blaine was a strange case, that much hunter could tell. he wasn’t like any of the rest of the kids at mckinley. the people he’d grown to see as semi-friends with more pawn like personality traits. he was somehow more seemingly compliant & worthy of respect. this could really go two ways. he had such a sad song kind of look. as if he could hit the emotional key that triggered your tears with his expression alone. it was both impressive &pathetic. “ well not to call you biased or insinuate that my opinion should be your new truth, but dalton just doesn’t seem to be worth all the bells & whistles. coming from money myself i’d also considered the school. only my parents thought a well rounded school would suit a man better. understand ? it’s just, a little too clean cut for my taste. with my military background i don’t much care for keeping up fake appearances. i care about the work. frankly i don’t think dalton, or more specifically the warblers once you left have EARNED their status. maybe if i’d met a few less pretentious students or saw more real initiative & drive in anyone other than their once golden star who now attends mckinley, i’d have a different opinion. that’s all i meant by the obvious. & i hope there’s no hard feelings. ”
Blaine was busy trying to figure Hunter out as he listened to the other drive another dig into the guts of his beloved former school. Generally speaking, Blaine wasn’t one to stick around to listen to or tolerate conversational digs at the place that saved him when he needed to belong somewhere more than he ever had. Much to his new teammates insinuations of questionable loyalties and whether once a Warbler, always a Warbler rang true or not, Dalton was a place he cherished. Everything from the four walls that surrounded the place to the students, his brothers, he left behind to come here. Curiosity and politeness kept him in place, not wanting to shun their conversation to tatters because he knew what transferring to schools mid-term felt like. And how lonely it could be until you found out where you belonged. “Hard feelings,” hazel eyes glistened and his smile was wide in spite of what was said, “No. No, of course not. But? The Warblers earned every bit of status they have. They were who they are before me. I didn’t make them better. They made me better and I guess it just showed in ways that might come off as otherwise.” Olive skin began to become tinted pinkish around his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. “Thank you for saying so but, I promise, you got the wrong idea. I’m sorry you did. But! At least you’re here. Which is a pretty good place to be, too. What do you think so far?”
“ dalton academy ? is that right ? ” it didn’t take an expert to see the hint of distaste in hunter’s tone. & coated with disrespect, the message is clear as day. i don’t approve. & for what reason ? there were many. only they were all too personal to share with some prep school down-grader. the way he sees it, it’s as if hunter & his brother had a long lost middle ground they’d never heard of. living in both worlds. sounded like a nightmare. “ mind if i ask why you’d leave a place like that ? other than the obvious. ” snobby rich kids, stricter rules, boring lifestyle, you could take your pick of what he meant.
Confusion crept across Blaine’s features. Lips formed around a few unspoken words as he swallowed his initial questions. First, why was he curious? Second, why did he not seem to care for the place? It was easy to tell Hunter had some sort of distaste for Dalton as soon as he said the word. Blaine was more than curious. He only had to figure out how to ask without sounding like he was judging the guy for it. Hunter, in the few short days that Blaine has known him, doesn’t seem like the type of person to handle being judged well. Or Blaine could be off. Hunter just screamed it in how he carried himself. That’s all. Another blink of surprise and he smiled warmly. “You can ask me anything you want. About Dalton. Or why I left. There’s someone here that makes my days better. I didn’t want to waste the time we have before he graduates in Westerville.” He didn’t notice that he broke eye contact to answer. Or how his voice quited. It was all right again a second later. “Can I ask what you mean by the obvious? Dalton’s amazing. I’d still be there if it weren’t–if things were different.”
pianokeysandbowties back up 