Archive of Our Own ^beta

While Blaine adored the Warblers, having such little decision in the song choices was something that always bothered him. Of course, he was grateful that the whole group could vote from a list the Council made, but sometimes singing songs he had no connection to could be too much for him. Though, he supposed, the Warblers were fairer than other choirs such as the New Directions and many others, where they were just given music and expected to memorize and perform it.

But still, as he sat on the couch at the end of the meeting, he found himself tapping his foot, waiting for David to announce the end of the meeting. It hadn’t been a horrible day, and he loved practicing so he had no reason to want to be out of there, but at the same time, a nap sounded fantastic to him at that moment. Sure, he had a bit of homework to do, but he had a lot of time to get it done and it wouldn’t take him long. Besides, now that he thought of taking a nap, it made him tired and just made him want to curl up and take one.

Before he could weigh out the pros and cons in his head, (naps were good, but finishing homework and having a relaxing weekend was better. Plus, what if he needed help with his homework? He doubted any teacher would respond over the weekend when they had grading to do) a noise startled him back into reality. His head snapped upwards, and he watched as David raised his head a bit higher now that all the attention was on him, letting go of the gavel.

“This Warbler meeting is hereby adjourned,” he announced, nodding at the rest of the group. “You are dismissed.”

“Except for two of you,” Thad added, raising a finger before placing it back on the table, neatly folding his hands together. As always, reminding the rest of the Warblers of Dalton etiquette. Dalton boys do not point, as it is considered rude. “Warblers Blaine and Sebastian, may we have a word with the two of you?”

Blaine looked at the Council in confusion. Had he done something wrong? Or perhaps they were switching one of his solos with Sebastian, but then they would have mentioned a change during rehearsal today. Well, only one way to find out. The nap banished from his mind and the Council being top priority, he nodded back to the Council, forcing a smile. “Yes, of course.” 

Sebastian was a bit slower to respond, as if thinking something along the same lines as Blaine. He ended up nodding as well, crossing one leg over the other. “Not a problem, boys.” 

Chase laughed and flicked Sebastian’s shoulder, his hazel eyes shining bright and a wide smile on his face. He swung his bag over his own shoulder and smirked up at the junior. “Good luck! I’ll arrange both of your funerals. Sunflowers for the sunshine boy?” He turned his head and winked playfully at Blaine for the last sentence, causing him to roll his eyes playfully. “But seriously, you two are dead!” 

“Definitely,” Trent agreed, grabbing his own bag and tugging on Chase’s sleeve. “And I don’t want to be around to witness it and become their next victim. Let’s go.”

“Good luck!” Nick called as he left, hand-in-hand with Jeff, waving. “Love you, B!”

Blaine looked up slowly, waving back. “Love you.” Any other time, he would’ve been more energetic. But now he was busy thinking of reasons that the Council would want him to stay? He knew none of them were angry, or at least figured that they wouldn’t be. As far as he knew, they had no reason to be. Of course, even if they were angry, no Warbler, past or present, could or would ever be as scary as last year’s Head of Council. Wes Montgomery when angry was the most terrifying being in the universe, and that was a fact. 

Once everyone had left, David gestured for Blaine and Sebastian to come over. Obediently, the boys stood and walked over. The Warbler Council looked at them, and John smiled warmly in greeting as though the two had just entered for the first time.

“David, Thad, and I were wondering what you two would think of performing a duet together at Regionals?” John asked, leaning forward slightly so he could keep eye contact. “You’re our strongest voices, after all.”

Blaine hummed in confusion, tilting his head. “A duet? I thought Sebastian was given the lead in both songs, and neither of them are duets.” He gestured to Sebastian. “Unless I get one and he gets another, but that’s not a duet.”

Sebastian simply smirked, winking at Blaine and taking a side-step closer. “Well, I’m all for adding a third, killer. Especially if it’s a love duet so I could hold you close.”

Blaine’s nose crinkled and he shook his head. “Not happening, Sebastian. Not only is it completely unprofessional and probably get us disqualified and get us last for being gay, but, even more important than a ranking, I’m perfectly happy with Kurt.”

He heard a very quiet mumble of what sounded like ‘For some reason’ come from one of the Council members (Thad, it sounded like) but he must’ve been imagining things because the Warblers loved Kurt. 

“Oh come on, Blaine, I was kidding,” Sebastian said, though he sent a look the Council’s way that made Blaine doubt him. The taller junior grinned at him and waved a hand in a ‘don’t worry about it’ manner. “But, singing with you would be fantastic. Though, as would seeing you dance in front or beside me. Seeing you move your ass-”

“Right,” Blaine interrupted, trying to ignore him. He turned back to the Council, fighting the urge to cross his arms across his chest. “The plan?”

“If you two, plus the rest of the Warblers, agree,” David started, a bit awkwardly. Though, considering the conversation he witnessed, was understandable. “Then a third song will be added to our setlist for Regionals. At first, Thad mentioned it might make the judges suspicious of us, but John pointed out that most groups do three songs. The New Directions do, and let’s face it, we have as much vocal capacity as them. And God knows we won’t be low on energy for dancing with some of the boys in the group like Nick and Chase." 

From beside him, John shook his head fondly, his lips twitching upwards. Blaine could only imagine what memories the Warbler was thinking of, considering the group was full of energetic boys with memories that could only be described as chaotic. John wasn't in thought for long, the smile lasting for hardly a second before he looked up at the two in front of him. "He's right. Plus, the New Directions and even some other groups dance more than we do with longer songs, even some songs that shouldn't be sung in public, or sing more than us. So, if we have the vocal capacity and energy, we think we'll be alright."

“Oh please,” Sebastian scoffed. “Even the least talented Warbler has more talent in their pinky finger than all of the New Directions combined.”

Before Blaine could leap to Kurt’s defense, Thad shook his head and spoke up. “You are a Warbler, Sebastian, and more importantly, you are a student at Dalton Academy. Do not trash talk the competition, even if they are not around to witness it. Even if the New Directions are assholes, which they are, we cannot be bad sports.”

John nodded his agreement. “The New Directions are talented, despite their personalities. We must be respectful of that no matter our opinions on them. Both of you are relying on your feelings. Blaine, quit being bias because of Kurt. Sebastian, quit trying to get in Blaine’s pants.”

Sebastian rose an eyebrow. “I’m no child for you to be scolding me like that.”

John stared at him, narrowing his eyes. “Then act like the adult you say you are. Keep in mind we can easily give the solos to the next person we see fit. Austin was our second pick for one song and Logan for another. This duet will either cease to exist or be given to Blaine and someone else. I've been waiting for an opportunity to hear how well he and Everett sound together, and this would be a perfect opportunity, don't you agree?"

Blaine bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. Of course, everyone in the room knew it was a bluff. Sebastian was an incredibly strong singer, and they wanted to beat the New Directions. Having him as their lead soloist wasn’t just for trying to win, but also to show Rachel Berry that she had good competition. No matter how much Blaine loved Kurt, he still wanted to see Rachel put in her place. She needed to realize she wasn’t the sole reason her group won in the past and that she was a part of a group that she depended on to make her sound good as much as they depended on her. The New Directions had strong singers too if Mr. Schuester would be brave enough to try.

Sebastian, despite knowing the bluff, backed off. He wasn’t stupid enough to challenge the Council. No Warbler was. A hint of embarrassment was seen on his face, and he nodded exactly once, standing up straighter. “My apologies, Warbler John.” While his words weren't sarcastic, his eyes betrayed the fact that he didn't mean it.

David glared at John momentarily before returning his gaze to the boys in front of him. “Are we done? Can we move back to the reason on why I called you here?” Once Sebastian and Blaine nodded (Sebastian rolling his eyes, Blaine and the Council pretending not to notice) and returned their focus to him, he nodded back and turned to Thad. 

“You two are perhaps the strongest voices we have. Of course, everyone’s important, but we think having you two sing a duet may increase our chances of winning,” Thad explained. “Winning isn’t everything, but it’s always preferable, of course. And, I don’t mean this in a romantic way, but you two have amazing chemistry, both musically and as partners, which would make the duet sound better than if we just stuck Evan and Parker out there and made them perform."

At the word ‘chemistry,’ Blaine flinched. “What will Kurt think? He’ll be pissed at me. It's not exactly a secret that he can't stand and can't trust Sebastian.”

“Oh, come on Blaine. Who cares what he thinks?” Thad answered, frowning. “He is your boyfriend, he is not your owner and you are not his little pet he shows off at shows to do tricks and walk on a leash to win a ribbon. You are your own person. If he doesn’t trust you to sing with a boy on a stage when he’s sung duets with the boys in his class, then maybe he’s more of a problem than I thought. He does not command you, and you need to learn to make decisions for yourself. I get him not trusting Sebastian, but he knows the Council makes the decisions, unless he just stopped caring and will find an excuse to manipulate you to transfer to McKinley."

“Thad,” David warned, resting a hand on Thad’s shoulder to stop him as it looked like the Warbler had more to say. Blaine was in shocked silence and just watched as the Head of Council turned back to him, his mind somewhere between blank and racing with thoughts about how he thought his friends adored his boyfriend. “Blaine, if you don’t feel like singing, that’s perfectly fine as well. We can just keep Glad You Came and Stand, and if anything, we’ll toss in another group song."

“No one is going to force you to duet with Sebastian, right Seb?” John continued, looking in Sebastian’s direction with narrowed eyes, as if daring him to object.

“Of course not,” Sebastian agreed instantly, his eyes not even on John and oblivious to his glare. “I’m not that much of an asshole to make you uncomfortable on a stage, killer. We would sound amazing, but it's your call in the end. Though, Thad makes a point about Kurt.”

Blaine could hardly hear what was going on around him, lost in thought. Kurt would be pissed. He might want to break up. Blaine’s heart began to race at the thought. No. No, no, no. He needed Kurt. He loved him. He wasn’t so much of a fuck-up that he wouldn’t be able to keep the best thing to ever happen to him, right? But at the same time, it was just a duet. So long as it wasn’t a romantic one, it would be okay, right? Kurt’s sung duets before. Surely he’s sung duets with other guys? Besides, Blaine didn’t have any romantic feelings for Sebastian. It was just for fun, just to take the win. Singing on a stage meant nothing. The Council assigned it, and it wasn’t a bad thing. He didn’t want to let the Warblers down, but he also didn’t want to let the most important person in his life down. Besides, while he couldn't tell Kurt who the duet was with or what it was, he could tell him he had a duet, right? Right. Okay. This was fine. Everything would be fine. It's just a song that was going to be sung. It wasn't going to be Sebastian declaring his undying love for Blaine and then them making out on stage. No, it was just going to be a simple upbeat duet sung by two friends. Kurt can't get mad at that, can he?

But it was just one song. Just one. Surely Kurt wouldn't get mad at a mere few minutes when nothing romantic was happening? Oh god, what if it was romantic? What if the Council chose a love song? No. They wouldn't. Doing a romantic one may cause them to lose. Maybe the judges would be homophobic, just like last year with Candles. Besides, it doesn’t go with Sebastian’s personality to sing a love song. A simple duet, maybe. Yeah, that was fine. Just fine.

He took a deep breath, trying to slow his heart down and ignore the room spinning. He nodded slowly, looking up and ignoring the four pairs of concerned eyes that were on him. "Okay. I'll sing the duet," he agreed, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. He wasn't feeling okay, but it was one song. What was the worst that could happen? If he changed his mind later, the Council could easily send up a couple if they wanted chemistry. Austin and Mason, for one, or Nick and Jeff. Easy. Okay, he could do this. He nodded again when David still looked unsure, then saw Thad slowly pick up his pencil to write it down. 

John held his hand out in front of the paper, making Thad look up again. “Are you sure?” John, while not exactly known for being the most fatherly and sympathetic Warbler, was very caring, especially towards the younger kids (though Blaine is just a year younger) so to hear his voice take on a more gentle and comforting tone wasn't unexpected, but Blaine nodded a third time, trying to ignore it.

“Positive,” Blaine said, biting his lip and hoping he didn’t look as anxious as he felt. This was a bad idea, him and Sebastian singing a duet, but that was okay. He hoped. He was just being dramatic, it's a song. Right? Right.

“Attaboy!” Sebastian beamed, patting him on the back, lowering his hand to his ass before pausing for a second and moving it back up, as if finally realizing his advances were making Blaine uncomfortable. Blaine's shoulders sagged in relief and he bumped Sebastian's hand when it landed on his shoulder. 

“We’re glad you agreed, Blaine,” David said with a genuine smile while Thad wrote it down beside him. “Thank you.”

Forcing himself to smile, Blaine shrugged and waved him off. Thinking of something Kurt would say, he forced himself to stand up straighter. “Please, it’s only to show off. Plus, then I can outshine the meerkat.”

Sebastian removed his hand from Blaine's shoulder, a shocked laugh that sounded like a scoff coming from him. “You sound like your boyfriend.” There's no bitterness or anger in his tone, and he doesn't sound as though he's going to make a comment on it, shockingly enough.

Blaine turned his head, feeling himself relax slightly, his shoulders less tense as he laughed along. Blaine shoved him lightly, laughing at nothing. Nothing they said was even funny, but there he was. Laughing as though someone had made a joke. Okay, maybe he should take a nap. Maybe he was overtired and that's why he was anxious one second and happy the next. Or maybe it was because he was anxious that he was laughing. It was different from laughing with Kurt. He didn’t know how to explain it, it just was. It was different than laughing with Nick and Jeff as well. It felt more like he was with Chase or Trent or the Council or any one of the Warblers. He had never really considered Sebastian a friend because of Kurt, but he supposed they'd have to learn to be. He wasn't as bad as Kurt said he was, not really. 

The thing was, he loved Sebastian. He did, he knew he did. Not romantically like the other boy would’ve hoped, but he did love him dearly. They teased each other and Sebastian flirted, but they had fun. Blaine never let Sebastian take the flirting too far (in fact, he never let Sebastian flirt. He always shut it down. He was taken and Sebastian needed to understand and respect that) but didn’t mind the teasing at all. Surely Kurt wouldn’t care about a duet so long as it wasn’t romantic and neither boy had feelings for the other? Songs didn’t equal romance. If that were the case, Kurt and Blaine would’ve been dating ages ago, and each and every single Warbler would be either gay, bi, or pan and would all be dating one another. 

He was so deep in his thoughts that he hardly heard David speak. “...sing. I know it’s typically the Council’s job, but just give us a top three and we’ll choose from them. If the Warblers agree with the duet, that is, but they’ll vote after you tell us. That way, if they say yes, they can instantly vote for the song they wish for you to sing. Sound like a plan?"

“Yeah, yeah,” Sebastian agreed. Though he sounded annoyed, he still had a slight smile on his face. And not his cat-that-ate-the-canary grin either, just a normal, happy grin. 

“Fine with me,” Blaine added, despite not hearing all of the directions. He wasn’t sure how long he zoned out for, but the fact that he felt much calmer now, to the point where he could breathe properly and not feel his heart race, told him it was long enough.

“Great.” Thad stood up, grabbing his bag. “Good talk boys. See ya.”

“The proper term is ‘dismissed,’” John reminded teasingly, grabbing his own bag and handing David his.

“Yeah, no, fuck that. No teachers around,” Thad snorted, walking forward. “Bye guys! Good luck with the songs! You have until Thursday!” With that, he walked out of the room. David followed with a wave, and John shouted a goodbye as he left.

Blaine smiled politely at Sebastian and turned to grab his own stuff. As much as he liked Sebastian, he didn’t really want to spend time alone with him. With all the flirting and innuendos, who knew what he might try? He already flirted constantly, what was there to stop him from making a move?

But Sebastian wasn’t like that. At least Blaine didn’t think so. Kurt did, sure, but Kurt didn't go to school with him. From the way Sebastian backed down earlier when Blaine was clearly uncomfortable, he didn’t think Sebastian would try anything sexual. Especially when he knew full well how easily panicked Blaine got over being that intimate with another person. He'd joke about it, but Blaine honestly doubted Sebastian would pressure him that much. Maybe it was because he saw too much good in people like Nick said? Maybe, but he trusted Sebastian.

“Killer?” Sebastian asked. Blaine answered with a hum, looking up as he picked up his bag from the floor. Sebastian took a step closer, but still leaving distance between them. “Want to get started now?”

“What? You want to look for a song now?” Blaine questioned, surprised. “Why so quick?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sebastian began. Blaine must've made a face at those words, because Sebastian shook his head with a slight laugh. “No, no, nothing sexual or flirtatious, don’t worry, though alone time with you in my dorm sounds fantastic. I’m just saying the sooner we choose a song and deliver it to the Council, the sooner we can start practicing it."

Shrugging his shoulders so that his bag bounced for Sebastian to look at it, Blaine frowned and his eyes darted to it before returning to Sebastian. “I have homework.” 

“What, and I don’t?” Sebastian countered. He walked forward, getting to Blaine in a few quick strides with his long legs. He picked his own bag up from the floor before grabbing Blaine’s as well, swinging it over the same shoulder and ignoring Blaine’s yelp of surprise. He strode towards the door as well, then turned to Blaine and gestured to the hall with his head. “Coming, little mouse?”

“Little mouse!” Blaine echoed in surprise, then scoffed, rolling his eyes in mock anger. He crossed his arms across his chest and marched over to Sebastian, uncrossing his arms to point at him. “I am not that small and you know it!”

“Oh please,” Sebastian scoffed, shaking his head and gesturing to the height difference between them. “You are.”

“You’re just a giant,” Blaine argued.

“Am I?” Sebastian asked, smirking. “Or are you just sensitive about being short? Nothing wrong with being tiny, mousie. It just adds to the whole bashful schoolboy thing you got going.”

“Again with that?” Blaine asked, trying not to grin. “Hasn’t anyone told you I’m part of the Fight Club here? Can't exactly be bashful if I can punch.” 

“You? Fighting? Please!” Sebastian laughed, shocked. “I can’t even picture it. I’ll have to visit you to see it for myself and make sure you're telling the truth. You should visit me during lacrosse practice. You may even be our good luck charm to winning games, not that I need one.”

“You're gonna be the lucky one if I decide to show up,” Blaine joked as they began to walk down the hall.

“I will be. Just use cheese as a lure.” Sebastian teased, knowing he was annoying Blaine. He caught up to him easily, as though the bags weren't weighing him down, though he had shifted their positions on his arm.

Blaine glared up at him, raising an eyebrow. “You know nothing about mice if you think they prefer cheese to fruits or seeds.”

“You’re not helping your 'I'm not a mouse' case here,” Sebastian joked, leading the way. Blaine didn’t even realize he was following and didn’t think twice about where they were going. “What fruits and seeds do mice enjoy then? Just so I can prepare snacks while we work. I know you like sunflower seeds.”

“I am not a mouse, Sebastian! I just know what they like because Nick has one!” Blaine huffed, rolling his eyes playfully. He paused for a second, then cleared his throat. “But I do like sunflower seeds,” he added shyly, hoping Sebastian wouldn't hear.

Sebastian grabbed Blaine’s wrist, turning a corner. “Yeah, you’re not a killer either. Other than of hearts, of course, but that's why you got that nickname. It’s just a cute nickname."

Blaine turned with ease, as if he was expecting it. Of course, he wasn’t, but it was almost as if his body was leading him. “As if I don’t have enough of those from you.”

“If you ask me, ‘mouse’ trumps ‘killer’ or 'hummingbird.' It’s a lot cuter. Suits you more. Y'know, with your height and your love of sunflower seeds. Plus, I've seen you steal some pumpkin seeds from Nick and blueberries from Jeff.” Sebastian shrugged. Blaine laughed lightly, bumping Sebastian's shoulder with his own, but didn't respond verbally. Sebastian didn’t speak up either, so a comfortable silence fell amongst the two boys. Both of them just walked through Dalton halls together, quiet. Despite leading, Sebastian kept turning his head back to catch glimpses of his duet partner, and it was even better when he was able to catch a glimpse of his ass or his lips. 

Blaine was oblivious. His wrist wasn’t being held to guide him anymore, so he would occasionally walk in front of Sebastian, knowing the Dalton walls like the back of his hand. Being there for three years allowed that. He knew the dorms of most of his friends, but where Sebastian’s was a mystery as he had never been before, so once they got near the dorms, Blaine took a few steps back again so Sebastian could lead. 

As they walked, Blaine couldn’t help but wonder what the dorm would look like. Since Sebastian was so rich, he expected to see a big single dorm, neat and tidy to Sebastian’s liking. However, as Sebastian opened the door, he let out a slight noise of shock, his eyes wide.

“There is no way you live here,” He said before he could talk himself out of it. He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, I just-”

He was surprised, to say the least. The room wasn’t messy to the point of being disgusting, but it was a disorganized and definitely not a room for a single person, seeing as there was another boy on the bed closest to them. Blaine didn’t recognize him, but he was clearly Sebastian’s roommate. The room was nearly as un-Sebastian as Sebastian could be. 

The redheaded boy looked up, unplugging his headphones. He smiled and waved politely, a stick of a lollipop sticking out of the side of his mouth. He was on his laptop, probably doing some homework, but didn’t have a problem closing it to greet the two and setting it on the bed.

“Welcome to my hell,” Sebastian told Blaine, gesturing to the room as they walked inside it. He turned to his roommate, looking at the floor beneath them. “Jasper, how is it that your side is messier than it was this morning?” 

The boy, Jasper as Blaine just found out, simply shrugged and stood up. “Fuck off, Sebastian. I’m a disaster, you know that.” There wasn't even a hint of bitterness in his tone, as if it were a normal thing to say to his roommate. In all fairness, if Blaine had a dollar for the amount of times he’s heard the phrase ‘Fuck off, Sebastian’ in the past few months, then he’d probably be able to bribe the judges for Regionals to let the Warblers win. Scratch that, he would have enough to bribe the judges and buy the tickets to Nationals and probably have some left over. Kurt said the phrase a lot, even if the Warbler wasn't around. “Clean-up day’s tomorrow, though. Blaine’s welcome to help if he so wishes, but you look like you’re here on Warbler business or to fuck. Either way, I’m out.” 

“Warbler business!” Blaine exclaimed instantly, shaking his head rapidly and reaching into his pocket for his phone. “Just Warbler business. I have a boyfriend. See?" He held out his phone to show Jasper the picture of Kurt when he was in New York for Nationals last year. 

Jasper looked at the picture for a few moments before he shrugged again, setting his laptop on his nightstand then slipping his shoes on. “It was nice to properly meet you, Blaine. It’s weird not just hearing about you, but actually meeting you. Hopefully I see more of you.” 

“It was nice to meet you, too,” Blaine said, slipping his phone back in his pocket and holding out his hand, and Jasper shook it quickly before patting Sebastian’s shoulder and walking out and closing the door. As soon as his footsteps were out of earshot, Blaine turned to meet Sebastian’s gaze. “Since when do you have a roommate?”

“Since I came here,” Sebastian supplied, walking over to the desk he had near his bed. He set both bags on the floor near it. “There’s nothing wrong with roommates. I roomed with my sister until she turned thirteen and demanded she needed privacy so I had to be shoved in with my brother."

“Well, obviously. I know that there's nothing wrong with roommates. It’s just… Shocking that you have one. I expected you to have bought the best room money can buy,” Blaine admitted, still standing awkwardly by the door. He didn’t know if he should walk to the desk as well or sit on Sebastian’s bed or even Jasper's. 

Sebastian turned his head, winking. “Well, if that were the case, mouse, I’d be roommates with you in the biggest room I could find where we'd be isolated.” 

Oh yeah, Sebastian was back. Blaine stared at him, crossing his arms. “Sebastian-”

“I won’t try anything, you know that,” Sebastian replied, but gestured to the bed as he sat down at the desk. “Now, do you want to start with homework or songs? Since it’s Friday, we can do either/or. Pick your poison, mousie."

Blaine hesitated, walking over to the bed. He fiddled with the sheets as he carefully sat down, slipping his shoes off. Songs first might mean more flirting, and doing homework first would keep both of them preoccupied, though it would be boring. “Well… I guess homework. That way we can have something fun to look forward too. Leave the fun stuff for last, y’know?”

Sebastian hummed in acknowledgement, then stood up to grab the chair from Jasper’s desk. Picking it up, he crossed the room with ease and set it down at the side of the desk, then moved his own chair. “There. Should be easier than working on fabric or on a flimsy folder. It's a big desk, so we should both have room.”

“I could’ve sat at his desk,” Blaine reminded, but groaned as he stood up to sit in the chair anyway. “It wouldn’t have been a problem.”

“Ah, but where’s the fun in that?” Sebastian teased, then nudged Blaine’s bag towards him. Blaine huffed and grabbed it. “The closer you are, the more we can joke and get to know each other. Not sexually, though. No matter how much I want to.”

“Sebastian,” Blaine warned again, but there was no real warning in his voice, just like how there was no trace of the tone Sebastian typically used to flirt. 

Sebastian chuckled a bit, then took out his phone and fiddled with it while Blaine ran through what homework he should prioritize. Music began to play, starling him out of his thoughts. It was loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to get distracted by so long as they focused. Both of them took out homework and got to work, helping each other when needed. In between questions, they found themselves talking and joking, teasing each other and sharing stories. Sure, they got sidetracked more than a few times, setting their pencils down so they could talk and not picking them up again until a bit later, no matter how many times Blaine said "Sebastian! No distractions! We need to finish this." They had fun, at least, more fun than either of them expected. Sebastian ‘tough-guy’ exterior began to crack, but Blaine wasn’t sure if even Jasper had seen this side of his roommate. Perhaps Sebastian's siblings had though, but either way, Blaine found himself happy to be on that short list of people who were able to see Sebastian laugh so hard he got lightheaded.

Eventually, a longer time than either would like to admit, they finished their homework and were able to move onto the songs. Blaine sat on Sebastian’s bed, texting back and forth with Kurt as Sebastian grabbed his laptop and charger for them to use. He told Kurt he was working on a song with Sebastian for the Warblers, because it was the truth, but assured his boyfriend nothing was going on and that Sebastian was trustworthy and wasn’t flirting with him as much as either of them thought he would. That didn’t mean Kurt was happy about it, however. His phone buzzed with rapid texts of anger and distrust and how Sebastian was the devil as opposed to Santana. Blaine shot them down and said nothing had happened, and even described some of his homework problems that Sebastian helped him with and quoted Sebastian not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

Blaine texted him a few more reassurances, even sending a sneaky selfie he took of him smiling brightly at the camera with Sebastian in the background, who was plugging in his laptop charger. He sent it with a reminder that both of them were fully clothed and Blaine would never cheat since loyalty was so important to him. Kurt still wasn’t pleased, but said he trusted Blaine, just not Sebastian because he was, well, Sebastian. Blaine understood, really, he did, but Kurt needed to realize Sebastian wasn't as bad of a person as he thought.

Once Sebastian got himself comfortable on the bed, Blaine sent Kurt an ‘I love you’ text, not getting a quick response like he had been for the rest of the texts, but assumed Kurt got busy as well. He tossed his phone lightly next to him and slid back so he could sit next to Sebastian, both of them looking at his computer screen.

“What about that song Jeff and his sisters wrote?” Sebastian suggested. “ Not a Love Song or something like that? Original songs always make the judges more interested, and the New Directions won with them last year, didn't they? You mentioned a song about them being losers.”

“Loser Like Me, which was amazing, yes. And you're right about the judge thing, but I don’t think it fits the songs we have already. Plus, it’s a solo, not a duet. Though, I think it would suit your voice, ” Blaine pointed out, shaking his head. “We could do original songs, but I don’t know how the Council will feel. Maybe if we win this and go to Nationals we can. A nice Warblers Original.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind dropping my part of the duet just to hear you sing Not Alone , since we’re talking about Warbler Originals,” Sebastian piped in. "I'm sure the Council wouldn't mind either."

“Not Alone can be a solo, duet, or a group number, Seb,” Blaine reminded, poking Sebastian’s cheek lightly. “But I don’t think it fits in well with Glad You Came and Stand, so I don’t really want to sing it.”

“Fair enough.” Sebastian shrugged, going into his bookmarks and looking through the list of songs he had. “Can you think of any?”

“ Nothing Even Matters ?” Blaine suggested.

Sebastian turned his head, glaring at his partner. “You'll find me dating a woman before you find me singing a fucking Big Time Rush song at Regionals, Blaine Devon."

Blaine laughed, turning to meet his eyes. “No, you’re right. Big Time Rush covers are for Warblers ears only. The world isn’t ready for that. They may never be.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and held back a laugh. “On the topic of terrible songs-”

“How dare you?!” Blaine yelped, jokingly shooting up so fast that the world spun for a few seconds. “Big Time Rush is incapable of making a terrible song!” 

Sebastian ignored him. “Maybe we should do We’re All In This Together . You can’t go wrong with a little High School Musical.”

Blaine laughed, tossing his head back then shaking his head fondly once he calmed down a bit. Sebastian looked at him and couldn’t fight the smile that snuck onto his face. As soon as he realized, he forced himself to drop it, but continued watching Blaine, even chuckling slightly.

“That is not a terrible song,” Blaine argued, but was still laughing.

“You’re telling me if a bunch of high school boys just started singing We’re All In This Together while everyone else sang good songs, you’d give them the win?” Sebastian challenged.

“Sebastian, that’s exactly why I’d give them the win,” Blaine said, then rested his head on Sebastian’s shoulder, humming in thought. “ Be Our Guest maybe? Or should we just get up there and sing the Suite Life Of Zack and Cody theme song."

“We’d blow them away,” Sebastian joked, rolling his eyes fondly as he rested his head on top of Blaine’s. “The New Directions would cry themselves to sleep.”

“New idea,” Blaine announced, moving away. He didn’t think much of what he had just done, not even realizing he did it since he did it to all the Warblers and their families if he was close to them. It wasn’t his fault he was touch-starved and desperately craved cuddles and the attention of others. “Forget about the songs we learned. Our new setlist is going to be Big Time Rush , We’re All In This Together, and Leave It All To Me , which is otherwise known as the iCarly theme song.”

Sebastian laughed before he could even think about holding it back. “Seems like a perfect idea to me, but the Council is going to kill us if we even think about seriously suggesting those to them.” He paused, then looked at Blaine. “Don’t you dare tell anyone that I’m capable of joking around, okay? Or I’ll kill you before the Council can.”

Blaine didn’t look bothered. Instead he grinned, pouting and doing his puppy eyes. Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat. “Aww, does the big, bad Sebastian Smythe not want people to know he’s actually a softie? Don’t worry a hair on your head then, teddy bear, your secret is safe with me.” 

“Well, it could ruin my reputation,” Sebastian said.

Blaine smiled even wider, and Sebastian’s heart soared, not that he would ever admit it. “Ah. We wouldn’t want that.” 

Sebastian shook his head in agreement. “Well, a reputation is all a man has. I don't want it ruined, so that’s why you can’t call me teddy bear. It’s also not even a cute nickname.”

Blaine scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “I can go all day, mister. How does honey bear sound? Honeybun? Cupcake? Sweetheart? Teddy? Honey bunny? Biscuit? Ooh! Biscuit! That’s cute, come on!”

“Absolutely not,” Sebastian disagreed. "Not happening."

“Fine. We'll stick to this whole animal theme then. Lion? Bear? Snake? Koala?” Blaine rambled, saying random names he had heard in movies or shows.

Sebastian made a face. “If either of us are a koala, I think we both know it’s you. From the way you cling to the Warblers and Hummel, it’s obvious. Otter’s a safe bet, too. I wouldn’t doubt it if you had to have physical contact in your sleep.” 

“Otters are cute like that,” Blaine hummed, nodding. “And I’ll find you a nickname if it’s the last thing I do. No biscuit, then? How about spice? That’s cute.”

“Sugar, spice, and everything nice? I’m not a Powerpuff Girl, Blaine.” Sebastian shook his head.

“Hmm… Well, you’re pretty speedy,” Blaine began. Sebastian looked confused, turning to him. Blaine hummed in thought. “Flash?” He suggested before Sebastian could speak.

“Flash?” Sebastian echoed.

“Flash,” Blaine repeated. “Ya know, like Barry Allen? Please tell me you aren't a disgrace and you know who Barry Allen is!”

“Of course I know who he is! Why am I suddenly the Flash?” Sebastian asked.

“You just are.” Blaine poked Sebastian’s cheek again. "I like it!"

“Fine,” Sebastian agreed, sighing. “But if anyone ever, and I mean ever , hears you call me that, you’re dead.”

Blaine rose an eyebrow. “You can’t kill me. You find me too charming.”

Sebastian made a noise of laughter. “Ha! Cute? Yes, absolutely. Charming? In your dreams.”

Blaine frowned, his bottom lip sticking out slightly as he pouted. The puppy eyes returned, and Sebastian could feel his argument crumble. Blaine was adorable and somehow hot at the same time, sure, and Sebastian would kill if it meant taking him to bed for even just one night, but he had to keep this argument up. He refused to fall victim to those dumb hurt puppy look.

“I thought I was sex on a stick?” Blaine tilted his head slightly, like a dog, just to strengthen the 'puppy' look, and Sebastian’s gaze flickered elsewhere. Those damn doe-puppy eyes would be the end of him even if he didn't want to admit it.

“You are. In terms of looks, anyway. You’re too shy, too innocent.” He moved, grabbing his laptop and placing it on the nightstand. Turning back to his pouting partner, he let his usual smirk appear his face. “That’s what makes you so attractive, mouse.”

Blaine had stopped pouting, and he refused to meet Sebastian’s eyes, clearly embarrassed. However, he scooped up his phone and his eyes flickered up to Sebastian before back down. “Boyfriend, Smythe. Taken.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate you.”

Blaine looked back up. “Give me funny Sebastian back.”

“If you’re lucky,” Sebastian commented, but sighed. Okay, maybe he should stop flirting. Sure, he was an ass, but never to Blaine. Okay, never purposely . The Micheal thing was an accident. Blaine knew that and had forgiven him for it. No matter how much he wanted Blaine, both sexually and romantically, Blaine needed to be comfortable. If he became uncomfortable, he might lose him as a friend, and now that he learned what having the Warbler Sunshine as a friend was like, he had become addicted. He wanted, needed , more. He couldn’t lose him. He was better for him than Kurt, but Blaine’s happiness was priority. “We need to focus on Regionals. Text Gayface while I keep looking through my songs for us or help us narrow down the list.”

Blaine frowned again. “His name’s Kurt."

“And he treats you like shit. Are we done stating obvious facts?” He winced as soon as he said it, suddenly grateful his back was turned so Blaine didn’t see. He hadn’t meant to say that. Keep Blaine happy, remember? “Sorry, let me rephrase that. Text Hummel and I’ll look for a song for us or help us narrow down the list.”

Blaine was quiet, maybe too quiet, and Sebastian turned his head to make sure he was okay. Blaine’s eyes were downcast, and he was chewing on his bottom lip. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and his shoulders were hunched. He looked as if he was trying to figure something out. With Sebastian’s sudden mood change, he supposed that was reasonable. 

Clearing his throat, he nudged his fellow Warbler. “Alright, mouse, I think I figured out what we can do.” 

Blaine looked up, his honey eyes swarming with so many emotions that Sebastian found it impossible to even attempt to decipher them. “Mouse is back?”

“I’ll stop flirting for the time being. Just for the rest of tonight, but that nickname is staying.” He noticed a small smile caused Blaine’s lips to twitch upwards. “So long as no one knows what happened tonight. Like we said, I have a reputation to keep.”

Blaine’s smile grew. “Something happened tonight? All I remember is doing homework and choosing a song.”

“Exactly,” Sebastian said, nodding. “Because that's all we did. And that song we ended up choosing was The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman.”

Blaine tilted his head. He was so puppy-like it was adorable. It was a bad idea to agree to be duet partners. Now Sebastian would have to deal with Blaine’s adorableness even more now, and he wasn’t able to do anything about it. He wasn’t able to shove Blaine into a wall and rip off that dumb blazer because Blaine was just too hot and it drove Sebastian crazy. 

“Flash?” Blaine asked, and Sebastian gaze snapped to his face, meeting his eyes again. “Did you hear what I said?”

“Can’t say I did,” he answered, honestly. “What? Say anything important, killer?”

Blaine rolled his eyes fondly, lightly hitting Sebastian’s shoulder. “I asked how singing that was going to work? It’s not exactly a duet.”

“We can sing the part near the end. Phillip and Anne’s part, I mean, while the rest of the group sings Barnum’s parts. It’s just how you like it, everyone gets the spotlight, but we still followed the Council’s wish by having a duet,” Sebastian explained.

Blaine nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine with that.” 

“Great,” Sebastian replied. “We’ll tell David, Thad, and John tomorrow.”

The next day, the Warbler Council was informed of the song. They were surprised, but agreed, and then asked the rest of the Warblers. All of them, excited to be able to be in the spotlight as well, instantly agreed and cheered. It was a unanimous vote, and Blaine couldn’t stop smiling. That night, when he knocked on Sebastian’s door, he was still grinning wide. The nickname Warbler Sunshine really did suit him. God, the light he radiated was practically blinding.

“Flash!” He greeted as the door opened, but only after he scanned the room to make sure Jasper wasn’t in it. “Can I come in?”

“Talk about unexpected surprises,” Sebastian muttered to himself, but stepped to the side to allow him to enter. “Come on in, mouse. What are you doing here?”

“We need to practice!” Blaine chirped, as if it was obvious. “I mean, we won’t have the rest of the Warblers behind us, but practice makes perfect.”

Sebastian closed the door, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t know ‘practice’ was keyword for ‘I want to hang out again.’”

Blaine rolled his eyes playfully. “Bup bup, practice first.” 

“Not even denying it, huh? Dumb excuse, though. Tell me, what do we have to practice? The literal three lines we have?” Sebastian teased, sitting next to him. As much as he wanted to sit closer and pull Blaine into his lap, he knew he couldn’t. 

“Six, actually, thank you,” Blaine corrected as he flopped down and sent a quick text to Kurt. He sat back up a few seconds later. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Sebastian responded. 

The two sang their lines over and over and over until Blaine was laughing so hard (over nothing, really, Sebastian had just messed up a word and so he cursed the rest of his line to the tune of the song) that he couldn’t produce a song or even a wheeze anymore, leading Sebastian to make fun of him. In retaliation, Blaine made fun of him, which caused Sebastian to stare him down.

“What?” Blaine asked innocently, trying not to laugh.

“You’re gonna regret that, mousie,” Sebastian sneered, then shoved Blaine onto the bed. In any other situation, this would be his dream, to have Blaine beneath him like this. But Blaine was taken, and this was platonic. Plus, it wasn’t as sexual as Blaine made it seem. He didn’t even realize how sexual it was until Blaine squealed and he looked down to see he had pinned Blaine’s arms above his head. Sebastian only smirked, squeezing Blaine’s wrists. “For someone in the Dalton Fight Club, you aren’t a very good fighter.

Blaine gasped in mock horror, and his eyes flashed with mischief. “Oh, you’re in for it now, flash!” He used his knees to get Sebastian in the stomach. Not hard enough to wind him, but hard enough for him to be surprised and let go. With ease, Blaine wrapped Sebastian’s arms and held them behind his back, then flipped them. “Ha! I win!” 

They tussled for a bit longer, much to their shock, seeing as it’s not a very Sebastian Smythe thing to do. Blaine ended up winning because of his boxing skills and because Sebastian got tired, and so they both sat up and talked while they tried to catch their breath. 

Sebastian looked up to see Blaine laughing, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he did so. He looked so amazing that Sebastian still thought it was a horrible idea to continue being duet partners. He had never fallen in love before, and each second he even thought about Blaine Anderson, it felt like those dumb fairytales. He wasn’t in love. He wasn’t. He couldn’t be. He refused to be. 

Blaine didn’t notice. He was just as in love with Kurt as Sebastian was in love with him. He wasn’t seeing how toxic Kurt was. He wasn’t seeing how despite everything Blaine did for him, he never got anything in return. Blaine sacrificed almost everything to be with Kurt, how emotionally and mentally abusive Kurt could be. It pained Sebastian to see Kurt never cared, and only gave Blaine the time of day when it was beneficial to him. But Blaine was stubborn to convince, and whenever Sebastian would bring it up, he’d be shot down because “We need to rehearse so we win Regionals" or "We need to find you a nickname so I can call you it in public since flash is down." (It ended up being reaper, no matter how many times Sebastian objected.)

They didn’t end up winning Regionals, which was fine with them, no matter how much the Council joked it was because Blaine and Sebastian didn’t rehearse enough (they did). They didn’t have to win everything. There was always next year. Now, they could sing at nursing homes and amusement parks and restaurants, maybe at a few charity events happening in Westerville. Winning wasn’t everything. Sure, if they had won, Sebastian might’ve quite literally shut down because he knows how happy Blaine would’ve been, but he’s content with seeing Blaine smile and laugh everyday in classes and rehearsals.

But slowly, the smiles started to diminish. Blaine became shyer, refusing to participate in Warbler rehearsals. Whenever Sebastian flirted, he’d look away or just walk away. He began sticking close to Nick and Jeff again, who kept trying to get the truth out of the Warbler with no avail. Even Evan, who had come in as a shy kid when he first joined, was more outgoing than this, which is saying something considering the boy had burst into tears during rehearsal one day. No matter how many times he was asked, Blaine would respond with a simple “I’m fine” and expect to be left alone, and it killed Sebastian. He never responded to killer anymore, and whenever they were alone, Blaine would leave before Sebastian could get a word in. He hadn’t been called flash in weeks, and he missed it. He missed Blaine. He missed his mouse.

Enough was enough, however. After asking Jeff where his dorm was since the two were roommates, Sebastian marched to it, his arms crossed and confusion building. What the hell had been happening with Blaine. He knocked on the door and narrowed his eyes. “Blaine Devon Anderson, you have until the count of three to open this door before I break it down and demand to know what’s been going on. Your bad mood is making me become even more sour and I doubt the Warblers want that.” 

No response. 

Sebastian ignored the worry in his chest and shook his head. “1…" Nothing. "2…" Not even a shuffle. "3.” No response. Sebastian tried the doorknob first, grateful it was unlocked, and let himself in. He grunted at the darkness that greeted him and squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust. 

“Go away,” a small, hardly audible, broken voice said from the other side of the room. Sebastian looked to its source and found a lump of blankets, clearly Blaine’s hiding spot. 

“Mouse, what the hell is going on with you lately?” Sebastian asked, taking a few long strides to reach Blaine. He reached blindly for the bedside table and flicked on the lamp. Blaine whimpered and tried to curl deeper into the blankets, hiding himself even more. “Are you trying to suffocate yourself? What are you doing?”

“If you’re here for an ‘I told you so,’ then I don’t want to hear it,” Blaine croaked. Sebastian flinched at the raspiness of his voice. 

Wait, what? An ‘I told you so?’ “Blaine, what?” He wondered, sitting down beside him and disentangling the blankets from where he assumed Blaine’s face was. The boy was face down now, and turned his head slightly, showing Sebastian how red and puffy he was. Clearly, he had been sobbing. Oh great. Sebastian was no good at comfort. Something his sister Dominique was great at telling him. “The hell happened, Blaine? Are you okay?”

“Kurt… Cheated,” He admitted, quietly. Sebastian almost choked on his saliva, not expecting that, but Blaine continued. “I broke it off, but he keeps saying it wasn’t cheating. Tell me, does flirting with another guy and talking about going out to restaurants and Broadway shows with him when they go to New York sound like cheating to you? They flirted back and forth, complimented each other, and this guy said he wanted Kurt’s voice as his ringtone.”

“Mou-Uh, Blaine… I don’t mean to defend Hummel, but isn’t that what we did? Maybe they were just hanging out,” Sebastian murmured, reaching out and moving the blankets from Blaine's face.

“You flirted, I shot you down. We talked, but Kurt knew everything we did. Nothing we did was sexual, flirtatious, or romantic. Nothing was behind Kurt’s back. I don’t have feelings for you. Kurt flirted, talked, and did all that behind my back. He has feelings for this guy…” Blaine let out a sob, leaning forward, as if craving Sebastian's comfort. “It’s been going on for weeks, Seb…”

Sebastian ignored the sting of the words and ran a finger across Blaine’s cheek to wipe away a tear. Kurt Hummel was dead. He was so dead. Blaine had a point. While they hung out, it was just that. Hanging out, and to Blaine there were no romantic feelings about it, but he wasn’t leading Sebastian on either. Sebastian knew full well from their conversations that Blaine wasn’t interested. Everything was purely platonic. Kurt knew everything they were doing at nearly every minute. From the sound of it, Kurt was cheating. Sebastian watched Blaine tug the covers back over his head and sighed, pulling his hand away and putting it on his lap, where it balled into a fist like his other hand.

“I’m so sorry, honeybee. Kurt-” He started, but was interrupted.

“He wants to get back together. He’s practically begging me, but I don’t know,” Blaine continued, gasping for breath, his voice trembling. “I love him so much.”

Furious, Sebastian shook his head. Blaine wanted to be back with the man who had cause this pain? Not on his watch. “Absolutely not. Reject him. Give me your phone right now and I’ll tell him to fuck right off. Do not get back together with him Blaine. Your relationship was toxic as it was, getting back together after him cheating on you for weeks will only hurt you more. You don’t need it to become more toxic than it was.” 

Blaine shifted so his face was visible again, and Sebastian met the broken honey-colored gaze. “I don’t know what to do.”

Sebastin looked at him, his heart breaking. “Wes will. I’ll call him from your phone.”

Blaine’s eyes closed. “I miss him.”

“Wes or Kurt?” 

Blaine's silence gave him the answer of 'both,' but he didn't speak. He just let out another sob and pulled the blankets tighter around him.

Sebastian grabbed Blaine’s phone, getting in quickly since he knew Blaine's passcode was his anniversary with Kurt. “Wes will take care of you, mousie. Much more than I can.” He found Wes’ contact, thankful that Blaine actually named the Warblers sensibly and not ridiculous names. Though, he realized there was someone saved in as “Flash” with a lightning bolt emoji, so he bit his lip to not smile. Calling Wes, he placed the phone near Blaine. It wasn’t a perfect plan by any means, but Sebastian didn’t know what to do to help. He squeezed Blaine’s shoulder and wanted desperately left the room, heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't good at this comforting thing. But he had to make sure Blaine was okay. He hovered for a bit, but once Blaine's sobs settled and he could get words out to Wes, Sebastian slipped out.

It took a few months, but slowly Blaine was getting better. Now that Kurt, and McKinley, were out of his life forever, he was able to be free. He was still grieving the loss of his first love, the person he thought he was meant to be with, but Sebastian knew he would never be over the toxicity that was his relationship with Kurt. It was difficult to.

It didn’t matter, though. Blaine was smiling again and singing and talking. He was happier, he was adorable. He was... Well, he was Blaine again. Sebastian got his mouse, his sunshine, back. He was over Sebastian’s dorm a lot as well, which was a plus. It wasn’t the reason Sebastian wanted him to feel better, but he certainly wasn’t arguing since it was happening. Sebastian discovered how easy it was to make Blaine melt. Little nicknames worked like a charm. Unlucky for Blaine, Sebastian was incredible at making up nicknames. Of course, mouse and killer were his main ones (especially killer if they were in public, and mouse if they were alone), but it was fun to make Blaine stammer.

The only downside was no flirting whatsoever. Fearful of making Blaine uncomfortable, Sebastian stopped flirting. He still stared longingly at Blaine’s ass and thought about him sexually almost all the time, but he stopped trying to bring Blaine to bed. He knew it was a bad idea to try and flirt, so he didn’t. 

It was difficult, though. Blaine was adorable and hot all at once. His smile could light up a room. Hell, it lit up Sebastian’s world. He was beautiful and so sweet. He was sweeter than he should be, honestly. The kindness that boy had would be the end of him, Sebastian knew. Not that Blaine needed protection, but he was too trusting. Perhaps that’s why Sebastian liked him so much. He was giving him a chance. A second chance, even. 

Months passed, and they found themselves in their senior year. Even though they had Hunter, who no one in the Warblers could really stand except for Sebastian funny enough, the Warblers stayed strong. Blaine was finally getting better. Their room visits had increased to the point where everyone just thought they were roommates in Blaine’s dorm and Jasper was roommates with Nick’s roommate (since Nick and Jeff were always in Jeff/Blaine's room, therefore leaving Jasper to visit Nick's roommate. Luckily the two were friends to begin with) and no one bothered to correct them.

“This movie sucks,” Sebastian complained, tossing some popcorn in his mouth. 

“You suck,” Blaine countered childishly, enthralled in the movie, tossing popcorn in his own mouth. His eyes never left the screen, taking in every detail.

“If you’d like,” Sebastian flirted, then paused as soon as he realized what he said. Fuck. He hadn’t meant to say that. 

Blaine made a noise of surprise and turned his head. “Now, that's the Sebastian I first met."

“Oh shut up, I was trying to be nice. You were going through a tough time.” Sebastian flicked a piece of popcorn at him, watching as it hit the other Warbler on the nose. “That’s what I get for trying to be a nice person. Which sucks, just so you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, you've mentioned,” Blaine hummed, a warm smile on his face. “I'm very proud of you, though. You’ve been doing good at this 'turning a new leaf' thing.”

“Only for you,” Sebastian huffed. “The things I’d do to… For you, Blaine.”

Blaine flicked his shoulder. “Idiot.”

“Shut up,” Sebastian countered. 

Blaine shifted so he was ever so slightly closer, something Sebastian didn't think twice about it, knowing how clingy Blaine could be around his friends. They both quieted down and watched the movie, only talking when a character did something so stupid that both of them had to laugh, or Sebastian making fun of it and Blaine scolding him to be quiet. 

Once it ended, Sebastian grabbed his stuff to go shower, and Blaine stood to help him. Since he was around so often, Sebastian had started to leave little things in Blaine’s room, and vice versa, such as hoodies or pajamas or anything like that. It just made it easier than going back and forth to their seperate dorms and coming back to hang out then leaving again. Jasper and Jeff had already made dozens of 'boyfriend' jokes, no matter how many times Sebastian said he didn't date and Blaine said he wasn't interested.

“Wait, can you hand me a-” Sebastian began, turning around, only to yelp as he felt lips crash into his and hands grabbing at his face and neck. His eyes shot open, but once he processed it was a kiss, he closed them and melted into it, dropping his pajamas on the floor. He wrapped his arms around Blaine’s waist, bringing him closer and slowly trailing one hand down to his ass. He hadn’t been expecting that at all, but who was he to complain? It was sloppy at first since it was by surprise, but they both got into it.

After a few seconds, Blaine pulled away, his eyes wide. He was breathing heavily, and it didn’t seem to be from the kiss. He looked like a mixture panicked and excited as he shifted out of Sebastian's grip and took a step back. “Did I just… I just did that. Holy shit, I just did that.”

“You did. Very unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome,” Sebastian hummed as he opened his eyes. He smirk dropped when he saw how uneasy Blaine looked. “Mouse? Are you okay?" He held out a hand to place on Blaine's shoulder, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

Blaine looked up at him, biting his lip. “I can’t believe I did that!”

“Hey, it’s okay, calm down.” Sebastian sat down on Blaine’s bed and pat the space next to him. Blaine raced forward and sat down beside him instantly. “There’s nothing wrong with a kiss. It wasn’t unwelcome. It’s okay.”

“I don’t think I’m over Kurt!” Blaine explained, and Sebastian saw he was shaking. “I’m still so scared. I still miss him."

“No one said you had to be over him by now,” Sebastian began, trying to comfort him. He looked Blaine over, trying to see if he was panicking or having a panic attack. He seemed upset, obviously, but Sebastian didn't think it was a panic attack, and hopefully it wouldn't escalate to one. “You loved him very much, but it was toxic. It takes time to be over those sorts of relationships.”

Blaine began chewing on his fingernails, a nervous habit he mentioned having since he was a kid. “I just don’t know what to do, Seb."

“Can I touch you?” Sebastian asked, then cleared his throat. “Like your arms and shoulders, I mean. Nothing else.” 

Blaine didn’t respond at first, but with the celerity in which he reached down and grabbed Sebastian’s hand, Sebastian assumed the answer was yes. He gently squeezed Blaine’s hand, which caused the Warbler to squeeze it back and hold it like a lifeline. “I’m so sorry.”

“There’s no reason to be sorry, Blaine. It’s okay.” Sebastian bit his lip, not wanting to say his next words, but Blaine needed to be soothed. He's had these words said to him before, and the answer was always the same. But, like always, Blaine seemed to change him for the better. Plus, Blaine was priority right now, not him. “It doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to.”

“But I do want it too. I’m just so scared. It’s a bad idea, Sebastian. Me and you are a bad idea,” he whispered. He scooted closer to Sebastian, who quickly let go of his hand and opened his arms, allowing Blaine to fall into them. Neither spoke, and while Blaine had a single tear roll down his face, he wasn’t crying. Both of them had heard the same thing spoken about the two of them, Sebastian more than Blaine. Neither of them believed it because neither thought the day would come, but clearly it had. “I’m so sorry, Sebastian.” Blaine's whisper was hardly heard, and Sebastian closed his eyes, biting his lip.

“Blaine, it’s okay,” Sebastian repeated, holding him close. “I swear. I’m not mad. I agree. I don't do long-term, you don't do one night stands. It wouldn't work. That's what everyone says, anyway.”

After a few minutes, Blaine sat up again. Before Sebastian could say anything, Blaine spoke first. “I don’t know if this is a bad idea or not.”

Sebastian took a breath. Perhaps this would make Blaine uncomfortable, and go against what he said a few minutes ago, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. “Well, it was only one kiss. How about another until you decide?”

Blaine chuckled a bit. "You haven't changed at all, Seb," he whispered, rolling his eyes as though he were annoyed. Despite his words, he leaned closer, and Sebastian grabbed his tie and yanked him closer, eagerly kissing the boy he’d been wishing to kiss for a little over a year, and it was perfect. Blaine could feel his heart racing in his chest, and his mind was running a million miles an hour. Maybe this was a mistake and make what was already pretty bad worse than how they were before, but honestly? He didn’t care. If this was a bad idea, it was a pretty good bad idea.

He felt Sebastian’s arms wrap tightly around him as they pulled away for air, and he grinned to himself, resting his head on Sebastian’s chest and staring at the fistful of the dress shirt he got. Thinking it through, it was a bad idea. He knew Sebastian didn't like relationships. Hell, the boy had just confirmed it a few minutes ago, but he was happy right now, and he wanted to be happy again. He knew how bad of an idea this was, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Sebastian was thinking the same thing. He and Blaine were a bad idea, but they were a pretty good bad idea too. They could balance each other out, make each other better. Sure, they could also make an already pretty bad situation (Blaine's process in getting over Kurt) even worse, but at the same time, his heart was racing and head was running more than they ever had before. Those stupid fairytales were right. Plus, who was to say this relationship wouldn't help Blaine? It could be a bad idea, but they could be a good one as well.

Blaine closed his eyes again, trying to catch his breath. For so long he thought Kurt was what was right for him, but the fact was Kurt didn’t care about him. Kurt was never truly there for him. Kurt was too wrapped up in himself to show care for others. He never thought about Blaine unless it benefitted him, and he cared more about fame than he did his own significant other. Sebastian wasn't like that. Sebastian was there for him. Sebastian cared. Sebastian, while wrapped up in himself, would cared deeply about the other Warblers, no matter how much he said he didn't. Sebastian always put Blaine first. Sebastian always gave him the time of day, even if he was busy himself. Sebastian could be what was right for Blaine. 

Sebastian tapped Blaine’s back, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Come on, mousie, give me another kiss.”

Blaine pulled away from his chest and leaned upwards, but right before their lips met, he heard someone in the hall. Jeff was on the phone and coming closer. Instantly, Blaine rolled off the bed and grabbed Sebastian’s pajamas from the floor and a towel. “After you get out of the shower, maybe.”

“What?” Sebastian questioned, then heard Jeff talking to his mother on the phone in the hallway. He groaned and rolled his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his things from Blaine and stood up, bending down to give him a peck on the lips and then on the top of his head. “Fucking cockblock.”

“Watch it, I wasn’t going to go any further,” Blaine said as Sebastian walked into the bathroom. He grabbed a towel, which is what Sebastian had wanted in the first place, and tossed it out him. “See you in a bit, flash.”

Sebastian didn’t even try to stop the smile from appearing on his face as he turned around. “See you, mouse.” He closed the bathroom door and started the shower as Blaine made the bed. 

“Sup, bitch boy,” Jeff announced as he walked in, still holding his phone to his ear. He laughed at something the other person had said, shaking his head. “No, mom, it’s just Blaine, I’m allowed to harass him, he's like my brother. Yeah, love you, bye." Tossing his phone on the bed, he looked at his roommate curiously. "B, where’s Seb? I thought I heard him."

“He’s about to take a shower, then we’re going to his for a bit since we need to finish our project in peace,” Blaine lied. "I really don't want Mr. Wells to kill us." He knew that Sebastian was probably listening in from the shower and smiling, proud that Blaine was lying. It wasn't his fault the taller Warbler was a bad influence and the reason Blaine was becoming a better liar Sebastian smiled, the boy was becoming a better liar. He was a bad influence. 

Blaine gathered his things, figuring that if he was going to lie and say he needed to work on a project, he might as well act like it was the truth. He and Jeff talked while they waited, and eventually Nick practically kicked open the door and jumped on Blaine's bed. So, a conversation between two turned into a conversation between three.

Sebastian came out a bit later, noticing Nick and Jeff on Jeff’s bed, Nick dozing with his head on Jeff’s lap while his hair was being played with. For a moment, he didn’t see Blaine and he was confused, but then saw the Warbler in question by the door.

“Ready, reaper? Wells will kill us if this project isn’t done,” Blaine said with a grin. “If we don’t get an A, I’m blaming you for taking a long shower and not giving us much time to work on it.”

Sebastian walked over, smirking. “Whatever you say, killer. I thought I told you to stop calling me reaper, by the way."

Blaine shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “If I’m the killer, who’s going to be the Grim Reaper?” 

Jeff snorted, looking up. “Dumbass.”

“Love you!” Blaine countered, making Jeff sigh, repeating the words with a wave goodbye.

“Be safe,” He called as they left, as if they were going to get murdered. 

Blaine took it as a ‘use protection’ joke and his eyes widened, grateful his back was to his best friend so he wouldn’t see his reaction. Had they been found out?

“I’ll have him home by curfew, Mr. Anderson, If he's not, then send a personal security guard after us because we're inevitably dead,” Sebastian joked with a roll of his eyes, closing the door. “But forget about us, you and Nick better use protection!”

The sound of something hitting the door and Nick whining as he was woken up were the last things Blaine and Sebastian heard before Sebastian grabbed Blaine’s hand and started running. 

“Flash!” Blaine yelped, struggling to keep up. “Where the hell are we going?”

“My room!” Sebastian responded. “I just had to take a cold shower because of you, and I totally wasn’t done kissing you.”

“We’re not having sex,” Blaine whispered as they ran. "I don't think I'm ready."

“Kissing then,” Sebastian agreed. "Fine with me."

That’s just what they did. For a while, anyway. Just kisses, a few make-out sessions, but never anything more. Occasionally they sang random little duets in their rooms when alone (even though it was mainly Blaine singing silly little Disney songs and Sebastian either complaining or singing just to get him to be quiet) or Sebastian winking in the halls, but they never had sex. Neither ever mentioned being together. Neither really knew what they were, since Sebastian never said boyfriend or mentioned dates, and Blaine was too anxious to make the ‘first’ move with a guy who never dated anyone before but only had a bunch of one night stands.

But their ‘relationship’ was good. They were always there for each other, making each other better people. They even took down Hunter together, which was amazing. The Warblers were saved, at least. That was incredibly important.

Blaine’s stress was not amazing, however. All the homework, projects, tests, and rehearsals were beginning to overwhelm him. Plus, the stress he had of Hunter pressuring the Warblers to do drugs was still bugging him, despite him being long gone and out of his life forever.

So when Sebastian pinned him up against his wall one day and began kissing his neck, Blaine let him, tilting his head for better access. Once Sebastian pulled away, Blaine grabbed his tie to meet his gaze. Sebastian stared at him in surprise. “I need a bad idea.”

Sebastian looked confused, but then the words from after their first kiss clicked and his typical smirk appeared. “You know what, killer, I need a bad idea, too.”

“Just this one, though,” Blaine said softly. 

Their hearts were racing, but neither of them cared anymore. This wasn’t a mistake, it couldn’t be. Not if it made them feel this good. So what if it made things with Kurt worse than what they already were? It’s not like Kurt was a good person, and if Sebastian (And Blaine) were lucky, they’d never have to see Kurt again. Really, Kurt would never have no find out about it because it didn't concern him.

When they finished, Blaine curled close to Sebastian, cuddlier than ever. His eyes drifted shut and he felt Sebastian run his fingers through his curls, which were broken from their gel prison. He nuzzled closer with a whimper and Sebastian smiled before he could stop himself, squeezing the other boy for a moment before letting go .

Both of them knew this wasn’t meant to happen. They weren’t meant to kiss, weren’t meant to become kissing buddies, and definitely weren’t meant to fuck. But neither were complaining, especially not when Sebastian had wanted this for ages and Blaine was finally getting the love he so desperately craved and deserved. They were happy, and in love. Even Sebastian stopped trying to deny it. Sure, it was an accident, but not all accidents were mistakes. This one sure wasn’t. 

“Hold me,” Blaine whispered. Sebastian obliged, pulling the other boy as close as he could and pressing kisses all over his face despite it not being a sort of thing he'd do for anyone else. He's said it before and he'll say it until he dies: Blaine has caused him to change for the better. Blaine smiled, leaning into the pecks, living for them, craving them. This is what made sense to him. With Kurt, it only made sense because he wanted it to, but with Sebastian it made sense because… Well, because it did. He was making Blaine’s previously bad life good, and Blaine was so grateful.

Neither of them talked about it the next day, and no one else knew either. It was their little secret, not that either of them were ashamed. They were happier, and the Warblers started to make fun of Blaine for smiling and jumping to his feet whenever Sebastian walked into a room, jokingly saying he had a schoolboy crush. But it wasn’t his fault Sebastian made him laugh more than anyone. Besides, everytime Blaine smiled, Sebastian was sure ten more years were added to his lifespan. If he was the reason for the room-brightening smile, then he was perfectly fine with it. 

There were still bad days. Days when Blaine would cry or just curl up in Sebastian’s arms as Sebastian cooed random nonsense and peppered kisses all over Blaine’s face, showering him with affection and nicknames. Blaine would argue and say he wasn’t worth it, he’d try and say he didn’t want Sebastian to leave him like the rest of the people he loved did, but Sebastian would always be there to comfort him. Always. He wasn’t the best at it, but dammit, for Blaine, he’d do anything. Besides, he knew the easiest way to calm Blaine down was a little (disgustingly cheesy) love song, attention, and nicknames.

He never realized how easy it was to come up with nicknames for Blaine until Mason pointed out how often Sebastian had a new nickname for him, but both of them loved it. Sebastian loved seeing Blaine’s cheeks flush and loved hearing his words fumble. Blaine, meanwhile, loved the feeling he got when he was called a nickname. Sebastian’s typical nicknames for others were insults, much like Sue’s, but the nicknames he got were pet names, and he loved the feeling it gave him. He couldn’t describe it, but he loved it. It was a mixture of joy and love.

Sebastian also had bad days. He wasn’t perfect, he was still human. Sometimes stress got to him or he just had so much bottled up that he needed to let it go, and while it had only happened once so far, he almost cried, but Blaine was right there for him, wrapping him in blankets and comforting him the best he could. After Sebastian had calmed down, Blaine brought out a few sweets that he knew Sebastian liked, put on a movie Sebastian liked, or told stories to distract him. Neither spoke about it again, but Sebastian remembered it, and how Blaine covered for him when Jasper came in by saying it was allergies and Blaine was going through some post-Kurt emotions. And if Sebastian was ever too stressed, a nice session in bed would always cheer him up if Blaine was up to it, and even if they didn't have sex, he very much enjoyed his conversations with Blaine.

The Warblers seemed to realize something was going on, but didn’t realize, or maybe they just ruled it out as it couldn't possibly be the truth, that the two were friends with benefits. But they did realize how Sebastian’s serious expression always faded when he looked at Blaine. It was softer and filled with adoration. It had always been like that, but recently the looks were becoming more frequent and fonder, and Blaine had realized them, even returning them with a smile. 

When the two awoke one day to massive hangovers at Sebastian’s house, laying in his bed, they looked at each other for a few seconds in shock. Blaine groaned at the realization that they were both naked and he was sore, but scooted closer to Sebastian anyway and made the taller Warbler hug him close. Both of them laughed and Sebastian held him close, closing his eyes as if it would fight off the pounding in his head. 

“You’re so warm,” Sebastian muttered into Blaine’s hair. “You’re like a mini heater.”

“Shhh,” Blaine scolded lightly, tired, but then looked up, his eyes half-lidded. “And I’m not a heater, you’re just an icicle.” 

“You just radiate more heat then you should, sunshine,” Sebastian argued. 

“Shut up,” Blaine murmured, pressing his face in Sebastian’s neck. “I’m tired.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes fondly, but followed directions, pulling the boy closer and hiding his face in his curls.

It didn’t take long for it to happen again. This time, however, they were completely sober. Look, Sebastian Smythe is in the relationship, sex was bound to happen on a regular basis if Blaine was comfortable too. Which, luckily, he was.

“I know we said this was a bad idea,” Sebastian began as he pressed a kiss to Blaine’s head. “But it’s a pretty good bad idea if you ask me. Me and you make a good pair.”

Blaine smiled. “Agreed.” He took that as an official ‘we’re boyfriends’ despite the fact that less than ten minutes ago he was screaming for Sebastian again and was now curled in his arms. He closed his eyes and licked his lips, getting ready for a nap.

Sebastian couldn’t help but smile either, gently rubbing his thumb across Blaine’s cheek and letting the shorter boy hold him tight and close, already used to the way they fit together perfectly and that Blaine radiated more heat than a human being should. He was also used to how clingy Blaine was, but wasn't used to his beauty. “You’re beautiful, Blaine. Has anyone ever told you that?” 

Blaine’s eyes opened halfway, a soft laugh escaping him as he met Sebastian's gaze. “Yeah. You.”

“It’s not my fault it’s true,” Sebastian argued gently, pressing a kiss to Blaine’s forehead.

“Didn’t take you for a softie,” Blaine whispered, his words slurring together as he fought hard to keep himself awake to hear the response.

Sebastian laughed softly, tracing patterns on Blaine’s cheek. “The things you do to me, mouse.” Blaine didn’t respond, just nuzzling closer and letting his eyes drift shut again with a hum, a slight smile on his face. He was clearly exhausted, falling asleep near instantly. Sebastian laughed again and gazed up at the ceiling. Of course, by now he knew full well that Blaine was affectionate and sleepy after sex. Though, it made sense, considering his personality. “Sleep well, angel.”

He reached over to turn an alarm on his phone on in order for them to get to Warblers rehearsal on time today. Typically, they wouldn’t rehearse on a Sunday, but they had an event coming up and needed all the practice they could get. Sebastian wasn’t dumb enough to skip this rehearsal with Blaine and then get them both killed by the Council. Okay, he and Blaine were on the Council, meaning it would be just Everett in charge in there. Not that he didn't trust Everett, but chaos would ensue, and then Wes would fly down after hearing the Warblers made fools out of themselves, and then he and Blaine would be killed.

He held Blaine close as he closed his eyes, letting himself drift off as well. It felt like he had just fallen asleep when he was awoken by a loud crash followed by a “FUCK” from beside him. Jolting up, he turned his head to see Blaine awake as well, a frown on his face.

“The fuck did you do?” Sebastian groaned, looking at the clock by his bed. Indeed, it was time to get going, but he was so tired and just wanted to pull Blaine close and sleep again. He fell back against the pillows, his eyes on the mess on Blaine as he awaited a response. “I was sleeping.” 

“Your phone was going off so I went over to turn it off but dropped everything,” Blaine explained, gesturing to the mess of papers and two textbooks on the floor with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "As you can see."

Sebastian groaned again. “You’re a mess.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Blaine muttered, crossing his arms. “Well, let’s go. Rehearsal time.” 

Sebastian looked at him, a teasing look in his eyes. “You want to show up naked to rehearsal?” 

Blaine looked down, groaned, and collapsed onto Sebastian on the bed, making him let out a yelp of surprise. “I don’t want to move.”

Sebastian smirked, shoving him off of him. With slight reluctance, he got off the bed and turned around. “ Can you even move?” He laughed, grabbing the pillow that Blaine threw at him. “Fine, fine. I can always dress you, if you wish. More excuses to touch you, don't you agree? Thank you, B.”

“Sebastian!” Blaine scolded, clearly trying to hold back his laughter. 

Sebastian shrugged, picking out two sets of uniforms (Dalton ensured students had a few since they knew having just one might make life harder) and tossing one to Blaine before beginning to dress himself. 

"Seb." Blaine held out the blazer as if to prove a point. “This won’t fit me.”

“It’s quicker for you to wear it and say it’s Jeff’s because all of yours were dirty than it is to go to your dorm and get dressed and be late,” Sebastian pointed out, tossing a pair of Blaine’s underwear his way. “Get dressed.”

They walked hand-in-hand to the Senior Commons, Blaine walking close to Sebastian as if they were a parent and child in a grocery store. Once they got close, they let go of their hands to open the door. 

“You’re la-” Everett began, then stopped when he saw both of them arriving together. He cleared his throat, not thinking much of it despite how noticeably big the blazer Blaine was wearing was. “You’re both late.”

“Yeah, by three minutes. You haven’t even started yet, fuck off,” Sebastian said, walking forward with Blaine following behind him. “We’re fine, aren't we babe?” 

The nickname slipped before he could stop it, and he tried to play it off like nothing, but Blaine froze momentarily. Then, he smiled, took a breath, and leaned upwards, pressing a kiss against his boyfriend’s cheek. “We’re fine,” he echoed, grabbing Sebastian’s hand.

Needless to say, they were both instantly bombarded with questions and demands, which made Blaine blush and hide as Sebastian smirked and pulled him closer. They figured it was a pretty on-brand way for them to come out. They got together on accident, so it only made sense for them to come out on accident as well.