A/N: If you found this first, good for you. I'm leaving the original version up to display the differences (mostly good) this iteration has.

Sebastian roamed the McKinley halls; he wasn't as optimistic about the first day of the new year as everyone else around him seemed to be. The only thing to cheer him up right now was his boyfriend Kurt, who was due to transfer from Dalton. They met when Sebastian was sent to Dalton as a spy—the things he did for a solo—but he'd been drawn to the beautiful countertenor in blue. Rachel, of course, accused him of fraternizing with the enemy but Sebastian didn't care. Kurt wasn't like other gay guys in Ohio. He didn't pretend to be straight, he embraced who he was and Sebastian loved that about him.

Months they spent together as best friends before the New Directions girls and Warbler boys, fed up with the inevitable romantic tension, conspired to make them a couple. Kurtbastian was their ship name. They annoyed him on a regular basis but sometimes they could be endearing. Sometimes.

Sebastian entered the choir room, only to find the other couples sitting in closeness. "Seriously? You planned this." He took a seat between Sam and Quinn, and folded his arms with a sulk.

"Siltsan morning, Seb," Sam greeted, giving him a nod.

"Ke ha siltsan ha alim." Sebastian's response made Quinn roll her eyes. Of course these two would start speaking their fictional sci-fi language this early. She leaned over to chat with Artie.

"You miss spending every waking moment with Kurt, don't you?" The blond put his arm around his shoulder. "He's coming today, right?"

Sebastian nodded. "He said noon. It's like four hours and I just want to—"

"Okay, everybody! We are going to win Nationals this year!" Mr. Schuester's announcement cut him off.

Santana and Brittany entered through the other door. "That's only if Frankenteen and Tevye don't act like they're in a snuff film in public." Finn and Rachel sunk in their chairs while everyone else snorted.

"We said we were—"

"Sorry's not good enough. We're lucky it was just twelfth place. I have it on good authority that we could have placed much higher if it weren't for that—and I quote—unprofessional display of public affection." Joel gave them a cheeky smile.

Sebastian turned to look at the smaller male. "What good authority?"

"Never you mind." He waved a hand dismissively. It was common that everyone ignored Joel's cryptic comments regarding how he got his information. Things were easier not knowing. "Didn't you say Kurt was transferring today?"

Sebastian shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "I did, yeah..."

"Well, when he does, at least it won't be the Rachel Berry show anymore." Joel let out a pitiful whine when the brunette smacked his arm. Sebastian wondered how he put up with any of the New Directions' shenanigans but he thought of them as his family, especially since his own parents were busy all the time.

Kurt thought he'd made it very clear that he was leaving, and no amount of pleading would make him stay. However, that didn't stop Nick and Jeff from doing just that, and those two were... persistent couldn't even begin to explain it. He stood in the middle of the Dalton rehearsal room in his best casual wear, only to startle from a dual horrified gasp from the doorway.

"Kurt, no!" A simple sidestep avoided the hyperactive couple from attaching themselves to his leg. The resulting thud made him chuckle.

"For the billionth time, I'm going to McKinley." The groans were unanimous. "I know you're worried about me, but I have Sebastian. And the bodyguard." He added after a moment. One of the New Directions, Joel, had appointed himself best bro, and has gone as far as to threaten physical harm on anyone who messed with Kurt. It was sweet... and a little psycho, but Kurt appreciated it.

"One more song? Please?" Kurt couldn't say no to Louis' face. The guy had the puppy dog face down pat. "Before you abandon us."

He pretended to muse it over but nodded to the twins, who started to croon.

"And I never thought I'd feel this way

And as far as I'm concerned

I'm glad I got the chance to say

That I do believe, I love you"

Wes and David put their arms around him.

"And if I should ever go away

Well, then close your eyes and try

To feel the way we do today

And then if you can remember"

The rest of the room joined in.

"Keep smiling, keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

For good times and bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for"

"Kurt, you take care of yourself, okay? What we'll do without you, who knows? Probably descend back into anarchic mayhem where no one will ever get a word in edgewise." Because he knew it would annoy him, Louis ruffled his hair, which earned him a dirty look.

Someone opened a bottle of cider. "To Kurt! Never again will we have such an excellent soloist and friend."

Louis nudged Kurt lightly and, in a low voice, added, "But you better visit us, 'cause if you don't, I'll send Niff to McKinley. You and I both know they won't survive." Said couple successfully latched onto Kurt's pant leg. "Get off him or I'm strip-searching your room for sugar!" This worked; they let go and stood up, both with somber expressions.

"We'll miss you." They looked so downtrodden that Kurt caved and embraced them at once.

"It's noon. It's official." Sebastian stood alongside a few of the girls in the quad. "Three... two..." Kurt appeared and dropped his bags at the top of the stairs. "You're here!" He bolted up the steps and hugged his boyfriend.

"Wow. And you're apparently flunking gym," Joel snarked as he clapped Kurt on the back. "Look at him. He'd rather watch us suffer dodgeball but he's the freaking Flash as soon as he sees you." When Kurt turned to him, Joel looked a little uneasy. "I'm really sorry about the... y'know. I'll totally back off. I just got excited. It's not often Seb is, well, happy."

"You've known him since middle school. You know him better than all of us." Kurt smiled. "I'll let you know." This made Joel perk up.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kurt whispered to Sebastian as they headed inside for the remainder of lunch period. The club decided to perform in order to attract new membership. "From all that you told me, glee club is the sewer of the hierarchy." He made a tch noise. "You should have come to Dalton."

Sebastian leaned on Kurt's shoulder. "Trust me, I considered it, but then I'd be leaving them. And you and them are pretty much all I got."

Kurt remembered when Sebastian told him about his family and gave him a loving nudge. "Fine. You win."

"Seb, come on. She'll kill us if we don't." Sam passed them and took Sebastian's arm on the way. "Glad you're here, Kurt. This one was getting insufferable." Sebastian looked taken aback as he glanced back at Kurt and motioned to Sam. "Got it from Quinn."

Rachel, Santana and Tina entered door left and Kurt took a seat next to a redheaded girl, who smiled at him.

"Days like this, I want to drive away

Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade

You chewed me up and spit me out

Like I was poison in your mouth

You took my light, you drained me down

But that was then and this is now, now look at me

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me—"

The performance was interrupted by Rachel getting hit in the face with a plate of spaghetti, which instantly initiated a food fight.

Separated in the ensuing chaos, the club reconvened in the music room. They helped clean each other up, and only looked up when the door slammed open. It was Joel, who was covered head to toe with mashed potatoes.

"How did—?" Artie started to ask but Joel put up a hand. The brunet trudged to the middle of the room; everyone watched with bated breath at what was to come. What to expect, no one knew. With Joel, everything was a mystery.

"F—" The resulting profanity could undoubtedly be heard all over campus, possibly anyone within a fifty-foot radius of McKinley High. Needless to say, it left everyone's jaw dropped when he was done. "Now that I've vented, mind tossing me a towel?" Rachel, who was likely the least willing to tolerate Joel's behavior, came over and wiped his face. "Toda, Barbra incarnate." He smiled softly.

"How was our performance?"

"You guys sucked." The criticism came from a nasally voice that made the hair on their necks stand on end. "I mean, I could have done a lot better."

If everyone else weren't still recovering from Joel's extravagant F-bomb, they'd literally feel the angry vibes radiating from Rachel.

Sebastian sensed this and stepped forward, hair still disheveled from meat loaf removal. "And who are you exactly?"

"Sugar Motta." The reply was flippant, to say the least. "I'm going to be famous because I'm so talented. You guys sucked ass." She covered her mouth. "Sorry, that was my Asperger's. It means I have no control over what I say."

Sam leaned over to Quinn, who immediately shook her head. "Then how about you regale us with this talent?" Rachel's voice was teeming with annoyance.

"It would be my pleasure." She leaned over to whisper in Brad's ear and straightened up. "Hit it, hottie.

"Sugar, ahh

Honey, honey

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

Honey, ahh

Sugar, sugar

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you

I just can't believe the wonder of this feeling too..."

Sebastian continued to remove bits of assorted veggies from Kurt's wardrobe just to avoid the sight of Sugar's suggestive dancing. Finn tried to get excess noodles from Rachel's hair but she smacked his hand away. Mike and Tina looked at each other and grabbed napkins, stuffing them in each other's ears.

"Sugar, that's good. You can—" Mr. Schuester started but Rachel elbowed him.

"Mr. Schue, stop talking. Sugar, we'll be—"

The brunette wasn't listening. "Text me, rehearsal sched." She flounced out of the room.

"What was that?" Quinn was the first to speak. Sam had plugged his ears and buried his face into her shoulder.

"Hell to the no. We don't need a brattier demon clone of Rachel in here." Mercedes looked at her. "No offense."

"None taken. Mr. Schue, we can't." The teacher opened his mouth to talk but Rachel shut him down. "We want to win Nationals this year. For some of us, it is our last chance. You wouldn't jeopardize that, would you?"

"I'll deny it later but she's right," Santana spoke up.

"Preach." Artie waved his hand.

"But—" Everyone turned to look at Rory, the Irish exchange student. "Doesn't Kurt need to audition too?"

Sebastian looked at his boyfriend. "Tomorrow would be better. I think we've had enough drama for today."

"Fifth period awaits!" Joel had finished cleaning up and took Artie's chair by the handles. "To phys ed we go!"

Featured songs:

-That's What Friends Are For [Dionne & Friends]

-Part of Me [Katy Perry]

-Sugar, Sugar [The Archies]