Face off in the parking lot
Title:- Face off in the parking lot
Summary:- Sebastian manoeuvres the Warblers into helping him secure his man of the moment, Blaine.
Rating:- Suitable for all
Word count:- 3,000 approx
A/N:- Inspired by various rumours and the pic in
this December 2011 spoiler post for 3:11 - Michael, but has nothing what-so-ever to do with the episode (as far as I know anyway).
Not beta-read or Ameripicked - please feel free to point out errors etc.
Comments and con-crit always, always, welcome. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer:- Glee belongs to RIB, Fox and others, not me sadly.
oOo
“Order, order.”
“You mock us, sir.”
“This is treason.”
“I. Will. Have. Order.”
Sebastian smiled as Nick banged his gavel on the Warbler Council’s desk a bit harder than was strictly necessary to bring the heated discussion to an end.
Give a Dalton man a desk and a gavel and he thinks he’s important.
“We can discuss the wearing of costumes for Regionals further at a later date,” Nick continued once he had quiet. “But for now I cede the floor to junior member Sebastian Smythe.”
Sebastian stood up. This was it - his chance to get, if not the man of his dreams, then certainly the man of the moment. He just needed to get the Warblers on side and that depended on the next few minutes.
“My fellow Warblers,” he began, his voice croaky. He cleared his throat and smiled. A couple of the Warblers smiled back encouragingly. “My fellow Warblers, I need your assistance. Simply put, I'm in love.” The Warblers smiles widened.
“If you need us to help you serenade your love,” Nick said, laughter in his voice, as a murmur went through the air. “The answer is no. We tried that last year, and let's just say, it didn't work out too well.”
Sebastian swallowed at the indirect mention of Blaine. He had heard all about the Gap Attack. “No, nothing like that. The person I like is in a relationship.” Suddenly, the Warblers became serious, their attention focussed exclusively on him. “It's over. For him at least,” Sebastian assured them. “But his partner needs to be convinced. I just need your help to show him that the person he professes to care for really would be better off with me.”
Nick looked between David and Thad beside him at the Council table then around the room trying to gauge the mood. “This is a most unusual request.”
“I know. And I wouldn't ask if I thought it wasn't necessary,” Sebastian assured them, sensing the mood of the meeting slip away from him.
Nick sat up straighter. “Why?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “Has this person been abusive?”
Sebastian grabbed for the lifeline. “Not physically but definitely mentally, I think,” he replied, his tone completely sincere.
Nick nodded, considering his response for a moment, then looked at the silent Warblers. “I realize this is not something we would normally get involved with but I think we should offer whatever support we can to a fellow Warbler and the people he cares about. All in favour of assisting Warbler Smythe.”
Slowly, one by one, hands rose into the air.
“Motion carried,” Nick announced with a crack of his gavel. He turned to Sebastian. “What do you need us to do?”
Relieved, Sebastian smiled and resisted the urge to punch the air. Getting the Warblers on side had been much easier than he had thought it would be. Their instinctive belief in truth, honour and fair play made them putty in his hands.
oOo
Three days later, as dusk settled, the Warblers sauntered along the path through the trees from Dalton’s main building to the secluded south parking lot where they would meet Sebastian's love rival. As they walked the chatted quietly amongst themselves, occasionally bursting into snatches of lyrics and harmonies.
Thad pulled at the neckline of the black T-shirt he was wearing. “I never thought I'd get used to being in a Dalton uniform all the time but this just feels wrong.” He glanced at Nick next to him and the line of boys in front, also, unusually, in their own clothes, all dark coloured denims and leather at Sebastian’s request. “The only time I ever see anyone out of uniform is just before lights out or during the summer break. Even off campus we're...” A gust of wind carried a voice through the still air from the parking lot, still hidden from view by the trees. “Isn't that...?”
Nick nodded. He too had recognised the voice and suddenly a lot of things that had been bothering him ever since Sebastian suggested this meeting made a lot more sense, Sebastian’s deliberate vagueness about who they would be meeting, the dark, tough guy, outfits that made them all feel ridiculous but looked very intimidating. “Just play along,” Nick advised, shooting a quick smile at a confused Thad.
As Sebastian, leading the procession of Warblers, broke through the trees he was confronted by a beast of a car, all shiny black and chrome. He paused. Surely that wasn't...
He relaxed as someone came round the side talking into his cell phone.
Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye Kurt looked up.
“Oh,” he muttered softly. “Look Dad, I need to go okay?” he continued. “Talk to you tomorrow?... Yeah, me too. Bye.”
Kurt snapped his phone shut.
“Kurt,” Sebastian acknowledged him with a nod.
Kurt ignored him watching the Warblers as they fell naturally into formation behind Sebastian as if they were about to launch into their latest Katy Perry or P!nk number. A heavy weight he had not felt for months settled on his shoulders. He had always known that the Warblers were Blaine's friends not his, not really. It made sense that the Warblers would side with Sebastian. Sebastian, like Blaine, fitted in here at Dalton in a way he never had or ever could. He, Kurt reflected, was too different, too much of an individual.
Kurt sighed. This evening, no, the last few days were just going from bad to worse. He had not been sleeping properly, worrying about this meeting, his grades and his skin suffering as a result, and just this morning he and Blaine had had their biggest fight ever resulting in his boyfriend, hopefully still his boyfriend, refusing to talk to him since.
“Give it up Kurt,” Sebastian suggested, getting immediately to the point, his voice smooth as silk. “New Directions is a joke, a hodgepodge of outcasts and misfits, who have to resort to violence to solve their problems. Blaine isn't just too good for you, he's too good for New Directions.”
Sebastian turned to face the Warblers, the rooftops and chimneys of Dalton's elegant main building peeking through the treetops behind them. “Blaine should be here, where he belongs.” Sebastian turned back, looking directly at Kurt. “Deep down you can't deny he'd be better off here, at Dalton, with the Warblers, safe, not with you, being picked on, even by members of your own group, people who are supposed to be his friends.” Sebastian smirked as Kurt looked at the ground remembering how Blaine had been treated by Finn and Santana. “And as for his future… think how much better Dalton would look on a college application.”
Kurt's shoulders slumped. He knew Blaine’s parents felt the same way. They had dropped enough not so subtle hints on the few occasions Kurt had met them. As far as they were concerned allowing Blaine to attend McKinley was simply letting him ‘have his head’, as they put it, for his Junior year and he would return to Dalton for the final push before going on to Yale or Harvard to study law or something similarly prestigious. Did Sebastian know this or was it a lucky guess, Kurt wondered. Did he know Blaine’s parents? Would they prefer Sebastian? Probably, he decided.
Kurt blinked back tears as every fear and doubt he had ever had about his relationship with Blaine came to the fore. Much as he hated to admit it maybe Sebastian was right - Dalton was where Blaine belonged, it always had been. And Kurt had manipulated Blaine into leaving with his talk of their being competitors and wanting his Senior year to be magical. Kurt thought about the Slushies and locker checks Blaine had received since he transferred and the black eye he had got from a 'misaimed' hockey puck one of Rick the Stick's goons had sent flying down one of the school corridors the previous week. As the nurse at the ER had taken great pains to point out, Blaine had been incredibly lucky it had just been a black eye, he could have lost his sight.
Sensing Kurt's walls breaking down Sebastian hammered home his advantage. “Look at yourself Kurt - why would Blaine possibly chose you over me?” Sebastian straightened up to his full height and resisted the urge to preen.
“I...” Kurt began before his voice trailed off.
“Give it up Kurt, admit you’ve lost. Admit you're not good enough for him.”
Sebastian stuck out his hand for Kurt to shake as though they were sealing a gentleman's agreement.
Kurt stared at the outstretched hand for a moment glancing away as a group of cars, lead by Finn’s truck, drove into the parking lot at speed.
“You okay bro?” Finn asked, jumping out of the drivers seat almost before the truck had stopped moving and running to Kurt.
Kurt looked at him open mouthed.
“I...” Finn paused before continuing in a rush. “lookedatyouremailswithoutpermission.” Finn ran all the words together and tried to avoid Kurt's stare.
Kurt looked at his brother in disbelief until he was distracted by the other members of New Directions tumbling out of the cars and standing nervously beside him.
“Not only did you read my e-mails you told everyone in Glee?” Kurt asked, his voice cool. He paused as another car pulled into the parking lot. “You told Lauren?” he moaned, rubbing his temple trying to relieve an impending headache. “She's not even in New Directions anymore.”
Finn had the grace to look sheepish. “I didn't mean to, dude. She heard me telling Mike and Tina and she demanded she come along. Something about you and yellow meringues at Prom?” He looked at Kurt confused, hoping it made more sense to his brother than it did to him.
Sebastian cleared his throat. “You agreed to come alone Kurt.”
“I didn't ask them to come,” Kurt protested feebly. “Finn read my private e-mails. He told everyone else.”
“Just as well he did,” Puck muttered nodding to the Warblers. “Wouldn't want this to be an unfair fight, would we?” He cracked his knuckles.
“Fight?” Kurt asked, eyes wide in shock.
Sebastian shrugged, non-committal. “If that’s what it takes.”
The Warblers shifted uncomfortably. This was not shaping up to be the simple intervention they had envisaged. They looked at Nick for guidance, settling a little at his confident smile.
Puck, Sam and Finn straightened, Puck flexing his guns in his tight fitting t-shirt. Lauren growled and punched her fist into her palm, making some of the Warblers blanch.
Kurt swallowed hard. Was it even possible for this day to get any worse? The idea of being the cause of a fist fight made him sick to his stomach. Kurt had been on the receiving end of enough punches to know how much they hurt.
Suddenly incredibly tired and just wanting to go home and curl up in bed until the world went away, Kurt sighed. He wanted to fight for Blaine as he had had to do for so many things in life, selfishly he wanted to keep Blaine for himself but so much of what Sebastian said made sense. Blaine really would be better off at Dalton and really under all the better-than-the-world attitude what did he, the camp, repressed, motherless boy from Podunk, Ohio, have to offer in comparison to the well travelled, experienced, Sebastian?
“Come on Kurt,” Sebastian goaded, sensing victory. “Tell me, why would Blaine choose you?”
“Maybe because he's honest, kind and a team player, unlike some I could mention.”
Kurt's hand froze halfway to meeting Sebastian’s as a voice rang out from the back of the assembled Warblers.
Sebastian spun round, shock evident on his face, as the Warblers parted like the Red Sea to let Nick through.
“Hey Kurt,” Nick casually greeted his former teammate. “Good to see you.”
Kurt stared at him, speechless.
“You just don't get it do you?” Nick continued, turning to Sebastian.
“Don't get what?” Sebastian asked, his superior demeanour back full force as he looked down his nose at Nick.
“People are not your plaything. The Warblers will not be pawns in your little mind games. And as for your treatment of a fellow Warbler...” Nick paused trying to find the right words to express his disgust.
Sebastian smirked. “I'm Blaine's biggest fan. I'm merely trying to get him to return to where he belongs. What's wrong with that?”
“Blaine wasn't the only Warbler who left to go to McKinley.” Nick pointed out, resting a hand briefly on Kurt's shoulder. “We lost just as much when Kurt left as when Blaine did, maybe more.”
Sebastian laughed derisively. “Oh really? His camp clothes and gay face? Not really much of a loss I'd have thought. As for his voice...”
"There's a lot more to Kurt than just voice or his looks. Both of which, I think, suit him just fine," Nick said with a smile, his eyes not leaving Sebastian.
Sebastian huffed, dismissively.
"He brought me homemade chicken soup when I had a stomach flu and couldn't keep anything down that came from the school kitchens," Thad said jumping to Kurt’s defense.
"And he nearly fell asleep at the wheel bringing it back here at 1am just so you wouldn't have to go to sleep hungry," Jon added. Thad nodded in agreement.
"And he gave me advice on what to wear for my first date with Julia," Trent supplied.
"Spangled pants and a see through top no doubt."
"No, actually." Trent took a step closer to Sebastian making him blanch slightly. "It was very smart, comfortable, and Julia loved it. She wants me to take Kurt everytime I go clothes shopping.” He glanced around, his cheeks pinking slightly. “She says I look like a deadbeat when I get to choose my own clothes."
The Warblers laughed softly in sympathy.
Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.
"Are you critisizing my girlfriend's taste?" Trent asked, the rest of the Warblers gathering around, the tension palpable.
"Guys," Nick called as Thad and Trent got a little too close for comfort. Despite his baby face and puppy dog demeanour, Nick knew from experience in Dalton’s fight club that Trent had a fearsome right hook and, satisfying as it may have been to let Trent loose, Nick did not relish trying to explain to the school authorities how Sebastian got a broken nose or jaw.
At Nick's nod, one by one, the Warblers reluctantly turned away from Sebastian and joined New Directions behind Kurt, the older members smiling and exchanging high fives with the friends they had made at competitions and at unofficial mixers like Kurt's Lonely Hearts Club Dinner at Breadstix the previous Valentine’s day.
“So this is how it's going to end is it?” Sebastian asked. “You're picking him over me?”
Nick glanced around as the Warblers nodded. “Looks that way.”
“Well, Blaine will still be mine. And when he is…” Sebastian trailed off, looking between the Warblers and New Directions to the parked cars beyond.
“Yes?” a voice asked.
Slowly people turned following Sebastian's gaze. They saw the light on in the cab of Finn's truck and a figure moving towards them through the glare of the headlights. As he came closer a ripple of recognition went through the groups.
Kurt, distracted by everything that had happened, kept his eyes on Sebastian.
“You were saying?” the voice continued, now at Kurt's shoulder making him jump.
“I…” Sebastian’s mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out as Blaine took Kurt’s hand in his and raised it to his mouth, kissing Kurt’s knuckles. Blaine’s heart hardened towards Sebastian as he saw the broken expression on Kurt’s face, almost exactly mirroring the look he had worn as he talked about the bullying he had been facing at McKinley the first day they met. Over time, Blaine had managed, more or less, to forgive Karofsky for what he had done to Kurt. Dave’s bullying had been the result of self loathing and fear. But Sebastian had set out to do this and, in that moment, Blaine was certain he could never forgive him.
Sebastian stared at Blaine and Kurt's intertwined fingers.
“You were saying?” Blaine repeated, turning back to Sebastian, his eyes cold.
Sebastian shook his head, looking around at the assembled teenagers.
“This isn't over,” he muttered, turning on his heel, followed by jeers and relieved shouts from New Directions and the Warblers.
As the rest of the group watched Sebastian disappear into the tress that hid the path back up to the school, Blaine turned to Kurt.
“I’m sorry.”
Kurt looked at him blankly, still trying to comprehend that not only was Blaine standing next to him but he had chosen him over the smooth and sophisticated Sebastian.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about Sebastian. Sorry I didn’t trust your judgement. Sorry about the fight.” Tears sparkled at the corners of Blaine’s eyes. “Sorry I…”
Pulling himself together Kurt placed a finger over Blaine's lips, silencing his protests.
“It’s okay,” Kurt whispered.
“No, no it’s not.”
“Yes, it is,” Kurt insisted. “For whatever crazy reason you chose me. That's all I need to know. Now, let's just forget it, agreed?”
Blaine nodded, looking at Kurt in wonderment, before pulling him into a kiss.
“Wait, why are you here?” Kurt asked suddenly, breaking the embrace. “No, let me guess - Finn?”
Blaine tried to look innocent, then smiled widely.
“He texted everyone with the details of when you were meeting Sebastian and accidently sent it to me as well.”
Kurt shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Sometimes I really worry about him.”
Blaine laughed briefly before Kurt pulled him back in for another, deeper, kiss.
They smiled, still kissing, as they heard laugher and wolf whistles all around them.
“Get a room guys,” Nick shouted over the hubbub, clapping them both on the shoulder.
Feeling light headed with relief and lack of oxygen, Kurt pulled away from Blaine and looked in awe at the large group gathered around him, tears in his eyes.
“Thank you,” he whispered as Blaine squeezed his hand.
“No problem.” Nick smiled, reaching out again and resting his hand on Kurt's shoulder. “Whether you believe it or not, you're one of us Kurt and once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?”
Summary:- Sebastian manoeuvres the Warblers into helping him secure his man of the moment, Blaine.
Rating:- Suitable for all
Word count:- 3,000 approx
A/N:- Inspired by various rumours and the pic in
this December 2011 spoiler post for 3:11 - Michael, but has nothing what-so-ever to do with the episode (as far as I know anyway).
Not beta-read or Ameripicked - please feel free to point out errors etc.
Comments and con-crit always, always, welcome. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer:- Glee belongs to RIB, Fox and others, not me sadly.
oOo
“Order, order.”
“You mock us, sir.”
“This is treason.”
“I. Will. Have. Order.”
Sebastian smiled as Nick banged his gavel on the Warbler Council’s desk a bit harder than was strictly necessary to bring the heated discussion to an end.
Give a Dalton man a desk and a gavel and he thinks he’s important.
“We can discuss the wearing of costumes for Regionals further at a later date,” Nick continued once he had quiet. “But for now I cede the floor to junior member Sebastian Smythe.”
Sebastian stood up. This was it - his chance to get, if not the man of his dreams, then certainly the man of the moment. He just needed to get the Warblers on side and that depended on the next few minutes.
“My fellow Warblers,” he began, his voice croaky. He cleared his throat and smiled. A couple of the Warblers smiled back encouragingly. “My fellow Warblers, I need your assistance. Simply put, I'm in love.” The Warblers smiles widened.
“If you need us to help you serenade your love,” Nick said, laughter in his voice, as a murmur went through the air. “The answer is no. We tried that last year, and let's just say, it didn't work out too well.”
Sebastian swallowed at the indirect mention of Blaine. He had heard all about the Gap Attack. “No, nothing like that. The person I like is in a relationship.” Suddenly, the Warblers became serious, their attention focussed exclusively on him. “It's over. For him at least,” Sebastian assured them. “But his partner needs to be convinced. I just need your help to show him that the person he professes to care for really would be better off with me.”
Nick looked between David and Thad beside him at the Council table then around the room trying to gauge the mood. “This is a most unusual request.”
“I know. And I wouldn't ask if I thought it wasn't necessary,” Sebastian assured them, sensing the mood of the meeting slip away from him.
Nick sat up straighter. “Why?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “Has this person been abusive?”
Sebastian grabbed for the lifeline. “Not physically but definitely mentally, I think,” he replied, his tone completely sincere.
Nick nodded, considering his response for a moment, then looked at the silent Warblers. “I realize this is not something we would normally get involved with but I think we should offer whatever support we can to a fellow Warbler and the people he cares about. All in favour of assisting Warbler Smythe.”
Slowly, one by one, hands rose into the air.
“Motion carried,” Nick announced with a crack of his gavel. He turned to Sebastian. “What do you need us to do?”
Relieved, Sebastian smiled and resisted the urge to punch the air. Getting the Warblers on side had been much easier than he had thought it would be. Their instinctive belief in truth, honour and fair play made them putty in his hands.
oOo
Three days later, as dusk settled, the Warblers sauntered along the path through the trees from Dalton’s main building to the secluded south parking lot where they would meet Sebastian's love rival. As they walked the chatted quietly amongst themselves, occasionally bursting into snatches of lyrics and harmonies.
Thad pulled at the neckline of the black T-shirt he was wearing. “I never thought I'd get used to being in a Dalton uniform all the time but this just feels wrong.” He glanced at Nick next to him and the line of boys in front, also, unusually, in their own clothes, all dark coloured denims and leather at Sebastian’s request. “The only time I ever see anyone out of uniform is just before lights out or during the summer break. Even off campus we're...” A gust of wind carried a voice through the still air from the parking lot, still hidden from view by the trees. “Isn't that...?”
Nick nodded. He too had recognised the voice and suddenly a lot of things that had been bothering him ever since Sebastian suggested this meeting made a lot more sense, Sebastian’s deliberate vagueness about who they would be meeting, the dark, tough guy, outfits that made them all feel ridiculous but looked very intimidating. “Just play along,” Nick advised, shooting a quick smile at a confused Thad.
As Sebastian, leading the procession of Warblers, broke through the trees he was confronted by a beast of a car, all shiny black and chrome. He paused. Surely that wasn't...
He relaxed as someone came round the side talking into his cell phone.
Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye Kurt looked up.
“Oh,” he muttered softly. “Look Dad, I need to go okay?” he continued. “Talk to you tomorrow?... Yeah, me too. Bye.”
Kurt snapped his phone shut.
“Kurt,” Sebastian acknowledged him with a nod.
Kurt ignored him watching the Warblers as they fell naturally into formation behind Sebastian as if they were about to launch into their latest Katy Perry or P!nk number. A heavy weight he had not felt for months settled on his shoulders. He had always known that the Warblers were Blaine's friends not his, not really. It made sense that the Warblers would side with Sebastian. Sebastian, like Blaine, fitted in here at Dalton in a way he never had or ever could. He, Kurt reflected, was too different, too much of an individual.
Kurt sighed. This evening, no, the last few days were just going from bad to worse. He had not been sleeping properly, worrying about this meeting, his grades and his skin suffering as a result, and just this morning he and Blaine had had their biggest fight ever resulting in his boyfriend, hopefully still his boyfriend, refusing to talk to him since.
“Give it up Kurt,” Sebastian suggested, getting immediately to the point, his voice smooth as silk. “New Directions is a joke, a hodgepodge of outcasts and misfits, who have to resort to violence to solve their problems. Blaine isn't just too good for you, he's too good for New Directions.”
Sebastian turned to face the Warblers, the rooftops and chimneys of Dalton's elegant main building peeking through the treetops behind them. “Blaine should be here, where he belongs.” Sebastian turned back, looking directly at Kurt. “Deep down you can't deny he'd be better off here, at Dalton, with the Warblers, safe, not with you, being picked on, even by members of your own group, people who are supposed to be his friends.” Sebastian smirked as Kurt looked at the ground remembering how Blaine had been treated by Finn and Santana. “And as for his future… think how much better Dalton would look on a college application.”
Kurt's shoulders slumped. He knew Blaine’s parents felt the same way. They had dropped enough not so subtle hints on the few occasions Kurt had met them. As far as they were concerned allowing Blaine to attend McKinley was simply letting him ‘have his head’, as they put it, for his Junior year and he would return to Dalton for the final push before going on to Yale or Harvard to study law or something similarly prestigious. Did Sebastian know this or was it a lucky guess, Kurt wondered. Did he know Blaine’s parents? Would they prefer Sebastian? Probably, he decided.
Kurt blinked back tears as every fear and doubt he had ever had about his relationship with Blaine came to the fore. Much as he hated to admit it maybe Sebastian was right - Dalton was where Blaine belonged, it always had been. And Kurt had manipulated Blaine into leaving with his talk of their being competitors and wanting his Senior year to be magical. Kurt thought about the Slushies and locker checks Blaine had received since he transferred and the black eye he had got from a 'misaimed' hockey puck one of Rick the Stick's goons had sent flying down one of the school corridors the previous week. As the nurse at the ER had taken great pains to point out, Blaine had been incredibly lucky it had just been a black eye, he could have lost his sight.
Sensing Kurt's walls breaking down Sebastian hammered home his advantage. “Look at yourself Kurt - why would Blaine possibly chose you over me?” Sebastian straightened up to his full height and resisted the urge to preen.
“I...” Kurt began before his voice trailed off.
“Give it up Kurt, admit you’ve lost. Admit you're not good enough for him.”
Sebastian stuck out his hand for Kurt to shake as though they were sealing a gentleman's agreement.
Kurt stared at the outstretched hand for a moment glancing away as a group of cars, lead by Finn’s truck, drove into the parking lot at speed.
“You okay bro?” Finn asked, jumping out of the drivers seat almost before the truck had stopped moving and running to Kurt.
Kurt looked at him open mouthed.
“I...” Finn paused before continuing in a rush. “lookedatyouremailswithoutpermission.” Finn ran all the words together and tried to avoid Kurt's stare.
Kurt looked at his brother in disbelief until he was distracted by the other members of New Directions tumbling out of the cars and standing nervously beside him.
“Not only did you read my e-mails you told everyone in Glee?” Kurt asked, his voice cool. He paused as another car pulled into the parking lot. “You told Lauren?” he moaned, rubbing his temple trying to relieve an impending headache. “She's not even in New Directions anymore.”
Finn had the grace to look sheepish. “I didn't mean to, dude. She heard me telling Mike and Tina and she demanded she come along. Something about you and yellow meringues at Prom?” He looked at Kurt confused, hoping it made more sense to his brother than it did to him.
Sebastian cleared his throat. “You agreed to come alone Kurt.”
“I didn't ask them to come,” Kurt protested feebly. “Finn read my private e-mails. He told everyone else.”
“Just as well he did,” Puck muttered nodding to the Warblers. “Wouldn't want this to be an unfair fight, would we?” He cracked his knuckles.
“Fight?” Kurt asked, eyes wide in shock.
Sebastian shrugged, non-committal. “If that’s what it takes.”
The Warblers shifted uncomfortably. This was not shaping up to be the simple intervention they had envisaged. They looked at Nick for guidance, settling a little at his confident smile.
Puck, Sam and Finn straightened, Puck flexing his guns in his tight fitting t-shirt. Lauren growled and punched her fist into her palm, making some of the Warblers blanch.
Kurt swallowed hard. Was it even possible for this day to get any worse? The idea of being the cause of a fist fight made him sick to his stomach. Kurt had been on the receiving end of enough punches to know how much they hurt.
Suddenly incredibly tired and just wanting to go home and curl up in bed until the world went away, Kurt sighed. He wanted to fight for Blaine as he had had to do for so many things in life, selfishly he wanted to keep Blaine for himself but so much of what Sebastian said made sense. Blaine really would be better off at Dalton and really under all the better-than-the-world attitude what did he, the camp, repressed, motherless boy from Podunk, Ohio, have to offer in comparison to the well travelled, experienced, Sebastian?
“Come on Kurt,” Sebastian goaded, sensing victory. “Tell me, why would Blaine choose you?”
“Maybe because he's honest, kind and a team player, unlike some I could mention.”
Kurt's hand froze halfway to meeting Sebastian’s as a voice rang out from the back of the assembled Warblers.
Sebastian spun round, shock evident on his face, as the Warblers parted like the Red Sea to let Nick through.
“Hey Kurt,” Nick casually greeted his former teammate. “Good to see you.”
Kurt stared at him, speechless.
“You just don't get it do you?” Nick continued, turning to Sebastian.
“Don't get what?” Sebastian asked, his superior demeanour back full force as he looked down his nose at Nick.
“People are not your plaything. The Warblers will not be pawns in your little mind games. And as for your treatment of a fellow Warbler...” Nick paused trying to find the right words to express his disgust.
Sebastian smirked. “I'm Blaine's biggest fan. I'm merely trying to get him to return to where he belongs. What's wrong with that?”
“Blaine wasn't the only Warbler who left to go to McKinley.” Nick pointed out, resting a hand briefly on Kurt's shoulder. “We lost just as much when Kurt left as when Blaine did, maybe more.”
Sebastian laughed derisively. “Oh really? His camp clothes and gay face? Not really much of a loss I'd have thought. As for his voice...”
"There's a lot more to Kurt than just voice or his looks. Both of which, I think, suit him just fine," Nick said with a smile, his eyes not leaving Sebastian.
Sebastian huffed, dismissively.
"He brought me homemade chicken soup when I had a stomach flu and couldn't keep anything down that came from the school kitchens," Thad said jumping to Kurt’s defense.
"And he nearly fell asleep at the wheel bringing it back here at 1am just so you wouldn't have to go to sleep hungry," Jon added. Thad nodded in agreement.
"And he gave me advice on what to wear for my first date with Julia," Trent supplied.
"Spangled pants and a see through top no doubt."
"No, actually." Trent took a step closer to Sebastian making him blanch slightly. "It was very smart, comfortable, and Julia loved it. She wants me to take Kurt everytime I go clothes shopping.” He glanced around, his cheeks pinking slightly. “She says I look like a deadbeat when I get to choose my own clothes."
The Warblers laughed softly in sympathy.
Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.
"Are you critisizing my girlfriend's taste?" Trent asked, the rest of the Warblers gathering around, the tension palpable.
"Guys," Nick called as Thad and Trent got a little too close for comfort. Despite his baby face and puppy dog demeanour, Nick knew from experience in Dalton’s fight club that Trent had a fearsome right hook and, satisfying as it may have been to let Trent loose, Nick did not relish trying to explain to the school authorities how Sebastian got a broken nose or jaw.
At Nick's nod, one by one, the Warblers reluctantly turned away from Sebastian and joined New Directions behind Kurt, the older members smiling and exchanging high fives with the friends they had made at competitions and at unofficial mixers like Kurt's Lonely Hearts Club Dinner at Breadstix the previous Valentine’s day.
“So this is how it's going to end is it?” Sebastian asked. “You're picking him over me?”
Nick glanced around as the Warblers nodded. “Looks that way.”
“Well, Blaine will still be mine. And when he is…” Sebastian trailed off, looking between the Warblers and New Directions to the parked cars beyond.
“Yes?” a voice asked.
Slowly people turned following Sebastian's gaze. They saw the light on in the cab of Finn's truck and a figure moving towards them through the glare of the headlights. As he came closer a ripple of recognition went through the groups.
Kurt, distracted by everything that had happened, kept his eyes on Sebastian.
“You were saying?” the voice continued, now at Kurt's shoulder making him jump.
“I…” Sebastian’s mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out as Blaine took Kurt’s hand in his and raised it to his mouth, kissing Kurt’s knuckles. Blaine’s heart hardened towards Sebastian as he saw the broken expression on Kurt’s face, almost exactly mirroring the look he had worn as he talked about the bullying he had been facing at McKinley the first day they met. Over time, Blaine had managed, more or less, to forgive Karofsky for what he had done to Kurt. Dave’s bullying had been the result of self loathing and fear. But Sebastian had set out to do this and, in that moment, Blaine was certain he could never forgive him.
Sebastian stared at Blaine and Kurt's intertwined fingers.
“You were saying?” Blaine repeated, turning back to Sebastian, his eyes cold.
Sebastian shook his head, looking around at the assembled teenagers.
“This isn't over,” he muttered, turning on his heel, followed by jeers and relieved shouts from New Directions and the Warblers.
As the rest of the group watched Sebastian disappear into the tress that hid the path back up to the school, Blaine turned to Kurt.
“I’m sorry.”
Kurt looked at him blankly, still trying to comprehend that not only was Blaine standing next to him but he had chosen him over the smooth and sophisticated Sebastian.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about Sebastian. Sorry I didn’t trust your judgement. Sorry about the fight.” Tears sparkled at the corners of Blaine’s eyes. “Sorry I…”
Pulling himself together Kurt placed a finger over Blaine's lips, silencing his protests.
“It’s okay,” Kurt whispered.
“No, no it’s not.”
“Yes, it is,” Kurt insisted. “For whatever crazy reason you chose me. That's all I need to know. Now, let's just forget it, agreed?”
Blaine nodded, looking at Kurt in wonderment, before pulling him into a kiss.
“Wait, why are you here?” Kurt asked suddenly, breaking the embrace. “No, let me guess - Finn?”
Blaine tried to look innocent, then smiled widely.
“He texted everyone with the details of when you were meeting Sebastian and accidently sent it to me as well.”
Kurt shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Sometimes I really worry about him.”
Blaine laughed briefly before Kurt pulled him back in for another, deeper, kiss.
They smiled, still kissing, as they heard laugher and wolf whistles all around them.
“Get a room guys,” Nick shouted over the hubbub, clapping them both on the shoulder.
Feeling light headed with relief and lack of oxygen, Kurt pulled away from Blaine and looked in awe at the large group gathered around him, tears in his eyes.
“Thank you,” he whispered as Blaine squeezed his hand.
“No problem.” Nick smiled, reaching out again and resting his hand on Kurt's shoulder. “Whether you believe it or not, you're one of us Kurt and once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?”