A/N: So I've had this story on mind and partly written for a long while and since I was looking for stuff I could complete quickly, here it is. I re-read it, tried to enter that story with my mind and heart again, so here it is. Please, notice that it deals with bullying, harassment and Dave's storyline. Don't read if any of this might upset you, please.

Westerville makes a great emotional bunker.

During the year Kurt spent at Dalton, the unfamiliarity of the town felt overwhelming to the point where he almost missed that hellhole he came from. Despite the warm embrace of the Academy, Kurt never truly felt home. It wasn't far, but it was distant. A short drive to another world where he could not fit, as much as he tried. It was a cage keeping him from flying toward his beloved, and even though it was made of gold and Kurt knew it was to keep him protected from an environment that couldn't possibly feel safe anymore, that awareness didn't result in him finding a new home.

Sure, he had found Blaine, but that was pretty much it.

However today Kurt finds comfort in the isolation of Westerville.

Here chances are he won't meet anyone he knows, no one will reach out for him, he's in that cage but this time he holds the key and is free to easily slip away in a moment if he feels the need to. He owns here the privacy and quietness that has been denied in Lima during the past few days.

After what happened with Dave, Kurt needed this escape. None of his friends seem to understand, their compassion is spontaneous but feels as distant toward Dave as Westerville felt to Kurt. Only he can know, only he can feel. They don't know about what happened on Valentine's day, don't know about most things between Dave and him, and at some point, Kurt couldn't stand listening to them talk anymore without feeling himself break .

So he drove to Westerville.

Car parked by the sidewalk and back of his head against the front seat, hands still clenched around the steering wheel even though he's still, Kurt feels like he is walking underwater. All that is around him seems blurred and the sounds are vibrant but unreachable. That is why Kurt had to leave for a while. With people noticing you drifted off come questions, mostly invasive ones, and he is in such a vulnerable place at the moment …

This state of isolation is hazardous, he knows, but it is also easier to deal with. At some point, he'll have to let go, but right now, it feels safe in danger to swing between this quiet stream of thoughts and let himself be carried when no one is around to watch. He is scared even though he knows Dave is now safe, scared it could happen again. He is afraid about what he'll have to go through when he sees the comments on Facebook. He fears for his own conscience, a way too fair one who isn't going to let him sleep peacefully at night for long over this.

As minutes go by in total silence, Kurt starts relaxing through his panic. He isn't calm but he's not thrilled with unwanted adrenaline anymore which is a relevant progress.

Blinking and sighing, reality starts to shape in front of his eyes again. Trees become just trees and cloud resemble clouds and not heavy shadows of which Kurt can almost physically feel the weight on his shoulder. The world is almost spinning again, and one year ago, Kurt didn't think he was going to ever be so relieved and peaceful in this town of all places. It's like it called him through the wind and told him to give it one last chance. Apparently it was a fair shot.

Just as his life begins to play again, in slow motion at first, back to ordinary speed in a few, Kurt catches a blur at the crossroad, turning around the corner and stumbling on its own steps. It is quick and unreal, but from personal experience, Kurt can tell what sort of stumbling it is.

He personally knows many types of stumbling; stumbling out of clumsiness – he watches Finn do that all the time. Stumbling out of stress, stumbling for too much pressure. Stumbling emotionally, when words spurt in your head, explode like fireworks down the way to burn on your lips and die in ashes before you can let them out.

This, though, is the sort of stumbling Kurt knows all too well from his sophomore year.

It is when your body is giving up and your brain isn't helping.

All too unfairly aware of how it feels, Kurt throws himself out of his Navigator, leaves it by the pavement and walks to a fast pace to follow the shadow down the street, if anything because he could not forgive himself for ignoring it this week.

When he turns around the corner, stops still in a wide alive boulevard, his heart comes to a stop too.

He can't see the person he was chasing, has probably lost them. Everyone around him looks so chill, there's sound of chatting and laughter, people shopping and walking their dogs. Kurt isn't one to be jealous of other people's happiness – maybe a little – but today it almost makes him sick. He wants to run from it, feels stupid for having followed someone he doesn't even know down the streets of a town he dislikes, hates that he is the one feeling broken when he's not sure he has any right to do so.

Turning away and back on his steps, Kurt catches the light blue of a hoodie he'd caught before.

Of course, he thinks, when you're stumbling because of that,you don't walk down the main streets. You hide in the bathroom or in your car, you look for lost hallways or this, back streets.

He acts on instincts he wouldn't ignore even on his brightest days, turns another street and finds this boy there.

One hand against the wall, the other to his almost completely hidden face, standing from it just barely, knees shaking, breathing as much, he looks like everything Kurt has looked for most of his high school life.

Knowing well how easy it is to scare off someone who is already afraid, Kurt walks soft cottoned steps, an operation that would require him to wear something more comfortable than boots.

"Hey," he hisses, as quietly as he can.

He hears a sob, feels sick from it.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he tries once more, swallows down his ignorance about how to help someone who's in the state he was when he couldn't help himself.

The boy looks up a bit, tilts his head mostly, but since Kurt can't see a inch of his face under the hood, it's unlikely that the other boy can see him back.

"I just want to help." He knows he sounds desperate. "It's okay, I-"

"I don't need any help." The boy says, tone shaky and hoarse as he backs a bit from the wall.

Kurt doesn't want to make it sound like he does, but he doesn't want to give up either.

"Please?" He offers, aware of how it is going to feel: as if Kurt needs it more than the person in practical need. It might not be true, but if not as much, it's at least close enough.

Something in his tone or else must work because the boy stops from turning away.

Hesitantly and slowly, he lifts his hands until his fingers are grabbing his hood. Kurt holds his breath, feeling rewarded with the trust he probably wouldn't have given two years ago in a similar situation. Especially not to a stranger.

That is because he is not a stranger, he figures quickly.

Standing in front of him, Sebastian Smythe is looking wary and as harmless as Kurt never thought he'd look in his eyes. It probably has nothing to do with the weak glare he is silently throwing at Kurt. It must be more about his wounded face, scratches and bruises from cheeks to neck, from red to purple, from fresher to sealing, up to where they reach his eyes, not hit but clearly bleeding with tears rather than blood.

As Kurt swallows down his own shock and tries to come up before he's swimming underwater again, Sebastian's face starts shifting into an uneasy grimace. He hoped – Kurt realizes – that showing his face would make Kurt go away, that if Kurt saw him, he would have no interest in helping.

Kurt aches with newly granted information, that over the last months he has let himself experience such harsh feelings toward someone that maybe, just maybe, if this wasn't the week it is, he would indeed not care. Not that Sebastian made himself likeable, but Kurt didn't even make the effort of fighting the hatred, long before Sebastian harmed someone he cares about.

"C'mere." He says, not daring to mention Sebastian's attempt at pushing him away.

Firstly, because it would make Sebastian even more uncomfortable; secondly because Kurt wants to pretend he wouldn't have walked away on any other day.

Sebastian doesn't move. Of course he wouldn't.

Kurt sighs as discreetly as he can, tries to hide it from Sebastian, puts aside his own pride and manages to slip back to the selfless person he naturally is.

"Please?" He asks quietly, giving that little blink of his big blue eyes that makes magic happen around anyone.

Sebastian still seems reluctant, all walled up around himself, shielded with invisible means that make it look like there is something to protect himself from around Kurt. There isn't. Kurt might not like him and well, Sebastian might not like him either, but there's nothing to fear from him.

When Sebastian doesn't say anything and his eyes wander aside, avoiding Kurt's blue, quietly begging ones, Kurt dares to take one step forward.

The immediate shift in Sebastian is painful. He stiffens and looks up at Kurt again, chest contracted and eyes sharp, like he's threatening Kurt through his dead cold glare.

"I'm not going to the hospital," He says, sounding way too sure for Kurt to complain.

"Pffft." Kurt smiles, blocks out his own emotions, tries to just feel empathy. "No need for that."

"What are you going to do about it then?" Sebastian asks back quickly, tight jaw and darkening green eyes.

Kurt is full of questions over the things he doesn't know and cannot guess about Sebastian as anything other than the villain Kurt pictures him to be in his own story, but now it is not the time. Instead he opens up, exposes himself first.

"Look at me." He says, gradually and slowly walking closer. He beams. There's nothing to smile about this, but Kurt's been in Sebastian's place many times before. He might not know how to approach him but he knows how he would have liked to be approached. "You can guess I would know what to do."

To his credit, Sebastian honestly looks confused. Kurt thought that with all of his jokes, Sebastian would figure. His face is scrunched, his expression still harsh but partly softer.

"I don't need your help," he says, it's weaker and more hesitating.

"No, you don't." Kurt says, finally close enough that if he wanted to, he could reach for Sebastian and touch him. Eventually, he figures being honest always comes with rewards. "But I do need to help you."

"So you can sleep tonight?" Sebastian asks, sharp as a knife, looking uncomfortable with Kurt's closeness.

"It won't take long, I promise." Kurt insists, trying not to sound urgent or nervous. "Please?" He repeats again.

Sebastian gives him a long considering look and when Kurt thinks he's about to be pushed away again, he just says, quickly and quietly, "fine."

Kurt nods and gives him a soft smile, tries to see Sebastian as a boy who was attacked rather than the boy Kurt would have attacked himself if it wasn't out of his nature.

"My car's parked around the corner." He nods towards the main street again. "Just a few steps."

Sebastian doesn't give him any signal, just stalks in the direction. Kurt follows quickly, over anxious to leave him alone. Whatever this urge is, Kurt can't let it go. His conscience is a burden at the moment and yet somehow he still can't bring himself to want to get rid of it. He's good at heart to say at least.

Walking by Sebastian and surpassing him, Kurt always makes sure they're at safe distance so that Sebastian can't think of suddenly disappearing. Once again, Kurt could let him leave in his stubbornness if he wasn't just as stubborn. The walk to the car feels like a whole trip, but the sense of relief Kurt experiences once Sebastian is sitting in the passenger's seat and he's ready to take off makes up for it.

"What now?" Sebastian frowns when Kurt starts the car.

It's not like Kurt sees the frown, but he can hear it in his voice.

"I'm driving you somewhere else." Kurt shrugs as he pulls off.

"What you mean is you're kidnapping me." Sebastian huffs but obediently lays his head against the seat.

As he starts driving away from the main streets, Kurt feels his stomach curl with the awareness that maybe, just maybe, Sebastian wants help, needs to be with someone at the moment. Sure, he might dislike that it's Kurt and Kurt doesn't like it any more than he does, but deep down he wants company.

They're quiet for a few minutes – the time that it takes for Kurt to focus and remember some more isolated place in Westerville – until Sebastian eventually can't manage to keep his mouth shut any longer.

"Could have left me there." He murmurs under his breath.

Kurt barely catches it. He could rather ignore it or act clear about having understood.

He does neither of those.

"What?" His voice is quiet but kind of daring.

Sebastian is silent again.

Kurt shrugs it off and keeps on driving until he can finally take off in a lost non-paved road. He turns off the engine and looks at Sebastian, who's currently gazing out of the window and away from him. He is all-wrapped around himself, probably unknowingly.

Not entirely sure of what's going to come out of it, Kurt opens his mouth.

Sebastian anticipates him.

"I said you could have left me there." He says, still looking away. "It's not a pity party, I just don't see why you'd care."

"Sebastian ..." Kurt says softly, leaning in, seatbelt undone as he sits up.

Sebastian glares at him, like he dislikes the tone in Kurt's voice.

Kurt raises his hands in surrender.

"Okay, fine. Sebastian." He says more acutely. "I've been where you are now, many times. And with what you did at Regionals, I'm sure this has been a tough week for you too. Care to tell me what happened?"

"Why would I?" Sebastian lifts an eyebrow.

It's hard to work with him, really. When you're helping someone, it's hard to keep trying when all they do is push you back. But with their history and the fact that Kurt knows better than anyone that sometimes you don't push away people because you don't want the help you secretly crave, he settles for trying again and again and again.

"Because," he starts, careful but direct, "You've got to talk to someone about this."

"To you?" Sebastian asks, almost smirks. Clear attempt at pushing him away again.

"Yeah, why not. I'm here, right?" Kurt shrugs. "Just know that whether you decide to tell or not, you're not leaving until you've let me disinfect your wounds."

"What?! No!" Sebastian's eyes are wide, but he looks scared more than upset.

"Yes." Kurt answers like there's no other possible option. "Believe me, you don't want to go to the hospital the first time you get beaten up."

The last words make something break all over Sebastian's features, hardness cracking into weakness faster than Kurt has ever seen it happen.

"I got punched in the face, in the guts, yelled at and left in a street I could barely recognize with how fucking scared I was." He says in one breath, then his lips tremble as he looks away and adds, "Can't say I don't deserve it."

"You don't." Kurt says immediately, alarms ringing in his head at the words.

Sebastian laughs bitterly and looks out of the window again.

"Hey, look at me!" Kurt moves forward without any hesitation, tugging Sebastian's arm until the other boy turns in shock at the contact. "You don't. Even if you did deserve anything, that's not what you should get. It's bullying, it's violence and it's wrong no matter what."

"Which is exactly what I've been doing. To Dave, to you, even Blaine." Sebastian hisses.

Kurt aches to tell him that he partly did but he suppresses that need.

"Whatever, doesn't mean you have to get it back at you this way." He answers instead. "I thought you were trying to make up for it – unless you were talking crap at the Lima Bean and on stage at Regionals – and I'm not saying you haven't been an asshole, but we all have and that doesn't make the people who did this to you any less of the monsters they are."

Sebastian presses his lips in a thin line, his nose scrunched to the side.

"Right your bad." Kurt insists. "Don't let anyone who is clearly even worse than that punch it out of you."

"How do you know they're worse?" Sebastian asks, more hesitantly as he finally looks up to meet Kurt's gaze.

"Well, they didn't come back and apologize I seem to gather." Kurt lifts his eyebrows.

"Whatever, apologizing doesn't make it better. I know all too well." Sebastian rolls his eyes and sinks into his seat more. "Are you going to patch me up or can we give this a cut?"

Kurt rolls his eyes despite his best efforts.

On the one hand he wants to talk Sebastian out of his misery. He really wants to, because no matter if it is Sebastian he's talking to, it's in Kurt's DNA. He can't let someone beat themselves after they've shown a bit of sincere conscience. But on the other, he cares more about disinfecting his wounds for real. That can't wait as much as talking some sense into Sebastian can.

"Fine, c'mere." He says but Sebastian looks reluctant, as if he'd thought Kurt was going to tell him to piss off with the way he asked. Kurt could let it go again, honestly, he could. But he's done with Sebastian's crap. "You should have figured by now. I'm not going."

Sebastian tightens his jaw for a moment, his eyes are full of something Kurt can't quite tell, but that he can see it's bad. Anger, fear, tears, maybe a bit of all. Eventually though, he relaxes, gradually, as if he was mentally encouraging himself to do so. Kurt isn't going to waste any time.

He leans over, ignoring the way Sebastian stiffens at the invasion, and pulls out of the dashboard a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and cotton buds.

"You carry those around?" Sebastian honestly seems puzzled.

Kurt looks up at him from where he's leaning and grins.

"What, thought this had to do with fire and prompted scarring?"

Sebastian doesn't joke back.

In fact he tightens himself in the space of his seat and that is when Kurt figures he is basically over his lap.

He snaps back abruptly, as if he had been burned, but he doesn't say anything about it, acts as if it didn't happen, even if it fools him for a moment that Sebastian might be blushing as he looks away from him and outside the window once more. As if there was anything interesting out there.

"Okay, let's make it quick." Kurt urges.

Sebastian moves back, turns to him and presents his face.

He can't keep from asking though, "I've read somewhere that it can burn your face and leave patches. You're not just trying to ruin my gorgeous face, are you?"

Kurt tilts an eyebrow but he is smiling. "Willing to take the risk?"

He's not sure why he's teasing. It came out almost naturally.

"Yeah, sure." Sebastian shrugs. "I live for the risk."

Kurt grins, feeling a bit of an imbecile as he does. He pulls out the cotton bud and opens the peroxide, his lips never arching down. It is weird and unusual to smile around Sebastian in a way that isn't sardonic and intent to be cruel. It is also more like Kurt in his natural state. It feels better, righter.

He's careful when he covers the bud with peroxide, he's even more careful as he moves it up to Sebastian's face. Sebastian's information about it isn't as wrong. When he was younger, Kurt had heard somewhere that peroxide was miraculous for acne. Of course, being Kurt young and over-obsessed with having perfect skin, he did try. It was a disaster. His face was burned and covered in patches, but Kurt is aware that he abused of it in hopes he would get immediate results. He's glad he didn't ruin his face in unfixable ways.

With Sebastian, right because he comes out of experience and partly because he doesn't want his nemesis to think he hurt him on purpose, Kurt is extremely careful.

He barely passes the bud along Sebastian's cheek, just there where his skin is slightly scratched and exposed for infection. Sebastian stiffens and groans, but he does not pull away, not even on instinct. Instead, he closes his eyes and gradually, his shoulders relax against the seat. Kurt smiles a bit to himself, but it is completely unaware.

Sebastian's face is a wonder to look at up close. Kurt didn't get many chances to stare before, with all their feud over Blaine and their trying to keep distances not to murder each other thing. His nose is probably one of the prettiest Kurt has ever seen, his eyelashes are so long that Kurt's sure all of the girls in Glee would kill to have them. His freckles are charming and trace patterns on his face that Kurt tries to build in his head, but there's just so many ...

"Are you done?" Sebastian asks, startling him out of his bubble.

Kurt has no idea how he manages not to scream, but he gains some control so that it only looks like Sebastian took him by surprised instead of him being caught with the creepy staring. It's out of luck that he doesn't end up actually stabbing Sebastian's eye with the bud.

Sebastian's eye which is open and looking at him.

Kurt smiles, tries to look as normal as ever.

"If you don't move, it won't take more than a few minutes." He offers, though Sebastian is eyeing him suspiciously.

"You're not screwing up my face, are you?" He asks, a bit of vulnerability showing up again when he realizes he has put himself completely in Kurt's hands. "It would be as if you ruined a masterpiece."

Kurt scoffs.

"You're such an idiot." He says, hopes his blush is not visible. Not that there's anything to blush over, it's just that the face Sebastian just called a masterpiece, Kurt had been staring at it like a creep moments ago. "No, I'm not doing anything bad. This is not a trick. Remember, I've been where you are, I would never take advantage of this of all things."

Weirdly, Sebastian looks convinced. He barely groans in agreement and closes his eye again.

It works after that.

Kurt is more focused (and also more determined not to do anything embarrassing and disinfecting Sebastian's wounds), more attentive and he can gradually feel Sebastian getting used to it. It's not an ideal scenario to have someone you insulted and almost hurt taking care of you, so Kurt is trying to be sympathetic and relate, trying to see beyond is own hurt caused by Sebastian and more from his perspective.

It only takes a few minutes.

"Done." He announces, closing the bottle.

"It itches a little." Sebastian frowns but he opens his eyes again.

He didn't need to close them in the first place, but Kurt can see why he did. It is an awkward situation after all.

"It's a good thing we took care of it then." Kurt smiles, trying to be nice.

Sebastian glares at him, which means he's not much into this comfort thing, Kurt guesses. Given his stubborn five years old behaviour whenever they meet, Kurt should have figured.

"Do you expect me to thank you?" Sebastian asks, way too sharp for the case.

"Sure." Kurt grins falsely. "And maybe to worship me a bit, buy me a boat and pay for my college education." Sebastian's glare gets more intense. "Of course not. I didn't do this for the thanks."

"What for then?" Sebastian demands of him and Kurt really isn't sure if he has short memory, if he's doing this on purpose – he might enjoy Kurt saying it after all – or if he's just dumb enough to be asking naively.

"I told you!" Kurt says a bit petulantly, although he cannot be blamed. "I've been there before and ..." He stops for a moment, wondering how much of this he's actually suppose to let out. "And it killed me to see you like this. I hate that it did, I wish that it didn't. But that is not the case."

For a second, Kurt can see that Sebastian is more touched than before. There's this softness to his features, his jaw is not as clenched as before, his eyes are not as dark and he doesn't look like he's aiming at hurt.

"Okay." He says quietly. "Thanks."

Kurt can't help the smile that is tickling his face.

"Don't mention it." He says though, tries not to let it show how nice it feels.

"So I'm gonna go now." Sebastian says awkwardly.

There's hesitation in his voice, or maybe Kurt's just hearing things. It's not like Sebastian would want to stay when so far he looked like he'd rather be left there in the street than being helped by Kurt. However, Kurt isn't sure he is willing to ignore that little doubt.

"I'm driving you home." He says, not surprised when Sebastian throws a nasty look at him. Kurt is prepared this time, he is getting used to it. "I am. And you won't convince me otherwise. I'm not leaving you alone today, not until you're home safe."

Sebastian looks like he is about to argue but just as Kurt is getting accustomed to his ways, the boy might have figured that there is no way it's not happening. He sinks into his seat, looking like a kid after his dad told him he's not going to buy him the toy he wanted. Kurt grins to himself as he starts the car again.

He is startled when Sebastian talks as he drives. He thought this was going to be a very silent voyage.

"Why did people hit you?" Sebastian is looking at him, Kurt can feel it.

"Hmm?" Kurt laughs nervously, barely side-looking at him for the briefest of glances.

"Like, I know why they would pick on me, I suck." He says, surprisingly adding, "and I'm good at it."

Kurt can hear the pun in his mischievous tone.

"Ew," he laughs, but he is blushing a little.

"I mean it though." Sebastian starts again, his voice back to serious. It would appear as he's decided he might as well talk rather than be a baby about it. "What I did was bad – and I know you've said no one deserves it – but you can't tell me you don't see why they did this to me." Kurt presses his lips together, looks at the road rather than answering. "C'mon, I'm aware. You can say it. Words got out about what I said to Dave, what I did to Blaine. There's no confirmation, but rumours it's all it takes."

"Fine." Kurt answers, though he's reluctant. "I get it, which doesn't mean I condone it."

"Awwww." Sebastian mocks him, but there's not meanness to his tone. "Thanks for standing up for me."

Kurt sighs, but he's grinning. "Why do you think people would pick on me?" Kurt asks as he drives. The answer seems obvious to him.

"Because you're gay." Sebastian says nonchalantly.

"Right." Kurt allows. "Why wouldn't they pick on you for that though?"

"Well, because I'm not gay." Sebastian answers.

Kurt turns to look at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

Sebastian laughs, more spontaneous and free and less sardonic.

"You're such an idiot." Kurt grumbles, eyes back on the road. "Are you going to give me any directions?"

"You should have seen your face." Sebastian teases. "And no, I'm not giving you any directions. You've wanted this, you might as well spend your day trying to figure out where in Westerville I live at."

Kurt really wants to tell Sebastian that he has a life to go back to, but he's also afraid that Sebastian might be doing this because he doesn't want to be alone after what happened. In that case, Kurt would feel awful for leaving him.

"Relax, I'm joking." Sebastian says though, chuckling quietly. "Turn to the left."

"Oh thank God." Kurt breathes out.

"Yeah, I am just as delighted to be in your company." Sebastian comments. "By the way, I understand."

"You … you do?" Kurt asks, a bit surprised that Sebastian went back on the matter.

"Yeah, you're more feminine." He explains and it's the first time Kurt ears something about him coming from Sebastian's mouth in a non-offensive tone. It's a mere statement, and despite Kurt's instinct to be defensive, it's not meant as an insult. "Help the poor goats out. A feminine gay man is a threat to them, what if they find themselves attracted to you? They're going to make jokes about you being girly and all, but in reality, the fear you infected them with your gay consumes them. You scare them more than I ever could."

Kurt thinks back of Karofsky, of how things turned out.

"You're ridiculous." He says, though it's not what he's thinking. "But funny when you're not being a jerk."

"Gotta beat it out of me and I'm actually a nice guy at heart." Sebastian jokes.

"Ugh," Kurt rolls his eyes, "Don't say it."

"Fine, mom." Sebastian sighs dramatically, but he sounds naturally amused.

After that, they fall into a comfortable silence. Sebastian would only occasionally speak to give directions and Kurt would follow them. It's strange, Kurt thinks, what this afternoon in Westerville turned out to be, how he had come here to escape and how he found himself being useful instead. He entered the bunker to hide from the bombs life was throwing at him and found a wounded someone. This clearly won't wash away the guilt he feels about Dave, his calls, rejecting him, but … it compensates for it in a tiny measure.

When Sebastian finally tells him to pull over, Kurt hates to admit he enjoyed the company more than he should have. Mostly because this is Sebastian and there is no way he will ever get this kind of friendly experience ever again.

"So ..." Sebastian starts, and Kurt's relieved to see some of his own doubt over Sebastian's face too as he turns off the engine. "I guess I should thank you."

"Don't feel obliged." Kurt teases, mocking smile on.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sebastian grins back, his eyes are softer than usual. "Thanks though. I'm not saying it because I'm obliged - I really don't owe you because I told you several times to leave me alone – but because I want to."

Kurt lets go to gentler smile.

"I just did what everyone would have done." He offers.

Sebastian snickers.

"You know it's a lie, especially with our history." He says sincerely, and this time, Kurt can see so much gratitude in his eyes than he could feel when he said it.

He presses his lips together, looks down for a moment.

So far everything has been awkward but not intimate, not this much, not even when Kurt was touching Sebastian's face.

"Then I just did what I think everyone should do." He gives as an answer, but Sebastian scoffs again.

This time he doesn't comment on it though.

"I should go now." He says instead, sounding as if he thinks he's bothering Kurt.

It's weird to know Sebastian is even capable of such discretion.

"Yeah." Kurt says, not very talkative all of a sudden.

"See you around then?" Sebastian asks but the questions sounds like it holds so much for some reason.

"Sure." Kurt answers with a forced smile.

Sebastian looks at him for a long second.

That gaze is familiar for a reason Kurt can't quite figure. There's a vibe to it that reminds Kurt of something that has been so important to him in the past that it's stuck in his head unawarely. The look in Sebastian's eyes, his whole face … Kurt feels like he's seen it before.

"Goodbye, Kurt," Sebastian says and with a wink, he's out the car and strolling down the path to his house.

Kurt follows him with his gaze, if anything, to make sure Sebastian made him drive home and not God knows where. It's as annoying as it sounds, to be protective of your nemesis out of the blue.

It's only after Kurt's made sure Sebastian walked in and has driven halfway to Lima that it suddenly comes to him. That look on Sebastian's face is the same look Blaine had on his face the day he kissed Kurt for the first time. It was the face of someone falling a bit in love with Kurt.