❛ NO KIDDIN. ❜ a soft little chuckle escapes him as he crosses his arms loosely. ❛ i USED to be one of those guys in middle school. i thought girls loved it. ❜
Blaine cringed in over-exaggerated ‘sympathy’ for poor Finn’s middle school body spray mistake. Though? Didn’t everyone have those? Uh. Except him, of course. Totally didn’t make a fool out of himself like ever. Not even as recent as, you know, a year ago? He still hasn’t set foot in a GAP thanks to that one. Probably never will. Let’s be honest. No real wardrobe loss there.. See? Silver lining!! “What kind was it? Cause do you know how tempting it is to make sure you get a stocking full of it every year for Christmas now? Way too tempting. Big time.”
❛ I MEAN —– you smell good to ME ; but i’m not really your target audience, so … ❜ shoulders rise & fall as a smile curves his lips. ❛ ———– i don’t think it’s too much. it’s way better than if you tried to drown yourself in axe at least. ❜
Blaine laughed, smirking in relief that he wasn’t walking around smelling like a Hershey’s bar. “I do? Great! Thanks. That’s what I was hoping for. I don’t think I’ll ever be one of those Axe guys,” he scrunched his nose and batted his fingers in front of it like he was trying to chase off a God awful smell. “The entire locker room smells like that nonstop during football and hockey season. Any season, really. Now that I think about it..” Maybe it’s a McKinley thing? “Hockey’s just the worst. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll choke to death on the fumes mid-swing at a punching bag.”
HE STARES BLANKLY AT THE GROUND FOR A MOMENT – brows furrowed as he really thought this one through. ❛ huh. i guess that makes sense. sorta. ❜ & just like that ; he’s satisfied. he hums softly & nods. ❛ it’s really sweet smelling. ❜
“Huh. I didn’t notice..” Blaine sniffed like he was testing to see if he could smell it. Sure, he wanted to make Kurt happy by using the gifts he bought and smelling good to your other half is important (though was he making a mistake all this time with his own cologne? cause it wasn’t close to chocolate scented.) but he didn’t want to go around smelling like a Hershey’s bar either.
“….A good kind of really sweet? Or a this is way too much kind? Cause there’s a BIG difference.”
HE’S A LITTLE DUMBSTRUCK —- maybe because he has the initial instinct to eat his hair. ( was that as weird as it sounded in his head ?? probably. ) he nods after a moment. ❛ weird. quinn had some makeup that smells like peaches. i don’t get it. if you’re not supposed to eat it, why make it smell like that ? ❜
“I guess because it gets your attention more than perfumes or colognes? That’s what Kurt told me? Who knows? If you noticed chocolate right away? Guess whatever magazine he got that out of has a point?” That was the best answer Blaine could come up with. Poor Finn seemed to be really thinking this one over. He had to give him something to satisfy his curiosity before steam started coming out of his ears. “Peach scented makeup though? That’s something I never heard of.”
CONFUSION IS EVIDENT ON HIS FACE ———– ❛ is that—- is that smell your HAIR ? ❜ he’s not disgusted by any means ; kind of thrilled. ❛ it kinda smells like chocolate ! ❜ /
Finn wasn’t the only one CONFUSED. Blaine’s mouth opened to make a few mouthed attempts at words before finally stuttering, “Is that a trick question–or?” Until the smell was compared to chocolate. Laughter crinkled Blaine’s eyes at their edges. “Yeah, Finn. Guess it does. Christmas present from Kurt. I never thought my hair could smell like a Godiva store. Turns out? I was wrong.”
“Tomorrow?” His fingers lifted and wriggled toward the side of his head. “Starbucks.”
Finn, of course, was aware of Blaine and Kurt’s break up. Heck, after Rachel, Kurt was immediately on the phone with Finn, which he had to admit surprised him a little. Finn wasn’t going to side with or blame either party though. He hadn’t wanted that when things had officially ended with Rachel months ago.
He could tell that Blaine was a little worse for wear, immediately having flashbacks of the same feeling. It was the worst. He grabbed his coffee from the table and followed Blaine to the counter, fully intending on treating Blaine to whatever he wanted. It was the least he could do to hopefully make Blaine’s day a little brighter.
“I’m pretty good. On my first official summer vacation as a teacher. Best job ever,” he chuckled, flashing him a soft grin. “How’ve you been? You doing okay?”
Stepping backwards as he watched Finn grab his coffee, Blaine stuffed his hands in his pockets and greeted him with a smile when he caught back up. He hadn’t reached out to Finn since his return to Ohio for obvious reasons. Mainly, him figuring that since Kurt and Finn were stepbrothers? He was, automatically, put on the outside of any sort of relationship with him now, too. Just like the rest of Kurt’s family.
Yes, it was cutting them short from the immense credit they all deserved. But it was easier to just assume than to think about trying to contact them and suffer through the hurt of being turned away. A coward’s way out? Definitely. However, it was safer for him, too. And it saved them the potential uncomfortable feeling of talking to the ex-fiance’. Regardless of how much it hurt.
Being treated the opposite the first time he’s run into Finn? Blaine couldn’t help the crooked smile he first gave him from blossoming into something more real. Especially with Finn’s news. “That’s great, Finn! I’m so glad you love it. I’m sure you’re amazing.” Having turned around when they approached the counter, Blaine shrugged and stepped forward. “I’m..? I’ve been better. I’ve been a lot worse though. I guess I’m getting there,” their eyes met with a lift of Blaine’s chin, “Slowly but surely. Sometimes that’s the perfect pace. Right?”
The Lima Bean was packed since school was out for two days. The rest of the Warblers who straggled behind after dropping Trent off for the weekend already claimed two tables near the windows. Laughs and shouts of joy echoed from their table. Blaine was the only one stuck at the counter. He drummed his fingers on the bleach water faded wood quietly for a good five minutes making sure to keep enough space for the person who had yet to claim their coffee. Then it dawned on him when he saw the name written on the side of the cup. Finn.
Kurt’s brother? How’d he miss the ceiling tall boy not two people away? Only meeting him twice before this, it still boggled Blaine’s sober mind at how Kurt and he were family. Sure, it was through marriage, but the contrast of personalities was beyond crazy to compare. “Hey. I think this is yours,” his smile was warm and open as he held the cup out. “It’s nice to see you again, Finn. Where’s everyone else?”
Finn had been soaking up his summer break after his first year of teaching. While he loved his job, he definitely was excited for two months of paid vacation. He had a few glee club related things to do, so he brought his laptop to the Lima Bean, parking himself at a table and getting to work.
He noticed a familiar face walk through the door, and a grin spread across his lips. “I thought we kicked you out of Lima a long time ago,” he joked, standing up to hug his old friend. “What’re you doing here?!”
Their table would just fade into the background. Old conversations that were loud as day would just fade into the din of coffeehouse conversations, glass clinking together and the roar of overworked espresso machines. You can do this. You are going to do this. Blaine let out a breath as he stood outside the Lima Bean and adjusted his bowtie to make sure it was perfectly in place. No more repeats of the incident with Sam where his best friend didn’t recognize him without his look and thought he was trying to pick him up, thank you.
Two months of patching himself back together with a little help from ‘someone to talk to’ and he was going to try to give this spot another go. And he baby stepped strode inside. Three steps in and a pair of arms were waiting for him and a familiar voice that caused him to blink and look up. Finn? A wary smile turned warm and he stepped into the hug, returning it tight before stepping back and clasping Finn’s shoulders. “Oh. Wow. Yeah. You did. I guess I just couldn’t stay away,” his grin came easier than he thought it would, “H-How are you? You look good!”
pianokeysandbowties back up 