squaredancing-weston

[squaredancing-weston]

para || West Anderport: If the Shirt Fits, 1/31/2017

Tagging: @mr-blainderson​ @shakespeareanporter​ and @squaredancing-weston

Time: Tuesday afternoon, 31 January 2017

Setting: Lima Mall, Lima, OH

Summary:  Spencer and Blaine head to the mall to update Spencer’s wardrobe, and Brody tags along to help Blaine pick out a purse to train Bing with

Part 3

Brody

Brody quirked an eyebrow in surprise at Blaine, "Really? Didn't know you had that in you, Blaine. Have you and Bas been experimenting with possession or something. Do you feel the need to rotate your head in a 360 at any time?" he ribbed. "I don't know Spencer-- without mud or oils or something, I feel like it would lack the proper appeal." He scoffed lightly at Spencer's joke. "Sorry-- ranching out in the Bay is more of a white collar agriculture, and we dress the part," he replied. "You want the redneck plaid-flannel types, you can stop by Scandals or one of the farms around here. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to accommodate you." Brody tilted his head as the two boys spoke. "How can you even tell?" he questioned, glancing at the red. "I mean, who looks //bad// in red?" Pinks or pastels or something, he understood, but how people couldn't pull off basic colors was a strange concept-- that, granted, Brody didn't spend a lot of time thinking about, but still.

He gave a dry laugh at Blaine's comments. "Thanks-- I'm good. I'll shake things up when they need to be shook," he added, leaning back comfortably in his seat. "You know, Spence, I considered it, but those highwaters just chafe my boots, and the suspenders don't really go with my dance clothes. Maybe next year. Although I do have a walker, so at least I don't need to get that-- it's got little streamers on the handles," he laughed, holding out his hands demonstrating his grip on the hypothetical walker. "But you know, at least I'm not preparing myself for becoming bald by shaving my head. I'm enjoying my time with my hair," he added with a smirk, running his fingers through his scalp. He waved his hand at Blaine, "Don't tempt me SB-- I might just go ditch you guys for a pretty girl and a pizza pretzel." He caught sight of Blaine's tight smile, calling after Spencer with a laugh, "Actually, whenever you leave, a bunch of Chippendales come out, so we're just really anxious for you to turn your back."

However, when the youngest man retreated, Brody nudged his friend slightly, inclining his head in question and light concern."Ah-- you know," he shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Making the same jokes. Apparently you're not the only one suggesting I update my wardrobe. I'm surprised he hasn't sent you the same thing. He suggested I recommend //just// wearing bow ties around him, by the way." He was careful with his phrasing, including Blaine to dampen any speculation that the conversation was anything but banter.

Blaine

Blaine scoffed and shook his head. "No, but I think meeting him my freshman year of high school set the stages of at least part of me being changed forever. So no possession but almost a full year of a constant bad influence," he said in a playful tone. He kept an amused smirk on his face as Spencer and Brody went back and forth about farm apparel, something that he knew very little about himself and didn't really feel the need to comment on. He glanced back at Brody at his question and shrugged. "It's...kind of hard for me to explain, honestly. It's not an exact science or anything, at least not to me, but there are, believe it or not, some skin tones that mesh well with even red." He looked him over real quick and chuckled. "Lucky for you, unless you're wearing really bright shades of certain colors, you're going to be able to pull off almost anything. Congratulations." He bowed his head at Spencer's praise, raising his hand to wave it off. "Well, sure, out of the three of us, I would claim the title. But still, my expertise can only go so far." He snickered slightly at the though of Brody walking around with a decorated walker. "Can I put stickers on it? Like little rainbows and unicorns? Something to help you remember me by in a few weeks when you inevitably develop dementia," he ribbed his older friend. "Bring me back a cinnamon pretzel if you do. Cream cheese sauce and everything."

He laughed with Brody the best he could, but he was thankful when Spencer had finally retreated into the room. He glanced at Brody when he felt the nudge to his side and he smiled reassuringly to his friend, waving his hand to indicate that they would talk later, if at all. Out of everyone in his life, Sebastian and his family was the only one who knew the details about his transfer to Dalton. It wasn't the easiest thing to talk about, and he wasn't so sure that he wanted to bring it back up again.

Blaine snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, that sounds like Sebastian, all right. I don't think that that conversation I had with Dani a while back about the alternate uses for bow ties helped anything either." He pulled out his own phone, making sure that he didn't miss anything, and sure enough, there were three different messages waiting for him from Sebastian. He laughed and just slid the phone back into his pocket. "He's a mess.

Spencer

Spencer let out a crude laugh at Brody's suggestion of mud or oils. He wasn't exactly expecting it from the other man at that moment, and felt himself grinning like an idiot. "Dude, I might love where you were going with that, and probably most of the guys at Scandals would too, but let's face it. There's no prime rib there. I wanna settle for something better than Scandals' top hotties of Ohio 2017 or whatever." Spencer shook his head, wondering what on Earth compelled him to be so obvious with his word choice. To be fair, in Spencer's opinion, there wasn't a lot of amazing looking people in Ohio in the first place; Who in their right mind would pick Ohio as their settling grounds anyway? Upon settling in the changeroom, Spencer could hear a little bit of what the two other men were saying. "To be fair, I look good in a lot of colors, Weston. Not much makes me look bad. Hell, let me take that rainbow party walker out for a spin and I'll have all the guys askin' me for a turn." Spencer shouted through the little gap between the door and the ceiling, laughing to himself. He quickly shifted shirts again, letting his pecs breathe for a minute before putting on the next option for Blaine. Spencer focused on the mirror for a few seconds, not entirely sure this was 'him'. Still, he didn't want to doubt Blaine's color test and shrugged it off. He brushed his shoulders off a little before pushing the door back open just in time to hear Blaine. "I'm a mess?" Spencer asked, clearly misinterpreting what Blaine had said. "Well shoot, my bad man. And here I thought I was a handsome devil." Spencer held up his hands in feigned offense.

Brody

"Oh man-- I'm kind of horrified by the implications. Talk about trauma. How did you survive?" He shook his head. "Well, when you //go wild// where else should it go?" Brody quirked an eyebrow quizzically. "Prime rib? Is that what they call it in South Dakota, Spence? And if you're having a contest, not sure you'll find much else in the way of contestants than Scandals, let's be honest." He laughed. "You know what, sure Blaine-- you can be the Prime Rib.. I'll settle for a better cut." He laughed. "Hey, what space is left from Lucy's efforts, you are more than welcome. But don't clash- I want to look classy still. Trust, me, my grandpa has Dementia, and if he still can remember what time the hot nurse comes by, I'll remember the Scarlet Badass messing with my walker. And I'll definitely remember if the bald guy steals it, pretty colors or not, so careful Spencer." Brody made a face, "Tcha-- you're the one dragging this out. You should be buying //my// pretzel, not the other way around." Brody laughed, vaguely remembering Dani and Blaine discussing alternative uses for bow ties, "Didn't you and Bas have a similar talk in that regard?" he asked, thinking back. The older man looked up as Spencer reappeared, angling his head as he considered his new apparel. "I don't know anything about colors, but I'm not really a fan of the lighter shade," he opined with a shrug. "You sure aren't an angel, regardless, Spence."

Blaine

Blaine just shrugged. He wasn't too positive himself. He watched as the other two continued their back and forth, not really sure where to fit himself into the conversation; he'd only ever been to Scandals like three times, and his last visit was enough to make him sick of the place. Like Brody, he was confused about the choice of 'prime rib' in Spencer's wording, though he was positive that he understood the implications of it. He laughed at Brody and threw his hands up. "You know, I think I'm good. I've never been a prime rib fan myself." He smiled softly and apologetically at the mention of Brody's grandfather, but still chuckled. "You've called me dapper before; do you really think I'd be so cruel as to take your class away? Anyways, I'll even find a scarlet crayon and tape it to the handle bar. You'll have no chance at forgetting me then." Blaine rolled his eyes. "We've been here for /maybe/ 20 minutes, Brodes. But if it will make you feel better, I'll buy you a pretzel. Deal?" Blaine snorted. He didn't particularly remember having a similar conversation with Bas about bow ties, but it wouldn't have surprised him. He glanced back up at Spencer, pleased at the sight before him, but frowned at Brody's critique. Maybe he wasn't the person to ask for fashion advice after all. He sat back in his seat, waiting to hear what Spencer thought about the color.

Spencer

Spencer didn't think Scandals was a terrible place to at least meet people, but it certainly wasn't the greatest place to spark romance, that was for sure. Still, he stuck to his guns about calling it prime rib and nodded with a smirk. "It's what I call it guys. Don't judge. Besides, rib tastes good, looks great, and you can really get into it you know?" Spencer was well aware of how he was describing it all in an odd fashion, but couldn't help himself at the time. Hearing Blaine say they'd been here twenty minutes was surprising to Spencer. It seemed like he'd seen so many outfits on the racks today. Although, Blaine had made pretty quick work about picking things, which Spencer had to admit was fairly impressive in the first place. Spencer eyed the other two males' faces and then looked down at his own chest. "I... Don't think I like it that much honestly. It's nice and all, but I'm with Weston on this one guys." Spencer shook his head slowly, as if he himself weren't entirely sure. "Besides, if I'm not an angel." He turned his head back to Brody. "Then I'm definitely not good with something this light."

Brody

Brody chuckled and nodded.  "Yeah, I mean, they're alright I guess-- I just prefer something something in a flank or a round, myself-- you usually get better flavor."  He laughed in amusement as his own joke-- he may spend too much time around his Aggies after all.  "Don't worry Blaine-- maybe Spencer will be willing to make you the Hamburger."  He held up his hands in surrender, "That's true-- I have.  But maybe in my decrepit state you'd suddenly decide it'd be more amusing to make a mockery of my wheels.  But a crayon could be good-- in case I need to write stuff down, like in Memento.  And it could be like the photo too, so dual purposed." Brody shrugged and shifted in his seat.  "I'm good for a while, unless you're planning on putting Spence in every shirt in this place.  Then we might have to renegotiate if and when pretzels will be happening.  But if you're offering to buy, I won't stop you," he added with a grin.  Brody's eyes widened in surprise that his opinion had actually won the majority-- he just didn't really like light colors much.  Apparently that meant something?  However he scoffed at Spencer, "Apparently no good at hiding it either, then," before he reached over and patted Blaine on the back.  "Don't worry SB-- they can't all be winners.  If you want, we can get you some sort of purse in pastel for Little B."

Blaine

Blaine squinted, an amused smile tugging at his lips at the ridiculous conversation. "I'd prefer not to be labeled as a piece of meat, but by all means, you two continue." Blaine brought a hand to his chest, feigning offense. "I would never make a mockery of the elderly, no matter how ridiculous their ride may look." He cracked a smile and shook his head. "Of course, I'm glad the crayon will be functional in many different aspects." He shook his head with a shrug, looking down at his watch, before eyeing Spencer again. He sat back in his seat with a sigh and thought for a moment. "Okay, well...let's go over this one more time. What were you wanting me to help you with again? Because, yes, we will probably be in this same store going through shirt after shirt unless I know exactly what I need to be looking for." He gave a side glance to Brody with a smirk. "Which means you won't get your pretzel." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Considering I'm going with a darker pallet for my riding clothes, pastel purses are out of the question."

[squaredancing-weston]

para || Braine: A New Path, 1/04/2017

Tagging: @mr-blainderson and @squaredancing-weston

Time: Wednesday Morning, 4 January 2017

Setting: Boarding Facility (and trails), Harrod, OH

Summary:  Brody and Blaine both need to get away from Lima’s crazy, so Brody takes Blaine to learn the basics of horseback riding.

Part 3

“No, I mean, I’d definitely love to make this a regular thing,” Brody corrected himself. “I mean, we could go out once or twice a week until you built up the muscles for it. Or, you know, less, obviously,” he added, uncertain how much interest straddling an animal early in the morning would hold for the other man. But it had been a nice ride so far-- quiet, easy. “I mean, Dee likes you.” Not that Delilah didn’t like just about everyone. Brody was pretty sure saving her from being steak might have caused her to have a Scrooge-like epiphany at some time before he adopted her. “Really? You’d hang out in the barn? Like working or just sitting on a bale, watching //me// work,” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Not that he would mind-- Lucy nowadays didn’t come up so much, so he was used to doing his own work, and someone to talk to besides the horses wouldn’t suck. Brody grinned, “Wow, quite the honor-- I’m excited already. Start the holiday countdown.” Brody grinned and let out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s not even just me-- Jeffy always had the lot of us around his finger, you know?” His smile was nostalgic as he thought about his family. “I don’t know why we all decided he needed protecting, but damned if we didn’t, and god help you if the three of us found someone messing with our baby brother.” Even each other, Brody knew from personal experience. The older man’s face broke into a wide grin, “Excellent-- your first job can be to help me manipulate my list into the band’s performances. I have a big one, which is rough because technically D’s in charge of the music-- I’m just Guard. But now that my //son// is here to help…” he laughed and quirked an eyebrow playfully. 

He was so busy keeping his tone and demeanor light, Brody didn't even notice the change in Blaine's. Brody cleared his throat, nodding. Brody wasn’t really into discussing God in the first place beyond hypotheticals, but the phrasing Blaine had used...well, that was pretty damned heavy. His heart kind of broke for the guy if things had been that bad that //high school// had been his saving grace. “Well, then, it’s good you can give back to it-- if you want,” he finally responded. “But I mean, if you stayed-- for now at least-- I think you’re doing a lot of good here too.” The older man chuckled. “Seven years isn’t that long-- I’ve been here seven years,” he reminded Blaine. “You go, you pick up new stuff. If it’s what you want, change isn’t a bad thing, so long as the foundation’s still there.” Blaine elaborated, and Brody mentally berated himself-- of course he knew that Bas had gone to Dalton-- they’d talked about it back in December. Hell, Blaine’s name had even come up. He’d let the news catch him off guard //then// too. But he needed to up his game, if Blaine was starting to worry about Brody being so invested. “Yeah, I guess he must have mentioned it at some point,” he shrugged, “Although not foregoing his normal idiocy.” Brody pushed out a light laugh. Blaine’s question made him antsy, but he kept his face masked, only raising an eyebrow in puzzlement. “What? Yeah, we’re fine-- why?” He’d spent seven years building a life at this school-- he was not going to let one(/two) mistake(s) destroy everything. Brody let out a laugh, “Yeah-- you have no idea, SB. She’s always been our biggest fan, through the dumbest phases: I mean, how many mom’s would get behind their kid going into ballet //just// so he could be the Rat King. Like literally, that was the only thing I wanted for a while. And when Mark dropped out of college...or when Jeffy decided he’d only eat blue foods when he was five.” He shook his head in amusement. “That woman is a force to be reckoned with.”

Brody laughed, “Tell me about it,” he agreed. He certainly wasn’t going to be on any “favorite” list anytime soon. He dropped his grip on the reins, letting them fall into his lap as he rubbed his hands together with a faux evil grin. “Excellent. I’m the epitome of subtle.” Brody watched Blaine carefully put down the reins so he could clap, which was actually more adorable than the applause, although Brody’s bow was more in response to the latter. “Thank you-- one of my better ideas, definitely. I mean, you have to erase the whole thing every semester, because the point isn’t to give each other ammo or anything, but still-- it’s fun. But I’ll definitely send you the link, and if you want to send some over, I’m sure I can get one of my Aggies to read it. When it’s not //their// stuff, they’re a lot more enthusiastic about the posts.” Brody shrugged. “Yeah, I guess guns in general are a bit iffy in my book too.” His grinned wide at Blaine’s words. “Absolutely-- I’ll start asking around, get a full list of what goes into badges at our age, and we’ll make a whole thing of it. It’ll be fun.” He leaned over in his saddle to pat Blaine on the shoulder. “Well, don’t worry-- I’ve got lots of eccentric skills that all people should know. It’ll be great. I’m excited.”

 “Well, I think I would love to make this a regular thing too, honestly,” he responded, gazing out once more to the openness around him. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this relaxed. It’s definitely something I could get used to.” He chuckled, shifting his leg again. “I think once or twice a week sounds pretty reasonable. No more, no less, I think it would be fine. I think Bing would like it too, though I obviously can’t speak for him,” he teased. “Aww,” he said, patting the horse’s neck in front of him, “I like her too. She’s a sweetheart.” And he meant it. He knew that some horses sometimes didn’t take to well to first time riders, so he was relieved to have Dee as his first. He looked over at Brody, a small smirk playing at his lips. “I mean, obviously, I would help if you really needed me to, but I was mostly going to be content with watching.” He snickered a little bit before smiling genuinely. “Helping or watching, I wouldn’t mind coming and hanging out. I like it out here. It’s peaceful, and you’re a good guy to hang out with.” Blaine scoffed, carefully sliding out his phone and pulling up his countdown app, showing it to Brody. “It started the day after Christmas. I’m a bit of a holiday freak.” A smile broke onto Blaine’s face, despite his small bit of jealousy. “That’s just the way baby siblings are, right? They’re usually the smallest for the longest time at least, and they can literally do no wrong because by some point the older siblings are the ones getting into trouble. The image of innocence can go a long way.” That is one thing he could say about his family. Coop, despite his self-involved attitude and his willingness to constantly pick on his younger brother, always had his back in some sort of way at the end of the day, even if it was often misguided and not very obvious. Blaine gave his older friend a disapproving look, shaking his funk off once and for all. “If Dani’s really set in her ways with the music, I’m not going to be the one to try to step in on it. I’ve picked up that she can be slightly terrifying, and that’s not a side I ever wanna be on.”

 Blaine finally noticed how heavy he had become, noticing the stiff pause in conversation. “Oh, my god, I’m so sorry. I never meant to let the conversation get like that. Tell me to shut up next time, geez,” he said, trying to make light of it, but slightly failing. He had gotten lost in those thoughts, but he had come a long way from being affected by them. He had grown so much since the time of his transfer, and despite having certain triggers through the years, he had gotten himself to a place that was much more positive. He mentally kicked himself for getting that deep. He shook it off, and continued. “Yeah, I suppose your right. I don’t know, it’s just some big shoes to fill, you know? Or at least that’s how I’m building it up in my head; I should probably stop that.” He smiled in gratitude at the compliment. “Thank you for that reassurance. I like to think that I’m doing what I can to get at least some good flowing through my classes. I guess I’ll have to wait and see if that’s actually true or not.” Blaine chuckled, though it came out sounding a bit more uncomfortable that he intended. He proceeded again, still hesitate in his answer. “I just…he seems to be growing distant, withdrawing himself a little, you guys haven’t really been interacting online like you used to, every time I’ve mentioned his name today, it hitches the conversation, however briefly…” he trailed off, shrugging slightly. By no means did he want to push the man into talking to him, but he couldn’t help but be concerned. After New Year’s, it just seemed like everything that had been happening, the playful banter online between all of them, had just stopped completely. Blaine tried to hide his smile. “The Rat King, huh? Well, I guess go big or go home. Only blue foods? Did his diet consist solely of candy, or did your mom have to by copious amounts of food coloring?” he asked teasingly. “She sounds wonderful, honestly.”

He eyed his older colleague suspiciously. “Somehow I don’t believe you. Believe me when I say that if you go too far past legitimate subtlety, I may just ban you from future performances,” he said, small smile on his face to indicate his joking. He laughed. “Of course, there will be no ammo exchange. Though I do hope that your Aggies will get into it. They could do full reenactments! That’d be hilarious with some of the texts that I’ve had the, um, pleasure of reading.” He grinned, shaking his head. “Should we make this a teacher wide thing? Every Friday we could have small badge ceremonies. Though trust me, I have no qualms in having special treatment and being the only one that’s able to receive them. I’m excited too. Get cracking on your cookie making skills. Marley’s mom set a high bar.”

Brody nodded with an easy smile. “Yeah, I guess I take it for granted sometimes, but it definitely gives you a chance to just escape for a while.” Wasn’t that what he’d been doing for the past few days, after all? Just escaping from Marley and Sebastian and Lima and hiding out in the woods with a nonjudgmental horse? “That sounds good to me: we’ll figure out something that works; maybe talk to one of the other boarders about borrowing one more long-term.” He’d loaned out Dee a few times, so he figured his connections could probably work that back in his favor, hopefully. “Yeah, we’ll definitely have to see how he takes to the saddlebag, since I now have that image stuck in my head.” Brody grinned as Blaine complimented his girl. “Yeah, well, she’s good people, despite what her previous owners might have thought--I got a hell of a deal on her and she’s never given me any trouble.” Brody was still surprised that he’d gotten so lucky with the mare-- she was in great shape, and perfect for what he’d wanted. He almost felt bad paying what he had for her. Brody laughed, “Yeah, well, I can teach you to do some clean work if you want to earn your keep-- grooming and watering and the like,” he offered, “but I’ll take someone who can talk back as much as an actual laborer, to be honest.” Brody glanced down at his hands for a second even with the smile beaming across his face-- because, no, he wasn’t a good guy, but he liked that Blaine thought so. He always was happy when people thought he was good people-- Brody was a guy that thrived on validation. “Thanks man; I definitely don’t mind the company either way, so long as you don’t, you know, destroy anything or decorate the place in bowties, because that would be weird.” He chuckled playfully, but his eyes quirked up incredulously at Blaine’s phone. “Are you serious? Okay, I lied-- you’re already weird,” he joked, shaking his head with a smile. He sighed, “Yeah, I guess so. I mean, Jeffy got into the least trouble in general, so I think it wasn’t even the illusion of innocence, honestly. Probably actual innocence for the most part. Me, on the other hand...” he trailed off with a mischievous smirk and a shrug. His eyes went wide in disapproval. “What? You’re not going to help me? As your father, I’ll have you know I’m incredibly disappointed in you for not helping me manipulate your mother.” He shook his head in faux disappointment.

Brody didn’t want to make a big deal out of the situation, especially if Blaine didn’t want to get into it, so he shook his head and waved a hand dismissively, “Nah, don’t worry about it-- we’re good.” He did nod at Blaine’s reflection though. “Yeah, you’ve got to be careful about building things up on a pedestal, I’ll give you that. I mean, everything’s flawed, right? Even the best stuff. So you just go in and you remember what good it did, and help keep that part intact. But I wouldn’t worry about that, SB-- I mean, you’ve got some big feet,” he laughed. “Hey, I meant it. I think you’re doing a hell of a job here. We’re lucky to have you.” Brody kept his face neutral, maybe a little puzzled, but his stomach knotted. God he’d really done a number on everyone, hadn’t he? “I mean, I don’t know-- with the break, I’ve been pretty busy, so I mean, I just haven’t been as--” he gestured with his hands “--active, in general, I guess? And, I mean, no offense to the guy, but with Sebastian’s social life, maybe he’s not withdrawing as much as redirecting? I don’t know.” Redirecting definitely-- away from him and toward any guy at any bar. “But, I mean, I can talk to him, if you want,” he offered. “I don’t think he’d tell me if something was bothering him, but...” Except Bas had definitely already been talking about what was bothering him-- he’d made it very clear about what-- or who-- was bothering him. Brody grinned widely, “Right? Get a big paper mache head and a sword-- that was my dream when I was eight years old. I was a weird kid. Uh, blueberries, grapes, corn, potatoes-- kind of expensive habit really, when you think about it, and I’m not sure he knew the difference between blue and some shades of purple, now that I say it out loud. But yeah-- either dotted in there, like waffles, or she got creative with the food dye. I don’t think Jeffy would have been allowed to just eat candy-- even if there had been good blue candy out there. She’s pretty awesome,” he agreed.

The older man’s mouth opened in disbelief. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me, SB,” he argued, lips twitching. “How can you not trust a face like this?” he added, quirking a brow. Brody laughed, “Oh god-- that would be something. They’d probably make sock puppets or train the chicks come spring-- oh god, stop me before I end up giving them ideas…” He shook his head, “Well, it sounds like your class has much more interesting notes than mine. I get a few gems sometimes, but mostly it’s just drivel. Not that I mind-- I don’t want to make trouble, just keep their damn phones out of my class.” Brody grinned. “That sounds pretty awesome, assuming you can keep up with earning a badge every week.” He shrugged, “Cookies? That’s boring. I think we should do something more exciting, like Human Tetris Badge, or Course Crashing Badge. You know: useful skills.”

Blaine just smiled in response, agreeing with the man. He could see the appeal in escaping to a place like this, away from everything else for a while. He nodded, though feeling a little uneasy. “Sounds great, but I also understand if they say no. I mean, it’s not like they know me. And of course, if they would want to meet me or anything, that’s understandable too.” He bit his tongue to keep from rambling too much. Not only was he excited about the prospect of riding more, but the thought that one of the other boarders wouldn’t be okay with it was keeping him grounded, and the two conflicting emotions was attempting to send his mouth into a frenzy. He cracked a grin, amused by the fact that Brody seemed to be as struck by the idea of Bing riding with them as he was. “Patience, Brodes. We’ll get there at some point. Hopefully soon. I’m not sure how long he’ll stay this small.” Blaine quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah? What’s the story with her previous owners? It’s amazing to think that anyone would want to give her up in the first place.” And it was true. She was a beauty and completely sweet. It really was a wonder. Blaine chuckled and nodded. “Well, if it’s to earn my keep, then by all means.” His face split into a wide grin as he shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t mind to do the work. I’ve become a bit too content in my laziness. I would actually prefer to have something to do.” He watched as Brody beamed through his compliment, a small smile still resting on his face before clutching his chest in mock disappointment. “Oh man, I was really hoping to find a use for that bow tie wallpaper that I had.” He rolled his eyes as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, knowing that it was weird, but he couldn’t help it. He loved the holidays. Blaine smirked. “Oh, you were the troublemaker I take it?” Blaine just shrugged, a playful smile on his face. “What can I say? I tend to be more of a Momma’s boy.”

Blaine sighed and nodded with a tight smile, still feeling uncomfortable with the fact that he allowed himself to even start down that road at all. He could only be thankful that it was with someone that he trusted. He stared out into space a little as he listened to Brody. He was fully comprehending everything being said, but the after almost spilling everything, and the thought of Dalton in general kind of shook him a little bit. But, still listening completely, his head snapped over at Brody at the comment about his feet. He looked over the side of the horse and down at his feet. He scoffed, shaking his head, looking back up. “Rude,” he muttered under his breath. His face softened as Brody gave him a compliment of his own. “Thank you. I’m trying, at least, and I’m glad to hear that I may be succeeding.” He watched Brody explain his reservation over the past couple of days and sighed. He huffed out a laugh. “Redirecting is one word for it, sure.” He observed Brody and shook his head. “No…don’t worry about it. I mean, of course, if you want to, you can, but…” he trailed off, not really knowing where to go with the statement. He didn’t want to push anyone, and Brody was included in that. Blaine grinned back. “Hey, everyone has at least one dream that seems weird to everyone else.” He thought for a moment and laughed. “Like, for example, my sophomore year I was dead set determined to write a play that followed the tragic rise and fall of Britany Spears. And I wanted to play the Chris Crocker role that I wrote.” Blaine nodded, realizing the foods he had embarrassingly not thought of, though still amused and happy with the thought of a mother like that. “That does make more sense. I’ve heard of stranger things, though, so I guess it works.”

 Blaine giggled. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Brodes. It’s just a soft warning, is all. I gotta keep you in line somehow,” he replied with a grin. He laughed with the older teacher and nodded. “I really don’t want to stop you though because I like these ideas.” He shrugged. “It’s mostly just your regular old teenage drama. But the things that kids are coming up with nowadays to call drama. It’s a lot more than what I dealt with in school. Though, of course if you’re not trying to cause trouble, I’ll try to keep an eye on the softer stuff.” Blaine’s eyebrows shot up. “Every week? Geez, Brodes, I’m not sure I can do that. I do still have a job and a new puppy. But I’ll do what I can.” Blaine chuckled and shook his head. “I meant more for the ceremonies. But do I want to know what you mean by Human Tetris?”

Brody scoffed at Blaine’s uncertainty, patting his mare.  “No-- I mean, I doubt it would be a problem, and honestly, it’s not like //you’d// be riding her.”  Brody wouldn’t want to risk someone else’s horse with an inexperienced rider, honestly-- Blaine was right about that.  But that didn’t put a real damper on the idea.  “I mean, you could easily stay on Dee, and they already know me, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the break, honestly.”  Brody wasn’t usually that eager to share his horse with coworkers-- it was like letting someone borrow his truck, only much more sensitive-- but Blaine seemed to be doing pretty well, and honestly, Brody kind of missed the company since Lucy began growing up and out of her horse phase.  He chuckled at Blaine’s response about Bing.  “Well, if he gets too much bigger, he’s going to be relegated to running alongside instead of sitting in a saddlebag up top.”  Brody smiled as he glanced over at the chestnut horse plodding along easily beneath Blaine, and shrugged his shoulders.  “To be fair, I don’t really know.  She’s a purebred, obviously, but I don’t know if she ever was a runner, or even intended to be.  It’s possible that there was just something trivial they didn’t want to use, and she didn’t take to another spot in the program.  That’s how it goes with breeding, a lot of times-- dogs too,” he nodded in considering to Bing.  “If they hadn’t been able to sell her to a private owner, they probably would have cut their losses, but I mean, she was in good shape and had a soft personality, and ever since I’ve had her she’s been a cakewalk.  So really I kind of feel like I might have robbed //them//.”  Brody gave a full laugh at the idea of Blaine mucking out stalls, but he nodded in agreement, “Well, if you’re interested, I certainly won’t stop you from helping.  If I’m picking up some slack for the both of these two, it’ll definitely be enough work to make you feel like you’re anything but lazy.”  The older man clucked his tongue and tipped his head sideways, “Well, unfortunately you’ll just have to save it for another occasion I guess: maybe when you start decorating Bing’s doggie house, otherwise known as the guest cottage,” he added in amusement.  His blue eyes widened in faux surprise.at the accusation, “Me?  I was innocent as pure driven snow.  It was all Bob’s fault if any of my actions turned out...untoward,” he smirked.  ���I mean, at least Mom had Mark, who had kind of a stick up his ass, even when we were kids, and Jeffy, who wouldn’t hurt a fly.  I guess it’s just a debate over whether you think it’s more trouble to have a kid that purposely gets into trouble, or one who tends to be a little...short-sighted in his decision-making.”  His lips twitched in guilty amusement at what he and his brothers had put his mother through growing up.

Brody cleared his throat as he bit his lip to try to stifle a laugh when his comment about Blaine’s feet caused the other man’s gaze to shift toward his feet.  However, the follow-up apparently cleared things up, because Blaine’s features warmed back up quickly; and Brody nodded in welcome.  “It’s a full-time gig, what we do,” he told Blaine, shifting in the saddle.  “I mean, every day you’re giving them something that they could easily carry with them for the rest of their life.  You’ve just got to brace yourself and do the best you can, and you’ve pretty much got that down I think.”  The older teacher gave a casual smile and nodding along as Blaine reacted to his answer, apparently accepting it and not demanding the man approach Sebastian about all of this mess that he’d created.  At this point, it would be better if Brody just stayed out of everyone’s way, after all.  His eyebrows quirked up, laughing in amazement as Brody explained his “weird” dream from high school.  “Britney Spears?  Really?  Is this like Mamma Mia! then, only actually following the artist in question?  I mean, I think I’d understand the Rat head better...Who’s Chris Crocker?”  Brody smiled happily at the memory; it had been easier then, when they were all little and looked out for each other and Brody didn’t screw everything up.  “I mean, I guess-- I’m sure Mom would have preferred an easier color like green or yellow or something.  I take it you didn’t have phases like that?”

“Keep //me// in line?  I’m sorry-- which one of us is the father, and therefore the responsible one by default?”  Brody rolled his eyes, “Be careful what you wish for Blaine-- you’ll find out really fast that I am more than capable of getting carried away with my own train of thought.  My poor Stat kids probably have to deal with that the most.”  Most of the grading for Stat’s class came from projects that Brody came up with, after all, rather than testing.  Brody figured the AP exam was enough stress, the tests didn’t need to be another source of anxiety.  “Ah, yes-- the hardships of being a teenager.  How can we possibly understand the pain and suffering that they’re experiencing, Blaine?  Although-- is that something you didn’t have to deal with because you went to private school, or because the times are different now?” he followed up.  Brody was sure he’d had his share of high school drama, but as an adult the angst was a little ridiculous to hear about.  “Eh, if you want to send it through, we can edit and/or censor where necessary.  We do it anyways-- what’s one more set, right?”  The teacher let out a dramatic huff, “You mean you can’t devote every spare hour of your life to building skills specifically for my amusement, Blaine?  Talk about disappointing.  Fine, fine-- we’ll just arrange badge ceremonies as necessary, I guess.”  He quirked an eyebrow over at the other man, “Seriously?  You never played Human Tetris in college?  It’s this...it’s where you all pick shapes and you have two columns on the lawn and pick random numbers and try to…” He wasn’t explaining it very well, he knew.  “It’s kind of like Twister, only with shapes.  And copious amounts of alcohol,” he finally settled with a laugh.

Blaine nodded in understanding, feeling a little more relieved in hearing those words. “That’s fair. Not to mention that I like Dee; we’re bonding. It’d be strange to just jump on another horse after her,” he replied lightly, laughing a little. Partially because the thought of having to get used to another horse made him more nervous than he thought it ever would. He got lucky with Dee, and the uncertainty of whether or not he’d get lucky with the next horse, or even if there was anything to be nervous about drove him insane. Blaine cracked a grin and shrugged. “He has a lot of energy, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up actually /wanting/ to run alongside. Then again, I’m his owner, which means he may be getting a little too pampered, so it’s all up in the air from here.” Blaine bobbed his head as he listened to Brody explain, though he had to admit that he wasn’t completely savvy of the inner workings of breeding. Though the two dogs he had in his life were either purebred or a designer breed, he didn’t really pay attention to either. He was too young to understand when his family got Lula, and Bing just happened to be incredibly cute on an online advertisement, and both had worked out incredibly well in his favor. He shrugged with a small smile on his face. “I think it’s safe to say that you probably did rob them in a way. She’s a catch, this one is.” Blaine chuckled and nodded. “I don’t mind, though I may need to invest in some work clothes now. You know, regular jeans and shirts, boots. The thought of even doing work like that in what I have on now is just horrendously terrifying,” he said, gesturing down to his admittedly still too nice button down and straight legged jeans for extra emphasis. He scoffed at the thought of a dog house with /bow tie/ wallpaper throughout. Blaine had his eccentricities, but even he knew what was going too far. He cocked an eyebrow at the older teacher. “Oh? And I take it you were the short-sighted one?” He laughed a little and shook his head. “And pray tell, what sort of things did you get in trouble for?”

Blaine smiled warmly, agreeing completely with the sentiments that Brody had just expressed. In fact, he had first hand, personal knowledge of the actual truth that was there. “You’re right, of course. And again, thank you,” he paused for a moment and continued. “And I think it’s obvious from how your kids are around you that you’re doing well, too. But, then again, you’ve been doing this a bit longer than I have,” he said playfully. He laughed, seeing the expression on Brody’s face. Nodding, he continued his explanation. “Yes and no. It is following Britney Spears and her life, and it does involve many of her actual songs, but I ended up writing a few myself. They were incredibly horrible, I realized years later, and all copies were promptly burned.” He looked at Brody curiously. “You really don’t know who Chris Crocker is? The “Leave Britney Alone” guy?” Blaine chuckled, agreeing with his friend. “Yeah, I suppose green would’ve been easier. Or brown, actually. And I did, yeah, they just took different forms,” he added with a shrug. “For example, when I was about 4 or 5, I refused to go to bed without first watching The Little Mermaid. Every night. For about five months. I don’t remember if I got tired of it or just got past the phase, but my mom, to this day, refuses to have anything to do with it.

Blaine shook his head disapprovingly. “It’s completely possible for the child to be the responsible on in the relationship sometimes, Brodes. Not that I don’t think you’re responsible, but given my age, I think it’s safe to say that we’re in more of a mutually dependent relationship where we have to keep /each other/ in line.” He stared at the older man for a minute, wondering what could possibly be a source of torture for his students before he caved. “Alright, I give; what are you doing to your poor Stat students?” It had been a long time since he had even had a math class, let alone stats. He knew that there were possibilities for creativity, but he had never thought about it himself. Blaine thought about Brody’s question before he shrugged. “I think the fact that it was an all-boys private school where the majority of the student body was in fact straight and preferred to talk to other straight guys about their relationship problems helped. They came to me for some stuff, but for the most part, they just liked to compare notes; so, yeah, I actually avoided a great deal of the drama after my transfer.” He paused, shaking his head. “But in a way, yeah, times have changed as well, you know. Even the drama I did have to deal with is nothing compared to some of the things I’ve seen here. I mean, I was already 18 when Grindr was developed; technology and the ways things can spread now has changed the face of teenage drama.” He stopped himself before he thought about it anymore because he knew that was just a whole other can of worms that he probably didn’t want to open. Blaine laughed when he heard the huff beside him. “I’m sorry, Brody. Unfortunately, I can’t entertain you all the time, as much as you know I live to please you.” Blaine pulled a sturgeon face as he shrugged. “I guess not; I’ve never even heard of it. It sounds very interesting, though. I’m sad I missed out.”

Brody grinned.  “Of course you are-- who wouldn’t become instant besties with a girl like that?”  He nodded along with Blaine’s thoughts about Bing.  “Well, I mean, I don’t know about this one, but Delilah’s definitely easy about animals at her feet.  And it’s not like there’s no such thing as a dog following on a trail ride.  They just aren’t usually as...fluffy.”  He laughed at the thought of the half-poodle keeping up along the path.  “He might need a good hosing down on a regular basis.  We could always see what happens-- personally, I’m kind of getting attached to this saddlebag idea though.”  In his head the older teacher was incredibly entertained by the thought of Bing hanging out of a leather pack as the quarterhorse plodded along, tongue hanging out of his mouth like a very slow car ride.  Brody beamed happily at Blaine’s reply, and nodded.  “I think so too-- I mean, I really just kind of wanted a piece of home out here, you know?  So I was lucky to have found her.  Otherwise I might have shelled out for something crazy, like an Arabian, or a fat horse.”  He laughed. “I wonder if they make work bowties?  But yeah, I mean, I’ve got some spare gear you can borrow, obviously-- gloves and stuff.  But you’ll probably want to get a good pair of boots if we’re going to really do this, for sure.”  He glanced down at Blaine’s feet with a smirk.  “I mean, it does all wash out, I promise; but you’ll probably want to be more comfortable than you are in, well, //that//.”  Blaine really looked like he’d come out for a horse //buy//, rather than a horse //ride//.  When the younger man called him out on his antics, Brody just grinned and shrugged.  “Maybe a little-- impulse control was never really my strong suit growing up.”  Not really his strong suit //now// either, but that was irrelevant to the point.  “Really, just the normal stuff--girls, drag racing, sneaking out to a field for some stupidity. I was the //King// of Improv Repairs at our house, so that was kind of half-success, half-horrible, horrible failure, to be honest.  But really just that sort of thing.” 

Brody smiled genially, and nodded-- teaching was one of those jobs that you really did need all the support and encouragement you could get, or you could easily get lost in the hamster wheel.  Ha laughed at Blaine’s response, though.  “Yeah, well, trust me-- I was not the brilliant mentor you see before you today at your age.  It took a while to find my stride, which was mostly getting the hell out of the books.  I don’t know if you know this about me, but I actually //really// hate math.” He winked at the other.  “So you can see how that could cause a little bit of a hiccup at first.”  Brody arched an eyebrow, impressed.  “You wrote your own songs in high school?  That’s actually pretty amazing, SB.  I mean, I tried my hand at simple choreography, but song writing’s a whole different animal there.  I’d think anything that made sense would be a hell of an accomplishment. Although now I may abduct you and hold you hostage until you perform this show, because it sounds pretty damned awesome.”  Brody laughed, and his expression shifted to one of recognition.  “//That// guy?  Pete, Blaine-- I didn’t realize he actually had a name.  I just figured he was the ‘Leave Britney Alone’ Guy.  You know, like the kid after the dentist or people in flash mobs.”  He smiled and nodded along with Blaine’s addition, and then lifted his lips in a crooked smile.  “Every night?  Man, I’m surprised your parents didn’t realize you were gay right then,” he laughed.  “Although it’s not like you were dressing up as Ariel, so maybe they just figured you were sensitive-- I’m sure mine did when I insisted on taking ballet, right?” He cocked an eyebrow.  “After four months though-- are you really surprised?” 

Brody scoffed.  “Well that sounds just disappointing.  I thought this whole //dad// thing was coming with automatic perks.”  He shook his head, “What?  Nothing-- really.  I mean, they may have to go through weird bouts of random projects based on everything from grocery store inventory to internet ads, but I throw in some relevant stuff too.  Just the other day I used one of their bio assignments to whip up a standard deviation project revolving around vowels in invertebrate terminology, so that was sort of useful, at least.  Hey, at least I’m not throwing a test at them every other day right?”  Brody tilted his head as he watched Blaine explain private school, and he couldn’t help but add, “Mostly straight guys in a private school?  I’m sure Bas was thrilled.”  He had to fight not to wince at his own stupidity- wasn’t he trying //not// to talk about Sebastian?  Or think about him?  He needed to work at that.  “But yeah-- I mean, a lack of drama definitely has its perks.  Oh god-- Grindr.  Did you actually use that?  I think I’d be mortified to find any of my kids were playing around with accounts like that, even if they //were// 18.”  The older man huffed and shook his head.  “Well damn-- maybe I should be more careful about who I decide to recruit for Scouts next time.  I thought the whole point of that thing was to earn badges to make yourself interesting?”  He shrugged.  “It probably isn’t as amazing as it is when your 20-something and drunk, I’ll give you.  But there’s definitely a nostalgia factor in there.”

[squaredancing-weston]

Para || Brobastian: The Masquerade, 12/16/2016

Tagging: @sebadasssmythe and @squaredancing-weston

Time: Friday evening, 16 December 2016

Setting: William McKinley High School Gymnasium, Lima, OH

Summary:  Brody and Sebastian run into each other at the Masquerade Fundraiser

Part 5 (End)

"Alright, I'm promiscuous, not superhuman. Although I can see why you'd think that. I am pretty damn spectacular." He chuckled. "Alright - I'll admit. I've experimented around a bit, but I haven't gotten around to chains, but, hey - try anything once, right? It's not like you were entirely against the entire /restraint/ thing, there, Brodes. Whips, I've tried. but honestly, wouldn't recommend it. Less fun than you'd think." Not that it was a scarring experience or anything - just one that he didn't find entirely enjoyable. 

"Less dead than you were," Sebastian argued, his lips twitching in amusement. He knew it was beyond ridiculous at this point, but he couldn't help himself. "Exactly. I'm a good Samaritan. Would never make you cash in checks that I know you can't afford, even if you insist that you're good for it. Don't say that I'm not good to you." Shame, though. The morning sex, he could have gone for. It wasn't a bad way to wake up. He huffed, shaking his head. "You know, sometimes I feel sorry for you. Your shitty taste in wine has clouded your judgement. If you'd take a few minutes to actually /enjoy/ the stuff without thinking about your precious Californian crap, you'd see the light." He snorted, eyes raising to the ceiling before meeting Brody's again. "You protest way too much. A normal thing for an addict to do, really. Don't blame yourself. I'm sure there's a 'Sex With Sebastian Smythe Addict' group out there for you somewhere." 

He rolled his eyes. "What, the constant talking about how good I am in bed and why you should sleep with me wasn't enough? I think it's more a case of once you've tried it you can't quit it. And yeah, I can confirm - it was /extremely/ hard," he tacked on with a wink. He snorted, smirking in return. "You know I'd be the main feature. It'd be one of those high class brothels and they'd have to accommodate to my every need because I bring in the most money." It'd honestly not be too bad of a life, so long as he got to be selective with his clients. Sadly he wasn't sure prostitution worked that way. Shame. "I don't think there's any question of my ability to 'take it," he replied with a grin. He cocked his head at the older man's question. Had this never come up in conversation before? "Well, yeah. You didn't know?" He huffed. "People move, Brodes. I happened to do more moving about than others. Paris, Ohio, New York, and then... well. Ohio again. How do you think I ended up in this shithole?" He wasn't sure what he would've done if one of his old schoolmates hadn't spoken to him about the post at the school, because he was all out of options in New York, considering that no law firm would hire him after the scandal. Apparently news gets around fast. His eyes flickered over Brody's expression, which was - kind of adorable, in all honesty. Still, he played it off with a shrug. "I guess when you're in an all boys school, it's easier to discover that you're, you know, into boys." It had never really been a question for Sebastian, but that was beside the point.

It wasn't hard to push the tender moment aside and not think about it when Brody was so busy driving him crazy with his lips and his words and his cock pressing right against Sebastian's. Brody was rock hard in his hand, and Brody met his pace, causing a chill to run up his spine and making him bury a choked groan into the curve of Brody's neck, his teeth scraping along the flesh immediately after. Fuck, fuck, fuck - this wasn't much more discreet than Brody fucking him against the door, the way they were both talking. He kept his voice to a low murmur, his lips pressed against Brody's ear. "I can still remember how your cock felt when you fucked my mouth. Fuck, you really didn't hold back, did you?" 

Brody's lips were back against his, and he pressed into the kiss fervently, his wrist twisting in time with Brody's. His breath shuddered against Brody's lips. That... fuck. Brody definitely had a way of making him regret getting in the fucking truck, didn't he? "I'd have let you," he admitted. "Fuck, I'd have encouraged it if I'd known you were thinking about it." He knew /he/ had been. He bit back a groan. "How could I forget? Could barely walk the next morning," he admitted with a shaky breath. "Fuck, couldn't /not/ think about it." Not that he'd been complaining in the slightest. "Sign of a good fuck," he murmured hazily.

“Very big of you to admit it.  Not at all your usual level of narcissism,” Brody snarked in amusement.  He couldn’t help but quirk his head curiously, a little more at ease with the other man’s admission, “Is that like a real thing though?  Chains?  I always assumed it was figurative, because, you know-- how would you get a hold of chains nowadays?” he couldn’t help but ask.  “Because, with the figurative, I already kind of knew-- I mean, you didn’t seem to hate the idea of handcuffs, after all.  Restraint’s different: ropes, ties-- that stuff is all soft, and a good knot won’t leave much of a mark.  Metal?”  He glanced down at one of the scars on his arm.  “Harder to reverse any damage done there, and I’ve done enough of that without putting myself in the path.”  The older man chuckled.  On the second reveal, he bobbed his head.  “I’m not as...inexperienced with the whole ‘carrot-and-stick’ thing in bed, I’ll admit,” he confessed-- a riding crop wasn’t a whip, after all, but it could definitely pack a punch, “but yeah-- not my idea, and not really my thing.  But hey-- it seemed to make her happy, and it does make for a hell of a story.”

“You know Bas-- this seems to be a very sensitive subject for you.  I take it you don’t usually get a lot of competition in stamina?” Brody teased.  “I mean, if you want to, you know, do a little work, build up some endurance, and then come back-- we can have a rematch.” Yes.  //Please// want a rematch, he couldn’t help but think, even knowing how ridiculous the whole idea was.  “Hey, out of the two of us, who was able to get out of bed without the assistance of two or more cups of coffee?” he pointed out.  “I mean, I thought I was doing you a favor, letting you recuperate, but apparently I just didn’t realize how far gone I really was.  So yeah-- thanks Bas.”  The older man raised an eyebrow, “And if that silver spoon wasn’t so far up your ass, you might be able to appreciate that the imported, expensive stuff isn’t necessarily- or in this case, //ever//- the best,” he shot back.  Brody scoffed, but considering how badly he really wanted to fuck this guy in the most inappropriate place-- his work, his school-- yeah, maybe Bas was onto something.  “You know, if you are the best sex there is, I kind of feel bad for humanity.  I mean, it seems unfair that a the world has managed to deprive itself of any real emotion or compassion or you know, intuition in the bedroom if you’re our top choice.”

Brody scoffed, “I was actually referring to a more specific instance of requesting that you ask.  You know, one you were a little less inclined to go with?” he nudged, trying to goad Bas toward the safety of whether or not Bas had begged.  It was just more comfortable, if Brody was being honest.  Discussing why Sebastian Smythe, upon arriving at McKinley, had managed to warrant his own claus to the “No Sleeping with Coworkers” into an additional “No Hooking Up with Sebastian Smythe in Any Form” would probably make his egotistical head explode-- especially since he’d managed to break Brody down.  “By the time you remembered your manners?  Yeah, I bet it was,” he added with an eye roll.  He squinted in thought slightly-- had that fact ever come up?  Brody had an awful memory for some details.  “I didn’t think so?”  He sighed.  “Yeah-- but to Ohio?  What the hell is in Ohio?  What, did you get kicked out of all of the New York prep schools?” Brody frowned when Bas spat out the term at him, though he wasn’t sure why he felt a little defensive: it wasn’t like Brody had chosen Lima for it’s glamor-- hadn’t really chosen //Lima// at all.  The place just happened to be //anywhere// else.  But the way Bas said it- well, he’d much rather be elsewhere, that was for sure.  “I don’t know,” he answered a little defensively.  “I’ve never lived in Ohio, and here I am-- hell, I’ve barely been to the midwest.  I just...ended up here.”  This wasn’t opening up, obviously-- it was making a point.  And obviously Sebastian wouldn’t care enough to connect any dots that were visible anyways, so Brody was sure he was fine with his comment, even if he wasn’t terribly comfortable with the way it had come out of him.  “Well, yeah,” Brody replied, straightening up from his admission, “When you’re short on options, I’d think societal conventions take a backseat.”

Brody was rutting hard against Bas’ hand, his body shaking as the man’s teeth raked against his neck and his fucking voice rasped into his ear.  “The way you took it?  Fuck.  Never,” he growled.  “The way you took it all-- just swallowed it down.  Fucking pro-- fucking watching--” his breath hitched as he thrust hard at the thought, hand squeezing around Sebastian's cock needily.  Fucking hell.Brody’s lips felt swollen as they crashed hard against Bas’, but he refused to relent, especially with how good the other man’s fingers felt wrapped around him.  And what he was saying?  His balls grew tight as heat pooled around his stomach-- Sebastian remembered him.  Couldn’t //not// think of him.  Was thinking about it all over again with Brody’s hand jerking him off.  Brody let out a moan, and it wasn’t subtle.  He wasn’t going to manage this.

“Fuck.” He swallowed thickly, blinking hard and pulling away, hand releasing his grip.  “Gotta-- gotta stop…” His brain was fried, but it did manage to recognize that the phrasing he’d used was incredibly wrong right there.  “Change tactics,” he forced himself to finish, bending slightly to grab up Sebastian just below his non-existent ass and lift him up, carrying him over into the stall, haphazardly locking the door behind him.  "Send me the dry cleaning bill," he joked gruffly, pressing the younger man against the wall and kissing him roughly as his toes dangled above the ground, another groan ripping through him.  Right-- shutting up.  “Hold the top,” he warned, waiting for Bas to get a grip on the top of the partition before hoisting his legs up over his shoulders, stretching him out so that, in theory, it wasn’t obvious at first glance what was going on to a person walking in.  Not to mention the added bonus of Brody’s face now directly in Bas’ crotch where his dick was still straining.  “Little help?” he intoned pointedly, glancing up at the other’s face as his fingers drummed impatiently from their place where they gripped Sebastian’s ass and back to manage the bulk of his weight.  Brody’s own dick was throbbing  in its protest of losing the tight heat of the man’s hand, but he just wasn’t going to be able to keep it down unless there was something //physically// stopping him, and so when Bas put his cock against his lips, Brody eagerly wrapped his mouth around it, actually managing a //quiet// hum of contentment as he took in Sebastian’s response.

Sebastian shrugged. "Gotta make myself seem human somehow, right?" He cocked his head in response, considering the answer. "What, you never been in an S&M store, Brodes? Admittedly, they usually look a little flimsy - although, like I said, I don't have any personal experience with them. I'm not sure they're /that/ different from rope." His eyes followed Brody's to the scar, and - yeah - the stories that Brody's told him already about his sexcapades and accidents probably wouldn't invite metal into the bedroom. "Good point, though. You've had your fair share of accidents already. Wouldn't want to tempt fate." At Brody's own admission, he snorted. "Yeah, it's nothing I ever feel the need to repeat again. Thanks but no thanks." He'd been more keen on the /idea/ than the actual execution. "You /do/ have some good stories in there, I gotta admit. That's a running theme with you." He couldn't help but wonder if he was going to end up being a story. Then again, it wasn't like their sex had resulted in injury. If anything, it'd only end up being a story about some damn good sex - and, hey, Sebastian was hardly going to complain about that.

"Please. Don't get me wrong, you did put up a good fight, but I'm afraid your memory's just warped because you can't handle the fact that I was just that little bit better at handling it. It's /okay/, Brodes. It's fine. There's no shame. You did good." Good was a gross understatement, but that really wasn't the point here. "Don't flatter yourself - the coffee is my usual morning routine," he scoffed. Which was true, really - although his entire body /was/ kind of worn. He could only be grateful that they hadn't been working the following day. "Don't mention it. I mean, /I'm/ still young-" ish "-but I can understand that you, as an old man, you need to be careful about how far you push yourself, even if you're too stubborn to admit it." He laughed, shaking his head. "It's expensive for a reason. You pay for quality, and you get it. One of these days I'm going to get you to admit that you're full of shit. I'm starting to wonder if you even have taste buds." Seriously - how the fuck could Brody drink that crap? He raised his eyebrows. "First of all, it's not emotionless. I mean, horny is an emotion - and excitement, and lust. I'm not a drone, Brodes - not all emotions have to be based around whether or not you want to see the person again. Second - intuition? Little harsh, don't you think? Care to elaborate?"

“I don’t know-- I definitely enjoyed myself.  Orgasms were just another perk,” Brody smirked, obviously still hinting that Bas had buckled under the pressure.  He angled his head thoughtfully, but nodded.  Family traditions across the country seemed odd, but who was he to tell the rich how to live?  “If you say so.”  And of course Bas would follow up with that one.  However, Brody’d answered the question on a multitude of occasions, so he merely shrugged, “Change of scenery,” he said nonchalantly.  “Decided it was time to get out of Sparks, and Ohio seemed like something new.”  Brody rolled his eyes at Sebastian’s suggestive expression, but the amused smile remained.  “I’m sure if nothing else, you definitely made your own,” he quipped.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well - that one hadn't quite worked out the way you wanted to, did it? Although we did both get orgasms out of the deal, so I guess it's a win-win." Admittedly, had Brody held out a minute or two longer, Sebastian knew he'd have caved pretty damn fast. He'd been so close - but there was no way in hell he was letting the asshole have that kind of satisfaction. "Family tradition, apparently," he replied with a shrug. "And Dalton /is/ one of the best. Can't say I disagree, either." Besides, he did get to meet Blaine - and that had definitely been an upside. The two had formed quite a bond over the one year they'd been in the place together. He scoffed. "Weren't you just asking me what exactly was in Ohio? It really just begs the question of why /you/ ended up here." In Sebastian's case - he'd pretty much taken the damn job out of desperation, not having any luck in New York and the bills for his apartment were way too steep for his savings to handle once he'd been cut off. It was supposed to be temporary. "Oh, I had /plenty/ of options," he replied with a wolfish grin. Granted, they were all guys, but still.

Panting, Sebastian furrowed his brows in confusion as he drew back. Thankfully, the follow-up had him letting out a breath of relief. "Way to give a guy a heart attack." He just about managed to stop himself from yelping when Brody picked him up, tightening his legs around the other for balance as the other moved them into the stall and proceeded to kiss him, Sebastian's fingers sliding through his hair once more. Upon Brody's instruction, though, he moved them to grasp onto the top of the stall, raising his eyebrows in question. A question which was, of course, answered seconds later, and before he knew it, Brody had him propped up so that his legs were over his shoulders, and god damn, not that Sebastian was exactly the heaviest guy on the planet, but the strength was still impressive. He smirked at Brody's request, all too happy to oblige, and he managed to move his hips so that his cock slid against the other's lips, and-- fuck-- god. A wet heat enveloped his cock, and Sebastian let out a strained whimper, head rolling back against the stall. "Fuck, Brodes--" he whispered roughly. "Just-- /fuck/."

Brody's words caused a deep spread of heat over his groin, even as he lost track, and Sebastian thrust into the his touch with another hitched breath. Fuck, this was harder than he thought it would be. For someone that's fooled around in plenty of toilets in his life, he should really be better at this, but his teeth dug hard into his bottom lip as he whimpered slightly in order to stop himself from groaning out loud

Brody grinned, “And here I thought you were one of those futuristic sexbots,” he ribbed.  The older man quirked an eyebrow, “An S&M store?  Are those different than regular sex shops?”  They must be, because he’s been to regular ones in multiple states, and never seen //chains// anywhere.  “Great, Bas-- now I’ve got a weird image of paper chains as a kink in my head-- thanks,” he laughed at the use of the term “flimsy”.  Brody smirked, “Yeah, well, you also invest in good fabric, I’ve noticed, so arguably you don’t even have to buy your own if you have someone that’s creative and is halfway decent with his hands.”  God knew he’d spent more than his fair share of time tempting fate, and fate had bitten him in the ass more than a few times in return.  “Yeah, I can’t see you as the type to enjoy uglying up that bony ass.”  He barked out a laugh, “Yeah, that was pretty much a motto back in college, you know?  Do it for the story.  Not always the best idea in practice, but there were some good experiences in there.”

“Yeah, I mean, I’m sure you’re begging every guy you go to bed with to finish you off.  Definitely the sign of an average effort,” Brody shot back with a mischievous quirk of his lips.  “Really?  Are you cutting back from just mainlining the stuff?” he ribbed mockingly.  “Yeah, young just means you burn too hard, too fast most of the time, Bas.  Not really the best recommendation for yourself.  But I appreciate you not wanting me to have to explain to a doctor how I let a guy like //you// get the better of me-- that’d be embarrassing.”  Brody rolled his eyes, “It’s expensive because people associate French with elitism, and therefore if it’s priced by it’s actual character, they’ll realize they might as well have bought boxed wine.  Whereas I have a more sensitive palate, and am not as likely to get suckered in by labels.”  He scoffed, “Any thirteen year old can be horny, Bas-- it takes other emotions to make for a good sexual encounter.”  His lips twitched, but he shrugged casually, “I’m just saying, if you’re only good for a hit-and-run, you’ll never really know anything about your partner, and the experience just ends up...lacking, in terms of reaching its true potential.  I mean, there’s something to taking the time to know people’s sweet spots, you know?  Makes for a better night out.”

Brody sort of laughed at Bas’ response, but the impatience and sheer need of the situation had it come out as more of a puff of air.  He did, however, manage a smile at the yip that escaped the younger man as he grabbed him up, hips bucking as Sebastian pulled his legs around his waist for support.  Brody breathed in deeply as he ravaged Bas’ mouth, vying for dominance as he pinned him against the wall.  He let out another groan, which reminded him of his purpose in relocating, and shifted the other’s position.  That expression though, on Bas’ face?  God he could just drown in that sort of excitement, managing to surprise the pompous ass and get that look on his face.  Brody’s cock twitched hungrily, though its turn was now on the backburner.  Instead, Brody’s tongue slicked around Bas’ head as it slid past his lips, his mouth taking in as much of the shaft as he could manage and buzzing with pleasure as the younger man’s head rolled backwards.  Brody felt lucky that he had a mouthful of cock though, because listening to Sebastian had him rocking against freaking his own pants for friction while his shoulders shifted the man’s hips in a rhythm to thrust him into his face, a cocky hum building in his throat as he finally managed to gain control of himself and watch Bas get wrecked.

[squaredancing-weston]

No, it’s okay. Thank you, anyway. I think you’re right, I just need to focus.

On you, Blaine-- you need to focus on you.  And what you need.  I know this is a rough time, but don’t get dragged down by everyone else’s stuff, alright?  This kind of thing is complicated, and you deserve as much time as anyone to cope however helps you best.

I'm sorry for my absence this week.

[squaredancing-weston]

text || Brobastian

Bas: How could I forget when I’m being constantly reminded? I don’t trust other people to look out for him. Don’t worry - I’ve got this.

Brody: That's the goal, peacock.

Brody: [unsent] without him doing it, I don't trust anyone else to look after //you//, idiot.

Brody: I figured. Just don't overdo it, okay? Get through the funeral, the wake, play nice and then just take it easy for the both of you? Watch Nazis or get some sleep or something.

[squaredancing-weston]

[Txt] You’re sick, in case you’ve forgotten.  I mean, I get that this could be considered an exception to the rule, but you’re still generally supposed to be taking it easy. Blaine’s got other people looking out for him.  I just figured he’d want you, so if you were up for it, it was worth asking.

[Txt] Stupid Question-- you're taking SB to the funeral right? Or at least you're going to the wake?

[Txt] Of course I’m taking him. What kind of asshole do you take me for, Brodes? I’m not leaving him to have to deal with this shit on his own. 

[squaredancing-weston]

Event || Brody Weston || FFA Blacklight Dodgeball Fundraiser

When: 17 March 2017, 6 - 9 pm

Where: Lima Civic Center

Why: Support William McKinley High School’s Future Farmers of America by paying $5 at the door to witness and/or participate a game of epic proportions!

Refreshments and a Raffle will also be available, so you don’t have to throw a ball to show your support.  Proceeds will go to FFA for events and activities!

**Note to Faculty-- the student-hosted event will end at 9 pm.  At 9:30, there will be a cash bar and “adults only” continuation of the event, which will last until midnight.  

@sebadasssmythe @wmhs-marleyrose @mr-blainderson @missdanirockinramirez @mr-ryderlynn @mr-finn-hudson @mrclarington @mr-kurthummel @msviolagreene @msrbb @mspierceifyoure @misstcohenchang @missquinnstrue @santanasbiology @shakespeareanporter @not-a-saintjames @gemmaxcaito

[squaredancing-weston]

Phone Call || Brobastian: Calling For a Favor, 2/17/2017

.Tagging: @sebadasssmythe and @squaredancing-weston

Date: Friday night, 17 February 2017

Setting: Sebastian and Brody’s houses (respectively)

Summary: After a very unfruitful first night out following his three weeks of bedrest, Sebastian decides to take matters into his own hands by calling on an old friend…

Part 4 (End)

Note: Smut

Sebastian lets out an unsteady breath, heaving himself onto his back with far more effort than it should take, eyes closing over automatically. "Fuck," he breathes. His chest rises and falls in short pants, and his head's still spinning a little bit, so it takes him a few second to catch onto Brody's words. "Yeah. Yeah it was." It was a number of things - intense, hot, mindblowing... and, he realises now, probably not one of his better decisions, considering... well, everything. A minor slip up. It's fine. He can't bring himself to regret it right this second, at least. "I'm okay. I'm-- well. Better now," he can't help but tease, even amidst his own rambling thoughts. "You? I mean, life isn't too miserable without getting the chance to stare at my ass every day, is it?" He tries not to let his own concern show. It's not like it's his job to worry about Brody and how he's doing with... everything. But it doesn't stop him from wanting to make sure - albeit in a way that doesn't risk things getting too /real/ for either of them.

Brody heart pounds a little harder as he listens to Sebastian swear, and he wishes that he could comb through his likely sweaty matting of hair.  He swallows, and lets out a soft chuckle at the joke, but his mind is starting to clear, and a lot of shit is suddenly cluttering up his happy place.  First and foremost, is that Bas is //sick// and his lungs haven't worked properly in three weeks.  Listening to the younger man's labored breathing, Brody could beat the shit out of himself.  "You sure?" he can't help but ask, sitting up in his bed and reaching over for a tee shirt to clean himself off with.  "No, I mean-- //yeah//, I'm good--I'm-- yeah.  I just--I meant, that might have been..."  He knows Bas doesn't want to be coddled; the guy won't even really acknowledge he's sick.  But if Brody has to take him back to the hospital for overexerting himself and explain to the doctors that them fooling around over the phone did this...yeah, that will suck.  "I mean, I just feel like coming too fast out of the gate just so //I// can have a little more time with the sub with the //nice// ass, while considerate, might be a little bit of overkill.  Don't you think?"

Sebastian rolls his eyes with a scoff, but he can still feel the strain in his chest, and he should probably go re-hydrate himself before he actually goes to sleep. "No need to get bent out of shape over it, Brodes. Just trying to catch my breath. An orgasm will do that to a guy." He props himself up on his elbows and shifts himself back so that he can lean against his headboard - or lack thereof, as Brody would point out if he said the word out loud. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm sure I'll make it through this one in time to come back. Shame, really - you'd be a hero to my class if you'd knocked me out of commission. I mean, not that you could tell them /how/ you did it, but I'm sure you could make up a clean version for them."

Brody can't help but laugh, because what can he say?  It's //Bas//.  Of course he'd play something off as nothing.  Brody kind of wants to believe that he really //is// okay, but...well, it's Bas.  "Yeah, especially if you've been off your game for three weeks."  It's a not-so-subtle reminder, he knows, but Brody's not going to push any further: anyways, at least the guy didn't go out to the bars and get wasted, right?  "Well, you still have, what?  A couple weeks till that quack signs you off?  So I guess it's not unbelievable to think that you'd manage to get out of bed between then and now.  Anyways, I doubt I'd have to tell them anything: my kids have very creative minds for what could possibly go on at your apartment.  I'd be afraid to hint that I was involved."  His adrenaline is starting to ebb again, now that Bas sort of sounds normal-- it's really hard to tell this late, and Brody is exhausted.  What time //is// it?  He gives a half-hearted effort to suppress a yawn.  "But now you're back in your own bed, Sebastian Smythe, post-orgasm and don't have to worry about any pesky spooning or blanket hogs.  I think you may get a decent night's rest after all."  Brody feels like he has to add that last part-- mostly because if he doesn't, he might end up saying something stupid, like how he kind of wishes they //were// sharing a bed.  As horrible as the situation was, he does think about curling up with Sebastian's head on his chest in that stupid hospital bed.  The younger man was delusional, obviously, but...fuck, it was just kind of //nice//, is all.

The reminder makes Sebastian squirm a little bit uncomfortably, biting on his bottom lip. Because yeah - going out on the first night he can get, he's sure, isn't exactly what the doctor had in mind when he was cleared from bed rest. He's fine, though, obviously - Brody's concern isn't really needed. His heart rate is nearing a somewhat normal pace, and his breaths are starting to become a little more under control. He's fine. "Couple of weeks until I go back to work, yeah. At least I'm not confined to my bed anymore, though." Or Marley's bed, for that matter. But Marley doesn't seem like a good subject to bring up right now - and it's certainly not one he's up for discussing. Especially not with Brody. "You know, I always say that creativity is a good thing. In this case, I'm not so sure. Teenagers, Brodes - they're the worst kind of people." Fuck knows he'd been. Or, well... he hadn't really stopped being a terrible person, but he likes to think that he's managed to find a little bit more of a balance. He lets out a huff of amusement, although something a little too much like longing twinges in his chest, which he promptly ignores. "Good point. I guess there's something to be said about not having to deal with awkward mornings." Although it's not like Brody was ever around in the morning, anyway - guy's a ridiculously early riser, and it'll forever be a foreign concept to Sebastian.

"Yeah."  Oh yeah-- Brody is eloquent to a tee.  Honestly, he doesn't know if he's happy or nervous that the guy's reappearance is coming.  Being //this// close is kind of making him uncomfortable, if he's being honest-- and that's with the post-sex euphoria trying like hell to keep a buzz going.  "Yeah, although now that you're back at home, I can't imagine where else you'd want to be.  Your furniture is useless when you're healthy, Bas.  I can't imagine it magically got better when you got sick."  Brody wishes that knot in his stomach would go anywhere else; that this conversation wasn't so damned easy-- lulling, really.  The crazy amount of awkward this should be can't compete with the familiarity of the conversation, and the exhaustion that's taking him over yet again.  "Eh, they're not //so// bad-- just need to get a handle on their hormones long enough to get their minds out of the gutter during class-- or at least the ones where I can hear them..."  That damned knot twists with Bas' response, and Brody forces out a chuckle to mask his own lingering fantasy.  "Yeah-- at least I can rest easy knowing you'll sleep better on your own then.  You probably couldn't handle morning sex this early even if you wanted it."  He chuckles again and yawns.  "Bas, it's late.  Just...do me a favor and get some water and some sleep, okay?  I'm going to have Blaine check up on you in the morning-- make sure you didn't call a massive orgy as soon as I hung up and killed yourself with the effort."  He tells himself he'd be like this with //anyone//, and he mostly believes it.  Enough that he's back to a horizontal position in his bed, anyways, his mind pulling back and forth between awake and drowsing again.  But he's going to make sure the moron on the other line is taken care of first if it kills him.

"My furniture is awesome, Brodes. And more importantly, it /matches/ - which is more than I can say for yours." Sebastian wrinkles his nose in distaste. How Brody could live like that, he had no idea. "The only thing we can both agree on is my mattress. And your headboard, I guess - or one like it, but only for specific reasons." Reasons, in all honesty, that he probably won't need to explore, because he's not taking people back to his place anymore. He rolls his eyes. "They're hormonal and overdramatic, not to mention lazy and dim. I repeat - teenagers are the worst kind of people." Teaching high school really isn't his calling, that's for sure. As much as he hated the corporate stuff, he misses law. Too bad his dad had made sure to sever every tie that he could in that department. A never ending source of frustration for Sebastian, in all honesty. He hums a little tiredly in response, but there's that twinge in his chest again. Sebastian really needs it to go away. "You couldn't handle morning sex with me full stop," he replies, forcing a smirk as if Brody could see him. Brody's yawn is infectious, and Sebastian only just manages to suppress one of his own. "Fine, yeah - send Blaine for morning sex. I'll try to resist the orgy in the meantime." He still needs to drag himself up to change his damn sheets, because thanks to Brody, he's made a mess of them, but Brody's obviously desperate to get to bed, and Sebastian isn't going to be the one to stop him. "Well, I guess this is the point where I should be thanking you for your-" he pauses, searching for the right word and chuckling quietly when he finds it - although he's not even entirely sure why it's so amusing to him right now "-for your service and saying goodnight, huh?"

"And my furniture is //comfortable//, in which case who cares if they're not from the exact same set or whatever?" Brody's lips twitch in amusement at the banter, muscles relaxing in comfort.  "The mattress I will give you, yes.  Excellent quality-- definitely a worthwhile investment, especially with a good headboard for //consistent//, specific reasons."  He bit his lip as his mind wandered into his basement, where his own memory foam was still hiding away-- he wasn't really able to get rid of it, at the end, but using it was still a little too much of a punch to the gut.  So in the basement it stayed.  "Yes, because adults are //never// prone to letting their hormones drive them to theatrics.  I mean, so far you're just describing some people in general.  At least these ones you can boss around, and a good chunk wants to do well."  Brody never really imagined teaching for himself-- he had always been more of a doer himself-- but being so far from home and everything he loved, working with the kids allowed him to stay connected to his passion that working behind a desk or god knows what he'd be qualified to do wouldn't.  He chuckles.  "Oh Bas, I'm sure you wouldn't be so awful that I'd be turned off from sex completely.  I mean, it's just like regular sex-- you just have to practice until you get the hang of it."  He rolls his eyes and smirks at Sebastian's response, but feels a little comforted that apparently Bas is worn down enough to actually go back to sleep.  "How considerate of you."  Brody's mouth is opened to reply, but the words get caught in his throat with Bas' phrasing.  It's just a joke-- of course it's just a joke-- it's always just a joke-- but suddenly Brody feels used and discarded and his scars ache as if he's back on the ground of that parking lot in Petaluma, a smattering of single dollar bills and the word //whore// thrown down on him causing a worse pain than the cracked ribs and bloodied face ever managed.  But he's still on the phone, and even though it's been a second too long for it to be the same, he still forces out a laugh.  "Yeah, well, I guess I at least saved Blaine some late-night desperation, right?  Father of the Year."  He lets out a quiet breath, his body now tense and anxious and his mind desperate to escape the thoughts that are starting to creep in.  "Just...take care of yourself, alright?  Call me if you need anything."  He cringes as the words escape him-- but they're already out there now.

"Was it? I suppose I was just too distracted by my eyesight being assaulted from the monstrosity that is your living room." He snorts. "It /matters/ because it looks like crap. Seriously, you can't tell me that I'm the first person that's been offended by it." He suppresses a shudder at the memory. Granted, it /did/ all look comfortable, and he could get the appeal of Brody's couch - but would it have killed the guy to just splash out on a fucking set? "Yeah, but adults are less irritating, and responsible for their own shit. It's not my job to deal with hormone-driven /adults/." Frankly, he's well aware of the fact that he's let his own hormones get him into some shit - a fact that he's grateful to Brody for not vocalising. He snorts, shaking his head. "You really can't resist twisting my words to fit your own agenda, can you? Shameless, Brodes. Shameless. But just to clarify - a fact of which I'm sure you were perfectly aware - what I meant was that if we had morning sex, I'd have tired you out for the rest of the day - and I'd hate to put you out like that, even for some damn good sex." Fuck, though, the more Brody talks about it, the more he wishes he got to have that with the older man. Which... is something he needs to stop thinking about, because it's clearly not going to happen. Sebastian licks his lips, and his eyebrows wrinkle a little, because the timing of Brody's laughter seems a little bit... off, and for a split second, he wonders if he'd hit a nerve, but as Brody continues to talk, he's fairly certain he'd imagined it. Still, he bites back his instinct to joke in reply to Brody's offer to call if he needed anything that he had just done exactly that. He just hums tiredly instead. "Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but as much as you insist otherwise, I'm fine." A yawn cuts him off at the end of his sentence, and he really needs to hurry up and move before he falls asleep and lets his mess dry on his sheets. "Night, Brodes."

Brody just barks out a quiet laugh-- he's not going to say it, but for the majority of that night, he's pretty sure the color scheme of the furniture was the farthest thing on Bas' mind.  "You know, you might not be, but no one else really complains.  I think they're mind is focused elsewhere when it comes to the furniture, honestly."  He grins and shrugs at Sebastian's gripe-- which is a little dumb, considering the other man can't see him.  "Good point, but you can't reprimand an adult for being a hormonal piece of shit-- or well, normal people usually can't."  Bas had proven on multiple occasions that he falls outside the line of socially acceptable behaviors, and didn't seem to have the same interest in restraint as the rest of them, so maybe Brody's argument is moot in that respect.  "Are you implying that I am not just as good at interpreting your words as you are with mine, Bas?" His grin is broad by now, body light with amusement at the banter, and he wishes it could go on a while longer.  Wishes, a little wistfully, that he could offer to drive on over and make good on the challenge.  His bed feels bigger, and emptier, than it did an hour ago, and Brody draws up a pillow beside him to try to make up for it.  "You know, as much as I love a challenge, I just don't think you could handle being schooled that badly in your current state.  And besides-- I think the fact that you have to be //awake// in the morning to have morning sex automatically takes you out of the running on this one.  Just saying."  Brody is incredibly grateful that Bas is apparently that exhausted-- quietly berating himself again for running him ragged like this in his state-- that he doesn't joke anymore.  Brody can't handle anymore jokes tonight.  He feels kind of nauseous, honestly.

His chest wrenches a little at the yawn that escapes through the receiver, because he wants to comfort the other man, and he wants to keep talking until Bas falls asleep, to make sure he gets there sooner, but mostly-- mostly he just wishes he felt anyways besides how he does.  Because it's really the same problem he's had for the entirety of 2017, between two people, and it's just something he doesn't want to think about anymore.  Or ever.  "Fair enough.  Good night, Bas."

[squaredancing-weston]

I suppose if your intention is to merely pass through college with a cursory knowledge of how to work a computer and hope your liberal arts degree gives you some sort of passable income to make it through the harsh cost of living in any halfway-decent county.  And honestly, between your comments about your recreational activities and your diet, I have no idea how you manage to keep in an acceptable shape for your clubs and not be at high risk for internal organ damage.

Yeah, I imagine that’s mostly it for the majority of us.  Damn whippersnappers and their English and Psychology degrees.  I mean, I’m guessing since they’re trying to live in Ohio, and not like New York or California, they’ll manage with whatever they get.  Standards are probably pretty low when you grow up in a place like Lima.  Blind luck, I guess, and good kharma?  I mean, it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the food or routine I partake in daily that I don’t find all that interesting to talk about?  That’s just crazy talk there.

[squaredancing-weston]

No, yeah, I know, and again, thank you. It’s reassuring to know that. I will, I just have to figure out what that means, if that makes sense.

I wish I could help, man, but this one’s outside my experience.  I think being self-focused is probably not out of line though, for sure.  Well, I mean, family too, obviously, but, yeah-- everything else can easily take a back seat.  

I'm sorry for my absence this week.

[squaredancing-weston]

Aren’t you worried that if I get any better, there’ll be no one left for you to sleep with? I mean don’t get me wrong; I’ve definitely ruined other men for some people already by completely rocking their world - I have references. This will only make it that much worse. I mean I’d have better sex, sure - although I have no complaints in that department either - but for the sake of humanity, I really should quit while I’m ahead. Not that I will - because screw humanity. Literally.

Believe me, Brodes, I’ve had no issues convincing people to sleep with me. The fact that I’ve had less sex than usual, and that the quality has dipped somewhat, is entirely their faults, not mine.

Why would I be?  My pool of partners may be smaller than yours, but we’re infinitely better because of that pesky “knowing each other” thing.  I mean, it’s like I always tell you Bas-- you can fuck someone every which way till Sunday, but if you’re only one-and-done, it’s still going to lack the expertise and enjoyment of a repeat.  I mean, sex is just better when you’re more in tune with that person’s hot spots.  So even if you learn the entire book, I’ll still have the experience that makes them come back around.  So really, you probably should learn some new tricks, because eventually otherwise you’re just going to get bored.

Well yeah-- I mean, who could turn down a guy that looks like he hasn’t left the bed, much less the house, in a month?  I mean, combine that with that black lung rasp to your voice, and you’re just sex on a stick, right? Although considering apparently I had no problem with it, maybe not.

Ah, the Glory

[squaredancing-weston]

Computer science, dude. I teach both, and sometimes they manage to come together like that.

Oh yeah-- that would do it then.  I thought as was the only one who combined lessons, honestly.

[squaredancing-weston]

Yeah it’s…it’s hard. But hey…you’re my only father now, so that’s a silver lining. I will, thank you, Brody.

Oh holy god.  There is a time when jokes aren’t funny.  Yeah, well, at least you’re surrounded by all sides-- I mean, you know that, right?  And I’m not going anywhere.  Couldn’t get rid of me if you tried to beat me off with a stick.  So, just take care of yourself, alright?  

I'm sorry for my absence this week.

[squaredancing-weston]

text || Brobastian

Bas: My kink history that /you/ made up - sure. Although you literally /did/ just say you'd fuck roadkill, so don't expect me to drop that any time soon. I'd give you the same sentiment, except that I'm starting to feel like some sort of intervention is in order for you. You're not just hurting /yourself/, Brodes, you're hurting the people around you. It takes little effort for me to just be myself. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? It just so happens that asshole is my natural state. Yes, but she's still not specifically being paid to have sex with me. She's having sex /during/ her lunch hour. Your logic is incredible - and no, that's not a compliment.

Bas: Or I can go right to the source. I'm sure I can find a way to convince Hunter to share his Soldier Sex School stories. Or - yes - I'll send Blaine. Maybe me and Blaine could convince him together, actually...

Bas: No, he's /uninteresting/. Why would I be implying that he's cocky? Guy has nothing going for him - what's there to be cocky /about/?

Bas: Considering that you started this by talking about The Ten Commandments, my mind didn't immediately go to Mooby's, Brodes. You mean you watched Dogma without getting high? Isn't that the sole purpose of any View Askewniverse movie? But hey - if you want to "educate me" in the way of a movie night, feel free.

Bas: [unsent] Which isn't weird. Because we're just friends. Friends who have had sex in the past - but friends nonetheless. Like me and Blaine.

Brody: I "made up" using direct quotes from you-- absolutely. I mean, I told you I'd support you through whatever, though, Bas-- so I won't give you an ultimatum or anything, so long as you're not doing anything illegal. Although both of those things are-- so try to restrain yourself. No, I said roadkill looked better than you did-- so basically that's me emphasizing how bad you look, because //I'm// not the one with the creepy kinks. Don't they teach you in law school how to temper yourself at all? Like so your clients don't hate you? My logic is impeccable-- you get paid to teach the kids too you know-- not just to exist in the classroom. Same idea for what goes on during lunch.

Brody: You could, but you won't. Because it's not as funny hearing it from their perspective. But for your sake, I'll share, because it is amusing. //Apparently// there are only two things to do in Military Academy: train, and have sex. And Hunter apparently completed training //a lot// XD

Brody: Because you said "Finn" and "cocky" in the same text, and you're known to say weird shit sometimes. You have //got// to learn to clarify, Peacock. I am not a mindreader here. And if I was...I still wouldn't be using my powers for this conversation, truthfully. I would be using them for the good of the world. And my sex life.

Brody: I hate to break it to you, Bas, but some of us took our 16-early twenties very seriously, and did not partake in illicit substances for risky recreational purposes. So no: I didn't watch Dogma or Clerks or any of those movies while high. And I was still able to appreciate the nuance of the verse, thank you. Ha-- careful what you wish for, Bas. I'd hate to embarrass you by dominating you in the ways of movie knowledge face to face. I mean, not //really// but I'd pretend.

Brody: [unsent] Dominate. //Bad// choice of words. I mean, it's a joke, so it's fine, obviously. And this movie thing isn't happening, so doubly fine. It's fine.

[squaredancing-weston]

I’m sure your class isn’t that much of an Easy A. Though it does earn you points sometimes as the teacher of an Easy A course. As far as knowing whether or not they’ve done their readings, it’s pretty simple actually. Obviously excluding the final exam, which we know weeds out the keeners from the slackers, I give some mini tests after every couple of plays. Pop quizzes really. They know they will happen at some point throughout the semester, so it’s fair game since they were warned.

I guess that’s fair. I just figure if it’s an academic thing, I can provide my services with recommendations. To be fair, some of these kids might end up doing some performing for me anyway, so the extra-curriculars might tie in. You’ve never had a math student ask you for a recommendation before though? Huh. I guess it might be because everybody wants to get into English because it’s ‘easy’ so whatever letters they can get they take?

Ag?  Nah, it pretty much is.  There aren’t any exams, and we go on a lot of field trips.  I mean, there’s the whole FFA aspect to it, but for the most part, you show up and do work, you get the A.  It’s only when you move up on the ladder that you really have to show any comprehension.  I have to grade enough tests on the math side of my classes-- I’m not making things any harder on myself for something I like.  I mean, technically Stats is an easy A as well, but that’s more because everyone in there is working toward the test at the end, so all of the work preceding it is just practice.  So basically Algebra and Animal Sciences are the only classes I have that have any big tests that count toward their grades.  What’s a keener?  I mean, assuming you’re not just using the verb form and making it a noun, in which case...I’m confused.  And...that’s a lot of work-- I hope either the quizzes are really simple or your guy brushes upon the material in that case.

Oh yeah-- you do that drama thing, right?  So maybe that would tie in, sure.  Not really-- the kids that are going for STEM stuff usually go for teachers that know them better.  I mean, most letters of recommendation aren’t specific to a subject-- they’re meant to say something about the student themselves.  So if you want a science teacher, you’d probably go to like Marley for Quiz Bowl stuff or the Mathletes teacher or someone.  Otherwise you’d just ask a teacher that knows you best, and since I teach Algebra, where there’s no upper classmen, and Stats, who all have better options, it just doesn’t come up.  No idea-- maybe they just like you best, Spence-- feel flattered.

[squaredancing-weston]

Everyone should know the basics of Microsoft Office, Brody.  It’s basic computer literacy.  Unless the entire class is intending on foregoing college for the sake of the enticing field of food service, which may not be that far off the mark.

Well, I mean, I guess-- but Excel’s pretty low on the totem pole, don’t you think?  Like Word, very important.  PowerPoint, lots of fun and good for college.  Excel?  Maybe if you are in a STEM, I guess?  I mean, I’m sure they can make like a graph on their own, right?  Or at least my kids can.  That said, no knocking the food services-- some of those guys are billionaires.  Like the guy who invented Peanut Butter.  Or the McGriddle.

[squaredancing-weston]

Man, I’m sorry to hear that Blaine.  I mean, I know you guys weren’t, you know, close, exactly, but-- that’s hard.  Let me know if you need anything-- I mean, besides the school stuff, obviously.

I'm sorry for my absence this week.

And…well for the fact that it will continue through this next week as well. There’s been a family emergency that has…

Well I’m not sure why I’m beating around the bush. Due to heavy injuries sustained in a private plane crash, my father has…he’s passed away.

All I ask is for everyone to keep an eye on my sub and if anyone can give my number to Mr. St James for Student Council business, that’d be greatly appreciated.