The Faint

            He laughs at the thought that transferring back to Dalton was running away – in truth it is so much harder than he imagined.  Whereas in McKinley it was the choir room and the auditorium, here it is the curving stairs, the wood-panelled rehearsal rooms, the little coffee shop…  It does not matter where he is – there is always a little part of Kurt there that he cannot escape.  The only difference in that regard is that, back at Dalton, he has a lot more distractions.

Blaine's return to the Warblers is hugely ceremonial and the party they throw him in conjunction with Doug is spectacularly over the top.  Hunter has them salute him and Blaine, red-faced, has to plead with them to never do that again.  At first everything is heightened – everyone goes out of their way to welcome Blaine back into the fold and to reassure him that none of them think he will turncoat again.  Blaine supervises the handover of the trophy back to the New Directions and is unsurprised when he receives no warmth in return.  However, he finds he misses the self-expression that the lack of a uniform at McKinley had granted him – he laughs now at how intimidated he had felt at having to choose his own outfit each day (regardless of what Cooper says – Kurt only helped at first!).  The uniform at Dalton feels like a second skin but he finds he has outgrown the need to blend into the background – he has no more need for the unanimity and no real desire to conform.  He thinks that he is beginning to truly understand Kurt's frustrations with Dalton now and he finds the whole thing a little hilarious.  He conforms though, because it is required of him and it is the right thing to do.  He acts the poster boy as he is expected to.  He concentrates on his grades and sends off applications to the big colleges – he chooses law as his major.

Sectionals approaches fast and Blaine ensures that they go through the motions of open auditions (even if the result does not change) – he feels the he is somehow honouring Kurt to do so.  That he is somehow making a difference.  He gets on surprisingly well with Hunter at first, however, he quickly grows frustrated that Hunter is merely placating him by letting Blaine hold auditions and going with any and every song Blaine suggests.  The tension bubbles beneath the surface until Blaine snaps first – he had enquired after Trent's absence from the group and upon receiving no satisfying answer he had sought him out.  Trent had told Blaine about Hunter's steroid regime and Blaine had immediately singled out first Sebastian, then Nick, then Jeff, to corroborate Trent's story.  When Blaine confronts Hunter it all blows up so quickly that the assembled group is stunned into silence.  Hunter throws the first punch and Blaine, thankfully, has the presence of mind to force his fists down and exit the room rather than knock Hunter down and out as his body screams for him to.  It is Sebastian who follows him first, though the others quickly follow.

Once they had cooled off Hunter approaches Blaine and steps down as the leader of the Warblers.  The assembled members elect Blaine as his successor without hesitation and as his first act Blaine puts a blanket ban on all performance enhancers as accepts the role, but does not expel Hunter to much confusion and surprise.  Afterwards, Hunter approaches Blaine in private and thanks him, and Blaine feels able to breathe a little easier for the first time since returning to Dalton's halls.

            As the competition approaches Blaine finds that he has less free-time to spend with Doug – he feels the familiar flutter of guilt in his gut and endeavours to make more time for his friend.  Doug suggests he simply hang out with the Warblers more – one or two of them are on his team as it is anyway.  Blaine finds it a little strange to see his worlds colliding and stranger still to think that now, Doug, Sebastian and Hunter could all be lumped together into the ‘best friend' label.  The four spend most of their time together – either in the same classes, hanging out after practices, or simply relaxing at one or the others' house playing video games or watching movies.  Blaine feels the tension start to leave his shoulders.  He starts to relax.

-+-

            ‘You smile more now – it looks good on you.'

Blaine raises an eyebrow at Sebastian as he reaches across Hunter for the popcorn.

            ‘You coming on to me again, Bas, because I thought we were past this?'  Blaine grins as Sebastian throws popcorn at his friend's head.

            ‘No.  You are far too high maintenance for me.'

Blaine mock-acts shocked hurt and Hunter cracks up with laughter as a popcorn projectile hits Blaine square in the pout.

            ‘Hey!  Watch his eyes, Bas!'  Doug joins in and throws popcorn back at Sebastian in defence of his friend.

            ‘How many times are you going to bring that up!  Geez!  I still feel awful about that!'  Sebastian grimaces.

Blaine laughs good humouredly as Sebastian aims for Doug whilst clocking Hunter right between the eyes with his own shot.  Hunter growls.

            ‘Oh, that's it!'

Hunter pins Blaine in a fluid movement knocking the air from his lungs – not that Blaine could breathe through the laughter before anyway.

            ‘Bas – grab the bowl!'  Hunter shouts over his shoulder as he holds Blaine's wriggling body against his.

            ‘Doug!  Help!'  Blaine manages to get out but he knows it is pointless when he realises Hunter's plan.  ‘You're just going to watch aren't you?'

Doug laughs and nods as Sebastian pours the contents of the bowl over Blaine's head. 

-+-

            Douglas hears from Doug about once a week – it's nice to slowly get to know his eldest nephew and he finds they have a lot in common.  He thinks Doug gets as much out of the conversations as he does, at least he hopes so.  He's glad he can act as a mentor for him – an adult friend.

Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that Doug spends so much of the conversation waxing lyrical about Blaine – how he transferred back to Dalton on Doug's advice, how he re-joined the Warblers and broke Hunter's rule of tyranny and then unified them once more.  And today - how he and his friends had a popcorn fight whilst watching a movie and how pleased he was that his friend actually seemed happy again – so far removed from the shell who met with him in the Lima Bean.  No, learning about Blaine was just a happy side-effect.  Douglas was just happy to learn that Blaine seemed to be back on track.

Douglas spends his free time, little as there is of it, at the branch of the Old Boys' club in New York – he reacquaints himself with school friends on a nostalgic whim he blames wholeheartedly on his young nephew.  He slowly gets to know each old chum again – what they do now (generally they already know what Douglas does), how their health is, significant others, etc.  All the usual small talk he used to balk from and had no time for before.

Doug pressures Douglas to join his family for Thanksgiving, reminding his uncle that it is rapidly approaching – it had been so long since Douglas celebrated that he accepts on the spot – on the proviso that he confirms with Roger first.  Doug's childish whoop! fills Douglas with a bubbly feeling he cannot wholly explain and it only grows when he hears the invite repeated sincerely from his brother's lips.

            So it is with an odd feeling of lightheaded-heaviness that Douglas arrives the evening before Thanksgiving at his brother's house, and so was present when Doug received a call at the dinner table on the day itself.  Doug had kept on about his desire to support his friends at their competition but his mother and father had put their feet down.  Douglas had felt bad for the boy and Doug's nervous anxiety and anticipation as the time for the performances to start came and went that when his phone went off even he jumped.  The gathered adults had quickly given Doug permission to leave the table to take the call – Douglas supposes they could not have been as immune to Doug's jumpy energy as they had seemed. 

When the youth returns to the table he looks pained and his half-mumbled ‘they won' does nothing to explain the terrible crashing sensation Douglas feels in his chest.

-+-

            Blaine feels as if he is soaring as he leaves the stage surrounded by equally buzzed and sweaty friends.  He urges his team to be quiet as they creep back into the auditorium to take their seats to watch the rest of the competition, and he pretends the tickle in his belly is residual nerves from his own performance and not for his old colleagues the New Directions.

The New Directions finally take their positions and Blaine notices both Sebastian and Hunter staring at him.  He tries to ignore them but he knows that they can probably hear his heart hammering in his chest.  As the music begins a ripple of mixed emotion flows through the audience – the song choice is bold and Blaine wonders how Finn managed to convince the group to go with it.  Tina and the others do a good job of the song and Blaine is mildly surprised by Jake's dance skills – he manages to keep up with Brittany, however, that's when everything goes wrong.  Marley faints and Blaine is on his feet and running towards the choir room where he knows everyone will gather before he can process that he is moving.  He doesn't feel Sebastian's fingers on his arm or hear Hunter shout for him to come back.  He blindly runs, making it to the room as the majority of the New Directions do with Marley.  He hears Kitty ask if anyone has something Marley can eat.

            ‘I may have a juice box!'  Blaine has seen performers pass out due to exhaustion before – it is not uncommon so he usually has something on him in case of emergency.  He turns to run back to find his bag and almost collides with Finn.

            ‘What do you think you're doing?'

            ‘Helping.'  Blaine feels Finn use his height and subconsciously squares himself in response.  He mentally berates himself for running into help his competitors blind.  He should have known he was not exactly going to be welcomed with open arms even if he was only acting out of concern.

            ‘We don't need your help.'

            ‘Finn, just let him get the damn juice.'  Blaine should have known it would be Sam to come to his corner.  He walks around Finn and sees Hunter and Sebastian – Sebastian is holding the juice box in question and he wordlessly passes it to Blaine.  His friends' expressions are hard to read and Blaine just nods his thanks and then passes the drink to Sam.  He thinks he sees a flicker of something in Sam's eyes but the blonde turns to help Marley before Blaine has a chance to identify it.

            ‘There.  Thanks for the juice.  Now go.'  Finn's voice is not as calm as he evidently tries to make it and it is only then that Blaine realises that not only the rest of the New Directions are staring at him – but also the old New Directions: Mike, Santana, Quinn, Mercedes – they are all looking right at him. 

            ‘You should go, Blaine.'  Mike's voice is soft but firm and somehow Blaine finds it in himself to re-join Hunter and Sebastian in the hall outside.  As soon as he leaves the room the spell is broken and the New Directions return to their panicked fussing over Marley.  He hears a few voices rise and swears that he catches Sam's voice over the others.

            ‘He was only trying to help!'

Sebastian's hand on his shoulder is firm and strong and guides Blaine back to auditorium and their seats.  They sit in silence for a while as the auditorium gossips of the scandal they were witness to around them.  Blaine prays that the New Directions get back on the stage to finish their set but they never do and the Warblers are announced the winners.

The bus ride home barely contains a furious buzzing that only grows as they get closer to Dalton.  Sebastian and Hunter remain eerily quiet and a tight knot of dread settles in his gut.  He is not surprised when it is Hunter that beckons him to follow him into a side room as Sebastian leads the others into their rehearsal rooms to celebrate – even if it is in name only.

Blaine forces himself to meet Hunter's eyes and is surprised to see pity in them.

            ‘I'm sorry that they reacted like that.'

Blaine knows Hunter is referring to the scene he witnessed between the New Directions and the captain of the Warblers.  He sighs.

            ‘Yeah – well, I made my bed.  I just didn't think.  I should have just stayed in the auditorium with you guys.'

            ‘Yeah, you should have.  But you're a good man, Blaine.'

            ‘I don't exactly feel “good” right now.'

They settle back into silence – it still feels heavy somehow and Blaine absently watches dust particles as they spring free from the sofa Hunter drops into.  His legs are heavy and he collapses next to Hunter – all fight drained from him.

            ‘I'm sorry we all forced you to choose.'

Again, it is Hunter who breaks the silence.  Blaine shakes his head sadly but says nothing.

            ‘You can't make everyone happy, Blaine.  You cannot be friends with everyone.  Eventually you have to choose.  I'm glad you chose us.'

Hunter stands slowly and leaves Blaine alone in the room.  He sinks further into the supple leather and breathes in the scent of beeswax.  It used to feel like home.