A/N: I don't know, people. This fic is getting away from me. All I know right now is that if you chug your way through a few chapters of Seblaine here, you will be richly rewarded by Chapter 28, which is pure Niffy goodness.

Chapter Twenty-Four:

"'Next to Blaine, everyone looks good, though,' Nick teased. Blaine laughed good-naturedly. It was true, the Warblers had been a stool choir when he'd led them. He liked this new and improved Warblers, though, even if he had to put in the extra work to learn actual steps. Nothing Blaine couldn't handle of course, but his preferred method of dance was belting out the solo whilst standing on an end table or something. 'What's Blaine's one dance move?' Jeff asked, as if he couldn't remember. Then he and Nick took a step to the left in time with the music and snapped. In perfect unison they took a step back to the right and snapped. 'All right, I'm joining this dance off,' Blaine said, handing Nick his beer."

"Is it my turn to lead warm-ups yet?" Sebastian whined.

"You're grounded from picking warm-ups," Hunter replied.

"You're not the Captain anymore, and I'm head of the Council, I can do whatever I want," Sebastian replied.

"All in favor of Sebastian being grounded?" Hunter asked the room at large, lazily. Pretty much every hand went up. "Thought so. I'll be leading warm-ups today, actually."

"You're a party pooper, you know that?" Sebastian sighed.

"So I've been told," Hunter said. "I've also been told that if I don't sing this song at some point during the school year, I will find myself locked in a closet with an unfriendly companion." Nick and Jeff giggled. "So, yeah, hit it." Nick and Jeff giggled more.

Let's get down to business, to defeat the huns
Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?
You're the saddest bunch I ever met
But you can bet before we're through
Mister, I'll make a man out of you

(Be a man) You must be swift as a coursing river
(Be a man) With all the force of a great typhoon
(Be a man) With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!

Time is racing toward us, til the huns arrive
Heed my every order and you might survive
You're unsuited for the rage war,
So pack up, go home, you're through
How could I make a man out of you?

(Be a man) You must be swift as a coursing river
(Be a man) With all the force of a great typhoon
(Be a man) With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!

"You two just like to cause trouble, don't you?" Blaine asked Nick and Jeff as they walked back to the dorms.

"Nah, we just really missed you," Jeff said.

"Well, we've got a little time to catch up right now," Blaine suggested. "What's been going on?"

"Horrible awful stuff," Nick said.

"Mostly just Sebastian," Jeff said, as if that was any kind of explanation. Fortunately, Blaine understood.

"Yes, Sebastian Smythe, the self-proclaimed miracle worker," Blaine said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, here's some advice, don't get yourselves rolled up in that."

"It's a little late for that," was halfway out of Nick's mouth when Jeff elbowed him in the ribs, and Nick changed it to, "Yeah, same to you."

"Kurt and I will be fine," Blaine said, trying to convince himself more than the other two.

"Blaine, darling, when was the last time you talked to Kurt?" Nick asked.

"Last week, at the opening for Grease," Blaine said. "You guys were there, did you see him?"

"Yeah, I did," Nick said. "And what did he say to you?"

"Uh…" Blaine said, looking at the floor. "Yeah…"

"You're not going to be fine," Nick said.

"What if it was you two?" Blaine asked. Nick bit his lip, and Jeff looked on the verge of tears.

"Baby, go inside," Nick instructed his other half. Jeff nodded and went into their room, closing the door softly behind him. "Blaine, look, no matter what Jeff ever did, I would take him back, and that might make me stupid as hell, but I am so in love with him I can't function alone anymore – neither of us can."

"He didn't–" Blaine began.

"It doesn't matter," Nick said. "But Jeff and I, we live in the same room, we go to the same school, we are forced to see each other every day. Kurt's way over in New York, and I'm sure he still loves you, but you have to think about the possibility, that it might be over for you."

"Was it Sebastian?" Blaine asked quietly.

"I'm talking hypothetically, Blaine," Nick said. "Neither one of us could ever get into the headspace you were in that night, lonely, abandoned, hopeless, Heck, I'm not even sure what you were thinking, coming here, but I know one thing for sure: Sebastian is after you, and if you're dead-set on getting Kurt back, the only way is to stay away from Sebastian."

"I wouldn't take me back," Blaine said, quietly. "I know he's not going to. Who am I kidding, other than myself?"

"If there's one thing you should know about Jeff and I by now, it is that there is nothing we can't do, besides beat you for solos," Nick said with a laugh, "but I don't think even we can get you and Kurt back together."

"Yeah," Blaine said.

"If he was here, we would try," Nick told him.

"Thanks," Blaine said. "Are you coming to Scandals tonight with Sebastian and me?"

"Sure," Nick said. "Someone's gotta look out for you. See if Trent will come too, he's usually our designated driver."

"Will do," Blaine said. "Um… you should probably go be with Jeff, he looked a little upset."

"Yeah," Nick said, hand on his doorknob. "Just look after yourself, okay? I don't like you in there with the two of them. You can switch rooms and live with us again if you want to."

"No, it's okay," Blaine said. "I can – I can take care of myself. You look after Jeff." Nick nodded and disappeared into his room. Blaine went down the hall to where Trent's room had been and knocked. Trent came to the door.

"I just got back, what could you possibl–" Trent began before even noticing who it was. "Oh. Hi Blaine."

"Hi Trent," Blaine said. "Who did you think I was?"

"Nothing," Trent said, shaking his head. "What's up?"

"The guys and I are going to Scandals tonight, wanna come?" Blaine asked. "Nick suggested you might DD for us."

"Oh, I'd love to, but I can't," Trent sighed. "I already made plans."

"That's okay," Blaine shrugged. "Maybe next time?"

"Definitely," Trent said. "Gimme more than like an hour's notice?"

"Yep," Blaine said. He turned to leave.

"Hey Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"It's great to have you back."

"Baby, stop crying," Nick said to Jeff, arms curling around him, protecting him from the cruel world. "It's okay, we're okay."

"I'm just so sorry," Jeff cried for what had to be the millionth time since that fateful night the previous January.

"Forgive and forget, baby, it doesn't matter anymore," Nick cooed.

"It matters to me," Jeff said. "I just c-can't believe–"

"No, stop," Nick said, still in a soothing voice. "Stop. Look at me, right at me." Jeff opened his eyes and saw Nick's face right in front of his. "Stop it. Jeffrey Sterling, you are the most amazing and beautiful man in the entire universe. Did you make a mistake? Yes you did. But if we were all punished for the rest of our lives over tiny mistakes, what would be the point? I let it go, you need to, too."

"I c-can't let it go," Jeff stuttered. "I can't s-stop th-thinking about after."

"What?" Nick asked, confused.

"When y-you said you d-didn't want to b-be with m-me anymore," Jeff sobbed, "and I said I w-wasn't g-going to eat until you s-said we could be together again, and I c-can't stop th-thinking that you d-don't really want m-me anymore, you're j-just afraid to t-tell me because you d-don't want me to kill myself." Nick started at Jeff for a full five seconds, before pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "N-Nicky?"

"I love you and I obviously don't want you to kill yourself," Nick said, tears running down his face too, "but I will always want to be with you. Even then I wanted to be with you, I wanted to be with you that first Monday after it happened, I wanted to wrap my arms around you and tell you that I would always be there to protect you and that I was so sorry that I had gotten upset. I love you and I want to be with you always, and I want to get married, and have two adorable blond children, and a big house with a big yard where they can play and you can teach them to dance. I want to spend my life with you."

"When I look at Blaine, I s-see myself," Jeff choked out. "He t-tries to be cool, b-but I know how he f-feels. It's awful, it's the worst, N-Nicky."

"If Kurt doesn't see how sorry Blaine is, that's his loss, because Blaine is amazing, and he will find someone else. You are even more amazing than Blaine, and if I hadn't seen that, I am sure you could've found someone to be happy with, but I love you, and it might be the wrong thing to do, but I did it anyway, because you're the only one for me," Nick said. Jeff, shaking, put his arms around Nick as well, and Nick rocked them back and forth until Jeff had calmed down some more. "I know you have some problems, but you are perfect to me."

"I'm sorry I get so upset about little things," Jeff finally said.

"You don't have to be sorry about your illness, sweetie," Nick said. "When I agreed to love you, I agreed to love all of you."

Sometimes it was difficult, being with someone suffering from severe depression among other things, but Nick wasn't a quitter. He knew things wouldn't get any better if didn't accept his boyfriend for who he was. Nick supported Jeff in everything he did. He always had and he always, always would. He was happy to. It was hard, though, sometimes, when Jeff just couldn't believe that someone as perfect, in his eyes, as Nick could love him that much. Nick was obviously far from perfect too, and most of the time he could handle that. Sometimes Jeff said things though, hurtful, awful things that Nick knew he shouldn't even entertain the thought of for one second, just reassure Jeff that it was okay – but Nick couldn't stop himself from wondering, what if it wasn't?

"Nicky?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you too," Jeff said.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Nick said. "Get dressed, we're going to Scandals with the Blaine and them."

"Okay," Jeff said. Then: "And Nicky?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I Niff you."

"I Niff you too."

"Hunter, come on, we need a designated driver, and you know it's not gonna be me," Sebastian whined.

"No, why would I ever agree to go to a gay bar with you?" Hunter replied.

"Because we're friends," Sebastian insisted. "Blaine, help me out on this."

"It will not be me, I will not sit at the bar and drink Shirley Temples while the four of you dance together, meanwhile getting hit on by every gay man in Western Ohio," Hunter said. "I'm not going." Blaine sighed, tying his bowtie.

"I'll DD if you come, Hunter," Blaine said. "I'll sit with you at the bar while Sebastian's off screwing guys in the bathroom." Hunter huffed, but he secretly didn't want to be the only one not going out.

"Fine," Hunter said. "I don't drink anyway, but I appreciate the offer. I will be the designated driver, and you will keep me company."

"Fine," Blaine agreed.

"Can't be any worse than hauling that prissy sober ex of yours around," Sebastian said. He'd taken to reminding Blaine that he and Kurt were broken up about every 90 minutes, just to make sure it really sunk in.

"Sad, but true," Blaine said.

"You've been to Scandals before?" Hunter asked Blaine.

"Course he has, had to show him a good time, right, Blaine?" Sebastian grinned.

"Yeah," Blaine said, monotone. "Have you?"

"Course I have, who do you think picks him up every night?" Hunter scoffed.

"Right, I forgot," Blaine said. "How do I look?"

"Like a 12 year old in those bowties," Sebastian said, without even looking.

"Bowties are cool," Blaine said. "I wear bowties now, bowties are cool." Sebastian slowly turned around to look at Blaine, not believing… could he… really be quoting the Doctor? "What if I had a fez? I could wear a fez. Fezzes are cool." Sebastian almost screamed, it was all he could do to keep from seizing Blaine's tiny body around the middle and swinging him in the air, insisting that they were soul mates, and must immediately begin a relationship that would eventually lead to marriage and an adorable baby girl named Amelia Rose. Instead, he settled for staring at Blaine with a stupid look on his face. "Well, fuck you then," Blaine said, seeing Sebastian sort of sneering at him.

"No, fuck you," Sebastian replied. Blaine could definitely pull off the bowties, bowties were definitely cool. Hunter just rolled his eyes. He didn't know bowties were cool, he was a loser. "Ready to go yet?"

"Yeah," Hunter sighed.

"You're not wearing that," Sebastian and Blaine said at the same time. Hunter sighed. Sebastian walked to his closet and sorted through it.

"You can't wear any of this. Wow, hold on, I'll be right back," Sebastian said. He took off running next door, banging on Nick and Jeff's door.

"What?" Nick demanded, opening the door in a huff.

"Do you have an extra pair of jeans? Hunter doesn't have anything to wear tonight," Sebastian said.

"I don't think we have any that would fit him," Nick said. "Try Beats?"

"Yes, genius, thank you dear," Sebastian said, running down the hall to Beats' room. "Beats!"

"Yeah?" Beats called from inside. "Just come in, it's open." Sebastian barged through the door, and immediately went over to Beats' closet rifling through it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Hunter needs something to wear to Scandals," Sebastian said, selecting a pair of dark grey skinny jeans.

"That should be an interesting story," Beats laughed. "I'd join you but I'm busy. Halo night with Thad and the guys."

"Lovely," Sebastian said. "Don't you have a leather jacket or something?"

"Are you trying to dress Hunter like Jeff?" Beats asked. "Do you want him to get hit on relentlessly?"

"Sort of," Sebastian shrugged.

"On the back of the door," Beats said. "Take my keys out of it." Sebastian seized the jacket, threw the keys at Beats, and then was back off down the hall, stopping only to steal a tie from Jeff's closet, before barging back into and throwing the jeans and the jacket at Hunter.

"And a black button up, white tee underneath, come on now, we're going to be late," Sebastian instructed, before switching gears to deal with the tie in his hands. He sighed at it. "Does this match my outfit?" Blaine looked at it.

"Sure," Blaine said, "anything's better than the double popped collar you were wearing last year."

"Nick and Jeff rubbed off on me," Sebastian said, throwing the tie around his neck and staring at it. "Can you tie this?"

"Sure," Blaine said again, crossing the room to help. "Bend your knees a little, I can't reach."

"Yes you can, you're just being a dick," Sebastian said, but bending anyway.

"If I wanted to tie a tie that was about a mile above my head, I'm sure I could," Blaine said. "But I don't want my arms to hurt before we even get there." He flipped the tie around and around, finally tying it into a perfect knot and smoothing it out. Sebastian looked down at himself, since there was no mirror in the room and Hunter was hogging the bathroom as he changed.

"Ties really aren't my look," Sebastian said.

"Don't be ridiculous, you look great," Blaine said. Hunter emerged from the bathroom, now wearing Beats' dark grey skinny jeans, a black short-sleeved button-up over a white v-neck t-shirt and Beats' leather jeacket.

"Give it to me straight, doc, how stupid do I look?" Hunter asked, absolutely serious.

"Perfect," Sebastian said. "Just let me take a look at my hair…" He popped into the bathroom for a second, then actually ran both hands through his hair messing it up to an absurd degree, before taking a wet comb to it, so it hung partially into his face. "I need a haircut, end of that story…" Then he ran back out, like a squirrel that's had far too much caffeine, into the hall, banging on Nick and Jeff's door relentlessly. "Allons-y! Let's go!" Nick and Jeff's door opened, and they walked out, Nick wearing a striped polo under a Hollister hoodie, and Jeff in his usual colored button up and tie theme.

"Aww, look at Blaine in his little bowtie," Nick said.

"Bowties are cool," Blaine said, defensively, straightening his self-consciously.

"Absolutely," Nick agreed.

"Yes, yes, come along, Ponds," Sebastian said, leading the way to the parking lot.

"Did he just say 'come along, Ponds'?" Blaine whispered to Nick. Nick nodded. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Nick said. "Thank Trent. Only good thing to come out of their relationship."

"Ew, Trent and Sebastian?" Blaine asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Nick said, shaking his head.

"I don't believe it," Blaine said.

"Just wait until the first time you hear him say 'well..' like David Tennant, you'll go weak at the knees," Nick replied with a grin.

For an account of the trip to Scandals, please refer to My Dark Side chapters six and seven. I know I probably at some point said that this fic stands alone, and it can, but you won't know all the funny stuff that they got up to while they were there. In short, there was a dance-off between Blaine, Hunter, and Sebastian. Sebastian won. The other two demanded a rematch. Blaine decided a Diva-Off would take place, the Warblers decided they would perform Hot N Cold on the Lacrosse field after the game.

"Beats?" Blaine asked. Beats grinned. "Hit it."

You change your mind like a girl changes clothes

An argument at Scandals had turned into a full-blown Diva-off on the Lacrosse field the next afternoon. Sebastian, Hunter, and Blaine were all competing for the spot of Dalton Academy's Next Top Diva, and the biggest diva between Sebastian and Hunter got to be Blaine's Vice Captain, whatever that meant.

Blaine easily won the Diva-off, probably still would have even if the deck hadn't been stacked. After much deliberation, the Warblers elected Hunter Vice Captain. Sebastian was heartbroken. The Warblers all left the Lacrosse field, all except Sebastian. He sat dejected, on the track that ran all the way around it.

"Hey there, stranger," came a familiar voice. Sebastian looked up, expecting, for some reason, the voice to belong to Jeff, but it was Blaine. "Don't take it too hard." Blaine planted himself next to Sebastian, maybe a little closer than he should have. "You won the dance-off fair and square. You just need to work on your diva. Use that finger, use that snap." He snapped in the air. Sebastian gave a half-laugh. "Plus, you did used to be a douchebag."

"Well…yeah…" Sebastian said, in that way of impersonating the Doctor that just seemed to blend with his personality now. Nick was right, Blaine did feel a little light-headed at that. Were those butterflies in his stomach? That's so wrong. "I still am a douchebag, though." Sebastian raked his fingers through his hair, then turned up his nose at the mixture of gel and lingering sweat from the Lacrosse game, and tried to scrape it off on the grass.

"Yeah, a little bit," Blaine agreed, once he'd regained the ability to talk, fortunately unnoticed by Sebastian. "I, uh, I got a text from Kurt today."

"Really."

"It said, uh, 'please stop calling me to say you're sorry. What's done is done'."

"Ouch. That's gotta sting." Sebastian was deadpanning because if he showed even the tiniest bit of interest, he was afraid he might just pick Blaine up, swing him around, and kiss him all over.

"Yeah, but maybe it's for the best, you know? Kurt and I are in the past, you know, and I can finally focus on things. Like kicking ass at Sectionals."

"Or like me?" was on the tip of Sebastian's tongue, but he swallowed it, instead asking, "Is this really going to be your first competition without a solo?" Blaine chuckled.

"No, no. But it's close," he laughed. "I only had a bit solo at Regionals last year, and I don't even think I got a line of my own at Nationals." True on both accounts, Sebastian had been there. "Being a part of a team is more than just solos. None of us could solo if the rest of the group wasn't there Warbling with us."

"If we win, we're singing a duet at Regionals," Sebastian said.

"If you say so, the Council picks the songs," Blaine said, trying to wink but failing, and ending up just blinking really aggressively. "But you should know we did a Regionals duet two years ago, and I'll admit, it pretty much lost us the competition."

"Pretty sure you only did that because you wanted to sing a romantic duet with some kid who gets emotional over dead birds," Sebastian said. "Jeff and I did a duet at Sectionals last year and it brought the house down."

"Yeah, that was selfish of me," Blaine said. "What's the deal with you and Jeff, anyway?"

"We're friends," Sebastian said. "Dance buddies!" Blaine laughed.

"You're telling me that you and Jeff pulled off a duet without it looking gay?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah," Sebastian said. "Fall Out Boy."

"Ah."

"Plus, I don't get emotional over dead birds, so there's not a problem," Sebastian continued lazily.

"And what experience do you have with dead birds?" Blaine asked, jokingly.

"I kept that damn canary alive for a whole year, and the first day of the semester, Hunter's fucking cat got a hold of it, and it was just like Looney Tunes. Poor Tweets. Rest in peace, little buddy." Sebastian hung his head in a moment of silence.

A/N: Bear with me and I'll get to writing this as fast as humanly possible, with lots of Niffy goodness.

Leave me a review telling me how stupid I am. Or what you like about this fic. Or just how your day was. Or how much you can't wait for chapter 28? Yeah? It's gonna be awesomeeeee.

Love, Samantha.

Next time: Homecoming, Hunter gets a date!, Riker's hips, and a costume party!