Maddox leaned over the bar counter, flashing his fake and ordering two drinks. The bartender just rolled his eyes, smiling as he moved to start on their order. Maddox had been a frequent at this particular gay bar for awhile. He was sure the bartender knew he was underage; just liked him too much to actually give a fuck. It was a mediocre enough place where he could get away with it; and Maddox loved it here. Nobody was afraid to be themselves and everyone was rather friendly. He had found himself fitting in and making friends rather quickly upon his first visit.
Now, Maddox was here with Ozzie. He was hoping that the other boy would be more comfortable being with Maddox in public if they were in a place outside of town where nobody would judge that they liked boys. Thanking the bartender, Maddox took the drinks, sliding Ozzie’s choice of poison over to him and taking a sip of his margarita. “So; what do you think?” he asked the other boy, dark eyes scanning around the area and landing on the dance floor. “Maybe we can dance later.”
NOTES: Marley recalls the events of her family arriving at the hospital after their accident through an out of body experience.
TRIGGERS: mentions of death
‘Where am I?’
It was her first thought when she woke up. Even as her eyes fluttered open slowly, Marley knew that she wasn’t in her room in her home. Definitely not. No, she was in a hospital room that was anything but familiar. That is when it hit her, that’s when everything hit her- Jake’s concert, visiting her grandparents, the weather, the crash. The crash. Oh god. Marley could feel herself panicking internally even though it made sense now, her being in the hospital. Which meant that her parents and Teddy had to be here too right? Marley needed to find her family, it was as simple as that.
She sprung out of the hospital bed and rushed to the nearest nurse’s station, trying to find any type of hospital employee. Marley leaned over the counter in an attempt to get their full attention. “Hello. I’m looking for my parents and little brother- Dennis, Millie, and Teddy Rose. I need to know where they are right now!” She demanded with a shaky voice, though none of them seemed to hear her. “Excuse me!” Marley spoke a little louder as she beat on the counter repeatedly to get their attention. “I need to know about Dennis, Millie, and Teddy Rose! They were in an accident out on Route 30 outside of Portland. I was brought here and I need to know where they are and how they are doing. Please!” Marley was all but screaming at the nurses around her but no one seemed to even notice. They were too busy going about their mundane tasks- filling out charts, making phone calls to doctors, chatting with each other, and ushering traffic around the ICU. Well fine. If they were going to ignore her then Marley would just have to take matters into her own hands.
‘Denny Rose. 39. Multiple lacerations and other trauma as a result of a motor vehicle.’ Marley’s head turned immediately when she heard her father’s name. “Dad?” She wasted no time moving towards the stretcher carrying her battered father being pushed by doctors, nurses, or EMTs. “Dad, I’m here okay? I love you.” Marley said as she ran alongside the bed with the crowd. She strained to listen as the doctor continued talking. ‘We suspect massive internal bleeding. Call OR 8 and have them prep for immediate surgery. Wife was DOA at the scene and his two kids are here. Come on Mr. Rose, you gotta fight for us…’
In that moment, Marley was sure her heart stopped. She remained motionless in the middle of the hallway as the group rushed ahead of her and into an elevator. No. DOA couldn’t mean that in this case. It just couldn’t. Her mom was okay. She had to be. Marley wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes because there was no need. Her mom was fine, her dad was going to be fine after surgery, and Teddy would be fine. Teddy. At the thought of her little brother alone, Marley took off towards the pediatric wing. She could only imagine how scared he was in this moment- being in a place like this all alone after their accident. Marley scoured the pediatric wing to find her little brother, peering into every single open window until she spotted the moppy head of blonde hair. “Teddy,” she whispered before rushing into the room and to his bedside. “Hey you little stinker. It’s Marley. I’m here okay. Your big sister is here. Everything is alright. Everything is going to be alright. I promise.” She whispered to him with a shaky voice before leaning down to kiss his forehead. Marley was not leaving his side until this was settled. The last thing he needed to be was alone amidst all of this.
Suddenly Marley heard footsteps enter the room, only to look up and see her grandparents. “Grandma! Grandpa!” She exclaimed excitedly, thankful that someone familiar and comforting seemed to be here for them. But just as the nurses before them, they ignored Marley too. What in the world was going on? Instead, they both rushed to Teddy’s bedside as Marley took a few steps back, running her hands through her tousled hair. Satisfied with the company Teddy had, Marley took off again through the bare and hollow hallways of the hospital. She needed to find out what was going on with her, find her father, figure out where her mother was, and return to Teddy in case he woke up soon.
“Dad? Dad?!” She screamed, hearing her voice echo throughout the halls, even though she knew that there was no point. No one noticed or really cared. All she wanted to do was scream and scream and scream until someone heard her. But she knew that it was useless.
It was then that she noticed all the nurses rushing into one of the ICU rooms, following the incessant beeping of different machines. ‘She’s crashing! We gotta get her up to surgery! There’s bleeding in the abdomen and it looks like we’ve got a ruptured spleen. This needs to be put under control. NOW!’ Intrigued, Marley watched as the young girl on the bed was pushed in the same direction that her father and his doctors has just taken. Yet, as the stretcher passed, Marley saw a familiar face- it was her. Confusion was clearly etched all over her face. If that was her on the stretcher then who was she? What was she? Did it mean that she was dead too?
She stood in silence as she watched the doctors disappear with her around the corner and into the elevator. Marley felt a million different things, unaware which emotion was more prevalent. Needless to say she was beyond overwhelmed. This had to be a dream, there was no other explanation for it. She was nervous about her Juilliard letter and seeing Jake that her mind decided to play this cruel joke on her in the form of a nightmare. But when she closed her eyes tightly and opened them, nothing changed. No matter how many times she closed her eyes and opened them, this nightmare was still real. Wandering into the now empty room where she was apparently saying, Marley tucked herself into the far corner and sat on the floor with her knees pulled closely into her chest. It was then that Marley allowed herself to feel everything, allowing the tears to cascade freely down her cheeks. In that moment, she had never felt more alone. Where was everyone- her parents’ friends, Tina, Jake? Where were they? Of course, when she felt like she needed someone, anyone really, she was all alone.
As the weeks went on Jesse was getting harder with rehearsal. “Come on, I know you can work harder than this!” he yelled as he paced the floor with the choreographer. “Five, six, seven, eight,” he said clapping his hands to the beat of the music. He let out a sigh as he stood there watching the cast dance. As he looked his eyes fell on Rachel and he put on a softer look. His eyebrows pinched together as he really looked at her. Something was off. She looked really pale and not like herself. Was she moving slower than earlier? That wasn’t like Rachel.
After about twenty minutes he stopped everyone. “Alright that’s it everyone, take 5 and we’ll run one of the scenes. Full out! And you better know your lines,” he said before looking at Rachel. He walked over to her and whispered in her ear, “Come to my office,” he said walking past her trying to be professional like he always did whenever he was working with his wife.
I'll get a kiss to make it better | Atticus & Blaine
who ➛ Atticus Hummel & Blaine Anderson
when ➛ 12/29, afternoon
where ➛ Anderson's residence
what ➛ Atticus comes over to try to help cure Blaine's hangover.
Atticus heaved a sigh as he cut the ignition of his car in the Anderson's driveway for the third time in twenty-four hours. He wanted to see Blaine; the extent of which he wanted to be around him was, admittedly, a frightening thought. Normally, his desire for company didn't have anything to do with a certain person, but rather just a want to be around someone in general. Blaine, though, was an entirely different story. Still, deep down, the idea that Blaine didn't remember anything of the night before- not the kissing, not the cuddling, not even the way Atticus helped him into bed- didn't sit right. He didn't feel any guilt, not really. It was more an immense feeling of disappointment, and he didn't understand why, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Atticus grabbed the store-bought sugar cookies from the passenger's seat and slipped from the car, making his way to the door. He rang the doorbell then stepped back, waiting.
Blaine had been feeling awful since he'd woken up, but he knew that was mostly his own fault. He shouldn't have allowed himself to get that drunk last night, or he should have taken his own advice that he'd given to Cole the other day, and drunk water before bed. He'd woken up to find a glass by his bedside, but it was still full to the brim which meant he hadn't drunk any of it. He'd still been fully dressed when he'd woken up, except his bow tie had been removed. It had taken him a while to actually get out of bed and even then all he'd managed to do was make it to the nearest toilet, empty the meagre contents of his stomach and then swallow down some painkillers. He'd assumed he'd be able to simply spend the whole day in bed, wallowing in self pity but then Atticus had mentioned coming over. For some reason Blaine didn't feel entirely comfortable saying 'no', after all, he liked spending time with the other boy and maybe this way he could find out more about what had happened the previous night. He didn't like not knowing what had gone on, especially since apparently he'd fallen asleep in Atticus' lap! When the doorbell sounded he winced, his headache spiking again but he ignored it and pushed himself out of bed, out of his room and then down the stairs to the front door. He was clad in his pyjamas and if he didn't feel so awful he probably would have been embarrassed, as it was he didn't really care that his friend was going to get a good glimpse of his royal blue matching pjs. "Hey," He croaked once he'd opened the door, stepping aside to let Atticus inside. "How are you?" He asked, closing the door behind the other boy.
Atticus grinned as the door opened, an automatic response to seeing Blaine so dressed down compared to how put together he always was. He felt guilty, he supposed, for being the one to enable the boy drinking so much in the first place, but he was (selfishly) happy that he could come to the rescue and hopefully make Blaine's day a little better. "Hey, Kid," he greeted cheerfully, stepping in and slinging an arm casually around Blaine's shoulder for a short hug. He assumed anything more affectionate wouldn't be welcome, despite how they'd been the night before; it bothered him, a bit, because he never had a problem with being so touchy-feely with someone, but Blaine wasn't just one of the Cheerios. Blaine was an entirely different ball game- out of Atticus' league, he presumed- and he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. "I'm just fine. It's you that needs some nursing back to health." He held out the cookies and nudged the door closed behind him with his foot. "How much water have you been drinking?"
Blaine winced at Atticus' bright tone, not used to something quite so loud when his head was still protesting, however, the one-armed hug was appreciated. He smiled despite himself as they pulled apart. "I do, that's true." He chuckled, spotting the cookies and his eyes lit up. He had to fight the urge to reach out for the biscuits and instead he turned towards the staircase, taking a couple of steps towards it. "I've basically just been in my room all day, but I can bring my comforter down here if you'd prefer?" He wasn't entirely sure if Atticus would want to hang out in his room, but honestly his bed was calling to him. At the question he frowned, "I don't really know. A bit?" He'd had a couple of glasses, but he wasn't sure if it was enough really.
Atticus chuckled when Blaine noticed the cookies, because damn, he was adorable. "Doctor Hummel to the rescue," he replied in a sing-song voice, but the smile on his face faded ever so slightly at the next bit. He really didn't remember anything. He chuckled and threw the smile back on, raising an eyebrow. "I won't invade your room if you don't want me to, but I don't have any problem with it," he replied, shrugging, "I, uh- last night there was a good few minutes spent cuddling in your bed, anyways, so unless you have a problem with that sober, I most certainly don't have an issue with it." He hesitated on the spot, waiting to see if Blaine would ask him up or if he should stay downstairs. "You need to drink more water. You'll feel better if you drink more water. A lot of water."
Blaine snorted at the comment, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs and looking up. His room seemed so far away, but once he got there he knew he could relax on his bed again and that...that would be worth it. He turned back to his friend, his eyebrows rising swiftly at the mention of cuddling in his room last night. Well...that might explain the glass of water next to his bed. "Oh. There was?" He asked, racking his brain in the hopes that he'd remember something but nothing came to mind. "I...no, no problem. Cuddling does sound good." He couldn't deny that it would be really nice to just snuggle up with someone and try to forget about how crappy he felt. When he noticed that Atticus seemed to be waiting for permission he jerked his head towards the staircase, smiling and starting to make his way up to his room. "Yeah, I know. I'll grab some more in a bit." He promised, before he reached the top of the stairs and pushed open his bedroom door and held it open for Atticus.
Atticus smiled softly, wishing desperately that Blaine would have been able to fit the pieces of the night together on his own, but he really didn't seem to have any recollection of it. Ah, hell. He followed his friend up the stairs and slipped into the bedroom, smiling gently at him. "Don't worry, don't worry. I'm not going to force cuddling on you and invade your bed," he promised, holding a hand up as he set the cookies on the bedside table. "I'm a gentleman, after all." He winked before grabbing the empty cup from the bedside table, slipping from the room and across to the bathroom to fill it back up as he had the previous night. He returned, then, holding it up. "I promise you you'll feel better. The more you drink, the better you'll feel." He pulled out a desk chair, then, and sank down on it, facing the bed.
Blaine joined the chat 8 hours ago
Blaine joined the chat 7 hours ago
Blaine pushed the door to once they were both inside. His parents might not know he had a friend over, but he was sure that if they found out it would look better if the door wasn't closed completely. At the other boy's words he chuckled, moving back towards the bed and perched on the edge of it. He gratefully took the glass of water and took a gulp, then he placed it carefully back on his table and he picked up the box of cookies. "Thank you for these." He undid the wrapping, lifted one biscuit out and took a bite. Heaven. He hummed his approval as he held out the box for Atticus to take one. "So...I fell asleep on you last night?" He asked, once he'd swallowed his mouthful. He had a feeling there was more to this story and he really needed to find it out.
Atticus joined the chat 5 hours ago
Atticus waved his hand dismissively. "I'm the king of picking out store-bought cookies. It'd be a crime if I didn't share my God-given talent," he winked, crossing one leg over the other in the chair. At the question, he resisted the urge to dim his smile and shrugged. "Kind of. We went out to the back porch and cuddled for a little while. Carried you out to the car when you fell asleep. Brought you home, you asked me to stay for a few minutes, we cuddled a bit more." He knew he was skipping over a big chunk of the story, he knew, but he wanted to save that for last. He had a bad feeling about what would happen when he revealed that bit. "You, Sir, really like it when people play with your hair for someone who wears so much gel," he pointed out, leaning back a little bit. Atticus cleared his throat. "We, uh. We also made out for a little bit." He shrugged. "Nothing bad. You didn't do anything bad. Although, I do recall you being very enthusiastic about how awesome and spectacular and nice I was, and you promised you'd tell me sober, so. C'mon. Let's hear it." His smile was back in full-force. "How great am I?"
Blaine couldn't help the smile at the other boy's words, finishing off the cookie in his hand before diving in for a new one, that was probably proof enough that he agreed with Atticus. He listened closely as his friend talked over what had happened - well, that didn't seem too bad. He always had been a cuddle whore and it got even worse once he had alcohol inside him. "I did warn you I get affectionate whilst drunk." He could live with the cuddling but then Atticus was speaking again and he could practically feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. His blush was hard and fast as he stared at the other boy. Oh. Oh dear. "We...oh..." He dropped his gaze, his face still on fire. "I - I'm sure you're...spectacular...yeah." He replied although it was half-hearted. He'd kissed his friend. He'd kissed a boy who probably didn't have the slightest interest in him past a drunken fumble and friendship...he'd wasted his first kiss on a drunken, stupid encounter...wow, well done Blaine.
Atticus felt his stomach drop as he watched Blaine's face fall; he assumed the boy would be embarrassed, but this? This was something else. Disappointment, maybe. He was a guy who ran on his ego and this wasn't boding well, but even more so, he felt like he'd fucked up. No matter to what capacity, he wanted Blaine in his life and happy and he felt like he fucked up. Nervously (since when the fuck did he get nervous?) he licked his lips and and dug his fingernails into the palm of his hand. He steeled himself to make a clever quip but instead all that came out was, "I'm sorry." He lowered his gaze and stared at a nondescript place on Blaine's bed. "Didn't know the idea of making out with me was that repulsive." He shrugged slightly. "I can go, if you want."
Blaine started when he heard the other boy speak; his head shot up and his eyes grew wide. "It's not!" He said quickly, placing the box of cookies aside and discarding the one he'd been attempting to eat. He even tried to push himself upright but a sudden, unexpected rush of nausea put a stop to that. Somehow he figured it wouldn't be the best way to comfort Atticus by throwing up on him. "It's not that. I just didn't expect it. I don't normally...do that. That's all." He knew he was probably blowing this up slightly, but this was his first kiss. He'd been dreaming about it since he'd watched his first Disney movie! Still, he couldn't exactly say that now - he might be comfortable with his virginity but it was too embarrassing to say out loud that he'd never been able to kiss anyone before.
Atticus scrunched his nose and looked up at Blaine, resisting the urge to chastise him for trying to get up that fast. "It's okay. I was... Just so you know, I was entirely sober." He held up a hand and nodded. "So nothing that happened... I mean, you were drunk, but I was one hundred percent sure of my actions and what I was doing and I promise it was entirely innocent. There was nothing... I wouldn't let it go past what it was." He squeezed his fist tighter, feeling the sharp edges of his nails digging into his skin. He felt like a shitty person for it all, even though Blaine had been the one who brought up that he wanted to kiss him. Atticus wasn't about to throw the blame around. He shouldn't have done it, apparently, and he knew that now. He shrugged. "I'm sorry, still."
Blaine "I know." He nodded, studying the other boy's face intently. He really hadn't meant to make Atticus feel this bad! It was probably a great first kiss and at least it had happened with someone who hadn't and wouldn't take advantage of him. It could have been a much bigger first that he'd lost! "Did...I mean, I'm guessing I was the one who started it?" He couldn't really see Atticus going out of his way to kiss him, which meant that he'd probably taken his affectionate drunk act to a whole other level. "Sorry. I hope it didn't ruin your night or anything." It can't have been the best kiss of Atticus' life and, yeah that thought was embarrassing. How bad had he been?! "You don't need to be sorry. It's really not your fault."
Atticus shrugged casually, cocking his head to the side. "It was half and half. You brought it up," he began, grinning despite himself at the memory. "Told me you wanted to kiss me, and I asked if you were sure, and you said you were, so I did." His smile faded again at the apology, and he raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would it ruin my night?" he asked, as if that were the most ridiculous idea in the world, "you didn't- hell, no. The party was... It was kind of lame, actually, and not nearly as much fun as they usually are, but I had a great time." He shook his finger in Blaine's direction. "I had fun hanging out withyou. I would absolutely do it again. All of it."
Blaine had to fight the urge to pull a face when the full story was told. It made sense that he'd been the inappropriate one here, after all he had a problem with boundaries once the first beer had passed his lips. He should have known it was a bad idea to go and drink at this party, especially around someone who was...well, there was no other way to say it, attractive. It would have been better if he'd stayed sober and at least acted a bit like the gentleman he'd been brought up to be. "I don't know," He shrugged, "But it could have done and I'd have been very sorry if it had." When Atticus spoke again Blaine looked up at him, his eyebrows raised. Did the added 'all of it' mean...? "Oh. Well...thank you." He wasn't quite sure how to respond. "From what I remember I had fun with you too." He offered, trying to ignore the part of him that really wished he could remember that kiss, if only to know if he'd enjoyed it.
Atticus shook his head slowly, pursing his lips. "I'm a pretty easy going guy," he pointed out, "so it'd take a whole hell of a lot to ruin my night. And even if something has ruined my night, I can assure you that kissing an attractive boy is a great way to turn that around." He winked, unable to help himself, and took a bite of the cookie he'd been holding but neglecting. "I've been to a lot of these parties and I've seen people do a whole number of embarrassing things. You, Darling, have nothing to worry about. I promise."
Blaine felt himself blushing again, although this time he was smiling. It wasn't often someone called him attractive, so to hear it coming from Atticus made up for his earlier embarrassment. "I'm glad." He murmured, glancing quickly at his friend before he reached out for his abandoned cookie. He took another bite to stop himself from having to say anything. "So...it wasn't that bad of a kiss then?" So much for not wanting to speak. He couldn't resist finding out what it had been like. It wasn't going to be perfect, but hopefully he hadn't made a fool out of himself.
Atticus felt better, now that Blaine had a smile on his face; he may have fucked up the previous night but it looked like he'd managed to patch things up a little bit, and he was grateful for that. At the question he beamed, head cocked ever so slightly to the side. "Not at all. There... Well, there are two really great types of kisses. One, when someone really, really knows what they're doing. And two, when there's just... A lot behind it. I could tell you just wanted to be doing it and I mean, for all I know, it wouldn't matter if it were me or someone else but it felt like you wanted to be kissing me and as stupid as that sounds, that's... Definitely one of the best types of kissing. So don't stress yourself out, Kid."
Blaine wasn't sure what to make of those descriptions. On the one hand he was kind of being told that it was pretty obvious he didn't know what he wanted to do, but Atticus also seemed to be saying that his enthusiasm made up for it. He could well imagine he'd been pretty eager last night. "If I kissed you in the first place, of course that would mean I wanted to kiss you." He shrugged, "I don't...like I said, I don't do that often. So..." Or ever. He smiled again at Atticus' reassurances, taking another bite of his cookie and chewing slowly.
Atticus shrugged, keeping the smile on his face. "Well, I'll say it again: don't be embarrassed. And hey, if you ever want someone to do that with sober, I'm right here." He winked and leaned back a little, finishing off the cookie and brushing the crumbs off of his lap. "Alright, so... Now that I've filled in the gaps for you, what do you want to do?" He cocked an eyebrow, head tilted to the side. "Movie? Board game? Chit-chat? All of the above?"
Blaine snorted at the comment, shaking his head slightly at the wink that was shot his way. He was not about to focus on the sudden rush of excitement that ran through him at the thought of it being repeated sometime. "A movie sounds good," Plus it would mean he didn't have to think too much, "But I think you promised me a cuddle buddy too." Hopefully bringing that up would be a good way of breaking the awkwardness that had appeared between them, and if he had a slightly ulterior motive, well, Atticus didn't need to know that. "Are you still okay with that?"
Atticus grinned, poking his tongue out and feeling triumphant. "That I did," he replied, slipping his shoes off. Hell yeah. Eager, he pushed himself up onto his feet and made his way over to the bed, placing his hand atop Blaine's head when he neared. "Feel free to put on whatever movie your heart desires. I'm not picky," he promised, climbing up on the bed, feeling free now that he had permission. He made himself comfortable on the pillows, already assuming that their cuddling position would be similar to what it was the night before, and he held open his arms as an invitation.
Blaine felt himself relax when the other boy agreed to cuddle with him, knowing that they'd gotten back to some semblance of normality. It should probably feel weird that they had grown so close and comfortable with each other so quickly, but there was something about Atticus that put Blaine at ease. He knew that this boy actually wanted to be his friend regardless of their social standings. When Atticus placed his hand on his head Blaine couldn't help but lean up into the touch; it was true that he had a thing for people touching his hair, even if he did use a lot of gel. His curls were horrible, so he needed to keep them in check, but he loved the feeling of someone's fingers running through them. He nodded, standing up slowly and moving towards his DVD collection. Soon enough he had Tangled in his hand and he quickly slotted it into his television, he clicked the TV on, adjusted the volume and clicked play before he turned and walked back to the bed. He sank down on the bed and after a quick glance at the other boy he shuffled closer, settling down in his arms and resting his head on his chest.
Atticus closed his arms around Blaine, pulling him closer and reaching one hand up to his hair, gently running his fingers through it. "Good movie choice," he complimented, despite the fact that he had very little intention of actually watching the movie. He planned to behave, of course- or try to, at the very least- but there was only so much he could focus on when he was cuddled up in bed with someone he was interested in. He worked his fingers through Blaine's hair, gently massaging his scalp.
Blaine sighed happily once Atticus' fingers were back in his hair, his eyes falling closed for a moment as he just revelled in the feeling. He felt stupidly safe in this boy's arms and it was so nice. There weren't many people who could make him feel like this and so he wanted to make the most of this. "It's one of my favourites." He murmured, letting his arm rest over Atticus' torso. He could feel his friend's heartbeat beneath his head and no wonder he'd fallen asleep like this the other night.
Atticus hummed quietly, the hand on Blaine's side slowly drifting up and down until he hit an exposed patch of skin in a place where Blaine's shirt had parted from the waistline of his pants. He decided to linger there, letting his fingertips ghost and tickle across the smooth skin. He wasn't even trying to watch the movie at this point; he turned his attention to the boy in his arms, trying to gauge a reaction.
Blaine kept his attention glued to the movie, not really paying any attention to what the other boy was doing. He could happily watch this film all day, every day and he'd get lost in it every time. It wasn't until he felt warm fingertips against his skin that he started, lifting his head to try and see what Atticus was doing. Maybe this was just...cuddling etiquette that he hadn't been made aware of before? That was probably it. He settled back onto his friend's chest, turning back to the movie but most of his attention was now focused on the fingers on his skin.
Atticus licked his lips, deciding to go a little bit bolder with his movements. He continued to move his fingers across Blaine's skin, poking up under his shirt, now, and tracing random patterns over his side and his bare back. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly, deciding that was probably the least he could do as he thumbed over one of Blaine's shoulder blades. "You're very... Warm. And soft." He flattened his palm over the skin, rubbing down his back.
Blaine was starting to find it harder to actually watch the TV, especially when Atticus' hand slipped higher and under his pyjama shirt properly. He hadn't exactly been expecting this - he'd thought that cuddling would be pretty normal, but this didn't exactly feel normal. This felt different. He arched slightly into the touch when his friend's hand slipped up to his shoulders. "Yeah," He breathed, not quite able to come up with a reason as to why it wasn't okay, even though there had to be at least one, right? "I take it that's a good thing?" He asked, smiling and pressing back into the hand that was rubbing at his spine.
Atticus grinned as Blaine pressed against his hand. "A very good thing," he replied, bringing one foot up to run down the other's ankle, and then he ran his hand around so it was wrapped around Blaine's side, though his thumb poked over his chest. He ran it down, thumb just barely missing his nipple, and as soon as he reached Blaine's hip, Atticus withdrew his hand completely. Instead, he brought it up and ghosted his fingertips over the other's cheek, then he wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders again, this time completely innocent. "Mkay. I'll stop before I completely freak you out."
Blaine felt his breath catch in his chest when Atticus' hand ran down his chest, so close to grazing against his nipple. Now he was pretty sure that wasn't normal etiquette. This wasn't how one normally cuddled up with a friend, was it? He bit his lip in an effort to calm the whirl of thoughts and feelings that were spinning inside him. Heat was creeping along his body, following the trail of Atticus' hand until it was taken away completely. A whine left him before he could stop it, already missing the electrifying warmth. "O-okay." He swallowed, shaking his head imperceptibly as he tried to clear his mind. However, now it was even more difficult to concentrate on the scene before him; all he could think about was the other boy's fingers tracing patterns on his skin. "You weren't freaking me out."
Atticus felt his heartbeat pick up speed at the whine, and it was all he could do not to kiss him right then and there. "Apparently not," he murmured, unable to wipe the grin off of his face as he as he turned his full attention down to Blaine. He ducked his head down, dropping the level of his voice to say, "do you want me to do it again?" He cuddled closer, brushing the tip of his nose over Blaine's hairline. "Because I could spend hours doing this, if that's what you want."
Blaine 's mouth went dry as he tried to think up an appropriate response. He should probably say no and just let them settle back into something that resembled a friendly afternoon watching a film, but for some reason actually saying that was far too difficult. He wanted to feel Atticus tracing patterns on his skin again, and to sink into the comforting warmth of fingers on his spine. He wanted to indulge in the electricity that seemed to shoot through him and the heat that built under his skin. "I -" It was about all he could muster at first, his eyes glued on the screen even though he wasn't really watching it. "I don't mind." He did. He had a preference but voicing it was too hard.
Atticus moved his hand from Blaine's hair, sliding it down his back and up under his shirt again. His other hand did the same, gently tugging up the other's shirt before settling on his waist, his thumb stroking light circles on his stomach. He let no patch of skin on Blaine's back go to waste, desperately hoping to elicit another whine. He shifted his legs, then, tangling them in with Blaine's, one sliding in between and settling there, leaving enough space for nothing to be too uncomfortable but being close enough that if he budged his leg up, things could go to an entirely new level. "Better?"
Blaine knew there was no way he'd be able to concentrate on anything else now. His skin was growing warmer and he was well aware that soon that heat would start settling lower, which could end up making this incredibly awkward. He closed his eyes, acutely aware of the other boy's leg slipping between his. All he'd have to do was slide down slightly and...no, Blaine, stop it. Maybe this was a really bad idea. "Mhm." Even that tiny noise sounded strained to his ears; his breathing was faster now and the soft caresses on his stomach and back were sending his nerve endings into overdrive. "Better." He murmured, his voice slightly breathy as he, once again, pressed back into the fingers playing his spine so delicately.
Atticus continued to move his hands, occasionally dipping the one on his back over to his chest before moving it back. "Good," he murmured, nudging his nose against the top of Blaine's head before he shifted so he could look back at the television. He wasn't paying attention- Blaine felt too good under the palms of his hands and fingertips- but he was tempted to take things further and he didn't think that was a very good idea. Plus, if he paid too much attention to the way his friend's breath was picking up, more than likely he'd be a goner himself.
Blaine could do little more other than lie there and just feel. It was too much and not enough at the same time and that was horribly confusing. He'd never felt like this before and he didn't know the first thing about what to do. Should he stop it? No. He didn't really want that, at least not yet anyway. So instead he had to stay where he was and simply enjoy it. After a while his own fingers began to move against Atticus' shirt, scrunching up the fabric at his side before releasing. He repeated the motion several times, making sure his fingers didn't disappear beneath the shirt.
Atticus probably should have been kind and put a halt to it all- he wasn't an idiot, and Blaine seemed to be incredibly affected by it all- but he couldn't bring himself to do it, and okay, maybe he was kind of an asshole. He definitely should have stopped. Maybe, though, the fact that he wasn't going to take it any further (for real, this time) would make it okay, so he continued his movements, the hand on Blaine's back gentle and steady. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, raising an inquisitory eyebrow. "Or do I need to withhold cuddles until you drink more water?"
Blaine was silent for a moment, actually missing the question until his brain replayed it and he realised he needed to answer. "No, no I'm good. I'm fine." He said, probably a bit too quickly. He didn't want to leave the embrace because he had a feeling that once he removed Atticus' hands from beneath his shirt, he wouldn't let them slip beneath it again. "I think cuddles are the new best cure for hangovers." It would certainly be a nice way to get over them, although Blaine was pretty sure he wouldn't be getting into this position again. He had no intention of getting drunk anytime soon, so he might have to come up with another reason for cuddling with Atticus. Or not...
Atticus shifted one last time, then, so that both of his hands came to rest in their respective places- one flat and strong on Blaine's upper back, the other loose at the curve of his stomach- and he pulled Blaine closer to him, deciding to stop teasing and to instead just be there. "I agree," he said, grinning. "The one boyfriend I had Freshman year showed me the key to curing hangovers. Greasy food, water, and cuddling. Nothing better." He wiggled closer and closed his eyes. "It's good that you have me to show you the way, really. I would have hated for you to have gotten drunk with someone irresponsible."
Blaine released a long sigh, his eyes fluttering shut once more as Atticus' hands came to rest. He didn't know what he wanted now - did he want Atticus' hands to continue roaming along his skin or stay still and just allow the heat to build and seep into his very bones. "You were drinking in Freshman year?" He lifted his head, turning it so he could rest his chin on his friend's chest and look up at him. "That boyfriend was clearly a bad influence." He smiled, no venom behind his words. "I would have hated that too." He agreed, "Clearly I have to be careful who I'm with when I'm drunk; I apparently turn into a floozy." He chuckled, his fingers still stroking at Atticus' side.
Atticus opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side, looking down at Blaine. The other's movements, though small, made him feel warm and he had half a mind to try and deepen the embrace again for a little bit more contact. "Mm, well, he did get me suspended, sort of," he snorted, then shook his head. "I guess I got myself suspended, but it was because of him, so, still his fault." He rolled his eyes and quietly hummed. "Actually, you were quite determined that nothing happened to make you a floozy," he recalled, the grin reappearing on his face. "I distinctly recall you telling me you weren't a floozy when I told you I was going to make sure you got into bed."
Blaine 's eyebrows shot upwards, making a break for his hairline at the idea that this so called boyfriend had gotten his friend suspended. "How did that happen?" He asked, honestly curious. He couldn't imagine how horrible it must have been to have a boyfriend who got you into trouble; it was hard enough finding someone to be with in Lima anyway, but to end up with the wrong sort of guy had to be hard to take. "I think me and my drunken self have very different ideas of what makes me a floozy." He chuckled.
Atticus shrugged casually. "I was young and naive and I let myself get attached. He cheated on me and I got into a fight with the guy on school property. Wasn't my finest hour," he said, lips pursed, shifting his gaze to the screen. He wasn't ashamed about being suspended as much as he was the whole situation in general. Getting in trouble at school was something he didn't do often, but he wasn't a stranger to it, either. The grin reappeared. "You are anything but a floozy," he promised, tapping Blaine's back with one of his fingers. "Sober or drunk."
Blaine felt his face fall. He hadn't been expecting quite that sort of story; it certainly wasn't fair that someone this sweet had had to go through such things. "I'm sorry." He murmured, watching the other boy carefully. "Picking a fight with him probably wasn't the best idea, but I don't think most people could blame you for it." Slowly a smile appeared on his lips once more and he hummed happily, turning his head so that he could watch the screen. "I'm glad you think so. I'd hate to make a bad impression."
Atticus chuckled quietly despite himself, removing one of his hands from Blaine's shirt to bring it back up to his hair. "Oh, my hardships aren't even hardships," he dismissed, because every single one of his problems paled in comparison to what Blaine had been through. He skated through life being entirely apathetic to everyone and everything, just to the point where things didn't bother him. Blaine was strong. Blaine had been to hell and back and Atticus admired him for it, just as much as he wanted to protect him. "Don't you worry. You're nothing but respectable in my eyes."
Blaine "Don't downplay what you've been through." He admonished quietly, his fingers stilling against Atticus' side. Everyone suffered to some degree, no matter how much they might not deserve to, but it wasn't right to ignore those hardships. They built people; they made them the person they were, but to try and pretend that they didn't matter was silly. He leant into the touch, grinning in contentment at the fingers working through his curls. "I should hope so. I'm a gentleman, first and foremost, even if I let a boy in my bed two days in a row." He bit his lip, pressing back into Atticus' hand as he continued to stare at the screen.
Atticus frowned, gently scratching his fingertips against the top of Blaine's head. He liked this boy. He didn't know to what extent- wasn't sure he wanted to know- but the fact of the matter was that it was true. The thought made something warm spread through his chest and he leaned down just enough, on impulse, to press his lips against Blaine's forehead. He let the kiss linger for a moment before he pulled back, tugging him impossibly closer. "Mm, you're only a floozy if they're two different boys," he decided, pushing his fingers back through Blaine's curls. "I'm feelin' pretty lucky that it's only been me, though, I have to admit."
Blaine felt something warm spread through his chest when his friend kissed his forehead. The gesture was so intimate and when coupled with their current position it was easy to pretend that maybe they were something more than friends. It almost felt as though they were...together. Not that he'd want that. Well...okay, maybe it would be interesting but it wouldn't happen. Nope. "You're the only one." He turned his head to look at Atticus again. "The only one for several things really." He admitted quietly, half-hoping that the other boy wouldn't hear it.
Atticus cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at Blaine, curiously. "What's that mean?" he asked, pursing his lips. "Unless you're referring to me being the only one to get you irresponsibly drunk, or the only one who finds your use of the word floozy to be charming, because if that's the case, then yes. I understand." He smiled and nudged Blaine's ankle with his foot.
Blaine shrugged, his gaze drifting to the wall behind Atticus' head. "Both of those," He nodded, "But...there's other things too." He swallowed, "You're the first guy, outside of my family, who's been happy to cuddle." That wasn't exactly abnormal though, most men didn't really like doing this sort of thing with anyone other than girls. "You're the first guy, outside of my brothers, who's stuck up for me." Atticus had done more than that, but Blaine didn't even know where to start with describing everything this boy had done for him. "And...you're the first guy I kissed. Even if I can't really remember it." It had to come out sometime, didn't it?
Atticus felt his mouth go dry at the admissions, but his jaw went slack at the revelation that he was his first kiss. Last night, drunk out of his mind, couldn't even remember it. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. Not with Blaine. "That- no," he managed, his hands going loose as he shook his head. "That's not- I'm so sorry, I didn't- last night can't count," he declared, determination setting in. "That's not how your first kiss is supposed to go. I want a redo. Sit up. Can I have a redo?" He licked his lips and gave Blaine a small nudge to try and get him upright. "You can say no, if you want, but just- last night doesn't count and I want a redo."
Blaine 's gaze flickered instantly to the other boy's face, his eyes wide. "I - no, no it's fine." He said quickly, pulling away from Atticus slightly and sitting up, waving his hand. "You don't have to say that. It's fine, honestly." He tried to reassure his friend. "Seriously, it's not...it's not important." Obviously it was, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten upset earlier but he wasn't about to admit that. "It's just a kiss."
Atticus followed him, pulling his hands away from where they were before but quickly coming to place them on either side of Blaine's face. "It is important," he stressed, and he was sure he looked pathetic- almost sad- as he stressed it. "Last night can't count. You're worth more than a first kiss you don't remember and I want a redo, unless you honestly don't want me to kiss you." He frowned. "Please."
Blaine reached up tentatively, covering Atticus' hands with his own. "I -" His mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to think over what he could possibly say. He'd had dreams about his first kiss, dreams that included fireworks and just the perfect moment, and instead he couldn't remember a single thing about it. It could have been the most incredible first of his life, but he would never know. Now, here he was being offered the chance to replay it. "I - okay." His mouth was dry as he stared helplessly at the boy before him.
Atticus steeled a deep breath, feeling just as nervous as he was egotistical. This wasn't really what your first kiss was supposed to be like, either, but it would be better. Better than not remembering it at all. "I don't know what it is about you," he began, his voice low, "but you're not like anyone else I've ever met. You are incredibly beautiful, you know that?" He flashed a grin and ducked his head down, bringing their lips together for a slow, soft kiss.
Blaine blushed again at the compliment, feeling his lips quirk upwards in a smile. "I've been told a couple of times," He replied cheekily, "By this one guy who's pretty attractive himself." He lowered his hands, brushing the fingers of one hand through Atticus' hair before they both came to rest on his sides. All too quickly the other boy was leaning in and suddenly their lips touched and Blaine's eyes closed automatically. It was an odd sensation at first but the scary thing was he knew he could get used to it. He pressed forwards gently, not entirely sure what to do next, all he knew was that he didn't want to break it
Atticus grinned into the kiss, his eyes slipping closed once he felt Blaine press into it. He shifted just enough to slot their lips together, never pressing for more than just the innocence of the kiss. He deepened it just a little bit, just enough so his lips began to move, and then- reluctantly- he pulled back. He kept their faces close, a bright and fond grin on his face.
Blaine could hear blood rushing around in his ears and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Yeah, this was a pretty good first kiss experience. He tilted his head slightly, improving the angle ever so slightly but before he could get too into the kiss they were pulling apart. He found himself chasing Atticus' lips, catching them for the briefest second before they pulled away again and he let out a breathless laugh. "I - yeah, good." He giggled, not quite willing to open his eyes just yet.
Atticus beamed, feeling incredibly proud of himself for putting that look on Blaine's face, and he preened a little under the response. "Good," he hummed, dropping his hands down to the bed, framing Blaine and keeping close. "All you have to do is let me know and I would be more than happy to kiss you whenever and wherever you want," he declared, ignoring the way his own heart was racing at the mere idea of it.
Blaine bit his lip at the idea that was presented to him. If that kiss was anything to go by then he wouldn't really mind it at all, if only it didn't have to sound so casual. "Thank you." It was only right to be polite with that sort of offer. After a moment he pulled away properly, opening his eyes and smiling over at his friend. No, he wasn't going to take Atticus up on his offer. He wasn't going to be some random guy who was just used to keep him occupied when he was bored; it had been sweet of him to offer a redo of his first kiss, but that was probably enough. They were friends and he didn't want to ruin that by adding anything else.
Atticus felt a little disappointed at the response- or lack thereof, really- but he decided not to press it, because he was happy that they'd gotten to this point at all. He smiled, dipping in for an affectionate kiss to the cheek before he moved himself back, settled against the headboard. He pat his chest, then, and reopened his arms. "I promise I won't cop anymore feels," he teased, tossing a wink in Blaine's direction, "but there are plenty more head rubs where that came from, so c'mere."
Blaine was tempted to just settle against the headboard and enjoy the movie that way, but when he glanced over at Atticus, with his arms spread, he couldn't resist. He quickly settled back in his arms, resting his head on his chest again. "As if I could say no to that." He replied, grinning as he turned back to the film.
Kyle had arrived at University again, his every day routine re occurring in the same fashion as the day before. His cigarette laying against his fingers, this time, it hadn't been his first of the day for obvious reasons. Stress, heart ache. There were his main reasons for it, and for once he didn't care. He smoked what he wanted because quite frankly he had nothing to loose any more. He was fed up of being the pushover and he wasn't going to let it last. Isaac had hurt him, so he was going to confront him even if it was in front of his pathetic girlfriend. He didn't care about the consequences any more, for he believed the boy deserved it. The boy took one last smoke before throwing it to the ground, flattening it with his shoe before turning to hear the crowd of students flood into the University grounds. Kyle knew what he had to do, so, he wasn't going to wait.
Once he spotted Isaac making his way into the grounds, he made a move for it. He didn't care, his mind was set and he was going to tell him exactly what he thought. "We need to talk." He told the boy as he stopped the two of them walking. A growl left his lips as he removed his hands from his pockets. "I'm quite glad nothing happened yesterday because it's sure as hell a good thing since you proved to be exactly who I thought you weren't." He narrowed his eyes. "You're nothing but a coward, a cheat." He spat, "I was the only one there for you when your father died. Yet you wont even fucking admit what you're feeling right now!" He tightened his jaw as he groaned in frustration, his hands moving through his hair. "I hate you..I never thought I would but I do...I hate you." He felt his eyes watering ever so slightly but it was replaced with anger again.
"You're a coward!" He spat, feeling the anger burst through him as he got close to him, his anger evident in his eyes.
