Chapter 2
The evening was quiet when Blaine arrived at Quinn’s house. It had been one of those days; long and exhausting, but Blaine couldn’t help but look forward to the simplicity of a night with his best friend. The stress of school, his confusing feelings for Sebastian, and his relationship with Sam had left him feeling more tangled than usual, but hanging out with Quinn always seemed to bring him back to a sense of calm.
She greeted him at the door with a wide smile. “You made it! I was starting to think you’d bail on me.”
Blaine chuckled, stepping inside and shrugging off his jacket. “I wouldn’t miss it. Besides, I needed an excuse to get away from homework for a while.”
“Good. You deserve a break,” Quinn said, giving him a friendly shove before leading him upstairs. Her room was just as cozy as usual, with soft fairy lights draped around the window and her bed covered with an assortment of pillows. There was an inviting messiness to it that made Blaine feel immediately at home.
“So,” Quinn began, plopping down on the bed and patting the space next to her, “Princess Diaries and popcorn?”
Blaine smiled, following her lead and sitting down next to her. “Sounds perfect.”
She handed him the bowl of popcorn, their usual comfort food during sleepovers. They fell into an easy silence as they started the movie, the soft glow of the TV illuminating the room. Every now and then, they exchanged casual comments about the movie, laughing when something ridiculous happened on screen. It was the kind of night that felt effortless—the kind of night Blaine had missed.
As the movie played on, Quinn’s demeanor shifted, her gaze growing more distant as she stared at the screen. Blaine noticed it almost immediately. It wasn’t the first time she had seemed a little off lately, and he could tell she was deep in thought.
“You okay?” he asked, nudging her gently.
Quinn blinked, as if pulled from a trance, and smiled faintly. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
Blaine raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
She hesitated for a moment, before her expression softened. “I’ve been thinking a lot about Rachel. You know, I still haven’t told her how I feel.”
Blaine’s heart tugged for her. He had seen the way Quinn looked at Rachel, the subtle glances she cast her way, and how she got quieter whenever someone mentioned Rachel’s name. It was obvious to anyone who paid attention, but Quinn had been so careful about hiding her feelings.
“You should tell her,” Blaine said softly, his voice reassuring. “You’ve been carrying this around for a while. If you don’t tell her, it’s just going to keep eating at you.”
Quinn bit her lip, looking unsure. “I don’t know, Blaine. What if it ruins everything? What if she doesn’t feel the same?”
Blaine turned to face her, his expression serious. “What if it doesn’t? You never know until you try, Quinn. Besides, Rachel is a smart, kind person. She’s your best friend for a reason. She’ll understand.”
Quinn smiled weakly, her eyes flickering with doubt. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” Blaine said, giving her a gentle smile. “You’ve been through so much together, and she’s lucky to have someone like you in her life. You deserve to be happy, Quinn. And if Rachel feels the same way… well, that’s just a bonus.”
Quinn let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “You’re right. I guess I’ve just been avoiding it, afraid of what might happen.”
Blaine nudged her with his shoulder, a playful grin on his face. “Well, what’s the worst that could happen? I mean, besides you completely embarrassing yourself in front of Rachel, I guess.”
Quinn shot him a glare, but the laughter that followed softened the tension in the room. “Thanks, Blaine. You’re the best.”
Blaine laughed, the tension in his own chest loosening. “What are friends for?”
As the evening wore on, they continued to talk; about everything and nothing.
“I’ll be right back, just grabbing some water from the kitchen. You need anything?” Blaine raises an eyebrow.
“I’m good, thanks.” Quinn smiles.
Blaine padded down the stairs quietly, trying to avoid making too much noise as he made his way to the kitchen. His mind had been running in circles ever since his conversation with Quinn, and he needed something to distract him, anything to take his mind off of the tangled web of thoughts that had been swirling through his head all night.
The kitchen was quiet, the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound as Blaine reached for a glass and filled it with water. He leaned against the counter, the coolness of the glass against his hand grounding him in the moment.
Just as he took a sip, the sound of footsteps grew closer, and Sebastian stepped into the kitchen, his usual confident stride filling the room with his presence. Blaine froze for a second, his heart skipping a beat at the unexpected appearance. He hadn’t anticipated Sebastian being there, especially not in this quiet, private space of their home.
“Killer, didn’t expect to see you down here.”
Sebastian glanced over at him with that familiar smirk, his eyes lingering just a little too long.
Blaine couldn’t help but chuckle at the nickname. “Sebastian, you’ve been calling me Killer since the second grade. Doesn’t it get old?”
Sebastian grinned, leaning casually against the counter. “Old? Nah. It’s practically your brand now.” He raised an eyebrow, the smirk never leaving his face. “Admit it, you love the nickname. It’s the one thing I got right about you.”
The shorter boy groaned, running a hand through his curls. “Really? We’re still doing this?” he said with a teasing smile. “It was an accident, Sebastian! I was just trying to save the caterpillar, but then it… didn’t survive the rescue.” He shook his head, laughing, looking down at his glass of water. “And now I’m Killer for life, huh?”
Sebastian smirked, crossing his arms. “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it,” he said, giving Blaine a playful once-over. “You didn’t just kill the caterpillar…you slaughtered it. It’s a badge of honor at this point.” He leaned in slightly, eyes glinting. “You sure you don’t like the attention, Killer?”
Blaine looked up from his glass, his breath catching as he realised just how close Sebastian was standing. The space between them seemed to shrink with every passing second, and Blaine’s heart started to race, caught off guard by the unexpected proximity. Sebastian’s smirk remained, almost teasing, and Blaine couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. For a moment, the air felt heavy with unspoken tension, and Blaine found himself at a loss for words, the distance between them suddenly feeling impossibly small.
He quickly pulled back, his heart pounding in his chest as he reminded himself of the one thing he couldn’t forget; he was dating Sebastian’s best friend. He forced a smile, though it felt strained, and cleared his throat, trying to push aside the inexplicable pull he felt in that moment. The tension in the air hadn’t escaped him, but he wasn’t about to cross a line, not when everything was so complicated already.
“Uh, anyway,” Blaine muttered, taking a quick step back, his voice sounding less sure than he wanted it to. “I should probably get going.” He couldn’t meet Sebastian’s gaze, feeling the weight of his own guilt creeping in.
Sebastian’s smirk faltered just for a moment as he watched Blaine pull away, the shift in energy unmistakable. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he straightened up, his expression unreadable.
“Alright,” he said, his tone casual, though there was an underlying sharpness to it now. “Didn’t realise I was making you uncomfortable.”
There was a flicker of something in his eyes, but he quickly masked it, crossing his arms and leaning back casually. “See you around, Blaine.” The words were light, but his gaze lingered just a little too long, as if waiting for Blaine to say something, anything, to break the silence.
Blaine’s stomach churned as Sebastian’s words hit him. He could feel the weight of the awkwardness in the room, the tension now hanging heavily between them. He forced himself to meet Sebastian’s eyes for a brief moment, but quickly looked away, unsure of what to say or how to handle the sudden shift.
“Yeah… yeah, see you,” Blaine muttered, his voice quieter than he intended. He felt a knot form in his chest as he turned away, taking a few steps back. The reality of his situation hit him hard. Sam. Sam’s my boyfriend. Not Sebastian.
Trying to shake off the discomfort, he made a quick exit, his mind racing with a mixture of guilt and confusion. He knew he needed to figure things out, but right now, all he wanted was to escape the unease that had settled in.
Sebastian watched Blaine leave, his eyes lingering for a moment longer than necessary. He leaned against the counter, running a hand through his hair as the silence settled in. The playful edge that usually defined his interactions with Blaine was gone, replaced with something harder to place.
He was used to getting a reaction from people, especially Blaine, but this, this felt different. He had seen Blaine pull away before, but it hadn’t felt this final. His jaw tightened slightly, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. Annoyance? Frustration? He wasn’t sure.
Shrugging it off, he exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, trying to shake the feeling. “Alright then,” he muttered to himself, forcing the usual smirk back onto his face. But even as he did, the uneasy feeling lingered, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had really just happened.
Blaine walked back upstairs to Quinn’s room, his mind a whirlwind after the encounter with Sebastian. He tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest, but it was hard to ignore. The way Sebastian had looked at him, so close, so intense, it left Blaine unsettled in a way he wasn’t used to. He took a deep breath, trying to push the thoughts out of his head.
When he reached the door to Quinn’s room, he didn’t knock. He just opened it, stepping inside and closing the door softly behind him. The familiar comfort of her room, with its cozy vibe and cluttered desk, helped ground him for a moment. He glanced over at Quinn, who was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone.
She looked up at him immediately, her eyes scanning his face, sensing the shift in his demeanor. “Everything okay?” she asked, her voice light but with a note of concern.
Blaine forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, of course,” he said casually, his voice betraying a hint of tension he couldn’t hide. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, trying to mask how rattled he felt.
Quinn raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying the act. “What happened? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”
Blaine chuckled softly, trying to play it off. “No, just… had a weird conversation downstairs.”
Quinn tilted her head, watching him carefully. “Weird how?”
Blaine hesitated, not sure how to explain the strange mix of emotions he was feeling. “It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “Just some stuff with Sebastian.” He glanced over at her, giving a half-hearted shrug. “I’ll be fine. Just need to clear my head.”
Quinn studied him for a moment longer, then nodded, sensing he wasn’t ready to dive deeper. “Alright. Well, if you need anything, I’m here.”
Blaine gave her a grateful smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks, Quinn. I might take you up on that later.”
But for now, he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever had just happened with Sebastian wasn’t something he could easily forget.
He tried to focus on something else, but his mind kept drifting back to the encounter, the look in Sebastian’s eyes, the closeness that had made Blaine’s heart race. He wasn’t sure why it had affected him so much. After all, he was with Sam.
He glanced up and out of the open door to Quinn’s room, just in time to see Sebastian walk past. Sebastian’s head turned slightly, catching Blaine’s gaze, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to slow. The usual smirk that Sebastian wore seemed a little more intense, almost challenging, as if he knew exactly what was going on in Blaine’s head.
Blaine’s breath caught in his throat, and he quickly looked away, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know what Sebastian was thinking or why he felt that strange pull whenever they were around each other. But whatever it was, it was becoming harder to ignore.
Sebastian continued down the hall and disappeared into his room, leaving Blaine with the rising tide of confusion. He sighed, his mind still racing with questions he didn’t have answers to. What does this mean? Why does this feel so complicated?
Quinn was still looking at her phone, unaware of Blaine’s inner turmoil. He didn’t know how to talk to her about this. He barely understood it himself.
But as much as he tried to push the thoughts away, Sebastian’s lingering gaze still burned in his mind.