Summary: Just because Blaine and Sebastian are in LA that doesn't mean the world stops turning…or drama quits happening.
Notes: Edited from original post
Even with Brody's true identity revealed, he will still be referred to as Tommy at least the time being.
Implied Light D/S
Ok lovely readers, I know you're out there but I could really use some feedback. Big shout out to "D" for always letting me know whether or not I've gone completely crazy as this has taken on a life of it's own.
"Oh, Dude. I don't care if you are Wolverine. You are in trou-ble." Sam laughed at the sneer Blaine gave him then put his guitar in the stand "I'm going to go check on Rachel. You two should talk."
Blaine may not have been happy with what Sam said but he knew he was right. While he thought the song's lyrics might be open to interpretation, hearing it with a full band and background singers crushed that idea. "Bas, say something."
"Um, I mean…um, when did you write that song?"
"Right after Schuster's reception."
"The night I…um, we…well, you know. I mean I'm not saying our sex life isn't adventurous, but…"
"But that night it wasn't a game. I'm sorry, I was so focused on the acoustic portion that Sam plays that I guess I didn't pay enough attention to the lyrics. They just sort of came out…which in a way is worse considering I bitch at other people for not listening to the lyrics of songs."
"That was the melody you couldn't get out of your head? The one that was blocking everything?"
"And then once I got it on paper I was able to write not only the rest of the song but the Italian song and Who Knew as well."
"Ok"
"Ok?"
"Julliard wouldn't have approved it if they thought it was…you know, kinky. It is an amazing song, B. We're probably just too close to it. Now I have a question, did you think your loose curl, scruff, glasses look would distract me?"
"Way to change the subject and no, I had to see the doctors at 7AM and I didn't sleep well. Santana doesn't cute snore the way Rachel does, and I might have been anxious about today. But, I've got to admit now that we're here and have rehearsed I feel better."
"And Sam didn't shave in solidarity?"
"No, Sam said Sunday that he's not shaving until the photo shoot."
"Wait, he has 3 days growth and you shaved yesterday?"
Blaine gave him a push "Shut up." Then he grabbed Sebastian's shirt and pulled him into a less than innocent kiss. "Thank you, I missed this. Between the Sebreak and the Intervention, things have been way too serious lately."
Sebastian leaned down and kissed him back. "I agree, it's time we had some fun." Then after yet another kiss he asked "How's Ray doing?"
"Fabulous, like I knew she would. I have to admit that I had some last minute doubts that she would see singing background on this song as a gift."
"B, she's not that…ok, she's trying not to be that person anymore. Remember, you had this idea to celebrate her Winter Showcase win. Would the Old Rachel Berry have kept that to herself?"
"Did she tell you why she did?"
"Yes, but it had to do with something about Hummel and Brody so I tuned it out. Guess I'll have to stop doing that. Are you alright?"
Internally Blaine was screaming Why the fuck did you have to mention Tommy at a time like this but he said out loud "What did Brody have to do with it?"
"Something about how he encouraged her and then after she won got her that part in the holiday show. You know, the reason she wasn't at your New Year's Eve party. That's when they began dating again."
"I didn't know" at least he was being truthful about that. Blaine saw Jackie wave at him so he knew it was time. "You need to get up to the sound booth."
Sebastian gave him one last quick peck "Got it. I'm going to go wish Sam and Ray luck and then go up. This place is so big I better hurry if I want to make it on time."
"That's Jackie for you. Tell her you need a string quartet and she arranges for a full orchestra in the same studio where they recorded the Titanic soundtrack. By the way, this isn't Rachel's surprise…just a bonus. When I told Jackie that I wanted to do this she said it wasn't a problem but…"
"Oh, shit. How far did she go?"
"She wouldn't tell me which means pretty fucking far."
It was a good thing Sebastian did hurry because one of Jackie's assistants was shutting the door when he arrived. He hadn't realized there would be that many people in the booth, not only music types but those that had come for Blaine. The parents (Blaine's dad, his dad, Rachel's dads and Trent's mom) were on one side of the room. Trent was watching Doug at the sound board, laughing everything he squealed about being allowed to "touch the buttons". And on the other side of the room, closest to the window looking out over the entire studio, were Beat, Mike, Finn and Santana. Mike was holding on to Beat, reminding him no matter what his mother did he couldn't say anything while they were recording. Finn had his eyes glued on Rachel, but Santana was doing something they were told specifically not to do.
"Jackie said no phones, no recording of any kind" Sebastian reminded her.
"Mr. A talked to her and I can take one one-minute or less video per song to send to Brittany. She's so upset she couldn't come out here or go to New York with Artie, Tina and Amanda. I have to admit, I'm a little upset with it too." There was a definite sadness to Santana's voice. She was afraid if Brittany didn't come to New York after graduation they would wind up like Sam & Nari and Nick & Sugar, even though they had been together a lot longer than the other couples.
Sebastian leaned over and whispered "Maybe, but you can't fool me. Your beautiful girlfriend is a cover for Cooper. Don't worry, I won't tell B."
The red recording light came on and everyone stopped talking. Sam's guitar intro began and Sebastian looked to see how Blaine's dad reacted since he hadn't heard it. He nudged Santana and had her get his reaction on camera. Cooper would want to see it.
When, when we came home
Worn to the bones
I told myself, "this could get rough"
And when, when I was off, which happened a lot
You came to me and said, "that's enough"
Oh, I know that this love is pain
But we can't cut it from out these veins, no
(Ah…ah…ah…ah) So I'll hit the lights and you lock the doors
We ain't leaving this room 'til we both feel more
Don't walk away, don't roll your eyes
They say love is pain, well darling, let's hurt tonight
It was hard for Sebastian to take his eyes off Blaine and Sam. Having had a couple of prior run throughs with the band seemed to have put them at ease. Plus, up until he watched the earlier practice, Sebastian had never seen Blaine play electric guitar. Now there was a new side of Blaine that turned him on…Rock star!
When he finally forced himself to look away the first place he went was Rachel, who was taking her Ah…ah…ahs seriously. Her dads were smiling ear to ear and Finn was mesmerized. In fact, everyone, even the music people Jackie brought in, appeared mesmerized by what they heard. So much so that Sebastian didn't see any stares when certain words were sung. Like he predicted, the more he heard them the less suggestive the lyrics sounded. The problem was their friends were freaky-freaks and words like Let's hurt tonight wouldn't go by unnoticed.
Once the song finished, Jackie turned to the "kids" and told them that there was lunch set up in a room downstairs and that Blaine, Sam and Rachel would join them shortly. Before anyone could register what was happening they were already out of the room. Sebastian assumed something was going on that the "adults" had to handle and he would find out later. He just wished he could have gotten their opinion on the song, but then again...
Back in the sound booth the "adults" were waiting for what came next. "Charles, what did you think of Blaine's song? Had you heard it before?" Trent's mom Molly asked.
"I can't believe they were just recording it to send to Julliard. It sounded like it was ready for radio." Leroy added, trying to keep his tears of happiness from falling.
Hiram handed his husband a handkerchief because he knew the tears were inevitable "I can't get over that it only took one take."
"Me either, and no, I hadn't heard it. To say I am in awe of what my son has accomplished is an understatement. The song is amazing." Charles stopped when Jackie's assistant came over to tell them that it would be a few more minutes. When she left he went on to say "Unfortunately, I think I learned more about my son's sex life than I ever wanted to know."
Molly and both of Rachel's dads laughed but Xavier shook his head "Hey, my son's sex life as well. I should probably warn my wife before we go to Blaine's concert that evidently her Darling Boy likes it a little rough."
Meanwhile, the three recording artists joined their friends and earned hugs from all. Blaine made sure Rachel got to Sebastian first so he could get to him last. He didn't know what to expect but it wasn't being picked up and spun around before receiving a breathtaking kiss. "B, that song is…is…I don't know. Amazing isn't good enough."
"Damn right it's not!" Santana agreed as she had Doug and Finn help her hand out glasses of water so they could make toasts. "Last year's me would never believe this but…to Rachel. Congrats on winning the NYADA Winter Showcase and next time maybe let us know."
Rachel was smiling so big it hurt. It was almost impossible to believe that it was only a week before that she had felt so alone. "That will be easy since I have all of you in my life again." She made sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room then mouthed Thank you to Sebastian.
Santana brought them back "No one's allowed to get sappy yet, we've got two more to go. So, raise your glass…Here's to Rachel. We are all very proud of you."
"To Rachel!"
"I want to do the next toast" Finn announced, which was a surprise. "To Sam. You have thanked me a hundred times for going to Kentucky and bringing you back to McKinley, but I've never thanked you. This year you have shown me how to be the leader I should have been." In a much bigger surprise he turned to face Blaine "And I'm sorry for that." Rachel took his hand much like he had done for her when Mercedes announced she won the part on Broadway. She knew he needed her as much now as she needed him then.
"Ok, like Santana said, no sappy shit yet. So, raise your glass…Here's to Sam. Thank you and Dude, you rocked it out!"
"To Sam!"
"Thank you, Finn…everyone. And I know each of us could individually propose a toast to Blaine, but they are bringing in the food and I'm starving. So, raise your glass…Here's to Blaine. Seb was right, there are no words."
"To Blaine!"
Toasts completed, it was time to make a dent in the wonderful light lunch Jackie had set up for them…and for Beat to freak out about it. "I distinctly said maybe sandwiches, not 20 different meats and cheeses with 12 different kinds of bread and don't get me started on all the different soups and salads..."
"She just wanted to make sure your friends had choices, including Rachel. That's all" Mike assured him.
"I'm sorry I let her get to me. It's only…well, you know, this…you know, you and me…we're new and you have never liked a guy before and…"
Mike stepped forward and gave him a kiss…which all of Mike's McKinley friends readily admitted they had to get used to (but also admitted Mike and Beat were awfully cute together). "I'm good. I don't know why, but I actually like your mother."
Blaine smiled as he watched the little interchange between one of his best friends and the one person that had been his friend (not Kurt and his friend) at McKinley the previous year. "You're really happy for them, aren't you?" Sebastian asked as he came from behind and wrapped his arms around him.
"Probably more than I thought possible. I was worried when I first heard about them but now I can see it." He twisted in Sebastian's arms so he could wrap his arms around him as well "How bad were the innuendos about the song?"
"There were none."
"What do you mean there were none? The lyrics obviously hinted at sex and our friends lack brain to mouth filters. There had to be at least one comment." Sebastian shook his head no. "Dirty joke? Limerick? Are you sure Santana didn't say something in Spanish you didn't understand?"
"Nope, nothing. That's what scares me."
With all that he had going on to get to this point, Blaine had not had time to contemplate the dynamic of the people sitting at the table eating lunch together. At the beginning of the school year it would have been impossible to think of new and old members of New Directions and Warblers having lunch together, despite the whole Black or White moment the year before. Of course, he hadn't known about that. Or Kurt giving the tape to Sebastian. Or…Ok Anderson, let it go.
And like most everything else Blaine obsessively overthought, he had had no reason to worry. They ate, they talked, they laughed like they had ALL been friends for years. He was especially happy with how Santana was getting along with Beat and Mike. He forgotten how she and Mike had one very important thing in common…Brittany.
He had tried to get Brittany there after Santana surprised him, but she was in Florida for her grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. She already wasn't coming to New York because Cheerio's Nationals were 3 weeks later and Coach Roz basically had them on lockdown since Sue threatened to fire her if they didn't win. They hadn't seen each other since Schuster's wedding and barely even talked due to Santana working 18 hours a day prepping for the photoshoot. They both knew the shoot could turn into an extraordinary opportunity for Santana, but it was all beginning to take a toll on their relationship. That's why Blaine smiled when Santana looked at her phone and then mouthed Brittany at him before leaving to take the call.
Only it wasn't Brittany.
"Hey Cooper, did you get the video?"
"I did, thank you for that and for the shot of my dad's reaction. I owe you."
"It was Seb's idea to get your dad and you can pay me back by telling me you found Brody."
"We're still looking. Tana, it's like the guy doesn't exist. The only paper trail we could find on him involves NYADA. We'll find him it's just going to take longer than you hoped. We're going to have to dig a little deeper."
She had a decision to make. She had wanted to find Brody to tell him to stay the hell away from Blaine while he was in New York, but if Cooper kept trying to find Brody he might find out that he's Tommy. "That's ok, Coop. Stop looking, I'll find another way."
"Are you sure?"
She looked back into the room and saw Blaine with Sebastian's arm around his shoulders, laughing at something Sam had said. He was in such a good place and she owed him so much "Yeah Coop, I'm sure. I'll take care of this." They spoke for a couple more minutes before ending the call. She headed back to the group but stopped when she saw Beat grab Mike's shirt and pretty much slammed their lips together "Well, damn! What did I miss?"
"Mike's going to be in New York next week" Sam told her.
"Hey, Chang. Free yourself from your boyfriend and start talking."
"I want to make something clear, I did this before Beat was a part of my life. I knew not too long after I got to the Joffrey that I needed more. I'm still going to dance, that's my life, but I want a degree as well and I can't do that in Chicago. I can do that with Tische at NYU or Julliard and their connection to Columbia. I have auditions at both places next week."
Blaine stood up and raised his glass "Here's to Mike…for being brave enough to know what you want and going for it, and I'm not just talking about coming to Julliard with me. To Mike!"
"To Mike!"
After the toast, Mike pointed at Blaine "You know I could go to Tische."
"Nope, you're going to Julliard. Rach, you think we're going to be able to add one more Saturday night?"
"I'll talk with Adam but it shouldn't be a problem."
"Who's Adam?" Finn asked, everyone noticing his jealousy except Rachel.
"He's a Senior at NYADA and he manages Karaoke Nights. CallBacks is strictly a piano bar Sunday thru Thursday but on Friday and Saturday there's karaoke. With as large as our group is, I wanted to know if all of us getting in was even a possibility. I couldn't believe it when he offered to reserve tables for us. That's never done."
Santana could see that Rachel was still clueless about Finn's discomfort, so she thought she'd be nice…yeah, she blamed Blaine for that. "I remember him. He's that guy who's (in a British accent) quite British, quite gorgeous and quite-quite gay."
Then out of nowhere...
"I can't take it!" Sebastian stood and dropped his silverware making a loud enough clang to assure he had everyone's attention. "I know you're all dying to say some lude comment about the lyrics to Let's hurt tonight. Get them out before B and Sam go back into the studio for the next two songs. Come on Ray, you have to have something to say about This love is pain. And Lopez This could get rough? You're just going to let that sit there?"
"Excuse us." Blaine joined Sebastian and then walked him away from the table "Bas, I figured out what's going on. Even if any of them want to say something, they're not going to do it in front of Doug. He may be 14 but he looks 10. Remember, the Warblers had a ceremony where Trent passed on the title Baby-faced Warbler to him?"
"Of course, I remember. Their mom baked cookies."
"I should have known you'd remember the cookies. So, can we go back? It's almost time to start up again and I haven't finished my lunch."
Sebastian kissed Blaine before going back to the table and rejoining their friends "Sorry guys. I'm just so proud of Blaine for writing an amazing song and I don't want people making it into something it's not."
Their friends tried to hide their disappointment because now they really couldn't make innuendos about the song. "Bastian, we understand that people who know the two of you may think a certain way at first, considering how affectionate you two are." The others nodded because what Rachel was coming up with sounded good. "Once they take Blaine's advice and truly listen to the lyrics, they will realize there is a much deeper meaning behind them."
"Or they'll wonder which one calls the other Daddy." All eyes turned to Doug, who had continued eating his lunch like nothing had happened. "What?"
Trent knew immediately he would be the one doing the talking considering Santana, Sam, Beat and Rachel were barely holding it together while Finn and Mike (as well as Blaine and Sebastian) were in shock that Doug of all people had said that. "Little brother, care to explain that comment?"
"After the Sugar Shack, the girls at Crawford Day decided that Seblaine was the dreamiest couple ever and some started writing fanfiction about them. It's really popular. George said his sister Gigi says some of the stories are pretty smutty, thus the Daddy reference. I can't believe you guys didn't know this."
None were surprised when Santana was the first to lose it, but Trent pushed forward "How would they know what happened at the Sugar Shack? The only video that got online was Don't You Want Me since that girl somehow got around the blocking system that Breadstix had on that night."
"Nari and some of her friends were there and Gigi said they went on and on and on about how romantic In Your Eyes was. Sebastian, you know you've screwed every boyfriend they will ever have, right? I wonder what they wrote when you two broke up? Don't worry I won't tell anyone it was fake."
"Oh my God!" Rachel was the second to go "Please tell me they publish this online somewhere. I have to read it!"
When Blaine and Sebastian yelled "No!" in unison, the rest of the room fell into hysterics…except for Finn. He sat staring at Rachel, in awe of this sexual side to her he had never known she had.
Santana tried to catch her breath enough to check a text she had ignored while Doug was talking.
From Mercedes: CALL ASAP AND GET ONE OF THE DALTON BOYS. ALL HELL BREAKING LOOSE ON MARTHA'S VINYARD.
Well, that didn't sound good.
She waved her phone so everyone knew she had to take a call. On her way out, she grabbed Trent and literally drug him with her. "What the hell?"
"We're about to find out" she told him, hitting the FaceTime button on her phone. When Mercedes appeared, she was not alone. "Ok, now I know this is bad if you felt the need to include Wes in this conversation."
"Nichole broke up with Jeff. She told him that it wasn't right for her to be with him when she had feelings for someone else."
"Ok, I'm probably going to sound bad for this but good for her for admitting to it."
"Santana is right." They all looked at Trent, not understanding how he didn't support Jeff in this. "We all lived through Blaine staying with Kurt, denying his feelings for Sebastian. It was a fucking mess."
"Again, not to sound bad but why did you contact me and not Trent or Beat, even Sebastian? I can understand not wanting to bother Blaine today." Evidently that part of the conversation required privacy. Wes asked Trent to get Beat and Sebastian if possible and FaceTime him. Once he was gone, Wes told her that he had actually wanted to know how things were going with Blaine. The two of them had been getting along better ever since the day he opened the door for her while naked and she later gave Quinn a positive review of his endowment.
They talked for a couple of minutes before he excused himself "Start talking Mercedes."
"Jeff is not taking this well…at all. Quinn and Nichole are coming back with me and we should all be at the loft by the time you get back from LA tonight."
"Let me guess, Nichole still plans on participating in our weekend activities even though Jeff and the other Warblers will be there."
"Including her brother, Jeff's best friend, who is beyond pissed with her."
"Guess that means we won't be staying at the Duval apartment while Hummel and Finn stay at the loft."
"That's not the problem."
"Then I don't understand beyond the fact that things will be awkward."
"Nichole insists she did this out of fairness to Jeff and that the other guy doesn't have a clue she feels this way."
"And?"
"Quinn and I don't think this is some random Harvard guy."
Santana was about to ask why they thought that when a memory answered the question for her.
"You all dated and then dumped HIM? You're all a bunch of fucking idiots."
Oh yeah, this was most definitely a problem.
Notes:
Let's Hurt Tonight: Tedder, Ryan; Zancanella, Noel 2016