Kurt was walking along the most deserted forest path he could find. He needed a day to himself. He hadn’t slept well in days, his kiss with Lord Anderson haunting him every time he closed his eyes. Quinn and Rachel had noticed and tried to ask, but Kurt wasn’t willing to tell. Mike and Noah wouldn’t ask unless Kurt showed some indication that he wanted to be asked, but they were shooting him increasingly worried looks. Kurt couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to be alone. Hardly anyone walked along this path. Well, hardly anyone.
Kurt saw Mr. Karofsky before Mr. Karofsky saw him, but it was too late to turn around. Perhaps he could get by with just a greeting.
“Good day, Mr. Karofsky. How are you today?” Kurt smiled widely and bowed slightly.
Mr. Karofsky returned his bow and smile. “I am doing very well, Mr. Hummel. How are you today?”
“Very well, I am taking a walk to enjoy the sun today.”
“May I join you? I would like to talk to you about something.” Mr. Karofsky took a step forward. Kurt smiled broadly. On the inside, he was crying. He just wanted to be by himself, but Mr. Karofsky didn’t have any friends outside of the ones he came with. Kurt bet what he wanted to talk about was about his said friends.
“Please, I could use the company.” Kurt gestured in the direction he had been walking. Mr. Karofsky fell in step beside him.
Kurt let the silence build a little. He would let Mr. Karofsky talk first. For now, he would pretend he was by himself.
Mr. Karofsky was silent for the first few minutes before he suddenly blurted out, “I’m in love with Sebastian.”
Kurt continued walking in silence as he processed the information. He hadn’t interacted too much with Sebastian. Every time they had met, Quinn had glued herself to Mr. Smythe’s side. Kurt was more worried for Mr. Smythe than he was Quinn. Quinn could take care of herself.
“And does he not return your affections?” Kurt asked. That was the only reason he could think of that explained asking a practical stranger.
“He does not know of my affections.” Mr. Karofsky kicked at a rock in their path.
Kurt nodded. He still was unsure what his purpose was in this. “And why have you not told him?”
“Sebastian isn’t one for relationships. As long as I’ve known him, he’s never had one. He sleeps around a lot.”
Kurt didn’t know where to go with this. This was a lot of information for a stranger to the situation, but Mr. Karofsky seemed really dejected.
“Have you slept with him at one point?”
Mr. Karofsky shook his head. “No, he doesn’t remain friends with people he’s slept with. Blaine’s the only exception.”
Kurt quelled the flash of jealousy that ran through him. He had no right.
“Do you think that he’s not open to a relationship?”
Mr. Karofsky sighed. “I’m not sure. He flirts with me, but he flirts with everyone. I just see him looking at Blaine again and I get jealous. I know I have no right to be, but I can’t help it. But I thought I’d ask you about it since your Blaine’s current lover. I guess I hoped you’d get jealous and take Blaine away from Sebastian.”
Kurt frowned. Mr. Karofsky was a close friend to Lord Anderson, so clearly Lord Anderson had told Mr. Karofsky that Kurt was his lover. That motherfucker. Kurt was going to kill him.
“I am nothing more than Lord Anderson’s tenant. We have no relationship past that. As to keeping them apart, my sister, the eldest Miss Hummel, has taken Mr. Smythe’s attention every time I have seen him.”
Mr. Karofsky looked over astonished. “I am very sorry, Mr. Hummel. Blaine had me under the impression that you were together. I will ask next time. But as to your sister, do you think she likes him? Because he is completely gay.”
Kurt thought back to when he had seen Quinn and Sebastian together. Quinn always wore pleasant smile #4 around him, which meant she was manipulating him.
“I don’t think so. Miss Hummel is very interested in visitors to Lima. Lima society quickly becomes dull without new people.” That was a blatant lie, but he wasn’t about to talk about Quinn’s manipulation tactics. “As for Mr. Smythe, there is an assembly next week. I believe you should slowly make your intent to court Mr. Smythe apparent. Ask him for a dance. I will also ask Quinn to ask him subtly. She’s very good at that.”
Mr. Karofsky frowned. “I do not know how Sebastian will react.”
Kurt shook his head. “Don’t think of how Mr. Sebastian will react. Just focus on what you will do. You are going to dance with Mr. Smythe at the next assembly. Don’t think past that. One step at a time.”
Mr. Karofsky nodded and his smile increased with every nod. “Yes. All right. You are right, Mr. Hummel. I cannot remain passive. Happiness is within my grasp and I must take it. Thank you so much. If you will excuse me, I must go. I feel too excited to carry on with this walk.”
Kurt nodded his head and gestured forward. “Be my guest, Mr. Karofsky.”
Mr. Karofsky practically sprinted away. Kurt watched him go with a smile. He looked so much happier now. Kurt wished him the best. He deserved to be happy.

…………………

Kurt needed a day to himself. Talking to Mr. Karofsky hadn’t been too bad, mostly because Mr. Karofsky had left happier than when Kurt had found him. Of course, being alone would have been better. Kurt was so tired and wanted nothing more than to be alone right now. So he had gone fishing to his secret spot that he managed to keep from Mike and Noah. Kurt sighed in relief as he looked around the wooded area. He was situated on a riverbank that was covered in silky grass. The sun was shining so perfectly that the river sparkled and Kurt was able to look into its clear depths and see the fish. Kurt leaned back onto his forearms and let the sun warm his face. He could feel the tension leave his body, and it was utter bliss. Kurt slid his forearms down until he was lying fully on the bank. He would fish in a bit. He wanted to be lazy right now, and the world seemed to agree. The fish seemed to be floating through the river and the gnats floated upon the air, buoyed up by the heat of the earth. Kurt let his muscles relax and wondered if he could sink into the earth. He felt entirely fluid and he reveled in the feeling. He let his eyes drop shut and left himself to mercy of his other senses.
It was so silent, so lethargic. Kurt hadn’t felt so calm in ages. He brought his arms up to pillow his head. It was so comfortable. He felt his breathing slow and those last few muscles relax. Kurt slipped softly into sleep.
Unfortunately, Kurt had told someone about his secret spot. An eager 13-year-old Kurt, wanting at least one person to know about his secret spot, had told 21-year-old Lord Anderson. Lord Anderson had remembered because Kurt had informed, in complete seriousness, that it was the best place to fish and that he better not tell anyone. Lord Anderson had sworn he wouldn’t, but he did take to visiting the place from time to time. Young Kurt had been right. It was a great fishing spot and so quiet.
Fishing wasn’t Lord Anderson’s reason for going there today. It had been almost a fortnight since he had seen Kurt and no one would tell him where he was. Lord Anderson had said the same thing enough times to know that they most likely did not know where Kurt was. That meant that, in some capacity, Kurt was alone. Which lead to where would Kurt go if he were alone? And Lord Anderson found himself walking to the fishing spot.
When Lord Anderson reached the fishing spot, he didn’t see Kurt right away. The grass was tall and the surrounding area was quiet. Lord Anderson walked slowly. A tackle box and fishing rod down near the water caught his eye and he slowly scanned the surrounding area. A black boot caught his eye. He walked closer and watched as more of Kurt became visible.
He looked so young and peaceful. Kurt’s face was completely relaxed in a deep sleep. Lord Anderson couldn’t remember if he had seen Kurt without some type of worried crease on his brow. Lord Anderson took a seat next to him and winced when he sat on a twig. It snapped and sounded painfully loud in the silence. Lord Anderson looked quickly to Kurt. Kurt didn’t stir. Lord Anderson heaved a sigh of relief. He looked over the water.
A buzzing sense of happiness stirred up in Blaine. This is what he imagined when he married Kurt. They’d come here and sit and fish together. Maybe they would pack a lunch and have a picnic. That’d be so nice. Lord Anderson let a lazy smile grow on his face. He looked over at Kurt before sliding down to lay down. Kurt’s face wrinkled briefly at the sudden noise, but it melted back into its relaxed state.
Lord Anderson took his time to examine Kurt’s face. It was as pale as always, but Lord Anderson had never really noticed the freckles that dotted his nose. Lord Anderson was tempted to trace a path between the freckles, but Kurt would wake up. Lord Anderson wanted to enjoy this closeness as long as possible. There was no doubt that Kurt would spring away from Lord Anderson if he woke up.
Lord Anderson continued with his examination. Kurt’s lips were slightly open in his relaxed state and he was releasing slight exhalations that grew increasingly heavy. Kurt’s face scrunched up.
Lord Anderson panicked. He started shaking Kurt’s shoulder. “Kurt, Kurt, wake up!”
Kurt’s eyes shot open and he rolled away until he was on his stomach. His eyes were wide and dilated, a combination of fear and arousal. This was a nightmare come to life. He vaguely realized when he started having his nightmare. Every nightmare started with Lord Anderson being inexplicably there. Over the next few minutes, Lord Anderson would crowd in on Kurt’s space until they were kissing. Luckily, Lord Anderson stopped the dream from progressing. Unluckily, it was Lord Anderson who stopped the dream.
Kurt had always woken quickly. A fact that he praised when he saw it was Lord Anderson. He only hoped that he rolled over quickly enough so that Lord Anderson didn’t see his evident arousal.
“Kurt, you were having a nightmare.” Lord Anderson explained. His hand was still frozen mid-way in the air.
“Yes, I was. I thank you for waking me.” The call for propriety helped shock Kurt into his usual air of indifference. “May I ask what you are doing here?”
Lord Anderson rolled onto his stomach to be more comfortable and to be closer to Kurt. “I came to look for you actually. You’re very cute when you sleep.”
Kurt couldn’t stop the blush that rushed over his face, but he let his anger rise and hoped that Lord Anderson misinterpreted his blush. “Lord Anderson! I have told you why I wish to keep our relationship professional. Why do you not respect my wishes?”
Lord Anderson had the gall to grin. Grin! “I have told you before, Kurt. I wish to marry you and I will not stop until I have achieved that.”
Kurt frowned. They had been over this. “That is not what I wish, Lord Anderson. Please understand.”
“I understand your wish just fine, Kurt. But I’m choosing to ignore it because your wish is not want you want. I promise you that you would be happier with me. We’d be so good together.”
Kurt drew his mouth into a small thin line. Lord Anderson wasn’t using the possessive language like last time, so Kurt couldn’t rationalize his way to anger. His arousal had also not died down, so he couldn’t leave. “I have my reasons, Lord Anderson.”
Lord Anderson laughed, “Your reasons? You want to keep Hummel House in the line? Fine, we’ll make one of Rachel’s future sons the Hummel heir. We can even make him retain the Hummel name. I very much doubt that Finn would care. I have the power to do that. I can do anything want. Please, Kurt, stop fighting me. You want me just as much as I want you.”
Kurt had to admit that Lord Anderson’s explanation was convincing, and so he begrudgingly admitted that he could no longer use that as a reason. There was still one reason that was very near and dear to his heart for denying Lord Anderson.
“Would I be your equal?”
Lord Anderson looked surprised. “My equal?”
Kurt felt like he had his answer already, but he needed to make sure. He didn’t want Lord Anderson to pull another surprise explanation.
“Yes, if we were married, would I be your equal and not just another extension of your property?”
Lord Anderson frowned. “Would you be a baron? Not in the true sense, I can only pass down the barony to my son. You would still be called Lord Anderson. Oh, that will be confusing. We’ll need to figure that out.”
Kurt lifted himself up into a sitting position. His arousal had died down. “I do not mean the barony. As your husband, would I be your equal? Would you treat me as your equal? Would you value me as a person?”
Lord Anderson looked very confused. “Yes, of course. You would be my equal. I would never disrespect you like that.”
Kurt chewed the inside of his cheek. Within seconds, Lord Anderson had gotten rid of Kurt’s doubts. But he didn’t like it and he didn’t want to break off his relationship with Mercedes and then go with Lord Anderson. The rumors that would fly up and honestly, he didn’t like that Lord Anderson had gotten rid of his reservations. He had held those reservations for years. The fact that they were eliminated in a heartbeat didn’t settle well with him. He needed time to come to terms. Also Mercedes, he couldn’t leave Mercedes like that. This plan was just as much for her benefit as it was his.
Kurt needed to be truthful. “You have resolved some fears I did have, but I still cannot. Mercedes depends on our marriage. I cannot sacrifice her security for my happiness.”
Lord Anderson looked extremely pained. He looked Kurt up and down as if he could understand Kurt’s words better by examining Kurt’s posture. Kurt was sitting up straight, his spine a perfect line. He was making eye contact with Lord Anderson. He needed Lord Anderson to understand that he couldn’t marry him.
Lord Anderson sat up and held out a hand. Kurt cocked his head, confused, “A gentleman’s agreement, Mr. Hummel.”
Kurt smiled, and grabbed Lord Anderson’s hand. Finally, Lord Anderson was beginning to understand where he was coming from.
Lord Anderson tightened his grip on Kurt’s hand and pulled Kurt into his lap. While Kurt was trying to orient himself, Lord Anderson gripped Kurt’s face and put their foreheads together. Kurt didn’t try to move. Lord Anderson’s grip was too tight and Kurt knew after wrestling with Noah that he needed to wait for Lord Anderson’s guard to drop.
“Kurt, I want you to look at me.”
Kurt was staring at Lord Anderson’s forehead. He was too close right now. There was too much touching and every place Lord Anderson touched buzzed and Kurt was experiencing sensory overload and he was in danger of renewing his arousal and it was too much. Kurt couldn’t look Lord Anderson in the eye.
Lord Anderson tightened his grip on Kurt’s face and tried to force Kurt to look him in the eye. Kurt felt his annoyance rise. Lord Anderson was already trying to control him and they weren’t even married. The baron was a lying bastard.
Kurt slammed his hand into Lord Anderson’s solar plexus as hard as he could given his position. Lord Anderson immediately let go to cover his solar plexus. Kurt fell backward and rolled awkwardly to give himself space. He pushed himself up to his knees, stood up, and glared at Lord Anderson.
“I ask that you respect my wishes, Lord Anderson. I know men believe that when one refuses, they are playing hard to get. I will let you in on a secret. They are not playing hard to get.”
Lord Anderson made as if to talk, but Kurt cut him off, “Good day, Lord Anderson. If you will excuse me, my presence is required elsewhere”
Kurt quickly turned and walked down the bank to grab his fishing gear before he stalked in the opposite direction of Lord Anderson. Lord Anderson was talking, but his words fell on deaf ears.