not the boy next door

Sebastian:

   Sebastian looked at Kurt sceptically, did he really believe that he could try and out-snark Sebastian Smythe? If so he was in for one hell of a treat over the next few weeks. Then again it was Hummel and as far as Sebastian could figure he wasn’t incredibly bright, especially if he thought that Sebastian was just going to let all of these little comments pass without some kind of retribution. “I’m pretty sure if you called anyone they’d ask if your mommy was home because you sound just like a 6 year old girl. Nice try though.” Turning his back to the other boy, Sebastian made show of looking around the room with a disinterested expression. Sure, if he was going to be staying here for the next little while he wanted to know what it was like but that didn’t mean Kurt had to know that. Sebastian was determined to make himself seem as bored as possible while he was here, there was nothing that Kurt could possibly do that Sebastian would be interested in and he was going to make that perfectly clear right from the start.

   It seemed he wasn’t the only one that was annoyed that he was there though, as Kurt kept up his attitude and took off on what Sebastian assumed would be feeble tour of the house. Not having bothered to wait for him, Sebastian easily caught up to Kurt and remained a few feet behind him as he moved up the stairs. He didn’t want to catch whatever Kurt had that made him so insufferable. As Kurt showed him Sam’s room Sebastian was momentarily confused before he remembered that he didn’t really care why stripper boy was staying with the Hummel’s. Last year’s fact finding mission to dig up dirt on the New Direction was going to incredibly useful for Sebastian’s list of insults.

   Seeing the door to his own room, Sebastian was inclined to just walk in and close the door behind him considering that he really wasn’t all that interest in whatever Kurt had to say next. He still had to go down and get his bags from the car though, and somehow he didn’t think he’d ever hear the end of it if he just walked away now. Kurt was bad enough usually, Sebastian didn’t want to give him reason to bug him even more. The best way he could see this thing working was Sebastian just avoided Kurt like the plague, that way at least Mr Hummel wouldn’t see him doing anything questionable to his son and Sebastian would stay in his good books. Although hearing that Kurt’s room was right across the hall from his own would probably put a slight damper on that plan. “Oh fantastic, now I’m never going to be able to get any sleep. You’ll probably keep me up all night listening to whatever crap you play.”

   Sick of Kurt’s seemingly permanent self-righteous attitude, Sebastian pushed passed him again and made his way back down the tiny staircase and out the front door, leaving it wide open behind him. He was only going to be a 30 seconds and if Kurt didn’t like it bad luck. Pulling his bags out of the back of his car, Sebastian brought them back inside and headed straight up to his room, not bothering to look behind him as he swung the door shut behind him. Pulling his headphones out of his satchel before grabbing his phone, Sebastian flung himself carelessly onto the bed and found Flint’s stream on his messages list. Please, please save me he texted to his best friend, not really expecting a reply.  

Kurt:

 Kurt tensed just the tiniest bit at the mention of his mother. She was always a sore topic for him - although he didn't like to show it. It gave way to a lot of pity-party from any of her old friends who called, and even more room for the bullies from his past to have poked and prodded him in a sensitive place, like a wound still healing or a bruise that never would heal. He had long since gotten over his mother's death - but Kurt still loved her, and any mention of her still left him with a lingering sense of sadness and the big 'what if' - what if she hadn't died? How different would his life be today? Would he be even more like his best friend and self-proclaimed star Rachel Berry in terms of confidence and growing up to various lessons in the arts? Would there not have been as many bullies, or as many of them that had gotten to him and under his skin despite him giving as good as he got? 

  Those questions had mostly faded off into the background nowadays, seeing how now Kurt was a senior and his life was already neatly planned out, shining and golden and every bit as big and appealing as it had been in sophomore year. While it would have been nice (beyond nice - fantastic, perfect) to have his mother around after the age of seven, he had managed to get through high school without any scars (only bruises and scrapes, but they healed over time, and Kurt grew stronger from them) and with the support of his father, who was loving and caring enough to make up for the loss of Kurt's mother. So yes, if given the chance, Kurt would choose to live his life with his mother if only because she was his mother and she loved him, and he loved her, as did his father, it was in the past now, and Kurt had a family again - a step-mother and more importantly, a step-brother. 

  So Sebastian's comment didn't so much hurt him as it did irritate him, and Kurt narrowed his eyes at the boy, turning a look on him that rivaled Santana's own angry (or bitchy, depending who you were talking to) face. "Oh, ha ha. You're very original, Smythe. Really, it's not like I've ever heard that joke before. Although I suppose everyone can have their off days, even naked mole rats like you." 

  Resisting the urge to cross his arms and roll his eyes, Kurt stayed glued to the spot, unwilling to back down or turn away from this little show-down that they were having. While it irked Kurt to no end to have Sebastian acting like this in his home, it was also a bit of a relief, in a way. Kurt was able to let all of his anger and ill feelings towards the boy roam free without restraint, and likewise. And while all of Kurt's dislike for Sebastian wouldn't disappear with the snap of his fingers, it would definitely make it easier to try and play nice with the hyena when Burt came home.

  "Okay, one?" Kurt said, giving in to the need and crossing his arms anyway. "The music that I listen to isn't crap. Not all of it may be Top 40 but then again, not all of it is just three minute sof scandalizing lyrics that are nothing more than lyrical porn for horny teens across the country. And two?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.  "Believe me when I say, what songs I have on my playlists couldn't possibly be any worse than having to open my door and realize that I'll have to see and listen to you for the next few weeks. Thinking about it is giving me a migraine, and I'm already starting to feel a little sick standing so close and being exposed to so many diseases at once." 

   A little pink in the cheeks and short of breath thanks his long-winded (and much needed) rant at Sebastian, Kurt took a step back when Sebastian just pushed past him and down the stairs in the middle of it. It was infuriating, to say the least, and having Sebastian come back up with all of his bags only to completely ignore Kurt and shut the guestroom door behind him? Kurt stood in the hallway for a few seconds, still in shock and fury, before he eventually managed to move himself from the spot feeling much less excited for the rest of the day than he was only fifteen minutes earlier. 

Sebastian:

   The year before Sebastian’s parents had taken the family to Paris over the winter break, because apparently spending Christmas in the city of lights was something that his mom had always dreamed of. While his family might have been quite well off, they didn’t take all that many holidays together so when his parents had told him that they would be flying first class direct to Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport, Sebastian was almost more excited than he should have been. It would give him a chance to both spend some time with his parents and undoubtedly explore the city on his own for a bit – It was France after all and he wasn’t going home without hooking up with at least one Parisian boy. They’d ended up having a great time together and Sebastian even let himself go enough to act a bit touristy when they visited the Eiffel tower, a fact that no one would ever find out about.

   Yes, last Christmas had been amazing, and considering his family that was saying something. It wasn’t that Sebastian’s parents were bad people or that they didn’t love their son. Even when Sebastian was angry with them for doing stupid things like sending him the Hummel’s he couldn’t deny that in their own way his parents did love him a lot. It was just that they tended to go away on business trips a lot. Most of the time it was fine because he was boarding at Dalton, but sometimes it got a bit boring over summer vacation. He knew that he was fortunate compared to a lot of people though, after he’d come out he hadn’t even blinked before his mom had wrapped him in a hug and his dad had told him that it didn’t make him any less of a man. Having parents that had to travel was fine compared to what Sebastian figure it must have been like to grow up with parents who couldn’t accept their child. He knew that while this Christmas would no doubt suck compared to last years, it wasn’t like his parents were trying to send him away and even though he fought them tooth and nail about their decision, it hadn’t had anything to do with them leaving him, it was just them leaving him with Kurt that was the problem.

   Trying to hide the surprise on his face when he saw that it was Kurt that opened the door instead of his father, Sebastian twisted his smile into a more natural smirk. The other boy was still dressing in his seemingly trademark clothes straight off the woman’s rack. It wasn’t that Sebastian had a problem with cross-dressing or anything – people could do whatever the fuck they pleased in his opinion – it was just Kurt doing it to get attention though that pissed him off. If he wanted attention so badly he could have thought of a much better way to go about doing it. “Well, isn’t this just lovely” he spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Barely hearing Kurt’s comments, Sebastian retorted almost automatically.  “Oh don’t worry Hummel; I’m saving all my germs for somewhere else. The carpet is going to be the least of your worries” he said with a threatening grin on his face.

   Pushing his way past Kurt and into the house, Sebastian looked around to see how the inside compared to its exterior.  It was nice, with a homey feel; Sebastian wasn’t going to give Kurt the satisfaction of knowing that though, as far as he should be concerned Sebastian hated every part of this house, particularly the Kurt parts.  Turning around to look expectantly at the overly pale-faced boy, Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Well, are you going to show me to my room or not?” 

Kurt:

  So much for a Friday spent relaxing and enjoying myself, Kurt thought to himself as he eyed the boy on his doorstep. It was one thing to know Sebastian was coming over on the weekend, but it was a whole different thing to actually have him standing in front of him, wearing that stupid little arrogant smirk that Kurt detested so much - and on the one day Kurt had planned out for himself, no less. It's like he can sense it, like some cheap, C-rated villain version of Spiderman. Kurt  forced back the smile that came with the thought, and having Sebastian open his mouth and talk? Having a frown slip onto his lips wasn't a hard thing to accomplish at all, for Kurt.

  Dropping all false pretences, Kurt openly frowned - and glared, for good measure - at Sebastian, a look that only increased in toxicity and poison (oh, if looks could kill...) as Sebastian pushed his way past Kurt and into the house. Kurt's home. He acted as if he owned the place instead of being a guest, humbled for being allowed to stay in someone else's home, for the winter holidays no less. Hopefully not for much of it beyond today, Kurt thought, crossing his arms after closing the door and turning to face Sebastian. After all, it would be hard to mistake a bloodsucking leech for an obedient dog. "How nice. If only I could call the vet to get you the vaccinations you need, but unfortunately I don't think common city rats waiting on the corner of the street count." 

   "Not your room. The room you'll be staying in. Really, for a rich boy attending an expensive private school and an attorney for a father, you really haven't picked up on much, have you?" Especially manners, Kurt added mentally as an after-thought. Not even bothering to turn around and see if Sebastian was following him or not (Kurt was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was smart enough to at least take a hint), Kurt began walking out of the living room and back into the hallway, making his way up the tiny staircase at the side and into the hallway where all of the bedroom doors were located - along with a bathroom door.  And despite wanting to have Sebastian out of his face at long last (five minutes was far too much time in Kurt's opinion. He didn't know whether to feel sorry for those who decided to hook-up with Sebastian because of their lack of intelligence or not), Kurt dreaded the next part. 

   "The door over here," Kurt pointed to just a few feet off to their right, "is Finn's room. If you value your sense of smell, you won't go in there. The door on the opposite side of the hallway in front of Finn's is the bathroom," Kurt didn't add that if Sebastian wanted any of the hot water or even just five minutes of bathroom time to himself in the morning, he'd wake up and claim the room before Sam and Finn did. Sebastian could handle an hour or two wafting in his own bodily odors, after all, it wasn't like it could be much better or worse than how he usually smelled. "The one in front of us is Sam's room, and over there," Kurt turned, pointing to the other side of the hallway, on the wall opposite of where Finn and Sam's rooms were located, but on the same wall as the bathroom, "is where you'll be staying."

Sebastian:

Pulling up to the house, Sebastian made sure he had the right address before pulling the key out of the ignition. Sitting in the car for a few minutes before he had to drag himself out and fully admit defeat to his parent’s wishes, he looked at the house. It wasn’t as big as his own, but he had to admit that it was still fairly large when put into perspective with the houses he’d passed on the way. The fact that the Hummel’s obviously weren’t struggling for money didn’t change anything though; Sebastian was just as annoyed to be here as he had been when his mom had first told him where he’d be spending his winter break. Since his parents had decided to leave him with Congressman Hummel, Sebastian had barely spoken to them except for to tell them how stupid the idea was. How was Sebastian supposed to live in same house as someone as frustratingly annoying as Kurt Hummel? Sebastian old interest in Blaine aside, the pasty boy was one of the most irritating people that Sebastian had ever met – and he’d met quite a few.

Sebastian wondered why his parents were so insistent that he spent the holidays with these people. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had any other offers because he had and they all would have been better than this. Flint had offered to take him to his family’s lake house down in North Carolina, Nick had volunteered his spare room and even Trent had said that his parents probably wouldn’t have minded if he stayed with them as long as he didn’t try to corrupt Trent too much. His parents were adamant though that the only place Sebastian would be going this Christmas was Lima, Ohio. He knew that they must have had an agenda; you didn’t just chose to send your only child to a family that you barely knew for the holidays when there were other options unless you had a pretty good reason.

Finally realising that there was no escape from his horrible fate, Sebastian climbed out of his car and reluctantly made his was down the path towards the Hudson-Hummel’s front door. Knocking politely, Sebastian waited on the doorstep with his fakest smile plastered on his face. If he was going to have to stay here he might as well make the most of his time with Mr Hummel at least. Sure, his own dad was a state’s attorney, but it could always be helpful to have a congressman on his side. All it would mean was that he’d have to act nice to Kurt when his dad was around. Admittedly that was going to be difficult, but he might be able to manage it if he turned up the insults when Mr Hummel wasn’t around. 

Kurt:

  From the moment his father had sat him down at the living room table, Kurt had known something was up. He had immediately sat up straighter, staring at his father with a contemplative and questioning look, noting the way his father carried himself with authority and a unyielding stare. It was then that the sinking feeling began to make itself known in Kurt's stomach, seeing how this was looking to come out as a 'serious, no funny business' talk before the talking had even begun. Egging his father on and telling him to just tell him what was going on was something Kurt wished he had never done. Learning that the very sneaky meerkat-faced senior who had tried to steal Blaine from him was going to be spending the next few weeks (the entire Winter holidays, no less) in his house had to be the crowning moment of 'terrible things to happen to Kurt Hummel in senior year', so far at least. God knows with the next two and a half weeks of personal Hell will make many more moments available, Kurt thought with a curled lip.

   So now, a week after hearing of the news and three days after having a personal showdown with the criminal chipmunk in question, Kurt was sitting on his bed, flipping through the latest Vogue magazine and waiting for Mercedes to make her way over for their Friday night movie marathon. He had a line-up of the greatest hits from the 80s and 90s - Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club, Adventures In Babysitting and more. It had been a while since he and Mercedes had spent some quality time together without the company of Rachel or Quinn, and to be honest, Kurt just wanted to have a night with his best friend (one of them, anyway). Mercedes had been there for him since the very beginning, after all, and she had supported him when there had been no one else. To let that friendship and that bond slip through his fingers because he hadn't done the same for her would be something Kurt would always regret, and so he was making sure something like that would never happen - not while he could avoid it, at least.

   When the doorbell rang, Kurt smiled - one that was unrestrained and full of excitement at the prospect of spending the Friday with his bestie - and scooted himself off of the bed, quickly making his way down the slightly spiralling staircase set off at the side of the hallway connecting the kitchen and the living room. Smoothing down whatever wrinkles may have been made while he had lazed about in his room and on his bed, Kurt grasped at the doorknob, his smile growing wide and eyes becoming bright with joy as he thought about all the things he and Mercedes would catch up on and all the comments that could be made about the fashion (the good, the bad and the ugly) in the past eras of history when he opened the door -

  And came face to face with Sebastian. For a few seconds, Kurt's smile had frozen in place on his face, before slowly (agonizingly slow) the smile began to slip off of his face, like paint melting and curling off of the walls and leaving behind something not quite as pretty, in this case the glare and the frown that had made its way onto Kurt's lips and directed towards Sebastian. "Sebastian," he said, sounding like he was practically biting at the boy's name - and in his mind, he was.

 Inwardly and distantly in the back of his mind, Kurt was fretting and fussing over his state of dress (Sebastian may have been the lowest of the low on Kurt's 'to impress' list, but it didn't mean Kurt would want to be caught looking any less than fabulous in front of anyone, sewer scum or not) and wondering how he had forgot that Sebastian would be coming over this weekend (although to be fair, Kurt hadn't known specifically when, unfortunately. A detail left out oh-so-helpfully by his loving father, since he didn't want Kurt to act purposefully rude and ignore the ringing of the doorbell if he knew it was Sebastian. Which Kurt wouldn't have, obviously. Well, if it was snowing or raining, that is. Sebastian could weather a bit of the early winter weather, seeing how it wasn't all that cold out yet, and Sebastian seemed to be particularly fond of spending a lot of time without his clothes on, so Kurt didn't see how he'd be cold with more layers than the one he called his skin on).