The Only Exception (Lonely No More)

Chapter 4

 “So, what are you doing for Spring Break?” Sebastian asked as they sipped their coffee at the Lima Bean.

Blaine wondered when meeting Sebastian here after school had changed from an occasional chance encounter to a routine. It was actually rather comforting. “I had planned to go to New York, but now…”

“Winter Storm Hummel still giving you the cold shoulder?” Sebastian asked.

“I haven’t heard from Kurt since – well, you were there,” Blaine said with a shrug. “I haven’t tried to talk to him either, though.”

“But you haven’t quite given up either,” Sebastian suggested.

Blaine sighed heavily. Was he really that easy to read? “Maybe if I get into NYADA, we could try again.” Kurt had suggested it and Blaine had shot it down at the time, but maybe they could work things out if they were at least in the same city.

“Did someone steal your backbone while I wasn’t watching?” Sebastian scoffed. “You made more sense when you were hung-over.”

Blaine hung his head with a groan. He knew Sebastian was right, but he just couldn’t let it go. What was wrong with him?

“Let’s talk about something else,” Blaine said. He’d spent enough time brooding over Kurt and their non-relationship. “What are you planning for Spring Break? I heard the Warblers were going to the beach. Sounds like a good opportunity to break a few hearts.”

“Doesn’t it though?” Sebastian answered with a grin, but then he shrugged. “I don’t know. My parents are going on a cruise, so I’d have the house all to myself for a whole week. That doesn’t happen too often.”

“Nothing much to do around here,” Blaine said.

“There are still plenty of eligible men I haven’t done yet,” Sebastian replied. “Once I leave after graduation, I don’t plan on coming back. It would be a shame to deprive them of this.” He motioned to himself with a cocky grin.

Blaine shook his head with an amused smile. Sebastian would never change. “Where are you thinking of going to college?” Blaine asked.

“As far away from Ohio as possible,” Sebastian said. “Maybe some place sunny with lots of hot, tan men just ripe for the picking.”

“I thought you’d be heading for an Ivy League school,” Blaine said.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think the Warblers will be going Ivy League any time soon,” Sebastian replied dryly. “Not unless their parents are willing to offer a lot bigger… donation than mine.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” Blaine said. It was a shame that one mistake had cost his friends so much.

“That was my father’s dream, not mine,” Sebastian said indifferently. “No great loss.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m guessing that you’re New York bound.”

Blaine shrugged with a tired sigh. “I applied to CalArts, too. Hopefully, I’ll get into one of them.”

“What prompted that?” Sebastian asked.

“Cooper practically forced me to fill out the application,” Blaine said with a slight laugh. “He said I could stay with him and we could do the brother-bonding thing.”

“You aren’t interested in going there?”

“Depends on which day you ask,” Blaine admitted. “It would be nice to get to know Cooper better, but…”

“Kurt is in New York,” Sebastian finished.

Blaine shrugged, ashamed of how pathetic he was to pine after a guy that had obviously moved on. “Why can’t I let it go?”

“Because you are an incurable romantic,” Sebastian said, shaking his head.

“Sometimes I think your way would be a lot easier,” Blaine replied. He expected Sebastian to throw out a blatant invitation to take this somewhere more private.

“Easier, sure, but it’s not who you are,” Sebastian replied. For once, he was surprisingly serious. “Don’t let this change you into someone else.”

“I knew there was a decent guy in there just trying to find his way out,” Blaine said.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Anderson,” Sebastian said with a grin. “I was born with a heart two sizes too small.”

“I don’t believe that,” Blaine said softly. “You told me that you wanted to be a better person. Letting yourself love someone, even if it is a little scary, is the best it gets.”

“And that is why you just can’t let it go,” Sebastian replied.

Blaine wasn’t surprised that Sebastian turned the conversation back around. He never wanted to talk about himself in any real way. “Are you saying that you never, not even once, wanted to take things further than just a one night stand?”

Sebastian swirled his coffee around in his cup without looking up. “Maybe fate is just conspiring against me.”

“It’s not that difficult, Sebastian. Drop the attitude and try a little romance,” Blaine said.

“Romance is highly over-rated,” Sebastian answered with a disparaging look. “I’ll leave that to you.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Blaine said, shaking his head in exasperation. “There wouldn’t be so many songs about it if so many people didn’t believe in it.”

Sebastian chuckled slightly. “And I bet you know every one of them.”

Blaine was slightly irritated at the dig. “You’re just too afraid to put yourself out there.” He sat back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sebastian raised a brow slightly and took a sip of his coffee before answering. “Be romantic, huh? How exactly do I pull that off?”

“Ask a guy out – on a real date. I know you know how to be a gentleman.”

Sebastian mulled that over for a moment. Blaine was a little worried when a devilish gleam lit Sebastian’s eye.

“Where should I take you on this date?” Sebastian asked.

Blaine started to answer and then floundered as he realized what Sebastian had said. “Me?”

“It’s your idea and you’re the only one interested in seeing that I’m rehabilitated,” Sebastian said with that sly grin of his. “You and Hummel aren’t together anymore, so, why not you?”

Blaine narrowed his eyes as he thought that over. He had suggested it and, coming from Sebastian, it was more like a dare than a date. It certainly wasn’t a promise to become boyfriends or anything like that. “Well, a traditional date involves picking up your date, meeting the parents – we can skip that part though – dinner, a mutually agreeable activity and maybe coffee with dessert afterwards.”

“Or a nightcap at the date’s house which leads to a killer make-out session on the sofa and ends up in the date’s bed with little or no clothing?”

Blaine’s face grew slightly warm. “It’s a first date, Sebastian.”

“Your point?” Sebastian asked innocently.

“Gentlemen,” Blaine emphasized the word, “don’t have sex on the first date.”

“How many dates does it take?” Sebastian asked, still oozing ingenuousness.

Blaine huffed out a breath and frowned. “There isn’t a set number. You just know when it feels right.”

“Forget the date then. Feels right to me now,” Sebastian said with a wicked grin.

Blaine realized that arguing with Sebastian wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Dinner, dancing, dessert - no sex.” Blaine wasn’t sure why he said dancing, maybe just because it seemed to flow with the other words.

“Spoilsport,” Sebastian said without ranker. “How about a good night kiss?”

Blaine smiled slightly. “On the cheek, if you behave yourself.”

“Slow-dancing?” Sebastian asked, leaning forward with an amused grin.

“A gentleman keeps the proper distance when dancing,” Blaine answered. He was starting to enjoy these negotiations. “At least a hands-breadth between bodies.”

Sebastian slid his hand across the table and ran one of his long fingers over the back of Blaine’s hand. “Holding hands?”

Blaine swallowed around a sudden lump in this throat. “It’d be difficult to dance otherwise.”

“And when we aren’t dancing?” Sebastian pressed. “Just want to make sure I don’t do anything crass,” he clarified.

“Holding hands is acceptable,” Blaine said. He picked up his cup and took a sip, making sure to leave neither hand on the table. He hadn’t expected that thrill from just a touch. Sebastian was starting to get into his head.

Sebastian licked his lips slowly. “Any other touching allowed?”

Only Sebastian could make such a simple question sound like a seduction.

“As long as it stays above the waist,” Blaine said, slightly flustered.

“I’m guessing that you would prefer to keep this date just between us,” Sebastian said.

Blaine tried to decide where the catch was as he nodded. He knew Sebastian was up to something.

“There’s a great little dinner club in Columbus. They have a live lounge singer and a small, but intimate dance floor. I doubt we’d run into anyone we know there.”

Blaine was having a little trouble focusing on what Sebastian was saying. There was something about the way he was talking in almost a purr that sent shivers down Blaine’s back. “That sounds good.”

Sebastian sat back with a satisfied grin. “Mr. Anderson, would you do me the privilege of accompanying me on a date?”

Blaine barely managed to pull himself together. “I would be honored, Mr. Smyth.”

As he sipped his coffee, Blaine wondered what he had just agreed to. Trying to prove to Sebastian that romance beat out meaningless sex was a long shot at best. Trying to remind himself that romance beat out meaningless sex while Sebastian did his best to seduce him was a recipe for disaster.

 

~ * ~
 

“This is really nice,” Blaine said as they finished off their meal at the small dinner club. He’d been reminding himself all week that his goal was to prove to Sebastian that dating could be more satisfying than just having a one-night stand. “It’s actually quite romantic,” Blaine added with a small smile.

Sebastian returned the smile. He was actually quite handsome when he wasn’t throwing out pick-up lines. “I never said I didn’t know how to do romance, just that I wasn’t a romantic.”

“You’re doing a good imitation,” Blaine said with a wider grin. Sebastian was never going to admit that he was enjoying himself, but Blaine knew better.

“Hmm, maybe I should go into acting,” Sebastian mused. “Think of all the guys I could have without even lifting a finger.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “All you’d need is one silly commercial and everyone would fawn all over you.”

“Do I sense a bit of sibling rivalry, Killer?” Sebastian asked.

“Let’s not talk about Cooper,” Blaine said. He loved his brother, really he did. He just didn’t get why everyone - including Cooper - thought Cooper was so great.

“I believe that it’s time for the dancing portion of our date,” Sebastian said. He stood and held out a hand for Blaine to take.

The music catered to the older crowd that tended to frequent the club, but the singer and piano player were better than average and Blaine liked all kinds of music anyway. The dimly lit dance floor wasn’t very large and was secluded from the rest of the club by pillars and large plants. It was almost like they were alone.

“How did you ever find this place?” Blaine asked. “It doesn’t seem like someplace you’d frequent, considering your attitude about romance.”

Sebastian pulled him close (but not too close, per their agreement) and began to sway to the slow music that was playing. “My grandparents used to like to have dinner here. After my grandfather passed, my grandmother would bring me with her.”

“Did she teach you how to dance?” Blaine asked. Sebastian sounded almost wistful.

“Oh, yes. She was a feisty old lady,” Sebastian said fondly. “She would always order something fruity to drink for herself and then a brandy which she’d let me have. I think that was Grandfather’s favorite drink.”

“She sounds like a special person,” Blaine said. His own grandparents had never been close enough for him to get to know well.

“Yeah, she was,” Sebastian said. He pulled Blaine a bit closer so that they were cheek to cheek and hummed along with the song.

The music changed to something a little more upbeat and Blaine discovered that Sebastian actually was a good dancer. He knew all the classic dances that Blaine had been forced to learn growing up, but had never used.

“It’s a little different when I’m not leading,” Blaine complained as he missed a step.

Sebastian chuckled. “You can lead the next one.”

They traded off leading songs until another slow one came on. There were only a few other couples dancing and they didn’t seem to be paying any attention to the two young men.

“This is really nice, Sebastian,” Blaine said. “I’m glad you thought of it.”

Sebastian merely hummed an acknowledgement in Blaine’s ear. One of Sebastian’s hands was lightly resting on Blaine’s waist and the other clasped one of Blaine’s against his chest. Blaine could feel Sebastian’s heart beat against his palm. For someone who claimed not to be a romantic, Sebastian really was faking it well.

As Sebastian lead Blaine around their corner of the dance floor, he slowly stroked the back of Blaine’s captured hand with his long, strong fingers. The sensation was sending little sparks along Blaine’s nerve endings and his breathing picked up a bit.

“Did I tell you how hot you look in that suit?” Sebastian said softly. “There is just something so appealing about a well-dressed man.”

Unlike his usual compliments, this one sounded sincere and not the least bit like a come-on. Blaine found himself flushing with pleasure even as he tried to remind himself that it was still Sebastian.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Blaine replied. “You’re rather striking yourself tonight.” He could feel Sebastian’s smile against his cheek.

Sebastian remained a perfect gentleman during the next few songs, all of them slow, and Blaine found himself getting more and more turned on by the little things that Sebastian kept doing. The way his hand moved just slightly against his waist, the way his lips brushed Blaine’s cheek without becoming an outright kiss and especially the way he held Blaine’s hand against his chest while humming softly into his ear.

There was no way Blaine was going to admit that Sebastian was getting to him though. He refused to give Sebastian the satisfaction.

“Not that I’m in any hurry to leave, but we do have a long drive back,” Sebastian said.

Blaine didn’t want to leave though. “We could get a room for the night,” Blaine said. He rushed to make sure Sebastian didn’t take it wrong though. “We’ve shared a bed before without it being anything… ungentlemanly.” However, Blaine’s thoughts were anything but gentlemanly at that moment. Sebastian didn’t need to know that though.

“You’re going to ruin my reputation, Killer,” Sebastian said with a light chuckle. “Men everywhere are going to think I’ve gone soft.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Blaine said with grin of his own. “The world might come to an end if it became known that Sebastian Smyth was actually a gentleman in wolf’s clothing.”

They danced on until the club closed and found a hotel not far away – upscale, of course. Sebastian didn’t do anything by halves.

“Shall we have our coffee and dessert now or wait until morning?” Sebastian asked as he closed the door to the hotel room behind them.

Despite himself, Blaine yawned. “Morning, I think. I’m beat.” There was a sofa near the entrance to the room while the actual bed was in a room by itself.

“I can sleep on the sofa, if you’d rather,” Sebastian offered from just behind Blaine. He’d placed both his hands on Blaine’s shoulders and Blaine could feel Sebastian’s hot breath against his neck as he spoke.

“No reason for that,” Blaine said, against his better judgment. In this case, he wasn’t sure that he trusted himself. “The bed is huge. I doubt I’ll even know you’re there.” Unless Sebastian insisted on cuddling like he had last time. Blaine’s breath hitched at the thought.

“Do you mind if I sleep in just a t-shirt and shorts? Don’t really want to walk through the lobby in the morning in wrinkled clothes and I didn’t bring a change,” Sebastian asked.

Blaine swallowed hard at the thought of Sebastian sleeping next to him with so little on. “Sure, that makes sense.”

They took turns in the bathroom and then climbed under the covers of the huge bed. The sheets were chilly at first, but when Sebastian curled up against his back, Blaine felt like he’d been covered with an electric blanket.

“Is this okay?” Sebastian asked.

“It’s fine,” Blaine managed to choke out. It was more than fine. It was so much more than fine, but he wasn’t admitting that to Sebastian.

Blaine’s breath hitched as Sebastian shifted slightly and leaned over enough to kiss his cheek.

“Good night, Killer,” Sebastian said.

Blaine held his breath as Sebastian settled back again and then let it out shakily when it became obvious that Sebastian wasn’t going to do anything else.

Relaxing with a hot, barely dressed man pressed against his back was next to impossible, but Blaine refused to move away. That would be admitting that Sebastian was getting to him. He tried not to notice the bare legs that became tangled with his; to disregard the fingers that were clasped lightly through his; to pay no heed to the hot breath against his shoulder; to ignore the muscular torso pressed against his back.

Damn, it was going to be a long night.  
 

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