courage, dear heart.

Sebastian immediately felt his shoulders relax at the sound of Blaine’s voice, and he quickly clicked in his seat belt when he got in the car. “You don’t look so bad yourself, you know,” Sebastian said with a wink, putting his car in reverse as he began to drive. It was about an hour and a half away, and he was a little too excited to be able to go on this road trip with Blaine. It was romantic and adventurous, two things that Sebastian loved in any situation. The week had made him feel so empty - more so than usual. It was even worse being alone than being with his usual conquests from the bar; he hated being left with his thoughts. And since his parents were on business ventures (what’s new?), he really had no one.

Sebastian side-eyed Blaine as he turned onto the parkway, shooting him a smile and a nod. “Maroon 5 it is. So long as you play One More Night, because that song is a jam. It gets me so hyped when it comes on at the bar.” He laughed, his excitement buzzing from his head to his toes. “Speaking of…” He started, biting his lip as he thought of what to say next. “I really missed you, B. I know it’s only been a little bit, but it feels like way too long for my taste.” He laughed nervously and sighed. “I’m really glad you said yes to the silly idea of an adventure. I needed to get out of that house. I’m sure you did, too, after this ridiculous week.” 

Blaine’s lips curled into a bashful smile as Sebastian winked at him, and he quickly looked down at his phone to find the perfect song. Although the main point of their trip might be to find a fun bar in Columbus where they could dance the night away, Blaine had definitely been looking forward to this little road trip too. After last week, which had been incredibly boring, an adventure was exactly what he needed. The fact that he was going on an adventure with Sebastian just made him even more excited, and he simply couldn’t stop smiling. He’d missed his friend more than he would care to admit, and regretted not calling or Skyping him. It would have made his week so much better, and he hated the idea of Sebastian feeling like he couldn’t text or call him whenever he wanted to. If only he knew how Blaine’s heart skipped a beat everytime he did, how much those conversations meant to him, not matter how small or silly. 

“Of course I will. It’s one of my favourites, actually,” Blaine replied with a laugh. What Sebastian said next caught him off guard slightly, but his smile only grew wider at his words. “I missed you too. And I’m beyond excited to go to Columbus with you. I was so glad you came up with this idea.” Seconds later, the first few notes of One More Night  blasted through the car speakers. "Promise me you’ll call next time? Or text, or Skype, or anything?” Realising how desperate that made him sound, Blaine quickly turned his previous words into a joke. “Maybe we could make one of those old school tin can phones. Or get walkie-talkies. Like we’re on some secret mission.” 

Sebastian’s throat went completely dry at the sight of Blaine - there was something about his bow ties and hair gel that made Sebastian’s knees go weak. Maybe it was the innocence or the sheer adorableness, Sebastian didn’t know. He cleared his throat as he nodded quickly. “Yes, um - yes. You go do that, I’ll be here.” Sebastian patiently waited for Blaine as he glanced around the yard, suddenly feeling nervous. This was another sign that his feelings for Blaine were… different, to say the least, as Sebastian rarely felt nervous on dates. Not that this was even a date. His mind was muddled and confused, and a part of him knew he wouldn’t get through the night without acting on these feelings. He didn’t want to talk about them, exactly, but he knew it would be a difficult feat to hide them from Blaine, who was an extremely smart guy. 

He shook his head out of his thoughts when Blaine returned, and all Sebastian could do was smile. “Hi,” He said, feeling slightly calmer now that Blaine was next to him. It was odd, the effect this boy had on him. After everything he’d been through with his ex, he was sure he never wanted to feel such things again - but it wasn’t like he could help it. He opened the passenger side’s door for Blaine and then hopped in the driver’s seat himself, handing off the auxiliary cord to Blaine. “I’m leaving the music in your hands, as requested. Just promise not to play too much Katy Perry, will you?” 

Blaine rushed back inside to grab his wallet, only stopping for a short moment on his way back outside, to look into the hallway mirror. He took a deep breath and assured himself he looked fine, then walked back outside. Seeing Sebastian always made Blaine’s heart flutter, and today was no exception; the other guy looked even more handsome than usual. And of course, he said so out loud before he could catch himself, as he closed the door behind him. “Hi. You look great.” He could feel a blush spreading across his cheeks and prayed Sebastian wasn’t able to see it.

When Sebastian opened the passenger side’s door for him, Blaine quickly sat down (perhaps Sebastian wouldn’t see the colour on his cheeks that way) and thanked him with a grin. “Why, thank you. Such a gentleman.” Once the other boy had taken place in the seat beside him, he could already feel himself starting to relax. It was odd, the way Sebastian was able to make him feel both nervous and at ease in just a matter of minutes. “I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise anything,” Blaine joked, as he took the auxiliary cord from Sebastian and plugged it into his phone. The fact that Sebastian remembered his (not entirely serious) request made him smile. “How about some Maroon 5 to get us started, though?”

Sebastian wasn’t used to feeling this way. More often than not, he wanted to be as detached from his relationships (or, one night stands) as possible. But when Blaine walked into his life, that shifted. He actually looked forward to seeing him, and he felt a warmth in his heart whenever he did so. Part of him knew he should run away now, because if things got any deeper than they were, he would be screwed. He refused to let his heart get broken again. It was too much, and things were just… easier on his own. So, he and Blaine were friends - that was all. Friends who danced together, laughed together, stared at each other… no. Just friends.

Sebastian shook his head out of it as he drove up the Anderson’s driveway, and he took a deep breath before getting out of his car. He almost, almost got a rose to give to Blaine but thought he was being a little bit ridiculous. He could admit to his attraction, sure, but that was all. Because Blaine deserved all the good things in life, and Sebastian just… couldn’t provide that for him, no matter how much he wanted to. He parked his car and walked up to his door, straightening his blazer before ringing the doorbell. He could do this - just two friends going on an adventure. He could do this, right?

After spending a ridiculous amount of time on picking an outfit, a quick glance at the clock told Blaine that he really needed to hurry if he wanted his hair to look at least somewhat decent. He'd been looking forward to tonight ever since Sebastian had brought up the idea, and his friend (that’s what they were... right?) had been on his mind even more than usually ever since. And that was saying something, as it wasn’t particularly uncommon for his thoughts to drift off to Sebastian Smythe. Not that he would admit that to anyone, of course. They were friends, just friends, and the last thing Blaine wanted was to ruin their friendship. 

That didn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to make sure he looked his very best tonight, though. Especially given the fact that they weren’t just going to Scandals. Just as he was drying his hands, after washing off the remaining bits of hair gel, he heard the doorbell ring downstairs. All but throwing the towel next to the sink, he rushed towards the stairs, calling out to his mom as he did so. “That’s for me! I’ll get it!” The last thing he needed right now was for his mother to open the door, as there was no doubt she would embarrass him in one way or another. Or for her to ask Sebastian questions he wouldn’t be able to answer, about the made-up party they were going to. Luckily, he made it to the door in time, opening it with a big smile on his face. “Hi! I just quickly need to grab my wallet, and then I’m ready to go.”