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They say opposites attract. And boy, they do.
If given an element, Kurt is fire. He is passion, aflame for the things he needs, wants and loves. He is the warmth of hugs and family, love for his friends and a home-cooked meal. He is forgiveness and sentiment. He is the burn of exercise and the heat of the spotlights. He's the comfort of staying in bed, oversized sweaters, tea and baking cookies.
Sebastian is ice. He is distance and isolation, compartmentalisation and determination. He is the hard façade that will melt for only a few. He is the chill of the night that is over before the sun rises and the crisp air of a morning jog before the city awakes. He is staying out in the pouring rain on a Lacrosse field to win the game. He is a whiskey on the rocks or a vodka from the freezer, a breath of fresh air.
But what no one tells you is that it requires compromise, too.
They have gotten better at it- Sebastian no longer leaves the bed before Kurt wakes up. Kurt joins his morning runs in silence, giving both companionship and peace. Sebastian helps Kurt cool down when his temperament overheats; Kurt helps Sebastian warm to others. They meet in the middle.
But every now and then, a situation arises where they go in completely opposite directions, and it's hard to find the way back.
Grief is one; worry another. When Burt's remission check-ups coincide with the anniversary of Sebastian's father's death, their coping mechanisms do not align.
Kurt dives headlong into his work, takes it home, eats, sleeps and dreams measurements and fabrics and colours- anything to take his mind off of the things he cannot control.
Sebastian seeks oblivion in inertia. He calls in sick, sleeps until nightfall and drinks until sunrise. On the rare occasion they cross paths that week, they fight- both incapable of sympathy for the other's plight.
"Can you at least shower every now and then? You smell of bar."
"Can you at least take the pins out of your mouth before you talk to me? It's like being hissed at by a snake."
"Fuck you."
"Would that I could, babe, but you're always working."
"One of us has to."
"Do you want a living father and a job or an inheritance? Because we can switch-"
-
Sebastian snaps out of it sooner than Kurt. Maybe he has less experience in nursing grudges out of survival instinct, or more experience to stop feeling- but whatever it is, he sobers up and finds Kurt still angry at him.
He watches Kurt handle the material on his cutting table with more force than necessary, making drastic snips, putting the heavy cast scissors down with a loud clang each time. Even the cloth- a fiery red- seems to signal his mood.
"Kurt?" he tries.
Kurt ignores him.
"Babe?"
"What?" Kurt snaps, his eyes ablaze.
"Are you still mad at me?" Sebastian asks unnecessarily.
Kurt sighs deeply and closes his eyes, shaking his head softly as if he can't believe that is actually a question.
Sebastian gets up and snatches the red cloth off the cutting table. He rounds Kurt and deftly knots it around his shoulders.
Kurt opens his eyes and starts to protest. "What are you doing?! I just ironed this-"
"Now you're super mad," Sebastian whispers, picks up the hem of Kurt's makeshift cape and lets it flutter, making a whooshing sound.
Kurt frowns, first at the cloth and then at his boyfriend, and Sebastian can tell he is warring with himself. He wants to stay angry, but he is fighting a losing battle with the grin that is breaking out on his lips.
"Dork," Kurt mutters, chuckling.
"I'm sorry," Sebastian offers.
"Me too," Kurt admits.
"I'm gonna take that shower now. Do you wanna come?"
"Yeah. And maybe even shower, too," Kurt quips.
-
They say opposites attract. But when they meet in the middle, things can get steamy.