Chapter 4
"Why can't I stay with you?" Blaine asked with desperation in his voice as he clung to his brother's shirt.
The sun was just starting to peek its way over the horizon. Their parents were on their way down with the rest of their luggage. As soon as they returned Blaine knew that Cooper, the one person who had always had his back over the years, was going to be ripped away from him. He just wanted to hold on to him for as long as he could.
"You know I'd love to have you live with me, Squirt, but Macy and I have been thinking about starting a family soon. You don't want to stay in a house with a screaming baby, do you?" Cooper asked, looking down at his little brother in amusement.
Blaine looked up at Cooper with pleading eyes. "They would be my little niece or nephew. I wouldn't mind. And I could help out around the house, and help with the baby, and–"
"Blaine." Cooper gave him a stern look, before relaxing his expression again and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think this could be good for you. Here, you have Alec and his supportive siblings hanging around. Along with Clary and Magnus who we know are also okay with the gay thing. Honestly, I think you could be really happy here. And who knows," he added, winking at his little brother. "Your future husband could be somewhere here in New York."
Blaine rolled his eyes at the comment but smiled back at his brother. "Still, I'm going to miss you."
Cooper pulled him in for another hug. "Oh, we'll still be in touch, and I'll come by and visit you soon. I promise."
Two Weeks Later
Blaine stumbled back a step as Clary's foot came up, kicking him in his abdomen. Letting out a soft groan at the surprise contact, he gripped his practice staff tightly in his hands before striding forward again. Swinging his weapon up and down and pushing his weight forward, he started to succeed in driving the girl back a few steps. Blaine continued with this action for a few more seconds before suddenly leaning over and swiping one end of the staff down to hit Clary's calves, causing the redhead to fall back against the dark tiled floor of the training room.
Breathing hard, Clary looked up at Blaine standing over her before allowing a small chuckle to pass her lips. With a shy grin, Blaine leaned forward again, offering a hand to help her up.
"You're getting better," the teenage boy noted. He took a couple steps backwards once the girl was standing again, giving a quick twirl to the staff that was still in his hands. "You should watch your footwork though."
"I've heard," Clary groaned to herself, and made to take another swipe at her training partner.
Eventually, Clary had to go to get ready for a date she had scheduled with Simon, and Blaine found himself alone in Institute's gym standing in front of the punching bag.
WhhhhAAAAppp BAP BAP
Blaine paused, digging the toes of his right foot into the ground to help with his swing before going in again, turning his hips and shoulders into the punch.
WhhhhAAAAppp BAP BAP
He could feel sweat matting on his forehead. He wiped his forearm across the wet skin, trying to prevent it from running into his vision. Switching his weight as he leaned forward slightly, he took another couple swings at the bag.
WhhhhAAAAppp BAP BAP
The muscles in his arms and legs were already exhausted from his training session with Clary, screaming at him to stop, but he ignored the pain. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on the target in front of him.
WhhhhAAAAppp BAP BAP
If Blaine stopped to rest, he knew his mind would wander towards his brother, or worse, his mom and dad.
He had been able to talk to Cooper a couple times on the phone, but his brother was married and he had responsibilities of his own. It was hard finding a time where they both had a decent amount of time to just talk like they had seemed to have plenty of when they had both been working at the same Institute back in Ohio. As for his parents, he hadn't heard anything from them since they left him in New York. He had left a couple messages, but hadn't heard anything back from either of them . . . Not that he expected to after how things had ended the last time they saw each other.
Thinking about it hurt too much. Keeping busy helped. So, with his muscles screaming for a break, Blaine turned his aching body towards the bag yet again.
WhhhhAAAAppp BAP BAP
A few hours later, Blaine had showered and was sitting at one of the computers in the New York Institute's lobby doing research. A notebook was open just to his right that had a few scribbled notes written on it, most of which was probably gibberish. Honestly, he couldn't see how any of it would be of any help in tracking down Valentine, but at least he was doing something.
He was so focused on the screens in front of him that he didn't hear when someone walked up behind him.
"Blaine?"
The teen jumped in surprise and swiveled around in his chair to face Alec and Izzy, both staring at him with concern.
"It's getting kind of late." Izzy crossed her arms as she eyed him. "Are you still working?"
Blaine pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the home button, allowing the screen to light up, revealing the time. 8:34 pm
The teen slipped the device away again. "I've been trying to find some information on Valentine. If he really does have possession of both the Mortal Cup and the Soul Sword . . ." Blaine let the sentence hang. He rubbed his tired eyes before glancing back up at his cousins. "I guess I lost track of the time."
Alec's eyebrows scrunched together as he studied him skeptically. "Have you even had dinner yet?"
Blaine shrugged. "No, but I'm fine. I'm not hungry anyways," he said, spinning back around to face the computers.
"Look, Blaine," Izzy continued over his shoulder. "We appreciate all the hard work you have done since you joined our Institute, but you look exhausted. Your running yourself ragged with all these long hours you've been putting in. I really think you should slow it down a little. There's nothing wrong with taking some down time."
"But, with Valentine–" Blaine tried to protest as he turned back around.
"It doesn't matter." Alec shook his head. "You still need to take care of yourself." He paused before continuing. "I know you have been through a lot lately with your parents shutting you out and moving in here, but we are here for you if you need anything. All of us are."
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine," Blaine insisted. "Yes, everything with my parents has thrown me for a loop but keeping busy helps."
"Then what about a hobby?" Izzy suggested. "Something that could keep your mind busy but gets you out of the Institute every now and then."
"Yeah," Alec agreed. "A lot of us have things going on outside of work to help keep us grounded. I used to be really obsessed with the job until Magnus and I started dating. It has been nice having someone outside of the Institute to spend time with."
"And Clary has her artwork," Izzy added. "Maybe you could find something that interests you."
"Like what?"
Izzy handed him a colorful flyer that he hadn't noticed she had been holding until that moment. Taking the piece of paper from her, Blaine stared down at the words printed on the page. "'Manhattan Community Center: Activities Fair'?" Blaine read. "What is this?"
"A chance for you to find a hobby," Izzy said. "Maybe even make some new friends."
"But isn't this for mundanes?" Blaine questioned, glaring down at the flyer still in his hands.
"And what's wrong with mundanes?" Alex asked. "Part of our job is to protect them."
"Yes, but this would involve hanging out with them on a regular basis," Blaine pressed. "You're dating a warlock, Alec. At least he's part of our world, but this . . ." He waved the paper around a little in show. "I'm not going to be able to relate to them."
"You never know," Izzy insisted with a sigh. "The fair is tomorrow. Just go and look around. If you don't find anything you are interested in joining, fine, but who knows. You might stumble across something you'll really enjoy."
The next morning, Blaine had planted himself back in front of the same computer he had been working on the night before when Raj informed him that Victor Aldertree wanted to see him in his office. Shortly afterwards, he found himself sitting across from the head of the New York Institute in one of the red cushioned chairs, staring at the man with wide eyes.
"You're firing me?" Blaine cried out in astonishment, sitting up straighter in his seat in front of the massive desk. "What did I do?"
"I am not firing you," Aldertree stressed. "We just can't provide you housing anymore."
"Why? I still don't understand."
Aldertree sighed as he reached for the piece of paper that was lying on the desk in front of him. "I received a fire-message from your father this morning." Blaine froze at the mention of his dad and waited for the man to continue. "He doesn't want us housing you here anymore. He says he's even willing to send us a generous amount of money every month to insure it."
"So, you are throwing me out on the street . . . for money?"
"Look around you, Anderson. This technology, the weapons . . . Where do you think all of this comes from? Having another income of money every month–"
"But where am I supposed to go?" Blaine interrupted.
"I'm sure you can figure something out," Aldertree said, shifting the papers around on his desk, obviously considering the conversation over. "You have twenty-four hours to move out of your current room."
With a heavy sigh, Blaine came up to stand next to Alec and Magnus who were studying some images that were displayed on a monitor.
Hearing the teen approach, Alec looked over in concern at the depressed sound. "You okay?"
"I just had a meeting with Aldertree," Blaine confessed, keeping his eyes glued to the photos on the screen. "I need to find a new place to live."
"Wait, what? Why?"
"My father's idea," the teen explained. Turning to face the couple, he continued. "Apparently, my parents want to make my life as difficult as possible, even from out of state. They are paying the Institute off to get me kicked out of housing."
"When are they kicking you out?" Alec questioned.
"He said I have twenty-four hours to get all my stuff out." Blaine turned back to the screen. "How am I suppose to find an apartment in one day?"
"You know, I have a spare room available in my loft," Magnus spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest. "Free of charge."
Blaine blinked at him in surprise. "Are you serious?" he asked skeptically.
Magnus raised an eyebrow at the kid, a small smile playing on his lips. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't serious."
"That's generous of you, but I wouldn't want to put you out," Blaine tried to protest.
"Magnus, you don't have too. We can figure something else out for him," Alec said, trying to agree with the teenager but Magnus wouldn't hear of it.
"Nah, it's no trouble. Besides, I've become pretty fond of the kid already," the warlock said, addressing Alec before turning his full attention towards Blaine again. "Really, the room is yours if you want it."
Blaine thought about it for a few seconds. The idea of staying with his cousin's boyfriend still seemed a little intruding to him, but really, what other choice did he have at the moment. He probably wasn't going to be able to find anywhere else as quickly as he needed.
"Okay," Blaine agreed hesitantly. "Thanks, Magnus, but I really shouldn't stay with you for free. I could pay you rent every month. Just–"
"No, you are practically family," Magnus insisted, glancing at his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye. "There are a few things I could use some help with around the loft though. What do you say? Help me out with the occasional chore, and the room is yours?"
That didn't sound bad at all, and it also made Blaine feel a little less guilty about boarding for free. At least he could do something as a thank you for Magnus' kindness.
A big smile grew on Blaine's face. "Deal."
Blaine stood in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at the building across the street with the sign above the door reading, "Manhattan Community Center". Handfuls of people kept going in and out of the structure as he hesitated on the curb.
He still wasn't sure about this idea of Alec and Izzy's.
With a sigh, Blaine decided he would go in and take a quick look around. At least then he would have given it a shot, and he wouldn't have to lie to his cousins about having gone to the stupid thing.
Pushing his way through the door, he was instantly engulfed by the chatter of vendors raising their voices over each other to be heard as they explained their classes or events to people surrounding their tables. Scanning his eyes around his new environment, Blaine took in the rows of tables that were running up and down the hallway in both directions. He could also hear music playing from somewhere farther down the corridor, but it was to far away to make out the words to the song.
As he slowly made his way down one hallway, he noticed that many of the vendors seemed to be looking for volunteers for community service projects, which he strolled right passed, instead choosing to stop beside tables with signs announcing actual classes that he could take. There were even a couple tables showcasing some different workout classes, which he grabbed a few flyers for. If he decided to attend any of them, at least he would be able to consider it as part of his training.
Continuing down the walkway, the music he had heard when he was standing at the entrance to the building grew steadily louder. As he got closer to the booth, he spied a group of ten teenagers standing on a section of portable choral risers to the right side of the table swaying back-and-forth and singing to the instrumental sounds that were coming from a boom box. He hadn't realized how long he had been standing there, watching them perform, when a voice called to him.
"Enjoying the show?" an Asian teen sitting behind the booth asked, sending him a welcoming smile.
Blaine nodded as his eyes flickered over towards the performers again before settling on the two teenagers that were running the display. A sign was taped to their table reading "Warblers" in big red letters, with the words "Show Choir" printed underneath in a slightly smaller font.
"You guys aren't bad," Blaine ventured. "Is there an age range to join?"
"We are all high school students. I'm Wes, by the way," the Asian introduced himself before nodding towards the African American sitting next to him. "And that's David."
"What school do you go to?" the one named David asked.
Blaine stammered for a response for a moment. "Uhm, I'm home-schooled," he quickly settled on.
Wes sent him a smirk. "Can you sing at all?"
Blaine smiled back at the teenager. "I'm not bad," he said with a shrug.
"There are three competitions every year that we compete in; Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals. Our first competition is coming up in a couple weeks, and we need a few more members to be eligible for it," Wes explained, reaching over to pick up one of the flyers that was lying on the table and handed it to him. "Our tryouts are tomorrow. Come by if you're interested."