Chapter Text
2025
Blaine hesitated before he started a PM to Sebastian.
Sebastian stared for a moment when the message arrived in his Instagram inbox.
BLAINE: This is Blaine
SEBASTIAN: Didn't delete your contact
BLAINE: I would have. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I really would have understood if you didn't want to talk ever again. I just wanted to properly apologize
SEBASTIAN: High school seems primeval at this point. I'm pretty sure I was a shit to you first. You forgave me for almost blinding you, I think we're finally even
BLAINE: The slushie was tame compared to the neurotic mess of my youth
SEBASTIAN: We're still young, B, don't talk as if our youth was so far in the past. I'd say we're still in our prime ;)
BLAINE: You look like you are, in that instagram from Brittany today. :)
BLAINE: Me, I feel unbelievably older. I assume Santana and Brittany heard through the grapevine that I'm divorced, I have a daughter - it's all so grown up.
SEBASTIAN: You're still only 30.
SEBASTIAN: How did the split pan out, custody and all that?
BLAINE: We were so exhausted and sad by the end that it was pretty amicable. 50/50 custody. Bettie was only three so she won't even remember that her dads ever lived together, so I'm grateful for that. I still miss her on the days she's not with me, though
SEBASTIAN: She'll be glad you didn't stay together, take it from this casualty of divorce
BLAINE: Yes, I can't compare my life with the classic nuclear family. If I'd never married Kurt, Rachel might not have had Bettie for us and Bettie wouldn't have all those little Rachel-isms that I couldn't live without. It is what it is - we have our own unique history with its own pro and con that Bettie will appreciate some day
SEBASTIAN: Santana showed me a picture once - she has your hair and eyes
BLAINE: And my mom's nose, thank goodness
SEBASTIAN: Hah not "So Rachel," eh?
BLAINE: Oh no hahah Rachel's would have been fine. I meant that MY nose on a girl would not have been great.
SEBASTIAN: Truth
BLAINE: I'm not supposed to ever utter the name of that TV show, btw. Hahaha.
BLAINE: So how have you been? How did you like Yale?
SEBASTIAN: It was just ok. Started up a rival show choir to the Whiffenpoofs, other than that and getting into Manhattan as much as possible, it was kind of a snooze. I'll never admit it, but Harvard may have been more my speed
BLAINE: But that would have given your dad way too much satisfaction
SEBASTIAN: You have a good memory
BLAINE: How are things with him? And your mom? And your grandmother?
SEBASTIAN: Bill is always the same, though he's quieted a little bit since I finished business school last year. I think he's finally resigned himself to the idea that I'm never going to law school to be like him. My mom's settling down, has had a boyfriend for so long that they might even get married. Nina is pretty frail, but Teresa moved in with her so she's as comfortable as she can be.
BLAINE: That's amazing about Teresa - it's a real testament to your family that your au pair would become practically a member of your family like that, through all of these years
SEBASTIAN: Teresa likes to work, she's like you, she likes taking care of people. Plus we pay her well. And she loves me, I charmed my way into her heart when I was an infant
BLAINE: You must have been a beautiful baby
SEBASTIAN: Of course I was ;). How are the Andersons?
BLAINE: Better, now that my mom's been sober five years now. It's all shaken my dad up, and made him mellow with age, which is good. Coop's got a job on a soap opera and is happy - still no serious girlfriend, though.
SEBASTIAN: How has he not come out as bi yet
BLAINE: Hah he might if he gets the right role. Where have you been working?
SEBASTIAN: Private equity now and for a couple years before business school. Right out of Yale I did management consulting. All the travel for both has been dope and the work is interesting enough but I think I'll start a tech company next, sooner than later.
BLAINE: That sounds like it would suit you. Hope you still sing and dance some. Most of the talent on Broadway doesn't hold a candle to you
SEBASTIAN: I take master classes at Joffrey in contemporary and I still hit the clubs. Singing is just at karaoke bars with Meatbox and some other friends. And the odd Warbler alumni event
BLAINE: I saw your dad was a major donor in rebuilding Dalton
SEBASTIAN: Yours too.
BLAINE: There were McKinley jokes that you and Hunter burned it down
SEBASTIAN: Hah I wish
BLAINE: Please, I remember how you felt about Dalton
SEBASTIAN: When did we ever talk about how I felt about Dalton?
BLAINE: We never did. But it was the little things, the way you talked about it. Dalton saved you, like it saved me. After you got into so much trouble and had to move from your beloved Paris, I'm sure you came ready to hate Dalton. But the Warblers gave you a chance, let you be their leader and you got popular so fast. Even after you made mistakes with the slushy and the steroids, they didn't expel you. You respected the high standards for academics and you loved lacrosse. But most of all, though you never really say it outright, you loved the Warbler brotherhood, they were a family you never had. Of course you would never burn down Dalton.
SEBASTIAN: You think you can just read me like a book, eh? ;)
BLAINE: You've always been a fascinating read ;)
SEBASTIAN: You auditioning more now that Little Miss Curls is out of nursery school?
BLAINE: Yes. It's a little slow, but I don't mind. I'm trying to really enjoy Bettie. It feels like I'll blink and she'll be a teenager
SEBASTIAN: If it's been a little slow, you need a new agent.
SEBASTIAN: You gettin any on the regular?
BLAINE: You're as subtle as ever hah. Dating's been hit and miss. But I don't mind that, either. It's been so long, I'd rather take it easy getting back into it.
BLAINE: [unsent] That picture Brittany tagged you in was with a VERY handsome guy. You were in dress suits out in the country...at a wedding?
BLAINE: That picture Brittany tagged you in, in dress suits out in the country...were you at a wedding?
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, of a friend of hers and mine from her dance studio. I rented space to dance there for awhile.
BLAINE: [unsent] is it serious, with the handsome guy?
SEBASTIAN: Your fanboys and girls must be so happy you're still single
BLAINE: Hah I don't think I have many fans left
SEBASTIAN: I'm looking at a Tumblr blog right now - they call themselves the Andersettes hah
SEBASTIAN: It's still active, and you still have paparazzi following you, you're still crushworthy, Killer
BLAINE: Thanks, Stalker :D
SEBASTIAN: There's "real person" fanfiction! *fistpumps*
BLAINE: Omg I didn't realize what two seasons on a CW show would do, jeez
SEBASTIAN: It put you on the map.
BLAINE: Kurt didn't like it. I didn't like it either, it took me away from Bettie too much
SEBASTIAN: She was tiny, you could have packed her in your Tumi and kept a nanny in your trailer. My guess was Hummel was jealous - some things never change
BLAINE: There might have been some of that, yes
SEBASTIAN: I like this new Blaine Anderson, I must say. Hummel-goggles are gone!
BLAINE: Hah don't get carried away, he's still the father of my child and he's not evil - we just were never the right match.
SEBASTIAN: HAH this fanfic "ships" you with Zach Quinto. Not a bad match, not bad at all. Not as good as me, but not too shabby
BLAINE: [unsent] Wait aren't you with that wedding guy? Oh wait do you mean you are a better match for Zachary Quinto than I am? I thought you meant you were a better match for ME than Zachary Quinto
BLAINE: Haha I almost forgot about your Quinto crush.
SEBASTIAN: You forget, I don't crush on people. I merely appreciate him. He's just another version of you - it seems I have a type ;)
BLAINE: Same old flatterer
SEBASTIAN: Lol this other fic has you crashing Rachel Berry's wedding.
BLAINE: Lord. For the record I have not come out as bisexual. That's pure fiction
SEBASTIAN: You mean pure straight girl fantasy
BLAINE: Rachel is getting married soon but it's all been very hush hush, do you think fans have somehow found out?!
SEBASTIAN: Anything is possible with these kind of stalker freaks
BLAINE: YOU CANNOT TELL ANYONE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE WEDDING
SEBASTIAN: Oui, oui
BLAINE: Fan fic writers aren't necessarily stalker-types. I've read some wonderful Star Wars fanfics
SEBASTIAN: Admit it, you've written some
BLAINE: Hah, back in high school yes - of course you would guess. You could always read me like a book, too.
SEBASTIAN: Like when I knew you lost your virginity, haha you blushed so red - a high school highlight
BLAINE: You were so bad hahah
BLAINE: You weren't always bad. In fact, it's pretty impressive to think about how you evolved over the course of our time together in high school
SEBASTIAN: "Time together"? We were never together. You just kept me on the side. I was a sidedish - or I could've been a side dish ;) Finally, it's my time!
BLAINE: Haha, you were relentless!
SEBASTIAN: I was delusional. You were never going to leave Hummel back then. But I couldn't stay away, you were too...you
BLAINE: We were so young. We thought we knew everything. I'm just coming out of feeling ashamed about that period of my life. I'm accepting that it had to happen for me to learn hard lessons
SEBASTIAN: My bratty 16 year old self needed to not get what I wanted for once.
BLAINE: I was more spoiled than I cared to admit, too. I wasn't going to stop until I got Kurt always and forever, like some kind of doll from a store window.
SEBASTIAN: You were insanely romantic, not spoiled. I've never known anyone less deserving of all the shit you've gone through. Cooper and your parents screwed you up good
BLAINE: Maybe, but I don't blame them either - they did what they had to do for themselves, they did what they could for me. I'm just grateful that after it all, we have a future together. Not everyone comes out intact as a family, after we've all been through.
SEBASTIAN: True
BLAINE: You always were such a good listener
SEBASTIAN: Right back at you
BLAINE: I'm glad you thought so. If you want to stay in touch, I'm happy to listen to you as much as you want. And I promise that when I vent to you, it won't be as annoying to listen to. I feel so much more steady. I've done a lot of work to beat back the crippling anxiety about feeling left behind. I'm not so weak anymore - lots of therapy and my friends have really stepped up.
SEBASTIAN: So you're happy these days?
BLAINE: Yes. When I'm not, it's just managing the exhaustion of being a single parent.
SEBASTIAN: But if Hummel has her 50% of the time, don't you have 3 or 4 days a week to rest?
BLAINE: Yes, but it's not just sleep I need. I need support, though not as much as I used to. I get so much from my yoga and meditation, from performing still. I've even started writing music. But I've come to accept that I'm always going to be a person who does better with people around me. My loneliness trigger is something I manage, it's not going to probably ever go away entirely, but it doesn't rule my life. I just have to be careful in situations where I might feel abandoned, or I could go back to my old ways. Being careful means surrounding myself with support, but I try not to be too dependent on anyone.
SEBASTIAN: It's okay for someone to take care of you sometimes
BLAINE: Exactly. I learned the hard way - when Bettie was a baby I often wouldn't get around to planning social time with friends or calling my family. I was depressed or trying too hard in my marriage, I got caught up in cleaning the house, I got sucked into my work. I had to work to learn to reach out to people again, learn how to take care of myself that way again.
SEBASTIAN: Your friends need to step up, too.
BLAINE: They have, and I'm so much better about it all now, too - that was two years ago and I feel like a different person now.
SEBASTIAN: You should call Nick Duvall, he's divorced with two little ones
BLAINE: I should, I miss him.
SEBASTIAN: He's still a common scold
BLAINE: You love him, or you wouldn't still be in touch with him. But I remember he would scold you, just like I would. You respected that he, David and Meatbox weren't as afraid of you as the rest of the Warblers,
I could tell.
SEBASTIAN: Davy and Meat wouldn't scold. You were hot when you scolded. You'd tune your voice a little lower and be sweet and sexy at the same time, trying to get me to mend my ways. Your scolding kept my ego in check. You were never afraid of me, either.
SEBASTIAN: The one I wish had been more afraid of me was Hunt, of course. Talk about someone who's changed
BLAINE: Hunter Clarington? What happened to him?
SEBASTIAN: Just got his shit together - got clean, was goddamned lucky his commander father struck a deal to get the steroids crap expunged from his record if he could toe the line in juvy til he was 18. He went to UCLA, Yale law, got married, has a kid. Still closeted bisexual and wound tighter then he should be. I'm working on it. At least he's not on roid rampages anymore lmao
BLAINE: That's nice that you kept in touch. I have no doubt that you'll loosen him up.
SEBASTIAN: We didn't keep in touch after he left Dalton. I was pissed at him for so long. But I ran into him at a Yale reunion weekend thing. My college boyfriend and his wife were in the same dorm, turns out. We're actually pretty tight now, believe it not. I decided if you could forgive me for the slushie, I could let Hunt off the hook after 10 years. He's in Tribeca
BLAINE: Was your college boyfriend good to you?
SEBASTIAN: Too good. Jay's a version of you, one that eventually realized he didn't have it in him to put up with my crap. You'd like him.
BLAINE: I'm glad you had him for awhile, it sounds like it was good. College would have been a good time to date around, the pool of guys would be smaller and there's common ground.
SEBASTIAN: You didn't need a college boyfriend, all you needed was me ;)
BLAINE: If only :D
BLAINE: I'm just glad you decided relationships are worth your time
SEBASTIAN: Only if they look like you, Babe
BLAINE: Same old flatterer - you've always been good for my ego
SEBASTIAN: Your hotness is fact, not flattery
BLAINE: I'm so sorry but Bettie woke up, I'll be back as soon as I can
...
BLAINE: I'm back. What are you up to :)
SEBASTIAN: Watching To Catch A Thief
BLAINE: Ooh where, I want to watch with you.
SEBASTIAN: Amazon Prime
BLAINE: Got it. Time marker?
SEBASTIAN: 20:34.
SEBASTIAN: I'm warning you, I might not make it through this whole thing because of his atrocious tan
BLAINE: It's Cary Grant, he could wear a paper bag and you still wouldn't be able to take your eyes off of him
…
BLAINE: Perfect ending
SEBASTIAN: B
SEBASTIAN: You chatter as much as you used to through movies
BLAINE: What a line, "You're not the lone wolf you think you are"
SEBASTIAN: Hah yeah, no Oscar for best screenplay. I forgot how thriller-lite this thing was.
SEBASTIAN: One wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in one sitting
BLAINE: Hah and ugh how do you even know that
SEBASTIAN: That guy in the pic with me at the wedding on Britt's instagram? His father did research on wolves for Illinois State
BLAINE: You two look good together. I mean you and the handsome guy, not you and his father :). What's his name?
SEBASTIAN: Marc. Don't flatter him, his head is big enough already
BLAINE: How'd you meet him? Is he good to you?
SEBASTIAN: Hardly hah. You'll like him, though. North by Northwest next?
BLAINE: [unsent] You didn't answer, how did you meet him? I don't mean to pry, just curious
BLAINE: How about Rear Window?
SEBASTIAN: The Princess is all well and good but remember we're here for Cary
BLAINE: Ah I my bad, I thought we were on a Hitchcock binge
SEBASTIAN: Nope, we can do Philadelphia Story instead, I know you love the rom com
BLAINE: And the great Kate. This is such a throwback to high school. I've missed this
SEBASTIAN: It's on Vudu.
…
Sebastian was drawling into the phone. "How many times do I have to tell you, green's your best color."
"No, green is YOUR best color," Blaine said, cradling his landline phone against his shoulder as he tapped and scrolled more on this laptop. "And even if I didn't mind the green, those pants are way too tight for a wedding. Rachel would have my hide."
"There is no such thing as pants that are too tight for your ass," Sebastian said authoritatively. "And it's not like they're a pair of jeans." He looked away, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh. "It's really been too long since I've seen your ass in a good pair of jeans."
Blaine shook his head, but a smile was on his face. "You have a one track mind." His eyes wandered over and squinted at his clock. "Oh my god, it's 5AM. We stayed up all night texting and talking."
"And watching movies. And shopping..." Sebastian mused. "Oops."
"I can't remember the last time I've done this...it's been so fun," Blaine said with a thoughtful smile.
Then there was a significant pause, before Sebastian finally said, "Let's go get some coffee, there's no point in sleeping now. I'll come to you, that way you'll have time to get Little Princess up and dressed for when Hummel comes to abuse your child with that insanely early flight."
"It was the cheapest fare to Paris," Blaine said absently, his focus more on the odd feeling in his chest. It wasn't just excitement to see an old friend. It wasn't just the dreamy glow of a new crush. It was strange. But it wasn't bad.
He really hoped he wasn't falling for Sebastian. Sebastian was with the swoonworthy Marc person Blaine had stalked online. Marc's arms and his abs and his charismatic smile were unreal. He was basically a dream boyfriend. There were Instagrams of them not only at weddings together, but also laughing at the grocery store together, playing games at Marc's family's home together, playing with a dog together. Blaine was honestly really happy for Sebastian. The boy he knew in high school couldn't admit that he wanted to go to prom, let alone dream for a lovely relationship like Sebastian seemed to have with Marc.
Falling for an unavailable Sebastian would be not be good. Blaine needed to pull himself together.
"Hello? B! Wake up! Don't pass out on me now." Sebastian broke into Blaine's thoughts. "6:15 will give you enough time to get over to Empire Fulton-Ferry, yes? We'll wander a little near Butler before it opens. They open at 7, I just looked it up. Too bad the River Cafe only does brunch."
"Uh, yeah, okay," Blaine said, a little breathlessly. "Yes, that should work out fine." He hung up and locked his phone, staring at the black screen for a few seconds. He didn't still didn't really know what he was feeling. Any feelings he was having about Sebastian could be absolutely warped right now because of his current sleep deprived state. Evidence of this was his creepy stalking of Sebastian's boyfriend online, which was done at maybe 3AM, without any real conscious thought. He was obviously spinning. Of course he was - he never stayed up this late; he hadn't since Bettie had been an infant and rarely even before that.
When his alarm went off he shook himself. He had to get Bettie into her little jacket and collect her things for her big trip.
…
Blaine was early, but he didn't want to rush Sebastian, who would need at least 30 minutes to arrive from the Upper East Side. Sebastian probably had a salaried chauffeur, but he wouldn't call him or her so early. So his arrival time would depend on the timeliness of an Uber Black.
Taking a deep breath and inhaling the early morning freshness, Blaine walked along the edge of the park that looked over the relatively calm morning waters of the river. The park itself wasn't glamorous, but he remembered that Sebastian would at least appreciate the view of the pink, blue and gold sunrise behind the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.
Surely Sebastian usually met up in more elegant or exciting spots in Manhattan, but he made this plan so that Blaine would only have to drive 15 minutes after the hustle and bustle of getting Bettie ready to leave on her trip. It was just like Sebastian to do this - despite appearances he had always been one of Blaine's most generous and thoughtful friends. Kurt used to say it was only because Sebastian wanted to sleep with Blaine, but today Blaine was finally proven right. Sebastian wasn't interested in sleeping with Blaine now, yet he was still being very kind and considerate.
Leaning against the railing and looking over the water, Blaine studied the reassuring lines of the Brooklyn Bridge. Built in the late 1800's, Blaine knew it was the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge and that it had survived a dramatic history. 27 men had died during its construction. Multiple, usually overdue, renovations addressed deterioration from age and neglect. He'd read that the bridge had 200 full-time dedicated maintenance workers before World War II, but that number dropped to five by the late 20th century. In the eighties, half of the strands in the cables were broken in some places, and two of the cables snapped, injuring the skull of a pedestrian, who later died.
After all of that, the bridge was still standing. Blaine felt akin to it, though he recognized that persisting in his own life had never been in the ballpark of fatal. At times it felt that way, though - especially to the younger, more naive version of himself who had cheated on Kurt during his senior year of high school. The reality was worse during the even darker days when his marriage was falling apart.
With some distance from it these years later, he could see that it was just life. All around him, his friends and family were experiencing it too: the stress of raising children in the modern world; chronic disease and not-as-youthful bodies; break-ups and divorces, careers and finances not being what they had imagined when they started out a decade ago.
Coming back from his divorce had given him perspective and coping skills that would serve him well for the rest of his life, he was sure. It had given him a more grateful attitude, too, and a stronger sense of self. If he could survive the disillusionment and suffering from his divorce, he could manage literally anything else coming his way.
This increased confidence bred a newfound appreciation for being alone. This was a real revelation, after spending his entire life pretending that he was independent, when he really wasn't at all. As a child his alcoholic mother and stoic father had been neglectful and he had been left alone or with Cooper too much. It was a very lonely existence, one that made him unhealthily hungry for an audience's, his brother's and Kurt's approval.
He had come such a long way since that existence. Now he no longer wanted his life or his identity to revolve so much around his romantic relationship. He wondered if he thought this only because he was bitter about dating, but as he looked across the river he decided this wasn't the case.
After all, he still felt hopeful about romantic love, and he wanted a husband again some day. He just wasn't in a hurry to find him. He had his incredible daughter, who was such a source of light and love; he was in rehearsals for a play he was very excited about; and he had his dear friends, his parents, and Cooper. His life was so full. He felt good that he was able to balance everything as well as could be expected for the single parent of a kindergartener. He really didn't need anything else.
He heard faint footsteps behind him, and he turned around to see Sebastian a short distance away. Blaine broke into a happy smile at the sight of the instantly familiar figure, walking with that swagger that was somehow sexy, strong and graceful at once. Sebastian had also always had an athletic dancer's bearing, and Blaine wondered if he still played lacrosse.
The chestnut hair was now less meticulously coiffed, which suited the more relaxed expression on Sebastian's aristocratic face. That face warmed Blaine's heart. He wore sunglasses now but from the Instagram Blaine knew Sebastian's wide green eyes still gave him a bit of a baby face, as did the sweet curve of his more delicate jawline. But Blaine saw now that the beautiful boy's face had grown into the slightly more angular one of a man. There was maturity not just from physical change, though. Sebastian gait seemed more steady, more genuinely self assured. The trademark smirk was thankfully still there. It made Blaine want to chuckle before he even knew the snarky and charming comment that would soon accompany it.
There was no one like Sebastian Smythe - he was braver, kinder, sweeter, and more sensitive than you'd think. And good god, was he as handsome as ever.
No no no, Blaine needed to not go down that road. Sebastian had a boyfriend, one who obviously deserved to be respected. Also, Blaine had just been thinking about how he didn't need a boyfriend!
Blaine tried to cut himself a break. He had spent too many years beating himself up. And it wasn't that he needed Sebastian to be his boyfriend. He simply found him attractive. There was no harm in that, he wouldn't act on it.
He was just glad to have Sebastian back in his life. He could honestly be happy with just having darling, charming Sebastian as a deeply appreciated friend again.
Sebastian was upon him, just steps away now, up close and magnetic as always. Blaine's smile grew wider. "Bas! It's so good to see…"
But then thoughts were halted as strong arms surrounded him and there was nothing but the press of Sebastian's lips on his, tender and urgent at once; nothing but the press of the solid, strong body against his; nothing but the press of his pounding heartbeat from the rush of emotion and shock. Blaine gripped Sebastian's strong biceps as he started kissing back, lips just slightly parted, head still spinning.
It was so much of what he didn't know he wanted, and it lit him up until he felt like he was glowing. Sebastian wasn't letting up, and Blaine still couldn't think at all. All he could do was feel - desire and love and happiness. Their embrace grew tighter, their kiss deeper, and hands were roving now. Blaine's usual decorum about PDA had jumped in the river perhaps, because Sebastian's hand was on his ass and it only felt right, because it was pulling them closer together.
They finally ran out of breath, pulling apart to look at each other, arms still around each other. Sebastian took off the sunglasses and smiled a soft smile that made him look younger. His eyes had a loving expression Blaine had never seen before. It made him feel heady, more breathless from that than the lack of oxygen after their kiss. His eyes were like stars and he broke into a smile of wonderment.
"I was going to take you out on a proper date, but I decided I couldn't wait," Sebastian was a little breathless too, but the easy smirk was back and hearing his voice grounded Blaine and flipped a switch that turned his brain on again.
The hazel eyes blinked, long lashes fluttering. "You…" Blaine sputtered a little with a half smile. "After all this time, of course you would just walk up and…" But then the wheels in his head reached a more normal speed and he remembered. His heart was sinking as he said with alarm, "Wait, you can't just kiss me like that. Your boyfriend!"
Sebastian studied Blaine with a puzzled expression. "My boyfriend?" There was a quick pause before a look of realization dawned in his wide green eyes. "Oh, hah, Marc? He's not my boyfriend. Fuck buddy, in the best sense of the word."
It was Blaine's turn to look surprised. "Really? But all those pictures of you...with his parents…"
Sebastian's brow furrowed to remember. "Oh, we put on a social media show for them, they worry too much. He's 40, after all. They want grandbabies." He chuckled. "Such a stalker you've become..." But then he reached to touch Blaine's cheek and smiled at him fondly. He spoke gently, but as if stating the obvious. "Please. It was always going to be you."
Blaine looked at him with amazement as he exhaled. "And I had no idea it could be you."
Sebastian leaned down to kiss him again, with an almost aching tenderness. After they'd slowly come out of their dreamlike state from that one, Sebastian turned them towards the city. "I'm hungry," he said, as his arm came around Blaine's waist. They began to stroll through the green of the park, the sunrise remaining pink and blue and gold just for them.
They walked in comfortable silence for a minute, both of them basking in the radiance of the moment.
"You should know I'm still an asshole sometimes."
"Of course. You should know I'm still stubborn and needy sometimes."
"Of course."
…
2027
Blaine looked happily serene as he approached the Pont des Invalides. When he was about halfway across he paused to lean against the railing, taking in the elegant Pont Alexandre II bridge spanning the River Seine in front of him.
A ten minute walk behind him was the five star Plaza Athenees, a hotel that was somehow elegantly historical and couture-inspired avant garde at the same time. Sebastian had chosen it for this reason, and for its proximity to some of his favorite restaurants and theatres, but most of all because it was one of the very, very few luxury hotels that could provide Blaine a pristine grand piano in their suite.
It was very early - Blaine had slipped out of bed twenty minutes ago. Knowing jet lag would ensure Sebastian would be asleep for at least a few hours more, he stole out of there suite quietly, leaving behind a note about the pilgrimage he was making to the Rodin Museum gardens.
Off in the distance the Eiffel Tower looked as gracefully natural as an elm in an Ohio garden. It was a little unbelievable that he was finally in Paris with Sebastian. They had talked about making the trip almost from the beginning of their relationship, but between Bettie and work schedules they hadn't been able to pull it off.
As it was, Blaine had to believe everything happened in perfect time because he could think of no more fitting moment for them to come than now. It was the perfect, hard earned reward for the work they'd done together over the last two years.
It was mostly just wonderful, dating Sebastian. It was romantic and sexy and fun and thrilling - but of course they had to do the rest, too. They had to get to know each other all over again; they had to adjust to dating with little Bettie as part of the picture; they had to learn how to fight and to trust each other completely. It was work but it had such a sweet reward.
Blaine was so deep in thought that he didn't hear footsteps, but a sexy drawl behind him made his heart warm.
"Bonjour, mon amoureux," Sebastian's familiar embrace wrapped around Blaine from behind before he could turn around.
Sebastian added teasingly in Blaine's ear, "I'm walking along, checking out this guy, and all of a sudden I'm like, "Wait a second… I know that hair..."
Blaine chuckled.
"Worst opening line, ever," Sebastian said with good humor.
"Good morning," Blaine said, turning his head to kiss him sweetly.
Sebastian's perceptive green eyes were taking in the pink sunrise, now tinged with gold around the edges of the clouds. He kissed the side of Blaine's temple before he spoke again. "Do you remember that game, back in high school - when we couldn't decide if we liked sunrises or sunsets more?"
Blaine smiled warmly and nodded, looking back over the river again. He rocked back a little, pressing closer against Sebastian's warm body. He asked thoughtfully, "And do you remember our first kiss was at sunrise by the Brooklyn Bridge?"
Sebastian pressed his cheek against Blaine's as he hugged him tighter. "That's right. First-kiss-sunrise, now honeymoon-sunrise. So sunrises definitely win."
Blaine had to kiss him properly for that. He turned around to slip his arms around Sebastian's neck, his eyes adoring. "Yes. They definitely win."