"Kurt, come on!"

Kurt looked at his father and stepped hesitantly out of the car. Sebastian Smythe, a close business associate of Burt Hummel's, grinned charmingly at him.

The teen avoided eye contact, opting to look at the ship instead.

Sure it was grand, as the papers said, but Kurt didn't find himself oggling it like most of the people milling about.

Burt smiled at his son and poked him in the arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Kurt plastered a reassuring smile to his face.

"Perfectly fine." he replied.

In actuality, Kurt Hummel was anything but fine. His father, step-mother Carole Hudson, her son Finn, and his fiancee Rachel Berry, were going back to New York for the ceremony. Sebastian was financing the entire affair -- along with the trip back to America.

Burt hadn't asked how Sebastian had come by the tickets for first class, and Sebastian hadn't said. Kurt suspected theft, but said nothing as he didn't want to upset his father, who had suffered a heart attack the previous year.

"Have everything?" Burt asked him as he shut the door of the automobile, watching as the baggage was unloaded by men in uniform.

Kurt nodded.

"Yes, Father." he said. That's it, be polite...he thought. You can sulk on the boat deck or in the cabin...anywhere that's not near family or Sebastian Smythe...especially Sebastian Smythe...

Kurt was always uncomfortable when Sebastian visited. He hated the looks...how Sebastian would look him up and down, a glint in his eye like he was planning something.

Worse still, he hated that whenever he was present and Sebastian came to call, his father would not let him leave the room unless they were to discuss extremely private matters.

Kurt wondered if his father was trying to set him up with Sebastian -- he knew Kurt was gay, and by some miracle, had no problem with that.

And with Finn engaged to be married, he knew his father was going to work harder to find him someone with whom he could spend the rest of his life with -- Sebastian was gay too.

Sebastian could provide for him, there was no question of that -- but he was not interested in someone who only wanted him for his body.

He wanted someone who could make him happy.

Class status didn't matter at all, though if he told his father that he would never hear the end of it.

"Kurt come on! Don't want to be left in England, do you?" Sebastian laughed.

Kurt didn't. He sighed and went to join his family as they boarded the ship.

---

The staterooms were...Kurt had no other word, but wonderful.

As soon as he saw the bed he dived onto it laughing, which sent Rachel into a fit of giggles when she and Finn came to see what his room was like.

Finn just rolled his eyes and asked his brother if he was going to help unpack, or if he was going to go up to the boat deck with them as the ship departed for Cherbourg.

Kurt agreed to go with them.

----

Much later, when the ship was leaving Queenstown, Ireland, he was sitting at lunch (predictably stuck inbetween Finn and Sebastian, pretending to listen as Sebastian talked about his company). Only when the interesting conversation of the build of the ship, with a man Kurt knew as Mr. Cooter -- whose company had financed the building of the ship -- was destroyed thanks to a smart comment by Miss. Rachel 'can't shut up' Berry, did he excuse himself.

The cool air felt wonderful as he leaned against the railing and stared out at the boat deck.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three men -- really two men and a teenage boy lounging in the third class area of the decks.

The boy was about his own age -- and he was staring right up at Kurt. The man sitting next to him, with brown hair, laughed and playfully shoved the younger boy.

Brothers? The man definitely didn't look old enough to be the teen's father, that was for sure.

Kurt quickly looked away, hoping the other boy knew to do the same -- it was improper --

Kurt snuck another glance. The boy had dark curly hair, tan skin -- he looked away again, knowing he was probably blushing.

A hand closed around his wrist and he turned around.
Sebastian.

"What were you thinking, just up and leaving like that?" he barked.

Kurt swallowed the lump of fear in his throat, wrenching his wrist out of Sebastian's grip.
"Don't touch me," he said angrily, backing against the rail. "I don't have to explain myself to you. My father knows I'm out here."

Sebastian smirked and advanced, until they were barely an inch apart. Kurt had never felt more afraid for himself than he did in that moment. His chest tightened, and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"I'll do what I want, Mr. Hummel," he said evenly. "and if you know what's good for you, you won't let your curiosity get the better of you." he pulled back and started to walk away. "I'll see you back at the table." he called over his shoulder.

Kurt waited until Sebastian was inside to look back down at the deck.

His heart sank:

The boy was gone.