Ch. 102
"Ted has it all drawn up, laid out and planned down to the inch, I swear. He might possibly be more excited about this than we are…but maybe not," Trent smiled, speaking of his boss at the gallery.
"I'm sure that's not the case. I haven't been this excited about anything since I found out you were going to be my roommate again senior year," Thad blushed, grinning and ducking his chin to his chest.
"You…then? Even then?" Trent asked him, almost breathless.
"I've always known, Trent. We've sort of talked about it…how long I've…you were…I mean…always. A part of me knew, even then. I've always loved you, just maybe in different ways…as my roommate, then my friend, then…more. And now, as the love of my life, always."
"You sap…I adore you, you know it?"
"I know…and I couldn't love you more if I tried. A few more days, babe, and you're legally mine…forever. Or until you've had your fill and you finally throw in the towel and run screaming—"
"NOT going to happen, so stop that. I don't know how I survived all that time in different states. Let's not do that again, huh?" Trent asked, his smile flirty and his eyes bright. He reached up and adjusted Thad's tie even though it was perfectly straight to begin with. "Now you get going. I have to get to work, too, and we can't have you being late."
"I detest Monday mornings. We have the department meeting and he always sits next to me. I try to avoid it…try not to cause a scene, but it's to the point where I physically recoil when I see him anymore."
"It's understandable. Honestly, I'd wonder if you didn't. Micah's a detestable human being and I give you props for not throat punching him on the daily. But you, my beautiful fiancé, are a lover, not a fighter."
"Unlike you, who comes across as all sunshine and rainbows, and given half the chance, you'd pummel that douche-canoe into dust and spit on it as you walked away. You're fierce, and I adore that about you," Thad teased, blushing.
"Kiss me…" Trent asked, already tugging him in closely. "Kiss me, tell me you love me and then go to work and think of me all day…because that's what I plan to do. I'll make your favorite for dinner, we'll watch a movie or something and do a last check of the wedding stuff, and then we'll go to bed and…mmmm," Trent purred as Thad mouthed at his neck. "Yep, just like that, babe." Trent murmured a few more loving words with a soft intake of breath, Thad's hand on his lower back tugging him close, running his fingers down over the curve of Trent's back side.
"Adore you…God, so much. Have a splendid day and I'll call you at lunch, ok?" Thad let him go and stepped back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Gonna go. If I don't, I can't even imagine what will happen in the next 60 seconds."
"Yeah…you should…uh…love you. Now go."
"I'm going, I'm going…" Thad grinned, backing toward their apartment door, never taking his eyes off of his fiancé. "Later, babe."
"Yep…looking forward to it," Trent grinned as Thad closed the door behind him.
"It doesn't seem right, not being with my dad for Thanksgiving," Kurt pouted, moving around the kitchen like a well-oiled machine, throwing a plastic container of leftovers into his insulated lunch bag.
"We can go home if you want to, Kurt. We'll just have to be back early Friday morning. Or I could stay here and you could—"
"Absolutely not! I…I'm a big boy, I can handle it. Dad won't be alone or anything. He'll have Carol there, and Finn and Rachel are going home, it's just…I dunno. It's weird. I've never not been with him for Thanksgiving…my whole life, ya know?"
"I know, I get it. Are you sure you don't want to go home? We can swing it if you really wanna be with your dad," Blaine offered, secretly hoping Kurt wouldn't take him up on it. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Burt and Carole, but it was Blaine's first Thanksgiving away from "home" as well, and it was going to be an important one for the Anderson family. This year all their lives had changed…for the better.
"Any thoughts on what we ARE doing?" Kurt asked, wanting to change the subject even a little bit. He'd miss Burt, but Kurt had seen him at Halloween and he didn't relish spending time with his Aunt and Uncle who'd never been overly fond of him once he'd come out. There'd be no unkind words, but it was clearly uncomfortable for them. With Burt and Carole having dinner with them, as well as a slew of cousins, Kurt felt ok being away.
"Funny that you ask. Mom called this morning. She's cooking…" Blaine cringed with a smile peeking through it.
"Your mom's a fantastic cook, why the painful face?" Kurt laughed at him, watching Blaine shake his head.
"She is, she is...it's just…she has a thing about turkey. Every year she over-cooks it and it's dry as the Sahara."
"So you're saying I should offer to bring gravy? Lots and lots of gravy?" Kurt laughed. Blaine rolled his eyes.
"Coop and Maggie will be there with the kids. I think it'll be…fun," Blaine finished.
It was only then that Kurt realized what it was in Blaine's tone that had him sounding just a bit off. His heart nearly melted and he made his way around the kitchen island to Blaine's side, then slid his arms around his boyfriend.
"This will be your first Thanksgiving without your dad there."
"It will. It'll be the first time I taste the dry turkey and don't gag, not because of the taste, but because I know what's probably coming later from my dad. I'm…I'm kinda looking forward to it this year, actually," Blaine said, pink on his cheeks. "I've never enjoyed family dinners, or any family gathering for that matter. My dad, he'd hound and harass my mom about every little thing and I think that's why she always overcooked the turkey, always trying to focus on 100 things at once to please him. He ruined everything for so many years that I can't recall the last time I looked forward to…to just being around my family…and you. Especially you."
"Awww, baby, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized how traumatic this time of year must be for you…Thanksgiving, and Christmas right around the corner. Yes, let's go to your mom's and just thumb our noses at rotten ol' George Anderson and have ourselves a fantastic dinner with your family and the kids, shall we?" Kurt smiled, nuzzling into Blaine's neck. He felt Blaine's arms slip around him and it always felt so comforting…just like home.
Even mere thoughts of his dad still had him uptight and Blaine hated that. Deep down he knew his dad couldn't touch him anymore, not physically anyway. But mentally, George Anderson still whittled away at his emotions and made him tense.
"Thank you. Thank you for understanding. I had no doubt that you would…"
"I'll tell you what. I'll offer to go over to Cris' and start the turkey early. I'll make sure it's not dry for you, B."
"She'll love that. I was never much help in the kitchen and Cooper's abysmal at anything culinary. She'll appreciate the help, I'm sure. Thank you," Blaine smiled back, his hands on Kurt's cheeks. "I hope this is the first of many more Thanksgiving dinners with you, Kurt Hummel. One day I want your dad and Carol to be at our home along with my mom and Coop with his family. I want a huge table filled with our loved ones and lots of laughs and good food. I want our family there, Kurt."
"Blaine…God…." Kurt said, his eyes filled with tears. "I'm leaving before I start blubbering and look like a bloated fish with big red eyes and puffy cheeks. I love you," Kurt said, eyes bright, then grabbed Blaine's face in a quick kiss and moved toward the door.
"I love you more. I'll see you tonight when you get home, ok?"
"Absolutely. I DVR'd some stuff this weekend….we'll have time tonight, right?"
"Wouldn't be anywhere else. Have a good day, love."
"Back at ya, B," Kurt waved, heading down the stairs.
"I'm sorry to ask, Ginny," Thad whispered to the woman near the door, "but would you mind, terribly, if I wedged a chair in here?" The only other chair available was, of course, next to Micah…as if he'd been saving it on purpose. Get. A. Clue. Thad had to fight the urge to glare at his co-worker.
"Oh, Thad, absolutely. Let me just…" she began, scooting her chair to the side as he grabbed a leftover seat against the wall and tugged it up to the table.
"I have this…I'm uh…medicine…the sunlight…not good for me, ya know?" He mumbled, hating the lie, but feeling as if it was necessary, lest she think he'd lost his mind. Cleary there was a chair available across the large conference table, but he wouldn't be putting his ass in it. No way, no how. Micah tilted his head at him as if he couldn't fathom why. For God's sake….
"I won't tell anyone you're a vampire, Thad. You're secret's safe with me," she whispered, her face serious.
"I…what? OH!" Thad laughed, rolled his eyes and shook his head, smiling. "It's not that, it's just…uh…" he started, but she cut him off.
"Big day Friday, huh?" She grinned.
"Yeah…yeah, can't wait," Thad grinned widely, thinking of Trent. "Everything's set to go, despite a couple of setbacks," he added, fighting the urge to look across the table and scowl.
"Glad to hear it. It's usually these last few days which are the most hectic and crazy. Someone must have been super on the ball for you to have nothing left to mess with!"
"I…well, it wasn't me, that's for sure," Thad laughed. "My fiancé…he's pretty amazing. He grabbed the reigns and never looked back," Thad smiled.
"Did you have any input whatsoever? I mean, it's your wedding, too, right?" Micah chimed in. Thad's teeth gnashed together painfully and his jaw ached.
"I did, of course. We've been together a long time and we were very good friends for years before that. He knows me as well as he knows himself. He knew what I'd like, but he asked anyway and some of the ideas we've implemented are all me…some are all him…but most are…us," Thad forced a smile, trying very hard to keep from adding "despite the shit you put us through."
"That's so sweet," Ginny sighed. "Trent's such a sweet man, and not too shabby in the eye candy department, either," she grinned, teasing Thad. Thad blushed hotly, grinning madly at the table and he let a small laugh escape.
"He is, really, the very best. I couldn't have found anyone more suited to me if I'd scoured the continent. And yeah, he's surely not hard to look at."
"I'm sure he's excited," she added.
"Absolutely…he's on top of the world, and his boss is super pumped to have our—" Thad began, then abruptly stopped. He didn't want to blurt out anything about the wedding that would give Micah any indication about what they'd planned, despite the fact he was absolutely certain that Micah knew…that he was the one who'd made the phone calls to cancel things. Thankfully, their boss, Tom, chose that moment to come into the conference room and start talking. Thad relaxed a little bit and picked up his pen to take a few notes. Micah kept his eyes on Thad throughout the whole meeting.
"You're doing this, then?" Micah asked, trailing behind Thad as they left the conference room. Thad ignored him and kept walking, picking up his pace. "Thad, really. I mean, ignoring me, really?"
"I don't have the time or the patience to speak with you…and to be totally honest, I really don't want to, Micah. Please leave me alone," Thad replied and he walked away, keeping his eyes in front of him and not sparing Micah even a glance. Neither of them noticed Ginny walking behind Micah listening intently.
"Thad…lunch plans?" Ginny asked, sticking her head around the wall of his cubicle an hour later.
"Uhh…no…not really. I was just gonna grab something downstairs…" he trailed off. Ginny had never asked him about his plans for lunch and he was rather thrown off balance.
"Can I buy you lunch today? Consider it a wedding gift?" She grinned. She was intrigued and wanted some time alone to speak with Thad, one on one.
For his part, Thad inwardly cringed, feeling a little guilty that they'd opted not to invite anyone from his place of employment except for his boss, Tom. Considering Thad had needed his ok to have days off for the wedding right at Thanksgiving, he thought it best to include the man in their special day so he'd have less of a reason to deny Thad the time off.
"I…sure. Yeah, what time are you going?"
"How about 11:45? I have a conference call around 11:30 and it shouldn't take too long. That work for you?" Ginny asked, smiling widely.
"Sure, I'll meet you by the elevators at 11:45 then," he said, offering a brief smile. As she waved and walked away, his cell phone buzzed.
Trent: Missing you already and I've only been here two hours.
Thad: Same. Busy, though, so the day is going fairly quickly. The quicker the better. Back to you, etc.
Trent: How was the meeting?
Thad: Don't ask.
Trent: But…I did. Ask, that is. That bad? Should I come down there and break out a can of whoop ass?
Thad: As much as I'd really love to see that, I also would love to marry you on Friday and I can't do that if you're in jail for assault…much as he might deserve it.
Trent: Is this your roundabout way of telling me I don't look good in stripes?
Thad: Ummmmmm….not for our wedding, no. Any other day, yes. Snort…
Trent: Snort?
Thad: I was just thinking of Kurt's expression if he saw you approach the officiant in prison stripes. Hahahahaaahaha. He may never speak to you again.
Trent: Very funny. VERY. FUNNY. See if I cook your favorite tonight!
Thad: Oh, here's something weird…remember Ginny?
Trent: The one from your floor who dates someone in the building you haven't been able to put your finger on yet? I liked her…she was sweet and bubbly!
Thad: She asked me out to lunch today. Said to call it an early wedding gift.
Trent: Shit, now even the ladies are after you. I'm on my way down there to pee on your leg. I've had more than enough of this!
Thad: I'm gonna get in trouble! Stop making me laugh out like that! You know it's not like that. I don't want anyone but you anyway, so even if it was like that, I'd put the kibosh on that like…yesterday.
Trent: Well, since you used kibosh in a sentence and made it sweet, I'll forgive you. Because I love you. More and more every single day. Have a good lunch and tell Ginny I said hello, will you?
Thad: I absolutely will. And babe? I only have eyes for you *grins*
Trent: Back at ya, hot stuff. Love you.
Thad: Love you, too.
"Sebastian! It's not about how much you make or who you work with, it's about not losing you! I don't know how many ways I can say it, you're my go-to guy and I don't want to lose you! I don't want the department to lose you. Halfway through that last statement I realized how it sounded. I want to be clear, the department can't afford to lose you. You're damn good at your job, you're on the ball with everyone in every department in this building and the governor trusts you implicitly. If he had any reason at all not to before, he sure as HELL does now. The guys look up to you and…shit…Seb, if you leave now they'll all think you're scared and you don't want that—"
"Ohhh, no. Don't you go trying to pull that psychological peer pressure bullshit on me, Jimmy. I won't stand for that and you know it. I'm not asking you to let me step down because I'm scared. I'm asking you because Hunter is a wad of nerves I can't contain right now. In a little bit I'll be back at it, but for now just let me do something safe in the office until he can take it all in and realize I'm going to be fine, alright?" Sebastian argued.
"So how long are we talking about then?"
"I dunno…two, three months maybe? I have to ease him back into it. Imagine how that had to have been for him, Jimmy, seeing me there on the operating table, not knowing what had happened, if I'd live or not and we just got married, damn it. He was absolutely freaked out, and I can't blame him! If the roles had been reversed I'd have him tied up at home in double knots, unable to leave the house!"
Jimmy faltered for a second, eyes blinking quickly, breath catching, and Sebastian heard his own words over again in his head.
"NOT LIKE THAT YOU ASS!" Sebastian bellowed, trying not to laugh, but failing. "Much as I might want to, and much as he'd enjoy it…he certainly likes being restrained…" Sebastian trailed off, teasing Jimmy. The poor man cleared his throat and tried to pull himself together.
"Look, Seb, I'll see what I can do and pull some strings if I can. Don't get your hopes up, though. The only thing on your side here is that you have a lot of paperwork to fill out regarding the incident and the higher ups want a one-on-one. They're most interested in hearing how you knew something was going on and what you found that pointed you toward those three guys in particular. You'll have at least a bit of down time with that, and until your stitches come out, you have to be on desk duty….protocol, etc. Like I said, let me see, ok?"
"That's all I can ask for, man. Thanks…I appreciate your help. And I know you're only doing it for Hunter, and not me," Sebastian laughed. Jimmy cleared his throat again and fidgeted in his chair only to quickly stand up and move toward the door.
"You know that's not…it isn't…I don't…Oh stuff it, Smythe!" He growled before storming from the room in a huff. Sebastian found himself sitting behind his desk laughing from his belly for the first time in weeks before yelling after a retreating Jimmy, "It's technically Clarington-Smythe now, ya know!"
"So I hope you don't mind me saying so, but the tension between you and Micah was so thick I was considering hanging a few pieces of framed art on it," Ginny forced a questioning grin. Thad shifted in his chair at the restaurant and averted his eyes. It was then, and only then, that Ginny questioned what she'd seen. Oh God, was there…was something going on between them? Had she misjudged what she'd seen as hostility when it was really sexual tension?
"He uh…he's not exactly my favorite person right now," Thad said, and it was clear that there was strain in his voice.
"Oh, well, I don't want to pry or anything…"
"You're not. It's just not common knowledge because I keep him at arm's length - for a reason. He um…" Thad began, his cheeks pink and flushed, "he apparently has a crush, which has gone horribly wrong and caused all kinds of issues and problems and I don't know how to put an end to all of it. I tried being kind, sensitive, non-confrontational, but that didn't work out. He doesn't pick up the clue phone when it rings, ya know?" He said, forcing a smile which came out as more of a grimace.
"Oh no, well…I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things haven't gotten to the point where you can't function together at work?"
"Can I be perfectly honest with you? I need for you to give me your word that you won't mention what I'm about to tell you?"
"Absolutely, Thad, I mean…unless you're about to tell me you've been embezzling from the company?" she smirked.
"No, nothing like that." Thad rolled his eyes, still uncertain he should say what was on his mind, but sure that his plan was the right thing to do in the end. "I'm looking for another job. Working with him is just not an option anymore and the woman I've worked with in HR isn't doing anything to assist me with everything he's done. I know a lot of it has happened at work, and if I can't get the people here to stand behind me, then there's no future for me here. I can't work with him, not after what he's done to Trent and me."
"Oh my God, Thad, what's happened? You can't leave!" She gasped dramatically. "You're such an integral part of our team. It would be a travesty to lose you. Have you told Tom about this?" she asked, mentioning their boss.
"I have. I went to him first, and he couldn't get rid of me fast enough. Sent me straight to HR and washed his hands of it. I won't call him homophobic, because I truly don't think that's the issue, but I don't think he had the first inkling how to handle a male / male sexual harassment issue."
"Can I ask what Micah's done? And more importantly, who you've been working with in HR? I can't…it's hard to believe you'd go to them with something big enough to cause you to want to leave and they'd leave any stone unturned."
Thad spent the next half hour outlining everything that Micah had done, from basically following him from Atlanta, to the sexual innuendo he flung out carelessly, harassing Thad with little inappropriate gifts and notes, and finally their suspicions of the cancellation of all of their wedding plans. He told her who he'd been dealing with in HR and she shook her head sadly, unsure what to say.
"I'm utterly without words, Thad. Truly, I am. This is beyond anything I thought you might tell me and I'm so sorry you've had to deal with all of this mess. I always thought he was such a nice guy. To see him, you'd think he was a stand-up guy, a team player and a go getter. Unfortunately, what he wants to go get isn't there for the picking, is it?" She gave a sad look and pushed her food around on her plate a little bit. "Is there anything I can do? I mean, besides run interference? I'd really hate to see you go."
"Ya know, if you can run interference that would be spectacular. Make sure I'm not on call with him. See to it that I'm not put on projects with him…at least not alone. They did that to me last month and it was everything I had not to break him in half. I couldn't even tell Trent. He would have gone insane wondering what Micah was up to. It's really shaken him and I was sort of put off by that at first, wondering if he didn't trust me, but the more I thought about it, I know I'd be absolutely the same if the situation were reversed. He's fierce, my fiancé," Thad grinned and finally looked a little looser than he'd been when they came in.
"Listen….if there was a way to try and help you, and I thought I could handle that…would you be ok with me looking into something?" Ginny asked, a scheming gleam in her eyes.
"I don't want to become the subject of office gossip, Ginny. I'd just rather keep anything about him on the down-low, ya know? I don't want people whispering behind my back."
"Oh no, I get that, I do. I want to see what calls were made from his work phone. You know they're monitored, right? I mean, anyone who calls gets that reminder…'your call may be monitored for quality and training purposes…'" she mimicked. "That goes for outgoing calls as well, ya know?" They both snickered at her rendition.
"If you have ways of finding things that I don't have access to, then you do what you wanna do. With any luck, I'll find something quickly and be away from him. But thank you…for listening and for wanting to help. I haven't told anyone at work besides Tom and that woman in HR. You can see how much that's helped me!" He said, rolling his eyes.
"Let me just give it a go, ok? I won't promise anything, but I'd like to peek in on things with your permission. I have a feeling there's more here than meets the eye."
Kurt had worked especially hard for the three days he'd been at the loft that week. He knew they'd all be off Thursday and with Trent and Thad's wedding on Friday, and of course all of the sales, he knew there was no way in hell he was going in to work. So here he was, Wednesday night, putting the finishing touches on everything he was taking to Cris' for Thanksgiving.
He knew he'd miss his dad and Carole, but he couldn't make himself get too bent up about it. They'd be with family, since Finn and Rachel went home, and he'd be with his newly acquired family as well – Cooper, Maggie, Evee, Mattie, Cris…and Bill. Kurt was uncertain how that was going to go, but it had been pretty smooth sailing with Cris' new beau so far, so he kept his fingers crossed and put the lid on his sweet potato casserole, shoving it in the fridge.
"You're sure you don't wanna go to the bar tonight?" Kurt asked Blaine, who sat in the living room, dressed to the nines, waiting on Kurt to finish and change his clothes.
They had reservations at Aria's tonight since Blaine didn't have to work, and Blaine had big plans. For the love of God, and all that was holy, he hoped that he could get the job done tonight. He absently ran a hand over his pocket, feeling the ring there, and turned to reply to Kurt.
"Nope. I spend enough time there. I knew weeks ago he was bringing a bigger name band in tonight. If you don't wanna go to Aria's—"
"NO! I do, I really do, Blaine. I just wanted to make sure you weren't just doing this for me, ya know? I know I was whining the other day about how we don't go out much, but that's as much my fault as anything, what with me working late all the time. Our schedules just…well, you know."
"I do, so that's why I called in a favor for tonight. You deserve a night out, and it's not often we're both off and able to do this. I miss it…'dating you'," Blaine grinned, love shining in his eyes as he stood and walked over to Kurt. He placed his palms on Kurt's cheeks, then leaned in to kiss him thoroughly. "I miss being with you. My hope is that when I start working with Jeff that we'll have more time together…both of us working days and all that."
"Mmmm, that'll be nice. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to go to bed at the same time as you."
"I can remind you tonight if you want?" Blaine asked, voice low and lusty.
"I…ok, yeah. I'd like that very much," Kurt flirted back.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah…now let me change or we'll miss our reservation. We can't have that, I'm starving and I want their salmon again."
"Priorities…" Blaine laughed. "I see where I fit in here!" He teased Kurt, slapping him on the ass. "Go get changed before I have YOU for dinner!"
Kurt sauntered off down the hall, throwing a coy glance over his shoulder. "Maybe for dessert if you're a good boy?"
Blaine growled and huffed out a frustrated breath. Suddenly he'd lost his appetite for food and only wanted Kurt. But…he was on a mission tonight and he wouldn't let anything get in his way. It would be perfect. It had to be. This was for Kurt, and if it wasn't perfect, it wasn't good enough for his Kurt.
Perfect turned out to be less than pleasant. The couple seated at the table beside them at dinner, a tall, thin, weasel-y and unattractive man and a petite, busty blonde, did nothing but argue and bicker throughout their meals, often raising their voices enough that the people around them would turn and cast wary glances their way. The arguing couple didn't seem to notice or care, but Blaine did. He wasn't in the frame of mind to ask Kurt anything as important as "Will you marry me?" with these rude, inconsiderate people making a mockery of their intimate dinner.
They were both obviously a little tense and, although the food was impeccable, they were forcing conversation which was often interrupted by the hisses and whines from the table beside them. Blaine was so frustrated he could barely put food on his fork. He was also beginning to think this whole "ask Kurt" plan was doomed and he should just put it off for a bit. Were the gods trying to tell him something? With a sigh he tried to lighten the mood a bit.
"Soo…Christmas? Are we going to Lima or would you rather invite Burt and Carole up here to stay with us? Either way is fine with me…" Blaine offered, taking a bite of his prime rib.
"I hadn't given it much thought yet, actually. Do you have a preference?"
"Not really…I mean, we don't have to decide this minute or-" Blaine began, only to be rudely cut off.
"…because you KNOW you weren't at Jay's apartment and I know you weren't at Jay's apartment, so why don't you just man up and tell me what the hell's going on!?" This came from the next table, harsh and loud. Kurt cringed and Blaine let his eyes fall closed, biting his bottom lip. With a smile, Blaine continued.
"It would be nice to be able to show them around the city, but I know you probably have Christmas traditions that you do back home that you don't want to miss out on."
"We do, and there are things I'd like to include you in as well…if you'd want to go home with me? I don't want to leave you at Christmas time, B."
"Of course, Kurt, I mean…anything you want we can-
"…living a lie for the past three years, Angela, and trying to act like everything is normal…"
Kurt squeezed his fork a bit too tightly and Blaine saw his knuckles go white. He was trying so hard to ignore them, but it was impossible at some points. They were loud, then they were hissing whispers, then loud again. Blaine noticed Aria give the table a cautious glance from the front of the restaurant, then turn and say something to Zayne, who approached their couples' table with a smile.
"Good evening. Are you enjoying your dinner tonight?" Zayne asked, his smile wide and appeasing.
"Everything's fine." The man answered tersely. It was clear to him that Zayne was trying to see how far along they were in their meal so hopefully they'd leave as soon as possible.
"I see you're nearly finished. Would you like to order dessert? We have an absolutely fantastic Dutch Apple Pie ala mode tonight, as well as a seven layer chocolate cake and Bananas Foster—" Zayne began, only to be interrupted.
"No dessert tonight—"
"Oh screw you, Tim, if I want dessert, I'll eat dessert!" The woman nearly screeched. "Bananas Foster, please," She smiled way too sweetly, then sneered at her husband.
Blaine had to hold back the groan that sat on his tongue. This was absolutely not working out….again. But, he wasn't giving up just yet. Perhaps they'd have dessert and then leave? He actually crossed his fingers under the table and went back to his conversation with Kurt.
"Tell me about Christmas at your house?" Blaine grinned, reaching across to fold the fingers of his free hand around Kurt's. The other hand stayed under the table, fingers still crossed, just for good measure.
"I know a lot of people get their tree weeks before Christmas, but we always wait until just a few days before, if not Christmas Eve. Everyone's there to decorate it with the lights and the ornaments. Finn puts the star on top because he's eight feet tall, of course…" Kurt snickered, as did Blaine. "We always watch A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life" while we bake cookies and have eggnog and spiced cider—"
"…just saying, you could do without a few desserts these days, Angela. Those pants are showing a panty line and they never used to-"
"Oh screw YOU, Tim! I bought these pants last week! This is the first time I've worn them, so how would you know if they ever showed panty lines before!?"
Blaine took a deep breath and forced another grin, which was more of a grimace. He cleared his throat loudly, casting a quick glance toward the next table, hoping they'd get a clue. Zayne led the waiter and a rolling cart to the table beside them, Bananas Foster already in the pan and just waiting on the flames that finished it. Blaine set his jaw, knowing that they probably had another half hour with their unwanted dinner companions.
"Well, they're showing panty lines now, aren't they?!" Tim griped, sitting back and throwing his napkin onto his plate. Angela stood quickly and turned her backside right into Kurt's face.
"Can you see panty lines here?" She asked aggressively. Kurt was momentarily stunned, rearing back in his chair to move away from her butt.
"I…what?" He stuttered, clearly confused, as was Blaine.
"My ASS. Do you see panty lines on my ass?" She repeated, eyes wide and clearly trying to make a point to her husband, who was fuming now. The man shook his head subtly and rolled his eyes at Kurt and Blaine with a nasty sneer. The waiter, paying as little attention to the argument as possible, continued assembling the dessert between the two tables, adding the liquor and reaching for the torch to set it aflame as a finishing touch.
"Seriously, you're flaunting your ass to the fag and asking—"
"So help me, God, you better shut your damn mouth right now or I'll shut it for you!" Blaine hissed furiously, attempting to be quiet, yet standing quickly and leaning into the man's space. He had put up with this man's bullshit for the better part of an hour and a half now, and he wasn't about to sit and listen to this jackass insult Kurt and call him names. He'd had absolutely enough of it. "What is your problem? You've ruined our dinner and that of everyone around you this evening," Blaine accused him, waving a hand at everyone who was now staring accusingly at the rude couple. "We came here to have a nice, romantic date and we've had to listen to you bicker and argue all night! You're rude, obnoxious and absolutely a despicable person if you use that sort of language in polite company. You don't know us, you don't know me or my boyfriend and you surely don't get to use that word about him; not around me, anyway. I will politely ask you to remove yourselves from the restaurant because Zayne and Aria are too classy and too kind to do so. I, on the other hand, am not. Now you may get up and move right now or I'll move you myself!" Blaine growled.
Kurt sat there, speechless, unable to move, his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide. He'd never seen Blaine like this before and he was equally stunned and so turned on he could barely think.
"Who do you—" Tim began, realizing he couldn't stand up without actually bumping into Blaine, he was that close.
"I know who I am!" Blaine hissed, attempting to keep his voice to a low roar. "I'm Blaine Anderson, and I'm the guy who's gonna drag your sorry ass out of this establishment in about ten seconds if you don't take your wife and get the hell out right now, right after you apologize to Kurt for your rude comment. This restaurant belongs to my good friends and they do not need people like you here, making a spectacle of yourself and ruining the dining experience of everyone within earshot. Now, do I have to ask you again?"
Blaine was so angry he was shaking and he made quite the intimidating figure when he was wound up. His eyes were wild and his jaw was tense. It was clear he wasn't just blowing smoke and Tim was well aware of it.
"If you touch me, I'll call the cops," Tim said, his bravado all but gone now.
"I already have," Zayne said levelly, coming to stand behind Blaine. "I'm asking you to leave, as the proprietor of this establishment. You have upset our customers, you've been rude and loud, and you've used slurs which we don't condone here or anywhere else. You are no longer welcome, and the police are on their way to escort you out if you don't leave peacefully right now."
Blaine stepped back, feeling the adrenaline subsiding and feeling a bit light headed. He held on to the back of his chair and tried to calm himself down. Tim went to stand, throwing a disgusted look at Angela, then at Kurt.
"You will apologize to my boyfriend before you go," Blaine said tightly, pulling himself up to his full height and squaring his shoulders. Tim only offered him a sneer before rolling his eyes.
"I'm sorry…" he began, then his face broke into a grin. "I'm sorry your boyfriend is a fag—"
Everything happened so quickly it was a blur. Tim threw a sucker punch at Blaine, catching him just on the outside of his left eye and caused him to stumble backwards a step, but he stood firmly on the ground, eyes wide with shock and…oh no…absolute fury. Kurt stood quickly and nearly knocked Angela to the floor to get around the table to Blaine. Zayne shoved Tim back into his chair roughly, turning to Blaine to see if he was ok. Angela screeched at Tim that he was an idiot, then backed away from the table, thoroughly appalled. As Blaine realized what had happened, he shot forward, absolutely ready to pummel Tim where he sat but just then, Kurt stepped in and stopped him, a hand on Blaine's sleeve, another on his cheek, and calm words in his ear.
"Blaine…Blaine! Don't…he's so not worth this. Don't do this, ok? I'm alright and the cops are on the way. We don't want this to blow up more than it has. Come with me to the kitchen, I'm certain Aria will have something we can put some ice in for your eye," Kurt soothed. "I'm good, we're fine, baby, don't worry…he's an asshole and he has no bearing on us or—"
"…started the whole thing, damn fags!" Tim spit, trying to stand again and knocking over the wheeled cart containing the, now, nearly flameless Bananas Foster. Unfortunately the flame hadn't burned all the way out, and as it crashed into Kurt and Blaine's table, it spilled, lighting the table cloth on fire.
"You imbecile!" Zayne roared at Tim as they all scrambled to get away from the flaming cloth.
Blaine picked up the water pitcher from a nearby wait station and threw it on the table, putting the majority of the flames out. Several others grabbed their own water glasses and tossed them on the table as well, dousing the rest of the flames as well as the remainder of Kurt and Blaine's dinner. Tim was left in his chair, unsure what to do, but aware that he'd truly screwed up.
Blaine, unwilling to let it go, especially now, grabbed the man by his collar and hauled him to his feet.
"You will apologize to Zayne and Aria for this mess, and then you will APOLOGIZE. TO. MY. BOYFRIEND." He said, his voice deadly and low now.
"Fuck you—" Tim spit, sneering as he tried to shove Blaine away.
That was it. Blaine had mentally reached a wall he, thankfully, hadn't had to scale in a long, long while. He'd had enough of this man's crap, his nasty attitude and his ugly words. With his fingers twisted in Tim's collar, Blaine pulled his right arm back, nailed him straight between the eyes and felt Tim's nose break under his knuckles. As Tim hit the floor, the cops walked through the front door.
"Sebastian, stop it. I won't say it again. When you're healed up properly, we'll fool around, but until then—"
"Until then, I'll just sit over here, shriveling up and dying because my husband won't touch me," Sebastian whined like a petulant toddler. He threaded his arms around Hunter's midsection and set his chin on the man's shoulder from behind. "I'm fine, Hunter. My stitches come out on Friday morning and there's no reason—"
"There's every reason, Sebastian. We don't want to start all over again with it."
"Doc said I could go to the gym and run this morning! How is that any different than screwing around with you!?" Sebastian argued, half whining now. Hunter was adamant, though. Sebastian had figured on wearing him down, flirting outrageously and just being his sexy self in general but it wasn't working. He'd walked around nearly naked all day and Sebastian was well aware that his husband was staring hungrily. If he tried really hard, maybe, he thought, he could get Hunter hot and bothered enough to give in. But Hunter was hard headed and strict and he wasn't taking any chances with Seb's health.
"If you loved me—"
"Don't, Seb. Just don't. You know I love you, and you know how badly I want to touch you, but frankly I'm afraid and I don't want to…to push it. I just…what if it's too soon?"
"I'll just lay there! Ride me and let me just lay there. How can you hurt me if we—"
"You have stitches in your HIP, Sebastian!" Hunter wailed.
"They're all but gone. I know how careful you'll be—"
"I'm going….out. Somewhere. For a few minutes. I just need some air," Hunter huffed, and slipped out the front door without another word.
Sebastian sighed, knowing he was pushing and probably too hard. But it had been two weeks and he felt ok, except for his nearly constant dick at half-mast he was sporting every day. Something had to give. Sebastian was losing his mind.
"Anderson!" The officer yelled as he walked back toward the cell Blaine sat in, his head in his hands and his eye and head throbbing from the constant bitching and complaining coming from none other than that asshole from the restaurant. He'd been listening to Tim, in the next cell, run his mouth constantly since he'd regained consciousness after Blaine left him knocked out cold on the floor of the restaurant.
Blaine stood and walked to the bars, waiting to hear what the police had to say now, as they were quite unwilling to listen at the restaurant.
"Now what?" he asked, no snark at all in his tone, just fatigue.
"You're free to go," the officer offered, keys in the lock as he swung the cell door open. Blaine's eyes opened wider.
"WHAT!?" Tim bellowed, jumping up to verbally accost the officer. "What the hell do you mean he's free to go? He…he accosted me in a public place!" Blaine resisted the urge to snicker at Tim's new-found speech impediment, what with his nose broken. He sounded like he had cork stuck in his nostrils. Blaine shrugged as he walked to the cell door and didn't feel a bit bad about anything that happened.
"Stuff it and have a seat. You'll be here for a while from what I've heard…" the officer replied, a slight grin on his face and his eyes wary.
"Really? I'm free to go?" Blaine asked, surprised. "An hour ago you were berating me and telling me how long I'd be in here. Have the cows, indeed, already come home?"
"Don't get mouthy on me, kid. Clearly you have a host of supporters, and they all seem to have the same story about what happened at the restaurant this evening. Tonight you go home with no charges filed. Self-defense they said. I don't buy it—"
"You weren't there." Blaine shuffled through the door, down the hall and out to the front of the station where he'd come in earlier, spotting Kurt glaring hotly at the officer behind the barred window, a small group of eight or ten people with Kurt who were strangers to Blaine. As he walked through the door, the group noticed him and the women cooed and the men grumbled… and Blaine was momentarily dumbfounded. Kurt turned and hustled into Blaine's arms, pressing soft kisses to his face as he led Blaine away from the officer behind him.
"Oh my God, are you ok? Look at this, Blaine! All of these people were at the restaurant tonight and they came to give their statements about what happened, that Tim and Anglea were loud and disruptive, that Tim was verbally abusive to us and that he threw the first punch and you were clearly just defending yourself!" Kurt was out of breath when he finished and his arms were tight around Blaine's neck. Somehow, without looking, Blaine knew Kurt was throwing his best bitch glare at the officer behind him, and he was glad.
"I can't believe you all…." Blaine began, looking to the group assembled there. "Thank you so much…really, just…I can't thank you enough for taking the time to come down here."
"Young man, let me be the first to admit that I wish it had been me who got to clock that jerk in the face," and older gentleman said, a glimmer of mischief in his eye. Several of the men and a couple of the women murmured in agreement, all of them stepping forward to make sure he was ok.
"Oh, honey, your eye. You'll need to get some ice on that, you hear? Or maybe a good, cold steak," one of the elderly ladies added, her fingers running softly over his bruised skin.
"I will, I promise, just as soon as we get home," Blaine told her, his smile warm for her as well. "I can go home now, right?" he asked, turning to the officer who'd led him out from the small cell next to a very agitated Tim. Angela was nowhere to be seen.
"You're free to go," the officer answered frostily. "Your friend back there, on the other hand, isn't so lucky."
"He's no friend of mine, and he can rot in there for all I care," Blaine replied, already walking away, the crowd ahead of him already through the door and dispersing. "Oh! My things…" Blaine began, as they reached the door. "You go ahead, I'll be right out, Kurt. Grab a cab?" Blaine asked, aware that they'd probably itemize everything they'd taken from him when he'd been brought in…the ring included. Kurt nodded and walked out the door as Blaine turned back and was handed a large envelope with his things: shoestrings, wallet, phone, handkerchief, gum, belt…and the gleaming, beautiful ring he'd wanted to offer to Kurt over dinner. With a sigh and a huff, he shoved everything back into his pockets, put his belt on and walked out the front door without looking back. This was NOT how he'd planned for the night to go.
"Kurt, I'm sorry about din—"
"Please….just leave it alone. Don't talk until we get home, Blaine." Kurt's tone was off and Blaine didn't know what to make of it when he slid into the back seat of the cab Kurt held for them at the curb.
"But I—"
"Blaine…please?" Kurt said again, his tone firm, but his voice shaky. He wouldn't make eye contact with Blaine at all, but didn't shy from Blaine's hand when he wove his fingers through Kurt's.
Blaine felt as if he were firmly in the dog house, and he supposed he couldn't blame Kurt for being a little upset. Their dinner had been ruined and he'd caused a scene. Now he'd just have to go home and take the verbal lashing he was sure he'd get from Kurt the minute the door closed behind them. Oh God, unless Kurt just gave him the silent treatment? That was worse, he was sure of it. When Kurt got angry and didn't speak, Blaine unraveled. He hated that…hated not knowing what Kurt was thinking. They didn't often fight or argue, so when they did it was still something new and Blaine had yet to figure out how to handle angry and upset Kurt; well, with kid gloves, he thought.
They rode through the streets of New York in silence, the lights bright and the city alive as always. The driver glanced in the mirror now and again, obviously wondering why they were so quiet. Surely it wasn't normal for two people to sit in the back of a cab in utter silence.
Blaine stared out the window thinking of how awkward the following day would be if Kurt wouldn't speak to him at his mom's house. What if Kurt decided not to go at all? Oh God, Cris would be so upset…with him. And he'd be in the doghouse with his mom, as well as with Kurt. This night just got better and better.
Finally they pulled up in front of their building. Kurt paid the driver and hopped out, not sparing a glance for Blaine at all. He jogged up the front steps and let the door slam behind him before Blaine had even hit the bottom step. With a deep sigh, Blaine decided to man up and take his medicine. He just hoped nobody was home to hear him having his ass handed to him Kurt Hummel style.
Seb was on the sofa when Hunter came back home an hour later, a bag of hot subs in one hand and a two liter of soda in the other. He had a sheepish look on his face and it told Sebastian everything he needed to know. Hunter left because he was way too turned on, not because he was angry. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his husband.
"Peace offering?" Hunter said softly, sitting next to him on the sofa. "What are we watching?"
"I recorded The Walking Dead so we could watch it together."
"You waited to watch it with me?" Hunter grinned, knocking shoulders with Sebastian.
"I did. It's always more entertaining watching with you…what with the way you always have a running commentary on what's wrong."
"What do you mean!? I don't do that," Hunter laughed, unwrapping their food.
"You do, too. Don't try to tell me you don't. Last week you talked through half the show about how it was obvious none of the walkers died wearing bright clothing. Clearly you were slated to die if you were wearing grey, black or brown."
"Shut up! It's true! Have you seen even one walker with a yellow or red shirt or maybe a bright blue skirt? Seriously…" Hunter laughed, shoving his sandwich in his mouth.
"I'm sorry," Sebastian offered after a few minutes of silence.
"I am, too. I just worry about you."
"I know you do, and I should be more considerate of your feelings. I just miss you…us…what we do."
"I'm missing you more than you know. It's killing me. Perhaps tomorrow…maybe…we can…experiment?"
"Tomorrow sounds good, Hunt," Seb smiled, digging into his food and turning his attention back to the TV.
A/N Well, this chapter was twice this long, and by my estimation...unfinished. So, Suzanne suggested I cut it in half to save you from reading a gazillion pages all at once and turning into a zombie! The good news is that the next chapter is already mostly written now! Yay...less wait! Thanks to Suzanne, as well, for her beta skills...even though I went in and changed a few things after she sent it back. So, mistakes are all mine.
Also...and this is important...a huge thanks to Lynne for recommending The Escape on her blog. I got lots of fun messages and reviews because you sent people to check it out, so thanks for that! Also, to whoever recommended Crowded House on one of the Klaine Fan Fiction pages...maybe also Lynne? I don't know, but a big thanks to whoever it was. You rock!
Lastly, I appreciate when people follow my stories, I really do...but when they're complete, there's not really any reason to follow it, I guess. Instead, I urge you to just follow me, as the writer, and then any time I put out something new (new chapter OR new story) you'll be informed right away. If you're only following a story, and it's complete, you're just sorta stuck there and there won't be updates or notifications on anything :(
Hugs to all of ya, and I hope you're well! Thanks for reading and always keeping Crowded House part of your day!