Sebastian blinked blearily at the light filtering through his dorm room curtains. For god's sake, what day is it? He thought. He stirred fitfully, half zombie half sloth, scattering red party cups onto the floor. In the stark light of morning he became all too aware that one: the room was a mess: streamers, glitter and party foam everywhere. And two: this was not his bedroom.

The walls were a sunny mango shade instead of the blue that adorned his dorm. The dresser was pine wood and piled high with things he had not seen before in his life, and there was a violin case and an acoustic guitar leaned jauntily in the corner by the window.

Sebastian groaned. Whoever threw this dorm party had brought a lot of tequila. And... He'd obviously slept with someone. He had to get out of here. Cursing himself for allowing this to happen yet again, Sebastian hopped around while attempting to shuck on one leg of his now wrinkled school slacks, leaving whoever had been laying beside him to bury themselves further into piles of streamers and silk bed linens.

Around him he could see three other beds in various degrees of disarray. The limbs sticking out from under haphazard duvet quilts did not look like they belonged to three people. Not to mention he had to skirt around several loudly snoring seniors and girls from Crawford that had made the shag pile rug their bed for the night.

Unable to find his blazer, or shirt among the bodies and other assorted discarded clothing, he grabbed a random tie and sprinted from the room. Hopefully no one noticed his hasty departure. He could shower and arrive early for breakfast and seem the model student. If he could only get back to his own room without anyone noticing...

Barefoot, cold, and with only a crumpled up tie to his name, the Sebastian tiptoed down the marble staircase, and peered around the door into the foyer.

He was passing the west wing on his way down the gallery, when something gave the Sebastian pause.

There was a very good chance he had left his Zed-key in one of his discarded pockets and without it there was no possibility that his (single bed) dorm room could be accessed. Sebastian rubbed his pounding temples, irate at his own haste. The fact that he'd splashed out on a private dorm (with father's cash) was beginning to become a decision he regretted. .. A few roommates meant extra keys and less responsibility. On the other hand, he was obviously also missing out on the many-limbed camaraderie he'd borne witness to upstairs. He winced. That couldn't happen again. He promised his parents that he's focus on school more this semester.

He always left his window open in early autumn. If he could find a way to climb up onto the portico, he might be able to skirt along and climb up onto the low ledge and into his bedroom window. It was a small window but he could probably fit. The problem was how to get up onto the portico, if only there was something to stand on... like a side table.

Struggling up the drainpipe proved to be more difficult than imagined. While making his way across the overhang, he pondered about whomever it was he'd tossed the proverbial salad with last night. If memory served correctly, there hadn't been anyone of interest at the pre-drink shindig before they left for the local karaoke bar. He mentally skimmed a list of names in his head... Sean had been there. That guy was president of the celibacy club. Aton, Philip and Rodney. All sophomores who spent the night singing really bad Mariah Carey numbers, Hansuv- the less said the better... several girls... (Sebastian thought he hadn't drunk enough to get loosely bicurious, but who knew really?) David and Wes... Nick... glee club members. Not the glee club members he would choose to get off with. Had Blaine Anderson been there? Had he? Sebastian vaguely recalled him getting vocally bombastic with a girl from their Interscholastic Latin class... then getting crazy drunk with Javert, then dancing with said captain Dalton's lacrosse team. Sadly no sugar for Sebastian. He doubted that mystery boy upstairs was Anderson. As he recalled Blaine had left early in the night, mentioning something about an early violin class the next day. There had been a violin case in the Room butas if prim and proper, Blaine Anderson would play host to the biggest binge night of the year so far...

Anyway. He was sure he didn't want to know about yet another get together where he had failed at peaking the attention of the boy again. It happened all too often. Flirting just didn't work on the inimitable boy. Neither did playing hard to get or kissing his dates. The past year had been difficult to say the least. Sebastian's friends told him all he needed to do was talk to the guy. But Sebastian was only a talker when it came to jibes and biting insult. That was just who he was.

It just so happened, that as Sebastian was scaling the drainpipe that morning, he was rudely interrupted by a pair of bemused eyes observing his hasty climb to freedom. Said eyes were framed by red glasses.

"Smythe isn't it?" a familiar drawl. A familiar mouth and that familiar, damnable expression.

Sebastian peered down awkwardly. God damn him.

"Lovely morning for it." Sebastian said breezily, hoping that the worst moment of his life would seem hilarious in hindsight. it was not a very becoming angle, clinging to a drainpipe in the early hours of a Sunday morning, and he at least hope he had shaken off most of the confetti (and most of the guilt) from his person.

The other student was unmoved by Sebastian's apparent inner turmoil and put one ringed hand up to shield himself to the bright watery sunlight. "You look cold..." he called out to him distinctly. "I saw you at Rob's last night. Er... but what are you doing?"

Oh no.

"I remember you too" Sebastian tried to strike up an aloof air "nice dancing... good dislocation" he was rambling

"I think I scared poor Javert" said Blaine ruefully

Sebastian snorted and tried to fold his free arm across his nipples which were standing to attention because of the cold.

"That poor boy didn't look scared to me."

Something flickered behind the observing students' eyes before he laughed.

Thinking quickly under the scrutiny, and latching immediately to any explanation that made it seem like he wasn't doing some bizarrely vertical walk of shame from yet another night of... well Sebastian wasn't sure of what exactly had happened between himself and Mystery Boy but it was probably what usually went down. No pun intended.

"I'm researching my Robotic Séance project."

"Sure you are. I would believe that if I didn't see you at the party last night. What are you doing?" he said again eyes wide with mirth and warmth. "Shouldn't you be with Pete Bletchley?" I didn't take you for a cut and run type."

Pete?

Memory returning to him, Sebastian balked and returned fire. Blaine's lips forming those words brought back images he really wanted to forget. He was suddenly numb and angry.

"Shouldn't you be basking in the afterglow with Ravvie?" he spat bitterly.

Blaine looked surprised, smiled apologetically as emotion began to crowd in on the corners of his eyes.

"He- he said he had to go. It's not like I- It was just a one night stand." Blaine spoke firmly, and blinked frowning a little too hard.

Confused at Blaine's response Sebastian reacted to that statement the only way he knew how.

"I'm sure you're both relieved." He punctuated the words with an airy sarcasm he didn't feel.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaine was frowning, eyes mystified.

"Oh you know. Just the two of you. Together. Makes no sense. He's like... Indian. You know his parents don't approve. .. " And you don't do one night stands.

Blaine's eyes dimmed. He looked like he had never seen Sebastian before now.

"And then there's your Dad. You told David he wasn't accepting of your sexuality..." Sebastian waved a hand. "I'd imagine he wouldn't take it well if you were dating Rav too."

"Why." Blaine's tone was light

Still wincing from the onslaught of cringe that was last night, Sebastian spelled it out for him. All his balled up frustration at people who slept with Blaine came out in a passive aggressive jumble.

"My dad- you know him- he's not into me being with guys. But I'll tell you. The older generation of guys in Lima are so definitely not into interracial... stuff. You're making it way harder for yourself. The first guy you bring home should at least be white." Sebastian raised one brow "I'm just looking out for your best interests."

Blaine looked like he was finding difficulty in swallowing a wedge of lemon.

"Thank you. Sebastian. You know... you are such a great guy. "He spoke sweetly

Sebastian might have preened a little. Blaine's eyes were still trained carefully on him.

"But really?" one side of Blaine's mouth had curled down, and Sebastian's stomach dropped. Two pearly incisors bit at the rose pink flesh of his bottom lip. It was unfairly enticing.

"That's what you think of interracial dating?" Blaine's smile was tight. "You think my father-" Blaine's voice tripped over the word "you think my father has a problem with interracial dating?" Blaine laughed hollowly, it sounded unusual.

"But you know thank you for that advice, lord Smythe, son of the mayor of lima!? Thank you for bestowing such sage advice upon me in all honesty. Honestly." Blaine's spoke in a sing-song manner, but his eyes became hard.

"Honestly you can take that advice and shove it directly up your ass". Sebastian, didn't quite clock what he said for a moment.

Blood rushing to his cheeks, Sebastian opened his mouth for an angry retort. But Blaine interrupted him.

"My dad is as philipino as they come." Blaine continued. "If he's uncomfortable with me being gay that's because he fucking grew up in Manila and doesn't know any better. What's your excuse? He HIMSELF is in an interracial relationship. And we may have our differences, but believe me when I say this: Those differences are not the business of every rich, nosy, puffed up, daddy's boy, in this school who thinks the world revolves around white people and that everyone else is secondary."

Shit.

Blaine.

Blaine was part Philippine? Sebastian seriously did not equate his beautiful crush with... being half-anything other than Caucasian.

"You don't look-"

Blaine looked disgusted.

"I will stop you right there Smythe, before my estimation of you sinks any lower. I thought you were cool, But then" Blaine laughed sullenly "I've been known to be a terrible judge of character." The beautiful tenor turned and left him shivering on the drainpipe.

"Do us both a favour, and never speak to me again." Blaine threw him a cursory glance and closed his eyes as if he was in some sort of pain.

Stunned and frozen, Sebastian could do nothing but watch him leave.

He had really fucked this up. There was emptiness in the pit of his stomach as he steeled himself and continued up the drainpipe. He had had no idea about Blaine's heritage. Race was usually a murky depth Sebastian never got to near for precisely reasons like this. He always messed up. Crawling through the window of his bedroom, Sebastian flopped exhausted and sweaty onto his bedspread. He still had... strange feelings for the guy despite learning about his parents- races-. Those feelings wouldn't go away. He wasn't suddenly turned off. Attraction didn't seem to be like a switch you could control on a whim, Sebastian knew this.

Burying his head under his pillow, Sebastian decided to skip breakfast.