Five Years Later
Part 42
Considering what Sebastian had said, they were all happy to see that Kurt had taken heed of what was said and was no longer outside when they exited. After a brief talk outside the store, Morgan headed on her way as she had a few things to do and soon Blaine and Sebastian were headed home as well. "You do realize, you didn't have to come." Blaine told him once they were settled in the back of the cab.
"I know, but I was a bit curious if he was going to stick around." Sebastian replied. "Not to mention, it gave me a chance to say a few things to him." When Blaine looked up at him, Sebastian took ahold of his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Relax B; I behaved for the most part. Though, I did remind him that I know what happened while you two were married. And instead of being vague, I listed off a few things." When Blaine smiled Sebastian turned slightly. "Blaine?"
"I might've called him out for cheating on me."
"Did you now?" Sebastian asked, amused by this little bit of information and Blaine nodded in response. "And how did he react to this?"
"At first he denied it but then I told him about the picture of him on the guy's lap at a party. From there, he only looked surprised. He didn't deny it again, nor did he admit to doing so. But he knew he was busted, you could see it on his face."
"That must've been priceless." Sebastian told him. "It goes along with the look on his face when the two of us spoke. Not to mention, he told me that I don't know the real you after I told him that I love you."
"You know me better than most anyone Bas, you always have." While he spoke, Blaine leaned his head against Sebastian's shoulder. "Hell, sometimes you knew me better than I knew myself."
"That's because I didn't see things the same way you did Killer. Having the view I had about life back then allowed me to see some things more clearly." Blaine couldn't help but look at him. "It allowed me to not get caught up in all that high school BS."
"That's true." Blaine told him before looking down at their hands which now had their fingers intertwined.
"Now, enough about that. How did your session go today?
"Good, though to be honest I'm a bit worried about this weekend."
"You'll be fine B." Just as Sebastian replied, they pulled up in front of his building so they put their conversation on hold till they were in the apartment. During the ride up in the elevator, Sebastian ran his fingers through Blaine's curls which were loose as the wind had freed them from the little bit of product he'd used. After stepping inside, Blaine was surprised to feel himself pressed against the door before he felt Sebastian's lips on his. Once they began to kiss, Blaine felt as though he was in a daze as it was the last thing he expected. After pushing Sebastian's coat off his shoulders, the kiss broke and Sebastian pressed his forehead against Blaine's. "Sorry."
"What for?" Blaine asked as he slid his arms around Sebastian's neck. "I certainly wasn't objecting."
"Just…" Sebastian sighed as his breathing came under control once again.
"Bas, what is it?"
"I love you so much Blaine."
"I love you too Sebastian." When he answered, Blaine's fingers were running through the back of Sebastian's hair. "What's going on?"
"I hate that he's giving you such a hard time because of me."
"Bas, it's who he is. Him acting this way is about the fact that he can't control what I do anymore. He did the same thing when I first left him. Lashing out is how he deals with it. For some reason he believes his opinion has more of an impact on people than it does. Think of how he's treating Rachel, it's the same MO." Blaine then tilted his head just enough to kiss Sebastian. "How about you finish up what you were working on before I called so we can pick this up sooner rather than later?"
"I'd rather do this than study."
"Study first, as you know I don't want to distract you from studying."
"B."
"Bas finish up or you'll make me question whether it's a good idea to be here during the week."
"That's playing dirty B."
"I learned from the best." Sebastian couldn't stop the smile that crept to his face before kissing Blaine. After picking up his coat and Blaine removing his, Sebastian locked up before they got settled for the remainder of the evening in the living room.
Considering everything that had happened since their last performance, Blaine along with his band was more than ready for things to get back to normal. When they arrived at the venue, Vincent was waiting at the door for them as they'd done their sound check earlier in the day. But all of their attention was soon drawn towards the man standing beside him once introductions began. The moment they were told he was security; Blaine tilted his head before looking at Vincent. "I know you don't think this is necessary Blaine, but others outside of myself believe it is. Right now we need you to keep your focus on your music and not outside distractions." When Blaine let out an exasperated sigh, Todd put his arm around his shoulders.
"It'll just take some time to adjust to Blaine." Todd told him and the others agreed in short order. "And I know Sebastian will be happy to know someone is looking out for you besides us."
"Sebastian is your boyfriend, correct Mr. Anderson?" Their security guard asked causing Blaine to look at Vincent before answering.
"That would be correct and he'll be here this evening."
"Will Jeff be here this evening?" Vincent asked as he looked at Morgan who quickly nodded. "And the others?"
"They'll be here as well." Blaine replied. "After a long week of work and classes they're all more than ready to relax."
"Alright, why don't the five of you head in and I'll be in shortly." Vincent told them and soon they were on their way. Once they were gone, he looked at Scott, their security guard. "When Sebastian and Jeff get here I'll see to it you meet them."
"Now, they're the only two allowed back into the dressing room after the show, correct?"
"That would be correct and that's per Blaine. While he wouldn't mind the rest of his friends coming back, those rooms really aren't that big at this point in their career. And quite often he has plenty of friends in attendance and it would make those rooms awfully crowded. You have that picture of his ex-husband, correct?"
"That would be correct sir. I will see to it he doesn't get anywhere near him."
"Good, as the last thing we need right now is for Blaine to get distracted as I said."
While Vincent was talking with Scott, the others were leaving Blaine be for a bit as they could tell he was processing what was going on. So while they were all getting their things together for the night, Morgan sent a quick text to Sebastian mentioning he might want to come backstage before the show begins instead of waiting to see Blaine post-show.
The moment Sebastian received that text, those around him could tell that something was up. "I'm not going to be able to go with you to get Rachel." Sebastian told Thad as he stood as he was going to get off at the next stop.
"What's going on?" Hunter asked as he and Kimberly looked at him.
"Not quite sure but Morgan said I needed to come see Blaine pre-performance and not wait till afterwards." Upon hearing his girlfriend's name, Jeff got up from his seat as well. "I don't need an escort Jeff."
"Humor me." Jeff replied earning him an appreciative nod from Hunter and Thad. "Plus, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Morgan as it's been a long week." Tempting as it was to argue with Jeff, Sebastian knew it was pointless. It seemed that anytime for the foreseeable future should something be going on with Blaine they weren't going to let Sebastian go alone. By the time they reached their new stop and were heading up the stairs, Jeff looked at Sebastian who'd been rather quiet. "I'm sure it's something little Sebastian. For all you know he's just having a bad case of the jitters."
"Nice idea but ever since Blaine found his groove; jitters aren't really something he experiences." Sebastian replied as they walked. "Something else is going on Jeff and I swear to God if Hummel brought it on I'll…" He didn't finish as Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder bringing his attention to him. "I know that look Jeff and I'm not getting ahead of myself."
"I'm not saying that you are, but it could be something else. Though, I do understand how you can presume it's him after everything. Hell, I still can't get what happened that night out of my head. It certainly brought things to light of Blaine saying there was more that happened between them that anyone else knew, aside from you." At the last bit, Jeff glanced at Sebastian whose expression had changed. "Relax; no one is offended that Blaine hasn't told us all everything that happened. That night was proof that things got nasty between them."
"That's one way to put it." The way Sebastian mumbled his response; Jeff decided to drop the subject as the last thing he wanted was for him to be agitated before seeing Blaine. Once they were inside the venue, it didn't take them long to find the hall way that lead backstage. After a brief exchange with security that was standing before it, the two were told where they could find Blaine and the others. Upon reaching the door, they were surprised to find a man standing before it. When Sebastian went to open it, he was stopped.
"And where do you think you're going?" Scott asked as he set his hand over Sebastian's.
"Inside." Sebastian replied. "So, if you would move out of the way it would be appreciated."
"I'm afraid not, at least not until I know who you are." The response brought Sebastian's attention to Jeff for a moment who seemed as stunned as he was in the moment. "So, are you going to tell me who you are?"
"Not until you tell me who you are." Sebastian replied as his stature changed which seemed to amuse him.
"I'm Scott, you must be Sebastian." His response caused Sebastian to cock an eyebrow before looking at Jeff once more. "And you must be Jeff." Yet before either of them could respond, Talia came walking towards them from the opposite direction and called out to them both.
"I see you've meet Blaine's protection detail." She said rather light-heartedly after giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.
"Protection detail?" Sebastian replied.
"I was brought on to provide security for the group, but mainly Mr. Anderson as I've been told his ex-husband is a bit unpredictable." Scott told them.
"That's one way to put it." Sebastian replied. "Sorry I acted the way I did as this was a bit unexpected."
"That's quite alright. But you certainly lived up to what I was told." While he spoke, Scott opened the door for them as Talia giggled at the comment. "Enjoy your time gentlemen." Sebastian and Jeff smiled before heading into the dressing room where the others were all doing their own thing.
Once they were inside the room, it wasn't long till Morgan ran up and jumped into Jeff's arms before kissing him. "I'm glad you came with him."
"So I can tell." Jeff replied as she wrapped her legs around him as he lifted her up.
"Where's B?" Sebastian asked as he glanced at the two.
"Over in the far corner with his guitar." Morgan replied. "He didn't take the idea of having security brought on mainly because of him very well. That's why I called you."
"Good idea." Sebastian told her before placing a kiss on her cheek. "I'll go talk with him." After Sebastian walked away, Morgan kissed Jeff once more before loosening her legs, allowing him to lower her back to the ground.
"How thrown was he?" Jeff asked as they headed towards one of the couches to sit.
"Enough that I knew I needed to call Sebastian." Morgan replied. "Just as I ended the call, Talia came up to me and asked if that was what I'd been doing as she agreed that Blaine needed him. It makes sense to all of us after what happened. We just don't quite get why he's having a problem with it."
"That would be because it's just who Blaine is. He doesn't like things happening because of him." Jeff told her. "And in this case, even though it's out of his control he still has to come to terms with it." While Jeff was answering, Sebastian was walking up behind Blaine who he didn't want to startle since he was playing.
"Sit." Blaine said without even turning his head, surprising Sebastian. "Bas, sit." He said again as he continued to play.
"How'd you know it was me?" Sebastian asked as he sat down beside him.
"Your cologne, it's distinctively you." Once Sebastian was beside him, Blaine stopped strumming and placed his hand on Sebastian's thigh. "You're early." He then turned to give him a kiss.
"Morgan called me; she thought you might talk to me since you weren't really talking to them." Sebastian set his hand on top of Blaine's and gave it a gently squeeze. "So, care to tell me what's going through that mind of yours?"
"Have you met Scott yet?"
"I have."
"Were you told why he's here?"
"I was, and honestly, it's not a bad thing Killer." That comment caused Blaine to turn in his seat to face him directly. "No one knows what Hummel is capable of doing." When Blaine rolled his eyes, Sebastian scooted closer. "B, he caused quite the scene when he realized we're together. And while I know part of it was brought on by shock, you and I both know he doesn't like me. So, the idea you're moving on with your life with me, makes this a bit more unpredictable."
"This just seems so unnecessary."
"It may be, but it's Vincent's job to keep an eye out for all of you." Sebastian replied. "The last thing any of you need is Hummel becoming a bigger issue as things move forward for you guys." Blaine sighed softly before leaning his head onto Sebastian's shoulder. "Not to mention, I like the idea of someone looking out for you." Blaine then felt a kiss pressed against the top of his head. "Sadly, the more gigs you guys play, I won't always be able to make it because of classes."
"I know. It just seems a bit much."
"B, he tried to hit you and would've accomplished it if it wasn't for Hunter's quick reflexes."
"It makes me feel as though they don't think I can protect myself." Once Blaine spoke, Sebastian moved his hand from over Blaine's and wrapped his arm around him.
"You need to look at the bigger picture B. Should something happen to you, it affects more people than just you now." Blaine lifted his head slightly so he could look up at Sebastian. "It's not about you being unable to protect yourself."
"I hadn't thought about that."
"Understandable." Sebastian replied before kissing his head again. "Initial instinct is hard to fight some times. You would've thought it was cute what Talia called him."
"What would that be?"
"Your protection detail." Blaine couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him, causing Sebastian to pull him even closer. "You like that, don't you?"
"It's cute and well, very her."
"It is very her. Are you feeling better?" Blaine nodded instead of answering. "Good. I guess this could be viewed as a good thing in other ways."
"How so?"
"It gives us time to get used to having someone around for once you make it big." When Blaine laughed again, Sebastian smiled. "It's true Killer. When you do, your protection detail will only grow."
The more Blaine began to laugh, the others in the room relaxed as seeing him frustrated was hard for all of them to see. For so many, they would love the attention or the fact they had security, yet Blaine wasn't one of those people. That's one of the things that made the others care all the more. Blaine wasn't the one that wanted all the attention he just wanted to do his thing. "You made the right call in calling Sebastian." Justin said quietly to Morgan who was curled up next to Jeff. "It was exactly what he needed. While he probably said some of the same things we did, they just come out differently."
"Was Blaine always like this Jeff?" Todd asked as he stretched.
"Yea." Jeff replied. "He's always had that something special about him, yet hated when people fussed over him which happened all the time. "He was so talented even back then, people couldn't help themselves and it could be a bit much for him."
"A rare trait in a performer." Talia said. "But certainly a welcome one or it could quickly go to one's head."
It wasn't long; till Blaine and Sebastian joined the others and they all began to laugh. When Vincent came walking back in, that sound was music to his ears. While he was going to talk to Blaine about things later, it was clear that whatever Sebastian had said to him had made him more comfortable with the overall idea. So, when he had to ask Sebastian and Jeff to leave so they could all talk before they took the stage, he wasn't surprised when the two couples exchanged a few kisses before they headed on their way.
When Sebastian and Jeff made their way out to the bar, they weren't surprise in the slightest to see the others they'd been on the train with. But they were surprised to see Wes, Nick, as well as Quinn joining them. "You know, Santana's going to feel left out with you all here." Jeff said as they took their seats.
"She'll be part of the fun tomorrow." Rachel said once they were settled. "Is everything okay with Blaine?"
"He's good." Sebastian replied. "Just got a bit thrown by something Vincent did."
"What would that be?" Wes asked.
"They now have a security guard that is going to be with them when they perform." When everyone looked at Sebastian in slight confusion, he continued. "He was brought on mainly because of what happened on New Year's Eve." Those added words put everything into perspective for everyone.
"It's probably for the best." Nick said shortly afterwards.
"That's exactly what I told him." Sebastian replied. "But you know B, it's part of who he is. Speaking of, have you heard from Hummel recently Rachel?"
"He actually called just before everyone arrived." When she answered, Thad cocked his head and looked at her. "I was going to tell you but you were all talking about Jeff and Sebastian coming to check on Blaine when you arrived."
"What did he want?" Thad asked.
"He asked if I'd be willing to meet him for lunch sometime next week."
"Are you going to?" Kimberly asked.
"Yes. He was calm and well, we'll be in public so there is less chance of him causing a scene. And if he does, I'll leave, plain and simple."
"Why do I have a feeling that you guys didn't tell me everything that happened that night." Quinn said after noticing how they all tensed since the first mentioning of Kurt.
"What did they tell you?" Sebastian asked while checking his watch to see how much longer it was going to be till Blaine took the stage.
"That Kurt clearly wasn't happy when he first saw you. Then, once he saw that you and Blaine are a couple he went after Rachel because he couldn't get to you." Sebastian nodded. "But once he was able to confront you both, laid into Blaine who admitted you lived here in the city to which Kurt then accused Blaine of cheating on him with you." Once Quinn finished, Sebastian looked at Rachel who was leaning against Thad who had his arm around her.
"Is that all?" Quinn nodded in response which brought Sebastian's attention back to Rachel. "Rachel." When she looked down, Thad turned his head and kissed her on her temple. "Kurt did all those things, but clearly Rachel left out one little thing that happened that night which prompted them now having security. Hummel tried to hit Blaine that night."
"He did what?" Quinn exclaimed causing some of those around them to look at her.
"He tried to hit Blaine." Hunter replied calmly knowing it wasn't something Sebastian wanted to repeat.
"What stopped him?"
"Hunter did." Wes told her. "He caught Kurt's arm before he could make contact. Needless to say, just about all of us were in shock." During the last part of his sentence, Wes was looking directly at Sebastian who shrugged his shoulders. Once Wes had gotten the complete story from Blaine shortly after everything had happened he had a better understanding of why Blaine and Sebastian had reacted the way they did. Yet before they could get deeper into conversation, someone took to the stage to introduce Blaine and his band.
Throughout the performance, no one would've known Blaine had been off before hand as he truly came alive as he performed. Whether it had been what Sebastian had said to him or just being on stage there was no hint of what had happened earlier. The longer the set went on, Sebastian noticed Quinn leaning in to Rachel a few times each time a newer song had been performed. Even the guys were taking notice of the newer material. With everything that was going on around them, it was clear they all had a good grasp of everything. They were still able to play new music all while spending time in the studio as well as finishing up their last semester of classes.
By the time they finished up their performance, it was clear they'd won over the crowd once again. And judging from the smiles on their faces, they knew it as well. They were about to make their way off the stage when a young woman went running towards it. Before Blaine had a chance to react, Scott had stepped between the woman and Blaine much to Sebastian's relief as he was shocked by what had happened. No sooner had bar security come over to handle the situation; Blaine looked over at Sebastian who was looking directly at him. After mouthing that he was okay, a small smile crept to Sebastian's face before Blaine disappeared along with the others.
Once they were gone, Sebastian felt a hand on his shoulder and looked towards Jeff whose hand it was. "It looks as though they're irresistible to those besides us." Jeff said jokingly since it was clear he was still tense regardless of the partial smile he had.
"I just want to know who she was trying to get to." Sebastian replied softly before slamming what was left of his drink.
"I hate to say this guys, but it's only going to get worse the more popular they become." Nick told them and the others agreed. "While Hummel was clearly the catalyst to them having security, it couldn't have happened at a more opportune time."
"Clearly." Jeff replied as Sebastian looked at his phone. "So Quinn, what did you think of them this time around?"
"While I was clearly impressed last time, they've gotten even better. By the way Sebastian, nice Christmas present." When she winked at him, he tilted his head. "Rachel told me the guitar he was playing most of the night was from you."
"Oh, thanks." He replied with a smile.
"What's the plan now?" Thad asked as he wasn't sure if they were coming out.
"We need to hear from them." Sebastian replied. "But after what happened at the end, I have a feeling Vincent isn't going to let them come out and socialize."
It was only a few minutes later when Sebastian and Jeff's phones each went off with texts and they were essentially what Sebastian had expected. Vincent wasn't going to let them head back out after what happened. So they were all going to have to meet them outside. Since they had a bit more time to talk before they knew they were going to be ready, they ordered one more round of drinks as Blaine texted again saying he'd let them know when they were leaving. As they sat, Nick looked at Sebastian. "Anything big coming up?"
"Depends on your definition of big." Sebastian replied.
"I think he's skirting the fact that Blaine's parents are coming to town next month." Wes said with a smile. "We just don't know if it's to see Blaine perform, or is this a meet the parents sort of visit." Sebastian just looked at Wes and the others began to laugh as his expression completely changed. Yet before they could ask any more questions, his phone went off so he excused himself to go and see Blaine. "From that reaction, I think it's an all-encompassing visit, what do you guys think?"
"I'd say you're right." Hunter replied. "What are Blaine's parents like?"
"Friendly, yet intimidating at the same time." Rachel told him earning her a look from the rest of the guys in attendance. "What?"
"Blaine's parents aren't intimidating." Thad said. "They're protective and that's expected after everything."
"Why?" Quinn asked and in that moment, Thad realized he might've said too much.
"Never mind." Thad mumbled quickly. He'd just turned to look at Jeff who was getting up after receiving a text from Morgan. Once he walked away, attention was back on him.
"Thad." Rachel said.
"Never mind what I said, okay. Just Blaine's parents are protective of him." Thad glanced at Wes and Nick, hoping they could help him out of the corner he'd backed himself into.
"Your opinion of them is just based on different circumstances than ours." Wes said quickly, earning him a mouthed thank you from Thad. "We all met his parents when he was at Dalton. And well, I know from talking with Blaine they weren't thrilled when he wanted to transfer to McKinley. So, if they seemed a bit defensive, it could've been their apprehension at the circumstances."
"Not to mention, if Hummel was around when you met them, that could've affected it as well." Nick added know the Andersons were never Kurt's biggest fan.
While they were all passing the time, Sebastian and Jeff were helping them pack up the rest of their gear. When they reached the room, they were surprised to see Todd's drum kit all packed up as they hadn't even noticed it being dismantled and taken off the stage. "Do you guys want to go out and grab a bite to eat or something?" Sebastian asked as Blaine relaxed against him.
"Did you really just ask them if they want food?" Talia asked with a laugh.
"I know they're always hungry, but I wasn't sure if you guys wanted to join the craziness."
"If it's the usual craziness, I'm game." Justin replied as he pulled a clean t-shirt over his head.
"It is." Jeff told him.
"Same here." Todd added. "But we all have gear to drop off first."
"We figured as much." Sebastian said. "We can just give everyone a destination, a time, and then meet up a bit later. Does that sound good to you B?" Blaine nodded as he looked at Sebastian's hand over his. "Talia, it sounds as though we only need an answer from you."
"Absolutely as you guys are a trip to be around. Where are we heading?"
"Why don't we figure something out as we load up?" Blaine replied. "As I don't know what the others might be in the mood for." Shortly after he replied, they all began to gather up the last of their things so they could get going. They were about to begin loading the last of their bit of gear when Vincent came walking in.
"And where do you all think you're going?"
"To finish loading up and then we're going to grab a bite to eat." Blaine told him.
"Are you sure going out is such a wise idea?" Vincent replied to him as he glanced around at everyone.
"Yes. We've tended to grab something after every show. And just because some girl was a bit over zealous, we're not going to change that."
"Would you like Scott to go with you?"
"That won't be necessary as we've got plenty of friends joining us." When Vincent looked at him, Blaine shook his head. "We'll be fine, honest. We're going to grab a quick bite, hang for a bit, and then head home."
"Do the rest of you agree with Blaine's assessment?" After he asked, Vincent looked around and they were all nodding. "Fine, just promise me you'll be careful and that should anything happen, you'll call me."
"We will." Blaine told him. "Trust me; we don't enjoy confrontation any more than you do. Now, have the amps been brought out to the truck already?"
"They're loaded, so you're all set to load the remainder of the gear." Once he responded, they all headed towards the side door to finish loading up. Sebastian was about out the door when Vincent asked to speak to him. With a look exchanged between the two, Blaine gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the two to talk. After the others were down the hall, Vincent turned to look at Sebastian. "We need to talk Sebastian."
"About?"
"Blaine." The instant Vincent said Blaine's name, Sebastian's entire posture changed. "Relax Sebastian, it's nothing bad."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"Fair enough." Vincent told him. "While I've already spoken with Blaine, I was wondering if you could reiterate something I said to him."
"That depends on what it is you want me to talk to him about."
"Blaine needs to realize things are changing and soon his life is going to change."
"He's aware of that fact." Sebastian stated. "One thing you need to realize about Blaine, is just because his life is going to change, it's probably not going to change who he is. And there are going to be times, he's going to need a gentle reminder that things are changing."
"He's quite different from a lot of the artists I manage. Most thrive on the fact that they get security and such."
"Well, that's not Blaine. He's going to want to keep his life as normal as possible. Blaine doesn't write or sing for the fame, he does it because it's what he's passionate about."
"I'm well aware of that Sebastian, so you don't have to get defensive around me. Blaine's the most humble musician I've ever dealt with. That's why I want to make sure he knows that as much as he wants his life to stay the same, it's going to change whether he wants it to or not." Sebastian sighed as he knew Vincent was right as he'd thought about that fact as well. The only thing he hoped for is that the change could be subtle along the way so the new life Blaine had built for himself didn't get turned upside down.