5YL Let the Encore Commence

Part 15

To say Blaine was surprised when he came home from rehearsal on Wednesday, might've been putting it mildly. The last thing he expected to find was Sebastian and Whitney before a garment rack. Since they were so caught up in not only conversation but the pieces, neither noticed Blaine's arrival till he cleared his throat from the doorway. "I was hoping you were going to get home before I had to go." Whitney told him as he walked towards them before giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. That was followed up by Sebastian and Blaine sharing a kiss.

"Mind if I ask what's going on?" Blaine asked as he looked at the clothes before him.

"Per your last conversation with Cooper, you were still a bit unsure what you were going to where." She told him as Sebastian perused the end of the rack which was for him. "So, I called Vincent to ensure I wouldn't be overstepping and went from there. You'd be surprised how eager designers were to dress the two of you."

"I was going to pick something out of my closet." Blaine told her as Sebastian held a shirt up to him. "Bas."

"I told her the same thing, and she told me to enjoy the perks. Not everyone's future sister-in-law is a stylist." Sebastian said in response before putting the shirt back and reaching for another. "Plus, you can't deny you weren't at a bit of a loss regarding what you/we should wear." Upon hearing a soft sigh, Sebastian pressed a kiss to his temple before looking at Whitney. "I've got to say; your taste is excellent and fits our style."

"Thank you, but you two make it easy as you each have a defined look." She said before looking at Blaine. "Yes, I'm aware of the difference between your personal and professional looks."

"That line is getting more and more blurred." Blaine replied as he took a closer look at everything she'd brought. "Shouldn't you be with Cooper?"

"He's at a radio interview now, so my presence isn't necessary. Though I won't be staying much longer as I need to be back at the hotel by four so I can get ready for this evening. Speaking of, it doesn't feel right not being at the hotel when your parents arrive."

"Understandable, but they'd never expect nor want you to stay instead of accompanying Cooper." Blaine told her. "I spoke with my Dad earlier, and he's pretty certain they intend to relax once they arrive as they each had a busy week. The most elaborate thing they may do is go down to the bar for a glass of wine."

"Still."

"You should know by now the Andersons are never going to ask you or Cooper to put your lives on hold to accommodate them." Sebastian chimed in. "We invited them to stay with us, but they didn't want us to feel obligated to entertain them since I'm preparing for finals and B's almost as busy as Cooper. They are in town to support their boys and nothing makes them happier than seeing them in their element with their loved ones." As she looked up at him, Blaine stretched to give him a kiss on the cheek. "What can I say, I know how she's feeling."

"I get that, but, I can't help but feel we should be spending more time with them."

"My parents know why they're going to be here." Blaine assured her. "If it was more of a vacation-esque visit, they'd expect more time with you, but that's not what this is. It's similar to when they came to town while I was still touring prior to us getting married. While we felt guilty for not spending more time with them, they knew we had responsibilities to tend to." Whitney nodded as he'd made a compelling argument. "We're still doing breakfast, or more likely brunch on Friday, right?"

"We are."

"Then you're good, as I know my Mom and she'd prefer quality over quantity when it comes to time with those she loves." Blaine then looked at Sebastian. "Did you show her what we purchased?" Instantly Sebastian smirked and a huge smile appeared on Whitney's face. "We didn't overstep, did we?"

"Absolutely not!" She enthusiastically replied. "It's stunning. I can't wait to see Kate in it."

"Hopefully she loves it as much as we do."

"She will Blaine, and for the record, she'd yet to find a dress for our wedding." Whitney told him while pulling an outfit off the rack for Blaine which would complement what Sebastian was holding. "One thing, do either of you have contact information should it need to be altered, as just anyone shouldn't touch that dress."

"They gave us the name of someone who will actually come to her." Sebastian said in response. "We couldn't in good faith buy a dress for my Mom and not one for Kate. The only difference is hers took a bit longer to get here since it's a newer piece verse it being vintage."

"Considering this was on the runway, I'm sure she'll understand."

"But this one technically wasn't, it didn't originally come in this color." Blaine bashfully replied. "When we were talking, I mentioned which colors my Mom favored and, the rest is history."

"So essentially, it's one of a kind." Whitney said and they each nodded. "Wow."

"Play your cards right and next time we're in Paris we might bring you back something along those lines." Sebastian teased making her giggle. "I'm serious."

"I don't doubt that, but it's really not necessary."

"Though you wouldn't object." Blaine chimed in, earning another giggle. "See."

"Not going to deny it." She told them before glancing at her watch. "Now, I'm going to leave the final choice up to the two of you, as most everything goes together. Though items with the same color tags, coordinate the best." When they looked at her, she smiled. "Relax, you don't match, you coordinate while playing to each of your strengths." She then ran her fingers through Blaine's hair. "Mind if I offer up an opinion?" Blaine shook his head in response. "If your curls cooperate, wear your hair like you did on Monday."

"I second that motion." Sebastian replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"I'll see what I can do about that, but they tend to have a mind of their own." Blaine said while noticing her looking at her watch. "Go, should we have any questions we shall call."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Blaine told her before leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Should we not talk before tomorrow night, we'll see you then."

"I can't wait." Whitney said before getting up on her toes to give Sebastian a kiss on the cheek prior to gathering her things to leave.

Once she was gone, Sebastian took ahold of Blaine's hand as he looked at the rack and gave it a squeeze. "This alleviates some stress, doesn't it?" Blaine nodded, and soon felt Sebastian press a kiss to his temple. "I'm glad you didn't put up more of a fuss, as Whitney needed to do this." Those words caused Blaine to look up at him and cock his eyebrow. "She's nervous B, working is helping her stay calm."

"Something we understand all too well."

"Precisely." Sebastian told him. "She nailed our style, as I've had a bit more time to look through everything. And while the lines are blurring in regards to your style, this look is more rocker than bashful schoolboy."

"Which you have no complaints about."

"None in the slightest." Sebastian replied before giving his hand a tug and then guiding them to the couch. "How'd your talk go with my Dad today?" He asked as they took a seat. When Blaine raked his fingers through his curls, Sebastian shifted in his spot so he could look at his husband directly. "Let me guess, he was surprised."

"Yes, but understands why I feel the need to put an end to this once and for all, regardless how I intend to accomplish the task." Blaine told him, shifting as Sebastian had so they were looking at one another.

"Told you he'd get it."

"Given what was brought up in court while Wes and Santana were there, he knew what sparked it." He then proceeded to run his fingers through his curls once again. "He wants me to handle this in mediation, but…that's not how I want to play it."

"That's because my Dad is going to try and steer you towards the proper path. How'd he take it that you want to handle it differently?"

"Less than thrilled, but gets it since I'm essentially going to blackmail him." When Sebastian snickered, Blaine gave him a playful push. "I know, a page out of your handbook, right?"

"Essentially. Did he say you need to make this a bit formal given the order of protection?"

"He did, which I expected, so he's happy to arrange a meeting between me and Kurt." This time around, Sebastian raked his fingers through his hair before glancing over at the books on the table. "Why does it feel the more I set things in motion, the leerier you get?"

"Because you're going down a dangerous slope B, which I've already stated. It's not something he's going to expect coming from you."

"I know, just as I know he's going to say you put me up to this or say I've changed and not for the better."

"Again, because of me."

"Bas, you've helped me find my inner strength, something I'm utterly grateful for. So while I know this isn't necessarily something one would expect from me, he's left us little choice in the matter. Each court hearing, he blurts out more and more and, it's only a matter of time till it happens in open court."

"He'd love that."

"True, yet at the same time it would hurt him given the gag order."

"Still, the damage would be done B." Sebastian told him. "Although I've admitted I was no angel, this puts things in a new perspective and, it would reflect poorly on you."

"I know." Blaine said as he placed a hand on Sebastian's knee. "While I personally don't care if people would view me differently, it would be a PR nightmare. Never thought I'd be one of those people. Hell, I'm going against everything I preach in a sense."

"Even more of a reason for you to let me handle this. People already know Hummel and I can't stand one another, they probably wouldn't think twice if I lashed out. Hell, they'd probably dismiss anything he said."

"There's a chance, yet people know what happened, this wasn't something that simply happened between the three of us."

"But none of the guys would say anything, and I doubt the New Directions would either, as it would make everyone look bad."

"Still, we can't bank on that Bas, at least regarding those who were part of the New Directions as I'm not in contact with all of them. Plus, Mr. Schue knows what happened."

"How the hell did they convince him not to go to the administration?"

"Made a case for handling it themselves. Remember, for the most part I was left out of the loop while I was at home." Even though Sebastian hadn't said a word, the change in his expression caused Blaine to lean over to kiss him. "This right here is why I want this to stay in the past."

"It's the one thing I'm never going to fully forgive myself for, which makes me all the more thankful we were able to move past it to get where we are."

"The fact you still feel remorse over it, proves the type of person you are, why I love you and married you." When he cast his eyes down, Blaine moved to ensure they kept eye contact. "You've owned what you've done wrong, Kurt hasn't which is why he has no right holding that over you. Or why he was so out of line implying you were responsible for happened with Dave. It's time he's held accountable for what he's done, in one form or another."

"Blaine."

"If he doesn't believe I'll show Burt the video of his less than stellar behavior while we were married, I'll confirm what everyone already knows, he's the son-of-a-bitch that abused me. I'm done playing nice."

"I can tell." Sebastian said with a subtle smile while placing his hand on top of Blaine's. "Mind if I share some happy news?"

"Please do, as this is a subject we're discussing a bit too much lately." Blaine replied with a smile. "What is it?"

"Hunter's going to be a Dad."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Is he happy? I mean, were they trying or was this a…"

"He's ecstatic, and yes, they were trying or more precisely, they weren't doing anything to stop it from happening." Sebastian told him. "So any thoughts we had that we may be the first, are gone."

"I think we'll survive." Blaine teasingly responded, before glancing down. "Do you think I should have a talk with Jeff, like, as serious one?"

"Are you suddenly feeling guilty Killer?"

"I just don't want to be in the way of what they want."

"Morgan said they're fine waiting, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"She's undoubtedly talked to Jeff about it, so leave that between them. I mean, you've been open with Morgan regarding our plans, right?"

"Outside of us, she's the only one that knows our plans, though she probably filled Jeff in."

"See, nothing to worry about then." Sebastian assured him. "If it was an issue for Jeff, he'd say something."

"One would hope."

"This mature Jeff Sterling, would. Plus he's well aware their situation isn't necessarily typical."

"True, and as Morgan pointed out, much as our decision plays into it, it's there's in the end. Though she's glad I let her in the loop, as she imagined going about it the way we are, at least schedule wise."

"What about once they have kids?"

"Something they'll have to figure out and then clue me in, but as of right now Morgan intends on balancing both."

"Not surprising given her personality."

"Exactly, and while it's a bit different for her, our situations really will be similar as she pointed out." Sebastian nodded. "Now, is this something we can talk about or should it be kept quiet?"

"Keep it between us for now, but it won't be long till they share the news with everyone."

"Is she not passed her first trimester?"

"No, she is which is why he told me." Sebastian replied. "Kimberly simply doesn't want this news overshadowing graduation."

"Got it, something we can relate to all too well."

"Precisely. And while I'd love to continue talking with you, I really should get back to studying as tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day." Almost instantly Blaine cocked his eyebrow. "One of my finals is tomorrow."

"Excuse me?"

"That reaction is exactly why I didn't tell you."

"I would've been here, been more present."

"I know, but you had responsibilities B."

"But…"

"No buts, I did this for both of us."

"Bas."

"I love that you want to be here, but outside of being moral support, there's little you could've done, bad as that may sound."

"It doesn't sound bad, it's true. I just wish I knew." Sebastian reached up to caress his cheek, seeing his expression fall.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I needed to deal with this on my terms and I knew how you'd feel. Do you forgive me?" Blaine nodded, yet his expression didn't change. "What is it?"

"Am I really that off that you needed to do this?"

"With everything on your plate, I felt I did. I wanted you focusing on this moment you're sharing with Cooper, which you did and that made me happy."

"Still." With the brush of Sebastian's thumb against his cheek bone, Blaine leaned against it. "I can be high maintenance, can't I?" Sebastian nodded, causing Blaine to chuckle. "Sorry."

"Don't be, as I know I can be too. If I needed you, I would've said something."

"I know, just…"

"Don't make decisions for you again?" Blaine nodded. "I'll try not to, but some circumstances may trump that request."

"Fair enough, as long as it goes both ways."

"Always." Sebastian then leaned forward to kiss him. "Since you're home early, I wouldn't object to you making dinner."

"Sick of take-out?"

"Slightly."

"Consider it done, now get back to studying." Sebastian smiled before leaning in for another kiss, this one lasting a bit longer before breaking it to go back to studying. Shortly after Sebastian got back to work, Blaine took some time to look through what Whitney had brought them, now with a bit more clarity. Unsurprisingly, everything she'd picked out for him, was something he'd wear. Now it was merely a matter of figuring out which outfit he wanted to have himself photographed in.

While he was doing this, Kate and Patrick were sitting at the airport waiting for their flight. Although they hadn't talked much about her conversation with Blaine since Monday, Patrick noticed his wife's demeanor wasn't what thought it would be. "Did you happen to see the picture of the boys from this morning?" The question, while relatively normal, Kate's look confused. "You're not always the first to show them to me, especially this week as shots of them together seem to be a big deal." When she'd yet to speak, he slipped his arm around her. "What's going through your head? Kate."

"Sorry." She replied, the sound of him saying her name snapping her out of her thought. "What were you saying?"

"I was talking about our sons, yet you are clearly in your own little world right now."

"I've got a lot on my mind, I didn't mean to ignore you."

"I know, care to tell me what you're thinking about, as I have a feeling it's not the premiere?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"You wouldn't look concerned about the premiere, you'd look happy, excited. The look on your face is neither of those." When she closed her eyes slightly, Patrick tightened his hold around her slightly. "Your conversation with Blaine still isn't sitting well with you, is it?"

"Far from it, yet, I know I need to let him do whatever it is, whether I like it or not."

"Would you feel better if I try and broach the subject with him?"

"I would, but I don't think you're going to have any luck."

"Maybe not, but there's no harm in me trying." Patrick told her. "Since we're staying through the weekend, I'll be sure to grab a few minutes alone with him."

"Thank you, just…"

"Don't agitate him?"

"How'd you know I was going to say that?"

"Because I know our son, just as you do. The difference comes in that we relate to him in different ways. From what you said concerning the conversation the two of you had, I'm pretty sure he's expecting it to be brought up at some point this weekend."

"Just wait till after the premiere, I don't want to ruin the moment as we each know how he gets when frustrated. He's not always the most pleasant person to be around."

"I'm well aware of that. Though luckily for us should I push a bit too hard, we have a saving grace who always manages to get through to him."

"True, but Sebastian will be the first person to tell us off should we push too far." Kate said, causing him to chuckle. "You know I'm right."

"I do, as I wouldn't expect anything else from him. Keep in mind, Sebastian would also be the first person to call Blaine out as well."

"I know. I just hope our boys are acting with their heads, and not their hearts."