“In that case? Maybe we should call today off and go get some tea? I’ve got the best home remedy for in the state,” he emphasized the word like he had some serious means of backing that statement up. “I can’t tell you everything that’s in it, secret recipe, but don’t worry. We’re going to make sure you’re set.” He shifted until his feet were dangling over the edge of the stage, curled his fingers around the edge and finished lowering himself down. A solid pat was smacked against the black painted wood before he jutted out his finger in the direction of her bag. (And what a point it was! Someone’s brother must have paid a visit?)
“Come on. Grab your bag. I’ll give you a ride?” Red velvet bounced up when Blaine plucked up his satchel from an empty front row center seat, tossing her a glance up over his shoulder soon as he had his strap settled against his shoulder. “Let’s take care of that voice. It’s too pretty to be lost and what would I do to cope,” he finished with a warm smile.
“I don’t see that as a problem, though. Unless it is hurting you more than it’s helping you,” his voice was soft as Blaine tried his best to support her when it was obvious she needed someone to listen and not judge, “then you need to learn to keep putting your faith in people. Just.. You know? The right people. They’re out there. Right in front of you, even. Everyone else?” His shoulders hitched in a shrug, lips pressed together in a frown of thought. But? Different, softer words for what he wanted to say never came to mind leaving him no other choice than to bounce back to what he was originally going to say.
“Everyone who breaks that? Isn’t worth your time.”
kenny nodded over at the stranger, a part of him able to understand his troubles. it would be quite jarring to end up somewhere new, he thought, a place you never intended to end up in, that you don’t even know. he knew he felt like that, when he first woke up. now, it is simply normal, but a part of him still remembered those old feelings, holding onto them into an attempt to feel more… normal.
“that sounds rough, man. do you think they can save your car? i know there’s a mechanic not too far from this place,” kenny offered, giving the man a small smile in return. he collected a few glasses from the bar, trying to keep his mind busy, chuckling lightly.“i wish – i’m working here tonight… but it’s a pretty deadplace today. nice to see a new face – i’m kenny.”
Blaine didn’t mean to unload the way he had and he’d caught the day creeping onto his tone more than he wanted it to. A sure sign he was tired but his mind was going the hundred miles an hour that his car was officially checked out from clocking until they got the parts they needed sent in. A brow quirked up. “Oh! Yeah. That shouldn’t be a problem. They ordered the parts before I left. But it’ll be a few days. Hopefully by Friday? Or I get to spend the weekend learning all about this place.” Which didn’t seem like it needed more than an hour to learn.
Compared to New York City? A town like this felt like a blip on the map. But the dinner was good and the drinks were cheap. Now that he had someone to talk to after going a few days without? Maybe a break didn’t seem that bad. A few day break. Not an all weekend one. Or Cooper was going to end up having to go back to work before he even got there. “Ah. Sorry. I didn’t notice. Maybe after your shift then? If that’s a thing they allow? I’m Blaine. Nice to meet you, Kenny.” He offered a hand. “Care to fill me in on what there is to do here?”
[ text ;; blaine ] It would be less depressing if you´d have just done it instead of telling me. [ text ;; blaine ] You should have texted me earlier. I could have pulled you out that funk. [ text ;; blaine ] Which show do you want to see? Something funny I reckon? Or at least something that´s not depressing for the major part.
( mssg » rachel | sent ) I had to tell someone because I’m starting to annoy myself with how freaking sad this is. I’m trusting you to beat some sense into my head. Because you always have. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) I know. I guess I just had to let it build up until one day I wanted to slap myself upside the head. Today is that day. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) You reckon? Reckon.. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) Can you get any cuter? ( mssg » rachel | sent ) How about Kinky Boots? Or Aladdin? I know those are both as opposite from each other in wholesomeness that you can get but neither one of them are close to depressing??
She made a graceful motion with her hand over her forehead as she nodded forward, simulating a faint bow. “I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and took up bass guitar when I was around eleven. Are you in the industry, or… d’you just have great taste?”
“Ah! That makes sense and it shows. But,” he held up a finger and gave her a jestful apology, “I beg your pardon. Where are my manners?” Such a ‘well-practiced’ bow deserved nothing less than one in return, right? Blaine stood out of his chair and mirrored her bow making sure to fan his fingers out in an elegant wave towards the seat beside his as he rose back up and grinned.
“I’d like to say I dabble in a bit of both? Care to join me? This place should start filling up around now and tables get sort of sparse. Plus? You have to tell me how you started playing here and how I’ve missed you if this isn’t your first time?”
“Blaine?“ Elliott raised his voice a little so it could carry across the flat, a pillow clutched in a tattoo heavy hand as he searched around somewhat AIMLESSLY. Dropping it back on the sofa none too CEREMONIOUSLY, Elliott gave up his searching for the moment, instead seeking Blaine out; a task much EASIER than the first.
“Have you seen my glasses? I can’t find them ANYWHERE.” And he had a script to study, so his options rested between finding and having to wear the DAMN things or risking a SPLITTING headache that would no doubt ruin his evening.
On finding Blaine in the bathroom, a bright smile BLOSSOMED across Elliott’s face, a hand instantly going to his hip so he could press a kiss to cherry lips.
“Yes, Elliott??” Blaine had just finished up his shower and pulled on something to sleep in when he heard Elliott wandering through the apartment. Either he was lost in his own home or was looking for something. Judging by the amount of things being moved around and sat down Blaine could hear? He could be moving the furniture too. Though, at this hour, that was the most unlikely of all the assumptions Blaine could make.
Ah! His glasses! He started to hurry up his routine so he could go help. Hair combed back off his face with just a little bit of something to keep them mostly tame overnight and his feet now warm inside his slippers…and he was set to spend the rest of the night in.
Only Elliott beat him and joined him in the bathroom instead. Blaine smiled seeing Elliott smile. “I think I saw them in the bedroom on the nightstand last. I’d be willing to bet there still there,” he hummed happily when their lips met. Okay, that was nice. Glasses could wait. Cause he lifted up to gently return the peck against the corner of Elliott’s lips, his smile returning to his own. “Come on. Let’s go look.”
Now that Mike was all settled in and used to his new schedule, there was not much stopping him from hanging out with an old friend. That’s how he liked to think of his friends from back in Lima, the kind of friends he didn’t see very often often but when they got together, it felt like they’d never been apart.
All wrapped up in his new coat, he shoved his beanie onto his head and wrapped the knitted scarf his mother had sent him around his neck. In spite of his excitement, Mike had the presence of mind to check that his wasn’t forgetting anything. He patted his pockets. Phone: okay. Wallet: okay. Keys: okay. He was good to go.
Closing the door behind him, he hurtled down the stairs, hoping that he hadn’t kept Blaine waiting too long. That is if his friend was already there. Willing himself to slow down as he reached the last few steps, he looked up only to find that Blaine was indeed already there. “Hi!” he smiled. Walking closer, he pulled Blaine into a one-armed hug. “I am so ready for this! How have you been?”
Blaine tipped his cider back to take a sip as he dug at a tiny patch of snow that missed being shoveled off the sidewalk as he waited. Eyes bright with anticipation as he waited for any sign of Mike. The mugs in his hands were doing a great job at keeping them warm in spite of the tint of pink his cheeks were taking on. No worries. Central Park after a snowfall was worth the cold. Being the first person to be able to show Mike around it? Extra bonus.
Hearing steps on the salt covering the sidewalk, Blaine turned his head right on time to catch sight of Mike seconds before he was pulled into a hug that he happily returned with a squeeze of his forearm around Mike’s middle. “Hey! Hi,” one more half-hug and he stepped back to offer one of the thermoses to his friend.
“Great! Yourself? Wow. It’s really good to see you.”
A cheeky, happy smile from ear to ear brimmed with excitement. “I take it you’re settled in? My offer to come help you unpack and get whatever you need still stands. I mean it.” Blaine took the lead with a nod of his head and a ‘shall we’ arch of his eyebrow before walking through the gated entrance. He meant it a million times over. “OH and,” he grinned gesturing to the pathway in front of them with it’s snow dusted trees, statues and benches, “welcome to Central Park.”
Christian made a soft noise in the back of his throat, nerves painfully obvious by how he fiddled with the brim of his hat. He shuffled over to the chair where the vest lay and eyed the piece of fabric like it had insulted his mother before picking it up and slipping it on.
He took one look at himself in the mirror and groaned, head falling back. “I look absolutely ridiculous!” he cried, slumping down in the chair that had previously held the vest he currently wore. “This is going to be a disaster.” It was muttered, his arms thrown up and covering his face so his voice was muffled.
“Satine will take one look at me and laugh me all the way out the door!”
Behind Blaine three other pairs of eyes were pleading with baited breath and hands formed in prayer for Christian to take the plunge and put it on. For all their sake! For the sake of their art and all their hard work. Blaine stood closest, chewing his bottom lip like a parent watching if their child was going to spit out their first taste of real food or not. Would he do it?
Please, please, please?! YES! Victory!
He had to hand it to the writer. His dramatic collapsing onto a chair act was truly a work of superbly encaptured flair. Christian looked too miserable to point that out, so he let it go and approached him. Blaine’s expression was one of complete sympathy and desperate warm pleading comfort. “One night. One chance. You’re handsome as ever, Christian.” Bending at the waist, careful fingers gave his cheeks a pinch then a gentle pat soothed the touch away before he stood back up and grinned. “She’s going to love you. I promise.”
There was no better time to show off Central Park to one of the Glee Club’s latest additions to New York City than when a fresh blanket of snow put a soft white blanket over the trees, statues, bridges and fountains that lined the twisting paths through one of Blaine’s favorite places to be. Mike had yet to experience the scenery fully, as far as Blaine knew, and that was –or should be– a crime. Why not steal a day when classes were cancelled and neither one of them had many plans to check that item off Mike’s too-busy-to-really-enjoy-the-city first few months of getting settled into NYADA’s and living in New York City’s routine?
Standing at the gate he’d texted his friend to meet him at, a thermos of warm apple cider in each hand, Blaine used the tip of a black boot to mess around with the clumps of snow at his feet. A brow lifted up in his concentrated attempt to Etch-A-Sketch away a circular pattern by swiping his foot back and forth over it to flatten out the sparkling powder underneath his sole. He’d barely begun a careful crescent shape when a shadow ghosted itself into view. “Sorry, waiting for–,” he looked up ready to excuse himself if he was blocking someone and his smile went from apologetic to brilliantly delighted. Mike! “Waiting for you! Hey! Hope you like cider,” he lifted the silver and black beverage container in his right hand to give it a light ‘look here!’ shake before holding it out to him. “Make the walk so much better. Ready for the view of a lifetime?”
pianokeysandbowties back up 