“What a way to greet a guy…” Sebastian purrs, when Kurt looks around he sees him standing tall and lean, leaning against the door frame to his room. “If I'd have known this was all it took to get you naked, I'd have done it years ago…”

“Ha! The only reason I was naked back then, was to clean baby vomit off of various body parts.” Kurt trills, shuffling fully into his pants and zipping them up. “Plus breaking and entering just to get laid would be hard for daddy dearest to get you out of!” He doesn't look back as he pulls his shirt, white and well fitted, over his muscular shoulders.

“Yeah, good job I never really found you attractive, I suppose…” He dodges a well-aimed shoe in his direction by flopping on to the bed. Lounging on his stomach with his head resting onto his hands he watches Kurt, now fully dressed, stand in front of his mirror to fix his hair. “Speaking of my dad…..”

“No Sebastian!”

“Kurt, you don't even know what I'm about to say…You know, he really loves you.” Sebastian adds with a smile, Kurt pauses momentarily to watch him through the mirror.

“Oh I know he does, he's not ever the problem! The last time you invited us to a family gathering he kept telling me what a good step dad and husband you'd make. What was the term he used, financially secure?” Sebastian rolled his eyes at his dad's constant barrage for him to settle down. “Then he spit champagne all over the Supreme Court judge, when I told him you had taught Vi how to make a perfect fake I'D.” Kurt chuckled spritzing hair spray onto the front peak of hair.

“Well funny you should mention Vi….” Sebastian pulled up onto his knees, tucking his socked feet underneath him. “Dad's big annual fall fundraiser thing is coming up, you know with all the big wig attorneys and their children – probably named after geographical destinations- real pretentious crowd.”

“And you want me to pimp my child out to make you look better in the eyes of your fathers' colleagues?” Kurt's withering glare focuses in on him.

“Oh come on!” Sebastian leaps up behind him so they're eye to eye in the little square mirror. “Free champagne, delicious hors d'oeuvres, new clothes for you both – to cover collateral damage – and one in the eye for all the haters. You live for this shit!”

“Because being gay with a family is so much more acceptable than being gay and a whore?” Kurt's sarcasm laced through his voice as he rolled his eyes in disgust, crossing his arms over his chest..

“Quit with the name calling, besides you know my dad goes on about Vi nonstop…People he works with assume she's mine anyway, it's not like we need to lie, just not correct them. Please go with me!” Sebastian adds hooking his chin over Kurt's shoulder to pout. “Please, please, please!”

“Fine. We'll go. But I'm warning you now…grab my ass even once and I'll chop your fingers off.” Kurt lifts a hand to make a scissoring motion with his hand right hand in to the reflective surface, but Sebastian chooses to ignore it, instead planting a sloppy kiss to Kurt's cheek.

“Oh, you are just the best.” Sebastian grins before placing another kiss to his cheek. “I thought that would take so much more convincing than it did!”

“Well lucky for you, I actually like your dad, probably more than you. Most parents would ban their seventeen year old from befriending a teenage single parent, never mind practically adopt them into the fold. Plus he tells hilarious stories about you as a kid…its really good black mail material.” Kurt can't help the happy beam that takes over his face even though he is trying to act nonchalant.

Truth be told, Kurt doesn't know where he would be without Sebastian. Sure he is the biggest player the gay scene of Ohio has ever produced, but to a seventeen year old Kurt Hummel he was a life line. It had all started on a warm Thursday in August, Kurt was out for a stroll in the local park. Well more of a slumped trudging of feet, pushing a wailing Violet in a stroller, because apparently the only think to make a stiflingly hot Ohio summer (full of friends discussing plans for after senior year…which he didn't have!) even more unbearable was to have a one year old daughter cutting two back molars. It was safe to assume there was little sleep happening in the Hummel household, or eating, or actually much of anything that didn't involve Violet being permanently attached to him which resulted in the almost post-apocalyptic look Kurt wore permanently that Summer, or more specifically, that Thursday when Kurt, literally, ran into Sebastian.

The obtrusive push chair had knocked Sebastian flat out on his back .Kurt had only realised what he had done when Violet – whose screams had reached deafening levels – gurgled happily at the event. Sebastian, in his defence, took it all in his stride. Ignoring the garish tear to his Armani blazer, he instead politely offering his hand to Kurt in greeting in the only way that Dalton academy teaches one to behave, and offered to buy him an expresso…or six. The rest, as they say, is history.

“…what do ya say?” Sebastian's still watching him, his chin hooked over a shoulder.

“What?” Kurt asks, with a shake of his head, trying to tune back into the question he made.

“Thirty made you hard of hearing, huh?” Sebastian grins walking backwards toward the doorway. “I said, let's go meet Kiki before she starts finding our replacements?”

“Okay, just, don't let me do too many shots okay?” Kurt sighs, doing a last once over in the mirror, before turning and following him out.

************************

“Just let me do one more?” Kurt yells into Kira's ear as he sucks on the lime, the bitter taste making his nose scrunch up far too adorably for his thirty years of age.

“Okay, but don't blame me when you have a raging hangover tomorrow…” Kira sighs, signalling to the bar tender to bring out another round.

“I'll be fine, I never get hangovers!” Kurt grins happily, tossing down the dried out slice to pick up the salt shaker.

“Yeah because you never drink this much…” Kira shakes off the thought to hold out her licked hand, Kurt complies happily pouring salt onto her hand.

“So what is this one a toast too?” Sebastian asks, taking the brandished salt shaker from his friend before pouring onto his own hand, slamming it back on to the bar.

“This one is to you pair…” Kurt starts, handing out a shot glass to each waiting hand, before looking them both in the eye. “The best friends a boy could ever wish for!” and with that the trio lift the glasses in salute, throwing them back in one and then reaching for a slice of lime each.

“Wooh! Sebastian wanna dance?” Kira asks slumping against his muscular frame, fluttering her dark lashes seductively.

“Put that look away, you know you aren't selling what I want…” Sebastian rolls his eyes at Kurt, but he's too busy leaning over the bar to get another cocktail to notice. “One dance! If a better offer comes my way then you're getting dumped on the spot.” He pushes away from the bar and turns back to hold a hand out to her.

“Why Mr Smythe, you say the sweetest things!” Kira grabs his hand, her southern drawl over emphasised for effect. Before moving she looks at Kurt, now happily sucking on a neon green drink. “You coming birthday boy?”

“You guys go, I'll catch up in a bit.” She looks as if she's about to ask if he's sure, but he nods before she can say it. Sebastian knowing when to not push him, pulling Kira off to the main dance area packed out with people, drunkenly swaying, to the latest house track.

The night had definitely taken a turn for the better. Although Kurt had been, admittedly, excited to be having his first night out in…he doesn't even know how long… he was resigned about the venue choice. Sure, a gay bar wasn't so bad, unless it was the trashiest gay bar in the state, which had questionable standards when checking ID's and apparently hiring ‘legal' bar staff. It turns out eventually that not following the law catches up to you, when they had arrived at Kira's apartment, a small one bed just off of the public square down town, she informed them Pony's was closed until further notice due to immigration issues. That only left one other option, Rosey's, Although it was originally a country and rock and roll bar, the huge stage and dance floor area, along with plenty of seating meant it was a firm favourite for the trio when the occasion arrived that they would all be out together. Kurt was currently sipping on his drink, watching the overhead chandelier pulse with the vibrations from the music, aware of a body settling in place beside him.

“Hi good looking...” The voice was overly sweet, almost sickeningly so, Kurt rolled his eyes.

“Really?” he asks not looking over at the man. “That's the best you could come up with?” he heard a chuckle from the guy, it was deep and almost too forced, he had met his type before.

“Nothing wrong with stating the truth…” a bump to his shoulder had Kurt looking over at the man. He wasn't awful at a first glance, in fact he was rather good looking, but Kurt could see the signs of an ego from a mile away. He prided himself on knowing from one look, who the try too hards were, and this guys slicked back ken hairstyle and ridiculously restrictive outfit was a dead giveaway.

“There is if it's an overused line, insinuating that I'm only as good as my looks…” Kurt stated taking another sip of his drink, mentally high fiving the fact that although he was in to double figures of drinks right now his brain could still produce some impressive words. “…you don't know anything about me, I could be a raving lunatic or the future Albert Einstein for all you know.” Another carefully refined laugh, Kurt had to at least hand it to him he was wearing the façade well.

“How about we start over?” the guy asked raising a, perfectly waxed, eyebrow high onto his head. “I'm Luke. Nice to meet you…”

“Kurt, my names Kurt.” He replied reaching out to take the offered hand in a shake before dropping it quickly.

“Kurt…” the guy – Luke – tried it out on his tongue a couple of times before catching Kurt's eye, smiling broadly. “Would you like a drink?” Kurt just held up his own glass in response, earning him another small chuckle. “How about dinner? Tomorrow?”

“Well, well aren't you presumptuous, you're asking me on a date…you don't know anything about me. I could be a serial-“

But Luke is quick to cut him off “killer? I know, but I don't think you are. I'm a guy that likes to take risks...” His right hand, wanders its way around Kurt's back, trailing across his shoulder.

“That can be dangerous, risks mean not knowing what's going to happen.” Kurt supplies trying not to bring attention to the hands wandering on his body, although the attention is flattering, Kurt knows it will only go so far.

“Why don't you give me your number and we can find out?” Luke draws his hand back to dig his phone out of his pocket. Kurt sighs inwardly, knowing that this is the moment that will end any more come ons, but he can't let it keep going on. Downing his drink he pulls out his own phone, flashing a fake smile before starting.

“Oh sorry, my daughter's just text me…” Kurt lies, stealing a quick glance at Luke the stranger to see his eyes open wide. “Yeah she's fourteen, I know, I don't look old enough. That's because I got a girl knocked up in high school – long story – it's just me and her at home. She's great, huh?” Kurt opens a picture and turns to where Luke had been, not surprised in the slightest to find his drink, still full and sitting on the bar unattended. “Goodbye Luke…” Kurt pockets his phone and turns back around to the bar with a wistful smile. He might not ever find what he's looking for in a partner but at least the barman could keep him supplied with drinks, to stave off the loneliness.

***************

“Woo! It's hot in here, huh?” Kira announces, between small puffs of air, while reaching across Kurt's body to retrieve her glass. Kurt smirks in her direction, shuffling on to the next bar stool, as she elegantly drapes into the one he has vacated.

“What's the matter honey? John Travolta worn out your pretty little feet?” Kurt grins, picking up his own drink to sip – really more of a slurp at this point – through the straw.

“Oh no, just discovered he bats for your team instead of mine…” she glances back out to where her dance partner is now dancing with a leggy blonde. “Isn't it a shame when that happens?” she sighs rhetorically to herself and Kurt splutters slightly into his glass.

It's Sebastian, in the end that decides to answer her. “Not really, you know, seeing as it ends in me getting laid!” He raises his hand for a high five, which neither of his friend respond to. “Anyway now your back, you can help me on my mission…” he nods, not so secretly, in Kurt's direction.

“But I told the ballroom dancer wanna be I was sending you to replace me…” She adds on after watching Kurt turn to order a drink. “Oh get me that pink one, you know, the one with the sparkler.” Kurt rolls his eyes heavily but Kira turns round before seeing it.

“Kiki…” Sebastian sighs loudly when he sees her about to continue badgering him. “Look at me…Now, tell me why you think I need a set up over that sad act sitting behind you?” He waves a hand unenthusiastically in Kurt's direction.

“I don't, but I know the sad act won't let me do it. You're the one that I can talk round, it's actually not even that hard to do!” Kira giggles as a new drink is placed in her hand, watching the sparkler fizzle out before she sips.

“I think it's against best friend policy to call me a ‘sad act' on my birthday, well, birthday night out. It's also just a little bit mean.” Kurt states soberly, downing half of his questionable liquid in one gulp.

“Oh can it! I offer myself up naked in bed and you refuse, but you don't like it when I call you mean names? I can't win with you…Oh Danny Zuko's looking my way, he is pretty cute…” He slips off of the stool before pirouetting back round to face them. “Tell him to at least go to the consultation…” he winks, moonwalking into the crowd to find his prey.

Kurt huffs in a breath instead of throwing out an insult, he really can't be bothered chasing after him to ensure he hears it either. Instead swinging his leg around until they bump into Kira's, practically nose to nose with her.

“Why wouldn't you go? It's paid for! Vi spent all her money, well let's be honest here, all of the money your dad gave her on it. That's hard earned cash used on a very thoughtful gift…” Kira nods along as she says it, but really, she only wants him to get some Botox so she can laugh when it goes wrong.

“Why wouldn't I go? Why wouldn't I go?! It's mortifying! Imagine if I go and they give me this huge list of ‘improvements'. OR, or imagine if they do black market surgeries and like, I don't know, cut a kidney out and sell it or something?” Kurt suddenly thinks this is the most obvious flaw in her gift, he orders another drink just to erase it.

“Look I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you, sure you're as gay as they come, but I still sneak a peek when you get out the shower… you've still got it! But if you think really hard there must be some little thing you'd like to change? I still maintain that even though my ass is out of this world I'd love a J-lo booty. Nothing too over the top, but, yeah, a little fuller would be nice.” Kira watches as her words sink in, Kurt's head tilts to the side, his eyes wandering.

“I mean, and this is totally hypothetical, of course.”

“Of course!”

“If I had the money…Maybe an eyelift, really tasteful though, just a lift in each corner. Some wrinkle be gone for my forehead, I could get one of those chemical peels to make my skin glow, maybe get my ears pinned back so I don't look like a lord of the rings extra. Not much just the basics, you know?” Kurt had a quick run through to make sure he hadn't missed any of his ‘problem areas.

“So really not like you've thought about it at all…” Kira laughs, dirty and full of meaning, before pulling herself up out of the chair. “I'm going to the little girl's room, you coming?”

“Nah, I'll stay here, guard the drinks.” Kurt waves to the almost empty glasses, he doesn't want to admit his new shoes are rubbing like crazy on his heels.

“Okay, be back soon!” she plants a soft kiss to his forehead before strutting towards the spirals staircase in the corner.

“Don't!” the voice is so timid at first that Kurt doesn't even register that it was aimed at him, until he looks around the room and catches the glance from honey caramel eyes.

“I'm sorry?” Kurt questions, only because he has to make sure that this man, with those eyes, was talking to him and not someone behind him.

“The um, enhancements? Don't” okay so it was aimed at him. He risks a quick glance down, good package, trim and tight in all the right places. Well clothed too, slightly over gelled hair, but that could be over looked. Those eyes though. Kurt felt as though they were peering into his soul.

“You were listening?” Kurt's hands are itching to touch this handsome stranger, but realising how wrong that would be, he picks up his cocktails instead. Taking a swift gulp, fluttering his eyelashes as seductively as he knows how.

“I didn't mean to but your…um, the girl? She was talking awful loud.” The stranger, pulls his body up taller, holds the muscles tightly in place and exhales a breath. “Sorry, let me try again? I'm Blaine, you are?” he holds out a neatly manicured hand, nothing over the top but Kurt sees the faint sheen of a clear polish on his nails, waiting for Kurt's own.

“Kurt, nice to meet you.” And it is, Kurt realises, after only a few sentences Kurt gets the feeling he is an honest person, not someone trying to get one thing.

“You too, and I'm sorry, for over hearing your private conversation.” He smiles, pulling over his own drink, an unidentified whisky Kurt thinks, taking a long sip. Without breaking eye contact as if he doesn't want to, couldn't even, if he tried.

“That's okay. As embarrassing as it is, it's not the worst thing Kira has ever let slip about me…” Kurt lets out a little laugh, heart contracting in his chest when Blaine laughs too, from deep within his chest “…My best friend by the way, Kira, just in case you were wondering.” He adds, pointing in the general direction she walked off to. Why he's not quite sure, but Blaine responds with a pleased smirk.

“Good to know, so your partner is….”

“Non-existent, but just to make it perfectly clear? I'm gay.” Kurt doesn't know what was in that last cocktail, or the four or five before it, but his tongue seems looser and so, for that matter, does his thoughts. He watches Blaine's tongue dart out to catch the drips from his drink and cant helped but picture what that would taste like against his own.

“I thought so, but you never want to presume, this place is as liberal as it comes…but you never can be too careful in Lima!” Blaine grins again, all lopsided and full of teeth, and Kurt's heart melts. This boy, this man is almost too perfect, could he take a leaf out of Sebastian's book and do something daring, so un him? “I'm gay too….just in case you were wondering!” the added statement seems to seal the decision into Kurt's mind and before he knows what's hit him, he leans in and across the gap between them. Perilously dangling from his stool to whisper in Blaine's ear.

“How'd you like to come home with me?” a soft sweep of breath trickles past his ear and down his spine before the answer comes.

“Just let me tell my friends.” He might not be as young as he once was, but Kurt is pretty sure this night is.