He looked up at Sebastian, “But John is concerned about someone he thinks he may have seen twice.  Once outside of Parsons. Once outside of Sugar Shack.”  

Hayden’s eyes widened slightly and looked at Sebastian.  Seb took a second to gather his thoughts, “I don’t understand.  What is so concerning?” Sebastian was so tired, and he was trying to wrap his brain around what TJ was saying, but his mind just seemed overwhelmed at the moment.

TJ shook his head, “Nothing happened.  He said he had dark hair, was wearing a blue cap, sunglasses, denim jacket and black jeans.  It’s just odd to have seen the same man in two completely different places in New York, all before lunch.  He just wants us to be aware in case we see someone matching that description. It could be Owen.”

Seb took a deep breath, “Yeah, he could have dyed his hair.  William had dark hair. It’s not out of the question.” He waited a second, “Does Kurt know about John seeing this guy?”

“I don’t know.  But knowing John, I would guess no.  He’s just hyper aware of these things.  It may be nothing, and there’s no sense in upsetting Kurt about it.”

“That’s true, Sebastian.  He might freak out. Don’t give him more of a reason to have a panic attack if you don’t need to.  He’s not alone,” Hayden agreed.

“Yeah, you’re right.”  He sighed, “This is just killing me, and I feel like I’m beginning to not be able to think straight.”  He paused as Hayden put his hand on his shoulder. “Alright, let’s get going.” They headed to the library to meet Grace.  Sebastian found it difficult to study, but his new friends did a good job of bringing him back to the present every time his mind wondered.  He was grateful for their understanding and patience. Before they left the library, he decided to text Kurt, but not say anything about the guy John had seen earlier.

To Babe:

Hey, Baby.  Just checking in.  Everything going okay?  I love you.

To Bas:

Everything is fine.  Channing and I took Sugar lunch and helped her with the window displays.  Everything has been normal, and my professors have been understanding about John being here with me.  I love you, too, Sir.

~

After Chris’ last class, Puck and Elliott both met him out in the hallway.  Royce and Malcolm were there, chatting quietly with Dustin, until they saw Chris. 
“It’ll be okay,”  Elliott said, approaching Chris.  He reached out and Chris went right into his arms.  He knew that Chris was extra nervous about going to cheer practice, since that was one of the things Owen seemed so focused on.  They didn’t need to discuss that they all knew Owen would be nearby, making sure Chris made it to practice. But that also meant that police would be on high alert.

They walked Chris to the Palladium, practically in silence.  The only thing anyone was saying were encouraging words for Chris.  When they got there, Dustin went in to check the locker room, while Chris waited with the others.

As they waited, Chris froze when his phone buzzed.  He looked at Elliott, then to Puck, then back to Elliott, pure fear clearly written on his features, “I...I…”. 

Elliott put a gentle hand on his face, “It’s okay.  I can check it if you want.” Chris didn’t say anything, but nodded.  Elliott noticed Chris’ hand shaking as he handed the phone to him.  

To Chris:

See, now you’re being a good slave, listening to your Master.  Good job. I’ll see you soon.

Chris paled as he listened to Elliott read the text.  He threw his hand over his mouth and ran into the locker room, with Elliott and Puck close behind.  Quickly pushing open a stall door, he threw up all the contents of his lunch.  

Dustin was immediately right there in the mix, seeing them rush in.  

“You okay, Chris?”  Puck asked. “Can I get you anything?”  Chris just shook his head.

Braylin frowned, watching, “What’s going on?  Chris if you’re still sick, you should go home.”

The comment was ignored, and Puck looked at Braylin, “Is there some bottled water around here or anything?”

Braylin looked Puck up and down quickly, “Yeah.  I’ll get you some.”

Out in the hallway, Malcolm was texting the security team about the new text from Owen.  

Royce looked at Malcolm when he finished, “I don’t know, man.  This place is huge, and it has so many entrances and exits. I think one of us should help Dustin out.”

“Yeah, I agree.  Let’s see what they want to do.  Hopefully Chris can even stay. He’s a mess.  That text sent him over the edge.”

Royce nodded, “Yeah.  They need to catch this guy soon .” 

Braylin came back with water for Chris.  He handed it to him and then looked at Dustin, “And who might you be?”  His tone was flirty, and it was very obvious.

Puck frowned, “Are you seriously flirting right now?  This is Dustin. He’s Chris’ security guard. This shit with Owen, or Liam, whoever…it’s serious, Braylin.  He’s sending nasty, threatening texts, and he’s been watching. You need to watch your back, too.”

Braylin took a deep breath, “Okay.  I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize it had gotten that bad.”  Braylin shrugged and looked at Chris apologetically. Then he smirked, “At least you have three hot guys fawning all over you.”  He bounced his eyebrows.  

Elliott shook his head, “You don’t stop, do you?”  Braylin winked at him and shook his head ‘no’.  

Puck rolled his eyes as he muttered to Chris, “And I thought you were a flirt.”

They all kind of chuckled, and it was a nice little break from seriousness for Chris.  Braylin looked at Dustin, complete disappointment in his voice, “You’re straight, aren’t you?  You look kind of uncomfortable.”

Dustin nodded, “I am.  But don’t take any offense to it.  I’m uncomfortable when girls flirt with me too.  I’m just a deer in the headlights either way. Which is why I’ll be single forever.”

They chuckled again, and Elliott added, “I don’t know.  You know Kurt now…”

They decided that Malcolm would stay at the Palladium with Chris and Dustin.  They both stayed in the gym as the squad practiced, with one positioned on either end of the court.

It had been hard for Elliott to leave Chris there, but they both knew it was what had to be done.  Elliott promised to be back to escort him home, and then he, Puck, and Royce were on their way to self defense class.

~

Because they had taken Chris to practice, there wasn’t time for them to hang out in Washington Square like normal, but they did meet there.  Puck and Elliott arrived first, as usual. Sebastian and Sugar approached holding hands, as they often did. A few minutes later, Kurt and John arrived.

“Hey, Baby,”  Sebastian greeted as he wrapped his arms around Kurt. “Did the rest of your day go well?”

Kurt smiled up at him.  He knew how worried Sebastian was.  “It was just fine. How was yours? Everything go okay?”

Seb nodded, “Yep.  Nothing unusual.” He looked at Puck and Elliott, “How is Chris doing?”

Ellliott sighed and shook his head, “He’s a mess.  That last text got him so upset that he ran to the locker room and threw up.”

“What did it say?”  Sugar asked. Elliott told them.  Sugar sat on Puck’s lap, “They need to catch him soon.  This is going to do some serious damage to Chris if they don’t.”  She looked at Puck, “Where is Malcolm?”

“We all thought it would be best if he stayed with Dustin and Chris.  The Palladium is a big place with lots of ways in and out.”

Seb nodded, “That was a good call.  Are you guys ready?” They all nodded, and everyone silently made their way over to the community room of the library.  

Before class started, Sugar hugged Jenna and quietly filled her in on what was happening.  She had been extra worried about Chris because the two of them normally met in between classes on Wednesdays, but Chirs had told her that he didn’t want her to get too close to him until Owen was caught.  He said he couldn’t handle it if something happened to his girlfriend just because she was spending time with him.  

Everyone in class greeted Kurt and Sebastian, asking Kurt if he was okay.  They had all worried about him after seeing Owen shove him and watching Kurt have a panic attack at the party.  He assured them that he was doing just fine. They all asked about Chris, then all eyes went to Elliott.

Elliott told them, “He’s been having a hard time.  Owen has been texting things. Threatening and personal things.  That’s why you see extra people here tonight. Sebastian hired security for us.  That’s all I think we need to share at this point, but we thank you for your concern.”

Bahati smirked, looking at Elliott,  “Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to share with us?”

Elliott frowned a bit and shook his head.  Kurt cleared his throat and gave him a look.  Elliott looked confused, then suddenly realized, “Oh!”  He blushed a little, but was smiling, “Chris and I are officially a couple now.”  The entire class clapped, happy that Elliott had someone who could bring that kind of smile to his handsome face.  

~

Class had proceeded as normal.  When it was over, Elliott and Royce headed back to the Palladium to wait on Chris.  He had gotten his friend Dani to cover his shifts at the record shop for the rest of the week.  Puck, Sugar, and Nolan headed back to the penthouse. Sebastian and TJ accompanied Kurt and John to Vogue. 

Outside of the Vogue building, Sebastian stood and hugged Kurt for several long seconds, “Please be extra careful, Babe.”

“I will be, Bas.  I know you’re worried, but I’ll be fine.  John and I can even take a cab home after work, if that will make you feel better.” 

Seb nodded, “It would.  The less time you're out and about in public, the better.”

“Okay, I’ll do that.  I gotta go, Love. You should be careful too, okay?  Take a cab or an Uber?”

“I will.  I’ll see you at home for dinner.”  He gave Kurt one last kiss, then was on his way to the hospital.

Upstairs in Vogue, Kurt headed straight to Isabelle’s office, with John in tow.  She smiled and looked up at him, “Hey, Kurt!” She frowned a bit when she noticed John.

“Hi.  I hope you don’t mind, but this is John.  He’s my security guard.” Isabelle frowned deeper, then started to speak, but Kurt beat her to it, “I’m fine.  Some things happened recently with a friend and his now ex. He assaulted both of us over the weekend, and has been sending him threatening texts.  We think he has a history of violence, and there are police actively looking for him right now because of that. I’d rather not go into too much detail, but Sebastian is extra protective because of, well, my history.  So he hired some security.  I promise John won’t get in the way.  He’s just here in case my friend’s ex shows up.”

Isabelle was still frowning, “Do you think he will?”

Kurt shrugged, “I doubt he would come inside, but he already showed up outside of Noah’s work.”

“Dear God, Kurt, are you okay? Is Noah okay? Is this why you couldn’t come in yesterday?”

Kurt nodded and took a deep breath in, “I really am fine.  So is Noah. I won’t say I’m not nervous. But I’m mostly worried about our friend.  He’s having a hard time with it. But me, I… I really think I’m okay. Now, when it’s all over, that may be a whole different story.  But right now… I’m okay.”

Isabelle nodded, trying to understand.  She had always had a feeling that Kurt had been through a lot before he came to New York.  She knew he didn’t want to share, but she really wished there was a way to help him if he needed it.  She looked at John where he stood in the doorway, “Well, John, it’s nice to meet you.”

“You too, ma’am,”  John nodded.

“Now, what would you like me to start with?”  Kurt asked.

Isabelle focused back on the papers all over her desk, “Well, you could help me organize this, and then start making some phone calls.”

“You got it,”  Kurt said, happy to have some more normal.

John, ever the observer, had watched Kurt work.  He saw the faces of people around them as Kurt interacted with them.  Some seemed relieved when they saw Kurt, knowing he was going to make things better for them in whatever way they needed him to.  Some gave looks of pure admiration and respect. He saw how some seemed too snooty to even acknowledge Kurt when he entered their work space, or vice versa.  He liked how that didn’t seem to phase Kurt one bit.  

One person in particular, really ate at John.  He noticed the guy in his 30’s, and the way he would look at Kurt.  He would walk by where Kurt was standing and check out his ass. He would glance up at him from across the room, and look at him for just a bit too long.  John wondered if the guy realized that he was there seeing all of this. It’s not as if he was following Kurt everywhere. He often stayed off to the side and watched.  Sometimes he was so far away that he couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could always see, and was always close to the elevators in case Owen showed up. The only time he followed Kurt was when he left the large work area and headed to the copy room or to another office on a different floor to deliver something for Isabelle.

As he watched, he wondered if Kurt realized this guy was such a creeper.  He got his answer when he saw the man approach. It was around 5:30, and most of the employees had gone home for the day.  Kurt was standing, leaning over a high counter by the secretary’s desk, placing a copy of Isabelle’s schedule there. John was about 20 feet away.  The guy approached, leaning in behind Kurt to place his own schedule on the desk. He was nearly touching Kurt from hip to shoulders. John straightened himself, ready to act, fists clenched.

Without even turning to look, Kurt said, “Mr. Madison, I’d appreciate it if you would back up and give me some space.”

Chase straightened, but did not back up, “Oh, Kurt, you know you can call me Chase.  You smell great, by the way.”

“Okay, Chase .  Back.  Up,” Kurt demanded.  John took a few steps closer, but Chase still didn’t seem to realize he was there.  

Chase backed up a couple of steps and put his hands up in surrender.  He chuckled, and the sound went right through Kurt. With a slight chuckle still on his lips, Chase said, “Come on, Kurt.  I just want to get to know you better.” He smirked, “I think I could really introduce you to the city. I could show you whatever you wanted to see.  Take you wherever you want to go.  I know you’re from a small town in the mid-west. Let me show you what city life can be like for us adults.”

Kurt had a smirk of his own, “Adults?”

“Yes, adults.  I mean, your boyfriend is hot as hell, but we all know you two are fresh out of high school.  How much can he have to offer?” Kurt was full on smiling now, and Chase continued, “Let me show you New York… the world, if you want.  Let me show you the fashion industry. Let me show you how to really make it in this town.”

Kurt’s smile lessened at that, but did not disappear.  He narrowed his eyes a bit, “Well, Chase, here’s the thing… I’ve seen this city.  I’ve already been taken to the places I wanted to go.  This small town man from the mid-west lives in a penthouse with his ‘hot as hell’ fiance who has already shown him the world.  There’s nothing you can offer me that he hasn’t already given me time and time again.  And I’m not just talking monetarily, either.  He could be dirt poor, and I would love him just the same.  He would have still shown me the world either way. And adult? Please, he has more man in his little finger than you do in your entire body.  You reek of adolescent child.  I can smell it coming out of every fiber in you.  And when it comes to the fashion industry… I’ll let my talent and hard work speak for itself.”

Kurt started to walk away, but Chase grabbed his wrist.  John was headed for him fast. Kurt turned his body and swung his arm the way the Elliott had shown him in class.  Just as he broke free from the grip, John had Chase pinned up against an adjacent wall.  

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Chase yelled.

“Did he look like he wanted your hands on him?”  John growled.

Isabelle had come running, “What happened!?”  She looked at Kurt, “Are you okay?”

Kurt was starting to breathe heavy and didn’t respond.  He stared at Chase with huge eyes.  

“Go anywhere near him, and I will take you down,”  John spat in his ear. He turned and went to Kurt. He put his hands on Kurt’s shoulders, and blocked Kurt’s view of Chase, “You’re okay.  Take deep breaths.”

Isabelle didn’t take her eyes off Kurt, but said, “Chase.  My office. Now.” Chase said nothing, but did as he was told.

Kurt wasn’t quite in a full blown panic attack, but he was on his way.  John took his hand and put it on his chest like Sebastian had told him. “Even out your breathing, Kurt.  Match mine. Look at me.” Kurt searched the room for a minute, but his eyes found John’s seconds later. “That’s it.  Nice and even. Do your counting.  Breathe nice and even.” John could see the moment that Kurt came back from the place in his head that he was getting lost in.  Kurt’s eyes focused, and his breathing became even and steady. “That’s it.”

“Better?” Isabelle asked.

Kurt nodded and looked at her apologetically, “Sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear another apology come out of your mouth, Kurt,”  she said firm, but gently. “I’m sorry that Chase obviously was his idiotic self again.  Here’s what I want you to do. Go home. Take the rest of the week off. Obviously, you have a lot going on right now.  I’m going to deal with Chase. I’m going to listen to what he has to say, and then I’d like to talk to both of you to get your side.”  Kurt nodded, but Isabelle continued, “Just so we’re clear… I’m doubtful you are in the wrong here, so I do NOT want you to worry about that.  I simply need to hear both sides so I can figure out how pissed off I should really be.”  

Kurt nodded again, “Okay.”

“Go home to that handsome fiance of yours.  I’ll see you next week.” Isabelle squeezed his shoulder gently, then went to deal with Chase.  

John looked at Kurt, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.  Let’s get our coats quickly.  I need to get out of here.”  

After grabbing their coats, they got on the elevator and headed downstairs.  

“You know, I have to call Sebastian,”  John looked at Kurt to see how he would react.  

Kurt didn’t look up, but quietly answered, “I know.”

“I’m impressed with that move you did to get out of his grip,”  John said, almost cheerfully, trying to lift Kurt’s spirits.

Kurt nodded a little, and replied, “Elliott taught us in class.”

“Well it was a great move.  And even more impressive is that you remembered how to do it when you were in the moment, Kurt.  That was great.”

They exited the elevator in silence, and once outside, John hailed a cab.  Kurt sat and looked out the window silently as John gave the address the cabbie, and then dialed Sebastian’s number.

“What happened?!”  Sebastian asked, nearly panicked himself.

“He’s okay.  It was a guy at work.”

“Dammit!  Chase. What did that bastard do?!”

“He said some things and then grabbed Kurt’s wrist when Kurt started to walk away.  Kurt used a move from class to get free and I had that asshole against the wall in no time.  Kurt started to have a panic attack, but we got it under control pretty quickly. Isabelle sent him home.”  John listened as Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to control his anger.  

“Okay,”  Seb sighed.  “Can you put him on?”

“Sure thing,”  John answered, then handed the phone to Kurt. He was still looking out the window, but turned slightly and took the phone.

“Hi.”

“Hey, Baby.  Are you okay?  Did he hurt you?”

“No.  I’m fine.”

“Hmm.  Well, I’m leaving here as soon as I can, and I’ll meet you at home.  I’m proud of you for using what we’ve learned in class, Baby.”

“Thank you, Sir,”  Kurt said quietly. John heard, but made no reaction.  He minded his own business and looked out his side window.

“You’re welcome.  I’ll see you soon.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  Kurt hung up and handed the phone to John.  Not another word was said for the remainder of the car ride.

When they got home, Nolan was standing guard by the elevators.  When they got upstairs, Puck was on the couch typing an assignment for class, and Sugar was preparing dinner.  

Puck looked up and frowned, “What’s wrong, Princess?”  Kurt didn’t say anything, but headed straight for him. Puck put his laptop on the coffee table and Kurt sat in his lap.  He kicked off his shoes, then slid down so that his legs were draped over Puck and wrapped his arms around his neck. Puck held on tight.  He kissed the side of Kurt’s head, “What’s going on? What happened? You’re home early.”

“Isabelle sent me home.”

Sugar frowned and made her way over to them, “Why?”

“Chase.”

Puck growled, “What the fuck did that asshole do?”

John frowned, “Not his first offense?”

“It’s the first time he grabbed me.”  Kurt still had his head buried in Puck’s shoulder.

“He what?!”  Puck pulled back to look at Kurt.  “He fucking touched you?”

“He grabbed my wrist when I tried to walk away.”

The elevator doors opened, and Sebastian came running in.  TJ was right behind him, but entered at a much slower pace.

Kurt looked up, “Bas!”  He reached for him, and Sebastian sat next to Puck and pulled Kurt into his lap.  He held him for a minute, “What happened, Baby? Are you okay?”

Kurt repeated what he had just told Puck, “He grabbed my wrist when I tried to walk away.”

Sebastian nodded, “I know, Baby, but what happened leading up to that?”

Kurt was quiet, but everyone could still hear, “He got really close to me, leaning in behind me.  He was almost touching, but not quite. I told him to back up. He didn’t at first, but then he did after I repeated myself.  He said he wanted to show me the city and the world the way an adult could. Said stuff about me being from a small town and just out of high school, and how you were hot, but what could you really offer me.  He said he wanted to show me the way the fashion industry really works…”

Sebastian was closing his eyes, trying to remain calm.  Sugar frowned, “Was he alluding to helping you make it in the industry if you gave in?”

“I think so, yes,” Kurt answered.  

“Sounds like sexual harassment to me,”  Sugar said, crossing her arms.

“What was your response?”  Puck asked.  John smirked at the memory.

Kurt shrugged, “I told him I’ve already seen the city and the world.  I told him that there’s nothing I could ever want, material or not, that Bas hasn’t already given me.  I told him that I would make it in the fashion industry based on talent and hard work.” Sebastian rubbed his back as he spoke.

John said, “You did an awesome job of telling him like it is, Kurt.  My favorite part was when he kept stressing the point about him being an adult, and you said that Sebastian ‘has more man in his little finger than he does in his entire body'.  You told Chase that he ‘reeked of adolescent child’, and that you could ‘smell it coming out of every fiber in him’.” 

Everyone chuckled, and Sebastian said, “God, I would have loved to have seen that.  You know how I love when you do that.” Kurt smiled a little and kissed Seb on the cheek.

Sebastian became serious again, “And when you went to walk away, he grabbed your wrist?”

Kurt nodded and answered quietly, “Yes, Sir.”

John continued, “He did some move that he said Elliott taught you guys in class.  I had him pinned against the wall within seconds. Isabelle came out, and Kurt was starting to have a panic attack.  I told Chase that if he went anywhere near Kurt, I’d take him down, then I went to help get his breathing under control.  He was better within a minute or two.”

Sebastian nodded, “Thank you, John.”  He turned back to Kurt a little, “What did Isabelle say?”

Kurt explained what she had said, then added, “So she may be calling here later?  I don’t know.”

Seb took a deep breath, “Okay, Babe.  I’m sure it will all work out just fine.  She already knows how Chase is with you.” Kurt nodded, but didn’t say anything. 

The oven beeped, and Sugar went to take dinner out of the oven, “TJ and John, can you stay for dinner?”

TJ smiled, “I would normally say ‘no’, but that smells too good to pass up.”

John nodded, “That would be nice, thank you.  I’d like to see if Isabelle still wants to talk to me, and I’d like to see how things went for Chris and Elliott.”

“Yeah, they should be home any minute.”

~

After self defense class, Royce went back to Elliott’s apartment with him.  He was going to get his mail and check on things. They sat in the living room and talked while Elliott sorted his mail.  They both went silent when Royce’s phone rang.

He looked at Elliott, “It’s James.”  He looked back down at his phone and answered, “Hey, James.”

“Hey, where are you guys right now?”

“We’re at Elliott’s apartment, waiting for Chris to be finished with practice.  Malcolm and Dustin are both there with him.”

“Okay.  Either Detective Murphy or Detective Shaw will be calling Elliott in a few minutes.  Have him put it on speaker, so you can hear. They have a plan, since Owen hasn’t shown, but is obviously watching.”

“Okay, I’ll let him know.”  Royce hung up and relayed the message to Elliott.  

A few minutes later, Detective Murphy called, and Elliott put it on speaker, “How are you holding up, Elliott?”

“I’m doing okay.  I’m just worried about Chris.”

“I understand.  I know this can’t be easy on him, and I don’t want to drag this out and just wait on William, or Owen, as you know him, forever.  I have a plan, but it’s going to take your full cooperation. Can you act?”

Elliott frowned, “Umm, yeah, I guess.  Why?”

“I want  you to act like you’re mad at Chris-”

“No,”  Elliott interrupted.

“But this will pay off in the end.  Hear me out.”

“No.  I’ll act, but Chris has to be in on it.  I won’t act like I’m mad at him, or start a fight, or whatever you were going to ask me to do, unless he’s in on it.  He’s extremely fragile right now. He’s counting on me to be there for him and give him strength. I will not deny him that or break that trust.”

Detective Murphy sighed, “Do you think Chris will be able to act like he’s fighting with you?”

Elliott shrugged, “I don’t know.  But that’s the only way I’m willing to do whatever it is you’re wanting me to do.”

“Okay,”  Detective Murphy said, “I will get ahold of Dustin.  If Chris agrees, then we’ll give you the details then.”  She hung up.

Elliott sighed and flopped back into the couch.  He looked at Royce, “Do you think I made the right choice?”

Royce nodded, “I do.  And the only reason I say that is because you didn’t hesitate.  Your first instinct is that it would hurt Chris, so you said ‘no’.  So, it was probably the right choice.”

Dustin took the call from Detective Murphy and spoke to her about the plan while Chris was finishing up practice. Once the cheerleaders were in the locker room, Dustin pulled both Chris and Braylin aside, while Malcolm stood guard outside the door.  When he finished telling them the plan, he looked at Braylin, “Do you think you can put your flirting powers to good use?”

Braylin made a face, “Of course I can.  Have you seen his boyfriend? I will have no problem flirting with that fine specimen of a man.”

Chris gave him a dirty look, “This is just for pretend, Braylin.  And please don’t make this harder on me.  I’m scared to death.”

Braylin became serious and placed a comforting hand on Chris' shoulder, “I know, Sweetie.  We’ve got this. You know I’ve got your back.” 

Chris nodded, and Dustin sent out the go ahead text.  Detective Murphy texted everyone and informed them of the plan. Now, they just had to put it into action.

Chapter Text

“What the fuck was that all about, Chase?”  Isabelle said as she angrily shut the door to her office.  “I told you not to push it, and twice, you pushed anyway.”

Chase frowned, “Twice?”  

“Yes!  After you so blatantly checked Kurt out, even winking at him, on the day you met him… I warned you.  Then you pushed it when his fiance was here, and you just pushed it again.”

“I did no such thing.  I was simply talking to Kurt, and that big oaf had to manhandle me.  It should be them that you’re upset with.  Not me.”  Chase stuck his nose in the air, and feigned confidence.  

Isabelle immediately wanted to knock him down a peg or two.  “You weren’t manhandled, Chase.  I don’t know what happened before that, but I saw what John did.  He didn’t do anything unnecessary.”

Chase interrupted, “John?”

Isabelle looked at him like she was exhausted from talking to a toddler, “Yes, Chase.  John.  He’s Kurt’s security guard.”

Chase looked surprised and confused.  “Why would Kurt need a security guard?”

“I only know a little bit of the story, and I’m not willing to share it with you.  It’s none of your business.  But I know for a fact that the only way John would have had you pinned against the wall is if you crossed the line somehow… again.  So tell me your side of the story.  I’ll ask Kurt and John separately, then I’ll decide what to do.”

Chase frowned, “What to do?”

Isabelle’s eyes widened for a split second at the pure stupidity of the man sitting in front of her.  She rolled her eyes and spoke slowly like she was speaking to a toddler again, “Yes.  What to do.  You aren’t at a club, Chase.  You’re at Vogue.  A professional business that doesn't take kindly to sexual harassment.  At least not when I’m in charge.  So tell...me...what...happened.”

Chase huffed and looked to the side a bit.  He said, “I may have gotten a little too close to him by his standards.  But that’s it.”

Isabelle narrowed her eyes a bit, “Did you touch him?”

“No.  He asked me to back up, and I did.”

“What did you say to him?”

Chase thought for a second, then answered, “I told him that I could show him around town.  That I knew he was from a small town, and that I could show him the city.  I was being nice, Isabelle.”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she evaluated the man in front of her, “Are you sticking to that, Chase?  Is that your story?”

He frowned at her and made a face, “Yes!  That’s what happened.”

“What was Kurt’s response to you being ‘nice’?”

“He told me that he’s already seen the city.”

“And what did you do to make John pin you to the wall?  I’m sure that offering to show Kurt the city was not it.”

Chase took a deep breath, “I may have grabbed his wrist when he started to walk away."  He got frustrated, "I wasn’t finished with our conversation.”

Isabelle frowned at him, “You have no right to touch another employee, Chase.  None.  And you know damn well that Kurt isn’t interested in you, yet you pushed anyway.  Go home.  I don’t even want to look at you right now.  I’ll let you know what I decide.”

Chase wordlessly got up and left the office.  Isabelle sat back in her chair and sighed.  She needed to talk to Kurt and John.

~

Elliott and Chris left the Palladium holding hands.  They were bundled in their coats and scarves, and Chris was wearing an NYU hat with the bill fairly low.  Royce was in front of them by several feet, and Dustin stayed a couple of feet behind them.  Chris was talking to Elliott in a hushed tone, with a deep frown.  Elliott rolled his eyes, looking quite annoyed, but didn’t say anything in return.  

They were nearly to the corner of the block when Braylin came jogging up to them, sans coat.  He grabbed Elliott’s other hand, placed a folded piece of paper in it.  He winked and then started walking backwards, letting go of Elliott’s hand as he put distance between them.  “My number!” he called.  He shrugged, and glanced at Chris before looking at Elliott again, “For when you’re ready to move on.  I’ll be waiting!”  He smiled and bit his lip as he turned to walk away again. Elliott smiled a little at him and quickly checked him out from head to toe, and back up again.

Chris glared at Elliott and pulled his hand away in a huff, “What the hell was that?!”

Elliott shrugged, “Nothing, Babe.  It’s just a phone number.”

Chris frowned, “Don’t call me ‘Babe’.”  

They walked in a brooding silence for a couple of blocks, then got on the subway to head home.

Braylin returned to the Palladium and headed into the locker room.  “How did it go?” Malcolm asked.  

“Fine, I think?  Hopefully this works.”  

“Yeah.  Are you ready to go?  I’ll take you to your dorm, then I gotta head back to the Hummel-Smythe’s.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.  You act like they’re already married.”

“They might as well be,”  Malcolm shrugged.

~

Back at the penthouse, Sebastian went to answer the buzzer when it sounded.  “Yes, George?”

“Detective Shaw is here to see you, Sir.  He will have another officer with him, but I was instructed not to check their IDs so that they can sneak by from the garage as quickly as possible.  However, I’m sure garage security has checked it.”

“That’s fine, George.  Send them up.  Thanks.”

A couple of minutes later, a man with the same build and hair color as Chris came into the room, accompanied by Detective Shaw.  Shaw nodded in greeting, then made introductions, “This is Officer Fontanella.  He looks enough like Chris that he’ll be taking over the last part of this whole shindig tonight.  We’re really hopeful.  Our under cover guys said that Elliott, Chris, and that other cheerleader, really did a good job on their way out of the Palladium.  Let’s hope Elliott can keep that up a little longer.”

Chris, Elliott, Dustin, and Royce all exited the subway in the same order they had left the Palladium.  Chris walked without touching Elliott, and had a slight frown.  Elliott acted like he was trying to keep up and miserably going along for the ride.  

When they approached the building, Raymond opened the door, “Welcome home, Mr. Carnes.  Mr. Gilbert.”

“Thanks,”  Chris said, grumpily.

Elliott sighed, “Yeah.  Thanks.”  

As soon as they entered the elevator, Chris melted into Elliott.  Elliott held him, “You did such a good job, Chris.  Damn, I don’t ever want you to be that mad at me for real.  You did so well.”

“You really did,”  Dustin encouraged, and Bryce agreed.

Chris began crying, “God, I hope this is over soon.  Thank you so much for helping me.” 

“Hey,”  Elliott pulled back to look Chris in the eyes.  He wiped his tears with his thumbs.  The doors opened, but they stayed where they were, “Of course I’m going to help you.  I’d do anything to make this better for you.”  Chris leaned forward and they kissed quickly.  They kept their arms around each other and entered the penthouse.

Detective Shaw wasted no time, “Chris, this is Officer Fontanella.  He’s going to be taking over for you.  If you could go change out of your clothes and give them to him, that would be great.  I also need you to get a bag and fill it with whatever you want.  It could be a pillow, for all we care.  It needs to look like you packed your bag and are headed back to your dorm.”

Chris nodded, “Okay.”  He headed upstairs.

Shaw looked at Elliott, “Stay here, and we’ll go over what’s going to happen next.”

Elliott nodded, “Okay,” and he took a seat in one of the couches.

Shaw explained what the plan was and asked if Elliott had any questions, which he didn’t.  

A few minutes later, all of the security guards left, making it quite obvious for anyone who was paying any attention.  Royce texted Malcolm and told him to hold off on coming to the penthouse, and gave him a meet-up location where everyone was to gather until further notice.  Carson arrived for his night shift, and stayed in the lobby, as he had the previous night.

Upstairs, Chris came down wearing a new outfit, and handed his other clothes to Officer Fontanella.  He set the bag with the pillow in it next to one of the couches, then went to sit with Elliott.

Once Officer Fontanella was changed, he came out of the bathroom and went to Detective Shaw, “See anything I need to adjust or change?”

Detective Shaw shrugged, “Ask them.  They would know better than me.”  He turned and asked everyone, and no one had any suggestions for changes or adjustments.  He looked at Elliott, “Are you ready?”

Elliott let out a long breath, then nodded, “Yeah.”  He looked back to Chris and gave him a soft smile, “It’s almost over.”

Chris nodded and placed his hand on Elliott’s cheek, “Thank you, Elliott.”  He leaned over and kissed him quickly.

“Of course.”  Elliott squeezed his hand a bit before letting go and standing up.  He looked over to Sebastian and Kurt, who were sitting opposite him.  

Sebastian nodded, “You’ve got this.”  Kurt nodded encouragingly.

Puck agreed, “Five more minutes, and then you’ll be back up here holding your man again.  You can do this.”

Elliott took one more cleansing breath, then headed for the elevator with Officer Fontanella.  One the way down, the officer looked at Elliott, “Just remember… You are desperate for me to not leave.  I’m going to pull away, and you do whatever you feel you would naturally do.”  Elliott just nodded.  Officer Fontanella looked him in the eyes, “You go this.  I heard great things about when you guys left NYU.  You can do this.”

Elliott was nervous, but also anxious to get this all over with.  He nodded as the elevator doors opened.  They stepped out, but did not enter the lobby where they could be seen from the street.  Officer Fontanella looked at Elliott one last time.  He quietly said, “Imagine Chris was mad at you for flirting.  Imagine he mentioned that he was better off with Owen.  That he might even go back to him.  He’s leaving you, Elliott, to go back out there into the shark tank, where Owen could snatch him up and do to him exactly what he did to the Clark guy.”  It was somewhat cruel, but necessary in order to Elliott in the zone he needed to be in.  He looked at him one more time, frowned and snapped, “Asshole!”  He stormed into the lobby with his bag slung over his shoulder, and arms wrapped around himself.

Elliott frowned, and a second later, snapped out of it.  He walked quickly to catch up, “Wait!  Chris, please don’t go!”  He reached for the officer’s arm, grabbing him, and pulling back, but the officer yanked it out of his grip, careful to keep his head down, and his face mostly hidden by the hat.  

Raymond opened the door, as always. “Have good night, Mr. Cairnes,”  he dutifully said, with a slight frown.  They had been told what was going to happen through an earpiece.

Elliott followed him out the door, but did not follow him down the street.  He called out, “Chris, please!  It meant nothing!  Chris!”  

Elliott sighed and went back into the lobby with a definite sulk.

Carson kept his eye on him, but said nothing.  He watched as Elliott went back to the elevators, and George pressed the button that allowed him to go back to the penthouse.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Chris was right there in Elliott’s arms.  Elliott held on tight and closed his eyes, “Promise me that will never happen in real life.  Don’t ever walk away from me like that.”

“I promise,”  Chris said softly in his ear, then kissed his cheek.  He pulled back to look at Elliott and frowned deeper when he saw the tear escape Elliott’s eye.  He wiped it away, just as Elliott had done for him.  “I promise, Elliott.”  He nodded, but said nothing in return.

“Now, we wait,”  Detective Shaw said.  

Chris’ phone buzzed.  He looked at it with wide eyes, then looked at Detective Shaw and read it to him.

To Chris:

That’s it, Honey.  Walk away.  I’ll find you, don’t worry.

Shaw called it in, and made sure that Fontanella knew to check his phone as if he had gotten a text.

Everyone settled into a seat, except Sugar.  She went to the kitchen to put dinner in the warming drawer.  No one could eat just yet.  She got out some supplies and started baking.  It was the only thing she could do to distract herself.  

~

Officer Fontanella walked down the street with the bag clutched to his side.  Detective Murphy was in an unmarked car with tinted windows.  She had watched him exit the building, and was pleased with both the officer and Elliott.  They really looked like they had been fighting, and she thought that the officer looked enough like Chris that Owen wouldn’t notice until he was up close.  She had plain clothed officers everywhere.  In the park, in cars that drove around the neighborhood, walking on the street.  Everyone was on edge and had their eyes peeled.

One officer in Central Park sat on a bench with his (empty) bottle in a bag.  He rocked forward and backward, mumbling to himself.  He spotted a guy that had fit the description of the man who John had called in earlier that day.  He continued to talk quietly, and used his mic to call it in.  

The man had on the same clothes that John had described.  He would subtly stand behind groups of people, trees, food carts, or anything he could find.  The undercover officer knew they had their man when he noticed that every once in a while, he would use a pair of binoculars as discreetly as possible.  When he saw him put them away and start walking, he called it in.  “He’s on the move,” he said as he continued to rock and mumble to himself.

Fontanella slowed his pace a bit.  He had rushed out of the building, but now he wanted to make sure that Owen had time to reach him before the subway if that’s what he was planning.  He had checked his phone, as instructed.  He held on to the strap of his bag and walked as he heard someone in his earpiece.  The voice said, “Looks like he’s approaching.  Be prepared.”

Within seconds, the man had caught up to him and pushed him into an alley.  His hat was still covering his face when his head was down, but as soon as he looked up, he saw the unmistakable face of William (Owen) Coleta.  

Coleta frowned as he looked at Fontanella, confusion evident on his face.  The officer smirked, and Coleta could practically see a speech bubble above the imposter that read “Gotcha!”. 

Instead, Fontanella raised his brows as he grabbed hold of Coleta’s arm, “Not who you thought I’d be?”

Coleta ripped his arm away and took off down the alley.  Fontanella chased after him.  He was fast, but not enough to outrun the officer, who tackled him to the ground.  Coleta instantly began hitting and kicking.  One solid punch from the officer had him seeing stars.  He groaned and looked back up at the officer who was on top of him.  He tried to focus on him, but that blow was making it difficult.  He muttered, “Just shoot me.”  He continued to try to throw punches.

Fontanella shook his head and gave another punch, “Not a chance.  That would be too easy.”  He flipped him over and sat on his backside as he pulled his arms up behind him, “There’s no fun in that all.  You’ll be rotting away in a jail cell, starting tonight.  There’s no getting out of it.  No running.  No hiding.  No changing your identity.”  He leaned in a little closer, “You’re finished.”

They were already beginning to be surrounded by officers, both undercover, and not.  Detective Murphy pulled into the alley and hopped out of the car.  She approached as Fontanella was pulling Coleta to his feet.  She got up close, easily seeing that they had the right man.  She smiled and nodded to the officer.  She looked back at Coleta, who was looking down at her with hooded eyes, “It may have taken me a while, but I got ya.”  Coleta said nothing in return.  She looked at two of the officers nearby.  “Take him in.”  They nodded and grabbed him as they read him his rights, then put him in the car.  

“Good job, officer,”  She smiled, patting him on the back.  

Fontanella smiled, happy with the outcome, “Thanks.”

After a bit of necessary business, Officer Fontanella and Detective Murphy headed back to the penthouse.

~ 

Detective Shaw’s phone rang ten minutes after Elliott had come back upstairs.  He answered, “Shaw speaking.”  He listened for a few seconds then smiled, “Thanks.”  He looked at Chris and Elliott, “They got him.”

Chris completely broke down out of pure relief.  He sobbed in Elliott’s arms and Elliott shed a few tears himself.  

“Thank God,”  Sebastian said.  He kissed Kurt on the head, and Kurt held on a little tighter, crying a few tears too.  

Sugar let out a long breath and leaned her elbows on the counter, resting her head in her hands.  Puck went straight to her, and pulled her into his arms.  She cried as she melted into him.  

It had been so stressful on all of them.  Between their history, and knowing what Coleta had done to Garrett Clark, it was just so much.  They were in such a survival mode, that when it was over, they all just seemed to collapse from both relief and exhaustion.  

Kurt went over and sat next to Chris.  He rubbed his back for a minute, then Chris turned, and they held each other.  “It’s over, Chris.  I don’t know what will happen from the legal aspect, but you can go back to living your normal life.  You don’t have to be scared anymore.”

Before too long, Detective Murphy and Officer Fontanella arrived back at the building.  Sebastian told George to go ahead and send them up.  When they got upstairs, Officer Fontanella told them all what had happened.  “You did a great job selling that fight, Elliott.  Really.  If that hadn’t worked, he would have never approached me.”  Elliott just nodded.  The officer continued, “I wish you could have seen his face when he discovered that I wasn’t who he thought I was.  It was pretty priceless.”  He looked at Chris, “You don’t have to worry anymore.”

Officer Fontanella went to change his clothes back, and Detective Murphy told them that she would need a statement, but that she would give them night to soak up their regained freedom, and send Detective Shaw to do it since she was returning to Wyoming with Coleta in tow.  They all thanked the detectives and officers with handshakes and hugs before they headed out.

Everyone’s security guards, including James Miles, came back to the penthouse.  There were a lot of hugs going around, and Sebastian was glad to see that all of the security guards seemed to genuinely care for their charges.  

John approached Kurt, “You’ve had quite a day.”

Kurt sighed, “I have.  It’s been exhausting, but I couldn’t have wanted Chris’ situation to end any better tonight.  I’m so glad he won’t have to worry.”

John nodded, “Me too.  Have you heard from Isabelle?”

“No, not yet.  Thanks for helping with that earlier, John.  And thanks for helping calm me down.  I felt very safe with you all day.”  Sebastian had approached while they were talking, and put his arm around Kurt’s waist.  

John smiled and nodded, “That’s my job.”

Sebastian smirked, “That may be, but you are good at what you do, and we really appreciate it.”

John smiled, “My pleasure.”

~

Sugar and Puck got out the two lasagnas, salad and garlic bread that she had made earlier.  The plan was to freeze one, but now they were inviting everyone to stay for dinner.  They briefly discussed the conclusion of the day while dinner was being set up, but then went on to different subjects.  They all knew that Chris needed to move on and not dwell too much.

“James, I think you need to find clients like them from now on,”  TJ smiled.  Sebastian chucked.  

“Was Columbia really that much fun?”  James raised his brows.

“No.  It was beautifully boring,”  TJ smiled.  Everyone chuckled.

“Pre med is not boring!”  Sebastian defended lightheartedly.  

“Not for you, Love,”  Kurt winked.  Seb blew him a kiss.

“I got the best deal out of all of this.  It was pretty entertaining, actually,”  John joked.

“Entertainment follows me wherever I go, John,”  Kurt smiled.  John laughed, and Kurt decided he quite enjoyed the sound.  

“He’s not wrong,” Sebastian smiled.  All of their family agreed.

“That may be,”  Nolan started.  “But I got to hang out with Sugar.  Which means taste testing, singing, dancing around the bakery...  It gave ‘cake job’ a whole different meaning.”  Sugar smiled.  He smiled back, “And now she has a lifelong loyal customer.  I don’t know what she was baking earlier, but I know you’re all in for a treat.”  

“You’re a smart man, Nolan,”  Puck chuckled.

The buzzer sounded, but the conversation continued to flow.  Sebastian grabbed the napkin from his lap and stood to answer it, “Yes, George?”

“Mr. Smythe, there is a Ms. Wright here to see Mr. Hummel.  Shall I send her up?”

Seb looked over at Kurt.  He was laughing at something someone said.  He hated to interrupt the mood with something not so fun. He also wanted Kurt to keep eating.  But John was there, and it would be nice to get it out of the way so that Kurt wouldn’t have to dwell on it.  He finally answered, “Yes, send her up.”

Everyone quieted down.  Kurt frowned a bit, “Who’s coming up?”

“Isabelle,”  Seb answered softly.  He put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, “Try to keep eating, Babe.  I’ll invite her to join us.”  Kurt didn’t say anything, but nodded instead.  John watched carefully.

Kurt cut his food, and started to take another bite, but put down his fork when he heard the elevator door open.  He stood and greeted Isabelle with Sebastian.

“Oh my goodness, I should have called first.  I’m so sorry.  I can come back,”  Isabelle looked at the group with wide eyes.  

“Don’t be silly.  Join us.  There’s still plenty left,”  Kurt said softly.  

“I already ate, but thank you.”

“Well, have a seat and join us for a drink then?”  Sebastian offered.  “Sugar was baking earlier…” he said to tempt her. 

She chuckled, “Well, that I can’t refuse.”

Puck stood and offered his chair. He had been sitting in the living room, but grabbed his plate and moved down to sit on the floor at the coffee table next to where Sugar was already sitting.   

“Thank you, Puck,”  Isabelle smiled.  

“Let me make introductions,”  Sebastian smiled.  “Everyone, this is Isabelle Wright.  She’s Kurt’s boss at Vogue.”  He went on to introduce everyone.  When he got to John, he said, “And I’m sure you’ve met John…?”

“I have,”  she nodded.  “It’s good to see you.  I was hoping to have a word with both you and Kurt tonight.  I didn’t know you would be here, but it works out.  We can wait until after dinner, of course.”  

“Not a problem.  I’ve been looking forward to it,”  John answered.  He couldn’t wait to tell Isabelle what he had noticed in the office before anything had actually happened.  

“Am I missing something?”  Chris asked quietly.

“It’s nothing,”  Kurt said.  

John shook his head, “It’s definitely not ‘nothing’, but it’s not something we need to discuss over dinner."  

Some of the guys changed the subject, and everyone finished up their meals.  Sebastian notices Kurt moving the food around on his plate, “You need to eat more, Babe.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt answered quietly.  

“Thank you,”  Seb said, placing a hand on Kurt’s thigh.  Kurt ate a little more.  Sebastian was happy with it.  It had been a stressful day, so the fact that he was eating anything was a win in Seb’s book.  

Everyone took their dishes into the kitchen and Puck, Sugar, and Kurt rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. While Puck was finishing that up, Sugar and Kurt got the desert out and started passing around slices of lemon cake with whipped topping.  

Their family just smiled as all of the security guards moaned after taking their first bites. 

“See!  I win.  I had the best day,”  Nolan smiled.  

Sugar just laughed, “I’m glad you all like it. I expect to see you in the bakery once we open in a couple of weeks.”

“You can count on it,”  Royce said.  Everyone agreed.  

Once everyone was finishing up, Sebastian leaned over to Puck, “Can you guys take care of cleaning up, while we go into the office and talk with Isabelle?”

“Absolutely, man.  Don’t worry about it.”

Isabelle, Kurt, Sebastian, John, and James, all went into the office.  They carried in a few extra chairs, then sat and talked.

“I want to reiterate my point from earlier this evening, Kurt.  You are not in trouble here.  I just want to know what happened so that I can take the appropriate actions.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.”

“So, basically, I just need you to tell me what happened, from the beginning, until the time I showed up.”

Seb rubbed his back, and Kurt looked at him for a bit of encouragement.  “Okay.  Well, I think you need to know a little bit of my history.  It might not seem important at first, but it will make it all make a little more sense in the end.”  

Isabelle nodded, “Whatever you want to share with me is fine, Kurt.  But just so you know, tonight’s events are the only thing that really need an answer for at the moment.”

“I understand.  It… It’s probably best you know anyway.  John won’t be with me anymore.  So if something happened...Anyway, I was bullied in school.  I mean, look at me.  All of this was too much for my hometown.  I was too different.  Puck and my brother saved me from that, for the most part.  It got bad with one guy, though, and after he forced a kiss and threatened my life, I transferred to Dalton Academy.  That was my Junior year.   Sebastian lived in Paris until a couple of weeks before Senior year, so I didn’t know him then.  But I met Blaine…”

Kurt and Sebastian both went on to tell Isabelle what Kurt had been through.  They kept the stories short and to the point, but made sure she knew the general idea.  Kurt took a deep breath, “So, that’s why I’m extra jumpy sometimes.  It’s why I have panic attacks.  And it’s why we’re extra cautious.”

John was glad Kurt’s story had a better ending than his sisters.  He looked at both boys, “When Blaine gets out of prison, if you need me, call me.  I’ll take the job in a heartbeat.”

“We may just take you up on that,”  Sebastian nodded.  Kurt smiled a bit.  He was really growing to like John.  

“I am so sorry, Kurt.  No one should have to go through anything like that,”  Isabelle said.  She wiped a tear from her eye, and John got up and handed her a box of tissues that were on the side table.  She smiled a bit at him and said, “Thanks, John.”

“So, earlier tonight, I went to put your schedule on Lindy’s desk.  As I was bent over the counter, Chase came up behind me and leaned in to put his schedule down too.  He wasn’t touching me, but he was really close to me from the hips up.  I told him to back off.  He stood up straight but didn’t move.  I told him a second time, and he finally did take a couple of steps back.  He told me I smelled good.  Then told me he could show me around the city.  Even the world, if I wanted.  It was like a bad pick up line.  I don’t remember everything he said.  But I remember sort of smiling at how ridiculous it all was.  He was offering to show me these things, and kept stressing that he was an adult.  Like I would see the city differently because he’s older.  He said something about Bas being hot, but that he could show and do more for me.  But then, he said he wanted to show me the way the fashion industry really works.  I felt he was insinuating that if I said yes, I would advance my career.”

“God,”  Isabelle shook her head.  She took a cleansing breath.  She looked at Sebastian.  He had his head down, was bouncing his leg, and was holding on to Kurt’s hand like he had to in order to not go ballistic.  She looked back to Kurt, “What was your response?”

“I told him that I’ve already seen the city, and the world.  That I lived here with my hot as hell fiance who’s already shown me all of that.  That he would have shown me the world whether he had money or not.”  He shrugged one shoulder and quieted a bit, “I may have told him that Bas has more man in his little finger than he does in his entire body, and that he reeked of adolescent child.”

Isabelle laughed out loud at that, and Sebastian gave a small lopsided smirk.

John said, “That was my favorite part.”  

Isabelle smiled at him, “Mine too so far.”  The smile disappeared quickly.  She looked back to Kurt, “What happened that John needed to get involved?”

“When I went to walk away, he grabbed my wrist.  I got out of it with a move I learned in self defense class.  The next thing I knew, I was having a panic attack.  I didn’t really register that John had him pinned.  I just saw Chase’s face and… I was panicked.  Then John came and calmed me down.”

She nodded, then looked at John, “Is that how you remember it?”

He answered, “Yes.  Only, seeing it as an outsider, was a bit different.  I had been watching all afternoon.  Everyone Kurt interacts with seemed fine.  But I noticed Mr. Madison right away.  He would watch Kurt from across the room.  Stare too long.  He would check out his ass as Kurt walked past, or vice versa.  It was very obvious that he was attracted to Kurt.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”  Isabelle asked.

“I couldn’t.  That’s not my job.  I can’t intervene every time someone flirts with, or checks out one of my clients.  Just in one day, Kurt had several guys checking him out.  A couple of girls, too.”  He looked back to Kurt, who was frowning.  He looked at Sebastian, giving him a questioning look.

Seb shook his head, “He has no idea.”

John’s eyebrows raised, “He doesn’t?”  He looked at Kurt, “You don’t see it?  Like ever?”

Kurt was still frowning and looked at Sebastian, then back to John, “People flirting?”  John nodded.  He continued, “I guess not?”

John shook his head in amazement, “Kurt, you had a couple of guys on the subway checking you out.  A few that we passed on the street. The one guy at Parsons… tall African American guy in your class that you were sketching in… He was flirting with you.  A couple of girls at the cafe… You turn heads pretty often.”  Kurt was red and embarrassed.  

Seb pulled him to him, “You know how you said women are always checking me out?  Well it’s that way and more with you, Babe.”

John shook his head and smiled a bit at Kurt.  He looked back to Isabelle, “Chase was undressing him with his eyes constantly.  The way he was talking to him was uncalled for.  He was insinuating that Sebastian wasn’t a grown man, and Kurt could do better.  He was saying things in a way that he meant for Kurt to basically choose him over Sebastian.  Then he definitely insinuated that Kurt could advance his career if he were to take him up on it.  Kurt did a good job of telling him like it is.  Told him that he would make it based on talent and hard work. I had made my way closer and closer, simply because the guy was obviously a creep.  But when Kurt tried to walk away and he grabbed him, I pinned him against the wall.  When I saw that Kurt was starting to have a panic attack, I threatened Chase, telling him I would take him down if he got anywhere near Kurt.  Then you saw what else happened.”

Isabelle sighed, “Thank you, John."  She turned back to Kurt, "Kurt, I am so sorry.  For all of it.  I’m sorry for what happened in Ohio.  I’m sorry that you had to deal with something again here, and in all places, have it be somewhere like Vogue.”

“It wasn’t-”  Kurt started speaking, but Isabelle cut him off.

“No, Kurt.  Sexual harassment is sexual harassment.  Chase will be punished.  I have to speak to HR first. But I promise it will be taken care of by the time you return next week.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.  Thank you.”

She nodded.  You could tell she wanted to ask something, and she finally worked up the nerve, “Um, is everything okay?  I mean, this is a lot of security.”

Sebastian nodded, “I hired a security guard for each person in our family.  Chris’ ex, that we told you about a few minutes ago… We found out he has a really bad past, and was wanted by the police in Wyoming.  He had changed his identity, and was basically terrorizing Chris when Chris broke it off.  With what happened at the party, and then another couple of run-ins, I couldn’t take any chances.  And I won’t when Blaine gets out either.”

“That’s understandable.  I’m glad you all have each other,”  Isabelle gave a kind smile.

“We’re very lucky,”  Kurt said.

“Well,”  Isabelle stood, “You are probably exhausted.  I’m sorry I didn’t call first.  But I am glad to have all the information I need to take care of this situation.”

Everyone stood.  Sebastian asked, “Will we know what the situation is before he returns Monday?  I don’t want him going in blind.”

She nodded, “Absolutely.  I will call you over the weekend.”

“Thank you, Isabelle.”

Isabelle said her goodbyes to everyone and then headed out.  The security team all said their goodbyes as well. There were lots of handshakes and hugs again.  

Soon enough, it was just the six friends in the living room.  Everyone had called their families.  Everyone was relieved, and promises of calls the next day were made.

The friends all sat together in silence.  They were enjoying the peace.  Chris broke the silence first, “Thank you everyone.  Thank you for being there for me more than any real family ever has.  Thank you for everything.  The security.  The love.  The friendship.  The place to go.  All of it.  I love you guys.  That was total hell… But just imagine what it would have been like without all of your support.  I don’t know how people go through things without a team of people there behind them.”

“It’s not easy,”  Elliott said, quietly stroking Chris’ arm.  Everyone knew he had quite a story that he hadn’t shared all of yet.  He looked at everyone again, “It really is amazing, you know.  Thank you for letting me be a part of this family.  I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

Puck smirked, “I think you’ve earned your keep.”  Everyone chuckled.

Seb looked at Chris, “You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need, Chris.  I know you well enough to know that you are already thinking about when you need to leave.  You don’t need to.  In fact, I think you should stay until you feel comfortable again.  Give yourself some time.”

“Freak,”  Chris smiled a little.  They all laughed, knowing Seb and his way of knowing what people were thinking and feeling.  Eventually Chris said, “I appreciate that, Seb.  Thank you for everything.  I love you.”

“I love you, too,”  Sebastian winked at him. 

~

Later that night, everyone was quiet in bed.  Each couple seemed to be relishing the quiet alone time with their partner.  

Puck and Sugar fell asleep quickly in each other’s arms.  Whispers of “I love you” were the last thing either of them heard.

Sebastian held Kurt a little tighter, “I’m proud of you, Baby.  I’m so proud of you.”  He didn’t need to tell Kurt why.  He knew. 
Kurt kissed Seb on his chest, over his heart, “Thank you, Sir.”  He paused a minute, “I’m proud of you too, Sir.  You are so good at taking care of everyone.  We all appreciate it.  Just make sure you take care of yourself too, okay?”

He kissed Kurt on the head, “Okay.  But I don’t worry too much about that.  You all take care of me, too.  Especially you.  I love you so much, Babe.”

“I love you, too.”

Elliott and Chris were holding each other.  “This feels so right,”  Chris whispered.

“It does.  I could stay like this forever.”

Chris looked Elliott in the eye, “Then do.  Stay forever.”

There was nothing Elliott wanted more.  That fake fight had gotten to him a bit.  He wanted to hold Chris and never let go.  He had the odd feeling of getting him back after losing him, even though that’s not what happened.  He closed his eyes, “For as long as you’ll have me.”

Chapter Text

By the time Friday rolled around, everyone had given the police their statements, returned to classes, and things were finally starting to be a bit more normal.  

After Kurt’s last class, he stopped by the bakery to help Sugar with some displays.  “I just can’t get over how amazing this place looks, Sugar.  You’ve done such a great job pulling this all together.”

Sugar smiled, “Thanks, Angel.  You know I’ve had help, though.”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder, “You’ve had help with some business aspects, and a tiny bit of help with the windows, but Sug, this is all you.  It oozes your personality.  It’s perfect for New York.  And now the whole city is going to love you just as much as I do.” 

Sugar smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, “Thanks, Angel. It’s really happening, isn’t it?!”

 Kurt chuckled, “Yep!”  As they finished up what they were working on, he asked, “How is the apartment coming along?  Noah said the kitchen was finished?  That means it shouldn’t be much longer, right?”

“Yeah.  Let’s go up and look once we get this finished.”  Sugar gathered the papers she had laid out and put them back into a folder.  Kurt looked around the kitchen as she took it into her office.  When she came back out, she asked, “Are you ready?”

He nodded, “Yep.  I’m excited to see it!”

When they got upstairs, Kurt’s eyes widened, “Oh my gosh, Sugar!  This looks fantastic!  What’s the hold up?”

Sugar shrugged, “We just need to have it painted, and the bathrooms aren’t quite finished. It shouldn’t be too much longer.  Maybe a week or two. They just finished the kitchen two days ago, but as you know, it’s been a crazy week, and that was an even crazier day.   Come see!”  She excitedly showed Kurt the kitchen and the new appliances.  “And look...I asked for this after using the one at your place.”  She showed him the shelf where the mixer would be stored.  The entire shelf raised up out of the cabinet to become level with the countertop.  It even had an electric outlet on the shelf so the mixer didn’t have to be moved.

“I love that too.  It’s nice that you could take aspects from different kitchens you’ve loved and add them to your own.”

“Yeah.  We added this skinny-pantry-pull-out-shelf thingy for cans and spices over here too...Just like Robert and Tori’s.”

Kurt looked around and smiled.  It really did look fantastic. The cabinets were all dark blue, the countertops were a light white and grey granite, and the walls were all white. “What color are you going to paint the walls?”

“Okay, tell me if you think I’m crazy...I think I want to do a grey in here to match the grey in the counters, then pops of brighter colors in the accents.  But then in the living room area, I think I want to leave it white.  I want everything else to be colorful and pop against the white walls.”  She bit her lip and looked at Kurt with a look of apprehension.  

Kurt looked over at where the kitchen technically stopped, “I didn’t think that was possible since it’s an open floor plan, but you do have this beam that sort of acts as a border where one room stops and another one starts.  If you stop the color there, I think it would be awesome!  And I obviously love the colors, since that’s close to our wedding colors.”  He looked back at her, “We have some major shopping to do.”

She laughed, “Yep.  And I want you to take me to that place where you got your sewing table.”

“Oh my gosh, you’ll love it there.  And we need to go to the flea markets.”  They were both getting more and more excited as they spoke.  Kurt smiled, “Let’s go shopping tomorrow!”  

“I think Puck has to work.”

Kurt gave her a look, “Does he really want to go shopping for furniture?  We can text him pictures.  Besides, I think he’d be more interested in things like bedding, and towels, and stuff.  I bet the big things are no big deal, knowing him.”

“You’re probably right.  He did say that he didn’t care too much, as long as it wasn’t over the top girly.  I’ll check with him just in case, though.”

“M’kay.  Let’s look at the bathrooms,”  Kurt grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the kitchen as she giggled.  

30 minutes later, they were locking up.  “I’m liking this time we have together.  It kind of makes me wish you weren’t at Vogue.”  He started to say something, but she held up a finger, “I know.  I know it’s great for you, and your future career.  I just miss this.”

Kurt threw his arm around her shoulder, “Me too, Sugar.  I love you. I know you’ll be super busy with the bakery opening, and we’re all busy with school… I think it will be really hard when you guys move out.  We need to make sure we find time for each other.”

She nodded and grabbed his hand that rested on her shoulder, “I agree.  But that’s the good thing about having someone help us get the business started.  It takes some of that pressure off of me, and I can spend time after hours with everyone.  You know, learn the business part slowly as Puck learns at school at the same time.  It will be crazy, but a good crazy.”

“It’s going to be great,”  Kurt gave her a little squeeze.  

They both heard a text alert as they walked toward the subway.  “That’s me,”  they said in unison.  They pulled out their phones and smiled at the text they both received.

From Jenna:

I thought I could do this.  My hair.  My makeup.  I look like a hooker.  Please help!!!!

They both giggled, then Kurt said, “I totally forgot!  Tonight is Jenna and Hayden’s first date!  The party seems like it was months ago.  We need to help her.  She’s been neglected this week, with all of Chris’ issues.”

“Absolutely.  I’ll call her.”  Sugar called, and they decided to head to Jenna’s dorm since they weren’t too far from campus. 

~

When they arrived, Jenna opened the door, “Don’t.  Laugh.”

Kurt bit his lip and shook his head with wide eyes.  Sugar couldn’t quite help herself, “Oh, hun…”

Jenna sighed, “I know.  Okay.  I’m going to go wash this off.”

“Before you go, point me in the direction of your supplies,”  Kurt said, looking around.  

She pointed to the small bag on her bed.  Kurt stared at it, “That’s the smallest makeup bag I’ve ever seen.  Even mine is bigger.”

Jenna frowned at him, “You wear makeup?”

He shook his head, “Not every day.  But sometimes.”

“Seb loves Angel in eyeliner,”  Sugar bounced her eyebrows.

“You did look hot last weekend,”  Jenna nodded.

“Thanks,”  Kurt smiled.  “Why don’t you go wash…”  he motioned to her face in a big circular motion as he smiled, “that off.  We’ll take you home with us and use mine and Sugars ample supplies.  Just bring your foundation and concealer for a good match.  Hayden can pick you up at our place.”

Jenna took a deep breath and nodded, “Okay.  Okay, we can do this.  I’ll text him.”  She grabbed her phone and soap, and headed to the bathroom.  Kurt and Sugar looked at each other and tried to stifle their laugh.  They loved Jenna, and were excited about helping her.  Especially since she had tried a bit too hard, and failed.  They thought it was adorable.

~

Sugar smiled and giggled a little, “You’ve had the full Kurt Hummel Experience.  Congratulations!”

Kurt laughed too, “Bas would argue with you on that assessment.”  Both girls continued to giggle.

Jenna turned and looked at herself in the full length mirror on the back of Kurt’s bathroom door, “I do look pretty hot.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “Pretty hot?  Hayden isn’t going to know what to do with himself.  You look fantastic.  And I have to say, you did a great job at choosing your outfit.  It’s very you, and very first-date-with-a-small-town-boy-in-a-big-city appropriate.”  

Jenna was wearing some leggings with a knee length floral dress.  She added brown leather boots and a maroon leather jacket that matched the flowers in the dress.  She went with simple large hoop earrings.  Sugar and Kurt both loved her curls, so they simply added a braid just above one ear, and pinned it back with bobby pins.

Puck came home and called out for his girl as he climbed the steps to the bedroom, “Sug, you home yet?”

“In here, Hun!”

He followed her voice into Kurt and Sebastian’s bathroom, then stopped in his tracks when he saw Jenna in the doorway, “Damn!  You look great, Jenna!  Full Kurt Hummel experience?”

She laughed, “Thanks.  And apparently, it wasn’t the full Kurt Hummel experience.”  They all chuckled.

“Your date with Hayden is tonight, right?”

She took a deep breath, “Yep.”  

“He’s already pining over you.  You’ve got nothing to worry about.  Especially looking like that,”  Kurt smiled.

Jenna gave him a look, “...Pining?  What are you, sixty?”

“Sometimes it feels that way,”  Kurt nodded.  “I tend to sound like my Dad from time to time.”  He shrugged.

“What time is it?”  Jenna asked.  She was really getting nervous.

Puck looked at his phone, “5:50.  Is Hayden picking you up here?”

She nodded, “Yeah.  Okay, let’s go downstairs and distract me somehow.”

Jenna, Kurt, and Sugar all headed downstairs while Puck went to change his clothes.  They sat in the living room, and Jenna asked, “So, how is Chris really doing?”

Sugar looked at Kurt, so he answered, “Yesterday was a little rough.  He gave his statement and headed back to class.  It was good that things became a little more normal toward the end of the day, but you could just tell he was exhausted.  He and Elliott went to bed early last night.  Elliott said he showered, then as soon as he laid down, he was asleep.  I texted him today at lunch, and he said he was doing fine.  I haven’t seen him since this morning.  Hopefully he really is…”

“Is he going to stay here for awhile?”

Kurt nodded, “At least until everything really is back to normal, and he feels comfortable again.”

Jenna asked, “What about Elliott?  Is he okay?  Are they doing okay?”

“Yeah,”  Kurt nodded.  “Elliott has been amazing.  He seems to be doing okay.  You can tell he’s head over heels for Chris.”  

Sugar nodded, “For sure.  They are so great together.”

Ten minutes later, the buzzer sounded.  Puck got up and answered, “Yes, George?”

“Mr. Bradley is here, Mr. Puckerman.”

“Thanks, George.  Send him up.”

Jenna stood and straightened out her dress, “Do I look okay?  How’s my hair?”

“You look fantastic.  He’s seen you in the morning looking adorable, he’s going to think you look gorgeous now,”  Sugar smiled.

“He really will,”  Kurt agreed.  

The elevator door opened and Hayden came in with a shy smile.  He was wearing grey pants, a deep teal button up, a black leather jacket with a striped scarf.  Everyone smiled and watched as the two of them didn’t take their eyes off of each other.  

“Hi,”  he whispered as he approached her.

“Hi,”  she smiled back.  

Hayden looked at her dress quickly then back up to her eyes, “Wow.  You look beautiful.”  She smiled shyly.  He held up a single red rose, “This is for you.”

Jenna blushed a little and looked down and took the rose, “Thank you.”  She looked back up at him, “You look very handsome.”  They stood looking at each other for a few seconds.  It wasn’t at all awkward.  It was just them relishing in being with each other again.  

Kurt and Sugar were standing arm in arm over toward the kitchen.  Puck looked over at them from his spot on the couch and shook his head.  They were both watching with giddy smiles.  Finally, Kurt spoke up quietly, “Is it weird that I want to take their picture?”

Sugar giggled, “No.”

Jenna finally took her eyes off of Hayden and looked their way, “What?!”

Kurt gave his best innocent look and shook his head, “Nothing.”

Sugar rolled her eyes and smirked, “He wants to take your picture.”  Kurt bit his lip and raised his brows, questioning whether they were going to think it was crazy.

Jenna started to say something, but Hayden beat her to it, “I think a picture would be lovely.”

Kurt practically bounced in his spot and went to grab his phone from the kitchen island.  “Go stand in front of the fireplace.  It’s our official ‘picture taking spot’.”  They did as they were told, and Kurt quickly took a couple of pictures.  “I wish I had a picture of my first date with Bas.  I think you two will enjoy this picture for a long time.  I’ll text it to you.”  

A few minutes later, Hayden and Jenna were on their way.  Kurt sat down across from Puck and Sugar, “Your apartment looks great, Noah.  I think you guys need to start shopping soon, or you won’t have anything to sit or sleep on.”

Puck smirked, “You think Sugar and I need to go shopping?  Or do you mean you and Sugar need to go shopping?”  He chuckled.

Kurt rolled his eyes, “You know I want to go shopping.  Sugar and I were talking about it earlier.  Exactly how involved do you want to be?  It’s your apartment too, but you and shopping don’t exactly go together.”

Sugar looked at Noah, who looked between the two of them.  He answered, “I’m just looking forward to actually living there.  I’m not looking forward to the shopping.  I want to help pick out our mattress, so I know I can get a good night’s sleep.  The other stuff… I don’t know.  I’d rather veto things than really pick them out.  I’ll tell you if I hate it.  I just don’t want it to look like a unicorn threw up, or like I live in a flower shop.  Otherwise, I’m pretty open.  I probably have more of an opinion on art for the walls than I do for rugs, curtains, and bedspreads.”

“So, if Angel and I went to that shop where he got his sewing table tomorrow while you’re at work, that would be okay?”

Puck chuckled again, “What have you two been planning?”

Kurt and Sugar were the picture of innocence, “Nothing!” they said in unison.  Puck laughed even harder.  

Sugar shrugged as she smiled, “We were just bouncing ideas off each other at the apartment today, and now we’re excited.”

Kurt added, “And the apartment will be finished really soon, and you guys don’t really have anything to fill it.  You don’t have any furniture, and only a few things for decorating.  Once the bakery is open, you’ll both have even less time to get anything done.  So these next two weeks or so need to be…”  Kurt shrugged, “shopping weeks.”

Sugar got a sparkle in her eyes as she pulled her shoulders up, “Just the sound of that makes me giddy!”  Both boys laughed.

Puck smiled, “How about you two go shopping, and if there’s something you fall in love with, text me a picture and a price.  Then I can meet you after work for a couple of hours of shopping before we go see Elliott and his friend’s band.  I have some homework, but nothing I can’t get finished on Sunday morning.”

“Yay!”  Kurt said, bouncing up and down.  “I suggested the picture thing too.  And we can look at some design ideas and hidden treasure stores online after dinner tonight.”

“Perfect!”  Sugar smiled.  

Puck looked at them both and smiled at how happy they were.  It had been nearly a week since they had smiled so carefree like this.  This is what they needed and deserved.  

~

Puck and Kurt were fixing dinner, and Sugar was doing some online shopping as she sat at the kitchen island when Sebastian got home.  He walked in and smiled at how normal and relaxed it all seemed.

Kurt looked up, “Hi, Bas!”

Seb made his way to Kurt, “Hi, Baby.  Did you have a good day?”  He kissed him quickly, then listened to Kurt’s answer as he took his bag into the office.

“Yeah!  It was kind of nice not going to Vogue after classes today.  Sugar and I worked at the bakery a little, then we checked out their apartment.  It’s almost finished.”

Seb frowned as he came back out to the kitchen, “Does that mean you’ll be leaving soon?”  He looked between Puck and Sugar for an answer.

Sugar shrugged, “Yeah.  I mean, it’s not totally finished.  It’s really bad timing, actually.  It will probably be finished around the time the shop opens.  It’ll be so stressful to move and open the shop at the same time.”

“Well, you can stay here as long as you want.  Give yourself a few weeks after it’s ready.  That way you can slowly put things together, then move in.”

Sugar nodded, “If it’s okay, maybe we can just play it by ear.  I don’t know how stressful the shop will be for me.  If it’s too much, I’ll take you up on that.  If it’s not too bad, I’d like to move in asap.  It’ll be nice just having to go downstairs to work.”

“Whatever you need or want to do.  Our door is always open to you both.”

“Thanks, Seb,”  Sugar smiled.  She looked at her screen, “What about this rug?  I like the colors.”  She showed the boys the rug, and they continued to discuss its merits.  

As they put dinner on the table, Kurt’s eyes widened, “Oh!  Bas, I can’t believe I almost forgot to tell you!  Jenna came over and we gave her a little makeover.  Hayden picked her up here for their date.  They were SO cute.  He brought her a rose.”  Kurt was all smiles.

Sebastian returned the smile, “That was sweet.  Do you know where they’re going?”

Kurt shook his head, “All I know is that they had reservations at a restaurant, then they were going to something after.”  He leaned across the island and showed Sebastian the pictures he had taken. 
“Wow, Jenna looks great,”  Seb smiled.  “They really do look good together.  I hope it works out.  They both deserve someone special.”

“It’ll work out.  I can feel it.”

~ 

After dinner, and lots of decorating and shopping discussions, they settled down in the living room to watch a movie together.  It felt good to be back to the way things had been.  They were just 10 minutes into the film, when Kurt’s phone rang.  He sat up from where he was laying against Sebastian.  He checked the caller I.D., then turned to Sebastian, “It’s Isabelle.”

Seb sat up too, as Kurt answered, “Hi, Isabelle.”

“Hi, Kurt.  How are you?”

“Good.  You?”

“Good.  Are things getting back to normal?”

Kurt nodded, “They are, thankfully.”

“Good.”  He could hear her smile.  “I wanted to let you know what we’ve decided to do about the whole Chase situation.”

“Okay,”  Kurt said nervously.  Sebastian could hear it in his voice, so he slowly rubbed his back.

“Vogue has a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, like many companies. This was Chase’s first time being written up.  But, he’ll still be going to a mandatory Workplace Ethics and Harassment class.  It will be added to his record as ‘strike one’, and his office will be relocated to the tenth floor.  You will have to see him still, but very rarely.”

“Isabelle, I don’t think moving him is necessary,”  Kurt frowned.

“It is.”

Kurt was still frowning and shook his head, “I’m just an intern…”

“No, Kurt.  You are a Vogue employee, intern or not.  You get paid, therefore...employee.  And I don’t expect you to leave me any time soon.  This was necessary.  Both for your comfort, and to teach him a lesson.”

“I feel bad.”  Kurt was fidgeting with the blanket as he looked down at the area rug.

“Well, you’re going to have to get over that,”  Isabelle simply stated.  “This is what a workplace should do.  You’ve had a lot of injustice in your life, Kurt.  That won’t continue under my watch.”

Kurt nodded and took a deep breath, “Okay.  Thank you, Isabelle.”

“You’re welcome.  Have a good night, Kurt.  I’ll see you Monday.”

“You too, Isabelle.  See you Monday.”  He hung up and then looked around at his family who were all silently watching.  He shrugged a bit, “She moved his office to a different floor, and he has to take an ethics and harassment class.  It will also be added to his records.”

“Will you have to see him anymore, Angel?”

Kurt nodded, “She said I would, but not as often.”

“Well, at least action has been taken.  That makes me feel better.  Now he knows that Isabelle isn’t going to take any of his shit.  Between that and this class he has to take, maybe he’ll straighten up.”

“I hope so.”  Kurt leaned into him, “Let’s watch the movie.”

~

The movie was almost over when Chris got home.  He came in silently, and joined in snuggling with Sugar and Puck on the couch.  He watched the end with them, then Sebastian turned the tv off.  

Sugar was running her fingers through Chris’ hair, “Did you have a good day, Hun?”

Chris nodded, “I did.”

“Did Elliott go back to his place for the night?”  Puck asked.

“Yeah.  He came to the game with his friend Dani.  She was really nice.  I think you guys will like  her.  We talked about it after the game...He went back to his place because we’re trying to create a little more normalcy.  My dorm.  His apartment.  Normal dates.  Back to real life, ya know?  I think I might give it the weekend, then head back to my dorm Sunday night or Monday.”

“Do you feel ready for that?”  Sebastian asked.  He didn’t want to put doubt in Chris’ mind, but he had to make sure that Chris really did feel ready, and didn’t want to just leave because he felt he needed to.  “You are welcome to stay as long as you like.”

Chris nodded and looked at Sebastian, “I know.  Thank you.  But today was so normal, and it felt so good.  I think if I get back into the dorm and create more of that normal, it will be really good for me.”

“As long as you’re sure,”  Kurt said.  “Just remember, if you go back, and it feels too fast, you can come right back here, no questions asked.”

Chris smiled and nodded, “Thanks.  I’m not saying I won’t be back for a weekend stay every once in a while.  I’m sure that will be happening.”  They all chuckled.

“Any time,”  Seb smiled.

……………..

Kurt and Sugar entered Brooklyn’s Basement and were immediately greeted by a scraggly dog.  Kurt leaned down to pet him, “Hi there, Killer.  How’ve you been?”

“Killer?”  Sugar giggled.

Kurt smiled, “Yep.”

Betsy, the owner, came out from the back room, “Hi there, I’m Betsy.  Let me know if I can help you find anything today.”  Kurt noticed she was once again wearing her hair in a bandanna, and she was wearing the same paint covered overalls.  Betsy looked at Kurt and frowned a bit, “You’ve been here before, right?”

Kurt gave her a polite smile and nodded, “I have. You have a good memory.  I bought a great table from you that I use as a sewing table.  It worked out perfectly.”

She smiled, “Good to hear!  I remember you and your boyfriend.  He was a looker.”  She bounced her eyebrows.

Kurt and Sugar both laughed.  “I agree.”

“Plus it’s not every day that young people come in looking for a sewing table.  Can I help you find anything specific today?”

Sugar shook her head, “My boyfriend and I basically need to furnish our entire apartment.  So I think it’s just a matter of knowing what I want when I see it.”

Betsy nodded, “He didn’t come with you?”

They both smiled, and Sugar answered, “He’s not really a shopper.  Whereas Angel here could shop all day.  We’ll send him pics if we see something we think will work.  He has veto privileges.”

She nodded and smiled at Kurt’s nickname, “Gottcha.  Just give me a shout if you need me.  I’m finishing up an old credenza as we speak.”  She leaned in and whispered as if she was telling them a big secret, “I’m taking a chance and painting it yellow.”

Sugar’s eyes widened, and Betsy asked, “Wrong choice?”

Sugar shook her head, “No!  Can… Can I see it?”  She was completely intrigued by the thought of anything bright and fun.

Betsy shrugged and turned to walk back, “Sure.  Come on back.  Just don’t touch anything.  You never know what’s still wet.”

Kurt and Sugar followed her back and immediately saw what she was working on.  Sugar couldn’t take her eyes off of it, “How much are you asking?”

Betsy shrugged, “For this?  I actually got it for super cheap.  Sooo… I can let it go for $100, if you buy something else from me.”

Sugar smiled from ear to ear, “Sold!”

Kurt smiled, “Aren’t you going to text a pic to Noah?”

Sugar was still looking at it and shook her head, “Not on this one.  I love it.  And if I love it this much, he’ll love it for that fact, if nothing else.”

Betsy chuckled, “Aahh, true love.”

Kurt chuckled too, “Yep.  They're the straight version of Bas and I.”  

Betsy laughed, “Well I won’t even put it out on the floor then.  I’ll finish her up today, and mark her sold.”

Sugar clapped her hands together, “Great!  Let’s go see what else we can find!”

They ended up finding two end tables, two lounge chairs in a deep jewel tone blue, and a dining room table with six chairs.  All of which, Puck approved of by text.  

They were looking at headboards when Sugar had narrowed it down to two.  “I just don’t know, Angel.  This place is amazing, and I could probably furnish the entire place here.  But sometimes I like her stuff so much that I just can’t decide. What do you think?”  She motioned between the two that they had pulled out and set next to each other.

“Easy.  The metal one that doesn’t have a footboard.”

Sugar frowned slightly and looked up at him, “That was fast.  Why do you like that one better?  The wooden one with the funky board pattern is cool too.”

Kurt nodded, “I agree.  And I think you should get that one for the guest bedroom.  But this is the one I would get for the master.”

“But why?”

 Kurt looked at her and smirked a little lopsided.  He spoke quietly, “Because this one is easier to get tied to.  And as much as they look good, footboards can get in the way.”

Sugar laughed, “God I love you, Angel.  I’ll get both.  But I’m not sure which will go where.”

“Trust me on this one, Sug.”  Kurt said as he placed a sold tag on both.  Betsy had given them a stack of the tags and then went back to finish painting the credenza.  

They ended up getting a dresser that was painted deep green for one of the bedrooms, a mismatch mirror, a few lamps, and a starburst clock. 

“Hey, Betsy, we’re finished!”  Kurt called.

Betsy came out and smiled, “What did you decide on?  Take me around and show me, so I can add it all up for you.”

They walked around and showed Betsy everything they had found, and she gave them their total.

Sugar smiled, “I’m so excited, I just can’t stand it.  I love your work, Betsy.  I love that it’s all repurposed or had new life breathed into it, and I love your style.  I may be back again.  We’re holding off on the smallest bedroom.  We haven’t decided if it should be a bedroom, workout space, or office yet.”

“Well, I’m glad you’ve found things you like!  You’re both welcome to come back any time you like.  Bring your friends, and spread the word.”  She paused as she took Sugar’s payment.  She asked, “What’s the address you’d like it delivered to?”

Sugar gave her the address, then quickly said, “That’s also the location of my new bakery, Sugar Shack, that’s opening just after Thanksgiving.  I’d love for you to stop by.”

Betsy smiled, “Well, from one small business owner to another, I’d love to.”

They worked out the delivery day and times, thanked Betsy, then were on their way.  

~

Later that afternoon, Kurt and Sugar stopped by her apartment to drop off the purchases they had made.  They had shopped at a couple of boutiques in the West End, Delphinium Home in Times Square, and TJMaxx.  They had mostly purchased picture frames, candles, and few knickknacks.  They found a multicolored ottoman “puff” at TJMaxx, which Kurt carried home.  They ended up just putting it all in a pile in the middle of the living room.  

“Everything you bought is so colorful.  It’s going to look so cheerful here.  Perfect for white walls,”  Kurt smiled as he took out one of the frames.  

“You don’t think it’ll look like a circus, do you?”  Sugar worried.

Kurt chuckled, “No, Sweets.  It’s going to look artsy and fun.  Cheerful, yet relaxed.  It’s very you.  Which means Noah will love it too.”

Sugar smiled and thought for a minute, “I think I want to go to IKEA and get that big rug I saw online.  The black and white one with the big rectangles...Almost like stripes, but not.  It’s graphic and bold, but can anchor all my crazy color choices.”

Kurt nodded, “I think that’s a great idea.  You could also get some dishes.  They’re nice enough that you can enjoy them, but cheap enough to not be too angry if you break one.  Their organization stuff is great too.  That’s where I got all my sewing room stuff.”

“Good idea.”  

They texted Puck and Sebastian to meet them at the apartment.  They unwrapped all of Sugar’s purchases and put them on the kitchen island, sans the ottoman.  They ended up both leaning against it on the floor as they chatted, and eventually fell asleep.  

~

Puck arrived at the apartment first.  When he went in, he saw the two of them holding hands, fast asleep.  He smiled and took a quick picture.  He texted Sebastian with the caption, “Too much shopping?”

Sebastian was just coming up from the subway when the text came through.  He laughed when he saw it.  They were so adorable. 

When he got off the elevator in their building, the door was open to the apartment, and it was still quiet.  He stepped inside and saw Puck leaning up against the wall, playing on his phone.

He whispered, “Didn’t want to wake them?”

Puck glanced at Seb then looked back at them lovingly, “Nah.  I figured they had to be worn out if that’s where they fell asleep.  Not that there’s much of an option here, I guess.  They didn’t even stir when you buzzed the intercom.”

Seb nodded, “Are you ready to wake them and join in the shopping fun?”

Puck gave him an unamused look, “No.  But you can wake them anyway.”  

Sebastian chuckled.  He walked over and squatted down next to Kurt, “Baby, wake up.”  He ran his fingers through the side of Kurt’s hair, “Kurt.” 

Kurt began to stir, then blinked up at Sebastian, “Bas?”

“Yeah, Baby.  You two fell asleep.”

Kurt looked over at Sugar and then over to Puck, who was smirking at him, “Hmm.”  He let go of Sugar’s hand, causing her to wake.  

“Sorry,”  She groggily giggled.  “We literally shopped till we dropped.”

They all chuckled.  Kurt went to stand and moaned, “Oh, that’s not good.”

“What’s the matter?”  Seb asked.

“My back.”

“Here, Babe.  Cross your arms over your chest and stay like that.  I’ll pop it for you.”  Sebastian went up behind Kurt and wrapped his arms over Kurt’s arms at his chest, and lifted him into the air until he heard a pop.  He set him down, “How’s that?”

Kurt twisted, “Good.  Thanks, Love.  I knew I kept you around for something.”

“Mhmm,”  Sebastian hummed as he spun Kurt around and kissed him.  Kurt chuckled and winked.

“Come on Seb, let me show you the kitchen!”  Sugar said, pulling him away from Kurt.  

Sebastian was impressed with how everything had turned out.  Once they were on their way, they went to the furniture store closest to them, Curbed .  They didn’t find anything they liked, so they headed to ABCHome .  

Sugar found a dark grey couch they matched the style of the chairs she purchased.  She really liked it, so she found Puck, who was sitting on a different couch chatting with Sebastian, and pulled him over,  “See if your butt likes this one.”

He plopped down and wiggled around, “Yeah.  It’s nice.”  

Sebastian came over and joined him, “Mmmm.  I could sleep here.  I’m sure you could too.”

Puck looked at Seb, “I don’t plan on being in the dog house any time soon.  Besides, we’ll have a guest bedroom.”

Seb chuckled, “I just meant for when you fall asleep during movies.”

“I don’t fall asleep during movies,”  Puck frowned.  

Kurt joined them on the couch, “Sure you do.  Any time Sugar picks what you consider to be a “chick flick”, you fall asleep.”

Puck made an exaggerated pout and looked at Sugar.  She rolled her eyes, “It’s fine, Puck.  Do you like the couch or not?”

“I love it.”

They ended up buying the couch, and were soon on their way to Macy’s to look at mattresses.  That didn’t take long at all, and then they headed to the home department.  They bought towels, sheets, and a comforter for the guest bedroom and bathroom, then were on their way.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Puck said as he put the bags in his arms down on the kitchen island.  

Everyone else followed suit, putting the bags on the island. 

“See, Noah.  Shopping can be painless,”  Kurt smiled.  Noah just grunted in response.  

“Well, at least you’ll have places to sit and sleep now,”  Sebastian said.

“Yeah.  You’ve got most of the big things taken care of.  The basics, anyway.”

“Yeah, thanks for your help today, Angel.  I’m so excited that it’s finally all coming together.  We got a ton done today.”

Kurt nodded, “The shopping gods were definitely smiling down on us today.”

Sugar giggled, “... And Betsy.”

~

The four of them headed home for dinner and to freshen up. They were happy to find Chris was home.  He was getting anxious to see Elliott perform. 
“I can’t wait to see my sexy man sing tonight.  It’ll be like the first time I saw him,” Chris looked off into the distance as if he was watching it all play out on an imaginary screen.  

Sebastian chuckled, “You’ve got it bad.”

Chris playfully frowned, “What?  You have to admit he’s sexy.”

“Yeah, he is,”  Seb nodded.

“Yep,”  Kurt agreed. 
“Hell, even I can admit to that,”  Puck smiled.  

An hour later, they were in the club, and Chris found them a hightop table, “I think Jenna and Hayden might try to stop by.  Jenna said their date went really well!”

“Good!  I’m happy for them,”  Sebastian smiled.

“Me too.  She’s still my girlfriend though,”  Chris winked.

They were only there for about fifteen minutes when the band came on.  Chris was all smiles as he watched Elliott work the crowd.  At one point, Elliott even dedicated a love song to him.  Chris was swooning.  And when Elliott would find his eyes and wink at him, it was all Chris could do not to moan out loud.  

When the band got a break, Elliott made his way over to their group, stopping to politely shake hands with a couple of people who wanted his attention.

“Hi,”  he smiled as he finally reached Chris.

“Hey,”  Chris smiled back.  

No other words were exchanged.  Elliott and Chris were like magnets, and they immediately grabbed hold of each other and kissed passionately.

The kiss went on for several long seconds, until Sugar teased, “Well, I feel ignored.”

They pulled apart and Elliott smiled, “Sorry, Sugar.”  He looked at everyone, “Thanks for coming to see me sing tonight, guys.”

“You were fantastic, Elliott,”  Kurt complimented.  

“You really were,”  Seb said, as Puck agreed.

By the end of the night, Jenna and Hayden showed up, Elliott had introduced everyone to his friend Dani, dedicated a second song to his tribe, and finished to a roaring round of applause.  Kurt looked around at his family, and finally felt that happy, content feeling that he had felt before Halloween.  He could tell everyone else was feeling the same way.  Smiles, laughter, easy conversations...It was a perfect day.

…………

The next couple of weeks brought several perfect days.  They weren’t perfect as in everything going exactly how everyone wanted them to, but they were perfect because there was no drama, and they had each other.  It’s all any of them wanted.  

Chris had moved all of his things back into his dorm by the end of that first weekend, post Owen.  Everyone was happy that he seemed to be doing so well.  Every once in a while, he would come over to Kurt and Sebastian’s, but most of the time, their normal lunch and hanging out was enough. 

He had been over to Elliott’s apartment a couple of times as well.  They were taking things slow, for both of their sakes, but for one of their dates, Elliott had cooked a nice candlelit meal, and it was the first time Chris was able to see his home.  Chris was impressed with Elliott’s place, but saddened when Elliott told him all about how he was able to afford such a place at such a young age. It made Chris all the more happy that Elliott at least had a family now, like he did. 

Sebastian was back to studying with full concentration.  He and his study group were meeting more often to prepare for midterm exams.  He managed to meet with them during the day, mostly, so that he could still spend time with Kurt in the evenings after his hospital internship.

Kurt was back at Vogue after classes.  Things were working out rather nicely now that Chase was on a different floor.  He hadn’t realized how on edge he could be with him around, until he wasn’t around to be on edge over.  He felt a little guilty about it, but that didn’t seem to last too long.  

Kurt’s classes were going well.  He was finally realizing that the one guy in his class actually was flirting with him.  He made sure that when they all had time to chat, he didn’t just refer to Sebastian by name, but referred to him as his fiance.  It seemed to be working.

Puck and Sugar had done some more shopping.  Puck even seemed to be enjoying himself.  They bought a funky quilt set for their bedroom, more towels, and then bought tons of kitchen stuff when they went to IKEA.  For a while, their apartment just gathered furniture and bags of decorations in the center of the living room.  But now, two weeks later, the bathrooms were finished, and the walls were all painted.  

Everyone gathered at their apartment on Saturday evening, and the decorating began.  Furniture was moved, linens washed and put in their respective places, photos were loaded into frames, rugs unrolled, and dishes cleaned and put away.  It was all coming together.  

“Well, we still have plenty of decorating that can be done, but now there’s nothing stopping us from moving in!  Nearly a full week before the bakery opens!”  Sugar smiled as she leaned into Puck on their new couch.  

Puck kissed the top of her head, “It’s amazing.  It’s all amazing.”

Sebastian smiled, “You both deserve it.  This place looks great, the bakery looks great...You’ve both worked so hard for this, and it’s all paying off.”

Puck smiled, “Thanks, Seb.”

“When are you moving in?  Do you need help with boxes?”  Chris asked.

“Tomorrow.  If everyone helped, it would only take a couple of trips up.  But I know it’s last minute, so if you have plans, don’t worry about it.  We just rented the u-haul this morning,”  Sugar shrugged.

“I can help,”  Jenna smiled.  

“Me too,”  Hayden agreed.  

“I have to work, but I can see if you still need me after,”  Elliott said.  

“I’ll be here,”  Chris chimed in.

Sebastian said, “We’ll help too.”  He looked over at Kurt who hadn’t said a word, “You’ve been awfully quiet, Babe.  You okay?”

Kurt got tears in his eyes and shook his head, “No.  Yes.  I don’t know.” 

“Awe, come here, Princess,”  Puck said, making grabby hands for Kurt.

Kurt got up and went to sit in Puck’s lap, “I don’t want you to move out.  I know that’s selfish, but I’m gonna miss you both so much.”  A tear fell as Puck squeezed him a little tighter.  

“I know it will be hard on all of us, Princess.  But you’ll still see us plenty.  Several times a week.”

“Promise?”  he sniffed.

“We promise, Angel.”

Kurt held out his arms for Sugar, and she climbed into his lap.  He smiled a bit, “I love you both.  And I’m so happy for you.  I’m just going to miss you.”

“I know, Angel.  Me too.”

“I love you both too, but I’m kinda squished under here,”  Puck grunted out, and everyone chuckled.

………………

Vinny and Cindy arrived that Monday.  They loved the way the bakery and apartment looked, and couldn’t say enough kind things.

“I just can’t get over it, Sugar!  It all looks so good.  All of your dreams are coming true!”  Cindy gushed.  

“I am so proud of both of you.  I just couldn’t be happier for you,”  Vinny smiled.

“Thank you for everything,”  Puck said as he hugged Vinny in the kitchen.  “I couldn’t have imagined my life like this year and half ago.  It was a dream that I could never really grasp.  But now, it’s a reality.  We’re so happy, and it’s all because of you.”

“No, Puck.  Yes, we helped.  We’re backing the building and business financially, but this dream coming true is all because of you.  You gave her the confidence and support.  You’re by her side.  You’re working hard in school just to help with her dream.  This has everything to do with you.  I am so proud of you.  I’m honored to have you be the guy who stands by Sugar’s side through all of this.”  

Puck wiped a tear away, and so did Sugar.  She came up to Puck and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he hugged her back just as tightly.  

A little while later, they were relaxing in the living room.  Cindy looked around from her seat, “When you described this to me, I was a little worried.  I mean, I know Kurt wouldn’t let you go too crazy, but it sounded a bit out there.  I really like how it turned out though.  It’s fun and modern.  Like you!”

Sugar smiled, “Thanks, Mom.  We had fun shopping.  We’re going to go to some flea markets when it gets warmer.  We still need some nightstands, and lots more artwork, but it’s really coming together.  Angel took me to the best shop.  We got a ton of the furniture in just one day!”

“Speaking of Kurt, how are he and Sebastian?”

“Good,”  Puck answered.  “It was hard yesterday, moving out.  They’re all alone there now.  They’ve lived alone before, but this seemed final, you know?  With the bakery opening, I think we’re all a little worried that we won’t have time for each other, but we will make it work.”

………….

On Tuesday night, Vinny and Cindy took everyone out to dinner.  He had made reservations at his favorite Italian restaurant, Carmine’s .  When Kurt and Sebastian arrived, Vinny gave them crushing hugs.  He pulled Seb away a bit and thanked him for making sure his kids were safe during the entire Owen fiasco.  Seb reassured him that they would do anything for each other, and that Sugar was in good hands.  Vinny smiled and echoed the words Burt had spoken in the hospital all those months ago, “With you three, I have no doubt.”

They got a large table that easily fit all ten of them.  Vinny stood at the end of the table and made a toast, “I know I’m just meeting some of you for the first time.  And I know we will be going in different directions for Thanksgiving, so before we part ways this coming holiday, I want you to know that it is you that I am grateful for this year.  You are all family.  You’ve welcomed and taken care of my Sugar...and my other kids,”  he looked at Puck, Chris, Kurt, and Sebastian, “and for that I am very grateful.”

Chapter Text

Wednesday morning found Kurt and Sebastian in the airport, waiting for their flight back to Ohio for Thanksgiving.  

Sebastian was stretched out leaning back in his seat when Kurt approached, “Here, Bas.”  He handed him a coffee from the airport Starbucks.

“Thanks, Babe.”  Sebastian moaned when he drank it, “Mm, this is just what I needed.  We’ll have to make sure to stop at Lima Bean.  I miss it.”

“Mhmm, I do too.  Birch is pretty good, but Lima Bean is better.  Maybe it’s just nostalgia talking.”

“Maybe.”  Sebastian took another sip, then turned to Kurt, “Are you prepared?”

Kurt smirked and bounced his eyebrows, “I’m always prepared.”

Seb laughed, “Not what I meant, but good to know.  Are you prepared for the women in our family?”

Kurt hummed into his coffee, then answered, “I think so?  I mean, I’m just assuming they’ll be super helpful.  I don’t think any of them will become over opinionated or overbearing, do you?”

“Nah.  But I know they will be excited.  Brace yourself,”  he chuckled.

 ~  

It was Burt who picked them up from the airport.  He gave both boys big bear hugs, “I’ve missed you both so much!  You look great!”

“Thanks, Dad.  We missed you too,”  Kurt smiled.

Burt pulled back from the hugs, “I hope you’re ready.”

Sebastian laughed, and Kurt made an exaggerated face, “Why does everyone keep saying that?  Is it going to be that bad?” 

Burt snickered, “I hope not.  But you know we all have dinner together pretty often, and let’s just say that the wedding has been mentioned dozens of times.”

Kurt raised his brows, “Is this going to be a good holiday or a bad one?”

Burt rolled his eyes, “A good one.  But if you thought you could get out of any wedding planning, you were sorely mistaken.”

Kurt chuckled, “No worries.  I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“Me too,”  Sebastian smiled.  “It has nothing to do with human anatomy, how could I not?”

Burt snickered again, “Sounds like you need a break, kid.”

Seb shrugged, “It’s all good.  Kurt doesn’t let me overwork myself, but a break is very welcomed.”

Burt smiled, “I’m glad you two are taking care of each other.”  Burt gave Sebastian a private look.  Kurt took care of Seb like Burt knew he would, but he wanted to remind Sebastian how he was glad that he was there to take care of his boy.  The two of them had had a long conversation in the middle of the whole Owen situation.  Burt wasn’t sure he could have asked for Seb to handle it any better.  

Burt took them to the Smythe home, where everyone was waiting for them.  The parents decided to have everyone, including the Hummels and Hudson’s, stay at the estate for the entire visit.  That made it so that Kurt and Sebastian didn’t feel pulled from one home to another.  And of course, there was plenty of room.

As soon as the boys walked in, Leah jumped into Sebastian’s arms, “You’re home!”

He smiled, then kissed her on the forehead, “Missed you, too, Sis.”

She let go of Seb, and went straight for Kurt, “I missed you both so much.  I’m so glad you’re back.  We’re going to have so much fun!”

Kurt chuckled, “I’m sure we will.  I missed you, too.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Satchmo came running in, and slid across the floor as he tried to stop.  Sebastian laughed as he knelt on the ground to greet the pup, “Well, I missed you, too, Fur Face!”  He scratched him behind the ears and rubbed him up and down his back as Satchmo tried to lick his face.    

Satchmo gave Seb a few licks, then went to Kurt, sitting in front of him with a hopeful expression.  Kurt laughed, “I know, I know.”  He bent down and gave Satchmo some lovin.  “I’m sure Uncle Finn has been giving you plenty of love.  But it’s just not the same, is it?”  

Finn smiled as he walked into the foyer, “Hey, Satch and I have a very special bond!”

Kurt smiled and stood.  He was immediately engulfed in Finn’s arms.  He sighed, soaking in his brother’s love, “I missed you.”

Finn squeezed a little tighter, “I missed you too.  You’re okay after the whole Owen thing, right?  I swear, I wish I had been there so I could’ve kicked his ass.”

Kurt pulled away and nodded, “Yes, I’m fine.  We all are.  And you would have had to get in line with the ass kicking.  But finding him wasn’t easy.”

“I know.  But it’s over now.  So, this week, we’re thinking only happy thoughts!”  Finn grinned.  

Kurt gave a single definitive nod, “Right!”

They headed into the living room, where Robert, Tori, and Carol all excitedly greeted them.  They settled down into one of the couches, and began chatting with everyone.  

“Did Sam go to Kentucky already?”  Sebastian asked.

“He did,” Leah nodded.  “Stacey and Stevie were excited to see him again.  They miss him like crazy.  But he’ll be back Friday for Sectionals.  We invited the whole family, but they had plans with some relatives, so they passed.”

“Well, I’m glad we get to see him for a couple of days, at least,”  Kurt smiled.

The afternoon was filled with easy conversations and playing a little bit of catch up.  They were all pretty good about keeping in touch, so there wasn’t much they didn’t know about that was happening in each other’s lives.   But it was always better in person.

~

Later that afternoon, everyone gathered around in the dinning room for a casual lunch, and they discussed the guest list.  

“Bas and I have already made our list.  It’s a lot of the same people that were at the graduation party, minus some of the underclassmen that we weren’t close to, plus our New York friends, and Isabelle.”

Sebastian nodded, then glanced between Robert and Tori, “What are your thoughts on who you’d like to invite?”

“Well, Mom and Dad, your Aunt and Uncle, and your cousins, of course,”  Tori answered.  Sebastian nodded.

“Dad, Carol, what about you two?”  Kurt asked.

“I think just the people that came to your graduation party would be great, kiddo.”

“Really?”  Kurt looked between Robert and Burt.

Burt asked, “Were you thinking we would invite people for political reasons?”  

“Yeah.”

Burt shook his head, “Nah.  I know that’s what a lot of politicians feel they need to do, but I don’t normally fit the role, and I won’t on this one either.  I’d like to invite my assistant in Washington, but that’s it.”  He looked at Robert, “How about you?”

“We’ll invite a few people from the office that you know well.  Mr. Edwards, my assistant Mark, Miss Judy... Only the people you know.  This is your wedding, boys.  It’s not about us.”

Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and squeezed a bit.  He looked at their fathers, “Thank you.”  Kurt smiled and nodded.  

“Well, the save the date cards that you two wanted came in last week.  We just need to pick them up.  If you help me round up the addresses, I can send them to my friend Kathy’s to be addressed and mailed.”

“Why Kathy?”  Leah asked.

“She’s obsessed with beautiful handwriting.  She even has her own blog and YouTube channel teaching how to do different fonts by hand.  She’s excellent at calligraphy, so she’s agreed to do all of their save the date and invitations in exchange for a couple of free photo shoots from me.”  Leah gave her a look, so she added, “The boys already approved it, don’t worry.”

Kurt chuckled, “We did.  I watched some of her videos.  It’s impressive.  She turns handwriting into an art form.  For us, she’ll just be doing simple calligraphy.  Nothing too totally out there.”

~

Kurt, Sebastian, Leah, Finn, Carol, and Tori headed out to Columbus a couple of hours later.  They had spent time after lunch going over some decorating options with their moms and Leah.  Now, they were headed to the catering company to do some taste testing.  Carol and Tori dropped them off while they went to pick up the ‘save the date’ cards.  

“Why am I not surprised that this is the one part of the wedding you want to have a hand in helping to plan?”  Kurt asked, looking at Finn, while Seb and Leah chuckled.

Finn made a face, “When have you ever known me to pass up food?  Especially good food?”

“Never,”  Kurt shook his head.  

Mr. and Mrs. Easton greeted them kindly.  The Smythes were some of their best customers, so they were happy to have been chosen by them once again, and were eager to please.  “Welcome!”  Mrs. Easton smiled.  She shook Sebastian’s hand, “It’s good to see you again.  Congratulations on your engagement!”

He smiled, “Thank you, Mrs. Easton.  This is my fiance, Kurt Hummel, his step-brother, Finn Hudson, and of course, you know my sister, Leah.”

They all exchanged pleasantries, and were interrupted by Mr. Easton, “Welcome!  Come, please sit down.”  He ushered them into the tasting room, where an elegant table was set up and decorated for effect.  They each took a seat.  “We have some wonderful things planned for you.  You had expressed interests in the lobster, filet mignon, and chicken.  Is that correct?”

Seb nodded, “It is.”

Dishes were brought out in smaller portions, and they tasted all three main courses, as well as side dishes that typically went with them.  All four of them loved each dish, although Finn decided that lobster just isn’t his thing.

Once they made their decisions on the main courses, Mr. and Mrs. Easton brought out some horderve choices that would pair nicely with the main meal.  They chose what they liked best, then Kurt brought up something they hadn’t talked about, “What about after dinner?  I mean, not right after dinner, but after a couple of hours of dancing, the guys are going to work up an appetite.”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah, we do have a large percentage guys with Finn-sized appetites coming.”

Finn thread his brows together, “Hey!”  They all looked at him, so he rolled his eyes, “Fine.  You’re right.”

Mrs. Easton smiled, “Since we are doing a formal sit-down dinner, it might be nice to do buffet style later that evening...Say, around 10-ish.  Since the wedding is on the fourth of July, we could do an all american barbecue style buffet, with either pulled pork or fried chicken.”

Leah piped up, “Seb, do you remember the food at the work party Dad had the summer before we moved to Paris?  That would be awesome.”

“Mmm, it was so good.  We were so bored, so we just sat around and ate constantly.”

Mr. Easton chuckled, “I believe we catered that party.”

Seb nodded, “You did.  Mom said she’s used you two exclusively for the last six or so years.”  He looked at Kurt, “Babe, do you mind if we go with what we had at that party, since we won’t be able to taste test that before the wedding?  We had barbecue sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad, chips, fruit… The typical American barbecue foods.”

“No, that sounds great.”

“Okay, are we all set then?”  Mrs. Easton asked.

“I think we are!”  Kurt smiled.  

By the time they were finished inside at the caterers, Tori and Carol were waiting for them in the parking lot.  As soon as they got in the car, Carol excitedly turned to Kurt and handed him the Save The Date cards.  They had used a photo that Tori had taken of them on the beach after they returned from Paris.  It was a close up candid shot of the two of them looking at each other lovingly.  You could barely even tell there was an ocean behind them, but the intimacy of it made it one of Kurt and Sebastian’s favorite pictures.

He opened the bag and pulled them out, “Oh, these look great!”  He showed them to Sebastian.

“They really do.  I love this picture,”  Seb said as he grabbed the one Kurt handed him.  He turned and smiled at Kurt, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  Kurt just beamed.  He was so excited that things were coming together.  

~

After their late dinner, they had made a list of addresses, and contacted those whose addresses they didn’t already have.  Kurt was finished with the people on his list, so he cautiously approached Sebastian as he worked on his list in Robert’s office.

Seb looked up, and seeing the look on Kurt’s face, he frowned a bit, “What’s the matter, Babe?”

“Um…”  Kurt was a little fidgety, so Sebastian went to him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.  Kurt took a deep breath in and then pulled back to look Sebastian in the eye, “We need to talk.”

“That doesn’t sound good.  What’s going on?”

Kurt shook his head, “Nothing is wrong , it’s just not the most comfortable subject to breach, and I have a feeling we aren’t going to agree.”

“Hmm,”  Sebastian frowned some more.  He couldn’t imagine what Kurt was referring to.  They agreed on just about everything that involved them both, and their biggest argument had been over what restaurant to order from.  He grabbed Kurt’s hands and pulled him toward the couch.  Once they sat he continued, “Tell me what’s on your mind, Babe.”

Kurt took a deep breath, then looked Sebastian in the eye.  He knew exactly what Seb’s reaction was going to be, but he had to get this debate started to be able to have it finished, “I want to sign a prenup.”

Seb frowned and pulled his head back a bit, “A prenup?”  Kurt nodded, so he continued, “Why?  Baby, I know you aren’t marrying me for my money.  I’m not worried about you leaving me and suing me for my wealth.”

Kurt nodded more, and sat up on the edge of the couch to face Sebastian more, “I know.  I would never.  And I don’t care if you had no money at all, I would love you just the same.”

“I know, Kurt.  So why get a prenup?  It makes me feel like… like… you think I don’t trust you or something.”

“I know you trust me.  I hate that it makes you feel that way.  I wish you didn’t…” 

“But I do.  I don’t want to start our marriage with lawyers.”

“It’s not about that!  I want this because I want you to feel safe in knowing that I’m marrying you for you, not your money.  And to protect you.  What if I turned into some horrible, greedy, monster!?”

Sebastian actually laughed a little at that, which did not make Kurt happy.  When Seb saw the look on Kurt’s face, he stopped laughing, but kept the smile, “You could never.  You’re the kindest, most loving person I know.”

Kurt sassed, “People change, Bas.”  He sighed, “What if something happens that turns me...evil.”

Sebastian bit his lip, trying not to laugh, and shook his head and became more serious, “Babe, after what you’ve been through, if you aren’t evil already, it’s not happening.”

Kurt huffed, “What if I become bitter?!  What if I become jealous!?  What if...if...What if I just want to protect you, Bas!?”

Sebastian’s features softened at that.  He leaned forward and pulled Kurt into a hug, “God, I love you so much.”  He kissed Kurt on the forehead, “I know you want to protect me, Baby.  But let's say something did happen.  Let’s say you became ‘evil’...I’m still not worried.”

“You should be,”  Kurt mumbled into Seb’s shoulder.

“Are you planning on turning evil, Babe?”  Sebastian smirked.  He couldn’t help but be a little turned on by Kurt when he was all worked up.  Even if it was all directed at him.

Kurt was much calmer now, “No.  But you should be prepared for that, and protect your wealth, and yourself, in case the world changes me.  You never know, Bas.”  He pulled back to look at Sebastian in the eyes, “I’m serious.  I really want this.  Give me this peace of mind.  Please.”

Seb sighed, “Fine.  We can discuss it with Dad, but know I’m not happy about it, and I’m doing this only because it’s something you really seem to want.  I would never assume you are in this for the money.  You have never taken advantage of our wealth, and I would never assume you would in the future.  I’m still not comfortable with this…”

Kurt pulled back again, “I’m sorry you aren’t comfortable.  But I really do want this.  I think it’s really important.”

Seb nodded, “Okay.  We’ll talk to Dad about it before we head home. Okay?”

“Thank you,”  Kurt leaned forward and kissed Sebastian sweetly in the lips.  

……………………

Thanksgiving morning, Kurt was in the kitchen making omelets with Leah while they watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on the big screen tv above the fireplace in the living room.  Tori was preparing the turkey and helping Kurt at the same time.

“Do you wish you were still in New York, so could be there live?”  Leah asked.

Kurt frowned a little and shook his head, “No way.”  He looked at her, “There is no place I’d rather be than right here with family on Thanksgiving.  Don’t you ever doubt how much you mean to me.”  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed on the head as they watched the screen for a few seconds. Tori shook her head a bit and smiled. 

“I’m jealous,”  Sebastian grinned as he walked in.

“You get him all the time!”  Leah grumped.

Sebastian chuckled, “It’s not you I’m jealous of, Leah.  He’s stealing my morning lovin’.”  Kurt and Leah both smiled.  Kurt let go of her and she went straight into Seb’s arms.

Kurt went back to making the omelets, “You two go snuggle.  Let me know when they show the Big Bird balloon.  Chris said NYU would be right behind them.”

“This is exciting!”  Leah exclaimed, “I’ve never known anyone who’s been in the parade before!”

Leah snuggled into Sebastian on the couch.  He looked over to Kurt, “Did you talk to Chris this morning, Babe?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  He just sent a text when he found out their placement in the parade.”

“Oh.  I was hoping you had talked to him.  I’m curious to know how meeting Elliott’s sister and her family went.”

Kurt put the omelets on a plate, “Me too.  Knowing Chris, I’m sure they were instantly charmed.   Breakfast is ready.”

Once they finished eating, Kurt joined the other two and snuggled on the couch and watched the parade.  When the rest of the family trickled in, Kurt offered to make them breakfast, but they all declined.  Eventually, everyone was in the living room watching.

“There’s Big Bird!”  Leah smiled.

Robert frowned and smiled at the same time, “Since when are you a fan of Big Bird?  I mean, it’s been a few years…”

Leah rolled her eyes, “NYU cheerleaders and marching band are next.  We’re looking for Chris.”

“Oh, well that makes a little more sense,”  Robert chuckled.

“There they are!”  Sebastian said, and everyone seemed to sit up a little as they watched the screen, scanning for Chris.  

They watched for what seemed like several minutes, but in reality it was only several seconds.  The camera zoomed in on a girl doing a flip in the air, then panned down as she was being caught.  “There he is!”  Kurt smiled as he watched Chris catch who he was pretty sure was the girl named Dayna they had met.  “Awe, he got a closeup and everything.  That was exciting!”  Sebastian smiled at Kurt’s enthusiasm and kissed him on the side of the head. 

“How is he doing?”  Tori asked as the next group came onto the screen.

“Pretty good,”  Sebastian answered.  “Elliott’s sister, Amelia, and husband and kids were coming to New York for Thanksgiving, so Chris will be joining them.  They met last night, but we haven’t heard how it went.”

“And he’s recovering from the Owen trauma?”

“He seems to be handling it really well.  I think getting back to normal routines really helped.  As much as we would have liked for him to stay with us longer, it was the right choice for him to go back to his dorm.  It’s easier for him to see Elliott that way too, because he lives fairly close.”

Kurt added, “And Elliott has been great throughout the entire thing.  Now they are going on dates, visiting each other, and seeing each other in between classes...Normal things they kind of skipped for a while there.  Elliott is very understanding of his busy schedule, how flirty he is… They just work.  He’s really nice, too.”

“And hot,”  Leah smiled.

“That too,”  Sebastian smiled.  It had reminded him of when he and his family had been talking about Kurt the year prior, and Leah brought up that same fact.

“He is very hot,”  Kurt agreed.  “Hopefully Chris does okay through the trial.  He has to fly out to Wyoming and testify in the case out there.  But he only has to be a witness, so if he doesn’t want to stay for the whole thing, he doesn’t have to.”

Seb nodded, “And he said his mom might actually join him for that.  I hope she does, so she can realize how serious it all was.  She seemed to brush it off when he called her about it.”

“I just don’t get that,”  Carol shook her head in disbelief.  

“That’s because you’re a good mom, who’s loving and accepting.  She may love, in her own unique way, but she hasn’t been too accepting,”  Kurt explained.  “She’s highly influenced by her husband, apparently.  He and Chris do not get along at all.  He thinks being gay is a choice, and hates Chris for making that ‘choice’ and embarrassing the family.  Bas and I are extremely lucky to have all of you be accepting of us for who we are.  We’ve always known that, but when you meet someone who isn’t as lucky, you become even more grateful.”

~

Thanksgiving dinner was lovely.  Tori had decorated a lovely tablescape and cooked a fantastic turkey.  Carol and Leah helped her make all of the side dishes, and Kurt made Finn’s favorite pumpkin pie.  He and Sebastian also made an apple pie, since that was Robert’s favorite.  

As they sat around and ate, Sebastian couldn’t help but feel warm inside.  It was their first Thanksgiving spent together as one big family.  It had been great to have Thanksgiving with his dad again the year before, but now with Kurt, Burt, Carol, and Finn added in, it just felt right.  He felt especially grateful knowing that this was his family for the rest of his life, and holidays were all going to be as amazing as this. 

When they went around the table and said they were grateful for, Sebastian made sure to express those feelings, “I’m grateful for so much this year, I don’t even know where to begin.”   He took a moment to gather his thoughts,  “First, just as last Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for Kurt.”  He looked at Kurt, who smiled at him with a wink.  He continued, “It’s been a roller coaster of a year.  I’m grateful that Kurt woke up and was able to be here with us today.  Those memories are so fresh in my mind, that I think it makes me extra grateful, and even more aware of what it is I have.  I have a bigger family now.  Extra parents, and an extra sibling,”  Finn was smiling his goofy smile that made Sebastian grin even bigger, “I’m grateful that Kurt said ‘yes’ when I asked him to marry me.  I’m grateful for the blessed and privileged life we lead in New York, and that we get to do it all alongside some of our closest friends.  And I’m grateful that no matter where we are, when I’m with Kurt, I’m home.”

Everyone in the room could feel the love.  Not just between Kurt and Sebastian, but with each other.  They had all been through so much together.  They had grown together, loved together, stood by each other.  It was a special connection that everyone knew was going to keep them together as a close family.  They were all grateful for that.

………………..

Friday morning when Kurt’s alarm went off, he turned to see if it woke up Sebastian.  He seemed to be asleep still, so he kissed him on the cheek and pulled the covers off to get up.  He got ready quickly and quietly, and as he walked to the bedroom door, he heard Sebastian, still half asleep, mumble, “Bye, Baby.  Have fun.”

Kurt smiled.  He whispered, “I will.  Go back to sleep, Love.”  He gave Sebastian one last kiss on the cheek before entering the hallway.  He knocked on Leah’s door as quietly as he could, “Leah?  Are you up?”

She opened the door with a toothbrush in her mouth, “Just a sec.”  After finishing in the bathroom quickly, they headed down to the kitchen to grab some quick breakfast, and a coffee for Kurt.  

As they headed to the garage, Kurt said, “I can’t believe you’re going to drive.”

Leah giggled, “Well, you have your license, so if you’re with me I can drive with my temps.  Just a few more weeks and I get the real deal.  I can’t wait till I get my new car.”

“What are you going to get?”

She shrugged, “I haven’t decided yet.  I’m thinking maybe a Tesla.”

“Hmm.  Good choice.”  They got in one of Roberts cars that he had given her permission to drive the night before, a Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.  

Once they arrived at the mall, they headed to the east entrance, where they were meeting Tina and Mercedes for a morning of shopping for bargains and hanging out.

“Oh my god!”  they heard Mercedes yell.  Kurt turned to look in the direction in which her voice came, and was immediately engulfed in her arms, “I’ve missed you so much, Kurt!”

He laughed as he hugged her, “I’ve missed you too!”

Tina was giving Leah a hug.  The two of them saw each other fairly often, so it was more of a friendly greeting.  When Tina went to hug Kurt, she held on a little tighter, “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve missed you.  All of you.  It’s just been so weird this year, without the whole gang together.”

Kurt pulled back, “I’m sure it has.  I’ve missed you, too, Tina.  Sam’s been keeping me up to date on Glee Club.  I can’t wait to see you guys perform tonight.”

Mercedes agreed, and Tina nodded, “Yeah.  We’re doing pretty well.  Not the same, but some of the new kids are pretty good.  Sam has been an amazing leader.”  She turned and winked at Leah, who just smiled from ear to ear.

“Let’s get our shopping on!”  Mercedes said, linking arms with Kurt after chatting for a few more minutes.

As they shopped, they all caught up with what was going on in each other’s lives.  Again, talking in person was so much better than on social media.  Mercedes talked about her school, which she loved, and how much she liked California.  Even though she liked California, she didn’t love LA, but said she could tolerate it for now.  She had met a couple of friends, but was still on the hunt for someone special to date.  

Tina talked about Glee Club, and told Kurt and Mercedes about the new kids, and some of their drama.  She told them about how she and Mike had decided to go their separate ways, but still talked every once in a while.  Kurt knew they had split, but was happy to hear that they were still friendly with each other.  She missed Mike a lot, but had recently taken interest in a new transfer student.  He was in some of her honors classes, and they got along really well.  He was planning on coming to see the Glee Club perform later that night, so Kurt was hoping to get to meet him.

Leah talked about some of the friends she had made at Crawford Country Day.  She really liked the school, and loved that she got to live at home.  She told Kurt and Mercedes about how all of her friends were jealous that she had an amazing boyfriend that she bragged about all the time, but the jealousy intensified when Sam came to her choir concert and met some of the other girls in person.  She said he was all they talked about for a couple of weeks, and she jokingly questioned whether or not to let him come to any more events.

Kurt told them all about his and Sebastian’s time in Europe and New York.  He told stories about their new friends, school, Vogue, and briefly talked about the Owen situation when Mercedes asked about it.  Both Mercedes and Tina could see what Leah already knew… New York was a perfect fit for someone like Kurt Hummel.  He was right where he needed to be, in every possible way.  

They were almost all the way to the west end of the mall, when Mercedes turned to Kurt and frowned.  He frowned back, “What?!”

She looked down at the single bag he had on his arm, then back up to him, “It is so unlike you to be this far down the mall and only have one bag.  You feelin’ okay?”

He laughed, “I told you all about how amazing Europe was.  Did you think I didn’t shop while we were there?”  The girls all laughed.

“Okay, you got me there.”

“Seb was prepared.  He had an extra suitcase,”  Leah smiled.

They laughed, and Tina said, “He sure knows you well, Kurt.”

They were headed back to the east end of the mall when Kurt heard someone call his name.  He turned to see Avery and Clay walking towards them, holding hands.  He smiled as she hugged him, “How are you?!”

“Good!”  Avery smiled as she pulled away, “How about you?  Congrats on the engagement!”

“Thanks!”  He turned and smiled at Clay, who immediately gave him a hug.  

“You look good.  New York treating you right?”

Kurt smiled, “God, I wish I could have convinced you to sing with New Directions back in the day.  Your voice is so amazing.”  They all chuckled, then he added, “Yes.  New York is fantastic.  It seems you two are liking University of Cincinnati?”

Avery nodded quickly, “Love it!”  Clay nodded in agreement.  

They chatted for a few more minutes, and after they parted,  they all headed home for a few hours rest before Sectionals.

~

After watching New Directions perform at Sectionals, Leah, Kurt, and Sebastian met Finn and Rachel, who had been out together all day, in the lobby of Adams High School.  As soon as Rachel saw them, she ran and gave them all a hug.  She pulled back from her hug with Kurt, “Guess what?!”

Kurt glanced at Finn quickly, trying to sense what was going on.  When he looked back at Rachel, he asked, “What?”

She bounced a little, “I was accepted at NYADA!”

They all cheered and congratulated her with kind words and more hugs.  Kurt looked at Finn.  He was smiling, but it wasn’t quite meeting his eyes.  Finn looked back at him and smiled a little more as he gave a short nod, acknowledging that he was happy for Rachel, and he was just going to have to accept this.  

A few minutes later, the New Directions all came out to head home.  Sam came jogging over to Leah when he saw her.  He picked her up and spun her around.  She giggled, “Congratulations, Sam!”

He smiled, “Thanks.”  He kissed her and then set her down.

Kurt and Sebastian were both smiling, and went in for hugs.  “You were awesome, Sam.  That win was well deserved.”

“Thanks, Seb.”  He went to hug Kurt, “It’s so good to see you guys again.”

“You, too.”

They chatted with everyone in the group, and got hugs from Will.  He introduced them to some of the new members, and they just shook their heads and at some of the comments the younger group were making about the ‘legendary’ New Direction Alumni.  Some kind comments, but also some snide remarks as well.

Sebastian and Kurt both noticed how Spencer was checking Seb out.  He made sure to not let go of Kurt’s hand, making it blatantly obvious that he was not available.  Spencer didn’t seem to care.  

Sam looked over and noticed.  He turned to everyone, “Why don’t we head out to the bus...The faster we get back, the faster we can get on with our night.”  He took the trophy from Kity, much to her chagrin, and stepped in front of Spencer.  In a low tone, he said, “Why don’t you take the trophy, and we can let these love birds get on with their night.”

Spencer rolled his eyes a bit and took the trophy.  Leah smirked and winked at Sam when he turned back around.  

~ 

Once everyone was back home, they all sat around talking.  Finn had gone out for ice cream with Rachel, so when he came in, everyone else was already settled in the living room.  Once the parents headed to bed, Kurt looked at Finn and asked, “Are you doing okay?”

Finn nodded, “Yeah.  I mean, I’m heartbroken.  But… I think we both knew that we were never going to make it work in the big picture, ya know?  We knew this was coming.”  Kurt nodded.  

Sam said, “Her not getting accepted right away was kind of a blessing in that way.  I mean, it gave you both some time to prepare for this.”

“Yeah,”  Finn nodded.  “We knew it was coming, whether it was NYADA or not.  I just feel like we have a ticking clock hanging over our heads.”

“You can stay friends though.  I think that’s actually going to be really important for both of you,” Leah encouraged.  “You can see her when you visit Seb and Kurt.  Call, FaceTime, text… I think it would help you both.  I can’t see either of you cutting all ties completely.”

Finn nodded, “Yeah, we talked about that.  It’s just going to be so hard.  I feel like now, I need to start meeting more people at school.  My world was split into pieces when we graduated.  I still had some pieces here with me, but now, a major piece is leaving.  And then everyone else but Leah will be going in different directions again at the end of the year.  I’m the only one staying.” Everyone understood, but they weren’t sure what they could say to make him feel better.

Leah looked at Sam.  He had his arm around her, so he squeezed a little, then kissed the side of her head.

Sebastian frowned a little as he looked at Sam, “Do you already know where you’re going?”

“No.  I know I want to do something with art...Art education, art therapy...something that I can make a career out of if my art doesn’t take off.”

“That’s smart,”  Kurt agreed.  

Sam’s face lit up, “Oh yeah!  I can’t believe I almost forgot.  Seb, I brought you something.  I was going to give it to you at Christmas, but since I won’t be going to New York with everyone, I wanted to give it to you now.”  He got up and went to his truck quickly.  When he came back in, he had a large wrapped rectangle.  He was smiling from ear to ear, “Now.  I do not expect to see this out and about when I come visit.  But of all people, I figured you’d appreciate it the most.”

Sebastian took the package, “Thanks, man.”  

As he unwrapped the gift, Kurt’s eyes widened and muttered, “Oh my god…”  then started laughing - partly because he was embarrassed.

Sebastian’s eyes widened as the macaroni portrait of Kurt was unveiled.  A smile spread across Seb’s face, “Oh.  My.  God.  This...This is amazing!  I cannot believe you made macaroni look like him!  Holy shit!”  Everyone was chuckling, since they had all seen the artwork already.  They weren’t laughing at the picture.  It was remarkably good.  But they laughed at both Kurt and Sebastian’s reaction.

Sam smiled, “Well, I used some beans too.”

Kurt, who already had his hand over his mouth, lowered his face into both hands and shook his head.

Seb turned to him, “Baby, we need to find a place for this.”

Chapter Text

Kurt and Sebastian approached Rachel’s front door hand in hand.  They had spent the day with the moms at the florist going over options that included succulent and flower mixtures for the wedding.  They had hoped to get some more of the decoration choices taken care of, but they had spent too much time at the florist for that to happen.  Sebastian reminded everyone that the decorations were easy to take care of long distance, so there was no need to squeeze that in.  Now, it was time to relax and have a good time with the people they loved, but didn’t get to see too often.

Hiram, one of Rachel’s fathers, answered the door, “Hello, boys!  It’s good to see you.  Come on in!”

They smiled and Kurt greeted, “Thanks, Hiram.  It’s good to see you too.”

LeRoy entered, “Kurt!  Sebastian!  It’s great to see you.  Do you mind if I have a word with you for a minute before you join the party downstairs?”

“No, that’s fine,”  Sebastian answered.  They followed the dads into the living room.  Seb asked, “What can we do for you?”

LeRoy answered, “Well, Rachel will be in New York soon.  I was just hoping that you’d give us a little bit of reassurance that you’ll both be there for her if she needs anything.  It’s hard for us to have her leave and be so far away.”

Kurt gave an understanding smile, “We’ll absolutely be there for her.  We’ve already told her that, too.  And we’ve offered to be somewhat of a ‘place of refuge’ if she needs a break from dorm life for a while.  We have a couple of friends who spend the weekend with us every now and then for that reason.  She’s more than welcome any time.”

Sebastian added, “And I know Puck and Sugar have offered the same thing.  She’s got five good friends in the city, and she’s already met most of our new friends.  She’ll be fine.  We’ll make sure of it.”

Hiram smiled, “Thanks, boys.”  He looked at LeRoy, “Feel better, Sweetheart?”

Sebastian immediately looked at Kurt when Hiram unknowingly used the pet name.  Kurt gave Seb a little smile and nod, letting him know he was okay.  Sebastian rubbed his back and watched him for a few more seconds.  

“I do,”  LeRoy answered his husband.  He looked back at the boys, “Speaking of ‘I do’, congratulations on the engagement!”

Kurt smiled, “Thank you.  We’ve spent most of the break planning with our moms and Leah.  The wedding plans are really starting to take shape.”

“Great.  We’re really happy for you both.”  He stood, “Now go on.  Have fun.  You don’t need to stick around and talk with the old farts any longer.”

When they got downstairs, the party was well underway. They were greeting everyone when Santana and Brittany came running up, jumping into their arms.  Both of them laughed, and Kurt muttered, “Well ‘hello’ to you, too.”

“We just missed you, that’s all.  How’s Chris?  Is he still with Hot Stuff?”

Seb chuckled, “You mean Elliott?  Yes.  They are both great.”

“Good.  Come on, let’s get a drink,”  Brittany smiled, pulling Kurt over to the bar. 

Santana looked at Sebastian, “Is he really okay?”

“Chris and Kurt are both doing well.  No worries.  Like I said before about Kurt, he’s velvet over steel.  And Chris is doing great too.  Elliott has played a major role in that, and they seem really happy.”

Santana nodded, “I’m glad.  For everyone, but  Kurt especially.  He needs peace and happiness.  You’re doing a good job giving him that, Sebby.”

Sebastian put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek, “Thanks, Tana.”  

The party was a New Directions Holiday Reunion, according to Rachel.  Everyone who had been in New Directions the previous year, as well as their significant others, was there.  The only members not able to make it were Puck and Sugar.  

To Kurt and Sebastian’s surprise, they heard Nick say, “Mind if we crash?” as he and Jeff came down the stairs.  They were the only other Warblers who were from the area, so Rachel had made sure to invite them.  She didn’t say anything because she wanted it to be a surprise.

“Oh my gosh!”  Seb smiled.  He looked back toward Kurt, then laughed because he was already running toward Jeff. 

“Kurtsie!”  Jeff smiled, lifting Kurt into the air.

“I missed you guys so much!”  Kurt smiled.  He hugged Nick, kissed him on the cheek, then waited for Sebastian to finish his hugs before he continued, “I was hoping we’d be able to see you this weekend, but with wedding planning and parties, I didn’t think we could.”

“That’s why I invited them,”  Rachel said as she approached.

Kurt hugged her, “Thanks, Rach.  Really.”

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, “They’re family.”

Nick smiled, “Thanks, Rachel.  We appreciate the invitation.  It’s good to see everyone again.  And congratulations on your acceptance at NYADA!”

“Thanks!”  Rachel beamed.  

Kurt and Sebastian were talking with Mike at the bar.  He was the one they wanted to catch up with the most.  He wasn’t big in using social media, so there was a lot about school and life that they didn’t know about with each other.

Sebastian had excused himself to the restroom just a couple of minutes before Spencer came down the stairs like he owned the place.  Kurt had his back to him, so he didn’t even notice.  All the other alumni just assumed that Rachel had invited him, while Rachel assumed Sam had, since they were on the football team together.

When Sebastian came back into the room, Spencer had reached the bottom of the stairs and was scanning the place.  He looked over to Sebastian and smirked.  He stepped in front of him and let his eyes roam Sebastian’s body from top to bottom, and back up again, “Hey.  It’s good to see you again.”

Sebastian took a deep breath and put on a polite smile, obviously fake, “Yeah.  You too.  Now, if you’ll excuse me…”  He started to step around Spencer, but he reached out and put his hand on  his bicep, with his arm against Seb’s chest.  Sebastian looked at Spencer’s hand on his arm, flicked it off like it was a crumb, then turned to face him a little more, “Look… It’s Spencer, right?”  He didn’t wait for a reply before he continued, “I’m not sure if anyone has told you, but see that fine as hell guy sitting at the bar?”  He pointed toward Kurt, “That’s my fiance.  I’m not available.” He held up his left hand, showing his ring.

Spencer turned to look at Kurt, then back to Sebastian, “He’s not my type.  You are.”

Sebastian frowned a bit and shook his head, “You’re missing my point.  He’s my type.  Inside and out.  He’s the man that I love.  The man that I’m going to faithfully spend the rest of my life with.  So there’s no point in wasting your breath on me.  I’m not interested or available.  So back off.” He spoke to Spencer as if he was speaking to a child.  

Kurt turned around, hearing Sebastian’s voice, just in time to see Spencer step close enough to Seb that it made him shift uncomfortably.  He stood quickly and made his way over.  He heard Spencer say, “I bet I could give you more.”

Sebastian actually chuckled a little at that.  He looked up and saw Kurt walking toward him.  He offered his hand to Kurt and gave him a small smile.  

Kurt looked concerned, irritated, and protective, all at once, “Everything okay, Bas?”  He turned and looked at Spencer quickly before looking back to hear and see an answer.  

“Sure, Baby.  You remember Spencer?”

Kurt decided he’d play nice for now, “Yeah.  You guys did a nice job at the competition yesterday.  Congratulations on the win.”

Spencer nodded, “Thanks.  I always win.”  He glanced at Sebastian as if he was a prize in some kind of competition.

Kurt, just like Sebastian had a minute ago, chuckled at that, “Not always.”

Sam approached with a frown, “What are you doing here?”

Spencer looked at him like he had two heads, “I heard Artie talking about the New Directions party.  I figured I was invited.”  They could all tell he was full of shit.

“Yeah, well, it’s a reunion for last year’s New Directions who are home for Thanksgiving.  I think maybe you need to go.”

Spencer started to say something in return, but Leah came up, a bit wobbly on her feet, and wrapped her arms around Kurt’s waist, grabbing everyone’s attention.  He leaned down to kiss  her forehead and frowned, “Have you been drinking?”

“I only had one!”  she looked up at him with big puppy eyes, like she was trying not to get in trouble.

“Those puppy eyes may work on your brother, but as your almost-brother-in-law, I think you need to be more careful.  The last thing we need is for you to have a hangover in the morning when we’re saying our goodbyes, or for Tori and Robert to worry about their fifteen year old daughter drinking.”

She frowned and pouted a bit, “Nearly 16!”

Sebastian and Sam were both getting ready to say something, when Spencer cut in, “You two are siblings?”  He waved his finger from Sebastian, to Leah, then back again.

“We are,”  Sebastian nodded, but quickly turned his attention back to Leah.  “I agree, Leah.  You’ve had enough.  If one drink has you that wobbly, then that’s your limit.  At least for now.”

Sam frowned as he looked at her, “What did you drink?”

She shrugged, “Something fruity Joe made.”

Sam shook his head, “Okay, but no more.  And from now on, at future parties, stick to something in a bottle, like a wine cooler or beer.  He may be heavy handed.”  Sebastian watched the two of them with a satisfied expression.  Sam looked up at everyone before wrapping his arm around Leah, “We all good here?  I want to go see what Joe put in her drink.”

“Yeah, I’ll join you,”  Seb agreed.  He grabbed Kurt’s hand and took him with them.

As they all walked away, Spencer muttered, “Damn.  That hot and rich…”  He had put together that Leah came from money just because of passing comments here and there from the seniors in Glee.  Knowing Sebastian was rich just made him hotter to Spencer.

Santana had been watching and listening close by.  She strutted up to Spencer and leaned up to whisper in his ear, “And you don’t have a chance in Hell.  If I hear of you messing with my boys in any way, you can kiss the rest of your football career goodbye.  Got it, Tom Brady?”

Spencer didn’t say anything, but nodded ‘yes’ before he watched her strut away.  He stuck around and hung out at the party, mostly talking with the current members of the New Directions.  

An hour later, Sebastian and Nick were leaning up against the bar, talking and laughing.  Kurt and Jeff were on the make-shift dance floor with Santana, Brittany, Rachel, Tina, Leah, and Sam.  Everyone else was hanging out at the lounge areas around the room.

Spencer approached Sebastian, “You seem to not have a problem with Kurt getting all handsy over there.  If he can do it, you can too.”

Nick smiled a half smile and raised his brows as he looked from Kurt and Jeff, back to Spencer.  He looked at Sebastian whose brows were raised and lips were formed into a confident smile.  Seb didn’t even look over at Kurt.  He kept his eyes on Spencer, “Spencer, this is Nick, one of mine and Kurt’s best friends.  Jeff, the guy Kurt is dancing with, is also one of our best friends, and Nick's boyfriend for the past four and a half years.  Nick, this is Baby Gay, Spencer.”

Nick laughed out loud as he looked at Spencer’s frown, “Oh man.”  He laughed a little more, “Nice to meet you, Baby Gay Spencer.”

“What the fuck?!”  Spencer spat.   Finn heard, so he approached and stood close by, just in case.

“Look, man…”  Sebastian started, “You still have a lot to learn...hence the ‘Baby Gay’ nickname.”

“I don’t need to learn shit.”

“You do.  First of all, you need to learn that when you are turned down, you walk away gracefully.  Second, just because someone is dancing with someone else, doesn’t mean that they are doing something wrong.  Especially if it happens to be one of their best friends.  Look… I know it’s not easy being one of the few, if not the only, out gay kid at a public school in Lima, Ohio.  But just because you meet another gay guy, doens’t mean shit for your sex life.  You’ll probably need to go outside of Lima to meet someone.  Maybe even wait to do so a lot longer than you’d like.  But don’t be an ass just because you’re horny.  That’s what your hand is for.  Besides, finding someone special, not just a fuck buddy or one night stand, is so worth it.”

Spencer narrowed his eyes, “You mean to tell me that those two putting their hands on each other doesn’t bother either of you?”

Sebastian and Nick both shook their heads.  Nick answered, “If it was just some random asshat in a bar, yeah it would.  But it’s our Kurtsie.  We love him, he loves us. It’s different.  And it’s not like they’re groping each other.”

“Do you all fuck around with each other?”  Spencer raised an eyebrow in suspicion.  Finn decided that there wasn’t going to be any punches thrown, so he would leave them alone before he heard something he might not like.  He knew the answer already, anyway.  

Sebastian chuckled to himself as he watched Finn lave. He answered, “No, we don’t.  We may dance, cuddle, or even share a bed, but we don’t ‘fuck around’. Kurt’s an extremely tactile person if he trusts you and loves you enough. We all trust each other fully. He went years with basically no physical contact that wasn’t meant to hurt him.  The fact that he has the opposite of that now… I won’t interfere with that.”

Spencer rolled his eyes, “What is this?  Another ‘how to be gay’ lesson?”

Nick shook his head, “It’s a ‘how to be a decent human being’ lesson, BG.”   

Out on the makeshift dance floor, Jeff threw his hands up to Kurt’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug as they danced, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too. You guys should come to New York for New Year’s Eve. Wouldn’t that be fun!?”

“It would!  We’ll both talk to our men and work it out,”  Jeff pulled back a little, returning to more of a dance position.  He slid his hand to Kurt’s upper back and neck.  He felt the hard metal underneath, and neither of them had to voice what it was.  Jeff sighed, “That is so fucking sexy.”

Kurt chuckled, “Are you going to get one of your own?”

Jeff shrugged, “Maybe some day.  We’ve explored more in the bedroom. I’m not sure I’m ready for anything outside those four walls.  I might never be.”

“And that’s okay, ya know… Keeping it inside the bedroom only.”

Jeff nodded, “I know.  But every time I see it, or rather, feel it, on you, I just think it’s so fucking sexy I can’t stand it.”  He paused a beat, then added, “Or maybe it’s just you.  You’re sexy, Kurtsie.”

Kurt chuckled again, “And you’re drunk.”

Jeff frowned, “Yeah, but you’re still a sexy motherfucker.”

Smiling, Kurt said, “Well, thanks, Jeffie.  Now, let’s get you some water….”

They walked over, hand in hand, to where Sebastian and Nick were standing with Spencer.  Kurt smiled, “Get your man a water, Nicky.  He’s so drunk, he called me a ‘sexy motherfucker’.”

Nick and Sebastian both laughed.  

Spencer frowned, watching them.  “You know he’s had too much to drink because he thinks you’re sexy?”

“No,”  Kurt answered.  “I know he thinks I’m sexy.  But the ‘motherfucker’ comment is not his style.”

Spencer shook his head, “I think I’m just going to resign myself to not understanding any of you.”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder, “M’kay.”  He looked to Sebastian, “Bas, I think Niff needs to come to New York for New Year’s Eve.  What do you think?”

Sebastian lit up, “That’s a great idea!”  He looked at Nick, “How’s that sound to you?”

“Sounds good to me!  I’m sure Jeff is in.”

“He is.  We already discussed it,”  Kurt winked at Nick.  

“Of course you did,”  Nick smiled.

“So, you two live in New York?”  Spencer asked.  He hadn’t thought about them not living in Ohio.

They both nodded, and Sebastian answered, “Yeah.  I go to Columbia for Pre Med, and Kurt goes to Parsons for Fashion Design.  Nick and Jeff live in Boston.”

“Where do you go to school?”  Spencer asked Nick.

“We both go to MIT.  It’s in Cambridge, but we chose to live in Boston, which is just across the river.  We’re in the Architecture and Planning program, and plan on opening our own firm once we graduate.”  

Jeff sipped his water and giggled as he looked over to the couch, seeing Santana, Brittany, and Quinn all snuggled together talking.  He added, “Santana over there cheers for Boston University, so we see her pretty often.  Brit doesn’t go to school, but when you see Tana, you see Brit.  And Quinn goes to Yale, which isn’t too far.  We see her and her boyfriend, Cameron, who went to Dalton with us, every once in a while.”

“So you’ve all stayed pretty close.”

“Yeah,”  Seb nodded.  “We’re a family.  We’ll always be close.  That’s what you need to do, BG.  Get yourself some friends that you can’t imagine ever letting go of, and don’t.  Just hold on to them for life.  It’ll change you.”

“What if I don’t need to change?”  He said defensively.

“Would you stick around to listen to all of this if you hadn’t at least thought about it?”  Kurt asked.  He frowned a bit and looked at Sebastian, “BG?”

“Baby Gay,”  answered Sebastian and Nick at the same time.  Spencer rolled his eyes in a huff and Jeff spit out his water, while everyone else just laughed.  

Sam had been watching, keeping a protective eye on the situation. He just grinned and shook his head.  Apparently, they had it all under control.

………………………

“Are you feeling okay, Baby?”  Sebastian asked as he came out of the bathroom fully dressed the next morning. 

Kurt was sitting up on the edge of the bed wearing only his sleep pants, and Sebastian could tell something was off.  Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  No hangover.  I didn’t really have much last night.”

Seb smirked, “Oh, you had plenty once we got home.”  He bounced his eyebrows suggestively.

Kurt smiled and shook his head.  He grabbed Seb’s belt loop and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his head on his belly, “Yes, I did, Sir.”

Sebastian ran his hands through Kurt’s hair and asked softly, “Then what is it, Baby?  What’s bothering you?”

“A couple of things.  I’m just going to miss everyone.  I know we’ll see our family in a few weeks when they come for Christmas, but it’s still hard to leave them.”

“I agree.  But you’re right, it’s only a few weeks.  It’ll fly by.  Especially with end of semester exams, Sugar Shack, and birthdays.”  He continued to run his fingers through Kurt’s hair, “What else is bothering you?”

Kurt took a deep breath, “I just don’t want to fight.”

Seb knelt in front of him, and Kurt wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning forward to kiss him.  Once the kiss stopped, Seb responded, “I don’t want to either.  I think this is something we can work through without too much stress, though.  I love you so much, Baby.  And I know you want this prenup because you love me too.  And knowing that, makes all the difference in the world.”

~

Bags were packed, breakfast was eaten among family, and Kurt and Sebastian had one more thing to do before heading home.  As Sebastian took his and Kurt’s plate to Tori, who was loading the dishwasher, he looked to Robert, “Dad, can Kurt and I talk to you in the office before we go?”

“Sure.”  He frowned a bit, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.  We just need to talk about some legal business.”

The three of them entered the office, Robert turning one of the chairs to face Kurt and Sebastian, who had taken a seat on the couch,  “What kind of legal business do you want to talk about?”

Sebastian turned to look at Kurt with his brows raised.  Kurt rolled his eyes at him, then turned his attention to Robert, “I want to sign a prenup.  Sebastian isn’t too happy about it.”

Robert raised his brows, slowly nodded his head as he looked between the two boys.  A small smirk appeared on his lips, “That doesn’t surprise me.”

“Which part?”  both boys asked at the same time.

“Both parts,”  Robert chuckled.  “I’m not at all surprised that Kurt would want to do something that would not only protect you, Seb, but also show that he isn’t in this for the money.”  He looked at Kurt, “And I’m not surprised that he isn’t happy about it.”

Kurt nodded, “I have no idea how much money you guys have, how much Bas will inherit… so on and so on…And I don’t know that I want to know.  It all makes me very anxious.”

Robert nodded, “Well, I can’t say that I know what that feels like.  And Seb can’t either.  Neither of us have ever known life without money.  But, whether it makes you anxious or not, you’re going to have to know numbers if you want to sign a prenup.”

Kurt sighed silently, “Okay.”

“How about I draw up some paperwork, and I can bring it with me at Christmas.  You can sign it then.  What kind of details are you looking for?”

“What do you mean?”

Sebastian interrupted, “If we have to do this, I want Kurt to get something out of it if he turns ‘evil’ like he suggests.”

At the confused look on Robert’s face, Kurt explained, “I told Bas that I want to sign one in case I turn evil one day.”

Robert laughed a bit, “If you haven’t already, you aren’t going to.”

“That’s what I said!”  Sebastian sat up a little looking back at Kurt who was leaning back.

“Not the point,”  Kurt said, giving them both a look indicating that he wasn’t going to argue about this again.  “I want to protect you, Bas.  From anyone, and anything... including me.”

Sebastian’s face softened a bit at that.  He sighed, but didn’t say anything.  

Robert smiled, “That’s love, Seb.  You may not be comfortable with the expression of it in this form, but it’s love, nonetheless.”

There were a few beats of silence as Sebastian thought about things. He finally said, “If Kurt is going to sign one, I want to too.”

Kurt frowned deeply and looked at him, “So you can, what… not take my extensive collection of Doc Martins?”

Robert laughed again before adding, “You may not be wealthy on your own at the moment, but we all know how successful you’re bound to be.  If he signs one now, and he turns evil later, then he can’t take you for everything you’ve rightfully earned.”

Kurt thought about it for a moment, then agreed, “Deal.”

Robert asked, “So what is that you want Kurt to have, Seb...in the event that one or both of you turn evil…”  He chuckled again.

“Money.  If something happens, I want him to have enough that he can continue to live comfortably.”

“Okay.  How about this?  You two talk numbers on your drive back to New York.  Seb, you need to tell him how much your trust fund is, how much each property is worth, and how much you stand to inherit once Celeste and Beau pass, as well as once your mother and I are gone.  Then you can either determine a set amount, or even a percentage, and agree upon that.  Just let me know what you decide, and I can draw up the papers to be signed at Christmas.  If you still haven’t decided by then, it can wait until summer, as long as it’s before the wedding.  Sound good? ”

Both boys agreed.

~

After some long goodbyes that were full of thanks to everyone for helping them get the wedding planning rolling, Kurt and Sebastian climbed into the Corvette and hit the road.  Once they were on the highway, Sebastian moaned as he accelerated.

Kurt chuckled, “Feel good, Love?”

“So good.  I missed her so much.”

“I bet you did.”

By the time they reached Pennsylvania, the subject of money could no longer be avoided.  “Okay, Babe, ready to talk numbers?”

“No,”  Kurt answered as he stared out the window.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and shook his head, “Well, we can’t avoid it any more.  So let's talk.”

Kurt sighed and rested his head back, lazily turning to look at Sebastian, “Fine.”

“Okay,”  Seb began, “Obviously, with the exception of my trust fund, all other assets will be split equally with Leah.  She and I will both get our trust funds when we turn 21, or graduate from college, whichever comes first. We also both already have a healthy checking account that allows us to buy things like our cars or an apartment. It started at a million, but if we needed more, there is an allowance to grant access to our trust funds, but only for the purchase of a home.

“Leah and I have agreed that all of the properties are important to us, and we will not sell unless something happens that forces us to.  With the exception of the Ohio estate, I can’t imagine what that would possibly be.”

Kurt frowned a bit, “Why the Ohio estate?”

Seb shrugged, “We both love the entire estate, but it’s in Ohio.  Ohio is lovely, but unless Leah chooses to stay and have a career based out of Westerville or Columbus, once my parents and grandparents pass, there’s not much holding us there.  I’m obviously not staying in Ohio.  I don’t know if she’ll want to or not.  Anyway, we’ll keep the properties and either live in them or use them as vacation homes.  If we choose to sell, we split the profit.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.”

“So, numbers… My grandparents' manor in Paris is worth $23.5 million.” Kurt’s eyes widened and he threw his hand up over his mouth.  Seb chuckled. He said the rest in rapid succession, like ripping off a band-aid, “The Ohio estate is worth $9.8 million. The Penthouse is worth $15.5 million. The beach house in North Carolina  is worth $7.2 million.  And I sound like a spoiled brat.” He glanced over at Kurt, whose eyes were still huge, mouth still covered, and just sat and stared out the front window, listening.  Seb noticed the signs for a park and campground at the next exit, so he got off the highway.  Kurt continued to stare straight ahead, not saying a word.

Sebastian pulled into the park, and parked in a space by the playground.  He turned the engine off, then turned to Kurt, “Baby…”

Kurt still had his hand over his mouth, was still staring, and seemed to be in shock.  Sebastian tried again, “Kurt, Baby…”  He reached over and put a hand on Kurt’s leg, “Kurt, are you okay?”

“Huh?”  he blinked a few times, then turned to Sebastian, “Yeah.  Yeah, I’m okay.” He took a deep breath, “H-How...How much is your trust fund?”

Sebastian cleared his throat, then just spit it out, “$75 million.”

Kurt’s eyes got impossibly huge, “$75 million!?  Are you kidding me!?”  

Seb shook his head ‘no’ and kept a careful eye on Kurt.  “I told you… old money on both sides…”

“Yeah, but… Holy shit, $75 million!?  Bas… I can’t… I can’t be… no.  No.  I have to sign a prenup.  Oh my god…”

“Well, then…”  Seb started, feeling torn on whether to bring this up, since Kurt was having a hard time processing.  Kurt looked at Sebastian like he couldn’t possibly mention more.  Seb continued anyway, “Then, there’s the other inheritance.”

Kurt frowned, “What do you mean ‘the other inheritance’?”

Sebastian turned a bit more, so he could face Kurt better, “Well, there’s the inheritance when my parents and grandparents pass away.  I’ve only mentioned the properties and trust funds.  Both my parents and grandparents have money in stocks and bonds, savings, etc.”  He took a deep breath to tell Kurt how much, but Kurt stopped him.

“Wait.  Don’t tell me.  Please.”

“Babe, I have to.  You need to know how much money we’ll have eventually.”

Kurt shook his head, “No, I don’t.  First, it’s your money.  Not ours.  And second, I think $75 million plus living in a multi million dollar penthouse is plenty of information for me right now.”

“I get that this is overwhelming, but Baby, this is part of who I am.  You need to know what you’re getting when we get married.  Don’t ask me not to share part of me.”

Kurt’s face fell a bit, “No, Bas.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t think of it that way.  I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, it’s okay.  Don’t worry. It’s just something you’re going to have to deal with, uncomfortable or not.”  He stroked his thumb over Kurt’s cheek and Kurt nodded.  “Okay.  When the day comes that both my parents and grandparents have passed away, my share of the inheritance, minus the properties, is somewhere in the ballpark of $730 million. That’s not including the stocks and bonds, which would definitely put us well into the billionaire category.”

Kurt’s hand was once again over his mouth, but now it was shaking, “T-total?”

Seb shook his head, “My half.”

He stared at Sebastian for a solid minute or two.

When no words came, Sebastian asked, “Baby, what are you thinking?  Please say something.”

Kurt practically whispered, “No wonder dropping a few grand on Disney World was no big deal.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Exactly.  I know it has to be completely overwhelming.  I can’t even begin to imagine.  But, it’s still me.  It’s still the family that you already call your own.”

Kurt nodded.  He removed the hand from his own mouth and moved it to Sebastian’s face, “I know, Love.  I hope you know how much I love you.  And your family.  I just can’t believe you have that much money.  I mean I knew there was money, but, oh my god…”

“First of all, when we get married, it’s our money.”

“Oh, no, no, no.  That’s your money.”

Sebastian sighed, then after a minute, he finally said, “Okay.  I’m just going to give you some time to let this all sink in, okay? I’m not going to argue about it being ‘mine’ or ‘ours’ right now.  I know you’re overwhelmed, so I’m going to get us back on the road, and you just ask questions as they pop into your head, okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.”  He seemed a little dazed.  Sebastian squeezed his hand one final time, before starting the car back up and pulling out of the lot.

Several miles down the road, Kurt spoke, “I don’t get it.”

Sebastian frowned and glanced over at Kurt, “What don’t you get?”

“Well, your family… you’re practically billionaires… and you’re all so down to earth.  How does that even happen?”

“Ah, well… I guess it wasn’t always that way?  I mean, my parents have always been pretty laid back, but Dad says that Grandpa and Grandma Smythe were pretty uptight and haughty.  I think maybe Mom played a big role in Dad not becoming like that.  I guess in college he was a little full of himself, but after meeting Mom, she put him in his place.”

Kurt chuckled, “I could see that happening.  Although, it’s hard to picture Robert being anything but the nice guy he is now.  How is Tori so laid back?  What’s that story?”

Sebastian shrugged, “She was raised that way.  It all started with my grandparents.  They fell in love, but Grand-pere was supposed to marry someone else.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “Like an arranged marriage?”

Sebastian nodded, “Basically, yes.  It was ‘good for business’, apparently.  But Grand-pere refused, and left everything to be with Grand-mere.  They were on their own, living a normal life on only the money they earned themselves,  like everyone around them, for a really long time.  But when Grand-pere’s parents passed away, he still inherited their fortune.  So, that normalcy they lived, was held onto as much as possible, and they raised Mom and Charlotte in the same manner.  And then Mom and Dad raised Leah and I the same way.  I mean, we’re still spoiled rich kids, but at least we aren’t total brats.  Not anymore, anyway.”

They drove for another hour or so, before Kurt spoke again.  “What do you plan on doing with all of that money once you inherit it?  Or even just your trust fund?  What is your plan?”

Sebastian kept his eyes on the road, “I plan on living like we’re living now.  Stay in the penthouse for as long we’re happy there, pay for school, etc.  I’ll invest some of the inheritance.  That’s how a lot of the family money was made.  On Mom’s side, that entire empire was built on oil, then invested in real estate.  Dad’s side was the steel industry.  Dad is really getting into real estate, too, though.”  He paused for a few minutes, then added, “Mom and Dad have been big on charitable donations.  And not just of the political kind.”

“That’s nice.  Do you know who they donate to?”

Sebastian shrugged, “I think it changes some from year to year, but I know in the past, they’ve donated to Big Brother’s and Big Sisters, The Trevor Project, they fully fund some local food banks, and then this year they donated to something else, but Dad didn’t tell me what it was.”

“They donate to The Trevor Project?”

“Yeah, they started that the year I came out to them,”  Sebastian smiled and looked over to Kurt, who returned his smile.

“What about you?  Is there something you’ll donate to?”  Kurt asked.

“Well, we can decide on that together, since you’ll be my husband.  But there is something I’d like to do with my money…”

Kurt turned toward Sebastian a little more, “What’s that?”

“I still want my own medical practice.  A family that I met at the hospital recently kind of inspired this….I’ll still take patients just like any other office, but I want to make it a free clinic, without it seeming like a free clinic.  I want it to both appear and feel like any other normal pediatrician's office in the city.  Only maybe a little nicer.  I’d like it to be a ‘pay what you can’ type of place.  So if a family has insurance, great, but if a family can’t afford to pay, then they don’t have to.  I haven’t figured it all out yet, but it’s the end goal.”

Kurt smiled softly, “Just another reason I love you, Bas.”

Sebastian actually blushed a little, “I love you too, Baby.”

They stopped for dinner at a little cafe they found on an app that Kurt had downloaded on his phone.  It was a cute little place in a quaint little town.  After eating, they decided to stretch their legs a little and window shop along Main Street.  The town was already decorated for the holidays..  

“This is like a Hallmark town,”  Kurt smiled. “Straight out of a Hallmark movie.”

Sebastian smiled, “Yeah, you’re right.  This place seems like a real Main Street, USA.  Let’s get some hot chocolate or coffee.”  Seb pointed to a coffee house on the corner.  They got it to go, then walked down the other side of the street toward the car.  Once they arrived back, Kurt stood outside the Corvette, holding his coffee, while he was all wrapped up in a coat, scarf, and gloves.  Sebastian smiled from ear to ear.  

When they got in the car and started back toward the highway, Kurt looked over to Sebastian, noticing the smile had not left.  He frowned and smiled at the same time, “What is that smile for?”

“Seeing you in front of my car.  You’re so handsome.”  He looked over at Kurt, “And you look good in expensive things.”

Kurt smiled, “Well, good, because apparently, that’s my life now.”

Sebastian asked, “Are you okay with everything?  How do you feel?”

Kurt took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.  He had only had a few hours to really process it all.  “Well, I have to admit, it’s a lot to take in.”

Sebastian nodded, “I get that.”

Kurt thought for a minute, “I just suddenly feel a little like I’m taking advantage of you and your family.  I struggled with this before, with Disney, our trips to New York and Europe, and even living in the penthouse.  But I got used to it, and I’m hoping that I can again.”

Sebastian was quiet for a minute, thinking.  He then said, “I know those things were a struggle for you.  But you accepted them, and now you’re happy, right?”  He glanced over to Kurt.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, of course, Bas.  I’ve never been happier.”

Sebastian smiled a little, “Good.  Just keep that in mind...This money doesn’t change anything.  Not really.  Basically, it just means that we can take really nice vacations.”

Kurt huffed out a laugh, “Yeah, sure.  That’s all hundreds of millions of dollars means.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Of course it’ means more than that.  It means that we’re set for life, Babe.  We don’t have to worry if you don’t find a job after graduation, or if my practice fails, and so on.  We’ll never have to worry about saving for vacation, or retirement, much less where the money for our next meal is going to come from.  And I know how lucky that makes us.  But what I mean is, it won’t change the way we are currently living.  It’s all just kind of...there.  I mean, my family doesn’t go flying around the world in a private jet, just because they can.  We don’t eat at only the nicest restaurants.  We don’t only spend time with people in our tax bracket.  That’s just not who we are.  We do live a comfortable life.  But if you remove the nice cars, which aren’t the nicest we could afford, by the way, and the properties that have been in our family for generations, we aren’t that different from anyone else.”

Kurt nodded, “I know.  And we’ve talked about that before.  I guess you’re right. The fact that your parents and grandparents already have that money, and I wasn’t even aware, is a true sign of how it won’t really change things.  I just don’t want to be in charge of any of it.  Okay?”

Sebastian smiled and shook his head, “Well, for the most part, that’s fine.  You can help manage the bills and things, though. You don’t have to be involved in investments and things until you want to, or until you’re ready.  But, if I pass away before you do, you’ll have to be involved, since it will be your money then.  We also need to think about our wills.”

“Oh my god, Bas!  No!  We aren’t going to talk about that now.  I can’t handle even thinking about that right now.  Are you trying to send me over the edge?!  Because seriously, talking about a world that doesn’t have you in it, will send me over the edge faster than you can say Prada.  My god…”

“Okay, Baby.”  Sebastian spoke soothingly, “We don’t have to talk about right now.  But it is something we have to deal with before the wedding, okay?”  He looked over to Kurt and grabbed his hand, “It’s okay, Baby.  I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.”

“I don’t even want to think about it, Bas,”  Kurt shook his head.

After that reaction, Sebastian decided to change the subject in order to relieve Kurt of some of the anxiety he could see fluctuating, “Are you excited to go to Sugar Shack in the morning?”

Kurt smiled a grateful smile, “Very.  She’s worked so hard on this.  Everyone from self defense class has done a great job of posting flyers at their school campuses.  I put one in the break room at Vogue, too.  Isabelle said she’s going to stop by.  It’s going to be a huge hit, I just know it.”

“I think so, too.  The window displays look amazing.  Very ‘Christmas in New York’.”

Kurt nodded, “The whole shop looks amazing.  I’m so happy for them.”  He paused a minute, then said, “We need to go shopping for Christmas decorations soon, Bas.  I want them up as soon as possible, so we can enjoy them for as long as we can.  I got a couple little things on Black Friday, like decorative dish towels, but nothing big.  I knew it wouldn’t fit in the car, and I want you to help pick things out.”

“Okay.  I know our schedules are going to be tight for a few weeks, but we’ll figure it out.”

“Maybe we could order some of the basic things, like garland, online.  Then the smaller things we can pick out at the store.”

“What kind of smaller things?”

Kurt shrugged, “Like stockings.  You can’t judge the quality of stockings by looking at pictures online.  Well, unless it’s from a brand or company you’re familiar with.  And tree skirts. Things like that.”

“Sounds good to me.  I was thinking, Babe.  We’ve talked to Charlie and Eileen a few times via text since we went to their house for dinner, but maybe it would be nice to have them over for Christmas?”

Kurt smiled, “I love you so much, Bas.  Of course.  They don’t have any family, and the thought of them spending the holiday alone is heartbreaking.  If we weren’t so busy with the wedding planning, inviting them to Ohio for Thanksgiving would have been nice.”

“I agree.  But Christmas just seems more like a holiday that would be hard to spend alone.  Especially as they get older.  I’m sure it’s harder to make things special.  I think we can do that for them.  Besides, we’ve all kind of adopted each other anyway.”

“I know.  I wish I could be a fly on the wall when they get their ‘save the date’ card.  Eileen is going to be so excited,”  Kurt smiled.  “You know… I think we definitely need to introduce them to Chris and Elliott.  They could all benefit from that friendship, too.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows and nodded, “They really could.”

Before they knew it, New York was in view.  They silently turned and smiled at each other.  Once they got home, Kurt sighed as they walked into the lobby.  It really did feel like home.

“Welcome home!  How was your Thanksgiving?”

“Great, George!  How was yours?”  Sebastian smiled.

“Great. Love spending time with my grandbaby.  Is there anything you need help with?”

“No, thank you, George.  We’ve got it.  Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“You too, Sir.  Thank you.”

As they entered the penthouse, Kurt smiled a bit.  He put his shopping bags next to the suitcase that Sebastian had put at the bottom of the stairs.  They both headed for the couch and plopped down, holding on tight to each other.

“Is it weird that we’re sitting after a 10 hour car ride?”  Sebastian asked.

“Nope.  Because we couldn’t hold each other.  That’s a long time to sit next to you and not be able to snuggle you.”

Sebastian chuckled and kissed Kurt’s forehead, “I agree.”  He squeezed him a little tighter.  “It feels good to be home.”

“Mmhmm.  It feels very good.”  Kurt sighed contentedly as he listened to Sebastian’s heart beat, “Home.”

Chapter Text

Puck stood to Sugar’s left, her parents to her right, as she unlocked the door and flipped the sign to “OPEN”.  They looked outside and smiled as they saw Kurt, Sebastian, Chris, Elliott, Jenna, and Hayden waiting outside the door, clapping and cheering as Sugar swung the door open, welcoming them inside.

“Welcome to Sugar Shack!” she beamed.

Hayden had been taking pictures, per Kurt’s request. He had a nice camera and really enjoyed photography as a hobby, so he was happy to do it.  

They all got in line and made their selections.  Kurt and Sebastian were first. “Well isn’t this appropriate,”  Vinny joked as he stood off to the side and watched.  

Kurt winked at him, “Very.”

Sugar put a dollar aside, “I’m framing this one, and it’s going in my office.  My first dollar earned at the bakery.”

From the back, a woman in her forties with short dark hair came out, “Customers already!”

Sugar smiled, “Gina, these are more than just customers.  They’re my favorite people!  This is Angel, known as Kurt to most people, Sebastian, Chris, Elliott, Hayden, and you already know Jenna.  Everyone, this is Gina.  She’s been helping us get our feet off the ground.”

Everyone smiled and greeted her kindly.  Sugar had told Kurt how wonderful Gina and her team had been, and was happy to finally meet her.  

A few more customers came in, so the group moved over to the seating area to enjoy their breakfast.  

Sebastian looked at Chris and Elliott, “So, how was Thanksgiving with your sister?”  he was dying to know if everyone hit off or not.

Chris smiled, “If I were straight, I’d be in love with Amelia.” 

Elliott laughed, “If you were straight, she’d be in love with you too.”  He looked at Seb and smiled, “They got along famously.”

Kurt smiled, “What about her husband?  You guys got along too?”

Chris nodded, “Yeah, Steven was great.  He’s really quiet.  Like, the sit back and watch kind of quiet.  But he seemed really nice.  He seems like a great dad.  The kids were adorable.  And I now know what the sexiest thing in the world is.”

Jenna giggled, “Oh, and what’s that?”

Chris smirked, winked at Elliott, then said, “Seeing my sexy tattooed boyfriend hold a baby.”

They laughed.  Elliott smiled, “Right back at ya, Chris.  Izzy was totally head over heels for her new best friend, ‘Kiss’.”

“Awww….’Kiss’...”  Hayden teased.

Chris just rolled his eyes and smiled.  He looked at everyone, “Izzy is adorable.  She’s three.  And Simon should have been named Moose.  He’s a biggin’.”

“Takes after his dad,”  Elliott nodded.  

“Well, I’m glad you all got along so well.  That makes me happy.  We loved watching you on tv, too,”  Kurt smiled.  Chris just smiled and winked at him.  He looked at Hayden and Jenna, “How about you guys?  How was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was really nice.  We felt very welcomed at Puck and Sugar’s.  Vinny and Cindy were super nice as well, of course.  If I couldn’t go home, that was the next best thing.”

“I agree,”  Hayden said, then leaned over for a quick kiss.  Everyone smiled at them.  They had been getting along great, and spending most of their free time together.

“How was your Thanksgiving?  And wedding planning?”  Elliott asked, looking to Kurt and Sebastian.

“Great!  We got a ton accomplished in such a short amount of time.”  They told the basics of what they had planned so far. Kurt added,  “Surprisingly, I’m not as stressed out about the planning as I thought I’d be.  I guess knowing it’s going to be at the Smythe’s home, and our moms and Leah are there to take care of a lot, I just don’t worry too much.  Besides, marrying Bas is all I really care about.”  He smiled at Sebastian.

Sebastian smiled back, “You’re so sappy.”  He leaned over and kissed him.  “I’m just glad you aren’t a groomzilla.”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder and laughed, “Give me time, Love.”  He looked to everyone else, “Most of the big things are out of the way, but we still need a photographer, and we need to figure out the music.  But that’s easy enough to do online, I guess.”

Chris frowned a little, “You mean people won’t be singing at your wedding?”  He sounded truly disappointed.

Sebastian answered, “We’re looking into some kind of combination of sorts.  Like a stage area with a band that can take requests, play our song list, and also possibly a deejay.  I highly doubt it would seem like our wedding if there wasn’t singing of some kind.”

They continued talking for a few more minutes.  Hayden sat back and watched, “There’s a nice steady flow of people coming in.  I think this is the perfect spot for a bakery.  I bet they’re really successful.”  

Eventually, there were enough people in the bakery that they felt they were taking up too much space by just hanging out, so everyone decided to say their goodbyes so they could be on time to classes.  Puck had come over and given everyone hugs.  He had taken the day off classes so he could help out around the bakery and be there for Sugar as much as he could.  

“Thanks again for coming everyone.  It means the world to Sugar and I, both.”  He turned and looked at her helping a customer, “I have a good feeling about this.”  When he looked at her, he saw his entire world.  Their entire future.  She looked up and saw him watching, so she smiled and winked.

“I’m so happy for you both, Noah.  You did it.  You both did it.”

“Thanks, Princess.  It was good to see you.  I’ve missed you both.”

“We’ve missed you, too,”  Sebastian said as he hugged him.  

Puck looked at Jenna, “See you for your shift this afternoon?”

She nodded, “I’ll be here!  I’m looking forward to it.”

Elliott, Chris, and Jenna headed toward NYU, while Sebastian and Hayden decided to walk Kurt to Parsons before getting on the subway to head to Columbia.  Once they arrived at Parsons, Kurt waved to Channing and Orion, who was the guy that had previously been so flirty with him in class, as they stood just inside the doors.  

Sebastian waved to Channing too, turned to Kurt, kissed him, then said, “Have a good day, Baby.  I’ll meet you Vogue tonight so we can go out to SoHo Trees and get our Christmas tree, okay?”

“Sounds fun.  Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Kurt gave Hayden a quick wave goodbye as he went inside and  jogged over to Channing and Orion.  

Orion smiled at him, “That’s your fiance?”  He looked at Kurt who smiled and nodded, “Damn, Kurt.  He’s hot.”

Kurt laughed, “I know.”

~

Kurt smiled when he saw Sebastian waiting for him at the receptionist desk, “Are you ready, Love?”

“Yep.  Bundle up, Babe, it’s really getting cold out there.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s scarf and wrapped it around him, but not before using it to pull Kurt forward to be able to give him a quick kiss.

Once they were out on the street, they walked several blocks to the tree lot, hand in hand, admiring the holiday decorations as they went, and even stopped to take a few photos.  “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything as magical as New York at Christmas.  Is Paris this nice at Christmas?”  Kurt asked.

“Paris is lovely during the holidays, but I don’t think it holds the magic that New York does.  There’s really nothing like it.”  He paused a beat, then said, “Speaking of Paris, though, I hope you’re hungry, because I made reservations for us tonight at  La Mercerie Cafe .  I’m missing good French food.”

“Mmm, that sounds good.”

They made quick work of picking out a tree.  It was one of those things they knew they would know it when they saw it.  They made arrangements for it to be delivered the next day, then headed to the restaurant for dinner.  

~

Kurt sipped his water, then smiled at Seb, “You made a new fan today, Bas.  Orion thinks you’re hot.”

Sebastian smirked, “Orion has good taste.  First he hits on you, then he thinks I’m hot.  You can’t blame him.”

Kurt laughed, “Well aren’t you modest.”

Sebastian smiled, “I’m just covering up the fact that I’m really grateful that he backed off.”

Kurt nodded, “I know.  It wasn’t like he was a problem.  The problem was that I didn’t notice he was even flirting with me until John said something.  Once I did notice, I made sure to make it known that I wasn’t available.  I guess I would have thought that the ring would make that announcement for me.”

Sebastian nodded, “I get that.  It’s odd about the ring. It doesn’t deter people as much as I would have thought.  I even know a guy at school who wears one sometimes, and sometimes doesn’t.  I think it’s just jewelry to him.  I know girls do that too.”

“Well, it’s more than just jewelry to me,”  Kurt said, looking down at the ring and rotating it between his fingers.

“It is to me, too, Babe.”  He took a drink then brought up something that had been on his mind a lot lately, “There’s something else I wanted to talk about.”  Kurt looked up with raised brows, waiting for clarification.  “I think we should hire some of James Mile’s guys for a security team at the wedding.”

Kurt frowned, “What could possibly happen at our wedding?  We love every person that’s invited.  It’s not a’ who’s who’ wedding or anything.”

Seb leaned forward a little, “I know, Baby, but there are still things that may come up.  For example, what if Dave tries to sneak in?  Or what if one of the neanderthals decides they want to cause problems because it’s a two gay men getting married? Or what if the press tries to sneak in for a few pictures?  There are a lot of different scenarios that I don’t want to be thinking about on our wedding day.  I don’t want you to have to think about them either.  I want to be focused on marrying you, not on something that might go wrong.  It’s not that I think it will… I just want to be prepared.”

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he thought about it, “Okay.  I guess I see your point.  But I want them to blend in.  I don’t want their presence to put people on edge.”

Sebastian nodded, “I agree.  I’ll call James and see if they do out of state jobs.  If not, then maybe he’d be able to recommend someone from Columbus for us.  Thank you for agreeing to this for me, Kurt.  It’s really important to me.”

Kurt nodded, “I know.  I understand.  Thank you for thinking of my safety, Bas.”

Seb reached for Kurt’s hand, which he gave right away, “Always, Baby.”

……………………..

The next two weeks passed quickly, just like they had expected.  They had a lovely time putting up their Christmas tree and decorating their home.  They had gone shopping during a couple of lunch breaks, and again before self defense class.  That, combined with a few online purchases, made the entire penthouse feel ready for the holidays.

Sugar Shack was a big hit in Chelsea, especially with some of the college kids that had seen the posters around their campuses.  Isabelle had stopped in and placed an order for a big meeting she was having.  Jeremy, Ashley, Natalie, Ben, and Ty all stopped in a couple of times too. Sugar was pleasantly surprised to see a few of the security team stop by as well.  Word was spreading quickly, and they were seeing more and more customers every day.  

Sebastian had been putting in some extra study hours for the exams he had coming up.  He and his school friends had spent a few of those extra study sessions at the penthouse, just so he didn’t feel too separated from Kurt.  

Kurt used that time to finalize some of his sketches that he had prepared for class, as well as finishing some hand sewing on a piece or two of his final semester projects.  That allowed him to be in the same room as everyone else.  They sat around the coffee table, eating, studying, and working.  Kurt would oftentimes kneel for Seb as they sat around, and it put them both at ease, with no else being clued in about why.

…………………….

The Friday before Kurt’s birthday was full of pleasant surprises.  Kurt knew that he and Sebastian were going to Boston for the weekend, but he thought it was just going to be the two of them.  However, Vinny and Cindy decided to stay in New York through the weekend so that Sugar and Puck could join them. They had been there since before Thanksgiving, helping open the bakery. Vinny said that he knew how hard Sugar and Puck had been working, so they needed to take this break now while they could.  They weren’t going to argue with that, and Kurt was beyond happy about it.  They had seen each other several times a week lately, but this was the first time they were going to really be able to hang out and have fun in several weeks.

As they sat on the train to Boston, Kurt and Sugar silently switched seats halfway there.  Puck put his arm around Kurt as he laid his head on Puck’s shoulder.  He looked over to see that Sugar was curled into Sebastian’s side as well, and he had both arms wrapped around her.

“I’ve missed you, Noah.”

Puck smiled contently, kissed the top of Kurt’s head, “I missed you, too, Princess.”

Sebastian and Sugar sat and watched the two of them as they held onto each other as well. Sebastian was so happy to be spending some quality time with them again.  

Jeff picked the two couples up at the train station.  It was the only way they would all fit in the car without getting an Uber, which Jeff had insisted they not do.  Once they arrived back at Jeff and Nick’s apartment, they were surprised to see Santana, Brittany, Quinn, and Cameron there as well.  

Kurt went for hugs from Cameron first, since it had been the longest since they had seen each other.  “I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow!  I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too.  We figured we’d make the most of our weekend and get here as soon as we could.”

Hugs were given all around, then Nick and Jeff gave a tour of their apartment .  It was a really nice two bedroom apartment in a nice part of town.  It was clean, modern, spacious, and only a 15 minute commute across the river to MIT for both of them.  

Santana joked, “We always come here when we hang out.  Our apartment isn’t nearly as nice.”

“Your apartment is just fine, Tana.  But fitting all of us in a studio isn’t ideal,”  Jeff added kindly.

“But yours is like a resort!”  Brittany smiled.  “It has lots of extras.”

Kurt nodded, “It’s very nice.  And the area is perfect.”  He frowned a bit, then looked at Santana, “Tana, how do you get away with having an apartment with your cheer scholarship?  Chris has to stay in a dorm.”

“I do too, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them.  I have a dorm room.  I even use it for the occasional nap.  But I can’t be away from Britt that long.”

Cam said, “You’re all just lucky you have a choice.  My parents refuse to help with an apartment, or give me my trust fund early, so I’m stuck in a dorm until I graduate from law school.  I’m so sick of dorm life.”

“I love it!”  Quinn smiled.  She was having a great time at school.

Cam rolled his eyes, “That’s because you haven’t already spent four years in dorms.”

Kurt shook his head, “You could always, I don’t know... Get a job.”

Everyone laughed, and Cameron scrunched his eyebrows together as he pulled his head back, “Um, no….”

Kurt lovingly shook his head, “Spoiled rich kids.”

“You're becoming a spoiled rich kid, too,”  Cam spouted back, lightheartedly.  “Well, maybe not a ‘kid’.”

Kurt looked uncomfortable and didn’t say anything.  Puck watched closely, and could feel that something was off.  

Sebastian sighed, “Please don’t bring up money now.  It’s not Kurt’s favorite subject at the moment.”

Kurt shook his head, “It’s okay, I don’t want anyone avoiding subjects around me.  I’m fine.  I’m just...adjusting.”

Nick looked confused, “Why?  You’re referring to Sebastian having money, right?  You knew that already.  I mean, you live together, travel together…Surely you knew he’s loaded.  It’s kinda hard to miss.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt with a raised brow, acknowledging that he was going to be the one to have to say what he wanted shared.  Kurt shook his head a little, “I know.  But… I told Bas that I want to sign a prenup, and because of that, now I know how much money...And it makes me uncomfortable.  I’m adjusting to numbers at this point.  It’s fine.”

“They’re just numbers, Kurtsie,”  Jeff said quietly.  He didn’t understand how that changed anything.

“Spoken from someone with money,”  Puck retorted.  “It’s different when you grow up without it.  You guys are used to it.  Look at this apartment, their penthouse, even our apartment.  Do you think that’s normal for someone just out of high school?  Imagine for a minute that you had no money and were thrust out into the world where you had nothing unless you work your ass off for it.  Even the poorest of us in here, me, was lucky enough to have food and shelter.  Not everyone does.  What we had, we had to work for.  Santana, Brittany, Quinn and I...We all have to work to eat.  The rest of you, besides Princess, and now Sugar, have never had a job.  For us, you either work for it, or you don’t get it.  Princess is used to that, so I can see where having money all of the sudden could take some getting used to and is probably pretty overwhelming.  I know having Vinny include me in everything has been an adjustment.”

Jeff looked at Kurt, “I thought your family was comfortable.”

Kurt nodded, “We were, but only because my dad works his ass off.  All the extras, like designer labels, I had to work for.  I earned them.   And you guys know that I had saved a ton of money for school before getting my scholarship.  I worked for, and earned that too.”

“School is our job,”  Cameron said, backing the conversation up a bit.

Puck nodded, “Right.  And I get that.  It’s just different expectations for your families.  Because you guys didn’t have to also go to work on top of school, you were able to get great grades and get into great schools.  For people that had to work, and still manage to accomplish that, it was more of a struggle.  You earned your spot at Yale. Quinn earned her spot too, but it was more difficult since she had to have a job at the same time.”

Cam nodded, “I never thought of it that way.”

Sebastian frowned a bit as he looked at Kurt, “All this talk about working and earning...Is that what’s bothering you about this?  That you didn’t work for it?  I thought we had worked through that months ago.” 

Kurt thought for a few seconds, then said, “Well, when it comes down to it...Yes.  We did work through it months ago.  It took a lot for me to be comfortable being given so much.  Not paying for things has been something that has taken a lot of getting used to.  Like Noah said, I’m used to working for things if I want them. The money that I worked so hard for is still sitting in my bank account.  But now, when we get married, you’re talking like your money is going to be my money.  I didn’t earn it.  It’s not mine.  It’s yours.”

Santana mumbled, “Only Porcelain…”

Seb walked up to where Kurt was standing and placed his hands on his waist, “I didn’t earn it either.  I’ve never had to work a day in my life, and haven’t until my internship, which doesn’t pay crap.”

“But you earned the right to it by being born into that family.  I’m being chosen into the family.  I don’t feel like I earned anything.  It’s like being given a ginormous gift for no reason at all.”

Sebastian cupped Kurt’s face with one hand, and pulled him closer with the other, “The reason is because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.  If earning it is what you feel you need to do, then think of it this way… You, being the amazing man that you are, has earned my love.  You saved me from myself.  You stole my heart the moment we met.  You are the most important person in my life, Baby.  I am who I am because of you.  I love you more than life itself.  You being you is what ‘earned’ it.  With my love, comes all of me.  You get all of me.  My love, thoughts, time, body, family, and money.  It’s a package deal that only someone as amazing as you could have earned.  I don’t like the word, personally.  It feels like I’m saying you had to do something in order to have me.  But if using that word helps you understand, then so be it.  You also need to understand that you don’t have to do anything to keep my love, other than be yourself.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “I love you more that I ever thought possible, Bas.  I’m trying.  Please know that I’m trying.”

“I know, Baby.  I think that it’ll take time to sink in, but just remember that the numbers don’t change anything.  It’s more than you thought, but it doesn’t change how we live, or how we love.”

Kurt nodded, then leaned up to kiss Sebastian.  It was quickly returned, and quickly turned pretty heated.  Sugar, who was sitting in between Jeff and Puck on the couch, smiled, then cleared her throat.  Jeff frowned and playfully slapped her knee, “Shhh,”  evoking chuckles from the others in the room.

Kurt and Sebastian both smiled as they pulled apart.  Kurt looked around, “I’m sorry everyone.  We didn’t mean to air our issues out here tonight.”

“Pfft. First of all,”  Santana began, “you can both talk to any of us about anything, at any time.  And second of all, I know it’s a big deal to you, Kurt, and I get why.  But if the fact that your hot fiance has too much money is the biggest issue the two of you have, you’re very lucky.  Now let's party.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Well said, Tana.  Thank you.”  He frowned a bit, “I thought we were going to party tomorrow night.”

“Yeah, but we’re here now.  Might as well get a head start,”  Brittany shrugged.

Cam leaned over to Quinn and whispered, “That’s the smartest thing I’ve ever heard her say.”

Quinn giggled, “She has her moments.”

“So what’s the plan for the weekend?”  Kurt asked as he sat on the floor in front of Puck.

Nick answered, “Well, we thought tonight we could just hang out and catch up.  Tomorrow we’re going to show you around town and do some sightseeing.  Being a history buff, you’ll love Boston.  Then tomorrow night, we’ll go out to a show and dancing before coming back here for a nightcap.  Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect,”  Kurt smiled.  

Jeff hopped up, “Who wants a drink?”

“I’m not even going to ask where you got all of that alcohol.”

“Probably best you didn’t, Kurtsie,”  Jeff laughed.

~

A couple of hours later, Sebastian was in the kitchen pouring himself a drink.  Nick approached and asked, “You doing okay, Seb?”  Puck approached from the other side and listened to the answer.

Sebastian turned and leaned against the counter, looking out at Kurt who was laughing with Brittany and Sugar.  He took a deep breath, “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Puck glanced at Nick, who returned the concerned expression.  He looked at Seb again and asked, “Are you sure?  You seem a little off.”

Sebastian took a sip of the whiskey but didn’t take his eyes off of Kurt, “I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything.  I hate that he’s struggling with this.  It’s an opposite reaction than most guys would have had.  In Paris, I never knew if people liked me for me, or for my money. Tell the average Joe that they’ll be a multi-millionaire, and they’d be over the moon.  Not Kurt.  He acts like he’s not worthy or something.  He’s worthy of the world.  I hope he knows I’d give it all up for him.”  He got a little teary, shook himself out of it, and topped off his glass.

Nick frowned, “It’s obvious that you guys are multimillionaires.  Your penthouse, the Ohio estate, beach house, and the estate in Paris.  You can see the freaking Eiffel Tower from the front door.  I don’t understand how he didn’t know.”

“It’s a really big number, Nicky.  We’ll be billionaires when my grandparents and parents pass away.”

“Jesus,”  Puck ran his hand through his mohawk, and Nick raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

Seb turned to look at Puck with suddenly saddened eyes, “Is he going to hate me?  Is it all too much for him?”  He took a couple of huge gulps of his whiskey.  

Puck frowned and grabbed the glass from Sebastian, “Hey, hey, hey.  None of that.  Princess loves you more than anything.  He’ll get used to it, Seb.  As long as you stay who you are, no matter how much money you inherit, he’ll always love you.  Just try to remember that while you think Kurt is worthy of the world, it was only a few years ago that his world seemed to be telling him that he wasn’t worthy of anything.  Including love.  Give him time.”

“I know you’re right.  It’s just hard to watch him struggle with it, just like it’s hard knowing what he’s been through.”  He took a deep breath,  “You guys are my two best friends.  You have to make sure I don’t turn into a rich asshole, okay?” He looked back and forth between the two of them.

“I promise,” Nick said.

“You bet your ass.  You know that if you became an asshole, I’d tell you.  Especially if it was upsetting my Princess.”

Seb patted Puck on the shoulder, “Good.  I’m going to not get upset with the word ‘my’ right now, because I know you love him too.”

Puck nodded, “I do.  I love you too, though.”

“Awwe,”  Sebastian hugged Puck tight. 

……………………

The next morning, Sugar and Jeff came into the living room with a couple of boxes of donuts.  They set them down on the coffee table and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Within a few minutes of everyone smelling the coffee, they were waking up and headed toward the smell.  

Once everyone was ready, they started their day off at  Boston Common .  They visited the information center and got a map for their self guided tour of the Freedom Trail.   After a couple of hours of doing the tour, which Kurt loved, they ended up in the North District , having lunch in Seaport.

After a little gallery hopping and shopping, they headed across the river to check out Cambridge, then went back to the apartment for dinner, rest, and to get ready for a night out on the town.

~

Kurt and Sebastian were in the guest bedroom getting ready to go, when Jeff knocked on the door.  Kurt answered, sans shirt.  Jeff raised his brows and slowly let his eyes rake down Kurt’s body, “Damn, Kurtsie.”

Kurt smirked, “Yes, Jeff?”

Jeff forced himself to look into Kurt’s eyes, “I know you told everyone not to get you gifts, but I got this for you over the summer when we were in Paris. I was very sneaky.  I wanted to give it to you before you got ready, in case you wanted to wear it.  Don’t feel like you have to, though.”  He handed him a gift bag.

Kurt took it, “That's really sweet, Jeff.  You didn’t have to do that.”

He pulled the door open so that Jeff could step inside.  Kurt took the bag over to the bed and he and Jeff sat down just as Sebastian came out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist.  Jeff looked up and smirked, “Looks like I’ve got perfect timing.”

Sebastian smiled and shook his head.  He went to their bag, grabbed some underwear, dropped his towel, and responded, “You sure do.”  He casually put the underwear on.

Kurt and Jeff both had huge eyes.  Kurt broke out into laughter, but Jeff turned red and hid his eyes.  Seb chuckled, “Come on.  For a voyeur, you should like that!”

After a bit more teasing, and Sebastian adding pants to his attire, Kurt finally opened his gift, pulling out a new GUCCI shirt.  “Oh my god, Jeff.  This is gorgeous.  Thank you so much!  I don’t know what to say.”

Jeff shrugged, “‘Thank you’ was plenty.  I’m glad you like it.  I know it will look great on you.”

Once Jeff had left the room, Sebastian went back to their bag and pulled out a small gift wrapped box.  “I want to give you my gift before we go.  But unlike Jeff, I do want you to wear it tonight.”

Kurt nodded, then opened the box, revealing a beautiful, masculine bracelet.  “Sir, is this what I think it is?”

“It is.  I know that you enjoy wearing your collar, but that sometimes it can be difficult to keep hidden.  This can replace that when you need it to.  It symbolizes the same thing as your collar and your ring.  You’re mine.  Like the collar, this has a lock, but it’s not as obvious.  I’ll hold the key, just the same.  Do you like it?”

Kurt had tears in his eyes as he looked up from the bracelet that he held between his fingers, “I love it, Sir.  Thank you so much.”  He leaned forward and kissed Sebastian.  

When the kiss broke, Sebastian said, “Let’s put it on you.”

Soon, they all headed out to watch the Four-Hands Illusion show.  It was an intimate setting of just 50 people, who were entertained by two magicians, Joel and Steve.  They laughed the entire time, and enjoyed the show immensely.  Even more entertaining than the show itself was watching and listening to Brittany, both during and after.  She was thoroughly confused and wowed at the same time.  

After the show, they stopped by Machine Nightclub for some dancing.  As Puck turned down his third guy of the night, he turned to Sebastian, who was chuckling once again, “You know, I’ve been to more gay bars than I have just regular bars with you guys.  One of these days, I’m taking you clubbing, and I’m going to laugh as you have to turn all the women away.”

“And they’ll be all over him.  They always are,”  Kurt smiled.  “Come on, Noah.  Let it be just another stroke to your ego.  The guys here think you’re hot.  And you are.”

“Then dance with me, Princess,”  He grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him close.  Sebastian smiled as he watched, then couldn’t stand it any longer, and danced his way up to Kurt from behind.  

Jeff and Nick danced next to them, and they all laughed when Jeff motioned to them in a big circular hand movement, “This is like a wild fantasy of mine.”  he looked at Sebastian and winked, “Especially since I’ve now seen you naked.”

Everyone’s eyes went to Jeff, and there were a half dozen or so, “What!?!”  responses from their friends, including Nick.

~

As they entered the apartment, Kurt said, “I had so much fun, everyone.  Thank you so much for making my birthday special again this year.  I love you guys.”

Sebastian smiled and rubbed his back, “I’m glad you had fun, Baby.”

“Well, the party doesn’t have to be over,”  Nick said, wiggling his eyebrows and getting out a few bottles of booze.  

Kurt went to the refrigerator and got out a Coke, “Got any rum to go with this?”

Nick smiled, “You know I do.”

After a couple more hours, and a few more drinks, everyone started getting ready for bed.  Kurt was in just his sleep pants under the covers, when Sugar, wearing just a slip of a nightgown, came in through the open door.  She wordlessly climbed into bed with him.  He opened his arms and she snuggled into his chest.

“I love you, Angel.  Happy Birthday.”

“I love you , too, Sweets.  Tell me again tomorrow when it’s my actual birthday and I remember it.  I’m too drunk right now.”

Sugar giggled, “Okay.”  After a minute of snuggling, she looked up at Kurt, “Let’s play truth or dare like we used to in high school.”

He made a face, drawing out the word, “Alriiight…”

She sat up and exclaimed, “I’ll start!  Truth or dare.”  They almost always both chose truth when it was just the two of them.  It was really just their unique way of having an honest, open conversation.

“Truth.”

“Are you okay?  With Seb, and the money.  Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, Sug, I’ll be fine.  It’s just a lot to take in, ya know?  But it doesn’t change anything between us.  No worries.”

“Good.”

“Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Are you happy?  Your dreams seem to all be coming true.  Are you still happy with those dreams?”

“Of course, Angel.  I can’t believe how everything is turning out.  It’s perfect.  And Puck is even better than I could have ever imagined.”

“He’s pretty great.”

“Who’s great?”  Seb asked as he came in.

“Noah,”  Kurt smiled as Seb took off his shirt and climbed in bed on the other side of Sugar, snuggling up.

“What?”  Puck asked as he came in.  He looked at them and said, “Awe, this is just like old times.  Scoot over, Princess.”  He climbed in behind Kurt and snuggled.  

Sebastian raised his head, “From the looks of it, you’re wearing too many clothes, Puck.”

Puck sat up a little and whipped his shirt off.  

“Well aren’t I a lucky girl?”  Sugar smiled.

“Yeah you are,”  Jeff’s voice came from the doorway.  Where was my invite?”  He whipped off his shirt and climbed in bed.  “What’s going on?”

“Angel and I were playing truth or dare for old times sake. We usually just play Truth, though. Then these two interrupted.”

“Well don’t let us stop you,”  Puck retorted.

Jeff bounced, “I want to play!  Sugar, truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“What makes you sad?”

“Well, that sets a bummer mood,”  Kurt mumbled.  

“That I’m in bed with four hot, half naked men, and only one thinks any of this is sexy,”  she motioned to her body in one sweeping motion.

Sebastian, Kurt, and Jeff all frowned.  Sebastian squeezed her a little and said, “I may be gay, and not want to have sex with you, but you are very sexy, Sug.”

“I agree!”  Jeff and Kurt said simultaneously.

“But she’s allll mine,”  Puck said.  He leaned over Kurt and kissed Sugar.

They were kissing at Kurt’s chest level when he looked at Seb, “This is kinda sexy.  What’s wrong with me?”

Puck and Sugar broke apart, “Nothing, Princess.  I think it’s sexy when you and Seb kiss too.”

“Y’all decided to have an orgy and not invite me?  What the hell?”  Santana stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“All these boys are mine, Tana!  Go away!”  Sugar faked a pout, but then laughed.

“No way.  You looking hot in that nightgown, them looking hot all shirtless...I’m in.”  She ran over, jumping over Jeff, and landing at the end of the bed near Puck.  

Before they knew it, everyone was in the bedroom.  Santana declared that all boys had to be shirtless.  The girls were all wearing nightgowns or shorts/cami combos.

“This is how bad porn gets started,”  Puck said.  

“No, this is how good porn gets started,”  Cameron smiled.

They ended up in bed together for another hour or so.  They talked, laughed, and snuggled.  At one point, Sugar and Kurt traded spots, so they could be with their men.  Sebastian held Kurt close as he listened and watched.  He loved these people so much.  

When Britt said something particularly funny, Kurt laughed, turned, and looked up at Sebastian.  Sebastian looked back at him and smiled.  They held eye contact, and it was as if they said a million things in just that one look.  Seb leaned down, kissing Kurt softly.  He was right in what he had said earlier.  He would give it all up for Kurt.  Every penny, if it meant he could spend his life with this beautiful man in his arms.  When he pulled out of the kiss, he whispered, “Happy Birthday, Baby.”

Chapter Text

Sebastian came home one evening to the sounds of Kurt talking on the phone.  All he heard was his end of the conversation as he put his coat up, and took his bag into the office.  Kurt smiled and winked at him once he noticed him, but continued talking,  “I promise you won’t be intruding.  I wouldn't have invited you if we felt like you would be... There is more than enough room….Well, we don’t live in the typical New York apartment...Yes...It’ll be my dad, stepmother, and stepbrother, Finn.  Then Sebastian’s parents, and his sister, Leah.  We’re also inviting our friends Chris and Elliott, who I’m really looking forward to you meeting...Okay, good!  I’m so excited to see you and Charlie again...No, no need to bring anything.  We’ll be cooking, and we’re getting dessert from Sugar Shack.  Plus it’s tradition to bake cookies on Christmas Eve, so we’ll have plenty….Okay, once we decide on a time, I’ll text that to you, along with our address, okay?...Alright, bye Eileen.”

Kurt hung up, sighed, and looked at Sebastian, “She can be pretty stubborn.”

Sebastian chuckled, “It sounded like it.  Why would she think they are intruding if we invited them?”

Kurt shrugged and shook his head, “I don’t know.  I think she was trying to be polite, or maybe give me an out if I needed it?  But it was literally the purpose of the call, so I don’t know.  How was school and the hospital?”

Sebastian kissed Kurt quickly and sat on the end of the couch facing him, “It was good.  I want to say that I think I’m ready for exams, but I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself.”

“Do you still remember everything that you read, like you did in high school?  Or is it harder with the harder text and curriculum?”

“Mmm, I pretty much still remember everything when I read it.  I just don’t want to miss something, ya know?”  Kurt nodded, so he continued, “How about you?  How was school and Vogue?”

“Good.  I’m almost finished with the third part of my final project.  Channing and Orion had lunch with me today.  We quizzed each other for a couple of the other classes, and I did pretty well.  Vogue was good.  Isabelle wants me to help with a big photo shoot sometime after the new year.  That will be exciting.”

“That will be.  What would you be doing?”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder, “I have no idea.  Probably just troubleshooting, or being a glorified go-fer. I don’t really care.  I’m looking forward to seeing how it all works.”  He looked over at the kitchen and squinted, trying to see the timer, “Dinner should be ready soon.”

Sebastian frowned a bit, “Okay.  Is your vision okay?  I’ve never seen you squint before.”

“I don’t know.  My eyes have been getting tired a lot lately.  I might need to go see an optometrist. I can’t be a designer if I can’t see.”

Sebastian smiled, leaned forward and kissed him quickly before getting up, “True, Babe. I bet you look hot in glasses.  I’m going to go wash up.”

A few minutes later, Sebastian returned to the kitchen and helped Kurt get everything on plates and to the table.  He was pouring the drinks when he cleared his throat and said, “Babe, I want to talk to you about something Grace said at school today.”

Kurt frowned, “Okay.  Did something happen?”

“Not really,”  he sat down at the table by Kurt, “Hayden, Krish, and Grace were with me in the library studying, and when we took a break, we just chatted a bit.  Grace asked me something that got me thinking.  We were talking about the wedding, and she brought up that we are so young.”  He rolled his eyes and made a gesture with his hand, “No big deal.  We hear that plenty from people who don’t know us both well.  She started spouting off questions… ‘Have we really lived? Do we really know each other?  Have we had enough lovers?’”

Kurt frowned, “What the hell?!”

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s knee, “I know, Babe.  I really don’t think she meant anything by it though.  She literally didn’t give me time to think or answer.   I think she was just rambling and spouting out the questions she would be asking herself.”

Kurt was still frowning, “I guess.  She didn’t seem like the type to question you, but you never know.”

“Grace has a tendency to just think out loud. She didn’t mean anything bad by it.  She supports us.”

“Okay, then what exactly did you want to talk about?”

“Well, I was thinking about my answers to the questions she posed.  I know we know each other enough, and we’ve both lived plenty.  We’ve been through so much, and anything we haven’t been through yet, I want to face together.”

“Mmhmm, me too, Bas.”

“It’s the other question…”

Kurt thought for a second, then his eyes widened a little, “Sir…”

Sebastian shook his head, “Before you start jumping to conclusions, I am perfectly happy.  I’ve had enough ‘lovers’, and don’t need anything other than what you give me.  Ever.  You’ve given me so much more than I ever could have imagined.  It’s you that I’m worried about.  You’ve only ever been with me.  I don’t want you to regret not having more experiences before we get married.”

Tension visibly left Kurt’s shoulders, “Sir, I am very happy with our sex life.  I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my mind and body the way I do you.  You’re my Sir.  My Dom.  That’s… beyond the average relationship.  The fact is, I’ve done more than most.  I just haven’t done it with multiple partners.”  They had really been experimenting and exploring a lot lately. They weren’t nearly as vanilla as they once had been, and Kurt couldn’t imagine doing any of that with anyone else.  

“Okay.  I know we’ve had similar conversations before, and we talk about these things pretty often.  I actually think it’s a conversation worth repeating every so often, just to ensure that we’re both happy and on the same page.  So, is there anything that we aren’t doing that you want to do?  Anything you’ve been fantasizing about, or that has caught your attention?”

Kurt was silent for a minute.  He didn’t answer, but instead, flipped the question, “What about you, Sir?  Anything you want to try?”

Sebastian moved his food around a bit, “Actually, yes.  I bought something that I want us to try.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows, “What, Sir?”

Sebastian smirked, “A remote control vibrating plug.”

Kurt smiled and his eyes sparkled, “That could be fun.”

Sebastian smiled, “Mhmm.  So… Is there anything you want, Baby?”

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  Sebastian knew this meant that he was preparing his nerves for what he was about to say, “I...I’ve been thinking about something ever since my birthday.”

Sebastian raised his brows, “Your birthday?  What is it, Babe?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about the feeling I got when… when… Jeff saw me shirtless.”  

Seb nodded to indicate he was listening before he asked, “What happened when he saw you shirtless?  He’s seen you shirtless plenty of times.”

“Yeah, and Jeff has never hidden the fact that he thinks I’m attractive.”

“I think the phrase was ‘sexy motherfucker’.”

 Kurt rolled his eyes a bit and nodded as he chuckled, “Yes, but... when he saw me shirtless, he looked at me from head to toe, and back up again.  It’s like he had to concentrate on looking me in the eye when he spoke to me.  It was a heady feeling, knowing that I made someone have that kind of reaction.”

“People look at you like that all the time.  We’ve talked about that.  What made this different?”

Kurt shrugged slowly, “I don’t know.  Maybe because it was Jeff?  Maybe because I know that he knows he can’t do anything about it?  Maybe because I love and trust him?”

“So, are you saying you want to be with Jeff?  Or include him?  And what about Nick?”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “Not like that!” he rushed to say.  “I don’t want to be with anyone but you, Sir.  I just enjoyed being looked at like that.  You look at me with lust in your eyes too, but this was different.”

Seb nodded and thought for a minute.  Then he looked at Kurt, “It was that you were unattainable.  You liked turning him on knowing that he could never have you.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows and thought about it.  With realization in his voice, he responded, “Yeah, I guess I did.”

Sebastian smirked, “That’s fucking hot.”

~

Later that night, they decided to take a break from studying and watch a Christmas movie.  Sebastian turned off all the lights, but kept the lights on the tree and garland on.  He lit a few candles, then joined Kurt on the couch that faced the tree.  He laid back, spreading his legs, and Kurt laid between them, covering them both up with a blanket.  

Kurt was still flipping through channels when he asked, “Which movie do you want to watch?”

“As long as I don’t have to pay too much attention, I don’t care.”

Kurt turned to look at him, “You don’t want to pay attention?  Are you tired and just want to go to bed?”

“No, Babe, I want to watch a movie, I just don’t want to have to think too hard about who did it, or try to follow a complicated plot.  I want to watch, snuggle you, and stare at the tree all at the same time.”

Kurt kissed his cheek and smiled, “Hallmark it is then.  All their movies, Christmas or not, are very predictable, but still nice to watch.”

Sebastian chuckled, “If you say so.”

“I do,”  Kurt grinned as the selected one and pressed play.

……………..

Sebastian had finished his last exam before break, and had the rest of the day free until their families arrived.  He decided to surprise Kurt at Parsons, then head to Sugar Shack to pick up some dessert for after dinner.  It was too cold to wait outside, so he stood just inside the main doors of the school since he didn’t want to miss Kurt as he exited.  

Sebastian smiled politely as Orion approached him.  Orion smiled as he sauntered up to him.  He was a tall, thin, African American, and had long braids that he twisted up into a top knot.  He wore flamboyant clothes, and had a definite strut, as if he were on the catwalk.  His voice was soft and sweet,  “Hi sweetie.  You’re the future Mr. Kurt Hummel, right?”

Sebastian nodded, offering his hand, “Hummel-Smythe, yes.  I’m Sebastian.  You’re Orion, right?”

He smiled wide as he shook his hand, “I am!  It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“You too.”

“Your honey will be down soon.  He totally rocked that final project.  The prof wanted to see him quickly before he left.  I gotta go get my shopping on.  Can’t have ‘ho ho ho’ if I’m two ‘ho’s’ behind.  You take care, Sweetie.  Nice meetin’ ya!”

Seb smiled, “You, too, Orion.  Merry Christmas.”

“Oooh!  You are just too cute for words!”  Orion exclaimed as he strut out of the building onto the sidewalk.  Sebastian just chuckled to himself.  

A few minutes later, Sebastian spotted Kurt coming down the steps.  He watched, wondering how long it would take Kurt to notice him.  He was almost to the door, and hadn’t even looked his way.  He smiled, “Baby…”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he whipped his head in Seb’s direction.  He smiled big, “Bas!”  He came over and hugged him, “What are you doing here?”

“I thought we could go to lunch, then swing by Sugar Shack to pick up dessert before we head home.  I just met Orion.  He’s a character.”

Kurt chuckled, “Yes, he is.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know him a little better this past month or so.”

“Good.  He said you rocked your final project and your professor wanted to talk to you?  Everything good?”

“Yeah!”  Kurt smiled.  “Professor Turpin wants me to consider entering a contest next year, representing Parsons.  She said I’m her nominee and that she loved my designs!  I guess freshman aren’t allowed to enter, so she wanted to put a bug in my ear for next year.”

“Kurt!  That’s quite a compliment!  Congratulations, Baby!”  he kissed his fiance and then hugged him tight.

“Thank you, Sir.  Are you ready to head out?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

~

When they arrived at Sugar Shack, they were thrilled to see several customers in the shop.   Sugar looked up and smiled, “Hi, guys!”

“Hey, Sugar!  Looks like things are going well here,”  Kurt smiled.

“They really are.  I hope it stays like this!”

“It will.  People will get one taste, then they’ll no longer be able to resist.  Just like us.”

“Aww, Seb, you say the sweetest things.  You seem to really be sprinkling the holiday magic all over the place.  Jenna told me about the mysterious plane tickets she and Hayden both got from an unnamed elf,” she winked at him.

He blushed a little and shrugged, “I hope it didn’t mess up your employee schedule.”

“No, Gina’s got it covered.”

“Bas…” Sebastian looked at him and shrugged.  Kurt smiled, “That was really sweet.”

“You’re not the only one I can be nice to.”  He looked back to Sugar, “You guys are still coming for Christmas Eve, right?”

“Yeah.  My parents will be here early that afternoon, so we should be there in plenty of time.”

“Sug, if we placed an order for a larger amount of muffins, how soon could it be ready?”  Kurt was looking in the cases, then looked up in time for her response.

“For you?  I could have them by tomorrow.  What do you need them for?”

Kurt shrugged, “I was thinking we could give the building staff some as part of their Christmas bonus.  Maybe five dozen?”

“That’s a good idea, Babe.”  

Sugar nodded, “Sure.  I can do a few variety boxes.”

“Great!  Ring us up for that, too.  Just let me know when I can pick them up.”

~

Once they got home, they looked around.  Kurt went through his mental checklist, “Gifts wrapped, linens clean, bathrooms clean, food stocked… I think we’re good to go.”

Sebastian nodded, “The place looks great, Kurt.  It’s picturesque, really.”  He stood in the kitchen and looked out at the tree and other decorations, “You really know how to make a place feel like home.”

Kurt wrapped his arms around him, “Thanks, Bas.”  He turned and looked at the tree, “I love our tree.  Our Disney ornaments stick out, for sure, but I love that about it.”

Just then, the buzzer sounded, “Yes, Pablo?”  Sebastian asked.

“Both the Smythes and Hummels are here, Sir.”

“Thanks, Pablo.  Send them up.”

A minute later, everyone came in from the elevator.  They looked around with wide eyes and huge smiles.  Especially Leah.

“This place looks amazing!”  she smiled.

“Thanks!”  Kurt smiled as he hugged her.  

Everyone gave hugs and a million compliments on how festive the penthouse looked.  Kurt couldn’t have been happier with their reactions.  

“Why didn’t you guys just come up?”  Seb asked.

“It’s your home now.  We didn’t want to just barge in,”  Robert said, patting Seb on the back.

Everyone took their bags up to their bedrooms.  Leah was to sleep on the pull out sofa in the office, and Finn was going to sleep on the pull out sofa in the loft upstairs.  While everyone was getting settled, Kurt and Sebastian got dinner started.  Burt was the first one down.

“Don’t you two look comfortable in the kitchen together... Do you cook together every night?”

“It depends.  On nights that he’s at the hospital, I cook.  And nights that he’s not, he cooks.  It’s only on weekends that we actually get to cook dinner together.  We usually fix breakfast together though.”

“It’s a good look on you both.  You look comfortable and happy.”

Sebastian smiled, “Well, we are!”

Once everyone was downstairs, they sat around and chatted as Sebastian and Kurt finished up dinner.  Leah and Tori got everyone’s drinks, and they set the table.  When everyone was comfortable, Kurt asked, “Do you guys want to hang around here tonight, or do you want to go do something?  You got here a decent hour.”

Finn answered, “I’d love to go do something, Bro.  From what we saw from the cab, New York is fancy at Christmas.”

Kurt and Seb both smiled, and Kurt answered, “New York is amazing at Christmas.  Do you want to go to Bryant Park ?  There’s a Christmas village, with little shops and food vendors.  There’s an ice rink, too.  We’ll pass plenty of decorated places along the way.”

“That sounds fun!”  Leah looked to Finn.

He nodded, “Yeah, it does.  Let’s do that.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to stay in.  I’m worn out.  I was in DC yesterday, flew home last night, then flew here today.  I need to sit still for a bit.”

Kurt chuckled, “Sure, Dad.” 

All of the parents ended up staying home, and Kurt, Sebastian, Finn, and Leah headed out to Bryant Park.  Kurt loved watching Finn.  He had such a childlike wonder in his eyes as he took in the decorations everywhere.  Kurt hoped he never lost that wonder.  

He and Leah wandered into a jewelry shop, while Finn and Sebastian waited outside, watching people skate around the rink.  Finn looked at Seb, “He’s happy, right?”

Sebastian smiled at him, pleased that Finn was so concerned about his brother, “Yeah, he really is, Finn.  New York has been really good for him.  He fits in here.  He’s not smothered with doubt or naysayers.  He’s celebrated at school, work, and obviously, at home.”

Finn nodded and had a content smile, “Good.”  His smile faded a bit, “New York isn’t for everyone.  But I can see where it would be for him.”

Sebastian put his hand on Finn’s shoulder, “Are you doing okay, Finn?”

He nodded quickly, “I really am.  I mean, it’s hard, don’t get me wrong.  But, I just know we aren’t meant to be.  It’s hard when you’ve been with someone for so long.  It’s more like a loss of friendship.  I know that’s not true.  We’ll always be friends.  But it’ll be different being so far apart.  She’s been my person, ya know?”

“I can’t imagine, Finn.  I’m really sorry.”  He sighed, “Are you going to see her while you're here?  Will she be here yet?”

He shook his head, “No.  She went on a cruise with her dads.  We’ll pretty much be like ships passing in the night.  I’ll be headed home, and she’ll be coming here.  We said our goodbyes a couple of days ago.”  Seb nodded and gave Finn’s shoulder a little squeeze.

When Kurt and Leah came out of the shop, Kurt snapped a quick picture of his fiance and his brother looking out at the rink.  He didn’t know what they were talking about, but you could tell they were supporting each other in some way.  Leah put her hand through Kurt’s arm.  He looked down at her, and she looked up at him and smiled.  He turned the camera to selfie mode, and took another pic.  

They all went ice skating for a little while.  Finn seemed to be doing better than he had the previous year at Kings Island.  Kurt wasn’t quite as afraid of Finn falling and crushing anyone.  They were laughing and singing along to the music being played over the rink speakers.  Sebastian couldn’t help but think that this was just what Finn needed.

As they walked around the other half of the park, the smell of freshly roasted nuts wafted through the air.  Leah’s eyes widened, “Where is that smell coming from?!  Do you smell that yummy goodness?!  I need it!  I need it!”

Kurt laughed at her, “Good grief!  I’ve never seen you like this!”

Finn smiled, “Don’t get in between a girl and her nuts.”  Everyone slowly turned to look at Finn, then broke out into hysterical laughter.  

Once Finn could breathe again, he looked at Seb, “Sorry, man.  I did NOT mean it that way.”

“I know,” Seb laughed.  “Now we have to find them.  Pictures to follow.  The caption up for debate.”

After finding the roasted nut vendor, they headed home.  The boys smiled seeing their parents hanging out and laughing in the living room as they sipped some wine.  

“So,” Tori began, “Tell us all about what’s been happening with you two.”  

They sat around and told them all about finals, their friends, and what was happening with their internships.

Sebastian smiled, “Kurt got some good news today.  Tell em’, Babe.”

He blushed a little, “Professor Turpin nominated me to represent Parsons in a big fashion competition next year.  She loved my final projects!”

“That’s fantastic, Kurt!”  Burt beamed.  “I’m so proud of you, kiddo.”  Everyone started congratulating him.

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, everyone.  I’m really excited about it.  So, how are things back in Ohio?  How’s school going there?”

Leah shrugged, “Same old, same old.  I am enjoying my new friends though.  I’ve met some really nice girls.  A couple of not so nice ones, too.”

Sebastian frowned, “What happened?”

Leah rolled her eyes at his protective tone, “Nothing major.  Just some comments about Sam.”

“What about him?  He’s awesome.”  Kurt frowned.

Leah made a face, “I know.  That’s kind of the problem.  These two girls are a bit too big of fans for my liking.  They make all sorts of inappropriate comments.  Nothing they could get in trouble for, just… I don’t like it.  He’s my boyfriend.”

Kurt shook his head, “Sweetie, you don’t need to worry.   Sam is head over heels for you.  He has been since he met you.”

“I know.  But that doesn’t mean I have to like the comments.”  

Sebastian just sighed and shook his head.  There was nothing else they could say, really.

“So, how was your birthday?” Kurt asked.

She smiled, “It was fantastic!  Thank you so much for the dress.  I wore it when Sam took me on the most romantic date.  It was wonderful.”

“You’re welcome.  You and Sugar both got KHS Original designs for your birthdays.”

“What did you guys do for Sugar’s birthday?”  Finn asked.  “I saw pics on Instagram, but it looked like you were just hanging out.”

Sebastian nodded, “Basically, that’s what we did.  She’s been working her butt off at the bakery, and can’t stay out late since she has to get up so early.  So we all just took dinner over to their place, ate, played games, hung out.  It was nice.”

……………….

The next morning was Christmas Eve.  They all decided to go to Sugar Shack for breakfast.  It didn’t hurt that they wanted to see Sugar, Puck, and the bakery.  They were really excited to see it, and Kurt and Sebastian were really excited to show them.  

When the taxis pulled up, Tori and Carol gushed about how amazing the building looked.

“It looks so much better than last time!  Oh my gosh, look at the window displays!”  Carol exclaimed.

“Gorgeous!”  Tori smiled.

“Her dreams came true,”  Leah said quietly, smiling from ear to ear.

Sebastian wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “They really did.”

“Let’s go.  Wait until you see the inside!”  Kurt led them all to the door.  

Once they were inside, the smells hit them, and you couldn’t have wiped those smiles off their faces if you tried.

“Oh my goodness, that smells sooo good,”  Robert said.

“Mmhmm,”  Burt agreed.  “It’s nice to see we aren’t the only ones who think so,” he gestured to the people in line.

Puck came out from the back, and his face lit up when he saw everyone.  He came out from behind the display cases and immediately started giving hugs, “I missed you guys so much!”

After lots of hugs and greetings, Puck smiled, “Let me go get Sugar.  She’s going to be so excited to see you all!”

“You can let her keep working.  We wanted to get breakfast, and we knew there was no better place to do it than here.  We don’t want to get in the way,”  Tori said.

“She’d kill me if you were here and I didn’t tell her. That’s not gonna be on my head, Tori.”

She laughed, “Fine, fine.”

By the time Puck came back out with Sugar, the other customers had been waited on, and they were selecting their purchases as well.  Sugar came running out, all smiles.  She hugged the first person she got to, which was Finn. 

He lifted her up and spun her around, “Look at this place, Sug!  This is amazing.”

“Thank you, Sweetie!” 

Leah was waiting, somewhat patiently, for Finn to put Sugar down.  Once he did, the girls immediately embraced.  Sugar closed her eyes and took a deep breath, memorizing the moment, “How are you?”  She pulled back and looked Leah in the eyes.

She nodded, “I’m good.  I promise.”  They all knew that it was hard on Leah having most of their family out of town now.  She continued, “I cannot tell you how happy I am for you, Sugar.  This is seeing a dream become reality right before our very eyes.  It’s perfect.”

“It’s hard,”  She smiled, “But totally worth it.”

After Sugar finished giving hugs, Tori pushed Puck and Sugar together, “You two look adorable in your matching t-shirts.  Let me get a picture.”  They stood in front of the display cases wearing black t-shirts with the bright pink Sugar Shack logo, and Tori snapped a picture.  

“I’m going to want a copy of that,”  Kurt smiled.

“I figured you would,”  Tori winked.  Tori took a few more pictures, before letting everyone go.

Kurt nodded, “Remind me to show you the photo books I had made.”

“Oohh, yeah.  The ones you were telling me about, right?’

“Yep.  They turned out great.”

After making sure enough of the staff was out front to help customers, Sugar and Puck took everyone up to their apartment to see the finished product.

“Wow!”  Leah smiled.  Everyone was giving compliments as they entered.  After a quick tour, the girls stayed in the kitchen, with Sugar showing them all the things she liked best, and how she had taken what she loved about other kitchens and put them into hers.  

Out in the living room, the guys all sat around, mostly listening and watching the ladies from afar.  Burt looked over at Puck, “You picked out the couch, right?”

He smirked, “Sugar spotted it for the design, but I got to do a butt test.  Why?”

Burt shrugged, “It’s comfortable.”  Puck chuckled.

Sebastian teased, “Yeah, we made sure he would feel okay the next morning if he ever got exiled to the couch.”  They all laughed.

“That’s what the other bedroom is for, dude.”  

As they made their way downstairs, Sugar said, “My parents' flight comes in this afternoon.  We’ll be by tonight in time for dinner.  I’m so glad you guys got to see the place though.”

~

Once Puck, Sugar, Vinny, and Cindy arrived that evening, it felt like the festivities could finally begin.  Dinner was served right on time, with soft Christmas music playing in the background.  Sebastian couldn’t take the smile off his face.  This was almost as perfect of a Christmas as he ever could have imagined.  I wished his grandparents could have been there, but having the rest of his family there, all together and enjoying each other’s company. was so special. He watched as everyone was smiling, talking, and laughing.  He loved how Finn was a great brother to Leah.  He seemed protective of her, but also teased her like a brother would.  He watched as the parents all had conversations about things that they already knew about each other, really showing that they were friends without the boys being there to keep them connected.  He looked over at Kurt, who was smiling at everyone with the same happy smile that he seemed to have.  Kurt turned to look at him, and just winked.  He didn’t think he could be happier.  

After dinner, the parents cleaned up.  While they were doing that, the “kids” went upstairs to change.  Finn called out from inside the en suite, “Are you guys decent?  Can I come out?”

“Yes, Finn,”  Kurt lovingly rolled his eyes as he finished zipping up.

When he opened the door, he had a goofy smile on his face, “I can’t believe you found one big enough for me!”

“Awe, you look adorable.  I had to special order it from the big and tall department.”

A couple of minutes later, all six of them came down the steps wearing matching hooded onesie pajamas.  The dads all saw them first, since the moms were still hanging out in the kitchen.  They laughed and shook their heads.  

“What?!”  Sugar said putting her hands on her hips.  “We look adorable!”

“Yes, you do.  So do the boys,”  Vinny laughed while the moms walked over and made their ‘oo’s and ah’s about the kids.

Puck smirked, “I wouldn’t laugh too hard, Vinny.   Guess what’s in the bags we’re carrying?”

It was the moms turn to laugh.  Each of the “kids”  pulled out onesie and gave it to one of the parents.

“Okay!  Go change!”  Kurt smiled.  Burt looked a little lost, until he saw Kurt standing there with his arms crossed, waiting.

He sighed, “Okay, okay.”

All of the parents had red onesies with Santa and Mrs. Claus faces on them.  The hoods had a white palm palm on the ends.  The “kids”  all had green onesies on with reindeer and trees on them, and the hoods had antlers.  Once everyone was back in the room, pictures were taken in front of the tree and fireplace.  Kurt and Sebastian knew they would cherish those pictures forever.  

“Now,”  Kurt announced, “do not lose these.  We’re going to wear them every year.”

~

Cookie baking was next.  It wasn’t Christmas Eve if there was no baking, according to Kurt and Sugar.  They all happily mixed and stirred, then eventually began to decorate them.  While waiting for a batch to cool, they would head over to the piano and sing some Christmas carols.  

By the end of the evening, lots of cookies had been made and eaten.  Everyone was lounging around talking.

Kurt grabbed the photo books he had had made, and took them over to where Tori and Carol were sitting on the couch.  He sat in between them, and put the books in his lap.  

Tori smiled, “That’s a lot of books!”

Kurt nodded, “I splurged.  I don’t want our photos getting lost in a ‘cloud’, or stuck on a hard drive or flash drive.  I made one for New Directions, the Warblers, the formal dances, and the Cheerios.  Then one for each park at Disney, because, well, we took that many photos, and I just couldn’t decide.  I made one for the summer, which includes France, England, the beach house, and the move.   Then I made one that’s just our first year together, and it ends with the engagement selfies.”  He handed them both a book.

“These are fantastic, Sweetie!”  Carol smiled as she looked through them.

“Thanks!”

“I need to start doing this.  This is such a good idea,”  Tori smiled as she looked through the book on her lap.

“I wanted to kind of document our journey, you know?  I even put some pics of the not so nice times in there.  Those times are important too.”

“You’re absolutely right.  Those times help shape us just as much as the good times.  I’m proud of you for realizing that, Kurt,”  Carol put her hand on his knee, and put his hand on top of hers.  

~

Sebastian was sitting on the floor by Kurt’s feet, and he chuckled at Puck and Finn.  They were on the floor to his left, by the fireplace.  The three of them were talking quietly about school, and life in general.  

Puck frowned, “What’s so funny?”

Seb shook his head, “I never thought I’d see the day that you two were sitting around in onesies.”

Finn smiled, “And what about you?  You aren’t exactly the cute, matchy type.”

He chuckled, “Nope.  I’m the make-my-fiance-happy type.”  Kurt reached forward and patted him on the shoulder as he didn’t miss a beat in the conversation with Tori. 

Puck grinned, “And that’s why I’m wearing mine.  If my girl and my Princess want this cute family matchy-matchy stuff, I’ll do it.”

They both looked at Finn with raised brows, as if asking ‘what about you?’.  Finally he sighed, “Okay, okay.  Kurt’s got me wrapped around his little finger, too.”  

Sebastian chuckled, then looked around at everyone.  Looked they were all wrapped around his little finger.   

They said goodnight to the Motta/Puckerman’s soon after, wishing them a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.  Everyone slowly started saying their goodnight wishes and making their ways to bed.

~

When Kurt and Sebastian had finally made it upstairs, they stripped out of their onesies, showered, then climbed under the covers together.  They were holding each other tight when Sebastian took a deep breath, inhaling the lingering scent of shampoo in Kurt’s hair.  He sighed as he exhaled, “Today was the second best day that I can ever remember having.”

Kurt smiled softly, “It was pretty perfect, wasn’t it?”  Seb hummed his answer.  Kurt asked, “What was the best day you ever remember having?”

Sebastian kissed Kurt, then answered, “That’s easy.  It was the day I asked you to marry me.”

Kurt smiled, then leaned in for another kiss.  After the kiss broke, he glanced outside through the door to the terrace, “Bas!  It’s snowing!”

Sebastian turned quickly to look.  His face lit up, “I told you today was perfect.”

……………………

Christmas morning was filled with the same relaxing family fun that the previous night had brought, but included gifts.  Everyone sat around the living room in their onesie pajamas, opening gifts.  They all loved what they received, especially the things that Kurt had picked out in France.  

The parents were especially excited about their “group gift” that was from all the kids, which included Sam.  The dads received tickets to the New York International Car Show in the spring, the moms received gift certificates to a swanky NYC spa.

Sebastian’s favorite gift, which was of course from Kurt, was a framed signed jersey from the French National Lacrosse team.  He held it up and stared at it like it wasn’t real, “Oh my god…”  When he realized it was indeed real, he turned to Kurt, “Baby, how…?”

Kurt winked as he shrugged one shoulder, “I have connections now.”

“Enzo?  Because if Enzo is your connection, he’s been holding out on me big time.”

Kurt shook his head, “It’s actually a guy named Oscar, that I’ve never actually met in person.  He works for Vogue, in the Paris office, kind of doing the same thing I do, but full time.  Anyway, we had spoken on the phone dozens of times, and one day, instead of putting me on hold when he and I were arranging a Zoom call for our bosses, we started chatting.  I told him about how much I loved Paris when I was there with you, and he was telling me about all of his favorite things about it.  When he mentioned the team, and how his brother was best friends with one of the players, so he got to go see them all the time… I begged.”

Sebastian, who was on the floor, got on his knees and reached forward so he could reach Kurt, “It’s amazing.  I love it, Babe. Thank you so much.” He leaned in and kissed Kurt quick.  

“You’re welcome, Love,”  he smiled. 

His second favorite gift, surprisingly or not, was a Lima Bean gift basket from Finn.  It had a t-shirt, two mugs, and a few packages of coffee beans.  He actually took a package of coffee out and hugged it.  Finn couldn’t have smiled any bigger.

Kurt smiled, “Finn, that’s perfect!  I didn’t even know they sold gift baskets.”

Finn shrugged, but Leah said, “They don’t.  I think Shannon has a little crush on Finn.”  She wiggled her eyebrows, and Finn actually blushed while everyone in the room smiled.

When Kurt opened his gift from Sebastian, his eyes widened.  It was Hamilton playbill, sighed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with two tickets to see the show.  They had tried for a few months to get tickets, but never could.  “Bas...How?  We tried….How?  And the...OH MY GOD!  IT’S SIGNED BY…”

Sebastian chuckled, “I have connections too, Babe.”  When Kurt looked at him, he added, “Jeremy worked some magic for me.”

“Thank you so much, Bas.”  

Everyone, especially Burt, was smiling as they watched the two of them. 

~

Once the gift exchange was finished, they cleaned up pretty quickly, then went to get ready.  When Leah came into the living room, Kurt looked at her and smiled, “Couldn't wait?”  She was wearing the sweater and necklace that he and Sebastian had gotten her, and her hair was in up using a Pony-O that Kurt just had to order his girls.  “Oh my gosh, your hair looks adorable.”

She swung her hair around and struck a pose, “Thanks!  I tried the sweater on to see if it fit, and it was too cute to take off.  And only you would know I secretly wanted a Pony-O.  I love it.”

He chuckled, “Well, if I had long hair, I would want one too.  I got one for Sugar and Jenna too.  You look great.”

“Thanks.  So do you, like always.”  He smiled and hugged her.  

Sebastian walked in, “Ya know, the one thing I was not prepared for when it came to having a significant other, was the fact that I had to share Leah lovin’.  Every time.  First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, now Christmas.”  He sighed dramatically.

Leah rolled her eyes, and Kurt just squeezed her tighter, “You had her all to yourself for fourteen and a half years.  I have catching up to do.”

Once everyone was downstairs, they started grazing on the brunch-type food that Kurt had put out.  They were expecting their guests at two, so they didn’t want to eat a regular lunch.  

Burt sat at the island, “So, Eileen, Charlie, Chris, and his boyfriend, Elliott, are coming, right?”

Kurt nodded, “Yep.”

“Anything I need to know?”

Kurt frowned, “What do you mean?”

Burt shrugged, “Well, I know Chris, obviously.  But I haven’t met any of the others.  Is there a subject I should avoid, or, I don’t know, a personality trait I need to tolerate?”

Kurt and Sebastian both chuckled at that.  Seb said, “I forgot you guys haven't met Elliott yet.”

Kurt looked at him, “I know.  Doesn’t that seem weird?”  Seb made a face and nodded.  Kurt turned back to his dad, “Actually, there is.  Not a personality trait… They are all three lovely.  Finn even called Elliott a gay Puck.”  He chuckled again, then became a little more serious, “I don’t want to divulge too much, since it isn’t for me to share.  But, it would be helpful to know a couple of things, to prevent awkward situations.  Elliott’s parents both passed away when he was in high school.  He has an older sister, brother-in-law, and a niece and nephew that he’s close to.  They live in Colorado, though, and since they were here for Thanksgiving, they couldn’t come for Christmas too.  

And Eileen and Charlie had a son…” he looked at Sebastian, who put his hand on his back.  

Sebastian finished, “Their son, Phillip, committed suicide in 1983.  He was only 13.  They suspect he was gay and didn’t know how to deal with it.  It was during the AIDES crisis, and being gay certainly wasn’t something the world looked at too kindly.”

“Oh god…”  Carol sighed.  Tori was covering her mouth with tears in her eyes.

Kurt nodded, “I know.  Just, you know… I didn’t want you to ask Elliott about what his parents do for a living, or ask Eileen and Charlie if they have any children.  Of course, if they bring it up, it’s fine, but...”

“We understand,”  Carol said.

“So do Eileen and Charlie have anyone else?”  Tori asked.

Sebastian shook his head, “That’s why we invited them.  We didn’t want them to spend the holiday alone.”

“That was sweet of you both,” Tori said, coming up and putting her hand on Seb’s shoulder.  “You two are always making us proud.”

“Well, we had good role models raising us,”  Kurt smiled.

~

Charlie followed the directions that his phone was telling him.  When he heard it say, “Your destination is on your left.”  He turned to Eileen, “Are you sure that thing knows what it’s talking about?”

Eileen looked to the right at Central Park, then leaned forward in her seat and looked up toward the top of the building.  She sat back in her seat, “I don’t know, honestly.”

Charlie pulled into the parking garage and rolled down his window to speak to the attendant on duty, “Hi. Merry Christmas.”

The man nodded, “Thank you.  Merry Christmas to you, as well.  What can I help you with today?”

“We’re here to see Sebastian Smythe and Kurt Hummel.  But we aren’t sure we have the right place.”

The man just smiled.  He knew they were in the right place, but couldn’t tell them that until he had checked the list.  “Can I have your names please?”

“Sure.  Charlie and Eileen Hinshaw.”

The man looked at his list, “There you are.  I’ll just need to see some ID, please.”

Charlie got out his wallet, pulled his driver's license out, and handed it over.  He frowned a bit, “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

He smiled wide, “You are, Sir”  He handed him his ID back, “Go on in.  Once you park, take the elevator to the lobby, then let the front desk know who you are here to see, and they can direct you.”

Charlie nodded, “Thank you.”

Once they were pulling in, Eileen spoke, “Well, I guess we knew they had money, right?  They stayed at the Grand Floridian, and they traveled to Europe over the summer.”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

Once they were in the lobby, they went to the front desk.  Pablo smiled, “Merry Christmas!  What can I do for you?”

Eileen smiled, “Merry Christmas.  We’re here to see Sebastian Smythe and Kurt Hummel.”

Pablo nodded, “Certainly.  Can I have your names please?”

Charlie answered, “Charlie and Eileen Hinshaw.”

Pablo nodded, then buzzed the penthouse.  When Sebastian answered, he said, “Charlie and Eileen Hinshaw are here to see you, Mr. Smythe.”  The couple exchanged glances.

“Great!  Send them up, Pablo.  Thanks!”

Pablo looked at them, and pointed toward a different set of elevators from which they came, “It’ will be the elevator on the right.  I’ll take care of sending you up.”

Charlie nodded, “Thanks.”  They headed toward the elevator, then he frowned and turned back to Pablo, “How do we know which apartment it is when we get to their floor?”

Pablo smiled, “It’s the only one on their floor, Sir.  It’s the penthouse.”

Eileen raised her eyebrows in surprise.  Charlie choked out a shocked laugh, “Well, okay.”

When the elevator doors opened directly into the penthouse, their eyes widened once again and they slowly stepped out.  Kurt and Sebastian smiled as they entered the foyer to greet them.

“Merry Christmas!”  Sebastian smiled, hugging them both.

“We’re so glad you could make it today,”  Kurt said as he hugged them right after Sebastian.  “Let me take your coats.”

“Thank you, boys.  For the hosts,”  Eileen smiled as she handed them a Christmas plate full of chocolates.”

“Thank you!”  Seb smiled, taking the plate.

“They’re Eileen’s famous homemade chocolates.”

“Homemade?!  Eileen, you’ve been keeping secrets,” Kurt teased.  “Can I get either of you something to drink?”

“No thank you, dear.  You’re home is lovely.  My goodness.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Thank you.  I know.  It’s a shocker.”  They just smiled at him.

After the coats were hung, the boys escorted them into the living room.  Their family was spread out doing different things, but approached as they saw the couple come in.  Sebastian introduced them to everyone, and ushered them in to sit in the living room.

Robert smiled as he sat across from them, “It’s so nice to meet you finally.  The boys tell us you met in Disney World.  Do you go often?”

“Every year for the past forty years.  It’s out home away from home.  We absolutely love it.  Forty must be our lucky number, since that’s the year we met Sebastian and Kurt.  They swept us off our feet,”  Eileen smiled.

“They tend to do that,”  Robert smiled. “We haven’t been to Disney as a family in a few years, but hopefully that changes sometime soon.  Right now, we’re focused on wedding plans.”  Robert smiled at Sebastian, who smiled back.

Eileen lit up, “Oh yes!  I loved the save the date card, boys.  I was so excited.  Thank you so much for inviting us.  To the wedding, and here today.”

“Of course!  We’re excited to have you.  Today, and at the wedding,”  Kurt smiled.

The buzzer sounded, and Sebastian went to answer it, telling Pablo to go ahead and send up Chris and Elliott.  When they entered, Finn and Leah immediately went over for hugs.  

“I’ve missed you so much,”  Chris said as he hugged Finn.

“I missed you, too.  Are you doing okay?  For real?”

Chris nodded, “I really am.  I promise.”

“Good.”

When Elliott hugged Leah, he pulled back, “Oooh, your hair looks fabulous.”

She giggled, “Thanks.  That’s part of Kurt’s gift to me.”

Elliott looked at it, “Is that a Pony-O?  I’m so jealous.”

She struck a pose again, “Yep!”

Kurt and Sebastian went over for hugs, too.  “Merry Christmas!”  Seb smiled as he hugged them.

“Thanks, you too,”  Chris smiled.  He went in and gave the parents some hugs as Kurt introduced everyone to Elliott, and then he introduced both Chris and Elliott to Charlie and Eileen. 

Kurt announced, “There’s snacks and drinks set up on the island if anyone wants anything.  We’ll have dinner at 5.”

“So, Elliott, what are you majoring in?  You go to NYU with Chris and Puck, right?”  Carol asked.

“Yes, ma’am.  I’m a sophomore, majoring in graphic design.”

“Oh, please, call me Carol.”  Elliott smiled and nodded.

Eileen asked, “What about you, Chris?  What is your major?”

“Well, I honestly chose NYU because they offered me such a big cheer scholarship, and I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life beyond that. But now, I’ve been looking into their marketing program, and I think that’s the direction I want to go.”

“You’re a cheerleader?”  Eileen asked.

Chris nodded, “I am.  That’s actually how I met Kurt.  And then with Kurt, came the rest of our family.”

“Well that’s great.  I’ve always enjoyed watching the cheerleaders and dancers way more than the actual games,”  Eileen smiled.  She turned to Elliott, “What about you, dear?  How did you meet everyone?  Or did you meet because you’re….”  She gestured between Chris and Elliott, as if asking if they were dating.

Elliott chuckled, “Yes, we are dating, but that’s not how we all met. Sebastian and Kurt take a self defense class that I teach.  And then I met Chris through them.  I had actually met our friend, Puck, first, since he’s in one of my classes.  It all just kind of fell into place, I guess.”

“Yep.  Worked out in our favor, for sure,”  Sebastian winked.

They spent a couple of hours chatting, looking at Kurt’s photo books, and playing a few games.  They were all having a great time together, and Eileen and Charlie seemed to fit right in.  It really was like having grandparents there.  Kurt loved watching the two of them smile and laugh with everyone.  

When Kurt went to the kitchen to get a drink, Sebastian came up behind him, wrapping his arms around him, “I love you, Baby.”

Kurt put his hands over Seb’s and closed his eyes, “I love you, too.”

“And I love both of you,”  Burt said, walking up next to them.  

They both chuckled.  Kurt smiled, “We love you, too, Dad.”  

They watched everyone from their places for a few minutes, then Burt commented, “Eileen and Charlie seem to be enjoying themselves.”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, I’m so glad they came.”

“Mhmm,”  Seb agreed, “I think it’s been really good for them.”

Burt nodded, “And Elliott seems great.  Chris seems really happy.”

“He is really great.  I’m glad they have each other.”

Once dinner was on the table, and everyone was gathered around, eating.  Conversation constantly flowed.  

Eileen smiled at Kurt, “Have you two decided where you are going on your honeymoon?”

Kurt smiled excitedly, “We have.  We’re going to Italy.”

Sebastian smirked, “And Kurt is going to let me spoil him without complaining about it.”  Everyone chuckled.

“Good luck with that,”  Burt laughed.

Kurt made a face, “Hey…”

Seb leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek, “You’re getting better about it, Babe.”

“Where in Italy will you be going?”  Charlie asked.

Sebastian put his drink down, “We’re going for a full month, so we’ll go to several places.  I know Rome, Florence and Tuscany, Capri and the Amalfi Coast are on the table.  And I’m not sure Kurt would let us skip Milan.  But I found a travel agent who we’re working with that is making sure all locations are LGBTQ+ friendly.  I don’t want to have to hide who we are while on our honeymoon, or have any unwanted comments.”

“That was smart,”  Elliott commented.

“It really was.  It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of,”  Leah agreed.  

“We’ve never been out of the country.  Unless you count EPCOT,”  Eileen winked.

Kurt chuckled, “Totally counts, Eileen.”

Carol asked, “So what did you two do for a living before you retired?”

Charlie answered, “Eileen was a teacher, and I was a lineman for the power company, and my family owned a little hardware store.”

Elliott smiled, “Mom and pop hardware stores are the best.  My dad and I used to go to one in Hackensack that always had a couple of older guys sitting out front playing chess, or just watching people around town.  It was completely Americana, and something you don’t see too much of anymore.”

“Did you say Hackensack?”  Charlie asked, looking from Eileen, to Elliott with alert eyes.

“Yeah.  Hinshaw Hardware.  Have you heard of it?”

Kurt nearly spit out his drink, “No way.”  Sebastian nearly choked on his food.

Elliott looked between them all, completely confused.

Eileen smiled, “Our last name is Hinshaw.”  Elliott’s eyes widened.

Charlie smiled and nodded, “That was my granddad’s place.  Then my father’s, then my brother and I inherited it.  My brother, Fred, ran it.  I had to sell it when he passed away.  I can’t run it on my own, and we don’t have anyone to pass it onto anymore.  It was a great place.”

Elliott nodded, “The best.  I can’t believe that was your store.  I have the best memories of going there with my dad.  We were always tinkering with things, and we’d go there to get parts for whatever we were working on.  So, do you live in Hackensack now?”

Eileen nodded, “We do.  Is that where you’re from?”

“Yeah.  What a small world.”

Once dinner was over, Eileen and Charlie sat and talked with Elliott and Chris a bit.  Kurt elbowed Sebastian as they stood in the kitchen.  He nodded toward the four of them.  

Sebastian said, “Well, what you wanted, you got.  Looks like they’re getting along quite well.”

“Yep.  But who knew about the whole shop thing.  That’s crazy.”

“Mhmm.”

Charlie asked Elliott, “So what’s your last name?”

“Gilbert.  My parents were Mark and Annie Gilbert.”

“Were?”  Eileen asked cautiously.  

Elliott nodded, “Yes.  They both passed away three years ago.  I have a sister named Amelia, too.  She’s several years older, and she took custody of me until I turned 18.”

“I’m so sorry, Sweetie.  That has to be so hard.”

Elliott nodded, “It has been.  I went through some things in high school, and it was hard not having them there to help.  My sister did the best she could.  Being responsible for a teenager when you’re only in your twenties was hard enough without the extra issues.”  Chris rubbed his back and watched, making sure he was okay.

Charlie nodded, then asked, “Where is your sister today?”

“She’s married and has two kids.  They live in Colorado now.  Her husband, Steven, got a big promotion a while back.”

Eileen asked, “What about you, Chris?  Did you just decide to stay with Elliott for Christmas this year instead of going home?”

“I did.  Kurt, Sebastian, their families… They are what family should be like.  Add Elliott to the mix, and I’d have been a fool to be anywhere but here.”  Elliott squeezed his knee and bent over to give them a quick kiss.

Eileen could tell there was more to that story, but didn’t want to push.  She knew Chris was right.  Kurt and Sebastian’s families were exactly what families should be.  They were supportive and loving.  They teased each other, and made each other laugh.   She was grateful that they were kind enough to not only invite them to spend the holiday with them, but also Elliott and Chris, who needed it too.

They ended the night with singing, of course. Eileen and Charlie were so impressed with everyone.  They loved hearing Finn and Leah added to the mix, and were blown away by Elliott’s voice.  They requested Running Home To You from Sebastian again, and the parents loved hearing Charlie tell them about how Seb sang it to Kurt in the Grand Floridian.  Everyone’s favorite, by far, had been when Kurt sang Silent Night.  He found that to be quite ironic.  

Everyone said their goodbyes to Eileen and Charlie around 9 o’clock.  They hugged the boys and thanked them once again for inviting them.  They made sure the parents knew how lucky they were to have such fine young men in their lives, and told them that they must be doing something right.  

They made sure to give Chris and Elliott their phone numbers, and told them to call if they needed anything.  They boys both gave them their numbers as well, telling them the same.  By the time they were in the elevator, they had all four boys promising to come for dinner sometime soon.

Chapter Text

After finally coming to an agreement, both Kurt and Sebastian signed their prenups before their families had to head home.  Sebastian was pleased that if something were to happen, not that he ever thought it would, Kurt would be well taken care of and be able to live comfortably.  Kurt wasn’t so comfortable with the high number, but Sebastian just kept reminding him that it was a small percentage of his trust fund alone, and he finally gave in.  

Lots of hugs and kisses later, the boys were once again alone in the penthouse… which led to sexier hugs and kisses before their families were probably even outside.  

A half an hour later, Kurt rolled over, wrapped in a blanket on the floor in front of the Christmas tree.  He looked up at the tree, then over to Sebastian, “I don’t want to take it down yet, Bas.  Besides, I’m just now appreciating it from a whole new angle.”  He tilted his head and looked back at the tree again.

Sebastian chuckled, rolling over to get the same view as Kurt, “We can’t take it down yet.  We’re only on day 3 of the 12 days of Christmas.  Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

Kurt frowned and looked at him, “Really?  But that would mean Christmas lasts into the new year.”

“Yep,” Seb nodded.  “January 5th.  The first day is Christmas Day, when Christ was born.  The twelve days are the days that it took the three kings to travel to Bethlehem, following the North Star.  They didn’t arrive until the 5th.  Or at least, that’s when we celebrate it.  No one really knows for sure what the actual dates were.”

“Huh.  News to me,”  Kurt pushed Sebastian onto his back, then straddled him, “I love you, Bas.”  He leaned down and kissed him, “More than anything.  You know that, right?”

Sebastian ran his hands up Kurt’s naked thighs under the blanket, “I do know that, Baby.  I love you, too.”  He slid his hands around and grabbed Kurt’s ass, “Can I show you much?”

“Again?”  Kurt giggled, “Why, Mr. Smythe, it would be my pleasure.”

“Mmm.  I can’t wait until I’m Mr. Hummel-Smythe.”  Kurt bit his lip as he smiled.  Sebastian teased, “Hey.  Give me that lip.  It’s mine.”  He leaned up, kissing Kurt, sucking the lip into his mouth, and Kurt easily gave in.

……………………

The next day over breakfast, Sebastian said, “I’ll be by to pick you up from Vogue around one, okay?”  He and Kurt both had some scheduled shifts at their internships over break, but not during their normal times.

“Yeah, but you really don’t have to.  You have the day off.  Relax.  Enjoy yourself.”

“Babe, I don’t want you trying to get home by yourself with your eyes dilated.  It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay.  I’m a little nervous about it, to be honest.  It’ll help if you’re there with me,”  Kurt sat back in his chair. 

Seb frowned, “Why are you nervous?”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder, “It’s just, I’ve had a lot of black eyes in the last year and half.  I hope it isn’t more serious than I think it is.”

Sebastian reached over and grabbed his hand, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.  And if not, the sooner you get it looked at, the better. Either way, I’ll be there with you.”

~

Sebastian went upstairs to meet Kurt on his floor at Vogue.  Lindy, the receptionist, smiled brightly, “What can I do for you, Sir?”

He smiled, “I’m here to pick up Kurt Hummel.”

Her face lit up, “Oooh, are you his fiance?”

“I am.  Sebastian Smythe,” he stuck out his hand to shake hers. 

She gladly shook it, “Lindy.  So nice to meet you.  I just love Kurt.  You’re a lucky man.”  

“I agree,”  Seb smiled.  

Kurt came around the corner and smiled when he saw Sebastian, “Are you ready, Love?”

“I am.”  He turned and waved to Lindy as they got in the elevator.  You could practically see the hearts in her eyes.

~

Once at the doctors office, Kurt sat and nervously bounced his leg.  Sebastian rubbed his back, “It’ll be okay, Babe.  Do you want me to go back with you?”

“Yes, please, Sir.”

“Okay, we can do that.  Just take nice steady breaths and try to relax.”  Sebastian knew that Kurt was having vision problems, and that he was worried it might be bad, but he had a suspicion that Kurt was so anxious because it all brought memories from the past that he didn’t really want to think about.

“Kurt Hummel?”  an assistant called as she opened the door to the hallway of exam rooms.

“Yes,”  Kurt stood.  “Is it okay if my fiance comes back with me?”

She could tell he was nervous for some reason.  She nodded, “Sure.  Come on back.”

They entered the exam room and she directed him to the chair he was to sit in.  She turned to Sebastian, “You can sit in the chair against the wall.”

“Thanks,”  Sebastian said as he sat.  

“The doctor will be in in just a few minutes.”  She left the room after giving Kurt an encouraging smile.

They sat in silence for a minute, until Kurt started to bounce his leg again.  Sebastian soothingly said, “Baby, just take deep breaths.  It’s going to be fine.”  Kurt just nodded and took some deep breaths like Sebastian had told him to.

When the doctor came in he greeted him kindly.  He looked a little confused seeing Sebastian there.  The only people who usually brought others into the exam room were either much younger than Kurt, or much older.  Kurt introduced himself, and then Sebastian.  

“Let’s get started.  What brings you in to see me today?”

“My eyes are getting tired faster lately.  I’ve been squinting a lot more too.”

“Are you squinting when you look at things up close, or in the distance?”

“A little of both, I guess.  I squint when looking at things in the distance, but my eyes get really tired when I’m working on my school projects.”

“Are they projects on the computer?”

“Some, but also a lot of sketches and sewing.  I’m a fashion design major.”

“Okay, well, let’s see what we’ve got here,”  the doctor continued to do the exam.  

When the exam was finished, he said, “I did see some damage in the left eye.  Were you in an accident?”

“No, I was assaulted.  I’ve had several black eyes in the past, but none recently,”  Kurt spoke quietly.  The doctor looked at Sebastian, so Kurt quickly added, “It was my ex.”  he figured he didn’t need to explain that it was more than one person, but also didn’t want the doctor to suspect it was Sebastian.

“I see,”  he glanced at Sebastian again.  “I have to aske, Kurt.  Do you feel safe at home?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, I do.  My ex is in jail right now.  Sebastian is here with me because he knew I was nervous.  I knew you would ask me about it, and I have PTSD, so...”

The doctor raised an eyebrow, “Okay.  It’s okay.   How long has it been since your last black eye?”

“The last one was in the Spring.”

“Okay,”  he continued to look through the machine into Kurt’s eye.  “Well, there’s damage.  Mostly scar tissue.  It’s not too extensive, but it can definitely affect your vision.  With you struggling to see things clearly, your eyes just get tired faster.  I don’t think it’s anything glasses or contacts can’t fix for you.  But if it gets worse, make an appointment right away.”

“Okay,”  Kurt seemed relieved.  

“Now, let’s figure out what your prescription is.  Can you read the last line of the letters on the wall?”  he continued with the exam.

Once they were finished, Kurt and Sebastian went to the front to look at glasses frames.  The sales clerk gave him a tray and told him to put all of the glasses that he thought he might like on it, so that he could try them on in one sitting.  They could always go back and get another tray full, if needed.  

They filled the tray, then sat side by side in front of a little table that the clerk sat on the other side of.  The clerk smiled, “I think you made some good choices for the shape of your face.  Let’s see how they look.”

Kurt picked up the first pair and put them on.  He looked at himself in the little mirror.   His vision was still a little wonky from the dilation, so it was a bit difficult.  

The clerk, a young man in his twenties, said, “Those look really nice.  What do you think?”

“I don’t know.”  He turned to Sebastian, “Bas?  What do you think?”  Sebastian was staring at him.  His mouth was slightly open, but no words were coming out.  

The clerk chuckled, “I think you made him speechless.”

Kurt looked at the clerk and winked, “Wouldn’t be the first time.”  The clerk laughed.  Kurt turned to look at Sebastian again, who hadn’t moved much from his spot, or changed his expression.  He smiled, “Bas?”

Without really moving, Sebastian said, “Those.  Get those, Baby.”

The clerk and Kurt both laughed, “It’s the first pair, Bas!  I can’t just try on one pair, and say ‘okay’.”

“Mmm.  Try on some more,”  Sebastian nodded.

Kurt took the glasses off, but chuckled when that made Sebastian whine a bit.  He mumbled, “Who knew you had a glasses kink?”  He put on the next pair.  “How about these?” he asked as he looked at his own reflection.  He turned to Sebastian and waited for a response.

Seb bit his lip and nodded, “Those too.  Maybe you should get both.”

The sales clerk laughed, “I like him.  Keep trying them on.”

“I am not buying all the glasses, Bas.  We’re going to have to pick one.”

“Two.  We’ll get you two.”

“But I want contacts, too.  I don’t need contacts, plus two pairs of glasses.”

“Sure you do,”  Sebastian said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

After trying on the entire tray, Kurt put the first pair back on.  He looked at the clerk, “I’m not even asking him anymore.  What do you think?  This pair?”

The clerk nodded, “That’s the best pair, in my opinion.”

“I just can’t believe I’d buy the first pair,”  Kurt said, looking at his reflection and turning side to side.

“It’s not that unusual, actually.  It’s the first pair you were drawn to.  An instinct.  Plus, it got the biggest reaction from your husband,” he smiled.

When the clerk referred to Sebastian as Kurt’s husband, his stomach did a little flip.  He smiled, turning to look at Sebastian.  He was sitting back in his chair, silently watching, but bounced his eyebrows suggestively.  Kurt chuckled, then turned to the clerk, “I’ll take these, and some contacts.”

He smiled, “Great.  Can I see your prescription?”  Kurt handed it to him.  “I’ll be right back with the contacts, and I’ll take these back to the lab.  It’ll be a couple of hours until they’re ready, but I can get you the contacts now.  Have you worn contacts before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Well, we can go over how to put them in and take care of them if you want.”  

“That’d be great.”  

“I’ll be right back.”  Kurt and Sebastian waited while the clerk went to the back.  He came out a few minutes later, “Unfortunately, we’re out of your prescription for the contacts.  We can order them, and have them in within a few days.  I can even have them shipped directly to you, if you’d like.”

“That’d be fine,”  Kurt answered. 

“Oh darn.  You’ll just have to wear those glasses for a few days,”  Sebastian smiled, and both the clerk and Kurt chuckled. 

“You two are adorable.  Let’s get you checked out, and you can come back when you’re ready to pick the glasses up later.”

“Perfect excuse to be able to take my husband to lunch,”  Sebastian smiled.  Kurt turned and smiled at him, as Seb put his arm around his waist.

~

Kurt and Sebastian sat across from each other at the Japanese restaurant they had been wanting to try.  Sebastian leaned forward, grabbing Kurt’s hand, “How are your eyes feeling, Babe?”

“Better.”  He smiled coyly, “Did you know you had a glasses kink?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Well, kind of?  I mean, if we’re talking models in an advertisement, I definitely am drawn toward the men who are wearing glasses.  But I’ve never seen anyone in real life who can do that to me, until now.  I don’t know how I’ll get anything done if you’re constantly wearing them.”

“Well, then maybe I can spare you, and wear contacts for the most part.”

Sebastian pouted, “No.  I promise I’ll get things done…”

Kurt laughed, “Okay, we’ll see.  We’ll give it a trial time.  But if you’re constantly jumping me, then contacts it is.”

Sebastian bit his lip, then let it slide out from between his teeth as he nodded, “Okay.”

Kurt watched, mesmerized.  He stared at Sebastian’s newly wet lip, “Okay.”  Looking at that lip made him second guess the contacts.

~

A couple of hours later, they were back at the eye doctor, picking up the glasses.  The clerk  had them sit at the same table, so he could have Kurt try the glasses on again and make any adjustments needed.  Sebastian grinned the entire time.  

“There.  How do they feel?”  the clerk asked.

“Good,”  Kurt looked around the store from his seat. 

“Are you happy with the way they look?”

Kurt smirked and looked at the clerk without looking at Sebastian, “Is he still grinning like a loon?”

The clerk smiled, looked at Seb, then looked back at Kurt, “More than ever.”

Kurt chuckled, “Then I think they look great.”

Sebastian stood, “Can we go home now?”  He was very anxious.

The clerk laughed, “You’re all set.  You two have a fantastic day!”

…………………

On the 29th, Nick and Jeff were scheduled to arrive in New York.  They were flying in from Ohio, since they had just been back to be with family for Christmas.  Kurt was almost finished fixing  dinner when he heard the buzzer.  

“Yes, George?”

“Mr. Duvall and Mr. Sterling are here to see you, Mr. Hummel.”

“Thanks, George.  Send them up.”

As soon as they entered from the elevator, Kurt heard Jeff, “Woah!  Holy Christmas, Batman!”

“Go big, or go home, Jeffie!”  Kurt smiled as he approached them.

Nick smiled and went in for a hug while Jeff was still staring at the tree, “Good to see you, Kurt.”

“You too, Nicky,” he kissed him on the cheek.  Kurt pulled away and cleared his throat looking at Jeff with a raised brow.

Jeff pulled his eyes away from the tree, looked at Kurt, and his eyes widened even more, “Kurtsie!  You look so good in glasses!”  He opened his arms for a hug.

Kurt chuckled as he went into the embrace, “Thanks.  Like the tree, I take it?”

“The whole place looks great, Kurtsie.  Like, magazine great.”

“It really does,”  Nick agreed.

“Thanks!”  Kurt beamed.  “And I just learned that the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas Day, so we don’t have to take it down yet.  That made me happy.  Come on in.  You can leave your bags at the bottom of the steps for now.”

Nick and Jeff followed Kurt into the kitchen, and sat at the counter while Kurt finished what he had been doing before they arrived.  “Where’s Seb?”  Nick asked.

“He’s still at the hospital.  We both had shifts still over break, but his weren’t consistent hours.  Mine were basically moved to mornings, but his seems to be more covering here and there if someone was out for the holiday.  He can’t ‘do’ anyone’s job, but he can help with different tasks.”

“That makes sense,”  Nick said.  “How was your Christmas?”

“Great!  Perfect, really.  Our families came for the better part of a week.  We had lots of fun, and Puck and Sugar even brought Cindy and Vinny over on Christmas Eve.  We made everyone wear matching onesies,”  Kurt chuckled.

“I hope you have pictures of that!”

“Oh, we do.  Our friends Eileen and Charlie, and then Elliott and Chris, all came over Christmas day.  The four of them really hit it off, like I hoped they would.”

Jeff smiled, “Not only do you fix up couples, but you fix up pseudo parents/grandparents and their pseudo children?”

Kurt chuckled, “I guess I do.  I don’t know.  I just knew they’d hit it off, and I knew they all kind of need each other, ya know?”  Nick and Jeff nodded, and Kurt continued, “Charlie and his family used to own a hardware store.  Turns out, Elliott and his dad used to go to it when he was younger.  He grew up in the same town, Hackensack, New Jersey.”

“Wow.  Small world.  So he and Chris are doing well, right?”  Nick asked.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  They’re really great together.  They just seem to be comfortable and relaxed with each other, but excited at the same time.  You know what I mean.  They’ll be meeting us tomorrow for New Years Eve, too.  So how was your Christmas in Ohio?”

“It was fine.  I wish our families spent it together, like the Hummels and the Smythes.  It’s so hard to go back and forth, and try to figure out a schedule.  We could have gone our separate ways, but you know Nicky and I don’t like to be apart.”  Kurt smiled and nodded.  “It’s just harder with an extended family that lives so close.” 

“I’m sure that complicates things a lot,”  Kurt agreed.  

~

Sebastian came home just in time for dinner.  The first thing he did was greet Nick and Jeff with hugs and hellos, then went straight to Kurt, pushed him up against the counter, and kissed him passionately.  

“Damn,”  Nick laughed.  “What’s gotten into you?”  Nick turned to Jeff and silently mouthed, “Glasses.”  Jeff winked at him and gave a little agreeing nod.

When Seb pulled away from Kurt, he kept his eyes on him and grinned, “The glasses.  God, I love the glasses.”

Jeff laughed, “I remember that.”

Kurt frowned and smiled at the same time, “You knew?  How come I’m the last to find out?  And how did you know?”

“It’s all Trent’s fault, actually,”  Nick answered.  “Before you came back to Dalton, Trent had brought a bunch of magazines into the dorm commons that his parents had mailed him.  He needed them for some collage thing he was doing in art.  Well, instead of working on the project, he started holding up two pictures of female models at a time, and asked which one the guys thought was hotter.  They turned it into a game.”

“But then I felt left out,”  Jeff smiled, “So I complained that they weren’t showing any male models.”  Kurt chuckled.

“So Trent started showing Jeff, Seb, and I two male models at a time, and Seb always chose the model with glasses, if it was an option.”

“I didn’t even pay attention to that, and you noticed?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yep,”  Jeff smiled again, “We talked about you that night.”

He frowned, “About what?”

Nick chuckled, “About how if Kurt ever wore glasses, you’d be all over him.  You two are bad enough as it is.”  They all laughed.

“Hey, we can’t help it.  And you should have seen him when I tried them on for the first time.  The sales clerk was highly entertained.”

~

After dinner, they sat around the living room drinking some wine, discussing school, friends, and what they had done on break so far.  

Jeff was in the middle of saying something when Kurt silently slid down and knelt at Sebastian’s feet, just to his right.  When Jeff saw the action, his words stuttered a little.  Nick put a knowing hand on Jeff’s knee, and gave him a little squeeze.

Sebastian was running his fingers through Kurt’s hair on the side and back.  He noticed the hiccup in Jeff’s words and expression, as well as Nick’s grounding hand on Jeff.  He wondered if the look Kurt had seen him give when he was shirtless was something that was more than a passing thought.  Testing his hypothesis, he ran his hand around so it was slightly in the front of Kurt’s neck, and pressed on his collar.  He knew the reaction it would cause from Kurt.  Kurt’s breath would hitch slightly before he’d sigh, he’d close his eyes for a brief moment, and would relax his shoulders a bit more. 

He was right about Kurt’s reaction, but also about Jeff’s.  Jeff had stopped talking for that brief moment, and just stared.  He caught himself, and then continued, but you could tell he was flustered.

Not knowing about Sebastian’s little test, Kurt frowned a little, “Are you okay, Jeff?”  Sebastian continued to watch closely.

Jeff nodded quickly, “Mhmm.”

Nick looked at him with a fond smile and rubbed his arm.  Jeff looked back at him just to ground himself before he got too worked up.  Nick smiled, pulled Jeff closer, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.  As he did, he whispered, “Patience.”  

What Kurt and Sebastian didn’t know was that Nick had gotten a collar for Jeff as part of his Christmas gift.  He hadn’t thought he wanted to wear it out in public, but the one Nick had gotten was a really nice one, like the one Kurt wore out, and that changed his mind.  After Nick gave him permission, he had worn it all day.  He was looking forward to some alone time with Nick ever since he stepped out the door wearing it. He loved the feeling of belonging to Nick, and that alone, had him turned on.  Adding his voyeur kink into the mix, and the subtle things Kurt was doing, made it a little more difficult to wait for his alone time with his boyfriend.  Adding on his new “extra” feelings for Kurt and Sebastian and his bdsm questions, and things became complicated, to say the least.

After watching for a minute, Sebastian asked Kurt to get them more wine.  While he was over in the kitchen, Seb quietly asked, “Are you two okay?”

Jeff just nodded, but Nick winked, “We’re good.”

Kurt came back and refilled everyone’s wine glasses, and instead of returning the bottle, he sat it on the large coffee table. He went back to kneeling next to Sebastian. 

Jeff continued to look at them...differently… than he normally does.  He almost seemed ashamed.  He looked at Nick, who was currently talking to Sebastian about something to do with wine.  He looked at Kurt, but when Kurt looked back at him, he quickly looked away.  

Kurt frowned, “Jeffie?”  Sebastian immediately looked at Jeff.  Kurt asked, “What’s the matter?  Please don’t say ‘nothing’.”

Jeff looked at Nick as if asking for help.  Nick ran his hand through Jeff’s hair, then rested it on the back of his neck on his collar.  He spoke softly, “We talked about this, Hun.  If there’s any place you can go and speak freely, it’s here, with them.  They love you.”

“We do, Jeff.  Very much.  What’s the matter?”  Sebastian asked.

“We...we’ve been experimenting more.”  He looked at Nick, who nodded.  He continued, “You know how I like to watch.  Well, I don’t want to seem creepy.  I was watching Kurt submit to you.”  Jeff seemed shy, totally unlike him.  

Sebastian nodded slowly, then said, “Well, he’s not fully submitting to me now. You know you don’t need to be shy about anything. You can ask us anything.  And if you were doing something that bothered us, we would tell you.”

Jeff was frowning a little, “I don’t understand how he’s not submitting to you right now.”

Sebastian answered, “He is to a degree . The way he is kneeling now is more of a form of comfort for both of us.  He’s asking for, and giving, comfort.  Nothing more.  When he’s kneeling to submit, it looks completely different.”

“Sir?”  Kurt was addressing Sebastian, but was looking at Jeff.

“Yes, Baby?”  Seb continued to run his fingers through his hair.

“Can we show him the difference?”

“Yes, Baby.”

Kurt turned and positioned himself so that he was directly in front of his Sir, between his legs, head bowed, and hands behind his back, and as close as the couch would allow.  Sebastian leaned forward and put his fingers into Kurt’s hair on the back of his head, nearly cradling it to his chest because of the closeness. His other hand ran down Kurt’s back at his spine, “Good boy, Baby.”

“Fuck,”  Nick muttered.  Jeff was a bit wide eyed and staring at them again.  

“This is the difference, Jeff.  This is used as an offering, or submitting when asked. The other was for comfort and comfort alone. His head wasn’t bowed, his hands weren’t behind his back, and he wasn’t facing me.” Sebastian looked at him kindly, making sure Jeff felt comfortable, and not like he was being belittled, or made fun of.

Jeff just nodded.  

They stayed like that for a minute.  Sebastian’s hand in Kurt’s hair was almost massaging, while the other was spread wide and rubbing up and down Kurt’s spine.  You could see the love and passion in just this simple act.  It was breathtaking.  

“I have a confession,”  Jeff said.  He looked at Nick, who nodded encouragingly.  

“Okay,”  Sebastian said.  He looked down at Kurt, “Come sit next to me, Baby.”  He kissed him on top of the head quickly.

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt whispered. 

Once Kurt was sitting, Jeff said, “Um.  You know I love you both.  So much.  And I don’t want this to change our relationship.  I don’t want you to not want to cuddle with me, or hug me, or dance closely with me.”  Kurt nodded as Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt, rubbing his arm absentmindedly.  Jeff continued, “I’ve always thought you are both gorgeous.  Nicky does too,” he looked to Nick, who nodded in agreement.  “But ever since I saw you shirtless on your birthday… then Seb, when you dropped your towel... my thoughts, or imagination… have gotten the better of me.”  He was blushing, and becoming even more anxious, so he continued the next part quite quickly, “And Nicky got me a collar for Christmas, and then I thought about you more because of that, and now I feel like...I don’t even know.  And I want to do more with Nicky, but we’re so new to this.  So far we haven’t had an actual object come into play, and I just…”  He knew  he was rambling, and to calm him, Nick put his hand on his collar that was hidden below his shirt.

“Are you wearing your collar now?”  Kurt asked.

“He is,” Nick answered for him, seeing that Jeff was trying to control his emotions. “It’s his first time wearing it, and he likes it so far.”  Jeff nodded.  “Part of what he is trying to say is that we’ve been giving the whole D/s thing a try for a while now, but this is the first physical item we’ve had that has come into our roles.  He likes it so much that we’d like to try more.  We don’t know what you two do, or have, but since we know you bought things in Paris, we might have some questions.”

“You guys can ask us anything, any time.  You know that,”  Sebastian said, and Kurt agreed.  

“I know.  And we appreciate that.  But Jeff has been a bit flustered since Kurt’s birthday, and that combined with the new collar, combined with questions...We just don’t want to cross a line that we shouldn’t.”

“I think the lines are a bit blurry for all of us,”  Kurt said, then looked to Sebastian.

Seb nodded, “One of the key things about a D/s relationship is communication.  Any relationship is like that.  Every couple should be able to openly talk about their thoughts and feelings, including those that revolve around the bedroom.  But I think it’s a little more involved when it comes to D/s, just given the nature of the dynamics.  We discuss our sex life frequently.  We always discuss things before and after we try something new.  But we also sit down and have periodic discussions about all of it.  And in those discussions, we make sure that neither of us feels that their needs aren’t being fulfilled.  That can include fantasies, kinks...whatever.  In our most recent discussion, we discovered that something changed on our trip to Boston.”

“Oh god, I didn’t mess things up for you, did I?  I’m so sorry!”  Jeff was starting to get really worried, afraid that his kink caused an issue with his friends.  He downed the rest of his wine.

“No!  No, Jeff.  You didn’t.  I promise,”  Kurt rushed to say.

“That’s not what I meant, Jeff.  I just meant that there was a shift.”  He looked at Kurt, “I think it would be best if you explained it, Babe.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay.  Well, we’re used to you being a voyeur.  We’ve always lovingly teased you about it, and we’ve never had a problem with it.  We still don’t.  But there was something different in the way you looked at me when I answered the door shirtless.  You’ve seen me shirtless dozens of times.  But something was different this time.  And…”  he cleared his throat as a small blush grew on his cheeks, “I liked it.  That was the shift.”

Jeff was also blushing a little, and he looked down at his lap, unsure of what to say.

Nick asked, “What was different this time?”

Sebastian said, “We talked about that.  We’ve come to the conclusion that it was a combination of things.  He’s no longer shy about his body.  He’s toned his muscles even more since the beginning of Senior year.  He’s proud of his body now.  There’s been plenty of people who have looked at him lustfully. As you know, he doesn’t typically even notice it.  But since he’s so connected and in tuned to you, he definitely noticed.  He says there was a look in your eyes that he’d never seen from you.”

“And you liked that, Kurt?  That Jeff looked at you that way?”  Nick asked.

Kurt nodded, “I did.  It turned me on, knowing that someone seemed to want me, but couldn’t have me.  Bas is right, I don’t typically notice these things.  Partly because it was ingrained in me that I was always going be the only gay person around, so the thought that there are other people looking at me with desire, just doesn’t cross my mind.  And partly because Bas is the only one for me.  I love him unconditionally, and I would never cheat.  But with you two...I love and trust you both so much.  You guys, as well as Puck and Sugar...We’re so close, that it’s just...different.  I don’t mind you seeing me like that, or seeing Bas like that.  And it’s the same with Puck and Sugar.  That’s why I can snuggle with you, or sit on Puck’s lap, or help Sugar find a bra that fits,” they chuckled. “But also it’s different with you because you’re gay.  Puck has told me my ass looks good in my black skinny jeans, but it’s just different.  I don’t know how to explain this, and I feel like I’m rambling…”  

Nick nodded in understanding of how it was difficult to explain their feelings, “We don’t want to do, or say, anything that will change our relationship with you guys.  We love you both so much, and we cherish our friendship.  Do you want to just forget this whole conversation?  You two seem kind of flustered, and I don’t want this to cause any issues.”  He looked between Jeff and Kurt.

Jeff had tears in his eyes as he looked up at Kurt.  Kurt frowned and shook his head and went to Jeff, “Hey.  Hey, Jeffie, please don’t be upset.”  He held out his arms, and Jeff practically melted into him, letting some tears fall as he did.  

“I don’t think we should forget about this conversation.  I think we need to work through it, or it will always be something we feel like is hiding in the shadows, and always in the back of our minds.”  Sebastian watched Jeff, and it broke his heart that his friend was so conflicted and upset.  “Jeff, you could tell us anything, and we’re still going to love you.”

“You aren’t mad?”  Jeff asked.

Sebastian shook his head, “Not at all.”

“Did you not understand what I was saying?”  Kurt asked, looking at Jeff.  “I said I liked it.”

Jeff frowned a bit, “You like that I think you’re hot?”

Kurt chuckled a little, “You’ve always told me I’m hot.  Even when we first met.  And you’ve been persistent about it ever since. You got me through a lot of self-doubt and self-hate when I was with Blaine.  This is nothing new.  What’s new, is the look that turned into something more than just appreciation of my looks.”

Jeff pulled away from Kurt, and leaned against Nick, who wrapped his arms around him. Kurt let go willingly, but put a hand on Jeff’s knee.  Sebastian went and sat next to Kurt, pulling him back into his chest, mirroring Nick and Jeff on the other end of the couch.

“So,”  Sebastian began.  “We’ve determined that Jeff likes to watch, and he’s attracted to Kurt.  Is that correct?”  Jeff and Nick nodded, but Jeff looked down.  Sebastian continued, “None of that, Jeff.  Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed.”  Jeff nodded and tried to look up.  “We’ve also determined that Kurt likes the feeling of someone looking at him that way, but that he likes the feeling of being unattainable as well.”  Kurt nodded in agreement.  Seb looked at Nick, “What do you feel about all of this, Nick?”

Nick took a deep breath, thinking about what he wanted to say, “First of all, when Jeff told me, I wasn’t that surprised.  We’ve talked about how we both think you two are hot as hell, but it’s always been in passing, or a fleeting comment. Second, I don’t have an issue with any of Jeff’s kinks.  I find them fun most of the time, and have even found myself drawn to some, including the voyeurism.  My only issue is what are we going to do about it?  Jeff has always been, and always will be, my number one concern.  I don’t want him feeling uncomfortable around you guys.  We were planning on ignoring it, but as soon as Kurt went to his knees, that plan was out the window.  And we are not asking you to change or act differently around us.  That would hurt us to know you were holding back from being yourselves.”

“So if Kurt were to strip down naked right now, you’d be okay with Jeff watching, and being turned on by it?”  Sebastian squeezed Kurt a little. To Nick and Jeff’s surprise, Kurt just smirked a little.

Nick raised his eyebrows, “Not only would I be okay with it, but I’d be turned on too.”  

Sebastian smiled a little, “Then that would make three of us.” 

Nick returned the smile, then asked, “How do you feel about all of this?  I know you are very protective and possessive of him.  I’m surprised this isn’t bothering you.”

Sebastian shrugged a little, “Well, when Kurt first told me, I was really just nervous that he wanted to sleep with one, or both, of you.  We had been talking about how he’s only ever been with me, and I wanted to make sure he didn’t have any regrets about that before we got married.  But when we figured out that it was that he liked being admired but unavailable, I totally got it, and I’m fine with it.  I think it’s pretty hot.  And I am possessive, so I would never want anyone, even you two, to touch him sexually.  He’s mine.  I wouldn’t be okay with any of this if it was anyone but you two. I trust both of you to never cross that line.  And I think Kurt does too.”

“I do,”  Kurt nodded.  “Do you feel better, Jeffie?”

Jeff nodded, “Yeah.”  Nick kissed the back of his neck, and it sent a visible shiver down him.  Kurt and Sebastian smirked.

“Why don’t you guys take your stuff upstairs, change, and we can come back down and watch a movie,”  Sebastian said.

“I think that’s a great idea,”  Nick answered.  He patted Jeff on the hip and they went upstairs.

~

Once they were upstairs and getting ready for an evening of pj’s and movies, Sebastian asked Kurt,  “Are you okay, Baby?”

“Yeah.  I just don’t want Jeff to be uncomfortable.  Nick seems fine with it, but Jeff still seems unsure.”

“I agree.”  He paused, then asked, “How far would you be willing to let this go?  You know, his kink and your kink pretty much go together.”  Sebastian approached Kurt and put his hand on his cheek, stroking his thumb across Kurt’s soft skin.

Kurt shrugged a little and spoke softly, “As far as you would let it.”

Sebastian frowned, “That’s not really the answer I was looking for, Babe.”

Kurt looked at him, “I love them, Bas.  But I'm in love with you.  You are my Sir.  It’s up to you how far this would go.” 

Still frowning, Sebastian shook his head, “My question was about you.  I want to know what you want.  You know your opinion matters to me.  I would never do something you didn’t want to do.”

“I know.  I’m sorry, Sir. I didn't mean it that way.”

“It’s okay.  Now tell me how far, Kurt.”

“I...I think if we were all comfortable… I’d be okay with them watching all of it.  I think it would be really hot, actually.”

“They might even learn a thing or two about what it is we do, too,”  Sebastian leaned in and kissed him.  “They said they had questions.”  He kissed Kurt again, then said, “It all needs to play out naturally.  Nothing set up.  No forcing anything. Now that we know how everyone feels, that will be what’s best.”

“I agree.”

~

Back downstairs, Kurt and Sebastian laid cuddled together on one couch, and Nick and Jeff on the other.   About halfway through the movie, one of the characters called someone “Sir”, and that got Kurt thinking.  He frowned, and then looked over to Nick and Jeff.

“Jeff?”

“Hmm?”  Jeff looked over at Kurt.

“What do you call Nick?  I mean, like I call Bas ‘Sir’, but what do you call Nicky?”

Nick chuckled, and Jeff smirked with a twinkle in his eye, “Daddy.”

Kurt smiled, then bit his lip when Sebastian’s grip tightened slightly.  Sebastian kissed his neck, and Jeff’s smile widened as he watched.

Chapter Text

New Year’s Eve morning was nice and relaxing.  They hung around at home, and had a nice time just enjoying the company of their friends. To everyone’s delight, there were no awkward moments, or uncomfortable situations revolving around the conversations from the night before. 

After lunch, Kurt and Jeff were snuggling on the couch while Sebastian and Nick sat at the kitchen counter looking at places in Italy on Seb’s tablet.  

Kurt’s phone rang, and after looking to see who it was, he answered. “Hey, Noah.  What’s up?”

“Hey Princess.  Did you see what they’re saying about the weather tonight?”

Kurt frowned, “No, I haven’t paid attention.  What are they saying?”

“The cold front from up North, shifted.  It’s going to be so cold, the hookers will be charging $20 to blow on your hands, instead of your dick.  Plus there’s a snow storm coming.”

Kurt laughed, “Oh my god, I love you, Noah.”  Once he could control his giggles, he asked, “What do you want to do?  Here, let me put you on speaker.”  He looked at Sebastian, “Bas, Noah’s on the phone.  Can you guys come over here?  I don’t want to stop cuddling with Jeffie.”

Jeff snickered when Puck said, “Hey!  Don't give away all my snuggles.  Save some for me.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head, “I always have enough for you, Noah.  Bas and Nick are here now.”

“What’s up, Puck?”  Sebastian asked.  

“I was asking if you guys had seen the weather prediction.  It’s supposed to be super cold, and there’s a snow storm coming.  I’m not so sure going to Times Square is a good idea.  I don’t think any of us can afford to get sick right now.  If you guys go, I think we’re going to bail.  We need to be up early in the morning for the bakery anyway.”

Nick made a face, “That doesn't exactly sound fun.  Do you think there’s anything inside we could do?  A club or something?”

Sebastian shook his head, “On a normal night, yeah.  But not on New Year’s Eve.  Not unless we went super early, and left early too, before it became too crazy.  New York is in high party mode on New Year’s.”

Puck added, “And I don’t think that would be up Sugar, Princess, or Jenna’s alley.  The crowds get wild.”

“Why don’t you all just come here?  That way, we can stay up and not bother you, like it would do if we went to your place.  Then you guys could leave early if you need to, and everyone can stay if the weather gets too bad,”  Kurt offered.

“That’s fine with me, Princess.  Sug, too, I’m sure.  Think everyone else will be up for it?”

“If they aren’t, they can just go out like planned, just without us,”  Jeff answered.  

“Okay, we’ll make some phone calls and you guys can be here for dinner.  Maybe around six?”

“Sounds good, Princess.  See you guys then.”

After everyone said goodbye, Kurt hung up and called Chris and Jenna, letting them know of the change of plans.  They could tell their boyfriends from there, and make a decision, then text Kurt their answer.  

Sebastian asked, “What was Puck saying that was so funny?”

Kurt smiled wide, “He said it’s supposed to be so cold that hookers will be charging $20 to blow on your hands instead of your dick.”  They all cracked up.

~  

Jeff was leaning against Kurt’s chest as they watched a movie.  Nick and Sebastian were still looking into places in Italy that might be good for the honeymoon.  

Jeff turned slightly, “Kurtsie?”

“Yeah?”  Kurt looked down at Jeff and brushed the hair off his forehead.

“Can we talk about your toys?  Like, what you guys use?”

Kurt made a face, “Sure.  But what brought that up?”

“I kind of haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“Okay,”  Kurt paused a beat. “If it’s okay with Bas, we can go upstairs and look, and I can talk you through some of them.  We’ve really been expanding our horizons, so to speak.  We aren’t vanilla anymore.”

“Would you mind?  I looked at things online, but it’s all so intimidating.  Everything is kind of put out there with non-beginners in mind.”

“I totally understand.  Let’s go make sure it’s okay.  I’m sure it will be, but it is personal, so I want to double check.”  They got up and went to the kitchen.

As they approached, Sebastian looked up, “Hey, Babe.  Look at this place in Tuscany.  Nick said his parents stayed there and loved it.”  He showed Kurt the pictures he had pulled up on the tablet.

“Wow.  That’s gorgeous,”  Kurt said.  He looked through the pictures, “Add that to the list for our agent.” He turned to Sebastian again, “Sir… Do you mind if Jeff and I go upstairs to the bedroom and look at our toys and equipment?  He has some questions.”

Sebastian put the tablet down, “Of course not, Baby.  I think it would be good if we all went, actually, so they could see things from both the Dom and sub side, ya know?  Would that be okay with you, Jeff?”

“Yeah.  I think that’s a good idea.  Nicky?”

“Sounds good.  I think this will make you feel a lot better, Hun.”  He stood up, “Let’s go.”

Nick and Jeff sat in the middle of Kurt and Sebastian’s bed, side by side, and leaning on each other a bit.  Kurt and Sebastian both brought out a box, and set them on the bed.

“Those are pretty big boxes,”  Jeff said with wide eyes.

Sebastian chuckled a little, “They aren’t that big!  We’ve accumulated quite a bit of things over the last six months.”

“And this isn’t any of our lotions or lubes.  We know you two are well versed in those.”

Nick nodded, “Of course.”

Kurt and Sebastian had climbed into the bed.  Kurt sat with his legs crossed, and Sebastian laid behind him, horizontally, practically curled around him, propping himself up on one elbow. 

Kurt took the lid off of one box, “These are mostly just the smaller items.”

Jeff pointed, “You have cock rings?  Do you like them?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah.  We don’t always wear them, but sometimes it’s especially nice when we know we’re going to try something new.  That way it’s not over before we’ve barely begun.  Sometimes, I just have Kurt wear one.”  He smirked when he saw the sparkle in Jeff’s eyes.  

“You know, his imagination is going wild, and we’ve only just begun,”  Nick said before leaning over and kissing Jeff on the cheek.

“It’s one of the things I love about you, Jeffie,”  Kurt smiled.  Jeff just winked at him.

“Do you like your plug?  Do you both use one?” Nick asked.

“Only I do so far, but I like it,”  Kurt answered.  

“I just got him this one,”  Sebastian said, holding one up. He bounced his eyebrows,  “It vibrates and has a remote control.”

Jeff's eyes shined, and they got a little bigger. 

Kurt giggled, “I’m looking forward to that, Love.”

Sebastian squeezed him around the waist, “Mmm.  Maybe tonight, Baby.”  

The other things in the box with smaller items were things that they didn’t really need to talk about or question: blindfolds, beads, a vibrator and a dildo or two.  It was the larger box that held more “interesting” things.  Things that they had mostly started using in recent months that took their bdsm lifestyle from vanilla, to more... flavorful.  

Kurt put the smaller box aside, and pulled the larger, flatter, one in front of him.  He paused, then said, “Okay, feel free to ask us whatever you want.”  He removed the lid to reveal his leather collar, a whip/flogger, ball gag, leather cuffs for wrists and ankles, clothes pins, ropes, ropes with carabiners attached at different segments, and a spreader.

“Holy shit,”  Jeff breathed.  

Kurt watched Nick as he looked from him, then back down to the whip/flogger, “Kurt…”

“I like it, Nicky.  A lot.  Touch it.  It’s soft and supple suede.  Sir can use it gently, or harder.  Harder gives it a little bite, but it’s the good kind of pain.  There are other kinds you can buy that aren’t softer like this.”  He looked at Jeff, “Don’t let your imagination get too carried away.”

Jeff frowned a bit, “So, how badly does it hurt?”

“It’s a good hurt.  It’s like spanking, but different.   It’s not like he tortures me with it.  And it makes the most amazing sound when it comes in contact with my skin.”

Sebastian added, “And it makes the prettiest pink marks on his pale skin, too.”  He rubbed Kurt’s back with his free hand.  He added, “I wouldn’t do it if it hurt him too badly, or if he didn’t like it.”

“I know you wouldn’t, Seb.  It’s just surprising,” Jeff nodded.

“Touch it,”  Kurt encouraged. 

Nick and Jeff both ran a piece of the suede through their fingers.  Jeff nodded, “It is soft.  I just wonder how much it hurts.”

Kurt answered, “When he does it harder, just imagine the intensity of a nice firm spank.  It’s different than that, but that’s the closest I can think of to compare it to.  There are other kinds that are stiffer leather, plastic, or even have spikes and things.  We’re not into causing too much pain, or leaving permanent marks.  This is a nice in between.”

“How do you use these hooks?”  Nick asked as he played with a carabiner that was attached midway down a rope.  

Sebastian smiled, “Mmm, this is one of my favorite things in the box.  See those glass orbs with air plants in them over there?” 

Jeff and Nick looked over at the wall between the bathroom door and the chair and ottoman.  They nodded, and Jeff said, “Those are new, right?”

Sebastian nodded, “Fairly new, yes.  But see the eye hooks they’re hanging from?  Kurt used fishing wire to hang the glass.  Do you think we need those heavy duty hooks for something that weighs less than a pound each?” 

They looked over at them.  You could see the wheels turning.  Nick raised an eyebrow and smirked, “You tie him up there?”

Sebastian nodded, “It’s fucking fantastic.  The carabiners are different lengths on the rope for different positions.  If I want him away from the wall, but still restrained, I use hooks on the ends.  If I want him against the wall, but restrained, I use the ones further down.  There are five eye hooks, so we play around with different positions.”

Kurt was biting his lip, trying to control his body.  Just thinking about what his Sir was saying was making him want to demonstrate.  Nick was looking at the ropes and the cuffs that they attached to, deep in thought, and Jeff had to shake himself out of his growing fantasy.  

Jeff cleared his throat and nodded toward the spreader, “I never really understood the purpose of a spreader.”

“It’s just another form of restraint,”  Kurt said, shrugging his shoulder.

“If nothing else, it can become a nice handle,”  Sebastian winked, and they all laughed.

Nick was still looking at the ropes.  Sebastian asked, “Do you have any more questions?”

Nick leaned back on his hands, “We switch.  But when it comes to D/s, we don’t.  Do you ever bottom as Dom?  How does that work?  I know it shouldn’t, but it doesn’t feel as though I have as much control when I bottom.”

“We switch too, but never our D/s roles.  And we’ll both be the first to admit that I don’t bottom very often.  A lot of times, we just make love like anyone else.  It isn’t always all of this,” Sebastian gestured to the boxes.  “But we’ve had some fun with me bottoming while we use some of it.  My favorite has been tying him to the bed and riding him.”

Kurt turned toward Sebastian more and started running his fingers through his hair, smiling at him softly.  He looked back at Jeff and Nick, “Sometimes you just have to try things.  I wanted to be restrained while we were still at Dalton, but Bas was hesitant, for obvious reasons.  But now, we enjoy it so much that we’ve been getting pretty creative with it.  You aren’t going to find heavy ropes or chains hanging from the ceiling next time you visit, but it just goes to show that you can learn and grow through experimenting.  I can’t imagine not, at this point.”

Sebastian thought for a minute, then said, “So… I know we’re obviously really open with each other, and I love that you guys were comfortable enough to ask us about this.  I also know that you’ve both said you were doing research about D/s before you even started.  I just want to make sure that you know it’s about a lot more than these whips and ropes.”  He continued to rub Kurt’s back. 

Nick and Jeff both nodded, and Nick answered, “We do.  We did a lot of research.  We know about the roles, headspace, and aftercare.  All of it.”

“Good,” Sebastian was relieved.

“Have you found your headspace yet?  I know it’s not easy to get to most of the time.”  Kurt looked at Jeff.

He shook his head, “No, not yet.  I’m hoping if we expand on what we are doing, I’ll get there.  I’m assuming you have?”

Kurt nodded, “Not every time, but yes.  Sometimes I don’t even try, I just enjoy.”

“What’s it like?”  Nick asked.

“Like floating,” Kurt said. “Like love.  Knowing that I don’t need to do anything or worry about anything...That Sir has me taken care of 100%...It’s amazing.  And I always feel that way with him, but when you slip into your headspace, it’s like, hmm, probably similar to being high?”

“I always make sure that if he does reach his headspace, he’s given extra aftercare.  And aftercare can happen days after, if needed.  Continual, or not.  A couple of days later, even after regular aftercare, he may need something extra.”

~

The talk about the toys and equipment had been really good, and Jeff and Nick both left the bedroom feeling like they were comfortable and more ready than ever to start adding things to their own collection.  

Soon enough, it was time for their friends to start arriving.  The plan was for Puck, Sugar, Chris, Elliott, Hayden, and Jenna to come over for dinner, then hang out at home playing games and keeping each other company.  Everyone had agreed that they weren't looking forward to fighting the crowds, but mostly they weren't looking forward to the bitter cold.  When they all arrived, hugs were given all around.  They were all grateful to be together, and especially happy that Nick and Jeff were able to come into town to celebrate. 

Puck and Sugar had arrived, all bundled up.  Puck called for Kurt’s attention, then took off his hat.

Kurt’s eyes widened and mouth fell open, “Oh my god!!!  Noah!!  You shaved off your mohawk?!”

Puck shrugged like it was no big deal, “New year, new me.”

Kurt hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, “I love it.  You look as handsome as ever.”

Puck kissed his cheek back, “Thanks, Princess.”

After everyone complimented Puck, they sat around the dinner table, Sebastian raised his wine glass, “To friends so close that you consider them family.  We love you all, and we’re so happy you’re here with us tonight to celebrate New Year’s.”  

“Here, here!” was cheered around the table, and they all lifted their glasses to the toast.  

“While we are on the subject of friends so close that they are family,”  Kurt smiled, “Bas and I were hoping you all could do something for us.”  Everyone looked at them expectantly, and Kurt and Sebastian looked at each other and smiled.  Kurt looked back to the group, “We were hoping that all of you would be willing to be part of our wedding party?!”

Everyone smiled, cheered, and clapped...Happily saying “YES”! 

They all laughed when Jeff said, “I’ve always dreamed of being a flower girl!”

“I was thinking more...Groomsman, Jeffie,”  Kurt smiled.

Jeff shrugged, “That works too.”

Sugar bounced, “I’m so excited!  Do we get to go dress shopping for Jenna and I?  I’m assuming Leah, too?!”  Jenna looked to Kurt for an answer.  She was so excited about this too.

Kurt nodded excitedly, “Absolutely.  I was thinking we could have Finn, Sam, and Leah come here one weekend and we could shop for dresses and suits.”

Sebastian nodded, “And we’ll be taking care of all of the expenses.  The suits, the flights, the meals.  Whatever is involved.  We just want you guys to be a part of our special day.  We don’t want this to be a burden on your budgets.”

“I’m just happy to have a family.  And friends that are close enough to be invited to their wedding, much less be in the wedding.  I’m honored.  Really,”  Elliott smiled.

Puck smiled, fully understanding where Elliott was coming from, since he had been there himself, “You’ll get used to the feeling, Elliott.  And if you’re like me, you’ll never take it for granted.”  Elliott smiled and nodded.

Sebastian winked at Elliott, then turned his attention to everyone, “Kurt and I both put in our requests for time off far enough in advance that we've already been approved to have the full week of Spring Break off.  We would love you all to join us.  We’re going to spend the week at our beach house in OBX.”

“Seriously?”  Hayden asked.

“Seriously,”  Sebastian chuckled. 

Kurt continued, “We’ll need a couple of cars, probably.  We’ll take my Navigator, which can seat 8.  We could always rent something if we need to.  It’s 8 or 9 hours from here.  We can turn it into a fun adventure.”

Everyone was getting really excited about it.  The rest of dinner revolved around questions and discussions about the Wedding and Spring Break.  Kurt and Sebastian both loved watching the excitement this brought their friends.

As they were cleaning up dinner, Sebastian leaned over to Kurt, “Look, Babe.  It’s snowing!” .

~

After dinner, everyone was sitting around the living room playing a game that Puck had found online.  It was a mixture of things like Cards Against Humanity, Truth Or Dare, and Wheel of Fortune.  Sebastian hooked up his tablet to sync with the tv, so they could all see the screen. They took turns “spinning the wheel”, by tapping the “play” button on the screen.  The wheel chose a category and then dealt you a virtual card with a question or task that you had to answer or perform.

Everyone was having a great time.  The questions and tasks were often risque, but always funny in their opinion.  

Puck spun the wheel, and his task made everyone crack up:  If possible (available), kiss a member of the same sex.

Normally, someone would give them a peck on the lips or cheek.  Everyone knew Puck was not going for that kind of kiss.

Jeff squealed and clapped, “A dream come true!!”  

Puck chuckled and raised one eyebrow, “A dream to watch, or a dream to do the kissing?”

Jeff nodded, “Yes.”  He was good with both.

Kurt, along with everyone else, was watching wide-eyed with anticipation, wondering who Puck was going to pick, and what he was going to do.

Puck looked at Sugar.  She seemed just as excited as Jeff and she nodded the ‘go ahead’.  He chuckled and looked around, “Well, we all know my best friend would kill me if I kissed my other best friend….”

Kurt chuckled as Sebastian pulled him into his lap and muttered, “Damn right I would.”  He kissed Kurt on the shoulder.  Kurt loved when he was possessive like that.

Puck frowned, “How do you know I wasn’t talking about Kurt killing me if I kissed you?”  Everyone laughed, and Sebastian just rolled his eyes.  Puck continued, “Well, I’m going to let Hayden off the hook, since he’s the other straight guy.”  Hayden gave him a two finger salute.  He looked at Jeff, “Do you want to watch or kiss?”

Jeff bit his lip and looked down like he was really thinking hard.  He looked back up with his best puppy dog eyes, “Do I have to choose?  How about you kiss Nicky, then you kiss me?  That way we’re even, and I get to do both!”  Nick just sat there, smiling and shaking his head.  Jeff looked at him, “Is that okay?”

“I would never deny you this once in a lifetime opportunity, Hun.  If it’s okay with Puck, it’s okay with me.”

“Well, then get your cute ass over here, Nick!”  Puck said as he stood.

“Oh my god,”  Sebastian muttered into Kurt’s shoulder.  Kurt squeezed Seb's hand that was resting on his stomach.

Chris and Elliott were watching with wide eyes, too.  Chris leaned into Elliott without taking his eyes off of what was happening, “This is real, right?  This isn’t a dream?”

Elliott chuckled, “Nope.  It’s real.”

Nick stood and walked up to Puck.  Puck smiled and put his hands on either side of Nick’s face, as Nick put his hands on Puck’s waist.  Puck asked, “You sure?”

Nick smirked, “Don’t back out on me now.  You got my hopes up.”

Puck chuckled and then leaned in.  His lips met Nick’s with just a gentle press at first.  He parted his lips slightly and nibbled Nick’s bottom lip a couple of times before running his tongue over it.  Nick parted his lips, and Puck kissed deeper, but never added tongue.  He pulled back a little, pecking his lips one more time.   

Puck smiled, “That was kind of hot.”

Nick laughed, “Yeah it was.”

“I agree,”  Sugar and Jeff said at the same time.  Sugar was fanning herself.  

She looked wide-eyed at Kurt, “I found a new kink.”  Everyone laughed. 

“My turn!”  Jeff said as he jumped up and traded spots with Nick.  He looked at Puck and wiggled his eyebrows.

Puck chuckled and shook his head.  He asked the same thing to Jeff as he had Nick, “Are you sure?”

“Hell yes!”  Jeff nodded.  This time, Jeff leaned in, and Puck followed suit.  With the same intensity, their mouths slid together.  Puck deepened this kiss too, and pulled Jeff in closer by wrapping his arm around his waist.  Jeff hummed a little, making Puck smile so big that he pulled out of the kiss.

Jeff smiled back and winked.  He looked at Sugar, “You’re a lucky girl, Sweets.”  He returned to his seat, but sat in Nick’s lap instead of next to him.

“That I am,”  Sugar winked back.

Puck was still standing there.  Elliott asked, “You okay, Puck?”

He was thinking, but then answered, “Yeah.  You know how I told you it was hot to watch, but didn’t want to participate?”  He tilted his head, “I’d participate a little.”  Everyone laughed.  

Sugar smiled as she looked at Kurt, “You were right, Angel.”

Kurt nodded, “I knew it.”

Sebastian glanced out the doors to the terrace, “Um, guys…”  Everyone turned and looked at him.  “It’s only been an hour since it started snowing, and there’s a couple of  inches out there already.”

Jenna pulled out her phone, “Oh crap.  It’s coming full force.  They’re saying at least a foot by morning.”

“It’s going to be crazy out there with snow and with crowds and traffic if we wait much longer,”  Hayden said.

“You are all welcome to stay,”  Kurt added.

“I’m not sure we’ll open, but I need to be there in case we do, Angel.  We have to get home.”

“And I’m scheduled to go in at 10 tomorrow,”  Jenna said, looking at Sugar.

“Why don’t we go ahead and go, and you two can stay at our place?  That way you’re there if the bakery opens, and we’ll just hang out if it doesn’t.  It’s gotta be better than being snowed in while in a dorm.”

“That sounds good,”  Hayden looked at Jenna, who agreed.

Sebastian looked at Chris and Elliott, “What about you guys?”

Chris made a face, “I actually have to cheer tomorrow if we don’t get cancelled because of this.  And Elliott is scheduled to work, if they actually open.  It’d be best if we were closer to school.”

“Yeah, I think we’ll just head back to my place.  Thanks so much for having us.  Dinner was great, as always,”  Elliott smiled.

They all said their goodbyes and “Happy New Year” wishes.  Puck kissed both Nick and Jeff on the cheek, before parting.  They just smiled and gave him an extra squeeze.  Kurt made them all promise that they would call as soon as they got home, no matter what time it was.  He worried about them being out in this weather on a busy holiday.  He wouldn’t be able to settle his nerves until he knew they were all safe.

Once it was just the four of them again, they plopped down on the couches.  Kurt crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow as he watched the two of them settle in.  Sebastian smiled and wrapped his arm around Kurt’s shoulders.  

Jeff looked up and chuckled, “What?!”

“You can not possibly think that I was just going to let you two remain silent about those kisses.”  

Jeff sighed and winked, “Okay, Kurtsie.  Puck is a good kisser.”  He looked at Nick.

He nodded, “Very good.”

“Is that the first time either of you had kissed someone else?”  Sebastian asked.

Nick nodded, “Yep.  We’ve been each other’s firsts for everything.”  He looked at Kurt who was still looking at them funny, “Is there more?”

Kurt twisted his lips and thought for a second, “Did you like it?”

“Kissing him?  Yeah, he’s a good kisser.”  Jeff frowned a bit, “What is it, Kurtsie?”

Kurt shrugged, “I don’t know.  I mean… Wasn’t it weird kissing another man in front of your partner?  I couldn’t do it.  Wouldn’t want to do it.  And most certainly not in front of Bas.  I guess I just don’t understand how you're not freaking out right now.”  Sebastian squeezed him a little.

Nick and Jeff looked at each other.  It was as if they could have an entire conversation in just one look, completely similar to Kurt and Sebastian.  

Nick looked back, “I think we’re just so comfortable with each other, and with Puck, that to us, it was just a kiss?”

Jeff nodded, “It would have been different if it was a stranger.  It also may have been different if we had kissed two different people. I think it would have been uncomfortable to do if it wasn’t in front of each other.   We both know it was just for fun, and it didn’t mean anything for anyone involved.  We had joked about it in the past with Puck, and even though it was a solid kiss, it was playful, ya know?”

Kurt nodded, “I guess.  I think maybe I’m too possessive myself to even be in a position that I’d be okay with that. Just like Bas won’t share me, I won’t share him.  And I’m not saying that to judge you.  I wouldn’t do that.  If you two told me you were bringing a third person into your relationship, I’d be fine with that.  I guess I’m just putting myself in your shoes, and I shouldn’t.  Sorry.”  Kurt was fidgeting, so Sebastian put his hand around the bracelet Kurt was wearing instead of a collar and added a little pressure.  It instantly made Kurt feel better.  

“It’s okay, Kurt.  Jeff and I don’t feel like we cheated on each other,”  He looked at Jeff who agreed.  “It was just for a game.  Like spin the bottle.”

“Which neither of us would play,”  Sebastian added.  “It’s just ‘different strokes for different folks’, as my dad would say.  Just like D/s is something a lot of people wouldn’t consider.”

“I get it.  I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Kurt bit his lip.

Nick and Jeff both snickered a little, “You didn’t, Kurtsie.  We literally talked about watching each other last night, and we looked at and talked about all your toys and equipment just a few hours ago.  We’re fine with the current conversation.  Trust me.”

Nick added, “And we’d rather you express your feelings than keep them from us.”

Jeff asked, “Did it bother you that Puck would kiss us, even though he’s with Sugar?”

Kurt nodded, “A little, yeah.  For all the same reasons.  And I know Sugar was all for it, and Puck is a flirt, and totally not as straight as he claims to be.  I don’t know…”

“It’s okay, Baby.  You’re just putting yourself in their shoes, and it made you question.  It’s okay to question.  But they are all happy, so it’s all good.”  Niff nodded that they agreed.  

Sebastian leaned over and whispered, “Go put your new plug in, Baby.  I want to have some fun of our own.”

Kurt smiled a little, “Yes, Sir.”  He bit his lip, then headed upstairs.

Once Kurt was back downstairs, the subject was changed, and the guys all enjoyed the evening together.  Their friends had all called to let them know they were home safe.  A few drinks and snacks later, and lots of squirming on Kurt’s behalf,  it was close to midnight. 

Sebastian stood by the door to the terrace and watched the snow fall.  Kurt came up and wrapped his arms around him from behind and kissed his shoulder.  Sebastian sighed, “I think we’re going to be snowed in for a while.  There’s nearly a foot of snow, and according to the news, it’s not close to being finished.”

“Hmmm.  I wonder what they’re going to do about the ball drop at Times Square.  I’m glad we didn’t go.”

“Me too.  ABC News said that the ball will drop, but that they will be reporting from inside the studio.  We can watch it on tv.”  He silently slid his hand into his pocket and pressed one of the buttons on the remote control.  

Kurt squeezed him tighter, “Sir…”

Sebastian smirked, “Yes, Baby?”  All Kurt could do in return is moan softly.

When it was just a few minutes till midnight, the two couples snuggled with their partners on the couches.  Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt, “This year has been amazing to spend with you by my side, Baby.  I am so looking forward to us becoming husbands this year.  I am so lucky.”  He kissed Kurt on the cheek, then the neck.

Kurt ran his fingers through the sides and back of Sebastian’s hair as he enjoyed the kisses, “I’m the lucky one, Love.  This year will make all of my dreams come true.”

They all stood with wine glasses in hand when it was only a minute till.  

Nick smiled, “To a great New Year, with great friends.”  

“Cheers!”  The clinked glasses in a toasted, setting the glasses on the coffee table.

When the clock struck midnight, they kissed.  Sebastian pulled back, “Happy New Year, Baby.”

Kurt smiled, “Happy New Year, Love.”  

They kissed again, but this time, Sebastian deepened it.  He pulled Kurt even closer as Kurt slid his fingers into Sebastian’s hair.  

They were full on making out, when Nick and Jeff stopped kissing.  

Jeff watched with lustful eyes and slightly parted lips.  “Damn,” he whispered.

Sebastian pressed some buttons on the remote again, and Kurt moaned, pressing into his fiance as much as he could.

Nick noticed, and whispered in Jeff’s ear as he held his hips from behind, “He’s wearing his new plug.”

Jeff bit his lip and moaned.

Sebastian slid one of his hands lower, grabbing Kurt’s ass.  He ran his middle finger over the seam of his pants, adding a little pressure to his plug.  Kurt’s backside was not in full view of Niff, but they knew what was happening because of Kurt’s reaction.  Nick started kissing Jeff’s neck as they watched.

In between kisses, Sebastian whispered in Kurt’s ear, “Can you feel their eyes on you, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.”  

“Do you like it?”  He grabbed Kurt’s ass again, continuing to kiss his neck.

“Yes, Sir.  Very much.”

“If there was ever going to be a perfect time for them to watch, it’s probably now.”  Kiss.  “Are you good with that?  Is that still something you want?  Something you fantasize about?”  Kiss.

Kurt’s grip on Sebastian’s shirt tightened, “Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian pulled back a bit, taking Kurt’s face in his hands.  He needed to look him in the eye to make sure he saw what he needed to see.  When he found what he was looking for, he lowered his tone, “I want you kneeling for me in five minutes.  I’m going to have a chat with Niff.  Understand?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Sir.”  Sebastian kissed him one more time before he headed upstairs to their bedroom.

Sebastian sat on the couch and motioned for Nick and Jeff to do the same across from him.  Once Kurt was in the bedroom, Sebastian began, “If you still want to watch, you can.  If you two want to go at it too, throw down and blanket and go for it.  I have a feeling he’ll like watching too.  I know I will.  But there are some things I need to make clear.”  Niff nodded that they were listening.  Jeff was squeezing Nick's knee. Sebastian started taking off his shoes and socks as he spoke,  “Sometimes Kurt will lay out the equipment or tools that he is wanting to use.  I can use them, or not.  We don’t share those.  I can about guarantee that he wants it a little rougher.  Just looking at those things earlier has him worked up and ready to use them.  No questioning what we do while we’re doing it.  Understand?”

“Absolutely,”  Nick answered, and Jeff nodded.

“We often use a lot of dirty talk.  So if I call him a name, it’s not an insult.  It’s a term of endearment that only he and I can say.”  They nodded. “The final thing, and most important, is that he is mine.  You can look, but do not touch.  One touch, and it’s over.  Understand?”

“Completely,”  Nick nodded.  

“Jeff?”  Sebastian smirked and raised an eyebrow.  

He looked like someone told him he had just won the lottery (not that he wasn’t rich enough).  He looked excited and shocked, all at the same time.  He nodded quickly, “Yes.  Understood.”

Sebastian winked at him, “Well then let’s get this party started.”  He quickly turned off the tv and the lights, before leading the way upstairs.

When they entered the bedroom, Kurt was completely naked, and kneeling in position at the foot of the bed.  He had his head down, but like he often did, his hands were raised, stretched out flat in front of his head, with his leather collar resting on them.  He had laid a blanket across the bed, and arranged all of the things he wanted used on the bed next to him, neatly in a row.  

As Sebastian approached him, his proud, confident smirk was clear.  He beamed at how amazing his Baby was, and he was so proud.  And he was all his.

Nick and Jeff were behind him, and Jeff whispered, “Fuck” while Nick mumbled, “Gorgeous”.  Both had wide eyes.

“Good boy, Baby.  Perfect as always,” he ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair and circled him, eyeing both Kurt and the toys.  

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Mmm,”  Sebastian stood in front of him now and took off his shirt, throwing it aside.  He took the collar that Kurt was presenting him, and Kurt immediately put his hands behind his back.  “Head up, please, Baby.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt raised his head to allow Sebastian to attach his collar, and took these few seconds of opportunity to glance over at Nick and Jeff.  Nick had his arms around Jeff while kissing his neck from behind, but both had their eyes on him.  As soon as the collar was on, he lowered his head again.

Sebastian took the necklace he was wearing with the key on it off, and asked Kurt to give him his wrist.  As he did so, he asked, “Safeword?”

“Broadway, Sir.”

“Green, yellow, red?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Once the bracelet was off, he ran his hand along the bed where the flogger and ropes were laid out. Sebastian noticed that Kurt had left the box of equipment open for his Sir, and placed it next to their bedside dresser, and that he was already wearing a cock ring.  He looked over to the wall, and Kurt had already removed the glass orbs from the hooks and placed them aside.  

Nick saw where Sebastian was looking, and moaned when he saw the orbs missing, knowing what that meant.  

Sebastian smirked.  It seemed Nick and Jeff were in for quite a show.  

“I like your choice of accessories, Baby.  But before we begin that, I want your mouth.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt straightened himself, and undid his Sir’s belt and pants, helping him out of them.  Sebastian made sure to keep a hold of the remote control that was in his pocket.

Seeing both Kurt and Sebastian completely naked, hard, and in such a sexual position, had Jeff and Nick completely hard and wanting.  Nick bit Jeff’s neck a bit, then growled, “Take off your shirt, baby boy.”  

“Yes, Daddy,”  Jeff breathed.  He pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side of the chair they were standing by.  

Nick took his shirt off, too.  He took the throw blanket off the chair and covered the chair with it.  “All of it, Jeff.  Take off all of it.”  

“Yes, Daddy,” Jeff nodded and undressed completely, trying not to take his eyes off of Kurt.  He watched as Sebastian grabbed his cock and dragged it across Kurt’s lips, making the skin pull.  Jeff bit his lip and moaned.  

“Open.  Keep your hands behind your back,”  Sebastian commanded.  

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out a bit. Sebastian slapped his dick on Kurt’s tongue a couple of times before Kurt took the head of Seb’s cock in his mouth, sucking just the tip at first.  He licked a wide stripe from the base of his cock to the tip, then sucked on just the head again.  

“All the way, Baby.”  

Kurt looked up at him and took his cock all the way into his throat.   Sebastian grabbed a handful of his hair and moaned, “Good boy.  Fuck, Baby, you’re so good at that.”

Kurt’s heart soared at the praise, and knowing Niff was watching made him all the more eager to please.

Nick and Jeff were lounging back on the chair and ottoman slightly facing each other, but watching Sebastian and Kurt.  They were touching each other, kissing occasionally, and completely enjoying the show.  Kurt and Seb were beautiful together.  Their bodies were incredibly fit, perfectly proportioned, and well endowed.  It was breathtaking.

“On the bed. Hang your head over the edge,”  Sebastian instructed.  

“Yes, Sir.”  

As Kurt was getting into position, Sebastian went to the box and got another cock ring, putting it on.  When he turned back, he smiled a little, “Thank you, Baby.  Open.”  Kurt opened his mouth, and Sebastian began to fuck into it.  He grabbed his head, angling it just right.  You could see the intrusion of Seb’s cock in Kurt’s throat that was so openly displayed.  Sebastian moaned at the sight.  It was fascinating.  

“Oh god,”  Jeff whispered.

“I know.  I think he was born to do that,”  Nick whispered back.

After a few minutes, Sebastian decided Kurt needed some pleasure too. “Sit up, Baby.”  He reached for the cuffs, and attached them to Kurt’s wrists.  As he did so, he kissed Kurt.  Once he no longer needed his hands, the kiss became deeper.  He pulled away,  “Are you ready to let go, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.  Please,”  Kurt nodded, somewhat desperately.

Sebastian grabbed the rope, looped his finger into the ring on Kurt’s collar, and walked him over to the wall. “Hands.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt’s hands were behind his back, but he presented them to Sebastian, who clipped a carabiner to each of the cuffs.  He then stretched as tall as he could to clip the other ends of the rope to the eye hooks on either end of the row of five.

Kurt’s arms were spread high above his head as Sebastian nudged him to step out as far as the ropes would allow without pulling his arms backwards.  He was only a couple of feet from where the ottoman was pushed up against the chair.  

“My Baby is perfection,”  Sebastian growled in his ear.  He walked around to the front of Kurt.  He ran his fingers through his hair while he lovingly looked him in the eyes.  He leaned in, kissed him, then began kissing down neck.  Sebastian sank to his knees, taking Kurt into his mouth.  

Kurt’s eyes rolled back, “Oh, fuck, Sir.”  

He bit his lip and soaked up the pleasure his Sir was giving while he had the attention of Niff at the same time.  He glanced at them as they laid there watching.  They were still touching each other and kissing every once in a while.  Jeff was biting his lip as he watched Sebastian blow him.  When he looked at Nick, he was looking right back at him.  They locked eyes for a few seconds, until Kurt was pulled away with the returned sensation that he had had earlier downstairs.  

He gasped as he looked down at his Sir, who was holding the remote control, making his plug vibrate inside him.  Sebastian winked at him.  That, combined with the hot wetness of Sebastian’s mouth, would have sent him over the edge if it weren’t for the cock ring.

Sebastian eventually kissed his way back up Kurt’s abdomen, chest, neck, then mouth.  He pulled back, the vibrator still on full power.  He walked to the bed to grab the flogger.  He turned around and ran the flogger through his fingers as he watched his sub practically hang there shaking with the sensation of the vibrator.  

“Fuck, Baby.  Look at you.”

Nick and Jeff watched Kurt as he was practically vibrating himself.  His hands restrained above his head and his collar both showing his submission to his Dom.  Jeff wasn’t sure he had ever seen anything so fucking sexy outside of his and Nick’s bedroom.  He made a little whiny noise, and Nick adjusted them so that Jeff was between his legs.  

As Sebastian approached, he asked, “Color?”

“Green, Sir.  Please.  I need more, Sir.  Please, please.”

Sebastian switched off the vibrator.  Kurt seemed both relieved and sad at the same time.  He made up for soon enough.  Walking up next to Kurt, he ran the flogger softly up the crack of Kurt’s ass and up his spine.  He smirked, “I like it when you say ‘please’, Baby.  You’re always such a good boy for me.  I think you deserve a reward, don’t you?”

“Yes, please, Sir.  Please.”

“Hmm.”  He cocked his head to the side, “What do you think Nicky?”  he continued to run the flogger up and down Kurt’s spine and ass.  

“Mhmm, I definitely think so,”  Nick drawled, “He looks amazing like this, Seb.”  He looked Kurt in the eye, “Beautiful.  I want to see more.”  He grabbed Jeff’s cock and began stroking him again while Kurt watched.  “What do you think, Jeffie? Do you think Kurt’s been a good boy?”

Jeff nodded, “Yes, Daddy,  I do.”

Kurt was breathing heavy with anticipation.  He looked back at Sebastian over his shoulder, “Please, Sir.”

“Mmm, don’t forget to breathe, Baby.”  Sebastian started whipping the flogger in a circular motion very lightly, making it gently smack Kurt’s back on every rotation.  

Kurt sighed, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back.  

Sebastian soon switched to a crisscross motion, and increased the pressure. “You’re fucking gorgeous like this, Baby.  Tell me what you are.”

“I’m yours, Sir,”  Kurt answered.  He opened his eyes and focused on a light that he could see through the glass door to the terrace.  

“Always, Baby.  But tell me what else you are.”

“I’m your cockslut, Sir.”

Sebastian sped up once again, adding even more pressure, “You are my cockslut.  Always so hungry for it.  Always so willing.”

“Yes, Sir.  Always.”

Sebastian moved the flogger to the top of Kurt’s back, then all the way down to his ass. He moaned at the sight of the pink marks on Kurt’s perfect skin. With the same hand that held the remote control, he gripped Kurt’s hair the best he could,  “What else are you, Kurt?  What are you for me when you’re tied up so helpless like this!?”

“I’m your whore, Sir!  I’m your cockslut.  I’m your hole whore, Sir!  Only for you!  Please, Sir!”

Sebastian added the slightest bit more pressure, and turned the vibrator on full force as he continued to whip, “That’s it, Baby.  I’ve got you.  Let go, Kurt.  Let go.”

Kurt’s eyes rolled back in his head, his mouth hung open slightly, and his body seemed to shake as it appeared to just balance on his feet while his arms were suspended.  He had reached his headspace.  His euphoria.  

After a minute or two, Sebastian turned off the vibrator and tossed the remote aside as he continued with the flogger.  He gradually slowed the pace of the flogger as he told Kurt how beautiful he was, how proud he was of him, and how much he loved him.  Kurt was slowly coming back.  Sebastian reached down and gently pulled out the plug, setting it aside and grabbing the lube. 

He stroked his cock, slicking himself.  He rubbed his hand down Kurt’s spine and spoke gently, “Are you back, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt answered, almost sounding drunk.  

Sebastian smiled a bit, “Color?”

“Green, Sir.”

“Good, Baby.  Because I really need to fuck you.”  Sebastian lined himself up with Kurt’s entrance, and easily slid in.  He loved when Kurt wore a plug.

Kurt began to moan and grunt as Sebastian fucked into him.  He twisted his wrists so that he could hold on to the ropes, and arched his back to give his Sir easier access.  

“That’s my good cockslut.  You didn’t even need to be told.  Good boy.”  Sebastian continued to thrust into him.  He reached around and grabbed Kurt’s cock, jerking him at the same rhythm as his thrusts.

Jeff had turned on his side, and Nick was fingering him.  He needed to open him up, as both of them felt as if they were going to burst.  This was the hottest thing they had ever seen, and the pornographic sounds Kurt made was driving them insane.

When Sebastian could tell that Kurt’s legs were getting weak, he pulled out.  He took Kurt’s cock ring off, then his own.  He unhooked Kurt’s wrist cuffs from the ropes, then told him to lay on his back on the bed, with his hands above his head.  As Kurt was doing that, Sebastian brought the lube over and motioned for Niff to go to the other side of the bed, which they did.  

Sebastian hooked Kurt’s wrists to the short rope that was already attached to the headboard.  They used it enough that it was simply tucked below the top of the mattress.  Sebastian ran his hands up and down Kurt’s arms, gently massaging them in case they were getting sore.  He did the same for his legs, then spread them so he could kneel between them.  

Kurt was looking at Sebastian the entire time, but then was distracted by a moan.  He looked over to the other side of the bed where Nick had just entered Jeff.  Jeff had been bent over the bed, and Nick was standing behind him.  He bent over and whispered things in Jeff’s ear.  Kurt couldn’t hear what he said, but did hear Jeff answer, “Yes, Daddy.  Please.”

Sebastian was stroking himself as he watched them for a minute.  He added more lube, then bent down over Kurt to kiss him.  He sat up a little, so that he could properly enter his sub.  When he looked at Kurt, he was looking back.  He bent down and kissed him, then added, “You are so perfect for me, Baby.  I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Sir.”

“Watch them, Baby.  This kind of thing won’t happen every day.  Watch while you can.”  He was slowly thrusting in as Kurt turned his head to look over at two of his best friends.  Jeff was looking right at him, and bit his lip again when he saw Kurt look back.  

Sebastian took Kurt’s legs and put them on his shoulders, practically folding him in half, and sped up his thrusts.  They were both moaning and grunting, as were Niff.  

When Sebastian knew he wouldn’t last much longer, he unhooked Kurt’s hands from the headboard, “Hands and knees, Baby.”  

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt did as he was told.  

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s ass, then gave it a good smack.  Kurt moaned loudly.  

Jeff moaned back, watching, “Daddy…”

Sebastian spanked him again, causing the same glorious sound.

“What is it, baby boy?”  Nick asked, pulling Jeff’s head back by gripping his hair tight.  

“Please, Daddy, may I cum?”

“Not yet,”  was the only answer he got.  

Sebastian spanked Kurt two more times, then knelt behind him.  He pulled Kurt back so that they were in one of their favorite positions.  Sebastian was sitting on his feet, and Kurt was in his lap, facing away.  Seb grabbed Kurt’s arms, bringing them behind him and connecting the cuffs to each other.  He began thrusting up into Kurt at an alarming rate.

Kurt laid his head back as much as he could as Sebastian fucked into him, grabbing his upper arms, and growling in his ear, “Who’s are you, Baby?”

“Yours, Sir!  Only yours, always yours!”

“That’s right, Baby.  My perfect love.  What are you Baby?”

“I’m your cockslut, Sir.  I’m your hole whore.  I’m always ready for you, Sir.  I always want you, Sir.”

Sebastian reached around and started pumping Kurt’s cock in rhythm with his thrusts.  “That’s right, Baby.  You always want it, and I always want to give it to you.  I’d do anything for my perfect sub...my perfect love.”  

“Sir…”

“Cum for me, Baby.  Show me how much you love it.”

Kurt started coming hard, and as he did, Jeff’s eyes widened, “Daddy!”  He didn’t think he would be able to last another second.  

“Cum for me,”  Nick growled.  Jeff’s reaction was immediate, and he was coming hard as well.

Sebastian laid Kurt forward on his stomach, hands still behind his back, and continued fucking into him for a minute.  Kurt watched as Jeff was finishing his orgasm, then Nick was soon following.  Their faces showed the ecstasy, and seconds later, Seb was coming as well, “Fuck, Baby!”

Kurt was still breathing heavy when he and Jeff locked eyes.

Sebastian was kissing Kurt’s neck, “I love you, Baby.” 

“I love you, too, Sir.”  

He unhooked Kurt’s hands, and gently laid them at his side.  “Don’t move.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt whispered tiredly.  

Sebastian went to get a warm washcloth, as did Nick.  He cleaned Kurt up on his backside as Nick took care of Jeff.  He took off Kurt’s cuffs, then got out some lotion that was calming for upset skin, and started gently massaging it into Kurt’s wrists,  back, and butt.  “How are you feeling, Baby?”

“Good, Sir.”

“Good,”  Sebastian massaged his legs, then rolled him over and cleaned up his front.  He massaged a little more, then straddled Kurt at the waist. “Are you ready, Babe?”

Kurt looked back up at him, and nodded, “Yes, Sir.”  Sebastian smiled a little then bent down and kissed him.  He pulled back and took his collar off.

Sebastian and Nick both took their washcloths and blankets over to the hamper in the closet, while Kurt and Jeff just watched each other in silence, small, content, smiles graced their lips.

On their way back to the bed, Sebastian looked at Nick, “Sleep with us?”

Nick chuckled a little, “We’d love to.”

The four of them climbed under the covers, still completely naked.  Nothing was said for several minutes.  It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.  They were all content, satisfied, and thinking.  Sebastian was spooning Kurt, and they were facing Niff.  He looked out onto the terrace, “Well looks like we won’t be going anywhere soon.  There’s well over a foot of snow out there.”  

“Hmm, whatever shall we do with our time?”  Kurt smirked, and they all chuckled.  

It was going to be a great New Year.

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