"I now pronounce you husband and wife!" The announcement sent an eruption of applause rippling through the chapel. Whooping and cheering ensued, everyone basking in the happiness of the newly weds.
As Rachel watched her teachers walk back down the aisle, arm in arm, she felt her heart sink a little when Finn followed after them. He was of course beaming with pride, being Will's best man. She looked away before he could return a smile.
Things weren't going as well as she had hoped. Since she had confirmed her relationship with Brody, despite its semi-exclusivity, Finn had avoided making any amends with her- they hadn't spoken since her showcase, and she had been dreading seeing him at this wedding. It was quickly becoming clear that he felt the same way. She knew he was avoiding her - he didn't make eye contact or any contact. She stayed as far away from him as possible, on the other side of the room, among people he didn't know or probably wouldn't talk to.
Blaine loved weddings. He was a romantic at heart and couldn't help but smile at the feeling of love in the air. Couples dancing, Will and Emma practically glowing- it really was a perfect wedding.
At least it was until he saw them. Kurt walking hand in hand with a tall, blond and considerably older guy. Despite his wild jealousy, Blaine was prone to homing in on the little details that made him so attractive - the scruffy hair, the piercing eyes, the dazzling smile, the accent that everyone raved about. He could definitely see the appeal, anyone could. But inside his blood was boiling.
'How could Kurt do this to me?' he thought. They may not have been together, but they were working on it. Or so he had thought.
Kurt had moved on faster than Blaine was comfortable with. Kurt was over him and had landed someone else- someone older and probably someone better.
While spending the wedding with Sam, Tina and Mike was pleasant enough, he really wanted, needed, to speak to Kurt, even just to say hello, but he was otherwise occupied. 'Adam' seemed to win over just about everyone he met. Tina and Sugar fluttered back to their table in a frenzy of excitement, practically swooning over him.
"If there are more like him in England I'm booking a flight!" Sugar squawked.
"A NYADA senior too? Better get my application in, and soon." Tina replied sipping the champagne she was too young to drink and keeping both eyes fixated on Adam. "Kurt is so lucky!"
Blaine just rolled his eyes and removed himself from the two girls to sit at the bar with Sam and Mike, who were with Santana and Rachel.
Sam and Santana were glaring at each other furiously, probably still licking their wounds from their spat over Brittany, while Mike and Rachel made awkward but pleasant small talk.
"Chicago is an amazing city, but I'm sure New York is just as amazing, probably far better actually." Mike chimed, bringing Rachel back into the conversation after zoning out for a few moments to look at Finn chatting to Burt and Carole.
She smiled and replied, "You were in New York two years ago. I'm sure you remember it? You know how amazing it is."
Mike shrugged and dismissed himself from the conversation, Santana and Sam parted ways to opposite ends of the reception hall; Blaine and Rachel were left.
Blaine tapped the glass in his hand and spun gently on his stool. "So, no Brody then?" he asked. She rolled her eyes in response to his cheek.
"Brody is busy this weekend, he said he was working… Besides, we're not a hundred per cent exclusive so he wasn't obligated to come."
Blaine nodded, taking another sip of his now lukewarm drink. "So what do you think of Adam?" he asked innocently, but Rachel noticed the discomfort in his voice. She pouted as she looked over at Kurt and Adam, who were quickly making good impressions on the other guests.
"Blaine. I'm your friend, so I'm not going to let you torture yourself."
"I'm not torturing myself, I'm just curious." he insisted, his hand lying on the bar, close to Rachel's.
Rachel gave him a sympathetic smile, which turned to a slight giggle as he necked the rest of his drink and ordered one a little more adventurous. Blaine was relieved to have kept his fake ID from the year before.
"So now you're drowning your sorrows?" Rachel asked sarcastically.
"Would you care to join me?" he responded.
Rachel cocked an eyebrow, "And why would I need to do that?" she quipped, her tone becoming a little more serious.
"Don't think I haven't seen you look at Finn every five minutes. Your hearteyes are a little obvious." he said bluntly. He gestured to the bartender to give him another drink, as Rachel look towards him in dismay.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." she defended, though she knew he was completely right.
Blaine sighed softly and turned to Rachel, placing his hand on her own. "Okay, I'll break it down for you then." Rachel furrowed her brow as he spoke, not sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, since the last thing she wanted to think about was Finn, yet he was the subject of most of her thoughts. "Your head is with Brody," he continued, "But your heart is with Finn and it always will be. He doesn't stop talking about you and it kills him to see you being successful without him there to 'hold your hand'."
Rachel froze, unable to say anything. As she tried to retaliate, Blaine turned away and ordered something a little stronger.
"Make that two." she requested, resulting in a raised eyebrow from Blaine. He smirked, and raised his glass.
"I would like to make a toast." he said as Rachel raised her own, and laughed a little, "To love." he snarled, and Rachel repeated after him, laughing hysterically.
As their glasses clinked and the sweet rush of euphoria swept through her veins, Rachel's vision started to blur and she became loud and rambunctious, but still composed enough not to draw attention.
After about two hours of drunken reminiscing, Blaine sighed, "Well, this was a lot of fun Rachel, but I think I'm going to go to bed." He nodded at the bartender, picked up his jacket and made his way to the door. But then something out of the blue made him turn on his heel and walk back to where Rachel was sitting.
Rachel looked up in confusion, "Oh, did you forget something?" her speech a little slurred, but comprehensible nonetheless.
Blaine stuttered a little, "Why don't you join me?" he asked, with his eyes retaining their signature twinkle, although they had now lost their previous innocence.
Rachel furrowed her brow, which made Blaine smile. "I don't think that's a very good idea Blaine. It's not fair to you or me, and besides, I thought you were 'perfect gold star gay', right?" she giggled, but Blaine's face changed to a small, rather sinister smirk.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, the tips of his fingers brushing the back of her neck. He then leaned towards her and whispered, "I thought gold stars were kinda your thing…"
Rachel was now caught in a web she had no idea how to get out of. Was he asking what she thought he was asking? His voice was dripping with a type of seduction she had never encountered before. It was new, and exciting, and very, very tempting.
She thought about it for a second. A drunken night with a gay, but extremely gorgeous guy, at a wedding reception, while being already in a difficult situation with two other guys. Anyone would think it was the plot to a truly awful romantic comedy. And for a moment, she thought she could resist, but as the curls became loose from the gel in his hair, the prospect of running her fingers through them, and feeling the roughness of his lips against the softness of her own was too enticing. She'd always had a little thing for Blaine - she cared about him in a way that was a little different to others.
As all these thoughts were running through her head, Rachel was biting her lip. A sign she used to alert someone to the fact that she was weighing up her options. Blaine scoffed slightly and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
"If, and when you decide on what to do, I'll be waiting." he concluded, leaving his key card next to Rachel's purse on the bar. All that was left to do was to wait, to see whether she would. He placed a small, platonic like kiss on her cheek, and returned to making his way from the bar towards his room, leaving a very conflicted, tempestuous Rachel behind.