Two Steps Beyond
Part 168
Once they all headed back to school, things quickly got back to normal. Sebastian had lacrosse workouts, which were being led by Nate since he was going to be Captain the next year since John was graduating. Even with someone else leading things, not much changed since Nate had been one of the assistant Captains. It soon became clear to Sebastian why most of the guys played during the summer as it helped keep them sharp. With so many of them having internships and jobs scheduling normal workouts was often difficult. But with summer league games in the evening it made things more manageable.
"So, what is your summer looking like?" Nate asked Sebastian as they started putting their gear away.
"Quiet, though B and I are going to get away at least a few times. One trip right after school ends and another before it starts. The other will probably be a trip to Ohio to see our parents unless they come out sometime during the summer."
"And here I thought you two would be doing more traveling."
"I've got an internship and B's going to school."
"Come to think of that, I remember him mentioning that. He wants to get things moving."
"Yep. As of right now his plan is to get done in three, three and a half years max."
"Impressive. Has he already spoken with his advisor?"
"He has and as long as his grades don't suffer from his course load there won't be a problem. As much as B wants this, he won't let his grades suffer doing it. So far that hasn't been a problem as he made dean's list first semester and will be there this semester as well even with his course load."
"That's something that doesn't surprise me one bit. It'll be time for you two to get into another whole new routine once school ends."
"Yes, but it's something we find rather easy to do. Heck, our lives are going to be calm compared to Jeff and Brittany as long as her show is going on. It's only dark on Mondays."
"I'm guessing Jeff has either an internship or a job for the summer as well." Nate said as they gathered their bags to head towards the parking lot.
"You would be correct. He figures he's just going to be keeping some crazy hours. But they're so crazy about each other they'll figure it out."
"Sounds like another couple I know."
"John and Lauren." Sebastian said with a smile knowing full well who Nate was talking about.
"Well, they are too, but you know exactly who I'm talking about."
"Touché, the same can be said for you and Jenna."
"Fine, it can be said for most of us. We've all lucked out to find people we're so compatible with."
"That's very true and I'm not complaining. I never thought I'd be the relationship type, but…"
"Then you met Blaine."
"Exactly. He didn't know it at the time, but he caused me to look at things differently."
"Different can be good especially when it opens your eyes."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
By the time Sebastian got home that evening he was surprised to hear voices. It wasn't till he got to the end of the hall did he see Lexi sitting in the living room talking with Blaine. "Hey." She said as she turned to look over her shoulder after seeing a smile come to Blaine's face. "I hope you don't mind but Blaine agreed to babysit for a couple of hours."
"I guess Cooper is still on set." Sebastian said after setting his bag on the ground and walking around the couch to join them.
"He is and I have a dinner meeting I have to go to. For all I know, Coop could be here in an hour to pick them up but who knows."
"It's fine Lexi, we don't mind." Blaine told her. "But you better get going."
"Thank you." She then got up and gave Blaine a kiss on the cheek. "I really appreciate this. The last thing I wanted to do was make you guys babysit so soon after returning home."
"B's right, it's fine, now go." Lexi smiled and gave Sebastian a kiss on the cheek as well before heading out. "How long ago should she have left?"
"Only about five minutes, but she really wanted to see you. She felt awful asking us to watch them. Brittany offered but Lexi wanted her to enjoy her only night off."
"That's my sister for you and I'm sure Jeff appreciates it. Though, I'm sure he would've just gone over to the house. So, do we need to feed them or has that already been taken care of?"
"It's been taken care of. Basically we just need to watch them. How was practice?"
"Good, but some of my muscles are reminding me it's been awhile."
"Well, how about I give you a massage later tonight?"
"Yes please." Sebastian then leaned over and gave Blaine a kiss. "I should've done that sooner but well, I got distracted. Dinner?"
"Just about done."
"Wait, you cooked?"
"I did. I stopped at the store on my way home since I only have a little bit of homework tonight. And I'm anxious to get it done since Nick gave me a rough copy of his history paper."
"Would this be the paper about Hunter?"
"You know it's more than Hunter, but yes. He asked me if I could give it a once over like we all used to do on big papers at Dalton." Blaine replied before getting up off the couch. "Come, we can finish talking in the kitchen." He then picked up Jocelyn from the play yard they'd set up and Sebastian followed picking Braeden up.
"Wouldn't it be better if Hunter read it since he'd easily be able to find errors?" Sebastian said once he sat down at the table.
"Hunter's going to read it as well, but Nick wanted someone else to read it first and Jeff working on a project right now so he's a bit distracted. So, since I had time I said I'd do it." Blaine replied before handing Sebastian Jocelyn as well. "You know you can put them in their high chairs Bas."
"Wouldn't that be a tease if they aren't eating?"
"I didn't make anything extravagant so they won't be in there long." Sebastian nodded and carefully put them each in their chairs while Blaine dished up their plates. "So you know, I'm in a similar situation to you in regards to homework. Mine shouldn't take me much longer than an hour."
"Well, that is similar. Considering the time once we're done eating we'll have a little bit of time with the munchkins before we need to put them down for the night and then we can get started."
Blaine had been right in that dinner wasn't going to take them long. And since the kids were at the table they curtailed their conversation so they could get done quicker. Once they were done they took the kids out to the living room and put them on the floor with their toys. Sebastian told Blaine he could stay and play with the kids since he'd cooked and he went to clean up. By the time he returned, Blaine was sitting between the two kids as they were building towers with blocks. "They're getting good at that." Sebastian said as he sat down across from Blaine. "How many times have their towers fallen?"
"A couple, but they keep at it. I swear they are trying to make them taller than the other."
"Considering they're almost the same height, that might be difficult." Just as Sebastian spoke, Jocelyn's came tumbling down as she tried to put another block on top just beyond her reach. "Is that why they've been tumbling down?"
"That would be it. But I'm impressed; neither has tried to knock the other's down. From the looks of it, they're concentration is solely on what they are doing. And they aren't concerned with their sibling. I'm sure Lexi is savoring these moments."
"I'm sure she is as well. Are we going to put them down out here or in the guest room?"
"I was thinking out here, since they won't be here overnight. One thing, you need to read them their bedtime story."
"Okay, but why me?"
"Because the book Lexi brought is in French."
"It's a children's book B, you can do it."
"Bas."
"B, if you don't use it, you'll forget it." As Sebastian spoke Blaine began to pout slightly. "What is it?"
"Did you ever think I miss hearing you speak French?"
"Fair enough. How about this, you read them the story and then for the rest of the evening we'll converse in French? Heck, we should probably be speaking it now since Lexi speaks it to them. It might do them some good to hear others speaking it besides their Mommy."
"Deal, but can we wait till after we're done studying?"
"Depends on the reason."
"You know the reason Bas."
"Maybe I want to hear it." Sebastian said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Not going to happen since they're picking up more and more words." Sebastian looked at Blaine and contemplated for a moment but was soon hit with a reminder of the kids growing vocabulary when Braeden said Unca as he climbed into Sebastian's lap. Blaine and Sebastian each smiled and said exactly what Braeden was trying to say as Lexi and Cooper told them it's the best way for them to learn. The first time either of the kids had referred to Blaine or Sebastian in that manner it threw them for a loop.
"Point taken."
The kids were read their story and put to bed and each of them had finished their homework by the time Cooper arrived at the apartment. After they'd put the kids down, Blaine had sent a text to both Lexi and Cooper telling them to just walk in when they arrived since they'd put the kids down in the living room. When Cooper walked in, Blaine was leaning against Sebastian reading Nick's paper as sports highlights played on the television. "I don't know how to thank you two." Cooper said after he rounded the corner. "Today lasted way longer than it was supposed to."
"It wasn't a problem Coop." Blaine told him after setting Nick's paper down. "They were good. Looks like yours wasn't the only day that ran long."
"How so?" Cooper asked as he grabbed the stroller from over by the piano.
"You're picking them up and not Lexi." Sebastian replied as he and Blaine went to pick the kids up from the other side of the room.
"Actually, she's at home. I asked if I could pick them up so I could see you two. How was your trip since I haven't seen you since you got back?" Cooper asked as Blaine and Sebastian put the kids in the stroller.
"We had a great time and will tell you all about it when we have more time." Blaine said. "And don't have to speak so quietly due to sleeping children."
"True, just tell me you guys did a lot of diving."
"We did." Sebastian replied. "And we took tons of pictures that we will share at a later date. But now you better get going. I'm pretty sure my sister is anxious to see you and get these two into their cribs."
"You're right. Well, I'm glad I at least got to see you. We will have to figure out a day or night to get together?"
"You're the one with the crazy schedule so you let us know." Blaine told Cooper as they headed towards the door. "We're pretty amicable to just about anything. But know the closer to finals it gets, the less free time we'll have."
"Understood."
Once Cooper was out of the apartment and in the elevator, Blaine and Sebastian finally closed the door. "He looks like he had a long day." Sebastian said as they headed back towards the living room and Blaine nodded. "How's Nick's paper?"
"Typical Nick."
"Ah, so it's really good."
"It is from what I've read so far. Honestly, I think you should read it. While I knew some of this stuff, there is a lot to learn. To say there is a unique family dynamic might be an understatement."
"That last bit doesn't surprise me one bit." Sebastian replied as they got comfortable on the couch once more. Shortly after they got settled, Sebastian quickly took to speaking in French now that the kids were gone. He couldn't help but wonder how long it would take to have its usual effect on Blaine. At first Blaine was replying in English to which Sebastian played stubborn and refused to acknowledge what he was saying till he spoke in French as well.
During the beginning parts of the conversation Sebastian realized how true Blaine's statement earlier had been since Blaine's French was quite rusty. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle a few times which caused Blaine to playful push him away to which Sebastian just tightened his hold on him. But the more they spoke, the more things came back to Blaine. With everything that had been going on, it had dawned on Sebastian that he'd yet to share his conversation he'd had with Dad prior to them going on vacation. So, seamlessly he transitioned the conversation and began telling Blaine everything his Dad had told him.
Much like his own Mom, it seemed that only pictures that had significant meaning were kept on the piano in the Smythe home as well. So hearing that Sebastian's Mom had put a photo of the two of them on it caught Blaine off-guard as it had Sebastian. They proceeded to discuss all the changes that had happened since they'd gotten back from their trip to Ohio over Christmas break. Unlike prior, Sebastian made a point of talking to his Mother at least twice a month. While it might not seem like much, it was quite the improvement since he'd barely been speaking to her once a month and most of those conversations came after one with his Dad.
Knowing that he'd basically caught Sebastian when he'd gotten home the day before they left, Blaine didn't question that it took Sebastian a bit to tell him. Afterall, during their trip their parents were the last thing they would've wanted to talk about. Once it was done, Blaine turned slightly so he could look up at Sebastian. There was easiness in his eyes that never used to be there after talking about his Mother. So while things were still a bit strained between them, progress was clearly being made. It wasn't long till the conversation took on a more playful tone and Sebastian was pushing Blaine's vocabulary. There were things he knew Blaine wanted, but he wasn't going to get them until he said them properly. While it frustrated Blaine slightly, he knew exactly why Sebastian was doing it. He wasn't doing it to be mean, he was doing it to help. But also hearing Blaine speak French had an effect on Sebastian as well.
Surprisingly, there was an opening in Cooper's schedule the next week so they were all finally able to get together. Armed with their pictures and video, Blaine and Sebastian hoped Lexi would take it in stride the fact that they'd bought the kids something while they were away. While she could've been frustrated, she couldn't help but smile once she saw what they brought back. "Jocelyn, you're very lucky that your Uncles have such excellent taste." Lexi told her daughter who was sitting in her lap.
"Isn't Braeden lucky too?" Cooper asked.
"Yes, but guys tend to have an easier time picking things out for little boys than little girls."
"Just think of what we'll bring back from our next trip." Blaine said with a smile.
"Is there really anything for you to get considering everything you brought back from the studio itself?" Lexi asked.
"Of course." Sebastian replied. "Plus, we're going to be making a stop at Disney itself and the accompanying parks. So the possibilities are endless."
"Now, is it just you two going this time or are others joining you?" Cooper asked.
"Others are joining us. It's just a matter of when everyone's internships and jobs start." Blaine said in response. "Most of us are hoping to make it, even Brittany. She was told that it would be possible to get a couple days off so if she planned it around the show being dark she could join us for some of it."
"Hopefully it'll be possible." Lexi said. "I'm assuming Jeff wants to go."
"He does since he didn't go away during Spring Break. And Brittany said this time around he's going no matter whether she can or not. She figures between working for you and the show she'll be able to keep herself preoccupied. Plus, Rachel won't be able to join us so she'll at least have someone around unlike Spring Break, which was one of the reasons Jeff didn't go."
"I remember her saying that. Knowing you guys you'll figure something out. Now, when does your merry group of Warblers come to town?"
"A week after finals. Logan and Jacob have already asked all of us if we can come by and watch rehearsals."
"That's not a bad idea." Cooper said. "And the timing really couldn't be better. I was hoping they weren't going to be coming to town during Finals."
"We'd hoped that as well, but then remembered Wes and Santana were able to come down last year so we figured the odds were in our favor." Sebastian replied. "Those that were part of the Warblers last year now understand the pressure B was feeling. And while everyone has told them just going back is a huge accomplishment. They feel the pressure."
"Considering the hoopla that occurred after you guys won last year I can understand why." Lexi said. "They want the same thing."
"Well, we didn't do it, but Thad called the headmaster to see what the plans for this year would be should they win." Blaine told them. "And as long as they place in the top five, they'll have a similar homecoming. It just won't be as over the top unless they win."
"I have a feeling they'll appreciate that." Cooper said.
"We all think so as well." Sebastian said. "They know how hard it'll be to repeat. So while they're feeling the pressure, they're going in with the mindset of just doing their best. Beyond that they know it's out of their control."
"But we've seen their set list and all of us approve."
"Sounds like they count on your guys as much as you counted on those that came before you." Cooper said.
"They do." Blaine replied. "You don't realize until they're gone how much they or in this case we, actually did. It's nice to run ideas passed those who have been through it before."
Throughout their conversation they all couldn't believe everything that had been going on in the past three weeks since they'd all gotten together. While Blaine and Sebastian knew Lexi was working on a new book, they forgot that she had a new one about to be released. More often than not, she was a couple books ahead of those that were being released, especially if they were part of a series of books. "Is the publisher still trying to convince you to do signings?" Sebastian asked as Cooper went to set up the video from their trip.
"Thankfully, I think they've given up on me doing that. They know that if books are sent to me I'll sign them, but they know I like my privacy. And now with being married to Cooper I cherish that even more. It's like he said once before, there is a reason we live here and not in LA."
"What, you don't want cameras following you everywhere?" Blaine asked with a laugh.
"Not really. The few paparazzi around here are more than enough. They actually caught Cooper and I taking the kids for a walk through the park the other day. Luckily enough they were far enough away you can't see the kids in the picture. All you can see is their feet in the stroller."
"That sucks. At least they didn't come up close." Sebastian said.
"True, but I still hate the idea of the kids' picture being taken." Cooper said as he sat back down next to Lexi. "But we know it's something we're going to have to deal with. And thankfully they really aren't that bad here in the city. Now, is this video family friendly or should we put the kids down for a nap."
"Cute. Why is it everything thinks we either took pictures or recorded those sorts of things?"
"Because we love pushing your buttons to see how you'll react."
"Well, we didn't snap so are you happy?" Blaine asked as he leaned against Sebastian.
"No. But I guess that's because I wasn't the first to ask."
"That would be correct. So would you please press play?"
Once Cooper did as Blaine asked, the conversation stayed on their trip. Lexi and Cooper were surprised by the video they managed to take while they were diving. Anytime they stayed on a specific fish or mammal for an extended period of time the kids took notice. It truly was amazing to all of them how they picked things up. Then once the video began to concentrate on the two of them the kids almost looked confused considering they recognized their Uncles on the screen yet there they were sitting beside them.
Each time one of them did something on screen one of the kids would look to them on the couch. "How much longer is the video guys?" Lexi asked upon noticing the frequent looks of her children.
"Not too much longer." Sebastian replied. "Why, don't want to confuse them anymore?"
"I think it's almost to the point of sensory overload for them. So, once it's over we'll have to wait to look at the pictures till we put them down for the night. That is if you guys don't mind or if you have to get going we can look at them another time."
"It's fine. And if we need to go, you can keep them and give them back to us later. It's not as though you don't know where most of the places are."
"Good point. Please tell me you guys got a few shots of the two of you together though."
"We did, but why?"
"I need a new one. The last casual shot I have of the two of you is from Christmas."
"You have all the ones from the competition."
"True, but those aren't casual."
"Relax; there are plenty of shots for you to choose from." Blaine told her knowing the two of them could go back and forth for hours. "I had to go through them already because Mom wanted a shot as well."
"I should've guessed." Cooper said. "Did she talk your ear off after you two came home?"
"But of course. I actually put together a small slideshow of the trip and sent it to her."
"Smart move."