Chapter 4
The next day, of course, the situation is super tensed between the four of them.
They sit away from each other for the first time: Sebastian and Blaine in the back of the room and Kurt and Sam sitting in the first line. This doesn't keep them from throwing gazes at one another anyway, especially Kurt and Sebastian.
Actually, it seems like they're on a challenge about who manages to produce the best bitch glare, but that's only wasting their time because it wouldn't solve the situation between their friends.
Sam doesn't really feel like talking to Blaine now, especially because during the night he's come to the conclusion that maybe he is the guilty one, considering that he stood there in silence, not even worrying about his friend's words. Therefore, despite Kurt's words, Sam is sure that Blaine isn't even interested in him because if Kurt had done the same thing, he'd probably be in the hospital by now. That's why he believes now that he doesn't need anybody but himself, that it's about time to stop being childish and learning to let go when he has no chance of succeeding; and he doesn't have it with Blaine.
Blaine doesn't feel the same way though. In fact, the idea of talking to Sam is a real prerogative (which is evident to Kurt even). Sometimes he sees Sam turning around and he lights up, but then when he notices the sad glare on his face as he turns back to the blackboard, it seems like his words would be useless anyway.
He doesn't realize what Sam is feeling and how little it would take to repair the damage that Sebastian made. Sebastian who is the calmest. He writes his notes down, apparently paying attention to the lesson. He doesn't care because the situation isn't worthy of his interest anymore, according to him.
He has never wanted to get trapped in romantic drama – even if it's not his personal drama anyway – and he's going to give a cut to all of this. At least, he would do so if Kurt stopped throwing daggers through his eyes at him, because Sebastian can't help but fight back.
Kurt's eyes are a thing. They attract him like there's nothing else to focus on in the whole world and if Blaine had read Sebastian's notes, he'd notice that they don't make any sense, especially when Sebastian stops writing and looks back at Kurt.
He has no idea why he wants to give back in this gaze challenge to badly, as he wants to prove something, like he cares. But it can't be true, not at all. He's probably just annoyed because Kurt dares looking at him so awfully.
He shouldn't do so because Sebastian didn't do anything wrong. It's true that Sam looked like he would have done anything to get Blaine, so what Sebastian said was just the truth.
Kurt keeps on staring, but his eyes aren't that angry anymore. At least so it seems.
"Honey," Kurt calls Sam stroking his leg with his hand because Sam was turned to Blaine once more. "I'm sorry." He says when he notices his friend's sad face.
"I'm sorry too. Tell me," He reassures Kurt, because he doesn't want him to get worried for him. He's going to feel better sooner or later.
"I wanted to ask you if you felt like shopping this afternoon. It always makes you dizzy to buy something new."
It's an idea he got the other night, but he waited before he spit it out.
"Yeah, I think we could do that, even though I don't feel like it." Sam confesses; considering his moods, Kurt didn't expect his to be enthusiastic to go out, but he also knows that once they're at the mall, he'll do anything to make him feel better.
"C'mon, you don't have to be like this, Sammy. It's just boys, you know?" He tries to cheer him up.
What Sam notices actually is something else. "Boys? Blaine and …?" He asks curiously.
Kurt didn't say boy. He said boys, which makes it clear that it's not just Blaine they're talking about. He didn't think about anyone else at first, maybe because he was mad at Blaine for his silence, but now he remembers: Sebastian.
"I mean it in a general way, Sam. Boys – expect for the two of us – aren't able to treat other people decently and they are extremely stupid." Kurt explains bitterly letting him read into how much it annoys him; he had thought they were different too for a moment.
"Of course. Anyway, where are we going?"
At the question, Kurt focuses more on changing the topic and thinking of the shops in which to lead Sam to get him to buy stuff. That's totally manic of him to plan on shopping days in such a detailed way, especially if he does it to make someone else feel better.
Actually, he also feels sad, even though he doesn't know why. Maybe it's all that conversation about boys because he does want a man beside him, but as time comes by, he seems to realize that they're all just jackasses.
They spend almost thirty minutes thinking and talking about where to go, when they finally decide to head to the mall in Columbus.
/
Away from them, at the same time, things aren't going any better.
Sebastian had spent the morning fighting with Blaine and the conversation isn't over yet. He knows for sure that Blaine is angry enough not to let him walk away from the room until his ears are bleeding.
"Don't even think that this is over!"
"Blaine," Sebastian sighs, "You know right that you've been telling me the same sentence all day? I love you, but stop, please."
Indeed, it's becoming boring. Sebastian knows that Blaine isn't actually mad with him, but he doesn't want to be the weaker one between them. His head is suggesting him to be angry with Sebastian just a little longer, until he feels completely satisfied, so Sebastian's only solution is to let him vent until he calms down.
"Okay, I'll stop but you have to do something for me to … be forgiven." Blaine says convinced, suddenly enthusiastic at the idea in his head that is surely going to make Sebastian mad.
"What?" Sebastian asks oblivious.
"Shopping!" Blaine replies, so excitedly that Sebastian almost falls from the bed at hearing the words.
No, Blaine can't think he is going to let him carry him to the mall, not with Blaine who would carry him through all his loved shops to buy sweaters and bowties – the ones he loves so much. An afternoon of shopping with Blaine, the thought of it alone makes him sick already.
He has to find a way to come out of this. He knows he deserves something for having made that stupid joke, but he didn't think it was drastic enough to force him to walk around the mall and carry Blaine's shipping bags, as he squeaks about the lovely color of his new tie.
"Don't even think about it!" He says then, strict enough that he hopes Blaine won't fight him back.
"Oh no, you're going to come with me." Blaine says though, sitting beside him on the bed.
"I was thinking about something like a blowjob-"
"Shut up, Sebastian. Your use of this word already made too much damage." Blaine snaps so that Sebastian knows he has no chance to change his punishment.
"No other solution, right?" He asks anyway, still a little hopeful, trying to get Blaine's mercy but not actually getting it because Blaine is still strictly looking at him.
"Right. Then we're going to buy the new bow-tie I wanted." He explains standing up dramatically.
"As if you don't own too many already," Sebastian murmurs between gritted teeth.
"I heard you, and anyway I have to go buy that perfect gel that doesn't ruin my hair," he adds stroking his hair as if his words need a further explanation.
"You'll lose it anyway." Sebastian fights back sounding more depressed because he knows that once they'd be inside Blaine's favorite bow-tie shop it will take at least an hour to come out of it.
"Shut up," Blaine says, "and I wanted to go to the sports shop because I need new mitts." He explains sitting comfortably.
As soon as Sebastian catches the word "sports", he hopes it's not going to be that bad. If he manages to carry Blaine there first and they stay there long enough, Blaine won't have too much time for his own boring shopping.
Eventually, he has still an afternoon of shopping to go through with Blaine, which he doesn't even want to think about it.
He considers telling Blaine that he wants to sleep, but he can't: he hadn't slept last night, but he can't say that to Blaine because that would mean having to go through some questions he doesn't want to reply to. That is why he doesn't talk about his lack of sleep, the big blue eyes he had noticed in the parking lot yesterday being the reason to it.
He can't admit to himself the effect they had on him, not to mention telling Blaine about it; he could admit Kurt had gorgeous legs, but not that he had even noticed his eyes. He can't admit it.
/
It's been at least ten minutes since Kurt and Sam have finished their little trips among the shops.
As Kurt thought, Sam is relieved and happy now. He has bought a pair of jeans that suit him well and give credit to his ass. Kurt had no doubt about how easy it was going to be to find them: Sam has built up body, it's hard to find something that doesn't suit it. It must be awkward.
He has no idea how Sam can just wear t-shirts and jeans with a body like that; if it were for him, Kurt would have found so many props to make him look like the perfect body instead of the body of a videogames and war movies nerd.
But he has to admit that Sam is impeccable and if he wasn't everything but Kurt's type intellectually, he might have hit on him.
"Look! Did you see?"
When Sam calls him, Kurt is just expecting to be carried to another shop full of weir colored and printed t-shirts.
"What do I have to look at, honey?" Kurt asks anyway hoping that Sam isn't pointing at the horrible shirt near them.
But in the blink of an eye, Sam starts hopping on himself a little over-excited because that's the shirt he's looked for forever. It has printed on it the face of the guy Kurt remembers being the protagonist of Avatar or something.
"You don't want to buy it, do you?" Kurt asks seriously hoping that Sam would tell him that he's joking or that he would at least notice the rebuke in his voice. Sam surprises him once more though.
"Yes, I do. But I want to buy it for you!" He announces proudly.
Kurt's jaw drops and he stays with his mouth wide open for a few moments trying to recollect in his head what Sam just said. "You're joking, right?" He asks trying to look indifferent.
"No, I'm not." Sam looks serious though, "I want to buy one for you and one for me, so we can wear them together."
At the words, Kurt considers just for a mere second how sweet the thought of it is. He thinks he could make a little effort, but it doesn't last long before he focuses on pulling out a good idea to carry Sam as far as possible from that shot so that he forgets about that shirt.
"What if we get an ice-cream?" His idea is to walk to the ice cream seller, so that Sam could get distracted by chocolate and strawberries and forget about that t-shirt that Kurt finds offensive to his taste.
Sam thinks about it for a moment because it's weird that Kurt would suggest eating something that could screw his diet; but then he thinks that maybe this is Kurt's way to cheer him up, to do something that Sam loves to make him feel better.
At that idea, Sam eventually decide to let it go and nod while Kurt smiles back at him.
He doesn't deserve such an affectionate friend, especially for what he is doing now to cheer him up even though it's clear that he barely stands Sam's continuous groaning. He can never find a proper way to thank Kurt for this.
/
Blaine and Sebastian have been wandering for long. They have no idea how long it's been, but definitely enough to make their legs feel tired and Sebastian depressed. When he throws an annoyed face to Blaine, Blaine seems to finally understand that it's about time to stop torturing him.
"Do you think we can finally give it a cut?" Sebastian asks hoping the answer would be affirmative.
"Yep, I guess we're done. How about we have a coffee?" Blaine smiles as he stares at the way Sebastian is sighing in relief.
Sebastian feels guilty at the way is joke compromise his best friend's situation, but he isn't going to say it out loud. It's an annoying clenching sensation to his stomach that takes over him whenever Blaine loses his focus and Sebastian knows just what he is thinking about. He can read it in his eyes that even if Blaine has forgiven him, it's like he's lost any chance with Sam anyway.
"Fine, let's have a coffee." He says, but he's still pondering about all these things, this weird situation they'd stumbled into. He has involuntarily hurt Blaine and it sucks; Blaine has forgiven him but he's still a little mad. He's screwed his possibilities, the little plans Blaine was already making, and it makes him feel strange.
He moves quickly along with Blaine passing by the shops in the big hallways shining with neon lights. At the end of the one they're stalking through, there's a big space, a sort of square, where there are bars and restaurants of all sorts.
They walk to the bar that sells the best ice-cream in Lima. Of course they only want to have a coffee, but considering how good the ice-cream there tastes, it's probably the same for coffee; at least that's what Blaine thinks as he starts tugging Sebastian through the crowd.
When his body casually bumps into someone though, he stops.
Actually, he has practically hit the other person and he is about to kindly apologize; but when he looks up to do so, he finds himself incapable of doing anything that isn't stuttering.
His eyes are open and his gaze a little unfocused, this is what Blaine looks like now. And if he wasn't just behind him, Sebastian wouldn't have realized what was happening; but they're too close and he can see everything.
Sam and Kurt are standing in front of them, and Kurt must be the one Blaine bumped into because he's face to face with him in such an intimate way that it's almost embarrassing. Sebastian notices immediately that Kurt isn't looking awfully at Blaine, in fact he isn't even looking at Blaine. His gaze is up to Sebastian and that makes Sebastian stiffen up. He is angry and cold as ice, but still hot enough to make Sebastian's skink burn under his bitch glare.
What Kurt is able to do with his eyes is upsetting to Sebastian: he has never seen eyes like those before.
Too busy with staring at each other like this, Kurt and Sebastian don't notice that Blaine is taking a step forward, walking by Kurt almost naturally. Kurt moves away immediately because his aim isn't Blaine. It's Sebastian, the asshole who had insulted his friend, that had broken his love dream just because he thought he was too cool not to judge.
The problem is that their exchange of glares doesn't last too long.
"Sam," Kurt hears and his attention goes back to his friend so that he can understand what's happening. But he also wants to give him the space necessary to make Blaine and he deal with what happened. That's what would make Sam happy, at least to have some explanations coming from Blaine about the reason why he hadn't kill his best friend when he said that crap about Sam.
"No." He replies though, stepping backwards and at the same time, Sebastian moves forward. He has probably been waiting there just like Kurt. That's something they share too.
"Please, listen to me, I-"
"I said no, Blaine." Sam takes Kurt's hand in his own before the other boy can realize and he starts tugging him away.
For a moment, Kurt looks back at them instinctively to check on their reaction at Sam's suddenly proud behavior; he's curious about Sebastian mostly. And what he sees actually surprises him: Sebastian looks sad, as if the word is crashing on him. Maybe he wanted to stop feeling guilty, but Sam doesn't want to listen to Blaine's words.
Sebastian suddenly looks at Kurt and it seems like he's begging him to stop Sam and convince him to let Blaine talk; Kurt can almost see wet eyes on his face, like he's keeping the tears from streaming.
"Sammy, stop." Kurt murmurs. Sam does, but he doesn't even turn to him.
"Why?"
"You have to talk to him, he deserves the chance to give you an explanation at least." Kurt tries to convince him, turning to Sebastian once more. The boy is still glaring at him, but at the same time, he is hugging Blaine, who's got his face in the crook of his neck, probably to hide his tears; he thinks so because Blaine is evidently shaking.
"He doesn't deserve this. He's mean, Kurt. He didn't say a word to defend me and now he wants me to listen. I won't do it. I have a dignity." Sam says and starts tugging at Kurt once more.
Kurt gives up too quickly but he has no idea what to do or say to change it.
The last thing he notices is that Sebastian is looking at him like he wants Kurt to know that it doesn't matter.
He is holding Blaine tightly and letting him vent. He tries to tug him out of the mall as the other two boys turn around a corner. He makes sure he hides him from people, so that no one would wonder about the reason why he is crying.
Freaking Sam, he thinks to himself because he doesn't know what to do with Blaine's sadness anymore. He's seen Kurt trying and talking to Sam, to convince him to go back, but Sam didn't want to. And this is all just Sebastian's fault. He feels too guilty.
Kurt's eyes, Blaine's tears, Sam's sad frowning, everything seems to be his fault, and the worst thing is that he can't do a thing about it, which is absolutely frustrating.
It's even more frustrating that the glares Kurt throws at him.