Hello everyone! Welcome to the newest story! Before we get started, we have a few things to explain about this fic. 1) Warning right now, this WILL have sex in it and quite a bit. It won't right away, but there will be talk of sex. If this bothers you, this might not be the story for you. We have written other stories that have little to no sex in them so you can check those out if that's more your speed. Pm if you have concerns. 2) While we have done some research, we bend the rules and reality for how the music industry works, so if there are glaring mistakes, we apologize. It's just for fun! 3) This will be a longer story and we are not quite sure how many chapters exactly it will be, but we will give fair warning before the end. There will also be some time jumps, but we will do our best to indicate that at the beginning of each chapter. 4) This fic is named after a Halestorm song that will be used in the next chapter. We use a lot of their songs for the band because they just have the right sound for them. Basically we will be using music as if the band wrote it, however we will give credit to original artists at the end of all chapters.

Warnings: No warnings for this chapter, but individual chapter warnings will be noted!

Disclaimer: we do not own Glee or the music mentioned!

This is technically a prologue, but we are calling it chapter one because it annoys us when the numbers are off. Lol. That's all, we finally will shut up and hope you enjoy! - A and K

February 17th

Blaine Anderson pushed his glasses up with a knuckle and poured some cream into the soup he was making, humming a little tune. His tie was loosened and thrown over his shoulder while his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he stood at his stove. He hoped his fiancé would be pleased having a delicious dinner and some brownies warm and waiting for him by the time he got home. They could have a nice little date night, something that they hadn't gotten to do in awhile. They hadn't even gotten to do anything for Valentine's Day since they had been so busy with work, chores around the apartment, wedding planning, and more work.

Blaine frowned. Sebastian had been working too hard. They both had, to be honest. Maybe they needed to take a little vacation and relax. He smiled at that. He would bring that up tonight along with some decisions they needed to make for the reception.

The front door was opened and Blaine looked over his shoulder as his fiancé entered the kitchen, pulling at his own tie and removing it. Blaine smiled at him and moved the pot off the stove.

"Dinner is ready! Let me just grab the bread! I made it with mom's recipe! I think it's better than the last batch. Oh! I also made those caramel brownies you love!"

Sebastian set his work bag down in a chair at their little kitchen table. He sunk down into another one and began massaging his temples.

Blaine eyed him. See, he was stressed! Pulling on his oven mitts, Blaine shook his head and pulled the sweet smelling dessert out of the oven before setting them to cool on a rack on the counter. He rid himself of his mitts and grabbed the little basket of bread he had prepared and then the pot of soup. These he carried to the small table and set them down, chattering the whole way.

"I know it's kind of late in the season for soup, but it's technically still winter and I wanted something to go with the bread, so here we are. I hope you like it. There's a salad too—"

"Blaine. We need to talk."

Sebastian's tone was serious and it made Blaine a little concerned something had happened.

"Seb? Everything okay?"

He looked up at Blaine grimly. "Just have a seat, please."

Blaine sat down beside him and settled his hand over Sebastian's. His ornate gold ring winked in the light. "Can I have a kiss first? You forgot when you came in."

Sebastian didn't answer him. He pulled his hand from Blaine's.

"I don't want to get married anymore."

The tick of the wall clock echoed loud in the silence.

"Seb, we talked about this! You know how important a wedding is to me. I have scaled back and really worked hard so we aren't spending as much money on it like we talked about, but I can only do so much!" Blaine wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the steam rising from the soup pot. "It's not fair for you to get to make all the decisions since I do most of the work of planning! I mean, it's just family and a few friends for god's sake—"

Sebastian rubbed his eyes and then dropped his hands to his lap. "No, you don't understand. I don't want to get married at all. To you. I want to end it."

Blaine's heart sunk and his mouth opened in shock. "But… What? Why?" He willed himself not to cry. "Why?"

Sebastian sighed and looked at his hands. "I guess I do owe you an explanation. It's just something I've been thinking about for awhile. I applied for a job as a travel photographer with my work and I got it. I want to be free. No commitments. I'm tired of doing the same thing over and over everyday."

"We can travel together!" Blaine tried. "I was just thinking we needed a vacation. We don't have to get married! Not yet! I'll take some time off work and—"

"No," Sebastian said firmly. "I want to be able to be with who I want to. I've realized I don't want to be with one person for the rest of my life."

Blaine couldn't stop the tears forever. His vision blurred the dinner set in front of him. "But, why did you ask me if you didn't want me? I love you, Sebastian." His voice cracked on Sebastian's name.

"I was in love you when I asked." He avoided Blaine's searching eyes. "I don't know. I just don't feel it anymore. I feel trapped." He winced at Blaine's sharp gasp.

"So you don't love me?" Now it was very evident Blaine was crying. He felt like cold water had been injected into his veins and a baseball had been lodged in his throat.

"Blaine, I'm sorry." He finally looked at him. "I'm just trying to be really honest here. This is how I feel. Would you rather me go through with something I'm not sure about and end up hurting you worse and embarrassing us when we have to get a divorce?"

"No!" Blaine sobbed. "Of course not!" He wiped at his eyes. "I want you to be honest. I just don't understand where this is all coming from."

"Come on, you know this has been coming for a while," Sebastian said. "We get on each other's nerves all the time."

"You don't get on my nerves! I barely see you!"

"Exactly! I work as much as I can so I don't have to come home! You annoy me! I already have a mom, but you're always fussing over me like I'm a child!"

Blaine felt his heart shatter. He thought he was showing Sebastian how much he cared, but that hurt. "Maybe we could try couple's therapy?"

"No, I don't think so." Sebastian stood and gathered up his work bag and discarded tie. "Look, I'm going to go stay with a friend until I can get all my stuff moved out. I'm sorry about the rent. I'll pay it for the next month. I start my job next week so I'll be out of here by Wednesday—"

"Seb, you don't have to rush! Take your time. And you don't have to leave! You can stay until Thursday…"

Sebastian frowned in confusion. "Why would I stay longer? Listen, I'm really sorry, but I have to do this. You'll thank me later."

Blaine just cried as silently as he could as Sebastian retrieved a previously packed bag. God, he felt so stupid. How long had Sebastian been trying to leave him? He stared at the spot over by the window where, almost a year ago, Sebastian had arranged candles and flowers and gotten down on one knee to ask him to marry him. They had been so happy. Once.

"Uh, there's one more thing," Sebastian said as he stood in front of Blaine who was sagging in his chair. He shuffled his feet a little awkwardly and massaged his own shoulder. Blaine looked up hopefully and stared into the eyes he thought were his forever. The one person who chose him and never would leave. He felt sick and devastated and destroyed all at once. He must have looked pathetic, because Sebastian gave him that pitying look when Blaine did something absent-minded.

"What?"

"The ring," he said apologetically. "It's a family heirloom and if I left it…"

Sebastian may as well have punched him in the gut. He nodded, more tears filling his eyes as he worked the ring he barely removed off of his finger. He handed the heavy gold ring back to Sebastian and tried to breathe. At least now he wouldn't have to spend weeks trying to gather the strength to take it off. Might as well rip it off like a bandaid, exposing his raw and bleeding heart. Sebastian took it from his shaking hands and dropped it into his pocket before picking up his bags.

"I really am sorry," his now ex said as he stood in the doorway. "I'll come get my things while you're at work so I don't bother you."

Then he was gone.

Blaine allowed himself to crumble then, sobs wracking his body. As his dinner turned cold, so did his body. All he could think about was all the others who had left in his life. Sebastian was the one that was supposed to stay. So why did he leave too?

February 22nd

Blaine trudged up the steps to his apartment, work bag over his shoulder and carrying a small white box in his other hand. He sighed as he unlocked his door and paused before opening it. Sebastian had been true to his word and moved things out of the apartment while he was gone, but a delay with some furniture made Blaine a little hopeful that he would still be here today. Then he wouldn't have to be alone.

But he was disappointed, of course, because the apartment echoed his calls back to him, bouncing off of spaces that used to hold Sebastian's things. He had hoped Sebastian would at least stay to say goodbye, as if their two year relationship had meant something to him, but no. All that he left was half of the rent and a box on the counter filled with every picture of the two of them. Sebastian took his picture frames.

Blaine hadn't realized he had tears left, but as he lifted the shoebox lid and saw one of their engagement pictures on the top of the pile, more filled his eyes and dripped down his face. He dropped the lid back down and nudged his glasses aside with his wrist so that he could swipe them away. He had been crying so much this week that contacts had been too uncomfortable.

He turned back to the box and sighed. No more crying. Enough was enough.

He opened the box he had brought and scooped out a single cupcake. A candle in the middle finished the job, but just as he was about to light it, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" He cleared his throat. "Mom?"

"Hey sweetie! Happy birthday!"

He smiled briefly in the darkness and sat at their- his kitchen table in front of the cupcake.

"Thanks."

"Of course! Are you having a good day? Oh gosh! Is Sebastian taking you to dinner? I'm not interrupting am I?"

Blaine's gaze slid down to the lonely little cupcake. "No. Actually… I have something to tell you…"

He was proud of himself for only crying five times during his story. His mother gasped several times and was muttering under her breath by the end of it.

"That's just despicable! Ooh, I'd love to ring his smarmy little neck! I always knew he was no good! You remember I said that when you got engaged!"

Blaine closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a finger. "Yes. I know mom. I'm the biggest idiot ever."

"Oh. Oh sweetie, no." Her voice shifted from irate to soothing. Blaine wished she was there to give him a hug or lay his head in her lap while she played with his curls. She used to do that when he was a child. "This isn't your fault!"

Blaine made a noncommittal noise.

"Blaine Devon Anderson! You listen to me! He's the asshole, just up and leaving you on your birthday of all days! You are a wonderful person and you don't deserve to be abandoned like that!"

"Then why do they always leave?" Blaine whispered. He toyed with the lid of the shoebox.

His mother released a deep breath. "You know, I could kill that man for starting all this bullshit."

Blaine knew she wasn't talking about Sebastian now. That tone was only reserved for one man.

"Sweetheart, you listen to me. I know it hurts right now, but you are going to be okay. Don't you want to be with someone who wants to be with you too? Better to find that out now than later."

Blaine took a shuddering breath. "I know all this, mom. And I know I'm better off, but right now it kind of feels like my life is over and I'll never be happy again."

"I know, I know," she cooed. "But you are so strong. You know, when HE left, I was so lost, but the longer he was gone, the more I realized how unhealthy that whole thing was. He was a terrible father for starters—"

"Mom, please." Blaine rubbed his forehead tiredly. "As much as I like to have a 'Bash The Bastard Who Fathered Me' party, I just can't do it tonight."

"Right," she replied. "You're right. But just know, two things got me through it. You know what they were?"

"Alcohol and Xanax?"

"My boys and my work. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have you both. I know I worked a lot when you were small, but it was good for me. I just worked and worked to build a good life for you boys and it was pretty cathartic."

"Well, I don't have kids or friends since my friends were Sebastian's friends, but I have work," Blaine replied. He was definitely not mourning the loss of the children he would never have now.

"And you have me. I'm here for you whenever you need to talk. Okay, sweetie?"

"I know. Thanks mom," Blaine said. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Happy birthday."

He hung up the phone, still heartbroken, but a little more hopeful after his mother's encouragement. While it was true she did work a lot during his childhood, she was always there for him and cared for him more than anyone else in the world. At least he knew his mom would never leave him.

He sighed, feeling pathetic again. He stood and retrieved his lighter and returned to his sad little cupcake. He lit it and tried to think of a wish.

What he wished was that Sebastian still loved him and hadn't left. He wished his father still loved him and hadn't left. He wished his brother hadn't left him alone when he was young and needed his big brother to be there for him. He wished he still had friends to come celebrate with him so he wasn't sitting all alone in half an apartment in the dark singing himself happy birthday like a sad little troll. He wished he wasn't someone people could just leave and not think twice about.

As he blew out his candle and devoured his cupcake, Blaine made a promise to himself that he would let himself cry about it for one more night and then no more feeling sorry for himself. He would focus on work only and the future. He would become hard, a heart breaker who teased men and allowed them to chase, but never catch. He would become untouchable and never get hurt again.

So who else wants to give Blaine a hug?