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Sebastian isn’t even sure why he picked this dive bar to go into tonight. The rest of his co-workers are uptown in their regular sports bar, jacket sleeves rolled up to their elbows and ties loosened, getting drunk and hitting on the waitresses in their skimpy shorts. Sebastian would usually be all for it, eye the macho filled room and sniff out the one guy still hidden in the closet. Take him home and fuck him before sending him off in a cab before dawn. But he doesn’t want to deal with the bullshit tonight, clingy men not getting the hint when it’s time to leave and the awkwardness that always ensues when Sebastian refuses to exchange phone numbers.The bar in simple, a small brick building with no sign on the front, just a few fliers plastered to the window advertising up and coming bands. It’s on his way home, just a few blocks from his apartment, and all Sebastian wants to do is have a drink without anyone bothering him.
He walks in and immediately feels out of place with his dark suit and briefcase. There’s young people everywhere, cool and hip, tattoos and multicolored hair and ripped t shirts with bands on the front that Sebastian has never heard of. They’re all crowded around small tables, amber colored drinks in their glasses. Sebastian squeezes his way in between the tables, knocking his briefcase into the backs of the chairs as he goes. He finally makes his way over to the bar, grabbing a seat and asking, “can I get a beer?”
The bartender gives him a curious look, arching an eyebrow that has a metal bar sticking through it, before grabbing a glass and pulling a beer. He pushes the glass over to Sebastian, beer sloshing out of the top and spilling onto the counter. Sebastian takes a long sip before turning around towards the stage where the sound of an acoustic guitar is just starting to play softly.
Even in the dim lighting, his head down and concentrating on the chords and his face cast in shadows, Sebastian still recognizes Blaine immediately. He looks a little different. No bow ties or cardigans or bright colored pants and his hair isn’t gelled down. But his voice still sounds the same and when Sebastian closes his eyes for just a second, he sees red and navy blue.
He watches Blaine closely as he plays a few more songs, none of which Sebastian recognizes. He takes all of Blaine in; hair a little damp and falling in his eyes, foot tapping against the leg of the stool he’s sitting on, back hunched over just a bit as he strums on his guitar.
Blaine finishes his set, softly mumbling a “thank you” to the audience as he picks up his guitar and walks off the stage. Sebastian watches as Blaine fiddles with the zippers on his case, fitting the guitar inside. He finishes his beer in one large gulp before walking over to the side of the tiny stage.
Blaine’s back is to him, bent over and struggling with a zipper that appears to be stuck. Sebastian clears his throat. “Need any help with that?”
“No thank you,” Blaine says over his shoulder, eyes still focused on the guitar case.
“C’mon, Blaine. Let me help a fellow Warbler out.”
That gets Blaine’s attention. He turns around quickly, case forgotten, and looks up. Sebastian sees the recognition in Blaine’s eyes and his mouth drops open.
“A hello would be nice,” Sebastian says, his tone teasing and a smile on his lips.
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Blaine says and Sebastian smile because some things never change. “I’m just so surprised to see. I didn’t know you were in New York.”
Sebastian guides them over to the bar, pleasantly surprised when Blaine doesn’t shake off the hand Sebastian has pressed into his lower back. They sit side by side at the bar and each order a beer.
“I came here for law school,” Sebastian explains, taking a long sip from the glass. “I loved the city, so I stayed.”
“That’s great, Sebastian,” Blaine says genuinely and Sebastian loves that New York hasn’t hardened Blaine the way it does to so many people. It’s only been five minutes, but Sebastian can already tell that he’s still the same sweet and kind Blaine, that it still radiates out of him.
“What about you? Did you come here after graduation?” Sebastian asks. On stage, a man is reading poetry that’s so awful it makes Sebastian roll his eyes.
Blaine nods, fingers drumming on the hard wood of the bar. “I teach music at a school in Queens. This is just for fun,” he says, motioning towards the stage.
They’re quiet for a moment and Sebastian debates asking about Kurt. He notices that there are no rings on any of Blaine’s fingers and it honestly shocks him. It’s been six years since he last saw the two of them and they had been so in love that Sebastian actually found it nauseating.
He decides to take a chance, needs to know one way or another. “So is Kurt here tonight? I didn’t see him anywhere,” Sebastian asks nonchalantly. He looks over at Blaine, sees him picking at the edges of the cardboard coaster.
“Kurt and I aren’t together,” Blaine says, voice soft.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed,” Sebastian says. It’s suddenly quiet, Blaine looking down into his beer and scratching at the side of the glass. Sebastian’s not sure what to do, to get the moment back to talking and laughing and maybe even flirting.
“No, it’s okay. It’s fine, actually,” Blaine says, sitting up straighter in his seat and tugging at the hem of his shirt. “We exchange Christmas cards and call each other up on our birthdays. He’s living in Brooklyn,” Blaine finishes and Sebastian can’t help but notice how quickly Blaine drinks the rest of his beer.
“So, teaching? That must be interesting,” Sebastian says, grasping at straws. Blaine just chuckles and motions to the bartender for another beer.
“I never hated you in high school, you know,” Blaine says, catching Sebastian completely off guard.
“You didn’t?” Sebastian asks, unbelieving. Sebastian’s grown up and matured since then, in some ways more than others. He still has regrets about the way he treated Blaine, for being young and stupid and not knowing how to deal with the feelings he was having for this other boy.
“No, not at all. I was mad, of course, and stopped speaking to you because it was what I had to do. Not because I wanted to,” Blaine explains. He stops and laughs at a memory. “I used to check your Facebook page every day, though.”
Sebastian breaks out in a wide smile, glad that the tense moment seems to be over. “Blaine Anderson, stalking my Facebook page. The things that would have done for my ego in high school.”
“Oh, please. Like your ego needed any help in high school,” Blaine says, grinning and elbowing Sebastian in the side. “I still remember some of those texts you used to send me.”
“I’d like to think I’ve gotten better at that sort of thing since high school,” Sebastian says, almost embarrassed, remembering the crude messages he used to type away to Blaine during study hall.
“I should hope so,” Blaine says, looking up from his beer and meeting Sebastian’s eyes.
“Can I get your number?” Sebastian blurts out before he can stop himself, hand gripped tightly around his glass.
“So you can send me more of those messages?” Blaine jokes, but he’s already reaching across the bar to steal a napkin and pen. He jots down his number and folds the napkin in half, sliding it over to Sebastian. “I have to get going since it’s a school night. But call me sometime? Or you can always find me here,” Blaine says before standing up and reaching into his wallet to pay his tab. “It was nice seeing you, Sebastian.”
“You too,” Sebastian answers. He watches Blaine makes his way through the tables crowded together, grabbing his guitar from the stage and then turning towards the door. He’s almost outside, door open and one foot already out, when he turns around and finds Sebastian across the room, gives him a smile and a small wave, before stepping outside.
Sebastian looks down at the napkin, a little dirty with stale beer and torn around the edges, and traces the ink with his fingers, wondering if this is what a second chance feels like.