Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/669567. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Glee Relationship: Kurt_Hummel/Sebastian_Smythe Character: Kurt_Hummel, Sebastian_Smythe, Blaine_Anderson, Mike_Chang, Will Schuester Additional Tags: Bondage, Light_Dom/sub, Jealousy, Snark, Sexy_Banter, Slash, Master/ Slave, sort_of, Alternate_Universe Stats: Published: 2013-02-03 Updated: 2013-02-05 Chapters: 2/? Words: 4698 ****** Fine Print (Or: That Time William Shuester Accidentally Sold Kurt to Sebastian ****** by PandaRawr Summary [AU] Drowning in debt, William Shuester turns to drinking. He quickly spirals into the harsh world of gambling and yes, more debt. Kurt Hummel isn’t too judgmental of his court appointed guardian. After all, he really is just grateful to have a place to sleep at night. Little does he know, a drunk and broke Will Shuester is more negligent than a dead father. Enter Sebastian Smythe, loan shark extraordinaire and gay bachelor. Yes, this is happening. Notes See the end of the work for notes ***** Say It ***** ”Sweetheart, there really is no use lying at this point.” Kurt clenched his fists tightly and tugged fruitlessly against the binds securing his wrists to the heavy chair. A stubborn hiss was all he allowed to escape from his kiss swollen lips and he shut his eyes as tightly closed as he could manage without losing them to the depths of his treacherous mind, which promised memories of heated skin and a needy mouth panting against the back of his neck. The faint buzzing sound brought his attention to the present but it was really no better than what was lurking at the corners of his memories. He shivered as the cold flesh of the vibrator pressed against the smooth skin of his collarbone and began its lazy descent toward an already hard and waiting nipple. He could feel the delicate skin of his inner thighs being stroked lightly by a sure and steady hand. The flesh of his bottom lip caught between his own teeth in a useless attempt at silence. He would not be giving the smug bastard what he wanted. Not without a fight. He vaguely heard Sebastian humming to himself as the vibrator placed a lingering kiss to each nipple and journeyed down, down, down, and- “Mmph!” Kurt’s eyes snapped open in horror as the squeak escaped him and met freedom before being viciously snatched up by Sebastian’s expanding ego. The bastard’s eyes crinkled with genuine affection at the look on Kurt’s face and God, did he really have to be so damn attractive? Now that Kurt’s eyes were open, they watered almost instantly at a renewed refusal to remain locked greedily onto any part of Sebastian they could grasp. Those strong hands, one still holding the shivering vibrator feather light against Kurt’s sensitive abdomen, his broad shoulders and tanned skin. And those eyes. They begged Kurt to just get lost in their depths and never let go. This has to be what hate feels like, Kurt’s thoughts growled. You wish, his inner Sebastian retorted playfully. And, really, it was no mystery why, considering how much time Sebastian spent inside of Kurt, even his subconscience. “Do we have to go through this every time?” Kurt’s bare ankle instinctively sought violent contact with any part of Sebastian. It would have hurt, too, seeing how every part of Sebastian’s solid body was but a breath away from being attached to Kurt’s flushed skin. Sebastian smiled lightly at the twitch he observed from his position between Kurt’s trembling thighs and redoubled his efforts to make Kurt absolutely fall apart. His free hand was suddenly holding an open bottle of lube and magically, because Kurt sure as hell din’t see it being poured, Kurt’s painfully flushed cock was wet and the stream of sweet smelling lube traveled down to pool against his full balls and, in his slightly elevated position, made its way to his fluttering hole. Before he could really process the sudden shock of cold lube, he felt the vibrator pressing insistently and with purpose. A quick glance, turned into full blown staring at the hunger etched into Sebastian’s features and his gaze was caught unmercifully in those green eyes. “Come on, beautiful. All you have to do is say it and I’ll make sure you get there.” Kurt glared defiantly even as another whimper escaped him and his toes curled in anticipation. Suddenly, Sebastian moved in, all hard body and soft smile until his mouth hovered just a hair above Kurt’s and his devouring stare restrained Kurt in ways binds could never hope to. “Say it,” Sebastian breathed into Kurt’s panting mouth. And, really who could blame Kurt when the gentle command was followed by the vibrator pressing haltingly into his abused and desperate hole? “I - I am your slave, Master.” ***** Promise ***** Chapter Summary Some Kurt back story as well as the first Kurtbastian meeting. Also, a bit (a lot) of angst. Chapter Notes Thanks for reading! See the end of the chapter for more notes On the day Kurt Hummel stepped into his new life, he had nothing. His parents were dead, his legal guardian had gone into hiding after falling into debt, and there was very little chance of anyone taking in a sixteen year old orphan. Even Brittany's parents had their limit and, with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and a giant stuffed unicorn from Brittany's collection, he was sent on his way. Alone. No one wanted him. *Nine Years Earlier* The weather was beautiful on the day Kurt lost his mother. Sunlight streamed temptingly through the part in the heavy curtains draped in his parent's bedroom. The promise of warmth outside made the gloom in the room that much more apparent. The room was dark and the heavy silence made his restless seven year old body tense with apprehension. He couldn't understand why his mother would choose to spend such a beautiful day under the scratchy quilt that only really made an appearance when Kurt was sick. “Mama, come on! We's 'upposed to play now.” He could see her beautiful hair matted to her forehead in clumps of sweat, the dark locks a stark contrast to the pallor of her skin. His father stood from his seat at his wife's bedside but kept a gentle hold over her clammy hand. “Kiddo, mom isn't feeling too good. We'll try to go some other day.” Kurt recognized that tone. When he got older, he'd look back on moments like these – because there were many – and he'd realize his father sounded terrified and he was only making an effort to mask it with parental sternness. Kurt would remember the look in his father's eyes as haunting in its resignation rather than dismissive of his only son's need for afternoon playmates. The sight of his father slowly sinking into himself with grief at the inevitable would forever be imprinted in Kurt's memory of these final days. But Kurt was only seven years old and he didn't know all of this yet. It was the first day of summer break and he had to start enjoying immediately. The sound of laughter floated across the playground next door and pierced the bubble of quiet they were trapped in. Kurt wanted to be outside and he didn't understand why his parents would refuse to join him. “But you promised,” he pouted accusingly. They never seemed to do anything as a family anymore, except sit in this awful silence while his mother slept the daylight away. “Kurt, not now.” Now his father sounded frustrated, like that time Kurt had eaten an entire cheesecake before dinner and had been bedridden for days. Just like during the cheesecake fiasco, Kurt looked to his mother for support. She had a habit of knowing what he needed better than anyone and wouldn't lecture him for things like thinking her cheesecake was delicious. She knew the tummy ache after that one had been punishment enough and she trusted him to learn from his mistakes. “Mama?” Her brown eyes crinkled faintly at the edges as she tried to pull her dry and pale lips into a consoling smile. “Mommy can't really do anything today, honey. I'm sorry.” Kurt's pout turned into a confused frown. Something was wrong; his mommy always tried to play with him, even when she wasn't feeling well. Another shout from outside shifted Kurt's focus and heightened his restless until he was practically hopping in place like an overexcited Tigger. “Can I just go outside for a little while?” Kurt didn't need to look at his father to know what his answer would be so he kept his gaze on what he could see of his mother. He clasped his hands to his chest pleadingly. “Please? Dave's brother promised to teach me to swing all by m'self like the older boys!” “Kurt, you know you can't be outside without one of us. Besides, that Dave boy will only send you right back here scratched up and in tears,” his father answered. Kurt turned to sniff indignantly at his father. “That big bully won't even be there, Daddy! His brother's in college and really nice and super re'ponsilible, honest!” “No, Kurt.” “But -.” “I said 'no'!” A violent coughing fit from his mother put a stop to what would surely be an epic battle of Hummel wills. They both stepped to her side anxiously and hovered uncertainly over her shaking form. Once she settled down, Kurt noticed the constant shivers running through her body and giving her the appearance of a trembling leaf teetering in a harsh wind. Kurt immediately tugged the hideous quilt over her delicate body and leaned into her touch when his mother lifted a frail hand to stroke Kurt's cheek. He smiled toothily at her and was thrilled to see a brilliant smile appear on her face, the first since she'd been restricted to her room a few days ago. “This won't last very long, alright? So, just promise me you'll stay inside today and maybe we'll head to that new store at the mall once I'm all better.” Kurt held in a sigh so as not to disappoint his mother. “Promise.” He'd gone anyway. As soon as he reached his bedroom. Kurt realized the laughter was louder and far more tempting than he could stand. What harm could it really do to go out for a few hours? His parents would be in their room until dinner time and none of the other boys would dare bully him in front of Dave's cool, mature older brother so there wasn't anything to worry about. So, there he'd been on that warm summer day, swinging under the tutelage of the older Karofsky brother and oddly enough, interacting quite amiably with the other boys his age. It was the perfect day. He went home hours later to find the front door wide open and upon entering, found his father sitting stiffly on the couch facing the front door. His eyes were fixed on the old wall clock in the shape of a bird his mother had haggled for at the flea market. Burt didn't seem to register Kurt's tentative footsteps on the carpet. Kurt could hear voices upstairs and he cringed at the thought of his mother being disappointed when she realized he'd broken his promise to her. “Dad?” Burt's attention was suddenly laser focused on Kurt who stood trembling in his grass stained t-shirt and his muddy Ninja Turtles light up sneakers. He shifted uneasily under his father's heavy stare and waited for Burt to start lecturing him for disobeying but he just kept his shining eyes on Kurt and suddenly he held his arms wide open. “Come 'ere, bud.” Kurt didn't like the odd tone in his voice, like he'd swallowed sandpaper. He moved into the hug anyway and was startled at the strength in the embrace. Rather than calm him, his father's desperate hold on him terrified him. “We'll be okay. Everything will be okay. I promise.” Burt kept whispering variations of those phrases into Kurt's wind blown hair and Kurt really wished his mother would come down and help calm his father down from whatever was scaring him because Kurt was scared, too. She never did. * The thing about summer funerals, Kurt learned, was that the weather never matched the heavy despair hanging over the mourners. Movies had taught him that someone's death was tragic so the situation always called for rain and anguished thunder, or fog at the very least. But the sky was as brilliant as the day of his mother's death all those days ago and Kurt couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal at the similarity. He never did get in trouble for sneaking out and, staring up into his father's broken expression, Kurt doubted he ever would. But that didn't matter. Kurt would always know, always feel that ache of guilt deep inside himself whenever he thought of his last moments with his mother. Even at such a young age, he could feel despair settle in his heart like a concrete brick and he knew as clearly as anything in his young life, that he'd never forget the last memory of his mother was of him lying to her face. *Present Day* The letter had been dropped off by a strong featured Asian man in a crisp suit and a driver's cap. Kurt really hadn't known what to think about the expensive looking paper and the crest pressed delicately into wax, sealing the whole spectacle into a fancy invitation. Honestly, the situation had been surreal; there was Kurt in his cotton pajamas and really, what must Mr. Chang think of him after he'd answered the door in Shrek slippers and ruffled hair at noon on a Tuesday? The invitation hadn't actually been an invitation. Mr. Chang (“Please, call me Mike,” he'd requested kindly, shattered Kurt's weariness with a sweet grin) had explained that his presence was requested at the Smythe residence to go over some financial inaccuracies and, more specifically, absent payment. Kurt had numbly dressed and packed generously once Mike told him the situation would take more than a few weeks to resolve. Besides, he'd been gone longer on some of these 'meet the big bad debt collector' adventures to know he'd probably be ignored for a while as an intimidation tactic. It really wasn't too big of an inconvenience; the house felt too void of familiar warmth and too literally empty once Kurt had been done selling what he could to pay off the bank. He had no idea where Mr. Shuester had gone and didn't really care to find out anymore, considering the humiliation his court appointed guardian had put him through after all of these months of spending away what little pay both he and Kurt managed to bring into the house. Kurt was really better off without him. He ignored the curious glance Mike cast in his direction as he clutched the unicorn Brittany had given him before she'd gone off to California to visit her family over the summer. Kurt would have been mortified at how attached he was to the sparkly thing but Brittney had been his only true friend in cow-town Lima and he wasn't leaving this piece of her behind. The drive had been a long one but no where near uncomfortable thanks to the spacious seating in the stretch limo apparently owned by the Smythe family. He managed to catch a few more hours of sleep and made a half-sincere attempt at apologizing to his manager at Breadsticks for having to leave on such short notice. Needless to say, Kurt would not be welcome back to his position as busboy. He wasn't too bothered seeing how he had to get through another meeting dealing with money he didn't have, hadn't borrowed, but was somehow expected to pay back immediately. He just hoped dealing with Mr. Smythe would be a better experience that dealing with Mrs. Fabray who had kindly taken most of his mother's jewelery off of his hands to pay off Mr. Shuester's debt to her husband. Kurt startled awake when he felt the limo come to a sudden stop. He blinked groggily out the window to see Mike punching in numbers to access a large iron gate. Kurt rolled down the window curiously as he caught a glimpse of what looked like a golf course just inside the gate. He gasped as the limo crawled forward and he took in the sight of acres upon acres of freshly groomed grass and a neat border of trees marking what he assumed were the edges of the property. From this distance, everything looked microscopic. “Welcome to Smythe Mansion, Master Kurt.” Kurt was too caught on the word 'mansion' to attempt any protest the title; he realized early in the trip that Mike would not be dissuaded so there was no point in trying. It was almost an hour before they reached the mansion and Kurt almost scoffed at the ridiculous idea of this being described as anything other than a castle. He was pretty sure his house and every other house on his block could fit in there quite comfortably. The structure seemed modern enough at the entrance, with a beautiful fountain right in the center of the stone driveway but Kurt glimpses of towers he'd only ever seen in “Beauty and the Beast”. Mike made quick work of Kurt's suitcases and refused any help from Kurt. He, in turn glared when Mike tried to take hold of his duffel bag. The other man grinned good-naturedly and led the way up the flight of stone stairs to the oak double doors. Kurt trailed behind him, still clutching the unicorn to his chest, and took a second to breath in the fresh air and drink in the beautiful landscape. They had to be hours from an actually town and, more importantly, hours away from his own lonely house. He stepped through the door and gaped at the size and flare of the entrance hall. Everything was beautifully ornate and draped gracefully with a multitude of expensive fabrics. He enjoyed the clear sounding click of his boots crossing the space and had to refrain from twirling beneath the crystal chandelier. Mike gently pushed him along passed dozens of elaborately decorated rooms until they came to an inconspicuous side door and was surprised at the odd contrast between this room and the other rooms he had caught a glimpse of. This seemed more along the lines of his own living room, albeit with far more expensive furniture and bigger than his entire house. He could see a garden just outside the sliding doors at the end of the room. “Master Smythe will be with you shortly.” Kurt nodded his thanks and waited until he heard the door shut behind Mike to drop his duffel bag and companion on a comfy looking couch and heading for the door while being careful not to touch anything breakable; he didn't need to be even deeper in debt than he already was. The garden was actually situated on a wide balcony which must have been possible due to the graceful slopes of land the mansion was built on. He took a second to admire the brightly colored flowers and the medium sized apple tree dominating the majority of the space. A pitiful meow startled him from the slight trance he'd fallen into and he turned to find a ball of orange streak through the bushes of roses and land gracefully on the marble of the miniature fountain Kurt hadn't noticed upon entering. Large brown eyes gazed at him critically and Kurt felt oddly miffed at being judged by a cat he'd only just met. “Hey there, pretty thing.” The cat meowed agreeably so Kurt took careful steps forward until he could join the cat on the edge. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and waited for the cat to accept his affection. The silence stretched on as the cat regarded him with thoughtful eyes but made no move to sniff at his fingers or do whatever it was cats did with hands. Kurt had the sudden urge to bow as one would for a Hippogriff. As quickly as the cat had landed on the fountain, Kurt suddenly found himself with a lap full of purring cat. “Oh! Hi.” Kurt giggled at the persistent shoving the cat was doing to arrange itself into prime petting position. He stroked gently over her neat ears and couldn't stop himself from cooing at the beautiful ginger and orange sherbert colors blended into her beautiful coat. Belatedly, Kurt recognized the uncomfortable prickling sensation at his neck when under someone's stare and he startled, almost dislodging the cat which it made sure to hiss at him for before hopping right on down and slinking over to the man standing at the entrance of the garden. Kurt's breath caught somewhere in the depths of his chest as he watched the tall man smile down at the cat winding itself in between his legs. And what legs they were, Kurt couldn't help but notice. His suit was light grey and hugged his body in all the right places; the material stretching across his thighs as he crouched to give the cat a quick pat on the head and Kurt was treated to a flexing of arm muscles when the man pushed himself to a standing position. The movement drew Kurt's eyes to the man's face and he let the breath he'd been holding out in a thankfully silent whooshing sound. The man's jaw was strong and his teeth were brilliantly white where he'd granted Kurt a friendly grin. And those eyes, green and sparkling with playfulness and more than enough mirth for Kurt to be immediately wary of this stranger. Oh, but he was such a nice- looking stranger with perfectly sculpted chestnut locks of hair begging to have Kurt's fingers run through them... Whoa, wait. Kurt cleared his throat uncomfortable as he realized he'd been staring for too long and he couldn't make this man – yes, man so keep it in your high school aged pants, Kurt – aware of his sexuality. He'd gotten enough trouble from every other debt collector who'd visited him in the past and those confrontations usually left him bruised, penniless, and feeling worthless. “Um, hello,” Kurt tried, seeing if he could gauge the sincerity of the man's smile. “Hello,” the man echoed, his smile becoming more of a teasing smirk complete with a slight tilt of his head as he regarded Kurt with appreciative eyes. The man's stare brought a faint blush to Kurt's cheeks. He stood hastily and averted his eyes. “I'm sorry for coming out here without permission. I didn't want to risk breaking anything inside.” The chuckle from the man startled Kurt enough to catch his gaze again. The man looked genuinely amused at Kurt's admission. He motioned for Kurt to follow him through the door and asked with unmasked merriment, “Clumsy, are you? I'm Sebastian, by the way,” he said as an afterthought. “I am not clumsy!” Kurt protested, highly offended on behalf of his ballet instructors. “I'm just unlucky,” he muttered as he followed Sebastian and settled himself on the couch while the man sat in a chair across from him with the heavy oak coffee table separating them. “I'm sure I don't believe that.” Yeah, tell that to the line of debt collectors waiting to tear me apart.”Well, I guess we should get started,” he said as he stretched out comfortably in his seat and gave Kurt a nice view of his extended body. “Get started?” Kurt asked distractedly. Focus, Kurt! “I thought I'd be speaking to Mr. Smythe about this.” Sebastian’s head tilted curiously as he gave Kurt a pointed look. “Kurt, my name is Sebastian Smythe and you'll be dealing with me.” “Aren't you kind of young to be the head of a family?” Kurt actually had no idea if this was the case but he had come prepared to deal with just another ancient, wrinkled homophobe with too many mistresses and too little empathy. This change in cast was throwing him off. Sebastian preened unashamedly at Kurt's comment. “I am only twenty-eight but that doesn't mean I can't take care of you.” He gave Kurt a wink and successfully invited the blush on Kurt's cheeks to burn brighter. “My father lives in France so I handle everything on this end.” “Oh. Um, alright. So, why exactly did you need to see me?” Kurt's hands clenched and unclenched over the material on his thighs and he'd be horrified over ruining the line in his pristine slacks if he could only look away from Sebastian's eyes. “Well, it seems your father has fallen off the map and he owes me and, from what I hear, many other people lots of money.” “He isn't my father,” Kurt corrected immediately. “He's just my legal guardian. And an awful one, if you hadn't guessed it already. He hasn't been by the house in almost a month and I have no idea where he might be.” Sebastian waved an elegant hand dismissively. “Oh, I didn't think you'd be able to tell me. That isn't why you're here.” No, Kurt Hummel never could catch a break. He sighed wearily. “Listen, I'm up to my neck in hospital bills on my own now that Mr. Shuester's gone. I even have his debt collectors after me now that he's run away. Just add your bill to the pile but I have to be honest: you probably aren't going to get whatever he owes you.” “Are you aware of exactly how much Mr. Shuester owes me?” Kurt shrugged. “A couple thousand?” Like he owes everyone else in town. Sebastian scoffed and sat up in his seat, back straight and suddenly all loan shark chic. “A couple of hundred thousand. Almost half a million, actually.” Fuck. No wonder Mr. Shue had decided to run, how the hell could anyone pay something like that in a lifetime? Sebastian studied his expression correctly read the horror written all over his face because he softened, resuming his position of casual temptation at his seat. “Quite a bit of trouble his gambling addiction has brought on the both of you.” Kurt nodded through his shock. Of course, he'd never been expressly told that Mr. Shue had a gambling problem. He doubted his father had been aware while he was still alive and Mr. Shue was simply his private tutor. Then again, how someone could be fired from McKinley High School was beyond Kurt and he wondered if his father had simply been too blinded by his need to protect Kurt from the evils of public school and had chosen to overlook any eccentricities in Kurt's home school teacher. Kurt cleared his throat. “That's.... A lot of money. More than I will ever have so it's not as if I'll be able to pay you back on his behalf. I still don't understand why I'm here.” “That's where you're wrong, Kurt. You will most definitely be paying me back.” “What? I just told you I don't have, nor will I ever have, that kind of money!” The smirk was back and it had just enough of a predatory edge to make Kurt shift uneasily. “I won't be requiring money of you.” At the confusion on Kurt's face, the smirk was replaced with a normal yet breathtaking smile. “You'll be working here as a maid in the Mansion to pay off your guardian's debts.” Kurt granted him an incredulous raise of his eyebrow. “And I'll just work here until I die to repay that sum of money, then? That's insane! Besides, I owe other people money. I can't just run away.” He flinched at the volume of his outburst but Sebastian merely gave him an approving nod. “Everything else has been taken care of. You don't owe anyone except me.” Kurt stared, jaw slack in disbelief. “Just like that? Why?” Sebastian raised his own eyebrow of incredulity and stood from his seat, apparently done with humoring Kurt. “Are you really going to question a good deed?” Without waiting for a reply, he made his way to the door just as Mike pulled it open. “Mike will show you to your room. You will need to change into your uniform and begin work immediately.” Kurt looked helplessly to Mike but the man was sharing a friendly nod with Sebastian. When he caught Kurt's eye, he smiled brightly and motioned for him to follow Sebastian out the door and back into the hallway. Kurt didn't hesitate to rush out and call after Sebastian. “Wait! But -” “Kurt,” Sebastian interrupted smoothly. He was standing a few steps ahead of them and the light from the setting sun filtering in through the bay window illuminated his features and softened the lines in his jaw. “I promise you'll be happier here.” And with that, Sebastian continued down the hallway and disappeared from sight while Mike handed Kurt his unicorn and cheerfully glared him down when Kurt made a grab for his duffel bag. Kurt would have won the almost-scuffle but Mike was already taking Kurt by the elbow and leading him in the opposite direction. Leading him toward his new room, apparently. Chapter End Notes LoanShark!Sebastian is quickly becoming my favorite because you know if he's not in a suit, he's naked. AS IT SHOULD BE. End Notes So, I’ve been out of practice since B.T (before tumblr) but I really need to get all of these plot bunnies out of me. *insert Anna Nalick lyrics* Hang in there, dear readers. Just because I’m on training wheels don’t mean I can’t rock the ice. #ballin’ Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!