AN: Welcome to the beginning of a long and beautiful story. Hope you enjoy! Also feel free to leave date ideas in the comment sections. I will update soon.
Chapter One: Lazy is Lazy
"Uncle Blainey!" Jessie screamed as she entered Blaine's house and ran to give him a hug. His brother Cooper and Cooper's wife Jessica followed behind the little girl at a slower pace.
"Bunny!" Blaine replied, bending down to pick her up and spin her around. It had been about two weeks since the last time they had a 'Blainey and Bunny' day.
"I miss you Bunny."
"I miss you too Uncle Blainey. Daddy says you're too busy with work to spend time with me for the future." The six year old pouted.
"Not true at all Bunny. I always have time for you. Why don't you spend the night tonight and we will go out tomorrow and do something together, just the two of us." Blaine promised as he put the little girl down as she nodded. He then glared at his brother.
"Hey squirt. What's the occasion? I can see from the stains on your shirt and from your rolled up sleeves that you have been cooking. You never cook unless you have something important to tell us. What's going on?" Cooper pondered.
"Nice try Coop. I have important news but I'll deliver it after dinner. I have been working myself tired but don't ever tell my niece I am too busy for her. Just give me a call when my Bunny ask for me. You know I would always be there for her." Blaine reprimanded.
Cooper held both hands in the air slightly, as if he was surrendering. Blaine then gave Jessica a welcome kiss on the cheek and walked them to the dinner table, where their parents were already seated.
"Blaine could you tell the chef to go ahead and prepare our meal? We're starving son." His dad ask with a bit of annoyance.
"The chef is off duty today. I personally prepared this meal myself." His parents seemed shocked by this. Blaine never went a day without his chef unless something was wrong.
"Why would you do that honey? What's wrong?" his mom asked as a worried expression painted her face.
"Nothing is wrong mom. Cooking just helps me think rationally." Blaine explained.
"What is there to think about?" She wondered out loud.
"I'll gladly tell you after dinner." Blaine said, leaving no room for debate.
Dinner proved to be a normal affair for the Anderson family. They each shared different stories and learned more about one another's lives in the process. They didn't have the chance to eat together too often because of their different schedules, all too time consuming. However, Blaine made certain that they were all here for his important announcement. After dinner, they all gathered in the family room and gave Blaine their undivided attention.
"So, just a small update: Lazy Records is doing very well. I'm currently looking for two new artist to sign. I have to keep everyone on their toes." He pondered.
"Is that what's got you so worked up Squirt?"
"No Coop, I'm getting there."
"Well hurry up little bro. We aren't getting any younger." Cooper said.
Blaine was irritated with the interruption, but he felt as if he was given a better angle to work with. He stood up aggressively and the word vomit began to flow from his mouth before he can stop it.
"That's the problem! I am not getting any younger! I've produced twenty two different successful artist. I've won 16 prestigious awards. My company is doing just fine. It's at a standstill. Not financially. It just feels like an office job. Lazy Records is, with a lack of better words, lazy. Lazy is lazy. How ironic is that?" Blaine chuckled a bit maniacally. "I'm getting the two new artist to shake things up. I don't want the people working for me to feel like it is a 'same thing every day' kind of job." Blaine paused for a short moment then continued. "Then there is me. At the end of the day, I come back home to this huge empty house and lay in my huge bed all alone. Sure I can have meaningless dates and random hookups but that isn't what I want." His tone grew softer.
A tear fell down his cheek as he finished rambling. "I want to meet someone special. I want to fall in love. I want it all to mean something to me. I want to share my life with someone." Blaine finished.
He glanced at his parents, who had been happily married for as long as he remembered. Then to his brother and his wife. He knew they would all understand where he was coming from. He looked at his niece, who seemed to be fast asleep on the couch. He stood there waiting for someone to say something.
His mom walked over to give him a tight hug as his father responded. "It's okay son. We'll search the whole entire world if we need to. We'll find the most eligible bachelors and find you someone perfect."
"Yeah squirt. You'll find someone eventually. We'll bring you a good variety" Cooper added.
Blaine was pleased with the support he got from his loved ones. He decided to deliver the news while they were all attentive.
"Thanks guys but none of that will be necessary." He smiled as he looked at the confused faces, then continued.
"I have been invited to be the first gay bachelor on the hit reality series The Bachelor, and I am going to accept it tomorrow." He announced. He laughed a bit at all of their faces.
"Let's not all react at once" Blaine joked to lighten the mood.
They all laughed, and everyone gave Blaine a hug. Blaine then asked them to take a seat so he could give them details about what this means exactly.
"So I will be extremely busy for the next few months." He began.
"A few months! You expect to find the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with in just a few months?" his mother panicked.
"Mom, calm down." Blaine soothed her.
"Yes I will find my man in only a few months." Cooper snickered at his little brother's sassiness. Blaine ignored him and continued explaining. "That's all the time I need to know if anyone there is truly the one for me."
"I will be extremely busy. They will be flying me to different places for talk shows and appearances. I will have to do interviews and be a special guest for some events. Then, over the course of these months, I will be dating 26 different men. Each week, I'd have to send a man home. But mom, I will have plenty of time to get to know the right one." Blaine finished explaining.
"Will you be living here son?" his father asked.
"Yes. I will still be living here and running my label, I just won't have as much time as before. Somedays I will be required to stay overnight in a nearby location. Everything that happens will be filmed ahead of time before it debuts on air." Blaine beat them to the punch with the next statement. "So that means you won't know anything about anyone until it's time for them to meet my family." He held his hand up to stop the protest.
"Nope. No making judgements on people that you haven't met yet." Blaine said.
They spent the rest of the night talking about all the different types of men that Blaine could possibly spend his life with.
"I bet it would be a surgeon. Someone good with his hands. I don't think Blaine could be with someone as stern as a lawyer." his dad chipped in as Blaine rolled his eyes.
"Not true dad." he groaned.
Blaine's mom gave her input. "Oh no sweetie. He's right about the stern part, but I don't think a surgeon would be his kind of guy. It would have to be someone that's a little more lenient. Like a dancer or a chef, she decided." Everyone laughed.
Cooper's wife played along. "I think he will stick to someone a little more relaxed, like a consultant or a therapist. Oh! Or a teacher!" she added.
"Jess no. Just no." Cooper said while shaking his head. Jessica was surprised to see that he had been quiet for so long.
"Okay spoilsport. What do you think?" she asked Cooper.
"I know he would go for someone who is clean. He's practically a germaphobe." Blaine of course scoffed to disagree. Cooper continued.
"So that definitely rules out mechanics. It also rules out mud wrestlers, zoo workers, clowns, and fishermen. I agree with dad. A surgeon would be the cleanest way to go." He finalized.
"A clown? Do you really think they'd bring clowns on the show?" his mom asked. Blaine thought that his family was out of their minds for sure.
"You guys are crazy. I would not choose a man because of his occupation. That would be like signing an artist before I hear them sing. Or, you know, judging a book by its cover!" Blaine clarified.
"I will choose someone who I feel like I could connect with on all levels. Someone who is nice and smart and funny and handsome and-"
"You're rambling again squirt." Cooper said. He knew that his brother would go on all night if they let him.
"Okay. I'll make my point and then we're calling it a night. I have an early start tomorrow." Blaine said while massaging the temple of his head.
"I will love the one for me, unconditionally. It doesn't matter about the baggage or the occupation. I will love him for him. So if I do decide that the dirty mechanic is the absolute one, then he is the one for me and you will have to accept that."
With that, Blaine took his sleeping niece into his arms to prepare her for bed, offering a small 'goodnight' to the adults. They murmured a small 'goodnight' in response and Blaine left the family room.
This was the day. Tonight is the night. Tonight he would meet the man he is going to spend the rest of his life with. Blaine had butterflies in his stomach at the thought alone. He was ready for this chapter in his life. Today was his last day as a single man.
Blaine got dressed and heard lasting remarks from his loved ones. They showed an overwhelming amount of support, which Blaine was extremely thankful for. He then headed to meet up with the host -and one of his close friends- Chris Harrison. They met on set to get ready for the introductions that were impatiently awaited.
"Chris! Good to see you man, even though you've been here a million times already." Blaine greeted as he hugged Chris.
"You're in for a treat. How have you been Blay?"Chris wondered.
"Oh gosh. Please don't call me that in front of my dates."
Chris tapped Blaine upside his head. "You know I'm a professional. Speaking of dates, are you ready to date 20 guys at the same time? It's going to be insane!"
Blaine looked confused. "I thought it would be 26 guys? Enough guys didn't show up? Was it really that bad?"
"Blaine! Calm down! We had a record-breaking number of applications submitted. And I personally stayed with the selection team to make sure that each guy chosen had qualities that you would like. You know I want the best for you Blay. You just have to send 6 guys home tonight."
Chris was always good at calming Blaine down, but after that last statement, Blaine truly panicked. "What if I send the wrong guy home and miss my chance of meeting the guy of my dreams? Then the rest of my time here would have been pointless! Then what? America will hate me."
Chris began to reassure Blaine immediately. "Awe. You're nervous. You know America already loves you. Tonight will feel natural. You'll be fine. I promise."
Chris continued, "Now let's get you all dressed and ready. You only have an hour and a half until you meet them, and I'm certain you'll panic again if you don't have enough time to damage your hair with all of that hair gel."
"You know me so well," Blaine replied sarcastically and went to get ready when he remembered he had one last hopeful question. "Which reminds me, will I have to get my hair wet anytime soon? I'd rather not throw my curls at any of my dates until I know them well enough to know they won't run. Can the water dates be held for a later time?"
Chris replied quickly. "You'll get what you get. Now get a move on."
Blaine stood on the spot Chris escorted him to, and took a deep breath as Chris walked away. Here he stood. This was the moment. Dressed to the nines. Gelled Hair. Lucky bowtie. Cameras everywhere. And stomach flustered. A limo pulled up to the walk way a few feet away. All Blaine could hear is the howling inside as the door swung open and someone stepped out.
Blaine put on his award-winning smile.