It was dark and Hunter was right there. A piercing, expectant glare that even in the dim lighting made Blaine’s insides twist up into a dozen tightly pulled knots. Six minutes, thirty seven seconds to go. Blaine was sure he could count the number of times in his life where thirty seconds ever felt so LONG. They were already in a stand-off. Not a word was spoken ever since the door was closed. The silence so thick that Blaine was sure he could cut it with a knife if he tried. Outside the door, the murmurs of the other Warblers died out. They were listening. Probably waiting to see who was going to kill the other one first because the friction between the two was getting so bad that neither one of them could keep it private anymore.
Six minutes.. And counting..
A graze of fingertips over his wrist turned stronger, tighter. Was Hunter challenging him? Blaine’s eyes narrowed and snapped down just as he was pulled forward fast enough that he tripped the few steps and landed against Hunter’s chest. It was rising and falling, fast but deep. The silence continued. Again that stare was waiting for him when he looked up. The shadows didn’t do him any favors in offering him a break. Because he saw the arch of a single brow. Hunter infuriated him every time he did that. The military born former Captain knew it was a weakness. That it made him lock up, made his hands tremble. Not today.
Fine. If he wanted a challenge.. He could have what he expected from him the first time. Before Blaine walked away..because they were on a slippery slope to punches being thrown. Or a full blown huge mistake of letting the opposite happen again. At five minutes, Blaine cinched his teeth together and felt his restraint break. The kiss knocked their teeth together and Blaine was sure he cut his lip on Hunter’s. Or came damn close to it. But, enough was enough. And his tongue soothed his own lip before breaking through the barrier between Hunter’s lips and seeking out his. Nevermind at four minutes at fifty-six seconds, Blaine let out a throated noise he hated himself for making, fingers curled against Hunter’s neck. He should just choke him, do the world a favor. But instead, they pulled him closer.
( mssg » blaine | sent ) Shocking, isn’t it? ( mssg » blaine | sent ) What a coincidence. Think it means something? ( mssg »
blaine
| sent ) Yes, Blaine. You are allowed. It’s been mostly sweet thoughts. Imagining you close to me. The closer you get, the less sweet it gets, but it all begins with a kiss or two. Maybe a date. In fact I imagined a time too. How strange. ( mssg »
blaine
| sent ) How does eight sound?
( mssg » hunter | sent ) Pleasantly shocking. ( mssg » hunter | sent ) Maybe it does. What do you think that could be? ( mssg » hunter | sent ) I think I love how those thoughts both start and end. Though I hope “less sweet” is a good reason. Not one where you’re cringing because it went too sweet.
( mssg » hunter | sent ) A date? I’d love to. How strange, indeed. You picked a time where I am perfectly free. Eight o’clock it is.
( mssg » hunter | sent ) I have been? ( mssg » hunter | sent ) Weird. You’ve been on mine, too. Imagine that. ( mssg » hunter | sent ) Am I allowed to ask what you’ve been thinking about? I’ll share my thoughts if you share yours?
( mssg » hunter | sent ) Are we talking to one another yet? I can’t keep pretending what happened after practice didn’t. I keep trying to tell myself I don’t care if you hate me but that’s a lie. Today was awful and tomorrow is just going to be worse. ( mssg » hunter | sent )
I didn’t come back for things to be like this. ( mssg » hunter | sent )
What was Hunter supposed to do? Deal with this rationally? Think it through && make a new plan? Hell he’d be lucky if he could finish a single thought with the fire destroying his organized brain. A fire called Blaine Anderson. One full of passion, rage, &&confusion. It all started as a flicker that Hunter aimed to mold into another follower. Nothing put a controlled flame. Then emotions coated his mind like gasoline && everywhere was a danger zone. Any wrong move && the whole place would light up. && so it did. Everything burst into flames the moment Hunter initiated this fight. He tipped over the one thing holding Blaine in place && now he was everywhere. In every thought, in every room, in every fiber of Hunter’s being — he saw Blaine. It wasn’t something you could walk away from. It wasn’t like Hunter could read the warning signs && try to put out whatever the hell the two Warblers started. Instead it brought a long awaited sense of warmth. With a burn of course, but he could handle it. He wanted to engulf himself in everything Blaine was. What he wanted him to be. His imagination was running wild.
Feeling the air between them allowed Hunter to focus again. It helped him breath easier. It felt almost lighter with him out of the way, yet his chest still felt heavy with guilt. Seeing gloss coat the others eyes, watching as he did everything in his power to hide it… Those were things that Hunter quickly mimicked. Every tear, every ounce of regret, they’d share. They were connected, as toxic as it may be. “I’m the one who’s ruined things. Always am.” He confessed, a long awaited sentence that plagued him from the moment his father turned cold. Now wasn’t the time for his past to haunt him. It wasn’t even the time for this to haunt him. Right about now was the moment in which Hunter should be walking away && finding something to erase the scene they just displayed. Ignoring issues, fighting feelings, never getting what he truly desired? Those were all things Hunter Clarington was used to. So what made the situation with Blaine so different? “I want to do it again. I wanted to kiss you, again. — But I’m not finishing things. Normally I would, but then again normally I wouldn’t of let any of this happen. Funny how things change.” He faked a confident grin but it was quickly overshadowed by the tears that chose to stray, leaving damp marks on his cheeks. In a moment of boldness, Hunter closed a bit more space once again. His presence was dominant && frankly threatening, but he wouldn’t hurt Blaine. Not with his fists anyways. “Crying doesn’t suit you. Doesn’t suit anybody.” He noted, making a point to be as stand offish as he could manage. Being lovey dovey really wasn’t in his registry. He had to express himself the only way he knew how. “Why wont you just finish this? Why don’t you want to? Stand up for yourself damn it. I’m the one with a rule book. You’re free to make your own choices. So MAKE THEM.”
Blaine felt so LOST. Standing here unable to move like he couldn’t will a single limb to give barely a twitch let alone get him out of here. To disconnect and try to make all of what was happening stop. That’s what he wanted. For everything to quit spiraling so out of control. When staring at the ceiling failed to keep tears of frustration, hurt, anger away and he felt them along the bridge of his nose–his throat tightened and he looked back at Hunter seeing the other was doing the same. Hunter was crying. Blaine felt a swell of guilt explode inside the tangled mess that confusion and anxiety twisted inside his gut. Gravity shifted, pulling everything down to rock bottom when his mouth still could taste Hunter’s with one sweep of his tongue. The two emotions didn’t go together. They should never go together. It wasn’t healthy, it wasn’t okay and it was all happening so fast that he couldn’t break away and collect himself.
Hunter wanted to kiss him again? Hazel eyes went round in bewilderment. Blaine opened his mouth but this whirlwind they in that Hunter created spun him in a different direction. There were tears that weren’t his own. The want to reach out and pull Hunter from whatever place he was in to make them come was overrode with caution and Blaine remained still. “I’m sorry, please don’t–..” ..cry. Please. Don’t cry. Seconds were worsening an already impossible situation, he clamped his mouth shut before the sentence ended. The universe did him a favor as Hunter prowled closer–Blaine took an instinctive step backwards. How could Hunter say that when he, himself, was shedding them? A sight Blaine wasn’t sure how to process because he never expected to see Hunter Clarington let himself cry. His body tensed the further he was chided. Tears dried up. Who cared if he had to chew on his lip so hard it hurt?
“Finish this,” he finally muttered and wiped away any traces of wet from his cheeks with the wrist of a shaking hand. “Sure.. I’ll finish it.” Swallowing thick and steadying his jaw, Blaine stared up into Hunter’s eyes and sighed heavily through his nose. Tight lips rolled between his front teeth as he found the willpower to step forward and wrap Hunter’s tie around his hand from the bottom up. Holding his breath, the shorter of the pair pulled the other down to his level. Close enough that the warmth of exhaled breaths mingled together. Hazel eyes stared at Hunter’s mouth and Blaine wetted his. “I don’t know when it happened, or how, but I care about you, Hunter. I wouldn’t hurt you. Not on purpose.. I’m sorry I did. Think more of me than that, please,” he asked looking back up then closing his eyes as he pressed the corners of their mouths together and shuddered hard enough for Hunter to feel a staggering breath. “Please, don’t make this go wrong. I’m tired and I just want to feel like I’m home again..”
Another short laugh escaped Hunter as he gazed at the fellow once again Warbler. The stories of Glee club weren’t particularly interesting in theory, but to somebody who never lived a life like theirs — he liked getting an inside look. Hearing a little bit of what made the place so worth going to peaked his interest. There was only so much a person could assume. “You need to watch your influences. I can understand the less classy lifestyle, but I wouldn’t risk your health on it.” he teased, though his honesty was a bit far fetched. He didn’t understand a less expensive lifestyle. It wasn’t how he was raised. But from the little bits he’d heard from Blaine, he thought it was worth exploring. Even if it was the equivalent of a mixed liquor hangover. Taking a longer sip at Blaine’s encouragement, Hunter tried to relax against the couch as he did. Within seconds he had his eyebrows furrowed, debating if chillingwas actually something he enjoyed. “I’d love to see you try. Catching up includes drinking faster, you realize that right?”
“Risk my health? Nah. Nothing like that. I have Sebastian to thank for turning me away from mix choice wine coolers and broken into parents liquor cabinet blends. I never tried anything other than occasional holiday wine with the family and those messes. Until he made me sit through an entire half hour of him explaining the differences of every Scotch on the planet. The guy really knows his stuff,” Blaine laughed happily at the memory as he squirmed further into the corner of the large leather couch they were sitting on. Two hollow echoes of polished dress shoes hitting the floor later, he brought both feet up onto the cushions and wrapped one arm casually across his shins. The other lifted as he hurriedly swallowed a few more sips at the challenge. With minimal cringe factor. “I’m trying.. Just not as good as you are at this yet.” He teased happily and tilted his glass towards Hunter for him to see he was finally in need of a refill. “So.. You looked awfully confused about my New Directions stories. You’ve never given it a shot? A basement party with a bunch of almost strangers from a different school, I mean? You’re missing out. Life lessons and all,” he quirked his brows and grinned, “Especially the whole rum plus vodka is not remotely close to a good idea..”
Hunter wasn’t one to comfort people hands on. He didn’t usually try to help at any capacity. Still, with Blaine he wanted to put his best foot forward. Maybe at one point it was to get a good word in with the rest of the Warblers, but now it was so much more. “That sounds — DISGUSTING.” another short laugh followed his statement. Both arms pulled back after that, but he still remained close. He had to be close to Blaine because honestly, he was a bit tipsy && the idea of being near him brought a new kind of warmth to his chest. “Well, pride is my specialty. Of course. Just be careful next time.” without another thought, he returned to his drink, hoping the prior incident wouldn’t dampen the mood of their time together.
“You have no idea how gross it was. I swear after the first layer of the weakest tastebuds were numbed away? It should have gotten better,” Blaine cringed with cinched teeth and a scrunch of his nose, “but it didn’t. Still? After a while of drinking it? I don’t think I noticed anymore. Not until the next day anyway.” God, the hangover from Rachel’s smorgasbord of everything in the liquor cabinet Puck could steal was the reason why Blaine preferred to stick to wine or beer since. The whiskey might’ve given him a flashback to the morning where he begged for Kurt to shut off the sun and poor Kurt having to deal with him barely wanting to move if it hadn’t been over a year since that party and he had some time for his body to partially forget that agony. Sitting close to Hunter–Blaine let his head fall to rest against the back of the couch waiting a minute or two before he took the next sip. Huffing at Hunter’s comment about being careful–the Warbler rolled his eyes and smiled from ear to ear. “I’ll try. Thank you for your concern. You don’t have to wait for me. I’ll try to catch up.”
hunter.
Hunter could laugh at him freely. He was a blunt && to the point person. Laughing at someone was nothing new. What was new was caring for the person’s outcome. Needing to know that Blaine was okay was just as important as his own entertainment, maybe even more so. A thought he wouldn’t dare spend another second on. Without realizing it, Hunter’s hand went to Blaine’s side, securing that he was going to be okay. “Try to go slow next time. This isn’t a drink for chugging, simple mistake.” he shrugged off the incident before guiding them both to the couch. “Sit && let your mouth recover. You can have the next drink once you’re alright. — Really, are you alright?”
Blaine was grateful for the hand at his side and leaned into it without a second thought. Though he was sure that he shouldn’t feel the contact send a wave of chills out so far they spread across the small of his back and his belly from the outline of Hunter’s hand–he quickly brushed off the thought and let himself be lead to the couch. “Thanks, I’ll go easier next time. Just the last time I drank? Tasting what was in the glass wasn’t the priority. Especially with the mix of everything in there. It was sort of better not to.” Another dab at his lips and he felt his face heat up at the question. How badly did he react if it was enough to provoke that level of concern? His chuckle shook his shoulders and made him smile wide more than made any sound. “My pride is more bruised than my throat. So, yeah. I’m okay. Promise. Thanks for asking.”
“I don’t know how they do it back at MCKINLEY — but you just tried to down 200 dollar bourbon. No wonder you’re coughing…” Hunter chuckled at the sight, but easily handed the male a napkin && his hand to stabilize himself if needed. “You feeling alright, Blaine?”
Oh holy!!!! The bourbon felt like liquid fire that he willingly swallowed without even being dared to do it! The flavor filled his mouth and nose as he coughed and blindly swatted his hand in desperation until he latched onto Hunter’s arm instead of his hand. Close enough! Tears were in his eyes when he opened them again and he palmed the napkin then covered his mouth with both. Rapidly nodding that he was okay (embarrassed but okay)–the shorter of the pair blinked the wet off his lashes and stared down at the cup. “That tastes like a forest fire in my mouth,” he sputtered out and ignored his mouth filling with saliva. “How many tastebuds do you think were sacrificed to that swallow?” And was it enough to save some face and do one next time without choking to death?
Hunter didn’t know his next move. For the first time, he had no plan. How could you know what to do when your instincts were all turned around? Acting on passion never did him any favors. He should of held his own. Should of held BACK. It was pathetic how utterly lost he was in front of his friend. God, he still thought that. He still considered Blaine his friend. Somehow in his rage, he saw a light in Blaine’s eyes that just didn’t seem unfaithful. As a matter of fact, Blaine seemed like the most trustworthy person he’d ever met. So why was he so afraid of letting him in? Guess it’s just a bad habit. Pushing people away is easier after all. Even if that means letting go of the one thing you truly one. The one person you truly want. His heart was aching with both grief && disappointment. Only both emotions were a result of his own foolish behavior. Not only did he ATTACK Blaine multiple times, he really went in for the kill with that kiss. The most dangerous thing he could do. Kissing the enemy wasn’t how you won a fight. How could he let himself act so recklessly? The action was by every means a tell that Hunter wasn’t as strong as he seemed. Then again his raging temper showed the same thing, only he didn’t see it that way. Rage was easy to show. It hid the better parts of the heart that could be hurt. Unlike a kiss did. He knew Blaine was going to be a problem from the start. He just didn’t expect it to go down like this.
The taste of Blaine’s lips still lingered when he pulled away. Even though he wanted to run in the other direction, he stayed put. In fact, it felt like he was almost closer than before. Like he was moving unintentionally towards his worst fear. His darkest weakness. Blaine was everything untouchable for the Warbler, so why did he long to reach out? Why when he asked him what his reasoning could be, did Hunter simply close the gap they’d made between them? They were so close now that he could feel Blaine’s breath, && it was so tempting. His essence was drawing him in && eating him alive. He could barely see straight because he was exploring every inch of his face. So that maybe, just maybe, he could tell what he was thinking. That was a dark path to go down. Hunter’s knack for self loathing came up with plenty of awful imagery. Plenty of scarring words that he assumed were crossing Blaine’s mind right now. How was that not enough for him to walk away? How could he survive being locked in this moment with someone he felt so inferior to? His presence was growing on him. He felt suffocated in the best of ways. In the most terrifying of ways. Blaine had more control than he realized. “You win. Take your team back. Just don’t be surprised if it drives me away.” His breath fell short as he finished speaking, because he didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to run away this time. Maybe it was just the adrenalin in his system, but his confidence ( as defeated as it was ) seemed in tact. He may come off as prideful, but Hunter had never been more ashamed. Especially considering he leaned in again. He was even closer to Blaine now. His lips were a centimeter away from brushing against his. He held himself back though. Hovering seemed like the worst idea, but he couldn’t go forward with it. He couldn’t pull back, or move in. The rest was up to Blaine, && he hated the reaction he wished for. As much as Hunter wanted him to turn away, to break Hunter’s apparently vulnerable heart by hitting him with his fists rather than his lips — he wanted him in his entirety so much more. One final attempt. “Push me away. Hit me one last time. Make me regret this… Finish what I started.” but did he even know what he meant by that? Was it an invitation to finish the fight, or return for a second kiss? There was no telling anymore. It was all up to Blaine.
Blaine felt every tiny movement that Hunter made as the other Warbler came in closer and closer until they were only a fraction of a breath apart. The air around them changed. Intensified in a way Blaine couldn’t pinpoint on whether he should be ready for the blow Hunter seemed to want to throw earlier would come. Or if what just happened changed this game all together. He couldn’t blink, couldn’t swallow or move or even speak as every minute twitch of his face was so visibly read. He could only stare back–unsure and unsteady under such scrutiny that it made him feel utterly vulnerable. In the worst kind of way. That’s when he realized that he was afraid. Afraid of what Hunter might do next because if he were to swing? Blaine knew he was going to end up taking the full brunt of the hit because seeing Hunter so rattled and upset made any thought of returning the punch or even flinching out of the way impossible. He was pinned there. Under the breath he felt on his cheek and the ghost of Hunter’s lips so near he could feel the dampness of their mouths mixing together as they exhaled. “This isn’t about winning anyone. I never wanted to take them. I never wanted to hurt your feelings.” Granted, Hunter was a person Blaine either barely tolerated or–towards the end–felt some kind of indifference towards. Before he returned to Dalton and got to know the other boy. Then–strangely enough–they became friends. A slow burn that took months but Blaine was grateful when the animosity and mistrust turned into something better. God knew if he wanted hallways that felt like ghosts lingered around every corner and the tiles felt like broken glass and shattered hopes walking down, he’d have stayed at McKinley. “I came back to Dalton because this was home and I never wanted things to get ugly. I didn’t plan on it being such a change for them but it was. I didn’t provoke it. Not on purpose. Why can’t you see that?” Why was he begging now? If Hunter wanted to hate him? There was probably little to nothing that Blaine could do to change his mind. Hunter never seemed the type for that.
Saddened eyes stared down at Hunter’s lips as they moved. Looking up was too painful. Blaine’s fingers twitched from their uneven, jaggedly held fistfuls of nothing and grabbed at the cuffs of his own blazer. He swallowed HARD. “I’m not hitting you. I won’t. I don’t want to.” Hunter started two things in this confrontation. A fight and a kiss. Which one did he want him to finish? Blaine wouldn’t dare think it was the second. Not with how he seemed to hate him now. Maybe kissing him would make Hunter hate him even more. Tears made his vision blurry as they welled. He ruined this too, didn’t he? Mixed messages and misfiring signals. Rage and hate and the guilt they built up in his belly were easier to believe than the opposite. Suddenly, he wished Sebastian would walk in. Break them up. See what was happening and–somehow–save this from spiraling further out of control. There was no sign of him, though. And there wouldn’t be. Blaine never felt more alone in a place he never imagined the possibility feeling alone. It hurt. Alone with someone you thought was your friend? “I never thought we could be this way. Not here. Not with–.” You. The word fell off the tip of his tongue and never saw the light of day as he took one toe to heel step back and dragged the other foot along once his heel touched the rug. “If you want something finished? You finish it. I’m tired of being the one to ruin things. I can’t do it this time. I’m sorry, Hunter. I won’t.” Biting his lip–Blaine’s brows pinched together at the aftertaste of Hunter and he forced the burning in his eyes to stop by looking at the ceiling and then back. It barely worked but it was worth the shot.
pianokeysandbowties 