Title: Freeloading
Author: an-alternate-world
Rating: K
Characters/Pairing: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Word Count: 1,006
Summary: Blaine has been staying with Sebastian for a while, steadily deteriorating before his very eyes. "I think we need to talk," he says before someone he cares about deeply slips away from him completely.
Warnings/Spoilers: Angst.
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Glee, FOX, Ryan Murphy, or anything else related to the FOX universe.
Elena (heartmadeupongrant) prompted a fic which included the line: "I think we need to talk."
"I think we need to talk."
Sebastian watched the slow blink of Blaine's eyes over his coffee mug, the circles beneath his eyes darkening with each night that Blaine seemed to fitfully attempt to sleep in his spare room. It wasn't that he minded the other male crashing at his apartment until he got back on his feet but…there were only so many times Sebastian could turn a blind eye to Blaine's deterioration before he felt the need to say something.
Blaine put his coffee mug down slowly, deliberately. His fingers were stiff as they gripped it, as if his fight or flight response had already kicked in. "About what?" he said, barely managing to meet Sebastian's concerned gaze.
"Blaine…" He sighed, torn between wanting to reach across the table and being paralysed into inaction. Sometimes pushing Blaine to speak meant pushing him away for a week because Blaine freaked out.
"I can move out if you want your room back," Blaine said, scrabbling to his feet and tossing the half-drunk mug into the sink. "Give me a couple of hours and I- I'll- I know I'm just freeloading and I- You need the rent and-"
Blaine stammered and stuttered so much that Sebastian felt pieces of his heart hurt with just how broken the male had become in trying to recover from his latest breakup. Sebastian honestly wasn't sure why he kept supporting Blaine when it was so clear Blaine was ignorant to the torch he still held but…he stuck it out, maybe patiently waiting for him to finally realise.
"Blaine." He caught Blaine's wrist before he disappeared from the kitchen, coaxing the other male to turn around and face him. This time, Blaine was definitely not looking anywhere near him. "I just- I wanted you to know that I…I'm here for you, you know? I don't mind that you're staying here. I… But I'm worried about you."
Blaine's lips twisted downwards and Sebastian took a step closer, wishing they were more than this constant dance around each other. Would Blaine ever notice? Was he just destined to keep watching Blaine's heart get broken? He hadn't even slept with anyone in nearly five months, hoping Blaine would realise he was cleaning up his act.
"I'm f-"
"You're anything but fine, Killer," he murmured, tentatively tracing the curve beneath Blaine's eyes with his fingertips. Blaine's eyelids fluttered, some of the lines of tension across his forehead fading, and Sebastian took the opportunity to draw Blaine into his arms.
Blaine pressed his face into Sebastian's chest and he lowered his head to rest atop Blaine's hair, hand cradling the back of his neck and the dip in his spine. At first, he could hear Blaine's slow, even breathing, but then he noticed the slight trembling and tried to soothe the other male with gentle hushing noises and rubbing a hand over his back. He hated how much pain Blaine tended to bottle up, how much he tried to conceal until it all poured out of him.
"I- I'm never- I'm never going to…to be enough for a-anyone and I-"
"Hey," he interrupted, cupping Blaine's chin to tilt his head up. Tears stained Blaine's cheeks and he thumbed them away. "Don't say that. You're so much more than anyone deserves. How often do guys trip over themselves to chat you up, huh?"
Blaine didn't look convinced but Sebastian wasn't sure he expected him to. He leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Blaine's forehead as he held the other male against him. There were so many things he could wish for but most of all, it was Blaine's happiness. It didn't matter if it wasn't with him anymore. He just wanted Blaine happy.
"Y-Yeah, but they only want one thing," Blaine mumbled and Sebastian wondered if it was his imagination that Blaine tilted into him. "It's…like when we were in school and you… And I mean, you stopped trying so I'm just not… Maybe there's just something wrong with me once people get to know me."
Sebastian frowned, pulling back from Blaine enough to assess his expression. "Is that really what you think? There's something wrong with you so other people lose interest? So I lost interest?"
Blaine shrugged, his eyes lowered, and Sebastian inhaled, his lungs aching. How long had Blaine been carrying around this hurt? How long had Blaine been ignorant of all the qualities, the charms, the allure he had over anyone they met? Over him?
"Blaine…"
He stroked a finger beneath Blaine's chin, guiding the other male's head up, waiting until honey-gold eyes met his, and found it difficult to concentrate when Blaine finally did. His index finger stayed beneath Blaine's chin, the tip of his thumbnail brushing along the outline of full pink lips. Blaine's eyes widened, his mouth parting in surprise, and Sebastian tried to find the words to express himself, to confess everything he'd held inside for so long.
Except he didn't need to.
Blaine pushed up on his tiptoes, an awkward, rough kiss at first until Sebastian's mind caught up with the actions. He wrapped Blaine into his hold, hands settling on the other male's waist when Blaine's grasped his jaw, deepening the kiss, taking control, in a manner that was more thrilling to Sebastian than usual. The tip of their tongues met, a teasing of teeth against lower lips, and Sebastian was pretty sure he'd completely forgotten how to think or speak or respond or think.
Blaine's cheeks were red when he pulled back but Sebastian didn't let him get away too far. He nuzzled at Blaine's jaw, his cheek, soaking in the other boy's scent, his warmth, his proximity.
"I thought- I thought you didn't care anymore," Blaine whispered when Sebastian kissed the corner of his lips.
He managed a weak, pained smile as he cradled Blaine's face. "I never stopped caring about you," he admitted, foreheads pressing together as they stared into each other's eyes and took in the moment that had been a long, long time coming.
~FIN~