Notes: I´ve made a few -big- changes because the story wasn't going where I wanted to. I wanted a one shot, but well, the more Seblaine -and the more Warblers- the better.
They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours for the taking
They call it the season of giving; I'm here, I'm yours
It's surprising, actually, the fact that the first time that Sebastian manages to really get to Blaine is the only time when he's not trying at all.
But it's Christmas. Christmas is the time when miracles can happen.
And, sometimes, they do.
Blaine enters the store and trails his gaze over the various shoppers that walk from side so side with hands full of bags and smiles filled with joy. He finally spots the guy he's been following (more like stalking, really, but he'll never say that) for nearly an hour.
When he decided to come to the mall for some late Christmas shopping, he never expected to end up following Sebastian Smythe around, watching him from afar. But there's something entrancing about the way Sebastian chooses his gifts, so carefully, studying each thing as if it were the most important thing in the world. His face lights up with joy every time he sees something he likes, and his smile grows bigger and bigger as the afternoon goes by, finally turning into night.
And that's when it happens.
"As surprisingly hot as it was having you stalk me, I think now would be a good time to stop. It's late and I'm starving" Sebastian says, stopping mid stride and turning around to look directly at Blaine, who had been following close behind.
"I..." Blaine tries to think about a believable excuse, but Sebastian is staring at him with raised eyebrows and a smirk playing in his lips, and he knows it'll be futile "I'm sorry" He says finally "I saw you and..."
"C'mon, I'll buy you dinner" Sebastian cuts in, motioning for Blaine to follow him "It's the least I can do, since you made one of my dreams come true" He smiles as Blaine raises an eyebrow, confused "I always wanted to have a stalker"
Blaine shakes his head, smiling, and begins to walk with Sebastian towards the nearest restaurant.
"That's a whole lot of presents. Do you have a lot of family over for Christmas?" Blaine asks, eyeing the various bags the other boy is carrying.
"They're for the Warblers. I spend Christmas at Dalton" Sebastian answers, simply.
Blaine stares at him blankly. And for the first time since he met Sebastian he thinks he understands something about him. There's only two reasons why someone won't go home for the holidays: You eider don't have a home to go to, or someone at home doesn't want you to go.
And that is something that he can relate to.
"We'll be spending Christmas together then" he says finally, giving Sebastian a small smile "I spend Christmas at Dalton too."
Sebastian stares at him, sea green eyes wide open in surprise, and thin lips parting slightly.
"You just can't stay away, can't you, schoolboy?"he says, regaining his composure.
Blaine laughs.
-.
It's way too early when he arrives at Dalton the day before Christmas. He wanted to leave home early to avoid arguing with his parents about the fact that he'd rather spend the holidays at his old boarding school than at a house where everyone still tries to turn him into something he's not.
The moment he steps into the great entrance hall, Blaine feels that all the tension, and the nervousness, and anger he's been holding suddenly disappear, and he relaxes for the first time in what feels like forever.
"I'm home" he whispers to no one, and his voice sounds louder and more firm and more secure than how it does outside this stone walls.
Everything looks the same as it did the last time he came. The magnificent paintings decorating the long marble corridors, the Dalton emblem embroidered with golden thread on huge standards hanging on the walls, the chandeliers, the crimson red and blue carpets...
It's too early for anyone to be up a Saturday morning. He knows for a fact that almost anyone at Dalton wakes up before ten am on weekends.
But then he hears the faintest noise. There's music coming from one of the rooms, and he has to look into at least three to realize that the sound comes from the common living room. He stays outside the closed door, listening as a hauntingly beautiful voice sings It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on the other side.
He opens the door slowly and peaks in. He stays frozen in the doorway, as he watches Sebastian Smythe hang small red crystal balls on the huge Christmas tree that rests on the far corner of the room.
"There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well, the sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow..."
Blaine has never heard Sebastian sing. Not like this, at least. His voice is low and husky like a whisper, and the way he says the words, like they mean something that's actually important, makes him wonder about all the things about Sebastian that he doesn't know.
Sebastian examines each little piece of decoration carefully before hanging them on the tree. He is smiling, and Blaine notices that it's the same smile he had at the mall, the kind of smile that makes him understand why men would kill to spend just an hour with him.
"I don't remember this place looking this beautiful last christmas" he says suddenly, and, when Sebastian turns to look at him, wide eyed and caught off ward, Blaine curses himself for breaking such a perfect moment.
"As irritatingly charming as those guys can be, I have to say, they don't know the first thing about Christmas decorations" Sebastian says, with a crooked smile.
"What's there to know?" Blaine asks, dropping his bags on a corner and walking up to the table where Sebastian has the decorations, carefully arranged by colors, shapes and types.
The taller boy stares at him for a moment, and then turns his attention back to the table and grabs a golden reindeer, lifting it up by the thin transparent thread.
"You have to wrap the garlands first" he explains, examining the tree "It makes it easier to hang the rest of the stuff. Then you have to put the lights. That's more difficult, because you have to make sure that there are lights around the whole tree. David wanted to use yellow lights, but God! Who the hell uses yellow lights for a Christmas tree? How lame is that?" Sebastian seems really concerned, and Blaine wonders how can the lights be so important "Once that is all done, you can hang the ornaments, it's easy, because all the branches are free, since the lights and the garlands are wrapped around the log"
"This seems really important to you" Blaine murmurs, as he watches Sebastian hang the reindeer on a branch, covered in what seems like false snow "This whole...Christmas thing seems to mean a lot to you."
"It means a lot" Sebastian answers, matter-of-factly, grabbing a crystal ball and walking to the other side of the tree "It's the greatest time of the year."
Blaine remains silent and stares at the ground. He needs to ask. Something in Sebastian has changed. The other day when they had dinner, he didn't try anything. No flirting, no inappropriate comments, no touching...It shouldn't bother him. Actually, he should feel relieved that the other boy has finally understood that he's not interested. But he can't help but wonder why so sudden?
"Sebastian why..." he begins, but his breath catches in his throat as Sebastian peaks from behind the tree and stares at him with the most adorable expression plastered across his handsome face.
"Why...? -he repeats, arching his eyebrows- What is it? You can ask me anything."
"Why have you stopped...eh...you know, trying to..."
"To get in your pants?"
"Well, yeah..."
Sebastian's laugh surprises him. It's not the mocking, arrogant laugh he's used to. This laugh is carefree and fun, and his eyes seem to sparkle and he wrinkles his nose, and Blaine notices for the first time that there are freckles all over it.
"It's Christmas" he says, once he's stopped laughing "There are only to things my mother taught me that make any sense. One, is never to mix alcohol and pills, because I could end up in the hospital, and two, is that no matter what, always be good on Christmas"
They stay in silence for a moment. Blaine really wants to say something. Something important, something that matches the way he's feeling, but he can't find the words. There's something about this new, Christmas filled Sebastian that keeps leaving him speechless.
"I know what I am. I know I'm not a very good person" Sebastian murmurs, dropping his gaze to the table and staring at the sparkling ornaments with a small smile "But I try, you know? Even if it's only on Christmas."
And Blaine, for the first time, sees something in Sebastian that he had never seen before. A possibility.
"Can I help you with that?" He asks, motioning to the ornaments on the table "I'm not good at it but I have the feeling that you could teach me a few things."
"In more ways than one" Sebastian adds, but laughs it off before Blaine can even begin to think of all the implications.