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Blaine Anderson had always been the cuddling type. From long gone days of falling asleep against his father’s chest as a toddler, or curling up into Cooper’s side when they watched a movie; well into his adolescent years.
To be perfectly honest, he really couldn’t understand any of the downsides that came with cuddling. Warmth? Check. Intimacy? Check. A sense of feeling wanted, or loved? Check!
Which is why, when Blaine began dating Sebastian in his junior year at Dalton, he couldn’t seem to understand just why he struggled so much with getting him to cuddle.
*
The first time he tried was a blustery evening in late November, the light having faded away hours ago, just a wall lamp casting a glow over the Smythe’s living room.
Blaine pulled back with a breathy sigh, his lips as red and chapped as Sebastian’s, who lay beneath him.
“Get back here,” Sebastian mumbled, grinning as he looped his hand around the back of Blaine’s neck to draw him in again. He mouthed at his lower lip slowly, until Blaine was parting them to let Sebastian’s tongue slip back into the wet heat of his mouth.
Sebastian’s hand was hot against Blaine’s lower back; the steady slick of their tongues meeting sending heat twisting and pooling low. Blaine reluctantly pulled away, again, his cheeks flushed.
“We should- We should slow down. Maybe,” he murmured, thumbs tracing the curve of Sebastian’s cheekbones.
His boyfriend nodded, turning his head to brush a kiss to Blaine’s palm. “Of course, babe. Whatever you want,” he replied gently, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as he smiled.
“We could watch a movie?” Blaine suggested brightly, smiling against Sebastian’s lips as he answered with a short, sweet kiss.
He sat up and back against the couch as he waited for Sebastian to choose something from the shelf, holding it up for Blaine’s approval before slipping it into the drive. He made his way back over to the couch, curling up in the corner, and casting Blaine nothing more than a brief smile.
Blaine faltered for a moment, before taking it upon himself to shuffle across the couch, leaning into Sebastian’s side. The other boy looked at him before turning back to the screen, remaining stiff beside him. He just about let Blaine rest against him for the course of the movie, but he made no move as to embrace him, or draw him to his body.
He’s just nervous, Blaine decided, choosing to remain optimistic rather than to worry about why his boyfriend had gone from lusting and grabby, to acting like that in the space of a split second. Give him time.
*
The next time, around Valentine’s Day weekend, Sebastian had been given permission to stay the night at Blaine’s.
Sebastian was already lounging in Blaine’s bed, idly wiggling his toes against the covers as he waited for his boyfriend to come out of the bathroom. Blaine emerged a moment later, flicking off the light and padding across the carpet towards the bed.
There came a soft tap on the door, although the inquirer chose not to open it. “Goodnight boys,” Blaine’s mom called through the door quietly.
“‘Night,” the boys chimed back in unison, chuckling for a moment at their synchronicity until they became far too distracted with Blaine falling into bed next to Sebastian.
“Hey,” Sebastian murmured, arms looping around Blaine’s waist as he tucked in, half at his side, half on top of him.
“Hey yourself,” Blaine whispered, giggling a little as he nudged his nose against Sebastian’s.
Blaine was triumphant; euphoric even. This is it! I knew it, no one can resist cuddling in a bed!
But right when he’d been so sure he had him, Sebastian tilted his head up to press a lingering kiss to Blaine’s lips, before promptly releasing him and shifting onto his side in the bed.
Blaine flopped back against the sheets, his jaw a little slack. His eyes roamed over the dim outline of his boyfriend’s body, wondering whether he dared to just curl up around him, regardless of Sebastian’s apparent distaste when it came to cuddling.
In the end, he decided it against it, a little too hurt to risk the humiliation of being rejected again. Rather, he just turned onto his own side, and tried to let the warmth of Sebastian’s ankles tucked up with his be enough.
*
It was around May when the pair pushed down the last few barriers in their physical relationship, roaming hands getting full permission to explore, touch, tease as they wished to. But it wasn’t until a hot day in July when Blaine felt that he’d truly succeeded with Sebastian Smythe.
Blaine panted harshly against Sebastian’s neck, their torsos sticking together messily with a mixture of sweat and come. The fan in the corner of the room whirred helplessly, sending out a minimal breath of air over their flushed bodies.
Regardless of how unkempt he felt, Blaine was sated, pliant against Sebastian’s body, that in turn was drowsy against the sheets from their physical exertions. He could feel Sebastian starting to shift beneath him, growing restless with being trapped.
But Blaine was having none of it. It was high time Sebastian learned how to cuddle; he was seventeen years old, after all.
Blaine hummed, slipping his legs around one of Sebastian’s and locking his arms tightly around his waist. He felt Sebastian stiffen in confusion, or distaste, perhaps, his arms flailing uselessly at his sides.
“Blaine,” he said finally, his warm breath fanning over his shoulder and raising goosebumps on his skin. “What are you doing?”
“Cuddling,” Blaine replied simply, closing his eyes with a wide smile.
Sebastian huffed, wriggling underneath him, his arms falling flat on top of the sheets. Blaine grumbled inwardly, but refused to admit defeat, forcibly grabbing Sebastian’s arms and awkwardly wrapping them around his torso.
For a moment, his arms just lay limply over him, as Blaine adjusted back into his former position. Slowly, Sebastian began to settle, palms skimming over Blaine’s ribcage as he hugged him to his chest.
“I suppose this isn’t so bad,” Sebastian mumbled after a while, his tone contemplative.
Blaine could tell he was just moments from falling asleep; could feel his breathing evening out against him, and his arms growing pleasantly lax, caging him in. Just as he’d wanted.
Blaine chuckled, pressing a kiss to Sebastian’s still slightly thrumming pulse point; his heart beat also reverberating against his chest rhythmically. “Good,” he smiled. “Because we have a lot of cuddling to make up for.”