Celebration || NYE Group Para
@sebastianmartinsmythe
Catie happened to be looking over Hunter's shoulder while he was talking about Sebastian finding his own happiness. She said wisely, "Maybe, but he's probably also put his happiness on hold because he's been too scared to go after it. I know about that from experience." She gave Hunter’s hand a squeeze before she was tugged over to meet more New Directions.
He patted Marc’s strong jaw and said sweetly, “You’re a sight for sore eyes. What are you doing in town?”
“Hopefully you, Legs,” Marc said with a grin.
Sebastian waggled his eyebrows at him, warming at the old nickname. “You’re gonna have to get in line, GQ.”
Marc leaned in with his dazzling smile, but in a voice just low enough for only the two of them to hear. “I’m here to pick up the pieces of your broken heart, Babyface. Public breakups never go without some collateral damage.”
He stood straighter again and said, with a wink at Karen, “But first, bring me some shots so I can catch up!” While Sebastian signaled for a waiter, Marc reached down to shake hands. “Rob Dean, you look well, sir! When are you guys going to take down Barnes and Noble once and for all?” He moved to kiss Karen’s cheek. “Hello, beautiful. I loved your last book.” She stood up to give him a hug.
"Where’s the dearly departed Mr. Clarington?” he asked next, and everyone looked around. “I think he’s dancing,” Karen said, pointing at the crowded dance floor.
Marc sat down to catch up with everyone. Their group expanded and dwindled again as people left for food, drink and dancing before others came and took their place. At one point Quinn and Puck came over and she bent down to ask in Sebastian’s ear. “Where’s Hunter?”
“I thought he was dancing with you,” Sebastian said his brow furrowing as he turned to face her.
”He was, but then he left. I assumed he was going to come be with you guys.” Quinn looked concerned. Sebastian felt an uneasy feeling, the hairs on his neck were bristling and cutting through his buzz. This wasn’t an unheard of check-in between them at parties. There was never a formal plan or specific procedures to hand off Hunter, but sometimes if Hunter was going through an anxious period it would more or less happen because of this unspoken understanding between Quinn and Sebastian.
Marc, seeing the expression on Sebastian’s face, asked, “Are you okay?”
Sebastian stood up, not answering him. He bumped past a party guest and flashed Rob an urgent look before striding away in the direction of the balcony. Quinn and Puck followed, hurrying to keep up with his long legs. “Check his room,” Sebastian said to Quinn. “Puck, check the powder room.” Puck nodded and the three sped off. Santana saw Sebastian fly past her and she looked around, catching Quinn’s eye. Quinn waved her off with a manicured hand but her expression said, ‘No, it’s okay. Not yet, anyway.”
Quinn burst into the room without knocking and let out a big sign of relief. “There you are!” she said, trying to act natural. “What are you up to in here? Just need a break?” she offered.
Rob stood up and shook Marc’s hand. “Hello Marc. It’s good to see you. You’re likewise, looking well. How have you been since your last visit?” He chuckled at the question about Barnes and Noble. “That is something still on the books I believe, but there are some other plans, personally and professionally, for this year. So Barnes and Noble might get a bit of a reprieve.” He sat back down and enjoyed the company and conversation; being as supportive as he could of Sebastian.
When Quinn appeared at Sebastian’s side though, Rob’s gaze drifted to the dance floor, looking for Hunter. When Sebastian didn’t answer Marc and instead stood up and fled towards the balcony, with an urgent glance thrown his way. Rob leaned into his wife, grateful for her constant steadying presence in his life. “So Marc, what are you up to these days?”
Hunter was still pacing the floor in his room, the first martini done, and the second in his hand. The bottle of pills were also still in his hand. He thought about Marc and Sebastian. He didn’t know how Sebastian had handled the last several weeks of he and Jay, when just seeing Marc sent him into a frenzy. He was thinking that maybe he should just leave, but he’d barely spent anytime with Quinn and he really didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye, goodnight, to Seb. But he was not going to go near Sebastian as long as Marc was around.
He startled when Quinn burst into his room. “Hey,” Hunter smiled, pocketing the pills quickly. “Yeah. I needed a bit of a break. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t realize some of the ways it would be. I was just thinking about you though,” Hunter said, coming over to kiss each cheek. “How I haven’t really gotten to see you yet. And how sad that was. Because I should probably leave soon.” He looked around the room. “Is it weird that I feel like I don’t belong here anymore?” Hunter asked. “And Puck, where’s your lone wolf?” He spoke quickly, almost rapid-fire, his speech and facial expressions both betraying his anxiety.
