Two Steps Beyond
Part 73
When Sebastian and Hunter finally arrived at the gym Blaine was already there changing. "Hey!" Blaine said with a smile as he spotted them. But that smile soon left his face when he noticed Sebastian was looking down. He hadn't even looked up when Blaine acknowledged them. "What happened?" He asked as Sebastian and Hunter sat down in front of their lockers.
"Are you going to tell him or shall I?" Hunter said while looking between Blaine and Sebastian.
"Do we really need to do this now?" Sebastian asked, his voice was much softer than usual. That was all it took for Blaine to step in front of him and kneel down, placing his hands on Sebastian's legs.
"Bas, look at me." When Sebastian didn't raise his head much Blaine reached out to lift it up enough so he could get a good look at him. All Blaine saw once he could get a good look at him was how withdrawn Sebastian looked. Knowing that when Sebastian got like this one of two things would happen if you pushed him. He'd either close up even more and then any hopes of finding out what happened were lost or he'd lash out. Neither of those were things Blaine wanted to happen so he slowly stood back up. As he did Sebastian's gaze followed him. "You don't need to talk about it right now Bas, but we are going to talk about whatever happened."
"I know we need to talk, I just don't want to do it here or now."
"Alright as long as you know I'm not going to forget about this."
"I know you won't." Blaine then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Okay, now get changed. It's time for your first lesson." Sebastian nodded and started to change as Blaine looked across at Hunter. From what Blaine could make out, their plans for the day couldn't have come at a better time. Once they made it out into the gym, Sebastian still hadn't said much of anything else. Blaine looked at Hunter who just shrugged his shoulders since he didn't want to overstep his bounds. And after what happened he didn't want Sebastian pushing him away when he needed him.
Since Sebastian was taller than Hunter, Blaine and Hunter decided that Blaine would instruct while Hunter held the pads. Things went surprisingly well as Sebastian was listening and taking in everything Blaine or Hunter said to him. Blaine knew Sebastian picked things up quickly, but seeing him do this even surprised him. One of the punches Sebastian landed into the pads cause Hunter to shuffle his feet since the impact was much strong than his previous punches. When Blaine heard Sebastian mutter something under his breath he turned him to face him.
"It's obvious something has frustrated you Bas, but you need to be careful. Hitting too hard to start could hurt you or Hunter."
"Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, I did it all the time when I was first learning."
"So did I Seb, it's normal. The more comfortable you get the more confident you get."
"Are you alright Hunter?"
"I'm fine, I'm more prepared now."
It was about a half hour later that Hunter and Blaine set Sebastian up on a heavy bag near the ring so that they could spar. After making sure Sebastian was alright they made their way into the ring. They'd been sparring for a while when Blaine looked at Hunter. "What happened?"
"Seb needs to tell you, but if you have questions after you two talk, feel free to give me a call."
"Just answer this, was it bad?"
"Sort of, but I don't want to think what might've happened if there weren't a ton of people around." No matter how brief Hunter's answer was, it told Blaine what he needed. They had gotten so into sparring it wasn't till they went to take a break did they notice Sebastian was no longer at the heavy bag. Hunter was about to ask where he was when they both spotted him next to the ring.
"Tired Bas?" Blaine asked as he and Hunter each took their water bottles from him.
"Yes, so I decided to just watch you two. I don't know how you two can go at it for so long."
"It takes a while to build endurance but you should know that." Hunter said with a wink. "Fair warning, your arms are going to feel like rubber tomorrow."
"Thanks for the heads up." The fact that Sebastian didn't counter Hunter's innuendo Blaine knew things must've been pretty bad before they arrived. "How much longer are you guys going to be because I'm starting to get hungry?" Hunter and Blaine normally would've sparred for quite a bit longer but since he seemed to be talking Blaine and Hunter decided to call it quits. Once they'd showered and changed, it was only a matter of figuring out where they were going to go eat. More than once, Blaine and Hunter offered suggestions to Sebastian who just shrugged his shoulders and said anything was fine with him.
After deciding on a nearby pub, they headed out. Once they were on their way, Blaine took ahold of Sebastian's hand and felt him flinch slightly when he did so, but he didn't try to pull away. This moment caused Blaine to give Sebastian's hand a light, reassuring squeeze. Sebastian must've known what Blaine meant when he did it because he glanced down at him and smiled. Throughout lunch conversation was pretty basic. Sebastian told Blaine how he had gotten a visit similar to those Blaine and the rest of the guys had gotten.
"How'd they take your rejection?"
"They seemed to expect it from what I could figure out. I have a feeling word might be out that none of the national champion Warblers are going to sing this year. But like you and Jeff, I was told if I change my mind to come by."
"Sounds like they're holding out hope, but I don't blame them. I love to listen to you sing."
"The feeling is mutual B. Now did you decide which suit you are wearing?"
"Basic black, like you. And I've narrowed it down to four ties."
"Narrowed down ties?" Hunter asked.
"Next time you're over you need to see B's bowtie collection, it's crazy."
"This I need to see." Hunter replied. "Please tell me they're real bowties Blaine."
"They are, none of those clip-on ones for me. I actually taught Jeff how to tie a bowtie today since Brittany bought him one to go with her dress."
"That was very nice of you. So now he knows what color she's wearing."
"No, I taught him with one of mine. She's being really secretive about it and from what I heard from Lexi either dress the girls choose is going to blow Nick and Jeff away."
Once they finished lunch they separated from Hunter who had some errands to run for Cassie while she was out of town. While they were on the subway home Blaine glanced up at Sebastian who had said very little since they'd gotten on board. Sebastian noticed Blaine's look and gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. Blaine was happy with that since it meant Sebastian hadn't reverted back to the way he was when he first arrived at the gym.
After they were inside their apartment, Blaine took their bags to their room while Sebastian lied down on the couch. By the time Blaine returned Sebastian was completely stretched out and had a pillow over his face. Realizing it was a bit bright in the room Blaine went about closing the shades along the front wall. Once he saw the sun was no longer shining directly on Sebastian he walked back over to the couch. "Bas, could you sit up a little so I can sit down?" Sebastian did as Blaine asked and toss the pillow he'd had over his face down towards his feet. After Blaine was settled Sebastian lied back down.
"You want to talk about what happened, don't you?"
"Not if you don't want to. We have no plans for the rest of the day so we can sit here as long as it's necessary." Blaine said while beginning to run his fingers through Sebastian's hair. He'd always laughed at how Sebastian always did this when he had his head in his lap, but now he understood how calming it could be to both parties involved. "You picked things up pretty quickly today. Hunter and I were impressed."
"Thank you. Must be from all the times I've watched you spar with either Dave or Hunter. I must've paid closer attention than I thought."
"You must've. Just remember what Hunter said, you're going to be sore tomorrow. Maybe later today I'll give you a massage for being such a good student."
"I'd like that."
While they sat there, they kept the conversation pretty basic. It wasn't until Sebastian got a text message did the atmosphere change. "Bas?" Blaine asked when he noticed Sebastian had tensed up. "What is it?" When he didn't answer Blaine took his phone out of his hand and read the message that was still on the screen.
Heard what happened, hope you're alright. Call if you need anything. – Nate
Seeing the blank expression on Sebastian's face Blaine's mind started to go through numerous scenarios and he didn't like anything that came to mind. When Sebastian noticed Blaine start to fidget he reached behind him and took a hold of one of Blaine's hands. "Don't go there B. You could see for yourself physically I'm alright."
"What happened Bas?"
Sebastian took a deep breath before starting to talk. He was about halfway through when Blaine pushed Sebastian up enough so that he could get up and darted out of the room. Blaine's reaction caught Sebastian off-guard so he took off after him. All it took was one sound and Sebastian knew where Blaine was. He walked into the bathroom and found Blaine huddled over the toilet throwing up. Sebastian took one hand and started to rub Blaine's back gently as he seemed to rid himself of everything he'd recently eaten. Once he sat back on his heels Sebastian got up and got him a glass of water and a towel.
After rinsing out his mouth and wiping off his face Blaine sat against Sebastian who pulled him close. "I'm sorry about that Bas. I didn't mean to run off."
"No need to apologize B and I'm glad you ran off. I wouldn't have wanted to clean that up off of the carpet."
"I think what happened to Michael hit a little too close to home for me."
"Like I said, it's alright. You're reaction makes complete sense."
"You're worried something like that might happen to you, aren't you?" Sebastian nodded.
"I've never seen someone's eyes filled with such hatred B." Blaine turned slightly and wrapped his arms around Sebastian. "Somehow he thinks I'm partially responsible for him getting kicked off the team."
"He's delusional Bas."
"Agreed."
"You need to do something tomorrow."
"What is that?"
"Go to the security office before practice. Even though your Coach went after you left with Hunter, you need to go yourself."
"What if I do one better?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'll go do it now."
"I'll come with you if you want." Blaine said while looking up at him.
"Normally I'd say you don't need to, but I'd like it if you would."
"Just let me brush my teeth and we can go." Sebastian placed a kiss on top of Blaine's head before they got up off the floor. "And Bas."
"Yea B."
"You're not going to like this, but you should tell Lexi what happened. You need to keep her in the loop." Sebastian sighed after Blaine spoke. The last thing he wanted to do was dump this on his sister, but if he was going to tell anyone he'd much rather tell Lexi than his parents. "I'll give her a call while you brush." True to his word, while Blaine brushed his teeth, Sebastian called Lexi. And Blaine knew he was actually talking to her because he heard her freak out on the other end. After Sebastian ended the call he looked at Blaine who was sitting on the counter.
"If you couldn't tell, she's not happy."
"I heard, but she needed to know."
"I know she did. If you want, I can tell you everything else on our way."
"That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking we'd drive instead of taking the subway."
"Alright, but any specific reason?"
"I just want to."
"How about I drive and you're the passenger?"
"Why don't you want me driving?"
"B, you just threw up everything you've recently eaten. I'd rather you take it easy for a bit and if you're feeling up to it you can drive home." Blaine looked up at Sebastian and could tell he wasn't going to budge so he relented.
On the drive over Sebastian finished telling Blaine everything that had happened. Sebastian's voice must've given away how much everything bothered him because he soon felt Blaine's hand on his thigh. Little moments like these were something Sebastian didn't realize he'd missed till just then. As easy as it was to take the subway everywhere, it didn't really allow these stolen moments between the two of them. They could do the same thing, but it wasn't the same surrounded by others. When they arrived at Columbia, Blaine couldn't help but look around, the campus was beautiful.
During their walk from the parking lot to the security building Blaine could see Sebastian constantly looking around them. It wasn't till they were in the building did Sebastian seem to relax any. After explaining why he was there, the head of security came walking over. "I'm glad you came in Mr. Smythe. We were actually going to call you to see if you'd be willing to come in after we spoke with Coach Stevens."
"Well, I'm here now. What do you need me to do?"
"I'd like us to sit down and talk since Coach Stevens didn't arrive until after your confrontation with Mr. Jackson began."
"It was actually ending when he arrived."
"Then it sounds as though you have a lot to tell me. Why don't you come with me to my office?" Sebastian glanced at Blaine next to him.
"I'll be right here when you come back, promise." Sebastian nodded and took a deep breath before following the head of security back to his office. Once Sebastian was gone Blaine leaned his head back against the wall.
"Nice fucking welcome to college." He thought to himself as he started flipping through his text messages. He saw a few from the guys but stopped once he saw one from Nate. Seemed he was a bit worried since Sebastian hadn't gotten back to him. So Blaine sent him a quick replied telling him where they currently were. Once that was done, he sent a quick text to Hunter to thank him for getting between the two of them.
Now that he had a bit more information, Blaine decided to do a bit of research to see why Sebastian's coach had let this guy off with just a warning to leave campus instead of calling security. It didn't take long for Blaine to find what he was looking for and he soon felt his stomach begin to knot again. The guy that confronted Sebastian was the son of a Senator. Blaine must've completely zoned out because he jumped in his seat when Sebastian touched him.
"Sorry B, I thought you saw me."
"You're already done?"
"I was in there for over an hour B, what's going on?"
"I read something that didn't sit well with me." Blaine then handed Sebastian his phone. "This could get ugly if he comes back."
"I know, I was told about it. If you don't mind, we need to go see Lexi and…I need to call my Dad." Blaine nodded as he took his phone back from Sebastian. As they stood back up, Sebastian caught Blaine who seemed to have lost his balance. "And you need to eat." The walk to the car seemed to take twice as long. Sebastian glanced back over his shoulder and saw just what security had promised. Someone would be keeping an eye on him for the foreseeable future.
When they arrived at Lexi's, Sebastian glanced over at Blaine in the passenger seat. He looked utterly spent. After getting out of the car, Sebastian walked around to the passenger's side to help Blaine. "I'm okay Bas."
"Humor me, alright." Blaine nodded as he got out of the car. Between throwing up and having all those memories and feelings come back, he was more thrown than he'd like to admit. Once they were inside the house they were surprised to see Brittany walking down the stairs.
"Hey guys!"
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Blaine asked just as Lexi came walking out of the living room.
"You are looking at my new assistant boys." They then watched as Lexi handed Brittany a few envelopes. "These need to get in the mail."
"Got it, I'll be right back." As she walked out of the house Blaine and Sebastian just looked at each other.
"Since when?" Sebastian asked.
"A week ago. Between the gala and writing I'm incapable of running simple errands. So, I thought back to what we'd talked about so I called Brittany and asked if she was interested. Most everyone else interested in this sort of job wanted full-time and that's not what I needed. Britt's going to be coming by each day after dance class. And working for me allows her to free up time when she begins to audition."
"Very cool. How's it going?" Blaine asked.
"Good, so far." Lexi stepped closer to Blaine as she spoke. "You don't look good Blaine."
"He needs to eat sis and we need to talk."
Once they were in the kitchen the boys sat down at the table while Lexi fixed something for Blaine to eat. "Where's Cooper?" Blaine asked as he leaned against Sebastian.
"He had an interview to do, but he should be home soon. Would you guys prefer he was here when we talk?"
"It might be a good idea sis. It'll give me time to call Dad. Will you stay with B?"
"Of course I will." When Sebastian walked out of the kitchen Lexi moved a bit closer to Blaine. "It'll do more good if you actually eat it instead of pushing it around on your plate."
"Sorry."
"No need to apologize Blaine. Would you like something else?"
"No, this is fine." Blaine said before finally taking a bite. Once she saw that Blaine was actually eating, Lexi took her phone out of her pocket to send Cooper a text to come straight home once his interview was done. While she sat and watched Blaine eat, she caught glimpses of Sebastian pacing the hallway while talking to their Dad. Since she could hear him slightly she could tell that Sebastian's emotions were running a bit higher than usual.
"Lexi?" Sebastian asked as he poked his head into the kitchen.
"Yea Bas."
"Is it okay if Dad stays here or does he need to book a hotel room?"
"Of course he can stay here." Sebastian nodded and went back out into the hall.
By the time he returned Blaine was done eating. "Feeling any better?" Sebastian asked as he sat down next to him.
"Yea."
"Is it correct to presume Dad is coming to town because of whatever it is you need to talk to me about?"
"It is."
"When is he arriving?"
"Thursday afternoon. He would actually come tomorrow but I told him we'd all be at the gala."
"He could still come."
"He knows, but waiting a day will give him time to take care of a few things before leaving." While Sebastian spoke Lexi's phone went off.
"Excuse me for a minute guys." She said as she got up from the table. As she walked around the island they could both tell she was talking to Cooper by the way she was acting. "Why don't the two of you go upstairs and lie down for a bit. Cooper won't be back for about an hour."
"Is my old room still set up?"
"It is. I'll come and get you guys once he's home."
"Alright." Sebastian replied as he and Blaine got up from the table.
"Lexi."
"Yea Blaine. Thank you."
"You're welcome sweetie. Now go get some rest, okay." Blaine nodded as Sebastian took his hand before they headed on up to rest.
For all of you trying to get to part 74, there seems to be a technical glitch right now. the chapter has been updated. It's showing in my live preview but not passed that point. I've sent an email in for tech help. Hopefully they can figure it out.
*For those still trying, some have found 74. If you look at the chapter list, the next button should be available. If you hit that, 74 will appear. Hopefully this helps you all.