Two Steps Beyond

Part 169

With it being a beautiful day, Blaine and Jeff headed to a park just outside of campus to study since tensions were running high. On their way, the conversation was pretty basic considering neither could believe that they were going to be done with school in a couple of weeks. As with the previous semester, they each had a couple of classes that had no final, just a paper which would be taking its place. For the classes with actual finals, they both lucked out as neither had more than two finals on the same day. "Is it just me or has this year flown by?" Jeff asked as they sat down in the middle of the park. It was clear that quite a few of their classmates had a similar idea.

"No, it has most definitely flown by. Part of me can't believe everything that has happened this year. It's definitely been a bit of a whirlwind. And while it's been that way, I wouldn't really change anything as crazy as that might sound."

"Yes it's crazy, but I understand it. Those that don't know you wouldn't, but those who do get it."

"Good because it's not something I could really explain. How's our favorite council member?"

"She's good. She's looking forward to all of us finishing for the year." Jeff said as he pulled a book out of his bag along with a notebook. "With us at school and her not only working for Lexi but doing the show she feels like she doesn't really see us."

"That makes sense. I know Lexi said she told Britt she had no problems if she needed to take some time once in awhile during the summer. Britt's keeping a crazy schedule. She must sleep like a rock."

"She certainly does." Jeff replied. "One of the other girls in the council, I can't remember her name at the moment is surprised that Britt's still basically working full time while doing the show."

"Must say Bas and I are as well. I know Lexi told her she didn't need to."

"True, but as Britt put it, what else is she going to do. She gets a full night of sleep, so why shouldn't she. She'd get bored sitting around the apartment all day. Plus, it's not like working for Lexi is overly strenuous."

"You've got a point there." Blaine replied as he picked his phone up that was sitting next to him. Jeff smiled as Blaine proceeded to reply to a text. "Sorry about that."

"No worries, Seb?"

"Yes. He wanted to let me know that he and Hunter are at home studying because the library was overly crowded and neither of them could concentrate."

"I'm guessing no lacrosse workouts this week."

"Nope, as they are all studying. Since Hunter's with him, I've got a good idea which class it is as it's been one both of them have been bitching about all semester. The professor is a complete ass and he's made what should've been an enjoyable class hell."

"I have one of those as well. Speaking of Hunter, I have a feeling he'll be hearing from Nick sometime today."

"That must mean he finally got his grade on his history project."

"He did. He aced it actually and much of that is thanks to Hunter and his family. The interview they basically did with Nick was something his professor never expected. The professor said he'd never had anyone get first-hand information of that sort before. And before you ask, the professor gave the video back to Nick and told him no one else saw it. So Hunter's secret is safe."

"He'll be relieved. Just as I know he'll be happy to know Nick did well. He just asked Bas about it figuring we'd hear about it first."

"Well, I only found out because he was so excited. Nick worked his ass of on that. I think once Brittany pointed out Hunter in the family tree Nick wanted to make sure it was something Hunter would be proud of."

"Like Bas and I, I know Hunter approved of the rough draft Nick gave us to read."

"That is very true. He even stuck a few post-its in it and gave him a bit more detail to add. That wasn't something he needed to do, but Nick really appreciated it. If one didn't know better they'd think Hunter has always been a part of our little group."

"Bas and I have said that on more than one occasion. And to think, Cassie was afraid the three of us wouldn't get along. But once we clicked we didn't hesitate to introduce him to the rest of you."

"Hunter's very much like Seb, but he's like you as well. It's a good mix. And I don't think I told you, but most of the people that doubted Britt, apologized after Seb, Hunter, and Thad went off on them. Though, I don't really blame them. Did you read some of the stuff they wrote?"

"That's good because she didn't deserve the shit they were spewing. And yes, I read what the three of them wrote and I would've been apologizing as well. Even though those boys aren't in law school yet they clearly know a thing or two."

"Nick and I said the same thing. Santana was prepared to have ass on them but once she read everything she basically said her peace and left it at that."

By the time Blaine got home that evening he was surprised to find Hunter still at the house and a pizza on the coffee table. After setting his bag down Blaine sat down next to Sebastian who quickly gave him a kiss. "I hope you don't mind but we were starving. And so you know, it arrived just before you did. You probably passed the delivery guy in the lobby." He proceeded to tell him before handing him a plate and a drink.

"Not at all, I was actually going to recommend doing just this since I've got a bit of studying to do as well too. Is it safe to presume the two of you are still studying as well?"

"We are." Hunter replied after taking a bite. "This might be a long night."

"That's not a problem. Feel free to crash if you want." Blaine told him before taking a bite.

"I told him that as well." Sebastian said. "I'm guessing you know Nick aced his project." Blaine nodded before answering.

"Jeff told me this afternoon. He's beyond grateful for your help Hunter."

"So he told me." Hunter said with a smile. "It was our pleasure. He impressed my parents with the questions he asked. Nothing too personal, but enough to get a better understand of how the family works."

"Here's a weird question for you, how'd your parents meet?" Sebastian asked causing Hunter to laugh.

"That is a weird question. Why do you ask?"

"It's because they're from two very different backgrounds. It doesn't seem like they would've been in the same social circles."

"Ah, you mean my Mom the socialite and my Dad the military man."

"Yes." Blaine and Sebastian both replied.

"They were introduced by a mutual friend actually during either their first or second year of college. And before you ask, no, they did not go to the same school, but I'm pretty sure you guessed that." They both nodded. "They're also not as different as you might think either. While my Dad is in the military, the whole Clarington family isn't though there are others. Most deal with the family business which is mainly real estate but it's diversified over the years to include other ventures. Cassie has described the two sides of the family as old money and new. Two things that don't often mix, but they did surprisingly well in this case. I think part of it stems from the fact that my Mom isn't a bitch. My Grandma never let being a Rockefeller go to any of their heads."

"Like your Mom did with all of you." Blaine said and Hunter nodded.

"Grandpa Clarington is definitely the figure head and my Dad is very much like him."

"For some reason, that doesn't surprise me. You are very much your father's son." Sebastian told him between bites.

"I've been told that on more occasions than I can count. While at times it used to bother me, I know it's quite the compliment now. And after meeting both of your Dads, you're both very much like them as well. That leads me to ask you this Blaine, where does Cooper get his quirks from?" Sebastian and Blaine both started to laugh.

"You'd be surprised to know, he get them from my Dad." Blaine replied once he got his laughter under control. "My Dad can be quite the goof as well and he gets it from his Dad."

"Don't let B fool you Hunter; he's a goof as well. It's an Anderson trait."

"Hey!"

"I never said it was a bad thing B." Sebastian then leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I love your goofy side."

"Alright, as long as you do. You do realize that Jocelyn and Braeden will probably be that way as well."

"Of course. And it's not like Lexi and I aren't goofs as well, you've seen it."

"Very true. Now Hunter, how would you describe your other sisters since we know Cassie?"

"Really, we're all a lot alike to be honest. It's just well; you know how I describe Liz. All straight shooters for the most part that like to have fun when the timing is right. You can judge for yourself though this summer. Cass and I are both pretty sure Liz will be on her best behavior while she's here. And if things work out, Bridget is going to come and visit as well."

"Don't mind me for being forgetful, but how old is she, Bridget?" Blaine asked.

"She just turned sixteen."

"So she's not too much older than Nick and Jeff's sisters."

"Basically."

"That explains why you didn't freak when they were crushing on you after Britt's opening." Sebastian said.

"Yep. Nick, Jeff, and I have all talked about it. Nick was surprised I handled it as well as I did but once I told him how old Bridget was he and Jeff both understood. They know what it's like to be dealing with siblings that age. And if you two weren't you, they would've been acting the same way."

"Maybe, maybe not." Blaine said. "They've known us a bit longer, but I totally get what you're saying. Plus Ally and Megan are pretty cool."

"They are, they actually remind me a lot of Bridget. Jeff and Nick want to know when Bridget is coming to town to try and coordinate their sisters' visit."

"That's not a bad idea."

The next morning when Blaine made his way out of the bedroom he spotted Hunter asleep on the couch. When he'd gone to sleep, Sebastian and Hunter were still studying and with as energized as their banter was, Blaine let them be. But when he'd woken up about two hours later he was surprised that Sebastian wasn't in bed yet. So he headed out to the living room and found Hunter where he currently was and Sebastian asleep in the chair. Judging from the way they were both resting, they fell asleep mid-banter. So with a gentle nudge and a kiss, Sebastian woke to find Blaine standing over him. He went to roll over but Blaine stopped him and told him he needed to get to bed. As Sebastian attempted to get up, Blaine had lifted Hunter's feet up and placed them on the couch knowing he'd have quite the kink in his back if he slept the way he was for the entire night.

Knowing Sebastian would be getting up soon, Blaine took a cup for each of them out of the cabinet since the coffee was just about ready. He'd just set the cups on the counter when heard someone stretch behind him. "Morning." Blaine said after spotting Hunter. "Coffee?"

"Morning to you as well and yes please, coffee sounds wonderful. Do you happen to know what time it was when we finally fell asleep?" Hunter said as he hopped up on the counter.

"I went to bed sometime around one and when I came out to the living room around three, you and Bas were sound asleep. Hope you don't mind, I put your feet up last night since you were positioned a little weird."

"Not at all, I was kind of wondering how I ended up lying on the couch. Thank you for that."

"No problem. Did you and Bas get a lot of studying done?"

"We did. I hope you're not upset with me for hogging him in a sense last night."

"Why would I, it was something you both needed to do. And I was pre-occupied with what I was working on, it was fine." Blaine said as he poured their cups. "I think we'll all be happy once this year is over."

"That's a good assessment B." Sebastian said as he walked into the kitchen. "And now we all have a better idea of which professors to stay away from." He then leaned down to give him a kiss. "How'd you sleep Hunter?"

"Well. I'm surprised I'm even up considering the time Blaine said we fell asleep."

"I know the feeling. What's your day looking like B?"

"It should be similar to yesterday, though I'll be spending some time in the lab giving my piece one last once over before turning it in."

"Ah, so you might go MIA on me again."

"I shouldn't as I really don't think the piece needs anything else. You know me, I need to give it a once over beforehand."

"Why don't you let us hear it?" Hunter said. "We can tell you if we think it's missing anything."

"That's actually not a bad idea B. What do you say?"

"Sure if you both have time." Sebastian and Hunter both nodded. "Alright, I'll go and get it. I'll meet you in the living room." Once Blaine left the room Hunter looked over at Sebastian.

"Have you heard it yet?"

"Nope, which is why I'm thrilled you said what you did. I've wanted to hear it for the last month or so. Yet anytime I'd asked he'd said no, that it wasn't ready for anyone to hear, even me. His music is very personal to him so whenever he writes here at home it's a privilege to listen to the process."

"Glad I was able to help." Hunter said as he got up off the counter. "I've been meaning to ask this for awhile, but why isn't Blaine majoring in music since it's such a passion for him." As he spoke they headed for the living room.

"He thought about it, but it's also an escape for him. The last thing he wanted was to turn something that was such a release for him into work. What would he use to relax if he couldn't use music to escape?"

"Good point, I was just curious."

"Understandable. I asked him that as well. He really has chosen a field that suits him, trust me on that. B's got a way about him that makes people just open up. And he's an excellent listener and isn't afraid to tell you things you might not want to hear."

When they reached the living room, Blaine was settling in behind the piano. "Are you sure you have time, it's a bit long."

"We've got plenty of time B." Sebastian said as he pulled a chair over so that he could watch Blaine play. Hunter nodded in agreement and Blaine smiled. Once Blaine was certain they were both comfortable he gave them a brief description of what the piece represented to him before he began to play. In short, the piece described the journey Blaine had been through during his first year of college. As he began to play, Sebastian couldn't take his eyes off of Blaine has his emotions often came through as he played. During one of the movements, Sebastian could see Blaine was having a problem holding his feelings in check and got up from his seat and walked over to the piano. Without missing a note, Blaine continued to play, but a small smile crept to his face.

After Blaine seemed to get a grasp on his emotions once more, Sebastian went back to his seat to finish listening. As he finished Blaine looked over at Sebastian and Hunter who were each smiling. "What did you guys think?"

"That was incredible." Hunter told him. "You truly are talented. From my point of view, it's finished. Don't mess with it."

"Hunter is right B, it was incredible. Are you going to have to play it as well?"

"I will. As there really isn't anyone I trust playing it and our professor wants it played for him. The class is basically split in performing the piece themselves and having someone else play it for them."

"When does it need to be played?" Sebastian asked.

"Why?"

"When does it need to be played B?"

"Next week, why?" Hunter looked between the two and he knew exactly what Sebastian was trying to get Blaine to realize.

"Does the person playing it have to go to NYU?"

"No, again, why?"

"Blaine, I think Seb is saying he'll learn the piece and perform it for you if you want." Hunter said to him and Sebastian nodded.

"You don't need to do that Bas, I can do it."

"B, I want too. Besides the time I came over to the piano I could tell your emotions were getting the better of you on more than one occasion. And if anyone else can truly understand what you were feeling during those moments it would be me. So, what do you say?" Blaine cocked his head to the side and Sebastian as well as Hunter could tell Blaine was thinking.

"You are a talented pianist." Blaine said as he looked at Sebastian. "And if anyone could honestly express my emotions while playing it would be you as you understand me better than anyone else."

"Is that a yes?" Sebastian asked.

"I want to, but it's a lot to learn Bas. I mean, it's not like you have to play it from memory. It's just…"

"I know, it's complicated. But I can do it B; you know I'm capable of it."

"Yes, but with your finals are you really going to have time to practice?"

"Without lacrosse workouts I'll have time. I wouldn't offer if I didn't have time to prepare properly. Last thing I'd want would to be responsible for affecting your grade."

"Alright."

"I'll make you proud B."

"I don't doubt that. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"That if it becomes too much you'll tell me. I'll understand."

"Deal."

The next week came sooner than Blaine probably would've liked, but having heard Sebastian practice on numerous occasion he knew everything was going to be fine. While he had the music writing skills, Sebastian's piano playing skills were slightly better than his, but according to Hunter, Thad, and Nick it was barely noticeable. But the comfort Sebastian had behind the keys made Blaine rest a bit easier. The little nuances of the piece that he was afraid others wouldn't pick up on, Sebastian picked up with ease. It truly showed that Sebastian did know what Blaine was feeling in those spots in the music. And unlike Blaine, he was able to keep his emotions in check while still getting the feelings across.

Do to the timing of the performances, Nick, Thad, and Hunter all showed up to hear the piece in its entirety. Settled in the back of the theater, they spotted Blaine sitting next to Jeff with Bryan sitting on the other side of them. "Does Jeff know Sebastian is playing Blaine's piece?" Thad asked Nick.

"I honestly don't know. This past week has been such a blur I don't have a clue."

When Jeff took the stage the guys all looked at each other after Jeff explained his piece and the thought process behind it. While Jeff could dabble on the piano his skills were nowhere close to Blaine or Sebastian's so it didn't surprise any of them when Blaine took the stage to play Jeff's piece for him. "Now, did you know Blaine was playing Jeff's piece?" Hunter asked Nick.

"I did. In a way, Blaine's the only person Jeff trusted to do so." Nick replied.

"Much like Blaine with Seb." Once Blaine finished, they all exchanged looks. "Impressive." Hunter said.

"Agreed. Jeff's hard work definitely paid off." Thad said. "And Blaine played beautifully."

"I've got to agree with both of you. While I enjoyed listening when Jeff played it. It sounded even better with an actual pianist playing." Nick said. "Judging from the smile on Jeff's face, he's happy with how the performance went." Nick and Thad both nodded. They then waited and listened as a few of the other students' pieces were played. When Chandler took the stage the three boys exchanged looks once more. "Isn't that?"

"Yep." Thad replied. "This should be interesting since the pieces were supposed to describe things they experienced." Much to all of their delight, Chandler's piece was rather light so any of the turmoil he experienced wasn't a big enough impact in his life to make it into it. Shortly after Chandler took his seat, Blaine was called to the stage. Considering he knew the emotional impact of the piece, Hunter was pleasantly surprised to see Blaine as calm as he was.

The first thing he did was introduce, Sebastian as his pianist and judging from the shake of blond hair, the guys could tell Jeff didn't know Sebastian was playing Blaine's piece. Once Sebastian was settled behind the piano, Blaine began to describe the piece. Unlike some of his classmates, Blaine didn't shy away from some of the more turbulent moments of the past year. From his words alone, it was clear Blaine's piece was going to run the gamut musically as it translated his emotions. After he was done speaking, Blaine took a seat on the stage and looked over at Sebastian who gave him a reassuring smile.

Unlike Thad and Nick, Hunter had heard the piece in its entirety but was curious to hear Sebastian's take on it. It was clearly once Sebastian began to play, he was completely engrossed in what he was doing. The dramatic crescendos and diminuendos along chord changes truly let Blaine's feelings come through. When Sebastian got to the part of the piece that affected Blaine so deeply, Hunter could see a change in Blaine's face as he was as affected as he'd been when playing. By the time Sebastian finished, Blaine couldn't have been happier with the way Sebastian had played.

Like those before him, they stayed on stage and answered questions from the professor in regards to the performance. Once they were finally dismissed, Blaine and Sebastian headed to the wings so that they could talk briefly before Blaine went back to his seat in the theater. They were just out of view of the others when Blaine wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and pulled him into a kiss. When it broke, Sebastian had his arms wrapped around Blaine and pressed their foreheads together. "I take it that means you approve of my performance."

"Very much so. I'm sorry for being hesitant."

"Don't be, you had every right to be. This piece means quite a bit to you. It was an honor that you let me play it."

"You played it beautifully Bas."

"And you wrote a beautiful piece for me to play. You should probably get back out there."

"Are you leaving?"

"No, I don't have any finals left. I'm going to go and sit in the back with Thad, Hunter, and Nick. We can talk more afterwards."

"Perfect. I love you Bas."

"I love you too B."