Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff nodded as Blaine spoke about wanting to get a better grip on the campus and not looking like a lost puppy tomorrow when school had started. He swung his arm around his new roommates shoulder and grinned up at him. “Trust me, you won’t get lost, if anything you’ll have me there to make sure of where you need to be” He told Blaine as they walked, and Jeff bounced more like towards the car and piled in. He made sure that he sat himself next to Blaine glad to have another friend among his friend of Warblers.

“So, you went to Central did you say?” He turned to look at Blaine once the car was started and Wes was driving them all back to Campus. “What was that like?” he asked curious about the public school as he’d only ever been to private school ever since pre school.

After settling in the car for the ride back to Dalton–Blaine perked up and glanced at Jeff once they were on their way. A tint of pink lingered on olive cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous, slightly embarrassed fidget. “As sweet as that offer is? I can’t make you late to all your classes because you’re busy rushing me around to mine. I promise. All I need is a little time in the hallways tonight and I won’t be that bad off. I think. We’ll see? Worse comes to worse? I could text you a where am I, please help me message?”

Blaine bit his lip and shrugged trying not to show how Jeff’s question made his pulse race. It was his fault for bringing it up so he could talk about the fact he sang there as a common ground anyway. He smiled and gently placed his hands cupped together on his lap. “It was okay as far as schools, I guess. Crowded,” his fingers were toying with one another as he weighed his words carefully. “Worlds away from the way Dalton runs–from what we were told–and the opportunities that private schools offer but–.” Blaine tuned in that several pairs of curious eyes were on him. That didn’t help matters much. “I’m really glad to be here.” What kind of answer was that? A jumbled one at best. So he smiled at Jeff and waited to see what the hyperactive boy would ask next.

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Nick laughed “you’ve just met Jeff and i’ll give you this warning as his room mate if you see Candy in the room I suggest you let one of us know or confiscate and run for your life” he added the last words as whisper when he noticed his friend pout. Jeff’s pout followed by a whine “Nicky, don’t scare him” His eyes connected with Blaine’s and let his lips twitch out of their pout into a smirk before rolling his eyes at his friend “I’m not really THAT bad with my candy intake I just have a little sugar problem” he confessed at the others around them mouthed “little sugar problem”

Wes coughed loudly to mask the laugh he was hiding. “Blaine, you are definitely in for an interesting year here at Dalton and I’m glad that you’ve got a good roommate you won’t ever be bored with this blonde puppy” He reached his hand across the table and mussed up Jeff’s hair. Jeff swiped playfully at the seniors hands and smiled “They’re making me out to be this horribly hyper and weirdly obnoxious person and I’m not I promise, but I will make it my mission to make your time here at Dalton as fun and boredom free as possible.”

“So, we should probably get back to Dalton.” Trent finally spoke up “Let Blaine get use to the campus and all of us have homework to do and perhaps Jeff can help Blaine get caught up with where we are in our classes?” he suggested and Jeff nodded “Yeah, we should probably get back to the campus besides you guys probably scared him into asking the dean for a change of room” He said making a face towards his friends

Blaine grinned from ear to ear as Wes promised him that his year at Dalton was going to be an interesting one. Looking at all the faces around the table and listening to how they bantered back and forth–he could tell the love they had for each other ran deep. Brothers. They all acted like brothers. It was equally alluringly comforting to think he might be welcome into their group and utterly intimidating all at once to walk into such a tight knit crowd and hope he fit in and could catch up to the ties they had to one another.

The thing was? As the hours went by and he watched the hair ruffles, playful prods and adoring glances shared between them? This is what he wanted. Somewhere to be like them. Finding it felt unreal. “That’s okay, Jeff. I promise to only hide your candy if you start bouncing off the walls. Once the deal was made–Blaine wasted no time trying to finish up his dinner so he wouldn’t hold everyone else up.

Fair enough,” he hummed back over the rim of his glass before washing down the last of his food. Trent was given a quick nod. “Sure! Sounds great. I’d like to wander the halls and see where everything is so I don’t get lost an embarrassing bunch of times tomorrow. Dalton is massive in comparison to Central. You guys can get your work done and Jeff can catch me up tomorrow. Deal,” he asked his roommate following the others out of the bench.

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff had listened to the boy and his eye lit up when Blaine asked about competition and saying he wouldn’t be in the way. “Psh, you wouldn’t be in the way and I bet you’ll get moved by the music and want to join in” he teased gently nudging the boy next to him as Nick rolled his eyes and smiled “we don’t have competition for at least a month and a half and right now we are practicing on perfecting what we’ve got so we can choose within the next few weeks what we plan on using” he told Blaine

The others merely watched and ate as the two younger boys encouraged the newest member of Dalton with their group. Wes spoke up “Don’t feel obligated to listen to these two, Jeff can badger people into something he’s good at that and Nick is just the same just milder in the approach.” he pointed the two, before adding on “You are always welcome at the meetings just to watch or to join we are always looking for fresh new faces. Especially if they drowned out a super hyper blonde” he teased towards Jeff who pouted “I’m not THAT horrible all the time.” he stuck his tongue out at the senior before turning back to Blaine “So how bout Tomorrow you’ll join me after classes for the clubs meeting?”

The idea of singing with the group made Blaine’s eyes widen and his smile couldn’t possibly get any bigger as he looked from Jeff to Nick and then gave a quick sweep of his gaze past all the other faces gathered at the table. He was expecting to see some only going along with the excitement of the others and not very interested in what was going on. Maybe even one or two wondering what made him so important that he was invited to join and even sing with them when they barely knew who he was? Judging off appearances alone? Someone might jump to a conclusion that he was a rich kid gone wrong. Sent here by parents to make him listen as a last ditch effort. If you went by the few still not completely faded marks he wished his father would have let him stay at home until they were gone.

Face after face was looked at and–he didn’t see any of that. Quite the opposite. He was greeted with smiles, nods, and overdone rolls of eyes as they laughed and ticked their heads towards Jeff like they wholeheartedly agreed with Wes. Even if the blonde denied what their leader said. Seeing that instead of the worst? Blaine felt..hope. That maybe Jeff did more than become his friend in a matter of minutes. That the boy unknowingly gave him something he used to have so much of and cherished deeply. Only to have it brutally taken away. Since that day? He fought every morning for some of that back. Now, it came rushing at him in waves and he was speechless. Until he stuttered, “Y-Yeah! I’d love to. And..guys. I agree. Jeff can’t be that bad,” he grinned trying not to show just how deeply he was affected just then out of fear of being cheesy. “Like he said.. Not all the time.”

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff beamed at Blaine’s curiosity and wiped his mouth and reached for his drink. Once he set it down he opened his mouth and let the words fall out fast, eager to let his new friend know. “Well every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday depending on the schedules of everyone we try to make it flexible since a few of us have other activities other than the Warblers, like I dance” He told Blaine as he went on “We just practice whatever the council has for us, sometimes we do some moves, sometimes we just stand or sit and harmonize together, the best thing is, and sometimes the worst is that there’s no instruments to drowned us out” he laughed as Nicky and a few of the boys made a face at his words

Nick took over pushing Jeff back and smiled “We pretty much sing pop, jazz at time it depends on what we have to work with as Jeff said what the council picks is what we sing during competitions” he smiled at the new kid.

Idly toying with the end of a breadstick–Blaine tore it off and blindly popped it into his mouth and dabbed the grease off his fingertips with a press of them against the napkin folded to his right laughing over the rim of his glass when Jeff rushed to answer. The blonde’s over exuberant reply had Blaine playing tennis match with his attention shifting between him, Nick and the others. Seeing their faces screw up at Jeff’s poke only made him chuckle harder. The way they all reacted to one another was inspiring to watch. It was impossible to shake the notion that he might’ve just landed himself in the middle of something beyond special.

Letting Nick explain further–Blaine nodded and hesitated for a moment trying to give a voice to his excitement that the near contagious levels of from the other boys only egged on. He smiled, blushed and tucked his hands under the table so they couldn’t see him fidget his thumbs against one another. “How far are you from your next competition? I mean–my showing up won’t be a distraction, will it? I’d love to see this in action but I don’t want to intrude. I promise–I’ll sit and watch and keep completely out of the way,” he grinned hoping that they truly didn’t mind.

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff laughed “Choir, no were like rock stars” He exclaimed finally having his mouth not full of food. “We are an acapella group, we use our mouths no instruments were like a better version of Maroon 5″ He told Blaine “Well except were no where near Adam Levine’s amazingness” He smiled his face turning towards Blaine and winked “We compete with other groups that aren’t quite at our level at a sectional, regional, then going to Nationals” He told the curly haired boy.

Nick looked over at Jeff as he spoke about the warblers and cut in over the blonde “Jeff over exaggerates the Maroon 5 thing, were good, were not that good” He told Blaine when the blonde slapped him playfully. Jeff piped up “Don’t listen to him Blaine you’ll have to see for yourself when you come to one of our practices.” he told Blaine with a big smile.

Turning a few shades of red–Blaine held back the comment about no one on this planet being able to beat Adam’s perfection and instead went with something–safer. Like totally fanboying over Maroon 5 as a band and not–well–the gloriousness that is Adam Levine singularly. “Are you sure you guys can beat Maroon 5? I mean. That’s a huge statement.”

Coming back out of the shell that the previous focus on him had him retracting into was a lot easier with the topic of music and the sudden overwhelming curiosity he had to see one of the Warblers practices. Who knows? Maybe he could try singing again. It’d been too long. Since–well–before the incident as his Father liked to label what happened. Chewing on a corner of crust–he shrugged and made sure to wipe his mouth off before speaking up. "My old school didn’t make it past Sectionals last year from what I heard. I joined after they lost. So it was just school performances and trying to dust their knees off and get ready to try again next year. When do you guys practice? What sort of songs do you sing? Acapella, too? That is..wow.”

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff and Nick shared a look towards the end of Blaine’s answer then Jeff wrapped an arm around Blaine and whispered in his new roommate’s ear “Their loss our gain” then smiled to him as the pizza arrived at the table with the soda’s and other items that were ordered. He moved his arm out from around the curly haired boy and reached for a mozzarella stick and a piece of pizza and began stuffing his face.

Nick rolled his eyes and smiled at Blaine saying “Glad you came here then” He smiled to the boy as he also reached for food. Jeff with his face stuffed looked towards Blaine and then around at all the other warblers. He really was glad he had a new roommate sure he could get away with Having nick in his room from time to time without Blaine being there, it has been what he did when he didn’t have a roommate, but now that he had Blaine he could see fun times ahead and perhaps someone other than nick who could help him with the storms got too bad. He didn’t relish having to tell his roommate about that, but then again Blaine just told him the group of them things that he probably didn’t want to share just yet and he was thankful to the boy.

The shared glance between Jeff and Nick didn’t go unnoticed by the avoidant boy sitting next to the blonde. Blaine quickly turned his attention away from them so he wouldn’t make them uncomfortable should they see he noticed their look. What were they thinking? Did he share too much? Too little? He tried to answer their question without seeming too stand offish. Did talk so cryptically that he came off exactly how he was trying not to? Or worse? As soon as he felt an arm wrapped around him and breath on his ear–he relaxed into it and glanced at Jeff from the corners of his eyes. His smile was back and it was honest and full of relief. –It’s okay. Didn’t blow it for trying not to. Breathe and relax. They’re friends.–

“Me too,” his voice picked up and so did the twinkle in his eye that seemed to keep trying to shine even if his nerves suffocated each attempt after only letting it briefly shine. He didn’t shy away when his leaning in to grab a slice of pizza fit shoulder against Jeff’s arm. “So..,” he nudged Jeff and took a drink of his soda to wash down a bite. “You guys sing. What’s that like? Choir? My old school had one and I sang in it my freshman year and some of this year. We were okay. A lot of kids used it as an excuse to hook up at camp or go on trips. But the ones who were dedicated to singing made it fun.”

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff beamed brightly at Blaine’s words as he nodded “Quite right, the more the better” He admitted as he turned around and stared at his friend and stuck his tongue out at him “You snooze, you lose Nicky poo” He winked as he sat next to Blaine. He’d heard Nick grumble about maybe limiting Jeff’s candy intake or perhaps pushing the blonde out of the booth which Jeff pouted at that last grumble.

Ignoring the Brunette’s sour words he smiled “So Blaine, where are you from? What do you do for fun? Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you play sports? Do you enjoy school? what are you good at? What brought you to Dalton?” He blurted the questions out in quick succession he was nosy and he had waited patiently to get to the pizza place to ask the new kids the questions with his friends around he was sure they were all eager and he wanted to know more about this new roommate.

The sudden onslaught of questions made Blaine’s fingertips vice grip the edge of the table. Especially the last one considering why he was here. He was still wearing some of the worst of the ‘reason’ why on the outside. And a whole lot of it on the inside. Thus the quiet. He smiled awkwardly and looked at each of their expectant faces and felt his rise in temperature. “I’m from Westerville. My parents don’t live very far away. We’re up in the hills.” AKA? The very well off edge of town. “I–uhm. Sing and play some instruments or play polo and go sailing for fun,” it was getting harder not to start stumbling for words considering he was nearing the last question.

“I enjoyed school. I’m really looking forward to enjoying it again.” He darted his gaze to Nick and Jeff in particular because he felt the most connection to them for some reason. “I’m good at History and English and I think I don’t do half bad in Science. No I don’t have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend,” he added the last in so fast at such a low volume it was easy to see how jittery he was getting, “and–I’m here because–because things didn’t work out at my old school anymore.” What kind of reason was that? The truth. A very watered down version. He was too busy drawing in a deep breath after rambling so much that he didn’t think to elaborate any further.

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff had dragged Blaine down the hallway with the boys once they had all agreed upon pizza to shut the blonde up. His hand was in Blaine’s pulling him towards the stairs and down to the parking lot. He had wished he’d had his car, but his parents had told him after this semester they would bring the car up if he’d maintained the grades and he had so far been doing that as well as keeping up with his extra curriculars that he had par took in on the campus.

Once they had gotten into the car he had made sure that Blaine rode with him and told him about what the campus had to offer and which teachers were more strict with the Dalton standards and which weren’t telling him about how the groups of boys here worked versus what he’d heard of public school cliques he wanted to make sure that Blaine was well informed and even offered him a spot at the Warbler table at meal times so he didn’t feel so alone. He beamed proudly when he’d told Blaine he was now his friend as they had parked the car at the pizza place.

Once out of the car he’d smiled “So what kind of toppings do you like on your Pizza?” he asked his friend Nick by his side just above what Jeff could hear muttering “Your hogging the new kid time let us get some words in” the rest of the boys with them laughing.

Blaine had fears about Dalton living up to the hype that Cooper swore to him was ‘honest to goodness truth, Squirt!’. His brother made Dalton into what sounded way too good to be real. No place could be as accepting as Cooper promised but he was seeing it happen and was still in disbelief. Believing what his brother said wasn’t the issue. Blaine didn’t say the true reasons why but they ate at him over the past two weeks. From the minute–once he was out of the hospital–that his parents brought up the idea of pulling him out of school, Cooper was the one to push them to ‘do what should have been done months ago’.

What Blaine didn’t understand that if his parents knew Dalton was as great as Coop said? Why wasn’t he here sooner? Before he ended up going through so much that Jeff and the others being so kind to him like Cooper swore they’d be? Felt not only like hopeful relief–because it did–but also too amazing to be real. Blaine sat in the car with his fingers laced together still feeling the ghost Jeff’s hand in his. Jeff had no idea how much the connection–one that people only did when they felt familiar and comfortable around someone–meant to him. He couldn’t have but it meant everything. The rest of the conversation was nodded at or given a broad, grateful smile for. Especially a seat at the Warbler table.

Once they arrived–Blaine followed, laughing at the ground when he heard Nick’s complaint. Looking back to the blonde–Blaine shrugged and held the door. It was the least he could do. “I love pineapple. Ham. You name it. I mean. It’s pizza. The more stuff on top the better–right?”

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff had knocked on the door once more and was reaching up to knock on the door again and call out for his two senior friends when the door opened and he almost hit Wes in the face. Pulling his hand away and smiled at the head of the council “Wanna go get pizza, hey also meet Blaine” He gestured behind him towards the new boy that he had ceremoniously dragged out of his room. Turning his head he looked for the new boy only to find him near his dark haired friend Nick

“Hey Blaine!” He called to the boy, “This is Wes, he’s the head council of the Warblers” He told Blaine and smiled “This is Blaine” He told Wes and looked around “Where’s David?” he asked looking for the other head council “I want us all to go get pizza!” he was energetic and excited he had a new friend here and talked about the warblers and of course he was going to get his favorite pizza, and perhaps some candy.

Hearing his name drew his attention away from Nick and towards the boy now standing in the doorway only just missing his nose being taken off by Jeff. “Hello, Wes. My pleasure,” a hand lifted in a small wave but Blaine’s eyes lit up and he smiled politely. This time, the one he gave was larger and more relaxed. The longer he was around the group, the quicker an honest to goodness smile was easier. Rather than one filled with nervous excitement. He wasn’t seeking to shadow Jeff much at all now. A mental note to knock it off combined with the fact that they all seemed like really great guys.

Of course they would. That’s what this school promised his parents and him. Whether it lasted once he really saw the students here for what they were when the place wasn’t being sold on him to attend was another thing. Turns out? The faculty’s promised seemed, more and more by the minute, something that rang true. “As you can see? I think Jeff really wants to go get some pizza. I think besides that and the Warblers? That’s all he’s been able to talk about,” he even grinned jokingly and not a single thought came to mind about the last of the nick and bruises that were fading. He hummed softly, thinking as he bounced his attention from face to face.

–Yeah. This was all going to be much more okay than I first thought.–

Bleff || 1×1 ||

jeff.

Jeff looked at his new roommate as he could hear the eye roll of Nicky’s as he began “Well the Warblers, we have a reputation in the show choir world and here to be awesome. We are a group of acapella singers” He told Blaine he continued on his rant about how awesome and cool and neat it was to be a warbler when Nick covered his mouth and told Blaine “Jeff just was excited because this year he was going to try to get the council to let him choreograph a few of the routines.”

Jeff licked his friends hand as he finished his words and watched as his friend quickly wiped his hand on his shirt and told him that it was gross. Jeff just shrugged and smiled at Blaine “You sing right? You should join!” he mentioned as he looked to his friends when he stopped before the door to the two council leaders of the Warblers and knocked calling out “Wes….David!”

Blaine’s grin spread from ear to ear as he watched Jeff go on and on about the Warblers and the friendly banter between him and Nick was adorable to watch. He cringed inwardly at poor Nick having his hand licked by the muted blond–that didn’t look like it felt particularly good–but then blinked in surprise and went wide eyed at the question. “I–sing–yeah. A little bit. I can think about it and I’ll get–back to you on that,” Blaine finished after the knock and he gave Nick a lopsided smile as they waited for the older boys to answer Jeff’s call.

After taking a side step closer to Nick, he bent in whispering softly. “Is Jeff always this energetic or–?” It looks like he was put in a room with a fiery ball of energy with hair as bright as the sun. Not a horrible thing. He could have been put with someone who wanted nothing to do with him and hated having the new kid forced on them in the middle of the school year. Keeping up with Jeff might be a challenge but so far? He was with a group of boys who beyond welcoming and had a roommate that was all too happy to let him tag along to meet his friends and treated him like they’d known each other much longer than an hour or less? Today started out nerve wracking but now? Things were definitely looking like they just took a turn for the better.