Two Steps Beyond
Part 85
While Blaine sat through his last class of the day on Monday the only thing on his mind was going home and getting some rest. To say he and Sebastian had a full weekend would be a clear understatement. Somehow they'd managed to spend ample time alone together while also seeing their friends and studying. The only stressful part of the entire weekend was when Mr. Smythe came by to see them yet; they were in no position to talk to him. Even though they knew he'd planned on coming by and they'd said it was fine, they clearly lost track of time. So when Blaine blatantly lied to Mr. Smythe when he called Sebastian's phone it took everything Sebastian had not to laugh loudly.
Blaine was shaken from his thoughts when his phone vibrated numerous times.
Mom & Dad are here. Are you two up for dinner? – Coop
Lexi wants to know if we want to do dinner. – Bas
Can't wait to see you! – Mom
Considering where he was seated Blaine knew he couldn't respond till class was over. As the professor he currently had hated cellphone use. The last person caught texting in class was basically humiliated. So after a glance at his watch, Blaine knew he only had about ten minutes till he could respond. Blaine knew that he and Sebastian should have dinner with everyone, but he just wanted to go home. When he finally left class, he headed for a nearby bench to sit down so he could call Sebastian. If anyone would understand how he was feeling at that moment, it was him.
"Hey killer!"
"Here I was expecting to get your voicemail. Shouldn't you be in class?"
"It doesn't start for ten minutes, but if you like I can hang up and you can speak to my mailbox."
"Cute Bas."
"I know, now what do I owe the honor of this call."
"Dinner."
"You don't want to go, do you?"
"Nope. I'm exhausted and I have homework to do along with that stupid project."
"Well, today is our lucky day as I have quite a bit to do as well once I get home. So we won't honestly be avoiding them."
"Is tomorrow okay for you Bas?"
"No, since I've got an away game plus you have that lab. What if we give up part of our date night on Wednesday?"
"I can do that. I'll call Coop and let him know."
"Cool, well I need to get going as my professor just walked in."
"Alright. Love you Bas.
"Love you too B. See you at home." Now that Blaine had spoken with Sebastian, it was time to call Cooper. Considering everything the two had talked about, he hoped Cooper would be able to convince their parents to just leave him be for the next couple of days.
"I was wondering when I was going to hear back from you. So, when are you two coming over?"
"We're not."
"Blaine." He could hear the frustration in Cooper's voice, just as he suspected. "We talked about this, you can't avoid them."
"I can safely tell you, I'm not avoiding them. I actually have homework to do and I'm also working on a project. And it's not just me; Bas has quite a bit of work to do as well once he gets home. This is completely school oriented."
"How about tomorrow?"
"Not going to work. Bas has an away game and I have my music lab on Tuesday evenings."
"You're kidding me."
"I'm not. But Bas and I talked and Wednesday evening works for both of us as long as it's not an all-night thing since we've both got projects to work on."
"Are you sure you can't even stop by, they really want to see you?"
"Coop, I want to see them but I can't right now. I've got a ton of work to do."
"Maybe if you weren't taking an extra class this semester you'd have more time." Blaine had a feeling Cooper was going to mention that. He still couldn't believe Blaine had added another class to his schedule.
"We've talked about this Coop. I'm taking another class so I'm not in school forever. And it's not like I can't handle the load. It just means that during the week I don't have much free time."
"And it has nothing to do with keeping busy while Bas is playing lacrosse."
"Okay, maybe the extra class keeps me busy but that's not the only reason. You do realize that to do what I want, I'm going to be in school between eight and ten years. So if I can add an extra class per semester to shorten that time I'm going to do it. I'm going to be in school almost as long as Nick and that's only because he's going to be doing a residency like Wes."
"I know but that's because you also want to be at the top of your field. You're going to get to a point where you're working while still finishing school."
"I know that. So the more I can get done before then, the better."
"Just promise me you won't over do it."
"I won't. I know what I can handle Coop. So can you just explain things to Mom and Dad?"
"I can try, but I have a feeling one of them is going to want to talk to you."
"Fine, I've got an idea."
"I'm listening."
"Have a talk with them and if they want to see me tell them they can meet me at home. But let them know I don't have a lot of time to chit-chat since I've got work to do."
"I have a feeling they're going to take you up on that."
"That's fine as long as you tell them I don't have a ton of time."
"Fair enough. Now, are you heading home now or later?"
"I'm meeting Jeff for coffee and then heading home. So, I'll be leaving here in about a half hour or so."
"Got it. Later Blaine."
"Later Coop." Blaine barely had time to put his phone back in his pocket when he saw a large cup of coffee being held in front of him. He looked up to see Jeff looking down at him.
"Looks like you need this more than I do." Jeff said as Blaine took the cup from him while Jeff took the spot next to him. "You okay?"
"I'm just a bit tired, plus I've got a lot to do once I get home. Add onto that, my parents have arrived and want to see me."
"Why do I have a feeling you're leaving something out, because you normally like spending time with your parents."
"Oh, I didn't tell you they're in town because they don't think Bas and I are taking everything that happened serious enough."
"Have you talked to them?"
"No and that's what has me irritated. I haven't talked to them. They've spoken to Cooper."
"Did he tell them you guys aren't taking things seriously?"
"No, he just told them how we're handling things. And it's clear they don't approve."
"Well, the sooner you talk to them the sooner you can make them understand."
"That's the thing; I don't have the time right now. If they'd bothered to talk to me before coming out here I could've told them that."
"I could say you're making excuses, but your class load is crazy."
"I'm only taking one more class than you."
"I know and I've got crazy amounts of work to do. But I understand your reasoning. Nick did the same thing. He'd prefer to get the first "four" years done as quickly and efficiently as possible without hindering his GPA. He's actually considering taking classes during the summer."
"Glad I'm not the only one."
"You're both crazy."
"But you love us anyway."
"Guilty as charged."
"You look anxious, what's going on?"
"It's nothing."
"Jeff, I could use a good distraction."
"I'm waiting to hear back from Britt."
"That's right, how was she last you talked to her?"
"Good, she went into work this morning prior to her audition. She convinced Lexi that it would be good to keep busy before going."
"From that I take it she likes working for her."
"She does. Said each time she's gone Lexi gives her more to do."
"That's because she's proven she can handle more responsibility. Which I'm sure Lexi appreciates. I have no idea how she keeps her schedule straight."
"The same could be said for you."
"Well, what do we have here?" Blaine and Jeff both looked up and saw Chandler standing in front of them. "Done with Sebastian already?"
"No, this is my friend Jeff Sterling. Jeff, this is Chandler, Kurt's…sorry, I don't know exactly what you two are."
"We're friends."
"That all?" Jeff asked.
"As of now."
"Please tell me this is not because of Blaine."
"It's what Blaine here represents."
"And what do I represent?" Blaine asked before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Kurt's first love."
"Good lord, that's pathetic." Jeff said. "They've been apart for over a year. Kurt needs to move on."
"I've told him that same thing. But when he lost you Blaine, he also lost his best friend."
"He pushed Blaine away by being a controlling ass-hole and in the process alienated those that were friends with both of them."
"You must be talking about Rachel."
"She's not the only one, but she is a huge part of this."
"He can be a bit irrational."
"A bit, you clearly don't know him that well." Blaine almost spit his coffee out as Jeff spoke. He was clearly on a roll that afternoon.
"As entertaining as this is, I need to get going."
"Meeting your boyfriend?" Chandler asked.
"Actually I'm meeting my parents, which is why I can't be late. Jeff, thank you for the coffee, it's on me tomorrow."
"You've got it man. Say hi to your parents from me."
"Will do. They're in town till Saturday so call it a hunch but I bet you'll see them." Blaine then looked at Chandler as he put his bag over his shoulder. "I wish I had something to say that could help, but I don't. But I will tell you this, if you think he's worth it, stick it out. If you don't, get out now before you get dragged down by what's going on."
"Thanks Blaine."
"For?"
"Saying that. You're really not the jerk Kurt paints you as."
"He's not." Jeff said. "That is why he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was."
When Blaine walked into his building there was Walter's smiling face. "Good afternoon Mr. Anderson, good day at school?"
"Long day, that isn't going to be ending anytime soon." Blaine replied while patting his bag.
"I can see. So you know, your parents arrive a few minutes ago."
"Thank you Walter."
"You're welcome.
Once he was in the elevator Blaine leaned his head against the wall. He could only hope he looked as tired as he felt so that his parents didn't feel the need to stick around. The elevator doors had barely opened and he saw his parents standing outside the apartment door. "See, I told you he didn't ditch us." Mr. Anderson said as Blaine stepped out of the elevator.
"I didn't think he did. We've missed you." Mrs. Anderson said as she stepped towards Blaine to give him a hug.
"I've missed you guys too." Blaine then gave his Mom a kiss on the cheek as she let go. After giving his Dad a hug as well he opened the apartment door. As they made their way to the living room Blaine felt a slight sense of relief once he remember he and Sebastian had cleaned up before they went to bed the night before. "Make yourselves at home okay. Can I get you anything to drink?" Blaine said as he set his bag on the ground.
"We're good." Mr. Anderson said as they took a seat.
"Alright, I'll be right back." After Blaine left the room Mrs. Anderson looked around.
"It's more them than I would've imagined." She then reached across her husband to grab a framed photo that was sitting on the end table. "I don't remember seeing this picture." She said as she looked at the photo of Blaine and Sebastian from Paris. "They look so happy…and in love."
"That's because we are." Blaine said as he came around the corner, smiling at his Mom. "That was taken our first day in Paris."
"It's a wonderful photo of you both."
"Thank you, we think so too." Blaine replied while taking a seat opposite his parents. "Now, tell me you guys talked with Cooper."
"We did." His Dad replied. "And he told us you had quite a bit of work to do this evening."
"I do."
"I can see that from how full your bag looks. So, we won't drag this on because we know you don't even want us here."
"Dad, it's not like that. I…I just wish you guys had bothered to call and talk to me before hopping on a plane and coming out here."
"We know dear, Cooper made that very clear to us today. But we're here because we love you and care about what's going on with you and Seb." His Mom told him.
"I know you do and I love you guys too. But as of right now there isn't anything you can do. Everything around me and Coop has basically died down. And Mr. Smythe is taking care of what's going on with Bas."
"How are you and Seb taking what's going on with him?" His Dad asked.
"Right now, it's just one instance which Mr. Smythe wants to make sure never happens again."
"He filled us in on what happened. Is Seb alright?"
"He is for the most part, but he's more aware of his surroundings now. That's basically all he can do right now. And the university has upped security outside of his classes."
"Are you two being careful when you go out?" His Mom asked.
"Of course we are. Though, we've barely had time to ourselves since this all happened. Shortly after it all went down we went away with everyone for the weekend. Then last week was Fashion Week as well as school so we've been pretty busy."
"I'm sure the two of you found time to go out Blaine."
"We did Dad, but we were with our friends. And before you even ask, they know what's going on. Well, technically, the guys know not the girls."
"Why don't the girls know?"
"Because they'd freak out and that's not something Bas or I want to deal with. Is there anything else you'd like to know or can I start to study?"
"Where's Seb?" His Mom asked. Blaine then glanced down at his watch to see what time it was.
"He's about to get out of his last class and then he'll be heading to lacrosse practice."
"So we won't be seeing him."
"Unfortunately not, but you will be seeing the both of us for dinner on Wednesday."
"Lexi mentioned that. She told us you're both busy tomorrow as well."
"We are. He's got an away game while I have a lab in the evening."
"I saw your class schedule, are you sure you're not over doing it?"
"I'm fine Dad; it's nothing I can't handle. Considering I survived the first week with all the outside engagements I had going on, it's fine. It's not like they said, hey lets go easy on Blaine because he's attending Fashion Week." Blaine looked at his Mom who was laughing.
"He's got a point dear."
"That he does. We'll be leaving you Blaine so you can get to work." His Dad said as he rose from his seat. "This might sound crazy, but with as busy as you and Seb get, make sure you make time for each other."
"It's not crazy and don't worry, we do." Blaine replied as he got up as well to give his parents each a hug. "I love you guys."
"We love you too." His Mom said as she gave him another hug.
"Before I forget, Jeff says hi."
"Tell him hello when you see him next." His Dad replied as they all headed towards the door.
"That will be tomorrow. Do you guys have plans for tonight?"
"Not really. We're just heading back to Cooper's."
"Your Mom is going to spoil her grandkids."
"Like you're much better."
"Okay, you caught me. We'll see you Wednesday."
"See you then!" Once his parents were gone Blaine made his way back to the living room. After getting out everything he needed, he made himself comfortable and got to work.
"B…B…wake up." Sebastian said softly as he gently caressed Blaine's cheek. From what he could tell, Blaine didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep since his pen was still in his hand on his notebook. And it looked like he was mid-thought when he fell asleep. "Blaine." When he still didn't move Sebastian leaned in close and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. If all else fails, usually a soft kiss would wake him. As his eyes began to flutter open he noticed how dark the room was, the only light coming from a light on the end table he knew he didn't turn on.
"What time is it?" Blaine asked as he stretched. Luckily Sebastian was paying close enough attention to stop his book and notebook from crashing to the floor.
"It's seven."
"Seven!" The way Blaine's eyes flew open and he focused on Sebastian, Sebastian could see the worry.
"Relax B."
"Why are you home so late?" Sebastian could see the numerous scenarios going through Blaine's head.
"Practice ran long. I'm only about an hour later than usual." Sebastian then reached over to the table and handed Blaine his phone. "I sent you a text to let you know when you didn't answer your phone. When did you fall asleep?"
"I…I don't know. Guess I was more exhausted than I thought." Blaine then looked at his notebook that was sitting in his lap. "Not too early since I was at the end of this assignment which was huge." As Blaine answered Sebastian couldn't help but laugh when he heard Blaine's stomach rumble.
"I take it you haven't eaten."
"Not since lunch."
"Lucky for you I took a chance. I brought home Chinese. So, clear the table while I get plates and something for us to drink." By the time Sebastian had returned, Blaine had cleared things off the table and had also turned on a few more lights. "I got your usual, I hope that's okay."
"It's more than okay. So, how was practice?"
"Grueling. Coach wasn't happy with our performance on Friday."
"But you guys won."
"We know. But he thought our play was a bit flat. He felt it shouldn't have been as close as it was."
"Don't tell Thad that."
"Trust me, I won't. So, how are the parentals?" Sebastian said before taking a bite.
"Good, and they didn't freak out at me. I think Coop had a long talk with them and got them to see my, well our point of view on things."
"That must've been a relief. And they're okay with not seeing us till Wednesday?"
"They are. Oh, my Dad had a cute moment." Blaine said between bites. "He told me to make sure with as crazy as our schedules are to make time for each other."
"Awww, that was sweet. Not necessarily something I'd expect from him, but it's not out of the blue either."
"I totally get what you mean. I'd expect that from my Mom but not him."
"Exactly."