#spuffina

  “Me too,” Sebastian said, his breath heavier as he moved his hand faster. Blaine’s teeth grazed along Sebastian’s collar before he sucked lightly at the skin there. Sebastian shuddered, his hand pausing for a second before moving again. A warm, pleased feeling ran through Blaine; there was something amazing in knowing that he could make Sebastian fall apart, even if he’d done it dozens of times before. His tongue traced along Sebastian’s collar and up to his neck.

  He could feel the low build-up in his stomach as he pressed a final kiss to Sebastian’s neck, his head falling against him. Blaine closed his eyes, arching up into Sebastian’s hand as he came. Biting down on his lower lip, he let out a muffled whimper, rocking against Sebastian throughout it. Sebastian only took a few strokes more.

  With his free hand, Sebastian quickly tilted Blaine’s head up, pressing their lips together as he came. The kiss became more heated, Sebastian’s tongue darting out and carelessly pressing into Blaine’s mouth. Blaine gasped, kissing him back. After a moment, Sebastian’s breath deepened, and he pulled back, though their foreheads and noses were still pressed together.

  “Good?” Sebastian asked, with a smirk on his face.

  “Do I need to say it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, you were terrible,” Blaine replied, sticking out his tongue slightly.

  “Rude.” Sebastian laughed, reaching out and ruffling Blaine's hair. His nose crinkled as he smiled, and Blaine leaned in closer. It was moments like these that he loved most. Not when Sebastian was on top of him or teasing him. Not when they were fooling around. But when they were pressed up next to each other, cuddling. The moments when Blaine could see just how happy Sebastian was. Neither of them had to say 'I love you' because it was already said when they smiled or held hands. That was enough. Sure enough, Sebastian reached down, grabbing Blaine's hand. He squeezed lightly before running his fingers slowly over Blaine's knuckles. His fingers followed the dips between each finger, and when he was done, he squeezed again. Their noses pressed together, and Blaine laughed happily. Sebastian’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he beamed at Blaine.

  “What?”

  “No ,no. It’s nothing.” Sebastian nudged up against Blaine.

  “That isn’t a ‘nothing’ face. That’s a ‘something is happening, and I’m not going to tell Blaine just to annoy him’ face.” Blaine pouted, and Sebastian laughed.

  “Okay, fine. I was just thinking that this is nice. You and me here together, I mean. The snuggling.” To emphasize, he nuzzled against Blaine again. Heat blossomed in Blaine’s cheeks as his smile softened.

  “So, you can be sweet.”

  “Yes. No. Maybe. It’s debatable. I still do like the sex, though.” Sebastian stuck out his tongue.

  Leaning in, Blaine wrapped his lips around Sebastian’s tongue, sucking lightly on it. When he pulled back, letting go, Sebastian’s cheeks were slightly flushed as well. He wet his lips before sucking in the lower one.

  “Where did you learn that?” Sebastian asked. “Seems unlike you.”

  “Well, I do learn from the best.” Blaine grinned and poked Sebastian’s arm. They both began laughing, and, after a moment, rolled on top of each other. Sebastian tried pinning Blaine down, but Blaine hooked his legs around Sebastian’s waist, rolling over so that he was straddling him.

  “I am pretty damn good. It’s true,” Sebastian said, darting his head up to press another quick peck to Blaine’s lips.

  Their happiness wasn’t long-lived, though. There was a knock at the door, and both of them froze. “Sebastian, I sincerely hope you aren’t sleeping. I heard that you were running late to your lessons, and –“

  Michael cut off as he opened the door. His expression immediately arranged from one of irritation to one of anger, and his cheeks turned red. “I can explain,” Sebastian stuttered out, throwing his hands up.

  “Explain what? That instead of going to your lessons, you were sleeping around with someone below you?”

  “He isn’t –“ Sebastian tried, his hands balling into fists.

  “Do you know how embarrassing it is to have your tutor walk in and ask me why you aren’t at your lesson?”

  Blaine slid into the bed, wishing he could just fade away. When Michael got into one of his moods, he was terrifying. Even Sebastian was trembling beside him, though whether it was with anger or fear, Blaine couldn’t entirely tell. Unfortunately, Blaine’s movement seemed to catch Michael’s attention, and he turned his head towards Blaine, his nostrils flaring.

  “And you…” He strode over to the bed, grabbing Blaine by his hair and tugging upwards. Pain shot down Blaine’s scalp and neck as he let out a loud scream. His eyes scrunched shut, and he reached up, pawing at Michael’s hands.

  “Stop. Please, stop,” Blaine gasped out, his eyes watering.

  “Father!” Sebastian grabbed his father’s hand, tugging it off of Blaine. His chest stuck out, and his jaw tightened. “You can’t touch him like that.”

  “You’ll soon learn your place, Sebastian. You won’t always be able to protect whores like him. Now get ready for your lessons. I’ll expect you to be on time from now on,” he spat out, looking disgusted. He went to stride out of the room, throwing one final glance over his shoulder. “I’ll deal with you later,” he said to Blaine.

  oOoOoOo

Blaine yawned as he walked down the hallway, tying the string around his bathrobe. He made his way down to the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes. Sarah was already in the kitchen, her hair pulled back as she dipped her knife into the jam. “Good morning, Blaine.” She smiled at Blaine, and, when Blaine walked over, she ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it. “Sleep well?”

“Decently well. What are you doing up so early?”

“Sebastian actually had to go out for business with Michael. I heard you and Sebastian made up.” She leaned back in her chair, bringing the toast up, a hand underneath to catch the crumbs.

“Yes. He – I think he realized what he did an apologized.” As he spoke, Blaine couldn’t look Sarah in the eyes. How was he supposed to explain what that ‘making up’ had entailed of? How was he supposed to tell her straight-faced that it had been nothing but a friendly encounter? Would she be able to tell his lie? A deep guilt gnawed inside of him.

“You okay? You don’t seem too thrilled.”

“Me? No, I’m fine. I’m just tired. I had some trouble falling asleep last night.” He shrugged his shoulders, still avoiding her gaze.

“Funny…” For a moment, she seemed distracted, her brow furrowing as she stared down at the toast.

“What?” Blaine’s head perked up, and he finally ventured to look at her.

“Sebastian said the same thing last night. He came back late.”

“Oh. I mean, he’s always liked to take late-night walks,” Blaine said, knowing his face was turning red. He hurried himself to grab some bread as well, and he sliced it slowly as to avoid her gaze again for as long as possible.

“No, I know. I don’t blame him. With a father like Michael, I would need time to cope too. And he’s so shut in.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Blaine, if I tell you something, can you promise not to tell anyone else?” As he finished cutting two slices of bread, Blaine turned around. He grabbed a glass beefore reaching for the pitcher of milk and pouring it into a glass. Grabbing the strawberry jam as well, he made his way back over to the table, next to Sarah.

“I promise.” His brow furrowed. Was there some dark secret Sebastian was trying to keep from him? Crossing his legs, he faced her. As he spread the jam over his bread, he looked at her, feeling worried.

“I don’t think – God, I sound so selfish.” Her head tilted back. “I recognize I’m lucky. I’m sure everyone has thought about being with Sebastian at least once, but…” As she quickly blinked, her eyes darting around, Blaine couldn’t help but think that it looked like she was trying to push back tears. “I know I’m incredibly lucky, but I think he doesn’t love me.”

“I – Sarah, I’m sure that’s not true,” Blaine immediately said, setting his toast down on the plate. He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Why would you think that?”

“He’s distant. He won’t tell me anything. When we’re around other people, it’s lovely. He’ll wrap his arms around me, and I’ll feel like he cares.” Her eyes closed, and the faintest of smiles flickered on her face. “I mean, I don’t think you’d know, but –“

“Just because I’m a whore doesn’t mean I don’t know what love is,” Blaine said, his tone a bit harsher than he intended. Immediately, Sarah flushed, throwing her hands up. Though Blaine knew he shouldn’t get defensive, the feeling was instinctual. He could still remember Sebastian’s touch from last night, like they were young again and everything was simple.

Again, that feeling of guilt started to flood his chest.

“That’s not what I meant. It really isn’t.” She shook her head, looking horrified. “You’re not a whore. That’s not – Of course you understand love. I just meant that you aren’t with someone. You’ve never been married, not that it’s your fault.” She backtracked some more, looking more and more flustered as she went on.

“It’s fine. I understand,” Blaine said with a sigh, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I know you didn’t mean it like that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Just go on. Really, I had no reason to get defensive.”

“You had every reason. That was horrible what I said,” she murmured, nibbling at the edge of her toast. Blaine gave her a pointed look, and she continued with a sigh. “I think he likes someone else. Besides, when we’re alone, he changes. He doesn’t care. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining to you. I just feel silly now.” Her cheeks were still red.

“No, I understand. It’s hard. I mean, you love him, right?” Blaine asked. Part of him selfishly hoped she would surprise him and say no. When she nodded her head, though, he felt another dip. What kind of a person did that make him? To be fair, he’d never had a choice in the matter, but he still was helping Sebastian cheat. Sebastian never was his to begin with.

His head hurt.

“If you love him, it hurts when he doesn’t notice you. When you notice him. When you want to be the reason to make him smile or laugh, but then you see someone else doing it. You see the glances they share or just see that his life doesn’t change with or without you.” There was a lump in his throat, and he shook his head to clear it.

“You okay, Blaine? You sound like you have someone specific in mind.” When Blaine looked up, he could see the confusion on Sarah’s face. She licked some jam off of her lips as she continued giving Blaine that same, confused look.

“No, no one in particular,” Blaine said, forcing a smile on his face. “I just know how it feels. I wish it didn’t have to feel that way.” For you or for me, he couldn’t help but think.

“No, you hit it right on top of the head. I mean, I don’t know whether there’s anyone I’ve seen who he cares about more than me. Except for you, I suppose.” There was nothing accusatory in her voice. She genuinely sounded happy about it. “Your friendship is all that keeps in going sometimes, I swear. And no matter how much of an asshole he is –“

“He’s not that bad.” Blaine bit at the corner of his toast, somehow feeling pleased with himself. Sebastian cared about him. No matter what kind of an act he put on, Sarah thought that he was the reason Sebastian kept going at times. That was enough to make warmth bubble up in his chest.

“He’s kind of an asshole at times.” She looked at Blaine as if challenging him to argue it. After a moment, Blaine just laughed and nodded.

“Okay, so he can be one at times, but usually he’s fine.”

“Usually he’s fine,” she repeated, laughing. “Still, I think he’d do anything for you.”

Blaine couldn’t help but think back to how things used to be. Maybe once upon a time he’d believe that, but not anymore. Sebastian cared about him, but he’d abandoned him. Blaine shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, there probably isn’t much he can do. Michael –“

“I don’t like what Michael does to you.” Sarah’s chest puffed up as she sat up, her eyes narrowing. “I’ve tried talking to him, honestly. You have to understand, I don’t have much say. I’m the woman of the house – his to be daughter-in-law.”

“I know you can’t do much.” Blaine couldn’t help but wonder if Sebastian had a say in it.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to apologize. It’s not your choice.”

Sarah seemed to contemplate something for a second before she asked, looking frightened, “What exactly happened to your parents?”

“What do you mean?” Blaine asked, feeling a knot grow in his stomach. He looked down at the crumbs of his food and picked up his plate, heading over to the sink.

“I know it’s a sensitive subject. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’d understand,” Sarah added.

Blaine set the plate and glass down and bit the inside of his cheek. Sarah wasn’t trying to pry, and she certainly didn’t have ill intentions. He nodded and turned around, making his way back over to the table with a sponge.

“It’s complicated,” he said, knowing that wasn’t a real answer. Tutting, Sarah grabbed the sponge from him.

“Let me do it.”

Though Blaine wanted to protest, she didn’t give him a chance, quickly swiping over the counter before throwing the crumbs in her hand away into the counter.

“They both died.”

“I remember that much. I’m sorry.”

“Again, it’s not your fault.” Blaine looked down into his lap, unable to look Sarah in the eyes. His eyes prickled. He could remember seeing his parents sickly on the bed, unable to do anything. “They wanted to protect me.”

“From Michael?”

“He wasn’t always this bitter.” That had been so long ago; those memories were fragmented. There wasn’t any concrete part that stuck out. He could remember a laugh or Michael offering him a sweet from the kitchen after he and Sebastian came back from playing around outside.

“I’m guessing that when Elizabeth died, he changed.”

“It was thanks to her that my parents even ended up here. They were kicked out of their house when they couldn’t pay anymore. My mother was pregnant, and Elizabeth found her. She asked Michael to take us in.”

“I can’t imagine Michael doing charity work for the poor. He seems to hate them.”

“He does now. He didn’t always, but it wasn’t for free then either.” Blaine crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

“What do you mean?”

“My father had to work around the house, and my mother had to do the same once she recovered.”

Before Blaine could explain anymore, the door opened. Blaine froze, jumping up to his feet. He could hear Sebastian and Michael moving towards the kitchen.

“I should go,” Blaine said, flushing and looking around to make sure there wasn’t a mess.

“No, go ahead.” Sarah waved her hand, looking worried.

Slipping out of the room, Blaine made his way up. He glanced around his room, looking for something to change into. He grabbed a plain shirt and a loose pair of pants with a drawstring. Walking towards the showers, he undid the bathrobe, letting it hang open. He held his towel closer to him. As he made his way towards the showers, Sebastian turned into the hallway, looking at Blaine. A smirk formed on his face.

“You look good.”

Blaine blushed, feeling that same, lurching feeling in his stomach. He glanced away, pulling out of Sebastian’s reach as Sebastian stretched out his arms. “I have to get ready. If Michael sees me like this, he’s going to get angry.”

“We have a minute,” Sebastian said, pouting. He pressed a light kiss to Blaine’s lips. Blaine flushed, stretching up on his toes for a second to kiss back before wetting his lips. Even if he knew it was wrong, he wanted more.

“You’re terrible.”

“Because you can’t resist me?” Sebastian teased.

Blaine made a low humming sound, staring up at Sebastian. Sebastian’s eyes didn’t hold his gaze for long before slipping lower. As they made their way down Blaine’s torso, he reached out again. His hands slipped under Blaine’s bathrobe, and he put them around Blaine’s waist. Slowly, his thumb ran over Blaine’s hipbones, sending a shiver down Blaine’s back.

“Seb, I really need to take a shower.”

“I wanted to spend as much time with Kurt before he left.” Blaine’s smile falters, and his shoulders curve back in as his posture drops. “Not that it mattered much.”

With the change of subject, Sebastian can’t help but feel awkward. He’d never been good at comforting anyone, let alone over a breakup. He’d been so used to causing breakups. As Blaine stands, shuffling his feet and staring down at them, looking like he’s about to start crying, Sebastian can’t just stand there and do nothing either.

“Blaine…” Moving forward, he wraps his arms around Blaine, squeezing. For a moment, Blaine stiffens, and it seems like he’s going to pull away. But then his arms wrap back around Sebastian as well, and his head falls against Sebastian’s chest. Though he doesn’t start crying, Sebastian can feel him tremble. It hurts when Blaine’s fingers dig into his side, but Sebastian grits his teeth, setting his head down on top of Blaine’s.

“Your head smells like raspberries,” Sebastian says after a moment. Blaine let out a choked laugh, lingering for a second longer before pulling back.

“It’s the gel.” Blaine sighs and shakes his head, starting to smile again.

“Your hair gets flatter and flatter each time I see you.”

“You’re one to talk. Looks like you’re trying it out yourself.” Blaine’s eyebrows arch as he looks up at Sebastian’s hair.

“Apparently, if I have long hair, I have to gel it back. Dalton rules. Trust me. I’m not the biggest fan of the look either. Though, I still pull it off pretty well, if I say so myself.” A smirk twitches up on Sebastian’s lips as he winks.

“Debatable,” Blaine teases.

Silence falls between them, and Sebastian knows that he can’t keep Hunter waiting for too long. There will be plenty of time to talk if Blaine transfers to Dalton. Sebastian’s stomach knots. That ‘if’ has been dangling above his head since they came up with the plan.

“He’s waiting for you in the library,” Sebastian says, slowing down as they come to a stop in front of the double-set of doors.

Blaine’s brow furrows as he asks, “Who is?”

“The guy you’re here to see. Captain of the Warblers.”

It had been so hard to give up that title, not that he had much of a choice. The Warblers had long since forgiven him both for the slushy incident and their loss at Regionals, but they had decided it was time to switch things around again. Besides, Hunter had transferred with the purpose of bringing the Warblesr to victory. Still, the Warblers missed Blaine. Even if he hadn’t been the captain, no one could replace him or the excitement he brought with him. It had been over a year since he’d left, and no one had stopped talking about him. It was for that reason that the idea to win him back came along.

The confusion on Blaine’s face is transparent. “I thought you were captain of the Warblers.”

“Things change,” Sebastian says with a shrug. He back and watches as Blaine disappears through the doors. For the first time in a while, hope swells up in his chest, but he’s afraid to latch onto it. What if the plan fails? What if he has to watch Blaine walk away from him again?

“Please, Blaine,” Sebastian murmurs to the closed doors and sighs. “Please.”

oOoOoOo

Even if Sebastian hadn’t been there when Blaine was a Warbler, the blazer fits him now. Even if he’s reluctant to sing, once he starts, Sebastian watches him fall into the song. He’s never seen the Warblers look this happy. All of their faces are filled with hope as they sing along in the background, falling into his step. They burst into life. It’s like watching the end of some cheesy children’s movie where two long-lost people are reunited.

Then, there’s Blaine. His voice explodes with passion and fear and longing. His voice swells along with the song, and he looks at home. There’s no other way for Sebastian to describe it. Sebastian can’t decide whether he’s falling apart or picking up all these lost pieces as his eyes close and he sings at the top of his lungs.

He really is, Sebastian thinks as he says it, flawless. He’s a Dalton boy through and through. Now, he just has to realize it.

oOoOoOo

Blaine’s agreed to get coffee with him at the Lima Bean after school. When he comes in, he has the blazer on. It looks a little silly with the sweater vest underneath, but it still makes Sebastian smile. He walks over to Blaine and grins.

“Like the blazer. Where did you get it?” he asks with a wink. Blaine flushes and fiddles with the buttons as if he’s going to take it off.

“I look ridiculous. I just – It felt nice to wear it.”

“No, no, it suits you.” Reaching up, he ruffles Blaine’s hair, laughing as Blaine pouts and tries to duck out. “Promise. So, how have you been?”

“I’m alright,” Blaine mumbles, though he can’t look Sebastian in his eyes. Instead, he glances down and to the left, as if, out of nowhere, the floor has caught his interest. “You?”

“I’m fine. Really, though how are you?”

Before Blaine can answer, though, they’re next in line. “I’ll have a medium gingerbread latte,” Blaine says, his voice small.

“Whipped cream?”

“Yes please.”

“That’s be –“ Before the barista can finish, though, Sebastian jumps in.

“And I’ll have a medium vanilla latte without the whipped cream. I’ll be paying for both of us.”

“Sebastian, you really don’t have to do this.” Blaine looks flustered, and he reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. “I can pay for my own drink.”

“I know you can. But you won’t.” When he gives Blaine a stern look, raising his eyebrows, Blaine sighs and puts his wallet back inside his pocket.

“Fine. Just this once.”

They sit down next to the window, and Blaine squeezes the bridge of his nose. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“No, but I told you. I turned a new leaf.” He lifted his hands up and smiled.

“I keep on waiting for you to make some sort of sex joke.”

“Can’t promise that won’t happen. The bashful, schoolboy thing is still pretty hot.” As if on cue, Blaine glances down with a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Sebastian.”

“Blaine.” Sebastian laughs and takes a sip of his drink. After a moment, he sighs, and the light mood slips away. “C’mon, now talk to me. You’re not okay.”

“You’re the first person to really notice,” Blaine mutters, and Sebastian can hear the uncharacteristic bitterness there.

“I’m sure other people have noticed.”

“Fine, maybe not notice, but care. Everyone expects me to bounce back. How am I supposed to just – He was the love of my life, and I messed it all up. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried since we’ve broken up, and I’ve watched The Notebook twice in this past week alone.”

“You actually like The Notebook? Really, Blaine?” Blaine’s response is just a choked laugh, and Sebastian shakes his head. “It’s okay to not be okay sometimes,” he adds.

“I don’t want to be not okay. I don’t want to cry and try to talk to him and fail. It was so stupid. It was some guy over Facebook. Some stupid, stupid –” Blaine cuts off and his hands ball up into fists.

“People mess up.”

“Spare me the whole ‘everybody makes mistakes’ speech. It doesn’t make what I’ve done better. It doesn’t make me any less of a horrible person.”

“It doesn’t make what you did any better, but doing a bad thing doesn’t automatically make you a terrible person,” Sebastian says with a shrug. If one bad thing made Blaine a terrible person, what would that mean he was?

“I cheated on him.”

“Life happens.”

Blaine glances out of the window, his eyes watering. “Why are you being so understanding?”

“Because I’ve fucked up. Plenty more times that you have. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve helped someone cheat on their boyfriend. Even husbands. I’m trying to fix things too.” Even if he sounds matter-of-fact, it hurts Sebastian to admit it. “And, c’mon, look at me. I’m still pretty awesome.” Sebastian taps his foot against Blaine’s under the table.

“I see the ego hasn’t entirely disappeared,” Blaine says, and a small smile flickers on his face for a second.

“C’mon, grab your drink. We’re leaving this dump.”

“I really don’t have time –“

“We’re leaving, and you don’t have a say in it,” Sebastian says. “We’ll be home before midnight, Cinderella. Don’t worry.” Sebastian grabs Blaine by his hand and tugs him up. “Trust me.”

Blaine holds his gaze for a moment before nodding. “Okay.” He starts moving towards the exit with Sebastian before asking, “We’re not going to a bar, right?”

“No worries. I’m keeping it PG. Maybe PG-13 if there’s cursing involved. I know that’s absolutely scandalous.”

“Let’s go, then.”

Twenty minutes later, they’re inside Sebastian’s car and driving down some small country-style road. The roof of Sebastian’s car is down, and even though it’s on the colder side, it feels nice. Blaine’s hair looks silly, pushed back by the wind in one giant piece, kept together by his gel. Sebastian is sure that his own hair looks just as ridiculous.

Reaching down to the volume knob, he turns the volume up, One More Night by Maroon 5 blasting. It’s far too loud, and Blaine glances over at him. “Sebastian, you can’t play the music that loud.”

Sebastian just shrugs his shoulders. “You should try screaming.”

“What?” Blaine looks taken back.

“Screaming. It’ll help you feel better.”

“I heard you. This isn’t some indie movie, though. People live around here, and we’d be bothering them. I’m sure your music is already bothering them.” Blaine has to talk louder to be heard, but Sebastian still reaches down and turns the volume up more. It’s starting to hurt his ears, but he still feels victorious as he sees Blaine scowl out of the corner of his eyes.

“I can’t hear you,” Sebastian says, pointing to his stereo. “The radio’s too loud.”

“That’s because you’re turning the volume up,” Blaine shouts, poking Sebastian’s side. Sebastian just speeds up and turns the volume up even louder.

“You’re going to have to scream if you want me to hear you,” Sebastian yells, sticking out his tongue.

“Sebastian!” Blaine reaches out to turn the volume down, but Sebastian beats him to it, turning it all the way up. The car is shaking, and Sebastian wouldn’t be surprised to know that anyone within a mile radius can hear them.

“Still can’t hear you,” Sebastian yells again, though even his voice is lost in the music.

“Sebastian Smythe, you are an absolute asshole. Turn down –“ Before Blaine’s done with the speech, Sebastian’s turned the volume off, and Blaine’s just left screaming at the top of his lungs. “– that stupid radio before I have to –“

Blaine cuts off, his hands clasping over his mouth.

“God, no need to yell,” Sebastian teases, winking at Blaine. “Really, Blaine, think of the people.”

“I can’t believe you. Oh my God.” Blaine shrinks down into his seat as if he’s afraid someone will see him.

“Fell any better?” Sebastian asks.

Though Blaine crosses his arms over his chest, Sebastian is sure he spots the faintest smile on his lips before he pouts.

oOoOoOo

“Bresler Lake Reservoir?” Blaine asks as they pull in and drive down the road to the parking spots.

“My uncle sometimes fishes here when he comes to visit. Not that many people are going to be here now because it’s too cold.” Sure enough, there are only three other cars in the parking lot, and Sebastian’s sure at least one has to be from the guy who runs the fishing shop. As soon as he parks his car, Blaine hits him on the arm. “Ow!”

“You know what that was for,” Blaine says, prodding his shoulder.

“You’re so touchy.” The roof of Sebastian’s car clicks into place, and Sebastian gets out, locking it behind him and Blaine. His head turns up to the sky. It’s gray and the clouds seem low, moving fast. Still, it’s quiet, and he’s here with Blaine. Sebastian’s hands slip into his pockets as he smiles, still looking up.

“Sebastian?”

“Hmm?” His gaze falls down to Blaine.

“Why did you take me here?”

“Because anywhere I would have taken you in Lima or Westerville would have made you think of Kurt. Besides, fresh air will clear your head.” For a moment, Blaine just looks surprised. Then, a smile spreads across his face. “C’mon, Killer.”

They make their way out of the parking lot and towards the lake. They shiver as a gust of wind blows, but they still make their way over. He’s always loved this part of Lima, away from everyone else. The grass blends from wheat-colored to green on one side. On the other side, a small line of rocks line the path, sloping down towards the lake.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t even look like Lima.” Blaine leans into Sebastian as the wind blows again, and Sebastian wraps his arm around him, rubbing up and down his arm. “But it is pretty.”

They’re not saying much, but somehow the silence doesn’t feel awkward or uneasy. It’s not like they don’t have anything to say. It’s been months since they’ve seen each other, and Sebastian is sure Blaine has dozens of questions about the Warblers and Hunter. He wants to know more about what Blaine’s been up to and how McKinley is, whether he has any friends there. It doesn’t seem like he has too many.

But it seems silly to talk. The wind rustles through the grass, and the waves of the lakes make a soothing sound as they hit the rocks. Blaine stays next to him, and he stares down at the small clouds of dust that come up at their feet with each step on the gravel.

It’s only about a mile in that Sebastian finally pulls away, moving towards the lake.

“What are you doing?” Blaine asks. He doesn’t follow Sebastian down the uneven rocks, instead waiting at the edge of the path as Sebastian bends down and sticks his hands into the water, cupping them. He grins and runs upwards quickly, dumping some of the water on top of Blaine’s head and running his fingers through Blaine’s hair, working the gel out of it.

“What are you doing?” Blaine squeaks, flailing his arms about as his head tilts forward. He shakes himself out like a wet dog and scowls before darting down himself, grabbing some water and splashing it on top of Sebastian’s head. Sebastian shivers and lets out a yelp himself, scrunching his eyes closed as water drips down his face.

When Sebastian opens his eyes again, frowning at Blaine, Blaine’s face cracks into a giant smile, and he starts laughing. “You look so silly.”

“Look who’s talking,” Sebastian says, flicking his fingers and getting off the remainder of the water onto Blaine. Blaine darts down again, grabbing some more water and splashing Sebastian before darting off.

“Bet you can’t catch me!” he shouts. Sebastian’s jaw clenches before he runs after Blaine. It isn’t easy to catch up to Blaine. Even if Blaine’s fast, Sebastian’s legs are longer. Still, it takes a good minute before Sebastian lunges forward and wraps his arms around Blaine. They fall forward, onto the grass and roll over a few times, losing momentum.

Their breathing is heavy, and they just lie there for a moment when they’ve stopped moving. Blaine’s sprawled on top of Sebastian, and his hair’s messy, some grass caught up in it. His eyes stay fixed on Sebastian’s face, and Sebastian’s breath catches in his throat. Blaine’s not pulling away from him. His eyes fall down to Blaine’s lips as he leans forward. His eyes close, and –

“I can’t.” Blaine’s off of him in a second, his face red. “I love Kurt. I know that’s stupid, Sebastian, but I can’t.”

Just like that, the moment’s gone. Sebastian feels silly and carried away. Of course Blaine hadn’t wanted to kiss him. Now more than ever, he wishes he could just go back and change what he did. What if he’s just ruined the little friendship he’s built up with Blaine.

“I shouldn’t have,” Sebastian says, his voice tight. He pulls himself up and brushes himself off, not looking over at Blaine. His heart pounds against his chest.

They make their way over to the car in silence, and Sebastian feels stupid as he pushes back tears. The quiet’s now tense, and Sebastian doesn’t know how to break it. Usually, he’d make some sort of joke, but his mouth feels dry, and that just feels wrong.

This time, Sebastian doesn’t pull down the roof of his car. He puts the music on low before buckling himself in. As he reaches to start the car, though, Blaine’s hand settles on top of his.

“Thank you for today. It meant a lot.” Blaine’s eyes meet his.

“No problem.” Sebastian’s voice even sounds hollow to himself.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t –“

“Don’t worry about it.” Sebastian’s voice is clipped. He pulls his hand away and starts the car before gripping the steering wheel.

“But you were right.”

“About what?” Sebastian asks, moving the car out of park.

“Dalton’s my home. Besides, it’ll be nice to have you around more.” Tilting over, Blaine nudges his shoulder against Sebastian’s before turning the volume to the radio up.

oOoOoOo

Sebastian had asked for a single room when he’d transferred to Dalton last year. It had been useful with all of his late night trips to not have a questioning roommate. And, on the off chance he snuck someone in, he didn’t have to worry about anyone interrupting them. Dalton had given him another single room this year, and things had been a little lonely.

However, with Blaine moving in at the middle of the year, the solution is obvious.

Blaine smiles as settles his things down. “It’s going to take some used to living away from home again,” he says, looking around at all the unpacked boxes.

“You’ll get used to it quickly.” Sebastian tucks the sheets underneath the mattress and shifts the pillow up. He looks at the made bed and smiles. “There. Good. At least you’ll have a place to sleep.”

Blaine grabs a box that says “BEDTIME STUFF” on the side before tearing at the tape. Sebastian watches, amused, for a minute as Blaine claws at it before grabbing scissors and leaning down.

“These might help.”

“Maybe.” When the box finally springs open, Blaine grins. He reaches in and pulls out a small white owl stuffed animal. “It’s Hedwig,” he explains to Sebastian’s questioning glance.

“Hedwig.”

“Yeah, like in Harry Potter.”

“I got the reference.” Shaking his head, he moves over, grabbing the lamp out of the open box and setting it in the bedside table. “I’d say I’m surprised, but, honestly, I’m not.” After plugging in the lamp, he looks up. Blaine’s looking at him with wide eyes.

“You don’t find this cute.” He pouts as he clutches the owl to him.

“I think you’re very cute,” Sebastian says. As Blaine’s face turns bright red, Sebastian laughs.

“I meant the owl.”

“The owl’s cute too.” Sebastian leans over, ruffling Blaine’s hair and grinning. “Welcome home, Blaine.”

oOoOoOo

Even with Blaine, Sebastian is sure that they aren’t going to win Sectionals. So, when their name is called out, Sebastian’s jaw goes slack. The Warblers are all jumping up and down and cheering. Hunter’s the one to grab it, and he wraps his arms possessively around it. The smirk towards New Directions is a bit much, even for Sebastian.

They look deflated, not that Sebastian can blame them. They lost their head divas last year, then they lost Blaine, and now they’ve lost Sectionals. Blaine’s hand tugging at his sleeve makes Sebastian look away from the New Directions. Blaine beams up at him before throwing his arms around Sebastian.

“We won!”

“That would seem to be the case,” Sebastian replies with a laugh, hugging him back.

“I just want to –“

“Have victory sex?” Sebastian asks with a smirk. Blaine flushes and purses his lips for a moment, but he’s too happy for the expression to last long. He shakes his head as he pulls out of the hug.

“You’re never going to stop with the sex jokes, are you?” he asks, squeaking as the Warblers move into a sort of group hug. Hunter looks thoroughly displeased as he’s squished in the middle with the trophy, and Sebastian chuckles.

“Why stop when I’m so talented?” he mumbles back, turning to face Blaine.

oOoOoOo

Thad gives the funniest speeches when he’s drunk. Sebastian’s leaned back against the sofa, sipping at a beer as he laughs. They’ve all gone back to Thad’s house on Friday night, since his parents aren’t home, to celebrate their victory.

“Goddamn, Blaine, we couldn’t have won without you. ‘Cause you’re like – you’re like our friend, and that’s just really cool.” He sniffles and raises his glass. “To Blaine Warbler,” he says. The Warblers all slur out their agreement and raise their glasses and cans as well.

“You guys…” Blaine gives them all a toothy smile before burying his head into Sebastian’s chest. Sebastian wraps an arm around him, running it up and down his back.

“Hey, it’s kind of true.”

After a moment, Blaine peeks up from under Sebastian’s arm and smiles. “Really?”

“Really.”

“You’re comfy. Like a human pillow” Sebastian laughs as he presses a kiss to the top of Blaine’s head.

“And you’re drunk.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Yes, yes you are.” Sebastian reaches out and runs his fingers through Blaine’s hair. Scooting closer, Blaine nudges up against his hand like a cat.

“Feels good,” he mumbles out, his eyes still shut. After a moment, he adds, “I want food. ‘M hungry. Can I have ice cream?”

“Ice cream?”

“I want ice cream.” He glances up at Sebastian with wide, puppy eyes, and Sebastian sighs.

“Thad, do you have any ice cream?” he calls out. Thad looks over at them and laughs.

“Yeah, probably. It’s upstairs in the fridge. Help yourself.” He goes back to his conversation with Flint, and the two of them burst out into laughter again. Sebastian nods and gets up, and Blaine whines at the loss of someone to lean against.

“Come back,” he whines, reaching up to Sebastian.

“Do you want the ice cream or not?”

“Can I come with you?” He reaches out to get help to get up, and Sebastian pulls him up.

The entire way up, Sebastian has to support or at least hold Blaine’s hand. He’s stumbling around and giggling, and he’s drunk. When they get to the top of the stairs and the door to the basement closes behind them, Blaine moves forward, pinning Sebastian to the wall.

“We’re alone,” he breathes against Sebastian’s lips, as if that needs saying. Sebastian’s eyes go wide, and he lets out a whimper as Blaine’s eyes fall down to his lips.

“Blaine –“ Before he can say anything else, Blaine’s lips are against his. At first they’re soft and tentative, but as Sebastian’s arms wrap around his waist, Blaine leans in. His tongue darts out, pressing against Sebastian’s lips and slipping past. Sebastian’s tongue wrestles with Blaine’s, and one hand slides up Blaine’s back and neck into his hair. He tugs, his heart racing as Blaine moans.

After a moment, Sebastian pulls back a bit, Blaine’s lower lip between his teeth. Blaine arches into Sebastian, his eyes closing. They fall back into kissing for another minute, and one of Blaine’s hands makes its way down to Sebastian’s ass. When they pull back, both of them are breathing.

Reaching down, Blaine tries to palm Sebastian over his jeans. Sebastian’s self-restraint is already wearing thin, so it’s lucky that Blaine’s drunk and presses down against his thigh instead. With a shaky sigh, Sebastian pulls himself out of Blaine’s grip.

“We can’t.” It feels like a weird sort of reverse déjà vu as Blaine turns red.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re going to regret this tomorrow, and I can’t deal with that.” It’s truer than Blaine knows. He’s already scared of losing Blaine, and he’s not sure what he would even do if Blaine pushed him away.

“No, I won’t.”

“If you can still say that tomorrow, then we’ll see tomorrow, okay?”

Blaine seems to consider the offer like it’s something important. His lower lip juts out as he thinks, and he nods. “Okay.”

oOoOoOo

As expected, Blaine doesn’t want to do anything the next day. Instead, he’s embarrassed, at first trying to avoid Sebastian. When he can’t take it anymore, Sebastian confronts him.

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal, Blaine. We kissed. That’s it.”

“But I wanted to do more,” Blaine says. “Maybe Kurt’s right not to trust me.”

“You were drunk.”

“But –“

“I need to study, Blaine.” Sebastian squeezes the bridge of his nose. He knows he shouldn’t be so short with Blaine, but he feels crushed. It’s stupid that he does. He’d known that Blaine would change his mind, and yet…

“I’m sorry,” Blaine whispers, wrapping his arms around Sebastian from the back. He massages Sebastian’s shoulders and leans his head on top of Sebastian’s. Sebastian looks up and moves his books off of his bed and onto the floor. Blaine curls up next to him.

“It’s fine. No, I’m just tired because I have an AP chem test and a killer headache.”

“Maybe you should take a nap.” They lay down on the bed, and Blaine’s rolls over on his side. They end up tucked up next to each other, Sebastian serving as the big spoon. His eyes close as he cuddles up against him. His fingers run down Blaine’s arm for a minute before resting across his waist. “Better?” Blaine asks.

“Much.”

“It’s just that with Kurt –“

“I know.” Each time Blaine brings up Kurt, it makes his chest ache. Blaine has never exactly been great at catching on to his feelings.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Sebastian. I mean, I guess you were excited about the sex. You don’t really go out and get it a lot.”

“It’s not like that.” Sebastian feels hurt that Blaine would even think that. He has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something potentially offensive. Blaine doesn’t ask what way he means, and Sebastian takes a deep, calming breath.

They lie there in silence, their breathing deepening as they fall closer to sleep. Sebastian’s begun to drift off when he Blaine mumbles, half-awake, “You mean the world to me, Seb. I don’t want to lose you.”

You’re not about to, Sebastian thinks before falling asleep.

oOoOoOo

Things aren’t always so simple between them. Even if things are getting better about the Kurt breakup, Blaine still has moments where he’s inconsolable. There are moments when he breaks down. When Sebastian has to sit by his side and tell him not to blame himself. Once he starts, it’s a never-ending cycle.

That’s how they end up watching The Notebook one night to cheer Blaine up. Sebastian reaches into the bowl, pulling out some popcorn. He rolls his eyes as Blaine’s eyes stay plastered to the TV. “I can’t believe you like this crap,” he mumbles out.

“Shut up. It’s not crap. It’s sweet.” He lets out a small coo as he nuzzles against the pillows and reaches for the popcorn without looking. His hand misses the bowl at first, and Sebastian guides him to it.

“Next thing you’ll tell me that you’re into Twilight,” Sebastian grumbles, reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing his Coke.

“No.” He pauses for a moment before leaning against Sebastian and frowning. “I don’t want it to get sad.”

“We can always stop watching,” Sebastian suggests.

“No, no, I want to watch it. Crying helps.”

“I swear I can feel the estrogen in this room, and you’re a guy.” Sebastian wraps his arms around Blaine and continues playing with his hair.

“Noah and Allie were kind of meant to be, and if you can’t see that, it’s not my problem you’re blind,” Blaine huffs. He glances up at Sebastian for a moment, his brow furrowing, and Sebastian feels a momentary guilt.

“Okay, okay, it’s not absolutely terrible. It’s just not my taste. If you want to see a good, sad romance, I suggest Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“We are so watching that next time.” Scooting up on the bed, Sebastian glances up at the TV and sighs. “How many times have you seen this movie?”

“Do I need to tell you?”

“Okay, how much can you quote it?”

“Probably about seventy percent,” Blaine replies, and, for once, he looks a bit embarrassed.

“That is actually rather terrible.” Flopping his head back on the pillow, Sebastian stares up at the ceiling. “How much longer is the movie going to last?”

“How much longer are you going to complain about it?” Blaine asks, prodding Sebastian in the side. Yelping, Sebastian pulls back and swats at Blaine.

“Do I really need to shut up?”

“Please?” Blaine doesn’t seem too teasing anymore, so Sebastian nods, feeling somewhat bad. After all, Blaine had been crying earlier; this is supposed to cheer him up.

Which brings Sebastian to the question, “How is this supposed to cheer you up?”

“I –“ Blaine seems at a loss of words, and, after a moment, he starts laughing. “I guess it’s not really going to do that, is it?”

“Let’s see, a Nicholas Sparks film where they both die at the end? Not exactly.”

“Well, I get to spend some time with you. That’s something, isn’t it?”

It’s as if some warm balloon is swelling inside of Sebastian’s chest. He can barely hide his smile as he taps Blaine on the nose. Blaine’s eyes seem to light up, and, just for a little while, Sebastian can ever forget that Blaine’s bad mood rose up because of Kurt. For right now, Blaine seems happy, and that’s what matters.

“You spend all your time with me anyway,” Sebastian replies instead, sticking out his tongue.

“Oh yeah.”

oOoOoOo

“Hey, Sebby.”

Sebastian looks up to see Jeff bounce down on one of the armrests of the armchair he’s sitting on. Moments later, Nick joins in on the other one.

“What’s up, guys?” Setting his pencil down on his book, he places them on his lap and looks between them.

“We just wanted to talk.” Nick has a weird-looking expression on his face, like he’s unsure if he should even say what he’s thinking. Sebastian’s not sure whether or not he wants to get into this conversation. Judging on their expressions, he might regret it.

“What?”

“It’s about Blaine,” Jeff says.

“What about him?”

“You’re kind of obvious.” Jeff bites his lower lip, waiting for Sebastian’s reaction. Sebastian can feel himself stiffen, and he glances down at his lap, shifting his homework.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Look, it’s okay to love someone,” Nick offers, wringing his hands. “I mean, Jeff and I – We weren’t a thing right away either.”

“Well, you were obvious from the start,” Sebastian says, picking up his homework and opening his book again. Before he can do much else, though, Jeff snatches it out of his hands and puts it to the side.

“No, you’re going to listen. Sebby, I know it’s not easy. I know you’re a stubborn asshole at time, but that’s what we love about you.”

“I don’t know whether that’s sweet or offensive.”

“I think it’s both.” Nick laughs before getting serious again. “Look, it’s kind of obvious for you too, though.”

“I’m not discussing this with you two. Besides, he’s still not over Kurt.”

“He likes you.” Nick nods.

“That much is obvious,” Jeff adds, nodding. “Besides, as amusing as it was to see you at first, it’s getting kind of sad, dude. You’re like a little puppy.”

The thought makes Sebastian’s cheeks flare. Has he really been that obvious? Then again, out of all of the Warblers, Nick and Jeff have always picked up on his emotions the best. Sebastian scowls, but before he can reply, Blaine comes in.

Jeff’s jab at his side is not too subtle, and Sebastian glares up at him before softening his expression and turning to Blaine.

“What’s up?” Blaine asks, falling into another armchair. “Am I missing girl talk?” Crossing his legs, he looks between Jeff, Nick, and Sebastian as if expecting an explanation.

“Nick and Jeff were just being silly. You know how they get,” Sebastian says, waving his hand as if to dismiss the matter.

“Maybe we should go,” Nick says, standing up.

“Homework to do,” Jeff adds. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sebastian can see Jeff looking down at him again, but he ignores it. They shuffle out of the room, and Blaine’s eyebrows scrunch together.

“That was weird. Did something happen?”

“Just the two of them being them usual selves. They’re probably horny. Bet you ten dollars they’re having sex right now.” The distraction works, and Blaine laughs, forgetting that he even found something odd the two of them a second ago.

“I wouldn’t even be surprised.”

oOoOoOo

Sebastian hates Christmas season. Everywhere he goes, he sees couples. Of course, cuddle weather is perfect for dating, and he can’t help but think about the empty bed he has to go home to. It’s almost become custom for Sebastian and Blaine to fall asleep in the same bed, wrapped up in each other. But now he’s home for the holidays, and he has to fall asleep all by himself. As he spots yet another couple holding hands, he grits his teeth thinking that this is what having baby fever must feel like.

“What do you think of this one?”

Sebastian looks up as Blaine holds up a blue bow tie with red polka dots. “Dalton colors, really?” As Blaine inspects it, Sebastian leans back against a wall. “Are you sure your dad wants a bow tie for Christmas anyway? Isn’t that more your thing?”

“I’m positive. He wears them too!” Blaine decides to put it back and moves on to one with a white and blue plaid design.

“If you say so.”

“Well, I do.”

Blaine settles on striped, green, black, and white one in the end. Perfume for Blaine’s mother is next on the list, but their stomachs growl, and they both need a lunch break. They make their way over to the cafeteria, and before too long, they’re sitting with teriyaki chicken in front of them.

“I love Asian food,” Blaine groans, slurping up a Lo Mien noodle. Sebastian lets out a noise of agreement, his chopsticks picking up another piece of meat. “Why aren’t you getting your parents anything again?”

“We’ve gone over this. I’ve already bought presents for my parents. I don’t wait until three days before Christmas.” Stretching his legs out, he pouts. “I’m already tired.”

“Well, we still have to figure out the perfume and something for my brother.” With the last bit, his face fell, and jabbed at the chicken as if it was somehow its fault. “I never know what to get him. Maybe I can get him a calendar with actor’s quotes on it. Do they make things like that?”

“I have no clue, but I’m starting to fear for my feet.”

“You’re such a drama queen, Seb,” Blaine said, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, it’s fun.”

“You know what else is fun?”

“What?”

“Getting salmonella.”

“Sebastian…” Blaine glances around before something catches his eye. “I know what will cheer you up.”

“Highly unlikely.”

“A cinnamon pretzel. On me.”

Sebastian can’t argue with that. As Blaine knows, next to chocolate-covered pretzels, they’re one of his favorite sweets. It’s been a while since he’s had one, and if he going to face another few hours of shopping for presents, he might as well find something to keep him happy for the first half hour.

“Okay fine.”

Blaine looks smug as they walk over to the pretzel stand and he buys two pretzels. The cinnamon sugar melts in Sebastian’s mouth, and he lets out a pornographic moan as he eats it. It’s satisfying to see Blaine squirm, but he doesn’t listen, continuing to make obscene sounds as he eats it. There’s something fun about making Blaine blush. In the end, though, the pretzel disappears, and he’s left licking the cinnamon sugar.

“It’s all gone,” he groans, tossing the bag back as he collects the crumbs. Blaine laughs at him and sniffs another perfume sample.

“This one smells nice.”

“O pretzel, pretzel! wherefore art thou pretzel?”

“Or maybe this one.”

Sebastian crumples the pretzel bag and throws it away. “I miss the pretzel.” Blaine looks up at him.

“You have sugar on your lip.”

When he sticks his tongue out and tries to lick it up, Sebastian doesn’t taste anything. His face scrunches up, and Blaine moves in closer. “Where is it?” Sebastian asks, bending down closer to Blaine. There’s a red tint to Blaine’s cheeks.

“It’s…” He trails off, and Sebastian’s brow furrows.

“Yes?”

And then, Blaine’s pressing their lips together. His tongue traces Sebastian’s lips, and Sebastian’s eyes go wide. Blaine Anderson is kissing him. Everything around him doesn’t matter anymore, and he feels ridiculous, like a little girl as he lets out an internal whoop. His arms wrap around Blaine’s hips, and he kisses him back. The kiss makes it hard for Sebastian to breathe, but he doesn’t care.

When they pull back, Blaine’s face is flushed. “Tastes like cinnamon,” he mutters, giving Sebastian a bashful grin. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips as he giggles. With a grin, Sebastian leans back down to kiss Blaine. However, they’re only kissing for a few seconds when someone beside them clears their throat. They glance over to see the Macy’s sale representative looking at them and shifting uncomfortably.

“Have you decided which perfume you want, sir?” she asks, looking between Sebastian and Blaine.

“I – umm – think I’ll need a minute longer,” Blaine replies, his hands slipping into his pockets and he rocks back and forth on his heels. “Sorry.”

“No problem. Take your time.” She clears her throat before scurrying off.

“God, that was embarrassing,” Blaine mutters, though his eyes fall back down to Sebastian’s lips.

Maybe the holidays aren’t so bad after all, Sebastian decides.

oOoOoOo

When they get back from winter break, it’s annoying facing the horde of Warblers telling them “I told you so” and “I saw this coming for ages”. Still, Blaine squeezes his hand and rolls his eyes. Only Hunter doesn’t really comment, just choosing to glance them over before shrugging.

“Okay,” is all he says, and that’s that.

Once they go Facebook Official two weeks later (“It’s stupid that that’s a big deal. Why does that make dating you more official than when we kissed?” Sebastian complains), they get an alarming amount of comments and likes. A handful of the Warblers just write: “About damn time!” or “Took you guys long enough.” Sebastian finds it silly and embarrassing; Blaine finds it cute.

Everything is fine until Blaine’s on Facebook, and a message from Kurt pops up.

“I thought you said nothing was going on between you and Sebastian.”

Sebastian’s stomach knots up, and he wants to tell Blaine to stay away from it. He knows that Kurt is just hurt, but he has no right to tell Blaine what he can do or who he can or can’t be with. They broke up over three months ago.

“I tried to make things right, Kurt. I beat myself up over it. I know that doesn’t excuse what I did, but I was falling apart. Sebastian was there for me. And there wasn’t anything between us until two months ago.”

“I see.”

Sebastian doesn’t fail to notice that Blaine adds, when he thinks that Sebastian isn’t looking, “I still love you. You were my first everything.”

It makes Sebastian feel sick to his stomach, and he feels terrible as he wishes for Kurt to just reject him. Maybe then, Blaine will forget.

There’s a long pause in which Blaine fidgets and switches between tabs before Kurt replies, “I care about you too, but you broke my trust.”

“Do you think we can ever be friends?”

“That sort of a thing takes time. I have to go. Rachel’s calling me.”

Sebastian falls back on his bed, turning away from Blaine as he closes his eyes. He wonders whether Blaine will ever forget about Kurt. After a minute, Blaine comes and curls up next to Sebastian. Sebastian wants to ignore him because that gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach is Blaine’s fault. Worse yet, Blaine knows that.

Instead, Blaine nudges against him, murmuring Sebastian’s name a few times. When Sebastian doesn’t respond, Blaine sighs and just leans his head against Sebastian’s side. “I love you. I still do love him, but he’s not a threat. I miss him. I want him in my life as a friend, but you’re not going to lose me.”

Sebastian feels like he’s going to cry, but he doesn’t say anything, staying stubborn as he clenches his jaw.

“Sebastian, please. He was my first love. I was with him for over a year, and our break-up wasn’t exactly easy. I want to resolve things with him, but I’m not going to toss you to the side. I want to be with you.” He presses a kiss to the back of Sebastian’s neck, and Sebastian caves, turning around with a sigh.

“You’d better not toss me to the side, asshole,” is all Sebastian says before wrapping an arm around Blaine’s waist and kissing him.

oOoOoOo

Blaine squeals as he points at the Blow Pops. “I used to have those all the time when I was little!” he says excitedly, grabbing two or three and putting them into the shopping cart.

“That’s a rather unfortunate name for a kid’s candy,” Sebastian comments, chuckling. “Blow Pops…”

“Oh, shut up.” Blaine hits Sebastian’s arm and rolls his eyes before continuing to scan the shelves. “Oh, God, and they have candy necklaces! I love these.”

“That’s what you’ve said about everything here.” Sebastian laughs. Everyone else in the shop is giving them curious looks. Every other person is either a mother or the mother’s child, and Blaine and him stick out.

“I’m going to get some sour sugar too. And gummy worms. And chocolate. Which chocolate should I get?” he asks, his head darting around as he prances over to the chocolate and goes wide-eyed. “There’s so much to choose from…”

“Well, you’re going to get diabetes if you don’t stop soon.” Sebastian shakes his head before giving Blaine a fond smile. As a present, he’s taken Blaine to a candy shop. As much as people sometimes tease Blaine for being a little kid, it’s as if he’s really regressed right now. More than that, he’s alternating between a little kid and a preteen girl.

He tugs at Sebastian’s sleeve and grins. “Look at this. They have a chocolate heart with a cream center that’s pink! That’s so cute.”

“You are terrible. I don’t know you,” Sebastian groans, turning away as Blaine puts it in the basket and continues to look around.

“Oh, shush. It’s fun. It’s candy! Besides, it is cute.”

In the end, he’s piled up a ridiculous amount of sweets. “I’m going to get a cavity just looking at it,” Sebastian says as he pays for it and they walk out of the candy shop. Blaine picks a giant, rainbow lollipop, opens it, and starts lapping at it.

Blaine leans over to give him a quick, sugary kiss, and Sebastian smiles. “Thank you, Seb.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Blaine.”

oOoOoOo

Sebastian whimpers as Blaine sucks at his hip bones.

“Is it bad that I like watching you squirm?” Blaine asks, his hands running up Sebastian’s chest and stopping at his nipples. His nails graze against them though his eyes remain fixed on Sebastian’s. Sebastian whimpers, arching off of the bed before responding.

“Why would that be a bad thing?” Biting his lip, he keeps from moaning again. Blaine’s relentless, and he focuses back on Sebastian’s hips, dragging his tongue along the inside of his hip and down to Sebastian’s thigh. One of Sebastian’s hands falls to the bed, and he squeezes the sheets. His eyes close, and his hips jerk upwards.

“Impatient,” Blaine teases, kissing down Sebastian’s navel. He pauses above Sebastian’s cock and kisses around it.

“Blaine, please…”

“God, I love hearing you beg too,” Blaine murmurs, still skirting around Sebastian’s cock. He traces his tongue lower before pulling back.

“Blaine.”

Blaine takes Sebastian whole, his lips tightening around Sebastian’s cock as he smirks. His tongue drags along the underside as he hallows his cheeks. He pulls back, moving to the tip and swirling his tongue around the tip before bobbing back down. His eyes flicker up, meeting Sebastian’s, and Sebastian flushes.

“Fuck,” he groans, arching his hips upward. Blaine chuckles around his cock and takes him deep again, loosening his throat before humming. The vibrations go straight down Sebastian’s cock, and he whimpers, his fingers wrapping around the sheets again. After a moment, he shifts his hand, moving it to Blaine’s hair. He runs his fingers through twice before settling in and tugging.

Blaine continues bobbing up and down, and Sebastian’s head falls back against the pillow. His stomach clenches, and he feel a low buildup in his stomach. His hips jerk up again, and his breathing deepens. Blaine’s pace just quickens, and, with a broken moan, Sebastian comes. His eyes flutter shut as his hips jerk up one last time.

Blaine slows down and pulls back, keeping only the tip in his mouth as he swallows the come. When he pulls back, a bit dribbles down his lips, and he laps it up, grinning. Sebastian stares up at him before tugging Blaine down on top of them and pressing their lips together. Blaine’s kissing is messy and needy, and Sebastian whimpers, feeling sensitive as Blaine accidentally rolls their hips together.

He pushes him back, reaching for the bedside table and grabbing lube and a condom. He sets the condom to the side before moving out of the way so that Blaine can lie down on the bed. He uncaps the bottle and squeezes some lube onto his fingers before carefully working them into Blaine. When he’s three fingers in, Blaine’s pushing back against him and whimpering.

Sebastian curls his fingers, his mouth going dry as Blaine moans and arches up again, his fingers now curling around the sheets. Sebastian pulls out after another minute, and he reaches for the condom, tearing open the package before slipping it on. He puts a little bit of lube on his cock before tossing it to the side.

Blaine flips over to face Sebastian, and Sebastian moves so that he’s hovering over Blaine. He positions himself , and Blaine’s legs hook upwards, over Sebastian’s shoulders. Blaine’s sweating already, and his hair sticks to his forehead.

“You ready?” he asks, and Blaine just jerks his head up and down, whining.

“Please. Please, Seb.” Sebastian slips in, watching as Blaine’s face screws up in concentration. He waits for Blaine to adjust before starting out slow. Blaine reaches up, his fingers wrapping around the first part of Sebastian he can find, Sebastian’s arm. He rocks against Sebastian, his eyes shut. Sebastian’s hand falls down to Blaine’s cock, and he tries to stroke it in time with his thrusts.

“Faster,” Blaine starts begging after a while, and Sebastian’s thrusts start to get erratic. Their breathing and the sound of skin against skin is the only thing that fills the room for a while before, out of nowhere, Blaine reaches down to grab Sebastian’s arm. “S – Stop.”

“Stop?”

“I want to…” He lets out a groan as Sebastian stills. “I want to ride you.”

“Oh.” For a moment, Sebastian stares at him before pulling out. He moves himself so he’s sitting up, supporting himself by the headboard of the bed, and Blaine wets his lips. They move, repositioning themselves before Blaine works himself down on Sebastian’s cock, taking it all the way. Sebastian’s head falls back against the wall, and Blaine grips Sebastian’s hips and starts moving up and down.

“Faster. Oh, God. Blaine, please,” Sebastian babbles out, his eyes closing as he thrusts upward.

“Fuck, I love being like this. Watching you moan and just beg.” When Blaine starts talking like this, Sebastian whimpers. Blaine’s usually the one falling apart. “I love fucking down on you and just watching you take it. Watching when you come.” It doesn’t take long before Blaine’s words slur together and just become a string of obscenities.

When Blaine comes, he dips his head back, his lips meeting Sebastian’s for a kiss. He squeezes around Sebastian, and Sebastian moans into the kiss, his tongue pushing back against Blaine’s. Blaine’s overworked and sensitive, but he still thrusts down a few more times until Sebastian comes as well inside of Blaine.

After a minute, Blaine gets off and falls down on the bed. Sebastian moves next to him, and they lean so that they’re facing each other. Their noses bump together, and Sebastian leans forward to press a peck to Blaine’s lips. They lie there for a few more moments, not saying anything. Blaine’s hand reaches up, and he runs it through Sebastian’s hair, tucking it behind his ear before smiling.

“I love you.” It’s the first time Sebastian’s said it aloud, and the words feel weird coming out of his mouth. He takes a shaky breath before repeating it, this time quieter. Blaine’s smile widens as his thumb traces down Sebastian’s jawline and then up to his lips. He hovers there for  a second before pulling his hand away and nudging their noses back together.

“I already knew that.”

oOoOoOo

“Yeah, it is. Being nice sucks.” Sebastian’s voice is soft and teasing, and he laughs, though it dies in his throat. Blaine doesn’t look at him. In fact, he completely ignores him. He just keeps on walking, looking annoyed. He continues glancing around, looking for the trophy. With each step, he’s more distant, and Sebastian can feel his stomach dropping.

They continue walking, Sebastian feeling his eyes prickle. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this plan isn’t going to work. Blaine’s long gone.

“He’s waiting for you in the library,” Sebastian says, slowing down as they come to a stop in front of the double-set of doors.

Blaine’s brow furrows as he asks, “Who is?”

“The guy you’re here to see. Captain of the Warblers.” Sebastian slips his hands into his pockets as he shrugs. He can still try, but the hope he’s had flickers out. A song and a blazer isn’t going to win him over. Blaine doesn’t belong here anymore. Even if he did, he wouldn’t ever recognize or admit it.

“I thought you were Captain of the Warblers…” Blaine looks confused and sighs. For a moment, he seems to be waiting for Sebastian to say something else. When Sebastian says nothing, he walks away.

Niall loved date nights with Zayn, even if they were quiet and cheesy. Quite literally, considering Zayn always ordered extra cheese on his half of their shared pizza. But he loved curling up on the couch and watching bad sci-fi movies with Zayn, eating pizza and making fun of the horrible effects and acting. Even before they'd started dating, they'd had these Zayn-and-Niall only movie nights that the other boys didn't dare intrude on.

"I'm going to miss this at college," he mumbled through an oversized bite of food.

"Speaking of...how're we going to work at college?" Zayn asked, eating his pizza and reaching out to thumb a stray string of cheese off of Niall's lip. Niall blushed, and shrugged.

"I dunno. Are we even going to the same school?"

"I don't think so." Zayn looked down, setting his food down. "I hope so."

Niall looked taken aback. "What?"

"I love you," Zayn admitted seriously. "I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

Niall choked on his pizza. "You what? Zayn, we've only been dating for six months!"

"And I was in love with you long before that!"

"You can't just drop your life for me, Zayn."

Zayn shrugged. "I'll go wherever you go."

"And that's borderline stalkerish!" Niall shot back. "You can't just go to whatever school I do because you want to be near me! Jesus, Zayn!"

"It's my life and I'll damn well do what I please," Zayn snarled, tossing his pizza back in the box. "This was a bad idea. I'm going to go for a walk. I don't want to argue with you."

"Me either. Can we pretend this never happened?" Niall pleaded, not wanting to ruin whatever was between them, although it seemed they'd already done the damage. "Please?"

"Alright." Zayn settled down, Niall sprawling into his boyfriend's lap. He absently stroked his hand through Niall's messy hair, enjoying their peaceful truce.

The movie ended all too soon, and Zayn made to get up, wanting to avoid the tense situation. Niall reached for his hand, though, and pulled him back down.

“Stay,” he murmured drowsily, his grip slackening on Zayn’s sleeve. “Please?”

Zayn’s gaze softened as he settled back onto the couch, pulling Niall into his side. He didn’t know where this was going to go, but it was going to be something, he hoped.

He knew bad things had happened in Niall’s past, his parents splitting up and his picturesque childhood scenery split up into something else. He’d heard Niall’s stories about how everything had changed for the worst, and how everyone Niall had ever cared about had walked away from him, how Niall had grown up with his cousin Rory's family until his parents had finally decided they cared about their child and sent him away for his education.

Zayn wasn’t going to do that, walk away.

“Stop thinking,” Niall mumbled, rolling over and pressing a sleepy kiss to Zayn’s collarbone. “Please?”

“Alright.” Zayn leaned down the short inch and pressed his lips to Niall’s. The younger boy kissed back lazily, eyes fluttering shut and sighing contentedly. Their lips moved together for what felt like forever and not long enough, and when Zayn pulled back, Niall hummed and curled into his side happily.

--

When the bell rang, Harry sighed in relief and started packing up his supplies. It had been a long day--for whatever reason, Niall was out of sorts, and Zayn had refused to answer as to why. That was weird enough--Niall and Zayn were usually as close as Harry was with Louis--but Liam had been off as well, sneaking covert glances at his phone--during class, no less!--and that was so far beyond strange Harry had no idea where to even begin.

Somehow, the Warblers meeting managed to smooth things out with everyone. Zayn and Niall were back to their usual subtle flirting, and Liam had put away his phone in order to run the meeting.

"So, song choices for Nationals?" Liam said, standing near the front of the room, looking around at his teammates in their various out-of-uniform fashion states. Louis grinned wickedly from where he was leaning against Mr Zuzac's desk. Trent looked slightly worried. "Remember, we need to pick something we'll be good at but will be a bit more of a risk, if we're going to catch the judges' attention. This is our first time at Nationals in three years, let's make it count."

"I think we should do Pour Some Sugar On Me," Louis called out. Liam immediately whipped around and glared at Louis, who simply smirked in return. "We could have fun with the arrangement, maybe work out some new choreography."

"Vetoed," Mr Zuzac said absentmindedly from where he was clearly grading papers with bold slashes of red pen. No one was quite sure what he was grading, considering he never assigned written homework. "The theme is love, not sex. Besides, the principal would never approve it. Hence, the veto."

"How about...Justin Bieber?" one of the boys in the back suggested. The whole group turned to stare at him incredulously. "No, I'm being serious. He's known for being a hit with teenage girls, he's considered popular and his music would transition well. Plus, his new album isn't as shitty as his first one."

"You're fucking with us, right?" Zayn asked incredulously. Niall elbowed Zayn sharply, clearly interested in the idea.

"I second that motion," Niall chipped in, daring Zayn, Harry and Liam to argue with him. "I vote we do All Around The World or As Long As You Love me. They're both songs that are easy enough to deal with. And I have guitar sheet music."

"Of course you do," Louis said cheerfully. "Okay, all in favor of Justin Bieber?"

A grudging smatter of hands went up, which Liam counted off. "Eleven to nine. Sorry guys, Bieber's in."

"Can we balance it out with ACDC or something?" Zayn asked, wincing at the idea of Justin Bieber. Niall elbowed him again.

"If you can work out an acapella arrangement for ACDC, we'll consider it," Trent said. "Other songs? Preferably not in the teen pop genre, if you please."

--

As Harry entered the dorm after practice, his phone buzzed. Glancing at it, he saw it was from Blaine and not one of the others, to which he sighed in relief. Louis had vanished with Zayn and Niall, apparently to mediate an argument--which Harry didn't think was a good idea--although apparently Liam approved it enough to let them go.

Text from: Blaine (5:22 PM) you online?

Text from: Harry (5:23 PM) just got back to the dorm

Text from: Blaine (5:24 PM) then get online, fool

Harry grabbed his laptop and flopped down on his bed. He logged onto his school email account and checked to make sure there wasn’t any assignments he'd missed. Satisfied that there was nothing else he needed to do, he logged onto skype.

Blaine blinked at him confusedly when the screen loaded, because Harry was wearing a Santa Hat and a knitted white sweater.

“Why are you wearing a Santa Hat?”

The younger shrugged. “We had a mufti day?”

Blaine gaped at his brother, not entirely sure how to process his brother’s choice of clothing, considering it was mid-March. Finally, he decided it wasn’t worth it to pursue that line of conversation and switched to what he was actually there to talk about.

“Harry, have you got any pictures of you and Louis? It’s for the wedding slideshow.”

Harry grimaced. “I think I’ve got a couple somewhere. Nothing formal, though.” He clicked a few keys on his computer and then grinned. “Oh, this might work.” With a few more clicks, he sent the picture off to Blaine. When Blaine saw the picture, he groaned.

“Really, Harry? You really couldn’t find anything more appropriate?” That picture had been taken  the past spring break when Harry's class had gone to Disneyland Paris--it was of Harry and Louis making faces at the camera.

Harry beamed innocently. “Why? There’s me. There’s Louis. Perfect!”

“I guess it’s cute, but I’ll still need something else too."

“You’re such a woman sometimes,” Harry teased his brother. Blaine’s eyebrows immediately shot up.

“Say it again, I dare you.”

“Woman.”

“Guess who’s wearing pink tuxedos to the wedding?”

Harry grinned evilly. “Sebastian and Mummy wouldn’t let you. I know for a fact that Mum already has our tuxes all picked out and everything, and they’re black with white shirts and red and yellow ties. Which. Gryffindor colors, really?"

“Sebastian picked them out,” Blaine defended. “I just went along with it. You haven’t seen his puppy dog eyes!”

“If they’re anything like Louis’, I don’t need to.”

“What about me?” Louis came in and dropped his bag on the floor. He kissed Harry on the cheek, stole his hat and waved at Blaine. “I’m just gonna work on my Statistics homework, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

They kept discussing wedding plans until it was clear that Harry wasn’t listening, instead playing Angry Birds on his mobile phone.

“So, ready for Nationals?” Blaine asked, stretching a kink out of his back. Harry looked up from his phone in surprise. “We can’t believe you’re going to be in NY. We’re going to have to take you ‘round town, give you the tour.”

Harry frowned at his brother. “We? So Sebastian will be there?”

Blaine laughed and scribbled something on his notepad. “Of course he will. He’s my fiancé, Haz. Why are you asking?” On Harry’s side of the computer, something slammed down onto the floor along with a muffled curse.

“Lou…Lou’s still pretty mad.”

The elder Anderson rolled his eyes. “I will never understand those two. Are they seriously still upset about that?”

His brother nodded. “Lucky for them, they have us, right?”

Louis leaned over Harry’s shoulder. “Hey, Haz? Can I talk to Blaine alone for just a second?”

Harry nodded and pressed a kiss to Louis’ lips. “I’ll go bug Niall and Zayn and Liam for a bit. Niall said something about a secret passageway and Liam’s been muttering about couples. We need to hook him up with Sugar. Unless he doesn't swing that way? Did we ever ask?”

“Yeah, we kind of do. And no, I don’t think we did. Don’t ask him though!” Louis called after his boyfriend. He turned back to the computer to catch Blaine’s amused look. “Can I ask you something, Blaine?”

“Of course, Louis, anything.” Blaine smiled at him. “We’re gonna be brothers-in-law, if Sebastian and Harry have anything to say about it. So you’re family.”

“How could you forgive my brother? For…you know, what he did to you.”

Blaine looked puzzled before it dawned on him. “Oh, the slushy thing!” He cocked his head to the side and tried to puzzle out Louis’ expression. “Is that why you were mad at Sebastian? Because I was marrying him and he’d slushied me?”

Louis nodded and reached for his water bottle. “Not just that…he put you in the hospital, Blaine. Eyepatch and all. Harry showed  me pictures,” he explained when Blaine looked mildly horrified. “He really hurt you and you still…you still chose him over Kurt.”

Blaine winced. “There’s a reason for that.”

“What?”

“Look. I loved Kurt. Hell, a part of me still loves Kurt. But we weren’t compatible. We got along too well--it was like going through the motions. There was friendship and companionship but no real passion. And so it wasn’t really a surprise when Kurt dumped me halfway into his freshman year at college. And that’s when Sebastian wound up in my life again, and…that’s when I realized what I’d always known.”

“Knew what?”

Blaine rolled his eyes again. “You Smythes are all so dense. That’s when I knew that Sebastian was the one for me, because even if I was with someone else--or had been with someone else--and pretty blunt about it too--I always knew it."

“That you loved him?” Louis cracked a grin that actually reached his eyes this time. “Cheesy.”

“Look who’s talking, Mr Breakfast-in-bed-every-Sunday,” Blaine shot back.

Louis flushed. “That big mouth.”

“Shut it, you love that big mouth.”

“Yeah. I do.” Louis smiled softly. “I love him, I definitely love him. And it's sort of scary, because I've never loved anyone so much.”

Blaine smiled."Looks like Andersons and Smythes are always going to fall in love."

"Let's hope Lottie and Flick stay far, far away from Cooper and Gemma."

Blaine winced. "So not thinking about that."

Louis was about to say goodbye and sign off when his face lit up. “Oh! I almost forgot! I have something I meant to show you earlier. I promised Sebastian that I would never show it to you. But, you know, I am mad at him and he deserves it. So.” Like Harry had earlier, he tapped out a key command and sent Blaine the link to a YouTube video.  “It’s private, so it’s not going to go viral or anything--I’m not cruel--but I thought it was funny.”

The video Louis had caught of Sebastian dancing was incredibly awkward, and Louis took great pleasure in seeing Blaine’s incredulous expression. “Oh my God.”

“The best is yet to come,” Louis said, smirking. “He’s a horrible dancer.”

“He’s going to kill you,” Blaine warned, laughing.

“Indeed, so let’s keep it a secret, okay? Yeah?” Blaine shook his head but nodded. “Thank you!”

“Oh, god, I’m totally using that in the wedding slideshow,” the elder mused. “I’m never letting him live this one down.”

"Sort of the point." Louis looked up when the bell rang. “Crap, that’s the dinner bell. Haz and I’ll talk to you next week?”

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Blaine waved and shut the laptop, blacking the screen on Louis' side.

Walking over to Mr. Burbidge, Blaine dragged his fingers down Mr. Burbidge’s shoulders. Blaine ducked down and pressed his lips up against Mr. Burbidge’s ear. “Is this alright?” Blaine kept his wide and innocent-looking as he sat on Mr. Burbidge’s lap, wrapping his arms around Mr. Burbidge’s lap.

Even facing away, he could tell that Sebastian was staring at him. It was impossible not to feel ashamed, knowing that Sebastian was watching his every move, and keeping the façade was always difficult.

“More than okay,” Mr. Burbidge replied, letting one hand slide down to Blaine’s ass and squeezing. Blaine did his best not to whimper, though he shifted a bit. The bruises were still there from two nights ago, and though Sebastian’s salve had worked a fair amount, having it squeezed still hurt. “I think I might have to take you up on that offer, Michael,” Mr. Burbidge said, looking over to Sebastian’s father and smirking.

Blaine glanced over to see Sebastian sitting there with an unreadable expression. Sarah’s expression was that of pity, and Blaine’s eyes fell back down to the ground. He started to get up when he was suddenly tugged down again. “Did I say you could leave yet?” Though Mr. Burbidge hadn’t tugged him down harshly, there was still something challenging and condescending in his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Blaine mumbled, settling back down and pressing a kiss to Mr. Burbidge’s neck. He sucked lightly at the skin, too lightly to leave a mark, and his teeth grazed against it. Mr. Burbidge let out a soft moan and looked back over to the table. Blaine’s hands loosened a bit as he let Mr. Burbidge take what he wanted onto the plate.

“He’s obedient,” Mr. Burbidge said, popping a grape into his mouth and glancing at Blaine. As Blaine pulled back to look at Mr. Burbidge, Mr. Burbidge grabbed Blaine face and pressed down at his jaw, opening Blaine’s mouth. Blaine gasped in surprise and widened it a bit as Mr. Burbidge added pressure.

“He’d better be. If he wasn’t, he’d get punished.”

“As it should be. I can’t stand people who are lenient or feel sentimentally about their whores.”

On that note, Mr. Burbidge turned Blaine’s head to both sides, inspecting him, and Blaine suddenly felt like a dog. Mr. Burbidge let out a grunt of approval before reaching to his plate. He brought a strawberry up to Blaine’s lips, looking expectantly at him. Blaine flushed before leaning forward, biting into it. A bit of the juice dribbled down his chin, and when he pulled back, his tongue darted out, running over his lips and to the corner of his mouth.

“Suck,” Mr. Burbidge instructed, stretching out his fingers, which had some strawberry juice on them. Blaine flushed, feeling humiliated as he felt everyone’s eyes still fixed on him. His tongue swirled around Mr. Burbidge’s fingers, and he hallowed his cheeks, his eyes fixed on Mr. Burbidge’s. When he finally pulled back with a lewd pop, Mr. Burbidge’s cheeks were red and his gaze fixed.

“Good boy.” Blaine swallowed thickly, hating stomach clenched as that familiar feeling of degradation set in again.

“Thank you, Sir.” His voice was rough as his eyes fell down to the ground.

After that, the conversation slowly picked up again. Blaine, of course, didn’t know what they were talking about. It seemed to be politics of some sort. Mr. Burbidge balanced Blaine on his lap, and Blaine kissed at his neck and jaw, feeling sick to his stomach.

It took over an hour for dinner to end, and, when it did, Mr. Burbidge left with the promise that he’d come back next week to see what “your whore really had to offer”.

Blaine padded upstairs, his eyes stinging. He wrapped his arms around himself. Halfway up the staircase, Blaine collapsed against the wall, his shoulders shaking. His throat tightened, and he closed his eyes. Sniffling, Blaine tried to relax himself, but it didn’t work. Instead, he tensed before a few tears slipped past. His eyes stung, and he just felt tired.

After a moment, he could hear Sebastian and Sarah’s voices drifting up, followed by footsteps. Quickly, his hands reached at his eyes, his fists balling up as he tried to wipe away the tears and steady his back. Before he could, though, Sebastian and Sarah came into view. Blaine knew his eyes were red-rimmed, and he turned away, trying to go upstairs. Before he could, Sebastian called out to him.

“Are you honestly crying?” Sebastian scoffed. “It looked like you enjoyed it.”

Blaine flinched. “It’s just my job.”

“Well, it suits you.”

“Excuse me?” Blaine felt his chest tighten as he looked over at Sebastian. Sebastian’s expression, as usual, revealed nothing. He had his familiar smirk in place, and his arms were crossed over his chest. It was almost impossible to believe that this Sebastian and the one who’d given him the salve were the same person.

“I bet you’re disappointed he didn’t offer to fuck you tonight.” Sebastian arched an eyebrow and chuckled. Blaine reeled backwards, nearly tripping over a step.

“I should go,” Blaine muttered, his eyes watering again as he looked down at the ground.

“So you can jerk off to thoughts of Mr. Burbidge?” Sebastian asked, leering at Blaine.

“Sebastian, stop!” Sarah said, looking upset. She looked upset as he moved in closer to Blaine. “You okay?” she asked quietly, putting a hand on Blaine’s shoulder.

“I’m fine,” Blaine said, curling his arms around himself as he blinked rapidly, pushing back tears.

“No, you’re not.”

“This is ridiculous,” Sebastian muttered, looking at both of them with an incredulous expression.

“You know he never wanted this,” Sarah continued, running a hand soothingly in a circle on Blaine’s back. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Sarah, we’re leaving,” Sebastian said, glaring at her.

Blaine had no clue what he needed help with. Well, no, the only thing he could think of that anyone could do was to get him out of here, but that’s was more easily said than done. He shook his head. “I’m fine,” he repeated, though this time more weakly. He just wanted to go upstairs and sleep.

“Sarah, we’re leaving now,” Sebastian said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her up the stairs. Blaine waited until they were out of sight before going up to his own room.

oOoOoOo

Blaine knocked on the door and bit his lips. After a moment, the door opened, and Sebastian’s head popped out. “Sebby?”

  “Don’t call me that,” Sebastian said with a scowl. When he saw Blaine’s wide, worried, eyes, though, his expression softened a bit. He reached out, ruffling Blaine’s hair. “What’s up, B?” Sebastian scanned the hall to make sure no one was looking before opening it all the way. Blaine slipped in, his arms winding around Sebastian’s waist.

  “I… I tried to come by earlier,” Blaine said, scuffing his feet at the ground as he stared down. Sebastian shut the door behind them and looked down at Blaine. Blaine’s chest felt like it was swelling, like he was about to cry.

  “Well, I had class. You know that. Father wants me to start learning Latin.”

  “I know. I’m just – I’m scared, Sebby,” he said, his lips mumbling against Sebastian’s shirt as he buried his head against Sebastian’s chest.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I saw Mom and Dad. Mom was crying,” Blaine said quietly, clinging to Sebastian. “Why were they crying?” As much as he loved Sebastian, Blaine knew that “living with” the Smythes wasn’t exactly ideal for his parents. He knew that they had to cook and clean and spent all day doing chores. It wasn’t a secret that when he got a little older, he’d be doing the same things.

  He also knew that they tried to hide it. Blaine could sometimes see the fear in their eyes or hear it in their voices when they forced a smile on his face. He could hear the lie when they told him that everything was fine.

  So now that they were crying, it scared him.

  “How am I supposed to know that? I’m sure it’s okay.” He carefully reached out, running his fingers through Blaine’s hair and pressing a kiss to the top of Blaine’s head. “It’ll be okay.”

  “What if it isn’t? What if something happens?”

  “It won’t.”

  “But you don’t know that. You don’t!” Blaine said, pulling back, his eyes watering. Blaine gritted his teeth. He wasn’t going to let Sebastian see him cry. He wanted Sebastian to think he was strong.

  Sebastian just reached forward, wrapping his arms back around Blaine. He tugged him down slightly so that they were sitting on the edge of the bed, and he rocked Blaine back and forth.

  “Yes, I do. ‘Cause I won’t let anything happen. I’ll protect you. I promise.”

  oOoOoOo

Blaine rolled over in his bed, before glancing at the clock. It was already eleven in the morning. He didn’t have a client until three today. Sighing, he wrapped the blankets tighter around himself and buried his head into the pillow. His eyes closed, and he was just starting to drift off again when there was a knock at his door.

Blaine groaned, rolling over and walking towards the door, doing his best to fix his hair. At the moment, he didn’t really want to face Michael. “Coming.” He grabbed his bathrobe from over the chair and slung it on, tying it around his waist before opening the door. His shoulders slumped forward and he relaxed.

“I hope I’m not intruding,” Sarah said, smiling and offering Blaine a tray. On one plate there were two waffles stacked up, covered in powdered sugar and topped by a strawberry. On another, there was a croissant, coated in a chocolate sauce. There was a glass of milk as well as a slice of toasted bread with some jam. Blaine’s mouth watered as he looked down at it.

“That looks delicious” he murmured, his stomach whining slightly.

“Well, good ‘cause it’s for you. It isn’t much, but –“

“No, it’s amazing.” Blaine moved out of the way so that she could get in. “I’m used to just some oatmeal and tea or just a slice of bread with some milk. Michael reserves the better meals for himself and Sebastian and you.” Blaine flushed as he sat down on the edge of the bed. The last thing he needed was Michael finding out what he’d said. “I mean, he’s generous,” he added, though the words felt sour in his mouth.

“You don’t need to lie. I’m not going to tell him what you think. I don’t think he treats you fairly either, but that’s not really why I’m here.” She set down the tray on the bed, careful to make sure nothing would fall over. “Here, eat.”

“You really didn’t have to do this. Besides, if Michael finds out…” He glanced down as he took the croissant, leaning over the tray to take a bit off of one end.

“Well, he won’t.” She sighed. “I’m sorry about what happened last night.”

“Like I said, it’s my job. I’m used to it,” he mumbled, glancing downwards as he continued to nibble at the croissant.

“Not that. What Sebastian said. Well, I mean, I’m sorry about that as well. I’d imagine it isn’t easy…” She gave Blaine a sad smile and folded her hands in her lap.

“Well, Sebastian stopped caring about me a while ago. I’m used to that too.” Still, his chest twisted a bit as he spoke. His eyes prickled, and he reached out for his glass of milk, quickly taking a sip. He knew he was being ridiculous.

“No he cares. His pride’s too big to come here and say it himself, but he does.”

“He told you he cared?” Blaine asked, somehow feeling skeptical. Sebastian never admitted when he was wrong. It was something Michael had taught him. If he pretended he was right, people would even forget that he’d done something wrong to begin with.

“Well, not really. But you should have felt the way he was squeezing my hand yesterday, and he was completely pissed when we went back up to bed.” She bit her lip. “But he is sorry. I know he’s frustrating, but he means well.”

Blaine’s eyes fell to plate as he careful cut a piece of his waffles. “Funny, his good intentions really fell short.”

“Fell short? You wouldn’t happen to be talking about yourself, would you?”

Both of them looked up to see Sebastian leaning against the wall. Both of them had been facing away from the door, and they hadn’t heard it open. Blaine set down his fork and knife, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The height jokes really are getting old.”

Sebastian shrugged and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Blaine. His hand reached up, and he ran his fingers through Blaine’s hair, trailing at his neck. Blaine gasped at Sebastian’s light touch and rolled his shoulders a bit.

Sebastian wet his lips and leaned his head against Blaine’s shoulder. Immediately, Blaine tensed up. Yesterday, Sebastian was poking holes at him, and today he was cuddling with him. Even Sarah looked worried. Her brow creased as she looked up at Sebastian. Sebastian just grabbed the waffle piece Blaine had cut out and popped it in his mouth.

“It’s good,” he said, smirking and grabbing a strawberry, biting into it. Blaine glanced over and flushed. Sebastian’s eyes were fixed on him as he licked the strawberry juice off of his lips and fingers.  “It’s just like last night with Mr. Burbidge, only I wouldn’t whore myself out to anyone.

Blaine shoved Sebastian off of his shoulder and scooted back on the bed, suddenly not hungry anymore. “Have the breakfast if it’s so good.”

Sarah pursed her lips as she looked over at Sebastian. “Sebastian, can we talk outside?”

“You can say it in front of Blaine. Don’t worry, the whore won’t tattletale.”

Blaine jerked upwards, getting off the bed as if burnt. His eyes burned, and his stomach knotted painfully. “I’m going to go take another shower,” he said, his voice shaking. He had no clue what’d given Sebastian the sudden change of heart, but it hurt.

“Blaine…” Sebastian started, reaching out for a moment. Blaine turned around, and, for a moment, he swore he saw regret and pain in Sebastian’s expression. Then, it disappeared. Sebastian smirked again, and that guarded expression returned to his face and eyes. “Feel free to take as long as you want. We won’t judge you if you have to jack off to the thought of Mr. Burbidge,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.

Blaine just grabbed his towel, bathrobe, and ran out of the room. He could hear Sarah yelling at Sebastian, but he didn’t listen to hear what she had to say. Blaine quickly shed his clothes and stepped under the water, gritting his teeth. He had barely been in for more than a two minutes when the door suddenly slammed open.

Sebastian moved forward, under the water. He sighed before moving forward and grabbed Blaine’s face. Their lips pressed together roughly. The kiss wasn’t sweet or loving. It was needy and desperate. Sebastian wrapped an arm around Blaine’s waist as he whimpered into the kiss.

Blaine knew that was Sebastian’s way of saying sorry. He kissed him back before pulling backwards. “Seb, your clothes.”