Author's note: Thanks to all those who took the time to read, thanks especially to my reviewers and followers. I'm going to try update this one at least once a week until it's finished.

Anyway, Chapter 2 is here... I hope you guys enjoy it.

Blaine was staring at the lyrics written on the page in front of him as though they were written in some kind of alien language. Moments later, hazel eyes lifted to look back at their Captain and he shook his head, waving the paper in the air for emphasis. "I'm not singing this."

Sebastian looked over at the tone in the other's voice, wanting to laugh at the sheer indignation in Blaine's face. It was incredibly clear in that face he'd memorised every dip and curve of long ago that he wasn't about to back down about this, and Hunter – apparently – could see it too, because he was already nodding. He was also very definitely annoyed. "Fine. You can do backing vocals with the rest of the Warblers. I'll sing it."

Honestly though, as great as Blaine's vocal range could go, this song was practically written for Hunter. An alpha male in every single way possible, Hunter had the attitude to pull it off, and Blaine... Well he wasn't about to say anything negative about Mr Sex-On-A-Stick Anderson, but coming from him it just wouldn't have the same effect. Whatever else he might say about Hunter, the guy definitely had a presence.

It was a shame he'd already made it exceptionally clear that he wasn't even remotely interested in men, otherwise Sebastian might have been tempted to go there. Initially he had to admit that he'd been more than a little attracted to the man – still was in all honesty. Of course, once he'd really gotten to know him his attraction had dimmed somewhat. After all, there could only be one alpha in any relationship and he'd never been able to finesse the 'submissive' role. That and Hunter... well Hunter was an asshole; and yes, he was more than aware of the hypocrisy in that statement, but that didn't make it any less true.

"You can have 'Live While We're Young'."

Startled, Sebastian's head whipped back around to face their fearless leader and he'd already opened his mouth to argue when Blaine beat him to it.

"I'm not taking Sebastian's solo!"

Hunter looked about to argue, the frustration on his face evident. It was clear he hadn't expected so much fight in his latest recruit. He'd opened his mouth to say something – what, Sebastian didn't know – but once again, Blaine spoke up.

"I'm not arguing about this, Hunter. Take it or leave it." And looking at that face, the seriousness in those hazel eyes, Sebastian knew that the threat wasn't an idle one. If Hunter didn't give in, Blaine would walk right out of here and never look back. What in God's name had changed the boy so completely?

"Fine," their Captain conceded, the irritation on his face evident, blue eyes surveying the shorter boy before him like he might a pesky insect. "But you get my part in that song. Brief spotlight. Think you can manage that?" his voice was derisive, but Blaine paid him no heed, shrugging his shoulders and moving to take a seat across the room.

"Fine. Whatever."

As he was about to take a seat, Hunter shook his head. "No. Don't sit down. We're going to practice." His gaze swept the room and it was plain to see that Hunter's mood for the rest of the day was going to be the opposite of pleasant. "Come on everyone. Get up." And when they didn't move fast enough, he growled out, "Now!"

"You know... you could lighten up just a little."

"Sebastian."

He didn't try to hide the fact that he didn't want to talk to the taller boy, but Sebastian had never been particularly good at following instructions and requests. He'd always done his own thing. Always done whatever he felt like and had never once stopped to think about the consequences. It had gotten him in trouble in the past, and only once had Blaine seen the other boy show remorse for his actions.

"Seriously. Blame me, blame Hunter all you want for getting you back here, but the other guys don't deserve this."

He whirled on the boy, stopping dead where he was, flooded with fury at the pointed comment. "What do you want from me, Sebastian? To pretend that everything is okay? Pretend that life for me right now is great? Well I can't do that. I'm back here. Like you wanted. Like Hunter wanted, and if that's not good enough for you, then there's nothing I can do."

Sebastian didn't look apologetic, he didn't look at all like he'd felt the anger that Blaine had just directed at him; instead that curiosity was back in those green eyes, and for a long moment, Sebastian just stared at him, as if trying to figure him out. Eventually it was he who turned away, continuing down the hall.

"Does this have something to do with Kurt?"

"You know, for someone who hates him, you sure as hell bring him up a lot."

Sebastian chuckled at that, nodding his head. "Don't I know it. But it's clearly bothering you. And I need you... No, the Warblers need you at your best for Sectionals, and if that means talking about Ms Hummel, then so be it."

"Stop it." That anger was back in his eyes then, and he turned back to Sebastian, his fists clenched at his side; struggling not to lash out at the guy. "Just... stop it. Don't talk about him like that!"

"Like what?" Sebastian looked at him like innocence personified, and suddenly Blaine couldn't deal with this.

"Just... forget it." He turned away.

"Blaine you need to talk about this."

He scoffed at that, shaking his head. "Oh? With you? Not going to happen."

He heard a soft laugh, and glanced over in time to see Sebastian shaking his head in amusement. "Oh god no. I'm the worst person to go to for advice. But speak to your friends, your parents... hell, sort things out with Kurt himself. Just stop taking it out on the guys. They don't deserve it."

"You've said that before."

"And it's even truer now than it was then." He felt Sebastian's hand grip his arm and he was pulled sharply around to face the taller boy. "They're your friends, Blaine, and as mad as you are at Hunter and at me, and hell... at everyone else who's managed to make your shit list, how about you start treating them like they are your friends instead of blaming everyone else for whatever the hell you did to Hummel. How about you try keeping the friends you do still have?"

Mouthing wordlessly for a moment, unsure of exactly how to respond, Blaine just watched in silence as Sebastian, without another word, turned and disappeared into the crowd of students.

"I cheated."

Sebastian looked up from his book in surprise, finger automatically marking his place as he closed it, green eyes looking up at the boy before him as though he'd never seen him before. "I'm sorry?"

"I cheated. On Kurt. That's why we broke up."

Sebastian wasn't quite sure what to make of the admission, unsure exactly where it had come from and why in God's name Blaine thought that he'd make a great recipient for this confession. After all, he had it on pretty good authority the guy was pissed at him. "Okay..."

But it seemed that was all the boy was willing to share, Blaine just watching him with those enormous hazel eyes, waiting for his reaction to the sudden assault of information. Seriously, this guy had that whole 'kicked puppy' look nailed. He wasn't entirely sure how Hummel managed to remained pissed at him when confronted with an expression like that, but more power to the guy.

Still... he supposed cheating was a pretty big deal to those who took the whole relationship thing seriously.

When Blaine continued to say nothing, simply staring at him for another long moment, Sebastian found himself frowning. "I don't know what you want me to say. Bad Blaine?"

Blaine sighed, shaking his head and collapsing into the seat beside him, his head falling into his hands and for a long moment he sat there in silence, very obviously tormented by a decision that Sebastian was quite frankly stunned that he'd made. After all, Blaine Anderson didn't cheat... and certainly not on Kurt Love-Of-His-Life Hummel. What could possibly have driven this boy to betray the man that he'd been assured Blaine Anderson would love forever?

"I just... I don't know what to do. He won't even speak to me."

Sebastian couldn't help the startled laugh that slipped from his mouth, looking over at Blaine incredulously. "And you thought I'd be able to help you, how? My last serious relationship was... I don't know... years ago. My experience where any of this is concerned is like... zero."

Blaine looked over, hazel eyes fixing on his, his own problems forgotten for the briefest of moments as his curiosity got the better of him. "Serious relationship?" and when Sebastian nodded, he arched a brow. "What happened?"

"Nosey," he chided gently, teasing, and when Blaine looked away with a slight hint of colour high on his cheekbones, Sebastian found himself smiling faintly. "Seriously, Blaine. Why are you telling me this?"

Blaine just shook his head, looking down at his hands as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. "I guess because you might be one of the only people I know who won't judge."

"Because cheating to me is just 'whatever'?" And when Blaine looked over sharply as if checking that he hadn't upset him, Sebastian shot him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Blaine. I'm not that easy to offend."

Blaine snorted softly, looking back at his hands and nodding with a slight smile. "I've noticed."

They both sat in silence for a long time, Sebastian just watching him carefully whilst Blaine continued to study his hands, picking idly at his nails. "So what made you do it?"

Hazel eyes flashed back to his, startled, before they looked away again, and he was answered with a shrug. "I thought I was losing him."

"And so you thought sleeping with some other guy was the answer?" His voice was gently sarcastic. "Genius plan."

Blaine scowled lightly at that but didn't look back up, and Sebastian could see that he didn't need to be told that he was in the wrong. He obviously accepted that quite freely, and it was clear that he was already punishing himself for what he'd done to Kurt.

"Well I don't know what to tell you, Blaine, but I'm not about to condemn you for your decision. Everyone makes mistakes; take it from someone who knows," and he saw the faintest hint of a smile pull at the corner of Blaine's mouth at the reminder of their far from easy past. "You just have to pick yourself back up and move on once you do."

He was greeted a moment later by a perplexed smile, Blaine's hazel eyes moving back to his, that face registering more than a little confusion. "You know... sometimes you can be a pretty good guy, Sebastian."

Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at that, shrugging his shoulders as he opened his book again. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't go spreading that around, Anderson."

Blaine stared at Hunter in horrified silence, mouth slightly open, moving as though attempting to speak, but no words would come. Finally he found mastery over his vocal chords again, and he shook his head. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding."

"Blaine, it's not that big a..."

"Get your hand off me," he snarled, whirling on Sebastian, who backed off, hands held up in defence, and Blaine refocussed his attention on their Captain. "Hunter, this is... this is crazy, you know that, right?" And when Hunter just looked back at him as if he had absolutely no idea what the big deal was, Blaine threw his hands up in the air, turning, striding several feet across the room before whirling back on the lot of them. "One screw up, Hunter. Just one and the Warblers' reputation is gone. Forever. And I don't expect you to understand; you've been here five minutes but I care about this group, and I'm not going to stand around and watch you run them right into the ground!"

Hunter, it seemed, wasn't willing to be spoken to like that and rose to his feet, blue eyes narrowing in anger. "Now you listen to me Anderson. This school has brought me here from my school in Colorado Springs to win, and if you think I'm going to let you lard-ass ladies drag me down you've got another thing coming."

"Is that what this is about? Winning?" he stormed back across the room and got right up into Hunter's face, so angry that he wasn't intimidated in the least by the taller, broader man in front of him. "Don't you care, Hunter, that all you need is just one person to suspect you, one person to question anything and the Warblers are done. And there goes your win. You'll be disqualified. See how quickly that scholarship disappears when the administration find out."

Hunter just chuckled at the idea. "Who's going to figure it out? How the hell could they even prove something like that? No one is going to risk that kind of accusation without some kind of proof." He shook his head, making his way back across the room and taking a seat by the metal trolley, small glass vials lined up in neat rows with sterilised syringes. "You don't take the shot. You don't perform."

He made his way across the room to where Hunter sat, feeling almost dazed, wondering how it had ever come to this. It made Blaine feel ill just looking at it, his eyes moving from Hunter's smile to the metal trolley and back again. He remembered a time when being a member of the Warblers had been fun; it had been like a brotherhood back then. Now, with Hunter at the reins...

"This... all of this is just..." In a suddenly impulsive moment, he gripped the edge of the trolley, flipping it and sending its contents flying; the trolley hitting the floor with a metallic crash.

Hunter was up in his face immediately, practically snarling at the shorter boy. "What's the big deal, Blaine?" he demanded, shoving him roughly away. "I thought you of all people wouldn't mind taking one in the ass."

Blaine recoiled at that, staring at Hunter with wide eyes for a long second; next second he punched their Captain in the face, throwing all his weight into the blow and hearing the satisfying crack of broken cartilage beneath his fist. Ignoring Hunter's yell and the stunned surprise on the faces of those around him, Blaine turned and stormed from the room.

"Fuck! I think I broke my hand."

"Not surprised. What a punch! You could probably hear that shit to McKinley and back again."

He glanced over, annoyed, at the boy who jogged up beside him, matching his stride. Shaking his head in anger, he snapped at the other boy. "What do you want, Sebastian? Come to change my mind, because if so you're insane if you think I'm going back in there."

"Because Hunter would probably kill you? Oh don't worry. I get it."

Blaine scoffed at that, unimpressed, not taking the bait.

"Seriously, Blaine. Let me talk to the guys... talk to Hunter. Sort this all out."

He whirled on the younger boy. "Sort what out, Sebastian? I thought this wasn't a big deal? That's what you were going to say, isn't it? That it's not a big deal?" Honestly, it was all so exhausting. He felt like the only thing he'd been doing since he arrived at this place that was supposed to be an escape was fight. He was always fighting.

Maybe he'd made a mistake coming back.

"Blaine, it's..."

"It's cheating, Sebastian. What happened to turning over a new leaf? What happened to that guy?"

Sebastian just sighed, shaking his head. "Just... Calm down, okay? I'll talk to Hunter."