Author's Note: Hello again to all my readers! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this story, and for those who've followed and favourited it.

Thanks especially to my reviewers. I do love hearing from you guys, and am glad you're all still enjoying it – or at the very least, sticking it out :P

RHatch89: Oh yes, starting something casual is definitely going to complicate things, but what's any story without a little bit of drama, right? Watch this space. :)

PikaWings: No, Blaine is definitely not going to Sebastian simply because he's a manwhore, so maybe hold off on those lighters and throwing knives for now. :P And although yes, casual is not ideal for these two, they'll soon figure that out for themselves.

Guest: Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it. And yes, I agree. I do love Sebastian. :)

AJ27: Neither of these two boys has any clue what they're getting themselves into, and though it's most definitely not going to be smooth sailing from here on out (because I'm really not much of a fluff-only writer), some things are definitely going to be easier for them then either expects. (And yes... I figured you meant precedence :P)

Anyways, that's enough from me. Thanks again for taking the time to read this, and I hope you all enjoy Chapter 11.

He came awake gradually the next morning, sunlight from the open window creeping slowly across his face. Which wasn't right, of course. His bed was perfectly situated in his room at home; the sunlight came close to the edge of his bed, but never... quite...

But of course he wasn't in his own bed.

Memories of the night previous came rushing back into his head then, hitting him like a freight train as sudden panic gripped him when he realised exactly what he'd done. But it wasn't a big deal; of course it wasn't. This thing with Sebastian was just casual... it wasn't a big deal.

Everything was okay.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

It was only then, once that moment of sudden panic passed that he became more aware of his surroundings. Of the gentle heat of the long body in the bed beside him. Of the arm draped over his waist and curled around his torso, holding him close. Of the warm flutter of breath on the back of his neck, and Blaine caught himself thinking that there were certainly worse ways to wake up in the morning and probably not too many more pleasant ones.

That said... he ached all over, muscles he'd never known he'd had before protesting even the mere thought of movement. The other boy had given him more than a workout the night before to the point where Blaine had wondered where the hell Sebastian got all his energy. He'd had a hell of a time trying to keep up with him, falling into an exhausted sleep the moment they'd finally taken a break.

Not that he was complaining of course. The sex had been incredible and waking up with Sebastian's lithe figure curled behind his own was definitely nothing to sneer at.

Still, at the same time it was a strange feeling. It was the very first time he'd taken another boy to bed since Kurt, and certainly the first time he'd had sex when real feelings weren't involved. He was still in love with Kurt and Sebastian knew it and didn't care, giving him exactly what he'd wanted – needed – when he'd asked for it, without complaint.

The exact opposite of complaint, really. Once he'd convinced Sebastian that he was serious about what he'd wanted, the other guy had responded enthusiastically.

Honestly, it was all just a little bit flattering.

He knew of course that compared to Sebastian he had very little sexual experience and just the fact that he'd somehow managed to seduce Sebastian Smythe... well it certainly did great things for his self-esteem that Sebastian, experienced as he was, had simply been unable to help himself.

Of course, that thought brought with it the inevitable guilt. Guilt for sleeping with Sebastian, for using him the way he had, whether or not the other boy had been willing. Fact of the matter was that Sebastian was his friend – a friend he cared about a great deal and someone he really needed in his life – and the very last thing he wanted was for anything to come in between that.

And here he was, in bed with the guy.

It was all casual, naturally. Sebastian didn't do the whole feelings thing so there would be no real issue on that front, but he knew that his friend had resisted as much as he had the night before because he felt that things would become awkward between the two of them when he – Blaine – would inevitably come to regret this choice.

If he was being honest with himself... Probably wasn't going to happen.

Because how, for even a second, could he have regretted anything that had happened the night before.

A low hum, deep in the other boy's throat, alerted him to Sebastian's return to consciousness, then suddenly that arm was gone from around his waist. Turning in time to see Sebastian stretching that lithe figure with languid grace, Blaine took a moment to enjoy the sight of muscle playing under soft skin as the other boy moved.

Waiting until Sebastian had settled back onto the sheets, admiring once again the slender, athletic build of the boy, he watched in silence as those green eyes opened, moving to wander over his face.

Blaine offered him a warm smile. "Good morning."

He received a sleepy smile, drowsy green eyes and a lazy "Morning, Killer," in return, and Blaine felt his stomach curling pleasantly, his hazel eyes warm as they studied the satisfied lethargy on the other's face.

"How'd you sleep?"

Sebastian just smiled again, the fingers of one hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he refocussed them on the boy opposite. "Like a rock. You?"

"Probably a good thing you didn't wake up during the night. You'd likely have thought I was dead. I certainly slept that way." He really couldn't remember a time when he'd had such a great night's sleep.

Who'd have thought Sebastian Smythe was the cure for insomnia?

A silence fell between them then as Sebastian turned onto his side, facing him, those green eyes studying his face in that manner he'd quickly become accustomed to. Despite his flaws – flaws he was definitely working to sort out – Sebastian happened to be a startlingly good judge of character, seeing through other people's bullshit in seconds. He supposed Sebastian had become quite adept at reading others over the years, having been exposed to the best and worst in the people that he cared about.

"Any regrets?"

The question came sudden and direct, and he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by it. Given the circumstances of their present situation, it was an understandable question, but that didn't mean he'd expected it from his friend. Studying the boy lying beside him for a moment, Blaine couldn't help but smile before pretending for a moment to think it through. "Besides the fact that we didn't do this sooner, you mean?"

He was rewarded with a grin, and Sebastian's green eyes sparkled merrily as he nodded his head. "Besides that, yeah."

"Then no," he replied with a shake of his head. "No regrets here. You?"

Sebastian laughed at that, those beautiful green eyes sparkling at the idea. "Regret that? Not gonna happen, Killer." He felt the flush rising in his cheeks at the admission, and saw Sebastian's amusement at the sight. "You're not embarrassed are you? After last night?"

The teasing in his voice only made Blaine flush darker, shaking his head whilst Sebastian only laughed at his reaction. "No. Not embarrassed, I'm just... this is... new."

The amusement faded slowly from the other's face, green eyes studying him more seriously now, considering his words. "I'm sure it is." He hesitated a moment, something in his eyes that Blaine couldn't quite place, but something that quickly became clearer when Sebastian continued. "It does take some getting used to."

Obviously thinking of his own first exploration in the realm of casual dating, Blaine just nodded. The last thing he'd wanted to do this morning was bring up the past. They both had things there that didn't bear thinking about, and it really wasn't something that he wanted to dwell on. At least not on a morning like this.

"You know you have freckles like... everywhere, right?"

Caught off guard by the question, Sebastian looked over at him, startled. "Sorry?"

"Freckles. Literally everywhere."

And Sebastian offered a surprised laugh and a nod of his head, his eyes sparkling in a way that made a pleasant, warm sensation curl through his stomach. "Yeah, Killer. I'm aware. English ancestry... what can you do, right? It's a curse."

"No, I like them," he offered, his eyes wandering over those freckles scattered across Sebastian's cheeks, Sebastian watching him closely, amusement flooding his face at the revelation. When his friend offered no response to his comment however, Blaine continued with a faint, almost rueful grin. "I actually tried counting them last night but..." and he shook his head, watching as the amusement in Sebastian's face shifted to curiosity.

"But what?"

"But you kept distracting me."

Sebastian laughed at that, nodding his head. "You were easy to distract."

Blaine just shrugged with a smile, hardly about deny it. Every kiss, every touch had drawn his mind from whatever it was involved with at the time. It had been a chaotic mix of desire, sensation and frustration, all culminating in one of the most intense...

But no... he really shouldn't be thinking about that now, feeling his body begin to respond to the memories of the night before. He was enjoying just being here in the moment too much to let himself get carried away.

Later perhaps...

"These are my favourites, by the way," he offered, reaching out to trail an index finger over those freckles caught up in Sebastian's left brow. It looked like his friend hadn't been expecting the sudden touch, and his expression seemed a little... well he looked almost uncomfortable when Blaine withdrew his hand. Then he shrugged. "Though I admit I kinda liked the ones on your stomach and hip too." Covered by the twisted sheet as the other boy was he couldn't see those at the moment but they were definitely there on his list.

"Blaine..."

He saw the expression on Sebastian's face shift then, discomfort giving way to an almost resigned disappointment, and knowing instinctively that he didn't want to hear what the other boy was going to say, he quickly spoke over him. "Kiss me."

Taken completely by surprise by the sudden request, Sebastian just looked at him in amazement. "Sorry, what?"

"I said kiss me, Smythe."

A curious smile played at Sebastian's mouth then, and it was clear that his friend, too, was more than susceptible to distractions. "Bossy this morning, aren't you?"

He just shrugged. "Am I being bossy or just direct?"

Sebastian laughed at the question. "In this respect it's kinda the same thing, so dealer's choice."

"And didn't you tell me once that sometimes you need to be direct to get what you want?"

Sebastian's smile shifted to amusement when he realised where this was going, those green eyes sparkling merrily even as he nodded. "I did say that, yes."

Blaine shrugged again with a smile. "So..."

"You want me to kiss you?"

"I'm not about to curb your imagination with suggestions. Feel free to be creative."

It was clear that Sebastian didn't know what to do with this side of him; the playful confident side he'd been without for so long. Now, lying beside Sebastian after a long night of proof that Sebastian found him incredibly desirable, it was hard not to feel some of that confidence that had once defined him. Somewhere along the way it had slowly diminished, but being with Sebastian – even if they were nothing more than friends with a few very notable benefits – he'd managed to recover what he'd once lost.

And honestly... it felt great.

He wondered if this was how Sebastian felt all the time.

Shaking his head in amusement, Sebastian conceded, leaning over and pressing a slow, almost luxurious kiss against his mouth, taking his time; his mouth exploring, tasting... it brought back memories of the night previous, how it had all begun, and Blaine heard a soft hum slip from deep in his throat.

Kissing him back, Blaine felt his mind begin to haze over once more, that delicious warmth curling again through his stomach as Sebastian drew closer, the length of his warm body pressing against him. Honestly, he had no idea how he'd resisted this boy for so long. Because resist he had, knowing that the attraction had been there since the early days of their relationship. He'd been drawn to this confident, occasionally inappropriate boy from the first and there was no denying it any longer.

Of course, this thing with Sebastian opened up a whole new world of problems, not least the reactions of his friends. He remembered well Sam's reaction when he'd thought that there might be something between the two of them; how he worried how it might affect Kurt.

Honestly though... why should he care how it affected Kurt? After all, didn't Kurt have someone new too? Why should it matter if he was doing his best to move on? Wouldn't that be something that Kurt would want?

Besides, if anyone should have an issue with Sebastian given their past, it should definitely have been him. But Sebastian, true to his word that day they'd met at the Lima Bean and he'd apologised for his past behaviour, had turned over a new leaf. Sure, much about the boy was still very much the same – that confidence, that snarky outer shell – but the cruelty he'd often displayed, and that careless disregard for the feelings of others had gone. He'd changed for the better, and once he'd seen that change in him it had been impossible for him to keep him at arm's length any longer. It had been a waiting game that he'd been steadily losing for weeks.

Until he'd finally just given in.

That said, he knew that the way he'd gone about things was all wrong. He knew that what he'd done and the moment in which he'd done it had been unfair, using Sebastian the way that he had to make himself feel better about Kurt's moving on with someone new. Loathe to bring it up again in case it ruin this mood between them, Blaine pushed it all to the back of his mind to dwell on later.

Pushing himself up on his elbow, he deepened the kiss, winning a low murmur of approval from his friend as he eased Sebastian over onto his back, his body sliding over that of the other boy. And, as Sebastian's arms slid up around his neck, hands sliding into his hair, Blaine quickly forgot all about his guilt, his problems and indeed, everything besides the lithe figure beneath his own.

"So, Blaine... tell me," and when Blaine looked over curiously, Sebastian shot him a grin. "How in God's name are you going to explain your absence last night and this morning to your parents?"

Blaine just laughed, shaking his head as he turned his face into the pillow, snuggling down deeper into the blankets. "Honestly? I don't know and I'm not gonna lie... I don't really care. Whatever happens, it'll have been worth it."

"And if they send you to a boarding school in northern Alaska?"

He shook his head again, hazel eyes amused at the suggestion. "Then I'll buy a warmer coat."

His friend chuckled in amusement at that, before shaking his head. "Well how's about we keep in mind the fact that if you do get sent to northern Alaska this," and he indicated the two of them. "Is over. So how about you and I come up with an excuse they'll both accept and won't disown you for."

"Sounds like a great plan."

"Awesome, now..." and Sebastian rolled over, rising from the bed and making his way over to the bureau on the other side of the room to pull on a pair of jeans. "What in God's name are you going to wear?"

"Wear? Where am I going?"

"We are going for coffee, because I don't know if you're aware but we were both up pretty late last night, and I for one am pretty wiped." He flashed a grin over his shoulder and Blaine had to chuckle at the expression on his face; it couldn't be described as anything less than eager. "I don't know about you but I could definitely use the caffeine."

Blaine nodded, getting out of the bed and feeling the protestation of muscles overworked in the past several hours. Pulling on his uniform, he looked down at himself with a grimace as he buttoned his shirt. "This is all I have, and no offence but I don't think anything you own is going to fit me."

"Not a problem. Leave it to me." And flashing him another grin, this one brightly mischievous, Sebastian disappeared out the door.

Frowning in confusion, Blaine followed him from the room.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"What's the big deal? It's hardly a crime if you live here."

They were crouched outside his bedroom window, Sebastian easing the window open slowly so as not to alert his parents.

"Sebastian, we're breaking into my house."

Sebastian shot him a dry look. "It's hardly breaking and entering if you leave your window unlocked, Killer. Seriously... who does that?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we live in Ohio. It's hardly the crime capital of the US."

"Might want to lock it up in future." His smile now shifted into the realm of the wicked. "You never know what kind of degenerate might sneak into your room and ravish you senseless in the middle of the night."

Blaine felt a flush colour his cheeks, but he shook his head with a playful scowl at his friend, even as he felt his body respond to the suggestion. Problem was, he could actually see his friend doing just that; certainly wouldn't put it past the other boy, but despite the very real threat he couldn't find the willpower or even the desire to forbid it.

When Sebastian had the window fully open, he indicated the room with a nod of his head. "Okay, sexy, you're up. Make yourself all pretty and meet me back out here." And when – feeling utterly ridiculous – Blaine climbed through his bedroom window, he heard Sebastian's silken whisper, "Five minutes, Killer, otherwise I'm coming in there after you."

And Blaine knew he didn't mean to simply hurry him up.