Two Steps Beyond

Part 4

While Mr. Anderson was loading the boys' luggage into the car, Mrs. Anderson was making sure they hadn't forgotten anything. "Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, but if we've forgotten anything we can always pick it up in the city before we leave. We've got the stuff we can't forget." Blaine said while pulling out their passports from his bag and showing them to her.

"Now, I called the credit card company so you shouldn't have any problem using your card while you're there. But still, here's some extra cash just in case." Blaine just looked up at Sebastian after seeing the size of the envelope of cash his Mom gave them.

"Mom, relax. We've got this covered. Bas and I have been pretty thorough in planning this whole trip, promise."

"I know, it's just…it's not like you're going to be close if something goes wrong. There's going to be an ocean between us."

"We'll be careful, I promise." Sebastian told her. "If it would make you feel better we'll send an email or text daily."

"No, I don't want you to do that in case you guys get so caught up in your trip and accidentally forget. But I won't be upset if you do call, text or email occasionally during your trip."

"Alright, but we will call when we arrive in each city as well as when we leave." Blaine said to her. It was pretty clear she was more nervous than she was letting on.

"Come on guys! We need to get going." Mr. Anderson called out.

"I better let you boys go before he gets upset. Have a wonderful time!" She told them before giving them each a hug. "Love you both." She called out as they walked to the car.

"She's going to be in tears before we're out of the driveway." Blaine said once they were in the car.

"It's already started son." Blaine and Sebastian looked out the front windshield and Mr. Anderson was right, she was already crying.

"Is this why she didn't want to come to the airport?" Blaine asked.

"Yes. And just think, you boys are coming home after this trip. Think of what she's going to be like when you leave in July." The ride to the airport flew by since the three of them talked the entire time. "Now, just because you're going to New York first I'd still appreciate a call when you arrive even though we have all your flight information."

"We can do that Dad." Blaine said while they took their bags out of the car. "I'll be sure to call right after we land because we've got a busy day ahead of us."

"That's fine. Now, have a safe flight and hope your work week goes well."

"Thanks!" Sebastian replied, just before they each gave Mr. Anderson a hug goodbye.

"And Dad?"

"Yes Blaine."

"Take Mom out to dinner tonight to cheer her up."

"Already planned on it son."

Once they landed in New York and gathered their luggage they quickly grabbed a cab. "You've called your Dad, right B?"

"Yes. Did that while you were arguing with that guy who swore he didn't have your suitcase."

"Cool. I was right, wasn't I?"

"You were, but you could've probably stopped before belittling his intelligence within the brink of existence."

"Maybe, but he was an idiot. Did you see his actually suitcase was navy blue, not dark green. Idiot, like I said."

"I think you had him so flustered he wouldn't have known any different if his suitcase was bright red."

"Not my problem. He should've checked the tag like I asked him at first. If he had done that, things never would've escalated. I knew it was mine as it still has a Dalton tag on it from Nationals."

"Very true."

When the driver stopped in front of their building, Sebastian paid the driver while Blaine made sure they had all of their bags. "Welcome home B." Sebastian said before giving him a kiss. "Now let's go drop this stuff off and head to our fitting." Once they were inside Walter welcomed them back.

"Is this just a visit Mr. Smythe or are you and Mr. Anderson staying this time around?"

"Staying, though we are going on vacation soon."

"Very well then, welcome back gentlemen!"

After they set their bags down inside the apartment Sebastian wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him close. "I've wanted to do this for hours." He then leaned his head down and brushed his lips against Blaine's. He began to eagerly kiss Sebastian back while he wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing him closer to him. While they kissed they somehow made their way over to the couch and soon fell down upon it. "We should probably stop." Sebastian said his voice a bit breathless from the kiss.

"Depends, does Tasha know when out flight got in?" Blaine asked, while gazing up into Sebastian's eyes which were completely dilated.

"No."

"Then, why stop." He didn't give Sebastian an opportunity to answer as he pulled him back down and began to kiss him again. With as hectic as the week had been since they'd graduated they'd actually had very few chances to be together besides stealing a few kisses here and there. And by the time they'd gotten home each night they just really wanted to sleep. After tossing Sebastian's shirt onto the floor somewhere Blaine sat up just enough so that Sebastian could pull his shirt off. He'd just begun to undo Blaine's jeans when Sebastian's phone rang. "You should get that." Blaine sighed as he lied back down.

"She'll leave a message B, she won't mind." Sebastian said while rubbing his hand over the visible bulge in Blaine's jeans. "And as much as I love my sister, I'd rather have this moment with you. A week is far too long." He then leaned back down, but kept his hand between them before brushing his lips over Blaine's. "But if you…"

"No, you're right. A week is way too long, especially with all the crap we've put up with." Sebastian just smiled before kissing him once more. Once Blaine pressed his hips against Sebastian's hand, Sebastian sat back on his heels to finish what he'd previously started.

"I think it's pretty safe to say the couch is broken in now." Sebastian said softly as he looked at Blaine who was lying on his chest.

"That it is. And as much as I'd love to stay like this, we should probably shower and head on out."

"What, you don't want to go see Tasha smelling of sex?"

"Not really, especially considering we might see Kurt."

"B, you do realize we're not going to smell like sex, but our faces aren't going to be able to hide it. We might not want to admit it, but we both usually have a serious afterglow."

"That's fine. I don't care who knows I just had sex, with my sexy as hell boyfriend. I just don't want to smell like it."

"Now, are you going to stop me if I get frisky in the shower?"

"That depends, just how talented are you?" When Blaine asked, he cocked his eyebrow just enough to cause Sebastian to stir beneath him.

"I'm extremely talented, and you know it."

When they walked into Tasha's office they weren't quite sure what to expect. "Good after…" Kurt stopped mid-thought once he looked up and saw who it was. "Hello Blaine. Sebastian, did you have a nice flight?"

"We did, thank you Kurt." Blaine replied. "Is Tasha available, she's expecting us today?"

"Why don't you both just take a seat as Ms. Saunders current meeting is running long, but I'll let her know you're here as she's expecting you?" The next thing they both saw was Kurt walk into Tasha's office.

"That was surreal. Are you sure we're not in some parallel universe?" Sebastian asked.

"Positive, but I know what you mean. It's going to take a while to get used to him being polite to you. And not looking at you like you're Lucifer."

"Well, so nice of you two to finally make it in." Tasha said once she was standing in front of them.

"What do you mean Tasha?"

"Nice try Seb, but I know you two got in a while ago. Remember, I'm friends with your sister who had your flight information."

"Sorry." Blaine said before glancing down at the ground.

"Don't be, I heard you two had a pretty busy week leading up to coming out here. I completely understand the two of you wanting some time to yourselves. And judging from the smiles on your faces, you enjoyed that time. Now, how about we get you two over to wardrobe?"

"Ms. Saunders, Tyler needs to see you." Kurt said as he got off the phone.

"Can it wait; I need to take Blaine and Seb to wardrobe?"

"It didn't sound like it. If you want, I can take them." Tasha just looked at Blaine and Sebastian who nodded and let her know it would be alright.

"Fine, you can take them. Let the girls know I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I will. Follow me guys."

Surprisingly the walk to wardrobe was relatively pleasant as Kurt told them about what was going on in each section they passed. "You both might want to know, the girls in the accessories department adore you both so I'd recommend walking quickly through here as they'll be bound to stop you."

"Thanks for the heads up." Sebastian replied.

"So Kurt, if you don't mind me asking, how's Chandler?" Blaine asked as they rounded a corner.

"He's alright. Things are slowly getting back to where they were but its better."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say my little outburst at Callbacks didn't sit too well with him."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault Blaine nor Sebastian's, it's all mine. But we're getting back to where we were before that incident thanks to a lot of uncomfortable conversations."

By the time Tasha walked into wardrobe the boys were just changing out of their first outfits. "How did the first outfits look?"

"Amazing, just like last time." Kurt sighed softly as he answered.

"I'm proud of you, you know. I know this can't be easy but it's nice not having to cut the tension in the room. And the fact that Seb and Blaine didn't have a problem with you bringing them down here must mean something."

"Remember when I went home to Ohio."

"Yes, if I remember correctly it was right after these two graduated."

"Correct. Well, I happened to see them one morning when I went to get coffee with my Dad."

"How'd it go?"

"I apologized to them, in front of a bunch of their friends."

"Judging from the way they acted, it seems like they accepted it."

"I don't know if they accepted it, but they appreciated the sentiment."

"One needs to start somewhere."

When Tasha left to go check on the boys personally, Kurt walked over to the window and just looked out over the city as a replay of his fight with Chandler that night flashed through his head.

"You still love him, don't you?" Chandler shouted across Kurt's loft. "Damnit Kurt, answer me!"

"I don't, I swear. I don't love Blaine anymore!"

"Liar!"

"Your eyes gave you away. I would've believed you if I didn't see the way you looked at him myself."

"FINE! I care about him, but I don't love him."

"For someone you only care about, you sure act like it's more than that."

"You see it that way because you don't know Sebastian. He's a bastard! From the first moment he laid eyes on Blaine he wanted him and he let it be known."

"You might not like this, but I can see why. Blaine's got a certain something about him."

"I know that. Sebastian didn't respect our boundaries. He didn't care that Blaine was with me. Sebastian wanted Blaine regardless of whether he was with me or not."

"But if Blaine told him, no. What's the problem?"

"The problem was they started to become super-friendly. They texted all the fucking time! And not just every day type of stuff. Sebastian was totally coming onto him."

"But Blaine didn't leave you. So, he obviously didn't want him."

"He wanted him. He was just too afraid to admit it and it killed me. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at him."

"If you put your personal feelings for Sebastian aside, can you really blame him? The man is sexy as hell!"

"I don't need to hear that from you!"

"Did you tell Blaine how you felt?"

"Yes and he kept telling me they were just friends. Hell, they became friends again even after Sebastian almost blinded him. And I didn't tell you that Sebastian is basically the biggest male slut I've ever met. Blaine deserves better than that! Blaine deserves someone who respects him."

"Not to get out of line, but from what I saw, Sebastian adores him."

"No he doesn't."

"He does Kurt, whether you want to believe it or not. You need to accept that Blaine has moved on with Sebastian who clearly makes him happy from the brief amount of time I saw them together."

"I don't have to like it."

"You know what Kurt, Blaine doesn't want you! Hell, he could barely even look at you. Yet here you are bitching about someone who obviously doesn't give a damn about you anymore! You know what, I'm done! I tried to be supportive, I understood that he was your first love and that takes time to get over. But now, you're just being irrational. Blaine doesn't give a damn what you think! But you know who does, me! But I'm clearly not your top priority anymore."

"Chandler, you are."

"Am I? Is that why you sung that song to Blaine? Do you know how much you fucking hurt me by doing that? Do you? Of course not, I need to go."

"Chandler, don't!"

"I'm leaving Kurt! It's time for you to decide who you really want. Are you going to continue to pine over a guy who couldn't give a damn about you or move on with someone who actually cares about you?"

"Chandler!"

"Call me once you've figured it out. Bye Kurt."

"Kurt, are you alright?" Tasha asked once she was standing behind him.

"Yes, why?"

"Because I've been calling your name for the last five minutes. You looked like you're in your own little world."

"Sorry, what do you need?"

"I need the wardrobe list for this shoot. Somehow some of Cooper's outfits ended up in Seb's rack and we can't differentiate between three outfits. And the tailoring on Cooper's stuff is done, so no visible pins or markings."

"I'll get that for you."

Once he left, Tasha walked back over to where the boys were waiting. "Now, I'm going to need you both to do me a favor for the next few days."

"Anything since you're the boss." Sebastian said.

"I need you both to make sure you get some quality sleep in the days before the shoot because it's going to be much longer than the last one. And make sure you drink lots of water so you're hydrated. So, no late nights, especially the night before and no drinking."

"You don't have to worry about us." Blaine replied. "We've got enough to do in the next few days to keep us occupied quietly."

"Good. Now, I'm going to be sending a car to pick you up as it's going to be really early."

"You don't need to do that." Sebastian told her.

"You don't have a choice so this part of the conversation is over." Their conversation ended then as Kurt returned with the paperwork she needed. "Alright, let's get back to work then." The more the boys changed Tasha couldn't help but smile, as they looked really good even with pins and clips holding their outfits together. "Call it a gut instinct, but I think this next shoot is going to be even better than the first."

"That's because we'll know what we're doing this time." Blaine chimed in. "Simon won't have to break it all down for us."

"Hush, you were both naturals that first time. Remember, I was there. But now that you boys are here in the city have you set up bank accounts here or are you going to wait? As I was curious how you wanted to get paid this time."

"We're doing that tomorrow actually." Sebastian replied. "We can give you all the information on Thursday."

"Perfect. Now, when are you leaving for Europe?"

"Sunday." Blaine replied.

"Are you two excited?"

"Yes!" Blaine's enthusiasm was clearly evident in his response.

"Is this your first time going Blaine?"

"I've been to London before, but it was about eight years ago. And I've never been to Paris."

"A lot has changed in eight years, but you've got a great guide. Seb spent quite a bit of time there with Lexi. As for Paris, it's an experience that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Spring is the best time to go, but now isn't too bad. Promise me that you guys are going to walk the city at night."

"That's a given Tasha." Sebastian said. "It is the most romantic time afterall."

"Here I was just thinking about the lights and you're thinking romance. Silly me. I forgot my little Seb is all grown up."

"How long have you known Bas?"

"About ten years give or take a year. Lexi and I became friends when she started boarding school here in the city."

"Is that when she met Cassie too?"

"Yes it is. Seb was such a cute little kid back then, wonder what happened?" Blaine couldn't stop the laugh from escaping his mouth.

"That cute kid became the sexy guy in front of you."

"I'm not supposed to think of you that way. You're my best friend's little brother."

"You can admit it, I won't tell her." Sebastian was laying it on pretty thick and Tasha couldn't stop the smile that crept to her face. "Confidence is not a problem for you Seb."

"If it makes you feel better Bas, I'll tell you you're sexy."

"Thank you B, I appreciate that. I just love making Tasha squirm."

"Watch it Seb, I've got lots of stories to embarrass you with in front of Blaine here. Should I tell him about that first summer after you came out and we all went to the beach?"

"Don't you dare! You promised me a long time ago you'd never bring that up. I'll back off. Who knew you could be so bitchy."

"You did."

"That's not fair Tasha; you can't mention something like that and not tell me." Blaine gave her the cutest puppy dog eyes that he could.

"Look away Tasha, those eyes are irresistible. He can get me to do anything when he looks at me like that."

"Don't worry Seb, I've got this. You might be putty in Blaine's hands but I have a bit more resolve."

"I'll just tell you that Seb spent his first summer out with me, Cassie and his sister on the beach checking out guys."

"That doesn't sound too bad Bas."

"That's because she's being kind. Now, where are we going to dinner tonight since we haven't gone shopping?"

"I want to cook so we need to go shopping when we're done."

"You're going to cook for me?" Sebastian asked.

"I was thinking we could cook, but if you want I'll cook for you. If I do, you owe me breakfast."

"I'm sure we can come up with something beneficial to both of us."

"The fact that the two of you can actually cook and not just the basics is impressive." Tasha told them. "Blaine, it's hard to imagine at times like this that you and Cooper are related."

"Come now, his cooking skills have improved."

"True, but he's still a far cry from you two. Who by the way, I think are even cuter than last time I saw you. Maybe that's just because we didn't spend a lot of time together."

"According to B's grandparents we're adorable."

"Excuse me, but you've met Blaine's grandparents." Kurt said, a bit shocked but still calm as he really didn't want to inject himself in their conversation.

"He met them graduation weekend." Blaine replied.

"Oh. Will you excuse me for a moment Ms. Saunders?"

"Go ahead Kurt." Once Kurt was out of the room Tasha looked at Blaine. "What was that about? Though he didn't flip out he looked to be more in shocked."

"That would be because during our time dating he never met anyone in my family besides my parents and Coop."

"Now it makes sense. I figured as much but I didn't want to assume. I need to try and make it a point to keep our conversations a bit more professional. I can't have him walking out like that during the shoot."

"You're normally very professional Tasha." Sebastian told her. "We can't help it that we're like family and that conversations take on their own life sometimes."

"True, but I need to be more careful. Last thing I want is for tensions to run high again with a shoot coming up. So, we'll catch up over dinner or something after you two come back from your trip."

"Deal. If you're good, we'll have you over and cook." Sebastian told her.

"Sounds good."