“So, hypothetically, if I were to ask you out to dinner, would you say yes?”
“Those hypothetical questions. They’re a lot easier to answer sometimes. Aren’t they? Well, Duran. I would say hypothetically, of course, if you pick the place? I think I would happily agree to come along.. As long as I was allowed to buy us coffee and dessert after..”
Duran wasn’t sure a bright red blush, and a choke of his drink was an appropriate reaction to Blaine offering to teach him how to tie a bowtie. Blaine had a boyfriend, and they’d just barely met. There was no way Duran should already be this flustered at the thought of being in close proximity to someone so cute. He tried to regain control, pretending he was just choking briefly and that his reaction had NOTHING to do with the offer. “Yeah,” he said with a grin. “I’ll have to take you up on that sometime.”
He leaned back and took a couple of deep breaths until his breathing returned to normal. It was enough to let him respond to Blaine. “Yeah, I mean, yeah. I don’t know him, but it might be fun. Plus I don’t want to seem like I’m doing something wrong.” He didn’t want to outright admit he was afraid that this Kurt would be jealous and insecure. He figured if he offered a preemptive olive branch, things would go a lot more smoothly between all parties.
“I’m not a fan of science fiction,” Duran admitted. He felt a sense of guilt admitting that, even if he couldn’t explain why. It had just never appealed to him much before, and his brother has tried several times. “I love action and suspense though.” Even if they couldn’t agree on the genre, there were still several movies they could pick from. “I’ll even take a good action comedy. That’s probably my favorite.” He grinned.
Killing a guy by offering to show him how to tie a bowtie was not on Blaine’s list of things to do today. By the looks of it? He almost did. Duran’s reaction had a similiar one in Blaine though his was more internal than broadcasted for Duran to see. His throat tightened, fingers gripped onto his coffee cup til the color in their tips bled out and he almost asked him if he was okay. Yet–he didn’t. Judging by the sheer suddenness of the display–Blaine had a good idea that Duran had no inkling that it was coming and he wasn’t going to embarrass them both by pointing it out.
“I was–I mean if you want to learn? The offer’s there. Any time,” was all he’d say to it before moving onto greener–and more comfortable–pastures. Patiently waiting until Duran could talk easier, he ignored that he felt his own cheeks growing warmer in the meantime and nodded. “Yeah. I think it would be fun. A lot of fun. I’ll ask Kurt if–hm? Something wrong,” he took the conversation back a sentence or two. “No. You haven’t done anything wrong by inviting me. Why would–.” Oh! Oh? The 40 watt shine from the lightbulb in his head amped up to 100 watts and so did the coloring dusting Blaine’s cheeks. “Right. Right. No. No. Nothing to balk at or side-eye. Promise.”
Jumping back onto the topic of movies–Blaine laughed off Duran’s dislike of his favorite genre shrugging it off. “It’s okay. I’m finding out since Dalton? I think I know one or two people as into it as me. Action comedies are great. Kurt’s more the Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Moulin Rouge type but I’m sure we can all find something to agree on.” Or at least the two of them could while Kurt begrudgingly sat through Hot Fuzz or 21 Jump Street? Oh boy. There’d be a cheesecake owed after a night spent doing that.
In spite of his current reason for answering Sebastian’s invite to Dalton for a party off the record? Meaning most of the Warblers were holed up in one of the unused parts of the attic upstairs getting hammered the night before Spring Break–Blaine’s lingering so-so mood took a complete 180 degree turn into one of the best he’d been in for months. Laughing his way out of the room and practically falling over his feet–the banister and his quick grip preventing him from losing a few teeth against the marble floor–Blaine stumbled away from the noise upstairs in favor of wandering off.
It felt good to be here. Too good. The conversation he made Sebastian promise they’d stop having–mainly him coming back–kept returning to the front of his mind repeatedly. Yes. Time to leave them to finish out their night. He was in too great of a mood to stop humming to the tune in his head making it enough noise to drown out the chatter from Sebastian lingering in his thoughts. Oh and getting away from that Hunter guy he still wasn’t overly impressed with was an added bonus. Bouncing a shoulder off the wall–Blaine patted it and gave it an apologetic look stopping his solo performance for concentrational purposes. Way too drunk to drive and not wanting to leave but not wanting to admit that either–he stopped in front of Trent’s door thinking he’d say hello and taunt him for not showing up.
Problem was? He missed the right door by two and was already knocking barely letting it open before he launched into a louder than usual, “Trent! I’m seriously offended that you shrugged off–,” huge grin that grew while he waited greeted–Oh! Duran. Totally on purpose right?! RIGHT! “He-hey–you aren’t,” his expression turned from giddy to dumbfounded. “Duran! What.. Did I get the wrong door? I did,” a hand slapped over his mouth and his apology was muffled and barely made sense, “I’m so sorry.”
“I never did understand the bowtie,” Duran said absently. “I barely know how to tie a regular one, let alone a bowtie.” He grinned, eyes dropping down to admire Blaine’s accessory. He didn’t like to admit that he had help every morning from someone different at Dalton before faculty caught him, but then again, Blaine didn’t seen like the type to judge anyone. “The look suits you though. Now I can’t picture you going without.” Maybe he was flirting a tiny bit; Blaine was cute enough, how could he not? He knew better than the push boundaries, since Blaine did transfer to be with someone else.
He didn’t want to keep talking about pole dancing. There was no reason to start bragging now, and Duran also didn’t want to keep talking about Dalton. He liked it here, yeah, but there had to be more to Blaine than how cool he used to be here. Even if Duran wanted to actually go on about that. (he was starting to feel like he was developing a crush on the former Warbler.)
“So,” Duran said, shifting in his seat. “What kind of movies do you like watching?” Maybe if they happened to ever meet outside of school, they could easily kick back and chill. There was no reason to keep things that polite and professional. “Maybe we could get together sometime and hang out at my place. You can meet my brother, and oh, you’re more than welcome to bring your boyfriend, too.”
“You know? I can teach you,” Blaine felt the heat of his cheeks rise a few notches but he tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. Was it because of the comment on how Duran couldn’t picture him without a bowtie? Or was he picking up on the subtle flirting? Who’re we kidding? It was Blaine and his capability to be occasionally oblivious was legend to anyone other than himself. Definitely the comment on the bowtie. Maybe. Noticing the temperature on the sides of his paper cup dropped to lukewarm–he finished off the coffee with a couple sips. Another? Plenty of time left in his day and he was enjoying himself. Why not?
Looking up from the paper hand protector he idly fiddled with–Blaine gave Duran a curious head tilt but the other boy’s quick correction had him smiling broadly before he could reply. Hearing him quickly add Kurt to the invitation was sweet enough that his eyes brightened and twinkled reflecting the laugh he forced back. “Thank you. I appreciate you inviting Kurt. You didn’t have to seeing as how you don’t even know who he is. Or what he’s like. It’d mean a lot to him and does to me, too,” his lips formed the words carefully stressing that it wasn’t necessary for Duran to feel any pressure to invite yet another stranger into his home.
They could all meet here first if that were the case? See if him and Kurt got along? Though he figured they probably would? Jumping too far ahead much? Movies! They were talking about movies. “I like almost anything, really. As long as it’s not the horror stuff,” his face resembled someone biting into a lemon coated in something even more sour, “Not a fan. I like fantasy, dramas, suspense stuff is okay? Even the occasional action movie if it’s the right kind. Science Fiction would be at the top of the list though. How about you?”
Duran laughed. “It definitely doesn’t feel good. I’m pretty sure I’ve knocked myself out a couple of times, then I started building up my muscle. Makes gripping the pole easier.” He was definitely starting to feel more at ease, and none of the awkwardness he felt earlier lingered. Duran felt it was actually a lot easier to talk to Blaine about more things now that the initial ‘hi’ was out of the way. And the thought of teaching him how to pole dance was actually more appealing than he’d thought, though he wasn’t going to push for it.
“I’m too in love with Dalton,” he continued. “Plus, between you and me, there’s more eye candy here.” Duran had always entertained the idea of going to a public school, but he’d seen what some of those guys looked like, and he really wasn’t interested. There was something more appealing about a well dressed guy, even if he personally preferred to dress more casually.
Now it was his turn to blush. Looking down at himself, Duran absently tugged at his blazer, trying to adjust it. “You think so?” He asked. Looking back up at Blaine, he wore a bright grin. “You know, it looked great on you too.”
Blaine laughed quietly as he imagined what the situation look like knocked out on someone’s floor after falling off a pole. Explain that to the EMTs when they showed up and try not to let it get back to his father, hm? It was an amusing thought and one he might take Duran up on if he ever could shake the fact that he’d be asking a guy to teach him out to pole dance. It was a stupidly embarrassing reason to shy away from the offer so he kept a smile because he didn’t have to force one–he was truly happy and enjoying his new company.
Because of that? He decided to chide himself once he was alone for being such an idiot to find what was just a hobby–Duran wasn’t on it for dollar bills for crying out loud–as embarrassing. Perking up with a twinkle in his eye when Duran proclaimed his love for Dalton–Blaine nodded and had to stop himself from blurting out how much he did too. A wistful sigh parted his lips, his smile faltered for a second as a bubble of homesick filled his belly but he dove headfirst into the conversation quick enough to hope it wasn’t that noticeable.
“Yes I think so,” he tucked his chin towards his collar at the compliment. “Ah–? Thanks,” a lopsided wide smile lingered when he lifted his head just enough to meet Duran’s gaze. “It’ll be missed. It is missed. I figure trade in the tie for the bowtie,” he tapped the blue and gray fabric bowed perfectly at his collar. “Sort of makes me miss it a little less and besides? At least I get a few more varieties of color to mix in? There’s that?”
He couldn’t believe he’d actually admitted that out loud, and now Blaine was asking about it. Putting everything else on hold for the moment, Duran scratched the back of his head nervously. “I–ah,” he started, grinning sheepishly. “It’s not something I usually talk about, but pole dancing is something I’ve always been into. I think I actually started in, um…middle school? Or when I was thirteen?” He honestly couldn’t remember. Duran felt like he’d been doing it all his life at this point. “I just liked the idea of people doing fun tricks on a pole, and I told myself I’d be one of those people.” The more he talked about it, the more comfortable Duran felt.
“It’s definitely not easy. I still fall off from time to time.” He lowered his hands back to the table, forcing himself to keep them there. “Are you interested in learning at all? I can see you doing it.” The former Warbler had expressed some interest, so Duran didn’t feel embarrassed recommending it. It was a good work out too, he thought.
“Anyway, yeah. No, you’re right. I don’t want to transfer schools just because of the dress code. Dalton is my home.” He smiled. “I get plenty of t-shirt and sweats use at home anyway.”
Was he making him nervous? Was it the questions about the pole dancing? He didn’t see anything wrong with it–to each their own–but he could understand where the rather unexpected yet curiously unique hobby might make the person into it worry about whether or not they’d be scrutinized or judged by someone ignorant enough to think it was their business to do so. Still? Interrupting him would have been rude. Duran seemed to be relaxing some.
Unless he showed that he’d rather not talk about it and went past the line of being shy to uncomfortable? Blaine was going to keep his mouth shut and pay attention. Even lean toward the coffeecup he drug close debating another sip. Or to draw this one out so the conversation would last longer before refills. The mental image of Duran falling on his rear off a pole drew a toothy smile and quiet chuckle.
“That has to hurt when you do. Depending on where you are at the time. My luck?,” he grinned, “I’d be upside down and woosh!” His hand swung up with a pivot of the wrist towards the ceiling then swooped to the ground, “Ouch.” He paused at the offer and went a few shades of pink. “Maybe someday I’ll take you up on the offer. Soon as I get settled in and figure out what the inner workings of the public school system–again. I’m glad you’re staying at Dalton. If I helped in that decision,” he shrugged and sipped his coffee flicking the fingers of his left hand like he tossed away any idea of guilt, “I’m not in the least bit sorry. Sweatshirt it up on the weekends all you want. That blazer looks great on you.”
“I thought about transferring to McKinley,” Duran admitted. “I heard it’s a little more relaxed over there, and the lack of uniforms is sort of a plus.” Hearing Blaine talk about how happy he was with his new friends made Duran sort of sad – he didn’t have personal connections over here. He wanted to, but he didn’t hold the same love for show choir that everyone else had. Singing really wasn’t his thing, but the dancing he could get behind.
“Well, if you want to know more about me,” he started with a grin, “then you should know I’m super into pole dancing.” It sounded strange, admitting that out loud, but it was a love of Duran’s and he liked to think he was already fairly good at it. “I have a pole at home that I play on a few hours a day.” He didn’t want to hog the conversation either, but he supposed it was fair if they kept going back and forth.
“What else do you want to know?” He asked. “Maybe we can go back and forth, unless you have somewhere else you need to be.”
“You have? I guess those are good reasons for transferring if they’re that important but? I don’t know. Dalton is a place I miss every day. Are you sure you’d want to give it up for jeans and t-shirts,” he shrugged not wanting to come off as some jerkish know-it-all. Or that he regretted his decision–he didn’t—because that wasn’t his intention. Blaine never would have imagined that he’d leave Dalton until they forced him out at graduation. His only reason was Kurt. Kurt alone had the power to change where he wanted to be. To be so important to him that he’d leave home because his home was some where one else. All Kurt.
Giving it up for anything else? Never. But who was he to judge or try to sway Duran out of the choice that was his to make? Quieting down with an embarrassed bow of his head–Blaine’s face clearly showed a flash of confusion in his expression when Duran mentioned he liked poledancing? Rapid blinks erased his baffled squint. “Sorry. That’s new and unexpected but it does sound pretty fun. Like really fun.”
“I don’t have anywhere to be,” Blaine gently smiled and tapped the paper hand protector on his coffeecup. “What inspired you to start poledancing sounds like a great place to begin.”
“I get it,” Duran said quietly. He didn’t have anyone he cared about personally, but he could see how others acted around their significant others, and he supported their right to be with each other. “I’m gay too,” he added. It wasn’t an important detail, and he wondered why he even had to bring it up. Maybe it was time to change the subject. “So, you don’t want to talk about Dalton.” Duran could let that go. Maybe eventually Blaine would open up about how he felt, and Duran would always be willing to listen. “Tell me more about yourself though. About how you like McKinley, your friends there, or what their glee club is like. I hear you don’t even have to sing there, or something. I don’t know how those clubs even work. I’ve never sang before.” He grinned nervously. “I mean, I sing in the shower, and I’ve heard I talk in my sleep, but enough about me. We’re talking about you right now.” He was definitely babbling now. With a nervous chuckle, Duran pressed his lips together, deciding to let Blaine speak. As far as Duran knew, Blaine was in a relationship, and he wasn’t going to fling himself at the first gay man who showed even a friendly interest in him.
Blaine scooted his chair towards the table giving Duran his full attention now that he decided to stick around. The guy seemed interesting and it felt good to be sitting with someone from Dalton–even if they’d only just met. He tried to place his face among the many in the hallways wondering if Duran would soon ring a bell whiel they talked. Fingers slotted themselves against the insides of his elbows that were bent on the tabletop and he laughed softly at the blurted out ‘I’m gay too’. His company seemed to instantly want to change the subject giving Blaine only enough time to raise his brows and go to say something but stutter his lips closed instead. Duran’s interest in him puzzled him but it was endearing that he seemed to want to know so much about someone who abandoned Dalton in favor of McKinley and the boy he loved. “I–ah–well–.” How was he supposed to sum it up and not ramble/hog the conversation? “McKinley’s great. I knew my friends a little through Kurt before I transferred but it’s nice getting to know them better. They’re good people. A little dramatic,” he flashed a devilish grin, “but underneath–they care about each other.” The Warblers might not be so–over the top–as the New Directions but they weren’t without their share of dramatics. What performance group was? “I’m just glad they–never mind. That’s a whole world of information I’m sure you don’t want to hear.” He breezed onto something else. Duran brought up a point he had yet to think over. “You don’t have to sing–no–now that I think about it there are a couple people there who rarely utter a word.” Mike Chang being the one to instantly come to mind. Why was that? “We don’t have to keep talking about me–you know? This conversation can go two ways.”
“I’d sooner strip down and jump in. No need to waste money on this.” He looked down at his down before tugging uncomfortably at the collar – which he was already told not to do for fear of tearing the seams. He was starting to relax more now that Blaine was so easygoing around him. Duran wasn’t sure if they’d be able to even have this conversation if both of them were uncomfortable. He could also tell how homesick for Dalton he was, and Duran couldn’t blame him. As much as he hated the uniforms, he still enjoyed attending the school. (Plus, there was plenty of eye candy.) Putting his hands in his lap, Duran slumped a little in his seat. “I’d love to hear the lecture,” he said. “Not gonna lie, I do enjoy it here, and I can see why anyone would miss it. But I also understand why you left too.” He tilted his head to the side. “You should come back and visit more though. Maybe we could get to know each other better that way.” Hopefully that didn’t come across too strong. Duran knew why Blaine left, and he didn’t want to sound creepy. “I mean, I understand if you don’t want to. I don’t–” he cut himself off. “As friends,” he added, a second later. “I think we could be friends.”
Blaine shook his head and laughed towards the plastic lid of his coffee cup. “They’re not cheap so I won’t blame you for not wanting to turn them into an over-priced bathing suit. “I’m glad you enjoy your time at Dalton but trust me you don’t want to hear me start.” He paused and glanced up without lifting his chin at the mention of Duran understanding why he left. An impressed but half-disbelieving look pinched the edges. “You do? Word travels fast there. I forgot just how quickly it spreads. Thanks for understanding, though. It means a lot. Even if we barely know each other.” Weirdly enough? Blaine seemed sincere in how much the approval and understanding on why he left meant to him from someone. There were plenty of protests, shock and awe in the announcement that he was leaving and why. Those that knew him best weren’t that surprised but others? Weren’t overly thrilled to see him go but did their best to lend him their understanding while he knew they were having to keep their mouths glued together to talk him out of it. Knowing he disappointed people wasn’t something Blaine ever took lightly and the fact that he did gnawed at the pit of his stomach still. Get to know one another better? Blaine blinked and looked back down at his cup, laughing embarrassedly because he felt a warmth across his cheeks that he knew had to be noticeable. “No. No it didn’t. Trust me. It’s okay and I get what you’re saying,” he smiled earnestly, “I think we could be friends and you’re right. I should visit more. I guess I’ve just been going with that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. Even if it isn’t working very well.”
Duran raised an eyebrow the second the high school was named. He’d only heard of McKinley in passing before, but Duran really had no opinions of it other than they didn’t have to wear uniforms. As much as he loved Dalton, Duran hated the snooty atmosphere half the time, even if some of the boys here were his closest friends. He’d reserve judgement for later though, since he was more interested in making friends with Blaine, since the former Warbler seemed pretty nice. He didn’t seem like the holier-than-thou type, and that reason alone was enough for Duran to feel like they could strike up something. “I hate the blazer sometimes,” he admitted, looking down when Blaine pointed. “I’m grateful for the dress code, but sometimes I feel like I’m sitting through a Pink Floyd video. It also gets really hot sometimes and I just want to jump in a pool and stay there.” Was he rambling? Duran felt like he was rambling.
“Aw, come on. They aren’t that bad.” Relieved to not have a dozen vaguely insulting questions about his decision to leave Dalton for McKinley=-Blaine relaxed enough that the tips of his fingers were no longer pale from where they gripped his cup. He even slid into a chair opposite of Duran. “I don’t suggest jumping into the pool wearing that, though. Dry Clean Only,” he grinned easing back and scrunched up his nose and lips into a smirky pout. “I don’t think it’d survive the dunk. Plus the chlorine? You’d be wearing a half vest by the time it dried and shrunk. Besides,” his fingers twitched off his coffee and towards Duran. “Wearing it’s a privilege. It means you come from a pretty fantastic place.” Did he sound like he missed Dalton as much as he felt inside? Especially after sitting down to talk to someone wearing the clothing he’d become so fond of once the school began to mean as much as it did. “Sorry,” he towards his hand as it lifted rubbed the back of his neck laughing embarrassedly. “I’ll leave out my Dalton fanboy lecture. I guess I’m more homesick than I’d like to admit. Sort of snuck up on me. Anyway. How’s Dalton? Besides making you feel like you might need to burst out into singing about being another brick in the wall thanks to navy blue and red piping.”
pianokeysandbowties back up 