“Kurt, Violet my baby girl!” Stefan boomed, the minute he caught the trio walking into the lobby. “Oh, I've missed you!” he grins scooping them into a hug and ignoring Sebastian completely, too excited to see them.

“Hi dad, nice to see you too...” Sebastian mutters, sarcasm dripping off his tongue, being pulled into a hug as well.

“You know I'm only kidding, but I see you all the time son, this pair are so busy I hardly ever see them! How's school Vi?” Stefan ruffles Sebastian's hair before linking arms with Violet, walking her into the gala without Kurt or Sebastian.

“He always says he is excited to see me, but I think he likes my daughter more…” Kurt drawls sarcastically, linking arms with Sebastian to follow on.

“You're telling me?! Whenever you pair are near him I'm all but forgotten!” Sebastian stage whispers, both them faking smiles as the walk past several disgruntled looking dignitaries. “You want me to lay one on you? Really give them what for?”

“If those lips come anywhere near me, you're dead! At least wait until I've had a couple of wines to numb the pain, you know?” Kurt squeezes Sebastian's arm tight as they step in to the main hall, music strumming softly amongst the chatter of all the people filling the room. The chandeliers, high on the ceiling shining light on to the crystals on the woman's dresses. Kurt caught site of Stefan introducing Violet to colleagues from his work, he beamed with pride watching his daughter gracefully shake hands and throwing air kisses with a dignified class. Sebastian grinned too, flagging down a waitress with champagne and collecting one for each of them.

“Oh my god! Cooper Anderson at two o'clock!” Sebastian groaned, passing Kurt his glass before downing his own.

“Who's Cooper An – WAIT! The free credit rating commercial guy?” Kurt asks turning this way and that to try and catch a glimpse of the man in question. “I always thought he had a nice ass…wait! Why is he here?”

“Will you stop spinning?! He's heading over here, his dad is old money, went to Dalton with my dad. Coopers could be classed as the black sheep, he dared to go into acting, but he doesn't care. Well actually, his brothers gay too. Kind of lucky his dads pro equal rights really.” Sebastian explains switching his empty champagne glass for a full one. “God I can't stand him! He is the most self-centred, obnoxious – Hey Cooper! Good to see you!” Sebastian quickly changes subject as Cooper arrives in front of them. Kurt has to clench his jaw to stop it from dropping open, the man holding Sebastian in a firm hug was gorgeous, so much more so in person than he was on the screen.  

“Seb! You look great, I do too, I know.” Cooper put Sebastian back and turned his gaze to Kurt, a wide grin appearing over his face. “So this is the hot piece of ass Wesley was talking about. I'm Copper Anderson, don't get your hopes up though, I don't swing for your team. My brother does though! So just give me a call if you get bored of this guy. We Anderson's know how to have a good time…”

“Kurt Hummel! Sebastian never told me how…confident you are. Or much about you to be honest. Were you at Dalton too?” Kurt asks, standing close to Sebastian for support. He really was devastatingly handsome, with almost the most beautiful eyes Kurt had ever seen. Almost.

“I know you can't tell from looking at me, my skin is flawless. I'm just about to turn the big four- oh!” Cooper pauses for dramatic effect. “Seb went to school with my brother, I call him squirt, and Sebastian liked to think he was a player. Didn't you almost get him expelled once?”

“I didn't think I was a player…” raising his eyebrows at Kurt, “I was one, your brother just needed some advice on how to get laid! It's not my fault that he didn't lock the teachers' lounge door!”

“Same old Sebastian!” Cooper booms, slapping him hard on the back. “Kurt, I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for. Sebastian leaves a trail of broken men where ever he goes, or so I hear.”

“Oh, I definitely have him covered. Thanks for the advice.” Kurt smiles, bored of this handsome man with too much ego. “Sebastian, honey I think your dad is looking for us. Lovely to meet you Cooper.” Kurt smiles half-heartedly, linking arms with Sebastian and pulling him away. Waiting until they were out of ear shot before leaning in to Sebastian. “How can someone so pretty to look at be soo…”

“Conceited? Egotistical? Shallow?” Sebastian supplied for him, collecting two more glasses of champagne from another waiter.

“Now you're just describing yourself…”

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

“I swear if my dad introduces me to one more business CEO, I am going to scream. Is it too much to ask to just have fun at these things and not be paraded around as the token gay son?” Blaine rants walking into the side room, flopping onto the couch and closing his eyes. “I forgot why I hated these things.”

“Oh pipe down squirt, I'm filling Wesley in on my encounter.” Cooper pipes up, from his space in the centre of the floor, the other former Warblers watching on in stunned silence.

“So he really called him that? Called him Honey?” Wesley squeaks, too excited to contain it.

“Yeah, then he held his hand, fingers totally interlocking, and not even caring that that homophobe, Mrs Carlisle was watching. It totally got me going. And his ass as he walked away. Phew!”

“Coop, you're bordering on that gay line again, this is why dad always tries to set you up with men.” Blaine counters, causing all the other men in the room to laugh.

“Trust me, that man could make anyone turn. He is sex on a stick!”

“I told him that too, but he didn't believe me.” Wes sends a glare to Blaine. “Was the girl there?”

“No, but he didn't even flinch when we talked about your exploit at Dalton. Like he actually knows him and doesn't care. I'm telling you they're together and I bet it's serious.” Cooper adds, causing a murmur to descend upon them.

“Well I'll believe it when I see it!” Blaine states, standing to stretch, swatting at Cooper as he tries to fix his bow tie. “The Sebastian I remember, couldn't keep it in his pants in a long queue at the lima bean. I doubt he's seriously touting his future husband around. I give it a month. Tops!” Blaine starts to head back to the doors.

“We'll see how you feel when you see him! That guy has twitching cocks in all the guys' pants.” Blaine doesn't look back at Cooper, only flicks his middle finger over his shoulder.

“Coop, I'm normally disgusted by your bravado, but for once? You're not wrong!” Wes pats him on the shoulder before trailing Blaine back out.

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

“So Kurt, how's Franco treating you? Is he still a slave driver?” Stefan asks over their entrees.

“He's something alright. But he lets me off early when I need to and he might be a hard ass to some people, but he is definitely a secret soft hearted fool.” Kurt smiles into his wine glass.

“I keep hoping he's going to screw up, I could really do with a new office manager…”Stephan smiles, nudging at Kurt's elbow.

“Stefan, we've been through this. I'm not letting you put Vi into private school with your ties just so you can have me move to Columbus. I love you and Marie, but I can't do that just now. Maybe once Vi is in College, then I could commute without worrying about her being in the house on her own?” Kurt smiles at his pout, he knows how desperate Stefan is to get him to work for him, despite having a perfectly capable office manager already on his pay roll.

“Did you ask him yet?” Violet pops her head around from the other side of Kurt. Looking pleadingly at Stefan.

“No, I told you that's not how things work anyway.” Stefan shakes his head as Vi glares at him. “It appears that your daughter wants to work for me over the school break. Something about Olivia Poping it?”

“Oh my god, Vi! I told you that doesn't happen in real life.” Kurt gasps, turning to scold Violet, before looking back to Stephan. “She's obsessed with Scandal, she claims Olivia Pope is her god. I tried to tell her you don't really get Law Firms like that.”

“Here I was hoping that someone wanted to follow in my footsteps, Sebastian never showed any interest. You are set to break my heart every time I offer you a position. Violet would have been a great addition.”

“Maybe she can do some temping in the office?” Sebastian pipes up from the other side of his father. “Vi, did you tell Grandpa Stef what your Grandpa Burt taught you last week?”

“Oh my god, I totally forgot. Dad's been punishing me for skipping school-“

“Rightly so, you know not to skip school Vi!”

“I know Stef!” Violet rolls her eyes dramatically before continuing. “But I'm helping at the garage, it's like totally greasy and smells funny. BUT! I learned how to disconnect an engine, and flip tyres. I could totally be in a real life fast and the furious!”

“I've not seen Burt in ages, I should take a day off and pop down one day. You guys can train me up?”

“That would be awesome!” Violet beams.

“Stefan, you indulge her far too much…” Kurt sighs.

“She's family. Besides your uncle Bas is god awful at that stuff, maybe we can train him up too!”

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

Kurt had managed to make it through the meal without going to the bathroom, he had learned the first year Sebastian brought him along to one of these events, that if  you don't time your bathroom breaks properly you could be stuck in there for hours taking to the geriatric society. So he had learned that after dinner, people were generally too busy mingling to leave the tables, meaning the bathrooms would be practically empty. Slowly making his way down the corridor, he took in the self-portraits on the wall, one dignified family after the next, stern   looks on their faces. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the bathroom door opening and a handsome gentleman stepping out until it was too late, colliding directly into him.

“Oh my god, I'm so sorry-”

“Are you okay-?”

They both spoke over the top of each other before actually looking up to make eye contact. Both inhaling in shock at the exact same moment.

“Oh! Hi Blaine…”