Title: First Day
Summary: Blaine's first day of kindergarten doesn't go so well. Cooper to the rescue!
Rating: G
Category: Glee, Anderbros
Disclaimer: Not mine.
...
Cooper drops his backpack as soon as he is in the door, quickly toeing his sneakers off and making his way through the house. It's the first day of school, the first day of kindergarten for Blaine, and Cooper is in a rush to see how the day went.
Cooper spies his mom working in the study, and calls out a greeting that is met with a distracted hello, barely audible since he's already halfway up the stairs.
Cooper comes to a halt in front of Blaine's closed bedroom door, which is odd, but what really surprises Cooper is that no music filters through the door. There's always music when Blaine's home. Cooper normally just walks in on his little brother—Blaine never complains and is always glad to see him—but today, he gives the door a tentative knock. No reply comes and Cooper knocks again.
"Blaine?" Still no answer. "I'm coming in." Cooper turns the knob and slowly pushes the door open. His eyes widen at the sight of Blaine's typically tidy room in complete disarray. Books lie in haphazard piles by the bookshelf, and stuffed animals and toys litter the floor. Dresser drawers are open, their contents shoved around and falling out. The closet doors are wide open, shoes and even more toys spilling from the little shelves under the hanging clothes.
The blankets and linens are rumpled as if they were yanked from the bed and shoved back on, but Cooper can see a pair of scissors and the remnants of bright red fabric among the wrinkles. And but for the sudden shift of the covers, Cooper would have missed his little brother even being in the room.
Cooper moves closer to the bed, crouching by the side and tugging gently on the covers until dark curls appear. Blaine's eyes are closed, his lips parted in sleep. Blaine clutches tightly to Oop and Cooper can see the tracks of dried tears on the boy's cheeks. Concern and anger flare in Cooper's chest and he reaches out to ease the tension from Blaine's forehead—tension that a five-year old boy should never have to carry.
Eyes blink open at his touch and Cooper offers a smile.
"Hey, baby brother," Cooper greets somberly as tears well in the boy's eyes. Blaine scrambles out from under the pile of linens and launches himself into Cooper's arms, causing the teenager to stumble back onto the floor. But he manages to land on his butt and keep himself upright, all the while keeping a tight hold on his little brother. Blaine wraps his little arms around Cooper's neck, crushing Oop between them and pressing his face into the warmth of Cooper's skin as the tears return.
Cooper folds his legs together, shifting Blaine more comfortably into the cradle of his lap. They stay like that for a while, Cooper running a soothing hand over Blaine's back when he hears a sniffle or whimper, until Blaine slowly loosens his grip on his older brother. When Blaine finally turns his head to rest a cheek against Cooper's chest, Cooper ventures to speak.
"School didn't go so well, huh?"
"No," Blaine says sadly, and Cooper can picture his pout and his shimmering eyes even though Blaine shifts and presses his face back against his chest. "They made fun of my bowtie."
Cooper's gaze flickers to the pieces of fabric still laying on the bed, jagged cuts and frayed edges the unfortunate result of a child's distress. He's never been one for the accessory, but Blaine had taken a shine to them ever since he saw their grandfather wearing one at a holiday gathering two years ago. And he had been so happy to wear one this morning, his fingers too jittery with excitement that Cooper had had to tie it for him.
"Come on," Cooper prompts, running his hands up and down Blaine's arms.
"Where?" Blaine asks as he pulls away, his voice tremulous and quiet. He rubs his eyes with fisted hands and suddenly, Cooper's reminded of holding a two-year-old toddler after Oop had gone missing. Cooper shakes his head to clear away the memory and smiles down at his little brother.
"I think it's time for some cake."
"Cake?" Blaine's expression perks up a bit as only a child's can.
"Yes, cake," Cooper echoes cheerily. The sniffle and shifting to press a still damp cheek to his shoulder temper any hope Cooper has of pulling Blaine out of his misery so easily.
Cooper sighs softly and again rearranges Blaine's limbs so that he can stumble upright. He lets Blaine cuddle into his chest even though he's getting almost too heavy for Cooper to carry like this anymore. He manages his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, hefting Blaine onto the counter.
Blaine keeps his grip on Cooper's shirt and his head buried against his older brother's shoulder. Cooper runs his fingers through Blaine's curls soothingly.
"Blaine," Cooper coaxes. "What kind of cake do you think we should make?"
Blaine rubs his face against Cooper's shirt and Cooper knows that his brand-new first-day-of-school shirt is most likely ruined. He couldn't care less.
"Chocolate?" Blaine answers with a timid question.
"Mmm, my favorite," Cooper says enthusiastically. Blaine finally lifts his head and releases Cooper's shirt. Cooper catches Oop before he can fall to the floor, and presses the toy into Blaine's hands.
"Mine too," Blaine says with a hint of excitement.
"Well, we better get to it then." Cooper reaches over Blaine and opens the cabinet. He pulls out a box, an enticing slice of two-layer chocolate cake on the front. He shakes it teasingly in front of Blaine before tapping the edge against his chin. Blaine looks on curiously. "You know what would make it even better?"
"What?" Blaine asks impatiently. Cooper reaches into the cabinet again and pulls out a small bottle. Blaine's eyes go wide when Cooper holds it between them.
"Really?"
"Really." Cooper smirks as Blaine squirms excitedly on the counter.
"Red's my favorite color."
"I know, B. I know."
Cooper sets the bottle of red liquid in Blaine's waiting hands, slipping Oop out of the way and onto the counter. Blaine holds the plastic vial gingerly, reverently, and looks back up with a smile so wide it literally lights up the entire room. Cooper can't help smiling back and ruffling his little brother's hair. He goes off in search of the necessary ingredients, flipping on the radio sitting near the refrigerator.
They'll have to clean up Blaine's room later and there's already homework in his school bag, but all of that falls by the wayside as Blaine's clear voice and delighted laughter fill the kitchen, their combined voices drowning out the music coming from the radio.