( mssg » nick | sent ) Hello, Nick. This is Blaine Anderson. The new kid you probably are regretting being assigned to show around? ( mssg » nick | sent ) If I could ask for your help one more time? I’d owe you a coffee for a thank you. ( mssg » nick | sent ) I’m supposed to watch the orchestra perform during their lunch time rehearsal today. Would you mind meeting near the cafe and walking there with me? ( mssg » nick | sent ) Dalton is huge and I don’t want to risk getting lost again.
he still couldn’t believe it. of course he knew that blaine was in the big apple. just never had the chance to look him up. ❝ yeah – i moved here back in september from chicago. i’m in medical school at columbia. ❞ he said. he wrapped his arms around him for a quick hug.
❝ – do you have time to sit? ❞ he asked as he motioned to his table. he moved his laptop and books out of the way so blaine had room.
❝ – so what have you been up to? how is kurt – you’re still together right? ❞
Bright eyes took in the sight of Nick as if he were trying to figure out how fate plopped them both in this exact spot together and the answer was written in Nick’s very presence. “September? Columbia? Wow! That’s great! I can’t believe you’re here.” He blinked and nodded quickly. Like there was any other option?! Brushing off a single class wouldn’t hurt. Not for the sake of catching up with a fellow former Warbler. “Yeah, I’ve got time. I’d make it if I didn’t.” And he slid into the chair, letting his bag fall to the floor at his feet.
“Still together,” he asked with that same, stupefied grin talking about Kurt continued to bring out, “Yes! Of course. We’re married.. Going on four years.” Pride shined out of him like a beam of sunlight cutting through the clouds. “Can you believe it? What else besides Columbia have you been up to? How do you like New York City?”
he was sitting at a table inside a coffee shop near campus, enjoying a black coffee. it was something he desperately needed. his energy was depleted from being up so late the previous night, and getting up early that day. laptop was opened and he was working on his notes for his health and disease class. the final exam was approaching quickly and he wasn’t ready yet. he placed his pen down, only to start rubbing his temples. brown irises look up at nothing in particular across the room. as his eyes focus he sees an unfamiliar face. blaine was standing just a few feet from him. he couldn’t help but laugh to himself.
❝
⸻
i don’t even know why I am surprised to see you here. ❞
Blaine shifted the weight of his brown leather satchel from one shoulder to the opposite as he waited for his coffee. A grateful smile was given to the barista when she handed it over. Oh, he’d been looking forward to this since the class before the one that just finished. The smell alone practically made it worth the wait as he pulled the plastic lid off and inhaled a fresh brew. Stopping at the condiment counter, he grabbed a couple sugar packets and was about to sit his coffee down when a familiar voice caught his attention. No way. Awestruck, he glanced over his shoulder at the source, brows shoved together and blinked. Holy… Nick Duval?
“Nick? No way. How? It’s good to see you! How did I not know you were in New York?”
like he should do, he dropped everything when the bell rang. the paramedic in charge of ambulance sixty one was in his shotgun seat in record time and once his partner was in they sped off. the nature of the call was a man in distress. he knew that could be anything so nick was prepared. they pulled up to the house, a small grey structure that was fenced in on south homan avenue.
“ paramedics!” he called out once they got to the door. a child opened the door and he rushed in. the paramedic that was expecting everything wasn’t expecting what he saw inside. “ blaine? ”
The night started out relatively harmless (as far as the definition of ‘harmless’ can go in the Gallagher household) with Blaine waving off anything stronger than a beer and Carl mentioning something about a stick being somewhere a stick should never be and how Blaine liked it there too much. Lip telling his brother to ‘shut the fuck up’ and..well..the usual that made Blaine grow weirdly fond of the family. They were functionally dysfunctional (mostly) and it was a strange dynamic to watch. Their highs were high. Their lows were rock bottom but they always endured. More than his family back in Westerville with deep pockets and ‘perfect lives’ ever had.
Rock bottom. He thought he saw them hit it before. Lip told him he had no idea. Until tonight..he fully understood what he thought was their low was nothing in comparison to.. Ian. Staggering in with a blood smeared mouth and nose ranting so fast that nothing he said made sense. His knuckles were dirty, scraped open and his eyes were so gone Blaine wasn’t sure he’d ever get what he looked like out of his head.
“Just help him, he’s been like that for an hour. Please,” Blaine stood clenching his phone in a white knuckled vice grip. Seeing Lip back away and shout the same thing he said–he barely caught a vaguely familiar voice saying his name. His face went blank when their eyes met.
“ go ahead, get it off your chest, blaine. what ‘s the matter ?? “
“I’m sorry I’ve been distracted. I’m worried about the boy who came to try to spy on us the other day? Kurt.. I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about him and wondering if he’s okay. I never saw someone look exactly how I felt before here. I’ve been there. It’s awful. Do you think he believes me? That he’s not alone anymore?”
Nick seemed to be absolutely nowhere in sight. Blaine spent the better part of half an hour going between the dorms to the dining room and even hunted down Jeff to ask where the Warbler might be. The blond had no idea. Nicky simply vanished after practice and was nowhere to be found. Well. Nowhere unless you decided to wander down the path outside the stone and brick walls of Dalton Academy. Blaine had an idea where he might’ve gone to.
A place that his friend showed him the first week he transferred. ‘If things get too hectic while you’re trying to adjust? You can find some quiet here.’ Fresh, warm Spring air smelled amazing when mixed with the hint of newly grown leaves and flowers. The bottoms of his shoes clacked against the wooden dock planks where he caught sight of Nick at the very end. Blaine smiled as he came to stand beside Nick then slowly sat so he could bump his shoulder against Nick’s gently, smiling when he caught the other boy’s attention. “Penny for your thoughts,” he asked softly and perked his smile a bit wider, “If they’re really good ones? I might even offer you a dime.”
For the first six hours on shift there were no calls. It was almost as if the whole city of Chicago was fast asleep. That hardly ever happened. The fireman and paramedics of firehouse 51 were enjoying a nice uninterrupted meal. It was taco night and every one enjoyed it as usual. As luck would have it clean up began and the very familiar alarm went off throughout the house. Nick BOLTED up from his seat and headed for the rig, getting in the passenger’s seat. They were heading towards a fire that had started at the University of Chicago’s Theater. It wasn’t that far and before they knew it they were pulling up behind Truck 81. Nick could tell the fire was FAIRLYlarge so they started to triage people that needed it. Nick was helping a young woman when the squad lieutenant brought over a short male. But it wasn’t just any other short male. Nick was in shock, it was Blaine. His best friend from when he went to school in Ohio. “Blaine, oh my gosh. Take a seat.” He said, QUICKLY grabbing a mask. The other had blackness under his nose so Nick knew he would have to be looked at.
Comedy of Errors. Who would have thought the title of the play would end up half right if taken literally? A string of errors from too old lighting and a rewire mishap that ended up not so comedic. The entire stage and backstage of the area were filled with smoke that soon ballooned in a pitch black cloud filled with shouts of students making sure everyone exited the building and no one was left behind. The doors had been slung open, faculty and staff poured out but it was the few left behind when the smoke became too thick to see that were lost and trying to navigate getting out by memory only. An easier said than done task since panic overrode common sense. Blaine’s hand held tight to a girl’s who he barely talked to as they crawled along the floor in the direction of what he was sure this time was the way out. You’ll never know how happy you can be when you hear a sound like Darth Vader coming at you and a thickly gloved hand closes on your arm a second later until you realize that you really aren’t that sure after all. Oh thank God..
The air outside tasted awful thanks to the flavor in his mouth Blaine was sure he’d never get out. But they were safe and he was being taken somewhere, coughing but alive and unharmed save a few bruises scrapes thanks to bolted down seats and rough corners. His body slumped forward as soon as he sat down but his attention zipped up as soon as he realized someone said his name.. No way? Did he hit his head? His voice was confused and gravelly but he couldn’t believe his eyes, “..Nicky?”
( mssg » blaine | sent ) Good, that was a test. You passed. ( mssg » blaine | sent ) Well that’s a relief… and come in. I’m going to ignore that… of course i’m decent.
( mssg » nick | sent ) Glad I passed. What would’ve happened if I failed?
( mssg » nick | sent )
Hang on!
“Don’t answer that question, actually. Nicky! I’m so glad you’re here!” Blaine practically bounced into the room with an ear to ear grin greeting Nick along with the excitable Warbler still wearing his uniform even though the day had since turned into evening an hour or more ago. Both of Nick’s wrists were gathered up into a set of careful hands that were insistent on ushering the other backwards towards the foot of his own bed. Bless his heart–since Blaine was so excited–of course Nick would have to be seated to receive this AMAZING news! You know? For his own sake?! “I need to tell someone and you’re the first person that came to mind. Take a seat, I have some news and I’m bursting at the seams to get it out.”
Nick raised his eyebrows.“Okay- what are you hiding from me?” He asked. Blaine was acting very suspicious. “Oh an thanks. Now back to you.”
Blaine knew his vague attempt at the bait and switch via compliments of his hair was doomed from the start. Had to give him points for trying though? Nick was just too quick and caught on. Or, most accurately, Blaine was just a really bad liar. His mouth dropped open and a thumb shot over his shoulder at the window. “Hiding? Um..,” he drew out the sound and then attempted to form a few various words before–he caved in and his lips curved in a guilty smile. “There’s this party–I mean. Nothing big. Certainly not anything to concern yourself over. Promise.” Busted. He was so busted.. Great!
pianokeysandbowties back up 