The smell of coffee woke Blaine up and he rolled over, seeing that the bed was empty next to him. He let out a breath, biting the inside of his lip and letting himself relax for a few moments alone. He hadn't had a lot of time alone the past few days and he knew that was partly why he'd been so reckless. When Blaine had time to think, he knew that this was a bad idea. When he didn't, well, what happened was that he did stupid things.

Stupid things like making out with Sebastian for a ridiculous amount of time the previous day, holding hands with him, falling asleep only after talking about their day.

It was the type of thing that Blaine imagined would've happened if this was real and he had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't. If he had a dollar for every time he'd had to remind himself of that…

Blaine let out a breath, reluctantly sitting up in the bed. Before he could stand up, though, Sebastian came back in the room, a mirror image from the previous day, with a bottle of aloe and two mugs of coffee.

"You don't look so red anymore but I thought you might still want it," Sebastian said, yawning and holding out one of the mugs of coffee for Blaine. "Can't have you thinking I'm a bad boyfriend now."

Blaine laughed, although he wasn't sure how much he was feeling it. He took the coffee, sipping it to give himself a distraction. "Do we have any plans for the day?"

"Just seeing your brother later. The girls are going to the mall but I didn't think you'd want to go. I'm sure you can go if you want to but I don't. Tyler's gonna go down to the pier again if you want to go," Sebastian said, setting down his cup so that he could move behind Blaine with the bottle of Aloe.

"Not really. If that's okay," Blaine said quietly, needing some time to work up to seeing his brother again. While it would be a distraction to go to the pier, he would prefer to relax until then.

From behind him, Sebastian leaned in, pressing his lips to where Blaine knew the mark he'd left the previous day was. Blaine closed his eyes tight, something about this kiss feeling so different. Maybe it was the fact that they were getting on a plane back to real life in roughly 48 hours. "Good. I didn't want to go either. I have every intention of finishing the book I'm reading," Sebastian murmured, pressing another quick kiss to Blaine's skin, not having even opened the Aloe yet.

Blaine knew he shouldn't. He knew but he didn't care. He leaned around, wrapping an arm around Sebastian's neck to steady himself and pressing his lips to Sebastian's. The kiss was sweet, soft, and obviously a surprise to Sebastian. But the other boy reciprocated immediately, smiling against him and leaning back so that Blaine could get more comfortable.

It was too much and Blaine pulled back after only a few moments, smiling slightly and standing up. "I'm going to shower," Blaine said breathlessly. It was stupid and they certainly hadn't kissed enough for him to be so out of breath.

He didn't have an excuse that he could give Sebastian, though. He knew that things were starting to come to a head and he was terrified.

"Want company?" Sebastian asked, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows in a way that assured Blaine he was just teasing and already knew the answer to the question.

Still, Blaine shook his head, a small smile on his lips. At least Blaine knew Sebastian. He knew the other boy would never seriously pressure him when they went back to normal. "Maybe next time," Blaine responded easily, going to grab some clothes for the day. When he reached the bedroom door, he turned, leaning his hip against the doorframe. Sebastian was still sitting on the bed, looking a little dazed and distracted himself. "But after my shower, you can help me put more Aloe on my shoulders."

Sebastian's smile took Blaine's breath away.


When Blaine came back, Sebastian was still lounging in bed, coffee in hand and the novel he was reading in his other. He was nearly finished with it and Blaine grinned, flopping back on the bed.

"You're going to get the pillow wet," Sebastian said halfheartedly, glancing over at Blaine and grinning. He'd had a hard time avoiding smiling at Blaine lately. These past few days with him… Sebastian was no stranger to making out, to lust, even to casual dates, to holding hands. But this was different. Blaine was different. If Sebastian was being honest… Blaine was always different.

From the very beginning, Sebastian had been drawn to Blaine. Of course, he was. Blaine was gorgeous, talented, smart, and funny. Their very first meeting, in the choir room, as Sebastian had auditioned for the Warblers, Sebastian had felt himself staring at Blaine. It had been easy to play it off. He'd hit on Blaine, asked him into bed repeatedly and that had been that.

Except it hadn't been. Blaine had pulled him in and they'd become friends. There was something electric about Blaine, something that Sebastian loved in him. Blaine was a magnet and he drew people in. Sebastian wasn't an exception.

This vacation, though… It was making Sebastian see Blaine in different ways. Maybe Sebastian hadn't been noticing Blaine as much as he'd wanted to. Maybe Sebastian had been naïve about his feelings for Blaine. He'd always wanted Blaine and had made that clear but maybe… Maybe… It was a terrifying thought but maybe.

"It'll dry by tonight," Blaine responded easily although he still lifted up, propping his head up on his elbow and smiling over at Sebastian in a way that sent shivers up Sebastian's spine. Then Blaine looked away, towards the window, a sweet, content smile on his lips. "I just love it here."

Sebastian followed his gaze, looking out at the beach and he felt happiness filling him, feeling like the warm sunshine outside. "The beach?"

"Mmhmm," Blaine murmured, letting out a breath and sounding so lazy, so soft and comfortable, that Sebastian had to physically restrain himself from leaning in and kissing the other boy. He normally didn't restrain himself but right now… this was feeling a little different. "I love it. California, the beach. I love waking up to sunlight every day, something happening, even if we're just having lazy days."

Sebastian couldn't help the affectionate smile, although he was thankful that Blaine didn't look over at him. They'd been friends for a while but now… Sebastian breathed out, hearing the movement of his family upstairs but having no desire to join them. The idea of Sebastian wanting to just stay in bed with Blaine and talk casually… It was rather crazy. It felt special. It was substantial.

But Sebastian liked it. Which he was so unsure about. Sebastian had never even wanted to be with anybody before seriously, not really. Sean was nice but casual, as were all the previous guys that Sebastian had been with.

It just made Sebastian feel out of control, messy. He wished that he could be completely sure of his own feelings, let alone Blaine's but… well, life wasn't easy. He knew that. He wished that things could be easier, that he wasn't feeling like such a disaster. But he was and he had no idea what to do.

"You can, you know. Go to college in California, settle here. Even if you don't decide to pursue singing or acting as a career," Sebastian said, knowing that this was an easier topic than trying to think about how much he wanted the other boy.

Blaine smiled, closing his eyes and resting against the pillow again. There was a certain curl on his forehead that Sebastian so badly wanted to touch. "I'd have to apply. Who knows if I'd get accepted?"

"I do. You'll get accepted anywhere you apply for, Blaine."

Blaine laughed, opening his eyes and looking up at Sebastian with something soft on his face. "You're sweet but I'm trying to be realistic."

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian put a bookmark in his novel and set the book to the side. He could finish it later anyway. He shifted so that he was fully facing Blaine. "I'm being realistic too when I'm saying that you're going to get accepted to whatever university that you apply for."

There wasn't a doubt in Sebastian's mind that Blaine could do anything and he wondered how somebody who was basically a god to the Warblers could still be so insecure. Or maybe it was just modesty. Blaine had that in droves, not realizing just how damn gorgeous he was. Blaine was constantly flirted with at the coffee shop and the library and never seemed to realize it.

Sebastian did. And it generally didn't bother him because they were friends.

Except right this second…

"Thank you, Sebastian. It's nice to have somebody who has complete faith in me," Blaine whispered, voice soft and sugary sweet.

Sebastian nodded and he really couldn't resist leaning in to kiss Blaine gently now. He wasn't sure what he expected from Blaine. The other boy had originally been uninterested in making out but he'd been more than agreeable when they'd reached the beach. Sebastian would never have continued kissing him, in private or public, if Blaine had been uncomfortable.

But Blaine just surged up, kissing him back and closing his eyes. Sebastian let himself fall into Blaine, kissing him until all the thoughts were wiped from their minds.


Blaine held tightly to Sebastian's hand as he knocked on the door with his other hand. He wanted to see Cooper. He loved his brother. He did. But he didn't really want Sebastian to see him again and honestly, he didn't want the mood to be ruined on their peaceful vacation.

It was nice right now. No real insecurity in him, except maybe about Sebastian's feelings, and no competition. Just the beach and sand and, okay, Blaine's sunburn.

Cooper answered the door with a grin, throwing his arms around Blaine in a hug that had Blaine wincing. "Good to see you! I couldn't believe when you said you were going to be in California."

"Ow! Sunburned," Blaine said, trying not to cringe as Cooper pulled back, looking a little horrified at the actual pain in Blaine's voice. Blaine waved it away, though, knowing that Cooper hadn't been planning on hurting him. No reason to make things awkward already.

Cooper still looked over him carefully and then his lips twitched before he was laughing and leaning in to give Blaine another hug, gentler this time. "Of course, you'd end up sunburned after only being here a few days," Cooper said, then he pulled back and turned to Sebastian. "So, you're the boyfriend."

"I told you that we're not really dating," Blaine corrected quietly, knowing that the words didn't mean much when he was still clutching Sebastian's hand like it was a lifeline.

Indeed, Cooper smirked, not looking at all like he believed him. "Okay, sure. So, you're the fake boyfriend. Come inside. Make yourselves comfortable."

Blaine nodded, not even thinking of letting go of Sebastian as they stepped inside, looking around. The apartment was small, mostly paid for by their parents, since Cooper hadn't wanted a roommate. Cooper was all about the actor life but he didn't want to deal with the struggle. Which, Blaine supposed he couldn't blame him since their parents had let him use his college fund to try to hit his Hollywood goals.

It wasn't as if Cooper wasn't getting parts. Sure, he wasn't making a ton of money with his commercials but he could someday be a big actor.

Maybe.

After they were settled with sodas, and Blaine had finally let go of Sebastian's hand, Cooper looked between the two of them. "So, I'm pretty sure that I met you at Dalton, right?" Cooper asked Sebastian.

"Yes. A few months ago," Sebastian said slowly and Blaine glanced over, seeing the way that he was looking at Cooper. There was a certain amount of confusion and Blaine bit the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. People tended to have one of two reactions to Cooper. A star-struck adoration or wondrous amusement. Blaine was grateful that there was still no adoration from Sebastian. "You came in with a large musical number in the hallways."

Cooper grinned at the reminder while Blaine groaned, letting his head rest dramatically on Sebastian's shoulder without even thinking of it. It should probably scare him how used to being close to Sebastian he'd gotten in just the few days they'd been pretending to be a couple.

"Ah, yes," Cooper said with a smile and a nod. Blaine had to roll his eyes because Sebastian had made the mistake of getting Cooper started. It was obvious by the way that Cooper waved his arms around. "That was a lot of fun. You have a great school there. Plenty of opportunities for theatrics."

"Yes, I could see where Blane got his flair for dramatics," Sebastian said, his tone teasing although Blaine lifted up his head, resisting the urge to wince. He didn't particularly like being compared to his brother when Sebastian was obviously making fun of him. Sebastian glanced over at him before turning back to Cooper. "There's plenty of furniture to jump on too. You didn't do quite as much jumping as Blaine does."

Cooper grinned as Blaine groaned again, this time letting his head fall backwards. At his side, Sebastian reached out, resting a hand on Blaine's thigh and Blaine resisted the urge to tense, knowing that Cooper noticed but he liked the feeling so much he wasn't going to push him away. "Blaine's always been one to jump on the furniture. He broke his leg jumping around when he was younger. Then he was trying to jump around on the furniture with a cast on his leg."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "How did this turn into teasing me about my performances?"

"That's what happens when you bring a boyfriend home, Blaine," Cooper said, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

The smirk on Cooper's face combined with the words had a blush heating up Blaine's cheeks. "We're not boyfriends. I told you that. We're acting like boyfriends for his family but we're not actually dating."

Cooper just raised his eyebrows, his eyes moving down to where Sebastian still wasn't moving his hand from Blaine's thigh. Then he shook his head and laughed. "Sure. Okay. That actually sounds like a show that I auditioned for. I think that I told you about it."

Blaine nodded, grateful at least that the conversation had shifted. Cooper could talk for hours about himself if given the opportunity. At his side, Sebastian was watching Cooper talk about an audition that he'd done with a semi-famous director, a dog and a hamster. Blaine wasn't sure if Cooper was telling the truth or exaggerating but Sebastian seemed interested enough in the story. Used to his antics, Blaine let his mind wander, thinking instead of Sebastian's hand on his leg, of the way that Sebastian had kissed him this morning.

As the conversation moved past the audition to other similar topics, namely the show that Cooper had a bit part on previously that Sebastian had watched, Blaine didn't pay attention. Sebastian's hand migrated from his thigh to the couch above his shoulders, an incredulous tone in his voice.

Blaine listened with one ear, making comments as he needed to. He'd gotten good at mostly ignoring as his brother rambled on about himself. The word 'Nationals' brought his attention back to the conversation but it was only a passing thought from Cooper, that he saw the performance online and it reminded him of a musical that he had auditioned for.

Relief filled him as Cooper's phone rang and he shot up in his seat, excusing himself to answer it in his bedroom.

Sebastian wrinkled his nose, glancing over at Blaine. "Does he ever talk about anything other than himself?"

"Sometimes he talks about superheroes. Or the celebrities he's met," Blaine said with a shrug of his shoulders, trying to read in Sebastian's eyes whether he was disappointed that he had come. Blaine was always glad to see his brother, always thinking it would go wonderfully, and then actually showing up and… remembering what his brother was like.

"Uh-huh," Sebastian responded and he seemed to be searching Blaine's face right back. "You were awfully silent over there."

Blaine pressed his lips together, not liking being called out that way. "It's kind of pointless to try to talk to Cooper sometimes. I like just seeing him. I'm sorry if you're bored," Blaine said and it wasn't necessarily a lie. He did like just being in his brother's company. And he liked his brother's stories. He did.

Although, it didn't look like Sebastian really believed him. The other boy shook his head slowly. "I'm not bored. He does have fun stories. I just thought that this would involve you interacting with your brother more instead of just listening to him talking."

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest, feeling self-conscious over his relationship with his brother. He knew that his relationship with his family was different than the relationship that Sebastian had with his family but… well, it was the relationship he had. He couldn't exactly change it, could he?

When Cooper came back, they both glanced up, obviously dropping the conversation for now. Honestly, Blaine wished that Sebastian would drop it for good. "What do you two say we go out for lunch? There's this great café a few minutes away by the water that I've been wanting to take you to, Blaine."

Blaine looked over at Sebastian to make sure that he was okay with it but the other boy nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Sure. Sounds like fun," Blaine said, looking over at his brother and smiled.

The idea that Cooper had been wanting to take him to a café for a while was pleasing and that was why he wasn't too opposed to just listening to his brother sometimes.


Blaine leaned against Sebastian, munching on the fries on his plate. He was simultaneously annoyed and flattered that Sebastian kept bringing the conversation back around to him. They'd talked about the Warblers, about the classes that Blaine was taking, the family that Blaine was visiting in Oregon. Every time Cooper tried to redirect the conversation, Sebastian managed to pull it back to Blaine.

If Blaine was angrier, he'd move away but he was too comfortable, tucked against Sebastian's side this way. Sebastian talked at the same time, making it subtle that he kept pulling the conversation threads back to Blaine, right now his college plans.

"So, Mom hasn't really told me much about what you're planning on doing. Where do you want to go for college?"

Blaine considered the question, picking up his cup to take a drink in the meantime. At his side, Sebastian seemed to have tensed up just a little bit, as if the answer mattered to him. Blaine had no idea why and he cleared his throat. "I'm not sure. I…" Blaine hesitated, avoiding either his brother or his fake boyfriend's eyes. "Being here, it makes me think that I'd like to at least apply for college here. I love California."

Cooper looked more excited than he had over anything else they'd talked about today and Blaine felt warmth filling him. "Perfect! That would be amazing, Blaine. You could stay with me. I could get you a few auditions, if you want. Or you can do music, whatever. But you'd fit in here so well. Didn't we always talk about California?"

"Back when I was a kid," Blaine agreed because that was a long time ago. It didn't mean that Blaine didn't want to be in California but he'd also wanted to be a cruise ship singer when he was younger. That was, until they'd all gone out on a boat and Blaine had gotten seasick the entire few hours they'd been out. He couldn't imagine actually being on a cruise ship.

"Still. You still want to perform, don't you? There's no way you don't. I've seen some of the videos," Cooper responded, making Blaine look away.

It was always so easy for Cooper. He wanted to be an actor so he cashed in his college fund and moved to California. Blaine wished that he could do the same thing. Although, maybe he could.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders, picking up another fry. "I suppose."

"Nationals are likely to be in Los Angeles next year," Sebastian said, when the two brothers fell silent. They both turned to look at him, excitement on Cooper's features and surprise on Blaine's. He didn't know what point Sebastian might be making. "So, it'll give you a good chance to make a solid decision, as long as you're accepted, which we both know you will be."

Blaine supposed that was true and he nodded, flushing. "I suppose. And it'll give me a chance to see you if you become a big star in this tv show."

That was the distraction that Blaine wanted and Cooper nodded, seeming to take the conversation change in stride. He got to talking about what he was doing and he carried the conversation through a few more minutes. Blaine was glad he got to see him but he couldn't help feeling unfulfilled. He normally enjoyed just the random conversations with his brother but he couldn't help thinking of what Sebastian had said.

By the end of lunch, Cooper stood up, reaching around to hug Blaine gently. "When you come for Nationals, we can get together."

Blaine nodded, thinking hard as he hugged his brother back, not even caring about his sunburn, before pulling back and moving to Sebastian's side. Sebastian looked deep in thought, not reaching out and touching him as he had so often before.

"I'll text you," Blaine told him, walking quietly next to Sebastian as Cooper headed towards the bathroom in the restaurant and the other two headed outside.

Once they were outside, Sebastian rounded on him and Blaine startled, raising his eyebrows. "This isn't you," Sebastian said.

Blaine huffed, shaking his head and trying to move around Sebastian to go to call them a cab. Sebastian rolled his eyes, grabbing Blaine's arm gently and stepping in front of him again. "What are you talking about?" Blaine asked, knowing Sebastian well enough to know that the other boy wasn't going to give up without saying what he wanted to.

"Why are you so quiet around your brother? You deserve more than this, you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I enjoy this," Blaine snapped and if Sebastian had asked him before… he might've meant it. Now? It had felt different to actually talk to his brother. "We get along, okay? This is just the way it is."

"It doesn't have to be! I thought that your brother was a selfish dick when we first started talking but Blaine, he's obviously interested in what you have to say. He was talking about how excited he was for you to move here. You self-sabotage. You just need to get louder and realize that you deserve more."

It was really rich for Sebastian, the boy that Blaine had a crush on, the boy that Blaine was fake dating just because he'd asked, to be telling Blaine that he deserved more and was self-sabotaging. It made something fill him and he had no idea what it was. Blaine knew deep down that Sebastian was right. He could draw attention to himself, make a big deal out of everything, and then just go quiet when Cooper was there.

Sebastian's face seemed to soften when he saw Blaine's indecision, reading it as hurt, instead of acceptance, and he let out a breath. "Blaine-"

Blaine shook his head, smiling and nodding. He knew what he had to do because Sebastian was right wasn't he. He reached out, taking Sebastian's hand and giving it a squeeze. Sebastian didn't pull away, even though he stiffened a little bit. "Will you excuse me for a moment? I think I should… talk to my brother."

Sebastian nodded, a smile that was so affectionate on his face that Blaine felt his heart stutter in his chest. Sebastian squeezed his hand back. "Of course. I'm going to take a walk and look at some shops, okay? Just text me when you're ready to go back to the beach house."

"Thank you, Sebastian," Blaine murmured, standing up to press a kiss to Sebastian's cheek. This was different than the kisses that they'd shared before. It was sweeter, something that felt more special.

As the door behind them opened and Cooper came out, typing on his cell phone, Blaine headed over to him.


Sebastian watched as Cooper immediately lowered his cell phone, surprised by Blaine's appearance in front of him after they'd already said their goodbyes.

"Cooper, I was actually hoping to talk to you," Blaine said and Sebastian nodded, headed away from them.

He had no idea what Blaine would be talking about but he was glad that Blaine was taking the initiative. He couldn't help but think that a lot of it stemmed from Blaine's childhood, from the little that Sebastian had learned from him. This was another detail that Sebastian filed away, though, ready to use it the next time he might need it.

Content that Blaine would be okay, Sebastian headed away, down to a tourist shop a little way down with tables out front with fun things. He glanced at the items, distracted by what Blaine and Cooper might be talking about. He cared about Blaine and it confused him, especially considering that kiss on the cheek that Blaine had given him.

Sebastian didn't date. He didn't. He never had before. Which wasn't to say that he didn't go on dates. He enjoyed that. Taking somebody out, talking, having fun, and then going and having fun afterwards. Blaine was different, though. He enjoyed himself with Blaine, liked being around him. That was the problem though, wasn't it? Relationships changed things. It was so much easier to just be friends, to have fun, to not make things serious.

That was why Sebastian was so confused by Sean thinking that they were dating. Because Sebastian didn't do that. Although, honestly, if he was going to date somebody, he likely would do it with somebody like Sean, somebody that he didn't care about.

The last thing that Sebastian wanted was to date Blaine and ruin their friendship. Sebastian cared about him too much.

If only he could convince Blaine to keep up with the kissing once they got home, maybe a little bit more. Maybe they could even go out on dates even if it wasn't serious. That would be good for Blaine, right? Sebastian knew that Blaine liked that romance stuff.

Sebastian could even do that, couldn't he? Sebastian could be romantic with Blaine, they could make out, and maybe more sometime.

Fairly satisfied with this idea, Sebastian went through the small knick-knacks, trying on a leather band on his wrist, putting it back and buying a few pieces of candy to take back to the younger ones at the beach house. He wasn't sure how long Blaine and Cooper would talk, although he had a feeling that it wouldn't be that long.

Sebastian was just looking through some of the jewelry for his sister when he felt the presence at his side and he glanced over. The guy was attractive, that was for sure, and Sebastian couldn't help the way he looked him up and down appreciatively. He was only human, after all.

The look made the other boy grin brighter and Sebastian turned his body completely towards him, setting the seashell necklace down.

"I saw you from across the street and I had to come say hello. I'm Nathan," the guy said, holding out his hand.

Sebastian shook his head, smiling slightly as he shook the other boy's hand. Nathan held on, not letting go for a long moment and Sebastian couldn't help the way that he thought about him. If this was one of the previous years, Sebastian would've been flirting hard, determined to make the use of his time away from his family. He would've hooked up with this boy, taken his fun while he had it and hell, maybe even gone on a date.

But this was this year. And even if he wanted Nathan, which Sebastian was surprised to find that he… well, didn't, he wasn't going to leave Blaine behind to do that. It was unfortunate, really. Nathan was attractive. A few inches shorter than Sebastian with clear blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and nice lips. Sebastian wouldn't deny he was curious about how those lips would feel.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sebastian," Sebastian responded, even though he wasn't going for anything. It was habit, really, to lean in close, to smile that charming smile at him. It didn't mean anything. It was just for fun.

It was a nice distraction from his constant thoughts of Blaine, of thinking about what he might be discussing with his brother, of thinking of how much he wanted Blaine.

"Sebastian. Hmm. I like the sound of that," Nathan said, a wicked smile on his lips and Sebastian couldn't help the way he looked down at them.

He did have gorgeous lips.

He seemed to know it. And seemed to know that Sebastian thought it.

"So, are you from around here?" Nathan asked, leaning in closer when Sebastian didn't say anything. Nathan reached out, grazing his knuckles down the side of Sebastian's neck, down his arm and Sebastian looked at him.

He was just moving to pull back when he glanced up, seeing Blaine standing there, a weird look on his face.

Sebastian did pull back quickly, staring at Blaine, wondering if things had gone badly with his brother. There was no way, right?

As Sebastian took a step towards him, Blaine shook himself, as if he'd been caught in a trance staring at Sebastian.

"Sorry," Blaine said quickly, his eyes flickering over to Nathan, whose hand had dropped to his side as he looked between the two of them. "I can head back. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, you didn't. It was nice to meet you," Sebastian said to Nathan, barely looking at him before he headed towards Blaine. He reached out for the other boy, frowning when Blaine seemed to shy away from him, wondering how things had gone. "Did things go okay with Cooper?"

Blaine pulled out his phone to call them a taxi, nodding his head and avoiding Sebastian's eyes. "It was good. He was talking about me visiting during spring break. You really don't have to leave if you don't want to. I don't mind going back by myself."

Still not sure exactly what was going on with Blaine, all thoughts of Nathan already erased from his mind, Sebastian shook his head. "No, let's head back. Lunch with Cooper was fun but we'll be doing the bonfire tonight. May as well start making ourselves comfortable for it."

The entire ride back to the house, Blaine didn't look at him and Sebastian couldn't help the spark of annoyance that filled him. He had no idea what was bothering Blaine and he had no idea why it was bothering Sebastian so much as well.


Blaine sat cross legged on a blanket in the sand, listening to the chatter around him. Sebastian was on the same blanket but seemed to be a world apart, sitting with his knee up to his chest, his body faced completely away from Blaine as he talked to Calli. Blaine didn't know why Sebastian was so upset with Blaine, except maybe that Blaine kept rebuffing him every time that Sebastian tried to kiss him.

As if Blaine was just going to mindlessly continue making out with Sebastian when he'd watched with his own two eyes as Sebastian had flirted with somebody else. The worst part was that Blaine knew he had no real right to be jealous. They weren't actually dating or anything.

That hadn't stopped Blaine from feeling so jealous that he'd actually thought he might catch fire for a moment. The way that the other boy, Blaine hadn't even caught his name, had been touching Sebastian, the way they'd been leaning close. And then the way that Sebastian had still tried to hold Blaine's hand in the car, had still tried to lean in and kiss him when they'd settled in the sand.

Blaine knew that nobody else around them could notice the tension. They still sat together and they were both good actors. But Blaine couldn't help but feel the chill in the air between them.

It was his own fault. He'd been on a high after Sebastian had gotten him to talk to his brother. He and Cooper had a decent conversation, as good as it could be in the lobby of a brunch restaurant. They'd talked about Blaine's schooling and how Blaine wanted to talk a little bit more about himself instead of just Cooper. Cooper had looked surprised, said he was proud of Blaine, and told Blaine he'd like to hear more of it.

Blaine had felt like he was walking on air as Cooper had hugged him and they'd agreed that Blaine might come out for spring break. Cooper had said he should invite Sebastian and for just a moment, he'd forgotten the details. He'd forgotten that he and Sebastian might be best friends but Sebastian had made it clear over and over that he wasn't interested in Blaine for more than that.

"Penny for your thoughts," Tyler said as he flopped down next to Blaine.

The adults were working on getting the bonfire started, the sun starting to set around them. They'd had dinner previously and had plenty of desserts, including things for s'mores around them now. Blaine wished he was feeling more comfortable because this really was the perfect night.

Blaine shrugged, leaning back and watching as Calli got a phone call and walked away from the blanket. Instead of turning towards Blaine and Tyler, Sebastian picked up his novel and leaned away from them to start reading. Blaine bit his lip, turning to Tyler. "Nothing. Just tired. This has been a long vacation."

"It's supposed to be relaxing," Tyler responded easily and Blaine supposed that he had a point. The truth was that Blaine wasn't tired, besides emotionally. This beach trip really was nice and relaxing. It was perfect to get rid of all the stresses that school had brought on them.

Blaine just shrugged again, though, unsure what he was supposed to say. "I'm eager for ghost stories around the fire," he said instead.

Tyler seemed to accept it, even though Blaine thought he could detect that it was a lie. He nodded, looking excited himself, then he held out his phone. "I'm excited too. I love ghost stories. My dad tells the best ones. Lucky for you two that you're sharing a bed," he said, wiggling his phone a little bit when Blaine didn't take it.

Confused, Blaine took it and read what was on the screen. As soon as he saw it, he smiled, realizing why Tyler had held it out to him. Tyler was texting his girlfriend and had invited Haley along to the winter trip. It seemed like a big deal and Blaine was glad to have the distraction. Without even thinking about it, he leaned forward, hugging Tyler. "That's amazing," he whispered, so nobody else would hear it.

Blaine pulled away, hearing Sebastian scoff a little bit and he glanced back, but Sebastian was just reading his novel. Not knowing what was wrong, Blaine decided to ignore him, handing the phone back to Tyler and sitting up a little straighter.

While he knew that Sebastian would be staging a break-up sometime after this, Blaine wondered if maybe he could keep in contact with Tyler. They got along.

But then, Blaine thought that it might just make things awkward, especially since Blaine couldn't help his jealousy. What if the next trip, Tyler told Blaine about the hook-ups that Sebastian had picked up? Blaine wasn't sure he could handle such a thing. And he had no desire to tell Sebastian's self-proclaimed best friend that Blaine had a crush on him.

That felt like it would truly be a disaster.

"How did lunch with your brother go?" Tyler asked, making himself comfortable on the blanket and reaching over to grab one of the cookies that was set out for all of them, shoving it into his mouth whole.

Sparing Sebastian one more glance, even though Sebastian was resolutely ignoring them, Blaine started talking.


Blaine stared out at the water, knees pulled up to his chest, blanket over his shoulders. Sebastian's father had already been out to check on him, while getting a mug of tea, but he'd assured him that he was fine, maybe a little bit homesick, and he'd gone to bed. There was nobody on the beach and it was nice, quiet waves and the gentle light of the moon.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Blaine glanced up, laughing as he saw that Tyler was ending a phone call and coming out to join him on the bench that Blaine was sitting on. "Or we're the two night owls who are always out of our rooms."

Tyler shrugged, smiling slightly as he shifted so he was facing Blaine enough to talk to him. "Or you were upset earlier and I know that my cousin is an idiot. I figure if I don't have my own relationship to take care of, I may as well make sure that Sebastian isn't messing up his. So, what's wrong?"

Blaine sighed, looking out over the water and thinking about how he was doing a bad job of being a pretend boyfriend. It made sense that Sebastian would be annoyed that Blaine seemed to be going back on his word of being a fake boyfriend, even if Sebastian was constantly gracious about how they didn't need to continue. Maybe if Blaine talked about it… But how could he tell Sebastian that he was jealous?

And what was he supposed to say to Tyler? It was obvious that Tyler could see something was wrong and he had noticed it had to do with Sebastian. Blaine doubted he could brush him off with the homesick excuse as well as he had Josh.

"I know that we're only in high school," Blaine said slowly, quietly as he considered his words, tapping his fingers against the cushions on the bench underneath him. "But I… I really like him. And it's just that same worry that I mentioned before. That I like him more than he likes me."

Tyler laughed and Blaine snapped his head up to look at him, surprised by it. "That's really sweet but after spending even more time with you, I've seen the way that Sebastian looks at you. It's previous obvious that he likes you, a lot. As in, I'm already planning my best man speech."

This time it was Blaine that laughed, pressing his hands to his face and trying not to think about how that made him feel. He could picture it. Marrying Sebastian. It was the kind of thing that he didn't often let himself fantasize about but hearing Tyler say it?

Blaine sighed, looking up at the sky instead. He felt awful and he glanced over at Tyler, seeing that the other boy seemed to mean what he said. Blaine shrugged, picking at a loose thread on the cushion now and trying to breathe. "It's not like that."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked and Blaine stared at him.

He knew that he shouldn't say anything. Sebastian trusted him but… It was so hard to keep this a secret. Blaine trusted Tyler since, after all, Blaine was keeping a secret of Tyler's. Blaine let out a breath, shaking his head and pulling his knees tighter to his chest. "Can you keep a secret?"

Tyler frowned, tilting his head to the side. "From Sebastian?"

"No. From everybody else."

Tyler shrugged, still looking confused but trusting enough. "Sure."

Blaine bit the inside of his cheek before sighing, looking at a spot over Tyler's shoulder. He was embarrassed over this and he just hoped that he would feel better after admitting it. "We're not really dating, me and Sebastian. He didn't want everybody to keep harassing him about his hook-ups and about how much better relationships are so he… asked me to come with him and pretend to be his boyfriend."

For a few moments, Tyler only stared at him. Blaine couldn't even blame him for the silence. Then Tyler let out a breath, frowning thoughtfully and nodding his head. The silence stretched and Blaine was just about to open his mouth to say something when Tyler laughed quietly. "That explains a lot, actually," Tyler said and Blaine flushed and nodded his head sheepishly. "I think you're underestimating how much he likes you, though."

"I know that he wants me," Blaine said, grateful that it was too dark for Tyler to see the blush on his cheeks. It wasn't as if Tyler didn't know what Sebastian was like. "But Sebastian has made it clear that he doesn't want a relationship. I do. And I like him a lot. I want to be with him. This vacation… it was a bad idea, I guess. It's my own fault."

Tyler nodded, looking unsure about what he wanted to say. Blaine knew there really was nothing to say. "I'm sorry you think so. I do think that Sebastian likes you, probably more than either of you think but I understand that he's an idiot. You two do a good job of acting."

"He's hard to resist," Blaine said with a laugh, rubbing his face and shaking his head, leaning back and stretching his legs out. He knew he should go to bed even though the next day they weren't doing anything but hanging out on the beach.

Tyler wrinkled his nose. "Can't relate," he said, letting out a breath and looking out over the water.

"I want to be with him for real but I know that I just need to get through this vacation and then it'll be over. It's just hard. I'm sorry." Blaine shrugged, following his gaze, seeing one lone figure walking across the sand. "You get it. Sometimes it's nice just to be able to talk."

Tyler reached out, resting a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "I get that. And I'm sorry that my cousin is such an idiot. But you can talk to me anytime. We'll exchange phone numbers before you go and I'd love to keep in touch."

Blaine looked over at him, surprised by how affectionate that he felt towards him. There was nothing romantic there, besides recognizing just how amazingly attractive that Tyler was in that way that reminded him of Sebastian, but Blaine liked this. It made him think of his brother, of how he needed to put himself out there more in a space outside of Dalton.

After a moment, Blaine nodded, reaching over to hug Tyler again. "Thank you," Blaine murmured before leaning back.

The silence between them now was comfortable as they sat, staring out at the water and the stars until they both went to bed.

Sebastian was asleep when Blaine got there and Blaine snuggled into the blankets, looking over at him. As carefully as possible, Blaine reached out to push a strand of hair off Sebastian's forehead.

"I wish you liked me for real," Blaine whispered, the first time that he'd voiced it out loud in Sebastian's presence.

It was the truth, though, and admitting it did make him feel a little more free. It almost made him realize that he was going to have to protect his heart a little bit better tomorrow.