Fic: The Greater Part of Life [Glee]
Title: The Greater Part of Life
Author: purplehrdwonder
Rating: PG-13
Genre/pairing: Sebastian/Blaine
Characters: Blaine, Sebastian, Tina, Sam, peripheral Rachel
Word count: 5,205
Spoilers: Through 4x22
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.
Summary: It hit Blaine just how many people he still had in his life who cared about him. He’d spent so much time focusing on what he’d lost that he hadn’t let how much he already had sink in. Fifth in the Not Words 'verse.
Author’s Note: This follows “Not Words But Meanings,” “No Remedy For Love," "The Heart, Forever Inexperienced," and "A Fine Mingling." The title comes from a Thomas Jefferson quote: “But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine.”
Special thanks again to moviegeek03 for her help.
The Greater Part of Life
Blaine groaned as he slowly woke up. The first thing he registered was that his entire body ached. His head throbbed, his throat was scratchy, and he felt chilled, though he could feel sweat on his forehead. He blinked a few times, grimacing against the light before realizing that it was coming in differently than it did in his closet-sized bedroom.
Because he was on the couch in the living room.
Alone.
Right. Sebastian had been here and Blaine had bared his battered heart in yet another masterful display of unloading his baggage on the other boy. He must’ve fallen asleep after; his mother would be horrified at his manners.
He’d just been so wound up as both he and Sebastian had gotten caught up with school, which forced them to repeatedly cancel plans. Memories of his relationship with Kurt disintegrating were never far from mind, especially this time of year. He slept poorly and started retreating back into himself in response; Sam and Tina were understanding, but he knew they’d also been worried. Hell, Blaine had worried himself, but he couldn’t help how he felt-or how his subconscious haunted him. But talking about it had eased a load from his shoulders, though it also left him feeling raw.
He made to grab his phone off the coffee table to send an apology text to Sebastian for falling asleep on him when a whiff of food-was that bacon?-hit his nose and made his stomach turn dangerously. He winced and collapsed back against the cushions, willing the nausea back down. That was when he finally heard the sounds of hushed voices and cooking in the kitchen.
He shivered and wrapped the blanket pooled in his lap around his shoulders, then slowly pushed himself into a sitting position to peer over the back of the couch, flinching as his muscles ached in protest and his head spun. Once the room stilled, he blinked a few more times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating; Sam and Sebastian were in the kitchen, Sebastian at the stove and Sam cutting something at the counter.
Sebastian looked up and his eyes met Blaine’s; he smiled briefly before his expression morphed into one of concern.
“Hey, you okay?”
“You stayed,” Blaine croaked dumbly, not taking in much beyond that.
Sebastian shrugged and abandoned whatever he was cooking to come over to the couch while Sam glanced between them.
“You were both passed out on the couch when I got back from work,” he supplied, moving to turn off the stove. Sam had a part-time job on campus that he occasionally took extra late shifts for on the weekends. He’d taken one of those shifts on Saturday, but Blaine last remembered talking to Sebastian mid-afternoon.
“What time is it?” he asked as Sebastian rounded the couch and sat down next to him.
“10:17,” Sam replied, glancing at the microwave clock.
“Sunday morning,” Sebastian added.
Blaine frowned, mind working too sluggishly to do the math. How long had he been sleeping?
Sebastian put a hand up to Blaine’s forehead but pulled back with a grimace. “You’re burning up, Killer. How do you feel?”
Blaine considered his response. “Like death warmed over.”
“Well, that’s about how you look.”
Blaine did his best to glare at Sebastian, but judging from the other boy’s expression, he’d failed miserably. “Gee, thanks.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Well, you’re obviously sick. Though I’m sure that doesn’t hinder the rear view,” he added thoughtfully, “which is admittedly spectacular.”
Sam groaned and Blaine glowered, but his stomach roiled and he fell back onto the couch with a groan, flinging an arm over his eyes.
“If he’s sick, we should probably get him to bed,” Sam said, voice coming closer. “The couch isn’t that comfortable.”
“Plus, who needs puke in the common areas?”
Blaine’s stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots. “Not helping.”
“I’ll call Tina, tell her to get some stuff on her way home,” Sam said, sounding sympathetic.
“Where is Tina anyway?” Blaine asked when he was sure the contents of his stomach would remain there when he opened his mouth.
“She didn’t come home last night,” Sam replied. Blaine could hear the grin in his voice. “From her date.”
“Good for her,” Sebastian said approvingly.
Blaine would’ve rolled his eyes if he hadn’t thought the action might make his head explode. He shivered instead.
“I can get him to his room if you get some water and Tylenol, maybe a cool cloth,” Sebastian told Sam, putting a hand on Blaine’s leg.
“M’right here,” Blaine muttered. He hated people talking about him like he wasn’t there; Cooper had the tendency to do that, especially when Blaine was younger, and it drove him up the wall.
Sebastian snorted and squeezed his leg. “Think you can try to get up then?”
The prospect of movement made Blaine groan.
“Hey.” A hand gently pulled his arm from his face, and Blaine grudgingly opened his eyes. Sebastian swam into focus, a far softer look that usual on his face. “It’s not far, then you can sleep.”
Blaine must’ve made some kind of assenting noise because Sebastian was hooking an arm around his back and pulling one of Blaine’s arms over his shoulders. Blaine’s world titled as Sebastian eased him to his feet, and he swayed as he waited for his stomach to settle. Once it felt safe, Blaine nodded at Sebastian and together they hobbled down the hall to Blaine’s room where Sam was waiting.
Sam rushed to Blaine’s other side and put an arm around his waist. Between the three of them-or, well, Blaine trying not to hinder Sam and Sebastian-they got Blaine changed into some sweats and an old Dalton t-shirt (which Sebastian had smirked at) and under his covers; Blaine was too tired, nauseous, and achy to even contemplate his former crush and current (not)boyfriend helping him change. He took a couple of proffered pills and downed a glass of water before sinking into his covers with a moan.
“I’ll get more water,” Sam offered. “And the trashcan is next to the bed. You know, just in case.”
“Mm,” was all Blaine managed as Sam left. He blinked when he felt something cool on his forehead and looked up to see Sebastian settling on the bed next to him, a washcloth in hand.
“Get some sleep,” he said.
Blaine was too tired to argue and soon drifted off.
-----
Blaine blinked groggily at the sound of Tina’s voice somewhere nearby. When his vision cleared, he saw Tina hovering over him; his first instinct was to flinch back, though he wasn’t sure why a hurt look crossed her face.
“It’s just me, Blaine,” she said.
“Maybe you should promise there’s no Vapo-rub this time,” Sam said from the doorway.
Tina’s expression darkened for a moment, but she quickly schooled it. “I’m going to take your temperature, okay Blink?”
Blaine nodded, eyes slipping shut once the thermometer was in place. He drifted until Tina took the thermometer out and studied it.
“102.1,” she announced. “I’d say he has the flu.”
“You think?” Sebastian muttered from somewhere next to Blaine. Tina and Sebastian continued speaking while Blaine dozed, registering only a somewhat hostile tone, not the words themselves. Eventually he heard the bedroom door shut and felt the cool cloth on his forehead again. He turned his head to see Sebastian sitting back against the headboard, watching him.
“You with me?” he asked.
“W’rking on it,” Blaine mumbled, wincing at his sore throat.
Sebastian offered him an open bottle of water and Blaine drank greedily, sighing in relief after several long gulps. Sebastian took the bottle back and screwed the lid back on before glancing back at Blaine, almost warily.
“You don’t have t’stay,” Blaine said, eyes already drooping shut again. “You had plans today.”
“Just studying,” Sebastian said with a dismissive shrug. Blaine had been planning to study today as well, but whatever he’d come down with had hit him hard and he wasn’t going to be doing much of anything.
“Germs,” Blaine pointed out, scrunching his nose in distaste.
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Sebastian asked, amused. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you worried yourself sick. Not only is that impressive, I’m not real concerned about catching it.”
“You don’t worry about things?”
“I got my flu shot.”
Blaine huffed, eyes shutting heavily. “Thanks for staying, Bas.”
-----
Tina sat with Sam on the living room couch, her psychology textbook open and highlighter in hand, though she kept glancing back toward Blaine’s shut door. Sebastian had been in and out over the course of the afternoon and evening-to empty the trashcan when Blaine had thrown up, to get more water and pills, and to grab a quick sandwich before heading back in to sit with Blaine.
Tina had gone in to check on Blaine as well, her distrust of Sebastian prickling since the moment Sam had told her that he was in the apartment and had even spent the night on the couch, but each time she found Sebastian sitting in Blaine’s bed either looking at his phone or reading one of Blaine’s books while Blaine slept curled toward him; he’d had one hand on his book or phone and the other on a cloth on Blaine’s forehead or carding through Blaine’s sweat-loosened curls.
Something in Tina’s chest twisted each time she walked in, and Sebastian’s challenging looks didn’t help. Blaine was her best friend and she’d been there in the wake of his breakup, helping him find himself outside of Kurt. She and Sam had been there when no one else seemed to notice he was hurting; they’d found their current apartment so they could stay together in college and had supported him after he and Kurt had cut ties.
So why did it feel like she’d been losing her best friend since the night Sebastian Smythe had walked back into his life?
“Staring at the door isn’t going to help you see through it,” Sam commented. Tina started and looked back at him. “Unless you developed x-ray vision in the last six hours, in which case…” He started flexing and Tina couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And Blaine’s fine.”
“Sam-”
“He’s not alone.”
Tina’s eyes narrowed. “And you trust Sebastian? After what he did to Blaine? After the steroids and stolen trophy?”
Sam shrugged. “Blaine said he’s changed.”
“And Blaine is clearly the best judge of character,” Tina scoffed. “He trusted Sebastian before and look where that got him.”
“Tina,” Sam warned.
Tina sighed and rubbed her eyes. She knew she wasn’t being entirely fair; Blaine might be trusting, but he wasn’t stupid. And she’d promised to back off and let Blaine make his own mistakes. But that didn’t keep her from worrying.
“I know, you’re right.”
“Do you think that maybe you’re jealous?” There was no accusation or judgment in Sam’s voice, just a straightforward question.
Tina’s eyes widened as indignation flared up her spine. “What?”
“Of Sebastian.”
“Why would I be jealous of him?”
Sam smiled, damn him. “Because Blaine’s letting him in. And maybe needs you a little bit less.”
“I-” Tina’s insides tightened uncomfortably. Was that really what this was? But she wanted Blaine to be happy, to find another guy who would love him as much as he deserved since Tina couldn’t be that for him.
Blaine had been more distant, more Blaine Warbler, around the apartment since the breakup while opening up to someone who’d hurt him terribly. Wasn’t she right to be wary, for Blaine’s sake?
“You’re right, Tina, I have been struggling since graduation. But I stopped dealing with it when you and Sam wouldn’t stop hovering.”
“I started feeling like I had to be okay around you guys all the time, and that’s exhausting. But Sebastian, he doesn’t expect anything from me. I can feel whatever I’m feeling around him. And that makes me feel safe. Or safer, anyway.”
Well shit.
“He’s your best friend too,” Tina said softly, slumping back against the sofa. “Don’t you worry?”
Sam shrugged. “I was worried when he was miserable. And he was miserable for a long time. But he’s been happier since he started hanging out with Sebastian, and I know you’ve seen it too.”
“And you don’t worry about… losing him?”
Blaine had gotten so lost in his last relationship that he’d had to struggle to figure out who he was once he was alone again. He lost connections to people he cared about-he’d admitted one drunken night last summer how much he’d missed Dalton but couldn’t let himself think it because he was at McKinley with Kurt-and Tina couldn’t bear the thought of losing her best friend to a new boyfriend.
Okay, maybe she was a little jealous.
Sam glanced back at Blaine’s door before looking at Tina again. “I won’t let that happen,” he said simply. “And I don’t think you will either, Teens.”
Tina gave Sam a wan smile. “When did you get so smart, Mr. Evans?”
Sam just grinned and flexed again, and Tina rolled her eyes fondly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Blaine’s door opened and Sebastian stepped out, shutting it softly behind him. He looked up.
“He’s sleeping,” he said. “I have to get back to school.”
Sam nodded and waved as Sebastian headed toward the front door then gave Tina a pointed look. Tina sighed before rising and following Sebastian down the hall. He was putting his jacket on by the front door, and she stopped a few feet away from him, biting her lip.
“Tina?” Sebastian looked at her curiously-and maybe a little warily-as he straightened his collar. They had shared some words earlier, so she didn’t blame him.
“You’re good with him,” she admitted, glancing down the hall to Blaine’s door. “Gentle,” she added, picturing Sebastian’s soft touch as Blaine slept and trying to ignore the pang that accompanied it. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’m going to be making up for hurting him for the rest of my life.”
“He forgave you,” she pointed out, suddenly curious about the Sebastian that Blaine saw rather than the sneering face of the Warblers from high school.
“He’s very forgiving,” Sebastian replied, looking thoughtful.
And that’s when the pieces came together and Tina knew that Sebastian really cared about Blaine. He was different around Blaine, better. She’d seen the way Sebastian looked at Blaine, eyes softening like he’d never seen anything like him before. She’d come home more than once to find them wrapped up on the couch together, Sebastian curled around Blaine as though he was a shield. And she’d watched him visibly bite down on harsh words or innuendos around Blaine, venom seeming to melt out of him completely.
If Blaine could inspire that in someone like Sebastian while being happy himself (and she’d have to be blind to miss the way Blaine looked at Sebastian in return, or, if she was being honest, the way his posture had gradually straightened and his smiles had reached his eyes more often since reconciling with Sebastian), well, that should be enough.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Sebastian frowned suspiciously. “For what?”
“Doubting you. How you feel about Blaine.” Tina shrugged. “He’s just-”
“Special.”
Tina nodded. She would’ve said more-maybe give the best friend speech, though she was sure Sam had already given one variation by now-but Sebastian was clearly itching to get out of the apartment, so she nodded and said, “See you tomorrow,” challenging him to disagree.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the assumption, but didn’t contradict her. Tina nodded in satisfaction, and Sebastian opened the front door and stepped into the hallway.
“He’s lucky. To have friends like you and Sam,” Sebastian told her without looking back.
Tina was startled wordless as Sebastian disappeared down the hallway.
-----
Blaine was more or less bed-ridden (which became couch-ridden out of sheer boredom) for the next week. He slept a lot, though he became more lucid as his fever broke and he started keeping bland foods down for longer than ten minutes. He missed a week of classes but studied for as long as he could without feeling seasick to make up for it. The aches, chills, and nausea eventually subsided, but Blaine still felt kitten-weak as he moved around the apartment, holding onto walls and furniture for balance.
Sam and Tina called between classes to check on him, brought home fresh bread and hot soup for him to eat, and kept him company when he knew they had other plans. Artie and some other friends from his classes texted him during the day as well, so he never felt completely alone in the apartment.
And then there was Sebastian, who made a point to come by each day after class; he brought his books and laptop to study, never complaining about the commute or lackluster company, while Blaine slept or watched television.
It hit Blaine at the end of the week just how many people he still had in his life who cared about him. The realization pushed away even more of the doubt that had crept in before, wearing him down to the point of illness. He’d spent so much time focusing on what he’d lost that he hadn’t let how much he already had sink in.
Sunday evening, he and Sebastian were sitting on opposite ends of the couch with textbooks open, empty takeout containers on the coffee table, and Blaine’s iPod shuffling through songs quietly in the background. Sam was locked away in his room studying and Tina was at a meeting for a group project. Blaine’s eyes kept drifting up from his textbook to look at Sebastian, and he found himself wondering what he’d done to get so lucky with a second chance.
Sebastian glanced up and raised an eyebrow. “What? Do I have highlighter on my face or something?”
Blaine blushed at getting caught staring and shook his head. “No, just thinking.”
“About me, I hope.”
Blaine rolled his eyes. “Vain.”
Sebastian set his book down. “I’ll have you know these good looks are both a blessing and a curse,” he deadpanned.
Blaine’s lips twitched. “Oh really?”
“No, mostly just a blessing.”
Blaine snorted. “Like I said, vain.”
Sebastian smirked. “So why were you staring at me?”
Blaine gave an affected shrug. “Maybe I was just enjoying the view.”
“Yes, definitely a blessing,” Sebastian decided.
Blaine grabbed the pillow behind his back and hurled it at Sebastian. Sebastian ducked, though, and the pillow flew over his shoulder, landing in the kitchen doorway. Sebastian glanced back at the pillow then turned to Blaine, a mischievous look in his eye.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Blaine lifted his eyebrows, faux innocent. “No?”
“No,” Sebastian confirmed, lunging across the sofa.
Blaine yelped and his book clattered to the floor as Sebastian landed on top of him, though he was careful not to jostle Blaine too much, and pressed him into the cushions. Blaine could feel his heart racing at Sebastian’s proximity and the intense look on his face. He swallowed, and for a moment they just looked at each other; Blaine was reminded of that winter night in the park, except their positions were reversed and there was no snow.
“Thank you,” he found himself saying.
“For what?” Sebastian asked. “I haven’t done anything.” His lips twitched upward. “Yet, anyway.”
“For this week,” Blaine clarified. “For staying even when I was gross and sleeping all the time.”
“You weren’t that bad.”
“There was puking.”
Sebastian huffed a laugh and the puff of air made Blaine shiver. “That’s true,” Sebastian allowed. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Anderson,” he added before leaning forward to suck at the sensitive spot below Blaine’s ear. Blaine gasped and Sebastian’s laughter rumbled through his chest.
“What happens when I’m no longer cute?” Blaine asked, staring at the ceiling as his body shuddered. “Upgrade?”
“Never gonna happen,” Sebastian replied, trailing his tongue down to Blaine’s collarbone. “Been wanting to do this all week.”
“So why didn’t you?”
Sebastian sat up and gave Blaine an incredulous look. “Really? You could barely sit up for most of the week.”
Blaine cocked his head. “I’m not sitting up now, am I?”
Sebastian laughed and ducked back down. “No, you’re not,” he murmured before pressing his lips to Blaine’s.
-----
Over the next few weeks, schoolwork picked up once again with finals approaching, but Sebastian and Blaine made sure they were finding time to spend together to avoid another meltdown. It wasn’t exactly a chore to meet Blaine for coffee though, even if all they did was study for a few hours before heading back to their respective spaces to study more. Blaine, meanwhile, bounced back from his flu, though he was probably on his feet before he should’ve been, going immediately back to class after a week in bed.
Sebastian had several interviews for summer internships around the city and eventually landed one at a prestigious firm that would start a week after classes let out. He’d found a studio to sublet for the summer that had the advantage of being closer to Blaine’s apartment, as Blaine was planning to remain in the city for most of the summer as well since he’d gotten his own internship at a recording studio-one usually reserved for Tisch upperclassmen thanks to some kind words passed along from his professors.
Tina and Sam, Blaine said, were going home for a few weeks at different times since they both had part-time jobs-Sam keeping his on-campus job and Tina as a barista at, naturally, Aroma-so at least one of his roommates would always be home.
The first weekend in May dawned unseasonably warm, so with finals over and a few days before either of their internships started, Sebastian and Blaine ended up in Central Park on a blanket with some Thai takeout and the sun beaming down on them. Sebastian was reclining with his arms behind him propping him up while he half-listened to music with one earbud in. Blaine sat between his legs, his back to Sebastian’s chest, as he read on his Kindle.
Tilting his head back to look at the clear sky, Sebastian couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at peace. Standing on his mother’s balcony overlooking Paris the first time he’d visited her after coming out had been close, but even then there had been an undercurrent of tension with hushed phone calls between his estranged parents in the background. Since then, he’d always had some sort of plan in the works to avoid that helpless, empty feeling; whether it was climbing the social ladders in his various schools or racing down the lacrosse field, he was constantly in motion.
Yet he found himself completely still at the moment, and it was… nice. Better than nice, actually. He was startled to realize that he was content.
He looked down at Blaine; the other boy’s posture was completely relaxed and his skin sun-warmed. There was a light sheen of sweat on his bare arms and the back of his neck that almost made him glow, which stirred something low in Sebastian’s gut. He’d had a number of fantasies involving Blaine since the Warblers had started going on about him during their first day of rehearsal, but he’d never considered the merits of such an innocuous moment. And yet, here he was.
Never the one to stay still for long, though, Sebastian grinned as he took his earbud out and reached over Blaine’s shoulder to pull his Kindle from his grasp and set it aside.
“Hey!” Blaine protested, turning to look at Sebastian.
Instead of replying, Sebastian wrapped his arms around Blaine’s tiny waist and rolled him onto his back, pinning his arms over his head. He moved slowly so Blaine could pull away if he wanted to, but Blaine just looked up at Sebastian with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
“Hi,” Blaine greeted with a smile as Sebastian straddled his hips.
“Hi.”
“What are we doing here, Bas?” Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.
Something warm settled in Sebastian’s chest at the nickname. Blaine had first used it when he was sick, and since Sebastian hadn’t said anything, Blaine had apparently taken his silence as permission to keep doing so. Sebastian had never been the nickname type, the closest he’d come being his mother’s endearments or his father’s aborted attempts at calling him “Sport” or “Champ” when he was younger. But on Blaine’s lips, Sebastian rather liked it; it felt intimate somehow if Blaine was the only one using it.
“Mm,” Sebastian murmured, “I was bored.”
Blaine gave him a fond, if slightly exasperated, look. “We’re in public, you know.”
Sebastian shrugged and leaned down. “Then we’ll have to make it a good show.”
Blaine’s laugh was cut off as Sebastian kissed him, nipping at his bottom lip before soothing it over with his tongue. Blaine made a pleased noise and parted his lips, allowing Sebastian’s tongue entry. He let go of Blaine’s wrists with one hand and slid it under Blaine’s polo, roving over the bare skin at Blaine’s ribs as Blaine gasped into his mouth. Sebastian traced patterns into Blaine’s skin until Blaine broke the kiss, head dropping back against the blanket. His face was flushed, eyes heavy-lidded, and lips kiss-swollen.
Fucking gorgeous, Sebastian thought, cock twitching interestedly. But no, Blaine was setting the pace here, no matter how irresistible he looked there beneath Sebastian.
Blaine blinked a few times and shook his head before looking back up at Sebastian.
“We’re in public,” he repeated breathlessly.
“I know,” Sebastian replied, pressing forward for one more kiss before rolling off Blaine with only a momentary regret for the moment’s end.
“Maybe we should put a guitar case in front of our blanket. Take donations,” Blaine said after a few moments. “I could steal Sam’s.”
Sebastian snorted. “Do you want to be a make-out busker, Killer?”
Blaine turned to Sebastian. “I don’t know, I think we could make good money,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Sebastian laughed. “I’m a terrible influence on you,” he decided.
Blaine grinned and sat up. He ducked to kiss Sebastian quickly before grabbing his Kindle again and stretching out on the blanket, his head resting on Sebastian’s stomach.
“The worst,” he agreed.
-----
Blaine and Sebastian parted ways at dusk since Blaine had promised to have a roommate movie night with Sam and Tina. He stepped into the apartment and found Sam and Tina in the kitchen.
“Pizza should be here in ten,” Sam informed him.
“I’ll be ready in five,” Blaine replied easily, heading for his room.
“You better be,” Tina called. “It’s my night to choose the movie and you know how Sam gets with my choices.”
“Just because you choose boring movies…”
Blaine laughed as the sounds of Sam and Tina’s friendly bickering died out when he shut his door. He was about to change into some sweats when his phone buzzed with a text. Assuming it was from Sebastian, he picked it up, only to nearly drop it in surprise.
From: Rachel Berry
Blaine Warbler, tell me you’re not dating Sebastian Smythe
Blaine hadn’t heard from Rachel since he and Kurt had cut ties. He liked Rachel and regretted losing that friendship, but he knew she would always take Kurt’s side since they were best friends and didn’t begrudge her that. But how could she possibly know about Sebastian? He typed out a quick message in response.
To: Rachel Berry
Hi Rachel, long time no speak. And what are you talking about?
Shaking his head, he toed off his shoes and pulled off his polo shirt, the phantom feel of Sebastian’s fingers still tingling on his side, and switched it for a t-shirt. He was about to shuck off his jeans when his phone buzzed again.
From: Rachel Berry
Don’t ‘Hi Rachel’ me, mister. I saw you two in the park today
Blaine grimaced. Eight-point-something million people in the city and of course she would walk by the spot of grass in Central Park he and Sebastian had occupied on the first truly nice day of the year.
To: Rachel Berry
I’m not sure what you saw, but Sebastian and I ARE friends
Blaine wasn’t sure why he didn’t just come out and admit to it; it wasn’t like he was embarrassed to be with Sebastian-quite the opposite. Sam, Tina, Artie, and a few of the Warblers knew about them as well. But Rachel would no doubt tell Santana and Kurt-who would then tell the New Directions they were still in touch with, and it would become another spoke in the New Directions gossip mill. Said gossip mill was something Blaine hadn’t missed senior year with his relatively drama-free group.
Rachel’s next reply came before Blaine had a chance to change out of his jeans.
From: Rachel Berry
You two were practically making out in the middle of Central Park!!!
Ah, well.
He was about to reply when another text came in.
From: Rachel Berry
Is this to get back at Kurt because he’s happy?
Blaine frowned at his phone. He considered not answering the message, but Rachel was persistent enough that she might just show up at their apartment demanding answers if she didn’t get them immediately. He added several exclamation points to his response for emphasis.
To: Rachel Berry
Of course not!!!!!!
He blinked a few times after replying, stung that more than one of his friends thought him capable of being so petty-or that he had so little regard for himself to do something like that. He quickly sent a follow-up.
To: Rachel Berry
And I’m happy that Kurt’s happy. Now I’m trying to find my own happiness
From: Rachel Berry
He’s bad news, Blaine. He hurt you!
Blaine sighed. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard from his other friends, but after not hearing from her for nearly a year, he wasn’t going to have this conversation with Rachel too. Especially over text.
To: Rachel Berry
Rachel, I love you, but please leave it alone
From: Rachel Berry
You know I have to tell Kurt
Something twisted inside Blaine, but it didn’t hurt the way he expected it to. Kurt had been seeing someone for months now; he should be able to handle hearing that Blaine was finally moving on as well.
To: Rachel Berry
Do what you have to. It’s not a secret
Tina knocked on his door a moment later, and Blaine pulled his gaze from his phone to give her a wan smile.
“Pizza’s h- Something wrong?” she asked, cutting herself off as she glanced between his face and his phone.
“Rachel saw us today,” he replied, deciding it wasn’t worth lying about. “Sebastian and me. She’s going to tell Kurt.”
Tina’s expression softened. “Are you okay?” she asked, stepping into his room and holding out a hand to him.
Blaine summoned up a small smile and took her hand, squeezing it.
“You know, I think I am.”
-----
Next Installment: More Than Ghosts
Author: purplehrdwonder
Rating: PG-13
Genre/pairing: Sebastian/Blaine
Characters: Blaine, Sebastian, Tina, Sam, peripheral Rachel
Word count: 5,205
Spoilers: Through 4x22
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.
Summary: It hit Blaine just how many people he still had in his life who cared about him. He’d spent so much time focusing on what he’d lost that he hadn’t let how much he already had sink in. Fifth in the Not Words 'verse.
Author’s Note: This follows “Not Words But Meanings,” “No Remedy For Love," "The Heart, Forever Inexperienced," and "A Fine Mingling." The title comes from a Thomas Jefferson quote: “But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine.”
Special thanks again to moviegeek03 for her help.
The Greater Part of Life
Blaine groaned as he slowly woke up. The first thing he registered was that his entire body ached. His head throbbed, his throat was scratchy, and he felt chilled, though he could feel sweat on his forehead. He blinked a few times, grimacing against the light before realizing that it was coming in differently than it did in his closet-sized bedroom.
Because he was on the couch in the living room.
Alone.
Right. Sebastian had been here and Blaine had bared his battered heart in yet another masterful display of unloading his baggage on the other boy. He must’ve fallen asleep after; his mother would be horrified at his manners.
He’d just been so wound up as both he and Sebastian had gotten caught up with school, which forced them to repeatedly cancel plans. Memories of his relationship with Kurt disintegrating were never far from mind, especially this time of year. He slept poorly and started retreating back into himself in response; Sam and Tina were understanding, but he knew they’d also been worried. Hell, Blaine had worried himself, but he couldn’t help how he felt-or how his subconscious haunted him. But talking about it had eased a load from his shoulders, though it also left him feeling raw.
He made to grab his phone off the coffee table to send an apology text to Sebastian for falling asleep on him when a whiff of food-was that bacon?-hit his nose and made his stomach turn dangerously. He winced and collapsed back against the cushions, willing the nausea back down. That was when he finally heard the sounds of hushed voices and cooking in the kitchen.
He shivered and wrapped the blanket pooled in his lap around his shoulders, then slowly pushed himself into a sitting position to peer over the back of the couch, flinching as his muscles ached in protest and his head spun. Once the room stilled, he blinked a few more times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating; Sam and Sebastian were in the kitchen, Sebastian at the stove and Sam cutting something at the counter.
Sebastian looked up and his eyes met Blaine’s; he smiled briefly before his expression morphed into one of concern.
“Hey, you okay?”
“You stayed,” Blaine croaked dumbly, not taking in much beyond that.
Sebastian shrugged and abandoned whatever he was cooking to come over to the couch while Sam glanced between them.
“You were both passed out on the couch when I got back from work,” he supplied, moving to turn off the stove. Sam had a part-time job on campus that he occasionally took extra late shifts for on the weekends. He’d taken one of those shifts on Saturday, but Blaine last remembered talking to Sebastian mid-afternoon.
“What time is it?” he asked as Sebastian rounded the couch and sat down next to him.
“10:17,” Sam replied, glancing at the microwave clock.
“Sunday morning,” Sebastian added.
Blaine frowned, mind working too sluggishly to do the math. How long had he been sleeping?
Sebastian put a hand up to Blaine’s forehead but pulled back with a grimace. “You’re burning up, Killer. How do you feel?”
Blaine considered his response. “Like death warmed over.”
“Well, that’s about how you look.”
Blaine did his best to glare at Sebastian, but judging from the other boy’s expression, he’d failed miserably. “Gee, thanks.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Well, you’re obviously sick. Though I’m sure that doesn’t hinder the rear view,” he added thoughtfully, “which is admittedly spectacular.”
Sam groaned and Blaine glowered, but his stomach roiled and he fell back onto the couch with a groan, flinging an arm over his eyes.
“If he’s sick, we should probably get him to bed,” Sam said, voice coming closer. “The couch isn’t that comfortable.”
“Plus, who needs puke in the common areas?”
Blaine’s stomach felt like it was twisting itself into knots. “Not helping.”
“I’ll call Tina, tell her to get some stuff on her way home,” Sam said, sounding sympathetic.
“Where is Tina anyway?” Blaine asked when he was sure the contents of his stomach would remain there when he opened his mouth.
“She didn’t come home last night,” Sam replied. Blaine could hear the grin in his voice. “From her date.”
“Good for her,” Sebastian said approvingly.
Blaine would’ve rolled his eyes if he hadn’t thought the action might make his head explode. He shivered instead.
“I can get him to his room if you get some water and Tylenol, maybe a cool cloth,” Sebastian told Sam, putting a hand on Blaine’s leg.
“M’right here,” Blaine muttered. He hated people talking about him like he wasn’t there; Cooper had the tendency to do that, especially when Blaine was younger, and it drove him up the wall.
Sebastian snorted and squeezed his leg. “Think you can try to get up then?”
The prospect of movement made Blaine groan.
“Hey.” A hand gently pulled his arm from his face, and Blaine grudgingly opened his eyes. Sebastian swam into focus, a far softer look that usual on his face. “It’s not far, then you can sleep.”
Blaine must’ve made some kind of assenting noise because Sebastian was hooking an arm around his back and pulling one of Blaine’s arms over his shoulders. Blaine’s world titled as Sebastian eased him to his feet, and he swayed as he waited for his stomach to settle. Once it felt safe, Blaine nodded at Sebastian and together they hobbled down the hall to Blaine’s room where Sam was waiting.
Sam rushed to Blaine’s other side and put an arm around his waist. Between the three of them-or, well, Blaine trying not to hinder Sam and Sebastian-they got Blaine changed into some sweats and an old Dalton t-shirt (which Sebastian had smirked at) and under his covers; Blaine was too tired, nauseous, and achy to even contemplate his former crush and current (not)boyfriend helping him change. He took a couple of proffered pills and downed a glass of water before sinking into his covers with a moan.
“I’ll get more water,” Sam offered. “And the trashcan is next to the bed. You know, just in case.”
“Mm,” was all Blaine managed as Sam left. He blinked when he felt something cool on his forehead and looked up to see Sebastian settling on the bed next to him, a washcloth in hand.
“Get some sleep,” he said.
Blaine was too tired to argue and soon drifted off.
-----
Blaine blinked groggily at the sound of Tina’s voice somewhere nearby. When his vision cleared, he saw Tina hovering over him; his first instinct was to flinch back, though he wasn’t sure why a hurt look crossed her face.
“It’s just me, Blaine,” she said.
“Maybe you should promise there’s no Vapo-rub this time,” Sam said from the doorway.
Tina’s expression darkened for a moment, but she quickly schooled it. “I’m going to take your temperature, okay Blink?”
Blaine nodded, eyes slipping shut once the thermometer was in place. He drifted until Tina took the thermometer out and studied it.
“102.1,” she announced. “I’d say he has the flu.”
“You think?” Sebastian muttered from somewhere next to Blaine. Tina and Sebastian continued speaking while Blaine dozed, registering only a somewhat hostile tone, not the words themselves. Eventually he heard the bedroom door shut and felt the cool cloth on his forehead again. He turned his head to see Sebastian sitting back against the headboard, watching him.
“You with me?” he asked.
“W’rking on it,” Blaine mumbled, wincing at his sore throat.
Sebastian offered him an open bottle of water and Blaine drank greedily, sighing in relief after several long gulps. Sebastian took the bottle back and screwed the lid back on before glancing back at Blaine, almost warily.
“You don’t have t’stay,” Blaine said, eyes already drooping shut again. “You had plans today.”
“Just studying,” Sebastian said with a dismissive shrug. Blaine had been planning to study today as well, but whatever he’d come down with had hit him hard and he wasn’t going to be doing much of anything.
“Germs,” Blaine pointed out, scrunching his nose in distaste.
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Sebastian asked, amused. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you worried yourself sick. Not only is that impressive, I’m not real concerned about catching it.”
“You don’t worry about things?”
“I got my flu shot.”
Blaine huffed, eyes shutting heavily. “Thanks for staying, Bas.”
-----
Tina sat with Sam on the living room couch, her psychology textbook open and highlighter in hand, though she kept glancing back toward Blaine’s shut door. Sebastian had been in and out over the course of the afternoon and evening-to empty the trashcan when Blaine had thrown up, to get more water and pills, and to grab a quick sandwich before heading back in to sit with Blaine.
Tina had gone in to check on Blaine as well, her distrust of Sebastian prickling since the moment Sam had told her that he was in the apartment and had even spent the night on the couch, but each time she found Sebastian sitting in Blaine’s bed either looking at his phone or reading one of Blaine’s books while Blaine slept curled toward him; he’d had one hand on his book or phone and the other on a cloth on Blaine’s forehead or carding through Blaine’s sweat-loosened curls.
Something in Tina’s chest twisted each time she walked in, and Sebastian’s challenging looks didn’t help. Blaine was her best friend and she’d been there in the wake of his breakup, helping him find himself outside of Kurt. She and Sam had been there when no one else seemed to notice he was hurting; they’d found their current apartment so they could stay together in college and had supported him after he and Kurt had cut ties.
So why did it feel like she’d been losing her best friend since the night Sebastian Smythe had walked back into his life?
“Staring at the door isn’t going to help you see through it,” Sam commented. Tina started and looked back at him. “Unless you developed x-ray vision in the last six hours, in which case…” He started flexing and Tina couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And Blaine’s fine.”
“Sam-”
“He’s not alone.”
Tina’s eyes narrowed. “And you trust Sebastian? After what he did to Blaine? After the steroids and stolen trophy?”
Sam shrugged. “Blaine said he’s changed.”
“And Blaine is clearly the best judge of character,” Tina scoffed. “He trusted Sebastian before and look where that got him.”
“Tina,” Sam warned.
Tina sighed and rubbed her eyes. She knew she wasn’t being entirely fair; Blaine might be trusting, but he wasn’t stupid. And she’d promised to back off and let Blaine make his own mistakes. But that didn’t keep her from worrying.
“I know, you’re right.”
“Do you think that maybe you’re jealous?” There was no accusation or judgment in Sam’s voice, just a straightforward question.
Tina’s eyes widened as indignation flared up her spine. “What?”
“Of Sebastian.”
“Why would I be jealous of him?”
Sam smiled, damn him. “Because Blaine’s letting him in. And maybe needs you a little bit less.”
“I-” Tina’s insides tightened uncomfortably. Was that really what this was? But she wanted Blaine to be happy, to find another guy who would love him as much as he deserved since Tina couldn’t be that for him.
Blaine had been more distant, more Blaine Warbler, around the apartment since the breakup while opening up to someone who’d hurt him terribly. Wasn’t she right to be wary, for Blaine’s sake?
“You’re right, Tina, I have been struggling since graduation. But I stopped dealing with it when you and Sam wouldn’t stop hovering.”
“I started feeling like I had to be okay around you guys all the time, and that’s exhausting. But Sebastian, he doesn’t expect anything from me. I can feel whatever I’m feeling around him. And that makes me feel safe. Or safer, anyway.”
Well shit.
“He’s your best friend too,” Tina said softly, slumping back against the sofa. “Don’t you worry?”
Sam shrugged. “I was worried when he was miserable. And he was miserable for a long time. But he’s been happier since he started hanging out with Sebastian, and I know you’ve seen it too.”
“And you don’t worry about… losing him?”
Blaine had gotten so lost in his last relationship that he’d had to struggle to figure out who he was once he was alone again. He lost connections to people he cared about-he’d admitted one drunken night last summer how much he’d missed Dalton but couldn’t let himself think it because he was at McKinley with Kurt-and Tina couldn’t bear the thought of losing her best friend to a new boyfriend.
Okay, maybe she was a little jealous.
Sam glanced back at Blaine’s door before looking at Tina again. “I won’t let that happen,” he said simply. “And I don’t think you will either, Teens.”
Tina gave Sam a wan smile. “When did you get so smart, Mr. Evans?”
Sam just grinned and flexed again, and Tina rolled her eyes fondly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Blaine’s door opened and Sebastian stepped out, shutting it softly behind him. He looked up.
“He’s sleeping,” he said. “I have to get back to school.”
Sam nodded and waved as Sebastian headed toward the front door then gave Tina a pointed look. Tina sighed before rising and following Sebastian down the hall. He was putting his jacket on by the front door, and she stopped a few feet away from him, biting her lip.
“Tina?” Sebastian looked at her curiously-and maybe a little warily-as he straightened his collar. They had shared some words earlier, so she didn’t blame him.
“You’re good with him,” she admitted, glancing down the hall to Blaine’s door. “Gentle,” she added, picturing Sebastian’s soft touch as Blaine slept and trying to ignore the pang that accompanied it. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’m going to be making up for hurting him for the rest of my life.”
“He forgave you,” she pointed out, suddenly curious about the Sebastian that Blaine saw rather than the sneering face of the Warblers from high school.
“He’s very forgiving,” Sebastian replied, looking thoughtful.
And that’s when the pieces came together and Tina knew that Sebastian really cared about Blaine. He was different around Blaine, better. She’d seen the way Sebastian looked at Blaine, eyes softening like he’d never seen anything like him before. She’d come home more than once to find them wrapped up on the couch together, Sebastian curled around Blaine as though he was a shield. And she’d watched him visibly bite down on harsh words or innuendos around Blaine, venom seeming to melt out of him completely.
If Blaine could inspire that in someone like Sebastian while being happy himself (and she’d have to be blind to miss the way Blaine looked at Sebastian in return, or, if she was being honest, the way his posture had gradually straightened and his smiles had reached his eyes more often since reconciling with Sebastian), well, that should be enough.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Sebastian frowned suspiciously. “For what?”
“Doubting you. How you feel about Blaine.” Tina shrugged. “He’s just-”
“Special.”
Tina nodded. She would’ve said more-maybe give the best friend speech, though she was sure Sam had already given one variation by now-but Sebastian was clearly itching to get out of the apartment, so she nodded and said, “See you tomorrow,” challenging him to disagree.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the assumption, but didn’t contradict her. Tina nodded in satisfaction, and Sebastian opened the front door and stepped into the hallway.
“He’s lucky. To have friends like you and Sam,” Sebastian told her without looking back.
Tina was startled wordless as Sebastian disappeared down the hallway.
-----
Blaine was more or less bed-ridden (which became couch-ridden out of sheer boredom) for the next week. He slept a lot, though he became more lucid as his fever broke and he started keeping bland foods down for longer than ten minutes. He missed a week of classes but studied for as long as he could without feeling seasick to make up for it. The aches, chills, and nausea eventually subsided, but Blaine still felt kitten-weak as he moved around the apartment, holding onto walls and furniture for balance.
Sam and Tina called between classes to check on him, brought home fresh bread and hot soup for him to eat, and kept him company when he knew they had other plans. Artie and some other friends from his classes texted him during the day as well, so he never felt completely alone in the apartment.
And then there was Sebastian, who made a point to come by each day after class; he brought his books and laptop to study, never complaining about the commute or lackluster company, while Blaine slept or watched television.
It hit Blaine at the end of the week just how many people he still had in his life who cared about him. The realization pushed away even more of the doubt that had crept in before, wearing him down to the point of illness. He’d spent so much time focusing on what he’d lost that he hadn’t let how much he already had sink in.
Sunday evening, he and Sebastian were sitting on opposite ends of the couch with textbooks open, empty takeout containers on the coffee table, and Blaine’s iPod shuffling through songs quietly in the background. Sam was locked away in his room studying and Tina was at a meeting for a group project. Blaine’s eyes kept drifting up from his textbook to look at Sebastian, and he found himself wondering what he’d done to get so lucky with a second chance.
Sebastian glanced up and raised an eyebrow. “What? Do I have highlighter on my face or something?”
Blaine blushed at getting caught staring and shook his head. “No, just thinking.”
“About me, I hope.”
Blaine rolled his eyes. “Vain.”
Sebastian set his book down. “I’ll have you know these good looks are both a blessing and a curse,” he deadpanned.
Blaine’s lips twitched. “Oh really?”
“No, mostly just a blessing.”
Blaine snorted. “Like I said, vain.”
Sebastian smirked. “So why were you staring at me?”
Blaine gave an affected shrug. “Maybe I was just enjoying the view.”
“Yes, definitely a blessing,” Sebastian decided.
Blaine grabbed the pillow behind his back and hurled it at Sebastian. Sebastian ducked, though, and the pillow flew over his shoulder, landing in the kitchen doorway. Sebastian glanced back at the pillow then turned to Blaine, a mischievous look in his eye.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Blaine lifted his eyebrows, faux innocent. “No?”
“No,” Sebastian confirmed, lunging across the sofa.
Blaine yelped and his book clattered to the floor as Sebastian landed on top of him, though he was careful not to jostle Blaine too much, and pressed him into the cushions. Blaine could feel his heart racing at Sebastian’s proximity and the intense look on his face. He swallowed, and for a moment they just looked at each other; Blaine was reminded of that winter night in the park, except their positions were reversed and there was no snow.
“Thank you,” he found himself saying.
“For what?” Sebastian asked. “I haven’t done anything.” His lips twitched upward. “Yet, anyway.”
“For this week,” Blaine clarified. “For staying even when I was gross and sleeping all the time.”
“You weren’t that bad.”
“There was puking.”
Sebastian huffed a laugh and the puff of air made Blaine shiver. “That’s true,” Sebastian allowed. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Anderson,” he added before leaning forward to suck at the sensitive spot below Blaine’s ear. Blaine gasped and Sebastian’s laughter rumbled through his chest.
“What happens when I’m no longer cute?” Blaine asked, staring at the ceiling as his body shuddered. “Upgrade?”
“Never gonna happen,” Sebastian replied, trailing his tongue down to Blaine’s collarbone. “Been wanting to do this all week.”
“So why didn’t you?”
Sebastian sat up and gave Blaine an incredulous look. “Really? You could barely sit up for most of the week.”
Blaine cocked his head. “I’m not sitting up now, am I?”
Sebastian laughed and ducked back down. “No, you’re not,” he murmured before pressing his lips to Blaine’s.
-----
Over the next few weeks, schoolwork picked up once again with finals approaching, but Sebastian and Blaine made sure they were finding time to spend together to avoid another meltdown. It wasn’t exactly a chore to meet Blaine for coffee though, even if all they did was study for a few hours before heading back to their respective spaces to study more. Blaine, meanwhile, bounced back from his flu, though he was probably on his feet before he should’ve been, going immediately back to class after a week in bed.
Sebastian had several interviews for summer internships around the city and eventually landed one at a prestigious firm that would start a week after classes let out. He’d found a studio to sublet for the summer that had the advantage of being closer to Blaine’s apartment, as Blaine was planning to remain in the city for most of the summer as well since he’d gotten his own internship at a recording studio-one usually reserved for Tisch upperclassmen thanks to some kind words passed along from his professors.
Tina and Sam, Blaine said, were going home for a few weeks at different times since they both had part-time jobs-Sam keeping his on-campus job and Tina as a barista at, naturally, Aroma-so at least one of his roommates would always be home.
The first weekend in May dawned unseasonably warm, so with finals over and a few days before either of their internships started, Sebastian and Blaine ended up in Central Park on a blanket with some Thai takeout and the sun beaming down on them. Sebastian was reclining with his arms behind him propping him up while he half-listened to music with one earbud in. Blaine sat between his legs, his back to Sebastian’s chest, as he read on his Kindle.
Tilting his head back to look at the clear sky, Sebastian couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at peace. Standing on his mother’s balcony overlooking Paris the first time he’d visited her after coming out had been close, but even then there had been an undercurrent of tension with hushed phone calls between his estranged parents in the background. Since then, he’d always had some sort of plan in the works to avoid that helpless, empty feeling; whether it was climbing the social ladders in his various schools or racing down the lacrosse field, he was constantly in motion.
Yet he found himself completely still at the moment, and it was… nice. Better than nice, actually. He was startled to realize that he was content.
He looked down at Blaine; the other boy’s posture was completely relaxed and his skin sun-warmed. There was a light sheen of sweat on his bare arms and the back of his neck that almost made him glow, which stirred something low in Sebastian’s gut. He’d had a number of fantasies involving Blaine since the Warblers had started going on about him during their first day of rehearsal, but he’d never considered the merits of such an innocuous moment. And yet, here he was.
Never the one to stay still for long, though, Sebastian grinned as he took his earbud out and reached over Blaine’s shoulder to pull his Kindle from his grasp and set it aside.
“Hey!” Blaine protested, turning to look at Sebastian.
Instead of replying, Sebastian wrapped his arms around Blaine’s tiny waist and rolled him onto his back, pinning his arms over his head. He moved slowly so Blaine could pull away if he wanted to, but Blaine just looked up at Sebastian with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
“Hi,” Blaine greeted with a smile as Sebastian straddled his hips.
“Hi.”
“What are we doing here, Bas?” Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow.
Something warm settled in Sebastian’s chest at the nickname. Blaine had first used it when he was sick, and since Sebastian hadn’t said anything, Blaine had apparently taken his silence as permission to keep doing so. Sebastian had never been the nickname type, the closest he’d come being his mother’s endearments or his father’s aborted attempts at calling him “Sport” or “Champ” when he was younger. But on Blaine’s lips, Sebastian rather liked it; it felt intimate somehow if Blaine was the only one using it.
“Mm,” Sebastian murmured, “I was bored.”
Blaine gave him a fond, if slightly exasperated, look. “We’re in public, you know.”
Sebastian shrugged and leaned down. “Then we’ll have to make it a good show.”
Blaine’s laugh was cut off as Sebastian kissed him, nipping at his bottom lip before soothing it over with his tongue. Blaine made a pleased noise and parted his lips, allowing Sebastian’s tongue entry. He let go of Blaine’s wrists with one hand and slid it under Blaine’s polo, roving over the bare skin at Blaine’s ribs as Blaine gasped into his mouth. Sebastian traced patterns into Blaine’s skin until Blaine broke the kiss, head dropping back against the blanket. His face was flushed, eyes heavy-lidded, and lips kiss-swollen.
Fucking gorgeous, Sebastian thought, cock twitching interestedly. But no, Blaine was setting the pace here, no matter how irresistible he looked there beneath Sebastian.
Blaine blinked a few times and shook his head before looking back up at Sebastian.
“We’re in public,” he repeated breathlessly.
“I know,” Sebastian replied, pressing forward for one more kiss before rolling off Blaine with only a momentary regret for the moment’s end.
“Maybe we should put a guitar case in front of our blanket. Take donations,” Blaine said after a few moments. “I could steal Sam’s.”
Sebastian snorted. “Do you want to be a make-out busker, Killer?”
Blaine turned to Sebastian. “I don’t know, I think we could make good money,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Sebastian laughed. “I’m a terrible influence on you,” he decided.
Blaine grinned and sat up. He ducked to kiss Sebastian quickly before grabbing his Kindle again and stretching out on the blanket, his head resting on Sebastian’s stomach.
“The worst,” he agreed.
-----
Blaine and Sebastian parted ways at dusk since Blaine had promised to have a roommate movie night with Sam and Tina. He stepped into the apartment and found Sam and Tina in the kitchen.
“Pizza should be here in ten,” Sam informed him.
“I’ll be ready in five,” Blaine replied easily, heading for his room.
“You better be,” Tina called. “It’s my night to choose the movie and you know how Sam gets with my choices.”
“Just because you choose boring movies…”
Blaine laughed as the sounds of Sam and Tina’s friendly bickering died out when he shut his door. He was about to change into some sweats when his phone buzzed with a text. Assuming it was from Sebastian, he picked it up, only to nearly drop it in surprise.
From: Rachel Berry
Blaine Warbler, tell me you’re not dating Sebastian Smythe
Blaine hadn’t heard from Rachel since he and Kurt had cut ties. He liked Rachel and regretted losing that friendship, but he knew she would always take Kurt’s side since they were best friends and didn’t begrudge her that. But how could she possibly know about Sebastian? He typed out a quick message in response.
To: Rachel Berry
Hi Rachel, long time no speak. And what are you talking about?
Shaking his head, he toed off his shoes and pulled off his polo shirt, the phantom feel of Sebastian’s fingers still tingling on his side, and switched it for a t-shirt. He was about to shuck off his jeans when his phone buzzed again.
From: Rachel Berry
Don’t ‘Hi Rachel’ me, mister. I saw you two in the park today
Blaine grimaced. Eight-point-something million people in the city and of course she would walk by the spot of grass in Central Park he and Sebastian had occupied on the first truly nice day of the year.
To: Rachel Berry
I’m not sure what you saw, but Sebastian and I ARE friends
Blaine wasn’t sure why he didn’t just come out and admit to it; it wasn’t like he was embarrassed to be with Sebastian-quite the opposite. Sam, Tina, Artie, and a few of the Warblers knew about them as well. But Rachel would no doubt tell Santana and Kurt-who would then tell the New Directions they were still in touch with, and it would become another spoke in the New Directions gossip mill. Said gossip mill was something Blaine hadn’t missed senior year with his relatively drama-free group.
Rachel’s next reply came before Blaine had a chance to change out of his jeans.
From: Rachel Berry
You two were practically making out in the middle of Central Park!!!
Ah, well.
He was about to reply when another text came in.
From: Rachel Berry
Is this to get back at Kurt because he’s happy?
Blaine frowned at his phone. He considered not answering the message, but Rachel was persistent enough that she might just show up at their apartment demanding answers if she didn’t get them immediately. He added several exclamation points to his response for emphasis.
To: Rachel Berry
Of course not!!!!!!
He blinked a few times after replying, stung that more than one of his friends thought him capable of being so petty-or that he had so little regard for himself to do something like that. He quickly sent a follow-up.
To: Rachel Berry
And I’m happy that Kurt’s happy. Now I’m trying to find my own happiness
From: Rachel Berry
He’s bad news, Blaine. He hurt you!
Blaine sighed. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard from his other friends, but after not hearing from her for nearly a year, he wasn’t going to have this conversation with Rachel too. Especially over text.
To: Rachel Berry
Rachel, I love you, but please leave it alone
From: Rachel Berry
You know I have to tell Kurt
Something twisted inside Blaine, but it didn’t hurt the way he expected it to. Kurt had been seeing someone for months now; he should be able to handle hearing that Blaine was finally moving on as well.
To: Rachel Berry
Do what you have to. It’s not a secret
Tina knocked on his door a moment later, and Blaine pulled his gaze from his phone to give her a wan smile.
“Pizza’s h- Something wrong?” she asked, cutting herself off as she glanced between his face and his phone.
“Rachel saw us today,” he replied, deciding it wasn’t worth lying about. “Sebastian and me. She’s going to tell Kurt.”
Tina’s expression softened. “Are you okay?” she asked, stepping into his room and holding out a hand to him.
Blaine summoned up a small smile and took her hand, squeezing it.
“You know, I think I am.”
-----
Next Installment: More Than Ghosts