elliott.

It’s funny, really – here Elliott was, constantly fighting the idea he was an IMPOSITION on Blaine. The idea that he was less than, nothing but a quick fuck like he’d been told he was again and again, that people had made him feel over the years – even people he trusted immensely. 

He’d grown into that far, FAR too young. 

But Blaine felt so similarly, and Elliott knew they both just needed a little more LOVE, a little more reminding and attentiveness. They both needed a partner like the other, and it was evening out into something altogether more BEAUTIFUL. 

Once Blaine had turned, Elliott’s hands snaked around his waist, chin gently resting atop his partners shoulder as he just looking him over for a moment in the mirror. 

Then hands were sliding up his sides, Elliott tip-toeing up behind, across Blaine’s shoulder blades with an affectionate pressure, ending their journey in his hair. Complete with another playful little TUG at the curls. 

“Don’t look at me, look at you.” The hands that made their way back down, so full of gentle, loving touches that held nothing but affection. That made Elliott’s point without ever having to use words: Blaine was BEAUTIFUL, and so perfectly IMPERFECT, and Elliott only wished he saw half of what he saw in him. That Blaine could view what Elliott did in that mirror. 

Blaine sighed as he relaxed back against Elliott’s chest.  Feeling his chin press against his shoulder, he reached back to push his fingers through Elliott’s thick hair not once blinking out of fear that he might break their eye contact.  Mirrored or not?  Elliott had a way of making him breathless with that sort of stare.  

Until he broke it and Blaine watched as Elliott looked him over.  With a curl of his fingers against his scalp, Blaine slowly pulled his hand free and rested it on top of Elliott’s forearm.  Now both rested there, holding on and making sure Elliott’s hold on him didn’t falter. 

Their quiet was nice.  Simple and without a need to fill it up right away.   He shifted as Elliott did, letting arms fall loose as his eyes closed with the touch over his shoulders.  Heaven.  It felt like heaven and Blaine bit into his lip when the lengths of Elliott’s fingers buried into his hair.  

A tiny curve of his lips let him keep his not so playful reaction to that tug more of the playful sort and not groan-worthy as it might’ve been had he not caught himself.  The stupid expression was still there when Elliott’s voice drew his eyes open and his breath caught cutting off his initial protest.  Instead?  He listened.  Slowly.  His gaze shifted from Elliott to his reflection with his loose curls hanging near his eyes and he quickly decided he probably needed a haircut.  

Goosebumps prickled up in the wake of Elliott’s fingertips and he tilted his head at himself.  Blaine understood what Elliott was trying to say without words and it was beyond sweet.  Beyond kind.  Typical Elliott but something Blaine hoped wouldn’t change.  “Thank you,” he whispered letting his head rest against the slope of Elliott’s neck and collarbone. “Thank you for being you. And for us.”