The Only Exception (Lonely No More)

Chapter 6

“Is this punishment for something?” Sebastian whined as Blaine pulled to a stop in front of the bowling alley.

“Says the man who owns his own ball and shoes,” Blaine replied with a long-suffering sigh. Sebastian had been complaining about their evening’s activity since Blaine had picked him up. “Trent says you used to go with them all the time.” When Trent had called to suggest they reinstate Warbler Bowling Night, Blaine had immediately agreed. He was only too aware that in a couple of months, they would all be graduating and moving on. There was a good chance that they wouldn’t all be together again except for the occasional reunion.

“A good leader does what he has to in order to satisfy the masses,” Sebastian replied.

“Nick says he’s going to wipe the floor with you,” Blaine said. If there was one thing he knew about Sebastian, he couldn’t pass up a challenge.

“As if,” Sebastian scoffed. “Duval is going down.”

Blaine hid his smile as they collected their bags from the back of the car. “I don’t know. He’s pretty good.”

“You have never seen me play,” Sebastian said with his typical arrogance. He gave Blaine a suggestive once-over as he closed the trunk. “Of course, watching you play might just be worth enduring a bunch of drunken rednecks who think bowling is an actual sport.”

Blaine rolled his eyes and tried not to think about watching Sebastian’s backside as he sent the ball down the alley. It was a rather appealing picture though.

Sebastian leaned in close as they walked towards the entrance. “What naughty image do you have going through your mind, Anderson?”

“You’re a bad influence, Smyth,” Blaine answered. His face burned a bit at being so transparent.

He didn’t have to deal with any more innuendoes from Sebastian as Trent called out a greeting to them and motioned them over to the lane where he waited with Nick and Jeff. The rest of the Warblers (minus Hunter) had already started to bowl on the adjoining lanes.

Various greetings were exchanged as Blaine and Sebastian made their way over to Trent. The Warblers all knew the rocky history between Blaine and Sebastian and more than a few curious glances followed them, though none of the Warblers were daring enough to ask why they’d arrived together.

Blaine set his bag down next to Jeff and changed shoes while Nick and Sebastian argued ‘terms of engagement’ which seemed to involve betting money on the outcome of each frame.

“They’re about evenly matched, so neither of them really comes out ahead,” Trent said to Blaine, taking the seat next to him. “I think they enjoy trying to beat each other more than they do bowling.”

Blaine glanced up with a grin. “Sebastian whined about coming until I told him Nick was planning to kick his ass.”

Jeff burst out laughing. “That would do it.”

“At least they limit their insults to each other,” Trent said. He was actually a good bowler when he focused, but got rattled easily. Trent glanced over at the Warblers in the next lane who kept looking their way. “There’s a rumor going around Dalton that you’re taking Sebastian to the McKinley Prom.” He didn’t ask if it was true or not, just gave Blaine the opportunity to confirm or deny.

Blaine glanced over as well and the other Warblers made a point of looking elsewhere. “Yeah, but just as friends. It’s kind of pathetic to go to Prom stag.”

“Kurt’s definitely out of the picture then?” Jeff asked. Sebastian was changing shoes while he and Nick continued to trash-talk each other.

Blaine shrugged. He still considered Trent and Jeff his closest friends at Dalton (other than Sebastian). “Kurt’s seeing someone in New York.”

Trent sucked in a surprised breath. “That’s got to hurt.”

“It did, but I’m getting over it,” Blaine said. He smiled reassuringly, not even having to force it for once. “So, where are you guys going to college?”

The conversation turned to graduation and college plans with Sebastian and Nick finally joining them just before starting the game. Blaine ended up bowling just before Sebastian and the latter never failed to make some suggestive comment that only Blaine could hear as they passed at the ball return. There was a lot of good-natured harassment as they took their turns bowling, and Blaine found himself missing the camaraderie that he’d once had with these guys.

They were about halfway through the first game when Blaine found himself alone with Jeff while Sebastian and Nick argued about something that had happened at a lacrosse game earlier in the year.

“So how are things going with you and Nick?” Blaine asked. He forced himself to look away from the view Sebastian provided as he rolled the ball down the lane.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jeff replied. His gaze flickered to Nick and then away.

“And Blaine hasn’t been watching Sebastian’s backside every time he bowls,” Trent said wryly as he rejoined them.

Blaine managed a weak protest which neither of his friends believed.

“Jeff is firmly in the friend zone,” Trent confided when Jeff didn’t answer Blaine’s question. “Nick is even more oblivious than you were when Kurt first came to Dalton.”

Jeff sighed heavily. “I’ve done everything but throw myself at him,” he said. “I do have some pride.”

“Pride, but no boyfriend,” Trent said.

“What are you three whispering about over here?” Nick asked as he plopped down beside Jeff and helped himself to Jeff’s fries.

“Relationships,” Trent said, innocently.

“And the lack thereof,” Blaine added.

Sebastian gave a snort of derision as he took the seat vacated by Jeff whose turn was up. “If you girls start painting each other’s nails, I’m leaving.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Trent replied with a derisive snort. “You can’t bowl with wet nails.”

Blaine snickered as Sebastian rolled his eyes.

After they finished their first game (with Nick beating Sebastian by one point), Blaine decided to get something to eat at the concessions counter. Sebastian followed him, placed his own order and then left Blaine to wait for the food while he went to the restroom.

“F-ing queers. Can’t even have a decent game of bowling without them throwing their f-ing queerness in everyone’s face.”

Blaine glanced over at the speaker while trying not to react. He’d heard worse and had no desire to get into an argument with a half-drunk redneck in a bowling alley. He wasn’t surprised to find that the man was staring at him.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you,” the man said to Blaine. He took a few steps closer while his buddy chuckled. “Why don’t you and your boyfriend leave decent people in peace?”

“I don’t want any trouble,” Blaine said, raising his hands slightly in an attempt to placate the man. “We’re just here to bowl.”

The man continued to rant while stepping closer. Blaine glanced around him, but there wasn’t any way to get past the man. The girl that had been working the counter had disappeared and the Warblers were at the other end of the bowling alley and most likely didn’t see what was happening. He was on his own.

The drunk moved within arm’s reach while he continued to rave. Blaine was still trying to find a way around the man so that he could avoid an altercation when the man shoved him, pushing Blaine backwards into the counter. When Blaine failed to react, the drunk must have decided he had an easy target and took a swing at Blaine.

Blaine, however, wasn’t as easy a target as the drunk expected. He blocked the blow and returned with a punch to the man’s stomach. The drunk doubled over and as his head descended, Blaine connected with an uppercut to his chin. The drunk fell backwards, dazed but not out. Blaine had forgotten about the drunk’s friend though and a moment later he was tackled as he tried to move past the drunk.

The next few moments were a blur as Blaine fell and chairs scattered. After several blows and becoming tangled in the fallen chairs, Blaine finally managed to extricate himself from his opponent only to find that the fight had expanded to include several Warblers and a few men Blaine didn’t recognize. A large man in a faded bowling shirt broke up the combatants as Sebastian helped Blaine to his feet.

“You lot,” the large man ordered the drunk and his friends, “get your sorry asses out and if I see your shadow darkening my door again, I’ll have you all taken in for trespassing.” Blaine assumed the man must be the owner.

The drunk shot Blaine a look full of hate as his friends pulled him off the floor and half-carried him out.

“As for the rest of you, get this mess straightened up and get back to the lanes. If you’re not bowling, I’m not making money.” The owner gave them a nod and then walked over to Blaine as the Warblers began to pick up chairs and put them back in some sort of order.

“You okay, son?” the owner asked Blaine.

Blaine had expected more yelling and was rather thrown by the owner’s concern. “Um, yeah, I think.” He started to stammer out an apology, but the owner waved it away.

“Not your fault. That idiot causes trouble every time he comes in,” the owner said and then grinned with a wink. “Might think twice about picking on someone half his size after this though. That was a beauty of an uppercut. Never seen better.”

“All that boxing practice paid off,” Jeff said with a grin.

Blaine was amazed that the owner wasn’t going to throw them out as well, but he apparently placed the blame squarely on the drunk and his friends.

“We should get you cleaned up,” Sebastian said to Blaine. He looked a little worse for wear himself. “And maybe an icepack for your face.”

“I’ll see if they have something at the counter,” Trent offered.

Blaine’s friends milled around while talking about the fight until Sebastian ran them off, reminding them that the owner wasn’t making money while they stood around talking. When Trent returned with a zip-lock bag of ice and a first-aid kit, Sebastian practically pushed Blaine into the restroom so he could clean up.

“How bad is it?” Blaine asked as Sebastian cleaned the cut on his cheek. The mirror in the restroom left a lot to be desired and he wasn’t sure he wanted to look too closely anyway.

“Cut on the cheek isn’t bad, but your lip is going to be swollen,” Sebastian said. “Your Glee club is going to have a field day when you show up at school like this.”

Blaine hissed as Sebastian dabbed some ointment on the cut. “They’ll probably find some way to blame you for it.”

“They probably can’t wait to say ‘I told you so’. Everyone knows what an evil influence I am,” Sebastian said with a wry grin.

Blaine grabbed Sebastian’s hand and held it until Sebastian met his gaze. “You’re not an evil influence.” And then, to lighten the mood, he added, “Besides, knowing the Warblers, the story is all over Facebook by now.”

Sebastian laughed shortly. “Complete with pictures.”

Blaine poked at his cheek and winced. “Hope they got my good side.”

“Like you have a bad side,” Sebastian said.

Blaine smiled slightly at the sort-of-compliment and then winced as his cheek muscle rebelled against the movement. “How did everyone else get involved? It looked like one of those bad western bar fights when I got up from the floor.”

“I was walking back to the concessions counter when that guy shoved you,” Sebastian said. “The redneck’s friends tried to stop me from getting to you and then the other Warblers must have realized what was going on and joined in.”

“Coming to my rescue?” Blaine asked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He wasn’t a damsel in distress.

“Just trying to even up the odds,” Sebastian said and then grinned. “I had no idea you could throw a punch like that. You are just full of surprises.”

Blaine flushed at the praise. Boxing was something he’d taken up to work out his anger. He’d never used it against someone else before and wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

Sebastian tipped Blaine’s face up until Blaine met his gaze. “There’s no shame in defending yourself. In case it escaped your notice, no one blames you for what happened.”

Blaine let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. He knew what Sebastian said was true, but hearing it from someone else helped him really believe it.

“Did anyone else get hurt?” Blaine asked.

“They all walked away,” Sebastian said without concern. “Trent will make sure the Warblers are all okay.”

Sebastian put the ice-pack against Blaine’s lip and waited until Blaine was holding it in place before letting go.

“Your hand doesn’t look so good,” Blaine said. He’d noticed that Sebastian had winced when he’d tried to straighten his fingers.

“Just a little swollen,” Sebastian said with an offhand shrug. He held his hand up and eyed it critically. “Might be a little difficult to hold the ball though. Guess I can leer at your ass from the sidelines if you want to play another game.”

Blaine had to laugh, even as he blushed. “Silver lining, huh?”

Sebastian grinned in return. “Of course.”

A moment passed while they simply stood there looking at each other. Blaine wasn’t sure if he moved first or if Sebastian did, but then their lips brushed tentatively, not even a real kiss at first. It quickly changed into something more intense and there was no telling where it would have ended if Blaine hadn’t been injured. He pulled back with a sharp cry of pain when the kiss pressed too hard against his cut lip.

“Sorry, forgot about that,” Sebastian said a little breathlessly.

Blaine took a few deep breaths to get his own breathing under control. “Sebastian…” He wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to say.

Sebastian looked away. “It’s probably just the adrenalin rush from the fight. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Wait.” Blaine grabbed Sebastian’s sleeve as he turned away. “What if I want it to mean something?”

Sebastian tensed, but didn’t look at him. “Don’t ask for something I can’t give.”

Blaine dropped his hand as if burned. “What are you so afraid of?”

Sebastian started to say something and then shook his head with a dark chuckle. “We both know I’m not boyfriend material.” He finally looked up. His expression was carefully neutral. “Don’t chase a fantasy, Killer.”

Sebastian walked out, leaving a frustrated Blaine to ponder what exactly had just happened.

 

~ * ~
 

Over the next few days, Sebastian maintained a careful distance from Blaine. He answered Blaine’s texts, but made excuses for missing their coffee dates at the Lima Bean. Finally deciding that he needed to just get away for a while, Sebastian changed his mind about joining the Warblers for their Spring Break beach trip.

The one thing Sebastian didn’t count on was the constant less-than-subtle inquiries from Trent and Jeff about what was going on between him and Blaine. Despite his attempts at deflection – a tactic that normally worked well - they refused to let it go. Sebastian was about ready to feed them both to the sharks.

“What’s with Trent and Jeff?” Nick asked as he dropped into the lounge chair beside Sebastian.

“How would I know?” Sebastian replied in irritation. He’d only managed to get rid of them this last time by pretending that he was asleep. It was hard for them to get answers from someone who refused to respond.

“I’ve seen them watching you with that look they get when they’re plotting something,” Nick replied. He put the back down on the lounge chair and stretched out.

Sebastian snorted derisively. “They’re trying to play match-maker since they’ve done so well with their own relationships.”

Nick shot a confused look at Jeff who was playing volleyball with Trent and some of the other Warblers. “Neither of them are in relationships.” He sounded worried he’d missed something.

“My point exactly,” Sebastian replied dryly.

“Oh, so who are they trying to fix you up with?” Nick asked, relieved. Sebastian wondered if Nick had any idea how obvious he was about his attraction for Jeff.

“Doesn’t matter,” Sebastian said. “If I want to get laid, I can always find someone willing. Don’t see any reason to put myself through all the anguish that goes with a relationship.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Nick said. He cast another longing look in Jeff’s direction.

“Why don’t you just ask him out already?” Sebastian said in exasperation. He expected Nick to start sighing wistfully any moment now like some lovelorn school girl.

“Huh? Who?” Nick asked, startled.

“The blonde that you keep staring at like he’s the last piece of apple pie at the picnic,” Sebastian replied.

“You mean Jeff?” Nick asked as if that were the farthest thing from his mind. The fact that he’d automatically thought of Jeff when they were surrounded by blondes only proved Sebastian’s point. “We’re just friends.”

“You wouldn’t be if you’d man up and ask him out,” Sebastian said. How did these two manage to dance around each other for so long without either of them making some sort of move? It was obvious to everyone else, even Sebastian, who really didn’t care.

“We’re graduating in just a few weeks,” Nick said morosely. “It’s a little late to start something up now, even if he was interested.”

“Uh-huh,” Sebastian said. He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “Fine, graduate, move on with your life and spend the next twenty years wondering what might have been.”

“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought,” Nick said pointedly. “And I doubt it was about me and Jeff.”

Maybe Nick wasn’t as oblivious as Sebastian thought, but he wasn’t about to have this turned around on him. “I’ve watched you two moon over each other for almost two years now. It’d be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

Nick scowled back. “What the hell does Blaine see in you? You’re a right bastard at the best of times.”

“Truth hurts,” Sebastian said, unrepentant. He had no answer for the first comment as he’d wondered the same thing on more than one occasion.

“It’s amazing how some people are so free with advice that they’re afraid to take themselves,” Nick said, still glaring at Sebastian.

Sebastian knew he was being goaded but it would take a better man than Nick Duval to get to him. “Not advice, just an observation. Make of it what you will.”

“Like you’re some sort of expert,” Nick said angrily. “You’ve been leading Blaine on for weeks now. If he ever broke down and actually got in bed with you, you’d drop him like a hot potato the next day.”

“Blaine is intelligent enough to realize that, which is why we are only friends,” Sebastian said evenly. He wondered what Nick would say if Sebastian told him that he and Blaine had slept together (literally, but he didn’t have to add that), not just once, but twice. It was an amusing thought that he kept to himself.

“I don’t get you,” Nick said, shaking his head in confusion. “Why chase after a guy if you aren’t really interested?”

“I am capable of being just friends with a guy,” Sebastian replied, irritation returning. “That’s hardly what I’d call ‘chasing after’ him. You, on the other hand, would rather play martyr than go after what you want. If you want to be the poster child for ‘unrequited love’ fine, but at least don’t force the rest of us to bear witness to your train wreck of a life.”

“Go to hell,” Nick said and stormed off.

 

~ * ~
 

Sebastian went through the buffet line early that night, hoping to avoid his so-called Warbler friends. He was tired of fielding questions about his non-relationship with Blaine, and Nick was beyond pissed at the moment, so any conversation with him was bound to end badly. Sebastian didn’t mind eating alone if it meant peace and quiet.

His hopes for a calm evening were dashed when Trent joined him a few minutes later.

“Have you seen Nick and Jeff?” Trent said in a low voice as if he were afraid that mentioning their names would somehow make them appear.

“I haven’t had the misfortune recently,” Sebastian replied with a sigh of resignation.

“I think something is going on,” Trent said. He sounded worried.

“And why would you think that?” Sebastian asked. Not that he really cared, but the sooner Trent got whatever it was off his chest, the sooner he’d leave.

“They were talking earlier and they seemed, well, different,” Trent said. He frowned as if reviewing what he’d seen earlier to make sure he hadn’t missed something. “Then they left together and it was almost like…”

“Like?” Sebastian prompted.

“Like they were together. You know, together,” Trent said, stressing the last word in case Sebastian didn’t get his meaning. “And they haven’t come down for dinner yet and you know how Nick likes to eat.”

“You could knock on their door,” Sebastian replied. They were sharing a room, which was entirely too convenient in Sebastian’s opinion.

“I went by there, but they had one of those ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs hanging on the doorknob,” Trent said. “What if they’re… you know?”

Sebastian couldn’t believe that Nick would have finally made a move after all this time. Of course, Nick would love to show Sebastian up. That may have been enough impetus to finally get him off his ass.

“I’m sure they’ll come up for air eventually,” Sebastian replied dryly. “Sex does tend to give one a healthy appetite.”

Trent turned slightly red. “You think they really are, you know, doing it?”

“If they have a brain between them,” Sebastian replied. He had some doubts about the validity of that statement, but it hardly mattered to him one way or the other.

“Wow, that’d be great,” Trent said with a slow smile and then blushed. “Not the having sex part. I mean the finally getting together part.”

“Whoopee,” Sebastian said indifferently. “You and Jeff can start planning the wedding tomorrow. Just make sure you find him a soft chair to sit on.”

Trent looked confused for a moment and then turned bright red as Sebastian’s meaning sunk in. “TMI, Smyth.”

Sebastian smiled smugly. He thoroughly enjoyed making Trent embarrassed. “Of course, it could go the other way. Duval always struck me as a bottom.”

Trent covered his ears. “I think I’m going to get something to eat.”

Sebastian chuckled as Trent made a hurried exit. Hopefully, he wouldn’t come back.

 

~ * ~
 

The one thing that Sebastian hadn’t counted on was just how sickly sweet Nick and Jeff (or Niff, as Trent insisted on calling them) were together. It seemed like they were intent on making up for all those years they’d wasted in the space of a few days. It didn’t help that Nick kept shooting him this superior grin, as if he’d somehow beaten Sebastian at something.

The only up-side of the whole thing was that Jeff was too wrapped up in his own blossoming romance to worry about Sebastian’s and Trent seemed to have forgotten about it as well. It was almost time to return back to Lima and Sebastian had managed to spend a few peaceful days lounging on the beach (while pretending Niff didn’t exist).

With no one to put him on the defensive, Sebastian admitted, at least to himself, that he was pushing Blaine away in self-defense. Why put yourself out there when you knew it was going to end eventually and usually quite messily when it did? Friends-with-benefits would have been great, but Hummel had ruined any chance of that with his Valentine’s Day antics. Blaine was even more determined to have a real relationship than before and he was proving quite stubborn about it.

While Sebastian hadn’t planned the first night they’d spent together, he had carefully choreographed the second. He’d done everything Blaine had wanted; a romantic dinner, dancing to the classics, even going to Columbus had been with the idea that there was a chance they could spend the night instead of driving back. Sebastian had turned on the charm and all it had gotten him was an unresolved case of blue-balls.

The worst part of it was that if Blaine asked, he’d do it again. And Blaine had. And Sebastian had agreed. And now Sebastian berated himself for being an idiot. An idiot that was taking his non-boyfriend to the Prom on a pseudo-date. And not even getting laid out of the deal.

Then there was that kiss – in a bowling alley restroom, of all places. It had taken everything he had in him to walk away. There was this voice in the back of his head that kept telling him to give Blaine whatever he wanted, even if that meant a relationship. Sebastian ruthlessly stomped that voice down until he couldn’t even hear it whimper.

“They look good together, don’t they?” Trent gushed as Nick said something that made Jeff duck his head and giggle like a school-girl.

“Adorable,” Sebastian said sarcastically.

“Don’t be hating,” Trent said, turning towards Sebastian. “You could have that in a heartbeat if you wanted.”

“Are you propositioning me, Nixon?” Sebastian asked.

“You should be so lucky,” Trent replied. “I’m taking about Blaine and don’t give me that song and dance about not being interested. I’m not blind.”

“I’m interested in fucking his brains out and he’s interested in happily ever after,” Sebastian replied bluntly. “Never the twain shall meet.”

“If you gave him his happily ever after, he’d probably be more than happy to let you fuck his brains out,” Trent replied.

Sebastian was rather in awe that Trent had managed to say that, even if his cheeks were slightly rosy now. “Whatever it is you’re drinking, get me one,” Sebastian said.

“I’m just saying, if you met him halfway, you could both get what you want,” Trent said, slightly exasperated and slightly embarrassed. It was an interesting combination.

“There’s no such thing as ‘happily ever after’,” Sebastian said. “We live, we die and in between, we make the best of it.”

“I always thought you were a risk-taker,” Trent said. “I guess Nick is the better man after all.”

That was a low blow, but Sebastian recognized manipulation when he saw it.

“I could always fake it and once I get what I want, move on,” Sebastian said.

Trent looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment. “I don’t think you’d hurt him like that.”

Sebastian wasn’t going to give Trent the satisfaction of agreeing with him, even if it was true. “Blaine is too smart to fall for that anyway.”

Trent nodded pensively. “You’re right. It would probably take some major declaration on your part to convince him.”

“Good thing I’m not interested then,” Sebastian said. Trent was like a dog with a bone.

“You could sing something,” Trent mused. “Something romantic that tells him exactly how you feel. Something from the heart.”

“Excuse me?” Sebastian said. Had Trent been listening to him at all?

“Yeah, that’s it,” Trent nodded to himself and then looked at Sebastian. “You should sing him a song at Prom. I bet the New Directions would help if you asked.”

“New Directions think I’m evil incarnate,” Sebastian said, flabbergasted.

“They’d do it for Blaine,” Trent said. He smiled like he’d just solved world hunger. “You just have to find a song that will speak to him.”

“I speak to him just fine without singing about it,” Sebastian said. He must have fallen asleep without realizing it because there was no way he was having this conversation while awake.

“I’ll send Sam a text and let him know that you want to sing something for Blaine at Prom,” Trent said while Sebastian gaped.

“I’m not singing at Blaine’s Prom,” Sebastian insisted.

Trent gave him a very direct look. “Nick told me what you said to him. Time to take your own advice and man up. Or are you saying that Nick did something that you’re too chicken-shit to even attempt?”

He was definitely being manipulated and not very subtly. Sebastian Smyth was not to be toyed with though. “Fine, but I get to pick the song without any input from you losers and I’ll talk to Evans myself.”

Trent’s smile wouldn’t have been so triumphant if he’d known exactly what Sebastian was thinking.
 

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