#barbies otp

[boldmistakes]

talk to me about some of your favorite seblaine headcanons?

*rubs hands together* c’mon on and slam i can!

alright first off — the texts were family friendly. Sebastian might have sent one sext at the start of their friendship but Blaine was like smh so he stopped — and then he realized, wow! he actually likes talking to him! calling him up in the morning just to hear how he sounds, wide awake but voice still a little husky, talking about the day ahead, Sebastian with his phone cradled against his ear smiling that special Blaine-only smile of his.

[and you’ll come to find that most of my headcanons are scenes from my wips]

they don’t have everything in common, but one of the most important things they share is a verve for life. it starts with how Sebastian can sell Paris to Blaine while pretending that’s not what he’s doing, and they’re both snobs but while Sebastian is too cool for school Blaine simply elevates whatever he touches. Sebastian will never love the mundane Ohio life, but told by Blaine, he thinks it holds a certain magic.

(they went bowling together at least once. the playful teasing over the bumper element goes far but it was also a lot of fun.)

Sebastian’s not against commitment on principle. if he can get the best why settle for the rest? he just doesn’t want boredom. he also doesn’t want marriage — “It’s for people who don’t believe in choice; I will always choose you. No papers needed.” but either way he’s with Blaine so they elope, one of those memories that’s underscored by breathlessness like they’re on the edge of a cliff, always chasing after something new together.

dial it back a few years, a hop skip and a jump into a Dalton AU: Sebastian enrolls in a prestigious academy and wants to rule — it’s his birthright and destiny. except Blaine is still there, bright and smiley and with a spine of pure adamantium that says Nobody fucks with the king. but there’s also no excuses to stop Blaine from falling into Sebastian’s gravity, and Sebastian doesn’t have the rapid escalation from ‘that guy’s cute’ to ‘I will commit murder to get Blaine’ and the situation is both easier yet far more dangerous. there might not be a hospital trip but people still get hurt, and they make it to the other side because when they sing (together, at each other, stepping neatly through Sebastian’s choreography and watching each other, circling each other, waiting for the other shoe to drop and somebody to cave) there’s something there that teenage stubbornness can’t admit to.

and then it’s a happy graduation, because i’m a softy at heart. other romantic headcanons i can’t do without: Sebastian realizing he loves Blaine on a dance floor, stumbling a little from the both the weight and relief of it, Blaine steadying him while his eyes never leave Sebastian’s, who says it right then and there because “I love you” and really, what’s the point of waiting? live while you’re young.

(Seb loves One Direction and was distraught by Zayn leaving. other artists he loves according to fandom: Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, both of which i am in full support of. he’s actually even more Top 40 than Blaine, but they always agree on radio stations, so it’s okay.)

some other headcanons: 

#parisendgame

they’re both early birds and Blaine gives up on making breakfast for Seb — instead they make it together

they both like lacrosse but Sebastian never got into polo which Blaine thinks is a real tragedy, because otherwise they have all their bougie sports in common — the only point of contention is Sebastian will always think rugby is superior to football (“Killer, American football is just rugby for little boys who can’t take a hit”) which has caused fights between them

they’re both competitive and instead of denying it they compete over inconsequential things like ‘who can get the most last minute reservations’ and ‘who does that thing with his tongue best’

(when they do fight for real the level of melodrama is only topped by how ridiculous the make-up gestures are (from both sides) but always ends in actual conversation. this is something Sebastian insists on, and Blaine feels safe enough to share how he’s really feeling. to Sebastian, it’s this “Okay but if we don’t know what went wrong, how do we avoid it in the future? Also stop making that face or I’ll kiss you which will go too far and really, orgasms aren’t meant for when you’re upset. Now talk to me.”) 

Sebastian still had feelings for Blaine when he was helping him propose, and loving Blaine this way is not so much pain as it is resignation

both their parents are separated; Sebastian had a privileged, idyllic life growing up, and his parents living an ocean apart bummed him out until he realized he could exploit it for maximum guilt-tripping value, which he pushed too far — that’s how he ended up back in Ohio

one day he tells Blaine (who is apologizing in that embarrassed son way for something Pam did) that “It’s okay, your mom reminds me of mine,” and suddenly they understand each other a whole lot better

they don’t really have an open relationship — they’re the jealous type — but they’re up for threesomes/proving commitment and monogamy are not synonyms. there a lot of hot men in the world and they’re two of the hottest, who are they to deny people that? public sex in a bathhouse is also on the table

Sebastian doesn’t really have friends. (they’re annoying, and if he likes them he loves ‘em and leaves ‘em.) most of their friends are Blaine’s, a fact nobody mentions it until one day they throw a party and he invites a few people and then it’s “aww baby grew up and learned to play with others :)” Sebastian reacts to this teasing by getting himself an Official Best Friend

Blaine isn’t afraid to swear but he turns into a real sailor after spending time with Sebastian, so you can imagine what it’s like after they start dating

and i’m gonna stop there because this is getting lengthy, but i have so many more … like, trust me people, we could be here all week. honestly tho the most important headcanon will always be:

their magnetism is the undeniable attraction of two people who are meant to fall into step with each other

[boldmistakes]

talk to me more about seblaine let's say post season 6 divorced!klaine

alright alright alright [sunglasses emoji] as it goes:

they’re not in love and they’re ready to move on, and the best/worst part is, they’re okay with that. there are hurt feelings and harsh things said, but in the end, they promise to stay friends. it will probably take them some time to get there, but ultimately, they remember each other fondly

and then for the first time since he was a high school sophomore, Blaine is well and truly single

*lightning flashes*

who, what, when:

i like to think he’d take some time to himself. not time spent chasing down a boyfriend. real time to himself. he learns how to be single and happy. he finishes school, or maybe he hops straight into career stuff. maybe he goes to work for a nonprofit. maybe he travels. but he lives his life. makes new friends, ones who have never met his ex and never will.

(i’m okay with Blaine prioritizing romance, but also my no.1 wish for him is knowing that he could live the single life. there are times in your life when you’re going to be alone. you need to be able to do more than function. you need to be able to live.)

i do think he would date though. a serious enough relationship, six months, a year, and he’s relieved to find he can date and fall in love and move on with minimum tragic Katy Perry piano solos. he’s still Blaine, and he still loves fully, but he’s a Blaine who doesn’t need a compass to find north when he’s head over heels.

meanwhile, Sebastian is also doing a vaguely-defined but very Sebastian-y thing. i mostly imagine Sebastian in a metropolitan life with travel as an option if he gets restless. he’s dated too. let’s not throw him straight into the deep end of a serious relationship; he gets used to people needing, wanting more from him than a dance floor handjob. he still does those too though. c’mon. who is he to deprive the world of his first-rate handjobs?

(today’s random Sebastian headcanon: he’s not afraid of commitment. i think he plays with it: “broke too many hearts to stay,” “man of my dreams,” “by the end of the school year, I’ll have Blaine,” “you take care of that Warbler, Kurt” — he knows the conventions, and while i don’t doubt some is meant in irony, he’s not afraid to link himself to it or make it sound like he and Blaine would be more than a one time thing.

and considering how he always watched Blaine perform, was willing to have many pg13 conversations with Blaine, chat with him iN THE MORNING, HONESTLY WHO WANTS TO DO THAT — seblaine, both morning people, meant2be — well anyways what i’m saying is he’s comfortable doing things that would qualify as relationship duties. and he rolls his eyes at stagnation (“what do you say we shake things up”) but Blaine wants a more exciting life (“you’re so, you know, you’re out there”) so that all works itself out.

basically: my headcanon is that Sebastian Smythe is a 10 and he was just waiting for another 10 to come along before he bothered.)

how.

and then: kismet. or maybe: two people who are finally at the right place in their lives to fall into step together.

Sebastian looks across a room and sees Blaine. or maybe Blaine bumps into Sebastian while juggling hot coffee. maybe turning around on the subway and, Hey, I know you! — as you’ve probably guessed, the details don’t matter. since this in the delightfully topsy-turvy landscape of Glee, emotional realism is the currency of broad strokes. we are our continuing journeys, and we are the marks people have left on us. those people, how we feel, that’s what matters here, so:

Sebastian Smythe hasn’t been pining, he does not pine. he’s thought of Blaine, of course he has. the news of Blaine’s divorce even warranted a bottle of champagne and an ill-advised email (Blaine doesn’t respond to that, but Blaine changed his email years ago; Sebastian had no idea.) now he’s just happy to see Blaine, and that doesn’t catch him off guard. he’s smug and teasing and when he smiles, bright and unapologetic, Blaine smiles back.

“Well well well …” Sebastian will say, because he may be nice now but you never shake that 80s teen movie villain air, “If it isn’t Blaine Anderson, all grown up and still breaking hearts.”

Blaine ducks his head and grins and says, “You haven’t changed at all,” but of course the irony is he has, and so has Blaine, and they both know it. so they make plans to catch up. it’s practically two people meeting for the first time, but they have their respective baggage and respect each other for it.

also, the sex is brilliant. years of practise, baby.

the after.

overall, i don’t think it would be hard for them to get together. they’re both very forward, passionate people with a mutual attraction and want to be together. if this were a fic or an actual Glee: The Reunion movie i’d throw in some conflict but it’s just my wishing on a star headcanon so nah, they cool.

but just so you know they could survive it—!

they’re probably both in some kind of high-demand career, be it showbiz or lawyering or doctoring or who knows maybe they’ve both discovered a secret passion for space and are about to be launched into orbit. with two people who can run that hot and with stressful lives they inevitably bump heads and there are arguments and loud passive-aggressive music with ~meaningful lyrics~ and ill-timed make up sex, but they’re also two grown-ass men who are fully capable of saying “i’m sorry” and mean it.

and since their experiences have taught them how to apologize and work things out, their fights would burn out quickly and then they’d move tf on. i also think that, by working things out to finality with Kurt, Blaine has learned how to forgive properly, and with Sebastian, there’s no doubts or uncertainties about how forgiveness or apologies have been taken. he likes having blunt, open communication, and he knows how to return it, and more importantly, he feels safe enough to talk like that with Sebastian. let’s not get mushy about how safe Blaine makes Sebastian feel either; he might blush, wouldn’t want that.

and when Blaine has Bad Times that all the love in the world can’t fix, i think Sebastian still tries, because nobody ever called Sebastian Smythe a quitter when it comes to Blaine Anderson

and everything else is “Very good, thanks for asking,” Sebastian will say when he and Blaine bump into old high school friends, secretly a little resentful that he pales in comparison to the shock of Blaine’s last boyfriend who was a Glee club enemy so he doesn’t even get to experience the utter hilarity that would be “You’re dating WHO?” … how could Blaine deprive him of that? :’-(

(another random Sebastian headcanon: he’s a shitposter who started to use smilies and memes ironically and now they are part of his Identity)

the important thing is: everything works out just dandy, and Sebastian and Blaine become That Couple who turn up at parties and do drunken Warbler dance combos together, embarrassing everyone forever and being too in love to care

“just give me a chance”

“i will”

[boldmistakes]

'#the key to my heart is things that play up the my dark side aspects of these two' what do you mean by that?

logging in to seblaine asks is a whole other level of joy \o/ i wrote an essay soz

okay SO let’s talk about beautiful disasters. let’s talk about that set uses the term, how kelly clarkson has a song named that about the difficulty of loving difficult people, and some of the songs that have framed Sebastian and Blaine in the show — including a performance of the curiously misnamed ‘(my) dark side’ which is also a kelly clarkson song! (her stuff could soundtrack a seblaine relationship, s2g.)

i LOVED dynamic duets, and what it did with Blaine’s story. it was the aftermath of The Cheating Incident and he was struggling with his self-worth and identity. which, hey! he did something wrong. he’s apologized sincerely but that’s not enough. and now he has to ask: How defined are we by our mistakes? How do we find redemption? and Glee said back, Well it’s messy and it’s hard but you find redemption for yourself. Be your own hero, and do that by being the person you can be happy with.

backtrack a whole fifteen episodes. Sebastian Smythe is on the warpath. he’s a juggernaut of sin and flashy dance moves. but then he’s brought to a stop, and forced to examine his bad boy ways. How does he fix this? well, he fixes this by apologizing sincerely, then going to work. when we meet him a year later he is still trying hard, even though “being nice sucks.” and that’s where everything dovetails neatly.

so we have Sebastian and Blaine and their respective baggage meeting for the first time in a year. and me watching at home with my hand at my mouth going holy shit. it’s not like i hadn’t shipped them since Grant was cast, but this took it to a whole other level. because you know what? Blaine had burned bridges and Sebastian was learning not to play with matches and there’s only forward to go from there, and i desperately wanted to see them go forward together.

it’s not about self-destructive relationships or codependency or running away from your problems or anything like that. it’s about, we accept the past and together we move forward, knowing the other person has our heart. that the other person won’t judge us, because they know their own flaws, and forgive us our own. they’re messy, but they’re real, and they know themselves.

and just like? go watch that performance. go watch it right now. it’s not a duet sadly (oldmanyellsatcloud.jpeg) but they’re still so in sync. Blaine says “guys” at the start but he keeps looking specifically to Sebastian. Then there’s:

Please remind me who I really am …

as Blaine holds his arms open to Sebastian, and Sebastian approaches him with a smile. It’s playful and friendly and hell, even flirty. And in an episode where Blaine is mourning the loss of his “anchor” we have him directly asking Sebastian to help him find himself. like! and then —

Everybody’s got a dark sideDo you love me?Can you love mine?

again, Blaine is singing directly to Sebastian as he sings these lines. this continues throughout the entire song pretty much; at one point when they’re going Can you love me? Can you love mine? Blaine grins at Sebastian who unleashes a big smile back. and then Sebastian is gesturing at Blaine to take the lead as they continue to sing lines about nobody’s a picture perfect, but we’re worth it … will you love me? even with my dark side?

and then Sebastian checks out his ass and calls him Flawless and there are no words for how obviously Not Over Blaine Anderson he is. flawless. it’s a song about flaws. it’s Blaine admitting to his own, but saying — we’re worth it. and Sebastian thinks he’s perfect for it. also super dreamy singer boy, which hey, we all feel that Seb.

it’s just — so monumental to me, because here’s the thing. Blaine is singing this song, which hey, happens to neatly reflect his situation. ofc he’s singing about that ex of his, right? but — his ex isn’t here. this whole thing is set in Dalton, which has never been the ex’s space, but Blaine’s. and Blaine has already told us that he has apologized but his ex won’t talk to him (understandably so) and therefore they aren’t communicating. this song can’t reach him. it takes Sam and friendship to help Blaine realize this isn’t about his ex, it’s about how he has to forgive himself, and find new support systems. and Blaine sings this song to Sebastian, and —

we have no idea who picked the song, but we know it isn’t Blaine. obviously it could be anyone there, but considering that a) Sebastian is the one who greets Blaine and is structured as the one who knows Blaine best there and b) takes the lead on the song from the Warbler side of things and c) he’s the only one there who would have some kind of connection to the song himself … i’m just saying, you basically end up with Sebastian picking this song (or at the very least singing it extremely enthusiastically) about not running away and loving people with their dark sides, sang it to Blaine after freely admitting to what he’s done wrong (“no more bullying, blackmail, or assault …”) and Blaine sang it right back.

excuse me while i take a moment.

tl;dr: Blaine and Sebastian aren’t perfect people, but they recognize this and are always seeking to work for a better self and better tomorrow. combined with the magnetism between them, and how they always find themselves orbiting each other again, and thinking about the familiar themes in both their journeys, i think it would be nothing but fireworks if they finally connected. it’s the thing that makes me ship them most, and i tend to call it the ‘my dark side’ effect because that was the convergence of all these threads into a masterpiece of what could have been.

[boldmistakes]

i would WORSHIP YOU FOREVER IF YOU ACTUALLY WROTE A SHIP MANIFESTO FOR SEBLAINE. DO IT FOR THE TAG, IT'S SO EMPY NOWADAYS.

you know i might actually since i’m all done my babb so my free time to write about fictional characters has expanded exponentially! and as for the tag i feel what we lack in quantity we make up for in quality so there’s always that

stay tuned!

[boldmistakes]

every time you talk about seblaine i dRAG MY HANDS DOWN MY FACE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO PERFECT GOD WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME tl;dr pls never stop rambling about them

cOME INTO MY ARMS for i am similarly afflicted my dear like

sometimes i’m just sitting on the sofa planning glee aus in my head bc i’m a hip n kool kid and then i remember something like ‘you take care of that warbler kurt’ and i’m rolling all the way down to the floor because h o w

honestly somebody resurrect ship-manifesto so i can go on a good and proper ramble about them. we’re talking essay format here. mla citations. the works. i have a need.

tl;dr i never will stop rambling about them

[boldmistakes]

uh i just wanted to ask before i go away, do you have headcanons? like anything specific? college au? soulmate au?

and then blaine reaches out for him and says that he’s a big idiot because the reason they broke up is that he fell for sebastian and that kurt fell for  someone else. they happy seblaines. yay.

this was supposed to be an ask, but then it was too long and yeah.

(sorry i was binge watching the good wife yesterday just saw this!)

well i like fics with a mutual/less tragic klaine break up before seblaine happens! (it’s sad to think of blaine losing kurt completely.) sebastian in this scenario, you know, he’d be kind of snarky even while he pours blaine a sympathy drink and hands him cronuts and tucks him in on the couch. seriously nonnie you should try writing this! i would read it. :D

as for aus/headcanons/concepts i like …

infidelity fic. the quiet, dramatic, morally grey “i can’t help myself from being pulled in” stuff. or a bit darker with straight up “blaine is playing them both for sex” and subtly ruthless about it with a nice, big dramatic blow-up.

[i was into seblaine from the casting notice onwards but “doesn’t bother you if it doesn’t bother me” made me ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[this is why i don’t do fic prompts]

dalton aus. blaine never transfers, or kurt never existed, as long as he stays at dalton. (every seblainer alive breathes a caution to the birds to themselves.) gay boarding school drama, yo. i also love to imagine the power struggles. anyone who thinks blaine would let sebastian step in and play captain has another think coming.

fics where it starts off casual but then they develop ~feelings and take a while to show it.

reunion fic. they meet years down the road with all the drama of high school in the past, and are given a second chance. it’s easy and flirty and fun with just a hint of “oh yeah, that old stuff.”

future aus. where they first meet as adults and are relatively more grown and mature, and it’s all wacky shenanigans and sex hijinks. comedic fic in general? i love comedy. more comedy for all!

comedies and aus. my two weaknesses.

very specifically in canon, i like to imagine some scenarios where they get together:

blaine does cheat with sebastian, or breaks up with kurt [s3] then gets together with him, and it’s predictably messy because, well. that’s not how you’re supposed to start a relationship. they break up (were they even dating? who knows) before working through their many issues and getting back together .

post break-up with kurt [s4] they start up a thing. sebastian’s had time to become less of a dick but blaine’s a little more damaged and it’s a slow burn, tho soon blaine realizes that sebastian has been this constant that he wants to keep constant.

sometime in the interminable future things with kurt are over and they run into each other again and it’s not some big angsty thing, blaine’s gained some more interpersonal confidence and he just goes “well, screw it” and drags sebastian off and things progress from there

funny versions of all of the above

reading these over i do like a mix of most things! a way higher quotient of drama n cheating than you might expect considering i spend all my time laughing about the dumb pick up lines and moe moe reactions between them lol. (as i once described it, “they’re just so dumb and cute and tryhard and out in public they’d be this Sexy Devastating Put-Together Couple but in reality they’d be a couple of hot messes who do crazy shit for love.”)

but i do think that once they really got together it would just be super easy for them because so many of their flaws and strengths work together. and then it would be those trashy nightclub adventures and embarrassing drunken warbler dancing at weddings and all that jazz.

god. i love them.

[boldmistakes]

you are my favorite writer. I don't particularly ship seblaine but I read all of your seblaine week fics and they're truly amazing! what do you like most about seblaine? I want to know :)

i’m pretty sure this is the sweetest compliment you can receive in fandom and i’m just going to lie down for a while and roll in it ty so much sweetheart :* feel free to prompt me in any pairing you want!

okay so pop music, yeah? it’s so good. pop music is fun and catchy and grabs your body and makes you want to dance. sure people call it tacky & tasteless but they’re pretentious who cares. seblaine, to me, is pop music. if they ever dated (which, in canonverse, would have to be after sebastian was a doper person/when he wouldn’t be a sad rebound; au is more free-for-all) it would be so much fun.

they texted each other all the time. they called each other, even

(and supposedly this was all family friendly so it must have been actual conversations)

lbr blaine loves the constant ego stroking & terrible pick up lines

sebastian always gets rly pumped when blaine likes his terrible pick up lines and ego stroking

blaine thinks sebastian’s ¬cool and learns better eventually but he’s obviously really interested in sebastian’s life??

"you’re just so, you know, you’re out there."

they were dancing a drunken “warblers dance combo” at scandals pls

sebastian’s face in dynamic duets. how much he wants blaine to know he turned over a new leaf like ur embarrassing yourself dweeb

"what did i tell you? flawless."

they’re just so dumb and cute and tryhard and out in public they’d be this Sexy Devastating Put-Together Couple but in reality they’d be a couple of hot messes who do crazy shit for love. (i say rachel, sebastian, and blaine could apply their quality boystalking skills to some kind of bounty hunting/detective agency.) and sebastian would make blaine laugh & feel good and blaine would do romantic things for sebastian that sebastian would secretly be all melted chocolate interior over. romantic arrogant sweetheart/sly internally screaming jerk otp.

other important things i think about:

blaine’s need for a steady stream of attention & affection would be filled, and so would sebastian’s steady need of blaine

they even spoke in the morning like who has the time

sebastian didn’t turn over a new leaf for blaine. he did it because it was the right thing to do. he can admit to mistakes, and point out blaine’s — i feel arguments would work themselves out well

sebastian’s like six inches taller than him C’MON!!!!

blaine admires forthright people with exciting lives (june, rachel, we saw this when he met sebastian) and sebastian would totally be like “aw babe let’s go to paris” and other exciting things

dumb nicknames like “killer” what the hell stop it so coupley

how much they love watching each other perform, which Matters in glee-land

blaine does well with people who accept him fully, sebastian needs someone to keep him interested, it works

nobody in their friends circle would understand wtf they were doing together and they wouldn’t care

blaine would always be well-dressed and sebastian would be in like stupid expensive polos with popped collars and embarrass everyone but he gets away with it cuz he’s hot

their hug wow blaine just throws himself into that it’s so important sebastian’s been a friend

s i x  i n c h e s

idk i mean in canon the arc of their story is very sad & complete to me (“just give me a chance.” “sebastian. i should have known.” how disappointed he is) and sebastian has really hurt blaine/blaine’s friends and i’m mad we didn’t get more blaine pov/agency in that storyline. also i’m not ignoring sebastian has said some awful things (hence why it’d have to be after he got to be a doper person) … but for me the good of it outweighs the bad and i love being able to explore the Could Have Been in fic and such.

because there had to be a reason blaine kept coming back, and why sebastian went completely off the rails trying to get blaine. and because once they got together, it would be all club nights and vacations and watching teen wolf together (hot guys and lacrosse, as they both like) taylor swift songs and dirty kesha mash-ups and spending too much money on things like total snobs and mutual admiration and everything fun and sexy and easy.

i wrote an essay i’m sorry i just — we don’t have the days of ship manifestos, you know? sry if this is obnoxious. i don’t feel like i’m explaining myself very well. /o\ also lbr i love blaine a lot so anyone who says this is good in my books:

[boldmistakes]

Right back where we started from (Seblaine, 1/1)

Summary: Who are you? // Whoever you want me to be. (The O.C.!AU) [Day 1: Alternate Meeting; Excerpt] Notes: I wasn't going to post this because I have 22k I never bothered editing, but then others posted excerpts so I thought hey why not. Tiny bit of the fic so I can say I did something for every day. And again, much love to everyone in our wonderful little corner of fandom who has helped make this week amazing. ♥

Newport was designed for lions.

The wide, smooth streets, the manicured lawns, the villas with their infinity pools and tall columns -- Blaine had never felt less safe. It wasn't the fear of a gunshot a little too close, his mom's asshole of a boyfriend looming over him, the idea of Cooper in prison and so far away. It was ...

He would leave Newport soon. Go back home, unwrap his mother from around her vodka, tuck her into bed and sleep himself. School would be starting soon. The lawyer, Mr. Cohen-Chang, said that Blaine's marks were impressive, that he could go places, that the last thing he should want is to steal cars and end up like his deadbeat dad and brother. Blaine could hit the guy. Didn't he get it? Didn't he get that Blaine worshipped his brother, that Blaine was from Chino where you didn't just say "I'll do better" and run off into the sunset?

Blaine had his dreams, silly ones of New York or Los Angeles, his voice on the radio and his name up in lights. He had his more realistic ones, of two jobs at minimum wage and some classes at the community college and a place to live. Right then, though, all Blaine dreamed of was getting out of this place alive.

A scraping shuffle, someone announcing their presence, made him open his eyes. He looked over to find a tall man watching him. No -- not a man. A boy. Cheekbones and a cat's chin and bright green eyes, a smirk curling his lips as he watched Blaine.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, curiosity just this edge of too-friendly.

Blaine had no idea what to say. He had scrapes down his side from the car crash, a felony to his name. That wasn't where he thought he'd be a week ago, before Cooper had gotten a gleam into his eye that meant he had another harebrained get-rich-quick scheme. Blaine had to hand it to Mr. Cohen-Chang; he should have been too smart for that. So really, Blaine was nobody, just a collection of stupid ideas and hero worship and a cute boy talking to him.

"Whoever you want me to be."

"Mmm." The boy grinned. "I like the sound of that. Hey, can I bum one?" He meandered closer, nodding towards Blaine's mouth, eyes hungry.

Blaine nodded, reaching into his pocket and shimmying a cigarette out, extending it to the boy. He accepted it with a murmur that didn't sound like thank you, eyes fixed on Blaine's as he curled his lips around it. Breath caught somewhere in his throat and not feeling like nicotine, Blaine stepped closer, the boy reading his mind and bowing closer so he could light his cig off the tip of Blaine's. Blaine swallowed, watching the pupils expand, devouring the boy's green iris the way he looked like he wanted to devour Blaine.

"Thanks." He leaned back, exhaling a stream of smoke away from Blaine's face, but still staring hotly. "So, Mr. Silent Dark and Handsome, what brings you to Newport?"

Of course he knew Blaine wasn't from Newport. He probably lived here, probably lived right next door in that house which cost more than Blaine's entire neighbourhood put together. Blaine considered his options, the evident attraction, the fact that people here were too rich to care about consequence for attraction, and the fact that all he had to his name was a bike and a carton of cigarettes.

"I stole a car," Blaine said, watching the way the boy's eyebrows jumped up. "With my brother. He crashed the car, they found drugs and a gun --" (I'm just carying those for a friend, Cooper said, guileless as ever, but the judge wasn't swayed) "--so they put him away, but I'm a minor and Mr. Cohen-Chang bailed me out so here I am." Blaine waved sarcastic hands, a little tah-dah, welcome to the life of Blaine Anderson.

The boy laughed smoke. "You know, if it were anyone else, I'd say you were just the cousin out East trying to compensate for a tiny dick, but those eyes -- those eyes don't lie, do they?"

Blaine didn't know what to say to that. He fidgeted, finally breaking eye contact, looking away so he could suck down nicotine. The boy laughed again, stepping closer. Their elbows were brushing now, and Blaine glanced sideways to find himself still under observation. The boy was holding the cigarette and had his mouth open, an invitation or a recrimination or what, Blaine couldn't hope or know, sitting on the tip of his tongue.

They were interrupted by Mr. Cohen-Chang. He arrived with his usual friendly charm, but shook his head at Blaine's cigarette. Blaine, ridiculously and shamefully, instantly let it fall to the ground so he could step on it.

"Sebastian," Mr. Cohen-Chang said to the boy, who waved a lazy greeting. "We have tickets to the talent show, you know. I'd hate to see you get up to sing and only smoke come out."

The boy, Sebastian, was a singer. Blaine's eyes traced his freckled throat up to his mouth. He wondered if he would be here long enough to see that talent show. Sebastian shot a laconic look at Mr. Cohen-Chang, but obligingly ground out the cigarette on the walls of the gate before tucking it behind his ear.

"Good point, Mr. C-C." Light washed over the group, and Blaine turned to see a convertible pulling up, the license plate reading BARBRA with a little star next to it. For a crazy moment he thought Ms. Streisand would get out, but it was just a small brunette with a wide smile, a crop top, and bright pink nails.

"Come on, Smythe," she said, waving him over. "My adoring public awaits!"

"Coming, Rachel." Sebastian called over, attention turning back to Blaine. "I'll see you later, sexy."

Blaine watched him go, stunned that those words had just exited this boy's mouth in front of Mr. Cohen-Chang and the girl. Sebastian took a graceful leap into the passenger seat, and his mind returned to lions, bravery gathering. "It's Blaine," he called after Sebastian, jerking a thumb to himself. Sebastian looked over and smiled, almost sweet, and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Blaine."

Blaine nodded, watching Rachel peel off with a shrieking laugh as Sebastian leaned in to kiss her neck, not sure what he had just witnessed. Behind him, Mr. Cohen-Chang sighed. Blaine started, glancing over his shoulder, to find Mr. Cohen-Chang jerking a head towards he house.

"Let's get you set up in the pool house."

"Mrs. Cohen-Chang doesn't want me sleeping in the house, does she?"

An uncomfortable silence.

"I'll talk her around."

Blaine wasn't so sure about that. He shrugged, glancing off the way Sebastian had gone. His mouth felt restless, and it had nothing to do with the ash ground underfoot. 

tbc or not tbc