Two Steps Beyond

Part 22

By the time they finished up their last day in Venice there wasn't anything left for them to see. They had done some shopping, gone on a gondola ride, spent some time at the beach and went to the opera. "Is it wrong that I'm afraid I might be bored once we get home Bas?" Blaine asked as they packed.

"Not at all, I can totally see how that could happen considering we've been on the go for practically three weeks. And so you know, Cooper is picking us up at the airport."

"Since when?"

"Yesterday. It seems my sister is more eager to talk to me than I thought."

"What if I can convince Cooper to just bring us home and you can put off talking to her for at least one day, would that help?"

"As wonderful as that sounds, I doubt Cooper would give into you when it's something Lexi wants."

"Trust me Bas, I can do this."

"Alright, you can try but I won't be disappointed if he says no. My sister can be pretty persuasive and I can't see him purposely upsetting her."

"That's fair enough."

During the train ride back to Rome, Sebastian glanced over at Blaine who was watching the scenery quickly pass by them. "You okay B, you're a bit quiet."

"I'm fine, just can't believe it's over." Sebastian took ahold of Blaine's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I had such an incredible time Bas, thank you."

"I did too B, so thank you as well, for everything." After he spoke Sebastian leaned over and gave him a kiss. "And when we get home, we need to go see my Dad."

"Not that I didn't expect to go see him, but why?"

"Because after the trip we had these first class seats going home are going to be a godsend."

"Tell me about it."

While he waited outside of customs awaiting their arrival numerous feelings were going through Cooper. For starters, he couldn't wait to see both of them. Which if anyone had told him two years prior he'd be anxiously awaiting his brother's arrival home after a whirlwind European vacation he probably would've laugh. His relationship with Blaine now was everything he could've possibly asked for. They still got on one another for things, but it was in a playful manner now. And there was a closeness that hadn't always been there.

But also going through his head was everything he and Lexi had talked about for the last few days. Yes, he understood what and why she was feeling the way she was, but he truly didn't want to believe that something could've gone wrong during their trip. Though if one thing he learned since being with Lexi was that her instincts were rarely off and that scared him. Considering how happy they both looked in all of their pictures, it was hard to even fathom that something could've gone wrong while they were gone.

All thoughts vanished from Cooper's head when he saw Blaine and Sebastian walking towards him, both with huge smiles on their faces. "Welcome home guys!" He said before giving them each a hug. "I missed you!"

"Crazy as it might sound, we missed you too" Blaine told him while Cooper took one of their bags.

"This might sound weird, but aren't you coming back with an extra piece of luggage."

"We are." Sebastian replied. "And it probably would've been two if we didn't ship that box home. Which reminds me, where is it?"

"I brought it over a couple days after it arrived. Got to tell you, you peaked Lexi's curiosity with it."

"That doesn't surprise me." Sebastian replied. Once they reached the SUV Sebastian went to put the smaller bags in the backseat while Blaine helped Cooper with their luggage.

"Coop, I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything little brother." Cooper told him after closing the hatch. "What is it?"

"I need you to bring Bas and I home and not to your place." The look exchanged between the two of them spoke volumes. "Please Coop, it would mean a lot to me."

"Something did happen while you guys were gone, didn't it?" Blaine just looked down at the ground. "Blaine you need to tell me something since Lexi was pretty adamant about wanting the two of you at the house and it wasn't just because she missed you both like crazy."

"Okay, something did happen. But right now Bas needs some time to adjust to being home before talking to her."

"Why do I not like the sound of this?"

"Because you're not an idiot, it sounds bad because it is."

"Then talk to me, maybe I can help."

"You don't know how much I wish I could, but I can't. This is between Lexi and Bas."

"It's clearly not just between them because you know."

"I only know, because of circumstances. And that's all I can tell you Coop. So please, will you do this for me?" Blaine waited patiently for some sort of response from Cooper. The fact that he was so quiet was really starting to worry him. But any worry he had soon disappeared when Cooper wrapped his arms around him and gave him a big hug.

"Alright, I'll do it. But so you know I'm probably only going to be able to hold her back for a day. As of tomorrow you two are on your own because I value my marriage too much."

"I really appreciate this Coop, so will Bas. And I know this can't be easy for you. But after it all comes out you'll understand."

"Seeing the look in your eyes I can tell it must be something pretty important."

"It is." When they finally got into the SUV Sebastian just looked at them both. It wasn't till he saw Blaine smile back at him was he able to breathe a bit easier.

"Thank you Cooper."

"Don't worry about it Bas, okay. Now onto a better subject, did you two have fun?" Cooper asked just as he started to pull out. The drive from the airport to their apartment went by rather quickly as Blaine and Sebastian gave Cooper a condensed version of their trip. "You two have seen more of Europe than I have."

"I'm sure it won't take much for you to convince Lexi to take a similar trip." Sebastian told him.

"True, it's just about time now. Silly me for having an actual career now."

"Yes, but said career is what you've always want." Blaine said.

"I never said it wasn't, just now I don't have as much free time. Though I will gladly take things the way they are now to the way things were. Now, I need to ask you two something?" Cooper asked as he pulled into their garage.

"And just what would that be?" Blaine asked.

"How the hell did Jeff and Nick put that page together?"

"You're going to have to ask them yourself." Sebastian replied. "We still don't know, but it's pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Extremely. Are you two going to share any other pictures with them?"

"Yes, we're going to." Blaine said while they started to gather their things to take upstairs. "So who knows what the page will look like when they're done."

Once they had everything in their apartment, the three of them sat down and talked for a bit before Cooper headed off. "He realizes what he's going to walk into back at home without us, right B?" Sebastian asked as they relaxed on their couch.

"He knows. He also told me the most he can buy us is one day because he values his marriage too much."

"He's already giving us more than I could've possibly asked for. Just what did you tell him to get him to do this?"

"Basically that it was important and you needed a day before talking to Lexi."

"Did he say anything about how she'd been?"

"Just that she was pretty adamant about wanting us at the house. And after what I said to him, he said it basically confirmed what she was feeling that something happened. Are you sure you still want to tell her?" Blaine asked while looking up at Sebastian since he had his head in his lap.

"Yes, I'm positive, though I'm scared to death of how she's going to react."

"You just need to remember that she's going to be upset and probably hurt at first. But if I've learned anything about her, that'll quickly pass and her only concern will be you."

"As much as people think you should be majoring in music in college B, you really are making the right decision."

Once he got back home Cooper couldn't help but just sit in the garage for a while. With his head back against the headrest he thought back to the look on Blaine's face. He knew he made the right decisions for the boys, now he was only hoping he'd be able to stop Lexi from going over to see them. When he finally walked in the front door she came down the stairs rather energetically, it was pretty clear she couldn't wait to see them.

"Welcome…Cooper, where are they?" She asked once she got down to the foyer. "Cooper."

"They're at home Lexi."

"May I ask why, because last we spoke you were going to bring them over here?"

"Plans changed." Cooper then reached for her hand. "Why don't we go upstairs and talk?"

"We can talk here Cooper, what's going on?" The more she spoke Cooper could tell just how worried she now was.

"Please Lexi, let's just go upstairs." When he felt her attempt to pull away he just held her tighter. "This is important hun, please." Once they finally got upstairs and got comfortable Cooper wrapped his arms around her and just held her. "I know how much you were looking forward to seeing them and talking with them but Blaine asked me if I could just bring them home."

"Did he say why? Did you ask why?"

"He only said they needed some time to decompress now that they are home."

"I understand the need to unwind after a trip like they had, but seeing us wouldn't have been that hard, would it?" Cooper just sighed, he couldn't stand seeing her upset and he knew she knew something was wrong. "They don't want to talk to me, do they? Cooper?"

"They want to talk to you; they just can't do it today."

"What happened to them Coop?" Lexi's voice was wavering more and more as she spoke.

"I honestly don't know Lexi. Just, please give them their space today. It would mean a lot to them."

"Whatever happened must be something for you to do what they asked of you over what I asked of you?"

"Lexi, if you saw the way Blaine looked at me when we talked you would've done the same thing. I love you more than anything, but right then I needed to do what Blaine asked of me. And after talking with Bas, it meant just as much to him." After he spoke, Cooper had no idea what to expect. In one aspect he could see her being furious that he chose to honor their wishes over hers. But a part of him really hoped she'd see it the way he did.

"Alright, I'll give them their space."

"Are you upset with me Lexi?"

"I could be, but I'm not. You did the right thing. Just because I want to find out what happened, I'm never going to be given a straight answer unless they're ready to talk."

"Actually, from what Blaine said. This is between you and Bas."

"But Blaine obviously knows something."

"He does, but he said it's not his place to say anything."

After relaxing on the couch for quite some time, Blaine and Sebastian each made calls to their parents to let them know they were home. Not surprisingly, Blaine's phone call lasted quite a bit longer since his Mom wanted a quick recap even though he reminded her that they'd be home in a few days. While Blaine was on the phone Sebastian took the initiative and took their suitcases to the bedroom and began to unpack. It was going relatively quick considering he just had to separate things into separate loads of laundry since they'd worn all of the clothing they'd brought. He'd just finished when Blaine came walking into their bedroom.

"You didn't have to do this all Bas, I would've helped." Blaine said before taking the empty suitcases from Sebastian.

"I know you would've, but since you were still on the phone with your parents I thought I'd get a head start. But if you want, you can start unpacking the other bags while I start laundry."

"Who knew you were so domestic?"

"Cute. So are you going to do it?"

"Of course." Blaine then watched Sebastian load a pile of clothes into a basket before walking out of their room. By the time Sebastian had returned Blaine had the rest of their bags unpacked and spread out on the bed. "I think we did more shopping than we realized Bas."

"I think you're right. And this doesn't even include everything we shipped home. Do you want me to go get that box as well?"

"Would you mind?"

"If I minded I never would've offered." After Sebastian walked out of the room Blaine's phone went off. That was one thing he was going to miss about being on vacation, now that they were home he'd be expected to answer. When he looked down and saw that it was a text message from Lexi he sighed. Once he opened the message he sighed again, but this time in relief. "What's going on B?" Sebastian asked as he walked back into the room.

"It's a text from Lexi." Blaine could see Sebastian tense up once he mentioned his sister. "It's alright Bas, she's not upset."

"You're kidding, right?"

"See for yourself." Blaine then handed Sebastian his phone before opening the box.

"You're right. I don't know how Cooper did it, but he did. I expected that when we heard from her she'd be upset. But here she is telling us she's happy we're home and can't wait to see us when the time is right for us."

"Guess we don't have to worry about her knocking down our door anymore."

"True, but it's pretty clear she knows whatever happened is pretty important and she's giving us time."

"Somehow Cooper managed to convince her without much information, I'm actually impressed."

"B, we probably don't want to know how he did it."

"Come now Bas, considering how you felt you should just be happy no matter how Cooper got the results."

"You're right. And if our sex drives are any indication, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to be honest."

"Miracles do happen; you didn't get squeamish talking about their sex life."

"Alright, I get it; it was a bit much how I reacted sometimes. But I think I can honestly say I'm passed that. But I did realize something while we were on vacation."

"Are you going to share whatever it is or just keep me guessing?"

"First answer a question for me."

"Alright."

"Is Cooper sentimental at all?"

"Yes depending on what it involves, why?"

"I think I know why he wants to go back to London."

"And why is that?"

"I think they were in London when Lexi got pregnant."

"Talk about creating lasting memories." Sebastian busted out laughing at Blaine's comment. Blaine joined in the laughter because eve he had to admit that was pretty funny.

"That's brilliant B. We so have to share that with them."

"Hopefully they'll have the same response because otherwise I can see us running for cover."

They continued to talk while they started to separate everything they had bought on their trip. As they looked over the piles Sebastian just looked at Blaine. "I think we might've overdone it in regards to Jocelyn and Braeden, B."

"I know but at least we didn't buy everything in the same size, so we can spread it out. There is a lot of one year stuff that we can put away for their first birthdays, that saves us from having to go shopping."

"That's not a bad idea. Now, if we put it away till then will we remember where we put it?"

"We could always use the closet in the office. It's going to be a room we use quite a bit so it's not like we won't ever see it."

"That works. What's in that bag over there?" Sebastian asked while pointing across the bed.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with."

"Did you buy me something Blaine?"

"No" Even though Blaine said no, there was no hiding the truth that yes, whatever was in that bag was for Sebastian. When Sebastian flew across the bed to grab the bag somehow Blaine was able to pull it away from him. "Fine, it's for you but you can't have it yet?"

"Why?" Sebastian asked once he sat up on the bed with a pout on his face.

"Because I said so."

"That's not fair."

"I know. How about we make a deal?"

"I'm open to hearing the terms."

"I'll give you whatever is in this bag if you give me whatever it was in the bag I saw you stash when I was walking into the bedroom."

"No deal. I can wait as long as you can."

"So it was for me."

"Of course it was. We've both got talent B."

"Why do you say that?"

"We both somehow managed to buy something for the other with the other present."

"You're right, I hadn't really thought about that. Quick question, who is the stuffed bear cub from the London Zoo for, Braeden or Jocelyn?"

"Brittany." Sebastian replied with a smile. "The lion cub is for Braeden while the kangaroo is for Jocelyn."

"So you bought stuff for both Brittany and Rachel?"

"I also picked up something for Santana, though I didn't get anything for any of the guys so you don't have to worry there."

"Well, I did pick up something for one of them."

"I'm guessing that book on European history is for Jeff."

"Correct."

"Good call. Wait, we did get stuff for the guys?"

"When?"

"All those shot glasses we bought, remember we picked one out for each of them."

"That's right. So we're covered then. Wait, you don't think the rest of the guys are going to be pissed that we bought something else for Jeff?"

"Considering what it is, no. They'll be fine since they know how much Jeff loves history. That reminds me, we need to take one last picture."

"Why?"

"The guys don't know we're home yet. I think it would be a rather fitting way to tell them. "

"Alright, and what would you like to do after that?"

"We should probably start going through the pictures so we have something to show the parentals when we get home. Put together that slide show we talked about."

After tossing around numerous picture setting possibilities they headed out to their living room and got comfortable on the couch. Once they were settled Sebastian took the picture of the two of them lounging on the couch. "And just what are you titling this one Bas?"

"Simply, home sweet home."