It’s the nightmares that wake him again, this time he can’t sit still. The urge to run was overwhelming. And so he does. He slips out from under the covers, briefly he looks over at Blaine to make sure the other didn’t wake up. Satisfied to see that he was still asleep, the speedster ran, he wasn’t sure for how long. Could be seconds, or minutes, he would have done it for hours if he could. It was this restless energy, racing away from the thoughts that danced around in his head. Yet regardless of how fast he ran, it didn’t change the nightmares, it didn’t stop them from happening. Eventually they will calm down, they weren’t as frequent as before. He just– he didn’t like talking about them, even though he probably should. Some would say he allows his emotions to rule him, it’s easy to read what he’s feeling. See, the thing was Barry was the fact that when he truly wanted to keep something bottled up he was very good at it.
Eventually he returned back to their place, phasing through the door to keep quiet. What time was it? It was still dark, but close to early in the morning, great, he’s going to be tired tomorrow. Or rather later today, good things he has the day off, right? He settled on the couch, rubbing his temples with a frustrated, almost distressed look on his face. Then he hears footsteps; Blaine must have woken up. Had he not been as quiet as he thought? “Blaine–” green eyes look up to met those hazel- honey colored ones. “I… sorry, did I wake you up?”
Barry’s spot on the bed was ice cold when Blaine’s hand reached for him in the middle of the night. A contrast of chilly air and no one next to him that his body wasn’t ready for waited for him where a person should be. The empty air in place of his boyfriend stirred him out of sleep. Tired eyes opened to a pillow with the indent of Barry’s head on it instead of a face. It was dark out which meant it was way too early for Barry to be gone. Had to be around somewhere. “Barry,” his voice was still scratchy with sleep as he called out and received nothing back. Or maybe he wasn’t? “Honey?” Not even a stir in the bathroom or kitchen. Okay. Now he was wide awake. Barry was gone and (after shoving bedheaded curls out of his eyes so he could check his phone and seeing no text to tell him something happened at work and he had to rush out) he had no idea why and that wasn’t a common thing between them.
Something had to be wrong.
Worry replaced confusion and he was out of bed with his pajama pants pulled on in seconds. Snatching his phone off the nightstand, Blaine walked down the hall and stopped in his tracks when he came to the living room. Barry was on the couch..but dressed? “Hey,” his voice was laden with concern as he took a seat tossing a glance to his now unneeded phone before setting it aside and putting his full attention on the man beside him. “Um. No. I don’t think you did. I just noticed you weren’t there. You didn’t answer me. You okay?” He had no idea Barry was gone at all, but he could see the heaviness in his eyes and knew the answer already. Wanting nothing more than to make him feel better, Blaine wrapped his arm around Barry’s shoulders and tugged him close enough to press a kiss to his temple. “Wanna talk about it?”
] please? i’ll bake you those cookies you love [ mssg : blaine
🐤 ]
😢 I want to cuddle you, I’ve missed you
( mssg » barry | sent ) I said stop being cute. You’re doing the opposite!
( mssg » barry | sent ) The ones with cheesecake bits in them? ( mssg » barry | sent ) NO! That’s not going to work! I’m putting my foot down. ( mssg » barry | sent ) Oh God. Cuddles, too? That’s not playing fair at all.
Whens memories of this night floods back to him, or at least when most of them do, Barry would feel like dying from embarrassment. He’s never been a lightweight, not really. Before he wasn’t much of a drinker, and so much time’s passed with the fact his powers kept him from become intoxicated. Too much, too face. He should have slowed down a while ago. How will tonight end was anyone’s guess at this point. One thing’s for sure, there will be a lot of stumbling around. The CSI had been ready to make his way quickly back to the bar, only to be stopped by his cute boyfriend. Ugh. What did he ever do to deserve Blaine? He might as well be dating a corgi with how thoughtful, fun, and cute he was. Did he say that out loud? Nah. Wait… whatever. “Only– only ‘uz you asked so nicely,” came his slightly slurred reply after he had pouted at him. Once again he leans down to nuzzle his soft skin, inhaling a scent that was all Blaine’s, and pressing soft barely there kisses to the crook of his neck. A path was lead to those lips he just couldn’t get enough of, even when he was sober. “I want twenty kisses,” he negotiated, bumping their noses together. With a smile he pulled away enough to haphazardly drag them out to the dance floor as requested.
Blaine couldn’t help himself from squirming underneath the nuzzle against his neck. Barry was drunk and he was two steps into buzzed and that feeling that ran goosebumps along the line of his throat closest to Barry’s mouth was too much to keep him perfectly still. Laughing, he rolled his eyes towards the dark ceiling and tried his best to stop himself from an all out giggle fit. Because the only other reaction he could have to the light as air pecks that followed Barry’s moment of cute was going to be completely inappropriate for the state his boyfriend was in. “Twenty? I think I can do twenty. Do you require them paid back all at once? Or can I pace myself,” he laced his his fingers with a set of long, expectant ones insisting they were taken. Then with a sway, he was being drug out onto the dancefloor and he watched in wonder that Barry was managing to take the lead through the crowd. Oh, God. Awkward giraffe barely covered how his limbs moved but Blaine had an ear to ear grin that said he loved seeing Barry so loose and carefree enough to stagger them right to where he wanted. Coming in close, he lifted both their hands up and pressed a kiss to Barry’s knuckles and rested the other against a slender hip to draw him close enough that when he started moving Barry could match him. “Did that one count?” Another kiss lingered on the tip of Barry’s middle and pointer fingers. “How about that one? Or am I still at square one?”
The sweep of his fingers back and forth through Barry’s hair never once stopped as the other settled in for apparently the long haul. Not that Blaine was complaining. Honestly? Moments like this where things were soft and warm and quiet between them were one of Blaine’s favorite ways to spend his day. Obviously, Barry shared the same opinion about their snuggle sessions in front of the television. “I agree. One problem though,” his fingers curled towards his palm as he lifted his hand from the top of his boyfriend’s head leaving just the pointer jutted out. So it could poke him on the nose as Blaine crinkled his and laughed. “Movie is possible. Popcorn? Not so much with you on my lap.. One of us has to get up.”
This was a rather sudden surprise to the end of a long day. The best sort of one that warmed his heart and made him get that goofy twinkle in his eyes that Barry was so good at igniting. “Who said I wanted to move in the first place?” The tips of his fingers trailed up over Barry’s forehead before he sank them into his hair and grazed their edges across the speedster’s scalp. His happy sigh melted into a hum of contentment before he grinned at the man using him as a body pillow. “Yeah. I think being right here is exactly where I wanna be.”
Being closed off was a talent of Barry’s, sure it was easy to read him sometimes. But when he really wanted to the speedster would shut people out, and remain very guarded. It was unfair to his significant others, perhaps one of the reasons why his relationships tended to crumble after a while. He should learn from his mistakes, and not repeat them. Perhaps in that aspect … he just an idiot. It happened again and again, and again. And here he was ready to repeat it. “Blaine I…” he looked into those hazel orbs that he had grown to adore so quickly. He was causing this man pain, all because he was being a coward. Too scared. Too worried. Too unsure of himself. Scared about the idea that he might lose him, worried that he might hurt him, and unsure that he’s even good enough. Regardless he should just push this away, give up without a fight, without Blaine having a say in it. What has sealing himself away done for him? Nothing. Nothing at all, and it usually came to bite him right in the ass again. Finally his shoulders slump a little, the tension easing out of him as he came to a conclusion at last. “….I’m… I’m not really good at this, and you’re right. I have been guard, and withdrawn.” A pause, and pursed lips. “I don’t mean to, but I… I need to try,” he gulped looking a little more determined. “I’ll try, for you, for us. I’m not going to run away anymore.”
Blaine was tired. Tired of pretending that none of Barry’s distance and attempts to push him away hurt him as bad as they did. Tired of waiting and hoping that whatever cosmic fate that tethered them together (whether Barry wanted it or not..that’s what they were) to give him some sort of a break and nudge Barry towards him just a little. Even the tiniest bit would be better than nothing. Barry’s latest bout of going days without answering any of Blaine’s attempts to contact him, finally, pushed Blaine to his breaking point. He stood just inside Barry’s apartment. Hands waving at his sides as he blurted out his answer to ‘How have you been?’. Normally, he would have answered with something equally as skirting-around-the-bigger-issue as that question was. Today? He just couldn’t. Silence swallowed him up as he waited for Barry to show him even the slightest shred of caring about what he had to say. What he got back made his mouth drop open. Barry just AGREED with him? Blaine was so ready to launch into another rant that what he heard caught him off guard. All he could do was regurgitate Barry’s response back to him. “You’ll try for me? For us? You won’t run away,” he asked feeling a little more than weary of the promise and rightfully so. Hazel eyes combed over Barry’s and his lips pouted over the question before he asked it keeping close guard on his heart that deeply wanted to flutter in his chest at the glimmer of hope Barry just gifted him with. “You promise..?”
Barry hadn’t been sure about what to get Blaine, for a brief moment he had wondered about surprising him with a dog. But then realized that was probably a decision they both should make together. Probably. Chances are one of them was going to fall in love with a dog from a shelter, or on the street, and bring it home. That honestly wouldn’t surprise the speedster too much. He looks rather pleased as Blaine looks him over. It’s not the first time he was without clothes in front of his boyfriend. But seeing those Hazel eyes glance over his body still made him shiver. “Well that was the point, it just so happens to be someone’s birthday soon, and you might know him,” he uttered, reaching out to lightly tap the tip of Blaine’s nose. “Cute, likes to sing a lot, dances all the time, has an obsession with bow ties, sound familiar?” his tone cheeky as he scooted a little closer, letting his legs brush against the shorter’s. “I was hoping he’d like his gift, was thinking of letting him do the… wrapping.”
Blaine let his fingers slide across the pillowcase and gently ran the edge of his pointer along the strong line of Barry’s jaw. The man across from him would never cease to bring a smile to his face. Whether that was from being his usual awkwardly adorable self..or..moments like this. Waking him up with his long, lean body stretched out beside him without a shred of clothes on. “Oh, I don’t know,” he hummed with a mischievous grin touching his lips. “He might ring a bell but.. Are you sure you should be in here if he shows up? I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble for my sake. I couldn’t blame him for being insanely jealous if he walked in and saw you in bed with me in the state you’re in.” He tried not to laugh but that was impossible and dissolving into a fit of lighthearted chuckles took over. Their legs brushing together made the laughter break down to a quiet gasp, bare toes curled against the bed sheet. “Do the wrapping, hm?” Blaine scooted in and let his knee nudge against Barry’s until it was between both of the taller’s to draw him closer yet. A bare arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s slender waist, fingertips grazed along the small of a pale skinned back idly as though Blaine was wholly unaware just how far they might dip down with a barely there touch. “Lucky guy for getting the chance to do that. I’m jealous..”
This was the look of rather tired, and slightly annoyed teenager. Yes,he was much younger than most of people his older half brother new, but he wasn’t some child. And at times that’s how he felt when around them. Of course the younger had friends of his own, none of them close, he wanted to keep them at arms length for a good reason. He wasn’t going to stay. Barry had bigger plans, once that he knew Sebastian didn’t approve of. Not completely. Anyway that was years away, there was still time, and he needed to focus on the here and now. Especially the now, considering this was not his idea, and he looked anything, but impressed. “For real?” he uttered, scrunching up his nose a little, “This was so not what I had in mind,” was the grumble, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Why am I here again?”
Blaine had no idea why he agreed to give piano lessons to someone who, by what he was able to grasp from Sebastian’s vague explanation, never asked for them and might not have the slightest interest. He figured it was part of Sebastian’s plan to keep his mind occupied and his days away from school a little less lonely with so many of his friends and boyfriend busy planning what they were going to do with their lives once they left Lima. In turn–him. His quiet and withdraw didn’t go unnoticed by his Warbler friend. Too many turned down online tournaments, texts unanswered until a day later, and just..a quiet that Blaine sank into. Not on purpose. It just happened. And, suddenly, he had a favor plopped into his lap that Sebastian wouldn’t take any excuse for. Now, he stood in the foyer of his house staring at the other Smythe who was–apparently–dropped off by Sebastian with no introduction.
“I’m..um. Hello,” fingers twitched at his side before lifted his left hand to rub the back of his neck and smiled. This was awkward. He was making it worse. “My name is Blaine.. I’m your brother’s friend,” he cringed inwardly at stating the obvious then perked up as a means of recovery. “Sebastian thought that you might like piano lessons? I’m guessing he still hasn’t told you that you might want them judging by your surprise at being here..”
Before the elusive speedster has the chance to pull away–the shorter of the pair catches him by the tie with a smirk and pulls him back in for a kiss. “Hello back, handsome.” A few more pecks are peppered across the other’s lips. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? Miss me as much as I’ve missed you? You better have..”
pianokeysandbowties back up 