Chapter 14

Santana hummed happily to herself as she set about tiding her small office. It wasn't a real office, although she wouldn't admit that to anyone other than herself, instead, it was the spare room in her apartment that she had set aside for her clients when she worked outside of business hours. Not that it mattered; the fact that Santana had a secure, profitable business, or even a business at all and was self-sufficient was a miracle in itself.

Santana's life hadn't been easy. Her teenage years had been one stream of suspensions from a school on the wrong side of Lima Heights until eventually an unfortunate experience that involved Santana putting another girl through a window resulted in her completing a small stint in juvenile detention. The whole experience at first seemed to only promise a road of more destruction, however, a caring and determined anger management counselor had suggested another path for her to follow.

Not wanting to find herself back in the detention center, or even worse, Santana had taken her counselor's advice and had strutted herself off to nearest natural healing course to help set her off in the right direction. What she hadn't expected was to find that helping others, instead of hurting them, actually drove her in a positive way. Whenever she was stressed and worked up, kneading and rubbing other peoples bodies helped to get her frustrations out, and while others might find the work mundane and repetitive, Santana liked that it allowed for her mind to roam free. Because Santana had a plan; she was going to be famous, and her hours as a masseuse gave her the time to think of just how she was going to achieve this.

For now though, until she found that idea that would actually lead her to fame, being a masseuse was just the right profession to keep her on the straight and narrow... Well, for the most part anyway.

It was still early in the evening and once she had finished restocking her bag for the next day she was planning to head off to meet the pretty, guitar playing blonde she had brought home the other night. A soft smile came to her lips at the thought, but then, all of a sudden, the energy in the room shifted. It was oppressive, sneering and obnoxious. Santana tried to shrug the sensation off, unaccustomed to such a feeling under her own roof. The abrupt shift in the ambience was unavoidable however, and it made her stomach turn. Five seconds later, just as she expected, her front door thudded with a loud knock.

Santana didn't need to open it to know who had just pounded their fist to get her attention. She would know that arrogant, preppy stench a mile off. She took her time, slowly meandering her way back through her house with only a vague indication of the direction she was going. She was enjoying the fact that her actions were only going to make Sebastian angrier.

"Santana, I know you're in there," he called impatiently.

"Oh, Sebastian," Santana answered sarcastically, "I didn't hear you." She finally sauntered over and opened the door, posing with one hand on her hip and the other still holding onto the doorframe preventing Sebastian from entering her home.

He sneered at the sight of her.

"I'm going to get straight to the point," he began, rocking on his feet impatiently.

Santana sighed and turned away as if he was the most boring sight she had seen all day. She left the door open however. "If we're going to have this conversation then at least step inside," she spoke coolly over her shoulder."

Sebastian gave the hallway inside her front door a quick inspection, his eyes surveying it with one clean sweep of the head, his chin held high as if everything inside the room was beneath him.

It couldn't be more opposite to the truth. Santana's apartment, while small, was comfortable with aesthetic and soothing tones. Meticulously cared for pot plants were scattered throughout the place and calming pictures and artwork lined the walls. It was her sanctuary. After everything that she had been through, this was her place to get away from it all.

They circled round each other and Sebastian smirked when she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head judgingly. She was initiating a challenge, encouraging him to get dirty, to go head to head with her, to just try and beat her at an argument. It was a challenge that Sebastian was more than prepared to take because without a doubt, when both of them were riled up and provoked, they were equally vicious and one sharp bite from either tongue would be enough to make even the most confident person cower in the corner.

"Step into my office," Santana suggested with a quick wave of her hand. She didn't want him taking in her private living area any longer. "Your presence is already having such a negative effect on my home."

Sebastian snorted, "Office? You call that an office?" he asked giving another quick flick of his head in mocking disbelief. "You wouldn't know a real office if you saw one."

The cackles on the back of Santana's neck rose instantly and Sebastian leered. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you do have a basic idea of what a cheesy office looks like," he drawled. "How is the porn industry going these days? Seen any more pussy cats lately?" he laughed, referring to the sex tape that her last serious girlfriend had put up onto the internet.

Santana glared and she hated how she had left herself open for that one, but she wasn't going to let him know it.

Still amused, Sebastian snorted, "You never fail to amaze me Santana with your free loving ways. It's no wonder you found your way to LA."

Santana's arrival into LA was actually a whole other story and had little to do with being a masseuse or an accidental porn star. It had actually involved her last girlfriend and Santana tossing a dime on the side of the road to help make their decision on whether they should go to LA or New York. The coin was flicked, it spun in the air, fate was decided and Santana had found herself heading west.

Sebastian crossed his arms. "Obviously you know where Blaine is because knowing how ridiculously useless Rachel is at organizing anything, she wouldn't have been able to mastermind this all by herself. Although masterminding is a bit of a stretch," he added with a nod of his head and one side of his mouth twitching up into a sly smirk.

"I'm not going to tell you where he is," Santana snapped meeting him head on. She frowned slightly, "And you should give Rachel a bit more credit, she's fantastic at her job despite everything you put her through." Sebastian walked past her looking at several small jars of oils on the shelving across the room. "Please don't touch anything, Sebastian. I do not want any traces of your snobbish filth left behind."

His face flickered with that cocky, sly, egotistical smile of his. The one that made Santana just want to slap his face really hard. "I'll speak slowly for you so you can keep up," Sebastian stated obnoxiously and Santana had to hold onto her hands to stop herself from letting them fly free. "Unless you want to join your relatives in jail you better start talking. You do realize that I have access to powerful lawyers and a state's attorney who I'm sure could make your life very miserable."

"Don't you dare threaten me!" she warned viciously.

He decided to try a different tactic, showing just how powerful he was wasn't going to help with this battle. "Why don't I tell you something more worth your while, or well I should say, worth Blaine's while."

"Oh, Sebastian, who do you take me for?" Santana laughed not believing for one instant that he would try to pull this trick. "Do you honestly think that you could manipulate me? I'm not going to tell you where he is," she repeated and with that she turned away because she was indeed close to inflicting some pain.

"Would it change things for you if I told you that the producers have finally agreed to sit down to talk with Blaine about doing his own music?" Sebastian stepped closer. "I know as his personal masseuse you have been privy to his constant moaning and groaning for his freedom to create his own material."

Santana stopped and glanced over her shoulder towards him. This was the only card Sebastian could play that could possibly change her mind. "Go on," she ordered.

"We've arranged to meet tomorrow, for lunch. I need to find Blaine to let him know so he will be there. You wouldn't want him to miss out on such an opportunity now, would you?"

Santana eyed Sebastian suspiciously. He was speaking in his usual arrogant, condescending manner where his voice drawled at the ends of his words. She wouldn't put it past him that he was lying, that he was only using this as an excuse to find Blaine, and most likely, there was no meeting whatsoever.

She couldn't however, deny that this was Blaine's dream, and no matter how much both Rachel and her wanted Blaine and Kurt to spend as much time as possible together, she couldn't take the chance of this away from him. It was his dream. This decision couldn't rest on her shoulders. It wasn't her decision to make even if Sebastian was lying.

"Alright, Sebastian," Santana sighed, "you win. But I'm going to call him first just to be sure he wants to be found." She reached out and picked up her phone. Rachel had mentioned picking Blaine up that very morning but she hadn't heard from either of them since.

"Yes, see if you can have better luck than I have because I've tried both Rachel and Blaine, and I haven't been able to reach either of them." Santana frowned but didn't comment. Instead, she listened as Rachel's phone rang out. She tried Blaine's next only to find that it also went unanswered.

"Tell me where Blaine is Santana."

Santana chewed on her bottom lip worried that she was going to mess everything up. "All I know is that Rachel was going to pick him up today. Maybe he's at home asleep," she tried, still not ready to give Kurt's address out just yet.

"He's not," Sebastian responded shaking his head. "I've already checked. Look Santana," he continued impatiently, "you know I've never been that overly concerned about Blaine going off and having a bit of fun, but this could be his whole entire future that you are messing with."

That was all he needed to say but she was suspicious that was for sure. Even so, Santana grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down Kurt's address all the while muttering to herself all of the unpleasant things she was going to do Sebastian if she found out that he was lying. "He's hooked up with a guy named Kurt. Some cute, sweet guy," she purred emphasizing 'cute' and 'sweet', "He met him a couple of months ago at some VIP meet and greet apparently."

Sebastian's head flicked up at those words. "Not that guy with the sad case of the gay face and who has an affinity for never wearing boy clothes," Sebastian asked shaking his head in disbelief. "Blaine is definitely too good for him."

Santana's face dropped and somewhere deep inside warning bells struck. "Look, if Rachel still hasn't picked him up, at least give them one more night together. I know that Blaine is rather smitten."

Sebastian flashed a disgusted smile in her direction before he glanced down at the sheet of paper she had handed him. He balked when he read the address. He was going to have to drive to that part of town, of all places?! Involuntarily shuddering, Sebastian decided he wasn't going to wait any longer. He had a mission and that was to head straight over to Kurt's house and rescue Blaine. That was not a place where a world famous rock star should be spending his time.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he pocketed the piece of paper in his jacket, his attention returning to Santana.

"You know I'm only doing this for his own good."

Santana couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, keep trying to tell yourself that." But inside, her stomach was already tying itself into knots while she watched the piece of paper disappear. Had she done the right thing? She didn't know and it was too late. Sebastian had already turned and was heading towards the door, his eyes fixed on his watch.

It was only six o'clock. If he managed to get round to Kurt's house now he could still be early enough to stop their plans if they were intending on going out. "Of course I'll let them have one more night," Sebastian lied over his shoulder. "I'm not a monster, Santana, I know Blaine just needs to get it out of his system and then he can focus again."

He left, leaving Santana pacing back and forth in her small room and nothing, nothing could relax and sooth her now, not even her most prized sanctuary in the world.

"I am so sorry!" Kurt cried staring at his car mortified. Why now, of all times did his car really have to break down? He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. It was mortifying. He should have just swallowed his pride that morning and insisted that they go with a hire car, but no, he had to mention that he had a car and insist that it was just fine.

"What are you talking about?" Blaine exclaimed giving Kurt a tired but unbothered smile. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Kurt turned to face him. They had just finished the three hour hike back to the car, their muscles were aching, they were hungry, they were tired and now, now they couldn't go anywhere.

"It does this sometimes, you know. It breaks down but usually I can fix it." Kurt paced in front of the car really not believing that this amazing day was going to end like this with the both of them trapped in the middle of nowhere, possibly spending the night braving the elements. He quickly gazed up at the sky. At least it didn't look like it was going to rain.

Blaine lowered the bonnet of the car gently. "It really doesn't matter, Kurt. We've called for a tow truck and they said they would be on their way, so all we need to do now is wait."

"But, but... it's going to take them forever to get here." Kurt's shoulders dropped, not caring for one moment that he was sounding like a petulant child.

"Shhh," Blaine called softly. He sat on the edge of the car, quickly reached out and managed to clasp his fingers around Kurt's wrist as Kurt stepped past him. Blaine gave a quick tug and pulled him into his embrace, wrapping his arms around Kurt's body so they were standing face to face.

The hike had helped lift the mood from when they had left the canyon, and in their tiredness and desperation of their current situation, it had now been all but forgotten. "Come on, you can't say this isn't romantic," Blaine crooned lightly snuggling into the crook of Kurt's neck, "Watching the sun set with my arms around you. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

A sudden loud slap rang through their ears and Blaine gave out a painful yelp.

"What was that for?!" Blaine cried aghast as he looked down at his arm that was quickly becoming red with the outline of Kurt's hand.

Kurt held up his fingers showing the blood on his palm, "Mosquito, sorry." Kurt sighed, "So much for your romance." He looked for somewhere to wipe his hand until Blaine chivalrously offered the side of his shirt.

"And you were saying it was dead," Blaine teased.

Kurt gave him a wry smile and Blaine couldn't help but giggle. He rewrapped his hands around Kurt's waist and Kurt whimpered dramatically into his hold. "You know, I think I might have jinxed us. I had a dream this morning that this happened but it ended in a very different way to this."

"Oh?" Blaine voiced, his breath warm and gentle on Kurt's skin, his head resting tiredly on his shoulder.

"Yeah, it consisted of the car breaking down, you ripping your shirt off and me giving you a hand job."

Blaine's hands tightened around Kurt's body, "Kurt!" His voice was deep and shaky in his surprise. "If you keep speaking like that you just might be lucky enough to get me going for a third time today."

"A rock star with super human strengths, I do aim high." Kurt smiled, the embarrassment of his car breaking down finally wearing off. "We've missed quite a few calls," he ventured, changing the topic of the conversation completely.

Blaine shrugged unbothered in the least. "I don't care. This was our day. I don't want to talk to anyone else while I'm with you."

Kurt smiled and rubbed his hands over Blaine's biceps averting his gaze back up to the darkening sky. In less than half an hour they wouldn't be able to see a thing, but, he suddenly realized Blaine was right. None of it mattered if it meant he could stand there snug and safe in Blaine's hold.

Kurt had been wrong. Once the sun had gone down the sky had actually come alive, alive with stars that covered every possible inch of the heavens that wasn't blocked by the trees. It reminded Kurt of his home town where the sky wasn't hampered by the smog of a large city that would block out most of the beauty the night had to offer.

"You know where another great place to go stargazing is?" Blaine asked.

They were now lying on the top of Kurt's car, flat on their backs, shoulders touching, fingers looped together.

"Where?"

"I mean this is mind blowing and all, but if you want to see the night sky from a completely different perspective you need to try Australia. Well, I mean the Australian outback," Blaine explained.

"You've been to Australia?" Kurt asked in amazement.

"Yeah, I've been all of over," Blaine said. He wasn't boasting, he was just saying it in a matter-of-fact way.

"Of course, you have. I just forgot for a moment..." Kurt said shaking his head.

"Forget what?"

Kurt rolled and grabbed Blaine's arm so he could throw it over his shoulder and snuggle into the crook in between his arm and chest. "I forgot that you're a world famous rock star that's travelled to all ends of the Earth."

"Oh, well that's good," Blaine returned tightening his grip on Kurt's shoulder.

"What's good?"

"That you can forget."

Kurt didn't answer in the darkness but he believed he understood why, well, in fact, he hoped that he understood why.

"So, why Australia, for the stargazing?"

Blaine lifted his free arm out from his body and moved it as he spoke, "because there's a whole intense band of the Milky Way that fills up half of the night sky." He gave Kurt a quick glance. "It's fucking awesome."

"That does sound awesome."

Blaine sighed happily. It had been such a long time since he had felt this relaxed and at peace. "You know, I can only think of one thing that could really top this night off?" He rolled onto his side so they were facing each other, the old car creaking in protest when his weight shifted over its surface.

"What?" Kurt asked, his hand stroking gently over Blaine's chest.

"A good, epic superhero flick, that's what."

There was only silence that met his words. The crickets chirped, a soft breeze swayed the branches above their heads, and in the distance, a coyote howled but still Kurt didn't respond.

"Oh," Blaine's voice cut into the night. "I see that you've been leading me under false pretenses and to think all this time I thought I was really getting to know who you were."

Kurt stifled a giggle, "Blaine."

"Yeah?"

"You're really a dork, you know that right?"

"I'm deeply offended."

Kurt leaned in and placed a delicate kiss on his lips, "Forget the whole rock star thing you've got going on, you're a dork all the way through, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I know," Blaine sighed solemnly.

Their gazes collided in the darkness because right at that moment, they didn't need any kind of light to see each other. Kurt's heart began to beat fast again as something inside started to tug. He could feel himself falling, falling hard.

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I can be everybody else's rock star but can I be your dork?"

"Blaine."

"Yeah."

"You can be my anything..."

Sebastian's car pulled up outside of Kurt's apartment building, the tires of the vehicle crunching softly over the asphalt that had gathered in the gutter. He looked up and down the street warily. The neighborhood that Kurt lived in didn't have too much of a bad name, but a person could never be too careful when they left the exclusive well-to-do suburbs Sebastian was used to. Deeming the dog walking couple on the other side of the street not to be too dangerous, he gave Kurt's shabby apartment complex the once over.

He couldn't believe for one instant that Blaine would really want to spend his weekend there rather than at a luxurious resort located on the outskirts of the city. There were even a dozen of extravagant places that Sebastian could list off the top of his head that Blaine could fly in and out of for the weekend, because really, if you wanted to have some fun, have some fun in style.

Sebastian shook his head. But no, here was Blaine shacking it up with some low life who obviously had no real class or stature in society. Somebody who really couldn't possibly understand what Blaine's world was all about, somebody who really didn't have the style or sense of what it was to be part of the elite crowd in Los Angeles, somebody, Sebastian was sure, who was only after Blaine for the fame and the attention that went along with it.

He really didn't understand Blaine sometimes. What was the man thinking?

Sebastian waited in the car for half an hour after his jabs at the intercom remained unanswered, but once the darkening scene in his rearview mirror became too threatening he realized it was time to reevaluate his plan. If Blaine and this Kurt lowlife had gone out for the evening, who knew what time they would return, and more importantly right at that moment in time, who knew what the night might awaken in the street that Sebastian was currently sitting in?

Frustrated, Sebastian let out a deep sigh. He would come back first thing in the morning, he decided, ready and determined to get Blaine back onto his usual schedule and far, far away from this coifed up, doe eyed young man named Kurt.

Kurt lay with his head on the pillow refusing to open his eyes, afraid that if he did, he would realize that everything that had happened over the past weekend had been a dream. With his eyes still closed he could still feel the presence behind him, he could feel the heat radiating off the other body and he believed that if he rolled over, he would be able to reach out and touch the man that he was sure he was falling for in a big way.

He dared to do it. He rolled to his other side, counted to three and opened his eyes. He smiled instantly as his eyes fell on the familiar face. The whole weekend hadn't been a dream, for there within an arm's reach was Blaine, his face content and peaceful still under sleep's lazy hold.

They had gotten home late, just after midnight and after their long day of hiking they had been exhausted. After some convincing, the tow truck driver had agreed to stop along the way at a gas station with a diner to allow them to grab some food before they had continued back to LA. It hadn't been enough though after all the exercise they had completed during the day, and with their bellies barely full, they had climbed the stairs of Kurt's apartment building and staggered into Kurt's bed. There had been no expectations or needs that night other than the feel of a pillow and the bed under their bodies, and with their arms wrapped around each other they had fallen asleep, exhausted but happy.

Without opening his eyes, without moving or without even changing his pattern of breathing, Blaine reached out his hand to clasp Kurt's waist and pulled him closer. Kurt smiled, unable to stop himself from the delight. He scooted over closing the distance between them and Blaine opened his eyes. Their gazes locked. They didn't speak but just looked, stared and examined, silent in their yearning. They didn't need to speak, not now, not after what they had seen in each other's eyes. They both knew what the other wanted.

Blaine edged the last fraction closer bringing their lips together. The only sound was a slight creak of the bed as Blaine shifted his weight so he could lie on top of Kurt and the soft rustling of the sheets as he moved. Their lips played gently, searching, teasing and discovering each other like they hadn't kissed in years. Their kisses deepened and their hands wandered gliding over their smooth warm skin until they lowered and fumbled to remove their underwear. This time Kurt climbed on top, eager to feel the heat of their naked bodies on top of each other but before he could get too comfortable, Blaine rolled Kurt straight back over and onto his back.

"You're so bossy sometimes," Kurt giggled over his lips and Blaine smiled in response.

"I know, but so are you." Blaine's hands went to Kurt's hair now soft and free from gel, wild from the long day before. He gently rocked into Kurt's body.

Kurt moaned, and while one of his hands rubbed up Blaine's back, he reached out to the top drawer of his bedside table his fingers fumbling as Blaine mouth moved to his chest. Happily, his fingers clasped around the same tube of lube that he had put to good use two nights before but his hunting hand could not find his condoms.

Kurt frowned as his hand continued to move in the drawer, his search made difficult from the awkward angle he was in. "Blaine, wait, I can't find..."

"What," Blaine breathed into his neck.

Kurt pushed Blaine back gently and lifted himself up so he could gaze into his drawer. "That's strange..." he paused trying to think of where else they could possibly be, but it was really hard to do when Blaine was straddled over his waist and nuzzling into the sensitive spot just under his ear.

"What's strange?" Blaine asked not really focusing on what Kurt was saying. He cupped Kurt's face and kissed him deeply, grinding down into him at the same time but Kurt pulled out of it, the troubled expression still on his face.

"My condoms..." Kurt muttered shaking his head. "I swear I had some left." He moved some underwear around but he still came up empty handed. The drawer did not have any condoms inside to be found.

Blaine gazed at him fondly, a more than amused smirk on his lips. "Don't worry," and his hands dropped to Kurt's back searching for some flesh to hold onto, "don't worry at all."

"Blaine..." Kurt returned a little surprised. "You can't be suggesting..."

Blaine laughed and kissed him again, "I've got some, in my bag. But it's in the bathroom."

Relief flooded through Kurt and he watched as Blaine climbed off the bed and gingerly ran over the wooden floor and out of his bedroom. Kurt waited patiently but he was still confused about what had happened to his stash of condoms. He definitely hadn't used them. He laughed to himself, no, there had not been much going on in that department over the past five months. He scooted over to the edge of the mattress so he could search again with a better view.

Blaine found Santana's gift box safe and sound in the bottom of his bag. He pulled the box out, ripped the tab that would remove the plastic casing and pulled impatiently on the cardboard lid. He retrieved two condoms and was about to tear them off when he reconsidered and pulled another two on the tethered line. He was being very optimistic, but if he was going to have his way, they weren't going to be leaving Kurt's bedroom any time soon. He could happily lie there in Kurt's bed all day long.

He stepped out of the bathroom and paused as his mind flickered to the thirst that his body had been ignoring since he had woken up. They had hiked a good distance the day before, and even though he had drunk plenty of water on the day, Blaine's body still needed replenishment from all the physical exertion.

Yes, he thought, as he gulped the glass of water down, who cared if it was a Monday, wasn't that what being a rock star was all about? Didn't he have the right to be obnoxious and not turn up to events that he had already planned in advance, just to annoy and make people mad. His mind fleeted towards Sebastian and the interview he was supposed to be doing that very morning. Oh well, he shrugged, what was waiting for him in Kurt's bedroom was much more important.

A sudden thump and a giggle met his ears and he poked his head back around into the lounge. "Kurt?" he called but no one responded, the apartment having fallen back into silence. Blaine looked up to the ceiling above him and wondered whether it had come from up there. He didn't know this apartment building so it could very well have. The thought that someone else was having just the kind of fun that he wanted, spurred him back into action and he hurried his pace. He dropped the glass into the sink and was just about to bolt back across the room when the intercom for the apartment buzzed.

Blaine stopped. It was one of those moments. One of those moments where he was faced with a seemingly simple decision, but in reality, the decision would hold end-of-the-world, life changing, disastrous outcomes for him. To answer the door or to ignore the buzzer and go to the bedroom where he had a gorgeous naked man who he was head over heels for waiting for him. It was one simple decision.

He didn't know why he did it. He didn't know what possessed him. There was no way that he could have foreseen the outcome but he did. Blaine turned towards the door, condoms still in his hand and pressed the button beside the door.

"Blaine?!" Sebastian spoke in relief at the sound of Blaine's simple and short 'hello'.

Blaine was immediately sick to his stomach.

"I'm so glad that I've tracked you down," Sebastian continued through the intercom, his voice lively and perky as if nothing was wrong. "Big news, my boy, you'll never believe!"

Blaine's shoulders dropped. NO! He couldn't believe it. Not now, not of all times. Why the hell did he have to go and answer the door? Getting rid of Sebastian was going to prove to be difficult, if not impossible. Blaine had known Sebastian long enough to know that if had gone to this much trouble to find him either he was extremely angry or he did have something of extreme value to share.

"Can I come up? We need to talk. You'll never believe what I've managed to do. I've set up a meeting, today. It's your time now, Blaine!"

It appeared it was going to be the latter.

Blaine eyed Kurt's bedroom over his shoulder his body aching to hold onto Kurt once again, to feel him, to touch him, to send Kurt over the edge and to watch his perfect, beautiful face while he did so. Never before had Blaine been so torn in two. Sebastian didn't need to elaborate what he meant by the meeting, he didn't need to explain, Blaine knew straight away. This could be a life changing moment where everything in Blaine's world could be turned upside down, and it would be turned upside down for the better. But then, so could what was about to take place in the bedroom behind him.

Blaine closed his eyes and tried to center himself.

Kurt stumbled sleepily out of his bedroom and stopped. He had heard the unusual voice coming from the lounge, and not happy by the fact that his erection had lost some of its ache, he had decided to go and investigate. The person he found standing before Blaine in his lounge room was the last person he had expected to see. Warning bells rang loud and clear within his head and never before had such a rage of defensiveness come flying up.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the sight of Kurt, his lips tightening as he drank in Kurt's appearance. Ruffled bed hair, sleepy eyes and boxers that Kurt had only put on due to the extra voice he had heard. It was quite obvious to Sebastian what had taken place or what was taking place between Kurt and Blaine.

Sebastian patted Blaine's back and spoke something quietly into his ear causing Blaine to nod his head, and then, he spoke a little louder for the whole room to hear, "Go on, go get cleaned up. We have time for you to have a quick shower. We'll go do this interview and then head out for the meeting." Sebastian's eyes continued to bore into Kurt, but nothing, nothing was going to intimidate Kurt not when he was on his own turf. Sebastian smiled wickedly meeting Kurt's defiance, daring Kurt to just try and mess with him.

Oblivious to the hostility in the room, Blaine turned for the bathroom his face covered with school boy excitement while his mind was preoccupied by whatever Sebastian had discussed with him in private. At the sight of Kurt on the other side of the room, however, Blaine's face lit up and he bounded towards him.

"I have to go, I have this interview that I need to do this morning, and at lunch, Sebastian has arranged a meeting with the producers of the record company I'm with."

Kurt didn't respond. He just simply watched on, his eyes slowly moving suspiciously from Blaine to Sebastian and back to Blaine again.

"Smile, Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed cupping his face with his hands and kissing him hard on the lips. "This could mean the change of everything. Sebastian has said the producers are willing to sit down and talk about the possibility of changes, of the possibility of putting some of my own music out there. You know, mixing it up a little."

Kurt swallowed nervously, "That's great, Blaine. Really it is."

"I'm going to hit the shower," he turned to head off, but then he stopped and stepping back into Kurt's space. He placed his head beside Kurt's ear. "We'll make up for lost time later, okay." Their eyes met and the passion that had been surging through them both in the bedroom connected through the short distance between them.

Kurt's body ached with desire and longing. All the feelings and maybe even more that he had kept locked up inside of him for so long had been ready to be put out onto a plate, just ready to be shared with Blaine. But now, those feelings, should he dare think it... that love, would have to be put on hold until they could have the time to be together again.

Blaine nodded seeing what Kurt held in his eyes, but without any other words, Blaine turned and headed to the bathroom.

The room was silent after Blaine had closed the door behind him, a despotic, loathing, cold energy floating between Sebastian and Kurt.

Sebastian's mind whirred quickly as he processed the exchange that he had just witnessed. It was clear that his weekend of Blaine's had gone too far. Obviously Blaine thought that something more was going on here, and obviously, this Kurt thought the same too. It was Sebastian's job to set everything straight.

"Can I get you a drink while we wait?" Kurt offered deciding to be polite and not wanting to tempt the scorpion he saw before him. He might have wanted to be defiant before, but Kurt quickly realized that Sebastian was someone strongly connected to Blaine, and unfortunately, he was going to be someone Kurt was going to have to deal with if Blaine was going to be a part of his life.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed further and he pointedly ignored Kurt's offer.

"Look," he suddenly spat. He approached Kurt and Kurt instinctively tensed. "This is the way this is going to work," his tone authoritative and businesslike in manner. He came close enough to drape his arm around Kurt's shoulders that in any other situation it would have been interpreted as brotherly. It couldn't have been more further from the truth. Instead, it was a gesture that could only be interpreted as patronizing. "Kurt... Your name's Kurt isn't it?"

Kurt didn't answer.

Not really caring for a response, Sebastian continued. "Let me tell you how this is going to go. How it always goes," he quickly added. He checked once over his shoulder to ensure that the bathroom door was still closed. "Our Blaine, he's a got a wandering soul. He always has. He goes out, has some fun, hooks up with men and causes trouble." Sebastian paused dramatically and it was only then that Kurt realized that he was holding his breath. "But let me make this clear, absolutely crystal clear. Blaine and me, we go way back, a long way back and if he hasn't told you already," Sebastian's voice dropped and he spoke his next words slowly to add extra emphasis, "He always comes back to me."

Kurt's head whipped round to match Sebastian's penetrating glare. It was a mistake because in that one quick movement, Sebastian saw just how vulnerable Kurt really was.

But Kurt couldn't get his heart to slow down. Just what had Sebastian meant in that? That Blaine always went back to Sebastian?

"Oh! Didn't he tell you?" Sebastian let out a false gasp of surprise, "That me and Blaine." Sebastian nodded his head slowly. "Yes, Blaine and I are more than just manager and artist and while it's always been on and off, Kurt, when Blaine's finished having some extra fun to help boost his bad boy image, he always ends up on my doorstep late at night wanting what only I can offer." He glanced up at down at Kurt in contempt as if Kurt could ever think that he could satisfy Blaine.

Kurt's knees began to shake. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it! But was this the terrible secret that had washed over Blaine's face the day before? This was what was capable of destroying everything that they had built over the past weekend. This was the real reason why Blaine wouldn't change and go his own way, because Blaine was really involved in some dark twisted seedy open relationship with Sebastian? Did Blaine believe he owed something to this horrible pathetic excuse for a man?

"Oh, Kurt," Sebastian continued with a grave shake of the head, "You really didn't think you were first person who Blaine has shacked up with for a weekend do you? I could run a list off my fingers of all the people that he's had a 'romantic' get away with if I had to." Sebastian patted Kurt's back but there wasn't any real sincerity in the gesture. "Don't let it get you down. You're not the first guy to get hurt. It's just Blaine. He's always been that way, ever since our Dalton days. He's always thinking that he's searching for something, but then, he remembers what he needs and really wants and he heads back home. You don't really want to be involved with a man like that, do you? You don't want to be just the fuck on the side?"

Kurt face filled with worry and his palms began to sweat. Was Sebastian really telling the truth? Had all of this weekend been some elaborate escape for Blaine before he scuttled back to Sebastian? He didn't want to think it was possible. But the doubt and fear that Kurt hadn't realized he possessed rose to the surface. He couldn't believe that he had opened himself up again to someone, only to have them possibly betray him just like his previous relationship. Was he going to be left shattered and wrecked on the side of the road? Just like when he had been in New York.

Sebastian misread the fear in Kurt's eyes for fear for him.

"Ah, now, I don't blame you," Sebastian cooed with a fake smile. "We all know Blaine is sex on a stick and sings like a dream, I mean, who wouldn't want that? Who can't resist that sexy ass?" Sebastian chuckled to himself. "Ahh, and it's all the little things that you find out when you get intimate with Blaine. The way he always lets out two short gasps when he comes, or that little mole on the inside of his right butt cheek, and we can't forget that little scar that he got on the inside of his thigh from when he fell off a piano at one of his wild parties. And we all know he tries to play the romantic, but he's only kidding himself, it's really the bad boy Blaine that we want isn't it?" Sebastian laughed and slapped Kurt hard on the back and gave him a wink.

The world fell out from under Kurt's feet. He was horrified. It was true! Anyone would know those things about Blaine if they had been intimate with him. Kurt's mind raced as the small things fell into place. Now it didn't seem so strange that Blaine had been so easy to wander nakedly in front of Sebastian in the hotel room, and just before when he had let Sebastian up into his apartment. But what Kurt was more horrified by was the intimate details that Sebastian had just reiterated to him. And he was right, so very right. Blaine did have a mole on the inside of right butt cheek and those two short gasps were unmistakable. But it was the scar that Sebastian had mentioned that proved that Blaine and Sebastian had been together recently, within the past few months. Kurt had noticed the scar two nights before and Blaine had explained his stupid prank that had gone wrong three months ago.

Nauseated, Kurt staggered, and he believed that if he had eaten his breakfast he would have thrown it up. He had been a fool. He had been lied to yet again, been misled and probably the butt of some horrible joke that Blaine and Sebastian would share together at the end of the weekend.

But surely, surely what had happened between Blaine and him had to have been real. The date on the rooftop, the night they had spent together where Blaine had insisted he had wanted to do things differently by Kurt, and then their day, their day at Angeles National Forest. Hadn't that all meant something real? Deep down in his heart Kurt had thought they had been.

They were suddenly interrupted as a door behind them clicked open and Sebastian and Kurt both spun on their heels determined to get to Blaine first; Kurt ready to confront him and Sebastian ready to prevent Kurt from doing so.

Kurt's mouth was dry with fear but he was ready, ready to find out just what was going on.

But it wasn't Blaine who was standing before them now.

Sebastian and Kurt both stopped in surprise, not expecting to see who they were gazing at. They looked on in confusion and shock neither believing their eyes, both quite confused as to how this pairing had even found each other.

The guilty pair stopped in their tracks, their hands looped together. They quickly gazed at each other before looking back to Kurt and Sebastian neither knowing how to tackle the awkward situation. Not only were they going to have to defend themselves for using Mercedes' bedroom but they were also now going to have to defend themselves to Kurt and Sebastian.

Kurt and Sebastian broke the silence simultaneously.

"Rachel?!"

"Finn!?"

The pair was a sight. Obviously, they had been out to all hours, Rachel's make up was smudged, her hair wild and uncouth and her clothes hastily put on. Finn, well, Finn actually looked normal. It was also clear however, by the satisfied twinkle in their eyes that they hadn't just hit the town together, they had certainly been up all night doing other things as well.

"What are you doing in Mercedes' room?" Kurt gasped forgetting for just one instant the drama that had befallen him. He turned his head on the side in realization. "Is that where all my condoms went?" Finn's face dropped and Rachel turned a deep red. "FINN!" Kurt exclaimed angrily.

The pair glanced ruefully at each other. "Um, we decided to crash here last night," Finn returned quickly. "Mercedes' still shacked up with the blonde guy, Sam, I think his name is."

Silence fell back on the small group.

Kurt felt like his brain was going to fall out onto the floor; there was just too much to process. Rachel and Finn had hooked up when his potential relationship with Blaine had appeared to have a sledge hammer wedged through the middle of it. When and how on Earth had this happened?

Sebastian's arms crossed over his chest and Rachel glared defiantly back at him. "I suppose you're going to be needing a lift too."

Rachel squared her shoulders, "That would be nice."

Sebastian was done with being diplomatic though. He had put it as serenely as possible to Kurt, but now, seeing that Rachel had also become sidetracked and had hooked up with someone so beneath them, it was time to really make sure that the ties between these people were broken.

"Kurt," Sebastian began forcefully this time. "Just remember what I've told you. You're just a phase, just something that Blaine needs to get out of his system. It would be best for him, for his career and for yourself, if you just forgot about him and moved on. And anyway, it doesn't really matter because as soon as Blaine steps out of this apartment you will cease to exist."

Rachel stepped forward startled and fearful upon hearing his words. "Sebastian! What's going on here?" she asked worriedly.

Sebastian whipped his head around and silenced her with one simple vicious glare, but Kurt wanted answers.

"Is it true?" he asked her. "Is Blaine really involved with Sebastian?"

Rachel's eyes fluttered back and forth between both men and she nervously cast her eyes down as she felt Finn's gaze fall onto her as well. She was no longer able to meet Kurt's eyes. "Well, they, he, Blaine and Sebastian have in the past..." she finally managed.

Kurt crossed his arms, "And what about now?"

Rachel stammered over her words again, "I just know that it has been off and on again, but I thought it had been off for quite a while." She looked away embarrassed.

"What?!" Finn gasped. "How could you do that to Kurt?"

Rachel quickly looked up at him, "I hadn't seen them together for a long time." She shook her head thoughtfully, "The last time had been six months. I assumed that they had called it quits again."

Sebastian laughed. "Oh, Rachel, you should know by now, we never call it quits."

Rachel went to speak again, but with another antagonistic glare from Sebastian she looked away and closed her mouth.

Sebastian's face gleamed with sadistic satisfaction. Rachel's inability to lie had saved his ass once again. He turned back to Kurt whose face had turned deathly white and his eyes had taken on an almost hollow appearance.

"Now," Sebastian spoke, assertive and menacing. "I'll let you have this. This is your little weekend away with a famous rock star, your one experience with the big leagues." He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing and his voice dropped down to barely a whisper, "but know this Kurt, whatever happened here, it means nothing."

Kurt's body filled with rage and disappointment. "Get out," he hissed trying to hold onto his anger.

"Don't worry," Sebastian returned his eyes falling back to the bathroom where the shower had been turned off. "I'll get Blaine and then we'll be on our way."

"You can wait outside," Kurt told him, his voice shaking and his fists tightly clenched at his sides. "And you too," he said to Rachel.

She looked up quickly, embarrassed and flustered, and just wanting the world to swallow her up. There was so much that she wanted to say, so much that she wanted to tell Kurt, but she couldn't right then and there without fear of losing her job.

"He's right," Finn spoke softly unable to look her in the eyes, "you need to go. Kurt's my brother. I can't have people here who are going to mislead and trick him in such ways." Finn shook his head in disappointment. "I thought, I actually thought you were different to all that Rachel."

Rachel nodded, her chin trembling as she tried to control her emotions. Not only had she possibly ruined everything for Blaine and Kurt, but now she had disappointed a guy who had just shown her the best twenty four hours she had ever had in her entire adult life.

The bathroom door opened interrupting the scene once again. Blaine stepped out, his eyes rising in surprise as he took in the people in front of him.

"Wow, party!" he exclaimed excitedly and his eyes went back to Rachel and Finn in confusion. He shrugged but smiled, and gave them the thumbs up, "Didn't see that coming but it works."

"Not today, Blaine. It doesn't work today." Finn folded his arms and walked across the room to stand at Kurt's side.

Rachel sniffled and headed towards the door and only then did Blaine sense the uncomfortable tension in the room. The smile quickly left his face. He tried to catch Kurt's gaze for reassurance but Kurt had turned away as well.

Kurt was numb, and even if Blaine had asked to speak to him privately, he wouldn't have been able to put two words together. He was desperately trying to convince his heart that what had happened over the weekend hadn't meant anything at all to him.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked hesitantly.

Sebastian suddenly clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the uncomfortable stillness. He strode merrily towards Blaine and immediately took control of the conversation again, "Nothing, my amazingly sexy rock star." Kurt recoiled at his term of endearment but it didn't stop Sebastian from continuing, "We need to get going."

Kurt turned away completely, his shoulders rounding over as if to create a protective barrier around him. He was still in disbelief, still unable to comprehend everything that he had learnt in the last ten minutes.

Confused but running out of time, Blaine picked up his bag and hastily shoved everything he could find of his into it. Once he was done he stopped before Kurt one last time.

"I'll call you okay." He spoke quietly only intending for Kurt to hear but in the awkward silence, everyone heard it. Blaine didn't care and he spoke again. "It's just like what we talked about yesterday, we've got to find our dreams, right?"

Kurt only managed to nod, still in a daze. He glanced up and they shared a look, and nervousness filled Blaine's stomach. Only a few minutes ago, Blaine had been able to see into Kurt's soul, and in the depths of it he had seen the love that Kurt had held for him. But now, now there was nothing but darkness, emptiness and confusion. Blaine swallowed unsteadily and tried to reach for Kurt's hand only to have him step away.

Blaine frowned but it was just at that moment that Sebastian coughed impatiently. With one last longing look at Kurt, Blaine dashed towards the front door and down the steps where he promptly bumped straight into Mercedes.

Mercedes stood bewildered at the top of the stairs. "Blaine! You're going?"

Blaine didn't have time to answer as Sebastian pushed him on.

He gave the room one last glance. "Don't count on that phone call," he said coldly to Kurt. Sebastian smiled evilly one last time and even dared to give Kurt a nod. He then glanced at Rachel his face filling with contempt at the sight of her.

"You better get your ass in the limo right now Berry, or you're history." Sebastian turned and left the apartment not even giving Rachel a chance to answer.

She gave each and every person one last glance, hoping and praying that they would give her an opportunity to explain, to shed some light on what had just taken place, but no one met her gaze. She choked back a sob and hurried to the door knowing that she didn't have the time to even try to get them to listen let alone make things right. It would probably be best for her to get to Blaine and tell him as soon as she had a chance to set things straight.

Rachel's feet tapped down the stairs and she rushed out to the waiting car only to find Sebastian sitting with one of the windows down, the doors to the car closed and most likely locked. He had obviously considered her plan and was not going to give her a chance to speak with Blaine alone.

"I've called you a taxi," Sebastian told her with another glare. "I can't have you turning up at the interview looking like that. Meet us at The Ritz-Carlton for the meeting at lunch, one o'clock. Don't be late Rachel," he warned her viciously.

Rachel stood speechless on the side of the road as the luxurious car pulled away.