Okay, here is the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait! I literally couldn't concentrate enough to write this chapter until last night. –she wrote this whole chapter last night- You should thank my wonderful beta—UchidaKarasu—for getting the chapter back to me in only a few hours!
I have something to say after the chapter, but please do not look at the Author's Note at the bottom of the page until after you finish the chapter or else it will spoil the chapter for you.
Happy New Years!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot and my OCs.
It was quite amazing that Blaine had managed to keep away from Forgrove for a complete week. Although, if he was being entirely honest with himself, he wasn't sure if that had more to do with his own effort (which included ducking into bathrooms, classrooms, and behind larger people than himself) or if it had more to do with the fact that Forgrove seemed to want to avoid him like the plague.
He didn't know whether he should be thankful or scared, truthfully. Blaine decided to settle somewhere in the middle. It was a blessing because that meant he didn't have to deal with insults at every break. He didn't have to deal with Forgrove saying "watch your back faggot", and that was nice for a change. Yet there was the threat of being outed to his parents that still lingered in the air, if not heavier than it had been.
Blaine wasn't an idiot. When he did run into Forgrove in the hall, he could see the older boy's smirk twitching at his lips, no matter how much Blaine wanted to pretend it wasn't there.
His outing was inevitable, he knew. He wanted to do it on his own terms, but after what his mother had said Blaine was a little bit hesitant. Maybe it was understandable why he was scared, but that didn't mean he didn't feel bad about leading Lesley on, especially after that kiss with Taro. That kiss—which had made him so confused for multiple reasons—only heightened the desire for courage so that he could just come out to his parents already and be free of the threat that Forgrove promised.
He had also thought a little bit more about that school which sounded like some type of safe-haven. Blaine liked the sound of that, but he also hated the fact that it was getting to the point where he felt he needed one.
Maybe he was being a little melodramatic. Surely there were people out there who had it worse than him, but it didn't feel as such. Blaine wouldn't wish this on anyone else, but at the moment he couldn't help thinking 'why me'.
That was annoying though. Blaine really didn't enjoy feeling sorry for himself, and he didn't want to feel sorry for himself. Self-pity wasn't even on his list of acceptable pastimes.
"Hey," someone breathed out from behind him and Blaine glanced over his shoulder, lips twitching slightly as he shut his locker.
"Hey," Blaine greeted Taro back, feeling a little nervous flutter in his stomach. He averted his eyes ever so slightly, biting at his lip. "What's with the random hello?"
He saw Taro's lips widen into a grin and turned back to face him, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "I was thinking, when was the last time you had a break? You look exhausted, truthfully."
"Thanks," Blaine let sarcasm slip into his voice, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "I've only been busy revising my butt off for finals next week, frightened of what Forgrove is going to do next while his friends continuously play little pranks on me, plus I'm dating my best friend of practically my whole life who I have no feelings for, my mother is acting extremely awkward, my dad is still my dad who doesn't have a clue, and my brother hasn't talked to me since Thanksgiving, so yeah, I'm a little bit tired."
"Well," Taro began with only a small pause, a smile still on his face. "That's even more reason to take a break."
"From what?" Blaine questioned in confusion, blinking slightly. "I can't exactly take a break from life; that's a little bit impossible."
"Yes," Taro replied slowly, leaning forward as he whispered, "but you can get away from your problems for a little bit. I'm skipping, come with me." His voice was low and if Blaine's ears worked as well as they usually did, then he would say Taro's voice was just the tiniest bit husky as well.
Blaine flushed, skin heating, and he shifted on his feet, clearing his throat. "Skipping school, seriously? Taro, we have tests next week and revisions for both today and tomorrow. Plus, you weren't here for the first three days of the week. Don't you think it would be a bad idea to skip another day?"
Taro chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes dark and just a little bit glassy. "Oh come on, you can't tell me you've never even thought about skipping before. It's high school Blaine. You do know that there is a National Skip Day, right?"
Blaine's eyebrows shot up at that. "I'm guessing that's not today, though."
"Well, no, but the point is Blaine that everyone deserves a break from life now and again. So come with me. I promise you'll have fun—I'm guessing you're beginning to forget what fun is." Taro replied, staring at him as the halls began emptying. Blaine licked his lips, weighing his options in his head.
"I remember you in Junior High, Blaine." Taro continued, his voice the definition of persuasive. "You were so lively, so fun. Even with parents from old money, a nice upbringing, a large house with a white picket fence, you never let that control you. I have to admit I kind of envied that Blaine. Don't you want to visit him again? I promise I'll make it worth your while.
Blaine's heart was hammering in his chest, and he could almost feel the heat radiating from Taro's closeness inside of the cold hall. Wiping his slightly sweaty palms on his jeans, Blaine met Taro's eyes, giving a small nod of consent. "Sure, I guess I could use a small break, even if only for a few hours."
Taro's grin twitched slightly into what almost looked like a smirk and the older boy glanced around the hall, seeing that they were completely alone before holding out a tempting hand. Blaine looked down at it before smiling slightly, placing his own hand in Taro's for a minute before they let them drop, Taro placing the same hand on Blaine's arm.
Blaine had to wonder why he felt as if he had just made a deal with the devil and sold his soul.
"I can't believe you talked me into skipping." Blaine told him with a grin as they sat on a bus, the shaking of the vehicle causing their knees to bump and brush each other's. "I feel a little bit rebellious at the moment, actually."
"Good, that's good!" Taro exclaimed, turning away from the window to look at Blaine, leaning against him slightly. "That means you're a normal teenager, Blaine."
Blaine felt heat rise to his cheeks, but decided to ignore it. "Are you going to tell me where we're going or are you actually just kidnapping me and making it look like I skipped school?"
"Damn it," Taro cursed, snapping his fingers as he leaned back into the bus seat. "You caught me before I could even fulfill my plan! What am I going to do now, Weller?"
"Ah, I'm sorry! I can pretend I didn't catch you, is that okay?"
Taro grinned, nodding. "You better pretend. I can't have my hard efforts going to waste, now can I?" Blaine felt Taro's hand slip over his causing his breath to catch. Cheeks flaring up, Blaine gave a small cough, pulling his hand away.
"Sorry…"
"It's fine," Taro's voice was slightly annoyed, but Blaine decided to ignore that. "We're here anyway." The bus came to a stop at the bus stop and Taro stood, making his way past Blaine without another look at him. With a sigh, Blaine stood to follow him from the public transportation vehicle.
"The mall?" Blaine observed, a little bit surprised. He hadn't known what he had expected, but he really hadn't expected the mall. Taro seemed so much different from a normal teenager. Then again, Blaine was far from a normal teenager himself, so maybe he just got the two of them mixed up.
"Of course, where did you expect, Blaine? Some dungeon where I would secretly torture you until you beg me for mercy?" Taro suggested, laughing lightly.
"I don't know what I was expecting, but there were a few times in the past that I thought yes, maybe you did want to torture me." Blaine answered as he followed Taro towards the entrance of Macy's.
"Hmm, you know, sometimes I still do want to do that." Taro glanced over his shoulder, a small smirk on his lips as his eyes glanced over Blaine, tongue peaking out ever so slightly.
Blaine flushed. He really didn't know what to say to that, but he did know that if his heart started to beat any faster, he was in danger of a heart attack. "A-ahh, is that so?"
Taro let out a bark of laughter, spinning around to face Blaine, causing the curly-haired boy to stop in his steps. "Sorry, that was totally out of line. Did I make you uncomfortable?"
"N-no, of course you're not making me uncomfortable T-Taro. Why would you think that?" Yes, yes you're making me terribly uncomfortable, Taro, but that's to be expected if you keep saying things like that.
"Well, it just seemed…" Taro gave him a thoughtful before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the Mall. "Let's go play some games, maybe that'll make you feel more comfortable." Yet there was something about the way that Taro said that which in fact made Blaine even more uncomfortable.
"Oh God, how can you be so horrible at this?" Taro asked incredulously, laughing as he watched Blaine's car hit a cow, sending pieces of the animal flying over the screen's road. "You're supposed to stay away from the animals and fences, you know that, right?"
"Who says I'm not doing it on purpose?" He asked, wincing as he hit another cow standing in the middle of the road. It was the stupid animal's own fault for being in his way, anyway.
"Oh please," Taro scoffed, leaning against Blaine's seat. "As if you would kill those poor, innocent, fake game animals. I feel sorry for all the cars out on the road when you start driving. It's going to be a death trap."
"Just so you know," Blaine began as his car crashed, turning into a fiery pile of burning rubble. "I've driven my dad's car before. Fake cars are a lot more difficult to drive than actual cars." Blaine stood, expecting Taro to move away only to find that he had moved a little bit closer to him. He swallowed tightly, resting against the side of the plastic chair.
"Is that so? So young Mr. Weller knows how to drive. Do you know how to drive a stick?"
"No, I—" Taro laughed and Blaine flushed, eyes closing with a small, incredulous smile. "That's another sexual innuendo, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I couldn't help myself. You just give me such good openings, Weller, and I really can't just pass them up," Taro explained, lips smiling softly, his eyes meeting Blaine's. "You know, I—"
"Fags!" Blaine stiffened as he heard that word, head turning sharply towards a couple of boys at the games across from them, neither of the two looking his and Taro's way.
Taro's eyes narrowed only slightly as he turned towards them, barely losing his smirk for a moment before he said, "No, that's what your mom disclosed to me about your dad last night when we slept together."
The boys scoffed before moving to another aisle, muttering to each other under their breath. Blaine watched Taro, a little bit wide-eyed as the half-Japanese boy turned back to him. "How do you do that?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself.
"Do what?" Taro's voice was slightly confused.
"Stay so calm?" Blaine answered, glancing in the direction the other boys had gone. "I've tried to pretend as if it doesn't bother me but…"
Taro sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "That's the thing, Blaine. Don't pretend as if it doesn't bother you; just don't let it bother you." Blaine frowned, inwardly thinking 'easier said than done'. "Up for some pizza?"
With a small sigh, Blaine nodded. "Yeah, I just have to use the bathroom first."
"Then I'll wait for you in the food court?" Taro suggested and Blaine gave a slight nod. "I'll leave you to it then." Taro turned and walked from the arcade, leaving Blaine to himself.
Blaine leaned against the wall just next to him, not actually having to use the restroom but really only needing a moment to think to himself. He was honestly having more fun than he had had in a long time.
Months ago—weeks even—Blaine hadn't thought it was possible to have fun like this again, let alone with Taro Smith, but here he was with Taro Smith having tremendous fun. It was almost like a date.
Did this count as a date? They had kissed, but they hadn't really talked about that. Plus, Blaine was dating Lesley, even if he could freely admit to himself that she was merely a beard. Blaine did not expect to suddenly turn straight and become attracted to females, but he was dating her, and he wasn't a person who wanted to cheat on someone. Especially when that someone had been his best friend pretty much his whole fifteen years of life.
Did he want to date Taro? Well, that was an entirely different matter. Blaine was a teenage boy, and a healthy one at that. Taro was attractive, and he was actually pretty fun to hang out with if this maybe-date was anything to go by. Blaine was pretty sure those were butterflies in his stomach whenever Taro got within a foot of him as well. He blushed a lot too, and Blaine never blushed that much, not for anything.
It was probably safe to say that yes, Blaine would very much enjoy dating Taro. He would also enjoy kissing him again too. Blaine would definitely enjoy doing that.
With a sigh, Blaine pushed off of the wall and started towards the food court, thoughts flying through his mind. What was he going to do? He couldn't just go up to Taro and say, "Hey, you know, I think I kind of like you, we should totally go out and like kiss, you know?" That would be what Blaine deemed a bad idea, and a very bad one at that.
He would look like a fool! Desperate to kiss the first boy who showed an interest in him that didn't send notes saying he was going to die in seven days. It was ridiculous almost how Taro had hated him up until a few weeks before.
Did this make Blaine a masochist? He honestly did not know.
Stepping into the food court, Blaine's eyes darted around, looking for Taro, only to find him sitting at a nearby table. Taro was looking up at a man with a small smile towards a man who was talking to him quietly. Blaine wondered who the man was as a small spark went off in his chest.
Taro seemed to catch sight of him, losing his smile as he quickly stood, saying something to the man before pushing him away and hurrying over to Blaine. "Who was that?" Blaine questioned, eyeing the back of the man who had cast Taro a glare before walking off.
The older teen shrugged, hands deep inside of his pockets. "I think he thought I was someone else, it's nothing really. So, pizza?" Blaine's eyebrows rose as Taro seemingly darted around the question, but he decided to let it go. It wasn't any of his business anyway.
Yet Blaine really couldn't help feeling just a little bit curious about that man as he followed Taro towards the pizza stand, and maybe just a little bit jealous as well.
"So, I kinda had a great time today, Weller." Taro admitted as they stood outside of Blaine's front door. Blaine didn't know exactly what to say to that, so he just nodded, giving a small smile.
Taro seemed to want to say something, opening his mouth only to close it a moment later, thinking better of himself. With a sigh, he said, "I should go, but we should hang out again. It's probably a lot more fun than hanging out with your fake girlfriend, hm?"
Blaine's lips twitched at that. "Yeah, a lot more fun actually." He hesitated for a second. "Hey, do you want to come in? My mother and brother are home, but my dad is still working. We can hang out and if you want I can help you with that report that I know you haven't actually done any of and is due tomorrow."
The boy in front of him bit his lip, almost as if he was holding back a grin. "Sure, I'd love to come up for a bit. Lead the way, Weller. Although maybe we can do something else besides study—and you must be Mrs. Weller." Taro greeted as the two of them walked, holding out his hand.
Blaine's mother blinked, taken aback by the extra person accompanying her son home. "Ah, yes, and who might you be…?" she questioned as she gently took Taro's hand.
"I'm Taro Smith, a friend of Blaine's," Taro answered, looking at Blaine with a smile and Blaine felt his heart flutter slightly.
"We're going to be up in my room, is that okay, Mom?" Blaine asked hopefully, suddenly feeling very nervous, almost as if he was about to do something behind his mother's back, but of course he wasn't.
Hannah gave Taro a look almost as if she were studying him. "I suppose so, Blaine, but don't make a mess and no rough-housing." She told him sternly, clearing her throat. "I best get back to cooking, and you're welcome to stay for dinner Mr. Smith."
"Taro, call me Taro," he corrected with a grimace. "My father is Mr. Smith and I don't like being compared to him, and thank you, I will."
"Well," Blaine began awkwardly as his mother forced a smile onto her face. It was obvious to him that she did not approve of Taro. "We're going now, and don't forget to knock before you come in." He felt the need to add that before starting up the stairs, motioning for Taro to follow him.
"And why did you add that, Mr. Weller?" Taro whispered quietly as they made their way upstairs and Blaine could swear that he could hear a smirk in his voice.
"Because I hate people coming in without knocking. Why else?" he replied slightly defensively, even though he knew that wasn't actually the truth.
Taro chuckled as Blaine opened his door, brushing past him to walk into his bedroom. "If you say so, Blaine."
Closing his door, Blaine took in a deep breath as he heard Taro drop down onto his mattress. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't as if anything had to happen, but… Blaine kind of wanted it to.
"Nice room, Blaine." Blaine turned as Taro said this, only to find that Taro wasn't even looking at any of his posters and choices of decoration, but instead had his eyes firmly kept on Blaine. "Now," he continued, dropping his bag on the floor as he kicked off his shoes. "You said you would help me with my essay. Are you sure that's really what you brought me up here to do, Weller?"
Taro's voice was suggestive and Blaine shuffled on his feet, feeling his face heat up. His skin felt as if it was sunburned, and it was drastically warm. He quickly removed his jacket, wondering why he had worn a sweater that day.
"Because honestly," Taro said, now standing, his bare toes slightly digging into the blue carpet. "It's not what I came up here for." He took a step closer and Blaine found himself having to look away for fear of fainting from how dizzy he was getting.
"T-then what did you come up here for?" In only a few seconds, Taro was once again standing in front of him, and Blaine looked up at him, breath catching in his throat and his stomach knotting tightly.
"I think you know the answer to that, Weller," Taro breathed out, leaning forward and down slightly until their noses were almost brushing. Blaine swallowed thickly, taking a step back only to find himself flush against the door.
Taro grinned, taking another step forward and lightly trailing a finger down Blaine's sweater-covered arm. "Your first kiss with a boy was short, and before that your first kiss was with a girl. I already know which one was better, but Blaine, that kiss we shared yesterday was barely even a kiss." Taro's voice was only a whisper, but it filled the room as if it were music loudly playing.
The finger trailed up to run across Blaine's neck. Blaine could feel blood pounding through him, and he was sure Taro could feel it as well. His breathing was getting faster, heavier, and why didn't Taro just kiss him already?
"I'm sure you're curious," Taro continued, stepping closer to him than Blaine thought possible. "I can answer any of your questions should you ask, but it's much more fun to find out for yourself…" Taro licked his lips lightly and God his tongue was so pink.
Blaine's eyes fluttered slightly and barely a second later he felt lips gently touch his, nothing more than a peck before Taro pulled away to speak, their lips still brushing. "You just have to say the word, Blaine. Tell me what you want."
Say the word… hm? Could he do that? Could Blaine make that jump? It would be cheating, even if he didn't actually have any feelings for Lesley. His mom was just downstairs, and his brother was in the next room. Could he really take the chance for either one of them to walk in? Especially the chance for his mother to walk in?
Blaine looked up into dark brown eyes, a bit more glazed over and glassy than they had been earlier in the day. His own eyes were heavy, and his palms were sweating and felt uncomfortable. Blaine merely licked his lips, trying to wet them, but his mouth had gone dry.
Yeah, he thought maybe he could take the chance.
"Show me," Blaine answered after a minute, that nervous fluttering in his stomach suddenly getting a lot larger. "I-I'm curious. That kiss yesterday… I kind of want more of it."
Taro's lips rose into a smile before the taller boy leaned forward, pressing their lips together. It was weird, but somehow it was a good weird, and Blaine eagerly pressed them harder to Taro's.
His lips tasted of pizza and soda, but Blaine was sure his did as well. He felt a hand grasp at the side of his face, pressing him hard back into the door. Blaine felt a little awkward, but it was so good. He didn't know where to put his hands, or how to move his mouth in that perfect way, but Taro seemed experienced enough for the both of them.
Teeth pinched at his lower lip, nipping at it and Blaine gasped, mouth opening enough for Taro to plunge his tongue into his mouth and wow. Blaine had wondered a few times about how having another person's tongue in his mouth could at all be fun, but finally he understood what the hype was all about.
There was something nice about being so close to someone he liked as much as he liked Taro. Maybe kissing wasn't the first thing people thought of when they thought 'intimate', but for Blaine it was more than enough.
His stomach was fluttering, and he felt as if he was on fire as Taro turned them around, walking them back over to Blaine's bed. Blaine felt his legs smack against the mattress and he fell backwards, Taro falling on top of him. Panting, Taro straddled his hips, quickly removing his own jacket and tossed it on the ground before diving back down, this time attaching his lips to Blaine's throat.
"God," Blaine moaned, threading one hand in Taro's hair as he fisted the other in the back of his shirt. Taro licked at his skin, sucking at the pulsing vein in his neck, and Blaine let out a breathy gasp, eyes closing.
He felt his stomach stir, heat flowing over his body, but this was somehow comfortable and he wanted more.
Oh God, Blaine wanted more of it.
Before you ask me, no, they do not have sex. Good day to you all! =D