Chapter Text
Sebastian’s pretty sure the sun shines directly out of Blaine Anderson’s asshole.
It’s the only explanation, honestly - even though Blaine literally ditched them at the beginning of the school year with no prior notice, the Warblers still sing his praises. Sebastian made the mistake of suggesting a P!nk song for an upcoming performance and Trent’s still crying about it. It’s ridiculous.
So he asks around about Blaine, tries to figure out who this kid used to be - and surprising a grand total of just about nobody, David and Thad are the most help.
Maybe the sun doesn’t shine out of Anderson’s ass, but Sebastian knows that there’s something... different about this kid. David and Thad are the closest to disciplinarians the Warblers have (everyone tells him he would’ve loved Wes, but Sebastian really isn’t so sure) but even they seem head over heels for Blaine.
They tell him that Blaine was a transfer student from a few years back, having to retake his freshman year. Sebastian tries to wheedle out why but neither of them seem to know and David makes it very clear that it’s none of their business.
He finds out other things, little things; Blaine was rooming with Wes. He liked bowties. Katy Perry, too. And P!nk. And musicals. And football. And polo. Blaine liked a lot of things, apparently. It seems exhausting.
But there’s only one thing he loves - and this is the first time Sebastian has seen anyone not smile when talking about Blaine, he’s sure of it - and it’s another transfer student, Kurt. Blaine loved Kurt so much he transferred schools to be with him, abandoning his brothers in the process.
It’s all a little much, Sebastian tells them. Transferring schools for a boyfriend? To his gross little public school, to boot?
“He must have the dick of a God.”
“Warbler Sebastian! You will refrain from that kind of-”
“Yeah, yeah, but you both know it’s true.”
-ss-
Sebastian knows that first solos can be intimidating, seriously. He’s not totally heartless.
But holy shit is Duval getting on his last nerve today. Uptown Girl isn’t even a particularly taxing song - it sits comfortably within Nick’s natural range and they don’t even have a crazy dance routine set to go along with it. Hell, Sebastian and Thad have vocal breakouts too.
“Nicholas.” Sebastian grunts, leaning forward and poking Nick in the back, trying to be as quiet as possible so Mademoiselle Beaumont won’t notice him slacking. “If you keep going, you are going to vibrate out of your chair.”
Nick- get this-squeaks, whipping his head around to look at Sebastian and definitely blowing his stealth operation. “I’m just nervous, Smythe. Give me a break.”
“Boys,” Mademoiselle Beaumont says softly, resting a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Is everything alright? There better be a good reason you’re not working on your essay, Monsieur Smythe.”
“I’m done, Mademoiselle.” Sebastian offers, holding his paper out for the teacher to check if she desires. She waves him off, still peering worriedly down at Nick. “Nick’s got his first solo this afternoon, I think he’s a little nervous. Do you mind if I take him to get some water?”
“Of course.” She murmurs, giving Nick’s shoulder a squeeze. “Monsieur Duval, you’ll do wonderfully. Try to relax a little so you can work on your essay, yes?”
Nick gives a jerking nod, shrugging off the teacher’s hand and standing up way too quickly, banging his knees into the table and sprinting out of the classroom before Sebastian even closes his workbook. Mademoiselle Beaumont squeezes his shoulder on his way out too, tells him he’s free to take as long as Nick needs.
Honestly, Sebastian thinks that Dalton’s clear favoritism of the Warblers is a serious problem but if it gets him out of class like this on a regular basis, he’s not about to start complaining. Maybe he’ll strongarm David and Thad into giving Nick more solos if he’s going to react like this every time.
When Sebastian leaves the classroom, Nick’s only gotten as far as the next classroom over - he’s obviously slid down the wall and is now sitting on the ground, knees drawn up to his chest. An awful thought strikes Sebastian then, “Are you seriously having a panic attack?”
“No!” Nick says quickly, shaking his head. “I’m just nervous. I know it seems stupid to you, you’ve been swimming in solos since you joined the club, but... I’ve been in the Warblers for two years and I’ve never had a solo before.”
“Because Blaine took them all?” Sebastian hazards a guess. He knows how most of the club feels about Anderson - usually somewhere around hero-worship, for the record - but he’s never gotten a clear read on Duval. He kind of really wants someone to have this undying hate for the kid. It’d make him seem more human.
“What? No. Jesus, he was my best friend.” Seriously? Holy shit. “I just- wasn’t ready, that’s what Wes always said. Why am I suddenly ready now? What changed?”
Sebastian thinks he knows - they were all so used to Anderson coming in and making them look amazing (and he more than succeeded, Sebastian’s seen the YouTube videos) that nobody else really worked at earning the soloist spot. He wants to tell Nick as much, but he doubts it’d help right now. Maybe he’ll bring it up to David later.
What he says instead is, “Because you’re older now, Duval. And we’re shaking things up this year, if you hadn’t noticed. We need to crush the New Directions at Regionals and we can’t do that if we just pull the same old tired routine. This is us testing you. Don’t let us down.” and then Sebastian offers a hand to help pull Nick to his feet.
It feels like a Moment.
Nick looks at his hand a moment too long before finally reaching out to take it.
-ss-
Uptown Girl was meant to be a laidback performance. Thad was particularly forceful about it, wanting to keep Nick as comfortable as possible - Sebastian hadn’t seen any sense in arguing. They’re working on strengthening the team before Sectionals, and giving one of their better singers more confidence performing is definitely a great idea.
And then Blaine Anderson shows up.
And fuck, YouTube videos do not do this kid justice.
So Sebastian pulls Blaine in to perform with them and he dances along well enough, but he spends most of his time side-hugging various older members of the club. He looks happy and so do the other boys - Trent especially, and Sebastian definitely saw that crush from a mile away - and well, having the enemy perform with them is the worst idea the Warblers have ever had but Sebastian doesn’t mind so much. Not when it’s Blaine Anderson, at least.
After the performance, Blaine explains his sudden visit - more than half the club is visibly disappointed when he makes it clear he’s not transferring back anytime soon and it’d be hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic. But he offers everyone tickets to William McKinley’s production of West Side Story - where he’ll be rightfully portraying Tony, even if he seems a little shy about the fact. Sebastian’s the first to accept, grinning at Blaine as he says, “Once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?”
And then the other boys start to disperse, heading to their other clubs or activities. Sebastian needs to get going too, he has lacrosse practice in twenty minutes but Blaine Anderson is right here and Sebastian… well, he’s not really sure why he sticks around.
“Blaine Anderson.” he says finally, already holding a hand out for Blaine to shake. The other boy does so after a beat, his grip firm despite his relaxed posture. Ah. Professional. “I’m Sebastian Smythe.”
“Hello,” Blaine greets. There’s something wary in his gaze, but he’s still smiling politely. “Are you a freshman?”
Sebastian snorts. “Do I look like a freshman?” He knows the game of playing dumb, has practically mastered it even at the young age of sixteen. Anderson isn’t anywhere near his level.
Blaine blinks harshly, stammering for a moment - it’s strange, Sebastian thinks. Everything he’s heard about this kid painted him as untouchable, but he seems so unsure of himself right now. He wonders what’s changed. “I mean... I know. Jeff mentioned you were a junior, is that right?”
“Guilty as charged.” Sebastian replies smoothly, flicking his gaze over to Sterling in the corner who’s watching them concernedly. “You are too, if the stories are to be believed.” He’ll deal with Jeff blabbing his personal details to the enemy later.
“Yes, I am.” and then Blaine seems to really register what Sebastian said, doing a sudden double take. “Stories? What stories?”
“Blaine, we both know you know what stories.” Sebastian says chidingly, grin wide. “But we can discuss it over coffee.” Because really, what competition is lacrosse practice when he has the Warblers’ former golden boy right in front of him?
-ss-
“So, you’re a legend here at Dalton.”
It was surprisingly easy to convince Blaine to grab a coffee with him - Thad had mentioned that Blaine had a serious weakness for all things caffeinated but Sebastian thought he was joking.
Apparently not.
It’s kind of endearing, not that Sebastian will ever admit it.
“Oh. Well, I...” Blaine trails off, frowning despite the compliment.
Seriously - who the fuck is this guy? He looks like the Blaine from all those YouTube videos, if suddenly in devastating high definition but he seems so... small. It doesn’t fit with anything Sebastian knows about Blaine Anderson, the Warblers’ prodigal brother. The Blaine he knew of never stopped smiling, carried himself with pride, was a true Dalton boy. There’s nothing particularly Dalton about this imposter.
Maybe he’s just nervous. Sebastian does have that effect on people.
“Don’t be modest,” Sebastian scolds, though he’s careful to keep the grin on his face - he doesn’t want to come across too harshly, knows from just about everyone that Blaine doesn’t handle criticism or hostility too well. He does like compliments though, and Sebastian’s got one hell of a silver tongue. “Seriously, the guys talk about you all the time - I was like, I don’t know who this Blaine guy is but apparently he’s sex on a stick and sings like a dream.”
(Seriously, the YouTube videos did not warn him about that ass .)
“So I was sorry that I missed him.” Blaine’s smiling at him now, hazel eyes glimmering in amusement. “Alright, so- since I’m looking to emulate your meteoric ascent, I need to know: why did you leave Dalton?”
Blaine’s smile falls at the question and Sebastian almost takes it back, but it’s something he’s been wondering since he first heard about Blaine. He’s seen photos of the boyfriend and he definitely doesn’t look like he’s got a big enough dick worth transferring schools for.
Instead of taking it back, Sebastian tries to take the sting out the question. “Were you bored of all the preppy boys?” Doubt it. “Or did you break too many hearts to stay?” Nixon’s still holding a candle for you, so… maybe, actually.
Blaine snorts, giving a shake of his head. “It- uh, it wasn’t like that. Definitely not.” Then he leans forward, casting a quick glance around the cafe. It’s mostly empty now, with most of the boarders working on homework in the library or still busy with various clubs. “Let’s just say... I miss Dalton every day but McKinley’s where my heart is.”
Holy shit. Sebastian knows Blaine is a hopeless romantic - he’s heard about the Gap Attack, thanks to David who still jokes about it all the time - but he hasn’t even known Kurt for a year. How the fuck can he claim Kurt’s his heart ?
But he doubts pressing the matter will win him any points with Blaine, so instead he changes the subject, telling Blaine about Nick’s nerves during the day. Blaine listens with rapt attention, offering ways to calm Nick down if it ever happens again (a hot chocolate will almost always do the trick but if it fails, find Jeff and let the two of them hug it out) and it’s nice, actually.
Sebastian likes Dalton, don’t get him wrong. It’s a good school with challenging work and more than a few bi-curious boys milling around that Sebastian’s more than glad to help out, but he doesn’t really have any friends. David and Thad are definitely the closest he has, but they don’t talk about anything non Warblers-related (apart from Blaine, naturally).
It’s not like he needs friends, he’s always been fairly independent. Had to be, if he was telling the truth. He loves his parents, but they’re busy people - his dad’s work isn’t even based in Ohio and his mom lives in France so he’s had to look after himself for the most part. He’s happy with his own company. But talking to people- to Blaine Anderson- reminds him that even he can get lonely sometimes. The revelation makes him uncomfortable.
In turn, Blaine tells him about his rehearsals for West Side Story - his Maria seems temperamental at best, but Blaine is awfully fond of her. His director is a whole other problem, but Blaine swears that Artie’s just as stressed as the rest of them. When Sebastian asks if his boyfriend is involved, Blaine suddenly reverts back to that small boy from the beginning of the conversation.
“He’s playing Officer Krupke.” Blaine admits after a long beat, toying with the lid of his coffee.
“That’s not a singing part, is it?” Sebastian asks, feeling somewhat surprised - he doesn’t know a whole lot about Kurt, but David and Thad swore that he had a lovely voice, if unconventional.
“No.” Blaine answers, shaking his head. “He auditioned for Tony. I auditioned for Bernardo, actually - well, I auditioned for just about everything but Tony.”
Well. Sebastian doesn’t know what the fuck he’s meant to do with that. He’s never seen Blaine perform in person, but he sure as hell seems like he’d be perfect for Tony - why the fuck would he not audition for the part?
“Kurt... he wanted to be Tony, really badly. He needed it for his college applications.” Typical public schooler, leaving college applications until the literal last minute. “It’s looking like he might lose the election for senior class president, so I thought I’d bow out of the Tony race and help him win the role.”
There’s a whole lot of wrong in... well, all of that. But Sebastian’s no relationship-guru and no fucking way is he starting now. “How’d you end up as Tony then?”
“It’s a long story.” Blaine tries, but Sebastian shrugs back at him as if to say I’ve got time. “His audition... it went great! Really, he was amazing. But he sung I’m The Greatest Star -”
“From Funny Girl ? Seriously?”
“Stop it.” Blaine scolds. “But he was seriously great, you should’ve seen it! It just... I don’t know, I don’t think it was the best choice. He should’ve done Somewhere or at least something from West Side Story. I love our casting directors- Miss. P and Coach Beiste are my favorite faculty at McKinley and Artie’s my friend, but they’re not old hands at this sort of thing. They see Kurt performing that song and they don’t see him as Tony, they see him as Fanny Brice. And his acting audition… it was a trainwreck. Rachel- my Maria, remember- she’s known Kurt for years, I think she struggled doing a dramatic scene with him.”
“Okay, so that’s Kurt explained. What about you?”
Blaine takes a sip from his long-cold coffee before answering, “I auditioned with Something’s Coming. I know what you’re going to say- auditioning with a Tony song was a serious mistake, but it’s my favorite West Side Story song. And it went great! I thought I’d have Bernardo on lock, since I knew Mike Chang was definitely gonna be our Riff. But then they asked me to read for Tony and…”
Blaine hesitates for a moment, torn between looking proud and ashamed. Sebastian wishes he wouldn’t. Even if Blaine’s an upperclassman, a junior being asked to read for the lead in a school musical is still a huge deal. At least it is at Dalton, he imagines McKinley’s more lacking in the talent department. “I said yes, of course. It’d be rude to say no. And it... it went wonderfully. I was so happy, you know? Adjusting to McKinley, it’s been harder than I expected. I’m so glad to be with Kurt every day, I just miss Dalton so much. But up on stage, all of that fades away.”
Of all the things Sebastian was expecting from this conversation, this wasn’t even on his top ten. He didn’t want to relate to Blaine Anderson, but here he is. He misses France so deeply that it aches, sometimes. He likes Dalton, likes it a lot more than anywhere else his dad could’ve stuck him in Ohio but France is home. He’s found ways to distract himself, namely taking clueless prep school boys into various closets around the school and claiming their innocence, but performing works too.
He’s not sure where to go from here, though. This is far more deeper than he’s comfortable with, so he feigns checking his phone and heaves a huge sigh, looking up at Blaine. “I have to go. Lacrosse practice. But... could we meet again? I could really use more insights from you, Blaine.” He pauses, tilting his head thoughtfully. “You know, Warbler to Warbler.”
Blaine stares at him a moment too long, before giving his head a quick shake. Sebastian tries his hardest not to smirk. “Of- of course, Sebastian.”
-ss-
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
hey, killer. grabbed your number from david. i know you’re busy with rehearsal, but let me know if you have any free time. would love to see you before the show. -sebastian
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Killer? That’s... interesting.
I’m free tomorrow night after your Warblers practice, if you’re available?
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
definitely available. lima bean sound good?
-ss-
Sebastian probably should’ve known it wouldn’t take long for the other Warblers to figure out he’s spending time with Blaine, but he was expecting he’d get at least three coffee dates before the interrogations started.
As it is, Trent Nixon of all people is his interrogator so Sebastian supposes he got off extremely easy this time. It won’t be long until David and Thad catch wind of everything and he’s sure Thad will find a way to start screaming about it in the middle of practice one day.
But Trent’s about as intimidating as a puppy dog, so when he sits down across from Sebastian in the library looking as angry as he probably can, Sebastian kind of wants to laugh at him. He’s really trying to get all the upperclassmen on his side though, so he settles for an amused smile, closing his Algebra textbook. “What’s up, sunshine?”
One time Jeff had jokingly said Trent’s the sunshine of the club! and practically everyone agreed, so naturally Sebastian found a way to turn it into a nickname. Trent’s always torn between being flattered and annoyed, but today his face flushes a bright red and Sebastian’s almost surprised to note that today it just makes him angry. That’s new.
“Blaine told me you invited him to the Lima Bean!” Trent hisses, leaning over the table and getting way too far into Sebastian’s personal space. “You hate the Lima Bean!”
“Okay, I don’t hate it.” Sebastian protests. “I just said that because I didn’t want to go with you and Sterling. You two on caffeine sounds like a recipe for disaster, especially since Duval was too busy to go.”
Trent tries to glare suspiciously at him, but Sebastian thinks he just looks constipated. God, prep schoolers. “Why are you going with Blaine, though?”
“Just trying to see what has you all so crazy in love with him, Nixon. Especially you.” Sebastian remarks innocently, though he definitely can’t conceal his smirk this time. “I must say, I’m a little offended none of you thought to mention his ass. That thing is insane. What I wouldn’t give to bury my-”
“Smythe!” the librarian barks, slamming her hand down on the table beside him. Trent practically jumps out of his seat at the interruption, but Sebastian just lazily looks up at the woman. “Quiet. Nixon, if you’re not here to work you’re to leave, understand?”
Trent, still red-faced and looking extremely abashed, quickly stands up to leave but Sebastian reaches out to grip his arm and keep him in place. “Sorry, Mrs. H. We’ll get going. See you tomorrow.”
“Be ready to work.” Haynes says firmly before continuing on her reign of terror around the library. She’s vaguely horrible the way all librarians seem to be, but Sebastian kind of loves her anyway. She makes sure it’s quiet enough for him to work and he also gets a free show when she kicks out obnoxious kids who think they’re above her rules. Bless her.
Sebastian leads Trent out of the library and towards the commons - he hates the commons, but at least they’ll be able to talk there - and Trent follows dutifully, asking a few follow-up questions to the whole Blaine thing on the way but not seeming too upset when Sebastian doesn’t answer.
When they’re settled away from the tennis club (who are maybe the most obnoxious of any of the sporting teams at Dalton, to Sebastian’s endless surprise), Sebastian finally answers Trent’s first question. “I’m going out with Blaine because I want to get to know him, sunshine. That a problem?” He’s not even technically lying, not really- he does want to get to know Blaine, but more in the let’s get horizontal way and not the let’s be best friends forever way. Blaine seems to have enough of those already.
Trent actually succeeds in looking suspicious now, though Sebastian thinks the whole thing would be a lot more effective if he got anyone else’s help instead. Well, maybe not Jeff. “You don’t want to get to know anyone, Sebastian. He has a boyfriend!”
Oh, yes. Kurt.
After coffee last night with Blaine, Sebastian returned to his dorm and dug up all the dirt he possibly could on everyone Blaine mentioned - and hit the jackpot because apparently, McKinley has a burgeoning gossip blogger that’s near-obsessed with the glee club. Or just Rachel Berry, Sebastian’s not sure. Nor does he care, he got all the information he wanted regardless of where Jacob Ben-Israeli’s creepy obsession lies.
Kurt came up more than a few times and Sebastian must say, he’s really not impressed. Sure, his voice is great but he doesn’t know how to use it - and he doesn’t seem to have a whole lot else to offer. Sebastian was already pretty suspicious of him after Thad mentioned he transferred right back to McKinley the week after the Warblers lost at Regionals but fuck, he was expecting something special of the guy who made Blaine Anderson his personal doormat.
Instead, it’s Kurt Hummel.
Seriously, this guy has to be packing some major heat.
“I know about Kurt, sunshine.” Sebastian says with a roll of his eyes. “I’m not about to be the other man, don’t worry. I have more self-respect than that.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You’re right, I don’t.”
-ss-
“I can’t believe you asked for a shot of Courvoisier in your coffee.”
“I forget how lame this town is.” Sebastian remarks as they sit down at a table, smirking over at Blaine. “When I lived in Paris, I drank it like it was mother’s milk.”
“When you lived in Paris? I- okay, wow.” Blaine murmurs, looking stunned. Sebastian knows for a fact that Blaine already knew he’d lived in France, but he supposes nobody told him about Paris. It’s nice to know he can still surprise Blaine if he wants to.
“What?” Sebastian presses, his grin threatening to split his face in half.
Blaine looks at Sebastian with wide eyes, giving a slow shake of his head. “You’re just… you know, you’re so out there.”
Sebastian wonders if Blaine means that as a compliment. Sebastian’s certainly going to take it as one anyway, since Blaine’s current love life is currently the blandest of the bland.
His eyes dart down to Blaine’s coffee order, which is clutched tightly in Blaine’s hands - a medium drip with a light sprinkling of cinnamon. Sebastian’s certainly not the type to read too much into someone’s coffee order (that seems more of a Jeff thing, maybe Trent too) but... yes, he’s sure Blaine means out there as a compliment.
“Maybe. But your whole bashful schoolboy thing? Super hot.”
Sebastian knows he’s gone at least ten steps too far when the smile freezes on Blaine’s face but he can’t quite bring himself to care. As much as he brushed off Trent during free period today, he knows he needs to put all his cards on the table for Blaine. The kid is way too naive to pick up on Sebastian’s flirting otherwise and no fucking way is Sebastian going to be Blaine Anderson’s newest best friend.
“Look, Sebastian,” Blaine says softly, obviously trying not to hurt Sebastian’s non-existent feelings. “I have a boyfriend.”
“Doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you.”
“N- no.” Blaine stammers, putting his coffee cup down and looking straight at Sebastian. Despite everything, Sebastian almost admires him for it - most people would draw back now, but not Blaine. “I mean, I really care about him.”
“He doesn’t need to know.” Sebastian volleys back, but something catches his attention from the corner of his eye. He glances over Blaine’s shoulder and sees one Kurt Hummel lurking, staring worriedly at Blaine’s back. Sebastian wants to wink at him, but he’s worried that would draw Blaine’s attention and he’s really hoping that Kurt will just leave them be.
“I never want to mess my thing up with him in any way. He’s just really great.” Blaine asserts and Sebastian wants to snark back- who calls their boyfriend great? Lame. but Kurt’s making his way over to the table and Sebastian’s definitely saving his wit for Lady Hummel.
(Seriously, Sebastian knew he was pretty effeminate already and it’s not like he has a problem with that, but seeing Kurt in real life turns the lady factor up to 12.)
“Who’s really great?” Hummel asks abruptly and Blaine almost jumps out of his seat in fright before twisting around to greet his boyfriend.
“You! We were just talking about you!” Blaine answers, his little head whipping between Kurt and Sebastian at record speed. The two of them are already locked in a staring battle, but if Kurt’s trying to look intimidating, Sebastian’s definitely going to laugh at him. “Sebastian, this is Kurt. My boyfriend who I was just...”
“Got it.” Sebastian interrupts, trying to put an end to Blaine’s stammers. Kurt offers a hand for Sebastian to shake and he does so, but not without noting how Kurt still hasn’t said hello to Blaine. He’s pretty sure boyfriends are supposed to greet each other. Right? Jeez.
Kurt’s handshake is as limp as a flaccid dick which isn’t really all that surprising but it’s still downright unpleasant.
“Pleasure.” Hummel says after a moment, withdrawing his hand and looking away from Sebastian. “And how do we know Sebastian?” he asks Blaine, which- shit, even Sebastian thinks this is rude. At least he held the door open for Blaine when they got here. Mostly because he wanted a chance to stare at his ass unnoticed, but he still did it.
Blaine looks troubled at the question, staring at Sebastian helplessly and- fuck , why does he even care? It’s the puppy dog eyes. Those things should be illegal. “We met at Dalton.” he provides smoothly. “I was dying to meet Blaine. Those Warblers, they just won’t shut up about him. I didn’t think he could live up to the hype but as it turns out...” Blaine barks out a single laugh, looking down at the table. God, what is this kid’s issue with taking compliments?
Sebastian chances a small look up at Kurt, who’s staring down at Blaine with some form of annoyance and it all clicks. Kurt’s jealous. Holy shit. Holy shit. That’s hilarious.
“Yes,” Kurt hums, all annoyance disappearing from his face as quickly as it appeared. “He’s even more impressive in the flesh!” He drags over a chair from a nearby table and sits down as close to Blaine as is possible without sitting in his lap. Kurt hooks his hand around Blaine’s arm and honestly, it’s so fucking funny that Sebastian’s struggling not to laugh. He does allow himself an amused smile though, he feels like he’s entitled to it at this point.
They’re literally just talking and Hummel’s already taking up the mantle of mayor of Jealousland. Wonderful.
“Hey,” Sebastian says, with possibly the best idea of his life. “What are you guys doing tomorrow night?”
“Well,” Hummel speaks first, which is honestly hilarious - who the fuck does he think he is? Sebastian Smythe? No dice. “We’re rehearsing for the school musical.” Sebastian glances over at Blaine, who just looks plain shocked. His mouth’s open just a little and Sebastian imagines- “And then at bedtime we do a rigorous skin regimen over the phone together.”
Wait. Any dirty thoughts leave Sebastian then, and he stares at Kurt in pure puzzlement for no longer than five seconds. That is, without a doubt, the gayest thing he’s ever heard and he’s literally made guys beg for his cock. “As sexy as that sounds, what do you say we shake things up?” Kurt looks intrigued at that which Sebastian honestly wasn’t expecting, but it’s something. “I get you guys a couple of fake IDs and we head over to Scandals. In West Lima.”
“Scandals?” Blaine repeats. “That’s the gay bar.” he adds quietly, obviously for Kurt’s benefit.
Oh, baby gays. How innocent you are. “Last time I was there, I met the man on my dreams on the dance floor.”
“Really?” Hummel murmurs, his brows perfectly raised but otherwise expressionless. “That’s so sweet. Are you two still together?”
“Sadly, no. We broke up about twenty minutes after we met.”
Kurt’s brows raise even higher, but Blaine still looks shocked. Sebastian really needs to get him on board here, because no matter how interested Hummel may be, it’s straight-up not worth going with them if Blaine isn’t interested. “Come on guys, live a little!”
Blaine blinks out of his stupor, chancing a quick glance over at Kurt before he leans in closer to Sebastian. “We’d love to and thank you for the offer- it’s very nice of you, but...” he looks over at Kurt again, starting back in on his stammering. “It’s just- it’s not our thing, you know?”
Sebastian’s about to proclaim defeat (no way is he going to a gay club with Blaine and Kurt if Kurt is the only interested party of the two), but Hummel cuts in before he can say anything, saying, “Let’s do it!”
“What?” Blaine questions, looking almost affronted.
“Yeah! I mean... we have a whole bunch of firsts to start crossing off our lists, don’t we?” Hummel turns to Sebastian, the smile easily leaving his face and any warmth in his voice quickly disappearing. “We’re in.”
“Great.” Sebastian says, but his gaze doesn’t leave Blaine.
Blaine’s staring back, brows furrowed. “Great.”
-ss-
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Hey, we’re going to be a little late. My Maria’s having some trouble.
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
everything okay?
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Nothing too serious. She’s vegan and thinks her boyfriend accidentally fed her some meat.
If she’s right, it’s gonna be a rough night - we’re just keeping her company until her dads are home.
Sebastian wonders if that we is really supposed to say I.
Kurt Hummel doesn’t particularly strike him as the comforting type.
-ss-
Drag Queen Wednesdays are always fun.
Not because of the drag queens, not really. They’re as sad as the rest of this town (which is to say that they’re really fucking sad ) but it’s consistently hilarious to see a bunch of grown men singing along to Dolly Parton songs.
Sebastian’s not sure why Dolly Parton is the only artist ever played on Wednesdays, but he’s not complaining. Anything’s better than Tuesday’s low-tempo rock music. Now that makes him want to jump off a cliff.
But this Wednesday is going to be extra fun, he’s sure of it.
Blaine might be running a little behind schedule, but at least he’s still texting Sebastian - he was kind of expecting last night to be the end of their... what the fuck is he meant to call them? They’re sure as shit not friends. Dalliance? Yeah, sure. Last night was supposed to be the end of their dalliance, but here he is. Blaine’s texting him updates on Rachel, which would be annoying if Blaine wasn’t sending pictures to go along with it. He’s seen a lot more of Rachel Berry than he ever cares to (watching a girl throw up really changes your opinion on her as a show choir rival) but fuck, it’s hilarious.
But Blaine arrives eventually, Kurt in tow and Sebastian waves them over. The bartender- Jack he thinks, this one’s new- places two drinks in front of him and Sebastian presents them to the couple, grinning up at Blaine. “A beer for Blaine.” and then he turns to Kurt, grin melting into a smirk. “And for Kurt, a Shirley Temple with extra cherries. I hear you’re the designated driver like, all the time.” he raises his own gin and tonic, clinking it hard against Blaine’s beer. “Cheers boys, to the glamorous life.”
Hummel doesn’t seem particularly interested in enjoying all Scandals has to offer, but Blaine follows Sebastian around like a little puppy. At least he’s smart about it - nurses that first beer for at least an hour, then refuses to accept anything anyone else offers to buy for him.
(He lets Sebastian buy him another beer or two and really, what about Sebastian makes Blaine think he’s trustworthy?)
They don’t talk very much, but halfway through the night Blaine leads the majority of the club in a sing-along to 9 to 5 that has Sebastian laughing so hard he thinks he might cry. A couple of the drag queens corner Blaine after, make him promise to come back for another Wednesday so they can have a full night of sing-alongs to Dolly. Sebastian half-expects him to say no, but instead Blaine nods at them emphatically, promising he’ll be back as soon as his schedule allows.
They’re close enough to the bar that Sebastian can see the glare Hummel aims at Blaine at that. As much as Sebastian wants to make trouble between Blaine and Kurt, he also really doesn’t want to ruin Blaine’s fun so instead he leads Blaine away from the drag queens and back towards the dancefloor.
Sebastian’s kind of glad he knows just about everyone who frequents this shithole since it means they’re giving the two of them a wide berth. Kids like Blaine, they usually get eaten alive in places like this.
Also, sue him. Blaine’s the hottest guy in the joint and he’s giving Sebastian all his attention. Fucking anyone would kill for that. Judging by the looks Sebastian’s been getting all night, he doesn’t think Hummel’s far off doing so.
He has fun, though. At least until Kurt decides to join them on the dancefloor, but it’s already past midnight at that point and Blaine mentioned earlier that Artie insisted they have an early night. He’ll give Hummel one dance.
-ss-
Sebastian doesn’t stick around much longer after Kurt leads Blaine out of the club. Can’t really afford to, sneaking back into Dalton is enough of a headache even with his roommate still awake to run interference if needed. Trying to get in without Jon’s help is basically asking to get his ass suspended.
Except his plans change when he’s not even five minutes away from Scandals and he spots a lonely figure sitting on a bench, playing with a sloppily tied bowtie.
Sebastian wants to hate how he doesn’t even hesitate to pull over and check on Blaine, but he’s pretty sure the Warblers would all murder him if they ever found out he left Blaine alone like this. And they would find out, Sebastian’s sure of it.
Blaine looks up from his bowtie as Sebastian comes to a stop in front of him, but Sebastian’s not entirely sure Blaine’s actually registering him at all.
He cannot fucking believe Hummel left Blaine out here by himself. Whatever the fuck happened is not worth this. Blaine was barely capable of supporting himself on the way out of the club and it wouldn’t take much to take advantage of him. Fuck Hummel.
“Just give me a minute, B. I think I’ve got a sweatshirt here for you.” Sebastian twists around to the backseat, rummages through his lacrosse bag to find his team sweatshirt before pushing his car door open and holding it out to Blaine. “Put it on, okay? It’s freezing out here.” Sebastian can see his breath. Fuck Ohio.
Fuck everything, apparently. He just wanted to get back to his dorm and sleep.
Blaine stares at the sweatshirt at least five moments too long before he reaches out with a shuddering hand to take it from him. How long has Blaine been out here? Sebastian’s pretty sure Kurt and Blaine left half an hour ago.
Sebastian watches Blaine struggle with the sweatshirt with a sinking feeling in his stomach because he’s worried. Sebastian Smythe doesn’t worry. Fuck Blaine Anderson, too.
“Blaine, hey, just let me do it.” Sebastian takes the sweatshirt back and helps him put it on. He’s vaguely horrified to note he doesn’t even try to cop a feel. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
Blaine blinks up at him a few times. “I only kissed Rachel twice.”
“You-” Sebastian stops. What the fuck comes to mind.
“She’s at her house, anyway.” Blaine continues, ignoring Sebastian’s stutter. Thank God. “Her boyfriend fed her meat, Sebastian. Can you believe that? What kind of boyfriend forgets their girlfriend is vegan?” Blaine shakes his head rather viciously, sending himself off-center; Sebastian straightens him up without thinking about it. “I don’t think I like Finn. Is that bad?”
Sebastian is outright disgusted with himself that his first thought isn’t how can we use this against New Directions? Fucking Blaine, making him give a shit. “Yeah, killer. Probably. Think it just makes you a good friend though.”
“I’m an awful friend.” Blaine retorts, tugging Sebastian’s sleeves over his hands. “Kurt let me go because I’m awful.”
“Blaine,” Sebastian kneels down opposite Blaine, resting his hands on the drunken boy’s knees. “You’re not awful. Whatever happened with Hummel doesn’t change that. Just give it a day or two and you’ll be back to your thrilling bedtime routine.”
Blaine smiles at the thought but it fades fast. “I think I messed up, Sebastian.”
“Seems so, killer.” Sebastian sighs. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home and you can tell me all about it.”
-ss-
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Unknown
Stay away from my boyfriend.
<<<TEXT SENT: Lady Hummel
don’t leave your boyfriend drunk and alone near a known gay bar in fucking ohio after midnight then.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Hey, Sebastian. Thank you so much for last night, I’m sorry if I was too much of a bother!
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
no problem, b. see you at wss?
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
For sure! I told Nick he can come backstage to say hi, but I’d love to see you back there too! You can meet Rachel for real.
Just let me know so I can tell Puck not to beat you up if he sees you hanging around.
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
i’ll definitely be there, but about rachel...
-ss-
Sebastian spends the rest of the week tied up in Sectionals preparations.
It’s going well enough - they’re doing a three-part Beatles medley that David and Thad arranged and it’s definitely enough to win them Sectionals, but Sebastian knows they’ll have to step up their game come Regionals. His captaincy will come into effect after Sectionals though, so at least he’ll be in charge then.
Despite himself, he’s glad New Directions decided to implode - they were meant to be in the same competition bracket as the Warblers again, but the Troubletones forced a redo of the roster. Sebastian doesn’t want an easy win, not really, but the two teams they’re facing at Sectionals now aren’t even competition. Just a way for everyone to refine their skills before the real battle begins at Regionals.
They’re performing the whole routine for the Crawford girls on Friday so tensions are pretty high - Sebastian isn’t sure why, he’s only met Thad’s girlfriend but she seems sweet enough. Nick assures him that Kayla’s an outlier and while they love the Crawford girls, they definitely don’t hold back in their criticisms.
Sebastian’s kind of excited to meet them.
But Friday comes and Sebastian stops by the cafe on his way to rehearsal, ordering his usual Americano.
“Actually,” he’s saying before he can stop himself. “Can I get a hot chocolate too?”
Fucking Blaine.
Nick looks like Christmas has come early when Sebastian places a hot chocolate in front of him and Jeff’s chatting away about how Sebastian’s one of us now! and Trent’s smiling at him for the first time since Tuesday, so it’s not all bad.
It’s all just to win their votes for when he becomes captain, he swears. Sebastian has this year on-lock, he knows that much- but who knows what next year will bring. He needs to make friends right now and he has Blaine on his side, who he’s pretty sure has an encyclopedia on ways to befriend every single Warbler.
He hasn’t actually mentioned their practice performance to Blaine, but he’s not surprised when he gets a text on the bus to Crawford.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
We both know you don’t need it, but good luck! Tell me how it goes tonight!
Remember to come see me before the show!
They lead with With a Little Help From My Friends and Sebastian pretends not to notice the lingering looks Jeff keeps throwing in his direction.
But if he looks back over at Jeff and Nick when Thad sings, “Do you need anybody? I need somebody...”, well. He’s just laying it on really thick.
-ss-
Jeff and Trent are upset that they weren’t invited backstage too, but Thad explains that Blaine probably wants to have calm energy around him before the first performance. Blaine all-but confirms it when he sends a selfie of him, Rachel and their Anita to Jeff and Trent specifically, captioned with cheer really loud so we can hear you! Santana thinks I made you guys up.
They see the unknown girl from the photo glancing out into the audience from the left of the stage, so Jeff naturally starts yelling and Anita- wait, Santana- notices him immediately, blowing a kiss before disappearing back behind the curtain.
Nick and Sebastian take their leave then, but they’re intercepted by a kid with a mohawk before they get too far. “You’re the dudes Blaine mentioned, right? Come on, I’ll take you backstage.”
Puck leads the two of them towards the makeup table, where Blaine and Rachel are doing touch-ups on each other. Innocent touches take on a whole new meaning when Sebastian thinks about what Blaine told him during Thursday’s lunch, but he figures teasing the two of them will get him kicked out very quickly.
Instead he lets Nick speak first, who says, “Guys, hey! Rachel, you look gorgeous.” Rachel flushes under the praise, standing up to kiss Nick on the cheek while Sebastian leans over towards Blaine who’s nervously fiddling with a makeup brush.
“You look great, B.”
Blaine smiles up at him, placing the make-up brush back in its holder. “Thank you, Sebastian. How’d you go today?”
“Those girls are kind of intense, huh?” Sebastian grins, reaching into his pocket and producing a few slips of paper, all filled with numbers of very attractive but very female girls.
Blaine laughs, reaching around his table for a trash can. “Here. And trust me, I know. They’re all sweethearts though! Did you meet David’s sister? She’s not part of the music society, but she usually comes to watch the performances.”
Sebastian disposes of the paper, leaning up against the next table. “Yeah, Lia seems nice. David said she’s into debate?”
Blaine’s face lights up but before he can say anything, Rachel abruptly shoves herself between Blaine and Sebastian. “You’re the new captain of the Warblers, aren’t you?” she asks, eyeing Sebastian suspiciously. Blaine looks helpless over her shoulder but Sebastian shrugs him off before looking back at Rachel.
“Yes.”
“Have you come to scope out your inevitable competition?” Rachel presses, leaning in even closer to Sebastian. Jesus, he thought the Crawford girls were intense.
“No.” Sebastian answers, brows furrowed. The actual answer is partly, naturally. There’s a reason he bet on New Directions in the Sectionals pool. Their talent is insane, even if currently lacking one of their biggest powerhouses and he knows Lopez is no slouch either. “We’re here to support Blaine, Berry. That okay?”
Rachel’s expression softens then, and she glances over her shoulder to smile at Blaine. “Yes, of course it is. It was nice to meet you, Sebastian.” she pats him on the shoulder before excusing herself to let the three of them talk.
Nick’s telling Blaine all about the medley when Sebastian tunes into their conversation, so he’s content just to listen. It’s the first time he’s really seen Blaine talk to another Warbler - when he showed up for Uptown Girl, all the guys were just talking at him. But with Nick, Sebastian sees how the tension leaks from Blaine’s frame.
Sebastian had almost thought that while every Warbler, past and present, was harboring a major boner for Blaine Anderson, Blaine didn’t return their intense fondness. He sees it now though, in how Blaine is listening with rapt attention and how he’s smiling up at Nick like he’s the whole world.
“Hi, Nick.” someone new interrupts and Sebastian glances up to see Kurt standing a little ways away, already in his costume. Sebastian almost wants to punch him for what happened on Wednesday night, but refrains. Artie Abrams mightn’t look particularly intimidating, but he’s heard enough stories about the director to be wary of what may happen if Sebastian gets blood on one of his costumes.
“Kurt, hello.” Nick greets, giving Kurt a small smile before returning to his conversation with Blaine, who’s reached out to hold Kurt’s hand. It all looks disgustingly sweet and Sebastian would believe the act if he wasn’t the one who drove a crying Blaine home just two days earlier.
Kurt then glances at Sebastian, jerking his head towards the costume rack in a silent invitation. Sebastian’s positive nothing good can come of this, but he’s curious, so he nods and then makes his way over.
“I... I just wanted to apologise.” Kurt says slowly. “You shouldn’t have had to drive Blaine home, not when he was like that.”
And okay, Sebastian wanted an apology, sure. But not this one. He agrees that he shouldn’t have had to drive Blaine home, but he would do it again a million times to make sure he got home safe.
(There’s a million things wrong with that, but Sebastian’s already given up trying to understand how he feels about Blaine Anderson.)
What he wants an apology for is how Kurt left. He does understand why Kurt is upset - what Blaine did is wrong, even Sebastian knows that. But it would’ve taken a second to grab Sebastian and ask him to go after Blaine. Hell, Kurt could’ve asked just about anyone in the club that night - they all loved Blaine, would want to look after him. Instead Blaine was left alone in a part of Lima he didn’t know and was too impaired to look after himself.
But it’s opening night and Sebastian might not be a theatre kid, but he knows how important this is. He doesn’t want to make a big scene and mess it up for Blaine. So instead he grins at Kurt and says, “No sweat, Lady Hummel. Break a leg tonight.”
He leaves Kurt stammering and can’t help the smirk that grows on his face.
-ss-
West Side Story is amazing.
Blaine and Rachel are gorgeous up on stage and if Trent’s endless squeaking is anything to go by, they’re a perfect Tony and Maria. It’s not a flawless rendition, but it’s as close as a school like McKinley will ever get.
The music is great, too - Blaine’s Something’s Coming is the highlight in Sebastian’s opinion, but the best performance of the whole play definitely belongs to A Boy Like That/I Have a Love. Rachel and Santana sound amazing together and Sebastian can’t help but be glad that they’re not in the same club anymore. He also sees why Blaine didn’t think he had a chance at playing Riff, because the guy they have (Mike?) absolutely slays Cool.
Hummel playing a universally-hated character doesn’t quite hurt, either.
After the curtain call, the Warblers all start to make their way out - most of them wanted to stay to congratulate Blaine, but he’d told Nick and Sebastian he probably wouldn’t be free of backstage for a few hours. New Directions are coming to watch the Warblers at Sectionals in two weeks, so he promised to come early and wish them luck then.
Before Sebastian even leaves his seat though, he gets a text.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
If you guys are still here, don’t go! Rachel demanded we get to come see our audience, so I’ll be right out. :)
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
we’ll be out in the foyer, b.
So the Warblers are milling around in the foyer as they wait for Blaine to break free of whatever Rachel is surely monopolizing his time with, but everyone’s talking about the show - Trent’s practically yelling about how much he loved it and even Beatbox admits the music was wonderful.
Sebastian’s distracted fucking around on his phone so he doesn’t pay too much attention to everyone’s conversations and then Blaine starts texting him updates on his trek through the auditorium to get to the foyer, so any attention he might’ve spared his fellow Warblers is absolutely gone.
He does notice when everyone gets quiet though.
Sebastian glances up from his phone, furrowing his brows when he realises practically everyone’s looking at him. “What?”
“You’re smiling!” Jeff observes, grinning over at him.
No, he is- oh.
“Uh.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Trent guesses, looking excited for potential gossip. Next to him, Nick looks awfully thoughtful. Sebastian’s more than a little paranoid about it.
“Please, Trent.” David scoffs, waving his hand. “Sebastian doesn’t date and we all know it.”
“He’s right.” Sebastian better come up with something fast- “I’m checking my snapchat. So many dick pics.”
Perfect.
Jeff, Thad and Trent all cringe, looking away and starting the previous conversation back up. David and Nick are both still looking at him and Sebastian wants to tell them both to fuck off but he thinks that’ll make them even more suspicious so instead he goes back to his phone, catching up on Blaine’s last few messages.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Mike and Puck are talking about having an arm wrestling tournament, I think I’ve found my out.
Santana’s offered to sneak me out if I’ll bet on her. I shouldn’t tell her I was planning to already, right?
I’ve been warned that if Puck loses, he’s blaming me for not betting on him. You guys will protect me, won’t you?
Freedom!!! I’ll be there in a minute. :)
He’s about to start texting back when a resounding cheer sounds from all the Warblers, no doubt signalling Blaine’s arrival.
When Sebastian looks up, David’s looked away to greet and congratulate Blaine but Nick’s still staring intently at him. It’s honestly getting a little creepy now so Sebastian feels more than vindicated in flashing him the rude finger before focusing his attention on Blaine.
Blaine is practically standing on the opposite side of the foyer, but even Sebastian can see that he is glowing . It’s obviously not a foreign concept, Sebastian knows all about the adrenaline high of performing but Blaine wears it so well. He’s beaming down at Beatbox who’s chatting animatedly to him, no doubt talking about how he could rearrange the West Side Story score into something fully acapella.
In this moment, Sebastian can see Blaine five years in the future, barely out of college and already with an impressive off-off Broadway resume - he sees Blaine at the stage door on opening night, meeting adoring fans. He’ll sign all their programs five times over and take hundreds of photos with each fan, because that’s who Blaine is.
Then he realises how fucking weird it is to fantasize about someone else’s future so he picks his phone back up and opens Tinder, looking to fully depress some desperate straight girls.
Until he gets a new text.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
How do I explain to Beat that the instrumentals in WSS are some of the best in Broadway history?
<<<TEXT SENT: Killer
You don’t. Just smile and nod.
>>>TEXT RECEIVED: Killer
Okay. I’ll be over soon. :)
If soon means in an hour, Blaine’s right on time.
Sebastian tells him as much and Blaine laughs at him, offering an apology but they both know he isn’t particularly sorry. Sebastian’s only properly known Blaine five days, but he knows just as well as anyone that Blaine thrives off of conversation with his friends.
“So,” Blaine says as he sits down next to Sebastian. “What’d you think of the show?”
“I’m not really a theatre guy, killer.” It feels safer to avoid the question, honestly. Sebastian’s only sincere answer would be it was fucking amazing and that feels like the least educated answer he could possibly give. Blaine just quirks an eyebrow in response, nudging his shoulder. “You know it was great, Blaine.”
Blaine smiles at the praise. And no, it certainly doesn’t escape Sebastian’s notice that Blaine is so much more willing to accept compliments so long as Hummel isn’t part of the conversation.
Interesting.
“Your Something’s Coming was amazing, I see why you auditioned with it.” Sebastian offers after a beat, remembering how just about the whole audience stopped breathing when the first notes of the song played. He’s never heard it before outside of the movie (his mother’s always been an avid fan of movie musicals), but Blaine certainly blew Jimmy Bryant out of the water.
“I’ve, uh- been playing with the idea of adding it to my audition portfolio.” Blaine admits. “I know it’s still pretty early to be thinking about auditioning for schools next year but I just want to be prepared.”
It’s not that early and they both know it, but Sebastian isn’t sure if McKinley knows it. The other New Directioners are probably poking fun at Blaine for already nominating audition songs, but Sebastian knows it’s the smartest move. If he were planning to pursue the performing arts, he’d have had a shortlist of audition songs picked out before his junior year even began.
Absently, he wonders how Blaine’s dealing with the fact that the New Directions probably don’t have a setlist picked out despite the fact their Sectionals are only three weeks away.
“It’d be a great addition, B.”
“You think?” Blaine asks, a little helplessly. “It’s just- I can’t do the vibrato, and I know that’s a huge issue.”
Trent had mentioned something about vibrato, but fuck if Sebastian can remember it now. “Trust me, nobody will be missing the vibrato. You sounded great, Blaine. It’d be great to audition with because the judges would be able to see how you work around challenges. Don’t write yourself off.”
Blaine lets out a long breath before smiling back up at Sebastian, even brighter than before. “Thanks, Bas.”
Bas. He’s not sure he’s ever had a nickname before, at least not outside of his mother’s lovely boy.
He doesn’t hate it.