Fic; Twist of Fate - Chapter 1
Title: Twist of Fate
Rating: Eventual NC-17
Pairing: Kurtbastian
Summary: It's the summer before he moves to New York and Kurt is facing multiple upheavals in his life. You would think spending the entire summer at a luxury resort in the Maldives would allow him to get away from all that, right? Think again, fate still has much more in store for him.
Author's notes: Sebastian makes his grand entrance in this chapter! Thank you to comein2myparlor for beta-ing this chapter for me. I hope you all enjoy this part! :)
Read the prologue here!
On arrival at the Maldives resort that he and his family were staying at, Kurt felt as though he was stepping into a different world completely. Everything from the sleek black limousine that had picked them up at the airport to the solid gold sign on the front of their hotel that read ‘Smythe Luxury Resorts’ looked more extravagant and expensive than anything he had ever experienced before. The word hotel did not do the place justice, Kurt thought. It was made up of three huge, pristine white, Victorian-style buildings with crimson gabled roofs that created a striking contrast with the sky that was a picture perfect azure.
The air seemed clearer, more pure there and for a moment Kurt forgot himself and noted how much Blaine would love that. He visualised the way his grin would turn childlike with glee as he took huge gulps of the air, reveling in the freshness of it and pain lanced through his heart as though an icy hand had reached into his chest and squeezed it. If Blaine hadn’t moved to London he would have been there with Kurt and his family and that knowledge made the beauty of the place seem very bittersweet. He was certain that if Blaine had been by his side everything would have seemed so much more mesmerizing than it already did.
o o o o
Just like he had promised, Blaine phoned Kurt when he got to his new house. He sounded exhausted and miserable and there was nothing that Kurt wanted more than to reach out and comfort Blaine with his touch; Blaine was such a tactile person, he always responded best to touch. Not being able to be there for Blaine only served to accentuate the distance between them in Kurt’s mind and the despair that crashed over him left him reeling.
“I love you so much,” he had murmured into his telephone, not even bothering to try and mask the sadness in his voice.
“I-I love you too, Kurt, you know that, but I think if we’re going to make this work we need to really be broken up and behave that way. We’re not giving ourselves a fighting chance if we keep acting as though we’re still together.” Blaine stammered.
Kurt felt as though he had been winded. He knew they hadn’t been intended that way but Blaine’s words seemed so cold and unfamiliar and he had no idea how to respond. In that moment, it finally sunk in that he no longer had a boyfriend.
“Uh… I suppose you’re right. Well I better go, Carole’s calling me.” He lied. “Goodbye, Blaine.”
“Don’t be like-“
He ended the call before Blaine was able to finish his sentence. Then he pulled off Blaine’s cardigan and threw it down on the ground with a strangled, frustrated cry and for the second time that day, he bawled himself to sleep.
o o o o
The rest of his family were just as amazed by the Maldives as he was, but unlike Kurt they all expressed their excitement by chatting animatedly about what they planned to do throughout the vacation. The ache in Kurt’s chest eased slightly as he watched them, enjoying their obvious delight. He was pleased to see Finn looking happy and relaxed as he chattered to Puck; Kurt hadn’t seen him that way in a while. He had been finding it difficult to cope with his and Rachel’s break-up and had spent most of his time since she went to New York moping and trying to pretend that he wasn’t. When Finn had told him about his plan to set Rachel free Kurt had felt immensely proud of him and it was then that he realised how brilliant a man his step brother had become.
At the top of the sprawling walkway that led to the main entrance of the hotel, they were greeted by a petite blonde woman in a black pencil skirt and white blouse wearing a broad smile that showed off her perfectly white teeth.
“Hi there!” she said enthusiastically. She checked her clipboard before asking, “Are you the Hummel family?”
Burt confirmed that they were and she beamed again as she shook everyone’s hand.
“I’m Samantha, and I’ll take you through to the Grand Lobby where we’ll get you checked in, then I’ll give you all your leaflets and information about the facilities we have and the events that are held here!”
Kurt was impressed as he listened to the long list of facilities that the hotel offered. Two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a spa, a gym, a cinema, tennis courts and a golf course were only a few from the selection. He made a mental note to pick up an extra set of leaflets for himself since he planned on spending a decent amount of time by himself. After all, he had to get used to being self-sufficient again.
o o o o
Since Kurt had chosen not to bring a friend on vacation with him, he had a room to himself which he was incredibly grateful for; privacy was so important to him. He loved spending time with his family, but the idea of waking up in the same room as them, having to get ready around them and going to sleep next to all of them made him feel a little claustrophobic. However, as much as he tried to quieten the notion, he loved the idea of doing all of that with Blaine and longed to have him close.
Kurt had chosen to leave his phone back in Ohio because it would reduce the temptation to call or text Blaine for the summer which would allow them to have the space that the younger boy desired. He also thought that it would be liberating to live without technology for a while and besides, if anyone desperately needed him Finn and Puck had their phones so he could be reached through them.
When he entered his room he was completely blown away by the luxury of it. Everything was in warm neutral shades that instantly made Kurt feel calm and relaxed and he could see himself really enjoying his time spent there. He sat down his suitcase, kicked off his shoes and threw himself on top of the gorgeous queen sized bed that was pressed against the buttery cream wall. A blissful moan escaped Kurt’s lips as he allowed himself to relax into the thick, comfortable mattress. He could most definitely get used to this.
After a few minutes of indulgence, he reluctantly eased himself off of the beautiful mahogany framed bed and made to check out the rest of the room. Massive sliding glass doors led to a veranda that looked out onto the beach that was behind the hotel. The view was stunning. It was exactly what Kurt imagined when he thought of pretty tropical islands. He felt as though he had truly reached paradise. Kurt smiled as he pictured himself sitting at the little round table on the veranda while he watched the waves lap gently at the shore at sunrise.
That part of the beach was owned by Smythe Luxury Resorts and only residents of the hotel were permitted to use it, which meant that it would never be too crowded, Kurt had been glad to find out. Since it was only one o’clock in the afternoon there were people on the beach enjoying their vacation. Kurt noted the variety of people there; there were families, young couples who Kurt wondered idly if they were newlyweds and older people. In the distance he could see a man wading through the sea with a little girl who must have been his daughter perched on his shoulders. He watched them for a while smiling slightly at the way the little girl waved her arms in the air and threw her little blonde head back to giggle until he heard chapping on his door.
He opened it to find Finn and Puck standing in the hallway in their swimwear, grinning eagerly at him.
“We’re going to check out one of the pools,” Puck began, “You wanna come with?”
“I haven’t even unpacked my case, guys. Have you?” He questioned, although he already knew the answer.”
Finn snorted. “As if! Come on, Kurt, loosen up. Your clothes will be creased already now, so it makes no difference. Come and enjoy the sun and your clothes will still be there for you to hang up when you get back.”
Kurt pondered this for a moment. It would be good to cool down by the pool; he was sweaty from the journey. And it would be a shame to waste the gorgeous weather, he persuaded himself.
“Yeah, okay, fine. Just give me a minute to get changed and I’ll come.”
Ten minutes later, Kurt was making his way to the pool with Finn and Puck by his side, wearing a pair of black swim trunks with white tank top and his towel thrown over his shoulder.
They decided to go to the Courtyard Pool because it was supposed to be the biggest one but it was the pool bar that served food until ten in the evening that had really sold it for them.
When they arrived at the pool, Kurt was shocked by the sheer scale of the thing; it must have been at least three times bigger than the public pool back in Lima. Kurt had never been a fan of communal pools, because the few that he had been to had lacked in cleanliness but this one was absolutely immaculate and looked so refreshing and inviting.
He noticed that Finn and Puck were practically bouncing with excitement so he rolled his eyes at them and told them to get in the pool and he would put their towels down for them.
He picked sun loungers in an area where the sun was beating down and began carefully applying his factor twenty sunscreen; he was eager to begin building up a healthy golden glow, but he didn’t want to burn. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t actually enjoy resembling a ghost. He inhaled the coconut scent of the cream and his mood immediately lifted; that smell always made him feel cheerful and at ease. He wondered vaguely if it was because he associated it with sunny days spent playing with his mom in his blow up pool in his back yard at home.
When he was finished he made his way to the edge of the pool and dipped his toe in to test the temperature, it felt freezing on his warm skin and he quickly pulled his foot away.
From the other end of the huge pool, Puck hollered, “Stop being such a wuss and get in the water, Hummel!”
He glared back playfully before deciding his best bet would just be to jump in and get it over with fast. He took a deep breath and hurled himself into the cold water. The low temperature was such a shock to his body that he gasped, inadvertently swallowing a huge gulp of water. He emerged spluttering and thanking God that the pool was clean.
Spending time splashing around and just goofing off with Finn and Puck did wonders for Kurt’s emotional state. It was amazing to laugh; to really laugh, not the polite false kind that he had been forcing since he found out Blaine was leaving but a real laugh that came right from his core and left his stomach muscles aching. For that half an hour he was almost able to forget about the throbbing pain in his chest and the fact that Blaine was no longer his boyfriend and that felt good.
When his fingers began to prune he left the two boys in the pool and made his way back to his sun lounger. He lay down and allowed the sun to dry him and warm up his skin again, sighing contentedly at the way his body felt boneless with relaxation. He was just about to give into the sleepiness that had washed over him when suddenly something was blocking the sun.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Lady Hummel. I thought that was you at the other end of the pool. I had hoped otherwise, obviously.”
Kurt’s stomach plummeted with dread. He would recognise that obnoxious drawl anywhere but how could he be here? He opened his eyes and was faced with a soaking wet, half naked Sebastian Smythe towering over him, smirking that damned smirk. A myriad of emotions crashed over him then; frustration, confusion and rage were only a few. He wondered if he could be in the middle of a nightmare and briefly considered just closing his eyes again and waiting until he was awake and Sebastian was gone. The sandy-haired boy interrupted his train of thought.
“I know that I’m devilishly handsome and almost dangerously so when I have my shirt off, but it’s still rude to stare.” Sebastian gibed.
To his horror, Kurt felt himself flush as he snapped, “What the hell are you doing here, Sebastian?”
Sebastian took advantage of the fact that Kurt had sat and drawn himself up tightly by straddling the end of his sun lounger. He put his hand in his dripping hair and ruffled it in attempt to dry it, enjoying the way it caused Kurt to squawk indignantly as the cold droplets hit him.
“My dad owns this place and countless others like it all over the world.” He explained smugly.
And just like that, realisation smashed Kurt in the face, leaving him feeling exceptionally slow and stupid.
“Of course, Smythe Luxury Resorts,” he breathed.
“You don’t miss a trick do you?” The Warbler mocked. “Anyway, how long are you here for?”
“Until the end of the summer.” Kurt muttered. Suddenly that prospect seemed more like a prison sentence than a vacation.”
“Oh, for the love of- So you’re telling me I have to spend my entire summer in the same place as you?” Sebastian demanded. Then he brightened suddenly and began looking around. “Is Blaine here?”
The hope in the other boy’s voice and the wolfish nature of his grin made anger simmer dangerously in Kurt’s veins.
“No, he isn’t.” Kurt snapped.
“That’s a shame,” Sebastian commented. “That really would have made things a little bit more exciting around here. Whatever will he think when he hears his precious boyfriend is going to be spending the entire summer with big, bad Sebastian?” He questioned.
Kurt couldn’t bear the thought of admitting that he and Blaine had split up to the snarky boy in front of him. He didn’t think he would be able to take the snide, hurtful comments that would surely follow his confession. It was too soon and the break up was just too raw, so he ignored that part.
“Let’s get this straight,” he spoke, sounding more confident than he felt. “You and I will not be spending any time together that is not completely necessary. I am going to stay out of your way as much as possible and you will stay out of mine.”
Sebastian regarded him with that same infuriating smirk that made Kurt feel violent, “I don’t know,” he mused. “Where’s the fun in that? I think I would much prefer to spend my time making you so mad that you flush that pretty pink colour over and over again.”
Kurt spluttered and cursed his body for blushing furiously again. Before he managed to get out a response Sebastian was on his feet.
“See you around, Hummel.” He quipped and turned on his heel, leaving Kurt breathing heavily with frustration.
This was not the vacation he had envisioned.