Chapter 12

Kurt feels weird about going back to work after being gone so long. In some ways, it feels a little like that first amateur night where he had to wear a mask to get through his performance. But he's only about three-quarters of his way to fully funding his fall wardrobe and coffee habit for six months in New York.

So Friday night, he sets foot in Shades for the first time in weeks and slips easily back into his hidden life. It's scary how good he's gotten at lying and sneaking around. Besides, it's good acting practice. And at least he doesn't have to hide from Blaine.

Blaine promised to help him rehearse for his NYADA audition, which is rapidly approaching, and their friendship seems to be back on track after their conversation on Wednesday. And he can deal with a little bit of stage fright. That's familiar territory.

Kurt tries to push aside the hope that Blaine might show up at Shades tonight. He pushes it aside because he's truly happy they're friends and he doesn't need Blaine making bedroom eyes at him to screw that up. Still there's a small part of him looking for a certain gel helmet and bowtie in the front row that night. It's probably why he doesn't notice a tall, slightly familiar, meerkat-faced brunette lurking in the back corner of the club, devouring Kurt's every move.

Sebastian enters Shades Friday night with a sly grin on his face. After finally realizing this is the only club within a hundred miles where Kurt could possibly work, he decided to check out the show.

Admittedly, Kurt isn't Sebastian's usual type, but something had caught Blaine's attention and he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now that he has Blaine right where he wants him, Sebastian is determined more than ever to get under Kurt's skin.

Sebastian turns up his nose at the slightly less than desirable crowd. Is that a trucker cap? And what the hell is that music? Is someone strangling a cat?

But what does he expect from a strip club in Lima, Ohio?

It's a testament to his determination that he's even here, but from the moment Blaine let it slip that Kurt was an exotic dancer, he knew he had to seduce both boys. They're like the perfect set of teen gay trophies. Besides, Sebastian never backs away from a challenge. And this will definitely be a challenge.

He takes a seat near the back, making sure to keep out of sight. He doesn't want Kurt to spot him before Sebastian gets to see him on stage.

Sebastian sits through a half dozen or so ridiculously obnoxious numbers from well-toned, shockingly orange meatheads before the opening notes of a Lady Gaga song grabs his interest. And even though he's not really a fan of Gaga, he's intrigued because the last three numbers were outdated, clichéd dance tunes that Sebastian instantly knew would not be the guy he'd come to see. But something about this one tells him that this is probably it.

Sure enough, a familiar slender form struts onto the stage to the opening notes of "Teeth." Sebastian wants to roll his eyes at the scene unfolding in front of him because Kurt is wearing fingerless black leather gloves and a white button up shirt, with a long silk scarf tied around his neck. It's ridiculous really. Well, it is until he starts to remove the scarf.

Suddenly Sebastian cannot take his eyes off of Kurt. There's something about the way he's moving across the stage, peeling off layer after layer with long, nimble fingers. Every movement is so fucking graceful and damned if Kurt isn't the most flexible person Sebastian has ever seen in real life.

The song he's dancing to is deliciously dirty and fits Kurt's movements so perfectly, Sebastian thinks he might have to change his opinion on Gaga a bit.

Tell me something that'll change me
I'm gonna love you with my hands tied.

If Kurt wasn't such a stuck-up bitch, it might be a turn on the way he arches his back into a perfect back bend and stands upright again without even the slightest hint of a struggle. But the way he extends his legs and does a full split, that's definitely a turn on because holy shit, his legs are long. Sebastian's been with some flexible partners before, and even he can nearly bend himself in half, but honestly what guy over the age of 12 has that kind of flexibility?

And the fucking lyrics to this song, who is he kidding?

When he finally tears his eyes away from the sight of Kurt's firm thighs grasping a tall metal poll near the front of the stage, Sebastian notices that nearly every other guy in the place is fixated on Kurt as well. He's definitely popular.

Show me your teeth
Open your mouth, boy
Show me your teeth
Show me what ya got
Show me your teeth

The chorus hits and the guys closest to the stage are not only being treated to what looks like the best eye fucking anyone has ever been given, but they're handing Kurt money left and right.

Well now that's surprising, isn't it? Sebastian can't believe the amount of money Kurt, or rather "Dalton" — the irony of the name amuses Sebastian more than he cares to admit — is taking in. He could really have any guy in the place. Suddenly Sebastian is determined to be the only one "having" Kurt tonight. He makes his way over to the bar.

"Who do I need to see about a private with one of your dancers?" Sebastian asks the bartender.

"Check with Vince," the bartender answers, pointing toward a broad, muscular guy at the end of the bar. "He'll set you up."

Sebastian recognizes him as the bouncer that checked his ID. "Thanks," he shouts over the final notes of the Lady Gaga number.

"The ever-sexy Dalton, everyone!" calls the announcer.

Sebastian watches as Kurt gathers the last of his tips, taking a few 20s with his teeth.

Fucking tease.

Sebastian turns and saunters over to Vince, hoping the cocky smile on his face is more believable than it feels.

"Vince?" he asks, even though he knows he's talking to the right guy. The bouncer just nods and stares at Sebastian.

"Um, I was wondering how much it would cost to get a private dance?"

"Depends on which dancer you want, kid. Did you have someone special in mind?" Vince asks, taking a long pull on his drink.

"Dalton," he says simply. No point in beating around the bush.

Vince nearly chokes at Sebastian's response. Laughter tumbles from his mouth and annoys Sebastian to his toes.

"You don't have enough money, kid. Dalton doesn't do privates."

"Tell him he can name his price," Sebastian says as firmly as he can. "And my name's not 'kid;' it's Sebastian."

Before Vince can respond to Sebastian, an argument near the men's room catches his attention. Two men are shouting at each other. The only words Sebastian can make out are "fucking" and "cocksucker." One of the guys shoves the other, and Vince is off his stool and halfway across the club before Sebastian even knows he's gone.

Shit.

"You want a private with Dalton, huh?"

Sebastian whips his head around and comes face to face with a tall, blonde man that he saw dance earlier. He had been writhing on stage in a bright green thong to "I'm Sexy And I Know It" and trying a little too hard for Sebastian's taste.

"I don't see why that's any of your business," Sebastian sneers.

"It's not, but if you'd like a private, I'll gladly do it, babe."

"No thanks," he says turning back to see if Vince has managed to break up the fight yet. He's pulling one of the guys back by his jacket and dragging him toward the exit.

"You sure? I give one hell of a lap dance." He trails his finger along Sebastian's sleeve.

"I'm sure," Sebastian says turning back to the dancer with an annoyed look on his face.

"Your loss," the dancer says smiling, "I'll go talk to Dalton for you, if you want. See what I can do."

Momentarily caught off guard, Sebastian stares open-mouthed at the guy for a minute before managing a mumbled "thanks."

"Oh, don't mention it. This is going to be good," he says.

Sebastian has no clue what the dancer is talking about, but he can't ask because he's already slipping through a door near the bar, presumably to go find "Dalton" and talk to him about the private.

Sebastian sighs and leans heavily on the bar.

Kurt is prepping for his second number, reapplying makeup and fixing his hair when Mike comes barreling into the dressing room.

"God, Mike, I can smell your disgusting cologne from a mile away."

"Yeah, I missed you too, Hummel," Mike says, smirking. "You should be nice to me, you know."

"And why is that?" Kurt asks, his patience waning.

"I have information you might be interested in," Mike says, suddenly very interested in fixing his hair in the mirror.

Kurt drops his moisturizer on the counter with a thud and turns to face Mike. He glares at him for a beat before Mike breaks into a grin.

"Alright, alright," he says, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Your boy toy is here, and he asked about you."

Kurt misses the wink Mike throws his way because he's suddenly looking around the room frantically in disbelief.

Blaine's here. Shit. OK, calm down. Just breathe.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Kurt asks, feigning indifference as best he can. He knows from the heated flush he feels burning in his cheeks that he's probably blushing, but he can't bring himself to look in the mirror just yet. He doesn't want to know if his face is betraying him.

"That's the best part," Mike says suggestively. "He wants a private. Says to name your price."

Before Mike has finished his sentence, Kurt feels like he can't breathe. It's as if all the air has been sucked from the room, and he can feel blood rushing through his ears and amplifying the sound of his rapidly increasing heartbeat.

Kurt licks his lips and swallows trying to will some saliva back into his suddenly dry mouth. Mike is laughing now, but Kurt can't bring himself to care.

"My price?"

Kurt is unable to form a sentence longer than that. Mike stops laughing and looks seriously at Kurt.

"What should I tell him?" he asks.

Yes, what should he tell him? If he's asking for a private he has only one thing in mind. But it's Blaine. Gorgeous, sweet, sexy, perfect, if not just a little bit dorky, Blaine. His best friend Blaine. His best friend, who just maybe Kurt wants to be more than friends with despite every thing he's ever said and his better judgment, Blaine.

Maybe he just wants to talk.

"Um, tell him I'll be there in five," Kurt says, praying he can figure out what he wants to do or say in the next five minutes. He can't believe he's agreeing to this but he has to see what Blaine wants.

Mike grins broadly at him and turns to head back out into the club. He stops in the doorway and turns to face Kurt.

"You know if you ever get bored with him, I'd be happy to take him off your hands," Mike says.

"Ha ha," Kurt says, throwing a half empty tube of moisturizer at him.

Mike leaves, laughing to himself. Kurt whips around to finally take a look at his face in the mirror. He's definitely flushed, but he also looks a bit giddy. Like he's suddenly gotten the best Christmas present.

Kurt wonders if maybe this isn't the answer to all their problems. All the sexual tension and flirty looks. All the want and need and frustration. Maybe they just need to get it out of their system in a controlled environment. Sure. It will be easier this way.

Kurt, no … Dalton can be as erotic and sexual as he wants to be, and that's OK because Blaine knows it's a performance. Then they can go back to being friends because they'll have both gotten a taste of what they wanted without the worry of screwing it all up with sex or feelings. It's perfect.

The smile on Kurt's face when he looks in the mirror may be a little forced, but it's a smile. He can do this. He just needs the right song.

After Vince recites the clubs rules and exits through a door at the back of the room, Sebastian looks around the private lounge and takes in the cheesy red vinyl benches and hideous stained carpet.

"This dance better be hot," he says out loud to himself as he takes a seat on the bench opposite the door.

He only waits another minute or two until he hears the sound system kick on and the opening notes of a familiar David Bowie song flood the room.

I could escape this feeling, with my China girl.

Sebastian turns his head toward the door in time to see Kurt enter, eyes down as he saunters seductively into the room. His fitted leather pants and tight, grey T-shirt accentuate every single muscle in his lithe body, and despite Sebastian's usual attraction to a slightly more masculine type, it hasn't escaped his attention that Kurt has an absolutely gorgeous body. And he's definitely all male.

Sebastian licks his lips and shifts in his seat so he can turn his body in Kurt's direction.

Kurt is obviously in performance mode because he still hasn't looked up and is completely unaware of Sebastian's presence. He's moving just as sexually as he had on stage and Sebastian doesn't want to break the spell, so he doesn't move or speak.

As the first verse of the song ends, Kurt looks up. When his eyes fall on Sebastian, he shrieks.

"YOU!"

"Hi beautiful," Sebastian says through hooded eyes and a raised eyebrow. "Happy to see me?

Kurt is so shocked to see Sebastian, he freezes on the spot, gaping at the other boy.

"Oh come on now," Sebastian says, rising from his seat on the bench. "Don't be shy. You were so into it a moment ago."

Sebastian's movement seems to have gotten Kurt's brain working again because he manages to grab the remote for the sound system and turn off the music. The sudden shock of silence makes the room feel incredibly small and too warm. But it's given Kurt a bit of confidence.

"That's before I saw your obnoxious little rat face," Kurt spits.

"Kurt," Sebastian purrs. "Play nice now." He saunters over to Kurt and grazes his chin with a long finger as he leans in close to whisper in Kurt's ear. "I'm paying good money for this."

Kurt visibly recoils and reaches his arms around himself as if to shield his body from Sebastian's view. His breathing is rapid and shallow, and he can feel adrenalin coursing through his body. Every atom of him is telling him to run out of the room, but for some reason he's glued to the spot.

"What do you want, Sebastian?"

"Well, I was just enjoying an evening at the strip club, getting my drink on when this pretty little princess starts sashaying across the stage. Imagine my shock, when I saw that it was my little Blainers' boy toy. I mean, what would sweet, innocent Kurt Hummel be doing in a place like this?"

Sebastian's tone is all faux sweetness and sugar, and Kurt can feel the punch coming. He's bracing for it.

"Is there a point to all this?" he asks, no longer shaking, but still unable to move.

"Why don't you come have a seat," Sebastian says, gesturing toward the benches. "I have a proposition for you."

Kurt just glares at him, lifting his chin slightly, and says, "I think I'll stand."

"Suit yourself."

Sebastian makes his way back over to the bench and lounges comfortably, his arms resting in a T shape across the back of the bench. He grins up at Kurt.

"Interesting choice of stage names, Dalton," he scoffs. "I barely recognized you without your bitch face. Lucky for me I have an excellent memory."

"Get to the point," Kurt says. "I'm kind of on the clock here."

Sebastian shifts forward in his seat, resting his forearms on his thighs. His entire demeanor has changed. He's no longer seductive and teasing, but predatory. He glares harshly at Kurt.

"So here's how it's going to work, twink. You're going to give me the best damned lap dance of my life and in return," he says, pausing for dramatic effect and raking his eyes over Kurt's body. "I won't tell your precious friends or your grease monkey father what you really do with your Friday nights."

Finally catching on to Sebastian's motive, Kurt's expression shifts from disdain to shock and he is practically shaking with rage.

"You're blackmailing me?" he manages to hiss out.

"It would appear that way, sweetheart," Sebastian says leaning back into the bench once again. "Now are you going to give me that lap dance, or am I making a phone call to dear daddy?"

Kurt stares blankly at Sebastian for a moment, considering the situation. The idea is repulsive to say the least, but it's just one lap dance. What's the harm in that? Plus, he's pretty sure Sebastian will pay well…he's wearing more than one high-end piece of clothing and he goes to a swank private school. If he's half as well off as Blaine's family, he's good for it.

But even though Kurt is horrified at the idea of giving Sebastian a lap dance, he's even more terrified of Burt finding out about the stripping. And that's why he's about to start crawling on all fours toward the one person he'd like to see chucked off a cliff.

"Fine," Kurt says, putting on the best bitch face he can muster in this moment. "But we stick to the club rules. Keep your filthy hands to yourself."

Sebastian smiles lecherously.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of defiling my body with you," he says. "I just like watching you move. Now turn that music back on and get over here."

Kurt rolls his eyes, and reaches for the remote. Bowie's voice fills the room and suddenly Kurt wishes he had chosen anything else to dance to. When he had picked this song, he'd had Blaine on his mind, thinking he would love the reference. But now it just feels wrong and the lyrics are too dirty. Unfortunately there's no backing out now. Kurt just tries to go with it.

He drops down to his hands and knees and begins crawling seductively toward Sebastian. He's trying his best to get into the song and imagine he's dancing for … well maybe not Blaine per se, but anyone else. Anyone but Sebastian. And Blaine is definitely not Sebastian.

It's hard to focus because Sebastian knew exactly where to hit him to do the most damage and it's so fucking unfair. Why did Kurt have to come back to work tonight? Why couldn't he have waited until Saturday? Why did Sebastian have to choose Shades tonight. He could have just gone to Scandals like every other gay kid with a fake ID in Lima and just get plowed. Nope, instead he decided to come here and just so happened to make it in time to see Kurt dance. Fucking perfect.

When he nears the bench Sebastian is sitting on, Kurt rises up on his knees and places his hands on Sebastian's thighs. He throws his head back and rolls to a standing position almost directly between Sebastian's knees. He peels off his shirt and throws it over his shoulder before bending down to remove his pants, not taking much care with how he wriggles out of them. Sebastian asked for a lap dance, not a show. No harm in getting down to business a little faster.

Once his pants are gone, Kurt easily straddles Sebastian's narrow hips and starts grinding in the taller boy's lap. He watches Sebastian's face and can see a slight flush in his cheeks.

Oh god, he's kind of into this.

Kurt closes his eyes and just listens to the song, trying to center himself.

And when I get excited
My little China girl says
"Oh baby, just you shut your mouth"

He lets the raw energy of Bowie's voice drive him through the performance, twisting and gyrating in Sebastian's lap. Kurt can feel hot breath on his chest as he arches his back and the sensation isn't nearly as unpleasant as it should be.

She says, 'Shhhhhhh'
She says, 'Shhhhhhh'

Kurt punctuates each "shh" with his finger to his lips, rotating his hips in time with the beat. Sebastian's eyes are wide and his pupils are dilated. He licks his lips every time Kurt puts his finger to his own lips.

Kurt can't help but be amused by Sebastian's obvious arousal. There's a slight power shift while he's dancing and it gives Kurt a shot of confidence as he leans back and extricates himself from Sebastian's lap. He turns around and reaches for the floor so that his ass, gloriously tight and round underneath his black briefs, is inches from Sebastian's face. He hears a slight gasp escape from his blackmailer's lips and knows that he's definitely not imagining the shift in power now. He's in control for the moment.

Sebastian is gripping his own thighs tightly, obviously resisting the urge to reach out and touch Kurt. He's definitely into it, but still managing to follow the rules. Kurt turns to face Sebastian as he runs a trailing hand down his torso, caressing his body all the way down to his right thigh. He watches Sebastian's Adam's apple bob as he swallows heavily, and he hears a shuddering breath escapes his lips.

As the music fades out, Kurt stands up to his full height and places his hands on his hips. The expression on his face is a challenge, and Sebastian takes the bait.

"Well, Tinkerbell, that was better than I expected, but you're going to have to do better than that."

Kurt's face falls. He's sure he's just given Sebastian an absolutely amazing lap dance and he doesn't understand. He recovers quickly and shifts his gaze to a glare.

"Your decidedly unimpressive erection would indicate otherwise," Kurt sneers, nodding toward Sebastian's lap.

Sebastian is up from his seat like a flash, grabbing Kurt by the neck, just forcefully enough to assert his dominance, but not enough to cause Kurt any real pain. The sudden movement thrusts Kurt back into the scratchy fabric covering the walls and he's pinned by the weight of Sebastian's torso. Sebastian trails his free hand down Kurt's chest and abdomen, following it with his eyes. When his fingers pause and hook into the waistband of Kurt's underwear, he looks up and meets Kurt's eyes with a fierce gaze.

"Listen here, Shirley Temple. I don't think you understand how this works. We're done when I say we're done. Otherwise," he pauses and steps back a bit, snapping the elastic of the waistband, "I tell everyone your little secret. And your dancing days are done, my friend."

Kurt swallows heavily and reaches up to touch his neck where the skin is still burning from the sudden intrusion of Sebastian's touch. Barely able to breath, Kurt simply nods.

"I'll be in touch," Sebastian says. "Oh, and don't worry… I won't tell Blaine." With that Sebastian gives Kurt one last parting wink, and reenters the noisy club.

The second the door closes behind Sebastian's retreating form, Kurt falls to his knees, already shaking. He breathes in deeply and collapses over his thighs releasing choking sobs as he hugs his bare chest.