Notes: Thank you for reading/reviewing and enjoy the chapter.
Chapter Eight
Blaine felt like it was all falling apart. First, he got a call about invitationals, which Sue had decided needed to happen on her terms at McKinley. He was fine with challenging his students, so he went with it. Then, Sue put a bear in his apartment, more specifically in his bedroom. He was lucky the bear hadn't done more than lay on his bed. It had given Blaine an excuse to get rid of the rainbow themed bedspread in any case, but he really didn't understand what Sue had been trying to do by putting the bear in his room.
Yes, it had freaked Dave out, and he was still a bit shaken over the whole thing, but Blaine was still a little confused about what Sue had intended by it. Although Blaine did have to admit that it was a little bit embarrassing for Kurt and Rachel to literally gush about the bear cub while his boyfriend was standing on one of their chairs while holding another one, when Dave was much bigger than Rachel and Kurt and certainly stronger. Kurt had even taken out his phone to take pictures before any of them bothered to call animal control.
He was cleaning his room of bear fur, and making yet another attempt at toning down the explosion of color, when his phone rang. Blaine frowned when Sam's name appeared.
After letting it ring a few more times, he picked up. "Hello?"
"Blaine," Sam said quickly, "I have a huge favor to ask. Rachel and I want to learn to play the piano. So I thought, you know, you'd be the perfect person to ask."
Blaine almost groaned. He hated that all he wanted to do was say no, when he had considered Sam his best friend ever since the last time he and Kurt broke up and Sam helped to piece him back together. Things hadn't happened that way this time around, mostly because Sam hadn't taken an interest in helping Blaine. He hadn't even realized that Blaine was in Ohio for a few weeks and then his idea of helping had been to sing which Blaine had been just unable to do.
"Please, Blaine," Sam said, "I, um, I helped shave you back all those times. This would be like the perfect way to pay me back."
"Sam, you never did that for me," Blaine said quickly but sighed.
Sam was still his friend. He may not have been there for Blaine the way Blaine wanted, but he also hadn't stopped trying to be his friend. He still e-mailed him Star Wars fanfiction and more recently Guardians of the Galaxy fanfiction. Sam had also, admittedly, been the only one to just accept that Blaine was dating Dave without question.
"Fine, fine," Sam said, "it's just really important to me and I know it would be helping the competition, but Rachel is still your friend too."
"You do realize that Kurt also plays the piano," Blaine said.
"No, Blaine, it has to be you. Kurt's all…well, he's busy."
Blaine sighed. "Fine. Tomorrow at the auditorium."
The next day, Blaine knew that he didn't really try and that he was happy by Sue's interruption even if Sam wanting to get away after begging him for the lessons was a bit strange.
The thing was that Blaine was irritated with Rachel. It wasn't just about how she'd gone and poached Jane, it was the fact that she had asked him to make his show choir take it easy at invitationals. He had known that it was Rachel's idea, but again Kurt stood next to her supporting her and Blaine could tell that for him it was mostly about trying to do right by the kids in his glee club. Still, Blaine hated the way that Kurt just let Rachel make calls like that, how easily Kurt seemed to let go around Rachel in a way that he never really had with him.
So, maybe he showed off a little, and spouted out information without waiting for them to catch up, but he felt justified.
As he was walking out, he thought he spotted Sebastian Smythe, but he didn't turn to look. But he did spot Kurt outside. For a moment, Blaine considered going up to him, especially since he seemed to be looking for someone. But, before he could make a decision, Sebastian really did appear and he touched Kurt's shoulder. He watched them walk away from the school and then get into a car that had to be Sebastian's.
Blaine sighed and shook his head. It was no matter. Kurt was allowed to befriend whoever he wanted to befriend.
When he got back to the apartment, Dave was standing in the kitchen.
"We have to go grocery shopping," he stated when he heard Blaine approach him.
"Let's go out for dinner, then," Blaine said, "it's been a long day."
Dave nodded. "Sure. How was the piano lesson?"
"Alright," Blaine said.
They went to Breadstix.
Blaine should have known it was a mistake after everything that had happened so far, but it wasn't until they were seated that everything fell apart again once every guy at Breadstix was greeting Dave like an old friend. They all looked the same, no fashion sense, facial hair, big burly bodies. Dave had a type, and he'd also gotten around.
He didn't feel jealous, or in some way possessive of Dave. Instead, all it made him do was question why they were together yet again. He didn't fit into this mold that his boyfriend were made out of. He was nothing like them and most of all, unwilling to change himself.
Then, Sue appeared, because of course Sue was behind it, spouting something about genealogy. A paper was rolled out in front of them, dropped on the table. He felt like screaming. He and Dave were third cousins. Nothing made sense anymore.
Kurt laughed out loud as Sebastian danced around his kitchen. He was leaning back against the counter just watching.
"And to think," he said, "that I thought you did some great choreography for the Warblers while you were their leader."
Sebastian laughed and moved closer, grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling him away from the counter and into his dance. Kurt laughed louder as he followed easily, surprised at how easily Sebastian had managed to make him forget all about Sue's crazy or how hard it had been to stand in Blaine and Karofksy's apartment knowing that Blaine really was moving on.
"My dancing skills are fine," Sebastian said.
"Come on, we're supposed to be baking," Kurt said.
Sebastian twirled him and Kurt laughed again, falling against him. It would be easy to let himself like Sebastian even putting aside everything to do with Blaine and how Kurt really wasn't over him. Back in New York he hadn't been able to really connect with any of the guys he tried to date, but somehow whatever it was that he had with Sebastian, it made Kurt suddenly aware of how the line between falling into something romantic, or for that matter sexual, was very thin between them.
"What are we, and by we I mean you, baking?" Sebastian asked when Kurt pulled away.
"Cookies," Kurt said, "and because I feel like it. I may even bring some in for the glee club for the competition. Might soften the blow when they see Vocal Adrenaline and The Warblers."
Sebastian sank into a chair. "You really think it's going to go that badly?"
Kurt was more than sure. He'd gotten a glimpse at the other choirs and he knew that even if Mr. Shuester and Blaine had decided to go easy on them, that they would still be better. It wasn't the talent, it was the time each of the choirs had had to practice and put together a repertoire. The four kids in the New Directions were still trying to figure out how their voices went together and the fact that it was just four of them didn't really work in their favor either.
"I mean, they're good and they've practiced I just don't know how it's going to go, really. I just remember the first time I saw Vocal Adrenaline and it made everything even more terrifying."
Sebastian nodded and he pulled out his phone. "Elliott says hello."
"I keep missing his calls," Kurt said, "and then forget to call him back. What's up with him?"
"He was asking my advice on how to get a clingy one night stand out of his apartment," Sebastian said, "amateur."
Kurt turned and fixed him with a glare. "You are incorrigible."
"Well, I try," Sebastian said.
Kurt measured out sugar and hummed to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually taken the time to bake anything. In New York he had always been too busy to bother. His very rare days off had been spent with Blaine, and then later after the break up crying or hanging out with Elliott, Dani, or Sebastian.
"So what is the plan for invitationals?" Sebastian asked.
"We have a few songs we've been working on, but I don't think Rachel thinks they're right. It doesn't help that we have only four members and that Sue is up to something."
Sebastian coughed. "Your principal is scary," he said.
Kurt moved around the kitchen, measuring ingredients out. He brought his hand mixer out and motioned for Sebastian.
"Can I trust you to at least hold something for a minute?"
Sebastian gave a sigh, but he stood up and walked over to the counter, taking the mixer from Kurt's hands and Kurt couldn't help but think about Blaine and the numerous times they had baked together – genuinely together in the sense that Blaine did about half of the work if not more.
While Sebastian mixed the sugar and butter, Kurt finished sifting the flour.
"This is kind of fun," Sebastian said.
Kurt rolled his eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, they finished making the dough. Sebastian made himself in charge of the mixer, and Kurt added the ingredients.
"So, I messaged one of the guys from the website," Kurt said while he added chocolate chunks to the dough.
Sebastian made a face. "The dating one?"
Kurt nodded and he bent down to get cookie sheets out of a cabinet.
"You're serious," Sebastian said, "you aren't kidding around about this?"
Being in Blaine's apartment the other day had been a push for him to finally do it. He had been hedging on sending any message to any of the men, but after thinking about Blaine and how he really had moved in with Karofsky, Kurt took the plunge and sent a message.
"I'm still waiting for a reply," Kurt said and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I think it's stupid," Sebastian said at once, "and it's only going to get you hurt."
Sebastian proceeded to take out his cell phone and dial someone.
"Elliott," he said into the phone a few seconds later, "help me convince Kurt to not try and get a date online, will you?"
Kurt rolled his eyes as he preheated the open. Sebastian thrust his phone at him.
"Hi," Kurt said.
"Hello, Kurt," Elliott said, "so what is this about online dating? I thought you were there for Blaine?"
Elliott had been only slightly filled in on everything to do with Blaine. He was even aware that Blaine was dating someone else.
"Well," Kurt said, "I can't stand around waiting for him for one, and for another Sebastian told me getting him jealous will help."
Elliott groaned. "Whatever gave you the idea that you should listen to Sebastian?"
"Exactly," Kurt said, "but I think this date will do me some good."
"You are so stubborn. I'm telling Dani."
Blaine took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing emotions. One minute he'd been worrying about all the exes his boyfriend had, and the possibility that they really were related, and also trying to figure out where Sam and Rachel had gotten to, and the next all of that was gone.
Kurt was going on a date. He'd met some guy online and Kurt described him as nice.
He stepped down the stairs, away from Kurt, and couldn't help but glance back at him. Kurt was still the picture of perfection and Blaine ached to just go back up to where he was and to tell him that they could go back to before.
The first thing that Kurt had said when they first saw each other was that he wanted Blaine back. There had been an eager rush to tell Blaine he would wait for his forgiveness and win back his heart. It didn't connect just a few weeks later to the Kurt that was telling him he was going on a date.
Kurt was supposed to wait for him, to try and get him back. Yet, somehow, that possibility had changed. It had probably changed the moment Dave arrived at Scandals. Blaine could still picture Kurt's face in that moment, how it had fallen and how his expression had hardened even while Blaine cold tell that he was falling apart.
"Wait," Kurt said and Blaine came to a stop.
He took a deep breath.
"What is it?" he asked, turning.
Kurt was standing just behind him. "I, um, I wanted to just say that I hope Sue hasn't ruined things for you. She's been out of line."
"Oh," Blaine said and when he looked up at Kurt he could almost tell that Kurt had wanted to ask something else but chickened out.
"Is there anything else?" Blaine asked.
Kurt opened and closed his mouth and then he shook his head. "No. I guess, good luck tomorrow."
Blaine nodded and when he turned out around, Kurt didn't say anything. So, instead he continued on, not really sure if he should bother looking for Sam or Rachel for their piano lesson. It wasn't as if he really wanted to do it and it didn't seem like either Sam or Rachel were really interested in learning to play for that matter.
He thought he spotted them in the choir room, but walked past instead, down a couple of hallways until he was in front of Principal Sue's office. For a moment, he considered barging in and telling her off for the trouble she'd caused him and Dave so far, but it didn't look like she was in the office. He ducked past, and continued to the exit, happy to leave McKinley once more even though he knew he'd be back the next day for invitationals.
All the worries that Sue had planted about his relationship were gone after Kurt had shrugged them off like they didn't matter, replaced by the pain of knowing that Kurt had a date.
It surprised Blaine a little that he'd met the guy online, considering how adamant Kurt had always been when it came to relationships started through dating websites. There was a danger to it of course, but Kurt had always been so much of a romantic that he didn't see how any kind of spark could be felt when getting to know someone over the internet. Clearly his outlook on that had changed as well as everything else.
Blaine didn't fully like the prospect of a changed Kurt.