"This never happened," Carson declared as he rooted around on the bedroom floor for his clothes. He could feel Luke's eyes on him, watching every little move he made, which only served to make him nervous as he fumbled with the buttons on his jeans.

"Sure," was the sarcastic response from the bed, and Carson chanced a glance over in Luke's direction, instantly wishing he hadn't. The other man was fixing him with the cocky grin that Carson was quickly discovering his trademark, and it did absolutely nothing to strengthen his resolve as he reached down for his discarded T-shirt.

"I mean it," he insisted as he pulled the shirt down over his head. "This never happened."

"Right, right," said Luke, playing along even as his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Never happened. Must have been fucking a ghost, then. A ghost that, by the way, made me come harder than I have in my life."

Carson's cheeks flushed as he finished dressing and searched around for his shoes. "There, you've got it."

"So, when can I expect to see you again?" asked Luke casually, as though the last few sentences of their exchange hadn't happened at all.

Carson rolled his eyes. "You're not exactly great at getting the point, are you?"

"Ok, ok, ok," sighed Luke. "Never happened, got it."

Carson tied his shoes and took a quick glance at himself in the mirror. "I will, however, commend you sincerely on a job well done."

"I have to admit, you're the first one who ever passed out," said Luke cheekily. "Are you positive you won't be coming back for seconds?"

"Not on your life," Carson declared through gritted teeth as he made his way out of the bedroom and toward the apartment door.

"You have my number!" he heard Luke shout as he marched out the door and shut it behind him.

Nope, never happened. I am fully in control of myself, Carson insisted silently as he made his way out onto the street and tracked down a taxi. This was absolutely a one time thing, and will never ever happen again. Ever.

Seriously, I mean it.

He paid the taxi driver as they pulled the car up to his building and trudged his way to his own flat, thoroughly exhausted after his afternoon spent in the company of Luke. All he really wanted at this point was a hot shower before he collapsed into bed and slept for hours.

He immediately stripped himself of his clothes as soon as he was inside the flat, walking directly into the bathroom and turning the faucet in the bathtub. Pleasant, warm water rained down as he stepped inside, flowing over his skin like a mini trip to heaven. He let it wash over him, his eyes closed as he thought back to the events of the afternoon. The way Luke had just manhandled him like he weighed nothing. The smell of his skin, the girth of his cock inside of him.

Ugh, Carson stop it.

The sound of Luke's grunts as he thrust inside of him.

Stop!

The sexy way his hair flopped over his forehead as he threw Carson's legs apart.

Stooooooooooooooooop.

Clearly, telling himself to quit thinking about it wasn't working, judging by the interested twitching his dick was doing as it slowly began to stand at attention. He'd have to think of unsexy things, that's all. Let's see. Garbage cans. Men who wore socks with sandals. Highwater pants. Elmo. Lady Gaga.

Luke's chiseled chest as he stripped his shirt off.

Oh GODDAMMIT.

His dick, undeterred by his efforts to keep it in check, was continuing to harden, and Carson sighed deeply beneath the cascade of hot water.

Ok. Ok, dick. You win. But this is just our little secret, ok?

He reached down and began to stroke himself, biting his lip and closing his eyes as his imagination filled with the image of Luke, completely nude, pressing him up against a wall and holding him up by his legs around his waist, his huge cock thrusting in and out of him at a pace that showed no concern for allowing Carson time to catch his breath. He imagined the feel of it inside of him, stretching him open as he worked his hand around his own erection and let out a moan. He felt a stirring of warmth deep in his stomach as he imagined Luke, unable to hold him up anymore while thrusting so violently, throwing him on the floor instead and having his way with him right there, Carson's back becoming prickly with rug burn as Luke pounded into him.

"Unngh," Carson moaned, jerking himself faster as his climax approached. "Fuck… fuck fuck fuck…" He imagined straddling Luke's thighs, riding him with reckless abandon as that delicious dick filled him to capacity, and…

"Auuugh," he cried out, spilling over his own hand as he worked himself through his orgasm, using one hand pressed against the shower wall to keep himself upright. He breathed hard as he watched his seed be washed down the drain, the evidence of his little trip to imagination land quickly disappearing and leaving no trace.

Good, he thought to himself, now that he was sated and blissed out. Got that out of my system.

Let that be the last of it.

"Morning, beautiful."

The sound of Sebastian's soft whisper stirred Kurt out of his slumber as he blinked his eyes opened and yawned, the sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows greeting him with a new day.

"Wh'time is it," he mumbled, yawning again as he squinted over at the clock beside their bed.

"It's a bit past nine," replied Sebastian, his fingers trailing lazily over Kurt's naked chest as he placed a warm kiss to the side of his neck. "I wouldn't have woken you up, but you said you wanted to go to the mall today to hit some sales, so…."

"Oh my god, that's right!" Kurt exclaimed, suddenly wide awake. "Thank god for no class today. Were you going to come with me?"

Sebastian balked. "You're not going to make me try on clothes, are you?"

"No, I'm going to make you watch while I try on clothes."

"Ok, that I can deal with," said Sebastian with a yawn. "We can make a day of it. Have lunch at the food court and stuff."

"Mmm. Chinese food?" asked Kurt eagerly.

"Whatever your little heart wants. Of couuuuurse," Sebastian added, placing another kiss to Kurt's collarbone, "We could also skip the mall entirely and just stay in bed all day."

Kurt giggled at the ticklish sensation. "You didn't get enough last night?"

"Mmm, no," Sebastian said as he worked his way down to a nipple, teasing it with his tongue. "There's no such thing as enough when it comes to… that."

"You're insatiable," said Kurt, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation for a moment as Sebastian lavished him with kisses over his chest and neck.

"Does that mean yes?" asked Sebastian hopefully.

Kurt smiled. "It means yes…. After we get home from the mall."

Sebastian groaned. "Uuuugh. Ok."

They got out of bed and got showered and dressed, both of them completely ready in a record forty-five minutes.

"Piggyback you to the elevator?" Sebastian offered as they headed out the door.

"I'm never one to refuse a chariot ride," replied Kurt, allowing Sebastian to hoist him unto his back and carry him down the hallway toward the lift.

"At your service," said Sebastian, bring them both inside the small box as Kurt held on tightly. "First floor," he said to the woman already in the elevator, who smiled at them and pressed the appropriate button.

"Aren't you two a cute little couple," she cooed as Kurt blushed.

"Thank you," Sebastian beamed. "I love him to bits."

"Calm down, boy," Kurt teased, pressing a kiss into the top of his hair.

The mall wasn't nearly as crowded as Kurt expected when they arrived there, and he counted this as a blessing as he immediately dragged Sebastian into the stores he had on his itinerary.

"Hey," said Sebastian out of the blue after about an hour of shopping, stopping in his tracks as they passed by a busy department store on their way to the food court. "Let's go in here."

"Why?" asked Kurt, confused. "That place is mostly linens."

"I know," replied Sebastian. "I was just thinking that maybe we could, like… pick out some new bedding or something?"

"What's wrong with the bedding we have now?" asked Kurt with a laugh.

Sebastian shrugged. "I don't know. There's nothing wrong with it, but… I mean, if the flat is going to be our flat from now on, don't you want to have a hand in the way it looks?"

Kurt tilted his head and smiled at his boyfriend as a warm, fuzzy feeling started developing deep in his stomach. "That's sweet, Bas, but I really have no issue with the bedding we already have."

"Oh come on," Sebastian teased, reaching out to lightly tickle his shoulder. "Be honest, it's totally not the kind you would have picked."

Kurt bit his lip and wrinkled his nose, trying to give it legitimate thought. "Well…."

"Come ooooon," prodded Sebastian.

"Well…. Ok, I'll admit that plaid isn't exactly the pattern I would have gone with if it were me, but…"

"See? Come on, I want the flat to feel like it's just as much yours as it is mine," said Sebastian, linking his arm through Kurt's and leading him into the store. "Let's pick out new bedding."

Kurt sighed and allowed himself to be led through the maze of assorted home goods toward the comforters and sheets. "Ok, fine, you win. So, do I get to pick anything I want, or..?"

"Anything," said Sebastian firmly. "Well…"

"Well what?"

"As long as it isn't, like… floral print or something," amended Sebastian.

"Ok, do I look like some sort of monster?" protested Kurt, pretending to be offended as he gave Sebastian a light punch on the arm. "Floral prints are for curtains, not bedding."

"Ok, then."

"And speaking of curtains, as long as we're picking out new linens, the bathroom really needs some," added Kurt. "Of any print. I always feel like the people in the building across the way can see in the window, and I am not putting on a free show here."

"True," Sebastian agreed. "We'll hit the curtain section next. For now, let's focus on the bed."

"When aren't you ever focused on the bed?" Kurt purred suggestively, grinning as Sebastian blushed bright red.

"Give me a break, can you blame me?" he retorted. "Look at yourself."

"Yes, yes, I'm very hot," Kurt teased, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips. "Now, let's concentrate on picking out stuff so we can finish and hit the food court, because I'm borderline starving."

"What about this one?" Sebastian suggested, pointing at a display bed decorated with a comforter that sported black striped against a bright green background.

"Sure, that one is lovely," replied Kurt. "If you're keen on going blind every time you look at it."

"Ok, that's a no go," agreed Sebastian.

"What about this?" asked Kurt, indicating a second display bed, this one adorned with geometric shapes in various shades of blue. Sebastian tilted his head and considered it, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Maybe, but isn't it kind of busy?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Kurt. "How about polka dots?"

'What are we, twelve?"

"Polka dots are for all ages!"

"All ages twelve and below."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Ok, who says it even has to be a pattern at all? It could just be a solid color, couldn't it?" He scanned the rows of fabric samples carefully, trying to find one that he could actually picture being on their bed. "Like this one," he said at last, pointing to a sample of a fabric that was mostly light purple, with tiny lace trimmings of blue. "It has two colors on it, so we'd have a lot of options to choose from when the time comes to decorate the rest of the bedroom."

"The rest of the bedroom, hmm?" Sebastian teased him, moving closer to peer at the selection Kurt was suggesting.

"Well yeah," said Kurt. "This is our chance for things to match. Not that I'm not completely charmed by the fact that everything in your bedroom is a different color or material and there's a bunch of sports stuff all over the place."

"What's wrong with my sports stuff?" asked Sebastian with a pout.

"Nothing, just that there's so much of it," Kurt explained quickly. "Trust me, when you're decorating a relaxing space like a bedroom, less is always more."

"But my trophies…"

"I'm not saying we can't keep the trophies out," Kurt assured him, wrapping both arms around one of Sebastian's and giving him an affectionate squeeze. "Just, like… maybe cut down on some of the team banners?"

"Ok, that I can live with," said Sebastian agreeably, giving Kurt a kiss on the forehead.

"Can you also live with the purple comforter? Because I've kind of fallen in love with it," said Kurt as he gazed wistfully at the lace-edged, silky fabric.

Sebastian chuckled. "Anything for my baby. Matching sheets?"

"Of course, why would you even ask that?"

"Just checking."

"Great. Now, let's go tell a salesperson we want them delivered, and let's go eat," said Kurt firmly, climbing onto Sebastian's back as the other man automatically reached back to hold him in place by the legs.

"What about your curtains for the bathroom?"

"Oh, we aren't getting those here, silly," said Kurt with a giggle. "I've been scoping some out online."

"Oh? Just a wild guess here, but are they purple?"

"….Yes."

"Why am I not surprised?" said Sebastian with a smile as he started to carry Kurt through the store, his grip on him firm and steady. He'd never even so much as risk Kurt falling, and Kurt knew it.

This was nice. Hell, this was downright normal. Picking out bedding and curtains and stuff together was what normal couples did all the time. Quite frankly, Kurt sometimes wondered if he should be scared at how relatively ordinary he and Sebastian were compared to other relationships he'd been in, not to mention the example of his own parents' fucked up excuse for a relationship he'd grown up witnessing.

Basically, he spent a significant amount of time wondering what the catch was, and how much of it was going to somehow involve Carson. Because of course it would have to. It always did, didn't it?

No, stop, don't think about him. Focus on happy things. The new bedding. The curtains. The burger you're about to eat. Focus on those.

"Love you," he said brightly, leaning his face down to place a kiss on the top of Sebastian's ear.

"Love you more," replied Sebastian as he carefully hoisted him up, adjusting his grip.

"Ok, big strong sports guy, time for you to feed me," Kurt teased.

"Oh, I plan to do a lot of that when the time comes to christen those new sheets."

"Oh my God, Sebastian."

Carson let out a bored sigh and rubbed his eyes as he put his laptop away and stretched out on his couch, his brain overstuffed with the unholy amount of information he'd just managed to condense into a ten page essay for his least favorite class. Although, as boring as schoolwork was, more and more lately he was finding it somewhat comforting. Not to mention a welcome thing to focus on in order to distract himself from the fact that he was exceedingly lonely.

Not that he would ever admit this, of course. He had no reason to feel that way. Kurt was a thing of the past, after all. He didn't need him, or Luke, or anyone.

Luke.

Carson shivered in spite of himself as he thought back to his pleasurable encounter with the mysterious man, the one he hadn't been able to stop thinking about ever since. Especially since Luke kept sending him what he probably perceived to be clever text messages. That Carson was ignoring, obviously, because he wasn't going to reward such obvious bids for attention. He would give attention when he was good and ready.

And in the meantime, he had his memories, his fantasies, and his right hand.

The ringing of his phone caught him off guard, and he glanced down at the caller identification, halfway expecting to see Luke's name come up, or, he somewhat hoped, Kurt's. To his utter surprise, it wasn't Luke or Kurt at all. It was his mother.

The fuck? he thought, thoroughly blindsided as he slid the phone open to accept the call.

"Hello?" he said cautiously into the phone.

"Hi… Carson? It's Mom," came his mother's voice from the other end of the line.

"…Hi?" Carson replied, confused as fuck over this unexpected turn of events. "Are you trying to reach Kurt? Because he has his own place now, so…"

"Oh… no, no," Sheryl denied vigorously. "No. I mean, I do want to talk to Kurt later, but I called right now to just talk to you."

"Why?" asked Carson, genuinely befuddled by the entire exchange. His mother never called him, so what the fuck could she possibly want now? Maybe something huge had happened that she wanted to make sure he knew.

"Is Dad dead?" he blurted out, the words coming out slightly more hopeful than he'd intended them to sound.

"What? No!" said Sheryl.

"Ok, then why are you calling me? I'm seriously confused, here."

His mother sighed. "I just… I wanted to just kind of catch up with you, sweetheart. See how you're doing."

Sweetheart?

"Well, first of all, I'm gonna have to request that you refrain from calling me sweetheart," said Carson dryly. "It creeps me out."

"I'm sorry," Sheryl apologized. "But I really do want to know, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Carson insisted. "I'm really… I'm fine."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before his mother spoke up again. "Look, Carson, I know that I'm not really much of a mother…"

"Nope," Carson agreed, stretching out on the sofa and focusing his gaze on a spider that was making its way from one ceiling tile to the next.

"But," Sheryl continued, "I've had a lot of time lately to think about everything I've screwed up. And I don't think there's any way to make you understand how awful I feel about it."

Goddammit, I'm so not in the right mindset for this kind of Hallmark mother-son moment. "Mom, seriously, there's approximately shit you can do about it now, so really, it's fine. Let it go. I have," replied Carson with a sigh.

"No, I mean… ugh," his mother argued. "I know there's not much I can do to make up for… everything. Ok, I know that. But the thing is, Carson, I just… I really would like to at least try. You're still my baby. You're both still my babies."

"That's very touching, but what exactly is it you want from me here?" asked Carson.

"The opportunity to start over?" Sheryl suggested meekly.

"You do realize that's pretty fucking impossible, right?" said Carson angrily. "I mean, call me crazy, but I would think the time to be a devoted mother would have been when I was an actual child that needed a mother. You could have started by protecting me from Dad. It would be been so much fun."

"Ok, I deserved that," said Sheryl. "And you're completely right, I was an absolute shit mother to you. And to Kurt, really. I certainly don't expect anything from either one of you, but I am requesting that you at least consider giving me a tiny chance. Just a chance to be a part of your life, even if it's only in small ways."

Carson was silent for a moment, letting her words roll around in his head as he tried to formulate a response. "You can't just spring this on me out of the blue and expect an immediate result," he said at last, choosing his words carefully.

"I know."

"I mean, I really don't know what to tell you, here," he continued. "We basically have no relationship, no foundation to start from, nothing."

"I know," his mother repeated, sounding on the verge of tears. Fucking great.

Carson sighed and watched the ceiling spider change his mind about his position and move over to the next tile. "Look, I really can't… I can't deal with this right now, ok? I have… plans," he lied.

"Ok, but… Carson?" Sheryl replied, a note of pleading in her voice.

"Yes?"

"I'm… I'm here if you ever need me. Ok?"

Carson rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever. Noted. I have to go now."

"Ok… bye. I love you."

Carson hesitated a second, taken aback by the words. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd heard them from her. "Bye, Mom," he said at last, hanging up the phone and burying his face in a pillow. He let out a long, therapeutic breath and then sat up straight, his mind a whirlwind of a million thoughts he was in no way prepared to deal with at this moment in time.

He pulled his phone back out and slid it open, instinctively heading over to his text messages. As he suspected, there were several more from Luke in the past couple of hours, mostly cheesy lines about his ass. He shook his head as he wondered exactly how long it was going to take before the guy gave up and took the hint to leave him alone.

Oh, come the fuck off of it, he chided himself as he scrolled through the backlog of texts he'd received so far. Be honest with yourself and admit you don't WANT him to give up and leave you alone. You're enjoying the fuck out of this.

Which was true, to be sure. For all that he tried to insist to himself that Luke was a one-night fling and nothing more, he'd sure as hell spent a significant amount of time lately thinking about him. And fantasizing about him. And, well…. generally being consumed by him, even though they hadn't seen or spoken to each other since their one afternoon spent in Luke's bed.

And, ok, maybe part of that was because he was an excellent and welcome distraction from the ever-present invasive thoughts of Kurt, but even so, there was something about Luke specifically that set him apart from the typical distraction. The air of mystery around him, like he was full of undiscovered secrets that Carson could uncover if he just dug deep enough.

If you really wanted him to leave you alone, you wouldn't even have read his texts, he pointed out to himself. He knows you've seen them, so.

He opened the Facebook app on his phone and pulled up Luke's profile out of habit. He'd lately taken to checking it out at least two or three times a day, even though they weren't, as of yet, Facebook friends. Thankfully, most of Luke's posts were public, so it really wasn't necessary in order to see most of what he was up to. The first thing that caught his eye was a recently posted photo of Luke, standing in front of a pool table and holding a cue in one hand and, presumably, his phone in the other, giving the camera that fucking grin that always seemed to have the power to weaken Carson's knees.

Fuck off, you bastard, he admonished the man in the photo, even as he imagined those lips roaming all over his body. He glanced at the tag attached to the photo, identifying the location as a billiard hall located downtown. He noted also that the photo had only just been posted within the last five minutes.

Which means he's probably still there.

It would only take me like fifteen minutes to get down there, if I leave now.

No, but if I show up there, he'll think he's won some kind of fucked up victory.

But if I don't, this shit is probably going to eat me alive.

It couldn't hurt to sleep with him, like, just one more time, could it? You know, just to make sure there really isn't much there?

Fuck it, I'm going. I hate myself, but I'm fucking going.

He took a quick glance at himself in the closest mirror and grabbed his car keys, heading out the door before he had the time to change his mind. Even so, he second guessed himself at least five or six times during the time it took him to drive from his building to the billiard hall, nearly changing his mind twice before strengthening his resolve to go through with it.

I'm going to see him, he thought as he parked outside the building and sat in his seat, debating with himself. I don't necessarily have to DO anything with him, especially not if he's acting cocky, but I really want to see him.

I could always just tease him. He doesn't have to necessarily think he's got a hold over me. Because he DOESN'T, ok.

Ok, here we go, balls to the wall. I'm going in.

He took a deep breath, opened the car door, and headed across the parking lot, slowly ascending the stairs that led to the building's side entrance.

I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought as he pushed the door open and looked around. He didn't have to look very far, because Luke was directly across from him on the opposite side of the room, his back turned to him as he carefully aimed a cue at a ball and took a shot.

Ok. Just walk up. Be cool. Carson slowly approached him, his nerves shot further and further with every step. He considered, once more, just forgetting the whole thing and running back out of the building before he was noticed, but he quickly nixed that idea when he caught sight of how round and firm Luke's ass looked in his pants as he bent over the table.

"Luke," he said out loud before he could overthink it anymore. Luke turned around and looked at him in surprise, that heartthrob grin lighting up his face like a Christmas tree.

"Well, well," he said, holding his pool cue upright next to him and leaning on it with one hand. "Look who's back."

"I was in the neighborhood," said Carson casually.

"Yeah?" asked Luke, raising one eyebrow knowingly.

"Yes," he insisted.

"If you say so," said Luke. "So, what can I do for you today, Carson?"

God, the way he says my name, thought Carson as a shiver worked its way down his spine. "I, um… I… nothing. I'm only here for, um… the… atmosphere," he finished lamely, his heart thudding in his chest as Luke took a step closer to him.

"Any part of the atmosphere in particular?" the other guy asked, moving closer still, and the less space existed between their bodies, the more Carson's chest tightened until he had a very hard time breathing normally.

"Not… not really," Carson squeaked, clearing his throat. "Just a… drink, I guess."

Luke laughed. "The drinks here are shit, I'll be honest. But," he said, closing as much distance between them as possible without their bodies actually touching, "I get a real sense about people, and I'm going to go ahead and guess that a drink is definitely not the reason you're here. Is it?"

Carson could practically feel his heart bursting out of his chest at this point, his entire face flushing so hot he probably could have cooked an egg on it, if he had been so inclined.

"I'll tell you what," Luke continued, leaning his face in so that his breath was hot against Carson's ear. "I have a perfectly stocked bar at my place. Not to mention a very comfortable bed."

Carson swallowed, determined not to fold so easily this time. "What exactly do you take me for?" he demanded to know.

Luke chuckled. "I take you for a man who knows what he wants and isn't willing to let himself go for it."

Carson glared, but he had to admit that those words had more than a little bit of truth to them. "You're a very cocky person."

"I'm aware of that," said Luke with a grin. "And so are you, I believe, after our last little romp in the sheets, hmm?"

Carson blushed harder. "Fuck you."

"Well, not here in public." Luke placed the pool cue back up against the wall and locked eyes with Carson expectantly. "So, what'll it be?"

Carson stood there a moment, debating with himself silently. On one hand, he had promised himself he wouldn't fold easily, and yet here he was, pretty much doing exactly that. Fucking hell. On the other hand, his dick was already starting to throb in his pants, and his own hand was definitely not going to cut it this time. Not with the way Luke's eyes were boring into him like tiny little laser beams.

"Fucking hell," he said out loud with a sigh. "Let's get out of here."

Despite all the talk about having a drink, that was pretty much the last thing on Carson's mind as Luke pushed open the door of his apartment and pulled him inside. He practically dragged him directly into the bedroom with no preamble whatsoever, and Carson barely had time to catch his breath before there were lips pressing onto his own, and strong, nimble fingers undoing the button on the top of his jeans. Luke wasted no time relieving him of his clothes as he leaned in to start sucking a desperate hickey into Carson's neck. Carson whimpered in spite of himself, his fingers yanking off Luke's coat and making sloppy, fumbling work of the buttons on his shirt.

"That's an eager boy," Luke purred, pushing Carson backwards onto the bed as he finished removing his own clothes. He got rid of them in record time and leaned down to press their bodies together, the sensation of skin against hot skin sending Carson's nerve endings into overdrive. Their lips found each other quickly, strong fingers threading into Carson's hair and pulling slightly as Carson's hands explored the smooth terrain of Luke's bare back. He felt the other man's cock swelling against his thigh as his own became rock solid, their bodies grinding together as moans and the sound of kissing filled the room.

Luke finally broke from the kiss, turning his attention back to the fresh bruise on Carson's neck. He sucked it again as Carson let out a low, needy whine from the depths of his throat, his heart thudding in his ears as Luke worked his way down to his collarbone, his chest, his ribs, and finally his hip, leaving a fresh hickey every few inches to create a map of his lust.

"So, what's the K stand for?" Carson heard Luke ask, and he suddenly remembered his K tattoo as he inwardly groaned.

"K…ardashian," Carson replied with the first K thing that came to mind.

Luke snorted. "Really?"

"Yes."

Thankfully, Luke didn't press for more information. Instead, he worked his way between Carson's legs and ran his tongue over his leaking slit as Carson whined and rolled his hips into the sensation. Luke went directly for it, taking him in his mouth and bobbing his head up and down and going deeper and deeper until Carson let out a surprised shout and came right down his throat, pulling Luke's hair in the process.

"Fuck," groaned Luke after swallowing everything Carson gave him. "Hope you have more in you, because we are so not even close to done." He moved to start sucking at the inside of Carson's thighs, and Carson let out a yelp as he felt teeth nipping at the sensitive skin there.

"Fuck... ugh… kiss me," Carson ordered, desperate to have those lips on his, even as good as they felt on other places. Luke obliged, pressing his lips on Carson's, and Carson moaned at the taste of himself that suddenly flooded his mouth. Luke suddenly rolled them over, pulling Carson on top of him so that he was straddling his thighs.

"Reach into the nightstand, get the lube," Luke commanded him firmly. "And a condom." Carson did as he was told, quickly retrieving the items and pressing them into Luke's hands. Luke uncapped the lube bottle and drizzled it over his fingers, wasting no time in roughly pressing two of them up inside of Carson, who gasped at the sudden intrusion. Luke worked his fingers expertly, slowly working his way up to a steady rhythm of scissoring that was effective at loosening Carson up enough for what he had planned.

"Fuck…. add another," Carson said, his hands resting on Luke's shoulders for support as he bore down on the fingers inside of him. Luke added the requested third finger, his invading digits quickly finding the sensitive area inside of Carson that sent his back arching as he howled with pleasure.

"Anyone ever tell you you're extremely responsive?" said Luke. Carson didn't answer, just grabbed the condom from where Luke had placed it by the pillows. He ripped it open and expertly rolled it down onto Luke's erection, which he then took hold of and guided inside of him. He sank down on it faster than expected, and the surprised, choked moan of pleasure that Luke let out was so very satisfying. He began rocking his hips, circling them slowly and teasingly as he took more pleasure from the pained, impatient look on Luke's face than in the act itself. His smugness was short-lived, however, because it didn't take Luke long to come back to his senses, grabbing Carson's hips with both hands and bouncing him roughly back down onto his cock.

Carson moaned loudly, grabbing onto the headboard for support as Luke began driving into him, his thrusts deep, hard, almost animal-like.

"When it's my bed, I'm in charge," Luke grunted out, thrusting hard up into the body above him, faster and faster as Carson leaned down to press their lips together in a messy kiss. He reached down to stroke his newly re-hardened dick, jerking himself off desperately as his muscles clenched around the hard cock inside of him. A few seconds later, Luke arched off the bed with an animalistic grunt, twitching inside of him as he came. The wild abandon that took over his face was pretty much all it took for Carson to follow suit, moaning and babbling incoherently as he jerked himself to completion and spilled over Luke's chest in white, pearly ropes.

Their lips met again, their kiss significantly less desperate this time. It was lazier, more relaxed as they both came down from their highs and Carson's legs tried to stop shaking. He could still feel Luke inside of him, and it was with a huge amount of regret that he climbed off of him and let Luke take care of the condom while he flopped on his back onto the bed.

"Jesus," he panted out, throwing one arm over his eyes as his chest rose and fell with his labored breathing. He felt the mattress sink down beside him as Luke lay back down.

"I take pride in my work," replied Luke in between heavy breaths as he wiped his chest down with a moist towelette.

"Yes, well, that was fun and all, but like I said last time, we're to pretend this didn't happen," Carson said, quickly trying his hardest to act cool and collected.

Luke snorted as he tossed the towelette in the general direction of the trash can. "Ok, you're cute and all that shit, but are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"Don't fucking laugh at me," Carson admonished him.

"No, I just… last time you said it never happened, and then not even two weeks later you're tracking me down for more," Luke pointed out as he reached into the nightstand and took out a cigarette. "Want one?" he asked, holding the pack out to Carson.

Carson rolled his eyes and took one, allowing Luke to light it. "I didn't track you down," he insisted as he took a large inhale.

"Yes, you did."

"I didn't."

"Uh-huh."

Carson frowned and stared up at the ceiling, blowing puffs of smoke and watching them dissipate into the air. It was oddly peaceful, laying here in Luke's bed, far away from his own apartment and every negative connotation that came with it lately. He couldn't explain why, but he felt oddly relaxed, and a little bit…. Safe? Was safe the word he was looking for, here?

Whatever. Either way, I really don't feel like moving.

Although I should, just so Luke doesn't think he has all the power here.

Fuck, who am I kidding? He kinda DOES have all the power.

Well. Most of the power.

He blew out another puff of smoke and began to speak, directing his words more at the ceiling than at Luke. "Ok, fine. This happened. You happy?"

"Not as happy as we're both going to be in about twenty minutes from now when we're in the middle of a second round," said Luke. "But objectively speaking, yes."

"What makes you think there's going to be a round two?"

"Because you're obviously staying all night," said Luke casually, as if stating an absolute fact, like that water is wet.

"I am, huh?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Carson took a drag of his cigarette and closed his eyes for a second. What am I getting myself into, here?

"You got an extra toothbrush?"

"Uh… uh…. Oh, fuck," Carson moaned, his head thrown back in pleasure as Luke went to town with his head between his legs, his tongue dancing deliciously over a bulging vein. It was just enough stimulation to keep him on the edge, but not to get him off, and Luke obviously knew as much, judging by the absolutely sinful grin he was managing to give him despite the dick in his mouth.

Fucking hot bastard, Carson thought to himself as he focused on the ceiling so as not to give Luke the satisfaction of seeing that he was pushing any buttons. Needless to say, after the last time they had fucked, any delusions Carson had been harboring of keeping this…. thing, whatever it was, between them to a minimum had been all but recklessly thrown straight out of the window. There was no way this was going to just be a one or two time thing. Not when Carson couldn't get over the strange hold the other man seemed to have over him, despite his best efforts to ignore it.

And sure as fuck not when Luke was very, very talented at what he did.

"FUCK!" Carson shouted, his breath catching in his throat as Luke took his entire length down his throat, right down to the root, and kept it there, sucking firmly. Carson struggled to catch his breath, which wasn't at all easy when he was enveloped in such a warm, tight heat and could feel his body working itself toward one hell of an excellent orgasm.

I'd have to be a fucking idiot to give this up, he reminded himself for the thousandth time as Luke slid his mouth back up and went back to teasing him by giving delicate kitten licks to his tip.

"Fucking suck it," he whined in protest, flopping back against the pillows with a pout. He was so on edge by this point that he was either going to die or murder someone if he didn't get to come extremely soon.

"You know, it's demanding attitudes like this that will seldom get you anywhere," Luke pointed out calmly as he continued to give tiny licks to Carson's sensitive member. "Besides, my bed, my control, you got it?"

"Fuck you," Carson muttered. His words were rewarded with a light but firm slap on the thigh as Luke moved further down to suck one of his balls into his mouth. "Uuuugh."

"Gonna stop being so bossy?" Luke inquired, gazing up at him with twinkling eyes full of amusement at Carson's frustration.

"Only long enough to fucking come," Carson muttered through gritted teeth.

"Gonna have to work on that attitude of yours," teased Luke, taking him back in hand and guiding him once more into his mouth and down his throat. Despite his bravado of domination, he'd apparently decided that Carson had had enough teasing, because Carson felt him really go for broke, sucking as hard and firm as he could while lightly toying with his balls using one hand. Carson closed his eyes and let out sharp, ragged breaths, his lower stomach coiling tighter and tighter until he felt it release with one final suck, sending him straight into an orgasm that had him screaming incoherently and convulsing helplessly on the mattress.

Luke licked him through it, his eyes on Carson the entire time, and then maneuvered himself so that he was over Carson's body, his hands planted on the mattress for support as he leaned down and gave him a wet, dirty kiss. Carson shivered at tasting himself on Luke's tongue, his hands placing themselves firmly on the other man's waist.

"Enjoy yourself, did you?" Luke asked teasingly as he pulled his lips away.

"Shut up," said Carson breathlessly, a blissed out smile spreading itself over his face. "What you just did should be illegal."

"Ah, we haven't started yet, love," taunted Luke, leaning down for another kiss. Carson's heart beat like a drum in his chest as he hooked his fingers into the bottom of Luke's shirt and yanked it over his head, tossing it haphazardly on the floor. Their kissing grew hotter and more intense as Luke's naked torso made contact with Carson's own, their skin so hot Carson could have sworn it was on fire.

"Gonna fuck me?" he asked breathlessly between kisses, his fingers travelling down to dance along the edge of Luke's waistband.

"Like you've never been fucked in your life," replied Luke as he nipped at Carson's collarbone with his teeth. Carson moaned, his spent dick trying desperately to get hard again as he frantically tried to unbuckle the belt that was keeping his prize hostage.

The sudden sound of a ringing phone went unnoticed by either of them for several seconds. Only when Luke stopped sucking on his neck and looked over at the nightstand did Carson realize there was noise filling the room other than their labored breathing and moans.

"Hold that thought," said Luke, climbing off of him, and Carson managed to hold in the groan of utter frustration he was tempted to let out. Luke needn't think he was so into the sex that it couldn't wait a few moments, after all.

"Talk to me," Luke said into the phone as Carson kept his eyes on him, rubbing one nipple seductively just so that Luke would understand exactly what he was missing every second he spent on his phone call. Whatever the person on the other end of the line was telling him, it must have been really serious business, since Luke didn't even notice.

"Christ," he said into the phone after several moments of listening. "Alright, I'm coming…. I said I'm coming. NO, I'll handle it, just keep them there." He hung up without saying anything further and gave Carson a thoughtful look, as though he were having a silent debate with himself.

"Business call?" Carson asked curiously. This wasn't the first time Luke had received a mysterious phone call when they were together, and even though he was dying of curiosity to know what the fuck they were all about, he wasn't about to directly ask. That would be too indicative of him being invested enough in Luke to care, after all. Which he didn't.

"You wanna go for a ride?" asked Luke in response.

"I thought I was just about to," Carson said with a pout, stretching himself across the mattress as he ran one hand over his own abs. Luke gave him his signature grin and leaned down to kiss him on the lips, his teeth grazing his bottom lip ever so slightly.

"Later," he whispered. "Come on, get dressed."

Carson sighed and sat up, searching around for his discarded clothes. He found them and pulled them on, running fingers through his wrecked hair as he glanced in the mirror. He decided he looked passable.

"Ready?" asked Luke as he finished tying up his shoes.

"Mmm-hmm," Carson nodded.

"Great. Come on."

Carson allowed himself to be led out to the car, his curiosity now extremely piqued as Luke drove them through the city, down streets that Carson hadn't even known existed. After about fifteen minutes they pulled into what appeared to be a large, mostly empty parking garage attached to a larger building that contained no identifying markers of any kind. He thought it was probably better not to ask questions, especially with the current look on Luke's face. It was tense, to be sure, but underneath that there was something else; a spark of excitement dancing in his eyes that made him seem positively dangerous.

"Wait here," he ordered Carson as he got out of the car and pushed the door shut behind him.

"O…. kay," Carson trailed off, watching curiously as Luke disappeared into the building. He frowned and let out a bored sigh, leaning his head in one hand while playing around with the radio with the other. Luke had left the car running, so Carson figured he wouldn't care if he passed the time searching out something to listen to.

So much for being let in on what this mysterious errand is, he grumbled in his head as he flipped through channel after channel of satellite radio, none of which was playing anything even remotely interesting. He finally settled on a channel dedicated to playing nothing but 90s music, letting the noise surround him as he leaned back in his seat, bored.

"I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie woooorld," he sang along softly. "Wrapped in plastic, it's fantastic…."

He drummed his fingers on the side of the door, nodding his head in time to the music as he wondered how long this was going to take. He wasn't too happy about having a promising afternoon of mind blowing sex interrupted by… whatever this was.

"Come on Barbie, let's go party," he sang under his breath. "Oh, oh o-"

A sudden crash against the car door startled him right out of his seat, and he let out a scream, the music forgotten as he looked to see a man being shoved against various cars in the garage, a group of other men surrounding him as fists swung in every direction. Carson struggled to regain his normal breathing, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the fight unfold in front of him. It was surreal, like a slow motion film, and as he caught sight of Luke in the center of the fight, his eyes gleaming as he threw a punch, his mind flashed back to the last time he'd stumbled on a scene much like this. It occurred to him that this parking garage was probably the same one he and Luke had left from the last time.

We must have entered from a different street, he pondered thoughtfully as the fight raged outside of the car. He wondered if he should be doing something right now other than just sitting there. Should he be helping, or….? He'd helped last time. But, then again, last time he had legitimately thought Luke was in some sort of danger. That clearly was not the case here, as Luke seemed very in control of himself, and so did his… cronies? Who the fuck were all these men, anyway?

He didn't have much time to think about that, though, because Luke suddenly broke away from the fight to cross over to the car, pulling the passenger side door open and gesturing for Carson to come out.

"You want in on this?" he asked casually, as if he were offering him a cigarette or a bite of a sandwich.

Carson glanced over at the fight apprehensively. Did he want in on it? His gut feeling said no, especially since he had no idea why this poor guy was being ganged up on, but Luke was giving him an awfully pleading look, as though he were looking forward to getting Carson in on the action at hand.

"I…" he stammered, glancing from the fight over to Luke and back again.

"You don't have to."

"No, I…"

"For fuck's sake, Luke, why did you bring your boyfriend to this?" shouted one of the men as the fight experienced a lull.

"He's cool," replied Luke.

"He's an unnecessary burden," muttered the guy. "Look at him, he probably couldn't even hold his own here for more than two minutes."

Carson's eyes narrowed, his blood boiling at the implication that he was weak. "Ok, you know what, fuck off," he said loudly as he climbed out of the car and marched over to the action. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to judge by appearances?" he asked the guy, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Look, kid, I know things work different over at Mickey Mouse's clubhouse, but here in grown-up world, we have things to d-"

He got no further, because Carson swung his fist back and landed a punch straight in the middle of his face, connecting with his nose so hard that he stumbled back and fell on his ass.

"You were saying?" asked Carson dangerously.

"I was saying you'd better watch your ass," the guy retorted, hoisting himself up and throwing a punch at Carson, who successfully managed to duck it. It landed on the guy who was being originally ganged up on, causing him to yelp in pain as the fight restarted from its brief pause. Much like the last time, fists were flying every which way in such a blur that Carson had no idea who was attacking who anymore. It was just a huge pile of lunging bodies wildly swinging at whatever they could reach. Also much like last time, Carson found it strangely satisfying, a way to get out a lot of pent up aggression that otherwise lay dormant in him on a daily basis. He didn't even care that he sustained several blows to the face, or that he was becoming covered in streaks of blood. He didn't even know if it was his own blood or the blood of others. He was running on pure adrenaline at that point.

Which was why he was taken aback when Luke suddenly snapped his fingers and shouted out into the cavernous garage. "Enough!"

All fighting suddenly stopped, the rest of the men looking to Luke for, presumably, their next instructions. Luke put his hand on Carson's shoulder first, leading him back over to the car.

"Get in the car, babe. Be with you in a minute."

"But..." Carson started to protest, even as he allowed himself to be gently pushed back into the passenger seat.

"You did great," said Luke, ignoring his protests as he shut the door behind him and turned his attention back to the group. Carson strained to hear what was being said, but the radio was still running, so all he heard was the sound of Christina Aguilera filling the car like some sort of bizarre soundtrack in the Tarantino film that had been his afternoon. He considered turning it off, but something stopped him. Maybe it was more exciting when he didn't know every little detail; when Luke was still somewhat of a mystery to him.

He instead turned his attention to his wounds, inspecting them carefully in the pulldown visor mirror. His left eye was swollen, and he had a cut on his lip, but as far as he could tell, the rest of the blood on his face had come from other people. That much was a relief. He still felt a little weird about having been involved in yet another fight, even though his blood was mixed with a heart-thumping amount of endorphins at the same time. Anyway, he rationalized to himself, it wasn't like he had gone after the guy Luke and the others were ganging up on. He'd only intentionally punched the asshole who had it coming.

Regardless, there was no denying the fact that he was extremely pumped up at the moment.

At long last, everyone began to disperse and Luke came back to the car, sliding behind the wheel and glancing over at Carson with a smile on his own blood-streaked face.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Carson thought a moment. "Alive?"

Luke grinned. "There's the spirit." He leaned over and caught Carson's face with both hands, pressing their lips and tongues together in a desperate, passionate kiss that was so intense that it would have required Carson to sit down if he wasn't already doing so.

"Alright," said Luke as he pulled away from the kiss and started the car's engine. "Let's go pick up some cigarettes at the store and then go home, because I'm about to give you the hardest fucking you've ever experienced in your entire life."

Carson shivered in spite of the heat of the day.

Kurt wasn't quite sure what he'd expected when he'd woken up that morning. Most likely, he hadn't expected anything at all, just another ordinary day. Which it had certainly started off as, really. He'd woken up. He'd showered and dressed and eaten breakfast with Sebastian, and then he'd taken off for school while Sebastian took off to meet up with his father, who was visiting for the day to discuss college plans with him.

He'd gone to classes, he'd met with his study group, and then he'd headed for home, stopping by a nearby store on the way in search of a new bottle of sunscreen to replace the one that was running low at home.

That was where his day turned from ordinary to…. not so ordinary.

He was headed for the sunscreen aisle, almost completely lost in his own thoughts, when the sound of a laugh stopped him in his tracks. A very familiar laugh, coming from the direction of the cigarette counter.

He turned his head, half hoping that it wasn't what he was expecting, and yet hoping beyond hope that it was.

And it was.

"Carson!" Kurt squeaked in surprise, rushing over to him without even thinking about it or waiting for a reaction from his twin. He reached him in less than two seconds, his instincts automatically making him lean in for a hug before he remembered that they were still, technically, in a fight and that under the circumstances, a hug might be awkward.

Even so, it was so good to see him after such a long separation that his heart gave a little involuntary jump as he drank in the sight of him. Regardless of their standing at the moment, and all that had happened in the past few months, Carson was still familiar; still such a comforting sight for sore eyes. It suddenly hit Kurt how much he had missed him, and he had to gulp back the lump that sprang up in his throat.

"Hi," Carson said in reply, his tone of voice carefully guarded as he gave Kurt a shell-shocked look that clearly said this was entirely unexpected and he didn't know how to react any more than Kurt did. It was right about then that Kurt simultaneously noticed two things. That Carson's face was covered with small smears and streaks of blood, and that he wasn't alone. A tall, blonde guy was standing next to him, putting one arm casually around Carson's shoulder as he looked Kurt up and down.

"Well, fuck me," the guy burst out, clapping a hand on Carson's shoulder (hard, Kurt noticed). "The fuck didn't you tell me you were a twin?" he asked, the question directed at Carson but his eyes still fixed firmly on Kurt, roaming up and down his body in barely disguised appreciation. The cocky grin on his face made Kurt's skin instantly crawl.

"Never came up, I guess," mumbled Carson awkwardly.

"That's too fucking hot, holy hell," said the guy, reaching one hand out to Kurt as his grin intensified. "Luke."

Kurt stared down at the hand, one eye still half focused on Carson's bloody face. He didn't know what the fuck was going on there, but he knew he didn't like it, judging by the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Kurt," he replied, taking Luke's hand and giving it a half-hearted shake.

"Kurt," Luke repeated back to him. "Kuuuurt," he repeated, a knowing look spreading across his face, as though he'd just figured out a big secret. "With a K, I trust?" Carson suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable and looked off to the side as Luke raised a mischievous eyebrow and Kurt started to put the pieces together.

Ok, he's smarmy and has seen Carson naked.

I hate him.

"That is generally the spelling, yes," Kurt muttered dryly, his gaze switching from Carson to Luke as his eyes narrowed in distaste. Part of him thought that maybe Luke was just a client of Carson's, but something about him suggested it was, perhaps, more than just that. Kurt couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the cocky, irritating grin, or maybe the way he could see Carson slightly leaning in to the touch of the other guy's arm around him, even as uncomfortable as he looked at the situation. It was subtle, but Kurt definitely picked up on it. Right around the same time as he picked up on the fact that Carson's face wasn't the only one covered in blood. Luke's was as well, though admittedly not as obviously.

Ok what the FUCK is going on here?

"How do you two know each other?" he asked, getting right to the point. He was dying to know, and he knew damn well that with Carson, he wouldn't get any straightforward information unless it was directly asked.

Please let him be just a client, please let him be just a…

"Oh, you know," said Luke casually, the ever-present grin widening even further as he pulled Carson closer to him. "We have fun every once in a bit."

"Fun?" Kurt repeated, his voice sarcastically bright as he plastered a fake smile on his face. He was liking Luke less and less with every passing second.

"Fun," Carson reiterated pointedly, his steely blue eyes fixing themselves on Kurt's in silent challenge, as if he were daring him to do something about it.

"Well, as long as you're careful with him," Kurt said, fixing his own eyes on Luke in a way that he severely hoped conveyed just how much he was not enjoying his presence. "I'm very protective."

"And it just got hotter," said Luke cockily as Kurt's blood boiled and Carson looked down at his feet awkwardly.

"You should join us sometime, Kurt with a K. Make sure I'm treating him right," Luke added, raising one eyebrow suggestively as Carson side-eyed him before looking at Kurt expectantly for his reaction.

Kurt felt himself fluster, partly in embarrassment, but mostly in indignation that this shithead even entertained the notion that he would touch him with a ten-foot pole. And who the fuck just says that? He didn't even know Carson had a brother until a minute ago, so what kind of fucked up asshole suggests a threesome right off the bat?

Ok, yeah, I most definitely do not like him.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'd have to pass," Kurt retorted sharply, slipping on his perfectly crafted bitch face.

"He has a boyfriend," Carson added, staring Kurt down as he spoke. "Isn't that right?" The unspoken challenge in his voice and eyes definitely couldn't be missed now. It occurred to Kurt that this was probably, at least in part, Carson's roundabout way of confirming that he was actually dating Sebastian without coming out and asking him.

"I… do," Kurt said at last, after a moment of awkward silence and an eye battle with his twin. "I'm in a relationship." He quickly averted his eyes to the side so he wouldn't have to see Carson's reaction to those words.

"Doesn't bother me, to be honest," Luke replied, and Kurt somehow managed to resist the urge to punch the grin right off his face.

"I bet it doesn't," said Kurt, sarcastic, bitchy smile planted firmly in place.

"You let us know if you change your mind, yeah?" grinned Luke as he patted Carson's arm with the hand that was around his shoulder.

"Yeah," Kurt muttered through his smile, unamused. "You don't mind if I steal my brother away for a minute, do you? We have a lot to catch up on," he said brightly, not waiting for permission before hooking his arm through Carson's and dragging him away toward the nearby men's restroom. He guided Carson in first and then followed him, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Kurt, what the fuck?" Carson demanded.

"Let me cut right to the chase, here," said Kurt quickly. "Who is that asswipe, and why are you with him?"

Carson rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm gonna go-"

"No," said Kurt, placing a hand firmly on Carson's chest to prevent him from leaving. They stared at each other for a moment before Carson visibly backed down and let out a sigh. "He's just…. He's a guy, ok?"

"That much I managed to work out on my own," retorted Kurt. "I meant why are you with this loser?"

"He's. A. Guy."

"Your boyfriend?"

Carson snorted and rolled his eyes. "Not that my dating life is any of your business, but since you asked, I'm not, like… dating him or anything. Just fucking him occasionally. Not for money," he added pointedly, as though he could see exactly what Kurt was wondering. "Just because he happens to be extremely talented with his dick. And because he doesn't freak out and kill my buzz every time I want to take a pill or two."

"Ok, next question, what happened to your face?" Kurt demanded, choosing to ignore his brother's last sentence.

"This? It's nothing," Carson insisted.

"Doesn't look like nothing," said Kurt. "It looks like someone beat the shit out of you."

"If you're suggesting that Luke did it, you can put that little fantasy to bed, because he fucking didn't," snapped Carson defensively. "We just…. We got into a bar fight. That's all."

"Oh, that's all," Kurt repeated sarcastically. "So you're with some smarmy git because he doesn't care if you drink and drug yourself into a stupor every day?"

"And the orgasms, don't forget the orgasms," Carson chimed in.

"Carson-"

"Kurt, seriously, I have a bitching headache and I'm really not in the mood for this," Carson interrupted him. "My dating life is none of your business. Much like yours isn't mine. By the way, how is Sebastian?" he asked sarcastically.

Kurt sighed and took a step back, leaning up against the cold, tile wall as he ran the palm of his hand over his face and glanced up at the ceiling. "Carson, can't we just stop this?"

"Stop what?"

"This," sighed Kurt, gesturing weakly. "All this stupid fucking arguing and petty fights and just… I don't know."

Carson looked down at his shoes and didn't reply, not even to tell him to fuck off, as Kurt half expected. The two of them just stood there in awkward silence for several minutes.

"I really miss you, Carson," said Kurt, taking it upon himself to break the quiet. "I miss you something awful." He stepped closer to him, gingerly reaching for his hand and expecting it to be slapped away, but surprisingly, Carson let him take it. Kurt held onto it for dear life, gently rubbing his thumb over Carson's the way he'd done countless times before.

"I know things are…. I know they're fucked up, ok? I feel like we've had this conversation so many times, but…. Ugh. I don't even care anymore why we fought. Can't we just… I don't know… I mean… I really fucking miss you," he repeated. "Can't we at least try to put things behind us?" He used his other hand to gently brush a lock of hair out of his brother's eyes, careful to avoid the area that looked like it was slightly swollen. Carson didn't step back or push him away, but he didn't exactly look comfortable, either. Even so, he did meet Kurt's eyes, the look on his face difficult to read. He looked (or, at least, Kurt hoped he looked) like he was working out what he wanted to say in response, and a tiny glimmer of hope raced through Kurt's body, mixed with apprehension that he would just be handed more harsh words.

As it turned out, whatever Carson was planning to say, Kurt never got to hear it, because his phone chose that moment to start ringing, the two of them surrounded by the sound of his Madonna ringtone as it echoed through the small bathroom.

"You should probably be getting home," said Carson at last over the noise of the ringtone as he pulled his hand away and picked at a piece of lint on his shirt without making eye contact. "Sebastian is probably getting worried about you.

Kurt sighed, watching helplessly as Carson pushed the bathroom door open and left him alone. He wanted to cry, but he bravely fought the urge and quickly slid his phone open to accept the call.

"Hi, Bas," he said into the phone, trying his best to sound casual.

"Hi, babe," replied Sebastian brightly. "So, question, do you wanna do dinner out tonight, or do you wanna stay in? 'Cause I can always make something, or we could-"

"In is fine," replied Kurt, trying to cheer himself up at the adorable thought of Sebastian standing over the stove, propping a cookbook open with one hand while doing that cute tongue thing out of the side of his mouth that he always did when he was concentrating hard on something. "Make whatever you want. Surprise me."

"Will do," replied Sebastian. "You gonna be home soon? Class let out already, didn't it?"

"It did. I was just…. I was just looking for something at the store on my way home but I…. it's not here, so I'm just gonna come home," said Kurt as he cautiously opened the door a crack and peered out into the main store, half hoping that Carson hadn't yet left. He caught sight of him toward the front, leaning in as that awful Luke guy laid a quick kiss on his lips. He didn't know if he felt sick or sad.

"Ok, see you in a bit. Love you," said Sebastian, making a tiny kiss sound into the phone.

"Love you," replied Kurt quietly, feeling conflicted as he watched Carson and Luke leave the store and head onto the street outside. Not because he wasn't sure which of his boys he was directing those words to, but because he did.

He honestly, truly, from the bottom of his heart, meant it for both of them in the same way.